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COMING. THERE WAS A WHILE. HE SHOULD BE IN RECOVERY RIGHT NOW. YES. DID HE MAKE IT OKAY? I HAVEN'T ALL RIGHT. WE'LL CALL TO ORDER THESE CITY WORKSHOP ON MARCH 24TH, 2026 AT 3:02 P.M.
I'M GOING TO ASK COUNCIL MEMBER VASQUEZ OR. OKAY, FINE. SURE. YOU PLEASE STAND IF YOU'RE ABLE, FOR A PRAYER. COUNCILMAN, PLEASE JOIN ME IN PRAYER. HEAVENLY FATHER, I JUST THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO GATHER AND WHO YOU HAVE PUT ON THIS COUNCIL AND THROUGH YOUR SELECTIONS. TOUCH US. FATHER, HELP US TO WORK THINGS TO PERFECTION. JUST GUIDE US, WORK WITH US. AND THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR PATIENCE. BUT I JUST ASK FOR GREAT THINGS FOR ODESSA. AND I THANK YOU FOR YOUR GUIDANCE. I THANK YOU FOR OUR ALL THE DEPARTMENTS THAT WE HAVE THAT ARE PROVIDING SUCH WONDERFUL SERVICES AND OUR EMERGENCY SERVICES. BUT I JUST PRAISE YOUR NAME. IN JESUS NAME I PRAY. AMEN. AMEN. THANK YOU.
[3. Presentation for a proposed utility water and wastewater rehabilitation project located at 8th Street and Grandview Avenue. Upgrades of water and wastewater lines]
COUNCILMAN NEIL. ALL RIGHT. GO TO AGENDA ITEM NUMBER THREE, PRESENTATION FOR PROPOSED UTILITY WATER AND WASTEWATER REHABILITATION PROJECT LOCATED AT EIGHTH STREET IN GRANDVIEW.ALEX, GOOD AFTERNOON, MAYOR AND COUNCIL. I AM HERE TO DISCUSS AND PRESENT TO YOU A PROPOSED UTILITY WATER AND WASTEWATER REHAB PROJECT THAT WE HAVE AT EIGHTH AND GRANDVIEW. THIS IS GOING TO BE VERY SIMILAR TO THE PROJECT THAT WE DID ON EIGHTH AND DIXIE PUBLIC WORKS IS LOOKING AT REDOING, RESURFACING THAT ROADWAY FROM EIGHTH AND GRANDVIEW ALL THE WAY DOWN ON GRANDVIEW TO SECOND STREET. SO WE'RE LOOKING AT UPGRADING THE UTILITIES IN THAT PORTION OF THE ROADWAY. SO HERE IS A MAP OF THE PROPOSED SECTIONS. AS YOU'LL SEE ON THE NEXT SLIDE, IT IS MOSTLY SEWER. WE DO HAVE SOME UPGRADES OVER TIME IN THE WATER AREAS OF THAT THOSE PORTIONS. SO OUR PROJECT IS GOING TO CONSIST OF 6300 LINEAR FEET OF SIX INCH VCP REMOVAL AND REPLACE IT WITH PVC PIPE. THESE LINES WERE INSTALLED BACK IN 1956 WITH SOME ADDITIONS IN 1967. THERE'S APPROXIMATELY 750 LINEAR FEET OF CAST IRON THAT WILL BE ■REPLACING THAT. THOSE WATER LINES WERE INITIALLY PUT IN IN 1956. WE HAVE HAD SOME LINE BREAKS IN THIS AREA OVER THE PAST COUPLE OF YEARS. SO. SO FOR THE PROJECT ENGINEER AND THIS IS ONLY FOR THE DESIGN PORTION OF THE PROJECT, WE'RE LOOKING AT PARTNERING WITH HAFEN ASSOCIATES. SO WE'RE GOING TO GO THROUGH A DESIGN PHASE 60, 90 AND 100% PLANS WITH BIDDING AND CONSTRUCTION PHASE SERVICES. WE'RE ALSO INCLUDING SINCE PUBLIC WORKS IS GOING TO COME IN RIGHT AFTER WE'RE LOOKING AT ALSO DOING INCLUDING THE SURVEY AND GETTING THAT UP FRONT THROUGH HALF. SO HALF IS ALSO GOING TO BE HOPEFULLY WORKING WITH PUBLIC WORKS ON THEIR PORTION OF THE ROADWAY TOO. SO THE TOTAL COST OF THIS PROJECT IS $315,000. DESIGN PHASE IS 197 AND SPECIAL SERVICES IS 118. AND THEN THE DESIGN TIMELINE OF THIS LOOKS TO BE FINISHED BY THE END OF THE YEAR. AND THEN ONCE THAT PORTION IS COMPLETE, THEN WE'LL TAKE THAT TO BID PHASE. AND THEN WE'LL TAKE IT TO BID AND THEN CONSTRUCTION AFTER THAT. THANK YOU. DO YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS? I HAD ONE QUESTION I WASN'T SURE. IF I'M LOOKING AT YOUR IF YOU GO TO THAT MAP PAGE. SURE. IS IT THE BLUE LINE? THAT'S THE FRESHWATER AND GREEN THAT'S WASTE OR. YES, SIR. SO GREEN WOULD BE OUR SEWER SYSTEM. AND THEN THE BLUE LINE WOULD BE POTABLE WATER LINE OUR WATER LINES. YES, SIR. SO AGAIN, SOME OF THOSE WATER LINES HAVE BEEN UPGRADED. AND SO WE LOOKED AT OUR INFRASTRUCTURE MAP, OUR GIS MAP, TO MAKE SURE THAT THE AREAS WE INCORPORATED, WE DIDN'T GO BACK AND TOUCH IF THEY MOST OF THOSE I THINK WERE REDONE IN LIKE 2008, 2009. SO THOSE AREAS WERE GOING TO KEEP THE WAY THEY ARE. SO, YOU KNOW, MY ONLY CONCERN REALLY, BECAUSE I LOOK AT IT, THAT WASTEWATER LOOKS LIKE IT'S DEAD CENTER, MIDDLE OF OF GRANDVIEW. IT LOOKS LIKE. RIGHT. IT IS. YES, SIR. AND THEN LISTEN, PEOPLE ARE SENSITIVE IN ODESSA ABOUT THE AMOUNT OF PROJECTS THAT'S GOING ON. AND I GET THAT WE GOT I MEAN, BUT I ALSO GET REPLACING 70 YEAR OLD WATER LINES AND WASTEWATER LINES, RIGHT? 100% AGREE WITH THIS, BUT I'M ASKING YOU, WHEN WE TALK TO THE WHEN YOU TALK TO THE DESIGN TEAMS, WE HAVE TO FIND A WAY TO MINIMIZE THE INCONVENIENCE TO DRIVERS, BECAUSE GRANDVIEW OBVIOUSLY IS ONE OF THE MAJOR THOROUGHFARES. AND I KNOW KIDS GOING TO SCHOOL, YOU KNOW, AT LEAST TO REAGAN OR OTHER, YOU KNOW, CAN GO THROUGH THAT, THAT AREA. SO I JUST DON'T KNOW HOW TO DO THAT AND BE RESPONSIBLE BECAUSE I THINK WE ALL CAN AGREE IF IT'S A 70 YEAR OLD WATER LINE AND THEY'VE HAD MULTIPLE BREAKS, LET'S FIX IT. LET'S GET IT REPAIRED. I
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JUST WANT TO KEEP THAT IN MIND THAT SOMEHOW WE HAVE TO BE SENSITIVE TO THE PUBLIC AND GET IT DONE EITHER QUICKLY OR EFFICIENTLY TO MINIMIZE INCONVENIENCE TO DRIVERS THAT HAVE TO GET UP AND DOWN FOR SURE. AND WE CAN LOOK AT POSSIBLY PUTTING IT IN THE RIGHT OF WAY, DEPENDING ON SLOPES, ELEVATIONS, THINGS LIKE THAT TO, AND THEN WE CAN JUST ABANDON IT IN PLACE AND MAYBE JUST WHERE WE'RE WORKING IN THE RIGHT OF WAY, JUST DEPENDING ON WHAT TYPE OF RIGHT OF WAY THAT WE HAVE THE CITY HAS IN THOSE AREAS. GOTCHA. I WONDER IF WE COULD JUST I THOUGHT WE WERE COMMUNICATING IT THROUGH OUR COMMUNICATIONS DEPARTMENT ABOUT THE CONSTRUCTIONS THAT ARE GOING ON THROUGHOUT THE CITY. I MEAN, JUST BEING TRANSPARENT WITH THE PUBLIC, HEY, HEY, THIS IS GOING TO HAPPEN AND THIS IS WHY IT NEEDS TO HAPPEN. I MEAN, IF YOU TELL ME THAT YOU'RE GOING TO IMPROVE MY WATER LINE IN MY AREA, I'M GOING TO BE HAPPY EVEN THOUGH IT'S GOING TO INCONVENIENCE ME, BECAUSE THIS IS FOR THE FUTURE AND THE CITIZENS OF TOMORROW. YOU KNOW, I'LL SAY THIS, THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF AT LEAST SOCIAL MEDIA POSTS ABOUT IT. THEY'RE ALL NEGATIVE. YOU KNOW, I AGREE 100% WITH YOU. AND I THINK WE HAVE FIDUCIARY RESPONSIBILITY TO OUR CITIZENS TO WE DON'T HAVE WATER BREAKS. AND HOW YOU HAVE WATER BREAKS HAS 70 YEAR OLD LINES. SO I THINK WE HAVE TO DO IT. BUT I DO THINK WE HAVE TO BE, TO THE DEGREE POSSIBLE, SENSITIVE PEOPLE GOT TO GET TO WORK, THEY GOT TO GET THEIR KIDS TO SCHOOL AND THEY GOT TO GET TO CHURCH. AND SO WHATEVER WE CAN DO TO MINIMIZE THE IMPACT, I THINK WE HAVE TO TRY TO FIND THAT BALANCING TEST BETWEEN FIXING EVERYTHING, BUT ALSO BEING SENSITIVE TO OUR TRAVELING PUBLIC. WELL, AND I THINK THIS IS AN OPPORTUNITY. I THINK WHAT PEOPLE ARE TIRED OF IS, DIDN'T YOU JUST DIG UP EIGHTH AND DIXIE? DIDN'T YOU JUST DIG UP 42ND AND DIDN'T YOU JUST DO THAT? WHY ARE WE DOING THAT AGAIN? WHY ARE WE DOING.SO AN OPPORTUNITY HERE TO KIND OF LIKE WE'RE DOING ON WEST COUNTY, LIKE LET'S GO AHEAD AND DO THE WATER AND THEN TECHDOCS RIGHT BEHIND US TO DO THE RESURFACING OF THE ROAD WHERE IT'S NOT, LET'S DO THE WATER. AND THEN A YEAR LATER, DIG IT UP AGAIN TO DO THE ROAD, THE COMMUNICATION. YEAH, IT'S, HEY, WE'RE ABOUT TO CLOSE THIS INTERSECTION, BUT IT'S NOT WHY IT'S NOT. THIS IS RELATED TO WHERE THEY'VE BEEN WORKING ON COMMUNICATION PIECE THAT DOES KIND OF TIE IT ALL TOGETHER. THAT IS MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE WHY. SO I THINK THAT'LL BE HELPFUL. JUST TYING IT, TELLING THE STORY A LITTLE MORE. SO BECAUSE THIS WAS ONE OF MY QUESTIONS YESTERDAY ABOUT AN AGAIN, LIKE THIS IS THIS IS RIGHT. WE JUST WE JUST GOT DONE FIGHTING THE BATTLE AT EIGHTH AND DIXIE. AND NOW WE GOT TO FIGHT THE BATTLE AT EIGHTH AND GRANDVIEW. WHEN DOES IT END? SO I GET IT. AND MAYOR, I APPRECIATE YOUR COMMENTS, BUT I THINK THAT THIS IS THE OPPORTUNITY TO SAY, LOOK, THIS I, I LIKE THE IDEA OF, YOU KNOW, MAYBE WE COULD MOVE IT OVER INTO THE RIGHT OF WAY. MAYBE WE COULD. WHAT, WHAT ARE THE, WHAT ARE THE WAYS TO KIND OF MITIGATE THE PAIN? PINCH POINTS HERE? HOW MANY MILES OF WATERLINE DO WE HAVE IN THIS COMMUNITY? MORE OR LESS. WE HAVE ABOUT 900 MILES OF WATER LINE, I THINK IN TOTAL WATER AND SEWER. IT'S VERY CLOSE TO 16 OR 1700 MILES. SO QUITE A FEW. YES, SIR. AND THEN WITH ALL THE NEW DEVELOPMENT WE'RE HAVING TO ADD TO IT, RIGHT. YES, SIR. IF I'M NOT MISTAKEN, YOU QUOTED THIS MIGHT HAVE BEEN A YEAR AGO WERE ANY LONGER ABOUT.
1200 MILES, 500 SEWER AND 700 WATER ARE ALL OVER 50 YEARS OLD OR OVER 60 OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT. PRE 1980. YES, SIR. PRE 1980, 1200 MILES. YEAH. YOU WERE PRINCIPAL AT O'S AND THAT WAS LIKE 100 YEARS AGO WHEN THE DINOSAURS, THE DINOSAURS WERE RESPONSIBLE FOR THAT HAPPENING, YOU KNOW. YEAH, I WAS THERE, BUT I THINK THE, AGAIN, THE BIG OPPORTUNITY HERE IS TO SAY, LOOK, WE'VE GOT THIS PROJECT AND THEN THE ROAD PROJECT, WE ARE PAYING VERY CLOSE ATTENTION AND THEN OUR CONTRACTS ARE ALL GOING TO SAY, HEY, CONTRACTOR, YOU TOLD US SIX MONTHS AND GUESS WHAT? YOU'RE GOING TO DO IT IN SIX MONTHS OR ELSE. SO REBUILDING THE TRUST WITH THE COMMUNITY IS WE'RE IN THAT PHASE TOO. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? COUNCIL OF THAT DISTRICT, GET IT DONE. YES, SIR. WE DON'T I'M NOT GOING TO SAY WE DON'T CARE ABOUT THE COMPLAINTS. WE'RE GOING TO GET THEM ANYWAY. YES, SIR. WE JUST GOT THAT GROUP OF PEOPLE OUT THERE. LET'S GET IT DONE. BECAUSE IF WE DO IT NEXT YEAR, IT'S GOING TO COST US A LITTLE MORE MONEY. YOU'RE RIGHT.
YES, SIR. THAT'S WHAT THEY DON'T UNDERSTAND. SO LET'S GET IT ALL DONE SO WE'RE NOT SPENDING MORE MONEY. ALL RIGHT. THANKS A LOT. YES, SIR. MR. TUCKER, THEY DID GET THROUGH WITH THAT H STREET. THEY THEY RIGHT ON TIME WITH IT, RIGHT? YES. ALL RIGHT. THANKS, I APPRECIATE IT. AND, ALEX, IF YOU DON'T MIND, JUST TO SET EXPECTATIONS, WE'RE TALKING 240 DAYS FOR DESIGN ONLY ONLY. SO THEN WE HAVE A DESIGN AND THAT THEN GOES OUT TO THE BID PROCESS. RIGHT. I KNOW YOU'RE GOING TO GET THE CONTRACT. AND THAT'S WHEN WE GET INTO THE
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INTO THE WELL, THE NITTY GRITTY OF HOW IS THIS THING CONSTRUCTED, RIGHT? HOW IS THE ROAD CONSTRUCTED AND WHAT KIND OF TIMELINE DO YOU WANT TO PUT ON? BECAUSE REMEMBER, THERE IS ALWAYS A BALANCE BETWEEN TIME OF A PROJECT AND COST OF A PROJECT. SO FOR INSTANCE, WE COULD SAY JUST AS AN EXAMPLE, WE COULD SAY DIXIE AND. 88TH AND DIXIE, WE COULD SAY, YOU KNOW WHAT? WE WANT THAT DONE IN 60 DAYS. WELL, THAT WOULD ALSO PROBABLY TRIPLE OR EVEN QUADRUPLE THE PRICE. SO THERE IS ALWAYS THIS BALANCE BETWEEN TIME OF A PROJECT AND COST OF A PROJECT. SO THOSE ARE THE THINGS WE HAVE TO THINK ABOUT AS WELL. BUT THAT'S AN EXCELLENT POINT AARON. THANK YOU. I DO THINK IT'S ALSO THE PUBLIC OUGHT TO HEAR THAT. THEY SHOULD HEAR I MEAN, NO OFFENSE. THERE'S, YOU KNOW, MAYBE 70 PEOPLE IN HERE AND MOST OF THEM WORK FOR THE CITY. THE PUBLIC NEEDS TO HEAR THAT. WE CAN WE CAN WORK 24 OVER SEVEN, BUT IT'S JUST GOING TO MAKE FOUR TIMES AS EXPENSIVE. AND SO WE YOU TELL US, WHAT DO YOU WANT? DO YOU WANT TO WORK? YOU WANT TO GET IT DONE 60 DAYS AND SPEND FOUR TIMES THE AMOUNT OR DO WHATEVER TERM THEY IS. ALTHOUGH FROM MY PERSPECTIVE, THAT SEEMED LIKE A LONG TIME TO PLAN. WOULD YOU EITHER NEED MORE ENGINEERS OR FASTER ENGINEERS? I KNOW IT'S NOT GOING TO HAPPEN, BUT I'M TELLING YOU THAT SEEMS INCREDIBLY LONG JUST TO DESIGN IT. YEAH, IT DOES SEEM LONG. BUT YOU KNOW, WE'RE ALSO DOING SURVEY TOO, SO WE'RE HAVING TO SURVEY ALL THE MANHOLES TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY'RE CORRECT. AND THEN WE'RE GOING OFF OF DESIGN PLANS FROM THE 1950S. RIGHT. AND SO THERE'S A LOT OF THINGS THAT DON'T NECESSARILY CORRELATE THAT. WE'RE UNDERGROUND BACK THEN TO NOW. SO IT DOES TAKE A LITTLE BIT OF TIME TO TO DO THAT. YES, SIR. THANKS. JUST SET ANOTHER EXPECTATION. IF IT WAS PRIOR TO 1980, IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO LOOK AT IN THE VERY NEAR FUTURE IF WE'RE IF WE'RE GOING TO ADDRESS INFRASTRUCTURE ISSUES, WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO ADDRESS THAT.AND THERE IS A LOT MORE OF THIS NEED FOR REPLACEMENT OUT IN OUR COMMUNITY. IT'S IT'S IT'S A SUBSTANTIAL AMOUNT ACTUALLY. SO BUT WE'LL GET THERE. BUT WE HAVE TO START SOMEWHERE. WE DO.
THANK YOU ALEX. WE APPRECIATE IT. THANK YOU GUYS. THANKS, ALEX. LET'S GO. AGENDA ITEM
[4. Discuss authorizing the City Manager to negotiate and execute annexation service agreements on behalf of the City of Odessa. Establish terms and conditions. ]
NUMBER FOUR DISCUSS AUTHORIZING THE CITY MANAGER TO NEGOTIATE AND EXECUTE ANNEXATION SERVICE AGREEMENTS. WE'LL HAVE THE CITY OF ODESSA. AARON, THANK YOU FOR COMING. DALLAS. YES. THANK YOU MAYOR. THANK YOU. COUNCIL. WHAT THIS WOULD DO OR WHAT THIS PROPOSED RESOLUTION WOULD DO.AND OF COURSE, WE'RE JUST IN A WORK SESSION TODAY, BUT IT AUTHORIZES THE CITY MANAGER TO NEGOTIATE AND EXECUTE WRITTEN SERVICE AGREEMENTS FOR ANNEXATION. SO, FOR INSTANCE, ANYTIME YOU HAVE AN ANNEXATION AND THE WAY IT WORKS NOW, RIGHT, IS NOW WE'RE OUT OF A FORCED ANNEXATION, EVERYTHING IS VOLUNTARY. SO REALLY THE ONLY THINGS THAT ARE GOING TO BE COMING INTO THE CITY ARE DEVELOPMENTS. SO THINK OF A D R HORTON OR A B OR ONE OF THOSE TYPE OF FOLKS OR, YOU KNOW, MR. LEE AND HIS DEVELOPMENTS, THINGS LIKE THAT. SO WHAT THIS WOULD ALLOW US TO DO IS TO NEGOTIATE THESE SERVICE AGREEMENTS BEFORE COMING TO COUNCIL. AND LET'S JUST SAY THAT BECAUSE IT IS COMING, IT IS ULTIMATELY COMING TO COUNCIL.
RIGHT. BUT THE IDEA IS TO LET THE CITY MANAGER AND STAFF WORK THROUGH ALL THE DETAILS OF OF A OF THIS AND THEN ULTIMATELY BRINGING IT BACK TO THE COUNCIL BEFORE YOU ANNEX IT. RIGHT.
BECAUSE ULTIMATELY THE COUNCIL STILL HAS TO APPROVE THE ANNEXATION. AND THESE SERVICE AGREEMENTS ARE TIED TO THE ANNEXATION. SO BASICALLY, WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO IS BE AS QUICK AS POSSIBLE, CUT THE RED TAPE, CUT DOWN THE BUREAUCRACY, LET'S GET IT KNOCKED OUT. THE HARD PART, IF YOU WILL, OF THE SERVICE AGREEMENTS BEFOREHAND, AND THEN COME TO YOU WITH AN ANNEXATION AGREEMENT, WHICH, BY THE WAY, WILL ALSO HAVE THE SERVICE AGREEMENT. AND AND AGAIN, IT'S JUST MORE IT'S JUST AN EFFICIENT STEP IN MY OPINION. AGAIN, WE WANT TO BE MORE BUSINESSLIKE. WE WANT TO CUT THE RED TAPE. WE WANT TO BE MORE EFFICIENT. WE THINK THIS HELPS US DO THAT. THANK YOU. COUNCIL QUESTIONS. NO, I JUST SUPPORT THE IDEA BECAUSE, I MEAN, THESE ARE THE PEOPLE THAT HAVE THE EXPERTISE AND THE KNOWLEDGE, YOU KNOW. SO YEAH, I'M ALL FOR IT I AGREE. ANYBODY HAVE ANY THOUGHTS ELSE OTHER THAN LET'S FULL STEAM AHEAD, IMPROVING IT, STREAMLINING IT. YOU GOT IT AARON. THANK YOU. WE AGREE. ALL RIGHT. LET'S GO TO
[5. Discuss the need for amendments to City ordinances related to the enforcement of sign regulations, junked vehicles, and all City code enforcement regulations. ]
AGENDA ITEM NUMBER FIVE. DISCUSS THE NEED FOR AMENDMENTS TO THE CITY ORDINANCES RELATED TO THE ENFORCEMENT OF SIGN REGULATIONS, JUNKED VEHICLES AND ALL CITY CODE ENFORCEMENT REGULATIONS. COUNCIL MEMBER STOKER. RIGHT. SO ONE OF THE HOTTEST TOPICS OTHER THAN CONSTRUCTION IS. KIND OF THIS LIST OF THINGS HOW HOW ODESSA LOOKS. AND I GET MORE COMMENTS ABOUT WHY DON'T YOU ALL CLEAN THIS PLACE UP AND IT'S, IT'S BEYOND TRASH. IT'S BEYOND THE[00:15:07]
GARBAGE. AND MR. BARKER AND I STARTED A CONVERSATION ABOUT THIS. WE DID HAVE TO POSTPONE, BUT ABOUT A MONTH AGO AND CONTINUED THIS CONVERSATION YESTERDAY WITH MR. SMITH AND THE, THE MANAGEMENT TEAM, JUST TO KIND OF FIGURE OUT WHAT'S THE ROUTE THAT WE GO. AND I KNOW THAT IT HAS BEEN A TOPIC WE'VE DISCUSSED. MR. STRETCHER HAD SOME IDEAS FOR US, BUT WE WANTED TO PUT FORTH JUST SOME TALKING ABOUT EFFICIENCIES. HOW DO WE KIND OF BRING TOGETHER AND LOOK AT OUR CODE TO TRULY START ENFORCING SOME OF THE SOME OF THE CODES? I, YOU KNOW, LOOKING AT JUNK VEHICLES, LOOKING AT COMING DOWN H STREET, I DON'T KNOW HOW Y'ALL GET TO CITY HALL, BUT WE GOT A PROBLEM. OUR COMMERCIAL NEIGHBORS ARE NOT. THEY'RE NOT UPHOLDING THEIR END OF THE BARGAIN. AND ONCE YOU COME EAST OF ABOUT THE LOOP, IF YOU WILL, YOU JUST START GETTING THESE STRIP MALLS THAT ARE OWNED BY OUTSIDE LLCS THAT ARE IN CALIFORNIA OR WHOEVER. THEY DON'T THEY DON'T KNOW THAT THEIR PROPERTIES LOOK LIKE THIS. THEY DON'T CARE. AND SO I HAD QUESTIONS ABOUT, YOU KNOW, SEVERAL IN PARTICULAR. AND IF YOU COME DOWN H STREET, I HAD A LITTLE SLIDESHOW WE PUT TOGETHER, BUT IT DIDN'T MAKE THE CUT, I GUESS. SO, YOU KNOW, THERE'S 14 SIGNS ON H STREET THAT ARE EITHER BROKEN OR FLAPPING IN THE WIND OR GENERALLY JUST UNATTRACTIVE TO SEE. AND I KEEP SAYING THAT IT'S KIND OF LIKE MAKING YOUR BED. I DON'T KNOW IF PEOPLE MAKE THEIR BED OR NOT. I'M NOT PARTICULARLY GREAT AT IT, BUT WHEN YOU COME HOME AND YOUR BED'S MADE YOU JUST FEEL BETTER. AND IT'S THE SAME THING ABOUT LOOKING AT AT THE WAY THE TOWN LOOKS. IF YOU START PICKING UP THE LITTLE THINGS THAT ARE JUST THESE EYESORES THAT YOU MAY NOT PARTICULARLY PAY ATTENTION TO, BUT IF YOU CAN MAKE IT DOWN H STREET OR MAKE IT WHEREVER, AND YOU'RE NOT HAVING TO DRIVE PAST THESE LOTS THAT ARE OVERGROWN AND THESE LOTS THAT ARE FULL OF JUNKED CARS AND THESE BUSINESSES THAT ARE SIGNS FALLING DOWN, RUSTED. I MEAN, LOOK AT THIS PICTURE. YOU CAN EVEN POINT SOME OF THEM OUT IN DOWNTOWN THAT NEEDS SOME SOME LOVING CARE. BUT TALKING ABOUT A VIBRANT DOWNTOWN, WE CAN ALL THINK OF A COUPLE OF BUILDINGS THAT NEED SOME ENCOURAGEMENT. SO THAT WAS THE START OF THIS DISCUSSION THAT LED TO THE NEXT AGENDA ITEM THAT WE CAN EITHER GO TO NEXT. I DON'T REALLY KNOW WHAT THE THE ORDER OF THIS BECAUSE I WANT TO, I DON'T REALLY KNOW WHAT THE ORDER NEEDS TO BE, BUT THESE THREE ALL KIND OF GO TOGETHER, RIGHT? I HEAR YOU AND I APPRECIATE THAT. CRAIG. I WOULD ASK THOUGH, LET ME START WITH JAMES. DO WE NOT WANT TO MAKE SURE I UNDERSTAND WE DON'T HAVE ORDINANCES THAT WE CURRENTLY ENFORCE, IS THE QUESTION I'M ASKING. THEY'RE NOT STRONG ENOUGH OR THEY'RE NOT. THEY'RE TOO VAGUE OR TELL ME WHAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR. I THINK I GUESS IT COMES DOWN TO ENFORCE UPON WHAT SOMETHING THE CITY HAS JUNK VEHICLE ORDINANCES. IT'S JUST A MATTER OF PURSUING AND ENFORCING. THERE ARE CODE ENFORCEMENT. I GUESS THE CATEGORY OF CODE ENFORCEMENT IS EXTREMELY BROAD. SO LET'S LET'S BREAK IT DOWN TO WHETHER WE'RE TALKING ABOUT ENFORCEMENT OF, YOU KNOW, OVERGROWN YARDS, TALL GRASS, WEEDS, ACCUMULATED BRUSH JUNK IN PEOPLE'S YARDS OR DILAPIDATED SUBSTANDARD STRUCTURES. WE HAVE THOSE ORDINANCES IN PLACE. AND SO WE HAVE THOSE. WE HAVE A JUNK VEHICLE ORDINANCE IN PLACE. I'VE REVIEWED IT. IT IS PRETTY RECENT AND IT DOES MATCH UP JUNK VEHICLE OR THE RARE EXCEPTIONS WHERE IT MUST IT MUST BE COMPLIANT WITH STATE LAW. IN OTHER WORDS, WE CAN'T HAVE A DIFFERENT DEFINITION FROM WHAT'S IN THE TEXAS TRANSPORTATION CODE. OUR DEFINITION IS UP TO DATE WITH WHAT'S IN THE TEXAS TRANSPORTATION CODE, SO IT IS ENFORCEABLE. I THINK IT'S A LOT OF IT IS A FUNCTION OF GETTING THE PROCESS DOWN, MOVING THE COURT SYSTEM ALONG, AND ENSURING THAT THESE CASES ARE ACTUALLY JUST TURNED OVER IN THE COURT, WHICH IS A PROCESS THAT WE'RE WORKING ON RIGHT NOW.SO SOME OF THAT IS ALREADY HAPPENING. THERE ARE CODE VIOLATIONS, CITATIONS THAT ARE NOW MAKING IT THROUGH. THERE ARE SOME ANIMAL VIOLATIONS, ANIMAL CODE VIOLATIONS. AND I THINK WE'LL START SEEING THOSE START TO ACTUALLY KIND OF GET SET ON DOCKETS AND GET THAT ENFORCEMENT MOVING. IT'S JUST THERE'S MOVING PIECES AND IT'S MULTIPLE PIECES AS SIGN REGULATIONS. I'VE KIND OF OBSERVED THE SIGN REGULATIONS STAND OUT A LITTLE BIT. THERE'S ABOUT THEY'RE SPREAD OUT THROUGHOUT THE CODE OF ORDINANCES. AND ONE THING I THINK WHAT MAYOR PRO TEM AND I SPOKE OF IS THIS POSSIBILITY OF HAVING SOME MORE IN-DEPTH REVIEW TO STREAMLINE SOME OF THESE REFERENCES. IN OTHER WORDS, YOU KNOW, WE DO HAVE A
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CHAPTER ON SIGN REGULATIONS, BUT THAT'S NOT THAT'S ONLY ONLY SOME OF THE REGULATIONS ARE THERE. SOME OF THEM ARE IN DIFFERENT OTHER PARTS OF THE CODE. AND I THINK THAT NEEDS TO BE CLEANED UP. AND I THINK THAT WILL HELP IN ENFORCEMENT ENFORCEMENT EFFORTS. AND SO I THINK IT'S JUST A MATTER OF UPDATING AND STREAMLINING SIGNS PROBABLY STAND OUT AS JUST THERE'S, IT'S JUST NUMEROUS PLACES THROUGHOUT THE CODE THAT THEY'RE REGULATED AND SIGNS CAN GET CONFUSING FOR ANYONE. WE HAVE ON PREMISES SIGNS, WE HAVE OFF PREMISES SIGNS, WE HAVE TEMPORARY OFF PREMISES SIGNS AND TEMPORARY ON PREMISES SIGNS. AND THOSE ALL HAVE DIFFERENT LEVELS OF REGULATION. SO WE PROBABLY JUST NEED TO CLEAN THOSE TYPES OF REGULATIONS UP AND WHICH IS SOMETHING THAT WE CAN START WORKING ON. BUT WE'RE ALSO WORKING ON THIS ON THE CODE ENFORCEMENT SIDE WITH MUNICIPAL COURT AS WELL. SO THAT'S THAT PROCESS IS GETTING STREAMLINED AS WE SPEAK RIGHT NOW. OKAY. I THINK WE ALL CAN AGREE WE WANT EVERYTHING STREAMLINED TO MAKE IT EASIER ON THE PUBLIC AS WELL AS US ENFORCEMENT ISSUES, RIGHT? ENFORCEMENT IS HAPPENING. WE ARE GOING TO BE HAVING CODE ENFORCEMENT DOCKETS AT MUNICIPAL COURT, AND THOSE WILL BE SET FOR INDIVIDUALS WHO DO RECEIVE CITATIONS. AND THEY WILL BE THEY WILL BE REQUIRED TO COME INTO COURT AND ADDRESS THEIR CITATIONS AND ADDRESS THE VIOLATIONS THERE. GREAT. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS, GENTLEMEN, JUST REAL QUICK. YEAH. GO AHEAD, GO AHEAD. NO, SIR. YOU GO AHEAD. NOW, THE THE ONE THING I CAN SAY YOU'RE BALANCING BETWEEN ENFORCEMENT. AND THERE'S ANOTHER END OF THIS THAT I TALKED TO MR. SMITH ABOUT AND YOU BROUGHT IT UP IN THE WORK SESSION. BUT THERE'S ALSO INCENTIVES, AND THAT'S SOMETHING I THINK WE SHOULD LOOK AT. I'M FAMILIAR WITH ANOTHER CITY THAT I WATCHED IT HAPPEN, AND IT WAS AMAZING. AND IT WAS OFF OF INCENTIVES. WELL, AND I'VE SAID THAT, YOU KNOW, I DON'T WANT THE CITY TO BECOME AN HOA. YEAH. I DON'T WANT US TO GO AROUND THE NEIGHBORHOODS AND SAY, YOU KNOW, YOUR YOUR GRASS IS TOO LONG BY AN INCH. YOU GOT TO CUT IT AND YOU'RE, YOU'RE THIS OR THIS. YOU KNOW, I, MY, MY IRRITATION GOES A LOT TO THESE COMMERCIAL PROPERTIES.AND I DON'T REALLY EVER WE HAD A DISCUSSION ABOUT SOME OF THE GATEWAYS INTO TOWN AND SOME OF THE THINGS THROUGH DISTRICT THREE AND DISTRICT ONE THAT, YOU KNOW, WE COULD CHANGE OUR CODE AND FORCE THE BUSINESSES INTO INTO SOME KIND OF COMPLIANCE. YOU KNOW, I'M NOT I DON'T LIKE THE FORCE ASPECT. I WANT TO FOLLOW UP WITH AN INCENTIVE AND SAY, LOOK, WE WANT TO WORK ON THE CODE THAT ADDRESSES DEAD TREES. I KNOW MR. ROGERS. I SEE HIM OUT THERE.
WE'VE TALKED A LOT ABOUT TREES AND. WHAT DEAD TREES NEED TO COME OUT. WELL, THERE'S A LOT, BUT HOW CAN WE FOLLOW THAT UP WITH A PROGRAM THAT SAYS, HEY, YOU KNOW, THE CITY HAS A PROGRAM THROUGH CDBG OR WHATEVER IT IS THAT CAN HELP YOU CUT THOSE TREES DOWN AND THEN OFFER THE FREE MULCH. WE TALKED ABOUT THAT. KEEP IT AS BEAUTIFUL AS FREE MULCH. DID YOU KNOW THAT? SO I LOVE THE INCENTIVE IDEA. I LOVE THE I REALLY WANT TO SAY THAT, THAT THIS IS NOT ABOUT BEING PUNITIVE TO HOMEOWNERS. UGLY BUILDING CODE. THAT'S THIS THIS IS THIS IS SO MUCH ABOUT WHEN WHEN I, I THINK WE'D BE HEROES IF WE COULD FIX THE POTHOLE IN FRONT OF ME. LIKE, YOU KNOW, THAT'S ONE OF THE MOST COMPLAINED ABOUT SPOTS. BUT FINDING THOSE INCENTIVES, FINDING THOSE GRANTS. I KNOW AARON AND I TALKED ABOUT SOME OF THOSE INCENTIVES AND GRANTS. SO THERE'S A LOT OF WAYS TO DO THIS, BUT DEFINITELY FINDING A WAY THAT THE SIGN I WAS COMPLAINING ABOUT, YOU CAN GO BACK ON THE GOOGLE STREET VIEW, AND SINCE JUNE OF 2021, IT HAS BEEN A MESS. AND THE REPLY BACK WAS, WELL, SHE'S GETTING BIDS TO GET IT FIXED. OKAY, WELL, HOW LONG DO WE GIVE SOMEBODY TO TO GET BIDS TO GET IT FIXED? I APPRECIATE SHE WANTS TO GET IT FIXED. BUT ANYWAY, THAT WAS KIND OF THE START OF THIS DISCUSSION THERE. YOU HAD A COMMENT. SURE. JAMES, WOULD WOULD YOU RECOMMEND A CODIFICATION WHERE WE GO OFF TO, YOU KNOW, ONE OF THOSE FIRMS OUT THERE WHERE THEY LOOK AT THE ENTIRE CODE, ALL OF IT, YOU KNOW, START TO FINISH FROM CASE LAW TO STATE LAW, FEDERAL LAW, CONFLICTING ORDINANCES WHERE THEY COME IN AND THEY JUST CLEAN UP THE WHOLE THING. AND THEN WE ADOPT THE ORDINANCE AFTER CODIFICATION. I MEAN, IT'S TECHNICALLY IT'S IT'S CODIFIED RIGHT NOW. IT'S JUST A MATTER OF IF, IF THEY WANT TO, IF WE WANT SOMEONE TO COME IN AND DO KIND OF A REVIEW TO ACTUALLY CLEAN UP REPETITIVE TEXT AND REPETITIVE LANGUAGE THAT I THINK I'M SEEING, I'M JUST SEEING CERTAIN THINGS. THE SIGN REGULATIONS ARE PROBABLY THE MOST GLARING. THEY'RE IN VARIOUS PLACES THROUGHOUT THE, THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE CODE OF ORDINANCES. SO THERE COULD BE SOME DUPLICATION AND SOME REORGANIZATION WOULD BE A GOOD PHRASE OF REORGANIZATION OF THE CODE, JUST TO ADDRESS SOME OF THOSE SHORTCOMINGS. YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE'RE GOING TO BE BRINGING IS, AND WE'LL TALK ABOUT THIS ON THE
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NEXT ON ITEM SEVEN. BUT, YOU KNOW, I'VE IDENTIFIED A VERY CLEAR NEED TO UPDATE THE CITY'S ANIMAL CONTROL ORDINANCE REGULATIONS. THAT'S A THAT'S I MEAN, THE LAST THE ONES THAT I'VE GONE THROUGH, I'VE GOT A GOOD UPDATED VERSION OF AN ANIMAL, A SET OF ANIMAL REGULATIONS OR ANIMAL CONTROL REGULATIONS. THEY'RE THEY'RE QUITE A BIT THERE'S QUITE A BIT THERE. WHEN YOU LOOK AT A FULL SET OF REGULATIONS THAT MANY CITIES ADOPT, THAT'S A GREAT EXAMPLE. WHEREAS IT'S ACTUALLY QUITE ABBREVIATED, THERE'S THINGS MISSING. AND SO YEAH, I THINK THINGS LIKE THAT COULD BE IDENTIFIED. WHERE'S THIS? WHERE'S THAT? WE COULD PROBABLY STREAMLINE AND GET RID OF DUPLICATION AND ALSO REORGANIZE. AND TO AN EXTENT IT WOULD BE SOME TYPE OF A RECODIFICATION IN THE SENSE OF, YOU KNOW, REPEALING CERTAIN PROVISIONS RE ADOPTING THEM. OTHER, OTHER ARTICLES JUST TO CLEAN UP BECAUSE WHAT'S HAPPENED, WHAT GENERALLY HAPPENS IS REGULATIONS GET AMENDED AND ADOPTED OVER A CORE SET OF YEARS, AND THEY ENDED UP GET PLACED AND ADOPTED IN DIFFERENT PARTS OF THE CODE. AND SOMETIMES YOU GET TO A POINT AND YOU SEE THAT AND YOU'RE LIKE, WAIT, WHICH? WHICH PART OF THE CODE DO WE GO? DO WE GO WITH? AND IT CAN MAKE IT VERY DIFFICULT TO ENFORCE. I JUST SEE SOME, I JUST SEE SOME SLIGHT GAPS ON THE SIGN REGULATIONS THAT CAN PROBABLY BE FILLED IN. AND IT MAY HAVE JUST NOT BEEN IN THE PAST. THERE WASN'T A NEED AND THERE PROBABLY IS NOW. ANIMAL CONTROL REGULATIONS ARE A GREAT EXAMPLE OF THAT AS WELL. THERE'S THERE'S SECTIONS MISSING THAT I'VE USED AND I'VE PROSECUTED AND, AND HAVE HAVE INCLUDED IN MY ORDINANCES. AND SOME OF IT IS JUST A MATTER OF EVOLUTION. CERTAIN THINGS HAVE CHANGED OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS, ESPECIALLY IN THE, YOU KNOW, IN ANIMAL REGULATIONS, THEY'VE CHANGED. THERE'S A LOT OF THINGS NOW THAT ARE GOING INTO THESE ORDINANCES THAT WEREN'T GOING IN THESE ORDINANCES TEN YEARS AGO. SO YEAH, I THINK TO THAT EXTENT, WE POSSIBLY COULD SPEAK WITH SOMEONE WHO CAN COME IN, IDENTIFY AREAS OF DUPLICATION, JUST MORE EFFICIENCY AND JUST MOVE SECTIONS AROUND. COUNCIL. I WOULD LIKE TO MAKE A NOTE THAT GENERAL CODE, WHO DOES OUR CODE OF ORDINANCES ARE SUPPLEMENTS. THEY ARE IN THE PROCESS OF DOING A REVIEW. IT'S GOING TO TAKE THEM SIX MONTHS. WE STARTED IT THE LATTER PART OF THE YEAR AND WE SHOULD HAVE THAT WRAPPED UP. BUT WHAT THEY'RE DOING IS THEY'RE LOOKING INTO OUR CURRENT CODES TO SEE IF IT CONFLICTS WITH OUR LEGISLATION, CHANGES THAT WE'VE HAD IN LAWS, AND I CAN DOUBLE CHECK TO SEE IF THEY WILL DO THE DUPLICATION AND SEE IF THEY HAVE ANY RECOMMENDATIONS, RECOMMENDATIONS FOR STREAMLINING AND THE DUPLICATION. I THINK IT SOUNDS LIKE A GREAT IDEA. I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE BEST WAY TO DO IT, BUT IF THAT'S THE BEST WAY, WHICHEVER WAY YOU WANT. SURE. AND OF COURSE, I WOULD REFER TO JAMES. YOU KNOW, IF JAMES, IF YOU FEEL THAT'S THE WAY TO GO AND THAT'S MAYBE AN ADD ON.I'VE GOT SOME I DO HAVE SOME FUNDS IN CONTINGENCY LINE ITEM THAT, YOU KNOW, IF WE NEEDED TO CHANGE THAT SCOPE OF WORK TO, TO MEET THOSE REQUIREMENTS, JUST LET ME KNOW. YEAH, THAT MAKES THE MOST SENSE. LET THEM CONTINUE WITH WHAT THEY'RE DOING. WE CAN ACTUALLY HAVE THEM FOCUS IN ON CERTAIN AREAS, YOU KNOW, FOR EXAMPLE, REALLY FOCUS ON OUR SIGN REGULATIONS, GIVE US SOME INPUT ON THAT. AND I THINK WE CAN KIND OF CLEAN UP SOME OF THOSE TYPES OF REGULATIONS. IT'S NOTHING WRONG WITH THE REGULATIONS. IT'S JUST THEY'RE IN DIFFERENT PARTS OF THE CODE AND LET'S MOVE THEM INTO MORE ACCESSIBLE AREAS OF THE CODE. MAKE IT A LITTLE BIT MORE INTUITIVE THERE, THERE, IT'S JUST A LITTLE BIT EASIER AND A LITTLE BIT EASIER IF SOMEONE OUT THERE IN THE MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC WANT TO PULL UP THE CITY'S CODE OF ORDINANCES, AND THEY CAN FIND THEM A LITTLE BIT EASIER, OKAY, LET'S DO THAT. BUT LET'S CONTINUE SEVEN AND SIX AND SEVEN BECAUSE THEY'RE ALL CONNECTED. SO THERE MIGHT BE MORE DISCUSSION. BUT LET'S GO TO LET'S KEEP OUR THOUGHTS ALIVE AND GO THE NEXT ONE. DOES THAT SOUND SIX. YEAH, YEAH. SIX CAME UP BECAUSE IN THE DISCUSSION ABOUT THE SIGN, I'M TOLD, WELL, THE THE REASON WE CAN'T DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT IS BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE A BOARD
[6. Discuss amendments to the most recently adopted International Building Code and discuss amending the required qualifications of persons for appointment to serve on the Building Board of Appeals. ]
OF APPEALS. OKAY. WELL, THAT THOUGHT, LET'S CALL IT LET'S GO TO AGENDA ITEM NUMBER SIX.DISCUSS AMENDMENTS TO THE MOST RECENTLY ADOPTED INTERNATIONAL BUILDING CODE AND DISCUSS AMENDING THE REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS OF PERSONS FOR APPOINTMENT TO SERVE ON THE BUILDING BOARD OF APPEALS. NOW GO. CRAIG. YEAH. SO AGAIN. THE THE SIGN DISCUSSION, YOU KNOW, WHY CAN'T WE DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT? WELL, THEY NEED A BOARD OF APPEALS. OKAY, LET'S GET ONE.
SO AS WE START LOOKING THROUGH THE SIGN ORDINANCE OR THE ORDINANCE SETTING UP THE BOARD OF APPEALS, WILL YOU NEED 6 OR 7 PEOPLE WHO ARE HIGHLY TECHNICAL, HIGHLY LICENSED? AND AS I AM GOING THROUGH THAT, I THINK TO MYSELF, THIS IS VERY STRICT AND REACHED OUT AGAIN TO MR. PARKER AND I SAID, I'D LOVE YOUR OPINION ON WHERE IN THE STATE LAW THAT IT SAYS WE HAVE TO HAVE THESE PEOPLE. AND NOWHERE IN THE STATE LAW DOES IT SAY THAT JUST IN OUR ORDINANCE. SO THE QUESTION THEN BECAME, WELL, CAN'T WE UPDATE OUR ORDINANCE? AND WHEN I STARTED LOOKING THROUGH THE INTERNATIONAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CODE, WHICH IS WHERE THE ORDINANCE CAME FROM, THERE IS AN APPENDIX IN THERE THAT SAYS, AS LONG AS YOU'VE GOT
[00:30:07]
INTERESTED MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY WHO HAVE WHAT'S THE WORD, EXPERIENCE OR KNOWLEDGE OF THE THE TOPIC HAVE AT IT. SO THAT BECAME THE DISCUSSION POINT ABOUT CAN WE AMEND OUR ORDINANCE TO MORE CLOSELY MIRROR THE LANGUAGE OF THE IPMC SO THAT WE DON'T HAVE OUR OUR HANDCUFFS ON FOR THIS APPEALS BOARD LIKE JAMES HAS DONE IT BECAUSE I'M READING THIS. SO HERE'S OUR RED LINE. OH, CRAIG, THAT THAT CAME UP PROBABLY ABOUT THREE YEARS AGO, DOWNTOWN ODESSA. WE WERE LOOKING WE WERE ON SIGNS THAT TYPE OF A THING. AND THE MORE YOU TRACE THE MONEY ON THE TRAIL WHERE IT LED TO, WE RAN INTO THE SAME ISSUE. AND THEN WE FOUND OUT THAT TO PUT THE BOARD TOGETHER, THESE WERE INCREDIBLE TECHNICAL, TALENTED, PROFESSIONAL PEOPLE.SO IF WE COULD GET AROUND THAT. WELL, JUST MAYOR, IF I MAY, I CAN ADDRESS THIS. LET ME. THE GENESIS OF HOW THIS HAPPENS IS WHERE THIS ALL STARTS IS WHERE THIS STARTS IS OUR, YOU KNOW, WE'VE GOT THESE DEFAULT INTERNATIONAL CODES, LIKE THE INTERNATIONAL BUILDING CODE, INTERNATIONAL RESIDENTIAL CODE. THOSE ARE THE TWO BIG ONES. THERE'S A VARIETY OF ESSENTIALLY BASIC INTERNATIONAL DEFAULT MODEL CODES IN MANY CITIES. AND THEY'RE RENEWED GENERALLY, LIKE THE INTERNATIONAL BUILDING CODE IS RENEWED GENERALLY EVERY THREE YEARS. SO THERE'S BEEN A 21. NOW WE'RE ON 24. SO WHAT HAPPENS IS THE CITY'S CURRENT CODE IS 2018, WHEN THE WHEN A CITY ADOPTS A VERSION OF THOSE CODES, LET'S SAY THE 2018 VERSION, THE INTERNATIONAL BUILDING CODE. IT IS VERY COMMON THAT FOR CERTAIN AMENDMENTS TO BE MADE. BECAUSE THE DEFAULT MODEL CODES HAVE THEIR OWN PREPRINTED LANGUAGE AND PREPRINTED TERMS, MANY CITIES WILL ADOPT AMENDMENTS BECAUSE THEY DON'T WANT THOSE TERMS BECAUSE THEY DON'T APPLY FOR SOME REASON. SO LET'S SAY, FOR EXAMPLE, THEY DON'T HAVE A BUILDING BOARD OF APPEALS. THEY HAVE A BOARD OF ADJUSTMENT. THAT'S WHAT THEY CALL THEM. SO THE BOARD OF APPEALS LANGUAGE COMES OUT OF THE IBC, THE INTERNATIONAL BUILDING CODE. SO SOME CITIES DON'T HAVE A BOARD OF APPEALS. THEY CALL IT BOARD OF ADJUSTMENT. SO THEY'LL CHANGE THE NAME. AND SO AND THEN THE THE BUILDING CODE WILL PROVIDE A DEFAULT LIST OF HOW MANY MEMBERS AND WHAT OTHER QUALIFICATIONS AND CRITERIA ARE. AND MANY CITIES WILL AMEND THAT AND ADOPT THEIR OWN CRITERIA AND QUALIFICATION FOR MEMBERS. THAT DID NOT HAPPEN IN 2018, WHEN THE 2018 CODE WAS ADOPTED, IT WAS JUST BROUGHT OVER PER VERBATIM FROM THE IBC, THE INTERNATIONAL BUILDING CODE. SO THAT LANGUAGE WHERE YOU SEE ALL OF THESE. AN ARCHITECT CURRENTLY LICENSED IN THE STATE OF TEXAS, STRUCTURAL ENGINEER, A BUILDER, LICENSED PLUMBER, LICENSED ELECTRICIAN, LICENSED MECHANICAL CONTRACTOR THAT'S THE DEFAULT LANGUAGE OUT OF THE INTERNATIONAL BUILDING CODE. IT'S ESSENTIALLY USED AS A GUIDE. AND SO THE CITY IS NOT REQUIRED TO ADOPT THAT LANGUAGE VERBATIM. THE CITY COUNCIL IS IS EMPOWERED TO WHEN WHEN YOU'RE ADOPTING, YOU CAN ADOPT AMENDMENTS THAT SET THE, YOU KNOW, SET THE QUALIFICATIONS THE CITY COUNCIL WISHES TO HAVE THAT SUITABLE FOR THE PARTICULAR CITY. SO A CITY OF 5 TO 7000 IS NEVER GOING TO BE ABLE TO FIND THOSE INDIVIDUALS. I MEAN, IT'S JUST SO IT THAT HAPPENS IN ALL CITIES ACROSS THE STATE OF TEXAS. THERE'S A LOT OF MODIFICATIONS DONE TO THE MEMBERSHIP. SO WHAT I WHAT WE PUT TOGETHER IS A DRAFT ORDINANCE OF WHAT IT MAY LOOK LIKE IF COUNCIL WISHES TO HAVE THAT BROUGHT BACK. FOR EXAMPLE, THIS IS SOMETHING WHAT I'VE USED IN OTHER CITIES IS THE LANGUAGE. AND YOU'LL SEE SEVEN MEMBERS. AND WE'LL USUALLY DEFAULT TO MAYBE FIVE MEMBERS WITH CERTAIN LEVEL OF CONSTRUCTION EXPERIENCE, MAYBE ONE AT LARGE MEMBER, SOMETHING LIKE THAT. THAT IS JUST AN EXAMPLE. SO COUNCIL CAN SEE AN EXAMPLE LANGUAGE I'VE USED WHEN I'VE ADOPTED THESE CODES IN OTHER CITIES, WE MOVE AWAY FROM LICENSED ARCHITECT, LICENSE ENGINEER, LICENSED CONTRACTORS BECAUSE WE'LL USUALLY FIND IT VERY DIFFICULT TO FIND MEMBERS WHO REACH THOSE QUALIFICATIONS. SO WE ADOPT QUALIFICATIONS FOR MEMBERSHIP BASED ON WHAT COUNCIL FINDS IS NECESSARY TO RUN THIS BOARD. AND ALSO WE NEED TO. I ALSO WANT TO POINT OUT THAT THE BOARD IS ACTUALLY VERY IMPORTANT. THE BOARD OF APPEALS IS VERY IMPORTANT, BUT IT IS A LITTLE BIT MORE NARROW THAN WHAT IT'S BEING REPRESENTED. IT'S ACTUALLY USED AND UTILIZED FOR HANDLING APPEALS OF DECISIONS OF A BUILDING OFFICIAL. THAT'S NOT NECESSARILY AN IMPEDIMENT FOR, LET'S SAY, FOR EXAMPLE, IF I WANT TO PROSECUTE A VIOLATION OF THE ORDINANCE, IF YOU'RE IN VIOLATION OF AN ORDINANCE THAT'S NOT A THAT'S NOT AN APPEAL OF A BUILDING OFFICIAL, THAT'S JUST YOUR IN VIOLATION OF THE ORDINANCE. BUT YOU COULD HAVE SITUATIONS WHERE THERE'S AN INTERPRETATION OF THE CODE IN A PROPERTY OWNER DISAGREES WITH THAT INTERPRETATION, THEN GO TO THE BOARD OF APPEALS TO
[00:35:01]
APPEAL THAT. SO IT'S A VERY FINE LINE BETWEEN WHAT THE BOARD OF APPEALS IS USED FOR.IT'S NOT A IT'S NOT NECESSARILY A, A CHECKBOX THAT WE HAVE TO CHECK TO PROSECUTE VIOLATIONS OF THE CODE. BUT SOMETIMES IT'S A LOT OF GRAY AREA. IF THE VIOLATION OF THE CODE IS A DISAGREEMENT OVER WHAT THE CODE MEANS, IT MAY HAVE TO GO TO BOARD OF APPEALS. BUT IF THEY'RE IN VIOLATION BECAUSE THEIR ROOF IS MISSING FROM THEIR HOUSE, I DON'T HAVE TO GO TO THE BOARD OF APPEALS TO PROVE THAT THEY'RE IN VIOLATION. IT'S A DILAPIDATED, SUBSTANDARD BUILDING. IT'S FALLEN DOWN. THAT DOESN'T GO TO THE BOARD OF APPEALS. BUT IF THERE'S A DISCUSSION OVER WHETHER THERE'S CONSTRUCTION OR THEIR PLANS, COMPLY WITH THE BUILDING CODE AND THERE'S A IN THE BUILDING OFFICIAL SAYS ONE THING AND THE CONTRACTOR SAYS THE OTHER, THEN THAT WOULD GO TO THE BOARD OF APPEALS. COUNCILMAN STOKER, IF YOU LOOK AT PAGE TWO OF FIVE.
IF I UNDERSTOOD YOUR COMMENTS EARLIER, ITEM ONE UNDER BUILDING BOARD OF APPEALS, ITEM ONE, PURPOSE AND AUTHORITY, YOU'RE SAYING THAT OUR. OUR ORDINANCE. REQUIRES THE BOARD OF APPEALS TO BE MADE UP OF PEOPLE THAT ARE ACTUALLY CERTIFIED IN THOSE LICENSED. SO IT MUST HAVE A LICENSED ARCHITECT. 3101 OKAY, THAT ONE AN ARCHITECT, STRUCTURAL ENGINEER, BUILD OR SUPERINTENDENT, HE STRUCK ALL THAT OUT. SO THAT WAS TRACKING.
WELL, THAT'S YEAH, BUT MY QUESTION, MY QUESTION IS BASED OFF OF THAT. IN OTHER WORDS, OURS HAS CURRENTLY THIS IS CURRENTLY OURS CURRENTLY. YES. AND YOU HAVE TO HAVE. AND SO THEN THE IDEA WOULD BE TO. FIND PEOPLE THAT COULD BE TRAINED AND OR GIVEN. WELL, THE IDEA WOULD BE LIKE THE LIKE Z B A WHERE YOU'VE GOT AN INTERESTED GROUP OF, OF COMMUNITY MEMBERS THAT THEN LISTENS TO STAFF RECOMMENDATIONS, WHO ARE THE EXPERTS TO COME IN AND SAY, WELL, THIS IS WHY YOU NEED TO APPROVE THIS. ADJUSTMENT OR NOT. YOU WOULD HAVE THE STAFF RECOMMENDATIONS. THE THE MEMBERS I APPROACHED. I HAVE A LICENSED PLUMBER, A LICENSED ARCHITECT, A LICENSED. OH, YEAH. DID WE GET HVAC? SO WE DO STILL HAVE LICENSED PEOPLE. I'VE GOT A RETIRED FIRE MARSHAL, DEIDRE WHITE SAID SHE WOULD SERVE AS THE AT LARGE MEMBER. SO WE STILL HAVE A LOT OF THESE LICENSED PEOPLE. IT'S JUST NEAR IMPOSSIBLE TO FIND ALL SEVEN OF THEM. RIGHT. YOU KNOW, IF I MAY, WERE YOU REALLY RUN INTO THIS AS YOU MAY, LET'S SAY, FOR EXAMPLE, YOU GET THREE APPLICATIONS OF OTHERWISE PRETTY QUALIFIED PEOPLE.
THEY'RE CONTRACTORS. THEY DO THIS BUSINESS AND MAYBE THEY DO THIS FOR A LIVING AND THEY'RE VERY GOOD QUALIFIED CONTRACTORS AND THEY WOULD BE GREAT ON THE BOARD. BUT MAYBE THEY'RE ALL PLUMBING CONTRACTORS AND THEY SAY, OH, WE CAN'T, WE CAN ONLY GO WITH ONE OF YOU BECAUSE WE CAN ONLY HAVE ONE PLUMBER THAT'S VERY CONSTRICTING. ALL THREE OF THEM COULD BE VERY GOOD BOARD MEMBERS, BUT OH, WE CAN'T GO WITH ALL THREE OF THEM BECAUSE WE CAN ONLY HAVE ONE PLUMBER THAT REMOVES THIS RESTRICTION BECAUSE THAT WOULD BE VERY IT'S VERY RESTRICTIVE BECAUSE YOU ACTUALLY HAVE TO GO BY PROFESSION WHEN YOU HAVE THREE VERY GOOD APPLICANTS WHO WOULD VERY MUCH CONTRIBUTE, YOU KNOW, OR FIVE MEMBERS THAT HAVE EXPERIENCE OR TRAINING AND EXPERIENCE IN CONSTRUCTION AND BUILDING INDUSTRY AND COUNCIL CAN REVIEW THOSE APPLICATIONS OR STAFF CAN REVIEW THEM AND HAVE INTERVIEWS. AND, YOU KNOW, IF SOMEONE WHO DOES IT FOR A LIVING, THAT'S A VERY GOOD BOARD MEMBER WHO UNDERSTANDS THE CODE AND UNDERSTANDS CONSTRUCTION. AND SO IT DOESN'T MATTER WHETHER THEY'RE PRIMARILY PLUMBERS OR PRIMARY HVAC INDIVIDUALS OR, OR CARPENTERS, YOU KNOW, YOU CAN HAVE SOMEONE WHO DOES HARD CONSTRUCTION OR CONCRETE CONSTRUCTION. THEY CAN COME IN AND THEY WOULD QUALIFY FOR BOARD MEMBERSHIP. POSSIBLY THEY DON'T THEY'RE NOT LICENSED ELECTRICIANS AND PLUMBERS, BUT THEY'VE BEEN DOING CONCRETE FOR 25 YEARS. SOMETHING LIKE THAT GIVES A LOT MORE FLEXIBILITY FOR BOARD MEMBERSHIP. AND I'VE FOUND THAT THAT HELPS FILL BOARDS AND THE CITIES I'VE WORKED WITH SIGNIFICANTLY WANT TO BE AS WELL. I HAVE MR. PLUMBER BESIDE ME. I THINK THIS MAKES A LOT OF SENSE, I THINK. PROBABLY SHOULD HAVE SAID EVERYTHING WITH THE STRIKETHROUGH HAS JUST BEEN REDLINED, JUST REDLINED IT OUT. WHAT WE HAVE LEFT IS WHAT YOU'VE ADDED. IT'S PURELY AN EXAMPLE AND IT'S PURELY JUST TO GIVE AN IDEA ON WHAT WE HAVE NOW AND WHAT I WOULD BE STRIKING AND WHAT SHE MAY HAVE BROUGHT BACK BEFORE YOU, BUT IT'S NOT. IT'S JUST PURELY DRAFT ONLY. YEAH. I WOULD SAY THIS IS EXACTLY WHAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR. SO I THINK BRING IT TO OUR NEXT BOARD MEETING. OKAY. COUNCIL MEETING. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? THOUGHTS, COMMENTS. YES, SIR. YES, SIR. JUST I THINK IT'S A GOOD OPPORTUNITY TO TALK ABOUT SOME CHANGES IN CODE ENFORCEMENT AND ANIMAL CONTROL RIGHT NOW THAT REALLY KIND OF KIND OF DOVETAIL INTO THIS. AND THAT IS YOU'VE PROBABLY SEEN THE MOST RECENT ORGANIZATIONAL CHANGE. AND FROM THIS POINT, MOVING FORWARD, CODE ENFORCEMENT AND ANIMAL CONTROL WILL NOW COME UNDER POLICE DEPARTMENT. SO I'VE SPOKEN WITH CHIEF AT LENGTH
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ABOUT SOME OF HIS IDEAS ABOUT HOW WE CAN STREAMLINE THE PROCESS. I THINK WHAT I'M MOST EXCITED ABOUT ABOUT IT COMING UNDER PD IS THEY HAVE A STRONG RELATIONSHIP, A CLOSE RELATIONSHIP WITH PROSECUTORS SO THEY CAN WORK TOGETHER ON HOW DO WE CUT OUT ALL THESE EXTRA STEPS THAT ARE UNNECESSARY AND STREAMLINE THE PROCESS TO GO FROM VIOLATION TO CORRECTION, VERSUS HANGING AROUND FOR SOMETIMES MONTHS AT A TIME TO GET SOMETHING FIXED.I THINK NOW WITH CHIEF GERKEY HELPING US OUT IN THIS DEPARTMENT, WE'LL BE ABLE TO MOVE A LOT QUICKER, ESPECIALLY ON SOME OF THESE MORE, LET'S CALL THEM EGREGIOUS ISSUES. ANY
[7. Discuss the formation of an ordinance review committee and a city policy review committee. ]
OTHER THOUGHTS OR QUESTIONS? AGAIN, DOVETAILING INTO AGENDA ITEM NUMBER SEVEN. CORRECT.DISCUSS THE FORMATION OF AN ORDINANCE REVIEW COMMITTEE AND A CITY POLICY REVIEW COMMITTEE.
COUNCILMAN STOKER WELL, THIS AGAIN, PART THREE, LOOKING AT THE WAY THE APPEALS BOARD WAS SET UP, THIS STARTED THE DISCUSSION ABOUT THAT. AND THEY'RE I MEAN, I THINK THIS ALSO CAME UP AT THE RETREAT THAT, YOU KNOW, WE WE ARE THE POLICY SETTING COMMITTEE. WE DO SET ORDINANCES. SO THERE ARE A COUPLE GLARING THAT MR. PARKER AND I DISCUSSED, AND I THINK THERE ARE SEVERAL THAT THAT DO FALL UNDER OUR PURVIEW THAT THAT DO WARRANT SOME A CLOSER LOOK. AND SO WHAT WE DISCUSSED WAS PERHAPS LIKE WE DID WITH CDBG AND HOT FUNDS SPLITTING US IN HALF. AND HALF OF US ARE THE POLICY REVIEW AND HALF OF US ARE THE ORDINANCE REVIEW AND THEN SWAPPING SO THAT EVERYBODY GETS A SHOT AT AT SERVING ON ONE. BECAUSE OF THE NATURE OF THAT, I THINK EVERYBODY KIND OF GET TWO YEARS AND TWO YEARS BECAUSE IT THESE ARE GOING TO TAKE A MINUTE TO GET THROUGH. I THINK, AS NORMA SAID, THE THE ONGOING RIGHT NOW IS SIX MONTHS IN. SO BUT YOU KNOW, WE'VE GOT POLICIES FOR SOME STUFF THAT ARE 20, 30 YEARS OLD AND I DON'T KNOW THAT IT'S, IT'S. TOTALLY UP TO US TO, TO PICK THOSE APART. BUT YOU KNOW, THERE ARE SOME THAT WILL BE. SO I DO THINK IT'S WORTH IMPANELING SOMETHING LIKE THAT FOR COUNCIL TO GO THROUGH THE ONES THAT ARE APPROPRIATE FOR US TO ADDRESS, TAKE A DEEPER DIVE THAN, THAN WE CAN HERE IN A WORK SESSION IN A COUPLE OF HOURS AND, AND BRING THE RECOMMENDATIONS BACK TO THE FULL COUNCIL AND CHOOSE HOW TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THOSE RECOMMENDATIONS. OKAY, GENTLEMEN, THOUGHTS, QUESTIONS? LET ME ASK YOU LET ME ASK YOU THIS, COUNCILMAN STOKER. SO. THE PRETEND SITUATION, WE'RE A BRAND NEW CITY. WE'RE THE FIRST RESIDENTS OF THIS CITY, BRAND NEW CITY. WHO WHO IS RESPONSIBLE FOR DRAWING UP ORDINANCES? WHERE DOES IT BEGIN? WELL, I WOULD SAY, IS IT THE LEGAL DEPARTMENT WITH THE CITY MANAGER WORKING TOGETHER, MAKING SURE THAT AND THEN IN TURN, THE CITY MANAGER, WHO IS IN CHARGE OF ALL THE DEPARTMENTS THAT ARE GOING TO BE AFFECTED BY IT, BUT THEN THE CITY COUNCIL WOULD BE THE FINAL SAY BY MAJORITY VOTE OR UNANIMOUS VOTE AS TO WHETHER THAT ORDINANCE IS PLEASING TO US OR NOT. IS THAT WHERE YOU'RE GOING WITH IT OR. WELL, I THINK IT'S JUST LIKE THE THE SIGN ORDINANCE OR THE ANIMAL CONTROL ORDINANCE THAT HERE WE ARE. AND THIS, THIS CERTAINLY WOULDN'T APPLY IN A BRAND NEW CITY. BUT HERE, HERE WE ARE ALL THESE YEARS LATER. AND AT SOME POINT WE ADDED OFF PREMISE SIGNS. AND AT SOME POINT WE ADDED MOBILE SIGNS AND AT SOME POINT. AND SO IT'S GOTTEN A LITTLE DISJOINTED. AND HERE'S THE OPPORTUNITY FOR US AS A COUNCIL THAT THAT SETS THE ORDINANCES TO GO THROUGH, ANALYZE THESE THINGS AND SAY AS, AS A COMMITTEE, WE'RE LOOKING THROUGH THE ORDINANCES WE FIND. I SAID, IN MY WORLD, WE CALL IT A BYLAW COMMITTEE. SO YOU'D GO THROUGH THE BYLAWS, YOU'D MAKE YOUR RECOMMENDATIONS, YOU'D TAKE IT BACK TO THE FULL BOARD, THE BOARD SETS THE BYLAWS, AND WE VOTE ON THOSE RECOMMENDATIONS UP OR DOWN AFTER DISCUSSING IT AND MOVE ON WITH IT. I THINK AS A AS A NEW CITY, I KIND OF LIKE THE OTHER THINGS WE TALKED ABOUT. I WOULD DEFINITELY NEED TO RELY ON THE EXPERTS TO BRING US AS AS A NEW CITY, YOU'RE GOING TO NEED POLICE, FIRE, PARKS, THE THINGS THAT A CITY DOES. I CERTAINLY WOULDN'T KNOW WHERE TO BEGIN, BUT I WOULD WANT TO TO KIND OF COPY AND STEAL OFF OF PLACES THAT ARE DOING IT WELL. AND, YOU KNOW, I THINK MR. PARKER SAID THAT HE HE HAS WRITTEN ORDINANCES IN OTHER CITIES. SO AGAIN, I THINK IT'S A GOOD OPPORTUNITY TO TAKE WHAT'S WORKING WELL FOR US AND STRENGTHEN THOSE WHAT'S NOT WORKING WELL FOR US AND STRENGTHEN THOSE. AND JUST KIND OF LIKE A BYLAW COMMITTEE.
LET'S START AT THE BEGINNING AND FIND EFFICIENCIES, FIND WAYS TO MAKE THE CITY WORK
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BETTER, FIND HANDCUFFS THAT WE CAN REMOVE TO MAKE THE COMMUNITY BETTER. AND IN MY OPINION, SINCE WE DO SET THE ORDINANCES, THAT'S PART OF OUR JOB. YEAH. I THINK I WANT TO ASK AARON FOR COMMENT, BECAUSE THAT'S A LITTLE OUTSIDE OF MY EXPERTISE, CERTAINLY. SO I DON'T KNOW. THE ANSWER IS I DON'T DISAGREE. I JUST DON'T KNOW THE PROCESS. LET ME ASK LET ME OFFER A BALANCING VIEW BECAUSE FIRST OFF, WITH YOUR INSIGHT, FOR EXAMPLE, SMELLING JUNK CARS, FINDING THE PROBLEM. I THINK THAT'S GREAT. YOU KNOW, ZERO IN HERE, THAT TYPE OF THING. THAT'S COMMENDABLE. BUT LET ME JUST FOLLOW THROUGH WITH THIS THOUGHT. ORDINANCE REVIEW SHOULD BE ASSIGNED TO CITY MANAGEMENT STAFF, WORKING WITH THE APPROPRIATE DEPARTMENT HEADS TO DEVELOP UPDATING RECOMMENDATIONS ACROSS DEPARTMENTS. THEY HAVE THE TECHNICAL EXPERTISE AND DAY TO DAY EXPERIENCE TO DO THIS EFFECTIVELY. FINAL RECOMMENDATIONS SHOULD THEN BE BROUGHT BACK TO COUNCIL FOR APPROVING POLICY CHANGES.THAT'S JUST TO BALANCE THAT, AND IT'S KIND OF KEEPING US IN OUR LANE, THAT TYPE OF THING.
AND I DON'T THINK THAT WE HAVE THE EXPERTISE. I DON'T, YOU KNOW, TO DO THAT. JUST A BALANCING THOUGHT BECAUSE I THINK THE IDEA IS GREAT. BUT THEN WE'VE ALSO HEARD WE ALSO HAVE A TEAM STARTING THIS. WE DON'T WANT TO DUPLICATE, YOU KNOW, BUT I WOULD SAY FROM AUDIENCE PERSPECTIVE, JUST LIKE JAMES HAS DONE, I'VE ALSO DONE IN OTHER CITIES WHERE IT COMES FROM ALL OF THE ABOVE, QUITE FRANKLY. YOU KNOW, YOU, YOU'RE MADE AWARE OF ISSUES FROM RESIDENT COMMENTS TO YOU. THEY CALL US AND THEY SAY, HEY, THERE'S AN ISSUE HERE. AND YOU LOOK AT THE ORDINANCE, YOU'RE LIKE, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, MAYBE THAT DOES NEED SOME TWEAKING OR WE'RE SILENT ON IT AND WE NEED TO BRING SOMETHING UP. SO I HAVE, I HAVE, I HAVE CRAFTED ORDINANCES BASED ON FEEDBACK FROM STAFF, JUST OUR, OUR OBSERVATION OF THINGS AS WE'RE GOING THROUGH THE CITY, WE NOTICE THINGS THAT NEED TO BE ADDRESSED AND ORDINANCES HAVE BEEN DEVELOPED THAT WAY AND THEN BROUGHT TO THE COUNCIL. COUNCIL MEMBERS HAVE BROUGHT PROBLEMS TO ME, AND I'VE LOOKED AT THE ORDINANCES AND THEN DEVELOPED A NEW ORDINANCE. AND.
AND SO IT COMES FROM ALL OF THE ABOVE, KIND OF TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTION, YOU KNOW, WHERE DOES IT COME FROM? YOU'RE REALLY KIND OF COMES FROM EVERYWHERE. OKAY. AND THEN WHAT WE DO AS STAFF IS, YEAH, WE WORK WITH LEGAL DEPARTMENT AND WE, WE CRAFT WHAT WE THINK IS AN ORDINANCE TO FIX PROBLEMS, ADDRESS ISSUES AND PROBLEMS, MAKE LIFE BETTER FOR FOLKS, THEN BRING IT TO THE COUNCIL FOR THEM TO, FOR THEM TO PASS. AND THEN TO YOU ARE THE LEGISLATIVE BODY, RIGHT? YOU ARE THE ONES THAT MAKE THE LAWS. ORDINANCES ARE LAWS. AND SO WE TAKE THOSE. AND THAT SEEMS TO BE A PRETTY SMOOTH PROCESS ON POLICY SIDE. YEAH. THERE ARE SOME POLICIES THAT WE CERTAINLY NEED TO TAKE A LOOK AT FROM A COUNCIL PERSPECTIVE. SOME OF THOSE POLICIES ARE DONE FROM JUST THE DAY TO DAY OPERATION OF THE CITY. SO THOSE MIGHT BE A LITTLE DIFFERENT FROM FROM WHAT THE FROM THE FROM WHAT THE COUNCIL DOES. BUT YOU KNOW, WE'RE, WE'RE HERE TO, WE'RE HERE TO, TO HELP THE COUNCIL MAKE THE ORDINANCES AND TO CARRY OUT YOUR LEGISLATIVE FUNCTION. OKAY. SO THIS IS NOT ABOUT GETTING TOGETHER AND DRAFTING ORDINANCES TO BRING TO THE CITY. IT'S ABOUT HERE. HERE. WE'VE GOT THIS. CODE OF ORDINANCES THAT PERHAPS SOME THINGS. AND IT SOUNDS LIKE WE HAVE A GROUP LOOKING AT IT NOW THAT WILL HAVE RECOMMENDATIONS. OKAY. THAT'S SOMETHING THAT COULD GO TO THIS COMMITTEE.
THAT COULD BE THE REVIEW OF IT TO BRING ITS RECOMMENDATIONS TO COUNCIL. IT'S IT'S, YOU KNOW, CERTAINLY NOT ABOUT INVENTING ANYTHING TO BRING BACK. I JUST I, YOU KNOW, IN MY MIND, IT'S ABOUT THESE THINGS THAT DESERVE A CLOSER LOOK. AND AGAIN, LIKE THE ANIMAL ORDINANCE, YOU KNOW, PERHAPS THIS IS THE FORUM TO DO IT WHERE WE SPEND A DAY IN A WORK SESSION TALKING ABOUT RECRAFTING THE ANIMAL ORDINANCE. BUT IN MY MIND, IT MADE MORE SENSE, LIKE WITH HOT FUNDS AND CDBG, WHERE, YOU KNOW, AS A COMMITTEE, WE DISCUSS IT IN THE, THE SMALLER GROUP WHERE WE HAVE A LITTLE MORE CONTROL OF THE TIME, AND THEN WE BRING THOSE RECOMMENDATIONS BACK TO THE FULL COUNCIL HAVE WORKED WITH STAFF, HAVE WORKED WITH THE APPROPRIATE DEPARTMENTS, HAVE WORKED WITH LEGAL. GOT THOSE OPINIONS, I. IT JUST SEEMED LIKE A. WAY TO HAVE A LITTLE MORE IN-DEPTH CONVERSATION ABOUT IT. BUT IF I MAY, MAYOR, I THINK WHAT WHAT WE'RE LOOKING
[00:50:04]
FOR AND WHAT WILL HELP, YOU KNOW, MY DEPARTMENT IS OR HELP ME IS IF I WERE TO BRING, FOR EXAMPLE, A REVISION, I HAVE A DRAFT REVISION OF OF AN ANIMAL CONTROL REGULATIONS BEFORE IT EVER EVEN WENT TO AN ORDINANCE COMMITTEE, IT WOULD GO IT WOULD GO TO CITY MANAGER AND CITY STAFF. EVERYONE WOULD BE SEEING IT AND TOUCHING IT AND REVIEWING IT AND SEEING, WELL, YEAH. WHAT DOES THIS MEAN? IT WOULD BE OTHER PEOPLE WOULD TOUCH IT, OTHER PEOPLE WOULD SEE IT. AND SO WHAT IF WE WERE BRINGING IT STRAIGHT TO WORKSHOP? WE WOULD ACTUALLY JUST HAVE, YOU KNOW, DISCUSSION OF PROPOSED AMENDMENTS TO, YOU KNOW, WHAT IS IT? CHAPTER TWO, THE CODE OF ORDINANCES, ANIMAL CONTROL REGULATIONS. AND IT'D BE MAYBE A 40 PAGE DOCUMENT BECAUSE THERE'S A LOT CODE. ANIMAL REGULATIONS CAN GET PRETTY, PRETTY THICK. AND IT COMES DOWN TO WHETHER COUNCIL WANTS TO REVIEW THAT 40 PAGE DOCUMENT IN A WORKSHOP AND THEN AND GO THROUGH IT AND OR HAVE A COMMITTEE DO THAT AND COME BACK WITH RECOMMENDATIONS. THAT'S ALL IT REALLY COMES DOWN TO BRINGING THAT ENTIRE ORDINANCE FOR COUNCIL TO REVIEW AND TOTAL, OR HAVE AS MUCH OF THAT DONE OUTSIDE OF A WORKSHOP OR WORK SESSION. AND BY THE TIME IT COMES TO HERE, TO THIS BODY, IT'S ALREADY IT'S COMING IN THE FORM OF RECOMMENDATIONS. IT'S ALREADY BEEN REVIEWED BY SOME MEMBERS OF COUNCIL, AND EITHER WAY IS A CORRECT WAY TO PROCEED.IT'S JUST A MATTER OF WHAT COUNCIL WANTS. IF COUNCIL WANTS THE WHOLE PROPOSAL, BECAUSE CODE ENFORCEMENT IS GOING TO BE VERY SIMILAR. IT'S WHEN YOU'RE DOING CODE ENFORCEMENT, YOU CAN BREAK SOME OF THAT UP BY CHAPTER, BUT WE TRY TO AVOID A BUNCH OF PIECEMEAL ADOPTIONS.
SO SOME OF THE CODE ENFORCEMENT REGULATIONS, LIKE THE SUBSTANDARD, DANGEROUS BUILDING REGULATIONS THAT CAN BE, CAN BE KIND OF HEADY. I MEAN, IT CAN BE KIND OF, YOU KNOW, IT CAN BE A LOT OF STUFF THERE, YOU KNOW, YOU CAN BREAK IT UP A LITTLE BIT, BUT ANIMAL CONTROL TENDS TO COME AS A PACKAGE AND IT CAN BE A LOT. AND SO IT'S JUST A MATTER OF HOW COUNCIL WANTS TO GET THAT BROUGHT TO THEM. AND YOU KNOW EITHER WAY IS CORRECT. IT'S JUST DEPENDS ON WHAT I GUESS I'D RATHER WANT TO KNOW BEFORE ALL OF A SUDDEN COUNCIL'S GETTING IN THEIR PACKET OF 30 PAGE ORDINANCE REVISION FOR THE VERY FIRST TIME, YOU KNOW, TO SAY, OH, WAIT, WE'RE SUPPOSED TO GO THROUGH THIS IN OUR WORK SESSION AND WE CAN DO IT THAT WAY. IT JUST, IT CAN BE SOMETIMES IT CAN BE OVERWHELMING. AND I'VE HAD TO SPLIT THOSE UP INTO 2 OR 3 PIECES FOR SOME COUNCILS BECAUSE THEY'RE LIKE, WE DON'T WANT TO BE HERE AND WE DON'T WANT TO GO THROUGH IT ALL AT ONCE. AND, YOU KNOW, IT'S JUST THAT'S JUST BASED OFF EXPERIENCE. AND IT JUST DEPENDS ON WHAT COUNCIL WANTS TO REVIEW.
NORMA, YOU'VE BEEN AT THIS FOR A LONG TIME, FOR MANY MORE YEARS THAN I HAVE, OF COURSE.
WHO WHO IS THIS GROUP YOU SAID IS REVIEWING CODES? I MEAN, ORDINANCES OR GENERAL CODE? WE CONTRACT WITH THEM TO CODIFY. CODIFY OUR ORDINANCES IN THE CODE OF ORDINANCE BOOKS. SO THEY'RE THE COMPANY THAT WE USE. WHERE DO THEY COME FROM? ARE THEY LOCAL OR THEY'RE NOT LOCAL? NO, SIR. THERE'S ONLY A FEW COMPANIES OUT AND WE HAVE USED THEM FOR SEVERAL YEARS. I WANT TO SAY MAYBE LIKE 16, 2016, 2017, THEY'VE BEEN DOING OUR CODE OF ORDINANCES. AND WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR EXPERIENCE AS THE END RESULT? HAS IT MADE IT LAST? WE HAVE NOT DONE. WE HAVE NOT DONE. AND TO REVIEW THE CODE OF ORDINANCES, THIS IS THIS IS GOING TO BE DONE IN A LONG TIME FOR LIKE ONE SINGLE CODE OR SOMETHING IN THE PAST, OR ALL THEY HAVE DONE IS AS, AS COUNCIL PASSES THE THE ORDINANCES, THEY'LL UPDATE IT. THEY'RE DOING A FULL REVIEW OF THE WHOLE CODE OF ORDINANCE BOOKS OF ALL THE CHAPTERS. OKAY. FROM MY PERSPECTIVE, AND I'LL SPEAK FOR MYSELF ONLY. I THINK IT'S A FUNCTION OF STAFF DOING IT OR OUTSIDE GROUPS DOING IT.
AND WE JUST HEAR THE FINAL VERSION. FROM MY PERSPECTIVE, I DON'T WANT TO GET IN THE WEEDS AND I DON'T HAVE AGAIN, WHOEVER SAID IT, I DON'T I DON'T HAVE THAT EXPERTISE TO GO THROUGH THE CODE. I DON'T ZIP ABOUT ANIMAL CODE. SO I WOULD PREFER. A FINAL PRODUCT COME TO COUNCIL WORKSHOP FOR DISCUSSION. NOW I HEAR WHAT CRAIG SAYING. I DON'T NECESSARILY I MEAN, DO YOU THINK HE'D BE REVIEWED? I COULD ARGUE OUR CHARTER DOES. I MEAN, NO OFFENSE, BUT THIS IS MY SIXTH EVENT TODAY AND MY SALARY ONLY COVERED DIDN'T COVER THE GAS BILL TODAY, MUCH LESS THE REST OF THE MONTH. LOOK AT SOME LOOK AT CHANGES THAT HADN'T BEEN MADE SINCE 1952 ON SOMETHING, I GET THAT. BUT I MEAN, I THINK THAT WORK THAT I'M HEARING POLICIES AND ORDINANCES PROBABLY GO TO STAFF, THEN TO US AS AS RECOMMENDATION OR AS A FINAL, AND THEN WE CAN TWEAK IT THEN. YEAH. AND I WILL ABSOLUTELY SAY, I DON'T CARE WHO DOES IT, I JUST WANT IT DONE BECAUSE IT HADN'T BEEN DONE IN A VERY LONG TIME. I APPRECIATE, I APPRECIATE THAT
[00:55:07]
YOU'VE STIRRED UP THIS CONVERSATION. WITHOUT A DOUBT. WE'VE LEARNED SOME THINGS I DIDN'T KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT. CLARIFICATION. COUNCIL AND THE CHARTER COMMITTEE IS NEEDED REALLY BAD. WE NEED TO PUT THAT TOGETHER. AND SO WHAT WOULD YOU TALK ABOUT? A CHARTER COMMITTEE, CHARTER COMMITTEE? IT'S COMPOSED OF CITIZENS AND SEVERAL MEMBERS. IT CAN BE COUNCIL AND OF COURSE, STAFF. AND WHAT THEY'LL DO IS THEY'LL DO A OF COURSE, WITH LEGAL ASSISTANCE, THEY'LL DO A REVIEW OF THE ENTIRE CHARTER WILL PREPARE RECOMMENDATIONS ON WHAT TO PUT FORWARD TO THE ELECTION FOR THE CITIZENS TO VOTE ON TO UPDATE OUR CHARTER. HOW LONG HAVE YOU SERVED IN THIS CURRENT ROLE AS SECRETARY SECRETARY? IT'LL BE 28 YEARS IN AUGUST AND 28 YEARS. HAVE WE EVER DONE IT? REVIEW THE CHARTER, A CHARTER REVIEW, MAYBE ONE TIME. BUT IT'S LONG OVERDUE, SO IT'S NEEDED. I WAS JUST GOING TO SAY A LOT OF CHARTERS HAVE THE CHARTER COMMITTEE MENTIONED IN THEIR CHARTER THAT SAYS THAT WE SHALL HAVE A CHARTER REVIEW EVERY FIVE YEARS, WHICH WE DON'T HAVE THAT IN OUR CHARTER. AND, YOU KNOW, JUST AS AN EXAMPLE FOR, FOR INSTANCE, OF, YOU KNOW, TO ENSURE THAT BY LAW. AND THAT'S WHAT A CHARTER IS, RIGHT? THAT'S OUR CITY'S CONSTITUTION. IT'S A VERY IMPORTANT DOCUMENT. AND, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, TO TO PUT THAT IN THE CHARTER TO SAY, YOU KNOW, EVERY FIVE YEARS THERE WILL BE A CHARTER COMMITTEE, AT LEAST A CHARTER COMMITTEE. THAT'S NOT SAYING THAT THERE HAS TO BE CHANGES, A CHANGE TO IT, BUT AT LEAST A CHARTER COMMITTEE COMES UP EVERY FIVE YEARS TO MAKE SURE THAT THE CHARTER IS IN LINE WITH OUR MODERN WAY OF DOING THINGS. SO AND I WILL SAY THIS, LIKE MAYOR, I, I THINK IT'S UP TO THE STAFF, CITY MANAGER AND HIS STAFF AND THEY BRING IT TO US BECAUSE WE, WE DON'T, SOME OF US DON'T HAVE TIME TO COME UP AND READ THAT ALL DAY. SOME OF THEM SAY IT'S HARD. THEY HAVE TIME, AND THEN WE DON'T KNOW ABOUT A PROBLEM ANYWAY UNTIL IT COMES TO US ANYWAY FOR US TO REVIEW. SO I THINK THAT'S WHERE IT NEEDS TO BE DONE. ONCE THAT PROBLEM COMES UP, BRING IT TO TO THE COUNCIL AND THEN WE CAN GO FORWARD WITH IT AND SAY WHAT WE WANT TO DO. BUT AT THE END OF THE DAY, WE'RE ALL IN AGREEMENT.I BELIEVE THAT WE NEED THIS AGAIN. I DON'T I DON'T CARE WHO DOES IT, I JUST WANT IT TO BE DONE. YEP. I LIKE TO SEE YOU ON THE COMMITTEE THOUGH. I'M HAPPY TO DO THAT TOO. THE THEN MAYBE I WOULD SAY THIS AND I'M GOING TO I'M GOING TO REALLY JUST ASK AARON AND CITY COUNCIL AND CITY MANAGEMENT TO SORT OF CREATE. THAT HAD BEEN REVIEWED IN A LONG TIME, PROBABLY NEEDS TO BE REVIEWED WITH JAMES OBVIOUSLY LEGAL. JUST BRING IT TO US. LET'S LOOK AT IT ON THE CHARTER.
IT'S NOT ON THE WORKSHOP AGENDA, BUT I DO THINK IT'S TIME WE NEED TO PUT IT ON THE WORKSHOP AGENDA FOR NEXT TIME. CLEARLY, I'D LIKE TO HAVE THE DATE. I MEAN, I DON'T DON'T KILL YOURSELF, BUT WHAT WAS THE LAST TIME WE CHECKED ON IT OR REVIEWED IT OR AND THEN LET'S PROBABLY FORM A COMMITTEE BECAUSE I THINK IT IS TIME TO LOOK A FEW THINGS AND MAKE SURE WE'RE IN COMPLIANCE. I MEAN, I GOTTA BE HONEST, I LOOKED AT IT ONCE WHEN I RAN FOR MAYOR, BUT I HAVEN'T REALLY LOOKED AT IT AGAIN. IT'S PRETTY THICK DOCUMENT, SO PROBABLY REFRESHER OR ANYTHING. JUST MAKE SURE WE'RE ALWAYS DOING THINGS CORRECTLY SENT TO THE CHARTER.
ALL RIGHT, GENTLEMEN, SEEING NOTHING FURTHER ON THE AGENDA, THERE'S AGENDA ITEM NUMBER EIGHT. MR. MAYOR, IF THERE'S NO FURTHER AGENDA ITEMS TO DISCUSS, I MOVE THAT WE ADJOURN. MOTION TO ADJOURN. COUNCIL MEMBER VAZQUEZ, SECOND BY COUNCILMEMBER MITCHELL. ALL IN FAVOR, SAY AYE. AYE. ANY OPPOSED?
* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.