[I. MEETING CALLED TO ORDER]
          [00:00:07]
          GENTLEMEN. I'M COUNCILMAN SEAN ATKINS. WARD B AT LARGE, COUNCIL MEMBER AND ALSO YOUR MAYOR PRO TEM FOR THE CITY OF EASTPOINTE. THIS EVENING WE HAVE A SPECIAL CALLED MEETING TO HANDLE ONE ITEM ON THE AGENDA. AND THAT ITEM IS POLICY DIRECTION FOR THE FY 27 PROPOSED BUDGET. AT THIS TIME, I'LL ASK THE MADAM DEPUTY CLERK TO PLEASE SOUND ROLL CALL TO ESTABLISH A QUORUM. COUNCILMEMBER FLEMING. PRESENT. COUNCILMEMBER FRIDLEY WILL BE LAID. COUNCILMEMBER ATKINS. PRESENT. COUNCILMEMBER ZIEGLER IS ON THE WAY. COUNCILMEMBER CUMMINGS. PRESENT. COUNCILMEMBER MITCHELL. PRESENT. COUNCILMEMBER CALDWELL. PRESENT. 
          COUNCILMEMBER. MARTIN ROGERS. PRESENT. MAYOR. PRO TEM. WE HAVE A QUORUM. ALL RIGHT. THANK 
          [III.1. Policy Direction for the FY 2027 Proposed Budget]
YOU SO VERY MUCH. AS I MENTIONED, OUR ONLY AGENDA ITEM THIS EVENING IS POLICY DIRECTION FOR THE FY 27 BUDGET. AND AT THIS TIME, I BELIEVE THAT THIS MATTER WAS BEING COORDINATED BY. I KNOW COUNCIL MEMBER JIMMY, I THINK COUNCILMEMBER COMING AND COUNCILMEMBER CALDWELL. AND SO I'M VERY HAPPY TO GIVE EITHER OF YOU THE FLOOR. IF YOU WANT TO INTRODUCE THIS ITEM SO THAT WE MAY GET DISCUSSION STARTED. THANK YOU. GOOD. OH, I'M SORRY, COUNCIL MEMBER MITCHELL HAS HIS LIGHT ON. SO FIRST I'M GOING TO RECOGNIZE HIM. I WAS GOING TO ASK, WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO OPEN THE FLOOR FOR DISCUSSION. OPEN THE FLOOR. YES WE ARE. THAT'S WHAT THIS IS. IS IT'S THE DISCUSSION SESSION, CORRECT? OH, I'M IN FOR DISCUSSION. OKAY. I WILL RECOGNIZE YOU. I JUST WANTED TO GIVE SORT OF THE CONVENIENCE OF THIS COUNCILMEMBER COMING. DID YOU WANT TO SPEAK SOMETHING? SPEAK TO THIS BRIEFLY TO KICK US OFF FOR THE DISCUSSION. I THINK FIRST WE NEED TO HEAR FROM COUNCIL MEMBER MITCHELL. AND THEN FROM THERE WE CAN KIND OF GO INTO THE BUDGET. I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE CLEAR ON EVERYTHING THIS EVENING. ALL RIGHT. EXCELLENT. COUNCILMEMBER MITCHELL, YOU'RE RECOGNIZED. 
          ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. SO BEFORE WE BEGIN, I JUST WANT TO BE CLEAR ABOUT WHAT TONIGHT'S SPECIAL CALL MEETING CAN AND CANNOT ACCOMPLISH. MANY OF YOU ARE EXPECTING TO RECONCILE. THE PROPOSED FY 2027 BUDGET DEBATES, SPECIFIC AMENDMENTS, AND MOVE THIS BUDGET ONE STEP CLOSER TO ADOPTION. IF THAT WAS YOUR EXPECTATION, I UNDERSTAND WHY AND I APOLOGIZE. BUT. BUT THAT IS NOT WHAT THIS MEETING WAS ADVERTISED TO DO. IT IS FRUSTRATING THAT THE ACTIONS OF A SINGLE COUNCIL MEMBER HAVE DELAYED THE BUDGET PROCESS THAT AFFECTS THE ENTIRE CITY. 
          EARLIER THIS WEEK, COUNCILWOMAN HEMMINGS REQUESTED THAT THE SPECIAL CALLED MEETING AND SUBMITTED THE TITLE AND PURPOSE AS POLICY DIRECTION FOR THE FY 2027 PROPOSED BUDGET. WHEN I REVIEWED THE NOTICE, I IMMEDIATELY REQUESTED THAT IT BE CHANGED TO RECONCILIATION OF THE PROPOSED FY 2027 BUDGET AND DISCUSSION ON THE BUDGET ADOPTION TIMELINE. THAT WORDING WOULD HAVE ACCURATELY REFLECTED THE WORK THAT NEEDED TO BE ACCOMPLISHED, AND WOULD HAVE ALLOWED US TO LEGALLY CONDUCT A RECONCILIATION DISCUSSION. TODAY, LIKE THE FIRST SPECIAL MEETING THAT COUNCILWOMAN HEMMING CALLED. THIS MEETING IS ALSO DISORGANIZED. THIS MEETING WAS SCHEDULED ON THE SAME DAY AS OUR PLANNING AND ZONING MEETING, SO WE ONLY HAVE AN HOUR AND A HALF FOR DISCUSSION. I SPENT A MAJORITY OF YESTERDAY BEGGING AND TRY TO CONVINCE COUNCIL MEMBER HEMMINGS, ATKINS, ZIEGLER AND FREELY TO CHANGE THE DATE OF THE MEETING AND CHANGE THE TITLE AND PURPOSE OF THE MEETING. THE RESPONSE WAS THEY WILL NOT ATTEND THE MEETING ON FRIDAY AND THE PURPOSE OF THE MEETING IS FINE. THE REASON I AM EMPHASIZING THIS, BECAUSE THERE ARE PEOPLE WATCHING RIGHT NOW WAITING FOR US TO DEVIATE FROM THE ADVERTISED PURPOSE OF THIS MEETING SO THEY CAN REPORT THIS TO THE ATTORNEY GENERAL. AND IF YOU THINK THEY'RE PLAYING, WE CAN LOOK AT WHAT JUST HAPPENED IN COLLEGE PARK FOR THEM VIOLATING THE OPEN MEETINGS ACT. I BELIEVE THEY PERSONALLY GOT FINED, BUT RATHER BUT RATHER THAN ADMITTING TO A MISTAKE, WE ARE NOW SITTING HERE WASTING EVERYONE'S TIME. BUT JUST FOR ME TO CLARIFY, THERE'S A SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCE BETWEEN POLICY DIRECTION AND BUDGET 
          [00:05:03]
RECONCILIATION POLICY. POLICY DIRECTION IS BROAD. IT IS A DISCUSSION ABOUT GENERAL PRIORITIES, PHILOSOPHIES AND THE OVERALL PATH WE WANT TO TAKE. IT ANSWERS THE QUESTION WHERE DO WE WANT TO GO? BUDGET RECONCILIATION IS SPECIFIC. IT IS THE PROCESS OF REVIEWING PROPOSED BUDGET AMENDMENTS, RESOLVING DIFFERENCES, DECIDING WHICH AMENDMENTS SHOULD BE INCLUDED, AND BUILDING CONSENSUS BEFORE A BUDGET IS ADOPTED. THOSE ARE NOT INTERCHANGEABLE CONCEPTS. LIKEWISE, THERE'S A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN DIRECTION AND DIRECTIVE. 
          DIRECTION TELLS YOU THE GENERAL PATH NORTH, SOUTH, EAST OR WEST. A DIRECTOR TELLS SOMEONE EXACTLY WHAT ACTION TO TAKE. RECONCILIATION IS ALSO SPECIFIC. IT REQUIRES DECISIONS ON ACTUAL BUDGET ITEMS. HAD THIS MEETING BEEN ADVERTISED FOR BUDGET RECONCILIATION, WE WILL HAVE SPENT THE DAY DOING EXACTLY WHAT OUR RESIDENTS EXPECT US TO DO. BUT SINCE IT WAS NOT PROPERLY ADVERTISED, WE ARE BOUND BY THE NOTICE THAT WAS PROVIDED TO THE PUBLIC UNDER THE OPEN MEETINGS ACT. WE CANNOT SIFT FROM POLICY DISCUSSION INTO BUDGET RECONCILIATION WITHOUT PROPER NOTICE. THE PUBLIC DESERVES ACCURATE NOTICE AND WE HAVE THE OBLIGATION TO FOLLOW THE LAW IN OUR OWN PROCEDURES. I ALSO WANT TO BE CLEAR THAT I AIN'T HERE TONIGHT TO REPRESENT MY CONSTITUENTS THAT EXPECT ME TO PROTECT THEIR INTERESTS, RESPECT THE LAW, AND ENSURE THAT THIS COUNCIL DOES NOT ENGAGE IN DISCUSSIONS THAT WILL VIOLATE THE OPEN MEETINGS ACT. IF THERE'S AN ATTEMPT TO MOVE INTO A BUDGET RECONCILIATION DISCUSSION UNDER A NOTICE THAT ONLY ADVERTISED FOR POLICY DIRECTION, THAT WOULD BE IMPROPER DISCUSSION AND ONE THAT SHOULD NOT PROCEED. THIS IS NOT THE FIRST MISSED OPPORTUNITY. AT OUR FIRST SPECIAL CALLED MEETING. COUNCILWOMAN HEMMINGS MADE A MOTION TO HEAR PRESENTATIONS FROM ALL 17 DEPARTMENT HEADS. COUNCILWOMAN CUMMINGS AND I STRONGLY OPPOSE THAT APPROACH BECAUSE WE BELIEVE IT WOULD CONSUME VALUABLE TIME THAT HAS BEEN SPENT RECONCILING THE PROPOSED BUDGET. INSTEAD, I PROPOSE A MORE EFFICIENT ALTERNATIVE THAT EACH DEPARTMENT COMPLETE A QUESTIONNAIRE ADDRESSING THE INFORMATION COUNCIL NEEDED, WITH RESPONSES PROVIDED IN ADVANCE AND FOLLOW UP QUESTIONS DIRECTLY DIRECTED ONLY TO DEPARTMENTS WHERE CLARIFICATION WAS NECESSARY. THAT APPROACH WOULD HAVE RESPECT TO EVERYONE'S TIME, WHILE ALLOWING US TO FOCUS ON WHAT THAT MEETING SHOULD HAVE BEEN ABOUT. BUDGET RECONCILIATION. INSTEAD, WE SPENT APPROXIMATELY FIVE HOURS LISTENING TO DEPARTMENTAL PRESENTATIONS AND NEVER CAME CLOSE TO RECONCILING THE PROPOSED BUDGET. AS A RESULT, WE ARE HERE ONCE AGAIN UNABLE TO PERFORM THE WORK THAT THE COUNCIL NEEDS TO ACCOMPLISH. IT IS REMARKABLE THAT THIS ISN'T ONE COUNCILMEMBER HAS DELAYED RECONCILIATION ON THE BUDGET ON TWO SEPARATE OCCASIONS, AFFECTING THE ENTIRE COUNCIL STAFF AND ULTIMATELY RESIDENTS OF EAST POINT. SO TO EVERYONE WHO'S EXPECTING RECONCILIATION DISCUSSION TONIGHT, I TRULY APOLOGIZE. I WANT THAT DISCUSSION TO HAPPEN AS MUCH AS ANYONE IN THIS ROOM. I ASK THIS MEETING BE NOTICED DIFFERENTLY SO THAT WE COULD LEGALLY HAVE THAT DISCUSSION TODAY. BUT THAT REQUEST WAS DENIED. THE GOOD NEWS IS I HAVE PLACED RECONCILIATION OF THE PROPOSED FY 2027 BUDGET AND DISCUSSION ON THE BUDGET TIMELINE. 
          ADOPTION ON MONDAY NIGHT AGENDA. THAT MEETING IS SPECIFICALLY INTENDED TO ACCOMPLISH THE WORK WE SHOULD BE DOING NOW. I ALSO INTEND TO EXPLAIN WHY A PROPOSED BUDGET WITH AMENDMENTS, CANNOT SIMPLY BE PRESENTED AND ADOPTED IN THE SAME NIGHT. I UNDERSTAND YOU MAY HAVE BEEN MISLED BY MISGUIDED COUNCIL MEMBERS WHO ADVOCATED TO ILLEGALLY PASS THE BUDGET. 
          HOWEVER, THERE IS A PROCESS THAT MUST BE FOLLOWED, AND I BELIEVE OUR RESIDENTS DESERVE TO UNDERSTAND THAT PROCESS. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER MITCHELL AND I JUST WANTED TO RESPOND TO ONE THING. THERE WAS A STATEMENT THAT MYSELF AND SOME OTHER COUNCIL MEMBERS STATED THAT WE WOULD NOT BE AVAILABLE ON FRIDAY. I NEVER RESPONDED TO ANY EMAIL, PHONE CALL. I NEVER RECEIVED A PHONE CALL. SO I DIDN'T SHARE THAT INFORMATION WITH YOU BECAUSE I NEVER STATED THAT I WOULD NOT BE HERE ON FRIDAY. I JUST WANT THE RECORD TO REFLECT THAT I WAS AT THE BOARD MEETING YESTERDAY. SO YESTERDAY WAS A TRAVEL DAY, AND THEN I GOT BACK TO EASTPOINTE AND WENT TO A REPASS OF A CITIZEN ON SCENIC DRIVE. SO I WAS GOING TO DEFER TO THE CITY ATTORNEY ABOUT WHAT WE ARE ABLE TO DISCUSS THIS EVENING. IT IS 
          [00:10:02]
MY UNDERSTANDING THAT THE AGENDA ITEM IS BROAD ENOUGH FOR US TO HAVE THE DISCUSSIONS FOR WHICH WE'VE COME THIS EVENING, FOR THE PUBLIC AS WELL. IF YOU COULD PLEASE OPINE. THANK YOU. 
          GOOD EVENING, MAYOR AND COUNCIL. IT LOOKS LIKE YOUR AGENDA FOR A SPECIAL CALLED MEETING TODAY IS FOR POLICY DIRECTION FOR THE FY 2027 PROPOSED BUDGET. MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT BASED ON WHAT I UNDERSTOOD FROM THE EMAILS YESTERDAY, IS THAT THE DESIRE WAS TO DIRECT THE CITY MANAGER ON WHAT YOU WANT TO SEE IN YOUR BUDGET, AND FOR THOSE CHANGES TO BE MADE AND REPRESENTED, I ASSUME BACK TO THIS BODY. EVERYTHING THAT THIS COUNCIL DOES IS POLICY. THAT'S WHAT YOU GUYS DO. YOU MAKE POLICY VIA ORDINANCES AND RESOLUTIONS. AND SO I DON'T THINK THIS IS A VOTING MEETING. I WOULD NOT RECOMMEND THAT YOU ENTERTAIN ANY VOTES. I SAID THAT ON THE EMAIL ON YESTERDAY. MADAM MAYOR. YES. I WANTED TO ASK THE CITY ATTORNEY A QUESTION. OKAY. SO WHEN YOU SAY NOT A VOTING MEETING IN ORDER TO PROVIDE A DIRECTIVE, WE WOULD MAKE A MOTION THAT WOULD REQUIRE A VOTE. YOU'RE SAYING NO VOTES IN THIS ENTIRE I MEAN, VOTE ON THE ACTUAL BUDGET. OKAY. COUNCILWOMAN FLEMING. THANK YOU, MADAM DEPUTY CLERK, IF WE COULD PULL UP. THERE IS AN ATTACHMENT TO THE TODAY'S AGENDA. YOU CAN START WITH COUNCIL MEMBER CUMMINGS. WHICH TAB SHOULD SHE START WITH? SO I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE CLEAR THAT WE ARE ABLE TO. ARE WE ARE WE NOT ABLE TO JUST KIND OF DISCUSS WHAT THE ADJUSTMENTS, THE POTENTIAL, THE THE POTENTIAL BUDGET ADJUSTMENTS TO THE BUDGET? MADAM CITY ATTORNEY, ARE WE ABLE TO AT LEAST DISCUSS THOSE ITEMS? ASK ME THAT ONE MORE TIME. SO AS FAR AS SO THERE'S A BUDGET. THERE'S A SPREADSHEET THAT'S BEEN PRESENTED THAT'S UP ON THE SCREEN. YES, MA'AM. ARE WE ABLE TO DISCUSS THAT TO TALK ABOUT THE POSSIBLE CHANGES TO THE BUDGET? SO I THINK YOU CAN WHEN I HEARD AND THANK YOU, COUNCILMAN MITCHELL, FOR THE EXPLANATION. YOU DON'T HAVE A BUDGET RIGHT NOW. YOU'RE. SO WE'RE TALKING ABOUT ADJUSTMENTS TO THE BUDGET. YES. YOU'RE OPERATING OFF OF FY 26 MONTH TO MONTH. RIGHT. MY ASSESSMENT I AM NOT FINANCE BY ANY MEANS, BUT MY ASSESSMENT IS THAT YOU RECONCILE AN APPROVED BUDGET, BUT YOU DON'T HAVE AN WE DON'T HAVE A BUDGET. CORRECT? YES. AND SO IF THIS MEETING IS TO TASK FINANCE AND THE CITY MANAGER TO UPDATE THINGS IN THE BUDGET SO THAT IT CAN BE IN FINAL FORMAT FOR YOUR FUTURE VOTE, I THINK THAT'S FINE. OKAY. DOES THAT MAKE SENSE? YEAH, I WAS GOING TO SAY SO WE'RE NOT MAKING ANY VOTES ON ADJUSTMENTS SINCE IT'S NOT AMENDMENT SINCE IT'S NOT ADOPTED, I'M ASSUMING. 
          SO THERE WILL HAVE TO BE SOME CONSENSUS AROUND THE DIRECTIVE TO THE CITY MANAGER. OH, BECAUSE OTHERWISE YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE EIGHT DIFFERENT BUDGETS. DOES THAT MAKE SENSE? SO IF YOU IF THERE IS NOT A CONSENSUS AMONGST THIS BODY, AT LEAST A MAJORITY OF YOU, RIGHT, FIVE OF YOU THAT AGREE, FOR INSTANCE, THAT THE REPROGRAMED AMOUNT IN CITY COUNCIL SHALL READ ZERO. 
          IT WON'T READ ZERO, IT'LL READ WHATEVER HE GIVES YOU. RIGHT. OKAY. SO ARE YOU. GOOD? SO WE'RE ACTUALLY VOTING TONIGHT ON THIS. OH, YOU'RE NOT VOTING ON THIS? NOT I'M TALKING ABOUT. 
          SO EACH INDIVIDUAL ITEM THAT WE WANT TO ADJUST OR AMEND, IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING FROM THE EMAILS YESTERDAY THAT THE COUNCIL, OR AT LEAST THE MAJORITY OF OR THE ONES THAT WERE ON THE EMAIL, WANTED TO HAVE THIS MEETING TO TELL HIM WHAT THE BUDGET SHOULD LOOK LIKE. SO YOU GUYS CAN VOTE ON IT AT A FUTURE DATE. SO THAT, THAT, THAT WAS MY PURPOSE OF 
          [00:15:04]
THAT. SO IT WAS NOT ADVERTISED CORRECTLY. I KNOW, SO DIRECTION WE WOULD BE MAKING INDEPENDENT DECISIONS ON THESE LINE ITEMS. THAT WAS NOT WHAT WAS ADVERTISED. SO I WAS SAYING WHEN YOU STEPPED OUT THAT EVERYTHING YOU GUYS DO IS POLICY. THAT'S EVERYTHING YOU DO. YOU SET POLICY AND YOU WOULD BE SETTING POLICY OR GIVING A POLICY DIRECTION TO THE CITY MANAGER ON WHAT Y'ALL, AT LEAST FIVE OF YOU ALL WANT THE BUDGET TO LOOK LIKE SO THAT YOU CAN VOTE ON THE BUDGET LATER. CORRECT. SO THAT'S WHAT I WAS TRYING TO EXPLAIN. THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN DIRECTIVE AND DIRECTION. DIRECTIVE IS A SPECIFIC, HEY, CHANGE THIS. WE WANT THIS DIRECTION IS, HEY, I THINK THIS SHOULD BE CHANGED IN THE AREA. THAT'S WHY I WAS LIKE, THE WORDING IS IMPORTANT WHEN WE'RE ADVERTISING THINGS. IF IT WOULD HAVE BEEN DIRECTIVE OR RECONCILIATION, SOMETHING THAT LET THE PUBLIC KNOW THAT WE'D BE GOING LINE BY LINE AND MAKING CHANGES. POLICY DIRECTION IS VERY BROAD. THAT IS WHAT WAS ADVERTISED. IT WOULD HAVE BEEN DIRECTIVE THAT'S SPECIFIC. SO I WANT TO MAKE SURE WE'RE NOT BREAKING ANY OPEN MEETING. I UNDERSTAND, AND CERTAINLY I WOULD NOT SIT HERE AND ALLOW YOU TO DO THAT. 
          SECONDLY, I DON'T THINK WE SHOULD BE USING THE WORD RECONCILIATION BECAUSE THAT ASSUMES YOU HAVE AN APPROVED BUDGET. YOU RECONCILE AN APPROVED BUDGET TO MAKE IT LIKE SO SAY YOU SPEND MORE THAN YOU ALLOTTED IN THE LINE IN THE BUDGET FOR COPIERS. YOU WILL RECONCILE THAT AT THE END OF THE BUDGET YEAR. SO YOU CAN MOVE MONEY IN THAT LINE ITEM TO COVER. SO RECONCILIATION IS NOT WHAT YOU'RE WHAT YOU'RE DOING BECAUSE YOU DON'T HAVE AN APPROVED BUDGET. I DON'T THE THIRD THING I'LL SAY, AND THIS IS RESPECTFULLY, I DON'T SEE THE DISTINCTION IN DIRECTION AND DIRECTIVE THE WAY THAT YOU SEE IT. AND SO I JUST WILL HAVE TO RESPECTFULLY DISAGREE WITH YOU, SIR. YEAH. SO THAT'S WHAT I'M SAYING. IT'S SPECIFIC DIRECTIVE. HEY, DO THIS DIRECTION. WE SHOULD LOOK OVER HERE. WE SHOULD LOOK WHAT WE CAN CHANGE. THAT'S WHAT I'M SAYING. THAT'S EXPLICIT. THE DIFFERENCE I'M SAYING, AND I THINK I THINK THAT'S TWO DIFFERENT ADJECTIVES. SO. YES, SIR. OKAY. ALL RIGHT. 
          COUNCILWOMAN HEMMING OKAY. THANK YOU, MADAM MAYOR. SO TONIGHT THE PURPOSE IS FOR COUNCIL MEMBERS TO LOOK AT POSSIBLE MONEY TO REALLOCATE OR BE REMOVED FROM THE EXISTING FY 2027 BUDGET THAT HAS BEEN PROPOSED TO COUNCIL. ON THE SCREEN BEFORE YOU. WHAT YOU SEE IS A REFLECTION OF COLLABORATION AMONGST MANY MEMBERS OF THIS BODY TO INCLUDE SOME WHO HAVE ALREADY SPOKEN THIS EVENING. WHAT YOU SEE IN RED FOR FOR FOLKS WHO ARE JUST TUNING INTO THIS CONVERSATION AT OUR JULY 6TH, 2026 MEETING, THERE WAS A PRESENTATION MADE WHERE A COUNCIL MEMBER WAS SUGGESTING TO IDENTIFY SOURCES TO CUT OR TO REALLOCATE. AND SO WHAT YOU SEE ON THE SCREEN THAT'S IN RED, THOSE REPRESENT CHANGES TO WHAT WAS PREVIOUSLY PROPOSED. SO IF THERE WAS A PRE, FOR EXAMPLE, ON LINE SIX, THAT VERY FIRST LINE, IF THERE WAS A PROPOSAL THERE TO REMOVE MONEY, FOR EXAMPLE, FROM THAT EXPENSE ALLOWANCE, THIS NEW UPDATED RECOMMENDATION IS TO RETAIN THOSE DOLLARS AND SCROLLING. I KNOW THAT YOU CANNOT SEE THE WHOLE SCREEN, BUT WHAT IT ESSENTIALLY DOES ON THIS FIRST SHEET IS TO REALLOCATE TWO POINT, ABOUT $2.2 MILLION. THAT WOULD SATISFY WHAT COUNCIL MEMBERS ARE HOPING TO REPROGRAM. 
          AND SO, MADAM DEPUTY CITY CLERK, IF YOU COULD SWITCH OVER TO THE NEXT SCREEN, THE NEXT SHEET, I JUST WANT TO SOUND INTO THE RECORD THE TYPES OF THINGS THAT COUNCIL IS TRYING TO FIND FUNDING FOR. AND I ALSO WANT TO NOTE AN ERROR ON THE SPREADSHEET. SO WE HEARD AT A MEETING ON JUNE 2020, EXCUSE ME, JUNE 23RD, FOR EXAMPLE, THAT THERE HAD BEEN MONEY REMOVED FOR THE ASSOCIATE JUDGES. AND THIS IS A CRITICAL NEED FOR OUR MUNICIPAL COURT TO FUNCTION. SO COUNCIL WOULD LIKE TO SEE THOSE DOLLARS REINSTATED TO THE MUNICIPAL COURT, AS WELL AS ITS EDUCATION AND TRAINING AT $23,400 IN THE LEGAL DEPARTMENT, THERE WERE SOME REMOVALS OF THINGS RELATED TO SOME OF THE CLAIMS, AND SO COUNCIL IS RECOMMENDING TO RESTORE THOSE. 
          THIS RECOMMENDATION ALSO RESTORES THE WARD D COMMUNITY GATHERING THAT HAD PREVIOUSLY 
          [00:20:03]
BEEN IN PRIOR BUDGETS IN THE CITY CLERK'S OFFICE. IT RESTORES EDUCATION AND TRAINING IN ALL ADMINISTRATIVE DEPARTMENTS. IT RESTORES EDUCATION AND TRAINING AT $228,000. AND I'M NOT BEING. I'M NOT READING THIS PRECISE NUMBER, SO I WILL WE WILL ADJUST THAT. IT'S $228,413. IT ALSO ADDS FOR THE CITY IN THE HUMAN RESOURCES DEPARTMENT, 600 $0 FOR 360 EMPLOYEE PERFORMANCE REVIEW. AND IF YOU'RE NOT FAMILIAR WITH WHAT THAT IS, THAT WOULD ALLOW ANYBODY AT THE MANAGER LEVEL OR HIGHER TO GET FEEDBACK FROM THEIR SUBORDINATES AS WELL AS THEIR SUPERIORS. WE'VE HEARD A LOT ABOUT EMPLOYEE MORALE IN THE CITY. AND SO IN ORDER TO COLLECT THAT DATA IN A CONFIDENTIAL AND DISCREET WAY, A 360 PERFORMANCE REVIEW PROCESS WOULD ALLOW US TO DO THAT, AND THAT WOULD BE MANAGED EXTERNAL TO THE CITY. SO THERE'S NO OPPORTUNITY TO MANIPULATE MANIPULATE THE DATA IN FINANCE. IT WOULD ADD TO GRANT WRITERS WITH SALARY AND BENEFITS. THE INTENTION BEHIND THIS IS BECAUSE WE HAVE PROGRAMS THAT HAVE SUNSET IN THE CITY, AND WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE CAN FIND FUNDING TO RETAIN SOME OF THOSE PROGRAMS. AND MADAM DEPUTY CITY CLERK, I'M GONNA ASK YOU TO SCROLL ONE MORE TIME FOR THE PUBLIC. THE NEXT THING THAT IT DOES IS RESTORE SOME DEFINED BENEFITS. SO DEFINED BENEFITS ARE PENSIONS. THIS PROPOSED BUDGET WOULD RESTORE THOSE DEFINED BENEFITS, AS WELL AS SERVICES FOR THOSE WHO ARE DETAINEES IN OUR JAIL. $9,000 FOR THEIR MEDICAL SERVICES. THIS PROPOSAL ALSO RIGHT THERE IS PERFECT. THANK YOU MA'AM. THIS PROPOSAL ALSO RESTORES SOME AND ADDS SOME IMPORTANT RESOURCES INTO OUR PLANNING AND ZONING DEPARTMENT. AS MANY OF YOU HAVE EXPRESSED IN DIFFERENT WAYS, YOU DESIRE TO SEE PLANNING AND ZONING IMPROVE THE PERMITTING PROCESS. SO THIS THESE LINE ITEMS THAT YOU SEE 24 THROUGH 26 WOULD ALLOW US TO DO A COUPLE OF THINGS. ONE, HIRE A CHIEF BUILDING INSPECTOR. THIS IS AN IMPORT, EXCUSE ME, ADD MONEY TO A CHIEF INSPECTOR SALARY. THIS IS AN IMPORTANT POSITION IN THE CITY WHO CAN GO AND ASSESS THE CONDITIONS OF BUILDINGS, WHICH WOULD HELP US WITH OUR BLIGHT STRATEGY. IT ALSO WOULD ADD CRITICAL INCENTIVES FOR OUR PLANNING AND ZONING DEPARTMENT. WE HAVE A VERY VIBRANT STAFF THERE THAT HAS TAKEN A LOT OF TRAINING, AND WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY ARE COMPENSATED AND RECOGNIZED FOR THE TRAINING THAT THEY'RE DOING TO IMPROVE YOUR PERMITTING EXPERIENCE. AND THEN IT ALSO RESTORES MONEY FOR THE PLANNING COMMISSION, WHO IS ACTUALLY ABOUT TO BE IN THIS ROOM IN JUST A FEW MINUTES FOR THEIR MEETING. IT ALSO ADDS MONEY BACK TO THE AUTISM AWARENESS AND PARKS AND RECREATION. IT ADDS MONEY FOR A SMALL SUM OF MONEY, ABOUT $6,011 FOR 140 YEAR ANNIVERSARY PROGRAM FOR THE CITY IN AUGUST OF 2027, EAST POINT WILL TURN 140 YEARS OLD. OTHER THINGS THAT IT DOES IS IT FOCUSES ON ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND MAIN STREET. SO THERE IS A COMPREHENSIVE PLAN HERE TO IMPROVE THE CONDITIONS OF MAIN STREET AND THE BUSINESSES DOWN THERE, AS WELL AS DOWNTOWN STABILIZATION AND MAIN STREET INITIATIVES. I ALSO HAVE WE ALSO HAVE HEARD VERY, VERY CLEARLY FROM THE COMMUNITY A DESIRE TO MAINTAIN THE SENIOR HOME REPAIR PROGRAM. SO THERE ARE FUNDS ALLOCATED FOR THAT, AS WELL AS A COMMUNITY STABILIZATION DIVISION THAT WAS FORMERLY KNOWN AS THE OFFICE OF EQUITY, INCLUSION AND EMPOWERMENT. THIS PROPOSAL ALSO ADDS THE SENIOR YARD AND VEGETATION PROGRAM MANAGEMENT. SO WHEN SENIORS ARE EXPERIENCING THAT, ARE NOT ABLE TO MAINTAIN SOME OF THE VEGETATION ON THEIR PROPERTY WITH THE TREES THAT ARE CHALLENGED, THIS PROGRAM WOULD RESTORE THAT. AND THEN FINALLY, IT ADDS A VERY HEFTY AMOUNT OF MONEY, $400,000 TO PUBLIC WORKS FOR DELIVERING AND IMPROVEMENTS TO OUR CITY CORRIDORS AND CITY OWNED PROPERTIES. SO THAT WOULD BE, FOR EXAMPLE, THE PARTS OF CAMP CREEK THAT WE'RE RESPONSIBLE FOR SYLVAN ROAD, STAUNTON BELOW WASHINGTON ROAD AND CLEVELAND AVENUE. AND I WOULD ALSO BE REMISS, COUNCIL MEMBER CUMMINGS, JUST ACKNOWLEDGE THIS FOR ME. WE PREVIOUSLY HAD THE FUNDING IN HERE AND NEED TO ADD IT BACK TO THIS SPREADSHEET FOR FIRE STATION. NUMBER NUMBER TWO, NUMBER TWO AT $350,000. SO THE INTENTION OF THIS DISCUSSION IS A COLLECTION OF ALL THE THINGS THAT COUNCIL MEMBERS HAVE BEEN HEARING THAT NEED TO BE RESTORED. AND THE PREVIOUS SHEET IS WHERE WE WOULD GET THE MONEY FROM TO RESTORE IT, BECAUSE THE CITY MANAGER HAS TO HAVE A BALANCED BUDGET. WE CANNOT PROPOSE THINGS IF WE DON'T HAVE THE EXISTING FUNDS TO FUND THEM. SO I YIELD. COUNCILMAN CALDWELL, THANK YOU. 
          LET ME FIRST START OFF BY JUST STATING AND THANKING ALL OF COUNCIL FOR COLLABORATION. UP 
          [00:25:06]
UNTIL THIS POINT OVER THE LAST FEW WEEKS TO COME TO THIS DOCUMENT AS WELL. WE'VE MET IN ONE OFF SESSIONS, EMAILS, PHONE CALLS, NOT BREAKING ANY OPEN MEETINGS ACT, BUT WE'VE METHER F THIS BUDGET ALONG. TONIGHT, MY QUESTIONS AREN'T ABOUT WHAT IS PRESENTED HERE, BUT MORE ABOUT WHAT HASN'T BEEN PRESENTED AS OF RECENT. I STILL HAVE A FEW QUESTIONS AS TO WHETHER MAYOR AND COUNCIL HAVE BEEN HAVE RECEIVED ENOUGH RELIABLE INFORMATION TO DETERMINE THAT THESE ARE THE RIGHT DECISIONS. OR BETTER YET, THE ONLY DECISIONS THAT WE SHOULD MAKE BEFORE KIND OF GETTING INTO THAT AND A LITTLE BIT MORE DETAIL, I DO WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE WHAT OUR CITY EXPERIENCED THIS PAST WEEKEND. A MAJOR WATER WATER MAIN BREAK THAT LEFT RESIDENTS, INCLUDING MYSELF, WITHOUT WATER OR WITHOUT RELIABLE ACCESS TO CLEAN DRINKING WATER, WHICH IS AN ESSENTIAL SERVICE THAT THE CITY IS RESPONSIBLE FOR PROVIDING. I DEFINITELY WANT TO THANK THE WATER DEPARTMENT. OUR DEPUTY CITY MANAGER, THE FIRST RESPONDERS, FOR THEIR OVERSIGHT, THEIR HARD WORK AND JUST RELENTLESSNESS TO RESOLVE THESE ISSUES WHILE STILL SHOWING UP FOR RESIDENTS. THAT EXPERIENCE MADE ME TAKE ANOTHER LOOK AT THE BUDGET AND WHAT WE'VE COME UP WITH. I THINK WE FOCUSED A LOT ON WHAT WAS MISSING FROM THE BUDGET, BUT ONE OF THE AREAS THAT WE HADN'T REALLY TALKED ABOUT IS THE DEFERRED PROJECTS. THAT COULD BE VERY CRITICAL TO OUR WATER INFRASTRUCTURE, OUR FIRE AND OUR FIRST RESPONDERS. WHEN I LOOK AT THIS PROPOSED BUDGET, IF ANYONE HAS THE BUDGET BOOK, PAGES 26 AND 27, IT SHOWS THAT WE HAVE MORE THAN 16 MILLION IN DEFERRED PROJECTS AND DEPARTMENTAL CHANGES. AND THE CITY MANAGER EXPLAINS AND ACKNOWLEDGES THAT THE DELAYS IN THESE PROJECTS COULD INCREASE OUR COST. BECAUSE, OF COURSE, WHEN FIXING SOMETHING IN AN EMERGENCY, COSTS ARE A LOT HIGHER. IT CAN CREATE ADDITIONAL EMERGENCIES. AND BASED ON WHAT WE EXPERIENCED AGAIN THIS PAST WEEKEND, WE WANT TO TAKE EVERY STEP THAT WE CAN TO PREVENT THAT. IT COULD WEAKEN OUR INFRASTRUCTURE, AND IT REALLY CAN EXPOSE THE CITY NOT ONLY TO OPERATIONAL, BUT REGULATORY RISK. I KNOW THAT THERE IS A DESIRE TO APPROVE THIS BUDGET IMMEDIATELY, AND I DEFINITELY UNDERSTAND THE SENSE OF URGENCY, WHICH IS WHY WE'VE GOTTEN TO THIS POINT AND IN COLLABORATION. BUT I DO THINK THAT IT IT'S WORTH IT FOR US TO EXPLORE SOME OF THE PROJECTS THAT HAVE BEEN DEFERRED IN THIS BUDGET AND THE, THE RISK ASSOCIATED WITH IT. BEFORE WE GET TO THAT DECISION, COUNCIL MEMBER HAMMOND JUST MENTIONED THE FIRE STATION NUMBER TWO, THOSE RENOVATIONS. SO I WON'T GO INTO MUCH DETAIL AROUND THAT, BECAUSE WE ALL HAVE COME TO A CONSENSUS THAT WE WANT TO SEE THAT BACK IN THE BUDGET. JOHN D MILNER SPORTS COMPLEX THE EXPLANATION AROUND THE DEFERRED PROJECTS. THIS IS DIRECTLY FROM THE CITY MANAGER STATES THAT IF WE DEFER THIS PROJECT, REPAIRS MAY WORSEN AT THE AT JOHN D MILNER PARK AND COULD REQUIRE EMERGENCY ACTION. OF COURSE, REPAIRS WORSENING THAT COULD. 
          BEING PEOPLE AT RISK THAT THAT GO TO THIS PARTICULAR PART. BUT EVEN MORE, THE EMERGENCY ACTION PLAN. WE KNOW THAT COSTS ASSOCIATED WITH EMERGENCIES ARE GOING TO BE MORE EXPENSIVE. 
          THIS IS NOT IN THE CURRENT BUDGET AND IT IS SOMETHING THAT IS HIGHLIGHTED. THIS ISN'T A NICE TO HAVE, BUT THESE ARE REPAIRS THAT ARE NEEDED. THE COMMONS PROJECT HAS HAS BEEN DEFERRED. WHEN I TALKED TO RESIDENTS ACROSS THE CITY GOING THROUGH THE CAMPAIGN, I THINK THERE WAS ONE BAND, ONE SOUND, AS IT RELATED TO THE COMMONS PROJECT. EVERYONE WANTED TO SEE MORE DEVELOPMENT AS IT RELATED TO THE COMMONS PROJECT. THE. THE PROJECT THAT WAS DEFERRED SUPPORTS THE UTILITY RELOCATION. THESE. THESE ARE THE FOUNDATIONAL THINGS THAT NEED TO HAPPEN SO THAT WE CAN ACTUALLY BUILD THESE. THIS HAS BEEN DEFERRED. SO THAT MEANS THE COMMONS PROJECT DEVELOPMENT IS ALSO DEFERRED. THE MULTI-GENERATIONAL RECREATION FACILITY. THIS IS WARD D, SO IT'S SOMETHING THAT'S DEFINITELY NEAR AND DEAR TO ME. 
          WE RECEIVED A LAND GRANT. THAT AGREEMENT THAT SAID YOU HAVE TEN YEARS TO BUILD A RECREATION FACILITY AND YOU CAN HAVE THE LAND FOR FREE. WE ARE IN YEAR, I THINK, TEN. I MEAN, I THINK THAT WAS THAT. EIGHT THAT STARTED AROUND 2017, 2018. SO WE'RE RIGHT AT THE CUSP OF, OF, 
          [00:30:08]
OF COMPLETING THAT LAND GRANT WITHOUT THE RECREATION FACILITY THERE. UNFORTUNATELY, BECAUSE OF THE LOSS OF OUR BOND RATING, WE DON'T HAVE THE ABILITY TO SECURE FUNDING FOR THIS RECREATIONAL FACILITY. AS OF TODAY. I JUST WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT AND MENTION RESIDENTS SHOULD NOT LOSE, YOU KNOW, MAJOR COMMUNITY INVESTMENTS BECAUSE THE CITY HASN'T COMPLETED ITS AUDITS. WE'VE INVESTED A LOT OF MONEY INTO UNDERSTANDING WHAT THIS SPACE COULD LOOK LIKE. SO THIS ISN'T AN IDEA. WE PUT PEN TO PAPER. THERE IS A DESIGN THAT IS WAITING TO HAPPEN. THE STORMWATER PROGRAM FLOODING IS A CONCERN IN OUR COMMUNITY, YET WE'VE REDUCED AND DEFERRED PROGRAMS THAT ARE MEANT TO SUPPORT THIS. THE BIGGER THING THAT I WANTED TO TALK ABOUT, IN ADDITION TO THOSE PROJECTS, DEFERRED PROJECTS. BUT I SPECIFICALLY TOOK A LOOK AT THE WATER SYSTEM INVESTMENTS BECAUSE OF WHAT TOOK PLACE OVER THIS WEEKEND. THERE'S MILLIONS OF DOLLARS OR MORE THAN $1 MILLION WORTH OF WATER SYSTEM INVESTMENTS THAT HAVE BEEN DEFERRED, THE FIRST ONE BEING, AND ALL OF THIS IS ON THOSE PAGES, 26 TO 27. EACH ONE OF THESE, THE WATER MAIN BREAK REPLACEMENT, WE HAD A PIPE THAT BURST OVER THIS WEEKEND. THIS BUDGET IS DEFERRING $900,000 WORTH OF REPLACING PIPES THAT NEED TO BE REPLACED. IN OUR CITY, WE KNOW THAT WE HAVE AN AGING INFRASTRUCTURE. WE'VE ALREADY IDENTIFIED THE PRIORITY AREAS AND THE COST IT WOULD TAKE TO REPLACE THESE THINGS, BUT YET WE ARE DEFERRING THEM. MY QUESTION IS WHY THERE'S MONIES THAT HAVE ALREADY BEEN DEFINED THE MOST. WE GET FEDERAL GRANTS TO BE ABLE TO DO THESE PARTICULAR PROJECTS. SO IT'S NOT A MONEY DISCUSSION. I HONESTLY DON'T KNOW WHY THEY WOULD BE DEFERRED BOOSTER PUMPS. 
          THESE ARE THINGS THAT AND I'VE GOOGLED AND LOOKED UP AS MUCH AS THIS STUFF AS POSSIBLE TO HAVE A CLEAR UNDERSTANDING OF THE IMPACT THAT IT'S GOING TO HAVE TO OUR COMMUNITY. THESE HELP TO INCREASE WATER PRESSURE. THIS IS CRITICAL FOR OUR FIRE DEPARTMENTS. WHEN THERE IS A NEED TO PUT OUT A FIRE, WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT OUR FIRE HYDRANTS HAVE ENOUGH PRESSURE TO HELP OUR FIRE DEPARTMENTS $250,000. THAT WAS ALSO DEFERRED THE AM I METER IMPROVEMENTS. THIS GIVES OUR WATER DEPARTMENT THE ABILITY TO MONITOR WATER VIRTUALLY TO DETECT THINGS LIKE LEAKS. I TALKED TO A RESIDENT RECENTLY WHERE OUR WATER DEPARTMENT CAME OUT AND SAID, HEY, WE'VE NOTICED A LEAK AND THIS IS SOMETHING THAT YOU NEED TO IMMEDIATELY ADDRESS. AND THEY WERE ABLE TO ADDRESS IT. WE NEED TO CONTINUOUSLY INVEST IN DEPARTMENTS BECAUSE THESE SERVICES ARE MEANT TO HELP US AS RESIDENTS. MAINTENANCE, SHOP RENOVATIONS, LONG REPAIR. THIS IS WHERE WE STORE A LOT OF OUR EQUIPMENT. BY NOT INVESTING IN THESE THINGS, LONG REPAIR TIMES TO OUR EQUIPMENT, WHICH COULD LEAD TO POTENTIAL SAFETY CONCERNS FOR OUR EMPLOYEES. IT'S A $75,000 INVESTMENT. EMERGENCY STORAGE. THIS IS A HUGE. ESPECIALLY IN LIGHT OF THE EMERGENCY SITUATION WE. WE RECENTLY EXPERIENCED. BUT IT IMPACTS OUR ABILITY TO RESPOND TO EMERGENCIES, CAUSING LONGER RESPONSE TIMES IN TIMES OF NEED. 
          $75.70 $5,000 INVESTMENT. THICKER BUILDING UPGRADES. THIS IS A PART OF OUR WATER TREATMENT PROCESS. YOU KNOW, WE'VE INVESTED A LOT INTO OUR WATER INFRASTRUCTURE TO MAKE SURE THAT WE CAN HAVE CLEAN WATER FOR FOR OUR RESIDENTS, AND WE'VE DONE SO MUCH SO THAT WE CAN NOW MONETIZE OUR WATER. WE SELL IT TO OTHER CITIES, WE SELL IT TO MAJOR CORPORATIONS THAT WE ALL LOVE. I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY THIS ISN'T A PRIORITY $100,000 EXCAVATION AND AND HAULING EQUIPMENT. AGAIN, THIS FOCUS IS ON CONTAMINATION OF OUR WATER AND MAKING SURE THAT WE HAVE A CLEAN WATER SUPPLY, $64,000. AS I MENTIONED IN MANY OF THESE DESCRIPTIONS, THE OPERATIONAL RISK THAT THE CITY MANAGER LISTS THESE PROJECTS WOULD IMPROVE NOT ONLY THE RELIABILITY, BUT THEY PROTECT OUR DRINKING WATER, THEY INCREASE OUR CAPACITY, THEY STRENGTHEN EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS, AND THEY REDUCE RISK. FOLLOWING THIS WEEKEND'S WATER MAIN FAILURE. MY QUESTION IS, AND MAYBE TO CITY MANAGER, WHAT FORM OF FORMAL ANALYSIS WAS CONDUCTED TO DETERMINE THAT THESE PROJECTS TO PROTECT THE CITY'S DRINKING WATER WERE LOWER PRIORITIES? AND ONE OTHER THING BEFORE I HAVE THE CITY MANAGER ANSWER THAT, IT'S ALSO HELPFUL TO UNDERSTAND. I MENTIONED THIS EARLIER ABOUT 
          [00:35:04]
THE MONEY THING. THIS ISN'T A MONEY THING. WE HAVE THE MUNICIPAL OPTION SALES TAX THAT'S NOT REPRESENTED IN THIS BUDGET. I LIKE TO UNDERSTAND HOW MUCH WE TYPICALLY BRING IN ON A MONTHLY BASIS, ANNUAL BASIS. THE MUNICIPAL OPTION SALES TAX REVENUE IS SPECIFICALLY FOR INFRASTRUCTURE, WATER INFRASTRUCTURE FIXES. AND SO I'M JUST WONDERING IF THE MONEY IS THERE. WHY WOULD WE WHY WOULD WE DEPRIORITIZE THESE PROJECTS AND POSTPONE THEM UNTIL LATER YEARS? THANK YOU FOR THAT QUESTION, COUNCILMAN. COUNCIL MEMBER CALDWELL. SO THERE'S BEEN SEVERAL DISCUSSIONS, PRESENTATIONS, SOME. AND IN ONE ON ONES AND ALSO IN PUBLIC ABOUT THE FISCAL CONDITION OF OUR WATER RESOURCES DEPARTMENT. THERE IS ONGOING WORK ON PROVIDING RATE ANALYSIS, WHICH UNFORTUNATELY COULD NOT BE BROUGHT TO COUNCIL BEFORE APPROVING THE BUDGET. THAT DISCUSSION CAN CERTAINLY PROVIDE FINANCIAL ABILITY TO BRING SOME OF THESE PROJECTS THAT YOU CORRECTLY IDENTIFIED, WHICH WAS IN THE BUDGET, THE CITY MANAGER'S BUDGET MESSAGE ON PROJECTS THAT WE HAD TO DEFER. SO THERE'S THE OPPORTUNITY, AGAIN, TO BRING IN SOME OF THOSE PROJECTS. ONCE WE DO HAVE A PROJECTED REVENUE THAT WOULD BE ABLE TO FACILITATE THOSE THOSE PROJECTS, UNTIL SUCH ACTIVITY IS DONE, WE HAVE TO GO WITH WHAT REVENUES THAT WE HAVE AVAILABLE NOW. AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT OR SEVERAL THINGS THAT ARE NOT IDENTIFIED ARE SOME OF THE LIABILITIES THAT WATER RESOURCES IS CURRENTLY MANAGING THROUGH. WE'VE ALREADY TALKED ABOUT IN SEVERAL MEETINGS ABOUT THE ONGOING FULTON COUNTY LIABILITY, WHICH IS A MULTI MILLION DOLLARS OF OF LIABILITY THAT CURRENTLY CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE IS WORKING TO NEGOTIATE THROUGH WITH ASSISTANCE FROM THE FROM THE LEGAL DEPARTMENT. THERE'S ALSO RELEVANT RELATIVELY RECENT ADJUSTMENTS FROM THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT. MEMO JUST WENT OUT TODAY REGARDING THE RULES AND REGULATIONS OF THE OFFICE OF OF BUDGET MANAGEMENT, WHERE THEY'RE LOOKING AT PRESSING NEW RULES THAT EVEN WHEN WE HAVE FEDERAL AWARDS AND FEDERAL FUNDING, THAT THOSE FUNDINGS CAN BE RETRACTED FROM THE FEDERAL FROM THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT AT ANY TIME FOR ANY REASON. THIS REQUIRES THE CITY TO BE PREPARED, EVEN THOUGH WE HAVE MATCHING DOLLARS AND SOMETIMES EVEN FULLY FUNDED FEDERAL FUNDS, THAT THE CITY HAS TO BE PREPARED TO CARRY ON THOSE PROJECTS WITH THE UNDERSTANDING THAT THOSE THOSE FEDERAL FUNDS COULD BE RETRACTED. SO THEY'RE ESSENTIALLY REQUIRES US TO HAVE FUNDS ON HAND TO BE ABLE TO COMPLETE ANY PROJECT WE START. THAT'S GOING TO CREATE ADDITIONAL CHALLENGES IN LEVERAGING FUNDS. WE ALSO KNOW THAT EVEN WITH FEDERAL FUNDING AND EVEN WITH THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT STANDING BEHIND FULL FAITH BEHIND THE COMMITMENTS THAT THEY PRESENT, THAT THOSE MATCHING DOLLARS HAVE TO COME FROM SOMEWHERE ON THE CITY SIDE. AND THOSE TYPICALLY COME FROM OUR RESERVES. CLEARLY, WE HAVE EXPLORED AND AND TALKED NUMEROUS TIMES ABOUT THE CHALLENGES WITH OUR RESERVES. WATER RESOURCES IS IN THE SAME POSITION AS POWER WITH REGARDS TO THEIR RESERVES. AND SO SOME OF THE REVENUES THAT YOU HAVE HIGHLIGHTED IN YOUR COMMENTS WILL NEED TO BE USED TO RESTORE RESERVES, TO BE ABLE TO MANAGE THE THE EMERGENCIES THAT YOU SO ELOQUENTLY SPOKE OF. SO I WILL DIFFER WITH YOU AT THIS POINT. IT IS A MONEY ISSUE. AND THE 
          [00:40:07]
REASON THAT THOSE PROJECTS WERE DEFERRED WAS BECAUSE OF MANAGING LIMITED RESOURCES. SO ONE OF THE QUESTIONS I HAD IS ABOUT THE MUNICIPAL OPTION SALES TAX. THIS IS A SPECIAL PURPOSE LOCAL SALES TAX THAT CAN BE USED FOR THE PURPOSES AUTHORIZED IN THE ORDINANCE. 
          ORDINANCE AND APPROVED BY COUNCIL. WHAT MOST HAS BEEN USED FOR OR CAN BE USED FOR IS WATER, SEWER INFRASTRUCTURE, STORM WATER IMPROVEMENTS, ROAD TRANSPORTATION INFRASTRUCTURE, CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS. I GUESS MY QUESTION IS HOW MUCH ARE WE GENERATING BECAUSE MOST IS NOT REPRESENTED IN THIS BOOK AT ALL? HOW MUCH ARE WE GENERATING FROM MOST THAT COULD BE USED TOWARDS WATER AND INFRASTRUCTURE? GOOD EVENING, MAYOR AND MEMBERS OF COUNCIL. SO JUST TO ADDRESS YOU, COUNCIL MEMBER CALDWELL MOST IS IN THE BUDGET. IT'S UNDER REVENUE FOR FOR 505. IT'S LABELED MUNICIPAL OPTION SALES TAX. THE REVENUE IS 6.5 MILLION. AND ON THIS, THE EXPENDITURE SIDE, THE DIRECTOR HAS IT LABELED UNDER A PROJECT CODE. SO THERE'S TWO DIFFERENT PROJECT CODES 2 TO 3 DIFFERENT PROJECT CODES THAT SHE UTILIZES THIS MONEY FOR. I'M ACTUALLY LOOKING AT THE THE ACTUAL BUDGET. SO I'D HAVE TO GO TO THE PAGE FOR YOU JUST SO THE REVENUE IS GOING TO BE ON THE FRONT AT THE VERY BEGINNING. IT'S LABELED MUNICIPAL OPTION SALES TAX. I'D HAVE TO FIND THE PAGE FOR YOU. I'M JUST LOOKING AT THE BUDGET DIRECTLY ON PAGE 99. REVENUES. AND I GUESS THE QUESTION IS, CAN YOU TELL ME WHAT PROJECTS ARE GOING TO BE FUNDED? WELL, THE DIRECTOR HAS 33GL LINES THAT SHE USES SPECIFICALLY FOR MOST, SO SHE DETERMINES WHEN SHE NEEDS IT FROM FOR AN EMERGENCY. SO SHE DOESN'T GIVE US A DETAILED LINE BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, IF IT'S AN EMERGENCY, YOU WON'T KNOW WHAT THE EMERGENCY IS. BUT IT'S THERE FOR HER UTILIZATION. SO IT HASN'T BEEN ALLOCATED TO A SPECIFIC LINE ITEM. IT ISN'T IN A SPECIFIC LINE ITEM. LET ME GET THE G L NUMBER FOR YOU. SO. ONE OF THE G L LINE LINE ITEMS IS 505433152112-09- MOST W S. I'M SORRY. YES MA'AM 50543315210. I'M SORRY. THAT'S SO IT'S GOING TO BE UNDER CAPITAL. MY APOLOGIES. LET ME FIND IT. THAT'S THE WRONG LINE ITEM. OKAY. ARE YOU READY? 5054331. 5411400. MOST W S. AND THAT ALLOCATION AMOUNT IS. 1.1. 
          IT'S 1,190,000. AND WE FIND THE OTHER TWO. OKAY. THE SECOND ONE IS 50544305411400 DASH MOST W S. 
          THAT ALLOCATION IS. 489,423. AND I BELIEVE THERE'S ONE MORE. LET ME JUST DOUBLE CHECK. I THINK IT'S FOR SEWER. OKAY. THE LAST ONE IS 50544405211209 DASH MOST W S. AND THAT ALLOCATION 
          [00:45:05]
SHE DOESN'T HAVE ALLOCATION IN THAT ONE. IS 6.5 MILLION IN THE ACCOUNT RIGHT NOW. I WANT TO LOAD IT ONE MORE TIME. AND. MISS CARTWRIGHT IS THERE A POSSIBILITY THAT YOU CAN PUT THE BOOK ON THE SCREEN OR DO YOU MEAN IF YOU CAN, I'M JUST IN MY MY SYSTEM, SO. OKAY. 
          HAVE THE ABILITY TO PULL UP WHAT IS IN THE MOST ADVANCED RESERVE. 
          YES. OKAY. SO THESE ARE ALL HER ALLOCATIONS FOR MOST. SO THERE IS A COUPLE. SO WE HAVE 1.19. 
          SO IT'S. AND THEN THERE WAS A THIRD ONE. IT'S 965,000. SO IF WE HAVE HER ALLOCATION FOR REVENUE COMING IN AT SIX POINT SIX. 
          LET'S GO RIGHT UP. GO AHEAD. COUNSEL I JUST WANTED TO REMIND YOU ALL THAT I THINK WE HAVE A MEETING AT SEVEN. THAT'S AFTER US. SO JUST WANT TO BE MINDFUL OF TIME AS WE'RE GOING THROUGH THE REST. THANK YOU. 6.56. REVENUE. CORRECT. AND THEN 6 MILLION OVER 2.2 MILLION OF US. WHAT WAS ON THE OTHER PAGE? YOU WANT ME TO GO BACK TO THAT AS WE. I GUESS WHAT WAS WHAT'S DEFERRED IS LESS THAN $4 MILLION. SO I GUESS I'M JUST TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHY WOULD WE DEFER MAJOR PROJECTS THAT COULD HAVE A PRETTY SIGNIFICANT IMPACT TO THE CITY IF THE MONEY IS THERE, THE REVENUE IS BEING GENERATED. WELL, I THINK WE WE'RE ALSO LOOKING AT. 
          EMERGENCIES THAT EMERGENCIES THAT HAVE HAPPENED IN THE PAST. AND SO WE'RE TRYING TO, BECAUSE OF THE REVENUE THAT IS BEING. I GUESS, WHAT'S BEING EARNED RIGHT NOW BY WATER AND SEWER. 
          AS YOU KNOW, THEY ARE THEY ARE IN THE SAME KIND OF PREDICAMENT THAT ELECTRIC IS IN. SO WE'RE TRYING TO WORK THROUGH WHAT WE'RE. THE EMERGENCIES NOW, SO AM I. AM I SAYING THAT RIGHT? SO IF I MAY, IT SOUNDS LIKE IT'S A MATTER OF BEING CONSERVATIVE ABOUT WHAT WE'RE SPENDING AND HOLDING BACK, HOLDING BACK DOLLARS. THOSE DOLLARS AREN'T NECESSARILY GONE, BUT THEY'RE JUST NOT AT THIS POINT IN TIME ALLOCATED TO THAT SPECIFIC LINE ITEM. BUT THEY CAN POSSIBLY BE BECAUSE MAYBE AN EMERGENCY COMES UP. IS THAT RIGHT? THAT AND THAT'S RIGHT, MAYOR. ALSO, LIKE ANY AMENDMENTS, LIKE FUTURE AMENDMENTS THAT WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO BUDGET AMENDMENTS, WE HAVE TO CONSIDER THAT TOO. SO IF WE USE ALL OF THOSE DOLLARS RIGHT UP FRONT, THEN WHAT HAPPENS WHEN WE DO HAVE A MAJOR EMERGENCY AND THEN WE HAVE NO FUNDING FOR IT? OKAY. ALL RIGHT. THE LAST THING I'LL SAY, OR I ALSO WANTED TO KNOW, IS THERE ANY MONEY? NOT JUST REVENUES THAT ARE GOING TO BE GENERATED THIS YEAR, BUT MONEY THAT'S SITTING IN THAT ACCOUNT FROM PREVIOUS YEARS SO THAT, YOU KNOW, THAT'S WHERE THE AUDIT COMES IN. RIGHT. WE. RIGHT. SO LET ME JUST I'M GOING TO TAKE YOU OVER HERE JUST FOR A QUICK SECOND. THIS IS OUR OUR 23 AUDIT, RIGHT. AS YOU CAN SEE, I HAVE HAD HIGHLIGHTED WATER AND SEWER. BUT BECAUSE THAT'S 23 WE HAVE TO CONSIDER. 2425 AND THEN OUR CURRENT YEAR. AND SO. IN MY OPINION, THAT NUMBER IS IN DANGER, RIGHT. THIS IS THIS IS THE RESERVE. THIS IS THE 6.6 THAT THAT NUMBER IS IN DANGER. NOW LET'S GO DOWN AND SEE IF WE CAN FIND THE MOST. AND I JUST 
          [00:50:07]
WANT TO SAY FOR THE RECORD. THIS IS I JUST WANT TO SAY FOR RECORD WE'RE TALKING ABOUT 1.6 MILLION IN DEFERRED PROJECTS WITH OVER 4 MILLION OR ROUGHLY 4 MILLION THAT WE KNOW WE WOULD GENERATE IN REVENUE. AND I DO ALSO WANT TO SAY, FOR THE RECORD, JUST LIKE THIS WEEKEND, WE EXPERIENCED A. THE THE PIPES, THE WATER MAIN BREAK. IT COSTS MORE IN THE IN A TIME OF AN EMERGENCY. AND THAT'S WHY IT'S BENEFICIAL TO PLAN FOR THESE THINGS AHEAD. AND IT LOOKS LIKE THEY'RE BEING PLANNED FOR. BUT WE'RE DEFERRING THEM. AND THIS IS A LOT CONSIDERING WHAT WE JUST EXPERIENCED. YEAH. SO I WOULD LIKE COUNCIL JUST TO MAYBE THINK ABOUT THAT AND HOW WE POTENTIALLY ALLOCATE THIS MONEY TO MAKE SURE THAT WE DON'T PUT OURSELVES IN THE SAME SITUATION. AND I UNDERSTAND, FOR THE RECORD, WITH THE ADDITIONAL MONIES IN THE MOST THAT IS, YOU KNOW, OBVIOUSLY IT'S AT COUNCIL'S WILL. I THINK WHEN WE WERE DOING THE FORECAST FOR FOR WATER AND SEWER, WE WERE LOOKING AT THE THE REVENUE ITSELF COMING IN. AND SO WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE REVENUE, WHEN YOU'RE FORECASTING REVENUE, YOU'RE FORECASTING THE REVENUE FOR THE REVENUE, NOT NOT THE REVENUE FOR EXPENSES. SO MY GOAL WAS TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU GUYS UNDERSTOOD WHAT THE ACTUAL REVENUE IS COMING IN YEAR OVER YEAR. I'M NOT GOING TO MAKE REVENUE 35 MILLION BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT THE EXPENSES ARE. I'M GOING TO GIVE YOU THE REVENUE AS IT AS IT COMES IN. AND THAT $2 AMOUNT IS IN OR AROUND 28 MILLION. SO I'M GOING TO MAKE THE REVENUE MATCH WHAT IT TRULY IS, NOT BASED ON WHAT EXPENSES ARE. AND SO THAT'S YOU JUST MENTIONED 6.5 MILLION. AND WE'RE ONLY ALLOCATING 2.2 MILLION AND WE'RE SAVING THE REST. WELL WE CAN'T SAY THIS IS OPERATIONS. ONLY THE DIRECTOR KNOWS WHAT IS TRULY AN EMERGENCY. AND SO THAT'S WHERE WE RELY ON HER TO, TO, TO DO THAT HERE BASED ON HER WHAT SHE ASKED FOR FOR THE MOST THOSE 3GL LINES, I, WE GAVE HER THAT BECAUSE WE KNEW THAT THAT'S IF SHE WOULD ASK FOR THE WHOLE SIX, I PROBABLY WOULD HAVE PUT THE WHOLE SIX IN THERE. IT WOULD BE NICE TO KNOW THOSE THINGS, BECAUSE WHAT WE HEAR AND WHAT WE JUST HEARD IS DEFICIT. 
          THERE'S NO MONEY. AND THEN WE JUST UNCOVERED A SITUATION WHERE THERE'S 6.5 MILLION, ONLY ALLOCATING 2.2 MILLION FOR THE REST TO BE IN A RESERVE ACCOUNT, WHERE WE HAVE PROJECTS WHERE THAT MONEY COULD BE ALLOCATED TO THAT WOULD BE BENEFICIAL TO THE COMMUNITY. AND THESE ARE THE THINGS THAT ARE LEFT OUT OF THE BUDGET AND LEFT OUT OF THIS BOOK THAT WE THAT THAT WE STILL HAVE QUESTIONS ABOUT. AND I, YEAH, BUT WE, I DON'T HAVE WE DON'T HAVE TO BELABOR THE POINT. 
          I JUST WANTED TO UNDERSTAND THAT AND THANK YOU. OKAY. OKAY. WE HAVE COUNCILWOMAN ZIEGLER AND THEN COUNCILMAN MITCHELL. ARE YOU IN? OKAY. AND THEN COUNCILWOMAN ROGERS. THANK YOU. 
          I JUST WANTED TO SAY, YES. THERE ARE SOME PROJECTS THAT ARE DEFERRED. HOWEVER, THAT DOESN'T MEAN THAT WE'RE NOT DOING ANYTHING. SO ON APRIL 20TH OF THIS YEAR, WE RECEIVED $1.6 MILLION OF CONGRESSIONAL CONGRESSIONAL DIRECTED SPENDING TO RENOVATE OUR WATER TREATMENT PLANT. AND SO THAT IS A LOT OF MONEY THAT WILL TAKE SOME TIME TO, TO USE AND ACTUALLY MAKE THAT PROJECT COME TO FRUITION. SO I UNDERSTAND THAT THERE ARE SOME THINGS THAT ARE DEFERRED, BUT JUST BECAUSE THERE ARE SOME PROJECTS THAT ARE BEING DEFERRED, THAT DOESN'T MEAN THAT WE'RE NOT DOING ANYTHING. ADDITIONALLY, WHEN IT COMES TO THE MOST I CAN TELL YOU IN WARD B, WE HAVE A TON OF PROJECTS THAT ARE BEING DONE THROUGH THE MOST PROGRAMS, SO WE HAVE A MILE GOING FROM HARRIS TO JEFFERSON AVENUE ON WINBURN DRIVE. WE HAVE A A CONTINUOUS MILE OF WATER LINES THAT ARE BEING REPLACED. AND IT'S NOT JUST WATER LINES THAT ARE BEING REPLACED. THEY ARE ALSO REDOING ALL THE FIRE HYDRANTS AS WELL, IN ORDER TO MAKE SURE THAT THERE IS AN INCREASE IN WATER PRESSURE IN THE IN THE EVENT OF A FIRE. AND AND SO THERE'S THE THE MILE ON WINBURN DRIVE, THERE'S WATER LINES BEING REPLACED ON PLANT STREET AND PEARL STREET AND DOLPHIN STREET AND COLONIAL HILLS THAT IT'S COMING UP. SO THERE'S THERE THERE ARE A LIST OF PROJECTS THAT ARE BEING DONE TO, TO USE THE MONEY FROM THE MOST. THE OTHER PART OF, OF THE MONEY FROM THE MOST THAT GETS EATEN UP ARE THE EMERGENCY WATER LINE BREAKS. WE DO HAVE A TON ACROSS THE ENTIRE CITY, AND IT IS VERY DIFFICULT TO GET AHEAD OF THEM 
          [00:55:07]
BECAUSE OF THE NUMBER OF THEM. I KNOW THAT THE DIRECTOR HAS DONE AN EXCELLENT JOB IN MAPPING OUT ALL OUR WATER LINES AND THINGS LIKE THAT, BUT THE CHALLENGE IS THE EXTENT OF THE PROBLEM AND HOW LONG THIS HAS BEEN GOING ON. THIS HAS BEEN GOING ON FOR A WHOLE LIFETIME. 
          AND SO UNFORTUNATELY, WE'RE IN THIS SITUATION RIGHT NOW WHERE WE JUST CAME OUT OF, YOU KNOW, THREE DAYS WITH NO WATER. BUT OUR OUR DIRECTOR HAS DONE AN EXCELLENT JOB. AND IN DEVELOPING RELATIONSHIPS WITH OUR CONGRESS PEOPLE AND THINGS LIKE THAT. AND ALSO HAS A, HAS GOTTEN A LOT OF MONEY THROUGH GRANTS. IN ADDITION, WITH THE MOST MONEY. IT'S JUST THAT WE CONTINUE TO SEE THESE ISSUES BECAUSE OF HOW, OF HOW BAD THE CONDITION IS WITH THE WATER LINES. IT'S THE SAME WITH THE POWER LINES. YOU KNOW, WE WE EXPERIENCE POWER OUTAGES OFTEN, YOU KNOW, WE'VE HAD SUBSTATIONS CATCH ON FIRE AND ALL THOSE THINGS ARE VERY IMPORTANT TO ADDRESS. BUT AGAIN, ALL THOSE THINGS TAKE MONEY. AND I KNOW THAT'S SOMETHING THAT'S UNCOMFORTABLE TO TALK ABOUT. BUT UNFORTUNATELY, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE TO FIND A FUNDING SOURCE FOR ALL THESE VERY, VERY EXPENSIVE PROJECTS. ADDITIONALLY, I KNOW THAT IT SAYS IN THE IN THE DEFERRED PROJECTS ABOUT THE COMMONS THAT THAT IS BEING DEFERRED. I WOULD SAY THAT THAT PARTICULAR PROJECT OF THE COMMONS IS BEING DEFERRED. BUT THAT DOESN'T MEAN THAT WE'RE NOT DOING ANYTHING. I, UNFORTUNATELY, CANNOT TALK ABOUT WHAT WE'VE DONE, BECAUSE THAT IS WRAPPED UP IN EXECUTIVE SESSION. BUT BUT THERE THERE IS PROGRESS THAT IS BEING MADE. SO I, I, I BELIEVE THAT WE CAN WALK AND CHEW GUM AT THE SAME TIME. A LOT OF THESE DEFERRED PROJECTS ARE GOING TO TAKE A VERY COMPREHENSIVE SOLUTION THAT'S GOING TO TAKE MANY MONTHS OR YEARS TO FIGURE OUT HOW ARE WE GOING TO FUND THESE THINGS. AND SO I WOULD BE VERY HESITANT TO DEFER THIS PARTICULAR BUDGET, WHICH HAS REALLY IMPORTANT THINGS IN IT, LIKE AN AMBULANCE THAT WE'RE PLANNING ON PURCHASING FOR THE COMMUNITY. SO THERE'S AN AMBULANCE, THERE'S THE FIRE STATION NUMBER TWO ENHANCEMENTS, BECAUSE THEY CURRENTLY DON'T HAVE ANY AIR CONDITIONING. THERE IS AN EMERGENCY TEXT MESSAGE SYSTEM THAT'S IN THERE. 
          AND THERE'S SO THERE'S A LOT OF VERY IMPORTANT PUBLIC SAFETY THINGS THAT ARE IN THIS BUDGET THAT I WOULD NOT WANT TO HOLD UP BASED ON SOME VERY COMPLICATED PROBLEMS AND ISSUES THAT ARE GOING TO TAKE A LOT OF TIME AND CAREFUL PONDERING TO REALLY COME UP WITH A GOOD, SUSTAINABLE SOLUTION. THANK YOU. AND THEN WE'RE GOING. OH, SORRY. COUNCIL MEMBER. YES. AND THANK YOU, MADAM DEPUTY CLERK, PLEASE MAKE SURE THIS IS ON RECORD. THE FIRST THING IS, NUMBER ONE, I WANT TO COMMEND COUNCIL MEMBER CUMMINGS AND COUNCIL MEMBER CALDWELL FOR JUST HAVING THE WHEREWITHAL. IT FIRST STARTED WITH A GOOGLE DRIVE DOCUMENT FROM YOU ABOUT THREE, MAYBE FOUR WEEKS AGO, IN WHICH YOU WANT TO INPUT FROM ALL COUNCIL MEMBERS. AND THEN AFTER THAT, ANOTHER DOCUMENT, ANDREA CALDWELL, COUNCIL MEMBER CALDWELL STARTED MAKING TELEPHONE CALLS TO COUNCIL MEMBERS TO SAY, WHAT DO YOU WANT TO SEE IN THE BUDGET? WHAT CAN WE TAKE OUT? WHAT CAN WE MOVE? WHAT CAN WE DO? THE WHOLE NINE YARDS, REAL COLLABORATIVE EFFORT. AND THEN AT THE LAST COUNCIL MEETING, I SHOWED UP AND EVERYTHING THAT WAS DISCUSSED WAS PRESENTED IN THE REPROGRAMING WITH A ONE PAGE MOTION. THE MOTION IS ONE PAGE LONG, LITERALLY ONE PAGE LONG. I WANT TO SUPPORT THIS BUDGET, BUT BECAUSE WE HAVE A CITY ADMINISTRATOR THAT JUST DOES NOT FOLLOW DIRECTIVES, WE NEED EVERYTHING TO BE ALIGNED. 
          EVERYTHING THAT WE TALK ABOUT, THE PLANNING AND ZONING COMMISSION, PARKS AND RECREATION, I WANT TO SEE THOSE THINGS IN PRINT, AND I DON'T THINK THAT THERE'S ANYTHING WRONG WITH THAT. I HAVE CONSTITUENTS THAT HAVE CALLED AND SAID THEY DON'T UNDERSTAND THE BUDGET. WE HAVE HEARD FROM COUNTLESS FORMER MAYORS AND COUNCIL MEMBERS THAT HAVE COME IN AND TOLD US THAT THERE NEEDS TO BE MORE ACCOUNTABILITY WITH THE CITY MANAGER. AND NOW WHAT WE HAVE DONE IS THE CITY MANAGER'S JOB SOMETHING THAT SHE HE SHOULD HAVE DONE ON HIS 
          [01:00:05]
OWN. HE STOOD UP IN A TOWN HALL AND SAID THAT HE HAD HAD OVER 50 BUDGET MEETINGS. IF HE HAD OVER 50 BUDGET MEETINGS. THAT MEANS HE'S HEARD FROM PEOPLE THROUGHOUT THE CITY OF EASTPOINTE. NOT ONE CHANGE HAS BEEN IN THIS BUDGET. WHEN WE HEARD FROM THE DEPARTMENTS, I THINK WHAT WAS MOST ALARMING TO ME, HEARING FROM THOSE DEPARTMENTS, YOU COULD KIND OF SEE THE REOCCURRING THEME OF THE 10% CUTS THAT WERE IN THEIR BUDGETS, WHICH WAS EDUCATION, TRAINING AND TRAVEL. I THINK THAT EVERYONE ON COUNCIL IS ON BOARD WITH EDUCATION, TRAINING AND TRAVEL. SO WHAT I AM SAYING IS WE ARE WORKING. I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE MESSAGE THAT IS BEING SENT OUT THERE. I AM GETTING THE TELEPHONE CALLS, THE SCREENSHOTS ON FACEBOOK. VERY INTERESTING, VERY, VERY INTERESTING. BUT I DON'T WANT PEOPLE TO THINK THAT COUNCIL IS NOT WORKING. BUT WE HAVE AN ADMINISTRATOR THAT A PORTION OF COUNCIL MEMBERS REFUSE TO HOLD ACCOUNTABLE IN. HERE WE ARE. I JUST WANTED TO COMMEND CUMMINGS AND CALDWELL FOR PUTTING IN THE EFFORT. THIS SHEET THAT IS BEFORE US, I THINK THAT I WENT ON RECORD BEFORE AND SAID THAT, YOU KNOW, IN THE MIDST OF COUNCIL MEMBER CUMMINGS AND CALDWELL'S WORK, THEY FOUND MONIES FROM THE CITY MANAGER'S BUDGET, MAYOR AND COUNCIL'S BUDGET, THE CITY ATTORNEY'S BUDGET, AND SOME OF THESE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS. THE SHEET THAT IS BEFORE US, IT DOES HAVE A REPROGRAMING, BUT WHERE IS THE MONEY COMING FROM? SOME COUNCIL MEMBERS ARE ABLE TO GO IN AND SAY, WELL, THE CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE, I THINK YOU AND COUNCIL MEMBER MITCHELL, YOU SAID SHE HAD 1.7 MILLION. WE CAN REALLOCATE. AFTER YOU HAD CONVERSATIONS WITH HER, YOU TALKED ABOUT REALLOCATING THAT TO SOMEPLACE ELSE. BUT WHEN WE LOOK HERE, WHERE IS THIS MONEY COMING FROM? IT'S 2.2 POINT $2 MILLION. BUT FROM WHERE I GIVE REASON TO PAUSE, BECAUSE I HAVE BEEN ASKING FOR WHAT THE 10% CUT LOOKS LIKE IN ALL DEPARTMENTS AND STILL HAVE NOT RECEIVED THAT INFORMATION. SO I CAN'T SAY THAT I'M GOING TO SUPPORT, OKAY, A REPROGRAMING FOR PUBLIC WORKS FIRE THE CITY CLERK OR THE COMMUNICATIONS CONTRACTS AND PROCUREMENT. I MEAN, I SEE THAT THAT HAS UNIFORMS, WHICH WAS A REOCCURRING THEME, BUT WHY ARE WE GOING INTO THEIR BUDGETS WHEN WE SHOULD FIRST LOOK AT MAYOR AND COUNCIL'S BUDGETS AND THEN OUR DIRECT REPORTS, BUDGETS, AND THEN SOME OF THESE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS THAT HAVE BEEN PUT ON HOLD. SO I WANTED TO START OUT AND JUST COMMEND MY COUNCIL COLLEAGUES FOR DOING THAT. THE OTHER THING IS, NUMBER TWO WAS THE REVENUES. I BELIEVE THAT THE COUNCIL MEMBER'S QUESTION TO THE CITY MANAGER WAS WHAT REVENUES WERE AVAILABLE. NOW, WE HEARD FROM THE INTERIM FINANCE DIRECTOR, BUT I THINK THAT EVERYONE HAS BEEN EVERYONE WHO HAS BEEN A MEMBER OF THIS COUNCIL SINCE 2024. YOU KNOW, THE WATER AND SEWER DEPARTMENT DOES IT. SHE GOES AFTER GRANTS. SHE IS BOOTS ON THE GROUND. AND MR. JONES, YOU TALKED ABOUT THE RETRACTION OF PAST FUNDING. WHEN COUNCIL MEMBER CALDWELL AND I HAD OUR ONE ON ONE MEETING WITH YOU ABOUT THE BUDGET, I WANTED TO SPECIFICALLY HEAR FROM THE WATER AND SEWER DIRECTOR, AND SHE TOLD US VERY CLEARLY, I GO AFTER GRANTS AND FUNDING. YES, WE DO HAVE TO PUT THE MONEY UP FIRST, BUT AFTER WE RECEIVE THE MONEY, I THEN GO BACK TO RECOUP THE MONEY IN EACH TIME WE HAVE GOTTEN THE MONEY BACK. SO I CANNOT LET YOU SIT HERE IN GOOD CONSCIENCE AND SAY THAT PAST FUNDING IS GOING TO BE RETRACTED. WE JUST GOT THAT INFORMATION TODAY. YOU KNOW HOW HARD THE DIRECTOR OF WATER AND SEWER WORKS BECAUSE SHE HAS COME. SHE HAS GOTTEN AWARDS FOR HER WATER. SHE IS PROBABLY ONE OF THE MANY DEPARTMENTS THAT GOES AFTER THOSE GRANT FUNDING FROM THE FEDERAL LEVEL. SO I JUST CAN'T SIT HERE IN GOOD CONSCIENCE AND LET YOU SAY THAT WE HAVE TO MATCH THOSE DOLLARS, AND OFTENTIMES WE HAVE TO PAY THEM BACK. NO WE DON'T. YOU WERE IN THE SAME ONE ON ONE MEETING THAT I WAS IN WITH COUNCIL MEMBER CALDWELL, THE 
          [01:05:02]
INTERIM FINANCE DIRECTOR, AND THE DEPARTMENT OF THE DIRECTOR OF WATER AND SEWER. SO I ALSO WANT TO STATE THAT AS IT RELATES TO THESE PROJECTS, IF YOU GO TO PAGE 330 OF THE BUDGET, EASTPOINTE HAS SPENT A GREAT DEAL OF MONEY ON THE PFAS MAKING SURE THAT WE HAVE CLEAN WATER. WE WERE ONE OF THE FIRST CITIES IN THE STATE OF GEORGIA. SO I DO HAVE FAITH IN OUR WATER AND SEWER DEPARTMENT. I THINK IT WOULD BE BENEFICIAL IF COUNCIL HEARD FROM THE WATER AND SEWER DIRECTOR NOT ONLY DISCUSSING WHAT HAPPENED THIS WEEKEND IN THE INTRICATE WORK THAT IT TOOK TO COME BACK ONLINE WITH WATER, BUT JUST TO HAVE A REFRESHER ON ALL OF THE GRANTS THAT SHE HAS GONE AFTER FOR THE CITY OF EASTPOINTE TO CONTINUE THE WORK WITH OUR INFRASTRUCTURE. SO PLEASE LET THE RECORD REFLECT THAT INFORMATION, AND I WILL YIELD TO HEAR FROM OTHER MEMBERS OF COUNCIL. OH, AND THE OTHER THING I WANTED TO SAY WAS, WITH THIS DOCUMENT THAT HAS BEEN PRESENTED, THERE WAS A CUT MADE TO THE MAYOR'S OFFICE. I DON'T WANT TO SUPPORT THIS, BECAUSE I DO BELIEVE THAT THE MAYOR IS OF SOUND MIND AND CAN MAKE DECISIONS IN REGARDS TO HER OWN BUDGET CUTS, SO I, I AM NOT GOING TO SUPPORT LIKE THE CUTS IN HER DEPARTMENT FOR HER OFFICE SUPPLIES OVER TIME, SO I, I DO BELIEVE I DO WANT TO GIVE YOU THAT CONSIDERATION, MADAM MAYOR, TO LOOK AT YOUR OWN BUDGET AND SEE WHERE YOU CAN FIND THOSE CUTS. THANK YOU. I'LL YIELD. IS EVERYONE HAD A CHANCE TO READ. OKAY. GO AHEAD. 
          NO, JUST REALLY QUICK. SO I DIDN'T I DID NOT NOTICE THAT. SO THAT'S ANOTHER THING I DID NOT I WAS NOT IN AGREEANCE WITH YOU CAN'T GO INTO SOMEBODY ELSE BUDGET AND CUT THEIR FUNDING WITHOUT CONSULTING THEM. AND I KNOW THE MAYOR HAS DIFFERENT OBLIGATIONS. HER BUDGET DOES NOT LOOK LIKE OURS. AND EVEN WITH OUR COUNCIL BUDGET, THERE WERE CERTAIN CERTAIN RECOMMENDATIONS MADE. PEOPLE WERE TRYING TO CUT THINGS THAT THEY DIDN'T UNDERSTAND WHAT THEY WERE AND PUT THEM ON TO THE REST OF COUNCIL. SO WITH THAT, MADAM MAYOR, I'M NOT SURE IF YOU'VE REALIZED WHAT HAS BEEN CUT FROM YOUR BUDGET. I DEFINITELY THINK YOU SHOULD HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK ON THAT. BUT TO MY FIRST POINT. MR. CITY MANAGER, IT'S IT'S AROUND SOME OF THESE FUNDING SOURCES. SO IF I'M READING THIS CORRECTLY, WE'RE GOING TO ENTER DEPARTMENTS THAT HAVE ALREADY BEEN CUT BY 10% AND WE'RE TAKING MORE MONEY OUT THOSE DEPARTMENTS. I UNDERSTAND THAT COUNCILWOMAN CALDWELL HAD AN IDEA. I KNOW SHE WAS ASKING ABOUT CAPITAL PROJECTS THAT WERE DEFERRED AND POSSIBLY SOME OF THAT MONEY. IF WE'RE NOT IF WE DON'T NEED ALL THE MONEY FOR A PROJECT, WHAT BETTER USE CAN WE HAVE FOR THOSE WITH THOSE FUNDS, AND HOW CAN IT BE REALLOCATED TO FUND SOME OF THE STUFF WE'RE ASKING FOR? NOW, IF YOU CAN JUST BRIEFLY SPEAK ON THAT. SO A NUMBER OF THINGS I, I ALSO, I APPRECIATE THAT AND I WILL DEFINITELY ANSWER THAT QUESTION, BUT I, I ALSO HAVE TO CLEARLY CLEAR UP SOME MISCOMMUNICATION, APPARENTLY ON WHAT WE'RE FACING CURRENTLY THE OFFICE OF BUDGET AND MANAGEMENT AND MANAGEMENT AND BUDGET WITH THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT IS LOOKING AT A NEW RULE AND CURRENTLY OUR FEDERAL LOBBYISTS WILL PROBABLY BE CONTACTING EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU TO REACH OUT TO OUR LOCAL DELEGATION, UNDERSTANDING THE POLITICS. OUR LOCAL DELEGATION IS MOSTLY DEMOCRATS, BUT THE MOVE IS TRYING TO SLOW DOWN A A TRAIN THAT IS IS ALREADY IN MOTION THROUGH OUR CONGRESS AND BOTH HOUSE AND SENATE. SO RIGHT NOW, AND THIS WAS IN RESPONSE TO SOME OF THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION'S EARLY FAILURES WITH THE COURTS THAT DIDN'T ALLOW THE EXECUTIVE BRANCH TO JUST RESCIND PREVIOUS AWARDS. WE EXPERIENCED SOME OF THAT WITH OUR AMBULANCES, IF YOU RECALL. BUT IT WAS SOMETHING THAT WAS GOING ON IN MANY PLACES, PARTICULARLY STRONGHOLDS THAT DIDN'T PARTICULARLY SUPPORT THE 
          [01:10:02]
PRESIDENT IN THE LAST ELECTION, WHERE THERE WERE RETRACTIONS. SO THE COURTS PUSHED BACK ON THAT. THE ADMINISTRATION HAS RETOOLED WITH THIS. RULE OF PROCEDURE, WHICH IS UNDERWAY RIGHT NOW. SO THERE'S THERE'S STRATEGIES TO SLOW IT DOWN AND HOPE THAT THERE SLOW IT DOWN TO AFTER ELECTION. AND MAYBE THE CONGRESS WILL BE OF A DIFFERENT MAKEUP THAT COULD STOP THIS ACTION. BUT TO BE CLEAR, THIS IS NOT ABOUT PAST FEDERAL COMMITMENTS. THIS IS ABOUT WHAT'S WORKING ON NOW, WHICH WOULD CHANGE THE RULES FOR ALL FEDERAL COMMITMENTS. ONCE THIS RULE TAKES TAKES EFFECT. SO I WOULD SUGGEST EVERYONE PLEASE GET CAUGHT UP ON THE MEMO THAT WENT OUT TODAY. I JUST HAD A BRIEFING WITH OUR FEDERAL LOBBYISTS TODAY THAT TALKED ABOUT THIS SITUATION AND WHAT STRATEGIES THEY'RE TRYING TO DO TO SLOW THE SITUATION. BUT AGAIN, THE IMPACT WOULD BE IF THAT IS THE CASE, EVEN WHEN WE GET WONDERFUL OUTREACH FROM THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT IN THE FORM OF GRANTS, THAT WE WOULD HAVE TO BE PREPARED IF WE START A PROJECT, DO BE PREPARED TO CARRY THE ENTIRE PROJECT WITH LOCAL FUNDS, WITH THE HOPE THAT WE CAN GET REIMBURSED WITH THE FEDERAL PORTION, OR WE WOULD RUN THE RISK OF STARTING THE PROJECT AND NOT BEING ABLE TO HAVE THE MONEY TO FINISH THE PROJECT. THAT IS, THAT'S THE, THE, THE INFORMATION THAT I'M TRYING TO RELAY AS THE IMPACT WOULD BE. WE DON'T ENTER INTO PROJECTS UNLESS WE CAN COMPLETE THEM. AND THAT'S EVEN WITH THE FEDERAL MONEY THAT WE HOPE WILL COME IN. THEN WE CAN START ANOTHER PROJECT. SO IT WOULD CREATE A SITUATION THAT IT WOULD HOLD US AND MAKE US AND LOSE OUR LEVERAGE ON PROJECTS, AND MAKE US HAVE TO BE PREPARED TO CARRY OUT WITH THE FINANCIAL MEANS TO CARRY OUT THE ENTIRE PROJECT. THAT'S A THAT'S A BIG SITUATION THAT THAT THAT WOULD BE PRESENTED TO OUR FINANCIAL CONDITION. ALSO. I ALSO WANT TO BE CLEAR, WE HAVE A POLICY THAT SAYS WE NEED TO HAVE $8.5 MILLION IN RESERVES IN WATER. 
          WE DON'T HAVE THAT. WE ARE CERTAINLY BELOW THAT. OUR LAST ACCOUNTING WAS 2 MILLION BELOW THAT. BUT MOST RECENTLY WE HAVE RECEIVED NUMBERS THAT SHOW THAT WE'RE AT ZERO. SO THE FACT THAT WE MIGHT SHOW 6 MILLION, 6 MILLION IS BELOW THE THE NUMBER THAT WE'RE SUPPOSED TO HAVE. 
          AND THAT DOESN'T ACCOUNT FOR THE OPERATIONAL NEEDS. I THINK THE INTERIM FINANCE DIRECTOR WAS TRYING TO EXPRESS THAT WOULD ALLOW US TO RESPOND TO EMERGENCIES. SO AGAIN, JUST WANTED TO MAKE THAT CLARIFICATION. NOW, GOING BACK TO THE QUESTION AS TO THE BUDGET AND THE 10% AND THE IMPACT ON OPERATIONS. AND AS YOU LOOKED AT THESE VARIOUS PROJECTS THAT WE'VE DEFERRED, THE 10% IS NOT ACROSS THE BOARD, 10%. THE 10% IS A LINE BY LINE ITEM REVIEW. AND I IF YOU HAVEN'T HAD THE OPPORTUNITY, WE NOW HAVE ONLINE ALL OF THOSE BUDGET MEETINGS FOR INSPECTION FOR BOTH THE COUNCIL AND THE CITY COUNCIL. SO IF THERE'S ANY QUESTIONS AS TO WHAT THOSE THAT 10% WAS, I INVITE ANYONE TO JUST LOOK AT THE MEETING AND YOU'LL SEE. BUT THE METHODOLOGY WAS PRETTY STRAIGHT FORWARD IN THIS WAY. WE LOOKED AT EACH LINE ITEM, COMPARED THAT TO THE LAST FIVE YEAR TREND. AND SO AND COMPARED THAT TO IF THE CURRENT REQUEST MATCH THAT TREND, AND IF THERE WAS SOME REASONS WHY IT DIDN'T MATCH IT, OR IF THERE WAS SOME REASONS WHY IT WAS OVER PROJECTED TO BE BEYOND THAT TREND. AND WE DISCUSSED WITH DEPARTMENT LEADERS ON THE VALIDITY OF THOSE LINE ITEM REQUESTS. AND WHERE POSSIBLE, WE REDUCE THOSE. AND EVEN IN IN THE SITUATIONS WHERE WE MIGHT HAVE REDUCED THEM BELOW AREAS THAT WE ANTICIPATE COULD BE MORE. WE WE DID THAT WITH THE UNDERSTANDING THAT IT CAN ALWAYS BE RECTIFIED WITH A BUDGET TRANSFER LATER ON IN THE YEAR. SO WE, WE, WE LITERALLY WENT THROUGH EACH ONE OF THOSE. NOW, SOME DEPARTMENTS ARE RATHER SMALL. AND SO THEY DIDN'T HAVE A LOT OF THOSE OPPORTUNITIES. AND SO THEREFORE THEY PROBABLY DIDN'T GET A TRUE 
          [01:15:02]
10% REDUCTION. BUT WHAT WE DID WAS AS CLOSE TO ZERO BASED BUDGETING AS YOU COULD. AND INSTEAD OF BUILDING EVERY SINGLE LINE ITEM FROM ZERO, WE DID REVISIT ON A FIVE YEAR TREND AND MADE REDUCTIONS IN RESPONSIBLE WAYS TO THOSE AREAS. SO THE CHARACTERIZATION OF THERE'S A 10% CUT, THAT'S NOT THAT'S NOT THE CASE. THERE'S NO WAY TO ANSWER A QUESTION LIKE THAT BECAUSE THAT'S NOT A FACTUAL THING. BUT IF YOU'RE INTERESTED ON EXACTLY HOW THOSE CUTS WERE MANAGED, AGAIN, PLEASE LOOK AT THE VIDEOS. NOW WITH REGARDS TO THE DEFERRED PROJECTS, THOSE DEFERRED PROJECTS WERE BASED ON AND, AND CREATED ON EVERYTHING THAT DEPARTMENTS IDENTIFIED THEY NEEDED TODAY. THE CHARGE WAS ALSO TO LOOK AT WHAT THEY MIGHT NEED IN THE FUTURE AND PROVIDE EVERYTHING THEY THEY THEY MAY NEED, DESPITE WHAT THE COST WOULD BE, BECAUSE WE NEEDED TO UNDERSTAND WHAT THOSE NEEDS WERE AND PROJECT THOSE IN A WAY THAT WOULD FIT IN A FIVE YEAR CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT BUDGET. I'VE TALKED ABOUT THAT MANY, MANY TIMES. I'M NOT GOING TO TAKE UP TIME TALKING ABOUT THAT AGAIN, BUT IT GIVES US THE ABILITY TO MAKE A STRATEGIC PLANNING PROCESS ON WHERE WE INVEST FOR OUR CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS. AND SO WHEN WE GOT THOSE NUMBERS, OF COURSE, THEY WERE VERY LARGE NUMBERS, NOT SOMETHING THAT WOULD BE ABLE TO BE CAPTURED AND, AND DONE IN A 12 MONTH PERIOD. WE WE UNDERSTOOD THAT, BUT WE HAD TO THIS IS WHY WE DID A FIVE YEAR PLAN. SO WE HAD TO GO THROUGH THOSE. THOSE PROJECTS IDENTIFY LOGISTICALLY WHAT COULD BE DONE THIS YEAR. AND I KNOW THERE'S SOME MOVING AROUND OF CAPITAL PROJECTS, SOME THINGS THAT OBVIOUSLY WAS MENTIONED ABOUT, SAY, THE COMMONS PROJECT. WELL, LOGISTICALLY, I KNOW THERE'S ACTION ACTIVITIES AND ISSUES AROUND THE COMMONS PROJECTS THAT WOULD WOULD NOT ALLOW US TO DO CERTAIN THINGS WITHIN THE NEXT 12 MONTHS. SO YOU LITERALLY IDENTIFY WHAT YOU CAN GET DONE, WHAT'S OUR CAPACITY TO GET THOSE DONE AND THEN PLAN THOSE THINGS OUT, AND NOT ONLY IN THE NEXT 12 MONTHS, BUT IN THE YEARS PRECEDING UP TO A FIVE YEAR CAPITAL CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PLAN. AND SO LIKE ANY PLAN, THINGS CAN HAPPEN TO CHANGE THOSE THINGS. THERE COULD BE REPRIORITIZATION, THERE COULD BE GRANTS THAT COME IN THAT WE DIDN'T FORESEE. 
          THERE'S ALWAYS THINGS TO COME IN THAT WE WOULD ADJUST. AND USUALLY THOSE ARE IN THE FORM OF BUDGET AMENDMENTS OR BUDGET TRANSFERS AND THINGS OF THAT NATURE. SO AGAIN, THIS IS A PLANNING DOCUMENT. IT'S A LIVING DOCUMENT. THE BUDGET IS NOT LOCKED IN FOR THE WHOLE YEAR. IT IS A LIVING DOCUMENT, MEANING WE ADJUST AND PLAN ACCORDINGLY BASED ON THE INFORMATION ON THE GROUND AND ON THE GROUND. I MEAN, THERE'S THINGS THAT HAPPENS THROUGHOUT THE YEARS THROUGH IT BE EMERGENCIES. EVEN THOUGH WE GOT AN EMERGENCY ACCOUNT, IF EMERGENCIES COME UP, WE ADDRESS THEM. AND IF THAT MEANS WE FOLLOW IT UP WITH A BUDGET TRANSFER OR A BUDGET AMENDMENT, WE DO SO, AND WE DO THAT SO THAT WE CAN BE PREPARED FOR ANOTHER EMERGENCY THAT MIGHT COME UP. IT DOESN'T MEAN THAT, OH, WE WENT THROUGH OUR EMERGENCY ACCOUNT AND WE JUST SIT THERE AND JUST WATCH THINGS, YOU KNOW, DETERIORATE TO, TO, YOU KNOW, OBLIVION. IT, IT JUST MEANS THAT WE, WE HAVE PLANNED ON THIS AND WE'LL ADJUST THIS. 
          AND THEN IN THE NEXT YEAR, WHEN WE'RE PREPARING AND PROJECTING, WE MIGHT LOOK AT, OKAY, THIS YEAR, WAS THIS A, A, A OFF YEAR WHERE WE, WE HAD MULTIPLE THINGS BREAK OR IS THIS A TREND THAT WE NEED TO PLAN MORE DOLLARS IN IN FUTURE YEARS? THAT'S WHAT A BUDGET PROCESS IS, IS SUPPOSED TO BE. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. SO I GUESS MY QUESTION WAS HAD CONCERNS AROUND SOME OF THESE FUNDING SOURCES. WHEN YOU INITIALLY PUT TOGETHER THE PROPOSED BUDGET, I FEEL LIKE YOU ALLOCATED THESE AMOUNTS FOR A REASON. AND THERE WERE SOME CUTS. SO I THE QUESTION WAS WE HAD TO PRIORITIZE THE NEEDS OR WHAT THE INITIATIVES THAT COUNCIL WANTS. ARE THERE OTHER FUNDING SOURCES OTHER THAN NICKEL AND DIMING DEPARTMENTS FOR THE MONEY? I KNOW. COUNCIL MEMBER CALDWELL HAD IDEA WITH THE POOL. I KNOW CERTAIN THINGS ARE HAPPENING IN THE NEXT FISCAL YEAR 2028. I GUESS THAT WAS THE QUESTION. IF WE'RE NOT PUTTING THAT MONEY TO USE IN THIS UPCOMING FISCAL YEAR, WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ON MONEY 
          [01:20:02]
AVAILABLE TO BE REALLOCATED FOR IMMEDIATE USE? SURE. SO LET ME IN. OKAY, GREAT. YEAH. SO I THINK TO THE QUESTION, ESSENTIALLY THE BUDGET STILL HAS TO BALANCE, RIGHT? AND SO IF WE'RE MOVING MONEY IN ONE AREA, THEN MOST LIKELY IT'S GOING TO BE CAPITAL PROJECTS IN ANOTHER AREA. OPERATIONS ARE PRETTY LOCKED IN. SO THERE, THERE'S NOT A LOT OF ROOM. IF YOU, YOU KNOW, WATCH THOSE THE, THE BUDGETS, OPERATING BUDGETS ARE PRETTY FAIR, PRETTY TIGHT. 
          SO THERE'S PROBABLY NOT A LOT OF MONEY TO BE GAINED OUT OF OPERATIONS. SO THE ONLY AREA TO REALLY ADJUST AND MANEUVER WOULD BE CAPITAL PROJECTS. THE ONLY THING THAT I WOULD KEEP IN MIND WHEN WE'RE MOVING CAPITAL PROJECTS AROUND IS THAT IT, IT HAD GIVEN A LOT OF FAIR THOUGHT AS TO LOGISTICALLY WHAT WE CAN ACTUALLY DO. SO I'M NOT SAYING LIKE, SAY, FIRE STATION TWO, FIRE STATION TWO CAME UP BECAUSE WE SAT DOWN WITH THE CHIEF. HEY, CAN WE REALLY GET TO FIRE STATION TWO? THERE'S THESE GENERATORS THAT ARE IN THE BUDGET THAT WE GOT TO BE DOING. THERE'S THESE IMPROVEMENTS TO FIRE STATION FIVE. AND SO LIKE WE LOGISTICALLY SAID, IS IT POSSIBLE, PHYSICALLY POSSIBLE TO MANAGE THE CONTRACTS THAT WE WOULD NEED TO GET TO ALL OF THAT? AND SO WHILE, WHILE I SAY THERE, THERE'S PROBABLY ROOM TO DO THAT, IT IS AGGRESSIVE. IT IS AGGRESSIVE YEAR FOR A FIRE DEPARTMENT'S PROJECT MANAGEMENT TEAM. RIGHT. AND SO IF WE, YOU KNOW, WE CAN DO SOME MOVEMENT THERE, BUT THEN SOME EVEN THOUGH WE PUT IT ON THE BOOKS AND WE SAY, THIS IS WHAT WE WANT TO DO, THERE MAY BE THE, THE FACTS THAT WE ACTUALLY NOT GOING TO BE ABLE TO DO IT BECAUSE OF OUR OWN CAPACITY TO BE ABLE TO DO IT. SO I'LL TRY AND LET YOU KNOW WHEN THOSE THINGS COME UP WHERE I THINK, OH, WE'RE REALLY NOT GOING TO BE ABLE TO DO IT BECAUSE I HATE TO GO THROUGH THE WHOLE YEAR, ESPECIALLY AFTER WE GO THROUGH THIS PROCESS OF PRIORITIZATION AND THEN FIND OUT THAT WE DON'T ACTUALLY GET TO DO IT. I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING THAT HAS HAPPENED TO US IN THE PAST. AND SO, YOU KNOW, MY GUIDANCE IS, IS REALLY TO, TO LET YOU KNOW THAT, YEAH, I SEE THAT NOT 100% SURE WE'RE GOING TO BE ABLE TO GET TO IT. WE'RE CERTAINLY DEFINITELY TRY AND, AND GIVE YOU SOME KIND OF IDENTITY, SOME KIND OF STRATEGY ON WHY I THINK WE CAN DO IT OR WHY I THINK WE CAN'T. OKAY. THANK YOU. SO I'M ALSO LOOKING AT THE SPREADSHEET. IF WE LOOK AT NON-DEPARTMENTAL, I SEE THERE WAS AN ADJUSTMENT THERE FOR $429,000. I WANT I JUST WANT TO RECEIVE YOUR THOUGHTS ON THAT. ARE WE ABLE TO REALLOCATE THAT MONEY? ARE THERE USES FOR THAT OR IT'S ON THE FIRST PAGE. SO I BELIEVE I BELIEVE THAT MIGHT BE INCLUDED IN THE TOTAL $2 MILLION FIGURE. 
          I'M JUST WANTING TO MAKE SURE THAT THAT'S MONEY THAT CAN BE REALLOCATED. YEAH, I, I, I BARELY, YOU KNOW, RECALL THIS ONE. I KNOW THAT THERE WAS SOME MAJOR IT INFRASTRUCTURE INVESTMENTS THAT WE WERE MAKING. I WOULD, I WOULD CERTAINLY LOOK AT THAT AS A POSSIBILITY AND JUST DOUBLE CHECK IT BEFORE MONDAY TO MAKE SURE THAT THERE IS NO, NO MAJOR THING THAT WILL BE LOSING, OR IF IT IS SOMETHING THAT I CAN EXPLAIN TO YOU WHAT THAT MIGHT SET US BACK OR WHAT HAVE YOU MISS. OH, YEAH. THANK YOU. TRY NOW. OKAY, SO I DID REVIEW THAT ALSO AND I FOUND THAT IF IT, IT WOULD BE FINE. YEAH. OKAY. AND ALSO I GUESS THIS IS FOR EVERYONE. I KNOW THAT OUR CITY CLERK HAS BEEN ASKING FOR AN ASSISTANT. SHE'S BEEN BEGGING FOR AN ASSISTANT TO HELP WITH OPEN RECORDS REQUESTS. SO I STRONGLY SUGGEST WE TAKE THAT INTO CONSIDERATION. AND THAT'S I THINK THAT'S I DO NOT SEE THIS IN THE PROPOSED ADJUSTMENTS. 
          BUT I THINK WE WILL HAVE TO COME TO, I THINK, BEFORE THIS EVEN MOVES FORWARD, COME TOGETHER, COME TO A CONSENSUS ON HOW WE'RE GOING TO FUND ALL THIS STUFF. SO I YEAH. THANK YOU. OKAY. THANK YOU, MADAM MAYOR, AND I'LL MAKE THIS SHORT. SO ONE OF THE QUESTIONS I THINK CITY MANAGER JONES, YOU DID SORT OF ALLUDE TO WHEN WE TALKED ABOUT OUR RESERVE 
          [01:25:02]
ACCOUNTS AND CERTAIN AMOUNTS THAT WE'RE SUPPOSED TO HAVE IN THOSE RESERVES OUT OF, I THINK LIKE STORM WATER, ELECTRIC, ALL OF THOSE ARE ARE ANY OF THOSE ACCOUNTS, DO WE HAVE THE PROPER RESERVE AMOUNT IN THERE THAT WE'RE SUPPOSED TO HAVE? OFFHAND? I WILL SAY GENERAL FUND IS AT A SATISFACTORY CONDITION AND STORM WATER IS AT A SATISFACTORY CONDITION. I THINK THERE'S CONCERNS WITH POWER, WATER AND SOLID WASTE. SO POWER WATER AND SOLID WASTE. OKAY. 
          NOW. I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE WERE CLEAR ON THAT WITH REGARDS TO I KNOW WE HAVE TO MAINTAIN A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF RESERVE AMOUNT FOR ALL OF THOSE ACCOUNTS. THE NEXT THING IS WHEN COUNCIL MEMBER ATKINS DID THE PRESENTATION, THE LAST COUNCIL MEETING, WITH REGARDS TO HOW WE COULD REPROGRAM SOME OF THIS MONEY, THERE WAS A THERE WAS A LINE ITEM ON THERE FOR THE RENOVATION FOR STATION TWO FOR $350,000. I KNOW THIS NEW ONE. I MEAN, BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, WE'RE WE'RE KIND OF WORKING, JUST SORT OF MOVING SOME FIGURES AROUND TO SEE WHAT WE CAN GET DONE. BUT $350,000 IS NOT ON THERE FOR THE RENOVATION. I MEAN, FOR THE RENOVATIONS FOR STATION TWO. AND I'M JUST GOING TO SPEAK ON BEHALF OF JUST BEING A FIREFIGHTER AND WHAT PEOPLE NEED TO UNDERSTAND WHEN WE TALK ABOUT THIS FIRE DEPARTMENT IS A 24 OVER SEVEN OPERATION, AND EVERY THIRD DAY OF OUR LIVES, WE LIVE AT THE FIRE STATION. 
          FIRE STATION TWO HAS NOT BEEN RENOVATED. FROM MY UNDERSTANDING IN THE PAST FOR 20 YEARS. THAT'S A PROBLEM. THERE'S NO AC CURRENTLY WORKING THERE AT THE STATION. AND YES, NO NO AC AT THE STATION AND WE'RE NOT ASKING FOR THE TAJ MAHAL. BUT I THINK AT THE END OF THE DAY, IT SHOULD BE SOMETHING WHERE, I MEAN, I'VE GONE TO SOME OF THE STATIONS AND THE RESIDENTIAL STOVES IN SOME OF THE STATIONS. WE JUST JUST THE BASIC THINGS THAT THAT ARE REQUIRED AT THE STATIONS. AND I THINK THAT IS SOMETHING THAT'S WELL WORTH US, US LOOKING INTO WHEREVER WE CAN PULL THESE FUNDS FROM. BECAUSE LIKE I SAID, I MEAN, EVERY THIRD DAY THERE ARE FIREFIGHTERS THAT ARE THERE AT THOSE LOCATIONS AT THAT STATION. 
          AND WE SHOULD THE VERY BASIC SHOULD BE THERE. I MEAN, IT SHOULDN'T HAVE TO SIT ON RECLINERS AND COUCHES MADE OF FAUX LEATHER THAT IS STARTING TO TO TEAR FLOORS STARTING TO COME UP. WALLS THAT ARE, AREN'T, AREN'T CLEAN DROP CEILING. MOST STATIONS HAVE DROP CEILING TILE IN THERE. AND IF IT'S BEEN THERE FOR THE PAST 20 YEARS, YOU CAN IMAGINE JUST WHAT'S IN THERE. SO I WANT US TO SERIOUSLY MAKE THE CONSIDERATION, TO LOOK, TO SEE WHERE WE CAN FIND THOSE FUNDS FOR FIRE STATION TWO, TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE THOSE RENOVATIONS TAKEN CARE OF, I YIELD. COUNCILMEMBER ATKINSON. I GOT IT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MADAM MAYOR. I JUST WANTED TO JUST SAY A FEW THINGS AND THANK MY COLLEAGUES FOR THE PROPOSAL THAT HAS BEEN BROUGHT BEFORE US THIS EVENING TO COUNCIL MEMBER CUMMINGS POINT, BASED ON WHAT WAS PRESENTED, THAT NUMBER WAS $2.3 MILLION. AND I DID GO BACK IN AND ADD THE 350, THE 350,000 FOR FIRE STATION TWO, WHICH GETS US UP TO 2.5 MILLION TO $2,580,523. WHEN I MADE THE PRESENTATION LAST YEAR OF ADDITIONS AND THINGS THAT I HAD RECEIVED FROM SOME OF MY COUNCIL MEMBERS, THAT NUMBER WAS $1.9 MILLION. IT WAS $1,940,063. IF I SUBTRACT THAT AMOUNT FROM THIS TOTAL OF 2,580,000 523, WE'RE AT $640,460 THAT WE WOULD NEED TO FIGURE OUT HOW WE WOULD THEN COVER THAT. AND SO I DO HEAR MY COLLEAGUES ABOUT THE THINGS THAT WE WOULD LIKE TO SEE IN THE BUDGET. I THINK THE THE REAL CHALLENGE, AND I ALLUDED TO THIS A BIT, IS THE RIGOR OF TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHAT WE'RE GOING TO CUT, TO ECHO THE SENTIMENTS AND THE WORDS OF OUR FINANCE DIRECTOR, MISS CARTWRIGHT, THE REVENUE IS THE REVENUE, AND WE'RE NOT BUILDING THIS BUDGET BASED ON EXPENSES AND THEN THROWING A NUMBER TO THAT AND SAYING THAT THAT'S THE BUDGET AND TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHERE WOULD WE GET THE DOLLARS FROM THE REVENUE IS THE REVENUE. SO I HEAR MY COLLEAGUES SAYING THAT THEY'VE ASKED OUR CITY MANAGER TO PUT THIS BACK IN, TO PUT THIS BACK IN, TO PUT THIS BACK IN. THAT'S OUR JOB TO DO, BECAUSE WE HAVE TO THEN FIGURE OUT WHAT WE'RE GOING TO CUT. AND THOSE ARE THE TOUGH DECISIONS THAT HAVE TO BE MADE BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE ANY OTHER REVENUE. THIS IS THE REVENUE. 
          SO WHEN I DID MAKE THE PRESENTATION LAST WEEK, I WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT NOT ONLY WAS I HEARING FROM MY COLLEAGUES ABOUT THINGS TO ADD BACK, BUT I WAS ALSO TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHERE WE COULD CUT. AND I WAS VERY RELUCTANT TO LOOK AT CAPITAL PROJECTS, 
          [01:30:06]
RELUCTANT TO LOOK AT CAPITAL PROJECTS FOR A NUMBER OF REASONS. THE CITY PUT ON A GREAT CHARRETTE THIS YEAR TO HAVE CITIZENS TO COME OUT TO WEIGH PROJECTS THAT THEY REALLY WANTED TO SEE HAPPEN, AND CITIZENS WERE ABLE TO THEN RANK THOSE PROJECTS. SUBSEQUENT TO THAT, IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT WE WERE NOT GOING TO HAVE ENOUGH DOLLARS TO DO ALL OF THOSE PROJECTS. AND AT THAT POINT, THE CITY MANAGER WORKED WITH HIS DEPARTMENT HEADS TO MAKE CUTS. I WHEN I MADE THE PRESENTATION LAST WEEK, IF YOU LOOK AT ANY OF THOSE SUGGESTED REPROGRAMING OF DOLLARS, NONE OF THEM ARE CAPITAL ONE BECAUSE, AS COUNCILMEMBER CALDWELL MENTIONED, WE JUST HAD A MAJOR WATER MAIN BREAK THIS PAST WEEK. THAT'S A CAPITAL PROJECT. THE OTHER REASON IS BECAUSE WE'VE NOT ONLY HAVE ISSUES WITH WATER SEWER, BUT WE ALSO HAVE ELECTRIC ISSUES. WE HAVE TO HARDEN OUR GRID. ANOTHER COUNCIL MEMBER HAS TALKED ABOUT THE NUMBER OF POWER OUTAGES THAT WE HAVE. QUITE OFTEN. THESE ARE BOTH ENTERPRISES. 
          THEY SHOULD BE ABLE TO COVER WHAT IS NEEDED TO MAKE THOSE UPGRADES, BUT WE'RE NOT BRINGING IN ENOUGH MONEY TO SUSTAIN THOSE. SO NOW WE'RE MOVING MONEY FROM THE GENERAL FUND TO COVER ANY OF THOSE GAPS. THE OTHER THING IS THAT AS IT RELATES TO SOME OF THE OTHER ITEMS THAT DID SURVIVE THE CAPITAL CUT, CITIZENS IN THIS CITY HAVE WAITED A LONG TIME FOR A NUMBER OF IMPROVEMENTS TO OUR ASSETS FOR SWIMMING POOL, FOR UPGRADES TO THE AUDITORIUM OR TO THE OLD CITY HALL AND ALL OF THOSE THINGS. SO I WAS VERY RELUCTANT WHEN I WAS GOING THROUGH THOSE THINGS TO MOVE DOLLARS FROM CAPITAL. AND SO I WANTED TO LOOK AT THINGS THAT WOULD NOT HAVE A NEGATIVE IMPACT ON SERVICE DELIVERY. YES, AS COUNCILMEMBER MITCHELL SAYS, IT MIGHT LOOK LIKE IT'S NICKEL AND DIMING, BUT I WAS ABLE, IN SPEAKING WITH THE DIRECTORS, TO PULL OVER $20,000 FROM UNIFORMS. THOSE DOLLARS WERE VERY HELPFUL. I SPOKE WITH OUR CITY ATTORNEY. 
          SHE THEN WAS ABLE TO GIVE UP HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS, SHE SAID. BASED ON SOME OF OUR CLAIMS FROM LAST YEAR AND HOW WE ALSO ENGAGE OUTSIDE COUNSEL. LAST YEAR, SHE THOUGHT THAT SHE COULD RELINQUISH SOME OF THOSE DOLLARS. I KEPT AT THOSE THINGS UNTIL I WAS ABLE TO REACH THE $1.9 MILLION, SO I'M VERY HAPPY TO ADD AS MUCH AS WE CAN, BUT I'LL JUST SHARE WITH MY COLLEAGUES THAT WE HAVE TO FIGURE OUT THEN WHAT WE'RE GOING TO CUT, BECAUSE THE REVENUE IS THE REVENUE. AND IF WE SIMPLY JUST SAY TO THE CITY MANAGER, PUT THOSE THINGS BACK IN, HE CAN COME BACK AND HE CAN SAY, WELL, I'M GOING TO CUT THIS AMOUNT FROM PUBLIC SAFETY. I'M GOING TO CUT THIS AMOUNT FROM THAT. AND THEN WE DON'T AGREE WITH THAT. THAT'S WHY IT'S OUR JOB TO BUILD A CONSENSUS TO FIGURE OUT WHAT GOES IN AND WHERE THE CUTS ARE. SO I'M GLAD THAT WE HAVE DOCUMENTS AND AHEAD OF US THAT WE CAN LOOK AT THESE DOCUMENTS AND FIGURE OUT WHAT WE CAN LITERALLY CUT WITHOUT A NEGATIVE IMPACT TO THE CITIZENS OF THIS CITY. BUT WE CAN MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE MEETING THE NEEDS OPERATIONALLY, AND ALSO THINGS THAT WE'VE HEARD OUR CITIZENS SAY THAT WE WOULD LIKE TO HAVE. AND WITH THAT, I YIELD. COUNCILWOMAN CALDWELL, COUNCILWOMAN HEMMING YES. SO FIRST, I WANT TO JUST KIND OF. GO BACK TO SOMETHING THAT COUNCILMEMBER ATKINS JUST MENTIONED SPECIFICALLY AND RELATED RELATING TO THE POOL. THAT IS ONE OF THE AREAS THAT I SUGGESTED THAT WE COULD CUT. AND ONE OF THE REASONS AS TO WHY THIS IS A MESSAGE DIRECTLY FROM OUR CITY MANAGER, UNDER THE CITY, UNDER THE SWIMMING POOL, IT SAYS THIS PROJECT STILL NEEDS TO GO THROUGH DESIGN. SO PLACING CONSTRUCTION COSTS IN THE PROJECT IS PREMATURE. AND SO THERE WAS A RECOMMENDATION BY THE CITY MANAGER THAT WE DIDN'T NEED TO HAVE $3 MILLION ON A PROJECT THAT WE HAD NOT GONE THROUGH THE DESIGN PHASE FOR. AND SO THERE IS A LITTLE EXTRA MONEY THAT WE COULD USE FOR PROJECTS THAT NEED THAT THAT NEED A PRIORITY RIGHT NOW. SO THAT'S ONE OF THE REASONS THAT WE MADE A SUGGESTION TO UTILIZE THE POOL FUNDING THAT WAS THAT CAME FROM THE CITY MANAGER AS WELL. THE OTHER THING I WANTED TO MENTION IN REGARDS TO THE ELECTRIC FUNDS, THE ELECTRIC FUNDS HAVE BEEN IN BALANCE OR FALLEN SHORT, AND IT'S BECAUSE WE HAVEN'T HAD A RATE CHANGE IN 13 YEARS. WE ARE IN THE MIDST OF DOING A RATE STUDY SO THAT WE CAN UNDERSTAND WHAT OUR OPERATIONAL COSTS, SO THAT WE CAN UNDERSTAND WHAT THE CORRECT RATE IS IN ORDER TO COVER ALL OPERATIONAL COSTS, AND THAT IS SHOULD BE DONE. IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN DONE. AND WE WERE TOLD THAT IT WOULD BE DONE BY THE END OF JUNE. AND WE'RE STILL WAITING FOR THAT RATE STUDY. SO WE KNOW WHERE WE NEED TO BE. WE ARE NOT MOVING MONEY FROM OUR GENERAL FUNDS OR RESERVES FOR THAT. THE ELECTRIC FUND, WE DO HAVE SOMETHING CALLED MC. IT HAS $27 MILLION IN IT. AND SO WE'RE MOVING MONEY FROM THAT MC FUND INTO OUR ELECTRIC FUND TO OFFSET THAT COST UNTIL WE GET OUR RATE STUDY BACK AND WE CAN GET IN BALANCE WITH WHAT WE SHOULD BE CHARGING RESIDENTS. SO I WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT 
          [01:35:01]
WE PUT THOSE CORRECTIONS ON THE BOOKS. THE OTHER THING I WANTED TO ASK SPECIFICALLY IS ABOUT A COUPLE OF THINGS IN THE BUDGET. THE GATEWAY SIGNING, I JUST LOST THE PAGE, BUT THE GATEWAY SIGNING, I THOUGHT THAT THIS WAS SOMETHING THAT WAS PAID FOR IN THE PAST. CITY MANAGER, CAN YOU TELL ME, IS THIS A NEW PROJECT OR WAS THIS ALREADY COVERED IN COST? I'M SORRY. 
          OKAY, SO THE GATEWAY PROJECT I KNOW HAS BEEN COVERED. AT LEAST A PORTION OF IT HAS BEEN COVERED IN FISCAL YEAR 26. SO IF THERE'S ANY REFLECTION IN 27, IT'S PROBABLY A CONTINUATION OF THE PROJECT. BUT WAS THE THE TOTAL PROJECT PAID FOR? IF IT WAS IN 26, IT WOULD ONLY BE A PORTION. IF IT'S IN 27, THAT WOULD BE THE REMAINING PORTION. OKAY, OKAY. THAT MIGHT BE SOMETHING JUST TO KIND OF LOOK INTO TO MAKE SURE CROSS REFERENCE THAT. I THINK THAT WAS THE ONLY OTHER QUESTION. I YIELD. COUNCILWOMAN HEMMING OKAY, THANK YOU, MADAM MAYOR. 
          ALSO, I WANT TO BE MINDFUL OF TIME. IT'S NOW 641, AND I KNOW THAT PLANNING AND ZONING, THEIR MEETING STARTS IN 19 MINUTES. SO I JUST WANTED TO RESPOND TO ONE OF THE QUESTIONS AND ONE OF THE COMMENTS THAT WAS JUST MADE, WHAT YOU SEE IN FRONT OF YOU ON THE SHEET THAT SAYS SOURCES. 
          AND I KNOW IT'S VERY HARD FOR YOU IN THE VIEWING PUBLIC TO SEE MADAM DEPUTY CITY CLERK, IF YOU COULD ZOOM OUT SO THEY COULD SEE THE FULL DOCUMENT. WHAT IS LISTED HERE IS, IS WHAT WAS REQUESTED, MEANING THAT WE HAVE TO IDENTIFY WHERE THE MONEY COULD COME FROM SO THAT IT COULD FUND THE THE THINGS THAT THE COUNCIL WOULD LIKE. AND I KNOW THAT'S VERY SMALL, BUT SOME OF THE PLACES THAT HAVE ALREADY BEEN MENTIONED INCLUDE SOME OF THE MONEY FROM THE SWIMMING POOL, THAT NON-DEPARTMENTAL FUND THAT THE INTERIM FINANCE DIRECTOR JUST SAID WOULD BE APPROPRIATE TO MOVE THE 429,000. THERE WAS ALSO UNIFORMS THAT WERE THROUGHOUT THE DEPARTMENT, EXCUSE ME, THROUGHOUT THE CITY THAT WERE CONFIRMED THAT WERE NOT A NECESSITY, GIVEN THAT, YOU KNOW, PRIOR YEARS UNIFORMS HAVE BEEN PURCHASED. THERE WAS ALSO THE MENTION OF REDUCING THE LEGAL BUDGET BY ABOUT 550,000. AND THERE WERE SOME. 
          SOME ITEMS IN THE MAINSTREET BUDGET THAT HAD BEEN PREVIOUSLY ALLOCATED FOR SPECIAL EVENTS THAT THE COUNCIL THOUGHT THAT IT'D BE MORE PRUDENT TO REALLOCATE TO SOME OF THESE NEEDS. I ALSO JUST, YOU KNOW, CONFERRED WITH COUNCIL MEMBER CALDWELL ABOUT THE OPPORTUNITY TO ADD THOSE MOST ITEMS AS WELL. AS, YOU KNOW, COUNCIL MEMBER CUMMINGS REQUEST TO ADD THE FIRE STATION, AND IT WAS A MISTAKE THAT IT WAS LEFT OFF. IT WAS NOT INTENTIONAL. SO IF WE WERE TO ADD THOSE MOST ITEMS THAT. COUNCIL MEMBER CALDWELL SAID, USING THE MOST RESERVES, AND IF WE WERE TO ADD THE FIRE STATION, FIRE STATION TWO, USING SOME OF THE SWIMMING POOL CAPITAL, WE WOULD BE REALLOCATING $4,244,523 FROM THE ITEMS THAT ARE LISTED HERE TO INCLUDE THE MOST RESERVED. AND THEN ALSO THEN OF COURSE, WE WOULD ALLOCATE TO THE ITEMS THAT YOU'VE SEEN LISTED. AND I'M SORRY IF YOU COULD GO BACK TO THE OTHER SHEET SO THAT THE COMMUNITY COULD SEE. AND I KNOW THAT YOU ALL CANNOT SEE THE. THE DOCUMENT THAT I'M, I'M WORKING FROM ON MY OWN PERSONAL LAPTOP, BUT IT THE REPROGRAMING TO. YES. PERFECT. CAN YOU ZOOM OUT A LITTLE BIT MORE? I'M SORRY. THANK YOU. THE REPROGRAMING WOULD ALLOW FOR US TO FUND THESE INITIATIVES A LITTLE MORE SO THEY CAN SEE THE WHOLE 2.2 MILLION. YEP. WE'RE ALMOST THERE. OKAY, PERFECT. IF YOU SCROLL, IF YOU LOOK AT THIS NUMBER AND YOU LOOK AT THE SOURCES NUMBER, YOU'LL SEE THAT THEY'RE THE SAME. AND WHAT WE'VE DONE AS WE WERE LISTENING TO THE DISCUSSION WAS ALSO ADD IN THOSE MOST PROJECTS. SO COLLEAGUES, WE HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO DECIDE TONIGHT IF THIS IS SOMETHING WE WANT TO DO. NO, THE INTENTION IS NOT TO VOTE ON THE BUDGET, BUT THE INTENTION IS TO RESPOND TO THE COMMUNITY, TO RESPOND TO THE CONCERNS THAT HAVE BEEN RAISED AND AND GIVE SOME DIRECTIVE TO THE CITY MANAGER. IF WE TAKE NO ACTION TONIGHT, ULTIMATELY WE'LL BE BACK HAVING THE SAME CONVERSATION. AND SO I OFFER A MOTION TO MY COLLEAGUES TO CONSIDER REPROGRAMING A TOTAL OF SEVEN. YEAH. I'M I'M I'M SURE THAT I CAN MAKE A MOTION. I OFFER THE MOTION TO MY COLLEAGUES TO REPROGRAM THE 
          [01:40:07]
$4,244,523. THAT WOULD ALLOW US TO FUND THE PROGRAMS, INCLUDING THE ITEMS, THE FIRE STATION NUMBER TWO, THAT ARE NOT LISTED ON THE SHEET BEFORE YOU AND THE WATER RESERVE PROJECTS. OKAY. 
          WE DON'T HAVE SEEM TO HAVE A MOTION OR A SECOND. SO WE HAD DISCUSSION. I'M SORRY, WE HAD DISCUSSION. YEAH, I DIDN'T HEAR A SECOND. SO OKAY, SO OKAY, SO YEAH, BUT I JUST BEFORE WE MOVE FORWARD AND REGARDING MY BUDGET, I WOULD LIKE FOR THE, THE DOLLARS THAT HAVE BEEN REMOVED TO BE REPLACED BACK INTO MY BUDGET. SO THAT'S MY REQUEST TO HAVE MY, MY FUNDS ADDED BACK INTO THE MAYOR'S BUDGET. BUT OVERALL, I'M JUST GOING TO TRY TO WRAP UP REAL QUICK. BUT REGARDLESS OF WHAT YOU SEE HERE, WHAT MAY SEEM LIKE DISJOINTED, DISJOINTED SITUATION, YOU DO HAVE NINE PEOPLE SITTING HERE, PLUS THE CITY MANAGER AND THE CITY ATTORNEY THAT HAVE WORKED EXTREMELY HARD TO TRY TO FIND A RESOLUTION TO PASS OUR BUDGET. AND IT IS THIS WORK THAT IS IMPORTANT. I BELIEVE THAT INFRASTRUCTURE AND OUR WATER AND WATER IS REALLY IMPORTANT. 
          I'VE BEEN IN SEVERAL MEETINGS THROUGHOUT THE REGION, AND THE INFRASTRUCTURE AND WATER IS LIKE THE MOST IMPORTANT THING FOR US RIGHT NOW. AND I'VE HEARD THAT IF YOU WANT ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, YOU HAVE TO ENSURE THAT THAT INFRASTRUCTURE IS RIGHT. SO I, I URGE PEOPLE TO GO ONLINE AND GO ON LIKE A, R C AND LOOK AT OUR HOW OUR WATER SYSTEM IS IN OUR CITY AND UNDERSTAND WHY. DIRECTOR ECHEVERRIA'S WORK IS VERY IMPORTANT. AND WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT HER DEPARTMENT IS IS FUNDED AS NEEDED, BUT I'M NOT GOING TO BELABOR BECAUSE I KNOW WE HAVE ANOTHER MEETING COMING UP, BUT I'VE MADE MY REQUEST TO HAVE THE FUNDS REALLOCATED TO THE BUDGET. GO AHEAD. ARE WE DO YOU HAVE ANYTHING ELSE I WAS GOING TO SAY? ARE YOU GOING TO YOU READY? GOT A MOTION. I'LL MAKE A MOTION TO ADJOURN. OKAY. DO WE HAVE A SECOND? I'M IN. 
          I'M SORRY. GO AHEAD. YEAH. SO THE ONLY REASON WHY I DID NOT. SECOND COUNCILWOMAN HEMMING'S MOTION IS BECAUSE ALTHOUGH I'D LOVE TO FUND THESE OTHER CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS, I DON'T KNOW WHERE THAT MONEY WOULD COME FROM. SO I WOULD LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION TO REPROGRAM WHAT WE HAVE HERE ON THIS DOCUMENT. THE $2,230,523. MADAM MAYOR, LET ME JUST SAY THAT I THINK YOUR MOTIONS, BASED ON THE CONVERSATION WE HAD EARLIER ABOUT THE SPECIAL CALLED MEETING. IT IS TO DIRECT THE CITY MANAGER TO MAKE CHANGES AND THEN REPRESENT WHATEVER THOSE CHANGES YOU GUYS WANT, AND THEN REPRESENT THE BUDGET WITH THOSE CHANGES FOR FUTURE VOTE. THEN I WILL RESTATE THE MOTION TO DIRECT THE CITY TO INCLUDE THE CHANGES IN THIS FY 27 PROPOSED BUDGET. REPROGRAMING 2.2 MILLION $230,523. AND INCLUDE FIRE STATION NUMBER TWO. THANK YOU. 2,580,000 580,000. WHICH WOULD THEN CHANGE THE AMOUNT TO $2,580,523. WE GOTTA FIGURE OUT THE. OKAY, THAT'S THE MOTION. NOT HEARING A SECOND MOTION DIES. YEAH, WE GOTTA COME UP WITH SOMETHING WE CAN'T JUST. IS THERE A MOTION? MADAM MAYOR, I MOVE THAT WE ADJOURN THE MEETING. SECOND. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR? ALL THOSE OPPOSED? NO. 
          OKAY, MADAM. CITY CLERK, ROLL CALL, PLEASE. COUNCILMEMBER HEMMING, I. COUNCILMEMBER 
          [01:45:09]
ATKINS, I. COUNCILMEMBER ZIEGLER NO. COUNCILMEMBER CUMMINGS. I'M SORRY. NO. 
          COUNCILMEMBER MITCHELL I. COUNCILMEMBER CALDWELL I. COUNCILMEMBER MARTIN. ROGERS. I.
* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.