[XIII.1. Use Permit for Sec 10-2137 Recycling Center and Processing And Section 10-2080D Distance from Residential Located at 1577 East Taylor Ave]

APPRECIATE YOUR PARTICIPATION AND ENGAGEMENT. RIGHT NOW, I'M GOING TO MAKE A CALL FOR THE MOTION THAT IS ON THE FLOOR. OH I'M SORRY, DID YOU HAVE A POINT OF ORDER? JUST PER THE CITY CLERK. EXCUSE ME, THE CITY ATTORNEY. WE NEED TO WAIVE THE FIRST READING SO THAT WE'RE PROCEDURALLY ALIGNED. SO SO I NEED TO MAKE A AMENDMENT. YEAH. I'D LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION TO WAIVE THE FIRST READING. SECOND. OKAY. DO ALL. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR? AYE. ALL THOSE OPPOSED? THIS IS THE SECOND READING. THIS IS SECOND. YEAH. IT WAS ON THE. WE HAD A FIRST READING, THE LAST MEETING, I BELIEVE, OF JUNE. AND SO IT'LL BE, IT'LL BE IT'LL BE THE SECOND, SECOND READING. THIS WILL BE THE SECOND. WELL THEN HIS MOTION WAS APPROPRIATE. HIS MOTION TO DENY WAS APPROPRIATE. YOU ONLY WAIVE THE FIRST READING WHEN YOU WANT TO ACT ON IT THE SAME NIGHT. SO, COUNCILMAN, COUNCILMAN MITCHELL'S MOTION TO DENY WAS APPROPRIATE. YOU DO NOT NEED TO WAIVE A SECOND READ. I'M MISUNDERSTOOD. COUNCILMAN FREHLEY'S QUESTION. I THINK HE ASKED IT, RIGHT. I JUST MISUNDERSTOOD IT ABOUT WAIVING THE SECOND READING. THAT'S NOT NECESSARY. NOW IT'S JUST TIME TO VOTE ON THE USE PERMIT. THAT MOTION WAS CORRECT. YOU CAN CALL FOR THE VOTE AND THEN GO BACK TO COUNCIL. COMMENTS. OKAY. OKAY. THANK YOU. SO THE MOTION

[01:05:09]

IS ON THE FLOOR. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR? AYE. ALL THOSE ALL THOSE OPPOSED? OKAY. THE MOTION PASSES. THE CASE IS DENIED. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. NOW WE WILL GO BACK TO COUNCIL

[X. COMMENTS FROM COUNCIL (Part 2 of 2)]

COMMENTS. COUNCILWOMAN HEMMING I SEE YOU'RE LIGHTING. I'M PROUD OF OUR COMMUNITY AND I'M PROUD OF THIS ELECTED BODY. I KNOW WHEN THIS ISSUE FIRST CAME BEFORE US, THERE WAS A DIFFERENT DISCUSSION. BUT WHAT WE SAW TONIGHT IS WHAT'S SUPPOSED TO HAPPEN. WE'RE SUPPOSED TO LISTEN, AND WE'RE SUPPOSED TO VOTE IN ACCORDANCE WITH WHAT YOU WANT, SOMETHING THAT'S REALLY IMPORTANT FOR US. ALSO THIS EVENING IS THE BUDGET. THERE HAVE BEEN SEVERAL MEETINGS, DISCUSSIONS, CONCERNS RAISED, AND IF WE DON'T ACT TO PASS THE BUDGET, WE RISK THE WE RISK LOSING THE OPPORTUNITY TO DELIVER THE SERVICES THAT YOU REQUIRE. SO I'M ASKING MY COUNCIL COLLEAGUES TO CONSIDER THE IMPORTANCE OF THIS DECISION TONIGHT AND EVERY OTHER NIGHT REGARDING THE BUDGET FOR THIS CITY. THANK YOU, COMMUNITY, FOR COMING OUT. AND I HOPE THAT COUNCIL CONTINUES TO ACT IN YOUR BEST INTEREST. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, COUNCILMAN. I THINK WE GET SOME FEEDBACK FROM SOMEPLACE. OKAY. SO ALL RIGHT. IS THAT COUNCIL MEMBER ATKINS? YES. I'D LIKE TO THANK YOU, MADAM MAYOR. AND I WOULD ALSO JUST LIKE TO AGAIN THANK ALL OF THE RESIDENTS FOR COMING OUT THIS EVENING, FOR OFFERING YOUR POSITIONS ON THIS PARTICULAR ZONING APPLICATION AS IT RELATES TO TAYLOR STREET, AND ALSO HEAR YOUR SENTIMENTS REGARDING THE BUDGET. THAT IS A VERY IMPORTANT MATTER BEFORE THE CITY. IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE DEAL WITH OUR BUDGETARY ISSUES SO THAT WE CAN MOVE FORWARD AS A CITY. SO THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR COMING OUT. I WOULD LIKE TO JUST REITERATE, I CAN'T REMEMBER THE LAST NAME, BUT NURSE MALAYA AND PROFESSOR DEIDRE TALKED ABOUT THE MORATORIUM. AND BECAUSE I WAS A SPONSOR OF THAT LEGISLATION, WE ACTUALLY DID EXTEND THE MORATORIUM. AND SO THE MORATORIUM HAS BEEN EXTENDED. AND WE ALSO GOT SOME COUNSEL FROM OUR LEGAL TEAM ABOUT THE INCREMENTS IN WHICH WE SHOULD EXTEND THOSE THINGS SO THAT WE KEEP OURSELVES WITHIN THE LAW ON THOSE THINGS. SO WE WE KNOW THAT THAT IS A SERIOUS ISSUE. AND THIS BODY HAS MOVED TO EXTEND THE MORATORIUM. I JUST WANTED TO STATE THAT. THANK YOU. OKAY. COUNCILWOMAN CUMMINGS, DID YOU HAVE. COUNCILWOMAN, I'M SORRY I GOT LOST IN THE SAUCE. SO WE ARE HAVING A A TOWN HALL AT SAINT STEPHEN'S BAPTIST CHURCH ON THE 2027 PROPOSED BUDGET. THAT WOULD BE THIS THURSDAY STARTING AT 6 P.M. THANK YOU. OKAY. THANK YOU, MADAM MAYOR, AND THANK YOU AGAIN FOR EVERYONE THAT HAS COME OUT THIS EVENING FOR THIS MEETING AND FOR THOSE THAT ARE ALSO WATCHING US VIA LIVE STREAM. AND I WANTED TO JUST KIND OF, ONE, APOLOGIZE FOR THE MIX UP THAT WE HAVE FOR THE MEETING ON LAST WEEK. IT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE LAST THURSDAY AT SAINT STEPHEN'S. THEY HAD A PLUMBING ISSUE THAT TOOK PLACE AT THE LAST MINUTE. AND WHAT WE WANTED TO DO WAS WE INITIALLY WE CANCELED THE MEETING AND WE MOVED IT TO THIS THURSDAY, BUT IT WAS SUGGESTED THAT WE JUST MOVE THE MEETING HERE. I WAS AT THE CHURCH TO DIRECT ANYONE TO COME OVER TO CITY HALL, BUT BECAUSE THINGS WERE NOT SET UP IN PLACE HERE, THAT WAS WHERE THE MIDST, I GUESS THE MISCOMMUNICATION CAME IN. SO WE WERE NOT ABLE TO HAVE THE MEETING THERE. SO WE WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAD A MEETING TO HAVE YOUR ALL OF YOUR CONCERNS, YOUR QUESTIONS ANSWERED, BECAUSE THE CITY MANAGER AND THE FINANCE DIRECTOR WERE GOING TO BE THERE TO FEEL THOSE QUESTIONS, ANY QUESTIONS THAT THE RESIDENTS DID HAVE? SO ONCE RESIDENTS, FOR THOSE THAT DID COME HERE FOR THE MEETING, IT WAS NOT SET UP AND THE DOOR WAS LOCKED SO THEY WEREN'T ABLE TO GET IN. SO WE DO APOLOGIZE ON BEHALF OF MY COLLEAGUE AND MYSELF, BUT WE HAVE EVERYTHING WORKED OUT. THE PLUMBING IS WORKING OVER AT SAINT STEPHEN'S NOW. AND THE MEETING AGAIN, LIKE YOU SAID, WILL BE THIS THURSDAY AT 6:00.

SO WE INVITE EVERYONE TO COME OUT. ANY QUESTIONS, CONCERNS THAT YOU DO HAVE FOR THE BUDGET? SHOULD IT NOT SHOULD IT NOT BE PASSED THIS EVENING? THERE'S STILL QUESTIONS THAT RESIDENTS MAY STILL HAVE QUESTIONS. SO IF THERE ARE ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU DO HAVE, THE CITY MANAGER

[01:10:01]

AND THE FINANCE INTERIM FINANCE DIRECTOR WILL BE THERE TO FIELD ANY QUESTIONS, I YIELD. THANK YOU, COUNCILWOMAN CALDWELL. THANK YOU. TWO MAJOR ANNOUNCEMENTS. THE FIRST ANNOUNCEMENT I WANTED TO MAKE IS ABOUT A NEW DEVELOPMENT THAT IS BEING PROPOSED FOR IN WARD D, IT DOES IMPACT RESIDENTS IN WARD D AND WARD C. IT'S LOCATED AT ZERO NORTH DESERT DRIVE. I BELIEVE IT WAS BROUGHT UP TONIGHT BY A RESIDENT HERE. I DO WANT TO AT LEAST MENTION THAT THERE WILL BE A MEETING WITH THE DEVELOPER. THE DEVELOPER WANTS TO MEET WITH THE COMMUNITY IN PERSON. THAT MEETING IS SCHEDULED TO TAKE PLACE TOMORROW AT 6:30 P.M. AT FIRE STATION NUMBER THREE. I ALSO WANT TO SAY, AS WE KIND OF WORK THROUGH OUR COMMUNICATION STRATEGY AND WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE, BEAR WITH US. BUT MY COUNCIL MADE IT MYSELF. WE ACTUALLY WENT DOOR TO DOOR OVER THIS WEEKEND, HANDING OUT THIS INFORMATION TO AS MANY RESIDENTS THAT WE COULD WE COULD TOUCH IN THIS VERY HOT HEAT, BUT WE ARE TRYING TO GET THE MESSAGE OUT AS AS BEST AS WE CAN AND MAKE SURE THAT THE COMMUNITY IS INFORMED ABOUT ANY DEVELOPMENTS THAT ARE COMING TO THE AREA. THE OTHER THING I WANT TO MENTION IS ABOUT THE MICROSOFT POCKET PARK. WE ARE GOING TO HAVE A COMMUNITY MURAL PAINT DAY WHERE RESIDENTS WILL BE ABLE TO COME OUT SATURDAY, AUGUST 1ST, 11 A.M. TO 4 P.M. WHERE YOU WILL BE ABLE TO HELP WITH THE DESIGN AND PAINT NEXT TO THE ARTIST ASHLEY BELLA TO HELP MAKE THIS PARK, YOU KNOW, BEAUTIFUL AND A PART OF THE COMMUNITY. SO PLEASE COME OUT FOR THE COMMUNITY. MURAL DAY.

SATURDAY, AUGUST 1ST AND THE POCKET PARK LOCATION IS 4165 BEN HILL ROAD, EAST POINT, GEORGIA. YOU CAN ALSO FIND THIS INFORMATION ONLINE. THANK YOU. COUNCILWOMAN MARTIN ROGERS. YES, AND THANK YOU. THANK YOU TO EVERYONE THAT CAME OUT. BUT I'D ALSO LIKE TO THANK PREVIOUS MAYOR AND COUNCIL MEMBERS WHO COME BEFORE CITY COUNCIL AND HOLD US ACCOUNTABLE.

ACCOUNTABILITY IS HEALTHY AND PERSONAL ATTACKS ARE NOT. I WILL NOT BE COMPLICIT IN ILLEGAL AND UNETHICAL BEHAVIOR. BASED ON THE LAST AUDIT, THERE WERE ALREADY CONCERNS REGARDING VENDOR SETUP CONTROL AND OVERSIGHT. I RECEIVED INFORMATION INFORMATION SUGGESTING THAT VENDOR ACCOUNTS MAY HAVE BEEN SET UP OUTSIDE THE NORMAL FINANCE PROCESS, POSSIBLY INVOLVING THE IT DEPARTMENT. PLEASE ALLOW THE PUBLIC RECORD TO REFLECT THAT.

THIS IS ANOTHER FAILURE IN MANAGEMENT AND A LACK OF PROPER INTERNAL CONTROLS. PUBLIC FUNDS MUST BE PROTECTED. COUNCIL HAS ALSO BEEN MADE AWARE OF EMPLOYEE COMPLAINTS AND CONCERNS ABOUT THE CITY'S WORK CULTURE SINCE OCTOBER, YET THE CITY MANAGER HAS NOT BEEN HELD ACCOUNTABLE. EMPLOYEES DESERVE RESPECT AND SHOULD NOT HAVE TO WORK IN FEAR. AND LASTLY, ON JUNE 15TH, A DIRECTIVE WAS GIVEN AND VOTED ON UNANIMOUSLY IN REFERENCE TO THE BUDGET, ELIMINATING CONSOLIDATED LINE ITEMS AND PROVIDING A DETAILED, ITEMIZED BREAKDOWN OF EXPENDITURES FOR MAYOR AND COUNCIL AND CITY DEPARTMENTS. ON JUNE 22ND, REDMOND JONES TOLD COUNCIL IT WAS GOING TO BE TOO EXPENSIVE. NO EMPLOYEE GETS TO DISREGARD THEIR SUPERVISORS AND SIMPLY ANNOUNCE WHAT THEY CAN'T DO. THIS IS A BREACH OF THE CONTRACT ORDINANCES AND CHARTER, AND I WILL NOT ALLOW IT TO BE IGNORED OR MINIMIZED. COUNCIL GAVE A LAWFUL DIRECTIVE AND THE ADMINISTRATION IS RESPONSIBLE FOR CARRYING IT OUT, NOT DECIDING WHETHER IT IS CONVENIENT. THE PUBLIC DESERVES A TRANSPARENT, ITEMIZED BUDGET, AND I WILL NOT SUPPORT A PROCESS THAT ASKS COUNCIL OR TAXPAYERS TO ACCEPT ANYTHING LESS. MADAM CLERK, PLEASE MAKE SURE THAT THE RECORD REFLECTS MY COMMENTS AS STATED. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. ARE THERE ANY OTHER COUNCIL COMMENTS? OKAY. COUNCIL. COUNCILMAN. FREELY. OKAY. THANK YOU. AND APOLOGIES THAT I DIDN'T GET THIS ON THE AGENDA, BUT I JUST GOT THE INFORMATION TODAY. THE MAYOR ANNUAL MEETING IS COMING UP THIS WEEKEND, AND THE OFFICERS WILL BE VOTED ON. AT THAT TIME.

IT'S WAS BROUGHT TO MY ATTENTION TODAY THAT MIA STILL HAS LAST YEAR'S SLATE OF COUNCIL REPRESENTATIVES, WHICH WAS ME AS THE VOTING DELEGATE AND COUNCIL FORMER COUNCIL MEMBER, BUTLER AS THE ALTERNATE. SO THEY WILL NEED TWO NAMES AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. I AM PLANNING TO ATTEND, AND I DON'T KNOW OTHER THAN COUNCIL MEMBER ATKINS, WHO ELSE IS PLANNING TO

[01:15:05]

ATTEND? JUST THE TWO. OKAY, SO I THINK WE NEED TO NOMINATE THE VOTING AND THE ALTERNATE DELEGATES. WELL I'M SORRY. OKAY. WE NEEDED SOME. I NEED SOME CLARIFICATION FOR THAT BECAUSE I THOUGHT WE HAD ALREADY VOTED ON. IT WAS THAT WAS THE INFORMATION THAT WAS REQUESTED.

THE INFORMATION THAT WAS REQUESTED AT THAT TIME WAS ABOUT THE AUTHORIZATION FOR COMMUNICATION. AND THAT WAS BOTH THE MAYOR AS THE MAYOR AND MYSELF AS THE PRO TEM. BUT THIS IS DIFFERENT. THESE ARE THE VOTING DELEGATES AT THIS ANNUAL MEETING. AND SO IT WOULD BE WHOEVER IS TRAVELING TO THAT MEETING TO VOTE ON THE THE DELEGATES FOR LEADERSHIP AT MIA.

SO THE ITEM THAT DIRECTOR DOW DID THAT I THINK THE MAYOR'S REMEMBERING IS COMPLETELY SEPARATE FROM. YES, COUNCILMAN. IT IS. YES IT IS. THAT IS ABOUT COMMUNICATION. WHO HAS THE AUTHORITY TO COMMUNICATE WITH MIA? AND SO IF THIS IS THE WILL OF THE COUNCIL TO NOMINATE AND VOTE ON WHO THOSE REPRESENTATIVES WILL BE, UNLESS IT'S A MAYOR APPOINTMENT, YOU GUYS WOULD JUST NEED TO SUSPEND THE RULES TO ADD IT TO THE AGENDA. BUT. MAYOR, I'D LIKE TO MOVE TO SUSPEND THE RULES SO THAT WE CAN ADD THIS ITEM TO THE AGENDA AND GET IT TAKEN CARE OF TONIGHT. OKAY. DO WE HAVE A SECOND? SECOND. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR? AYE. ALL THOSE OPPOSED? OKAY. THE AYES HAVE IT. DO WE WANT TO JUST GO AHEAD AND HANDLE THAT RIGHT NOW OR JUST LET'S GO AHEAD. ACTUALLY I THINK YOU HAD ANOTHER COUNCILMAN IN FOR COUNCIL COMMENTS. YEAH OKAY. COUNCILWOMAN HEMMING OH I WAS ACTUALLY IN FOR THIS ITEM. OKAY.

MADAM MAYOR, I'D LIKE TO MOVE TO AUTHORIZE COUNCILMEMBER FRIEDSON AND COUNCIL MEMBER ATKINS AS OUR VOTING DELEGATES AND SECONDARY DELEGATE IN THE EVENT THAT COUNCILMEMBER FRIEDSON CAN'T. IT WOULD BE COUNCIL MEMBER ATKINS. OKAY, ALL THOSE IN FAVOR, GET A DISCUSSION. I'M SORRY. ANY DISCUSSION? ALL RIGHT, COUNCILMAN ATKINS, YOU'RE IN FOR. OKAY. ALL OKAY. NO DISCUSSION. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR? AYE. ALL THOSE OPPOSED? OKAY.

THANK YOU. THE MOTION PASSES. ALL RIGHT. AND SO FOR COUNT, ANY OTHER COMMENTS FROM COUNCIL?

[XI. PRESENTATIONS and ANNOUNCEMENTS]

OKAY. SO I WOULD LIKE TO ALSO ACKNOWLEDGE TONIGHT IN OUR ANNOUNCEMENTS, CHIEF ROSEMARY CLOUD, AND ACKNOWLEDGE THE PASSING OF HER DAUGHTER AND LETTING THE COMMUNITY AND SHE AND HER FAMILY KNOW THAT SHE IS IN OUR THOUGHTS AND PRAYERS. SO I WANTED TO ANNOUNCE THAT AS WELL. AND THERE WILL BE A BACK TO SCHOOL EXTRAVAGANZA COMING UP. THERE WILL BE SOME MORE DETAILS ON THAT ON JULY 25TH. PLEASE LOOK OUT AT OUR SOCIAL MEDIA MEDIA COMMUNICATIONS FOR THAT EVENT TO SUPPORT OUR CHILDREN FOR GOING BACK TO SCHOOL. NEXT, WE HAVE LET'S SEE,

[XIII.2. Council Discussion and Possible Action on Authorizing the Acceptance of the City of East Point, Georgia FY 2027 Budget]

THE SECOND ITEM HERE IS THE COUNCIL DISCUSSION AND POSSIBLE ACTION OF ACCEPTING ACCEPTANCE OF THE CITY OF EAST POINT, GEORGIA. FY 2027 BUDGET. THE PRESENTATION WILL COME FROM THE CITY MANAGER. MADAM MAYOR, I MOVE TO OPEN THE FLOOR FOR COUNCIL DISCUSSION AND POSSIBLE ACTION ON AUTHORIZING THE ACCEPTANCE OF THE CITY OF EAST POINT FY 27 BUDGET MOTION. AND WE HAVE A SECOND. IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION? FOR DISCUSSION? COUNCIL MEMBER MARTIN ROGERS YEAH, I JUST WANT THE RECORD TO REFLECT THE FOLLOWING. PLEASE. MADAM CITY CLERK, I'M IN FOR DISCUSSION. ON JUNE 15TH, COUNCIL MEMBER CALDWELL MADE A MOTION TO DIRECT THE CITY MANAGER TO PREPARE AND PRESENT A REVISED BUDGET THAT ELIMINATES CONSOLIDATED BUDGET LINE ITEMS AND INSTEAD PROVIDES A DETAILED, ITEMIZED BREAKDOWN OF EXPENDITURES FOR THE MAYOR, CITY COUNCIL AND ALL CITY DEPARTMENTS. THE REVISED BUDGET SHOULD CLEARLY IDENTIFY INDIVIDUAL EXPENSES, EXPENSE CATEGORIES AND AMOUNTS SO THAT COUNCIL AND THE PUBLIC CAN FULLY UNDERSTAND HOW FUNDS ARE BEING ALLOCATED AND MAKE INFORMED DECISIONS DURING THE BUDGET PROCESS. COUNCIL MEMBER MARTIN ROGERS PROVIDED THE SECOND AND THE MOTION CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY. WE HAVE NOT TO DATE RECEIVED ANY OF THAT INFORMATION AS IT RELATES TO THE FY 2027 BUDGET. THE RIGHT DIRECTIVES ARE PROVIDED TO THE CITY MANAGER IN ORDER FOR HIM

[01:20:06]

TO CARRY THEM OUT. YET ON OUR BUDGET TONIGHT, ON OUR AGENDA TONIGHT IS THE PROPOSAL FOR US TO VOTE FOR A BUDGET THAT NONE OF US HAVE SEEN SINCE WE WERE PRESENTED WITH THE FIRST BUDGET? WELL, I'M NOT GOING TO SAY NONE OF US HAVE SEEN IT. PROBABLY FOUR OF US HAVE SEEN IT. BUT I CAN SAY FOR MYSELF THAT I HAVE NOT SEEN IT. JUST AT THE LAST MEETING, MR. JONES ADVISED US THAT IT WOULD BE NEARLY IMPOSSIBLE FOR HIM TO CATEGORIZE ALL OF THE INFORMATION THAT WE HAD ASKED HIM OR DIRECTED HIM TO DO SO. I'M NOT GOING TO APPROVE THIS BUDGET TONIGHT. HERE'S SOME MORE REASONS WHY I'M NOT GOING TO APPROVE THE BUDGET TONIGHT.

THERE ARE ILLEGAL SALARY INCREASES FOR THE MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS. I MADE MENTION OF THAT PREVIOUSLY BEFORE, HENCE TO WHY WE WANTED THE ITEMIZATION OF THIS BUDGET.

WE ALL PARTICIPATED IN A SPECIAL CALL MEETING, AND WHAT I LEARNED FROM THAT MEETING IS THAT REDMOND JONES WAS NOT COLLABORATIVE, WITH MANY DEPARTMENTS DRASTICALLY CUTTING BUDGETS THAT INCLUDED EDUCATION, TRAINING AND TRAVEL, AND HAD NO IDEA WHAT WAS ACTUALLY NEEDED.

THERE WERE TOO MANY MISSING REVENUES FROM COUNTLESS PAGES AND INCORRECT ACCOUNT NUMBERS.

REDMOND JONES, TO DATE, HAS BEEN GIVEN FOUR DIRECTIVES BY THIS CITY COUNCIL ON THE PUBLIC RECORD AND HAS FAILED TO FOLLOW THEM, THE LATEST BEING A DIRECTIVE THAT TOOK PLACE ON JUNE 16TH FOR THE ITEMIZATION OF THE ENTIRE BUDGET. WHAT IS BEING ASKED TONIGHT IS THAT WE TRUST SOMEONE WHO HAS OPENLY DISREGARDED DIRECTIVES THAT HAVE BEEN VOTED ON PUBLICLY.

REDMOND JONES IS PAID FAR TOO MUCH MONEY FOR THIS LEVEL OF MICROMANAGEMENT. WHAT IS ALARMING IS THAT COUNCIL IS BEING ASKED TO SUPPORT A BUDGET, SIGHT UNSEEN, HAND OVER THE CITY'S PURSE. THAT IS NOT TRANSPARENCY, ACCOUNTABILITY OR RESPONSIBLE GOVERNANCE. THAT IS A LACK OF FIDUCIARY RESPONSIBILITY. WHAT RECOURSE OF ACTION IS THERE IF HE AGAIN, DOES NOT FOLLOW THE DIRECTIVE? REDMOND JONES HAS NOT BEEN HELD ACCOUNTABLE FOR HIS ACTIONS.

FOR ONE YEAR AND SEVEN MONTHS. THE ONLY RECOURSE WILL BE TO REPORT HIM TO THE ATTORNEY GENERAL'S OFFICE. FOR MEMBERS OF THIS COUNCIL CONTINUE TO TURN A BLIND EYE TO BREACHES OF THE CONTRACT AND VIOLATIONS OF THE CHARTER AND ORDINANCES. THAT LACK OF OVERSIGHT PLACES TAXPAYERS DOLLARS AT RISK, AND I'M NOT WILLING TO ACCEPT THAT. LASTLY, AN EMAIL WAS SENT IN REGARDS TO A RESIDENT PARTICIPATING AND HAVING INPUT INTO THE BUDGET PROCESS. FOR THOSE OF YOU ALL THAT ENJOY OPEN RECORDS REQUESTS, GO AHEAD AND ASK FOR MY EMAIL STATED.

MAY 12TH, 2026. I WAS CONTACTED BY A RESIDENT THAT INFORMED ME THEY HAD ACCESS TO THE BUDGET AND INPUT. ON MAY 14TH, I ASKED REDMOND JONES AND HE DENIED THOSE CLAIMS AND WROTE A DISSERTATION ABOUT IT. HOWEVER, WHEN I ASKED THE SAME QUESTION TO THE INTERIM FINANCE DIRECTOR IN EMAILS DATED JUNE 16TH THROUGH JULY 6TH, AND I QUOTE, HE INDEPENDENTLY REVIEWED THOSE PUBLIC LINE ITEMS IN TRANSCRIBED, TRANSCRIBED THEM INTO HIS OWN PERSONAL EXCEL SPREADSHEET FOR ANALYSIS. DURING ONE OF MY MANY WEEKEND OFFICE SESSIONS DEDICATED TO BUDGET REVIEW, I INVITED BLANK TO PRESENT HIS FINDINGS. I THEN ADVISED THE INTERIM FINANCE DIRECTOR THAT MY CONCERN IS NOT THE APPEARANCE OF PROFESSIONAL. OF PREFERENTIAL. MY. MY CONCERN IS THE APPEARANCE OF PREFERENTIAL ACCESS AND PARTICIPATION IN THE BUDGET PROCESS. ALTHOUGH SHE INDICATED THE RESIDENT WAS ALLOWED TO PRESENT HIS FINDINGS. HOWEVER, TO MY KNOWLEDGE, NO SIMILAR OPPORTUNITY WAS EXTENDED TO OTHER RESIDENTS. AND HERE'S THE MOST INTERESTING PART. AS I REVIEWED THE BUDGET AND FINANCE COMMITTEE MEETING LAST MONTH, AND A MEMBER OF THAT COMMITTEE MENTIONED A SPREADSHEET WHEN ANOTHER COMMITTEE MEMBER REQUESTED THE INFORMATION. AND HOW DID THEY GET THE SPREADSHEET? THE QUESTION WENT IGNORED. THERE IS ALSO AN EMAIL IN WHICH THE SAME COUNCIL MEMBER DIRECTED STAFF TO PROVIDE THE RESIDENT WITH ALL OF THE INFORMATION THAT HE NEEDED. COUNCIL SHOULD NOT HAVE TO REQUEST INFORMATION AFTER THE FACT. WHEN A RESIDENT APPEARS TO HAVE BEEN GIVEN DIRECT ACCESS AND INPUT INTO THE BUDGET PROCESS. ELECTED OFFICIALS DESERVE THE SAME LEVEL OF RESPECT, ACCESS AND OPPORTUNITY TO PROVIDE INPUT BEFORE BEING ASKED TO APPROVE THE FINAL PRODUCT. NO, I WILL NOT BE SUPPORTING THIS BUDGET TONIGHT SIGHT UNSEEN. THANK YOU.

THANK YOU, COUNCILMAN MITCHELL. YES. SOMETHING SIMILAR. SO I THINK WE ALL HAVE REVIEWED THE

[01:25:05]

PROPOSED BUDGET. I BELIEVE THE MOTION WAS TO WAIVE THE FIRST READING. I THINK AT THE VERY LEAST THIS NEEDS TO GO TO WORK SESSION. I THINK WE ALL NEED TO COLLABORATE A LITTLE BIT MORE ON THIS BEFORE WE CAN MAKE COME TO A CONSENSUS ON SOME OF THESE ITEMS. I'M NOT SURE IF WE CAN GET THAT DONE TONIGHT OR IF WE TRY TO WHAT THAT WOULD LOOK LIKE. SO I WOULD JUST HIGHLY RECOMMEND WE TAKE THIS WORK SESSION. THANK YOU. ANY OTHER COMMENTS AT THIS TIME? I'M SORRY, I'M SORRY. COUNCILMAN MITCHELL, I MEAN ATKINS. YES. THANK YOU, MADAM CLERK. I'M JUST STATING. MADAM CLERK. MADAM MAYOR, MY APOLOGIES. I'M STATING THAT THIS IS THE SAME BUDGET THAT I RECEIVED THAT I THINK THAT MY COLLEAGUES HAVE RECEIVED. I DON'T THINK THAT ANY OF US HAVE RECEIVED A DIFFERENT BUDGET. I THINK THAT IT IS ENOUGH INFORMATION WITHIN THIS DOCUMENT. IT'S A DRASTIC IMPROVEMENT OVER WHAT WE HAD RECEIVED BEFORE, IN TERMS OF OUR BUDGETS AND THE REVISIONS THAT WE REQUESTED, AND I APPRECIATE THE WORK OF OUR INTERIM FINANCE DIRECTOR, AS WELL AS THOSE ON HER TEAM, TO MAKE SURE THAT WE RECEIVED A BUDGET THAT WAS EASIER TO FOLLOW, AND THE CITIZENS WERE ABLE TO FOLLOW IT AS WELL.

HEARING THE CONCERNS FROM THE PUBLIC THIS EVENING REGARDING THE PASSAGE OF THE THE BUDGET AND ALSO PARTICULARLY OF OUR FORMER COUNCIL MEMBER, SLAUGHTER GIVENS. WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO ALSO SAY IS THAT I KNOW THAT MANY OF THE RESIDENTS ARE CONCERNED ABOUT THE FACT THAT WE'VE NOT HAD AUDITS DONE. THOSE AUDITS HAVE BEEN BEHIND FOR QUITE A FEW YEARS. AND THE LONGER WE DELAY THE PASSING OF THIS BUDGET, WE WILL NOT BE ABLE TO CLOSE OUT FY 26, WHICH WOULD FURTHER DELAY THE AUDIT. BUT THEN SOME OF MY COLLEAGUES WILL THEN BLAME THAT ON OUR CITY MANAGER OR SOME OTHER PERSON, BUT WE HAVE THE POWER TO PASS THIS BUDGET. AND SO WHAT I'VE DONE IS I'VE HEARD FROM SOME OF MY COLLEAGUES THAT HAVE SHARED SOME OF THEIR CONCERNS ABOUT THINGS THAT THEY WOULD LIKE TO SEE IN THE BUDGET. AND ALSO, WHEN WE HAD OUR BUDGET PRESENTATION FROM MANY OF THE DEPARTMENT HEADS, I TOOK THAT INFORMATION AND CAME UP WITH A PROPOSED AMENDMENT THAT I HOPE WOULD ADDRESS THOSE CONCERNS. AND, MADAM CLERK, I DID SEND THAT TO YOU. IF YOU WERE ABLE TO PUT THAT ON THE SCREEN, I'D LOVE TO WALK THROUGH THAT FOR CONSIDERATION FOR MY COLLEAGUES.

SO THIS IS BASED ON INFORMATION THAT I HEARD FROM THE CITIZENS, AS WELL AS SOME OF MY COLLEAGUES, REGARDING SOME THINGS THAT WERE NOT IN THE BUDGET THAT I THOUGHT WE WOULD DEFINITELY NEED TO INCLUDE THE VERY FIRST AGENDA ITEM OR THE VERY FIRST LINE ITEM HERE IS $200,000. OUR CHIEF JUDGE, OLIVER, STATED THAT THAT HAD BEEN REMOVED FROM THE BUDGET AND THAT WE WOULD NEED THOSE DOLLARS TO PAY ASSOCIATE JUDGES. SO THIS AMENDMENT WOULD INCLUDE $200,000 TO PAY THOSE ASSOCIATE JUDGES. ALSO, YOU WILL NOTICE THAT THERE'S EDUCATION AND TRAINING FOR THE MUNICIPAL CLERK. THERE'S ALSO EDUCATION AND TRAINING FOR THE LEGAL TEAM AND EDUCATION AND TRAINING FOR THE CLERK. THOSE ARE THREE OF OUR DIRECT REPORTS. AND THIS WOULD FULLY REINSTATE EDUCATION AND TRAINING FOR ALL OF THOSE DEPARTMENTS. IF YOU GO DOWN JUST A LITTLE FURTHER, YOU'LL SEE ALL ADMINISTRATIVE DEPARTMENTS. THAT'S EDUCATION AND TRAINING TO THE TUNE OF $228,413. SO THAT WOULD THEN INCLUDE THE ENTIRE ENTERPRISE. SO EDUCATION AND TRAINING WOULD BE REINSTATED FOR THE ENTIRE CITY. IF WE GO BACK UP TO LEGAL. WHEN WE HEARD FROM OUR CITY ATTORNEY REGARDING WHAT SHE NEEDED, THERE WAS AN ADDITIONAL $9,000 THAT SHE HAD BEEN REQUESTED THAT SHE HAD REQUESTED. 14 AND IT WAS CUT TO FIVE. SO THIS ALSO RESTORES THE $9,000. SHE ALSO STATED THAT SHE NEEDED TO HAVE THE DUES AND FEES RESTORED BACK TO $1,000, SO THAT WAS SHORT OF $500. THIS RESTORES THAT. AND I'VE ALSO TALKED ABOUT THE EDUCATION AND TRAINING FOR THE LEGAL DEPARTMENT. AND THERE'S ALSO DOLLARS THAT SHE HAD SET ASIDE FOR CLAIMS WITHIN VARIOUS DEPARTMENTS. WHAT YOU SEE NEXT ARE THE $10,000 INCREMENTS THAT WOULD RESTORE THE FULL AMOUNT THAT SHE HAD REQUESTED. SO 10,000 ADDITIONAL DOLLARS FOR THE FIRE DEPARTMENT CLAIMS,

[01:30:04]

10,000 FOR PLANNING AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT CLAIMS, 10,000 FOR ELECTRIC DEPARTMENT CLAIMS, AND 10,000 FOR MISCELLANEOUS CLAIMS THAT MAY COME BEFORE THE CITY. UNDER THAT, YOU'LL SEE THE CITY CLERK. I TALKED ABOUT EDUCATION AND TRAINING BEING RESTORED FOR THAT DEPARTMENT. THERE'S ALSO $1,500 THAT WOULD BE ADDED BACK TO THE BUDGET. THE CLERK STATED THAT SHE HAD ORIGINALLY REQUESTED $2,000, AND THAT WAS CUT TO 500. AND THEN ALSO DUES AND FEES SHOULD REQUESTED $1,000, AND THAT WAS CUT TO 750. SO THE $250 RESTORES THE DUES AND FEES FOR THE CLERK'S OFFICE. WE ALSO LEARNED FROM THE BUDGET THAT THERE HAD BEEN AN OVERSIGHT, AND DEFINED BENEFITS HAD BEEN CUT FOR OUR CODE ENFORCEMENT TEAM. SO 4 TO $5000 WOULD GO BACK INTO RESEARCH TO RESTORE THOSE DEFINED BENEFITS FOR THE CODE ENFORCEMENT TEAM.

AND THEN WE ALSO LEARNED THAT THE POLICE CHIEF HAD REQUESTED $20,000 FOR MEDICAL SERVICES FOR ANY OF OUR INMATES THAT HAVE TO BE TRANSPORTED TO GRADY. THAT WAS CUT TO 11. SO THE $9,000 WOULD RESTORE THAT BACK TO 20,000. AS IT RELATES TO ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, THERE IS A LINE ITEM UNDER ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, MAIN STREET, CALLED SPECIAL EVENTS. I JUST THINK IN AN AUSTERE BUDGET ENVIRONMENT, WE HAD TO LOOK AT ALL EVENTS ACROSS THE CITY, AND THIS WOULD PROVIDE $200,000 FOR A COMPREHENSIVE DOWNTOWN, PUBLIC MAINTENANCE AND A SPRUCE UP PROGRAM, PARTICULARLY AFTER THE MULTI-MODAL INVESTMENT AND CONSTRUCTION DOWNTOWN. BUT IT ALSO HELP WITH SIDEWALKS, BEAUTIFICATION LANDSCAPE AND ALL OF THOSE THINGS. THE IDEA HOPEFULLY WITH TO BE TO ATTRACT MORE VISITORS TO DOWNTOWN AND INCREASE OUR COMMERCE ACTIVITIES AND ENHANCE THE WORK THAT HAS BEEN DONE CURRENTLY DOWNTOWN. YOU THEN WILL SEE $111,000 THAT WOULD BE FOR DOWNTOWN STABILIZATION PROGRAM, COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT ACTIVITIES AND MAIN STREET INITIATIVES. MANY OF THE BUSINESSES HAVE REACHED OUT TO US STATING THAT THEY HAVE SUFFERED DUE TO THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE MULTIMODAL CONSTRUCTION DOWNTOWN, AND SO THIS WOULD BE AN EFFORT TO HELP THOSE BUSINESSES NOT ONLY TO STABILIZE, BUT TO GROW. WE ALSO LEARNED THAT $250,000 WAS CUT FROM THE SENIOR HOME REPAIR PROGRAM. I BELIEVE THAT THE LEGACY RESIDENTS HERE IN THE CITY OF EASTPOINTE HAVE STAYED.

THEY'VE PAID THEIR PROPERTY TAXES, THEY'VE PAID INTO OUR UTILITIES AND ALL OF THOSE THINGS. AND SO IF WE'RE ABLE TO ASSIST WITH HOME REPAIRS TO KEEP THOSE SENIORS AGING IN PLACE, THEN I WANTED TO RESTATE RESTORE THOSE DOLLARS. THIS ALSO WOULD BE THE MATCH THAT WOULD BE REQUIRED FOR THE GEORGIA DEPARTMENT OF COMMUNITY AFFAIRS, FOR THE $500,000 GRANT THAT WE RECEIVED FROM THEM. IT DOES REQUIRE $250,000 MATCH. I'VE ALSO HEARD FROM SEVERAL OF MY COLLEAGUES REGARDING SERVICES THAT WOULD NEED TO BE PROVIDED FOR EASTPOINTE RESIDENTS WHO MAY EXPERIENCE OR FALL UPON HARD TIMES. AND SO, IF ALLOCATED, AN EARMARKED $250,000 FOR COMMUNITY STABILIZATION SERVICES, AND THEN FINALLY ANOTHER $200,000 FOR A LITTER CAMPAIGN WITH AN EMPHASIS ON THE CAMP CREEK MARKETPLACE THAT IS OUR LARGEST COMMERCIAL NODE IN THE CITY. AND ALL OF THOSE DOLLARS WOULD COME TO $1,590,063. SO NOW WE'RE AT WE WOULD HAVE TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO PAY FOR THOSE. AND, MADAM CLERK, IF YOU WOULD GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE. WOULD YOU LET THAT FIRE DEPARTMENT. OH VERY SORRY. AND. YES. AND THE FIRE DEPARTMENT FOR FIRE STATION TWO. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER CUMMINGS. CHIEF THORNTON DID SPEAK ABOUT FIRE STATION TWO AND WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE KEEPING THE CITY AS SAFE AS POSSIBLE AND MAINTAINING OUR FIRE RATINGS SO THAT WE CAN KEEP INSURANCE RATES LOW. WE DID ADD ANOTHER $350,000 TO MAKE SURE THAT WE CAN DO THE RENOVATIONS AND UPGRADES AT FIRE STATION TWO. THAT WOULD COME TO, MY APOLOGIES. $1,940,063. THE SOURCES FOR THIS. WHEN THIS BUDGET PERIOD STARTED, THE CITY MANAGER ASKED FOR ALL OF THE DEPARTMENTS TO CUT THEIR BUDGETS BY 10%. AND I THINK THAT AS THE LEGISLATIVE MEMBERS OF THE CITY GOVERNMENT, THAT WE SHOULD FOLLOW SUIT. AND SO THE FIRST THREE LINE ITEMS WOULD CUT OUR BUDGETS FOR OF EXPENSE ALLOWANCE BY 10%, OUR OTHER PROFESSIONAL FEES BY 10%, AND OUR EDUCATION AND TRAVEL BY 10%. FOR THE MAYOR'S OFFICE, I AM PROPOSING TO REPROGRAM THE $30,000 THAT WAS IN THE MAYOR'S BUDGET FOR COMMUNICATIONS. I THINK THAT IF WE HAVE A STRATEGIC COMMUNICATIONS PLAN THROUGH OUR COMMUNICATIONS TEAM, WE CAN USE THOSE DOLLARS FOR THE SERVICES THAT ARE OUTLINED IN THE PREVIOUS SLIDE, AS WELL AS $10,000 FOR DEPARTMENTAL EVENTS IN THE MAYOR'S OFFICE AND OFFICE SUPPLIES. AT $5,000, I'M PROPOSING TO CUT THAT TO 2500, SO THAT WE MAY USE $2,500 TO ALSO PAY FOR SOME OF THE SERVICES THAT I MENTIONED PREVIOUSLY, AND $4,000 FOR OVERTIME FOR THAT OFFICE. AS NONE OF US AS ELECTED OFFICIALS

[01:35:07]

RECEIVE OVERTIME FOR THE CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE, I WOULD PROPOSE TO CUT THE $13,000 THAT WAS IN THE BUDGET FOR CAR ALLOWANCE AND TECHNOLOGY, AND ANY OF THE PERKS THAT WOULD BE USED TO ATTRACT ANY OTHER EXECUTIVES IN THE CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE. I WOULD TAKE THAT BACK DOWN TO $6,000, SO THAT WE MAY USE 7000 FOR THE SERVICES THAT HAVE BEEN AFOREMENTIONED. ALSO IN THE CITY MANAGER'S BUDGET IS $443,000 FOR COMMUNITY CONCERTS.

I WOULD REMOVE THAT AMOUNT TO USE FOR THOSE SERVICES THAT WERE PRESENTED, AND ALSO $86,933 FROM CONTINGENCY FEES WOULD USE THOSE FUNDS AS WELL. FOR THE CITY CLERK'S OFFICE, I DID REACH OUT TO THE CITY CLERK. SHE STATED THAT HER OFFICE DID NOT NEED $5,000 FOR UNIFORMS AND PARAPHERNALIA THAT TO DATE THAT HAD ONLY USED $12,000. SO I WOULD CUT THAT AMOUNT, PROPOSED TO 38 TO USE 3800 FOR THE SERVICES THAT I MENTIONED PREVIOUSLY. AND THEN YOU ALSO REMEMBER THE MAIN STREET ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT LINE ITEMS THAT I TALKED ABOUT. ONE WAS 200,000. THE OTHER ONE WAS 111,000. THIS WOULD COME FROM THAT LINE ITEM CURRENTLY IN THE BUDGET UNDER SPECIAL EVENTS FOR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT. THERE'S ALSO ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ACCOUNT 7520 THAT HAS 5000 FOR SPECIAL EVENTS GIVEAWAYS. I WOULD SLASH THAT BY 2500, SO THAT WE MAY USE $2,500 TO GO TO THE SERVICES THAT WERE MENTIONED, AND THEN ALSO TO CUT BACK SOME OF THE EVENTS THAT WERE PLANNED UNDER PUBLIC EVENTS. WE HAD PREVIOUSLY SCHEDULED FOR THREE ELEVATED RHYTHMS. I WOULD CUT THAT BY ONE SO THAT WE'D HAVE TWO. WE HAD FIVE SOUND BATH RELAXATIONS. I WOULD CUT THAT BY ONE SO THAT WE COULD DO ONE PER QUARTER.

THE MOVIE SCREENING TO CUT THAT $2,400, THE MEDIA, THE THE MEDITATION VISIONING SESSIONS TO CUT THAT 7000 AND THE ROLLER SKATING EVENT TO CUT THAT 14,000 TO USE FOR THE SERVICES THAT I MENTIONED. AND THEN ALSO AND OUR LEGAL DEPARTMENT, COUNCILMAN MITCHELL ACTUALLY BROUGHT THIS TO OUR ATTENTION WHILE WE WERE DOING DEPARTMENTAL REVIEWS. THERE HAD BEEN ALLOCATED $1.75 MILLION FOR OTHER PROFESSIONAL FEES OR LEGAL FEES FOR THE CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE. I PROPOSED CUTTING THAT BY $400,000 TO USE THOSE DOLLARS. I SPOKE WITH THE CITY ATTORNEY ABOUT THAT, AND SHE WAS FINE WITH THAT AMOUNT. SHE THINKS THAT LOOKING AT WHAT WE SPENT IN FY 26, SHE WOULD BE ABLE TO THEN ALLOW THOSE $400,000 TO BE USED FOR SERVICES THAT WERE MENTIONED PREVIOUSLY. AND THEN SHE ALSO STATED THAT WE WOULD BE ABLE TO USE 23,600 FROM BOOKS AND PUBLICATIONS, WHICH WAS A LINE ITEM UNDER THE CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE. IN THE DEPARTMENTAL PRESENTATIONS REGARDING THE BUDGET, I DID ASK THE CITY CLERK'S OFFICE ABOUT BEREAVEMENT, AS THERE WAS A LINE ITEM IN THAT ACCOUNT FOR $4,000, AS WELL AS IN THE CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE. THAT TOTAL WAS 4500. THE CITY CLERK STATED THAT THEY DID NOT NEED OR DID NOT REALIZE THAT THOSE DOLLARS WITHIN THE BUDGET. SO I COMBINED THOSE AND AND REDUCED THOSE TO $2,500 TO USE 2000 OF THOSE DOLLARS FOR SERVICES. I ALSO HAD QUESTIONS OF SEVERAL OF THE DEPARTMENT HEADS REGARDING UNIFORMS, AND I HAVE SPOKEN WITH EACH OF THESE DEPARTMENT HEADS, AND THEY HAVE ALL AGREED THAT THEIR UNIFORM BUDGETS COULD BE CUT, AND THOSE ARE REFLECTED HERE. WE WOULD CUT THE COMMUNICATIONS DEPARTMENT BY $2,000, AND WE WOULD CUT THE CONTRACTS AND PROCUREMENT OFFICE BY $2,000.

WE WOULD CUT CUSTOMER CARE BY $5,000. I SPOKE WITH MISS CARTWRIGHT REGARDING THAT AMOUNT, AND THEN ALSO IT I SPOKE WITH MR. WELLMAN, AND HE SAID THAT COULD BE CUT BY 12,500. ALL OF THOSE DOLLARS COULD BE USED FOR SERVICES BACK TO THE CITIZENS. I ALSO, THERE IS A POSITION WITHIN THE IT DEPARTMENT THAT. SPEAKING WITH MISS CARTWRIGHT, THAT POSITION HAS BEEN TRANSFERRED. IT WAS A CONSULTANT'S POSITION. THAT POSITION, THE PERSON THAT WAS FILLING THAT POSITION HAS NOW TAKEN THE POSITION OF A FORMER FULL TIME EMPLOYEE. SO THAT PERSON WILL BE PROVIDING THOSE SERVICES IN A POSITION THAT WAS ALREADY ALLOCATED. SO THAT ALSO GAVE US AN ADDITIONAL $105,000. AND THEN I SPOKE WITH MR. MITCHELL IN THE MUNICIPAL COURT, WHO'S THE COURT ADMINISTRATOR, AND HE STATED THAT THEY HAVE MADE THE MAJORITY OF THEIR HIRES, AND THEY ONLY NEEDED 2500 FOR UNIFORMS. SO WE WERE ABLE TO USE AN ADDITIONAL 2500 FOR SERVICES. AND THEN FINALLY SPEAKING WITH MISS CARTWRIGHT TO MAKE UP THE THE BALANCE THAT WAS NEEDED TO ZERO OUT THE SERVICES THAT WE WOULD ADD. WE WOULD TAKE THOSE FROM NON-DEPARTMENTAL THAT WAS ALLOCATED TO THE IT DEPARTMENT FOR A TOTAL OF $1,940,063. AND SO THAT WOULD BE MY PROPOSAL FOR MY COLLEAGUES TO CONSIDER. THANK YOU. FIRST, THANK YOU TO

[01:40:15]

COUNCIL MEMBER ATKINS FOR PUTTING THIS TOGETHER. I WANT TO SAY A COUPLE OF THINGS. I WANT TO LET THE COMMUNITY KNOW THAT I, TOO, WANT TO APPROVE A BUDGET, RIGHT? WE KNOW THE IMPORTANCE OF IT. WE KNOW THAT THERE IS A SENSE OF URGENCY IN GETTING THIS DONE, SO MUCH SO THAT I PERSONALLY REACHED OUT TO EACH COUNCIL MEMBER MID LAST WEEK TO BETTER UNDERSTAND WHAT OUR PRIORITIES ARE, WHAT DO WE NEED TO ADD AND REMOVE FROM THIS BUDGET? WHICH IS WHY A LOT OF THESE CONVERSATIONS GOT STARTED. AT THAT TIME, I THINK WE WERE PROBABLY LOOKING AT ONLY THE EVENT FUNDING TO REMOVE THAT AND UTILIZE THAT, MAYBE REPURPOSE IT IN A DIFFERENT WAY, $443,000 IN ADDITION TO MAYBE UNIFORM MONEY. BUT AS WE CONTINUE TO SPEAK AND COLLABORATE WITH EACH OTHER, WE WERE ABLE TO FIND SO MUCH MORE THAT WE COULD REPURPOSE AND MAKE SURE THAT WE COULD ENSURE THAT ALL OF OUR PRIORITIES WERE, WERE, WERE REALIZED IN THE BUDGET. AND SO A LOT OF THIS WORK AND A LOT OF THE WORK, I THINK COUNCIL MEMBER ATKINS HAS, HAS PULLED TOGETHER, HAS BEEN WITHIN 24 HOURS. RIGHT. AND SO THIS IS THE FIRST TIME THAT WE'RE SEEING A FINALIZED DOCUMENT OF WHAT THIS LOOKS LIKE. I THINK THAT WE'VE MADE A LOT OF PROGRESS AS COUNCIL IN TRYING TO COLLABORATE AND GET AN APPROVED BUDGET, BUT I THINK IT NEEDS A LITTLE MORE TIME. AND THERE'S A FEW CONCERNS THAT I HAVE SPECIFICALLY WITH THE BUDGET. ONE, AS IT RELATES TO EDUCATION AND TRAINING, WE DO NEED TO RESTORE EDUCATION AND TRAINING THROUGHOUT THE BUDGET. CUSTOMER CARE DOESN'T HAVE EDUCATION AND TRAINING LISTED.

THEY DIDN'T REQUEST AN AMOUNT. AND SO WE NEED TO WE NEED TO CONNECT WITH THEM TO SEE IF THERE'S EDUCATION AND TRAINING NEEDED. THERE'S ERRORS IN THE BOOK. THE CODE ENFORCEMENT LISTED. I'LL HAVE TO FIND THE PAGE, BUT CODE ENFORCEMENT IS LISTED TWICE. THEY'RE LISTED FOR CODE ENFORCEMENT, BUT THEY'RE ALSO LISTED FOR THE 911. THERE IS NO. 911 FINANCIALS IN THIS BUDGET BOOK, SO WE DON'T KNOW WHAT THEY NEED TO SPEND. WE DON'T KNOW WHAT THEY NEED FROM AN EDUCATION AND TRAINING PERSPECTIVE. THE ELECTRIC FUND IS IMBALANCED. WE HAVE WHERE WE ARE GOING TO BRING REVENUES OF 41 MILLION OR 43 MILLION, BUT THE EXPENDITURES ARE AT 51 MILLION. SO WE NEED A BALANCED BUDGET. AND THIS IS WHY WE'VE MADE REQUESTS, MULTIPLE REQUESTS TO HAVE THESE REVISIONS MADE BEFORE TODAY, SO THAT WE COULD GET TO A PLACE OF APPROVING THIS BUDGET. THE THESE REQUESTS HAVEN'T BEEN DONE. AND SO I APPRECIATE A LOT OF THE WORK. THERE'S THERE'S SOME OTHER SUGGESTIONS THAT COUNCIL MEMBERS WANTED TO SEE IN THE BUDGET AS IT RELATES SPECIFICALLY TO COUNCIL EVENTS. AGAIN, I WILL SAY I THINK THAT WE'VE COME A LONG WAY. AGAIN, I APPRECIATE ALL OF THE COUNCIL MEMBERS TAKING THE PHONE CALL AND TRYING TO COLLABORATE WITH ONE ANOTHER IN ORDER TO GET TO APPROVED BUDGET. I THINK WE'RE ALMOST THERE, BUT WE NEED A LITTLE BIT MORE TIME TO FINALIZE THIS AND JUST DIGEST THE INFORMATION THAT'S BEEN THAT'S BEEN SHOWN TONIGHT. THANK YOU. COUNCILMAN CUMMINGS.

COUNCILWOMAN CUMMINGS. SORRY. THANK YOU, MADAM MAYOR. AND THANK YOU, COUNCIL MEMBER ATKINS, FOR A DOING A GREAT JOB AT PULLING ALL THESE NUMBERS AND THESE FIGURES TOGETHER. I'M GOING TO ECHO SOME OF THE SENTIMENTS OF MY COLLEAGUE, COUNCIL MEMBER CALDWELL. WHEN I KNOW WE STARTED TALKING ABOUT THIS BUDGETING, AND I WILL SAY THIS, THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WE SHOULD HAVE THAT SHOULD HAVE TAKEN PLACE IN MAY. BUT I MEAN, WE ARE AT THE 25TH HOUR, AND I KNOW THAT THERE IS A SENSE OF URGENCY TO GET IT DONE. BUT WHAT I DON'T WANT US TO DO IS TO GET OUT HERE AND RUSH AND AND, AND BRING AND APPROVE THE BUDGET. I MEAN, I UNDERSTAND, I SEE ALL THE FACES AND EVERYTHING, BUT WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE GET IT RIGHT, NOT JUST FOR THE SAKE OF GETTING IT DONE TO ME, BECAUSE SERVICES, EVERYTHING IS STILL GOING TO TAKE PLACE. THERE WAS A HOUSE FIRE THIS MORNING. FIRE DEPARTMENT WENT OUT AND THEY PUT IT OUT. SO, I MEAN, WE STILL WE AREN'T WE AREN'T NOT HAVING THE SERVICES TAKEN CARE OF. EVERYTHING IS STILL GOING TO BE TAKEN CARE OF. BUT WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE GET THIS BUDGET RIGHT. I INITIALLY PROPOSED THAT WE LOCATE ALL THE EXTRA DOLLARS, WHICH IS WHAT COUNCIL MEMBER ATKINS. HE DID A PHENOMENAL JOB IN THAT, MAKING SURE THAT WE FIGURED OUT WHERE ALL THE MONEY WAS GOING TO COME FROM. I FIGURED IN THE PROPOSAL, THE THINGS THAT HE'S SAYING, WHERE THAT WHERE THE NEW WHERE THESE NEW FUNDS WILL LIVE SHOULD BE DISCUSSED IN WORK SESSION, JUST AS MY COLLEAGUE, COUNCIL MEMBER MITCHELL SAID. AND THEN ONCE WE DO THAT AND

[01:45:04]

EVERYTHING IS APPROVED, WE HAVE WE'VE CROSSED ALL OUR T'S AND DOTTED ALL THE I'S, THEN WE CAN WE CAN GO IN AND WE CAN APPROVE THE BUDGET, AND THAT CAN BE DONE AT THE THIRD MEETING, THE MEETING ON THE 20TH, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT 20 DAYS. WE ALREADY WENT PAST THE BUDGET BECAUSE IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN APPROVED ON THE 30TH. BUT WHAT WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE DO IS THAT WE APPROVE THE BUDGET, AND WE DO WE DO EVERYTHING CORRECT TO BE A NEED THAT WE HAVE TO GET OUT HERE, AND WE HAVE TO GET THIS BUDGET APPROVED TODAY. WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT EVERYTHING IS DONE AND IT'S DONE PROPER. SO I, I THINK THE BEST THING FOR US TO DO, MY SUGGESTION WOULD BE FOR US TO. NOW WE HAVE EARMARKED WHERE ALL THE DOLLARS ARE, WHERE THE MONEY'S GOING TO COME FROM, BUT STILL YOU STILL NEED TO TALK TO THE BEAN COUNTERS.

THEY'RE THE ONES THAT ARE GOING TO ACTUALLY SAY, DO WE EVEN HAVE THE MONEY TO MOVE THESE, TO MOVE EVERYTHING AROUND THAT WE HAVE HERE? IT STILL NEEDS, I THINK IT STILL NEEDS TO GO THROUGH OUR FINANCE DEPARTMENT SO THAT THEY CAN MAKE SURE THAT EVERYTHING THAT WE'RE DOING HERE IS DOABLE FOR THIS EVENING. SO I THINK A GOOD DISCUSSION AT WORK SESSION, ONCE EVERYTHING IS DONE AND THE MOVES ARE ACTUALLY MADE, WE STILL HAVE QUESTIONS AND CONCERNS ABOUT ITEMS NOT BEING ITEM THINGS NOT BEING ITEMIZED, CERTAIN CATEGORIES THEY ARE. WE JUST HAVE BUDGET FOR SALARIES AND IT'S JUST ONE LARGE DOLLAR AMOUNT FOR A PARTICULAR DEPARTMENT. I DON'T KNOW WHO'S GETTING PAID WHAT. AND IN SOME OF THESE DEPARTMENTS AND THAT STUFF, IT NEEDS TO BE IT NEEDS TO BE DISCUSSED. I MEAN, NEEDS TO BE DOCUMENTED. YOU NEED TO KNOW WHO'S GETTING PAID THESE SALARIES. I'M LOOKING AT IN OUR COMMUNICATIONS DEPARTMENT, THERE'S A LINE ITEM FOR A DIRECTOR, 140 ZERO ZERO $0. WE DON'T EVEN HAVE A DIRECTOR FOR THE COMMUNICATIONS DEPARTMENT. SO THERE'S STILL SOME THINGS THAT NEED TO BE TAKEN CARE OF THAT ARE IN HERE. SO WE JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE DO EVERYTHING. WE DO IT PROPER AND IN ORDER. I YIELD. OH, COUNCILMAN MITCHELL. YES. THANK YOU, COUNCILMAN ATKINS. SO I MEAN, I WISH I WOULD HAVE HAD THIS BEFORE. I KNOW WE ALL KIND OF PUT OUR, OUR, OUR IDEAS TOGETHER. I WISH THAT WE HAD TIME TO REVIEW IT. I THINK THAT WILL WORK. A WORK SESSION CAN DEFINITELY BE FOR THAT. AND EVEN SPEAKING WITH COUNCILMAN CALDWELL, I KNOW SHE HAS SOME CREATIVE IDEAS OR HOW WE COULD REALLOCATE FUNDS. I'M NOT SURE IF I SEE IT IN HERE, BUT SHE DID MENTION WHAT WAS IT PULLING 1.3 MILLION OUT OF OUR PROPOSED POOL. THAT'S NOT UNTIL NEXT FISCAL YEAR, AND I BELIEVE I THINK ONE OF MY MY SUGGESTION WAS, I THINK 700 000 OUT. AND, YOU KNOW, THAT WOULD BE ABOUT 2 MILLION RIGHT THERE. I'M NOT I HAVEN'T HAD TIME TO GO THROUGH AND KIND OF SEE WHAT THE SOURCES ARE. I KNOW THEY'RE LABELED. I KNOW WE NO LONGER HAVE DEI, I WAS REALLY KEEN ON MAKING SURE OUR SENIOR SERVICES ARE FUNDED AND, YOU KNOW, SMALL THINGS. I JUST THINK WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT I KNOW OUR OUR CITY CLERK REQUESTED AN ASSISTANT AND I'M JUST NOT SEEING THIS, BUT I THINK IF WE ALL KIND OF BROUGHT OUR IDEAS TOGETHER.

BECAUSE I DON'T NECESSARILY AGREE WITH ALL OF IT, I, I APPRECIATE THE EFFORT, BUT THAT DISCUSSION CAN BE HAD. I JUST WISH I WOULD HAVE HAD IT, YOU KNOW, BEFORE TEN MINUTES AGO.

SO WE CAN ACTUALLY, YOU KNOW, TALK ABOUT THIS. AND THERE'S A COUPLE OF THINGS, YOU KNOW, I WOULD LIKE TO SEE. AND I THINK CERTAIN THINGS WE WOULD PROBABLY HAVE TO COME TO A CONSENSUS ON. BUT I THINK THIS IS A GREAT START. BUT I DON'T FEEL CONFIDENT, YOU KNOW, ABOUT PASSING THIS TONIGHT WITHOUT REALLY TALKING ABOUT IT. BUT I JUST I DO THINK THIS IS, YOU KNOW, A GREAT EFFORT. I WOULD JUST LIKE TO HAVE A LONGER DISCUSSION ABOUT THIS, BUT I DO APPRECIATE YOUR HARD WORK. THANK YOU. COUNCILWOMAN MARTIN ROGERS. YES. AND WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO SAY IS THAT THROUGH THESE CONVERSATIONS WITH A FEW COUNCIL MEMBERS, NUMBER ONE, THE MAYOR SHOULD GO THROUGH HER OWN BUDGET AND AND MAKE THE DECISIONS ON WHAT SHE FEELS SHOULD BE TAKEN OUT OR INCLUDED IN. THERE WERE ALSO DISCUSSIONS FROM SPEAKING TO A FEW COUNCIL MEMBERS THAT WE ALL LOOKED AT THE MAYOR'S. WELL, WE LOOKED AT MAYOR AND COUNCIL'S BUDGET. WE LOOKED AT THE CITY MANAGER'S BUDGET. WE ALSO LOOKED AT THE CITY ATTORNEY'S BUDGET. WHAT IS BEING PRESENTED HERE TONIGHT IS GOING INTO THOSE OTHER DEPARTMENTS, AND I'M JUST NOT SURE WHAT IS BEING CUT IS COUNCIL MEMBER MITCHELL SAID. WE JUST GOT THIS THIS EVENING.

I THINK THAT THIS IS GOING TO TAKE MORE OF A COLLABORATIVE EFFORT BECAUSE THERE WAS MONIES FOUND IN JUST THE MAYOR AND COUNCIL'S BUDGET, CITY MANAGER'S BUDGET AND ALSO THE CITY ATTORNEY'S BUDGET ALONE. THAT PUT MONEY BACK INTO EDUCATION, TRAINING AND TRAVEL.

[01:50:08]

I DO APPRECIATE THIS BREAKDOWN OF FUNDS, BUT I CANNOT SUPPORT THIS TONIGHT. AND MADAM MAYOR, MAY I ASK THE CITY MANAGER A QUESTION, PLEASE? THANK YOU, MR. CITY MANAGER. YOU WERE PROVIDED A DIRECTIVE TO BRING US BACK A BREAKDOWN OF THIS BUDGET ON JUNE 16TH. I'M SORRY, JUNE 15TH. CAN YOU PLEASE GO ON RECORD AS TO WHY THAT DIRECTIVE WAS NOT FOLLOWED? BECAUSE PEOPLE WANT TO SAY, YOU KNOW, WE'RE GOING TO BLAME THE CITY MANAGER. BUT THERE WAS A CLEAR DIRECTIVE PROVIDED TO YOU. YOU CAME BACK AT THAT FOLLOWING MEETING AND SAID IT WOULD BE TOO EXTENSIVE. BUT IF YOU COULD, FOR THE RECORD, BECAUSE IN MY LAST MEETING OR THE TELEPHONE CALLS THAT I'VE HAD WITH RESIDENTS, THEY WOULD LIKE TO KNOW WHY THAT DIRECTIVE WAS NOT FOLLOWED. I BELIEVE I READ THE DIRECTIVE INTO THE RECORD THIS EVENING, BUT AGAIN, THE REQUEST WAS AN ITEMIZED BREAKDOWN OF EXPENDITURES FOR MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL IN ALL CITY DEPARTMENTS.

YOU WERE SUPPOSED TO BRING BACK A REVISED BUDGET THAT SHOULD CLEARLY IDENTIFY IN INDIVIDUAL EXPENSES, EXPENSE CATEGORIES AND AMOUNTS, SO THAT COUNCIL AND THE PUBLIC CAN FULLY UNDERSTAND HOW FUNDS ARE BEING ALLOCATED. SO IF YOU COULD GIVE US YOUR RESPONSE TO THAT, I'D APPRECIATE IT. THANK YOU. SURE. SO THE CHARTER IS REALLY CLEAR ON THE RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE CITY MANAGER DURING THE BUDGET PROCESS. THAT REQUIRES THE CITY MANAGER TO PREPARE A PROPOSED BUDGET. I DID THAT, AND YOUR REQUEST WAS SOMETHING THAT WAS MUCH MORE EXTENSIVE, WHICH, AFTER CLARIFYING, IF YOU RECALL, GOING BACK TO THOSE MINUTES, CLARIFYING WHAT EXACTLY YOU MEANT BY IT, THERE WERE TWO DEPARTMENTS THAT YOU WANTED TO HAVE THOSE BREAKDOWNS FOR AND TWO DEPARTMENTS. I SAID THAT WE COULD DO THAT FOR THE ENTIRE CITY, WOULD REQUIRE A MASSIVE RECONSTRUCTION OF THE BUDGET, WHICH WOULD TAKE MUCH MORE TIME THAN THE TIMELINE. ALRIGHT. AND SO AGAIN, I'D LIKE THE RECORD TO REFLECT, MADAM CITY ATTORNEY, ON JUNE 15TH, COUNCIL MEMBER CALDWELL MADE A MOTION TO DIRECT THE CITY MANAGER TO PREPARE AND PRESENT A REVISED BUDGET THAT ELIMINATES CONSOLIDATED BUDGET LINE ITEMS AND INSTEAD PROVIDES A DETAIL ITEMIZED BREAKDOWN OF EXPENDITURES FOR THE MAYOR, CITY COUNCIL AND ALL CITY DEPARTMENTS. THE REVISED BUDGET SHOULD CLEARLY IDENTIFY INDIVIDUAL EXPENSES, EXPENSE CATEGORIES AND AMOUNTS SO THAT COUNCIL AND THE PUBLIC CAN FULLY UNDERSTAND HOW FUNDS ARE BEING ALLOCATED AND MAKE INFORMED DECISIONS DURING THE BUDGET PROCESS. COUNCIL MEMBER MARTIN ROGERS PROVIDED THE SECOND. THANK YOU, MADAM MAYOR. I'M SORRY. THANK YOU, MADAM MAYOR, AND THANK YOU, MADAM CLERK. THANK YOU. WE HAVE COUNCILMAN COUNCILWOMAN ZIEGLER.

POSSIBLE QUESTION. SHE HASN'T BEEN IN FOR DISCUSSION YET. GO AHEAD. COUNCILWOMAN ZIEGLER, WE CAN'T HEAR YOU.

YOU'RE ON MUTED ON OUR SIDE, COUNCILMEMBER ZIEGLER, BUT I CAN'T HEAR YOU.

OKAY, I UNMUTED, THERE YOU GO. OKAY. CAN YOU HEAR ME NOW? YES, YES. OKAY. SO OUR BUDGET IS ALMOST $200 MILLION. AND FOR US TO BULK AND HOLD UP THIS BUDGET, VOTE FOR SOMETHING THAT WOULD ADD UP TO BE LESS THAN, YOU KNOW, A HALF A PERCENT OF THE ENTIRE BUDGET DOESN'T SEEM TO BE VERY FINANCIALLY RESPONSIBLE TO ME. THIS BUDGET CONTAINS A LOT OF REALLY IMPORTANT PROJECTS. I KNOW THAT A NEW WEBSITE IS IN THIS BUDGET. AND, YOU KNOW, CITIZENS ARE JUST REALLY FRUSTRATED WITH HOW SLOW THINGS HAVE BEEN. AND, AND WE CAN'T DO ANY OF THOSE PROJECTS UNTIL THIS BUDGET IS PASSED. SO I, I'M ON BOARD TO VOTE ON THIS BUDGET TONIGHT. AND ANY LITTLE TINY DETAIL THAT HAS BEEN MISSED. I MEAN, I THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, THAT THAT'S PROBABLY

[01:55:09]

JUST SOMETHING THAT WOULD HAPPEN WITH ANY BUDGET AND CAN BE IRONED OUT LATER. I DON'T THINK THAT ANY $200 MILLION BUDGET WOULD BE PERFECT. AND IF IT WOULD BE, THEN I MEAN, THAT WOULD BE THAT WOULD BE EVEN MORE AMAZING. BUT AS IT STANDS, YOU KNOW, OUR CITY MANAGER HAS TAKEN A BUDGET THAT WAS A MESS AND HAS MADE IT INTO SOMETHING THAT HAS BEEN READABLE AND HAS A LOT MORE DETAILS IN IT, WHICH I HAVE APPRECIATED A LOT. IT IS NOT PERFECT, BUT AT THIS POINT IN TIME I AM NOT EXPECTING PERFECTION. I. I BELIEVE THAT THIS HAS BEEN A HUGE STEP IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION SO FAR. THANK YOU. I WANT TO THANK MY COLLEAGUES FOR THE CONCERNS, AND I THINK THAT ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE NEED TO REFLECT ON IS WHERE WE HAVE BEEN OVER THE LAST SEVERAL MONTHS. MY VERY FIRST MEETING AS A COUNCIL MEMBER WAS THE CITY MANAGER PROPOSING TO US A TIMELINE, AND THE COMMUNITY CAN GO BACK AND LOOK AT THAT, LOOK AT WHAT THAT TIMELINE DISCUSSION WAS. IT HAPPENED ON JANUARY 5TH AND AT THE TIME, BUT THE CITY MANAGER PROPOSED WAS THAT WE WOULD DO SEVERAL THINGS EACH MONTH. AND I'M NOT GOING TO READ EVERY ITEM, BUT I JUST WANT TO HIGHLIGHT SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WE HAVE DONE, BECAUSE I DO THINK THAT IT REFLECTS A GENUINE NOT ATTEMPT, BUT A GENUINE EXECUTION. I THINK OF A BUDGET PROCESS THAT WAS COMMUNITY CENTERED AND COMMUNITY ENGAGED. I HAVE BEEN STUDYING THE BUDGETS IN EASTPOINTE FOR AT LEAST THE LAST FIVE YEARS, AND I CAN TELL YOU IN THE TIMES THAT I HAVE STUDIED THE BUDGET, I'VE NEVER SEEN THIS MUCH DISCUSSION OR THIS MUCH ENGAGEMENT. AND WHILE THERE ARE ERRORS AND THINGS THAT I THINK COUNCIL MEMBER ATKINS PROPOSED TO FIX TONIGHT, THE REASON WHY WE'RE ABLE TO FIX THEM IS BECAUSE WE'VE GONE THROUGH THIS PROCESS. SO I JUST WANT TO REMIND ALL OF US WHAT THE PROCESS HAS BEEN. SO ON AROUND JANUARY 5TH, WE GOT A BUDGET TIMELINE AND SCHEDULE FROM THE CITY MANAGER. WE THEN STARTED CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT MEETINGS AS WELL AS HE STARTED MEETING WITH EACH OF THE DEPARTMENT HEADS. AND YOU CAN GO TO THE CITY CLERK'S OFFICE TO PULL DOWN THOSE TRANSCRIPTS.

AND THEY'VE ALSO BEEN MADE AVAILABLE TO THE COMMUNITY ONLINE. CITY COUNCIL THEN GOT A CIP, WHICH IS THE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS BUDGET. WE GOT THE BOOK, AND THERE WERE CONCERNS THE CITY MANAGER AND THE INTERIM FINANCE DIRECTOR THEN REPROPOSED THAT BOOK TO US AND HOSTED COMMUNITY IMPROVEMENT PLANNING MEETINGS, WHERE MANY OF THE PEOPLE IN THIS ROOM PARTICIPATED IN THE PROCESS TO PICK THE CAPITAL PROJECTS THAT YOU WANTED TO SEE.

WE HEARD A LOT ABOUT WATER. ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO IN, IN FIXING OUR WATER INFRASTRUCTURE REQUIRES US TO PASS A BUDGET SO THAT WE CAN RECEIVE THE MONEY FROM THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT TO CONTINUE MAKING IMPROVEMENTS TO OUR WATER INFRASTRUCTURE. AFTER THAT, THE CITY MANAGER GAVE A PRESENTATION. I'LL NEVER FORGET IT. IT WAS CALLED FISCAL OUTLOOK, ASSUMPTIONS AND UNCERTAINTIES. AND IN THAT PRESENTATION, IT WAS A I REMEMBER HIM SHOWING US SOME OF THE CONCERNS AND THE HEADWINDS THAT WE WERE FACING, SOME OF THOSE CONCERNS THAT HEADWINDS WERE TARIFFS WE HAD TALKED ABOUT AT THE TIME, AS WELL AS HE BEGAN TO SHARE WITH US SOME OF THE CONCERNS ABOUT THE INCONSISTENCIES IN THE LAST TEN YEARS OF OUR BUDGET PROJECTIONS AND OUR BUDGET ACTUALS. AFTER THAT CONVERSATION, THERE WAS MORE DEPARTMENTAL OVERSIGHT MEETINGS THAT HAPPENED BETWEEN THE WEEKS OF JANUARY 21ST AND FEBRUARY 8TH. THEN WE REACHED DOWN INTO FEBRUARY AND WE GET A SECOND PRESENTATION, FISCAL OUTLOOK AND ASSUMPTIONS PART TWO. THIS WAS ABOUT THE RESERVES AND THE MONEY STRUCTURE STRATEGY. THIS IS WHEN WE LEARNED THAT WE HAD THIS POOLED CASH SITUATION. AND I'M STILL BEGINNING TO UNDERSTAND, BUT ESSENTIALLY IT'S LIKE THIS. IF YOU HAVE A SAVINGS ACCOUNT AND THERE ARE CERTAIN THINGS THAT YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO ALLOCATE, FOR EXAMPLE, YOUR MORTGAGE, YOUR RENT, YOUR HOUSING INFRASTRUCTURE, ETC. AND YOU PUT ALL OF THAT MONEY INTO ONE SAVINGS ACCOUNT AND YOU CAN'T FIGURE OUT, OH, DID I PUT THAT MONEY? DID I PUT THAT $100 ASIDE FOR MY MORTGAGE? OR DID I PUT THAT MONEY ASIDE FOR MY ELECTRIC BILL? AND SO WHAT THE CITY MANAGER AND THE INTERIM FINANCE DIRECTOR BEGAN TO TELL US WAS THAT THE POOLED CASH SYSTEM WAS BROKEN BECAUSE WE COULDN'T FIGURE OUT BY LAW WHERE WE HAD SAVED CERTAIN POCKETS OF MONEY. AND THAT'S REALLY IMPORTANT AND CRITICAL, AS MY COLLEAGUES HAVE MENTIONED, RELATED TO THE AUDIT PROCESS. AFTER THAT, THERE WERE OPTIONS FOR ONE ON ONE BUDGET MEETINGS. ALL OF US GOT THAT. THERE HAVE BEEN MANY COMMENTS ABOUT COUNCIL MEMBERS HAVING SECRET ACCESS TO SOME BUDGET MEETINGS. EVERY COUNCIL MEMBER WAS INVITED TO A CONVERSATION WITH THE CITY MANAGER AND THE INTERIM FINANCE DIRECTOR ABOUT

[02:00:03]

THE BUDGET. YOU CAN DO AN OPEN RECORDS REQUEST, OR YOU CAN EMAIL ME OR I CAN SHARE IT WITH YOU. WE ALL HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO REVIEW WHAT WAS BEING PROPOSED AND TO MAKE IT KNOWN WHAT OUR CONCERNS WERE, AS WELL AS OUR HOPES AND ASPIRATIONS. WE COME INTO MARCH, THEN WE HAVE THE COMMUNITY MEETING CHARRETTE. I THINK THERE WERE OVER 30 PEOPLE IN ATTENDANCE AT THAT MEETING. AFTER THAT MEETING, THERE WERE ADDITIONAL CONVERSATIONS ABOUT THERE WERE SEVERAL CONVERSATIONS ABOUT THE ELECTRIC RATE FUND. AND AT THAT TIME, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WAS PROPOSED AND REALIZED WAS THAT WE HAVE BEEN RUNNING A DEFICIT IN OUR ELECTRIC FUND FOR SEVERAL YEARS. PART OF PASSING THE BUDGET, THE CITY MANAGER, YOU CAN SEE ON THE AGENDA THAT'S BEEN PROVIDED FOR YOU TONIGHT. IN ORDER TO CORRECT THAT IMBALANCE, WE WOULD HAVE TO ACCEPT THE CITY MANAGER'S PROPOSAL TO USE OUR CITY, OUR MUNICIPAL COMPETITIVE TRUST, TO CLOSE THAT THAT GAP. THEN WE HAD MOVING ON INTO MARCH AND APRIL, THERE WERE TWO PRESENTATIONS. THERE WERE TWO DELIVERIES OF THE BUDGET. I DON'T HAVE THE EXACT DATES, BUT WE GOT A VERSION ONE, WHICH WE ALL AGREED DID NOT EVEN COME CLOSE TO MEETING OUR EXPECTATIONS FOR TRANSPARENCY OR ACCOUNTABILITY. AND WE GOT A VERSION TWO. THE VERSION TWO IS A DOCUMENT THAT THE COMMUNITY HAS SEEN, AND FOR WHICH MANY OF US HAVE HAD SEVERAL DIFFERENT TOWN HALLS. I CAN TELL YOU THAT I'VE HAD THREE TOWN HALLS RELATED TO HELPING THE COMMUNITY READ, UNDERSTAND AND READ, UNDERSTAND AND INTERPRET THE BUDGET. WE THEN GOT THE THE WEEK OF APRIL 20TH, AROUND THE WEEK OF APRIL 22ND. I'M NOT SURE THE EXACT DATE. THE CITY MANAGER HAD MULTIPLE COMMUNITY PRESENTATIONS THAT WERE NOT WELL ATTENDED. I WILL SAY THAT ONE ONE PRESENTATION I WENT BACK TO GO LOOK. IT WAS ON ZOOM. I THINK THERE WERE 1 OR 2 RESIDENTS. I WASN'T HAPPY ABOUT THAT. BUT I ALSO KNOW THAT THERE WERE PRESENTATIONS IN THIS ROOM. WE THEN CONTINUE ON INTO JUNE BY STATE LAW, THE IDEAS THAT YOU WOULD PASS A BUDGET TO START WITH THE FISCAL YEAR OF JULY 1ST. THE REASON WHY THAT'S IMPORTANT IS BECAUSE WHEN YOU RUN BEYOND THAT STATE DEADLINE, YOU BEGIN TO HAVE TO USE DIFFERENT SOURCES OF REVENUE AND FUNDS TO CLOSE THE GAP. SO LET'S SAY THAT THE DEPARTMENT HAS SPENT ALL OF THEIR MONEY FROM FY 26. WE WOULD THEN NEED TO USE RESERVES, ALSO KNOWN AS OUR SAVINGS ACCOUNT, TO CLOSE THAT GAP. SO I WANT TO PUSH BACK ON THE NARRATIVE THAT A THIS HAS NOT BEEN COLLABORATIVE AND B, THAT THIS HAS NOT BEEN A COMMUNITY INFORMED PROCESS. I ALSO WANT TO TELL THE COMMUNITY WHAT'S IN THE BUDGET. SOME OF THE THINGS THAT ARE IN THE BUDGET INCLUDE SOFTWARE TO IMPROVE THE TRANSPARENCY ABOUT THE BUDGET. WE ALL KNOW THAT THERE ARE MANY LEGACY SYSTEMS IN OUR COMMUNITY THAT HAVE LIMITED OUR INSIGHT AND VIEW INTO OUR FINANCES, AND SO THERE'S $50,000 IN THERE FOR A PROGRAM CALLED OPEN GOV THAT WOULD ALLOW TRANSPARENCY AND TRACKING NOT OF JUST OUR FINANCIAL DATA, BUT OF MANY OTHER SORTS OF DATA. THERE'S ALSO MONEY IN THERE TO FINISH THE AUDIT. WE'VE HEARD ABOUT THE NEED TO FINISH THESE AUDITS, AND I WANT THE RECORD TO BE CLEAR. THESE AUDITS HAVE BEEN BEHIND FOR SEVERAL YEARS AND PARTLY BECAUSE OF, AGAIN, OUR OPERATIONAL SYSTEMS THAT MAKE IT CHALLENGING FOR US TO KEEP TRACK OF DOCUMENTATION AND SUPPORTING INFORMATION. THE NEXT THING THAT YOU THAT I WANT TO NOTE ARE THE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS THAT ARE IN THE BUDGET. AGAIN, THESE ARE THINGS THAT YOU ASKED FOR. THESE ARE UPDATES TO YOUR PARKS. THESE ARE UPDATES TO YOUR WATER.

ONE OF THE BIG CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS IN THERE IS US ACCEPTING A FIRE TRUCK TO MEET A CRITICAL NEED IN OUR COMMUNITY. WE UNDERSTAND THAT IN THIS AREA WE DON'T HAVE ACCESS TO AN EMERGENCY FACILITY. SO WITH THE FIRE DEPARTMENT HAS DONE HAS GONE OUT AND GOT A GRANT THAT WOULD ALLOW US TO GET A FIRE TRUCK TO RESPOND TO MEDICAL NECESSITIES, NOT JUST FIRES. THERE ARE LEGAL PROTECTIONS FUNDED IN THE BUDGET. THERE'S MAPPING TO IMPROVE OUR PERMIT PROCESS AND OUR CUSTOMER CARE. THERE ARE FUNDS FOR OUR FOR EXAMPLE, OUR OUR CODE ENFORCEMENT TO CATCH BUSINESSES THAT ARE ILLEGAL IN THE CITY. PART OF WHAT I HEARD IN YOUR COMMENTS TONIGHT, SOME AT LEAST ONE PERSON MENTIONED THE WAY THAT WE FOUND OUT ABOUT THAT GREASE TRAP COMPANY WAS BECAUSE OUR CODE ENFORCEMENT WAS DOING THEIR JOB. THERE'S ALSO MONEY FOR 50 WORST PROPERTIES. THERE INCLUDES MONEY FOR CYBERSECURITY AND ADA COMPLIANCE. I ALSO HEARD THAT MENTIONED TONIGHT. NOT ONLY DO WE NEED PHYSICAL ADA COMPLIANCE IN OUR STREETS, WE ALSO NEED THEM OF OUR INTRANET BECAUSE I CONTINUE TO HEAR THAT COMMUNICATION IS A CHALLENGE. THERE IS MONEY FOR PARKS AND REC. WHEN WE HAD THE SPECIAL CALLED MEETING THAT LASTED OVER FIVE HOURS ON JUNE 23RD, WE HEARD FROM OUR PARKS AND REC DIRECTOR THAT WE HAVE VANDALISM HAPPENING IN OUR COMMUNITIES, AND THERE'S ESSENTIAL FUNDING

[02:05:04]

THAT WOULD ALLOW HIM TO MAINTAIN OUR PARKS. THERE'S MONEY TO COMPLETE THE ZONING REWRITE. I HEARD COMMENTS ABOUT WANTING THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT TO HAPPEN IN THE CITY. IN ORDER FOR US TO HAVE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, WE NEED ZONING CODES AND ORDINANCES THAT MATCH OUR ASPIRATIONS. I COULD GO ON, BUT I WANT TO EXPLAIN THIS. THIS IS NOT A PERFECT BUDGET BY ANY MEANS, NOR DO I THINK THAT PERFECTION IS THE EXPECTATION. WHEN WE HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO SUPPORT AND FUND THE MAJORITY OF SERVICES THAT WOULD BE OFFERED.

COUNCIL MEMBER ATKINS PROPOSAL INCLUDES REINSTATING THE SENIOR HOME PROGRAM, WHICH WE HEARD FROM THE COMMUNITY AT ONE OF THE PUBLIC HEARINGS, WAS AN IMPORTANT CONCERN, AS WELL AS INCLUDING COMMUNITY STABILIZATION, THE COMMUNITY COMMUNITY STABILIZATION EFFORTS HAVE PREVIOUSLY BEEN CALLED OUR OFFICE OF EQUITY, EMPOWERMENT AND INCLUSION. THE REASON WHY WE ARE TRYING TO GET TO COMMUNITY STABILIZATION IS BECAUSE WE KNOW THAT PEOPLE FALL ON HARD TIMES. AND SO MY HOPE AND MY REQUEST OF OUR COLLEAGUES IS THAT WE MAKE DECISIVE ACTION WHEN WE HAVE 38,000 RESIDENTS AND OVER 600 STAFF AND EMPLOYEES LOOKING TO US FOR DIRECTION, I WOULD HOPE THAT WE HAVE THE CONFIDENCE TO ACT AND ALSO UNDERSTAND THAT THIS IS NOT OUR ONLY OPPORTUNITY TO AMEND A BUDGET THAT HAPPENS IF WE NEED TO, FOR ANY NUMBER OF REASONS, BUT TO HOLD UP OUR FUNDS FOR. FOR LONGER PERIODS OF TIME. I AM CONCERNED THAT WE MINIMIZE AND ELIMINATE THE OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO DELIVER THE SERVICES THAT THIS COMMUNITY NEEDS, I YIELD. THANK YOU, COUNCILMAN FRIEDLI. THANK YOU, MADAM MAYOR. AND I'M NOT GOING TO REPEAT OR BELABOR THE EXCELLENT POINTS THAT HAVE ALREADY BEEN MADE HERE BY MY COLLEAGUES, BUT I WILL SAY THIS BUDGET PROCESS HAS NOT BEEN SECRETIVE. IT HAS NOT BEEN LIMITED. HAS IT BEEN PERFECT? NO. BUT NO BUDGET PROCESS IS IT'S IT'S AN ENORMOUS DOCUMENT, AN EXTREMELY COMPLICATED DOCUMENT. AND SO THE EXPECTATION THAT SOMEHOW EVERYONE IS GOING TO BE ABLE TO INTIMATELY UNDERSTAND WHAT EVERY LINE ITEM IS, I THINK IS A LITTLE BIT UNREALISTIC. AND I DON'T THINK THAT'S EVEN NECESSARY OTHER THAN FOR THE FOR THE COUNCIL AND FOR THE STAFF. BUT THE POINT IS THAT WE'RE HERE NOW. AND COUNCIL MEMBER ATKINS HAS DONE A TREMENDOUS JOB OF, OF DOING THE, THE, THE YEOMAN'S WORK TO PULL THIS TOGETHER. I APPRECIATE THE CONVERSATION THAT I HAD WITH COUNCIL MEMBER CALDWELL OVER THE WEEKEND. WE'VE HAD COUNTLESS OF THESE CONVERSATIONS FOR MONTHS. AND SO TO THE POINT THAT WE CAN VOTE ON THIS BUDGET TONIGHT, WHICH IS MUCH, MUCH CLOSER TO WHAT WE ALL HAVE SAID WE WANTED, GIVEN THIS PROPOSED MOTION THAN WE HAD BEFORE. AND IF THERE ARE TWEAKS THAT NEED TO HAPPEN, WE CAN MAKE THE BUDGET AMENDMENTS THAT COUNCIL MEMBER HEMMING JUST SPOKE ABOUT. BUT IF PEOPLE HAVE CONCERNS, THIS IS ON THE AGENDA FOR TONIGHT. COUNCIL MEMBER ATKINS BROUGHT A SPECIFIC PROPOSAL. IF PEOPLE HAVE SPECIFIC CONCERNS THEY WANT TO TWEAK. WE'RE HERE NOW. WE'RE SITTING HERE NOW, TWO WEEKS FROM NOW, IT'S NOT GOING TO GET ANY RIPER. SO I WOULD URGE PEOPLE TO BE SERIOUS. VOTE ON THIS BUDGET. IF YOU CAN'T VOTE YES, THEN THEN VOTE NO. BUT WE NEED TO MOVE ON AND WE CAN TWEAK IT LATER. THANK YOU.

I'M GOING TO START WITH TESTIMONY AND THEN I'M GOING TO GO. COUNCILMAN MITCHELL, COUNCILMAN. OKAY. AND I'D LIKE TO JUST LIKE TO REMIND COUNCIL THAT I BELIEVE THE MOTION ON THE FLOOR WAS TO OPEN THE FLOOR FOR DISCUSSION ON THE ON THE BUDGET, NOT ACTUAL FOR I JUST WANT TO REMIND YOU ALL IT'S FOR NOT IT'S FOR DISCUSSION TO OPEN THE FLOOR. OKAY. YES. THANK YOU, MADAM MAYOR. AND WHAT I'LL STATE IS THAT I GREATLY APPRECIATE THE THE SENTIMENTS OF MY COLLEAGUES. FOR THOSE WHO FEEL VERY STRONGLY OR HOWEVER, THAT THEY ARE NOT ABLE TO SUPPORT THE BUDGET THIS EVENING, I ABSOLUTELY RESPECT EVERYONE'S VOTE TO SOME OF THE POINTS THAT HAVE BEEN MADE. MUCH IS NOT GOING TO CHANGE WITH THE PROPOSED BUDGET THAT THE CITY MANAGER HAS PROPOSED TO US, BUT FOR THE AMENDMENTS THAT WE DO AS A LEGISLATIVE BRANCH OF GOVERNMENT. SO THAT'S WHY I WANTED TO HEAR FROM MY COLLEAGUES HERE, FROM THE

[02:10:02]

CITIZENS, AND I, TOO, WOULD HAVE PREFERRED TO RECEIVE THIS MUCH EARLIER, BUT I ACTUALLY WORKED ON THE DOCUMENT. I CAME TO CITY HALL THIS MORNING TO COUNCIL MEMBER CUMMINGS POINT.

I'VE BEEN HERE SINCE 10:00 THIS MORNING BECAUSE I MET WITH COUNCIL MEMBER CALDWELL LAST WEEK. SHE WANTED TO TALK WITH ME ABOUT SOME CONCERNS THAT SHE HAD. AT THAT POINT, I WAS A HARD NO. AND I MOVED. AND SO I'VE INCLUDED SOME OF THOSE THINGS HERE BECAUSE TO COUNCIL MEMBER MITCHELL'S POINT, EVERYBODY IS NOT GOING TO GET EVERYTHING THEY WANT. AND SO I THOUGHT THAT IF I WERE ABLE TO ADD THOSE THINGS IN MAKING SURE THAT WE RESTORED THE DOLLARS FOR OUR SENIOR HOME REPAIR PROGRAM, MAKING SURE THAT WE HAD A MATCH FOR THE $500,000 FOR OUR GEORGIA DEPARTMENT OF COMMUNITY AFFAIRS, MAKING SURE THAT THIS BODY ALSO CUT ITS BUDGETS BY 10%, JUST AS THE DEPARTMENTS WERE ABLE TO DO, MAKING SURE THAT WE ADDRESS FIRE SAFETY AND PUTTING IN DOLLARS. COUNCILMEMBER CUMMINGS REACHED OUT TO ME AND I SAID, LET ME GO BACK AND LET ME SEE IF I CAN FIGURE THIS OUT. EVERY TIME WE ADD SOMETHING, WE HAVE TO GO BACK AND SUBTRACT SOMETHING, BECAUSE THE STATE LAW REQUIRES THAT WE PASS A ZERO BALANCED BUDGET. SO EVERY TIME WE WANT TO ADD SOMETHING, IT'S NOT THAT WE CAN KEEP ALL THE THINGS THAT WE HAVE. AND I SAT WITH MISS CARTWRIGHT TODAY UP UNTIL I SAID, I HAVE TO GO HOME AND CHANGE. AND IT WAS 5:00 BECAUSE WE KEPT TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHERE WE WOULD FIND THE DOLLARS TO EVEN ADD THE THINGS IN THAT I HAVE REPROGRAMED AS A PROPOSAL FOR MY COLLEAGUES TO CONSIDER, BASED ON WHAT WE HEARD FROM THE DIVISION HEADS AND ALSO FROM THE PUBLIC. AND I WOULD JUST STATE THAT, AGAIN, I SPOKE WITH THE BEAN COUNTERS. I LISTENED TO THE PUBLIC. I HEARD THE COLLEAGUES, EVERYONE IS NOT GOING TO GET EVERYTHING IN HERE.

I KNOW THAT SOME MEMBERS OF THIS BODY IS NOT COMFORTABLE MOVING FORWARD TONIGHT, BUT I AM READY TO PUT FORWARD A MOTION BECAUSE WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE PASS A BUDGET SO THAT WE CAN CLOSE OUT FY 26, AND WE CAN START TO HAVE OUR AUDITORS START TO AUDIT THAT SO THAT WE'RE NOT FURTHER BEHIND, I YIELD. COUNCILMAN MITCHELL, THANK YOU. AND ONCE AGAIN, THANK YOU, COUNCILMAN ATKINS. HOWEVER, I THINK IT'S CONCERNING THAT, YOU KNOW, YOU CANNOT DISMISS YOUR COLLEAGUES. AND IF IT WOULD TAKE EVEN LONGER. I JUST WANT EVERYONE TO THINK ABOUT THIS. IF WE TRY TO PASS A BUDGET TONIGHT AND IT FAILS, WE HAVE TO WE HAVE TO WAIT 60 DAYS, ONE MORE WEEK. I'M JUST CAN'T SERVE 50 MOTIONS. NOW, YOUR COLLEAGUES THROAT WITHOUT A PROPER CONVERSATION. WE MAY AGREE. WE MAY NOT AGREE. IT'S WORTH HAVING A DISCUSSION.

AND THAT'S USUALLY WHAT WORK SESSION IS FOR ONE WEEK. WE CAN PASS IT DURING WORK SESSION.

HOWEVER, IF YOU JUST DISMISS THE CONCERNS, A BUDGET SHOULD NOT BE BASED OFF THE VISION OF ONE COUNCIL MEMBER. WE WORK AS A BODY. I APPRECIATE THE WORK. I JUST DON'T AGREE WITH GETTING THIS 1520 MINUTES AGO AND ASKING ME. AND THERE'S PLENTY LIKE THERE ARE PLENTY OF INITIATIVES OR THINGS THAT OTHER PEOPLE MAY WANT THAT NEED TO BE TAKEN INTO CONSIDERATION.

I DEFINITELY DO NOT FEEL I MEAN, THERE'S THINGS I DON'T WANT TO CALL OUT RIGHT NOW, BUT I DON'T FEEL COMFORTABLE WITH THIS. THERE'S ACTUALLY OTHER FUNDS AVAILABLE THAT WE'VE ALREADY IDENTIFIED AN EARMARK THAT COULD BE ALLOCATED OR INITIATIVE PROGRAMS FOR SENIORS, GRANT WRITERS. IT'S FINE. WE DON'T HAVE TO. WE DON'T HAVE TO. I KNOW IT'S FINE, BUT THE CITY WILL BE FUNDED. THE CITY IS NOT GOING TO BURN DOWN IF WE WAIT A WEEK TO PROPERLY TALK ABOUT THIS. BUT TO COME IN HERE TEN MINUTES AND EXPECT TO MAKE 50 MOTIONS, I'M NOT EVEN SURE WHAT THAT WOULD LOOK LIKE, BUT WE HAVE TO MAKE A MOTION FOR EACH ONE. YEAH. NO, MADAM CITY ATTORNEY. I THINK THAT'S GOING TO HAVE TO BE AT THE WILL OF THE COUNCIL, RIGHT? UNLESS YOU TAKE IT AS A WHOLE, THERE MAY BE CERTAIN THINGS THAT GET APPROVED AND CERTAIN THINGS THAT DON'T IF THAT'S WHAT YOU'RE ASKING ABOUT, WHETHER OR NOT VOTING ON THIS. BUT THE WAY IT'S BEEN PRESENTED, IT LOOKS LIKE A PACKAGE BASED ON THE SOURCES AND THE. GIVE ME ONE SECOND. THE REPROGRAMING DOING IT PIECE BY PIECE IS PROBABLY GOING TO MAKE ALL THE NUMBERS REALLY JANKY. OKAY. MY THING IS YOU HAVE A BODY, YOU HAVE COLLEAGUES, MAYBE THEY WANT,

[02:15:01]

MAYBE THEY HAVE IDEAS THAT COULD BE INCLUDED. AND I APPRECIATE THE WORK ONCE AGAIN.

BUT THIS, THIS IS I DON'T THINK WE DEFINITELY NEED MORE DISCUSSION AROUND THIS, AT LEAST A WORK SESSION. THAT'S TYPICALLY WHAT THAT IS FOR. I SEE IT'S ON THE AGENDA. AND I, I CAUTION IF HALF OF YOUR COLLEAGUES OR A GOOD PORTION OF YOUR COLLEAGUES DON'T FEEL COMFORTABLE WITH THAT, AND THE MOTION IS MADE, IT'S GOING TO DEFEAT THE PURPOSE OF TRYING TO PASS A BUDGET QUICKLY. NOW ARE YOU? OKAY, COUNCILWOMAN CALDWELL? THANK YOU. SO THE THE THING I WANTED TO MENTION, AND I FEEL LIKE IT'S, IT'S, IT'S PRETTY IMPORTANT. SO ONE, I WANT TO GO BACK TO A COMMENT THAT WAS MADE EARLIER ABOUT THE JUST IMPORTANCE OF BUDGET PREPARATION AND THE INFORMATION THAT'S NEEDED FOR US TO GET AN UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT SO THAT WE CAN AMEND CHANGE ITEMS. SO ONE, THIS IS ABOUT THE BUDGET PREPARATION, SPECIFICALLY ABOUT THE CITY MANAGER. THE CITY MANAGER'S MESSAGE SHALL EXPLAIN THE BUDGET BOTH IN FISCAL TERMS AND IN TERMS OF THE WORK PROGRAM. IT SHALL OUTLINE THE PROPOSED FINANCIAL POLICIES OF THE CITY AND FOR THE ENSURING FISCAL YEAR. DESCRIBE THE IMPORTANT FEATURES OF THE BUDGET. INDICATE ANY MAJOR CHANGES FROM THE CURRENT YEAR AND FINANCIAL POLICIES, EXPENDITURES AND REVENUES, TOGETHER WITH THE REASONS FOR SUCH CHANGES.

SUMMARIZING THE CITY'S DEBT POSITION AND INCLUDES SUCH OTHER MATERIALS AS THE CITY MANAGER DEEMS DESIRABLE. THIS IS SECTION 5101 BUDGET PREPARATION AND SUBMISSION. SO YES, AS MY COLLEAGUE MENTIONED, IT IS RIGHT THAT WE HAVE BEEN INVITED TO MANY CONVERSATIONS.

I'VE PERSONALLY, AND I KNOW MY OTHER COLLEAGUES HAVE PERSONALLY REQUESTED INFORMATION IN ALIGNMENT WITH WHAT I JUST READ, AND WE HAVE NOT RECEIVED IT. THERE ARE CONSOLIDATED LINE ITEMS IN THIS BUDGET. THERE ARE TALKS OF ILLEGAL, INCORRECT, UNAUTHORIZED, UNEXPLAINED SALARY INCREASES THAT STILL HAVE NOT BEEN EXPLAINED TO US WHEN WE ARE TALKING ABOUT A DEFICIT, WHEN WE ARE TALKING ABOUT, WE HAVE TO HOLD ON TO OUR PURSE STRINGS JUST A LITTLE BIT CLOSER AND STOP ANY UNNECESSARY SPENDING. HOW CAN WE ALSO JUSTIFY NOT PROVIDING COUNCIL WITH ENOUGH INFORMATION TO SEE IF THERE ARE ILLEGAL SALARY INCREASES? IF WE NEEDED TO TAKE MONEY FROM THAT LINE ITEM AND REPURPOSE IT SOMEWHERE ELSE THAT'S NEEDED IN THIS BUDGET SO THAT WE CAN CONTINUE TO RUN THE CITY THE WAY THAT WE HAVE. WE CANNOT MAKE THAT DECISION. AND THAT IS THE PROBLEM. I'M SORRY. WE WILL HEAR FROM THE COUNCIL MEMBERS ONLY AT THIS TIME. PLEASE. COUNCILWOMAN CALDWELL, ARE YOU STILL. YES, I'M STILL IN. WHEN WHEN WE SPEAK ABOUT COLLABORATION, WE'VE DONE A LOT OF COLLABORATION WITH THE COMMUNITY. THE COLLABORATION I'M SPEAKING ABOUT IS COUNCIL.

WE DON'T COLLABORATE. I'LL BE HONEST. IT TOOK FOR A PHONE CALL LAST WEEK FOR US TO START COLLABORATING AND PUTTING OUR DIFFERENCES TO THE SIDE SO THAT WE COULD GET TO A PLACE WHERE COUNCIL MEMBER ATKINS HAS BUILT UP THIS BUDGET. THAT HAD NOT HAPPENED BEFORE LAST WEDNESDAY.

THIS IS WHAT WE NEEDED, AND I'M GLAD THAT EVERY COUNCIL MEMBER DID. ALSO OPTED TO PUT WHATEVER DIFFERENCES THAT WE HAVE ON THIS STAGE ASIDE SO THAT WE COULD GET TO THIS DISCUSSION, BUT TO BE PRESENTED WITH SOMETHING TEN MINUTES BEFORE I HAVE A TRACKER, IT DOESN'T HAVE EVERYTHING THAT'S LISTED HERE. THERE ARE A FEW SMALL THINGS THAT, YES, WE NEED TO PUT INTO THIS, BUT I THINK IT JUST REQUIRES A LITTLE CONVERSATION AND THE ABILITY FOR US TO DIGEST THIS. WE CAN HAVE A SPECIAL CALL MEETING, WE CAN PUT A MEETING ON THE BOOKS SO THAT WE CAN DISCUSS THIS. AND I WOULD PERSONALLY LIKE TO SEE THESE REVISIONS MADE. THERE'S SOME PEOPLE THAT HAVE A LOT OF TRUST IN NOT ONLY COUNCIL BUT THE CITY MANAGER, BUT LIKE COUNCIL MEMBER MARTIN ROGERS SAID EARLIER, I'VE PERSONALLY MADE SEVERAL MOTIONS REQUESTING FOR INFORMATION THAT HAVE GONE IGNORED. SO TO THINK THAT AN AMENDMENT AND A REVISION TWO MONTHS LATER WILL CAPTURE THE THINGS THAT I'VE ASKED FOR IN THE BUDGET, IT DOESN'T ALIGN. I DON'T KNOW HOW I COULD. WE NEED TO. WE NEED TO MAKE THE REQUEST FOR THE CHANGES. WE NEED TO SEE A REVISED COPY OF THAT, SOMETHING FOR THE PUBLIC, FOR US, AND THEN WE CAN MAKE A VOTE.

BUT THIS NOTION THAT WE'RE WE'RE NOT WORKING TOGETHER OR WE'VE WE'VE WE'RE TAKING A LONG TIME. WE HAVEN'T PUT IN WE HAVEN'T PUT FORTH THE EFFORT. AND WE NEED TO. THANK YOU. I'M SORRY. THANK YOU. COUNCILWOMAN CALDWELL AND THEN COUNCILWOMAN HEMMING. AND THEN AT THAT POINT,

[02:20:02]

COUNCIL, WE WOULD HAVE BEEN ON TWO ROUNDS OF DISCUSSION FOR THIS OPENING OF THE FLOOR. BUT COUNCILWOMAN COUNCILWOMAN FREELEY WAS THE ONLY ONE THAT STILL HAS, LIKE, ANOTHER ROUND.

SO, COUNCILWOMAN HEMMING, YES, TWO THINGS. ONE, PART OF THE BUDGET PROCESS IS THAT THE CITY MANAGER PROPOSES THE BUDGET, AND THEN COUNCIL MAKES AMENDMENTS. AND SO I THINK THAT I HAVE HEARD SEVERAL TIMES IS THE APPETITE TO DO. AND SO WHAT I WOULD LIKE COUNCIL TO CONSIDER IS SUSPENDING RULE EIGHT AND RULE 15 SO THAT WE CAN HAVE THE DISCUSSION. RULE EIGHT IS THE THE THE EXCUSE ME, THE, THE DEBATE LIMITS THAT SAY THAT WE HAVE THREE MINUTES AND HOW MANY ROUNDS? LET'S DO THE PEOPLE'S WORK TONIGHT. WE'RE HERE. WE'RE CONVENED. LET'S DO IT. SO I'D LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION TO SUSPEND RULE EIGHT SO WE CAN DISCUSS THESE ITEMS TONIGHT IN THE PUBLIC SESSION TO UNDERSTAND WHAT THE CONTINUING HEARTBURN IS IN ORDER TO TO CONSIDER VOTING ON THIS BUDGET. I'LL SECOND THAT, MADAM MAYOR. THAT REQUIRES TWO THIRDS OF A VOTE. I WOULD ALSO BRING YOUR ATTENTION TO RULE TWO TEMPORARY SUSPENSION OF RULES. AMENDMENTS OF RULES, ANY RULE NOT PROVIDED FOR BY CITY CHARTER OR CITY ORDINANCE OTHER THAN CHAPTER 2ND MAY BE TEMPORARILY SUSPENDED BY A VOTE OF TWO THIRDS OF ALL THE MEMBERS DURING A SINGLE MEETING AND SHALL NOT BE REPEALED, ALTERED OR AMENDED UNLESS BY CONCURRENCE OF A TWO THIRDS OF ALL THE MEMBERS AT TWO CONSECUTIVE REGULAR SCHEDULED MEETINGS. SO FOR THERE TO BE A TEMPORARY SUSPENSION OF THE RULE, IT MUST BE ANY RULE NOT PROVIDED FOR BY CITY CHARTER. AND RULE EIGHT IS NOT IN THE CITY CHARTER OR CITY ORDINANCE OTHER THAN CHAPTER TWO. RULE EIGHT IS IN CHAPTER TWO. SO DOES THAT MEAN WE CANNOT SUSPEND THE RULE TO HAVE THE DISCUSSION? THAT IS MY INTERPRETATION OF RULE TWO.

OKAY. AND YOU NEED TWO THIRDS OF THE VOTE SO THAT WE CAN'T. OKAY. NO. SO I'LL WITHDRAW MY SECOND. I'M SORRY, COUNCILWOMAN HEMMING, YOU WILL NEED TO WITHDRAW YOUR MOTION THEN. THE TWO THIRDS. CAN YOU RESTATE RULE TWO, MADAM CITY ATTORNEY? YES. AND IF WE CAN PUT IT UP SO YOU GUYS CAN READ ALONG, IT SAYS ANY RULE NOT PROVIDED FOR BY CITY CHARTER OR CITY ORDINANCE. AND THEN IN THE PARENTHETICALS, IT SAYS, OTHER THAN CHAPTER 2ND MAY BE TEMPORARILY SUSPENDED. SO ANY RULE NOT IN THE CHARTER AND ANY OR THE CITY ORDINANCE OTHER THAN CHAPTER 2ND MAY BE TEMPORARILY SUSPENDED BY TWO THIRDS. WOULD IT DIE FROM A LACK OF A SECOND? SAY THAT AGAIN. WOULD IT DIE FROM A LACK OF A SECOND? YES, IT CAN DIE FOR LACK OF A SECOND. I BELIEVE HE JUST WITHDREW HIS SECOND. YEAH, BUT SHE ASKED THE QUESTION. OH, I'M RESPONDING TO HER QUESTION. YES. IF WE CAN'T SUSPEND THE RULES, WE'VE. I DON'T KNOW HOW ELSE TO HAVE A CONVERSATION ABOUT IT. I DON'T I'M SORRY. I DON'T. OKAY.

CONCLUDING MY COMMENTS, I HEAR THAT THERE IS ADDITIONAL NEED FOR CLARITY. AND SO WHAT I'M NOT UNDERSTANDING IS WHY WE'RE NOT TAKING THE OPPORTUNITY TO GET CLARITY. I HEAR THE CONCERNS THAT I THINK THE STATEMENT WAS MADE, THAT WE ARE A DEMOCRATIC KIND OF BODY, MEANING THAT THERE HAS TO BE DISCUSSION AND DELIBERATION. AND I THINK IT'S ALSO CLEAR BY MANY OF THE COMMENTS THAT HAVE BEEN MADE THAT WHAT HAS BEEN PRESENTED REFLECTS MUCH OF WHAT'S BEEN DESIRED AND WHAT MUCH OF WHAT'S BEEN DISCUSSED BY THE COMMUNITY AND ALSO BY COUNCIL. AND SO I DON'T UNDERSTAND THE CONTINUED APPREHENSION TO HOLD UP 195 MILLION. WE'RE SAYING THAT BASED ON WHAT'S BEEN PRESENTED, THERE'S 2 MILLION THAT NEEDS TO BE REPROGRAMED AND MAYBE MORE, I DON'T KNOW. BUT WHAT I SEE HERE ARE REFLECTING THE THINGS THAT THE STAFF TOLD US AND THE COMMUNITY TOLD US. ONE OF THE MOST CRITICAL THINGS THAT WE HEARD FROM THE COMMUNITY WAS TO MAINTAIN THE SENIOR HOME REPAIR PROGRAM AND TO MAINTAIN THE FUNCTIONS OF COMMUNITY STABILIZATION. AND THAT DOES THIS. SO I WOULD ASK MY

[02:25:02]

COLLEAGUES, MAYBE WE SHOULD PUT THIS ITEM BACK ON THE BACK, ON THE THE SCREEN FOR EVERYBODY, EVERYBODY TO DIGEST. MADAM MAYOR REMINDED US THAT WE'RE STILL IN THE DISCUSSION TO OPEN THE FLOOR. SO WE STILL HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO DISCUSS BECAUSE WE HAVEN'T EVEN OPENED THE FLOOR FOR DISCUSSION YET. SO I WOULD HOPE THAT COUNCIL WOULD UNDERSTAND THE TIME SENSITIVITY OF WHAT'S BEFORE US, MAINLY BECAUSE WE NEED TO ACCEPT FUNDS FROM THE FEDERAL AND STATE GOVERNMENT THAT I WOULD HOPE WOULD NOT BE RESCINDED, BECAUSE WE ARE REFUSING TO ACT ON BEHALF OF OUR COMMUNITY. SO I YIELD IN THIS ROUND, AND I HOPE FOR CONTINUED DISCUSSION WHEN THE FLOOR FINALLY DOES OPEN FOR DISCUSSION. OKAY. COUNCILWOMAN. OKAY. CAN WE SO WE'RE FINISHED WITH THIS ROUND OF DISCUSSION FOR OPENING UP THE FLOOR. SO WE'RE STILL ON A MOTION, MADAM CITY ATTORNEY, I JUST WANT CLARITY OF OPENING THE FLOOR. WE'RE IN DISCUSSION. DO I CALL THE VOTE NOW AND THEN OPEN UP THE FLOOR TO OR CALL THE VOTE NOW OPEN UP THE FLOOR FOR, I GUESS, THE CITY MANAGER TO MAKE HIS PRESENTATION. AND THEN THE COUNCIL WILL HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO VOTE. I THINK THE LATTER. WHAT YOU SAID IS APPROPRIATE. IF THERE'S A PRESENTATION THAT YOU GUYS NEED TO HEAR FOR DETERMINATION OF A VOTE. BUT YOU WILL NEED TO KEEP IN MIND THE RULE ABOUT THE 60 DAYS OF IF IT FAILS, WE'VE GOT 60 DAYS FOR THE MOTION TO COME BACK. YEAH. OKAY. POINT OF INFORMATION, MADAM MAYOR. YES. SO THE THE 60 DAY RULE. MADAM ATTORNEY, IF A MOTION WERE TO BE MADE, THAT SAME MOTION CANNOT COME BACK, BUT A DIFFERENT MOTION CAN COME UP FOR A PASSAGE OF THE BUDGET. IS THAT CORRECT? LET ME GO TO THE RULE. A DIFFERENT RULE 26 RE ENTERTAINMENT OF MOTION. A MOTION THAT HAS BEEN PRESENTED TO COUNCIL MAY NOT BE PRESENTED AGAIN FOR A PERIOD OF 60 DAYS, UNLESS THERE HAS BEEN EXTRAORDINARY CHANGES. WE'VE GONE THROUGH THAT BEFORE THAT WILL WARRANT SUCH ACTION.

EXTRAORDINARY CHANGES MUST BE APPROVED BY TWO THIRDS VOTE OF THE COUNCIL. SO IF THERE IS AN EXTRAORDINARY CHANGE, THEN THAT SAME MOTION CAN COME BACK ONCE THERE'S BEEN AN APPROVAL OF THERE BEING AN EXTRAORDINARY CHANGE TO BRING THAT MOTION BACK. I THINK THAT THAT'S A FINE LINE. IF IT'S A MOTION TO APPROVE THE BUDGET, IT'S A MOTION TO APPROVE THE BUDGET.

EVEN THOUGH THE BUDGET MAY LOOK DIFFERENT, I THINK IT'S STILL THE SAME MOTION. IT'S JUST WHAT'S ATTACHED TO IT IS IS DIFFERENT. SO IF THE AMENDMENT IS DIFFERENT. SO IF THERE'S A MOTION WITH AN AMENDMENT TO THE PROPOSED FY 27 BUDGET, AND IT SAYS ALL OF THESE THINGS, BUT THAT IF THAT FAILS, THEN ANOTHER AMENDMENT AT SOME OTHER POINT CAN BE MADE TO AMEND THE FY 20 PROPOSED FY 27 BUDGET. AND THAT WOULD BE DIFFERENT FROM THE PREVIOUS AMENDMENT IS REALLY MY QUESTION, BUT I THINK THE MOTION IS THE MOTION TO APPROVE THE FY 27 BUDGET. YOU HAVEN'T YOU CAN'T AMEND IT BECAUSE YOU HAVEN'T APPROVED IT YET. RIGHT. BUT SO THE BUDGET THAT WE'RE CURRENTLY OPERATING UNDER THE FY 26 BUDGET, YES, IS AN AMENDED BUDGET. WE AMENDED THAT BUDGET WITH TWO AMENDMENTS. THE MOTION WAS TO AMEND THAT BUDGET. I MADE THE VERY FIRST MOTION BECAUSE THERE WERE DOLLARS IN THE WARD B AT LARGE ACCOUNT, TO MOVE THOSE DOLLARS TO BE USED FOR. I MOVED INTO PUBLIC WORKS FOR CITY FACILITIES BECAUSE I DID NOT REQUEST THE DOLLARS. COUNCIL MEMBER. THEN COUNCIL MEMBER BUTLER MADE A MOTION TO MOVE THE COUNCIL COMMUNICATION. THE COUNCIL EVENTS FROM THE CLERK'S OFFICE TO THE CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE. THAT WAS. YES, THAT WAS LAST YEAR. THAT AMENDMENT PASSED. AND SO THEN WE APPROVED THE FY 26 BUDGET. WITH THOSE TWO AMENDMENTS. YOU AMENDED THE FY 2026 BUDGET, CORRECT? CORRECT. OKAY. BUT I THINK YOUR QUESTION TO ME WAS ABOUT FY 27. CORRECT. SO IF A MOTION JUST LIKE 26, IF A MOTION WERE MADE TO APPROVE THE FY 27 BUDGET WITH X AMENDMENT PASS OR FAIL, LET'S SAY THAT FAILS IF ANOTHER MOTION COMES LATER IN THE AMENDMENT IS DIFFERENT. IT'S NOT THE SAME AMENDMENT MAY NOT HAVE THE SAME THINGS. I JUST DON'T THINK YOU CAN GET TO AN AMENDMENT OF SOMETHING THAT YOU HAVEN'T APPROVED YET, RIGHT? LIKE YOU DON'T HAVE A 27 BUDGET YET. CORRECT. WE DIDN'T HAVE A 26 BUDGET WHEN YOU DID. THE TWO ITEMS YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT, IT

[02:30:02]

WAS A PROPOSED BUDGET. THE THE MOTION WAS TO AMEND THE PROPOSED FY 26 BUDGET TO MOVE WHATEVER THE DOLLARS WERE OUT OF THE LARGE ACCOUNT TO PUBLIC WORKS THAT PASSED. AND THEN THERE WAS ANOTHER MOTION TO THE PROPOSED FY 26 BUDGET. BUT THEN WHEN DID THE BUDGET GET APPROVED THAT IN THAT SAME NIGHT, AFTER THE AFTER THOSE TWO AMENDMENTS PASSED, WE APPROVED THE FY 26 BUDGET WITH THOSE TWO AMENDMENTS. SO YOU AMENDED THE CITY MANAGER'S BUDGET TO INCLUDE THOSE TWO ITEMS. THAT IS CORRECT. AND SO YOU'RE PROPOSING FOR THE FY 27 THAT YOU WANT TO DO A MOTION TO GIVE IT TO ME ONE MORE TIME. THERE IS A MOTION TO APPROVE THE FY 27 BUDGET WITH AN AMENDMENT AND THAT FAILS. CORRECT. SO LATER SOMEBODY CAN MAKE ANOTHER MOTION WITH A NEW AMENDMENT. CORRECT. BECAUSE THAT HAPPENED LAST YEAR BECAUSE THERE WAS, I THINK, ANOTHER VOTE. AND THAT VOTE DIDN'T PASS. AND THEN WE HAD ANOTHER AMENDMENT. AND THEN THEN COUNCIL MEMBER BUTLER MADE AN AMENDMENT, AND THEN THAT PASSED, AND WE APPROVED THE 20 FY 26 BUDGET WITH THOSE TWO AMENDMENTS. AND YOU'RE THINKING THAT WITH TWO DIFFERENT AMENDMENTS, BUT THE SAME BASE MOTION, A MOTION TO APPROVE THE 27 BUDGET WITH THE TWO DIFFERENT AMENDMENTS WOULDN'T TRIGGER THE 60 DAYS? IS THAT IS THAT MY QUESTION? IF THE AMENDMENT IS DIFFERENT, HAS DIFFERENT THINGS, SUPPORTS DIFFERENT THINGS, HAS DIFFERENT PROGRAMS, ALL OF THAT. IT'S NOT THE SAME AMENDMENT. SO THEN IT'S NOT THE SAME MOTION TO PASS THE FY 27 BUDGET BECAUSE THE AMENDMENT IS DIFFERENT. SO THAT IS MY QUESTION. SO I THINK IT'S A FINE LINE. I THINK THAT THEY'RE PROBABLY GOING TO BE MULTIPLE INTERPRETATIONS OF RULE 26. RIGHT. BECAUSE IT IS NOT SPECIFIC TO WHETHER OR NOT THE MOTION. IT HAS TO BE THE EXACT SAME MOTION. IN YOUR EXAMPLE, THE MOTION IS THE SAME.

THE AMENDMENTS ARE DIFFERENT. AND SO YOUR QUESTION IS WHETHER OR NOT IT MAKES THE MOTION THE SAME. I THINK THAT'S GOING TO HAVE TO BE A POLICY DECISION THAT YOU GUYS MAKE, BECAUSE IT CAN FALL EITHER WAY, THAT THE 60 DAYS WOULD BE TRIGGERED WITH WITH US THE SAME MOTION, A MOTION TO AMEND TO ACCEPT THE 27 BUDGET WITH AMENDMENTS, OR IT COULD COME DOWN ON THE OTHER WAY THAT THE AMENDMENTS MAKE THE MOTION DIFFERENT. RIGHT. SO I, I, I THINK THAT WHATEVER YOU CAN GET SUPPORT FOR AT THIS POINT WOULD BE APPROPRIATE, BUT I CAN SEE IT BEING INTERPRETED BOTH WAYS. OKAY. THANK YOU. OKAY. COUNCIL, THE MOTION ON THE FLOOR RIGHT NOW IS TO OPEN THE BUDGET ITEM FOR CONSIDERATION. WE HAD A MOTION AND A SECOND AND WE'VE HAD DISCUSSION. SO ALL THOSE IN FAVOR? SECOND, WHAT WAS IT. THE MOTION THAT WAS ON THE FLOOR WAS TO OPEN THE FLOOR FOR DISCUSSION FOR THE RIGHT. BUT YOU DIDN'T VOTE. AND WE HAD DISCUSSION ON THE WE HAD A SECOND AND THEN WE DID DISCUSSION AND WE DIDN'T HAVE A VOTE. OKAY, COUNCIL, WOULD IT BE THE FIRST READING FIRST? WOULD THAT BE THE NEXT? OKAY, OKAY. CAN WE JUST CONFIRM WHERE WE ARE IN THE PROCESS, PLEASE? WE HAD. WE OPENED THE FLOOR.

COUNCILWOMAN HEMMINGS OPENED THE FLOOR FOR THE BUDGET. COUNCILMAN ATKINS SECONDED.

THEN WE WENT INTO DISCUSSION. SO RIGHT NOW, THAT'S WHY I WAS CALLING FOR THE VOTE, MADAM MAYOR. YEAH. THE LAST COUNCIL MEMBER HEMMING WOULD LIKE FOR COUNCIL TO CONSIDER TO SUSPEND RULE EIGHT TO DISCUSS THOSE ITEMS. AND THAT'S WHAT ATKINS SECONDED LAST. THAT WAS THE LAST MOTION. RIGHT. AND THEN BEFORE THAT. DISCUSSION, I'M SORRY THAT. SORRY, JUST SCROLLING THROUGH MY NOTES. SO.

LET'S SEE. I'M WAITING FOR HER TO CONFIRM WHERE WE ARE IN THE PROCESS SO THAT WE CAN GO TO

[02:35:03]

THE NEXT PHASE, WHICH WOULD BE TO VOTE ON YAY OR NAY ON THE BUDGET. VOTE AND THE DISCUSSION THAT YOU GUYS DISCUSSED, THE BUDGET, RIGHT. WE DISCUSSED AND THE MOTION WAS MADE TO OPEN THE FLOOR FOR DISCUSSION. THE DISCUSSION WAS HAD, I THOUGHT I GOT I HEARD A UNANIMOUS VOTE TO OPEN THE FLOOR FOR DISCUSSION. I THINK THAT'S WHAT MADAM CLERK IS LOOKING FOR. BUT EVEN BY GETTING A. YAY! NOW, I DON'T THINK THE DISCUSSION WOULD BE DIFFERENT UNLESS THERE'S MORE DISCUSSION THAT NEEDS TO OCCUR. SO OKAY, SO THEN THE NEXT STEP WOULD BE TO NO WAIVE THE FIRST READING, RIGHT? IF THAT IF THAT'S WHAT YOU IF SOMEONE WANTS TO MAKE A MOTION. YEAH, WE NEED, I NEED A MOTION. WE CAN'T VOTE UNTIL WE WAIVE THE FIRST READING. THAT IS CORRECT.

OKAY. THANK YOU. BUT SHE'S TRYING TO GET WHAT THE VOTE WAS. ON OPENING THE DISCUSSION. I THOUGHT WE JUST DID. OKAY. THE DISCUSSION. YEAH, THAT'S WHAT I'M SAYING. THE DISCUSSION. WE DIDN'T VOTE. WE SAID YES. AND THAT'S WHAT I'M SAYING. SO. WE STILL NEED TO OPEN THE FLOOR FOR DISCUSSION. I MEAN NOT DISCUSSION FOR THE VOTE. YOU STILL NEED TO CALL THE VOTE FOR OPEN OPENING, NOT THE BUDGET, BUT OPENING THE FLOOR. I THOUGHT YOU GOT THAT. I THINK THE CLERK CAN TELL US WHETHER YOU GOT A YAY VOTE ON THAT. DID WE DID WE GET A YAY. CAN YOU DO A CALL? CAN YOU DO A CONFIRMATION ON THE VOTE TO OPEN THE FLOOR FOR FOR DISCUSSION ON THE BUDGET? I DON'T HAVE THAT WRITTEN DOWN WHEN IT WAS SAID. YEAH. OKAY.

OKAY.

MADAM MAYOR, IF YOU NEED IT FOR FOR RECORD KEEPING, I THINK IT'S APPROPRIATE TO, TO GET THE VOTE. I BELIEVE IT'S GOING TO BE A UNANIMOUS YAY, BUT WE CAN GET THE VOTE SO IT CAN BE NOTATED. AND THEN YOU CAN MOVE ON TO THE BUDGET VOTE IF THERE IS ONE. OKAY. HOLD ON Y'ALL. YEAH. CAN I, CAN I HAVE A QUESTION REALLY QUICK. SO WHEN SO WHEN THIS ITEM CAME UP ISN'T THE FIRST MOTION MADE IS TO OPEN THE FLOOR FOR DISCUSSION. SO THAT THAT WAS MADE. WE WOULDN'T BE WE WOULDN'T HAVE A DISCUSSION IF THAT MOTION WAS NEVER MADE. YES.

YES. YOU'RE TRACKING WHAT I'M WHAT THE MAYOR IS ASKING IS DID SHE EVER CALL FOR THE VOTE ON THE MOTION TO OPEN THE FLOOR FOR DISCUSSION? AND WHAT I'M SAYING IS, WHETHER YOU DID OR DIDN'T, Y'ALL DISCUSSED IT. I THINK WE HAD TO TO HAVE THE DISCUSSION. YOU SEE WHAT I MEAN? I AGREE. OKAY. UNFORTUNATELY, WE WE DON'T HAVE THE NOTATION. IF IF IT'S NOT, IF IT'S NOT IF IT'S NOT NECESSARY TO CALL A VOTE. AND THIS IS I'M UNDERSTANDING. I ASK FOR A MOTION. THE MOTION WAS SECOND. WE WENT INTO DISCUSSION. WE STILL NEED TO CALL A VOTE. I'M CALLING A VOTE. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR? ALL THOSE OPPOSED? NO, NO, NO, THIS IS JUST TO SHE NEVER GOT THE VOTE. SHE'S SAYING. ON WHETHER THE DISCUSSION ON THE MOTION TO OPEN THE FLOOR FOR DISCUSSION. THAT'S ALL THAT IS. OKAY. SO NOW LET'S DO IT. OKAY, SO WE HAVE THE MOTION HAS PASSED. WE HAVE OPEN. NOW WE CAN MOVE ON TO THE VOTE ON THE DISCUSSION AND POSSIBLE ACTION ON THE ACCEPTANCE OF THE CITY. THE CITY OF EASTPOINTE FY 2027 BUDGET. GO AHEAD. COUNCILWOMAN. MADAM MAYOR, CAN WE PUT THE ITEM THAT WAS PRESENTED TO US BACK ON THE SCREEN SO THAT WE CAN DISCUSS THAT ITEM, THE SPREADSHEET, THE MOTION, THE PACKAGE THAT WE GOT. WE NEED A MOTION. WE NEED A MOTION TO PUT THE ITEM UP, NOT TO PUT THE ITEM WHEN IT'S OKAY. IF YOU WANT TO PUT THE ITEM OKAY, GO AHEAD. YOU CAN PUT IT ON THE SCREEN. BUT I'M JUST CONFUSED AS TO WHERE WE ARE IN THE PROCESS. MADAM MAYOR, YOU ARE CORRECT. YOU'RE ON NUMBER TWO STILL, MADAM MAYOR. OKAY, SO DO WE HAVE THE. OKAY, SO THE MOTION IS THERE A MOTION ON THE FLOOR FOR THE ITEM NUMBER TWO? MADAM MAYOR, BASED ON THE VOTE WE JUST TOOK, WE'RE NOW IN DISCUSSION ABOUT THE BUDGET. AND SO I'M ASKING MY COLLEAGUES IF WE CAN DISCUSS THE AMENDMENTS, THE PROPOSED AMENDMENTS THAT HAVE NOT BEEN MADE OR FORMALIZED VIA A MOTION YET. BUT IF WE COULD DISCUSS THEM PUBLICLY RIGHT NOW SO THAT EVEN IF WE'RE MOVING THIS TO A WORK SESSION, WE'RE CLEAR WHAT WE NEED FROM STAFF TO CONSIDER WHAT CHANGES BY WORK SESSION. I UNDERSTAND THAT, BUT WHAT I'M TRYING TO GET TO IS, REGARDLESS OF WHETHER WE DISCUSS IT NOW OR WHAT WOULD BE THE NEXT STEP, BECAUSE WE CAN GO INTO

[02:40:03]

DISCUSSION OF THIS AND DISCUSSION OF THIS WILL NOT END UNTIL SOMEONE DECIDES THAT THEY ARE CALLING FOR A MOTION OF SOME SORT. DOES THAT MAKE SENSE? YES, MA'AM. IT DOES. HOWEVER, MY UNDERSTANDING WAS THAT YOU JUST DID THAT AS RECORD KEEPING, NOT THAT YOU WERE TRULY REOPENING DISCUSSION, RIGHT? MY RECORD KEEPING WAS TO MAKE SURE THAT THE RECORD SHOW THAT WE OPENED THE FLOOR FOR DISCUSSION ON OPEN. WE OPENED THE FLOOR FOR THE ITEM NUMBER TWO. AND THEN THAT WE'VE HAD THAT DISCUSSION. SO THAT IS THE OPENING OF THAT ITEM HAS BEEN CLOSED. NOW WE ARE IN THAT ITEM DISCUSSING THAT ITEM, BUT THERE IS NO MOTION ON THE FLOOR FOR ANYTHING IN PARTICULAR IN REGARDS TO THIS ITEM. OKAY. SO THERE'S NO MOTION TO THERE'S NO MOTION REGARDING ITEM NUMBER TWO EXCEPT FOR. YEAH. OKAY. COUNCILWOMAN MITCHELL OR. OH, I'M IN. I'M JUST WAITING. IF THERE'S A DISCUSSION ON THIS. SO THERE'S NO MOTION. I GUESS I WOULD ASK THIS. SO IF THERE'S NO DISCUSSION, I GUESS NEXT PROCEDURALLY WOULD BE TO WAIVE THE FIRST READING. AND IF NOBODY TAKES ANY ACTION ON THAT, DO WE MOVE TO THE NEXT ITEM? BECAUSE WE JUST HAD LIKE AN HOUR DISCUSSION ON THIS. MADAM CITY ATTORNEY. YES. I'M JUST TRYING TO THINK OF A WAY TO EXPLAIN THIS TO CAPTURE WHAT HAPPENED. OKAY. THERE WAS A MOTION TO OPEN THE FLOOR FOR DISCUSSION. I DON'T RECALL WHO MADE IT. AND WE DON'T HAVE IT WRITTEN DOWN BY THE CLERK. OKAY. SOMEBODY SECONDED THAT MOTION. HAD TO CORRECT, CUZ WE GOT TO DISCUSSION SOME KIND OF WAY. RIGHT. THE MAYOR WAS CONCERNED THAT AFTER THE SECOND SHE WENT INTO DISCUSSION ON THE MOTION TO OPEN THE FLOOR FOR DISCUSSION AND NEVER GOT A VOTE, I THINK YOU SEE WHAT I'M SAYING. OH, THAT WAS OKAY. AND SO RATHER THAN DISCUSSING THE MOTION TO OPEN THE FLOOR FOR DISCUSSION, YOU GUYS ACTUALLY DISCUSSED. YEAH. THE BUDGET.

GOTCHA. AND SO SHE JUST CALLED FOR THE VOTE TO CLOSE OUT THE MOTION TO OPEN THE FLOOR FOR DISCUSSION BECAUSE WE DON'T KNOW WHAT IT WAS, UNFORTUNATELY. SO WITH THE NEXT QUESTION WOULD BE, IS ANY OTHER ACTION GOING TO BE TAKEN ON THIS ITEM? EXACTLY WHAT IS THE NEXT ACTION? AND THAT'S WHAT SHE JUST ASKED. OKAY. AND IT WAS IT WAS SILENT. THERE WASN'T NO ONE MADE A MOTION TO WAIVE THE FIRST READ. OKAY, TO THEN GO TO THE MOTION TO PASS THE BUDGET. WELL, I WOULD SUGGEST WE PUT THIS ON THE WORK SESSION. THANK YOU. YOU WANT TO MAKE A MOTION? OKAY.

I'LL MAKE A MOTION. ARE YOU GOING TO CALL THIS. HOLD ON ONE SECOND. YOU SAID TO OTHER PEOPLE, OKAY, SO HEARING LIKE I SAID, HEARING NO MOTION. THERE'S NO ACTION BEFORE THE COUNCIL ON THIS ITEM, MADAM MAYOR, I WAS IN. AND THEN, OKAY, I HAD THE FLOOR AND THEN WE WENT TO THE CITY. OKAY, COUNCILMAN ATKINS, GO AHEAD. WHAT I'M TRYING TO UNDERSTAND IS WE HEARD CONCERNS ABOUT REDUCING SEVERAL ITEMS FROM THE CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE TO INCLUDE THE $443,000 OF COMMUNITY CONCERTS. WE HEARD A DESIRE TO MINIMIZE ADDITIONAL AND UNNECESSARY EVENTS. WHILE NOT PROGRAMING DOLLARS TO PROVIDE ESSENTIAL SERVICES, WE HEARD A REQUEST ABOUT REDUCING THE SIZE OF THE LEGAL BUDGET, WHICH IS DONE HERE. IT MOVES FROM 1.75 MILLION TO 1.35. WE ALSO HEARD A CONCERN ABOUT THE IT UNIFORMS AND OTHER UNIFORMS. WE HEARD ABOUT ADDITIONAL CONTRACT POSITIONS BEING IN IT, AND THEN THESE OTHER NON DEPARTMENTAL ACTIVITIES. MADAM CITY CLERK, COULD YOU GO BACK TO THE PROPOSED AMENDMENT BEFORE US.

[02:45:13]

SO IF I'M UNDERSTANDING THE THE REQUEST OF COUNCIL MEMBER ATKINS, THAT I WANT TO BE CLEAR, REFLECT SEVERAL CONVERSATIONS AMONGST SEVERAL COUNCIL COLLEAGUES NOT VIOLATING ANY OPEN MEETINGS ACT, BUT THERE HAVE BEEN MANY CONVERSATIONS LEADING US TO THIS POINT. SO I'M A LITTLE BIT CONCERNED THAT THERE IS A REFLECTION, THAT THERE HASN'T BEEN COLLABORATION OR THAT THE COLLABORATION HAS BEEN MINIMAL, BECAUSE I CAN LOOK AT EACH OF THESE LINE ITEMS AND I CAN SEE CERTAIN THINGS THAT I KNOW CERTAIN COUNCIL MEMBERS ASKED FOR THAT ARE REFLECTED HERE. I CAN TELL THE PUBLIC THAT I ASKED FOR THE ASSOCIATE JUDGES TO BE RESTORED, BECAUSE MADAM CHIEF JUDGE CAME BEFORE US ON JUNE 23RD AND SAID THAT THAT HAD BEEN INAPPROPRIATELY REMOVED BECAUSE IT WAS IN TEMPORARY EMPLOYEE STATUS.

THERE WAS ALSO LOTS OF COMMENTS ABOUT EDUCATION AND TRAINING BEING RESTORED, BECAUSE WE NEEDED TO MEET THE LEGAL REQUIREMENTS FOR MANY DEPARTMENTS, AND I SEE THE PROPOSED REPROGRAMING INCLUDES SEVERAL. ALL, I BELIEVE, OF THE EDUCATION AND TRAINING THAT HAVE BEEN CUT OUT. I REMEMBER THE PLANNING AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR ASKING FOR ESSENTIAL MONEY SO THAT SHE COULD CONTINUE. ADMINISTERING THE REWRITE. THAT DIDN'T MAKE IT IN, BUT I ASKED FOR IT. LET'S SEE WHAT ELSE I ASKED FOR. THE MEDICAL SERVICES FOR THE JAIL TO BE RESTORED. THAT'S THERE. AND I THINK THOSE REFLECT MOST OF THE THINGS THAT I ASKED FOR. OH, AND I ALSO ASKED FOR THE CODE ENFORCEMENT BENEFITS TO BE RESTORED. SO WHAT I'M CURIOUS ABOUT, AND I WOULD LIKE TO UNDERSTAND FROM COUNCIL, THERE WERE COMMENTS MADE THAT SAID THAT THE PRIORITIES COMMUNICATED HAD NOT BEEN ACCOUNTED FOR. AND SO I'M ASKING MY COLLEAGUES, WHAT ARE THOSE REMAINING ITEMS THAT HAVE NOT BEEN ACCOUNTED FOR? BECAUSE EVEN IF WE MOVE THIS TO WORK SESSION, WE HAVE TO GIVE SOME DIRECTIVE. WE HAVE TO DO SOMETHING OR WILL BE AT THE SAME POINT A WEEK FROM NOW AND A WEEK AFTER THAT. SO I'M ASKING WHAT'S MISSING WITH THIS PROPOSED AMENDMENT? OKAY, OKAY. GO AHEAD, COUNCILWOMAN MARTIN.

YEAH. AND I HEAR YOU, BUT I THINK THE MAIN THING THAT IS MISSING IS THE JUNE 15TH DIRECTIVE THAT WAS GIVEN TO THE CITY MANAGER. WHY DON'T WE START THERE? WHY DON'T WE START THERE WITH WHAT WAS ASKED OF THIS COUNCIL UNANIMOUSLY IN REFERENCE TO THIS BUDGET? I MEAN, I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY WE ARE NEGATING THE FACT THAT COUNCIL MADE A UNANIMOUS DECISION AND WE ARE NOT FAR. WELL, YOU'RE NOT HOLDING THE CITY MANAGER ACCOUNTABLE. SO THERE'S THAT ONE PIECE. THERE'S MY ISSUE WITH IT TO BEGIN WITH. NUMBER ONE, WE HAD A UNANIMOUS VOTE TAKEN IN THAT WAS NOT FOLLOWED. NUMBER TWO, I'VE HEARD COUNCIL COLLEAGUES SAY THAT THERE IS A DESIRE FOR MORE COLLABORATION, AND I THINK THAT IT IS INSENSITIVE TO CONTINUE GOING ON ABOUT THIS ON THE RECORD. THEY HAVE THINGS THAT THEY WANT TO PUT IN THIS BUDGET ON THE RECORD FOR THEIR OWN EDIFICATION. THERE'S ALSO A MEETING THAT IS GOING TO BE HELD ON THURSDAY, A COMMUNITY MEETING FOR ADDITIONAL INPUT. SO THE LEAST THAT THIS COUNCIL CAN DO IS GIVE THOSE COUNCIL MEMBERS THE OPPORTUNITY TO MEET WITH THEIR CONSTITUENTS AND GET ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS ASKED. THE OTHER ISSUE IS THIS THERE HAVE BEEN COUNTLESS REQUESTS MADE FOR A WORK SESSION. A WORK SESSION IS IN WHAT? TODAY IS MONDAY. WE HAVE ABOUT FOUR DAYS, FIVE DAYS FOR THE NEXT WORK SESSION. WHAT IS THE ISSUE IF THIS INFORMATION THAT IS PRESENTED HERE GOES INTO THAT BUDGET AND WE HAVE A HARD DOCUMENT, THEN THAT IS FINE, BUT WE DON'T HAVE ANYTHING. WE HAVE A CITY MANAGER THAT DOES NOT FOLLOW DIRECTIVES, AND YOU WANT TO PASS OFF $200 MILLION SIGHT UNSEEN BASED UPON AMENDMENTS. AMENDMENTS. I WOULD LIKE TO ADD THAT WE'VE NEVER GOTTEN ONE HIS ENTIRE TIME, THAT HE'S BEEN HERE TO AMEND THE BUDGET FOR THE PROPOSED $27 MILLION DEFICIT. SO IT'S A DEFINITE NO FOR ME. SO WHAT I WILL ASK OF THIS COUNCIL IS THAT THIS BE MOVED TO A WORK SESSION, LIKE I HAVE HEARD 3 OR

[02:50:04]

4 TIMES ON THIS COUNCIL, AND MR. JONES COMES BACK WITH WHAT WAS ASKED OF HIM ON JUNE 15TH.

NO ONE IS DISCUSSING THAT, BUT IT'S A PUSH FOR THIS BUDGET. BUT NO ONE HAS SAID, HEY, WAIT A MINUTE, WHY DON'T WE GET THE ITEMIZATION THAT WAS ASKED? JUNE 15TH. MADAM CITY CLERK, CAN YOU ALSO READ THE STATE LAW AS IT RELATES TO THE BUDGET? DO YOU HAVE THE STATE LAW? YOU SENT IT TO US IN AN EMAIL. CAN YOU READ THAT FOR THE RECORD? LIKE WE CAN VERY EASILY MOVE ON FROM THIS IF THERE IS CONSIDERATION FOR OTHER COUNCIL MEMBERS, THERE DOESN'T SEEM TO BE A CONSIDERATION. SO. CAN YOU READ THE STATE LAW? I'M SORRY, I THINK I ASKED YOU THAT. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU.

ARE YOU. TO THE LAW ABOUT THE MONTH TO MONTH? YES. THAT'S OUR CITY.

THAT'S CITY CODE. NO, THERE WAS A STATE LAW, MADAM CITY CLERK, THAT YOU EMAILED TO US IN REGARDS TO THE BUDGET. I'LL SAY THAT, YES, BUT I'LL YIELD IT. I'LL YIELD IT THIS TIME. I WILL LOCATE IT FOR YOU. IF YOU GUYS WANT TO CONTINUE THE CONVERSATION. I'LL LET YOU KNOW ONCE I FIND IT. I FINISHED, THANK YOU. OKAY. IT SEEMS LIKE WE HAVE SOME MORE DISCUSSION FROM COUNCILMAN ATKINS, AND THEN WE CAN MOVE ON AFTER HE'S HAD HIS DISCUSSION TO THE NEXT ITEM. GO AHEAD. YES. THANK YOU, MADAM MAYOR. I WOULD JUST LIKE TO SAY THAT IN TERMS OF COLLABORATION, WHAT WAS PRESENTED THIS EVENING THAT I READ IN TERMS OF REPROGRAMING OF DOLLARS AND MAKING SURE THAT WE FOUND IN THE BUDGET WHERE WE WOULD BE ABLE TO CUT TO COVER THE THINGS THAT WANTED TO BE ADDED, THAT THESE WERE NOT COUNCILMAN ATKINS ONLY CONSIDERATIONS THAT I DID COLLABORATE WITH COLLEAGUES, COLLEAGUES REACHED OUT. WE HAD CONVERSATIONS. COUNCILMAN MITCHELL, YOU DID STATE THAT MY COLLEAGUES CONCERNS SHOULD NOT BE DISMISSED. I HOPE THAT MY COMMENTS AND THE PRESENTATION HAVE NOT BEEN PRESENTED IN SUCH A WAY THAT YOU WOULD FEEL THAT I'M DISMISSING, BECAUSE I LITERALLY HAVE BEEN ON THE PHONE WITH COLLEAGUES ALL DAY TODAY, WHICH IS REPRESENTED IN THIS DOCUMENT. SO MY INTENT IS NOT TO DISMISS ANYONE. IT WAS REALLY TO MAKE SURE THAT WE WERE TO BE ABLE TO BRING THE THINGS THAT PEOPLE SAID THEY WOULD LIKE TO SEE AND BRING THAT BEFORE THIS BODY. SO TO CHARACTERIZE THE PRESENTATION OR THE IDEA OF THE DISCUSSION AS A DISMISSAL, I JUST WANTED TO STATE FOR THE RECORD THAT THAT IS NOT MY INTENT. MY INTENT WAS TO LISTEN TO COLLEAGUES. I STATED THAT I HAD A MEETING WITH COUNCIL MEMBER CALDWELL LAST WEEK. SHE REACHED OUT. COUNCIL MEMBER CUMMINGS HAS REACHED OUT. OTHER COUNCIL MEMBERS HAVE REACHED OUT, AND I TRIED TO DO MY VERY BEST TO CONSOLIDATE THOSE THINGS AND PUT THEM IN THIS DOCUMENT. I DON'T KNOW WHAT ELSE OR WHERE ELSE WE WOULD GET THE DOLLARS, AND PERFECTLY FINE WITH MAKING A MOTION TO WAIVE THE FIRST READ. AND WE CAN TAKE A VOTE OR YEAH, WE CAN TAKE A VOTE ON IT.

I WAS THERE FOR DISCUSSION. COUNCILWOMAN CALDWELL. I WAS IN FOR DISCUSSION BEFORE THIS MOTION. IF I COULD. WELL, NOW THERE'S A MOTION. THERE WAS A SECOND. NOW WE CAN HAVE DISCUSSION. OKAY. ON THE FIRST READING. I CALL FOR THE QUESTION, MADAM MAYOR. GO AHEAD.

WHAT WAS IT? WHERE IS IT? THE QUESTION IS ALL THOSE IN FAVOR TO WAIVE THE FIRST READING OF THE BUDGET? RIGHT. THERE WAS A THERE WAS A QUESTION. IF YOU'RE IN FAVOR OF WAIVING THE READING OF THE FIRST BUDGET, AND THERE WAS A MOTION, THERE WAS A. THE CALLING FOR THE QUESTION IS NOT AUTOMATIC, RIGHT? IF YOU HAVE SOMEONE IN FOR DISCUSSION JUST BECAUSE THERE'S AN ASK FOR CALL FOR THE QUESTION. THE RULES SAY THAT YOU HAVE TO GET A VOTE TO CALL FOR THE QUESTION. IF SOMEBODY DOESN'T WANT TO VOTE YET, THAT'S WHAT ROBERT'S RULES OF ORDER SAYS. YEAH. OKAY. GO AHEAD. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR? SHE SAID YOU HAD TO YOU HAD TO MAKE A VOTE TO CALL FOR THE DISCUSSION. CALL FOR THE THAT SHE SAID THAT IT'S NOT AUTOMATIC POINT OF INFORMATION,

[02:55:03]

MADAM MAYOR, POINT OF INFORMATION FROM THE CITY ATTORNEY. COULD YOU PLEASE REPEAT WHAT YOU JUST SAID, PLEASE? MADAM CITY ATTORNEY, A CALL FOR THE QUESTION IS NOT AUTOMATIC. THE PERSON CALLING FOR THE QUESTION IS ONLY SUGGESTING. SUGGESTING THAT THEY WANT TO STOP THE DEBATE AND GO TO THE VOTE. BUT IF THERE ARE PEOPLE IN RIGHT TO CALL FOR THE QUESTION REQUIRES A SECOND AND THEN A VOTE ON WHETHER OR NOT TO CALL FOR THE QUESTION. IF THAT DOESN'T PASS, THEN YOU CAN CALL FOR THE QUESTION. IF IT DOES, THEN YOU GO TO THE DISCUSSION THAT SOMEONE MAY HAVE HAD DESPITE THE CALL FOR THE QUESTION, OKAY, IS THERE A SECOND FOR THE MOTION TO CALL FOR THE QUESTION? POINT OF INFORMATION, MADAM MAYOR. YES, MADAM CITY ATTORNEY, THE MOTION ON THE FLOOR WAS TO WAIVE THE FIRST READING. THERE WAS A SECOND. THAT'S RIGHT. SO AT THAT POINT, THERE WAS NOT A CALL FOR DISCUSSION. AND SO AT THAT POINT, DO WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE CALL FOR DISCUSSION ON THAT MOTION? YES.

SO THERE WAS NEVER A CALL FOR DISCUSSION. THERE SHOULD BE DISCUSSION ON THE MOTION TO WAIVE THE FIRST READING. CORRECT. THAT'S WHAT YOU STARTED TO DO WHEN SHE STARTED DOING. COUNCILWOMAN CALDWELL STARTED HER DISCUSSION ON THE WE ON THE MOTION TO WAIVE THE FIRST READING. CORRECT. SECOND MOST DISCUSSION WAS SOMETHING ELSE. WELL, WE WERE JUST TALKING ABOUT BEFORE BEFORE I WAS EVEN COUNCILMEMBER ADAMS, HE JUST WENT FIRST BEFORE ME.

BUT MY LIGHT WAS ON BEFORE HE MADE THE QUESTION. RESPECTFULLY, MADAM MAYOR, ALL THE DISCUSSION THAT WAS HAD WAS JUST HAD. THERE WAS NO MOTION EVER ON THE FLOOR TO HAVE THAT MOTION, TO HAVE THE DISCUSSION IN THE FIRST PLACE. RIGHT NOW THERE'S AN ACCURATE THERE'S A MOTION ON THE FLOOR. THERE IS A SECOND TO THAT MOTION. SO YOU CAN PROPERLY GO IN DISCUSSION AND HEAR FROM YOUR COUNCIL THAT WANT TO SPEAK. GO AHEAD. I DON'T KNOW IF THIS IS ALIGNED WITH THE MOTION, BUT I WILL SAY WHAT I WHAT I WAS GOING TO SAY IS I WOULD HAVE AN APPETITE FOR LOOKING AT WHAT IS NOT LISTED HERE. IF THERE ARE ANY THINGS I KNOW, THERE'S SOME THINGS THAT I COULD GIVE UP AS FAR AS MONEY IN THE BUDGET SO THAT WE COULD ACCOMMODATE WHAT IS NEEDED. I DO THINK THAT THINGS THAT WE MAY REQUEST ARE GOING TO BE SMALL IN NATURE. WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO SEE, THOUGH NOT A VOTE ON THE BUDGET, BUT A REVISED VERSION OF OUR ASK FROM TONIGHT THAT COULD BE PREPARED FOR A MAYBE A SPECIAL CALL MEETING BEFORE THE WORK SESSION IN WHICH WE COULD VOTE ON WHAT WE'VE HAD SOME CONSENSUS AROUND. THAT WAS JUST THAT. WAS IT? EXCUSE ME, MADAM MAYOR. COUNCILMEMBER ZIEGLER HAS HER HAND UP. COUNCILWOMAN ZIEGLER.

YES, MA'AM. YES. THANK YOU. AND AFTER LISTENING TO MY COUNCIL COLLEAGUES. I WOULD JUST LIKE TO OFFER THAT. I'M NOT REALLY SURE WHAT SEEING ANOTHER ITERATION OF THE BUDGET IS GOING TO DO. I KNOW THAT, YOU KNOW, WE CAN CERTAINLY TAKE A VOTE WITH AMENDMENTS, AND THAT WILL THAT IS LAW AND THAT WE DON'T NEED TO SOMEHOW WAIT FOR ANOTHER ANOTHER SPECIAL CALLED MEETING WHERE WE GET ANOTHER BOOK THAT SHOWS THESE AMENDMENTS THAT MAY OR MAY NOT HAPPEN. SO I, I AM STILL WANTING TO JUST VOTE ON THIS TONIGHT. I DON'T SEE ANY REASON TO DELAY THIS VOTE ANY LONGER. I'M NOT SURE WHY THERE IS A COMMUNITY MEETING ON THURSDAY WHEN THERE'S BEEN MONTHS AND MONTHS ALREADY, TO SOURCE RESIDENT OPINIONS ON WHAT THEY WANT TO SEE IN THE BUDGET, AND I THINK THAT IT'S UNFAIR TO BOTH THE RESIDENTS AND STAFF AND US TO FURTHER DELAY THIS VOTE. WE WE NEED TO TAKE THIS SERIOUSLY AND AND AND JUST PASS A BUDGET. I MEAN, FOR AS MUCH, YOU KNOW, AS PEOPLE LOVE TO SAY THAT WE'RE BEHIND IN OUR AUDITS

[03:00:05]

AND THAT WE'RE BEHIND IN THIS AND THAT, I MEAN, BEING BEHIND AND PASSING A BUDGET IS A BIG DEAL. AND IT'S NOT A GOOD LOOK FOR ANYBODY, ESPECIALLY FOR OUR CITY THAT ALREADY HAS BEEN HAVING ISSUES WITH, YOU KNOW, GETTING THINGS DONE IN A TIMELY MANNER. AND I THINK THAT THE ONLY PEOPLE THAT WE CAN LOOK TO, TO BLAME IS OURSELVES ON THIS DAIS AS IT STARTS FROM THE TOP.

THANK YOU. COUNCILMAN MITCHELL. I WAS GOING TO ASK IF EVERYONE IS DONE. CAN WE CALL THE QUESTION, PLEASE? I WAS JUST CHECKING. ARE WE STILL DOING ROUNDS OR. I STILL WOULD LOVE TO MOVE THIS TO WORK. SO, MADAM CITY ATTORNEY, IF WE DON'T WAIVE THE FIRST READING. HOW WOULD THAT WORK? WOULD IT AUTOMATICALLY GO TO THE NEXT MEETING? RIGHT. SO IT WOULD GO TO OUR NEXT MEETING, RIGHT? OKAY. WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THIS HOUR. THIS IS IRRITATING. CAN WE JUST MAKE A DECISION? IT'S NOT GOING TO PASS. NOT. THANK YOU. I MEAN, WHAT IS THE WHAT IS COUNCIL? WHAT IS THE APPETITE FOR DISCUSSION OR WHAT IS WHAT IS IT THAT COUNCIL WOULD LIKE TO DO? WE'D LIKE TO MOVE TO THE NEXT AGENDA ITEM. THERE'S A MOTION ON THE FLOOR TO WAIVE THE FIRST READING. WE WOULD HAVE TO CALL THAT QUESTION TO VOTE IT UP OR DOWN.

SO LET'S VOTE. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR? OH I'M SORRY. MY I'M SORRY. MY. THIS IS THE LAST THING I'LL SAY ON THIS ITEM. ONE OF MY PRIMARY CONCERNS IS A CONFLATION BETWEEN HR ACCOUNTABILITY AND HOLDING UP A BUDGET FOR OVER 600 STAFF AND 38,000 RESIDENTS. THERE HAVE BEEN SEVERAL COMMENTS MADE THAT SUGGESTED THAT THIS BODY HAS NOT ACTED TO HOLD ONE PERSON ACCOUNTABLE. BUT WHAT COUNCIL HAS NOT DESCRIBED TO YOU IS WHERE WE ARE IN THE PERFORMANCE REVIEW PROCESS. YOU CAN WATCH THE HR COMMITTEE MEETINGS THAT DID NOT CONVENE AS THEY WERE SUPPOSED TO THIS MONTH. YOU CAN GO BACK AND WATCH MOTIONS MADE AFTER EXECUTIVE SESSION. SO TO CONFLATE THE BUDGET AS IF THIS BUDGET SOMEHOW PERSONALLY BENEFITS A SINGLE PERSON IS IMMATURE AND IN RESPONSIBLE. I AM VERY, VERY CONCERNED ABOUT OUR ABILITY TO GET FEDERAL AND STATE DOLLARS THAT ARE WAITING TO BE PRESENTED TO US AS EARLY AS THIS WEEK. SO THIS IS NOT AN OPPORTUNITY TO DISMISS ANYBODY. IF A MOTION HAS BEEN MADE AND HAS NOT BEEN FOLLOWED, WE HAVE HR PROCESSES TO ADMINISTER THAT. SO CONFLATING THE BUDGET AND COUNCIL ON THIS DAIS, NOT TAKING ACCOUNTABILITY FOR LACK OF ACTION, AND NOT BEING HONEST AND FORTHRIGHT ABOUT THE ACTIONS THAT HAVE NOT HAPPENED IS VERY, VERY CONCERNING TO ME. THIS IS NOT ABOUT THE CITY MANAGER. THIS IS ABOUT 600 PLUS STAFF. THIS IS ABOUT 38,000 RESIDENTS WHO ARE WAITING FOR DELIVERY OF SERVICES. SO I UNDERSTAND THAT THERE'S NOT AN APPETITE, BUT I WOULD ALSO ASK WHAT IS MISSING FROM OR WHAT'S MISSING FROM THE CONVERSATION IS A CONFLATION OF TWO DIFFERENT ISSUES. AND THAT'S NOT FAIR TO THE COMMUNITY THAT IS EXPECTING SERVICES TO BE DELIVERED. AND TO MAKE IT SEEM LIKE THIS IS IMMATERIAL. IF IT IS IMMATERIAL, STATE LAW WOULD NOT SUGGEST THAT YOU NEED A BUDGET TO OPERATE IN A NEW FISCAL YEAR. IF THAT WAS THE CASE, WE WOULD JUST WILLY NILLY NOT PASS A BUDGET. IT'S THE MOST IMPORTANT DOCUMENT OF THE CITY. SO IF THE ANIMUS IS ABOUT A PERSON, I AM VERY, VERY CONCERNED ABOUT THE DECISION MAKING AND THE DECISIVENESS OF THIS BODY TO DO THE WORK OF THE PEOPLE. SO, COLLEAGUES, IF YOU DON'T HAVE AN APPETITE, THAT'S FAIR. BUT MY CONCERN IS SIMPLY THIS WHEN WILL WE VOTE? THERE'S BEEN A RECOMMENDATION FOR IT TO MOVE TO WORK SESSION. WHAT IS GOING TO HAPPEN BETWEEN NOW AND WORK SESSION? THERE'S BEEN A RECOMMENDATION FOR A SPECIAL CALLED MEETING. DO THE WORK OF THE PEOPLE OR DON'T, BUT STOP PRETENDING LIKE THERE ARE NOT PROCESSES TO HOLD THE CITY MANAGER ACCOUNTABLE. OKAY. COUNCILWOMAN MARTIN ROGERS YES. AND TALK ABOUT FAIR, I LOVE IT.

WHAT'S NOT FAIR IS THAT A MOTION WAS MADE UNANIMOUSLY FOR THE CITY MANAGER TO COME BACK WITH WHAT WE NEEDED IN ORDER TO PASS A BUDGET FILLED WITH ACCOUNTABILITY AND TRANSPARENCY, AND IT IS NOT HAPPEN. AND THEN AT THE 11TH HOUR, WE'RE PRESENTED WITH A DOCUMENT, AND

[03:05:06]

LET'S GO AHEAD AND PASS IT. WE CAN MAKE BUDGET AMENDMENTS AT A LATER TIME. NO, NO, THE BUDGET DOCUMENT IS THE MOST IMPORTANT DOCUMENT OF THE CITY, AND YOU KNOW WHOSE JOB IT IS TO PREPARE IT. THE CITY MANAGER. SO LET'S TALK ABOUT ACCOUNTABILITY, ACCOUNTABILITY, ACCOUNTABILITY.

ACCOUNTABILITY STARTS WITH THIS COUNCIL HOLDING THE CITY MANAGER ACCOUNTABLE FOR WHEN HE'S PROVIDED A DIRECTIVE. HE SHOULD DO IT. THAT'S IT, THAT'S IT. THAT'S THE BOTTOM LINE. SO YOU CAN SIT AND PONTIFICATE ALL YOU WANT TO. THERE'S A MATTER OF PUBLIC RECORD. IN FACT, IT'S BEEN FOUR DIRECTORS PROVIDED TO THE CITY MANAGER THAT HE HAS NOT. EXCUSE ME. I'M TALKING, I'M TALKING. I HEAR NOISE AT THE. THANK YOU. YES, I HAVE THE FLOOR. I HAVE THE FLOOR. THANK YOU. SO WHILE WE'RE TALKING ABOUT FAIRNESS, WHILE WE'RE TALKING ABOUT TRANSPARENCY, LET'S TALK ABOUT IT. BUT BE REAL. HE HASN'T DONE WHAT HE'S SUPPOSED TO DO. BUT YOU WANT US TO PASS A BUDGET SIGHT UNSEEN? NO. I REPORT TO THE RESIDENTS OF THIS CITY, NOT THE CITY MANAGER. THANK YOU. AND I'LL YIELD. MADAM MAYOR, MAY I HAVE THE FLOOR? YES. COUNCILMAN.

DOES ANYONE WANT TO YIELD THEIR TIME TO THE CITY? MANAGER CAN SPEAK. DO YOU? COUNCILMAN, THIS IS REALLY QUICK. I'LL BE QUICK. AND THEN, COUNCILMAN ATKINS, BECAUSE WE TALKED ABOUT CONFLATION OF ISSUES. YOU AT LIKE SIX DAYS, EXTENSIVE STAFF WILL BE PAID. NOTHING WHICH MEANS LITERALLY, WE'RE NOT GOING TO BUILD CONSTRUCTION AND AND PLANS. THE CITY WILL NOT BURN DOWN BECAUSE WE WANT TO TAKE AND HAVE CONSIDERATION FOR YOUR COLLEAGUES. AND THIS CONFLATION. EVERYONE HERE, WE DON'T HAVE TO PASS THE BUDGET IF WE'RE NOT PREPARED, IF WE DON'T HAVE INFORMATION, WE WANT TO MAKE INFORMED DECISIONS. THAT'S ALL WE WANT TO DO. WHY? WHY DO YOU EVEN LOOK AT THE BUDGET? WE'RE JUST GOING TO PASS IT WITHOUT CONSIDERATION, WITHOUT THE INFORMATION. IT'S NOT GOING TO HARM ANYTHING. CITIES HAVE DONE. WE WENT ONE YEAR. THEY DIDN'T PASS THE BUDGET TO NOVEMBER. I'M NOT SAYING THAT WE DO THAT, BUT IT'S BEING SUGGESTED THAT WE TAKE AN EXTRA WEEK. WE GET INPUT FROM OTHER PEOPLE WHO HAVE BEEN ELECTED. ARE WE HAVING A MEETING ON THURSDAY BECAUSE WE WANT TO HEAR FROM OUR CONSTITUENTS? WE WANT TO HEAR FROM OUR SENIORS. WE JUST CAN'T DISREGARD THEM. BECAUSE YOU WANT TO PASS A BUDGET, TO PASS A BUDGET. THAT'S SHOULD NOT BE HOW THIS WORKS. THEY LISTEN TO PEOPLE WHO WHO ARE NOT IN THIS POSITION, JUST PASS THE BUDGET. WE WILL BE OKAY.

THE MORE INPUT WE HAVE FROM EVERYBODY, THE MORE WELL-ROUNDED AND WELL THOUGHT OUT THIS WILL BE. EVERYBODY UP HERE BRINGS THEIR OWN EXPERIENCES, HAVE THEIR OWN SUGGESTIONS. AND THAT SHOULD BE REFLECTED IN A WELL BALANCED BUDGET. IT'S NOT JUST 1 OR 2 PEOPLE TRYING TO PUT SOMETHING THROUGH. LIKE I SAID, ONCE AGAIN, I APPRECIATE THE WORK THAT COUNCILMAN ATKINS PUT INTO THIS, BUT THAT'S NOT FAIR TO EVERYBODY ELSE. THAT'S NOT FAIR TO THEIR CONSTITUENTS. ALL WE'RE ASKING FOR IS A WEEK WE CAN COLLABORATE WITHIN THAT WEEK. I MEAN, THIS IS GOOD. MAYBE WE ALL BECAUSE I'M PRETTY SURE WE ALL HAVE A SPREADSHEET.

IF WE CAN ALL PUT TOGETHER THE SPREADSHEET LIKE COUNCILMAN ATKINS, HAVE A CONVERSATION AT A WORK SESSION AND ASKED TO COME TO A REAL CONSENSUS ON THIS, I BELIEVE EVERYBODY WILL FEEL BETTER ABOUT THIS. BUT JUST TO GIVE US SOMETHING TEN MINUTES, 20 MINUTES AGO AND ASK US TO PASS IT WITHOUT EVEN CONSIDER, I MEAN, OKAY, SOME CONSIDERATION, BUT THERE'S DEFINITELY THINGS IN HERE THAT I WANT TO SEE, AND I'M HEARING THINGS THAT OTHER COUNCIL MEMBERS ARE NOT WANTING TO SEE IN HERE ALSO. THEY MIGHT WANT TO SEE CONSTITUENT SERVICES, SENIOR SERVICES MORE THAN, YOU KNOW, THERE'S A LOT OF THINGS THAT NEED TO BE INCORPORATED INTO THIS WITHOUT US HAVING TO GO BACK AND AMEND IT. NO, IT'S FINE, AND INSTEAD OF US SITTING ABOUT THIS AND ARGUING ABOUT IT ALL NIGHT, THIS IS THIS IS NOT GOING TO PASS TONIGHT. AND CAN

[03:10:03]

WE PLEASE MOVE ON FROM THIS? AND HAVE SOME CONSIDERATION? THANK YOU. WE HAVE COUNCILMAN ATKINS, AND THEN COUNCILWOMAN ZIEGLER IS. ON. MADAM MAYOR, FIRST TO THE CITY MANAGER. I THINK THAT HE WANTED TO GET IN AND SAY A FEW WORDS. THANK YOU. I WANTED TO SHARE. I THINK WE'RE AND MAYBE THIS IS THE OPTION. GOING BACK TO SOMETHING I MENTIONED BEFORE, PASSING THE BUDGET WITH A MANDATORY THAT WE'LL HAVE AN AMENDMENT IN A MONTH. THE REASON I SAY THAT IS BECAUSE WE'RE IN AMENDMENT TERRITORY. ANYWAY. OUR FISCAL YEAR IS BEING EXTENDED AN ADDITIONAL MONTH, AND 2027 IS BEING SHORTENED A MONTH. AND SO THE NUMBERS AND THE BUDGET WAS BASED AROUND A 12 MONTH FISCAL YEAR. WHERE ARE WE GOING NOW IS GOING TO CHANGE THAT NO MATTER WHAT WE DO, EVEN IF WE SAY APPROVE IT MID MONTH OR NEXT WEEK OR THE WEEK AFTER, THAT'S A THAT'S SIGNIFICANT ENOUGH TO HAVE TO HAVE A BUDGET AMENDMENT ANYWAY. SO MY RECOMMENDATION WOULD BE TO PASS THE BUDGET AS IS WITH A MANDATORY AMENDMENT TO COME BACK BEFORE COUNCIL IN 30 DAYS. YES. THANK YOU, MADAM MAYOR. THE THING THAT I'LL SAY IS THAT I WAS HERE, MY COLLEAGUE, COUNCIL MEMBER MARTIN ROGERS, ABOUT HAVING THE CITY MANAGER TO GO BACK TO PUT THE THINGS IN THAT THIS BODY HAS ASKED FOR SO THAT IT'S REFLECTIVE IN THE BUDGET.

HOWEVER, THE REASON THAT THE CITY MANAGER HAS GIVEN US HIS PROPOSED BUDGET, IT IS FOR US TO COLLABORATE AND TO COME TO A CONSENSUS BECAUSE HE CANNOT JUST CREATE REVENUE. SO IF WE WANT TO ADD 10,000 THINGS, TEN THINGS, 20 THINGS, WHATEVER THOSE THINGS MAY BE, HE HAS GOT TO HAVE THE REVENUE TO BE ABLE TO COVER THOSE THINGS. AND WHEN HE THEN STARTS TO GO THROUGH THE BUDGET TO CUT HERE TO MAKE SURE HE ADDS THOSE THINGS, THEN SOMEONE IS GOING TO BE UPSET BECAUSE HE TOOK THE MONEY FROM SOMEWHERE THAT THEY DID NOT WANT HIM TO TAKE THE DOLLARS FROM. THAT IS WHY IT'S INCUMBENT UPON US TO DECIDE WHAT THINGS WE WANT TO INCLUDE IN THE BUDGET, SO THAT WE CAN AMEND THE BUDGET AND THEN ALSO DECIDE WHERE THOSE DOLLARS WOULD COME FROM. COUNCIL MEMBER MITCHELL. I AM 1,000% OKAY WITH ANY AMENDMENT. WE DON'T HAVE TO PASS THIS. IF THERE ARE THINGS THAT COUNCIL MEMBER WOULD LIKE TO SEE IN THE BUDGET, BY ALL MEANS, LET'S DISCUSS IT. LET'S PUT IT HERE AND THEN DECIDE WHERE IT'S GOING TO COME FROM, TO BE ABLE TO CUT IT SO THAT WE CAN GET A BUDGET PASSED. AND SO THE CITY MANAGER AND ALL THE CITY EMPLOYEES CAN MOVE FORWARD WITH EXECUTING ON THE SERVICES FOR THE FY 27 FISCAL YEAR, I YIELD. COUNCILWOMAN ZIEGLER. YES. THANK YOU. SO I'M JUST SITTING HERE LISTENING TO MY COLLEAGUES DEBATE BACK AND FORTH. AND I JUST WANT TO REITERATE A FEW THINGS. NUMBER ONE, THERE HAVE BEEN NO SECRET MEETINGS. THE CITY MANAGER HAS OFFERED EACH AND EVERY ONE OF US INDIVIDUAL MEETINGS TO MAKE SURE THAT THAT OUR VOICES WERE HEARD AND THAT WE COULD PUT INTO PLACE IN THIS BUDGET WHAT WE WANTED. IF YOU DECIDED NOT TO PARTICIPATE IN THAT, THAT IS ON YOU. AND I HAVE NOT HEARD ANYTHING ADDITIONAL FROM MY COUNCIL COLLEAGUES SO FAR TONIGHT THAT HAS NOT BEEN PUT IN THE AMENDMENTS THAT COUNCILMAN ATKINS HAS DRAFTED.

SO IF THERE IS NOTHING ELSE TO ADD TO THESE AMENDMENTS, THEN I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE PURPOSE OF OF DELAYING THIS BUDGET FURTHER WOULD BE. THE NEXT THING IS THAT, YOU KNOW, I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY WE'RE STILL SOURCING OPINIONS FROM RESIDENTS AND OTHER CONSTITUENTS THAT THAT HAS PASSED. WE ARE ON JULY 6TH, YOU KNOW, AND I, I JUST CAN'T BELIEVE THAT WE'RE STILL DOING THAT. YOU KNOW, THAT THAT THAT BOAT HAS SAILED. AND I MEAN, WE THERE HAS TO BE A TIME WHEN WE HAVE TO END THAT SO THAT WE CAN PASS THIS BUDGET AND MOVE ON SAYING THAT WE THAT THERE'S STILL, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE THAT HAVEN'T BEEN HEARD. WELL, IF THAT'S THE CASE, THEN THE COUNCIL REPRESENTATIVES FROM THAT WARD DID NOT DO THEIR DUE DILIGENCE EARLY ENOUGH IN THIS PROCESS TO MAKE SURE THAT THAT HAPPENED. AND, YOU KNOW, IT

[03:15:01]

SUCKS THAT THAT THAT HAS HAPPENED NOW. BUT I MEAN, WE WE AS COUNCIL HAVE TO COME PREPARED TO, TO THESE MEETINGS. AND I AM VERY FRUSTRATED THAT IT HAS COME DOWN TO THIS WHERE, WHERE OUR RESIDENTS AND OUR STAFF ARE BEING, YOU KNOW, SUBJECTED TO NOT HAVING THIS BUDGET PASSED. IT SEEMS LIKE SIMPLY BECAUSE THEIR COUNCIL MEMBERS ON THIS DAIS HAVE NOT DONE THEIR DUE DILIGENCE TO MAKE SURE THAT THE RESIDENTS VOICES HAVE BEEN HEARD. AND THAT THAT THAT REALLY SUCKS FOR EVERYBODY. AND SO AGAIN, WE NEED TO PASS THIS BUDGET TONIGHT. WE HAVE GRANTS THAT ARE ON THE LINE. WE WE HAVE PROJECTS THAT NEED TO BE THAT NEED TO GET STARTED. I KNOW THAT MY RESIDENTS IN MY WARD ARE VERY EAGER AND CHOMPING AT THE BIT FOR A LOT OF THE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS THAT ARE BUDGETED TO TAKE PLACE BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, OUR LEGACY RESIDENTS HAVE BEEN HERE FOR A VERY LONG TIME AND THEY WANT NICE THINGS, TOO. AND THERE'S THE ONLY WAY TO GET THESE PROJECTS STARTED IS TO GET THIS BUDGET PASSED.

SO PLEASE, LET'S TAKE THIS JOB SERIOUSLY AND GET THIS AND GET THIS BUDGET PASSED TONIGHT.

THANK YOU. ALRIGHT, COUNCILWOMAN CALDWELL. THANK YOU. I'M NOT SURE HOW. AND THIS MAY BE TO COUNCIL MEMBER ATKINS TO ADD THIS TO THE SPREADSHEET. WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO REMOVE FROM MY BUDGET IS THE ADDITIONAL FUNDING FROM PREVIOUS COUNCIL. ALL OF THE INSURANCE MEDICARE DEFINED BENEFIT WORKER'S COMPENSATION TOTALING $14,997. I ALSO MENTIONED EARLIER THAT CUSTOMER CARE TRAINING, THE 911 NUMBERS, REVENUE OR FINANCIAL NUMBERS, THEY DON'T THEY'RE NOT THEY'RE NON-EXISTENT IN THE BUDGET. IT'S A DUPLICATE OF CODE ENFORCEMENT TWICE. SO THERE AREN'T ANY NUMBERS FOR US TO EVEN LOOK AT THAT DEPARTMENT AND DETERMINE IF THEY HAD TRAINING IN EDUCATION, IF THEY REQUESTED ANY TRAINING IN EDUCATION. AND SO NOT ONLY DO WE NEED TO KIND OF COME TO A CONSENSUS AROUND THINGS, BUT WE STILL NEED INFORMATION FROM THE CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE SO WE KNOW WHAT WE'RE TAKING OUT AND PUTTING BACK IN. THAT'S JUST ONE CHANGE THAT I CAN SUGGEST TO MAKE TONIGHT. I STILL WANT TO SEE A REVISED BUDGET. I THINK THAT THIS ISN'T JUST FOR US, BUT IT IS ALSO FOR RESIDENTS. WHEN WE ADOPT OR APPROVE A BUDGET, THEY SHOULD HAVE ACCESS TO WHAT WE ADOPTED OR APPROVED. THEY SHOULD NOT BE LOOKING AT A BUDGET THAT HAS ILLEGAL SALARIES IN IT. THEY SHOULDN'T BE LOOKING AT A BUDGET THAT DOESN'T EVEN HAVE DEPARTMENT FINANCIAL INFORMATION. THEY SHOULDN'T BE LOOKING AT A BUDGET THAT HAS AN IMBALANCE ELECTRIC FUND BY $6 MILLION, THAT THEY SHOULDN'T LOOK AT THAT. AND TO SAY THAT IT WOULD TAKE 30 DAYS FOR THEM TO GET A COPY OF WHAT THE BUDGET LOOKS LIKE, THE MOST IMPORTANT DOCUMENT THAT WE WOULD APPROVE IN THIS CITY. IT'S UNACCEPTABLE. I WANT TO SEE THE REVISED BUDGET. I'M WILLING TO HAVE THE DISCUSSION AROUND WHAT THIS WHAT COUNCIL MEMBER ATKINS, WHAT CAN BE ADDED TO COUNCIL MEMBER ATKINS DOCUMENT. BUT I WANT TO SEE THE REVISED VERSION OF THIS. SO THE NEXT MEETING WE CAN ACTUALLY APPROVE A DOCUMENT. HOW YOU. ALL RIGHT, COUNCILWOMAN MARTIN ROGERS. ALL RIGHT. AND THIS IS IT FOR ME TO. THE CURRENT BUDGET CONTAINS AN ILLEGAL SALARY INCREASE FOR MAYOR AND COUNCIL MEMBERS THAT VIOLATE STATE LAW. IF HE'S NOT REQUIRED TO CHANGE IT BEFORE THE BUDGET IS ADOPTED, HE MOST LIKELY WON'T EVEN CHANGE IT. SO I NEEDED TO GO ON RECORD WITH THAT, THAT THERE ARE ILLEGAL SALARIES IN THE BUDGET. SO THERE'S ANOTHER REASON WHY WE NEED TO HAVE A BROADER CONVERSATION. BUT AT ANY RATE, IF WE CAN, MADAM MAYOR, SOMEONE SAID MOVE ON. NO, WE'RE DOING THE PEOPLE'S BUSINESS. I'M DONE TALKING. QUESTION FOR EITHER THE CITY MANAGER OR PERHAPS THE INTERIM FINANCE DIRECTOR I SEE IN THE AUDIENCE. COULD YOU DESCRIBE SPECIFICALLY THE ILLEGAL RAISE THAT I'M SET TO RECEIVE? I'D I'D LOVE TO KNOW HOW MUCH I'M GOING TO BE TAKING HOME. THAT'S IN VIOLATION OF OUR. I'M GOING TO ALLOW THE FINANCE. OKAY, I APPRECIATE IT BECAUSE I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO WHAT I'M GETTING.

[03:20:24]

OH MY GOSH, PLEASE. GOOD EVENING, MAYOR AND MEMBERS OF COUNCIL. OKAY, LET ME JUST PULL THIS UP FOR YOU. SO THIS IS GOING BACK TO THE, THE, THE ORIGINAL BUDGET BOOK.

THE SECOND ONE ACTUALLY WERE IT WAS CONDENSED, IT WAS NOT DETAILED. AND SO LET ME JUST BRING THIS UP. SO THERE WERE NO INCREASES TO COUNCIL WAS JUST IT WASN'T DETAILED. SO IT WAS AGGREGATED. THAT WILL BE CHANGED. BUT A LOT OF THESE CHANGES THEY TAKE TIME TO DO IN THE BUDGET BOOK, IF YOU, YOU KNOW, IF YOU LOOK AT OTHER COUNCILS OR OTHER CITIES, IT TAKES ABOUT 30 DAYS TO UPDATE EVERYTHING. SO WHEN I'M MAKING UPDATES, I CAN'T. I CAN UPDATE THE PAGE, BUT IT TAKES A LOT OF TIME TO DO THAT. SO THAT'S WHY YOU HAVEN'T SEEN AN UPDATED BUDGET BOOK. WE HAVE MADE SOME CHANGES AND I'M DOING DETAILS WHERE YOU CAN SEE THEM, AND I UNDERSTAND THAT YOU WANT TO SEE THEM, BUT YOU'RE NOT GOING TO SEE THEM FOR IT'S GOING TO TAKE ME. I'M DOING THIS BY MYSELF. IT'S GOING TO TAKE ME TWO, 2 TO 4 WEEKS TO GET THIS ALL DONE.

NOT THAT YOU'RE YOU'RE CONSIDERATIONS ARE NOT BEING HEARD. THEY ARE. IT'S JUST THIS IS ME BY MYSELF DOING IT ON MY OWN. BUT I AM HEARING YOU AND I UNDERSTAND THE THINGS THAT YOU WANT. AND I'M LISTENING. AND WE WE HAD A CONVERSATION TODAY AS WELL. ALL THE CHANGES THAT NEED TO BE MADE. AND YOU WILL GET THE BOOK THAT YOU YOU ADOPT. THAT'S WHY WE'RE HAVING THIS SO THAT IT CAN ALL BE ON THE RECORD. AND SO THAT WE GO, I GO BACK TO IT AND ALL THE CHANGES WILL BE MADE. BUT MISS CARTWRIGHT, SO WHAT IS THE COUNCIL SALARY FOR THE 2020? OKAY. SO LET LET'S GO. I'M GOING TO GO TO I'M NOT SURE WHO WARD A IS, BUT WE'RE GOING TO START THERE. OKAY. SO SALARIES SALARIES IS 16 RIGHT. SO NO CHANGE THERE. NO NO RAISES. NO SIR. OKAY. LET ME GO TO THE NEXT ONE. AND I KNOW I HEARD YOU SAY DETAIL. I'M SORRY DEFINED BENEFITS. THAT'S PENSION. SO IF YOU DON'T WANT A PENSION I CAN MAKE SURE THAT GETS ZERO. I JUST WANT YOU TO UNDERSTAND THAT THE PENSION IS DEFINED BENEFITS. OH. I'M SORRY, I MEAN.

SO IT'S 16,000 FOR THAT COUNCIL MEMBER AS WELL. YES. OKAY. YOU DON'T HAVE TO GO THROUGH ALL OF THEM. IT IT I DON'T SEE ANY RAISES FOR COUNCIL, ILLEGAL RAISES FOR COUNCIL. I WAS VERY CONCERNED. I THINK LANGUAGE LIKE ILLEGAL IS PRETTY SERIOUS IN THE CITY GOVERNMENT. SO THANK YOU FOR THAT. AND THEN THERE'S BEEN SOME DISCUSSION OF ILLEGAL RAISES WITHIN THE CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE. CAN YOU TALK ABOUT THAT? SURE. I CAN BRING THAT UP. SO YOU'LL SEE THAT I STARTED ITEMIZING THAT PER REQUEST OF EVERYONE. SO HERE'S THE CITY MANAGER'S SALARY. THE DEPUTY CITY MANAGER. AND AS YOU CAN SEE, I, I BROUGHT IN 711 WITH THE ACTUAL DOLLAR AMOUNT IS 724,000. SO YOU'RE CONSIDERING YOUR MANAGEMENT ANALYST, YOU'RE SENIOR MANAGEMENT ANALYST, YOUR ASSISTANT TO THE CITY MANAGER, THE ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER, DEPUTY CITY MANAGER, AS WELL AS THE CITY MANAGER. SO, SO ARE ANY OF THOSE SALARIES INCREASING OR IS THERE A PROPOSAL TO INCREASE THOSE THOSE THAT'S CURRENT SALARY. THAT IS THE CURRENT SALARY. IF THERE'S AN INCREASE THAT WAS NOT BUDGETED. OKAY. SO THERE ARE NO SALARY INCREASES PROPOSED IN THIS IN THIS BUDGET? NO. COUNCILMEMBER FRIEDSON OKAY. I WAS CONCERNED BECAUSE I HAD HEARD THAT SAID, AND, YOU KNOW, ILLEGAL SALARY INCREASES ARE INAPPROPRIATE. SO THANK YOU. EXCUSE ME. I'M SORRY, SHE HAS TO GO. I'M SORRY. I DIDN'T MEAN TO INTERRUPT YOU. OKAY. IT'S OKAY. COUNCILWOMAN, DID YOU HAVE YOUR QUESTION ANSWERED? YES, COUNCILWOMAN MARTIN, THANK YOU. AND THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR CLARIFYING THAT YOU ARE GOING TO ITEMIZE MAYOR AND COUNCIL'S BUDGET, BUT I'M REFERRING TO

[03:25:01]

THE BUDGET THAT WAS PROVIDED TO US, IN WHICH I WENT ON RECORD A FEW TIMES WITH PAGE 36. IS THE WARD A COUNCIL MEMBER'S ACCOUNT? NO, THE ONE THAT WE HAVE IN OUR POSSESSION, NOT A NEW ITEM ITEMIZED. RIGHT. IT HAS TWO LINE ITEMS HERE THE PERSONNEL SERVICE AND EMPLOYEE BENEFITS, $19,030 AND THEN PURCHASE SERVICES FOR 19,000 $250,000, MAKING IT APPEAR AS IF IT'S A $38,280 SALARY INCREASE. IT'S IT'S IT'S THROUGHOUT THE BUDGET FOR ALL OF MAYOR AND COUNCIL EXCEPT FOR THE OTHER WARD, A COUNCIL MEMBER'S ACCOUNT IN WHICH EVERYTHING IS BROKEN OUT AND ITEMIZED. RIGHT. SO IT DOES APPEAR AS IF THERE ARE SOME SALARY ADJUSTMENTS IN MAYOR AND COUNCIL'S BUDGET. BASED UPON THIS DOCUMENT HERE. MY SECOND POINT IS THIS PER THE CHARTER, THE CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE ONLY GETS A DEPUTY CITY MANAGER. LAST YEAR IN ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER WAS BUDGETED, AND IT MAY OR MAY NOT HAVE COME BEFORE THIS COUNCIL. HOWEVER, THESE OTHER TWO POSITIONS ARE ILLEGAL. THE SENIOR MANAGEMENT ANALYST AND THE MANAGEMENT ANALYST.

THOSE TWO POSITIONS ARE NOT IN OUR CHARTER, AND THEY ARE SUPPOSED TO COME BEFORE COUNCIL AND BE VOTED ON. SO I DON'T EVEN KNOW WHY THESE TWO POSITIONS ARE IN THE BUDGET, BECAUSE I'VE ATTENDED EVERY SINGLE COUNCIL MEETING IN. NEITHER OF THESE POSITIONS HAVE BEEN BROUGHT BEFORE COUNCIL. SO WE CAN START THERE WITH TAKING THOSE TWO POSITIONS OUT OF THAT BUDGET, BECAUSE THEY HAVEN'T BEEN VOTED ON BY COUNCIL. THAT TAKES A VOTE OF COUNCIL IN THE CITY CHARTER, AND THAT'S THE DEPUTY CITY MANAGER IS ALL HIS OFFICE GETS AND MAYBE AN EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT. SO YOU SEE WHY WE NEED FURTHER DISCUSSION ABOUT THIS BUDGET. I THINK THAT EVERYONE HAS I DON'T WANT TO SAY THAT I'M EXHAUSTED BECAUSE I'M NOT. THERE ARE STILL SOME ISSUES WITHIN THIS BUDGET THAT I HAVE EVEN EMAILED YOU ABOUT. FOR INSTANCE, YOU CAN EITHER GET SOCIAL SECURITY OR. WHAT WAS THE OTHER BENEFIT THAT YOU MENTIONED? THE PENSION. THE PENSION. YOU CAN'T GET BOTH, BUT IT APPEARS IN THE BUDGET FOR EVERYONE THAT WE ARE GETTING SOCIAL SECURITY IN THE PENSION BENEFIT. THAT'S NOT CORRECT. WELL, IT'S NOT DEFINED.

IT'S IT'S NOT DEFINED BENEFIT, RIGHT. IT'S NOT EITHER ONE OR THE OTHER. ALSO, THERE'S WORKER'S COMP IN THE BUDGET FOR PART TIME COUNCIL MEMBERS. HOW DO WE GET WORKER'S COMP FOR PART TIME COUNCIL MEMBERS. WELL THAT'S SOMETHING THAT GETS PULLED OVER FROM HUMAN RESOURCES. I I'M GOING BASED OFF OF WHAT'S BEING PUT INTO THE SYSTEM. YEAH. THERE WAS A QUESTION ABOUT WORKER'S COMP BEING IN THE BUDGET. I'M ALSO IN THE BUDGET FOR GETTING THE CITY'S INSURANCE. I HAVE INSURANCE THAT SHOULD COME OUT. IT'S STILL SO MANY QUESTIONS THAT I KNOW THAT I HAVE ABOUT THIS BUDGET. ALSO, THE MISSING REVENUES FROM THE PAGES THAT I MENTIONED EARLIER, WE TALKED ABOUT THE SWIMMING POOL. THE SWIMMING POOL IS LISTED AS BEING IN WARD D, THAT'S IN WARD B, THERE'S STILL SO MUCH MORE CONVERSATION TO HAVE ABOUT THIS, AND I CANNOT APPROVE THIS BUDGET TONIGHT, BUT I AM WILLING TO I'M GOING TO YIELD.

THAT WAS THE LAST. THAT'S ALL I HAVE TO SAY. AND THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR ANSWERING YOUR QUESTION, ANSWERING MY QUESTIONS, AND THANK YOU. OKAY. OKAY. ANDREA. I'M SORRY, COUNCILWOMAN CALDWELL AND THEN COUNCILWOMAN HEMMING AND THEN COUNCILMAN ATKINS. SO A COUPLE OF THINGS JUST FOR CLARIFICATION. AND THE REASON THAT THIS NOTION OF ILLEGAL, UNEXPLAINED. THAT'S WHY I MAKE SURE I SAY ALL OF IT SALARIES COMES UP IS BECAUSE WHEN WE GOT THE BUDGET BOOK, AS COUNCIL MEMBER MARTIN ROGERS STATED, EVERYTHING WAS TOGETHER. THERE WERE TOO MANY CONSOLIDATED LINES. MY LINE ITEM $51,000, A LOT HIGHER THAN THE REST OF THE COUNCIL MEMBERS. I HAD NO IDEA AS TO WHY, BECAUSE I KNOW WHAT MY PAYCHECK SAYS, AND THAT'S WHY IT WAS IMPORTANT THAT WE CLARIFY AND ITEMIZE THOSE THINGS SO THAT WE COULD EXPLAIN TO THE COMMUNITY WHY THERE'S SUCH A DRASTIC AND STARK DIFFERENCE BETWEEN OUR BUDGETS.

NOW, IN REGARDS TO THE SALARY PIECE, THIS WAS A QUESTION THAT I PUT ON THE SPREADSHEET WHERE I ASKED SEVERAL DEPARTMENTS REFLECT INCREASES IN SALARY EXPENDITURES IN THE PROPOSED BUDGET. HOWEVER, THE THE SPECIFIC POSITION, SALARY ADJUSTMENT OR OVERALL IMPACT OF THESE INCREASES HAVE NOT BEEN CLEARLY IDENTIFIED OR PRESENTED TO COUNCIL. AND YOUR RESPONSE WAS THERE WAS AN EVERGREEN STUDY THAT WAS DONE. SO THERE WAS ONE AGREEMENT THAT THERE IS A SALARY INCREASE IN SOME OF THE DEPARTMENT'S BUDGET, BUT THE REASON IT WAS THERE WAS

[03:30:01]

BECAUSE OF AN EVERGREEN STUDY THAT WAS THAT CAME BEFORE COUNCIL LAST YEAR. AND I SPECIFICALLY ASKED FOR THE DOCUMENTATION OF THAT EVERGREEN STUDY JUST TO MAKE SURE IF WE SAID WE WERE GOING TO INCREASE RATES BY 2%, THEN THAT'S WHAT WAS REFLECTED IN THE BUDGET. I CAN READ YOU YOUR RESPONSE NOW. I AND I HEAR YOU. SO IF YOU WANT THE EVERGREEN STUDY, YOU WANT IT FOR EVERY SINGLE DEPARTMENT, THEN IS THAT WHAT YOU'RE SAYING? WELL, FOR THE ONES THAT HAD AN INCREASE, ONE THERE WAS THE INCREASE. I MEAN, I THOUGHT YOU JUST SAID TO COUNCIL MEMBER FREELY THAT THERE WEREN'T ANY INCREASES IN THE BUDGET. HE'S TALKING ABOUT COUNCIL MEMBERS. AND I AND HE ALSO MENTIONED THE CITY MANAGER'S DEPARTMENT. THERE WAS NO. LET ME SEE. AND THE BIGGEST THING, I DON'T THINK WE NEED TO HARP ON IT. BUT THERE ARE INCREASES IN THE BUDGET THAT ARE UNEXPLAINED, AND WE. I ASKED FOR DOCUMENTATION AROUND THAT THAT I'VE NOT RECEIVED. WELL, I MEAN, YOU KNOW, I'M WORKING ON THE BUDGET. THERE'S JUST ONE OF ME. SO IF YOU IF I UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU'RE SAYING AND YOU WANT AN EVERGREEN STUDY AND ALL THAT INFORMATION, BUT THAT THAT'S A LOT OF WORK. AND I DON'T THINK YOU UNDERSTAND THE KIND OF WORK THAT GOES BEHIND IT. I GOT IT, I, I'M JUST SAYING WHERE THE CONCERNS ARE COMING FROM. AND WHEN RESIDENTS SAY, WHY IS THIS? WHY IS THERE SUCH A DRASTIC DIFFERENCE BETWEEN SALARIES FROM PREVIOUS YEAR TO THIS YEAR? AND WE HAVE NO WAY OF EXPLAINING THAT. AND THOSE QUESTIONS ARE POSED TO, TO YOU ALL. THAT'S WHERE THE DISCONNECT COMES INTO PLAY. I'M HERE WHAT YOU'RE SAYING AS FAR AS THE DIFFERENCES IN SALARIES.

BUT IF YOU GO BACK IN TIME AND LOOK AT THE SALARIES, A LOT OF THE SALARIES WEREN'T EVEN CORRECTLY ALLOCATED. YOU'LL HAVE SALARIES FOR I'M GOING TO USE THE POLICE DEPARTMENT BECAUSE THEY'RE A PRIME INDICATION YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE OVERTIME. THIS THIS BUDGET AT 500,000 WHEN THERE WHEN EVERY YEAR THEY'VE BEEN SPENDING TWO OVER $2 MILLION. THAT'S IMPROPER BUDGETING. I'M TRYING TO GIVE YOU WHAT WAS, IS, IS REALLY OUT THERE AND THAT IS WHAT IT IS. I'M NOT GOING TO GIVE YOU A SALARY LINE THAT YOU'RE USED TO SEEING. I'M GOING TO GIVE YOU A SALARY LINE THAT IS BEING PROPERLY FORECASTED. AND I'M NOT HERE TO PLAY SPAIN, BUT THIS IS HOW I WAS TAUGHT. AND I'M I'M GOING TO GIVE YOU WHAT'S TRANSPARENT BECAUSE YOU DESERVE THAT TO BE ABLE TO TELL THE COMMUNITY, WHY DID THE SALARIES LINE GO UP? BECAUSE IT HAS NOT BEEN PROPERLY FORECASTED IN THE PAST. NOW, I UNDERSTAND YOU WANT TO ITEMIZE ITEMIZATION TO SEE THAT. AND THAT'S WHERE WE'RE GOING. WE'RE HEADED. BUT I'M I'M TODAY WAS GOOD JUST TO SHOW US THERE'S TWO NEW POSITIONS IN THE CITY MANAGER'S DEPARTMENT THAT THAT WEREN'T THAT WEREN'T VOTED ON BY COUNCIL THAT ARE THERE THAT IS CAUSING WHAT WE SEE IS THERE'S $186,000 INCREASE BETWEEN LAST YEAR AND THIS YEAR. AND THE QUESTION WAS WHY? THAT WAS THE INITIAL QUESTION. IT'S BEEN THREE MONTHS, AND WE JUST GOT TO A PLACE OF SHOWING THE REASON WHY IS BECAUSE THERE'S TWO NEW POSITIONS ADDED. AND SO NOW WE CAN GO BACK TO POLICY TO SAY, HOW SHOULD THESE POSITIONS BE CREATED? AND JUST MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE TAKING THE RIGHT STEPS TO INCLUDE THEM. IF THERE IS A NEED FOR THOSE POSITIONS, CITY MANAGER SHOULD COME BEFORE COUNCIL ASK FOR THEM. AND THAT'S AND WE CAN HELP CREATE THOSE POSITIONS. I UNDERSTAND THAT, BUT THOSE TWO POSITIONS YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT, ONE OF THEM HAS BEEN IN PLACE FOR EIGHT YEARS. SO IF THAT IF THAT POSITION HAS NEVER BEEN CREATED, THE THE SENIOR BUDGET OR SENIOR MANAGEMENT, SHE'S BEEN IN HER ROLE FOR EIGHT YEARS. WHERE IS IT IN THE ORDINANCE THAT SHE'S BEEN IN THAT ROLE, THAT THE POSITION LIVES UNDER THE CITY MANAGER? I'M I'M JUST GIVING YOU WHAT I KNOW. I CAN JUST ONLY GIVE YOU WHAT I KNOW, WHAT ULTIMATELY WHAT I'M SAYING IS IT'S HELPFUL TO EVEN SEE THESE BREAKDOWNS SO WE CAN SEE WHERE THERE'S POLICY GAPS AND WHAT WE NEED TO DO TO FIX THEM. SO IT DOESN'T LOOK LIKE IT'S SOMETHING THAT'S UNEXPLAINED. OKAY. MY MIC WASN'T WORKING, SO I'M GOING TO JUST COME UP HERE IF YOU DON'T MIND AND SHARE. SO I'M GOING TO BE CLEAR, I HAVE NOT CREATED ANY POSITIONS IN THE CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE SINCE I ARRIVED LAST MARCH. THE POSITIONS THAT I THINK I'M JUST HEARING NOW, SENIOR MANAGEMENT ANALYST AND THE ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER POSITION, THOSE POSITIONS WERE IN THE CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE BEFORE MARCH OF 2026. SO OR 25, I FORGET THE YEARS, BUT SO THOSE ARE NO, NOT NO, NOT NEW POSITIONS. AND AND EVEN IN THE TRACKER WHERE THAT WAS MENTIONED, I PROVIDED DOCUMENTATION AS A VACANCY REPORT THAT WAS GIVEN TO CITY COUNCIL, I THINK IT WAS LAST YEAR WHERE THE ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER RECRUITMENT PROCESS WAS UNDERWAY, AND IT WAS CLEARLY IDENTIFIED IN THE VACANCY REPORT, WHICH IS INDEPENDENTLY DONE BY THE HUMAN RESOURCES DEPARTMENT AND PROVIDED TO CITY COUNCIL AT THAT TIME. THE SENIOR MANAGEMENT, THE SENIOR MANAGEMENT ANALYST POSITION HAD EXISTED AND WAS FILLED WHEN I

[03:35:07]

CAME ON BOARD. SO I THINK I HAD JUST TALKED TO CITY ATTORNEY. WE'RE TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHERE THERE MAY BE SOME MISCOMMUNICATION. I THINK PREVIOUS CITY MANAGERS, WHEN THEY'VE CREATED THESE POSITIONS, THEY'VE GOTTEN APPROVED THROUGH THE BUDGET PROCESS. AND WE'VE TALKED ABOUT MAYBE THERE NEEDS TO BE AN ADDITIONAL PROCESS SO THAT IT'S CLEAR FOR CITY COUNCIL. BUT AGAIN, I HAVE NOT CREATED THOSE. I'VE JUST FILLED AND CLOSED MY VACANCIES, WHICH WERE PRESENTED TO ME IN MY VACANCY REPORTS. SO ALL OF THOSE POSITIONS WERE CLEARLY IDENTIFIED. THE DEPUTY CITY MANAGER, I HANDLED THAT RECRUITMENT, THE ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER, I HANDLED THAT RECRUITMENT AND THOSE WERE DUE TO VACANCIES IN MY DEPARTMENT.

EVERYTHING ELSE HAD BEEN THERE AND THOSE EMPLOYEES HAVE BEEN THERE. MADAM MAYOR. ACTUALLY THE CITY MANAGER ANSWERED MY QUESTION. THERE WERE DISCUSSIONS ABOUT POSITIONS BEING CREATED IN THE CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE, AND I WAS JUST GOING TO ASK HIM THE QUESTIONS, BUT HE'S ALREADY GIVEN THE ANSWER BECAUSE HE DID NOT HIRE THE ASSISTANT TO THE CITY MANAGER. THAT PERSON WAS THERE. HE DID NOT HIRE THE SENIOR ANALYST. THAT PERSON WAS THERE. HE DID NOT HIRE THE ANALYST. THAT PERSON WAS THERE. JANESSA ELIAS, WHO WAS AN EMPLOYEE HERE AT THE CITY OF EASTPOINTE, SERVED AS BOTH THE DEPUTY CITY MANAGER AND THE ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER. BOTH OF THOSE POSITIONS WERE ALREADY THERE. THERE WAS NO CREATION OF POSITIONS. AND SO I'M HEARING THAT THERE WERE POSITIONS THAT WERE CREATED ILLEGALLY OR STAFFED ILLEGALLY. AND WE'VE HAD TONS OF CONVERSATIONS AROUND THE ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER POSITION AND PERHAPS COUNCILMAN CALDWELL, THAT WAS PRIOR TO YOU COMING ON BOARD, BUT EVERY POSITION IN THE CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE WAS HERE WHEN HE GOT HERE. EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THEM ARE HERE. COUNCILWOMAN. THANK YOU, MADAM MAYOR, FOR THE BENEFIT OF THE COMMUNITY. I WANT TO READ INTO THE RECORD. THESE ARE MINUTES FROM FEBRUARY 5TH, 2001. I AM NOT SUGGESTING THAT THIS WAS LEGISLATION TO AUTHORIZE ANY POSITIONS, BUT I JUST WANT THE PUBLIC TO HEAR THIS. SO FEBRUARY 5TH, 2001, ITEM NUMBER NINE, SAYS MAYOR PATTY JO HILLIARD SAID SHE WOULD LIKE TO. SHE WOULD LIKE A COMPREHENSIVE LOOK AT THE PUBLIC RELATIONS FIRM. SHE ASKED WHEN THE AUDIT WOULD BE COMPLETED AND SHE WOULD LIKE THE MANAGEMENT REPORT. SHE ASKED DAVID LACKEY, DIRECTOR OF COMMUNITY SERVICES, THAT WHENEVER THE MEETING REGARDING THE OVERLAY DISTRICT IS HELD, THAT ALL CITIZENS AFFECTED BY THIS CHANGE BE INCLUDED. AND THEN SHE STATE IT GOES ON. SHE SAID SHE AND ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER ROBERT TAYLOR HAD GONE TO A MEETING LAST WEEK REGARDING THE GOVERNOR'S WATER BILL, AND THE CONCERN IS THAT THERE IS NOT A LOT OF REPRESENTATION FROM MUNICIPALITIES. SO COUNCIL RESEARCH COULD AT LEAST GIVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO INVESTIGATE WHETHER OR NOT SOME OF THESE POSITIONS HAVE BEEN CREATED. FEBRUARY 5TH, 2001. SO I HEARD THE CITY MANAGER SAY THAT THERE'S A VACANCY REPORT. I'VE LOOKED AT OTHER MUNICIPALITIES, AND WHAT I UNDERSTAND IS WHEN YOU PASS A BUDGET, YOU ALSO PASS A PERSONNEL REPORT OR RECORD THAT OUTLINES THE EXISTING POSITIONS AND THE OPPORTUNITY TO INCREASE POSITIONS. IN THE BUDGET BOOK WE HAVE, THERE ARE SEVERAL PAGES THAT SHOW A TABLE OF WHERE THE MODIFICATIONS OR AMENDMENTS HAVE BEEN MADE IN A PARTICULAR DEPARTMENT. ALSO, THERE HAS BEEN LOTS OF COMMENTS MADE THAT CERTAIN COUNCIL MEMBERS HAVE ITEMIZED BUDGETS, AND I WANT THE RECORD TO REFLECT HOW THAT HAPPENED, BECAUSE I'M REALLY CONCERNED ABOUT THE MISCHARACTERIZATION.

WE GOT A BUDGET BOOK THAT HAD A DETAILED REPORT, AND IT LISTED OUT EACH CODE NUMBER AND EACH ITEMIZED LINE IN VERSION ONE OF THE BUDGET BOOK. IF YOU GO BACK TO THE MEETING WHERE IT WAS PRESENTED, EVERY COUNCIL MEMBER GOT IT. IT WAS A BOOK THICK. AND IT WAS IT WAS SIZABLE IN THAT YOU WERE ABLE TO SEE THAT FOR MY DEPARTMENT, WHICH I BELIEVE IS 1112, THAT THERE WERE ITEMS THAT I HAVE BEEN BRINGING BEFORE COUNCIL SINCE JANUARY THAT SPECIFICALLY WERE ABOUT OUR ABILITY TO HAVE ADDITIONAL PROFESSIONAL FEES AND SERVICES, AND WHAT I THOUGHT WAS AN INFLATED EDUCATION AND TRAVEL BUDGET. I DID MY DUE DILIGENCE, WHICH WAS WHICH WAS TO READ THAT THAT DOCUMENT IN FULL DETAIL. I SENT AN EMAIL TO THE CITY MANAGER AND THE INTERIM FINANCE DIRECTOR, AND I SAID, BASED ON THE READ OF THIS ORDINANCE AND BASED ON THE CHARTER, I DON'T FEEL COMFORTABLE WITH THE MONIES THAT ARE ASSOCIATED WITH MY DEPARTMENT OF HAVING ANYTHING THAT REMOTELY REFLECTS THINGS THAT GO BEYOND THE

[03:40:05]

CHARTER. WE THEN FOLLOWED UP, AND THERE WAS A MEETING WHERE I ASKED THE CITY ATTORNEY VERY DETAILED QUESTIONS. I ASKED HER ABOUT WHAT WAS ALLOWABLE BY CHARTER, WHAT WAS ALLOWABLE BY ORDINANCE, AND WHAT WAS ALLOWABLE BY STATE. YOU CAN GO BACK AND REVIEW THOSE MINUTES.

AFTER THAT, I SENT A REQUEST TO THE CITY MANAGER, WHICH ALL COUNCIL HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO DO. AND I SAID, HEY, I DON'T FEEL COMFORTABLE WITH THESE ITEMS BEING ASSOCIATED WITH ME.

PLEASE REMOVE THEM. AND THAT'S WHAT HAPPENED. AND I SAID, HERE'S A TABLE THAT REFLECTS THINGS THAT I UNDERSTAND TO BE ALLOWABLE BY CHARTER AND ORDINANCE. SO I WOULD LIKE TO TO BE VERY CLEAR ABOUT THE MISCHARACTERIZATIONS OF A CERTAIN COUNCIL MEMBER GETTING PREFERENTIAL TREATMENT. IT IS EXHAUSTING. THE TRUTH IS, I DID MY DUE DILIGENCE AND I DID MY HOMEWORK FOR EACH BUDGET BOOK THAT'S BEEN PRESENTED TO US. WE HAVE HEARD FROM THIS PRESENTATION ALONE THAT THE MISCHARACTERIZATIONS OF THESE POSITIONS ARE MISUNDERSTANDINGS AND MISUNDERSTANDINGS HAPPEN, BUT I AM CONCERNED THAT COUNCIL MEMBERS ARE CONTINUING TO PUT FORTH SUGGESTIONS THAT OUR CITY MANAGER OR ANY OTHER, HIS STAFF, ARE ATTEMPTING TO DO ILLEGAL THINGS IN THE BUDGET. IF THERE ARE ANY ITEMS THAT ARE, QUOTE, ILLEGAL, IT SHOULD BE REFLECTED.

FOR THE RECORD, THAT I'VE BEEN ASKING THE CITY ATTORNEY ABOUT PROFESSIONAL FEES AND SERVICES FOR NOT JUST THE CITY COUNCIL, BUT THE MAYOR'S OFFICE AND ALL OF US. SO IF YOUR CONCERN IS THAT THESE THINGS ARE AN ITEMIZED. THE INTERIM FINANCE DIRECTOR SHOWED US THAT SHE'S IN THE PROCESS AND ALSO TOLD US IT WAS GOING TO TAKE 30 DAYS. SO IF YOUR VOTE IS CONDITIONAL ON ALL OF THESE POSITIONS BEING ITEMIZED, THEN THAT SUGGESTION MEANS THAT WE'RE NOT VOTING ON THIS BUDGET FOR ANOTHER 30 DAYS. THE CITY MANAGER HAS JUST MADE IT CLEAR THAT WE ARE GOING TO BE FURTHER HAMSTRINGING THE OPPORTUNITY TO DELIVER SERVICES BY MOVING FROM A 12 YEAR BUDGET TO AN 11, EXCUSE ME, A 12 MONTH BUDGET TO AN 11TH MONTH BUDGET. I DON'T THINK THAT'S FAIR TO THE STAFF OR THE THE RESIDENTS OF THIS COMMUNITY. I YIELD, MADAM MAYOR. THANK YOU, COUNCILWOMAN MARTIN ROGERS. THANK YOU. AND PLEASE ALLOW THE RECORD TO REFLECT THAT, PER THE CITY CHARTER, THERE IS A DEPUTY CITY MANAGER POSITION IN IT. THE ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER WAS BROUGHT BEFORE A COUNCIL AND WE VOTED ON IT. HOWEVER, THE SENIOR MANAGEMENT ANALYST AND THE MANAGEMENT ANALYST, THOSE POSITIONS REQUIRE A BUDGET AMENDMENT WHICH WERE NEVER BROUGHT BEFORE. COUNCIL NUMBER TWO, WE WANT TO TALK ABOUT A DETAILED REPORT. AND WHAT I FIND MOST INTERESTING IS THE COUNCIL MEMBERS BUDGET IS ITEMIZED. NUMBER ONE, I'M SORRY, I HAVE THE FLOOR. I HAVE THE FLOOR. RULE 15. WHAT I FIND MOST INTERESTING IS SAID COUNCIL MEMBER IS SAY IS STATING THAT NO ONE DID THEIR DUE DILIGENCE. HOWEVER, SHE HAS SAID THAT SHE SENT TO EMAIL TO THE CITY MANAGER. SHE DID ALL OF THESE THINGS EXCEPT FOR INFORM OTHER COUNCIL MEMBERS. THIS IS WHAT MY BUDGET LOOKS LIKE. YOU ALL SHOULD PROBABLY HAVE A LOOK AT IT. YOU ALL SHOULD PROBABLY ASK THESE QUESTIONS THAT I'VE ASKED OF THE CITY MANAGER. THAT DIDN'T HAPPEN. BUT WE ALWAYS WANT TO TALK ABOUT COLLABORATION AND AND NOT SEEKING HELP OR ASSISTANCE FROM OTHER COUNCIL MEMBERS, BUT THAT'S THE FIRST THING THAT SHOULD HAVE HAPPENED. WHEN YOU NOTICE THAT WAS IN THE BUDGET, YOU SHOULD HAVE PUT ALL OF US ON NOTICE, LIKE YOU'VE DONE WITH EVERY OTHER EMAIL, WITH THE OTHER FOUR COUNCIL MEMBERS THAT YOU'VE CONSTANTLY COMMUNICATED WITH, ISOLATING US. AND NUMBER TWO, ALL COUNCIL MEMBERS SHOULD HAVE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO GO THROUGH THEIR BUDGETS AND SAY, MR. CITY MANAGER, PLEASE TAKE THIS OUT. I'M NOT GETTING INSURANCE. DO YOU KNOW HOW MANY TIMES I HAD TO EMAIL TO SAY, PLEASE REMOVE THESE ITEMS FROM THE BUDGET? AND THEY STILL APPEAR QUITE A FEW TIMES. THE OTHER THING WITH THIS BUDGET IS COUNCIL MEMBERS HAVE INITIATIVES THAT I DON'T EVEN SEE REFLECTED IN THIS BUDGET AT ALL. BUT AT ANY RATE, I WILL. I WILL YIELD AFTER THIS TIME. MADAM MAYOR. THANK YOU. OKAY. COUNCIL MEMBER MITCHELL. YEAH, I KIND OF SOMEWHAT TAKE OFFENSE BECAUSE I BELIEVE THIS HAS COME UP BEFORE THAT ACTUALLY, WHAT WAS TAKEN OUT OR WHAT IT COULD BE A MISUNDERSTANDING. I THINK THERE WAS A MISUNDERSTANDING ON COUNCIL MEMBERS PART. THEY MAY HAVE TAKEN SOMETHING OUT OF THEIR BUDGET THAT WAS ALLOWABLE.

THIS HAS COME UP MULTIPLE TIMES. I MEAN, YOU MAY TAKE YOUR MONEY FOR TRAVEL AND TRAINING AND

[03:45:04]

COMMUNICATIONS AND THAT THAT'S PERFECTLY FINE. BUT, YOU KNOW, MISUNDERSTANDINGS HAPPEN. SO, YOU KNOW, THAT'S THAT'S THAT'S NOT SUCH A THING. BUT GUYS, IT IS GETTING LATE. I JUST WANT TO STATE THAT. CAN WE PLEASE TAKE THIS VOTE, MADAM MAYOR? THANK YOU. FLOOR TO WAIVE THE FIRST READ. AND THIS WAS THE DISCUSSION. SO I THINK THAT WE'RE READY FOR THE QUESTIONS.

SO I THINK WE COULD CALL THE QUESTION. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR. AYE. ALL THOSE OPPOSED. NO. SO THE. OKAY. MADAM CITY CLERK, PLEASE DO A ROLL CALL. COUNCIL MEMBER HUME. AYE. COUNCIL MEMBER FREELY. AYE. COUNCIL MEMBER. ATKINS. AYE. COUNCIL MEMBER. ZIEGLER. I. I JUST HEARD HER SAY I THREW MY LAPTOP THAT I HAD JUST LAID DOWN. SO SHE'S. I THANK YOU, COUNCIL MEMBER CUMMINGS. COUNCIL MEMBER. COUNCIL MEMBER. CALDWELL. NO. COUNCIL MEMBER. MARTIN. ROGERS.

NO. THE MOTION FAILED. THANK YOU. COUNCIL. THE NEXT ITEM IS ITEM NUMBER THREE. COUNCIL

[XIII.3. Council Discussion and Possible Action on MCT Transfer Resolution Authorizing the Temporary Transfer of Municipal Competitive Trust (MCT) Funds to the Power Enterprise Fund for FY 2027 Budget Stabilization Purposes and for Other Lawful Purposes]

DISCUSSION AND POSSIBLE ACTION ON THE MC T TRANSFER RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING TEMPORARY TRANSFER OF MUNICIPAL COMPETITIVE TRUST FUNDS TO THE POWER ENTERPRISE FUND FOR YEAR 2027. BUDGET STABILIZATION PROCESS AND FOR OTHER LAWFUL PURPOSES. OKAY, THAT'S THAT'S THE ITEM, MADAM MAYOR. YES, I'D LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION TO OPEN THE FLOOR FOR COUNCIL DISCUSSION AND POSSIBLE ACTION ON MC T TRANSFER RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE TEMPORARY TRANSFER OF MUNICIPAL COMPETITIVE TRUST FUNDS TO THE POWER ENTERPRISE FUND FOR FY 27 BUDGET STABILIZATION PURPOSES AND OTHER LAWFUL PURPOSES. SECOND, WE HAVE A SECOND. IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION? I JUST HAVE A QUESTION. I DO HAVE A QUESTION AS WELL. I HAVE A QUESTION. IS THIS THE FIRST TIME THAT THIS ITEM HAS BEEN ON THE AGENDA? NO, IT IS NOT. OKAY. AND THEN IT IS. GO AHEAD, COUNCILWOMAN CALDWELL SO I GUESS TWO QUESTIONS IS THIS. THIS IS TO IMBALANCE TO TO BALANCE THE ELECTRIC FUNDS. SO THIS IS ONE WAY OF DOING IT. THE OTHER THING THAT WE WERE LOOKING INTO WAS THE RATE STUDY FOR FY 27. THAT WOULD GIVE US THE INFORMATION WE NEED TO KNOW WHERE WE NEED TO BE FROM A RATE PERSPECTIVE, SO THAT WE DON'T HAVE TO TAP INTO OUR MC T FUND.

CAN YOU TELL ME WHERE WE ARE ON THE RATE STUDY? YEAH, I CAN, AND I ALSO WANT TO CLARIFY YOUR QUESTION WAS PHRASED INCORRECTLY. SO THE MC T FUND TRANSFER IS BASED ON OPERATIONS AND BALANCING THAT BUDGET. THE ABILITY TO GO INTO MC T, YOU HAVE TO HAVE A STRATEGY ON REPAYMENT TO REPAYMENT STRATEGY IS THE RATE OF STUDY INFORMATION THAT WE'RE SUPPOSED TO BE LOOKING AT NEXT NEXT WEEK. SO THEY THEY PROMISED US NEXT WEEK. I SEE YOU'RE NOT YET. BUT YEAH, THAT'S THAT'S I SPOKE WITH HOLLY AT AT AND SHE CONFIRMED THAT YOU DO NOT HAVE TO HAVE A, A REPAYMENT POLICY TO THE MC T FUND. SHE ACTUALLY STATED THE WAY THAT OUR FUNDS ARE STRUCTURED, WE CAN USE THEM AT ANY TIME. THERE IS NO REPAYMENT POLICY NEEDED. AND I WOULD AGREE THE WORD IS STRATEGY. SO THAT'S WHY IT'S IMPORTANT WHEN YOU SPEAK WITH THEM, THAT YOU'RE REALLY CLEAR AND CONCISE ON THE WORDS YOU USE. SO STRATEGY IS WHAT YOU SHOULD HAVE. AND IF YOU RECALL THE TWO PRESENTATIONS THAT WE RECEIVED FROM MR. SHULL WHO CAME IN AND HE SAID, YOU, YOU CANNOT JUST GO INTO THOSE FUNDS WITHOUT A STRATEGY ON REPAYMENT.

AND SO IF YOU DON'T, THEN WE'LL WIND UP HAVING THE SAME CHALLENGES THAT WE HAVE WITH OUR RESERVE FUNDS BY NOT HAVING AN ACTUAL STRATEGY FOR REPAYMENT. SPECIFICALLY ASKED THAT QUESTION BECAUSE I WANTED I WOULD SAY, IF THERE'S A POLICY, EXCUSE ME, I'M SORRY IF YOU SAY IF THE WORD POLICY, I WOULD AGREE WITH HER. YOU YOU DON'T NEED A POLICY. YOU DO NEED A STRATEGY. YOU DO NEED TO HAVE SOME WAY TO REPAY THAT. AND YOU DON'T HAVE TO HAVE IT IN ANY KIND OF TERM, LIKE THREE YEARS OR FOUR YEARS. BUT YOU SHOULD HAVE SOME TYPE OF

[03:50:01]