[0:12] just

[0:51] I sure

[1:04] I'm ready.

[1:12] I saw her.

[1:18] Yeah.

[1:45] I had a little bit.

[1:54] probably makes sense to you right.

[2:11] » Welcome everybody. We're going to kick off our work session for tonight.

[2:19] First uh item that we have on the work session, Katherine Sledge, Thomas'

[2:24] Legacy of Love nonprofit.

[2:39] » Good evening, Mayor. >> Good evening, council members and staff.

[2:44] My name is Katherine Sledge and I'm representing Thomas's Legacy of Love

[2:49] Incorporated of Tusc. have attended the council meeting to

[2:55] share our nonprofit and to request a financial donation of $2500 to support

[3:03] scholarships for Sheffield High School seniors and to support two hygiene

[3:09] project sponsored by Thomas's legacy at Sheffield High School and Sheffield

[3:15] Junior High School. The mission of Thomas's legacy is to

[3:19] empower and to enrich the community through education and faithbased

[3:25] initiatives. Our vision is to be the best positive difference in the lives of

[3:30] people and the shows. I will begin with a brief history of

[3:36] Thomas's legacy, move into the scholarships, the hygiene

[3:40] posit, and then complete my presentation.

[3:45] Thomas's legacy over 501c3 attends the community

[3:52] of his name Thomas 19 to 19 to 2022

[4:00] after surviving a near fatal motorcycle accident

[4:06] sled began an almost 50 year record of service to the show

[4:11] his family Catherine Rashad Faith and Haley have chosen to focus on

[4:19] three areas that were of utmost important to Thomas. Education, faith,

[4:25] and community. We're reaching out because we believe that you share the

[4:29] importance of his vision. For over 26 years, Thomas assisted Jerry

[4:35] Mills to Sheffield High School Council to secure scholarships for any graduate

[4:40] student wanted to attend a technical two-year or fouryear institution.

[4:47] In preserving Thomas's legacy of commitment to education,

[4:52] Thomas's legacy has to continue awarding two $1,000 scholarships as he did in

[4:59] 2023, 2024, and 2025.

[5:04] I would like to share that we have a 67% success rate for the students who

[5:11] receive the first six scholarships. Look it on to the hygienic father. The

[5:17] board developed a plan aimed at improving high school graduation rates,

[5:22] retention, self-esteem, and overall student success. Through Thomas' care

[5:28] closet, we will provide essential hygiene products, undergarment, socks,

[5:34] and belts to support students. A limited number of co items casual and

[5:39] professional will be accessible to enhance student success for interviews

[5:45] of civic engagement as shown by the attached letter from

[5:51] superintendent Dr. Carlos Nelson. She c students has expressed full support for

[5:57] the vision and work of Thomas of love. The board endorsed the partnership

[6:02] between Shepard High School and the organization that we anticipate will

[6:08] benefit the broader community. Approximately

[6:12] 71% of students at Sheffield Junior High and Sheffield High School fit within

[6:20] I do not have the exact number, but I'm going to uh guesstimate from my most

[6:26] recent inquiry that's around 375 students. Our board is working closely

[6:32] with the school mental health coordinator and uh who is Morgan Smith

[6:38] and the community engagement leader Major Atkins

[6:42] through a holistic approach of addressing each individual student and

[6:47] by providing the necessary items we anticipate improvement in the quality of

[6:52] life of the disenfranchised students. The potential impact and outcomes of

[6:59] Thomas's causes will be a positive for the students, school, family, and the

[7:04] community. Today, Thomas Legacy Love is facing

[7:09] substantial physical challenges. We will benefit

[7:14] from a gift from 2500

[7:19] donation as we continue to support the show's period. We believe that like

[7:23] Charles said, you ought to invest in the future of our students and are committed

[7:27] to meeting people where they are and leaving them at a better place,

[7:32] especially those who are in need. Your kindness and financial support will

[7:38] allow us to continue programs that honor Thomas's life and make a positive impact

[7:44] in our we extend our deepest gratitude in

[7:48] advance for your support and enriching. Thank you for allowing to be here and

[7:55] thank you for allowing our president. Thank you. Thank you. Thanks.

[8:17] We'll talk about running town. You know, I was going to

[8:21] ask at least it wasn't me this time.

[8:33] It's approximately three grand I think that we have left in the fiscal year.

[8:36] Approximately 3 I think it's $3,06 somewhere up there. Miss Sledge, when

[8:41] were you uh requesting the money be given? Is it urgent quick turn?

[8:46] » Urgent school has already begun and I have already

[8:51] u taken things up twice since school has started.

[8:56] Okay.

[8:59] Got the feedback.

[9:03] » I'm sorry. Feedback feedback.

[9:34] Check, check, check, check. Okay, there we go.

[9:39] » Yeah, there you go. All right.

[9:44] Um, if this is something we we can get through the month, it would be on the

[9:47] next fiscal year. I don't know if the council wants to discuss that at all.

[9:51] any any thoughts? >> Um I think it's a it yeah it's a worthy

[9:57] program. It goes directly to our kids schools

[10:03] » uh in the form of scholarships and the uh

[10:09] the care as well for

[10:16] giving out money. We always said that we wanted to directly affect kids in our

[10:21] schools. >> Yeah. So,

[10:24] » okay. So, we want to put this on the agenda as a resolution.

[10:28] » Any other comment on

[10:37] » course? Yeah. Yeah. We have one more, you know,

[10:40] we have one more council meeting before the next fiscal year begins. So, yeah.

[10:47] Yeah.

[10:53] » Okay. Carol says >> all right.

[10:57] All right.

[11:01] » 14 resolutions.

[11:07] 2500. Yep.

[11:14] and music ledge. I also have an organization that will partner with

[11:21] [clears throat]

[11:34] Yeah, pretty good.

[11:59] We have number two, Miss Alli Lee, director of attention

[12:04] homes requested.

[12:12] » I walked out of my office today and I left all my notes on my desk. So, I made

[12:16] a few notes on my phone. Uh, so I don't go too far off topic. Uh, but my name is

[12:22] Ally Lee and I'm the director of the Attention Homes of Northwest Alabama.

[12:26] Uh, I stepped into this role in January. Um, following the footsteps of Terresa

[12:32] Robertson who was in this position for 42 years. Uh, so I have quite the big

[12:37] shoes to fill. Um, but I thought I would take this opportunity this year to

[12:41] attend all of the meetings and introduce myself and a face to the name. Um, and

[12:46] then also if you're not familiar with the Attention Homes, explain a little

[12:50] bit about what we do and impact that we have on the community. Um, so the

[12:55] Attention Homes has been serving youth in Northwest Alabama since 1973.

[13:00] Uh, we have two homes as residential facility. Uh we have our girls home

[13:05] which is located over in Florence and then our boys home is located here in

[13:09] Sheffield. So y'all are extra special to us. Um and our homes are for kids that

[13:15] are involved in the juvenile court system. Um so all of the kids that enter

[13:19] our home are aged 10 to 18 um boys and girls and they are on juvenile probation

[13:25] of some sort whether that's for truency or whether they have domestic violence

[13:30] charges um family altercation substance abuse they're involved in the court

[13:34] systems and the judges have ordered them to um stay with us. Um our homes give

[13:41] the kids an alternative to detention. Um, so the kids that we're serving are

[13:46] kind of at the point where a judge is looking at them and they're saying,

[13:49] "Hey, this kid really needs we have to take them out of the home. We're going

[13:53] to put them in a juvenile detention center." Um, and that's kind of where

[13:57] the attention homes came into play was let's give an alternative or maybe a

[14:01] step down um in a cell um and put these kids in a stable environment and see if

[14:06] we can really work on the behavioral and issues in that way instead of just

[14:11] putting them in detention center for months off. Um so we're a step down from

[14:15] the juvenile detention center and we are a diversion program through the state of

[14:18] Alabama. Uh while they're with us they have a safe place to live. They have

[14:23] structured meals, transportation to schools. Uh we enroll them in mental

[14:28] health services. So we get a lot of them enrolled in counseling. We get their

[14:31] medications looked at. Uh they attend group with us as well as our girls are

[14:37] involved in a community action girls program. And our boys are starting to go

[14:41] to the jump program. So we're trying to keep them as involved in the community

[14:44] as we can. Um, which is another alternative to why the extension is so

[14:50] important is we're keeping Scholes area kids in the Scholes. Uh, so if you look

[14:55] at other diversion programs or programs that operate like we do, most

[14:59] [clears throat] of them are going to be in South Alabama. Um, and so really

[15:03] without the attention homes, we're looking at shipping these kids down to

[15:08] do Mobile and that's where they're going to stay for three to four months

[15:11] completely away from family in the community that they're in. Um, so we're

[15:15] able to keep them here locally. Uh, last year we served 54 kids and provided more

[15:22] than 2,300 nights of care. Uh, this year we're already at 66 kids. So we've

[15:27] already um exceeded that number this year. U, however, last year 89% of our

[15:32] kids successfully completed our program. So whenever they come to our program,

[15:35] they stay anywhere from three to nine weeks just depending on what the judge

[15:40] orders. Um, and they have to maintain a level system. So, they have to show good

[15:44] behavior, do their chores, and stay out of trouble um for three to nine weeks

[15:50] based on what the judge orders. And we did have 89% of the kids that were able

[15:54] to that. Um our kids stay with us on average for 51 nights. Um so, they're

[15:59] with us for a good amount of time. And that's something that we're really proud

[16:03] of. Um we try to the kids that come in, they can normally the first week or two

[16:07] is usually the hardest. Um, but once we can get them in that structure and that

[16:11] routine, we're proud to be able to keep them for a while. Um, until we're able

[16:15] to kind of reintegrate them back into their home and work with their parents

[16:18] or their family or whoever their guardian is, but try to reintegrate them

[16:22] slowly, um, so that they don't end up coming back to us. Um, so that's a

[16:29] little bit of an overview of what we do. Um, again, I just kind of wanted to

[16:33] explain what we do, introduce myself. um we are here in Sheffield. So, I'm trying

[16:39] to be as involved in the communities that we operate as I can be. Um so, I'm

[16:44] grateful for y'all and all that y'all do um for allowing us to be here, but I'd

[16:49] love to answer any questions. >> Where's the bulk of your funding?

[16:55] » Our funding. So, a large portion of our funding comes from UIS, Department of

[17:00] Services of Alabama. um we receive a large diversion grant from them and then

[17:05] other than that it's mostly city and county funded. Um and the reason behind

[17:09] that is especially counties um the kids that we serve are not in detention beds

[17:16] whereas if those kids were being put in a detention bed the county would be

[17:20] paying that nightly rate $138 a night to keep a kid. Um so we're kind of an

[17:26] alternative to that. Um we keep those costs.

[17:30] So

[17:35] » it is. Yes. All of our kids are court ordered by um the juvenile judge. We

[17:39] operate in Lauderdale, uh Coart, and Franklin County. And then we actually

[17:44] starting October 1st, we're expanding into Lawrence County as well. So we'll

[17:47] have four counties um that the judges will use as a resource.

[17:57] went to what matter you ask. >> So, historically, um I don't know what

[18:03] we've asked for because I just started in January. Um but historically, I went

[18:07] through the past couple years. Um and for the past five years, we've received

[18:11] $1,000. I'm asking for 5,000 this year for this next year's budget. Um just due

[18:18] to raised cost just, you know, everywhere else. Um we've had a loss of

[18:23] a couple grants. Um the grant world is a little crazy right now. Um so we've lost

[18:28] two of our grants this year and that's that's not us. That's just everybody.

[18:32] All the nonprofits um have been losing them. So um and then of course just

[18:37] rising cost, groceries, staffing, >> right? So

[18:42] historically

[18:57] wait till October. >> Oh yeah, actually this is for next

[18:59] year's budget. Yes, it was forget next year's budget.

[19:06] » Thank thank you for doing what you do.

[19:13] You don't think that? >> Oh, yeah.

[19:16] You don't even know. You didn't know where it was.

[19:19] » You really wouldn't. Um, that's something, too. If y'all have never been

[19:22] to the home, um, I would love to have y'all come see it. Um, we're located

[19:27] just right over on Shville Drive. And like he said, if you didn't know what it

[19:31] was, you would never It's It looks just like mine in your house. We walk inside

[19:35] and it looks like our inside, too. It's a couple bedrooms. Um, we try to make it

[19:39] as cozy as we can. So, we try to make it seem as normal of a life as possible.

[19:48] » Great notes. >> Thank you. To be

[19:55] » to be transparent, this is my eighth or ninth of city council meeting, so I it's

[20:01] coming out. >> Thanks.

[20:05] » Thank you for your time. I appreciate Thank you.

[20:11] » [clears throat]

[20:14] » Uh the next three items are u new introductions um be pretty quick.

[20:27] The item of neo gov platform it's about modernizing some of the most

[20:33] basic administrative functions that we perform every day. are payroll, employee

[20:38] time and attendance, benefits administration, core HR, onboarding new

[20:43] employees, and the related year-end payroll.

[20:47] Right now, too much of this work is fragmented and requires a manual process

[20:52] that costs staff time. It creates duplicate work, makes routine personnel

[20:57] and payroll administration harder than it needs to be. The NEOGV proposal

[21:03] brings those functions into a more integrated system. Quoded package

[21:07] includes benefits, core HR, payroll,

[21:12] time and attendance, onboard and payroll services along with

[21:17] the associated implementation and setup. First year cost a little over $53,000 at

[21:24] 5341 and40. the quoted second year incurred.

[21:29] It's a little less minus the implementation of $49,14945.

[21:36] So I don't look at this as buying software simply because we'd like newer

[21:40] software. The question is whether we can make payroll timekeeping and benefits

[21:46] and [clears throat] employee administration more efficient, more

[21:48] consistent, and less dependent on manual work.

[21:52] This also matters as we move into fiscal year 2027.

[21:57] We're serious about modernizing the way the city operates internally. Our

[22:01] administrative systems have to be a part of that effort. My recommendation is

[22:05] that we move it forward the first year implementation evaluate the platform and

[22:10] based on actual performance and staff experience and continue the subject

[22:16] to subject future uh expenditures to our normal budgeting and authorization

[22:20] process. Uh the uh the good news is we received a

[22:29] refund from a 2010 project grant. Um and so we actually

[22:39] have um the funds additional funds to pay for this platform uh as well as the

[22:48] vast majority of the next platform that I'm going to introduce. So those funds

[22:52] did come in. So it won't be a matter of do do we have those? Yes, we do. Because

[22:58] we after 16 years, we finally got a refund.

[23:06] And uh so that's uh that that's where that's where the funds would be coming

[23:10] from to uh support this first year of uh of this plan.

[23:17] And that cuts off dozens and several more dozen hours of uh manual

[23:24] time cards. Uh especially when it gets to the year end with the W2s

[23:30] and things like that. Is that correct? Yeah. And

[23:34] let's see. So are the subscriptions two-year subscriptions. Is that what it

[23:39] like mean after we get to year three if we were to go through with this would we

[23:43] still have we'd be on for the same? >> Okay. Yeah, similar cost.

[23:48] » It was just point it's pointing out uh the first year includes an

[23:52] implementation and onboarding fee uh to get the system set up because they go

[23:57] through and do an awful lot training and things like that and then second pos.

[24:06] » No, no, next year it'll go down and then uh either remain the same or go up.

[24:11] Nothing's going down anyway. >> Probably stay. Yeah, pretty much. And um

[24:17] as I understand it and they do they've got some legal ease in there that does

[24:22] it does cap how much that would go up if they did go up like it's like less 5%.

[24:30] » For clarification, mayor, did you say that the refund covers the first year?

[24:34] » Yeah. >> Okay. The first year.

[24:36] » Yeah. We got uh roughly 55 a little over 55,000 back in that refund.

[24:47] Which carries us into number four. So the city plus doc access city's

[24:54] municipal and police department websites including document accessibility

[24:58] implementation recurring service and proposed authorization. So we're

[25:04] modernizing the city's website. uh that is uh that's taking a back seat

[25:10] to some other development which I'll introduce here in a minute uh for our

[25:16] fiscal year 2027 budget which is taking a primary role in my time as far as any

[25:22] development goes. Uh so one of the things we have to address is

[25:26] accessibility uh even by state law. We publish a tremendous number of PDF

[25:31] documents online, agendas, minutes, budgets, audits, ordinances, forms,

[25:37] reports, and other documents. Simply putting a PDF on a website does not

[25:41] necessarily make that document accessible to someone using a screen

[25:44] reader or other assisted technology. That's what that doc addresses.

[25:51] scans, converts, and monitors PDF documents on our website to support our

[25:56] ADA and section 508 accessibility efforts. Uh the proposal covers both

[26:01] cheffield.gov.net

[26:05] and cheff police.org. Uh the first year cost is $6,361

[26:12] including implementation cost for the first year. Uh then current annual

[26:17] recurring service after that uh is $4,861.

[26:22] Uh so that's roughly $100 over the implementation fee on the first year. I

[26:29] also want to make one distinction clear. It's not a public records request

[26:32] system. So it does not mean we're putting every [clears throat] city

[26:36] record online, but it does not change how we handle records request or any

[26:40] fees associated with those requests. This deals with documents we have

[26:44] already chosen to publish publicly. It makes those documents more accessible.

[26:50] Alternative is either putting the remediation bing burden on city staff

[26:54] i.e. me document by document or leaving the accessibility issue addressed

[27:00] completely. I don't think either one of those is a good option. We are we're

[27:05] already investing in a better city website. So it doesn't make much sense

[27:09] to build a modern website then fill it with documents that some of our

[27:13] residents can't properly access or in violation of state ordinances uh for us

[27:19] to maintain that accessibility for the cost involved particularly for

[27:24] both websites covered. I think it's a reasonable investment

[27:29] which leads me to item number three. Uh both of those uh we

[27:37] both of those so far are on our general feed to vote on as resolutions tonight.

[27:43] Uh as is [clears throat] number five.

[27:48] Um it's temporary authorization for an additional open AI chat GPT and

[27:54] codeex uh development environment capacity. I want to be clear what we're

[27:59] paying for with this. This is not simply an upgrade to my chat GPT account. Uh

[28:05] we're we're using these tools as development capacity uh for the

[28:10] Sheffield municipal operating system and for the fiscal year 2027 budget

[28:16] development process. Uh Sheffield Municipal Operating System is the

[28:21] internal financial and executive management platform that I'm developing

[28:25] to and through budgeting financial analysis, reporting scenario analysis,

[28:31] and the way we uh the way we present municipal financial information. Right

[28:37] now, I'm in an accelerated development period since uh we're trying to get our

[28:43] fiscal year 2027 budget out on time uh for the first time, I think, in reported

[28:50] history. And and uh that means sustained coding, debugging, testing, and working

[28:55] with large amounts of financial data and repeatedly refining the system as I

[29:01] build out the uh 2027 budget. that type of development work uh can consume the

[29:08] included chat GPT and codeex usage capacity which I already have a beta

[29:13] account um and I end up hitting the usage limits on a daily basis now

[29:18] because of the amount of data and the progress I'm more than halfway through

[29:22] with that development and insert uh but now every evening I have to put it off

[29:28] until the next day because uh the usage limits on the account that I have uh

[29:35] shut the process down until the next day and of course it's a 24-hour reset

[29:40] waiting period before those uh those credits reset.

[29:44] Uh so right now uh so the type of development

[29:48] uh yeah so there there it is when the type

[29:52] of development work that uh consume the included with by included package and

[29:57] usage capacity and they hit those limits it stops until it resets. Uh, so I'm

[30:03] asking for a very narrow authorization, not more than $1,000 total. Uh, it

[30:09] probably won't even be that much. Uh, and not more than three months. Uh, that

[30:15] gives us enough flexibility to keep development moving during this intensive

[30:20] budget period without creating an open-ended expense. Um, if we reach that

[30:26] thousand cap, that's it. Uh, anything beyond that comes back to the council.

[30:31] Uh the relevant question isn't whether the city needs a more expensive AI

[30:35] subscription. The question is whether a temporary CAT development expense is

[30:40] justified to keep a city software project and our fiscal year 2027 budget

[30:46] work moving forward given the amount involved and the work we're getting from

[30:51] it. I believe it is

[30:55] um any questions on that? >> So this could be less than $1,000.

[30:59] » It's it's Yeah. So, I'm upgrading uh I I have a 20 $20 a month uh subscription

[31:06] now. Uh this upgrades it to a $200 a month subscription for the next three

[31:11] months. So, realistically relationship more

[31:15] [clears throat] like $600 than a,000. And uh

[31:20] but it's also just for the purpose of getting to this uh fiscal year 2027 mark

[31:28] and a usable uh publishable uh budget from that and then the additional work

[31:35] that comes after that I can go back to uh at my own expense uh to the previous

[31:43] my previous uh subscription tier.

[31:55] Uh and then in tonight's meeting, we're also going to uh we're going to end up

[32:00] discussing a 2.5% utilities rate increase and we're going to have a

[32:05] public uh public input period. So, we're going to do that in our a regular

[32:11] meeting, not a work session. So, and we're going to do that. So we're not

[32:15] waiting there making everybody wait.

[32:21] And on tonight's regular meeting, uh we'll announce the yard of the month

[32:28] for August 2026. Uh we'll have a public input period for

[32:33] the proposed 2 and a half% Sheffield utilities electric rate increase. I will

[32:39] uh reconsider the adoption of ordinance 2026-0817.

[32:46] It's an ordinance providing for the refill of the resolution creating the

[32:50] Sheffield Recreation Board. Uh and then consider Sheffield utility rate

[32:56] increase. will consider approval for Mayor Van Deander to execute the

[33:02] contract with NACOG fiscal year 2027 for the senior center and consider

[33:07] authorizing Mayor Van Deander to let bids for garbage services city of

[33:13] Sheffield uh and consider approval of 2027 severe

[33:18] weather preparedness tax holiday February 26 through 28th of 2027.

[33:24] I will consider hearing Jeffrey Mckendle and Andre Gala Day as police

[33:33] officers to fill the vacancies in the police department. We'll consider

[33:37] declaring the following vehicle surplus in the parks and recreation department.

[33:41] A 2002 Ford F-150 and a 1997 Ford F150. I will consider approval in the expenses

[33:50] of $634 for Scholes Autoglass to repair a windshield for a 2024 GMC Yukon

[33:57] damaged by the street Sheffield Street Department. Consider approval of

[34:03] reimbursement in the amount of $85 to Rodney Ruby for mailed lab work and

[34:08] consider approval of reimbursement in the amount of $9.99

[34:12] to Evalu Richardson for DreamHost Software at the library.

[34:17] We'll consider approval of expense in the amount of $2,000 for eight employees

[34:22] to attend the EMR medical emergency medical responder training. We'll

[34:27] consider adoption of a resolution authorizing the city of Sheffield to

[34:31] enter an agreement with Civic Plus for doc access services for

[34:34] chefalabama.net.gov and police.org at an initial term cost

[34:42] of $636140.

[34:45] will consider authorization for temporary

[34:49] temporary open AI check GPT codeex development

[34:54] services for Sheffield municipal operating system and fiscal year 2027

[34:58] budget preparation and an amount not to exceed $1,000 for period not to exceed

[35:04] three months. will consider adoption of a resolution authorizing the city of

[35:08] Sheffield to enter into an agreement with neo gov/powers

[35:14] EMS for payroll benefits court HR time and attendance on boarding and payroll

[35:18] services and then we have an announcement of

[35:23] rescheduling for the city of Sheffield. We'll start taking the bids um

[35:30] for the property located at 1616 shop pipe starting September 8th today until

[35:37] Monday, September 21st. And that's on me because I didn't get the bid package out

[35:41] last time. So, we basically have just delayed that process. So, nobody's

[35:45] missed out on anything. We haven't accepted any bids. Uh we haven't seen

[35:49] any bids. And u yours truly is the uh result of that delay.

[36:00] » It's it's on me. Uh and then uh of course we'll vote on Thomas legacy of

[36:06] love donation of contribution of $2500. >> And so mayor just point clarity. So a

[36:14] lot of these things we'll discuss during the

[36:16] » Yes. >> Okay. All right.

[36:19] those resolutions.

[36:22] » All right. So, that concludes our work session. We're gonna get into uh

[36:29] I'll call our general meeting into order. And you guys will join me in the

[36:34] pledge of allegiance

[36:43] of the republic for which it stands. One

[36:48] nation under God, indivisice, liberty, and justice for all.

[36:53] » Let's pray. Dear God, we come to you uh with

[36:58] grateful hearts full of gratitude. Um Lord, I thank you for all the blessings

[37:02] that you've given us here in this city. Uh I pray not only for our future, but

[37:06] for the present. Um God, I pray over our discussion tonight and our decision-

[37:10] making. Lord, I pray that you give us wisdom and understanding to discuss even

[37:15] with those who we may disagree that we work together to acch achieve a common

[37:20] goal and moving the city forward. Uh God, as always, I pray that we love each

[37:24] other the way that you love us. Guide us in our discussion tonight. Your name I

[37:28] pray. Amen.

[37:36] » I have a motion to adopt the agenda as amended.

[37:40] Second. >> Second.

[37:44] » All in favor say I. I. >> All oppos same.

[37:49] » Approval of the minutes from the council meeting from August 17, 2026. Do I have

[37:54] a motion? >> No move.

[37:58] » Second. >> Second.

[38:02] » All in favor say I. >> I.

[38:04] » All post same. All right. You want to talk to this one?

[38:10] » Yeah, I can. Uh, so we want to make a an announcement. The beautifification of

[38:13] Tree Board um has announced their yard of the month or maybe it's the lawn of

[38:17] the month, one of the two. Um, for the it's actually for September for this

[38:21] month. Um, and so the yard of the month goes to James and Constance Hooks on 801

[38:26] South Nashville, so over in district 4. Um, and they they told me the uh the

[38:31] grandson over there gave them a good show and they were putting a sign up.

[38:34] So, I want to congratulate them. Uh if you have any yards that you would

[38:38] recommend for the month of October, um we'll we'll get those uh in the next uh

[38:42] in the next beautifification tree board meeting on Monday. So

[38:59] there we go.

[39:04] So tonight before we begin this public input period on the proposed ship of

[39:08] utilities rate adjustment I want to explain how we're going to conduct this

[39:13] so that uh everyone who wants to be heard has a fair opportunity to speak

[39:18] every speaker have three minutes and please state your

[39:23] name before the beginning after our minutes so we'll be able to record that.

[39:27] Uh those three minutes are yours. You may tell us whether you support or

[39:32] oppose the proposal, explain how it would affect you, raise concerns,

[39:37] provide information, or ask questions. Simply ask that your comments remain

[39:41] focused on the proposed rate adjustment. If you have questions, please state them

[39:47] during your three minutes. We will log those questions as you speak and address

[39:51] them after uh everyone else has had an opportunity to be heard. Uh now we're

[39:58] going to uh we're not going to have uh back to back and forth discussion

[40:02] between individual speakers and Sheffield utilities or members of the

[40:05] council during your three minutes. If I need to clarify a question to make sure

[40:10] we have not that we have recorded it correctly, I may ask you to clarify it.

[40:14] Otherwise, once your three minutes are complete, we'll move on to the next

[40:18] speaker. Uh after everyone has spoken, we'll go back through the questions that

[40:24] were raised. Technical and factual questions will be directed to the

[40:28] Sheffield utilities personnel that are here and policy questions are questions

[40:33] for the governing body. This will allow everyone in the room to hear the same

[40:37] questions and the same answers. I also ask that we avoid unnecessary

[40:42] repetition. So, someone before you has already made the same point you intend

[40:47] to make, you're welcome to tell us that you share that concern and then use the

[40:51] remainder of your time for anything additional you would like for us to

[40:55] consider. So, please keep the discussion respectful. You're welcome to disagree

[41:00] with this proposal, criticize a question, or tell us why you believe we

[41:05] should vote against it. Personal attacks will not help us make this decision and

[41:10] will not be permitted. Uh when your three minutes have expired, I'll ask you

[41:15] to conclude so that we can provide the same opportunity for the next speaker.

[41:20] The purpose of this public input period is straightforward. Before the council

[41:24] makes a decision, you have the opportunity to be heard. We will listen.

[41:28] We will record your questions and after everyone has spoken, we'll address those

[41:32] questions before moving forward. Uh and also after this public input period uh

[41:39] we will move directly to that item on our general uh uh our general meeting

[41:46] and the council will have opportunity uh for input.

[41:53] Uh with that we'll begin. Does anybody anybody have anything they'd like to say

[41:58] about the proposed 2 and a half% rate increase utilities electric rate?

[42:07] Okay,

[42:10] » I wasn't expecting that. >> That's good. Um,

[42:20] so now, oh, I messed that up. We're going uh to reread this uh ordinance for

[42:28] the regular first and then go into the rate

[42:35] adjustment resolution.

[42:48] You have

[42:52] got it. I got it. So, some ordinance providing for the

[42:57] rebuild of the resolution creating the Sheffield Recreation Board. It's an

[43:01] ordinance uh authorized uh authorized by act 350 general acts of Alabama in 1945

[43:09] creating the Sheffield Recreation Board and to include the parks and recreation

[43:13] department in the city of Sheffield general fund. Uh be it ordained by the

[43:19] city council of the city of Sheffield, Alabama as follows. Section one readal

[43:25] of the uh the resolution by the board of commissioners of the city of Sheffield,

[43:30] Alabama, authorized by act 350, general acts of Alabama 1945 creating the

[43:36] Sheffield Recreation Board is hereby repealed. Section two, personnel. The

[43:42] director and staff of the Sheffield Parks and Recreation Department will

[43:45] become employees of the city of Sheffield and the director of the parks

[43:50] and recreation department will report administratively to the mayor. The

[43:54] director will supervise the staff of the parks and recreation department. The

[43:58] position of director of parks and recreation and staff positions created

[44:02] by the Sheffield recreation board be transferred to the city of Sheffield and

[44:07] included in the city of Sheffield personnel system governing the

[44:11] appointment, removal, salaries, tenure, and official conduct of employees.

[44:15] Section three, funds. Funds appropriated to the Sheffield Recreation Board be

[44:21] transferred to the city of Sheffield general fund to allow for the sums

[44:25] necessary uh for the sums necessary for

[44:29] expenditures of the parks and recreation department. Expenditures for the parks

[44:34] and recreation department will be included in the city of Sheffield

[44:37] general fund budget and paid from the city of Sheffield general fund. Section

[44:42] four, assets, control over lands, buildings, equipment, and such other

[44:46] facilities assigned to the Sheffield Recreation Board will be transferred to

[44:50] the city of Sheffield. Section five, abolished. The Sheffield Recreation

[44:56] Board created by the board of commissioners. The city of Sheffield is

[44:59] hereby abolished and all resolutions ordinances relating to the Sheffield

[45:03] Recreation Board are hereby repealed. Uh and we have this is a a customary

[45:13] reread of this and we voted on this last last time as a formal what was it called

[45:19] formal the first reading and this is the second reading of that order right

[45:26] [clears throat] and

[45:31] do we have do we have a motion to

[45:39] that >> make

[45:43] second

[46:02] or just voting right now. Yeah. What was

[46:18] » Yes. >> Yes.

[46:37] ordinance does not pass.

[46:42] All right.

[46:48] So, uh, before we vote tonight on the

[46:53] proposed rate adjustment for Sheffield Utilities, I want to explain where I

[46:57] stand, what I believe this council owes, the people we represent. Uh, over the

[47:03] past several weeks, I tried to put more information about

[47:07] Shelard Utilities in front of the public than has traditionally accompanied

[47:12] a rate discussion. I did that because if we're going to ask people to pay more,

[47:17] even a relatively small amount, we have an obligation to explain why. I have

[47:23] asked questions. I've reviewed the numbers. I've looked at staffing, wages,

[47:28] operating expenses, capital needs, infrastructure, surrounding utility

[47:32] rates, system size, reliability, and the demands that are coming down the road.

[47:38] What the information shows is that Sheffield Utilities operates a very

[47:42] large system with relatively few customers spread across. While the cost

[47:46] of maintaining and replacing that infrastructure has increased

[47:50] dramatically, we are maintaining approximately 1,730

[47:55] miles of electric line and 18 substations.

[47:59] At major substation transformers have failed unexpectedly. Other substations

[48:04] require testing and upgrades. poles, wires, transformers, vehicles, breakers,

[48:08] relays, regulators, and other essential equipment to have to be maintained and

[48:13] replaced. At the same time, we are not simply maintaining yesterday's system.

[48:19] We are preparing for tomorrow's demand. Virginia Transformer is beginning

[48:23] operations within Sheffield Utility Service Territory, requiring utility

[48:28] infrastructure upgrades. Uh Adrienne's development to the west of us in Barton

[48:32] requires us to begin preparing existing infrastructure for significant new

[48:37] industrial demand and the additional development we hope will follow along

[48:41] with it. Those are the industries investments and higher paying jobs that

[48:45] we've spent years saying that we want but economic development does not happen

[48:51] without infrastructure and infrastructure cannot be built after we

[48:55] need it. I also recognize uh that $4 matters to some households.

[49:03] Uh groceries cost more, medicine costs more, insurance costs more, nearly

[49:09] everything costs more. I'm not dismissing any of that. Uh neither

[49:15] should anyone else. That's exactly why I wanted another

[49:20] question answered before supporting the name.

[49:23] What has Sheffield Utilities done to control its own costs? We asked those

[49:28] questions, sent a list of 28 questions to Sheffield

[49:33] Utilities and they responded and answered all of them which I included in

[49:38] the information that I sent out to all of you earlier in the weekend.

[49:43] Uh, so I looked at staffing, payroll, vehicles, travel, tree trimming,

[49:50] equipment operations, and other areas where savings might be possible. Every

[49:55] organization should continue continually look for efficiencies, and Sheffield

[50:00] utilities should be no exception. But efficiencies do not make the underlying

[50:04] infrastructure obligations disappear. And that's the central point tonight. A

[50:10] no vote does not eliminate a transformer that needs to be replaced. It does not

[50:16] eliminate substation work. It does not reduce the cost of poles, wire or

[50:21] equipment. It does not eliminate the infrastructure needed to serve new

[50:25] industry. It does not eliminate future water system requirements. And it does

[50:30] not make inflation go backwards. Those

[50:34] obligations will still be be there tomorrow morning. And so earlier this

[50:38] year, I proposed allowing Sheffield Utilities Board to handle ordinary rate

[50:43] adjustments within defined limits. And this council considered that proposal

[50:48] and chose to retain the authority here. I respect the council's authority to

[50:53] make that decision. But retaining authority also means accepting

[50:56] responsibility for the decisions that come with it.

[50:59] Every member of this council has the right to vote yes or no tonight, but I

[51:03] believe the public deserves more than six votes without explanation. If you

[51:08] vote yes, explain why. Uh if you vote no, explain why. And more importantly,

[51:13] explain what you believe the alternative should be. If this adjustment is not the

[51:17] answer, then what is? How do we pay for the maintenance? How do we replace aging

[51:22] infrastructure? How do we prepare the system for a new industrial load? How do

[51:28] we meet the obligations that are coming without providing the revenue necessary

[51:31] to do it? The no vote is a legitimate vote, but no by itself is not an

[51:36] alternative plan. Not asking any member of this council to agree with me. I'm

[51:41] asking every member to own the responsibility this council chose to

[51:45] retain and tell the public what you believe we should do. I've studied this

[51:50] issue. I've challenged the numbers. I've listened to Sheffield Utilities. I've

[51:54] listened to our residents. And [clears throat] based on the information

[51:56] before us, I believe this adjustment is necessary and justified, I will vote

[52:02] yes. If the majority of this council reaches a different conclusion tonight,

[52:06] then tomorrow morning, I will still be mayor. Chev utilities will still have

[52:10] the same infrastructure responsibilities and every one of the costs we have

[52:14] discussed will still exist. So the answer from this council is no, then the

[52:18] next question cannot be ignored. What is the plan instead?

[52:33] So, do you guys have any any input on on this rate increase?

[52:43] » I'll hop in there. So, you know, as anyone else in this room, nobody wants

[52:47] to pay more in the rates, including myself. Um but we sat down at a utility

[52:52] board meeting and they walked us through the complexity of their system um and

[52:56] the fact that you know it's the inflation how that's increased over the

[53:00] years but the rates haven't. Um [clears throat] so uh my vote for yes

[53:04] will be um because of the capital investments that are coming and

[53:08] everything that you outlined in your statement itself.

[53:12] And one additional is the fact of the future of our ability to borrow money in

[53:20] the bond market. Uh and the operating at a negative budget at the utility level

[53:28] would negatively impact the rate that we will get on that going to end up costing

[53:32] us millions of dollars over the next decade. So that's also under

[53:36] consideration in this vote as well.

[53:50] I'll be voting no. And the reason I got no further is there a lot of the

[53:56] questions I've got with accountability that I don't seek and I'm going to get

[54:03] with you Steve and Tyler that we need to talk about. There's

[54:08] some questions I need answered before I can vote yes.

[54:12] And the questions have to be answered before I even change my mind. Right now,

[54:18] I don't see I put it this way. [clears throat] I see

[54:22] too much. I'm not going to drag everything. This

[54:26] is going to be between me and you and Tyler when I bring this up. Some of the

[54:31] things that I've seen has kind of bothered me.

[54:36] I just and I've had a lot of people in my district and other district tell me

[54:41] they just can't afford a rate increase at this time and I understand the

[54:46] expense as well as anybody of how to operate that place but right now I

[54:53] cannot in good conscience yes and like I said when I get time I'm going to sit

[54:59] down with you two and we'll hash out

[55:05] what But I'm not going to do any vote. That's

[55:08] just between us three right now. >> Why? Why wait? Why wait? Why wait till

[55:15] the night of the vote to say that you're going to wait?

[55:20] » I've been saying no all along. I mean, this ain't nothing new to every one of

[55:24] y'all sitting up here. You could ask this question last month, two months

[55:27] ago. We talked about this story, but this is the first time I've seen them

[55:31] face to face. been too much. We can talk about that.

[55:34] » Can I approach? >> Sure.

[55:37] » So, yeah, I appreciate I appreciate all of you and I'm not going to be

[55:41] campaigning tonight for it, but so for everybody for everybody's information,

[55:46] uh we had the meeting uh we had the meeting with all of y'all to see how we

[55:50] run our business, you know, and it's not uh it's it's a complex system. It's an

[55:55] $80 million operation. Uh and we take it very seriously. All my board members are

[56:02] here and uh they take it very seriously. But so I just want everybody to know we

[56:06] have tried to set up a meeting with John.

[56:11] » So four four board meetings. We've had four board meetings. So we've tried to

[56:16] set up Tyler has called numerous of times in your in your work. But so we

[56:22] have tried we have tried to set up meeting to explain it hadn't happened.

[56:27] So, so >> it's on me. I mean, I've been busy and

[56:30] that's just my my style, my lifestyle right now.

[56:33] » So, and my last statement would be this because I think the mayor, you've done a

[56:37] good job. The count's done a good job putting on social med.

[56:41] We know that. Uh, and believe me, we're conservative. My board is conservative

[56:47] board. My board don't come up with a rate increase. We've got a consultant

[56:51] that serves 90 other local utilities in the seven state region. They look at our

[56:57] data on a monthly basis. They we have uh monthly or bimonthly uh meeting with

[57:04] them. They tell us what we should be doing. So it's not my board that says or

[57:07] none of the management team. But you know the fact is I'll stop there because

[57:12] you explained it mayor pretty good. Uh and I've been there 14 years. When I

[57:16] walked the door 14 years ago I only took the job those that don't know I took the

[57:20] job for 90 days. The reason I took the job 90 days before I took it permanent

[57:25] because I looked at the balance sheets. Fred's here, he was the CFO. There's

[57:30] some things going on, but we was at our numbers. We was borrowing money to make

[57:35] payroll was borrowing money. And it took us six years, 2012,

[57:40] six years later to get us out of that uh TVA uh era that they they're saying you

[57:46] got to have a rating. So, it took us six years to get there. We just now uh in

[57:50] the last four or five years got out of that uh because inflation 47%

[57:56] 47% inflation over the last 14 years. I've had four rate increases since I've

[58:02] been a general manager. Them rate increases my four years there was 6.6%

[58:07] over the 14 years. I came in the month I came in October they had just done the

[58:13] highest rate increase they've ever done 2.2%. So I walked in the door. They

[58:18] needed a rate increase then because they was in in a bind. But so it wasn't in

[58:22] good shape and took us that long to get us out of it. Uh the 47% rate increase

[58:28] 47% uh inflation

[58:31] » inflation is eat our lunch. And I'm a conservative. My board is conservative.

[58:37] And we thought transformers when when uh when the when things started going up

[58:43] really high transformers dealt with. So, okay, them transformers, they're going

[58:46] to come down. We waited 2022, they didn't come down. 2023, we had a rate

[58:51] increase. 2024, they kept climbing. When I say climbing, our transformers, so 15

[58:57] KB and a 25 KB, the ones we use the most, increased over 100% a piece. And

[59:02] we're still buying them transformers today. So, we're last year, we fill in

[59:08] that range of where we got to keep 8% on reserve or $80 million operation. eight

[59:14] eight reserves. We hit that borderline thing now. I don't want to see and it

[59:19] does like you said, mayor, it does impact our bond rating and I'm going to

[59:23] go through the bond market within the next 60 days to build a brand new

[59:27] substation for Virginia transformer operation and also got to modify the

[59:32] submarine plant uh substation uh like that. So, we're at some critical times.

[59:37] And I just want you to consider 47% inflation, factual things that the mayor

[59:43] put out. And in 14 years since I've been there, we've increased 6.6%.

[59:48] It just don't match up. I'll take blame for part of that for not going up, but

[59:53] we thought things would come down and we wouldn't wait for things to come down.

[59:57] And to be honest with you, things haven't come down. We're we budget all

[1:00:00] the gasoline we buy for 68 vehicles uh on the road and we basically $4 a gallon

[1:00:07] and it is uh and for diesel it went up. Most of our equipment is diesel. So

[1:00:12] everything's just shot up. We don't want to increase rates but

[1:00:18] uh the reality of the reality of it is we're the second lowest utility. We're

[1:00:23] the second lowest utility around us. the second lowest KWA second lowest. Our

[1:00:28] lowest is next door to us and they're meeting tomorrow to go up a lot more

[1:00:33] than what we're going up. Uh and and and because of that inflation. So I'm just

[1:00:39] saying inflation is eat our lunch. Uh hopefully going forward we can look at

[1:00:44] inflation upfront and and have smaller increases. But we don't I think we

[1:00:49] proved oursel in 14 years uh four rate increases. We're not asking for a lot of

[1:00:55] rate increases, but when we need it, we need it. So, have any question before I

[1:01:01] sit down? >> Yeah, I do. Since you brought it up,

[1:01:04] you're talking about your fuel cost for your trucks.

[1:01:08] How many of your trucks and your guys on call live outside of

[1:01:14] Copper County? And what I'm getting at is two weeks ago, and I wasn't going to

[1:01:19] bring this up in public, but since you brought up the gas problem, I passed one

[1:01:22] of your trucks, your lingering trucks way out in Florence. I was going to

[1:01:28] Florence. They were coming to Copper County.

[1:01:31] Two and a half hours later, I was leaving Florence, coming back to Copper

[1:01:35] County. He was coming back to Florence. What I what I'm guess I'm getting at is

[1:01:42] that told me he lived somewhere out in Lauderdale County. To me, if you live

[1:01:47] outside Yeah. >> You know,

[1:01:52] » okay, here's what I'm getting at that fuel cost for that guy to drive that

[1:01:56] truck and there's more than I'm sure one that lives outside of Colorado.

[1:02:01] » No, I can think of one. I'll look at the list because I'm not saying that you're

[1:02:05] wrong, but I think one out of >> Okay, here's my thought. Here's what I

[1:02:11] We're going to bring this up in public. I have now since we started.

[1:02:14] » Well, that's why we'd like to met with the last four months. Yeah.

[1:02:18] » That guy on call. Can he Why can he not leave that company truck at the shop,

[1:02:24] drive his personal car back and forth? Because when he's on call, he's got to

[1:02:28] come to the shop and get the next lineman or gramman that's on call, too.

[1:02:32] So our ground and line both drive a vehicle home and they

[1:02:35] » Yes, sir. >> Yeah. So, so they meet closer I'm sorry.

[1:02:40] » Yeah. Both of them drive a vehicle home. So they meet closer to the average. So

[1:02:44] they don't come at the office. So the reason we did that is to to decrease.

[1:02:48] » Yeah. I mean I know that I was on too, >> right? So so they don't add to answer

[1:02:54] your question. >> But what I'm getting at is that guy I

[1:02:58] don't know where he lives in Florence and I don't care. But my thought process

[1:03:02] was he's driving that truck to and from the office twice a day going to work and

[1:03:08] going home and then on call he's driving every where the calls are.

[1:03:13] » You're correct. >> And y'all are talking about your fuel

[1:03:16] cost is high. >> You're talking about expense and I agree

[1:03:19] that is I think compared the numbers that we're talking about.

[1:03:22] » I know that but I'm just saying that's why I wanted to know how many of your

[1:03:25] how many your line that was. >> Yeah. I say it's it's one and just so

[1:03:29] you know that our board did approve a uh residential policy that allowed a

[1:03:34] certain radius because we were making our bottom too small employees.

[1:03:37] » Yeah. But the radius the radius of living in Lau County is

[1:03:42] » the radius of living in county is a lot shorter than living out in a farway

[1:03:45] city. >> A lot of rose trail you can luck in

[1:03:50] Florence to get here soon. >> So I know your race has always changed

[1:03:55] understand. So, so that's how they >> So, and all that's about John is about

[1:04:02] uh being able to serve customers quick as we can. That's the reason they they

[1:04:06] get to take the vehicle, you know,

[1:04:11] I know the process was involved. Well, so we changed the

[1:04:15] residential policy because we made it a mile radius. So we if you live in Cra

[1:04:20] County, you live in C we anywhere in Copper County serve make

[1:04:26] a 20 mile radius but we got people we got that one person is closer to him

[1:04:32] than a lot more employees in Copper County 60 mile radius.

[1:04:37] » I got another question. Last year,

[1:04:41] the other previous council mayor went up on every meter or $2. It went into

[1:04:49] effect November the 25th. So, is that did y'all consider is that

[1:04:55] considered a rate increase or just a one? I mean, every meter in the system

[1:05:00] is charged $2 extra a month >> customer charge. Yeah.

[1:05:04] » So, so that's a good point. So when I came to Chef Utilities, customer charge

[1:05:09] was like $8 and we found out uh so well you know proud of the board we have

[1:05:16] lowered kilowatt hour charges five times. When I say lowered it in 14 years

[1:05:21] we lowered our kilowatt rating with what we call revenue neutral. We lowered our

[1:05:26] kilowatt hour charge but raise our customer charge. So when you raise that

[1:05:30] when you do that you lower kilowatt hour charge and and have a fixed charge. What

[1:05:35] that does, we found out the high bills, the low income people, the people that

[1:05:39] don't live in a house with high inflation, their bills in the peak of

[1:05:43] wintertime, in the uh peak of summertime, their power bills be six or

[1:05:48] $700. They come to our place complaining about it. So we said, what can we do to

[1:05:53] lower their cost because they can't afford it. So what we done, five tons,

[1:05:57] we didn't announce it to nobody. five times. We've lowered our bill hour rate,

[1:06:02] lower raised our fe charge for that $2 so we don't get impacted. We're so we

[1:06:07] tried to cut the bills them high people $200 a month. We was successful doing

[1:06:12] that. It cost Chef Utility money for doing that, but we have the customers

[1:06:16] that we serve. That's why we're proud of having one of the lowest kilowatt hour

[1:06:21] charge in this region here. But it's it's it's biting us because of that. So,

[1:06:27] it's a good question, but and and nobody probably on this board know that we done

[1:06:31] that that didn't we we didn't we didn't advertise that. We just done it because

[1:06:34] it's a right thing to do. And let me just share something else. Of all the

[1:06:38] utilities around here, we're connected with all the charitable organization,

[1:06:43] United Way churches. Uh I guarantee you that nobody gets you asked if they was

[1:06:49] here tonight. Nobody gets more calls from our utility department than than

[1:06:53] us. They've also told me several times they give us a warrant for that. Y'all

[1:06:58] go ask the uh y'all help the low-inccome people to get through this. Uh or nobody

[1:07:03] the other ones don't do that. And we don't advertise that either because

[1:07:06] guess what? We want to help the people we serve. When that money runs out, we

[1:07:10] advertise that. When that money runs out, then the money runs out. We like to

[1:07:14] make have a good connection, get a relationship with all the people. And

[1:07:17] we've lost two of people. We've lost two people. They both passed away that was

[1:07:22] big donors to that that all we got to do is say listen we got a bill they gonna

[1:07:26] get cut off power and they say go ahead with that we've lost two of them so

[1:07:30] that's hurt us in the last couple years but we're serious uh we're serious about

[1:07:35] growing our community but I mean the reality of this is 47%

[1:07:42] inflation 47% 14 years and we've increased since I've been there 6.6 6.6

[1:07:48] six. That's less [clears throat] than half a percent if you divide that half

[1:07:51] percent. We probably should have done it more often. I've got board members in

[1:07:55] here uh who say, "Steve, we need to go up on rates. We need to go up on rates."

[1:08:01] We're conservative, but we want to see, but we was conservative at the point

[1:08:04] that things are not coming down and we're still down the paper. So to put

[1:08:09] and correct me if I'm wrong. So to put this proposed rate increase in

[1:08:13] perspective uh at 2 and a half% stands to over a year's period generate

[1:08:21] uh just under 1.3. So it's 1.2 two and some change million dollars and which

[1:08:28] equates out to an average user rate or increase on their monthly bill of uh a

[1:08:36] couple pennies over $4 like $45 or something like that, right?

[1:08:40] » And that's and we don't >> and that's so that that that's what

[1:08:44] we're ask John's question. >> You asked about the customer. So yes,

[1:08:48] that was increase last year. So this increase that we're proposing

[1:08:54] with $63 customer charge increase and a

[1:08:59] 016.

[1:09:03] So less than a ten increase on my question I mean that's

[1:09:09] what I was asking. I wonder how many citizens or people on the system knew

[1:09:13] that their bill went up $2 because I mean I I knew it because

[1:09:22] » Sheffield is different than the other utility around here. A lot of utilities

[1:09:27] their board sets their rates and they'll go to council. So I've been there. I've

[1:09:32] had since I've been there four rate increases since I've been there. All

[1:09:36] four of my rate increase has been on the front page of paper. everybody knew

[1:09:40] about. I've never had a rate increase since

[1:09:43] I've been there 14 years. It been on the front page of paper

[1:09:46] » and we don't want to be on the front page of paper. That's why we try to do

[1:09:49] what we're doing to you know, nobody wants it. And believe me, we don't want

[1:09:55] it either. >> Well, I mean,

[1:09:57] » it's a necessary part of the business. >> I know that, but I mean, I just think

[1:10:01] the time is bad because of how much everything costs right now for y'all.

[1:10:07] for this to come down. >> I totally agree with that.

[1:10:10] » I have a hard >> What's a better time?

[1:10:12] » Yeah, >> I don't know if there is a better time

[1:10:13] » if we But let me tell you what's going to happen right now.

[1:10:16] » We wait. >> I bet too many people.

[1:10:18] » If we wait though, what my two and a half% if we wait my two and a half% will

[1:10:23] be and I can show you this. We've been in the past by two and a half% it's

[1:10:27] going to be 4%. Then instead of $4 is going to be six or seven dollars. Two

[1:10:32] two and a half the largest rate increase I've asked since I've been here. still

[1:10:36] been the highest one's two then a couple of them 1.70

[1:10:41] uh two and a half uh you you'll see uh you'll see hopefully get ours pass and

[1:10:47] the other one it goes up well what they going to go up it's going to be

[1:10:50] extremely high it's just the situation that we in it's not it ain't it not we

[1:10:55] want it u and we've cut we've made cuts we don't talk about the cuts we make we

[1:11:01] we the cuts we make most times based on attrition and then we don't replace

[1:11:06] them. But when we don't replace somebody's important, then we have to

[1:11:09] work somebody else at a different level than we do. And so we're we're

[1:11:13] systematically doing the things that we need to do. And I welcome any of you to

[1:11:17] come down there. >> That's that's excuse me, Steve. That

[1:11:20] that's one of the things that I had asked and I sent that out to you guys

[1:11:23] earlier uh in the weekend on the questions that I did ask. And I've been

[1:11:27] pumping this information out to the public for over a month now. And it's uh

[1:11:33] and and for no other reason than I mean just like everybody else they find out

[1:11:39] about it from the paper the next day after the fact. It's like suddenly you

[1:11:44] didn't know anything about it. Now it's Sethville City Council voted to raise

[1:11:48] your rates and you didn't know about it. I've been out there for a month pushing

[1:11:53] this out and asking these questions. Why why why does everybody say we're the

[1:11:58] highest utility in the whole area when effectively we're not uh and what what's

[1:12:05] been done to cut those costs and why are we doing this now and all of those

[1:12:12] questions. I asked all those questions and I've been talking about it for over

[1:12:15] a month now in in the public sphere and uh sometimes getting my teeth kicked in

[1:12:20] sometimes not. Uh but it's uh it's been there. It's been a discussion and it's

[1:12:25] the same uh all this information that I sent I sent you guys uh out earlier this

[1:12:31] week and uh to uh to explain so that you know the questions that I sent and I

[1:12:38] asked and uh they took took a day two days and and got back I sent them an

[1:12:43] email with 28 questions on it and uh uh and they answered every one of them and

[1:12:48] uh so some of them you know some of the answers I you know I didn't care for a I

[1:12:53] don't want to pay I stuff my bills my bills the same and of course I run my

[1:12:59] air at 68 degrees so it's always going to be but it's uh but uh

[1:13:06] uh these questions that you're asking I've already asked and I've already

[1:13:11] gotten the answers to and sent them out. So it's u

[1:13:19] » well mayor as you asked earlier too and you know John and you know I respect

[1:13:23] that you know your dension here but uh what would your alternative be? Do you

[1:13:27] have a recommendation of how they make a a budget without being in a deficit?

[1:13:32] » I don't have a budget. >> You don't have to come up with a budget

[1:13:36] but I mean >> I just all I all I'm one person I'm one

[1:13:40] person sitting up here making decision. So

[1:13:43] » y'all that can make your decision. >> So I mean

[1:13:47] » well it's just out of curiosity. I mean is there an alternate solution? I mean

[1:13:52] » I don't know >> that's another that's another question

[1:13:54] I've asked and uh I know some of the more vocal folks that uh that responded

[1:14:00] to me in initially uh seemed to they seem to know something

[1:14:05] that I I didn't or I wasn't I wasn't seeing. and uh we called called in and

[1:14:10] had had a meeting up here at city hall uh with one of our county commissioners

[1:14:15] that we thought uh maybe he'd have an alternate solution and uh we listen we

[1:14:20] met with him for about two hours uh and it turns out he he he did not have an

[1:14:25] alternate solution um but uh uh and ended up agreeing with us uh as far as I

[1:14:32] mean we weren't trying to convince him anything he pretty much didn't have an

[1:14:36] alternate solution and ended up agreeing by his own perish

[1:14:40] uh that this was this is something you know I mean nobody wants to do it but

[1:14:45] the need of it doesn't go away because you don't want to do it and so if we're

[1:14:50] not going to do it then we it's still there so we still have to address it

[1:14:54] somehow >> can I ask a question the conversation

[1:15:00] with the gentleman that you just mentioned so would it have been

[1:15:04] beneficial if we could have all been a part of that

[1:15:10] » you can't I've got a transcript of it. I'd be happy.

[1:15:12] » Well, I just mean before now. >> Yeah. Well,

[1:15:14] » would it have been beneficial to have heard that?

[1:15:17] » Yeah. >> For all of us instead of just narrowed

[1:15:20] down to two >> probably not because

[1:15:25] » and uh it wasn't uh it wasn't very inform. It wasn't informative at all. Um

[1:15:31] and uh so >> more questions.

[1:15:35] » Thank you. >> Um yeah, so it wasn't uh I mean it was

[1:15:40] just something that you know uh

[1:15:45] that fell brought up some some interesting points and we're like well

[1:15:50] come in and talk to us about it and see what we're trying to figure out. I mean

[1:15:54] if there is an alternate solution then let's hear it man. You know I mean I

[1:15:59] don't want to pay more. Nobody wants to pay more and if we can do it a different

[1:16:02] way then what is that difference? Um, I haven't found a different way. And so

[1:16:09] the uh I mean that's you know what what everybody what everybody else feels or

[1:16:14] votes for it's fine. But we owe we owe the public uh an explanation of why. I

[1:16:22] mean if you if you're not going to if you're not going to vote for it then

[1:16:24] » fin board and we approve our budget every

[1:16:29] year after July. My uh my budget has not been approved this year because of this

[1:16:36] item right here. But I can tell you this, every dollar and I can show you.

[1:16:41] I've got the handouts. We didn't get the depths of it, but every dollar spent at

[1:16:45] Sheffville Utilities got a name to it. If it don't have a name to it and

[1:16:50] something comes up like a tornado comes through and and extra cost, we go back

[1:16:55] to the board and say this amount of money was spent with the storm damage

[1:16:59] and say it being half a million dollars, we look at things that we can push out.

[1:17:04] So we try to stay on a balanced budget. We operate off a balanced budget and

[1:17:08] because I I can't get there without a rate

[1:17:13] increase. Uh I mean I'm working under a budget that had been approved and we're

[1:17:18] serious about maintaining our budget. We're we got 14 years of history of it

[1:17:22] showing what we've done. I think if you think about it 47% inflation rate of 14

[1:17:28] years we've been increased 6.6%

[1:17:32] uh rate increase 6.6% 6% of that. Uh, and we've had a balanced budget. Uh,

[1:17:38] we're serious about what we do. My board is very serious about the question,

[1:17:42] John, that you're asking. I They don't stamp they don't stamp. We work several

[1:17:47] months on our on our budget. Uh, we meet with the finance committee. They ask me

[1:17:52] every question down. So, it's not something that just uh they staff and

[1:17:57] say approval. So, we're very serious about what we do. But at the same time,

[1:18:01] we at the point now, I'm getting ready to retire. We're at the point now where

[1:18:06] we want to be. We're at the point now, we got two major industries coming to

[1:18:10] our service territory, even though they're outside of Sheffield. Let me

[1:18:14] tell you this, 80% of the money that comes in of electricity is outside the

[1:18:20] city of Sheffield. 80% our sales only 20% are inside. Most of our big

[1:18:26] industries, everything outside the city limits. Whether you like the city limits

[1:18:30] or not, it is. And it cost us more to serve. We serve 11 customers per mile

[1:18:34] because we serve the whole copper county. But we're still, if you put us

[1:18:39] on a co-op range, which co-ops mostly serve the county, we're on MUN because

[1:18:44] we earlier in Ger McN, but our cost to serve is the cheapest in the state based

[1:18:50] on our number based on 11 people. So we're proud that we serve the people at

[1:18:55] that cost. It's 20% as the TVA reads in seven states. We're 20% lowest utility

[1:19:03] residential utilities in the United States. 20%. We're in the lowest 20%.

[1:19:08] 80% of the people in the United States pay more than what we pay. The thing is

[1:19:11] we live in an area that's got cold weather and cold winter. They got hot

[1:19:16] summers. So it is what it is. It's based on a kilowatt hour what you use. We

[1:19:22] lower that. We're there's nobody one utility that's around this whole region

[1:19:26] here that's uh kilowatt hour rate is lower than us. That's factual. I mean

[1:19:32] thank you for appreciate. >> Thank you.

[1:19:34] » Hey and and and council the to to answer your question

[1:19:40] the the reason that we didn't do that that was just my personal because I

[1:19:46] don't know anything about running a utility. Uh and this is on the table. Uh

[1:19:52] so in my personal research and trying to gather enough information to make an

[1:19:57] important decision, this was one individual that I came across that

[1:20:01] seemed to have some answers. Uh so I asked him to come in and talk to me and

[1:20:06] had he produced anything that was substance at all, then I certainly would

[1:20:11] have shared that and but there was really nothing to share.

[1:20:15] » Yeah. Well, that that's no fault. I'm not saying that. I mean, I didn't, you

[1:20:19] know, I wasn't having a secret meeting or anything. It's the but it was it was

[1:20:24] I mean, it was just that's my personal quest to understand what it is we're

[1:20:28] dealing with and uh because you I'm an alternate solution guy and you know and

[1:20:35] so I if there's a better way to do it and we save

[1:20:40] pay $4 extra a month then you know yeah let's do that. But uh uh and that was

[1:20:47] one individual that I thought might help us out, but it it uh it ended up not

[1:20:51] producing any any any uh usable information or any alternative ideas.

[1:20:59] » So let me go ahead and and go since I'm already here. Uh so originally um when

[1:21:07] the proposal came to transfer the governance we'll say for those of us who

[1:21:13] voted no that was a transparency

[1:21:19] concern purpose that was not a guaranteed yes for rating

[1:21:26] groups. That's just saying that. But now we're here.

[1:21:34] As I sit right now, my vote would be no. And at the request of our mayor to

[1:21:42] explain that, do we still serve right at 19,000? Mr.

[1:21:50] So with that, I feel like even though questions have

[1:21:57] been answered, this feels rushed and forced.

[1:22:03] That's my only two answers. That's the only explanation I can give. But when it

[1:22:08] affects 19,000 households, people,

[1:22:15] I I can't I can't feel rushed and coerced

[1:22:21] and make that decision different today. With that being said, what's the

[1:22:28] solution to that?

[1:22:33] I don't know that anymore. I think the the questions that our mayor

[1:22:38] has put out on social media has been excellent

[1:22:42] and it's answered a lot and he's took backlash because I've seen it. But

[1:22:48] that's just who he is in transparency and I totally agree with that.

[1:22:55] However, I know that Dr. Stokes and our mayor has more

[1:23:02] I don't want I don't know if the term access is correct

[1:23:06] but they may know more at this point of things that may

[1:23:15] look differently at the entire council.

[1:23:22] Maybe say

[1:23:27] have more information.

[1:23:33] I don't know if there is an opportunity to [clears throat]

[1:23:43] to come together as a whole. Because here's the thing, this is not a council

[1:23:48] and a mayor against Sheffield Utilities. I don't look at it that way. We're all

[1:23:53] in this together. So, I feel like we should all have

[1:24:00] I just feel like it should all have been done up to this point together

[1:24:05] so that everything's out. If somebody comes up with something

[1:24:10] extra that's not on this sheet, so big. If there's clarity, the the fact that

[1:24:17] you guys were able to do that for x amount of years to help those that

[1:24:21] couldn't, that's a big deal. I know it's not made

[1:24:26] public, but that's a big deal. That changes minds.

[1:24:32] That's not I'm not saying that's a fault. I'm not saying that what you did

[1:24:36] was wrong because you didn't have to. That that's fine. But I think that type

[1:24:41] of information makes a big difference because I think also just in things that

[1:24:47] we've learned just through preparing for this,

[1:24:53] there's way more than I knew that was a part of. But when you have a resident

[1:25:01] that just hears, well, your rate's going up.

[1:25:04] Everything under that umbrella they don't know about. They have no idea what

[1:25:08] that means. What they know is my bills going up $44

[1:25:13] if I fall into this 12275 kilowatt or whatever that was.

[1:25:21] And maybe nobody wants to share that and that's okay too.

[1:25:27] But I think it makes a difference.

[1:25:33] I'm not saying that everything should just be laid out and put out in

[1:25:36] Instagram times daily. That's not what I'm saying. I'm just saying when it

[1:25:39] comes to an increase for me in this span of time,

[1:25:51] it just feels

[1:25:56] I'll just say for for me it feels

[1:26:03] rushed. I'll just leave it at rushed. It

[1:26:11] The vote should be determined the not period

[1:26:20] not right wrong or indifferent but for my vote

[1:26:25] today with this amount of people that that's just where I am.

[1:26:33] And what's the answer

[1:26:37] or what's the alternative?

[1:26:42] I don't know what that is. But

[1:26:49] is there [clears throat] an opportunity

[1:26:55] to try to come to some type of resolution?

[1:27:01] Because if it doesn't pass and it fails, just like our mayor said,

[1:27:08] we're right back to right now at 6:25.

[1:27:16] But I at the as a city as a whole, yes, absolutely yes. We've got to go forward.

[1:27:27] Is is the two and a half best? I don't know

[1:27:31] what that answer is. All I know is how I can vote right now.

[1:27:37] So, I don't know if there is a is an openness to continue this or if we just

[1:27:44] need to black call it, vote it tonight and let's go.

[1:27:51] » So, Jack,

[1:27:53] » yes. So, it's there's there's more openness, you know. So, most so most

[1:27:59] people's financial budgets based on October 1st. Ours is July. So, we're

[1:28:04] already into a new year. Uh, but you know, I'm going to tell you this. In my

[1:28:09] 14 years of being here, I've served 33 years at TVA. How they done rate

[1:28:14] increases. Uh, I think the mayor has gave more information than I've ever

[1:28:19] seen of any uh person in leadership about what So, I hate you feel like uh

[1:28:25] it was a rush because we had this first conversation at our two-hour meeting

[1:28:31] when we met with y'all. uh what month that was and we talked about what we was

[1:28:35] going to have to do. So that was discussed. You go back and look it's in

[1:28:39] your booklet you know that we have to do that but so I hate that you feel like

[1:28:43] the rush but no yeah we always open dialogue. Yeah. So we we it's 19,000

[1:28:48] customers uh impacted but but like I said the fact is our kilowatt hour

[1:28:54] rating is not higher than anybody else. everybody thought the facts are out

[1:28:59] there and you you're going to have naysayers

[1:29:03] doctor negative everywhere you go but the fact is we want to be a good utility

[1:29:08] and we want to serve the customers that we serve but it takes money I mean to me

[1:29:14] 47% inflation over 14 years and only increase to 6.6 six. Uh that tells you

[1:29:21] we're conservative and but it's just the timing of it. So So yeah, I'm open for

[1:29:27] dialogue, you know, anytime, you know, there's brought up about we can meet.

[1:29:32] So, you know, I like to have a meeting before the meet, you know, before we

[1:29:35] have this. And I we invite to have a meeting, but it's hard to get everybody

[1:29:38] together all the time. But I like doing that. As long as they're in a quorum, we

[1:29:42] don't we're not violating anything. But so any questions like I said and John

[1:29:46] you know back to yours you know we didn't want it to be like this but we

[1:29:51] know over four meetings almost three and a half months it is what we was busy

[1:29:56] working I guess I understand that but yeah this this ain't something that only

[1:30:01] hit the front page of paper but it is what it is I mean and at some point yes

[1:30:05] we can we got to address it if we don't if we don't then our AAA rating for our

[1:30:10] bond rating will go to some other level then it's Instead of getting 4% money,

[1:30:15] we're going to get five five and a half% money. And over 30 years, you're talking

[1:30:18] about millions of dollars. So, yeah. So, open anytime 247 we'll we'll meet

[1:30:25] because it's just the urgency of what we doing. You know, it's no different any

[1:30:30] seen this morning for profit taxes across the nation is averaging about 4%

[1:30:34] increase a year. 4% increase. I mean, uh, you think about retiring, you go 4%

[1:30:39] increase on lump taxes, which that amount like a fire bill, but 4% every

[1:30:43] year, it's going to double pretty quick and then on your fixed income. So, we we

[1:30:48] take our fixed income people very seriously to do. And like I said, we

[1:30:52] don't advertise about we won't be a little bit selfish about where that

[1:30:55] money comes from and keep it for our people. Okay. Yeah. So, open 247. I'll

[1:31:01] meet with anytime Tyler will too, our CFO and my board. I mean they're open.

[1:31:06] My board's engaged that my board is not one of them boards that steps around.

[1:31:09] They're asking questions. They just don't rubber stamp everything comes

[1:31:12] through. So you know this this has been a subject been talked about for almost

[1:31:17] six months. Okay. I'm just tell you know it wasn't it wasn't last night.

[1:31:23] So yes we want to talk. Okay. We want to work with you to make this whole

[1:31:27] community successful. Not just Sheffield. We serve the whole Carver

[1:31:30] County. 80% of my customers are outside the city of Sheffield. So that's a big

[1:31:34] impact. So thank you. >> Well, I I just want you to know that I'm

[1:31:38] open >> to that conversation

[1:31:41] » and I'm available other than tomorrow. Okay.

[1:31:45] » Well, and Carol, I want to hop in real quick. So, one thing that I've been been

[1:31:48] blessed to be privy to is guy sitting right there in a blue polo, Mike Davis,

[1:31:53] who's my representative on that board. Right. He and I have talked, I don't

[1:31:56] know how many times about this this issue over the phone, in person, and

[1:32:00] then obviously at the utility board meeting. So I I do think it's important

[1:32:02] for us to have those conversations with those who represent our district. Um so

[1:32:07] I wanted to mention that. So >> so going forward, Mr. Hardrove, so I

[1:32:13] know that this has been a point of discussion

[1:32:17] that that's kind of eb and flow in and out. We'll hear of it and then not hear

[1:32:20] of it and then now it's here. So, um, with using the word, uh, assume loosely,

[1:32:29] should we go ahead and assume water and wastewater increase rate increases?

[1:32:35] We might as well just get it all out there while we're out there.

[1:32:38] » So, every inflation is inflation. Okay? So, you know, you think about a water

[1:32:43] plant and sewer plant. So, I think, and Tyler stopped me because Tyler my

[1:32:48] budget, we have not touched sewer in 14 years.

[1:32:51] » 2012. So, so 2012. So, and and there's some things going on in the water. Uh,

[1:32:59] and your father-in-law knows all about it because he gave me books about it.

[1:33:02] Uh, so there's things that's going on regulatory that's changed. So, the

[1:33:06] regulatory changed has caused cost to go up. Okay. So, we're spending where, you

[1:33:11] know, we're spending uh we're not, but the state's helping us looking at our

[1:33:16] water system and looking what we can do going forward. They're looking at should

[1:33:21] we invest money uh the estimate to take care of PAS which is a regulatory issue

[1:33:28] now uh to redo our water plants 16.6 million and that's from a year ago is

[1:33:35] that 24 yeah so them costs go up. So for us the our water plants 100 years old to

[1:33:42] meet the recordal requirements going to cost 16.6 million. So the state gave us

[1:33:47] half a million dollars to do a study uh to say okay what's the best route for

[1:33:52] you re redo this 100-y old plant and modernize it for 16.6 six. I'm hoping we

[1:33:57] can get it to that or uh the county serves got several water system. We got

[1:34:02] Mus shows, we got Tuscania, we got the county. Uh is it better to partnership?

[1:34:08] And if we did partnership, what will that cost us to do? If we if we start

[1:34:13] taking water from somebody else instead of producing ourselves, what will it

[1:34:16] cost? So, we don't know them answers yet. We'll know them answers uh by March

[1:34:22] to let us know what we need to do. So to answer your question, yeah, everybody

[1:34:27] you seen for the city of Florence went up 60%. You know, you seen that front

[1:34:31] page of paper, it went up 60%. So we hope it's not that magnitude, but we'll

[1:34:36] have educated uh we'll have information that we can make an egg chain decision

[1:34:40] and we'll bring it to you because you're the one that make that decision.

[1:34:43] » Are we on we're on the clock too as far as

[1:34:46] » So 2029 2021 >> 2029 there's a regulatory compliance

[1:34:51] date 2029. So, it's it's very seriously uh federal EPA came out said uh you can

[1:34:58] ask for an extension to go to uh 2031, but we're on the clock. We're on the

[1:35:03] clock. So, we expect to get our information in March to make a decision

[1:35:07] that one way or another to go, you know, and nobody wants to give up that piece

[1:35:11] of pie. We understand that. But at the same time, uh we need what's the best

[1:35:17] thing for our citizens that we serve and water is just served the city of city of

[1:35:21] Sheffield. So this will be a city sheet is it won't be anybody else residence.

[1:35:25] So we'll we'll have that information shared with you when we get it. But

[1:35:29] we're looking forward to you know it either way it's not going to be a cheap

[1:35:33] thing. You know the plants Florence looking one $200 million

[1:35:38] for new water plant you know $50 million for new water plant. So that's the kind

[1:35:42] of things we're talking about. We're talking about huge amounts of money when

[1:35:45] you don't have but uh 5,000 customers. talk about going up for 16 million. If

[1:35:52] you don't have 5,000 customer, you're talking about going up 10 to 12. That's

[1:35:56] what you're talking about. >> So that's March for water.

[1:36:01] » Yeah. Yeah.

[1:36:07] » Thank you. >> Thank you.

[1:36:10] » Thanks.

[1:36:20] So in light of what she brought up

[1:36:26] there is

[1:36:31] would you would would you propose that we table this so that you do have time

[1:36:37] to

[1:36:40] find out and

[1:36:44] There's >> Yeah,

[1:36:47] » she mentioned not having a ton. >> There's a lot.

[1:36:53] I'm gonna be honest. Not speaking for Carol or anybody else up here. I feel

[1:36:58] bullied. Point blank. I feel bullied into making

[1:37:02] a decision on this tonight. And I don't like being back

[1:37:07] and I feel like that's what I'm being backed into making a decision right now.

[1:37:12] And I don't like it. And that's why I'm

[1:37:17] It seems like everything to me. It seems like everything's just being bombarded

[1:37:22] on one or me. I'm not speaking for anybody else.

[1:37:25] » I mean, I guess it is you because this mean I know I've been I've been reading

[1:37:30] all your stuff. I mean, so this has been a long time coming. This isn't something

[1:37:35] just came out of >> I understand that. I've been keeping up

[1:37:37] with everything and but right now I just don't feel like I can vote yes.

[1:37:46] That's just my my take.

[1:37:50] » I would say for me mayor for me I don't know about anyone else if

[1:37:57] we could take

[1:38:02] » Well, I mean I'm I'm not opposed to that. Is that something we can do? I

[1:38:06] mean procedurally can can yeah >> then then let's say you can take a vote

[1:38:12] and take one next meeting there more than one

[1:38:16] » this is just the first reading right >> well this is this isolution that's not

[1:38:21] » it's not an ordinance so it's just a resolution but

[1:38:26] I mean I don't I don't want you to feel pressured and you know and I don't want

[1:38:31] you to feel pressured I don't want anybody to feel pressured um said I

[1:38:36] I've got I'm going to make my time come down there and speak. I mean that's only

[1:38:42] you know that I mean of course I mean now

[1:38:46] you know I have I mean I you guys all do something else you know and uh so I mean

[1:38:54] I've been getting my teeth kicked in over this thing for over

[1:38:58] and I mean so but this is something that's been on the table for a while and

[1:39:02] I started well over a month two three months ago asking these questions just

[1:39:06] because well I was worried and because I didn't know anything about it and I

[1:39:10] still don't know feel like I even know enough. Uh but it's I mean we fresh then

[1:39:17] what's we got to vote on this tonight. We vote

[1:39:21] on it the 21st when we come back and we vote on it October whatever the first

[1:39:26] one in October. I mean, you know, I mean, I'm just speaking I'm not speaking

[1:39:32] for anybody, >> but I don't want you to feel that that's

[1:39:34] not the point of I'm approaching this as something that, you know, it's been on

[1:39:40] the table for a while and this is just a natural progression of thought. It

[1:39:44] doesn't feel rushed at all. Uh, as a matter of fact, it's probably something

[1:39:48] we probably should have done already um address, but it uh I mean, it is what it

[1:39:55] is. I mean, and and I apologize if I made you guys feel

[1:40:00] bullied or or whatever, but it's that's not that's not unusual for you.

[1:40:05] » Well, well, it it kind of is.

[1:40:11] And uh so uh you know, I'm I'm all for hanging on to um

[1:40:19] » Well, just like I stated, I don't know if it was the last council meeting of

[1:40:23] the time board. I mean, we're all in this together.

[1:40:26] » Yeah. >> And

[1:40:29] » well, that's right. >> If anybody feels a friction

[1:40:33] that shouldn't be um because we're just starting

[1:40:39] and we have residents, we have folks who depend on us.

[1:40:48] And I don't want division a seed of some division to be in put somewhere

[1:40:57] because we can't work that way. So if to table it helps it then I'm for

[1:41:04] it 100%. >> Well I mean the reason for tableling it

[1:41:08] would be to give more time for question answers more time for discovery.

[1:41:14] » Right. I'm not asking for it to go away. That's not what I'm saying at all.

[1:41:19] It's something that's got to be a direct.

[1:41:21] » Yeah. Well, and to that point, it's it's not going to go away. You know, we can

[1:41:24] keep hunting it, but it's going to be just like Florence, right? And so,

[1:41:28] that's one thing that it's it's unfortunate. I know it's unpopular. I

[1:41:31] don't like it either, but need to get as much information as we can. And, you

[1:41:35] know, so I mean, I I send I can send out more. Um, you know, pretty much

[1:41:42] everything that I've been given I uh I sent to you guys. And I know it's a lot

[1:41:47] when you get an email. It's got six attachments on it. Um and uh so

[1:41:54] uh and that's a lot of data uh to look at and uh but

[1:42:02] that's all I have. I mean that's all information I have. Um so it's

[1:42:08] so for me not to be prevy to something that nobody else has to arrive at some

[1:42:13] sort of conclusion. That's uh >> And when I said that, I just meant

[1:42:19] that you're able to go to these board meetings and and maybe have more

[1:42:23] information than what I would what I would have because I don't

[1:42:27] » I don't have that freedom. >> Yeah. Okay.

[1:42:29] » That's all. >> I get that's So,

[1:42:34] » all right. Well, I mean, I'm I'm I'm in favor of of hanging on to this and to to

[1:42:40] get you guys and then I'm available and I know any one of those guys are

[1:42:44] available um to uh I mean, my answers are going to come as I understand it. I

[1:42:51] mean, so you might, you know, you might want to ask somebody else [laughter]

[1:42:56] because I pretty much laid out exactly what I was thinking anyway. So uh uh but

[1:43:02] as I mean but then again I don't know anything about running them. I don't

[1:43:07] know I don't know that I mean so the people that are uh most most of the most

[1:43:14] the folks uh in charge of running our utility are sitting here. Um those are

[1:43:20] the folks uh that provide the answer. That's who

[1:43:23] I've been anyway. That's where I've gotten my information.

[1:43:28] So Mr. Harrow and

[1:43:32] and Keith, so is there there is there an opportunity that we can meet

[1:43:38] collectively? >> You forum is established. It's a it's a

[1:43:43] meeting. >> Okay.

[1:43:44] » So it has to be noticed and it's going to be open.

[1:43:48] » Okay. >> Just like tonight, you have a special

[1:43:52] meeting, but it has to be noticed if

[1:43:57] two can be >> that's what I'm saying if only two

[1:44:04] » but you got three then you establish a quum so it's got to be a call

[1:44:12] » sure I mean the laws allow

[1:44:18] » but it's all gather >> it's up to three of us

[1:44:22] » that's correct >> or Exactly.

[1:44:27] » We do that often. I do that with my board me.

[1:44:31] » What is the what is the problem with I mean you're not talking about the death

[1:44:36] sent to somebody. You're talking about utility. I mean what's the problem

[1:44:40] having somebody outside of the committee? What's the matter? What's the

[1:44:43] problem with having the media there? I mean it's you're not going to be

[1:44:47] invading anybody's privacy. You're not talking about any personal. You're just

[1:44:51] talking numbers and how you can get together. I don't see what I know I'm in

[1:44:56] the media, but I don't really see the issue of trying to keep it oyster

[1:45:04] the rules that we're held to. >> Well, I think Steve's point is why not

[1:45:08] just all of us get together and just have a public meeting.

[1:45:12] » Somebody wants to show up, they show up >> and and I'm fine with that as well. I

[1:45:17] mean, >> yeah, there's any of those other, you

[1:45:21] know, meeting that I wouldn't be afraid >> for anyone else to say.

[1:45:30] » Well, when it's something that's this important, [clears throat]

[1:45:34] I don't think that we should pass on trying to

[1:45:40] » correct. Well, the public has a right to know what's going on and and the more

[1:45:46] important it is, the more the public's right comes into play. With all respect

[1:45:53] and and again, we're not talking life or death. We're talking about utility. I I

[1:45:59] just don't understand why such crime having media or uh any citizen of

[1:46:05] Sheffield sit in on the meeting. They don't have

[1:46:08] to contribute. They just have to be able to observe and hear what's going on,

[1:46:12] learn something about the process. I I don't see a problem.

[1:46:16] As a member of the media, >> I'll meet anywhere anytime.

[1:46:25] [clears throat]

[1:46:31] » All right. So, what do we do? Table that.

[1:46:38] » Okay. What do we need to do officially?

[1:46:44] We can just y

[1:46:59] » a few of y'all.

[1:47:02] No, I think I think uh for just in the interest of time, not that we're rushed

[1:47:07] or in a hurry, but if we can all get together, the only reason we would have

[1:47:11] a second meeting would be is if somebody couldn't make the purchase, right?

[1:47:18] » You mean the next scheduled meeting? >> Yeah. No. Well, no. Let's Yeah, because

[1:47:23] she's saying we need to >> schedule a time for a meeting

[1:47:28] or >> everybody's going

[1:47:30] » to discuss this. >> Yes.

[1:47:33] » Yeah. Can I make a suggestion? >> So, we're open, you know, so at any time

[1:47:39] and a lot of y'all drop by anyway. So, if you just let us know at that time,

[1:47:44] could be one of you, two of them, and we can answer individually. That way y'all

[1:47:47] can, you know, go about your own business one onone has got questions at

[1:47:52] the time, you know, set up appointment with them. We'll we'll be prepared for

[1:47:55] that. We we're prepared. We got all the information. So that way you don't have

[1:47:59] to go all your out of your way. I know you work. So if it's after hours, we

[1:48:03] can, you know, it won't be pressure packed either. We just give you the

[1:48:06] information and we make it work. I'm fine with that. I mean,

[1:48:10] » yeah. Yeah. So I think it's just a that way you know John can come down there

[1:48:14] and spend time with whoever he wants to you know we can answer your questions.

[1:48:17] So it's it's just a it's a meet I call it a meeting before the meeting you know

[1:48:22] you know I like to have a meeting before the meeting then they know there's no

[1:48:25] surprise nobody likes to comes to meet and have surprises. That's the reason we

[1:48:29] have a meeting before the meeting. This is going to be brought up and we discuss

[1:48:32] it. You know >> yeah it works well. Yeah. So I just

[1:48:37] [clears throat]

[1:48:44] » okay >> if it's works for

[1:48:46] » everybody

[1:48:54] number two >> number two

[1:49:00] » consider approval for mayor van deer to execute contract agreement with for 2027

[1:49:06] for the senior center.

[1:49:11] » Yeah, mayor. So, what you had this packet here we didn't really discuss.

[1:49:14] What is this including? >> Lisa, you want to help us?

[1:49:21] » This is just our senior grant that's done every year. That's where the money

[1:49:26] comes in. They all lot us like $7,600 I believe for the senior center

[1:49:32] » covers meals and um the whole the package of everything that they call

[1:49:38] provides for our seniors. >> Okay. He's just we're basically signing

[1:49:41] off. Okay. >> All right.

[1:49:44] » Basically a reform

[1:49:55] » that way everybody can get.

[1:50:03] » Okay. So

[1:50:14] » yeah. >> So do I have a motion to uh give me the

[1:50:18] authorization to execute that contract agreement with?

[1:50:23] » So move. >> Second.

[1:50:26] » I'll second.

[1:50:31] » All in favor say I. >> I. All finished.

[1:50:37] Okay. Um so the next item

[1:50:43] authorizing uh Mayor Van Debers for garbage services.

[1:50:49] So just so as we begin developing this 2027

[1:50:54] budget, I want us to know exactly what it costs the city to operate certain

[1:50:58] services and what those same services would cost if they were provided in

[1:51:02] another way. this request for alternative solution.

[1:51:07] And uh so I want to be very clear. Uh so I'm asking tonight for authorization to

[1:51:12] solicit bids for citywide garbage collection services. So I want to be

[1:51:16] real clear what that is and what it's not. Uh we uh we have not made a

[1:51:21] decision to outsource garbage collection and this is not a proposal to

[1:51:25] discontinue service that we're providing today. Uh and frankly that's not my

[1:51:30] objective at all. uh this just merely due diligence. So we know what it cost

[1:51:36] us to operate our existing service. What we don't know is what the private market

[1:51:40] would charge uh Sheffield to provide comparable citywide services until we

[1:51:45] solicit those bids. We're just guessing. Um I know in the past there are other uh

[1:51:52] there are other companies uh in the market now. So I expect four maybe five

[1:51:59] other bids come in on that. So then we could do a sideby-side comparison on

[1:52:05] what we spend today on these services inhouse relative to what they would cost

[1:52:10] to outsource just the garbage pickup. It would be the refuge pickup or anything

[1:52:14] like that. Not the big trucks. Uh just the what comes out of the house and the

[1:52:18] garbage can >> strictly the household.

[1:52:20] » Yeah. >> Okay. Here's another question about

[1:52:21] that. the revenue that we get off of that

[1:52:29] you by any intent and I'm I'm asking a question I'm sure but I try to look back

[1:52:33] in our budget thing what's the you have any idea what the

[1:52:39] revenue how much a year the garbage generates I know there's

[1:52:45] » what four I know that's >> that's where I'm

[1:52:51] » that's what I'm saying and that's what I'm saying you're talking.

[1:52:54] » I know. >> So, the the idea is we we get we'll get

[1:52:57] these bids in. So, and then come back with a full, you know, this is this is

[1:53:03] what it costs and this is the revenue that generates. This is what that would

[1:53:08] look like going to this company, that company, that company or anything like

[1:53:12] that. Just compare it and see. >> This is just basically just

[1:53:16] » it's just due diligence. So, it's not going to contract. No, no, no, no, no.

[1:53:23] It's just just to find out. We don't have to accept what is we're we're doing

[1:53:27] due diligence just to figure out what it would cost because we don't know.

[1:53:31] » Uh because at one time years ago when we did outsource that there was really only

[1:53:36] one player in the game now. Yeah. name and and I used to work in that

[1:53:42] business in the early 2000s and uh it's it it was it was a it was a wild west

[1:53:47] back and but things have changed now and there are other companies in the game

[1:53:52] now in the market and uh so it's just it's a due diligence uh exercise is is

[1:53:59] all it is. This doesn't obligate us for anything. it just authorizes me the

[1:54:04] ability to solicit those bids uh and then we bring those in and look at that

[1:54:10] as a relative comparison to what we're doing.

[1:54:14] Okay. So, do uh

[1:54:19] do I be a resol do I have a motion to allow Mayor Van Deer be a resolved by

[1:54:25] the city council city of Sheffield that Mayor Vander isn't hereby authorized to

[1:54:29] let bids city garbage services? Do I have a motion?

[1:54:34] » Motion have a second.

[1:54:39] » Second. >> All in favor say I.

[1:54:43] » I. All oppose. Same. Uh, be it resolved by the city council

[1:54:48] of the city of Sheffield that the city will participate in the 2027 severe

[1:54:52] weather preparedness tax holiday which begins at 12:01 a.m. on Friday, February

[1:54:58] 26, 2027 and ends at 12 midnight on Sunday, February 12, 2027.

[1:55:05] Do I have a motion? So move. I

[1:55:10] » have a second. Second. >> All in favor say I.

[1:55:15] » I. >> All oppose. Same.

[1:55:18] And be a resolved by the city council of the city of Sheffville that Jeffrey

[1:55:22] McKindall and Andre Day be and are hereby hired as police officers to fill

[1:55:27] the vacancies in the police department. Do I have a motion?

[1:55:31] » So move. >> Second. Second.

[1:55:37] » All in favor say I. >> All post same.

[1:55:41] be resolved by the city council of the city of Sheffield that the following

[1:55:44] vehicles be and are hereby declared surplus in the parks and recreation

[1:55:48] department uh 2002 Ford F-150 and that van number

[1:55:55] and a 1997 Ford F-150 at that bin. Do I have a motion?

[1:56:02] » Make a motion. >> Second.

[1:56:06] » Second. >> All in favor say I.

[1:56:09] » I. All pass

[1:56:18] be resolved by the city council city of Sheffield that expenses in the amount of

[1:56:22] $634 be uh be and are hereby approved for Scholes auto glass to repair a

[1:56:28] windshield for a 2024 GMC Yukon damaged by the shut street.

[1:56:34] But I mean, I'll make the motion, but I'm just curious what happened on that

[1:56:38] side. >> Rocks

[1:56:42] tree. >> Yeah. Chunk chunked a piece of a tree,

[1:56:46] hit somebody. >> Yeah.

[1:56:49] » I'll make a move. [clears throat]

[1:56:51] » Second. >> Second.

[1:56:55] » All in favor say I. >> I.

[1:56:57] » All post same. uh be resolved that city council of the city of Sheffield that

[1:57:01] expenses in the amount of $85 be and are hereby approved for

[1:57:06] reimbursement to Rod Rodney Rippy for mailed lab work. Do I have a motion?

[1:57:12] Motion second.

[1:57:16] » I'll say all in favor say I. >> I. All same. Be it resolved by the city

[1:57:22] council of the city of Sheffield that expenses in the amount of $9.99

[1:57:27] be and are hereby approved for reimbursement to Eva Richardson for

[1:57:31] Dream Host Software at the library. Have a motion.

[1:57:37] » Motion second.

[1:57:40] » I'll second. >> All in favor say I.

[1:57:43] » I. All same. Be it resolved by the city council of

[1:57:47] the city of Sheffville that expenses in the amount of $2,000 be and are hereby

[1:57:52] approved for eight employees to attend the EMR emergency medical response

[1:57:58] responder training without a motion. >> Motion

[1:58:05] a second. >> I'll second.

[1:58:09] » All in favor say I. I have those same. What were the employees in the certain

[1:58:16] department? Okay. Gota

[1:58:25] and then

[1:58:31] that's so resolution authorizing city of Sheffield to enter an agreement with

[1:58:35] Civic Plus for doc access services. uh

[1:58:43] whereas the city of Sheffield provides public documents and information to

[1:58:47] citizens through its municipal websites and whereas the city desires to improve

[1:58:52] accessibility of PDF documents published through its websites for individuals

[1:58:57] with disabilities and to support the city's efforts to comply with applicable

[1:59:02] accessibility requirements by the state. And whereas civil civic plus offers doc

[1:59:08] access a document accessibility platform that scans converts and monitors PDF

[1:59:13] documents published on websites and whereas civic plus has submitted

[1:59:17] statement of work quote uh which is included package to provide doc access

[1:59:23] services for the city's websites at cheffield Alabama.net chefalabama.gov

[1:59:29] uh and the cheffel.org. Whereas the initial term of the

[1:59:34] agreement shall run from October 1st, 2026 through September 30th, 2027 at a

[1:59:41] total initial term cost of $6,36140

[1:59:45] with annual recurring services thereafter as provided in the agreement

[1:59:50] uh with the second year being $1,500 less. Um now therefore be it resolved

[1:59:56] that by the city council city of Sheffield uh [clears throat] hereby

[1:59:59] approves the acquisition of civic plus dock access services pursuant to the

[2:00:05] statement of work quote. Uh the mayor is hereby authorized to execute the

[2:00:10] statement of work and such other documents as may be reasonably necessary

[2:00:15] to implement the dock access services on behalf of the city of Sheffield. Subject

[2:00:20] to review and approval as to form uh by the city attorney. Uh the

[2:00:27] expenditure of $6,36140 for the initial term is hereby

[2:00:32] authorized from the appropriate city fund uh or account determined by the

[2:00:37] city clerk or treasurer with a portion of that coming from what's remaining

[2:00:41] from uh what the neo god does pay. And so a portion of that would be coming

[2:00:46] from that refund that we got. Mr. President, uh do I have a motion?

[2:00:56] A second.

[2:01:02] » All in favor say I. >> I. All same.

[2:01:15] Resolution authorizing city of Sheffield to enter

[2:01:18] an agreement with Neo gov power EMS

[2:01:25] a resolution authorizing temporary expenditures for

[2:01:29] enhanced open AI check codeex development services for Sheffield

[2:01:35] municipal OS and fiscal year 2027 budget preparation. City of Sheffield

[2:01:42] mayor is developing Sheffield municipal OS as an internal financial and

[2:01:48] executive management platform intended to approve the city's budgeting,

[2:01:52] financial analysis, and reporting and decision making process by the city.

[2:01:57] Whereas the city is currently utilizing the development of Sheffield municipal

[2:02:01] OS in connection with preparation and analysis presentation publication of the

[2:02:06] city's fiscal year 2027 municipal budget and whereas additional open AI chat GPT

[2:02:13] development capacity is temporary temporarily necessary to support

[2:02:18] continued software development and avoid interruptions caused by usage

[2:02:22] limitations during this accelerated development period. Now therefore, be it

[2:02:26] resolved by the city council of the city of Sheffield, Alabama, that the mayor is

[2:02:30] hereby authorized to expend an amount to not to exceed $1,000 for enhanced of an

[2:02:38] AI chat GPT codeex development services related usage for a period not to extend

[2:02:44] three months for the purpose of completing Sheffield Municipal OS and

[2:02:49] supporting the development, analysis, presentation, and publication of the

[2:02:53] city's fiscal year 2027. Seven municipal budget.

[2:02:57] » Yeah, I have a motion. >> So move.

[2:03:04] » Second. >> I'll second.

[2:03:07] All >> in favor say I.

[2:03:08] » I. >> All oppose same.

[2:03:12] Now, >> a resolution authorizing the city of

[2:03:15] Sheffield to enter into an agreement with Neoga Power DMFS for human

[2:03:20] resources, payroll, benefits, time and attendance, and onboarding services.

[2:03:25] city of whereas the city of Sheffield desires to modernize and consolidate

[2:03:29] administrative functions associated with the employee payroll benefits

[2:03:33] administration core human resources time and attendance employee employee

[2:03:38] onboarding and related payroll services and whereas Neo gov power DMS has

[2:03:44] submitted an order form to the city of Sheffield for benefits core HR payroll

[2:03:51] time and attendance onboarding and payroll service subscriptions s together

[2:03:55] with associated implementation and setup services. And whereas the proposed

[2:04:00] services are intended to improve the efficiency, the consistency and

[2:04:05] administration of the city's employee and payroll process. And whereas the

[2:04:10] order form provides for a firstear total of $53,45140

[2:04:15] [clears throat]

[2:04:18] with a period beginning October 1st through October 1st, 2026 and ending

[2:04:23] September 30th, 2027 and identifies a second year recurring total of

[2:04:28] $49,14945.

[2:04:32] Now therefore, be it resolved the city council the city of Sheffield, Alabama

[2:04:37] as follows. City hereby approves the acquisition of the Neo Gov power DMS

[2:04:42] benefits core HR payroll time and attendance onboarding and payroll

[2:04:47] service subscriptions associated setups substantially in in accordance with the

[2:04:52] order form presented to city council. Uh the mayor is hereby authorized to

[2:04:57] execute the applicable agreement order form and such other documents as may be

[2:05:01] reasonably necessary to implement the services on behalf of the city of

[2:05:06] Sheffield subject to the review and approval as to form by the city

[2:05:10] attorney. The expenditure of an amount not to exceed $53,45140

[2:05:17] for the first year term is hereby authorized from the appropriate city

[2:05:20] fund or account as determined by the city clerk or treasurer which would be

[2:05:26] the [clears throat] refund that would be received from the

[2:05:29] 2010 grant. Any renewal or expenditure beyond the approved first year shall

[2:05:35] remain subject to the city's applicable budget and expenditure authorization

[2:05:39] procedures. Do I have a motion?

[2:05:43] » So move.

[2:05:48] » Second. >> Second.

[2:05:51] » All in favor say I. >> I. All oppose. Same.

[2:06:03] be resolved by the city council of the city of Sheffield that contribution in

[2:06:08] the amount of $2,500 be and hereby approved

[2:06:13] for the

[2:06:18] Thomas Legacy of Love

[2:06:22] scholarship fund and it contribution.

[2:06:29] So move. >> Second.

[2:06:31] » Second. All >> in favor say I.

[2:06:34] » I. >> All same.

[2:06:48] » Just case. All right. I got a comment. >> Now we got public comment. Anybody got

[2:06:54] something they want to say? [laughter] Yes, ma'am. Please.

[2:06:59] very very quick. Good evening.

[2:07:04] » I like your shirt. I like your shirt. Thank you.

[2:07:07] » My name is Valerie Burks and I'm a co-chair for the Sterling Sheffield High

[2:07:12] Union Committee and I just want to come here and thank you guys for all of your

[2:07:16] support and everything uh to help us execute.

[2:07:22] We really would like to thank you for the uh approval of renaming the park

[2:07:26] from Avalon Park to RS Community Park. Thank you for the signage uh getting

[2:07:33] that fabricated and installed before the really appreciate all like to thank the

[2:07:39] police department, the fire department for their participation. Uh you at the

[2:07:43] open ceremony, superintendent still at the open ceremony

[2:07:48] uh down at the unveiling. I mean everything. You guys were great. We had

[2:07:52] a great time. So, fire department, uh, sanitation department, parks and rec,

[2:07:58] you guys all support. So, just want to say thanks.

[2:08:03] » Thank you. >> I'm not asking for anything. [laughter]

[2:08:07] » Thanks.

[2:08:14] And so yeah, the uh I guess the the other announcement would be rescheduling

[2:08:20] the city uh on taking the bids at 1616 shot.

[2:08:26] Um >> I got a question. You dropped the ball.

[2:08:31] » I did. Yeah, that's the reason that's me.

[2:08:34] » So that's the reason because there was a couple came up last week put in a bid.

[2:08:38] » Oh, we got we got a half dozen or eight? We got like seven or eight.

[2:08:42] » I got I only got one phone call. >> I said I got a bunch.

[2:08:48] » So that's the reason they couldn't put a meeting in.

[2:08:50] » Okay.

[2:08:53] Yeah, sorry. Okay, mayor. >> Another announcement, mayor, that um

[2:09:01] there's a produce distribution at Food Bank of North Alabama and Shedville

[2:09:04] Farmers Market, but we'll be providing a variety of fresh fruits and vegetables.

[2:09:09] Uh come by for fresh produce. This event is free and open to the public. This

[2:09:13] will be on Wednesday, September 16th. So, that's next Wednesday, correct?

[2:09:16] Yeah. from 11 to 12 at First Missionary Baptist Church, 11:03 Sterling

[2:09:21] Boulevard, Shan, Alabama. Just want to make that announce.

[2:09:26] » Okay. >> And then next Saturday at 9:30,

[2:09:30] » this Saturday. >> This Saturday

[2:09:32] at 9:30 at Olly Harrisville. The game is on uh city kickball game.

[2:09:40] » What's it for? >> It is. Uh Oh, yeah. There's there's a

[2:09:44] reason for it. uh do bring non-p perishable goods uh with you and those

[2:09:50] will go to kids and uh it's my team versus even

[2:09:59] this was the event's idea and so we've I guess been training. Have you been

[2:10:04] training? Bro, don't be train.

[2:10:10] » But it should be should be a good time and hopefully we can get a lot of

[2:10:14] donations both monetary and and donations of canned food, non-p

[2:10:17] perishable foods uh for the city schools. So, we're excited about it.

[2:10:20] » It it should be it should be a lot of fun to watch.

[2:10:25] Yeah, I will pull. I got one thing about

[2:10:31] I know y'all know everybody getting tired when we talk about this

[2:10:34] especially. Is there any way and I know it shouldn't

[2:10:38] be a hard thing to do at the first of every month.

[2:10:43] Each one of us have a sheet of checks and balance what goes in and out of the

[2:10:47] record. That gonna be I mean I know you're on

[2:10:51] the board so I mean I fig it' be easy for you to do that for us and that way

[2:10:57] we'll have a record >> that should go. So that

[2:11:07] » Yeah. >> Okay.

[2:11:10] » Hey, and John in that in that in that regard. Get

[2:11:15] with me and um we'll go to that and then we'll like formally request them to come

[2:11:21] present. How about that?

[2:11:27] » Let's do that. Okay. Just let me know what I mean. I just came up with the

[2:11:32] idea

[2:11:36] » the All right. Anybody got anything? Anybody standing?

[2:11:43] » Do I have a motion to adjurnn? So move second.

[2:11:46] » All in favor say I.

[2:12:27] It works.

[2:12:52] Thank you. >> Okay.

Sheffield City Council - September 8, 2026

Transcript