[Joint Committee of Budget and Fiscal Affairs & Labor on April 30, 2024.]
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MEMBER TIFFANY THOMAS, COUNCIL MEMBER JULIAN RAMIREZ, COUNCIL MEMBER ABBY CAYMAN, WHO IS CHAIR CO-CHAIRING THIS WITH ME FOR THE CHAIR OF THE LABOR COMMITTEE AND COUNCIL MEMBER FRED FLICKINGER.AND I THINK I LEFT OFF VICE CHAIR OF THE LABOR COMMITTEE COUNCIL MEMBER JOAQUIN MARTINEZ.
SO, UM, WITH THAT, WE ARE WAITING ON THE CONTROLLER, BUT, UM, MS. DEBOWSKI, IF YOU'D GO AHEAD AND COME ON UP, WE WILL GET STARTED WITH THE MONTHLY FINANCIAL REPORT.
MELISSA GOT A FULL AGENDA TODAY, SO WE'LL GO AHEAD AND GET STARTED, AND THE CONTROLLER CAN JUMP IN WHEN HE ARRIVES.
UH, WE ARE WAITING ON CITY LEGAL AS WELL, BUT THEY'RE, THEY'RE LATER IN THE AGENDA AS WELL.
SO I THINK WE'RE FINE TO START NOW.
THIS IS THE NINE PLUS THREE FINANCIAL REPORT FOR THE PERIOD ENDING MARCH 31ST, 2024.
FISCAL YEAR 24 PROJECTIONS ARE BASED ON NINE MONTHS OF ACTUAL RESULTS AND THREE MONTHS OF PROJECTIONS FOR THE GENERAL FUND.
OUR REVENUE PROJECTION IS $42.5 MILLION HIGHER THAN THE ADOPTED BUDGET AND 337 HIGHER THAN THE PRIOR MONTH.
THE VARIANCE FROM THE PRIOR MONTH'S PROJECTIONS IS PRIMARILY DUE TO $194,000 INCREASE IN OTHER FINES AND FORFEITS DUE TO HIGHER THAN ANTICIPATED RECEIPTS FOR FALSE ALARM PENALTIES AND 143,000 INCREASE IN CHARGES FOR SERVICES DUE TO HIGHER THAN ANTICIPATED PLAN REVIEW FEES.
THE EXPENDER EXPENDITURE PROJECTION IS 42.4 MILLION HIGHER THAN THE ADOPTED BUDGET AND 400,000 HIGHER THAN THE PRIOR MONTH.
THE VARIANCE FROM THE PRIOR MONTH'S PROJECTIONS IS DUE TO HIGHER THAN ANTICIPATED SECURITY SERVICES IN THE GENERAL SERVICES DEPARTMENT.
JUST TOUCHING ON SALES TAX, UH, WE HAVE, UH, REMAINED OUR ESTIMATE, UH, KEPT OUR ESTIMATE THE SAME FROM THE PRIOR PERIOD, AND THAT CURRENT ESTIMATE IS 880.7 MILLION.
UH, WE FEEL THIS IS STILL A CONSERVATIVE ESTIMATE GIVEN THAT SO FAR, YEAR TO DATE, WE'RE AVERAGING ABOUT 0.4% ABOVE THE PRIOR YEAR COLLECTIONS.
IN ORDER TO MEET THE CURRENT ESTIMATE OF 880.7 MILLION, THE REMAINING MONTHS WOULD NEED TO COME IN AT ABOUT 3% BELOW THE PRIOR YEAR.
SO WITH THOSE TWO, WITH THOSE CHANGES ON EXPENDITURES AND REVENUES, WE ARE CURRENTLY PROJECTING THE ENDING FUND BALANCE AT 467.8 MILLION, WHICH IS 63,000 LOWER THAN THE PRIOR MONTH, AND IS STILL 18.8% OF ESTIMATED EXPENDITURES, LESS PAY.
YOU GO DEBT, DEBT SERVICE AND PAY AS YOU GO.
THE FUND BALANCE IS 281.5 MILLION ABOVE THE TARGETED 7.5% OF EXPENDITURES, LESS DEBT FOR ENTERPRISE SPECIAL AND OTHER FUNDS, UH, WE'RE PROJECTING A FEW CHANGES IN THE AVIATION FUND.
THE NON-OPERATING REVENUES INCREASED BY 944,000 DUE TO HIGHER THAN ANTICIPATED INTEREST ON POOLED INVESTMENTS.
CONVENTION ENTERTAINMENT, OPERATING REVENUES DECREASED BY 530,000 DUE TO LOWER GARAGE PARKING REVENUES AND OPERATING TRANSFERS INCREASED BY 3.1 MILLION DUE TO HIGHER TRANSFERS TO THE HOUSTON FIRST CORPORATION.
FOR THE ASSET FORFEITURE FUND, REVENUES INCREASED BY 550,000 DUE TO HIGHER THAN ANTICIPATED CONFISCATIONS, AND FOR THE HOUSTON EMERGENCY CENTER FUND EXPENDITURES DECREASED BY 1 MILLION DUE TO SAVINGS AND PERSONNEL SUPPLIES AND SERVICES.
UM, SINCE IT'S A QUARTERLY REPORT, I'LL TOUCH ON THE ECONOMY A BIT.
UM, FOR THE EMPLOYMENT, ACCORDING TO THE BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS, THE PRELIMINARY TOTAL NON-FARM EMPLOYMENT IN THE HOUSTON MSA WAS ABOUT 3.4 MILLION IN NOVEMBER OF 24, WHICH WAS UP APPROXIMATELY 0.7% COMPARED TO THE PRIOR MONTH.
AND WHEN COMPARED TO THE SAME PERIOD LAST YEAR, EMPLOYMENT IS DOWN SLIGHTLY BY 0.2%.
THE PRELIMINARY UNEMPLOYMENT RATE, HOWEVER, WAS 4.6% COMPARED TO THE PRIOR MONTH AT 4.4%.
UH, AND FOR COMPARISON, THE PRIOR YEAR WAS ABOUT 4.8%, SO NOT MUCH CHANGE IN THE ENERGY SECTOR.
THE AVERAGE OIL PRICE OF $81 AND 28 CENTS PER BARREL FOR THE MONTH OF MARCH OF 24 WAS ABOUT 5.2% HIGHER THAN THE PRIOR MONTH'S AVERAGE PRICE OF $77 AND 25 CENTS.
COMPARING TO THE SAME PERIOD LAST YEAR, THE PRICES INCREASED ALMOST 11% FOR HOME SALES.
THE LATEST REPORT, UH, PREPARED BY THE HOUSTON ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS FOR THE MONTH OF MARCH SHOWS THE TOTAL SINGLE FAMILY HOME SALES OF 7,334, AT WHICH WAS 7.5% LOWER COMPARED TO THE PREVIOUS YEAR.
AND THE MEDIAN PRICE REMAINED UNCHANGED AT ABOUT 330,000.
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SINGLE FAMILY HOME INVENTORY REACHED A THREE AND A HALF MONTH, UM, SUPPLY IN MARCH, WHICH IS AN INCREASE OVER THE, UH, OVER THE PREVIOUS YEAR.UM, I JUST WANT TO SAY A FEW THINGS ABOUT THE, UM, GENERAL APPROPRIATIONS ITEM, WHICH IS GOING TO BE ON COUNCIL AGENDA TOMORROW.
UH, SO THAT ITEM DOES, UM, WORK TO INCORPORATE ALL OF THESE ESTIMATES THAT WE PRESENT EVERY MONTH IN THE MONTHLY FINANCIAL REPORT AND TRUE UP THE BUDGET TO THE ESTIMATES.
SO YOU'LL SEE THAT ITEM ON COUNCIL FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION TOMORROW, AND IT'S IN LINE WITH THIS REPORT.
UH, MADAM CHAIR NUMBER TWO FOR TODAY, CAYMAN AND, UH, HONORABLE MEMBERS OF COUNCIL, UH, I AM PLEASED TO PRESENT THE MONTHLY FINANCIAL REPORT FOR THE MONTH ENDED MARCH 31ST, 2024.
THE CONTROLLER'S OFFICE IS PROJECTING AN ENDING FUND BALANCE OF $453.8 MILLION FOR FY 2024.
THAT FIGURE IS $14 MILLION LOWER THAN THE PROJECTION OF THE FINANCE DEPARTMENT, AND THAT DIFFERENCE IS DUE TO A LOWER REVENUE PROJECTION THAN THE FINANCE DEPARTMENT.
BASED ON OUR CURRENT PROJECTIONS, THE FUND BALANCE WILL BE APPROXIMATELY $267.5 MILLION ABOVE THE CITY'S TARGET, UPHOLDING 77.5% OF TOTAL EXPENDITURES, EXCLUDING DEBT SERVICE AND PAY AS YOU GO IN RESERVE.
OUR REVENUE PROJECTION INCREASED BY $20.4 MILLION FROM THE FEBRUARY, 2024 MONTHLY FINANCIAL REPORT AS FOLLOWS, SALES TAX INCREASED BY $14.9 MILLION DUE TO HIGHER THAN ANTICIPATED RECEIPTS.
ELECTRIC FRANCHISE INCREASED BY $2.1 MILLION TO REFLECT HIGHER THAN ANTICIPATED RECEIPTS.
INTEREST INCOME INCREASED BY $2.7 MILLION DUE TO HIGHER THAN ANTICIPATED INTEREST.
EARNINGS ON DEPOSITS AND INVESTMENTS LICENSES AND PERMITS INCREASED BY $0.7 MILLION TO REFLECT HIGHER THAN ANTICIPATED RECEIPTS, PRIMARILY FROM LIMOUSINE PERMITS AND LIQUOR LICENSES REGARDING SALES TAX.
I'D LIKE TO QUICKLY NOTE THAT THIS MONTH'S PROJECTION BY MY OFFICE IS BEING MOVED IN LINE WITH OUR BASE CASE SCENARIO.
AS I PLEDGED DURING MY FIRST MONTHLY FINANCIAL REPORT, MY OFFICE WILL BE USING MULTIPLE SCENARIOS TO DEVELOP THE ASSUMPTIONS THAT WE USE IN OUR REVENUE PROJECTIONS BY USING OPTIMISTIC BASE CASE AND CONSERVATIVE SCENARIOS.
MY OFFICE HOPES TO BE MORE EXPLICIT IN THE WAY THAT WE FORM A DIALOGUE AROUND HOW WE CAN PLAN FOR OUR FUTURE.
OUR CONSERVATIVE SCENARIO, WHICH WE HAVE USED UNTIL NOW, PROJECTS $865.9 MILLION IN SALES TAX FOR THAT PROJECTION TO BE ACCURATE.
SALES TAX FOR THE REMAINING MONTHS OF THE FISCAL YEAR WOULD NEED TO COME IN AT EIGHT OR 9% LOWER THAN THE FIGURES THAT WE SAW LAST YEAR.
BUT IN ACTUALITY, WHAT WE'VE BEEN SEEING IN MOST MONTHS, INCLUDING FEBRUARY, IS A SLIGHT INCREASE YEAR OVER YEAR.
AND SO WE'RE MOVING TO OUR BASE CASE SCENARIO.
OUR BASE CASE SCENARIO, ON THE OTHER HAND, PROJECTS $880.8 MILLION IN SALES TAX REVENUE.
AND I'D LIKE TO NOTE THAT THAT SCENARIO STILL LEANS A BIT CONSERVATIVE AS IT PROJECTS THAT THE REMAINING MONTHS WILL SEE A DECREASE IN SALES TAX OF JUST OVER 3% YEAR OVER YEAR.
UH, WE'RE NOT GONNA MOVE TO THE OPTIMISTIC SCENARIO JUST YET, BUT WE KNOW THAT OUR BASE CASE SCENARIO IS A MORE ACCURATE, ACCURATE REPRESENTATION OF WHAT WE'RE SEEING IN CITY REVENUES THAN THE CONSERVATIVE SCENARIO.
WITH SERIOUS FINANCIAL CHALLENGES AHEAD, HAVING A MEASURED, HONEST DISCUSSION ABOUT THE RESOURCES NEEDED TO PAY OUR HARDWORKING EMPLOYEES COMPENSATE OUR VENDORS AND RUN OUR CITIES IS CRITICAL IN THIS EQUATION.
AND SO IT'S MY HOPE THAT ALL STAKEHOLDERS, ESPECIALLY COUNCIL AND THE PUBLIC, FIND THESE ASSUMPTIONS USEFUL AS WE PLAN OUR CITY'S FUTURE.
OUR EXPENDITURE PROJECTIONS INCREASE BY $0.4 MILLION FROM THE FEBRUARY, 2024 REPORT DUE TO HIGHER THAN ANTICIPATED SECURITY SERVICES FOR GSD DIRECTOR.
DEBOWSKI DESCRIBED THE FIGURES, UH, FOR THE ENTERPRISE FUNDS IN HER REPORT, SO I'LL SPARE YOU THOSE DETAILS FOR OUR COMMERCIAL PAPER AND BONDS.
THE CITY'S PRACTICE HAS BEEN TO MAINTAIN NO MORE THAN 20% OF THE TOTAL OUTSTANDING DEBT FOR EACH TYPE OF DEBT IN A VARIABLE RATE STRUCTURE.
AS OF MARCH 31ST, 2024, THE RATIO OF UNHEDGED VARIABLE DEBT FOR EACH TYPE OF OUTSTANDING DEBT WAS WELL BELOW THAT THRESHOLD.
MOVING OVER TO OUR QUARTERLY INVESTMENT REPORT, AS OF MARCH 31ST, 2024, THE CITY HAD $6.45 BILLION INVESTED IN OUR GENERAL INVESTMENT POOL.
THE CHARACTER OF THIS POOL IS THAT OF A SHORT TERM BOND FUND THAT HOLDS INVESTMENTS OF VERY HIGH CREDIT QUALITY.
FITCH RATINGS REVIEWED THIS POOL AND ASSIGNED THE POOL ITS HIGHEST RATING, WHICH IS AAA.
OUR INVESTMENT STRATEGY IS TO MATCH ASSETS AND LIABILITIES FOR A TIME PERIOD OF ONE YEAR INTO THE FUTURE, AND TO EXERCISE DISCRETION FOR THE BALANCE OF REMAINING FUNDS.
INVESTMENTS ARE $422 MILLION HIGHER THAN LAST YEAR.
THIS IS PRIMARILY ATTRIBUTABLE TO THE COMMERCIAL PAPER ISSUANCES IN THE GENERAL FUND AND THE COMBINED UTILITY SYSTEM, AS WELL AS PROCEEDS FROM THE AVIATION BOND DEAL.
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AS OF MARCH 31ST, 2024, THE GENERAL INVESTMENT POOL WAS YIELDING 3.572%, WHICH IS UP FROM THE 3.3810000000000002% YIELD IN THE PREVIOUS QUARTER.IN ADDITION TO THE GENERAL INVESTMENT POOL, WE HAVE TWO SMALL INVESTMENT POOLS THAT TOTAL ABOUT $16 MILLION.
THOSE POOLS EXIST TO COMPLY WITH TAX REQUIREMENTS FOR THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT AND FOR THE QUARTERLY SWAP REPORT.
ALONG WITH OUR INVESTMENT REPORT, WE'VE INCLUDED WITH THIS MOFA THE QUARTERLY SWAP REPORT AS IS REQUIRED BY THE CITY SWAP POLICY.
THE WRITTEN SWAP REPORT THAT APPEARS IN THE MOFA OFFERS A COMPREHENSIVE DESCRIPTION OF OUR TWO SWAP POSITIONS FOR THE THREE MONTH PERIOD.
ENDING MARCH 31ST, 2024, THE CITY HAD A NET PAID FROM ITS SWAPS OF $7 MILLION.
FAIR VALUE FOR BOTH COMBINED SWAPS AS OF MARCH 31ST WAS NEGATIVE $86.3 MILLION, WHICH IS APPROXIMATELY 5.2 MILLION LESS THAN LAST QUARTER.
BOTH OF THE CITY SWAPS ARE TRENDING IN A POSITIVE DIRECTION.
UH, AS YOU MAY IMAGINE, THE CITY SWAPS ARE FAIRLY COMPLEX, AND SO IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS REGARDING THAT REPORT, PLEASE CONTACT MY OFFICE.
I'D ALSO LIKE TO SHARE GOOD NEWS THAT LAST WEEK, THE CITY OF HOUSTON SUCCESSFULLY PRE-MARKET AND PRICED $870.3 MILLION OF CUS FIRST LIEN REVENUE REFUNDING BONDS SERIES 2024 A.
THESE INCLUDED BOND TENDERS OF BOTH TAXABLE AND TAX EXEMPT BONDS OF MULTIPLE OUTSTANDING SERIES.
THE CITY'S TRANSACTION RECEIVED APPROXIMATELY $3.1 BILLION IN ORDERS.
STRONG INVESTOR INTEREST ALLOWED FOR AN ADDITIONAL LOWERING OF YIELDS OF TWO TO SEVEN BASIS POINTS ACROSS THE YIELD CURVE.
AS A RESULT, THE CITY HAD A NET PRESENT VALUE DEBT SERVICE SAVINGS OF $53.5 MILLION.
IN THE FINAL NUMBERS, THE ALL NTIC OF THE 2 20 24 A BONDS WAS 3.7527%.
SO I WANT TO THANK CITY TREASURER OF VERNON MIDDLETON LEWIS FINANCE DIRECTOR, MELISSA DEBOWSKI, AND THE ENTIRE FINANCE WORKING GROUP FOR THEIR DEDICATED WORK ON THIS BOND TRANSACTION.
LASTLY, CHAIR, IF YOU'LL ALLOW ME A BRIEF MOMENT OF PERSONAL PRIVILEGE.
IN RECENT YEARS, THERE HAVE BEEN, THERE'S BEEN SOME DISCUSSION ABOUT MY OFFICE'S NEED FOR ADDITIONAL AUDITORS TODAY THAT NEED REMAINS WHEN COMPARED TO SIMILAR SIZED CITIES ACROSS THE COUNTRY AND ACROSS THE STATE.
THE SIZE OF HOUSTON'S AUDIT CAPACITY IS SERIOUSLY LOW.
WHEN LOOKING AT COMPARABLE TEXAS CITIES, OUR CAPACITY IS LOWER THAN FORT WORTH.
IT'S LOWER THAN DALLAS, IT'S LOWER THAN AUSTIN, IT'S LOWER THAN SAN ANTONIO.
AND WHEN WE LOOK AT BUDGETS FOR AUDIT OPERATIONS OF THESE COMPARISONS, UH, FOR THESE COMPARABLE CITIES, THAT CONTRAST CONTINUES IN FORT WORTH.
THE AUDIT BUDGET TOPS $2.4 MILLION IN DALLAS, 3.3 MILLION IN AUSTIN, 4.9 MILLION IN SAN ANTONIO, 3.4 MILLION IN HOUSTON.
WE'RE AT 1.5 MILLION, WHICH IN MANY CASES IS LESS THAN HALF OF OF OUR PEER CITIES.
THAT TREND CONTINUES ACROSS THE NATIONAL STAGE.
WHEN WE LOOK AT COMPARABLE MAJOR CITIES.
WITH MORE AUDITORS, WE CAN STRENGTHEN CONTROLS AND IDENTIFY POTENTIAL EFFICIENCIES TO SAVE TAXPAYER DOLLARS AND MAYBE EVEN FIND A REVENUE OPPORTUNITY OR TWO.
BECAUSE OF THIS NEED, MY OFFICE WILL BE INCLUDING A REQUEST FOR ADDITIONAL AUDITORS IN OUR FISCAL YEAR 2025 BUDGET SUBMISSION.
DESPITE OUR FINANCIAL CHALLENGES.
THIS IS AN INVESTMENT THAT'S LONG OVERDUE, AND AS I'VE MENTIONED BEFORE, THIS IS AN INVESTMENT THAT WILL MORE THAN PAY FOR ITSELF.
UH, I'VE ALREADY SPOKEN TO EACH OF YOU IN OUR ONE-ON-ONES ABOUT THIS NEED.
UH, BUT IN THE WEEKS AHEAD, I'LL BE REACHING OUT TO EACH OF YOU AGAIN AS WELL AS THE ADMINISTRATION TO LAY OUT OUR FORMALIZED REQUEST, UH, THE ASSUMPTIONS BEHIND IT, AND ALSO TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU MIGHT HAVE AND UNDERSCORE THE URGENCY OF THIS NEED.
I'D LIKE TO WELCOME, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER TWILA CARTER TO THE CHAMBER, AND ALSO, UM, WE HAVE STAFF FROM COUNT, UM, DISTRICT B, UH, DISTRICT D, DISTRICT G, DISTRICT J UH, AT LARGE FOUR.
THANK YOU BOTH FOR YOUR PRESENTATIONS.
I'LL GO TO VICE MAYOR PRO TEM PECK.
THANK YOU CHAIR, AND THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION.
UM, CONTROLLER, UM, YOUR COMMENTS ABOUT, UM, MORE, UM, EFFICIENCY AUDITS.
I ABSOLUTELY SUPPORT AND WOULD LIKE TO SEE THAT DONE FOR EVERY SINGLE PROGRAM AND DEPARTMENT AT THE CITY.
UM, I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT IF WE HIRE MORE PEOPLE FOR THAT, WHICH I COMPLETELY SUPPORT, UM, THAT THERE'S SOMETHING ON THE OTHER END AFTER THE AUDIT IS DONE, THAT IT GOES TO COUNCIL OR THERE'S SOME ACTION TAKEN ON IT.
IN THE PAST WHEN THE CONTROLLER'S OFFICE CONDUCTED AN AUDIT, IT JUST KIND OF ENDED THERE.
AND SO, UM, WE HAD A BUDGET AMENDMENT LAST TIME TO REQUIRE THE CONTROLLER TO COME TO COUNCIL AFTER THE AUDIT IS DONE TO AT LEAST PRESENT IT, BUT THEN IT JUST KIND OF ENDED THERE.
AND SO THAT'S SOMETHING THAT I WOULD, UM, SUPPORT IS FOR IT TO ACTUALLY GO TO COUNCIL FOR SOME KIND OF VOTE TO MAKE THE CHANGES THAT YOU'RE FINDING IN THOSE EFFICIENCIES.
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BEEN THE PRACTICE OF THE OFFICE TO SUBMIT ITS FINDINGS IN WRITING TO, TO COUNCIL AND TO THE MAYOR.UH, I WOULD BE MORE THAN HAPPY, UH, TO COME AT THE CONCLUSION OF FUTURE AUDITS TO, TO LAY OUT THOSE, THOSE RECOMMENDATIONS, THE POTENTIAL IMPACT, UM, AND, AND YOU KNOW, WHAT WE WOULD NEED IN TERMS OF ACTION FROM YOU ALL TO MAKE IT HAPPEN.
UM, CONTROLLER, YOU, YOU TALKED ABOUT THE UPCOMING BUDGET CYCLE, UH, AND THE REQUEST THAT YOU'RE GONNA BE SUBMITTING.
UH, OBVIOUSLY WE HAVE SEVERE FINANCIAL CONSTRAINTS THAT WE'RE FACING AS A CITY.
UH, WE'RE ABOUT TO HEAR, UH, ADDITIONAL PRESENTATIONS, UH, ON THE TENTATIVE, UH, AGREEMENT WITH THE ASSOCIATION.
UH, MY QUESTION IS, DO YOU HAVE AN, UH, OUR FINANCE DIRECTOR, THIS QUESTION WILL GO TO YOU AS WELL AS LEGAL.
UH, WE RECENTLY, UH, HAD A COURT RULING IN THE DRAINAGE FEES.
UH, IS THE, ARE THE DRAINAGE FEES INCLUDED IN ANY OF THE, UM, SPECULATIVE OUTCOMES OF YOUR REPORTS, OR IS THAT BEING INCORPORATED IN, IS THAT CO POTENTIAL COST BEING INCORPORATED IN YET? SO FOR THE CURRENT FISCAL YEAR, UM, FROM WHAT I'VE SEEN, THE OUTLINES OF THAT JUDGMENT, UH, ARE NOT RETROACTIVE.
AND SO IN LARGE PART WOULD NOT AFFECT THIS FISCAL YEAR.
UH, WHAT WE NEED TO BE CONCERNED WITH IS NEXT FISCAL YEAR NOW, UH, AND, AND THE POTENTIAL IMPACT IS A HUNDRED MILLION DOLLARS.
AND, YOU KNOW, IN THAT BALLPARK, AND AS WE'VE ALREADY PROJECTED, UH, IF WE'RE TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THE FIREFIGHTER SETTLEMENT AS WRITTEN, UH, THE STRUCTURAL DEFICIT IS ALREADY IN THE BALLPARK OF $250 MILLION, SO THAT WOULD BECOME $350 MILLION.
UM, IT'S CLEAR THAT WE'RE GOING TO APPEAL THE JUDGMENT, OF COURSE, WE'D LOVE TO HEAR FROM LEGAL ABOUT THIS.
UH, OUR MAIN CONCERN AS WE MOVE FORWARD WOULD BE IF WE WERE TO APPEAL AND SAY, SIX MONTHS FROM NOW, YOU KNOW, LOSE ON APPEAL, WOULD THAT JUDGMENT BE RETROACTIVE TO TODAY? IN WHICH CASE WE WOULD NEED A HUNDRED MILLION DOLLARS CONTINGENCY IN THE 2025 BUDGET.
AGAIN, I DON'T KNOW THE ANSWER TO THAT QUESTION AND, AND WOULD LOVE TO HEAR FROM, FROM LEGAL ABOUT, YOU KNOW, KIND OF GUIDANCE THERE.
I, I'M, I DON'T KNOW IF LEGAL IS READY TO OPINE ON THAT, BUT I THINK THE QUESTION IS, UH, OBVIOUSLY THE CITY HAS SAID THAT THEY'RE GOING TO APPEAL, THIS WILL GO BACK TO THE STATE SUPREME COURT, UH, BUT THERE'S A VERY GOOD CHANCE THAT, THAT THE LOWER COURT'S DECISION IS POTENTIALLY UPHELD.
IF IT IS, WOULD THAT BE RETROACTIVE AND HAVE AN IMPLICATION POTENTIALLY FOR, UH, PREVIOUS FI? WOULD THAT PORTION OF SIX MONTHS BE RETROACTIVE GOING INTO THE CURRENT FISCAL YEAR? UH, IT, IT'S OUR POSITION IN LEGAL THAT, UH, I AGREE WITH THE CONTROLLER.
THE DECISION WOULD NOT BE RETROACTIVE.
IT WOULD NOT REQUIRE A, A PAYMENT FOR, UH, PAST YEARS OR THE CURRENT YEAR.
UH, THE TEXAS SUPREME COURT REVIEW IS DISCRETIONARY.
UH, IT HAS TO DETERMINE WHETHER TO TAKE THE CASE.
WE WILL, UH, LIKELY MOVE FOR REHEARING FIRST WITH THE, THE COURT OF APPEALS AND, UH, UH, YOU KNOW, WE BELIEVE THAT IT, THIS IS THE SORT OF ISSUE THAT THE TEXAS SUPREME COURT SHOULD TAKE.
UH, FINANCE DIRECTOR, DID YOU HAVE ANY FEEDBACK ON THAT? AGAIN, I'M TRYING, I THINK WE'RE ALL TRYING TO GRAPPLE WITH HOW DO WE ACCOUNT FOR MM-HMM
THE POTENTIAL FOR THESE MASSIVE COSTS AND EVEN THE FY 25 BUDGET.
UH, SO I HAVE QUESTIONS ABOUT, YOU KNOW, HOW WE ARE PLANNING FOR THESE POTENTIAL COSTS.
IF, FOR EXAMPLE, WE'RE ABOUT, YOU KNOW, WE'RE TWO WEEKS AWAY FROM BUDGET COMMITTEE HEARINGS AND NEITHER OF THESE DETERMINATIONS ARE BEING PRESENTED TO COUNSEL YET.
SO HOW DO WE ACCOUNT FOR THAT? RIGHT.
SO ON THE, UM, THE DRAINAGE LITIGATION, UM, WE AGREE WITH THE CONTROLLER'S ASSESSMENT THAT IT'S ABOUT A HUNDRED MILLION DOLLARS, UM, IN A FISCAL YEAR, A SINGLE FISCAL YEAR, UH, WHICH WOULD BE AN IMPACT TO THE GENERAL FUND.
UM, AND SO I THINK WHAT WE'LL SEE AS WE GO FORWARD WITH THE BUDGET AND THE FIVE YEAR FORECAST LIKE THE CONTROLLER MENTIONED, THAT WOULD BE AN ADDITIONAL GAP THAT WOULD ADD ON TO THE EXPENDITURES FOR THE CITY.
SO ARE THOSE, I GUESS CHAIR, I'M ASKING, AND NOT IN A VERY GOOD WAY, HOW MOVING INTO BUDGET SEASON WITH THESE TWO VERY LARGE COSTS AND CONTROLLER, I GUESS I SHOULD ASK, UM, I ASKED YOU THIS LAST TIME, BUT SINCE THE LAST HEARING, HAVE YOU RECEIVED, UM, A COPY OF THE PROPOSED SETTLEMENT AGREEMENT OR CBA AND ARE YOU ABLE TO MAKE THOSE CALCULATIONS AS OF TODAY? UH, AGAIN, COUNCIL MEMBER, UH, CHAIR, UH, I HAVE NOT RECEIVED ANY OF THOSE TERMS. AND SO WHAT WE'RE STILL WORKING WITH IS SORT OF HIGH LEVEL ASSUMPTIONS THAT HAVE BEEN PROVIDED TO
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US IN, IN A BRIEFING.SO AGAIN, MADAM, IF YOU COULD EXPLAIN UNDERSTOOD.
AND, AND I WAS, I'M ASKING ABOUT THE 11.80 CENTS, ALSO COUNCIL MEMBER FLICKINGER, THE ADDITIONAL AUDITORS, HOW MANY AUDITORS DO WE HAVE ON STAFF TODAY? UH, WE HAVE NINE WITH, WITH ONE VACANCY.
SO WE HAVE AN ALLOTMENT OF 10 OVER 10.
AND, AND HOW, HOW MANY AUDITS DO WE COMPLETE PER YEAR? I DON'T HAVE THAT FIGURE RIGHT IN FRONT OF ME.
WHAT'S BEEN IN OUR AUDIT PLANS OVER THE LAST FIVE TO 10 YEARS IS SOMEWHERE IN THE RANGE OF NINE TO 12 AUDITS PER YEAR.
SO YOU'RE LOOKING AT SOMEWHERE CLOSE TO ONE PER AUDITOR, ROUGHLY ONE AUDIT PER PERSON.
UM, THAT CAN VARY, YOU KNOW, NO AUDIT IS THE SAME, BUT THAT'S KIND OF THE ROUGH, HOW DOES THAT COMPARE TO THE PRIVATE SECTOR? I'D HAVE TO, I'D HAVE TO GET BACK TO YOU ON THOSE FIGURES.
UH, GOT ANOTHER QUESTION ALSO ON THE SALES TAX.
I MEAN, BOTH OF YOU'RE FORECASTING DECREASES, UH, THROUGH THE END OF THE YEAR.
UH, WHAT HAPPENS IF WE COME IN MAINTAINING WHAT WE'VE DONE MM-HMM
THROUGH THE FIRST NINE MONTHS OF THE YEAR? YEAH.
UM, SO IF WE COLLECT THE, UM, THE REMAINING MONTHS, UM, FLAT TO THE PRIOR YEAR, THE REVISED ESTIMATE WOULD BE 890 MILLION, SO ABOUT 10 MILLION HIGHER.
AND THANK YOU BOTH FOR YOUR REPORTS AND FOR BEING HERE.
A COUPLE QUESTIONS FOR DIRECTOR DEBOWSKI UNDER THE GENERAL FUND REVENUES CATEGORY UNDER PROPERTY TAX.
UM, SO THE FIGURE FOR THE, UH, FISCAL YEAR 24 ADOPTED BUDGET AND THE CURRENT PROJECTION ARE THE SAME, AND IT WAS REPORTED RECENTLY THAT THE COUNTY HAD REDUCED ITS, UH, PROJECTIONS FOR PROPERTY TAX REVENUE.
SO CAN YOU, DO YOU HAVE ANY THOUGHTS ON THAT? SURE.
UM, SO THE, UH, THE FIGURES THAT YOU SEE HERE, UH, WHERE OUR PROJECTION REMAINS THE SAME AS THE BUDGET, UM, AND ACTUALLY YOU MIGHT NOTICE IF YOU'RE ON PAGE 12, THAT THE ACTUAL YEAR TO DATE COLLECTIONS ARE ABOVE THE PROJECTION, UM, WHICH I KNOW YOU DIDN'T ASK ABOUT, BUT JUST TO, TO GO TO THAT POINT, UM, THE TOTAL THAT WE'VE COLLECTED YEAR TO DATE INCLUDES THE AMOUNT THAT WE'RE GOING TO, UH, SEND BACK AS INCREMENT TO THE TURS.
SO YOU'LL SEE IN THE FOLLOWING MONTHS THAT ACTUAL YEAR TO DATE COME DOWN ONCE WE DO THAT TUR TRANSFER COMING MORE IN LINE WITH OUR PROJECTION.
UM, BUT TO YOUR QUESTION ABOUT THE, UM, THE COUNTY, AND I THINK THE, THE, UH, INFORMATION THAT I SAW PERTAIN TO THE VALUES, UM, FOR SPECIFICALLY RESIDENTIAL, UM, SOME GOING DOWN, SOME STAYING FLAT.
UM, SO THAT WOULD BE SOMETHING THAT WOULD AFFECT OUR FY 25 PROPERTY TAXES.
AND THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE'LL GET MORE INFORMATION FROM THE APPRAISAL DISTRICTS, UM, HOPEFULLY ACTUALLY THIS WEEK, UH, TO SEE SPECIFICALLY FOR OUR JURISDICTION AND OUR PROPERTIES, UH, WHAT IS THE VALUE ESTIMATE LOOKING LIKE, AND WE'LL USE THAT TO INFORM, UM, OUR PROPOSED BUDGET ON PROPERTY TAXES FOR FY 25.
ANOTHER QUESTION ON, UH, GENERAL FUND EXPENDITURES ON PAGE SIX OF YOUR REPORT, UNDER THE OTHER DEPARTMENTS, UH, CATEGORY, UH, THERE'S A RATHER LARGE VARIANCE, UM, IN OUR FAVOR, I GUESS 36.8 MILLION ALMOST CAN WHAT, UH, WHAT'S THE REASON FOR THAT? HOW WOULD YOU EXPLAIN THAT? I'M SORRY, I'M TRYING TO FIND WHICH PAGE YOU'RE ON.
UM, I HAVE IT AS SIX, I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S, IT'S ACTUALLY MAYBE PAGE TWO OF YOUR REPORT.
IT'S JUST SECOND PAGE OF YOUR REPORT UNDER THE TABLE, GENERAL FUND EXPENDITURES, OTHER DEPARTMENTS.
UM, SO IF YOU WANT TO SEE A BREAKDOWN OF THAT NUMBER, SORRY.
YEAH, SO IF YOU WANNA SEE A BREAKDOWN OF THAT NUMBER, IF YOU GO, UH, TWO PAGES FARTHER TO PAGE, UM, I'M CALLING IT PAGE EIGHT, BUT IT'S THE PAGE RATE.
AFTER THE LETTER CONCLUDES UHHUH, UM, THERE'S A TABLE AND THERE'S, AT THE TOP IT SAYS REVENUES AND AT THE BOTTOM EXPENDITURES.
SO THIS WILL LINE OUT ALL THE, NOT JUST THE 36 MILLION, BUT THE WHOLE 42 MILLION YOU SEE FOR POLICE, FIRE, OTHER DEPARTMENTS.
UH, THIS WILL LINE ALL OF THAT OUT, ALL THE DIFFERENT CHANGES BROKEN OUT BY PUBLIC SAFETY AND THEN ALL THE OTHER DEPARTMENTS, WHICH WOULD INCLUDE PARKS, SOLID WASTE LIBRARIES.
UH, GOING TO THE NEXT PAGE, IT TOTALS TO THAT 42.2 42.4 MILLION.
AND, UM, CONTROLLER, THANK YOU FOR ADJUSTING THE SALES TAX.
I THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU SEE THE PATTERN GOING THE WAY IT WAS, THAT WAS SMART TO GO TO THE BASE CASE, SO I APPRECIATE THAT.
UM, DIRECTOR ON PAGE, UH, MY CO-CHAIR CAME AND COVERED MOST OF WHAT I WAS GONNA NO, NO, NO.
[00:25:01]
GUESS 18, YOU LAY OUT THE D-D-S-R-F AND ON THAT, IN THE BOX THERE, THERE'S THE PROPERTY TAX REVENUE, THE 11.80 CENT EQUIVALENT MM-HMMSO WOULD THAT NUMBER BE 300 AND I MEAN, WOULD IT BE, WHAT, WHAT WOULD THAT NUMBER BE AT 11 OR WHAT, WHAT CENTS ARE WE WITH THE 2 22? I'LL HAVE TO, UM, FOLLOW UP WITH YOU ON THE EXACT FIGURES FOR 24.
THE A HUNDRED MILLION DOLLARS THAT WE TALKED ABOUT WOULD PERTAIN TO FY 25.
UM, SO I WOULD HAVE TO FOLLOW UP WITH YOU ON THE EXACT FIGURES FOR 24.
AND THEN DOWN IN THE BOX, IT, BUT IT, IT'S ROUGHLY IN THAT RANGE.
ROUGHLY A HUNDRED MILLION MORE SO OVER THE COURSE OF REBUILD HOUSTON, WE'VE PAID DOWN ABOUT A BILLION AND A HALF OF STREET AND DRAINAGE DEBT.
WE'RE DOWN TO 445 MILLION OF STREET AND DRAINAGE DEBT.
AND THAT, AND THAT DEBT, ALLEVIATING THAT DEBT HAS ALLOWED US TO DO OTHER DEBT, MORE PAY AS YOU GO, LIKE THE PENSION BONDS, LIKE, LIKE OTHER, THAT FREED UP, IT REALLY FREED UP MONEY FOR, UH, PAY AS YOU GO PROJECTS FOR D-D-S-R-F.
SO AS YOU SEE THE DEBT SERVICE BEING PAID OFF, SO IF YOU'RE LOOKING IN THAT BOX FOR FY 24, UM, THE D-D-S-R-F REVENUE FROM AVALOR IS 222 MILLION.
WE PAID OFF $99 MILLION IN DEBT, LEAVING 123 MILLION FOR PAYAS, YOU GO PROJECTS.
SO IN NEXT YEAR'S, UM, FY 25 BUDGET, YOU'LL SEE AN EVEN, UM, HIGHER AMOUNT FOR THE 11.80 CENT EQUIVALENT.
THE DEBT SERVICE SCHEDULE CONTINUES TO DECLINE.
FREEING UP MORE MONEY FOR CASH PROJECTS.
BUT I MEAN, OVER THE YEARS, HAS THAT NOT INCR, UM, FREED UP SOME OF OUR DEBT CAPACITY FOR DEBT CAPACITY TO BORROW MORE, WE'RE MORE SO LIMITED ON, UM, AVAILABILITY OF REVENUES TO REPAY THE DEBT SERVICE MM-HMM
UM, SO THE REVENUE LIMITATION, I FEEL IS A BIGGER LEVER.
AND, UM, COLLEAGUES, THE, THE CONTROLLER HAS MORE TO SAY ON THE, UH, COLLECTIVE BARGAINING AGREEMENT AND SETTLEMENT AGREEMENT.
AND WE ARE HAVING A SPECIAL CALLED MEETING ON MONDAY, MAY 6TH FOR THE CONTROLLER TO PRESENT, UM, ON, UM, FROM THE CONTROLLER'S OFFICE PERSPECTIVE ON THE FIREFIGHTER AGREEMENT, UM, 11:00 AM UM, MONDAY MAY 6TH, UH, THERE WILL BE A SPECIAL CALLED BFA FOR THE CONTROLLER TO OPINE FURTHER ON THE FIREFIGHTER AGREEMENT.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH, BOTH OF YOU FOR COMING TODAY.
THANK, AND WE WILL MOVE TO OUR NEXT ITEM ON THE AGENDA, AN UPDATE ON THE PROPOSED PFFA SETTLEMENT AGREEMENT AND COLLECTIVE BARGAINING AGREEMENT.
WE'RE USING MOSTLY THE, THE PRESENTATIONS FROM LAST MONTH COLLEAGUES.
UM, THERE'S NOT A WHOLE LOT TO, UM, UPDATE YOU ON, BUT I THINK THE, THE FINANCE DEPARTMENT HAS DELIVERED SOME NEW SLIDES.
I THINK THIS IS LAST MONTH'S, UM, LEGAL PRESENTATION.
AND SO I'LL LET YOU GO IN THE ORDER YOU'D LIKE, I DON'T KNOW IF ARTURO, YOU WANNA GO FIRST OR, UM, DO THEY WANNA EVEN USE THE SLIDES OR IF YOU WANNA USE THE SLIDES OR WHAT, IF YOU JUST WANNA TALK TO US ABOUT, UH, ANYTHING YOU CAN UPDATE US ON.
LET, LET ME, UH, YEAH, I, I DON'T THINK I'LL GO THROUGH THE SLIDES.
IT'S THE SAME THING AS BEFORE.
IF ANYONE HAS A QUESTION ABOUT IT, YOU KNOW, PLEASE TELL ME, UH, WHICH SLIDE AND I CAN ADDRESS IT.
BUT, YOU KNOW, GENERALLY THIS IS TWO PARTS WE'RE WE'RE SETTLING, UM, THE LAST SEVEN YEARS.
AND THEN, UH, THERE'S A COLLECTIVE BARGAINING AGREEMENT THAT'S FORWARD LOOKING, A PROPOSED FIVE YEAR AGREEMENT, THAT ONE, UH, WE'RE STILL TRYING TO WORK, UH, THROUGH SOME OF THE LANGUAGE TO CLARIFY IT, TO MAKE SURE IT, IT'S WELL UNDERSTOOD.
YOU KNOW, WE HAVE PROVISIONS IN THERE SUCH AS AN ADDITIONAL AMOUNT IN, IN YEARS TWO TO FIVE IF THERE ARE ADDITIONAL REVENUES.
SO THAT SHOULD BE DEFINED A LITTLE BETTER SO THAT PEOPLE KNOW WHEN IT COMES IN.
AND THERE'S SOME OTHER ISSUES I'VE BEEN, UM, UH, WORKING IN WITH NIJA I AND OTHERS AND, UH, UH, AND MR. LANGTON AND MR. BLAKENEY ON THAT PART.
UH, WE'D LIKE TO MOVE IT A LITTLE QUICKER.
UM, BUT FRANKLY SPEAKING, BECAUSE OF THE LITIGATION RIGHT NOW, I DON'T THINK WE'VE LOST ANY GROUND RIGHT NOW.
AND WHAT'S HAPPENING IN THE LITIGATION IS THE, UM, YOU KNOW, WE'RE PREPARED TO GO TO THE COURT TO ENTER A FINAL JUDGMENT THERE.
UH, THERE ARE INTERVENERS, UM, THE COMMAND STAFF IS THE PRIMARY MOVE ON THAT THE JUDGE HAS, UM, SEVERED THEM FROM THE CASE AND PUT THEM IN A SEPARATE, UH, CAUSE OF ACTION THAT SHOULD ALLOW THIS TO GO FORWARD.
EXCEPT THE INTERVENERS HAVE MANDAMUS THE JUDGE IN THE EXISTING ACTION THAT NEEDS TO BE RESOLVED AND DETERMINED BY THE, THE COURT OF APPEALS BEFORE WE'RE IN A POSITION TO HAVE A FINAL JUDGMENT THAT JUDGE REEDER CAN SIGN OFF ON.
AND THE FINAL JUDGMENT IS A NECESSARY PART, UH, TO, FOR THE ATTORNEY GENERAL TO
[00:30:01]
REVIEW.AND, UM, HE, HE, THE, THE ATTORNEY GENERAL'S PUBLIC FINANCE DIVISION WILL GIVE ITS COMMENTS ON WHAT IT BELIEVES, UM, COMPORTS WITH THE, UM, UH, THE STATUTORY REQUIREMENTS.
YOU KNOW, IT'S PRIMARILY YOU, YOU WANT TO HAVE FINALITY AND THERE ARE NO CONTINGENT LIABILITIES.
THAT'S PRIMARILY WHAT THE ATTORNEY GENERAL WAS LOOKING FOR.
IT'S A MORE R RIGOROUS REVIEW THAN IT USED TO BE.
UM, BACK IN THE MIDDLE OF THE TWO THOUSANDS, THERE WAS A, A, A COUPLE ISSUANCES FOR APPROXIMATELY 72 MILLION TO PAY A FIREFIGHTER'S OVERTIME CASE.
UM, THE REVIEW IS MORE RIGOROUS NOW.
WE'VE BEEN IN CONTACT WITH THE ATTORNEY GENERAL.
THERE'VE BEEN INITIAL DISCUSSIONS.
WE'RE LOOKING AT SOME OF THE LANGUAGE AND TALKING WITH MR. BLAKENEY, THE UNION'S LAWYER TO GET, WE'RE VERY CLOSE TO GOING BACK UP TO THE ATTORNEY GENERAL.
UH, WE EXPECT THAT IT'LL, IT'LL BE THIS WEEK THAT WE'LL BE ABLE TO PROVIDE, UH, A DIFFERENT DRAFT OR, AND HAVE A MORE, UM, ROBUST DISCUSSION WITH THE ATTORNEY GENERAL.
UM, THE, UH, YOU KNOW, I THINK THE, UH, UH, I THINK THE SETTLEMENT IS, UH, IS A GOOD SETTLEMENT.
I THINK, UH, IT PROVIDES FOR, BECAUSE IT'S CLASSIFIED AS OVERTIME, THERE'S NO PENSION OBLIGATIONS TO BE PAID BY EITHER THE CITY OR THE FIREFIGHTERS.
SO A 650 MILLION, UM, DOLLARS SETTLEMENT, UH, IF YOU BACK OUT, WHAT YOU WOULD'VE OTHERWISE PAY WOULD BE THE EQUIVALENT OF A APPROXIMATELY A 475 MILLION, UH, DOLLARS SETTLEMENT FOR THE PAST SEVEN YEARS.
I THINK WHEN YOU LOOK AT, UH, WHAT THE PRELIMINARY REPORTS OF E EXPERTS ARE, AND WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE OTHER DATA, UM, IT'S POSSIBLE WE COULD DO BETTER, BUT WE COULD EASILY DO MUCH WORSE.
SO I THINK LIKE MANY SETTLEMENTS, IT'S BOTH PARTIES WALK AWAY WISHING THEY HAD DONE BETTER, BUT I THINK IT'S, IT'S A, UH, IT'S A FAVORABLE FOR THE CITY.
I'LL, I'LL ENTERTAIN ANY QUESTIONS.
AND CO-CHAIR, I'M SORRY, THIS IS YOUR, YOUR TIME TO CHAIR THIS MEETING.
UM, I'M, DO WE HAVE QUESTIONS IN QUEUE? ALL RIGHT.
UM, CITY ATTORNEY, I, I HAVE A FEW QUESTIONS THAT, WELL, YOU KNOW WHAT CHAIR, I'D LIKE TO HOLD MY QUESTIONS UNTIL WE GET THROUGH FINANCES AND THEN THERE MAY BE FOLLOW UP QUESTIONS.
CHAIR WILL NOW RECOGNIZE, UH, OUR FINANCE DIRECTOR DEBOWSKI FOR HER PRESENTATION.
UM, SO AS THE COUNCIL MEMBER MENTIONED, THIS IS, UM, LARGELY THE SAME SLIDE DECK FROM LAST MONTH.
UM, THE ONLY THING DIFFERENT, WE WANTED TO PROVIDE A LITTLE UPDATE ON THE POTENTIAL INCENTIVE AND SPECIAL PAY INCREASES THAT WOULD BE INCLUDED AS PART OF THE DRAFT CBA.
UH, SO AGAIN, OUR FOCUS IS ON INCREASING THE RETENTION IN THE RECRUITMENT AND CRITICAL AREAS.
UH, THROUGH THE NEGOTIATIONS, WE'RE AIMING TO CAP THE SPECIAL PAYS AND INCENTIVES AT APPROXIMATELY $10 MILLION, UM, AND ARE TARGETING A FEW AREAS INCLUDING, UH, PARAMEDIC ASSIGNMENT PAY, RECOGNIZING THAT THE PARAMEDICS ARE, UH, EXTREMELY HARDWORKING.
UM, AND THEN ALSO LOOKING AT INCENTIVE PAYS FOR EDUCATION AND, UH, ARSON INVESTIGATOR INCENTIVE PAYS.
SO THOSE ARE SOME OF THE HIGHLIGHTED AREAS WE'RE LOOKING, WE'RE COSTING OUT AND WE'RE STILL, UM, WORKING THROUGH NEGOTIATIONS WITH THE UNION ON.
UM, SO THAT'S REALLY THE ONLY DIFFERENCE, UM, FROM WHAT I PRESENTED PREVIOUSLY.
AND I'M SORRY, DID WE HAVE SLIDES TO GO THROUGH WITH IT? YOU JUST, YOU WENT THROUGH THAT QUICKLY AND I WASN'T SURE IF C COLLEAGUES, ARE THERE CALCULATIONS? I'M SORRY, YES.
THAT YOU HAVE AFFILIATED WITH THOSE ESTIMATE OR THE, THE, DO YOU HAVE COSTS YET OR ESTIMATES FOR WHAT YOU JUST REFERENCED? IT'S ON SLIDE 15.
COULD, BUT COULD WE, YEAH, THE NEW SLIDE, IF YOU COULD PRINT THOSE OUT COUNCIL NUMBERS, THAT WOULD BE GREAT.
I'M NOT SURE THE SLIDE NUMBERS ARE DIFFERENT ON THERE.
OH, I SEE YOU HAD LEGALS FIRST.
YOU DID NOT SEND US THE NEW SLIDES.
SO THIS SLIDE IS THE ONLY SLIDE THAT'S DIFFERENT FROM THE PREVIOUS PRESENTATION LAST MONTH.
AND, UM, AGAIN, WE DON'T HAVE A SPECIFIC ALLOCATION OF HOW THIS, UM, OUR PROPOSED CAP ON THE ASSIGNMENT INCENTIVE AND SPECIAL PAYS WOULD BE BROKEN DOWN.
BUT THESE ARE THREE KEY AREAS THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT THE PARAMEDIC ASSIGNMENT PAY, UH, THE INCENTIVE PAY FOR
[00:35:01]
THE EDUCATION AND THE ARSON INVESTIGATOR INCENTIVE PAY.SO I DON'T KNOW IF, UM, CITY ATTORNEY DO YOU WANNA TALK THROUGH, UM, WHERE WE ARE ON THE COLLECTIVE BARGAINING AGREEMENT.
UM, I, I REFERENCED IT A LITTLE BIT EARLIER.
UH, WE'RE TRYING TO, UM, SEEK A LITTLE BETTER CLARITY AND, AND MAKE SURE THAT, UH, WHEN YOU HAVE PROVISIONS THAT HAVE A FISCAL IMPACT, WE CAN CALCULATE IT SUFFICIENTLY AND WE KNOW WHAT WE HAVE IN THERE AND THAT IT'S SOMETHING THAT, UH, FALLS WITHIN WHAT, UM, THE FINANCE DEPARTMENT BELIEVES IS, IS WITHIN OUR BUDGET.
SO WE'RE JUST TRYING TO ADDRESS DIFFERENT ASPECTS OF IT.
THOSE, THOSE ARE PRIMARILY THE INCENTIVE PAYS, THE MINIMUM STAFFING, UH, I MENTIONED BEFORE, UH, A BETTER DETERMINATION OF WHEN YOU, UM, UH, IMPLICATE THE, UM, THE, IF, WHEN THERE'S ADDITIONAL REVENUE, THE ADDITIONAL RAISES IN YEARS TWO TO FIVE.
SO THAT'S PRIMARILY WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT.
UM, I AM RECALLING A QUESTION FROM COUNCIL MEMBER FLICKINGER OF THE FIRST TIME WE HAD THIS, UM, JOINT HEARING.
IT WAS SPECIFICALLY ABOUT, UH, THE REAL INDUSTRY COMPARISON, COUNCIL MEMBER FLICKINGER.
IS THAT ACCURATE? AND ARE YOU TRACKING? YOU DID, UM, 'CAUSE IT WAS A, I I WAS ONE, I'M SORRY.
ONE OF THE THINGS I ASKED WAS ABOUT A COMPARISON OF HOURS TO HOURS, HOURS WITH THE OTHER PUBLIC DEPARTMENT.
AND SO WITH THAT, WHICH IS IMPORTANT BECAUSE A LOT OF THE JUSTIFICATION IN TERMS OF, UM, THE PAY, SO IT'S NOT REFLECTED IN THAT.
SO HAVE Y'ALL BEEN ABLE TO GO BACK TO THE HOURS, THE HOURS THAT OUR FIRE DEPARTMENT WORKS IN COMPARISON TO THE CITIES THAT ARE MIRRORED IN THE CBA? YEAH.
UM, SO IF YOU LOOK, UM, ON THE SCREEN, AND I'M NOT SURE ON THE PRINTOUTS.
I I GUESS BECAUSE THE SLIDES ARE TOGETHER NOW, UM, IT'S UP NOW ON THE YEAH, THE, YEAH.
THIS SLIDE THAT WAS ON THE SCREEN AND IN YOUR PACKETS IT MIGHT BE SLIDE 12, ALTHOUGH IT'S CALLED SLIDE 20 ON THE SCREEN 12.
UM, SO, AND I KNOW I TALKED ABOUT THIS LAST MONTH, BUT THIS, UM, LOOKS AT THE BASE PAY FOR THE CITY OF HOUSTON COMPARED TO, UH, A MARKET COMPARATOR, WHICH IN THIS CASE IS FORT WORTH.
UM, AND LOOKING AT BIWEEKLY BASE PAY, UH, JUST LOOKING AT THE FIRST STEP FOR EACH OF THESE RANKS, UM, FOR EXAMPLE, LOOKING AT THE PROBATIONARY FIREFIGHTER OR THE FIREFIGHTER RANK, UH, THEY'RE ANYWHERE BETWEEN 37 33 AS YOU GO ON DOWN.
UM, YOU KNOW, UH, 26%, 35% BEHIND, UM, THE FORT WORTH THAT'S ON A BIWEEKLY BASIS WHEN YOU ADJUST FOR HOURS WORKED, UH, THAT'S THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE TABLE.
UM, AND EVEN ONCE YOU ADJUST FOR HOURS WORKED, UH, WE STILL ARE BELOW THAT MARKET COMPARATOR, RIGHT? BUT WE UNDERSTAND THAT FORT WORTH OUTSOURCES THEIR PARAMEDICS, SO IT'S NOT THE SAME.
SO I AM, FOR ME, AND, AND NOT TO, UM, UM, DILUTE COUNCIL MEMBER ER'S QUESTION I'M LOOKING FOR IF WE HAVE OUR FIRE DEPARTMENT THAT IS UNIQUE IN THE STATE, IT'S UNIQUE, THERE'S NUANCE WITH HOW WE COMPENSATE THEIR OBLIGATIONS, RIGHT? THE HISTORY, THEN HOW DO WE REFLECT, UM, APPLES TO APPLES BECAUSE WE CARRY PARAMEDIC THAT WORK.
THAT'S, THAT'S A BULK OF WHAT THEY'RE OBLIGATED TO MM-HMM
SO I'M LOOKING FOR A MORE ACCURATE REFLECTION OF THAT.
UM, BUT I WOULD LIKE, IF YOU CAN WORK THAT IN TERMS OF INDUSTRY, SINCE NOW THEY'RE ACCEPTING THE INDUSTRY COMPARISON AS A METHOD OF COMPENSATION, I WOULD LIKE TO SEE THAT REFLECTED IN THE UPDATED SLIDES.
MAYBE WE COULD TOUCH BASE OFFLINE.
COUNCIL MEMBER CO-CHAIR CAYMAN.
I'LL HOLD MY COMMENTS IF THERE'S OTHERS IN QUEUE.
'CAUSE COUNCIL MEMBER FLICKINGER, ARE ANY OTHER DEPARTMENTS ON A FOUR SHIFT ROTATION? NOT THAT I'M AWARE OF.
UM, DIRECTOR, JUST TO BE CLEAR, UH, FIRST AND FOREMOST, LAST TIME AT THE COMMITTEE HEARING, UH, YOU HAD REFERENCED POTENTIAL WAYS TO FUND, UH, WHAT IS GOING TO BE, UH, AN EXPLOSION IN, UH, COST DUE TO THE CITY THE LAST TIME YOU REFERENCED A GARBAGE FEE MM-HMM
THAT COULD POTENTIALLY SUPPLEMENT SOME OF THOSE COSTS.
DID YOU INTEND FOR THAT TO INFER THAT A GARBAGE
[00:40:01]
FEE WOULD BE ABLE TO PAY FOR OTHER THINGS OUTSIDE OF SOLID WASTE SERVICES? WHAT I INTENDED TO CONVEY WAS THAT RIGHT NOW IN THE, UH, FY 24 BUDGET, THE UM, O AND M BUDGET FOR THE SOLID WASTE DEPARTMENT IS AROUND A HUNDRED MILLION DOLLARS A YEAR THAT THE GENERAL FUND PAYS FOR SOLID WASTE SERVICES COMING FROM PROPERTY TAX, SALES TAX, FRANCHISE FEES, ALL OF OUR OTHER GENERAL FUND REVENUES, IF WE SET A GARBAGE FEE TO UM, EITHER RECOUP SOME OR ALL OF THOSE COSTS THAT THE GENERAL FUND IS CURRENTLY PAYING FOR, THAT WOULD FREE UP THAT APPROXIMATELY A HUNDRED MILLION DOLLARS OF GENERAL FUND REVENUE A YEAR TO PAY FOR OTHER GENERAL FUND RELATED EXPENDITURES.AND THE GARBAGE FEE WOULD PAY FOR THE SOLID WASTE SERVICES REMAIN A DEDICATED FEE SPECIFICALLY FOR THAT.
UM, YES, AND THAT'S WHAT WE'RE EXPLORING.
I THINK WE WOULD, UM, ONCE WE'RE READY TO, TO FORMALLY PRESENT THAT TO CITY COUNCIL EXPLORING, UM, SETTING UP A SPECIAL REVENUE FUND, UM, SO THAT THOSE GARBAGE FEES STAY, UH, FOR THAT PURPOSE.
AND YOU HAD ALSO REFERENCED, UM, THAT IF A JUDGMENT BOND IS PASSED, I THINK YOU ALSO MENTIONED THAT, UH, ONE OF THE OPTIONS WOULD BE TO GO BACK TO THE VOTERS FOR, AND THIS MAY NOT BE THE LEGAL TERM, BUT AN EXCEPTION TO THE CURRENT REVENUE CAP, SOMEWHAT OF A PUBLIC SAFETY EXCEPTION.
UH, MY QUESTION, THIS MAY BE FOR YOU OR LEGAL, IF WE PASS, IF A JUDGMENT BOND IS IMPLEMENTED, UM, BY COURT ORDER, THE ATTORNEY GENERAL AND COUNSEL PASSES THAT THERE'S A GAP IN TIME UNTIL WHICH SOMETHING COULD BE PLACED ON A BALLOT FOR THE VOTERS TO, UH, VOTE ON.
HOW DO YOU ASSURE, I MEAN, THE VOTERS COULD DECIDE NOT TO FUND IT, SO A REVENUE CAP.
SO HOW, WHAT WOULD HAPPEN IN THAT CONTEXT AND HOW DO WE, UM, ACCOUNT FOR THAT GAP IN TIME WHEN WE'RE APPROVING AND AUTHORIZING A JUDGMENT BOND AND POTENTIALLY ADDITIONAL FEES WITH THROUGH THE CBA AND WHETHER OR NOT, UH, THE VOTERS AUTHORIZE US TO ACTUALLY UTILIZE ADDITIONAL DOLLARS THAT THEY'RE PAYING INTO? UM, I THINK IF THE CITY ATTORNEY, COULD YOU ADDRESS THE, THE TIMING OF THE ELECTION? UM, I THINK THAT, UH, THE PAYING THE, WHAT THE JUDGMENT BOND IS PAYING FOR IS PAST YEARS.
YOU WILL BE PAYING IT THROUGH DEBT.
THE FINANCE, UH, DIRECTOR, I THINK HAS DETERMINED THAT ANTICIPATES WE HAVE SUFFICIENT FUNDS TO PAY TO MAKE THE DEBT SERVICE PAYMENTS ON THAT, I THINK THE BIGGEST BIGGER CONCERN FOR ADDITIONAL REVENUES COMES WITH NOT THE CBA, THE CBA AND THEN, AND OTHER COSTS THAT THE CITY HAS.
YOU KNOW, THAT THE ONES WE TYPICALLY HAVE, INCLUDING THE OTHER UNION GROUPS.
BUT I THINK THAT'S WHERE THE ISSUE IS NOT WITH WHAT THE JUDGMENT BOND WILL FUND.
SO AGAIN, AND YOU KNOW, MADAM CHAIR, I THINK THIS GOES BACK TO MY INITIAL QUESTION, RIGHT? WE, THERE'S TIMING GAPS.
SO I DON'T FULLY UNDERSTAND HOW WE'RE SUPPOSED TO PASS THIS YEAR'S BUDGET WITH THESE, UH, VERY LARGE, UH, TICKET ITEMS HANGING OVER US, BUT THEN ALSO LOOKING FORWARD AT THE CBA AND WE WANT AN AGREEMENT WITH THE FIREFIGHTERS.
I'M NOT SAYING WE DON'T, UM, IF WE DON'T HAVE THE VOTER'S APPROVAL YET TO FUND PART OF THIS, HOW DOES THAT WORK? SO THAT, THAT'S AN OUTSTANDING QUESTION FOR ME.
UM, AND I, I BELIEVE YOU SAID THIS, BUT WE DO NOT YET HAVE A FULL PICTURE OF WHAT THE COST FOR THE ENTIRE CONTRACT PACKAGE IS, UH, FOR THE FIVE YEARS AS IT PERTAINS TO THE CBA, INCLUDING BASE PAY, INCENTIVE PAY, OTHER SERVICE COSTS IN THE CURRENT PROPOSED FORM.
NO, AND I THINK THAT'S WHERE WE'RE LOOKING AT FOR THE, FOR THE BASE PAY FOR THE FIVE YEARS.
UM, THAT'S REFLECTED, UM, IN THE SLIDES, WHICH THAT WOULD BE ABOUT $36 MILLION IN FY 25 FOR THE 10%.
AND THEN YOU SEE A REFLECTION OF THE FULL 6% OVER THE FIVE YEARS FOR A TOTAL OF 428 MILLION, UM, ON THE SPECIAL PAYS AND THE INCENTIVE PAYS.
THAT'S WHERE WE'RE, UM, YOU KNOW, TARGETING THE, THE $10 MILLION A YEAR, UM, TO ALLOCATE TO PRIORITY ITEMS. GOT IT.
AND, AND I WOULD SAY ALL THIS, YOU KNOW, AND I THINK THE CITY ATTORNEY AND YOU CAN UNDERSTAND, IT'S VERY DIFFICULT FOR US TO BE ASKING QUESTIONS WHEN WE HAVE NOT SEEN A DRAFT OF THE CBA IN ITS CURRENT FORM.
UH, SO ALL OF THIS IS STILL SPECULATION OR GOING OFF OF WHAT WE'VE HEARD OR SEEN IN, UH, CIRCULATING DRAFT COPIES.
YOU MENTIONED THE 10% PAY RAISE, UH, IN THE FIRST YEAR.
I THINK THAT WOULD GO INTO EFFECT WITHIN 60 DAYS OF RATIFICATION OF THE AGREEMENT.
UM, THERE'S A LOT OF, UH, EMPLOYEES IN THE DEPARTMENT, UH, WHO QUALIFY FOR RETIREMENT RIGHT NOW.
THEY HAVE EARNED, UH, PAY, SORRY, VACATION HOURS.
AND WHEN YOU RETIRE, YOU HAVE A BANK OF TIME THAT YOU CAN,
[00:45:01]
UM, BE REIMBURSED FOR IF, LET'S SAY THE SIX, YOU WAIT 60 DAYS AND THAT 10% HITS.UH, I DON'T KNOW IF THIS IS CITY POLICY, BUT MY QUESTION IS HOW IS THAT, UH, VACATION TIME AND SIXTH TIME THAT WOULD BE REIMBURSED UPON LEAVING THE CITY? UM, HOW IS THAT CALCULATED? IS IT BASED ON PREVIOUS, UH, PAY LEVELS OR DOES IT ALL GO INTO WHATEVER THAT 10% IS? DOES THAT MAKE SENSE? IT DOES MAKE SENSE.
LET ME FOLLOW UP AND GET BACK TO YOU TO MAKE SURE I'M NOT OKAY.
AND, AND AGAIN, THE QUESTION, IT'S NOT WHETHER THAT'S RIGHT OR WRONG, IT'S JUST WHAT IS THAT COST, RIGHT? UH, ARE THERE OTHER MEMBERS IN QUEUE? THIS COUNCIL MEMBER FLICKING CHAIR, GO AHEAD.
UM, I'M, I'M GONNA SKIP OVER EDUCATION AND TUITION REIMBURSEMENT.
I ASKED THAT LAST TIME, BUT I BELIEVE YOU JUST MENTIONED THAT WAS STILL BEING DISCUSSED.
UM, AS IT RELATES TO ASSOCIATION BUSINESS LEAVE, UM, MY UNDERSTANDING IN MARTY, I'M SURE YOU CAN CHIME IN ON THIS AS WELL, AND HAVE NO DOUBT YOU WILL, UH, MEMBERS OF THE ASSOCIATION DONATE TIME UP TO TWO HOURS, I BELIEVE, AND YOU CAN CORRECT ME IF THAT'S INCORRECT.
MARTY, UM, TO PERSONNEL FOR UNION BUSINESS, UH, THE ASSOCIATION SPECIAL ASSIGNMENT THAT'S IN THE AGREEMENT, IS THAT WHERE THAT TIME WOULD BE DEDUCTED FROM? IS THAT SPECIFIED IN THE CONTRACT? SO THE ASSOCIATION BUSINESS LEAVE FOR THE FIVE DIFFERENT INDIVIDUALS, UH, UNION DIRECTOR, UNION PRESIDENT, THIRD MEMBER AS NEEDED IN AN HONOR GUARD, AND I THINK ALSO PENSION SHARE.
WOULD THEY BE PULLING TIME FROM THAT POOL THAT IS DONATED? I AND IS THAT SPECIFIED IN THE AGREEMENT? OKAY.
ATTORNEY MICHELLE, CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG, BUT I THINK THAT'S ONE OF THE ITEMS THAT WE'RE STILL NEGOTIATING ON.
ALRIGHT, THEN I, I'LL SKIP OVER THAT.
'CAUSE AGAIN, I THINK THE ADDITIONAL COST WITH THAT IS THE, NOT THE POOL WITHDRAWAL, BUT THEN WE HAVE TO SUPPLEMENT ADDITIONAL STAFF FOR THOSE REPLACEMENTS.
AND I'M NOT CLEAR WHAT THOSE HOURS ARE, IF THERE'S A CAP ON THAT.
UM, HAS THERE BEEN ANY, UH, CHANGE TO OVERTIME? IF YOU GET, I BELIEVE IT'S ONE HOUR OF OVERTIME, YOU ACTUALLY GET A MINIMUM OF FOUR HOURS OVERTIME.
I I THINK THAT MAY BE TRUE IN MOST SITUATIONS.
SO AGAIN, I'M JUST TRYING TO POINT OUT ALL WHAT THE COSTS OF THIS ARE.
UM, MINIMUM STAFFING FOR EMS. MM-HMM
THIS IS ON THE TWO PARAMEDICS PER AMBULANCE? YES.
AND MY CONCERN THERE, UM, FOR COUNCIL MEMBERS THAT MAY NOT KNOW, UH, WITH EMS, AND AGAIN, MARTY, YOU'LL PROBABLY SPEAK TO THIS ALREADY.
I KNOW, I SEE YOU CHUCKLING OVER THERE.
UM, YOU HAVE ADVANCE AND BASIC AND ADVANCE IS DEFINED UNDER STATE LAW AS TWO, UH, I BELIEVE IT'S ONE PARAMEDIC AND ONE EMT BASIC.
AND IN THE CURRENT PROPOSAL, UH, IT ACTUALLY ELEVATES THAT STANDARD.
UH, I THINK, BUT AGAIN, I DON'T HAVE A COPY TO TWO PARAMEDICS.
IF YOU DON'T HAVE THEN TWO PARAMEDICS WRITING IN ADVANCE IN TERMS OF STAFFING, LET'S SAY YOU DON'T HAVE TWO PARAMEDICS, YOU END UP WITH ONE PARAMEDIC AND ONE EMT, IT ACTUALLY GETS KNOCKED DOWN POTENTIALLY.
AND CITY LEGAL MAY DETERMINE THAT THIS IS NOT ACCURATE.
MY QUESTION IS, IF YOU END UP NOT HAVING TWO PARAMEDICS, YOU END UP WITH ONE PARAMEDIC AND ONE EMT BASIC BECAUSE THAT'S OUTSIDE OF THE SCOPE OF WHAT ADVANCE WOULD BE CONSIDERED IN THE AGREEMENT, WOULD THEN YOU BE REQUIRED TO ONLY BE ABLE TO PROVIDE BASIC SERVICE SERVICES WITH THAT AMBULANCE.
AND I ASK, BECAUSE BASIC, YOU CAN ONLY DO CERTAIN THINGS.
YOU CAN'T NECESSARILY DO EVERYTHING THAT AN ADVANCED LIFE SERVICES AMBULANCE CAN DO, UH, INCLUDING RESPONDING TO A STROKE OR DRUG ADMINISTRATION.
SO WE'RE LIMITING OR REDUCING THE ABILITY TO CARRY OUT CERTAIN SERVICES AT A TIME WHEN WE DON'T HAVE ENOUGH TO BEGIN WITH.
SO I'D LIKE A LEGAL DETERMINATION AS TO WHETHER OR NOT WE'RE LEGALLY CONSTRAINED BY THAT.
I THINK WHAT YOU'RE DESCRIBING IS ALSO THE CURRENT PHENOMENON OF WHAT HAPPENS.
UH, AND SOMETIMES YOU HAVE TO TAKE APPARATUS OUT IN ORDER TO STAFF IT ACCORDING TO THE WAY YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO, BUT THAT IS STILL ONE OF THE THINGS WE'RE WORKING THROUGH RIGHT NOW.
SORRY, CAN YOU SAY THAT LAST PART? UH, THAT IS, WE'RE STILL WORKING
[00:50:01]
THROUGH THAT, BUT, UH, WHAT I SAID BEFORE THAT, AND THIS MAY BE WHAT YOU REFERENCED, IS THAT THAT'S A PHENOMENON THAT EXISTS NOW AND IT SOMETIMES IT REQUIRES THE DEPARTMENT TO TAKE, UH, APPARATUS OUT OF CIRCULATION IN ORDER TO STAFF IT PROPERLY.AND I JUST, AGAIN, IF WE'RE CREATING A HIGHER CONSTRAINT ON THAT AND WE'RE ALREADY HAVING CHALLENGES, I DON'T WANNA CONSTRAIN THE CITY'S HANDS FURTHER IN GETTING PEOPLE LIFESAVING SERVICES.
I DON'T THINK THE DEPARTMENT WANTS THAT.
I DON'T THINK EMPLOYEES WANT THAT.
I DON'T THINK ANYONE WANTS THAT.
BUT I'M, I'M LOOKING AT WHAT THE UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCE OF SOMETHING MAY BE.
UH, AND I'LL DEFER TO, I'LL YIELD MY TIME TO COUNCIL MEMBER FLICKINGER AND GO BACK IN QUEUE.
JUST A COUPLE QUICK QUESTIONS.
UH, LEGAL SPOKE TO THE INCREASED REVENUE, INCREASED ADDITIONAL INCREASES IN PAY.
DO WE HAVE ANY SPECIFICS ABOUT THAT WHATSOEVER? UH, WITH REGARD TO THE INCREASED REVENUE? YES.
WHAT, WHAT CONSTITUTES INCREASED REVENUE TO QUALIFY FOR THE INCREASED OR THE ADDITIONAL INCREASES? UH, THAT'S WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO CLARIFY.
I, I BELIEVE IT NEEDS TO TAKE INTO ACCOUNT, UH, OTHER NEEDS OF THE CITY.
SO IN OTHER WORDS, IF WE HAVE $1 MORE OF REVENUE, UH, THAT OBVIOUSLY WOULD BE INSUFFICIENT TO FUND ANY RAISES.
SO WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO CLARIFY, TAKE INTO ACCOUNT THE OTHER OBLIGATIONS THAT THE, THAT THE CITY FACES, SO THAT THERE IS, UM, THAT THERE WOULD TRULY BE A ADDITIONAL REVENUES TO FUND THE ADDITIONAL COST OF THE, UM, THREE, THREE OR, OR TWO TWO, DEPENDING ON THE YEARS FROM YOUR STATEMENT, IT SOUNDS LIKE ADDITIONAL APPRAISAL VALUES UP TO A CERTAIN DOLLAR AMOUNT WOULD INITIATE THE ADDITIONAL PAY INCREASES.
WELL, UM, I, I THINK THE DIFFICULTY WITH, WITH, UH, APPRAISAL VALUES IS THAT WE'RE SUBJECT TO REVENUE CAPS.
AND SO, UH, WE REALLY HAVE TO LOOK AT WHAT THE REVENUE THAT WE CAN ACTUALLY, THAT COMES IN AND WE CAN COLLECT.
UM, I GUESS THIS IS MORE OF A FINANCE QUESTION.
A 1% INCREASE IN PAY TO THE FIREFIGHTERS.
WHAT DOES THAT EQUATE TO ON AN ANNUAL BUDGET? UH, A 1% PAY WOULD BE ABOUT 3.6 MILLION.
THE CHAIR CAME IN, YOU'LL ALLOW ME ON THIS, ON THIS INCENTIVES AND SPECIAL PAYS PAGE CAPPED AT $10 MILLION INCREASE IS, ARE ALL OF THESE, THESE NEW PAYS, IS THAT INCLUDED IN THE 10 MILLION OR THOSE ADDITIONAL OR, SO THE, I'M TRYING TO UNDERSTAND WHERE THE CAP OF 10 MILLION APPLIES MM-HMM
THE, THE PARAMEDIC ASSIGNMENT PAY IS AN EXISTING PAY.
UM, WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT IS WHAT LEVEL, UH, CAN WE REASONABLY AFFORD TO INCREASE FROM THE EXISTING LEVEL.
UM, AND THEN THE EDUCATION IS A NEW INCENTIVE PAY, UH, THAT'S NOT CURRENTLY GIVEN TO FIREFIGHTERS.
UH, AND THE ARSON INVESTIGATOR INCENTIVE PAY, UM, AGAIN, THIS IS A, I BELIEVE THIS IS A NEW PAY AS WELL, BUT THAT, SO WHAT'S THE 10 MILLION, WHAT'S CAP? THE 10 MILLION IS OUR GOAL TO CAP SPECIAL PAYS AND INCENTIVE PAYS AT ALL OF THEM? YES.
ALL, WHAT'S THE TOTAL AMOUNT OF THAT NOW? THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE'RE STILL COSTING THROUGH THE CBA, UM, YOU KNOW, IN THE DRAFT CBA, THERE'S, THERE'S A LOT OF SPECIAL PAYS, INCENTIVE PAYS, MINIMUM ASSIGNMENT, UH, MINIMUM STAFFING PAYS LIKE THE CITY ATTORNEY MENTIONED.
UM, AND THAT'S, THAT'S BEING NEGOTIATED CURRENTLY.
I'M JUST GOING TO CHECK ON A FEW THINGS THAT WEREN'T INCLUDED IN WHAT'S BEING LOOKED AT, IF THAT'S ALL RIGHT.
UM, AS IT RELATES TO THE 180 DAY RULE, THE ABILITY OF SOMEBODY THAT COMMITS, UH, SOMETHING AS EGREGIOUS AS SEXUAL ASSAULT OR HARASSMENT, UH, TO RUN OUT THE CLOCK WITHIN THE DEPARTMENT, IS THE 180 DAY RULE BEING RECONSIDERED? UH, NO.
IT, IT REALLY WASN'T, UH, PART OF THE NEGOTIATIONS.
AND, BUT THERE'S STILL A CLAUSE THAT WOULD PRECLUDE THE CITY FROM GOING TO THE STATE TO ADVOCATE FOR A CHANGE TO THAT RULE? THAT THAT'S CORRECT.
AND THE CURRENT AGREEMENT STILL CONTAINS AN EVERGREEN CLAUSE? YES.
UM, AND COUNCIL MEMBER, IF I MAY ADD, I'VE BEEN ABLE TO CONFIRM THAT IT IS A MINIMUM OF FOUR HOURS IT, ONCE A FIREFIGHTER GETS INTO THE OVERTIME SITUATION.
AND I THINK THAT THERE'S, IT, IT WOULD BE HELPFUL FOR US TO UNDERSTAND THERE'S A LOT OF DIFFERENT WAYS IN WHICH OVERTIME CAN KICK IN, INCLUDING, FOR EXAMPLE, I GO BACK TO EMS, UH, YOU HAVE TO START FILLING
[00:55:01]
INTO OVERTIME WHEN YOU HAVE SPECIFIC PARAMETERS FOR WHICH YOU NEED TO FILL.SO THEN YOU GET EVEN MORE OVERTIME COSTS POTENTIALLY ON TOP OF THAT.
SO IT'D BE HELPFUL TO GET A BIG PICTURE OF THAT, UH, INVESTIGATIONS INTO VIOLATIONS.
UH, AND I, AND WE'RE NOT, LOOK, THIS ISN'T, UH, WHEN THERE'S AN INFRACTION, IT'S NOT A GRAND JURY OR A CRIMINAL INVESTIGATION, BUT I DO WANT TO ASK THE CITY ATTORNEY.
'CAUSE AS AN, AS A LAWYER MYSELF, THAT'S WHAT I CAN RELATE TO.
WITNESSES IN A CRIMINAL INVESTIGATION, UH, THAT HAVE POTENTIALLY RELEVANT INFORMATION ABOUT A CASE ARE PRESERVED.
UH, AND A GRAND JURY, FOR EXAMPLE, UH, ALL YOU KNOW, AS A WITNESS WHEN YOU GO INTO THE ROOM IS THAT YOU'RE BEING INVITED TO TESTIFY.
UH, THE PROCESS IS ABOUT GATHERING FACTS, UH, NOT REBUTTING ANY ALLEGATIONS.
AND IN TRIAL, AS YOU KNOW, IF YOU INVOKE THE RULE AND ASK A JUDGE, THE WITNESS WOULD NOT BE PRESENT WHEN OTHERS TESTIFY.
AND AGAIN, I'M NOT SAYING WE'RE AT THE LEVEL OF A GRAND JURY, BUT WHEN IT COMES TO PRELIMINARY INVESTIGATIONS WITHIN THE DEPARTMENT, IS THERE NOW A REQUIREMENT THAT A POTENTIAL WITNESS IS GIVEN A COPY OF ANY COMPLAINT PRIOR TO THEIR INTERVIEW WITH THE DEPARTMENT? YES.
ARE WE CONCERNED ABOUT, UH, I'M NOT SAYING THAT A WITNESS WOULD INTENTIONALLY DO THIS, BUT WHETHER INTENTIONAL OR NOT, IS THERE ANY POSSIBILITY THAT THIS WOULD PREJUDICE A WITNESS? UH, YOU KNOW, I THINK IT'S POSSIBLE, BUT I THINK THAT'S BEEN THE STATUS QUO FOR A WHILE.
SO THAT'S CURRENTLY THE STATUS QUO, THAT'S BEING MM-HMM
IF YOU COULD VERIFY THAT THAT IS CURRENTLY THE PRACTICE, I WOULD VERY MUCH APPRECIATE THAT.
UM, REGARDING THE JOINT LABOR MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE, IS THERE STILL AUTHORITY BY THE JLM TO ALTER OR CHANGE CERTAIN CLAUSES IN THE AGREEMENT? AFTER THE AGREEMENT IS APPROVED BY COUNSEL, UH, THE CURRENT DRAFT, THAT'S TRUE OF THE CURRENT DRAFT.
AND DOES THE JLM STILL HAVE EXCLUSIVE AUTHORITY OR DO THEY HAVE EXCLUSIVE AUTHORITY TO SELECT THE 12 INDEPENDENT HEARING EXAMINERS? THAT'S HOW THE CURRENT DRAFT READS.
AND THEY HAVE THE AUTHORITY TO SET UP A RULEMAKING COMMITTEE FOR THE INDEPENDENT HEARING EXAMINERS.
AND THAT RULEMAKING COMMITTEE WOULD BE STILL THREE FIREFIGHTERS TO REPRESENT THE CITY AND THREE FIREFIGHTERS TO REPRESENT THE ASSOCIATION THAT IS ABLE TO THEN CRAFT THE RULES THAT THE INDEPENDENT HEARING EXAMINERS FOLLOW? YES.
HAVE THE, ARE THE ISSUES OR THE DISCREPANCIES WITH THE CIVIL SERVICE COMMISSION AND HOW THAT WOULD WORK WITH POLICE REPRESENTATION, ARE THOSE BEING LOOKED AT? I THINK THEY WILL BE LOOKED AT IN THE UPCOMING NEGOTIATIONS.
UM, THEY, I BELIEVE THERE'S A SUSPENSION CA IF THERE'S A SUSPENSION CASE AND A FIREFIGHTER BEING SUSPENDED, UH, HAS A CASE BEFORE THE COMMI CIVIL SERVICE COMMISSION, UH, IS THERE A CLAUSE WHERE THEY CAN REQUEST OR DELAY 30 TH 30 DAYS BY A FIREFIGHTER, WHICH SOUNDS REASONABLE TO ME CURRENTLY, YES.
IN THE DRAFT, IS THAT SAME DISCRETION A REQUEST FOR 30 DAYS DELAY BEING GIVEN TO THE CITY? YOU MEAN MUNICIPAL EMPLOYEES OR NO, SORRY.
IT, SO IN A CASE WHERE THE CITY MAY BE, UH, A FIREFIGHTER IS CHALLENGING A SUSPENSION, THEY'RE APPEALING THAT SUSPENSION AND THE CITY OR THE DEPARTMENT HAS TO RESPOND.
I DON'T BELIEVE, I DON'T BELIEVE SO.
I UNDERSTAND THE QUESTION NOW.
SO IT, THERE IS NO 30 DAY REQUEST FOR DELAY, EVEN IF, FOR EXAMPLE, A WITNESS ISN'T AVAILABLE OR AN ATTORNEY IS NOT AVAILABLE, THE THAT'S CORRECT.
IT'S NOT UNCOMMON THAT THE PERSON BEING A ACCUSED OR SUFFERING THE DISCIPLINE HAS ADDITIONAL ADVANTAGES IN ANY SORT OF CONTESTED MATTER.
AND THE ONLY REASON I ASK, AND COUNCILOR CHAIR ALCORN, WE'VE DEALT WITH THIS, UH, IN OTHER MATTERS WHERE, YOU KNOW, TAKE THAT ACTOR BARS, RIGHT? AND WE, WE HAVE ISSUES WITH PEOPLE SHOWING UP AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
UH, SO AGAIN, JUST ASKING GENERALLY ABOUT THAT, THE COST OF DISCIPLINARY APPEALS.
UH, DIRECTOR DEBOWSKI, IS THERE ANY LANGUAGE THAT REQUIRES A LOSING PARTY TO PAY FOR ALL ARBITRATION FEES? I'LL HAVE TO REFER TO THE CITY ATTORNEY.
UH, IT IS UP TO THE, UH, ARBITRATION PANEL TO MAKE THAT DETERMINATION.
SO THERE IS NO LANGUAGE THAT REQUIRES AUTOMATICALLY THE LOSING PARTY TO PAY, UH, THAT'S IN THE CURRENT DRAFT, BUT THAT'S,
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YOU KNOW, ULTIMATELY TO BE DETERMINED.UH, DIRECTOR DEBOWSKI ON THIS WEEK'S AGENDA, ITEM 19.
SPECIFICALLY, WE HAVE CONSIDERATION OF A PROFESSIONAL MANAGEMENT CONSULTING SERVICES CONTRACT WITH BURNS AND MCDONALD.
ARE YOU FAMILIAR WITH THAT ITEM AT ALL? YES.
UH, I'D LIKE TO ASK YOU JUST A COUPLE QUESTIONS ABOUT IT.
SO GENERALLY, UM, THE IDEA IS THIS COMPANY WILL PROVIDE CONSULTING SERVICES AND LOOK AT, UH, UH, RATE STRUCTURE AND LOOK AT WAYS TO IMPROVE, UH, SERVICE DELIVERY.
DO YOU KNOW IF THEY WILL CONSIDER, UH, ANY FORM OF PRIVATIZATION OF SOLID WASTE OR GARBAGE PICKUP SERVICES? I WOULD HAVE TO LOOK AT THE DRAFT CONTRACT TO SEE IF THAT'S PART OF IT.
UM, I DON'T RECALL THAT OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD, BUT THIS IS THE ITEM THAT WE ARE, UM, I MENTIONED LAST MONTH THAT WE ARE MOVING FORWARD WITH THE COST OF SERVICE STUDY FEE FOR THE GARBAGE FEE.
SO THIS IS THE, UM, CONTRACTOR THAT'S GONNA HELP US WITH THAT.
SO LET ME, LET ME CONFIRM ON THE OUTSOURCING.
I KNOW THAT ONE THING WE'VE TALKED ABOUT, UM, AT LEAST IN THE SHORT TERM, UH, IS TO HELP WITH OUTSOURCING TO, UM, I MEAN, WE HAVE HAD CONTINUED IMPROVEMENTS ON COLLECTION TIMES, UM, OVER THE PAST COUPLE OF MONTHS.
UM, THE SOLID WASTE DIRECTOR HAS BEEN ABLE TO ONBOARD MORE STAFF AND HAS A MUCH LOWER, UM, VACANCY RATE NOW.
UM, AND SO YOU SEE THOSE, THOSE TIMES ARE IMPROVING.
BUT ONE THING WE WANNA LOOK AT IS, UM, CAN WE OUTSOURCE PORTIONS, UH, OF THE COLLECTION AT LEAST INITIALLY TO KIND OF HELP US GET OVER THAT HUMP, UM, TO CONTINUE TO MO MOVE THINGS IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION.
AND I DO BELIEVE THAT PIECE IS PART OF IT.
UH, I DON'T KNOW ABOUT A FULL OUTSOURCING.
AND, UM, WHAT ABOUT, UH, THE SP CHANGES TO THE SPONSORSHIP PROGRAM WHERE, WHICH IS BASICALLY, AS I UNDERSTAND IT, A SUBSIDY WHERE IF YOU PAY A PRIVATE COMPANY TO YES.
PICK UP YOUR GARBAGE, UM, AT YOUR RESIDENCE, THEN THE CITY WILL PAY YOU, I THINK IT'S WHAT, $6 NOW? YES.
UM, DO, DO YOU KNOW IF THEY WILL LOOK AT POSSIBLY INCREASING THAT AMOUNT TO ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO, UH, HIRE PRIVATE COMPANIES AND THEREBY, UH, LOWER THE DEMAND ON, ON OUR SOLID WASTE DEPARTMENT? THE SPONSORSHIP REVIEW WILL DEFINITELY BE PART OF THE STUDY.
COUNCIL MEMBER FLICKINGER, OH, SORRY.
A COUPLE WEEKS AGO, WE HAD THE MUNICIPAL EMPLOYEES COME IN AND SAY, WE'RE HEROES TOO.
YOU KNOW, WE GET THE WATER TO THE FIRE DEPARTMENT, YOU KNOW, IT'S NOT JUST THE POLICE AND THE, THE FIRE DEPARTMENT THAT ARE THE HEROES, AND WE'RE LOOKING FOR AN INCREASE IN PAY.
DO YOU THINK THAT IS GOING TO BE A BIT OF A TREND THAT THE REST OF THE CITY EMPLOYEES ARE GONNA LOOK AT THIS AND SAY, HEY, WHERE'S MINE? WHEN WE PREPARE THE, UM, THE FY 25 BUDGET, WE ALSO GIVE A FIVE YEAR FORECAST OF HOW WE SEE THE FIVE YEARS LOOKING LIKE.
AND WE DEFINITELY WILL INCLUDE, UM, ESTIMATES OF WHAT WE THINK SOME OF THOSE FUTURE CONTRACT CONTRACTUAL OBLIGATIONS COULD BE WITH THE EMPLOYEES.
DO YOU THINK THIS SETTLEMENT AND THIS CBA AFFECTS WHAT THEY ASKED FOR? I CAN'T SPEAK TO THEIR MINDSET.
YOU HAD MENTIONED, AND WE HAD TALKED ABOUT THE LEGAL PROCESS PREVIOUSLY, THAT WE HAVE THE CBA AND THE SETTLEMENT AGREEMENT, BOTH CURRENTLY.
UH, I I LOOK AT IT AS TOGETHER, EVEN, EVEN THOUGH THEY'RE SEPARATE ENTITIES.
ARE THOSE BOTH BEING REVIEWED BY THE JUDGE? AND HOW DOES THAT WORK IF WE'RE STILL, UH, WORKING WITH THE ASSOCIATION TO FINE TUNE SOME OF THE FIVE-YEAR CONTRACT AT THE SAME TIME THAT THE BACK PAY SETTLEMENT, UH, IS BEING ADDRESSED? SO ARE THOSE, DO THOSE HAVE TO BE, HOW IS THAT GONNA WORK TIMING WISE? ARE THOSE BOUND TOGETHER WITH THE, THE, THE WAY IT CURRENTLY IS, THEY ARE BOUNDED TOGETHER BY THE SETTLEMENT AGREEMENT.
SO YOU HAVE A, UM, A SETTLEMENT AGREEMENT THAT REALLY ENCOMPASSES EVERYTHING BETWEEN THE PARTIES.
PART OF THAT WOULD BE THE COLLECTIVE BARGAINING AGREEMENT THAT IS REFERENCED IN THE SETTLEMENT AGREEMENT.
AND THE, UH, THE, AND THE SETTLEMENT AGREEMENT ALSO REFERENCES THE JUDGMENT.
YOU KNOW, THEY'RE NOT INHERENTLY COUPLED, BUT THAT'S HOW THEY ARE RIGHT NOW.
SO TIMING WISE, IS Y'ALL ARE STILL CONTINUING TO WORK THINGS OUT.
IS THE SETTLEMENT, UH, FOR BACK PAY PAUSED? LIKE DO THEY, SO, SORRY, I'M NOT BEING CLEAR.
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THROUGH, OR Y'ALL ARE STILL CONTINUING TO WORK THROUGH AND FINE TUNE, ASSESS THE COST RELATED TO THIS, UH, WORKING ON THE THINGS THAT DIRECTOR DEBOWSKI LAID OUT, ET CETERA.BUT THE BACK PAY ITEM, UH, THERE'S NOTHING TO WORK ON AND WE CERTAINLY DON'T WANNA HOLD ANYTHING UP.
SO DO THEY, ARE THEY, DO THEY HAVE TO BE REVIEWED BY THE JUDGE TOGETHER? NO.
AND IS THAT BEING HELD UP, I GUESS IS MY QUESTION? THERE IS NOT JUDICIAL REVIEW, BUT THERE IS STILL, STILL SOME WORK IN, IN FACT, THERE IS CONSIDERABLE WORK WITHIN THE DEPARTMENTS HERE, UH, HR, IT A RA IN ORDER TO BE ABLE TO DISTRIBUTE, UH, MONIES UNDER THAT.
UH, UH, I'M NOT SURE THAT WE HAVE THE COMPLETE, UH, LISTING OF WHICH FIREFIGHTERS GET WHAT FROM THE UNION.
SO THOSE ARE STILL, UH, WE DON'T ANTICIPATE ANY ISSUES WITH THAT, BUT THEY'RE STILL BEING WORKED THROUGH.
AND THEN ULTIMATELY, THE LANGUAGE OF THE FINAL JUDGMENT ITSELF MAY NEED TO BE MODIFIED SOMEWHAT TO ADDRESS ATTORNEY GENERAL CONCERNS, BUT THOSE SEEM TO BE, UM, MOVING IN, IN ORDER.
I THINK THAT COMPLETES THESE QUESTIONS.
SO WE'LL MOVE ALONG TO THE AGENDA.
AND NEXT WE HAVE H-P-F-F-A PRESIDENT, UH, MARTY LANGTON TO DELIVER LOCAL THREE 40 ONE'S PRESENTATION ON THE PROPOSED SETTLEMENT AGREEMENT AND COLLECTIVE BARGAINING AGREEMENT.
IT'S GOOD TO HAVE YOU AND YOU'RE NOW RECOGNIZED TO BEGIN WHEN YOU'RE READY.
THANK YOU SO MUCH, MADAM CHAIRS, PLURAL, UH, COUNCIL MEMBERS.
HOPEFULLY WE CAN, UH, UM, BE INFORMATIVE AND HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS YOU ALL HAVE.
OBVIOUSLY, THIS HAS BEEN QUITE A, A LONG ROAD FOR US, SO THE FIREFIGHTERS AND THE FAMILIES ARE VERY APPRECIATIVE OF THE CITY.
ALL THE WORK THAT LEGAL HAS DONE TO GET TO THIS SETTLEMENT, UH, AND, AND TO GET THIS DEAL, UH, COMPLETED.
AND SO, UH, WE, UH, LOOK FORWARD, UH, TO, UH, GETTING THIS, UH, FINAL PIECE IN STAGE GOING.
AND WE'VE PUT TOGETHER A LITTLE PRESENTATION TO MAYBE HELP SOME OF THE COUNCIL MEMBERS THAT, UH, MAYBE WEREN'T HERE, UH, WHEN THIS WHOLE THING STARTED.
UM, AND THEN MAYBE TO UPDATE THOSE THAT WERE, IF THERE WERE ANY QUESTIONS, AND WE'RE HAPPY TO DO IT.
SO IF WE WANT TO GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE, UH, THIS IS PRETTY SELF-EXPLANATORY.
I KNOW THAT, UH, TALKING ABOUT SLIDES AND READING THEM IS, IS NOT ALWAYS THE BEST THING IN THE WORLD TO DO SO, BUT THE THREE, UH, CRITICAL KEY OBJECTIVES WHEN IN ORDER FOR US TO HAVE, UH, FINALIZED THE SETTLEMENT WAS WE NEED THE ABILITY TO RECRUIT AND RETAIN QUALIFIED FIREFIGHTERS AND PARAMEDICS.
UH, BECAUSE WITHOUT THE MEN AND WOMEN, YOU DO NOT HAVE A FIRE DEPARTMENT.
AND, UH, WE HAVE TO RESOLVE THE PAST LIABILITY THAT THE CITY, UM, HAS INCURRED AS A RESULT OF THE LITIGATION THROUGH THE FIREFIGHTERS, MUCH AS YOU ALL TALKED ABOUT, UH, IN OTHER CASES TODAY.
AND THEN, UH, TO HAVE A COLLECTIVE BARGAINING AGREEMENT MOVING FORWARD.
AND SO, IN ORDER TO GET THE SETTLEMENT, UH, TO WHICH WE GOT TO, YOU HAD TO HAVE BOTH COMPONENTS.
IF YOU DON'T HAVE A SETTLEMENT, YOU DON'T HAVE A CONTRACT.
IF YOU DON'T HAVE A CONTRACT, YOU DON'T HAVE A SETTLEMENT.
THAT'S HOW YOU GET TO A SETTLEMENT.
UM, AND SO IF YOU GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE, YOU CAN GO TO THE NEXT ONE AFTER THAT.
UH, SOME BACKGROUND ON H-P-F-F-A, UH, WE WERE FOUNDED IN 1932, WE'RE THE SOLE LEGAL BARGAINING AGENT OF THE CLASSIFIED MEMBERS OF THE HOUSTON FIRE DEPARTMENT.
UM, THE MISSION IS VERY SIMPLE.
IT IS TO, UH, ADVOCATE AND TO ENSURE FAIR COMPENSATION, WORKING CONDITIONS, GRIEVANCE RESOLUTION, AND, UH, WHAT A HUGE FOCUS HAS BEEN ON, UH, FOR US, WHICH IS WELLNESS, HEALTH, AND WELLNESS, BOTH PHYSICALLY AND ALSO MENTALLY.
SO, HOW DID WE GET HERE? UM, IN 2003, THE CITY OF HOUSTON, THE VOTERS VOTED, UH, TO GIVE THE RIGHTS FOR HOUSTON FIREFIGHTERS TO FALL UNDER THE STATE STATUTE UNDER CHAPTER 1 74.
UH, THE VOTERS OVERWHELMINGLY PASSED THAT, UH, AND ALSO THE VOTERS IN 2018 OVERWHELMINGLY PASSED.
UH, PROPOSITION B, WHEN THE CITY CHALLENGED, UH, THE 2003 VOTE AND THE STATUTE THAT, UH, THE FIREFIGHTERS FALL UNDER, UH, WHEN WE WENT TO CONTRACT NEGOTIATIONS IN 2017, UH, BY STATUTE, YOU GO FOR 60 DAYS.
AND IF YOU DON'T HAVE AN AGREEMENT, WHETHER YOU LIKE IT, I LIKE IT.
THERE'S A STATUTE THAT CONTROLS IT THAT WE HAVE TO FOLLOW THAT SAYS, UH, IF YOU DON'T HAVE AN AGREEMENT, THEN YOU REQUEST ARBITRATION.
IF YOU, UH, AT THE TIME, UH, THE CITY DID NOT, UH, AGREE TO GO TO ARBITRATION, UH, UNDER THE LAW, WERE LEGALLY REQUIRED TO ENSURE THEIR RIGHTS ARE UPHELD.
THERE'S ONLY ONE OTHER METHOD, AND THAT IS TO, UH, A JUDGE ACT AS AN ARBITER AND TO ENSURE THAT FIREFIGHTERS HAVE A CONTRACT.
UH, SO IN 2018, UH, THE CITY, UH, CHALLENGED THE CONSTITUTIONALITY OF THAT LAW.
UH, THE DISTRICT COURT, UH, RULED AGAINST THE CITY.
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THE CITY APPEALED IT TO THE 14TH COURT OF APPEALS.UH, THE 14TH COURT OF APPEALS, YOU UNANIMOUS RULING, UM, DENIED THE CITY'S REQUEST AND ULTIMATELY WENT UP TO THE TEXAS SUPREME COURT LAST YEAR.
AND TO WHICH IN A UNANIMOUS VOTE, UH, THE SUPREME COURT, UH, DENIED THE CITY'S CONSTITUTIONALITY ARGUMENT.
UM, AND WHAT THAT MEANS, UH, AS A PRACTICAL MATTER, IS THAT, UM, IF YOU DON'T HAVE CERTAIN STANDARDS WITHIN THE LAW, UH, YOU DON'T HAVE RIGHTS.
AND SO, UH, WE'LL GET INTO IT IN THE NEXT SLIDE.
UH, BUT ALSO IN 2023, IN AN EFFORT TO RESOLVE THE ISSUES WITH THE CITY FOR YEARS, UH, WE REQUESTED BINDING ARBITRATION, UM, THE, UM, TEXAS SENATE AND A UNANIMOUS VOTE, AND NEAR UNANIMOUS IN THE HOUSE IN EVERY HARRIS COUNTY.
AND REPRESENTATIVE, UH, VOTED FOR, UH, BINDING ARBITRATION, UH, TO RESOLVE THIS ISSUE.
SO THAT PASSED OVERWHELMINGLY IN THE TEXAS LEGISLATURE.
UH, THE GOVERNOR SIGNED IT, AND, UH, UH, THAT IS CURRENTLY IN EFFECT.
THE CITY'S COURT CHALLENGE WAS BASED ON THREE COMPONENTS, UH, THAT THE CITY HAS SOVEREIGN IMMUNITY, UH, THAT THE PRIVATE SECTOR PAY STANDARD MANDATING 40 HOUR WORK WEEK IS UNCONSTITUTIONAL.
AND THAT THE JUDICIAL REMEDY FOR A CONTRACT IMPASSE WAS UNCONSTITUTIONAL.
UM, AND WHAT IS INHERENT IN THE LAW THAT, UH, I WANNA IMPRESS UPON THE COUNCIL IS THAT WHEN WE TALK ABOUT UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES, THERE'S LOTS OF THINGS WITHIN THE LAW THAT HAVE IMPACT ON THE SERVICE DELIVERY THAT WE HAVE TO THE CITIZENS OF HOUSTON, UM, AND THE OBLIGATIONS THAT THE CITY HAS UNDER THE LAW, UH, TO THE FIREFIGHTERS.
AND ONE OF THE BIGGEST COMPONENTS IS THAT IN THE STATE OF TEXAS, UH, YOU CANNOT STRIKE AS A PUBLIC SAFETY, UH, POLICE OR FIRE.
IF YOU FALL UNDER HPOU DOES NOT FALL UNDER COLLECTIVE BARGAINING, UH, JUST THE FIREFIGHTERS.
UH, WE WOULDN'T EVER WANT TO DO THAT.
THAT'S NOT GOOD FOR PUBLIC SAFETY.
IT'S NOT GOOD FOR THE CITIZENS THAT WE SERVE.
BUT, UM, IN RETURN, THE LAW ENSURES THAT, UH, THE CITY CAN'T OBVIATE ITS RESPONSIBILITY.
AND AS FAR AS WAGES ARE CONCERNED, AND I KNOW THAT WE ALL SHARE HERE AT THE HORSESHOE, THAT, UH, WAGES FOR EMPLOYEES ARE PARAMOUNT NOT ONLY UNDER FEDERAL, BUT STATE, UH, LAW REQUIREMENTS.
SO, UM, IN ORDER TO ENSURE THAT BOTH SIDES HAVE SOME ACCOUNTABILITY, UM, THERE HAS TO BE A REMEDY TO AN IMPASSE.
UH, YOU CAN'T JUST, UH, IGNORE IT.
IT HAS TO BE RESOLVED, AND YOU HAVE TO GO BACK AND APPLY THE STANDARD IN THE STATUTE, UH, IF YOU DON'T HAVE AN AGREEMENT.
UM, ALSO MOST NOTABLE, UH, WHEN WE'RE HAVING DISCUSSIONS ABOUT COST PER HOURS, I WOULD CAUTION COUNCIL MEMBERS, UM, UH, THE, THE STATUTE THAT THE CITY, UH, CHALLENGE THAT WAS CODIFIED AND WAS, UH, RULED UNDER THE TEXAS SUPREME COURT COMPARES US TO 40 HOURS.
SO IF WE WANT TO DO A COST PER HOUR MOVING, ESCALATING, UH, FORWARD, UH, WE WOULD ALSO HAVE TO DO IT, UH, MOVING BACKWARDS.
AND I DON'T THINK THAT WOULD BE, UM, IN THE BEST INTEREST, UH, OF THE CITY IN ITS FISCAL OUTLOOK.
WE'RE TRYING TO BE GOOD PARTNERS COMING TOGETHER AND WORK TOWARDS A SETTLEMENT AND A SOLUTION.
UH, AND SO WHAT YOU SEE IN THIS SLIDE HERE IS THE STATUTE ITSELF WITH THE LANGUAGE, UH, THAT'S REFERENCED STRAIGHT FROM THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT CODE.
UM, IF YOU GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.
UM, AS WE HAVE STATED, UH, AND WE'VE PROVIDED THE INFORMATION HERE, AND IT'S BEEN PUBLIC RECORD, AND I THINK I'VE TESTIFIED AT COUNCIL MANY TIMES OVER THE YEARS, UH, THE, THE PRIVATE SECTOR STANDARD, YOU CANNOT WORK OVER 40 HOURS WITHOUT OVERTIME IN THE PRIVATE SECTOR.
IT DOESN'T MATTER WHAT AREA YOU ARE, WHICH ALSO BRINGS INTO, UH, A WHOLE HOST OF ISSUES WHEN IT COMES TO, UM, AMBULANCES.
AND THE QUESTIONS REGARDING PARAMEDICS THAT ARE NOT ONLY NUANCED, BUT IT WOULD NOT PUT THE CITY IN A GOOD FINANCIAL POSITION, IT WOULD ACTUALLY BE FAR WORSE.
SO, UH, THIS RIGHT HERE, UM, YOU KNOW, PUT THE PRIVATE SECTOR STANDARD FOR HOUSTON FIREFIGHTERS AT 50% UNDERPAID BACK TO 2017.
NOW, IF WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THAT, UH, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT, UM, NOT HYPOTHETICAL, THIS IS EVIDENCE, UH, THAT, UM, WE HAVE, WE HAVE, THE CITY HAS HAD FOR, YOU KNOW, GOING BACK INTO THE LAST ADMINISTRATION.
AS I MENTIONED EARLIER, IF YOU, THE LAW WAS DESIGNED TO HAVE AN EXPEDITIOUS RESOLUTION TO A CONTRACT IMPASSE.
IT WAS NOT DESIGNED TO, UH, TO DO WHAT HAS HAPPENED TO THE HOUSTON FIREFIGHTERS.
AND I JUST WANNA MAKE A POINT TO ALSO SAY THE MEN AND WOMEN ARE WATCHING THIS RIGHT NOW.
AND SO THE QUESTIONS THAT WE INVITE EVERY QUESTION WE'RE OPEN.
WE'VE ALWAYS BEEN TRANSPARENT.
UM, BUT YOU KNOW, MUCH LIKE THE REQUEST WE MADE LAST TIME, UH, TO KEEP IN MIND THAT THE MEN AND WOMEN THAT HAVE BEEN OUT THERE DOING WITHOUT FOR SO LONG ARE HEARING THE, THE THINGS THAT ARE BEING BROUGHT UP.
AND A, A LOT OF THE MESSAGES WE HAVE HEARD HAVE BEEN THE, THE MEMBERS NOW FEEL UNEASY AGAIN, WHICH IS THE WHOLE POINT OF US GETTING A SETTLEMENT AND RESOLUTION.
AND SO THE MEN AND WOMEN AND THEIR FAMILIES, UH, NEED, DESERVE TO KNOW THAT WE, UH, NOT ONLY, UM, ARE HERE, AND THAT
[01:15:01]
THIS, UH, SETTLEMENT TOOK A LONG TIME TO GET TO, AND IT'S DONE THAT WE HAVE TO WORK THROUGH WHATEVER NON-SUBSTANTIVE ISSUES AS IT RELATES TO, UM, UM, CHANGES HERE AND THERE, WHICH ARE ALWAYS DONE UNDER A CONTRACT, ON AN ONGOING BASIS.UM, AND SO THIS SLIDE, UM, SIMPLY REFERENCES WHAT THE SUPREME COURT, UM, RULING WAS, UH, AND ALSO THE PLAIN LANGUAGE AS IT'S APPLIED.
NOW, IF YOU WANTED TO STAY IN COURT AND YOU WANTED TO NOT FIND AND RESOLVE A SETTLEMENT, UM, ONE OF THE BIGGEST COMPONENTS WAS ALSO THE CITY WOULD THEN HAVE TO BE ON THE HOOK FOR RENEGOTIATING, UH, FUTURE WAGES AFTER 17.
AND IF YOU WERE JUST TO TAKE A COST OF LIVING ADJUSTMENT, FOR INSTANCE, IN 18, 19, 20, 21, UH, THROUGH 23, UH, IT WOULD BE A SIGNIFICANT COST INCREASE FOR THE CITY.
AND SO, WHAT THE FIREFIGHTERS HAVE SHOWN TO WORK WITH THE CITY IS TO GET FINALITY TO THIS, AS THE CITY ATTORNEY HAS STATED.
UM, UH, IT, THERE CAN ALWAYS BE, UH, HIGHS AND LOWS NO MATTER HOW YOU LOOK AT IT, BUT AT THE END OF THE DAY, UM, WHAT THAT I'LL GET INTO IN, IN THE NEXT FEW SLIDES IS, YOU KNOW, WHEN THIS, IF YOU DON'T RESOLVE AN ISSUE, UH, THROUGH A SETTLEMENT, UM, THE LEGISLATIVE BODY, UH, NOW HAS ABATED.
ITS, ITS ITS ROLE AND IT'S NOW IN THE JUDICIARY.
UH, AND SO THE FINALITY IN THE SETTLEMENT HAS TO HAPPEN.
IT WAS EITHER GONNA HAPPEN ONE OF TWO WAYS.
YOU WERE GONNA SIT DOWN AND WORK THROUGH IT AND NEGOTIATE, WHICH IS WHAT WE DID EVERY DAY, UH, WITH THE CITY ATTORNEY, WITH LEGAL, WITH ALL OF OUR TEAM MEMBERS.
AND I DO WANT TO, UH, RECOGNIZE OUR EXECUTIVE BOARD STAFF.
SOME OF THEM ARE HERE IN THE AUDIENCE, UM, AND THEY FEEL THE PHONE CALLS FROM THE MEN AND WOMEN ON A DAILY BASIS, UM, AND THEIR LEADERSHIP AND HARD WORK REFLECTS THE DIVERSITY OF THE CITY, BUT ALSO, UH, THE COMMITMENT FOR WHAT FIREFIGHTERS STAND FOR AND WHAT WE WILL CONTINUE TO WORK WITH THE CITY TO, TO MOVE FORWARD.
SO THIS IS, UH, NOT JUST ANECDOTAL, IT'S JUST MEANT TO SHED SOME LIGHT BECAUSE WE CAN, WE CAN TALK ABOUT CERTAIN ANGLES, CERTAIN THINGS, BUT, UH, I THINK WHEN WE TALK ABOUT FULL PICTURES, UH, WE WANT TO, UH, ALSO RECOGNIZE WHAT THE FIREFIGHTERS HAVE DONE TO BRING TO THE TABLE, TO THE CITY.
AND IN FOUR YEARS TIME, UH, THE, THE HOUSTON FIRE DEPARTMENT THROUGH, UM, A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT SERVICES HAVE BROUGHT IN, UH, $420 MILLION, UH, TO THE CITY'S GENERAL FUND.
SO WE ALL, WE WANNA RECOGNIZE WHAT THE MEN AND WOMEN ARE DOING.
WE WANNA LOOK AT THINGS FROM A HOLISTIC WAY, BUT ALSO IN A WAY THAT WE CAN MOVE FORWARD.
YOU KNOW, WHAT IS THIS MEANT FOR THE HOUSTON FIRE DEPARTMENT, FOR YOUR HOUSTON FIRE DEPARTMENT, CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS THAT REPRESENT IN THAT, UH, THE LEADERS HERE IN THE CITY FOR THE MEN AND WOMEN? UM, DEPLETED STAFFING IS NOT JUST, UM, A POLITICAL TALKING POINT.
IT IS A REALITY THE HOUSTON FIRE DEPARTMENT HAS LIVED UNDER FOR YEARS, WHERE WE HAVE NEVER EXPERIENCED THAT IN THE HISTORY OF THE HOUSTON FIRE DEPARTMENT.
UH, WE ARE DOWN 500 FIREFIGHTERS FROM WHERE WE'RE IN 2010.
SO WE HEAR A LOT ABOUT, UM, YOU KNOW, POLICE, AND WE TALK ABOUT THEIR, UH, LACK OF STAFFING, AND WE'VE HAD A NUMBER OF DIALOGUES AND CONVERSATION, OF COURSE.
AND THANK YOU ALL FOR THE COUNCIL MEMBERS, UH, FOR YOUR SUPPORT.
WE CAN'T RUN AND OPERATE THE THIRD LARGEST MUNICIPAL FIRE DEPARTMENT WITH 500 FEWER FIREFIGHTERS, UH, THAN IN 2010 RUNNING NEARLY DOUBLE THE AMOUNT OF CALLS.
THAT MEANS THE SERVICE DELIVERY TO THE CITIZENS OF HOUSTON THAT REQUIRE AND DIAL 9 1 1.
THAT MEANS THAT RESPONSE TIMES GO UP.
SO WHEN WE TALK ABOUT METRICS FOR WHAT, HOW DO YOU MEASURE, UM, UH, WHAT EFFICIENCY IS FIRE DEPARTMENT, UM, YOU MEASURE THAT BY EVERY NATIONAL STANDARD, UM, BY THE RESPONSE TIMES THAT IT CAN PROVIDE IN A 650 SQUARE MILE CITY.
BUT ALSO, UH, THE AMOUNT OF CALLS, THE TYPES OF CALLS THAT WE GO ON.
UM, AND I'LL GET INTO, UH, A FEW OTHER THINGS, UM, IN, IN JUST A FEW MINUTES AND TRY TO BE BRIEF.
BUT, YOU KNOW, NOT HAVING AN EMS, UH, WITHIN YOUR DEPARTMENT DOES NOT, DOES NOT HELP THE CITY'S POSITION.
UM, BECAUSE IF YOU DON'T HAVE RUN YOUR EMS, THAT MEANS ANOTHER AGENCY IS PAYING FOR IT.
UH, IT MEANS THE CITY'S PAYING EVEN MORE MONEY THAN WHAT THEY'RE PAYING THE FIRE DEPARTMENT.
SO THE CITY OF HOUSTON'S GETTING THE BEST VALUE, BUT ALSO GETTING THE BEST QUALIFIED PEOPLE, UM, UH, FIREFIGHTERS THAT ARE, UH, SERVING THE CITIZENS OF HOUSTON.
AND SO THOSE ARE THE THINGS THAT, YOU KNOW, WE'RE ALWAYS OPEN TO HAVE THESE DIALOGUES, BUT THINGS THAT, UH, THE THE INDIVIDUAL ISSUES, UM, HAVE CONSEQUENCES.
EITHER WAY, YOU LOOK AT IT AND, YOU KNOW, WE'RE ALWAYS OPEN FOR, UH, A CONSTRUCTIVE OPEN DIALOGUE.
UM, WE HAVE TRACKED OVER THE YEARS, UH, THE AMOUNT OF FIREFIGHTERS THAT HAVE COME IN, BEEN TRAINED BY THE CITY, UH, AND HAVE LEFT, WHY, UH, FOR ALL THE REASONS THAT, UH, THOSE THAT WERE HERE BEFORE, UH, HAD TO LIVE THROUGH.
UH, YOU CANNOT RUN A FIRE DEPARTMENT WHEN, UH, THEY'RE, UH, BEING TREATED THE WAY THAT THEY WERE.
UM, WE HAD, BASED ON OUR ANALYSIS, UH, OVER 800 FIREFIGHTERS THAT WERE HIRED AND LEFT, I'M NOT TALKING ABOUT PEOPLE THAT RETIRED.
[01:20:01]
I'M TALKING ABOUT PEOPLE THAT DIDN'T HAVE, UH, DIDN'T HAVE THE ELIGIBILITY TO RETIRE.AND THAT WAS DUE TO THE CONDITIONS OF THE HOUSTON FIRE DEPARTMENT.
UH, THE MORALE, UH, WAS AT AN ALL TIME LOW.
AND THEY'VE CONTINUED TO BE WORKED THROUGH PANDEMICS, NATURAL DISASTERS, AND SO MANY DIFFERENT THINGS, AND THEY'VE SHOWN UP EVERY DAY, AND WE CAN'T KEEP LEAVING THEM BEHIND AND CREATING AN ALTERNATIVE NARRATIVE.
UM, EVERY TIME THAT, UH, THE MEN AND WOMEN THAT HAVE SHOWN, UH, AND HAVE, HAVE GONE THROUGH EVERYTHING IN ORDER TO GET THERE, UH, WE HAVE TO SHOW THEM THE, THE SUPPORT THAT THEY DESERVE.
SO THERE IS REAL COST ANALYSIS THAT HAVE, UH, COST THE CITY.
AND IF YOU HAVE A SAF FIRE DEPARTMENT, YOU WILL NOT BE PAYING OVERTIME.
AND THE REASON WHY WE'RE PAYING OVERTIME RIGHT NOW IS BECAUSE THE CITY HAS LOST 500 FIREFIGHTERS.
IF YOU CAN'T RECRUIT AND RETAIN FIREFIGHTERS, YOU'RE GONNA CONTINUE TO SLIDE THE SCALE EVEN FURTHER DOWN.
AND THIS IS A SHIP THAT IS, UH, WAS ON THE VERGE OF SINKING, AND THAT'S A REALITY.
SO WE TALK ABOUT, UH, LIFE SAFETY IN SECONDS, GETTING TO THE CITIZENS WHEN EITHER THEY'RE IN A FIRE, UH, THEY'RE A CAR WRECK, UH, PIN IN A RESCUE, UM, UH, STROKES, THAT'S WHAT YOUR HOUSTON FIRE DEPARTMENT PROVIDES CITIZENS OF HOUSTON, THEY ARE THE BEST.
THEY'RE NATIONALLY RECOGNIZED AND KNOWN AS SOME OF THE BEST, NOT ONLY IN THE NATION, BUT I WOULD ARGUE IN THE WORLD.
BUT YOU CAN'T UNDER RESOURCE THEM AND EXPECT THEM TO CONTINUE TO DO WHAT THEY'RE DOING.
SO WITH THAT BEING SAID, UM, THE NEXT SLIDE, UH, THIS IS JUST AN INDICATION OF, UH, THE RESPONSE TIMES THAT THEY'VE STEADILY GONE UP, UH, NOT BEEN POSTED.
WE HAVE WORKED WITH, UH, FIELDED NUMBER OF REQUESTS FROM REPORTERS WHERE WE HAVE BEEN VERY OPEN, UM, AND THEY HAVE SEEN SOME OF THE RESPONSE TIMES.
AND IF YOU SEE A RESPONSE TIMES TICKING UP THAT MUCH, IT SHOULD BE ALARMING.
UH, THAT IS SOMETHING THAT ANY CITY SHOULD BE, UH, CONCERNED WITH.
AND THAT'S A REAL CONCERN FOR US.
WHEN WE SAY WE'RE HAVING FIRE TRUCKS AND AMBULANCES BEING DISPATCHED FROM, SAY, 45 SOUTH ALL THE WAY TO NORTHWEST HOUSTON.
IN FACT, IT'S HAPPENING ON A DAILY BASIS.
AND THAT IS A REAL CONCERN BECAUSE IF WE CAN'T GET TO, UH, THE CITIZENS, UH, YOUR ABILITY IN WHICH TO HAVE SURVIVABILITY GOES CONSIDERABLY DOWN.
THAT'S WHY WE SAY SECOND SPATTER.
JUST ANOTHER, UH, EXAMPLE OF THESE ARE THE AMOUNT OF FIREFIGHTERS WE SHOULD HAVE HIRED OVER THE YEARS THAT WE DID NOT, WE COULDN'T GET ENOUGH QUALIFIED APPLICANTS NOW, AND THIS IS HOW MANY ACTUALLY GRADUATED.
NOW, THIS DOES NOT FACTOR IN THE NUMBER THAT I TOLD YOU.
WE CAN COUNT FOR THE PEOPLE THAT GRADUATED, BUT WE ARE NOT ACCOUNTING FOR THE PEOPLE THAT LEFT AFTER GRADUATION, WHICH IS SIGNIFICANT.
THAT'S A REAL ISSUE THAT HAS TO BE FOCUSED ON, AND THAT'S WHAT, UH, UH, RESOLVING THIS ALSO MEANS.
THIS IS ANOTHER, UH, CITY OF HOUSTON CHART TALKING ABOUT ATTRITION, TALKING ABOUT THE STAFFING LEVELS AND THE TARGETS, UH, THAT ARE CONSISTENTLY MISSED.
UM, THANK YOU, UH, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER CASTILLO AND PECK, AND A NUMBER OF OTHERS THAT REACHED OUT, I KNOW THAT CAME TO THE, THE CADET GRADUATION.
WE HAD 23 GRADUATE LAST WEEK, 23.
NOW WE CAN, UH, LOOK BACK AT HISTORICALLY AT WHAT OUR TARGET RATE IS WHEN IT COMES TO, UH, HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE GRADUATING.
AND THAT'S A DIRECT REFLECTION OF WE USED TO HAVE THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE STANDING OUTSIDE OF GRB TO TAKE THE ENTRANCE EXAMINE OF THE HOUSTON FIRE DEPARTMENT.
WE ARE NOT SEEING THAT, UH, OVER THE PAST EIGHT YEARS.
AND THE MESSAGE THAT WE HAVE CLEARLY SENT ONCE WE, UH, AGREED TO THIS SETTLEMENT, WHICH WE'VE SIGNED FOR, IS THAT WE'RE SENDING A MESSAGE.
AND I, AND I HOPE THE COUNCIL MEMBERS HELP US SEND THIS MESSAGE THAT WE NEED TO GET OUT THAT HFD IS OPEN, THAT WE NEED TO STAFF AND RECRUIT, AND WE NEED THE MOST QUALIFIED FIREFIGHTERS AND PARAMEDICS TO TAKE CARE OF THE CITIZENS.
THAT'S WHAT WE HOPE THE COUNCIL MEMBERS CAN BE PARTNERS WITH US IN DOING, BECAUSE WE'VE GOT TO FILL UP THE RANKS, AND WE CAN'T DO IT WHEN WE'RE GRADUATING 31, THE LAST CLASS, 23, THIS CLASS, THERE SHOULD BE 75 MINIMUM GRADUATING, AND THAT'S NOT HAPPENING.
SO WE CAN TALK ABOUT, UM, ALSO, UH, THE, THE COMPENSATION.
YOU KNOW, I'VE, UH, HOUSTON CHRONICLE KNOWS ME VERY WELL WHEN, WHEN I FEEL LIKE THEY'RE, UH, NOT BEING COMPLETELY TRANSPARENT OR, OR TRUTHFUL ABOUT THE NUMBERS, I'M, I'VE NEVER BEEN SHY AWAY FROM LETTING THEM KNOW I, I DID THAT WHEN IT CAME TO THE COMPENSATION STUDY THAT THEY PUT OUT IN THE, IN THE NEWSPAPER.
UM, IF YOU WANT TO TALK ABOUT HOLISTICALLY COMPARING APPLES TO APPLES, YOU HAVE TO START WITH WHERE YOU WERE, WHERE YOU ARE.
AND YOU ALSO HAVE TO INCLUDE FACTORS LIKE SAN ANTONIO FIREFIGHTERS, WHICH WAS NOT INCLUDED IN, UH, HERE.
UH, THEIR FIRST OFFER FROM THE CITY FOR THREE YEARS WAS A 20, I THINK IT WAS ROUGHLY 22% PAY RAISE.
SO THOSE ARE THE THINGS THAT, FACTORS THAT ARE NOT, UH, THE, THE, THAT ARE NOT BEING, UM, LOOKED AT WHEN WE'RE TRYING TO DETERMINE
[01:25:01]
WHAT CAN WE DO TO GET MARKET RATE, AND WHAT CAN WE DO TO ATTRACT, RECRUIT AND RETAIN FIREFIGHTERS INTO THE HOUSTON FIRE DEPARTMENT.UM, I'VE COME TO COUNCIL MANY TIMES, AND I'VE BEEN VERY OPEN AND HONEST, AND I WILL CONTINUE TO BE AND TRANSPARENT WHEN IT COMES TO THE MENTAL HEALTH CRISIS THAT IS, UH, PERVASIVE WITHIN, UH, THE FIRE SERVICE.
UM, WE HAVE AT ONE POINT HAD OVER 60% OF OUR HOUSTON FIREFIGHTERS WERE VETERANS.
UM, AND EVEN IF YOU'RE NOT A VETERAN, THE RATES OF PTSD MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES THAT AFFECT THE THIRD LARGEST MUNICIPAL FIRE DEPARTMENT IS A REAL ISSUE THAT HAS GOT TO BE ADDRESSED.
WE'VE PUT OUR MONEY WHERE OUR MOUTH IS.
UH, WE HAVE OUR INTERNATIONAL FIREFIGHTERS, UH, UH, BEHAVIORAL MENTAL HEALTH, UM, FACILITY THAT WE PAY FOR AND SEND MEMBERS TO.
IN FACT, I'M TOLD THE DIRECTOR OF THE CENTER, UM, IS CALLED THE CENTER OF EXCELLENCE.
UM, WE HAVE SENT AS THE HOUSTON FIRE DEPARTMENT MORE FIREFIGHTERS TO GET TREATMENT.
WE HAVE PUT THEM ON PLANES, UH, TO GET THEM THERE THAN ANY OTHER DEPARTMENT IN THE US.
THE MENTAL HEALTH CRISIS IS REAL.
WE CAN'T DISCARD, UH, WHAT THE, THE, THE VERY DIFFICULT REAL THINGS THAT FIREFIGHTER AND PARAMEDICS SEE.
I CAN RECALL, UM, CERTAIN CALLS IN MY CAREER.
I CAN RECALL PEOPLE, UM, RUNNING OUTSIDE WITH THEIR BABY, THROWING 'EM IN YOUR ARMS, AND THEY'RE LIFELESS AND YOU DON'T FORGET THESE THINGS.
AND THE CHALLENGES ARE THAT WE NEED TO START BEING OPEN AND HONEST AND NOT MAKING COMMENTS ABOUT, UM, UM, UH, CERTAIN, UM, THINGS THAT RELATES TO THE BEHAVIORAL MENTAL HEALTH BECAUSE IT'S REAL.
AND WE DON'T LEAVE PEOPLE BEHIND.
WHAT WE FIRST FOCUS ON IS THEIR ABILITY, UM, UH, TO KNOW THAT IN THEIR TIME OF NEED, MUCH LIKE THEY ANSWER THE CALL EVERY DAY AND OTHER PEOPLE'S TIME OF NEED, THAT WE'RE GONNA BE THERE FOR THEM.
AND, UH, A COUPLE OF THE BOARD MEMBERS THAT ARE BACK HERE CAN SHARE WITH YOU ALL INDIVIDUALLY THEIR EXPERIENCES OF HOW MANY TIMES THAT WE HAVE HAD TO FIND, UH, OUR BROTHERS AND SISTERS AND GET THEM THE HELP AND THE TREATMENT AND THEIR ARE AMAZING SUCCESS STORIES WHEN IT COMES TO THIS.
UM, AND SO WE HAVE ENTERED A NEW ERA IN THE, IN THE FIRE SERVICE OVER THE PAST 10 YEARS THAT SAYS, YOU DON'T SHY AWAY FROM IT.
WE, WE WANT TO BE HERE BECAUSE WE NEED TO TEACH THEM.
WHEN YOU NEED HELP, YOU CAN PICK UP THE PHONE AND IT'S OKAY.
UM, WITH THE HELP OF THE EAP, WE HAVE WORKED WITH THE CITY OF HOUSTON'S EAP, WE HAVE OUR OWN, UM, WE HAVE OUR OWN TEAM, UH, FOR H-B-F-F-A AND OUR PEER SUPPORT AND WHAT WE OFFER AND WHAT WE DO, UM, IS TREMENDOUS AND, AND IS THE MOST DEPARTMENTS AROUND THE US UH, TELL OUR BOARD MEMBERS AND, AND OUR LEADERSHIP TEAM, UM, THAT CANNOT BELIEVE WE ARE ABLE TO DO WHAT WE DO, UH, TO HELP THOSE MEN AND WOMEN, UH, IN THE TIMES THAT THEY NEED IT, UH, WITH THE LACK OF RESOURCES THAT WE HAVE.
I THINK I, I MAY HAVE, UH, UH, INTERCHANGED SOME, SOME OF THESE SLIDES, BUT, UH, THIS JUST GOES BACK TO THE, THE SCHEDULES, UH, THAT I KNOW THAT, UH, I'VE SPENT YEARS AND YEARS I'VE BEEN, YOU KNOW, DATA DRIVEN, TRYING TO GIVE THE ACCURATE INFORMATION, NOT MY, MY ASSESSMENT, BUT I JUST WANT TO GIVE AN UPDATE TO THE COUNCIL.
THE FOUR SHIFT MODEL WAS A DIRECT RESULT OF DISPARATE IMPACT IN MINORITY, UH, PROMOTIONS.
AND IT WAS A FEDERAL CONSENT DECREE, UH, THAT NOT ONLY, UM, UH, TRANSPIRED, UH, BUT THE, THE UNIT ABSOLUTELY SUPPORTS DIVERSITY AND, AND MINORITY PROMOTIONS.
46.7 HOURS IS, UH, IS LEGALLY MANDATED FROM THE CITY.
THAT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT, AND THE AMOUNT OF CALL VOLUME.
SO IF YOU TALK ABOUT, UH, YOU CAN FACTOR IN THINGS LIKE HOURS, YOU HAVE TO FACTOR IN CALL VOLUME.
YOU HAVE TO FACTOR IN EX EXPERTISE.
UM, I CAN TELL YOU THAT IF YOU'RE 500 FIREFIGHTERS SHORTER, THE BUSIEST FIRE DEPARTMENT IN TEXAS, ONE OF THE BUSIEST IN THE NATION, THE AMOUNT OF CALL VOLUME THAT WE'RE RUNNING, THAT WE PROVIDED DATA OVER THE YEARS TO THE CITY COUNCIL IS JUST, UH, REMARKABLE.
UM, AND THAT FACTOR COMES INTO PLAY.
UH, THE SETTLEMENT IN THE CONTRACT, AS WE MENTIONED, UH, THE HARD WORK AND DEDICATION OF OUR LEADERSHIP, AND ALSO THE CITY OF HOUSTON, UH, IT RESOLVES ALL PAST LIABILITY.
UH, IT NO LONGER, UM, PUTS THE CITY IN A POSITION THAT THEY'RE NOT SURE OF WHAT THE FUNDING OR WHAT THE AMOUNT IS IN THE LIABILITY THAT THE CITY HAS TO INCUR.
THE CITY WAS NEVER GETTING AWAY FROM THE LIABILITY.
I'VE, I'VE SAID THAT VERY CLEARLY.
I THINK, UM, THE CITY LEGAL HAS TOLD YOU ALL, UM, THE, THE CHALLENGE UNDER THE LAW WAS THAT THE CITY DIDN'T HAVE TO HAVE, THEY HAD SOVEREIGN IMMUNITY IN, IN THE LAW.
IT SAYS YOU HAVE TO MAKE THEM WHOLE TO THEIR PAST LOSSES.
SO IN ORDER TO LOOK AT THE CITY'S FINANCIAL IMPACT, WE CAME TOGETHER AS GOOD PARTNERS AND SAID, HOW CAN WE CAP THIS IN A BOX WHILE UNDERSTANDING THAT THE, UM,
[01:30:01]
HOPE, WHICH SUPPORTS OUR AGREEMENT, BY THE WAY, UM, THAT THEY, UH, ARE COMING UP NEXT.WE DID THIS IN ORDER TO SHOW THAT IF WE'D HAVE TAKEN OUR HANDS OFF THE WHEEL, WE'D HAVE BEEN IN COURT ON MARCH 25TH, AND THE CITY WOULD'VE IMMEDIATELY BEEN ON THE HOOK, UH, FOR THE JUDGMENT, AND IT WOULD'VE BEEN MOST LIKELY FINANCED THE EXACT SAME WAY AS IT IT IS NOW, WHICH IS A, A REFUNDING, UH, YOU KNOW, JUDGMENT BOND.
UH, SO YOU CAN ONLY GET TO THAT MECHANISM UNDER TWO WAYS.
THERE'S ONLY TWO WAYS TO GET THERE.
YOU GET TOGETHER, YOU HAVE A SETTLEMENT, UM, OR YOU HAVE A JUDGE OR JURY DECIDE.
UH, AND WE WERE VERY CONFIDENT IN WHAT, UH, OUR EVIDENCE SHOWED.
AND, UH, THAT PUT, THAT WOULD'VE PUT THE CITY AT A MUCH GREATER FINANCIAL RISK, UM, AT A MUCH LOWER, UM, UH, PERCENTAGE THAN WHAT WE HAD EVIDENCE TO SHOW, UM, THE, UH, ARTICLES WITHIN THE CONTRACT.
UM, IT WAS A MUTUAL GIVE AND TAKE.
UM, AND WE ACTUALLY LOWERED THE THRESHOLD, UH, FOR THE AMOUNT OF PARAMEDICS WHILE THE CITY'S GETTING THE STAFFING LEVELS UP.
UH, IT WAS, UM, ONE PERCENTAGE, AND WE ACTUALLY WENT DOWN NOTING THAT THE CITY WAS HAVING THE STAFFING TROUBLES.
BUT I WOULD ALSO SAY THAT, UM, PUTTING, UM, INFORMATION OUT THERE ABOUT, UM, YOU KNOW, PARAMEDICS ABOUT, UH, WHAT'S THE STATE REQUIREMENT, UM, AND WHAT DO WE DO? WE CURRENT PRACTICE IS EXACTLY WHAT WE DO.
AND THIS COUNCIL, UM, I HOPE WOULD NOT ADVOCATE, UH, FOR THE ALTERNATIVE, UH, BECAUSE THAT MEANS THAT THE AMOUNT OF ADVANCED LIFE SUPPORT CARE YOU HAVE MEANS YOU HAVE A BASIC AND A, AND A PARAMEDIC.
AND I CAN TELL YOU, I'VE WORKED ON SOME OF THOSE UNITS IN THE COUNTY.
UM, IT'S NOT A, NOT A GOOD PLAN AT ALL.
YOU NEED, UM, TWO PARAMEDICS TO EFFECTIVELY RESUSCITATE AND START IVS AND PUT A TUBE DOWN SOMEBODY'S THROAT, AND YOU ARE BASICALLY DOING WHAT AN AN ER DOCTOR DOES IN THE FIELD.
AND IT'S MIRACULOUS WHAT OUR PARAMEDICS DO.
AND SO THERE SHOULD NEVER BE A TIME WHERE WE ADVOCATE, UH, FOR, FOR, UH, FOR LESS BECAUSE ADVANCED LIFE SUPPORT ARE SPECIALIZED FOR CERTAIN CALLS THAT WE GO OUT FOR LIFESAVING TREATMENT.
THESE ARE JUST, UH, SOME OF THE, THE INCLUDED BENEFITS WITHIN THE NEGOTIATED SETTLEMENT AND THE, AND THE CONTRACT.
UM, AND, UH, WE CAN MOVE ON TO THE NEXT SLIDE.
UH, WHAT I MENTIONED, UH, BEFORE WE'RE VERY OPEN AND HONEST ABOUT THESE THINGS, IS THAT WE HAVE OUR OWN MEDICAL DOCTOR, UH, IN WASHINGTON, DC THAT WORKS VERY CLOSELY WITH OUR TEAM THAT ADDRESSES BEHAVIORAL, UH, ADDRESSES, MENTAL HEALTH ADDRESSES, A NUMBER OF FACTORS, UH, THAT OUR MEN AND WOMEN ARE GOING THROUGH, UH, CURRENTLY.
AND SO OUR FOCUS REMAINS AND WILL CONTINUE TO REMAIN ON MENTAL HEALTH, UH, TO, UH, BE THERE FOR OUR MEN AND WOMEN WHEN THEY NEED SOMEBODY.
UH, THIS IS JUST ANOTHER EXAMPLE OF THE EXPANDED MENTAL HEALTH TREATMENT OPTIONS THAT WE, AT BEING GOOD PARTNERS ARE ACTUALLY, UM, A PARTING WITH THE CITY IS A COST SAVINGS TO THE CITY WHEN YOU HAVE, UH, MEMBERS, UH, OF THE BARGAINING UNIT, WHICH, UM, ARE FACILITATING THE CONTRACT, BUT THEY'RE ALSO, UM, UM, HANDLING THE DAY TO DAY WHEN YOU HAVE, YOU KNOW, 3,600 SHOULD BE 4,100 FIREFIGHTERS AND PARAMEDICS.
UM, IT, THESE ARE REAL ISSUES THAT HAVE TO BE ADDRESSED.
THEY HAVE TO BE REPRESENTED, UH, AND THERE'S A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT THINGS THAT GO ALONG WITH IT.
UM, AND SO THESE CALLS COME IN AT ALL HOURS OF THE DAY, SEVEN DAYS A WEEK.
AND, UH, OUR TEAM, WITHOUT BEING COMPENSATED, GOES OUT AND TAKES CARE OF THESE, UH, FIREFIGHTERS BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT WE DO IN THE FIRE SERVICE.
UH, WE'VE DISCUSSED THIS ALREADY.
THE, THE VOTERS EXPRESSED THEIR WILL IN 2003 BY AN OVERWHELMING MARGIN.
I THINK I'VE HEARD, UH, YOU KNOW, IN AREAS THAT HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH THIS, UH, THE INTENT, UH, OF, UH, THE COUNCIL TO RESPECT THE WILL AND THE SPIRIT OF THE VOTERS.
UM, AND THEN IN 2018, THE SPIRIT AND THE WILL OF THE VOTERS SPOKE AGAIN.
UH, AND SO FIREFIGHTERS STILL CAME TO THE TABLE WITH THE CITY AND SAID, LISTEN, UH, LET'S BE GOOD PARTNERS AND LET'S, LET'S GET THIS RESOLVED ONCE AND FOR ALL.
AS I MENTIONED, UH, EARLIER, UM, THERE WAS ONLY TWO OUTCOMES TO THIS.
ONE BEING, UH, WE WERE IN COURT.
THE JUDGE WAS VERY CLEAR, UH, THAT SHE WAS NOT GONNA PUSH THE TRIAL DATE BACK.
THE FIREFIGHTERS AND THEIR FAMILIES HAD WAITED SEVEN YEARS TO GET, UH, TO WHERE WE WERE.
UH, THIS WAS A PRODUCT OF THE LAST ADMINISTRATION.
UM, AND CARRYING THIS OVER INTO MAYOR WHITMEYER ADMINISTRATION, MAYOR WHITMEYER ADDRESSED THIS HEAD ON.
UM, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, THESE WERE DIFFICULT, UH, CONVERSATIONS AND NEGOTIATIONS.
UH, THIS WAS NOT EASY, UM, BUT WE GOT IT DONE AND,
[01:35:01]
UH, WE'RE HAPPY TO MOVE FORWARD.BUT THE REALITY OF WHERE WE STAND IS, UH, THE JUDICIAL, THE COURTS WOULD'VE DETERMINED IN THE SAME MANNER IN WHICH WE CAME TOGETHER AND HAD A SETTLEMENT.
UH, THAT'S A REAL IMPACT, WITH THE EXCEPTION THAT THE CITY WOULD THEN BE ON THE HOOK FOR A FAR GREATER AMOUNT, BECAUSE WE CA THIS IN A BOX, UH, THAT LIMITS THE CITY'S FUTURE EXPOSURE TO PENSION OBLIGATIONS, TO, UM, UH, TO OVERTIME.
AND WE WERE ALL, UH, THOSE THAT WERE HERE DURING COVID, UH, YOU KNOW, WE HAD FIREFIGHTERS, UH, DIE, UH, WORKING, UH, UH, CONTRACTING COVID, BUT THEY, UH, WE WERE HAVING TO WORK THREE AND 4 24 HOUR SHIFTS.
SO THE MEN AND WOMEN, UM, THERE, THERE'S MANY FINANCIAL IMPACTS, AND THERE'S ALSO IMPACTS, TO BE HONEST WITH YOU, THAT HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH FIREFIGHTERS THAT HAVE TO DO WITH THE CITY'S COVENANTS AND OTHER ISSUES.
SO THE FINANCIAL SECURITY OF THE CITY WAS, WAS THE AT UTMOST IMPORTANCE FOR US.
AND, AND I DON'T WANNA SPEAK FOR CITY ATTORNEY, UH, MICHELLE OR ATTORNEY, UH, EYRE, BUT I CAN TELL YOU THAT THAT WAS OUR FUNDAMENTAL, UH, CORE PRINCIPLE IN, IN GETTING TO THIS RESOLUTION.
UM, YOU KNOW, WE KNOW THAT IN THE LAST ADMINISTRATION, WE, WE ADVOCATED THAT, UH, WE ASKED ALL THE COUNCIL MEMBERS THAT WERE HERE TO PLEASE COME TO THE NEGOTIATIONS THAT WERE ONGOING.
THEY WERE OPEN IN THE PUBLIC MEETINGS.
UM, UNFORTUNATELY, UM, YOU KNOW, UM, THE CITY CHARTER, UH, AS WE WERE REMINDED, UH, LIMITS, UH, LIMITS THE COUNCIL MEMBERS TO GETTING INVOLVED IN, UH, NEGOTIATION OF, UH, PAY AND BENEFITS.
I THINK THE QUESTION WAS ASKED LAST YEAR, UH, AND IT WAS RULED BY THE CHAIR AND THE CITY ATTORNEY, UH, CONFIRMED THAT IT'S IN VIOLATION OF CITY'S CHARTER.
AND SO, UM, WE ALWAYS WANT TO WORK WITH THE COUNCIL MEMBERS.
UM, WE ALWAYS WANT THE COUNCIL MEMBERS TO BE A PART OF ANYTHING THAT THEY WOULD LIKE TO BE, BECAUSE IF YOU GO VISIT A FIRE STATION, IT'S NOT WHAT I'M TELLING YOU.
AND I ALWAYS TELL THE COUNCIL MEMBERS, GO OUT THERE AND TALK TO THE MEN AND WOMEN, AND I PROMISE YOU WHAT, WHAT YOU'LL HEAR IS, UM, IS PRETTY CLOSE TO WHAT YOU'RE HEARING FROM WHAT I'M SAYING, AND PROBABLY A LOT MORE.
UH, SO I JUST WANNA THANK THE COUNCIL MEMBERS, AND I KNOW THE COUNCIL MEMBERS THAT HAVE GONE OUT, UH, TO THE FIRE STATIONS AND HAVE TALKED TO THE, THE MEN AND WOMEN, UM, UH, BUT THIS IS CRITICAL TO THEM, UH, AND, AND WE LOOK FORWARD TO, UH, WORKING WITH YOU ALL IN THE FUTURE.
NEXT SLIDE BRINGS US TO THE WORKING TOGETHER SLIDE.
I TIED THAT IN VERY WELL, UH, MADAM CHAIRMAN, I'M ALMOST DONE.
UM, UH, THERE IS A LEGAL DISPARITY IN THE COMPENSATION AS HOW WE GOT HERE.
UH, THERE HAS TO BE A LEGAL REMEDY IN ORDER TO GET THIS RESOLVED.
UH, AND SO FUNDAMENTALLY, AGAIN, UM, YOU KNOW, IN ORDER TO FINANCE, UH, WHAT WE'RE DOING, UH, CITY IS, YOU KNOW, FINANCING IS OBLIGATION.
THE CITY'S LIABILITY NEVER WAS GOING AWAY.
SO EITHER THE GENERAL FUND PAYS FOR IT OR YOU FINANCE IT.
THE, THE ONLY TWO OPTIONS THAT I'M AWARE OF, AND I'M NOT AN ATTORNEY, UM, THAT, UH, THAT PUTS THE CITY IN THE POSITION.
UM, WE WERE ON RECORD VERY CLEARLY STATING THAT THE, THE, THE CLOCK HAD BEEN TICKING SINCE JULY 1ST, 2017, AND, UH, WORKED WITH A NUMBER OF YOU COUNCIL MEMBERS.
YOU KNOW, WHEN CARES FUNDS CAME OUT, ARPA CAME OUT WITH THE LAST CITY CONTROLLER.
UH, WE WORKED WITH WASHINGTON DC TO TRY TO GET THIS DONE, YOU KNOW, FOUR YEARS AGO.
SO WE WANT TO BE ABLE, UH, TO BE GOOD STEWARDS, UH, TO WORK WITH YOU.
AND IF THERE'S INDIVIDUAL ITEMS, WE JUST ASK YOU TO COME TALK TO US FIRST.
SO IF THERE IS SOMETHING THAT WE CAN HELP SHED LIGHT ON, UM, WE ARE HAPPY TO DO IT.
THERE'S NOT SOME SUPER TOP SECRET, UH, THING THAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO.
WE'RE TRYING TO, UH, GET INVOLVEMENT FROM, UH, THE EXTREMELY LOW MORALE WE'VE NEVER SEEN IN THE HOUSTON FIRE DEPARTMENT.
AND THAT'S, UM, SPECIFICALLY DOVETAILING ON HOW MANY FIREFIGHTERS YOU'VE SEEN LEAVE THAT ARE NOT EVEN ELIGIBLE TO RETIRE.
THAT'S NEVER HAPPENED IN HOUSTON FIRE DEPARTMENT HISTORY.
UM, SO, UH, AS BEEN DISCUSSED, UM, YOU KNOW, THE, THE, THE SETTLEMENT IS, YOU KNOW, HAS BEEN AGREED TO, UM, AND WE'RE WORKING THROUGH THE LEGAL PARAMETERS WITH THE CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE, WITH THE CITY'S BOND COUNCIL TO ENSURE THAT EVERYTHING IS DONE.
ITS IN ITS FINALITY, UM, AND DONE THE RIGHT WAY.
UM, AND SO THAT'S BEEN AN ONGOING DISCUSSION.
BUT AGAIN, I WOULD JUST REITERATE TO THE COUNCIL MEMBERS, THERE ARE FIREFIGHTERS THAT ARE WATCHING AND THEIR FAMILIES ARE WATCHING, AND I DO NOT WANNA SEND A MIXED MESSAGE TO THEM.
THIS SETTLEMENT IS, HAS BEEN AGREED TO THE MECHANISM IN WHICH WE DO THINGS ON A NON-SUBSTANTIVE LEVEL THAT DON'T SUBSTANTIVELY CHANGE THE PARAMETERS OF OUR, OUR AGREEMENTS.
UH, WE'VE ALWAYS BEEN WILLING TO, TO, AND OPEN TO WORK WITH THE CITY IF THERE ARE THINGS THAT NEED TO BE ADDRESSED, UH, THAT SOME PEOPLE SEE.
I MEAN, THERE'S, THERE'S A LOT, UH, ON AN OPERATIONAL BASIS THAT HAPPENS.
UH, AND SO, UH, UH, I'M NOT PERFECT BY ANY STRETCH.
AND THE CITY ATTORNEY AS, UH, OFFICE HAS BEEN, UH, EXTREMELY HELPFUL, AND WE WILL HAPPY TO WORK WITH YOU ALL AND THE CITY ATTORNEY AT ANY POINT IN TIME.
UM, AND I THINK THAT THAT'S, UH, ONE MORE SLIDE, I THINK.
AND SO, I DON'T KNOW, ONE MORE,
[01:40:01]
I DON'T KNOW IF I GOT ON THERE OR NOT, IS, IS BASICALLY YOU HAVE, UH, THE, THE SETTLEMENT GETS YOU FINANCIAL CERTAINTY TO KNOW WHAT YOUR FIXED COSTS ARE.ALSO, NOT TO MENTION, YOU KNOW, WE TALK ABOUT, UM, YOU KNOW, THE SUNNY CITY'S BUDGET.
JUST WANNA BE VERY CLEAR, YOU KNOW, WE ARE NOT THE REASON FOR THE CITY'S STRUCTURAL IMBALANCE.
UH, IN FACT, THE CITY, YOU KNOW, IF THE FIREFIGHTER'S NOT BEING PAID, WHAT THEY'RE LEGALLY OBLIGATED TO PAY, THAT'S CAUSED THE CITY TO NOT GONE BANKRUPT.
I DON'T THINK THAT THAT'S WHAT ANYBODY'S TRYING TO SAY.
WE TRIED TO LIMIT THE EXPOSURE OF THE CITY'S, UH, FINANCES.
AND THAT'S WHY THE CONTRACT MOVING FORWARD, UM, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE AT ROUGHLY AROUND A, A 40, 45 MILLION BASED ON, UH, THE DIFFERENCES IN, IN SOME OF THE INCENTIVE PAY.
AND I ALSO WANNA BE CLEAR TOO, THE INCENTIVE PAYS DIFFER AND THEY GO UP AND DOWN.
UM, BUT WE HAVE TO BE ABLE TO RECRUIT AND RETAIN FIREFIGHTERS, AND WE CANNOT DO THAT UNDER THE CURRENT SCHEME.
UM, AND THIS MAYOR, MAYOR WHITMEYER HAS BEEN VERY CLEAR, UH, THAT YOU HAVE TO TREAT PUBLIC SAFETY EQUALLY.
YOU HAVE TO, UH, ENSURE THAT YOU'RE TAKING CARE OF THE BRAVE MEN AND WOMEN JUST AS YOU ARE OTHER AGENCIES.
AND, UH, WE'VE STOOD IN SUPPORT AND WILL CONTINUE TO, TO, UH, OTHER EMPLOYEE GROUPS AND TO ENSURE THAT, UH, THEY ARE, UH, THEIR VOICES ARE HEARD.
WE HAVE NEVER ADVOCATED OR TRIED TO DIVIDE, UH, OTHER ENTITIES.
AND, UH, WE'RE NOT GONNA START DOING IT NOW.
AND WITH THAT MADAM CHAIR, WE ARE, UM, UH, TRY NOT TO GET TOO LONG, BUT I THINK I PROBABLY WENT OVER TIME LIMIT.
I THINK, UH, MARTY, THANK YOU FOR THE TIME, THE DETAIL OF THE PRESENTATION.
UH, NOW I THINK, DO YOU HAVE COUNCIL MEMBERS IN QUEUE? JUST ME.
UM, JUST A COUPLE QUICK THINGS.
HOW, HOW MANY FIREFIGHTERS MARTY ARE ELIGIBLE TO RETIRE? DO YOU KNOW? UM, THE, I NEED TO GET THE NUMBERS FOR YOU COUNCIL MEMBER, BUT I THINK IT'S OVER MAYBE CLOSE TO A THOUSAND.
A THOUSAND, A THOUSAND IF I'M NOT MISTAKEN.
AND I CAN MAKE SURE THAT I'M QUOTING INACCURATE.
I DO NOT LIKE QUOTING INACCURATE NUMBERS.
I RECALL IT BEING SOMEWHERE AROUND THERE.
AND THEN ON THE SLIDE THAT YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT REVENUES, CAN YOU GIMME SOME EXAMPLES OF REVENUES? WERE NOT BECAUSE WE HAVE, UH, NOT WERE INSUFFICIENTLY STAFFED REVENUES WERE NOT COLLECTING.
WHAT TYPES OF ACTIVITIES? UM, SO ONE OF THE BIGGEST THINGS THAT WE'VE WORKED WITH, AND WE ARE WILLING TO WORK WITH COUNCIL IS, UH, IN THE INSPECTION DIVISION, YOU WANT MORE INSPECTORS THAN YOU CURRENTLY HAVE.
WHAT HAPPENED TRADITIONALLY IN THE PAST WAS, UM, NOT UNDERSTANDING HOW THE OPERATIONS KIND OF WORKED.
THE, UH, INSPECTION DIVISION WAS ALLOCATED A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF DOLLARS IN OVERTIME AT THE BEGINNING OF A FISCAL YEAR.
AND SAY IT WAS, YOU KNOW, 2 MILLION AND THEN THEY WENT AND THEY SPENT 10 MILLION PEOPLE WOULD GO, OH MY GOSH, LOOK AT THEIR OVERTIME.
THE WAY THAT THE INSPECTION DIVISION WORKS IN ORDER TO HELP, UH, HAVE BUSINESSES OPEN SAVE IN ORDER TO DO EFFECTIVE INSPECTIONS IS THAT IF IT'S OUTSIDE OF WORK AND THEY'RE BEING PAID OVERTIME, SOMEBODY ELSE IS BEARING THAT COST.
AND THE CITY IS MAKING MONEY ON IT.
NOT ONLY THAT'S COVERING THE OVERTIME COST, BUT THEY'RE ALSO, UM, UH, THE CITY IS TAKING AN ADMINISTRATIVE FEE ON IT.
SO YOU'RE NEVER GONNA HAVE A SCENARIO WHERE A, UM, AN INSPECTOR IS, IS, UH, THEIR, THEIR, THE OVERTIME RATE CONTINUES TO GO UP THAT SOMEBODY A BUSINESS FOR WHATEVER REASON.
MOST OF THE TIME IT'S BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE, UH, ENOUGH INSPECTORS.
UM, THEY NEED TO HIRE THEM THROUGH THE CITY THAT THEY ENTER IN A CONTRACT, AND THEY'LL GO AFTER HOURS TO HELP THEM WITH WHATEVER IT IS THAT THEY NEED.
THAT IS A HUGE WAY FOR THE CITY TO INCREASE THE AMOUNT OF DOLLARS THAT IT BRINGS IN, BECAUSE WE FIELD PHONE CALLS FROM NONPROFITS, FROM COMPANIES, UH, FROM CIVIC GROUPS, CIVIC LEADERS, THAT IT IS VERY DIFFICULT TO GET, UH, THE PERMITTING, UH, COMPLETED.
IT'S VERY DIFFICULT TO GET COMMUNICATION WITH, UM, THE RIGHT PEOPLE DURING THE PERMITTING PROCESS.
SO THAT ALLOWS THE ABILITY TO BRING IN, UH, MORE REVENUE FOR THE CITY.
UH, MORE INSPECTORS MEANS MORE REVENUE.
UM, AND SO THAT'S ONE WAY THAT YOU CAN DO IT.
ALSO, LOOKING AT THE, THE, I THINK SOMEBODY MENTIONED IT EARLIER THAT THE FEE STRUCTURE FOR LIKE HAZMAT STORAGE PILES, YOU KNOW, AS YOU'RE GOING THROUGH A PROCESS, BECAUSE WHAT HAS BEEN OUR EXPERIENCE IS THE PEOPLE WITHIN THE COMMUNITY THAT ARE OPENING UP, WHETHER IT'S A NONPROFIT CIVIC CLUB BUSINESS, IS THAT THEY'RE BEARING MORE COST, HAVING TO, UM, UH, TO PAY FOR OTHER SERVICES TO GET THEIR BUSINESS OPERATING CORRECTLY THAN IF WE WERE TO, UM, HAVE ENOUGH INSPECTORS, HAVE ENOUGH, UH, RESOURCES THAT WE COULD, IT'S A WIN-WIN FOR EVERYBODY.
COUNCIL MEMBER FLICKINGER GOT A QUESTION FOR LEGAL, ACTUALLY.
AND MARTY ALLUDED TO A CONSENT DECREE, UH, THAT WAS, I GUESS A DISCRIMINATION LAWSUIT.
ARE WE STILL UNDER THAT CONSENT DECREE? ARE WE STILL BOUND TO THE, TO THE 46 HOURS? WELL, I DON'T BELIEVE THAT WE'RE BOUND BY THE CONSENT DECREE, BUT BY STATUTE.
[01:45:01]
OKAY.'CAUSE AND I ASKED THAT BECAUSE THE STUDY THE CITY PAID FOR SEVERAL YEARS AGO SAID THERE WAS SIGNIFICANT SAVINGS GOING TO A THREE SHIFT ROTATION.
UM, ALL THE OTHER DEPARTMENTS APPARENTLY IN THE STATE WERE ON A THREE SHIFT ROTATION.
I HAPPENED TO BE IN INDIANAPOLIS A COUPLE OF WEEKS AGO, AND THEY WERE HAVING THE F-I-D-C-F-F-D-I.
YES, YES, YES, YES, YES, YES, YES.
AND, AND THERE WAS A TON OF FIREFIGHTERS UP THERE, OBVIOUSLY, AND, YOU KNOW, OUT AND ABOUT, HAD A LOT OF CONVERSATIONS AND, YOU KNOW, I WAS ASKING THEM QUESTIONS, KNOWING ALL THIS STUFF WAS GOING UP.
AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WAS TALKED ABOUT WAS THE ROTATIONS.
AND THERE WAS NOT A SINGLE ONE THAT WAS ON A FOUR SHIFT ROTATION.
I, IS THERE NOT SIGNIFICANT SAVINGS TO BE HAD FROM GOING TO A THREE SHIFT ROTATION? THERE, THERE IS NOT COUNCIL MEMBER.
IN FACT, THE, WE, WE'VE BEEN VERY VOCAL AND CLEAR.
IN FACT, THE CITY'S OWN POSITION AFTER THE PFM REPORT CAME OUT, WE, WE SENT A LETTER TO DAVID AL AT THE TIME WITH THE PFM GROUP.
UH, WE SAT DOWN WITH THE FORMER CITY, UH, FINANCE DIRECTOR, UM, KELLY DOW.
UM, AND WE HAD A MEETING WITH HIM BACK IN 2017, I BELIEVE WHAT, 2018.
WE OUTLINED EVERY POINT AND WE HAVE, UH, AN OUTLINED DOCUMENT I CAN PROVIDE YOU IN YOUR OFFICE, UM, OF IMPOSSIBLE THINGS THAT PFM PUT IN THERE THAT YOU CAN'T LEGALLY DO, YOU COULDN'T OBJECTIVELY DO.
THERE WAS AN IMPACT STUDY THAT WAS DONE, UH, IN THE PRIOR ADMINISTRATION THAT WAS DELIVERED TO THE LAST ADMINISTRATION THAT THE CITY PAID FOR.
AND THEY DIDN'T LIKE WHAT IT SAID.
AND WE HAD THE PFM THAT CANNOT BE DONE BY, UH, LEGALLY, BUT ALSO, UM, WE POINTED OUT POINT BY POINT AND ACTUALLY PRESENTED IT TO COUNSEL YEARS AGO IN AN OPEN FORUM.
AND I'M HAPPY TO GET WITH YOU AND GO OVER IT SPECIFICALLY.
'CAUSE IT SEEMS ODD TO ME THAT IF A FOUR SHIFT ROTATION IS ACTUALLY FISCALLY BETTER THAT NOBODY ELSE WOULD BE ON IT.
WELL, IF YOU, LEMME PUT IT THIS WAY.
SO IF YOU HAVE A, A, A PIE, YOUR PIE IS, FIREFIGHTERS ALREADY WORK MORE THAN THE PRIVATE SECTOR.
SO IF WHETHER YOU'RE ON A FOUR OR THREE, UM, IN FACT, I WILL REFERENCE THE, THE CITY FINANCE'S OWN DOCUMENT FROM LAST ADMINISTRATION, WHICH SHOWED THAT IF YOU GO TO A THREE SHIFT MODEL, IT ACTUALLY COSTS CITY 25 MILLION ADDITIONAL DOLLARS A YEAR BECAUSE, UH, OF THE FACTORS THAT, THAT WE'RE DISCUSSING, IT DOESN'T SAVE THE CITY ANY MONEY.
UH, BUT I'M HAPPY TO GET WITH YOU SPECIFICALLY AND PINPOINT IT, UH, BECAUSE WE'VE ADDRESSED THAT OVER THE LAST COUNCIL, UH, AND WE WANTED TO DO IT WITH FACTS AND DATA.
IF YOU PLEASE CONCERN IT TO ME AND COUNCIL MEMBER, I HEARD YOU ALSO INQUIRE MARTY, THANK YOU FOR OFFERING TO PROVIDE THAT INFORMATION.
I BELIEVE YOU ALSO HAD AN IN INQUIRED WITH LEGAL, UM, AND CITY ATTORNEY IF YOU COULD GET A DETERMINATION AS TO WHETHER OR NOT THE CITY IS LEGALLY BOUND.
UH, I THINK THAT WAS ALSO PART OF, I THINK THE CITY IS LEGALLY BOUND IN 46.7 HOURS.
I THINK I'M JUST TRYING TO MAKE SURE WE'RE CAPTURING SURE.
SO OUR STAFF TAKES A NOTE OF, JUST SO EVERYONE KNOWS, OUR STAFF TAKES NOTES OF ALL THE QUESTIONS THAT ARE ASKED.
SO ANYTHING OUTSTANDING WE FOLLOW UP WITH THE DEPARTMENT.
SO AS CHAIR, I'M CLARIFYING THAT WHAT CERTAIN QUESTIONS ARE.
THE OTHER CONVERSATIONS THAT I, I'VE HAD QUITE A BIT, OBVIOUSLY THIS HAS BEEN A TOPIC OF DISCUSSION AMONGST A LOT OF PEOPLE GIVEN THE GRAVITY OF THE DOLLAR AMOUNTS.
UM, AND I THINK, UM, THE LAST MEETING WE HAD, UH, FINANCE SAID THAT YES, IT WAS PROBABLY GONNA BE ABOUT 1.5 BILLION IN ADDITIONAL SPENDING.
AND THAT DOESN'T EVEN TAKE INTO ACCOUNT THE ADDITIONAL PAY INCREASE IF THERE'S ADDITIONAL SOURCES OF REVENUE.
I CAN'T BELIEVE THAT THERE'S NOT GOING TO BE ADDITIONAL REVENUE IN ORDER TO PAY FOR THIS.
SO AFTER YOU TAKE THAT INTO ACCOUNT, YOU'RE LOOKING AT PROBABLY 1.6 BILLION.
UM, I THINK ALSO INTEREST RATES ARE A QUESTION.
UM, YOU KNOW, A YEAR AGO EVERYBODY WAS SAYING WE'RE GONNA HAVE SIX RATE CUTS THIS YEAR, THEY'RE NOW DOWN TO ONE OR TWO.
SO MY GUESS IS THE INTEREST RATE BURDEN IS PROBABLY GONNA BE INCREASED A LITTLE BIT AS WELL.
AND, AND EVERYBODY I'VE HAD DISCUSSIONS WITH, YOU KNOW, IS CONCERNED WHETHER OR NOT THE CITY CAN AFFORD IT.
BUT THE ONE TOPIC THAT COMES UP THAT PEOPLE ARE GENERALLY SHOCKED ABOUT IS THE RANDOM DRUG TESTING, THE ELIMINATION OF IT.
AND I REALLY THINK, MARTY, YOU MIGHT WANNA GO BACK AND TAKE A LOOK AT THAT.
UH, I MEAN, I UNDERSTAND NOT ALL DRUG TESTING IS GONE, IT'S JUST A RANDOM PIECE OF IT.
UM, BUT I'M TALKING TO THE PUBLIC FROM WHAT I HAVE SEEN IS REALLY SHOCKED THAT THAT'S A PIECE OF IT.
UH, I'M KIND OF CURIOUS, HOW MANY FIREFIGHTERS DID WE LOSE LAST YEAR
[01:50:01]
FOR POSITIVE DRUG? UH, POSITIVE RANDOM DRUG TEST? UH, I DEFINITELY WILL SHARE THAT AS SOON AS I GET IT.BELIEVE IT WAS, UH, A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF PEOPLE.
UM, IF IT'S NOT A SIGNIFICANT NUMBER, MAYBE THAT'S SOMETHING YOU WANNA GO BACK AND REVISIT AND SAY, HEY, DO WE REALLY WANT TO ASK FOR THAT? 'CAUSE I, I THINK THE PUBLIC'S GOT A REAL CONCERN WITH THAT.
WELL, I THINK THE, I THINK THE, THE FRAMING OF THE QUESTION MIGHT BE HELPFUL, AND THAT'S WHAT I WANTED TO DO TODAY.
UM, SO WHAT IT DOES, AND, AND, AND OTHER DEPARTMENTS ARE MOVING TO THIS FOR THIS REASON, NUMBER ONE, IF YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT IT FISCALLY, IT'S, IT'S NOT INTENDED TO GET AWAY FROM HAVING IMPACT POSITIONS THAT, THAT, THAT, YOU KNOW, OPERATE IN A SAFE MANNER.
WE'RE A HUNDRED PERCENT WITH IT.
UH, WHAT IT IS ACTUALLY INTENDED TO DO IS TO FOCUS ON, UM, AT ANY POINT IN TIME, UH, SOMEBODY CAN COME AND TELL YOU TO GO TAKE A DRUG TEST.
SO IT'S BASICALLY YOU'RE GETTING OUT OF THE RANDOMIZED STUFF BECAUSE YOU HAVE FIREFIGHTERS IN ESSENCE THAT, UH, THEY COULD NOT HAVE A RANDOM FOR 10, 20 YEARS.
WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO IS FOCUS ON, UH, AT ANY POINT IN TIME THEY SAY, UH, I THINK SOMETHING IS UP.
THERE'S NO WAY TO GET OUT OF, WE DO NOT WANT PEOPLE THAT ARE OPERATING IN THAT MANNER.
BUT IT IS, UH, INTENDED, UH, TO DO A NUMBER OF THINGS.
AND I, I WILL HAPPY TO SHARE WHAT, UH, IS HAPPENING IN OTHER DEPARTMENTS AND WHAT THE DOCTORS THAT WE'VE SPOKEN WITH, IT'S INTENDED TO REDUCE THE, UH, THE IMPACT THAT THE CITY HAS.
EVERY TIME YOU GO SEND SOMEBODY IN THE MORNING, YOU'RE BACKFILLING OVERTIME AND YOU'RE, IT, IT'S, IT'S A PROCESS THAT I DON'T THINK IS VERY EFFICIENT.
UM, AND THIS PROCESS ALLOWS IT, I BELIEVE, TO BE MORE EFFICIENT, BUT THERE'S NO POINT WHERE YOU'RE NOT GONNA BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE, UH, FOR WHAT YOU DO AND, AND THE TRUST THAT WE HAVE WITH THE PUBLIC.
I WAS IN LOGISTICS FOR 27 YEARS AND, YOU KNOW, WE HAD RANDOM DRUG TESTING, PRE-EMPLOYMENT, DRUG TESTING, ALSO ANYTIME THERE WAS AN ACCIDENT, DRUG TESTING, AND I FULLY GET THE DISRUPTIONS TO OPERATIONS AND ALL THAT.
IN FACT, UM, WE HAD DRUG TESTING THAT HAD TO OCCUR I THINK WITHIN TWO HOURS, DEPENDING UPON YES.
WHAT TYPE OF DRUG TEST IT WAS.
AND YEAH, I MEAN IT WAS, AND THAT'S CURRENTLY STILL THAT, THAT IS, THAT DOESN'T CHANGE.
UH, MARTY, AGAIN, THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION.
I HAD A FEW FOLLOW UP QUESTIONS.
UH, ALSO FOR CITY LEGAL WHEN, UH, ARTURO HAS A MOMENT, UH, BUT FIRST AND FOREMOST, I THINK ON BEHALF OF ALL OF US, BUT AS CHAIR OF LABOR, I WANNA THANK, UH, EACH AND EVERY FIREFIGHTER FOR THE SERVICE THAT THEY CONTINUE TO PROVIDE.
YOU'VE DISCUSSED THE HARDSHIPS.
WE, I PERSONALLY TAKE MENTAL HEALTH VERY SERIOUSLY, AND I I APPRECIATE YOU ADDING THAT TO THE DIALOGUE.
THE, UH, ALL OF THAT BEING SAID AT THE LAST COMMITTEE MEETING, WE, UM, ADDED A CAVEAT.
SO I'M GONNA ASK THE CITY ATTORNEY SOMETHING, AND IT'S NOT REFLECTIVE IN ANY WAY OF THE CALIBER OF YOUR PRESENTATION.
I WANNA JUST SAY THAT AT THE OUTSET, CITY ATTORNEY, UM, THIS PRESENTATION IS THE ASSOCIATION'S POSITION.
PREVIOUSLY AT OUR LAST COMMITTEE HEARING, UH, LEGAL HAD SAID THEY'RE NOT GOING TO DISCUSS CERTAIN FACTORS OR SAY WHAT THEIR POSITIONS MAY OR MAY NOT HAVE BEEN OR CONTINUE TO BE BECAUSE OF ONGOING NEGOTIATIONS.
IS THAT CORRECT? THAT THAT'S CORRECT.
SO, UH, THE CO SO I JUST WANT TO AGAIN SAY THAT, THAT THIS IS THE ASSOCIATION'S POSITION.
THE CITY MAY HAVE OTHER POSITIONS OR, UH, DIFFERING VIEWS, FOR EXAMPLE, ON THE HODGEPODGE OF LEGAL CASES AND ALL OF THAT.
BUT THE COSTS THAT YOU AND THE ASSOCIATION ARE ESTIMATING FOR THE SETTLEMENT ARE BASED ON YOUR CALCULATIONS.
IS THAT CORRECT? THAT THE ASSOCIATION HAS DONE THE UNION? YES.
UH, WHAT, IN REFERENCE TO WHICH PIECE, SORRY.
UH, THE, THERE'S SEVERAL PIECES OF IT, BUT I THINK WHAT I'M TRYING TO CLARIFY IS THE FINANCE DEPARTMENT MAY HAVE THEIR OWN CALCULATIONS THAT THEY ARE DOING INDEPENDENT OF WHAT YOU HAVE PRESENTED TODAY IN TERMS OF COSTS, UH, FOR EXAMPLE, IN THE CBA, WELL, I MEAN NOT THE CBA BECAUSE IT CAME FROM FINANCE, BUT, UM, AS FAR AS THE COST, UH, THE, THE LITIGATION, I THINK IT IS ALL ON HOW YOU ASKED THE QUESTION.
SORRY, NOT THE COST OF LITIGATION.
I'M TALKING ABOUT THE CALCULATIONS AS THEY RELATE TO THE FIVE YEAR AGREEMENT AND CALCULATING THOSE COSTS THEMSELVES.
I THINK YOU ESTIMATED 45 MILLION, BUT I'VE HAD, I'VE SEEN OTHER PROJECTIONS AND NUMBERS, I'D NEED TO SEE THE NUMBERS.
I, I'M TRYING TO BE AS MOST, I THINK, ROBUST AND TRANSPARENT.
WHAT I'M SAYING IS THAT THE, UH, THE WHAT THE, WHAT WE'RE ADDRESSING WITH THE COLLECTIVE BARGAINING AGREEMENT, THE LAST CONTRACT WE HAD WAS IN 2011 THAT ADDRESSED AND YOU DIDN'T HAVE THE INCENTIVE PACE.
AND WE'VE SEEN WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU CAN'T RECRUIT AND RETAIN.
SO WE ARE TAKING THE NUMBERS THAT, UH, THAT EVERYTHING IS AN APPROXIMATION BECAUSE IF YOU DON'T HAVE OVERTIME, IF YOU FILL UP THE RANKS, YOUR OVERTIME GOES DOWN RIGHT.
SO THERE'S A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT FACTORS.
THINK IS SLIDING SCALE, BUT ALL THE NUMBERS CAME FROM, FROM FINANCE, SO WE WORKED WITH THEM ON OKAY.
[01:55:01]
SAW YOU START TO LEAN INTO THE MIC.IF YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT THE CBA, THERE ARE CERTAIN ASSUMPTIONS BASED ON HUMAN BEHAVIOR, YOU KNOW, IN TERMS OF, YOU KNOW, WHO WILL SEEK CONSENTED PAY, WHO WILL, UM, UH, OVER TIME, SO ON.
THERE IS SOME DISTINCTION BETWEEN THAT.
WHAT I WOULD WANT TO EMPHASIZE THOUGH, IS I THINK REACHING AN AGREEMENT IS VERY IMPORTANT.
I THINK IT'S, THAT IS, THAT IS A BIG WIN FOR THE CITY IF WE CAN BUY PEACE AND GET THIS SETTLED AND NOT DEAL WITH, UM, YOU KNOW, UH, POTEN CONTINUING LITIGATION.
AND I DON'T THINK ANYONE AROUND THE HORSESHOE DOESN'T WANNA SEE THIS THING SETTLED.
UH, TO BE CLEAR, AT LEAST I CAN SAY FOR MYSELF PERSONALLY.
MARTY, WHAT, UH, WHAT IS Y'ALL'S POSITION ON THE 180 DAY RULE? UH, I KNOW WE'VE TALKED A LOT ABOUT NUMBERS AND STUFF.
IT IS VERY HARD FOR ME TO SWALLOW WHEN I KNOW OTHER UNIONS HAVE MOVED AWAY FROM THE 180 DAY RULE VOLUNTARILY.
UH, THE FACT THAT IT'S A STATE LAW, WE NOW MAY BE CONSTRAINED FROM ADVOCATING FOR A CHANGE IN STATE LAW, AND AT THE SAME TIME, THE 180 DAY RULE IS NOT ADDRESSED IN THIS CONTRACT.
Y'ALL HAVE A PARTICULAR POSITION ON THAT, OR Y'ALL OPPOSED TO THAT? OH, I, I, IT DEPENDS ON HOW YOU WERE TO FRAME IT.
I MEAN, I THINK THE ASSUMPTION WAS IS THAT THE CITY CAN'T DO ANYTHING AFTER 180 DAYS.
OR THE BASE, HOW WE OPERATE RIGHT NOW IS WHEN THE DEPARTMENT WAS AWARE OR SHOULD HAVE BEEN AWARE, SOMEBODY WAS TOLD.
AND THAT'S AN INVESTIGATIVE PIECE.
UH, AND I, I DON'T THINK IT'S, IT'S QUITE, UM, I UNDERSTAND YOUR QUESTION, HAPPY TO WORK WITH YOU OFFLINE ON IT, BUT IT'S NOT, UH, ANYTHING THAT, UH, PRECLUDES THE CITY FROM DOING ANYTHING.
I THINK THERE'S A MISUNDERSTANDING OF HOW IT APPLIES, AND I'M HAPPY TO WORK WITH YOU IN YOUR OFFICE, UH, BECAUSE THAT'S CURRENTLY THE WAY IT IS NOW.
AND AGAIN, I'D ASK THAT YOU ALSO WORK WITH LEGAL ON THAT AS WELL.
BECAUSE I'M NOT, I DON'T HAVE THE ABILITY TO BE INVOLVED IN THOSE NEGOTIATIONS.
UH, GOING BACK TO YOUR REVENUE SLIDE MM-HMM
WELL, I THINK IT'S PAGE, THANK YOU FOR THE PAGE NUMBER.
UM, SORRY, IT WAS, IT'S PAGE NUMBER 11.
THE, I'LL JUST, I'LL JUST START TALKING AS WE GO THROUGH IT.
UM, COUNCILOR HORNER CHAIR, TO YOUR POINT, I BELIEVE, AND I COULD BE MISTAKEN THAT WE GET REVENUES FROM THE DEPARTMENT AS IT RELATES TO AMBULANCE TRANSPORT LICENSE AND PERMITS, STANDBY INSPECTIONS, AND SOME HAZMAT CHARGEBACK FEES.
AND LAST, I BELIEVE LAST YEAR OR THIS YEAR, WE DO RECEIVE AMBULANCE TRANSPORT SUPPLEMENTAL GRANTS OF ABOUT 20 MILLION FROM THE STATE, BUT WE CAN'T NECESSARILY BANK ON THAT.
NO, YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT THE MEDICAID WAIVER.
UM, BUT THE, THE, THE POINT I THINK WE'RE TRYING TO GET ACROSS IS WE, UH, IN, IF YOU GO BACK HISTORICALLY AND YOU LOOK AT FY, YOU GO TO FY 13 AND YOU LOOK AT THE AMOUNT OF REVENUE THAT, THAT THE FIRE DEPARTMENT BROUGHT IN AT FY 13 IN TWO YEARS TIME, BUT NO ADDITIONAL ASSET OR RESOURCE OR INCREASE IN, IN PERSONNEL, NOTHING.
WE WENT FROM $60 MILLION IN REVENUE ON AN ANNUAL BASIS TO 120 MILLION.
SO IN ONE CURRENT FIS IN ONE FISCAL YEAR ALONE, THE CITY SAW AND REALIZED 60 MILLION ADDITIONAL REVENUE DOLLARS THE CITY HAD NEVER SEEN BEFORE.
AND IT WENT INTO THE GENERAL FUNDING GOT SUCKED AWAY.
AND WHAT, UH, WHAT WE WERE WORKING WITH THE CITY AND, AND WHAT WE WANNA WORK WITH THE CITY IS SAYING, IF YOU START LOOKING AT THIS AS HOW CAN WE MAXIMIZE THE EFFICIENCY OF WHAT WE HAD, UM, TAKE SOME OF THAT REVENUE, PUT IT TO THE SIDE, WHAT WE'RE SAYING IS THAT THERE'S NO OTHER DEPARTMENT THAT PUTS MONEY BACK IN THE GENERAL FUND LIKE THE FIRE DEPARTMENT DOES.
AND WE WANT TO BE ABLE TO SAY, HEY, HOW CAN WE MAXIMIZE WHAT WE'RE GETTING? HOW CAN WE STRUCTURE IT? AND THAT'S TO SHOW IF WE'RE COMPOUNDING THE, THE FIVE YEAR CONTRACT, 'CAUSE LET'S SAY WE WENT THE 10 YEAR CONTRACT AND YOU KNOW, THE FINAL FIVE YEARS WAS 0%, WE CAN SAY IT'S GONNA COST A BILLION DOLLARS.
AND I, AND I GET, I I UNDERSTAND ALL THAT.
IT'S JUST SO, BECAUSE YOU HAD MENTIONED THE REVENUE BROUGHT IN MM-HMM
UH, LOOKING BACK, I BELIEVE THOUGH THE BUDGET FOR THE DEPARTMENT ITSELF IS AT LEAST THIS YEAR PROJECTED FOR 594 MILLION.
'CAUSE AGAIN, WE ARE, WE'VE BEEN THROWING AROUND A LOT OF A HUNDRED MILLION, A HUNDRED MILLION.
I KNOW THE DIRECTOR BROUGHT THAT UP AS WELL.
YOU'RE NOT SUGGESTING THAT THAT 107 MILLION IS WHAT CAN PAY FOR THE UH, OH, I PROJECTED THIS ABSOLUTELY SUGGESTING THAT YOU CAN, IF YOU WERE TO LOOK AT WHAT THE, YOU COULD, AND THE ANSWER IS YOU COULD, UM, IF YOU, BUT THE, IF YOU, RIGHT.
BUT WE CAN'T, WE'RE NOT EVEN CUT.
LIKE THAT 100 MILLION DOESN'T EVEN COVER WHAT WE'RE CURRENTLY SPENDING WITHIN THE DEPARTMENT.
WELL, I THINK WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT, THE FIRE DEPARTMENT IS NOT A REVENUE GENERATION MODEL.
[02:00:01]
BUT IF IT'S THE SAME WAY AS YOU TALK ABOUT FEES FOR EVERYTHING ELSE, UH, YOU HAVE BASIC CORE CITY SERVICES THAT PEOPLE EXPECT THEIR TAXPAYERS, UH, EXPECT TO HAVE SERVICES.AND WHAT WE'RE SAYING IS, IS THAT IF YOU ARE MAXIMIZING THE AMOUNT OF MONEY THE CITY'S GETTING BACK TO THE GENERAL FUND DOLLAR FOR DOLLAR, IT HAS MORE VALUE FOR THE CITY.
UM, BECAUSE YOU HAVE THE SAME AMOUNT OF RESOURCES, YOU HAVEN'T INCREASED IT AND YOU'RE GETTING THAT MONEY VERSUS IF YOU DIDN'T MAXIMIZE, UH, WHAT YOU'RE TAKING IN, YOU KNOW, THE CITY COULD, YOU KNOW, IN ESSENCE LOSE 107 MILLION.
IT'S NOT A, I'M ALL FOR EFFICIENCIES AND HOW CAN WE GENERATE MORE REVENUE TO HELP PAY FOR SOME OF THIS? SURE.
I THINK WE'RE ALL ALIGNED ON THAT.
I JUST WANTED TO CLARIFY THAT WE WEREN'T SUGGESTING THAT THAT 107 CAN SIMPLY COVER IT WHEN WE ARE NOT EVEN COVERING WITH THE REVENUE GENERATED WHAT THE CURRENT FIRE DEPARTMENT'S BUDGET IS, WHICH IS UPWARD CLOSE TO $600 MILLION.
WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THIS COVERING THE, THE CONTRACT AMOUNT.
WE'RE TALKING ABOUT ROUGHLY $45 MILLION OUT OF A $6 BILLION BUDGET.
WE'RE SAYING THAT THIS SHOWING THAT THE REVENUE THAT THE FIRE DEPARTMENT'S BRINGING IN COULD WELL COVER WHAT THE INCREASED COST ON A YEARLY BASIS IN YEAR ONE.
AND IT GOES DOWN FROM THERE, UH, ON A CONTRACTUAL BASIS, WE'RE SIMPLY POINTING OUT IF YOU HAVE AN INCREASED AMOUNT OF REVENUE COMING IN, HOW CAN WE MAXIMIZE IT AND MAKE IT THE MOST EFFICIENT AND HELP THE CITY IF WE'RE LOOKING FOR FUNDS.
UM, EVERYBODY, THANKS SO MUCH FOR HANGING IN THERE.
OH, WE HAVE PUBLIC, WE HAVE PUBLIC SPEAKERS.
UM, WE'LL START WITH FELIX KAPO FROM THE NORTHEAST ACTION COLLECTIVE.
HOW LONG DO I HAVE TO SPEAK? THREE MINUTES.
UM, COUNCIL MEMBERS AND STAFF, UH, THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME.
UM, REALLY HERE TO SPEAK ON THE BUDGET.
I REALIZE THERE ARE SOME, A LOT OF MOVING OBJECTS THIS YEAR DURING THE BUDGET SEASON, BUT, UM, REALLY WANTED TO EMPHASIZE THE RULING OF THE TEXAS APPEALS COURT, UM, THIS PAST TUESDAY, IF I'M NOT MISTAKEN, THAT THE AVALOR TAX DIVERSION THAT'S BEEN DIVERTING DRAINAGE FUNDS, UM, AWAY FROM PUBLIC WORKS AND UH, AND STREET DRAINAGE INTO THE GENERAL FUND NEEDS TO STOP.
AND WITH THAT BEING SAID, UM, IT'S REPORTED THAT WOULD PRODUCE UPWARDS OF $90 MILLION, UM, THAT WOULD THEN GO BACK INTO DRAINAGE.
SO I'M HERE TO SAY ONE, THIS IS SOMETHING THE MAYOR HAS CAMPAIGNED ON.
UM, THIS IS SOMETHING WE AS AN ORGANIZATION IN THE NORTHEAST ACTION COLLECTIVE HAVE WORKED ON ENDLESSLY AND TIRELESSLY FOR 3, 4, 5 PLUS YEARS.
UM, WE DO NOT WANT TO SEE THIS MONEY, UH, BE DIVER, CONTINUE TO BE DIVERTED, ESPECIALLY WHEN THERE HAS BEEN A JUDGE IN THE TEXAS APPEALS COURT SAYING THAT DIVERSION NEEDS TO STOP.
UM, WE DO UNDERSTAND THAT THERE ARE BUDGET CONSTRAINTS THIS YEAR AND WE'RE ALWAYS CONSISTENTLY ASKED ABOUT FUNDING SOURCES.
THIS IS THE FUNDING SOURCE AND THESE DEMANDS.
I THINK ONE THING I REALLY WANNA SAY, LIKE FROM MY HEART, THESE DEMANDS AREN'T SOMETHING WE ARE CONVINCING PEOPLE TO SAY.
LIKE THESE ARE DEMANDS THAT COMMUNITIES THROUGHOUT HOUSTON, OUTSIDE OF NORTHEAST HOUSTON, THROUGH ANY NEIGHBORHOODS, AND WITH Y'ALL AS COUNCIL MEMBERS, Y'ALL PROBABLY HEAR THIS FLOODING IS AN ISSUE THAT PEOPLE CARE ABOUT.
ACCORDING TO A HOBBY SCHOOL SURVEY IN 2019 OR IN 2020, FLOODING WAS THE TOP PRIORITY, UM, FOR CITIZENS IN HARRIS COUNTY.
FOR VOTERS IN THIS PAST YEAR ON A SURVEY, FLOODING WAS A NUMBER TWO PRIORITY.
I THINK WE NEED TO SHOW THE VOTERS THAT YOU ALWAYS SERIOUS ABOUT INVESTING IN, UM, IN DRAINAGE INFRASTRUCTURE.
AND SO THERE IS A FUNDING SOURCE AS WELL.
WE HAVE OUR DEMANDS, WE'VE SENT IT TO MOST OF YOUR OFFICES.
BASICALLY WE WANT THE DITCH REESTABLISHMENT PROGRAM, UM, TO BE FUNDED WITH $45 MILLION.
WE WANT THE LDP PROGRAM TO INCREASE IN $20 MILLION IN FUNDING, AND WE WANT PEOPLE'S PRIVATE SEWER LATERALS TO BE TAKEN CARE OF.
OTHERWISE THEY'RE JUST GONNA LIVE WITH CROP IN THEIR YARD AND BE EXPOSED TO DISEASE TOXICS, UM, FROM, FROM GRAY WATER, AND WHO KNOWS WHAT ELSE.
UM, SO THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME.
UM, NEXT WE HAVE BENJAMIN BROADWAY.
[02:05:15]
OKAY, GOT YOU, GOT YOU.I'D LIKE TO THANK CITY COUNCIL FOR LETTING ME COME AND SPEAK TODAY.
UM, SOME OF THESE SITUATIONS I'M HERE TO SPEAK ABOUT THE TAX DIVERGENT, IT NEEDS TO STOP.
UM, WE HAVE SO MANY PROJECTS WE HAVE BEEN HISTORICALLY NEGLECTED.
AND IT'S NOT JUST DISTRICT B, IT'S ALL OF THE DISTRICTS.
IT'S A WHOLE CITY OF HOUSTON, YOU KNOW, MAY NOT ONLY IN DISTRICT H, DISTRICT I DISTRICT A AND DISTRICT CI MEAN, YOU KNOW, IT'S A LOT OF THINGS.
THERE'S TRIBUTARIES THAT ARE OVERGROWN.
WE NEED THE MONEY TO GO TO FLOOD MITIGATION, TO GO TO PUBLIC WORKS, TO WHERE THEY CAN HIRE NEW EMPLOYEES, GET EQUIPMENT AND GET THE CITY CLEANED UP.
HERE WE ARE FACING ANOTHER HURRICANE SEASON.
DO Y'ALL THINK THAT YOUR DISTRICTS CAN WITHHOLD IT NOW? I THINK WE NEED TO WORK WITH PUBLIC WORKS, GET THE MONEY OUT THERE, GET THE EMPLOYEES, GET THE PEOPLE TRAINED, AND LET'S STOP THE FLOODING BECAUSE IT'S SO MANY PEOPLE THAT HAVE LOST THEIR LIVES DURING HURRICANE HARVEY.
MAN, I HAD A VERY CLOSE FRIEND OF MINE LOSE A MAJORITY OF HIS FAMILY.
THE MAYOR TALKS ABOUT PUBLIC SAFETY.
OKAY, I CAN NAME TWO AREAS IN DISTRICT B WHERE THEY HAVE TO GO AND SET UP.
THEY HAVE TO GO AND SET UP BLOCKADES FOR PEOPLE NOT BEING ABLE TO DRIVE IN THOSE AREAS.
WE WOULDN'T LOSE FIREMEN, WE WOULDN'T LOSE POLICEMEN, WE WOULDN'T LOSE FIRST RESPONDERS DURING ALL THESE MASSIVE FLOODS IF WE WOULD JUST WORK ON THE INFRASTRUCTURE WE ALREADY HAVE.
SO THAT'S ALL I HAVE TO SAY ABOUT THAT.
THANK YOU SO MUCH, MR. BROADWAY.
CAROLINE, CAROLYN RIVIERA ONLINE.
CAROLYN RIVIERA, THE FLOOR IS YOURS.
UH, I'M WITH THE NORTHEAST ACTION COLLECTIVE AND WE, AS FAIRNESS AND ACCEPTANCE OF THE WILL OF THE VOTERS IN 2010 AND 2018, BE REFLECTED IN THE CITY BUDGET FOR DRAINAGE AND THAT YOU STOP THE HISTORICAL HABITS OF HOUSTON CITY GOVERNMENT, OF IGNORING THE WILL OF THE PEOPLE.
BECAUSE AS A RESULT OF POOR INFRASTRUCTURE FOR DRAINAGE, PEOPLE HAVE DIED IN FLOODS, HOMES LOST PROPERTY LOSS, AND SOIL POLLUTED.
TO THE POINT, GRASS DOES NOT GROW AND TREES ARE DYING, AND WE CANNOT EVEN PLANT BEAUTIFUL FLOWERS AND HEALTHY VEGETABLES BECAUSE OF THE POLLUTION FROM FLOODS THAT ARE IN OUR COMMUNITY.
IT IS ESSENTIAL THAT THE BUDGET UTILIZE THE AVALOR TAX TO UPDATE, REPLACE AND, AND MAINTAIN THE INFRASTRUCTURE OF HOUSTON DRAINAGE SYSTEM.
WE WANT TO WORK WITH YOU TO HAVE A HEALTHY AND THRIVING LIFE AND ENVIRONMENT.
NEXT WE'LL HAVE CHERYL HENDERSON.
MY IT DON'T WANT TO COOPERATE WITH ME.
I WAS TRYING TO GET TO WHERE I WAS, WHAT I WAS GOING TO TALK ABOUT IT DIDN'T WANNA COOPERATE IT, IT DISAPPEARED ON ME.
WHAT, UM, THANK YOU FOR HEARING ME OUT AND TO HEAR ME SPEAK.
UM, UM, WHAT THE FIRST THING I WANT TO TALK ABOUT IS THE ARTICLE DATE, DECEMBER 10TH, 2023.
UH, THE CITY NEEDS TO FOLLOW THE, FOLLOW THE WILL OF THE VOTERS AND USE THE FUNDS FOR THE PURPOSE FOR WHICH THERE WERE INTENDED.
WE SPEND, WE WILL SPEND THE MONEY
[02:10:01]
ON THE STREETS AND THE DRAINAGE WHERE MAYOR WOODMORE TOLD THE CHRONICLE.OKAY, I UNDERSTAND HIM TELLING THE, THE, UH, THE CHRONICLE THAT WE, THAT'S THE MONEY WE NEED TO USE FOR THE, THE, UH, STREETS AND THE DRAINAGE.
THEN I'M GOING TO THE ARTICLE APRIL 24TH, 2020 FOURTH.
WHILE, WHILE I RECOGNIZE IN
MAYOR WOODMORE STATE, I MEAN SAID STATEMENT.
THIS SHOWS AGAIN, THE NEED FOR US TO HAVE A GROWN UP DISCUSSION ABOUT THE SHORT AND LONG TERM CONDITIONS OF THE C CITY FINANCE.
I HEAR, WHICH I HEAR ABOUT, I MEAN, INHERITED AND, AND WE SHOULD NOT CONTINUE TO KICK THIS TO DOWN THE ROAD.
MY UNDERSTANDING IS WE, WE WAS TOLD THAT BEING IN THAT WE WAS TOLD THAT WE HAD GOT, UH, GOT THE FUNDING TO START WORKING ON THE DRAINAGE INFRASTRUCTURE ALL OVER HOUSTON AND THE PARTS THAT NEEDED AND THE PARTS THAT DON'T HAVE IT TO KEEP US FROM FLOODING OUT.
BUT HOW, AND I'M NOT TRYING TO BE DISRESPECTFUL OR ANYTHING, HE WENT BACK AND CONTRADICTED ITSELF ABOUT HOW THE FUNDING SHOULD BE FUNDED.
I UNDERSTAND WE HAVE PUBLIC SAFETY, BUT WHAT WE NEED TO GET TAKEN CARE OF IS THAT DRAINAGE INFRASTRUCTURE FIRST, BECAUSE IT'S TOO MANY PEOPLE GETTING SICK.
TOO MANY PEOPLE LOSING HOMES, TOO MANY PEOPLE IS DYING WHEN WE DO HAVE THESE HURRICANES AND FLOOD OUT REAL BAD.
YOU CAN'T GET IN, YOU CAN'T GET OUT.
YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT'S FLOATING IN YOUR WATER.
WE DON'T KNOW IF IT'S SNAKES, ANIMALS COMMIT CHEMICALS.
IT COME, IT BACKS BACK UP INTO YOUR HOME AND IT'S HARMFUL TO YOU.
YOUR TIME HAS EXPIRED, BUT THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR ADVOCACY.
THANK YOU FOR HAVING US BE HERE AND SPEAKING ON BEHALF.
MY NAME IS HAMZA AVE AND I'M WITH NORTHEAST ACTION COLLECTIVE AND I LIVE IN DISTRICT A, WHICH THERE, I DON'T KNOW WHY MANY OF THE PEOPLE AREN'T HERE TODAY.
UM, BUT YEAH, I AM A RESIDENT OF DISTRICT A AND MANY OTHERS HAVE SPOKEN WELL ABOUT WHAT WE NEED IN THE CITY.
WE NEED A BETTER INFRASTRUCTURE FUNDING AND WE NEED TO HAVE, WE HAVE BEEN COMING OUT FOR YEARS AND WE CAN'T KEEP ON COMING OUT TO URGE THE CITY TO DO BETTER.
WHEN Y'ALL ARE EDUCATED, I'M ASSUMING, ON HOW TO LIVE IN A SUSTAINABLE AND EQUITABLE CITY, WE HAVE TO END THE AN ADD VALOREM TAX DIVERSION, WHICH WOULD CREATE OVER 22 MILLION ADDITIONAL FUNDING PER YEAR, WHICH CAN GO DIRECTLY INTO DRAINAGE INFRASTRUCTURE AND USE OUR FUNDS BETTER.
WE KNOW THAT WE NEED, WE KNOW WHAT WE NEED TO DO.
THE CITY KNOWS WHAT WE NEED TO DO.
PEOPLE HAVE BEEN COMING OUT FOR WEEKS UPON WEEKS TO COME OUT AND TALK ABOUT THIS IS WHAT WE NEED.
WHY DON'T, DOESN'T THE CITY LISTEN TO US AND OUR CRIES BECAUSE WE ARE DYING.
THE CITY OF HOUSTON IS DYING AND SINKING FROM LACK OF INFRASTRUCTURE AND IT'S ALL TIED TOGETHER.
OUR HOUSTON MAYOR, WHO IS NOT HERE RIGHT NOW, HE SAID THAT HE IS WILLING TO SPEND MONEY ON STREETS AND DRAINAGE WHEN HE WAS RUNNING FOR MAYOR.
WHERE IS THAT? WE NEED A SAFER CITY, RIGHT? AND WE NEED TO BE SAFER CITY BY LIVING IN A SAFE ENVIRONMENT, NOT BY JUST HAVING MORE MONEY INTO HPD ALL THE TIME.
WE NEED, WE NEED MONEY IN ALL THE OTHER DEPARTMENTS, PUBLIC WORKS, SOLID WASTE PARKS, ED, EDUCATION DEPARTMENT, LIKE WE NEED MORE MONEY THING AND THINGS THAT MATTER TO US.
OUR FUTURE GENERATION IS, DO WE WANT OUR FUTURE GENERATION TO GO EXTINCT BECAUSE OF THE WAY OUR CITY IS NOT MANAGING INFRASTRUCTURE.
OUR CITY IS NOT READY FOR A HURRICANE HARVEY.
WE ARE NOT READY FOR OTHER STORMS. WE WERE NOT READY FOR URI.
WE WERE NOT READY FOR A PREVIOUS STORMS. AND WE'VE SEEN HOW MANY HURRICANES COME THROUGH.
LOOK WHAT HAPPENED TO GALVESTON IN 1900.
ARE WE WAITING FOR SOMETHING LIKE THAT TO HAPPEN AGAIN IN HOUSTON WHERE HOUSTON'S ECONOMY IS DERAILED BY A HURRICANE, WHEN WE,
[02:15:01]
THIS CITY HAS ENERGY, UM, IS THE CAPITAL CITY OF ENERGY RIGHT, OF THE WORLD, AND WE HAVE LOTS OF REFINERIES AND, UM, ON THE COAST, THOSE ARE GOING TO BE AFFECTED BY CLIMATE CHANGE.AND IT'S ALL RELATED TO WHAT'S HAPPENING AT IN PALESTINE.
CHEVRON IS FUNDING A GENOCIDE.
ALL THESE COMPANIES SHOULD BE HELPING US INSTEAD OF HARMING US.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH APPRECIATE YOUR BEING HERE.
MS. BROOKS NEED TO UNMUTE? UNMUTE.
LOOKS LIKE YOU'RE ON MUTE TO GO.
I'M KARA BROOKS FROM THE WEST STREET RECOVERY AND I WANT SAY THAT, UM, THE BEGINNING BUDGET CYCLE, HOUSTON MUST INCREASE ANNUAL DRAINAGE FUNDING BY 90 MILLION UNTIL THE DISRE DISRUPTED FUND.
IN THE FUTURE, THAT AMOUNT MAY BE EVEN HIGHER AS HOUSTON FLOODING AND INFILTRATION CRISIS VERSUS THE MONEY MUST BE TOWARD THE DRAINAGE PROJECTS THAT WILL HAVE THE MOST TARGETED IMPACT AND SUPPORT THE MOST VULNERABLE.
FOR THE SIX YEARS, WEST STREET RECOVERY AND NORTHEAST ACTION HAVE WORKED TOGETHER TO COLLECT THE, BUILD THE COMMUNITY KNOWLEDGE AND DETERMINE TARGETED STRATEGIES THAT MINIMIZE AND REACH THE LIMIT DRAINAGE FUNDING THESE STRATEGIES PRO PROPOSED IN THE DRAINAGE BUDGET DEMANDS FOR 2025 REDUCE THE COM, THE COMPOUND HEALTH DANGERS IN FLOODING AND CONTRACTS TO DECADES AND NEGLECT OF DIVERS AND BLACK AND BROWN AREAS IN HOUSTON.
THROUGHOUT OUR ADVOCACY, WE HAVE ARGUED TO THE ENDING OF THE, A DIVERSION TO BOTH LEGALLY REQUIRED AND NECESSARY TO PROTECT COMMUNITIES.
IN ADDITION, THE 90 MILLION IS ENOUGH TO FULLY AND PERMANENTLY FUND THE DEMANDS OF 45 MILLION ANNUALLY TO CONTINUE THE REESTABLISH.
THIS PROGRAM, IN ADDITION, 20 MILLION ANNUALLY FOR LOCAL DRAINAGE PROJECTS AND INJECTION OF THE FUNDING INTO PUBLIC WORK SHOULD ALSO CREATE SPACE TO LAUNCH, TO SEW A LATERAL ASSISTANCE.
OVERALL, HOUSTON IS NOT SPENDING NEARLY ENOUGH OF FLOOD MITIGATION AND CLIMATE RESIDE.
WE HAVE REPEATEDLY BEEN TOLD THAT THERE ARE NOT ENOUGH FUNDING OR THAT FUNDING DRAINAGE PROJECTS WOULD TAKE AWAY FROM OTHER ESSENTIAL SERVICES.
THIS REBUTTAL IS EXTREMELY DISHEARTENING CONSIDERING THAT ALL FOR DECADES THE CITY HAVE BEEN DIVERTING TAX DOLLARS THAT WE ARE MANDATED BY VOTERS.
THE CITY CHARTER IS SPECIFICALLY FUNDS DRAINAGE, AND I JUST WANNA ADD TO THAT PERSONALLY, WE CANNOT STAND ANOTHER HURRICANE, EVEN JUST WITH LITTLE RAIN.
IF IT RAIN A LITTLE, YOU CANNOT GET FROM EACH BLOCK TO BLOCK AND FROM STREET TO STREET.
THE FLOODING IS COMING UP AND WE MUST, AND WE NEED THE MONEY FOR THE DRAINING FOR THE INFRASTRUCTURE.
IT MUST GO TO THE INFRASTRUCTURE BECAUSE YOU, WE DON'T NEED TO COME TO THE HURRICANE IF IT RAINED LITTLE JUST TO THE AREA, YOU HAVE TO, IT TOOK SIX HOURS FOR ME TO GET HOME ONE DAY JUST UNTIL THE RAIN, JUST A FIVE MINUTE DRIVE WITHIN MY HOME TO WAIT UNTIL THE WATER COME DOWN.
SO WE MUST PROPOSE FOR THE INFRASTRUCTURE.
LOU WAS NOT THE, DO NOT SEE HER.
SHE WAS SUPPOSED TO BE IN PERSON.
SO I'LL MOVE ON TO BECKY CELL.
WITH THAT, OUR MEETING IS OVER.