* This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting. [00:00:02] ALL RIGHT, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, WELCOME [Special Budget Meeting on November 30, 2021] TO THE 2022 PROPOSED BUDGET, UH, HEARINGS. AT THIS TIME, WE'RE GOING TO HAVE SEVERAL, UM, DEPARTMENTS THAT BE COMING BEFORE US TODAY. WE HAD THE PARISH ATTORNEY'S OFFICE TODAY, THE DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION AND DRAINAGE DEPARTMENT OF MAINTENANCE, ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES, AND, UH, THE STORM WATER DEPARTMENT. SO WITHOUT FURTHER ADO, WE WILL GET THIS MEETING STARTED. FIRST OF ALL, THANK YOU ALL VERY MUCH FOR COMING. I'M SO GLAD IT'S, UH, COUNCILWOMAN COLEMAN IS HERE. IT'S SO GOOD TO SEE YOU TODAY. I JUST WANTED TO TELL YOU, IT WAS A PLEASURE WALKING INTO THE CHAMBER AND SEEING YOUR WONDERFUL, WONDERFUL PRESENCE HERE WITH US. THANK YOU WITH THAT SAID, WE'LL GO AHEAD AND GET STARTED. WE'D LIKE TO CALL UP FIRST, THE PARISH ATTORNEY'S OFFICE. OH, WE HAVE A COUNCILMAN PUTIN WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK OR DID WE, OKAY. I DON'T KNOW HOW TO TURN THAT OFF EITHER. COULD WE HAVE SOMEONE FROM THE PAY OR SHE COMES YAY. COUNCIL MEMBERS. I'M JUST HERE TO SAY THAT I'M NOT THE PERSON THAT'S GOING TO SPEAK TO THIS. UM, BUT UH, MR. DOTSON IS RUNNING A FEW MINUTES LATE. SO IS THERE A WAY THAT WE CAN, OH, SURE. WELL, WE'LL TAKE IT OUT OF ORDER. IF, UM, IF THE DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION AND DRAINAGE IS AVAILABLE, WE'LL GO THERE. HE IS. SORRY FOR IT. I TRIED, I TRIED. THANKS FOR STOLEN. RIGHT? I APOLOGIZE. I GOT, I WAS IN MY OFFICE AND I GOT CAUGHT UP ON A CALL WITH MY MOTHER. SO I'M GOING TO BE HONEST WITH YOU IS MY MOTHER. AND I TOLD HER, MOMMY, YOU GOT ME LATE. I NEED TO GO SINCE MY MOTHER, WE KNOW Y'ALL BILL BY THE HOUR. SO WE'LL TAKE THAT. WE'LL TAKE THAT 45 SECONDS OUT OF THE PAYCHECK FROM THERE. SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH. YOU'RE WELCOME. THANK YOU. AND I APOLOGIZE AGAIN FOR, FOR BEING LATE. THANK YOU ALL VERY MUCH. APPRECIATE IT. UM, I DON'T REALLY HAVE A PRESENTATION OR ANYTHING. UH, OUR OFFICES, UH, BUDGET HAS BEEN PRETTY MUCH STATIC, UH, FOR THE LAST FOUR OR FIVE YEARS, EXCEPT FOR ONE CHANGE THAT WE INPUTTED OR REQUESTED FOR THIS YEAR THAT I'LL DISCUSS WITH YOU SHORTLY. UM, BUT AGAIN, NO REAL CHANGE HAS NOTHING GLAMOROUS, NOTHING SHINY, UH, IN TERMS OF OUR BUDGET. THE ONLY THING THAT I HAVE DONE IS WHEN I TOOK OVER, WE HAD WHAT I THOUGHT WAS AN INEFFECTIVE KIND OF LEADERSHIP STRUCTURE. WE HAD A FIRST ASSISTANT, UH, PAST ATTORNEY THAT WAS PRETTY MUCH HANDLING EVERYTHING THAT THE PARENTS' ATTORNEY CAN HANDLE. WE HAD A DIRECTOR OF ADMINISTRATION, WHICH WAS ASSISTING THE FIRST ASSISTANT IN A PARENT'S ATTORNEY ON STRICTLY ADMINISTRATIVE THINGS, DEALING WITH EMPLOYEES, DISCIPLINE, THINGS OF THAT NATURE. AND I JUST FELT LIKE PEOPLE KIND OF CROSS SOME PEOPLE'S TOES. YOU KNOW, IT JUST REALLY DIDN'T WORK. SO WHEN I CAME OVER, I DIDN'T, UH, BOTH OF THOSE POSITIONS WERE VACANT BY THE TIME I CAME OVER, THEY WERE VACATED SHORTLY THEREAFTER. AND, UH, FOR THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS THAT I'VE BEEN IN THE, IN THE, UH, IN THE OFFICE, I'VE KIND OF LEFT THEM THERE. I KIND OF ANALYZED THE OFFICE AND HOW IT SHOULD BE STRUCTURED AND IN DOING SO, I CAME UP WITH THE IDEA THAT I THINK WE NEEDED TO HAVE A STRUCTURE BY WHICH WE HAD DEPUTY PARENTS ATTORNEYS, AND I WANTED TO CREATE TWO DEPUTY PARISH ATTORNEY POSITIONS. ONE DEPUTY PARISH ATTORNEY WILL BE OVER ADMINISTRATION SOLELY. THAT MEANS ALL THE LAWYERS THAT HANDLE THE ADMINISTRATIVE SIDE COURTNEY'S POSITION IN TERMS OF DEALING WITH THE COUNCIL, THE HR POSITION, AND ALL THOSE POSITIONS TO DEAL WITH THE ADMINISTRATIVE SIDE. THE OTHER DEPUTY PARENTS ATTORNEY WOULD DEAL WITH LITIGATION AND RISK, WHICH IS THE OTHER SIDE OF THE OFFICE, AS WELL AS THE ALCOHOL BEVERAGE CONTROL OFFICE AND A PROSECUTOR'S OFFICE ACROSS THE STREET. AND I THOUGHT THAT THAT WAS A GOOD BALANCE. EVEN THOUGH THIS DEPUTY PEDS ATTORNEY, WE HAD THREE ENTITIES OR THREE PARTS OF THE OFFICE, IT'D BE OVER. IT'S PRETTY MUCH THE SAME WEIGHT IN TERMS OF WORK THAT THE DEPUTY PEREZ ATTORNEY WOULD BE DOING ON THE ADMINISTRATIVE SIDE. AND SO IN DOING SO, AND TO BE ABLE TO ACCOMPLISH THAT AND TALK WITH LINDEN, ANGIE, THE ONLY WAY I COULD GET THAT DONE WAS BY DELETING THE FIRST PARENTS ATTORNEY POSITION. WE DELETED THE DIRECTOR OF ADMINISTRATIVE TO DIRECT THE ADMINISTRATION'S POSITION. AND WE ALSO DELETED AN ATTORNEY WHO RETIRED. WE DELETED HER POSITION. SHE WAS THE LAST OF THE REMNANTS OF THE PART-TIME ATTORNEYS THAT WE HAD HERE IN THE CITY OF PARIS CALLED AN ATTORNEY B. AND WE DELETED THAT POSITION. AND BECAUSE WE DELETED THOSE POSITIONS, WE WERE ABLE TO FUND THE CREATION OF THOSE TWO POSITIONS TO DO DEPUTY PARISH ATTORNEY POSITION. SO OUTSIDE OF THAT, THERE HASN'T BEEN ANY REAL CHANGES IN OUR BUDGET. REALLY, THE LAST FIVE YEARS I'M TALKING FROM, I MEAN, MORE LONGER THAN THAT FROM THE FUNDING THAT WE GET FOR OUTSIDE CONTRACTS AND EVERYTHING OF THAT NATURE. SO THAT'S GENERALLY WHAT'S GOING ON. AND MY GOAL IS, UH, AND, AND LET ME TELL YOU THIS, IF I GOT A LITTLE BIT MORE MIKE TIME, MY TAKE OUT MY GOAL IS WHEN I CAME THERE FROM THE BEGINNING, I CALL OUT A FLAT FROM OUT IF Y'ALL REMEMBER THE NEWS ARTICLES THAT CAME OUT WHEN I FIRST GOT THERE WAS TRYING TO LEVELIZE THE SALARIES. WHEN I GOT THERE, WE HAD ATTORNEYS WHO WERE JUST KIND OF ALL OVER THE BOARD IN TERMS OF HOW MUCH THEY WERE MAKING, COMPARED TO THE WORK THAT THEY WERE DOING. I ADJUSTED SOME SALARIES WHEN I GOT THERE AND CALL OUT A FLACK OVER IT BECAUSE PEOPLE DIDN'T UNDERSTAND IT. I DON'T KNOW IF Y'ALL REMEMBER THE TIME WHEN [00:05:01] CHRIS NAKAMOTO WAS TRYING TO FOLLOW ME THROUGH THE COUNCIL CHAMBER AND ALL THAT STUFF, BECAUSE HE MISINTERPRETED AND I THINK EVERYBODY MISINTERPRETED WHAT I WAS DOING AND WHAT WAS GOING ON. AND THAT'S WHY THINGS LIKE THAT DIE OUT BECAUSE THEY DON'T HAVE ANY BASIS TO ANYTHING, ANY SUBSTANCE TO THEM. AND SO I'VE CONTINUALLY TRIED TO PUT OPPORTUNITIES IN THE BEST POSITION RIGHT NOW IN MY OFFICE, IN ORDER TO HIRE AN ATTORNEY I'M PUTTING IN BRINGING THEM IN AT LESS THAN $50,000. AND THERE'S NO ATTORNEY OUT THERE THAT'S GOING TO COME TO WORK FOR THE GOVERNMENT AT LESS THAN $50,000. AND SO I'M HAVING A HARD TIME RECRUITING INDIVIDUALS TO COME, AND I'M HAVING A HARD TIME RETAINING INDIVIDUALS. I'VE LOST THREE ATTORNEYS AND TWO ATTORNEYS IN THE LAST YEAR. AND I'VE OVER THE COURSE OF THE TIME I'VE BEEN THERE. I'VE LOST FOUR ATTORNEYS, ALL YOUNG ATTORNEYS, ALL VERY GOOD ATTORNEYS TO OUR OFFICE AND TO THE CITY PAIR WHO ARE DOING GREAT WORK FOR US, BUT I JUST COULDN'T COMPETE WITH THE LAW FIRMS AND OTHER ENTITIES THAT WERE PROVIDING A BETTER PATHWAY, BETTER MONEY AND BETTER POTENTIAL OUTLOOK FOR THEM. THEN, THEN COULD I COULDN'T COMPETE. AND SO MY NEXT GOAL IS TO COME BACK, UH, AND THEN WITHIN THE NEXT YEAR AND DO MY BEST I CAN TO POLITIC, TO GET SOME MORE MONEY, TO BE ABLE TO PUT SOME MORE MONEY INTO THOSE POSITIONS, TO BEAT, TO MAKE THOSE POSITIONS BETTER, PAY, TO MAKE THEM MORE ATTRACTIVE AND BE ABLE TO RETAIN THOSE INDIVIDUALS AND CONTINUE TO WORK WITH, IF I MAY, HOW MANY ATTORNEYS SHORT ARE YOU? NOW? WE HAVE FOUR VACANT IN THE PROSECUTOR OFFICE AND WE HAVE, UH, WE HAVE FULL ALLOTMENT IN THE ADMIN DIVISION. I THINK WE MAY HAVE ONE VACANCY IN THE ADMINS POSITION AND WHEN WE MOVE UP AND WHENEVER WE MOVED UP IT, WHEREVER WE ENDED WAS WE DECIDED TO MOVE UP INTO THE DEPUTY PARENTS ATTORNEYS AND POSITION. THEIR POSITIONS WILL BE VACANT, BUT THE MOST IMPORTANT VACANCIES I HAVE RIGHT NOW IS IN THE PROSECUTOR'S OFFICE. SO YOU HAVE SIX VACANCIES RIGHT NOW, POTENTIALLY I WOULD HAVE SIX TO SEVEN VACANCIES IF EVERYTHING GOES THROUGH AND WE'VE ALREADY TRIED A COUPLE OF TIMES, AND COURTNEY WAS ABLE, WE TRIED TO, I DON'T KNOW WHERE COURTNEY IS NOW, BUT WE TRY TO CAPTURE A COUPLE OF PEOPLE RECENTLY IN THE LAST FEW YEARS, AND WE JUST WEREN'T ABLE TO COMPETE. THEY ALL TOLD US THE SAME THING. YOU KNOW, I LOVE TO COME WORK FOR YOU. IT'D BE A GREAT PLACE TO WORK WITH. ALL RIGHT. SO BASED ON THE SALARIES THAT YOU'RE OFFERING RIGHT NOW, THE SIX TO SEVEN VACANCIES THAT YOU HAVE RIGHT NOW ARE COVERED IN THIS, THIS, ANYTHING THAT INCREASES IS POSSIBLE LATER ON AND SO ON AND SO FORTH, GO FOR THE FUTURE. YES, SIR. REAL QUICK SIDE NOTE, SINCE I AM SPEAKING WHAT WE DID, UH, FOR THOSE OF Y'ALL THAT THE COUNCIL MEMBERS THAT WASN'T HERE FOR THE LAST MEETING, AND IF IT'S OKAY WITH THE PRESENTER, AS THEY'RE PRESENTING, IF YOU HAVE A QUESTION KIND OF MAKE A NOD, RAISE YOUR HAND, LET ME KNOW. UM, THAT'S KIND OF THE FORMALITY. I THINK IT WORKS BEST INSTEAD OF TRYING TO GET THROUGH THE WHOLE PRESENTATION AND THEN REMEMBER WHAT YOU'RE ASKING AND SO ON. SO AGAIN, I DIDN'T MEAN TO INTERRUPT YOU, BUT I DID WANT TO STATE THAT FOR THE REST OF THE PRESENTERS THAT WE'LL BE PRESENTING, IF THAT'S OKAY WITH Y'ALL, THAT'S THE WAY WE'RE GOING TO MOVE THROUGH WITH THIS AND ASK THE QUESTIONS AS WE GO. SO, ALL RIGHT. 67 VACANCIES, BUT THE BUDGET DOES COVER IT, BUT YOU FEEL LIKE IT DOES NEED TO BE INCREASED BECAUSE YOU, YEAH, DEFINITELY BECAUSE, UM, SO 50,000 IS WHAT YOU CAN OFFER RIGHT NOW. WHAT WOULD BE A STARTING OFFERING POINT? WE'VE DONE SOME ANALYSIS AND WE'LL CONTINUE TO DO IT, AND I'LL GET THAT INFORMATION TO YOU. I'M TRYING TO LOOK TO UPDATE IT. NOW WE'VE DONE SOME INITIAL ANALYSIS, BUT I MEAN, UM, YOU YOU'RE TALKING, YOU KNOW, WE'LL NEVER COMPETE WITH THIS, BUT A LOT OF THE, YOU KNOW, UH, ENTRY-LEVEL ATTORNEYS AT VARIOUS AGENCIES ARE MAKING BETWEEN 80 TO A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS A YEAR AND WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO COMPETE WITH THAT. AND I'M NOT ASKING TO COMPETE WITH THAT. I JUST NEED SOMETHING BETTER THAN $50,000 IN ORDER TO GET INTO THE MIX. AND SO I'M, AGAIN, I'M DOING SOME WORK AND WE'RE DOING A STUDY NOW TO DETERMINE THE BEST RANGE OF WHERE WE NEED TO BE IN THAT AMOUNT. AND THAT'S SOMETHING THAT I WILL PRESENT TO YOU AS WELL AS TO FINANCE INTO THE MAYOR'S OFFICE. ONCE WE GET A COMPLETE, OKAY, THAT'S ALL I HAVE RIGHT NOW. UH, I APPRECIATE THE WORK Y'ALL DO FOR WHAT Y'ALL DO GET RIGHT NOW. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. APPRECIATE THE COUNCIL. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? COUNCILWOMAN ADAMS. UM, EARLIER THIS YEAR WE HAD DISCUSSED, UM, THE POSSIBILITY OF, OF BRINGING ANOTHER, UM, COUNCIL ON BOARD OR ASSIGNING SOMEONE TO THE POLICE CHIEF. UM, HAVE YOU GIVEN ANY ADDITIONAL THOUGHT TO THAT? UH, THERE'S STILL A, YOU TALKED ABOUT IT TERMS OF RESTRUCTURING AND BRINGING IN AN ATTORNEY THAT'S SOLELY FOR THE PEACE SHEET. WE HAVEN'T HAD A CHANCE TO TALK ABOUT THAT INTERNALLY. UH, I DO FEEL LIKE, AND, YOU KNOW, BASED UPON MY EXPERIENCE, WHAT I'VE SEEN, EVERYTHING THAT EVERYBODY'S KIND OF CONCERNED ABOUT, I THINK IT'S JUST AN ANOMALY THAT'S HAPPENED IN THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS. I THINK THE WAY THAT IT'S STRUCTURED NOW IS A WORKING STRUCTURE. AND I THINK WE NEED SOME MORE TIME TO DETERMINE IF IT'S SOMETHING THAT'S GOING TO BE THERE FOR THE FUTURE BEFORE WE START MAKING THOSE KINDS OF DRASTIC MOVES TO, TO, TO HAVE SOMEBODY SET UP LIKE THAT. I THINK THAT THE MONEY AND THE POSITION WOULD BE BETTER UTILIZED FOR THE PEARS PARTS OF THIS OFFICE THAN THAT. I THINK THE OUTSIDE CONTRACT IS FINE FOR NOW. AND IT'S ALWAYS BEEN THAT WAY. THE LAST TWO YEARS HAVE JUST BEEN RIDICULOUS FOR LACK OF A BETTER PHRASE. I MEAN, THAT'S, THAT, THAT COULD BE TWO $80,000 SALARY. THAT'S TRUE. BUT AGAIN, IF [00:10:01] IT'S A SUSTAINED THING, MOST DEFINITELY, I THINK FEASIBILITY FEASIBILITY WISE, IT ONLY MAKES SENSE TO DO IT THAT WAY. I MEAN, IF IT'S JUST A SPIKE. YES. MA'AM NO, NO. IT'S LIKE AT WHAT POINT WOULD YOU SAY, OKAY, THIS IS NO LONGER AN ANOMALY I'M GOING ON, WHAT THEY'RE TELLING ME. AND THEN THEY WE'VE, I'VE ASKED THE CHIEF TO RESTRUCTURE SOME OF THE THINGS HE'S DOING AND HE'S DONE THAT. HE'S TAKEN AWAY FROM THOSE ATTORNEYS, SOME OF THE INITIAL, UH, HANDLING OF THE FILES AND HE'S DOING IT IN HOUSE WITH CERTAIN PEOPLE HE HAS THERE. AND WITH OUR IN-HOUSE ATTORNEY, THAT'S ALREADY THERE AND WE'VE ALREADY STARTED TO SEE A SLIGHT DECREASE IN THE AMOUNT OF THE BILLING AS MY GOAL, TO LOOK THROUGH IT THROUGH THIS NEXT CALENDAR YEAR AND SEE IF IT'S GOING TO GET TO THE WAY IT NEEDS TO GET, UH, WITHIN MAKING THOSE CHANGES AND WITH HOPEFULLY MOVING TOWARDS WHERE THERE'S NOT AS MANY ADMINISTRATIVE HEARINGS. SO THIS NEXT YEAR SHOULD REALLY TELL US A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT WHERE WE'RE AT. AND SO ALSO JUST WHAT DO YOU, WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT MS MORRIS'S? UM, HER, HER, UM, HER WORKLOAD RIGHT NOW. SO WE HAD HEARD, YOU KNOW, UM, THAT, THAT SOME PUBLIC RECORDS REQUESTS WERE BEING FULFILLED BY OTHER ATTORNEYS AND OTHER PLACES, UM, THAT MAYBE THE CIVIL SERVICE BOARD ATTORNEY WAS, WAS FEELING SOME OF THOSE PUBLIC RECORD REQUESTS THAT'S NOT HAPPENING, I THINK. AND I DIDN'T MEAN TO CUT YOU OFF TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTION. I THINK MS. MORRIS IS LIKE ANY OTHER ATTORNEY IN MY OFFICE. I THINK WE HAVE A HUGE WORKLOAD, BUT THAT'S PART OF BEING A LAWYER. AND I THINK PART OF BEING A LAWYER IS JUGGLING WHAT YOU HAVE IN PRIORITIZING WHAT YOU HAVE. AND I'VE TALKED WITH HER SEVERAL TIMES ABOUT THAT AND SHE, SHE UNDERSTANDS THAT I THINK SHE'S DOING A PHENOMENAL JOB, BUT TRIED TO REMEMBER THOSE, WE GET HUNDREDS OF PUBLIC RECORDS REQUESTS, AND YEAH, I DON'T CARE IF I HAVE THREE LAWYERS OVER, THEY STILL GOING TO BE A BACKLOG OF PUBLIC RECORDS REQUESTS GOING ON. AND COUPLED WITH THAT IS THE FACT THAT IT'S SENSITIVE INFORMATION THAT COMES OUT OF THE POLICE DEPARTMENT. THAT'S A LITTLE BIT HARDER TO DISSEMINATE THAN IT IS HERE. IF SOMEBODY HERE, UH, WITH GWEN, UH, THAT WORKS IN MY OFFICE HERE WHEN HANDLES ALL OF OUR, UH, PUBLIC RECORDS REQUESTS HERE. AND, YOU KNOW, WHEN HAS A LITTLE BIT EASIER IN TERMS OF WHAT CAN AND CANNOT GO OUT AS A PICKUP BED WITH DELHI HERE. SO THAT'S WHAT KIND OF SLOWS DOWN OUR PROCESS A LITTLE BIT. BUT I DO THINK THAT, UM, UH, WE ARE IN A GOOD POSITION. I THINK DV IS FINE AND WE'VE DONE SOME THINGS TO KIND OF RESTRUCTURE THAT AS WELL. BUT AGAIN, IT'S, IT'S JUST, IT'S SO EASY TO LOOK AT THINGS, COUNCIL, TO BE HONEST WITH YOU AND SAY, OKAY, THAT'S A PROBLEM. LET'S FIX IT. AND A LOT OF ASPECTS OF SOCIETY, THAT'S WHAT WE HAVE TO DO. BUT IN A LOT OF OTHER ASPECTS OF SOCIETY, WE HAVE TO LOOK TO SEE IF THAT'S A CONTINUAL TREND BEFORE WE MAKE THOSE KINDS OF MOVES. RIGHT. YEAH. BUT I DO THINK THAT THAT'S SOMETHING WE HAVE CONCERN ABOUT WE HAVE LOOKED AT. SO I THINK THAT'S WHERE I FOUND THEM. OKAY. YES. MA'AM COUNCILMAN HUDSON. HEY ANDY, IN YOUR 2022 BUDGET REQUEST, IT LOOKS LIKE YOU REQUESTED ABOUT 7.3, BUT YOU ENDED UP WITH 7.6. UM, THIS MAY BE A QUESTION FOR FINANCE, BUT OUR COUNCIL BUDGET OFFICER IS TELLING ME THAT'S LARGELY DUE TO POST-EMPLOYMENT BENEFITS AND THAT SORT OF THING. UM, SO THE REASON WHY I'M ASKING THIS QUESTION IS THAT I JUST WANT, YOU KNOW, FOR THE, FOR THE SAKE OF THE COUNCIL TO CONTINUE TO HEAR WHAT SORT OF IMPLICATION THAT HAS FOR THE GENERAL FUND, UM, AND THAT SORT OF THING. SO ANGIE, IF YOU WOULD JUST TOUCH ON WHY THAT IS THAT, THAT THERE WAS AN INCREASE OVER WHAT THEY REQUESTED. WE, UM, THERE'S A COUPLE OF THINGS. SO WHEN WE SENT OUT THE ORIGINAL BUDGET INSTRUCTIONS, GENERAL FUND DEPARTMENTS WERE TOLD THAT THEY COULD REQUEST NO MORE THAN THEIR CURRENT BUDGET, UM, LIKE A CONTINUATION BUDGET. OKAY. SO WE HAD, WE HAD THAT, BUT IN THE MEANTIME, WE HAD SOME ANTICIPATED CHANGES IN THE RETIREMENT ORDINANCE, WHICH PROVIDED THAT WE HAD TO START CONTRIBUTING ON THE PART-TIME EMPLOYEES, THE EMPLOYER PORTION ON THE PART-TIME EMPLOYEES, AND THEN ANYBODY ENTERING THE DROP, WE WOULD ALSO HAVE TO CONTRIBUTE ON THAT. SO THAT WAS ONE OF THE THINGS. AND SO AS WE WENT THROUGH AND DEVELOP THE BUDGET, I THINK ANDY SAID THAT WE HAD A DISCUSSION, UM, AS WE WENT THROUGH AND DEVELOP THE BUDGET AND OUR REVENUE PICTURE WAS BETTER THAN WHAT WE ANTICIPATED. IT WAS GOING TO BE WHEN WE SENT OUT THE BUDGET INSTRUCTIONS, WE STARTED LOOKING AT GOING BACK AND TRYING TO REPLENISH SOME OF THE CUTS THAT WE HAD TO MAKE. IN 2019, THE PARISH ATTORNEY'S OFFICE BUDGET WAS CUT, I BELIEVE 3%. AND IT REQUIRED THEM TO FREEZE SOME OF THEIR POSITIONS IN THE CITY PROSECUTOR'S OFFICE. SO WE TALKED TO, ANDY SAID, ANDY, IF WE HAVE SOME ADDITIONAL FUNDING AVAILABLE, WHAT WOULD YOUR PRIORITIES BE? HE TOLD US WHAT THOSE PRIORITIES WERE AND WE WERE ABLE TO FUND SOME OF THOSE THINGS. GOTCHA. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS FOR THE PARISH ATTORNEY'S OFFICE? THANK YOU, MR. ANDY, WE APPRECIATE Y'ALL. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. NOW FOR OBVIOUSLY THIS NEXT DEPARTMENT IS ANXIOUS AND READY TO GET STARTED BECAUSE HE'S DONE TRYING TO, WELL [00:15:01] STAND UP THERE THREE TIMES DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION AND DRAINAGE. IT WAS FRED RAYFORD. THANK YOU FOR COMING. YEAH, OUR MOTTO, OUR POINT. OKAY. WE LOST OUR, I DON'T DO ANYTHING WITHOUT A POWERPOINT. I'VE BEEN TOLD THAT NUMEROUS TIMES, BUT SOMETHING'S COMING UP THERE. IT IS. ALRIGHT. ALRIGHT. THANK YOU, COUNCIL MEMBERS. UH, I DO APPRECIATE THE OPPORTUNITY TO COME TALK TO YOU TONIGHT ABOUT OUR BUDGET, YOU KNOW, SHORTLY, UM, LIKE EVERYTHING ELSE. EVERYBODY ALWAYS LIKES TO HAVE MORE MONEY, BUT WE ALWAYS TRY TO LIVE WITHIN THE SET UP PROVIDED TO US AND PROVIDE THE BEST SERVICE TO THE CUSTOMERS. AND IN OUR PARISH COULD ADD IS OUR NUMBER ONE GOAL AND OBJECTIVE. AND I'M JUST WANT TO GO OVER SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WE HAVE IN REGARDS TO THE SERVICE THAT WE PROVIDE TO THE CITIZENS OF THE PARISH NEXT WELL, THANKS MARK. SO AVERAGE SUBSCRIPTION, WE HAVE THE ADMINISTRATION. THAT'S CERTAINLY WHY I AM AT THIS POINT. OVERSEE A LOT OF THE MOVIE ARE THE GREEN LIGHT PLAN, FLOOD CONTROL PROJECTS, STORMWATER MASTER PLAN, BUDGET, A BUS RAPID TRANSIT PROGRAM, AND ALSO ALL THE FEDERAL PROGRAMS THAT WE'RE SECURING ABOUT $93 MILLION WORTH OF FUNDS FOR UNDER THE, UH, HAZARD MITIGATION AND, UH, WATERSHED INITIATIVE, THE ENGINEERING, UH, CERTAINLY, UH, WE CAN'T DO WITHOUT THE ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT. UH, IT IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE PLANNING, THE DESIGNING AND CONSTRUCTION OF PUBLIC ASSETS AND TRANSPORTATION AND DRAINAGE IMPROVEMENTS. UM, WE DO ALSO INCLUDE INSPECTION AND COMPLIANCE FOR NEW ROADWAY CONSTRUCTION. I THINK IT'S, WHAT'S ALSO SUPPORT IS IMPORTANT TO NOTE IS THAT WHILE WE DO CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS, WE ALSO DO EXISTING HIGHWAYS AND BRIDGES, FLOOD CONTROL MEASURES, INCLUDING LEVY PERMIT, UH, INSPECTIONS AND BRIDGE REPAIR, AND GUARD RAIL REPAIR. MOST PEOPLE DON'T REALIZE, BUT WE HAVE OVER 272 BRIDGES THAT WE'RE RESPONSIBLE FOR IN THIS PARISH. AND, UH, YOU'LL SEE A LITTLE BIT OF THE FUNDING, THE ISSUE THAT WE'RE DEALING WITH IN OTHER PRESENTATION, INSPECTION AND COMPLIANCE OF NEW ROAD CONSTRUCTION, ALL THE MOVIE ARE ALL THE PROJECTS THAT ARE BEING BUILT, EVEN CLUED INTO BRIDGES. THOSE ARE THE RESPONSIBILITY OF DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS AND THE DRAINAGE SECTION ENGINEERING TO OVERSEE. AND THOSE ARE THE THINGS THAT, THAT WE'RE PART OF THE ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT IS RESPONSIBLE FOR NEXT MARTIN. I HAVE FEEL ENGINEERING. BASICALLY. THE OTHER GUYS ARE OUT IN THE FIELD EVERY DAY, LOOKING AT THE PROJECTS THAT ARE ONGOING, THAT WE HAVE ON A CONSTRUCTION, OR IF THERE'S REPAIRS TO IT, THEY ALSO DO THE ACTUAL REVIEW AND MAKE THE COMMENTS AND SUBMIT THE PROPER FORMS THAT ARE NECESSARY IN REGARDS TO THE PROJECTS THAT THEY'RE OVERSEEING TRAFFIC ENGINEERING. CERTAINLY, UH, TO ME, THAT'S ONE OF MY ALSO HIGH PROFILE DEPARTMENT. UH, I'M VERY PROUD OF WHAT THEY DO WHILE WE ARE SHORT STAFFED. THERE'S NO QUESTION ABOUT THAT. WE WORKED VERY HARD TO TRY TO PROVIDE THE SERVICE, PARTICULARLY DEALING WITH FIXING SIGNS, REPLACING STREETS ON OR ADDRESS IN SIGNAL MALFUNCTIONS OR TRAFFIC TIMING, THINGS LIKE THAT. THOSE ARE THE ISSUES THAT MOSTLY OUR TRAFFIC ENGINE DEPARTMENT DEALS WITH, YOU KNOW, WHILE WE HAVE YES, SIR. UM, AGAIN, UM, IF YOU DON'T MIND, IF , WHEN I GO TO HOMEOWNER MEETINGS, I GET ASKED QUESTIONS ALL THE TIME, SO IT'S NOT A BIG SHORT-STAFFED PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE LET THE COUNCIL KNOW HOW MUCH SHORT-STAFFED, BUT RIGHT NOW MY VACANCY RATE IS WITHIN THE DEPARTMENT. THE BIGGEST IS TRAFFIC IS 23%. I HAVE HOW MANY POSITIONS? UH, ABOUT EIGHT AND FARS AND TRAFFIC ENGINEER IN OVERALL DEPARTMENT OVERALL 13, I THINK 13. YES, SIR. AND IT'S ON A SHEET THAT YOU'RE SEEING IN COMING UP. OKAY. THANK YOU. BUT AGAIN, FROM A TRAFFIC ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT, AND THEY'RE ALSO INVOLVED IN A MOVIE, OUR PROGRAM, PARTICULARLY WITH THE TRAFFIC SIGNAL MAINTENANCE AND ALSO THE, UH, DEALING WITH THE OVERALL RECONSTRUCTION OF OUR SYSTEM. I'M SORRY. THANK YOU. I APPRECIATE THAT RIGHT NOW. I'LL ANSWER YOUR QUESTION AGAIN. WHEN WE GET TO IT STRAIGHT LIGHTING NEXT, UM, TREAT LIGHTING. THAT'S ALWAYS AN INTERESTING TOPIC AND DISCUSSION, UH, AT THIS POINT IS, UH, NON-DEPARTMENTAL BUDGET IT'S ASSOCIATED WITH PROVIDING STREET LIGHTS WITHIN THE CITY LIMITS OF BATON ROUGE, ENERGEN DEM CODE 99% OF OWN THE INFRASTRUCTURE THAT'S IN PLACE. THEY'RE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE REPAIRS AND THE CITY OF BATON ROUGE IS RESPONSIBLE FOR ACTUAL RE UH, COST FOR THE ELECTRICITY, FOR THE SERVICE OF THOSE LIGHTS. UH, WE, WE ARE REGULATED BY THE PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSION IN REGARDS TO THAT, [00:20:01] UM, NEXT FUNDING SOURCES AND THE GENERAL FUND. WE HAVE FOUR SPECIAL REVENUE FUNDS, PEREZ TRANSPORTATION. WHEN I'LL GO IN A LITTLE BIT OF DETAIL ON THESE AND THE PARISH TRANSPORTATION TO BEAUTIFICATION PROGRAM STREET MAINTENANCE DEPARTMENT, PEAR STREET MAINTENANCE. THAT'S NOT NECESSARILY REGINALD'S DEPARTMENT IS WHAT WE DEAL WITH ALSO UNDER THE STREET REHAB PROGRAM, BUT WE WORK VERY CLOSELY WITH WHEN MAINTENANCE COULD BE SURE WE'RE NOT FIXING THINGS THAT WE'RE FIXING TO GET READY TO OVERLAY. SO THOSE ARE THE THINGS THAT WE'RE DEALING WITH AND THE CONSOLIDATED ROAD LOT IN DISTRICT NEXT, THERE'S THE ALLOTMENT AND IT'S BROKEN DOWN BY THE POSITIONS. AND IF YOU LOOK AT THAT DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION, YOU ASKED ME ABOUT TRAFFIC ENGINEER, AND I THINK WE HAD A, WELL, WE HAVE ACTUALLY A 11 VACANCIES AT THIS POINT. I THINK THERE WAS A TOTAL OF THEM. I'M GOING TO STOP INFORMED JONAH IT'S 11 VACANCIES. MOST OF THOSE OR I TECHNICAL POSITIONS, UH, ENGINEER RELATED TYPE POSITION THAT WE NEED TO HELP MANAGE THE PROGRAM, UH, BEST AT TODAY'S WORLD. WHEN YOU LOOK AT, UH, OVERALL GENERAL MAINTENANCE, EVERYTHING HAS GOTTEN TO BE SO TECHNICAL. AND SO, UH, ELECTRONIC THAT YOU ALMOST HAVE TO BE ELECTRICAL ENGINEER OR INSPECTOR TO BE ABLE TO DO A LOT OF THAT WORK. BUT I ALLOTMENT, AS YOU CAN SEE, IS SET UP, BROKEN DOWN TO ENGINEERING, THE FIELD ENGINEERING AND TRAFFIC ENGINEERING. WHAT YOU'LL SEE IS I LAUNCHED THIS DEPARTMENT X GENERAL FUND BUDGET, JUST TO BREAK DOWN THE COSTS. WE LOOKED AT WHAT SALARIES AND BENEFITS SUPPLIES THAT WE NORMALLY DEAL WITH FOR EACH DEPARTMENT AND ADMINISTRATION ENGINEERING FIELD AND TRAFFIC STREET LIGHTING, AND A TOTAL AND OVERALL COMPENSATION OVERALL COST. THAT'S ABOUT 14 MILLION, $72,000. UH, YOU CAN LOOK AT THE, ALSO THE BREAKDOWN OF THE PERCENTAGE THAT WE HAVE FOR THOSE FUNDINGS AND WITHIN EACH DEPARTMENT NEXT OTHER CONTRACT OR SERVICES, UH, YOU CAN SEE THEY'RE PRETTY MUCH THE STANDARD THINGS THAT WE DRESSED AS NOTHING'S REALLY CHANGED IN REGARDS TO OUR OTHER CONTRACTOR OR SERVICES. UH, CERTAINLY THE U S GS STRAIN GAUGE. AND THAT'S VERY IMPORTANT FOR US WHEN WE HAVE OUR RAIN EVENTS, IT PICKS UP A LOT OF THE, UH, WATER INFORMATION THAT WE NEED FOR THE GAUGES THAT WE HAVE ON A LOT OF OUR BRIDGES AND LOCATIONS THROUGHOUT THE PARISH. UH, THAT IS SOMETHING WE HAVE A JOINT VENTURE WOULD US GS ON. I ALSO WILL TELL YOU THAT IN TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT, UH, EXCUSE ME, IN TRAFFIC ENGINEERING, UH, WE'RE ALSO GOING TO SPEND A LOT OF FUNDING ON, UH, ACTUAL PAY, UH, MARKINGS, MORE STRIPING THAT NEEDS TO BE DONE THROUGHOUT OUR PARISH. UH, THERE MAY NOT BE ENOUGH IN THAT AT THIS POINT, BUT I'LL DO HAVE FUNDS. WE MAY BE ABLE TO HAVE AVAILABLE UNDER SOME CARE FOR WHAT ACCOUNTS TO, TO INCREASE THOSE COSTS AT A LATER DATE YES. ON THE STRIPING PART. AND THE ONLY REASON I ASKED IS I'VE GOT SEVERAL EMAILS. UM, DO WE DO THE STATE ROADS IN BUDGET PART? DO WE DO ANY OF THE STATE? AND THEN THEY REIMBURSE, OR DO WE AUTOMATICALLY DO ANY OF THE STATE STRIPING, OR WE JUST HAVE TO SEND THE REQUEST INTO THEM AND WAIT FOR THEM TO START. IT WILL BE IF IT'S A STATE ROUTE, DEPENDING ON WHETHER IT'S BEEN ACTUALLY TRANSFERRED TO US BASED ON THE ROAD TRANSFER PROGRAM, BUT THE STREETS IN YOUR AREA, THEY HAVE NOT BEEN, MOST OF THEM ARE STILL STATE HIGHWAY WOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THEM. FOR EXAMPLE, FLORIDA. AND THE THREE-WAY, UM, THE CENTRAL THRUWAY IS CENTRAL THREE WAYS OURS, BUT RIGHT THERE, FLORIDA CENTRAL FLORIDA IS A STATE ROAD, A STATE ROUTE. AND SO WE WOULDN'T GO OUT THERE AND STRIPE IT AND THEN REIMBURSED GET REIMBURSED BY THE STATE OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT. THERE'S NO KIND OF PROGRAM SET UP FOR THAT, LIKE THE, LIKE THE MOWING OF THE STATE HIGHWAYS. WE DO THAT AND GET REIMBURSED BY THE STATE. AND I'M ASKING FROM A FUNDING STANDPOINT, UM, IF WE HAD ANYTHING INTO BUDGET FOR THAT TYPE OF SCENARIO FOR STRIPING AND STUFF VERSUS, UH, WE HAVE COUNCILMAN IS STRICTLY FOR OUR LOCAL RAILWAYS. AND TO BE HONEST WITH YOU, WE HAVE PLENTY OF ENOUGH LOCAL ROADWAYS. YOU SAID NEED TO BE DONE. THE REASON THAT AREA YOU MAKE REFERENCE TO HASN'T BEEN STRIPED. THEY'RE GOING TO DO A TOTAL REHAB HERE FIRST PART OF NEXT YEAR OF FLORIDA. AND IT WILL GO ALL THE WAY TO THE PARISH LINE. THAT'S ACTUALLY GOING TO BE FROM A AIRLINE ALL THE WAY TO THE PARISH LINE AND WENT, SITE'S DONE. THEY WILL COME IN AND DO THE STRIPING DOES NECESSARY AT BELL'S INTERCHANGES BECAUSE MANY OF THOSE INTERSECTIONS NEED TO BE REPAIRED AND FIXED AND TO BE ABLE TO HELP RUN OFF SOME OF THE WATER THAT SITS IN THE MIDDLE AND A LOT OF AREAS. SO THAT WILL BE ADDRESSED FIRST PART OF NEXT YEAR. THAT'S A STATE PROJECT OR PARISH PROJECT. WELL, I'M GOING TO ASK ME MORE FROM A FUNDING STANDPOINT OF DOING THE ROADS AND ALL, BUT THANKS FOR THE BONUS INFORMATION. APPRECIATE IT. YES. [00:25:01] I'M SUPPOSED TO KNOW THAT. UH, AND AGAIN, I'LL JUST TALK ABOUT A LITTLE BIT OUT OF THE STREET LIGHTING. THERE'S A COST THAT WE HAVE FOR ENERGY AND GAS THAT WE DEAL WITH, BUT ALSO HAD THE BRIDGE LIGHTING FOR THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER BRIDGE. WE'RE STILL INVOLVED IN RELAXING IN RELATIONSHIP TO THAT THIS HOPEFULLY, UH, THE FUNDING WE HAVE, WE'LL BE ABLE TO RELEASE, REPLACE THE BULBS THAT ARE OUT AT THIS POINT. YOU KNOW, IF YOU EVER WANT TO HAVE A REAL INTERESTING JOB CODE USE, DO THAT, CHANGE THE LIGHT BULBS, SITTING UP DOWN THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER, MISSISSIPPI RIVER BRIDGE, AND SEE HOW CHALLENGING THAT IS. AND ESPECIALLY WHILE THE CARS ARE STILL RUNNING BY TOO, BY THE WAY. SO, BUT IT IS SOMETHING THAT IS IT'S ESSENTIAL, ESPECIALLY FOR THE DOWNTOWN AREA, PARTICULARLY DURING THE HOLIDAY TIME. UM, MY NEXT IS THE CONSOLIDATED ROAD LIGHTING DISTRICT. THIS IS A BREAKDOWN. UH, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE THE LIGHTS WITHIN THE CITY LIMITS THAT IS HANDLED THROUGH THE GENERAL FUND AND THE SORT OF SPECIAL FUNDS FOR THE CONSOLIDATED ROAD. LOT IN DISTRICT, WE HAVE APPROXIMATELY 4,500 LIGHTS THAT ARE BEING MAINTAINED ON THAT. AND THERE'VE BEEN PAID FOR BY MILLAGE FOR THE PEOPLE OUTSIDE THE CITY LIMITS. AND IT'S BASED ON THE BUDGET IS SET UP ABOUT 1.85 MEALS, UH, TO BE ABLE TO HANDLE THE COST FOR THE REPAIRS REPLACEMENT AND ELECTRICAL COSTS, UH, IN REGARDS TO THE SERVICE PROVIDED FRED. YES, SIR. ARE THE BOUNDARIES OF THE CONSOLIDATED ROAD, LIGHTING DISTRICT, ALL THE UNINCORPORATED AREAS? NO, SIR. IN FACT, THERE ARE, SAY ARE SOME AREAS THAT ACTUALLY HAVE FUNDED THEIR OWN LIGHTING, AND IT'S NOT A PART OF THE CONSOLIDATED ROAD LIGHTING DISTRICT, BUT, UH, THE ONES THAT ARE, THOSE ARE SET ASIDE FOR THE FUNDS TO BE SHARED FROM THE MILLAGE. AND THAT'S HOW IT'S BEEN ADDRESSED FOR MANY YEARS, BUT IT IS NOT A PARISH WIDE. WE DON'T HAVE A PARISH WIDE MILLAGE OR OUR ROAD LIGHTING. NO, SIR, NO, SIR. AS WE DO NOT HAVE A PARISH SQUAD IN MILLAGE. OKAY. IT WOULD D THE REVENUE GENERATED FROM THAT COMES FROM THE STRICTER CONSOLIDATED ROLLOUT IN DISTRICT THAT NORMALLY GETS APPROVED BY THIS ACCOUNT. AND THAT THE FUNDING FROM THE CONSOLIDATED ROAD LINE DISTRICT CAN ONLY BE USED FOR LIGHTS IN THE DISTRICT. IT CAN NOT BE USED OUTSIDE THE AREA. AND IF YOU'RE WITHIN THE CITY LIMITS, IT COMES OUT OF THE GENERAL FUND. DID I UNDERSTAND THAT ACCURATE? THAT'S CORRECT. AND THAT'S JUST FROM GENERATED SALES. YES, SIR. THAT'S CORRECT. OKAY. OR IT COULD BE OTHER TABLET YES. IN GENERAL. IT'S COMING OUT OF THE GENERAL FUND, RIGHT. THANK YOU FOR IT. YES, SIR. SORRY, I DIDN'T SEE YOU OVER THERE WITH A QUESTION, BUT I APPRECIATE IT. I WANT TO EXPAND ON HIS QUESTION. AS FAR AS THE LIGHTING DISTRICTS AND STUFF, AS FAR AS ADDITIONS TO THE LIGHTING DISTRICT, CONSOLIDATED LIGHTING DISTRICT, THE ONLY PEOPLE THAT'S PAYING FOR THAT OUT IN THE OUTSIDE OF THE CITY LIMITS, AS FAR AS PARISH WIDE, IS WHEN THEY'RE PHYSICALLY ATTACHED TO THOSE LIGHTED STREETS. AM I CORRECT IN THAT? DOES THAT PART OF IT WOULD BE PART OF THE CONSULTANT DISTRICT. OKAY. UH, AS FAR AS EXPANDING THE CONSOLIDATED LIGHT DISTRICT, IS THERE ANY EXPANSION OR IT HAS TO BE, THOSE ARE NORMALLY GENERATED THROUGH REQUEST, AND THEN THEY WILL HAVE TO PROVIDE THE VALUATION OF WHAT THEY'RE, WHAT THEY'RE LOOKING AT, WHAT THAT COST IS BECAUSE THEY ALSO HAVE TO PAY FOR THE, THE, THE ACTUAL, UH, IMPROVEMENTS ITSELF. AND THEN THEY WILL BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE MAINTENANCE AND ALSO THE UTILITY COSTS TO OPERATE THAT. OKAY. BUT THE, AS FAR AS THE FUNDING FOR IT, AS, AS THAT GETS APPROVED, THEN THAT AREA IS THEN INCLUDED INTO THE TAXING DISTRICT. IT WOULD BE, YES, SIR. JUST THAT AREA, NOT, NOT ANYBODY ELSE THAT DOESN'T HAVE A STREET LIGHT OUTSIDE THEIR STREETS OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT. THAT'S CORRECT. NOW THE SUBDIVISION, THE INDIVIDUAL SUBDIVISIONS OUTSIDE OF THE CITY LIMITS IN THE PARISH AREA, THOSE ARE PART OF THE LIGHTING DISTRICT OR THOSE DIFFERENT SUBDIVISION LIGHTING DISTRICTS. I E WE CREATED ONE, UH, AT THE LAST COUNCIL MEETING, THOSE ARE INDEPENDENT, SMALLER, THEY'RE SMALLER, INDEPENDENT ONES THAT PAY FOR THEIR OWN. UH, AND I'M, I'M, I'M MISSING. I'M NOT UNDERSTANDING THE QUESTION, I GUESS. I'M TRYING TO FIGURE OUT THE DIFFERENCES. WE, WE CREATE THESE DIFFERENT LIGHTING DISTRICTS, UH, LIKE THE ONE THAT WE JUST CREATED AT THE LAST COUNCIL MEETING, DO THE FUNDS THAT ARE PAID INTO THAT PAY FOR THAT LIGHTING DISTRICT. IT'S NOT THE CONSOLIDATED LIGHTING DISTRICT, OR DOES THAT THING THAT WE JUST CREATED GET ADDED INTO THE CONSOLIDATED LIGHTING DISTRICT. NO, IT'S A SEPARATE, IT'S A SEPARATE, SO THERE'S MULTIPLE LIGHTING DISTRICTS OUT THERE NOW CONSOLIDATE AND HARVEST. AND AT THIS POINT WE HAVE HAD SOME, BUT THEY HAVE, SO THIS WAS THE FIRST ONE CREATED, IT'S NOT THE FIRST ONE WE'VE HAD BROADLINE DISTRICT NUMBER TWO, [00:30:01] WHICH WAS BAILA BERGE. AND THEN IT GOT ANNEXED. AND WHEN SUBSTANCE, IT WAS ANNEX, IT NOW GOES INTO THE GENERAL STORE. OKAY. COUNCILMAN HUDSON. UH, AND TO ADD THAT AS A PART OF OUR PARISH PLAN OF GOVERNMENT, THE CITY PARISH CANNOT FUND A LIGHTING INFRASTRUCTURE IN THE UNINCORPORATED PART OF THE PARISH. SO WHEREAS THE LIGHTS INFRASTRUCTURE CAN BE FUNDED FOR THE CITY. UH, AND IF YOU'RE IN, IF YOU'RE IN THE UNINCORPORATED PART OF THE PARISH, YOUR LIGHTING INFRASTRUCTURE CANNOT BE FUNDED. AND THAT'S WHY IT BECOMES SORT OF DIFFICULT. YOU HAVE TO CREATE SOMETHING LIKE HARVEST AND, UH, TO, TO PUBLICLY FUND LIGHTING INFRASTRUCTURE IN ORDER TO, UM, TO GET IT DONE. IT'S ONE OF THE MOST FUNDAMENTALLY UNFAIR THINGS ABOUT OUR PLAN OF GOVERNMENT AND SOMETHING WE SHOULD ADDRESS ANY OTHER, ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? THANK YOU. YEAH. CONTINUE PLEASE. OH, I'M FINISHED. I GO AHEAD. ALL RIGHT. I'M FINISHED. NAH, NOT REALLY. OKAY. IT'S A SPECIAL FUND PEREZ TRANSPORTATION FUND. UH, THAT IS THE ONE THAT WE DEAL WITH COMES DIRECTLY FROM THE STATE. YOU CAN LOOK AT SOME OF THE BREAKDOWNS IN STREET MAINTENANCE AND WHAT THOSE MAINTENANCE COSTS WE NORMALLY PROVIDE. A LOT OF THOSE FUNDS WHEN MAINTENANCE DOES NEED SOME FUNDING ON SOME IN THE ROADWAYS. AND THEY ALSO HELP US ADDRESS THE APPROACH AREAS FOR SLABS AND STUFF UNDER THE $520,000, THE DRAINAGE MAINTENANCE, UM, THOSE OF, UM, MATERIALS THAT WE USE, UH, FOR CONCRETE THAT, UH, BRIDGE REPAIR, UH, ALSO W IT'S ALLOWED ALSO FOR SIDEWALK REPAIR THAT WHEN IT'S OUR RESPONSIBILITY TO MAKE THE REPAIRS TO DEAL WITH. AND THE LAST ONE IS THE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS FOR 1.4 MILLION. AND, UH, YOU'LL SEE AN ATTACHED LIST AND A LITTLE BIT FOR THE BREAKDOWN OF THE, OF THE, UH, REGISTER. REALISTICALLY, WE GET ABOUT $1.5 MILLION IN REGARDS FROM THE PAST TRANSPORTATION FUND. AND WE, THAT NORMALLY WOULD HELP US TRY TO, AND I'M SORRY FOR SO SMALL APOLOGIZE WHILE YOU GOT A COPY OF IT ON THAT. SO THESE ARE THE BRIDGES THAT, UH, THAT WE HAVE, UH, SET OUT FOR US A PRIORITY. UH, CERTAINLY, UM, UH, THE TWIN OAKS AND ALFONSO IS THE ONES WHO HAVE BEEN CLOSED. UH, THE LONGEST, UH, WE DO HAVE FUNDING NETSPEND SET ASIDE FOR AL FONTS. FORBES CONTRACT HAS BEEN AWARDED. WE ALSO HAD TWIN OAKS THAT WE'RE ADVERTISING RIGHT NOW, CURRENTLY, AND HOPE TO BRING THE BITS TO THE COUNCIL HERE ON, UM, JANUARY 12TH FOR APPROVAL. THERE'S A LIST. A LOT OF THESE ARE FUNDED, AND YOU CAN SEE ON THE SIDE THERE HAS WHETHER THE ACTUAL PROJECT IS COMPLETE OR IT'S ON A DESIGN, OR IT'S UNDER CONSTRUCTION IN MANY OF THESE ALSO NOW JUST UNDER THE PARIS TRANSPORTATION FUND, BUT WE HAD TWO OTHER BRIDGE PROGRAMS. THEY ALL SYSTEM BRIDGE PROGRAM THAT ARE FEDERAL FUNDS THAT PROVIDE THAT AT WHICH CAN OFFSET SOME OF THESE, UH, PROJECT COSTS, WHICH WE TRY TO DO. AND ALSO THERE'S, UH, UH, THE PARIS TRANSPORTATION ENGINEERING FOND THAT THEY ALSO LOOK AT TO TRY TO ADDRESS, UM, SOME OF THE SHORTFALLS THAT WE MAY HAVE. QUICK QUESTION ON THE BRIDGES. YOU GOT ONE FOR 1.4 MILLION BRIDGE IMPROVEMENT BUDGET. UM, I JUST FIGURED FROM MY DISTRICT, UH, WE HAD THREE BRIDGES OUT, UM, A WHILE, A COUPLE MONTHS AGO LAST MONTH. YES, SIR. UM, WE'VE HAD THE, UH, UP IN BRANDON'S COUNCILMAN NOLS DISTRICT. WE'VE HAD TWO BRIDGES THAT HAVE BEEN OUT FOR FIVE YEARS OR MORE. YES, SIR. HOW DEFICIENT IS THIS FUND? CERTAINLY I WILL TELL YOU, WE NEED A WHOLE LOT MORE FUNDING TO ADDRESS OUR PROBLEMS WITH BRIDGES, BUT, YOU KNOW, I'VE HAD A LOT OF DISCUSSION WITH DOTD ABOUT THAT. AND TO ME, I FELT LIKE IT'S THAT THIS CALL SHOULD LOOK AT INCREASING BECAUSE TO ME, WE'RE TAKING ON A LOT MORE RESPONSIBILITY OF DOTD AND THEY'RE ASKING US TO DO THE SERVICES FOR A LOT OF THEIR, THEIR, UH, RESPONSIBILITIES. AND WE ARE DOING THAT THROUGH CONTRACTS. BUT TO ME, THIS HAS ALWAYS BEEN A, UH, AREA THAT I THINK WE WOULD CERTAINLY LOOK AT TRYING TO GET AN INCREASE IN FUNDING. OKAY. AND THAT, THAT COMES FROM STATE DOTD. YES, SIR. OKAY. SO BASICALLY THE OTD RECOMMENDS IT, BUT IT COMES THROUGH THE LEGISLATURE AND THROUGH THE STATE BUDGET. YES, SIR. OKAY. SO LIKE I WAS MENTIONING A WHILE AGO, WE HAVE A CONTRACT WITH THE STATE, WE, YOU KNOW, THEY INSPECT CLOTHES OR WHATEVER. THEN WE GO OUT AND FIX IT AS WE GET FUNDING FROM THE STATE FOR THE STATE BRIDGES. I KNOW THERE ARE SOME PARENTS BRIDGES. YEAH. WELL, THERE'S FUNDING DOESN'T WE DON'T DO REPAIR ANY [00:35:01] STATE BRIDGE. IT'S ALL JUST OUR LOCAL BRIDGE THAT WE'RE DEALING WITH FOR THIS FUNDING. OKAY. REMEMBER WE GET THAT EVERY YEAR WE SPEND, WE HAD FUNDS AVAILABLE AND WE'VE, WE SET IN PROGRAM SOME OF THE COSTS FOR CONSTRUCTION AND BUILD ON THAT FOR A COUPLE OF YEARS. ONCE WE LOOK AT THAT AND MAKE SURE WE HAVE ENOUGH FUNDING FOR THAT PROJECT. SO WHEN WE DO ADVERTISE, WE'RE READY TO BID THAT JOB. ALL RIGHT, THIS IS 1.4 MILLION. AND, AND AGAIN, I I'M, I'M NOT TRYING TO PUT YOU ON THE SPOT, BUT FROM MY STANDPOINT, 1.4 MILLION FOR ALL THE, WHAT WE HAVE TO MAINTAIN AND EVERYTHING, IT SEEMS LIKE A DROP IN THE BUCKET WHEN THE LAST TIME THAT YOU CAN REMEMBER THERE WAS A SUBSTANTIAL INCREASE IN THIS FROM, DOTD NOT JUST A NORMAL, YOU KNOW, I, I, I WOULD S I DON'T WANT TO ASSUME ANYTHING, BUT, UM, I I'M, I'M THINKING THAT THEY HAVE A PERCENTAGE INCREASE PROBABLY EACH YEAR, UH, THAT THEY WOULD DO TO NORMAL COST OF, UM, OPERATING AND THINGS LIKE THAT. BUT AS FAR AS SUBSTANTIAL INCREASE TO ACTUALLY KEEP UP WITH, WITH, UH, EVERYTHING, WHEN WAS POSSIBLE, THE LAST TIME THAT WAS DONE, I NOT AWARE IF IT'S INCREASED AT ALL, SINCE I'VE BEEN BACK, I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE NUMBER WAS BEFORE I RETURNED. I'M NOT SURE, BUT RIGHT NOW, REGARDLESS OF THE SITUATION, BECAUSE OF THE FUNDING SHORTAGE THAT WE DO HAVE CERTAINLY WOULD BE SOMETHING THAT, AND I HAVE RELAYED THAT TO OUT SOME OF OUR LEGISLATORS AND ALSO TO, TO THE DIRECTOR ABOUT, UH, OF DOTD ABOUT, WE NEED SOME ADDITIONAL FUNDING TO HELP OFFSET SOME OF THESE, UH, COSTS THAT WE'RE DEALING WITH. OKAY. YES, SIR. MR. KELLER, THANK YOU. I JUST, I JUST WANTED TO ADD, THIS IS AN AREA WHERE WE MIGHT SEE INCREMENTAL FUNDING FROM THE INFRASTRUCTURE BILL THAT JUST GOT PASSED. SO WE SHOULD LOOK AT THAT FUNDING SOURCE COMING DOWN FROM THE STATE AND MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS TO USE SOME OF THAT MONEY, OR, OH, NO, I, I AGREE. HOPEFULLY WE CAN GET ENOUGH AND TAKE CARE OF EVERY PROBLEM AT ONE TIME AND SO ON AND SO FORTH. I ALSO LOOK AT THAT AS, AS A ONE-TIME FUNDING THING, AND I'M MORE CONCERNED ABOUT THE TERM MAINTENANCE, UM, AS FAR AS BUDGETING AND, AND DIRECT OUR CONSTANT REVENUE SOURCE, NOT A ONE-TIME FUNDING SOURCES. I VERY APPRECIATIVE OF WHAT ALL WE'VE DONE WITH ALL OUR ONE-TIME FUNDING SOURCES. DON'T GET ME WRONG, BUT I'M LOOKING AT IT FROM A MAINTENANCE STANDPOINT AND, YOU KNOW, MOVING FORWARD AND, UM, WHAT WE POSSIBLY WOULD NEED THERE. AND I KNOW WE ALL HAVE PROJECTS IN OUR DISTRICTS AND STUFF, AND THINGS LIKE THAT. IF WE CAN ASSIST IN, YOU KNOW, WORKING WITH THE STATE TO BRING MORE DIRECT, WE'RE ALREADY WORKING ON A LIST OF THE BRIDGES THAT WE FELT LIKE IF WE ARE ABLE TO SECURE SOME STATE OF FEDERAL FUNDING THROUGH THE STATE, THAT ALL THE FUNDS THAT WE'RE GOING TO BE RECEIVING, WE'RE GOING TO BE PASSED THROUGH TO THE STATE. WE'RE PREPARING THAT LIST NOW FOR OUR PRIORITIES IN RELATIONSHIP TO THOSE BRIDGES. THANK YOU, COUNCILMAN DONE. THANK YOU, FRED. YOU SAID EARLIER, THIS WAS FUNDING, UH, COMING FROM THE STATE THAT IS A PART OF THE STATE BUDGET, RIGHT? YEAH, SURE. SO HE ALL THE QUESTIONS AND CONCERNS. I THINK, UM, THE QUESTION IS IT SHOULD BE DIRECT TO TOWN. VIGILEO THE DELEGATION AND TALKING TO THOSE WHO REPRESENTS US IN THE LEGISLATURE ABOUT HAVING CONVERSATIONS WITH THE GOVERNOR AND OTHER STAKEHOLDERS ABOUT AN INCREASE IN THIS FUND. I THINK THAT'S WHAT THESE QUESTIONS SHOULD BE, OR THESE CONCERNS SHOULD BE GRAZED AGREED. I'VE CHATTED WITH PARISHES, AND THEY HAVE BEEN VERY CONSISTENT ABOUT OUR SAME POSITION ON THAT, TOO. THANK YOU. NEXT SPECIAL FUNDS IS THE PARIS TRANSPORTATION FUND AND BEAUTIFICATION FUND. UH, WE SHOWED THAT BATON ROUGE GREENWAY. YOU DON'T NORMALLY USE THEM FOR THEIR SERVICES TO HELP US LOOK AT ANY PRE-PLANNING OR ANY TREES THAT MAY BE DAMAGED FOR THEM TO INSPECT AND GIVE US SOME RECOMMENDATIONS ON WHAT NEEDS TO BE DONE MAINTENANCE OF THE, UH, UH, MAINTENANCE OF PROJECTS. THE 1.2, THIS IS REALLY PART OF THE MOVIE, OUR PROGRAM. IT WAS PART OF THE GREEN LIGHT, UH, IT'S TO DO WITH DEAL WITH ENHANCED PUBLIC SAFETY ACCESS TO DESIGNATION. THESE ARE ALL THINGS THAT THE PEOPLE HAVE ASKED US FOR YEARS, THAT WE ARE MOVING PROGRAM FOR THAT. AND SO DOES THE MOVIE, OUR PROGRAM ALSO SUPPORT OTHER MODES OF TRANSPORTATION TRANSIT SYSTEM. YOU'LL ALSO NOTE THAT IN THE, UM, UH, PARIS TRANSPORTATION FUND AS $550,000 THAT CAN BE ALLOCATED TO, UH, UH, CATS, WHICH WE WORK VERY CLOSELY WOULD TO BE SURE THAT WHAT THOSE FUNDS ARE AND HOW IT'S SET UP FOR OVERALL TRANSPORTATION MODE FOR THE PEOPLE OF THIS PARISH NEXT, PLEASE TREAT REHAB AND PARISH MAINTENANCE FUND. THIS IS THE ALMOST $16 MILLION THAT WE GET OUT OF THE POTHOLE TAX. [00:40:01] AND IN THAT SHUT UP, I WAS ORIGINALLY A HUNDRED PERCENT WAS GOING TO CONSTRUCTION A COME BACK AND DID 70% FOR CONSTRUCTION, 30% FOR REHAB AND NOT 30%, 27% FOR REHAB AND 3% FOR BEAUTIFICATION. THAT'S WHERE PART OF THAT 3% COMES FROM ON THE BEAUTIFICATION. UM, WE PROBABLY HAVE DONE OVER 118,000 MILES THAT WE HAVE IN REGARDS TO WORK THAT'S BEEN DONE WITHIN OUR PARISH. I THINK THAT, AND WE'RE CONTINUING TO, TO DO THAT. WE'RE A LITTLE BEHIND, AND I KNOW SOME PEOPLE HAVE EXPRESSED SOME CONCERNS ABOUT THAT. THE ONLY REASON IS THAT BECAUSE OF FUNDING CONCERNS IN REGARDS TO THE, UH, AND DEMEC, WE DIDN'T WANT TO SPEND THE MONEY AND LESS, FOR SURE WE HAD AVAILABLE, WE HAD PROGRAMS READY TO GO. NOW YOU'LL START SEEING MORE PROJECTS COMING OUT MORE RAPIDLY AND FOR THE COUNCIL TO APPROVE OF STRAIGHT REHAB. AND YOU'LL SEE THE BREAKDOWN OF THE FUNDING SOURCES BECAUSE CENTRAL BAKER AND ZACHARY ALSO PERCEIVED THOSE FUNDS, UH, THROUGH EACH CITY THAT HAVE TO SPEND ON THE ROAD WORK THAT THEY'D LIKE TO SEE WITHIN THEIR CITY LIMITS. NEXT, THAT FUNDING FOR CENTRAL BANKER AND ZACHARY, THAT'S NOT FUNDING FOR THE PARISH ROADS. THAT'S JUST ROADS IN THEIR CITY THAT THEY'RE RESPONSIBLE FOR. THAT'S NOT TO BE SPENT ON THE PARISH. NO, SIR. WELL, YOU'RE NOT GOING TO, I'M NOT GOING TO, I MEAN, I'M NOT, NO, I KNOW, BUT I DON'T THINK THEY WERE WILLING TO DO SO. YES, SIR. NEXT IS OUR STORMWATER MASTER PLAN. UH, YOU CAN LOOK AND YOU KNOW WHAT, I'M EXCITED ABOUT THIS AS, YOU KNOW, THE MAYOR WANTED TO MOVE THIS PROGRAM FORWARD. IT WAS SOMETHING AFTER THE 2016 FLOW, WHICH ALL OF US WERE IMPACTED BY IT. THERE'S NO QUESTION ABOUT THAT. I THINK WHAT WE'VE DONE IS VERY, VERY CAREFULLY MOVED THROUGH THE PROCESS, BE SURE THAT WE COVERED ALL OUR BASES, YOU KNOW, PHASE ONE IMPLEMENTATION HAS DONE PHASE TWO, QUITE FRANKLY, IT'S ALMOST DONE AT THIS POINT. AND YOU'LL SEE ON THE BACK SHEET THERE SHOWS ABOUT WHERE WE ARE PERCENTAGE WISE, BUT I THINK THE OVERALL GOAL AND OBJECTIVE IS TO FIND WAYS TO REDUCE THE RISK OF FLOODING IN OUR PARISH, WHICH MEANS THERE WILL BE CHANGES. AND, AND NO QUESTION CHANGES IN HOW WE BUILD, WHERE WE BUILD. THERE WILL ALSO BE ISSUES ABOUT WHAT TYPE OF STORM DRAIN, I MEAN, A STORM RAIN EVENT THAT WE WANT TO LOOK AT. AND, UH, AND ALL, I'M A VERY COSTLY, SOME MORE THAN OTHERS, YOU KNOW, UH, PEOPLE HAVE, I'VE HEARD THROUGHOUT THE COMMUNITY WHERE WE ARE IN RELATIONSHIP TO THAT. AND THAT'S UNDER PHASE TWO THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT THE ACTUAL MODELING ASPECTS OF IT TO SEE WHAT THOSE RAINSTORMS WILL DO AND CERTAIN RAIN EVENTS, AND ALSO SEE WHAT THAT IMPACT ON INFRASTRUCTURE HOMES. AND ALSO OUR OWN INFRASTRUCTURE, LIKE FIRE STATION BUILDINGS THAT WE OWN AND THINGS LIKE THAT. UH, THE MODELING WAS, SHOULD BE FINISHED UP, UH, PROBABLY FIRST PART OF JANUARY. THAT'S GOING TO GIVE US A LOT OF INFORMATION THAT WE'LL BE ABLE TO START EVALUATING THE WATERSHED AREAS, WHICH YOU'LL SEE A LITTLE BIT HERE, UM, IN REGARDS TO HOW WE WANT TO ADDRESS FUTURE RAIN EVENTS AND FUTURE PROMINENCE AND ALSO FUTURE GROWTH. NEXT YOU'LL ALSO SEE THAT UNFACED TO, I MENTIONED A LITTLE TO YOU ABOUT PHASE TWO, UM, POLICIES AND PROCEDURES. YOU'LL SEE A LOT OF US GOING TO BE HAVING MEETINGS WITH THE COUNCIL TO START TALKING ABOUT WHAT CHANGES THAT WE ARE LOOKING AT, WHAT BENEFITS WE SEE TO THAT, WHAT COSTS IS GOING TO BE ASSOCIATED WITH THAT, BECAUSE THAT IS GOTTA BE A KEY FACTOR IN POO AND HOW THAT COST IS GOING TO GET DISTRIBUTED. I DON'T KNOW THAT ANSWER, AND I DON'T THINK ANYBODY AT THIS POINT, BUT THERE'S A COST TO EVERYTHING THAT WE'RE GOING TO DO. AND WE GOTTA BE SURE THAT WE'RE DOING THE RIGHT THING, THE BEST THING FOR THE BEST PRICE THAT WE CAN DEAL WITH ON PHASE STREET, WHICH IS REALLY, UH, THE INFAMOUS PROJECTS THAT WE WANT TO LOOK AT. I WILL TELL YOU THAT IN MANY OF THE PROGRAMS THAT I HAVE RIGHT NOW, WE'VE BEEN VERY SUCCESSFUL IN RECEIVING ABOUT $93 MILLION WORTH THE FEDERAL FUNDS. UH, MOST OF THOSE ARE HAZARD MITIGATION AND ALSO WATERSHED INITIATIVES. AND THEY'RE REALLY SPREAD OUT THROUGHOUT THE PARISH. THEY ARE THEY'RE KEY COMPONENTS TO HELPING REDUCE THE FLOOD RISK. MORE IMPORTANTLY, THERE ARE MANY MORE PROJECTS THAT THE MOST, UH, H AND TB OR OUR STORMWATER MASTER PLAN, UH, UH, PROGRAM MANAGER HAS COME UP WITH AND WHAT WE'RE GOING TO BE LOOKING AT AND COME UP AND DEVELOP THE COST AND SEE WHAT THE REAL BENEFITS ARE. THE KEY TO IT IS TO BE SURE HOW IT WORKS WITH THE MODEL AND WHEN THE MODELS ARE FINISHED, WE'LL BE ABLE TO REALLY SEE ABOUT OUR IDEA ABOUT WHAT THOSE IMPACTS ARE, PLUS A MINUS IN REGARDS TO THE OVERALL INFRASTRUCTURE IMPROVEMENTS. BUT I THINK THE FACT THAT WE [00:45:01] ARE ABLE TO LEAST SECURE THAT KIND OF MONEY AND NOT INCLUDE OR EXCLUDE THE TRIBUTARIES PROJECT, WHICH IS ANOTHER $255 MILLION PROJECT. AND ALSO THE COMMENT DIVERSION, WHICH IS AROUND $363 MILLION. SO THAT'S, THERE'S A LOT OF WORK THAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN AND BEING IN A PLACE AND WE'RE MOVING FORWARD WITH ENGINEERING ON A LOT OF THE HAZARD MITIGATION ISSUES. AND THEN WE WILL BE SUBMITTING BACK TO THE CO UH, TO FAMER, TO, UH, TO GET THE FINAL APPROVAL FOR THE CONSTRUCTION. NEXT, THERE IS THE BREAK DOWN OF THE SHEET THAT, UH, OR WHERE WE ARE ON THE STATUS OF EACH ONE OF THE PROJECTS, UM, YOU CAN SEE THAT TO ME, THE 20 YEAR CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PLAN. WE HOPE TO HAVE IT PREPARED BY END OF JULY. NEXT YEAR. MORE IMPORTANTLY, TO ME, IT'S JUST A REPORT WHICH WILL BE DUE SOMETIME IN MAY OF NEXT YEAR. AND WE'LL BE HAVING PLENTY OF, UH, MEETINGS IN REGARDS TO WHAT THAT OVERALL REPORT WILL COME TO THE COUNCIL AND MAKE THE FINAL RECOMMENDATION. NEXT LAST THING I WILL SHOW YOU IS THE WATERSHED, UH, WATERSHED AREAS THAT WE HAVE. UH, THERE ARE 11 IN EACH ONE OF THESE AREAS TO CONTRIBUTE TO ALL OF OUR ISSUES THAT WE DEAL WITH. YOU KNOW, MAYBE NOT AS MUCH IN THE NORTHWEST PART OF THE PARISH, BECAUSE MANY MODES TOO MUCH OF THAT GOES TO THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER, BUT EVERYTHING ELSE EITHER GOES THROUGH TACOMA AND OR THE AIM, IT, WHICH ALWAYS IMPACTS THE M THE DOWNSTREAM, UH, CHANNELS THAT WE HAVE TO DRAIN DIRECTLY INTO, UH, AMEN RIVER. BUT THAT, THAT'S ALL I HAVE. I'LL BE GLAD TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS IN REGARDS TO ANY QUESTIONS YOU ALL MAY HAVE COUNCILMAN HUDSON, FOR WHICH ONE OF THESE PARTS WOULD WE FIND, UH, TRAFFIC IMPACT FEES. AND THEN WHAT'S THE, HOW DO WE PROGRAM HOW THOSE DOLLARS GET SPENT? AS I UNDERSTAND, I THINK THERE'S ABOUT $2.3 MILLION THAT IS AVAILABLE. WE HAVE COLLECTED FROM TRAFFIC IMPACT PHASE. THOSE WILL BE COME TO US THROUGH SPECIAL PROJECTS THAT WE WOULD LOOK AT THAT WE WOULD RECOMMEND. IN FACT, I HAVE SOME VARIOUS INTERSECTIONS THAT WE WOULD PROBABLY WANT TO LOOK AT BRIAN TO, TO ADDRESS. WE CAN ALSO USE THESE FUNDS TO MOVIE, OUR PROGRAM AND FISH TRAFFIC RELATED IN REGARDS TO THE PROGRAM FOR THAT AREA, THAT, THAT, WHERE THESE FUNDS CAME FROM, IT STILL TASTES COUNCIL APPROVAL. I'D HAVE TO COME TO YOU AND GET APPROVAL TO SAY, HERE IS, I WANT TO USE THESE FUNDS FOR THIS PROJECT. AND THIS IS THE ESTIMATED COST BEFORE I COULD EVEN, UH, PUT PACKAGE TOGETHER TO DO, TO WORK. W W WE DON'T VOTE ON ANY SORT OF COMPREHENSIVE PROGRAM FOR HOW TRAFFIC IMPACT FEES OPERATE, BUT THE FLOOD FOR LIKE A CALENDAR YEAR, LET'S SAY, NO, SIR, WE HAVEN'T, IT'S NOT THAT WE CAN'T DO THAT. AND QUITE FRANKLY, UH, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I WAS REALLY HAS ENDED ABOUT IS WHILE WE HAVEN'T SPENT SOME OF THESE FUNDS WHERE THERE ARE SOME ERRORS THAT COULD BE USED, BUT YOU GOTTA BE VERY CAREFUL COULD OUR PARISH ATTORNEY'S OFFICE SAID IT HAS TO BE USED RARELY WHERE THAT FUNDS ARE BEING COLLECTED FROM. AND, YOU KNOW, I CAN'T HAVE IT IN THE SOUTHEAST AND SAY, I WANT TO GO DO A TURNING LANE UP IN, IN CENTRAL. I COULDN'T DO THAT. THAT'S JUST PART OF THE ISSUE THAT WE DEAL WITH, BUT THERE THEY'RE THERE, AND IT CAN'T BE, MAINTENANCE-RELATED EITHER, IT'S GOTTA BE MORE OF A NEW INFRASTRUCTURE IMPROVEMENT TO, TO ADDRESS THOSE ISSUES. AND QUITE FRANKLY, UM, THERE ARE SOME AMENDMENTS THAT WE ARE WORKING ON CURRENTLY, UH, TO GO TO, TO CHANGE THE POLICY AND SOME OF THE ASPECTS OF THE TRAFFIC IMPACT FEE, UH, PARTICULARLY DEALING WITH, UH, THE CREDITS THAT WE SOMETIME HAVE TO GIVE TO DEVELOPERS AND STUFF LIKE THAT. SO WE CAN KIND OF GET THAT ON OUR CONTROL AND THERE WILL BE SOME CHANGES MADE TO THAT ALSO. SO WE GIVE CREDITS TO DEVELOPERS FOR TRAFFIC IMPACT FEES ON SOME YES, SIR. CAUSE I DO TO INFRASTRUCTURE IMPROVEMENT FOR US. AND THEN FOR SCENARIO THAT WE ALREADY HAVE, BUT THAT'S WHAT THEY WOULD GET CREDIT FOR. I SAID, OKAY, I'M GOOD. WE'RE NOT GIVING ANYTHING AWAY. I PROMISE YOU THAT. I DIDN'T WANT YOU TO THINK THAT EVEN ON THE FRONT. UM, DO YOU THINK WE'LL SEE AN RFP FOR SCOOTERS IN 2022? WELL, I HAD A STAFF MEETING WITH THAT TODAY TOO. AND, UH, YOU'RE NOT THE ONLY ONE THAT'S ASKED THAT THE SCOUTS WENT OVER HERE IS ALSO ASKED, OKAY, GOOD. WE'LL HAVE SOMETHING READY TO ADVERTISE IN JANUARY. IT'S NO GOOD TO DO IT RIGHT NOW BECAUSE MOST OF THE PEOPLE ARE DOING OTHER ISSUES. I HAVE THE LIST, IT WAS AT LEAST SEVEN PEOPLE WHO ARE VERY INTERESTED IN, UH, THE RPU ON THAT. AND WE WILL MAKE SURE THAT THEY GO UP, THEY GET [00:50:01] A PACKET, BUT WE WILL ALSO ADVERTISE THE FIRST PART OF SOMETIME IN JANUARY. AND THEN YOU GET LAST QUESTION, YOU GUYS STILL FEEL VERY CONFIDENT ABOUT THE MAY TIMELINE FOR THE STORMWATER MASTER PLAN REPORT. YES, SIR. YES, SIR. BECAUSE TO ME AND THE MAYOR HAS MADE IT VERY CLEAR, THE DRAINAGE'S ON TOP PRIORITY. AND TO ME, LISTENING TO THE COMMUNITY AND LISTEN TO EVERYBODY WHERE I GO AND THE MEETINGS THAT I ATTEND, I, I THINK WE NEED TO COME UP WITH THAT OVERALL PLAN AND FIND A WAY TO BE ABLE TO GET EVERYBODY ON THE SAME PAGE TO GET IT ADDRESSED. AND THE SOONER THAT WE CAN DO THAT, THE BETTER, BUT I WILL SAY THIS AND UPSET IT A THOUSAND TIMES. AND IT, EVERY MEETING, I DON'T WANT TO MAKE A RECOMMENDATION ON WHAT WE OUGHT TO DO WITHOUT HAVING A TECHNICAL DATA TO SUPPORT THE DECISION. I MEAN, TO ME, I THINK THAT IS CRITICAL AND I'D RATHER BASE ON TECHNICAL DECISION. BASED ON SOMEBODY SAID, THIS IS NOT WHAT IT LEADS TO LOOK LIKE 50 YEARS AGO. NOT THAT IT'S NOT IMPORTANT, BUT THE TECHNICAL DATA IS WHAT WE OUGHT TO BE MAKING THE DECISIONS ON, UH, QUESTION REAL QUICK, ALONG SOME OF THE UPCOMING PROJECTS. AND AGAIN, I REFER BACK TO THE ONE-TIME FUNDING SOURCES THAT WE'RE GETTING, RATHER THAN THROUGH BEAT THROUGH WHAT I CALL THE GARRET GRAVES MONEY OR THE FLOOD MONEY OR THE PANDEMIC MONEY OR THINGS LIKE THAT. WE'VE GOT SEVERAL FROM MY UNDERSTANDING, WE HAVE SEVERAL PROJECTS THAT ARE BEING DONE RIGHT NOW THAT WE, AS A PARISH OR GOING TO OUTRIGHT, HAVE TO TAKE OVER, WHICH WOULD THE TWO OF THEM THAT I'M THINKING OF IS TO COMMIT RIVER DIVERSION CANAL. I THINK IT'S GREAT THAT THE CORPS OF ENGINEERS IS BUILDING THIS, BUT IF I'M RIGHT, THAT IS A PROJECT THAT WE AS EACH FABRICE PARISH, NOT THE SURROUNDING PARISHES, UM, WE'LL BE COMPLETELY AND WHOLLY RESPONSIBLE FOR THAT ONCE IT'S COMPLETED AND THE COURT IS GONE, THAT'S CORRECT. YES, SIR. IN FACT, THE WAY IT'S STRUCTURED, WHICH, YOU KNOW, THE COUNCIL APPROVED THAT, WHERE THAT WHENEVER THOSE PHASES ARE DONE FROM THE DOWNSTREAM UP, WHEN THEY'RE DONE, AND WE, WE LOOK AT INTERIM WHEN WE'RE GOING TO TAKE OVER BEFORE THE REST OF IT IS COMPLETED. THAT'S THE WAY IT WAS STRUCTURED TO BE DONE, TO BE ADDRESSED. BUT ULTIMATELY THE CITY OF BATON ROUGE WILL BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE MAINTENANCE OR THE COMMENT VERSION KIND OF, AND NO OTHER PARISHES ARE GOING TO BE, UH, WHERE WE'VE CHATTED WITH THE PARISHES. AND THEY'RE NOT INTERESTED IN DOING THEIR MILITARY AGAIN, TO, TO DO, TO MAINTAIN. CORRECT. EXACTLY. THAT'S, THAT'S WHAT I'VE HEARD, UM, IS WE'RE, WE'RE GOING TO BE WHOLLY RESPONSIBLE FOR TAKING CARE OF THAT. AND WHAT DO WE HAVE AN ESTIMATED MAINTENANCE COSTS, WHETHER IT BE PER YEAR PER QUOTE, UM, UH, FIVE, 10 YEAR PROJECT. I MEAN, HOW OFTEN, AND WHAT ARE WE LOOKING AT AS MAINTENANCE AND TAKING THAT OVER? I JUST KNOW FROM MY DISCUSSION, THE BIGGEST THING WOULD BE THE DREDGING. AND THAT WOULD BE ABOUT PROBABLY ONCE EVERY 10 YEARS. AND WE'RE TALKING ABOUT ALMOST FIVE AND A HALF MILLION DOLLARS FOR THAT. OKAY. THEY WILL PRESENT A PLAN FOR US. THEY'RE GOING TO DO A PHASE BY PHASE, AND THEN WE WILL BE ABLE TO KNOW, CAUSE WE HAVE TO MEET THOSE REQUIREMENTS. AND IF WE'RE NOT DOING WHAT'S REQUIRED IN THE MAINTENANCE PLAN AND THEY COULD ACTUALLY COME BACK AFTER US AND SAY, YOU NEED TO PAY FROM NO, NO, I AGREE. AND I, I GUESS THAT'S WHAT I'M GETTING AT BUDGETING WISE AND EVERYTHING IS, UM, AS FAR AS MAINTENANCE AND STUFF LIKE THAT, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT, UH, UH, DEPARTMENT 9.5 OR CLOSE TO THAT MILLION. UM, AND WE HAVE THESE PROJECTS THAT ARE COMING WITH TH THAT, YOU KNOW, EVERY 10 YEARS LOOKING AT FIVE, THAT'S JUST IN TODAY'S COST, I'M GOING TO SAY FIVE POINT SOMETHING, MILLION DOLLARS FOR THIS 10 YEAR PROJECT. PLUS THE OTHER MAINTENANCE THAT HAS TO BE DONE, BECAUSE WE KNOW WE HAVE PUMPING STATIONS OR DIFFERENT, UH, WATERWAYS THROUGHOUT THAT TRANSITION. THAT'S GOING TO BE TAKEN CARE OF ALSO, UH, THROUGHOUT THE YEAR. SO, I MEAN, WE, WE COULD BE LOOKING AT A MILLION DOLLARS A YEAR, POSSIBLY FOR MAINTENANCE OF THIS STUFF, 5.9 OR $6 MILLION FOR JUST DREDGING PART AND THEN 4 MILLION OVER A 10 YEAR PROCESS, OR JUST MAINTAINING THE REST OF IT AND STUFF. THE NEXT PROJECTS THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, FROM MY UNDERSTANDING IS THESE, UH, WATERWAYS THAT WE'RE DEALING WITH THE BY USE AND WHAT WE CALL, UM, I FORGET THE EXACT NAME, TRIBUTARY PROJECTS. AGAIN, THAT'S ANOTHER CORE PROJECT THAT WANTS THE CORE HAS DONE. WE AS A PARISH, THAT'S OUR BALLGAME. UM, NOW UNDERSTANDING JUST LIKE IN MY DISTRICT BEAVER BY BEAVER BLACKWATER AND MAYBE ONE OTHER SMALL ONE UP THERE, UH, CENTRAL IS BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THAT. UM, IF THERE'S ANY IN, YOU KNOW, OUTSIDE OF, UH, IN HIS OWN CITY, LARRY HAS LIKE ZACHARY, I'M NOT SURE IF THERE'S ANY UP THERE OR WHATEVER, BUT YOU KNOW, THAT'S OTHER PROJECTS THAT WERE GOING TO BE TAKEN ON IN MAINTENANCE WISE, UM, OVER A PROJECT. DO WE HAVE AN ESTIMATED COST OF MAINTAINING THOSE? AND THAT'S NOT A DREDGING ISSUE. IT'S JUST A MATTER OF GOING IN AND CLEANING [00:55:01] OUT. THAT'S CORRECT. IT'D BE MORE CLEAR AND, AND SNAGGING AND MOVING ANY DRIFT. THAT'S GOING TO BE IN REGARDS TO THAT, WE WERE PUTTING TOGETHER WHAT WE BELIEVE IS GOING TO BE THAT SCHEDULE, BUT THE CORE WILL ALSO PROVIDE US THAT, THAT ESTIMATE ON WHAT THEY FEEL LIKE NEEDS TO BE DONE, TO BE SURE THAT IT DOESN'T GET BACK TO, TO THE CONDITION IT IS CURRENTLY IN. OKAY. BUT I WILL TELL YOU, YOU'RE PROBABLY LOOKING AT CLOSE TO MILLION DOLLARS A YEAR TO ALSO TO DO ALL OUR CHANNELS THAT ARE GOING TO BE TO, BECAUSE YOU CAN'T DO THEM ALL AT ONE TIME. OKAY. SO THERE WERE POSSIBLY $2 MILLION A YEAR MAINTENANCE TYPE STUFF. AND THEN THE LAST PART IS THE ACTUAL RIVERS THEMSELVES. UM, AND I APPRECIATE ALL THE HARD WORK ON THE COLUMBIA RIVER THAT WE'RE DOING RIGHT NOW. AND WE'LL GO TRY AND FIND A FUNDING SOURCE TO DO THAT. AS FAR AS THE ACTUAL WORK, WHENEVER THE TIME COMES, NOT PUTTING THAT ON THE CITY PARISH, UM, AS THAT FAR AS THAT GOES, BUT UM, YOU KNOW, THAT'S ANOTHER, I THINK ALL THESE THINGS WORK HAND IN HAND, KEEPING THE TRIBUTARIES CLEAN, KEEPING THE, THE DIVERSION CANALS, UH, FLOWING. AND THEN OF COURSE THE, THE RIVERS THEMSELVES KEEPING THEM CLEAN. SO I'M JUST, I'M LOOKING AT IT FROM A BUDGET STANDPOINT THAT I THINK WE, AS A COUNCIL, UM, AND ADMINISTRATION, UH, WORKING TOGETHER IS REALLY LOOKING AT NOT NECESSARILY THE ONE-TIME FUNDING AND APPRECIATIVE OF ALL THE ONE-TIME FUNDINGS REALLY AM. UH, BUT WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO MAINTAIN THESE THINGS AFTER THE ONE-TIME FUNDING COMES THROUGH. SO, UH, JUST A THOUGHT TO KEEP IN MIND AS FAR AS BUDGETING AND EVERYTHING COMING UP, COUNCILMAN. NO. YEAH. SO I THINK FRED CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG, BUT A LOT OF THIS, UM, THE TRIBUTARIES AND, UH, THAT COUNCILMAN MOKE, SPEAKING OF WE'RE ALREADY RESPONSIBLE FOR MAINTAINING THOSE RIGHT NOW, WE ARE ONLY FOR THE TRIBUTARIES THAT ARE IN OUTSIDE THE AREA OF CENTRAL. CAUSE WHEN THEY TOOK OVER THE CENTRAL LIMIT STATE, THEY ALSO HAD TO INCORPORATE THOSE TWO CHANNELS, WHICH THEY'RE RESPONSIBLE FOR NOW. IT STILL PASSES THROUGH US BECAUSE THE GRANT OR THE ACTUAL AGREEMENT IS THROUGH THE CITY OF BATON ROUGE. WESTWATER THE COUNCIL ALSO SIGNED OFF ON, UH, UH, COE, UH, OF, OF TO WORKING WITH THEM, UH, THE CITY OF CENTRAL AND WE'RE WORKING TOGETHER TO BE SURE THAT WE KEEP THE FUNDING SOURCES, CORRECT. BE SURE WE ARE LAYING OUT THE FUNDING TO MEET THE CAPITAL OUTLAY REQUESTS THAT WE'VE PUT IN. AND ALSO ONCE IT'S COMPLETED, THEN CITY OF CENTRAL WOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THEIRS. AND THEN THE CITY OF BATON ROUGE HAS BEEN AND WILL CONTINUE TO BE THE ONES, THE OTHER THREE CHANNELS THAT WE HAVE. RIGHT. OKAY. SO ALONG THOSE LINES, WHEN, AND I THINK CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG, AARON, BUT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT KIND OF TWO DIFFERENT THINGS HERE SO THAT WE HAVE THE TRIBUTARIES RIGHT NOW, WHICH WE KNOW NEED ATTENTION. AND SO ONE-TIME MONEY CAN BE THE SHOT IN THE ARM TO GET YOU IN A SITUATION WHERE WE'RE NOW BEING PROGRESSIVE INSTEAD OF REGRESSIVE, RIGHT. AND WE'RE NOT BUYING A BALL ON THEM. SO CERTAINLY WE NEED TO INCREASE FUNDING TO KEEP UP WITH THAT AND STAY AHEAD OF THE GAME. BUT I GUESS THE OTHER PART IS, ARE WE COGNIZANT AND, AND PLANNING FOR SOMETHING LIKE KOMI DIVERGENT NOW OR ANY NEW PROJECT THAT WE CREATE THAT WE DO IN FACT, HAVE A PERPETUAL MAINTENANCE PLAN IN PLACE FOR THAT PROJECT AS WELL. THERE IS A PLAN THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT AND SOME OF THAT WILL BE THROUGH MAINTENANCE AND ALSO THROUGH RICK'S DEPARTMENT. AND ALSO IT'D BE A THREE DEPARTMENT ISSUE THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT TO TRY TO BE SURE WE ADDRESSED A FUTURE. HE ISSUES. UH, I WILL JUST TELL YOU THAT YOU'RE ABSOLUTELY CORRECT. I'M GOING TO TAKE ALL THE ONE-TIME FUNDING I CAN GET AND GET THE CHANNELS TO WHERE THEY NEED TO BE AND WHATEVER, GET THEM TO THAT SITUATION. IT'S MUCH EASIER TO MAINTAIN, TO DEAL WITH THAN THEY ARE IN A CONDITION AT THIS POINT. RIGHT. AND, AND ALSO, UH, NOT JUST THE MAINTAINING OF THAT NEW WATERWAY, BUT LIKE WITH COMI DIVERGENT CANAL, WE'RE CREATING A WHOLE BUNCH OF BRIDGES. YES. THAT DON'T EXIST TODAY. THAT'S CORRECT. AND WE'RE GOING TO BE WHEREVER WE BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE BRIDGES THAT ARE LOCAL RAILWAY TO THE STATE HIGHWAY DEPARTMENT WILL BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THEM TO STAY AT ONCE. YES, SIR. THANK YOU. YES, SIR. ANY, ANY OTHER QUESTIONS MR. I APPRECIATE IT. WELL, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR PRESENTATION. UH, AT THIS TIME WE'LL CALL UP FOR OUR DEPARTMENT OF MAINTENANCE. MR. REGINALD, THANK YOU FOR COMING. YES. THANK YOU EVERYONE. FOR HAVING ME REGINALD BRUMFIELD DIRECTOR OF DEPARTMENT OF MAINTENANCE HERE TO PRESENT OUR 20, 22 ANNUAL OPERATING BUDGET. UH, WE HAVE OPERATION, RIGHT? HEY MARK. THANK YOU FOR COMING FOR YOUR DUAL PURPOSE HERE, PUSHING THE BUTTON AND PUSHING THE CAMERA BUTTON. REALLY APPRECIATE THAT. [01:00:13] GOT A QUESTION. YES, THAT IS IT. THANK YOU. YEAH, TOO BAD. THE IT DEPARTMENT IS NOT DOING A PRESENTATION TODAY. THEY'D BE HERE. OKAY. THANK YOU. AS EVERYONE KNOWS, A DEPARTMENT OF MAINTENANCE IS RESPONSIBLE FOR LANDSCAPE STREET MAINTENANCE AND DRAINAGE MAINTENANCE LANDSCAPE CONSISTS OF MOWING LITTER AND TRASH REMOVAL, TREE MAINTENANCE AND STORM RESPONSE STREET SWEEPING, UH, TRASH AND DEBRIS REMOVAL FROM, UH, ILLEGAL DUMPING STREET. MAINTENANCE IS POTHOLE REPAIRS, ROBOCALL, BLOWOUTS CONCRETE REPAIRS, SHOULDERS STREET, ROAD, GRADING, AND CITY OWNED SIDEWALK, UH, DRAINAGE MAINTENANCE CONSISTS OF CATCHER, BASIN, REPAIRS, DRAINAGE RELATED CAVE-IN SINKHOLES ROADSIDE, AND NINE ROAD SIDE DITCH DIGGING IN EROSION ISSUES, ROADSIDE VEGETATION, AND DISH DEBRIS REMOVAL AND WATERWAYS AND FLOODING AND STANDING WATER ISSUES. UH, PERSONNEL ALLOTMENTS. WE HAVE A TOTAL OF 274 ALLOTMENTS. WE'RE CURRENTLY AS A DEPARTMENT AT A 33% VACANCY RATE. UH, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU WANT MORE DETAILS ON THAT. UM, GOING TO THE NEXT SLIDE, WE HAVE A ALLOTMENT OF 75 SEASONAL EMPLOYEES THAT WE BRING IN YEARLY. UM, 28 OF OUR RECENT 41 NEW HIRES HAVE BEEN FROM THAT SEASONAL POOL, BUT THAT'S WHERE WE GET A LOT OF OUR INCOMING TALENT FROM OUR, UH, THESE NEW EMPLOYMENT. UH, NEXT SLIDE, UH, GENERAL FUNDS, UH, THE BULK OF THE GENERAL FUNDS IS IN SALARIES AND BENEFITS. UM, WE DO HAVE, UH, INCREASES ALONG CONTRACTUAL SERVICES THAT WE CAN GO INTO SOME DETAILS ON. UH, WE CAN GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE, WHICH TOUCHES ON THE CONTRACTUAL SERVICES. LANDSCAPE MAINTENANCE IS THE BULK OF OUR CONTRACTUAL SERVICES WITH APPROXIMATELY 2.68 MILLION. UH, THAT'S FOR A VARIETY OF MOWING ACROSS THE CITY FROM FEMA, LOTS TO, UH, BOULEVARDS AND RIGHT AWAIZ, INTERSTATE, UH, ALL OF THE PUBLIC BUILDINGS AND GROUNDS, AS WELL AS THE, UH, DOWNTOWN RORA PLAZA. ALL OF THAT'S INCLUDED IN OUR, IN, UH, LANDSCAPE CONTRACTS. WE INCREASED A FEW ITEMS ALONG THAT AS YOU CAN SEE, UH, ONE IS, UH, FOR OUR TREE MAINTENANCE ARBOR. WE INCREASE THAT ONE, UH, BY 150,000. UH, WE HAVE A LOT OF TREES IN THE CITY AND SOMETIMES WE GET SOME COMPLEX REMOVALS THAT WE DON'T HAVE THE CAPACITY IN HOUSE TO HANDLE. UH, JUST SOME NUMBERS THOUGH. WE HAVE TRIMMED IN HOUSE 699 TREE SERVICE REQUESTS AND REMOVE 478 TREES FROM ROADWAYS. UH, BUT LIKE I SAID, WHEN THE, WHEN THE TREE IS OUTSIDE OF OUR CAPACITY, WE DO, UH, REACH OUT TO A LANDSCAPE ARBORIST CONTRACTOR, DRAINAGE MAINTENANCE HAS A SPRAY CONTRACT FOR THE DITCHES AROUND THE PARISH. UH, WE HAVE A TOTAL OF $670,000 REQUESTED FOR THAT PARTICULAR LINE ITEM. UH, AS WE FIND ADDITIONAL DITCHES THAT WE WANT TO ADD TO THIS PROGRAM, WE DO A ESTIMATE AND THEN WE WOULD, UH, PUT AN AMENDMENT ON THE COUNCIL AGENDA FOR YOUR APPROVAL. FRESNO, EXCUSE ME. YES, ONE SEC ON THAT. UM, AND I THINK I HAD DISCUSSED THIS WITH YOU BEFORE, BUT ARE WE MAKING AN EFFORT, I UNDERSTAND THE NEED FOR THE SPRAY PROGRAM AND BECAUSE IT'S, IT'S ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE TO CONSTANTLY BE CUTTING AND SOME OF THE AREAS, ESPECIALLY IN MY AREA, WHICH IS SO VAST, RIGHT. UM, BUT ARE WE MAKING AN EFFORT TO MAKE SURE THAT THESE AREAS ARE ALSO CUT [01:05:01] ALONG WITH THE SPRAY? BECAUSE WHAT ENDS UP HAPPENING OFTEN THAT I HAVE SEEN IS WE HAVE VERY TALL GREEN GRASS, WHICH IS A PROBLEM, AND IT GETS SPRAYED AND THEN WE JUST HAVE TALL BROWN GRASS UNTIL IT TURNS GREEN AGAIN. WELL, ORGANICS DO BIO DEGRADE OVER TIME, BUT WE DO HAVE HAND CREWS THAT GO IN THERE AND WHEN IT SITS, SITUATION GETS OUT OF HAND TO REDUCE THE AMOUNT OF VEGETATION, THEN THE SPRAYING OR COMPLIMENT THAT. PERFECT. GOOD. THANK YOU. UH, FOLLOW UP QUESTION ON THAT AS FAR AS, UM, SPRAYING AND CLEANING, AS FAR AS DRAINAGE MAINTENANCE, UM, DOES ANY OF THAT TIE IN, THIS IS JUST REGULAR ALLOCATED TIME SLOTS, AS FAR AS CUTTING AND SPRAYING. THIS ISN'T ANY EXTRA ADDED ON TO IT, THROUGH ANY OF THE FUNDING SOURCES THAT WE HAVE AS FAR AS CLEARING OUT DRAINAGE CHANNELS, THIS IS JUST OFF-ROAD SPRAYING AND CUTTING NORMAL CUTTING, OR ARE WE BRINGING ANYTHING ON BOARD FOR ANY EXTRA CUTTING AND CLEARING OF CERTAIN DITCHES OR WHATEVER? WELL, THIS YEAR MR. RAYFORD, HIS PROGRAM HAS SOME THINGS FOR CLEARING AND SNAGGING. THAT'LL HELP OUT WITH THE DRAINAGE IN OUR OPEN CHANNEL WATER. WELL, I'M TALKING ABOUT LIKE THE SIDE ROAD DITCHES AND STUFF. WELL, WE HAVE AN IN-HOUSE SPRAY CREW THAT HAS SPRAYED OVER 420 MILES OF ROADWAY JUST THIS YEAR. SO THEY HELP, UH, SUPPLEMENT, UH, SOME OF THE ROADSIDE SPRAYING WITH OUR IN HOUSE BREAKTHROUGHS. OKAY. SO Y'ALL'S IS JUST CUTTING AND SPRAYING. THERE'S, THERE'S A CLEARING OF THE, OF THE OFFSITE DITCHES. I MEAN, YOU DON'T GO THROUGH IT AND SOMEBODY THROUGH THROWING SOMETHING IN THE DITCH AND JUST SPRAY OVER IT OR MULL AROUND IT. NO, NO. WHEN, IF THERE'S, WE HAVE A CATEGORY FOR REMOVAL OF DEBRIS FROM DITCHES AND WATERWAYS, AND AS THOSE REQUESTS COME UP, WE'D GO IN SERVICE AND GET WHATEVER'S BLOCKING THE DRAINAGE OUT OF THAT. OKAY. SO ON, ON TOP OF THAT, AND, UH, I APOLOGIZE IF THIS IS SOMETHING I SHOULD KNOW THROUGH THE, UM, THROUGH THE DIFFERENT FUNDING SOURCES OR WHATEVER, OR WE DO, WE HAVE A PR PROGRAM IN PLACE FOR ANY OF THE ONE-TIME MONIES AND STUFF THAT IS GOING THROUGH ALL THE OFF-ROAD DITCHES AND CLEARING THOSE ALONG WITH THE OTHER CHANNELS FOR OVERALL DRAINAGE PROJECT. DOES THAT MAKE SENSE? SORRY. IF I'M NOT MAKING SENSE THERE, I UNDERSTAND THE QUESTION AND THE ANSWER IS YES. UM, WHAT THE AMERICAN RESCUE FUND DOLLARS THAT HAVE BEEN APPROVED, YOU WILL SEE US DOING THAT WORK. WHAT REGIONALS GROUP DOES IS JUST FROM WHAT'S AVAILABLE TO HIM FROM THE GENERAL FUND. SO YOU'LL, WE'LL END UP HAVING THREE FUNDING SOURCES. IF YOU WILL SUPPORTING THE WORK OF DITCH CLEARING AND CLEANING, WE'LL DO IT AND MAINTENANCE WITH HIS $9 MILLION. WILL WE HAVE APPROVAL THROUGH COUNCIL TO SPIN A PORTION OF THE 40 MILLION THAT'S BEEN APPROVED FOR SOME OF THAT WORK. AND WE'RE STARTING THAT WITH PHASE ONE MONEY NOW, AND RICK WILL TALK TO YOU ABOUT THE EFFORT THAT HE'S GOING TO DO WITH HIS STORM WATER DIVISION. THEY'LL REALLY BE DOING SIMILAR WORK AS WELL. OKAY. WE'LL, WE'LL, WE'LL HAVE THREE DIFFERENT FUNDING SOURCES GOING AFTER MAKING IMPROVEMENTS IN DRAINAGE AND DITCHES FOR, FOR CITY PARISH. OKAY. THANK YOU. OKAY. I'LL CONTINUE. ONE OF OUR MAJOR, UH, BUDGET INCREASES AS FAR AS COMPS CONTRACTUAL SERVICES IS A STANDARDIZED UNIFORMS ACROSS THE BOARD FOR EMPLOYEES. THIS IS SOMETHING THAT I I'M GLAD WE ARE MAKING THAT MOVE TO DO SO THAT WE CAN HAVE A BETTER, BETTER PRESENTATION TO THE PUBLIC WHILE WE'RE OUT IN THE FIELD AND BE MORE, UH, STANDARDIZED, UH, AT WORK CLOTHING, UH, THAT, AND ALSO WE, WE MOW THE INTERSTATE AND COLLECT LITTER ALONG THE INTERSTATE, AND THAT, THAT WE DO RECEIVE SOME REVENUE FROM THE DOTD TO, UH, PROVIDE THAT SERVICE. OKAY. NEXT SLIDE WOULD BE TO MORE OF THE DETAILS WITH OUR LANDSCAPE CONTRACTS. AS I POINTED OUT, WE DID INCREASE, UH, ARBORIST BLIND ITEM. UH, ADDITIONALLY FOR LITTER, WE HAVE, WE DO HAVE SEVERAL PSA'S TO PLUG SOME OF THE GAPS IN SERVICES, UH, ONE WITH THE NONPROFIT TO COLLECT LITTER AS WELL. UH, ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT ANY OF THESE ITEMS INCREASES? YEAH, WHAT'S THE THINKING IN, IT LOOKS LIKE UPLIFTED CONTRACTS IS GOING AWAY. IT APPEARS THAT UPLIFTED CONTRACT IS GOING, [01:10:01] NO, WE INCORPORATED THE INTERSTATE LITTER INTO THE MOWING CONTRACT, BUT WE DO HAVE A PFA THAT WE'RE SETTING UP WITH, UH, UPLIFTED IN ORDER TO DO SPOT CLEANINGS WEEKLY. AND THEN THAT'S CONTAINED UNDER THE 17,000 TREE. WELL, MAINTENANCE THAT, THAT IS STILL WITH UPLIFT THE TREE. WELL-MEANING THAT'S STILL WITH THAT. OKAY. THE NUMBERS HERE SHOW THAT THE 50,000 IS GOING AWAY WITH UPLIFTED FOR LITTER AND TRASH PICKUP, RIGHT. THAT ONE'S GOING AWAY. CAUSE IT'S BEEN INCORPORATED INTO THE INTERSTATE MOWING CONTRACT WITH OUR INTERSTATE MOWER. SO WE DON'T HAVE A SEPARATE VENDOR COLLECTING LITTER. OKAY. BUT WE WILL BE ENTERING ANOTHER PSA WITH UPLIFTED FOUR LETTER FOR ONCE A WEEK SPOT CLEANINGS WHERE NEEDED. OKAY. THAT'LL START IN THE NEW YEAR. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. OKAY. THANKS. OKAY. WE CAN MOVE ON TO THE NEXT PAGE. UH, STREET MAINTENANCE UTILIZES THE SPECIAL I'M SORRY. I DID HAVE A QUICK TWO QUICK QUESTIONS. ONE ON THE REVENUE THAT WE GET FROM THE STATE VERSUS THE OUTGO FOR THE CONTRACTS THAT WE HAVE TO DO THAT WORK. IS THAT, ARE WE MAKING OUR MONEY THERE OR, OR IS THERE A GULF THAT THERE'S A, THERE'S A GAP IN FUNDING THERE. AND THEN, UH, AT WHAT POINT DO WE GO TO THE STATE AND SAY, YOU GUYS CAN HAVE THIS BACK. IF YOU'RE, IF YOU'RE NOT GOING TO PAY US THE COST THAT IT ACTUALLY TAKES TO DO THE WORK. I KNOW I'M ASKING YOU A LOADED POLITICAL QUESTION. SO KELVIN, THAT'S A QUESTION FOR YOU. WE'VE ALREADY HAD THAT CONVERSATION WITH THE STATE. UH, THEIR INPUT TO US WAS, UH, IF WE DON'T LIKE WHAT THEY'RE PAYING US AND THEY'LL TAKE IT OVER, BUT WE WON'T LIKE WHAT THEY DO BECAUSE THEY WON'T CUT IT AS OFTEN AS WE DO. AND THE, THE INTERSTATE AND THE ON-RAMPS AND OFF-RAMPS WILL LOOK SIGNIFICANTLY WORSE IF THEY TAKE IT OVER, THEN THEY LOOK TODAY. SO WHAT WE ACTUALLY DO IS WE TAKE THE MONEY, THEY GIVE US AND WE TAKE SOME OF THE GENERAL FUND MONEY AND AUGMENT THAT TO TRY TO KEEP IT AT A, UM, A PRESENTABLE STATE IS STILL NOT AT THE STATE THAT WE'D LIKE TO SEE IT, BUT IT'S THE BEST WE CAN DO WITH THE FUNDS WE HAVE RIGHT NOW. OKAY. WELL, UM, SO, SO THEN THE OTHER QUESTION WAS MAINTENANCE OF, CAN WE GO BACK AND SLIDE? THANK YOU. MY OTHER QUESTION WAS MAINTENANCE OF LIKE SOME OF THE STUFF THAT WE HAVE DOWNTOWN, THE GALVEZ PLAZA, SOME OF THE STUFF THAT IS FUNDED, LIKE WHERE, WHERE THE INITIAL INFRASTRUCTURE IS FUNDED BY THE DOWNTOWN DEVELOPMENT DISTRICT, DO THEY COVER SOME OF THE MAINTENANCE COSTS FOR THOSE ITEMS AS WELL? OR DOES THAT FALL UNDER YOUR DEPARTMENT FALLS UNDER THE DEPARTMENT OF MAINTENANCE. OKAY, THANK YOU TECHNICALLY THAT'S CORRECT. BUT WHEN THOSE PROJECTS OR ADDITIONALLY BUILT, THERE'S TYPICALLY A THREE-YEAR MAINTENANCE BOND THAT COMES WITH THOSE PROJECTS WHEN DDD DO DO THOSE PROJECTS AND THEY'RE COVERING THE COST OF MAINTENANCE FOR THE FIRST TWO TO THREE YEARS, DEPENDING ON HOW THAT CONTRACT IS STRUCTURED. AND ONCE THAT PERIOD IS OVER, WE TAKE IT OVER, BUT WE CONTRACT THAT WORK OUT AND IT'S ONE OF THE CONTRACTS THAT ORIGINAL HAS ON THIS LIST HERE. YEAH. BROWN WORKS IS ONE OF THE VENDORS FOR THAT, ANYTHING. YEP. OH, VESSEL BOMBS FROM PARIS TRANSPORTATION FUNDING. UH, WE UTILIZE THAT ALONG WITH MR. RAYFORD, BOOP, UH, TO DORIS OUR AGGREGATES, THE MATERIALS THIS YEAR, WE'VE, UH, PURCHASED 733 CUBIC YARDS OF CONCRETE POURING 100 TONS OF HOT MIX AND 317 TONS OF COAL MIX THROUGH THAT FUNDING SOURCE, ALONG WITH AN ASSORTMENT OF BUILDING MATERIALS FOR BRIDGES, INCLUDING PYLONS AND CAT. UH, WE HAVE FUNDING SOURCE WITH BATON ROUGE, GREEN, $50,000. WE USE THAT TO INVENTORY ALL ABOUT TREES, UH, ACROSS THE PARISH. WE'RE ALSO WORKING WITH THEM TO FACILITATE A CN TRAIN GRANT FOR, UH, IMPROVING SOME OF THE LANDSCAPING ALONG THE CAPITAL CURVE THAT WE'RE WORKING WITH BATON ROUGE GREEN TO DO THAT. THAT'S A $25,000 MATCHING GRANT THAT WE'LL USE TO MAKE SOME, A COUPLE OF MODIFICATIONS TO REDUCE THE MAINTENANCE COST IN THE CAPITAL CURVE. WE'RE WORKING WITH BATON GROUP SCREENING ON THAT. I APOLOGIZE. WHAT, WHERE IS IT AT CAPITAL CURVE OR RIGHT HERE WHEN YOU'RE GOING UP NORTH ON ONE 10TH. [01:15:03] THAT MEMORIAL RIGHT. MEMORIAL STADIUM. YES. SO WE'RE LOOKING TO, WE WE'VE IDENTIFIED A PORTION THAT WE WANT TO CHANGE THE LANDSCAPING SO THAT WE CAN REDUCE THE MAINTENANCE COSTS AND KEEP THE AESTHETIC, BUT WHERE YOU WANT TO USE SOME OF THE WE'RE WORKING WITH BACK AND USE GREEN AND THE FUNDING WILL COME FROM, UH, STIJN IT'S A GRANT BACK. OKAY. SO THAT'S JUST SOMETHING THAT WE'RE WORKING ON AND THAT INCLUDES THE BUDGET PRESENTATION. IF YOU GUYS HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, UH, REAL QUICK, AND I WILL ASK THE SAME THING I ASKED OF EACH OTHER DEPARTMENT, UM, EMPLOYEE STAFFING, DEFICIENCIES, WHAT, WHAT ARE YOU DEFICIENT? WELL, OVERALL WE'RE AT A 33% VACANCY RATE. UM, I JUST CAN'T FIND ANYBODY OR SALARY OR, WELL, RECRUITMENT IS ALWAYS A CHALLENGE, BUT, UH, WE, LIKE I SAID, THE BIGGEST PLACE WE GET OUR NEW RECRUITS IS FROM SEASONAL WORK. SO WE FIND, IDENTIFY SOME GOOD SEASONAL WORKERS AND WE TAUGHT TO BRING THEM IN FULL TIME, BUT I CAN GO INTO FURTHER DETAILS ON THE VACANCY RATES IF YOU WANT. YEAH. I'M JUST TRYING TO GET AN IDEA FROM, AND I UNDERSTAND THAT IT'S IN YOUR BUDGET AS FAR AS FUNDING THESE VACANCIES. I'M JUST TRYING TO SEE WHAT WE'RE UNDERFUNDING AND, UM, JUST FOR MY OVERALL BENEFIT OF KNOWING, UM, YOU KNOW, JUST LIKE THESE OTHER DEPARTMENTS IN THE VACANCIES, HOW LONG HAVE THEY BEEN VACANT? HOW LONG HAS THAT, THAT MONEY HAS BEEN AVAILABLE TO FILL THIS POSITION, BUT HAVEN'T BEEN FIELD. UM, IF I COULD GET A LITTLE PERSPECTIVE ON YOUR DEPARTMENT, THAT'D BE GREAT. AS FAR AS DOING, WHAT ARE YOU, WHAT ARE YOU VACANCIES RIGHT NOW? AND THAT 33%, I DON'T KNOW WHAT THAT TRANSLATES INTO. WELL, WE'VE GOT TWO VACANCIES AND ADMIN, 19 AND LANDSCAPING, UH, 23 AND STREET MAINTENANCE AND 34 AND DRAINAGE MAINTENANCE. SO WE'VE GOT A LOT OF, UH, WOW. WE'RE HIRING. YEAH. SO LET ME LET, UH, HELP REGIONAL JUST A LITTLE BIT. UM, WELL THE MOST PART, HIS, HIS VACANCIES ARE IN MAINTENANCE WORKERS AND HEAVY EQUIPMENT OPERATOR. THAT'S A VAST MAJORITY OF HIS VACANCIES. HE'S PUT A STRATEGY IN PLACE OF PROMOTING, UH, UH, IN THE LINE OF PROGRESSION AT HIS APARTMENT TO WHERE HE'S TRYING TO PUSH ALL THE VACANCIES DOWN TO THE LOWEST POSSIBLE POSITION. SO IT MAKES IT EASY FOR US TO FEEL FROM THE OUTSIDE. SO HE'S BEEN VERY SUCCESSFUL IN MOVING SEASONAL NODE EMPLOYEES TO THOSE POSITIONS AND A SEASONAL EMPLOYEE CAN COME INTO THE DEPARTMENT. THEY DON'T HAVE TO TEST. ALL THEY HAVE TO DO IS PASS BACKGROUND ON A DRUG SCREEN AND, YOU KNOW, WE CAN HIRE THEM. SO IT'S THE EASIEST WAY TO BRING PEOPLE IN. NOW, WHAT YOU MIGHT WANT TO APPRECIATE IS THAT THIS LEVEL OF VACANCY HAS BEEN CONSISTENT FOR THE LAST 10 OR 12 YEARS. THIS IS NOTHING NEW. THE APARTMENT, UM, DPW HAS RUN, UH, ABOUT A 27 TO 30% VACANCY RATE FOR THE LAST 10 YEARS OR SO. SO RIGHT NOW WE HAVE 200 OPEN POSITIONS ACROSS ALL OF DPW. WE HAVE ANOTHER 30 POSITIONS THAT ARE VACANT DUE TO WORK OR COMP AVAILABILITY OR, OR LACK THEREOF. SO WE ACTUALLY HAVE 230 PEOPLE THAT ARE OUT THAT, THAT ARE NOT WORKING EVERY DAY THAT ARE FUNDED FOR US TO HAVE. SO WE'RE, WE ACTIVELY RECRUIT, WE WORK WITH HR, WE GO TO RECRUITING EVENTS, WE'LL HOLD SPECIAL EVENTS. WE WORK ONE-OFF WITH EACH ONE OF YOU ON DIFFERENT OPPORTUNITIES WHERE YOU IDENTIFY PEOPLE FOR US TO HIRE. AND THE CONCERN IS THAT OUR WORKFORCE IS AGING RETIREMENT. THEIR RETIREMENT RATE IS GOING TO INCREASE. SO WE'RE, WE'RE FORCED TO LOOK FOR WAYS TO GET OUR WORK DONE IN THE FACE OF NOT BEING ABLE TO BRING IN THE EMPLOYEES THAT WE NEED, BUT WE'RE FULLY OPEN TO, TO HIRING. UM, UH, CANADA SAYS AS THEY ARE AVAILABLE OR PRESENT THEMSELVES TO US, OR WE CAN FIND W WOW, I, I APPRECIATE THAT INFORMATION. UM, IS IT SALARY? IS IT NON BENEFITS? I MEAN, IT SEEMS LIKE IT'S, IT'S OVERTURNED AS FAR AS EMPLOYEES, MOST PEOPLE WOULD RUN TO WORK FOR A CITY PARISH OR A STATE AGENCY OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT. UM, I GUESS I'M, I'M KIND OF PERPLEXED AT THE, THE AMOUNT OF TIME THAT THOSE VACANCIES HAVE BEEN THERE, THAT NOBODY HAS TAKEN THEM ON EITHER SUBSTANTIALLY OR FOR LONGTERM, YOU KNOW, TO STICK WITH CITY PARISH OR, UH, OTHER AGENCIES OR WHATEVER. UM, WE'RE, WHERE ARE OUR DEFICIENCIES? IS IT FUNDING AS FAR AS COSTS? [01:20:01] AND, UH, I WOULD TELL YOU, WE HAVE FUNDING FOR THE ALLOCATIONS THAT HAVE BEEN APPROVED. UM, AND FOR A LONG TIME, THE DRAW, THE CITY OF PARIS HAS BEEN FOR THE BENEFIT PACKAGE AND, UM, UM, THE JOY OF WORKING FOR CITY PARISH, IF YOU WILL, BOB. BUT WHAT WE SEE NOW IS THAT OUR WAGE SCALE IS SIGNIFICANT BELOW THE LOCAL MARKET. YOU KNOW, BATON ROUGE IS IN AN AREA WHERE THERE IS PLENTY OF BUSINESS AND INDUSTRY. THOSE ARE HIGHER PAYING JOBS, AS THE SCALE IS SIGNIFICANTLY HIGHER. WE'RE STARTING OUR FOLKS OUT AT $10 AN HOUR. AND A LOT OF THE INDUSTRY IS STARTING TO KNOW FOLKS OUT AT 18 TO 20. SO THERE'S A SIGNIFICANT GAP AND WHAT FOLKS CAN MAKE TO COME TO WORK FOR CITY PARISH. AND I THINK THAT'S PRIMARILY THE CONCERN. OKAY. UM, COUNCILWOMAN COLEMAN. YES. MA'AM FROM THE DISTRICT 10, THE ONLY DISTRICT, YOU KNOW, TO 10, I'M JUST GLAD TO KNOW THAT THAT TESTING HAS BEEN RELAXED, BUT ALSO WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT VACANCY, THIS IS NOT JUST SOMETHING WITH DPW IN BATON ROUGE. WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THIS BEING SOMETHING THROUGHOUT, YOU KNOW, EVERYWHERE. UH, YOU KNOW, OF COURSE THE PANDEMIC, A LOT OF FOLK AT HOME AND NOT WORKING. SO THAT RIGHT THERE IS DEFINITELY SOMETHING THAT WE, UM, WE DEFINITELY KNOW. AND THAT WAY SCALE, THAT GAP AND THAT WAGE SCALE IS DEFINITELY A CONCERN. YOU KNOW, MANY MAY SAY SOMETHING ABOUT BENEFITS, BUT BENEFITS ARE DOWN THE LINE. BENEFITS ARE, UH, THINGS THAT, UH, THOSE OF US, THAT'S NOT 1820 ANYMORE, THAT WE RELISH THAT, YOU KNOW, BENEFITS, BUT THIS POPULATION NOW THEY'RE TRYING TO SURVIVE AND GET A DECENT SALARY IN ORDER TO LIVE AND RIGHTFULLY SO. SO, AND, AND YES, TO HAVE A 200 VACANCY AT THIS POINT AND 30, UH, WORKERS' COMP AT THIS POINT. YES, INDEED. SO I WOULD LIKE TO SEE US TAKE A LOOK AT THAT WAGE GAPS, SEE WHAT IT IS THAT I'M GOING TO KEEP ON THIS UNTIL I'M OFF OF HERE, BECAUSE THIS IS DEFINITELY SOMETHING THAT WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ADDRESS. ALSO, I DON'T KNOW ABOUT THE REST OF YOU, BUT I'M ALWAYS OUT THERE LOOKING FOR FOLK, HEY, YOU, YOU, YOU WANT TO WORK, DO YOU WANT TO WORK FOR THE CITY? AND IF THEY SAY YES, AND THEY REAL ABOUT THAT, THEN I SEND THEM TO, UH, THESE GENTLEMEN HERE SO BAD, SOMETHING THAT WE NEED TO BE, UH, MINDFUL OF. AND WE NEED TO START, UH, DOING, YOU KNOW, IT'S EASY FOR US TO SIT BACK HERE AND TALK ABOUT WHAT I'M AND WHAT I WANT, BUT I'M TALKING ABOUT WHAT NEEDS TO BE AND WHAT HE IS IN ORDER THAT WE CAN DEFINITELY MOVE, MOVE THIS POPULATION FORWARD WITH. BUT THIS IS DEFINITELY A GAP HERE. THAT WAGE SCALE THING THERE MCDONALD'S IS PAYING MORE THAN 10. AND A LOT OF INSTANCES THEY HAVE. SO THIS IS DEFINITELY SOMETHING THAT WE MUST BE MINDFUL OF. I AM GLAD THAT THAT TESTING, UH, THING HAS BEEN DROPPED IN A LOT OF CASES. SO NOW THAT WE KNOW THAT FELLOW COUNCIL PERSONS, WE NEED TO BE PUSHING TO GET FOLK EMPLOYED, THEY EMPLOY IT. THEN THAT HELPS ALL OF US ARE JUST LITTLE RED HEN. YOU DON'T WORK, YOU DON'T EAT. IT'S MY FAVORITE BOOK. AND THAT IS DEFINITELY SOMETHING THAT WE OUGHT TO BE, UH, PUSHING TO MAKE SURE THAT THAT, THAT HAPPENS THERE. SO NOW I KNOW THAT YOU NEED SOME OPERATORS OPERATING SOME EQUIPMENT AND ALL OF THAT, THEN THAT WILL BE MY NEXT THING TO GET OUT OF HERE TO SEE, HEY, YOU OPERATE. DO YOU HAVE YOUR CREDENTIALS? IF SO, THEN SEND THEM YOUR WAY. APPRECIATE THAT. THANK YOU, COUNCILMAN HUDSON. UH, RACHEL, JUST ONE MORE THING. UM, HAS THERE BEEN ANY DISCUSSION IN THE DEPARTMENT ABOUT PROGRAMMING FOR GRAFFITI TEAMS, UH, AND ADDING THAT TO OUR 3, 1, 1 SYSTEM, AND THEN, AND THEN THERE BEING A WAY FOR YOU GUYS TO TAKE CARE OF GRAFFITI? THE REASON WHY I BRING IT UP IS, YOU KNOW, WE HAD ONE INSTANCE OF GRAFFITI THAT JUST WAS A NIGHTMARE TO TRY AND GET IT ADDRESSED. AND THANKFULLY YOU GUYS HAD THE WHEREWITHAL TO NOT BE BUREAUCRATIC ABOUT IT AND DID GO OUT THERE AND ADDRESS IT. UM, BUT IT, IT IS TROUBLESOME TO ME THAT WE DON'T HA WE DON'T ACTUALLY PROGRAM FOR RESOLVING GRAFFITI. WE DO HAVE [01:25:01] A SERVICE REQUEST FOR GRAFFITI. WE DO. YES. AND WE, RIGHT. WE RESPOND TO IT, BUT IT'S WHEREVER THE GRAFFITI IS ON. DEPENDS ON THE INFRASTRUCTURE THAT IT'S ACTUALLY ON. IF IT'S ON A STATE INFRASTRUCTURE OR A BRIDGE OR SOMETHING, THAT'D BE DOTD ANYTHING LOCAL AND WE'LL TAKE CARE OF IT. SO, SO LIKE, IN OUR AGREEMENT WITH DOTD FOR RIGHT OF WAY MAINTENANCE, WE, WE DON'T PRO WE DON'T HAVE AN AGREEMENT WITH THEM TO DO THAT. THE GRAFFITI, NO, SIR, JUST MOWING AND LITTER. SO WE NEED TO FUSS AT THEM ABOUT GOVERNMENT STREET AND THAT GRAFFITI SITTING THERE FOR SO LONG. OH, I, IT STILL BELONGS TO THE STATE. SO THAT WOULD BE, BUT YOU WOULD DIRECT IT TO, BUT WE DO HAVE A BUILDINGS AND GROUNDS TAKES CARE OF A LOT OF THE GRAFFITI ON THE PUBLIC BUILDINGS AND THEN ON, UH, INFRASTRUCTURES AROUND TOWN AT A CITY ON WE'LL TAKE CARE OF. SO IF I PULL UP MY RED STICK THROUGH ON ONE APP, THERE'S A PLACE THERE FOR ME TO PUT IN GRAFFITI NOW. WELL, THAT'S GREAT. THANK YOU. ALRIGHT. UM, MR. DARYL, PLEASE. THANK YOU. I APOLOGIZE. I KNOW YOU'VE BEEN STANDING THERE A WHILE. I JUST WANTED TO TOUCH BASE A LITTLE BIT ON SALARIES AND PAY RAISES. WE KNOW THAT THAT'S AN ISSUE AS COUNSEL PERSON COLEMAN EXPLAINED. IT'S AN ISSUE IN EVERY SINGLE DEPARTMENT, IT'S FROM CITY CORP TO DPW, TO POLICE, ET CETERA. WE WERE ABLE TO DO THE POLICE PAY, RAISE THROUGH EFFICIENCY AND LINDA AND FINANCE REMINDS ME EVERY DAY. WE HAVE TO MAKE SURE THOSE EFFICIENCIES ARE IN PLACE, AND THEY'RE HARD TO COME BY AND HARD TO MAKE SURE THEY STAY IN PLACE. THEY HAVE A TENDENCY TO KIND OF CREEP BACK, BUT COUNCIL PERSON CALL THEM HAS BEEN A HUGE HELP IN TERMS OF RECRUITING PEOPLE. AND ONE THING WE KNOW IS WE HAVE A LOT OF PEOPLE IN MANY CASES WHO AREN'T NECESSARILY IN THE WORKFORCE. SO WE HAVE AN, UH, OPPORTUNITY TO BE, UH, AN EMPLOYER OF CHOICE, SO TO SPEAK WHERE WE CAN BRING PEOPLE IN, WHO HAVEN'T NECESSARILY BEEN IN THE JOB MARKET. BUT IN 2015, I THINK LINDA MIGHT CORRECT ME. CITY PARISH DID A WAGE ASSESSMENT. AND IN MANY CASES, WE STILL HAVEN'T BEEN ABLE TO CLOSE THE GAP ALL THE WAY BACK FROM 2015, WE HAVE AN ITEM ON THE AGENDA FOR INCREASING PERMIT FEES. THAT'S ONE OF THE THINGS WE KNOW, WE HAVE A LOT OF FEES IN CITY PARISH THAT HAVEN'T BEEN INCREASED IN 20 AND 30 YEARS. SO IS WE LOOK AT PAY RAISES. WE ALSO HAVE TO LOOK AT PLACES WHERE WE CAN ACTUALLY BRING OUR REVENUE UP TO THE MARKET AS WELL AS WE BRING WAGES UP. SO THE MAYOR'S ADAMANT ABOUT TRYING TO GET SALARIES, RIGHT? SIZED IT'S CRITICAL, NOT ONLY FOR DPW, BUT AGAIN FOR EVERY SINGLE AGENCY. SO IT'S ONE OF THE MANDATES THAT WE HAVE FOR THE NEXT YEAR. WE KNOW THAT, UM, BENEFIT COSTS, A LOT OF CHANGES WERE MADE IN 2015. WE HAVE MORE OF THOSE THAT WE WANT TO LOOK AT THIS NEXT YEAR. SO WE KNOW WHAT'S A PRIORITY. WE HEAR IT FROM EVERY SINGLE DEPARTMENT. SO WHAT'S A, A PRIORITY FOR THE ADMINISTRATION TOO. SO I JUST WANTED TO LET EVERYBODY KNOW THAT NO, I, I, I APPRECIATE THAT VERY MUCH. AND IT'S, IT'S ONE THING THAT IS ACROSS THE BOARD. UM, YOU KNOW, WE'VE HAD SOME DISCUSSIONS, UH, EVEN WITH THE EMS IN DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS AND ALL THAT, AND I WISH WE COULD, YOU KNOW, WAVE A LINE AND, AND EVERYBODY JUST MEETS THE STANDARDS AND SO ON AND SO FORTH. AND I RESPECT THE FACT THAT Y'ALL HAVE, UM, WORKED VERY DILIGENTLY, WHETHER IT'S DEPARTMENT, DEPARTMENT, BY DEPARTMENT TO GET THINGS, UH, CAUGHT UP, I GUESS, ONE OF THE BIG REASONS THAT IT SEEMS LIKE, AND I, AND I KNOW I KEEP GOING ON TO VACANCIES IN EACH DEPARTMENT AND STUFF, BUT, YOU KNOW, THERE, WE WAS TALKING ABOUT OUTSOURCING IN THE ONE-TIME FUNDING AND STUFF, AND, YOU KNOW, SOME PEOPLE LOOK AT OUTSOURCING AS, OKAY, WELL, THEY'RE REPLACING THAT DEPARTMENT. A LOT OF THE OUTSOURCING THAT'S BEING DONE RIGHT NOW IS AN ENHANCEMENT TO THE DEPARTMENTS TO GET CAUGHT UP ON A LOT OF THE WORK, CORRECT. AS FAR AS, YOU KNOW, UH, WORKING ON INCREASING THE, THE PAYROLL OR BRINGING PEOPLE ON BECAUSE THESE ITEMS ARE ALREADY COVERED AND EVERYTHING, UH, I WOULD RESPECT THAT WE, WE LOOK AT ALL KINDS OF OPTIONS AS FAR DEPARTMENTS AND EVERYTHING, WHETHER IT BE THROUGH OUTSOURCING, UH, PERMANENTLY, WHETHER IT BE, UM, BRINGING ON PRIVATIZED CONTRACTORS AND THINGS LIKE THAT, THAT WE CAN WORK WITH THROUGH MANAGEMENT OF THE DEPARTMENT. SO, UM, I, I THINK WE DO HAVE A LONG WAY TO GO. I RESPECT THE FACT THAT WE ARE WORKING VERY HARD TO BRING EVERYBODY UP TO THOSE SCALES. AND I APPRECIATE THE WORK THAT Y'ALL HAVE DONE. SORRY, ONE MORE THING, COUNCILMAN HUD. I JUST WANT TO SAY REGIONAL. I WENT THROUGH MY THROUGH, I DON'T WANT AN APP AND I DIDN'T SEE, UH, SEE IT. SO IF YOU WOULD PLEASE WORK WITH IAS AND, AND, YOU KNOW, MAKE SURE THAT THAT'S A FUNCTION THERE, YOU KNOW, THE, THE GRAFFITI IS, IT'S ONE OF THOSE THINGS. IT'S LIKE A HAIRY DONUT. WE JUST, WE JUST DON'T NEED IT, YOU KNOW? SO THANK YOU. YEAH. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. NOW WE'LL BRING ON ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES. [01:30:08] GOOD EVENING. I'M HOPING I DON'T LOSE MY VOICE TONIGHT. SO, UM, I THINK YOU WERE WORKING HERE. THERE IT IS. THERE IT IS. SO, UH, THANK YOU. I'M RICHARD SPIRIT DIRECTOR ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES, AND I AM COMBINING ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES AND STORM WATER BECAUSE THERE IS NOT GOING TO BE A STORMWATER DEPARTMENT. IT'S GOING TO BE, IF YOU GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE, YOU'LL SEE IT'S A NEW DIVISION THAT'S PROPOSED FOR, UH, DES. SO, UH, THE PROPOSAL FOR 2022 IS THAT WE WOULD HAVE A SEWER DIVISION THAT WOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR ALL THE, YOU KNOW, PUMP STATIONS, TREATMENT, PLANTS, COLLECTION SYSTEM OF THE SANITARY SEWER SYSTEM, SOLID WASTE DIVISION, WHICH IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE, THE GARBAGE COLLECTION AND THE LANDFILL OPERATION, AND THEN THE PROPOSED NEW STORM WATER DIVISION. AND I'M, I'M GOING TO SPEND MOST OF MY PRESENTATION ON THAT LAST DIVISION. SO I'D GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE. SO, UH, WE'RE HAVING A LITTLE BIT OF CHANGE IN THE ADMINISTRATION OF, OF THE DEPARTMENT AND THAT, UH, WERE PROPOSED TO ADD A NEW ASSISTANT DIRECTOR, UH, THIS YEAR FOR 2022 AND TWO PROGRAM COORDINATORS. SINCE WE'RE ADDING ANOTHER FUNDING SOURCE IN A NEW DIVISION, YOU KNOW, NEED A LITTLE MORE HELP ON THE ADMINISTRATION. UH, WE ALSO INCLUDE THE CHIEF OF ENGINEERING FOR WASTEWATER IN THAT, IN THE ADMINISTRATION. AND I'M GOING TO BE ADDING THE CHIEF OF STORMWATER ENGINEERING, WHICH IS A PROPOSED POSITION ALSO. SO IN 2021, THE BUDGET FOR THE ADMINISTRATION'S 100% FROM THE SEWER FUNDS AND IN 2022, WE'RE GOING TO BE SPLITTING THE DIRECTOR ASSISTANT DIRECTOR, THE FINANCIAL MANAGER, AND EVERYBODY WORKS FOR HIM INTO 40% SURE. FORD PERCENT STORMWATER AND 20% SOLID WASTE. SO UNLIKE, UH, THE OTHER PRESENTATIONS THAT YOU HAD A DEPARTMENT, ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES IS FUNDED THROUGH ENTERPRISE FUNDS. THE FIRST ONE IS A SEWER ENTERPRISE FUND, AND IT'S DEDICATED HALF PERCENT SALES TAX PLUS THE SEWER USER FEES, WHICH ARE ON EVERYBODY'S MONTHLY BILL WHO LIVE IN EBR. SO, UH, 2021 HAD A LITTLE MORE THAN $146 MILLION IN REVENUE WITH WE'RE ESTIMATING $150.7 MILLION IN REVENUE. AND WE WERE ABLE TO DO THAT, JUST LOOKING AT THE SALES TAX INCREASES THAT, YOU KNOW, THEY'VE BEEN RECOVERED THROUGHOUT THIS YEAR. SO, UH, PREPARATIONS OR OPERATIONS, DEBT, SERVICE, DEPRECIATION, AND OTHER MISCELLANEOUS $183.7 MILLION IN TWENTY TWENTY ONE, A HUNDRED AND EIGHTY ONE 0.3 MILLION. THE REASON IT'S GONE DOWN IS BECAUSE THE DEBT SERVICE, WE, WE DID A WHOLE BUNCH OF REFINANCING REFINANCING OF THE BONDS OVER THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS. SO IT WAS ABLE TO REDUCE THAT, AND WE USE THAT SAVINGS. WE'RE PUTTING THAT INTO OUR CAPITAL PROJECTS PROGRAM, YOU KNOW, INCREASING IT FOR A LITTLE OVER $3 MILLION FOR NEXT YEAR. YEAH. YOU GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE. SORRY. UM, SOLID WASTE DIVISION HAS TWO ENTERPRISE FUNDS. THE FIRST ONE IS FOR COLLECTION AND THAT'S THE, THE FEES THAT WE'RE COLLECT FROM ON A MONTHLY BASIS FROM EVERYBODY THAT WE COLLECT GARBAGE FROM IS $23 A MONTH. YEAH. AND IT ALSO INCLUDES SOME FUNDING IN THERE FOR APARTMENT COMPLEXES, WHERE WE HAVE THE LARGE DUMPSTERS, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE SOME FUNDING FROM THAT. SO IN 2021, WE'RE ASKING ESTIMATING ABOUT $38.5 MILLION IN REVENUE IN 2022, IT'S PRETTY FLAT. WE'RE LOOKING AT MAYBE $39.1 MILLION WITH SOME GROWTH, UH, THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT FROM THAT WE HAVE EVERY YEAR APPROPRIATIONS FOR 2021 IS 39.2 MILLION. [01:35:02] AND IN 2022, WE'RE REQUESTING $40.4 MILLION. AND THAT'S MAINLY FROM INCREASES. YOU KNOW, WE HAVE YEARLY CPI INCREASES FROM, FOR THE GARBAGE SERVICE IS WHERE THAT MOST, THAT TH THAT THAT FUND PAYS FOR THE GARBAGE COLLECTION W UH, PERSONNEL ARE ALL IN THE SOLID WASTE DISPOSAL FACILITY, NORTH LANDFILL, THAT'S A HUNDRED PERCENT GENERATED FROM TIPPING FEES. AS YOU UNDERSTAND, YOU KNOW, YOU JUST APPROVED INCREASES IN COMMERCIAL TIPPING FEES AND OUT OF PARISH TIPPING FEES. AND SO THAT IT GIVES US AN INCREASE OF, YOU KNOW, ALMOST $4 MILLION OR 2022, BUT THAT'S GONNA REALLY PAY, GO AHEAD. UH, DO YOU MAYBE FIXING TO ANSWER MY QUESTION, THAT ADDITIONAL FEES AND THE TIPPING FEES THAT'S STRICTLY TO GO TOWARDS THE LANDFILL THAT IS A HUNDRED PERCENT DEDICATED FOR LANDFILL VIEWS. THANK YOU. RIGHT. SO THE MAIN INCREASES, WE HAVE TO START INCREASING THEIR FUN FOR CLOSURE AND POSTCODE CLOSURE COSTS OF THE LANDFILL. RIGHT NOW, WE'RE AT WE'RE, WE'RE ESTIMATING 15 YEARS OF USABLE AIRSPACE LEFT IN THE LANDFILL AT THIS POINT. SO WE HAVE TO FULLY FUND CLOSURE OF THE LANDFILL AND POST CLOSURE COSTS. THAT'S THE REQUIREMENT BY LDQ IN THE STATE. OKAY. SO WE'RE REQUIRED TO START FUNDING CLOSURE UP TO A CERTAIN POINT OF THE LASTING OF THE LIGHT. IF THEY KNOW IT'S COMING UP FOR END OF USE IN 15 YEARS, WE WOULD HAVE TO HAVE THE FUNDING. IF IT LET'S SAY 15 YEARS, BUT WE HAVE TO START PREPARING WELL, WE WE'VE BEEN FUNDING THE, FOR THE POST CLOSURE, YO CONSTANTLY SINCE THE OPENING OF THE LANDFILL, BUT, YOU KNOW, WITH NEW ESTIMATES AND EVERYTHING, WE NEED TO DRASTICALLY INCREASE THE MONEY WE HAVE TO APPROPRIATE FOR THAT, BECAUSE WE HAVE NOT APPROPRIATE ENOUGH IN THE PAST 15 YEARS. THAT'S RIGHT. QUICK. I MEAN, I DON'T HAVE JUST, IT'S JUST ASTONISHING. I MEAN, 15 YEARS, NOT ONLY CLOSING THIS ONE, BUT DIDN'T, WE GOT TO FIND A SPOT OBVIOUSLY FOR THE NEXT ONE. YES, SIR. AND IT TAKES ABOUT 15 YEARS TO FIND A SPOT, GET IT PERMITTED, GET IT CONSTRUCTED, GET IT APPROVED AND GET IT OPEN OPERATING. IS THAT OKAY? LET'S GO WITH FUNDING FOR THAT. WE'RE TALKING 15 YEARS OUT. IT TAKES ABOUT THAT LONG, OR ARE WE APPROPRIATING OR PREPARING TO APPROPRIATE START THAT PROCESS? UM, I AM REALLY LOOKING WASTE REDUCTION PROGRAMS TO TRY TO EXTEND OUR EXISTING LANDFILL LIFE, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE I WAS HERE WHEN WE TRIED TO GO THROUGH AND PERMITTING THE EXISTING LANDFILL AND IT WAS VERY CONTENTIOUS. IT MET THAT IN TIME CAN IMAGINE SO. AND SO I'M REALLY LOOKING AT DOING THE EXTENSION OF THE LANDFILL LIFE, AND THAT'S WHY YOU GUYS PASS THE T E STUDY FEASIBILITY STUDY. IF YOU KNOW, THAT'S ONE ASPECT. IF WE DO A WASTE TO ENERGY PROJECT THAT MAY EXTEND THE LANDFILL LIVE UP TO 70 YEARS. OKAY. THANK YOU, COUNCILMAN DONE. THANK YOU. YOU MENTIONED EARLIER ABOUT THE, UH, THE REFINANCING OF THE BONDS AND THE SAVINGS THAT CAME THERE IS THAT WHETHER, UM, THE MONEY CAME TO ACQUIRE THE NEW FACILITY OFFLOAD AND TO DO THE RE RENOVATIONS TO, WELL, THOSE FUNDS WERE ALREADY APPROPRIATED FOR THE, THAT NEW FACILITY. UH, THAT'S BEEN IN PLACE SINCE I THINK IT WAS LIKE 2012 AND THEY HAD ANOTHER FACILITY THAT DESIGNED IT, BUSTED THAT BUDGET WIDE OPEN, SO THEY NEVER BUILT IT. SO I I'M USING PREVIOUSLY APPROPRIATED FUNDS TO BUILD THE NEW FACILITY OUT ON THE FLOOR. OKAY. HOW ARE WE LOOKING ON IT? WHAT'S THE TIMELINE, UH, BECAUSE OF SUPPLY ISSUES ON STEEL AND THE NEW SKIN FOR THE BUILDING, WE'RE PROBABLY LOOKING AT JUNE OF NEXT YEAR HAVING AN OPERATION. OKAY. THANK YOU. UH, COUNSEL WENT DOWN AND I APOLOGIZE IF I DIDN'T RECOGNIZE YOU AND I'VE JUMPED IN A WHILE AGO, SO I APOLOGIZE FOR THAT. IT'S ALL YOURS. SURE. SO, UH, GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE. UM, I'M GOING TO START TALKING [01:40:01] A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE STORMWATER DIVISION THAT WERE PROPOSED. UM, WE'RE HAVE THREE SECTIONS, UH, THAT I'M PROPOSING UNDER THIS NEW DIVISION. IT'S AN COMPLIANCE SECTION, A STORMWATER ENGINEERING SECTION, AND THEN A PUBLIC EDUCATION SECTION. YOU GO TO THE NEXT ONE. SO THE, THE REVENUE FOR 2022 IS A ONE-TIME FUNDING TO SET UP THIS, THIS, THE DIVISION FOR $15 MILLION APPROPRIATION REQUESTS USING, UH, UH, A RPA FUNDS, UH, FOR THAT, UH, THE ADMINISTRATION IS ABOUT 2.7 MILLION, UH, COMPLIANCE SECTION, INCLUDING SAMPLING COMPLIANCE. 1.3 MILLION ENGINEERING SECTION IS 10.7 MILLION. AND WITH PUBLIC EDUCATION AT 200,000 AND GO, THE NEXT SLIDE THE ADMINISTRATION HAS SET UP. AS I STATED BEFORE, WE HAVE, UH, MYSELF, THE DIRECTOR, THE ASSISTANT DIRECTOR AND FINANCIAL MANAGER AT 40%, THE CHIEF OF STORMWATER ENGINEERING AND A SENIOR ADMINISTRATIVE SPECIALIST FOR THE, THE DIVISION, THE COMPLIANCE SECTION IS 40%. SO THE ENVIRONMENTAL COORDINATOR, UH, YOU GUYS KNOW HER AS SARAH BOUDREAU, SHE'S A UNDER SEWER SHE'S HER DUTIES ARE GOING TO BE SPLIT BETWEEN THE THREE DIVISIONS INSTEAD OF THE TWO DIVISIONS, A NEW MS. FOUR PERMIT MANAGER AND SIX ENVIRONMENTAL SPECIALISTS IN THE ENGINEERING SECTION UNDER THE CHIEF, YOU'LL HAVE, UH, THEY'RE APPROPRIATING A SPECIAL PROJECTS ENGINEER INTO ENGINEERING TECHNICIAN FOR 2022. ANY QUESTIONS? I SEE SOME FURROWED BROWS. THIS IS, THIS IS A NEW DIVISION. YES, THESE ARE ALL NEW PERSONNEL AND STARTUP REVENUE IS A 15 MILLION FROM A RIVER AMERICAN RESCUE PLAN. OKAY. ANY QUESTIONS? THERE YOU GO TO THE NEXT ONE. NEXT SLIDE. OKAY. SO GO AHEAD. SOME OF THE DUTIES EACH SESSION'S GOING TO TAKE ON WHERE THE COMPLIANCE SECTION IS, IT'S REALLY A BANDAGING OR MS. FOUR PERMIT FOR THE COLLECTION SYSTEM. SO UNDER THE PERMIT ENFORCEMENT, AS FOR NEW CONSTRUCTION INSPECTION, POST CONSTRUCTION INSPECTION, PRIVATE STRUCTURAL CONTROLS, INDUSTRIAL HIGH RISK, UH, PERMIT HOLDERS AND INVESTIGATING ELICIT DISCHARGES. THESE ARE ALL PORTIONS THAT ARE REQUIRED IN OUR MS. FOUR PERMIT WITH THE STATE SYSTEM MONITORING PROGRAMS, YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE DRY AND WET WEATHER SYSTEM INSPECTIONS AND TESTING PERMITTED, OUTFALLS TESTING, INDUSTRIAL LPDS SITES, INSPECTION, STRUCTURAL CONTROL INSPECTIONS THAT THAT CITY PARISH OWNS CONTROLS, INSPECTIONS, AND STREET INSPECTIONS. THAT'S, UH, MAINLY FOR LITTER CONTROL THERE, UH, PERMIT AND THAT ANALYTICS WE'RE SUPPOSED TO BE SHOWING CONSTANT IMPROVEMENT TO THE AGENCIES THAT, YOU KNOW, WHAT WE'RE DOING IS WE'RE IMPROVING THE WATER QUALITY THAT WE'RE DISCHARGING TO THE, THE STATE'S WATERS. SO, YEAH, SO WE'LL HAVE SECTION PEOPLE DOING REVIEW OF ALL THE DATA THAT WE'RE GOING TO BE COLLECTING, THAT WE HAVE TO COLLECT COMPILING THE REPORTS MEETING WITH OUR CO PERMITTEES, WHICH RIGHT NOW, CITY CENTRAL, UH, DOTD LSU AND SOUTHERN. SO, AND, UH, AND THEN SPILL RESPONSE REPORTING THAT'S REQUIRED. AND THEN ALSO SOME CONTRACT MANAGEMENT, THAT'S MAINLY OVERSEEING THE, THE LABORATORY DOING THE SAMPLING AND TESTING AND, AND HELPING OUT WITH THE INSPECTIONS GO TO THE NEXT ONE ENGINEERING SECTION DUTIES. UH, I'VE GOT TO SPLIT BETWEEN 20, 22 AND, UH, BEYOND 2020 TWOS, WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT FOR, UH, IT'S MAINLY GOING TO BE CONTRACT MAINTENANCE. AND THAT'S, IF YOU REMEMBER THE LARGE, YOU KNOW, OVER $10 MILLION BUDGET, THOSE FOR ALL THESE CONTRACTS THAT WE'RE GOING TO BE ISSUING TO HELP OUT WITH THE MAINTENANCE OF OUR MS. FOUR OR STORMWATER COLLECTION SYSTEM, YOU KNOW, WE'RE GOING TO CONTINUE THE INSPECTION AND CLEANING OF THE CLOSED SYSTEM, THE CULVERTS, [01:45:01] THE INLETS STREET ENLISTS, AND THINGS OF THAT NATURE, UH, STRUCTURAL CONTROL AND DESIGN THAT'S FOR YOUR LITTER CATCHES THAT WE NEED TO BE EXPANDING DRAMATICALLY, THE HELP REDUCE THE, THE LITTER THAT'S IN OUR WATERWAYS, UH, DOING POINT REPAIRS. YOU KNOW, THAT'S ALWAYS A CONTENTION CAUSE IT'S A LONG LAG RIGHT NOW BETWEEN GETTING, KNOWING WHERE POINT REPAIR IS AND ACTUALLY BEING ABLE TO GET TO IT. SO WE'RE LOOKING TO REDUCE THAT TIMEFRAME AND START INCREASING NUMBER POINT REPAIRS AND GET THAT BACKLOG TAKEN CARE OF, UH, INCLUDING, YOU KNOW, THAT ALSO INCLUDES MANHOLE INLET, REPAIRS, UH, UH, DITCH CLEANING. THAT'S MAINLY GOING TO STAY IN REGIONALS DIVISION. YOU KNOW, WE MAY AUGMENT IT SOME, BUT, UH, THAT'S MAINLY GOING TO REMAIN HIS IN HIS DIVISION. AND THEN WE'RE ALSO LOOKING AT GETTING SOME CONCRETE CANAL REPAIR PROJECTS, TAKING CARE OF, YOU KNOW, AND THEN WE'LL HAVE SOME INSPECTION FIRMS, UH, ON BOARD TO MAKE SURE THESE CONTRACTORS DOING THE WORK THAT WE'RE CONTRACTING THEM TO DO AND DOING IT PROPERLY THEN, AND THEN THEY'LL DO STREET SWEEPING EVALUATIONS, SPELL RESPONSE IN THE FUTURE, YOU KNOW, IN 2023, AND LOOKING TO TRY TO GROW THIS ENGINEERING SECTION. SO WE'LL START HELPING WITH THE FLOOD AND WATER QUALITY STUDY REVIEWS AND THE GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE REVIEWS. YOU KNOW, WE'RE REALLY GOING TO BE PUSHING MORE GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE NEED TO START REDUCING THE AMOUNT OF IMPERVIOUS AREA THAT WE'RE ADDING ON YEAR AFTER YEAR. AND WE CAN DO THAT. AND THEN WHEN THE MASTER PLAN MODEL IS COMPLETED, WE'RE LOOKING AT HAVING IT RESIDE IN THIS NEW DIVISION, HAVE A MODELER DOING SIMILAR TO WHAT WE DO IN SEWER. WE HAVE A MODELER THAT TAKES CARE OF OUR SEWER MODEL. SO THEY DO PUT IN THE SERVER REQUEST AND WE MODEL IT AND TELL THEM WHAT THEY NEED TO DO TO BE ABLE TO HANDLE THIS SHORB. WE'RE LOOKING THROUGH THE SAME FOR THE STORM WATER. AND THEN WE'RE HOPING IN 2023 BALES START FUNDING, SOME OF THESE PROJECTS THAT FRED WAS TALKING ABOUT, AND THEN FINALLY IN THE NEXT ONE IS PUBLIC EDUCATION. UH, WE NEED TO, THIS IS MAINLY GOING TO BE BY AN OUTSIDE CONTRACTOR TO DO CITY PARISH PERSONNEL TRAINING ON STORMWATER AND MS FOR REQUIREMENTS. WE ALSO NEED TO BE DOING YEARLY TRAINING ON THE COMMERCIAL CONTRACTORS, THE DEVELOPERS. SO THEY UNDERSTAND WHAT WE NEED FROM THEM TO DO FOR THE STORMWATER AND THEN PUBLIC OUTREACH, WHICH IS EVER CRITICAL FOR THAT AT THAT CONCLUDES COUNCILMAN KELSEY MORALITY. LET'S GO TO SORRY, EITHER WAY. IT'S FINE. UM, RICK, YOUR PERSONNEL ALLOTMENT IS DECREASING BY 25 POSITIONS. IT'S A 24 POSITIONS FOUR. YES. AND YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT FOR THE SEWER OR, WELL, THAT'S, YOU'RE LOOKING AT THE YEAH, DES, BUT, UM, THOSE, OKAY. TALK TO ME ABOUT THAT. IF YOU WOULD, AND THEN, UH, HAVE A FOLLOW-UP RIGHT. SO YEAH, WE HAVE A 33% VACANCY RATE THERE WE'RE NOT ANY DIFFERENT FROM ANY ANYBODY ELSE. THE ONLY DIFFERENCE FOR US IS THAT WE HAVE A HUGE SEWER INFRASTRUCTURE PUMP STATIONS, 500 PUMP STATIONS, TWO TREATMENT PLANTS. WE HAVE THREE SATELLITE PLANTS THAT WE HAVE TO MAINTAIN. AND THE ONLY WAY WE CAN DO THAT AND KEEP UP WITH THINGS IS WE HAVE TO CONTRACT OUT. SO WE'RE ELIMINATING 24 POSITIONS SO WE CAN INCREASE OUR CONTRACT AMOUNTS FOR THAT MAINTENANCE. IT ARE SOME OF THOSE POSITIONS WHAT'S STARTING THIS STORMWATER DIVISION THAT FUNDING WILL PAY FOR. I THOUGHT YOU WERE CONTRACTING THE STORM WATER POSITIONS, DO THE POSITIONS. I TALKED ABOUT THE STORMWATER POSITIONS. THOSE ARE FUNDED POSITIONS THAT YOU ARE GOING TO BE HIRING, NOT FUNDED BY THE ARP DOLLARS, BUT FUNDED BY NO, THE FOR 2022, THEY'RE GOING TO BE FUNDED BY THE, THE ARP FUNDING, THE ONE-TIME FUNDING YOU'RE GOING TO START. SO YOU RECALL WHERE WE'RE TALKING ABOUT A STUDY FOR WASTEWATER, [01:50:01] I MEAN, STORMWATER BEES. AND SO THAT'S, YOU KNOW, WE GET, WE SET UP THIS DEPARTMENT, YOU KNOW, WE NEED TO BE ABLE TO CONTINUE THAT WITH PERMANENT FUNDING. AND SO IF YOU'RE, YOU'RE, YOU'RE LOOKING AT NEEDING A SOURCE OF FUNDING TO BE ABLE TO FUND THAT. AND THAT'S WHAT THAT STUDY IS FOR IS TO DEVELOP THOSE FEES. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU, COUNCILMAN HUDSON, BUT RIDGE'S, I'M CLEAR. WE'RE NOT GOING TO FUND THOSE NEW POSITIONS WITH THE ARP DOLLARS UNTIL WE PASS A NEW STORMWATER FEE, CORRECT? NO, THEY THEY'RE. THEY'RE PROJECTED, YOU KNOW, IF YOU PASS THIS BUDGET WITH RP FUNDING, WE WILL BE ACTIVELY TRYING TO HIRE THESE POSITIONS OR 2022. AND SO IF THIS COUNCIL FAILS TO PASS THE STORMWATER FEE, WHAT HAPPENS TO THOSE PEOPLE HAVE TO GO AWAY. WE JUST FIRE THOSE EMPLOYEES. WELL, WE'LL MOVE THEM TO WHERE WE NEED TO HAVE THEM. LET ME JUST A LITTLE BIT. UM, IF YOU LOOK AT WHERE WE ARE RIGHT NOW AND DES WE HAVE ROUGHLY 68 FUNDED, BUT VACANT POSITIONS, WHAT RICK IS PROPOSING TO DO ONLY ADDS ABOUT, UM, 12 OR 13 POSITIONS FOR NEXT YEAR, WHICH WE CAN EASILY COVER WITH THE VACANCIES THAT WE CURRENTLY HAVE. IF WE CAN'T WORK OUT A FUNDING STREAM GOING FORWARD, AND THAT WILL GIVE REC TIME TO REALLOCATE THOSE INDIVIDUALS THAT WE HIRE IN AISTEAR INTO THE VACANCIES THAT WE HAVE ELSEWHERE AND DES SO, SO YOU CAN USE THEM NO MATTER WHAT. AND A LOT OF THEM, FROM WHAT I SAW ARE GOING TO HAVE DUAL ROLES ANYWAY. RIGHT? RIGHT. SO SOME OF THEM WILL BE THE SKILL SETS OF THE FOLKS WE HIRE WILL BE EASILY TRANSFERABLE TO OTHER AREAS WITHIN D S OKAY. UM, WHEN WE TALK ABOUT IT ON THE STORMWATER PART OF IT, WHEN WE TALK ABOUT NEW DEVELOPMENT INSPECTIONS, ARE WE BASICALLY JUST GOING TO TAKE OVER FROM DEPARTMENT OF DEVELOPMENT, WHAT THEY'RE DOING CURRENTLY, OR ARE WE LOOKING AT SOME ADDITIONAL TYPE OF INSPECTIONS THAT THEY'LL BE DOING? UH IT'S AND I'M SORRY IF I CAN JUST ADD ONE THING THAT THE ONE THING THAT I'M HOPING THAT WE'RE, THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT IS, UM, EVALUATION OF ELEVATIONS AND SURVEYING OF NEW DEVELOPMENTS, RIGHT. THAT, I MEAN, THAT, THAT PORTION FOR THE MEANTIME WILL REMAIN IN THE DEPARTMENT DEVELOPMENT. WHAT WE'RE GOING TO BE DOING IS AUGMENTING THE INSPECTIONS OR THE AMS FOR PERMITTING, WHICH IS THE S THE, THE RUNOFF CONTROLS TO MAKE SURE THAT, THAT THE CONTRACTORS AND THE DEVELOPERS ARE MAINTAINING THEIR STORM WATER CONTROL. WE HAVE TO IMPROVE THE STORM WATER QUALITY COMING OUT OF OUR, YEAH. SO, SO Y'ALL WILL BE DOING NEW DEVELOPMENT INSPECTIONS, LIKE WHILE THEY'RE UNDER CONSTRUCTION, MAKING SURE THAT THEIR SILT BARRIERS ARE UP AND THAT KIND OF STUFF DURING CONSTRUCTION. AND POST-CONSTRUCTION, THOSE, EVERYTHING HAS TO STAY IN TO CONTROL UNTIL THE PERMANENT STORMWATER QUALITY CONTROLS ARE ESTABLISHED, WHETHER IT BE VEGETATION OR PERMANENT STRUCTURES THAT THEY HAVE THAT THEY'VE PUT IN. OKAY. SO, BUT FOR THE PURPOSE OF SIGNING OFF ON A NEW DEVELOPMENT, LIKE APPROVING AN AS-BUILT, THAT'S GOING TO STAY WITH THE DEPARTMENT OF DEVELOPMENT. YES, I GOT YOU. OKAY. UM, YOU MENTIONED STREETSWEEPER EVALUATION, RIGHT? IT IS THAT FUNDING OF ADDITIONAL STREET SWEEPERS, OR IS IT JUST A STRAIGHT TUBER PLAN OR WE, UH, D S HAS ALREADY FUNDING ALL THE STREET SWEEPERS IN THE LANDFILL BUDGET. WHAT WE'RE GOING TO BE DOING IS, YOU KNOW, INSTEAD OF THE PAST PRACTICES WHERE WE'RE SWEEPING EVERY STREET WITH EVERY CURB IN THE PARISH, WE CAN'T DO THAT ANYMORE. WE HAVE TO, YOU KNOW, TARGET THE AREAS WHERE WE HAVE THE HEAVIEST LITTER ISSUES AND THE STORM WATER QUALITY ISSUES. AND SO THAT'S WHERE THE ENGINEERING COMES IN AND THE ANALYTICS COME IN TO MAKE SURE IT'S NOT GOING TO HAPPEN IN 20, 22, BUT 20, 23 GOING FORWARD. YOU KNOW, WE'LL, WE'LL BE MORE TARGETING. SO WE DO HAVE LIMITED RESOURCES FOR STREET SWEEPING. WE JUST NEED TO UTILIZE IT IN A BETTER MANNER. GOTCHA. OKAY. UM, AND JUST THE LAST THING THAT I'LL MENTION, UH, AND ENOUGH TOUCHED ON THIS A LOT, BUT I HOPE THAT WE'RE AT LEAST GIVING SOME KIND OF CONSIDERATION FOR THE PARISH MAINTAINING FUTURE, UM, STORM [01:55:01] WATER, RETENTION, PONDS. UH, THAT'S THE NUMBER ONE THING THAT I HEAR FROM CONSTITUENTS AND THEIR CONCERN WITH NEW DEVELOPMENTS IS THAT EVENTUALLY THE HOS WON'T DO A GOOD JOB OF MAINTAINING THOSE PONDS. AND IT'S A REALLY, REALLY IMPORTANT PIECE OF OUR INFRASTRUCTURE HERE. I MEAN, I KNOW WE KINDA, WE KIND TURNED IT OVER TO THE, TO THE PRIVATE HOS, BUT, BUT THE TRUTH IS THAT THOSE PODS ARE VERY IMPORTANT TO ALL OF US. UM, SO, UM, WE WILL BE INSPECTING THOSE STARTING IN 2022 WITH PEOPLE, AND WE'RE GOING TO BE PUSHING THE HOS TO START MAINTAINING THOSE PONDS THE WAY THEY'RE SUPPOSED TO BE MAINTAINED. THERE'S THERE'S FLOOD CONTROLS, AND THEN THERE'S STORM WATER, QUALITY CONTROL. AND THOSE THAT'S PART OF THE ORDINANCE ALSO, AND KNOW, THERE'S A LOT OF PONDS OUT THERE THAT AREN'T FOR STORM WATER QUALITY, BUT, YOU KNOW, THEY, THEY DO MAINTAIN QUALITY BECAUSE IT RETAINS THAT RE INITIAL RUNOFF. YUP. AND I RECOGNIZE THAT THAT'S, THAT'S AN IMPROVEMENT OVER WHAT WE'RE DOING CURRENTLY. UM, BUT I TRULY BELIEVE THAT AT SOME POINT WE'VE GOT TO DO MORE AND WE'VE GOT TO TAKE OVER THE MAINTENANCE. THAT'S A LOT OF MONEY THERE. I AGREE. UM, I'M GOING TO GO BACK OVER TO THE NEW DIVISION, SETTING UP THE, AGAIN, 15 MILLION OF THE AMERICAN RESCUE PLAN FUNDING THAT IS TO FUND AND GET THIS DIVISION UP AND RUNNING JUST EMPLOYEE WISE. WELL, PLUS THE CONTRACTS, THE DUDE TO HELP WITH THE MAINTENANCE, THAT'S ABOUT 10 AND A HALF MILLION DOLLARS IN CONTRACTS. UH, THERE'S THE TOP MONEY IN THERE. 1.7 MILLION FOR A PROGRAM MANAGER FOR THE, FOR THE DIVISION. ALSO, YOU KNOW, WE NEED THAT, YOU KNOW, WE'RE NOT GONNA, WE HAVE STRUGGLES HIRING PEOPLE NOW, YOU KNOW, AND WE, THE DES USES A PROGRAM MANAGER ON THEIR SEWER SYSTEM, WHICH AUGMENTS OUR STAFF A GREAT DEAL AND HELPS US KEEP UP WITH WHAT WE'RE DOING NOW. AND THAT'S MY VISION FOR THE STORMWATER DIVISION TO HAVE ITS OWN PROGRAM MANAGER TO HELP US MOVE FORWARD, BECAUSE THIS IS A, YOU KNOW, HIGHLY COMPLEX, UH, ISSUE FROM NOT ONLY THE QUALITY NEW STORMWATER QUALITY, BUT STORM WATER, FLOOD PROTECTION. OKAY. SO THE 10, 10, 10 0.7 MILLION IS FOR ACTUAL WORK TO BE DONE. YES, SIR. THE 2.7 1.3, WELL, 2.7 IS EMPLOYEE. WELL AND CONTRACT WORK AND CONTRACT RIGHT CONTRACTS. THE ADMINISTRATION BUDGET INCLUDES THE PROGRAM MANAGER BUDGET THEN. OKAY. THAT TAKES CARE OF US AS THE FIRST YEAR. RIGHT. WE'RE TALKING ABOUT. AND AGAIN, I'LL BRING YOU UP THE, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT STARTING A DIVISION ON A ONE-TIME FUNDING SOURCE WITH THE ANTICIPATION OF BRINGING BEFORE THIS COUNCIL, A FEE TO PRESENT, TO CONTINUALLY FUND THIS AND OTHER PROJECTS IN THE FUTURE, PASS THIS YEAR'S BUDGET PROPOSAL WITH THE 15 MILLION, WITH THE FEE THAT WE'RE CONSIDERING, WHAT ARE WE LOOKING AT GENERATING PER YEAR WITH THIS FEE IN THIS NEW DIVISION? OKAY. UM, I DON'T HAVE A SPECIFIC NUMBER IN MIND. THAT'S WHY WE HIRED BLACK AND VEATCH THAT THEY WILL COMPILE THE MAINTENANCE REQUIREMENT, BUDGETS, THE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT, PROJECT BUDGETS AND, AND THE PERSONNEL THAT WE NEED TO GO FORWARD. SO WE CAN COME UP WITH THAT NUMBER THAT WE NEED TO FUND. THEN WE CAN GO IN TO FIGURE OUT WHAT THE FEE WOULD BE. COUNCILMAN DONE. THANK YOU. THE, THE PROGRAM MANAGER, UM, WHEN DO YOU PLAN ON PUTTING AN RFP OUT? UH, WHEN DO YOU PLAN ON SOLIDIFYING THAT? UH, I HAD PLANNED ON DECEMBER 15TH, BUT, UH, I AM, UH, SINCE I'VE MISSED A WEEK OF WORK CAUSE ILLNESS, UH, PROBABLY AFTER CHRISTMAS. OKAY. YEAH. WHAT'S YOUR GOAL TO HAVE THE DEPARTMENT, A BULLY MAN AND STAFF, AND WE SHOULD GO TO HAVE THE RFP, UH, SELECTION COMMITTEE, COMPLETE HIS WORK ON THE PROGRAM MANAGER. UH, I'M LOOKING TO HAVE THAT CONTRACTED BY THE END OF FEBRUARY. [02:00:01] THANK YOU. OKAY. UH, THANK YOU. UH, I WANT TO JUMP BACK TO THE, THE ONE-TIME FUNDING TO CREATE THIS SOURCE AND THEN THE, UH, REVENUE, AS FAR AS FUTURE REVENUE TO CONTINUE THIS DIVISION. UM, COUNCILMAN HUDSON ASKED ABOUT THIS AS FAR AS THE, THE ADMINISTRATION AND THE MANAGERS AND STUFF. IS IT, DID I HEAR CORRECTLY THAT IF THE ADDITIONAL FUNDING FOR FUTURE YEARS, FOR THIS DEPARTMENT, UH, IN THE PROJECTS AND ALL DO NOT COME THROUGH, THEN THE ADMINISTRATION PART WILL GET ABSORBED THROUGH VACANCIES INTO OTHER DEPARTMENTS? WELL, THE FUNDING FOR A MAJORITY OF THAT, UH, PERMANENT, YOU KNOW, FOR MYSELF AND EVERYTHING WERE REVERT 80% SEWER AND 20%, UH, SOLID WASTE. AND THEN THE CHIEF OF ENGINEERING, WE WOULD FIND A POSITION FOR. UM, I RESPECT THE FACT, I MEAN THE DIVISION AND EVERYTHING, AND THE DRAINAGE, UH, IS VERY IMPORTANT, I THINK TO EVERY SINGLE ONE OF US AND STUFF. I DO HAVE A CONCERN WITH CREATING A DEPARTMENT OFF OF A ONE-TIME FUNDING IN THE HOPES OF CREATING A REVENUE STREAM LATER ON, UH, TO FUND THIS DEPARTMENT. I THINK, UM, YOU KNOW, THE OLD SAYING IS ONCE YOU CREATE A GOVERNMENT ENTITY, IT'S HARD TO TAKE IT AWAY OR IT DOESN'T GO AWAY. AM I CORRECT IN THAT? SO I JUST WANT TO GET MY CONCERN THERE PUBLICLY, UH, WITH THIS CREATION HERE, I'M ON ONE-TIME FUNDS. AND IT'S ONE THING I THINK A LOT OF US TALKED ABOUT IN SOME OF THE OTHER PROJECTS THAT WERE DONE, THAT WE WERE CONCERNED ABOUT ONE-TIME FUNDING BEING USED FOR LONGTERM, UH, PROJECTS THAT KEEP HAD, HAD TO BE SUSTAINED AND STUFF. AND I FEEL LIKE I SEE ONE OF THESE HERE. I APPLAUD THE ADMINISTRATION FOR, UH, LOOKING AHEAD AND LOOKING FORWARD TO GETTING A LOT OF THESE THINGS DONE, BUT I JUST HAVE A CONCERN ABOUT IT. UM, YES, SIR. KELVIN AND I WILL GO TO OUR COUNCIL MEMBERS AFTER MR. KELVIN. THANK YOU. I JUST WANTED TO POINT OUT THAT OF THE $15 MILLION, UH, ALL, BUT ABOUT 1.3 MILLION OF IT IS CONTRACT DOLLARS. SO IF THE FUNDING SOURCE IS NOT IN PLACE, THEY JUST GO AWAY. THERE'S, THERE'S, THERE'S NO RISK, THERE'S ZERO RISK TO HAVING A FUNDING LIABILITY BY CONTRACTING IT OUT BECAUSE, UH, THOSE CONTRACTS, WE JUST WON'T RE YOU JUST WOULD NOT RENEW THOSE CONTRACTS. AND WE HAVE A CLEAR LINE OF SIGHT OR A CLEAR PATH FOR HOW TO PLACE THE EMPLOYEES THAT WE INVEST IN NEXT YEAR SHOULD, UM, FUNDING GOING FORWARD, YOU KNOW, NOT BE THERE BECAUSE WE'VE, WE'VE ALREADY DEMONSTRATED TO THROUGH TIME THAT WE HAVE VACANCIES THAT WE CAN FEEL, THEN WE WOULD FIND, UH, A PLACE TO PLAY STOVES IN THE VACANCIES THAT WE HAVE AND MAKE FULL UTILIZATIONS OF THEIR SKILLS AND THEIR TALENT. SO I THINK THE RISKS TO THE COUNCIL AND THE RISK TO THE CITY OF PERISH, UH, WITH THIS APPROACH IS VERY MINIMAL. IT'S NOT ZERO, BUT IT'S VERY MINIMAL. AND, AND WE HAVE AN EXIT STRATEGY IF YOU WILL, THAT WE BELIEVE IS FEASIBLE. SHOULD WE HAVE TO EXERCISE THAT? OKAY, COUNCILMAN DONE. THANK YOU. EVERY DEPARTMENT THAT CAME UP HERE THIS EVENING, UH, THEY EXPLAINED THAT THEY HAVE SOMEWHERE 20, 25, 30% AND STAFF VACANCIES, UH, KELVIN MENTIONED THAT DPW HAS BEEN 30%, UM, YOU KNOW, UNDERMANNED FOR QUITE SOME TIME OVER 10 YEARS, EVEN AT OUR LAST BUDGET HEARING MEETING, WE HAD CONVERSATIONS ABOUT LOOKING AT YEAR AND A YEAR OUT, THE SURPLUSES THAT EXISTED WITHIN EACH DEPARTMENT'S BUDGET. UM, YOU KNOW, I THINK KELVIN SAID WITH, WITH THIS PARTICULAR DEPARTMENT, THAT THOSE VACANCIES COULD BE AN OPTION TO BE FLEXIBLE TO ADDRESS THAT IF WE DON'T FIND IT, BUT ALSO I THINK THE OVERALL BUDGET AND ALL THE DEPARTMENTS WE NEED TO LOOK AT AND SEE WHY WE'RE STILL RETAINING THESE FUNDS HERE IN A YEAR OUT, BUT YET DOING THE WORK THAT WE'RE SUPPOSED TO DO, WHETHER THAT'S IN-HOUSE I CONTRACT AND SEE IF SOME OF THESE JOBS CAN BE, UH, REDIRECTED OR THE FUNDS FOR THESE JOBS CAN BE REDIRECTED TO OTHER THINGS. SO I THINK THERE'S SOME CREATIVE WAYS TO, TO, TO ADDRESS IT. I THINK THERE'S, THERE'S MONEY IN THE BUDGET LEFT, LEFT OVER EVERY YEAR IN EVERY DEPARTMENT TO DO THAT. IT'S JUST GOING TO TAKE SOME CREATIVE THINKING TO DO IT ALSO WITH THE ONE-TIME MONEY. I DO UNDERSTAND YOUR CONCERN, BUT I'D RATHER HAVE IT THEN THAT, YOU KNOW, AND UTILIZE IT. AND EVERYWHERE WE'RE UTILIZING IS WHAT $189.5 MILLION, [02:05:02] YOU KNOW, IT'S A ONE-TIME FUNDS. AND IF THAT PROGRAM, THAT PROJECT, THAT INITIATIVE WANTS TO CONTINUE, SOMEBODY HAS TO FIND SOME MONEY TO FUND THAT AFTER NEXT YEAR. SO I WOULD RATHER AGAIN, HAVE THE FUNDS THAN NOT HAVE THEM. I THINK IT'S A GOOD PROBLEM TO HAVE. THANK YOU, COUNCILMAN. NO. YEAH. SO, UH, COUNCILMAN DON, I AGREE. I THINK, UH, AND I THINK THAT'S SOME OF WHAT Y'ALL TOUCHED ON LAST MEETING AND I THINK IS IMPORTANT. AND, UH, I THINK IN SOME OF THE DISCUSSIONS, SOME OF THE CONCERN IS MAKING SURE WE DON'T PUT SOMETHING OUT THERE THAT IS, UH, DIFFICULT TO UNDO IF WE DON'T PASS A FEE. UM, CAUSE I THINK MANY OF US ARE, ALL OF US WOULD LIKE TO EXPLORE PLACES IN THE BUDGET WITH CARRY OVER FUNDS THAT ARE UNDER UTILIZED AND MAYBE, UM, JUST OTHER PARTS OF THE BUDGET WHERE WE'RE FINDING POSITIONS THAT HAVEN'T BEEN FILLED IN YEARS, THAT OBVIOUSLY WE, WE, UH, SHOWN WE CAN MAKE DO WITHOUT POTENTIALLY IS, UH, SHIFTING THOSE FUNDS TO COVER AND MAKE SURE WE'RE AS LEAN AS POSSIBLE IN EVERY WAY BEFORE ADDING A FEE. I KNOW THAT WOULD BE MY POSITION. I WANT TO MAKE SURE WE'VE EXHAUSTED ALL OTHER OPTIONS BEFORE WE ADD A FEE ON. AND SO I THINK THAT'S SOME OF WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT EXPLORING OVER THE NEXT YEAR IS SEEING IF THERE ARE SOME WAYS WE CAN TRIM SOME OF THE CARRY FORWARD THAT WE HAVE SEEN TIME AND TIME AGAIN, THAT AREN'T, THAT ARE BEING UNDER UTILIZED AND MAYBE SHIFT SOME OTHER AREAS IN SOME OTHER BUDGETS IN THE GENERAL FUND TO ALLOCATE TOWARDS THIS PRIOR TO AN ACT IN A FEE. RIGHT? SO LIKE TO REMIND YOU OF KELVIN'S PRESENTATION AND I THINK SEPTEMBER, OR WAS IT OCTOBER WHERE WE'RE LOOKING AT, YOU KNOW, NEEDING SOMEWHERE BETWEEN 35 AND $45 MILLION A YEAR FOR A STORM WATER SYSTEM TO BE ABLE TO MAINTAIN INTO OPERATED, INTO PROVIDE THE QUALITY OF LIFE THAT THE PEOPLE OF EAST BATON ROUGE PARISH NEED TO. I JUST WANTED TO SAY THAT. YES, SIR. I'LL SAY THAT'S PROBABLY ONE OF THE BEST PRESENTATIONS WE'VE SEEN. WHO'S SITTING HERE NOT TO DIMINISH YOURS TONIGHT OR ANYBODY ELSE'S CALVIN'S PRESENTATION THAT EVENING WAS FANTASTIC. WE ALL RECOGNIZE THAT I WATCHED IT. UH, I WAS IN AUSTIN AT THE TIME, BUT I DID WATCH IT. YEAH. UM, JUST A QUICK TOUCH, UM, ON WHAT MY FELLOW COUNCIL MEMBERS, YOU KNOW, WERE SAYING. AND, UH, I'LL FOLLOW UP WITH A QUESTION IS, BUT, YOU KNOW, I AGREE. AND I THINK EVERYBODY KIND OF LOOKS AT THIS, UM, UH, HAD DONE YOU'RE ABSOLUTELY RIGHT. YOU KNOW, IT'S ONE OF THE REASONS WE ASKED ALL THESE QUESTIONS OF EVERY DEPARTMENT, YOU KNOW, IS, IS WHAT ARE OUR VACANCIES? HOW LONG HAD THEY BEEN VACANT? YOU KNOW, ARE THEY GOING TO GET FIELD? IS THAT MONEY THAT COULD BE SHIFTED FOR JUST LIKE YOU'RE DOING RIGHT HERE. THIS IS, UH, UH, CAN IT BE SHIFTED FOR A ONE-TIME YEAR THING AND, AND FUND, I DON'T WANT TO GIVE UP ON THE AMR THING, DON'T GET ME WRONG. THE 50 MILLION THAT'S COMING, BUT YOU KNOW, IT MAY BE TIME TO LOOK AT SOME OF THOSE AVENUES. AND IT'S THE SAME THING AS DEPARTMENT, YOU KNOW, WE'RE ONE THING AND I HAVEN'T HIDDEN THIS FACT, I'VE TALKED TO COUNCIL MEMBERS, I'VE TALKED TO SOME PEOPLE IN, UM, IN STAFF, IN DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS AND STUFF. UH, WE'RE AT A 1 BILLION, BASICALLY A $1 BILLION BUDGET. UM, AND I KNOW I RESPECT THE FACT THAT A LOT, A LOT, SOME OF THAT MONEY, I WOULDN'T SAY A WHOLE LOT DID WELL THAT WE DID GET MUCH, BUT IT'S BECAUSE OF THE FUNDING THAT WE'VE GOTTEN FROM OUTSIDE SOURCES WITH, UM, THE FLOOD MONEY OR THE AMERICAN RESCUE MONEY OR THINGS LIKE THAT. BUT WE ARE AT A $1 BILLION BUDGET, BUT ONE THING THAT WE'VE SEEN AND WE'RE CREATING THIS DIVISION HERE WITH $10 MILLION IN PROJECTS, UM, IN THIS NEW DIVISION OR WHATEVER IS, THIS IS THIS $10 MILLION IN PROJECTS. SOMETHING THAT COULD BE HANDLED BY THE DEPARTMENT THAT WE HAVE HAVE IN PLACE, UH, DEPARTMENTS THAT WE HAVE IN PLACE AND THEN HAVE THE DISCUSSION OF CREATING THIS NEW DIVISION. UM, SO WE GOT THE 15 MILLION, IT'S A ONE-TIME FUNDING THING. WE GOT 10.7 MILLION IN PROJECTS AND STUFF. WE HANDLED THAT DIVISION. AND THEN WE CONTINUED THE PROCESS OF DISCUSSING THE, UM, THE CONTINUATION OF THE PROGRAM OR THE CREATION OF THE PROGRAM. UH, ALSO AS FAR AS SOME OF THESE CARRY OVER MONIES AND THINGS LIKE THAT WITH THIS 10.1 TIME THING, CAN WE INCREASE THE BUDGET OF OUR DRAINAGE AND MAINTENANCE AND ROAD OR OTHER REVENUES, YOU KNOW, TO, TO MATCH A NATURAL [02:10:01] INCREASE IN SOME OF THESE DEPARTMENTS AND PAYROLL AND THINGS LIKE THAT. YEAH. I, I CLEARLY UNDERSTAND THE POINT OF VIEW THAT'S BEING RAISED AND THE LOGIC BEHIND THE, THE POINT OF VIEW. BUT I WOULD LIKE TO MAYBE SHARE TWO POINTS FOR, FOR COUNCIL'S CONSIDERATION. UM, POINT NUMBER ONE, BEING, IF YOU LOOK AT WHAT'S BEEN PRESENTED TO YOU OUT OF DPW, AS BUDGETS, YOU WILL SEE A VAST MAJORITY OF THEIR BUDGET IS TAKEN UP BY PERSONNEL AND BENEFIT. AND THE REMAINING PART OF THE BUDGET IS TAKEN UP BY CONTRACTS. THEY HAVE ZERO DISCRETIONARY SPENDING TO DO ANYTHING AS WE STAND HERE TODAY, 100% OF THEIR BUDGET IS ALREADY COMMITTED TO WORK FOR 2022. AND ANYTHING THAT COMES UP OUTSIDE OF THE SCOPE OF WHAT'S IN THEIR RUN RATE, WE DON'T HAVE MONEY TO DO. AND TYPICALLY WHAT THEY DO IS THEY TAKE WHATEVER BALANCES THEY HAVE FOR THIS YEAR. THERE CARRY THAT BALANCE FORWARD. AND WHEN WE HAVE A MAJOR PROJECT THAT COMES UP, THAT NEEDS TO BE DONE, THEY ARE DEDICATE THOSE CARRY FORWARD DOLLARS TO GET THAT DONE BECAUSE OTHERWISE WE DON'T HAVE THE MONEY DEDICATED TO DO THE INCREMENTAL WORK THAT OCCURS WHEN A BRIDGE GOES OUT OR, UM, SOMETHING BREAKS OR WE HAVE AN ISSUE. SO THAT'S, THAT'S ONE POINT. THE SECOND POINT, UM, THAT I WOULD OFFER UP IS THE $10 MILLION THAT YOU SEE PROPOSED FOR RICK IS EQUIVALENT TO THE $9 MILLION MAINTENANCE DRAINAGE BUDGET THAT REGIONAL HAS IN HIS BUDGET FOR NEXT YEAR. AND THE NET BUDGET HE'S ALLOCATED 98 PEOPLE TO HELP HIM SPEND THAT $9 MILLION. HE'S ONLY GOT 64 PEOPLE IS 64 PEOPLE SHORT. SO HE DOESN'T HAVE A WHOLE LOT OF HELP TO SPEND THAT MONEY. SO TO SAY, OKAY, REGIONALLY, YOU HAVE 9 MILLION NEXT YEAR, TAKE THE 10 MILLION THAT WE'RE PROPOSING FOR RICK'S BUDGET, PUT IT IN YOUR DEPARTMENT AND YOU JUST DO TWICE THE WORK. THERE'S NO WAY THAT CAN BE DONE WITH NO INCREMENTAL RESOURCES. SO THAT, THAT, THAT WOULD BE A CONCERN. SO THAT MATH DOESN'T KIND OF REALLY WORK FOR US THE WAY WE'RE CURRENTLY STRUCTURED. SO WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO IS WE TRY TO INCREASE CAPACITY IN A SAFE WAY. AND THE SAFE WAY TO DO THAT IS TO TAKE THOSE FUNDS, APPLY THEM TO A THIRD PARTY RESOURCE. UM, SO YOU CAN GET THE WORK DONE WITHOUT EFFECT AND THE BASE WORK THAT YOU ARE ALSO TRYING TO GET DONE, AND WE CAN DELIVER MORE SERVICES UNIFORMLY ACROSS THE PARISH THAT WAY. AND IF THERE, IF THERE IS AN ISSUE GOING FORWARD WITH THAT $10 MILLION, OR IT GOES AWAY AND YOU CAN'T REPLACE IT, THEN YOU HAVE AN EFFECT THAT THE LIVES OF CITY PARISH EMPLOYEES, BECAUSE YOU'VE CONTRACTED THAT WORK AT. SO IT'S THE SAFE WAY TO DO THAT. IT'S A SAFE WAY TO MAKE THE INVESTMENT IS THE SAFE WAY TO IMPROVE SERVICES TO, TO CITY PERRY. THANK YOU. ONE THING TOO, ABOUT CARRY FORWARD FUNDS IN 2019, WE HAD TO EXAMINE CARRY FORWARD FUNDS FOR EVERY DEPARTMENT VERY CLOSELY. SO WE HAD A BUDGET CRUNCH. AND WHAT WE DISCOVERED IS THE USE AS CARRY FORWARD FUNDS FOR CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS, JUST WHAT CALVIN WAS SAYING, ROADS, BRIDGES, CITY COURT, FOR INSTANCE, CARRIED FUNDS FORWARD FOR, I THINK, FIVE YEARS IN ORDER TO BUY A NEW DATA SYSTEM THAT THEY NEEDED FINANCE USED IT TO BUY THE NEW MUNIS SYSTEM. SO IT'S USED FOR CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS AND THAT REALLY IS THE WAY THAT THEY HELP GET THAT DONE. BUT WHEN WE EXAMINED IT, LITERALLY MOST OF THOSE CARRY FORWARD FUNDS, ALMOST ALL OF THEM WERE IDENTIFIED FOR A SPECIFIC PROJECT. THEY WEREN'T JUST FUNDS THAT WERE LAYING AROUND THAT WERE KIND OF DISCRETIONARY, ARP FUNDING. ONE THING THAT WE DID THAT YOU GUYS PROBABLY REMEMBER IS WE STRATEGIZED ON MOST OF THOSE FUNDS. SO A LOT OF THOSE FUNDS ARE BEING USED FOR THINGS LIKE CHANGING HPAC SYSTEMS THAT LONG-TERM WILL SAVE US MONEY. UM, THE MONEY WE GAVE THE BR POLICE DEPARTMENT FOR NEW CARS WILL HELP DROP THE OPERATING COSTS. SO WE SHOULD SEE SOME SAVINGS BASED ON THOSE ONE-TIME FUNDS THAT WILL HELP US LONG-TERM IN GENERAL OPERATING MONEY. SO WHILE IT'S ONE TIME FUNDING, IT SHOULD HAVE A LONG-TERM RIPPLE EFFECT IF INVESTED THAT MONEY CORRECTLY, WHICH WE FEEL WE HAVE. YES, SIR. I REALLY APPRECIATE IT. AND I WANT TO SAY THAT I THINK THE CITY PARISH, I THINK THE ADMINISTRATION HAS DONE A WONDERFUL JOB IN KEEPING IN TOUCH WITH US. Y'ALL HAVE CALLED Y'ALL TO CALL BEFORE US FOR ANY DISCUSSIONS OF ANY ONE-TIME FUNDING THAT HAS COME THROUGH. AND I, I KNOW I SPEAK FOR MYSELF. I CAN'T SPEAK FOR THE REST OF COUNCIL, BUT I APPRECIATE YOU. EVERYTHING Y'ALL HAVE DONE AS FAR AS KEEPING US IN THE LOOP. UM, [02:15:01] I JUST THINK IN, I THINK WE, A LOT OF US, SEVERAL OF US THAT HAVE SPOKE MAYBE SOME MORE, YOU KNOW, HAVE CONCERNS ABOUT CREATING A DIVISION WITH A ONE-TIME FUNDING AND, AND WHERE THAT'LL GO AND CREATING FROM THERE. I APPRECIATE Y'ALL'S, UM, INFORMATION THAT YOU'VE GIVEN THAT HELPS OUT A LOT. I THINK WE CAN KEEP THE LINES OF DISCUSSION OPEN. UM, I KNOW A LOT OF THESE, YOU KNOW, ONE OF THESE THINGS WE TALKED ABOUT, I DON'T WANT TO TAKE AWAY ANYBODY'S, UH, YOU KNOW, BASICALLY SAVINGS OR CARRY FORWARD COMPLETELY OR WHATEVER. BUT I DO THINK LIKE COUNCILMAN DON SAID, I THINK, UH, A GOOD DEEP SCRUTINY AND Y'ALL HAVE DONE A WONDERFUL JOB OVER THE LAST ADMINISTRATION AND THIS ONE HERE AND SO ON. BUT SOME OF THESE THINGS JUST HAVE BEEN ON THE BOOKS AND NOT BEEN USED. AND I THINK, UH, WITH EVERYTHING THAT'S GOING ON NOW AND THINGS CHANGE, UH, WE CAN LOOK AT A LOT OF DIFFERENT THINGS, BUT AGAIN, I COMMEND YOU ALL FOR EVERYTHING THAT Y'ALL HAVE DONE SO FAR AND KEEPING IN TOUCH WITH US. I THINK WE JUST KIND OF HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO EXPLAIN WHERE WE WAS AT AND WE APPRECIATE Y'ALL TAKING THE TIME TO LISTEN TO THAT. SO ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OR ANYTHING? COUNCIL MEMBERS. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. WE APPRECIATE IT. COUNCILMAN DONE. OH, WELL, REAL QUICK. UM, LOOK, I KNOW WE'RE, UH, I APPRECIATE EACH AND EVERY ONE OF Y'ALL FOR COMING TONIGHT. UM, SOME OF Y'ALL CAME TO BOTH OF THEM. Y'ALL CAME TONIGHT. THANK Y'ALL VERY MUCH FOR BEING HERE TO ALL THE DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS OVER THE LAST TWO NIGHTS. THIS IS OUR FINAL WINE. THANK Y'ALL VERY MUCH FOR ALL THE WORK THAT Y'ALL PUT IN. * This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting.