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GOOD AFTERNOON EVERYONE, AND WELCOME TO THE SPECIAL MEETING OF THE HARLINGEN CITY COMMISSION.
THE TIME IS NOW 5:30 PM WE'LL CALL THIS MEETING TO ORDER.
IT HAS BEEN POSTED AS REQUIRED, UM, BY STATE LAW, AND WE DO HAVE A QUORUM PRESENT.
COMMISSIONER LO LOPEZ DID LET US KNOW THAT HE'S RUNNING A FEW MINUTES LATE.
NONETHELESS, WE DO HAVE A QUORUM PRESENT AT THIS TIME.
I'LL ASK EVERYONE TO PLEASE RISE AS COMMISSIONER MORALES LEADS US IN THE INVOCATION, EBO, ANY FATHER, A REFUGE FOR THIS DAY AND FOR EACH DAY TO COME TOUCH US WITH A FINGER OF YOUR POWER.
WE ARE PROTECTION AND STRONG DEFENSE AGAINST ALL ATTACKS OF DARKNESS, WHERE PEOPLE LOOK TO YOU TO LOOK, WHERE PEOPLE LOOK TO YOU OUT OF THE DARKNESS.
LET THEIR EYES GROW, SHINING RIGHT WITH THE LIGHT OF YOUR EYES.
NOW, THE PLEDGE PLEDGE TO THE FLAG OF, OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS, ONE NATION UNDER GOD.
AND THERE IS HOPE, LIBERTY, AND JUSTICE FOR ALL.
AND MARK, IF YOU READ THE CONFLICT OF INTEREST, PLEASE, UNDER STATE LAW, CONFLICT OF INTEREST EXISTS.
A COUNCIL MEMBER, CERTAIN MEMBERS OF THAT PERSON'S FAMILY HAS A QUALIFIED FINANCIAL INTEREST IN AN AGENDA ITEM.
MEMBERS OF THE CONFLICT OF INTEREST CANNOT PARTICIPATE IN DISCUSS ON THE AGENDA.
ARE YOU READY ON CONFERENCE MEMBERS DISCLOSE THIS TIME.
I DO RECOGNIZE THAT WE HAVE CITIZEN COMMUNICATION ON THE AGENDA, AND WE DO HAVE TWO PUBLIC, UH, COMMENTS.
AND WE HAVE RENEE MAREZ AND BRIAN MAREZ.
UM, WHERE, WHERE ARE YOU OVER HERE? THIS SIDE.
UM, SO I JUST WANTED TO LET YOU KNOW WE ARE GONNA OPEN IT UP FOR DISCUSSION SO I CAN KEEP YOU ON CITIZEN COMMUNICATION OR, OKAY, THAT'S WHAT I FIGURED.
WELL, BEFORE WE GET STARTED, I DID WANNA JUST TAKE A, A, A MOMENT AND, UM, WELCOME ALL OF YOU, UH, HERE WITH US.
I WANNA EXTEND OUR GRATITUDE FOR YOU TAKING TIME OUTTA YOUR DAY TO BE HERE WITH US.
I THINK I SPEAK FOR THE ENTIRE COMMISSION WHEN I SAY THAT HERE IN THE CITY OF HARLINGEN, IT'S IMPORTANT FOR US TO SEE GROWTH IN HARLINGEN.
WE WANT THE CITY TO, TO NOT ONLY JUST GROW, BUT WE WANNA THRIVE.
WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT DEVELOPMENT IS AS SEAMLESS AS POSSIBLE, UM, AND THAT WE ARE DOING IT RESPONSIBLY, BUT WITHOUT ANY IMPEDIMENTS THAT ARE UNNECESSARY.
AND SO IT IS IMPORTANT FOR US TO HAVE THESE CONVERSATIONS WITH YOU, SO THAT WAY WE ENSURE THAT WE ARE MAKING SURE THAT WE UNDERSTAND YOUR CONCERNS.
SHOULD YOU HAVE ANY, UM, FIRST, I THINK LAST YEAR BEFORE I, UH, RIGHT SHORTLY AFTER I CAME ON, I DID SPEAK WITH A FEW OF YOU IN A MORE INTIMATE SETTING, AND WE TALKED ABOUT ISSUES WITHIN THE CITY OF HARLINGEN.
UM, AND THEN FROM THERE, IT KIND OF GREW TO A DEVELOPER'S MEETING.
AND WE HAD ANOTHER DEVELOPER'S MEETING WITH MORE FOLKS INVOLVED.
AND, UH, THE CITY OF HARLINGEN REALLY LISTENED TO WHAT YOU HAD TO SAY AND MADE SOME SIGNIFICANT CHANGES TO OUR OPERATION, UM, WITHIN THE CITY OF HARLINGEN.
AND I KNOW JAVIT WAS VERY PROACTIVE IN, IN GIVING US SOME COMMENTS ALSO, BECAUSE HE HAD ALREADY HEARD A LOT OF THE GRIEVANCES.
AND SO I WANNA JUST COMMEND JAVIT FOR REALLY BEING ACCESSIBLE.
I, WITH, BEFORE THIS MEETING, I GOT A LOT OF THE MESSAGES AND EMAILS FROM FOLKS TELLING ME THAT, YOU KNOW, JAVIT HAS, HAS DONE AN EXCELLENT JOB, AND, AND THEY'RE HAPPY WITH THE ABILITY TO BE ABLE TO HAVE ACCESS TO HIM, TO HIS DEPARTMENT.
AND THE CHANGES THAT WE HAVE MADE, I THINK ONE OF THE BIGGEST ONES WAS, UH, HAVING, UH, HELPING WITH THE ISSUES WITH DETENTION AND THE BEING ABLE TO USE THE, YOU KNOW, EXTEND THE DITCHES INSTEAD OF HAVING THOSE INDIVIDUAL PONDS.
UM, AND SO THOSE ARE ONE, JUST ONE OF MANY OF CHANGES THAT WE MADE.
AND WE ONLY WERE ABLE TO MAKE THOSE CHANGES BECAUSE WE HAD A MEETING JUST LIKE THIS, TO LISTEN TO YOUR GRIEVANCES, TO LISTEN TO YOUR CONCERNS, AND TO REALLY JUST ACT.
UM, AND I THINK THAT WE WERE ABLE TO MAKE SIGNIFICANT CHANGES RATHER QUICKLY.
AND SO THE COMMISSION IS HERE TO SUPPORT YOU.
UM, YOU KNOW, NOW IT'S COME TO OUR ATTENTION THAT THERE ARE SOME ISSUES, BUT NOW IT'S MORE IN LINES WITH HARLINGEN WATERWORKS, WHICH IS AN EXTENSION OF THE CITY OF HARLINGEN.
UM, AND SO THAT'S WHY WE'RE HERE TODAY.
WE'RE HERE TO TALK ABOUT THOSE CONCERNS, NOT TO REALLY PLACE BLAME ANYWHERE, BUT TO REALLY TALK ABOUT HOW WE CAN MOVE FORWARD, HOW WE CAN COLLABORATE, HOW WE CAN WORK TOGETHER TO MAKE THINGS EASIER AND BETTER.
I, I KNOW NONE OF, NO, NO ONE ON THE COMMISSION WANTS TO HEAR THAT.
IT'S HARD TO DO BUSINESS IN HARLINGEN.
I THINK THAT IS A PRIORITY FOR ALL OF US AS
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A COMMISSION TO ENSURE THAT THAT IS NOT THE CASE.AND WE'VE BEEN WORKING TOWARDS THAT GOAL.
I WANNA SAY PROBABLY, YOU KNOW, SINCE, SINCE WE ALL STARTED HERE IN THIS COMMISSION.
AND SO IT'S SUPER IMPORTANT THAT WE HAVE THESE CONVERSATIONS.
AND SO THAT'S THE PURPOSE OF THIS.
SO WE'RE GONNA HAVE A REAL CANDID CONVERSATION ABOUT THOSE ISSUES AND KNOW WE'RE HERE TO LISTEN, UH, TO ABSORB EVERYTHING THAT YOU HAVE TO SAY AND THEN TO TAKE, TAKE ACTION.
AND WE HAVE INVITED TIM AND HE'S HERE.
SOME OF THE CONCERNS, UH, HAVE ALREADY BEEN BROUGHT TO OUR ATTENTION AND MAY BE SOME OF THE CURRENT CONCERNS THAT YOU HAVE AS WELL.
SO, UM, BEFORE WE GET STARTED, I'M GOING TO, ONCE WE READ THIS AGENDA ITEM, I'M GONNA HAVE GABE TALK ABOUT THE THINGS THAT WE HAVE ALREADY HEARD AND THE STEPS THAT WE ARE DOING TO CHANGE THOSE, UM, THOSE, THOSE ISSUES THAT WE HAVE OR THAT WE HAVE HEARD ABOUT RECENTLY.
AND IF THOSE ARE SIMILAR TO THE ISSUES THAT YOU HAVE, THEN HOPEFULLY THEN THAT WILL KIND OF CHECK THAT OFF YOUR LIST, AND THEN WE'LL CONTINUE ON FORWARD.
UH, DOES THAT SOUND GOOD WITH EVERYONE? AWESOME.
SO, UM, ITEM ONE IS DISCUSSION REGARDING PRACTICES, PROCEDURES, AND ORDINANCES RELATING TO THE REGULATION OF SUBDIVISIONS AND RESIDENTIAL AND COMMERCIAL DEVELOPMENT WITHIN THE CITY OF HARLINGEN.
UH, ONE OF THE THINGS I'D LIKE TO POINT OUT IS THAT, UM, SOME OF THE SUGGESTIONS THAT, UH, THAT YOU BROUGHT FORWARD TO US LAST YEAR, WE'VE ALREADY MADE, AND WE MADE CHANGES TO THE DEVELOPER'S GUIDE, THE SUBDIVISION GUIDE.
AND LAST FISCAL YEAR, WE HAD A BANNER YEAR IN CONSTRUCTION.
WE HAD $176 MILLION IN BUILDING PERMITS ISSUED, UH, THANKS TO ALL OF YOU FOR WORKING TOGETHER FOR THE CITY TO MAKE IT A THRIVING AND GROWING CITY.
AND SO WE WANT TO CONTINUE THAT MOMENTUM.
UM, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT, THAT, UH, HAS HAPPENED SINCE THEN IS THAT, UH, I, I HAD ONE OF YOU, UH, ONE OF THE DEVELOPERS CALLED ME AND WANTED FOR ME TO MEET WITH HIM AND HIS SUBCONTRACTOR REGARDING SOME ISSUES THAT, THAT THE CITY WAS DOING.
UH, ONE OF THE THINGS WE DID WAS WE REQUIRED OUR STREET INSPECTOR TO BE THERE AT EVERY INSPECTION.
SO I READ THE ORDINANCE, I LOOKED WHAT IT SAID.
THE ORDINANCE DOES NOT REQUIRE THE STREET INSPECTOR TO BE THERE FOR THE INSPECTIONS.
SO EFFECTIVE TUESDAY OF THIS WEEK, UH, I INSTRUCTED THE, UH, THE ENGINEER NOT TO REQUIRE THE STREET INSPECTOR TO BE THERE, BECAUSE WHAT WAS HAPPENING, AND THE DEVELOPER TOLD ME IS THAT, UH, HE'D COME IN, WE'D HAVE AN INSPECTION, THE STREET WOULD FAIL, BUT HE WOULDN'T RESCHEDULE THE INSPECTION FOR ANOTHER THREE DAYS BECAUSE HE WAS BUSY WITH OTHER PROJECTS.
AND SO THAT DELAYED THE PROJECT.
IT WAS THERE, STUCK, NOTHING HAPPENING FOR THREE DAYS WITH AN OPEN PIT.
AND SO, UM, WE MADE THAT CHANGE EFFECTIVE TUESDAY.
UM, THE OTHER THING THAT WE MADE WAS THAT THE ORDINANCE, AND, UH, LUIS, YOU SAID REQUIRES TESTING EVERY 300 LINEAR FEET.
ON THE TRENCHES FOR ANY PIPES.
UH, THE TESTING SCHEDULE CALLS FOR 300 LINEAR FEET, RIGHT? AND SO WHAT I TOLD HIM WAS, LOOK, THE ORDINANCE TEST, WE'RE GONNA TEST EVERY 300 LINEAR FEET.
SO THAT'S WHAT WE'RE GONNA TEST.
WE'RE NOT GONNA TEST EVERY 50 FEET, EVERY A HUNDRED FEET, EVERY 175 FEET.
WE'RE GONNA TEST EVERY 300 LINEAR FEET FOR PIPING, PERIOD.
AND THAT, AGAIN, WAS MADE, THAT DECISION WAS MADE ON TUESDAY, BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT THE ORDINANCE SAYS.
IT'S NOT ANYBODY HERE MAKING THAT DECISION.
THE CITY COUNCIL AT SOME POINT IN THE PAST DECIDED THAT THAT WAS, UH, THE BEST, UH, PRACTICE TO DO.
SO THAT'S WHAT WE'RE GONNA DO.
SO IF ANYTHING OTHER THAN THAT IS HAPPENING WITH YOUR DEVELOPMENT, UH, PLEASE LET LUIS OR MYSELF KNOW, UM, AND I'LL HAVE MY CARD LATER AVAILABLE IF ANYBODY NEEDS MY INFORMATION, UH, JUST FOR THAT.
SO WE MADE THOSE CHANGES ON THE CITY SIDE TO TRY TO HELP FOSTER GROWTH, FOSTER DEVELOPMENT, UM, BUT WE ALSO WANNA MAKE SURE THAT THE CITIZENS THAT ARE RECEIVING THE BENEFITS OF ANY INFRASTRUCTURE LAID GET GOOD PRODUCT.
AND WE THINK THAT BY STICKING TO THE ORDINANCE, MAKING SURE WE, WE FOLLOW THAT PROCESS, UH, WE'LL STILL BE ABLE TO GET THAT DONE.
SO, UH, WE DID THAT ON THE CITY SIDE.
THERE WERE SOME OTHER ISSUES THAT WERE BROUGHT UP WITH WATERWORKS, BUT, UH, I, I CAN'T DO ANYTHING ABOUT THAT.
UH, SO AS THE MAYOR MENTIONED, WE WANT TO LISTEN TO ANY ISSUES.
YOU MAY HAVE TO SEE HOW WE CAN ADDRESS THAT, UM, AND SEE WHAT CHANGES THE COMMISSION CAN, CAN MAKE TO ACTUALLY FOSTER, UH, GROWTH AND MAKE IT, AND MAKE IT, UM, NOT OVERLY BURDENSOME FOR YOU, BUT MAKE IT FAIR FOR YOU TO GIVE US A GOOD PRODUCT IN THE FUTURE.
SO, AND WHAT HE MEANS IS THAT NOT THAT HE JUST CAN'T FIX IT, THAT WE, WE AS A, AS A COMMISSION CAN LISTEN AND, AND, AND MAKE ANY, UM, POTENTIAL CHANGES, UH, AS NECESSARY.
BUT THAT'S WHAT, THIS IS THE STARTING POINT HERE WITH ALL OF YOU TODAY.
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YOU.AND EVERYONE KNOWS EVERYBODY IN THE ROOM.
I'M ASSUMING WE DO YOU NEED INTRODUCTIONS? NOW? YOU'RE HERE BECAUSE YOU ALREADY PROBABLY TALKED TO ALL THESE PEOPLE, SO, GREAT.
SO WE'LL GET STRAIGHT TO, TO, TO WORK.
UM, WE'LL GO AHEAD AND, AND, AND START WITH THE, SO THAT WAY.
WELL, WHAT YOU'VE MENTIONED RIGHT NOW IS, WAS A BIG ISSUE, YOU KNOW, ESPECIALLY IN OUR SUBDIVISION THAT I'VE BUILT.
UH, WHICH ONE'S THAT ONE? PELICAN, PELICAN, PHASE THREE.
SO, YOU KNOW, MY BIGGEST DEAL THE PREVIOUS TIME IS THAT WE SPEND OVER $40,000 IN THIS.
IT GOT A LITTLE BETTER, BUT I STILL SPEND ANOTHER 35,000 IN THIS LAST PHASE.
AND IT COULD BE AT THE TIME WHEN WE WERE GETTING RAINED, IT WOULD DELAY US A MONTH AND WE COULD MOVE FORWARD.
SO I'M REAL GLAD TO HEAR THAT YOU ULTIMATE MADE THAT STEP BECAUSE IT REALLY IMPACTED US ON WHETHER TO DO THE NEXT PHASE OR NOT.
WE'RE ACTUALLY HOPING THAT SOMETHING LIKE THIS WOULD HAPPEN JUST BECAUSE OF THAT.
BECAUSE ACTUALLY I'M GIVING A LOT OF WEIGHT, JUST, YOU KNOW, ONE LOT I'M GIVING AWAY JUST FOR TESTING.
AND, YOU KNOW, IT JUST DOESN'T MAKE SENSE FOR US ANYMORE AS DEVELOPERS.
YOU KNOW, IT'S JUST THE COST IS GETTING SO HIGH, YOU KNOW, AND THE CONSUMERS AROUND HERE, LET'S JUST PUT FOR INSTANCE, MY LOT WILL BE HIGHER THAN SOMEBODY SELLING A LOT IN ED, WHICH IS JUST DOWN THE STREET.
YOU KNOW, I HAVE TO SELL MY LOT $5,000 HIGHER JUST TO, JUST BECAUSE OF THESE ADDED EXPENSES IMPACT, YOU KNOW, THAT PRE HAVE WATER METERS THAT ARE $2,000 HERE IN THE CITY OF ORIGIN VERSUS PRE META THAT ARE MUCH LESS.
SO WE'RE HAVING TO COMPETE WITH THAT.
AND SO THAT IS WHERE IT, IT BECOMES A PROBLEM SOMETIMES.
SO I, I'M GLAD YOU ALL MADE THAT, THAT MOVE BECAUSE IT WILL HELP US AS DEVELOPERS AT LEAST KNOW THAT WE CAN HIRE A CONTRACTOR TO COME AND DO THE JOB.
BECAUSE I'LL BE VERY HONEST WITH YOU, I HAD TO DO IT MYSELF.
YOU KNOW, I HAVE A LOT OF EXPERIENCE IN ROAD CONSTRUCTION AND, AND UTILITY, SO I DID IT MYSELF.
BUT AS A CONTRACTOR, I'M HAVING TO PAY 20, 25% HIGHER FOR ANYBODY TO COME AND WORK HERE BECAUSE OF SITUATIONS LIKE THAT.
AND, UH, MYSELF AS A CONTRACTOR, I STOPPED DOING BUSINESS OR STOPPED BIDDING PROJECTS HERE FOR THE CITY OF HARLINGEN BECAUSE OF THAT, BECAUSE OF INSPECTIONS LIKE THAT.
IT'S LIKE YOU'D COME IN WITH AN AMOUNT THAT YOU'RE GONNA PROFIT, BY THE TIME YOU KNOW IT, YOU, YOU'VE ALREADY, YOU'RE IN THE HOLE.
AND SO IT JUST DOESN'T MAKE SENSE.
SO I, I'M GLAD YOU'RE ALL MAKING THOSE CHANGES AND HOPEFULLY IT'LL, IT'LL ALLEVIATE A LOT OF OUR, OUR PROBLEMS AS DEVELOPERS AND BUILDERS.
'CAUSE WE DO, WE DO OUR OWN HOUSES, WE DO OUR OWN DEVELOPMENT, AND WE DO OUR OWN CONSTRUCTION.
SO IT'S HOPEFULLY THAT WILL HELP US ALL THE WAY AROUND ALL THESE PEOPLE IN THIS BUILDING HERE.
WE APPRECIATE IT AND WE HOPE THAT THIS ENCOURAGES YOU TO YES, ABSOLUTELY.
AND SAME, YES, SAME ISSUE, SAME ISSUES.
THE, THE ONLY THING IS THAT BRIAN ON HIS SIDE, HE'S, UH, AND IF I CAN TOUCH ON IT A LITTLE BIT SURE.
AND I DON'T WANT TO TAKE TOO MUCH OF YOUR ALL'S TIME.
I KNOW WE TALKED ABOUT THE PORTAL AT THE VERY BEGINNING, AND YOU KNOW, IT IS SO EFFICIENT IN OTHER ENTITIES THAT PORTAL THAT IT WOULD, IT WOULD REALLY HELP THE CITY OF HARLINGEN IF THEY COULD GET INTO THAT.
I'M BUILDING A 10,000 SQUARE FOOT VA CLINIC IN ANOTHER ENTITY.
AND WHAT'S SO GOOD ABOUT IT IS THAT THERE'S ONE INSPECTOR THAT IS DEDICATED TO THAT ONE JOB HERE IN HARLINGEN.
WHAT WINDS UP HAPPENING IS YOU GET A JOB, YOU GET AN INSPECTOR, BUT THEN THE NEXT INSPECTION YOU GET IS SOMEBODY TOTALLY DIFFERENT.
AND HE MAY HAVE A DIFFERENT OUTLOOK ON WHAT HE'S LOOKING AT AND FAIL YOU.
EVEN THOUGH WE ALREADY SAID, WELL, YOU KNOW, YOU JUST NEED TO DO THIS, THIS, AND THIS.
WE DO IT, WE CALL FOR RE-INSPECTION.
ANOTHER INSPECTOR COMES IN AND SAYS, NO, THAT'S NOT THE WAY TO DO IT.
SO THEN THEY FAIL YOU AGAIN, IN THAT PORTAL, IT'S ONLY ONE INSPECTOR PER PROJECT AND EVERYTHING IS ONLINE.
IT TOOK ME ABOUT THREE WEEKS IN ORDER TO GET A FULL PERMIT ON THAT VA HOSPITAL THAT'S 10,000 SQUARE FEET.
IT'S TAKING US A MONTH AND A HALF IN ORDER TO GET A PERMIT FOR JUST RE A REMODEL FOR A HOME.
AND THAT'S, THAT GOES MORE ON MY SIDE OF FRUSTRATION IS LIKE WE, WE TRY
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TO INVEST A CERTAIN DOLLAR AMOUNT IN REMODELING HOMES AROUND THE LOCAL AREA.AND IF WE WANNA RESURFACE, YOU KNOW, THE, THE PAINT OR RESURFACE A CABINETRY AND GIVE IT A NICE FACELIFT, IT'S TAKING ABOUT A MONTH AND A HALF TO TWO MONTHS JUST TO GET PERMITS.
AND THEN THEY WANT FULL BLOWN ENGINEERED DRAWINGS, IN MY OPINION.
I THINK THAT'S VERY EXCESSIVE FOR A, A SIMPLE REMODEL.
YOU KNOW, I'M NOT DOING ANYTHING STRUCTURALLY, I'M JUST DOING THE RESURFACING OF THE PAINT.
MAYBE UPGRADE PLUMBING, ELECTRICAL ACCESSORIES, WHICH I DON'T MIND PULLING OUT AN ELECTRICAL PLUMBING PERMIT THAT THAT'S WHAT IT'S THERE FOR.
BUT A FULL BLOWN ENGINEERED DRAWINGS.
I THINK THAT'S PRETTY EXCESSIVE.
AND IT'S TAKEN ME A MONTH AND A HALF JUST TO GET A PERMIT TO CONTINUE TO REMODEL.
IF NOT, I GET SHUT DOWN OR WHATEVER THE CASE MAY BE.
SO THAT'S WHERE IT'S VERY DISCOURAGING ON MY SIDE WHERE I WANT TO JUST, YOU KNOW, RE REVITALIZE SOME NEIGHBORHOODS AND HANG, HOLD ON TO THE, TO THE, OH YES, OF COURSE.
JUST I'M SAYING, 'CAUSE AFTER THIS I'M GONNA READ THE TRANSCRIPT BECAUSE, 'CAUSE I, I WON'T BE ABLE TO TAKE A ENOUGH NOTE.
UM, SO YEAH, THAT, THAT'S MORE ON MY SIDE WHERE IT'S A LITTLE FRUSTRATING AS FAR AS PERMITTING FOR, IN MY OPINION, LIKE SIMPLE REMODELS NOT CHANGING ANYTHING STRUCTURALLY.
UM, AND THEN HAVING TO WAIT SUCH A LONG TIME JUST TO GET THAT ACCEPTED THROUGH YOUR ALL'S, YOU KNOW, THE, THE BUILDING PERMIT PROCESS AND THE EXCESSIVE NATURE OF FULL BLOWN ENGINEER PLANS FOR, FOR A SIMPLE REMODEL.
SO I DO HAVE THAT, THAT CONCERN AS WELL.
AND, AND WE'RE TRYING TO REVAMP SOME OF THESE NEIGHBORHOODS, YOU KNOW, AND INVESTING THIS TYPE OF MONEY INTO THIS, UH, A LOT OF HOMES THAT ARE DISTRESSED.
NOT OF COURSE TO HELP US FINANCIALLY AS WELL, BUT IT WILL MAKE THE CITY LOOK A LOT BETTER.
WE'VE ALREADY PICKED UP A COUPLE OF HOMES OFF OF POLK THAT WE'VE DONE AND, YOU KNOW, WE'VE TURNED THEM AROUND.
BUT, AND IT LOOKS LIKE THE SUBDIVISION ACTUALLY LOWER THAT ROAD IS ACTUALLY GETTING A LITTLE BIT BETTER, BUT IT'S VERY DISCOURAGING WHEN YOU'RE RUNNING INTO THESE TYPES OF SITUATIONS.
IS THAT THE HOUSE WITH THE WHITE PICKET FENCE AND FOLK? THERE'S ONE THAT WE DID THAT'S WHITE.
I DON'T KNOW ABOUT THE PICKET FENCE, BUT IT, IT'S, YOU KNOW, IT'S REALLY NICE AREA.
INCIDENT WITHIN THAT GENERAL AREA.
UM, JAVIER, WE ARE WORKING ON THAT.
I DON'T KNOW IF YOU HAVE AN UPDATE.
SO THE, THE WEBSITE, WELL THE, SO WE HAVE A NEW SOFTWARE FOR, UH, PERMITTING IN THE WORKS WHERE YOU'LL BE ABLE TO APPLY FOR A PERMIT ONLINE AND, UM, UH, PURCHASE A PERMIT ONLINE.
ALSO REQUESTS INSPECTIONS ONLINE.
UM, WE WERE GONNA GO LIVE IN OCTOBER, BUT WE HAD A CYBER ATTACK, SO WE GOT DELAYED.
SO NOW WE'RE LOOKING AT APRIL ON GOING, GOING LIVE WITH THE NEW, WITH, WITH THE NEW SOFTWARE.
NOW FOR THE ENGINEERING REQUIREMENTS THAT, THAT WILL BE, UH, MR. MARTINEZ A BUILDING OFFICIAL AND HE CAN EXPLAIN ON, ON THAT.
UM, JUST, YOU KNOW, FULL TRANSPARENCY.
WHEN I FIRST GOT HERE TO THE CITY, NOT HAVING ANYTHING ONLINE WAS A, WAS A SHOCKER I THINK FOR ME.
AND, AND PROBABLY OTHERS THAT ARE, THAT ARE ON THE COMMISSION, JUST BECAUSE IT CAN STREAMLINE THINGS AND IT'S MORE EFFICIENT FOR EVERYONE INVOLVED THE CITY AND FOR THE DEVELOPERS.
SO THAT IS A, IS A PRIORITY AND WE'RE STILL ACTIVELY TRYING TO GET THAT ONLINE AND, AND GETTING STAFF TRAINED.
AND, AND I THINK THAT THAT'S GONNA HELP A LOT OF THESE ISSUES.
IS THAT GONNA BE FOR BOTH COMMERCIAL AND RESIDENTIAL? CORRECT.
UM, SO WE'LL GO AHEAD AND OPEN IT UP IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, CONCERNS, STATEMENTS, AND IF YOU JUST LET US KNOW WHO, CAN WE GET HIM THE MIC PLEASE? YES.
WE CAN PASS THE, LET ME GET THIS ONE, GABE.
MY NAME IS, UH, TESS NALY SENIOR.
AND WE DONE PROBABLY, THIS IS PROBABLY OUR SEVENTH, UH, SUBDIVISION HERE IN HARINGTON.
'CAUSE I THINK YOU HAVE MADE A LOT OF CHANGES, UH, COMPARED TO WHAT WE WERE GETTING IN THE PAST.
HOWEVER, UH, I DO HAVE SOME BIG CONCERNS, UH, JUST LIKE THEM INSPECTIONS.
UH, LIKE YOU SAID, SOMEBODY'S ON VACATION, UH, AND I'M TALKING ABOUT ONE PARTICULAR INSPECTOR, UH, THEY LEAVE SOMEBODY IN CHARGE.
THIS INSPECTOR GOES AND PASSES YOU.
SO IF YOU LAY IN PIPE, OBVIOUSLY SOMEBODY PASS YOU, SO YOU START DOING THAT.
YOU'RE DONE A THOUSAND FEET, 600 FEET.
THAT OTHER INSPECTOR COMES IN.
HE DOESN'T LIKE WHAT HE'S DONE, SO WE'RE HAVING TO TAKE IT ALL OUT.
SO NOT THE ONLY DID WE WASTED ALL THAT TIME, WE WASTING ALL THAT MONEY.
'CAUSE NOW HE WANTS SOMETHING ELSE.
AND MY THING IS, IF THAT INSPECTOR IS NOT GONNA, DOESN'T LIKE WHAT THAT OTHER INSPECTOR IS DOING, SO IT MIGHT AS WELL TELL US, YOU KNOW WHAT? I'M GONNA BE ON VACATION, DON'T EVEN BOTHER CALLING FOR INSPECTIONS.
I'M OKAY WITH THAT, BUT DON'T MAKE ME DO DOUBLE WORK.
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OUT OF A THOUSAND FEET OF PIPE.AND I DONE SEVERAL INSPECTIONS AND I HAVE TALKED TO THIS PARTICULAR SPEC, AND IT'S JUST THE SAME THING ALL THE TIME.
TRYING TO PROTECT YOU, TRYING TO PROTECT THE CITY, WHICH I UNDERSTAND.
I WANT TO DO THE RIGHT THING, BUT I WANT TO DO IT RIGHT THE FIRST TIME.
I DON'T WANT TO BE DOING DOUBLE WORK.
AND IF AN INSPECTOR PASSES ME, THAT'S AN INSPECTOR FOR THE CITY, FROM THE CITY.
AND THAT'S HOW MY, MY SUBCONTRACTORS ALSO, I'M ON THE SAME BOAT AS YOU ARE.
NOBODY WANTS TO COME AND WORK IN HARLINGEN.
SO WE ARE PAYING A LOT OF DOUBLE MONIES, A LOT OF MONEY TO, FOR ANYBODY TO COME TO HARLINGEN.
AND I, THAT'S THE, THAT'S THE FIRST THING YOU HEAR IS, OH, IT'S IN HARINGTON.
OH, I GOTTA ADJUST MY PRICING.
THAT'S, THAT'S A VERY, SO IT'S ROUGH.
MAY I ASK WHAT TYPE OF UTILITY THAT WAS? UH, I'LL GIVE YOU THE LAST ONE.
I'LL DO, WAS IT WATER, WATER WASTEWATER OR STORM WATER.
UH, ALOMA, UH, THE LIME, I BELIEVE WE COME TO AN AGREEMENT THERE HOW MUCH LIME THE CITY WANTS US TO PUT ON THE STREETS.
SOME, YOU KNOW, THEY GO IN THERE, WE MEET THOSE REQUIREMENTS THAT WE PUT IN THE PLANS, AND THEN THEY DON'T LIKE IT BECAUSE IT'S NOT MEETING WHATEVER THAT PERSON FEELS LIKE THAT TODAY IS THE DAY.
SO NOW WE'RE HAVING TO ADD ANOTHER $5,000 MORE WORTH OF LIME, NOT TO MENTION THE THREE WEEKS THAT WE HAVING TO WAIT BEFORE WE CAN PAY THAT LINE AND THEY CAN ACTUALLY DELIVER IT.
AND ON THIS BUSINESS GUYS, IT'S TIME IS MONEY, MONEY,
I THINK THAT'S WHAT EVERY DEVELOPER HAS TOLD ME.
TIME EVERY DAY IT, IT COSTS ME MONEY.
AND SO WE, EVERY DAY WE UNDER WE UNDERSTAND THAT.
UM, SO WHEN YOU SAY THAT EVERYBODY, UM, THAT YOU TALKED TO SAYS THAT IT'S HARD IN HARLINGEN AND YOU GOT TO, I GUESS MAKE SURE THAT YOU, YOU, YOU OVER PRICE.
RIGHT? THAT OVERBID THE JOB BECAUSE YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT TO EXPECT.
IS THAT JUST, UM, YOU KNOW, WE WANNA HAVE, LIKE I SAID, A CANDID CONVERSATION.
IS THAT 'CAUSE CITY OF HARLINGEN AND HARLINGEN WATERWORKS, SOMETIMES WE, WE CONFUSE THE TWO, BUT IS IS IT ON BOTH ENDS? WHERE DO WE NEED TO ADDRESS THOSE ISSUES? I THINK AS SOON AS THEY HEAR HARLINGEN, THAT'S IT.
AND, AND THAT'S WHAT OTHER, THAT'S WHAT PEOPLE IN GENERAL, BUT YOU ALL KNOW WHO IT IS THAT YOU'RE DEALING WITH.
YOU KNOW, WHETHER IT'S HARLINGEN WATERWORKS OR IT'S THE CITY OF HARLEEN.
I, I'M NOT SURE WHO THIS PERSON REALLY WORKS FOR.
I KNOW HE WORKS FOR THE CITY OF HARLINGEN.
UH, SO WHAT'S THE NAME OF THE INSPECTOR? AND I KNOW YOU DON'T WANNA DO THAT, BUT THAT HELPS ME, OSCAR.
AND SO THAT'S, THAT'S OSCARS, THAT'S CITY, THAT'S WHICH ONE'S OSCAR? THAT'S CITY.
WHAT ARE THE ISSUES OF THE WATER LINE CONSTRUCTION? UH, I'LL GIVE YOU AN EXAMPLE.
LAST, LAST TWO WEEKS AGO, UH, WE PUT, PUT ABOUT A MAYBE 600 FEET OF LINE.
UH, WE HAD A DIFFERENT INSPECTOR GO IN THERE AND CHECK IT.
I THINK OSCAR WAS OUT FOR A WHOLE WEEK.
UH, GOES BACK THE FOLLOWING WEEK.
HE DOESN'T LIKE THE SAND THAT WE PUT IN THERE.
SO BECAUSE HE DOESN'T LIKE THE SAND THAT WE PUT IN THERE, NOW WE'RE HAVING TO GO, UH, UH, AN EXTRA STEP.
SO PSI COMES IN THERE, PSIS APPROVES IT SAYS, WHAT'S WRONG WITH THE SIGN, EVERYTHING'S OKAY.
RIGHT? BUT HE MADE US STICK IT ALL OUT AND THEN PUT IT BACK IN THERE SO THAT WE COULD TEST IT.
WATERWORKS OVERSEES THE INSTALLATION OF THE LINE.
THE BEDDING IS VERY IMPORTANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THE PIPE IS PROPERLY SUPPORTED AND DOESN'T FLATTEN.
BUT BEYOND THAT, THAT INITIAL SAND LAYER ABOUT A FOOT OVER THE TOP OF THE PIPE, THE REST OF IT IS COMPACTION AND, AND BACK FILLING, WHICH DOESN'T, I DON'T WANNA SAY, I DON'T WANT TO SAY THIS CASUALLY, BUT IT DOESN'T REALLY HAVE AN IMPACT ON WATER WORK.
SO THE CITY TAKES OVER AT THAT POINT.
IT DOES THE INSPECTION ON THE COMPACTION, THE BACK BILLING.
AND I THINK THAT'S WHERE YOU MAY BE TALKING.
AND, AND AGAIN, I DON'T MIND, JUST TELL ME WHAT YOU WANT, BUT IF YOU'RE GONNA PASS ME THE SOON AS SOMEBODY TELLS ME I PASS, WE PASS.
SO WE CAN MOVE TO THE NEXT STEP.
THAT'S THAT'S WHAT I'M SAYING.
I DON'T MIND IF YOU TOLD ME IT DIDN'T PASS, WE'RE GONNA STOP.
WE'RE GONNA COME TO A STOPPING POINT.
BUT ONCE YOU TELL ME WE PASS, AND THEN WE'RE GONNA KEEP GOING, AND THAT'S MY PROBLEM.
SO NOW THAT WE LAY MORE SAND ON TOP OF IT, THAT MEANS THAT WE GOTTA TAKE IT OUT BECAUSE SOMEBODY DIDN'T LIKE WHAT WE DID ON THE, ON SOMEBODY ELSE, I SHOULD SAY.
MY PROBLEM IS NOT DOING, I WANNA DO THE RIGHT THING AND I DEFINITELY WANT MY CONTRACTOR TO DO THE RIGHT THING.
[00:25:01]
WHAT, WHAT, WHAT DO YOU DO AT THAT POINT? WHO DO YOU REACH OUT TO? WHAT ARE YOU JUST ACCEPT IT OR WHAT? WELL, WE HAVE TO, WHAT DO, DO WE JUST ACCEPT? OKAY.SO YOU JUST, WHAT OTHER OPTIONS DO WE HAVE? RIGHT? WHAT IS THE STANDARDIZATION OF THIS STUFF? RIGHT? LIKE, I AGREE WITH YOU 100%.
LIKE IF YOU GOT APPROVED RIGHT, YOU SHOULDN'T BE REJECTED.
SO ON OUR, ON OUR OWN INSPECTORS, WHAT GIVES ONE INSPECTOR THE AUTHORITY TO OVERRULE THE PREVIOUS INSPECTOR, THERE ISN'T SUCH A THING.
AND THERE ISN'T SUCH A THING OF, YOU KNOW, I DON'T LIKE IT.
WE'RE NOT GONNA PASS SECOND TIME, WE'RE BASED ON THE TESTING, UH, AND ON THE LIST.
RIGHT? SO MY GUESS IS WHAT HAPPENED IS YOU HAD ONE LIFT THAT PASSED AND YOU PROCEED.
AND THEN YOU HAD A SECOND LIFT.
RIGHT? AND THEN THAT PERHAPS MAYBE DIDN'T PASS.
AND SO THAT'S, THAT WAS THE REASON OF THE REWORK.
NO, BUT, BUT TO, TO ME, YOU KNOW, IT'S, UH, YOU KNOW, I JUST DON'T LIKE HOW IT LOOKS.
AND THEN YOU HAVE TO REDO, LEMME TELL YOU EXACTLY WHAT HAPPENED.
WE LAID DOWN THE SAND, WE LAID DOWN THE PIPE.
INSPECTOR A CAME IN, SAID, EVERYTHING LOOKS GOOD.
THIS OTHER PERSON HAPPENED TO BE ON VACATION THAT WEEK.
THEN THE FOLLOWING WEEK HE COMES BACK, WE LAY IN SOME WORK, RIGHT? COMES BACK TO THE FIRST SECTION THAT WAS ALREADY PASSED.
SAYS, GETS INTO THE TRENCH, IT SAYS, I DON'T LIKE IT.
OKAY, WELL THAT'S, UH, THAT'S, UH, THAT IS A BIG PROBLEM ON ME.
SO I DID GET ON THE PHONE, I DID TALK TO THAT INSPECTOR BECAUSE I WAS UPSET.
I THINK THERE'S A, THE SECOND ONE, THERE'S SOME MORE, THERE'S SOME MORE OVER THERE.
THE SECOND ONE AND THAT, BECAUSE I WAS UPSET.
AND HONESTLY, IT GETS TO A POINT LIKE, OKAY, DO I GET UPSET THIS, I SUSPECT THAT IT'S GONNA KEEP ON INSPECTING MY SIDE THAT IT PROBABLY WILL NEVER PASS ME AGAIN AND IT'S GONNA COST ME ANOTHER 20 $50,000.
OR DO I JUST ACCEPT WHAT HE SAYS AND DO IT AND MAYBE DO IT FOR A LOT CHEAPER THAN IT PROBABLY EVENTUALLY WILL COST ME.
'CAUSE I DON'T KNOW WHO TO GO TO.
I MEAN, I PROBABLY IN THE LAST FOUR OR FIVE YEARS, I'VE DONE SEVEN SUBDIVISIONS AND I'M WORKING ON RIGHT NOW ON A 283 APARTMENTS, UH, OFF OF BRA STREET.
AND, UM, AND ANOTHER ONE OFF OF PALOMA AND BASS.
SO, AND ANOTHER ONE OFF OF BASS ALSO THAT WE'RE ABOUT TO GET PERMITS FOR 40 ACRES.
SO WE, IT'S 40 ACRES, 20 ACRES.
HOW HOW LONG AGO WAS THAT? IT WAS JUST LAST WEEK.
ARE THERE ANY PICTURES OF IT, OF THE TRENCH? UH, I CAN ASK MYSELF.
I WAS, UH, SO I'M GONNA, I KNOW AND I CAN COMPLETELY, UM, UNDERSTAND YES.
THAT, YOU KNOW, THE PERSON THAT YOU FEEL HAS THE POWER.
AND, AND I THINK WE'RE, AS HUMAN BEINGS, WE KNOW THAT, RIGHT? BECAUSE ONE PERSON CAN SAY SOMETHING, BUT THIS IS A PERSON YOU HAVE TO DEAL WITH.
AND SO YOU KIND OF JUST WILL LET ME, LET ME LOOK TO SEE WHAT'S GONNA COST ME MORE.
BECAUSE AT THE END OF THE DAY, THAT'S WHAT IT'S ABOUT.
AND SO THEN YOU EAT IT AND YOU MOVE ON FORWARD.
BUT WE WOULD, WE, WE, IF I DON'T KNOW ABOUT IT, THERE'S NOTHING THAT I CAN, THAT I CAN DO.
IF LUIS DOESN'T KNOW HE, THERE'S NOTHING THAT, TO BE HONEST WITH YOU, IT'S THE FIRST TIME THAT I HEAR ABOUT THESE MEETINGS.
SO I WAS, I'M GLAD SOMEBODY CALLED ME, SOMEBODY FROM THE CITY ACTUALLY CALLED ME AND ASKED ME TO BE HERE.
AND I'LL TELL YOU WHAT I CAME IN TODAY JUST FOR THIS.
WELL, WELL KNOW THAT WE ARE, SO I WANTED TO GET MY WATER OUT.
AND I KNOW YOU HAVE SOMETHING TO ADD, THOUGH.
ALSO, I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S TRUE.
YOU'RE THE SAME PROBLEMS. IT HAPPENS TO US THE SAME WAY.
WE HAD A STOCK STOCKPILE OF I THINK LIKE 15 LOAD.
THAT'S WHAT SAME INSPECTOR HE'S TALKING ABOUT.
THERE'S ONLY, AND WE TESTED THEN PASSED AND WE TESTED THE OTHER ONE AND PASSED.
IT WAS ONLY THE SAME IDENTICAL BATCH.
AND, BUT THE COST, IT WAS EASIER FOR ME TO GET IT OUT, BRING SOME NEW ONE, AND IN ORDER FOR ME TO START TALKING TO PEOPLE, 'CAUSE MONEY ONCE IT PASSED, YOU WERE ABLE TO USE IT, RIGHT? NO, WELL, THE SECOND TIME, BUT IT WAS THE SAME SET CAME DITCH.
IF I HEAR THAT SOMETHING'S PASSING AND IT'S NOT ALLOWED TO BE USED, IT'S NOT, THAT'S NOT HOW WE ARE OPERATING.
AND HERE'S THE OTHER THING WAS THE, WHEN YOU DO A, THAT'S THE ESI, THE CITY INSPECTOR IS THE ONLY ONE THAT CAN GET THAT TEST.
SO WE TESTED THAT THROUGH PSI, EVERYTHING WAS PASSED, BUT WE COULDN'T GET THE TEST BECAUSE THAT INSPECTOR WAS NOT AVAILABLE TO CALL THE OTHER GUY ON PSI BECAUSE HE'S THE ONLY ONE THAT CAN CALL.
NOT EVEN I THAT I'M PAYING PSI CAN GET THAT TEST RESULTS.
WE JUST CHANGED THAT, RIGHT? YEAH.
WELL, WHEN WAS THIS? BECAUSE IT, IT JUST HAPPENED TO ME YESTERDAY, THIS WEEK, UH, THIS WEEK THE TESTING WILL BE COORDINATED BY YOU GUYS IN THE LAB.
AND IF WE CAN MAKE IT, WE'LL BE THERE.
[00:30:01]
THEN THE TESTING WILL PROCEED.BUT WHAT ABOUT THE, THE ACTUAL RESULTS? OKAY.
SO THE INSTRUCTION IS WE'RE GONNA GET THE LAB REPORTS WEEKLY.
HOPEFULLY WE'LL GET IT WEEKLY.
AND THEN IT'LL BE, YOU KNOW, HOPEFULLY IT'LL BE PASSING RESULTS.
BECAUSE IF THEY'RE NOT, THEN OF COURSE YOU GOTTA GO BACK.
I WANT TO DO THE RIGHT THING, I GUESS MORE CONSTANTLY THAT YOU HAVE TO GO BACK AND EXCAVATE MORE LIFTS AND GO DEEPER TO DO IT.
BUT LET'S JUST SAY THAT, WHY DON'T, WHY DON'T, UH, THE TWO OF YOU GET TOGETHER AFTER THE MEETING
LOOK, I THINK THE LAST THING IS, FIRST THING I WANT EVERYBODY TO UNDERSTAND IS I WANT EVERYTHING TO BE DONE.
SO THE LAST THING WE WANT IS OUR CUSTOMERS TO BE HAVING PROBLEMS LATER ON, RIGHT? IT'S ALL ABOUT THE CUSTOMER.
WE MAKE A LIVING OUT OF THE CUSTOMERS.
SO I WANT THE, THE, THE, THE, THE JOB TO BE DONE.
RIGHT? I WANT MY CONTRACTORS TO DO THE RIGHT THING.
I THINK THE PROBLEM IS THAT ONE INSPECTOR GOES TODAY AND SAYS, YEAH, THIS IS HOW I WANT IT.
THEY DO IT THE WAY THEY WANT IT, BUT THEN THE OTHER ONE COMES IN, WAIT A MINUTE.
NO, THAT'S NOT THE WAY I WANT IT.
BUT WE ALREADY DID IT THE OTHER WAY.
SO NOW WE'RE LOOKING AT WEEKS BEFORE WE CAN ACTUALLY FIX IT.
SO LET ME, I JUST WANNA, UM, I WANNA THANK YOU ALSO, I KNOW DANIEL SAID THANK YOU FOR, FOR MAKING YOUR WAY AND, AND BEING HERE TODAY.
IT'S, IT'S VERY IMPORTANT TO HAVE THESE CONVERSATIONS.
AND I THINK, UM, YOU KNOW, LOUISE IS, IS A LITTLE SURPRISED BECAUSE WE DO REALLY HAVE HIGH EXPECTATIONS FOR OUR CITY STAFF.
AND LOUISE HAS ALWAYS BEEN ACCESSIBLE AND, AND, AND, AND ADAPTS TO ALL THE CRAZY THINGS THAT WE ASK AS A COMMISSION.
UM, AND, AND SO I KNOW THAT HE'S DISAPPOINTED TO HEAR THAT THESE THINGS ARE HAPPENING, BUT I ASSURE YOU, NOW THAT WE KNOW AND NOW THAT HE'S GOING TO BE LOOKING AT THAT, THAT IT'S GOING TO BE, IT'S GOING TO BE DIFFERENT.
AND I WOULD ENCOURAGE YOU TO HAVE THOSE OPEN LINES OF COMMUNICATION WITH LOUISE, WITH JETTE, WITH CITY MANAGEMENT.
I KNOW THE COMMISSION IS AVAILABLE.
I JUST SAID THE NAME OF I KNOW YOU ARE.
BUT, BUT, BUT AT THE END OF THE DAY, IN ORDER FOR THE CITY OF HARLINGEN TO GROW, WE HAVE TO MAKE THOSE TOUGH DECISIONS TO ENSURE THAT OUR STAFF IS, IS, IS LIVING UP TO OUR EXPECTATIONS AND WORKING TO THEIR POTENTIAL AND MAKING SURE THAT THEY'RE NOT MAKING THINGS BURDENSOME.
AND EVERYBODY HERE THAT YOU SEE IS IN LINE WITH THAT.
AND SO I THINK THAT'S KIND OF WHAT THE FRUSTRATION IS.
BUT WE WILL DEFINITELY, IT SEEMS LIKE THAT IS A PROBLEM THAT IS NOT JUST ISOLATED TO YOU OR TO, TO YOU, MR. MADDI.
AND SO WE APPRECIATE THAT AND WE'LL, WE'LL WORK TOWARDS FIXING THAT ASIDE FOR SOME CAN I SAY SOMETHING REAL QUICK? I KNOW YOU MENTIONED SOMETHING EARLIER THAT SINCE SAMARA HAS COME ON BOARD, THAT SHE'S MADE A LOT OF CHANGES.
THIS IS ONE CHANGE RIGHT HERE.
WE'RE NOT HERE TO INTIMIDATE ANYBODY, BUT IN ORDER FOR US TO GROW, WE NEED YOU GUYS.
AND THAT'S WHY I'M HERE BECAUSE I FEEL LIKE I CAN DO THAT.
SO THANK YOU AND I'M GLAD YOU'RE DOING IT RIGHT.
UM, I'LL GIVE YOU MY, MY CONTACT INFORMATION ALSO, PLEASE.
IF YOU HAVE ANY ISSUES, YOU CAN CALL ME DIRECTLY.
I I'D LIKE TO HEAR ABOUT THAT.
IF IT HAPPENS AGAIN, ASIDE FROM DOING SUBDIVISIONS, GUYS, IF YOU SEE A STRIPES GOING ON, THAT'S PROBABLY ME DOING IT.
STRIPES OR A STARBUCKS OR AN O'REILLY'S.
THAT'S, WE DO A LOT OF COMMERCIAL, UH, WE DO A LOT OF STUFF.
WE'RE, WE'RE, WE'RE BUSY PRETTY MUCH.
IF YOU SEE A STRIPES OF SEVEN 11 GOING ON, PROBABLY IN THE STATE OF TEXAS, THAT'S US.
UH, ASIDE FROM THAT, WE BUILD A LOT OF HOUSES.
WE, LIKE YOU GUYS ARE, UH, WE BUILD A LOT OF HOUSES, UH, YOU KNOW, ACROSS SOME PROPERTIES OVER HERE OFF OF MARTA.
UH, WE BUILDING SOME HOUSES THERE ALSO.
WE TOOK SOME HOUSES DOWN THAT WERE IN, IN BAD SHAPE AND, AND PUT SOME BRAND NEW ONES IN THERE.
SO WE DEFINITELY WANNA DO A LOT OF BUSINESS HERE IN HUNTINGTON.
I CAN TELL YOU I LOVE TO CITY HERE.
UM, I, I MOVED TO EDINBURG FOR 25 YEARS AND I'M COMING BACK OVER HERE.
I'M BUILDING A HOUSE OFF OF, UH, FANTASTIC BEST BOULEVARD.
SO, SO RIGHT OFF THE BAT YOU'RE GONNA HAVE THE BEST COMMISSIONER.
IT FEELS LIKE YOU GUYS ARE DOING A LOT NOW AND IT FEELS A LOT, A LOT BETTER.
DEVELOPERS, UH, WE, UH, WE FEEL THE SAME WAY.
RIGHT NOW WE'RE IN THE PURCHASE OF, WE'RE IN THE PROCESS OF PURCHASING A HUNDRED ACRES SO WE CAN DO OUR DEVELOPMENT AND WE WANT TO BUILD, YOU KNOW, EVERYTHING HERE IN HEART.
BUT SOMETIMES WE GET PUSHED AWAY.
UH, I KNOW, UH, UH, ANOTHER PARTNER OF MINE, MR. HAPPY, WE'RE TRYING TO BRING A BIG PLANET FITNESS HERE OFF OF DIXIE ELECTION AND WE'RE WORKING REAL CLOSE, UH, WITH A DEVELOPER OR THE OWNER IN HOUSTON.
AND WE'RE, WE'RE JUST TRYING TO BRING HIM HERE, YOU KNOW, 'CAUSE WE WON CORN.
SO WE'RE DOING THE BEST WE CAN TO TRY TO MAKE IT GROW.
AND THANK YOU GUYS FOR HAVING THIS.
LIKE MR. NEELEY SAYS, YOU KNOW, WE KNOW YOU CARE.
[00:35:01]
ARGEN TO GROW AS WELL.SO WE'LL DO EVERYTHING THAT WE CAN AS DEVELOPERS TO MAKE SURE WE HAVE.
CAN I JUST ASK A QUESTION ABOUT A COPY THAT WAS ABOUT THE PREVIOUS YES, BUT THE ONLY THING IS I THINK HE'S, YOU, YOU WANTED TO SPEAK, RIGHT? I'M DOUGLAS.
I HAVE TO SPEAK UP FOR OSCAR AND THEN, AND THEN YOU'LL, YOU'LL BE NEXT.
I HAVE TO SPEAK FOR OSCAR BECAUSE I HEARD HIS NAME BEING MENTIONED A COUPLE TIMES.
WE'VE DONE FOUR SUBDIVISIONS, WE HAVE A FEW MORE COOKING.
UH, AND IN IN, IN THE, UH, IN THE PLANS IN, IN THE NEAR FUTURE WHEN MY I BE TO DIFFER.
I THINK OSCAR IS ONE OF THE NICEST INSPECTORS.
UH, HE MAY HAVE HAD A BAD DAY OR HE MAY HAVE MADE A MISTAKE, UH, A COUPLE TIMES.
UH, BUT HE HONESTLY IS THE NICEST INSPECTOR.
I MEAN, I HAVE HIS CELL PHONE NUMBER.
I CAN CALL HIM IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT.
HE, HE, HE HAS ALWAYS BEEN THERE FOR US.
AND, AND, AND, AND THAT'S WHAT I WAS TRYING TO CONVEY, THAT WE ARE ALL, YOU KNOW, HUMAN BEINGS AND THERE'S NOT, NOTHING IS EVER GOING TO BE PERFECT.
WE HOPE TO BE ONLINE SO WE CAN ELIMINATE A LOT OF THESE ISSUES THAT WE'RE HAVING.
THAT YOU TAKE THAT HUMAN ELEMENT, HUMAN ERROR OUT WHEN YOU HAVE THINGS ONLINE.
AND SO I THINK THAT'S GOING TO, TO HELP.
BUT, UM, THERE'S NO, UH, HIDING THAT THERE HAVE BEEN ISSUES BECAUSE IT'S NOT JUST ISOLATED TO JUST THE TWO OF YOU.
BUT THEN ON THE OTHER HAND, YOU'RE HAVING AN EXCELLENT EXPERIENCE.
WHAT WE WANT IS EVERYBODY TO HAVE A GOOD EXPERIENCE WITH THE DEVELOPMENT PROCESS.
EVERY TIME I CALL HIM, HE ANSWERS HIS CALLS OR HE'LL CALL ME BACK.
IS THAT FAR WHERE SOMEBODY ELSE WASN'T INSPECTED AND AND HE DOESN'T PASS WHAT YOU'RE SAYING AFTER THE RIGHT.
AND I DON'T KNOW IF YOU HAD THAT APPEARANCE WHERE SOMEBODY ELSE WENT AND INSPECTED AND HE DIDN'T PASS IT.
AND AGAIN, I'M NOT SAYING THAT WHAT HE'S ASKING FOR IS WRONG.
MAYBE HE'S CATCHING A STOCK THAT OTHER PEOPLE ARE NOT CATCHING.
OR MAYBE EVERYBODY SHOULD BE LOOKING FOR THE SAME STOCK.
I'VE NEVER MET WITH A DEVELOPER THAT SAYS, HEY, I WANNA CUT CORNERS.
I DON'T WANT A, YOU KNOW, A SOLID, UH, DEVELOPMENT THAT WE CAN BE PROUD OF.
EVERYBODY WANTS SOMETHING THAT, BECAUSE IT'S YOUR REPUTATION AND YOU'VE BEEN DOING THINGS THIS TYPE OF WORK FOR A LONG TIME, YOU JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT YOU KNOW WHAT TO EXPECT.
HE'S NOT A, I'M NOT SAYING HE'S A BAD PERSON.
UH, EVERY TIME I TALK TO HIM, HE'S NICE FRIENDLY PERSON.
YOU CAN BE, DO YOU WRITE THAT DOWN PLEASE? HARD.
A SECOND THING IS, IS THAT'S MY PROBLEM.
I HAVE NO PROBLEM FAILING THE SPECTRUMS. THAT'S NOT WHAT I'M SAYING.
IF THIS WRONG IS WRONG, WE WANT TO FIX IT.
BUT IF YOU'RE IN INSPECTOR, THAT SHOULD BE THE SAME MESSAGE TO EVERYBODY.
SO I THINK WHAT I DIDN'T, I DIDN'T GET FROM THIS WAS THAT YOU SAID WHEN OSCAR WOULD GO OUT, HE WOULD APPROVE IT AND THEN ANOTHER INSPECTOR WOULD COME.
SOMEBODY ELSE GOES AND OH, VICE VERSA.
THEN I DID UNDERSTAND IT CORRECTLY.
IN THAT, IN THAT INSTANCE, GUYS, IF THAT DOES HAPPEN IS THE, LET'S SAY THE FIRST INSPECTOR PASSES IT AND IT SHOULD NEVER HAVE PASSES.
RIGHT? AND THEN THE SECOND INSPECTOR GOES AND DOES, YOU KNOW, FAILS IT AND MAKES HIM REDO IT.
IS THAT FIRST INSPECTOR SENT FOR RETRAINING 'CAUSE HE MESSED UP AND IS COSTING THESE GUYS MONEY? OR SHOULD THAT SECOND INSPECTOR JUST PASS IT? IF IT'S NOT TERRIBLE AND THEY PROCEED FORWARD, IT'S 'CAUSE UH, PASSING WILL, NOT PASSING.
IT'S JUST NOT BY THE LOOKS OF IT.
UH, AND LUIS, IT WOULD'VE BEEN PSI TESTS RUN ON THE COMPACTION, RIGHT? YEAH.
AND IT, SO WE WOULD'VE HAD SOMETHING TO SUBSTANTIATE WHETHER IT WAS CORRECTLY COMPACTED OR NOT.
THAT WOULD'VE PASSED THE PROJECT ALSO.
AND, UH, SAYING 1000 LINEAR FEET OF A TRENCH OF PIPE, THERE'S GONNA BE THREE DIFFERENT SPOTS OF TESTS.
UM, HOW DO YOU ARRIVE AT THOSE? I DON'T MEAN TO INTERRUPT YOUR CONVERSATION, BUT THERE'S THAT, I I'VE DOESN'T WORK WITH OSCAR FOR MANY, MANY YEARS.
AND I'M NOT IN THE HARSON AREA BECAUSE I TRIED TO FILL IT UP WITH MONEY SO THAT I COULD OVERRIDE BEFORE YOU, EXCUSE ME, SIR.
I DIDN'T MEAN TO PUT MY RIGHT.
UH, SO I'M NOT COMING, I'M NOT DOING WORK IN HARMON FOR THAT REASON.
BUT, SO YOU'RE THE, THE ORDINANCE, AND OBVIOUSLY I COULD READ THE ORDINANCE.
WHO DECIDES WHERE THAT TEST IS GONNA BE IN THAT 300 FEET IN TDOT? THAT'S A RANDOM NUMBER.
WHEN WE DO HIGHWAY WORK, IT'S NOT OKAY.
THERE'S A WET SPOT RIGHT THERE.
SO, UH, I GUESS BETWEEN EACH MANHOLE, NORMALLY THERE'S 500 FEET.
SO THERE WOULD BE 1, 1 1 TEST BETWEEN THAT.
RIGHT? UH, SO WE TRY TO DO IT ONCE PER MANHOLE TO MANTLE.
RIGHT? UH, SO THAT MEANT TWO TIMES PER SEGMENT.
RIGHT? UM, IT WAS, IT WAS THAT LOCATION IN THAT 300 FEET.
HOW DO YOU ARRIVE AT THAT LOCATION? WELL, STARTING, UH, FROM ONE MANHOLE TO THE NEXT RIGHT? YOU START, LET'S SAY,
[00:40:01]
I DON'T KNOW, 10 FEET FROM THAT FIRST MANHOLE.OR YOU GET AWAY FROM THAT STRUCTURE AND THEN YOU TEST AND THEN UP TO THE NEXT.
I MEAN, IT, IT'S JUST, UH, IF, IF YOU'RE NOT EXACTLY AT THE 300, IT, IT, IT'S FINE.
BUT IT, WHAT WHAT I'M GETTING AT IS, UH, HE HAS A TENDENCY TO PICK REAL CLOSE TO THAT STRUCTURE.
WHICH IS THE MOST IN, IT IS WORST SPOT IN THE WORLD TO TAKE DENSITY TESTS WHEN YOU'RE UP THERE BACK FILLING AGAINST A MANHOLE.
SO MY QUESTION IS, CAN WE LIKE, HAVE A RANDOM NUMBER WHERE, OKAY, WE'RE GONNA PICK AT 250 FEET OR WE'RE GONNA PICK AT 150 FEET AND NOT SOMEBODY GO OUT THERE AND SAY, YOU KNOW, THIS IS, LOOKS LIKE THE WORST SPOT TO ME.
UH, IF THIS IS SOMETHING THAT HAPPENS, THAT'S THE REASON I AIN'T HERE.
I MEAN, I'M NOT, I'M HERE, OBVIOUSLY, BUT THE REASON WHY WE'RE NOT WORKING IN ORANGE, UH, THAT'S NOT, I MEAN, IT'S JUST, YOU KNOW, WE WE'RE NOT TRYING TO DO THAT.
IT'S PROBABLY NOT FOR THIS MEETING.
WE'RE, WE'RE GONNA TRY TO FAIL YOU ON, ON, ON, ON PURPOSE AND BECAUSE WE KNOW YOU'RE GONNA FAIL.
BUT ON THE OTHER HAND, YOU KNOW, IF YOU HAVE A TRENCH AND THEN YOU SEE A SPOT THAT YOU THINK IT'S GONNA FAIL, WHY NOT ADDRESS IT? RIGHT.
JUST, YOU KNOW, I, NOT BEING DIFFICULT OR ANYTHING, RIGHT? MM-HMM.
WHETHER IT, NO MATTER HOW IT LOOKS, RIGHT, UH, WE CAN, WE CAN START DOING THAT.
UM, AND IF YOU DID, IF YOU WERE TO DO THAT, LOUISE, WHAT, WHAT ARE, WHAT ARE THE PROS AND THE CONS OF DOING THAT? 'CAUSE THAT SEEMS LIKE A HAPPY MEDIUM, BUT WHY WOULD YOU, WHY WOULD YOU, WHAT'S, WHY WOULD YOU NOT DO THAT? DON'T SEE A REASON WHY WE WOULDN'T REALLY, UH, WE, WE COULD DO IT, WE COULD DO ONE TEST BETWEEN EACH STRUCTURE.
UM, LIKE I SAID, NORMALLY IT'S 500 FEET.
UH, AND THEN THERE'S, THERE'S TESTS ON EACH STRUCTURE ON THE MANHOLE OR JUNCTION BOX OR WHATEVER THE CASE MAY BE.
UH, WE COULD, WE COULD DO THAT.
RIGHT? I MEAN, WE'RE OPEN TO DO THAT.
UH, YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE THINGS, I'M SORRY, MAYOR.
ONE OF THE THINGS WE COULD DO IS PUT, AMEND THE ORDINANCE TO CALL FOR THE TEST TO BE 300 FEET, ALMOST EQUAL DISTANCE BETWEEN THE TWO METALS.
THAT WAY IT'LL BE SOMEWHERE IN THE MIDDLE.
THERE'S A PROBLEM WITH THAT APPROACH, BECAUSE A CONTRACTOR WHO KNOWS THAT SPECIFIC LOCATION THAT'S GONNA BE TESTED, HE'S GONNA, HE'S GONNA COMPACT SLOT.
THAT'S WHAT I WAS TRYING TO FIGURE OUT.
LIKE WHAT IS IT, WHAT IS THE ADVANTAGE OR DISADVANTAGE? YEAH.
WE TRY TO BE FAIR, RIGHT? I MEAN, BUT LIKE YOU SAID, OKAY, WELL I'M GOING TO PUT ALL THE COMPACTION EFFORTS IN RIGHT.
THE MIDDLE AND THEN WE HAVE A SINKING MANHOLE.
AND SO, SIR, BUT WHAT I, WHAT I THINK THAT HE WAS TRYING TO SAY IS NOT NECESSARILY THE COMPACTION, YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT THE BEDDING.
BECAUSE I THINK ALL OF US AS, UH, DEVELOPERS, WE HAVE SEEN INSPECTORS THAT DO SAY, I DON'T LIKE THE GRAVEL, I DON'T LIKE THE SAND.
I DON'T LIKE WITHOUT IT, WITHOUT THEM KNOWING THAT IT'S BEEN TESTED ALREADY.
AND WHAT HE'S TRYING TO SAY IS, HE SAID, I DON'T LIKE THE SAND, BASICALLY THE BEDDING.
IT HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH COMPACTION.
WELL, UM, WHAT THEY'RE ENCOUNTERING IS SOMETHING VISUAL, THE INSPECTOR SAYING, I DON'T LIKE THE WAY IT LOOKS WITHOUT KNOWING THAT THE GRADATION OR THE BEDDING IS THE RIGHT MATERIAL.
SO AM I HEARING THAT SOMETIMES IT'S ARBITRARY DECISIONS NOT BASED ON SCIENCE OR FACT, RIGHT? I MEAN, THERE'S TWO DIFFERENT, UH, LEMME JUST SAY SOMETHING DIFFERENT THINGS.
COMPACTION AND THE BEDDING, UH, A PIPE IS NORMALLY ENCASED IN SAND, RIGHT? WE TALKING ABOUT THE, THE, THE, THE MATERIAL OVER THE PIPE, OR ARE WE TALKING ABOUT THE MATERIAL UNDER AND AROUND THE PIPE? I GUESS THAT'S, LET, LET, LET'S JUST SAY AROUND AND JUST ON TOP SIX INCHES ON TOP OF IT, RIGHT? I MEAN, VISUALLY YOU CAN DISTINGUISH BETWEEN CLAY AND SAND, RIGHT? SO AN INSPECTOR, YOU KNOW, OR ANYBODY IN THE RIGHT MIND WOULD SAY, YOU KNOW WHAT, IT'S JUST VIS VISUALLY IT'S NOT GONNA PASS.
RIGHT? SO THAT MAY BE THE REASON OF VISUALLY IT'S JUST, YOU KNOW, I KNOW IT'S CLAY.
I KNOW IT'S CLAY, IT'S NOT SAND.
I MEAN, I GUESS YOU CAN JUDGE A SOIL JUST BY LOOKING AT IT.
LET'S, LET'S, UH, YOUR ISSUE WAS WITH MATERIAL UNDER, UNDER THE PIPE, OR IT WAS TESTED ITS BEST, BUT NOBODY CALLED A PSI TO FIND OUT IF HE HAD PASSED ALREADY.
IT'S JUST, I DON'T LIKE THE SAND TAKEN OUT.
HE DOESN'T, NOW IT'S, IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT TO CLARIFY THAT THERE ARE TWO INSPECTORS WHO TYPICALLY WORK A JOB.
WATERWORKS HAS RESPONSIBILITY OVER THE PIPE AND THE INITIAL BEDDING, WHICH IS 12 INCHES ABOVE THE TOP OF THE PIPE.
BEYOND THAT, IT'S A CITY INSPECTION PROCESS.
AND THAT, THAT DIVISION HAS BEEN PART
[00:45:01]
OF HARING'S EPIC FOR A LONG TIME.SO IF THERE WAS AN ISSUE WITH THE BEDDING AROUND THE PIPE, THAT MAY HAVE BEEN A WATERWORKS TYPE OF AN ISSUE.
AND YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT CLAY AND SAND, WHICH IS KIND OF A, A MATERIAL ISSUE WHERE THE SAND HAS BOTH HAS TO PASS A CERTAIN, UH, CRITERIA, UH, A MAXIMUM AMOUNT OF FINES THAT YOU, YOU CAN'T HAVE, THAT YOU CAN'T HAVE IN IT.
SO IF THAT ISSUE WAS THERE, IT MIGHT'VE BEEN THAT YOU WOULD'VE BEEN DEALING WITH THE WATERWORKS INSPECTOR.
UM, COULD BE, HAD SOME TURNOVER.
I KNOW THAT AN INSPECTOR WHO WAS ON YOUR JOB, UH, WAS WITH US FOR TWO MONTHS AND THEN DECIDED HE WANTED DO TO DO SOMETHING ELSE.
SO THERE MAY BE AN ISSUE THERE, BUT I THINK IT WOULD BE APPROPRIATE FOR US TO TALK WITH.
AND IT, IT'S WORTH SAYING THAT IF IT HAPPENED LAST WEEK, I KNOW OSCAR WASN'T ON VACATION LAST WEEK,
RIGHT? THAT'S, THAT'S THE WHOLE THING.
THEY, THEY'RE REAL ISSUES BECAUSE I HAD THE FIRST TIME, AND LIKE I SAID, I BUILT SEVERAL SUBJECT ISSUES HERE.
I MEAN, I TALKED TO SEVERAL TIMES, UH, SO IT'S NOT THE FIRST TIME.
AND THE FIRST TIME WE DID IT BOTHERED ME.
I CALLED HIM AND, AND I'M, AND I'M SORRY GUYS.
I SHOULD HAVE NEVER SAID HIS NAME, HONESTLY.
NOW REGRET TO SAY THAT THAT'S OKAY.
UH, BUT YOU ASKED ME, SO NO, IT'S, YES.
I WOULDN'T MEAN DO NOW FOR NOW LONG.
BUT, UH, THE WHOLE POINT IS THAT WHAT I'M TRYING TO GET ACROSS IS MORE THAN NOTHING ANYTHING ELSE, IS THAT SOMEBODY PASSED THE STRUCTURE.
SO I'LL TELL YOU, I DON'T WANT NO MEAN TO INTERRUPT YOU, BUT I, WE, GABE AND I HAVE TALKED ABOUT THIS IN ON, ON THE CITY SIDE AND ON HAR HARLINGEN WATERWORKS, WHEN SOMETHING HAS PASSED, UH, IT IS UNACCEPTABLE FOR SOMEONE ELSE TO GO OUT THERE AND SAY, NOW IT'S NOT.
NOW YOU'VE GOTTA MAKE SOME CHANGES AND, AND YOU HAVE TO START ALL OVER AGAIN AND YOU'RE OUT MONEY.
AND I'VE SPOKEN WITH FOLKS IN THIS ROOM INDIVIDUALLY ABOUT ISSUES LIKE THAT AND WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO SUCCESSFULLY GO THROUGH THAT AND, AND COME OUT ON THE OTHER SIDE.
AND, YOU KNOW, SOMETIMES IT'S THE ISSUE ON, ON, ON THE WATER SIDE.
BUT, AND, AND WE ARE TALKING INTERNALLY HOW WE CAN FIX THAT.
THESE CONVERSATIONS ARE HELPING, UH, US TO MAKE SURE OUR, OUR GOAL IS SO THAT WAY YOU'RE NOT OUT ANY ADDITIONAL MONEY, WHATEVER YOU INTENDED ON SPENDING.
I MEAN, THERE'S GONNA BE A LITTLE VARIANCE, RIGHT? BUT YOU, BUT YOU ACCOUNT FOR THAT.
BUT IT SHOULDN'T BE BECAUSE OF THE FACT THAT SOMEONE WAS JUST NOT HAVING A, A, A GOOD DAY.
RIGHT? THAT'S WHAT WE WANNA AVOID.
AND SO WE ARE GONNA WORK ON THAT.
AND THAT IS SOMETHING I, WE, I EVEN ENTERTAIN THE FACT THAT, YOU KNOW, MAYBE WE NEED TO EAT THAT COST IF, IF SOMETHING LIKE THAT HAPPENS.
BUT WE NEED TO REALLY SEE WHAT WE CAN DO IN TERMS OF, UM, OUR, OUR POLICIES, OUR ORDINANCE, OUR OUR, UM, SUPERVISION, UH, OF, OF STAFF TO ENSURE THAT WE ARE MAKING SURE THAT WE'RE DOING EVERYTHING THAT WE CAN TO CORRECT THAT PROBLEM.
AND THEN ONCE WE HAVE, WE, YOU KNOW, WE ARE HAPPY TO BRING EVERYBODY BACK AND TALK ABOUT THE CHANGES THAT WE'RE GOING TO MAKE TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU CONTINUE TO, TO WORK HERE IN HARLEEN.
'CAUSE HARLEEN IS OPEN FOR BUSINESS.
WE WANNA ENSURE THAT YOU GUYS ARE ALL, UM, YOU KNOW, EVERYONE'S ACCESSIBLE TO YOU AND THAT YOU'RE NOT LOSING MONEY.
BECAUSE WHEN YOU'RE MAKING MONEY, IT'S GROWING MY COMMUNITY.
WE NEED MORE HOMES TO GET ALL OF THE BUSINESSES THAT EVERYBODY IN OUR, EVERYBODY IN ARLINGTON WANTS THESE.
LIKE, UH, WHAT IS THAT? TRADER, TRADER JOE'S AND ALL THAT.
AND SO DOES, SO DOES THIS GUY TRADE JOE'S? BUT EVERYBODY IN THIS ROOM KNOWS THAT WITHOUT ROOFTOPS, WE'RE NOT GOING TO GET THAT.
SO WE, AND THEN WE NEED, YOU KNOW, JOBS.
AND SO YOU ARE A CRUCIAL, CRUCIAL ABSOLUTELY, UH, COMPONENT TO GROWTH IN HARLINGEN.
AND WE ARE, WE ARE, WE DON'T WANNA BE AN IMPEDIMENT.
WE WANT TO BE ABLE TO HELP YOU.
BUT I'M GONNA PASS IT ON TO MR. ADE.
'CAUSE YOU'VE BEEN PATIENTLY WAITING.
UM, YOU HAD A, A COMMENT OR QUESTION? WELL, I DO HAVE SOME, SOME THINGS I WANTED TO TALK ABOUT, BUT I JUST WANTED TO CLARIFY SOMETHING THAT A, A COMMENT WAS MADE A LITTLE WHILE AGO.
YOU, WE TALKED ABOUT THE COMPACTION OF THE SAND AND YOU TALKED ABOUT HOW THE FIRST FOOT IS THE MOST IMPORTANT THAT YOU'RE CONCERNED WITH.
SO MY QUESTION IS, I JUST WANTED TO CLARIFY.
DOES THAT MEAN WE NEED TO FILL THE REST OF THE DITCH WITH SAND OR CAN WE JUST FILL IT WITH REGULAR BACKS? THE, THE CONCERN FOR THE WATERWORKS IS WHAT'S CALLED THE, THE PIPE EMBEDMENT ZONE, WHICH IS FROM THE BOTTOM OF THE TRENCH TO ABOUT A FOOT OR TO A FOOT OVER THE TOP OF THE PIPE.
BEYOND THAT POINT, THE PIPE IS ALL SET, WHETHER IT'S COMPACTED WELL ABOVE THAT OR NOT, DOES NOT AFFECT THE PIPE.
THAT'S WHERE THE CITY WOULD COME IN AND THEY HAVE A VESTED INTEREST.
UH, BECAUSE IF YOU DON'T COMPACT THAT RIGHT, YOU'RE GONNA HAVE SETTLEMENT OF THE STREET.
SO, BECAUSE RIGHT NOW WE'RE BACK FILLING IT WITH ALL SAND, THE REST OF IT ALL THE WAY UP, RIGHT? CORRECT.
UM, WE'RE DOING SOME CHANGES ON THAT.
UH, I WANNA SAY THAT WOULD BE A BIG CHANGE.
[00:50:01]
YOUR UTILITY, TIM, IS FOUR OR THREE FEET.WAIT, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT TWO DIFFERENT THINGS.
MR. CHARLIE'S TALKING ABOUT THE COVER OVER THE TOP OF THE PIPE.
NOW THAT'S, THAT'S, THAT'S THE EMBEDDING, THAT'S THE SAND BEDDING.
BUT HE MENTIONED THAT HE NEEDS TO PUT SAND ALL THE WAY UP TO THE ALICHE LAYER.
AND HE'S, YOU WERE, YOU'RE ASKING, OR YOU WANTED TO PUT NATIVE SOIL, RIGHT? THIS IS RIGHT.
IF WE DON'T HAVE THAT REQUIREMENT, WE WANT TO PUT NATIVE SOIL.
AND, AND WHAT, WHAT I WAS GOING, WHERE THE CONVERSATION WAS GOING IS, UM, IF THE TRENCH IS MORE THAN FOUR FEET OR THREE FEET DEEP, YOU CAN PUT NATIVE SOIL, YOU KNOW, A, A LAYER BECAUSE IT'S A DEEPER, UM, UTILITY OR LINE.
AND THEN YOU PUT, YOU KNOW, YOUR KCHE OR, OR TREE SUBGRADE, KCHE AND AN ASPHALT.
UH, BUT IF THE TRENCH IS SHALLOW, YOU KNOW, YOU CAN, WE'D PREFER TO PUT, YOU KNOW, UH, A THREE FEET OF, OF, OF SAND ALL THE WAY.
UM, AND THAT'S FOR NEW INSTALLATIONS.
IT'S DIFFERENT FOR REPAIRS, BUT WE'RE NOT DOING REPAIRS RIGHT NOW.
WE'RE WORKING ON, UM, HAR AND TERRACE OVER HERE, CLOSE BY.
AND, UM, THE SEWER IS DESIGNED TO WHERE THE MAIN LINE IS UNDERNEATH THE ROAD.
AND FOR US, AFTER THE SAND BEDDING, WE HAVE TO GO UP IN, IN 12 INCH LIFTS WITH SAND.
AND WE'RE ABOUT SEVEN, SEVEN FEET, EIGHT FEET IN SOME AREAS.
UM, SO WE'RE LOOKING AT SPENDING CLOSE TO 15, $20,000 JUST FOR THE STRETCH OF PIPE THAT WE HAVE.
AND YOU'RE PROBABLY LOOKING AT 500 LINEAR FEET AND, AND, UH, COMING.
'CAUSE WE'RE FILLING IT, THE SAND, THE MOST OF OUR DEVELOPMENTS, UH, IT'S CHANGED THE GAME FOR US IN THAT SENSE.
UM, A COUPLE OF THINGS THAT I'VE ALSO NOTICED SINCE THIS IS MY FIRST PROJECT HERE IN ARLINGTON IS THAT, UH, WATERWORKS DOES HAVE A POLICY FOR CLOSED BOTTOM SEWER MANHOLES AND STORM DRAIN MANHOLES.
AND THAT ALSO, UH, PROLONGS THE PROCESS FOR A DEVELOPER OR A CONTRACTOR.
UM, ESPECIALLY IN THE SENSE OF, YOU KNOW, UH, SEWAGE, RIGHT? IN THE SANITARY SENSE OF, OF THE MANHOLES, JUST BECAUSE WE GOTTA SUBMIT DRAWINGS, ENGINEERS GOTTA APPROVAL.
THAT PROCESS, YOU KNOW, TAKES PROBABLY THREE WEEKS TO A MONTH SOMETIMES.
AND THEN THE ACTUAL MANUFACTURING OF THOSE MANHOLES TAKES ANOTHER, YOU KNOW, UH,
I MEAN, I, I CAN, I CAN SPEAK ON THE SOILS, UM, BUT THE MANHOLE, UH, ISSUE I HAVE NO PROBLEM WITH OPEN MAN, OPEN BOTTOM, MANHOLES, FOOT.
JUST TO CLARIFY THAT WE COULD LEAVE THAT ONE ITEM.
YOU'RE ONLY CONCERNED ABOUT THE FIRST FOOT.
YOUR ONLY CONCERN IS IF IT'S SHALLOW THREE OR FOUR FEET.
SO THEN WE'RE SAYING THAT AFTER THAT WE DON'T HAVE TO FILL IT WITH SAND TO THE TOP.
IS THAT WHAT WE'RE SAYING? YOU, YOU WOULD BE ALLOWED TO PUT NATIVE SOIL, UH, YOU KNOW, WRITE IT DOWN.
WHAT ARE, WHAT ARE, WRITE IT DOWN.
WHAT ARE THE, WELL, ANYBODY THAT DOESN'T HAVE A MIC, I DON'T, UM, MAYBE WE CAN SPEAK A LITTLE LOUDER, BUT, BUT WHAT ARE THE, WHAT ARE THE, SO, SO, SO, SO I WANT TO MAKE IT AS EASY AS POSSIBLE FOR YOU, BUT I ALSO WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE TAKING CARE OF OUR COMMUNITY AND WE'VE HAD THESE CONVERSATIONS, YOU KNOW, AT NAUSEUM ABOUT BEING RESPONSIBLE IN OUR DEVELOPMENT.
SO THAT'S WHY WE REALLY VALUE YOUR OPINION, LUIS.
AND SO WHAT IS THE ISSUE IN, IN, IT SOUNDS TO ME THAT YOU'RE, YOU'RE SAYING IT, IT'S A CASE BY CASE BASIS AND SOMETIMES IT'S OKAY AND SOMETIMES IT'S NOT.
IS THAT, IS THAT ACCURATE? YES.
UH, IN MY OPINION, UH, DEEPER THAN THREE FEET, YOU WOULD BE ALLOWED TO PUT NATIVE SOIL.
IF IT'S JUST THREE FEET, I DON'T SEE WHY NOT.
AND WE'RE NOT TALKING ABOUT CEMENT STABILIZED SAND, WHICH IS MORE EXPENSIVE.
IT'S JUST REGULAR SAND COMPACTED TO THE STANDARDS.
UM, SO THAT'S, UH, CHANGE THAT WE'RE PUSHING TOWARDS, BUT WE JUST HAVEN'T MADE IT JUST YET.
SO WE JUST NEED TO MAKE SURE WE PUT IT INTO OUR POLICY, CORRECT? YES.
WE GOT, WHEN DO YOU THINK YOU CAN MAKE THAT CHANGE? RIGHT.
RIGHT NOW WE'RE WORKING ON HARLEY JIM TERRACE, AND LIKE I SAID, THE TRENCHES ABOUT SEVEN, EIGHT, AND, UH, THE SEWER LINES UNDERNEATH THE ROADWAY.
AND SO RIGHT NOW WE'RE SPENDING PROBABLY CLOSE TO 15, $20,000 JUST IN SAND FOR THAT SECTION.
SO, I MEAN,
AND, AND IF I GOTTA GO ALL THE WAY UP EIGHT FEET.
SO LUIS IS WHAT, WHAT, WHY, WHY DOES IT TAKE US A WHILE? UM, WHAT CAN WE DO? CAN WE, I MEAN, WE COULD DO A CHANGE IN THE FIELD, YOU KNOW, I MEAN, WE CAN ALLOW YOU TO PUT NATIVE SOIL AFTER THAT, UH, AND, AND NOT HAVE TO WAIT.
BUT IS THAT VIOLATING OUR ORDINANCE? NO.
[00:55:01]
WE HAVE SOME INED SAND IN OUR FORM WATER LINES AND, AND WE'RE NOT REQUIRING THAT BECAUSE IT'S VERY COSTLY.AND SO IN THAT SENSE, WE'RE, WE'RE NOT FOLLOWING THAT.
BUT THAT REFER TWO READINGS TO DO THE TIME THAT HE'S TALKING ABOUT IS THAT THERE ARE STANDARD DETAILS, DRAWINGS THAT WOULD NEED TO BE UPDATED TO REFLECT THAT.
SO, AND UN UNLESS YOU'RE AGAINST IT, TO EXPEDITE THIS, WE COULD ALWAYS JUST SAY TO HAVE A PAPER TRAIL PUT IN A VARIANCE REQUEST SO IT'S NOT JUST LIKE IT, SO IT GOES, IT'S MORE OFFICIAL THAN JUST A FIELD CALL.
AND WE'RE SHOWING FAVORITISM IS WE'RE SUBMITTING A VARIANCE REQUEST BASED OFF OF THE RESULTS OF THIS MEETING, WE UNDERSTAND THAT UPDATED DETAILS ARE COMING.
MAY WE HAVE YOUR PERMISSION TO USE THIS MODIFIED METHOD.
I THINK THAT COVERS WATER WORKS AND THE CITY.
AND IN THE MEANTIME, THAT GIVES US THE TIME WE NEED BOTH THE CITY AND WATERWORKS TO GO AND UPDATE THE DRAFTING FOR THE STANDARD DETAILS TO ACTUALLY REFLECT THE CONVERSATION THAT'S HAPPENING.
THAT SOUNDS LIKE A, A GOOD COMPROMISE, HONOR.
I DO, I DO HAVE SOME OTHER ORDINANCES THAT I, THAT I WANTED TO GO THROUGH.
I CAN WAIT, OR I CAN GET IT OUTTA THE WAY NOW, OR, OR IF THAT'S OKAY.
OR BEFORE WE MOVE ON, I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT THIS IS, BECAUSE I DIDN'T, I DIDN'T UNDERSTAND IF IT WAS POLICY OR ORDINANCE.
DO WE NEED TWO READINGS? WHAT'S THE, IT IT'S JUST ON THE STANDARD ON THE DRAWINGS.
UM, DRAWINGS HAVE NOTES AND THEN, OKAY, YOU PUT SAND HERE, YOU PUT SOME MEN HERE, YOU PUT, YOU PUT, YOU CAN PUT CALICHE HERE AND, AND YOU KNOW, WE MADE SOME CHANGES IN THE FIELD, YOU KNOW, IN SOME, IN SUBDIVISIONS.
NOT BECAUSE OF FAVORITISM OR ANYTHING, BUT, YOU KNOW, JUST, I GUESS FAVORING BE A CONSTRUCTION OF BE.
SO I THINK IT'D BE GREAT FOR, YOU KNOW, TO, TO WORK WITH HIM AND, AND OBVIOUSLY THAT THAT SEEMS, UH, A LITTLE MUCH, UH, AND, AND NOT WHAT YOU WERE EXPECTING.
SO LET'S SEE WHAT WE CAN DO TO, TO, TO ALLEVIATE SOME OF THAT, UM, RESPONSIBLY WITH LUIS.
BUT I THINK IT WOULD BE BETTER PRACTICE FOR US TO, TO DO EVERYTHING TO WRITING AND MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE A POLICY IN PLACE THAT EVERYONE CAN FOLLOW.
AND SO WHEN DEVELOPERS COME FROM EDINBURG, THEY CAN GO AND THEY CAN LOOK AND SAY, HEY, THIS IS WHAT'S GONNA BE EXPECTED FROM HARLINGEN.
AND SO WHETHER THAT'S POLICY OR WHETHER THAT'S THROUGH AN ORDINANCE, UM, I'LL LEAVE.
YOU KNOW, I, I'M NOT SURE, BUT I THINK THAT IT'S IMPORTANT FOR US TO, TO HAVE SOMETHING, UH, IN, IN WRITING BECAUSE WE DON'T WANT TO GIVE THE PERCEPTION THAT FOR HIM YES.
UM, SOMETHING YOU TOUCHED BASE, BOTH OF YOU DID I HEAR THE TERM MANHOLE DISCUSS TO ME MANHOLE? THE, THE, THE, YES, SIR.
IT'S A PRE-FABRICATED MANHOLE THAT WE HAVE TO SEND OFF TO DISTRICT MANUFACTURERS IN SAN ANTONIO.
THEY COME UP WITH A DRAWING, THEY SUBMIT IT TO ENGINEERS, ENGINEERS STAMP IT, AND IT HAS TO GET APPROVED BY WATERWORKS.
UH, AND THEN FROM THERE THEY START MANUFACTURING THEM.
AND WHOLE PROCESS PROBABLY TAKES ABOUT FIVE MONTHS.
SO WE'RE PUTTING IN SEWER LINE RIGHT NOW.
UH, CAN WE GET AWAY FROM THE CUSTOM? NO.
UH, WE, WE HAVE FOLLOWED A POLICY THAT WE WANT CLOSED BOTTOM MANHOLES BENCH, AND THE PIPE COMES IN.
THERE'S ACTUALLY A CHANNEL THAT'S IN THERE.
TRADITIONALLY, WHAT'S HAPPENED IS THAT'S ALL BEEN CONCRETE.
SO WHAT YOU'LL GET IN A FIBERGLASS IS JUST AN OPEN BARREL.
IT'S GOT THE CON ON THE TOP AND AT THE BOTTOM IT'S JUST OPEN.
THE PROBLEM WHEN YOU DO THAT IS THAT CONCRETE AND FIBERGLASS DO NOT SEAL VERY WELL TOGETHER AND FLOW AFTER A BIG STORM, YOU HAVE THE POSSIBILITY FOR WATER TO SEEP INTO.
WHAT WE EXPERIENCE AT OUR, OUR WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANT IS A PEAK FACTOR.
DURING STORM CONDITIONS, IT'S OVER FOUR, AND IT REALLY SHOULD BE THREE OR LESS.
BUT THAT'S BECAUSE OF INFLOW AND INFILTRATION THAT HAPPENS DURING, SO THE, THE MAIN FOCUS OF HAVING A CLOSED BOTTOM MANHOLE IS TO PREVENT THAT, MAKING THAT MANHOLE AS TIGHT AS POSSIBLE SO THAT YOU MINIMIZE THE PEAKS THAT YOU HAVE TO ADDRESS THE WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANT.
THE OTHER PROBLEM WITH CONCRETE IN THE MANHOLE ENVIRONMENT IS THE GASES ARE EXTREMELY CORROSIVE.
THE BACTERIA WILL TAKE THE, THE SULFATE THAT'S IN THE WATER AND BECOMES HYDROGEN SULFIDE.
THE BACTERIA CONSUME THAT PART OF THEIR METABOLIC PROCESS.
THEY SECRETE SULFURIC ACID, AND THAT WILL EAT UP A CONCRETE BOTTOM MANHOLE REALLY BAD.
NOT EVERY MANHOLE'S GONNA HAVE THAT SAME PROBLEM.
UH, IT REALLY DEPENDS ON THE CONCENTRATION AND FLOW OF THE MANHOLE, BUT THE BEST APPROACH TO DEAL WITH THAT IS TO NOT HAVE CONCRETE IN CONTACT WITH THE GASES INSIDE.
AND SO THE WAY TO ENSURE THAT A MANHOLE LASTS FOR MANY, MANY DECADES, SO THAT YOU'RE NOT GOING THROUGH, LIKE WE'RE DOING WITH MANY MANHOLES TODAY AND REHABILITATING THEM, YOU JUST DON'T HAVE A MANHOLE IN CONTACT WITH THOSE GASES, WITH THAT CORROSIVE ENVIRONMENT.
[01:00:01]
IT IS A MORE COSTLY APPROACH, BUT YOU SOLVE A LONG-TERM PROBLEM.AND WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT THE CONSEQUENCES OF HAVING TO EXCAVATE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE STREET OR A BUSY ROAD TO DEAL WITH THAT KIND OF AN ISSUE, IT MAY BE 50 OR MORE YEARS IF YOU DO IT WAY, IF YOU HAVE A CONCRETE BOTTOM MANHOLE WITH AN OPEN MANHOLE CONFIGURATION, THAT THAT MAY NOT END UP VERY WELL FOR VERY LONG.
AND SO WE'RE DEALING WITH SOME OF THAT PROBLEM RIGHT NOW.
SO WE'VE ADOPTED A POLICY, AND I I DO, WE, WE TOTALLY GET THE, THE POINT.
THERE'S BEEN A, UH, A MERGER OF THE TWO MAIN FIBERGLASS MANUFACTURERS.
THE BETTER ONE GOT BOUGHT OUT.
AND SO THERE THROUGH MUCH OF THE PANDEMIC, WE WERE DOWN TO JUST ONE MANUFACTURER.
AND LEAD TIMES WERE 16 TO 18 WEEKS.
AND WHAT WE DID IN THOSE CASES WHERE THERE WAS A BIG DIFFERENTIAL OF, SAY, SIX WEEKS, AND WE WOULD ALLOW THE OPEN BOTTOM ANIMAL JUST AS A CONSIDERATION FOR DEVELOPMENT, WHERE WE ARE TODAY, AND WE'VE CHECKED WITH THE SUPPLY HOUSES, IT'S THE SAME DELIVERY LEAD TIME FOR ABOUT THREE WEEKS.
THAT'S WHAT WE WERE QUOTED TODAY.
SO WE'RE NOW IN A, IN A, IN A REALM WHERE THERE'S PLENTY OF TIME FOR ENGINEERS AND CONTRACTORS TO GET THEIR SUBMITTALS TOGETHER FROM THE MANUFACTURER.
THE MANUFACTURER HAS TO FABRICATE THE MANHOLE WITH PREFABRICATED STUB OUTS, PLACEMENT OF ALL THAT HAS TO BE ACCORDING TO THE DESIGN.
SO THERE IS A PROCESS TO THAT.
IT'S DEFINITELY LONGER THAN AN OPEN BOTTOM MANHOLE WHERE YOU JUST DO A CUTOUT, PUT SOME CONCRETE AROUND IT, AND AWAY YOU GO.
BUT FOR THE LONG TERM HEALTH OF THE SYSTEM, WE THINK IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT TO MAINTAIN THAT FIBERGLASS MANHOLE AND A BOTTOM STANDARD.
WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE IN COST, DO YOU KNOW, OR DO YOU KNOW? IT'S PROBABLY $2,000 OR SO.
WHERE, WHERE I WOULD SAY, UH, YOU KNOW, I WOULD SAY AT LEAST 40% ARE, AND, UH, THE PROBLEM THAT WE'RE HAVING IN HAR TERRACE, OR THAT WE HAD, UH, AS SOON AS WE EXCAVATED THE MAIN SEWER LINE, WE REALIZED THE ELEVATION WAS OFF.
RIGHT? AND SO I HAD TO GO BACK TO THE DISTRIBUTOR AND TELL 'EM, HEY, THE WHOLE SETUP OF ALL THE MANUALS IS CHANGING NOW BECAUSE THE ELEVATIONS OFF.
WELL NOW WE HAVE TO GO BACK TO A DRAWING BOARD AND WE JUST STARTED A PROJECT AND WE'RE BACK TO SQUARE ONE AGAIN WAITING FOR DRAWINGS TO GET APPROVED BY ENGINEERING AND THEN MANUFACTURING THEM ALL OVER AGAIN.
BECAUSE NOW THE WHOLE SYSTEM HAS CHANGED AND WE GOTTA REORDER THEM AGAIN.
SO CAN YOU TELL ME ABOUT THE SURVEYING WORK THAT YOU DID AHEAD OF TIME TO VERIFY THOSE ELEVATIONS? SEE IF YOU DO THE SURVEY PROPERLY THAT YOU, YOU'RE GOING TO KNOW VERY PRECISELY WHAT THOSE ALLEGATIONS ARE.
IS IT NOT ACCESSIBLE OR, I'M JUST CURIOUS.
UM, WELL, I MEAN, IT'S AN ISSUE THAT, THAT, I MEAN, I APPRECIATE THAT PROBLEM, RIGHT? RIGHT, RIGHT.
I'M A CONTRACTOR AND I, I COME ACROSS A FIELD CONDITION THAT'S CHANGED.
BUT IF THAT CAN BE TAKEN CARE OF OR ADDRESSED AHEAD OF TIME BY SURVEY, RIGHT THEN THAT'S WHAT WE SHOULD BE DOING.
AND THERE'S KIND OF TWO CONDITIONS THERE.
ONE CASE I WOULD SAY, YEAH, WE WOULD UNDERSTAND AND ALLOW A FIELD CHANGE.
THERE WOULD BE ANOTHER OR HEY, WAIT, YOU HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO PLAN FOR IT.
WE DID, THERE WAS ONE MANHOLE IN PARTICULAR THAT WAS, THAT WAS IMPACTED BY THAT.
AND WE GRANTED VARIANCE TO HAVE THAT MANHOLE SWAPPED OUT FOR AN OPEN BOTTOM SO THAT THEY COULD ACTUALLY ADJUST IT TO THE DIRECT ELEVATION.
WHAT THE ENGINEER TOLD US WAS THAT HE WAS ABLE TO, WITH THAT ADJUSTMENT, HE WAS ABLE TO MAKE THE OTHER ELEVATIONS WORK.
WHAT'S THE PROCESS WITH THAT? THEY JUST GO, THE VARIANCE GOES BEFORE THE BOARD IN YOUR MEETING, AND THEN NO, IT'S, IS THAT INTERNAL? IT IT, IT'S INTERNAL.
AND IF IT'S SOMETHING SMALL AND MINOR THAT CAN BE MADE AT THE STAFF LEVEL.
IF IT'S SOMETHING THAT IS, IT'S JUST PAPERWORK SUBSTANTIAL, UH, LIKE FOR EXAMPLE, RATHER THAN SWAPPING OUT ONE MANHOLE, IT'S, WELL, IT'S ALL THE MANHOLES.
WELL, THEN I NEED TO TAKE THAT TO TIM AND TELL HIM LIKE, HEY, THIS IS NOT JUST A ONE AND DONE.
THIS IS, YOU KNOW, FIVE OR SIX MILES.
SO WE, SO WE DO, WE TRY TO DO WHAT'S REASONABLE AT STAFF LEVEL.
AND THEN ONCE IT GETS, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, IT STARTS GETTING A LITTLE BIT LARGER, THEN WE GO TO TIM AND IF IT GETS SOMETHING REALLY EXTRAVAGANT, THEN IT DOES GO TO THE BOARD.
SO THERE'S AT LEAST LIKE, YOU KNOW, ONE TO TWO LEVELS OF ESCALATION.
BUT WE DO ALWAYS TRY TO MAKE SURE WE COME UP, UH, WITH THE SOLUTION.
UH, ANOTHER ANOTHER COMMENT THAT I DO WANT TO ADD IS, YOU KNOW, DO YOU UNDERSTAND, UH, THERE IS TIME ASSOCIATED WITH SUBMITTAL REVIEWS? AND SO AT, AT THE VERY LEAST, I'M
AND ONE OF THOSE IS WE NOTIFY WHOEVER THE SUBMITTER IS THAT YOU CAN START, YOU CAN PROCEED SENDING IN YOUR MATERIAL SUBMITTALS TO OUR REVIEWER.
NOW GRANTED, NOW THE ONE THING TO UNDERSTAND IS THAT'S OUR LETTER.
THERE'S ALWAYS TIMES WHERE WE'VE APPROVED SOMETHING AND MAYBE THE CITY HASN'T, OR VICE VERSA.
SO THE FINAL END RESULT MAY NOT BE LIKE AN OVERALL APPROVAL FOR THAT DEVELOPMENT.
BUT IF WE'RE GOOD ON OUR END AND WE DON'T SEE ANY RED LINES, WE DON'T HAVE ANY CHANGES, DEVELOPERS ARE WELL WITHIN, YOU KNOW,
[01:05:01]
THEY CAN'T START SENDING US SUBMITTALS IN.WE DO HAVE A PRE-APPROVED PRODUCTS LIST THAT EXPEDITES THAT.
UH, WE HAVEN'T HAD ANY SUBSTANTIAL CHANGES TO THAT LIST.
SO WE, WE ACCEPT THE SAME PIPES, WE ACCEPT THE SAME FITTINGS.
SO IT'S, AND IF WE DO HAVE THE SAME REPEAT DEVELOPERS, YOU KNOW, IF WE DON'T LIKE IT IS, YOU KNOW WHAT, YOU KNOW WHAT WE LIKE, YOU'VE GOT APPROVAL FROM US.
THERE'S NO RED LINES ON THE PLANS, START SENDING YOUR PAPERWORK.
AND MAYBE BY THE TIME WE GET TO THE PRECON, ALL THE MATERIALS ARE APPROVED.
SO WE DO, WE DON'T TRY TO HOLD THAT BACK TO THE PRE-CONSTRUCTION MEAN AS SOON AS WE WORK GOOD AND COMFORTABLE WITH THE PLANS WE PUT ON THERE, THE NEXT STEPS, YOU KNOW, PLEASE PROCEED TO SEND US YOUR MATERIAL SUBMITTALS.
SO DO PUBLIC COMMUNITIES IN THE VALLEY ALLOW CONCRETE MANHOLES? YES, SIR.
SO, SO IN EDINBURG, WE'VE DONE, UM, UH, A LOT OF SUBDIVISIONS THERE IN BURG AND THEY DO ALLOW FOR CONCRETE BOTTOMS ON THE MANHOLES.
WE'VE DONE 20 FOOT MANHOLES, UH, VERY, VERY BIG MANHOLES.
AND, UH, WE HAVEN'T HAD ANY ISSUES WITH THEM.
OF COURSE, WE GIVE A WARRANTY ONE YEAR WARRANTY.
UH, AND THEN AFTER THAT THE CITY TAKES OVER.
UM, BUT, UH, THE TRUTH IS, IS THAT WE'VE NEVER HAD ANY MANHOLES GO BACK FROM THAT BY USING CONCRETE BOTTOMS. UH, WE USE REBAR ON THE BOTTOM.
WE HAVE TO USE A CERTAIN CONCRETE SO THAT IT STAYS, RIGHT.
UH, HE MAKES SOME VALID POINTS ABOUT MAYBE THE LONG TERM USE OF THOSE MAMMALS.
UH, MAYBE, UH, UNDERNEATH ROADWAYS, THAT WOULD MAKE A LOT MORE SENSE IF YOU MAY BE A CLOSED BOTTOM.
SO YOU DON'T HAVE TO ESTIMATE A ROADWAY, RIGHT.
BUT IF YOU'RE, UH, JUST CLEAR NATURAL SOIL, YOU SHOULD, I MEAN, IN MY OPINION, ABLE TO, TO DO A CLOSED BOTTOM.
I MEAN THE OPEN BOTTOM HOLE WITH CONCRETE, UH, THAT WAY, YOU KNOW, IF THERE IS AN ISSUE IN THE FUTURE, YOU CAN EASILY ACCESS IT, UH, BECAUSE YOU KNOW, IT'S NOT UNDER ROADWAY.
IT'S FAIR, BUT I UNDERSTAND MICROBIOLOGY AND CHEMISTRY HAPPENS, RIGHT? RIGHT.
AND IT DESTROYS THE CONCRETE OVER A PERIOD OF TIME.
AND THE OTHER ISSUE IS THE INFILTRATION QUESTION WHERE THE CONCRETE AND THE FIBERGLASS DON'T BOND.
SO IF YOU HAVE WATER, TABLE WATER CAN SEE THROUGH THAT AND THAT BUILDS UP OVER TIME.
ONE MANHOLE IN AND OF ITSELF ISN'T GONNA CAUSE A PROBLEM WITH THE PLANT, BUT YOUR SYSTEM OVERALL HAS CONCRETE BOTTOM MANHOLES THAT THAT CAN BE AN ISSUE.
UH, IT IS A HIGHER COST, BUT I THINK THE STANDARD BASICALLY ENSURES THAT THERE'S GOING TO BE A MUCH LONGER TERM PRODUCT.
AND SO WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT CARLIN'S EXPERIENCE OVER TIME, IT'S BETTER, WE THINK, FOR OUR CUSTOMERS TO, TO PUT THAT QUALITY IN INITIALLY.
UH, AND THEN YOU'LL RE BENEFITS MANY, MANY YEARS BEYOND.
UH, WHEN AN OPEN BOTTOM MAN ROLL WILL FAILURE.
I THINK IT'D BE INTEREST TO SEE, INTERESTING TO SEE WHAT THE REST OF THE REGION IS, IS DOING, JUST TO SEE WHERE HAR ENGINE IS IN TERMS OF THAT.
AND THAT'S, I THINK, A CONVERSATION WE CAN HAVE AT A LATER POINT.
THE GALLON REQUIRES, UH, FULL THE SAME TYPE OF STANDARD, THE SAME REASONS I THINK BROWNSVILLE MIGHT AS WELL.
UH, I KNOW EAST HONDA REQUIRES IT AS WELL.
SO WE, WE DO HAVE COMPANY IN THE REGION AND THE UPPER VALLEY AS WELL.
IT'S REALLY A BETTER STANDARD.
I THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, CONTRACTORS INSTALL SOMETHING AND ONE YEAR WARRANTY, SURE, YOU'RE NOT GONNA SEE THE PROBLEM.
YOU'RE GONNA SEE IT IN 15, 20 YEARS.
YOU KNOW, WHEN KIDS AND GRANDKIDS ARE THEN GONNA HAVE TO PAY FOR THE CONSEQUENCES OF THAT.
THEN WHY DOES THE SEWER NEED TO BE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE STREET? THERE'S A LOT OF GRIEVANCE.
SO ONE OF THE THINGS, ONE OF THE MOST DETRIMENTAL THINGS TO ANY WASTEWATER SYSTEM IS ION I IN FLOW AND INFILTRATION.
THAT IS BASICALLY WHEN OUTSIDE WATER IS GETTING INTO YOUR SEWER SYSTEM.
AND SO WHAT THAT DOES IS YOUR SEWER IS DESIGNED FOR, YOU KNOW, RESIDENTIAL FLOW, COMMERCIAL FLOW FOR THE ACTUAL WASTEWATER THAT'S GOING IN.
NOW, USUALLY THERE'S A LITTLE BIT OF BUFFER OR IMI, HOWEVER, WHAT HAPPENS IS, IF YOU PUT THIS UNDER THE ROAD, WHERE'S THE RAINWATER GO? IT'S THE ASPHALT GOES TO THE GUTTERS, GOES INTO THE STORM SEWER WHERE IT'S SUPPOSED TO GO, AND IT AVOIDS OUR SYSTEM.
IT DOESN'T OVERLOAD IT LIKE IT DOES.
YOU KNOW, WHEN IT DOES RAIN REALLY HARD, YOU PUT THAT IN THE GRASS.
WELL, WHERE DOES IT GO? STRAIGHT DOWN TO THE SEWER SYSTEM, YOU KNOW, THROUGH THE DIRT.
NOW NOTHING LASTS FOREVER, SO THE PIPES MIGHT STILL BE THERE, BUT THE GASKETS THAT ACTUALLY KEEP THE PIPE SEALED, THAT'LL START TO THE ROAD AWAY.
KIND OF LIKE, TO TIM'S POINT FOR OPEN BOTTOM MANHOLE, YOU HAVE THAT CONCRETE BOTTOM THAT'S GONNA START TO DETERIORATE.
THE WATER'S GONNA START GETTING IN.
GABRIEL, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT TIM MENTIONED EARLIER BEFORE IS THAT WE GET LOTS OF INFILTRATION ALREADY, EVEN THOUGH THEY'RE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE STREET.
SO IT, SO THAT'S, SO THE, THE OVERLOADING THAT WE HAVE NOW, A LOT OF IT HAS TO DO WITH LEGACY MATERIALS.
SO CLAY PIPE JUST OVER THE YEARS DOES NOT HOLD
[01:10:01]
UP.IN FACT, THE MOMENT YOU'RE EXPOSED IT TO AIR, EVEN IF IT WAS PERFECTLY INTACT FORWARD, THE MOMENT IT STARTS GETTING EXPOSED TO AIR, IT STARTS TO DETERIORATE.
SO ORANGE AND WATERWORKS EVEN NOW HAS, UM, CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS WHERE WE DO PIPE BURSTING TO REPLACE ALL OF THESE OLD CLAY PIPES WITH LONG-LASTING PVC.
SO THE ISSUES WE HAVE TODAY ARE A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT.
WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO PREVENT IS HAVING A NEW ISSUE TO DEAL WITH.
SO, I MEAN, CLAY, THE CLAY ISSUE WILL EVENTUALLY GO, GO AWAY AS WE CONTINUE TO REPLACE THIS PIPE.
BUT THE IDEA IS THAT WE DON'T ADD TO THE BACK END OF THAT, UM, A NEW, NEW ISSUES.
WE THE ONLY CITY THAT REQUIRES A THE PIPE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE STREET.
DID THEY? SO WELL, THAT'S THE OTHER, THE OTHER, THE OTHER PART OF THAT TOO IS NO, BUT I WANT, I WANT THAT QUESTION ANSWERED FIRST BEFORE YOU SAY ANYTHING.
ARE WE, SO, SO THERE'S ALSO A MATTER OF SPACING, WHAT IS IN THE GRASS? WATER, GAS, FIBER, INTERNET.
SO YOU DOES NOT ALLOW ABOVE GROUND POLE.
SO THERE IS ALREADY, OKAY, BUT YOU STILL HAVEN'T ANSWERED MY QUESTION.
YOU'VE BEEN HANGING OUT WITH TOO MANY DOLLARS.
I DIDN'T ACTUALLY HEAR THE, I THOUGHT YOU WERE STILL ASKING WHY, SO NO, NO.
ARE WE THE ONLY CITY THAT REQUIRES THE PIPE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE STREET? EVERY, HONESTLY, EVERYWHERE THAT I'VE BEEN HAS REQUIRED IT.
WE TALKED TO, UH, MR. ROBERT CANTERBURY, WHO WAS OUR PRE A SYSTEM ENGINEER.
HE'S BEEN AN ENGINEER FOR DECADES, SAID THE SAME THING EVERYWHERE I'VE BEEN.
THAT ONE OF, ONE OF THE ISSUES THAT, UH, DEVELOPERS TOLD ME WAS THAT WE WERE THE ONLY ONE THAT DID IT.
AND I, I, RIGHT, I KEEP HEARING THAT AND I, I, I JUST DIS I JUST DISAGREE.
LET'S, UH, JOHN, JOHN, WHY DON'T YOU, UH, JOHN'S OUR DIRECTOR OF WASTEWATER.
WHY DON'T YOU TELL US YOUR OPINIONS ON WHERE MANDELS OUGHT TO BE WITH RESPECT TO THE STREET? RESPECT THE CURB RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF THE STREET.
UH,
WHEN YOU'RE HAVING A PROBLEM WITH FLUSH THE LINE.
UM, WE'VE HAD AREA, UH, JUST LIKE THE AREA ON, ON, ON, UH, SAM HOUSTON.
WE JUST PIPE BURSTED THAT WHOLE AREA IN THE BACK.
WE WERE HAVING TO TAKE A TRUCK OUT THERE AND DRAG A 500 FOOT HOSE TO THE BACK, DISCONNECT THAT HOSE OUT ANOTHER 500 FOOT OF HOSE TO STRETCH IT OUT TO A MANHOLE.
'CAUSE THERE'S NO MANHOLES IN THE MIDDLE OF THE STREET.
WE'RE TALKING HOURS AND HOURS AT A TIME.
AND WHEN DOES THIS HAPPEN? TWO O'CLOCK IN MORNING, PEOPLE COMING HOME LATE AT NIGHT OR WHATEVER.
AND ANOTHER REASON WHY WE LIKE THEM IN THE MIDDLE OF THE STREET, IF YOU PUT 'EM ON THE CURB OR RIGHT IN FRONT OF YOU, CURB PEOPLE PARK IN THE STREET.
YOU DON'T WANT ME KNOCKING ON YOUR DOOR AT ONE O'CLOCK IN THE MORNING, SAY, HEY, CAN YOU MOVE YOUR CAR? 'CAUSE WE GOT A SWERVE BACKED UP AND YOU'RE BACKING UP ON YOUR NEIGHBORS.
I'VE GOT, UH, SOME AREAS IN THE PARKWOOD NOT PICKING ON PARKWOOD, A LOT OF MANHOLES BACK THE CURB.
AND GUESS WHAT? PEOPLE DON'T LIKE THOSE.
SO WHAT DO WE DO? I'M GONNA GO PLANT THE THORNIEST, NASTIEST BUSH I CAN POSSIBLY FIND ALL THE WAY AROUND THAT THING AND THEN GET MAD AT ME 'CAUSE I HAVE TO GO TEAR 'EM OUT.
SO THERE'S A BENEFITS EVERYBODY.
UH, WE FEEL JUST TO HAVE 'EM DOWN THE MIDDLE OF THE STREET.
THERE'S NO INTERRUPTION TO YOU IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT.
UH, WE DON'T GET TRUCKS STUCK IN YOUR ALLEY.
UM, I, I PULLED A LOT OF TRUCKS OUTTA THE ALLEYS.
WE GO ALL THE WAY BACK TO THE PLANT, GET A LOADER, AND, AND GO PULL THOSE OUT MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT BECAUSE RAIN AND PEOPLE ARE HAVING A PROBLEM.
SO IF, IF, IF YOU WANT TO READ, THAT'S, THAT'S OUR BIGGEST REASON FOR THAT.
SO OUR RECONNAISSANCE SAYS THAT THE, THE NATIONAL STANDARD OF THE PREDOMINANT LOCATION WHERE YOU WOULD FIND IN THE UNITED STATES THE PLACE OF MANHOLE IN THE CENTER OF THE STREET.
AND IT MAY BE DIFFERENT IN THE VALLEY.
I KNOW MCALLEN ALLOWS, AND I'VE SEEN MANY OF THEIR MANHOLES OUTSIDE, UM, OR BEHIND THE CURB.
BUT, UH, I THINK THERE'S MORE SUPPORT FOR THE APPROACH THAT WE'RE TAKING.
AND CERTAINLY OUR OPERATIONS TELL STORIES THAT VERY MUCH IN OUR OPINION, SUPPORTS THAT PLACEMENT.
CORPUS CHRISTI HAD HIM IN THE MIDDLE OF THE STREET.
WELL, I THINK IT, I STILL THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, I KNOW YOU'RE SAYING, YOU KNOW, WE KNOW OR YOU THINK, OR I THINK IT'S STILL BE, IT'S STILL IMPORTANT TO SEE HOW HARLINGEN FARES, UM, AMONGST THE REGION.
'CAUSE THE REALITY IS THAT THE PEOPLE IN THIS ROOM, IF IT'S DIFFICULT FOR HARLINGEN AND THEY CAN DO IT IN EDINBURG, THEY'RE GONNA GO TO EDINBURG OR THEY'RE GONNA GO TO MACALLAN, OR THEY'RE GONNA GO TO BROWNSVILLE, OR THEY'RE GONNA GO TO LA FARIA, OR THEY'RE GONNA GO TO ANY OF THE OTHER NEIGHBORING COMMUNITIES.
SO IT'D BE NICE TO KNOW JUST WHERE WE'VE NOT SAYING THAT IT NEEDS, THAT IT, IT'LL, IT'LL CHANGE.
BUT WE NEED TO, WE NEED TO SEE WHAT, WHAT
[01:15:01]
IS WHAT IS EXPECTED IN THE REGION.BECAUSE AT THIS POINT THERE, YOU KNOW, MOST DEVELOPERS ARE, ARE, ARE LOOKING AT, I WOULD IMAGINE NOT JUST HARLINGEN, BUT THE ENTIRE, THE ENTIRE REGION.
AND SO IF IT'S WORKING IN MCALLEN OR IF IT'S WORKING IN BROWNSVILLE, MAYBE HAVING THOSE CONVERSATIONS WITH THEM ON WHY IT IS THAT THEY'RE DOING THAT.
AND I'M HAPPY TO, TO, TO DO THAT.
BUT I'D LIKE TO KNOW FIRST BE BEFORE BEFOREHAND WE CAN, WE CAN CERTAINLY PUT TOGETHER A, DO SOME RESEARCH AND INTO A COMPILATION.
I MEAN, WE PROBABLY WON'T GET TO EVERYBODY, BUT, UM, HOPEFULLY JUST THE MA THE MAIN MAJOR CITIES IN YEAH.
THE REGION AND WHAT, WHAT'S GOING TO BE LOST IN THAT.
AND IT'S NOT GOING TO BE EASILY DRAWN OUT OF THAT ANALYSIS.
NOT JUST WHO'S DOING WHAT, BUT WHAT ARE THE CONSEQUENCES OF THAT TYPE OF ACTION, RIGHT? SO THAT'S SOMETHING THAT'S NOT GOING TO BE AS EASILY QUANTIFIED AS SAYING YES OR NO, IS IT IN THE MIDDLE OF THE STREET OR NOT? AND I THINK THAT'S KIND OF WHERE THIS WHOLE OTHER COMPONENT OF COST AND MAINTENANCE AND CUSTOMER DISRUPTION AND SO FORTH COMES IN.
THAT'S MORE OF A SUBJECTIVE, MUCH MORE DIFFICULT TO QUANTIFY.
BUT WE'LL CERTAINLY PUT TOGETHER A LIST.
I HAVE A, A COUPLE OF THINGS THAT I WANTED TO ASK AND ADDRESS AND, AND, UH, 'CAUSE I KNOW IT'S GETTING LATE FOR EVERYBODY.
UH, THERE WAS A COUPLE OF ORDINANCES THAT I WANTED TO ASK ABOUT THAT HAVE CHANGED OVER THE YEARS AND I DON'T KNOW THEY NECESSARILY HAVE CHANGED FOR THE BETTER.
OKAY? ONE BEING THE SIDEWALKS.
WHEN WE STARTED DOING SIDEWALKS AND SUBDIVISIONS, WE STARTED BY SAYING THAT THERE HAD TO BE A SIDEWALK WITHIN A THOUSAND FEET OF A SCHOOL.
THEN WE CHANGED THAT AND WE DECIDED THAT NO, WE WANT SIDEWALKS WITHIN THE SUBDIVISION IF IT'S A THOUSAND FEET FROM A SCHOOL.
THEN WE CHANGED THAT AND WE SAID, NO, WE WANT SIDEWALKS ON EVERY SUBDIVISION THROUGHOUT THE WHOLE CITY.
OKAY? WE WENT WITH THAT, THEN WE CHANGED THAT AND SAID, NO, WE WANT THE SIDEWALKS UP FRONT.
WHEN YOU DO THE SUBDIVISION, OF COURSE, THE BUILDERS PUSHED BACK AND SAID, WELL, WAIT A MINUTE, IT DOESN'T MAKE SENSE BECAUSE WE'RE DOING THE DRIVEWAYS AND WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO TEAR THAT OUT.
SO THEN THE CITY CAME BACK AND SAID, OKAY, WE'LL DO IT THAT WAY.
BUT WE WANT THE DEVELOPER TO DEPOSIT A PERCENT OF WHAT IT COSTS TO DO ALL THE SIDEWALKS IN THE SUBDIVISION.
THE CITY WILL HOLD ONTO THE MONEY INTEREST FREE.
AND WHEN ALL THE SIDEWALKS ARE INSTALLED, WE'LL GIVE YOU THE MONEY BACK.
NOW, I THINK THAT THERE'S NO NEED TO DO THAT BECAUSE WE ALREADY PAY THE CITY FOR INSPECTIONS.
THE INSPECTOR COMES OUT, CHECKS TO THE SIDEWALK CHECKS TO MAKE SURE THAT IT'S CORRECT.
AT THAT POINT, EITHER YOU HAVE IT OR YOU DON'T.
IF YOU DON'T HAVE THE SIDEWALK, YOU DON'T PASS.
SO WHY DO WE NEED TO TAKE THE DEVELOPER'S MONEY FOR SOMETIMES YEARS AT A TIME INTEREST FREE, WHEN IT CAN BE DONE, WHEN THE HOUSE IS, WHEN YOU BUILD A HOUSE, YOU PUT THE SIDEWALK, THE INSPECTOR COMES OUT, YOU DON'T HAVE IT, YOU AIN'T TURNING THE POWER ON.
I DON'T SEE THE NEED TO HAVE TO TAKE THE DEVELOPER'S.
WE CREATED A WHOLE NOTHER ACCOUNTING STEP WHEN THERE'S NO NEED FOR IT.
WHEN WE ALREADY HAVE A PROGRAM IN PLACE THAT WHEN THE INSPECTOR COMES OUT, YOU EITHER DO OR DON'T.
SO THAT'S HOW THAT HAS INVOLVED.
I HAVE THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS WITH THE CITY NOW, AND I DON'T KNOW WHO ELSE DOES, BUT THAT'S THE NEW, PROBABLY EVERYBODY.
AND WHAT I'M ASKING IS THAT THERE'S NO NEED TO TAKE THE DEVELOPER'S MONEY.
WE ALREADY HAVE A PROGRAM IN PLACE.
WHEN THE HOUSE IS BUILT, THE SIDEWALK GOES IN, YOU EITHER HAVE IT OR YOU DON'T HAVE IT, AND YOU'RE NOT GONNA, YOU'RE NOT GONNA, YOU'RE NOT GONNA GET AN INSPECTION OR YOU'RE NOT GONNA GET CLEARED.
NOT ONLY THAT, IF I MAY ADD SOMETHING TO THAT, AS DEVELOPERS, WE ALSO SOLD SELL LOTS TO A CONTRACTOR OR AN INDIVIDUAL.
THAT INDIVIDUAL DOESN'T BUILD A HOUSE IN 20 YEARS.
SO THAT MONEY'S AT THE CITY FOR 20 YEARS.
'CAUSE YOU'RE WAITING FOR THAT MONEY TO BE COLLECTED.
YOU CAN'T GET THAT MONEY BACK.
SO
SO, AND THEN THE NEXT CHANGE THAT WE, SO THAT'S ONE THAT I THINK WE DON'T NEED TO TAKE ADDITIONAL MONEY FROM THE DEVELOPERS.
THE OTHER CHANGE THAT HAS THAT HAS HAPPENED WITH SIDEWALKS IS THAT WE HAVE ALWAYS DONE SIDEWALKS TO THE BACK OF THE CURB, THE CURB.
NOW WE'VE CHANGED THAT ORDINANCE TO WHERE THE SIDEWALK NOW HAS TO BE THREE FEET BACK FROM THE CURB.
THAT WORKS IF YOU'RE OUT ON AN ACRE OR A HALF ACRE.
BUT WITHIN THE CITY, IT CREATES A LOT OF PROBLEMS. AND SOMETIMES WE CREATE ORDINANCES AND WE DON'T REALIZE A RIPPLE EFFECT.
FOR EXAMPLE, BY PUSHING THAT SIDEWALK THREE FEET BACK, IT NOW PROBABLY WILL PUT IT ON TOP OF THE WATER METER.
IT NOW PROBABLY WILL PUT IT ON TOP OF YOUR WATER LINES.
SO IF YOU, KIND OF WHAT HE WAS SAYING A MINUTE AGO, YOU HAVE A LEAK.
YOU KNOW WHAT, BREAK OUT THE CONCRETE, LET'S SEE WHAT THE METER AND SEE WHERE IT'S
[01:20:01]
COMING.YOU HAVE A LINE LEAK, LET'S BREAK OUT THE CONCRETE.
AND WITH YOUR SMALLER LOTS, IT'S PUSHING THE SIDEWALK ALMOST TO THE MIDDLE OF THE LOT BECAUSE IT'S NOT JUST THE THREE FEET, IT'S THE THREE FEET PLUS FIVE FEET OF SIDEWALK.
SO YOU'RE EIGHT FEET AND WE ONLY HAVE A 20 FOOT BUILDING SETBACK IN THE CITY.
WHEN I ASKED WHAT WAS THE REASON FOR THIS, I WAS TOLD THAT SOMEONE FELT IT LOOKED BETTER.
THAT THAT WAS THE REASON WE MADE THE CHANGE WAS BECAUSE IT LOOKED BETTER.
AS A DEVELOPER, IT MAKES IT DIFFICULT WHEN THE CITY STARTS TO IMPOSE ITS OWN PERSONAL OPINIONS OF WHAT LOOKS BETTER AND DOESN'T LOOK BETTER.
I THINK THAT THAT SHOULD BE LEFT UP TO THE DEVELOPER.
IF HE WANTS A SIDEWALK TO BE THREE FEET BACK, IF HE WANTS IT TO THE CURB, WHATEVER IT IS, THAT SHOULD BE LEFT UP TO THE DEVELOPER, HE'S PAYING FOR IT AS LONG AS IT MEETS THE REQUIRED STANDARDS OF CONSTRUCTION AND SO FORTH.
SO I WOULD LIKE TO SEE THAT GO BACK TO, TO THE BACK OF CURB BECAUSE IT'S CREATING A LOT OF ISSUES.
PLUS IT CREATES A THREE FOOT PIECE OF GRASS IN FRONT OF EVERYBODY'S YARD, AND THEY'RE FIVE FOOT A SIDEWALK THAT YOU GOTTA GO MAINTAIN.
SO I, I WOULD LIKE FOR THE CITY TO RECONSIDER THAT AND MAKE SIDEWALKS IN THE BACK OF CURB.
THE OTHER THING I WANTED TO BRING UP, AND I'M GLAD WATERWORKS IS HERE, IS THAT THERE'S BEEN SOME DISCUSSION ABOUT MORE AFFORDABLE HOUSING IN HARDEN.
I KNOW THERE'S BEEN SOME COMMISSIONERS WHO'VE EXPRESSED SOME INTEREST IN BRINGING IN MORE AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
IT'S VERY DIFFICULT TO DO THAT IF WE KEEP PILING ON FEES, IF WE KEEP ADDING ON AND ADDING ON.
WE'VE NOW REACHED THE POINT WHERE LOTS, AND I DON'T KNOW WHAT EVERYBODY ELSE IS DOING, BUT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT BUYING LOTS NOW IN THIS AREA, 60, $70,000.
IF YOU'RE SPENDING 60, $70,000 FOR A LOT, THERE'S A CERTAIN TYPE OF HOME YOU'RE GONNA HAVE TO BUILD THERE.
AND IT'S NOT GONNA BE A, YOU KNOW, IT'S GOT A, IF YOU'RE SPENDING 70,000, YOU'RE PROBABLY SPENDING HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS ON THE HOME.
SO IT'S NOT GONNA BE A QUOTE AFFORDABLE, A MORE AFFORDABLE HOME.
THE OTHER THING THAT I'M GLAD WATERWORKS IS HERE THAT I WANTED TO BRING UP AS FAR AS FEES, IS THAT WE, I HAVE A, MY LATEST SUBDIVISION IS 118 LOTS.
AND PLEASE, SINCE WATERWORKS IS HERE, I'M GONNA QUOTE SOME NUMBERS TO GIVE AN EXAMPLE.
AND IF I'M QUOTING WRONG, PLEASE CORRECT ME BECAUSE MAYBE I DON'T UNDERSTAND IT.
I HAVE A SUBDIVISION 118 LOTS WATERWORKS HAS DECIDED THAT WE NEED TO CONTRIBUTE A THOUSAND DOLLARS PER LOT IN ORDER TO REPAIR THE INFRASTRUCTURE THROUGHOUT THE CITY NOW.
AND, AND, AND I WANT TO, LET ME, LET ME FINISH.
NO, THIS IS ABOVE AND BEYOND, RIGHT? WELL ANYWAY, WELL, WE HAVE THE, AND JUST KEEP, I THINK, OKAY, I'LL KEEP GOING.
BUT ANYWAY, UM, SO I THINK YOU'VE TOLD ME ABOUT THIS.
SO TO GIVE YOU AN EXAMPLE, 118 LOTS WATERWORKS DECIDES, AND I'M GONNA LET YOU CORRECT ME WHERE I'M WRONG, A THOUSAND DOLLARS A LOT BECAUSE WE NEED TO REPAIR INFRASTRUCTURE THROUGHOUT THE CITY.
HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH ME, NOTHING TO DO WITH THE LIFT STATION I'M CONNECTING TO.
SO THAT'S 118,000 WE JUST ADDED.
SECOND THING IS WE HAVE TO PAY WATERWORKS 2% OF THE UTILITY COST.
IN OTHER WORDS, WHATEVER THE UTILITIES THAT I PAY, NOT THEM, WE HAVE TO PAY THEM 2% OF THAT.
LET'S ASSUME THIS NEXT SUBDIVISION, $2 MILLION IN UTILITY WORK, THAT'S 40,000.
OKAY, NOW WHAT ARE YOU AT? ALMOST 160,000 OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
THEN WE ADD ON THE NEWEST ONE $500 A LOT.
OKAY? THAT'S ANOTHER, UH, 59,000.
SO JUST IN FEES OFF THE TOP, JUST FEES, BECAUSE I CAN NOT FEE, WE'RE ALREADY PAYING IMPACT FEES, ALL THE WATERWORKS FEES, INSPECTION FEES, ANYTHING BESIDES THAT, JUST BECAUSE I CAN, WE'VE ADDED 217,000 TO THE TOP OF THE SUBDIVISION JUST LIKE THAT.
BECAUSE I CAN, SO MY QUESTION IS, AND I WOULD LOVE TO HEAR FROM WATERWORKS IF I AM QUOTING THE NUMBERS INCORRECT OR IF MAYBE I MISUNDERSTOOD THE SYSTEM.
I CAN'T SPEAK TO THE, THE THOUSAND DOLLARS PERVA, THE 500 LOT SINCE YOU SAID IT WASN'T THE IMPACT FEES.
I'M ACTUALLY NOT SURE WHAT THAT WOULD BE.
BUT THE 2% INSPECTION FEES IS NOT A THING THERE.
IT'S, IT'S, IT'S NOT THE SAME UNIT PRICES, BUT IT'S THE SYSTEM BEFORE WHERE THE INSPECTION FEE IS BASED OFF OF A UNIT COST FOR WHAT YOU'RE PUTTING IN, NOT FOR THE COST TO PUT IT IN.
SO FOR EXAMPLE, IF YOU'RE, IF YOU'RE PAYING $40 A, UH, A FOOT FOR EIGHT INCH PIPE, WE'RE NOT CHARGING YOU A PERCENTAGE OF THAT $40.
SO IF IT COSTS YOU $40, IT COSTS SOMEONE ELSE 35 OR SOMEONE ELSE 50.
THERE'S NOT GONNA BE A VARYING INSPECTION COST TO INSPECT THAT PIPE.
[01:25:01]
IS A UNIT COST FOR INSPECTING.SO IT'S KIND OF LIKE THE OLD SYSTEM WHERE IT WAS LIKE IT'S 40 CENTS A FOOT.
THAT WAS THE OLD SYSTEM, UH, THE NEW SYSTEM.
I, I CAN'T THINK IT'S ACTUALLY BEEN A WHILE SINCE IT DIDN'T INSPECTION BE.
SO I, I DON'T KNOW THE NEW NUMBER OFF HAND.
BUT IT'S BACK TO THE OLD SYSTEM WHERE IF YOU'RE PUTTING IN A THOUSAND FEET OF PIPE, YOUR INSPECTION FEE IS BASED OFF OF A THOUSAND FEET OF PIPE, NOT HOW MUCH IT COSTS YOU TO PUT THAT PIPE.
WELL, YOU KNOW, ONE THING I WANT TO CLARIFY AND I WANT TO ASK IS THAT NUMBER ONE, WE HAVE A LETTER FROM YOU SIGNED AND THAT PROVIDED TO THE MAYOR.
SO YOU SIGNED IT AND THE 2% AND THE FEES ARE THERE 'CAUSE WE HAVE THE LETTER FROM YOU.
BUT LET ME JUST ADD ONE MORE THING.
WHAT'S REALLY IMPORTANT IS WHY, IN OTHER WORDS, WHY WOULD I NEED TO GIVE YOU WATERWORKS 2% OF MY UTILITY FEES WHEN I'M PAYING? AND IT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH YOU.
I MEAN, WHY, WHY AM I GONNA GIVE 2% TO YOU? JUST BECAUSE WHY YOU'RE PROVIDING PENSION SERVICE? NO, BUT WE'RE ALREADY HIRING THE THIRD PARTY.
SO TO CLARIFY THEN THIS FEE, THERE'S, THAT'S GONNA COVER THE INSPECTION FEES, THE CAMERA FEES, ALL THE OTHER FEES.
AND SO ON THE, THE 2% THAT'S OLD ALREADY.
SO, OKAY, SO FOR EXAMPLE, AND THIS IS IF, YOU KNOW, IF LET'S SAY THAT DEVELOPMENT COMES BACK, WE'LL REDO THE INSPECTION PIECE FOR YOU.
AND ON THAT YOU ACT, YOU SEE THE LINE ITEMS FOR WHAT IT IS, WE REVIEW IT, YOU KNOW, I'LL SIGN IT OR JOSEPH WILL SIGN IT.
IF WHEN YOU GET IT BACK, YOU'RE LIKE, NO, WAIT A MINUTE, NO, YOU MISCOUNTED SOMETHING, THERE'S NOW A LINE ITEM THAT YOU CAN SCRATCH AND SAY, HEY, I HAVE, YOU KNOW, A THOUSAND FEET OF PIPE, NOT 1,100.
SO NO, THERE, IT'S NOT THE SAME.
THAT 2% ACTUALLY HAS NOT BEEN DONE FOR MONTHS.
THE LEGISLATURE PASSED A RULE THAT SAID IT HAD TO ACTUALLY, THE COST THAT YOU ASSESS HAS TO BE RELATED TO THE WORK THAT YOU'RE ACTUALLY DOING.
AND THAT IT HAS BEEN A PRACTICE.
I KNOW MCALLEN CHARGES 3% FOR A DEVELOPMENT TO SAY WE'RE GONNA BE PROVIDING ALL THESE SERVICES.
SO THEY JUST, THEY ASSESS THAT.
WE, WE INVESTIGATED, WE LOOKED AT ALL OF OUR COSTS ON A TYPICAL SUBDIVISION AND DECIDED 2% WAS A GOOD NUMBER FOLLOWING THAT SAME LOGIC.
BUT THE LEGISLATURE PASSED A RULE THAT SAID IT NEEDS TO BE A MORE DETAILED CALCULATION.
AND SO THAT'S WHAT WE'VE MOST RECENT.
AND WHAT'S THE ADDITIONAL FEES THOUGH? PER LOT? THE THOU I'M ACTUALLY NOT SURE WHAT THAT IS.
IF YOU'RE SAYING THAT THE THOUSAND DOLLARS WAS NOT THE IMPACT FEE, I DON'T KNOW WHAT THAT IS.
OR THE FIVE, THE NEITHER THE $500.
AND I'M TRYING TO THINK IF YOU'RE, IF YOU WERE BACK IN THE, IN THE 2% DAYS THAT THAT FEE IT WAS, IT WAS JUST THE 2%.
I'M NOT, IF YOU WANT, IF YOU WANT TO DIG UP THE, THE EMAIL AFTER THIS, WE CAN ON THAT.
I EARLY, IT MADE A GOOD POINT ABOUT DRAWING THE INTEREST.
I THINK THAT THAT WOULD BE FAIR.
MR. LOZANO, THIS, I'M SORRY TO INTERRUPT YOU, BUT IT'S FOR MR. LAZADA AND THIS IS SPECIFICALLY FOR DEVELOPERS.
YOU'RE WELCOME TO, TO STAY, BUT IT SAY, IT DOESN'T SAY, UH, IT DOES, WE'RE HERE THAT THIS IS NOT AN OPEN MEETING.
THIS IS NOT A GESTAPO KIND OF OPERATION, NO MATTER HOW YOU FEEL, MR. LOZANO, WE, WE, WE, WE WANNA BE RESPECTFUL OF EVERYONE'S TIME.
I KNOW YOU DON'T, EVERYONE DOES NOT INCLUDE ME IN YOUR BOOK, AS YOU CAN TELL YOUR MOTHER-IN-LAW.
BUT AGAIN, MR. LOZANO, I'M GONNA ASK YOU TO LEAVE IF YOU, YOU ARE OUT OF ORDER AND WE ARE GOING TO ALLOW MR. LAS TO FINISH HIS COMMENT.
JUST TO THAT, BECAUSE MY ENGINEER'S IN THE BACK, THE MAYOR HAS A COPY OF THE LETTER.
MY ENGINEER HAS A COPY OF THE LETTER.
SO I, IT, IT'S, IT MAY BE REMINDED ME WHAT IT WAS.
IT'S THE RAT AND I WAS LIKE, OH YEAH, OKAY, SO WHAT'S THAT FOR? SO THE PRO RAT FEE IS, IS YOUR DEVELOPMENT'S CAPACITY BUY INTO THE EXISTING SYSTEM.
SO YOU ARE, YOU'RE, YOU'RE BUILDING NEW STUFF, BUT YOU'RE TYING ONTO AN EXISTING MAIN LINE THAT EVENTUALLY GOES TO A LIFT STATION.
YOU WERE TAKING UP THAT PART OF THE CAPACITY.
SO THAT IS YOUR CAPACITY, BUY-IN.
AND SO THE COST PER LOT IS BASED THE CO IT'S NOT NECESSARILY A COST PER LOT, IT'S YOUR FLOW CONTRIBUTION PER LOT.
SO THAT WILL REPLACE IMPACT FEES THAT PROVIDES FOR A DIFFERENT THING.
IMPACT FEES ARE DESIGNED TO COVER THE COST OF BIG INFRASTRUCTURE.
AND WE'RE GOING THROUGH AN IMPACT FEE REDEVELOPMENT RIGHT NOW.
BUT TRADITIONALLY IMPACT FEES HAVE PAID FOR THINGS LIKE WATER RIGHTS, TREATMENT PLANTS, WATER TOWERS.
WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT A LOCAL AREA LIFT STATION THAT HAS TO BE PUT IN, UH, THERE IS A COST TO DOING THAT.
AND THE APPROACH THAT WE TAKE THAT'S DEFINED IN THE ORDINANCE THAT'S BEEN IN PLACE FOR QUITE SOME TIME IS TO CALCULATE WHAT THE PRO RATA CHARGE ASSOCIATED WITH THAT PARTICULAR LIFT STATION MIGHT BE.
IN SOME CASES, THE DEVELOPMENT IS TYING INTO A LINE WHERE A PRO RATA UH, ASSESSMENT
[01:30:01]
HAS NOT, HAS NOT BEEN MADE.AND SO THERE IS NOT A COST, BUT IN SPECIFIC PROJECTS, UM, I KNOW THE CODES, WE HAD TO DO AN UPGRADE BECAUSE OF THAT PROJECT.
AND SO IT WAS ONLY FAIR THAT WE ASSESSED THE PRO RATA CHARGE ASSOCIATED WITH THAT.
SO TO CLARIFY THEN I WON'T SEE THAT WILL COVER THE IMPACT.
THERE WON'T BE THIS PLUS A DIFFERENT FEE AND IT COVERS A DIFFERENT SET OF INFRASTRUCTURE.
OKAY, SO WE CAN EXPLAIN, I MEAN WE CAN OUT NO, NO.
SO, BUT TO CLARIFY THEN THERE IS IMPACT FEES PLUS THIS ADDITIONAL FEE.
THEY COVER DIFFERENT COVER DIFFERENT THINGS.
NOW THE WAY I UNDERSTAND STATE LAW IS IMPACT FEES CAN ONLY BE USED FOR NEW CONSTRUCTION.
IT CANNOT BE USED TO REPAIR OLD CONSTRUCTION.
WELL, NO, YOU TALKED, WE TALKED ABOUT A PRO RATA CHARGE AND THAT'S ASSOCIATED WITH INFRASTRUCTURE THAT'S BEEN BUILT, UH, FOR THE PURPOSE OR PARTIAL PURPOSE OF THAT SUBDIVISION.
BUT IT'S NOT COVERING THAT CHARGE IS NOT COVERING THE INFRASTRUCTURE THAT'S COVERED UNDER THE IMPACT THE EXPERIENCE.
IT'S A SEPARATE, IT'S A SEPARATE THING.
AND WE CAN, I, I THINK IT WOULD BE HELPFUL FOR US TO GO THROUGH IMPACT FEE LAWS ARE, ARE FAIRLY COMPLICATED.
UH, AND WE'D BE MORE THAN HAPPY TO SIT WITH YOU AND EXPLAIN WHERE THOSE ARE COMING FROM AND WHERE IN THE CODE THAT THOSE ARE AUTOMATED.
SO MY, MY POINT BEING, YOU CAN SEE THAT ONCE WE ADD THE $500 PART FEE, REGARDLESS OF HOW WE SLICE IT, WE'VE ADDED 217,000 REGARDLESS OF HOW WE'VE SLICE IT FOR WHATEVER.
ANOTHER POINT OF CLARIFICATION IS THAT IMPACT FEES ARE NOT PAID BY THE DEVELOPER.
THEY'RE PAID BY THE HOMEOWNER IN CITY LIMITS.
NOW, IN THE COUNTY, YES, THE DEVELOPER DOES HAVE TO PAY IMPACT FEES, BUT IF I'M NOT MISTAKEN, THAT AS A COUNTY REQUIREMENT NOW, SO WHEN YOU BUY A HOUSE, SO IF I BUY A HOUSE, I'M THE ONE THAT PAYS IMPACT FEE.
AND THE ONE YOU BUY, WE BUY THE METER.
THE METER, THEY, THEY ROLLED IT INTO THE METER.
CAN YOU REPEAT THAT? IF IT'S A HOUSE THAT'S ALREADY PRE-EXISTED, IT'S ALREADY COVERED.
IF YOU'RE BUILDING A NEW HOUSE, MAKING A NEW CONNECTION INTO THE SYSTEM, THEN THERE'S AN IMPACT FEE THAT HAS TO BE PAID.
IT DEPENDS ON WHERE RELATIVE TO CITY LIMITS YOU, YOU ARE.
WHETHER THAT'S GOING TO BE PAID BY THE DEVELOPER OR THE HOMEOWNER WHO APPLIES.
FOR YEARS, THE METER WAS $500 IN HARLINGEN, IT'S NOW $2,886.
AND SO JUST, I I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT I UNDERSTAND.
SO IF THIS IS NEW DEVELOPMENT MM-HMM,
THAT'S WHAT I PAYING FOR WATER, SO RIGHT.
ANOTHER, BUT WE'RE STILL PAYING OUR PORTION ON TOPIC FOR WATER TOO.
THERE'S A SEPARATE, OKAY, YOU'RE PAYING YOUR 2,800, BUT THE DEVELOPER IS STILL PAYING YOU THE NUMBERS I JUST QUOTED.
SO THERE, THERE'S A REALLY IMPORTANT POINT TO MAKE HERE.
THE ETHIC THAT FAREN HAS, HAS HAD FOR MANY YEARS IS THAT DEVELOPMENT PAYS ITS OWN WAY.
AND SOME COMMUNITIES DECIDE THAT DEVELOPMENT KIND OF IS A, IS A RISING TIDE THAT FLOATS ALL BOATS AND THEY DON'T IMPLEMENT IMPACT FEES.
SO RATE PAYERS ARE ESSENTIALLY ABSORBING SOME OF THE COSTS OF NEW DEVELOPMENT.
HARLINGEN TRADITIONALLY HAS TAKEN THE APPROACH THAT DEVELOPMENT WILL PAY ITS OWN WAY.
AND SO WHATEVER THOSE IMPACT FEE COSTS WOULD BE, THEN THE DEVELOPER IS GOING TO PAY THAT OR THE NEW HOMEOWNER SO THAT THE EXISTING CUSTOMERS OF THE SYSTEM ARE NOT SUBSIDIZING DEVELOPMENT.
THAT'S REALLY A FUNDAMENTAL POLICY QUESTION THAT'S NOT DETERMINED AT THE STAFF LEVEL.
THAT IS A BROAD BOARD CITY COMMISSION POLICY.
THAT, AND I AGREE WITH THAT, BUT IT'S NOT WHAT WE'RE DOING BECAUSE WE'RE PUTTING IT ON THE BACK OF DEVELOPERS.
FOR EXAMPLE, IF YOU'RE, IF WE'RE GIVING YOU THAT MONEY AND WE'RE CONNECTING TO THAT LIFT STATION, LIKE, LIKE THIS DEVELOPMENT I'M TALKING ABOUT, I EXPECT THAT MONEY TO GO TO THAT LIFT STATION, NOT SOMEWHERE ELSE THAT I HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH.
SO YOU'RE TELLING ME THAT WE'RE ON HAYNE DRIVE AND, AND THE, OUR LIFT STATIONS ACROSS THE STREET, AND YOU'RE TELLING ME ALL THE MONEY WE'RE GIVING YOU IS GONNA GO TO THAT LIFT STATION THAT ME AND ESPERANZA AND EVERYBODY ELSE IS CONNECTED TO.
THAT'S GOING TO THE RECONSTRUCTION OF LIFT STATION FIVE, WHICH THE ADDITION OF YOUR ALL'S DEVELOPMENT OVERLOADED.
SO THAT LIFT STATION, WHICH TIM HAD MENTIONED EARLIER, REQUIRED AN UPGRADE.
AND SO RATHER THAN DOING THE PRO RATA CALCULATION THAT I HAD MENTIONED EARLIER, YOU ALL PAID YOUR CAPACITIES PORTION OF WHAT THE NEW LIFT STATION AND EVERYBODY ELSE DID TOO.
ESP, ESP AND EVERYBODY ELSE DID TOO.
AND SO THAT'S A LIFT STATION THAT WE'VE BEEN TRYING TO ACQUIRE PROPERTY FOR.
IT'S BEEN SITTING THERE, WE'RE GETTING READY TO BUILD IT, BUT THAT'S A LIFT STATION THAT WAS CALLED FOR IN OUR MASTER PLAN.
AND THERE WERE, THERE WAS DEVELOPMENT THAT SAYS WE WANT TO MOVE HERE NOW.
AND SO THAT LIFT STATION WAS ACTUALLY ACCELERATED TO ACCOMMODATE THAT PROJECT.
AND SO THAT BY THE WAY THE CODE IS CONSTRUCTED,
[01:35:01]
ALLOWS WATERWORKS TO ASSESS A PRO RAT OF CHARGES ASSOCIATED WITH THAT INFRASTRUCTURE.THE LAST ITEM I JUST WANTED TO MENTION WAS THAT I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT FOR THE COMMISSION, AND I KNOW THAT THE NEW CITY ENGINEER IS GOING IN THAT DIRECTION AND WE APPRECIATE IT, BUT I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WHEN WE DO DEVELOPMENTS AND WE'RE NEAR A CANAL, A DITCH A LAKE OR WHATEVER IT MAY BE ADJACENT, IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE'RE ABLE TO DRAIN INTO THAT AREA BECAUSE WE'VE SEEN, BECAUSE BEFORE THAT WE WANTED TO DO PONDS ALL OVER TOWN.
AND I THINK THAT WE HAVE FOUND THAT THE CITY HAS TO MAINTAIN THOSE PONDS AND IT BECOMES THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE CITY AND TO MAINTAIN ALL THE PARKS WHEN THERE'S NO NEED TO DO THAT.
WHEN WE CAN DRAIN TO ADJACENT AREAS.
I THINK WE ALL AGREE WITH YOU ON THAT.
AND WE'VE MOVED IN, MOVED IN THAT DIRECTION AND WE COULDN'T AGREE, COULDN'T AGREE MORE.
WE CAN'T CHANGE WHAT HAPPENED IN THE PAST, BUT MOVING FORWARD, WE'RE GONNA MAKE SURE THAT, THAT WE'RE DOING THAT.
'CAUSE THAT'S JUST A COMMON SENSE, UH, APPROACH.
EVEN PEOPLE LIKE ME THAT DON'T HAVE AN ENGINEERING DEGREE OR ALL THE WATERWORKS EXPERIENCE, I CAN, I CAN UNDERSTAND THAT BECAUSE I CAN VISUALLY SEE IT AND IT MAKES, IT MAKES SENSE, RIGHT.
I KNOW THAT WE ARE, I AM, I AM GOING A LITTLE LONGER AND THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT I WANNA DO.
I WANNA GIVE AN OPPORTUNITY, IF YOU ARE A DEVELOPER AND YOU ARE PRESENT IN THE ROOM AND YOU HAVEN'T HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK, LET'S KIND OF TRY TO, YOU KNOW, MOVE, MOVE THROUGH THIS SO THAT WAY WE CAN GIVE EVERYBODY AN OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK SO YOU HAVE THE FLOOR.
I APPRECIATE YOU GUYS BEING HERE.
UH, FOR THE RECORD, MY NAME'S ANDY VG STALL.
I LIVE AT 28 0 2 LAZY LAKE DRIVE HERE IN ARLINGTON, TEXAS.
I HAVE A LITTLE BIT OF A DISCLAIMER TO SAY UPFRONT.
UM, I'M GONNA BE TALKING IN SOME GENERALIZATIONS, PAST EXPERIENCE, NOTHING SPECIFIC LIKE YOU SAID, NO FINGER POINTING, NOTHING OF THAT NATURE.
SO I JUST WANT TO BRIEFLY TOUCH ON THAT.
I AM NOT, I AM NOT A REGISTERED SURVEYOR.
UH, I WAS A SURVEYOR IN THE CAPACITY OF A CREW MEMBER OR TECHNICIAN.
FINANCIAL ANALYST, INVESTMENT BROKER, REALTOR OR APPRAISER HISTORIAN, GEOLOGIST ASTROPHYSICIST.
AND I CANNOT PREDICT THE FUTURE.
NO ONE CAN, UH, TO MY KNOWLEDGE, AND I'VE BEEN WRONG BEFORE, IF NO ONE BELIEVES THAT MY WIFE HAS A LIST SOMEWHERE AND IT'S A BIG LIST AND SHE'S GOT, UH, SHE'S GOT IT HIDDEN SOMEWHERE.
ANYWAY, UH, SO MY NAME'S ANDY VS.
UH, I HAVE A BACKGROUND IN HEAVY CIVIL CONSTRUCTION.
I'VE BEEN ON THE GOVERNMENT SIDE, I'VE BEEN ON THE CONTRACTOR SIDE.
I'VE BEEN ON THE ENGINEER SIDE.
UM, WE MOVED TO THE VALLEY IN THE EIGHTIES.
UH, YOU KNOW, UH, I GRADUATED FROM SOUTH.
I'VE BEEN HERE FOR A LONG TIME IN 90 EIGHTS WHEN I STARTED MY CAREER.
UH, AND I'VE BEEN DOING HIGHWAY WORK ALL OVER, UH, SINCE THEN.
SO I KIND OF WANTED TO FIND SOME TERMS BECAUSE I'M, I'M, I'M HEARING SOME THINGS THAT, THAT, UH, MY EXPERIENCE IN THE INDUSTRY MIGHT BE KIND OF CONTRADICTORY TO, TO, TO OTHERS.
UH, A TWO-WAY CONTRACT IS I'M A CITY AND I WANNA HIRE A CONTRACTOR TO BUILD A PROJECT THAT'S A TWO-WAY CONTRACT.
WHAT WE'RE MOSTLY TALKING ABOUT HERE IS A THREE-WAY CONTRACT, WHICH IS A DIFFERENT ANIMAL.
I'M A DEVELOPER, I'M GONNA HIRE A CONTRACTOR, BUT THE CITY HAS TO APPROVE IT.
I DON'T NECESSARILY HAVE A CONTRACT WITH THE CITY, BUT THERE'S ORDINANCES IN PLACE, UH, THAT SORT OF THING.
SO, UH, THREE-WAY CONTRACT IS A DIFFERENT ANIMAL THAN A TWO-WAY CONTRACT.
THE DEVELOPER, I THINK IN THIS CONTEXT, TYPICALLY WE'RE TALKING ABOUT PRIVATE DEVELOPERS, BUT THE PUBLIC CAN BE DEVELOPERS.
OUR NEUROSCIENCE CENTER WAS BUILT BY THE STATE.
SO, UH, WE HAVE THAT THE CONTRACTOR IS THE ENTITY WHO BUILDS THE WORK.
IN ALMOST ALL CASES, THE CONTRACTOR TAKES THE MOST RISK IN, IN, IN THE PROJECT.
UH, HE, HE TAKES ON THE, THE RISK.
UH, AND, AND IN EVERY PROJECT I'VE EVER BEEN ON, I'VE WORKED FOR LOTS OF CONTRACTORS.
THE MOST IMPORTANT THING IS THAT EVERYONE ON THE PROJECT GOES HOME THE SAME WAY.
THEY CAME HOME, CAME, CAME INTO WORK.
UH, SAFETY'S NUMBER ONE FOR SURE.
UH, THERE'S PEOPLE DRIVING AROUND AND JOB SITES, THERE'S JOGGERS, KIDS ON BIKES.
I'VE SEEN PEOPLE WALKING DOGS.
THE CONTRACTOR SHOULD BE ABLE TO CONTROL HIS MEANS AND METHODS 100%.
THERE SHOULD NEVER BE ANY DIRECTION FROM THE CITY ON HOW A CONTRACTOR, UH, PERFORMS HIS WORK.
UH, THE OWNER IS THE CITY, TYPICALLY THE GOVERNMENTAL AUTHORITY, BUT THE DEVELOPER'S ALSO THE OWNER FOR A PERIOD OF TIME WHEN THE CONSTRUCTION IS BEING BUILT TO THE POINT WHERE, UH, THE CITY TAKES OVER THROUGH APPROVAL.
SO OWNERSHIP IN A THREE-WAY CONTRACT IS, IS A LITTLE TRICKIER THAN, THAN, UM, JUST, YOU KNOW, WHAT YOU SEE AT FIRST.
THE MUNICIPALITY IS A GOVERNMENT ORGANIZATION THAT MANAGES PUBLIC ASSETS, TYPICALLY CHARGED WITH MAINTAINING THEM IN PERPETUITY FOREVER.
UH, THE INSPECTOR, THE INSPECTOR IS THE OWNER'S REPRESENTATIVE.
[01:40:01]
WE CAN MOVE TO A POINT.UM, SO LOOK, I I THINK THIS BOILS DOWN TO THREE THINGS.
THE CONTRACTORS ARE UNCERTAIN OF WHAT'S GOING ON HERE.
UM, WHEN THEY'RE UNCERTAIN, THEIR BIDS GO UP, YOU KNOW, AND THERE'S, THERE'S TWO MAIN AREAS OF UNCERTAINTY.
NUMBER ONE, WHAT'S UNDERGROUND? YOU CAN'T SEE WHAT'S UNDERGROUND.
NUMBER TWO, WHAT ARE THE OWNER'S EXPECTATIONS? SO IF I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE OWNER EXPECTS, UH, MY PRICES GO UP.
IF, IF, IF I'VE WORKED WITH THE GUYS BEFORE AND I KNOW WHAT THEY EXPECT, WELL, UH, THEN, THEN MAYBE MY PRICE IS LESS.
UH, SO, YOU KNOW, ESSENTIALLY THAT'S, I THINK WHAT IT BOILS DOWN TO.
ANYWAY, I'LL, I'LL, I'LL CUT IT SHORT.
I HAVE SOME LIVE PROJECTS GOING ON THAT I CAN'T REALLY DISCUSS.
IF ANYONE WANTS TO HAVE AN OFFLINE CONVERSATION, I'D BE HAPPY TO MEET WITH YOU, SO.
UM, ANY OTHER DEVELOPERS IN THE ROOM? YES, DR.
I THINK IT'S REFRESHING THAT WE HAVE A PLATFORM WHERE WE CAN ALL KIND OF GET TOGETHER AND TALK.
UH, THIS WAS, UH, NON-EXISTENT IN HARLINGEN JUST A FEW YEARS AGO.
WE APPRECIATE YOU SO MUCH AND EVERYONE ELSE THAT, YOU KNOW, TOOK THE TIME.
WE DON'T MEAN TO CUT YOU OFF, ANDY, BUT WE JUST WANNA MAKE SURE WE'RE RESPECTFUL OF EVERYONE, EVERYONE'S TIME.
UM, YOU WHAT ABOUT, WHAT ABOUT Y'ALL? YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS? NO.
WELL I JUST THINK IT'S COOL THAT YOUR SON IS HERE, SO YES, YES, YES.
UM, ANYBODY, ANYBODY ELSE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS? NO, I HAVE ONE LAST QUESTION ABOUT THE PORTAL.
ARE WE GONNA HAVE, UH, LIKE TIMELINES ON WHEN SOMEBODY RECEIVES BLUEPRINTS? UH, WHEN WE GET, WE GET STUFF BACK? I DON'T, I DON'T KNOW IF I MISSED THAT OR NOT, BUT I MEAN, 'CAUSE I KNOW RIGHT NOW, LIKE IT'S VERY, VERY, I DON'T WANNA SAY VERY LONG, BUT IT IS LOUDER THAN LITTLE BIT LONGER THAN, YOU KNOW, WE WOULD LIKE, SO AND SO WE HAVE A YES, WE, YES WE WILL.
UH, SO WE HAVE A NEW POLICY FOR, FOR NEW HOUSES, NEW HOUSE CONSTRUCTION THAT IF THE, IF THE DOCUMENTS ARE COMPLETE, UH, THE DEPARTMENT WILL BE ISSUED IN THREE DAYS.
SO THAT'S A NEW POLICY WE SET IN PLACE.
REMODELINGS, WE NEED TO, UH, WORK ON TO, TO EXPEDITE THOSE.
SO WILL WE BE ABLE TO SEE, HEY, THE, THE WHOEVER'S REVIEWING IT HAS RECEIVED IT AND THEY HAVE THREE DAYS FROM THAT DAY? YES.
WE, WE ESTABLISHED THIS POLICY ABOUT A MONTH AGO.
SO THAT'S THE INSTRUCTION THAT THE BUILDING OFFICIAL AND THE PLANS EXAMINERS HAVE.
SO ON OCCASIONAL THEY'RE GOING TO, THEY'RE GONNA HAVE TO, UH, PUT ON OVERTIME BECAUSE WE'RE GONNA STICK TO THE THREE DAYS.
IF, IF THE PLANS ARE COMPLETE.
UH, BUT LIKE I SAID ON REMODELINGS, I THINK WE NEED TO WORK ON THAT TO, TO EXPEDITE THOSE.
SO, UM, TO, TO WRAP IT UP, I WANNA THANK EVERYONE FOR COMING.
YOU WANNA MAKE A BRIEF COMMENT? WE HAD CITIZEN COMMUNICATION.
MR. LAZANO, I CAN GIVE YOU 30 SECONDS IF YOU, IF YOU LIKE.
REGARDING THE SIDEWALK BUTTON, THE, UH, STREET, THE THREE FOOT BARRIER, I REALIZE THAT CHILDREN ARE NOT NECESSARILY DEVELOPERS, BUT THEIR SAFETY IS PARAMOUNT AS MR. BIG STALL SAID.
AND RIGHT NOW THE CITY IS NOT WATERING THEIR PARKS AND ALLOWING CERTAIN WATER TO GO INTO THESE PONDS WITHOUT SOME DIRECTION MIGHT NOT BE THE BEST.
UM, SO HAVING, HAVING, UH, AN OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE THIS CONVERSATION HAS BEEN VERY IMPORTANT.
IT'S OPENED MY EYES TO A LOT OF THINGS THAT I WAS UNAWARE OF, UM, MAKING NEW CONNECTIONS.
WE HOPE THAT YOU CONTINUE TO DO BUSINESS IN, IN, IN HARLINGEN.
UM, SORRY THAT YOUR EXPERIENCE HASN'T BEEN THE BEST, BUT WE'LL DO, WE'LL WORK REALLY HARD TO TRY TO MAKE THAT, MAKE SOME IMPROVEMENTS FOR YOU.
UM, AND I THINK THAT, AND YOU'VE BEEN DOING THIS FOR A WHILE, I THINK ONCE YOU GET TO KNOW THE FOLKS THAT ARE IN, IN THAT ARE, THAT YOU'RE GONNA BE TALKING TO IN IN WATERWORKS AND IN PLANNING.
I THINK THAT THAT WILL IMPROVE OVER TIME.
AND SO WE HOPE YOU STICK IT OUT WITH US AND, AND WE CAN HELP YOU KIND OF GROW YOUR, YOUR DEVELOPMENT ALSO IN HAR LYNCH AND NOT JUST IN EDINBURG.
I LOVE EDINBURG, BUT WE WANT YOU HERE TOO.
UM, KNOW THAT WE ARE HERE, IF YOU HAVE OTHER QUESTIONS OR CONCERNS, UM, FEEL FREE TO REACH OUT, SEND AN EMAIL OR TEXT OR YOU CAN CONTACT CITY MANAGEMENT, ANY OF THE COMMISSION.
UM, I'D ENCOURAGE YOU TO SEE WHAT DISTRICT YOU ARE DEVELOPING IN.
AND ALL THE COMMISSIONERS ARE VERY, UM, ACCESSIBLE AND AND RESPONSIVE TO, TO MESSAGES.
SO SOMETIMES HAVING THAT INPUT FROM THEM.
I KNOW THAT MODEST DOES A LOT OF WORK IN DISTRICT FIVE
[01:45:01]
AND, AND REY'S AVAILABLE.UM, I'M NOT SURE WHERE YOUR PROJECT IS EXACTLY.
YOU SAID IT WAS, IT'S IT'S THERE OFF OF TYLER BEHIND, UH, UH, GOLDEN CROW.
OH, SO THAT'S, UH, WHO, WHO, OKAY.
I THINK I HAD SEEN YOU BEFORE, THAT'S WHY.
YEAH, WE'RE GONNA MAKE SURE THAT WORKS OUT.
AND THAT'S, UH, DISTRICT FOUR.
SO, UM, JUST AGAIN, YOU KNOW, THANK YOU SO MUCH.
WE WILL HAVE ANOTHER DEVELOPER, UH, DEVELOPER'S MEETING SO WE CAN COME BACK AND TALK ABOUT THE THINGS THAT WE'RE GOING TO HOPEFULLY CHANGE AND GIVE YOU AN OPPORTUNITY TO EXPRESS ANY OTHER CONCERNS.
I KNOW SOMETIMES WE, FOR, YOU KNOW, YOU'LL LEAVE HERE AND SAY, GOSH, I WISH I WOULD'VE ASKED THIS.
PLEASE SEND IT TO US IN AN EMAIL AND WE'LL CONSIDER THAT AS WELL.
AS WE MAKE THESE CHANGES, EVERYTHING DOES TAKE TIME WITHIN, UH, GOVERNMENT, SO I ASK FOR SOME PATIENCE.
UM, BUT WE WILL ADDRESS THOSE ISSUES.
AND TIM, JUST A QUICK COMMENT.
IF THERE'S AN ISSUE THAT ANY OF Y'ALL HAVE WITH WATERWORKS, SOMETHING THAT HAPPENS IN THE FIELD, PLEASE COME TALK TO OUR ENGINEERS FIRST.
AND FEEL LIKE WHAT THEY SAY, COME TALK TO ME.
AND IF YOU LIKE WHAT I SAY, WELL THEN YOU CAN ESCALATE IT TO OUR BOARD OR, BUT A LOT OF THIS STUFF I THINK CAN GET IRONED OUT AND, YOU KNOW, SOME COMPLAINTS THAT WE'VE HEARD RECENTLY IS LIKE, WELL, OKAY, THEY'RE BEING RAISED THAT AT A POLITICAL LEVEL, BUT NOBODY IS DARKENED OUR DOOR.
SO IT'S HOW, HOW CAN WE ADDRESS THAT? AND WE REALLY, WE REALLY DO WANT TO SUPPORT HARLINGEN.
WE WANT THIS TO BE A, A PLACE WHERE PEOPLE CAN DO THEIR JOB, MAKE A PROFIT, AND LEAVE BEHIND INFRASTRUCTURE THAT'S GOING TO SERVE HARLINGEN.
SO OUR ATTITUDE, I THINK YOU'LL, YOU'RE GONNA FIND IS, IS A GOOD ONE.
SO, YEAH, AND I COULDN'T AGREE MORE.
I THINK YOU HAVE, WE HAVE AN EXCELLENT, YOU KNOW, STAFF ON, ON BOTH THE CITY LEVEL AND HARLINGEN WATERWORKS A LOT OF SMART PEOPLE.
UM, MAKING SURE THAT THEY'RE LOOKING OUT FOR INFRASTRUCTURE FROM HERE ON TO WHEN OUR KIDS AND OUR GRANDKIDS ARE GOING TO BE AROUND.
WE'RE DEALING WITH SOME CHALLENGES RIGHT NOW FOR PEOPLE THAT REALLY DIDN'T TAKE THAT INTO CONSIDERATION AND IT'S COSTLY AND SO WE WANNA BE RESPONSIBLE, BUT AT THE SAME TIME, WE WANNA CONTINUE TO GROW WHILE WE'RE DOING THAT.
UM, THAT WILL CONCLUDE, UNLESS ANY, DOES THE COMMISSION, DO YOU HAVE ANY COMMENT? LAST COMMENTS, JUST FOR MY NOTES, GUYS, AND IF I MISS ANYTHING, JUST UH, SHOUT IT OUT.
UH, THE TAKEAWAYS I HAVE IN MY NOTES IS THE PORTAL, GETTING THAT UP AND RUNNING, MAKING SURE WE STREAMLINE THAT.
UH, INSPECTIONS IS THE OTHER ONE TO STREAMLINE INSPECTIONS AND GET CONSISTENCY IN THEM.
AND I HAVE THE SIDEWALKS, MR. ZAVE AND I HAVE THE FEES.
AM I MISSING ANYTHING SO THAT WHEN WE COME BACK I CAN SAY WE'VE MADE, UH, PROGRESS ON EACH OF THESE POINTS.
ALSO, UH, I'M SORRY, MAYBE THE, UH, THE SAND COMMENT, UH, TRENCHING ALL THE WAY UP.
SAND VERSUS DIRT, RIGHT? POLICY, POLICY.
I WOULD ALSO, I WOULD ALSO ENCOURAGE YOU, IF ANY OF YOU, IF ANY OF THE DEVELOPERS HAVE ANY PROJECTS ON THE WEST SIDE OF ARGEN, UH, PLEASE STAY BEHIND SO I CAN GIVE YOU MY CARD BECAUSE THAT'S MY AREA AND I'LL DO EVERYTHING.