Jul 09, 2026 Special City Council Meeting

[00:00:01]

NOW GOING TO CALL THIS MEETING OF THE CITY COUNCIL TO ORDER.

WE'RE CONVENING NOW FOR THE PURPOSE OF A WORK SESSION REGARDING ITEMS FOR PRESENTATION AND DISCUSSION ON ISSUES THAT MIGHT REQUIRE IN-DEPTH CONSIDERATION BY THE CITY COUNCIL.

NO ACTION WILL BE TAKEN BY THE CITY COUNCIL IN THIS WORK SESSION.

[1. Discuss planning, goals, and budget priorities for the Lubbock City Council and the City of Lubbock, and discuss the programs, expenditures and policies of the City Council and the City of Lubbock, including but not limited to the Lubbock City Charter, ARPA funding, annexation and growth, aquatics, substance abuse, municipal fees, transportation, infrastructure, solid waste, streets, Gateway Fund, Civic Center, Lubbock Animal Services, libraries, community engagement, capital improvements, facilities, parks and recreation, development services, legislative agenda, public safety, public health, public safety infrastructure, code enforcement, staffing levels, and future needs. This discussion may include a wide range of topics related to the programs, operation, and policies of the City Council and the City of Lubbock. The City Council may give direction to the City Manager in regard to determining the priorities and goals discussed.]

I KNOW YOU'VE ALL HAD A CHANCE TO SPEAK WITH HILARY HERE, HILARY, WE APPRECIATE YOU WORKING WITH US AND HOPE THAT THE TIME WE HAVE TOGETHER TODAY IS PROFITABLE. I KNOW DOCTOR WILSON HAS TO LEAVE ABOUT 230, SO WE WANT TO KEEP THIS PROCESS MOVING FORWARD.

MY GOAL WHEN WE'RE DONE HERE NEXT WEEK, IS THAT OUR CITY MANAGER CAN TAKE SOMETHING OF VALUE AWAY FROM THIS THAT HELPS HIM IN HIS BUDGET PROCESS.

SO THAT HE DOESN'T. WHEN I LOOK AT HIM AND SAY, DID YOU GET ANYTHING OUT OF THIS? HERE I GO AGAIN THIS YEAR, LIKE WE HAVE IN THE PAST.

I WANT SOMETHING CONCRETE FOR HIM. AND I KNOW THAT, YOU KNOW, WE'LL BE DISCUSSING STUFF THAT SOME THINGS THAT HAVE BUDGET IMPLICATIONS, SOME THINGS MAY NOT HAVE BUDGET IMPLICATIONS.

SOMETHING MAY BE FOR THIS BUDGET YEAR, SOME THINGS MAY BE FOR THREE, FOUR, FIVE YEARS OUT.

SO, YOU KNOW, THERE'S A LOT WE NEED TO DISCUSS AND SO I DON'T THINK WE'LL START OFF WITH ANYTHING OR JUST TURN IT RIGHT OVER TO HILLARY.

RIGHT OVER TO HILLARY. ALRIGHT, HILLARY, THANK YOU AGAIN. ABSOLUTELY.

THANK YOU ALL FOR HAVING ME. AND THANK YOU FOR THE TIME YOU COMMITTED AHEAD OF THIS MEETING AND THE ONE THAT WE'LL HAVE NEXT WEEK WHERE YOU REALLY WERE VERY THOUGHTFUL IN YOUR RESPONSES TO MY MANY QUESTIONS, MY THOUSAND QUESTIONS THAT I ASKED YOU.

BUT REALLY THE PURPOSE OF THAT WAS TO BRING TOGETHER SOME OF THOSE LIKE AREAS OF INTEREST SO THAT WE COULD DISCUSS THEM MORE THOUGHTFULLY AND THOROUGHLY AS WE MOVE FORWARD.

I AM WITH A COMPANY CALLED SGR. I LIVE IN TEMPLE, TEXAS.

I HAVE MANY, MANY, MANY RELATIVES WHO HAVE PASSED THROUGH TEXAS TECH UNIVERSITY, SOME MORE SUCCESSFULLY THAN OTHERS.

BUT IT IS. Y'ALL HAVE BEEN VERY WELCOMING AND KIND TO HAVE ME.

SO I HOPE THAT TODAY WE WILL GET THROUGH WHAT WE INTEND TO, WHICH AGAIN IS NOT DECISION MAKING REALLY TODAY IS TO START THAT THOUGHT PROCESS.

WE'RE GOING TO THROW INFORMATION AT YOU AND HOPE THAT YOU'LL TAKE IT BETWEEN NOW AND NEXT WEEK AND SORT OF RUMINATE ON IT AND PIECE TOGETHER IN YOUR MIND WHAT YOU THINK ARE THE GREATEST PRIORITIES FOR THE THE UPCOMING BUDGET YEAR, BUT THEN WHAT IT IS YOU'RE LOOKING TO OBTAIN OR ACHIEVE IN YEARS BEYOND THAT.

SO I ALWAYS LIKE TO START WITH SOME GOOD GOVERNANCE.

LET'S JUST TALK ABOUT KIND OF HIGH LEVEL, WHAT IT IS THAT WE'RE DOING, WHY WE'RE DOING IT.

WHAT ARE SOME GOOD PRINCIPLES TO KEEP IN MIND? THE CITY MANAGER IS GOING TO GIVE YOU A FINANCIAL PRESENTATION. HE'S GOING TO GIVE YOU SOME NUMBERS.

HE'S GOING TO THROW A LOT OF INFORMATION AT YOU. BUT REALLY IT'S SETTING THE STAGE FOR WHERE WE STAND CURRENTLY. I ASKED YOU ALL FOR YOUR SWOT ASSESSMENTS TODAY.

POINT IN TIME, WHERE DO WE THINK WE ARE? AND THIS WILL PLAY INTO THAT.

BUT THEN ULTIMATELY IT'S GOING TO SET US UP TO HAVE A DISCUSSION ABOUT THE NEXT BUDGET YEAR AND WHAT SOME OF OUR PRIORITIES ARE, BUT ALSO KEEPING OUR EYE ON THAT LONGER TERM FUTURE FUTURE.

AND ARE WE MAKING GOOD DECISIONS TODAY THAT WILL AFFECT THE CHANGE WE EXPECT TOMORROW? THEN I'M GOING TO DIVE INTO THE RESULTS OF THOSE INTERVIEWS THAT WE DID.

SO KIND OF THE CUMULATIVE REPORT OF WHAT I HEARD FROM YOU WITH REGARD TO WHERE WE THINK WE STAND, AND THEN WE WILL END WITH WHAT OUR PRIORITIES HAVE BEEN.

THERE'S SOME CATEGORY AREAS, BUT THEN WE WANT TO LOOK AT THOSE AREAS OF FOCUS THAT YOU ALL IDENTIFIED, SEE IF THE TWO MESH AND THEN START TO PIECE TOGETHER WHAT WE THINK IS LEADING THE LIST OF OUR EXPECTATIONS SO THAT WE CAN COME BACK WITH EITHER MORE INFORMATION FOR YOU OR A MORE THOROUGH DISCUSSION AT NEXT WEEK'S SESSION. SO REALLY TODAY IS A BUILD, THROWING A BUNCH OF STUFF AT YOU SO THAT WE CAN COME BACK AND KIND OF NARROW IN NEXT WEEK.

SO GOOD GOVERNANCE. REALLY, WE'RE, WE'RE TASKED WITH AND CHARGED WITH CONSIDERING ALL STAKEHOLDERS, WE SHOULD BE MAKING DECISIONS THAT ARE IN THE BEST INTEREST OF THE COMMUNITY AS A WHOLE. WE WANT TO CREATE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT ALL ALONG THE WAY.

YOU ALL ARE NO STRANGERS TO THAT, ESPECIALLY THIS WEEK.

BUT REALLY WE'RE TRYING TO INVOLVE THE CITIZENS IN THE PROCESS. SO THEY'RE NOT SURPRISED BY ANYTHING THAT WE ARE BRINGING TO THEM, BUT ALSO SO THEY CAN PARTICIPATE IN IT AND REALLY GET THE HIGHEST LEVEL OF SERVICE YOU CAN GIVE THEM.

WE'RE SETTING PRIORITIES AND GOALS AGAIN, YOU ALL ARE TASKED WITH LOOKING AT A FISCAL YEAR, A BUDGET YEAR, SETTING PRIORITIES FOR THAT YEAR.

BUT ULTIMATELY WE'RE ALSO LOOKING AT LONG TERM GOALS.

SO CONSIDERING BOTH OF THOSE THINGS, I DID NOT DO THAT.

I DON'T THINK THERE'S THAT. THE I'LL JUST KEEP TALKING.

SETTING OR I'M SORRY, ENSURING THE FINANCIAL HEALTH OF THE ORGANIZATION. SO PART OF THAT FINANCIAL PICTURE DISCUSSION WE WILL BE HAVING IS MAKING SURE THAT WE'RE SEEING WHAT THOSE TREND LINES LOOK LIKE. SO WE'RE NOT MAKING A SHORT TERM DECISION THAT MAY HAVE A LONG TERM IMPACT.

WE WANT TO ALWAYS KEEP OUR EYE ON THAT LONGER TERM AS WELL.

SETTING EXPECTATIONS FOR EFFICIENT AND EFFECTIVE MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS.

[00:05:01]

WE CAN SAY ALL DAY LONG WE WANT TO KEEP MAINTAINING THAT SAME LEVEL OF SERVICE, BUT IF WE HAVE MORE USERS OR WE HAVE MORE RESOURCES OR WE HAVE LESS RESOURCES, THAT MAY IMPACT THE WAY WE'RE ABLE TO DELIVER SERVICES.

AND IT'S TO YOU ALL TO SAY WE'RE MEETING THAT STANDARD OR WE'RE NOT, AND FOR YOU TO SET IT UP, WE ALSO WANT TO MAKE SURE PEOPLE HAVE ACCESS TO THOSE SERVICES.

SO IF THERE ARE THOSE POPULATIONS THAT AREN'T ABLE TO ACCESS THE SERVICE THAT WE ARE PROVIDING BECAUSE OF WHATEVER REASON, WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE TRYING TO OPEN THOSE AVENUES SO THAT THE SERVICES WE'RE PROVIDING CAN BE SHARED EQUITABLY.

AND THEN ULTIMATELY WE AS COUNCIL MEMBERS ARE TASKED WITH HOLDING THE ORGANIZATION ACCOUNTABLE FOR ITS PROMISES.

THE VOTERS HOLD YOU ACCOUNTABLE. BUT PART OF THIS IS SETTING THOSE CLEAR EXPECTATIONS, GIVING THAT CLEAR DIRECTION TO MANAGEMENT SO THAT HE CAN DELIVER THAT TO STAFF, AND THEN YOU ALL CAN HOLD THEM ACCOUNTABLE TO WHETHER OR NOT THOSE EXPECTATIONS WERE MET.

ULTIMATELY GOOD GOVERNANCE, IT ELIMINATES AMBIGUITY.

IT SAYS THIS IS WHAT WE SAY WE'RE GOING TO DO. WE DID IT OR WE DIDN'T.

AND WE OWN OUR VICTORIES AND WE OWN OUR FAILURES.

WE WANT TO FOCUS ON THE COMMON ISSUES, NOT PERSONAL INTERESTS.

AGAIN, THAT'S PART OF THIS PROCESS IS WHAT DO WE ALL AGREE IS SOMETHING THAT WE WANT TO PURSUE IN THIS YEAR'S BUDGET SO THAT WE CAN SPEED THE PROCESS AND REDUCE INEFFICIENCIES OR REDUCE THE AMOUNT OF TIME SPENT INEFFICIENTLY? THE GUESSING GAME IS ALWAYS THE BIGGEST TIME SUCK WITH STAFF, RIGHT? AND SO IT'S REALLY THOUGHTFUL FOR YOU ALL TO COME TOGETHER AT THIS JUNCTURE, AND PARTICULARLY AT THIS POINT IN TIME, TO GIVE THAT DIRECTION SO THAT STAFF KNOWS WHAT YOU'RE EXPECTING RATHER THAN GUESSING BECAUSE WE'RE TRYING TO MAKE GOOD QUALITY DECISIONS THAT MOVE THE COMMUNITY INTO THE FUTURE. SO GOOD GOVERNANCE REQUIRES FOCUSING ON THAT FUTURE AGAIN.

WE CAN LOOK RIGHT HERE, RIGHT NOW, BUT ARE WE MISSING SOMETHING THAT MAY PAY OFF OR NOT PAY OFF IN THE LONG TERM? WE ALWAYS WANT TO MAKE SURE WE'RE CONSIDERING THAT. SO WE'RE WE'RE PURSUING WHATEVER THE LONG TERM INTEREST IS, EVEN AS WE'RE MAKING SHORT TERM DECISIONS, BUT UNDERSTANDING OUR ROLES, FOLLOWING OUR ROLES, PARTICIPATING IN OUR ROLES, RESPECTING ONE ANOTHER, RESPECTING THOSE THAT WE SERVE, RESPECTING THE STAFF THAT THAT SERVES THIS ORGANIZATION ADOPTING POLICIES AND PROCESSES SO PEOPLE UNDERSTAND WHAT IT IS WE'RE DOING AND HOW WE'RE DOING IT.

THAT ADDS TO TRANSPARENCY. IT ALSO ADDS TO COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT BECAUSE PEOPLE KNOW WHERE TO PLUG IN THOUGHTFUL DELIBERATION, HAVING THOSE FRUITFUL DISCUSSIONS AGAIN AND TAKING THE TIME TO THINK THROUGH ISSUES AS A TEAM, BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT OBVIOUSLY YOU ARE AND ULTIMATELY TRUST.

WE WANT TO BREED TRUST NOT ONLY IN THE ORGANIZATION INTERNALLY, BUT ALSO WITH THE PUBLIC THAT WE SERVE.

SO TODAY, JUST KEEP THESE SORT OF IN MIND. AND I'M SORRY THAT THEY'RE NOT ON THE SCREEN, BUT SORT OF PLUG THEM AWAY, BASE MY DECISIONS ON THE NEXT GENERATION AND NOT THE NEXT ELECTION.

FOCUS ON THE MISSION, VISION, AND VALUES WHEN MAKING DECISIONS TO DO THE GREATEST GOOD FOR THE ENTIRE COMMUNITY.

EMBRACE MY RESPONSIBILITY TO GOVERN RATHER THAN MANAGE.

PROTECT THE INTEGRITY OF THE PROCESS OVER THE RIGHTNESS OF MY POSITION.

ALWAYS BE A ROLE MODEL FOR CIVILITY AND NEVER FORGET.

IT'S NOT ABOUT ME, NOT ABOUT NOW. AND IT NEVER IS.

SO THAT IS YOUR CLIFF'S NOTES. AND THEN I HAVE A GRAPHIC THAT I WANTED TO SHOW YOU ABOUT SORT OF THE STRATEGIC VISIONING PROCESS.

SO YOU ALL HAVE DO YOU HAVE PRINTOUTS? YES. OH, TERRIFIC.

THEN YOU CAN JUST LOOK AT THEM FOLLOWING ALONG. GOOD.

YAY! ARE THOSE FOLKS OUT THERE? I DON'T KNOW IF THEY CAN SEE.

YEAH, THEY THEY CAN'T. SO BASICALLY THIS IS A LOOP.

SO YOU ALL JOINED AN ALREADY MOVING TRAIN, RIGHT? I MEAN, THAT'S WHAT CITY COUNCIL CITY GOVERNMENT IS.

IT'S A TRAIN THAT IS MOVING IN A DIRECTION AT ALL TIMES.

AND SO WHETHER YOU'RE THE NEWEST MEMBER ON THE COUNCIL OR YOU'RE THE MOST SENIOR MEMBER THE TRAIN CONSTANTLY MOVES.

AND SO WHEN YOU COME IN AS THE NEW PERSON, YOU'RE GETTING ON A MOVING SYSTEM.

AND SO THAT SYSTEM SHOULD BE CYCLICAL. IT SHOULD BE SOMETHING THAT IS REVIEWED, IT SHOULD BE SOMETHING THAT'S DYNAMIC THAT THAT IS CONSTANTLY WORKED.

AND SO WHEN YOU LOOK AT THIS GRAPHIC, WHAT WE'RE DOING TODAY IS THE CIRCLE PART THE COUNCIL ENVISIONS.

BUT AHEAD OF THAT, CITIZEN INPUT TO COUNCIL PUT YOU ALL HERE.

CITIZEN INPUT TO COUNCIL SAYS THESE ARE WHAT WE THINK ARE IMPORTANT CITIZEN INPUT TO COUNCIL IS I WE'RE NOT USING THAT SERVICE AT THE LEVEL THAT WE USED TO.

THERE'S ANY NUMBER OF WAYS THAT YOU GAIN THAT AND YOU'RE ABLE TO DELIVER THAT MESSAGE TO THE CITY STAFF.

STAFF ALSO HAS THAT RESPONSIBILITY. THEY'RE THE ONES DEALING FRONTLINE WITH THE SERVICE LEVEL DEMANDS.

THEY'RE THE ONES DEALING WITH WHAT THE NEXT TREND IS THAT'S COMING UP.

FIELDING THE NEXT STATE LAW THAT'S GOING TO IMPACT THE WAY WE DO SERVICES.

SO STAFF IS ALSO CONSTANTLY BRINGING YOU INPUT SO THAT YOU ALL CAN ENVISION WHAT RIGHT SOLUTIONS LOOK LIKE.

SO WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT ENVISIONING, IT COULD BE A POLICY, IT COULD BE YOUR BUDGET EVERY YEAR.

[00:10:06]

BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT INFORMS STAFF TO BE ABLE TO PLAN.

SO IF WE LOOK AT THE BUDGET AGAIN, YOU ALL SAY THESE ARE SOME THINGS THAT WE WANT TO SEE INCLUDED THIS YEAR.

HE SAYS THESE ARE THE THINGS WE HAVE TO DO. STAFF PUTS A PLAN TOGETHER, BRINGS IT BACK TO YOU, AND THEN YOU ALL ULTIMATELY GET TO AFFIRM IT. YOU SAY YES OR NO, YOU RAISE YOUR HAND YES OR NO, WHICH GIVES STAFF THE RESOURCES AND THE DIRECTION TO ACTUALLY EXECUTE.

BUT YOU DON'T TAKE YOUR HANDS OFF THE WHEEL. YOU ARE EVALUATING, WE PUT MORE MONEY IN THAT THING AND WE THOUGHT IT WAS GOING TO PRODUCE THESE RESULTS AND IT DIDN'T PRODUCE THOSE RESULTS.

IT'S A CYCLE. DOESN'T MEAN IT SHOULD MOVE, EBB AND FLOW EVERY OTHER DAY, BUT IT REALLY IS SOMETHING THAT'S LIVING AND BREATHING THAT WE ALL HAVE TO KEEP IN MIND, BECAUSE ON YOUR NEXT ONE IS STAFF PLAN. SO THAT'S WHAT COMES FROM THIS IS WE'RE GOING TO NEXT WEEK, HOPEFULLY GIVE SOME CLEAR DIRECTION, WHICH WILL ALLOW THE CITY MANAGER TO, TO START PLANNING HIS BUDGET DOCUMENT, WHICH HE WILL BRING TO YOU ALL TO DEBATE AND AFFIRM IN THE NOT SO DISTANT SUMMER MONTHS.

SO WITH THAT, I AM GOING TO TURN IT OVER. NOW THAT YOU'VE GOT YOUR, YOUR YOUR SCREEN BACK UP AND THE CITY MANAGER IS GOING TO TAKE YOU THROUGH FINANCIAL INFORMATION THAT MAY IMPACT SOME OF OUR THOUGHTFULNESS IN OUR DISCUSSION IN THE NEXT SESSION.

THANK YOU. HILLARY. COUNCIL. THE APPARENTLY IT'S ME.

YOU KNOW, WE HAD THESE PROBLEMS TUESDAY AS WELL, JUST AS WE DID TUESDAY.

WE ACTUALLY CAME IN HERE AND RAN THROUGH THIS EARLIER TODAY. SO WE WILL DEFINITELY FIGURE OUT WHAT'S GOING ON.

OKAY. AGAIN, JUST AS HILLARY SAID, I DO APPRECIATE EVERYONE BEING HERE.

I'M GOING TO TAKE A LITTLE DIFFERENT APPROACH MAYBE THAN WHAT WHAT WE'VE DONE IN SOME OF THE PAST ONES.

I WANT TO START WITH WHERE WE ARE THIS YEAR. SO WHAT YOU'RE GOING TO SEE HERE IN THE NEXT FEW MOMENTS.

THIS YEAR'S BUDGET. SO FY FY2526 BUDGET. IF IT BLOWS UP, YOU DO HAVE THE HANDOUTS TO FOLLOW ALONG WITH THOSE.

THE GENERAL REVENUE THIS YEAR. THIS CURRENT YEAR IS 277.3 MILLION.

YOU MAY SAY THE BUDGET BOOK SAYS 319. THAT'S TRUE.

THE DIFFERENCE IS SOLID WASTE IN THE TRANSFERS.

SOLID WASTE IS A RATE FUNDED OPERATION. SO I'VE SET IT ASIDE FOR THE MOMENT.

AND WE'RE GOING TO GO THROUGH SOME SOME ITEMS HERE.

SO I THINK FIRST WHERE DOES THE MONEY COME FROM.

WHERE DOES IT COME FROM. YOU SEE THERE ON THE LEFT SIDE OF THE SCREEN, 35.5% OR $94.2 MILLION IS YOUR PROPERTY TAX. OKAY. SECOND PIECE IN THE MIDDLE IS YOUR SALES TAX.

SO 103 IS THE BUDGET FOR THIS YEAR. AND YOU ALL MAY RECALL THE SUMMARIES I SENT OUT JUST EARLIER THIS WEEK, IT LOOKED LIKE WE'RE ON TRACK TO BE A LITTLE BETTER THAN 105.

THAT IS YOUR BUDGET NUMBER AND ALL THE ALL THE STUFF WE'RE GOING TO DO TODAY.

AND THEN WE HAVE WHAT FOR TODAY WE WILL CALL THE NON TAX REVENUES.

THOSE ARE FRANCHISE FEES, PILOTS FEES FOR SERVICE.

ALL THOSE VARIOUS MISCELLANEOUS THINGS COLLECTIVELY ARE JUST LESS THAN 26%.

YOU ADD ALL THAT UP MATCHES THE FIRST PAGE. IT'S NOT JUST THAT I'M NOT SMART ENOUGH TO DO IT.

OKAY. I'M GOING TO TAKE THAT SAME SET OF NUMBERS AND WE'RE GOING TO TAKE IT INTO THE MAJOR CATEGORIES OF EXPENSE.

SO FIRST, THE LARGEST OPERATION IN THE GENERAL FUND IS THE POLICE DEPARTMENT.

SO IT'S ABOUT 38% OF TOTAL. 54% OF YOUR TOTAL TAX REVENUES.

WE TAKE THAT PIECE OUT. I THINK THE ONE THAT I USE A LOT IN CIVIC PRESENTATIONS, 100% OF YOUR PROPERTY TAX WILL NOT FUND THE POLICE DEPARTMENT. IT STAYS A LITTLE BIT SHY OF THAT.

SO WHAT THIS INDICATES IS WE'RE TAKING ALL THE PROPERTY TAX.

WE WORKED OUR WAY A LITTLE BIT INTO THE SALES TAX.

MOVING ON. THE NEXT LARGEST IS GOING TO BE THE FIRE DEPARTMENT.

[00:15:01]

WE'RE JUST TRYING TO BUILD A CONTRAST. SO WHEN YOU CATCH THAT, KNOW THAT WE KNOW THAT AS WELL.

SO THERE'S THE FIRE DEPARTMENT MOVING INTO THE NEXT WILL BE THE PUBLIC WORKS BUDGET.

THAT DOES INCLUDE THEIR CAPITAL, JUST AS IT DOES FOR POLICE AND FIRE, JUST ABOUT 10% OF YOUR TOTAL.

PARKS AND RECREATION. ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES.

SO THIS IS CITY ATTORNEY, CITY COUNCIL, CITY SECRETARY.

FINANCE. HR AND INTERNAL AUDIT. DEVELOPMENT SERVICES.

MAINTENANCE SERVICES. CULTURAL SERVICES. SO THIS WILL BE YOUR LIBRARIES.

YOUR MUSEUMS. WEST TEXAS VETERANS CEMETERY IS LISTED.

BUT KNOW THAT THAT ONE IS A ZERO SUM. THE DOLLAR THAT WE SPEND IS IMMEDIATELY REIMBURSED BY THE TEXAS VETERANS LAND BOARD.

IT DOES SHOW IN YOUR BUDGET FOR THIS ONE. AND THEN ANIMAL SERVICES, EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT.

THE NEW CATEGORY OF OTHER MUNICIPAL COURT, PUBLIC HEALTH COMMUNICATIONS, PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT.

SO ONE THING YOU MIGHT NOTICE FOR THOSE OF YOU THAT HAVE LOOKED AT THE BUDGET FOR SEVERAL YEARS, HISTORICALLY INSIDE OF PUBLIC SAFETY, WE HAVE INCLUDED THE COURT AND PUBLIC HEALTH.

WE PULLED THOSE OUT. AND AS WE GO THROUGH THE REST OF THIS, PUBLIC SAFETY IS POLICE, FIRE, EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AND RESOURCES. OKAY. WE'RE SETTING THE OTHERS ASIDE AND WE'LL REFLECT THAT IN THE BUDGET DOCUMENT.

AND WHY DID WE MAKE THAT CHANGE? A LOT OF QUESTIONS OF WHAT IS PUBLIC SERVICE? WHAT IS NOT. IF YOU WANT THEM BACK, WE CAN. THAT'S JUST THE COUNCIL'S PLEASURE.

THIS DOES GIVE US A LITTLE MORE DISCREET VIEW OF IT.

AND I'VE TRIED. WE'LL SEE SOME STAFFING CHARTS IN A MINUTE TO TRY TO DO THE SAME.

WE FOCUS EASIER ON ONE PIECE. THAT BIG HOLE. PARDON ME.

DID YOU SET ASIDE WHEN YOU SET ASIDE REVENUE FROM SOLID WASTE, DID YOU SET EXPENSES OUT OF PUBLIC WORKS? YES, IT'S PULLED OUT OF BOTH SIDES. OKAY, SO THAT'S HOW THE DOLLAR GOT SPENT. WE BUILT THE DOLLAR. WE SPENT THE DOLLAR.

WE DID IT 277 MILLION TIMES TO GET A GENERAL FUND BUDGET.

SO HERE YOU GO BACK IN. SAME THING. YOU'VE ALREADY SEEN THIS ONE'S LISTED.

AND IF THAT'S ONE YOU WANT TO PULL OUT OF YOUR POCKET SO THAT YOU CAN HAVE AS YOU GO THROUGH THE DISCUSSIONS LATER, YOU'RE CERTAINLY WELCOME TO DO THAT.

OKAY. ANY QUESTIONS ON ANY OF THIS BEFORE I GO INTO THE NEXT PART WHEN WE START LOOKING FORWARD? SO FOR INSTANCE, LIKE IN THE 106 MILLION FOR THE.

6.9 MILLION IS CAPITAL AND AND THAT'S INCLUDED IN 106 MILLION.

IT IS. ALL RIGHT. AND SO WHAT ARE THE CAPITAL.

WHAT ARE THE CAPITAL EXPENSE DOLLARS COME FROM IN YOUR THE TWO PRIMARY WAYS.

WHAT IS CONSIDERED TO BE SMALL OR MINOR CAPITAL IS IN AN OPERATING BUDGET.

IF IT IS A NUMBER THAT IS A CAPITALIZED ITEM, IT MOVES OVER INTO YOUR CAPITAL SIDE.

BUDGET REVENUE SOURCE FOR THE CAPITAL BUDGETS, ESPECIALLY IN THE GENERAL FUND.

WE GO WITH CASH AS FAR AS WE CAN GO WITH CASH.

IF IT IS A GENERATIONAL LEVEL ASSET, THOSE ARE ELIGIBLE FOR DEBT FINANCING.

THERE IS NOT DEBT FUNDED CAPITAL IN THE POLICE DEPARTMENT IN THIS BUDGET.

RIGHT. SO GOING BACK TO YOUR FIRST PAGE, USE OF AVAILABLE AVAILABLE RESOURCE RESERVES, THOSE ARE NOT INCLUDED IN THESE FIGURES BECAUSE THIS IS ONLY THE 265, RIGHT? IT'S INCLUDED. BUT THAT'S CASH. IT'S CASH.

OKAY. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? OKAY.

JUST A MOMENT TO SWITCH TO THE NEXT ONE HERE.

SO BEFORE WE GET TOO FAR ON THE 11 MILLION CASH FUNDING GENERALLY WENT TO STREET MAINTENANCE AND GENERALLY EXCESS REVENUE FROM THE YEAR PRIOR. SO GENERALLY.

[00:20:03]

EVERY FUND, WITH VERY RARE EXCEPTIONS, SOME OF THE REALLY PARTICULAR ONES DON'T LIKE CEMETERY.

CERTAINLY GENERAL FUND WATER, WASTE WATER, AIRPORT, ALL OF THOSE.

EACH FUND HAS A POLICY THAT GOES WITH IT, AND IT HAS A POLICY RESERVE AMOUNT 20%.

IN THE CASE OF THE GENERAL FUND, THAT IS 20% OF EACH YEAR'S THE NEXT YEAR'S OPERATING BUDGET.

TAKE THAT. WHAT THAT MEANS IS GENERALLY, OVER TIME, THE AMOUNT YOU HAVE TO HOLD AGAINST THAT RESERVE CREEPS UP EVER SO SLIGHTLY THROUGHOUT THE COURSE OF A BUDGET YEAR. IF THERE ARE SAVINGS REALIZED OUT OF AN OPERATING BUDGET THAT GOES INTO THAT RESERVE.

SO IT'S AVAILABLE FOR THE COUNCIL FOR THE FOLLOWING YEAR.

IT GOES INTO EACH BUCKET INDIVIDUALLY, EACH BUCKET INDIVIDUALLY TOTAL OVER HERE, BUT EACH ONE.

YES, EXACTLY. THEY DON'T SPEND IT ALL. THEY GET THAT BOARD IN THE BUCKET.

OKAY. RIGHT. EXAMPLE OVER LAST YEAR WHERE WE HAD $105 MILLION SALES TAX BUDGET, WE RECOGNIZED WE WERE GOING TO FALL SHORT BY ABOUT $5 MILLION. WE PUT IN THE HIRING FREEZE ON OPEN POSITIONS FOR NON PUBLIC SAFETY THAT WAS BUDGETED MONEY TO SPEND THAT DIDN'T GET SPENT AND THOSE NOT BEEN FROZEN THAT WOULD HAVE ROLLED OVER INTO THE RESERVE IF YOU'D CARRIED IT OVER TO THE END OF THE YEAR.

WE JUST FLAT OUT DIDN'T GET THE REVENUE. THEREFORE WE DIDN'T SPEND THE REVENUE WE BUDGETED.

A PROJECT IN AN OPERATING BUDGET DOESN'T COST YOU WHAT THE TOTAL BUDGET WAS THAT DELTA FLOWS IN.

SO SECOND WAY IT BUILDS. THE SECOND WAY IT BUILDS IS IF YOU HAVE A REVENUE ACCOUNT, YOUR BUDGETED REVENUES IN THIS PARTICULAR ACCOUNT THAT MAKE UP A NUMBER $10,000, $15,000 CAME IN THAT FIVE IS NOT AVAILABLE TO THE DEPARTMENT.

IT IMMEDIATELY FLOWS INTO THE RESERVE ACCOUNT.

WHEN WE SIT DOWN TO DO BUDGETS EACH YEAR, WE TAKE THE TOTAL IN THE BUCKET MINUS THE REQUIRED RESERVE.

THOSE THEN, ARE THOSE DOLLARS THAT ARE AVAILABLE FOR REALLOCATION. THE 11.7, WHEN WE SAT DOWN AND DID THE FISCAL YEAR 26 BUDGET.

IT COMES OUT OF THOSE INDIVIDUAL BUCKETS. IT GOES INTO A NEW BUCKET WHICH BECOMES USEFUL FOR FUNDING.

FUNDING OTHER THINGS. SALES TAX, PROPERTY TAX.

AND JUST WITH MY BUDGET BRAIN TURNED ON TODAY NEVER GOES INTO ANOTHER ANOTHER BUCKET.

IF WE TAKE IT OUT OF THAT AVAILABLE RESERVE, IT GOES TO A SPECIFIC ASSIGNED USE.

I'M WITH YOU. I PROBABLY MISS I THINK IT'S THE SAME THING AND JUST PROBABLY MISSTATED HOW WE'RE DOING THIS.

WE DIDN'T. CREATE A NEW BUCKET, BUT WE'VE GOT FUNDS.

I THINK THE HARD THING TO GET AHEAD AROUND IF FOR ME AND MAYBE FOR OTHER PEOPLE IS, YOU KNOW, EACH ONE HAS THEIR OWN INDIVIDUAL BUCKETS. YOU KNOW, YOU LIKE TO THINK IT'S ALL POURED OVER HERE IN JUST ONE.

IN ONE SENSE IT IS IT'S A IT'S A NUMBER. IT'S A BIG NUMBER, BUT IT'S BROKEN UP INTO INDIVIDUAL NUMBERS BASED ON THE CATEGORY OR WHATEVER IT CAME OUT OF. SO. IT'S ALL TECHNICALLY AVAILABLE TO BE USED WHEREVER THOUGH.

IS THAT NOT OKAY? THAT'S NOT CORRECT. ALL RIGHT.

NOT CORRECT. OKAY. SO MAYBE LET'S LOOK AT THAT ANOTHER WAY, BECAUSE I HEAR THIS OUT IN PUBLIC QUITE A BIT.

YOU'VE GOT A $940 MILLION BUDGET. WHY CAN'T YOU GET $1 MILLION TO DO THIS? YES. BECAUSE THERE IS NOT A BUCKET OF 940. BUT YOUR CITY BUDGET DOES TOTAL UP TO A LITTLE OVER $940 MILLION. BUT THAT'S NOT A BUDGET. YOU'VE GOT ONE FOR EVERY INDIVIDUAL ENTERPRISE FUND.

INTERNAL FUND. SPECIAL REVENUE FUND. AND THEN THE GENERAL FUND.

THAT'S EACH OF THOSE HAS ITS RESERVE. BUT THOSE ARE THERE WAYS TO MOVE THOSE RESERVE DOLLARS FUND TO FUND.

THERE ARE. QUITE PARTICULAR. YOU CAN DO IT. AND I DON'T RECALL, THOUGH, THAT IN THE TEN YEARS I'VE BEEN BACK, WE'VE NEVER DONE THAT. BUT THAT'S NOT NECESSARILY SOMETHING YOU CAN DO ON YOUR OWN.

COUNCIL I CANNOT COUNCIL WOULD HAVE TO APPROVE MOVING MONEY FROM ONE BUCKET TO ANOTHER.

YES. IT'S A VERY DELIBERATE SET OF ACTIONS THAT YOU DO TO KEEP YOU WITHIN THE BOUNDS OF THE GAAP GENERALLY ACCEPTABLE ACCOUNTING PRACTICES AND GASB GOVERNMENT ACCOUNTING STANDARD.

THAT THING CALLED STATE LAW TWO. YOU'RE SO DIFFERENT FROM HOW WE HANDLE A BUDGET. IF YOU'VE GOT EXCESS MONEY AT THE END OF THE YEAR, IT'S IN YOUR CHECKING ACCOUNT OR YOUR SAVINGS ACCOUNT. YOU CAN MOVE IT OVER WHEREVER YOU WANT, BUT IT'S NOT THE WAY IT WORKS IN A CITY.

SURE. BUT TO LET'S, LET'S SAY PARKS AND REC USE THEM AS AN EXAMPLE WHO HAVE LIMITED BUT AN OCCASIONAL REVENUE SOURCE.

[00:25:02]

IT BECAME 15,000. THAT 5000 REMAINS IN PARKS AND RECS.

NO, IT DOES NOT. OKAY. SO SO YOU, WHEN YOU SUM THEM UP AT THE END OF THE YEAR, REVENUE MINUS EXPENSE, WHATEVER'S THIS IS DONE AT THE FUND LEVEL. SO IT'S NOT DONE AT THE INDIVIDUAL DEPARTMENT.

YOU SUM UP YOUR BUDGETS, YOUR ACTUALS AT THE END OF THE YEAR.

ANYTHING THAT IS A POSITIVE NUMBER ABOVE EXPENSE GOES INTO THAT FUNDS RESERVE.

IT'S NOT DONE BY DEPARTMENT GENERAL FUND, RESERVE, AIRPORT FUND RESERVE, SO ON AND SO FORTH.

RIGHT. AND SO WHEN PARKS AND RECS FUND RESERVE EXCEEDS THE REQUIREMENT, 20%, THERE IS NOT A PARKS AND REC RESERVE. THERE'S A THERE IS A PARTICULAR PIECE INSIDE OF THERE.

AND PARKS IS A GOOD EXAMPLE OF THIS. WE ARE BUILDING TOWARDS FUTURE LIKE REPLACEMENT OF THE TURF AT BERL HUFFMAN.

AND THAT MONEY IS IN A CAPITAL PROJECT. YOU USE A CAPITAL PROJECT FOR THAT, BOTH BECAUSE IT'S A CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT CAPITAL PROJECT CROSSES THE YEARS DON'T GET AUTOMATICALLY ZEROED OUT AT THE END OF THE YEAR. THAT'S HOW WE'RE SAVING TOWARDS THAT.

TODAY, WE'RE PUTTING REVENUE IN THAT CAPITAL ACCOUNT, BUT WE DON'T YET HAVE AN EXPENSE AGAINST IT.

REVENUE GETS TO WHERE IT IS. YOU PROGRAM THE EXPENSE CAPITAL PROJECTS DONE.

TO MY QUESTION, WE'VE GOT AN EXCESS REVENUE OVER THE BUDGETED REVENUE AT THE END OF THE YEAR, THAT THOSE DOLLARS ARE SWEPT INTO NEXT YEAR'S BUDGET FOR THAT DEPARTMENT, INTO THAT RESERVE FUND, AND CAN BE DRAWN OUT OF THAT. IT ONLY COMES BACK OUT WITH A COUNCIL ACTION.

I CANNOT DO THAT. LET ME MAKE SURE I UNDERSTAND IF THE POLICE DEPARTMENT HAS AN EXTRA 100 BUCKS AT THE END OF THE YEAR, THAT GOES INTO THE HOLISTIC GENERAL FUNDS RESERVE ACCOUNT FOR PARKS, LIKE TIM MENTIONED, HAS AN EXTRA 200 BUCKS.

SAME THING. IT GOES INTO THAT BANK ACCOUNT, GENERAL FUND RESERVE.

BUT IF THE AIRPORT HAS EXTRA MONEY THAT GOES INTO THE AIRPORT'S GENERAL FUND RESERVE, RIGHT? YES. BECAUSE IT'S A SEPARATE ENTERPRISE FUND.

CORRECT. YEAH. I THINK I GET IT. AND THE DAY MY POLICE DEPARTMENT HAS $100 REVENUE, WE ARE THROWING A PARTY.

FOR SAKE OF ARGUMENT. BUT IT'S AN EXCELLENT POINT.

AND IT REALLY HIGHLIGHTS WHY THAT YOU HAVE THE SOURCES OF REVENUE THAT YOU DO.

GENERALLY SPEAKING, A GENERAL FUND SERVICE WILL NEVER GENERATE A REVENUE EQUIVALENT TO ITS COST.

THAT'S WHY YOU HAVE SALES TAX AND PROPERTY TAX.

BUT THE DESIRE IS TO HAVE THE ENTERPRISE FUNDS REVENUES EQUAL THEIR EXPENSES PLUS TO WHAT THE SLIGHT EXCESS.

BUT AT THE SAME TIME, YOU. WE BUDGET OUR RATES EVERY YEAR BASED ON.

PROJECTED REVENUE NEEDS WITH SLIGHT INCREASE.

NOT AS A MONEY MAKING ENTERPRISE THAT CAN THEN GO TO GENERAL FUND.

SO THE POINT THE WATER DEPARTMENT IS NOT GOING TO SHIFT MONEY.

THAT IS CORRECT. AND THAT PLUS THAT YOU PUT IN AN ENTERPRISE BUDGET IS TO BOTH MAINTAIN AND TO IMPROVE OVER TIME.

YOUR SYSTEM. IT'S YOUR CAPITAL. ALL GOOD QUESTIONS.

YES. AND I APOLOGIZE. I SHOULD HAVE SAID THIS UP FRONT.

I BUILT TODAY AT MY PART OF THE PRESENTATION TODAY IS VERY FOCUSED ON THE GENERAL FUND.

YOU CAN TALK ABOUT ANYTHING ON ENTERPRISE THAT YOU WANT. AND IF WE DON'T HAVE THE NUMBERS, WE'LL GO PULL THEM FORWARD. OKAY.

LET'S GO. A LITTLE BIT MORE HERE. WE TALKED ABOUT WHERE IS THE GENERAL FUND TODAY? NOW THAT WE'VE TALKED ABOUT REVENUE AND EXPENSE AND THE FIRST, WE ALL KNOW THE MOST IMPORTANT THING WE HAVE IN ANY OF OUR FUNDS IS OUR PEOPLE.

SO IN 2022, THE POPULATION OF LUBBOCK WAS JUST A LITTLE OVER 261,000 AND 1660 PEOPLE IN THE GENERAL FUND.

SO THOSE ARE CITY EMPLOYEES DELIVERING THE SERVICES FOR WHICH WE TAKE THE REVENUE.

THAT WORKS OUT TO 6.35 EMPLOYEES PER 1000 POPULATION.

AND THAT'S ALL IN FOR THE GENERAL FUND. THAT'S POLICE, FIRE, PARKS, STREETS, ALLEYS, YOU NAME IT.

IN 2026, WE'RE SITTING AT AND THIS IS F THIS FISCAL YEAR, WE'RE SITTING AT 276,000 POPULATION,

[00:30:01]

IF YOU GO PULL MY BUDGET, YOU'LL SEE THERE'S ACTUALLY NINE MORE THAN THAT. THOSE ARE THE WEST TEXAS VETERANS CEMETERY EMPLOYEES WHO AGAIN, ARE NOT. 1684. MY STAFFING RATE VERSUS POPULATION ACTUALLY DECLINED JUST A LITTLE BIT.

ANOTHER THING THAT'S KIND OF IN THAT NUMBER, COUNCIL IS AWARE OF THOSE THAT HAVE BEEN THROUGH THE BUDGETS EVERY PUBLIC HEALTH DEPARTMENT EMPLOYEE HAS SHOWN IN THE GENERAL FUND, EVEN THOUGH THE VAST MAJORITY OF THEM ARE NOT PAID OUT OF THE UNION.

IF WE WERE TO TRUE THAT UP, THAT NUMBER WOULD ACTUALLY FALL BY ABOUT 40, ABOUT AN ADDITIONAL 40.

SO JUST JUST KNOW THAT YOU'LL SEE IT. YES, SIR.

TAKE 40 STAFF MEMBERS OFF OF THE 1684 NUMBER.

TAKE 40 OFF OF THE 1660 NUMBER. HASN'T NECESSARILY GROWN, HASN'T NECESSARILY CHANGED.

BUT NO, IT HAS NOT CHANGED. BUT IT WILL LOWER YOUR RATIO OF STAFF PER POPULATION.

IS THERE A NORM, AN EXPECTED NORM IN THE INDUSTRY? WE SPENT THE LAST THREE YEARS OFF AND ON TRYING TO DO THAT.

EVERY CITY IS DIFFERENT. AND WHAT'S IN YOUR GENERAL FUND VERSUS ANOTHER CITY'S GENERAL FUND IS VERY LITTLE COMMON METRIC.

AND IT DOESN'T MATTER IF I LOOK AT SIMILAR SIZE, BIGGER OR SMALLER.

WE'VE ALSO TRIED TO TAKE GENERAL FUND BUDGETS, POLICE BUDGETS, FIRE BUDGETS, ETC., AND SEE IF WE CAN NORMALIZE THOSE TO DOLLARS PER CAPITA AND WE CAN'T GET THAT TO WORK. THERE ARE POLICE DEPARTMENTS THAT ACTUALLY ARE ALSO EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT OR EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT, THE FIRE DEPARTMENT OR THE CODE ENFORCEMENT. THERE WAS A TIME IN LUBBOCK THAT THE POLICE DEPARTMENT WAS BOTH THE CODE ENFORCEMENT DEPARTMENT AND ANIMAL CONTROL.

AND YOU STILL SEE REMNANTS OF DIFFERENT WAYS OF DOING IT.

SO WE HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO STANDARDIZE THEM.

CAN YOU GO BACK TEN, 12, 15 YEARS AND SAY THAT TEN YEARS AGO WE WERE 6.3, 7.2.

WE WERE HIGHER THAN THIS, HIGHER THAN SIX 3 OR 6 163.

A MINUTE I'LL SHOW YOU WHERE THE ACTUAL COUNTS HAVE CHANGED FOR THE FIVE YEARS THAT ARE REPRESENTED ON THAT CHART.

TO MAKE A POINT, WE DO MORE WITH LESS YEAR OVER YEAR OVER YEAR.

THAT'S RIGHT. YES. AND IN SOME WAYS THOUGH, YOU KNOW, YOU SHOULD BE ABLE TO DO MORE WITH LESS.

THERE'S A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF, OF POSITIONS YOU HAVE TO HAVE REGARDLESS.

YOU START WITH THAT. THEN YOU BUILD ON TOP OF IT.

THAT ONE REALLY NEVER MUCH GOES DOWN. SO THE LARGER YOUR CITY GETS, YOU SHOULD BECOME MORE EFFICIENT EVEN THOUGH YOU DO CONTINUE TO HAVE TO ADD NEW PEOPLE TO SERVE. BUT YOUR YOUR ADMINISTRATION DOESN'T HAVE TO NECESSARILY GROW COMMENSURATE WITH EVERYTHING ELSE.

AND I THINK I WOULD HAVE I AGREE WITH THAT. WELL, IT'S TRUE.

NOT EVERYBODY'S GOING TO AGREE WITH THAT, BUT I THINK YOU CAN SEE IT IN EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM.

YOUR ADMINISTRATION, TO THE EXTENT IT GROWS VERY LARGE, IT TAKES AWAY FROM THE FRONT LINE PERSON THAT YOU NEED ACTUALLY TEACHING YOUR STUDENTS.

AND THAT'S THE THING I ALWAYS HAVE TO THAT'S ONE OF MY CONCERNS ALWAYS, IS THAT YOUR ADMINISTRATION OVERHEAD DOES NOT OVERCOME THE BOOTS ON THE GROUND THAT ACTUALLY DELIVER THE FACE TO FACE SERVICE. THAT'S A THAT'S A GOOD BASIC BUSINESS PREMISE.

AND JUST, JUST A GENERAL PREMISE. I THINK IT'S EFFECTIVE IN EVERY SITUATION.

YES. BUT IT WOULD BE IT WOULD BE INTERESTING.

HAVE WE ADDED IN, SAY, THE LAST 15 YEARS WE'VE ADDED ONE ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER.

WE'VE HAD TO ADD TWO. WE'VE ADDED YOU KNOW, HOWEVER MANY IN THESE IN THESE DIFFERENT, YOU KNOW, CATEGORIES TO, TO AGAIN, TO ACCOMMODATE OUR GROWTH.

I THINK I CAN SHOW THAT HERE IN JUST A MOMENT.

I'M SORRY IF I'M AHEAD. I APPRECIATE IT. AND IT'S THIS IS GOOD DISCUSSION.

WHAT I WOULD CONSIDER YOUR BACK OFFICE STUFF.

IT DOES NOT HAVE TO OR SHOULDN'T GROW AT THE SAME RATE THAT YOUR ACTUAL SERVICE DELIVERY GROWS.

I'M GOING TO SHOW IN A MINUTE. WE'RE BEHIND ON SERVICE DELIVERY IN SOME AREAS.

WE DEFINITELY ARE. OKAY. WHEN WE START INTO THOSE, HERE'S THE NUMBERS.

REMEMBER THAT YOUR TOTAL FTE COUNT HAS GROWN BY 24.

THE NET INCREASE IS 24. 44 OF THE 24 ARE IN PUBLIC SAFETY.

STRICTLY BEING. ANIMAL SERVICES, FIRE AND POLICE.

MOST OF THE GROWTH LAS HAS BEEN IN THE LAST THREE YEARS.

THE DEVELOPMENT SERVICES. IT'S A NET ONE BUILDING SAFETY.

[00:35:04]

THE PLANNING DEPARTMENT, WE ACTUALLY HAVE ONE LESS VERY SUCCESSFUL IN BRINGING IN GOOD PEOPLE, THROWING THEM, TRAINING THEM, CERTIFYING THEM.

WE HAVE GOTTEN MORE EFFICIENT PUBLIC WORKS AND SOLID WASTE.

WE'RE DOWN ONE IN ENGINEERING OVER THIS PERIOD OF TIME.

WE'RE DOWN FOUR IN THE STREET DEPARTMENT. THOSE ARE FOUR POSITIONS.

THEY'RE WHAT I CALL PERENNIALLY UNFILLED. THEY'RE JUST.

THEY'RE ON A BOOK, BUT THEY'RE HARD TO GET. WE TRADED THOSE SEVERAL BUDGET YEARS AGO TO ENHANCE OTHER POSITIONS THAT WE COULD.

AND THEN THE TRAFFIC DEPARTMENT'S DOWN TWO. IT'S ACTUALLY IN THE OFFICE PORTION OF IT, NOT IN THE FIELD PORTION.

CULTURE AND REC. THEY'RE DOWN 11 AND ALL 11 OF THOSE ARE IN THE PARKS DEPARTMENT.

AND AGAIN, IT WOULD LOOK DIFFERENT IF I LEFT THE VET CEMETERY IN THERE.

BUT IT'S WRONG IF WE DO. IS THAT BECAUSE OF CONTRACT OR FTE, FULL TIME POSITIONS OR POSITIONS WERE ALL ELIMINATED THE YEAR WE DID THE NO NEW REVENUE BUDGET TO BALANCE IT. THEY WANT THEM RESTORED, BUT THEY ARE FULL TIME POSITIONS OR EQUIVALENT PART TIME POSITIONS.

WE HAVE PUT SOME PART TIMES IN OVER THE YEARS, BUT THESE POSITIONS HAVE NEVER COME BACK.

OKAY. ALL RIGHT. SO THIS DOESN'T INCLUDE THIS IS ALL FULL TIME EMPLOYEE FULL TIME EMPLOYEES.

OKAY. WHAT WERE THOSE POSITIONS THOUGH? JARRETT.

WERE THOSE FROM SWITCHING TO CONTRACT MOWING OR WHAT DID WE DO THERE? YEAH, WE'VE ALWAYS DONE CONTRACT MOWING. YOU CAN'T QUITE GET THE NUMBERS YET TO WHERE IT'LL FLIP OVER, AND IT'S BETTER TO DO IT IN-HOUSE. SO THOSE WERE ALL FIELD LEVEL PEOPLE.

OKAY. THERE MAY HAVE BEEN TWO THAT WERE OFFICE, BUT THE MAJORITY WERE IN THE FIELD.

DOING WHAT TYPE OF WORK? MAINTENANCE WORK ON PLAYGROUNDS AND THINGS LIKE THAT. EVERYTHING.

MAINTENANCE. IRRIGATION. LIGHTING. GOTCHA. OKAY.

ATHLETIC FIELDS. TREE TRIMMING. WE DO SOME MOWING.

WE DO THE MAKEUP MOWING. WE DO MOWING FOR SPECIAL EVENTS.

THE ROUTINE MOWING IS WHAT'S DONE BY THE CONTRACTORS.

WHATEVER. $1 MILLION LAST YEAR, RIGHT? 180,000 BUCKS.

YEAH. IT LOOKS BETTER THAN IT'S LOOKED IN A LONG TIME.

OKAY. ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES. I HAVE ONE LESS ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER THAN I HAD FIVE YEARS AGO.

THE CITY SECRETARY SHOWS A PLUS ONE. THAT PLUS ONE, THOUGH, IS ACTUALLY IN THE VITAL STATISTICS OFFICE.

SO COURTNEY'S COUNT INCLUDES RUNNING THAT OFFICE OVER HERE ON THE NORTH SIDE OF THE BUILDING.

INTERNAL AUDIT DOWN ONE. WHAT WE'VE STRUGGLED WITH THERE IS HAVING TO CONTINUALLY UPGRADE THE PERMISSIONS THAT REMAIN TO GET THE RIGHT FOLKS WITH THE RIGHT KNOWLEDGE IN THERE.

AND WE'VE LET THOSE OF THE, THE LOWER LEVEL POSITIONS, THE COMMUNICATIONS AND PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT DEPARTMENTS DOWN.

TWO FROM WHERE THAT WAS IN THE OTHER MUNICIPAL COURT IS DOWN.

THREE AND PUBLIC HEALTH IS UP THREE. BUT REMEMBER, NOT GENERAL FUND FUNDED POSITIONS.

IT'S VERY SMALL DEPARTMENTS. SO THOSE ARE THE ACTUAL CHANGES.

AND SO WHEN WE LOOK AT THESE CHANGES, ARE THESE BUDGETED POSITIONS? ARE THESE REAL BODIES IN THE FIELD. EVERYTHING IN HERE IS A BUDGETED FULL TIME EQUIVALENT POSITION.

AND SO WHEN YOU SEE A NEGATIVE IN ALL LIKELIHOOD THAT IS A THAT IS A REAL INDIVIDUAL WHO NO LONGER IS EMPLOYED.

IT'S A POSITION THAT THAT DOES NOT EXIST AND CANNOT BE FILLED.

BUT THAT'S NOT TO SAY THAT LAS IS HIRED SEVEN OFFICERS.

MAYBE THEY HAVE. BUT IT DOESN'T ENSURE THAT THEY HAVE THE OVERALL CITY VACANCY RATE TODAY.

BE AS OF JUNE 30TH WAS ABOUT SEVEN. IT'S ABOUT 7.4%.

THE PRIMARY VACANCIES ARE IN FIELD SERVICES. THE POLICE DEPARTMENT HAS LESS THAN A 2% VACANCY RATE.

FIRE DEPARTMENT HAS ROUGHLY JUST A LITTLE OVER A ONE.

THE DIFFERENCE IS POLICE WE CAN NOW HIRE THROUGHOUT A YEAR.

WE CAN DO THAT AROUND THE CALENDAR. FIRE IS DONE ONCE A YEAR, SO THEY START OFF WITH NO VACANCIES.

IT COMES UP ENOUGH TO RUN AN ACADEMY AND IT IS BACK TO NO VACANCIES.

[00:40:03]

TRAFFIC IN THE FIELD, THAT KIND OF STUFF. JUST BECAUSE THESE SHOW THAT THERE'S EITHER WE'VE ADDED ONE OR WE ARE NEGATIVE.

WE STILL HAVE SEVERAL AREAS FOR MOST OF THESE DEPARTMENTS THAT ARE NEEDING OTHER EMPLOYEES.

THERE ARE STILL FROZEN POSITIONS IN A FEW DEPARTMENTS.

NOT ALL OF THEM. NOT ALL THE POSITIONS THAT WERE FROZEN ARE STILL FROZEN, BUT SOME OF THEM ARE.

I NOW ALSO HAVE THE YEAR'S PERFORMANCE MEASURES TO LOOK AT OUR ACCOUNTABILITY RESPONSE AND ALL OF THAT STUFF, AND WE'RE WORKING THROUGH THAT PART OF THE BUDGET.

OFF THE TOP OF YOUR HEAD, WHAT LAS VACANCY RATE IS? I DO, I KNOW WHAT THEY NEED. I CAN PULL THAT ON A BREAK.

AS OF JULY 7TH OR VACANT TWO POSITIONS REPORT TWO.

TWO FIELD OFFICERS, ONE DISPATCHER, ONE SHELTER OFFICER.

I DON'T THINK THOSE ARE VACANCIES. THAT'S RIGHT.

THEY'RE LOOKING TO PUT THOSE POSITIONS. THEY'RE NEEDING THOSE LIKE THOSE.

THAT'S A THAT'S A LITTLE DIFFERENT. SO DO OUR CITIZENS.

SO JUST AGAIN FOR ME TO MAKE SURE ABOUT THIS, THESE ARE BUDGETED POSITIONS OR POSITIONS THAT WE HAD THAT WE NO LONGER HAVE. BUT IT DOESN'T INCLUDE POSITIONS YOU BUDGETED FOR BUT AREN'T FILLED.

OKAY. THESE ARE BUDGETED, AUTHORIZED POSITIONS AND HOW THAT NUMBER HAS CHANGED.

WE'VE MOVED THAT NUMBER DOWN. DO YOU KNOW OFF THE TOP OF YOUR HEAD HOW MANY POSITIONS WE HAVE CURRENTLY THAT ARE STILL FROZEN? I HAVE SOME. OKAY. MY BRAIN IS SITTING IN THE FRONT ROW RIGHT THERE.

A VERY IMPORTANT NUMBER. TOTAL BUDGETED POSITIONS WITHIN THE CITY, INCLUDING 164, 21, 64.

THAT'S 9 P.M. THAT'S EVERYTHING BUT LP.

50 FROZEN POSITIONS. HOW MANY IF YOU KNOW UNFILLED.

TOTAL POSITIONS THAT ARE AUTHORIZED THROUGHOUT THE CITY.

7.4% OF THEM ARE VACANT. THAT'S BIGGER THAN JUST THE GENERAL FUND.

THAT'S THE 7.4. OKAY. AND THOSE VACANCIES WILL PRIMARILY BE IN FIELD SERVICE POSITIONS.

IN PUBLIC 60. THAT'S RIGHT. AT 171. I THINK WHAT WE HAVE.

BUT YEAH REMEMBER. DURING THE COVID YEARS ALL ACROSS THE COUNTRY, I KNOW IN THE STATE IT WAS HARD TO GET PEOPLE TO WORK. AND OUR VACANCY RATE IN THE CITY SPIKED AT 11.1% OF FUNDED POSITIONS.

COUNCIL MADE A CONSCIOUS DECISION TO ALLOW ME TO TRY SOME STUFF I HAD NEVER TRIED BEFORE TO GET OUR WORKERS BACK.

AND RIGHT BEFORE WE WENT INTO THE FREEZE LAST YEAR, CUMULATIVE CITY VACANCY RATE WAS DOWN TO 5.6% WHEN HR TOLD OTHER CITIES AROUND US ON ONE IN THE STATE WITH A LOWER VACANCY RATE, WE WERE ASKING FOR MONEY TO HAVE A POSITION TO PROVIDE A SERVICE. WE WERE DOING REALLY GOOD AT GETTING THE PEOPLE IN TO DO IT, BIG AS WE ARE.

YOU WILL ALWAYS HAVE SOME NUMBER AND THAT'S JUST YOUR TURNOVER.

THERE'S ALWAYS GOING TO BE A VELOCITY THAT HAS TO BE ACCOUNTED FOR.

SINCE THAT FREEZE, WE'VE ROLLED SOME POSITIONS BACK IN BECAUSE IT WAS OBVIOUS WE DRIFTED BACK UP OVER SEVEN.

IS THERE A READILY AVAILABLE REPORT WE COULD LOOK AT FOR THE AGE OF THOSE VACANCIES, BASICALLY, SO WE CAN SEE WHICH POSITIONS HAVE BEEN VACANT THE LONGEST. IT'S MY INTERNAL REPORT, BUT IF YOU DON'T MIND, I'D LIKE TO SEE THAT SOMETIME. WE'LL USE THAT GOING THROUGH BUDGET EACH YEAR.

MAYBE A GOOD TIME TO BRING IT UP. THE FTE COUNT CHANGED BY THE COUNCIL.

I CAN CHOOSE TO TO FILL OR TO NOT FILL. I WON'T ADD POSITIONS ON MY OWN AUTHORITY AND I CANNOT TAKE POSITIONS AWAY ON MY OWN AUTHORITY.

THAT'S DONE EVERY YEAR WHEN YOU DO YOUR ANNUAL BUDGET.

DO YOU RECALL THE NUMBER OF THE VACANCY RATE FOR 2425 BUDGET YEAR?

[00:45:09]

AND THEY. WE WE APPROVED THE BUDGET. DO Y'ALL SHIFT THAT MONEY INTO PUBLIC WORKS? AND THEN THE YEAR THOSE POSITIONS REMAIN VACANT, DO THEY GO BACK INTO THE GENERAL FUND RESERVE? IS THAT HOW IT WORKS? SO THEY GO INTO THAT ALLOTTED DEPARTMENT AND THEN COME BACK IF THE POSITIONS REMAINING CORRECT, THE COMPENSATION LINE ITEMS IN YOUR BUDGET, YOU'VE GOT COMPENSATION.

IF THE DEPARTMENT HAS OVERTIME, THERE'S AN OVERTIME BUDGET IN THERE. THINGS LIKE YOUR T, MRS, SOCIAL SECURITY, THAT STUFF THAT IS NOT MONEY THAT A DEPARTMENT HEAD CAN SAY, WELL, THOSE THREE POSITIONS, I'M NOT GOING TO FILL THEM THIS YEAR, BUT THAT GIVES ME $100,000 I CAN DO.

THEY DON'T GET IT STAYS UTILIZE THE FUNDS FOR SOMETHING ELSE, STAYS IN COMP AND BENEFIT AND ROLLS BACK INTO YOUR RESERVE.

I THINK THAT'S THE BEST ACCOUNTABILITY I CAN PUT ON SOMETHING THAT'S AS LARGE AS THIS IS.

JUST A FEW MORE SOMETHING. AND OBVIOUSLY WE'RE IN BUDGET, SO THIS IS TOP OF MIND FOR ME.

I WANT TO GIVE SOME EXAMPLES. THIS IS NOT AN ALL INCLUSIVE LIST.

WE JUST WANT TO GIVE SOME EXAMPLES OF WHAT WE LOOK AT THROUGH OUT OF OUR CONTROL AS WE PREPARE A BUDGET EACH YEAR.

SO SOME HAVE SEEN A FEW OF THESE EXAMPLES BEFORE.

THE COST OF A HALF TON PICKUP FOR US HAS GONE FROM 27,000 TO $48,000, AN INCREDIBLE INCREASE.

COVID HAD A LOT TO DO WITH THAT. I'D SUGGEST WHAT'S GOING ON TODAY THOUGH THE MARK, THE MODEL BY WHICH AUTOMAKERS PRODUCE AND SELL INVENTORY HAS CHANGED.

FLEET SALES ARE NO LONGER AS BIG OF A FOCUS. WE USED TO BE ABLE TO GET A COMPETITIVE BID BETWEEN A FORD, A CHEVY AND A RAM. AND IT IS NOW TO WHERE, OH, WHAT DO YOU HAVE? I ONLY HAVE CHEVROLETS. I GUESS I'LL TAKE THOSE.

IT'S NOT A COMPETITIVE PURCHASING MARKET LIKE IT HAS BEEN FOR THE WHOLE REST OF MY CAREER.

A FIRE PUMPER FOR MOST OF US WOULD CALL A FIRE ENGINE.

THOSE HAVE GONE UP SUBSTANTIALLY AS WELL. THERE'S A LIMITED NUMBER OF THOSE MANUFACTURERS.

THERE'S OBVIOUSLY A HIGH DEMAND. WE NEED THEM.

AND THAT MARKET HAS GOTTEN VERY EXPENSIVE. IF IT HAS ANY FORM OF WHAT I CALL A LADDER ON THE TOP OF IT, IT STARTS AT 2.1 MILLION AND GOES UP THE REPLACEMENT SCHEDULE ON THOSE.

FOR US AND OUR FIRE DEPARTMENT, THEY GET THE LIFE OUT OF THESE.

THOSE ARE GOING TO BE A FRONT LINE DEVICE FOR 12 OR 13 YEARS.

JUST SOMEWHERE, YOU KNOW, RIGHT IN THERE. THEY ROLL OVER INTO A RESERVE STATUS AND WILL GET 2 OR 3 YEARS OUT OF THAT TRUCK WHILE IT'S THERE. IT'S FILLING IN FOR THE ONES THAT ONE WAS INVOLVED IN A WRECK.

YOU KNOW, WE CAN PULL THOSE BACK. WE EVER. IF WE EVER HAD SOMETHING HAPPEN AND IT'S AN ALL HANDS ON DECK DEAL, IT'S A SMALL NUMBER OF EXTRA PIECES OF APPARATUS THAT WE CAN ROLL INTO WHATEVER PROBLEM WE'RE TRYING TO SOLVE.

THEY'RE EXPENSIVE. THEY TAKE A LONG TIME TO GET.

AND THAT COST IS CONTINUING TO INCREASE AT ABOUT 15% PER YEAR.

A PATROL CAR. LET ME ASK YOU A QUESTION JUST ON THAT.

SO AT THE END OF ITS LIFE AND YOU SELL IT TO ANOTHER FIRE DEPARTMENT, THAT MONEY GOES INTO THE RESERVE.

OKAY. AND SIDEBAR TO THAT FOR JUST A MOMENT. WE'VE HISTORICALLY, IF THERE WAS NOT A SURROUNDING AREA FIRE DEPARTMENT THAT WAS IN NEED OF THAT PARTICULAR PIECE OF EQUIPMENT THAT GOES INTO THE CITY AUCTION AND WE GET PEANUTS.

SOMETIMES WE GET USED PEANUTS WHEN WE SELL THEM THAT WAY.

SO EARLY THIS CALENDAR YEAR, OUR CHIEF AND HIS GUYS CAME UP WITH SOMETHING TO TRY, AND Y'ALL ACTUALLY TOOK COUNCIL ACTION AND AUTHORIZED US.

WE'VE GOT TWO PRETTY EXPENSIVE PIECES OF FIRE EQUIPMENT THAT ARE ACTUALLY IN.

IT'S BASICALLY AN ONLINE CONSIGNMENT SYSTEM BECAUSE WHAT'S HAPPENING, WE SELL ONE FOR 5 TO $10,000 AT OUR AUCTION.

[00:50:03]

WE'RE TRYING TO BE THAT PERSON. I'LL LET YOU KNOW IF IT WORKS.

IF IT DOES, WE'LL START DOING THAT. OUR FIRE PUMPERS ARE NOT YOU KNOW, COUNCILMAN GOT A LOT OF EXPERIENCE WITH THIS.

THEY'RE NOT THE MOST APPROPRIATE TYPE TRUCKS TO GO TO THE SMALLER TOWNS UNDER THE VFDS.

THEY DON'T CARRY MUCH WATER. THEY ARE DESIGNED TO DO EVERYTHING THEY DO.

HOOK TO A FIRE HYDRANT. YEAH. IN FACT, WE GENERALLY HAVE MORE INTEREST IF IT'S SOMETHING WITH A LADDER OR A PLATFORM OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.

POLICE PATROL CAR 53,000 TO 84. NOW, THAT'S TO GET THE CAR.

TODAY'S NUMBER TO PUT THAT PATROL CAR ON THE STREET IS $110,000.

OUR GUYS ALL HAVE ASSIGNED CARS, GUYS AND GALS.

THEY TAKE EXCELLENT CARE OF THEM. THOSE FRONT LINE PATROL CARS ARE SEVEN PLUS YEARS OF SERVICE.

THEY DO A VERY GOOD JOB OF IT. THEY ARE VERY EXPENSIVE.

THEY. ANOTHER WAY TO LOOK AT THAT. ON THE PATROL CARS. FOR EVERY NINE NEW POLICE OFFICERS, WE ADD, I NEED $1 MILLION JUST FOR THE CARS. AND THAT JUST CONTINUES TO GO.

SIDE LOADING. 150,000 TO 325. AND THAT IT DOESN'T SHOW IN HERE.

THERE WAS A YEAR THAT WE WERE PAYING OVER 400,000 FOR THEM.

IT'S COME BACK DOWN TO THAT. 325 BUT WHEN I SAY 6% ANNUAL, THAT'S A FLAT LINE ON THAT ONE.

THERE'S NOT AS MANY PLACES THAT STILL USE SIDE LOADING TRASH TRUCKS.

AND IT'S BECAUSE WE BUILT OUR SYSTEM IN MOST OF WEST TEXAS.

DID THE INDUSTRY PHRASE FOR THOSE IS A WEST TEXAS SIDE LOADER.

IT IS BECAUSE OF ALLEYS. IT'S BECAUSE OF ALLEYS AND DUMPSTERS WE ARE SEEING.

AND CERTAINLY THE NEW UDC ENCOURAGES THIS OR ALLOWS IT.

A LOT OF OUR NEW NEIGHBORHOODS ARE NO ALLEYS. OF COURSE, WE SERVE THOSE FROM THE FRONT WITH CARTS.

TODAY, WE DON'T HAVE A DIFFERENTIAL RATE FOR THE HOMEOWNER, WHETHER THEY'RE SERVED BY A DUMPSTER OR THEY'RE SERVED BY CARTS.

AND WE'RE ONE OF THE FEW THAT HASN'T MOVED INTO THAT MODEL.

PARTS ARE MORE EXPENSIVE TO PICK UP THE NEXT ONE.

WHAT DID YOU SAY? IT'S MORE EXPENSIVE THAN EXPENSIVE TO PICK THEM UP AND HAUL THEM OFF.

THEY ARE REALLY. WHEN YOU STOP AT LEAST ONCE AT EVERY SINGLE HOUSE, INSTEAD OF ONCE AT EVERY FOUR.

THE CART ITSELF IS MUCH LESS EXPENSIVE. THE SERVICING OF THE CART IS MORE EXPENSIVE.

SO THEORETICALLY YOU WOULD CHARGE MORE BECAUSE THEORETICALLY YOU WOULD.

RIGHT NOW, THE DUMPSTER SIDE OF THE SYSTEM, WHICH IS MUCH LARGER, THE DUMPSTER SIDE OF THE SYSTEM IS SUBSIDIZING THE CART SIDE OF THE SYSTEM AS THOSE NUMBERS, BECAUSE I DON'T REALLY THINK THAT THE THE DUMPSTER SIDE OF OUR SYSTEM IS GOING TO GROW MUCH.

I REALLY THINK THE GROWTH IS IN THE CART. YOU HAVE JUST UNDER 30,000 DUMPSTERS IN TOWN AND IT'S.

ERIC 7000 OR 9000 CARTS. I BELIEVE IT'S I'LL FIND OUT.

LET ME VERIFY. WE HAVE OVER 5000 CARTS IN. FOUR YEARS AGO, YOU HAD LESS THAN 200.

I LIKE TO BLOW ON THE WINDY DAYS OUT HERE AS WELL.

THEY WILL AT LEAST YOU CONTROL YOUR TRASH AND NOT HAVE TO FIGHT FOR YOUR NEIGHBORS LIKE A LOT OF OTHER PEOPLE.

SO THE THE LAST ONE NINE INCH BASE PLUS TWO INCH HVAC, THAT IS ENGINEER SPEAK FOR BUILDING AN ASPHALT ROAD.

SO THAT IS A PER SQUARE YARD. AND IN 22 IT'S ABOUT $88 A SQUARE YARD.

IT'S NOW $182. WHAT WE'RE REALLY SEEING IS THAT WHILE CONCRETE HAS GONE UP, IT ISN'T GOING UP NEAR AS FAST AS ASPHALT IS GOING UP. 8300. 8300. 8300 CARTS. 200.

GOOD. YEAH. THAT IS WHAT OUR SYSTEM IS GOING TO TIP OVER.

AND YOU'LL HAVE TO HAVE AN ADJUSTMENT IN HOW YOU MANAGE THE SYSTEM.

THAT'S STILL A ONE MAN PICKUP OPERATION. THEY'RE AUTOMATED.

IT HAS THE ARM THAT COMES OUT AND SETS IT BACK DOWN.

THEY'RE MUCH EASIER TO FISH OUT OF THE TRUCK THAN THE DUMPSTER IS. IF THEY FALL IN, YOU CAN'T PUT THEM OUT AND YOU CANNOT PUT A MOTORCYCLE IN THEM.

[00:55:03]

OKAY. SOME SERVICES. AND THE ASTERISK IS BECAUSE I'M GOING TO GIVE YOU A LITTLE BIT OF GOOD NEWS ON THAT ONE.

THIS IS JUST THE GENERAL FUND. SO THIS IS JUST THE GENERAL FUND PORTION OF IT HAS GONE UP BY ABOUT ALMOST 10% A YEAR.

AND THAT'S GOING FOR A COUPLE OF DIFFERENT THINGS.

NOBODY OWNS SOFTWARE ANYMORE. SOFTWARE AS A SERVICE SAAS.

THUS YOUR YOU NEVER BUY IT, PAY FOR IT, USE IT FOR A FEW YEARS.

BY THE NEXT ONE, YOU CONSTANTLY ARE PAYING WHAT IS IN REALITY A USAGE FEE FOR THAT PIECE OF SOFTWARE.

THAT'S GONE UP A BUNCH ACTUALLY PURCHASING A DESKTOP COMPUTER IN COUNCIL HERE'S ABOUT 90 DAYS AGO, Y'ALL LET US DO BASICALLY A THREE YEAR PRE-PURCHASE BECAUSE WE GOT A FLAT PRICE BY DOING IT.

THEY TELL US IT'S THE CHIPS INSIDE OF THEM, AND IT'S THE FIGHT OVER THE DATA CENTERS.

WHO GETS THE CHIPS. AND THEN IT'S CYBER. CYBER IS AN ON CONTINUALLY ESCALATING EXPENSE TO DO THAT. HEALTH INSURANCE. YOU CAN SEE THE CHANGE.

NOW I WILL SAY WE'RE ABOUT 95% FINISHED WITH THE HEALTH FUND FOR THE NEW BUDGET YEAR.

AND THAT NUMBER IS GOING TO BE PROBABLY 4% OR LESS.

OUR CREW HAS COME UP WITH SOME REALLY, REALLY GOOD STUFF THAT DOES NOT REDUCE SERVICES, BUT DRAMATICALLY REDUCES THAT THAT COST ESCALATION, HOW LONG I HOLD IT THAT LOW. BUT I REALLY, REALLY LIKE WHAT THEY'VE DONE FOR US SO FAR.

THE OTHER THINGS THAT ARE NON-DISCRETIONARY YOUR CIVIL SERVICE DEPARTMENTS, THE POLICE DEPARTMENT, THE FIRE DEPARTMENT, THEY HAVE WHAT'S CALLED A STEP PLAN.

THESE ARE NOT RAISES. THIS IS, IN EFFECT, PAY FOR EXPERIENCE.

YOU'VE BEEN IN THIS RANK FOR X TIME. YOU MOVE UP ONE STEP X RANK MORE TIME, YOU MOVE UP A STEP.

THAT'S ABOUT $1 MILLION A YEAR. BEFORE YOU TALK ABOUT ANYTHING ELSE WE MIGHT BE ABLE TO DO.

IN ABOUT ONE YEAR SINCE I'VE BEEN HERE, WE HAVE HAD A YEAR WHERE NOBODY GOT A RAISE.

IT WAS THE COVID YEAR. WE DID ZERO. BUT YOU STILL HAD THE STEPS IN POLICE AND FIRE.

THAT'S PART OF THE CHAPTER 143 STATE LAW. SO JUST KNOW THAT ONE ALWAYS HAPPENS AND EACH YEAR IT GOES UP BY AN EQUIVALENT PERCENTAGE TO WHATEVER RAISES WERE GRANTED IF THEY WERE.

MAKE SENSE? OKAY. ANY QUESTIONS ON THAT. THEN WE'LL GIVE YOU JUST ONE TO PUT ON THE TABLE FOR THINKING ABOUT ON THAT ONE. DISCRETIONARY PRETTY MUCH EVERYTHING THAT'S NOT ON THE FIRST PAGE OR NOT MANDATED BY STATE OR FEDERAL LAW OR REGULATION IS DISCRETIONARY FOR THE COUNCIL.

OUR NON-CIVIL SERVICE. THIS IS GENERAL FUND ONLY AGAIN.

SO NON-CIVIL SERVICE, A 1% PAY RAISE IS THE EQUIVALENT OF $400,000.

AND YOU SEE THE SAME 1%, WHETHER IT'S FOR THE POLICE DEPARTMENT OR FOR THE FIRE DEPARTMENT.

SO JUST KNOW THAT THOSE NUMBERS ARE THERE. OKAY.

WHAT DO WE DO INTERNALLY? WE'VE NEVER REALLY SHOWN IT AT BUDGET.

WE'RE TALKING TO HILLARY. I THOUGHT THIS WOULD BE A GOOD IDEA. WE ARE GOING TO, WITHIN THE LIMITS OF OUR ABILITY, TRY TO SHOW SOME REVENUE PROJECTIONS. SO EVERYBODY KNOWS ALL ABOUT SALES TAX.

THAT'S AN ACTUAL NUMBER. 2025 THAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN 105.

WE CAME IN AT 100. THIS IS OUR PROJECTED NUMBER.

YOUR ACTUAL BUDGET NUMBER HERE IS 103. REALLY GOOD ON SALES TAX.

AND THEN THE MODEL HAS PUT OUT. OVER THE NEXT YEARS, THIS IS THE YEAR WE'LL TALK ABOUT IN THE BUDGET.

AND THEN THESE ARE THE THREE. AND THE FACTOR YOU USED FOR THAT WAS A MODEL THAT JOE AND HIS TEAM HAVE THAT PREDICTED LAST YEAR WITHIN $100,000.

OKAY. WE'RE NO LONGER AT THE 4 TO 6% ANNUAL INCREASE.

YEAH. WELL, THEY THEY TOOK THOSE DOWN IN THE MODEL, WHICH IS HOW THEY WERE ABLE TO PREDICT THAT SHORTFALL SO ACCURATELY LAST YEAR.

SO THE MODEL RIGHT NOW PREDICTS ABOUT A 1.61.7 GROWTH YEAR OVER YEAR, YEAR OVER YEAR.

THOSE 4% YEAR OVER YEAR GROWTH. REALLY WE WE SURE GOT ADDICTED TO THAT SUGAR CANDY INCREASE EVERY YEAR. DO YOU HAVE LIKE A PERCENT? YOU KNOW, ON THE PREVIOUS SLIDE, YOU SHOWED LIKE A PERCENT ANNUAL CHANGE AND INCREASE,

[01:00:03]

AND THAT WAS MASS THAT THAT RUNAWAY ESCALATION WAS OCCURRING DURING THE COVID YEARS.

AT THE SAME TIME, THE SALES TAX WAS GROWING BY $6 MILLION A YEAR.

WE'VE GOT MASKED. IT BECAME SOMEWHAT INVISIBLE.

WE COULD SEE IT. IT WAS HARD TO THROW IT OUT LIKE THIS AGAIN.

SALES TAX ACTUAL PROJECTED FOR THIS YEAR AS CURRENT AS OF THE REPORT I SENT OUT THIS WEEK, AND HOW THE MODEL TAKES THAT OUT OVER TIME FROM WHERE WE THINK WE'RE GOING TO END UP IN 26.

NOW, THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN YOUR BUDGET, WHICH IS 103 MILLION, AND THAT 105, THAT DIFFERENCE GOES INTO YOUR RESERVE AVAILABLE FOR REALLOCATION.

BUT YEAR OVER YEAR, YOU SEE NOW WHERE WE'RE STANDING ABOUT A $1.5 MILLION YEAR OVER YEAR GROWTH IN YOUR SALES TAX.

SO YOU CAN WRITE THAT DOWN AND PUT IT OFF TO THE SIDE.

I'M GOING TO TRY NOT TO MAKE THIS CONFUSING, BUT IT'S GOING TO GET A LITTLE CONFUSING.

SO I APOLOGIZE IN ADVANCE. THIS IS YOUR ACTUAL TAX LEVY FOR THIS YEAR.

I'M SORRY FOR 25. THIS IS THIS YEAR'S. THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THESE TWO IS WHAT WE GOT CAUGHT IN THE FIRST WEEK OF LAST AUGUST. WHERE THOSE WORKSHEETS THAT ARE REQUIRED BY THE COMPTROLLER'S OFFICE IN EFFECT REDUCED YOUR NO NEW REVENUE AMOUNT BY $1.8 MILLION. AND Y'ALL REMEMBER Y'ALL HAD GREAT DISCUSSIONS ON THE DAIS TO GET BACK TO NO NEW REVENUE.

YOU HAD TO INCREASE TAXES BY 1.8, WHICH ALSO WENT AGAINST YOUR POTENTIAL 3.5 AND ALL THAT OTHER STUFF.

I CAN'T WRITE THAT. AND WE CAN'T PUT WE CAN'T ACCOUNT FOR THAT IN THESE PROJECTIONS BECAUSE THERE'S NOT A WAY TO DO IT.

THAT'S ALSO WHY WE CHANGED YOUR BUDGET WORKSHOPS THIS YEAR, SO WE DON'T GET CAUGHT IN IT. THIS IS THE LEVY FOR THIS YEAR.

THEREFORE THAT IS, WE RAISE THAT SHOULD BE WHAT YOU GET FROM THE NO NEW REVENUE RATE NEXT YEAR, BECAUSE NO NEW REVENUE RATE IS NOT REALLY A TAX NUMBER.

IT IS A DOLLAR VALUE THAT DRIVES A TAX RATE IN ITS SIMPLEST FORM.

THAT NUMBER PLUS NEW PROPERTY SHOULD BE NO NEW REVENUE FOR THIS YEAR.

SO THAT IS HOW WE'VE DONE THAT. AND YOU CAN SEE WHAT IT IS.

THIS WAS NEW PROPERTY. THIS WAS ITS REVENUE. THOSE ROLLED UP INTO THIS FOR YOUR CURRENT YEAR LEVY.

WE TAKE THE VALUES THAT WE'VE GOTTEN OUT THERE STILL PRELIMINARY.

WE TAKE THE PRELIMINARY NEW PROPERTY RESULTING REVENUE AT CURRENT RATES.

THAT'S NEXT YEAR. SO THIS WILL NOT BE TO THE DOLLAR.

BUT IT'S REALLY CLOSE THAT THE ONLY CHANGE FROM THIS NUMBER EACH YEAR IS THIS NUMBER.

RIGHT. I WILL GUARANTEE YOU NOT ONE OF THOSE IS RIGHT UP THERE.

CLOSE. I HOPE THEY'RE CLOSE, BUT. AND I HOPE IF THEY'RE GOING TO CHANGE, THEY DO IT BEFORE I SHOW YOU THE BUDGET.

WELL, GOING BACK TO THE 969 50 FOR THE PROPERTY TAX.

THAT'S ASSUMING THERE'S NOT ONE OF THOSE ADJUSTMENTS.

WHICH COULD. LOWER IT A LITTLE BIT. IT COULD CAUSE YOU TO INCREASE TAXES TO GO BACK TO THE.

YEAH. WE DON'T ANTICIPATE THAT HAPPENING THIS YEAR.

WE HAVE NO WAY OF KNOWING WHAT I ANTICIPATE IS KNOWING SOONER THAN WE DID LAST YEAR.

WE HAVE NO WAY OF KNOWING AND HAD SOME VERY INTERESTING VISITS WHEN THAT HAPPENED LAST YEAR WITH SOME OF OUR DELEGATION AND WAS TOLD THAT'S NOT HOW IT'S SUPPOSED TO WORK. I AGREE THAT'S NOT HOW IT'S SUPPOSED TO WORK.

SO IT'S NOT A LEGISLATIVE THING THAT IS CAUSING THAT TO HAPPEN.

IT IS A RULES THING AND THAT GOES OUT THROUGH THE COMPTROLLER'S OFFICE.

JARRETT THAT CAN HAPPEN BECAUSE OF LOSS OF INVENTORY, RIGHT? SO IT'S HARD TO PICK UP AND MOVE REAL PROPERTY UNLESS YOU HAVE A 1970S STYLE TORNADO.

[01:05:04]

A SMALL PART OF THOSE WERE COURT ORDERED. YEP.

THE LARGEST THING THAT HIT US LAST YEAR WAS PROPERTY THAT AFTER THE LEVY WAS RETROACTIVELY QUALIFIED FOR AGRICULTURAL EXEMPTION, AND THAT WAS ABOUT $600 MILLION. WOW. WE NEVER FOUND IT.

BUT IN FACT, THE MAYOR ACTUALLY SAT WITH US THROUGH ONE OF THOSE MULTI-HOUR MEETINGS TRYING TO KILL ME.

BUT SURELY THAT CANNOT HAPPEN AGAIN. IT'S A ONE TIME DEAL TO FIND THAT MUCH MORE AGRICULTURAL FOR THAT ONE PIECE OF PROPERTY.

I CAN'T IMAGINE THAT MUCH IN THE CITY. THE THE BUSINESS PERSONAL PROPERTY TAX.

YES. THAT CAN HAVE AN EFFECT ON IT. YEAH. WE KNOW THIS YEAR THERE WILL BE AN ADJUSTMENT BECAUSE OF THE INCREASED THRESHOLD THAT EXEMPTS BUSINESS PERSONAL.

WE'VE ALREADY NETTED IN AS MUCH AS WE CAN THE IMPACT THE SENIOR TAX FREEZE HAS ON THIS.

BUT I PROMISE YOU, WE'RE WRONG. I HOPE WE'RE CLOSE, BUT I PROMISE YOU, SOMETHING WILL CHANGE.

BUT SINCE WE'VE TURNED IT INTO A PRESENTATION FORMAT EACH YEAR, AFTER WE GET A REAL NUMBER, THE NEXT YEAR IS REAL AND THE PROJECTIONS CAN ROLL OUT.

SO A COUPLE OF THE TAKEAWAYS FROM 26 TO 27, YOU CAN SEE THE EXPECTED INCREASE IN SALES TAX.

I'M PRETTY DARN COMFORTABLE WITH THAT UNLESS SOMETHING JUST TOTALLY COMES UNWOUND.

THE BEAUTY OF SALES TAX IS IT IS A BAROMETER OF YOUR LOCAL ECONOMY.

IF THINGS ARE GOING UP, I'M GOING TO KNOW THAT 45 DAYS LATER THINGS ARE GOING THE OTHER WAY.

WE'LL KNOW THAT 45 DAYS LATER WE GET ONE LOOK A YEAR OUT OF PROPERTY TAXES.

IT'S KIND OF THE BASE RATE VERSUS THE VOLUME RATE.

IF YOU WANT TO LOOK AT IT THAT WAY. SO STAYING AT NO NEW REVENUE AND BRINGING IN THE NEW PROPERTY, YOU'RE EXPECTING THE DIFFERENCE IN THAT AND THE DIFFERENCE IN THAT.

FOR MONEY. WHERE'S YOUR INCREASED NUMBER COME FROM? I'M TRYING TO WHAT'S THE FORMULA FOR THAT? YOU TAKE THE PRELIMINARY VALUE OF NEW PROPERTY BY LC-MS CALCULATED TAX RATE TO PRODUCE A REVENUE. AND IT'S NOT YOUR 47.21 CENTS.

THEY ACTUALLY RECALCULATE IT BASED ON NEW VALUE.

THIS TIME IT'S 46. 46. IT'S IN THE $0.46. THE TAX RATE.

SAY THIS THE EASIEST WAY. TAX RATES ARE IMPORTANT.

BUT TAX RATES ACTUALLY THE LAST PIECE OF WHAT YOU ARE CALCULATING YOU'RE CALCULATING REVENUES.

THEN YOU GO OUT AND FIGURE OUT WHAT THE TAX RATE IS THAT EQUALS THAT.

SO WHEN WE SAY NO NEW REVENUE RATE, WHEN THE LAW SAYS NO NEW REVENUE RATE, THEY'RE TALKING ABOUT YOUR REVENUE.

THE REVENUE STAYS THE SAME PLUS NEW PROPERTY.

AND THAT'S IT. AND AGAIN, THOSE WON'T ADD EXACTLY BECAUSE WE HAVE TO DO A SEPARATE CALCULATION FOR THE SENIOR TAX FREEZE AND THE BP STUFF AND TAKE IT OUT. THAT'S IN YOUR PACKET IF YOU WANT TO LOOK AT IT ALL. JOE WITH HARD QUESTIONS. IS THE ASTERISK BESIDE THE PRELIMINARY NUMBER? YEAH, BUT WE MADE THESE UP BASED ON THAT ONE.

OKAY. SO WHAT I READ INTO THIS IS YOU'RE PROJECTING APPROXIMATELY 1% INCREASE IN SALES TAX REVENUE, 1% INCREASE IN PROPERTY TAX REVENUE AT THE NO NEW REVENUE REVENUE RATE, PLUS NEW PROPERTY, 1% INCREASE IN REVENUE. SO ACROSS THE BOARD, YOU'RE SEEING A 1% INCREASE IN REVENUE.

AND LET ME FLIP BACK HERE AND SEE THAT A FIRE TRUCK YEAR OVER YEAR IS A 15% INCREASE IN COST.

PICK AN ITEM THAT HAS A NEGATIVE INCREASE IN COST AND THAT DOESN'T EXIST IN HERE.

FEDERAL RESERVE'S JOB IS TO HOLD. INFLATION AT 2.5%.

OUR REVENUE IS NOT MEETING THE INFLATION RATE AT OUR BEST AT THIS COUNTRY'S VERY BEST.

2.5% AND OUR REVENUE INCREASE IS NOT MEETING THAT.

IS THERE A STATEMENT OR STATEMENT? THERE'S SOME THINGS IMPACTING THOSE TWO TAX REVENUES.

[01:10:10]

I ALSO HAD I HAD TWO YEARS AT FOUR, BASICALLY 400.

SO 300 MILLION IN VALUE HAS FALLEN DOWN. I DON'T THINK IT'S GOING TO STAY THIS LOW FOR THAT LONG.

AS SOON AS THEY CAN GET THE INTEREST RATES DOWN, I'M NOT GOING TO SEE THE HUGE BUMP IN RESIDENTIAL THAT WE THAT WE HAD IN THE PAST.

WHEN YOU'RE BOUNCING A THREE, THREE AND A QUARTER NOTE AGAINST, WHAT IS IT NOW, 6.4? I THINK ROUGHLY THAT'S HAD AN IMPACT ON IT. SALES TAX HAD COME DOWN OFF OF THE BIG RUSH FROM COVID LAST YEAR WAS NOT JUST A BAD YEAR IN LUBBOCK.

IT WAS A BAD YEAR STATEWIDE. IT'S NOT THIS YEAR.

AND IN FACT, WE'RE JUST RIGHT ABOUT THE MIDDLE, IF MAYBE JUST A NOTCH ABOVE THE MIDDLE, ON THE TOP 20 IN TERMS OF THOSE PERCENTAGES OF RECOVERY, IT'S COMING BACK. THIS WILL MOVE FASTER.

I THINK THAT SOMEWHERE THIS WILL CHANGE. OF COURSE, NEW PROPERTY GENERATES NEW REVENUE, BUT THAT REVENUE HASN'T EXPENSE ASSOCIATED WITH IT.

WE STILL PROVIDE SERVICE TO IT, AND WE OFTEN HAVE PROVIDED THAT SERVICE FOR 12 OR 24 MONTHS BEFORE IT ROLLS INTO, YOU KNOW, THE ROLLS WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT THE 2.5% TARGET THAT THE FED HAS.

MIGHT OFFER AN OBSERVATION TO THAT THE FED'S 2.5%, WHATEVER THE STATED NUMBER IS THAT WE READ IN THE NEWSPAPER, THAT NUMBER IS NOT BASED ON BUYING FIRE TRUCKS, POLICE CARS AND TRASH TRUCKS.

WE'RE BUILDING ROADS. THE STUFF THAT MUNICIPALITIES BUY TO DELIVER SERVICE IS NOT CONSIDERED IN THAT.

AND AS YOU KNOW, 15% INCREASE IN THE FIRE ENGINE DOLLARS IS LESS THAN THE 1% INCREASE IN THE TOTAL.

I MEAN, YOU HAVE TO TURN THEM ALL BACK INTO DOLLARS TO COMPARE THEM.

BUT THEORY HOLDS. MY POINT TO THE STATEMENT IS THAT OUR REVENUES OVER THE LAST SEVERAL YEARS HAVE NOT INCREASED AT THE RATE OF OUR EXPENSE. AND AS WE CONTINUE TO LOOK AT WHAT OUR TAX RATE IS GOING TO BE, CONTINUE TO FEEL, I THINK, YOU KNOW, A PRESSURE, AN APPROPRIATE PRESSURE TO KEEP THE TAX RATE AS LOW AS POSSIBLE.

BUT WE'RE WE CAN SEE THAT WE'RE BACKING UP IN MANPOWER.

WE'RE BACKING UP IN THE ABILITY TO SERVICE. AND WE'RE BACKING UP IN THE ABILITY TO MAINTAIN.

AND SO I THINK, YOU KNOW, I WOULD I WOULD JUST ASK THAT WE ALL CONSIDER THAT AS WE START LOOKING THROUGH THIS BUDGET, TO UNDERSTAND THAT THERE'S ONLY SO MANY STEPS BACKWARDS.

WE TAKE IN THE BUDGET PROCESS BEFORE WE REALLY START HARMING OURSELVES DOWN THE ROAD IN THE FIVE, TEN YEAR PICTURE. BUT. ANY MORE QUESTIONS ON THE REVENUE PROJECTIONS? LAST SLIDE. FOOD FOR THOUGHT. WHAT? I PROBABLY SHOULD HAVE TITLED THIS THESE ARE THINGS THE STAFF AND I, THE MAYOR AND I HAVE VISITED SEVERAL TIMES, ITEMS THAT WE KNOW FOR DISCUSSION. WE REALLY WANT TO GET TO STREET BONDS.

I'D STILL LIKE TO TALK A BIT ABOUT FEE POLICIES AND COST RECOVERY RATES.

I'D LIKE TO HAVE A DISCUSSION AND THIS WOULD PROBABLY BE FOR NEXT WEDNESDAY ABOUT SOLID WASTE GOING AHEAD AND STEPPING COMPLETELY OUT AS AN ENTERPRISE FUND.

I WILL TELL YOU, I THINK THERE ARE DEFINITE PROS FOR THAT. THERE ARE A COUPLE OF CONS TO IT.

SNEAK PEAK THOUGH THE TRANSFER STATION PERMIT WILL BE ISSUED BY OCTOBER 1ST OF THIS YEAR, AND YOU'LL IMMEDIATELY.

IT'S ALREADY DESIGNED AND IT'LL GO STRAIGHT TO BED.

YOU. YOU ALREADY PROVIDE LANDFILL AS A REGIONAL SERVICE CHARGE A DIFFERENTIAL RATE.

YOU PROVIDE A WAY. ACTUALLY. YOU DO PRIVATE LANDFILL.

YOU'LL HAVE SOME ABILITY TO DO THAT TRANSFER STATION.

IT'S NOT HOW WE SET IT UP INITIALLY, BUT I THINK WE'VE GOT AN ABILITY TO DO THAT.

I THINK THE DISCUSSION AND THAT'S A SIMPLE TO ME, A YES OR NO ON PRIVATE COMMERCIAL SERVICE FRANCHISE.

THAT IS PRETTY MUCH THE STANDARD IN OTHER CITIES.

AND WE DON'T DO THAT THERE. REMEMBER, WE HAVE A VERY SMALL PIECE OF THE COMMERCIAL MARKET.

IF IT WON'T GO IN A SIDE LOADER, WE WON'T DO IT.

AND I LIKE THAT COMMERCIAL BUSINESSES EXIST TO DO THAT AND THEY'RE VERY SUCCESSFUL AT IT.

[01:15:05]

REMEMBER, WE HAD BEEN VERY SUCCESSFUL FIRST IN SHIFTING STREET MAINTENANCE ALL TO CASH FUNDING.

WE DO NO DEBT FUNDING ON STREET MAINTENANCE. WE GOT THAT CHANGED FOR THE FIRST YEAR IN 2017.

WE WENT FROM ROUGHLY $6.5 MILLION. WE PEAKED AT 14.5, AND THEN I GOT STUCK ON IT LAST YEAR.

SO YOU'VE HAD TWO CONSECUTIVE YEARS OF THAT? I'VE HAD SEVERAL ASK ABOUT CHARTER REVIEW REVENUE PHILOSOPHY.

YOU ALREADY STARTED THAT DISCUSSION. THANK YOU. QUALITY OF LIFE.

IF WE COULD, I'D LIKE TO HOLD THE CONVENTION CENTER UNTIL NEXT WEDNESDAY.

WE GOT STUFF IN TUESDAY THAT I THINK IS GOING TO HELP US FORMULATE MUCH BETTER RECOMMENDATIONS FOR YOU ALL TO DISCUSS AND CONSIDER EXPENSES.

AGAIN, THIS IS NOT ALL OF THEM, BUT THESE ARE THINGS I KNOW ARE COMING IN YOUR NEW BUDGET.

WE ARE STILL WORKING ON TWO MEET AND CONFER AGREEMENTS.

THOSE WILL BE A NET BENEFIT. THEY WILL COME AT A NET COST AND THAT COST IS NOT THE SAME AS HERE'S TWO THREE, FOUR. I MEAN THOSE WILL COME WITH AN INCREASED EXPENSE.

WE'RE LOOKING AT THE NEXT FIRE STATION, WHICH CHIEF STEWART AND HIS TEAM HAS GOT A PLAN SET UP THAT YES, WOULD BE A NEW FIRE STATION. BUT WHAT IT WOULD DO IS SUBSTITUTE FOR AN EXISTING ONE THAT HAS A VERY LOW CALL VOLUME.

YOU STILL SPEND THE SAME AMOUNT ON CAPITAL WHEN YOU DO THAT, BUT WHAT YOU GAIN IS NOT ADDING THE EQUIPMENT AND THE THREE SHIFTS OF PEOPLE.

YOU'VE ALREADY GOT THAT. MOVE IT TO THE OTHER ONE.

PUBLIC SAFETY DRIVING FACILITY. SINCE REESE AIR FORCE BASE QUIT BEING REESE AIR FORCE BASE AND BECAME WHAT'S NOW THE REESE REDEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY.

ALL THE PUBLIC SAFETY DRIVING TRAINING HAS BEEN DONE OUT THERE FOR SEVEN LOCAL OR REGIONAL AGENCIES.

WE CAN NO LONGER DO THAT. WE WILL NOT BE ABLE TO DO THAT AT ALL.

YOU WILL SEE A CAPITAL PROJECT FOR A NEW DRIVING FACILITY THAT WILL BE OWNED AND OPERATED BY THE CITY OF LUBBOCK, SO OBVIOUSLY OUR CREWS WILL BE FIRST IN ALL OF THAT, BUT WE HAVE TALKED TO THOSE OTHER AGENCIES WHO ARE ALSO SOON TO BE HOMELESS FROM THAT.

I THINK FOR REASONABLE FEES, WE CAN MAKE THAT AVAILABLE TO THEM.

WE GET TO CONTROL OUR DESTINY. I DON'T HAVE A CHOICE.

I'VE GOT TO DO THIS. BUT YOU ALSO HAVE A DEDICATED FACILITY THAT'S NOT BEING SHARED WITH OTHER COMMERCIAL USES.

SO I THINK WE CAN ACTUALLY INCREASE QUALITY AT THE SAME TIME WE DO THAT PUBLIC SAFETY TRAINING FACILITY.

YOU KNOW, I'M LOOKING AT THE LAND SWAP, WHICH WOULD PROBABLY BE THE BULK OF WHAT WE WOULD DO NEXT YEAR.

SO NOT A BIG EXPENSE, BUT YOU'RE GOING TO NEED A COMBINED PUBLIC SAFETY TRAINING FACILITY IN THE NEAR FUTURE.

TRANSFER STATION ALREADY TIPPED MY OWN HAND ON THAT ONE.

CITY SERVICE CENTER. REMEMBER THAT THE LAND THAT THE TRANSFER STATION SITS ON IS 71 ACRES.

WE INTENTIONALLY BOUGHT A BIG TRACT SO WE COULD PUT THE TRANSFER STATION IN THE MIDDLE, AS FAR AWAY FROM OUR NEIGHBORS. THAT'S 22 ACRES TODAY.

YOU DON'T OWN A FUEL PUMP THAT IS WEST OF AVENUE P, AND ABOUT 90% OF ALL OF OUR EQUIPMENT IS AT MUNICIPAL HILL. THAT WAS A GREAT PLACE 40 YEARS AGO.

AS THE COMMUNITY HAS GROWN FROM SPENDING WAY TOO MUCH TIME MOVING PEOPLE AND EQUIPMENT OUT IN THE MORNING AND BACK IN THE EVENING.

WE HAVE ALREADY BUILT A VERY TINY LOT DOWN AT 85TH AND P AND FOURTH AND P, WHERE I'VE GOT A FEW THINGS.

I'M SURE ALL OF YOU ALL HAVE NOTICED. I NOTICED SOME OF THE PUBLIC HAS WHERE WE'LL HIDE A ROAD GRADER OVER THE NIGHT OR OVER THE WEEKEND, OR THE TRANSFER STATION IS LOCATED IS THE PERFECT PLACE TO BUILD OUR SECOND SERVICE CENTER.

YOU'VE GOT CITY COVERED EAST TO WEST. YOU'VE GOT ACCESS TO MERCER SHARP.

IF THAT'S WHAT YOU NEED TO DO. I THINK WE WILL GAIN A TON OF EFFICIENCY.

IT'LL ALSO LET US REPLACE A BUNCH OF FACILITIES THAT, AT LEAST IN THE CASE OF THE OLD HIGHWAY DEPARTMENT, 70 YEARS OLD AND THEN SOME PARKS, CAPITAL STUFF.

IT'S NOT A BIG NUMBER, BUT THERE'S SOME THINGS WE'VE GOT TO GET TO IN THE NEXT YEAR'S BUDGET.

I'LL TAKE A QUICK FIVE MINUTE BREAK OR SOMETHING. LET ME CHECK THAT THERMOSTAT HE'S ON.

I'M GOING TO HAVE HER TURN HER VIDEO TO ZOOM NOW TO CUT A LONG WEEKEND.

THAT'S RIGHT. Y'ALL DID SAN ANTONIO. TWO WEEKS FROM TODAY.

BUT I JUST TEXTED HER TO TURN IT ON. I'M COUNTING.

WHERE IS HE GOING TO POP UP THERE. YEAH, LOOK.

STRAIGHT UP. PERFECT. OH, GOSH. FELL OVER. WE'RE ALL GOING TO GET CARSICK.

[01:20:05]

TIM, CAN YOU HEAR US? ARE THE MICS OFF? HER MIC IS OFF.

JUST GIVE US A THUMBS UP. DID YOU GIVE US A THUMBS UP? ALL OVER THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. SHE MADE ME DO A COUPLE OF SCREEN TIME TEXTING.

IS THAT THAT CROSS THROUGH THE MICROPHONE SAYING SHE'S GOT HERS OFF HER MICROPHONE, HER MICROPHONE, HERS IS OFF, HERS IS ON. WE'RE SEE TWO. BUT DO WE KNOW WHETHER SHE CAN HEAR US OR NOT? CAN YOU HEAR US? GIVE US A THUMBS UP IF YOU HEAR US UP OR DOWN, WORRY THAT THAT TV WOULD GET INTO HERE SO WE WOULDN'T.

YEAH, MAYBE SHE IS. CAN YOU HEAR US YET? I'LL BOUNCE OFF IT. NO, NO, I CAN'T HEAR IT. I CANNOT HEAR YOU.

CAN YOU HEAR ME? YES WE CAN, WE CAN HEAR YOU.

LOUD AND CLEAR. WHERE IS THE MIC? RIGHT THERE. IT SHOULD BE THOSE. WELL THE GREEN.

I NEVER DID FIND OUT WHETHER GREEN MEANS GO ON OR THERE.

I THINK IT MEANS POWERS THERE, BUT THAT IT'S RECEIVING, I DON'T KNOW.

RED IS THE OTHER COLOR. I'M BEGINNING TO LOSE FAITH IN OUR TECHNOLOGY AND OUR STUFF HERE IN OUR BUILDING.

OKAY. TRY IT. TRY IT NOW. CAN YOU HEAR US NOW? WHAT'S THE ANSWER TO THAT PROBLEM? MONEY. CAN YOU STOP? THIS IS BRAND NEW STUFF. OH, THAT'S. HOT. A LITTLE BLUE LIGHT WENT ON HERE, YOU GUYS.

THAT'S CRAZY. SHE KNOWS THAT WE CAN HEAR HER, RIGHT? WELL, MIKE, YOU'RE SAYING THAT SHE CAN'T HEAR WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT? MR. HOT BECAUSE EVERYBODY DOWNSTAIRS IS TEXTING ME THAT THEY CAN HEAR WHAT WE'RE TEXTING RIGHT NOW.

OH, NO. CAN YOU CALL DOCTOR WILSON AND JUST SEE? I MEAN, IT LOOKS LIKE THE PROBLEM'S ON HER END, NOT OURS.

NO, WELL, SHE GOT HER. YEAH. OTHER FOLKS CAN HEAR THEM.

TURN UP THE RADIO. OR SOMETHING. AND NOT. SHE'S ON BLUETOOTH.

SHE MAY NEED. YEAH. MAYBE IT'S HER CAR. SELECT HER FRIEND.

YEAH, WELL, IT'S NOT TRANSFERRED OVER TO YOU BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT MY CAR DOES.

NOT WORKING. WE CAN HEAR HER. SHE CANNOT HEAR US.

YOU'RE THE MAGIC. THE MAGIC TOUCH. LAUREN'S ON HER WAY.

EXPECTATIONS. LAUREN, YOU KNOW SHE'S LISTENING TO YOU.

YEAH. YOU KNOW MY CAR, SO I CAN'T HEAR MY AC MS. IS THIS A FACILITIES ISSUE OR AN ISSUE? Y'ALL, Y'ALL ARE FIGHTING.

WE. IT'S A CONVERSATION BETWEEN IT AND OUR.

THEN WARM ME UP DOWN THERE. VERY WELL. THERE'S A BLANKET RIGHT THERE.

I WANT TO TAKE A PICTURE AND SHARE IT ON SOCIAL MEDIA.

IF YOU USE IT. BUT IT'S SITTING ME A CAT TO SIT IN MY LAP.

YES. CAT. CAT LIKE A. LIKE A DOG. WHAT AM I TO SIT DOWN IN MY LAP? I MEAN, I JUST MOVE IT DOWN.

I'M NOT DOWN LIKE A CAT. AND.

[01:25:07]

DOCTOR WILSON. SHE LOOKS DOWN A LOT.

I'VE SEEN. I JUST KNOW SHE CAN'T HEAR US. COURTNEY'S BEEN TEXTING HER.

OH. SHE IS. OH, SURE SHE DOES. SHE'S PROBABLY GOT A FANCY CAR.

THE TEXTS ARE BEING READ ALOUD TO HER. WELL. COULD BE.

BUT SHE CAN'T HEAR HIM IF HE'S READY. I THINK IT'S STILL BREWING.

I JUST DON'T NEED TO LOOK FOR MINUTES. THAT'S WHY Y'ALL MAY NOT GET A TEXT BACK.

THE MAYOR'S DRINKING MY TRUCK STOP COFFEE. I HAVE A CHOICE.

BUT WE MIGHT NEED IT. OKAY, WELL, THE TRUCK STOPS ALL ACROSS THE LAND.

AND YOU KNOW WHAT? I'VE STARTED MIGRATING. WELL, SUGAR AND CREAM YOU HAVE MOVING FORWARD.

CAN YOU HEAR ME? THERE WE GO. LORD HAVE MERCY.

I'VE ALWAYS BEEN HEARING HER, BUT SHE CAN'T. 25.

SO. SOMEHOW YOUR LEGAL OPINION. EVEN TURNING IT ON TO SPEAKER.

SO CAN'T HEAR YOU GUYS. SO EVEN OFF OF BLUETOOTH.

OKAY. OKAY. SO.

IT'S STILL BREWING. CHECK 1212. ONE THROUGH. I THINK IT'S ON HER END FOR SOME REASON.

DON'T KNOW WHY. CAN'T HEAR. THERE'S NOT MUCH.

HAVE HER SAY SOMETHING, I JUST. WE'RE NOT GOING TO BE ABLE TO HEAR HER.

WE CAN HEAR HER. SHE CAN'T HEAR US. NOT RIGHT NOW.

I TURNED HER DOWN. COUNCILMAN. ROSE ISN'T HERE.

WE CAN BLAME IT ON NISSAN. CAN YOU HEAR ME? OH, YEAH.

OH, THAT'S YOUR PHONE. THE FACT THAT SHE. IS DRIVING.

I'M TEXTING HER. CAN YOU SAY SOMETHING? I CAN HEAR HER TALKING.

YES. IS THAT COMING THROUGH YOUR PHONE? THROUGH OUR SYSTEM? IT'S COMING THROUGH THE SYSTEM. I JUST TURNED IT DOWN. WE'VE ALWAYS HEARD HER. OH, THAT'S RIGHT. US. I'M TRYING TO MANIPULATE IT TO TROUBLESHOOT.

JUST LET HER SOUND IT RIGHT. ARE WE RECORDING THIS SO SHE CAN HEAR IT IS BEING RECORDED.

SO THERE YOU GO. WE'RE LIVE BROADCAST RIGHT NOW TO THE WHOLE CITY IS SEEING OUR TECHNOLOGICAL.

SO WE NEED TO WATCH WHAT WE. WANT TO TRY TO HANG UP AND CALL BACK AND SEE IF SOMETHING.

WE RECONNECTED. YES, PLEASE. CAN YOU PLUG IT IN? ALL OF US SAY, YES, WE CAN DO THIS. YES. I MEAN, YOU'RE GONNA HAVE TO RE LET HER IN, ROBERT.

YOU'LL HAVE TO LET HER ACCEPT HER INVITE WHEN SHE RESIGNS IN.

NO, I DON'T, I WANT SOME, I WANT. HEY, JOE.

I STILL GOTTA FIGURE OUT WHERE WE KEEP THAT WATERMELON. WE CAN SEE THAT IF THEY WATCHED IT ON YOU ARE ALMOST FIVE YEARS.

DOCTOR WILSON, I RETIRED. CAN YOU HEAR ME? NO.

THERE'S NO SIN AGAINST DRINKING AGAINST. THAT'S RIGHT.

WE'RE STILL BUDDIES. YEAH. TELL HER I WILL. SHE JUST RETIRED.

RETIRED? YEAH, I KNOW. JUST. ONE YEAR AHEAD OF ME IN LAW SCHOOL.

OH, REALLY? OH, Y'ALL WERE IN LAW SCHOOL? OF COURSE SHE'S.

MAN. THAT IS. SHE'S GOING TO SEE SOME OF THE WRONG STUFF, TOO.

NOT THAT MINE IS. SHE'S BEEN THERE. THAT'S WHAT I HAD HER PUT IT ON A SPEAKER.

DO WE HAVE A MICROPHONE? I DO, SHE'S GOT. AND THEN.

HER. AND THEN TRACY. YOU HAD HAD A MEETING WITH HIM, AND KATHY WENT TO A TEMPLE.

WE DIDN'T LIVE RIGHT DOWN THE ROAD. PLANNING AND ZONING VIDEO.

[01:30:03]

TOGETHER. THAT'S AWESOME. DOCTOR WILSON, SHE LOOKS A LOT YOUNGER THAN ME.

DO YOU WANT ME TO JOIN? I JUST PUT DOCTOR WILSON, CAN YOU HEAR ME? WE WORKED A LOT TOGETHER, BUT SHE WOULD COME DOWN TO MY OFFICE AND SHE'D SAY YOU WERE.

I WOULD SAY, GO AHEAD, JOANNE. YOU KNOW WHAT I'D DO? SEND IT TO SHARON FOR THIS THING.

CAN YOU PULL THAT FOR ME? BECAUSE I WOULD HAVE PREFERRED.

HER TO GO, REMEMBER? WHERE IS SHE? IN HER SYSTEM.

I WAS HER FILE. THAT'S FUNNY. I THOUGHT YOU WERE GOING TO SAY.

BECAUSE THESE GUYS DO IT TO ME ALL THE TIME. BUT THIS IS A DOCUMENT.

OKAY, COOL. I WAS LIKE, YEAH, THAT SOUNDS BETTER.

SINCE THEN, YOU KNOW, I WAS ALWAYS JUST KNOWING HOW I WAS NOT AN ATTORNEY, OBVIOUSLY, BUT I WAS SOMEHOW SOMEHOW BROUGHT INTO THE FOLD.

SO I WAS ALWAYS IN THERE DOING SOMETHING OR THAT OR THE OTHER.

AND SO I'M LIKE, I HAVE A QUASI ALL RIGHT, ALWAYS TAKE, ALWAYS TAKE HELP FOR IT.

SO THAT'S ON THE MAJOR SPREADSHEET OR THAT'S ON YOUR LITTLE IT'S ON MINE TOO MUCH, WHATEVER THEY WANT.

NO. I LEFT FOR TEN BEFORE MY COMPUTER DOES WAS IN PRIVATE PRACTICE REPRESENTING CITIES.

OH, OKAY. ONE OF THE COMPANIES. THANK YOU. THAT'S WHAT I WAS GOING TO ASK, JOE.

I KNOW I HAVE AT LEAST REPRESENTATIVE VR. I LIKE THE ONE.

I GOT AT LEAST THREE. I KNOW I HAVE ONE IN PARKS.

THAT WAS FIELD TRIP IN IN GRANDVIEW BEFORE I CAME BACK IN THE LIBRARY THAT I KNOW I'VE GOT FOUR OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD.

I'M SURE I HAVE ONE. YOU BRING UP A GOOD POINT, BUT NOT TOO MUCH THAT YOU GOTTA TAKE THOSE OUT.

WE HAD THEM FOR TWO YEARS. I MAY HAVE COME ON JUST OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD, BUT ANYWAY, NOT ALWAYS.

NOT ALL OF IT HERE. HOW IS IT, MARK? SHARE THAT LIST WITH ME.

JUST BECAUSE SOME OF THEM MAY BE VACANT LIKE SOME OF MY PEOPLE THINK I AM, I THINK I CAN.

COFFEE SNOBS, WE CAN'T. IT'S LIKE, IT'S NOT THAT I KNOW ANYTHING.

AND I'VE GOT YOU DRINKING OUT OF A TRUCK STOP WHEN YOU'RE TIRED, OKAY? YEAH, JUST SOMEWHERE ELSE. BUT YOU MIGHT WORK.

YEAH. LET'S TRY SINCE YOU'RE ALREADY IN THERE. YEAH, THAT WOULD IMPACT BECAUSE LIKE YEAH, SO LET THEM KNOW THAT MAKES SENSE BECAUSE I MAY HAVE SOME.

OKAY, OKAY. OKAY. SO WE CAN'T DO IT THAT WAY.

THAT'S A LOOP. YEAH. CAN I TAKE YOUR COMPUTER AND I'LL GO OUTSIDE.

BEEN LIVING IT EVERY DAY. SO IT WAS A CITY SECRETARY AND YOU SAID THE LOOP.

BREAK THE LOOP. NO, SHE'S A SHE'S BECOME THE NEXT UP PULLS DOWN THE SOUTH LOOP AND SLIDE OVERPASS.

THAT'S GOING TO BREAK THE LOOP. CAN YOU HEAR ME? YES. CAN YOU HEAR US? CAN YOU HEAR US? YES, I CAN HEAR YOU.

YAY! ALL WE HAD TO DO WAS THROW THE COMPUTER OFF THE BALCONY.

CAN Y'ALL HEAR ME? I CAN HEAR YOU FOR A SECOND.

OKAY. WE CAN HEAR YOU. ONCE AGAIN. CAN YOU HEAR US? REMEMBER HOW WE DID IT? SHE SAID SHE COULD HEAR US FOR A SECOND.

I THINK SHE COULD HEAR HIM. I THINK SHE COULD HEAR YOU.

SHE CAN'T HEAR US. SHE CAN'T HEAR ME. I CAN HEAR YOU FOR JUST A SECOND.

AND THEN IT WENT AWAY. CAN YOU HEAR US NOW? ALL RIGHT.

OKAY. THE FINAL ONE. PERFECT. YEAH. CAN YOU HEAR ME? I COULD ALSO JUST. I'M GOING TO GET BACK TO THE BROADCAST.

I KNOW WE'RE GETTING YOU. YOU WANT TO RECESS THE MEETING AND LET THEM STOP THE BROADCAST UNTIL THEY FIX THIS? YOU KNOW, I THINK THAT'S A GOOD IDEA BECAUSE PEOPLE DON'T NEED TO WATCH TO FIGURE OUT WHAT IS THIS RIVETING TV? IT'S RIVETING TV. YEAH. WELL, WE'RE IN RECESS UNTIL WE GET BACK ONLINE BECAUSE.

SO Y'ALL GO GET THAT. GO DO WHATEVER YOU WANT.

IF YOU HEARD THAT, ROBERT, WE'RE GOING TO BE.

OVER THERE WATCHING DISNEY. OVER THE NEXT FEW.

YEARS, WE HAVE MAINTAINED A LOWER TAX RATE COMPARED TO SOME OTHER COMMUNITIES.

YOU'VE GOT A LARGE AREA OF GROWTH POTENTIAL. SO YOU ACTUALLY HAVE THE ABILITY TO GROW AS A COMMUNITY.

YOU'VE BEEN DELIBERATE AND DILIGENT IN YOUR INFRASTRUCTURE INVESTMENT AND PLANNING FOR THE FUTURE, AND TRYING TO GET THOSE ASSETS IMPLEMENTED IN GOOD TIME.

WATER PLANNING. EVERYBODY WAS VERY COMPLIMENTARY OF THE 100 YEAR WATER PLAN AND SORT OF MAKING SURE WE MAINTAIN THAT THAT TRAJECTORY.

[01:35:03]

WE CAN ALWAYS HAVE MORE. BUT YOU FELT THAT THERE WAS A GOOD AVAILABILITY OF THOSE AND NICE PARKS, THAT PEOPLE ARE VERY ENCOURAGED ABOUT THE ENERGY THAT'S HAPPENING IN DOWNTOWN AND THAT OBVIOUSLY THERE ARE PLANS FOR THAT TO CONTINUE.

THAT MAY TAKE MORE TIME, BUT BUT IN GENERAL, THERE'S THIS THERE'S AN ENERGY THERE AND A LIFE THAT IS COMING BACK TO IT, MEDICAL RESOURCES BEING AVAILABLE IN THIS AREA, AND YOU'VE GOT STRONG LEGISLATIVE REPRESENTATION AT THE STATE LEVEL IN PARTICULAR.

CAN I ASK YOU WEAKNESSES? WEAKNESSES BEING JUST THE CLIMATE.

IT'S HOT, IT'S DRY. AND SO THAT PRESENTS UNIQUE CHALLENGES IN THE TOPOGRAPHY.

* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.