[I. MEETING CALLED TO ORDER]
          [00:00:08]
          CITY COUNCIL SPECIAL CALL MEETING FOR THE JUNE 23RD, 2026 MEETING. MADAM CITY CLERK, CAN WE HAVE A ROLL CALL, PLEASE? YES. COUNCIL MEMBER HEMMING WILL BE HERE SHORTLY. COUNCIL MEMBER FREELY WILL NOT BE IN ATTENDANCE. COUNCIL MEMBER ATKINS PRESENT. COUNCIL MEMBER ZIEGLER WILL NOT BE IN ATTENDANCE AS WELL. COUNCIL MEMBER CUMMINGS, PRESENT. 
          COUNCIL MEMBER MITCHELL. PRESENT. COUNCIL MEMBER CALDWELL. PRESENT. COUNCIL MEMBER MARTIN ROGERS, PRESENT. MAYOR CHAPMAN, WE HAVE A QUORUM. OKAY. THANK YOU. COUNCIL, MAY I 
          [III.1. Discussion on FY27 Budget]
HAVE A MOTION TO OPEN THE FLOOR FOR DISCUSSION FOR THE 20 FY 27 BUDGET? SO MOVED. SECOND, IT'S BEEN MOVED AND SECONDED. SO FOR THE ORDER FOR TONIGHT, I HAD A CHANCE TO SPEAK WITH THE STAFF. 
          WE'LL GO FIRST WITH THE PARKS AND RECREATION, AND THEN WE WILL MOVE IN THE ORDER TO MAKE SURE THAT WE COVER ALL THE DEPARTMENTS. SO I'LL START WITH PARKS AND RECREATION, AND WE'LL GO FROM THERE TO PLANNING AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT FOR THE NEXT ONE AFTER THAT. RIGHT. SO FOR THE FOR ALL OF THE DEPARTMENTS THERE, WE'LL GO WITH THIS. THE LIST IS FOR THE CITY ATTORNEY, THE CITY CLERK, CITY MANAGER, COMMUNICATIONS CONTRACTS AND PROCUREMENT, CUSTOMER CARE, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, FLEET FINANCE, FIRE, HUMAN RESOURCES, INFORMATION RESOURCES, PARKS AND RECREATION. PLANNING AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT. POLICE. 
          AND LET'S SEE, WE HAVE AND I THINK WE HAVE IN THE. FIVE I SAID FIRE. SO IF I'M MISSING EITHER EITHER ONE OF THOSE ANYONE JUST PLEASE LET ME KNOW. BUT I JUST WENT THROUGH THE LIST. BUT WE'RE GOING TO START WITH PARKS, PARKS AND RECREATION BECAUSE THEY HAVE A TIME CONSTRAINT FOR THIS EVENING. AND MADAM CITY CLERK, CAN WE MAKE SURE THE TIMER HAS A SET WE HAVE SET FOR FIVE. WAS IT FIVE MINUTES PER PRESENTATION? YES. ALL RIGHT. 
          THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. GOOD EVENING, MAYOR AND COUNCIL. I'M HAPPY TO TALK ABOUT WHAT PARKS AND RECREATION DEPARTMENT ACCOMPLISHED OVER FY 26. VERY SIMILAR TO WHAT I PRESENTED ON LAST MONDAY. PROUD TO SAY WE'VE WORKED ON PARK IMPROVEMENTS IN EVERY WARD, JUST TO NAME A FEW. 
          CONSIDERING WITH CONSIDERATION OF TIME. COLONIAL HILLS, NEW PLAYGROUND AND INCLUSIVE PLAYGROUND EQUIPMENT FOR RESTORATION OF VICTORY PARK THAT SITS ON CITY HALL LINE. WE INSTALLED A FEW MURALS AROUND THE CITY, ONE OF THE ONES THAT'S MOST PROMINENT RIGHT NOW IS CENTERED AROUND FIFA RIGHT NEXT TO US PIZZA, BALD, ETHNIC, ONE OF OUR COMMUNITY PARTNERS. 
          WE PUT A VERY NICE MURAL IN THAT SPACE, SIMS PARK. WE HAD SOME FOLK ART PIECE THAT WAS PUT IN THAT PARTICULAR PARK. WE DID A FULL RESTORATION OF GRAYSON BASEBALL FIELD, THE OLD SOFTBALL FIELD. IT'S BEEN AN EYESORE IN THE COMMUNITY FOR SOME TIME. THERE WAS A FULL RESTORATION JOB THAT WE DID THERE. RANSOM PARK IS PROBABLY ABOUT 95% COMPLETE. ONE OF OUR MOST UTILIZED AND MOST RENTED PARKS THAT WE HAVE IN OUR CITY. THAT'S JUST THE KIND OF NAME A FEW SITES PARK. WE'VE DONE A LOT OF FULL RENOVATIONS. WE'RE LOOKING AT DOING A GRAND OPENING WITH STAR AND TREMAINE. HOPEFULLY AFTER THE 4TH OF JULY, SEVERAL PAVILION PARK SPACES THAT WILL BE AVAILABLE FOR THE COMMUNITY. WE ALSO UPDATED A LOT OF OUR TRAILS AT THAT PARTICULAR SITE. ANOTHER PROJECT THAT WE TALKED ABOUT ABOUT TWO YEARS AGO WAS BECOMING MORE OF A GREEN COMMUNITY. I KNOW OUR FLEET DEPARTMENT HAS DONE A GREAT JOB OF ADDING ELECTRIC VEHICLES, SO WE ACTUALLY INSTALLED EV STATIONS AT ALL OF OUR MOST POPULAR PARKS. THOSE ARE UP AND RUNNING, KIND OF A FORWARD THINKING THING THAT WE PICKED UP AT A NATIONAL PARKS CONFERENCE A COUPLE YEARS AGO, BUT I'M PROUD TO SAY WE HAVE THEM IN EAST POINT. FROM A STATISTICAL STANDPOINT, ALL OF OUR PARKS ARE VISITED MORE. WE SAW SIGNIFICANT INCREASE AT JEFFERSON RECREATION CENTER SOMEWHERE NORTH OF 45% INCREASE. 
          BUT OVERALL, WE PROBABLY SEEN ABOUT 155 OR 160 000 PEOPLE IN OUR PARKS AS IT PERTAINS FROM FY 26 TO FY 27. A LOT OF MY FOCUS NOW IS ON PROTECTING OUR ASSETS. WE'VE DONE A GREAT JOB AS A CITY, INVESTING AND IMPROVING OUR PARKS AND GREEN SPACES. SO NOW I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE PROTECTING THEM. WE'VE BEEN A BIG TARGET OF A LOT OF TAGGING, OF SPRAY PAINT, 
          [00:05:05]
VANDALISM. SECURING OUR PARKS IS A MAJOR PRIORITY FOR ME. THAT'S A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT FROM FY 26. SO WE'RE LOOKING AT PUTTING, ALONG WITH THE HELP OF THE POLICE DEPARTMENT, STRATEGICALLY PLACING CAMERAS IN OUR PARKS TO MAKE SURE OUR ASSETS ARE PROTECTED. I KNOW THERE'S A LOT OF DISCUSSION CENTERED AROUND THE POOL. WE'RE LOOKING AT POTENTIALLY TO DO THE DESIGN PHASE OF A POOL. WE'VE IDENTIFIED ABOUT THREE LOCATIONS IN THE CITY. THAT COULD BE A GOOD POSSIBILITY FOR A POOL LOCATION. SO WE'RE HOPING TO ONBOARD A FIRM THAT CAN ACTUALLY ASSIST WITH US MOVING THAT FORWARD. OUR PROGRAMS ARE GROWING ASTRONOMICALLY, SO MORE TRANSPORTATION IS NEEDED. PLANNING FOR THE FUTURE OF A NEW MULTIPLEX REC CENTER. WE'RE TRYING TO BE STRATEGIC ABOUT ADDING MORE FLEET FOR TRANSPORTATION FOR OUR KIDS, AND THEN JUST CONTINUED INVESTMENT IN OUR MAIN FACILITY RIGHT NOW, FROM AN OUTDOOR STANDPOINT, AS JOHN MILNER SPORTS COMPLEX, WE PROBABLY SAW ABOUT 55000 PEOPLE FROM SEPTEMBER TO ABOUT NOVEMBER 15TH. A LOT OF TIMES I'M BRINGING MY GIRLS UP HERE FOR A FLAG AWARDS, BUT WE RUN THE LARGEST FLAG YOUTH RECREATION LEAGUE IN THE STATE OF GEORGIA. SO WE'RE ATTRACTING PEOPLE FROM EVERYWHERE TO BE A PART OF WHAT WE WORK SO HARD TO BUILD HERE IN EASTPOINTE. THAT CONCLUDES MY PRESENTATION, BUT I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS YOU ALL MAY HAVE. DO YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, COUNCILWOMAN CALDWELL, THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION AND TAKING THE TIME OUT FOR TONIGHT. THE THE ONLY QUESTION THAT I HAVE IS AROUND FUTURE PROJECTS OR THINGS YOU MAY WANT TO SEE. 
          THAT'S NOT IN THIS BUDGET. IS THERE ANYTHING THAT IS MISSING OR POTENTIALLY LIMITED, LIMITED OR SOMETHING ALONG THOSE LINES? I MEAN, IT'S IT'S NO SECRET. MY, MY MAJOR FOCUS NOW IS THE MULTIPLEX REC CENTER. I KNOW THAT IS A HUGE ARM FOR THE CITY. THAT IS MY PRIMARY FOCUS, TO BE HONEST WITH YOU. FROM A PROGRAMING STANDPOINT, I PRETTY MUCH HAVE EVERYTHING THAT I NEED FROM A RECREATION STANDPOINT. MY MY DEPARTMENT, WE ACTIVELY CHASED GRANTS, SO WE'RE ALWAYS LOOKING TO FIND ADDITIONAL FUNDS TO ENHANCE WHAT THE CITY HAS GIVEN US. 
          FROM AN OPERATIONAL STANDPOINT, I'M VERY COMFORTABLE WITH WHAT WE HAVE. BUT AS YOU AS I TOLD YOU, MY MAJOR FOCUS IS ON THE BIG PROJECT AND MORE SPACE AND MORE OPPORTUNITIES FOR THE COMMUNITY. THANK YOU. COUNCILMAN MARK ROGERS. YES, AND THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR PRESENTATION. DIRECTOR PINKETT, IF YOU COULD JUST SHARE WITH US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE POCKET PARK THAT'S COMING, AND ALSO THE SOUTH COMMERCE DRIVE, WHERE WE ARE IN THE DESIGN PHASE OF THOSE TWO PARKS FOR WARD D. THANK YOU. ALRIGHT, I'LL START WITH MICROSOFT PARK. WE HAVE A PROPOSED DATE OF JULY 11TH. FROM A BUILD STANDPOINT, AS YOU KNOW, WITH CONSTRUCTION IS GOING TO BE DEPENDENT UPON THE WEATHER. WE HAD A LOT OF RAIN ALL OF A SUDDEN THE LAST TWO WEEKS. IT'S KIND OF SET BACK OUR INITIAL DATE OF JULY 15TH OF THE CONSTRUCTION BEING COMPLETED. RIGHT NOW, WE'RE TARGETING AROUND MID JULY. WE'LL BE DOING A, A COMMUNITY MURAL PROJECT WITH THAT PROJECT AS WELL ON GRAND OPENING. BUT WE HAVE EVERYTHING ELSE FROM A DESIGN AND BUILD STANDPOINT THAT'S TRACKING. IN REGARDS TO COMMERCE PARK, I ONBOARDED A ENGINEERING FIRM, PRIME ENGINEERING, PROBABLY ABOUT A YEAR AND A HALF AGO. WITH ARPA FUNDS. WE'RE PROBABLY ABOUT 80% DONE WITH THE DESIGN. SO AT THIS POINT, ONCE WE GET SOME COMMUNITY MEETINGS AND GET SOME FEEDBACK ON SOME FINAL DETAILED TOUCHES, IF WE RECEIVE THE FUNDING, WE CAN MOVE TO BIDDING FOR CONSTRUCTION FOR THAT PARK TO BE ON BOARDED. THANK YOU. 
          ALRIGHT, COUNCILMAN ATKINS. YES, THANK YOU, MADAM MAYOR. THANK YOU, DIRECTOR PINKETT, FOR THAT PRESENTATION. AND THANK YOU FOR ALL OF THE IMPROVEMENTS. I DEFINITELY SEE THEM AS I TRAVEL AROUND THE CITY. SO THANK YOU AND YOUR TEAM FOR THAT. SO I HAVE A QUESTION, A FEW QUESTIONS. I THINK YOU'VE ANSWERED ONE OF THEM. ONE I WAS GOING TO ASK, I THINK IN THE FY 27 BUDGET, THERE WAS ABOUT $25,000 FOR VANDALISM. BUT I THINK YOU'VE ANSWERED THAT QUESTION. SO YOU'VE SEEN AN UPTICK IN VANDALISM AND VANDALISM AT OUR PARKS? VERY MUCH SO. OKAY. AND THE 25000 YOU THINK WILL COVER WHAT WE NEED FOR FY 27? SO THE 25,000 THAT YOU'RE REFERRING TO IS ON MY PARKS MAINTENANCE SERVICE SIDE. SOME THINGS WE'RE ABLE TO CORRECT. BUT WHEN WE START TALKING ABOUT VANDALISM, THAT COULD BE AS SIMPLE AS THE LOCKS BEING BROKE ON THE DOG PARK, IT COULD BE KICKED IN MY BATHROOM DOOR AND DAMAGE THE BATHROOM 
          [00:10:02]
STALLS AND BROKE THE PARTITIONS. SO FROM A CAPITAL STANDPOINT, I WANT TO DO MORE OF OUR HIGH TECH CAMERAS. I THINK IT'S I CAN'T THINK OF THE FIRM RIGHT NOW, BUT THEY HAVE A LOT OF VOICE CALL TYPE OF SECURITY. SO NOW WHEN THE PARKS ARE CLOSED, A LOT OF THE SYSTEMS AND THE DESIGNS I'VE BEEN LOOKING AT, WE'LL BE ABLE TO HAVE A VOICE COMMAND TO SAY THE PARK IS CLOSED. POLICE ARE BEING CONTACTED NOW. HOPEFULLY I CAN CATCH PEOPLE OR DETER THEM FROM BREAKING OUR PROJECTS. I GIVE EXAMPLE WITH CENTRAL PARK, WE FINISHED THAT PROJECT AND I THINK IT WAS TAGGED WITHIN THREE WEEKS, SO WE KNOW WE'RE WORKING HARD TO TRY TO IMPROVE SPACES. SO TWO DIFFERENT THINGS ARE KIND OF COMING INTO PLAY WITH THAT. THE 25,000 IS MORE THE DAY TO DAY BREAKS THAT WE CAN KIND OF FIX INTERNALLY. BUT FROM A CAPITAL STANDPOINT, FUNDING FOR SECURITY CAMERAS WOULD BE A BIGGER ONE. AND THAT WAS ONE OF THE THINGS I REQUESTED FOR FY 27. OKAY. THE OTHER THING IS I ALSO SEE THAT I DON'T I'M NOT EXACTLY SURE WHAT THESE THINGS MIGHT BE. AND IT COULD BE FOR MAINTENANCE AS IT RELATES TO ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES, JANITORIAL SERVICES, WHAT CITY BILLS? WHAT ARE THOSE? I SEE THERE'S $61,000 FOR CITY BILLS. WHAT MIGHT THAT BE? SO CITY BILLS WOULD BE LIKE OUR COMCAST ELECTRIC. BUT A LOT OF THAT STUFF IS FUNDED, I THINK THROUGH OUR FINANCE DEPARTMENT. SEVERAL YEARS AGO, WE PUT FUNDING IN PLACE TO COVER OUR PARTICULAR BILLS OUT OF OUR FACILITIES. AS FAR AS JANITORIAL GOES, WE DID PUT MONEY IN THE BUDGET. LIKE I WAS SAYING IN THE LAST MEETING, I DON'T HAVE ALL THE STATS TODAY, BUT JOHN JEFFERSON RECREATION CENTER IS PROBABLY, I THINK IT WAS A 45% INCREASE OF PEOPLE COMING TO OUR FACILITY. THOSE THAT YOU ALL KNOW, AFTER SCHOOL PROGRAM, STEM, SUMMER CAMP, SENIOR PROGRAMS, A FACILITY, CLEANLINESS IS A HIGH PRIORITY FOR ME. SO A LOT OF THOSE THINGS ARE KIND OF COMBINED IN THAT FIGURE THAT YOU DISCUSSED. 
          OKAY. AND ALSO AND THIS SAME, I THINK GL SECTION 6122, THERE'S VEHICLE MAINTENANCE. SO DOES PARKS DO ITS OWN MAINTENANCE OR IS THAT SOMETHING THAT YOU WOULD NORMALLY SEND TO FLEET OR. 
          AND I KNOW 5000 IS NOT A WHOLE LOT, BUT WOULD THAT NOT FALL UNDER FLEET FOR THEM TO DO ALL OF THE MAINTENANCE? OR IS THAT SOMETHING THAT PARKS WOULD DO INDIVIDUALLY AS A DEPARTMENT? SO OBVIOUSLY, ALFONSO, AS I GO TO GUY FOR ANY MAJOR BREAKDOWNS, A LOT OF WHAT YOU'RE SEEING IS WHAT IT COST TO CLEAN OUT SPRINTER VANS. SO MY SPRINTER VANS ARE USED, OBVIOUSLY BY MY DEPARTMENT. I'M HELPING OUT POLICE TOMORROW FOR SOMETHING THEY HAVE GOING ON. ANY CITY OFFICIALS THEY USE ASPIRIN VANS. AS YOU GUYS CAN IMAGINE, OUR KIDS DO A NUMBER ON ON OUR SPRINTER VANS. SO A LOT OF IT IS CLEANING. THEY CLEAN THOSE SPRINTER VANS. YOU MIGHT BE LOOKING AT PROBABLY ABOUT $200 A POP. OKAY. SO WE TRY TO GET A CONSTANT ROTATION OF HAVING THOSE VEHICLES CLEANED IN CASE ANYBODY IN THE CITY WOULD NEED THEM. BUT THAT'S REALLY WHAT SETS REFERRING TO NOT NECESSARILY A MUFFLER OR. YEAH, YEAH, THAT TYPE OF STUFF. 
          THAT'S VERY HELPFUL. THANK YOU. AND THE LAST QUESTION I HAVE IS OTHER PROFESSIONAL FEES YOU'VE GOT HERE. I DON'T KNOW IF THIS IS A TOTAL, BUT IT'S $359,480. YES. IS THAT SEASONAL EMPLOYEES OR WHAT WOULD BE COVERED UNDER OTHER PROFESSIONAL. WELL, THAT'S A THAT'S A LOT THAT GOES INTO THAT. SOME OF THAT IS DESIGN WORK FOR HOPEFULLY EXPANDING OUR MODEL MILE. WE HAVE A LOT OF CONTRACTORS THAT WE USE FOR SPECIAL NEEDS PROGRAMS. SOME OF THOSE PROGRAMS REQUIRE LICENSED PROFESSIONALS TO BE ABLE TO EXECUTE WHAT THOSE FAMILIES NEED, AND IS A COST TO THAT. SOME OF THOSE ARE ASSISTANCE WITH TEACHER AIDES. OUR STEM PROGRAM, WE BRING IN PROFESSIONAL STEM INSTRUCTORS, AND THAT'S WHY IT'S SO SOUGHT OUT. SO THERE ARE A NUMBER OF THINGS THAT COME OUT OF MY PROFESSIONAL FEES BUDGET. 
          ALRIGHT, GREAT. THANK YOU. YOU'VE ANSWERED MY QUESTIONS. I GREATLY APPRECIATE IT. ALRIGHT. 
          THANK YOU, COUNCILMAN MITCHELL. YES, THANK YOU FOR YOUR PRESENTATION. I THINK YOU'RE DOING AN EXCELLENT JOB. EVERY TIME YOU COME BEFORE US, IT'S ANOTHER NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP, SO WE'RE GOING TO KEEP THAT GOING. RIGHT. BUT I HEARD YOU MENTIONED THE CAMERAS EARLIER. 
          I KNOW AT SYKES PARK. I KNOW WE GOT SOME NEW EQUIPMENT ONCE WE GO DOWN THE TRAIL. YEAH. DO YOU PLAN IS THERE ANY PLANS TO PUT LIGHTING DOWN THERE OR PUTTING LIKE LIGHTING, LIGHTING FOR THE FOR THE TRAIL OR THE EQUIPMENT? OR I MIGHT, I MIGHT SAY THAT ONE FOR SEAN WHEN HE WHEN HE COMES UP. BUT NO, I MEAN, I THINK SOME STRATEGIC LIGHTING IN THAT SPACE WILL BE GOOD. I INTRODUCED YOU ALL TO OFFICER ROSE, MY PARK RANGER. SO I THINK THE ASSISTANCE WITH SOME LIGHTING, MAYBE AT LEAST ALONG THE STREET SIDE. OKAY. BUT I DON'T WANT TO DO IS LIKE THAT 
          [00:15:04]
SPACE UP SO MUCH THAT PEOPLE ARE GOING AGAINST OUR ORDINANCE TO BE OUT OF THE PARK BY THE TIME IT BECOMES DARK. OKAY, SO IT'S A LITTLE TRICKY, I THINK. I THINK MAYBE ALONG THE DRIVEWAY WOULD BE A GOOD IDEA. BUT TYPICALLY WHEN THE SUN GOES DOWN, THAT PARTICULAR PART OF THE PARK IS CLOSED. OKAY. GOTCHA. YEAH. OKAY. THANK YOU. OKAY. ANY MORE QUESTIONS FROM COUNCIL? ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR PRESENTATION. MY MAJOR QUESTION IS, HOW DO YOU PLAN ON MEASURING SUCCESS OF YOUR OPERATIONS AND YOUR TOOLS? I KNOW YOU HAVE GOALS, BUT WHAT WOULD BE WHAT WOULD BE THE WAY THAT YOU'RE MEASURING HOW SUCCESSFUL YOUR DEPARTMENT AND YOUR INITIATIVES FOR 2027 ARE? WELL, I THINK PARKS AND REC IS A LITTLE UNIQUE. WE'RE VERY LIKE, ALL RIGHT, WE'RE RIGHT IN FRONT OF THE RESIDENTS AT THE GRASSROOT LEVEL. IT MIGHT SOUND KIND OF CLICHE, BUT ACTUALLY THE KIDS SMILING, THE PARENTS SAYING COMMENTS LIKE, MY KID DOES NOT WANT TO LEAVE HERE. I LOOK AT MY PROGRAM NUMBERS AS FAR AS PARTICIPATION. PEOPLE COMING BACK. SO MINE IS MORE OF AN EMOTIONAL TYPE THING FROM A STANDPOINT. BUT STATISTICALLY, WITH THE AI TECHNOLOGY THAT WE HAVE, I'M ACTUALLY ABLE TO TRACK HARD NUMBERS TO SEE IF OUR PARKS ARE INCREASING WITH VISITORS OR DECREASING. SO I HAVE A LITTLE BIT OF DATA PLUS THE STUFF THAT YOU ALL ARE ABLE TO SEE ON A DAY TO DAY BASIS TO KIND OF DETERMINE WHAT'S SUCCESS FOR MY DEPARTMENT. OKAY. AND THANK YOU FOR THAT. AND IF YOU HAVE MENTIONED THIS, MY APOLOGIES, BUT CAN YOU JUST ONE MORE TIME, JUST CLARIFY THE, THE PATH AND THE WALKABILITY, THE PATH PROJECTS THAT WE HAVE COMING INTO THE CITY TO IMPROVE CONNECTIVITY AND WALKABILITY FOR OUR RESIDENTS. YEAH. ONE OF THE BIG HURDLES WE HAD WAS WHEN FEDERAL FUNDS WERE FROZEN. WE WERE PART OF A COMMUNITY GRANT RIGHT UP FOR SOUTHSIDE FOR TRAILS. I THINK THE AWARD WAS AROUND 64 MILLION. ABOUT $36 MILLION WOULD HAVE IMPACTED SEVEN TRAILS IN OUR CITY. I RECENTLY EXTENDED KINDLY NATURE TRAIL, WHICH IS A PART OF OUR TRAIL PATH SYSTEM. SO SOME OF THE FUNDS THAT MR. ATKINS REFERRED TO WAS TRYING TO ONBOARD, ALONG WITH THE HELP OF CARDEL AND JEFF REEVES, BECAUSE IT'S MAINLY A SIDEWALK PROJECT. 
          SO WE'LL BE LOOKING AT HOPEFULLY AT LEAST TRYING TO WORK ON SOME OF THE DESIGN, THE DESIGN PHASES TO ADD MORE TRAILS THAT WE HAVE. ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE DISCUSSED SEVERAL MONTHS AGO WAS ABOUT UPDATING OUR MASTER TRAIL PLAN SYSTEM. I THINK THE LAST TIME WE LOOKED AT IT AS A CITY WAS 2016, AND IN PARTICULAR IN WARD D, A LOT OF NEW DEVELOPMENT HAS COME ON. SO SOME OF THOSE THINGS, FROM A CONCEPTUAL STANDPOINT NEEDS TO BE ADJUSTED. 
          SO THAT IS SOMETHING THAT WE'RE ACTIVELY DOING. I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT RESIDENTS UNDERSTAND THAT IT STILL IS A PRIORITY FOR US, BUT IT IS A PROCESS AND THAT WE'RE TRYING TO MAKE IT WORK. THANK YOU SO MUCH. AND ANY MAJOR ANNOUNCEMENTS THAT YOU WANT TO SHARE WITH US TODAY ABOUT? WELL, YEAH, YOU KNOW WHAT? IT'S A IT'S A GOOD ONE. HOPEFULLY RIGHT NOW, ONE OF OUR KIDS THAT GREW UP IN OUR PROGRAM IS BEING DRAFTED IN THE NBA. I KNOW SOME PEOPLE ARE SAYING MY TIME CONSTRAINT, IT WASN'T THAT I DIDN'T WANT TO PRESENT, BUT IT'S A KID THAT STARTED MY PROGRAM PROBABLY ABOUT AGE FIVE. HE'S EXPECTED TO GO NO LESS THAN NUMBER THREE TONIGHT IN THE DRAFT. MORE RECENTLY, OVER CHRISTMAS, HE GAVE ABOUT 100 KIDS NEW BALANCE TENNIS SHOES, OUTFITTED THEM. HE'S COMMITTED TO EASTPOINTE. I'M HOPEFUL IN THE FUTURE WE CAN RECOGNIZE HIM. BUT OBVIOUSLY, YOU KNOW, THEIR FAMILY IS IN A WHIRLWIND RIGHT NOW IN THE GREEN ROOM, WAITING FOR THEM TO SHAKE THE COMMISSIONER'S HAND. THANK YOU FOR THAT UPDATE. MAYBE WE CAN HAVE A WATCH PARTY AS A COMMUNITY FOR HIM AND CELEBRATE HIS ACHIEVEMENTS. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR TIME. THANK YOU. NEXT YOU CITY. MADAM CITY CLERK, YOU SAID THE COURT DEPARTMENT WOULD LIKE TO COME UP AND PRESENT. ALL RIGHT. GOOD EVENING. THANK YOU. IT SHOULD BE READ. OKAY. GOOD EVENING. ALL RIGHT. SO THE PRESENTATION THAT WE HAD THIS EVENING WAS FOCUSED ON THE THINGS THAT YOU ALL WANTED US TO ITEMIZE. SO I'M GOING TO HAVE MR. MITCHELL, WHO'S OUR COURT ADMINISTRATOR, GO OVER THOSE KEY THINGS, AND THEN I'LL BE AVAILABLE TO ANSWER ANY ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS THAT YOU MAY HAVE, BECAUSE MOST OF OURS IS GOING TO BE CENTERED AROUND THE CONSTRUCTION THAT'S GOING ON IN THE COURT DEPARTMENT. MITCHELL. GOOD EVENING. SO WE BROKE GROUND ON MARCH 2ND WITH OUR RENOVATIONS. 
          CURRENTLY, THE DEMOLITION IS ABOUT 90% COMPLETE, AND THEY HAVE STARTED FRAMING WALLS OUT. 
          SO THAT'S GOING VERY WELL. ANOTHER THING THAT WE ACCOMPLISHED THIS YEAR WAS 
          [00:20:03]
QUITE A FEW CERTIFICATIONS FOR MYSELF, MY CLERK OF COURT AND OUR DEPUTY CLERK OF COURT. YOU KNOW, WE FEEL A WELL TRAINED AND EDUCATED STAFF IS A PARAMOUNT IN IN RUNNING THE COURT. SO I'M I'M HAPPY TO SAY THAT THROUGH OUR DAILY TASKS, WE WERE ABLE TO ACHIEVE SEVERAL CERTIFICATIONS TO MAKE US MORE PROFESSIONAL. THE NEXT THING YOU ASKED ABOUT WAS PROPOSED BUDGET ITEMS FOR CIP PROJECTS. AND OUR NUMBER ONE IS PHASE TWO OF OUR RENOVATIONS. THE TALKS FOR RENOVATIONS BEGAN IN 2024. THIS IS WHEN WE GOT THE INITIAL QUOTES AND ESTIMATED THE AMOUNT OF MONEY THAT WE THOUGHT IT WOULD TAKE TO GET THAT PROJECT FINISHED. SINCE THEN, WE'VE HAD A CHANGE IN LEADERSHIP. ALSO CHANGING TARIFFS. THERE HAVE BEEN CERTAIN SERVICES AND GOODS THAT COST A LOT MORE TODAY THAN THEY DID THEN, SO IT WILL REQUIRE AN ADDITIONAL AMOUNT TO FINISH OUT THE RENOVATIONS THAT WE'VE BEGUN THIS YEAR. SO THAT IS OUR FIRST AND MOST IMPORTANT CAPITAL PROJECT THAT WE'RE REQUESTING. ALSO, WE HAVE AN ELECTRICAL ROOM IN OUR DEPARTMENT THAT POWERS THE WHOLE COURTROOM, AND IT IS A VERY SMALL ROOM WITHOUT ANY VENTILATION. AND WE ALL KNOW HOW SERVERS DO WITHOUT ANY VENTILATION. SO FREQUENTLY WHEN WE'RE IN COURT, ALL THE THINGS IN THE BUILDING SHUT DOWN AND WE'RE REQUIRED TO RESET AND MAYBE OPEN DOORS. WE TRY TO USE BOX FANS ANYTHING WE CAN USE. SO WE'RE REQUESTING FUNDS TO GET THAT PROPERLY VENTILATED. SO WE WEREN'T ONE OF THOSE PROBLEMS COMING FORWARD. WE ALSO ASKING FOR MONEY FOR NEW COURTHOUSE. THE FACT THAT WE ARE LOCATED IN THE SAME BUILDING THAT PEOPLE ARE INCARCERATED IN IS DEFINITELY AN ISSUE. IT CAUSES PTSD, AMONG OTHER THINGS, WHEN PEOPLE HAVE TO RETURN TO GO TO COURT AT THE SAME BUILDING THAT THEY WERE ARRESTED IN. AND IT WOULD BE IT WOULD BEHOOVE US TO MOVE OUT OF THAT BUILDING INTO OUR SEPARATE SPACE, ALSO ALLOWING US TO HAVE MORE ROOM. RIGHT NOW, THE CAPACITY IS 127 IN THE COURTROOM, AND AT TIMES WE HAVE TO SIT PEOPLE OUT IN THE HALLWAY OR IN THE LOBBY BECAUSE WE HAVE A LARGE CALENDAR. SO WE DEFINITELY NEED MORE SPACE. BUT THAT'S NOT TO SAY WE CAN'T USE THE CURRENT SPACE FOR OTHER ITEMS LIKE FIRST APPEARANCES. SINCE INMATES ARE ALREADY HELD THERE, IT WOULD MAKE SENSE FOR US TO DO FIRST APPEARANCE HEARINGS THERE AND HAVE THE FAMILIES COME THERE, BUT WE WOULD REQUIRE ANOTHER SPACE SO WE CAN BE MORE EFFICIENT AND HANDLE THIS CASE FLOW THAT WE HAVE. DUE TO THE INCREASE IN POLICE FORCE. AND NOW THAT THEIR STAFFING IS UP, IS GETTING UP THERE, WE ARE RECEIVING A LOT MORE CITATIONS THAN WE NORMALLY DO. SO THE CASE COUNT HAS HAS RISEN. WE ALSO HAVE AN ARRAIGNMENT VIDEO. 
          YOU ALL CAN FIND IT ON THE WEBSITE UNDER OUR COURT SERVICES PAGE WITH YOUR JUDGE OLIVER'S ON THERE AS WELL AS ANOTHER GENTLEMAN. HOWEVER, THAT VIDEO WAS PRODUCED YEARS AGO, PRE-PANDEMIC. THERE ARE DIFFERENT PRACTICES THAT NEED TO BE ARTICULATED DURING THAT VIDEO. SO WE'RE REQUESTING SOME MONEY FOR A PROFESSIONAL PRODUCTION OF THAT VIDEO. YOU ALSO ASKED ABOUT ANY CHANGES. THERE WERE NO MAJOR CHANGES IN OUR DEPARTMENT. THE TWO ITEMS THAT WERE REMOVED. WE HAD CONVERSATIONS WITH THE CITY MANAGER AND HE WAS MADE AWARE. 
          AND IT'S JUST AND ENSURED US THAT THOSE WOULDN'T BE AN ISSUE MOVING FORWARD. SO THAT'S ALL I GOT. OKAY. THANK YOU. WE'LL ADDRESS ANY QUESTIONS. GO AHEAD. SO IF THERE ARE ANY QUESTIONS. 
          SO WHEN WE TALK ABOUT THE BUILDING ITSELF AND NEEDING A NEW COURTHOUSE, THERE'S A CHILLING EFFECT THAT GOES INTO PEOPLE HAVING TO COME IN. AND IT'S REALLY GENERALLY, IF YOU CHECK WITH GMA, IT'S NOT ONE OF THE THINGS THAT THEY PROPOSE. THEY DO PROPOSE THAT WE NOT BE HOUSED IN THE SAME BUILDING AS THE POLICE DEPARTMENT. THAT MAY HAVE BEEN APPROPRIATE WHEN THE BUILDING WAS BUILT. AND AT THAT TIME THERE WAS NOT SOLICITORS, PROSECUTORS, THERE WERE NONE OF THAT. SO THE COURT HAS PROGRESSED IN THAT MANNER. AND SO PART OF THE BUDGET THAT WE ASKED FOR MOVING FORWARD, WHICH WAS, I BELIEVE, STILL IN THE CITY MANAGER'S BUDGET, WAS ENOUGH FUNDS TO DO A STUDY. FIRST. THAT STUDY WAS IS THERE A BUILDING THAT IS ALREADY IN PLACE, THAT IS CITY PROPERTY THAT CAN BE UTILIZED AND FITTED FOR A MODERN COURTROOM? OR IS THERE ANOTHER LOCATION THAT THE CITY OWNS THAT THERE CAN ACTUALLY BE A BUILT FROM THE GROUND UP FACILITY FOR COURT? AND SO IN THINKING ABOUT THAT, THE REASON WHY WE WANTED TO LOOK AT IT IS BECAUSE IF YOU NOTICE, IF YOU'RE IN THIS BUILDING, WHEN COURT IS GOING 
          [00:25:01]
ON, THERE IS NO PARKING. AND SO TO PLACE IT BACK WHERE IT IS NOW, LET'S SAY IF YOU PUT IT THERE OR YOU PUT IT AT CITY HALL, IF YOU DON'T BUILD SOME INFRASTRUCTURE FOR FOR PARKING, THEN YOU'RE GOING TO RUN INTO ANOTHER ISSUE. BECAUSE AS IT STANDS NOW, ONCE THE COMMONS IS DEVELOPED THERE, AT THIS POINT WE HAVE NO PARKING AND WE'RE SEEING ABOUT 200 PEOPLE PER SESSION, MORNING SESSION, AFTERNOON SESSION. SO IT'S CONSTANTLY MOVING. THE ISSUES THAT WE HAD FROM THE PRIOR BUDGET WAS THERE'S A LINE ITEM THAT'S CALLED TEMPORARY EMPLOYEES. AND MR. REDMOND, MR. JONES AND MYSELF HAD THAT DISCUSSION ON LAST WEEK. I BELIEVE THAT THERE WAS SOME INDICATION THAT THEY THOUGHT THAT WAS TEMP EMPLOYEES, BUT IT'S ACTUALLY THE ASSOCIATE JUDGES. SO THERE MAY BE SOME IMPORTANCE IN CHANGING THE NAME FROM TEMPORARY EMPLOYEES, AS IT'S BEEN LISTED WITH FINANCE TWO ASSOCIATE JUDGES, SO THAT THEY CAN ACTUALLY REFLECT WHAT THAT POSITION IS. THE OTHER, OF COURSE, WAS THE TRAINING AND TRAVEL, THE TRAINING AND TRAVEL FOR CLERKS AND JUDGES IS STATE MANDATED. AND SO IT'S NOT AN ITEM THAT WE CAN FOREGO. SO WE DID HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY AT THE BEGINNING OF THE DISCUSSIONS WITH. MR. JONES AND MR. MITCHELL WITH OUR BUDGET, BECAUSE NORMALLY THEY MEET AND I'M IN COURT. SO WITH THAT GOING FORWARD, MOST OF THE THINGS THAT WE REQUESTED WERE TAKEN CARE OF. WE GAVE THE 10% WHERE WE THOUGHT WE COULD GIVE THE 10% THAT WAS REQUESTED WITHOUT MUCH OF A BURDEN. BUT I DO WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT EVERYONE IS AWARE THAT EVEN THOUGH WE MADE THOSE DECREASES BY STATE LAW, WE HAVE TO GIVE PUBLIC DEFENDERS BY STATE LAW, WE HAVE TO GIVE INTERPRETERS. AND SO IF WE GET TO A POINT WHERE WE DON'T HAVE SIGNIFICANT FUNDS TO COVER THAT, THEN WE WILL HAVE TO COME BACK AND ASK FOR AN AMENDMENT TO THIS DATE. 
          WE'VE DONE VERY GOOD AND VERY WELL WITH THE FUNDS THAT WE'VE BEEN GIVEN. WE MODIFIED HOW WE MANAGE PUBLIC DEFENDERS AND THINGS OF THAT NATURE FROM A PER PERSON TO A PER SESSION, WHICH MADE A HUGE DIFFERENCE. SO WE BELIEVE THAT WE'RE CAPABLE OF MANAGING THAT. BUT I DON'T WANT US TO TAKE AWAY SOMETHING AND NOT KNOW THAT IT'S NOT DRIVEN BY US AS MUCH AS IT'S DRIVEN BY THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE WHO ARE NEEDING AND ENTITLED TO PUBLIC DEFENSE ARE INTERPRETERS. AND SO THAT FLUCTUATES YEAR TO YEAR. SO I CAN'T LOOK AT LAST YEAR AND TELL YOU, I THINK IT'S GOING TO BE THIS THIS YEAR, BECAUSE IT'S GOING TO DEPEND ON THE NUMBER OF TICKETS THAT WE RECEIVE, THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE THAT WE HAVE TO SERVICE, WHETHER THEY SPEAK ENGLISH, FARSI. WHATEVER. SO I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE YOU ARE AWARE OF THAT. OKAY. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR PRESENTATION. I WILL GO TO I, I'LL GO TO COUNCILWOMAN HEMMINGS AND THEN COUNCILWOMAN MARTIN ROGERS AND THEN COUNCILMAN ATKINS AND COUNCILMAN. GO AHEAD. GOOD EVENING, JUDGE OLIVER AND MR. MITCHELL, I JUST HAVE A QUICK QUESTION FOR YOU. I KNOW THAT THERE ARE ANTICIPATED CHANGES AT THE COUNTY LEVEL RELATED TO MISDEMEANORS AND THINGS LIKE THAT. DOES THAT HAVE ANY BEARING ON THE OR DOES IT HAVE ANY IMPACT ON THE CURRENT BUDGET BEFORE US? WELL, WE NEED TO BE THINKING ABOUT HOW THAT MIGHT CHANGE THINGS LOCALLY FOR US. SO. OBVIOUSLY. IS IT ON. YEAH, OBVIOUSLY IT IT MIGHT GIVE YOU SOME ANGST TO HEAR THAT, BUT I'VE BEEN HERE NOW 27 YEARS. SO WE'VE ALREADY BEEN THROUGH WHAT THEY'RE GOING THROUGH NOW BECAUSE THAT'S HOW WE USED TO MANAGE COURT BEFORE. THE ONES THAT DID THE PRE ARREST, PRELIMINARY HEARINGS AND ALL OF THAT. SO WE'RE PREPARED FOR IT. IT DOES MEAN AN UPTICK IN THE NUMBER OF JUDGES THAT I HAVE TO KEEP ON ROTATION FOR WARRANTS. WE FACTORED THAT IN, AND THE BUDGET WILL SUPPORT THAT AS IT STANDS AT THIS TIME. SO I DON'T THINK THAT'S AN ISSUE. THE BIGGEST ISSUE WOULD BE THE DISCUSSION THAT WE WOULD HAVE TO HAVE WITH THE CHIEF. FROM MY UNDERSTANDING, THERE'S BEEN SOME POSSIBILITY OF THEM NOT MOVING FORWARD ON JULY 1ST. AND SO WE'RE WAITING TO HEAR FROM THE COUNTY TO SEE IF, IN FACT, THEY'RE GOING TO CONTINUE MOVING FORWARD IN THAT DIRECTION. AND I'M WAITING TO HEAR BACK FROM CHIEF BUCHANAN AS IT PERTAINS TO THAT. BUT WE HAVE ALREADY MOVED FORWARD WITH PLANS, MEETING WITH THE SOLICITOR'S OFFICE, THE PUBLIC DEFENDERS, THE STAFF, MR. MITCHELL AND EVERYONE ELSE. SO THE WAY WE WOULD MOVE FORWARD IS GOING BACK TO WHAT WE USED TO DO AND HAVING PRELIMINARY MATTERS HANDLED HERE, WHERE THEY'RE VERY MUCH CONTROLLED BY THE JUDICIAL SYSTEM, BY THE JUDGE AFTER THEY CALL IN FOR THEIR FOR THEIR WARRANTS, WOULD BE ABLE TO MAKE A DETERMINATION AT THAT POINT AS TO WHETHER OR NOT SOMEONE NEEDS TO BE TAKEN DIRECTLY INTO CUSTODY, OR WHETHER THEY CAN BE RELEASED ON COPY. THERE ARE A LOT OF THINGS THAT ARE RESTRICTED BY STATE LAW. IF THEY ARE RESTRICTED, THEY HAVE TO COME INTO CUSTODY. 
          BUT THERE ARE OTHER THINGS WHERE THERE MAY NOT BE NECESSARILY A IMPENDING VIOLENT 
          [00:30:06]
MATTER OR SOMETHING THAT THE PERSON CAN JUST BE DISPERSED FROM THE PLACE THAT THEY ARE. 
          THAT MIGHT PRESENT ITSELF IN A WAY THAT AVOIDS THEM EVEN COMING INTO CUSTODY, BUT STILL BEING HELD RESPONSIBLE. SO WE'VE MANAGED THE WAY THAT WE MIGHT BE ABLE TO DO THAT, AND WE'LL BE DOING THAT AS A TRIAL. AS SOON AS I HEAR FROM CHIEF BUCHANAN AS TO WHICH DIRECTION, BECAUSE WE DON'T EVER WANT TO BE ON THE BACK END OF SOMEBODY ELSE'S DECISION. SO I ANTICIPATED THIS THREE MONTHS AGO. SO I KIND OF SAW THE WRITING ON THE WALL. AND SO IN DOING THAT, WE'VE ALREADY STARTED HAVING THOSE DISCUSSIONS OF IF THEY DO THIS, THEN WHAT WILL WE DO AND HOW WILL WE MANAGE? BUT I CAN ASSURE YOU THAT THE COURT'S BUDGET ANTICIPATES ALL OF THAT ALREADY. OKAY. THANK YOU, COUNCILWOMAN HEMMING AND THEN COUNCILWOMAN MARTIN ROGERS. THANK YOU. AND THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR PRESENTATION. 
          JUDGE OLIVER, YOU SAID THAT YOU HAD A BUILDING STUDY. NO, WE HAVEN'T THE BUDGET FOR SOMEONE WHO'S SKILLED TO COME IN AND DO A BUILDING STUDY. OKAY. PREVIOUSLY, PROBABLY LAST YEAR, I BELIEVE. MR. JONES, WHEN YOU FIRST CAME ON, I. I WANTED TO KNOW ABOUT WHAT THE VISION WAS WITH PUBLIC SAFETY SO THAT I CAN ANTICIPATE WHICH DIRECTION WE WOULD NEED TO GO IN. AND THERE WAS SOME DISCUSSION AT THAT TIME ABOUT CITY HALL AND WHETHER THAT WOULD BE A GOOD PLACE, OR WHETHER SOME OTHER LOCATION WOULD BE A GOOD PLACE FOR A COURT. AND NONE OF US HAVE THE SKILL SET TO MAKE THAT DECISION OR THAT DETERMINATION. SO I BELIEVE, IF I'M NOT MISTAKEN, IN READING THE BUDGET AS PROPOSED, THAT THERE IS A AMOUNT THERE FOR SUCH A STUDY UNDER THE CIP. ALRIGHT. THANK YOU. AND JUST A FEW MORE QUESTIONS, BECAUSE ONE OF MY CONCERNS IS THE EDUCATION AND TRAVEL. AND I DID NOTICE IN THE BUDGET THAT WAS PRESENTED TO US, YOU REQUESTED $23,400 IN EDUCATION AND TRAVEL, AND IT WAS SLICED TO $0. CAN YOU TALK TO US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE INSTITUTE OF CONTINUING JUDICIAL EDUCATION? I THINK THAT MR. MITCHELL TALKED ABOUT THE COURSES. THE COURSES THAT YOU TAKE ARE MANDATED. CORRECT. 
          THERE ARE SOME THAT ARE MANDATED. WELL, FIRST OF ALL, 12 HOURS OF TRAINING FOR THE JUDGES ARE MANDATED, PERIOD. OKAY. THE CLERKS ARE MANDATED TRAINING EVERY YEAR. SO ALL OF US ARE MANDATED TRAINING. NOW, WHAT THAT TRAINING LOOKS LIKE DEPENDS ON WHAT'S BEING OFFERED. 
          SO THE STATE HAS TRAINING. YOU MAY HAVE TRAINING THAT MAY BE OUT OF STATE. THAT'S CRITICAL TO WHAT WE DO. FOR EXAMPLE, THE COURT ADMINISTRATION TRAINING, SOMETIMES THAT'S NOT HELD HERE. 
          IT'S HELD SOMEWHERE ELSE. THAT KEEPS US ABREAST OF EVERYTHING THAT'S NEW, THAT'S GOING ON. SO WHEN WE SAID, YOU KNOW, WE'LL LOOK AT THE BUDGET AND SEE WHERE WE CAN CUT, MAY BE ABLE TO CUT AND SAY, WELL, THIS IS WHERE THEY'RE GOING. BUT TO SAY NO TRAINING AT ALL, THAT'S, THAT'S THE PROBLEM BECAUSE WE ARE STATE MANDATED. IN FACT, IF I DON'T TAKE TRAINING, I'M REPORTED TO THE JUDICIAL QUALIFICATIONS COMMISSION AND I CAN LOSE MY ABILITY TO SIT COMPLETELY. IF I DON'T HAVE BARS DUES TAKEN CARE OF, I COULD BE TAKEN COMPLETELY OFF THE BENCH AND NOT ABLE TO PRACTICE LAW. IF THE CLERKS DON'T HAVE THEIR TRAINING, THEN WE COULD BE ONE OF THOSE COURTS THAT THEY SAY IS NOT OPERABLE AND WE'RE REPORTED TO THE SUPREME COURT. SO IT'S NOT JUST A MATTER OF. WE WANT TRAINING, WE WANT IT BECAUSE IT MAKES US A BETTER COURT, BUT WE'RE REQUIRED TO HAVE IT. THE ICIJ IS THE INSTITUTE FOR CONTINUING JUDICIAL EDUCATION THAT IS SPECIFICALLY FOR THE JUDGES UNDER THE JUDGES, SPECIFICALLY, MUNICIPAL COUNCIL ARE THE CLERKS, AND THE CLERKS ARE ALSO MANDATED AND NOW ACTUALLY CERTIFIED AS AN ORGANIZATION UNDER THE UNDER THE STATE LEGISLATURE, EFFECTIVE THIS YEAR. ALL RIGHT. AND THEN I NOTICED ALSO IN THE BUDGET FOR 2024 THROUGH 2025, YOU HAD FURNITURE AND FIXTURES. WERE YOU ABLE TO GET THOSE FURNITURE AND FIXTURES BACK IN 2024 AND 25? SO IN 2024 AND 2025, SOME OF THAT WAS BEFORE IT WAS IN A BUDGET, BEFORE MR. MITCHELL AND I WERE BACK OVER THE COURT. IF YOU KNOW, THERE WAS SOME TRANSITION. SO THERE WERE SOME THINGS THAT WERE PUT IN PLACE, AND SOME OF THOSE THINGS OBVIOUSLY HAD TO BE REPLACED. 
          AND AS IT STANDS NOW, ALL OF IT IS BEING REPLACED BECAUSE IT DID NOT ALLOW FOR PROPER USAGE OF THE DEPARTMENT. IN FACT, IT DECREASED THE SPACE FOR STAFF. AND SO EVEN THOUGH WE NEED MORE STAFF, WE HAD NOWHERE TO PLACE THEM. SO THE COURT HAD BEEN OPERATING WITH LESS STAFF THAN IT SHOULD TO MAINTAIN THE WORKFLOW. AND SO REDOING THE ENTIRE COURTROOM AS IT STANDS NOW, WE MAY NOT GET AS MUCH SPACE LIKE THIS, THIS ROOM. THANK YOU ALL FOR LETTING US USE IT FROM TIME TO TIME. GIVES US A LOT MORE SPACE, BUT IT LETS US STAFF SO THAT WE DON'T GET BEHIND. AND HAVING NOT TO HAVE SUFFICIENT STAFF TO DO THE WORK, BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT THAT DEPARTMENT STARTED AT 13 PEOPLE OVER THE YEARS AND HAS DWINDLED DOWN. IT'S JUST WHEN THEY 
          [00:35:04]
RENOVATED IT, THEY DID NOT PUT IN THE SAME SPACE THAT THEY HAD BEFORE. SO EVEN THOUGH THEY HAD THE FURNITURE, IT WAS NOT ENOUGH. SO WHAT YOU SAW PARTLY IN THAT 24, 25 WAS US TRYING TO RETROFIT TO GET SOME SPACE THAT WE CAN HIRE SOME PEOPLE TO COME AND DO THE WORK. ALRIGHT. THANK YOU SO MUCH. AND MADAM CLERK, I WOULD LIKE THE RECORD TO REFLECT THAT I HAVE REQUESTED FROM CITY MANAGER JONES THE 10% INCREASE IN ALL DEPARTMENTS ACROSS THE BOARD SINCE MARCH, AND I HAVE NOT RECEIVED THAT INFORMATION. I THINK THAT THAT INFORMATION WOULD HAVE BEEN BENEFICIAL TO THIS COUNCIL TO ACTUALLY SEE, WELL, WHAT IS BEING CUT 10% ACROSS THE BOARD. 
          SO, MADAM CLERK, PLEASE ENSURE THAT THE RECORD REFLECTS THAT. I'VE MADE THAT REQUEST SINCE MARCH ABOUT THE 10% DECREASE IN THE DEPARTMENTS. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR PRESENTATION. 
          THANK YOU. DID YOU HAVE SOMETHING? THANK YOU. AND WE WILL MOVE TO COUNCILMAN ATKINS AND THEN COUNCILMAN MITCHELL. AND THAT'S ALL I SEE SO FAR. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, JUDGE OLIVER AND MR. MITCHELL, FOR THE PRESENTATION. VERY BRIEFLY PRESENTING THAT INFORMATION HAS BEEN VERY HELPFUL. I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT I'M FRAMING THIS CORRECTLY IN MY HEAD. I THINK THAT ONE OF THE ITEMS THERE WERE TWO THAT I HAVE WRITTEN NOTES ABOUT, ONE OF THE ITEM HAS BEEN ADDRESSED. THAT'S THE TRAINING ASPECT. WE NEED TO RESTORE THOSE DOLLARS. AND THEN THE OTHER ONE, IF I'M NOT MISTAKEN, IS THE LINE ITEM THAT SAYS TEMPORARY EMPLOYEES. BUT THAT'S REALLY FOR ASSOCIATE JUDGES. THAT IS TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE DOLLARS IN THE BUDGET FOR THE COURT FOR THOSE. CORRECT? THAT IS CORRECT. I DON'T SEE AN AMOUNT THAT WAS REQUESTED AMOUNT. DO YOU HAVE AN IDEA OFF THE TOP OF YOUR HEAD? WE NEVER CHANGED IT FROM WHAT IT WAS THE PREVIOUS YEAR. THE PREVIOUS YEAR IT WAS 273. OKAY. WHAT WE PROPOSED, IF I'M NOT MISTAKEN, WAS 150. OKAY. IT WAS 253. AND SO WE KNEW THAT AT THAT AMOUNT. NOW, I WILL SAY THIS, THAT THAT MAY NEED TO BE ADJUSTED IF THE COUNTY IF THE COUNTY DOES WHAT. YEAH. THAT WOULD NEED TO BE CLOSER TO 200, BUT NOT AT THE 273. SO THAT WAS PART OF THE AMOUNT THAT WE WERE NEW THAT WE WOULD BE ABLE TO ADJUST DOWN. YEAH. FROM THAT. 273 WE KNEW WE'D BE ABLE TO ADJUST DOWN AND WE THOUGHT. 150 BUT OF COURSE, THAT DIDN'T TAKE INTO CONSIDERATION. YEAH, WHAT THE COUNTY MIGHT DO AND HOW WE NEED TO MOVE FORWARD. SO IF YOU WERE TO ASK ME WHAT I THINK WOULD BE APPROPRIATE FOR THAT LINE ITEM, I WOULD TELL YOU 200 WOULD BE APPROPRIATE. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU, THANK YOU, COUNCILMAN MITCHELL. HELLO, COUNCILWOMAN CUMMINGS. THANK YOU FOR YOUR PRESENTATION. A COUPLE QUESTIONS. SO WHAT'S YOUR CURRENT STAFF? I KNOW YOU SAY ORIGINALLY YOU WERE AT 13. WHAT IS THE CURRENT NUMBER OF STAFFERS THAT YOU HAVE? TEN BUT WE ONLY HAVE SPACE FOR EIGHT. TEN BUT YOU HAVE SPACE FOR EIGHT. CORRECT. BUT AFTER THE RENOVATIONS ARE COMPLETE, WE'RE ABLE TO PUT AT LEAST 2 OR 3 MORE WORKSTATIONS IN THERE. SO THAT COULD POTENTIALLY TAKE YOU BACK UP TO THE 13 ORIGINALLY HAVE. OKAY. AND WITH REGARDS TO THE SERVER, I KNOW YOU MENTIONED THAT BECAUSE IT'S IN A SMALL ROOM, IT'S THAT'S WHERE IT'S CURRENTLY HOUSED. AND YOU HAVE ISSUES FROM TIME TO TIME WHERE THE POWER GOES OUT. AND I DON'T KNOW IF WE'VE HAD CONVERSATIONS WITH, WITH MAINTENANCE OR FACILITIES TO FIND OUT, IS THERE ANYWHERE ELSE IN THE BUILDING THAT IT COULD BE HOUSED SO THAT WE DON'T HAVE THAT ISSUE? I DON'T THINK WE CAN. YEAH. I THINK IT MAY BE MORE DIFFICULT TO BECAUSE AGAIN, ALL OF THE IT IS THE BRAIN OF THE ENTIRE DEPARTMENT. SO ALL AND PRETTY MUCH ALL OF THAT ROOM. SO ULTIMATELY, IF WE HAD A NEW COURT ROOM, IT COULD BE IN A BETTER POSITION. BUT IN THE CURRENT BUILDING WE ARE IN NOW, THERE IS NO OTHER OKAY, SOLUTION IS A NEW SPACE ALTOGETHER BECAUSE IT'S NEXT TO THE JAIL. SO YOU GOT, YOU KNOW, THERE'S A LOT OF STUFF I'M TRACKING, I'M TRACKING. SO WHEN YOU DO HAVE THOSE POWER OUTAGES, WHAT IS IT WITH THE WORKFLOW? HOW DOES THAT AFFECT, YOU KNOW, THE COURT SYSTEM? BECAUSE I KNOW WE'RE CONSTANTLY WE DO MORE IN COURT AND WE DO EVENING COURT. SO WHAT TYPE OF SETBACK DOES THAT GIVE US? IT STOPS. IT STOPS BECAUSE WE CAN'T JUST ARBITRARILY PRINT ALL THE RECORDS. AND SO THOSE ARE THINGS THAT ARE COMPUTER GENERATED. AND SO IF COURTS IF THE COMPUTERS GO DOWN BECAUSE THE SERVER WENT DOWN AND THAT SOFTWARE PROGRAM, THEN WE HAVE TO WAIT UNTIL IT COOLS OFF. AND AT THAT POINT, STAFF IS GOING OVER OPENING DOORS USING THE FAN. SO IN THE SUMMER IN PARTICULARLY, WE NORMALLY PRINT THE CALENDAR SO THAT WE AT LEAST HAVE THE CALENDAR TO GO BACK. BUT IF I NEED TO SEE A RECORD, WHICH IS 90% OF THE TIME, THAT'S GOING TO BE DIFFICULT. OF COURSE, IT BLOCKS STAFF FROM ACTUALLY DOING THE WORK THAT THEY HAVE TO DO. SO THE DISPOSITIONS ARE NOW DELAYED, AND A LOT OF THINGS THAT WE DO ARE VERY TIME SENSITIVE. AND SO IF YOU'RE A LITTLE SHORT ON STAFF AND YOU HAVE SOMETHING THAT STOPS YOU FROM ACTUALLY DOING THE WORK, BUT THIS IS NOT JUST A SUMMER ISSUE. THIS IS A YEAR ROUND. THIS IS A YEAR ROUND ISSUE. YEAH, IT'S A YEAR ROUND ISSUE. 
          [00:40:05]
OKAY. YEAH. SO THANK YOU FOR THAT. AND THEN ONE MORE THING ON THE TEMPORARY EMPLOYEES. I KNOW WE WE'RE NOT BEATING THIS DEAD HORSE. I KNOW IT'S FOR THE JUDGES, THOSE ADDITIONAL JUDGES THAT COME IN FOR THOSE TEMPORARY EMPLOYEES. BUT I'M LOOKING AT THE I THINK THAT THE ACTIVITY AND THE ACTUALS I KNOW THE. FOR 24, 25, IT WAS 36,006, 25, 25, 26, 19,000 425 SO AND THEN WE, I LOOK AT THE, THE BUDGET AMOUNT FOR THE. 273 SO MAYBE I MISSED SOMETHING IN THE MIDDLE OF THE. NO, YOU DIDN'T YOU DIDN'T MISS ANYTHING WOULD YOU. WHICH YOU RECEIVED IS ME WORKING MORE THAN I PROBABLY SHOULD HAVE. WOW. AND NOT TAKING AS MUCH TIME BECAUSE. 
          DURING THAT TIME WITH THE BUDGET PERIOD THAT YOU'RE LOOKING BACK, I WAS NOT OVER THE BUDGET, NOR DID I KNOW WHAT WAS IN THE BUDGET, AND I WAS TOLD THAT THERE WASN'T ANYTHING IN THE BUDGET. OKAY. AND THERE WERE ATTEMPTS TO FIND OUT WHAT WAS IN THE BUDGET, BUT THAT'S IN THE PAST, RIGHT? SO NOW THAT WE KNOW THAT WAS THE AMOUNT THAT WAS ALWAYS THERE THAT WE WERE NOT AWARE OF. OKAY. SO I DID NOT UTILIZE THOSE JUDGES. I TRIED TO DO AS MUCH OF IT AS I POSSIBLY CAN, WHICH IS AT THIS POINT NOT FEASIBLE, WHERE WE HAVE FIRST APPEARANCE CALENDARS AS WELL AS TWO ON THE SAME DAY ARRAIGNMENT CALENDARS. NOW THERE'S A JUDGE THAT ACTUALLY COMES IN AND SHE HANDLES THE FIRST APPEARANCE WHILE I'M DOING THE OTHER. SO PEOPLE AREN'T HAVING TO SIT AND WAIT FOR AN EXTENDED PERIOD OF TIME. SO THE WAY THE JUDGES ARE UTILIZED NOW IS A LITTLE DIFFERENT THEN WHAT IT WAS THEN. OKAY. AND SO THAT WAS ONE OF THE REASONS WHY, WHEN I SAID WE HAD BROUGHT IT DOWN TO 150, BECAUSE WE SAW THE SAME, THE SAME THING. RIGHT. AND I THOUGHT THAT THAT WOULD BE APPROPRIATE, BUT THAT WAS PRE THE COUNTY MAKING THEIR DECISION. SO THAT WAS ONE OF THE AREAS THAT WE KNEW THAT WE COULD BRING DOWN, BECAUSE ONE OF THE POSITIONS, ONE OF THE ASSOCIATE POSITIONS, HAD BEEN OUT SICK, SO WE COULDN'T UTILIZE THAT PERSON. OKAY. THE OTHER HAD OTHER RESPONSIBILITIES BECAUSE AS YOU KNOW, MOST OF THE ASSOCIATE JUDGES ARE ALREADY JUDGES SOMEWHERE ELSE. AND SO THEY ASSIST US SO THAT WE DON'T HAVE TO HIRE SOMEONE FULL TIME AND GO INTO ALL THE OTHER COSTS THAT GO WITH THAT. SO IF WE HAVE CONFLICTS OR WE'RE NOT ABLE TO USE THEM, THEN WE'LL HAVE TO USE A PRO TEM OR A PRO HAC. AND THEY DON'T THEY DON'T COME FROM THAT LINE ITEM, BECAUSE THAT LINE ITEM IS STRICTLY FOR PEOPLE WHO ARE UNDER SALARY. SO THAT'S DIFFERENT. OKAY. PROFESSIONAL FEES, THAT'S WHERE YOU TAKE CARE OF PEOPLE WHO ARE OUTSIDE OF THAT SCOPE WHERE THEY'RE NOT HERE ON A DAILY BASIS OR MORE ROUTINE, BUT THEY'RE HERE TO ASSIST IN THE EVENT THAT THERE'S A CONFLICT, OR YOU NEED SOMEONE THAT NEEDS TO HAVE AN AN EVALUATION FOR MENTAL HEALTH, OR YOU NEED SOMEONE WHO COMES IN AND SPEAKS A DIFFERENT LANGUAGE OR SIGN LANGUAGE. THAT'S WHERE THOSE PROFESSIONAL FEES GO. AND WE WERE ABLE TO HAVE SOME COST SAVINGS. I WILL JUST SAY THIS BECAUSE IN THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS THAT EQUITY DEPARTMENT WERE DOING THOSE EVALUATIONS FOR US. AND SO WE WEREN'T PAYING FOR THEM. OKAY. AND NOW NOW WE HAVE TO PAY FOR THOSE IF THEY'RE NEEDED. 
          AND SO THAT'S FINE BECAUSE I THINK THE BUDGET SUPPORTS IT. WE DON'T HAVE TO ADD ANY INCREASES THERE FOR THAT. BUT SOME OF THE THINGS THAT YOU SEE WHERE YOU DON'T SEE A USE OF EVERYTHING IS BECAUSE I INTENTIONALLY DID NOT. OKAY, BECAUSE I DIDN'T THINK THAT THE FUNDS WERE THERE. AND THAT'S NOT ON THIS ADMINISTRATION AT ALL. THAT'S SOME PRIOR INFORMATION. OKAY. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU JOJO. ALRIGHT. THANK YOU. ARE THERE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? I JUST HAVE ONE MORE QUESTION. QUESTION. CAN YOU PROVIDE AN ANSWER TO ARE YOU CURRENTLY USING ANY TECHNOLOGY? I HEARD YOU SAID YOU HAD A LARGE CASELOAD FOR LIKE ZOOM TECHNOLOGY. ARE YOU HEARING ANYTHING? ARE YOU DOING USING THOSE OR DOES THAT FALL UNDER YOUR DEPARTMENT OR UNDER IT OR COMMUNICATIONS? IT FALLS UNDER US. YES. WE'RE CURRENTLY IN A HYBRID ENVIRONMENT WHERE WE'RE BOTH RUNNING ZOOM HEARINGS AND IN-PERSON HEARINGS AT THE SAME TIME SIMULTANEOUSLY. AND YES, WE HAVE BUDGETED IN OUR SOFTWARE AND ENGINEERING FOR OUR ZOOM SUBSCRIPTION. AND ACTUALLY THERE ARE TWO SEPARATE ONES. THERE'S ONE FOR THE COURT. 
          AND THE JUDGES ALSO HAVE ONE BECAUSE THEY SIGNED WARRANTS THROUGH ZOOM AND, AND ALL OF THE ASSOCIATE AND JUDGES USE THAT AS WELL. OKAY. THANK YOU. AND WE DON'T HAVE TO HAVE A LIST RIGHT NOW, BUT ARE THERE ANY ADDITIONAL ADDITIONAL CASES THAT YOU IS NOT LISTED ON THE WEBSITE OR THAT YOU FEEL THAT WE COULD BE HAVING HERE IN EAST POINT? OKAY. LET ME MAKE SURE I UNDERSTAND YOUR QUESTION. ARE YOU ASKING ABOUT CASE TYPES, CASE TYPES? UNDER STATE LAW, THE MUNICIPAL COURT HAS SPECIFIC JURISDICTION. THAT JURISDICTION IS OVER CERTAIN MISDEMEANORS AND TRAFFIC VIOLATIONS AND CODE ORDINANCES THAT YOU ALL CREATE. AND SO WE DO PRELIMINARY MATTERS IF WE CAN, BECAUSE WE DO SIT AS A COURT OF INQUIRY. SO WHEN I INDICATED THAT WE GO BACK TO WHAT WE USED TO DO, THAT MEANS THAT WE SEE OUR OWN 
          [00:45:03]
MISDEMEANORS. WE GIVE THEM FIRST APPEARANCE. WE DETERMINE WHETHER OR NOT THEY NEED A PRELIMINARY HEARING. IF THEY REQUEST IT, WE GIVE THEM A PRELIMINARY HEARING. BUT AT THE END OF THE DAY, IF I FIND THAT THERE IS PROBABLE CAUSE, THOSE CASES ARE MANDATED TO GO TO THE STATE COURT. SO WE CANNOT EXPAND OUR JURISDICTION. BUT WE DO FOLLOW THE JURISDICTION OF WHAT THE STATE MANDATES AND ANY CODE ENFORCEMENT THAT YOU ALL HAVE LEGALLY, ANY CODES THAT YOU ALL HAVE LEGALLY ENACTED. I HOPE THAT ANSWERS THE QUESTION. THANK YOU SO MUCH. OKAY. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU ALL. DO I NEED TO KEEP STAFF PRESENT? OKAY. THANK YOU SO MUCH. OKAY. MOVING ALONG. NEXT, WE WILL HAVE THE I THINK LEGAL IS UP NEXT. OKAY. ALL RIGHT. GO AHEAD. OKAY. I HEARD YEAH, THAT'S WHAT I THOUGHT. OKAY. THANK YOU. NEXT, CAN WE HAVE THE FINANCE DEPARTMENT? GOOD EVENING. 
          GOOD EVENING, MAYOR. MEMBERS OF COUNCIL. GOOD EVENING. SO WE JUST WANT TO TALK ABOUT TONIGHT AND FINANCE FOR FINANCE, OUR KEY PROJECTS FOR THE CURRENT YEAR. WELL LET ME GO BACK TO 26. SO WHAT WE WERE ABLE TO DO IN 26 IS WE FILED ALL REQUIRED CITY FINANCIAL REPORTINGS RANGING FROM 911 EMERGENCY FUNDS TO STATE REGULATIONS, AUDITS, STATE REGULATED AUDITS ACCURATELY ON TIME. THOSE ARE GRANTS THAT WERE PROPERLY REPORTED FOR SECURED CASH ACCOUNTS. WE EXECUTED SUCCESSFUL MONTHLY RECONCILIATIONS FOR ALL CITY CASH ACCOUNTS AND MAINTAIN STRICT OVERSIGHT OF MUNICIPAL PROPERTY. WE ALSO MANAGE THE SYSTEM UPDATES. THAT'S THE BSA CLOUD THAT WE DID AN UPDATE ON. 
          THAT'S WE ENHANCED DATA COLLECTIONS FRAMEWORK FRAMEWORKS TO PROPERLY UPDATE THE CITY'S FIVE YEAR CAPITAL PLAN. UPCOMING INFRASTRUCTURE NEEDS. OUR KEY PROJECTS FOR FY 27 IS TO IMPLEMENT A NEW BUDGETARY TRANSPARENCY DASHBOARD, DEPLOYING A BRAND NEW BUDGET BOOK SOFTWARE AND DIGITAL PUBLIC DASHBOARD FOR THE COMMUNITY TRANSPARENCY THAT'S OPEN GOV COST ALLOCATION STUDY. WE NEED TO LAUNCH A COMPLETE COMPREHENSIVE STUDY TO ACCURATELY, ACCURATELY ANALYZE AND ALLOCATE COSTS OF COST ALLOCATIONS ACROSS ENTERPRISES AND GENERAL FUNDS. WE DEPARTMENT RECLASSIFICATIONS WE'RE GOING TO RESTRUCTURE AND RECLASSIFY EXISTING TEAM POSITIONS TO MAXIMIZE INTERNAL EFFICIENCIES AND PREPARE FOR A FUTURE ANNUAL AUDITS. WE'RE GOING TO TARGET STAFF EXPANSION, HIRING A DEDICATED BUDGET ANALYST AND FORMER SPECIALIZED BUDGET TEAM CAPABLE OF MAINTAINING YEAR LONG FISCAL READINESS AND WORKING CLOSELY WITH DEPARTMENT HEADS ON A MONTH TO MONTH BASIS. WE WANT TO AUDIT PREPARATION, CROSS TRAINING, IMPLEMENTING, IMPLEMENTING A DEPARTMENT WIDE CROSS TRAINING PROGRAM TO EQUIP STAFF WITH THE ADVANCED AUDIT READINESS AND COMPLIANCE SKILLS, AND SPECIALIZED FINANCE TRAINING TO HELP PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT FOR THE LEADERSHIP TEAM. SO YOU'RE GOING TO SEE HERE IN FINANCE THE DIFFERENCES, THE VARIANCES. THIS IS LAST YEAR'S 2526 BUDGET, THE 2627 REQUESTED, ALONG WITH THE VARIANCE, THE BIGGEST VARIANCE 
          [00:50:04]
IN THE FINANCE DEPARTMENT OR THE FINANCE IT'S I THINK 1510 IS THE VARIANCE OF SALARIES. 
          AND THAT'S BECAUSE IT WASN'T THE FTE WASN'T REALLY BUDGETED LAST YEAR. SO THAT'S WHY YOU SEE A DECREASE. BUT THE BUDGET FOR FINANCE INCLUDES THE FINANCE DIRECTOR THE EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT AND A CLERK. AND THAT 132 DOES NOT REPRESENT THAT. IT'S MORE AROUND 279. AND THAT DIFFERENCE IS 147. SO THERE IS NO NEW POSITIONS TO THE FINANCE. WE'RE JUST ACTUALLY ALLOCATING THE ACTUAL SALARY FOR THAT. SO THE DIFFERENCE HERE IS 141 AND THE MAJORITY OF THAT IS GOING TO COME FROM SALARIES. AND THERE'S SOME. AREAS WHERE WE DID A DECREASE. AND THAT'S WHY IT'S 141,000. SO THEN WE ALSO HAVE ANOTHER DEPARTMENT THAT'S ACCOUNTING. THAT'S WHERE YOU'RE ALSO GOING TO SEE A BIG JUMP IN WAGES. THAT'S WE'RE TRYING TO RECTIFY AND AND BUDGET FOR ALL THE POSITIONS AS OPPOSED TO JUST BUDGETING FOR THE POSITIONS THAT ARE FILLED. AND SO YOU'RE GOING TO SEE THAT BIG JUMP. THERE. 124 124,000 AND ALSO WE'RE INCLUDING A NEW BUDGET ANALYST AND THE AUDITOR OR INTERNAL AUDITOR. OUR BIG NUMBER HERE IS. 322 I THINK A LOT OF THAT IS THE PERSONNEL SERVICES. SO YOU'RE GOING TO SEE A JUMP IN GROUP INSURANCE. 
          WE DID HAVE AN INCREASE IN INSURANCE THIS YEAR BECAUSE WE WENT TO A NEW INSURANCE CARRIER. 
          SAME WITH THE DEFINED BENEFITS, BECAUSE THE INCREASE OF INSURANCE, PROFESSIONAL FEES AND SERVICES, THERE'S AN INCREASE THERE FOR 50,000. I DIDN'T ITEMIZE IT, BUT I CAN GIVE YOU THE INFORMATION YOU NEED FOR THAT. OKAY. AND THEN I MAY I GO OVER CUSTOMER CARE ALSO SINCE I'M UP HERE. YES. OKAY. YES. OKAY. SO FOR FY 26 ACCOMPLISHMENTS, THERE WAS A RECOVERY OF UNPAID UTILITY BILLS, SUCCESSFULLY LOCATING AND IDENTIFYING 528,000 UNPAID UTILITY BILLS, STRENGTHENING THE CITY'S REVENUE RECOVERY EFFORTS AND FINANCIAL ACCOUNTABILITY. KEY PROJECTS FOR FY 27 LOBBY SEATING FOR CUSTOMERS. THE LOBBY IS NOW NOW HAS CHAIRS TO ACCOMMODATE CUSTOMERS INSTEAD OF THEM STANDING IN LINE, IMPROVING CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE IN THE COMFORT WHILE THEY WAIT. WHILE THEY WAIT. CALL CENTER RELOCATION THE CALL CENTER HAS BEEN RELOCATED BACK DOWN TO THE BASEMENT, RESTORING DEDICATED OPERATIONAL SPACE FOR PHONE BASED CUSTOMER SUPPORT, BILLING DEPARTMENT RELOCATION. THE BILLING DEPARTMENT HAS ALSO BEEN RELOCATED BACK DOWN TO THE BASEMENT, CONSOLIDATING BACK OFFICE FUNCTION AND IMPROVING WORKFLOW AND EFFICIENCY. ARE WE GOING TO THANK YOU? THAT WAS A TIMER TO STOP OR OKAY, YOU CAN KEEP GOING. I THINK YOU HAVE 15 MINUTES THAT YOU'RE GOING TO DO. 
          CUSTOMER OKAY, SO LEAN PROCESS CREATED A FORMAL LEAN PROCESS HAS NOW BEEN ESTABLISHED FOR THE BILLING DEPARTMENT, PROVIDING A STRUCTURED AND LEGALLY COMPLIANT METHOD FOR ADDRESSING OUTSTANDING ACCOUNT BALANCES AND PROVIDING PRIVATE CUSTOMER COMMUNICATIONS ROOM. 
          SO PRIVATE ROOM HAS BEEN CREATED FOR CUSTOMERS CREATED ON A DEDICATED, DEDICATED ROOM TO COMMUNICATE WITH CUSTOMERS ABOUT THEIR BILLS AND PRIVATE, ENSURING THE DIGNITY AND INTEGRITY OF EASTPOINTE'S CUSTOMERS IS PRESERVED DURING SENSITIVE FINANCIAL CONVERSATION. SO THIS IS THE CURRENT BUDGET FOR CUSTOMER CARE. AND SO THERE'S A DIFFERENCE OF 100,000. WHAT'S REQUESTED. AND SO THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN CUSTOMER CARE AND A TRADITIONAL GENERAL FUND OR ENTERPRISES CUSTOMER CARE IS FUNDED BY THE ENTERPRISES AS WELL AS GENERAL FUND. SO THAT'S WHERE THAT COST ALLOCATION COMES IN THAT I WAS TALKING ABOUT FROM THE FINANCE. THIS IS IMPERATIVE THAT WE GET THAT STUDY COMPLETED SO THAT WE CAN ENSURE THAT ALL OF THE COST ALLOCATIONS ARE CORRECT FOR EACH DEPARTMENT, BECAUSE WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT EACH ONE IS CHARGED CORRECTLY. DO YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS? YES. WE HAVE QUESTIONS FROM COUNCILWOMAN CUMMINGS, COUNCILMAN MITCHELL AND COUNCILWOMAN MARTIN ROGERS. COUNCILWOMAN HEMMING, WHO'S GOING TO GO FROM LEFT TO RIGHT? THANK YOU, MADAM MAYOR. AND AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR PRESENTATION. JUST HAD A QUESTION ABOUT THE LIENS. HOW MANY LIENS HAVE WE TO DATE BEEN BEEN PLACED ON PROPERTIES? NONE. NO LIENS HAVE BEEN DONE. THE THE POLICY HAS JUST BEEN CREATED. OKAY. SO THERE NO LIENS? NO. OKAY. NO. 
          THAT'LL SELL. NO MORE QUESTIONS BECAUSE I HAVE MORE THAT CAME FROM THAT. THANK YOU, I YIELD. 
          [00:55:11]
MICROPHONE. OKAY. IT'S BACK. I'M SORRY Y'ALL, BUT YES, THANK YOU FOR YOUR PRESENTATION. I THANK YOU AT ANSWERED ONE OF MY QUESTIONS EARLIER ABOUT THE INTERNAL AUDITOR. MY OTHER QUESTION WAS, ARE THERE ANY OTHER POSITIONS THAT ARE NOT BUDGETED FOR THAT YOU FEEL YOU WOULD NEED TO BE SUCCESSFUL? NO, I'VE GOT ALL THE POSITIONS BUDGETED SO THAT THE GOAL IS TO DO A COUPLE OF RECLASSIFICATIONS OF SOME VACANT POSITIONS AND THEN MAKE IT MORE EFFICIENT. AND SO WITH THERE'S THERE'S TWO VACANCIES RIGHT NOW THAT I THINK THAT WOULD BE BENEFICIAL TO THE FINANCE AND ACCOUNTING DEPARTMENT TO ESPECIALLY ON THE BUDGETING SIDE AND THE AUDITING SIDE. BUT THEY'RE ALL THEY'RE ALL, THEY'RE ALL BEEN, HAVE ALLOCATED FUNDS FOR THEM. IS THERE ANYTHING THAT YOU WISH YOU COULD HAVE OR IF YOU HAD A WISH LIST? KIND OF. SO, YOU KNOW, WE'VE WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT THE EDUCATION. AND SO THAT'S SOMETHING THAT THE CITY MANAGER AND I HAVE ACTUALLY ALREADY DISCUSSED AND SOMETHING THAT WE PLAN ON PUTTING BACK INTO THE BUDGET, BUT THAT THAT WOULD BE ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I PROBABLY WOULD LOOK AT TOO, IS THE EDUCATION. OKAY. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. COUNCILWOMAN MARTIN ROGERS AND THEN COUNCILWOMAN HEMMING AND THEN. ALL RIGHT. AND THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR PRESENTATION. I'D LIKE TO THE RECORD TO REFLECT THAT. I'VE ALSO REQUESTED THAT THIS BUDGET BE ITEMIZED SO THAT WE KNOW WHERE EVERYTHING IS. I'VE MADE SEVERAL REQUESTS FOR AN ITEMIZED BUDGET, BUT I HEARD YOU SAY THAT I DIDN'T ITEMIZE IT. IS THERE A REASON WHY YOU'RE NOT ITEMIZING THE BUDGET? I DID ITEMIZE FOR THE RECORD, I DID ITEMIZE THE BUDGET. I JUST DIDN'T ITEMIZE THIS PORTION OF IT BECAUSE IT WAS FOR YOU. BUT THE BOOK ITSELF IS ITEMIZED. 
          OKAY, SO I'M GOING TO GO ON RECORD AND SAY AGAIN, THE ENTIRE BUDGET BOOK NEEDS TO BE ITEMIZED, ESPECIALLY WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THESE SALARIES AND WAGES, BECAUSE SALARIES AND WAGES NEED TO COME BEFORE A COUNCIL IN NO SALARY, WAGE OR PROPOSAL HAS COME TO COUNCIL THAT SAYS WE NEED THIS MONEY IN OUR BUDGET. SOME DEPARTMENTS HAVE SALARY AND WAGES INCREASE, BUT THEN SOME SOME DEPARTMENTS DON'T. AND THEN I KNOW THAT WE DID THE EVERGREEN STUDY, BUT WE'VE ALREADY PAID THOSE INDIVIDUALS. SO I'M JUST NOT QUITE SURE ABOUT THESE SALARIES AND WAGES. AND I WOULD LIKE AN ITEMIZED BREAKDOWN OF THE SALARIES AND WAGES IN EACH DEPARTMENT. AND I CAN DO THAT. I'LL JUST HAVE TO GET WITH ALL THE DEPARTMENTS BECAUSE I DON'T KNOW ALL THE DEPARTMENTS. SO IT'S UP TO THEM TO ALSO TELL ME HOW TO ITEMIZE THAT. BUT THAT'S DEFINITELY SOMETHING THAT WE CAN DO. YES, I WOULD LIKE TO HAVE THAT. AND THEN I ALSO NOTICED THAT THE CUSTOMER CARE DEPARTMENT HAS NO EDUCATION IN TRAVEL. BUT I DO BELIEVE THERE'S EDUCATION IN TRAVEL IN THE FINANCE DEPARTMENT. IS THERE A REASON WHY THERE IS AN EDUCATION IN TRAVEL IN THE CUSTOMER CARE DEPARTMENT? AND I'M GOING OFF OF THIS BUDGET RIGHT HERE. SO MAYBE THINGS HAVE CHANGED BASED UPON THE REQUEST AND THE TRACKING SHEET. 
          BUT IS THERE A REASON WHY CUSTOMER CARE DOESN'T HAVE EDUCATION, TRAVEL AND TRAINING? WELL, IT GOT REMOVED WHEN EVERYONE ELSE GOT REMOVED, BUT IT'S GOING TO BE GOING BACK IN AS WELL. AS FAR AS EDUCATION AND TRAVEL FOR EDUCATION, FINANCE. LET ME SEE IF THERE'S BECAUSE I, I REMOVED IT AS WELL FOR OUR DEPARTMENT. EVERYONE'S GOT REMOVED, INCLUDING FINANCE. 
          SO OKAY. WELL, I DO THINK THAT SINCE WE ARE IN A PUBLIC FORUM, WE ARE HEARING HOW VALUABLE EDUCATION, TRAVEL AND TRAINING IS. WE HAVE $443,000 ALLOCATED FOR CONCERTS. I WOULD RATHER THAT MONEY GO BACK INTO THE BUDGET OR COMMUNITY CONCERTS. I'M SORRY FOR EDUCATION, TRAVEL AND TRAINING ACROSS DEPARTMENTS, SO I'M INTERESTED. I DON'T HAVE MY 2026 BOOK, BUT I'M INTERESTED IN SEEING THOSE NUMBERS FOR EDUCATION, TRAVEL AND TRAINING FOR CUSTOMER CARE AND ALSO YOUR DEPARTMENT IN FINANCE. AND THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR PRESENTATION. 
          COUNCILWOMAN HEMMING AND THEN COUNCILWOMAN, COUNCILMAN ATKINS AND THEN COUNCILWOMAN CALDWELL. 
          YES, GOOD EVENING, MISS CARTWRIGHT. AND MR. MILLER, I FIRST WANT TO HOLD THIS BOOK UP AND SAY THAT I'M VERY PROUD OF HOW FAR THIS BOOK HAS COME FROM THE ORIGINAL VERSION THAT WE GOT IN THE BEGINNING OF APRIL. TO THIS ONE, I'M ABLE TO UNDERSTAND AND READ WHAT'S HAPPENING. SO I KNOW THAT THAT WAS THE YEOMAN'S EFFORT WAS ON THE BACKS OF YOUR TWO SHOULDERS. 
          AND SO I WANT TO FIRST SAY THANK YOU. I AM CONCERNED, HOWEVER, THOUGH, THAT THE 
          [01:00:01]
PROFESSIONAL FEES ARE AT ABOUT $200,000 AND THEY AREN'T ITEMIZED. WE'VE ALSO HEARD A LOT FROM THE CITY MANAGER ABOUT THE COST. OF THE POOLED CACHE SYSTEM. AND SO I KNOW THAT COUNCIL HAS BEGUN MAKING STEPS TOWARD UNDERSTANDING THAT. BUT I'M CURIOUS WHAT'S IN THIS BUDGET RELATED TO CONTINUED UNDERSTANDING OF OUR POOLED CACHE SYSTEM AND SOME OF THE OTHER THINGS THAT HAVE COME OUT. AS YOU ALL HAVE BEEN PREPARING THIS FY 27 BUDGET. SO I'M SORRY, CAN YOU REPEAT YOUR QUESTION, THOUGH? WHAT IS THE $200,000 FOR PROFESSIONAL FEES, AND ARE THEY GOING TO BE USED TOWARD ANALYZING THAT POOLED CACHE CHALLENGE THAT'S BEEN BROUGHT OUT IN THE CITY MANAGER'S BUDGET MESSAGE? CAN I ASK IF YOU'RE LOOKING AT 1510 OR 1512 BECAUSE WE HAVE FINANCE AND ACCOUNTING. SO LET ME JUST GO BACK JUST ONE. IT WAS JUST ON JUST TELL ME WHAT YOU'RE GOING TO USE THE PROFESSIONAL FEES FOR ACROSS ALL OF THEM ACCOUNTING, FINANCING AND CUSTOMER CARE. OKAY. YEAH. BEAR WITH ME FOR ONE MOMENT. 
          OKAY. IT LOOKS LIKE WE HAVE VERY SOFT. CAN YOU TALK A LITTLE BIT? WHAT IS VERY SOFT IS A. SO WE HAVE VERY SOFT LLC OPTIMIZE. IT'S 27,000. WE HAVE OPEN GOV 50,000 ACCOUNTING, TECHNICAL SERVICE. THAT IS THE CPA, THE AUDITOR THAT'S COMING OUT OF. AND THAT'S 116,500 IS A COMPANY DOING THE CALL. SO THESE ARE IN ADMINISTRATION OF YOUR TYPICAL FINANCE. THESE ARE OUTSOURCED PROFESSIONAL FEES. SO VERY SOFT I'M ASSUMING HAS SOMETHING TO DO WITH YOUR ACCOUNTING SOFTWARE OR. YES. OKAY. SO THESE ARE PRIMARILY RELATIONSHIPS WITH ENTITIES THAT HELP YOU FACILITATE THE COMPLETION OF DIFFERENT REPORTS, ETC. IS THAT CORRECT? CORRECT. AND SO VERY SOFT IS ACTUALLY GOING TO HELP US DO THE COST COST ALLOCATION. OKAY. THE OTHER THING THAT I WAS REALLY CURIOUS ABOUT IN YOUR FY 26 ACCOMPLISHMENTS, YOU SAID THAT YOU COMPLETED ALL OF THE REQUIRED. REPORTING. COULD YOU SHARE WITH THE COMMUNITY WHERE THEY CAN FIND THOSE REPORTS? SO, FOR EXAMPLE, THE TSPLOST IS ONE OF THE REPORTS THAT HAS TO BE COMPLETED ABOUT HOW THOSE FUNDS WERE USED. THE FINANCE PORTION OF IT, THE ARPA DOLLARS, IS ANOTHER THING THAT THE COMMUNITY HAS BEEN CURIOUS ABOUT HOW THOSE HAVE BEEN USED. WHERE CAN THE COMMUNITY COMMUNITY FIND THOSE COMPLETED FINANCIAL REPORTS? I DON'T THINK THEY'RE ACTUALLY AVAILABLE TO THE COMMUNITY, BUT IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE CAN PUT ON THE INTERNET, OUR WEB BASED, OUR WEBSITE. THAT'S A DESIRE OF COUNCIL. I CERTAINLY THINK THAT THE COMMUNITY WOULD APPRECIATE UNDERSTANDING HOW THESE FEDERAL AND STATE DOLLARS HAVE FLOWED IN AND THROUGHOUT OUR CITY TO ENHANCE AND IMPROVE IT. OKAY. 
          ANOTHER THING THAT I'M CURIOUS ABOUT IS RELATED TO THE BUDGET ANALYST. SO DO I UNDERSTAND THAT THE BUDGET ANALYST POSITION WAS A PREVIOUSLY BUDGETED POSITION, BUT YOU ARE GOING TO ACTUALLY SEAT THAT PERSON IN THIS YEAR'S BUDGET. IS THAT THE RIGHT WAY TO UNDERSTAND THAT? NO, MA'AM. THAT'S ACTUALLY A NEW FTE. THE NEW FTE IMPLEMENTED AT THE BEGINNING OF THE YEAR. OKAY. AND THEN MY FINAL IS MY FINAL STATEMENT. IT'S NOT A QUESTION IS AROUND CUSTOMER CARE. I THINK ANOTHER COUNCIL MEMBER JUST MENTIONED IT, BUT CUSTOMER CARE IS THE FACE OF OUR CITY. A LOT OF TIMES, THE WAY THAT PEOPLE EXPERIENCE OUR CITY FIRST IS THROUGH THE UTILITY BILLS, THROUGH THEIR EXPERIENCE WITH CUSTOMER CARE. SO CAN YOU TALK ABOUT THE THINGS THAT YOU'RE CURRENTLY DOING TO IMPROVE THE EXPERIENCE OF THE COMMUNITY AS THEY INTERACT WITH CUSTOMER CARE THROUGH THIS BUDGET? SO SOME OF OUR I'VE GOT A GREAT NEW MANAGER ALSO, AND WE KIND OF SHARE THE SAME VISION. THE VISION IS SERVICE EXCELLENCE. AND SO THAT'S THE, THE VISION WE WANT TO BRING TO CUSTOMERS THAT WHEN THEY COME INSIDE THE BUILDING, WE WANT THEM TO HAVE A GREAT EXPERIENCE. WE WANT TO BE ABLE TO HELP THEM IN ANY WAY WE CAN, AS FAR AS IF THEY NEED HAVE QUESTIONS WITH THEIR BILLING. WE WANT TO WE 
          [01:05:01]
WANT THEM TO LEAVE HAPPY. AND SO GIVING THEM GOOD CUSTOMER, GIVING THEM A GOOD CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE IS THE GOAL. AND SO WE WANT TO EDUCATE OUR STAFF. WE WANT TO GIVE THEM CUSTOMER TRAINING AS FAR AS HOW TO HOW TO TREAT CUSTOMERS, HOW TO HANDLE CUSTOMERS, WHEN TO ACCELERATE A CUSTOMER TO THE SUPERVISOR. AND SO THAT'S SOMETHING THAT IS ACTUALLY BEING EVALUATED AND TRYING TO WORK WITH STAFF NOW TO, TO GIVE THE CUSTOMERS A GREAT EXPERIENCE. OKAY. AND THEN LAST THING, THE BSA SYSTEM, THE INTERFACE IS DIFFERENT. DO YOU HAVE ANY DOLLARS IN YOUR BUDGET THAT WOULD ALLOW YOU ALL TO HELP THE COMMUNITY UNDERSTAND HOW TO USE THE NEW INTERFACE OF THE SYSTEM? I DON'T THINK SO. DO YOU REMEMBER ANYTHING GOING ON? YEAH, NOT FOR THE PUBLIC. YEAH, NOT FOR THE PUBLIC. JUST TO, YOU KNOW, FOR THE REGULAR PAYMENTS THAT GO TO THEM, BUT NOT SOMETHING THAT WE COULD GIVE TO THE PUBLIC, BUT SOMETHING WE CAN WORK ON. I'D BE REALLY HAPPY TO SEE SOME OF THAT HAPPEN IN FY 27 BECAUSE IT'S DIFFERENT FOR ME. I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S DIFFERENT FOR EVERYBODY ELSE, BUT I DON'T KNOW HOW TO USE IT IN THE WAY THAT I KNEW HOW TO USE THE PREVIOUS SYSTEM. SO MAYBE SOME TRAINING FOR THE PUBLIC SO THAT THEY CAN USE THAT SYSTEM MORE EFFECTIVELY WOULD BE HELPFUL. 
          AND THAT MAY NOT EVEN COST MONEY. THAT COULD BE JUST SOMETHING STAFF PUTS TOGETHER FOR THE PUBLIC AND PUTTING OUT AWARENESS FOR THEM AND, YOU KNOW, LETTING THEM KNOW HOW TO USE IT. THAT MAY NOT THAT'S JUST, I THINK TO ME IT WOULD REQUIRE TIME, WHICH IT SHOULDN'T BE A PROBLEM, ESPECIALLY WHEN TRYING TO EDUCATE THE COMMUNITY. THANK YOU SO MUCH, I YIELD. THANK YOU. COUNCILMAN. YES, THANK YOU, MISS CARTWRIGHT AND MR. MILLER. 
          AND I WILL ECHO THE SENTIMENTS OF MY COLLEAGUE. I DO APPRECIATE ALL THE WORK THAT HAS GONE IN, NOT ONLY FROM THE BOTH OF YOU, BUT ALSO MISS WILKINS AND ALSO MR. CEPHUS AND OTHER MEMBERS TO GET THIS BUDGET TO WHERE IT IS TODAY. I JUST HAVE ONE QUESTION. IT'S A PIGGYBACK ON COUNCILMEMBER MITCHELL'S QUESTION IN TERMS OF IF THERE WAS SOMETHING THAT YOU NEED THAT WOULD MAKE YOUR OPERATIONS MORE EFFICIENT, I THINK YOU RESPONDED REGARDING HUMAN RESOURCES, BUT IS THERE ANY TECHNOLOGY THAT YOU THINK THAT THIS CITY COULD USE IN TERMS OF MANAGING OUR FINANCING, MAKING LEDGER ENTRIES? EASIER, MORE EFFICIENT, AND THEN ALSO INCREASING TRANSPARENCY? IS THERE ANY TECHNOLOGY THAT WE CURRENTLY DO NOT HAVE THAT YOU WOULD RECOMMEND THAT WE DO GET FOR THE CITY? I THINK FOR ME, I'VE I'VE WORKED ON OPEN GOV BEFORE, AND I'M NOT SURE IF YOU'RE ALL FAMILIAR WITH IT, BUT OPEN GOV HAS A DASHBOARD. 
          THAT WOULD BE SOMETHING THAT THE COMMUNITY COULD GO ON TO THE WEBSITE AND SEE, LIKE THEY WOULD BE ABLE TO DRILL DOWN ON SPECIFIC ACCOUNT NUMBERS. AND WHAT THIS IS GOING TO DO, IN MY OPINION, IS IT'S GOING TO ALLEVIATE SOME OF SOME OF THE RECORDS REQUESTS, BECAUSE IF SOMEONE'S ASKING FOR A REQUEST ON FINANCE, THEY COULD GO ON TO THE DASHBOARD AND THEY COULD DRILL DOWN AND SEE EVERYTHING. AND SO THAT'S GOING TO ALLEVIATE TIME FOR THE CLERK'S OFFICE. AND SO THAT'S WHAT I'M REALLY TRYING TO LOOK. I'M TRYING TO LOOK AT EFFICIENCIES NOT JUST FOR THE FINANCE DEPARTMENT, BUT FOR THE CITY AS A WHOLE. AND SO I THINK THAT OPEN GOV IS A GREAT TOOL. LIKE I SAID, I'VE WORKED AT WORKED ON IT MYSELF, AND IT WILL BE ABLE TO PROVIDE LIKE VARIANCES FROM YEAR OVER YEAR. AND YOU'LL BE ABLE TO TRACK TEN YEARS BACK. 
          AND IT'S JUST IMPLEMENTING THAT. THAT WHOLE SOFTWARE IS WHAT IS THE SYSTEM LIKE THAT COST FOR CITY OF OUR SIZE? I DID SOME HOMEWORK ON IT. SO IT'S ABOUT 40 TO 50 000 FOR OUR CITY, OUR SIZE. AND IS THAT A ONE TIME COST OR DO WE HAVE TO BUY OR PAY FOR ANNUAL LICENSES FOR IT? IT'S THERE'S THE LICENSES FOR THE WEBSITE, BUT IT THERE'S GOING TO BE AN ANNUAL COST, LIKE OPERATING COST FOR IT. OKAY. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. YOU'RE WELCOME. THANK YOU. YOU MAY HAVE SAID THIS, BUT I, I KIND OF WANTED TO HEAR FROM YOU SPECIFICALLY. WHAT DO YOU THINK THE, THE BIGGEST CHALLENGE WAS FOR THIS PREVIOUS YEAR FOR FINANCE AND FOR CUSTOMER CARE. 
          AND THEN I'VE HEARD, YOU KNOW, TECHNOLOGY IS THE, YOU KNOW, SERVICE EXCELLENCE, BUT WHAT SPECIFIC THING HAVE YOU BUDGETED FOR THAT'S GOING TO ADDRESS THOSE CHALLENGES? I WOULDN'T SAY THAT I BUDGETED OR WE BUDGETED FOR ANYTHING SPECIFIC, BUT THE BIGGEST CHALLENGES ARE AUDIT. AND I THINK THAT COMES DOWN TO CROSS TRAINING, CROSS TRAINING OUR TEAM, MAKING THEMSELVES SUFFICIENT AS FAR AS BEING ABLE TO HELP DURING THE BUDGET AND OR AUDIT PROCESS. A LOT OF TIMES IT'S JOURNAL ENTRIES TRYING TO GET THOSE DONE. AND JOSEPH IS HANDLING A LOT OF THAT ON HIS OWN. AND SO IF WE COULD CROSS TRAIN OUR TEAM, THAT WOULD BE SO BENEFICIAL. AND SO THAT'S THE EFFICIENCY. NOT NECESSARILY THAT IT COSTS MONEY. YOU KNOW, OF COURSE WE'RE WE MAY BE PUTTING MORE ON OUR TEAM, BUT WE THAT'S WHERE WE START TO PROBABLY GIVE THEM INCREASES BECAUSE OF THEIR VALUE. RIGHT. AND, AND, AND SO THAT'S WHERE I THINK A LOT OF IT, IF I COULD ASK MAYBE FOR ANYTHING, IT WOULD PROBABLY BE TO GIVE MY STAFF INCREASES BECAUSE I KNOW WHAT'S COMING AND I KNOW WHAT MY EXPECTATION IS GOING TO BE AS FAR AS TRYING TO GET THEM CROSS TRAINED SO THAT WHEN WE'RE GOING THROUGH THE AUDIT PROCESS, THEY CAN HELP WITH JOURNAL ENTRIES. AND NOT ALL THAT FALLS ON JOSEPH 
          [01:10:03]
BECAUSE THAT, THAT, THAT THAT DOES. AND THEN WHERE DOES I MEAN, COUNCIL MEMBER ATKINS KIND OF ASKED ABOUT THE TECHNOLOGY, BUT WHERE DOES DOES THE OPEN GOV ALSO HELP TO SOLVE FOR THIS? NO, NOT REALLY. TWO TOTALLY DIFFERENT. THAT'S MORE LIKE SHE SAID, IT'S CROSS TRAINING KIND OF INTERNAL TRAINING. SO IT JUST TAKES ONE ON ONE TIME WITH DIFFERENT TEAM MEMBERS JUST TO WRITE SKILLS FOR THE JOURNAL ENTRY PART. SAME THE SAME. OKAY. CONCEPT. 
          OKAY. AND THEN CAN YOU GO BACK TO THE, THE SALARY PIECE YOU MENTIONED, I THINK ON THE FINANCE SIDE THAT THERE WASN'T THE FTE OR THE FULL TIME EMPLOYEE WASN'T FULLY CALCULATED IN PREVIOUS YEARS. SO IT'S THE EXACT SAME LINE ITEMS, BUT IT'S, IT'S CALCULATED DIFFERENTLY NOW. SO WHAT IT WAS, IS IT WAS BUDGETED FOR THE ONE PERSON VERSUS THERE'S THREE PEOPLE IN FINANCE. AND SO OF COURSE, THE FINANCE DIRECTOR ROLE HAS BEEN EMPTY. 
          SO THAT HASN'T BEEN PAID OUT. LIKE MY MY POSITION I'M INTERIM. SO I'M TECHNICALLY BEING PAID OUT OF THE ACCOUNTING PORTION OF IT. AND THAT'S THIS PART. AND SO ALL I'M DOING HERE IS I'M MAKING THAT RIGHT IN CASE FINANCE, THE FINANCE DIRECTOR IS HIRED. AND THEN THERE'S ALSO A CLERK THAT IS IN THERE. THAT'S A AN EMPTY FTE, IF YOU WILL. AND SO WHEN YOU ADD THAT BACK IN, IT'S JUST TO FILL THOSE POSITIONS, NOT NECESSARILY FILL NEW POSITIONS. 
          DID DID THAT MAKE SENSE? NO, I STILL DIDN'T UNDERSTAND THAT. SO FY 26, THERE WAS HOW MANY ROLES IN THIS DOLLAR AMOUNT THERE WAS THE FINANCE DIRECTOR, SECRETARY. YEAH, THE EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT AND THEN AN OPEN SPOT. IT'S A CLERICAL, IF YOU WILL. THAT'S THE THE VERBIAGE ON THE AND THAT'S THE 279,000. THAT'S THE FY 2627 REQUEST. SO THE 132 WAS FOR THOSE THREE ROLES. OKAY. 
          AND THEN THE REQUEST IS TO STILL BE ABLE TO PAY THOSE SAME THREE ROLES FOR 279. BUT WE'RE. 
          RIGHT. SO I THINK THAT WHAT WE DID WITH THE CLERK WAS IT'S, I THINK ABOUT 30,000 OR 40,000. 
          SO IT'S, IT'S A TEMPORARY, JUST LIKE A CLERK TO HELP MAYBE LIKE DURING THE AUDIT PROCESS. YEAH. 
          AND THEN WE HAVE, WE WOULD NEED TO SEE THAT ITEMIZED OUT THAT THAT'S WHERE THE ITEMIZATION COMES, BECOMES VERY HELPFUL BECAUSE TRYING TO DECIPHER ALL OF THAT IN ONE LINE ITEM WITH $1 AMOUNT IS IMPOSSIBLE. OKAY. AND IT WILL BE IN THE, IN THE UPCOMING BOOK. OKAY. BECAUSE WE, WE MADE A MOTION, WHAT WAS IT A WEEK AGO TO HAVE THE ITEMIZED, TO HAVE THIS ITEMIZED SO THAT WE COULD UNDERSTAND IT AND WE STILL HAVEN'T RECEIVED IT. OKAY. SO I JUST, I WOULD HAVE TO GET WITH EVERY SINGLE DEPARTMENT TO GET THE ITEMIZATION. THEY'LL JUST HAVE TO GO IN AND WE'LL, WE'LL GIVE THEM ACCESS SO THEY CAN ITEMIZE EACH, EACH ROLE THAT THEY HAVE. WHEN DO YOU THINK WE WOULD BE ABLE TO RECEIVE? AND THAT MIGHT BE A QUESTION FOR THE CITY MANAGER, BECAUSE THAT WAS A MOTION IN THE PREVIOUS MEETING. THE DIRECTOR. IT WAS A DIRECT TO TO PROVIDE A DIRECTIVE TO THE CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE, TO BE ABLE TO ITEMIZE THIS OUT. WHEN CAN WE GET THAT INFORMATION? SEE, THAT'S WHY I'M A LITTLE CONFUSED. THAT SOUNDS LIKE A VERY EXPANSIVE TASK THAT I DON'T THINK COULD BE DONE IN THIS THIS BUDGET CYCLE. WE'VE DONE IT FOR SOME DEPARTMENTS. HAVE IT ITEMIZED SPECIFICALLY THE ROLE I KNOW LIKE COMMUNICATIONS, IT WAS ITEMIZED BY EACH ROLE AND THEN OTHER DEPARTMENTS DO NOT HAVE IT. SO WE'VE DONE IT IN THIS BUDGET BOOK. FOR SOME DEPARTMENTS. IT'S JUST NOT LIKE THAT FOR ALL FINANCE. AS SHE'S EXPLAINING THIS, IT WOULD BE HELPFUL TO SEE EXACTLY WHAT YOU DID FOR THE COMMUNICATIONS DEPARTMENT FOR THIS DEPARTMENT. SO WHEN YOU SAY EACH ROLE, ARE YOU TALKING EVERY EMPLOYEE? I JUST WANT TO UNDERSTAND THE 140 WHAT I THOUSAND DOLLARS, WHAT THAT REPRESENTS AND WHAT I'M HEARING. IT REPRESENTS THREE ROLES, BUT I JUST WANT TO SEE WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE. WELL, CERTAINLY IF IT'S JUST THAT PARTICULAR CASE, THAT'S NOT HARD TO DO. WHEN YOU SAY ORGANIZATIONAL WIDE, THAT'S WHAT I'M HEARING. AND THAT'S WHERE I'M LIKE, I DON'T THINK WE'LL BE ABLE TO DO THAT IN THIS BUDGET CYCLE. SO BUT THE SALARIES AND WAGES THAT YOU HAVE LISTED HERE DOES THAT. WHAT WHAT DOES THAT INCLUDE? IS THAT NOT ALL EMPLOYEES OR IS IT. 
          WELL, IT WOULD INCLUDE ALL EMPLOYEES. NOW CURRENTLY I DON'T THINK IT INCLUDES VACANCIES AND EMPLOYEES THAT WE PLAN ON HAVING OR OR RECENTLY LEFT. I THINK IT'S WHAT YOU'RE LOOKING AT IS PAYROLL BASICALLY A NUMBER. SO IF YOU'RE LOOKING AT AN ITEMIZED REPRESENTATION 
          [01:15:05]
OF EVERY SINGLE EMPLOYEE, I THINK THAT'S A MORE EXPANSIVE TASK. BUT I WILL LOOK AT FINANCE TO MAKE SURE THEY FULLY UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU'RE REQUESTING. AT THE END OF THE DAY, I DON'T UNDERSTAND THE INCREASE AROUND SALARY AND WAGES AND WHY THAT'S HAPPENING. 
          SO I DON'T KNOW HOW WE CAN PROVIDE A BETTER PICTURE OF THAT. BUT I'M NOT I'M NOT GETTING THAT. SO I THINK YOU'RE ASKING FOR A POSITION BREAKOUT. I JUST WANT IT RIGHT. AND I ALSO WANT TO UNDERSTAND WHERE IS THE INCREASE COMING FROM AND WHY ARE WE APPLYING THE INCREASE. WELL THE INCREASE AGAIN. OKAY. SO SAY FOR EXAMPLE, IT WAS JUST BUDGETED. ONE POSITION WAS JUST BUDGETED AS OPPOSED TO OR TWO POSITIONS WAS JUST BUDGETED AS OPPOSED TO THREE. I MEAN, I GET WHAT YOU'RE SAYING AS FAR AS NEEDING A DETAILED LINE, IT WILL TAKE A LOT OF TIME TO GET THAT INTO THE FINAL BOOK. AND WE, YOU KNOW, I, I DON'T WANT TO MAKE ANY PROMISES THAT IT WOULD TAKE ME A WEEK BECAUSE IT WOULD TAKE LONGER THAN A WEEK BECAUSE YOU'RE LOOKING AT WATER AND SEWER. THEY'VE GOT A BIG, A BIG EMPLOYEE LIST, POLICE, FIRE. 
          BUT I WOULD, YOU KNOW, I COULD DO MY BEST AS FAR AS THE SMALLEST, THE SMALLER DEPARTMENTS AND GET THEM ITEMIZED. IT COULD BE HELPFUL JUST TO EVEN SEE A SLIGHTLY HIGH LEVEL OVERVIEW. SO IF THIS LAST YEAR'S BUDGET BUDGET HAD TWO POSITIONS AND THIS YEAR YOU'RE ADDING NEW POSITION, IT MIGHT JUST BE HELPFUL TO SEE WE'RE ADDING TWO POSITIONS, THREE POSITION POSITIONS. AND IT REPRESENTS THIS DOLLAR AMOUNT. JUST WANT TO SEE WHERE THE CHANGES ARE COMING FROM AND WHY. SO WE CAN GET COMFORTABLE WITH THE NUMBERS AS WELL. AND I CAN DO THAT. I JUST WANT TO POINT OUT ALSO THAT WE HAVE TO KEEP IN MIND THAT THERE WAS AN EVERGREEN STUDY THAT THAT THE SALARIES INCREASED ALSO. SO THERE MIGHT BE THE SAME PEOPLE. 
          BUT IF YOU HAVE THREE PEOPLE AND THEY'RE MAKING 150 WITH THE INCREASE NOW, IT MIGHT BE 200, 000. SO THERE'S JUST THAT SMALL VARIANCE. YEAH. SO IT WOULD BE HELPFUL TO SAY, HEY, THIS PART OF THE INCREASE IS COMING FROM AN EVERGREEN STUDY THAT WE DID. AND HERE'S THE PROOF BEHIND THAT. AND THEN MAYBE ANOTHER PART IS COMING FROM WE'RE ADDING TWO POSITIONS. AND HERE'S THE DOLLAR ABOUT IT. IT WOULD BE HELPFUL TO SEE AT LEAST THAT HIGH LEVEL BREAKOUT BREAKOUT OF WHY WE'RE SEEING A CHANGE IN THE SALARIES. I'M SORRY, I DIDN'T MEAN TO INTERRUPT, MRS. CARTWRIGHT, IN ADDITION TO WHAT COUNCILWOMAN CALDWELL SAYING, CAN YOU PROVIDE LIKE I MEAN, IT SOUNDS LIKE IT'S GOING TO TAKE SOME TIME, RIGHT? RIGHT. SO CAN YOU START WITH THE HIGH LEVEL TO SATISFY THE ASK? AND THEN WE CAN LOOK AT THE TIMING THAT NEEDS TO GO INTO ANY ADDITIONAL THING. IT SOUNDS LIKE WE NEED TO START. IT CAN'T BE DONE IN A WEEK. IT CAN'T BE DONE IN TWO WEEKS. WHAT IT SOUNDS LIKE, BUT IT'S SOMETHING THAT YOU CAN BRING FORWARD AND THEN THEY CAN, WE CAN START THE PROCESS OF SEEING WHAT ADDITIONAL INFORMATION IS NECESSARY. AND I'M JUST, I'M JUMPING IN BECAUSE I WANT TO BE MINDFUL OF TIME COUNCIL. SO WE I WANT TO MOVE ON RIGHT NOW TO COUNCILWOMAN MARTIN ROGERS. ARE YOU DONE? ALRIGHT. AND I JUST WANTED TO SAY THANK YOU AGAIN FOR YOUR PRESENTATION. IT'S NOT IN THE BOOK THAT WE RECEIVED TODAY. SO IF YOU COULD EMAIL ME A COPY OF IT SO THAT I'LL HAVE A HARD COPY, I WOULD APPRECIATE THAT. AND I ALSO WANT TO SAY FOR THE RECORD, THAT COUNCIL VOTED LAST YEAR AS IT RELATED TO THE EVERGREEN STUDY, TO ONLY PAY THOSE EMPLOYEES THAT WERE IMPACTED. SO I UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU'RE SAYING ABOUT THE SALARY AND WAGES, BUT IT NEEDS TO BE BROKEN OUT. THERE ARE SOME SALARY AND WAGES INCREASES IN SOME DEPARTMENTS AND NOT OTHERS. 
          SO AS MY COUNCIL COLLEAGUES STATED, IT NEEDS TO BE BROKEN OUT SO THAT WE CAN SEE WHO IS RECEIVING WHAT. THE OTHER THING IS, CAN YOU TOUCH A LITTLE BIT ON THE AUDITS? BECAUSE AS YOU KNOW, AS EVERYONE SITTING HERE KNOWS THAT WE DO NOT HAVE A BOND RATING. SO CAN YOU JUST TOUCH A LITTLE BIT ON THE 2024 AUDIT AND WHEN THAT WILL BE AVAILABLE? THANK YOU. YEAH, WE ACTUALLY MET WITH OUR AUDIT TEAM TODAY. THEY CAME ON SITE. IT WAS A GOOD MEETING. THEY PROJECTED US AT 90%. WE PROJECTED OURSELVES AT 92%. SO WE'RE NOT TOO FAR OFF. THEY STILL HAD THIS LIKE LAST TIME WE PRESENTED. THEY SAID OUR MAIN POINT OF FOCUS RIGHT NOW IS OUR SINGLE AUDIT. THEY STILL NEED TO DO THEIR TESTING ON ARPA, WHICH IS THEIR MAJOR PROGRAM THEY SELECTED. SO WE IT'S LITERALLY THE SAME STATUS THAT WE GIVE. OKAY. THANK YOU. 
          OKAY. THANK YOU. AND LET ME I JUST WANT TO JUMP IN. ACTUALLY, I THINK WE HAD ACTUALLY THOUGHT THAT IT WOULD BE DONE FIRST PART OF JULY. WE WERE INFORMED THAT IT WILL LIKELY BE AUGUST WHEN IT'S DONE. SO I JUST WANTED TO BE CLEAR ON THAT. OKAY. DID THEY GIVE US A REASON WHY FOR THE DELAY, ONE OF THE THINGS THEY'RE CHANGING OVER IN THEIR ACCOUNTS PAYABLE SYSTEM. 
          SO THEY'RE NOT GOING TO HAVE COMPUTERS FOR A WEEK OR TWO, I BELIEVE. AND SO THAT IS 
          [01:20:05]
IMPACTED THE DELIVERY TIME AS WELL. ARE WE BEING CHARGED FOR THAT. I MEAN ARE THEY ACCOMMODATING THEIR THEIR COMPANY NOT OUR COMPANY. SO THEIR COMPANY IS GOING IS SWITCHING OVER. SO THEY'RE, THEY'RE BASICALLY NOT GOING TO HAVE ACCESS TO COMPUTERS FOR, I THINK IT WAS 1 TO 2 WEEKS. OKAY. I THINK THE REASON WHY I'M ASKING BECAUSE THIS IS THEIR DELAY IS NOT OUR PROBLEM TECHNICALLY. SO I MEAN, IT IS DEFINITELY AND I'M NOT TRYING TO BE FLIPPANT, BUT I'M JUST BEING HONEST ABOUT IF THE TIME THAT WE'RE SPENDING AND WE HAVE TO GET THESE THINGS, I'M JUST MAKING SURE THAT WE'RE HOLDING THEM ACCOUNTABLE. SO YEAH. OKAY. 
          SO MISS CARTWRIGHT, I HAVE ONE QUESTION. IN TERMS OF YOUR BUDGET, IT SOUNDS LIKE, FOR EXAMPLE, THAT WE JUST USED THERE ARE LINE ITEMS THAT ARE IN THE BUDGET, BUT ACROSS THE BOARD, THINGS LIKE THE STUDIES THAT WE IMPLEMENT AND THAT WE PAY FOR TO HELP US RUN THE CITY. 
          AS YOU ARE DOING THE BUDGET, WHETHER NOW OR IN THE FUTURE, HOW ARE YOU LOOKING AT THINGS LIKE PERFORMANCE AND MEASURABILITY ALONG THE WAY? AND YOU MENTIONED THAT YOU'RE GOING TO BE USING OPEN GOV AS YOUR SOURCE OF TECHNOLOGY. DOES THAT SOFTWARE, IN YOUR OPINION, HELP TRACK THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE BUDGET AUDITS? ANY AND THEN HOW THAT ULTIMATELY IMPACTS RESIDENTS ALONG THE WAY? HOW DOES THAT TELL ME A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE REPORTING THAT YOU'RE SEEKING WITH THIS SOFTWARE? SO THE GOAL IS TO, OF COURSE, PROVIDE TRANSPARENCY TO THE COMMUNITY. AND WITH THE OPEN GOV SOFTWARE, THAT WILL BE POSSIBLE BECAUSE IT'LL BE A DASHBOARD ON THE WEBSITE THAT THEY CAN GO IN, THEY CAN LOOK AT DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS, DRILL DOWN WHERE BEFORE, LIKE RIGHT NOW WE'RE GETTING A, WE GET A LOT OF RECORDS REQUESTS IF THEY WANT TO SEE A BUDGET REPORT OR IF THEY WANT TO SEE A BIG STATEMENT, YOU KNOW, ALL THAT CAN BE PULLED FROM THE OPEN GOV SOFTWARE. AND SO I WAS REALLY JUST LOOKING FOR EFFICIENCY, NOT ONLY FOR FINANCE, BUT FROM A REPORTING AS FAR AS LIKE FOR THE CLERK'S OFFICE. OKAY. 
          THAT'S SUPER HELPFUL. I THINK JUST ALONG THE WAY, IF WE CAN FIND A WAY TO STREAMLINE THE BUDGET PROCESS AND GET INTO THE NITTY GRITTY OF THE QUESTIONS THROUGH THE REPORTING ALONG THE WAY THROUGHOUT THE YEAR, WHEN WE GET TO THE TIME THAT WE'RE PASSING THE BUDGET, SOME OF THESE THINGS CAN BE LIKE RECTIFIED, CALLED OUT FLAGS RAISED ALONG THE WAY. SO THERE WERE NOT SCRAMBLING AND TAKING UP A LOT OF TIME WITH UNNECESSARY OR NOT UNNECESSARY BECAUSE ALL OF THIS IS NECESSARY. BUT QUESTIONS THAT CAN BE ADDRESSED ALONG THE WAY BEFORE WE GET TO THIS. AND SO THAT'S WHAT OPEN GOV IS. IT'S A BUDGETING TOOL. YEAH. AND SO THAT THAT'S THE GOAL. AND THEN THEY SAID THEY DO. THEY ASK US DO WE HAVE A REQUIREMENTS DOCUMENT IN TERMS OF LIKE BENCHMARKS THAT WE'D LIKE TO IMPLEMENT? OR DO THEY JUST START US FROM ZERO WHEN WE ARE IMPLEMENTING OUR NUMBERS INTO THEIR SOFTWARE? IT'S FROM IT'S FROM GROUND ZERO. IT'S FROM GROUND ZERO. YES. AND THEN AFTER THEY'RE FROM GROUND ZERO, IS THERE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO PUT FORTH THE BENCHMARKS THAT WE HAVE ALREADY IDENTIFIED IN MANAGING OUR BUDGET, TO SEE HOW THAT TRACKS ALONG THE WAY? YES, BECAUSE YOU CAN PUT IN, OKAY, EVEN WITH BSA, I CAN PULL IN THE PREVIOUS YEARS SO THAT YOU CAN SEE IT. AND THAT'S A TOOL WITH, WITH OPEN GOV ALSO. BUT WE CAN'T OUR BSA, IT'S NOT FOR THE COMMUNITY. THEY CAN'T ACCESS IT. BUT WITH OPEN GOV THEY CAN. SO THEY CAN SEE YEAR OVER YEAR WHAT THE DIFFERENCE IS, WHAT THE VARIANCE IS FROM DIFFERENT YEARS AND SEE WELL THEY CAN ASK THE QUESTION, HEY, WHY IS THE BUDGET LOWER THAN IT WAS LAST YEAR? OR THEY CAN SEE THE ACTUALS BECAUSE WE MAY NOT NECESSARILY SPEND WHAT THE THE REQUEST IS. WE MIGHT BE ASKING FOR A MILLION, BUT ONLY SPEND 500 000. IT'LL PROVIDE THEM THAT THAT TRANSPARENCY, THAT, HEY, JUST BECAUSE YOU ASKED FOR 100,000 DOESN'T MEAN THAT YOU'RE SPENDING IT. SO WHY ARE WE GIVING IT TO YOU? OKAY, I APPRECIATE THAT. AND I DEFINITELY WOULD LIKE TO SEE THOSE NUMBERS BECAUSE WHEN WE'RE DOING THE BUDGET, AS I'VE LEARNED, IT'S NOT JUST ABOUT THE NUMBERS, RIGHT? SO IT IS ABOUT THE PEOPLE. IT IS ABOUT THE IMPACT THAT WE HAVE ON THE COMMUNITY. AND THEREFORE, IT'S ABOUT THE STORY BEHIND THE NUMBERS. RIGHT? RIGHT. SO I WANT TO GET US AS CLOSE AS POSSIBLE TO ONES AND ZEROS, YES'S AND NO'S, CHANGES IN DEVELOPMENT WITHOUT I WANT THIS. 
          I WOULD PREFER THAT THE STORY MATCHES THE NUMBERS AND THAT THERE IS NO OPPORTUNITY TO INTERPRET IT AS IT MAY NOT BE PRESENTING. DO YOU UNDERSTAND? YES, I DO, WHETHER IT'S WITHIN COUNCIL OR OUT IN THE PUBLIC, WE REALLY NEED TO BE MINDFUL OF THE INFORMATION THAT WE'RE PUTTING OUT, BECAUSE A LOT OF THINGS CAN BE LEFT UP TO INTERPRETATION AND DAMAGE THE REPUTATION OF OUR CITY. SO WE REALLY NEED TO BE MINDFUL ABOUT THE WAY WE'RE TALKING ABOUT OUR NUMBERS AND OUR CITIES, BECAUSE I DEFINITELY WANT TO SEE HOW WE ARE MEASURING PERFORMANCE, HOW WE ARE MEASURING SUCCESS, AND HOW THOSE MEASUREMENTS CAN IMPACT OUR CITY AND MAKE IT 
          [01:25:03]
BETTER AND STRONGER. SO THOSE ARE THE THINGS THAT I'M LOOKING FROM LOOKING FOR FOR THE GOVERNMENT SOFTWARE YOU'RE SPEAKING OF, RIGHT. AND THAT THAT OPEN GOV WILL ALLOW US TO DO THAT BECAUSE WHAT IT'S GOING TO DO, IT'S GOING TO BRING ALL OUR DEPARTMENTS TOGETHER. AND SO EVERYONE IS GOING TO HAVE TO PULL TOGETHER AS A TEAM, AS AN ORGANIZATION. AND BECAUSE IT WILL BE TRANSPARENT, IT WILL BE OPEN TO THE PUBLIC. AND SO ALL OUR DEPARTMENTS WILL HAVE TO PROVIDE ALL THE INFORMATION SO THAT WE CAN GIVE THAT TO THE COMMUNITY. MUCH APPRECIATED, AND I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO SEEING WHAT WE DEVELOP FOR NEXT YEAR. THANK YOU. NEXT UP, WE HAVE THE 50 WORST PROPERTIES. 
          GOOD EVENING, MADAM MAYOR AND COUNCIL. GOOD EVENING. THANK YOU. SO THE 50 WORST PROPERTIES PROGRAM IS OUR PROGRAM DEPARTMENT DEDICATED TO ADDRESSING THE DETERIORATED AND BLIGHTED PROPERTIES WITHIN THE CITY. SO SOME OF OUR KEY ACCOMPLISHMENTS FOR FY 26 HAVE BEEN CENTERED AND FOCUSED AROUND ADDRESSING THE PROPERTIES THAT WERE EXISTING ON THE LIST. SO ONE OF THE THINGS I DO WANT TO HIGHLIGHT WITH FY 26 WAS THAT WE WERE ABLE TO REDUCE THAT ACTIVE INVENTORY THAT WE HAD ON THE 50 WORST PROPERTIES LIST. THE START OF THE FISCAL YEAR, THERE WERE 232 PROPERTIES ON THE LIST, AND WE WERE ABLE TO IDENTIFY PROPERTIES THAT HAD COME INTO COMPLIANCE THROUGH CASE REVIEW, THROUGH WORKING WITH CALENDAR HEARINGS IN THE MUNICIPAL COURT, AND THEN THROUGH COORDINATION WITH OTHER DEPARTMENTS WITHIN THE CITY REGARDING INSPECTIONS AND REMOVING THOSE PROPERTIES THAT HAD COME INTO COMPLIANCE. 
          ANOTHER HIGHLIGHT THAT WE ALSO HAD WAS WORKING WITH THE PROPERTY TAX DIVISION ON CORRECTING THE ASSESSMENT FOR THE BLIGHT TAX. IN THE PREVIOUS TAX YEARS, WE HAD UNDER ASSESSED THE TAX ON THE PROPERTY OWNERS. SO THAT HAS BEEN A HUGE SUCCESS WITH NOT ONLY APPLYING THAT CORRECT RATE TO INCENTIVIZE PEOPLE TO BRING THEIR PROPERTIES INTO COMPLIANCE, BUT WE'VE ALSO BEEN ABLE TO HANDLE APPEALS, WHICH HAS HELPED US WITH IDENTIFYING PROPERTIES THAT WERE IN COMPLIANCE AND NO LONGER NEEDED TO BE ON THE BLIGHT LIST. SO THERE'S BEEN SIGNIFICANT WORK ADMINISTRATIVELY WITH HAVING A CLEANER LIST AND THEN BEING ABLE TO DEVELOP PROJECTS MOVING FORWARD WITH A LIST THAT IS ADDRESSING PROPERTIES THAT HAVE BEEN ON THE LIST FOR QUITE SOME TIME THAT WE HAVEN'T BEEN ABLE TO ADDRESS BECAUSE OF TRANSITIONS WITHIN THE PROGRAM. AND SO A MAJOR CHANGES THAT I WOULD LIKE TO DISCUSS AND ALSO IDENTIFY SOME THINGS WITHIN THIS FY 27 BUDGET. ONE OF THE FOCUSES CURRENTLY IS GOING TO BE ON RECOUPING SOME OF THE COSTS THAT THE CITY IS EXPENDING THROUGH MAINTAINING SOME OF THE PROPERTIES THAT ARE ON THE LIST. WE CURRENTLY MAINTAIN 31 PROPERTIES. SOME OF THOSE PROPERTIES ARE OWNED BY THE CITY. THEY WERE DEEDED OVER BY PROPERTY OWNERS. SOME OF THOSE PROPERTIES ARE PRIVATELY OWNED. WE DID DEMO THE PROPERTIES THROUGH COURT ORDERS, BUT WE'VE CONTINUED TO MAINTAIN THOSE PROPERTIES. SO WE HAVE ALLOCATED LEGAL SERVICES IN THE AMOUNT OF $51,800, WHICH DOES SEEM VERY LOW. BUT THAT IS GOING TO BE TO ADDRESS OUR IMMEDIATE NEEDS. AS FAR AS GETTING LIENS REFILED, MAKING SURE WE HAVE LIS PENDENS FILED AND PUTTING OUT A SOLICITATION OR GETTING QUOTES FOR THOSE SERVICES TO KIND OF TAKE SOME OF THE STRESS OFF OF OUR CITY SOLICITOR. SHE'S BEEN VERY HELPFUL IN CLOSING OUT CERTAIN CASES THAT WE'VE HAD ON 50, WORKED THROUGH THE CALENDAR HEARINGS THAT WE'VE HAD IN THE MUNICIPAL COURT, WHICH WE'VE HAD HEARINGS IN FEBRUARY AND APRIL THUS FAR OF THIS YEAR. 
          AND THEN ANOTHER KEY INITIATIVE WITHIN THIS CURRENT BUDGET IS WE HAVE ALLOCATED WITHIN THE PROFESSIONAL SERVICES, WITHIN THE PROFESSIONAL SERVICES FUND, BUILDING INSPECTION SERVICES, AND BUILDING INSPECTION SERVICES, AND A BUILDING CONSULTANT TO BE DESIGNATED TO 
          [01:30:01]
BE DESIGNATED WITHIN THE 50 WORST PROPERTIES PROGRAM, TO IDENTIFY PROPERTIES TO. TO HELP WITH NOT ONLY IDENTIFYING BUT HELPING WITH DEVELOPING INSPECTION REPORTS. STANDING IN COURT TO TO, I'M SORRY, HANDLING GOING APPEARING IN COURT TO PRESENT THE INSPECTION FINDINGS AND THEN WORKING WITH OUR PROPERTY TECHNICIANS. SO WE WOULD BE USING SERVICES FOR THAT. ALSO REVIEWING PLANS. AND. ANOTHER MAJOR CHANGE WOULD BE THAT WE WOULD BE REDUCING THE AMOUNT OF PROPERTIES THAT WE WOULD BE FOCUSING ON IN THE FISCAL YEAR, MEANING PROJECTS THAT WE WANT TO SEE TO COME TO A COMPLETION, RIGHT. INSTEAD OF HAVING THESE PROPERTIES REMAIN ON THE LIST, WORKING WITH A MORE FEASIBLE NUMBER. SO HAVING A PROJECT AMOUNT SIZE OF 10 TO 15, WORKING WITH THE BUILDING INSPECTOR THAT WE ACQUIRED THROUGH THE SOLICITATION OF SERVICES, AND THEN WORKING WITH THE CITY SOLICITOR ON HOW WE CAN ACT ON THOSE PROPERTIES. 
          WE'VE ALREADY CURRENTLY IDENTIFIED THOSE PROPERTIES. IS IT OKAY TO CONTINUE OR DO YOU HAVE QUESTIONS? OKAY. GOOD EVENING. THANK YOU, MISS CHENEY. YES. OKAY. JUST A QUICK QUESTION. YOU ARE PROPOSING TO HAVE AN OUTSIDE SERVICE FOR THE BUILDING INSPECTION. WHAT IS THE PARTNERSHIP LOOK LIKE WITH PLANNING AND ZONING? BECAUSE I UNDERSTAND THAT IN ONE OF THEIR CURRENT ONE OF THEIR CURRENT PRIORITIES IS TO HIRE ONE INTERNALLY. SO COULD YOU TELL ME A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN HAVING AN OUTSIDE BUILDING INSPECTOR IN YOUR BUDGET, AS OPPOSED TO US MAYBE THINKING ABOUT MORE BROADLY WHAT HAVING AN IN-HOUSE BUILDING INSPECTOR WOULD ALLOW US TO DO FROM A, YOU KNOW, MYRIAD OF LIKE, PLACES AND OPPORTUNITIES THAT RELATE TO THIS TOPIC. SO WE HAVE UTILIZED IN THE PAST WITH PLANNING AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT, THEIR CONSULTANT SAFE BUILT. AND THERE WAS AN INTERVIEW PROCESS FOR A BUILDING OFFICIAL WITH PLANNING AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT, WHICH I WAS A PART OF. I THINK THE SECOND FOLLOW UP OF THOSE INTERVIEW PROCESS. SO WE DID IDENTIFY POTENTIAL CANDIDATE FOR A FULL TIME POSITION WITHIN THE 50 WORST PROPERTIES PROGRAM, BUT THERE HAS BEEN THROUGHOUT THIS FISCAL YEAR A LOT OF DIFFERENT PATHWAYS THAT WE'VE EXPLORED AND, AND COMMUNICATED WITH AS FAR AS EITHER HIRING SOMEBODY INTERNALLY OR CONTRACTING OUT AND GETTING A CONSULTANT. SO WE'VE EXPLORED ALL, ALL DIFFERENT OPTIONS WHEN IT'S COME TO THAT AS FAR AS UTILIZING WHATEVER BUILDING OFFICIAL PLANNING AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT WE HAVE JUST FROM INTERNAL PLANNING, IT PROBABLY WOULD BE BEST TO HAVE. SOMEONE SPECIFICALLY FOR THIS PROGRAMS DEPARTMENT, DEPENDING ON THE SCALE OF THE ACTUAL DEPARTMENT, LIKE HOW AGGRESSIVE DO WE WANT TO BE WITH, YOU KNOW, THE ENFORCEMENT AND ADDING PROPERTIES TO THE LIST. SO THAT COULD CREATE AN ADDITIONAL BURDEN UTILIZING THEIR BUILDING OFFICIAL. BUT WE DEFINITELY HAVE CONSIDERED THAT AS WELL. AND ALSO LOOKED AT SOME OF THE CANDIDATES THAT SUBMITTED APPLICATIONS FOR THEIR POSTING. I JUST WANT TO SAY I'M A HUGE SUPPORTER OF US HAVING THE HIGHEST TALENT RELATED TO OUR BUILDING INSPECTION. AND SO WHATEVER WOULD BE NECESSARY TO MAKE SURE THAT WE CAN ATTRACT AND HOPEFULLY RETAIN PEOPLE. 
          IN-HOUSE TO DO THESE THINGS WOULD BE MY APPETITE AND MY SUPPORT. SO I HOPE THAT COUNCIL WOULD CONSIDER MAKING SURE THAT THERE'S SUBSTANTIAL SERVICES AND FUNDING IN YOUR BUDGET AS WELL, AS WELL AS IN PLANNING AND ZONING, TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE THE HIGHEST QUALITY BUILDING INSPECTORS THAT THIS CITY HAS EVER SEEN. SO THANK YOU SO MUCH. THANK YOU. 
          COUNCILWOMAN COUNCILMAN ATKINS, YOUR NEXT AND THEN COUNCILWOMAN ROGERS. YES, VERY QUICKLY, THANK YOU, MISS CHENEY, FOR YOUR PRESENTATION. SO CURRENTLY I, I SEE HERE THAT THERE IS A LINE ITEM FOR SALARY AND WAGES, AND THIS IS AN OFFICE OR PROGRAM OR INITIATIVE OF THE CITY THAT WAS INACTIVE. FOR A FEW YEARS. SO DOES THIS NUMBER REFLECT WHAT THIS FUTURE STATE 
          [01:35:10]
WOULD BE FOR FY 27. SO WE WOULD HIRE THE PERSONS TO DO SOME OF THE ROLES THAT YOU SPEAK OF THIS EVENING. IS THAT CORRECT? SO CURRENTLY THAT SALARY AND WAGES IS ALREADY BEING UTILIZED BY THE THREE PROPERTY TECHNICIANS THAT WE HAVE IN THE DEPARTMENT. SO EVEN THOUGH THE CERTAIN FUNCTIONS OF THE PROGRAM HAVE KIND OF STALLED AS THE REVIEW PROCESS HAS TAKEN PLACE, AND KIND OF WHILE WE TRY TO FIGURE OUT WHERE WE ARE WITH EVERYTHING, I MEAN, IT WASN'T REALLY A SMOOTH TRANSITION AS THE CITY. MANAGER'S OFFICE, OR AT LEAST AS I CAME ON BOARD WITH THIS PROGRAM. SO WITHIN THE CASE REVIEW PROCESS. THERE, THERE STILL HAS BEEN WORK THAT HAS BEEN DONE. AND WE'VE HAD PROPERTY TECHNICIANS THAT HAVE BEEN MAINTAINING PROPERTIES. SO THAT SALARY AND WAGES IS ALLOCATED FOR THOSE TECHNICIANS. OKAY, GREAT. SO THEY ARE CURRENTLY ON BOARD. YES. WORKING THROUGH PROPERTY TECHNICIANS. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. COUNCILMAN MIKE ROGERS. AND THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR PRESENTATION. AND AFTER READING ABOUT THE 50 WORST PROPERTIES, IT'S BEEN EXTENSIVE. I GUESS, DISCUSSION. ABOUT THIS PROGRAM AND ALL OF THE COMPONENTS OF THIS PROGRAM. I WOULD JUST LIKE COUNCIL TO CONSIDER PLACING THE 50 WORST PROPERTIES IN OUR LEGAL DEPARTMENT, BECAUSE AS A MEMBER OF THE BLIGHTED TASK FORCE, A LOT OF THOSE PROPERTIES WHICH YOU DISCUSSED AND THAT WE'VE HEARD ABOUT, THEY REQUIRE LEGAL REMEDIES. SO I THINK THAT IF THIS IS HOUSED IN OUR LEGAL DEPARTMENT, SOME OF THOSE MOST CHALLENGING PROPERTIES, WE CAN KIND OF DO A MORE STREAMLINED APPROACH TO REALLY GETTING A HANDLE ON THEM AND JUST STREAMLINING WHAT WE'RE GOING TO DO WITH THOSE BLIGHTED PROPERTIES. SO THAT WOULD BE MY ASK OF. COUNCIL, IS THAT WE TAKE THE 50 WORST PROPERTIES AND PROBABLY MOVE THIS AS A DIVISION TO OUR LEGAL DEPARTMENT. IN THAT WAY, WE HAVE THE ACCESS TO THE SOLICITOR, WE HAVE THE ACCESS TO ALL OF THOSE LEGAL COMPONENTS THAT CAN HELP THIS DEPARTMENT FUNCTION IN ITS ENTIRETY INTO ITS FULL CAPACITY. 
          THANK YOU. SEEING NO MORE. IS THAT MY MIC? YES. SEEING NO MORE QUESTIONS. DO WE WANT TO JUST MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE THAT IN THE NOTE? OR HOW DO YOU WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ADDRESS THAT? IS THAT MORE DISCUSSED? OKAY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR PRESENTATION. AND NEXT WE WILL HAVE THE EASTPOINTE POLICE DEPARTMENT. 
          GOOD DAY COUNCIL MAYOR, CITY ATTORNEY, CITY MANAGER, CITY MANAGER. I HAVE ABOUT THREE DEPARTMENTS UNDER THE POLICE DEPARTMENT, SO IT MAY TAKE ME A LITTLE BIT LONGER THAN FIVE MINUTES. KEISHA MCCULLOUGH. OKAY. THANK YOU. SO FIRST OF ALL, GOOD DAY. HOPE EVERYBODY'S DOING WELL. I'M GONNA TRY TO BE QUICK AND PAINLESS HERE. SO IN TERMS OF OUR FISCAL YEAR 2026 ACCOMPLISHMENTS, WE IMPLEMENTED A CONSOLIDATED FIVE YEAR AXON TECHNOLOGY AGREEMENT COMBINING BODY WORN CAMERAS, FLEET CAMERAS, TASER SYSTEMS, INTERVIEW ROOM, REAL TIME CRIME CENTER, LPR, AND DRONES. AS THE FIRST RESPONDER. THAT PROJECT OVER FIVE YEARS SAVED US $1.1 MILLION. WE REPLACE 25 AGING COMPUTERS. WE ADDED NINE ADDITIONAL CITYWIDE PUBLIC SAFETY CAMERAS TO EXPAND OUR SURVEILLANCE AND OUR REAL TIME CRIME CENTER ABILITIES. WE IMPLEMENTED A REAL TIME CRIME CENTER SOFTWARE THAT IS ASSISTED US IN THE CENTER. THAT WAS $183,000. WE PURCHASED CLEARVIEW AI AS A DETECTIVE TECHNOLOGY. WE ALSO PRODUCED A SYSTEM IN OUR JAIL. WE IMPLEMENTED TIP 411. THAT'S GOING TO BE VERY IMPORTANT AND. 
          INSTRUMENTAL. THAT'S ACTUALLY UNDERWAY RIGHT NOW. SO RESIDENTS WILL HAVE AN APP, AND IF THEY SEE SOMETHING, THEY CAN JUST TEXT US AND GO DIRECTLY TO OUR 911 CENTER. SO THAT'S BEING DONE AS WE SPEAK. WE TRANSITIONED FROM OUR HANDGUNS FROM A 40 CALIBER TO A NINE MILLIMETER CALIBER TO A RED DOT OPTIC SYSTEMS, WHICH INCREASES ACCURACY. WE PURCHASE SPECIALIZED EQUIPMENT FOR TRAINING, INCLUDING BREACHING TOOLS, BALLISTIC SHIELDS, PATROL RIFLES, STOP STICKS, FITNESS EQUIPMENT, AND TRAINING SUPPLIES. THAT WAS $100,000 FOR OUR CRIME SCENE. WE ACQUIRED A 360 CRIME SCENE CAMERA AT ABOUT $16,000. IT JUST ASSISTS US WITH CRIME SCENES IN TERMS OF OUR FACILITIES. WE COMPLETED LED LIGHTING UPGRADES THROUGHOUT THE LAW ENFORCEMENT CENTER, ABOUT $30,000. WE REPLACE AGING JAIL EQUIPMENT 
          [01:40:03]
AND APPLIANCES ABOUT $54,000.50 5000. WE INSTALLED NEW DEPARTMENT. WIDE ELECTRONIC ACCESS CONTROL SYSTEM THAT WAS 280 000. THAT'S ABOUT 95% COMPLETE. WE'RE JUST WAITING ON THE WASHINGTON ROAD PRECINCT TO GET INTERNET, AND THAT'LL BE DONE. WE PURCHASED SOME SMART BOARDS FOR OUR TRAINING ROOM. WE SECURED FUNDING FOR THE WI-FI SYSTEM FOR WASHINGTON ROAD. WE PURCHASED AND DEPLOYED A NEW CRIME SCENE VEHICLE THAT'S ABOUT 4000. WE DEPLOYED A NEW PARK RANGER VEHICLE AT 48,000. WE ALSO HAD AN OFF ROAD GOLF GOLF CART. POLARIS ABOUT 2000. WE IMPLEMENTED A FLEXIBLE VEHICLE SWAP PROGRAM FOR OUR NARCOTICS UNIT SO. THEY CAN HAVE DIFFERENT VEHICLES AND NOT BE SPOTTED FOR OUR SUMMER CAMP. IT'S PROBABLY THE BEST SUMMER CAMP WE'VE HAD THIS YEAR. RIGHT NOW WE'RE USING A GRANT, BUT WE'RE USING OUR RED STATE MONEY TO A GRANT COMES THROUGH. AND MICROSOFT ALSO GAVE US $15,000. SO IT'S ABOUT $40,000 TO RUN THAT CAMP. AND IT'S A FREE CAMP FOR SIX WEEKS. WE HIRE SCHOOL TEACHERS AND THEY COME IN AND TEACH MATH AND READING. WE HAVE A STEM SECTION, PLUS WE TAKE THEM ON A FIELD TRIP ONCE A WEEK AND PROVIDE ALL THE FOOD. SO THAT'S WHERE WE ARE RIGHT NOW IN TERMS OF OUR ACCOMPLISHMENTS. 
          THANK YOU SO MUCH, CHIEF, FOR YOUR REPORT. DID YOU WANT TO CONTINUE OR DID YOU WANT TO TAKE QUESTIONS OR ANYTHING? RIGHT. I'LL TAKE SOME QUESTIONS. OKAY, GREAT. WELL, I'LL START WITH COUNCIL MEMBER MITCHELL. HEY, STEVE, THANK YOU FOR YOUR PRESENTATION. QUICK QUESTION. OUR ARE WE? I HEARD SOMEWHERE THAT WE WE WERE NOT ABLE TO BUY POLICE VEHICLES. 
          HAVE YOU HEARD? OR SO ON THAT. YES I DO. SO WE ASKED FOR SOME ADDITIONAL POLICE VEHICLES. BUT YOU ALL APPROVE ABOUT 22 VEHICLES LAST YEAR IN OUR BUDGET, SO WE'RE WAITING TO GET THOSE. I SPOKE WITH THE CITY MANAGER ABOUT THIS, AND WE'RE JUST WAITING ON THE 2024 AUDIT. 
          AND. SO ONCE THAT'S DONE, WE'RE GOING TO GET THOSE VEHICLES. AND WE DELAYED THE OTHER VEHICLES BECAUSE WE HAVEN'T EVEN PURCHASED THE EXISTING VEHICLES THAT WE'RE WAITING FOR. 
          OKAY. THANK YOU. COUNCILWOMAN ATKINS AND THEN COUNCILWOMAN ZIEGLER, THANK COUNCILWOMAN CALDWELL. THANK YOU, CHIEF MCKINNON, A FEW QUESTIONS. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THIS OVERVIEW AND ALL OF THE THINGS THAT HAVE BEEN ACCOMPLISHED AND COMPLETED WITHIN POLICE WITH ALL OF THESE THINGS HERE, WOULD WE THEN SEE A DECREASE IN WHAT THE POLICE DEPARTMENT WOULD NEED FOR FY 27? BECAUSE IT LOOKS LIKE A LOT OF THESE THINGS HAVE BEEN IMPLEMENTED AND PAID FOR. CORRECT. SO THE BIGGEST THING WE NEED THIS UPCOMING YEAR IS IN THE BUDGET IS OUR NEW GEN 911 SYSTEM THAT IS PAID FOR THROUGH OUR 911 FUND. SO THAT SHOULDN'T REALLY IMPACT THE BUDGET BECAUSE THAT'S A FUND ACCOUNT THAT'S FUNDED THROUGH 911 CENTERS AND EVERYTHING ELSE. FOR THE MOST PART, WE'VE BEEN I DON'T THINK IT'S A BIG IMPACT TO THE BUDGET BECAUSE WE HAVE. A LOT OF STUFF AND WE'VE ACCOMPLISHED A LOT OF THINGS. OKAY, GREAT. THE OTHER QUESTION I HAVE I'VE BEEN TROUBLED A BIT BY THE NUMBER OF KIDS WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO SERVE DURING THE SUMMER. AND I KNOW THAT WHEN THE THIS ADMINISTRATION CAME INTO OFFICE, A LOT OF GRANTS WERE CUT. AND IT SOUNDS LIKE WE'RE GOING TO BE MAYBE GETTING SOME DOLLARS AGAIN FOR SOME SUMMER CAMPS. AND THEY HAVEN'T COME IN YET, BUT IT LOOKS LIKE WE'LL GET SOME OF THOSE DOLLARS. HOW MANY CHILDREN ARE ABLE TO BE SERVED IN THE SUMMER CAMP THAT'S CURRENTLY GOING ON? SO THIS YEAR, I ACTUALLY CUT THE NUMBER OF STUDENTS THAT CAN BE SERVED DOWN TO 20 A.M. TELL YOU WHY IT WAS THE PARKS AND RECS. FIRST OF ALL, DO AN INCREDIBLE JOB AT THEIR SUMMER CAMP, BUT. WE OFFER A FREE SUMMER CAMP. SO WE REALLY WANTED TO LOOK AT THE SELECTION PROCESS AND WHO WE'RE ALLOWING OUR CAMP, BECAUSE IMPACT CHURCH IS A VERY GOOD FACILITY, VERY NICE CHURCH, AND THEY ALLOW US TO UTILIZE THEIR FACILITY. SO WE REALLY WANT TO LIMIT THE AMOUNT OF PEOPLE UTILIZING THAT FACILITY BECAUSE WE'VE HAD ISSUES IN THE YEARS PAST. SO WE INCREASED THE REQUIREMENTS IN TERMS OF THE GRADES. WE HAD TO BE AB STUDENTS, HIGH ATTENDANCE RECORDS. I INTERVIEWED ALL THE PARENTS JUST TO GET A LITTLE BIT BETTER STUDENT, I BELIEVE, AND I THINK I HEARD YOU SAY IT'S FREE OF CHARGE. IS THAT CORRECT? YES. OKAY. AND ARE THESE ONLY EASTPOINT CHILDREN? FOR THE MOST PART, YES. 
          OCCASIONALLY WE HAVE CHILDREN FROM OUTSIDE OF EASTPOINT AND OUR AGE GROUPS FROM 13 TO 15. 
          SO IF YOU LOOK AT THE SUMMER CAMPS, THERE'S A SUMMER CAMP FOR EVERY AGE GROUP UP UNTIL YOU GET ABOUT 13. THEN THEY START DWINDLING DOWN. AND SO WE WANT TO FOCUS ON THAT PARTICULAR AGE GROUP BECAUSE THAT'S, TO ME, OUR AT RISK AGE GROUP WHEN THEY'RE GOING TO KIND OF TRANSITION. SO WE REALLY WANT TO. GET THAT AGE GROUP AND MAKE SURE IT'S ON THE 
          [01:45:11]
RIGHT TRACK. OKAY. I'M JUST HOPING THAT NO EASTPOINT CHILD WAS TURNED AWAY. OH, NOBODY WOULD KNOW. MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE SERVING EASTPOINT CHILDREN. THAT'S THE MOST IMPORTANT PART. 
          THAT'S ONE OF THE REQUIREMENTS. I THINK WE MAY HAVE TWO FROM OUTSIDE OF EASTPOINT, BUT WE OPEN IT UP TO EASTPOINT FIRST. THANK YOU, COUNCILWOMAN ZIEGLER. YES. THANK YOU CHIEF. SO THREE QUESTIONS. FIRST QUESTION IS ABOUT THE 911 SYSTEM. I KNOW THAT I'VE BEEN REALLY CURIOUS ABOUT THE UPGRADES TO THE 911 SYSTEM AND BEING ABLE TO TEXT IN ISSUES IN CASE, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE IN A SITUATION. WHERE YOU WOULDN'T WANT TO BE HEARD. IS THAT ANYWHERE IN THE BUDGET FOR THIS YEAR? SO THE TIP 911 SYSTEM WE JUST PURCHASED, AND WE PURCHASED THAT IN THIS CURRENT YEAR'S BUDGET, AND WE'RE ACTUALLY IMPLEMENTING THAT NOW FOR THE NEW GENERATION NINE ONE. THEY WILL ALSO HAVE A COMPONENT, BUT BECAUSE THERE'S A STAGE IN TERMS OF HOW IT IT TOTALLY DOES OUR WHOLE NUMBER ONE CENTER, BUT I WANTED SOMETHING A LITTLE BIT QUICKER AND MORE EFFECTIVE. SO THAT SYSTEM IS ACTUALLY BEING IMPLEMENTED RIGHT NOW. OUR TEXT FOR ONE ONE, YOU HAVE AN APP, WE'RE GOING TO HAVE A BIG ROLLOUT FOR ALL OUR RESIDENTS. 
          AND THEY CAN ACTUALLY JUST TEXT US. AND IT GOES THROUGH 911 SYSTEM. 
          BUT THAT'S A COMPONENT OUTSIDE OF OUR NEXT GEN 911, WHICH WILL ALSO HAVE THAT AS WELL. OKAY. AND THEN THE NEXT THING A SOCIAL WORKER, ARE WE IN THE PROCESS OF OR ARE WE STILL TRYING TO FIND A SOCIAL WORKER? YES, WE ARE MATTER OF FACT. WELL, SHE WAS HERE, I GUESS SHE DISAPPEARED. YOLANDA JOHNSON IS GOING TO BE WORKING WITH US STARTING IN THE NEXT BUDGET CYCLE. WHAT IF IF EVERYTHING GOES WELL. JULY 1ST. OKAY. AND THEN THIRD THING. SO THE 50 WORST PROPERTIES LIST. YOU KNOW, I, I KNOW THAT THERE'S STILL A TON OF BLIGHTED PROPERTIES AND THINGS LIKE THAT. WHAT KIND OF PLAN DO YOU HAVE WITH THE POLICE FORCE TO IMPLEMENT NEW, YOU KNOW, NEW STAFFING, THINGS LIKE THAT? DO YOU HAVE THAT IN THE BUDGET? SO WE HAVE NOT HAD THAT IN OUR BUDGET. I JUST SPOKE WITH THE CITY MANAGER ABOUT THIS, THE 51ST PROPERTIES LIST. I THINK IT'S GOING TO MOVE. I THINK SOMEONE RECOMMENDED IT MOVE, BUT I THINK IT'S GOING TO MOVE THROUGH THE CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE. WE'LL BE WORKING WITH HER. BUT ALSO WHAT I WAS SAYING TO THE CITY MANAGER, THERE'S A LOT OF HOUSES ON THERE. THERE'S A LOT OF ABANDONED PROPERTIES. HE WAS FAMILIAR WITH THE PROGRAM HE DID IN SAVANNAH. I KNOW THAT LATONYA MARTIN, ROGER COUNCILWOMAN, ALSO WAS TALKING ABOUT HOUSES FOR PUBLIC SAFETY, LAW ENFORCEMENT, FIRE DEPARTMENT. AND I REALLY BELIEVE THAT WE SHOULD LOOK AT ASSISTING OFFICERS LIVING IN THE CITY WITH THAT 51ST PROGRAM. WE HAVE SO MANY THE ELABORATED PROPERTIES ALLOW US TO PURGE THOSE PROPERTIES AT A DISCOUNTED PRICE, AND WE CAN GET A LOAN TO KIND OF HELP US OUT. RECONSTRUCTION LOAN. AND YOU CAN HAVE REQUIREMENTS. YOU HAVE TO SIT HERE TWO, THREE, FOUR, FIVE YEARS. BUT I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING WE NEED TO LOOK AT. AND I SPOKE WITH HIM ABOUT THAT RECENTLY. GREAT. SO I'M SORRY. JUST FOR CLARITY THOUGH, LIKE, OKAY, SO WE HAVE A BUNCH OF HOMES THAT ARE BLIGHTED AND ALL THAT TAKES CODE ENFORCEMENT POWER. DO WE DO WE HAVE ENOUGH CODE ENFORCERS? CODE ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS EMPLOYED TO HELP, YOU KNOW, TRACK THE DETERIORATION OR THE, YOU KNOW, THE, THE, THE ISSUE. YEAH. THE ISSUES. SO YES AND NO. AND I WOULD TELL YOU, I SAY YES BECAUSE WE HAVE MORE CODE ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS THAN WE'VE EVER HAD. BUT THIS IS A HUMONGOUS TASK BECAUSE THERE'S OVER 200 PROPERTIES IN ADDITION TO CODE ENFORCEMENT, REGULAR DUTIES. RIGHT. SO IT'S GOING TO TAKE A COMBINED CITY EFFORT. AND I'LL BE HONEST WITH YOU, IT'S GOING TO TAKE A BIG EFFORT. 
          IT'S THIS IS A HUGE TASK TO TRY TO MITIGATE ALL THESE ISSUES THAT WE'RE HAVING. AND IT'S GOING TO TAKE A LOT. OKAY. THANK YOU. YOU'RE WELCOME. THANK YOU, COUNCILWOMAN CALDWELL. THANK YOU. AND OF COURSE, THANK YOU FOR BEING ONE OF OUR FIRST RESPONDERS. AND, YOU KNOW, ALL OF THE GREAT THINGS THAT YOU'VE DONE OVER THE LAST FISCAL YEAR. A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS. WHAT I'VE REALLY BEEN FOCUSED ON IS WHAT WERE THE GLARING CHALLENGES IN THE PREVIOUS YEAR AND HOW ARE YOU ADDRESSING THEM? AND I SEE THAT YOU'VE DEFINED A COUPLE OF THE CHALLENGES HERE. I DO HAVE A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS. THIS MAY BE FOR YOU OR EVEN CITY MANAGER. 
          WHAT IS THIS DEFINED BENEFIT? HOW HOW IS THAT DEFINED? SO THE DEFINED BENEFIT IS BASED ON OUR BENEFITS ASSOCIATED WITH HEALTH INSURANCE THINGS OF THIS NATURE. SO THAT'S WHAT THE DEFINED BENEFITS ARE. SO I SPOKE WITH MISS CARTWRIGHT EARLIER ABOUT THAT. AND SO THEY'RE GOING TO CHANGE THE CONTRIBUTION TO THAT LEVEL. BECAUSE AS YOU SEE THERE WAS SOME ISSUES WITH THE CONTRIBUTIONS. AND WE DON'T WANT ANYBODY NOT TO HAVE THE PROPER RETIREMENT PENSION, THINGS OF THIS NATURE. THOSE ARE DEFINED BENEFIT PLANS HAVE HEALTH INSURANCE AND OUR PENSION. GOT IT. AND SO MAYBE A QUESTION FOR THE CITY MANAGER HOW WHERE IS THAT TRANSFER COMING FROM? BECAUSE BASICALLY THIS IS SAYING 152,000 WENT DOWN TO 9000. AND SO OBVIOUSLY, 
          [01:50:07]
YOU KNOW, 140 WHATEVER THAT THE ROUGH MATH IS THERE. WHERE IS THAT MONEY COMING FROM TO MAKE THIS WHOLE AGAIN? OR HOW ARE WE DOING THAT? THAT, YOU KNOW, APPEARS TO BE AN ERROR. ONE OF THE CHALLENGES I WAS GOING TO KIND OF JUMP IN EARLIER, WHEN WE'RE TALKING WITH FINANCE AND THE TECHNOLOGICAL REQUEST. AND ONE OF THE ALSO FEEDING INTO THE CHALLENGES OF, OF ITEMIZING SOME OF THE, THE SALARY IS WE DON'T HAVE A HUMAN RESOURCE MODULE THAT COMMUNICATES WITH OUR AP SYSTEM. AND SO ONE OF THE, THE THINGS THAT WE'VE BEEN LOOKING AT EXPLORING IS HAVING. 
          AND, AND WE WENT TO BE AS A, WE, WE, WE WENT THROUGH ALL THEIR TROUBLE TROUBLESHOOTING. THEY DON'T HAVE AN ANSWER. IT APPEARS THAT WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO LIKE HIRE SOMEONE WITH CODING EXPERIENCE TO ACTUALLY CUSTOMIZE A, A COMMUNICATION SOFTWARE THAT WILL BRING THE HR MODULE INTO OUR, OUR FINANCIAL SYSTEM. SO A LOT OF THESE THINGS HAVE TO BE DONE BY HAND. 
          THEY TAKE A LOT OF TIME. THEY OPEN IT UP FOR HUMAN ERROR. I BELIEVE THIS IS ONE OF THOSE SITUATIONS. AND SO IT IS. IT IS NOT SOMETHING THAT'S RISK THROWING THE BUDGET OUT OF BALANCE. AND IT'S PROBABLY MORE OF A A TYPO BECAUSE THOSE BALANCES KNOW THE ONLY WAY THEY WOULD BE OUT OF WHACK THAT MUCH IS LIKE PEOPLE WOULD HAVE TO OPT OUT, WHICH AT THAT LEVEL THAT WOULDN'T MAKE SENSE. AND SO THOSE ARE THINGS THAT WE'LL JUST HAVE TO CORRECT INTO THE, THE BUDGET. AND IF BY CHANCE, IT HAS SOME KIND OF IMPACT ON OUR BALANCED BUDGET, THEN THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE WOULD BE ABLE TO HANDLE WITH THE BUDGET AMENDMENT. AGAIN, BECAUSE ALL THOSE ARE THROUGHOUT THE WHOLE YEAR, THEY'RE NOT GOING TO REALIZE THEMSELVES AS AN IMBALANCE UNTIL, YOU KNOW, MUCH LATER ON IN THE YEAR. AND WE'LL HAVE A BUDGET AMENDMENT BY THAT TIME. IF THOSE NUMBERS DON'T EVEN OUT. SO THAT THAT'S SOMETHING TO BE WORRISOME, BUT IT IS SOMETHING TO RECOGNIZE THAT WE GOT TO GET OUR HR MODULE AND OUR FINANCE SYSTEM TO BE ABLE TO COMMUNICATE WITH EACH OTHER. OKAY. SO THE ONE THING THAT I HEARD IS THAT IT'S AN ERA, AND I DO WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THAT IS IF THERE IS A WAY THAT WE CAN PUT SOME CHECKS AND BALANCES IN PLACE TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE NOT SEEING THOSE ERRORS IN OTHER PLACES. AND THEN THE OTHER THING THAT I HEARD IS BUDGET AMENDMENT. SO I WOULD THINK THAT WE WOULD RESOLVE THIS BEFORE THE BUDGET IS APPROVED SO THAT WE DON'T HAVE TO GO THROUGH A BUDGET AMENDMENT PROCESS. IF THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WE WOULD NATURALLY PAY OUT ANYWAY. THE OTHER THING THAT STANDS OUT AS FAR AS CHALLENGES IS STAFFING INCREASE FROM 19 POSITIONS TO 25 POSITIONS, WHEREAS THE SALARY FUNDING DECREASED FROM ONE 1 MILLION, A LITTLE BIT OVER 1 MILLION TO 900,000. HOW ARE THOSE SIX POSITIONS BEING PAID OUT? SO I SPOKE WITH THEM EARLIER. AND SO IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN 25 THIS YEAR AS WELL. SO IT WASN'T 19225 WE ALREADY HAVE 25 POSITIONS. SO I THINK THAT'S MAYBE AN ERROR AS WELL. OKAY. 
          GOT IT. THE OTHER THING IS REGARDING THE AUDITS, YOU MENTIONED THAT WE HAD BUDGETED 26 NEW VEHICLES FOR THIS YEAR, CORRECT? CORRECT. AND SO RIGHT NOW WE'RE WAITING ON THE 24 AUDITS. AND THIS MAY BE A QUESTION FOR THE CITY MANAGER. I KNOW THAT WE'RE GETTING CLOSE TO COMPLETING THE AUDITS. I, I THINK I HEARD AUGUST EARLIER. IS THAT GOING TO BE ENOUGH TO REINSTATE THE BOND RATING OR DO. I THOUGHT I SAW A COMMUNICATION THAT WE NOT ONLY NEEDED 24, BUT WE ALSO NEEDED. 25 AND IF WE GO BEYOND A CERTAIN DATE, WE'LL ALSO NEED. 26 SO IT IS COMPLETING IT TO THE CITY MANAGER. IS THAT GOING TO BE ENOUGH TO REINSTATE THE BOND RATING. SO NOT THE BOND RATING. SORRY. BEFORE WE MOVE FORWARD WITH THAT QUESTION, I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THAT'S GERMANE TO THE PRESENTATION THAT WE'RE HE MENTIONED THAT THERE'S 26 POSITION OR 26 VEHICLES THAT WERE BUDGETED FOR FY 26 THAT HAVE BEEN DEFERRED TO FY 27. AND SO I WANT TO UNDERSTAND FROM A SAFETY PERSPECTIVE, BECAUSE IF THESE ARE NEEDED ITEMS FOR THE POLICE DEPARTMENT TO PROVIDE SAFETY TO THE CITY, I WANT TO UNDERSTAND WHEN WE WOULD BE ABLE TO MEET THIS REQUEST FOR. AND THAT'S RELATED TO THE BOND RATING. YES WE ARE, WE ARE RIGHT NOW. WE ARE UNABLE TO PURCHASE THE VEHICLES BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE A BOND RATING. WELL I'M SORRY. AUDIT. YEAH. I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE JUST BRING IT 
          [01:55:01]
TOGETHER. THANK YOU. I JUST WANTED YEAH, THERE WAS A LITTLE CONFLATION THERE. IT'S NOT ACTUALLY THE BOND RATING, BUT IT'S STILL RELATED TO THE AUDIT. AND SO THE PURCHASE AGREEMENT THAT WE HAVE, THEY ARE ASKING THAT WE HAVE OUR OUR 2024. BUT THEY WILL ALSO ACCEPT A DRAFT AUDIT. SO THE DRAFT AUDIT IS ONE OF THOSE FINAL THINGS THAT COULD BE PRODUCED. AND WE'RE I THINK WE'RE AT THAT POINT WHERE WE CAN GET A DRAFT AUDIT. SO THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE'LL ASK THEM TO DO. IF YOU MAY RECALL, WHEN WE WERE TALKING TO S&P, THEY WERE WILLING TO PROVIDE SOME DOCUMENTATION. IT WASN'T ENOUGH FOR S&P, BUT THEY SHOWED THE WILLINGNESS TO WORK WITH US TO TRY AND GET US INFORMATION. SO I I'M HOPEFUL, ESPECIALLY SINCE THEIR SYSTEM IS GOING TO BE GOING DOWN AND THEY'RE KIND OF CAUSING A LITTLE BIT OF A DELAY IN OUR OVERALL WORKS THAT WE'LL BE ABLE TO GET THEM TO DO THAT. ANOTHER POINT THAT FINANCE DIDN'T GET TO MENTION IS TODAY, FOR THE FIRST TIME, THEY SAID THAT WE THEY WOULD HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO WORK ON 25 AND 26 SIMULTANEOUSLY. SO THAT IS SOMETHING THAT IS POSITIVE. THEY STILL THOUGHT, THOUGH, THAT IT WOULD BE LIKELY THE FIRST QUARTER OF THE NEXT YEAR BEFORE EVERYTHING WAS DONE, BUT THEY DID GIVE US THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE ABLE TO WORK ON BOTH 20 YEAR FISCAL YEAR 25 AND FISCAL YEAR 26. SO THAT IS A POSITIVE OUTLOOK, BUT WE'RE GOING TO CERTAINLY LOOK AT TO YOUR EARLIER QUESTION AT GETTING A DRAFT AUDIT PAPERWORK FROM THEM. IF THEY'RE WILLING TO DO THAT, THEN WE CAN MOVE FORWARD SOONER THAN AUGUST TO GET THOSE VEHICLES PURCHASED. 
          OKAY. THAT WAS THE CLARIFICATION I NEED IT NEEDED. REGARDING THE PURCHASING AGENT, IT IS DIFFERENT FROM THE BOND RATING. GOT IT. YES, MA'AM. THANK YOU, COUNCILMEMBER ROGERS. 
          THANK YOU. ARE YOU FINISHED, COUNCILWOMAN POWELL? ALL RIGHT. AND JUST TO GET CLARIFICATION FROM THE CITY MANAGER, WE'VE BEEN ASKING FOR MONTHS. COULD THE AUDIT BE COMPLETED SIMULTANEOUSLY IN THE DIRECTOR? INTERIM DIRECTOR SAID NO. I MEAN, WE'VE ASKED I KNOW THAT I'VE ASKED IN EMAILS. I'VE ASKED ON PUBLIC RECORD. AND WHAT YOU'RE SAYING NOW IS THAT THOSE THAT THOSE OUTSTANDING AUDITS CAN BE COMPLETED SIMULTANEOUSLY. THAT'S WHAT YOU'RE SAYING. I NEED THAT FOR THE RECORD. YES, MA'AM. FOR THE RECORD, WE HAD A MEETING TODAY AND THAT INFORMATION WAS RELAYED TO US AS OF TODAY FROM THE SAME FIRM THAT EARLIER ON SAID THAT THAT COULDN'T BE DONE. SO I THINK THE DIFFERENCE IS THEY HAVE BASICALLY MADE IT THROUGH 2024. I THINK THERE'S SOME LEVELS OF COMFORT. THEY'VE SEEN ENOUGH OF OUR FINANCES TO FEEL COMFORTABLE TO OFFER THAT. BEFORE WE CAME RIGHT OFF OF TAB, TAB AS OUR AUDITOR, THEY WERE COMING IN BRAND NEW. THEY, YOU KNOW, WASN'T VERY FAMILIAR WITH TAB AND TAB. AND SO THEY WEREN'T OFFERING THAT POSSIBILITY TO US. SO I DON'T WANT TO READ TOO MUCH INTO THE TEA LEAVES, BUT I FEEL THAT MAYBE THAT IS SOME REASSURANCE THAT WHATEVER WILL BE DISCOVERED WITH 2024 IS AT LEAST AT SOME LEVEL OF COMFORT LEVEL, THAT THEY'RE WILLING TO OFFER THAT TO US AS OF TODAY. OKAY. THANK YOU FOR ANSWERING THAT QUESTION. AND, CHIEF, THANK YOU. DID YOU HAVE ANOTHER PART OF YOUR PRESENTATION THAT YOU WANTED TO GO OVER AT THIS POINT, OR DO YOU HAVE MORE INFORMATION? NO, Y'ALL HAVE ALL THE INFORMATION AND I WANT TO HAVE IT SERVED. SO I APPRECIATE THAT AS WELL. THANK YOU. BUT I JUST WANT TO SAY THANK YOU SO MUCH AGAIN FOR YOUR SERVICE AND EVERYTHING THAT YOU DO AND DO. MY, MY ONLY QUESTION IS, DO YOU THINK THAT CAN YOU SAY SOMETHING ABOUT THE TECHNOLOGY THAT YOU'VE IMPLEMENTED AND HOW THAT HAS IMPACTED THE QUALITY OF WORK THAT YOU FEEL THAT IS COMING INTO THE FIELD AND HOW YOUR OFFICERS ARE RELATING TO OUR RESIDENTS AND ANSWERING THOSE CALLS? CAN YOU JUST SPEAK HIGH LEVEL ABOUT THAT? THE IMPLEMENTATION? SO I THINK THE THE MOST IMPORTANT TECHNOLOGY WE'VE IMPLEMENTED IS OUR REAL TIME CRIME CENTER BECAUSE IT ALSO OPERATES OUR DRONES AS A FIRST RESPONDER THAT HAS REVOLUTIONIZED LAW ENFORCEMENT AND IS REVOLUTIONIZING LAW ENFORCEMENT AROUND THE COUNTRY. WE'RE THE FIRST AND ONLY DEPARTMENT IN THE COUNTRY THAT HAS A FIRST RESPONDER AS A DRONE THAT CAN FLY IN A CLASS B AIRSPACE WITH ZERO FLIGHT TIME. 
          WHAT THAT MEANS IS BASICALLY A HARTSFIELD AIRPORT IS THE BUSIEST AIRPORT IN THE WORLD. 
          SO ON VIRGINIA AVENUE, WHERE WE WERE NOT ALLOWED TO UTILIZE OUR DRONES BECAUSE IT'S SO CLOSE TO THE AIRPORT, THEY CALL IT A ZERO FLIGHT ZONE. WE HAVE A COOPERATIVE AGREEMENT WE JUST SIGNED, AND THEY ALLOW US TO FLY THERE. AND THAT IS SIGNIFICANT. IT'S INCREDIBLE. 
          [02:00:01]
WE'RE THE ONLY PEOPLE IN THE COUNTRY THAT HAS THAT. AND IT'S BECAUSE WE HIRED A GOOD GUY NAMED AUGUST AND HE RETIRED FROM DELTA, AND HE HAS A LOT OF WORK. AND HE AND HE ASSISTED US IN GETTING THAT COOPERATIVE AGREEMENT. SO THE REAL TIME CRIME CENTER HAS SOLVED SO MANY CRIMES. I CAN'T I CAN'T EVEN NAME THEM ALL THE THINGS THAT WE'VE CAUGHT ON CAMERA. AND IT JUST MADE OUR REACTION TIME, OUR RESPONSE TIME, OUR ARREST TIME SO MUCH QUICKER. SO THAT IS THE BIGGEST TECHNOLOGY ADVANCEMENT THAT WE HAVE. THANK YOU SO MUCH. AND I HOPE THAT THAT HELPS OUR OFFICERS JUST FEEL MORE COMFORTABLE, TAKE SOME PRESSURE OFF OF THEM, HELP THEM DO THEIR JOB AND THINGS LIKE THAT. SO THANK YOU SO MUCH. WELL, THANK YOU ALL. AND YOU KNOW, MAYOR CHAIRMAN, I THANK YOU ALL BECAUSE WITHOUT YOU ALL THIS WOULDN'T HAPPEN. SO THANK YOU. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. OKAY. AND COUNCIL MEMBER HOLMES. COUNCIL MEMBER. CHIEF. SORRY ABOUT THAT. I HAVE ONE QUESTION. I WAS GOING OVER YOUR BUDGET AND I WAS A LITTLE BIT CONCERNED IN YOUR OVERTIME LINE. THERE'S A LOT OF MONEY IN OVERTIME. AND SO AS I WAS LOOKING AT THE BUDGET, I WAS DEBATING, DO WE NEED TO TRANSITION THOSE OVERTIME TO FULL TIME? BECAUSE I KNOW THOSE LONG HOURS FOR OFFICERS CAN BE QUITE CHALLENGING FOR THEM AND THE COMMUNITY. SO CAN YOU TELL ME A LITTLE ABOUT YOUR RATIONALE FOR THE OVERTIME, AS OPPOSED TO CONVERTING THEM TO FULL FTES? SO A COUPLE OF THINGS. OUR OVERTIME HAS BEEN UNDERFUNDED IN THE PAST. IT'S ONLY HALF $1 MILLION WHEN WE QUADRUPLE THAT EVERY YEAR, AND IT'S JUST NEVER INCREASED. SO THIS YEAR I GOT WITH THE INTERIM FINANCE DIRECTOR. WE INCREASE OVERTIME BUDGET TO BE MORE IN LINE WITH WHAT WE USE, BUT ALSO WE INCREASING THE AMOUNT OF POLICE OFFICERS THAT'S GOING TO DECREASE OVERTIME. BUT THE BIGGEST DEAL IS WE USE AN OVERTIME BECAUSE IT'S SO HARD TO FILL THE 911 POSITIONS. AND THE RETENTION OFFICE POSITIONS PEOPLE. THAT'S A VERY STRESSFUL JOB. 911 AND WE DID A PAY STUDY. I'M NOT SURE IF THE SALARIES IN ALIGNMENT WHERE IT NEEDS TO BE, BUT THAT IS A VERY DIFFICULT POSITION TO FILL. YOU ARE WORKING, YOU'RE DEALING WITH A LOT OF TRAUMA, YOU'RE TAKING A LOT OF CALLS, AND IT'S JUST A VERY DIFFICULT JOB TO STAFF. AND WE JUST HAVE NOT BEEN SUCCESSFUL IN KEEPING GOOD. NUMBER ONE, OPERATORS ALSO WORKING IN THE JAIL FACILITY. 
          YOU ALSO LOCKED UP, EVEN THOUGH YOU'RE NOT AN INMATE, YOU'RE STILL LOCKED UP BECAUSE YOU HAVE LIMITED MOVEMENT, THINGS OF THIS NATURE. AND THAT'S ALSO A VERY DIFFICULT POSITION TO FILL. SO THAT'S WHY WE HAVE TO COMPENSATE WITH OVERTIME VERSUS HAVING PEOPLE IN THOSE POSITIONS. BUT WE'RE WORKING DILIGENTLY AND HARD TRYING TO FILL THOSE POSITIONS CONTINUOUSLY. OKAY. THANK YOU. YOU'RE WELCOME. THANK YOU. ANOTHER QUESTION. ALRIGHT. I'M SORRY, DID YOU HAVE A GO? I DID, I HAD A. JUST A QUICK QUESTION. I NOTICED THAT THERE WASN'T ANY EDUCATION AND TRAINING IN THE BUDGET FOR POLICE. AND I'M NOT I'M NOT SURE IF THAT WAS ADDED BACK OR NOT, BUT CAN YOU TELL ME WHAT THAT MEANS FOR YOU ALL? AND SO WE UTILIZE A LOT OF OUR DRUG ASSET FORFEITURE. I'VE ALSO SPOKEN WITH THE FINANCE DIRECTOR. IT'S BEEN PUT BACK BECAUSE WE UTILIZE WHAT THE CITY GIVES US AS WELL AS DRUG MONEY, BECAUSE IN TERMS OF DRUG ASSET FORFEITURE MONEY, YOU CAN'T USE IT FOR REOCCURRING EXPENSES. SO TRAINING IS NOT A REOCCURRING EXPENSE BECAUSE THERE'S DIFFERENT TRAINING. SO WE UTILIZE A LARGE PORTION OF THAT FOR THAT PURPOSE. SO I SPOKE WITH HER AND THEN PUTTING IT BACK IN THERE. IT'S CRITICAL TRAINING IS CRITICAL IN LAW ENFORCEMENT. SO I THOUGHT SO THANK YOU. OKAY. ALL RIGHT. 
          Y'ALL HAVE A NICE NIGHT. GOD BLESS YOU. THANK YOU. COUNCILMAN ATKINS HAD A QUESTION. CHIEF. CHIEF, I HAVE CHIEF, I HAVE YES. NO PROBLEM HERE FOR YOU. NO. THIS IS EASY. 
          SO MY QUESTION IS ALSO ABOUT EDUCATION AND TRAVEL. BUT IT'S DIFFERENT FROM COUNCIL MEMBER CALDWELL'S BECAUSE I DO SEE A DOLLAR AMOUNT ON PAGE 147 AT 38,455. AND MY QUESTION WAS GOING TO BE, IS THAT ENOUGH? SO NO, WHAT WE DO, THE CITY GIVES US THAT. BUT WE ALSO WE UTILIZE MORE MONEY THAN THAT. BUT WHAT WE DO TO TAKE THE BURDEN OFF THE CITY, WE UTILIZE OUR DRUG MONEY. SO THAT PROBABLY BE INCREASED PROBABLY ABOUT $90,000. OKAY. I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE I KNOW THAT JUDGE OLIVER TALKED ABOUT MANDATORY TRAININGS, AND I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE KEEP UP WITH ALL OF OUR CERTIFICATIONS AND ALL THE THINGS THAT WE NEED. AND I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT THIS 38,455 WOULD BE ENOUGH FOR FY 27. SO THAT WOULD BE ALSO ADDED TO WITH OUR DRUG MONEY AND COMBINE. IT WILL BE ENOUGH. SO YOU HAVE ENOUGH. WE WILL HAVE ENOUGH. OKAY. SO WE WILL HAVE ENOUGH ONCE IT'S COMBINED. ALRIGHT. THANK YOU. NO PROBLEM. 
          ANY MORE QUESTIONS? I DON'T WANT TO WALK AWAY FROM ANYBODY AND HAVE TO TURN BACK AROUND. 
          YOU KNOW, IT'S ALL GOOD. OKAY, WELL, SINCE YOU ASKED, I'M JOKING. WELL, I HOPE Y'ALL HAVE A QUICK, YOU KNOW, NIGHT. GOD BLESS. THANK YOU CHIEF, THANK YOU. ALRIGHT, NEXT WE WILL HAVE OUR EASTPOINTE FIRE DEPARTMENT. GOOD EVENING, MAYOR AND COUNCIL, CITY MANAGER, DEPUTY CITY 
          [02:05:05]
MANAGER, CITY ATTORNEY. I'LL TRY TO BE A WHOLE LOT QUICKER THAN CHIEF BUCHANAN WAS. SO TO GIVE YOU SOME OF THE HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE FIRE DEPARTMENT, WE HAVE A COUPLE OF THINGS. SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO DO. WE PURCHASED TWO DEVICES CALLED THE LUCAS DEVICE. 
          NOW, IF YOU'RE NOT FAMILIAR WITH THAT, WHAT IT IS A LUCAS DEVICE, IT ACTUALLY DOES CPR FOR YOU. SO WHAT HAPPENS? IT IT, IT'S A DEVICE THAT YOU CAN HOOK ON TO THE TORSO OF A PERSON. 
          AND IT'LL ACTUALLY DO CHEST COMPRESSIONS WHILE THE PERSON IS ACTUALLY BREATHING FOR THEM OR GETTING TOOLS. SO THAT'S ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE WERE ABLE TO PURCHASE. AND ALSO WE WERE ABLE TO PURCHASE A NEW FIRE TRUCK. SO THAT'LL BE COMING THIS YEAR. WE PURCHASED WHAT'S CALLED A QUINT. NOW, THE QUINT IS A COMBINATION BETWEEN AN ENGINE AND A LADDER. SO WE'LL HAVE THAT CAPABILITY. IT'S RIGHT NOW IT'S IN WINDER GETTING OUTFITTED, SO THAT'LL COME ON SERVICE THIS YEAR. WE ALSO PURCHASED A NEW AMBULANCE, SO YOU'LL SEE THE AMBULANCE COMING IN SERVICE THIS YEAR. NOW THE ONLY CATCH WITH THE AMBULANCE AND I'VE SAID IT OVER AND OVER, BUT I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THE AMBULANCE WILL BE HERE AND WE WILL ACTUALLY UTILIZE IT. BUT THE ONLY CATCH WITH IT, WE WON'T BE ABLE TO TRANSPORT TO AND FROM THE HOSPITAL ON EVERY OCCASION. THE ONLY TIME THAT WE'LL BE ABLE TO TRANSPORT, IF IT'S A LIFE THREATENING EMERGENCY, AND GRADY IS GOING TO HAVE A DELAYED RESPONSE, IF THAT IF THOSE FACTORS COME INTO PLAY, THEN WE'LL HAVE THE CAPABILITY TO TRANSPORT TO ANY HOSPITAL. 
          AND ALSO WE APPLIED FOR A GRANT TO GET ANOTHER AMBULANCE. THE GRANT, DUE TO THE PRESIDENTIAL SITUATION, THE GRANT WAS TAKEN AWAY. SO WE REAPPLIED AGAIN AND WE FOUND OUT THAT WE JUST WON THAT GRANT. SO ONCE WE WE SHOULD HAVE ANOTHER AMBULANCE COMING WITHIN THE NEXT SIX MONTHS, WHICH WOULD GIVE US TWO AMBULANCES AND SOME OF THE CHANGES DUE TO SOUTH FULTON HOSPITAL CLOSING DOWN. WE ACTUALLY, FROM AN OPERATIONAL STANDPOINT, WE RUN TWO RESCUE TRUCKS. SO I ADDED A THIRD ONE BECAUSE 85% OF OUR CALLS ARE MEDICAL CALLS. SO WITH THAT BEING A LARGE NUMBER, I DECIDED TO PUT ANOTHER UNIT UP TO DISPATCH THROUGHOUT THE CITY, AND THAT LESSENS THE CALL VOLUME ON THE OTHER TWO RESCUE UNITS. THEN, WITH THE HELP OF THE POLICE DEPARTMENT, WE'RE GOING TO HAVE EMD DISPATCHERS THIS YEAR. SO WE'RE EMD IS ITS EMERGENCY MEDICAL DISPATCHING. NOW. THE POLICE DEPARTMENT IS OVER THE DISPATCH CENTER, BUT IT'LL PROVIDE US AN OPPORTUNITY TO DO WHAT WE CALL PRIORITIZING CALLS. WHAT THIS MEANS IS IF YOU HAVE SOMEBODY THAT CALLS 911 FOR, LET'S JUST SAY A STOMP TOE, I HAVE MY TOE IS HURTING. 
          WELL, THAT'S NOT A PRIORITY. SO THEY'LL ACTUALLY PRIORITIZE THE CALL BECAUSE THOSE DISPATCHERS WILL BE MEDICALLY TRAINED AND THEY CAN ACTUALLY TELL YOU HOW TO DO CPR, GUIDE YOU THROUGH IT, AND THEN WE'LL BE ABLE TO PRIORITIZE THE MOST SERIOUS CALLS VERSUS THE NON SERIOUS CALLS. THEN SOME OF THE CHALLENGES THAT WE FACE, WE ALREADY SPOKE TO THE CITY MANAGER ABOUT IT. WE'RE GOING TO BE ABLE TO SOME OF OUR CAPITAL THINGS THAT WE PUT IN PLACE. WE HAVEN'T GOTTEN RID OF THEM. WE'RE JUST PUSHING THEM BACK TO NEXT YEAR AND POSSIBLY THE UPCOMING AMENDMENT THAT WE'RE GOING TO HAVE. AND THE LAST QUESTION THAT YOU ALL WANTED TO KNOW ABOUT WAS. ANY. SO I KNOW CHIEF BUCHANAN AND I I'LL JUST HIT IT A LITTLE BIT. 
          HE TALKED ABOUT THE OVERTIME. NOW OUR OVERTIME IS AVERAGING ABOUT 1.5 MILLION A YEAR IN OVERTIME. ONE OF THE BIGGEST THINGS FOR OUR OVERTIME IS BECAUSE WE'RE UNDERSTAFFED. WE ARE CURRENTLY WORKING ON INCREASING OUR STAFFING. WE'RE DOWN TO I DON'T HAVE IT IN FRONT OF ME, BUT 73 PEOPLE WERE ALLOCATED FOR 100, SO WE'RE GETTING READY TO START IT. WE HAVE A CLASS OF TEN GRADUATING THIS FRIDAY. IF YOU ALL HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO COME UP. AND THEN WE'RE GOING TO START A NEW CLASS IN NOVEMBER, I'M SORRY, IN JULY, THEY'LL PROBABLY FINISH UP SOMETIME NEXT YEAR. I'M HOPING TO GET ABOUT 20 OUT OF THAT CLASS TO INCREASE OUR STAFFING, WHICH WILL REDUCE OUR OVERTIME. ANY QUESTIONS COMMENTS, CONCERNS ANYTHING. 
          LEFT? RIGHT TO LEFT. COUNCILWOMAN CALDWELL, COUNCILWOMAN MARTIN ROGERS AND COUNCILMAN AND THEN COUNCILWOMAN. I'LL START. SO THANK YOU AGAIN FOR EVERYTHING THAT YOU ALL ARE DOING IN THE COMMUNITY. MY QUESTION GOES TO WHAT YOU KIND OF MENTIONED AS YOUR BIGGEST CHALLENGE, WHICH IS THE OVERTIME UNDERSTAFFED. WHAT ARE THE MAIN CONTRIBUTORS TO NOT FINDING OR, YOU KNOW, THAT ARE ASSOCIATED WITH NOT FINDING STAFF? LIKE WHAT DO YOU 
          [02:10:05]
THINK IT IS? SO ONE OF THE BIGGEST THINGS IS THAT WE'RE ALL, ALL THE FIRE DEPARTMENTS IN THE METRO AREA, WE'RE ALL FISHING BASICALLY OUT OF THE SAME POND. SO EVERYBODY'S TRYING TO GET GOOD QUALITY PEOPLE. SO EVEN THOUGH WE DID THE EVERGREEN STUDY, I THINK IT WAS LAST YEAR, I JUST GOT AN EMAIL THIS AFTERNOON. CLAYTON COUNTY IS GOING TO START OUT, AND I'M SURE YOU'RE AWARE THEY SENT IT TO EVERY DEPARTMENT IN THE CITY. I MEAN, IN THE METRO AREA, THEY'RE GOING TO START OUT AT 74,000 RIGHT NOW, WALKING IN THE DOOR STARTING IN JANUARY, AND THEN THEY'RE GIVEN AN ADDITIONAL $200 A MONTH. IF YOU HAVE A HOUSE IN THE COUNTY AND 150 A MONTH IF YOU HAVE AN APARTMENT TO GO TOWARDS YOUR LIVING EXPENSES. AND SO THOSE ARE THE TYPE OF THINGS THAT WE'RE TRYING TO KIND OF KEEP UP WITH. AND EVERY TIME A DEPARTMENT DOES SOMETHING LIKE THAT, THEY SEND IT OUT TO EVERYBODY. SO WE HAVE TO BE INNOVATIVE IN WHAT WE DO. SO IT FORCED ME TO RIGHT NOW, WHEN I HIRE SOMEBODY, I HAVE TO PUT THEM ON A TWO YEAR CONTRACT JUST TO KEEP THEM. THAT'S THE ONLY WAY THAT I CAN ENSURE THAT I'LL AT LEAST GET TWO YEARS OUT OF THEM. BUT JUST AS SOON AS THAT TWO YEARS IS UP, THEY CAN GO. SO. AND THEN THE OTHER THING THAT I HAD TO DO. SO IF I ALLOW YOU TO GO TO CLASS AND GET EDUCATION, I PUT A CONTRACT IN PLACE FOR THAT. SO IF YOU DO GO TO CERTAIN TRAININGS, I MAKE YOU SIGN AN ADDITIONAL ONE YEAR CONTRACT TO SO THAT I CAN KIND OF RECOUP SOME OF THAT. AND, AND WE DON'T BECOME A TRAINING GROUND. SO THOSE ARE SOME OF THE THINGS THAT I HAD TO DO. 
          THANK YOU ALL. COUNCILWOMAN COUNCILWOMAN MARK, AND THANK YOU, CHIEF. AND EVERYBODY'S CHERRY PICKING. I MEAN, WITH TEACHERS AND YEAH, I MEAN COBB COUNTY. YEAH. I MEAN, I KNOW IT'S GETTING PRETTY BAD. YEAH, I KNOW AS FAR AS LIKE THE EDUCATION SYSTEM IS CONCERNED, PEOPLE FLOCK TO COBB COUNTY BECAUSE IT'S A KNOWN FACT THAT YOU MAKE MORE MONEY IN COBB COUNTY. BUT I THINK THAT WHAT YOU'RE DOING IS INNOVATIVE. AND ALSO, I BELIEVE IN COBB COUNTY. 
          THEY'RE OFFERING TEACHERS ADVANCED DEGREES. YES, BUT YOU HAVE TO STAY. SO I AM GLAD TO HEAR THAT ON OUR FIRE DEPARTMENT. I WANTED TO SAY THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE RENOVATION OF FIRE STATION THREE IN CAMP CREEK. WE WERE ABLE TO ENJOY THE SPACE ON SATURDAY FOR THE WARD COMMUNITY MEETING AND ALSO THE FIRE STATION. NUMBER FIVE ON WASHINGTON ROAD IS ALSO BEING RENOVATED, AND WE WERE ADVISED THAT IT WOULD BE READY AT THE END OF THE YEAR. SO IT WILL BE COMPLETE. IT'S ABOUT 60% COMPLETE. NOW WE'RE PROJECTING THAT IT'LL IT WILL ACTUALLY BE FINISHED BY DECEMBER OF THIS YEAR. AND THAT'LL BE TWO FIRE STATIONS WITHIN WARD THAT WILL. THANK YOU SO MUCH. ALRIGHT. WHAT I WANTED TO ASK YOU ABOUT WAS THE ISO RATING. WE HAVE. I HAVE SOMEONE THAT LIVES IN WARD D, AND SHE WANTED YOU TO TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT EASTPOINTE'S ISO RATING AND HOW THE EDUCATION AND TRAVEL AND TRAINING IS IMPORTANT TO OUR FIRE DEPARTMENT HERE IN EASTPOINTE. GOTCHA. SO WITH THE ISO RATING IS IT'S I KNOW SOMEBODY TALKED EARLIER ABOUT MEASURABLES. SO THAT'S ONE OF THE MEASURABLES THAT'S DONE THROUGH THE STATE. NOW ISO, THEY GRADE EVERY FIRE DEPARTMENT ACTUALLY IN THE COUNTRY. AND THE HIGHEST GRADE YOU CAN GET IS A ONE. THE WORST YOU CAN GET IS A TEN. CURRENTLY, AS OF RIGHT NOW, WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO MAINTAIN A ONE. NOW WHAT THAT DOES, IT REDUCES THE INSURANCE THAT A HOMEOWNER WILL HAVE TO PAY OR A BUSINESS WOULD HAVE TO PAY. IT REDUCES IT SIGNIFICANTLY. SO HAVING THAT ONE IS SOMETHING THAT WE WE PRIDE OURSELVES ON. AND AS A MATTER OF FACT, THEY'LL PROBABLY BE COMING EITHER THE END OF THIS YEAR OR THE START OF NEXT YEAR. WE'RE DUE TO GO BACK THROUGH THE ASSESSMENT NOW. 
          THE ISO RATING INCLUDES WATER AND SEWER DISPATCH AND FIRE. SO THOSE THREE DEPARTMENTS ALL COME TOGETHER TO FORM THE RATING, AND THEY GRADE US ON STAFF EDUCATION, CERTIFICATIONS, RESPONSE TIME AND THINGS LIKE THAT. SO ONE OF THE FACTORS I SPOKE WITH THE CITY MANAGER AND IT'S BEEN PUT BACK IN OUR BUDGET. WE NEED OUR EDUCATION AND TRAVEL. AND ONE OF THE BIG THINGS FOR US UNDER FIRE, A LOT OF PEOPLE DON'T UNDERSTAND WHEN YOU'RE A FIREFIGHTER, YOU'RE JUST NOT A FIREFIGHTER. YOU'RE ACTUALLY A FIREFIGHTER AND OR EMT OR A PARAMEDIC. SO THERE ARE SEVERAL CERTIFICATIONS THAT COME ALONG WITH IT. IN THE FIRE DEPARTMENT, YOU HAVE FIREFIGHTERS. THAT'S FIRE, THERE'S EMTS, THERE'S POLICE OFFICERS, THERE'S FIRE INSPECTORS, THERE'S FIRE INVESTIGATORS. SO YOU CAN HAVE I'LL USE MYSELF. FOR INSTANCE, 
          [02:15:01]
I'M A POLICE OFFICER, A FIREFIGHTER, A FIRE INSPECTOR, A FIRE INSTRUCTOR, FIRE INVESTIGATOR, AND A PLAN REVIEWER. SO I HOLD ABOUT 6 OR 7 CERTIFICATIONS, AND I HAVE TO MAINTAIN HOURS FOR EACH ONE OF THEM. SO THAT'S WHY YOU'LL SEE. AS A MATTER OF FACT, CHIEF, HE'LL STAND UP ONE SECOND. SO HE CARRIES A GUN. SO HE HAS ARREST POWERS THROUGHOUT THE STATE OF GEORGIA. HE'S ALSO A POLICE OFFICER. SO WE HAVE TO MAINTAIN ALL OF OUR CERTIFICATIONS. AND THIS IS ANNUALLY. SO THAT'S WHY OUR EDUCATION AND TRAVEL IS SO IMPORTANT. ALRIGHT. AND THEN MY LAST QUESTION IS THIS. I KNOW, AND AS WE'RE GOING THROUGH THE BUDGET PROCESS, I WOULD LIKE COUNCIL TO THINK ABOUT THE HIRING OF A GRANT WRITER FOR THE ENTIRE CITY THAT COULD HELP OTHER DEPARTMENTS REACH THOSE ADDITIONAL FUNDS. I KNOW THAT YOU ALL HAVE APPLIED FOR A GRANT THAT WAS BROUGHT BEFORE COUNCIL AND YOU GOT IT. BUT AS WE ARE GOING THROUGH THIS BUDGET PROCESS, I THINK THAT MAYOR AND COUNCIL, WE NEED TO DECIDE ON A GRANT WRITER THAT CAN HELP THE DEPARTMENTS GO AFTER ADDITIONAL FUNDS THAT ARE OUT THERE FOR THEIR DEPARTMENTS, OR THAT MEET THE NEEDS OF THE RESIDENTS OF THIS CITY. LAST THING I WANT TO SAY IS I KNOW THAT WE'VE TALKED ABOUT FIRE STATION OR FIRE STATION. NUMBER TWO HAS SHOWN UP A LOT IN THE BUDGET. WE ALSO HAVE FIRE STATION NUMBER FOUR. I'M GOING TO PUSH FOR THE RENOVATIONS, AT LEAST OF FIRE STATION NUMBER TWO. YES, BECAUSE IT IS AN OLDER STATION. I CAN'T REMEMBER THE WARD. I BELIEVE IT'S IN WARD B, IT'S IN WARD B, AND IT'S IT'S ACTUALLY THE OLDEST STATION THAT WE CURRENTLY HAVE. OKAY. IT WAS BUILT. I DON'T HAVE IT IN FRONT OF ME. I THINK IT WAS 1991. IT WAS EITHER 91 OR 92. RIGHT. AND IT APPEARED IN BUDGETS OVER THE YEARS, BUT I DID NOT SEE IT APPEAR IN THIS BUDGET. BUT FIRE STATIONS ARE A MATTER OF PUBLIC SAFETY. YES. AND SO I WOULD LIKE TO SEE FIRE STATION NUMBER TWO PUT BACK IN THIS BUDGET. I DO SEE THAT FIRE STATION NUMBER FIVE IS IN THE BUDGET, BUT THE PROJECTED START YEAR IS 2030. SO FIRE STATION NUMBER FIVE IS ACTUALLY IN RIGHT NOW. THAT'S THE ONE THAT WE'RE REMODELING CURRENTLY AS WE SPEAK. OKAY. WE'RE PROJECTED TO OPEN IT UP THIS YEAR, THIS FISCAL YEAR, HOPEFULLY IN DECEMBER. ONCE THEY FINISH THE IT'S ABOUT 60% COMPLETE NOW. 
          ALRIGHT. BUT I ALSO THINK FIRE STATION NUMBER TWO, THEY SERVE. WHERE IS FIRE STATION NUMBER? IT'S THE ONE ON NORMAN BERRY DRIVE. OKAY. AND THAT'S THAT'S A IT USED TO BE A DOUBLE COMPANY. IT'S A SINGLE COMPANY. THAT'S THE ONE. IT'S KIND OF BEHIND THE DUMP THE CITY DUMP. 
          OKAY. ALRIGHT. BUT IT SERVICES THE AREA OF RESIDENCE. YES. WE KIND OF NEED BECAUSE WHAT WOULD BE THE CLOSEST FIRE STATION? IS IT THE NEXT CLOSEST WOULD BE BEN HILL STATION. FIRE STATION NUMBER FOUR. OKAY, ALRIGHT. AND THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR PRESENTATION. OKAY. 
          COUNCILMEMBER MITCHELL. HEY, CHIEF, I JUST SAY CONGRATS ON ON YOUR ISO RATING. THANK YOU AND CONGRATULATIONS ON THE GRANTS. BUT I DID WANT TO SPEAK ABOUT THE AMBULANCES REAL QUICK. 
          YES. SO I KNOW I BROUGHT THIS UP TO YOU A WHILE AGO. I THINK ONE OF THE REASONS WE CAN'T FULLY UTILIZE OUR AMBULANCES IS BECAUSE WE DON'T WE LIKE OUR AMBULANCE LICENSE. SO YEAH. SO WHAT HAPPENED? I'M GOING TO HAVE TO TAKE YOU BACK A LITTLE BIT. SO PROBABLY ABOUT IN THE EARLY, LATE 50S, EARLY 60S, THE STATE OF GEORGIA MADE A DECISION AND THEY OPENED UP TRANSPORT. SO BACK THEN, THE FIRE CHIEFS DURING THAT TIME DIDN'T HAVE THE THE KNOW OF ALL TO SAY THEY WANTED TO TRANSPORT. SO CURRENTLY RIGHT NOW IN FULTON COUNTY, THERE ARE EIGHT CITIES IN FULTON COUNTY, ONLY ONE OF THOSE EIGHT TRANSPORT. AND THAT'S THE CITY OF HAYSVILLE. SO NOBODY ELSE HAS A TRANSPORT LICENSE. ATLANTA HAS ONE BECAUSE OF THE AIRPORT. 
          THEY. THEY'RE ABLE TO TRANSPORT. BUT NOBODY ELSE IN FULTON COUNTY CAN WAS IT WAS BECAUSE WE WEREN'T PAYING SOME TYPE OF SUBSIDY OR. SO WHAT HAPPENED? THEY RECEIVED THE LICENSE AND WAS ABLE TO TRANSPORT. SO THEN THE. THE SERVICE GOT PRIVATIZED. AND ABOUT. FULTON COUNTY PAID THE SUBSIDY ALL THE WAY UP UNTIL ALL THE CITIES STARTED GETTING INTO THE TAX THING. BUT WHEN ALL THE CITIES DECIDED WHERE WE'RE GOING TO BREAK AWAY FROM FULTON COUNTY, ONCE THEY BROKE AWAY, YOU CREATED JOHNS CREEK, MILTON, ALL THOSE PLACES. SO WHEN THEY BECAME THEIR OWN CITY, THE COUNTY TURNED AROUND AND SAID, WELL, WE'RE NOT GOING TO FUND THAT SUBSIDY THAT WE PAY FOR ALL THESE CITIES SUCH AS EAST POINT, COLLEGE PARK, HAYFIELD. SO ONCE THEY STOP FUNDING THOSE SUBSIDIES, EACH CITY MADE A DECISION. THIS WAS MAYBE IN 2010 OR 11, MADE A DECISION NOT TO PAY THE SUBSIDY. SO ONCE THE DECISION WAS MADE NOT TO PAY THE SUBSIDY, WE BECAME RESPONSIBLE FOR OUR OWN TRANSPORT. AND SINCE THEN, NOBODY'S BEEN ABLE TO GET A 
          [02:20:04]
LICENSE TO TRANSPORT IN THE METRO AREA OUTSIDE OF ATLANTA SIMPLY BECAUSE THEY HAVE THE AIRPORT. IS THERE ANYTHING WE CAN DO ABOUT THAT? UNFORTUNATELY, NO, NOT WITHOUT WE. THE CITY MANAGER, HE INTRODUCED US TO THE LOBBYIST. SO THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE TALKED TO THE LOBBYISTS ABOUT. BUT HONESTLY, IN MY PROFESSIONAL OPINION, IT'LL BE UNLIKELY FOR US TO GET IT. IT'S PRIVATIZED AND BEEN LIKE THAT FOR OVER 40 YEARS. OKAY, THANKS. 
          ALRIGHT. THANK YOU CHIEF. NO PROBLEM. OKAY. COUNCILMEMBER ATKINS. YES. THANK YOU AND THANK YOU, CHIEF. AND ALSO CONGRATULATIONS ON ALL THE GREAT THINGS. THANK YOU. JUST A QUESTION. I ALSO HAD A QUESTION ABOUT THE ISO RATING. YES. YOU MENTIONED, I BELIEVE, SOME CAPITAL PROJECTS THAT WILL NEED TO BE DEFERRED. YES. AND IN YOUR PROFESSIONAL OPINION, WILL ANY OF THOSE DEFERMENTS IMPACT OUR ISO RATING? I THINK YOU SAID WE'RE UP FOR RENEWAL. I JUST DON'T WANT THEM. YEAH, WE'RE WE'RE UP FOR RENEWAL EITHER THIS YEAR OR NEXT YEAR THEY'LL GIVE US A CALL. AND ONCE THEY DO, I'VE HONESTLY I STARTED PLANNING FOR ISO LAST YEAR. SO WE'VE BEEN PUTTING THINGS TOGETHER. SO WE'LL BE GOOD FROM AN OPERATIONAL STANDPOINT. OKAY, EXCELLENT. JUST WANTED TO KNOW THAT. AND THE SAME QUESTION REALLY WITH POLICE AND YOU TALKED ABOUT THE TRAININGS THAT ARE REQUIRED IN THE CERTIFICATIONS. SO THE 137, THE 136,700, THAT'S GOING TO BE ENOUGH TO MAKE SURE THAT ALL OF YOUR TEAM IS GOING TO GET THEIR TRAINING AND CERTIFICATIONS. SO WHERE DO I DO? I HAVE AN AMAZING LIEUTENANT THAT WORKS FOR ME. HE ALSO WRITES GRANTS. SO I, I ALWAYS PROJECT ON THE HIGH SIDE, BUT THEN I SOMETIMES I'M ABLE TO GET FUNDING BACK. SO I'LL GIVE YOU AN EXAMPLE. LIKE THIS YEAR FOR MY EMTS, IT MIGHT COST ME ABOUT 60 OR 70,000 TO SEND THEM TO SCHOOL WHERE WE PAID THAT. BUT I WORKED A DEAL OUT WITH FULTON COUNTY, WHERE THEY'RE GETTING READY TO CUT ME A CHECK FOR $20,000 BACK. SO IT'LL BE COMING BACK THAT I'LL BE GIVING BACK. BUT I STILL SOMETIMES I MIGHT GET A GRANT FOR, LET'S SAY, THE WHOLE ENTIRE AMOUNT THAT'LL COVER IT, WHETHER THAT MONEY GOES BACK TO THE CITY. BUT WHAT I HAVE TO DO AS A MANAGER, I HAVE TO BUDGET FOR IT WHETHER I GET A GRANT OR NOT. BECAUSE IF I DON'T GET THE GRANT, THE MONEY STILL NEEDS TO BE AVAILABLE FOR ME TO UTILIZE IT. RIGHT. OKAY. THANK YOU. THAT WAS MY QUESTIONS. OKAY. 
          THANK YOU FOR YOUR PRESENTATION. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. APPRECIATE IT. I HAD A. CHIEF THORNTON. 
          I'M SORRY, I WAS, I WAS I'M JUST I APOLOGIZE. I WON'T BE LONG. MY BAD, MY BAD. COUPLE THINGS. ONE, I KNOW WE WE TALKED ABOUT THE THE STATIONS THAT WE HAVE, THE RENOVATIONS AND ALL THAT STUFF. SO THIS DOWNTOWN AREA, I KNOW AT ONE POINT THERE WAS A STATION THAT WAS DOWNTOWN AND WE REACH OUT AS FAR AS MAIN STREET CLOSE, LIKE THE TYLER PERRY AREA. DO WE HAVE ANY THOUGHTS FOR PROJECTING FOR ANOTHER STATION? I THINK BECAUSE WE ARE IN DESPERATE NEED OF ANOTHER FIRE STATION. YES. ON THAT SIDE OF TOWN. YES. SO I I'VE SPOKE WITH THE CITY MANAGER ABOUT IT, BUT I'M, I'M GOING TO ACTUALLY ADD IT INTO MY UPCOMING CAPITAL WHEN WE GO OVER CAPITAL IN OCTOBER. AND I DON'T WANT TO GIVE IT AWAY YET, BUT I HAVE A PIECE OF LAND THAT I FOUND THAT I'M LOOKING AT PROBABLY PURCHASING THAT LAND, PUTTING IT IN CAPITAL, AND PUTTING ANOTHER STATION THERE. BECAUSE FOR THOSE OF YOU ALL THAT DON'T KNOW THIS, WHERE WE'RE CURRENTLY AT, THIS WAS OUR FIRE STATION NUMBER ONE. SO WE GOT RID OF THAT IN 2008. WE GOT RID OF STATION ONE AND STATION FIVE TO BUILD THIS FACILITY. AND WE WE'RE REPLACING FIVE, BUT WE NEVER DID REPLACE STATION ONE. SO I'M LOOKING AT STATION ONE TO. THAT WILL TAKE US FROM MAIN STREET TO TYLER PERRY STUDIOS, AND IT'LL COVER THAT AREA RIGHT NOW. CURRENTLY, WE SPLIT THAT BETWEEN TWO STATIONS, WHICH IS STATION NUMBER TWO AND STATION NUMBER FOUR. IT INCREASES THE RESPONSE TIME SLIGHTLY, BUT BECAUSE WE SPLIT THE TERRITORY, WE'RE ABLE TO MAKE UP THE DIFFERENCE. AND THAT WAS THE PURPOSE OF ME PUTTING THE RESCUE TRUCK UP SO THAT WE'LL GET A FASTER RESPONSE TIME ON THE 85% OF OUR EMS COSTS. OKAY. 
          AND I KNOW WHEN WE TALK ABOUT DIFFERENT GRANTS, THE SAFER GRANT, I THINK THEY HAD ABOUT $324 MILLION. WERE WE ABLE TO TRY TO CAPITALIZE ON ANY OF THAT? SO I DIDN'T GO FOR THE SAFER GRANT, OKAY, THIS YEAR, BECAUSE BY THE TIME IT CAME OUT, I HAVEN'T HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK WITH THE MANAGER ABOUT IT. FOR THOSE OF YOU ALL THAT DON'T KNOW, THE SAFER GRANT GRANTS US THE ABILITY. IF WE GET IT, WELL, IT'LL PAY FOR PERSONNEL. BUT WE TOOK A HIT ON THAT YEARS AGO. 
          BACK IN 2008, WE HIRED ABOUT 20 FIREFIGHTERS ON THE SAFER GRANT, AND THE CITY MADE A DECISION TO LAY OFF 59 FIREFIGHTERS. SO WHEN WE LAID THEM OFF, WE HAD TO PAY BACK THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT $3.7 MILLION, AND WE LOST THE ABILITY TO GET GRANTS FOR TEN YEARS. SO WHEN I FOR ME 
          [02:25:04]
TO GO FOR THAT, I JUST I GOTTA MAKE SURE IT'S A MAJOR COMMITMENT FROM THE CITY. OKAY. 
          BEFORE WE DO THAT AGAIN. OKAY. AND JUST ANOTHER THING JUST TO SPEAK ON, WHEN WE TALK ABOUT ALL DEPARTMENTS PULLING FROM THE SAME POOL, ANOTHER THING THAT GOES INTO PLAY WITH THAT IS WHO'S ABLE TO GET THOSE APPLICANTS THE FASTEST. BECAUSE LIKE I SAY, EVERYONE, PEOPLE ARE LOOKING FOR THOSE JOBS. AND I THINK WHEN WE WERE AT THE THE RIDE ALONG THE SANTA RIDE ALONG A YOUNG LADY THAT'S NOW EASTPOINTE FIREFIGHTER, SHE WAS GOING THROUGH OUR APPLICATION PROCESS IN ATLANTA, BUT IT JUST TOOK US TOO LONG. YEAH. AND EASTPOINTE GRABBED HER UP. SO, I MEAN, LIKE YOU SAID, EVERYBODY IS PULLING FROM THAT SAME POOL. IF YOU DON'T MOVE QUICK WITH APPLICANTS, IT IT'S KIND OF. SO SOMETIME I MIGHT HIRE THEM VERY QUICKLY JUST TO GET THEM IN THE DOOR SO THAT NOBODY ELSE STEALS. OKAY. THAT'S IT. THANK YOU. I YIELD ANY MORE QUESTIONS AT THIS TIME? NOPE. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR PRESENTATION. 
          OKAY. NEXT WE'LL HAVE THE EASTPOINTE POWER DEPARTMENT. EXCUSE ME, MADAM MAYOR. YES? HOW MANY MORE DEPARTMENTS DO WE HAVE THAT ARE UP FOR PRESENTATION? HI. GOOD EVENING, MAYOR AND COUNCIL. SO SOME OF OUR 2026. FY 2026 ACCOMPLISHMENTS. I'M SORRY FOR ONE SECOND, SIR. ONE SECOND COUNCIL. DO WE I KNOW THAT WE HAVE TEN LEFT AND WE WANT TO BE MINDFUL OF TIME. SO WE HAVE PRESENTATION PRESENTATION. SO CAN WE JUST UNDERSTAND IS ALL WHAT DEPARTMENTS ARE HERE LEFT SO THAT WE CAN MAKE SURE THAT WE GET TO EVERYBODY. OKAY, SO WE HAVE IT. ALL RIGHT. HERE. MADAM MAYOR. YES, I WOULD MAKE A MOTION THEN THAT COUNCIL MEMBERS LIMIT THEIR QUESTIONS TO ONE QUESTION MAYBE. AND WE ALL STAY, YOU KNOW, STRICT TO THAT. OKAY. I THINK THAT'S I THINK THAT'S FAIR. FAIR. AND IF WE CAN FOCUS ON THE BUDGET QUESTIONS, THAT WOULD BE HELPFUL. SO THANK YOU FOR THAT. SO WE'RE GOING TO FOR THE NEXT THIS STARTING THIS ROUND, WE'RE GOING TO JUST DO ONE QUESTION PER COUNCIL PERSON OR THAT'S FINE. AND THEY'RE KEEPING THEIR PRESENTATIONS TO THE FIVE MINUTES. OKAY. MADAM MAYOR. YES, WE'RE GOING TO KEEP PRESENTATIONS TO FIVE MINUTES. FIVE MINUTES IS FINE. I MEAN, I DON'T I DIDN'T KNOW. YEAH. YES. OKAY, THAT'D BE FINE. LET'S TRY TO ROCK AND ROLL GUYS. I'M FIVE MINUTES Y'ALL. THAT'S IT. WE APPRECIATE Y'ALL FOR HANGING IN THERE. WE'RE GOING TO GET YOU OUT THERE SOON. GET OUT AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. SO FIVE MINUTES AND WE'LL JUST TRY TO GO ONE PERSON PER ROUND. SO WOULD YOU LIKE ME TO GO OVER THE PRESENTATION OR YOU GUYS JUST HAVE SOME QUESTIONS? GOOD. OKAY. SO THE EAST POINT POWER DEPARTMENT CONTINUED ITS COMMITMENT TO SYSTEM RELIABILITY, SAFETY, INFRASTRUCTURE IMPROVEMENTS. 
          AND INFRASTRUCTURE IMPROVEMENTS, ONGOING PROJECTS THAT WE HAVE IS ADVANCED PLANNING AND ENGINEERING EFFORTS. EFFORTS FOR THE BEN HILL GRID HARDENING PROJECT, SKATER SYSTEM ENHANCEMENTS, TRAFFIC SIGNAL INFRASTRUCTURE IMPROVEMENTS, AND UTILITY SYSTEM INSPECTIONS BY F.Y. PROPOSED BUDGET, KEY REQUESTS AND PROJECTS. THE GRID HARDENING PROJECT THAT'S THE UNDERGROUND PROJECT INFRASTRUCTURE INSPECTION. THAT'S OSMOSE. WE YOU GUYS APPROVED THAT TO INSPECT ALL OUR POLES, ALL OUR TRANSFORMERS, EVERYTHING. AND JUST TRYING TO BE, YOU KNOW, AHEAD OF THE GAME INSTEAD OF WAITING UNTIL THEY COMPLETELY FAIL TO CHANGE THEM OUT. VEGETATION MANAGEMENT. AND THAT'S, YOU KNOW, JUST REALLY GOING HARD AT SOME OF THE FAILING TREES AND OLDER TREES AND STAFFING AND OPERATIONAL SUPPORT, FUNDING FOR VACANT POSITIONS, EMPLOYEE DEVELOPMENT, SAFETY TRAINING AND OPERATIONAL EQUIPMENT. SO SOME OF THE MAJOR CHANGES BETWEEN FY 26 AND 27, INCREASED CAPITAL INVESTMENT IN SYSTEM RELIABILITY AND GRID HARDENING INITIATIVES, CONTINUED INVESTMENT IN VEGETATION MANAGEMENT, TECHNOLOGY AND SYSTEM MAINTENANCE. WELL, I JUST WANT TO ELABORATE ON THE VEGETATION 
          [02:30:05]
MANAGEMENT. SO WE KIND OF WENT FROM, YOU KNOW, SEEING WHAT A LOT OF THE OTHER POWER COMPANIES WERE DOING, AND THEY STOPPED KIND OF CHASING THE TAIL AND THEY TRY TO GET AHEAD OF IT. SO THERE'S A LOT OF SOFTWARE WE'RE USING ONE OF THE SOFTWARES NOW JUST TO TRACK TREE GROWTH AND SEE HOW CLOSE IT'S GETTING TO THE LINES, THAT TYPE OF STUFF, AND TRIM THEM BEFOREHAND INSTEAD OF WAITING UNTIL THEY GET RIGHT ON THE TREES. AND BUDGET ADJUSTMENTS TO SUPPORT OPERATIONAL EFFICIENCIES, WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT AND LONG TERM INFRASTRUCTURE SUSTAINABILITY. THE FY 27 BUDGET REFLECTS THE DEPARTMENT'S COMMITMENT TO PROVIDING SAFE, RELIABLE AND RESILIENT ELECTRIC SERVICE WHILE PROACTIVELY ADDRESSING AGING INFRASTRUCTURE AND FUTURE GROWTH NEEDS. THANK YOU FOR YOUR PRESENTATION. ANY QUESTIONS? HE HE. NOT OKAY. COUNCILMAN ATKINS. YES, THANK YOU, MR. DOW. MY QUESTION IS JUST REALLY THE LAST SENTENCE THAT YOU HAVE ON YOUR ONE PAGER PROACTIVELY ADDRESSING AGING INFRASTRUCTURE AND FUTURE GROWTH NEEDS. CAN YOU JUST SPEAK TO HOW EASTPOINTE POWER IS DOING THAT WITH THOSE DOLLARS THAT WE ARE COLLECTING FOR THAT ENTERPRISE, OR ARE WE PULLING DOLLARS FROM ELSEWHERE TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE ABLE TO DO THIS? SO YEAH, WE'RE USING DOLLARS FROM JUST THE ENTERPRISE FUND, THE PROJECTS, THE GRID HARDENING PROJECT, THE SKATER INITIATIVES, THE OSMOSE PROJECT, ALL OF THOSE ARE BUDGETED WITH ENTERPRISE FUNDS. 
          OKAY. THANK YOU. COUNCILWOMAN HAMMOND, OR THIS IS A VERY SMALL ISSUE, BUT I NOTICED THAT YOUR SENIOR DISCOUNTS WERE TAKEN. IS THAT HOW EXPLAIN TO ME WHAT THIS MEANS, WHERE IT SAYS A SENIOR DISCOUNT, IS THAT REMOVED FROM YOUR BUDGET, OR IS THAT MEANING THAT'S THE REDUCTION THAT YOU'RE GOING TO SEE BECAUSE YOU ARE OFFERING THAT DISCOUNT. I'M IT'S ON PAGE 164. I'M GOING TO ASK FINANCE TO RESPOND TO THAT. SO IT'S IT'S ANTICIPATION THAT THOSE WILL BE REFUNDS WE GIVE BACK TO SENIORS, I SEE OKAY. THANK YOU. I JUST WANT TO BE SURE. THANK YOU. YOU'RE WELCOME. OKAY. ANY MORE QUESTIONS? COUNCILMAN MIKE ROGERS? YES. ONE SECOND. YEAH. 
          I HAVE QUITE A FEW QUESTIONS HERE, BUT I'VE ALREADY GIVEN I'VE ALREADY GIVEN THE INFORMATION. BUT ON PAGE 174, THE WATER AND SEWER HAS THE WRONG FUND NUMBER. WAIT A MINUTE. THAT'S ELECTRICAL. I'M SORRY. PAGE 166. SORRY. THAT WAS THE WRONG QUESTION. WRONG OBSERVATION. BUT IF YOU GO TO PAGE 166, THERE'S A LINE ITEM FOR VEHICLES THAT SHOULD NOT BE THERE AND SHOULD BE A PART OF THE CAPITAL BUDGET. SO I WANTED THE RECORD TO REFLECT THAT. 
          THANK YOU. THAT WAS MORE OR LESS AN OBSERVATION, NOT A QUESTION FOR YOU. THANK YOU, MR. DOW. THANK YOU, MR. DOW, FOR YOUR PRESENTATION. THANK YOU. HAVE A GOOD NIGHT. OUR SOLID WASTE DEPARTMENT. ANYONE FROM SOLID WASTE HERE? ALL RIGHT. YOU WANT TO TRY TO MAKE IT? GOOD EVENING, MADAM MAYOR. COUNCIL AND CITY MANAGER. DEPUTY. STRAIGHT INTO THE FISCAL YEAR MARKED THE YEAR OF OPERATION OF STABILIZATION, WORKFORCE ALIGNMENT AND FUND FUND. FUNDAMENTAL IMPROVEMENT. FISCAL YEAR 27. BUDGET ADVANCED THE DEPARTMENT TOWARDS LONG TERM SUSTAINABILITY BY PRIORITIZING STAFFING NEEDS. FLEET RELIABILITY, MANDATORY CONTRACTUAL INCREASE, AND TECHNOLOGY INVESTMENTS. THESE CHANGES ARE NECESSARY TO MAINTAIN SERVICE QUALITY, SUPPORT OPERATIONAL EFFICIENCY AND ENSURE THE DEPARTMENT REMAINS POSITIONED TO MEET THE CITY'S GROWING SERVICE DEMANDS. ANY QUESTIONS? SORRY. ANY QUESTIONS FROM COUNCIL? NO THANK YOU. HAVE A GOOD NIGHT. YOU HAVE A GOOD NIGHT. ALRIGHT. 
          [02:35:05]
ALRIGHT. NEXT WE ARE GOING TO HEAR FROM OUR PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT. PUBLIC WORKS. GOOD EVENING, MAYOR AND COUNCIL. THANK YOU FOR HAVING US HERE THIS EVENING. I'M KIND OF USED TO GOING REED'S NAME. I'M ALWAYS THE LAST PERSON COMING IN OVER THE NIGHT, BUT. WE WANT TO KEEP THIS UP REAL QUICK. SO. 
          THANK YOU. SO THE PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT COMPLETED A PHASE ONE OF GDOT FUNDING DOWNTOWN MULTI-MODAL PROJECT. WE INITIATED CITYWIDE WAYFINDING SIGNAGE, WHICH IS A PROJECT THAT WE GOT STARTED. IT'S BEEN LONG COMING. A COUPLE COUNCIL MEMBERS WHO WERE HERE ALREADY UNDERSTAND HOW LONG THAT PROCESS HAS BEEN, BUT WE GOT TO START IT. WE FINISHED SOME SIDEWALK IMPROVEMENTS ACROSS MULTIPLE WARDS AND RESURFACED ABOUT 22 MILES OF ROADWAY CITYWIDE AND ENHANCED LOCAL INFRASTRUCTURE. SOME OF THE KEY ACCOMPLISHMENTS FOR DOWNTOWN PROJECTS ONE THE GATEWAY WAYFINDING. AGAIN, SIDEWALK INFRASTRUCTURE, ROADWAY RESURFACING, BUILDING UPGRADES. BUILDING UPGRADES FOR MODERNIZATION. EXCUSE ME. 
          PUBLIC WORKS, FY 27 BUDGET AND CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PLAN. ITEMIZED CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE FACILITIES, AND MOBILITY UPGRADES ACROSS THE CITY TO ADDRESS AGING ASSETS. 
          THE PROJECT FALLS INTO THREE CATEGORIES. WE TRY TO CATEGORIZE IT FACILITIES ROADWAY, PAVEMENT AND PEDESTRIAN SAFETY ENHANCEMENT, BUILDING IMPROVEMENTS, AND KEY PROJECTS. OVERVIEW. INTERIOR DEMOLITION OF THE OLD CITY HALL. WE'RE GOING TO TRY TO SALVAGE THAT AS AS A LEGACY FOR OUR FUTURE. WE'RE PLANNING ON BRINGING IN AN ARCHITECTURAL ENGINEER TO WORK CITYWIDE TO LOOK AT ALL OUR BUILDINGS THAT NEED IMPROVEMENTS SO THEY CAN GIVE US A DESIGN FACTOR WHERE WE NEED TO BE AND WHAT WE NEED TO DO IN REFERENCE TO REHABBING THOSE BUILDINGS, CUSTOMER CARE, PARKING LOT RESURFACING AND PAVING, CUSTOMER CARE, BUILDING REPAIRS, PAINTING AND EXTERIORS, GIVING IT SOME MAINTENANCE. PRESERVE THE BUILDING. THE OLD LIBRARY. PLANNING ON DOING SOME EXTERIOR REPAIRS WITH THAT BECAUSE IT IS RIGHT HERE BY OUR CITY HALL. ONCE WE START THE AUDITORIUM, WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THAT BUILDING HAS SOMETHING, AND IT'S ALSO A BUILDING THAT WE'RE GOING TO LOOK INTO IN REFERENCE TO WHAT BETTER USES WE CAN HAVE AS FAR AS MAYBE A COMMUNITY MEETING CENTER OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT. 
          SO WE'RE LOOKING INTO THAT. THE LAW ENFORCEMENT CENTER PLAN ON REPLACING THE BORDER BOILER, AND THAT THIS YEAR, LSC FIRST FLOOR RESTROOMS AS WELL, UPGRADING THAT LEC JAIL LOCKS REPLACEMENT PROJECT PHASE ONE HAS ALREADY STARTED. WE'LL BE GOING INTO PHASE TWO. WELL, THEY'RE STARTING WITH THE ENGINEERING AND DESIGN, LOOKING AT ALL THE DOORS AND SEEING WHAT THEY NEED TO DO AS FAR AS UPGRADES TO MODERNIZE THOSE DOORS FROM THE REGULAR KEY LOCKS TO SOME TYPE OF SYSTEM THAT'S GOING TO BE MORE SAFE AND UPGRADED FOR THE JAIL. CITY ANNEX BUILDING, RESTROOMS AND KITCHEN UPGRADES. WE COMPLETED THE FIRST PHASE OF THE CITY ANNEX. IF YOU'VE BEEN IN THERE, WE PUT IN NEW FLOORS AND CEILINGS. WE'RE WORKING NOW TO DEMOLITION OF THE THE KITCHEN SO WE CAN UPGRADE THAT KITCHEN NOT TO BE WHERE THEY ARE IN THERE FRYING, BUT BASICALLY HAVING A WARMING STATION. SO WHEN WE BEGIN TO RENT OUT THE PLACE THAT WE'LL HAVE A FEASIBLE PLACE TO GO, THE RESTROOMS, WE'RE GOING TO INCREASE THE SIZE OF THE WOMEN'S RESTROOMS. BECAUSE IF WE INCREASE, IF WE TRY TO RENT OUT A PLACE, WE WANT TO BE SURE WE START SERVING EVERYONE. SO WE'LL HAVE SOME RESTROOM UPGRADES AS WELL. THE PUBLIC WORKS MAINTENANCE BUILDING, IT'S DOWN OFF OF GROVE. IT'S OUR METAL BUILDING THAT WE HAD TO TAKE STAFF OUT OF LAST YEAR AND BRING THEM OVER INTO THE ANNEX. SO WE'RE LOOKING WE ALREADY STARTED THAT PROCESS OF GETTING GUTTING THAT, AND WE'LL BE GOING INTO THE NEXT PHASE THE NEXT YEAR, UPGRADING THAT TO GET STAFF BACK INTO THAT BUILDING. WE'RE KIND OF STACKED ON TOP OF EACH OTHER WITH PUBLIC WORKS AND PARK AND RECREATION. EVERYBODY ON BUILDING OUR PAVEMENT, ROADS AND TRAFFICS ARE CALMING PAVEMENT REPAIRS AROUND THE CITY. SPEED HUMPS, FUNDINGS PER RESIDENTIAL REQUESTS. GATEWAY. 
          WAYFINDING SIGN, NEXT PHASES, EAST POINT STREET AND CHURCH STREET. ROADWAY IMPROVEMENTS. 
          OUR PEDESTRIAN SAFETY AND ACCESSIBILITY. KEY ASPECTS. OVERVIEW. ANNUAL SIDEWALK ADA 
          [02:40:03]
REPAIR PROJECTS, ANNUAL REPAIRS AND SAFETY IMPROVEMENTS, AND SAFE STREETS AND ACTION PLAN FUNDING. SO WITH SOME OF OUR SIDEWALKS, WE HAVE SOME AREAS THAT WE'VE BEEN TRYING TO ADDRESS AS WE MOVE, MOVE ON. AND IN WARDS WHERE WE'RE SOME ARE OLDER WARDS WHERE WE'RE GOING TO GO INTO IN THE NEXT 4 OR 5 YEARS AND JUST START DOING MASTER PLAN MASTER PROJECTS IN THERE WITH ROADWAY RESURFACING AND SIDEWALK REPAIRS MADE THE CHANGE FROM US. WE REALLY DON'T HAVE ANY MAJOR CHANGES FROM OUR BUDGET. THAT'S FROM LAST YEAR TO THIS YEAR OTHER THAN MAYBE THE TRAINING, AND WE DEFINITELY WILL NEED SOME TRAINING FOR OUR TRANSPORTATION ENGINEERS. ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE UTILIZE WITH OUR OUR STAFF IS WITH GDOT. HOPEFULLY THEY DON'T HAVE ANY FUNDING PROBLEMS, BUT THEY USUALLY GDOT DOES PROVIDE US WITH SOME THINGS THAT WE CAN UTILIZE WITH OUR STAFF AND THANK GOD FOR OUR WATER AND SEWER DIRECTOR. SHE PROVIDES THE TRAINING FOR OUR CERTIFICATIONS FOR WATER, THE STORMWATER. ANY QUESTIONS? COUNCILWOMAN HEMMING, THIS IS JUST A STATEMENT. THANK YOU FOR ALL THAT YOU'VE DONE. ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I HOPE WE CONTINUE INVESTING IN, AND I KNOW THAT THE GROUNDS PEOPLE DO A LOT OF THIS, BUT WE HAVE SOME OF THOSE CITY OWNED PROPERTIES, PARTICULARLY IN WARD A, THAT COULD USE SOME ATTENTION. SO, YOU KNOW, I DRIVE DOWN NORMAN BERRY AND I LOOK AT THE RETAINING WALL OF THE EAST POINT HISTORICAL SOCIETY, FOR EXAMPLE, AND THAT IS IN A STATE OF CONCERN. ALSO, YOU KNOW, OUR PARKS AND REC DEPARTMENT USES THE EAST POINT HISTORICAL SOCIETY FOR A LOT OF THEIR EVENTS. AND IF I UNDERSTAND CORRECTLY, THERE PORCH RAILING IS THERE'S CONCERN THAT IT WOULD BE UNSAFE. SO I WOULD JUST BE CURIOUS ABOUT, YOU KNOW, WHAT FUTURE PLANS MIGHT LOOK LIKE FOR CONTINUING TO BRING SOME OF THESE PROPERTIES THAT WE OWN TO, YOU KNOW, UP TO STANDARD, UP TO CODE, THAT BUILDING'S NOT ADA COMPLIANT, ETCETERA. SO YOU DON'T HAVE TO HAVE AN ANSWER TONIGHT. BUT IT'S SOMETHING THAT IS IMPORTANT THAT I BELIEVE WE SHOULD BE THINKING ABOUT MORE DAY. IT'S IN MY NOTES. IT'S IN THERE, I MISSED IT. NO, MY NOTES. IT'S IN YOUR NOTES. YES, MA'AM. OKAY. TO TALK ABOUT THIS EVENING BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE IT AS FAR AS OUR CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT, BUT WITH SOME OF THE THINGS THAT HAVE WHEN THERE'S THERE'S BECOME TO BE MORE UTILIZED. IT'S ACTUALLY A PARK AND RECREATION PROPERTY. BUT THE BUILDING ITSELF, WE'VE LOOKED AT IT, WE'VE HAD TO REPLACE SOME OF THE AIR CONDITIONING UNITS IN THERE. SO WHAT WE PLAN ON DOING IS ADDING THAT PART OF OUR NEXT FIVE YEAR PLAN TO TRY TO GO IN THERE AND DO SOME ROOFING REPAIRS, SOME OF THE SOME MAINTENANCE STUFF THAT WE CAN JUST BASICALLY ADD INTO OUR BUILDING MAINTENANCE AND A LITTLE SMALLER THINGS. BUT THE LARGER THINGS WE WILL BE ADDING IN IN REFERENCE TO WHAT OUR CAPITAL PLANS IN THE FUTURE YEARS. THANK YOU. YES, MA'AM. COUNCILMAN ROGERS, COUNCILWOMAN ATKINS AND THEN COUNCILWOMAN ZIEGLER, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR PRESENTATION AND WHAT I WANTED TO SAY. AND THIS IS MORE OR LESS AN OBSERVATION. MOST CITIES HAVE A KEY COLLEGE PARK. BEAUTIFUL. HAS THERE BEEN ANY DISCUSSION ON. A REBOOT OF KEEP EASTPOINTE BEAUTIFUL? THERE HASN'T BEEN ANY DISCUSSIONS. I DO TALK TO MISS KENNEDY. SHE AND I ARE IN SOME MEETINGS WITH THE. THAT WE EARN SOME CERTAIN MEETINGS, REFERENCE OUR. OUR MUNICIPAL. 
          KEEPING THIS AREA CLEAN WITH THE A AT ATLANTA CITY. AND WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THAT. AND I ASKED HER ABOUT SOME WAYS, SOME STEPS TO POSSIBLY REACH BACK OUT TO SOMEONE TO BRING IT BACK IN. SHE'S NOT LOOKING FORWARD TO IT. BUT I DID TALK TO HER ABOUT REFERENCE. HOW DO WE GET SOMEONE BACK IN AND IF THE FUNDING IS STILL AVAILABLE THAT THEY USED TO HAVE? AND THAT'S SOMETHING I HAVEN'T TALKED TO YOU ABOUT. NO, IT'S NOTHING. IT'S WRITTEN IN STONE, BUT WE DO TALK ABOUT IT. I HAVE TALKED ABOUT IT WITH MISS KENNEDY. YES, MA'AM. WE ACTUALLY JUST LAST MONTH. MA'AM. MA'AM. YES, MA'AM. THANK YOU. WELCOME, ATKINS. YES. THANK YOU. AS IT RELATES TO EDUCATION AND TRAINING, YOU MENTIONED THAT OBVIOUSLY YOU GUYS WILL CONTINUE TO NEED TO HAVE THAT. DO YOU KNOW WHAT YOUR OVERALL AMOUNT IS FOR THAT? IT LOOKS LIKE THERE'S SEVERAL DIFFERENT GEO NUMBERS LIKE 42, 1042, 20, 42, 30 MIGHT HAVE. SO THE BEEF UP IS GOING TO COME OUT OF TRANSPORTATION. I USUALLY GO TO ONE PAY CONFERENCE THAT I HAVE TO ATTEND, WHICH IS PART OF CERTIFICATIONS. WE MAY HAVE TO PUT THAT BACK IN. IF NOT, I JUST HAVE TO PASS IT UP FOR THIS YEAR, WHICH I COULD, BUT I. TRANSPORTATION ENGINEERS WILL NEED THEIR FUNDING AND THAT'S AROUND ABOUT 10,000, $12,000. YEAH. WE DON'T WE DON'T HAVE A WHOLE LOT OF TOTAL FUNDING ACROSS ALL OF THOSE DIFFERENT DIVISIONS WITHIN PUBLIC WORKS. 
          ABOUT $10,000. YES. YEAH, ABOUT $15,000. YEAH. THEY'VE GOT TWO ENGINEERS. AND THEN WE HAVE OUR 
          [02:45:03]
CERTIFICATIONS OR PEOPLE WHO HAD A CDL WHO GO BACK AND RENEW THEIR CDLS. AND THOSE ARE NOT THAT EXPENSIVE. THE OTHER TRAININGS WE USUALLY HAVE, WHICH IS TRENCH TRAINING AND OPERATIONS AND THINGS THAT USUALLY COMES FROM GDOT AND IT'S FREE. SO THAT'S WHY I SAY IF THOSE FUNDS GET DON'T GET CUT FROM THAT, WE SHOULD STILL BE ABLE TO UTILIZE THOSE. AS FAR AS TRAINING FOR OUR STAFF, IT'S ABOUT 10,000, 15,000 BECAUSE THEY DO ABOUT 10,000 THEMSELVES. OKAY. I SAID I'D DO 25. YOU KNOW, JUST REALLY JUST TRYING TO GET AN IDEA. BUT WE'LL WE'LL PUT THOSE NUMBERS BACK TOGETHER. WE HAD THEM TO, THEY, WE HAD THEM IN THERE. I JUST HAVE TO COME BACK AND LOOK AT THEM AGAIN. OKAY. YEAH. THANK YOU MA'AM. THANK YOU. 
          COUNCILMAN ATKINS. COUNCILWOMAN ZIEGLER. YES. THANK YOU. THANK YOU FOR YOUR PRESENTATION. SO ONE OF THE THINGS I DIDN'T SEE THAT I WAS HOPING TO SEE WAS SOMETHING IN YOUR BUDGET RELATED TO LITTER PICKUP. I'M NOT SURE IF I MISSED IT. OR IS THAT SOMETHING YOU CAN ELABORATE ON? IT IS IN OUR BUDGET. WE HAVE OUR STAFFING THAT'S IN OUR BUDGET, AND THEN WE ALSO HAVE OUR TRANSFER FEE THAT WE HAVE TO TAKE TO THE TRANSIT STATION. THAT'S ALL ADDED INTO OUR BUDGET, OUR TEAM, WE HAVE A LITTER TEAM AND ALSO HAVE WE HAVE A LEGAL DUMPING TEAM THAT ACTUALLY ESTABLISHED THIS YEAR. SO WE HAVE A LEGAL DUMPING AND WE HAVE A LITTER TEAM THAT GOES OUT AND OUR LEGAL DUMPING TEAM IS WORKING VERY WELL WITH EAST POINT POLICE CODE ENFORCEMENT IN REFERENCE. SO THEY'VE EVEN PUT SOME CAMERAS UP TO SOME LOCATIONS THAT WE'VE HAD SOME DUMPING ISSUES OR BE. SO THEY HAVE PUT SOME CAMERAS UP TO MONITOR THAT. OKAY. BUT WHAT ABOUT ANY THIRD PARTY? WE, I. THEY HAVE A THIRD PARTY THAT'S WORKING RIGHT NOW. MY UNDERSTANDING THEY'RE GOING TO BE AROUND FOR A WHILE. IT'S CALLED THE PEOPLE WHO ARE WORKING IN THE DOWNTOWN AREA. SO THAT'S TAKEN AWAY A LITTLE BIT OF WHAT OUR RESPONSIBILITIES ARE. BUT WE STILL COME THROUGH. WE THINK THAT OUR STAFF THAT WE HAVE HAS UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT THE LITTER PROGRAM CONSISTS OF. WE HAVE FOLKS WHO COME TO WORK ON A DAY TO DAY BASIS, AND I THINK WE'RE WORKING PRETTY ADEQUATE WITH THAT. IF THERE'S SOME SITUATIONS THAT WE HAVE ON THE WEEKENDS, THEY COME IN, SAME STAFF COMES IN AND WORKS WITH SOME OF THE WORK WITH THE COMMUNITY LITTER PICK UP PROGRAMS. SO SOME OF THOSE THINGS THAT WE'RE WORKING WITH INTERNALLY. OKAY. AND WHAT ABOUT LIKE POWER WASHING? I'M SORRY, COUNCILWOMAN ZIEGLER, CAN WE JUST KEEP IT TO ONE QUESTION, PLEASE, TO KEEP IT MOVING? OKAY. THANK YOU. I'M SORRY. GO AHEAD. I TALKED TO YOU ABOUT THE POWERS. OKAY, I GOT SOMETHING. ALL RIGHT. IF WE HAVE ANY MORE FOLLOW UP QUESTIONS, MAYBE WE CAN FIND A. YES, MA'AM. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR PRESENTATION. THANK YOU, THANK YOU. 
          GOOD EVENING, MADAM MAYOR AND COUNCIL MEMBERS. I'M GOING TO TRY TO CRUNCH THIS DOWN. SO FY 26, WE HAD AN EXCITING YEAR. WE RECEIVED $1,250,000 FROM CONGRESSIONALLY DIRECTED SPENDING FOR OUR SECOND PHASE OF OUR PFAS FILTRATION SYSTEM THAT WAS SUPPORTED BY SENATORS OSSOFF, WARNOCK AND CONGRESS. MISS WOMAN. EXCUSE ME. MCBATH. WE ALSO RECEIVED IN FISCAL YEAR 2026 $1,092,000 FROM CORRECTIONAL, EXCUSE ME, CONGRESSIONAL DIRECTED SPENDING FOR THE NORMAN BERRY STORM WATER REPLACEMENT PROJECT. THAT PROJECT ALSO WAS SUPPORTED BY OUR SENATORS OSSOFF, WARNOCK, NIKEMA WILLIAMS, CONGRESSWOMAN NIKEMA WILLIAMS, EXCUSE ME, AND LUCY MCBATH. WE RECEIVED IN 2024 $1.6 MILLION FOR THE WATER TREATMENT PLANT UPGRADES. THIS INCLUDES THE INSTALLATION OF A NEW GENERATING GENERATOR. 
          EXCUSE ME, PUMPING STATION, NEW ACTUATORS, AND REHABILITATION OF OUR CLEARWELL FACILITY. THIS ALSO WAS SUPPORTED BY OUR SENATORS AND OUR CONGRESS WOMEN. THIS PROJECT WE SUCCESSFULLY APPLIED FOR AND RECEIVED A WAIVER OF A NONFEDERAL MATCH OF $400,000. THIS PROJECT IS SLATED TO BE COMPLETED IN OCTOBER OF 2026. WE ALSO RECEIVED IN 2024 THE $1.6 MILLION ALSO FOR CONGRESSIONALLY DIRECTED SPENDING FOR THE WINBURN DRIVE WATER MAIN REPLACEMENT PROJECT. THAT PROJECT IS CURRENTLY ONGOING, AND AS WELL, WE ARE 
          [02:50:06]
ANTICIPATED TO COMPLETE THAT PROJECT BY OCTOBER 2026. AND AGAIN, WE ALSO APPLIED FOR A WAIVER OF THE $400,000 MATCH, AND WE RECEIVED THAT. WE HAVE ONGOING AS WELL THIS YEAR. THIS WILL CROSS 2026 FISCAL YEAR AND GO INTO FISCAL YEAR. 2027. IS THE SEWER MAIN REPLACEMENT PROJECT IN THE AMOUNT OF $3.8 MILLION. $2 MILLION OF THAT FUNDS WAS FUNDED BY THE GEORGIA ENVIRONMENTAL FINANCE AUTHORITY LOAN THAT WE RECEIVED IN 2021, AND $1.8 MILLION OF THOSE FUNDS ARE FROM THE MUNICIPAL OPTION SALES TAX. IN THIS PROJECT, IT WILL ENCOMPASS 2.34 MILES OF SEWER REHABILITATION ON SYLVAN ROAD, PLANT STREET, DAUPHIN STREET, DUNLAP AVENUE AND ALSO PEARL STREET. WE ALSO WOULD REHABILITATE 48 SANITARY SEWER MANHOLES. THIS PROJECT BEGAN IN APRIL 2026 AND IS EXPECTED TO LAST APPROXIMATELY SIX MONTHS. THE BEN HILL RESERVOIR REPAIR PROJECT WE RECEIVED $1.4 MILLION IN FUNDING. CONSTRUCTION IS SLATED TO BEGIN OCTOBER 2026, WITH A COMPLETION DATE OF FEBRUARY 2027. THIS YEAR, WE ALSO RECEIVED THE UNITED STATES ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS RAW WATER LINE REPLACEMENT PROJECT IN THE AMOUNT OF $15 MILLION AWARDED TO THE CITY OF EASTPOINTE THROUGH THE EASTPOINTE WATER INFRASTRUCTURE ACT. SO FAR, WE HAVE COMPLETED OUR NONFEDERAL COST SHARE PAYMENT. WE COMPLETED THAT IN JUNE OF 2026. CURRENTLY, WE ARE PREPARING THE PROJECT FOR DESIGN, BUILD AND FOR THE PROCUREMENT PHASE OF THIS PROJECT. IN TERMS OF COMMUNITY BLOCK GRANT PROJECTS, WE COMPLETED WEST CLEVELAND AVENUE WATER MAIN REPLACEMENT IN THE AMOUNT OF $120,000 THAT WE RECEIVED. WE ARE GOING TO REVIEW THE NEXT CONTRACT FOR WEST HAMILTON AVENUE WATERLINE REPLACEMENT IN JULY OF 2026, AND IN FISCAL YEAR 2027, WE ARE ANTICIPATING THE DRONE STREET AT WASHINGTON ROAD WATERLINE IMPROVEMENT PROJECT IN 2024 AND 2025. EAST POINT WATER AND SEWER DEPARTMENT RECEIVED THE GOLD AWARD FOR DISTRIBUTION EXCELLENCE, AND WE WILL BE GOING FOR THAT SAME AWARD THIS YEAR. WE ALSO THIS YEAR RECEIVED BEST TASTING TAP WATER IN THE METROPOLITAN AREA. IN TERMS OF FISCAL YEAR 2027 CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM. 
          THIS REPRESENTS OUR STRATEGIC INVESTMENT IN EAST POINT WATER, SEWER AND STORMWATER INFRASTRUCTURE TO PROTECT PUBLIC HEALTH, MAINTAIN REGULATORY COMPLIANCE, IMPROVE RELIABILITY, REDUCE FLOODING, AND SUPPORT FUTURE GROWTH. OUR KEY PRIORITIES ARE REGULATORY COMPLIANCE AND PUBLIC HEALTH UPGRADES TO OUR WATER TREATMENT FACILITIES, OUR BACKFLOW PREVENTION PROGRAM, OUR SEWER SYSTEMS AND OUR RESERVOIR INFRASTRUCTURE WILL PREPARE US FOR EMERGING DRINKING WATER REGULATIONS. THIS WILL REDUCE ENVIRONMENTAL RISK, ENSURE SAFE, RELIABLE WATER SERVICE. OUR SECOND PRIORITY IS INFRASTRUCTURE RENEWAL. WE HAVE SCHEDULED REPLACEMENT OF OUR AGING WATER MAINS, OUR SEWER LINES, OUR PUMPS, OUR VALVES AND OUR WATER STORAGE FACILITIES TO IMPROVE SYSTEM RELIABILITY, REDUCE SERVICE INTERRUPTIONS AND EXTEND ASSET LIFE. OUR THIRD PRIORITY IS TECHNOLOGY AND OPERATIONAL EFFICIENCY. WE PLAN ON EXPANDING OUR INFRASTRUCTURE, OUR LEAK DETECTION PROGRAM, OUR FLOW MONITORING, AND ALSO OUR SKATER SYSTEM FOR OUR WATER TREATMENT PLANT. THIS WILL ENHANCE OUR SYSTEM MONITORING, OUR REVENUE RECOVERY AND OPERATIONAL DECISION MAKING. WE ALSO HAVE OUR FOURTH PRIORITY IS GROWTH AND CAPACITY. WE'RE TRYING TO ATTEMPT TO MAKE WATER DISTRIBUTION EXCUSE ME, DISTRIBUTION IMPROVEMENTS TO OUR BOOSTER PUMPS AND ALSO OUR DIFFERENT AREAS OF OUR METER INFRASTRUCTURE PROGRAM. AND SO FOR RESILIENCY AND TO PREPARE US FOR EMERGENCIES, WE HAVE PLANNED FOR EMERGENCY GENERATORS, PUMP UPGRADES, VALVES, AND OF COURSE, ENHANCEMENTS TO OUR WATER TREATMENT PLANT FACILITY FOR STORMWATER. WE ARE GOING TO IMPROVE OUR DRAINAGE UPGRADES, PIPE REPLACEMENTS, IMPROVE CREEK MAINTENANCE, AND WORK ON PRIORITIZING FLOOD REDUCTION PROJECTS AND PROGRAMS. ANY QUESTIONS? THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR PRESENTATION, COUNCILMAN ATKINS. YES, THANK YOU. DIRECTOR ECHEVARRIA, ONE QUESTION AROUND FLOOD MAINTENANCE. I JUST HEARD YOU 
          [02:55:02]
SPEAK OF THAT. SO THAT IS STILL WITHIN FY 27 TO HAVE DOLLARS TO BE ABLE TO ADDRESS SOME OF THE FLOODING THAT'S HAPPENING THROUGHOUT THE CITY. I BELIEVE SOME OF THAT WAS ON THE DEFERRED LIST OF PROJECTS. SO WE DO HAVE A MASTER PLAN. THE PROBLEM IS WITH VARIOUS DRAINAGE PATTERNS AND ALSO THE AMOUNT OF RAIN THAT WE'VE BEEN RECEIVING. WE NEED TO UPDATE THAT TO MAKE SURE WE'RE PUTTING THE MONEY WHERE WE NEED TO. I WOULD SAY WE SHOULD BE ABLE TO COMPLETE A PROJECT, A PROJECT OR TWO. WE DO CURRENTLY HAVE AN ISSUE AT WILLINGHAM. IT'S A SINKHOLE THAT'S ACTUALLY FORMING RIGHT NOW, BUT I THINK THE GOAL NOW IS TO UPDATE THE CURRENT MASTER PLAN TO MAKE SURE THAT THE HYDROLOGY OF ANY OF THOSE IMPACTS ARE ACTUALLY ACCURATE, OR THEY HAVEN'T CHANGED SINCE THE LAST STUDY THAT WE DID. OKAY. BUT I HEARD YOU TALK ABOUT FLOOD MAINTENANCE AND WE ARE IN FY 20. YES. SO IN ORDER TO DO FLOOD MAINTENANCE, WE HAVE CREEK MAINTENANCE. WE HAVE ROADS AND DRAINAGE THAT WE WORK WITH. AND THEN OF COURSE, WITH THE STORMWATER UTILITY, WE FOCUS ON LARGE SCALE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS. SO THESE ARE AREAS THAT MAY NEED STORM DRAINS, SOME THAT HAVE BEEN DETERIORATED OR SOME THAT NEED TO BE UPGRADED. AND SO YES, TWO THINGS WE'VE DONE, WE'VE BUDGETED IT. AND ALSO YOU SEE THAT I'M APPLYING AND WE'VE BEEN SUCCESSFUL IN RECEIVING FUNDING FROM FEDERAL GOVERNMENT TO HANDLE ISSUES LIKE THAT, INCLUDING THE NORMAN BERRY DRIVE PROJECT. THANK YOU. COUNCILWOMAN HEMMING. MY THANK YOU FOR EVERYTHING THAT YOU DO FOR THE CITY. MY QUESTION FOLLOWS COUNCIL MEMBER ATKINS IN THAT A LOT OF TIMES THE RESIDENTS HAVE QUESTIONS ABOUT THE STORMWATER UTILITY AND THE FEE. AND SO YOU JUST MENTIONED. 
          SO I JUST WANTED YOU TO DOUBLE TAP ON THAT AND SHARE WITH THE COMMUNITY HOW THOSE STORMWATER UTILITY FEES ARE USED FOR INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS, BECAUSE I THINK THERE'S SOMETIMES A, A QUESTION ABOUT WHETHER OR NOT THEY CAN BE USED FOR PRIVATE LAND AND THINGS OF THAT NATURE. SO COULD YOU JUST JUST TALK ABOUT IT RELATED TO THE BUDGET JUST REALLY QUICKLY? YES. SO THAT'S NOT JUST KIND OF TRY TO DO IT. SIMPLE. SO IN TERMS OF THE STORMWATER UTILITY, THE MAIN PURPOSE OF IT WAS FOR US TO BE IN COMPLIANCE ON STATE REGULATIONS. AND SO THE CITY OF EASTPOINTE HAS A MUNICIPAL SEPARATE SEWER SYSTEM. THAT MEANS OUR SANITARY SEWER AND OUR STORMWATER SYSTEM IS NOT CONNECTED. HOWEVER, IN RESPONSE TO THAT, WE'RE RESPONSIBLE FOR MINIMIZING POLLUTANTS FROM ENTERING THAT STORMWATER NETWORK, WHICH AUTOMATICALLY LEADS TO DETERIORATION OF OUR WATERSHEDS. AND SO IT IS A COMBINATION. MOST OF IT WAS FOR US TO MAINTAIN AND UPGRADE OUR STORMWATER SYSTEM, BUT ALSO TO MAKE SURE THAT WE WERE IN COMPLIANCE WITH WHAT WE CALL THIS, THE NATIONAL POLLUTANT DISCHARGE ELIMINATION SYSTEM AND THOSE PERMITS THAT ARE GOVERNED ON A STATE OF GEORGIA IN THOSE LEVELS. AND SO WHAT WE PAY OUT OF THE STORMWATER UTILITY ARE, AGAIN, LARGE SCALE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS. 
          THE STREET SWEEPER WASTE, COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT, CREEK MAINTENANCE, MAINLY THINGS THAT ARE LOCATED IN THE CITY'S RIGHT OF WAY. NOW, THE CITY DOES HAVE AN ORDINANCE THAT HAS A COST SHARE PROGRAM. AND AGAIN, WE'VE HAD SOME PEOPLE THAT WENT THROUGH THAT PROCESS. BUT IN TERMS OF THE UTILITY, WE GET JUST OVER 2 MILLION A YEAR AND MAJORITY OF EXCUSE ME, MAJORITY OF THOSE FUNDS ARE ALREADY TAILORED FOR US TURNING IN OUR FIVE YEAR STORMWATER POLLUTION PLAN THAT WE HAVE BEEN 100% COMPLIANCE IN, AND ALSO OUR ANNUAL STORMWATER POLLUTION PREVENTION PLAN THAT WE JUST TURNED INTO EPD. AND WE'VE ALSO MET 100 COMPLIANCE. AND WITH THAT BEING SAID, IT'S HARD TO. IT'S A LOT IN IT. WE HAVE TO MAINTAIN, INSPECT AND DO 20% OF OUR SYSTEM EVERY YEAR. SO THAT'S WHAT THE STORMWATER UTILITY FEE GOES INTO IS MAKING SURE WE STAY IN COMPLIANCE WITH GEORGIA ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION DIVISION AND THOSE RULES AND REGULATIONS. THANK YOU, COUNCILMAN MARTIN ROGERS. YES, AND I'D LIKE TO SAY CONGRATULATIONS ON GOING AFTER THAT FUNDING FOR THE CITY OF EASTPOINTE. BUT THIS QUESTION IS FOR THE CITY MANAGER AND PROBABLY THE INTERIM FINANCE DIRECTOR. I NOTICED ON PAGE 176 FOR EDUCATION AND TRAVEL, THERE WAS $4,829 IN THE WATER AND SEWER DEPARTMENT. ON PAGE 178, THERE'S $2,139 FOR EDUCATION, TRAINING AND TRAVEL. AND ON PAGE 179, IT'S ANOTHER $3,627 FOR EDUCATION AND TRAINING AND TRAVEL. AND THEN ON PAGE 180, THERE'S ANOTHER $3,150 FOR EDUCATION, TRAVEL AND TRAINING. I GUESS THE QUESTION IS IN THE TOTAL AMOUNT FOR TRAVEL AND 
          [03:00:02]
TRAINING IS $13,745. WOULD THIS AMOUNT BE SUFFICIENT FOR OUR WATER AND SEWER DEPARTMENT? THIS SEEMS. THIS IS THIS. THIS DOES NOT SEEM LIKE A GREAT AMOUNT FOR TRAVEL AND TRAINING AS IT RELATES TO WATER. I DO KNOW THAT WE HAD P5'S. WE WERE THE FIRST IN THE STATE TO DO THE PFAS TRAINING FOR THE WATER DEPARTMENT. SO IS THIS $13,745 A ACCURATE AMOUNT FOR TRAVEL AND TRAINING? I DON'T HAVE LAST YEAR'S AMOUNT IN FRONT OF ME, BUT IS THIS AN ACCURATE AMOUNT FOR TRAVEL, EDUCATION, TRAVEL AND TRAINING FOR OUR WATER? SOMETHING THAT EVERYONE IN HERE CONSUMES? I WANT TO HAVE THAT. SO I'M LOOKING AT, I'M SORRY, COUNCIL MEMBER MARTIN ROGERS. 
          I'M LOOKING AT THE FIRST ONE, EDUCATION AND TRAINING. PAGE 176 EDUCATION, TRAVEL AND TRAINING IS $4,829. I'M IN THIS BUDGET PAGE. 176 YEAH, THAT'S THE ONE THAT'S ONLINE EDUCATION AND TRAVEL FOR DEPARTMENT 4310. G L NUMBER 5054310. IT'S JUST COMING UP. WATER AND SEWER 520. 
          ARE THESE ACCURATE AMOUNTS FOR EDUCATION, TRAVEL AND TRAINING FOR THE WATER AND SEWER DEPARTMENT? BASED ON THIS ONE IT'S A G L NUMBER 5054310. AND THE REQUEST IS 5301. AND THAT WAS WHAT WAS GIVEN. SO I GO BASED OFF OF OR WE GO BASED OFF OF THE DEPARTMENT REQUEST. SO THAT WAS THE THAT WAS THAT'S ACTUALLY WHAT WAS GIVEN FOR THAT SPECIFIC DEAL. IF YOU THINK THAT'S AN INCREASE, I MEAN, THAT WOULD BE SOMETHING YOU PROBABLY WOULD DISCUSS WITH THE DEPARTMENT HEAD. AND AGAIN, I, I CAN SHARE OVERALL STRATEGY. SO CERTAINLY TRAVEL BUDGETS WERE CUT. I MEAN, THAT'S THAT'S NOT THAT'S NOT NEW NEWS. CERTAINLY THERE'S BEEN SOME SOME QUESTIONS ASKED TO THAT THE DIRECTIVE WAS ANY CERTIFICATIONS THAT THOSE TRAVEL REQUESTS BE MAINTAINED IN THE BUDGET. SO YOU MAY SEE A A DECREASE NUMBER THAT IT LOOKS SHORTER OR SMALLER THAN PREVIOUS YEARS, ONLY BECAUSE THAT ONLY REPRESENTS THE CERTIFIED POSITIONS THAT WERE IDENTIFIED. NOW, THE OTHER STRATEGY THAT I'VE ALLUDED TO, AND ESSENTIALLY, AGAIN, I PLAN ON HAVING AT LEAST TWO BUDGET AMENDMENTS THROUGHOUT THE YEAR. 
          AND USUALLY THERE'S A THIRD TO HANDLE UNFORESEEN SITUATIONS. SO THE UNIQUE OR THE INTENT TO HAVE BUDGET AMENDMENTS STRUCTURED IN THAT WAY IS TO ALLOW YOU TO GET A HANDLE ON WHAT YOUR PROJECTIONS, YOUR ACTUAL PROJECTIONS ARE COMING IN AT. SO ONCE WE GET THAT KIND OF REALIZATION OF ACTUALS SOMEWHERE AROUND MID YEAR, AND IF TRAVEL COMES IN, I SAY CONFERENCES AT THE END OF THE YEAR OR THE THIRD QUARTER OR FOURTH QUARTER OF THE YEAR, THOSE TRAVEL EXPENSES WOULD STILL BE PROTECTED. NOW THAT'S NOT THAT'S NOT CONSIDERING IF COUNCIL WANTS TO MOVE COMMUNITY, SOME OF THE COMMUNITY FESTIVAL DOLLARS OR WHATEVER, THAT WOULD CHANGE THAT. I THINK IF WE MOVED THE ENTIRE 443,000, THAT WOULD RESTORE 90% OF ALL TRAVEL BUDGETS. SO I JUST WANTED TO KIND OF GIVE YOU WHAT THAT WAS, THE STRATEGY. OBVIOUSLY, THAT CAN BE THAT WAS THE STRATEGY BEHIND THE PROPOSED BUDGET. OBVIOUSLY, COUNCIL CAN HAVE A DIFFERENT APPROACH. ALRIGHT. AND THANK YOU SO MUCH, MR. CITY MANAGER. I THINK THAT YOUR STRATEGY SHOULD HAVE BEEN SHARED WITH COUNCIL, BECAUSE I SAID EARLIER ON THE PUBLIC RECORD THAT I ASKED REPEATEDLY FOR WHAT THE 10% IN THESE BUDGETS LOOKED LIKE. AND HERE WE ARE ALMOST AT THE 11TH HOUR AND STILL ACROSS THE BOARD. I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE 10% DECREASE IN DEPARTMENTS LOOK LIKE, ALTHOUGH I KNOW I'VE MADE THAT REQUEST NUMEROUS TIMES GOING ON. YOU KEEP MENTIONING A BUDGET AMENDMENT. YEAH. YOU HAVE ONE QUESTION. OKAY. THANK YOU. BUT YOU YOU MENTIONED A BUDGET AMENDMENT. WE HAVEN'T HAD A BUDGET AMENDMENT IN ONE YEAR, IN ALMOST SIX MONTHS. SO THANK YOU. PLEASE MAKE SURE THE RECORD REFLECTS THAT. MADAM CITY CLERK. ANY MORE QUESTIONS FOR MISS ETCHEVERRIA? THAT'S ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU SO MUCH. AND THANK YOU FOR THE REPORT AND ALL THAT YOU DO. THANK YOU, THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. 
          [03:05:02]
NEXT DEPARTMENT, WE HAVE COMMUNITY PLANNING, PLANNING AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT. GOOD EVENING, MADAM MAYOR AND FELLOW COUNCIL. DURING THE FY 26. DURING THE FY 26. YEAR FISCAL YEAR, THE DEPARTMENT HAS CONTINUED TO EXPAND OUR CUSTOMER SERVICE, IMPROVE TRANSPARENCY, STRENGTHEN WORKFORCE CAPACITY AND ADVANCE STRATEGIC PLANNING INITIATIVES, AND SUPPORT RESPONSIBLE GROWTH AND REDEVELOPMENT THROUGHOUT EAST POINT. THE DEPARTMENT HAS. 
          HAS GENERATED APPROXIMATELY 2.22 MILLION IN REVENUES, FACILITATED APPROXIMATELY 108.4 MILLION IN CONSTRUCTION VALUE, AND ISSUED 2434 PERMITS PROCESSED, 1317 BUSINESS LICENSES AND COMPLETED 1551 INSPECTIONS. WE'VE ALSO PROCESSED 424 OPEN RECORDS REQUESTS AND COMPLETED 156 NOTARY TRANSACTIONS. THE NOTARY TRANSACTIONS ARE AN EXPANDED SERVICE THAT WE JUST STARTED PROVIDING IN JANUARY OF THIS YEAR. DUE TO OUR ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT RECEIVING THAT CERTIFICATION. WE HAVE ALSO SERVED OVER 3600 WALK IN CUSTOMERS THROUGH OUR VIRTUAL CUSTOMER SERVICE COUNTER. THE DEPARTMENT CURRENTLY HAS AND WE ARE MANAGING 91 ACTIVE DEVELOPMENT REVIEWS, ALONG WITH 83 FUTURE SCHEDULED REVIEWS REPRESENTING A SIGNIFICANT PIPELINE OF PUBLIC AND PRIVATE INVESTMENT ACTIVITY THROUGHOUT THE CITY. AND I ALSO WANTED TO ADD THAT OUR PLANNING AND ZONING DIVISION HAS PROCESSED 133 PLANNING AND ZONING APPLICATIONS DURING THIS FISCAL YEAR, ALONG WITH THE 2434 PERMITS THAT WE'VE PROCESSED AND ISSUED APPROXIMATELY 194 OF THOSE, WE HAVE PROVIDED AN ENHANCED SERVICE OF MEETING WITH THOSE APPLICANTS WHO HAVE RECEIVED A DENIAL ON THE FIRST TIME. SO WHAT THAT MEANS IS IF AN APPLICATION COMES IN AND IT'S DENIED THE FIRST TIME, WE ACTUALLY REACH OUT TO THEM, AND WE'VE HAD 194 OF THOSE TYPE OF MEETINGS. SOME OTHER ACCOMPLISHMENTS THAT WE HAVE COMPLETED IN THE FISCAL YEAR THUS FAR. WE HAVE DEVELOPED, WE HAVE MAINTAINED DEVELOPMENT AND REVIEW PROCESSES AND IMPROVEMENT. WE HAVE EXECUTED THE TECHNICAL REVIEW MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING BETWEEN ALL OF THE TECHNICAL REVIEW DEPARTMENTS. IT HAS BEEN FULLY EXECUTED BY EVERY DEPARTMENT. WE HAVE MAINTAINED AND EXPANDED THE DEVELOPMENT, REVIEW, REVIEW AND PERFORMANCE AND ACCOUNTABILITY TRACKING SYSTEM, INTERNAL SYSTEM. WE HAVE CONTINUED TO IMPLEMENT THE MAJOR CONSULTING, DEVELOPMENT, REVIEW AND PERMITTING STUDY RECOMMENDATIONS THAT WAS PERFORMED IN 20 2017 BY THE MATRIX CONSULTING COMPANY. WE HAVE MAINTAINED A PUBLIC FACING DEVELOPMENT REVIEW DASHBOARD, WHICH CAN BE FOUND ON OUR WEB PAGE. WE HAVE ALSO ENGAGED IN COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT AND PUBLIC OUTREACH. WE'VE LAUNCHED AND EXPANDED THE CITY CIRCLE'S COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT SERIES THE FIRST QUARTER OF THIS YEAR. WE HAVE ALSO CONDUCTED DEVELOPMENT, REVIEW COMMUNITY CONVERSATIONS, AND HOSTED A DEVELOPMENT TASK FORCE INITIATIVE WHICH REACHED MANY STAKEHOLDERS OF THE COMMUNITY AND THE BUILDING AND RESIDENTIAL COMMUNITY. WE HAVE PROVIDED FOR TRANSPARENCY DASHBR NEWSLETTERS AND OUR PUBLIC INFORMATION. WE HAVE EXPANDED OUR CUSTOMER SERVICE COUNTER. 
          AS I STATED BEFORE, 156 NOTARY TRANSACTIONS HAVE BEEN PROVIDED FOR THE COMMUNITY WHERE THEY DID NOT HAVE TO GO UPSTAIRS TO THE CITY CLERK TO GET THOSE DOCUMENTS NOTARIZED. AND AGAIN, WE HAVE PROCESSED 424 OPEN RECORDS, SOME OTHER INITIATIVES. AS YOU ARE AWARE, WE HAVE INITIATED THE ZONING ORDINANCE REWRITE PROJECT. WE HAVE ALSO COORDINATED A FOOD TRUCK APPLICATION INITIATIVE, WHERE WE'RE WORKING WITH MULTIPLE DEPARTMENTS TO MAKE SURE THAT OUR PROCESSES ARE IN LINE WITH THE GEORGIA STATE CODE. SOME OTHER ACTIVITIES THAT WE HAVE DONE WITHIN THE FISCAL YEAR OF FY 25. WE HAVE PROMOTED THREE OF OUR EMPLOYEES. WE HAVE. WE 
          [03:10:05]
HAVE ALSO FILLED SEVERAL POSITIONS. OUR PROJECT MANAGER POSITIONS, ASSOCIATE PLANNER POSITION, AND TWO ASSISTANT PERMIT COORDINATORS POSITIONS. AS OF LAST MONDAY, OUR PERMIT IN BUSINESS LICENSE DIVISION IS FULLY STAFFED. OUR STAFF HAS ALSO BEEN BUSY WITH CERTIFICATIONS AND EDUCATION. OUR STAFF HAS MAINTAINED PROFESSIONAL CERTIFICATIONS, INCLUDING CERT CERTIFIED IN PROJECT MANAGEMENT. WE HAVE TWO CERTIFIED PERMIT PERMIT TECHNICIANS AND A CERTIFIED ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT. ALONG WITH THE PERMIT, THE NOTIFICATION, THE NOTARY PUBLIC CREDENTIALS. SOME OF OUR INITIATIVES THAT WE PLAN TO WORK ON IN FISCAL YEAR FY 27. WE PLAN TO. COMPLETE THE ZONING ORDINANCE REWRITE. WE'RE GOING TO WORK ON THE ZONING MAP UPDATE AND GIS MODERNIZATION EFFORTS. WE ARE ALSO GOING TO INITIATE THE 2027 COMPREHENSIVE PLAN UPDATE IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE ATLANTA REGIONAL COMMISSION, AND WE DO PLAN TO LOOK INTO THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE WILLINGHAM CORRIDOR STUDY, RECOMMENDATIONS THAT WERE ADOPTED WITH OUR COMPREHENSIVE PLAN. WE ALSO PLAN TO IMPLEMENT AND DEVELOP THE DATA CENTER ORDINANCE STANDARDS THAT WE TALKED ABOUT RECENTLY, ALONG WITH CONTINUING THE IMPLEMENTATION OF OUR MATRIX STUDY CONSULTANT RECOMMENDATIONS. AND I WILL STOP THERE. COUNCILWOMAN CUMMINGS. YES. THANK YOU. THANK YOU FOR YOUR. YES, THANK YOU, MADAM. MADAM, MADAM MAYOR, AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR PRESENTATION. 
          ONE QUESTION. HOW ARE WE WITH REGARDS TO AN IN-HOUSE PLAN REVIEW? I KNOW WE'RE LOOKING AT STAFFING, BUT HIRING AN IN-HOUSE PLAN REVIEW, THAT IS. THAT IS A PROCESS THAT WE'RE WORKING THROUGH IN OUR EFFORTS TO HIRE AN IN-HOUSE CHIEF BUILDING OFFICIAL. OKAY. WE HAVE GONE THROUGH TWO ROUNDS OF INTERVIEWS, AND UNFORTUNATELY, THE CHIEF BUILDING OFFICIAL POSITION WAS NOT HIRED, UNFORTUNATELY. SO WE ARE WORKING ON THAT. AS SOON AS WE GET THAT POSITION FILLED, WE'RE GOING TO LEAN ON HIM TO FILL PLAN REVIEW AS WELL AS OUR ADDITIONAL INTERNAL BUILDING INSPECTORS. OKAY. AND WHEN THAT PERSON IS BROUGHT ON BOARD, THAT WILL ELIMINATE WILL WE STILL BE DEALING WITH SAFE BUILD OR THEN WE'LL PRETTY MUCH HAVE OUR PEOPLE IN-HOUSE OR ALL OF OUR PEOPLE WILL BE IN-HOUSE. OKAY, GREAT. SOUNDS GOOD. THANK YOU, I YIELD. THANK YOU, COUNCILWOMAN CALDWELL. THANK YOU. QUICK QUESTION AROUND JUST CHALLENGES. SO WHAT DO YOU BELIEVE YOUR CHALLENGES ARE FOR THIS YEAR? AND ARE THEY ADDRESSED IN THOSE FY 27 INITIATIVES? OR LET ME STATE IT ANOTHER WAY. ARE THERE ANY OUTSTANDING CHALLENGES THAT YOU'RE NOT ADDRESSING AS FAR AS THE CHALLENGES THAT WE SEE IN KIND OF DID A PICTORIAL OF WHAT WE ARE LOOKING AT IN THE BUDGET, AS FAR AS WE SEE FOR OUR PLANNING COMMISSION, THAT BUDGET WAS REDUCED BY HALF, AND THAT MAY LIMIT SOME OF THE REGULAR AND SPECIAL CALL MEETINGS THAT ARE GOING THAT WILL SUPPORT OUR ZONING ORDINANCE REWRITE, AS WELL AS OUR COMPREHENSIVE PLAN UPDATE THAT WE HAVE COMING UP. IT ALSO WILL IMPACT THE NUMBER OF MEETINGS THAT OUR PLANNING COMMISSION WILL BE ABLE TO HAVE. 
          OUR PROFESSIONAL SERVICES BUDGET WAS IMPLEMENTED. IT WAS REDUCED BY 103,000. THAT WILL REDUCE OUR RESOURCES THAT WE HAVE FOR DEVELOPMENT REVIEW OUR GIS SUPPORT. I WAS JUST MADE AWARE THAT OUR THE CITY'S INTERNAL GIS COORDINATOR POSITION IS NOT FILLED, AND SO WE RELIED HEAVILY ON THAT ROLE. AND IF IT'S NOT FILLED, THEN WE WILL NEED TO LEAN ON GETTING GIS TECHNICAL SUPPORT. FROM A PROFESSIONAL PERSPECTIVE. THE SERVICES WILL ALSO IMPACT OUR PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT AS WELL. IN REFERENCE TO OUR TECHNICAL HARDWARE, THAT BUDGET ITEM WAS REDUCED TO ZERO. AND SO WHAT WE NEED WITH THAT IS JUST A CONFIRMATION THAT THOSE FEES HAVE BEEN TRANSFERRED TO THE GIS DEPARTMENT OR IT DEPARTMENT, RATHER, TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE ABLE TO REPLACE AGING COMPUTERS, HAVE ENOUGH COMPUTERS FOR THE IN-HOUSE CBO AND INSPECTORS THAT WE PLAN ON GETTING. AND ALSO WITH OUR TRAINING AND PROFESSIONAL 
          [03:15:06]
DEVELOPMENT. AS EVERYONE HAS STATED, THAT ITEM WAS REDUCED TO ZERO LIKE EVERYONE ELSE IS. 
          AND SO AGAIN, LIKE I STATED, WE DID TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THAT. WE HAD FOUR DIFFERENT INDIVIDUALS THAT WERE CERTIFIED UNDER THOSE FEES, OUR BUSINESS LICENSE AND PERMIT OFFICIALS WILL BE IMPACTED BECAUSE THEY WILL NOT BE ABLE TO ATTEND THEIR PROFESSIONAL CONFERENCES. AND SO THOSE ARE VERY CRUCIAL AND WOULD HAVE A DETRIMENT, WILL HAVE AN A NEGATIVE IMPACT IF WE'RE NOT ABLE TO DO OUR PROFESSIONAL TRAINING AND TRAVEL. AND ALSO, ONE ITEM THAT I DO WANT TO TOUCH ON IS SALARY ADJUSTMENTS. I WOULD LIKE THAT TO BE CONSIDERED BECAUSE WE HAVE HAD A LOT OF ACCOMPLISHMENTS IN OUR CERTIFICATIONS FOR OUR DEPARTMENT. WE WOULD LIKE TO HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO PROVIDE FOR INCREASES. WE INVESTED THE MONEY FOR THEM TO GO TO THESE CLASSES, GET CERTIFIED, AND WITH THOSE ACCOMPLISHMENTS, WE WILL LIKE THE OPPORTUNITY TO ENHANCE THEIR SALARIES BY SEVERAL PERCENTAGE POINTS. AND SO IF THAT PART OF OUR BUDGET COULD BE FUNDED, THAT WOULD BE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO INVEST FURTHER IN OUR IN-HOUSE MEMBERS OF OUR STAFF. COUNCILWOMAN HEMMING. GOOD EVENING, DIRECTOR, HOW ARE YOU? GOOD. HOW ARE YOU? GOOD. THIS IS A STATEMENT FOR COLLEAGUES. I HOPE THAT WE ALL NOTED WHAT DIRECTOR SMITH JUST SHARED WITH US, THAT THEY'RE TRYING TO RECRUIT FOR A KEY POSITION IN THE CITY, BUT THEY'RE UNABLE TO DO THAT. SHE DIDN'T STATE THE REASON WHY, BUT IF IT IS A SALARY ISSUE, I WOULD HOPE THAT COUNCIL WOULD MAKE THE APPROPRIATE ADJUSTMENTS SO THAT WE CAN RETAIN AND RECRUIT SOMEBODY FOR THIS POSITION. NOW, TO MY QUESTION, WE OFTEN HEAR, AND I KNOW YOU HEAR IT OFTEN ABOUT THE PERMITTING CHALLENGES, AND I APOLOGIZE. I'VE STEPPED OUT FOR A MOMENT, SO I MIGHT HAVE MISSED IT. COULD YOU TELL ME SPECIFICALLY WHAT'S FUNDED IN THIS BUDGET TO IMPROVE THE PERMITTING PROCESS SO THAT THE COMMUNITY BEGINS TO EXPERIENCE A SMOOTHER AND EASIER, EASIER EXPERIENCE WITH PERMITTING? I COULD TELL YOU WHAT I FEEL THAT WE NEED TO HAVE IN THE BUDGET TO SUPPORT THAT. OKAY, THAT WOULD BE THE PROFESSIONAL SERVICES. THAT WOULD BE THE TECHNICAL HARDWARE SERVICES THAT ALSO WOULD LEAN ON OUR TRAINING AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT HEAVILY, AS WELL AS THE SALARY ADJUSTMENT REQUEST OR CONSIDERATION. SO TAKING TOGETHER THE PROFESSIONAL SERVICES, THE TECHNOLOGY AND HARDWARE TRAINING AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT AND OPPORTUNITIES TO INCENTIVIZE YOUR STAFF, THOSE WOULD BE DIRECTLY WE WOULD BE ABLE TO SEE A DIRECT BENEFIT TO THE PERMITTING PROCESS IF WE WERE ABLE TO FUND THOSE ITEMS. I BELIEVE THAT THOSE ITEMS WOULD SUPPORT AN ENHANCED SERVICE DELIVERY FROM OUR DEPARTMENT. 
          YES. THANK YOU, COUNCILWOMAN MARTIN ROGERS, AND THANK YOU. AND IT'S REALLY GOOD TO HEAR THAT YOUR STAFF HAS BEEN PROPERLY TRAINED AND I'M I LOST TRACK OF WHAT YOU SAID IN THE BEGINNING, BUT YOU ALL ARE TAKING THE NECESSARY COURSES. I JUST WANT THE RECORD TO REFLECT, MADAM CITY CLERK, THAT TRAVEL AND TRAINING IS ESSENTIAL TO ALL DEPARTMENTS, AND WHY SOMEONE WOULD REMOVE THAT IS IT'S JUST IT'S JUST HARD FOR ME TO GRASP NOW AT THIS POINT. 
          TRAVEL AND TRAINING IS AN INVESTMENT IN OUR EMPLOYEES SO THAT THEY KNOW HOW TO DO THEIR JOB, SO THAT THEY CAN BE BETTER STEWARDS OF THE SERVICES THAT THE CITY OF EASTPOINTE PROVIDES. 
          BUT IT IS ABSOLUTELY LUDICROUS THAT TRAVEL AND TRAINING HAS BEEN REMOVED FROM MOST OF THESE BUDGETS, AND NOTHING HAS BEEN PRESENTED TO THIS COUNCIL AS TO THE REASONS WHY THAT ITEM, THAT PARTICULAR LINE ITEM, HAS BEEN REMOVED FROM SOME OF THESE CRITICAL DEPARTMENTS. SO I'D LIKE THE RECORD TO REFLECT THAT. MADAM CITY CLERK, THANK YOU. THANK YOU, AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR PRESENTATION. THANK YOU SO MUCH. I THINK THAT WE'VE HEARD A LOT OF FEEDBACK. AND ONE THING THAT I WANTED TO ASK IS, DO YOU HAVE A MECHANISM RIGHT NOW THAT WILL GIVE DO YOU HAVE A FEEDBACK MECHANISM RIGHT NOW FOR OUR CUSTOMERS AND NEW BUSINESSES THAT COME IN LIKE A WE DO ON OUR WEBSITE, ON OUR PAGE DOING WITH THAT, HOW HAVE YOU SEEN. DO YOU HAVE ANYTHING 
          [03:20:01]
TO SHARE WITH US? I DON'T HAVE THE INFORMATION, BUT I COULD GET IT TO YOU. OKAY. THANK YOU SO MUCH. I THINK THAT IS HELPFUL AND IT WILL HELP SUPPORT BECAUSE WE'VE HAD A LOT OF TALK ABOUT THE PLANNING AND PERMITTING PROCESS, BUT IT ALSO WILL HELP US SUPPORT THE INCREASE, IF THAT IS WHAT COUNCIL WANTS TO RECEIVE. WHEN YOU SHARE THOSE NUMBERS AND THINGS LIKE THAT. SO BUT THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE WORK THAT YOU'VE DONE. AND I'VE BEEN HERE FOR EIGHT YEARS AND THIS IS A GREAT IMPROVEMENT. SO THANK YOU SO MUCH, I APPRECIATE IT. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. 
          GOOD EVENING, MADAM MAYOR. MEMBERS OF COUNCIL. I'LL BE LIKE ELIZABETH TAYLOR, I THINK, WITH HER THIRD HUSBAND. DON'T WORRY. I WON'T KEEP YOU THAT LONG. ALRIGHT. 
          ACCOMPLISHMENTS AND COMPLETED PROJECTS. WE COMPLETED PHASE TWO OF THE COMPENSATION AND CLASSIFICATION STUDY. AND FOR YOUR INFORMATION, THAT PHASE TWO WAS ABOUT $2.2 MILLION. WE ALSO COMPLETED DIGITIZATION OF HR RECORDS, MAINLY INCLUDING RETIREE PENSION AND OLDER PERSONNEL RECORDS. AND THESE RECORDS ARE CURRENTLY KEPT IN A SECURE FILE VIA XEROX. WE COMPLETED THE REVISED EMPLOYEE HANDBOOK IN CONSULTATION WITH THE LEGAL DEPARTMENT AND A CONSULTING EMPLOYMENT LAW ATTORNEY. WE IMPLEMENTED THE INAUGURAL CITY OF EAST POINT NEXT GENERATION INTERNSHIP PROGRAM, AND WE'RE IN OUR SECOND YEAR, SECOND SUMMER, WE FACILITATED E TRAINING FOR DEPARTMENT HEADS AND MANAGERS, INITIATED A MANDATORY NEW HIRE, SEXUAL HARASSMENT TRAINING DURING ORIENTATION, AND ALSO FACILITATED MANDATORY TRAINING ON THE PREGNANCY DISCRIMINATION ACT. SOME OF OUR FY 27 PROPOSED BUDGET ITEMS ARE DEVELOPED, CONTINUE TO DEVELOP DIGITIZATION OF OUR PAPER FILES. IF ANY OF YOU HAVE BEEN BACK IN THE HR AREA, YOU'LL SEE WE HAVE ALL OF THESE FILE CABINETS. WE LIKE TO CONVERT THESE TO AN ELECTRONIC DATABASE. ALSO, WE PLAN TO CONDUCT TRAINING SESSIONS ON DISCIPLINARY ACTIONS AND HOW TO ADDRESS GRIEVANCES AND COMPLAINTS. WE ARE GOING TO REVIEW HR PAPER FORMS, GETTING AWAY FROM PAPER AGAIN AND CONVERT THE FORMS TO FORMS THAT ARE FILLABLE. 
          CONDUCT TWICE PER YEAR DRIVER TRAINING PROGRAMS TO REDUCE VEHICLE ACCIDENTS. HOST AN ANNUAL EMPLOYEE HEALTH FAIR TO FOCUS ON CHRONIC DISEASE MANAGEMENT. THE PROVISION OF HEALTH CARE FOR OUR EMPLOYEES IS ONE OF OUR VERY LARGE COSTS FOR THE CITY. WE ALSO WANT TO CONDUCT CITYWIDE CUSTOMER SERVICE TRAINING AND THEN TO TRAIN EMPLOYEES ON THE REVISED EMPLOYEE HANDBOOK AND DISTRIBUTE REVISED EMPLOYEE JOB DESCRIPTIONS. ONCE THE PHASE ONE AND PHASE TWO OF THE COMPENSATION AND CLASSIFICATION STUDY WERE COMPLETED, SOME OF THOSE GENERATED NEW JOB DESCRIPTIONS. SO WE ARE REWRITING THOSE SO THAT EACH POSITION WILL DESIGNATE AN EMPLOYEE AS EXEMPT AND OR NONEXEMPT. SOME OF THE MAJOR CHANGES FROM FY 26. WE WERE REDUCED IN OUR CITYWIDE TRAINING FOR FY 26, WE HAD A BUDGET OF 5000 FY 27. WE ACTUALLY HAD AN INCREASE OF $10,000. SO WE'RE ABLE TO DO 
          [03:25:06]
MORE OF THE CITYWIDE CUSTOMER SERVICE TRAINING. LIKE EVERYBODY ELSE, OUR EDUCATION AND TRAVEL BUDGET WAS ZEROED OUT. OUR BUDGET FOR SOFTWARE MAINTENANCE WAS ALSO ZEROED OUT. 
          OPERATING SUPPLIES. THAT ITEM WAS REDUCED BY $500 FROM 1500 TO 1000. AND THE CERTIFICATES AND AWARDS. THAT'S WHEN WE PROVIDE RECOGNITION TO EMPLOYEES FOR THEIR YEARS OF SERVICE. THAT WAS REDUCED AS WELL. THE SPECIAL EVENTS GENERAL, WHERE WE DO EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT TYPE ACTIVITIES THAT WAS ZEROED OUT. AND ALSO WE HAVE A REDUCTION IN THE EMPLOYEE TUITION REIMBURSEMENT PROGRAM FROM 10,000 THIS YEAR TO 8000 IN FY 27. THANK YOU FOR YOUR PRESENTATION. I'LL GO. COUNCILWOMAN HEMMING. THANK YOU, MISS JESSIE. I JUST WANTED TO SHARE WITH MY COUNCIL COLLEAGUES THAT IN THAT MATRIX THAT WE WERE PROVIDED WITH BY COUNCIL MEMBER CUMMINGS, THERE ARE A COUPLE OF THINGS I'M ADVOCATING HARD FOR FOR THIS HR DEPARTMENT. ONE, I WOULD LOVE TO SEE CONTINUED TRAINING, CITY WIDE TRAINING THAT'S RELATED TO INCENTIVIZING PERFORMANCE. SO I, I RECOGNIZE THAT THERE ARE THINGS IN THERE FOR TRAINING AND SEXUAL HARASSMENT, BUT I ALSO THINK WE'VE HEARD A LOT ABOUT EMPLOYEE MORALE. AND SO IF THERE ARE THINGS THAT DEPARTMENT HEADS AND MANAGERS COULD BE DOING THAT WOULD ENCOURAGE A HEALTHFUL WORK ENVIRONMENT AND BE TRAINED ON THAT, I WOULD HAVE A BIG APPETITE FOR THAT. I'VE ALSO REQUESTED COUNCIL TO CONSIDER IMPLEMENTING A CITY WIDE, 300, 360 DEGREE PERFORMANCE EVALUATION, WHICH WOULD ALLOW EACH DEPARTMENT HEAD MANAGER AND COUNCIL'S DIRECT REPORTS TO BE EVALUATED NOT JUST BY THEIR UPLINE OR THEIR SUPERIOR, BUT ALSO BY THOSE WHO REPORT TO THEM. I THINK THAT IT'S INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT THAT THE STAFF WHO ARE EXPERIENCING OUR LEADERSHIP HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO, IN A VERY CONFIDENTIAL AND TRUSTED WAY, BE ABLE TO SHARE THAT FEEDBACK SO THAT WE CAN CONTINUE IMPROVING OUR LEADERSHIP, THE COST OF THESE TYPES OF SOFTWARE AND PROGRAMS ARE, ARE, ARE MINIMAL. THERE ARE ALSO ENTITIES WHO WILL COLLECT THE DATA FOR YOU, ANALYZE IT, AND DELIVER IT SO THAT IT IS A, IT IS ACTIONABLE SO THAT IT'S NOT JUST A LIST OF RETALIATORY COMMENTS, BUT IT ACTUALLY SAYS, OH, PERSON X MIGHT BENEFIT FROM TRAINING IN Y. SO I WOULD ASK MY COUNCIL COLLEAGUES TO CONSIDER THAT PART OF THE PLACE WHERE I'VE ASKED US TO CONSIDER MOVING THIS MONEY TO HR IS FROM OUR OWN LINE ITEM THAT'S IN LEGAL THAT SAYS COUNCIL CLAIMS. I WOULD ASK REDUCE OUR OWN CLAIMS BUDGET FROM 100,000 TO TO SUPPORT THESE INITIATIVES SO THAT WE CAN CONTINUE SUPPORTING OUR STAFF. SO THANK YOU, MISS JESSIE AND COUNCIL, I HOPE THAT YOU MIGHT CONSIDER MY REQUEST. THANK YOU, COUNCILWOMAN CALDWELL. THANK YOU. JUST A QUICK QUESTION. IN KIND OF PIGGYBACKING OFF OF COUNCIL MEMBER HEMMING'S, THE SOFTWARE MAINTENANCE, I KNOW IT'S A PRETTY LOW COST, BUT WHAT FALLS IN THAT CATEGORY, LIKE WHAT ARE SOME OF THE THINGS THAT MIGHT QUALIFY AS SOFTWARE MAINTENANCE? IS IT SUBSCRIPTIONS OR WHAT IS THAT? YES, MA'AM. AND IT WOULD BE WE'VE HAD DISCUSSIONS WITH IT ABOUT A CENTRALIZED ACCOUNT FOR SOFTWARE SUCH AS ADOBE. RIGHT NOW, I THINK EACH DEPARTMENT HAS INDIVIDUAL ACCOUNTS, AND WE CAN PROBABLY GET MORE GET A BETTER RATE IF IF THAT IS CENTRALIZED. BUT BASICALLY WE PAY FOR OUR ADOBE LICENSES OUT OF THAT LINE ITEM. OKAY. ANY COUNCILWOMAN MARTIN, AND THANK YOU SO MUCH, MISS JESSIE, FOR YOUR PRESENTATION. I TOO, NOTED THAT EDUCATION AND TRAVEL. YOUR EDUCATION AND TRAVEL. I DON'T KNOW IF IT APPEARED IN THE BUDGET OR NOT BASED UPON MY NOTES, BUT WHAT I WANT US TO ALSO CONSIDER COUNCIL IS IN THIS BUDGET, THE LINE ITEM FOR SPECIAL EVENTS, GENERAL AND CHRISTMAS. ALL OF THOSE ARE 
          [03:30:03]
EMPLOYEE INCENTIVES AND EMPLOYEE RECOGNITION THAT'S BEEN REMOVED FROM THE BUDGET. 
          WE NEED TO CONSIDER PUTTING SOME MONEY BACK IN THE BUDGET, BECAUSE OFTENTIMES IT'S THE LITTLE THINGS THAT MAKE A WORKING ENVIRONMENT TOLERABLE. SO I WOULD LIKE FOR US TO CONSIDER, AS WE MOVE FORWARD THROUGH THIS BUDGET PROCESS, THE LINE ITEM FOR SPECIAL EVENTS, GENERAL AND CHRISTMAS, AND ALL OF THE INCENTIVES THAT RELATE TO EMPLOYEE RECOGNITION, WE NEED TO PUT SOME MONEY BACK IN THE BUDGET SO THAT EMPLOYEES FEEL VALUED AND APPRECIATED. 
          THANK YOU, THANK YOU, AND THANK YOU SO MUCH, MISS JESSIE, FOR YOUR PRESENTATION. AND I, I AGREE WITH EVERYTHING THAT COUNCIL JUST SAID THAT WE SHOULD SUPPORT THOSE INITIATIVES FOR YOUR FOR YOUR DEPARTMENT, FOR OUR EMPLOYEES, BECAUSE THEY ARE THE BACKBONE AND THE FRONT LINE OF WHAT WE DO HERE. SO WE DEFINITELY APPRECIATE THAT. THE ONLY QUESTION THAT I HAVE FOR YOU IS IN YOUR EMPLOYEE EVALUATION REVIEW OR THE I'M SORRY, THE WORKFORCE AUDIT IS DO WE HAVE ANYTHING IN TERMS OF LIKE STRENGTH FINDERS OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT THAT KIND OF HELPS OUR EMPLOYEES UNDERSTAND LIKE WHAT THEIR TALENTS AND THEIR STRENGTHS ARE AND HOW THEY ARE AN ASSET OR CAN BE AN ASSET TO, TO EASTPOINTE. CURRENTLY, EMPLOYEE EVALUATIONS ARE DONE BY DEPARTMENTS. AND ONCE AN EVALUATION IS DONE, THE DEPARTMENT HEAD OR SUPERVISOR SHOULD IDENTIFY AREAS OF STRENGTHS, WEAKNESSES, ETC. 
          THERE HAVE BEEN DISCUSSIONS OVER THE YEARS ABOUT AN ONLINE EVALUATION SYSTEM SIMILAR TO THE 360, BUT. BUT MORE COHESIVE AND IT WOULD TIE AND GENERATE TRENDS ACROSS THE CITY. 
          ORGANIZE A BETTER. RIGHT NOW WE WOULD HAVE TO ACTUALLY LOOK AT EVERY EMPLOYEE EVALUATION TO GET WHAT SEEMS TO BE TRAINING NEEDS. SO THAT IS CERTAINLY SOMETHING THAT WE COULD BENEFIT FROM. AND PRICE FOR YOU. I KNOW THAT WE'LL LOOK UP THE COST AND I'LL JUST SHARE IT. BUT THEY HAVE THEY CAN ACTUALLY SEND YOU A LINK, YOU FILL OUT A PROFILE AND IT JUST TELLS YOU ALL THE WONDERFUL THINGS THAT ARE ABOUT YOU, OPPORTUNITIES AND THINGS LIKE THAT. AND SO IT'S NOT A HEAVY LIFT ON OUR PART IN TERMS OF PAPERWORK OR THINGS LIKE THAT. BUT THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR FOR YOUR REPORT. THANK YOU. YES. I'M SORRY WE SKIPPED. LET'S GO NEXT TO FLEET MAINTENANCE. OKAY. SORRY. GOOD EVENING. OKAY, LET ME TRY THAT AGAIN. GOOD EVENING, MAYOR AND COUNCIL. ALFONSO LINDSEY, FLEET MAINTENANCE. SUPERINTENDENT, CITY. EASTPOINTE. THANK YOU FOR TAKING THE TIME OUT TO LISTEN TO ME THIS EVENING. SOME OF OUR COMPLETIONS ARE COMPLETION OF OUR GREASE AND SAND TRAP WASH BAY DOWN AT THE FLEET. THAT'S BEEN GOING ON FOR QUITE SOME TIME, AND WE FINALLY GOT THAT COMPLETED. THE FLEET BUILDING HAS BEEN UP SINCE THE 70S, SO WE HAD THE FLEET OFFICE SHOP BUILT OUT. SO WE FINALLY GOT THAT TAKEN CARE OF. WE DID SOME IN-HOUSE MAINTENANCE. WE HAD THE WALLS PAINTED AND SECURITY CAMERAS UPGRADED FOR THE COMPOUND DOWN THERE. ONE OF THE OTHER THINGS THAT I'M PROUD OF IS IMPLEMENTATION OF THE FLEET MOTOR POOL THIS YEAR, AND IT HAS BEEN EFFECTIVE SO FAR. I JUST WISH MORE PEOPLE WOULD USE IT, BUT I THINK IT'S TRENDING ON AN UPWARD PATH FOR PEOPLE THAT DON'T HAVE VEHICLES IN THEIR DEPARTMENT, THAT THEY ARE REALIZING WHAT WE HAVE, AND THEY ARE USING THE MOTOR POOL. 
          ONE OF OUR IMPORTANT NEEDS FOR 2627 IS THE PURCHASE OF OUR FLEET MAINTENANCE SOFTWARE. 
          IT'S CALLED FMI. IT'S FLEET MAINTENANCE INFORMATION SYSTEMS. AND WHAT WE ARE CURRENTLY USING IS ANTIQUATED AND IS OUTDATED. AND I NEED I NEED THAT TO KEEP BETTER TRACKING OF OUR WORK ORDERS, DEPARTMENTAL SPENDING AND THINGS OF THAT NATURE IN TERMS OF OUR PARTS TRACKING. SO I NEED THAT TO IMPROVE SO THAT WE CAN KEEP BETTER NUMBERS FOR BUDGETING PURPOSES. AND IT ALSO KEEPS TECHNICIAN PRODUCTIVITY AND BREAKDOWNS OF OF OUR EQUIPMENT. SO THAT'S A VITAL ASK FOR. 2627 ALSO, ONE OF OUR PRESSING NEED IS, IS I NEED TO ADD AT LEAST TWO MORE EMPLOYEES. 
          [03:35:04]
I PREFER A ANOTHER DIESEL MECHANIC. I'M CURRENTLY SHORT SHORT ONE, BUT I WOULD LIKE TO ASK FOR ONE MORE AND AN ENTRY OF ENTRY LEVEL POSITION TECHNICIAN. THAT WAY THAT WE CAN TRAIN SOMEBODY UP TO CONTINUE TO WORK INTO THE FLEET BECAUSE IT'S NOT GETTING ANY YOUNGER, AND WE NEED TO GET SOME FRESH FACES IN THEIR ENTIRE DEPARTMENT. AND THE ONLY MAJOR CHALLENGE THAT I FACED THIS YEAR IS THE FUEL BECAUSE OF, YOU KNOW, WHAT WE HAVE GOING ON IN THE IN THE WAR. SO OUR FUEL PRICES HAVE FLUCTUATED REALLY CRAZY. SO WE'RE ON HOPEFULLY WE'RE ON THE DOWNSIDE OF THAT. BUT IT KIND OF BLEW MY BUDGET OUT OF THE WATER FOR A FEW. YES. I'M SORRY. I'M DONE IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. ANY QUESTIONS FROM COUNCIL? JUST ONE QUESTION. YES, COUNCILMAN. THANK YOU, MADAM MAYOR. THANK YOU FOR YOUR PRESENTATION. SO THE QUESTION I KNOW YOU SAY THAT YOU ARE REQUESTING TO THIS IS WHAT THIS IS. YOU KNOW WHAT? I SEE IT ON THE NEXT LINE, THE $100,000, THAT WOULD BE FOR THOSE NEW TWO EMPLOYEES THAT YOU'RE REQUESTING. YES, MA'AM. OKAY. I'M SORRY, I, I WAS LOOKING, BUT I DIDN'T LOOK FAR ENOUGH, SO MY APOLOGIES. THANK YOU MA'AM. THANK YOU, COUNCILMAN ATKINS. YES, THANK YOU, MR. LINDSAY, I, I HEARD YOU MENTIONED SOFTWARE, THE FMI SOFTWARE, AND FY 27. IT LOOKS LIKE THERE'S A LINE ITEM FOR SOFTWARE MAINTENANCE AT 36,570. 
          DOES THAT NOT INCLUDE THE FMI? OH, SORRY. I'M SORRY COUNCILMAN. WHAT WAS THE TOTAL OF THAT $36,570? YES. THAT IS THE THAT WOULD BE THE COST FOR THAT. AND I THINK SOME OF THAT IS ALSO ANNUAL SUBSCRIPTION FEES IN THERE AS WELL. OKAY. SO THE FMI IS COVERED. YES IT SHOULD THAT THAT'S A ONE YEAR COST. SO THAT'S GOING TO BE AN ANNUAL COST EVERY YEAR. IT'S 30 GRAND. 
          OKAY. I DID HAVE ANOTHER QUESTION. I HAVE A NOTE, BUT NOW I CAN'T FIND WHERE I WROTE IT. OH THAT'S RIGHT I HAVE ONE. YEAH. JUST GOT IT ALL. STICK TO THAT ONE. THANK YOU. YOU'RE WELCOME. I HAD TWO QUESTIONS, BUT I'LL ASK ONE. FOR THE THE FLUCTUATING FUEL MARKET. ANY CONSIDERATIONS ARE JUST THOUGHTS AROUND LOOKING INTO ELECTRIC VEHICLES. WELL YEAH MAN I'M TRYING TO I DON'T WANT TO TOOT MY OWN HORN HERE. BECAUSE THE WHOLE IDEA WAS A GOOD IDEA TO. WELL, I THINK BECAUSE OF ME, WE DO HAVE AT LEAST SIX EVS IN THE CITY. AND IF I'M NOT MISTAKEN, WE HAVE A GRANT TO GET ONE MORE. SO WE'VE DONE PRETTY GOOD. I WISH MORE DEPARTMENTS WOULD LEAN TOWARDS THAT WAY, BEING THAT THE CITY IS SMALL AND WE DON'T HAVE THAT MANY MILES TO COVER. EVS ARE GREAT FOR EASTPOINTE BECAUSE WHEN THEY'RE FULLY CHARGED, THEY'RE AT LEAST 300 TO 400 MILES OF CHARGE, AND THEY'RE GREAT. AND THEY THEY HAVE ALL THEY HAVE THE SAME CAPABILITY AS A COMBUSTION ENGINE. SO MY RECOMMENDATION WOULD BE FOR US TO KIND OF LEAN THAT WAY. FOR SOME DEPARTMENTS. I KNOW FIRE HAS HAS SOME SOLID WASTE HAS THEM. CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE HAS ONE, WATER AND SEWER HAS A COUPLE OF THEM, AND I HAVE ONE IN THE FLEET. SO THE MORE THE BETTER, I THINK BECAUSE THAT'S THE WAY, THAT'S THE DIRECTION THAT WE'RE HEADED IS IN EV. SO THANK YOU. YOU'RE WELCOME. OKAY. AND I HAVE ONE MORE. I'M SORRY. 
          DID ANYBODY. OKAY. ONE MORE QUESTION. IN THE BUDGET LINE ITEM, THERE'S A $4,500 LINE ITEM FOR FOOD. CAN YOU KNOW THAT? I'M SO SORRY THAT YOU SAW THAT IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN TAKEN OUT BECAUSE THAT WAS WE HAVE A DIRECTIVE THAT WE CAN'T DO ANYTHING WITH THAT. AND THAT WAS FOR TEAM BUILDING. SO I BELIEVE THAT DIRECTOR THAT WAS TAKEN OUT FROM DIRECTOR FROM THE CITY MANAGER, IF I'M NOT MISTAKEN. YES, MA'AM. THANK YOU SO MUCH AND HAVE A GOOD EVENING. 
          YOU DO THE SAME. THANK YOU. 
          GOOD EVENING, MAYOR AND COUNCIL. TRY TO KEEP THIS SHORT AND SWEET COMMUNICATIONS ACCOMPLISHMENTS. DURING FY 26, WE COMPLETED SEVERAL PROJECTS. THE BIGGEST ONE IS COMPLETED RENOVATIONS OF THE COMMUNICATION STUDIO SUITE. SO ANYONE THAT'S BEEN OVER THERE, THEY SEE THAT. THAT'S OBVIOUS. WE ALSO UPGRADED ALL AUDIO AND VIDEO EQUIPMENT, DEVELOPED AND 
          [03:40:01]
IMPLEMENTED A COMPREHENSIVE CRISIS COMMUNICATIONS PLAN. OF COURSE, THAT'S ALWAYS ONGOING BECAUSE IT ALWAYS CHANGES, EVALUATED AND UPDATED DEPARTMENTAL SOFTWARE SUBSCRIPTIONS AND MEMBERSHIPS. WE ALSO IMPROVED INTERNAL WORKFLOWS AND PRODUCTION PROCESSES TO INCREASE EFFICIENCY. JUST BENEATH THAT, WE GOT THE FY 27 PROPOSED BUDGET REQUEST. AND I DON'T WANT TO BEAT A DEAD HORSE, BUT OF COURSE EDUCATION AND TRAINING. YEAH, THAT WAS ZEROED OUT. WE ASKED FOR $15,000 BECAUSE WE HAVE WE HAVE SOME NEW PEOPLE, YOU KNOW, OVER IN THE DEPARTMENT. I KNOW THE PRINTING AND BINDING, WHICH IS BANNERS, FLIERS AND NEWSLETTERS. I KNOW THAT WAS CUT PROBABLY LIKE 10% AS WELL. SOME OF THE MAIN ONES THAT WE WERE LOOKING AT REALLY WAS COMPUTER HARDWARE AND TELEPROMPTER EQUIPMENT. 
          THOSE ARE LIKE NECESSITIES. YOU KNOW, WHEN WE'RE WORKING WITH COMPUTERS BECAUSE WE USE TOP OF THE LINE, YOU KNOW, COMPUTERS, WE, WE CAN'T, YOU KNOW, BE TOO SHABBY WITH THAT. AND ALSO TRANSFER OF THE WEB DEVELOPER POSITION TO OUR DEPARTMENT. SO SHE'S BEEN MOVED OVER. AND OF COURSE, YOU KNOW, WE NEED TO HAVE THAT SALARY REFLECTED IN THE BUDGET AS WELL AND ALSO NEED TO ADD PROBABLY TWO MORE POSITIONS, BECAUSE RIGHT NOW WE'RE OPERATING AT CAPACITY AND YOU GUYS WILL PROBABLY BE PROUD JUST TO SEE SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WE WERE ABLE TO PULL OFF AND MAINTAIN WITHOUT THESE GUYS BEING OVERWORKED. MAJOR CHANGES FROM FY 26 TO 27. WE WANT TO GET INTO MORE SMS TEXTING PROGRAMS, SOME ROBOCALLS. WE WANT TO DO SOME THINGS TO OFFSET, YOU KNOW, WE, WE HAD SPOKEN ABOUT NEWSLETTERS AND THINGS LIKE THAT, BUT WE WANT TO WE KNOW THAT A LOT OF THE RESIDENTS HAVE RESPONDED TO ROBOCALLS AND PEARS IS CHEAPER AS WELL AS, YOU KNOW, MOVING ALONG WITH SOME TEXTING. WE FEEL THAT, YOU KNOW, WE CAN TEXT THEM AND MAYBE THEY'LL THEY'LL HIT THAT LINK AND IT'LL TAKE THEM TO OUR NEWSLETTER. SO THOSE ARE SOME THINGS THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT MOVING FORWARD. BUT WE DEFINITELY OVERALL, WE, WE HAVE TO HAVE MORE PEOPLE. SO DO YOU HAVE ANYTHING ELSE. ANY QUESTIONS? COUNCILWOMAN HEMMING. 
          THANK YOU. I JUST WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE AN EMAIL I GOT YESTERDAY OR MAYBE TODAY. AND IT WAS LIKE A LITTLE WEEKLY NEWS THING. I THINK THAT'D BE IDEAL TO SEND OUT VIA SMS BECAUSE IT WAS PUNCHY. IT WAS EASY FOR ME TO SEE WHAT WAS GOING ON FOR THE WEEK. SO I ENCOURAGE THINGS LIKE THAT. AND THEN JUST GENERALLY MY QUESTION IS WITH THE, YOU KNOW, CONTINUED WEB REDESIGN AND ALL THAT SORT OF STUFF, ARE THERE THINGS THAT ARE BOTH IN YOUR BUDGET AND THEN ALSO IN INFORMATION RESOURCES BUDGET THAT WE WOULD SEE WHERE YOU ALL ARE PARTNERING TO BRING OUR WEBSITE UP TO BE ADA COMPLIANT? CORRECT. WE, WE JUST GOT THE WEB DEVELOPER OVER INTO COMMUNICATION. SO I DON'T KNOW IF YOU GUYS HAVE NOTICED, YOU CAN START TO SEE SOME SMALL CHANGES WITH THE MAIN WEB PAGE. AS FAR AS THE BUDGET IS CONCERNED, I'M WORKING WITH THE CITY MANAGER AND IT DIRECTOR TO MOVE ALL THE, YOU KNOW, SOME FUNDS OVER, BUT WE HAVE TO SIT DOWN AND TALK WITH THE WEB DEVELOPER TO MAKE SURE, YOU KNOW, CERTAIN FEES, MEMBERSHIPS, THOSE THINGS, WIDGETS, ALL OF THOSE THINGS THAT GO WITH DEVELOPING THE WEBSITE THAT THAT'S MOVED TO OUR BUDGET AS WELL. SO THAT'S IN, THAT'S IN DEVELOPMENT. THANK YOU. I ALSO LOVE THE IDEA OF THE TEXT MESSAGES AND JUST HOPEFULLY GETTING INFORMATION OUT TO THE COMMUNITY. ROBO CALLS, TEXT MESSAGES, WHATEVER THAT LOOKS LIKE. IS THAT REFLECTED IN THE BUDGET, LIKE THE COST ASSOCIATED WITH SOMETHING LIKE THAT? YES, IT'S IN THERE. OKAY. WE HAD A COUPLE DIFFERENT OPTIONS. ONE WAS WAY TOO HIGH, WAY TOO EXPENSIVE. SO WE WENT WITH A, WITH A, WITH A, A SCALED DOWN VERSION. LET'S PUT IT LIKE THAT. IT'S A START. AND YOU GUYS ALSO Y'ALL MIGHT NOT LIKE ME AFTER THIS, BUT WARD B IS KILLING IT. LIKE WHEN THEY COMING OUT DOING THEIR VIDEOS AND STUFF. I'M SORRY BUT THEY'RE KILLING IT. THEY ARE. BUT I'M JUST LETTING YOU GUYS KNOW HOW IMPORTANT IT IS TO COME IN, INTERACT WITH US, GET SOME VIDEOS OUT. I JUST WANTED TO SAY THAT. BUT THERE, YOU KNOW, JUST THE, THE, THE SWOT ANALYSIS, YOU'RE YOU'RE FAMILIAR WITH THAT STRENGTHS, WEAKNESSES, OPPORTUNITIES, THREATS, THEY'RE KEEPING A LOT OF THOSE THINGS INTACT JUST BY COMING OUT, INTERACTING WITH US AND GETTING VIDEOS OUT. SO I WANT TO THANK THEM GUYS AGAIN. 
          THANK YOU, COUNCILMAN MARTIN. ROGER. YES. AND I'D LIKE THE RECORD TO REFLECT THAT THIS IS ANOTHER DEPARTMENT WHERE EDUCATION AND TRAVEL HAS BEEN CUT TO $0. THANK YOU. PLEASE MAKE SURE THAT REFLECTS MADAM CITY CLERK. THANK YOU. THANK YOU FOR YOUR REPORT AND YOUR COMMENTS AND YOUR FEEDBACK. IT'S GOOD TO HEAR THAT WE ARE UTILIZING THE SERVICES OF YOUR DEPARTMENT. THE QUESTION THAT I HAVE IS, DO YOU HAVE A COMMS PLAN OR DO YOU HAVE A A COMP 
          [03:45:01]
PLAN FOR THE THE NEXT YEAR? DO YOU GUYS WORK THAT TIME INTO THE BUDGET IN TERMS OF PLANNING FOR COMMUNICATIONS PLAN? YES, SIR. YES, YES, WE HAVE ONE. I DON'T I DON'T WANT TO DIVULGE THAT. THAT'S SOMETHING THAT GOING THROUGH THE PROCESS THAT I HAD TO COMPLETE. SO I DON'T WANT TO SAY IT, YOU KNOW, AND GIVE MY IDEAS OR SOMEONE ELSE. NO, NO, NO, I UNDERSTAND. YEAH. 
          WE, I, I'VE WORKED WITH THE CITY MANAGER. HE HAS IT. SO HE'S, HE'S AWARE OF IT. OKAY. 
          SOUNDS GOOD. THANK YOU SO MUCH. NO PROBLEM. 
          ALL OF OUR. GO AHEAD. GOOD EVENING, MADAM MAYOR AND COUNCIL. I'M GOING TO BE REPORTING TONIGHT ON ECONOMIC ON THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT. AS YOU KNOW, THIS DEPARTMENT IS FUNDED THROUGH TWO BUDGETS SEVEN FIVE, TWO ZERO, THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT FUND, AND THEN 7522 MAIN STREET. SOME OF THE 2026 SUCCESSES, SUCCESSES FROM BOTH THOSE DIVISIONS, OF COURSE, COORDINATING THE WORLD SOCCER GAMES, WHICH IS THIS SATURDAY. 
          YOU SHOULD ALL HAVE SOME MATERIALS. HOPEFULLY, YOU CAN HELP DISTRIBUTE THOSE FLIERS. 
          AND FOLKS, THAT IS THIS SATURDAY PARADE STARTS AT 11:00. SO THAT'S ONE OF THE SUCCESSES IS COORDINATING THAT, COMPLETING THE CLEANUP OF THE COMMON SITE. THERE WAS SOME ENVIRONMENTAL WORK THAT WAS DONE IN THIS FISCAL YEAR ON THE COMMON SITE. WE HOSTED THE CITY WIDE BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS SUMMIT BACK IN SEPTEMBER, SUPPORTED THE GRAND OPENING OF SEVERAL NEW BUSINESSES IN THE CITY OF EASTPOINTE. CONTINUED THE EASTPOINTE FARMER'S MARKET EXECUTED THE ARPA FACADE GRANT PROGRAM, WHICH WHICH INCLUDED 22 COMPLETED FACADE PROJECTS. 
          AND THEN FROM A HOUSING STANDPOINT, HOUSING DEVELOPMENT STANDPOINT, BECAUSE THAT'S THE OTHER HAT THAT I HAVE BEEN WEARING THE MAJORITY OF THIS FISCAL YEAR, WE WERE ABLE TO SECURE $500,000 THROUGH THE GEORGIA DEPARTMENT OF COMMUNITY AFFAIRS FOR HOME REPAIRS FOR EASTPOINTE RESIDENTS. WE WERE ABLE TO REPAIR 12 HOMES DURING THIS FISCAL YEAR THROUGH THE NO COST MINOR HOME REPAIR PROGRAM. WE GOT RECERTIFIED AS A GEORGIA INITIATIVE FOR COMMUNITY HOUSING COMMUNITY. WE SUPPORTED THE LEASE UP AND GRAND OPENING OF WAGON WORKS DEVELOPMENT. WE ALSO SUPPORTED THE SECURING OF A 9% TAX CREDIT FOR WAGON WORKS PHASE TWO. AND LASTLY, IN THE HOUSING THIS PAST FISCAL YEAR, WE BROKE GROUND ON A NEW HOUSING DEVELOPMENT DOWNTOWN, THE 55. SO LOOKING FORWARD TO FISCAL YEAR 27, A COUPLE OF THE GOALS WE HAVE IS TO RECRUIT A NEW GROCERY STORE HERE TO THE CITY OF EASTPOINTE TO CLOSE OUT AND PROMOTE THE SUCCESSES OF THE ARPA FACADE GRANT PROGRAM AND LAUNCH THE FISCAL YEAR 27 FACADE GRANT PARTNER PROGRAM AND PARTNERSHIP WITH VIDA. WE'D LIKE TO RETURN THE SMALL BUSINESS SYMPOSIUM DURING THE NEXT FISCAL YEAR TO NETWORK, SUPPORT AND EMPOWER OUR EASTPOINTE BUSINESSES. AS WE'VE DISCUSSED BEFORE, ONE OF THE GOALS IS TO INTEGRATE OUR HOUSING FUNCTIONS INTO THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT HOUSING DEVELOPMENT FUNCTIONS INTO THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT. 
          ANOTHER GOAL IS TO HOST THE 2027 BOARDS AND COMMISSION SUMMIT AND TRAINING FOR OUR BOARDS AND AUTHORITIES AND COMMISSIONS TO COORDINATE WITH THE CITY'S DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITIES TO REDEVELOP THE FORMER AUDITORIUM. THAT IS A PROJECT THAT HAS COME ACROSS ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT OF INTEREST TO GET REDEVELOPED TO FACILITATE THE SIGNING OF AN INTERGOVERNMENTAL AGREEMENT WITH THE DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITIES OF DDA AND VIDA, AND TO PROMOTE AND DEVELOP, PROMOTE, DEVELOP AND CONNECT SITES FOR REDEVELOPMENT OR NEW DEVELOPMENT IN EASTPOINTE THROUGH PUBLIC PRIVATE PARTNERSHIPS. 
          ASKED ABOUT ITEMIZED ITEMS ON THEIR. THOSE ARE LISTED ON ON HERE IN DETAIL. THE. THE ONE THING THAT I THINK IS THE THE GREATEST CHALLENGE THAT WE. I'D LIKE SOME CLARITY ON WE'RE TRYING TO FIGURE OUT IS, YOU KNOW, WHEN HOUSING THE WORK OF THE HOUSING DEVELOPMENT. IT WAS A TWO STAFF OPERATION WHEN THAT CAME OVER INTO ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT. THE BUDGET NEVER REFLECTED THAT FROM A SALARY STANDPOINT. SO THE DEPARTMENT IS BEING EXPECTED TO ENCUMBER ALL THAT NEW WORK, BUT NOT A DEDICATION OF NEW STAFF THERE. SO I JUST THINK THAT THAT'S KIND OF SETTING US UP TO BE STRETCHED IN A WAY THAT WE MIGHT LOSE SOME SUCCESS. AND I THINK THAT JUST THROUGH THIS, THIS WEIRD TRANSITION, OUR OFFICE OF EQUITY, INCLUSION AND EMPOWERMENT HAS BEEN IN. AND THAT'S ONE OF THE REASONS THAT NUMBER HASN'T TRANSFERRED OVER 
          [03:50:06]
YET. BUT THAT'S ONE OF THE MAJOR CHALLENGES. BUT OTHER THAN THAT, I CAN ANSWER ANY QUESTION YOU HAVE RELATED TO THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT BUDGET. THANK YOU, COUNCILWOMAN HEMMING. 
          THANK YOU, MR. WHITFIELD. I'M GRATEFUL FOR THE OVERVIEW AND SOMETHING I WOULD ASK MY COUNCIL COLLEAGUES TO CONSIDER. WHEN I WENT OVER THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT BUDGET, I WAS A LITTLE BIT CURIOUS ABOUT THE DOWNTOWN AMBASSADOR PROGRAM AT 6000. I ALSO HAD SOME HEARTBURN AND CONCERN OVER THE BEAUTIFICATION AND THE PLANTERS THERE MENTIONED IN MULTIPLE PLACES IN THIS BUDGET. AND I THINK THAT BEAUTIFICATION IS A REALLY HUGE PRIORITY. BUT I ALSO AM WONDERING HOW MUCH OF THIS IS MAYBE SOME LEGACY THAT PRACTICE THAT'S KIND OF BEEN TRANSPOSED INTO THIS BUDGET. AND SO I WOULD ASK MY COUNCIL COLLEAGUES TO CONSIDER MAYBE AN APPROPRIATE REDUCTION IN SOME OF THOSE ACTIVITIES TO SUPPORT NOT JUST THE TRAINING OF OUR BOARDS, AUTHORITIES AND COMMISSION, BUT ALSO THE APPROPRIATE STAFFING SO THAT THEY CAN ACTUALLY BE EFFECTIVE AND FUNCTION. WE HAVE QUITE A FEW OF THEM WHO HAVE GONE THROUGH THE PROCESS OF BEING SWORN IN, AND NOW THEY'RE JUST SITTING AND WAIT. SO, COLLEAGUES, I WOULD BE VERY CURIOUS ABOUT YOUR APPETITE TO REDUCE MAYBE SOME OF THOSE DOLLARS TO SUPPORT THE BOARDS AND AUTHORITIES AND COMMISSIONS. I YIELD. THANK YOU. OKAY. THANK YOU, COUNCILMAN MITCHELL. YES. THANK YOU FOR YOUR PRESENTATION. I KNOW WE SPOKE BRIEFLY ABOUT THIS EARLIER, BUT IT WAS ABOUT THE NO COST MINOR HOME REPAIR, I BELIEVE, AND WE WERE TRYING TO GET SOME CLARIFICATION. MR. CITY MANAGER, IF THERE WAS $250 IN THE BUDGET TO FUND THAT, IF. 
          YEAH, IF YOU WANT ME TO SPEAK TO THAT CITY MANAGER. YEAH. SO IN THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT BUDGET, UNDER OTHER PROFESSIONAL FEES, ONE OF THE THINGS AND IT'S A TYPO, IT SHOULD BE GICH, IT SAYS GIKE COMMUNITY PROGRAM HOUSING FOR $250,000. THERE WAS THERE'S WE. 
          SO TWO THOUGHTS. ONE IS THERE'S BEEN CONVERSATION THAT I'VE HAD WITH THE CITY MANAGER ABOUT THIS GIG STATUS THAT WE HAVE AS A COMMUNITY AND PART OF THE FOUNDING OF THAT GEORGIA INITIATIVE FOR COMMUNITY HOUSING STATUS WAS A FOCUS ON CERTAIN NEIGHBORHOODS IN THE CITY OF EASTPOINTE. SO A PART OF IT IS IT WOULD WE THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT THAT THE COMMUNITIES THAT HELPED US GET THAT STATUS ALSO STILL GET INVESTED IN AND OUR HOME REPAIR PROGRAM IS KIND OF SPREAD ACROSS THE WHOLE CITY AND NOT NECESSARILY TARGETING THOSE EFFORTS. SO IF THAT 250 IS GOING TO BE DEDICATED TO THAT WORK AND FOCUSING ON THOSE INITIAL GIG NEIGHBORHOODS, THEN WE NEED AN ADDITIONAL 250, BECAUSE A PART OF THE GRANT THAT WE RECEIVED FROM DC WAS A COMMITMENT OF $250,000 FOR THE NO COST MINOR HOME REPAIR PROGRAM. SO THAT WAS A PART OF WHAT WE COMMITTED TO DC A IS THAT THE CITY WOULD CONTINUE THAT NO COST MINOR HOME REPAIR PROGRAM AT 250 K. SO THE REQUEST IS EITHER AN INCREASE OF THE BUDGET OF $250,000, OR TO DEDICATE THAT $250,000 TO THE NO COST MINOR HOME REPAIR PROGRAM. I HOPE THAT MAKES SENSE. THANK YOU. AND DO WE HAVE ANY MORE COUNCILWOMAN MIKE ROGERS? YES. I'D ALSO LIKE THE RECORD TO REFLECT NO EDUCATION, TRAVEL AND TRAINING IN THIS BUDGET, BUT ALSO TO COUNCIL MEMBER HEMMING'S POINT, THE BEAUTIFICATION AND PLANNER'S 52 K DOWNTOWN AMBASSADOR 60 K. I NOTICED IN THIS ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT BUDGET, MR. CITY MANAGER, THE SMALL BUSINESS SYMPOSIUM IS $0 AND I KNOW THAT THOSE SMALL BUSINESS SYMPOSIUMS HAVE BEEN IMPACTFUL BECAUSE SOME OF THOSE SMALL BUSINESSES ACTUALLY COME IN, OPEN UP IN THE CITY OF EASTPOINTE. SO TO COUNCIL MEMBER HEMMING'S POINT THAT MONEY SHOULD PROBABLY, IF WE LOOK AT DECREASING THE BEAUTIFICATION AND THE PLANNERS IN THE DOWNTOWN AMBASSADOR, THAT MONEY PROBABLY NEEDS TO BE PUT BACK INTO CAPTURING THOSE SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS THAT WANT TO COME IN, OPEN UP A BUSINESS IN EASTPOINTE. JUST THE OBSERVATION FOR THE RECORD TO REFLECT. I DON'T NEED ANY FEEDBACK. THANK YOU. COUNCILMAN. COUNCILMAN. YES, THANK YOU, MR. WHITFIELD, AND THANK YOU FOR MENTIONING THE THE DOLLARS FOR THE GIG COMMUNITIES. AND YOU'RE EXACTLY CORRECT. I MEAN, THE ONLY WAY THAT WE BECAME A GIG CITY AND IS BECAUSE OF THOSE NEIGHBORHOODS IN THE CITY OF EASTPOINTE. AND SO I DO BELIEVE THAT IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE HAVE A STRUCTURED PROGRAM, BECAUSE THOSE NEIGHBORHOODS HAVE SUFFERED DISINVESTMENT FOR 
          [03:55:02]
A VERY LONG TIME, AND THEY NEED A LOT OF ATTENTION, PARTICULARLY THE OWNER OCCUPIED RESIDENCES THERE. I THOUGHT THAT I HAD SEEN IN TERMS OF GOING THROUGH THIS BUDGET, NOT ONLY A LINE ITEM FOR GIG, BUT I, I BELIEVE I'D SEEN ALSO A LINE ITEM FOR THE SENIOR HOME REPAIR PROGRAM. AND I JUST MAY HAVE TO GO BACK AND LOOK. BUT I SEE YOU SHAKING YOUR HEAD. NO, BUT I THOUGHT THAT I SAW BOTH. BUT YES. HOWEVER, WE CAN HELP THOSE SENIORS WITH HOME REPAIRS AND ALSO HELP THOSE COMMUNITIES THAT GOT US THE STATUS. AND STATEWIDE, AS A GIG COMMUNITY, I DON'T WANT US TO USE THEM AND THEN NOT INVEST IN THEM BECAUSE WE DID USE THOSE COMMUNITIES. 
          YEAH. THANK YOU MA'AM. ANY MORE QUESTIONS? COUNCILWOMAN CALDWELL? SO THANK YOU AND THANK YOU FOR THIS INFORMATION. QUICK QUESTION. YOU MENTIONED TAKING OVER TWO EMPLOYEES FROM THE OFFICE OF EQUITY AND INCLUSION AND ALSO THE WORKLOAD OR ASSOCIATED WORKLOAD. CAN YOU MAYBE EXPOUND ON THAT JUST A LITTLE BIT AS FAR AS WHAT IS COMING OVER? YEAH. SO SO THE OFFICE OF EQUITY INCLUSION, EMPOWERMENT REALLY HAD TWO WINGS TO IT. ONE WAS SOCIAL SERVICES AND HOMELESSNESS PREVENTION AND INTERVENTION, WHICH MY COLLEAGUES, YOLANDA AND SHANNON ARE HERE WORK ON. AND THEN MYSELF AND MY COLLEAGUE ALYSSA WORKED ON HOUSING DEVELOPMENT WORK. SO IN PARTICULAR AROUND AFFORDABLE HOUSING AND MANAGING HOUSING PRESERVATION THROUGH THIS NO NO COST SENIOR HOME REPAIR PROGRAM. SO THE TWO OF US WERE FOCUSED ON MAINTAINING OUR GIG STATUS, MANAGING THIS PROGRAM FOR THE FOR OUR SENIORS, AND THEN FACILITATING THESE AFFORDABLE HOUSING DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS. NOW, WITH THAT HOUSING DEVELOPMENT WORK COMING INTO ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, WE NEED CAPACITY TO MANAGE THOSE THINGS. 
          AND, AND NOT ONLY THOSE THINGS THAT EXISTED. NOW WE JUST GOT THIS $500,000 GRANT TO MANAGE A MUCH BIGGER, MORE COMPLIANCE DRIVEN SET OF REGULATIONS. SO WE JUST NEED THE CAPACITY TO BE ABLE TO EXECUTE ON THAT. YEAH. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. AND THE REDUCTION, I WAS CURIOUS ABOUT WHAT COUNCILWOMAN MARTIN ROGERS TALKED ABOUT IN TERMS OF THE REDUCTION TO THE SMALL, THE ECONOMIC, THE SMALL BUSINESS SYMPOSIUM. DO YOU HAVE ANY DO YOU TRACK THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE THAT ATTEND AND WHAT THE FEEDBACK IS FROM THOSE EVENTS THAT YOU HAVE? LIKE, HOW DO YOU. 
          THAT'S MY QUESTION. YEAH. STOP AT ONE SO LOOSELY. YES. AND I THINK PART OF WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO IS TIGHTEN UP ON OUR METRICS AND HOW WE'RE MEASURING IMPACT AND EVENTS AND PARTICIPATION. WE ALL LIKE PARKS AND REC. WE ARE USING PLACER AI TO EVALUATE THE OUR LARGER EVENTS TO SEE HOW FOLKS ARE PARTICIPATING. BUT IN TERMS OF THOSE WORKSHOPS AND THOSE BUSINESS MEETINGS, YOU KNOW, PART OF MY GOAL WHILE I'M IN THIS ROLE IS TO TRY TO TIGHTEN UP AND HOW WE'RE TRACKING AND MEASURING. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR PRESENTATION AND INFORMATION. THANK YOU. WE CAN MOVE TO I WHAT IS IT? SORRY. NO, WE DID THAT. IT INFORMATION. 
          OKAY. GOOD EVENING, MADAM MAYOR. COUNCIL AND LEADERSHIP. LET ME TALK ABOUT ACCOMPLISHMENTS REAL QUICK. I'M GOING TO GO THROUGH THESE FAIRLY QUICKLY. I THINK I GAVE YOU GUYS A THIS AND A GRID FORM. SO OVER THE PAST YEAR IT COMPLETED 13 PROJECTS. I'LL JUST TALK ABOUT 3 OR 4 VERY QUICKLY. ONE, WHICH WAS CITYWIDE, WAS THE REPLACEMENT OF 400 TELEPHONES AS WELL AS 400 PHONE NUMBERS, AND THEN THREE PROJECTS FOR THE POLICE DEPARTMENT, POLICE DEPARTMENT. 
          THEY ARE OUR LARGEST TECHNOLOGY USER. WE HELP THEM COORDINATE THE CABLING FOR THE 911 CENTER TO HELP THEM COMPLETE THAT. WE ALSO HELPED THEM COORDINATE THE CLOUD MIGRATION OF CENTRAL SQUARE, WHICH RUNS THE 911 CENTER IN THE REAL TIME CRIME CENTER. WE WERE INSTRUMENTAL IN COORDINATING THE TECHNOLOGY INTEGRATION FOR THE REAL TIME CRIME CENTER. WHEN I STARTED, THAT ROOM HAD MAYBE 14, 15 PANELS. THEY WERE ALL BLACK VENDORS CAME IN. THEY ACTUALLY STARTED INSTALLED THEIR PART, BUT DIDN'T HAVE ANYTHING INTEGRATED. SO WE WENT IN. WE HELPED THEM INTEGRATE THAT SYSTEM, AND THAT SYSTEM IS FUNCTIONAL NOW AND THEN. LAST BUT NOT LEAST, WITH POLICE, WE ARE HELPING THEM WITH THEIR DRONES. PROJECT THREE DRONES ARE CURRENTLY INSTALLED. WE ARE LOOKING AT A SECOND LOCATION AT A FOOD BANK CENTER AROUND THE CORNER, AND WE WILL HELP THEM SEE THEIR DRONE EFFORT THROUGH. SO THOSE ARE JUST SOME SOME OF THE ACCOMPLISHMENTS THAT WE'VE COMPLETED OVER THE PAST YEAR. I DO HAVE KEY ASKS FROM A 
          [04:00:08]
STAFFING AND BUDGETARY PROCESS. SO FROM A STAFFING PERSPECTIVE, WE ARE CLASSIFYING A SYSTEMS ADMINISTRATOR TO A CYBERSECURITY ANALYST. OUR SYSTEMS ADMINISTRATOR LEFT A COUPLE WEEKS AGO. HE WAS HERE FOR TEN YEARS. AND THIS WILL NOT BE A FTE HIT. WE'RE JUST RECLASSIFYING BECAUSE WE NEED A CYBER SECURITY ANALYST. WE'RE LOOKING AT CREATING A CYBER SECURITY FRAMEWORK. WE'RE LOOKING AT CLOUD COMPUTING. WE'RE LOOKING AT JUST REALLY DOING A A MUCH BETTER JOB OF BEEFING UP OUR INFRASTRUCTURE. THE CYBER SECURITY ROLE IS MAJOR. IT'S KEY TO FACILITATING THAT. THE SECOND STAFFING REQUEST IS TO HIRE A NETWORK ENGINEER. SO WE CURRENTLY DON'T HAVE A NETWORK ENGINEER. WE HAVE TWO MEMBERS THAT HAVE BEEN DOING THAT WORK ALONG WITH CYBER, AND WE REALLY NEED A NETWORK ENGINEER TO COMPLETE A LOT OF THE INFRASTRUCTURE UPGRADE TASKS THAT THAT WE'VE IDENTIFIED, AND TO ALSO HELP US WITH OUR CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS. FROM A BUDGETARY STANDPOINT, REALLY DON'T WANT TO GO INTO A LOT OF DETAIL. YOU KNOW, WE'RE WE'RE A COST CENTER. WE REALLY DON'T SPEND MONEY. WE PRETTY MUCH SPEND WHAT WE NEED JUST TO KEEP THE LIGHTS ON. WE HAVE 80 VENDORS. WE DID A COMPLETE AUDIT OF OUR INVOICING AND VENDOR MANAGEMENT SYSTEM. WE REDUCED THOSE VENDORS FROM 80 TO 53. AND WHATEVER WE ASK IN OUR BUDGET FOR THINGS LIKE PROFESSIONAL FEES, TECHNOLOGY SERVICES, TELEPHONE SOFTWARE, IT'S JUST ENOUGH TO PAY THE BILLS. SO IF WE DON'T GET WHAT WE REQUESTED, WE'RE GOING TO BE SHORT. WE CAME UP WITH A NUMBER THAT THAT WE REQUESTED IN OUR BUDGET BECAUSE WE WENT THROUGH AN AUDIT AND WE COMPARED THE CONTRACTS THAT WE HAVE TO THE INVOICES THAT WE PAID OUT JUST TO ENSURE THAT THOSE CALLS WERE VALID. AND SO THE ONLY THING THAT WE ASKED IS THAT WE HAVE ENOUGH MONEY JUST TO COVER OUR FIXED COSTS. FROM AN IT PERSPECTIVE. THAT'S REALLY ALL FOR NOW. I WILL ENTERTAIN ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU GUYS HAVE. 
          AND THEN COUNCILMAN, THANK YOU. I HAVE A COMMENT FROM MY COLLEAGUES TO CONSIDER. AND THEN ALSO A QUESTION FOR YOU, MR. WELLMAN. SO MY COMMENT IS, COLLEAGUES, I WOULD BE CURIOUS IF WE WOULD WANT THE CITY MANAGER TO HAVE THE IT REVIEW ALL OF THE ENTERPRISE WIDE SYSTEMS AND SOFTWARE AND SUBSCRIPTIONS LIKE ZOOM, ETC. I COUNTED QUITE A FEW DUPLICATE SOFTWARE THAT WILL BE BEING USED BY DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS. AND SO ONE OF MY HOPES FROM A CYBERSECURITY PERSPECTIVE WOULD BE THAT WE WOULD USE SOME ENTERPRISE WIDE SYSTEMS SO THAT WE MIGHT BE ABLE TO, FIRST OF ALL, BE SAFE AND THEN SECONDLY, REDUCE COSTS. BUT THE QUESTION THAT I HAVE TO YOU, I WAS CONCERNED ABOUT ONE OF THE SALARY ITEMS, AND I COULDN'T TELL THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THEM. BUT THERE'S A SALARY ITEM LISTED FOR I BELIEVE IT'S A NETWORK ADMINISTRATOR AT 105,000. AND THEN IN THE TECHNICAL SERVICES, THERE'S ALSO AN ON SITE IT SUPPORT AT THE SAME 105 000. AND SO I FEEL A LITTLE BIT CONCERNED ABOUT YOU ANSWERING IN THIS PUBLIC FORUM. AND TYPICALLY WE CAN TAKE CYBERSECURITY ISSUES INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION, BUT I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT THESE WERE NOT DUPLICATIVE REQUESTS FOR THE SAME $105,000. SURE. GREAT QUESTION. THEY NOT THEY ARE NOT DUPLICATES. THEY'RE FOR TWO DIFFERENT ROLES. OKAY. CYBER IS FOR CYBERSECURITY. TECHNOLOGY SUPPORT IS A POSITION THAT WE'VE HAD IN HOUSE FOR TWO YEARS. THAT PERSON IS REALLY KIND OF MULTITASKING, DOING TECHNOLOGY SUPPORT CYBER AND ALSO NETWORK. SO IF THINGS GO WELL, WE'RE LOOKING FORWARD AT BRINGING SOME OF THAT SKILL SET IN HOUSE. SO THAT LINE ITEM, ONE OF THOSE LINE ITEMS WILL BE REDUCED. AND THEN COUNCIL COLLEAGUES, I WOULD JUST WANT YOU TO READ CLOSELY. SOME OF THE SOFTWARE REQUESTS I'M CURIOUS ABOUT. ARE WE IN THE MIDDLE OF SOME SORT OF MAJOR, NOT SOFTWARE HARDWARE REQUEST? THERE ARE SOME MAJOR COMPUTER REQUESTS AND THINGS LIKE THAT. SO COLLEAGUES, I JUST WOULD ASK YOU TO READ THOSE LINE ITEMS CLOSELY AND SEE IF THERE ARE WAYS WE MIGHT CONSIDER OUR EXISTING SOFTWARE HARDWARE AND HOW THAT CAN FULFILL SOME OF OUR NEEDS. I YIELD, THANK YOU, COUNCILMAN ATKINS. YES. THANK YOU. AND THANK YOU, MR. WELDON, FOR YOUR DIRECTOR FOR YOUR PRESENTATION. ONE OF THE CONCERNS THAT I HAVE IS I GO TO THE BUDGET, AND PERHAPS THERE IS A REASON FOR IT OPERATIONALLY. BUT WHEN I SEE ALL THE VARIOUS DEPARTMENTS AND THERE'S A LINE ITEM FOR SOFTWARE MAINTENANCE, AND THOSE ARE NOT SMALL LINE ITEMS, SOME OF THEM ARE WELL OVER $1 MILLION. I'M NOT UNDERSTANDING WHY THOSE THINGS ARE NOT CENTRALIZED UNDER IT, SO THAT THINGS ARE STREAMLINED AND 
          [04:05:04]
CONSISTENT ACROSS THE ENTERPRISE, JUST IN CASE THERE ARE ISSUES THAT ARISE. THEN THE IT DEPARTMENT, WHICH IS OUR DEPARTMENT FOR INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY, WILL BE VERY FAMILIAR WITH WHATEVER SYSTEM. AND ALSO, IF WE'RE NOT TAKING ADVANTAGE OF ECONOMIES OF SCALE BECAUSE THE IT DEPARTMENT HAS NEGOTIATED THE CONTRACT FOR THOSE THINGS TO BE ACROSS THE ENTERPRISE. SO THAT'S JUST SOMETHING THAT IS CURIOUS TO ME. I MEAN, ALMOST EVERY DEPARTMENT HAS SOFTWARE AND MAINTENANCE, AND I'M JUST NOT SURE. SO ARE THEY BUYING THEIR OWN AND ARE THEY SPEAKING TO EACH OTHER? IS IT REINFORCING SORT OF WORKING IN SILOS BECAUSE THIS SYSTEM IS NOT TALKING TO THAT SYSTEM, WHICH IS NOT MAKING US WORK SMARTER, BUT HARDER, AND IT DOESN'T PROVIDE EFFICIENCIES. SO THOSE THINGS, I DON'T KNOW, BUT THAT'S NOT MY QUESTION. MY QUESTION IS AROUND UNIFORMS. SO I SEE A LINE ITEM AT $18,500. SO DO THE EMPLOYEES. AND IT REQUIRE UNIFORMS TO, TO, TO DO THEIR JOB OR WHAT, WHAT IS WHAT IS THAT? YEAH, THAT, THAT NUMBER DOES SOUND HIGH AND WE DON'T REQUIRE UNIFORMS. IT IS A GOOD INCENTIVE. I DON'T RECALL THE NUMBER BEING 18,000. BUT IF WE NEED TO LOOK AT THAT WE CERTAINLY CAN. WE CERTAINLY DON'T WANT TO TAX THE THE CITY WITH EXCESSIVE UNIFORM COST. BUT WE CAN CERTAINLY TAKE A LOOK AT THAT. OKAY. IF THEY'RE NOT NECESSARY IN AN AUSTERE BUDGET ENVIRONMENT, WOULD WE EVEN PUT UNIFORMS? IT SAYS UNIFORM AND TOWEL SERVICE $18,500. WELL WE WOULD I THINK WE WOULD KEEP IT. WE COULD WE COULD LOWER IT BECAUSE IT IS AN INCENTIVE FOR STAFF, SINCE WE DO HAVE OTHER BUDGETARY CUTS, THAT COULD BE A VERY SMALL INCENTIVE FOR STAFF. AND LIKE I SAY, THAT NUMBER OF 18 SOUNDS HIGH TO ME, BUT WE CAN CERTAINLY LOOK AT THAT TO GET THAT DOWNWARD. HOW MANY EMPLOYEES ARE IN IT? TEN. TEN. THANK YOU. SURE. COUNCILMAN MIKE ROGERS. YES. AND A COUPLE OF OBSERVATIONS I WOULD LIKE FOR US TO CONSIDER IS THE SALARY AND WAGES. AND ALL SALARY AND WAGES NEED TO BE BROUGHT BEFORE COUNCIL, WITH A RATIONALE AS TO WHY, WHY, WHY, WHY. BUT WHAT I FOUND MOST INTERESTING IS FOR THIS DEPARTMENT, IT WAS $48,100 SET ASIDE FOR EDUCATION AND TRAVEL. BUT THE RECOMMEND THE RECOMMENDATION OF THE CITY MANAGER WAS $28,100. SO I WANTED THE PUBLIC RECORD TO REFLECT THAT, THAT THE IT DEPARTMENT HAS EDUCATION, TRAVEL AND TRAINING. AND I'M JUST THE INCONSISTENCIES OF WHO GETS TO TRAVEL AND TRAIN IS IS BEING REALLY REFLECTED HERE TONIGHT. SO PLEASE MAKE SURE THAT IS A MATTER OF PUBLIC RECORD. MADAM CITY CLERK THANK YOU. OKAY. THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION. AND I JUST WANTED TO KNOW HOW MUCH OF YOUR BUDGET HAS BEEN ALLOCATED TO PUBLIC FACING DASHBOARDS AND SCORECARDS THAT WE'RE WE'RE TRYING TO BE TRANSPARENT, BUT I KNOW WE DON'T WANT TO INUNDATE OUR WEBSITE WITH 50 MILLION PAGES, WITH REPORTS AND DOCUMENTS AND THINGS LIKE THAT. AND THAT WILL HELP US KEEP OUR RESIDENTS SECURE IF WE HAVE A CENTRALIZED DASHBOARD FOR THESE VARIOUS LOCATIONS. SO HOW MUCH OF YOUR BUDGET, IF YOU CAN NOW TELL ME ABOUT HOW MUCH IS GOING INTO THAT? SURE. MADAM MAYOR, ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT AN INWARDLY FACING LIKE AN INTRANET? IS THAT WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT? ACTUALLY, BOTH. THAT'S A OKAY, SO WE DO HAVE A PROPOSED WEBSITE REDESIGN EFFORT TO BE ADA COMPLIANT. IT IT INITIALLY WAS BY APRIL 2027, DOJ GAVE US AN EXTENSION TO APRIL 2028. SO WE'VE IDENTIFIED THAT AS A IMPROVEMENT PROJECT. WE'VE ALSO IDENTIFIED AN INTRANET, WHICH WOULD BE YOUR INTERNAL FACING, WHICH WOULD HAVE WORKFLOWS. A LOT OF ANALYSIS BUILT IN. AND SO YES, IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE'VE IDENTIFIED AND WE DO HAVE A COST TO THAT. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR PRESENTATION. AND I HAD A QUESTION. I'M SORRY, COUNCILWOMAN CALDWELL, QUICK QUESTION. I'M LOOKING AT SOME OF THE KEY ASKS AND PROJECTS, SPECIFICALLY OTHER PROFESSIONAL FEES. THERE'S LIKE A $300, 300 ZERO ZERO $0 REQUEST TO INCREASE TECHNICAL SERVICES, ALMOST 100 000 TELEPHONE, ALMOST $700,000 REQUEST AN INCREASE. AND THEN THE SOFTWARE MAINTENANCE ALMOST 600 000. CAN YOU GIVE ME AN IDEA OF LIKE, 
          [04:10:05]
WHAT ANY OF THAT IS AND THE IMPACT THAT IT WOULD HAVE TO THE CITY FOR THOSE TYPE OF INCREASES? I CAN LET'S START WITH TELEPHONE. WE PAY. WE HAVE THREE TELEPHONE VENDORS. WE PAY ALMOST $1 MILLION IN TELEPHONES FEES. IF YOU LOOK AT OUR CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS, FOR US TO GET OUR INFRASTRUCTURE SOLIDIFIED, IT'S VERY IMMATURE RIGHT NOW FOR IT TO BE STABLE. 
          $1 MILLION A YEAR IDENTIFIED IN CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS IS VERY LITTLE. WHEN YOU LOOK AT JUST THE THE TELEPHONE BILLS BEING ALMOST $1 MILLION. THAT'S JUST TO GET THE TECHNOLOGY INTO OUR DATA CENTER. LET'S LOOK AT WHAT HAPPENS IN THE DATA CENTER. YOU HAVE YOUR RACK, YOU HAVE YOUR SERVERS, ALL YOUR DATA MANAGEMENT STUFF. YOU HAVE YOUR BACKUP SYSTEMS, YOU HAVE YOUR OPERATING SYSTEMS, YOU HAVE YOUR AI TOOLS, YOUR CLOUD COMPUTING. ALL THOSE NUMBERS ARE REALLY THEY INCREASE. SO EVEN IF WE HAD JUST ONE CENTRALIZED LOCATION, THE NUMBERS WOULD INCREASE, BUT WE WOULD DECENTRALIZE. WE HAVE A DATA CENTER HERE. WE HAVE A DATA CENTER IN THE POLICE DEPARTMENT, AND WE SUPPORT 12 OR 13 VARIOUS BUILDINGS. THEY ALL HAVE TO TECHNOLOGY THAT INCREASES YOUR YOUR OVERALL COST AS IT PERTAINS TO, I THINK YOU MENTIONED TECHNOLOGY SERVICES AND PROFESSIONAL FEES. OKAY. SO WE'RE CURRENTLY NOT REALLY STAFFED LIKE WE SHOULD BE. SO IN ORDER FOR US TO GET THE LEVEL OF SERVICE TO THE CITY, WE HAVE TO SPEND MONEY ON VENDORS AND CONTRACTORS. WHEN WE HAVE SYSTEM OUTAGES, WE DON'T CURRENTLY HAVE A LOT OF SKILL IN HOUSE. SO WE HAVE TO HIRE A CONTRACTOR, A VENDOR TO COME IN, TEST OUR CIRCUITRY, GO THROUGH A DIAGNOSTIC, AND THEY PRETTY MUCH CHARGE AN HOURLY RATE. SO THOSE NUMBERS MAY SEEM HIGH. BUT ONCE WE DO GET OUR 2 OR 3 STAFF IN HOUSE, WE CAN SEE SOME OF THOSE NUMBERS DECREASE. SO. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR PRESENTATION. AND THEN NEXT WE WILL HAVE CONTRACTS AND PROCUREMENT. GOOD EVENING, MADAM MAYOR AND COUNCIL LEADERSHIP. I JUST WANTED TO DISCUSS OUR FY 26 ACCOMPLISHMENTS. ONE, WE WE RENOVATED OUR WAREHOUSE. I'M NOT SURE HOW MANY OF YOU ALL HAVE BEEN DOWN TO OUR WAREHOUSE. WE ACTUALLY HAD SOME. WE HAD SOME STAFF ON TOP OF STAFF. SO WE HAD TO KIND OF MAKE SURE THAT THEY WERE COMFORTABLE DOWN THERE AT THE WAREHOUSE WE RENOVATED THAT. IT LOOKS VERY NICE. WE ALSO DID AN INDEPENDENT AUDIT AND WE KIND OF BASED THAT OFF OF WHAT THE FORENSIC AUDITORS WERE TALKING ABOUT. SOME LOOSE ENDS THERE FOR OUR PROPOSED BUDGET ITEMS. SOME OF YOU ALL ARE FAMILIAR WITH BID NET. THAT'S OUR SOLICITATION PLATFORM. OTHERS ARE ARE FAMILIAR WITH THE CONTRACT WORKS WHERE WE ACTUALLY DO ALL OUR SIGNING AND ROUTING OF CONTRACTS THROUGH THERE. THAT IS OUR CLOUD BASED FILE ROOM FOR OUR MAJOR BUDGET CHANGES. WE ARE TRYING TO IMPLEMENT WAREHOUSE SCANNING, SO WE'RE TRYING TO GET MORE LIKE AN AMAZON WAREHOUSE VERSUS THE ANTIQUATED PHYSICALLY COUNTING OURSELVES. WE'RE TRYING TO ACTUALLY HAVE THINGS SCANNED IN AND HAVE THIS DIGITAL FORMAT SO WE CAN UTILIZE THAT BETTER. ALSO, WE'RE TRYING TO DUPLICATE THE DIGITIZATION PROJECT THAT WE DID FOR HR. THAT WAS SOMETHING THAT WE'RE PROPOSING FOR THE ENTIRE CITY AS A WHOLE. SO IF THAT'S APPROVED, WE'RE MOVING FORWARD WITH THAT. ANY QUESTIONS? COUNCILMAN ATKINS, MY QUESTION IS AROUND UNIFORMS AS WELL. FOR MY QUESTION IS AROUND UNIFORMS AS WELL. $4,000. WHAT DID WE USE THAT FOR IN PROCUREMENT? SO THE AND IN PROCUREMENT, WE ACTUALLY OUR WAREHOUSE STAFF, THEY MAY HAVE THEY MAY HAVE TO ORDER JACKETS, SOME HEAVY. SO FOR INSTANCE, OUR WAREHOUSE IS PRETTY OLD. THE UNIVERSE DOESN'T CARRY THE THICK JACKETS TO HELP THEM STAY WARM DOWN THERE. SO I KNOW THIS PAST FISCAL YEAR WE HAD TO ORDER SOME HEAVY DUTY JACKETS, WHICH ACTUALLY COST, YOU KNOW, SIGNIFICANT COST FOR THAT. BUT OUTSIDE OF THAT, WE'RE JUST WE RARELY WOULD ORDER ANYTHING ON A REGULAR BASIS. IS THAT IF YOU'VE ALREADY PURCHASED JACKET, IS THAT A RECURRING COST EVERY YEAR, OR ARE THEY GETTING JACKETS EVERY YEAR? THAT'S NOT A RECURRING COST AT ALL. SO THAT'S SOMETHING THAT NEEDS TO 
          [04:15:02]
BE ADJUSTED. THAT'S NOT A PROBLEM, BUT THAT'S NOT A RECURRING RECURRING COST. 
          ALRIGHT. THANK YOU. OKAY, COUNCILMAN. MY RIGHT. THANK YOU. AND AGAIN, MADAM CITY CLERK, PLEASE LET THE RECORD REFLECT THAT THERE WAS NO ALLOCATION FOR EDUCATION AND TRAVEL FOR THE CONTRACTS AND PROCUREMENT DEPARTMENT AS WELL. AND ALSO NON CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS ARE ON PAGE 110. THOSE ARE NON CAPITAL ITEMS AND SHOULDN'T BE ON THAT PAGE. 
          MADAM. MISS INTERIM FINANCE DIRECTOR THANK YOU. THANK YOU FOR YOUR PRESENTATION. THANK YOU SIR AND THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. WAIT A MINUTE, MADAM MAYOR. CAN I GO AHEAD? I'M SORRY. COME ON BACK, COUNCILWOMAN. MR. LAWRENCE, AS A NEW COUNCIL MEMBER, I JUST WANTED TO SAY THANK YOU BECAUSE I'VE LEARNED A LOT ABOUT. I'VE ASKED YOU A LOT OF QUESTIONS ABOUT THIS PROCESS, AND I APPRECIATE WHAT YOU DO TO PROTECT OUR CITY AND ALSO TO RECRUIT AND MAKE SURE THAT WE GET THE BEST SERVICES WHEN THEY COME. YOU REQUESTED $25,000 FOR OTHER PROFESSIONAL SERVICES OR FEES, AND I WAS JUST CURIOUS WHAT THAT WAS. I RECOGNIZE THAT IT WASN'T RECOMMENDED TO US, BUT COULD YOU TELL US WHAT YOU WERE TRYING TO ACCOMPLISH WITH THAT $25,000 REQUEST? YES. AT THE TIME, WE WERE TRYING TO ADD SOME OTHER ITEMS FOR THE BID NET PLATFORM, AND THERE WERE SEVERAL, SEVERAL INTRICACIES THAT GOES WITH IT. AND WE ACTUALLY CAME TO ONE PART OF IT WHERE IT'S LIKE WE'RE ABLE TO SEND THE REQUEST FOR OUR EVALUATORS. WE'RE ABLE TO SEND THEM THE EMAILS THROUGH THE BID NET PLATFORM SO THEY CAN ACTUALLY EVALUATE. SO WHERE WE STARTED OFF WITH THAT BEING A FREE ITEM AND NOW WE KIND OF TAKING IT OVER. SO THAT NUMBER WILL BE ADJUSTED AS WELL. OKAY. LET ME LET ME MAKE SURE I UNDERSTAND. SO THIS IS SOME SORT OF MODULE THAT'S IN THE BID NET SOFTWARE THAT WOULD MAKE IT MORE EFFICIENT FOR US TO EVALUATE THE CONTRACTS THAT COME OUR WAY. ABSOLUTELY. AND SO IF YOU HAVE THIS LINE ITEM WHERE THERE WAS A $9,000 THAT WAS DUE DUPLICATED, CORRECT. 
          COUNCIL, I WOULD ASK MAYBE THAT WE CONSIDER THAT DUPLICATE $9,000, MOVE IT TOWARD THE PIECE OF THE BID NET SOFTWARE THAT MIGHT HELP OUR EVALUATION PROCESS OF OUR VENDORS BE MORE EFFICIENT AND EFFECTIVE. THANK YOU, I YIELD, THANK YOU. 9000 OTHER PROFESSIONAL SERVICES. MY QUESTION WAS SOMEWHAT ON THE SAME LINES, MAINLY CENTERED AROUND CHALLENGES. IF THERE WAS ANY MAJOR ROADBLOCKS THAT YOU EXPERIENCED IN FY 26, HOW THAT'S BEING ADDRESSED OR WHAT IS STILL OUTSTANDING, THAT'S NOT BEING ADDRESSED IN FY 27 THAT WE NEED TO BE CONSIDERING. 
          I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S THE BIDDING PIECE, BUT IS THERE ANYTHING ELSE THAT WE SHOULD KNOW? HONESTLY, THAT WAS THE BID NET PIECE. WE WE ACTUALLY ADDED THAT AND THAT'S BEEN TREMENDOUSLY HELPFUL AT THIS POINT IN TIME. YOU KNOW, WE WE DON'T HAVE ANY OTHER MAJOR ISSUES GOING ON. SOONER OR LATER, WE'LL BE HAVING SOME PEOPLE TRANSITION AND RETIREMENT WITHIN MY DEPARTMENT. SO WE'LL BE LOOKING TO REPLACE THOSE PEOPLE, BUT NOTHING PRESSING. OKAY. THANK YOU, THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU FOR YOUR PRESENTATION. ALL RIGHT. WHO ELSE IS NEXT? SO. OKAY, THANK YOU FOR THE REMINDER. COUNCILWOMAN CALDWELL, MAY I HAVE OH, OKAY. SO THE OFFICE OF EQUITY AND INCLUSION. 
          YOU'RE GOOD TONIGHT. ALL RIGHT. I'M YOLANDA, COMMUNITY SOCIAL SERVICES MANAGER FOR THE OFFICE OF EQUITY, INCLUSION AND EMPOWERMENT. I'M JUST GOING TO GIVE A QUICK OVERVIEW. GIVEN A LOT OF THIS INFORMATION, IT'S HARD TO GIVE A LOT OF THIS INFORMATION IN A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME. BUT I'M I'VE CONDENSED IT AS MUCH AS I CAN. JUST AN EXECUTIVE SUMMARY. THE OFFICE OF EQUITY, INCLUSION AND EMPOWERMENT CONTINUES TO ADDRESS HOUSING INSTABILITY, ECONOMIC HARDSHIP, WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT NEEDS, AND FINANCIAL LITERACY BARRIERS THROUGH THE EMPOWERED BY GETTING AHEAD FRAMEWORK DEVELOPED IN RESPONSE TO THE 2022 COMMUNITY NEEDS ASSESSMENT, THE PROGRAM PROVIDES DIRECT STABILIZATION SERVICES, ECONOMIC MOBILITY PLANNING, WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT, AND COMMUNITY EDUCATION TO THE EAST 
          [04:20:02]
POINT RESIDENTS. I WANT TO HIGHLIGHT THAT THE OFFICE OF EQUITY, INCLUSION AND EMPOWERMENT DOES A LOT OF WORK WITHIN OUR DEPARTMENT. WE GIVE A LOT OF DEPARTMENT SUPPORT WITH CUSTOMER CARE, FIRE DEPARTMENT, POLICE DEPARTMENT, AND THE COURTS. FY 26 ACCOMPLISHMENTS THROUGH OUR FRAMEWORK THAT WAS DEVELOPED IN 24, WE HAVE 400 PLUS FAMILIES THAT WE SERVE. THOSE 400 PLUS FAMILIES THAT WE SERVE WERE FAMILIES THAT WERE RAPID REHOUSED, MEANING THEY WERE UNHOUSED. WE SUPPORTED 1900 PLUS FAMILIES WITH HOMELESS INTERVENTION, MEANING THAT THEY WERE IN EVICTION STATUS, AND WE HELPED THEM OUT OF THAT STATUS. 
          55 INDIVIDUALS EMPLOYED THROUGH WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT, WHICH IS SOMETHING THAT WE DO EVERY MONTH. WE WERE DOING EVERY MONTH UP UNTIL OUR FUNDS RAN OUT. SO WE WERE DOING 55. WE HAD 55 INDIVIDUALS THAT GO THROUGH WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT. WE DID PARTNERSHIP WITH STRIVE ATLANTA AND APS ATLANTA PUBLIC SCHOOLS, WHERE THEY WOULD COME IN AND HELP SOME OF THE RESIDENTS GET CERTIFIED FORKLIFT CERTIFIED, DO SOFT SKILLS THROUGH WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT. WE ALSO DID DO HOMEOWNERSHIP PLANNING. 65 PLUS FAMILIES WENT THROUGH OUR HOME OWNERSHIP PLANNING SERVICES, WHERE WE AGAIN, WE HAD PARTNERS COME IN TO HELP US WITH THAT. 
          AND WE HAD 100 PLUS FAMILIES ENGAGE IN WEALTH BUILDING EDUCATION. 18 EASTPOINTE POLICE OFFICERS. I AM CITY CERTIFIED. I'M THE COORDINATOR FOR THE CITY OF EASTPOINTE CERTIFIED COORDINATOR. I'M A MENTAL HEALTH FIRST AIDER. SHANNON AND I BOTH ARE, AND I'M A CERTIFIED BRIDGES OUT OF POVERTY TRAINER, SO WE WERE ABLE TO TRAIN 18 EASTPOINTE POLICE OFFICERS WITH CERTIFIED WITH CRISIS INTERVENTION. SO WE HAVE 18 OF THOSE OFFICERS TRAINED. WE HAVE 30 PLUS COMMUNITY PARTNERS THAT ARE ACTIVELY ENGAGED THROUGH IN-KIND SERVICES WHERE WE DON'T OFFER ANYTHING. WE DID BRING ON TWO OF THOSE. TWO OF THOSE PARTNERS THROUGH OUR EMILY GRANT, THAT WE RECEIVED FOR ECONOMIC UPWARD MOBILITY. THEN HERE I WANT TO POINT OUT THE ESTIMATED RETURN, ESTIMATED RETURN ON INVESTMENT THROUGH OUR REFERRAL PROCESS. WE DO. WE DID SAVE THE CITY $525,000. I DON'T KNOW IF YOU ALL RECEIVED THE OTHER SHEET TO SHOW HOW I GOT THOSE NUMBERS, BUT ANYTIME WE REFER SOMEONE, WE SAY ROUGHLY $1,500. WHEN YOU'RE GETTING RENTAL ASSISTANCE, THAT'S THE MARKET RATE FOR RENTAL ASSISTANCE HERE IN THE CITY OF EASTPOINTE. SO WE REFERRED THOSE RESIDENTS TO OTHER AGENCIES WHICH SAVE THE CITY MONEY, UTILITY ASSISTANCE, ASSISTANCE. WE REFERRED WE REFERRED RESIDENTS TO OTHER AGENCY, AND WE SAVED THE CITY $100,000. FOOD ASSISTANCE, HOMELESS PREVENTION AND SHELTER, A MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES COURT, DIVERSION AND JAIL. THE COURT DOES CALL ON US TO COME GO THROUGH SOME OF THESE PROGRAMS. THE. WE WOULD ACTUALLY GO OVER AND DO ASSESSMENT FOR MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES AND REFER THE CLIENTS OVER TO MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES AND WHAT WE TYPICALLY WANT TO FOCUS ON MOSTLY IS OUR BUDGET COMING IN. WHAT WE WOULD ASK FOR THE BUDGET FOR FY 27 IS TO SIMPLY FOCUS ON EMPOWERED BY GETTING AHEAD, WHICH IS AN ECONOMIC UPWARD MOBILITY PROCESS FOR THE RESIDENTS, WHERE WE'RE FOCUSING ON MORE SO ON ECONOMIC UPWARD MOBILITY, LONG TERM GOALS VERSUS SHORT TERM GOALS, NOT PAYING BILLS, BUT ACTUALLY HELPING. IF WE ARE GOING TO HELP PEOPLE WITH BILLS, WE'RE GOING TO GIVE THEM SOMETHING THAT'S GIVE THEM LONGEVITY SO THAT THEY'RE NOT HAVING TO RELY ON US COMING BACK AND FORTH FOR ASSISTANCE ALL THE TIME. I THINK MY TIME IS ABOUT TO BE UP. SO THAT WOULD GO. AND THEN WE WILL ALSO PUT IMPLEMENT MONEY IN FOR ABOUT 50 SENIORS FOR UTILITY ASSISTANCE. A LOT OF OUR SENIORS ACTUALLY COME TO US FOR ASSISTANCE, AND WE HAVE TO GO OUT TO OTHER AGENCIES TO HELP THEM GET A UTILITY ASSISTANCE. MY TIME IS UP. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR PRESENTATION. I WILL GO TO COUNCILMAN MITCHELL FIRST AND THEN COUNCILWOMAN MARTIN ROGERS. YES. THANK YOU FOR YOUR PRESENTATION. IF YOU COULD GIVE ME AN ESTIMATE, I KNOW YOU JUST NAMED A LOT OF SERVICES ABOUT HOW MUCH MONEY WOULD YOU NEED TO MAKE ALL OF THESE SERVICES POSSIBLE? TO 
          [04:25:01]
WHAT I'VE BROKEN DOWN IS $225,000 TO HELP WITH SERVICES FOR THE RESIDENTS, AND THAT'S WITH US MOVING TOWARD AN ECONOMIC UPWARD MOBILITY APPROACH VERSUS WHAT WE'VE BEEN DOING WHEN WE HAD COVID FUNDS THAT WERE EXTENSIVE AMOUNT OF MONEY TO HELP US WITH RENTAL ASSISTANCE, MORTGAGE ASSISTANCE AND UTILITY. WE DON'T HAVE THAT NOW. AND WOULD THAT INCLUDE SALARIES AND EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO PAY STAFF OR. NO, THAT DOESN'T INCLUDE SALARY SALARIES. 
          THAT IS JUST FOR SERVICES. OKAY. IF YOU HAD TO GIVE A I GUESS WITH EVERYTHING INCLUDED, WHAT DO YOU THINK THAT WOULD COME OUT TO BE? WELL, THAT THAT'S KIND OF HARD TO SAY BECAUSE I'M NOT SURE EXACTLY WHAT THOSE SALARIES WOULD LOOK LIKE UNDER THE NEW ADMINISTRATION. WE'RE STILL OPERATING UNDER A SALARY FROM THE LAST CITY MANAGER, SO I WOULD DEFINITELY EXPECT FOR US TO GET SOME SORT OF INCREASE FOR THE WORK THAT WE DO. BUT I WOULD PROBABLY HAVE TO TALK TO THE CITY MANAGER TO SEE WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE. OKAY. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. 
          AND I'D LIKE TO SAY THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR PRESENTATION. YOU KNOW, THAT WE HAVE BEEN GIVEN A BUDGET IN WHICH, YOU KNOW, THIS OFFICE, WHICH DOES SO MUCH FOR THE RESIDENTS IN EASTPOINTE, HAS KIND OF BEEN DISPERSED HERE AND THERE WITHOUT EVEN BRINGING IT FORTH TO THE FULL BODY OF COUNCIL. BUT I HAVE A QUESTION AS FAR AS WHEN YOU APPLY. WELL, FIRST OF ALL, WE NEED YOUR PRESENTATION. IT IS NOT IN THIS PACKET, BUT I KNOW THAT I DID AN OPEN RECORDS REQUEST FOR THE WORK THAT YOU'VE DONE, AND I SHARED THAT WITH JUST A FEW COLLEAGUES, BUT NOT EVERYONE. SO EVERYONE NEEDS THE PRESENTATION WITH THESE NUMBERS THAT YOU HAVE RUN DOWN, OR I CAN FORWARD IT TO MY COLLEAGUES. BUT WHAT I'D LIKE YOU TO DO IS TALK ABOUT, COULD YOU TALK A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT SOME OF THE GRANTS THAT YOU HAVE GONE AFTER THAT HAVE ASSISTED IN THIS WORK? BECAUSE I DID NOTICE THAT INFORMATION WITH WHAT YOU PRESENTED. TALK TO US ABOUT THE GRANTS THAT YOU'VE GONE AFTER THAT HAVE HELPED ASSIST IN THIS WORK. 
          OKAY. EARLY ON, WHEN WE STARTED OUT IN 2021, WE RECEIVED CDBG FUNDS IN WHICH THAT WAS DURING COVID, WHEN FEDERAL GOVERNMENT WAS ACTUALLY GIVEN MONEY FOR RENTAL, UTILITY AND MORTGAGE ASSISTANCE. THAT WAS SOMETHING THAT WAS OUT OF THE NORM FOR CDBG. SO YOU WOULDN'T TYPICALLY NOW GET THOSE TYPE OF FUNDS FOR RENTAL ASSISTANCE. SO WE DID DO EXCEPTIONALLY WELL. WHEN WE GOT THOSE FUNDS, THEY ACTUALLY GAVE US THREE ALLOCATIONS. AND, AND WE GOT 100 ON OUR STATE AUDIT FOR IT TOO. AND THEY ACTUALLY ASKED US TO USE OUR MODEL AS A MODEL FOR OTHER CITIES. I WENT OVER TO SOUTH FULTON AND HELPED TRAIN THEM ON THEIR RENTAL ASSISTANCE PROCESS. SO THAT WAS A PLUS. AND THEN TWO, WE GOT ESG FUNDING. I THINK WE GOT OVER, I WANT TO SAY 200 AND SOMETHING THOUSAND DOLLARS IN ESG FUNDS DURING THAT TIME. THAT WAS PROBABLY GOING INTO 2020 223. WE GOT ESG FUNDING, AND THEN WE ALSO GOT THE EMILY GRANT, WHICH HELPED US BUILD OUT OUR FRAMEWORK FOR ECONOMIC UPWARD MOBILITY. AND WE HAD THE ARPA FUNDS, WHICH THAT WAS SOMETHING THAT WAS ALREADY IN PLACE WHEN I CAME. SO I DON'T THINK THOSE FUNDS ARE AVAILABLE ANYMORE EITHER FOR THIS TYPE OF WORK. THAT WAS LIKE A ONE AND DONE KIND OF THING. BUT THERE ARE OTHER OPPORTUNITIES OUT THERE. I THINK THE MORE THAT WE GET OUT IN FRONT OF PEOPLE AND BE ABLE TO SHOW THE WORK THAT WE DO, WHICH WE STARTED BUILDING THAT MOMENTUM, THE MORE WORK THAT WE START TO DO AND GET IN FRONT OF PEOPLE, I THINK WE'LL HAVE OTHER OPPORTUNITIES IN WHICH WE DID HAVE THAT OPPORTUNITY. WHEN WE PUT ON OUR WORK IN FRONT FOR THE GALA, WE ACTUALLY GOT A LARGE AUDIENCE. WE HAD COMMISSIONERS IN HERE. THREE OF OUR COMMISSIONERS AND THE GOVERNOR'S OFFICE CAME HERE. SO I WAS JUST AT A MEETING EARLIER TODAY AND THEY ASKED US ABOUT OUR WORK. SO AND THE FUNDING THAT WE COULD GO AFTER FOR THE WORK. SO THERE ARE OPPORTUNITIES. IT'S JUST A MATTER OF US HAVING SOME SORT OF STRUCTURE HERE TO DO THAT. AND I JUST WANT TO ADD THIS, WHEN YOU GO AFTER THAT FUNDING, DON'T YOU HAVE TO HAVE SOME SORT OF, HEY, THESE ARE FOR PEOPLE THAT WORK HERE. YOU CAN'T BE MISPLACED. OR LET'S SAY YOU GO OVER TO THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT, BECAUSE I THINK THAT HE JUST LEFT FROM IN FRONT OF US WITH A PRESENTATION. WHEN YOU GO AFTER CERTAIN FUNDING, DOES THIS NEED TO BE A LEGITIMATE DIVISION OF THE CITY, OR CAN EMPLOYEES BE IN OTHER AREAS OF THE CITY TO GET THIS FUNDING? YES, FOR THE STATE, FOR THE SAKE OF THE INTEGRITY OF THE CITY. YES. WE ACTUALLY HAVE TWO PENDING OPPORTUNITIES. NOW THAT'S ON HOLD BECAUSE THEY GOT WORD THAT WE WASN'T GOING TO HAVE THIS DEPARTMENT. SO WE ARE WAITING TO GET THOSE FUNDS RELEASED, DEPENDING UPON IF WE STILL HAVE THE DEPARTMENT. AND THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WAS ONGOING FROM THE GALA. SO YES, THAT THAT IS SO I WOULD NOT WANT TO PUT THE CITY IN THAT PREDICAMENT WHEN WE MARKET IT ONE THING AND THEN WE DON'T HAVE IT. SO I JUST ASK 
          [04:30:05]
TO PAUSE UNTIL WE FIGURE OUT WHAT WE'RE GOING TO DO. OKAY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU FOR YOUR PRESENTATION. JUST OUT OF CURIOSITY, LIKE, WHAT'S THE DOLLAR AMOUNT ASSOCIATED WITH THOSE PARTICULAR PROGRAMS WE HAVE FOR THE ONES PLACED ON PAUSE? OH, WE HAVE ONE FOR TEN. 
          WELL, TWO FOR TEN AND ONE FOR 5000. SO THAT'S $25,000. THANK YOU. MORE QUESTIONS? NO. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU FOR YOUR PRESENTATION. AND WHEN YOU AS AS COUNCILWOMAN ROGERS SAID, MAYBE THE PRESENTATION WAS PROVIDED AT ANOTHER TIME OR IF IT'S ON A WEBSITE, THE QUESTION THAT I HAVE IS THAT OF THE THE FAMILIES THAT YOU SERVE ARE HOW MUCH HOW MANY OF THOSE RESIDENTS ARE ACTUALLY RESIDENTS OF EAST POINT, ALL OF THE RESIDENTS THAT GET FUNDS, ALL OF THE PEOPLE THAT GET FUNDS FROM US, THEY ARE RESIDENTS. THAT'S ONE OF THE QUESTIONS THAT GOES THROUGH OUR PORTALS WHEN WE PUT THEM IN OUR CLIENT TRACK. IF THEY ARE NOT A RESIDENT, WE DON'T TURN THEM AWAY. WE JUST SHOW THEM TO ANOTHER RESOURCE. BUT ALL OF THEM ARE RESIDENTS. EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THEM. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. THEY'RE NOT RESIDENTS ON PAPER. THEY ARE. THEY'VE BEEN HERE 30 EITHER 30 OR 60 DAYS IN A HOTEL HERE. 
          THANK YOU FOR CONFIRMING THAT. THANK YOU, I APPRECIATE IT. THAT'S ALL THE QUESTIONS I HAVE. 
          WE HAVE A REPORT SO WE CAN START WITH THE WE'RE NOW IN A DIRECT REPORT. SO WE CAN GO WITH THE WITH LEGAL CLERK. AND THEN WE'LL FINALIZE WITH THE CITY MANAGER. WHO ELSE IS. YEAH. 
          WE GOT THIS. YEAH. YES. WE GOT THE CLERK AND THE LEGAL AND THEN CITY MANAGER. PROGRAM. I JUST. GO AHEAD. GOOD EVENING EVERYONE. MY BUDGET IS NOT GOING TO BE TOO LONG BECAUSE WITH ME NOT HAVING COUNCIL EVENTS UNDER THERE ANYMORE, THE BUDGET IS PRETTY SHORT FOR ME. 
          SO LET'S SEE, JUST A LITTLE RUNDOWN. AS FAR AS OUR. FY 26 ACCOMPLISHMENTS. WE HAVE RECEIVED IN THE PAST FISCAL YEAR 3566 OPEN RECORDS REQUESTS. THEY CONTINUE TO GO UP EVERY YEAR, AT LEAST BY 100 OR SO. THEY WE HAVE SENT OFF 88 CLAIMS ON BEHALF OF THE CITY, BUT THAT'S FOR LEGAL TO PROCESS PROVIDED 78 NOTARY NOTARY SERVICES TO THE RESIDENTS, BUSINESSES AND CITY DEPARTMENTS. CONTINUE ADMINISTRATIVE OF THE COUNCIL MEETINGS, AGENDAS, MINUTES, ORDINANCES, RESOLUTIONS, ALL OF THAT STUFF AND ALSO MAINTAIN DEPARTMENTAL PARTICIPATION IN PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT AND CERTIFICATION PROGRAMS. MY MY ASK FOR FY 27 IS THAT I WILL BE ALLOTTED AN ADDITIONAL ADMIN ASSISTANT WITH OUR ONGOING OPEN RECORDS REQUEST THAT INCREASED EVERY YEAR. IT'S HARD FOR ME AND MY STAFF BECAUSE IT'S NOT. IT'S NO ONE'S SOLE PROJECT. EVERYBODY'S WORKING ON THEM AT SOME POINT IN TIME, BUT EVERYBODY ELSE HAS OTHER DUTIES TO TAKE CARE OF THAT NEED TO BE DONE IN OUR OFFICE. SO MY ASK WOULD BE FOR ADMIN TO AN ADDITIONAL ADMIN ASSISTANT TO WORK SOLELY ON OPEN RECORDS REQUESTS. AND AS FAR AS OUR TRAVEL AND TRAINING, IT'S DEFINITELY IMPORTANT FOR OUR OFFICE. I HAVE ALWAYS MADE SURE THAT OUR ENTIRE OFFICE GOES THROUGH TRAINING. SO AT THIS POINT, MISS EVANS, OUR OFFICE MANAGER, SHE WILL BE HAVING HER CLERK CERTIFICATION IN SEPTEMBER. SO INITIALLY WHEN 
          [04:35:03]
THE FUNDING WAS GONE, I TOLD HER, I SAID, I WILL PAY OUT OF MY OWN POCKET FOR YOU TO GO BECAUSE YOU MADE IT THIS FAR. LIKE IT'S NO WAY. AND I JUST THINK IT'S IMPORTANT FOR ALL OF US TO HAVE CONTINUING TRAINING SO THAT WE CAN CONTINUE TO LEARN, GROW, AND JUST GET DIFFERENT IDEAS FROM DIFFERENT PEOPLE IN THE SAME SITUATION, BUT MANAGE THINGS DIFFERENTLY. 
          SO, AND OUTSIDE OF THAT, MISS MILLETT IS IN THE PROCESS OF GETTING HER INTERNATIONAL CLERKS CERTIFICATION. THE BOTH OF US JUST HAVE TO FINISH A COUPLE MORE TESTS FROM OUR TRAINING WE WENT TO LAST MONTH, AND THEN I'LL BE HAVING MY I'LL HAVE MY MASTER'S INTERNATIONAL CLERK CERTIFICATION. SO FOR US, CERTIFICATIONS ARE TRAINING, TRAINING AND TRAVEL IS SUPER IMPORTANT FOR US. OUTSIDE OF THAT, THAT IS IT. THANK YOU FOR YOUR PRESENTATION. ANY QUESTIONS? COUNCILWOMAN HEMMING? YES, I JUST WANTED TO MAKE A STATEMENT AND THEN I'LL ASK A QUESTION. I'M BLANKING ON THE EXACT MEETING. BUT THIS COUNCIL VOTED TO HAVE A PROCUREMENT PROCESS INITIATED SO THAT WE COULD DO SOME EVALUATION OF SOME OF THE CHALLENGES RELATED TO OPEN RECORDS REQUESTS. THE PURPOSE, AS I RECALL, WAS SO THAT WE COULD UNDERSTAND, LIKE IF THERE WERE IMPROVEMENTS THAT COULD BE MADE NOT JUST WITHIN YOUR DEPARTMENT, BUT ALSO GLOBALLY, LIKE WE HEARD FROM THE FINANCE TEAM TODAY, THAT THEY HAVE THESE TSPLOST AND MOST AND OTHER REPORTS, IF WE COULD BEGIN TO MAKE THINGS MORE ACCESSIBLE AND, YOU KNOW, AVAILABLE TO THE COMMUNITY, IT MIGHT COUNTERBALANCE SOME OF THOSE CHALLENGES. SO I WOULD IMPLORE MY COLLEAGUES TO RECONSIDER. WE HAD APPROPRIATED MONEY FOR THAT ITEM, AND IT WAS NEVER DELIVERED TO YOUR OFFICE, AS I UNDERSTAND IT. AND IT'S SOMETHING THAT I THINK THAT THIS COUNCIL SHOULD REALLY CONSIDER IN THIS FY 27 BUDGET. BUT TO MY QUESTION, I SEE THE VOLUME OF YOUR OPEN RECORDS REQUEST. AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I'VE BEEN CURIOUS ABOUT IS WHAT. MONETARY STRAIN I WOULD SAY I'M. I'M TRYING TO BE CAREFUL THE WAY THAT I WORD THIS. BUT AS I UNDERSTAND IT, THE STATE SETS LEVELS AROUND WHAT WOULD BE CHARGED FOR THE TIME THAT IS CONSIDERED BEYOND A CERTAIN THRESHOLD. I HOPE I'M MAKING SENSE HERE. SO I SEE THAT THERE'S A NEED FOR AN ADDITIONAL ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANCE, AND I'M CURIOUS ABOUT WHAT YOUR CURRENT LEVELS ARE RELATED TO RECOUPING SOME OF THOSE DOLLARS. SO MAYBE WE COULD USE THAT FUNDING TO SUPPLEMENT AND SUPPORT THIS POSITION DOES THAT. IT'S IT'S A STATEMENT SLASH QUESTION, BUT HOPEFULLY YOU HAVE A RESPONSE OR REACTION. OKAY, IT JUST CAME UP. BUT SO. YES, WE DO HAVE OPEN RECORDS REQUESTS THAT WARRANT THEM TO PAY. BUT SO LET'S SAY LIKE WE GET A LOT OF. BILL REQUESTS. THOSE ARE UNDER TEN. ANYTHING OVER TEN, ANYTHING OVER TEN PAGES, TEN CENT A PAGE. SO. THE MAJORITY THAT WE GET IS NOT OVER TEN CENT A PAGE. BUT SAY WHEN I GET EMAIL REQUESTS AND EXTENSIVE REQUEST TO ASK FOR A LOT OF INFORMATION, THEY'LL BE CHARGED DURING THAT TIME. YEAH, I THINK THAT I WOULD HOPE THAT COUNCIL WOULD CONSIDER WAYS TO SUPPORT YOUR OFFICE, GETTING THE RESOURCES YOU NEED, AND IMPORTANTLY, THINKING BEYOND YOUR OWN DEPARTMENT. BUT YOU YOU MENTIONED EMAIL REQUESTS, AND I KNOW AS A COUNCIL MEMBER, I GET, YOU KNOW, LOTS OF OPEN RECORDS REQUESTS FROM MY EMAILS. 
          I WISH I COULD JUST PUBLISH THEM ALL BECAUSE THERE'S, I DON'T HAVE ANYTHING TO HIDE. SO I THINK ONE OF THE CONCERNS THAT I HAVE IS AROUND NOT JUST WHAT IT COSTS YOUR OFFICE IN TIME, BUT ALSO THEN WHAT IT COST TO OTHER DEPARTMENTS. SO I THINK AS WE'RE THINKING ABOUT FY 27, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I REALLY, REALLY HOPE COUNCIL CONSIDERS IS TO BRING SOMEONE INSIDE, OUTSIDE TO DO AN AUDIT OF THE TYPES OF REQUESTS THAT YOU ALL ARE GETTING, AND THEN ALSO WAYS THAT WE CAN GET AHEAD OF SOME OF THOSE REQUESTS BY MAKING THE INFORMATION MORE AVAILABLE TO THE PUBLIC. SO I REALLY DO THANK YOU ALL FOR ALL THAT YOU DO, AND I HOPE COUNCIL WILL SUPPORT YOUR OFFICE IN A STRATEGIC WAY MOVING FORWARD. COUNCILMAN MITCHELL, YES, THANK YOU FOR YOUR PRESENTATION. I JUST WANTED TO MENTION THE LAST TIME THIS SUBJECT CAME UP, A REQUEST WAS MADE THAT IT WAS SAID THAT SHE HAS TO ASK FOR OR IT'S NOT IN THE BUDGET. SO, AND I BELIEVE, ESPECIALLY WHEN OPEN RECORDS CAME UP THIS LAST TIME, SHE MIGHT NOT HAVE HAD THE SAME 
          [04:40:04]
ASSISTANCE AS SHE DID IN PREVIOUS YEARS. SO WE KNOW THINGS LIKE OPEN RECKLESS ARE STRICTLY WATCHED BY THE STATE AND THE AG AND THINGS OF THAT NATURE. SO I THINK THIS IS ONE THING SHE DID COME AND ASK US FOR. SO WE SHOULD CONSIDER THIS SO WE WON'T RUN INTO RUN INTO THESE ISSUES IN THE FUTURE. THANK YOU COUNCILMAN. YES, THANK YOU, MADAM MAYOR. THANK YOU, MISS MCCULLOUGH, FOR YOUR PRESENTATION. MY QUESTION IS AROUND IN TERMS OF MAKING SURE THAT YOU'RE ABLE TO RESPOND. I KNOW THAT YOU ASKED FOR A HUMAN RESOURCE FOR TO RESPOND TO OPEN RECORDS, BUT ARE THERE SOME TECHNOLOGY IS THERE ANY TECHNOLOGY THAT YOUR OFFICE DOES NOT HAVE THAT WOULD HELP MAKE THIS OPERATION MORE EFFICIENT, PARTICULARLY AS IT RELATES TO OPEN RECORDS REQUESTS? NOW, OUR SYSTEM THAT WE USE IS JUST FOIA. AND IT WE BECAUSE WE SEND MESSAGES STRAIGHT THROUGH JUST FOIA TO ALL THE DEPARTMENTS, ALL THE DEPARTMENTS ARE IN THERE OR, OR EVEN THE INDIVIDUALS THAT WORK ON CERTAIN OPEN RECORDS REQUESTS IN EACH DEPARTMENT. LIKE WE CAN EASILY REACH OUT, THEY RESPOND BACK. AND THEN EVEN THOUGH WE'RE RESPONDING IN THE SYSTEM, IT COMES IN THE SYSTEM, BUT IT ALSO GOES TO OUR ACTUAL EMAIL AS WELL. SO WE'LL SEE THAT IN THE EVENT I'M NOT IN THE APP. OH, SORRY. AND I'M IN THE EMAIL. LIKE YOU CAN STILL SEE IT BOTH WAYS. SO IT'S A VERY. THE SOFTWARE WE USE IS GOOD. IT'S JUST THE AMOUNT THAT WE GET, THE AMOUNT JUST IT INCREASES EVERY YEAR. IT IT HAS SINCE I'VE BEEN WORKING HERE. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. YOU'RE WELCOME. AND I SEE THAT. YOU'VE GOT HERE BEREAVEMENT. I THINK THAT YOU'VE ADDRESSED THE UNIFORM PIECE. YOU SENT AN EMAIL OUT ABOUT THAT. BUT I SAW BEREAVEMENT TWICE IN TWO DIFFERENT PLACES IN THE BUDGET AND I COULD ADDRESS IT. YOURS IS $4,000 FOR FLOWERS. CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE IS 500. SO THAT'S A TOTAL COMBINED OF 4500. AND I'M TRYING TO FIGURE OUT ARE WE SENDING FROM VARIOUS OFFICE OR IS THERE ONE CENTRAL PLACE WHEN WE'RE SENDING FLOWERS SO THERE'S NOT DUPLICATES. I JUST KNOW THAT ANY TIME SOMETHING I DIDN'T PUT THAT IN THERE. SO YES. OKAY. 
          AND THAT WASN'T PUT IN THERE. THAT WASN'T PUT IN BY OUR DEPARTMENT. BUT NOT, NOT THAT, NOT THAT AMOUNT. SO THE $4,000 COULD COME OUT. THAT'S YEAH, THAT CAN WE SEND FLOWERS FOR BEREAVEMENT. BUT THAT COMES FROM OUR OTHER PROFESSIONAL FEES. SO JUST LIKE THE CITY MANAGER, WE PROBABLY ONLY SEND MAYBE 500, $200 WORTH OF FLOWERS. AND THAT COMES FROM OUR PERSONAL OTHER PROFESSIONAL FEES. SO I, I, I'VE ENTERED THE BUDGET, SO I'M PERSONALLY NOT AWARE OF WHY IT IS $4,000. I DIDN'T PUT THAT IN THERE BECAUSE IT COMES FROM OUR OTHER PROFESSIONAL FEES. OKAY. THANK YOU. NO PROBLEM. OKAY. THANK YOU FOR YOUR PRESENTATION. SO IF A RESIDENT COUNCIL MEMBER OR A RESIDENT WANTS TO WANTED TO DETERMINE THE STATUS OF A MOTION DIRECTIVE APPOINTMENT AGENDA ITEM, COUNCIL ACTION FROM THE LAST SIX MONTHS, WHAT SYSTEM EXISTS TODAY TO QUICKLY AND ACCURATELY LOCATE THAT INFORMATION SO THAT OUR AGENDA SYSTEM MINUTE TRACK IS JUST A. IT'S ACTUALLY EASIER TO DO IT AFTER THE MINUTES HAVE ALREADY BEEN APPROVED, SO I WILL JUST. AND IT'S ON THE WEBSITE. ON THE MAIN PAGE, YOU GO TO AGENDAS AND MINUTES AND I JUST PUT IT TYPE IN THE SEARCH. OKAY. THANK YOU. MARTIN ROGERS. YES. AND WHAT I WANTED TO, AND SOMEONE'S GOING TO HAVE TO LET THIS REFLECT THAT TRAVEL AND TRAINING FOR YOUR OFFICE IS ALSO $0, WHICH I HAVE A CONCERN WITH, BUT I WOULD LIKE FOR COUNCIL TO CONSIDER MAYBE TWO PEOPLE FOR OPEN RECORDS REQUESTS BECAUSE OF THE SHEER VOLUME. AND AS I DID RESEARCH ON THIS, YOU'RE GOING TO NEED PROBABLY TWO ADDITIONAL HUMAN RESOURCES IN YOUR OFFICE. BUT WHAT REALLY CONCERNED ME, AND I WANT TO GO ON PUBLIC RECORD WITH THIS, IS THAT THAT ELECTION AMOUNT NEEDS TO BE INCREASED. I WAS ABLE TO CONTACT SOMEONE WITH THE FULTON COUNTY ELECTIONS IN 500 $0 IS NOT GOING TO COVER NEXT YEAR'S ELECTION. I THINK SHE GAVE ME TWO AMOUNTS. ONE WAS A LITTLE OVER 72,000, AND THE OTHER ONE MIGHT HAVE BEEN AT 5000. SHE SAID THAT SHE CONTACTED AND SENT THE INFORMATION TO THE 
          [04:45:01]
INTERIM FINANCE DIRECTOR, BUT I JUST WANTED TO GO ON RECORD TO SAY THAT THAT 50 K FOR ELECTIONS IS NOT GOING TO WORK. MAYOR AND COUNCIL, IT COSTS MUCH MORE THAN THAT TO RUN AN ELECTION IN EASTPOINTE, AND I CAN FORWARD YOU THE EMAIL FROM THE FULTON COUNTY ELECTIONS OFFICE. BUT SHE DID SAY THAT SOMEONE ELSE FROM THE CITY OF EASTPOINTE HAD ASKED ABOUT THE AMOUNT. SO I'M THINKING THAT IT WAS PROBABLY YOU, MISSUS CARTWRIGHT. YES, THAT'S RIGHT. 
          OKAY. BUT SHE PUT IT FOR FY OCTOBER OR NOVEMBER, FY 27. THAT'S WHAT THE EMAIL SHOWS. SO THAT'S OKAY. WELL, I JUST KNOW THAT THERE IS AN ELECTION NEXT YEAR. SO JUST WANTED TO PUT THAT ON THE RECORD. THANK YOU SO MUCH. NEXT FISCAL YEAR OR NEXT CALENDAR YEAR. NEXT YEAR. 
          BECAUSE UNLESS WE'RE TALKING ABOUT AN ELECTION IN MARCH OR SPRING OR SOMETHING, WE'RE IN ANOTHER FISCAL YEAR. AM I UNDERSTANDING THAT? YES. YEAH. THE NEXT FISCAL YEAR. I'LL SEND IT TO YOU. THANK YOU. YES. I WOULD LIKE TO GIVE MY QUESTION TO COUNCIL MEMBER HEMMINGS. 
          THANK YOU. COUNCILMEMBER CALDWELL, I HAVE A QUESTION. IT WASN'T IN YOUR PAPERWORK, BUT I ALSO KNOW THAT YOUR DEPARTMENT MANAGES THE COUNSELING COMMITTEE'S BUDGET, WHICH IS 11110. COULD YOU TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHAT AM I DO YOU NEED A MINUTE TO GO GET IT? OKAY. 
          THANK YOU. MISS EVANS, COULD YOU TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHAT THAT $70,000 ARE FOR? AND IF THERE ARE ANY FUNDS THAT THEN WOULD SUPPORT THE BOARDS, AUTHORITIES AND COMMISSIONS THEIR OPERATION OF THE BOARDS, AUTHORITIES AND COMMISSIONS. SO ARE YOU ASKING FOR COUNCILS FOR OTHER PROFESSIONAL FEES? YES. IS LISTED. IT'S THE ONE THAT'S CALLED IT'S CALLED CITY COUNCIL AND COMMITTEES. IT'S DEPARTMENT 1110. IT'S WHERE THE BIG EVENTS BUDGET USED TO LIVE, WHERE THEY NO LONGER LIVE. OKAY. SO IF I'M IF I'M BEING TRUTHFUL, WE NO LONGER HAVE ACCESS TO THOSE, THOSE ACCOUNTS. SO ANYTHING, ANYTHING OUTSIDE OF COUNCIL'S FULL EDGE, OTHER PROFESSIONAL FEES, ANYTHING OUTSIDE OF YOU, ALL'S PERSONAL, OTHER PROFESSIONAL FEES, COUNCIL ALLOWANCE AND EDUCATION AND TRAVEL. WE NO LONGER ARE AWARE OF THAT BUDGET AMOUNT. WE NO LONGER HAVE ACCESS TO THOSE ACCOUNTS. I KNOW THAT THE FUNDS DID GET MOVED TO THE CITY MANAGER'S ACCOUNT. SO WHEN MARTIN ROGERS DOES HER WARD COUNCIL MEMBER CALDWELL DOES HER WARD, THEIR WARD D EVENTS, THOSE BECAUSE THAT WAS AN INITIATIVE. THOSE DO COME FROM THAT. BUT WHAT YOU'RE REFERRING TO, UNFORTUNATELY, WE NO LONGER HAVE THE KNOWLEDGE OF THAT. WE JUST KNOW COUNCIL'S FULL OTHER PROFESSIONAL FEES. AND THEN EVERYONE'S INDIVIDUAL OTHER PROFESSIONAL FEES, EVERYONE'S INDIVIDUAL EDUCATION AND TRAVEL, EVERYONE'S INDIVIDUAL COUNCIL ALLOWANCE. AND THAT'S IT. COLLEAGUES, WE JUST SHOULD CONSIDER WHAT WE'RE PRESENTED WITH A BUDGET THAT IS A DEPARTMENT 1110. THAT INCLUDES $70,971 IN PURCHASE SERVICES ON BEHALF OF COUNCIL. SO I THINK, COLLEAGUES, WE SHOULD KNOW WHAT THAT FUNDING IS FOR. AND IMPORTANTLY, IF IT CAN SUPPORT SOME OF THE ACTIVITIES IN YOUR OFFICE OR IF IT COULD SUPPORT THE IMPLEMENTATION OF OUR BOARDS, AUTHORITIES AND COMMISSIONS, WE SHOULD DO THAT. 
          SO I'D LIKE US TO CONSIDER WHAT THAT MONEY IS FOR AND WHAT WHAT'S BEING ASKED OF THE CITY. 
          I YIELD, THANK YOU. THANK YOU. ANY MORE? OH, COUNCILWOMAN MARTIN ROGERS. I WAS SIMPLY GOING TO ASK COUNCIL MEMBER HEMMING, WHAT PAGE WAS THAT YOU'RE REFERRING TO? PAGE 35. 
          AND WE CAN ALSO LET THE RECORD REFLECT THAT. I HAVE MADE REQUESTS THAT WE HAVE AN ITEMIZATION OF COUNCIL'S EVENTS OR NOT THEIR EVENTS, BUT THEIR INITIATIVES. A BREAKDOWN OF WHAT EVERYONE IS DOING. SO I THINK THAT WOULD HELP ALLEVIATE YOUR QUESTION FOR OR YOUR YOU'RE SAYING THE PROFESSIONAL SERVICES PURCHASE SERVICE. OH, PURCHASE SERVICES. YES. I'VE ASKED FOR AN ITEMIZED BREAKDOWN OF THE INITIATIVES OF COUNCIL MEMBERS. SO I JUST WANTED THE RECORD TO REFLECT THAT IT'S. NO, IT'S NOT FOR INFORMATION FROM YOU, BUT I HAVE ASKED AND 
          [04:50:01]
REQUESTED THAT INFORMATION. THANK YOU. COUNCILMAN MITCHELL. YES. THANK YOU. I THINK YOU YOU JUST EXPLAINED WHAT PURCHASE SERVICES WAS. I KNOW THAT WAS THE QUESTION. I HAD LAST TIME, BUT YOU'RE SAYING IT'S USED FOR LIKE MEETINGS AND IT'S THAT KIND OF WHAT YOU JUST WERE EXPLAINING. I'VE NEVER HEARD OF THE LINE ITEM PURCHASE SERVICES. WE'VE I'VE NEVER SEEN THAT. 
          I'VE BEEN AN OFFICE MANAGER FOR ABOUT TWO YEARS NOW. I BASICALLY HANDLE ALL THE FUNDS. 
          I'VE NEVER SEEN A LINE ITEM WITH THAT NAME. I THINK THAT WAS KIND OF MY CONCERN LAST TIME. A COUPLE OF THINGS THAT WERE NOT DEFINED. I KNOW I BROUGHT SOME OF THESE THINGS UP IN THE BUDGET, THE FINANCE MEETING, AND, AND WHEN WE GO, WE ACTUALLY LOOK IT UP. I KNOW. 
          THERE'S AN INDEX WITH DEFINITIONS. AND THAT'S WHY BEFORE, YOU KNOW, WE START TAKING THINGS OUT OF OUR BUDGET, I THINK IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT TO DEFINE WHAT THESE THINGS ARE USED FOR, IF THAT MAKES SENSE. BECAUSE NO, I DEFINITELY THAT DEFINITELY DOES MAKE SENSE. BUT THAT'S LIKE NOT IN OUR DEPARTMENT. WE JUST HANDLE COUNCILS BIG. OTHER PROFESSIONAL FEES. THE PURCHASE FOR $70,000. I'M NOT AWARE OF WHAT THAT IS. THAT COULD BE SOMETHING THAT NOW FALLS UNDER THE CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE. I'M NOT I'M NOT SURE. BUT THAT'S JUST NOT A LINE ITEM THAT THE CITY CLERK'S OFFICE HAS HAD. EVEN WHEN WE DID HAVE COUNCIL UP UNDER US. OKAY. CAN I MAYBE YOU CAN SHINE SOME LIGHT ON WHAT THAT WAS INTENDED FOR. I'M SORRY. SO I JUST WANTED TO GIVE SOME CLARIFICATION. AND I, I DO RECOGNIZE THAT THE ITEMIZATION NEEDS TO BE CHANGED FOR THE COUNCIL COMMITTEES AND, AND THE COUNCIL AND MAYOR, BUT I JUST WANTED TO ADDRESS PURCHASE SERVICES. SO WHAT THOSE ARE IS LIKE SUBSECTIONS. SO IT, IT HOUSES LIKE ALL THE PROFESSIONAL SERVICES UNDERNEATH THAT. OR YOU MIGHT SEE PERSONNEL SERVICES. SO YOU'LL SEE PERSONNEL SALARIES OVERTIME, THEY'LL ALL BE BUNDLED. SO THAT'S, THAT'S WHAT PURCHASE SERVICES IS. IT'S NOT ACTUALLY A GL LINE. SO I'M GOING TO I'LL DETAIL ON THAT AND ITEMIZE IT SO THAT YOU. OKAY. YEAH THAT WOULD BE HELPFUL. JUST SO ONCE WE GO LIKE WE'RE GOING THROUGH THE BUDGET NOW WE'RE TRYING TO MAKE MAKE MAKE THESE TYPE OF DECISIONS. IT'S JUST I THINK BE IMPORTANT FOR US TO KNOW EXACTLY WHAT THAT'S THAT IS ABSOLUTELY RIGHT. THANK YOU. YOU'RE WELCOME. ALL RIGHT. 
          THANK YOU. AND NOW WE CAN TO THE. LEGAL AND THEN FINALLY FINISH UP WITH THE CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE. THANK YOU, MADAM MAYOR. GOOD EVENING, CITY COUNCIL. WITH ME IS ALISA EDMONDS, WHO'S BEEN WITH THE LEGAL DEPARTMENT MUCH LONGER THAN I HAVE. WHO'S GOING TO ASSIST WITH THIS PRESENTATION? YOU SHOULD HAVE RECEIVED THE BUDGET DEVELOPMENT WORKSHEET THAT INCLUDES THE ITEMS THAT WERE REQUESTED VIA THE MOTION. BECAUSE THERE WAS A COUPLE OF WEEKS AGO, ACCOMPLISHMENTS ARE LISTED THERE. THEY'RE PRETTY SELF-EXPLANATORY. ONE THING I WOULD ADD IS THAT THE CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE HAS HAD PRESENCE AT THE INTERNATIONAL MUNICIPAL LAWYERS ASSOCIATION CONFERENCE, GMA, AND ALSO THE CITY COUNTY ATTORNEY CONFERENCE THAT ARE HELD ANNUALLY. THAT IS SOMETHING THAT WE FEEL SHOULD BE CONTINUED, AND I'LL GET TO THAT WHEN WE TALK ABOUT THE ITEMIZED BUDGET. AS FAR AS PROPOSED PROJECTS, THOSE ALSO ARE LISTED FOR YOU. I WILL ADD THAT I DEVELOPED A CONTRACT REVIEW PLAN THAT WAS PROVIDED TO PROCUREMENT AND THE CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE FOR REVIEW. AND SO THAT IS SOMETHING THAT I WANT TO ROLL OUT TO THE DEPARTMENTS FOR HOW CONTRACTS NEED TO OR HOW CONTRACTS WILL BE REVIEWED BY THE CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE AND THE ITEMS FOR WHICH THEY NEED TO PRESENT FOR EFFECTIVE AND EFFICIENT CONTRACT REVIEW. ONE OF THE THINGS THAT DID ALREADY HAPPEN WAS THAT WE CREATED AN EMAIL ADDRESS THAT IS CONTRACT REVIEW, SO THEY CAN SEND THEM TO ONE CENTRAL PLACE WHERE THE. MYSELF WILL JUST REALLY ALL THE PEOPLE IN THE OFFICE GET IT SO THEY WON'T GET LOST IN THE BIGGER EMAIL. WE'VE ALSO DONE THAT UNDER ACCOMPLISHMENTS FOR INVOICES FROM OUTSIDE COUNSEL. WE'VE DONE THAT ALSO FOR. THAT'S IT FOR INVOICES AS WELL. 
          [04:55:07]
AND THEN WE. OH YES. WE ALSO CREATED A LEGAL AT EAST POINT CITY. RIGHT. SO THAT IS WHERE. 
          CLAIMS LITIGATION. ALL OF THAT GOES. SO AGAIN, IT WON'T GET LOST IN OUR INDIVIDUAL EMAILS. 
          SO CURRENTLY WE OVERSEE CLAIMS INVOICES. I'M SORRY LEGAL INVOICES CONTRACT REVIEW. SO THREE ADDITIONAL EMAIL ADDRESSES TO ORGANIZE THE STUFF THAT WE GET A LOT EASIER. WE ALSO CREATED AND I SHOULD HAVE SAID THIS UNDER ACCOMPLISHMENTS. IT'S NOT THERE. SOMETHING WE THOUGHT OF AFTER THIS WAS SUBMITTED. BUT NOW WE HAVE LOGS. YOU'VE SEEN THEM BECAUSE I'VE PRESENTED THEM TO YOU IN VARIOUS MEETINGS. THAT WAS SOMETHING THAT WAS NOT OCCURRING BEFORE, BUT IT'S A LOG OF ALL OUR LITIGATION THAT HAS A DESCRIPTION OF THE LITIGATION, WHO'S HANDLING IT AND WHERE IT IS. IT'S SOMETHING WE GO OVER PROBABLY EVERY TWO WEEKS BECAUSE LITIGATION, AS YOU KNOW, IS VERY MUCH SO TIME DRIVEN. SO WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE UP TO DATE ON ANY DEADLINES OR THAT THE OUTSIDE COUNSEL WHO IS ASSIGNED TO THOSE CASES, ONE ARE KEEPING UP WITH THOSE DEADLINES, AND THEN TWO, THAT THEIR INVOICES ARE MATCHING WHAT THEY SAID THEY DID TO BE BETTER OVERSEER OF THE FUNDS THAT WE'RE PAYING TO THOSE FIRMS. AND THEN WE HAVE A SIMILAR LOG FOR EEOC CLAIMS FOR ANTI LITEMS. AND THEN THE CLAIMS THAT COME THROUGH THE CITY CLERK'S OFFICE, WHICH SHE'S ALREADY SPOKEN ABOUT. 
          WHEN YOU GET TO THE MAJOR CHANGES FROM FY 26 TO FY 27, THERE ARE SOME CHANGES THAT WE WANT TO HIGHLIGHT. ONE IS THE. YOU'LL SEE IN RED ARE THE CITY MANAGER'S CHANGES, BUT ONE OF THE OTHER LEGAL COSTS, THAT ONE WAS REDUCED TO 5000. LET ME CHECK MY OTHER SHEET, WHICH IS NOT HEARTBURN. WHERE WE HAVE HEARTBURN IS THE DUES AND FEES. WE INITIALLY ASKED FOR 1000. IT WAS REDUCED TO 500, WHICH DOESN'T ACCOMMODATE FOR AN ASSISTANT CITY ATTORNEY. 
          SALARIES IS ANOTHER BIG ONE. THE BUDGET FOR SALARIES WAS REDUCED TO $219,403. THAT WOULD ONLY LEAVE $87,000 TO COVER AN ATTORNEY, AN ASSISTANT CITY ATTORNEY. AND THAT'S JUST THAT'S JUST NOT ENOUGH. THE OTHER AREA FOR CONCERN WAS WE TALKED ABOUT THIS WITH THE OTHER DEPARTMENTS EDUCATION AND TRAVEL. YOU KNOW, WE DO HAVE A LEGAL REQUIREMENT FOR THE PROFESSIONAL STAFF TO RECEIVE SO MANY BAR HOURS EVERY NOW. THE LAW JUST CHANGED. THE GEORGIA STATE BAR JUST CHANGED THE LAW. NOW WE HAVE TO COMPLY EVERY TWO YEARS WITH OUR CLE. 
          SO AND AND BAR DUES. OBVIOUSLY WOULD NEED TO REFLECT TWO ATTORNEYS BECAUSE THE GOAL IS TO HIRE THE SECOND ASSISTANT, NOT THE SECOND ASSISTANT, THE SECOND ATTORNEY WHO WILL SERVE AS THE ASSISTANT. THE AREAS WHERE CLAIMS. AND JUST SO YOU KNOW, THE WAY THE BUDGET IS SET UP IS THAT EVERY TIME THERE'S A CLAIM. OR LITIGATION THAT IS FOR A PARTICULAR DEPARTMENT, IT COMES FROM THAT DEPARTMENT'S LINE ITEM WITHIN OUR DEPARTMENT. DOES THAT MAKE SENSE? AND SO THE AREAS WHERE IT'S BEEN REDUCED FROM 50 TO 40,000, THAT'S NOT AN ISSUE. BUT I DO WANT TO BRING UP THE RECOMMENDATION TO REDUCE THE CITY COUNCIL ONE FOR THE NEXT FISCAL YEAR DOWN TO 50,000. I CAN'T GO INTO DETAIL, BUT THERE ARE SOME CASES THAT WE CAN'T POTENTIALLY. WE JUST DON'T KNOW THE OUTCOME. RIGHT. SO IT'S HARD TO SAY WHERE YOU CAN. 
          REDUCE THOSE BECAUSE WE'RE GOING TO HAVE STUFF THAT ARE COMING TO HATCH IN THE NEXT FEW MONTHS. DID I MISS ANYTHING? OH, LAST THING, THERE WAS A RECOMMENDATION ABOUT 50 WORDS COMING UNDER LEGAL. WHILE THERE IS NO OBJECTION TO THAT, AND OBVIOUSLY WHATEVER Y'ALL DECIDE WILL BE HANDLED, THAT WILL NEED A BIGGER CONVERSATION ABOUT HOW IT'S BEEN HANDLED AND THE EXPECTATION OF HOW IT SHOULD BE HANDLED GOING FORWARD. INITIALLY, THERE WAS AN ATTEMPT TO TRY TO TACKLE 50 WORDS, AND I GIVEN A POWERPOINT PRESENTATION AND HAD A NUMBER 
          [05:00:04]
OF CONVERSATIONS WITH STAFF, INCLUDING WHAT IS HIS NAME, JASMINE ONE. AND THEN WHAT'S THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT GENTLEMAN'S. THANK YOU. FRANK. WE HAVE HAD A LOT OF CONVERSATIONS ABOUT WHAT A WELL RUN 50 WORST DEPARTMENT WOULD LOOK LIKE. AND SO I CERTAINLY WOULD WANT TO HAVE CONVERSATIONS WITH YOU ALL, THE CITY MANAGER AND ANYONE ELSE THAT HAS A HAND IN THAT TO DISCUSS WHAT THAT WILL LOOK LIKE TO ENSURE THAT THE THE PROGRAM IS WELL RUN. WE DID REDUCE. THIS IS THE LAST POINT I'LL MAKE THAT I MADE A NOTE ON. 
          WE DID REDUCE LEGAL RESEARCH COSTS. THAT'S SOMETHING YOU GUYS APPROVED EARLIER THIS YEAR WITH OUR LEXISNEXIS LEGAL RESEARCH TOOL, WHERE WE RESEARCH CASES AND STATUTES. 
          THAT'S ALL. THANK YOU. I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT I UNDERSTAND SO I UNDERSTAND WE CAN'T GO INTO DETAIL. HOW CAN WE THEN DRIVE DOWN IN FUTURE BUDGETS? MAYBE WE CAN'T DO IT RIGHT NOW, BUT HOW CAN WE DRIVE DOWN THESE CLAIMS BUDGETS? AND MAYBE THIS IS A NORMAL AMOUNT FOR OUR CITY, OUR SIZE WITH THE TYPES OF DEPARTMENTS WE HAVE. BUT I DO GET HEARTBURN AND I RECOGNIZE I'M A NEW COUNCIL MEMBER, BUT I DO GET HEARTBURN. SEEING THESE CLAIMS BUDGETS BECAUSE IT FOR ME, IF IF, IF THERE'S SOMEONE THAT IS ABLE TO MAKE A CLAIM AGAINST A CITY, IT MEANS THAT WE HAVE PROBABLY FAILED IN DOING SOMETHING WE WERE SUPPOSED TO DO BECAUSE THEY HAD TO HAVE CAUSE TO BE SUING US, I DON'T KNOW, BUT IS THERE A WAY FOR US TO DRIVE THESE THINGS DOWN IN FY 27? SO WHEN WE GET TO FY 28, WE DON'T HAVE TO HAVE THESE VERY LARGE CLAIMS BUCKETS. SO FIRST LET ME SAY THAT EVERY CLAIM, EVERY ANTI ITEM, EVERY LITIGATION DOES NOT HAVE MERIT. RIGHT. OKAY. SOME PEOPLE FILE STUFF JUST BECAUSE. MR. KING RIGHT WANTS $10 BILLION. RIGHT. I MEAN, BUT THERE'S TIME SPENT TO DEFEND MERITLESS CLAIMS I SEE. 
          RIGHT. AND YOU DON'T KNOW THEY'RE MERITLESS UNTIL YOU GET INTO THE NITTY GRITTY DISCOVERY. 
          MAYBE SOME MOTION PRACTICE TO KNOW THAT THIS CLAIM, THIS LITIGATION, RIGHT. WE DO HAVE THE BETTER OF THE ARGUMENT, BUT THAT'S NOT FREE, RIGHT? IT IT'S NEVER FREE. BUT WE HAVE REDUCED COSTS BY HANDLING MORE STUFF IN-HOUSE AS OPPOSED TO SENDING IT OUT. SO YOU CAN REDUCE THOSE CLAIMS BUCKETS THAT WAY. SECONDLY. SOME OF THE CLAIMS THAT ARE NOT MERITLESS ARE GOING TO HAPPEN REGARDLESS, RIGHT? ACCIDENTS, FOR INSTANCE, NO ONE INTENDS TO HAVE AN ACCIDENT, BUT THEY HAPPEN. AND SO THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE JUST WILL NOT GET AWAY FROM. 
          HOWEVER, TRAINING THAT GOES ALONG WITH THE JOB DESCRIPTIONS, RIGHT? WHETHER IT'S A DRIVER IN THE POLICE DEPARTMENT, FIRE DEPARTMENT, OR ANY OF THE DEPARTMENTS WHERE WE HAVE DRIVERS IS A GOOD WAY TO ASSIST IN REDUCING THOSE CLAIM NUMBERS. FOR SOME OTHER CLAIMS, IT MAY BE TRAINING ON MANAGEMENT, TRAINING ON LABOR AND EMPLOYMENT TYPE ISSUES. YOU HEARD MISS JESSIE TALK ABOUT TRAINING ON SEXUAL HARASSMENT, TRAINING ON ADA. STUFF LIKE THAT KIND OF STUFF CAN ASSIST IN REDUCING CLAIMS. AND THEN YOU GOT THE BUCKET OF JUST BEHAVIORS AND ACTIONS OF INDIVIDUALS THAT COST US MONEY. AND THAT'S SOMETHING THAT TRAINING COULD HELP OR NOT. THANK YOU. I'D LIKE TO SEE CONTINUED COLLABORATION BETWEEN YOU AND THE CITY MANAGER TO COME UP WITH APPROACHES THAT CAN HELP US REDUCE WHERE WE CAN. 
          AND I ALSO JUST WANT TO APPRECIATE, ACKNOWLEDGE YOU, THE CITY CLERK AND THE CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE FOR LEADING OUR FIRST COUNCIL ONBOARDING TRAINING. WE WENT OVER PARLIAMENTARY PROCEDURE. WE WENT OVER A LOT, AND IT MEANT A LOT TO ME THAT YOU ALL SUPPORTED IT AND TOOK IT SERIOUSLY. AND I LOOK FORWARD TO FUTURE ONES THAT YOU ALL HOST. SO THANK YOU FOR YOUR EFFORTS. YOU'RE WELCOME. COUNCILWOMAN CALDWELL, AND THANK YOU. THANK YOU FOR YOUR PRESENTATION THIS. MISS CARTWRIGHT, IF YOU HAVE A 
          [05:05:03]
SECOND, I'M NOT SURE IF YOU HAVE THE. THE BUDGET PULLED UP, BUT THIS IS GOING TO BE ON PAGE 1022103. I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE I'M LOOKING AT THIS RIGHT. 
          OKAY, SO WHERE IT SAYS LEGAL AND OTHER ATTORNEYS, I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE I'M GETTING THIS CORRECT. SO FROM 2024 TO 2025, THE AMOUNT WAS $764,000. AND I LOOK AT THE ACTUALS FOR 2026. IT CAME OUT TO A LITTLE BIT OVER A MILLION, CORRECT? OKAY. SO THAT'S HOW MUCH WE ACTUALLY SPENT THAT YEAR ON, I GUESS, OUTSIDE ATTORNEYS. AND THEN WHEN I LOOK AT WHAT'S PROPOSED THIS YEAR, IT'S BACK UP TO 1.7 MILLION, AND THAT'S ABOUT A $700,000 DIFFERENCE, RIGHT? THAT'S WHAT WAS REQUESTED BY THE DEPARTMENT. OKAY. SO WHEN I DID TALK TO OTHER ATTORNEYS OUT THERE, THEY SAID THE CITY, THIS SIDE PROBABLY SHOULD NOT BE SPENDING THAT MUCH ON OUTSIDE ATTORNEYS. I KNOW MADAM CITY ATTORNEY JUST TALKED ABOUT OVERSIGHT OF HOW MUCH WE HOW MUCH ARE WE GIVING THESE OUTSIDE ATTORNEYS. SO LET ME LET ME JUMP BACK A LITTLE BIT, BECAUSE I DON'T THINK WE ACTUALLY HAD A MEETING WITH THE LEGAL DEPARTMENT. IT GOT COUNSELED. I DON'T KNOW WHY, BUT SO WITH IN MY EXPERIENCE WORKING WITH THE LEGAL DEPARTMENT, I DON'T TYPICALLY CHANGE THE LEGAL DEPARTMENT'S BUDGET. I USUALLY KEEP IT THE SAME UNLESS THEY TELL ME SOMETHING DIFFERENT. AND SO I THINK THAT'S WHAT HAPPENED. I CARRIED OVER THE AMENDED BUDGET FROM LAST YEAR OVER TO THIS YEAR FOR THE THE NEW YEAR FROM FROM THE ACTIVITY IN 2024 TO 2025. THAT'S ABOUT $1 MILLION DIFFERENCE. I'M SORRY, I CAN'T I'M SORRY. SO THE ACTIVITY FROM 2024 TO 2025 AND WHAT'S PROPOSED THIS YEAR IS ABOUT $1 MILLION DIFFERENCE. CORRECT. BUT I'VE SPOKEN WITH THE LEGAL TEAM BEFORE IN THE PAST, SO THEY NEVER KNOW WHEN THEY'RE GOING TO HAVE A CLAIM. AND, AND WHEN I HAD ANOTHER ATTORNEY LOOK AT THIS, THEY SAID, A CITY OUR SIZE. IS IT PROBABLY NOT HAVE THAT MUCH MONEY. I MEAN, WE CAN YOU CAN ALWAYS MAKE AMENDMENTS, I'M ASSUMING. BUT RIGHT NOW WE'RE TRYING TO FIND MONEY. RIGHT. AND I SEE ABOUT $1 MILLION OR $700,000 RIGHT HERE. RIGHT. AND TYPICALLY, LET'S SEE THAT. LET ME PULL IT UP ON MY ACTUAL. VESNA, IF YOU IF YOU DON'T MIND, SO WE CAN ACTUALLY SEE WHAT THOSE ACTUALS LOOK LIKE YEAR OVER YEAR. YEAH, THAT WOULD BE INTERESTING. 
          WHILE YOU'RE PULLING THAT UP, COUNCILMAN MITCHELL, LET ME CLARIFY ONE THING OR TWO THINGS. 
          FIRST, THE MEETING GOT CANCELED BECAUSE IT WAS TOLD TO US THAT WE DIDN'T NEED A MEETING BECAUSE THEY WERE JUST GOING TO CARRY OVER THE NUMBERS FROM THE PREVIOUS YEAR TO THIS YEAR. THE OTHER ISSUE YOU'RE SEEING HERE, YOU'RE NOT COMPARING APPLES TO APPLES. OKAY. THE FIRST COLUMN IS 2024 2025 ACTIVITY. AND THEN THE NEXT COLUMN IS NOT 24, 2025 ACTUALS. IT'S 2526 ACTUALS. SO I'M NOT SURE WHERE THE COLUMN IS. THAT SHOWS THE ACTUALS FOR 2425. WELL, I MEAN ACTIVITY, BUT THE ACTUAL SO I MISSPOKE. SO 2025, 2025 SIX ACTUALS IS $1 MILLION, RIGHT? SO I SEE A $700,000 DIFFERENCE AND WHAT ACTUALLY WAS SPENT AND WHAT WAS PROPOSED, RIGHT. SO YOU YES, IT WAS WHAT WAS, WHAT WAS ACTUALLY SPENT IN 25, 26 IS $700,000 LESS THAN WHAT WAS BUDGETED. 
          LOOK AT THE SECOND AND THIRD COLUMNS. THE BUDGET FOR 2526 IS SEVEN 1,750,000. SO WE SPENT BUT THE ACTUALS ARE WERE ONLY A MILLION. YEAH, THAT'S MY POINT. SO IF IF SO THAT'S AN EXTRA $700,000. THAT AND SHE'S ABOUT TO GIVE US A HISTORICAL PICTURE OF WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE. CAN YOU SEE IT THREE YEARS BEFORE. BUT WHAT I'M SAYING IS THAT'S AN EXTRA $700,000. SO YOU'RE SAYING WE'RE AT. SO I THINK YOUR POINT IS, IS WHY ASK FOR SO MUCH MORE IF YOU ONLY SPEND A MILLION? YES. AND MY ANSWER TO THAT IS SOMEWHAT OF WHAT I SAID TO COUNCIL MEMBER HEMMING THE ACTIVITY, THE ACTIONS, AND THE BEHAVIORS OF WHAT WE'VE SEEN HAS HAS INCREASED. AND THAT'S PROBABLY THE MOST I CAN SAY WITHOUT TALKING ABOUT SPECIFIC CASES OUTSIDE OF EXECUTIVE SESSION. OKAY. I JUST KNOW, YOU KNOW, WE'RE I DON'T THINK WE WERE AS EMBATTLED AS 
          [05:10:05]
WE WERE PROBABLY A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO WITH THE MISSING MONEY AND THE LAWSUITS AND ALL THAT KIND OF STUFF. WELL, YOU DIDN'T PAY LAWYERS FOR THAT. YOU PAID AUDITOR, YOU PAID YOU PAID PLANT MORAN FOR THAT. BUT I KNOW WE'RE NOT IN HALFWAY AS EMBATTLED AS WE WERE, BUT WE'RE TRYING TO FIND MONEY SOMEWHERE. I'M JUST SAYING THE ACTUALS FROM LAST YEAR IS ABOUT. AND THAT'S A LOT OF MONEY THAT'S NOT BEING USED, THAT COULD BE USED FOR SOMETHING ELSE. AND, AND THAT THAT'S THAT'S THAT'S MY ONLY POINT. BUT THANK YOU, MISS CARTWRIGHT. THIS IS HELPFUL. AND IF I MAY, JUST FOR THE RECORD, I KNOW WE TALKED ABOUT SALARIES A MOMENT AGO, THE 219 THAT'S IN THERE ACTUALLY IS FOR THE THREE POSITIONS, INCLUDING THE ASSISTANT CITY ATTORNEY. I JUST USED THE PAST SALARIES FOR THAT. SO I JUST WANTED TO JUST CLARIFY THAT FOR YOU. SO THE 200 190, YOU KNOW WHAT? BECAUSE. WE HAD JOSHUA MAKING SOMETHING DIFFERENT. SO YOU. GOTCHA. OKAY. ALRIGHT. I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE YOU GOT IT. OKAY. WAS THERE A $5,000 RETAINER FOR, I THINK YOUR COMPANY? IS THAT STILL IN HERE? OH, I DON'T, I DON'T I DON'T HAVE A RETAINER. OKAY. NO, I JUST I GET PAID THE SAME AMOUNT EVERY MONTH, REGARDLESS OF SALARY. THEN IT WAS 5000 TO RETAIN YOUR. WHERE ARE YOU SEEING THAT. NO, NO, I MEAN, WHEN WE MADE THE ORIGINAL MOTION FOR, YOU KNOW, ORIGINALLY WHEN IT WAS INTERIM, IT WAS 15000 A MONTH. WHEN IT BECAME PERMANENT, IT WENT UP AN ADDITIONAL 5 TO 20. YOU ALSO WENT UP ON THE SOLICITOR FROM 5000 TO 10,000. OKAY. SO EACH OF YOUR DIRECT REPORTS GOT AN ADDITIONAL 5000 WHEN YOU WENT FROM INTERIM. NOT YOU SPECIFICALLY, BUT THE COUNCIL WENT FROM INTERIM TO PERMANENT. OKAY. THANK YOU FOR CLEARING THAT UP. THANK YOU. COUNCILMAN COUNCILMAN ATKINS. YES. THANK YOU, MADAM CITY ATTORNEY, YOU JUST MENTIONED SOMETHING, AND I JUST WANTED TO GET CLARIFICATION BECAUSE IT'S ONE OF MY NOTES. OKAY. THERE WAS YOU HAD MADE A COMMENT ABOUT THE SALARIES, AMOUNTS, AND WHEN I LOOKED AT IT, IT LOOKED LIKE WHAT WAS REQUESTED, WHAT WAS ALSO BUDGETED. BUT IT SOUNDS LIKE THERE WAS A CONVERSATION. 
          AND SO SHE CONFIRMED THAT IT'S CORRECT. OKAY, SO I CAN SCRATCH THAT OFF OF MY NOTES. OKAY. 
          ALRIGHT. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU, MADAM CITY ATTORNEY, FOR YOUR PRESENTATION. AND NOW THROUGH. MR. CITY MANAGER. THANK YOU, MAYOR. CITY COUNCIL. SO I GUESS ONE OF THE GOOD THINGS ABOUT GOING LAST IS I GET TO. RESPOND TO SOME OF THE NOTES THAT ARE TAKEN JUST AS A REMINDER. SO JUST WANTED TO REMIND COUNCIL THAT WE HAD SOME CONVERSATIONS ABOUT THE POOL CASH SYSTEM, AND IT WAS IN THE Q AND A SECTION. I JUST WANTED TO REMIND COUNCIL THAT THE CITY HAS, UNDER THE EMERGENCY PROCUREMENT MOTION THAT WAS PASSED, HIRED PLANT MORAN TO CONDUCT A REVIEW OF OUR POOL CASH SYSTEM, AND THEY ARE WORKING ON THAT. THERE WAS A SLIGHT CHANCE THAT THEY MAY HAVE BEEN READY FOR A PRESENTATION TONIGHT, BUT THEY WEREN'T ABLE TO PULL IT ALL TOGETHER. THERE WAS A, A A VAST AMOUNT OF INFORMATION THAT THEY ASKED STAFF TO RESPOND TO, AND WE GOT THAT TO THEM THIS WEEKEND. THEY WAS HOPING TO HAVE IT FRIDAY. WE GOT IT TO HIM SATURDAY, AND IT WAS KIND OF AN AGGRESSIVE TIMELINE. SO THEY WEREN'T ABLE TO GET IT. BUT I'M CONFIDENT THAT IT WILL BE COMING SOON. I THINK I COVERED THE THE UNIQUE CHALLENGE WITH FTS AND THE HUMAN RESOURCE MODULE. ALSO WANTED TO JUST CLARIFY THAT EVERGREEN STUDY WAS A TWO PHASE STUDY. AND SO THE A NUMBER THAT WAS PRESENTED AS MORE FOR THE TOTAL STUDY WAS MORE UP TO UPWARD OF $3 MILLION, BUT THAT IS A ONGOING COST. SO JUST BECAUSE WE PAY FOR THE INITIAL SALARY INCREASES, THOSE SALARY INCREASES AREN'T TAKEN AWAY. THEY'RE JUST GROWN GROWN FROM YEAR TO YEAR WITH COST OF LIVING ADJUSTMENTS ADDED TO THOSE. SO THAT'S THAT'S AN ONGOING EXPENSE. THIS IS PROBABLY THE FIRST YEAR WHERE WE ACTUALLY GET TO SEE THE DIFFERENCES IN THE SALARY LINES BECAUSE WE, YOU KNOW, APPROVED THAT LAST YEAR. PHASE TWO. ALSO, I THINK WE TALKED ABOUT THE 
          [05:15:06]
POLICE DEPARTMENT AND THE DRAFT AUDIT STRATEGY. AND I THINK I THEN CAN GET INTO THE ACCOMPLISHMENTS FOR MAY FOR OUR MAJOR ACCOMPLISHMENTS, COP ACCOMPLISHMENTS FOR 2026. SO FOR THE CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE, OBVIOUSLY, THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF ATTENTION AND A LOT OF FOCUS ON IMPROVING OUR FINANCIAL STEWARDSHIP, ADVANCING ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT INITIATIVES, AND BUILDING LONG TERM OPERATIONAL CAPACITIES. AND WE CERTAINLY HAVE BEEN FOCUSED IN THOSE AREAS. I THINK ONE OF THE FIRST THINGS THAT'S VERY NOTICEABLE AS AN ACCOMPLISHMENT IS WORKING WITH OUR REVENUE ENHANCEMENT THROUGH MANAGING OUR TREASURY. SO THE CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE HAS LED RESTRUCTURING OUR MUNICIPAL BANKING ACCOUNT CLASSIFICATIONS, TRANSITIONING THAT FROM A SMALL BUSINESS BANKING STRUCTURE TO A CORPORATE TREASURY MANAGEMENT MODEL. AND THIS IS BEING ABLE TO EVEN THOUGH WE JUST DID IT IN FEBRUARY, WE'VE GOTTEN VERY GOOD MONTHLY INCREASES IN OUR INTEREST AND MIGHT SOUND A LITTLE CRAZY LOOKING BACK AT IT NOW, BUT WE'RE ROUGHLY WE'RE GETTING AROUND $3,000 INTEREST A MONTH. AND NOW THAT IS CHANGED INTO MORE LIKE $60,000 DOLLARS OF INTEREST. NOW, THIS DOES NOT INCLUDE AN INVESTMENT MODEL OR CHANGE IN OUR INVESTMENTS. THIS IS LITERALLY JUST RESTRUCTURING OUR BANKING. 
          BUT WHAT WE DO NEED TO DO IS, AS WE MOVE FORWARD, IS LOOKING AT AN INVESTMENT POLICY. SO THERE ARE SOME ENHANCEMENTS, REVENUE ENHANCEMENTS THAT CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE WILL BE LEADING IN IN OUR ONCE WE GET THIS BUDGET PASSED, THAT WILL ALSO ENHANCE OUR ABILITY TO HAVE BETTER REVENUE PROJECTIONS MID YEAR. BUT MOVING ON. ALSO, I THINK, AND THEN PUT THIS IN HERE, BUT JUST SURVIVING MY FIRST 60, 90 DAYS, BECAUSE WHEN I FIRST ARRIVED HERE, THERE WAS NO DEPUTY CITY MANAGER, THERE WAS NO ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER, LITERALLY HR DIRECTOR WAS DOUBLING AS CITY MANAGER. AND SO GETTING, GETTING HERE, GETTING ON THE GROUND, MOVING. 
          IT WAS VERY UNDERSTAFFED IN THE CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE AND IT WAS VERY HAPPY. ALTHOUGH WE HAVE SOME SOME HEALTH CHALLENGES THAT WE'RE WORKING THROUGH TO HAVE A FULL A FULLY EMPLOYED CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE. AND I'VE BEEN TOLD THAT THAT'S BEEN THE FIRST TIME IN QUITE SOME TIME. SO ONE OF THE THINGS THAT'S BEEN TALKED ABOUT IS THE. THE OH GOODNESS, WHAT IS THAT? THE, THE, THE, WHAT ARE DRIVING THE YEAH, THE, THE DRIVING ALLOWANCE THAT CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE GETS. THANK YOU. BEEN ON THE ROAD, BUT IN RECRUITING AT TOP EXECUTIVES. AND I THINK WE WE HAVE TOP EXECUTIVES. A CAR ALLOWANCE IS KIND OF A AN ESTABLISHED THING. AND SO ALTHOUGH I COULDN'T OFFER A CAR ALLOWANCE AT THE TIME OF HIRE, I DID PROMISE THAT I WOULD ATTEMPT TO GET CAR ALLOWANCES FOR MY TOP EXECUTIVES. AND AS YOU KNOW, THERE'S A PRETTY LARGE NUMBER OF WARD MEETINGS, NUMBER OF CONSTITUENT SERVICES, AND, AND A NUMBER OF MEETINGS, NEIGHBORHOOD MEETINGS. THAT HAPPENS IN OUR, OUR CITY. AND SO MY TEAM'S BEEN TACKLING THOSE. AND MY ATTEMPT TO THE CAR ALLOWANCE IS NOT JUST THE CITY MANAGER, IT'S THE CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE. AND I WANTED TO HAVE ROUGHLY $250 CAR ALLOWANCE, WHICH WOULD BE HALF OF WHAT THE CITY MANAGER GETS TO PROVIDE FOR THE ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER AND THE DEPUTY CITY MANAGER. SO JUST TO CLARIFY THAT, THAT'S AND WE TALKED ABOUT HOW TO GET AND KEEP GOOD PEOPLE. THOSE ONE OF THOSE KIND OF SMALL THINGS THAT WE CAN DO FOR EXECUTIVES THAT ARE USED TO HAVING THOSE TYPE OF BENEFITS. MOVING ON, WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT THE 50 WORKS PROGRAM. SO CERTAINLY THERE'S BEEN A REBOOT. SO I KNOW THERE'S SOME NEW COUNCIL MEMBERS, BUT WE LITERALLY HAVE HAD THIS CONVERSATION BEFORE WITH THE LAST COUNCIL. AND AT 
          [05:20:05]
THAT TIME, LEGAL WAS LOOKING AT WHERE IT MADE SENSE FOR THIS PROGRAM TO, TO BE. WE WORKED WITH THE LEGAL DEPARTMENT IN EXAMINING THE THINGS THAT NEEDED TO HAPPEN FOR A PROGRAM OF THIS NATURE. THERE'S STAFF, PEOPLE THAT ARE APPOINTED FROM THE CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE FOR THIS PROGRAM. AND SO IT WAS CLEAR TO HAVE THE TYPE OF OPERATIONAL RESPONSIVENESS FOR THIS PROGRAM TO BE SUCCESSFUL, THAT IT REALLY SHOULD AND WAS MORE APPROPRIATE IN THE CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE. AND SO FROM THAT STANDPOINT, WE LITERALLY BASICALLY DID A REBOOT. AND SO THAT INCLUDED, THERE WAS A NUMBER OF PREVIOUS CITY ATTORNEY, THERE WAS A NUMBER OF OF CASES AND ISSUES THAT HAD A NUMBER OF CHALLENGES IN THEM, MISSING DOCUMENTS, MISSING DATA, CASES THAT WERE IN LIMBO IN THE COURTS, AND CITY MANAGER STAFF HAS BEEN WORKING DILIGENTLY TO GET THAT CLEANED UP. AND SO WHILE IT MAY NOT APPEAR THAT THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF WORK ON THE OUTSIDE, THERE'S BEEN CONSIDERABLE WORK ON THE INSIDE TO GET TO THE POINT WHERE WE CAN START FOCUSING ON THE OUTSIDE. AND SO I WOULD JUST PUSH BACK FROM THE NOTION OF MOVING THAT, AFTER SO MUCH HARD WORK HAS GONE INTO GETTING US TO THE POINT TO BE EVEN ABLE TO START MOVING FORWARD. BUT THAT'S BEEN A MAJOR ACCOMPLISHMENT. THE COMMENTS PROJECT HAS ALSO BEEN ONE OF THOSE CHALLENGING PROJECTS, AND WE'VE MADE SOME PRETTY SUBSTANTIAL PROGRESS IN THOSE AREAS. CERTAINLY, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WAS VERY IDENTIFIABLE WHEN I FIRST HEARD ABOUT THE PROJECT IS THAT WE DIDN'T HAVE FULL SITE CONTROL. 
          AND SO AS OF JULY 9TH, WE HAVE A CLOSING DATE THAT IS SET TO CLOSE ON THE LAST PIECE OF PROPERTY THERE. OH, OH. RIGHT. OKAY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, CITY ATTORNEY. KEEP ME ON TRACK. 
          AND SO THERE'S BEEN SOME EXCITING DEVELOPMENTS WITH THAT PROJECT. RIDGE ROAD INTERGOVERNMENTAL AGREEMENT THAT WAS ALSO AGREED A ISSUE THAT WAS LANGUISHING THROUGH THE CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE LEADERSHIP. WE WERE ABLE TO FIND MATERIALS THAT MADE THAT PROJECT COST EFFECTIVE AND WORKED WITH THE SOUTH FULTON TO BRING TOGETHER IGA THAT CAME TOGETHER AND WAS APPROVED BY CITY COUNCIL, AND THAT WAS ALSO A PROJECT THAT WAS LANGUISHING, ANOTHER PROJECT THAT HAD HAD ITS CHALLENGES WAS L CIRCLE. WHILE CAN'T TAKE FULL CREDIT FOR THAT, BUT WE DEFINITELY ADVANCE WORKING WITH THE CITIZENS, WORKING THROUGH SOME OF THE CHALLENGES. THAT WAS ALSO A PROJECT THAT WAS LANGUISHING, WORKING TO. OKAY. 
          SO THERE'S SOME WITH SOME DEVELOPMENTS ON THAT PROJECT AS WELL. THERE WERE SOME ALSO OTHER THINGS THAT CAME OUT OF THAT PROJECT, AND THAT WAS LOOKING AT THE DEVELOPMENT OF HOW WE HANDLE DANGEROUS TREES. AND SO THERE WAS A CITIZEN, MISS O'NEILL, WHO WAS NEXT TO A PROPERTY THAT WAS UNATTENDED TO, DIDN'T HAVE ANY STRUCTURES ON IT, BUT HAD A NUMBER OF DANGEROUS TREES ON IT. IT ALSO WAS LANGUISHING BECAUSE OF THE UNCERTAINTY, BECAUSE OF OF THE VACANT PROPERTY. CITY MANAGER STAFF WORKED THROUGH IDENTIFYING WHERE THOSE PROPERTY, WHERE THOSE PROPERTY OWNERS WERE AND WAS ABLE TO WORK ACTIVELY THROUGH UTILIZING OUR 50 WORST PROGRAM TO GET THOSE DANGEROUS TREES ADDRESSED AND ALSO PROVIDED A FRAMEWORK, ALTHOUGH WE ALSO NOW HAVE STATE FUNDING AND STATE GRANTS THAT ALSO HELP IN THIS AREA, WE ALSO BROUGHT POWER AND POWER, TALKED A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THEIR AGGRESSIVE NATURE ON TREES AND TAKING DOWN THOSE. WE'VE CONSOLIDATED A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT AREAS TO ADDRESS THIS ISSUE, WHICH HAD BEEN LANGUISHING FOR SOME TIME, STRENGTHENING INTERNAL ACCOUNTING CONTROLS AND VENDOR MANAGEMENT. OBVIOUSLY, WE WENT THROUGH THE FORENSIC AUDIT AND THERE WAS A NUMBER OF THINGS THAT WERE ADDRESSED IN THAT IN THAT PROCESS THAT ULTIMATELY. 
          [05:25:05]
ENDED WITH SIGNIFICANT CHANGES IN HOW WE LOOK AT OUR INTERNAL CONTROLS AND, AND MODELING THAT. 
          AND THAT'S AN ONGOING PROCESS. BUT THERE IS DEFINITELY PROGRESS THAT HAS BEEN MADE. 
          WE'VE BEEN TALKING A BIT ABOUT THE COUNCIL EVENTS. AND SO AS YOU MAY RECALL, THAT WAS KIND OF A SOMETHING THAT WAS DROPPED ON CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE AS A PART OF THE LAST BUDGET PROCESS. 
          DIDN'T NECESSARILY MEAN WE WERE ALL PREPARED FOR THAT, BECAUSE IF YOU RECALL, THAT KIND OF HAPPENED THAT EVENING. BUT I THINK STAFF HAS DONE VERY GOOD IN MANAGING SOMETHING THAT WE INITIALLY DIDN'T HAVE PLANNED IN ON OUR AGENDA. AND, AND, AND IN SOME CASES, WE WORKED WITH COORDINATING THAT THROUGH SOURCES THAT WERE MORE FAMILIAR, LIKE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, LIKE OTHER DEPARTMENTS. BUT THERE ARE SOME THAT SQUARELY FELL ON, ON THE CITY MANAGER'S STAFF. 
          AND ONE OF THOSE THINGS WERE THE MARTIN LUTHER KING DAY OF SERVICE, WHICH BY MOST ACCOUNTS, WAS AN OUTSTANDING EVENT. AND SO THAT DEFINITELY WAS AN ACCOMPLISHMENT THAT STAFF WAS ABLE TO PULL THAT TOGETHER, PULL THAT TOGETHER, AND PULL IT AT THE QUALITY THAT IT WAS ABLE TO BE DELIVERED. ANOTHER THING WAS REALLY UTILIZING AND STRENGTHENING OUR PARTNERSHIPS WITH BOTH THE BUILDING AUTHORITY OF EAST POINT VIDA AND OUR DOWNTOWN DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY, ALSO KNOWN AS THE DDA. WE'VE WORKED WITH VIDA TO STRUCTURE HAVING OUR FACADE GRANT PROGRAM CONTINUE ON. AS YOU REMEMBER, THOSE FUNDS WERE FUNDED WITH ARPA DOLLARS THAT WAS WAS ALLOWABLE WITH THOSE FEDERAL FUNDS, BUT OPENED UP SOME CHALLENGES WITH GRATUITY ISSUES FOR THE CITY TO CONTINUE. SO WORKING THROUGH VIDA TO BE ABLE TO CONTINUE THAT WELL RECEIVED PROGRAM WAS IMPORTANT. WE ALSO HAVE DONE THINGS WITH OUR DOWNTOWN DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY, WHICH HADN'T DONE BEFORE, EVEN THOUGH IT'S KIND OF A SMALL AMOUNT IN THE GRAND SCHEME OF THINGS. BUT IT DID CREATE A PATH FOR A PATH MOVING FORWARD. ON WORKING TOGETHER WITH OUR DOWNTOWN DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY. AND WE DID THAT WITH THE THIS SMALL BUSINESS ASSISTANCE IMPACTED FROM THE STREETSCAPE WORK. AS FAR AS MAJOR CHANGES. I THINK THE ONE THING AND THERE'S A THERE'S A NUMBER. BUT I THINK THE ONE THING. AND IT ALSO ANSWERS SOME OF THE QUESTIONS THAT HAD BEEN ASKED EARLIER ABOUT SOME OF THE EFFICIENCIES THAT WE CAN BRING TO SOME OF OUR CHALLENGE. AT LEAST PERSPECTIVES, PERCEPTIONS IN SOME OF OUR DEPARTMENTS. AND LEAN SIGMA SIX PROCESS MAPPING IS A WORK FOR WORKFLOW ANALYSIS THAT I'VE IDENTIFIED MOSTLY IN OUR OTHER PROFESSIONAL SERVICES TO BE FOCUSED ON OUR COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT. WE'VE TALKED ABOUT PERMITS, AND CERTAINLY WE WANT TO HAVE A BUSINESS FRIENDLY COMMUNITY AND AND READY TO WORK COMMUNITY. SO MAKING SURE THAT THOSE PROCESSES MAKE SENSE, THAT THEY MAKE SENSE FOR THE BUSINESSES AND THE PEOPLE WHO USE THEM. THAT WILL HELP. OUR INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY SERVICES IS ANOTHER AREA THAT I BELIEVE PROCESS MAPPING WILL ALSO HELP IN OUR WORK FOR WORKFLOW ANALYSIS AND OUR CUSTOMER CARE DIVISION, WHILE GETTING SOME REALLY POSITIVE THINGS AS OF LATE. I THINK IT ALSO WILL DO VERY WELL TO HAVE PROCESS MAPPING. SO THOSE THOSE THINGS IS, IS KIND OF THE, THE MURKY THING. AND I THINK IT'S GOING TO MAKE A BIG DIFFERENCE. AND I'VE ALSO CERTAINLY BEEN TALKING ABOUT PRIORITY BASED BUDGETING. I THINK WE'VE DONE GREAT FOR THE FIRST TIME OUT OF THE BOX. BUT BUDGETING IS AN EVOLUTIONARY PROCESS. AND SO I THINK THAT WE'LL CONTINUE TO WORK TO AND MAKE A MORE EXPANSIVE BUDGET CONVERSATION, INCLUDING MORE CITIZEN OPPORTUNITIES TO PARTICIPATE AND, AND HELP EVEN WORK WITH US ON BUDGET PREPARATION AND BUDGET STRATEGY AND COMMUNICATIONS. SO THOSE 
          [05:30:03]
ARE ALSO THINGS THAT WE'LL BE LOOKING TO HIGHLIGHT IN 2027. SOME OF THE OTHER PROPOSED STRATEGIC PROJECTS FOR 2027. WE CERTAINLY WANT TO REALLY WORK THROUGH DEVELOPING OUR INTERNAL AUDITOR POSITION AND GET A HANDLE ON OUR RISK MANAGEMENT. THERE'S BEEN SOME SOME THINGS THAT WE WANT TO REALLY FOCUS IN ON. THAT KIND OF ALLUDES TO SOME OF THE EARLIER CONVERSATIONS ABOUT OUR EXPOSURE. AND I THINK ANOTHER OPPORTUNITY IS TO BUILD UPON OUR LEGISLATIVE PRIORITIES PLATFORM. SO WE'VE BEEN TYING IN OUR DEPARTMENTS A LITTLE BIT MORE THAN IN IN AT LEAST IN RECENT HISTORY WITH OUR LOBBYISTS. AND I THINK ULTIMATELY THIS YEAR, WE'RE GOING TO LOOK TO BRING COUNCIL THROUGH DEVELOPING LEGISLATIVE PRIORITIES AND TALK TO BOTH OUR STATE AND OUR FEDERAL LOBBYISTS. IF WE HAVE LEGISLATIVE PRIORITIES, IT GIVES THEM QUICK AND EASY TALKING POINTS AND OPPORTUNITIES TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF LEGISLATIVE OPPORTUNITIES THAT PRESENT ITSELF DURING DURING THE YEAR, EVEN THOUGH THEY MAY NOT BE SOMETHING THAT IS ON THE AGENDA OF OUR ELECTED OFFICIALS AT THE MOMENT OR AT THE AT THE BEGINNING OF THE SESSION. SO THOSE ARE THINGS THAT I'VE IDENTIFIED, AND I THINK THAT'S ALL I HAVE. COUNCILMEMBER MARTIN ROGERS YES, AND MADAM CITY CLERK, THANK YOU. 
          IN BRIEF, I'M JUST GOING TO SHARE A FEW FACTS ABOUT WHAT WAS JUST PRESENTED. AND THE FIRST FACT IS FUNDS WERE BUDGETED FOR THE 50 WORST PROPERTIES INITIATIVE LAST YEAR. 
          AND THERE WAS PLENTY OF OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO REBOOT THE PROGRAM. THEN THE SECOND THING IS A COMMONS PROJECT IS STILL A WORK IN PROGRESS. BUT WHAT I WANT TO HONE IN ON IS THE RIDGE ROAD AND ALE CIRCLE PROJECT, WHICH TOOK OVER A HUNDRED EMAILS TO THE CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE TO FOLLOW THROUGH. I BROUGHT THAT INITIATIVE, COUNTLESS EMAILS TO THE CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE. SO I DON'T KNOW HOW THIS WOULD BE A MAJOR ACCOMPLISHMENT FOR YOU, BECAUSE THERE ARE OVER A HUNDRED EMAILS ON BOTH OF THOSE, AND DUE TO THE OBSTACLES FROM YOUR OFFICE AND A FORMER COUNCIL MEMBER, THAT WAS A LABOR OF LOVE IN WHICH I HAD TO ASK RESIDENTS FROM THE WILLIAMSBURG COMMUNITY TO SUCCESSFULLY ADVOCATE FOR THE COMPLETION OF ALE CIRCLE. BUT THEN RIDGE ROAD COUNCIL MEMBER HELEN WILLIS HAD TO COME BEFORE THIS COUNCIL IN. ADVOCATE NOT ONLY FOR THE PROJECT, BUT BECAUSE THERE WAS A SPECIAL NEEDS CHILD INVOLVED. SO, YOU KNOW, THAT TOOK OVER 100 EMAILS TO GET DONE. MR. CITY MANAGER NUMBER TWO, THE CAR ALLOWANCE AND TECHNOLOGY NEEDS TO BE REMOVED FROM YOUR BUDGET. THESE ITEMS ARE IN YOUR CONTRACT. I'VE SAID THAT BEFORE, BUT WHEN I ASKED YOU ABOUT IT BEFORE, YOU SAID, OH, IT WAS LEFT OVER FROM THE PREVIOUS CITY MANAGER'S BUDGET. SO ME, I GO TO THE 2026 BUDGET AND THOSE ITEMS WERE NOT THERE. IT WAS JUST A CAR ALLOWANCE. SO THE FACT THAT THAT IS IN YOUR BUDGET, IT IS ILLEGAL. YOU HAVE A CONTRACT WITH THE CITY OF EASTPOINTE. WE ADDRESS THAT IN YOUR CONTRACT. SO I'M GOING TO ASK THAT YOU REMOVE THOSE ITEMS FROM YOUR BUDGET. BUT WHAT IS ALSO CONCERNING FOR ME IS THAT RIGHT IN THAT BREATH OR RIGHT IN THAT MOMENT? JUST A FEW MINUTES AGO, YOU TOOK OUT A PROGRAM THAT HELPED THE RESIDENTS OF THIS CITY FROM THE OFFICE OF EMPOWERMENT. BUT YOU'RE ASKING FOR A CAR ALLOWANCE? NO, I MEAN, I COULD TELL YOU RIGHT NOW THE ANSWER IS NO. FOR ME. WE HAD THE OFFICE OF EMPOWERMENT STAND HERE AND TALK ABOUT THE COUNTLESS FAMILIES THAT SHE ASSISTED WITH UTILITIES, HOMELESSNESS OR BEING DISPLACED. AND YOU HAVE A CAR ALLOWANCE IN YOUR BUDGET. NUMBER THREE, THE MARTIN LUTHER KING. THAT WAS A DIRECTIVE GIVEN TO YOU VIA EMAIL BY ANOTHER COUNCIL MEMBER THAT WAS NEVER BROUGHT BEFORE THIS COUNCIL. SO THAT MARTIN LUTHER KING EVENT DID NOT TAKE A VOTE OF COUNCIL. AT THIS POINT, THE HOUR IS GETTING LATE, BUT I DID ADDRESS THESE CONCERNS IN AN EMAIL TO YOU AND MAYOR AND COUNCIL. BUT I'M 
          [05:35:02]
GOING TO ALSO NEED YOU TO ITEMIZE THE SALARY AND WAGES IN YOUR BUDGET, BECAUSE PER THE CITY CHARTER, WE HAVE A DEPUTY CITY MANAGER. AND I DO KNOW THAT THERE WAS A BUDGET AMOUNT FOR LAST YEAR FOR AN ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER. BUT AGAIN, I'M GOING TO ASK THAT THE SALARIES AND WAGES IN YOUR BUDGET BE ITEMIZED. THANK YOU. SORRY. WAS THERE A QUESTION IN THAT IS NO. 
          I JUST WANTED TO STATE THE FACTS FOR THE RECORD. THERE'S NO QUESTION. THANK YOU, COUNCILWOMAN CALDWELL, I DO HAVE A QUESTION. AT THE BEGINNING OF THIS BUDGET PROCESS, THERE WAS A LOT OF DISCUSSION AROUND DEFICITS. AND AS A RESULT OF THE DEFICIT, THERE WAS ADDITIONAL DISCUSSION AROUND THE NEED TO INCREASE EVERY WAY THAT OUR RESIDENTS ARE CURRENTLY PAYING THE CITY. AND SO I'M A LITTLE SURPRISED TO NOT SEE THAT HIGHLIGHTED HERE. CAN YOU TELL ME WHERE THINGS STAND WITH THIS DEFICIT? HAVE WE BEEN ABLE TO PROVE, CONFIRM, VALIDATE THIS DEFICIT? BECAUSE THERE'S A LOT RIDING ON THE THE POTENTIAL OF A DEFICIT. 
          THE DEPARTMENT, AS COUNCIL MEMBER MARTIN ROGERS REMOVED MENTIONED, WAS REMOVED BECAUSE OF THE TIGHT CONSTRAINTS AND THE DEFICIT. AND SO THERE'S A LOT COMING BEHIND THAT. AND I STILL HAVEN'T SEEN. THE VALIDITY OF A DEFICIT. THANK YOU FOR THAT QUESTION. SO AND I I WILL INVITE THE FINANCE DIRECTOR IF SHE WANTS TO ALSO JOIN IN ON THIS. BUT LET ME BE CLEAR. SO WHEN WE PRESENT A BALANCED BUDGET, WE HAVE TO BALANCE IT BY ALL OF THE DIFFERENT FUNDS. SO ELECTRIC FUND IS NOT BALANCED. IT NEEDS TO HAVE A M C, T, WHICH IS WHAT THE WE HAD PREPARED MCT. TRANSFER TO BALANCE THE BUDGET. SINCE THAT IS A POWER, WE CAN'T JUST EASILY THROW IN GENERAL FUND BECAUSE GENERAL FUND IS COVERING ALL THE OTHER. 
          PARTICULARLY NON ENTERPRISE FUNDS WITHIN THE CITY. AND SO THE GENERAL. I THINK THERE WAS A GENERAL CONSENSUS THAT THERE WAS A LOT OF TALK ABOUT A DEFICIT EARLY ON. I THINK I EXPLAINED THAT ABOUT THE CAPITAL PROJECTS THAT THE CITY THAT THE FINANCE DEPARTMENT AND CITY MANAGER RECEIVED INITIALLY FROM ALL OF OUR DEPARTMENTS, I THINK YOU UNDERSTAND THAT PART, RIGHT? THAT'S WHERE WE RECEIVED OVER $27 MILLION OF CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS THAT WE WERE TRYING TO GET PAID FOR IN ONE YEAR. AND SO AFTER LOOKING AT THE PROJECTIONS, RIGHT, THE REVENUE PROJECTIONS FOR THE CITY, WE REALIZED THERE WAS AN IMBALANCE OF ACTUAL COMPARED TO ACTUAL PROJECTIONS. SO WE, WE, WE TALKED THROUGH THAT SEVERAL TIMES. I'M, I'M ASSUMING YOU FOLLOW THAT. OKAY. YOU'RE SAYING NO. SO LET ME HELP WITH WITH THAT. SO WHENEVER YOU LOOK AT THE THE CHART THAT'S IN THE CITY MANAGER'S MESSAGE, THERE'S A CHART IN THERE THAT THAT HAS THE LAST TEN YEARS OF PROJECTIONS, SOME OF THEM THAT YOU'LL SEE, THERE'S A COLUMN THAT SAYS PROJECTED REVENUES. YOU'LL SEE ACTUAL REVENUES, YOU'LL SEE PROJECTED BUDGET, YOU'LL SEE ACTUAL BUDGET. SO IF YOU LOOK AT THAT WITH ANY, YOU KNOW, DETAIL, YOU'LL, YOU'LL NOTICE THAT THE PROJECTED REVENUES ARE NOWHERE CLOSE TO ANY ACTUAL REVENUES. AND SO THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THAT IS IF YOU ARE PROJECTING A BUDGET THAT IS REFLECTIVE OF ACTUAL OF REVENUES THAT ARE NOT ACTUAL, THAT WILL ARE NOWHERE CLOSE TO ACTUAL, AND YOU BEGIN TO SPEND WITH THAT IDEA, YOU'RE SPENDING, YOU'RE SPENDING BASED ON MONEY YOU DON'T HAVE. RIGHT? AND SO WHAT HAPPENS IS WHEN YOU GO OVER, YOU HAVE TO FIND SOME KIND OF WAY BECAUSE YOU CANNOT SUBMIT A BUDGET THAT IS NOT BALANCED TO THE STATE. YOU HAVE TO FIND SOME KIND OF WAY TO BALANCE THAT BUDGET AT THE END OF THE YEAR. AND WHAT HAS BEEN HAPPENING IS THAT PEOPLE THAT THERE HAS BEEN A PRACTICE OF BALANCING THE BUDGET AT THE END OF THE YEAR BY UTILIZING FUND 
          [05:40:03]
BALANCE AND FUND BALANCE IS ALSO YOU CAN CALL YOUR RAINY DAY FUND, OR YOU CAN CALL IT UNASSIGNED FUNDS. YOU CAN ALSO CALL IT RESTRICTED FUNDS BECAUSE THERE'S A STABILIZATION POLICY THAT THE CITY HAS SET UP THAT HAS BASICALLY SAID, IN THESE ENTERPRISES, WE SHOULD NOT GO BELOW THESE NUMBERS, BECAUSE THIS IS WHAT WE IDENTIFY AS A HEALTHY FUND. AND SO IF WE GO BELOW THOSE NUMBERS, THAT MEANS WE'RE USING AND SPENDING AT A RATE THAT'S NOT SUSTAINABLE. RIGHT. AND SO WE'VE HAD A PRACTICE OF GOING INTO FUND BALANCE AT THE END OF THE THE YEAR. AND, AND THAT HAS CREATED UNCERTAINTY IN OUR POOL CASH ACCOUNT. SO I SAY ALL OF THAT TO SAY IS THAT THIS YEAR, WE DIDN'T JUST SIMPLY SAY, HEY, GUYS, THIS IS WHAT ALL WE WANT, ALL WE NEED AND ALL WE WANT. AND IT WAS ROUGHLY AROUND $27 MILLION. WE DIDN'T JUST SAY, HEY, LET'S PROJECT AN ADDITIONAL $27 MILLION, AND THEN LET'S JUST GO THROUGH THE YEAR AND SEE WHERE WE STAND AT THE END OF THE YEAR. WE DIDN'T DO THAT. WE SAID, NO, THIS IS WHAT ACTUALS ARE. THIS IS A SOLID TREND ANALYSIS BASED ON OUR ACTUALS, OUR ACTUAL REVENUES. THIS WE LOOKED AT THE GROWTH FROM YEAR TO YEAR. AND WITHIN THE LAST TEN YEARS, WE MADE AN ESTIMATE ON WHAT'S GOING ON IN THE AND IN THE OVERALL MARKETPLACE. AND WE SAID, THIS IS A REASONABLE NUMBER AND FRANKLY, MIGHT BE A LITTLE MORE CONSERVATIVE, BUT WE WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE DIDN'T CONTINUE TO THE ACTIVITIES THAT HAD GOT US INTO SUCH UNCERTAINTY WITH OUR POOL CASH SYSTEM. AND SO THAT BY DOING IT BEING REALISTIC ON OUR OUR PROJECTIONS, THAT MEANS THAT OUR ASK WAS IN BALANCED, OUR ASK WAS HIGHER THAN WHAT WE WHAT WE, YOU KNOW, ASSESS OF REAL DOLLARS COMING INTO THE CITY. THAT IMBALANCE WAS, WAS A LARGE NUMBER. AND I, I DON'T HAVE IT OFFHAND, BUT I THINK THERE WAS 20, 27 MILLION OR SOMETHING WAS PASSED AROUND BECAUSE I HAD A CONVERSATION WITH MY STAFF AND SAID, HEY, SHARPEN YOUR PENCIL SOME MORE SO THAT WE CAN CLOSE THAT GAP AND THAT WIND UP GETTING OUT AND, AND MISS CONFUSED IN THE MEDIA, WHATEVER. RIGHT. AND SO THAT WAS PUT OUT THERE. BUT WHAT WE WERE REALLY SAYING WAS OUR CAPITAL PROJECTS HAVE TO BE MANAGED IN A WAY THAT WE UTILIZE OUR FIVE YEAR OUTLOOK, LOOK AT LOGISTICALLY WHAT WE CAN GET DONE IN THE NEXT 12 MONTHS AND THEN MAKE DECISIONS TO, TO MANAGE THROUGH OUR LIMITED RESOURCES, LIKE EVERY BUDGET SHOULD DO. AND THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT HAPPENED. THAT'S THE FIRST DEFICIT, NOT A REAL DEFICIT. AND I, I SAY DEFICIT IN BALANCE. HOWEVER, THAT'S THE FIRST PERCEIVED DEFICIT THAT WAS PUT OUT THERE. BUT A REAL DEFICIT IS WHEN WE GO INTO OPERATIONS. AND IN THIS CASE, THE ELECTRIC FUND HAS A DEFICIT. NOW, WE ALREADY KNOW A NUMBER OF FACTORS. WE ALREADY KNOW THAT THE ELECTRIC FUND HAS NOT HELD TO A STANDARD RATE. RIGHT. WE WE ALREADY KNOW WE JUST BEEN SUPPRESSING THOSE RATES BY NOT FLUCTUATING LIKE IT WAS ORIGINALLY SET UP TO BE. AND IG ALREADY SAID THAT WE, YOU KNOW, WE'RE LOSING REVENUE SOMEWHERE FROM 1.4 TO 1.9 MILLION A YEAR. 
          WE ALREADY KNOW THAT. SO THAT'S ONE THING WE ALREADY KNOW. WE HAVEN'T BEEN COLLECTING THE WAY WE SHOULD BE ON OUR ON OUR UTILITY BILLS. CUSTOMER CARE HAS SHOWED US THAT WE ALREADY KNOW THAT WE HAVE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT WORK THAT'S BEING DONE. ECG SHOWED US THAT WE OVER PROJECTED THAT LIKE IF WE OVER PROJECTED ON ONE THING, THAT'S PROBABLY A PRACTICE WE'VE BEEN DOING OTHER PLACES AND WE OVER PROJECTED ON OUR ON OUR CAPITAL, ON OUR REVENUES TO PAY FOR THE CAPITAL THAT WE'VE ALREADY ENGAGED IN. AND SO THOSE THINGS COLLABORATING AND, AND STACKING ON TOP OF EACH OTHER CREATES AN IMBALANCE. SO WE ASKED FOR M, C, T FUNDS. AND THE REASON WE ASKED FOR M, C T FUNDS AND NOT NORMAL ENTERPRISE RESERVE FUNDS IS BECAUSE MCT FUNDS HAVE A CERTAINTY. LIKE WE HAVE NOT GONE INTO THAT. UNLIKE THE RESERVE FUNDS THAT HAVE BEEN USED TO BALANCE THE BUDGET FOR YEARS, MCT FUNDS HAVE NOT BEEN TOUCHED. SO I CAN TALK WITH CERTAINTY TO CLOSE THESE THESE BUDGETS FOR THIS CURRENT YEAR AND FOR OUR NEXT OPERATING BUDGET, WHICH IS 2027 YEAR, I CAN SPEAK WITH CERTAINTY THAT THE TRANSFERS THAT WE HAVE THAT WOULD HAVE BEEN BROUGHT TO YOU, THAT HAVE BEEN PUT ON HOLD TO AND TO BE APPROVED WITH THIS 
          [05:45:04]
BUDGET ARE SOLID NUMBERS. THOSE DEFICITS ARE REAL. CAN I GET A POINT OF CLARITY? SURE, YES. SO A COUPLE OF THINGS. THE IT SOUNDS LIKE THAT YOU'RE YOU'RE DESCRIBING TWO DEFICITS AND ONE IS BASED OFF OF PROJECTIONS AND ACTUALS. AND I JUST WANT TO. THE FIRST POINT OF CLARITY IS A PROJECTION IS JUST THAT IT IS A PROJECTION. IT'S. WE BELIEVE WE ARE GOING TO BRING IN THIS AMOUNT OF REVENUE THIS YEAR. THE INTENDED PROCESS IS WHEN YOU SEE THAT THAT IS CHANGING OR THAT IS NOT HAPPENING, THAT YOU AMEND, YOU DO A BUDGET AMENDMENT TO SAY, HEY, WE'RE NOT TRACKING, WE'RE NOT ON ON TRACK TO BRING IN THESE REVENUES. AND SO WE NEED TO MAKE SOME ADJUSTMENTS. THAT'S TYPICALLY HOW THE PROCESS WORKS. SO YES, THE PROJECTIONS MAY BE OFF. THE OTHER PIECE IS IN JUST LAST YEAR. OF COURSE, THIS IS MY FIRST YEAR ON COUNCIL, BUT I REMEMBER DISCUSSIONS ABOUT REVENUE SOURCE OR REVENUE BEING ADDED TO THE BUDGET TO THE TUNE OF 30 OR $40 MILLION FOR THE RECREATION FACILITY, BUT THERE WAS NO FUNDING SOURCE THERE. 
          AND THAT WAS SOMETHING THAT WAS BASED. AND THIS MISS CARTWRIGHT ALSO MENTIONED THIS IN THE LAST MEETING THAT YEAH, THAT WAS 30, 40 MILLION ADDED TO THE BUDGET WITH NO FUNDING SOURCE. SO WE OVER PROJECTED LAST YEAR JUST IN THAT SENSE, BY ADDING THE THAT RECREATIONAL FUNDING THAT WHEN WE DIDN'T HAVE A FUNDING SOURCE. SO YES, TAKING THOSE THINGS OUT WOULD BE WOULD BE IMPORTANT. AND YES, WE WOULD NEED TO DO THAT. BUT IT SOUNDS LIKE YOU'RE MENTIONING THE $27 MILLION DEFICIT IS BASED ON PROJECTED AMOUNT, AND THEN THERE'S A REAL DEFICIT AMOUNT THAT YOU'RE THAT YOU'RE SPEAKING OF. WHAT IS THE DOLLAR AMOUNT ASSOCIATED WITH THAT? THE REAL AMOUNT IS REFLECTED IN THE ELECTRIC TRANSFERS. YET IN THE ELECTRIC FUND AND, AND WHAT WHAT'S THE AMOUNT OF THAT? I, I DON'T HAVE THOSE NUMBERS RIGHT IN FRONT OF ME. ESTIMATE, ESTIMATE. THERE WAS FOR THIS CURRENT FISCAL YEAR 2026, IT WAS 2.8 MILLION. AND I BELIEVE FOR FISCAL YEAR 2027, IT WAS 5.9 MILLION. YEAH. AND SO IT'S JUST A HUGE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN 27 MILLION BASED OFF OF A PROJECTED NUMBER TO. NOW WE HAVE A DIFFERENT TYPE OF TERM FOR DEFICIT, WHICH IS THE REAL DEFICIT, AND IT'S BETWEEN 2.8 AND $5 MILLION. I DON'T WANT TO CONFUSE THE 227. THAT'S A WHOLE DIFFERENT PIECE OF OF THE BUDGET. LIKE YOU SAID, YOU YOU ARE RIGHT. THAT'S PROJECTED AND THAT'S CAPITAL AND THAT'S THE WHOLE CITY. AND SO THAT AGAIN, WAS NEVER INTENDED TO, TO GET OUT. THAT WAS THAT WAS ALL A WORKING AND A WORK IN PROGRESS. 
          AND SO THAT WASN'T WHAT I REPORTED. THAT'S WHAT HAD HAD LEAKED OUT THAT WE HAD TO TALK THROUGH BECAUSE IT WAS MISS BEING CONFUSED. IT WAS BEING CONFUSED. I THINK THE POINT YOU MENTIONED ABOUT LAST YEAR, THE THE IMPORTANCE WITH LAST YEAR IS THERE WAS A FUNDING MECHANISM AND THAT WAS THROUGH BOND PROCEED, BOND PROCEDURE, BOND BONDING. THE INTENT WAS, AT LEAST AT MY UNDERSTANDING, AT THAT PARTICULAR LEVEL OF AT THAT TIME, MY PARTICULAR UNDERSTANDING WAS THAT WE HAD THE ABILITY TO BOND. WE HAD THE ABILITY TO GO OUT FOR BONDS. 
          AND THE THE THOUGHT IS, IF WE'RE GOING TO SPEND MONEY ON THE DESIGN, WHICH WE DID, AND THAT WAS TO A TUNE OF $2 MILLION THAT WE NEEDED TO MOVE FORWARD WITH ACTUAL CONSTRUCTION. AFTER THAT, THOSE DESIGNS WERE DONE. AND MY UNDERSTANDING IS WE HAD THE ABILITY TO DO THAT. I DID NOT KNOW THAT WE WERE GOING TO BE LOSING S AND P, THAT WE WERE SO FAR BEHIND IN OUR AUDITS. NONE OF THAT WAS SHARED WITH ME AT THAT TIME. YES, PLEASE HELP IF YOU CAN, MAYOR AND COUNCIL, JUST FOR A LITTLE BIT OF CLARITY, I KNOW THE $27 MILLION WAS KIND OF THROWN AROUND. IF YOU LOOK ON, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU CAN SEE IT ON YOUR SCREEN, BUT I HIGHLIGHTED 2627 BUDGET DEPARTMENT REQUESTS IF WE HAD, OH, I'M SO SORRY, MY BATTERY IS RUNNING LOW, BUT IF WE HAD FOLLOWED THROUGH WITH WHAT THE DEPARTMENTS WANTED, WE WOULD HAVE BEEN LOOKING AT A $33 MILLION TRYING TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO FILL THAT GAP. I DON'T WANT TO CALL IT A DEFICIT BECAUSE IT'S NOT A DEFICIT. IT'S IT'S TRYING TO FILL THE 
          [05:50:04]
GAP OF WHAT THAT DOLLAR AMOUNT IS THAT WE'RE TRYING TO TO REACH. AND SO THAT'S WHY WE WE HAD TO MAKE THOSE CUTS. SO THIS 2.5 MILLION THAT'S THAT'S REFERENCING THE ELECTRIC. BUT ALL THIS, IT'S A TOTALITY OF THE ORGANIZATION. AND SO I UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU'RE SAYING. 
          AS FAR AS THE 30 MILLION FROM LAST YEAR, THAT WOULD HAVE REPRESENTED 252 MILLION. BUT GOING BACK YEARS, IT WAS THE SAME CONCEPT, 2324 HOUR TOTAL REVENUES WERE 177 MILLION, WHILE WE BUDGETED 211 MILLION. THANK YOU FOR YOUR RESPONSE, COUNCIL. IS THERE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? NO. OKAY. I NEED A MOTION. OH, DO WE HAVE ANYTHING FOR EXECUTIVE SESSION? OKAY. 
          NOTHING FOR EXECUTIVE SESSION. ALRIGHT. MADAM MAYOR, MADAM MAYOR, ADJOURN SECOND. COME ON NOW. I GOT FIVE OF THEM. NOW PICK ONE. CAN I HAVE A SECOND? SECOND. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR? AYE. 
          ALL THOSE
* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.