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[Budget and Fiscal Affairs on July 1, 2024.]
EVERYONE, AND WELCOME TO THE MONDAY, JULY 1ST, 2024 BUDGET AND FISCAL AFFAIRS COMMITTEE.I'M SALLY ALCORN, CHAIR OF THE CITY'S BUDGET AND FISCAL AFFAIRS COMMITTEE, AND I'D LIKE TO WELCOME MY VICE CHAIR MAR, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER MARIO CASTILLO AND STAFF FROM COUNCIL MEMBER ED POLLARD'S, OFFICE COUNCIL MEMBER JOAQUIN MARTINEZ, COUNCIL MEMBER VICE MAYOR, PRO TEM AMY PECK, UH, STAFF FROM COUNCIL, UH, VICE FROM MAYOR PRO TEM MARTHA CASTEX, TATUM'S OFFICE COUNCIL MEMBER JULIAN RAMIREZ, STAFF FROM COUNCIL MEMBER HUFFMAN'S OFFICE AND STAFF FROM COUNCIL MEMBER ABBY CAYMAN'S OFFICE.
AND WELCOME TO OUR CONTROLLER CHRIS HOLLINS AND FINANCE DIRECTOR MELISSA DEBOWSKI.
AND TODAY WE ARE GOING TO, TIFFANY THOMAS IS ONLINE.
AND TY UM, COUNCIL MEMBER TIFFANY THOMAS IS ONLINE AND I THINK COUNCIL MEMBER FRED FLICKINGER IS ALSO ONLINE AND STAFF FROM COUNCIL MEMBER PLUMMER'S OFFICE IS ONLINE.
AND TODAY WE ARE HAVING A PRETTY SIMPLE MEETING.
WE'RE JUST GOING OVER THE MONTHLY FINANCIAL REPORT.
SO WITH THAT, UM, PLEASE PROCEED.
I THINK IT'S THE CONTROLLER, RIGHT? YEAH.
UH, VICE CHAIR, HONORABLE MEMBERS OF COUNCIL AND STAFF ALSO.
I'M PLEASED TO PRESENT THE MONTHLY FINANCIAL REPORT FOR THE MONTH ENDED MAY 31ST, 2024.
IN THE GENERAL FUND, THE CONTROLLER'S OFFICE IS PROJECTING AN ENDING FUND BALANCE OF $466.2 MILLION FOR FISCAL YEAR 2024.
THIS IS $11.4 MILLION LOWER THAN THE PROJECTION OF THE FINANCE DEPARTMENT DUE TO A LOWER REVENUE PROJECTION THAN FINANCE.
BASED ON OUR CURRENT PROJECTIONS, THE FUND, THE FUND BALANCE WILL BE APPROXIMATELY $280 MILLION ABOVE THE CITY'S TARGET FOR HOLDING 7.5% OF TOTAL EXPENDITURES, EXCLUDING DEBT SERVICE AND PAY AS YOU GO IN RESERVE.
OUR REVENUE PROJECTION INCREASED BY $12.4 MILLION FROM THE APRIL, 2024 MONTHLY FINANCIAL REPORT, PRIMARILY DUE TO AN $8.6 MILLION INCREASE IN CHARGES FOR SERVICES BASED ON HIGHER THAN ANTICIPATED AMBULANCE FEES AND $3.5 MILLION AND A $3.5 MILLION INCREASE IN INTEREST INCOME BASED ON HIGHER INTEREST EARNINGS ON DEPOSITS AND INVESTMENTS.
OUR EXPENDITURE PROJECTION IS UNCHAINED FROM THE APRIL, 2024 REPORT IN THE ENTERPRISE FUNDS.
THE CONVENTION AND ENTERTAINMENT FUND SAW AN $8.1 MILLION INCREASE IN NON NON-OPERATING REVENUES BASED ON HIGHER THAN ANTICIPATED HOTEL OCCUPANCY TAX COLLECTIONS.
TOTAL OPERATING TRANSFERS INCREASED BY $8.1 MILLION AS WELL DUE TO A CORRESPONDING INCREASE IN TRANSFERS TO HOUSTON.
FIRST, WE'RE PROJECTING NO CHANGES FROM THE PREVIOUS MONTH'S AMOUNTS AND THE AVIATION OPERATING FUND, THE COMBINED UTILITY SYSTEM FUND, STORM WATER FUND, OR THE DEDICATED DRAINAGE AND STREET RENEWAL FUNDS 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.
THE RATIO OF UNHEDGED VARIABLE RATE DEBT FOR EACH TYPE OF OUTSTANDING DEBT WAS WELL BELOW THAT THRESHOLD.
MADAM CHAIR, AS A MATTER OF PERSONAL PRIVILEGE, AS I HAVE A COUPLE THINGS I WANNA SHARE WITH YOU.
UH, FIRST OF ALL, UH, IT'S OUR CONCERN ABOUT, UH, THE IMPACT OF THE LAWSUIT RELATED TO THE 11.80 CENTS FOR DEDICATED DRAINAGE AND STREET RENEWAL FUNDS.
UH, AS YOU'RE AWARE SINCE, UH, MY LAST REPORT TO YOU, UH, THE CITY LOST ITS APPEAL, UH, ON THAT JUDGMENT, UH, OUR CITY ATTORNEY HAS INDICATED THAT WERE WE TO LOSE OUR SUPREME COURT APPEAL, UH, THAT THAT, UH, FINANCIAL, UH, IMPACT WOULD NOT COME TO PASS UNTIL FISCAL YEAR 2026.
UH, THAT HAVING BEEN SAID, I HAVEN'T SEEN ANY EVIDENCE THAT THAT'S TRULY THE CASE.
AND SO WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT IF WE WERE TO LOSE OUR APPEALS AT THE SUPREME COURT, UH, IS AN EXTRA 110 TO $120 MILLION THAT WE WOULD NEED TO LOCATE AND INVEST IN DRAINAGE FUNDS, UH, IMMEDIATELY.
UH, THAT'S A BIG ISSUE THAT I THINK THE CITY COUNCIL SHOULD BE PAYING ATTENTION TO, AND WE SHOULD MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE FIRM ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS ABOUT WHERE THOSE FUNDS WOULD COME FROM AND WHAT SEEMS TO BE A RELATIVELY LIKELY SCENARIO THAT WE LOSE THAT APPEAL.
UM, NEXT I'D LIKE TO TOUCH ON, UH, SOME OF THE REQUESTS THAT WE'VE MADE FOR FISCAL YEAR 2025, UM, THAT WERE NOT INCLUDED IN THE BUDGET.
MOST IMMEDIATE AND URGENT IS THE NEED FOR US TO BE ABLE TO PAY AN INCOMING CITY AUDITOR, UH, A REASONABLE SALARY.
UH, AS YOU MAY, UH, RECALL, OUR CURRENT SALARY FOR OUR CITY AUDITOR IS AROUND IS MID A HUNDRED EIGHTIES, UH, WHICH IS THE 77TH HIGHEST PAID, UH, EMPLOYEE WITHIN THE CITY OF HOUSTON.
AND NOWHERE NEAR WHAT'S NECESSARY, UH, TO ATTRACT A TALENTED PERSON TO DO THAT JOB.
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URGENT IS BECAUSE WE'VE ACCEPTED THE RETIREMENT OF OUR LONGTIME CITY AUDITOR AND ARE NOW IN THE MARKET, UH, FOR A NEW CITY AUDITOR.UH, OVER THE PAST COUPLE OF WEEKS, I'VE SPOKEN TO LEADERSHIP, UH, FROM ALL OF THE BIG FOUR AUDITING FIRMS IN HOUSTON, UH, AS WELL AS THE, THE REMAINDER OF THE TOP SEVEN AUDITING FIRMS, UH, HERE IN HOUSTON.
UH, NOT ONLY HAVE THEY, UH, VERY HELPFULLY ACCEPTED, UH, OUR REQUEST, UH, TO HELP US TO FIND, UH, TALENTED FOLKS WHO MIGHT BE INTERESTED IN TAKING ON THIS JOB, BUT THEY'VE ALSO CONFIRMED TWO THINGS FOR US.
NUMBER ONE, UM, THAT THE RESEARCH WE HAD DONE PREVIOUSLY THAT SOMETHING IN THE TWO 40 TO TWO 60 RANGE FOR A CITY AUDITOR WOULD BE, UH, AN AMOUNT THAT WOULD AT LEAST GET A SECOND GLANCE FROM SOMEBODY OF THE TALENT LEVEL THAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR.
AND THE SECOND THING THAT THEY CONFIRMED WAS THAT OUR CURRENT SALARY SOMEWHERE IN THE, IN THE MID ONE EIGHTIES, UH, WOULD NOT AT ALL BE ATTRACTIVE TO SOMEONE OF THE TALENT AND THE CALIBER THAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR.
AND SO WE STILL NEED CITY COUNCIL'S HELP, UH, WITH, UH, TWO THINGS.
ONE IS, IS THE, THE PAY SCALE FOR THE CITY AUDITOR TO BE INCREASED, AND THEN OF COURSE FOR US TO HAVE THE CORRESPONDING BUDGET AMOUNT, UH, IN THE CITY CONTROLLERS OFFICE BUDGET.
UM, AND THEN FINALLY, UH, THE OTHER THING THAT THAT WAS NOT MOVED FORWARD IS OUR NEED FOR ADDITIONAL AUDITORS.
AS YOU MIGHT UNDERSTAND, OUR UH, FOCUS IS ON HIRING THE CITY AUDITOR RIGHT NOW, THE PERSON WHO'S GONNA RUN THE ENTIRE OPERATION AT THE TIME THAT, THAT WE BRING THAT PERSON IN.
AND OUR TARGET CURRENTLY, UH, IS, IS END OF JULY, UH, TO BRING THAT PERSON IN.
THEN WE'RE GONNA TASK OUR NEW CITY AUDITOR WITH GROWING THE DEPARTMENT.
AND SO YOU MAY HEAR FROM ME AGAIN ABOUT THE NEED, UH, FOR MORE CITY AUDITORS AT THAT TIME, BUT RIGHT NOW OUR NUMBER ONE PRIORITY IS BRINGING IN AN INCREDIBLY TALENTED, CAPABLE AND MOTIVATED PERSON TO SERVE AS CITY AUDITOR.
UH, AND THEN TO BE ABLE TO PAY THAT PERSON APPROPRIATELY.
UM, WE CERTAINLY COULD FIND 60 SOMETHING THOUSAND DOLLARS IN THAT, IN THAT BUDGET.
UM, I'LL CERTAINLY ADVOCATE FOR THAT.
I DO WANNA TOP TALENT IN THAT POSITION AND, UM, I I, I'M GLAD TO ADVOCATE FOR THAT WITH THE ADMINISTRATION.
UM, ON YOUR FIRST POINT, THE, UH, LAWSUIT, UH, YOU AND ME BOTH VERY, VERY CONCERNED ABOUT THIS LAWSUIT.
UM, IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING THE APPEALS COURT JUST DIDN'T TAKE IT UP.
UM, OR DID, I MEAN, IS THAT THE SAME AS LOSING? I'M NOT A LAWYER, CORRECT? IS THAT, THAT'S THE SAME AS LOSING.
THEY DIDN'T, THEY DIDN'T TAKE THE CASE, RIGHT? RIGHT.
IF YOU APPEAL AND THE HIGHER COURT DOESN'T TAKE IT, THAT MEANS THEN YOU LOST.
SO, UH, AND THAT SAME THING COULD HAPPEN.
THE SUPREME COURT COULD AGREE TO, TO, COULD NOT TAKE IT UP AS WELL.
AND, UH, HISTOR, YOU KNOW, THERE'S, THERE'S NO TIMELINE BY WHICH THE SUPREME COURT HAS TO TAKE IT OR NOT TAKE IT.
THEY COULD JUST BE SILENT, SO WE COULD BE IN LIMBO FOR SOME TIME.
THAT HAVING BEEN SAID, UM, THERE'S REASONABLE LIKELIHOOD THAT WE WON'T BE IN LIMBO VERY LONG AT ALL.
AND THE QUESTION IS WHAT HAPPENS IF WE WERE TO LOSE IN THAT SCENARIO? YEAH.
NO, I THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR KEEPING THAT AT THE FOREFRONT.
UM, WE ALL NEED TO BE MINDFUL OF THAT.
I KNOW THERE'S, WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT IT A LOT AND, AND, UH, WE'RE ALL VERY CONCERNED ABOUT IT, AND WE WE'RE GONNA NEED TO FIND THE REVENUES TO, UM, TO, UH, SATISFY IT, WHATEVER, WHATEVER HAPPENS.
UM, SO THANK YOU FOR YOUR COMMENTS.
THIS IS, THIS IS THE 11 PLUS ONE FINANCIAL REPORT FOR THE PERIOD ENDING MAY 31ST, 2024.
FISCAL YEAR 24 PROJECTIONS ARE BASED ON 11 MONTHS OF ACTUAL RESULTS AND ONE MONTH OF PROJECTIONS FOR THE GENERAL FUND.
OUR REVENUE PROJECTION IS 52.3 MILLION HIGHER THAN THE ADOPTED BUDGET AND 9.8 MILLION HIGHER THAN THE PRIOR MONTH.
THE VARIANCE FROM THE PRIOR MONTH PROJECTION IS DUE TO A $5.6 MILLION INCREASE IN CHARGES FOR SERVICES, AS THE CONTROLLER MENTIONED DUE TO HIGHER THAN ANTICIPATED AMBULANCE FEES, AS WELL AS $4.2 MILLION INCREASE IN INTEREST EARNINGS TO REFLECT HIGHER THAN ANTICIPATED EARNINGS IN THE POOL.
ON THE EXPENDITURE SIDE, OUR PROJECTION IS $42.4 MILLION HIGHER THAN THE ADOPTED BUDGET AND REMAINS UNCHANGED FROM THE PRIOR MONTH.
WE ARE CURRENTLY PROJECTING THE ENDING FUND BALANCE OF 478 MILLION, WHICH IS ABOUT 10 MILLION HIGHER FROM THE PRIOR MONTH.
AND 19.2% OF ESTIMATED EXPENDITURES, LESS DEBT SERVICE AND PAY AS YOU GO.
THAT FUND BALANCE IS APPROXIMATELY 291 MILLION ABOVE THE TARGETED 7.5% OF EXPENDITURES, LESS DEBT AND PAY AS YOU GO.
UM, JUST TOUCHING ON SALES TAX, ALTHOUGH WE'RE NOT CHANGING OUR PROJECTION, UM, FOR THE MONTH, I DID WANNA REVIEW, UM, BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, EVERY MONTH WE HAVE ANOTHER MONTH OF INFORMATION THAT WE GET FROM THE STATE.
UM, SO BASED ON THE, THE LAST PERIOD THAT WE JUST COLLECTED, THE SALES TAX RECEIPTS FOR APRIL, WERE ABOUT 1% HIGHER THAN THE SAME PERIOD LAST YEAR, AND ABOUT 0.4% HIGHER THAN BUDGETED.
UM, SO OUR CURRENT ESTIMATE OF 880.7 MILLION WE STILL FEEL IS CONSERVATIVE.
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TO DATE, WE'RE AVERAGING JUST PRETTY MUCH FLAT WITH THE PRIOR YEAR COLLECTIONS.UM, AND SO IN ORDER TO HIT THE CURRENT PROJECTION OF 880.7 MILLION, THE REMAINING MONTHS CAN COME IN UP TO 4% DOWN AND STILL HIT THAT PROJECTION.
SO MOVING ON TO THE ENTERPRISE FUNDS, UM, AS THE CONTROLLER MENTIONED, OUR ONLY CHANGE IS ON THE CONVENTION AND ENTERTAINMENT FUND WHERE NON-OPERATING REVENUES INCREASED BY 8.1 MILLION DUE TO HIGHER THAN ANTICIPATED HOTEL OCCUPANCY TAX COLLECTIONS.
AND AS A RESULT, THE TRANSFERS ARE ALSO INCREASED BY THE SAME AMOUNT.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH, DIRECTOR ON THE, UM, THE FIREFIGHTER BOND, WHAT'S THE TIMING ON ALL THAT? YES, SO WE'VE BEEN VERY BUSY WORKING EVER SINCE, UM, COUNCIL HAS APPROVED THE TRANSACTION.
UM, SO THE ANTICIPATED TIMELINE IS THAT WE'RE PLANNING TO PRICE THE BOND TRANSACTION NEXT WEEK ON JULY 11TH.
UM, AND WE WILL HAVE, UH, AN ANTICIPATED, UM, PRETTY FAST TURNAROUND BETWEEN PRICING AND CLOSING OF JULY 18TH.
UM, AND SO SIMULTANEOUSLY WE'RE WORKING, UM, WELL, OF COURSE THE CONTROLLER'S OFFICE IS A BIG PART OF THE BOND TRANSACTION, SO, UM, WE HAVE ALL DAILY COMMUNICATIONS WITH THEIR OFFICE, UM, AND OUR FINANCIAL ADVISORS, OUR LEGAL TEAM, THE BANKING TEAM THAT'S WORKING ON THE TRANSACTION.
UM, SO THE PLAN IS TO PRICE AND CLOSE WITHIN THE NEXT COUPLE WEEKS.
I AM NOT SEEING ANY QUESTIONS IN THE QUEUE.
THANKS VERY MUCH FOR YOUR REPORT.
WE'LL SEE YOU IN THE MORNING AND, UH, APPRECIATE IT.
WE ARE NOT ADJOURNED BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE A QUORUM, BUT, BUT WE HAVE DOUG SMITH'S CLIP.
OH, WE DO HAVE A PUBLIC COMMENTER.
DOUG SMITH, HOW COULD I FORGET YOU? COME ON.
UH, JUST SOME QUESTIONS ON THE MONTHLY FINANCIAL REPORT ON PAGE 11, IT SHOWS A BALANCE IN THE, UH, ESSENTIAL PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICES FUND OF $45 MILLION.
AND I'M WONDERING WHY THAT MONEY IS NOT SPENT.
UH, I, THIS IS JUST A QUESTION I HAVE.
THAT, THAT'S A QUESTION WE CAN DEFINITELY ASK THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT, DOUG.
AND THEN ON PAGE FOUR, UM, BETWEEN PAGE THREE AND FOUR, IT SHOWS, UH, GENERAL FUND REVENUES AND GENERAL FUND EXPENSES, AND IT'S A NET $9 MILLION, UH, INCREASE IN REVENUES.
WHERE DOES THE $64 MILLION DIFFERENCE, UH, COME UP FROM, UH, THE BUDGETED ACTUAL VERSUS THE CURRENT PROJECTION? UH, IT'S SOMEHOW SEEMS IT SHOULD RELATE TO THE REVENUES AND EXPENSES, BUT IT DOESN'T.
AND I ASKED A SIMILAR QUESTION.
UM, BUT I DON'T HAVE THE ANSWER ON THAT YET, BUT I WILL CERTAINLY GET THAT FOR YOU.
I KNOW THAT YOU'VE GOT YOUR ADOPTED ONE, THE CURRENT PROJECT, THE CURRENT PROJECTION IS KIND OF WHERE WE END UP.
OR YOU KNOW, WHICH WE SHOULD, THIS IS THE, BUT WHERE DID THE $64 MILLION INCREASE COME FROM? THAT'S WHAT I DON'T UNDERSTAND.
SO YEAH, IT'S PROBABLY FROM A, FROM A BUNCH OF DIFFERENT PLACES.
I GUESS THEY'RE GONE, BUT DEPARTMENT HEADS AREN'T GONNA STAY FOR QUESTIONS AGAIN OR WHAT'S THE STORY ON THAT? YEAH, WE DO HAVE STAFF FROM FINANCE HERE.
SO YOU'RE, UM, PAULA, YOU GETTING THIS QUESTION? OKAY.
WE'LL MAKE SURE YOU GET AN ANSWER.
I DON'T, I DON'T THINK THEY'RE, THEY'RE PREPARED TO ANSWER IT RIGHT NOW, BUT OKAY.
AND THEN, UH, ON PAGE 14, UH, UNDER, UH, STREETS AND BRIDGE STREETS, BRIDGES AND TRAFFIC CONTROL, UH, IT SHOWS, UM, THAT, UH, THERE'S $122 MILLION OF APPROVED, BUT ON ISSUES, MY ASSUMPTION IS THAT NO MORE DEBT WILL BE ISSUED FOR STREETS.
YOU KNOW, SO THAT'LL JUST SIT THERE OLD, UM, BONDS.
AND RELATED TO THAT, UH, I HAD ASKED FOR THIS LAST YEAR, WELL, I'M SURE YOU REMEMBER THIS, I, CAROL HADDOCK A VERY DETAILED, UH, UNDERSTANDING OF D-D-S-R-F, THE WHOLE BREAKDOWN.
AND I THINK THE FINANCE GUY THAT DID THAT IS STILL IN THE DEPARTMENT, SAMIR.
YEAH, BECAUSE WE HAD A SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD ALLIANCE MEETING AND HE WAS THERE, UH, AND IT'S BEEN A LONG TIME SINCE WE'VE SEEN THAT, AND NOW PARTICULARLY IT'S TIME TO DO IT AGAIN.
AND I, I WILL PLEDGE TO YOU, UM, DOUG WILL GET THAT TO BFA.
I THINK THAT'S APPROPRIATE TO BRING TO BFA, UM, A, A, A DEEP DIVE INTO THAT, ESPECIALLY WITH THIS, THE LOOMING LAWSUIT, ESPECIALLY WITH THE LAWSUIT.
UM, GOING ON, IT WOULD BE GOOD TO GET, UH, AN UPDATE ON YEAH.
SO THANKS FOR BRINGING THAT UP, AND WE'LL PUT IT IN ONE OF THE COMING MONTHS.
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AND THEN FINALLY, I WAS NOT ABLE TO MAKE IT TO THE, UH, MEETING WHERE YOU DID CAPITAL, THE CAPITAL BUDGETS, AND I DON'T THINK CITIZENS HAVE BEEN, UH, CONSULTED ON CAPITAL BUDGETS FOR FIVE YEARS, SOMEWHERE AROUND FIVE YEARS.AND I WOULD LIKE TO ASK, UH, THAT, THAT CHANGE AND THAT WE HAVE INPUT, BECAUSE OUR PRIORITIES CERTAINLY SHOULD BE CONSIDERED FOR THOSE BUDGETS.
CAROL HADDOCK MADE A COMMENT SEVERAL YEARS AGO THAT THEY WERE GOING TO TRY TO DO THOSE INDIVIDUAL, UH, DISTRICT MEETINGS IN THE FALL, IN THE FALL, UH, SO THAT THEY COULD TAKE THE INPUT AND THEN MAKE THAT INPUT PART OF THE BUDGET, UH, YEAR.
UH, AND I THINK IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT TO REINSTITUTE THOSE, UH, DISTRICT MEETINGS, UH, TO GET CITIZENS INPUT, UH, ON WHAT THEY WOULD LIKE TO SEE IN THAT BUDGET.
WE HAVEN'T HAD THOSE IN A WHILE AS YOU KIND OF, THEY KIND OF DIED WITH COVID AND THEY ARE IMPORTANT.
I'M A BIG BELIEVER IN MORE PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT.
WE HAD SEVERAL SPEAKERS THAT, UM, DURING THE, THE CIP UH, PUBLIC SESSION THAT YOU, YOU MISSED, UM, WANTING MORE.
I MEAN, WE'RE OBVIOUSLY NOT HAVING THEM THIS YEAR.
UM, BUT IT WOULD CERTAINLY, I WILL ADVOCATE FOR MORE PUBLIC INPUT.
THEY MIGHT, THEY MIGHT NOT FOLLOW THE SAME EXACT FORMAT.
UM, BUT, BUT THERE DOES NEED TO BE SOME EFFORT TO GO TO THE COMMUNITY TO TALK ABOUT THE CAPITAL PROJECTS THAT WE'RE SPENDING THEIR TAX DOLLARS ON.
I COULDN'T LET THIS MEETING GO WITHOUT, UM, UH, SPEAKING TO DOUG.
IN REGARDS TO THE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT, YOU KNOW, WE VOTE ON THE RECOMMENDED PROJECTS, UM, ON TUESDAY MORNING.
UM, BUT I WANT YOU TO KNOW THAT, AND AT LEAST IN DISTRICT F I'VE BEEN BIRD DOGGING, UM, THE PROJECTS THAT HAVE BEEN SLATED OVER THE LAST FOUR YEARS, WE HAVE SOME GOOD NEWS.
UM, SEVERAL OF OUR STREET AND DRAINAGE PROJECTS ARE IN THE QUEUE.
UH, WE HAVE, UM, CLOSE TO $182 MILLION OF FINANCIAL INVESTMENT OF CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT.
UM, AND THEN THAT'S NOT EVEN MENTIONING, UH, PROJECTS THAT ARE FUNDED BY THIRD PARTY, EITHER BY TURS FEDERAL DOLLARS AND HOPEFULLY BY HARRIS COUNTY IF THEY ACCEPT THAT.
THE LAST TIME WE WERE BEFORE YOU, I WANNA SAY IT WAS APRIL 21 WHEN WE COMBINED REDISTRICTING WITH THE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS.
BUT IF YOU GO BACK TO, UH, THAT VIDEO THAT I THINK IS STILL ON OUR DISTRICT F MICRO SITE, ALL THE PROJECTS THAT WERE PRESENTED BY THEN, CAPITAL, UH, PROJECTS DIRECTOR, MICHAEL ALREADY, UM, WE ARE IN THE QUEUE.
I HAVE UPDATES AND WE'LL HOPEFULLY BE ABLE TO PROVIDE AN UPDATE IN THE NEWSLETTER ON FRIDAY.
I HAVE AN EXTENSIVE OUTLINE AND, AND, AND THAT'S READY TO GO OUT IN TEMPLATE FORM TODAY.
AND HOPEFULLY, UH, NEXT SPRING, UH, NEXT FEBRUARY, WE CAN COME BACK TO THE COMMUNITY, UH, UH, WITH SOME DIALOGUE.
AND I JUST HAVE ONE MORE THING.
UM, THERE USED TO BE A TTI COMMITTEE, WHERE DOES, UH, UH, THE, UH, THE STUFF THAT USED TO BE CONSIDERED THERE, THE, UH, COMPUTER STUFF, THE AIRPORT STUFF, AND ALL OF THE, UH, STREETS AND DRAINAGE, WHERE IS THAT TAKE DONE NOW? YEAH, WE'RE KIND OF FIGURING THAT OUT.
IT, IT SOUND, UH, SERVICE DELIVERY IS THE, LIKE PUBLIC FACING DEPARTMENT.
LIKE I ASKED RECENTLY WHERE PERMITTING WOULD GO, AND THAT WAS SERVICE DELIVERY.
UM, SOME OF THE THINGS LIKE, I THINK THE IT STUFF WOULD BE LIKE GOVERNMENT OPERATIONS, MORE OF A BACK OFFICE FUNCTION MM-HMM
UM, AS FAR AS STREETS AND DRAINAGE GO, YOU KNOW, AND INFRASTRUCTURE.
I THINK IT, IT, IT COULD COME HERE TO BFA, IT COULD BE IN, IN, YOU KNOW, WE SERVICE DELIVERY, SERVICE DELIVERY, ONE OF THE OTHER COMMITTEES.
'CAUSE THEY ALL, THEY ALL ARE A LOT OF MONEY.
AND IT, IT NEEDS SOME PUBLIC FACING SURE.
I THINK SERVICE DELIVERY IS GONNA BE VERY BUSY.
'CAUSE THAT THERE'S A LOT OF, A LOT OF, UM, THINGS THAT ARE PUBLIC FACING THAT WE'RE DELIVERING SERVICES.
THAT'S PRETTY MUCH WHAT THE CITY DOES DELIVER SERVICES TO THE RESIDENTS.
SO EVERYTHING FROM BARK TO, TO, UM, PERMITTING TO STREETS AND DRAINAGE TO, YOU KNOW, IT'S A, IT'S A BIG, A BIG ASK.
WELL YOU'RE, YOU'RE, I'M CONCERNED ABOUT IT AND I GUESS YOU ARE TOO.
SO THANK YOU, DOUG, AS ALWAYS.
ANY OTHER PUBLIC SPEAKERS? OKAY, EVERYBODY, REALLY APPRECIATE YOUR TIME AND WE WILL SEE YOU IN THE MORNING.