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Thank you, Lord, for this new day and for each day that you give us. Help us to use the

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day as you give us wisely. Help us to make good decisions that will make a difference

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in a positive way. As we go through this meeting today, I pray that you will help us to make

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good decisions for everybody we represent. Forgive us where we fall short and in some

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in Jesus' name pray, amen.

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Okay.

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Do we have any public comments?

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I don't think we have anybody signed up for public comments, Mr.

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Okay.

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I've got the minutes.

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I'm meeting 24.47.

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Do I have a motion to approve?

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Second.

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Second.

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I've got a motion and a second.

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All in favor say aye.

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Aye.

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Chair votes aye.

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Okay, first time we have is considered resolution authorizing tax abatement with Crescent by

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I'd ask someone to give a real quick email.

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Introduce ourselves, the team, give a brief overview of the project, and then here to answer

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any questions you all might have.

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By way of introduction, my name is Patrick Connors.

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I am a manager in cold site selection and then as an advisory group and consultant

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think to the company, Chevron, that thing is a very exciting opportunity under a press

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and body manufacturing facility. So I'll let the Chevron team introduce themselves.

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Hi, thank you.

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Hi, good afternoon, commissioners. Deli Cole with Chevron Commercial Lead, supporting

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hydrogen projects on the West Coast and Gulf Coast. I want to talk a little bit.

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I'm joined by my colleague, Darren Carbiop, as well, who supports the project from

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commercial standpoint. I want to talk a little bit about Project Labrador, but

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before I do, I think it's important to use the context on how Chevron arrived at

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this opportunity. So you all know that we've traditionally been organized

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around our conventional business, oil products and gas. And about four years

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ago, we set up our new energy business. And the sole imperative of that

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business was twofold. One, to lower the carbon intensity of our existing

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operations and then to establish build and then ultimately accelerate these lower carbon

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energy offerings.

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And so Project Labrador is an important keystone and achieving that is really helps to build

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a lower carbon hydrogen and ammonia ecosystem here in the Gulf Coast.

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And so on that point, so what is the project?

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The project is essentially taking natural gas from our Permian basin asset and it's

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putting it through an autothermal reforming process.

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Through that process, we take the CO2,

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we sequester about 95% of it,

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and we bury that permanently

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beneath the Earth's surface, about 8,000 feet.

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We have to take the hydrogen, add a nitrogen input,

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put it through a blue ammonia synthesis process,

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and essentially cool that down, liquefy it,

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store it in double walled tanks

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at a marine site location,

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which is about six miles away from the main site via pipeline and then we put that on large vessel

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carriers for export to international markets like Europe and Asia. So that's the crux of what we're

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doing in the project itself. The opportunity is about five billion dollars of estimated cap

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expend, a hundred net new jobs at the time of full commissioning when the project comes online

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which we're estimating is in 2032. We're anticipating that we'll start construction in 2027.

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At the height of construction, we'll have about 1,700 construction jobs. As I previously mentioned,

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100 net new jobs, really supporting everything from equipment sourcing, wetland evaluation,

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as well as construction and the like. I think the real opportunity though,

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as I look at Project Labrador, as I see it as a gateway to opening up a brand new workforce

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and opportunities to support neighboring disciplines as you think about the new energy's offerings of the future.

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The other thing I'll note is that Chevron, as is a leader, has been identified through the Department of Energy High Velocity Hub,

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which is, again, a hub supported by the Department of Energy that really looks to build up and establish what is a very nascent space.

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and so Chevron is prepared to lead in this effort and we are considering Port Arthur in the

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surrounding areas to sanction the project. This is a highly competitive opportunity and so we'll

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continue to engage across multiple sites to look for the very best opportunity to bring the project

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first to final investment decision and then ultimately standing up the project to be

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I'm happy to entertain your questions.

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What is the product used for in Europe?

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You said you'd be shipping out.

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Yeah, coal-fired power plants, mainly.

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So when you think about lower carbon offerings,

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oftentimes people think about electrification.

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And we're really looking to hydrogen and ammonia for industries

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that where electrification just isn't feasible.

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And so when you think about hydrogen or ammonia,

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you would use it in coal-fired power plants.

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you would use it in cement, manufacturing, plastics, other sort of heavy industries, sir.

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Thank you, Daly.

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For your consideration for approval, within the 312 agreement terms

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would be a 10-year tax abatement for 100% of that term, which has the agreement which

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mirrors that of which the county approved on May 27th, and closely mirrors that on July 29th.

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We will subsequently be going to the navigation district next week to seek their approval as well.

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I will note that this is just for the first 10 years of operation.

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For during seed width, we project roughly $20 million in tax revenue.

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We can go directly to DD7.

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And then from years 11 through 20, we're looking at roughly $95 million in tax revenue that would go to DD7 as well.

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from a net new revenue standpoint, so roughly $9.5 million a year once the

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abatement rolls off. Again, this is a very highly competitive project. We're

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still evaluating a short list of sites across multiple states. So, you know, we've

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been, our mandate is every dollar counts to getting this project greenlit,

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and so your approval today will get us to that. So thank you for the

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consideration and during any questions we'd be happy to answer them but where's

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this facility going to be located?

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So the main site is going to be located in

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Jefferson County. Do you have the location? Yeah, so Chevron owns approximately 350

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acres here in Port Arthur along the highway 73 so it is like literally

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opposite to the Motiva refinery so it's still undeveloped but it's wetlands so

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we want to take advantage of that ownership. We've been owning that land

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for about 100 years or so by now and this would be a great opportunity for

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them to develop it into this Buomonia project. Essentially it's bordered by

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GT Logistics, the Chevron Phillips project and Lativa intersection of 92 and 73.

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And then we have a right to buy a smaller piece of land on the Sabine River where we want to build the terminal and the storage.

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and that land is like water-facing where we would like to be loading the tankers

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with a liquefied blue ammonia.

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We

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approve the resolution authorizing tax

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payment with Crescent by ULLC as recommended.

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Second. I have a motion and a second. All in favor say aye.

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Chair votes aye. Motion carried. Thank you. Appreciate y'all's time. Good luck.

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Thank you, gentlemen.

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Ladies and gentlemen, sorry.

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Next item, receive and open read the names of responding firms to request for qualifications for auditing services.

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So, as you guys are aware, we went out for proposals for auditing services or requests for qualifications.

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We've been using the same firm for a while.

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There's been some various things. We'd like to see if we can't get a little better response. So

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Let's see. What do we have four

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packages?

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The first one is from Charles Reed and associates

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copies

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second one

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Mitchell font note CPAs.

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They're out of Fort Nature. Let's see

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Charles Reed is out of Port Arthur

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See next is

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Paulins and Cohen out of Beaumont. Paulins and Cohen, P-O-L-L-E-N-S, and Cohen, C-O-H-E-N.

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Certified Public Accountants.

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And then last is Wathen, Deshaun, and Junker out of

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Port Arthur.

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So Tim's online now.

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A proposal from Wathen, Deshaun, and Junker.

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At this time, I'd like to, what I'd like to do is turn this over to a committee to review

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and come back to make a recommendation to the board and I'll go ahead and almost state

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it publicly.

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I am going to not be a part of this committee, no, we didn't take myself out of the selection

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process because I will tell you my life works for one of the firms that submitted.

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it. So I will not be a part of this. I'm going to leave it, I'm going to put Alex in

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charge, let her make the decision since she's our in-house accountant and let her pick a

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committee to work with her to make the decision.

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The board has any comments? I don't mind.

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I just want to let you guys know publicly that I'm going to excuse myself from this

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decision process.

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Okay. Appreciate it.

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You need a motion to table this for further review? Yes sir. So moved, Mr. Chairman.

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You got a motion and a second? All in favor say aye. Aye. Chair votes aye.

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Motion carried. All right, pay request number two, Norman Highway

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constructors for improvements to Blocks Bow Ditch Phase two.

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It's for June 14th or the end of this month, July 25th.

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And it's mainly for installing about 210 layer feet of 7.5 boxes excavation that goes along with that traffic control and a little bit of concrete work for the casting plate around the pipelines that are there.

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32% of the contract time is 29% of the work, which is right on schedule. And then as this next day request phone, they'll have even more boxes, which is the majority of the price of it will skyrocket next time.

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We're anticipating them being way ahead of the schedule.

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So for a total price, $369,407 and

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a little message, yeah.

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Second.

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Got a motion and a second.

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All in favor say aye.

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Aye.

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We have both time.

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Motion carried.

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One quick question for you, Garrett.

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When do you think there'll be a cross,

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and they found a communication decline in the road bank that we

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had about six lines that

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are dead in there and one active line.

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So we found that as we're having to come

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to a section of the 10-mile plot, so you have

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to build the bottom first.

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Then you build the walls in the top, so it adds a couple days and curing common rent. So, hopefully, I would say three or four weeks will be across and temporary payment.

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We were hoping to have it open by the time.

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So, I think we're kind of on schedule on that. It may just be a one or two week on that. So, they're on notice to get that right open.

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We had to close it off sooner than a

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breach in one of the natural gas lines will distribution one

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of the guys set a water pump underneath it

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Coincidentally put a whole one in we you know fire department police all that come out there

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So at that point we make you call and go ahead and close the road is it was not team-safe for public safety

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So that elongated the duration that we

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just hadn't had a chance to ask you then I got a question got questioned last night

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I had somebody stop me at the grocery store last night and ask me that question.

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I was like, uh...

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I'll tell them two to three months.

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Maybe they'll be happily surprised.

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Next item, consider pay request number two,

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the Epic Engineering W Industries for Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition

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or the SCADA system.

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So he's got that.

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Kirby?

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No, Mr. Chairman.

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Thank you.

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Second.

191
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You made the payment here.

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00:17:34,340 --> 00:17:34,660
You

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got a motion and a second, all in favor you say aye.

194
00:17:40,460 --> 00:17:40,880
Aye.

195
00:17:41,160 --> 00:17:41,900
Chair votes aye.

196
00:17:42,100 --> 00:17:42,720
No, thank you.

197
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All right.

198
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The next item.

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Consider approval of certificate of completion and affidavit of warranty for the Santerrey

200
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sewer line relocation at the Port Acres wastewater treatment plant.

201
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This is the project out there at 365 for the levy race.

202
00:18:00,340 --> 00:18:06,620
Good afternoon gentlemen. If you remember back, it's been a while since I was here to discuss

203
00:18:06,620 --> 00:18:12,780
this project about a month, month and a half ago. We had our final walkthrough and put together

204
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a punch list for the contractor to basically handle a lot of cleanup items that needed

205
00:18:18,280 --> 00:18:23,900
to be taken care of on the project. Over the past month, month and a half, they've

206
00:18:25,380 --> 00:18:31,240
completed that punch list. One of the last things that they lagged was getting the red line drawings

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00:18:31,240 --> 00:18:38,200
so I could produce an as-built copy of the plans for both y'all and the city of Waterford. Since then

208
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they have gotten me those plans. I'll put together the as-built record drawings and as of this

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meeting the city has a copy of those record drawings. So this is just the last step

210
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and accepting the project. The line work itself has been functional and in service for, again,

211
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over a month and a half at this point. There's been no issues out there. It's just been a cleanup.

212
00:19:04,100 --> 00:19:08,520
They had to redress the ditch after they addressed it initially. They had to respray

213
00:19:08,520 --> 00:19:18,540
the hydromulch. They had some surface restoration over at PARV just to make that property owner

214
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happy and they've done all that work.

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Thank you.

216
00:19:28,510 --> 00:19:31,670
I move that we approve sort of

217
00:19:31,670 --> 00:19:35,430
certificate of completion in half a day of warranty for the sanitary sewer line

218
00:19:35,430 --> 00:19:39,970
and relocation of record wastewater treatment plant as recommended.

219
00:19:41,030 --> 00:19:44,550
Second. I have a motion and a second. All in favor say aye.

220
00:19:45,750 --> 00:19:47,450
Chair votes aye. Motion carried.

221
00:19:48,710 --> 00:19:52,730
Now the next one follows right behind that consider final payment and release

222
00:19:52,730 --> 00:19:56,490
the retainage to triangle civil services for the Santeria Serial Line relocation

223
00:19:56,490 --> 00:20:02,360
at Port Acres wastewater treatment plant. As Alan stated this is nothing more

224
00:20:02,360 --> 00:20:07,580
than just the release of the 10% retainage you withheld just to ensure

225
00:20:07,580 --> 00:20:12,520
the project was complete. They attacked all of the substantial

226
00:20:12,520 --> 00:20:18,400
completion punch list items and we recommend the all-release retainage

227
00:20:18,400 --> 00:20:23,920
to them at this point. The total amount of retainage to be released by

228
00:20:23,920 --> 00:20:30,920
the district is $146,821.50 and that is payable to Triangle Civil Services.

229
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Second.

230
00:20:40,940 --> 00:20:42,120
Motion and second.

231
00:20:42,360 --> 00:20:43,420
All in favor say aye.

232
00:20:44,420 --> 00:20:45,220
Chair votes aye.

233
00:20:45,580 --> 00:20:46,320
Motion carried.

234
00:20:46,860 --> 00:20:47,000
Thank you.

235
00:20:47,400 --> 00:20:51,860
And for the board's information that that cost is being covered through our G.L.L.

236
00:20:52,000 --> 00:20:52,540
contract.

237
00:20:53,320 --> 00:20:56,040
So the state will be paying those costs but we'll get reimbursed.

238
00:20:56,160 --> 00:20:57,580
We'll pay them and they'll reimburse us.

239
00:20:58,040 --> 00:20:58,960
So that's covered.

240
00:21:00,620 --> 00:21:05,820
Sorry, they already paid us for that. We just got to pay it out now. I was corrected.

241
00:21:06,400 --> 00:21:06,920
Alright,

242
00:21:09,140 --> 00:21:15,500
consider order of election. So we have two members up for election due to the

243
00:21:15,500 --> 00:21:24,380
law change that we worked on this year. The two members who are not here. Mr.

244
00:21:24,560 --> 00:21:29,540
Champagne and Mr. Moses, Mr. Champagne is on vacation. Mr. Moses is doing kickoff

245
00:21:29,540 --> 00:21:33,620
stuff at the school today and could not make it so but they are both up for

246
00:21:33,620 --> 00:21:39,660
election we need to call for the order and authorize execution of the form

247
00:21:41,240 --> 00:21:46,000
and that's be asking for an election on November the 4th

248
00:21:48,590 --> 00:21:49,590
so we need a motion

249
00:21:49,590 --> 00:21:54,590
need a motion ordering the election and authorizing the signature of the

250
00:21:54,590 --> 00:21:55,650
of the form.

251
00:21:56,910 --> 00:21:58,290
So moved, Mr. Chairman.

252
00:22:00,510 --> 00:22:01,670
Emotion in a second.

253
00:22:01,990 --> 00:22:03,050
All in favor say aye.

254
00:22:04,490 --> 00:22:05,290
Chair votes aye.

255
00:22:05,510 --> 00:22:06,130
Motion carried.

256
00:22:07,470 --> 00:22:08,070
All right.

257
00:22:08,210 --> 00:22:08,490
Summary.

258
00:22:11,370 --> 00:22:14,210
The last meeting we were getting ready to go to DC.

259
00:22:14,610 --> 00:22:15,570
We went to Washington.

260
00:22:16,130 --> 00:22:17,570
We met with Mr. Belk.

261
00:22:18,430 --> 00:22:19,930
We were supposed to be with General Kelly

262
00:22:19,930 --> 00:22:22,850
and Mr. Fisher, Mr. Fisher being Mr. Belk's

263
00:22:22,850 --> 00:22:29,410
replacement. Mr. Belk retired last week. But on Wednesday before we got there, Mr. Fisher and Mr.

264
00:22:29,770 --> 00:22:35,810
General Kelly had to leave town due to some emergency issues they were sent out to review. We did talk

265
00:22:35,810 --> 00:22:39,630
with Mr. Belk at length and with a couple of his staffers there.

266
00:22:42,070 --> 00:22:43,850
And we were,

267
00:22:46,390 --> 00:22:47,310
it was reiterated

268
00:22:47,310 --> 00:22:54,570
numerous times that Port Author was in good shape. We'll be okay. Not so much for the other

269
00:22:54,570 --> 00:23:00,650
projects, but they kept Sanport authors good. I believe that we are currently

270
00:23:00,650 --> 00:23:04,750
trying to get a meeting with General Kelly and Mr. Fisher. We are encouraging

271
00:23:04,750 --> 00:23:05,790
them to come here.

272
00:23:08,170 --> 00:23:11,170
After they were not able to meet with us, there was a

273
00:23:11,170 --> 00:23:17,370
discussion of the possibility of having a conference call or we go back to DC. I

274
00:23:17,370 --> 00:23:20,910
believe this project is important enough that we shake their hand, we look

275
00:23:20,910 --> 00:23:22,950
them in the eye and we tell them we still need this money.

276
00:23:25,910 --> 00:23:27,550
So I suggest that we go to

277
00:23:27,550 --> 00:23:33,670
D.C. when we got a chance and then somebody said, what if we get them to come down and

278
00:23:33,670 --> 00:23:42,410
look at the project? I told the guys that's 100 times better than us going to D.C. which

279
00:23:42,410 --> 00:23:47,050
is 100 times better than us having a conference call. So that's what we're working on right

280
00:23:47,050 --> 00:23:53,190
now is to get them to come here. Last week, change of command occurred in Galveston, so

281
00:23:54,190 --> 00:24:01,330
Colonel Blackmon is no longer in charge in Galveston. Now we have Colonel Dake. We had

282
00:24:01,330 --> 00:24:07,410
a meeting scheduled for him to come here on the 18th, I believe it was 16th or 18th this

283
00:24:07,410 --> 00:24:12,320
month, but that got moved to September.

284
00:24:14,540 --> 00:24:17,540
Partially because while we were in D.C., the comment

285
00:24:17,540 --> 00:24:24,500
was our question was asked have we had we met with General Walter out of Dallas

286
00:24:25,060 --> 00:24:29,780
and what was his thoughts and some of the comments we're making and our response was we

287
00:24:29,780 --> 00:24:34,940
have not met him yet he's been in charge for a year and he hasn't made it down here so now he's

288
00:24:34,940 --> 00:24:42,280
going to be here in the next few weeks so he was encouraged to come down and visit his

289
00:24:42,280 --> 00:24:46,800
the project that's the largest construction project going on in the United States right now

290
00:24:47,660 --> 00:24:52,020
Since it's under his command, so he is trying to make his opportunity to get here.

291
00:24:55,380 --> 00:24:58,500
So, we've got, we've kind of shaken a few trees lately.

292
00:24:59,200 --> 00:25:01,260
Trying to keep this project moving forward.

293
00:25:01,960 --> 00:25:05,540
The, everything's going well.

294
00:25:05,720 --> 00:25:08,240
We had a little, little hiccup today,

295
00:25:08,680 --> 00:25:12,960
and that CPKC is asking some pretty strange questions about,

296
00:25:12,960 --> 00:25:17,780
and possibly wanting to reroute through the port area until we get that worked

297
00:25:17,780 --> 00:25:23,220
out that projects kind of went on hold today for a couple weeks until we

298
00:25:23,220 --> 00:25:26,440
figure out what's going to happen with the Kansas City Railroad down there.

299
00:25:27,200 --> 00:25:30,960
Other than that things are moving forward we're trying to get another

300
00:25:30,960 --> 00:25:36,320
like our goal right now is to get contract three which goes from the

301
00:25:36,320 --> 00:25:41,260
end of Woodward Avenue to the port that section and construction in the

302
00:25:41,260 --> 00:25:48,540
next six to nine months is our goal, to get that piece bid out first next year so it can

303
00:25:48,540 --> 00:25:49,220
go to construction.

304
00:25:50,360 --> 00:25:54,980
That means we're pushing pretty hard on some utility relocates and we'll be meeting, I'm

305
00:25:54,980 --> 00:26:00,440
supposed to reach out this week and try to get a meeting with the City of Port Arthur

306
00:26:00,440 --> 00:26:09,740
and a meeting with Judge Brannick and Commissioner Senegal to discuss county property and city

307
00:26:09,740 --> 00:26:14,300
property that we need to acquire. We may have to do a little trading with them to get some

308
00:26:14,300 --> 00:26:17,580
things where we need it for a route of ways, but I think we can do that pretty easily.

309
00:26:18,600 --> 00:26:26,380
They've all been real, really easy to work with recently, both city and the county,

310
00:26:26,460 --> 00:26:30,340
so we look forward to working with them on these issues. I think we can do something

311
00:26:30,340 --> 00:26:37,380
that's beneficial to all of us. So that's that project. Anybody have any questions about

312
00:26:37,380 --> 00:26:38,720
what's going on there right now.

313
00:26:41,270 --> 00:26:46,800
Okay. Managers miscellaneous reports. Couple of

314
00:26:46,800 --> 00:26:53,640
things. First of all, Mr. Will Thorn is here. Will is a lawyer with

315
00:26:53,640 --> 00:26:58,360
Brandemort Law Firm. So Nathan was not able to be here today. Will has been with

316
00:26:58,360 --> 00:27:04,640
him kind of off and on for five to ten years. And he's recently went back to

317
00:27:04,640 --> 00:27:12,740
work with Nathan a couple weeks ago and Nathan's where he's buying, so we'll give him a shot.

318
00:27:16,410 --> 00:27:20,750
I know that you've done some work with Chambers County and LNVA and a couple other places,

319
00:27:21,150 --> 00:27:28,110
so he's got experience with our type of agency, so that's a good feeling to have back up

320
00:27:28,110 --> 00:27:29,650
and not just have one person there now.

321
00:27:33,970 --> 00:27:34,830
Next item.

322
00:27:49,680 --> 00:27:54,540
Last night or yesterday we got the information from the tax office and

323
00:27:56,940 --> 00:27:57,620
I have

324
00:27:57,620 --> 00:28:02,980
run our tax worksheets. I need to start thinking about this. At our next meeting we will have

325
00:28:02,980 --> 00:28:09,760
to set a tax rate and we'll talk about the preliminary budget at that time. What it is

326
00:28:09,760 --> 00:28:13,780
on top you'll see last year's, what we decided to do last year's where we went

327
00:28:13,780 --> 00:28:21,180
was zero percent increase. You can see the last year we went down 1.9 million in our

328
00:28:21,180 --> 00:28:27,020
income from what we had the prior previous year. We

329
00:28:30,220 --> 00:28:31,860
covered that basically with the interest

330
00:28:31,860 --> 00:28:36,920
on our bank accounts. We was able to make up the difference on that and with weather

331
00:28:36,920 --> 00:28:43,340
this year fairly well. The next page is if we stay with a zero percent increase this

332
00:28:43,340 --> 00:28:51,300
year, we'll lose another 1.275 million out of our income. Here's the deal. Even though

333
00:28:51,300 --> 00:28:54,700
our property values are going up,

334
00:28:56,790 --> 00:29:02,310
our tax rate is based upon the taxes on the average

335
00:29:02,310 --> 00:29:11,070
homesteaded property. Our district is in a very unique situation in that our average

336
00:29:11,070 --> 00:29:19,710
homestead property only makes up about 20% of our tax. So if the tax has to go down on that 20%

337
00:29:20,490 --> 00:29:26,330
to maintain, the rate is then applied to all the rest of our properties, including all the

338
00:29:26,330 --> 00:29:29,990
industries and so forth, and it goes down on everybody.

339
00:29:32,400 --> 00:29:34,280
I've talked to people in Orange County,

340
00:29:34,440 --> 00:29:39,780
Drainage District, Drainage District 6, Treaty Bay Conservation District. They don't have this

341
00:29:39,780 --> 00:29:44,160
problem because they're like 80-90% homesteaded values and if you hold the

342
00:29:44,160 --> 00:29:49,440
0% on those homesteaded value change the overall number really doesn't change

343
00:29:49,440 --> 00:29:57,340
much because their property outside this is such as a smaller amount but

344
00:29:57,340 --> 00:29:59,340
because ours is almost all based on

345
00:30:00,020 --> 00:30:06,280
Our tax rate is based on 20% of our population. When that tax rate goes down on that 20%, it

346
00:30:06,280 --> 00:30:11,440
applies to everybody else reducing our income. Now, what I've done here is I'll give you

347
00:30:11,440 --> 00:30:19,520
0%, 1%, 2%, 3, and 3.5. 3.5 is the maximum that we can go up according to state law.

348
00:30:20,800 --> 00:30:28,120
So, and you'll see that at 3%, we lose about $38,000 from last year's income. And at 3.5%,

349
00:30:28,120 --> 00:30:33,620
which is the maximum we're allowed by law, we actually make about $160,000 more than we made last

350
00:30:33,620 --> 00:30:33,880
year.

351
00:30:37,810 --> 00:30:44,590
I am open to suggestions from the board. We can make it on the zero. It'll be tight.

352
00:30:45,290 --> 00:30:48,810
The big issue we've got is, you know, going with the zero percent and losing the million and a

353
00:30:48,810 --> 00:30:54,950
quarter is two items. First of all, the four percent you instructed me to look at for

354
00:30:54,950 --> 00:31:02,710
for salaries is going to increase our salary based, our cost of salaries plus

355
00:31:02,710 --> 00:31:07,050
benefits that go with it right at just under a million dollars.

356
00:31:11,650 --> 00:31:12,870
Also we have a

357
00:31:12,870 --> 00:31:20,690
large number of projects that are grant projects that we went out for in 1920-21

358
00:31:20,690 --> 00:31:27,670
timeframe we made the applications that are now ready to go to construction. Our match on those

359
00:31:27,670 --> 00:31:29,190
grant numbers is

360
00:31:33,380 --> 00:31:38,440
going to hit where we're going to have one or two years where we've got a pretty

361
00:31:38,440 --> 00:31:44,100
good output of our portion of the money to match those grants and then we'll go back down to where

362
00:31:44,100 --> 00:31:49,740
we're kind of normal unless we continue to get grants like we have been. It's just kind of a

363
00:31:49,740 --> 00:31:53,060
almost like a perfect storm where we're going to have all these projects rolling

364
00:31:54,080 --> 00:31:58,620
But to spend this $100 million in grants, we've got to put our $15 to $20 million with

365
00:31:58,620 --> 00:32:00,100
it to get that type of improvements.

366
00:32:00,520 --> 00:32:07,200
It's a great leverage to be able to spend $15 million and get $120 million worth of work,

367
00:32:07,540 --> 00:32:11,640
but you've got to have the $15 million and we can do it.

368
00:32:11,980 --> 00:32:16,520
It's just going to be tight if we stay with a 0% increase.

369
00:32:17,120 --> 00:32:21,540
I'm not saying yes or no which way we want to go.

370
00:32:21,540 --> 00:32:26,140
So I just want you guys to think about it and the next board meeting will have a little

371
00:32:26,140 --> 00:32:30,080
more discussion and I'll have the budget where we really look at it and flesh it out.

372
00:32:31,220 --> 00:32:37,740
So I just need y'all to review my worksheets, you'll see if it says minus like last year

373
00:32:38,340 --> 00:32:40,300
and then the last one's the only one that's a positive.

374
00:32:42,500 --> 00:32:45,440
So think about that for me, I appreciate it.

375
00:32:45,440 --> 00:32:53,200
And, like I said, that's where I've got as far as our budget is, I'm probably, we'll

376
00:32:53,200 --> 00:32:55,300
be finished with the budget in Monday or Tuesday next week.

377
00:32:55,800 --> 00:32:59,800
I've got just about everything else worked out, the trucks we've got to buy.

378
00:33:00,020 --> 00:33:04,580
We're reducing the equipment purchase significantly from last year.

379
00:33:05,660 --> 00:33:07,900
I think we're looking at two tractors.

380
00:33:09,000 --> 00:33:14,020
One is a slow mower that our current slow mower is really just not safe for anybody

381
00:33:14,020 --> 00:33:14,500
to be on.

382
00:33:15,040 --> 00:33:18,540
And every time we use it, they have to do a bunch of welding on the arm and stuff to

383
00:33:18,540 --> 00:33:20,340
put it back into service the next day.

384
00:33:20,700 --> 00:33:24,100
So we need to get that out of service before somebody gets hurt.

385
00:33:25,200 --> 00:33:27,920
And then we got one other tractor that needs to be replaced.

386
00:33:28,000 --> 00:33:28,560
It's just old.

387
00:33:29,340 --> 00:33:31,880
And other than that, we got a few trucks we're going to buy.

388
00:33:32,520 --> 00:33:36,760
We don't have the mini-axes and the skid steers and things like that that we've

389
00:33:36,760 --> 00:33:38,100
been buying the last two or three years.

390
00:33:38,300 --> 00:33:40,020
So we're reducing some of our expenses there.

391
00:33:41,140 --> 00:33:49,540
But with the SCADA system and then the grant projects, I feel like we need to, if at all

392
00:33:49,540 --> 00:33:53,900
possible, maintain our income and not go down any just to make those projects work.

393
00:33:55,080 --> 00:34:00,360
The SCADA system, just so you guys know, and I've said this before, that system was

394
00:34:00,360 --> 00:34:01,740
put together in the early 90s.

395
00:34:02,240 --> 00:34:04,460
It's running on equipment from the early 90s.

396
00:34:04,460 --> 00:34:09,980
It's over 25, 30 years old, getting parts for it.

397
00:34:10,800 --> 00:34:15,480
The system we've got now where we monitor all the pump stations is becoming almost impossible.

398
00:34:16,600 --> 00:34:20,200
I appreciate the fact that you guys let us go out for a bit and get these projects rolling,

399
00:34:20,300 --> 00:34:24,580
especially the SCADA system this year because three years ago, we got hit by lightning

400
00:34:24,580 --> 00:34:27,840
and we were able to find parts, the way we found parts

401
00:34:27,840 --> 00:34:31,860
and went and bought a bunch of old computers from high school to get the parts out

402
00:34:31,860 --> 00:34:34,760
So those are becoming harder to find.

403
00:34:36,220 --> 00:34:41,520
And so we need to come and move our SCADA system into the modern age and use it in parts that

404
00:34:41,520 --> 00:34:43,140
we can apply to get required again.

405
00:34:43,660 --> 00:34:46,980
And I appreciate y'all approving that and us going out for bid and it's under construction.

406
00:34:47,180 --> 00:34:53,400
I paid a payment today on it, but it's critical that we get those things done in order for

407
00:34:53,400 --> 00:34:55,040
us to stay on top of what we've got to do here.

408
00:34:56,780 --> 00:35:04,180
So, just, that's pretty much what, as far as my manager's reports, anybody else got anything?

409
00:35:05,800 --> 00:35:06,240
Brian?

410
00:35:07,340 --> 00:35:07,640
Renee?

411
00:35:07,940 --> 00:35:08,140
Terry?

412
00:35:10,500 --> 00:35:15,780
Every one of these proposed rates that you have are less than our rate from last year.

413
00:35:16,100 --> 00:35:16,560
Yes, sir.

414
00:35:17,560 --> 00:35:18,220
Yes, sir.

415
00:35:18,340 --> 00:35:24,380
That's because, like I said, the way it's calculated is you look at, of course, it's

416
00:35:24,380 --> 00:35:30,020
an average resident's homestead, the third line from the bottom there, you see where

417
00:35:30,020 --> 00:35:36,280
it says $423.12, that's where your percent change comes in.

418
00:35:36,980 --> 00:35:42,860
So if the average homeowner, you'll see the second page where it's 1%, the 423 goes to

419
00:35:43,300 --> 00:35:51,660
427, that's a $4 increase, that's $4.23, which is 1% increase, and then that goes

420
00:35:51,660 --> 00:35:53,360
back to calculate the rate.

421
00:35:57,460 --> 00:36:02,080
That's the reason I said the average tax on the home that number

422
00:36:03,720 --> 00:36:12,040
is applies to the average homesteaded property. I mean the highest increase on average price of

423
00:36:12,040 --> 00:36:23,400
property is $14 a year. Yes sir. And so we I hate to see us run on a close to empty. I don't

424
00:36:23,400 --> 00:36:31,240
like that so I like a little comfort zone and like I told you guys it's kind of a

425
00:36:31,240 --> 00:36:35,100
perfect storm situation of these grants all coming in and ready to go to

426
00:36:35,100 --> 00:36:38,200
construction right now and maybe

427
00:36:41,400 --> 00:36:44,900
I'm wrong but that's a dollar 25 a month

428
00:36:46,080 --> 00:36:50,380
right I would rather us be able to get those projects done construction work

429
00:36:50,380 --> 00:36:54,440
I mean we got a lot of stuff going on and it's important that we have the

430
00:36:54,440 --> 00:36:55,840
money to get them done.

431
00:36:56,520 --> 00:36:57,060
Yes, sir.

432
00:36:58,260 --> 00:36:59,640
That's just buying for it.

433
00:37:00,320 --> 00:37:00,680
OK.

434
00:37:01,780 --> 00:37:04,220
If anybody, if you want to talk to me individually

435
00:37:04,220 --> 00:37:06,060
or if you want to discuss it, there

436
00:37:06,060 --> 00:37:07,260
can't be a decision made today.

437
00:37:07,380 --> 00:37:08,100
It's not on the agenda.

438
00:37:08,720 --> 00:37:10,000
I just want you all to have the information

439
00:37:10,000 --> 00:37:11,640
to think about over the next two weeks.

440
00:37:12,220 --> 00:37:14,980
Two weeks from today I'll need to ask the question of which

441
00:37:14,980 --> 00:37:17,260
rate are we going with so that we can get it published

442
00:37:17,260 --> 00:37:18,520
and we can get the budget finished.

443
00:37:19,580 --> 00:37:21,300
I'd like to give you all time to think about it

444
00:37:21,300 --> 00:37:24,000
because I know it's not the easiest decision to make.

445
00:37:26,100 --> 00:37:34,330
Okay. I have nothing for executive session. So, next is permits, Santana.

446
00:37:34,750 --> 00:37:34,990
One

447
00:37:39,240 --> 00:37:41,540
is listed as a company

448
00:37:45,770 --> 00:37:51,850
with them. So, this is crossing this main sea canal.

449
00:37:52,370 --> 00:37:59,150
It's an existing pipeline that they have. It's an, they found an anomaly during a big session that they were serving.

450
00:37:59,150 --> 00:38:04,640
that normally have to do so they are putting in

451
00:38:19,840 --> 00:38:22,060
what's their permit fee on that I

452
00:38:26,250 --> 00:38:28,170
move that we approve the permit for

453
00:38:28,850 --> 00:38:33,490
Santina interstate top-line LLC as recommended by staff

454
00:38:35,750 --> 00:38:41,270
Emotion all in favor say aye chair votes aye motion carry

455
00:38:41,270 --> 00:38:50,920
So they currently have a water intake structure crossing under 73 it's right by Savannah

456
00:38:51,580 --> 00:38:56,040
It's been there for as long as I've been a lot of so I've had a lot of luck.

457
00:38:56,180 --> 00:38:58,680
How many years it's been, but they're making an improvement.

458
00:38:58,960 --> 00:39:00,380
He's actually involved in that.

459
00:39:00,720 --> 00:39:06,000
It's three new lines that they're moving from well

460
00:39:17,750 --> 00:39:19,070
made all our requirements.

461
00:39:19,470 --> 00:39:20,110
So we're

462
00:39:23,600 --> 00:39:24,100
in $70

463
00:39:36,260 --> 00:39:39,200
second, got a motion in a second.

464
00:39:39,360 --> 00:39:40,620
All in favor say aye.

465
00:39:44,760 --> 00:39:49,140
last one we have today is for but

466
00:39:52,600 --> 00:39:57,560
it's a MDLH properties this is a 408 crossing

467
00:39:57,560 --> 00:39:58,380
they went

468
00:40:01,420 --> 00:40:03,780
it's a new earthen brand that'll have

469
00:40:10,370 --> 00:40:11,090
any meets all of our

470
00:40:11,090 --> 00:40:11,570
requirement

471
00:40:15,960 --> 00:40:19,640
we recommend approval and they had to be $550

472
00:40:27,440 --> 00:40:31,500
second motion and the second all in favor say hi

473
00:40:31,500 --> 00:40:32,940
Ah, Chair votes aye.

474
00:40:33,240 --> 00:40:33,940
Motion carried.

475
00:40:34,600 --> 00:40:35,940
The checks and purchase orders.

476
00:40:36,460 --> 00:40:37,820
Do I have a motion to approve?

477
00:40:38,200 --> 00:40:39,160
We'll move, Mr. Chairman.

478
00:40:39,540 --> 00:40:41,420
A motion and a second.

479
00:40:41,700 --> 00:40:42,900
All in favor say aye.

480
00:40:43,320 --> 00:40:43,660
Aye.

481
00:40:44,180 --> 00:40:44,980
Chair votes aye.

482
00:40:46,910 --> 00:40:49,710
Any other business coming forward or boarded this time?

483
00:40:51,330 --> 00:40:53,450
If not, do I have a motion to adjourn?

484
00:40:56,320 --> 00:40:57,940
We'll move, Mr. Chairman.

485
00:41:00,720 --> 00:41:01,240
Second.

486
00:41:01,900 --> 00:41:02,700
Kind of motion.

487
00:41:02,900 --> 00:41:03,440
In a second.

488
00:41:03,820 --> 00:41:05,020
All in favor say aye.

489
00:41:06,380 --> 00:41:10,500
So what happens if Coach Gamble votes against it this time, like he used to?

490
00:41:17,200 --> 00:41:17,720
I

491
00:41:20,980 --> 00:41:22,740
appreciate it everybody. Thank you for coming.