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Call the Hearst City Council meeting to order this 27th day in January. Hope everyone will stay warm.

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It's exerting and we'd like to ask Council Member Meeks to offer the invocation.

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That was great.

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Almighty God, we thank you for the privilege to be here tonight.

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We acknowledge your sovereignty over the nations. The scripture says you rule over the nations.

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Isaiah the prophet said that you are seated high above the center of the earth

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and David the psalmist says that you take note of what goes on in the earth.

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What are we asking to look down on our nation tonight?

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All the turmoil, the chaos, the unrest.

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And we just pray that you would just speak the spirit of peace.

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We pray for our leaders in Washington, our president, our elected senators,

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our members of Congress.

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Father, we just pray that you would just let calm break out.

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You've told us in the Scripture to pray for all that are in authority that we may lead quiet and peaceful lives.

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You would do that, Lord. There's just so much heartache and pain and anguish and violence. Just have mercy on us.

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Father, watch over our members of our police force. Watch over our firefighters, our paramedics.

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Watch over them in everything they do.

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And lead us tonight, Lord. This is your scene.

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And the Scripture says, unless the Lord guards the city, the watchmen stay awake and vain,

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and everything we do is vanity and useless without your blessing.

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So guide us that we might be a city set on the hill that's an example to others.

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Watch over us and protect us, and thank you again for the privilege to be able to come here tonight in this country.

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God, we thank you for America. We thank you for our freedom.

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In the name of the Lord Jesus, I offer my prayer. Amen.

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I want to

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thank the many thousands that showed up tonight.

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We have two very interested citizens and I think I know why they're here and we appreciate

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state their presence so we don't have an empty courtroom.

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Personal Agenda is a consent agenda.

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Consider approval of the minutes for the January 13, 2026 council meeting.

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Number two, consider authorizing city manager to proceed with design, purchase and installation

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of a stained glass mural for the Hearst Public Library lobby through a direct donation.

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May I move that we approve the consent agenda as read?

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Second.

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We have a motion to second.

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All in favor say aye.

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Aye.

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Opposed?

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Motion carried.

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Moving on to ordinances.

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Ordinance number 2617, first and final reading,

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amending the City of Hearst budget for fiscal year

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2025-2026, which was adopted in the City of Hearst

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ordinance 2603A by removing one position of Captain and adding one position of

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Assistant Chief of Police, Mr. City Manager. Yes, Mayor, I've got Chief Kittle

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here with us as well tonight. If you have any questions and certainly if he

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would like to say a few things about this autumn. But within our local rules

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and ordinances, the City Council has the authority to provide for the

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number of positions in each civil service classification. This autumn before you tonight

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does not change any of the classifications, but it is a request to take the number of

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captain, police captain from three to two, and the number of assistant chief, police

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chief from one to two. As we discussed in the work session, this action here tonight

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would allow Chief Keitel to make an offer for two assistant chief appointments to

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two individuals. It follows his strategic vision and plans and objectives and I

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certainly have visited with Chief and looked and looked at and reviewed all

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that that he's looking for in the future and certainly agree with him in

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that regard. And another key point tonight that I want to make sure that

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I mentioned that City Council, this is not a request for budget amendment in terms of

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dollars.

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This is for the number of positions on the schedule in the police department.

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The net change or impact to the budget will be about $17,000.

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However, we will be able to manage that through our contingency and some other savings within

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the budget.

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It's a very manageable dollar amount.

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With that, Mayor and Council, certainly Chief is here, like I said, and we'll

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answer any questions that you guys may have. Any questions on this item?

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Then I

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will be open for a motion. Do you want to make that motion? I'll make the motion sir

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with your permission. Are you ready, Mayor? Sir, I'll make a motion that we

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approve ordinance 2617, first and final reading, amending the City of Hearst

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Budget for fiscal year 2526, which was adopted by

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ordinance 2603A by removing one position for captain and adding one

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One position of assistant chief of police.

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Second.

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Motion second.

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All in favor say aye.

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Aye.

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Opposed?

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You've got your marching orders.

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Now you've got to go find two people to fill those positions.

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Okay, moving on.

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Item number four, ordinance, consider ordinance 268, 2618.

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First and final reading, ordering a special election to be held on May the 2nd, 2026 for

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the purpose of amending the city charter manager.

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Yes, Mayor, I'm actually going to ask our city secretary and city attorney to tag team

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on this one and provide you an overview of the autumn here tonight.

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The

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election to consider various charter amendments, the proposed amendments aligned with various

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budget and purchasing procedures with state law.

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It also covers publication of the official newspaper and it's recommending deleting residency

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requirement in the charter for the city manager and city secretary and I believe that there

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There is one additional item that the city attorney will bring forward tonight that would

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be included other than what you have.

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I do want to note the early voting dates and hours have been updated from what went out

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in your hard copy packet, since San Jacinto's holiday, state holiday, the Secretary of State

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says there will be no voting on that date.

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American Council as the city secretary advised the majority of the proposed amendments are

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to bring the charter into conformance and an alignment with state law so that the city

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does not bear any unnecessary or inconsistent obligations that are more than required by

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state law.

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The second item on the Council of the City Manager and City Secretary of Residency,

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it is important for you to be reminded that the City Council retains the ability

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to require that as a condition of any future contract for a future city manager.

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And the last item the city secretary referenced would be an additional proposed amendment

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to include a new provision in the charter to provide a process for the filling of a vacant

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council position.

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And that would be consistent with your discussions in the study session.

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Any questions about the tortor amendments?

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Ready for a motion?

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May I move to approve ordinance 2618, first and final reading, calling a special election

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for Saturday, May 2nd, 2026 regarding amendments to the Hearst City Charter.

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Second.

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The motion is second.

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All in favor say aye.

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Matthew, before the vote, I'm sorry.

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Pardon?

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Does the motion need to include the additional or no as additional language?

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The item that's before you includes the language that we discussed in the executive

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I mean, in work session, not executive session, and as I just explained, that would be the

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one on council vacancy.

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Chairman,

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all in favor say aye.

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Aye.

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Opposed?

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Motion carried.

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Next, under other business, item number five, consider approval of Northeast Mall's application

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to allow due Portugal Circus to hold an event in January and February per the 380

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Yes, Mayor in accordance with our 380 agreement the mall is allowed a certain number of events

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outdoor events per year.

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This would be their first event for the 2026 year calendar year.

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While we didn't receive the paperwork until today kind of the last hour the requirement

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is for them to provide the application at least 60 days prior.

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The building official and I would tell you that we don't have any major issues with this particular event in terms of the site plan, safety security of the facility, things like that.

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So, aside from the paperwork coming in late, I think all is in order now and certainly, you know, want to continue to work with Northeast Falls to the best of our ability.

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but we will, Mayor, make sure that they understand that the process needs to be

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followed more closely in the future. Any questions on this, Adam? Are you ready for

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a motion, Mayor? Yeah.

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Sir, I'll make a motion that we consider approval of

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Northeast Malls application to allow due Portugal circuits to hold an

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event in January and February.

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Motion and second all in favor say aye.

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Aye.

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Opposed?

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Motion carries.

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Next consider calendar items.

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Yes, Mayor we appreciate the public's patience with our closures to try to keep the public and our employees safe and secure during this during this weather. Certainly we've got officers in here you see in the back that are dressed for the winter weather

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and we appreciate all that they've done during the ice.

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I got a report today, an informal report out in the parking garage that we were able to

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keep everything going in the police department.

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Didn't even need chains on tires, not sure how they did that.

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I know that they're good drivers.

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We do get the rent secure, but we also parked in preparation.

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We parked some patrol vehicles down in the first floor of the parking garage.

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much. We had some one water main, severe water main that we repaired, but we opened today

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at noon and we are now open for business. We did close the rec and senior center tonight

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at six o'clock and plan to have a delayed opening tomorrow at eight a.m. at those facilities

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as well. And other than that, the one major item we have in the calendar, February the

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19th we will be holding our town hall forum at the Hearst Conference Center

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from 6 to 8 p.m. and we're looking forward to giving an update to our

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community mayor. I'll add something else to the calendar. Republic is not picking

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up garbage. Thank you mayor. Thank you mayor. So they're gonna try to resume

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their regular scheduled Thursday and Friday. Thursday and Friday this week

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and want to make sure everyone understands no recycling this week at

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all. So it'll be a solid waste on Thursday Friday. Normal days whatever

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your date normally is on Thursday and Friday, but no recycling this week.

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We decided not to take it out, so that's good. Thank you very much.

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Next on the agenda is Council Reports. Council, do y'all have anything to add?

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Just a quick note, Mayor. Since we last met, I attended the TRTC meeting, Tarrant Regional

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Transportation Coalition meeting, along with reader Frick and Chris Connolly.

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It was still here. There it is.

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And so just a couple of items of interest.

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Michael Morris, the director of transportation for COG, was the speaker.

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And so he did mention our project that runs right here through the middle of Hearst

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and the expansion that's going on there.

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But in talking about the continued growth in the region of North Texas,

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two interesting things I've not heard before.

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for 45% of the growth in Texas is happening right here in North Texas.

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And then if you were to take North Texas and you were to shrink the state borders just

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to North Texas, it would be the second fastest growing state only with Florida ahead of

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it.

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And so just still so many people heading this way and that's why we see so many

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folks coming through on 1A3 and so much interest here and opportunity too.

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So it's worth keeping an eye on as we continue to develop and continue to grow.

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Well, from growing up now on the coast, I can tell you they don't want to go to the

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humidity in Houston.

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Yeah.

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Any other?

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I just want to mention that our very own Chris Connolly won an award last week at the

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HEB Chamber Awards Luncheon for his work with the coffee shop that is being created

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and open soon, right, Chris?

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So congratulations.

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It's well deserved. It was it was for the coffee shop and also all the other economic development

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he's been working on. He is the preeminent best economic developer of the three cities.

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The other two cities just have a one.

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We want to be, but we have to be.

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Next is public invited to be heard. Y'all wish to say something?

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To let you know, we cannot reply to anything you say.

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We can look at you and smile.

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Name and address.

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My name is Robert Coffey, 2736 Fox Glencourt, better known as Bob Coffey.

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I just, I wanted to say, first off, I am privileged to know many of the council, people, and even more privileged to call them friends.

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The mayor, the mayor has always called me his favorite police officer.

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I'm retired now after 35 years, two weeks.

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I don't know what he calls me now.

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I might not want to know what he calls me now.

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After retirement, I did the red-light camera enforcement

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until it played out.

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I had to get the police chief at the time,

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Steve Neacamp, to fire me because I had never been fired.

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So he sent me a two-letter memo saying,

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you're fired, and I appreciated that.

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But then they let me come back.

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No, you didn't. Steve did. And then Jimmy persuaded me to assist his wife as

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chaplain, and that's been a pleasure and a privilege, and I want to thank you all

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for that. I wanted to thank you for the job that you do coming out here making

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the city first what it is. I appreciate it. My wife and I pray for our

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country, as Jimmy did, the turmoil and everything else. And that doesn't stop with the President,

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with Minnesota. It doesn't just stop with the city council. It doesn't stop with police

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departments, water departments, street departments. It can only stop when people stop. And so

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So I wanted to extend, again, my appreciation for y'all and what you do, the city management,

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all your staff.

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And I just wanted to have a prayer for y'all, no objections, you can't do the same thing,

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you gotta smile.

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Father, I wanna just come before your throne, Lord,

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for the first of all, I thank you

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for my 35, 40 plus years, Lord, association with this great city. Father, I've always been

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proud to declare that I was a Hearst police officer and a Hearst citizen. I've always

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been proud of our city, my city, Lord. And I thank you. Father, I ask you to be with

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this city council, the city manager, his staff, his department heads, Chief Billy Keele,

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Lord Father,

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I want to ask you to embolden them with your wisdom, your Holy Spirit, Lord,

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that they reflect on you and who you are and what you do in every decision that they

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choose or they were required to make, Lord, whether it be state law or just

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something positive for our city. Father, as they passed a change in our

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police department, Father, selecting you, being allowed to select two assistant

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police chiefs, Father, I ask that you give really, okay, Lord, the

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wisdom to select his best team, Father, that they can push this police

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department to where it needs to be for me, for my wife, the citizens of our city.

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Father, in that he has all the backing of the police department, Father, and he does

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well with that. Again, Lord, I thank you and I praise you, and ask blessings and

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honor,

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Father, that our city and our police department go forward with courage,

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strength and energy. In Jesus' name, amen. Thank you.