[00:00:05] GOOD MORNING, EVERYONE. [Call to Order] IT IS 9:00 A.M.. WELCOME, EVERYBODY, TO THE WORKSHOP FOR APRIL 8TH CITY COUNCIL WOULD LIKE TO WELCOME COUNCIL MEMBERS, STAFF AND TO THE PUBLIC AND TO THE INTERVIEWEES THAT WERE WITH US THIS MORNING. GLAD TO HAVE YOU. WHAT WE'RE GOING TO DO TO KIND OF GIVE YOU SOME LET'S TAKE A ROLL CALL FIRST JANELLE THEN WE'LL TALK ABOUT SOME PROCEDURES. WE DO HAVE A QUORUM. BUT JANELLE, COULD WE HAVE A ROLL CALL, PLEASE? MAYOR, DR. BROWN HERE. MAYOR PRO TEM COLLINS, HERE. COUNCIL MEMBER SCHUSTER, COUNCIL MEMBER QUIROGA PRESIDENT COUNCIL MEMBER LISTOWSKI HERE, COUNCIL MEMBER ROBB AND COUNCIL MEMBER JOHNSON IS GOING TO BE ABSENT TODAY. OK WE HAVE SIX OF OUR SEVEN COUNCIL MEMBERS HERE BEFORE WE START OUR INTERVIEWS. [3.A. Interview Applicants For City Boards, Commissions, And Committees] WANTED TO KIND OF GO THROUGH SOME PROCEDURES WITH EVERYBODY. FIRST OF ALL, WE WILL DO THE PARK BOARD APPLICANTS FIRST, WE WILL INTERVIEW THEM IN THE ORDER THAT THEY FILED THEIR APPLICATION. THEN WE WILL MOVE TO THE PLANNING COMMISSION MEMBERS. WHAT I WOULD PROPOSE TO THE COUNCIL IS THAT ONCE WE FINISH OUR INTERVIEWS THIS MORNING, THEN IF YOU WOULD RANK THE INTERVIEWEES IN THE ORDER THAT YOU FEEL THEY SHOULD BE NOMINATED. SO IF YOU FEEL THAT A CERTAIN CANDIDATE SHOULD RECEIVE THE FIRST NOMINATION, COMING OUT OF THE BOX HERE WHEN WE COME BACK THIS AFTERNOON, THEN THAT WILL BE OUR FIRST NOMINEE. A COUNCIL, OF COURSE, DOES NOT HAVE TO NECESSARILY SUPPORT THAT FIRST NOMINEE. THEY CAN DO WHATEVER THEY'D LIKE IN THEIR VOTING PROCEDURE, BUT BY RANKING THEM, IT JUST GIVES AN ORDER ON THE NOMINATIONS AS RANKED AS A CUMULATIVE SCORE BY COUNCIL. THE IMPORTANT THING ABOUT THIS RANKING SYSTEM IS TO BE SURE TO RANK EACH CANDIDATE. WE HAVE THREE CANDIDATES FOR PARK BOARD, SO WE'LL HAVE A ONE, TWO, THREE RANKING IN THE ORDER OF THE NOMINATION PRIORITY THAT YOU FEEL IS APPROPRIATE. AND THEN WE'LL COME BACK AND WE HAVE THEN FIVE CANDIDATES FOR PLANNING COMMISSION, RANKED OF COURSE, ONE THROUGH FIVE THERE. ONE WOULD BE YOUR FIRST CHOICE ON BRINGING OUT A NOMINATION FOR THAT INDIVIDUAL. AND OF COURSE, THE LAST RANKING WOULD BE YOUR LAST CHOICE. ALSO, FOR THE CANDIDATES THAT ARE WITH US TODAY, I'D LIKE TO MENTION THAT WHAT WE'LL DO IS WE'LL INTERVIEW THIS MORNING WHEN WE START THE INTERVIEWS. IF YOU WOULDN'T MIND IF YOU COULD TAKE A BRIEF TIME TO TELL US A LITTLE ABOUT YOURSELF, SOMEWHAT ABOUT YOUR BACKGROUND AND YOUR REASONS FOR WANTING TO SERVE ON YOUR PARTICULAR COMMITTEE. AND THIS OUR COMMISSION IN THIS PARTICULAR SITUATION, BEING THE PARK BOARD, WE WOULD LIKE TO KEEP THAT BRIEF, IF WE COULD, SO THAT WE WOULD HAVE TIME FOR THE COUNCIL MEMBERS TO ASK QUESTIONS. ONCE WE FINISH OUR INTERVIEWS, THEN AS YOU HEARD, THE COUNCIL MEMBERS WILL SUBMIT THEIR RANKING OF NOMINATIONS TO THE CITY SECRETARY JANELLE WILLIAMS AND THEN AT OUR 1:30 MEETING THIS AFTERNOON. WE HAVE A PRESENTATION BY VISION GALVESTON AND THEN SOME OTHER BUSINESS. AND THEN FOLLOWING THAT, WE HAVE ON OUR ITEM ON OUR AGENDA TO GO AHEAD AND TO SELECT OUR INDIVIDUALS FOR EACH PLANNING COMMISSION, FOR THE ONE PLANNING COMMISSION SPOT AND FOR THE ONE PARK BOARD SPOT. SO YOU WILL KNOW THIS AFTERNOON ABOUT AFTER OUR MEETING, THE DECISIONS OF COUNCIL, THE CITY SECRETARY, JANELLE WILLIAMS, WILL BEEN NOTIFIED NOT ONLY THE CANDIDATES THAT ARE SELECTED, BUT SHE WILL ALSO NOTIFY THOSE CANDIDATES THAT WERE NOT SELECTED AND OF COURSE, THANK THEM FOR THEIR SERVICE AND FOR THEIR APPLICATION. I WANTED TO TAKE THIS OPPORTUNITY FOR THE PARK BOARD APPLICANTS THAT ARE WITH US. I WANT TO THANK YOU ON BEHALF OF THE COUNCIL IN THE CITY OF GALVESTON. THANK YOU FOR YOUR APPLICATION. THESE BOARDS ARE SO IMPORTANT. [00:05:03] AND HAVING DIVERSIFICATION, HAVING INDIVIDUALS SERVING ON THESE BOARDS THAT HAVE A PASSION FOR THE CITY AND WANT TO SEE THIS CITY GET BETTER, WE GREATLY APPRECIATE YOU STEPPING FORWARD AND SERVING AND OFFERING YOUR SERVICE. SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THAT. VERY GOOD. IS THERE ANY QUESTIONS, COUNCIL OR APPLICANTS, BEFORE WE START THE PROCESS? HEARING NONE. WE'RE GOING TO START WITH OUR FIRST APPLICANT, JASON. GOOD MORNING TO YOU. WE'RE GOING TO JASON, WE'RE GOING TO MUTE YOU AND KIND OF REMOVE YOU FROM THE SCREEN HERE. AND THEN WE'RE GOING TO START WITH TREVA. YOU WILL BE OUR SECOND INTERVIEWEE AND WE'LL BRING YOU BACK ON THE SCREEN HERE ONCE WE BEGIN. YES, MARIE. WELL, ONE, WHEN WE DID INTERVIEWS IN PERSON, THE PEOPLE WHO WERE WAITING WEREN'T ABLE TO HEAR HOW DO WE KEEP THAT FROM HAPPENING WHEN WE'RE ON ZOOM? WE'VE DISCUSSED THAT. I'VE DISCUSSED IT WITH JANELLE. JANELLE, DO YOU WANT TO RESPOND TO THAT FOR THE APPLICANTS THAT ARE WAITING TO TO INTERVIEW WILL BE PUT IN A WAITING ROOM. SO I'LL PUT JASON HARDCASTLE IN THE WAITING ROOM WHILE TREVA IS INTERVIEWING AND THEN I'LL BRING JASON BACK ONCE SHE HAS CONCLUDED. NO, BUT I MEAN, YOU CAN BE WATCHING IT ON GTV OR IS THIS NOT ON GTV? IT IS ON GTV YOU KNOW, YOU COULD BE WATCHING THAT WAY THE OTHER ROOM. THEY COULD BE WATCHING YOU ON TV OR WHATEVER ON THEIR SMARTPHONE OR WHATEVER. SO WE JUST KNOW OUR CANDIDATES THEY ARE APPLYING. WILL FOLLOW THE RULES ON THIS SO WE CAN LOOKING FORWARD. ALL RIGHT, LET'S GO. VERY GOOD, JASON. WE'LL TALK WITH YOU IN A SECOND. AND OUR FIRST APPLICANT AND WE HAVE OUR FIRST APPLICANT, JANELLE, IS TREVA WYGLE. THAT'S WITH US THIS MORNING HERE. TREVA, THANK YOU, OF COURSE, FOR BEING HERE. I'M GUNNA TURN THE FLOOR OVER FOR A BRIEF INTRO FROM YOURSELF, PLEASE. OK, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR HAVING ME. APPRECIATE IT. SO I'M TREVA WYGLE. I LIVE HERE ON THE ISLAND, MOVED HERE IN 2017. BEEN HERE FULL TIME SINCE WE LIVE. WE BOUGHT A HOME IN MIDTOWN. WE LIVE HERE. I HAVE A PHOTOGRAPHY BUSINESS, SO I HAVE MY OWN BUSINESS, HAVE A PHOTOGRAPHY BUSINESS CALLED PLAN-IT-INK PHOTOGRAPHY. SO I'M KIND OF OUT IN THE COMMUNITY AND REALLY KIND OF IN THE TOURISM FINE ART TYPE REALM WITH WHAT I DO. SO I'VE BEEN COMING HERE. I'M ONE OF THOSE, YOU KNOW, BEEN WITH A VACATION OR FIRST, YOU KNOW, TO GALVESTON EVER SINCE I WAS YOUNG. YOU KNOW, OUR FAMILY ALWAYS CAME HERE FOR A FAMILY VACATION. SO I'VE ALWAYS HAD A LOVE FOR GALVESTON EVER SINCE I WAS A CHILD. I HEAR THESE STORIES ALL THE TIME WITH ALL MY CLIENTS. AND I TAKE FAMILY VACATION PHOTOS ON THE BEACH. BUT, UM, BUT WE CAME HERE ALL THE TIME AND I JUST GREW LEFT FOR GALVESTON. AND WHENEVER THE OPPORTUNITY KIND OF AROSE AND WE JUST MOVED DOWN HERE, MY HUSBAND RETIRED FROM SCHOOL TEACHING AND COACHING. AND AS SOON AS THAT HAPPENED, BECAUSE I HAD MY OWN BUSINESS AND IT WAS PHOTOGRAPHY AND I COULD KIND OF GO WHEREVER AND DO WHATEVER. AND I WAS LIKE, OK, AS SOON AS YOU RETIRE, WE'RE HEADED TO GALVESTON. WE COME HERE EVERY YEAR FOR VACATION ANYWAY. SO, YOU KNOW, I JUST I JUST LOVE IT HERE SO MUCH. AND WHERE I CAME BEFORE. I'VE ALWAYS BEEN INVOLVED IN ANY COMMUNITY THAT I'VE LIVED IN, BEEN REALLY INVOLVED WITH NONPROFITS AND CIVIC AND THAT SORT OF THING. I THINK IT'S VERY IMPORTANT TO SERVE WHERE YOU LIVE. I DON'T WANT TO JUST LIVE IN GALVESTON. I WANT TO BE A PART OF IT. I WANT TO SERVE AND AND HELP WHEREVER I CAN. I FEEL LIKE I HAVE A LOT TO OFFER TO THE TABLE. AS FAR AS YOU KNOW, I'VE WORKED IN THE TOURISM INDUSTRY BEFORE WITH TOURISM, EVENT PLANNING AND THAT SORT OF THING. MARKETING. I'VE DONE THAT WITH MY BUSINESS AS WELL. AND THEN, OF COURSE, WITH THE PHOTOGRAPHY END OF IT. SO, YEAH, I JUST I FEEL LIKE I HAVE A LOT TO OFFER WITH THAT. AND, YOU KNOW, I MEET PEOPLE SOMETIMES I FEEL LIKE I'M ONE OF THE FIRST PEOPLE THAT WHEN PEOPLE ARE COMING HERE FOR VACATION AND LIKE TALKING TOURISM, YOU KNOW, I MEET THEM ON THE BEACH, I TALK TO THEM, I LET THEM KNOW WHAT THEY CAN DO IN GALVESTON. SO PEOPLE FROM ALL OVER THE US COME HERE AS Y'ALL KNOW FOR FAMILY VACATION. AND, YOU KNOW, I MEET THEM ON THE BEACH WHEREVER THEY'RE STAYING OR SUGGEST PLACES AND WE DO FAMILY PHOTOS. SO, I MEAN, I SEE I DO ANYWHERE FROM 20 TO 50 PHOTO SHOOTS A MONTH. [00:10:01] SO I'M SEEING LIKE PROBABLY OVER TWO HUNDRED PEOPLE A MONTH. FAMILIES JUST COMING TOGETHER FROM ALL OVER, LIKE THE WHOLE FAMILY AND MEETING AT A BEACH HOUSE AND, YOU KNOW, AND WANTING FAMILY PHOTOS TO COMMEMORATE THEIR TIME IN GALVESTON. SO I FEEL LIKE I HAVE A GOOD FEEL FOR WHAT VISITORS WANT. VACATIONERS WANT BECAUSE OF THE LINE OF BUSINESS THAT I'M IN. BUT THEN ALSO I HAVE THE BACKGROUND, YOU KNOW, WITH WITH TOURISM AND EVENTS AND IN THAT SORT OF THING THAT I'VE WORKED WITH CITIES BEFORE AND I'VE DESIGNED WEBSITES FOR EDCS AND CITIES, MANAGEMENTS AND THINGS LIKE THAT. SO, YEAH, I JUST FEEL LIKE I'M KIND OF WELL-ROUNDED IN THAT SCALE. AND AND I'VE ALWAYS DONE THAT SORT OF THING. BUT SINCE I'VE BEEN HERE, I'VE BEEN TRYING TO FIND WHERE I BELONG AND ENGAGE IN THE COMMUNITY AND WHEREVER I CAN KIND OF SHARE MY RESOURCES THE BEST. I'VE BEEN VOLUNTEERING WITH UNITED WAY, BUT I WANT TO GET MORE INVOLVED IN, YOU KNOW, IN CITY AFFAIRS AND THE BEACH AND IN TOURISM, BECAUSE I THINK I'M REALLY GOOD AT TOURISM AND I WANT TO BE ABLE TO HELP PROMOTE GALVESTON. WELL, GOOD. THANK YOU TREVA. YEAH. ALL RIGHT. LET'S OPEN IT UP FOR QUESTIONS. COUNCIL? THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR APPLICATION, WE APPRECIATE YOUR WILLINGNESS TO SERVE. AND IF YOU'RE NOT ALREADY A CERTIFIED TOURISM AMBASSADOR, PERHAPS YOU COULD DO THAT OR YOU MAY ALREADY BE. BUT THE THINGS YOU DESCRIBE ARE EXACTLY WHAT OUR CAREERS AMBASSADORS ARE ARE SO GOOD AT DOING IS TALKING TO PEOPLE ON THE BEACH AND ON THE STREET AND FINDING OUT WHAT THEY'RE LIKE, WHAT THEY DON'T LIKE AND SO FORTH. WHAT DO YOU SEE AS THE ROLE OF PARK BOARD IN CITY AFFAIRS AND HOW DO YOU ENVISION THAT AND HOW DO YOU SEE YOURSELF FITTING INTO THAT? YOU KNOW, WHAT WOULD BE YOUR GOAL ON BOARD? YOU KNOW, I THINK IT IS KIND OF A LIAISON. YOU KNOW, IT'S JUST, YOU KNOW, THE CITY HAS THEIR PART AND THEN THE PARK BOARD HAS THEIR PART TO MANAGE AND NOT MANAGE, BUT MAINTAIN AND PROMOTE AND DO TOURISM. YOU KNOW I KNOW THE CITY DOESN'T DO AS MUCH TOURISM, BUT THAT'S WHAT THE PARK BOARDS THERE FOR TO PROMOTE GALVESTON AND DO THINGS THAT ARE GOING TO GET PEOPLE TO WANT TO COME HERE, YOU KNOW, JUST SEE WHAT'S OUT THERE AND KIND OF BE THE EYES AND EARS OF THE ISLAND TO SEE WHAT PEOPLE ARE NEEDING, WHAT THE NEEDS ARE, WHAT THE WANTS ARE, AND KIND OF BRING IT BACK TO THE TABLE. I'M AN IDEA PERSON. I KIND OF THRIVE ON THAT AND A PROBLEM SOLVER. SO I THINK THOSE SKILLS THAT I HAVE, I WOULD BE REALLY BENEFICIAL TO BEING ON THE BOARD. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU VERY MUCH, MARIE. WELL, DAVID, SORT OF AS PART OF MY QUESTION AND I GUESS DO, MY QUESTION IS, DO YOU UNDERSTAND HOW THE PARK BOARD OPERATES OR HOW IT'S FUNDED AND SO FORTH? I HAVE AN IDEA. I MEAN, THERE IS STILL SOME THAT FOR SURE I NEED TO LEARN. BUT I HAVE MET WITH KELLY AND KIND OF GONE OVER THINGS AS WELL. AND I FOLLOW Y'ALL AND WATCH, YOU KNOW, ONLINE AND THINGS LIKE THAT. SO, YEAH, I KNOW THAT THE HOT TAXES ARE A BIG PART OF IT, YOU KNOW, TO TO BE ABLE TO PROMOTE GALVESTON AND THAT SORT OF THING. I'M FAMILIAR WITH THAT. WORKING FOR, YOU KNOW, CHAMBERS AND SEE CBB IN THE PAST. I'M FAMILIAR WITH WITH HOW THE KIND OF MONEY WORKS. AND THEN, YOU KNOW, WITH THE YOU KNOW, LIKE I SAID, THE HOT TAXES AND THAT SORT OF THING. OK, THANK YOU, WILLIAM. GOOD MORNING. THANKS FOR JOINING US THIS MORNING. JUST A QUICK QUESTION, ITS SEEMED TO BE A QUESTION THAT'S POPPED UP OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS, MORE AND MORE. AND IT'S HOW DO YOU THINK WITH THE PARKS BOARD ROLE AND WITH YOUR ROLE, THAT WE COULD BALANCE THE NEEDS OF TOURISM AND THE NEEDS OF OUR RESIDENTS AT THE SAME TIME IN GALVESTON? THAT'S A GOOD QUESTION. I KNOW THAT DOES COME UP A LOT. BEING A RESIDENT MYSELF, YOU KNOW, I GUESS SO. I CAN LOOK AT IT FROM A DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE, TOO, BECAUSE I AM A RESIDENT, BUT ALSO I AM IN THE TOURISM INDUSTRY THAT KIND OF FUELS MY BUSINESS SO I CAN SEE FIRSTHAND HOW THAT AFFECTS MY LIVELIHOOD HERE ON THE ISLAND. YOU KNOW, I YOU KNOW, MY BUSINESS WOULD NOT BE WHAT IT IS IF IT WEREN'T FOR TOURISM, IF IT WEREN'T FOR PEOPLE COMING HERE. BUT THEN THE QUALITY OF LIFE IS IMPORTANT FOR PEOPLE THAT LIVE HERE. AND I KNOW THAT IS A CONCERN. AND AND IT'S PROBABLY MORE FROM PEOPLE THAT DON'T HAVE A BUSINESS AND DON'T RELY ON THAT FOR THEIR INCOME AND FOR THEIR LIVELIHOOD. SO I UNDERSTAND THAT. AND I KNOW WHENEVER YOU ARE DOING EVENTS, IT'S GOING TO BRING MORE PEOPLE HERE. AND I KNOW THERE'S, YOU KNOW, THE QUESTION OF DIFFERENT EVENTS THAT ARE, YOU KNOW, BRING DIFFERENT THINGS TO THE ISLAND THAT SOME PEOPLE MIGHT NOT BE IN FAVOR OF. BUT I JUST THINK THAT YOU JUST HAVE TO HAVE A BALANCE AND, YOU KNOW, AND LOOK AT [00:15:02] THINGS IN PERSPECTIVE OF WHAT KIND OF THINGS CAN WE ADD TO THE ISLAND THAT NOT ONLY WILL BRING PEOPLE HERE, YOU KNOW, FOR SHORT TERM VACATIONS AND THINGS LIKE THAT, BUT ALSO THAT CAN ALSO ENHANCE THE QUALITY OF LIFE HERE FOR OUR RESIDENTS. AND I THINK ESPECIALLY WITH PARKS AND THINGS LIKE THAT, THERE ARE THINGS THAT WE CAN DO THAT WILL GIVE THINGS FOR OUR LOCALS TO DO AS WELL. WE JUST ALWAYS NEED TO BE THINKING OF THAT IN TERMS, YOU KNOW, NOT JUST TOURISM ALL THE TIME, BUT ALSO OUR RESIDENTS. IT IS IMPORTANT TO HAVE A BALANCE. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. I APPRECIATE IT, SURE. VERY GOOD. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? YES. HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT PEOPLE'S RIGHTS ON THE BEACH FRONT, MAINLY TOWARDS THE EAST END THEIR PROPERTY RIGHTS VERSUS THE NEEDS OF THE PARK BOARD TO BALANCE THE DISTRIBUTION OF SAND ALONG THE BEACH FRONT? SO WHAT WAS THAT AGAIN? WHAT WAS THE VERY FIRST PART OF THAT QUESTION? LIKE THE WHAT I'M ASKING FOR IS THE PROPERTY RIGHTS OF INDIVIDUALS THAT OWN PROPERTY ON THE BEACH ITSELF. OH, OK. OK, THAT'S A TOUGH ONE BECAUSE SO LIKE THEIR RIGHTS, YOU NEED THE RIGHT PEOPLE COMING AND BEING HAVING SET UP RIGHT IN FRONT OF THEIR HOMES. IS THAT WHAT YOU'RE KIND OF TALKING ABOUT AND IN KIND OF INTERFERING WITH THEIR, AGAIN, TO NOT GET INTO ALL THE DETAILS. THERE WAS AN ARTICLE RECENTLY ON CERTAIN SECTIONS OF THE BEACH AND REMOVAL OF SAND PLACING FROM ONE QUAD TO THE OTHER. AND I THINK WE'VE GOT A PROJECT COMING UP ON [INAUDIBLE] WORK PRETTY SOON. AND BASICALLY, WHEN YOU IF YOU TAKE SAND OR YOU MOVE SAND OR YOU CAN GO ACROSS PEOPLE'S PROPERTY, WHAT'S YOUR OPINION ON THAT? UM, IT'S NOT ANYTHING I'VE REALLY THOUGHT ABOUT. SO GIVE ME A SECOND. I GUESS IT WOULD I THINK IT WOULD JUST BOIL DOWN TO WHAT WAS THE MAIN PURPOSE OF DOING THAT IS TO PRESERVE AND TO PREVENT, YOU KNOW, FLOODING OR WHATEVER. I MEAN, WHAT'S THE PURPOSE OF IT? IS IT TO BEAUTIFY THE BEACHES? I MEAN, I FEEL LIKE THE BEACHES ARE KIND OF, YOU KNOW, A COMMON DOMAIN FOR EVERYBODY, YOU KNOW, TO BE ABLE TO ENJOY. THAT'S WHAT GALVESTON IS ABOUT. SO BUT I UNDERSTAND THE HOMEOWNERS, YOU KNOW, IF THEY IF THAT'S THEIR HOME AND THINGS LIKE THAT. BUT I WOULD THINK THAT ANYTHING THAT THE CITY OR PARK BOARD WOULD DO FOR THE BEACHES WOULD ALWAYS HAVE THE RESIDENTS BEST INTERESTS AT HEART. SO DOES THAT ANSWER THE QUESTION YEAH, IT IS. I HAVE ONE OTHER QUESTION. [INAUDIBLE] YOU CUT OUT FOR JUST A SECOND. I'M SORRY. WHAT'S YOUR BACKGROUND AND EXPERIENCE IN DEALING WITH PARKS LIKE STEWART BEACH OR DELLANERA OR BEACH IN PART TO BRING AND SEE WHAT [INAUDIBLE] YOU KNOW, AS FAR AS PARKS IN A WHOLE I MEAN, YOU KNOW, I COME FROM A BACKGROUND WHERE I WAS VERY INVOLVED IN COMMUNITIES WHERE I WAS WHERE I CAME FROM BEFORE THIS. AND AND JUST LIKE, YOU KNOW, COMPREHENSIVE PLANS AND THINGS LIKE THAT, I DID A COMPREHENSIVE PLAN FOR, YOU KNOW, DIFFERENT CITIES AND THINGS LIKE THAT. SO I UNDERSTAND THAT, YOU KNOW, IT'S ABOUT GATHERING INFORMATION FROM PEOPLE AND FIGURING OUT WHAT JUST LIKE THE VISION GALVESTON THAT. SUCH A GREAT PROJECT TO JUST SEE WHAT THE RESIDENTS WANT, WHAT'S GOING ON, AND, YOU KNOW, AND KIND OF FIGURING OUT WHAT'S GOING TO BE BEST FOR THAT. SO I GUESS THE MAIN THING WOULD BE, AS FAR AS I'VE JUST BEEN ON BOARDS AND BEEN ON DIFFERENT COMMITTEES TO HELP IN, YOU KNOW, JUST DOING BETTER THINGS FOR THE COMMUNITY. SO I THINK IT WOULD KIND OF WORK NO MATTER WHETHER IT'S A BEACH OR A PARK OR WHATEVER. I HAVE ONE LAST QUESTION, BUDGETING? WHAT'S YOUR BACKGROUND IN BUDGETING AND ECONOMICS, FINANCE [INAUDIBLE] RIGHT, WELL I MEAN, I OWN MY OWN BUSINESS, SO YOU KIND OF HAVE TO BE ABLE TO BUDGET AND, YOU KNOW, HAVE ALL THAT EXPERIENCE BEING ABLE TO MANAGE YOUR OWN BUSINESS. SO I MANAGE MY OWN BUSINESS. SO I THINK THAT'S, YOU KNOW, A BIG PART OF THAT. BUT AS WELL, AS, YOU KNOW, LIKE I SAID, I'VE BEEN INVOLVED IN DIFFERENT NONPROFITS LIKE BIG BROTHERS, BIG SISTERS, UNITED WAY, SALVATION ARMY, YOU KNOW, ON THE ADVISORY BOARD, THINGS LIKE THAT. YOU KNOW, THERE WAS ALWAYS A BUDGET. THERE'S ALWAYS FUNDRAISING. I'VE DONE A LOT OF FUNDRAISING IN MY TIME. AND I KNOW, WHEN YOU HAVE GOALS, YOU HAVE TO SET GOALS. AND, YOU KNOW, YOU JUST HAVE TO COME UP WITH UNIQUE WAYS TO BE ABLE TO RAISE MONEY AND TO BE ABLE TO TO MEET THOSE GOALS. BILL, ANYTHING ELSE, SIR? [00:20:01] THIS IS MY LAST QUESTION. YOU GOT SOME TIME. HOW DO YOU FEEL BEING ON BOARD? IT'S HIGHLY STRESSFUL. SO HOW WOULD YOU FEEL THAT YOU WERE OUT TO THE PUBLIC OR EVEN SOME OF YOUR COMRADES BEYOND THE BOARD? SO SAY THAT AGAIN. SO IT BEING STRESSFUL. HOW WOULD I DO WHAT? HOW WOULD YOU REACT TO BEING STRESSED? YEAH, I MEAN, I REALLY FEEL LIKE I'M A VERY EASYGOING, EASY TO GET ALONG WITH PERSON, YOU KNOW? I MEAN, I'M I HAVE MY OPINIONS AND THINGS LIKE THAT, BUT I THINK I'M VERY BALANCED IN THAT I DON'T FEEL LIKE I WOULD BE THE KIND OF PERSON THAT'S GOING TO BE VERY AGGRESSIVE AT ALL. I JUST THINK THAT THERE HAS TO BE UNITY IN COMMUNITY. AND SO, YOU KNOW, ESPECIALLY ON A BOARD AND THINGS LIKE THAT, EVERYBODY CAN HAVE OPINIONS, BUT YOU HAVE TO HAVE A COMMON GROUND AND YOU HAVE TO BE ABLE TO WORK THROUGH THINGS, EVEN THOUGH YOU MIGHT HAVE DIFFERENT OPINIONS ABOUT STUFF. YOU HAVE TO WORK THROUGH THINGS AND HEAR EVERYONE OUT TO BE ABLE TO COME TO THE BEST DECISION. AND BILL, IS THAT IT UP THERE? WELL, I CAN ASK A WHOLE BUNCH OF THEM [LAUGHTER] ALL RIGHT. WELL, ANY OTHER THOUGHTS, COUNCIL QUESTIONS? JOHN, DID YOU WANT TO HAVE ANY QUESTIONS AT THIS POINT? ALL RIGHT. I HAVE A QUESTION FOR YOU TREVA. YEAH. IF YOU'VE BEEN FOLLOWING THE PARK BOARD FOR A LITTLE WHILE, THE CONCEPT OF HAVING A HIGH VALUE TOURIST OR FOR LACK OF A BETTER DESCRIPTION, A HIGHER QUALITY TOURIST, CONSTANTLY DISCUSSED, IN YOUR OPINION, IF YOU WERE ON THE PARK BOARD, WHAT COULD BE DONE TO SUPPORT AND BRING MORE HIGH VALUE TOURISTS TO THE ISLAND? WELL, I THINK ONE THING THAT I'VE HEARD MENTIONED IS THE THE CRUISE THINGS, YOU KNOW, THE CRUISES AND THE THE DIFFERENT, YOU KNOW, CALIBER OF CRUISES THAT COULD BE COMING THROUGH, THAT DEFINITELY COULD DO THAT, YOU KNOW, AND HAVING IT WHERE THEY COME DURING THE WEEK AND NOT ON THE WEEKEND SO THAT, YOU KNOW, IT CAN HELP OUT OUR DOWNTOWN BUSINESSES THRIVE, YOU KNOW, AND MAYBE THEY WOULD STAY LONGER, YOU KNOW, NOT JUST STAY ON THE BOAT, YOU KNOW, ON THE CRUISE SHIPS, BUT ALSO STAY IN, YOU KNOW, IN OUR COMMUNITY AND IN OUR HOTELS AND STAY LONGER THAN JUST THE TIME THAT THEY BOARD AND UN BOARD, YOU KNOW? SO THAT'S KIND OF ONE THING THAT I COULD SEE WOULD HELP ENHANCE THAT FOR SURE. I JUST THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, HOWEVER YOU PRESENT YOURSELF AND FIND OUT, DO SOME RESEARCH AND FIND OUT WHAT THE NEEDS ARE OF THE HIGHER END VACATIONER AND TALK TO PEOPLE, ASK QUESTIONS AND SEE WHAT THEY WOULD WANT. AND THEN YOU CAN KIND OF PUT TOGETHER A PACKAGE OR SOMETHING THAT YOU COULD OFFER THAT WOULD KIND OF GET THOSE PEOPLE HERE TO THE ISLAND AND THEN REACHING OUT TO OTHER MARKETS LIKE DALLAS. AND, YOU KNOW, I KNOW THEY'RE ALREADY REACHING OUT TO AUSTIN AND SAN ANTONIO AND DIFFERENT THINGS LIKE THAT. YOU KNOW, I'M MORE OF A LOCAL TEXAS STALE, YOU KNOW, FIND THOSE KIND OF, YOU KNOW, CIRCLES THAT YOU'RE WANTING TO TARGET AND JUST TARGET THOSE. ALRIGHTY VERY GOOD. THANK YOU. COUNCIL ANY OTHER QUESTIONS FOR MS. WYGLE? I'VE GOT ONE MORE? YES, SIR. HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT SPORTS TOURISM, BRINGING A COMING IN AND REALLY EXPANDING ON THAT? I MEAN, I'M NOT OPPOSED TO THAT AT ALL. I MEAN, I THINK THAT, WHATEVER IT'S GOING TO BENEFITS, YOU KNOW, WHAT WE CAN OFFER IF WE HAVE THE CAPABILITIES TO OFFER THAT AND TO GIVE A GOOD SHOW, GIVE A GOOD PLACE TO BE ABLE TO DO THAT. THEN I YOU KNOW, I MEAN, I'M SURE THERE'S LOGISTICS THAT HAVE TO BE DISCUSSED. BUT I MEAN, I THINK THAT'S ALWAYS A POSITIVE THING. I THINK THEY'RE ALREADY SOME THINGS SPORTS RELATED THAT HAVE BEEN COMING TO THE ISLAND. SO IF THAT'S SOMETHING THAT, YOU KNOW, WE'RE CAPABLE OF HOUSING, THEN I WOULDN'T SEE A PROBLEM WITH IT PERSONALLY. BUT THEN I COME FROM A COACH'S WIFE, TOO. SO I HAVE TO SAY THAT [LAUGHTER] ALL RIGHT, WE HAVE WE'RE GOING TO KIND OF WRAP OUR QUESTIONS UP COMING TO THE END HERE WELL I JUST WANTED TO THANK YOU FOR APPLYING. I THINK IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT THAT WE HAVE MORE WOMEN ON OUR BOARDS AND MORE DIVERSIFICATION. SO I'M VERY HAPPY TO SEE THAT YOU STEPPED UP AND APPLIED FOR THIS [00:25:04] POSITION. AND I WISH YOU GOOD LUCK IN IT. THANK YOU. I APPRECIATE THAT VERY MUCH. THANKS. I WILL SAY THIS. I ALREADY HAVE A BILLBOARD REPRESENTING GALVESTON WITH MY PHOTO ON IT. SO I JUST WANT TO PUT THAT OUT THERE. AND MY PHOTO, ONE OF MY PHOTOS IS ALSO FEATURED IN THE ANNUAL REPORTS. SO I'M ALREADY KIND OF ALREADY GETTING MY FOOT IN THERE SO.. AND I CAN SEE YOUR MARKETING BACKGROUND, YOU'RE GETTING THAT OUT THERE AS WE SPEAK SO. WELL, I WANTED TO THANK YOU AGAIN. APPRECIATE IT. AND, YOU KNOW, WE'LL BE MAKING OUR DECISIONS THIS AFTERNOON AND THE CITY SECRETARY WILL BE CONTACTING YOU. THANK YOU SO MUCH. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. I APPRECIATE IT. THANK YOU. VERY GOOD. WE'RE NOW MOVING TO OUR SECOND INTERVIEWEE, JANELLE IF WE COULD BRING UP JASON'S HARDCASTLE, PLEASE. OK AND THERESA ELLIOTT HAS JOINED THE CALL, SO I'LL KEEP HER IN THE WAITING ROOM UNTIL YOU'RE DONE INTERVIEWING MR. HARDCASTLE. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. JASON, GOOD MORNING TO YOU. GOOD MORNING. GOOD TO SEE YOU CRAIG. IT'S GOOD TO SEE YOU, JASON. YOU HAVE THE SAME PAINTING IN THE BACKGROUND I REMEMBER THAT MANY MEETINGS AGO I'M SAVING IT FOR YOU [LAUGHTER] I GOT IT ON RESERVE GOT MY NAME ON IT. WHAT WE'LL DO IS, IF YOU WOULDN'T MIND, WE'LL GIVE YOU A BRIEF TIME FOR INTRODUCTIONS, AND THEN WE'LL OPEN IT UP TO QUESTIONS FROM THE COUNCIL MEMBERS. GO RIGHT AHEAD. ABSOLUTELY. WELL, IT'S GREAT TO SEE SO MANY FAMILIAR FACES. AND FOR ANYONE WHO MAY BE ON THE CALL OR WATCHING, WHO I HAVE NOT HAD THE PLEASURE OF MEETING YET. MY NAME IS JASON HARDCASTLE AND I'M A FINANCIAL ADVISER FOR EDWARD JONES HERE IN GALVESTON. I WORK IN DOWNTOWN. AND ALSO I HAVE A WIFE, HAYLEY WHO OWNS A BUSINESS HERE AS WELL HH DESIGN HOUSE. AND ONE THING THAT'S CHANGED OVER THE LAST FEW MONTHS IS I NO LONGER HAVE TWO DAUGHTERS, BUT I HAVE THREE DAUGHTERS NOW. HAYDEN, HOLDYN, AND HARLEM AND I MIX THOSE NAMES UP ALL THE TIME. WHEN I'M TRYING TO GET ONE OF THEIR ATTENTIONS, ONE OF THE UNIQUE THINGS I THINK PERSPECTIVES THAT I PROVIDE? IS THAT SOMETHING THAT I'VE ALWAYS TALKED ABOUT AND I'VE WORKED WITH THE PARKS BOARD IN THE PAST, IS THAT BEFORE I WAS A RESIDENT, I WAS A TOURIST HERE IN GLAVESTON GROWING UP IN EAST TEXAS AS WELL AS HILTON OKLAHOMA AND LIVE IN THAT COVETED AREA THAT ARE WITHIN A DAY'S DRIVE TO GALVESTON. SO THE TOURISM INDUSTRY AND THE ATTRACTIONS HERE ARE VERY IMPORTANT TO ME. AND I WOULD LOVE TO SEE THEM IMPROVE AND ENHANCE EVEN MORE TO CONTINUE TO ATTRACT AND BUILD UPON THE SEVEN POINT TWO MILLION TOURISTS THAT WE HAVE VISITING GALVESTON. AND THEY WANT TO STAY LONGER AND SPEND MORE MONEY HERE, WHICH CAN, AS BEST AS POSSIBLE BENEFIT THE RESIDENTS AS WELL, WHICH OF COURSE, I'VE BEEN ONE NOW FOR GOING ON 17 YEARS. SO I ALWAYS ALSO SAID, YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN GALVESTON, A GREAT PLACE TO VISIT, WHICH ALSO MAKES IT A GREAT PLACE TO LIVE. SO I DO BELIEVE THAT WE ARE SITUATED IN DEEPLY FOR A CITY OF 50,000 RESIDENTS, THAT WE DO HAVE SOME ATTRACTIONS AN AMENITY THAT I KNOW THAT I ENJOY, MY FAMILY ENJOYS, PARTICULARLY IN THE OFF SEASON WHEN THEY'RE NOT QUITE AS CROWDED THAT MOST CITIES OF 50,000 DO NOT HAVE. SO I BELIEVE THE TOURISM INDUSTRY IS VITAL AND I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE CONTINUE TO IMPROVE OUR APPEAL. SO WE'RE NOT JUST A REGIONAL OR METROPOLITAN AREA DESTINATION, BUT WE'RE ALSO A ATTRACTING PEOPLE FROM ALL OVER THE U.S. AS WELL AS A GLOBAL DESTINATION TOO. VERY GOOD. THANK YOU, JASON. APPRECIATE IT. COUNCIL, LET'S OPEN IT UP TO QUESTIONS, PLEASE. YES, MARIE. GOOD MORNING, JASON. GOOD TO SEE YOU. GOOD MORNING. SO WHAT WOULD YOUR APPROACH BE TO ATTRACTING HIGHER QUALITY, LONGER STAYING TOURIST? WELL, I BELIEVE THAT YOU KNOW, WE DO HAVE A LOT OF TOURISTS WITHIN THE AREA. AND THE CHALLENGE FOR US, WHILE A RESIDENTS HERE, I UNDERSTAND HOW CROWDED IT COULD BE IN THE SUMMER, AND WHILE WE MAY NOT NEED HIGHER NUMBERS I THINK WE DO HAVE A GOOD [00:30:03] POINT THAT WE DO WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE GENERATING AS MUCH REVENUE AS POSSIBLE. AND THE WAY I THINK THAT WE CAN DO THAT IS TO CONTINUE TO PROMOTE THE AMENITIES AND THE ATTRACTIONS THAT WE HAVE HERE IN GALVESTON. AND I THINK THAT WE ALSO NEED TO POSITION OURSELVES AND [INAUDIBLE] AND HAVE BEEN IN MY OPINION, WE ARE THE SANTA BARBARA OF TEXAS, REALLY LONG BEACH OF TEXAS AS WELL. AND I THINK THAT WE NEED TO COMPETE WITH THOSE MARKETS AS WELL AND FIGURE OUT, YOU KNOW, THE REINVENTION OF THE WHEEL, BUT ALSO FIGURE OUT HOW BEST TO APPEAL TO THE TOURISTS THAT WE HAVE VISITING THOSE DIFFERENT REGIONS. SO THEY ALSO CONSIDER GALVESTON, TEXAS, WHEN THEY ARE PLANNING THEIR FAMILY TRIPS AS WELL. [INAUDIBLE], I FOLLOWED THEM IN A LEADERSHIP POSITION, IS THAT I LIKE TO PROVIDE DIRECTION, ALLOW THE FULLY CONFIDENT AND CAPABLE STAFF THAT WE HAVE AS PARK BOARD TO LEAD THE EFFORT TO BRING THE DETAIL TO IT. AND I'M ALWAYS WILLING TO MAKE A FINAL DECISION ONCE THAT WE HAVE THEIR IDEAS ON HOW THEY CONTINUE TO ATTRACT OVERNIGHT VISITORS. OK. OK, THANK YOU, VERY GOOD, WILLIAM? MORNING JASON, GOOD TO SEE YOU. GOOD TO SEE YOU TOO. YOU ALREADY MENTIONED IT A LITTLE BIT IN YOUR INTRO. BUT JUST TO GIVE YOU A LITTLE MORE CHANCE TO ELABORATE, ELABORATE, GO INTO SOME SPECIFICS IF YOU LIKE. BUT WE MENTIONED THIS A LOT WITH THE PARK BOARD AND WITH YOUR ROLE. IF YOU WE'RE ON IT. HOW DO YOU THINK PARK BOARD AND YOURSELF TO COME UP WITH WAYS TO NOT ONLY PROMOTE TOURISM, BUT ALSO TO BALANCE THE NEEDS OF OUR RESIDENTS AND OUR CONCERNS FOR RESIDENTS? EXACTLY. WELL, YOU KNOW, THE FACT IS A I KNOW THAT MOBILITY IS AN ISSUE ON ANY GIVEN HOLIDAY WEEKEND IN THE SUMMER, YOU KNOW, OUR TOWN CAN BALLOON FROM A CITY OF 50,000 TO 500,000 ON ANY NORMAL WEEKEND IN THE SUMMER, ACTUALLY, WHICH NOW EXTENDS BETWEEN SPRING BREAK AND LABOR DAY. IT SEEMS LIKE MAYBE EVEN THROUGH SEPTEMBER AS WELL. AND WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO SEE IS SOME EFFORTS THAT ARE DONE TO INCREASE THE MOBILITY ON ISLANDS AND THE CONNECTIVITY OF THE CITY [INAUDIBLE] I KNOW THAT'S ONE THING THAT I WORKED ON IN THE PAST IS LOOKING AT WAYS TO MAKE SPIRIT BEACH MORE ACCESSIBLE, MORE APPEALING THROUGH POTENTIALLY PUBLIC PRIVATE PARTNERSHIPS TO GET PEOPLE OUT OF THEIR CARS AND USING OUR TROLLEYS, MAYBE LOOKING AT OTHER MODES OF TRANSPORTATION. I KNOW THAT IN THE PAST I'VE BEEN IN DISCUSSIONS WITH THE POTENTIAL FOR WATER TAXIS CONNECTING DOWNTOWN TOURIST ATTRACTIONS WITH SEAWALL PARK. I THINK THAT'S A UNIQUE OPTION THAT WE HAVE THAT COULD SET US APART FROM MANY OTHER COMPETITIVE TRAVEL DESTINATIONS AND ALSO WHAT I WANTED TO ADD BUILDING ON SOME OF THE PROJECTS THAT I WORKED ON IN THE PAST, SUCH AS INCREASING MOBILITY. AND I KNOW THAT SPIRIT BEACH WORKS VERY HARD TO MAKE ITSELF ACCESSIBLE TO PEOPLE WHO MAY BE LESS MOBILE THAN MYSELF. AND I WOULD LIKE TO SEE SOME EFFORTS THAT LOOKING AT MAKING GALVESTON, A DESTINATION FOR THOSE WHO MAY BE A LITTLE LESS MOBILE THAN WHAT WE ARE POTENTIALLY IN WHEELCHAIRS OR WALKERS, CANES THINGS LIKE THAT, AND EXPLORING IDEAS THAT WE CAN DO TO POSITION OURSELVES TO BE THAT TYPE OF DESTINATION AND OPEN OURSELVES UP TO POTENTIALLY A BROADER MARKET AS WELL. ALSO, WITH EAST BEACH YOU KNOW, HAVE BEEN FORTUNATE ENOUGH TO GO OUT TO EAST BEACH A FEW TIMES IN THE PAST. AND I WOULD LIKE TO SEE THE CONNECTIVITY BETWEEN EAST BEACH AND SPIRIT BEACH AND [INAUDIBLE] WHICH I THINK IS ANOTHER PHENOMENAL PROJECT, AND SEE HOW WE CAN CONNECT THOSE A LITTLE BIT BETTER SINCE THEY'RE LOCATED SORT OF CLOSELY WITH ONE ANOTHER. THANKS JASON APPRECIATE IT VERY GOOD JOB. HEY, JASON, GOOD TO SEE YOU. GOOD TO SEE YOU, TOO JOHN PAUL. TWO QUESTIONS, YOU KNOW, CAN YOU GIVE ME A BRIEF TAKE, YOUR TAKE ON SHORT TERM RENTALS? YOU KNOW, WE'VE SEEN, OF COURSE, A HUGE INCREASE IN OUR SHORT TERM RENTALS OVER THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS, WHICH, YOU KNOW, SOME PEOPLE SAY LIKE THAT. [00:35:01] SOME PEOPLE DON'T. SO IF YOU CAN GIVE ME JUST A LITTLE BIT INFORMATION ON THAT. AND THEN ALSO ONE THING THAT I HEAR A LOT OUT THERE IS JUST KIND OF LITTER ON OUR ISLAND AND TRASH AND TRYING TO MAKE IT A CLEANER PLACE. SO IF YOU COULD TOUCH A LITTLE BIT ON THAT, MAYBE SOME THINGS THAT YOU YOU WOULD DO TO TRY TO CORRECT THAT PROBLEM AND JUST MAKE GALVESTON A CLEANER PLACE. ABSOLUTELY. AND, YOU KNOW, THE SHORT TERM RENTALS, I KNOW THEY HAVE BEEN AN EMOTIONAL TOPIC IN THE PAST AS WELL. AND I THINK THAT THINGS ARE A LITTLE BIT MORE COMPLEX THAN MAYBE HOW THEY WERE INITIALLY PRESENTED. AND I BELIEVE THAT THE SHORT TERM RENTALS ARE IN THAT CATEGORY AS WELL. YOU KNOW, I THINK THAT YOU'VE GOT TO LOOK AT THE BENEFITS OF THE SHORT TERM RENTALS. I THINK THAT THAT HAS BROUGHT THAT DEVELOPMENT AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENTS IN SOME OF OUR NEIGHBORHOODS WITH PARTICULARLY WITH SOME ABANDONED PROPERTIES THAT WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN POSSIBLE WITHOUT THE SHORT TERM RENTAL DEMAND. OBVIOUSLY, THE SHORT TERM RENTAL DEMAND INCREASES OVER TIME. WE SAW DURING THE PANDEMIC THIS HAS BECOME A MODE THAT PEOPLE OR SOME PEOPLE PREFER, NOT EVERYONE. AND I REALLY WANT TO SAY THAT I'M IN THAT BOAT. BUT I DO RECOGNIZE THAT THERE IS AN APPEAL OR A LOT OF PEOPLE TO BE HAVE THEIR OWN LITTLE FAMILY UNIT TOGETHER IN ONE SINGLE STRUCTURE. AND THEY MAY BE INTERACTING SO MUCH WITH THE GENERAL PUBLIC AS WELL. THEY HAVE PRESENTED PROBLEMS WITH I KNOW THE ONE THING THAT STICKS OUT TO ME IS THE INABILITY TO CAPTURE SOME OF THE REVENUE PRODUCED IN RELATION TO HOT TAXES AND SOME SHORT RENTALS THAT SLIPPED UNDER THE RADAR AND EITHER INTENTIONALLY OR ACCIDENTALLY HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO CONTRIBUTE, AS THEY SHOULD, TO THE HOT TAX COFFERS. AND ALSO, SOME OF THEM HAVE CAUSED ISSUES FOR RESIDENTS BECAUSE THEY HAVE BEEN UTILIZED AS PARTY HOUSES OR POTENTIALLY HIGHER CAPACITY FAMILIES OR GROUPS OF FRIENDS THERE THAT HAVE CAUSED RESIDENTIAL DISTURBANCES. ONE THING THAT I HAVE FROM MY TIME WORKING WITH THE SHORT TERM RENTAL ASSOCIATION AND ALL THE SHORT TERM RENTALS WHO I'VE DIRECTLY TO COME IN CONTACT WITH WHO OWN THOSE PROPERTIES ARE WILLING AND TWO WORK WITH THE COMMUNITIES WHERE THEY ARE LOCATED. AND I WOULD LIKE TO CONTINUE TO BUILD THOSE RELATIONSHIPS [INAUDIBLE], INCLUDING MY OWN, WHO HAVE GONE TO BE OUR R 0 DESIGNATION TO BALANCE. I THINK THAT WE DO HAVE GOOD PROCESSES IN PLACE TO LIMIT THEM. I THINK THAT[INAUDIBLE] THE IMPROVEMENTS IN EFFICIENCY AS WELL AS EFFECTIVENESS, BUT I DO OVERALL, I WOULD SAY TO SUPPORT THE SHORT TERM RENTAL MARKET HERE IS AN ADVANTAGE BECAUSE WE HAVE SO MANY CHARMING PROPERTIES THAT HAVE BEEN TURNED OVER TO SHORT TERM RENTALS. AND I ALSO SUPPORT MANY RESIDENTIAL AREAS THAT WOULD LIKE TO GO THROUGH THE APPROPRIATE CHANNELS AND PROCESSES TO LIMIT THE SHORT TERM RENTALS IN THEIR NEIGHBORHOOD. FOR THE LOOTER ASPECT THIS IS SOMETHING THAT IS IMPORTANT TO ME IN [INAUDIBLE] PARTICULARLY WITH THE PARK BOARD TO WORK WITH THEM ON RESTRICTING AND LIMITING HOW MUCH PERSONAL BELONGINGS CAN BE ON THE BEACH AS WELL AS STANDING ON THE BEACH. AND THEN I KNOW THAT THERE IS A LITTER PROBLEM AND ALSO EXTENDS BEYOND THE BEACH, TOO. AND THIS IS SOMETHING THAT IS VERY IMPORTANT. I DO BELIEVE THAT YOU KNOW ITS EASIER TO BLAME THE TOURIST I DO THINK THAT THERE ARE SOME ISSUES WITH RESIDENTS AS WELL WHO HAVE LEFT LITTER IRRESPONSIBLY IN PLACES. BUT I DO BELIEVE THAT THERE IS A ROLE, PARTICULARLY ON THE SAND SINCE THAT IS SOMETHING THAT THE DEPARTMENT DIRECTLY MANAGES FOR THE CITY, IS TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE USING SOME OF OUR REVENUES, AN APPROPRIATE AMOUNT OF OUR REVENUES, WHATEVER OUR BALANCE SHEETS AND FINANCE DEPARTMENT SAY THAT WE CAN TO MANAGE AND INCREASE PATROLS FOR LITTER PICKUP BECAUSE IT IS A DEFINITE PROBLEM. ESPECIALLY DURING A PEAK TOURIST SEASON, THANK YOU. VERY GOOD. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS COUNCIL, BILL? MORNING, MR. HARDCASTLE. HOW ARE YOU DOING? I'M GOOD MR. QUIROGA, HOW ARE YOU? ROCKING ALONG GOT A QUESTION FOR YOU. YOU MENTIONED ABOUT GALVESTON BEING THE DESTINATION. [00:40:02] HOW WOULD YOU COME ABOUT MAKING THAT TO BREAK IT UP? LIKE BEING FOR FAMILIES, BEING FOR YOUNG ADULTS, MIDDLE AGE OR EVEN SENIOR CITIZENS TO MAKE THAT A DESTINATION? WHAT I'M GETTING TO IS LIKE I TALKED TO A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT ARE MIDDLE MIDDLE AGE OR LIKE ME, SENIOR CITIZENS ON ACTIVITIES FOR THAT AFTER HOURS. I PERSONALLY DON'T GO TO CLUBS BARS, BUT I SURE LIKE TO GO TO A LOT OF CONCERTS AND OPEN UP LIKE SOMETHING LIKE A MOODY GARDENS OR EVEN THE CONVENTION CENTER. HOW WOULD YOU PROMOTE THAT? THE BALANCE OF THE BALANCE IT OUT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE CAN PUSH TOWARDS A DESTINATION? WELL [INAUDIBLE] HAVING BROAD APPEAL ACROSS MULTIPLE GENERATIONS AND I THINK THAT THE PUSH THAT WE'VE HAD TOWARD HERITAGE TOURISM HAS BEEN A WONDERFUL MOVE IN THAT DIRECTION. I KNOW I LIKE TO LOOK AT IT A LOT OF TIMES AS YOU KNOW, PUTTING MYSELF IN TOURIST SHOES HERE. WHAT WOULD WE LIKE TO LOOK AT? WHAT DO I LIKE TO DO WHEN I TRAVEL AS WELL? AND I DO BELIEVE THAT THE EMBRACE OF OUR HISTORICAL CULTURE AND OUR ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT DISTRICTS AS WELL ARE EXTREMELY VALUABLE AND POSITION US NICELY AGAINST A LOT OF OUR COMPETITORS, PARTICULARLY HERE IN TEXAS, FOR TOURISM. AND WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO DO IS LOOK AT WHAT USE SPECIFICALLY REFERRING TO YOUR QUESTION IS WHAT OTHER WHAT OTHER TOURIST DESTINATIONS DO. AND THAT'S SOMETHING THAT I'VE ALWAYS PROMOTED IN THE PAST, IS TO AVOID REINVENTING WHEELS OR ANYTHING. BUT FOR INSTANCE, ENTERTAINMENT, DINING, NIGHTLIFE AND EVERYTHING OFTEN PROVIDES A GREAT MODEL. I WOULD LIKE TO SEE HOW THEY ATTRACT THOSE TYPES OF VISITORS, ENJOY [INAUDIBLE] DO THOSE THINGS. I THINK THAT ALSO IT'S IMPORTANT FOR MIDDLE AGED PEOPLE LIKE MYSELF WHO HAVE FAMILIES AND EVERYTHING. WE LIKE TO TAKE OUR KIDS OUT AND RUN AROUND AND HAVE THE MIXED ENERGY. SO I THINK THE EMBRACE OF ALL OF OUR NATURAL ECOSYSTEMS AS WELL THAT WILL APPEAL TO THOSE DEMOGRAPHICS MOVING FORWARD, TOO, SHOULD BE [INAUDIBLE]. AND, YOU KNOW, WE'VE LEARNED RECENTLY THAT GALVESTON ISLAND STATE PARK IS ONE OF THE HIGHEST VISITED STATE PARKS AND THE STATE AS WELL. AND I THINK THAT SHOWS AN EXAMPLE OF WHAT WE CAN DO IN [INAUDIBLE] AND MAKE THAT A VERY APPEALING PLACE TOO AND JUST KEEP OUR MARKET AS BROAD AS WE POSSIBLY CAN. I HAVE ANOTHER QUESTION ON THAT. YES. WHAT WILL MAKE YOU STAND OUT AHEAD OF THE OTHER TWO CANDIDATES? WHAT IS YOUR YOUR MAIN OBJECTIVE BEYOND THE PARK BOARD? IS IT DEAL WITH PARKS? WHAT'S YOUR OPINION ABOUT THE BIG ISSUE THAT WE HAVE NOW, GOLF CARTS LIKE MOTORIZED VEHICLES UP ON THE BEACH FRONT. YOU KNOW, I KNOW THERESA I KNOW THAT THERESA'S AN OUTSTANDING CANDIDATE, AND SHE'S A WONDERFUL PERSON AS WELL. AND THE OTHER CANDIDATES, UNFORTUNATELY, HAVE NOT THE CHANCE TO MEET YET. SO I DON'T KNOW WHAT EXACTLY [INAUDIBLE] PARTICULARLY ABOVE THEM, EXCEPT FOR MY PAST EXPERIENCE WORKING WITH DIRECTLY WITH THE STEWART BEACH COMMITTEE, LOOKING FOR THE RIGHT MARKET DEMANDS FOR DEVELOPMENT THERE, THAT WE NEED TO WORK TOWARDS REPLACING A CIVILIAN THAT IS AGING AND FALLING PART AND ALSO IN THE PAST WORKING WITH THE PARK BOARD ON MODERNIZING AND MAKING PEOPLE PARK MORE APPEALING AS WELL, WHICH INCLUDE THE DEMOLITION OF THE PAVILION THAT WAS THERE. AS FAR AS THE, YOU KNOW, THE ISSUES FOR THE GOLF CARTS AND EVERYTHING, I SEE THAT MORE AS A SAFETY ISSUE AT THIS TIME. I'M NOT SURE WHAT ROLE THE PARK BOARD PLAY IN THAT CURRENTLY. I KNOW THAT THAT IS A DISCUSSION WITH CITY COUNCIL. AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I DO BELIEVE IS THAT IT IS IMPORTANT TO HAVE QUALITY RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN CITY COUNCIL AND THE PARK BOARD AS WELL, OPEN CHANNELS OF [00:45:01] COMMUNICATION. AND THAT IS SOMETHING THAT THEY IN THE PAST THAT [INAUDIBLE] BREAKING OUT CAN'T HEAR YOU. YEAH, WE'RE HAVING A LITTLE BREAK. JASON, CAN YOU HEAR US OR I I CAN HEAR YOU YES YOU'RE KIND OF KIND OF COMING IN AND OUT. JASON, I'M SORRY. CAN YOU HEAR ME NOW? YES, SIR. [INAUDIBLE] JASON, I'M SORRY. YOU'RE STILL BREAKING UP. STILL BREAKING UP YEAH. JANELLE, IS THAT ON OUR END OR IS IT ON MR. HARDCASTLE END. IT'S NOT ON OUR END I DON'T BELIEVE I THINK IT'S ON HIS END OK, JASON, BILL, LET'S SEE IF WE CAN GET THE AUDIO REESTABLISHED. JASON, ARE YOU JUST GIVE IT ANOTHER. CAN YOU HEAR ME? YES, SIR. ALL RIGHT. SORRY. [INAUDIBLE] YEAH, STILL BREAKING UP, UNFORTUNATELY. VERY GOOD. LET'S LET'S DO THIS, JASON. DAVID, DID YOU HAVE A QUESTION? NO, I THINK THE JASON'S ADDRESSES BOTH OF THE CONCERNS AND QUESTIONS I WOULD HAVE I'M SORRY TO HEAR THAT HE'S HAVING THE COMMUNICATION PROBLEM THERE WITH HIS AUDIO. YOU KNOW, I THINK HE'S EXPRESSED HIS CONCERNS AND DESIRES ABOUT THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE CITY AND THE PARK BOARD, WHICH WOULD CONCERN ME ALSO THE NON TOURIST ASPECTS OF IT, THE EAST END LAGOON AND THE SAND AND SO FORTH. SO I FEEL LIKE I'VE GOTTEN ANSWERS TO MY QUESTIONS. THANK YOU. YOU'RE WELCOME. BILL, LET'S COME BACK TO YOU AND LET'S TRY ONE LAST TIME FOR JASON. JASON IS YOUR AUDIO. LET'S TRY IT AGAIN, IF WE COULD. YES, HOPEFULLY. CAN YOU HEAR ME? IT'S STILL BREAKING UP A LITTLE. JASON, I'M SORRY. ALL RIGHT, JASON, LET ME JUST SAY THIS, THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE. WE GOT THE MAJORITY OF OUR QUESTIONS ANSWERED. GREATLY APPRECIATE YOU BEING WITH THE WITH US ON THE INTERVIEW TODAY. WE'LL BE MAKING OUR DECISIONS THIS AFTERNOON. AND, OF COURSE, JANELLE, WILL LET YOU KNOW AS SOON AS WE MAKE OUR VOTE THEN. THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE JASON, GOOD TO SEE YOU. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. OUR LAST CANDIDATE FOR THE PARK BOARD IS THERESA ELLIOTT. YOU JANELLE, IF WE COULD BRING THERESA CAN YOU SEE HER. GOOD MORNING, THERESA. HOW ARE YOU? GOOD MORNING, EVERYONE. THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO SEE YOU ALL AND SPEAK SORRY WE COULDN'T DO IT IN PERSON. MAYBE NEXT TIME. WELL, WE'RE STARTING IN PERSON REGULAR MEETINGS, APRIL 22ND HERE AT THE COUNCIL. SO, THERESA, YOU WORKED WITH US AT THE BEGINNING OF THE MEETING. SO I WANT TO JUST GIVE YOU THE SAME OVERVIEW VERY QUICKLY. WE'LL HAVE OUR INTERVIEWS THIS MORNING FROM PARK BOARD. THERE'S JUST THREE CANDIDATES THAT ARE INTERVIEWING AND YOU ARE OUR LAST INTERVIEW. WE WILL THEN WHEN WE FINISH, WE'LL START PLANNING COMMISSION. THEN COUNCIL WILL RANK THE CANDIDATES FOR THE PARK BOARD IN THE ORDER OF HOW THEY WOULD LIKE TO HAVE THEM NOMINATED, GIVING THOSE TO JANELLE. WE'LL RANK ALL THE CANDIDATES AND THEN WE'LL HAVE THOSE NOMINATIONS COME OUT AT OUR 1:30 MEETING THIS AFTERNOON. ONCE THE COUNCIL MAKES THEIR DECISION, THEN JANELLE WILL NOTIFY ALL THE CANDIDATES, THOSE THAT ARE SELECTED AND THOSE THAT MAY NOT BE SO WANTED TO APPRECIATE HAVING YOU. THIS HAS BEEN A QUITE A NICE, NICE GROUP OF CANDIDATES FOR BOTH OF THE PLANNING COMMISSION AND PARK BOARD. AND THIS IS SO IMPORTANT TO HAVE INDIVIDUALS WITH DIVERSIFIED BACKGROUNDS. SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR APPLICATION AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR DESIRE TO SERVE. GREATLY APPRECIATED. WE'RE GOING TO START, THERESA, WITH JUST A INTRO BY YOURSELF, JUST A VERY BRIEF INTRO OF WHY WE WANT TO BE ON THE PARK BOARD. LITTLE ABOUT YOUR BACKGROUND AND THEN WE'LL OPEN UP TO QUESTIONS. THANK YOU, MAYOR AND I'M VERY HONORED TO HAVE YOUR ATTENTION THIS MORNING. YOU KNOW, I'VE LIVED ON GALVESTON ISLAND FOR CLOSE TO 40 YEARS NOW, AND I GREW UP HERE IN THE SUMMERS COMING TO MY FAMILY'S BEACH HOUSE AND CHOSE TO LIVE HERE. [00:50:03] I LOVE OUR ISLAND, LOVE THE RESIDENTS, THE RELATIONSHIPS THAT WE ALL HAVE. I THINK I KNOW ALMOST ALL OF YOU ON THE COUNCIL, BUT IF NOT, I LOOK FORWARD TO GETTING TO KNOW YOU, TOO. THERE IS A DELICATE BALANCE BETWEEN TOURISM AND RESIDENTS AND BEING IN THE TOURISM INDUSTRY. I HAVE A LOT OF EXPERTISE IN THAT FIELD, BUT I ALSO LIVE HERE, SO I AM CHALLENGED WITH THE CROWDS AND, YOU KNOW, THE DIFFICULTIES THAT COME WITH THE INDUSTRY AND ESPECIALLY GALVESTON ISLAND BEING SUCH A POPULAR DESTINATION TO HOUSTON AND WE'RE SO CLOSE. I'VE SERVED ON THE PARK BOARD MANY, MANY YEARS AGO ON THE FULL BOARD. AND THEN MOST RECENTLY, I'VE STARTED ON TOURISM DEVELOPMENT. I WENT THROUGH THE ORIENTATION TWO DAYS AGO AND WAS EVEN ENLIGHTENED MORE I CAN ALWAYS LEARN. AND THAT'S ONE OF THE THINGS ABOUT ME IS I TEND TO LOOK AT LIFE AS A BIG LEARNING EXPERIENCE. I'VE TRAVELED EXTENSIVELY, SO I'VE LEARNED A LOT ABOUT OTHER DESTINATIONS AND EXPERIENCES THAT I THINK ARE INTERESTING TO BRING BACK HOME. BUT I ALSO IN DEALING WITH ALL OF OUR GUESTS AT CASA DEL MAR, I SEE THE TOURISM EXPERIENCE ON A DAILY BASIS AND WE ALWAYS LOOK FOR WAYS TO ENGAGE OUR VISITORS INTO A POSITIVE EXPERIENCE. AND THAT'S WHAT WE LOOK FOR, I THINK FROM A PARK BOARD LEVEL IS A HIGHER SPEND VISITOR WHO'S GOING TO STAY LONGER, WHO WILL HAVE A RELATIONSHIP DEVELOPED WITH GALVESTON ISLAND. AND I'VE SEEN COUNTLESS OF OUR GUESTS WHO COME. THEY LOVE CASA DEL MAR AND THEN THEY BUY A CONDO HERE, SO THEY BECOME PROPERTY OWNERS. SO I HAVE A LOT OF DIVERSITY IN THE PROPERTY THAT I MANAGE AND WITH OWNERS AS WELL AS GUESTS. AND NOT TO MENTION THAT WE RUN ABOUT 50 EMPLOYEES FULL TIME AND OF COURSE, HUNDREDS OF VENDORS. AND WE ALWAYS TRY TO BUY OUR LOCAL, WE'RE VERY LOCAL BUSINESS SUPPORTIVE. I'VE MANAGED EVERYTHING FROM CONSTRUCTION TO LANDSCAPING TO MARKETING AND ADVERTISING. I WORK FOR TWO SEPARATE BOARDS OF DIRECTORS, SO I UNDERSTAND THE BALANCE BETWEEN RENTALS AND HOMEOWNERS, WHICH IS WHAT I MENTIONED EARLIER. I THINK THAT THE COMPETITION FOR THE LONGER STAY TRAVELER IS GOING TO BE FIERCE WHEN THE CODE AND REGULATIONS ARE LIFTED, HOPEFULLY SOONER AND TRAVEL BECOMES MORE COMFORTABLE FOR PEOPLE. SO I'M COMMITTED TO LOOKING FOR THE PARK BOARD TO BE FOCUSED ON THE VISITOR WHO IS GOING TO STAY LONGER, WHO'S GOING TO BE RESPECTFUL OF OUR ISLAND IN OUR NATURAL RESOURCES AND ALL THAT WE HAVE TO OFFER, BUT ALSO LOOK AT IT FROM A RESIDENT'S PERSPECTIVE. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. WE'LL OPEN IT TO QUESTIONS, MARIE. WELL, I JUST WANT TO SAY, AND BOTH OF THESE APPOINTMENTS, I THINK IT IS SO IMPORTANT THAT WE HAVE MORE DIVERSITY ON OUR BOARDS. SO CURRENTLY THE PARK BOARD HAS EIGHT MEMBERS AND ONLY ONE WOMAN. CURRENTLY, THE PLANNING COMMISSION HAS SIX MEMBERS AND ONLY TWO WOMEN. AND I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE PAY ATTENTION TO HAVING DIVERSITY ON OUR BOARDS THAT REPRESENT OUR POPULATION. SO, THERESA I KNOW YOU ARE INVOLVED IN THE HOTEL AND MOTEL LODGING ASSOCIATION, AND CAN YOU SHARE WITH US YOUR RECENT APPOINTMENT, WHICH I BELIEVE YOU WERE THE FIRST WOMAN TOO. THE TEXAS HOTEL AND LODGING ASSOCIATION, ACTUALLY AND IT'S AND THIS WAS QUITE A FEW YEARS AGO. I WAS THE FIRST WOMAN APPOINTED AS CHAIRMAN OF THEIR BOARD IN THEIR 92 YEAR HISTORY. THEN THE TEXAS HOTEL LODGING ASSOCIATION IS THE MOST SUCCESSFUL AND HIGHEST MEMBERSHIP ASSOCIATION IN THE NATION. THEY'RE VERY INVOLVED ON THE NATIONAL LEVEL AS WELL AS STATE LEVEL. SO I'VE ADVOCATED AT THE CAPITOL, I'VE ACTUALLY GONE TO WASHINGTON, D.C. TO ADVOCATE WITH THE AMERICAN HOTEL LODGING ASSOCIATION. BUT AND I STILL AM ON THAT BOARD OF DIRECTORS, AS WELL AS THE LOCAL HOTEL ASSOCIATION BOARD OF DIRECTORS. WHERE DO YOU STAND ON BEACH ISSUES? THERE'S A BIG GENERAL QUESTION. SO CASA DEL MAR, WHICH IS THE NUMBER ONE BEACH FRONT CONDO RENTAL FOR THE LAST [00:55:02] SEVEN YEARS IN A ROW, WE'RE VERY HAPPY TO SAY IT'S DIRECTLY ACROSS FROM BABES BEACH. SO AND I IN MY EXPERIENCE WITH THE HERE AT CASA, HAVE SEEN ALMOST EVERY ONE OF THE BEACH RECONSTRUCTION PROJECTS COME TO FRUITION. SO VERY SUPPORTIVE OF THEM. I UNDERSTAND THE PARK BOARD'S ROLE IN ALL OF THE BEACH MANAGEMENT AND LIFEGUARDS AND THE IMPORTANCE OF SAFETY OUT THERE. BUT BEACH RESTORATION AND CONSERVATION ARE VERY IMPORTANT TO ME. NUMBER ONE, I LIVE ON THE WEST END AND WE'RE ON THE BAY SIDE. AND I TOLD MY HUSBAND, I SAID, YOU KNOW, IF WE DON'T CONTINUE WITH THESE BEACH MANAGEMENT PROGRAMS, WE'RE GOING TO BE BEACH FRONT ONE DAY. AND I WANT TO LIVE ON THE BAY SIDE SO SORRY. AND BEING THE COUNCILPERSON FOR DISTRICT SIX, I APPRECIATE THAT. WELL, I CERTAINLY THANK YOU FOR TAKING THE TIME. AND CAN YOU TALK ABOUT SOME OF THE OTHER LEADERSHIP ROLES YOU'VE HELD IN THE COMMUNITY? I'M HAPPY TO SO, AS I MENTIONED, I LOVE GALVESTON ISLAND, AND I THINK THERE'S A DELICATE BALANCE IN YOUR PERSONAL LIFE BETWEEN YOUR WORK LIFE, YOUR PERSONAL LIFE AND VOLUNTEERING AND COMMUNITY SERVICE. THE MANAGEMENT COMPANY I WORK FOR IS VERY SUPPORTIVE OF THAT. THEY ENCOURAGE ME FROM THE BEGINNING OF MY CAREER TO BE INVOLVED IN THE COMMUNITY. SO I'VE SERVED ON EVERYTHING FROM THE GALVESTON SCHOOL DISTRICT EDUCATION BOARD. MANY YEARS AGO, I SERVED AS THE CHAIRMAN OF THE EDUCATION COMMITTEE FOR THE CHAMBER. AT ONE POINT I SERVED ON ARTS AND HISTORIC PRESERVATION ADVISORY BOARD. I'VE AGAIN SERVED ON THE PARK BOARD AT A FULL BOARD LEVEL AS WELL AS TOURISM DEVELOPMENT. AND, YOU KNOW, I BELIEVE IN GIVING BACK TO THE COMMUNITY. AND FOR ME, THE PARK BOARD IS A REALLY GOOD FIT BECAUSE I'M INVOLVED IN THE INDUSTRY THAT IT OVERSEES. I'M A RESIDENT AND I APPRECIATE THE IMPORTANCE OF THE TAX RELIEF THAT TOURISM BRINGS. BUT I ALSO DEAL WITH THE SEAWALL TRAFFIC. AND SO I THINK THERE'S A GOOD BLEND BETWEEN RESIDENT, VISITOR AND, YOU KNOW, THE ECONOMIC BENEFIT. I'M ALSO A VOLUNTEER FOR MEALS ON WHEELS EVERY WEEK. I LOVE LIGHTHOUSE CHARITIES. I TRY TO BE A GENEROUS CONTRIBUTOR TO OUR LOCAL CHARITIES. I THINK THOSE ARE SO IMPORTANT THAT WE HELP OTHERS. AND AS FAR AS SERVICE GOES, I JUST I'VE GOT THE TIME. I'VE GOT TO START TO STEP BACK A LITTLE BIT MORE FROM MY RESPONSIBILITIES HERE AT THE PROPERTY I'M PROMOTING FROM WITHIN. I'VE GOT LONGEVITY ON MY TEAM. IT'S UNBELIEVABLE. IT'S JUST A WELL OILED MACHINE. SO I WANTED TO PUT MY NAME IN THE HAT FOR THE PARK BOARD. BE GOOD. THANK YOU. I'M SORRY. AND THE ONE THING THAT I'M MOST RECENT AND ONE OF THE THINGS I'M PROUDEST OF, [01:00:01] TOO, IS I SERVED AS CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD FOR THE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE AND THEY ASKED ME TO DO IT FOR SEVERAL YEARS AND I SHIED AWAY BECAUSE I'M KNEW IT WAS SUCH A BIG RESPONSIBILITY. AND THAT'S ONE OF THE THINGS ABOUT ME. WHEN I'M APPOINTED OR ELECTED TO A POSITION, I DO MY HOMEWORK, I SHOW UP, I'M ENGAGED. AND I LIKE TO THINK THAT I GET ALONG WELL WITH THE PEOPLE THAT I SERVE WITH. AND I LIKE TO TRY TO BE A COOPERATIVE PERSON ON ANY COMMITTEE THAT I SERVE ON. THANK YOU, THERESA, AND THANK YOU, MARIE. WE HAVE BILL AND THEN WILLIAM. BILL, MORNING. HOW ARE YOU THERESA? FINE THANK YOU. I WANT TO JUST MENTION IN CONCUR WITH MS. ROBB SAID EARLIER, BUT I LIKE TO ADD ONE MORE. I DO BELIEVE WE NEED DIVERSITY ON THIS BOARD. BUT AS FOR ME, I LOOK AT THE QUALIFICATIONS OF THE INDIVIDUAL. DOESN'T MATTER TO ME IF IT'S MALE, FEMALE, BLACK, WHITE OR GREEN, PURPLE OR WHATEVER AND SAYING THAT. I'M VERY IMPRESSED WITH YOUR APPLICATION. YOUR QUALIFICATIONS ARE WAY UP THERE. SO THAT'S ONE THING I LOOK AT WHEN AT A CANDIDATE. BUT YOU'VE BEEN ON THE PARK BOARD BEFORE. MY QUESTION IS, WHAT DO YOU SEE IN PARALLELS BETWEEN WHEN YOU'RE ON THE BOARD AND WHAT WE'RE FACING NOW WITH PARK BOARD? YOU KNOW, GALVESTON HAS GROWN IN ITS TOURISM OVER THE YEARS MUCH MORE THAN IT WAS WHEN I WAS ON PARK BOARD. WE DIDN'T SEE NEAR THE NUMBERS OF VISITORS THAT WE SEE NOW. THAT CREATES A LOT MORE CHALLENGE AS FAR AS THE BLEND BETWEEN THE POSITIVE VISITOR EXPERIENCE AND RESIDENTS. AND I DO THINK THAT THE CURRENT LEADERSHIP UNDER KELLY DESHAUN HAS MADE A HUGE IMPROVEMENT SINCE THE PAST. SHE'S VERY FORWARD THINKING. I DON'T ALWAYS AGREE WITH HER AND OR STAFF, BUT I DO THINK THAT THEY ARE VERY GOOD AT WHAT THEY DO. ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I BRING TO THE TABLE IS THE HOTEL OCCUPANCY TAX. MY BUSINESS. I'M RESPONSIBLE FOR OBVIOUSLY GENERATING VISITORS AND WE SPEND AN ENORMOUS AMOUNT OF MONEY, MY PROPERTY AND EVERY PROPERTY HERE PROMOTING GALVESTON ISLAND. AND I HAVE A VESTED INTEREST IN MAKING SURE THAT THOSE HOTEL OCCUPANCY TAX DOLLARS ARE SPENT IN A MANNER THAT'S GOING TO BENEFIT GALVESTON ISLAND AS FAR AS PROMOTING, AGAIN, A HIGHER SPEND VISITOR THAT'S GOING TO BE BENEFICIAL TO THE COMMUNITY AND ALSO IN MAKING SURE THAT OUR BEACHES ARE MAINTAINED. THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN YEARS AGO AND THE BEACH MAINTENANCE AND BEACH RESTORATION EFFORTS IS NIGHT AND DAY. THEY'VE REALLY COME A LONG WAY. AS A MATTER OF FACT, I'VE TOLD ONE OF MY GUESTS, WE WERE TALKING THE OTHER DAY AND I SAID, WHAT DO THEY DO TO KEEP THE BEACHES SO CLEAN? IT LOOKS LIKE THEY VACUUM THEM. I SAID, NO, NO, NO, WE DON'T VACUUM. WE CAN'T DO THAT. THAT'S NOT GOOD FOR THEM, FOR THE BEACH CONSTRUCTION BUT ANYWAY. BUT THERE'S YOU KNOW, TIMES ARE CHANGING. AND AS I MENTIONED EARLIER, WE HAVE TO STAY PROGRESSIVE. WE HAVE TO LEARN. WE HAVE TO CONTINUALLY LEARN FROM OUR MISTAKES, INVEST IN OUR EDUCATION. AND I THINK THAT THE PARK BOARD HAS COME A LONG WAY. I'M OVERALL PRETTY HAPPY WITH THE WAY IT'S RUN. BUT I DO SEE THERE'S ROOM FOR IMPROVEMENT. I THINK THERE'S ROOM FOR IMPROVEMENT WITH THE COMMUNICATION BETWEEN CITY HALL AND THE PARK BOARD. THOSE TOO, YOU KNOW, THERE ARMS, YOU KNOW, THAT NEED TO WORK TOGETHER. AND I'M SEEING IMPROVEMENT IN THAT RECENTLY. ACTUALLY, I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WITH THE CRUISE INDUSTRY TAKING OFF LIKE IT HAS, UNFORTUNATELY, BEING STIFLED, IF YOU WILL, FOR THE LAST YEAR AND POSSIBLY EVEN FURTHER, I THINK IT'S GOING TO BE IMPORTANT FOR THE PARTNER TO WORK DIRECTLY WITH THE PORT AND CITY AND MAKE SURE THAT WHEN THAT NEXT TERMINAL IS BUILT, THAT WE ARE NOT JUST SEEING AN INFLUX OF PEOPLE WHO PARK GET ON THE CRUISE SHIP AND SPEND ALL THEIR MONEY AND THEN COME BACK AND TAKE OFF. I THINK WE NEED TO WORK TOGETHER TO MAKE SURE THAT THAT'S A BENEFICIAL RELATIONSHIP. THAT'S A LOT OF TAX ON OUR INFRASTRUCTURE WHEN YOU HAVE ALL THOSE PEOPLE COMING IN BUT NOT SPENDING ANY MONEY ON THE ISLAND. SO HOW DO WE WORK WITH THE PORT TO COOPERATE IN THOSE AREAS? THAT LEADS INTO MY NEXT QUESTION. WHAT ARE YOUR IDEAS ABOUT MAKING GALVESTON A DESTINATION POINT AND BEING THE DIVERSIFIED AMONG THE AGE GROUPS THAT WE HAVE ON THE ISLAND OR WE ATTEMPTED TO BRING INTO THE ISLAND BEING YOUNG ADULTS, MIDDLE AGE [INAUDIBLE] CITIZEN, BECAUSE EACH ONE IF THEY TRAVEL TO GALVESTON WOULD LIKE TO HAVE SOMETHING THAT PERTAINS TO THEIR INTERESTS. WELL, I THINK THAT A LOT OF THAT IS WHERE FREE ENTERPRISE COMES IN AND, YOU KNOW, BUSINESSES WILL CREATE A BUSINESS MODEL THAT ATTRACTS AND WHATEVER THEIR MARKET IS AND CAN BE SUCCESSFUL. GALVESTON HAS SO MUCH TO OFFER, WHETHER IT BE HISTORIC OR NATURE OR JUST FUN. AND SO I THINK THAT PROMOTING BUSINESSES THAT ATTRACT, AGAIN, THAT VISITOR WHO'S GOING TO WANT TO DEVELOP A RELATIONSHIP WITH GALVESTON ISLAND. YOU KNOW, IN THE PAST AND THIS IS AN EXAMPLE OF HOW I CONSISTENTLY LEARN AND I'M NOT AFRAID TO CHANGE. [INAUDIBLE] DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE MEETING WE WERE TALKING ABOUT WHAT THE PRIORITIES ARE FOR THE COMING YEAR AND THEIR STRATEGIC PLAN. AND I SAID, YOU KNOW, WE NEED TO FOCUS ON THE OVERNIGHT VISITOR BECAUSE THEY'RE GOING TO SPEND MORE THEY ARE GOING TO STAY LONGER. THEY'RE GOING TO HELP THE BUSINESSES SUCCEED, BUT THEY WORK THAT THEY VISIT AND EMPLOY MORE PEOPLE. AND IT'S JUST THAT TRICKLE DOWN BUT WILL WRIGHT SAID, YOU KNOW, IT'S NOT JUST ABOUT THAT. IT'S ABOUT CREATING A RELATIONSHIP WITH GALVESTON ISLAND. SO THESE VISITORS COME IN AND REALLY FEELING ENGAGED AND THEY HAVE THIS [01:05:01] RELATIONSHIP WITH THE ISLAND LIKE I DEVELOPED AS A YOUNG CHILD. I'LL NEVER FORGET MY SUMMERS HERE, AND THAT'S WHY I DECIDED TO MOVE HERE. SO WE NEED TO BE DIVERSIFIED IN WHAT WE OFFER, BUT WE HAVE TO UNDERSTAND THAT, YOU KNOW, FREE ENTERPRISE IS GOING TO DO A LOT OF THAT FOR US. BUT WHAT THE PARK BOARD CAN DO IS MAINTAIN BEACHES THAT PEOPLE FEEL COMFORTABLE GOING TO THAT ARE CLEAN, THAT ARE SAFE. THEY CAN MAINTAIN AN ENVIRONMENT WHERE TOURISM INDUSTRY ORGANIZATIONS ATTRACTIONS CAN THRIVE AND THAT THEY CAN COOPERATE WITH DIVERSIFYING THE MESSAGE, WHETHER IT BE, LIKE I SAID, TO NATURE TOURISM OR TO JUST THE HISTORIC MARKET. AND ALSO, OF COURSE, THE FUN, THE FAMILIES OF MOM AND DAD AND TWO POINT FIVE KIDS, THEY INVEST IN A BEACH HOME DOWN HERE OR THEIR KIDS LIKE ME WHETHER THEY WANT TO MOVE DOWN HERE AND CREATE A CAREER. AND THANK YOU, BILL. AND WILLIAM, YES SIR. THANK YOU, THERESA, FOR BEING HERE FOR ALL THAT YOU DO FOR OUR COMMUNITY AND YOUR DESIRE TO WANT TO SERVE MORE. I'VE ASKED ALL THE CANDIDATES THIS, AND I KNOW YOU'VE TOUCHED ON IT A LITTLE BIT, BUT IF YOU COULD GIVE SOME SPECIFICS, MAYBE SOME IDEAS TO THIS, IT'S A GENERAL QUESTION THAT GETS THROWN OUT A LOT, BUT HOW CAN THE PARK BOARD AND WHAT IDEAS CAN YOU BRING TO BALANCE THE NEED NOT ONLY TO INCREASE TOURISM OR FIND A MORE LUCRATIVE TOURIST, BUT ALSO TO MAKE SURE THAT WE KEEP OUR RESIDENTS CONCERNS AT THE FOREFRONT. WELL AS A RESIDENT I KNOW THAT WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO SEE IS LESS CONGESTION. I THINK THAT THE PARK BOARD CAN AGAIN FOCUS ON THAT LONGER VISITOR STAY. I HAVE SAID FOR MANY YEARS WE NEED TO FOCUS ON SUNDAY THROUGH THURSDAY BUSINESS INSTEAD OF FOCUSING ON WEEKENDS. I DON'T THINK WE NEED ANOTHER VISITOR ON THE WEEKENDS. I DON'T KNOW HAVE WE'RE PUTTING THE ONES THAT WE HAVE HERE OR FITTING THEM ALL IN. BUT I THINK THAT THERE ARE MARKETS THAT WE CAN FOCUS ON. THE SENIOR MARKET TO ME IS JUST IT'S JUST PERFECT FOR GALVESTON ISLAND. THEY CAN TRAVEL WHEN IT'S NOT CROWDED. THEY DON'T WANT TO TRAVEL WHEN IT'S CROWDED. THEY PLAY GOLF, THEY LOVE HISTORY. THEY LOVE ENTERTAINMENT AND THE ARTS. I ALSO THINK THAT HOME SCHOOLING IS A GREAT MARKET THAT WE CAN FOCUS ON THAT BRINGS FAMILIES HERE THAT ARE GOING TO ENGAGE IN THE DIFFERENT ATTRACTIONS. I KNOW THAT WE HERE AT CASA DEL MAR HAVE A HOME SCHOOL PACKAGE THAT WE PROMOTE AND BRING THE KIDS DOWN. WE'VE GOT PASSES FOR THE FISHING GEAR, TEACH THEM HOW TO FISH. WE DO PACKAGES WITH MOODY GARDENS SO THEY CAN GET EDUCATIONAL EXPERIENCES THERE. AND AGAIN, YOU KNOW, I THINK THE BALANCE BETWEEN VISITORS AND RESIDENTS IS SOMETHING THAT WE'RE GOING TO STRUGGLE WITH FOR A WHILE. BUT I'M UP FOR ANY CHALLENGE. AND I THINK THE MORE POSITIVE ASPECTS YOU BRING TO THE TABLE, THE MORE LIKELY WE ARE TO OVERCOME THOSE. THANK YOU. AND JUST A SECOND QUESTION, JUST TO FOLLOW UP ON THAT BALANCE, WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ON STR SHORT TERM RENTALS AND, YOU KNOW, THE BALANCE BETWEEN THE. NEIGHBORHOOD AND YOU KNOW, AND JUST YOUR THOUGHTS OVERALL AND BETWEEN THAT BALANCING ACT. THERE'S A MOVEMENT RIGHT NOW, I'M SURE Y'ALL ARE AWARE OF IT WITH GARM AND STROAG, I THINK MARY BRANUM AND [INAUDIBLE] AND NOT SURE WHO ELSE IS INVOLVED. BUT I'VE SEEN THEIR ACTUAL DOCUMENT THAT THEY'RE PROPOSING, AND I LOVE THAT BECAUSE IT'S INDUSTRY SELF GOVERNANCE. THEY REALIZE THAT SHORT TERM RENTALS ARE AN ISSUE FOR RESIDENTS. AND IF THEY DON'T TAKE CONTROL OF THEIR INDUSTRY, THEY'RE GOING TO BE SET UP FOR FAILURE. SO THEY ARE WORKING VERY HARD TO COME UP WITH SOME REGULATIONS THAT THEY CAN SELF IMPOSED, WHICH IS IS MUCH BETTER THAN THEY'RE JUST BEING A STATE WIDE REGULATION EITHER THEY'RE ALLOWED OR NOT. SO I SUPPORT THOSE EFFORTS TO SELF REGULATE AND HOLD OPERATORS ACCOUNTABLE. YOU CANNOT HAVE DISTURBANCES IN NEIGHBORHOODS. AND I THINK REALLY MOST OF THE SHORT TERM RENTAL OPERATORS DON'T WANT THAT. THEY KNOW THAT THEIR PROPERTY VALUES ARE GOING TO INCREASE IF THEY HAVE A POSITIVE EXPERIENCE WITH THEIR GUEST. BUT IT'S DEFINITELY AN ISSUE THAT MANY CITIES ARE STRUGGLING WITH RIGHT NOW. [01:10:02] AND I'M GLAD TO SEE GALVESTON BEING PROACTIVE. THANK YOU. THAT'S ALL I HAVE, APPRECIATE IT. VERY GOOD. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS FOR THERESA, DAVID OR JOHN? NONE. AND THERESA, I JUST I'M SORRY. YES GO RIGHT AHEAD. I JUST WOULD LIKE TO SAY THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE THERESA. SO YOU HAVE BEEN A GREAT SUPPORTER OF GALVESTON AND VOLUNTEERED A TON OF YOUR TIME ON, YOU KNOW, ENDLESS AMOUNT OF BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS. SO I DO WANT TO THANK YOU FOR THAT. AND PLEASE CONTINUE TO STAY INVOLVED. AND JUST JUST I'M GLAD TO HAVE CASA DEL MAR IN MY DISTRICT AND YOU ON BOARD THERE AND JUST DO A GREAT JOB THROUGHOUT THE COMMUNITY. THANK YOU. VERY GOOD. I HAVE A QUESTION, THERESA. AND YOU KNOW, AS YOU'VE BEEN FOLLOWING THE PARK BOARD, THIS CUT, THE IDEA OF WHAT WE'RE GOING TO DO WITH THE STUART BEACH PAVILION IS QUITE A TOPIC OF DISCUSSION RIGHT NOW. A LOT OF DIFFERENT APPROACHES HAVE BEEN THROWN OUT THERE ON HOW TO PROCEED WITH THAT. IF YOU WERE QUEEN FOR A DAY, WHAT WOULD YOU DO WITH IT? WELL, I PROBABLY WOULDN'T BE THINKING ABOUT THE STUART BEACH PAVILION IF I WAS QUEEN FOR A DAY. BUT, YOU KNOW, I HAVE I HAVE NOT FOLLOWED THAT INTENSELY. SO I DON'T FEEL COMFORTABLE MAKING AN EDUCATED STATEMENT ABOUT WHAT I WOULD DO WITH IT. BUT ONE THING THAT I AM A BIG BELIEVER IN IS PRIVATE ENTERPRISE AND PUBLIC NOT COMPETING WITH PRIVATE, PUBLIC PRIVATE PARTNERSHIPS I THINK ARE GOOD. BUT, YOU KNOW, IT DEPENDS ON HOW MANY OTHER BEACHFRONT ATTRACTIONS YOU HAVE THAT ARE AVAILABLE TO THE VISITOR AND WHAT SORT OF STRUCTURE YOU NEED FOR THE TYPE OF EVENTS AND OR THINGS THAT YOU WANT TO HOST AT THAT PARTICULAR BEACH FRONT. SO I'D HAVE TO LOOK A LITTLE MORE INTO IT. THE ONE THING THAT I DON'T LIKE TO DO IS HAVE A DEMOLITION THAT JUST CREATES LANDFILL FOR OUR GRANDKIDS. I THINK THAT IF YOU CAN PRESERVE YOU SHOULD AT ALL COSTS. BUT THERE'S A, AGAIN, A DELICATE BALANCE THERE. I'D HAVE TO LOOK INTO IT A LITTLE BIT MORE. I HAVE NOT STUDIED THAT PARTICULAR ISSUE. I'VE SEEN JUST WHAT'S IN THE PAPER. AND ALTHOUGH I BELIEVE ALL OF THAT ALL THE TIME, I'M NOT QUITE SURE WHAT MY OPINION IS ON THAT RIGHT NOW. SOUNDS GOOD. WELL, THANK YOU, THERESA. I APPRECIATE IT. THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE. WE'LL BE IN TOUCH WITH YOU LATER THIS AFTERNOON AND HAVE A GOOD DAY. ENJOY IT. WELL, THANK YOU ALL FOR THE TIME. AND I KNOW ALL THESE VOLUNTEER POSITIONS LIKE YOU GUYS OR I DON'T KNOW HOW MUCH Y'ALL ARE GETTING PAID FOR THIS, BUT I APPRECIATE YOU SERVING AS WELL. THANK YOU SO MUCH. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. WE ARE NOW MOVING TO OUR PLANNING COMMISSION, OUR PLANNING COMMISSION INTERVIEWS. JANELLE IF YOU COULD PUT ON ALL THE PLANNING COMMISSION MEMBERS, CAN YOU BRING THOSE ALL ON, PLEASE, MA'AM? YES, SIR. HELLO? HELLO, IS ALL THERE IS EVERYONE ON JANELLE? TO YOUR KNOWLEDGE. NOT YET. JERRY [INAUDIBLE] IS JOINING NOW. OK. ALL RIGHT. HELLO. I FEEL LIKE I'M IN TOO DARK A PLACE, HOLD ON. LET ME CHANGE SPOTS FOR A SECOND, OK? AND I BELIEVE WE HAVE SOMEONE ON BY PHONE WITH A 281 AREA CODE. THAT'S ME. HOPEFULLY YOU CAN HEAR ME. WHO IS IT'S ME? WHO IS THE WHO'S ON THE PHONE. OH, I DON'T KNOW WHO THAT IS. SORRY, THAT'S NOT ME. IS. IS THERE SOMEONE ON THE PHONE THAT 281 NUMBER? COULD YOU IDENTIFY YOURSELF? YEAH. MY NAME'S HARRY [INAUDIBLE]. OH YEAH. WE HAVE YOU DOWN AS I SEE YOUR PICTURE. SO ARE YOU ON THE PHONE? YES, MY COMPUTER CRASHED TODAY. OK, SOUNDS GOOD. WELL, I WANTED TO I WANTED TO KIND OF GIVE ALL OF THE APPLICANTS TO THE PLANNING COMMISSION KIND OF AN OVERVIEW OF WHERE WE'RE HEADING THIS MORNING WITH THESE INTERVIEWS. WE DID THIS WITH JUST FINISHED OUR PARK BOARD INTERVIEWS. THANK YOU FOR YOUR PATIENCE. WE RAN A LITTLE OVER ON OUR PARK BOARD INTERVIEWS. [01:15:01] WHAT WE'LL DO THIS MORNING IS WE WILL TAKE OUR CANDIDATES IN THE ORDER THAT THEY FILE THEIR APPLICATIONS. WE WILL INTERVIEW YOU IN THAT PARTICULAR ORDER. AND I WANTED TO THANK YOU ON BEHALF OF THE COUNCIL AND THE CITY OF GALVESTON IN THE COMMUNITY. THANK YOU FOR YOUR ABILITY AND IN YOUR DESIRE TO SERVE. THESE COMMISSIONS, ESPECIALLY THE PLANNING COMMISSION IS SO IMPORTANT TO THIS ISLAND, SO IMPORTANT TO CITY COUNCIL AND CITY STAFF. AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR STEPPING UP, WANTING TO SERVE, WANTING TO GIVE YOUR TIME. WE AND I KNOW THE COMMUNITY GREATLY APPRECIATES THAT. WE'LL START WITH OUR INTERVIEWS. WE HAVE LET'S SEE, OUR FIRST INTERVIEW WILL BE WITH [INAUDIBLE] EDWARDS. AND WHAT WE'LL DO IS WE'LL PUT WHEN MS. EDWARDS IS INTERVIEWING, WE'LL PUT THE REST OF YOU IN A WAITING ROOM SO THAT YOU'LL BE JUST THERE WON'T BE ABLE TO HEAR THE INTERVIEW WITH MS. EDWARDS. AND THEN AS SOON AS WE FINISH THAT, WE'LL BRING UP AND I'M GOING TO GIVE YOU THE ORDER THAT WE WILL DO THESE IN WHERE YOU'RE NOT. MAYOR? AS A SIDE NOTE, THE GTV HAS GONE BLACK. SO WE HAVE PEOPLE TRYING TO WATCH FROM THE COMMUNITY. THE GTV IS NOT UP. THANK YOU, MARIE. JANELLE, WOULD YOU GET WITH IT ON THAT, PLEASE, MA'AM? YES SIR, I SURE WILL. ALL RIGHT. WE'LL GET THAT UP AS QUICKLY AS WE CAN. ON GTV. WE HAVE REJONE EDWARDS WILL BE OUR FIRST INTERVIEWEE. WE WILL BE MOVE TO HAROLD [INAUDIBLE], SAMUEL [INAUDIBLE], PAUL SAVON AND JERRY KINNEAR WILL BE THE ORDER THAT WE'LL GO IN. ONCE WE FINISH OUR INTERVIEWS, THE COUNCIL WILL RANK EACH ONE OF YOU. AND BASED UPON HOW WE WOULD LIKE THE NOMINATIONS COME UP, THESE THAT WOULD TELL THE COUNCIL THE FIRST NOMINEE FOR THIS POSITION. AND WE CURRENTLY HAVE JUST ONE POSITION OPEN. AND IF THAT PARTICULAR NOMINEE, THE FIRST ONE IS NOT APPROVED, THEN WE NEED TO MOVE THE NOMINEE TWO. AND THAT'S THE WAY COUNCIL WILL ADDRESS THAT. ONCE WE FINISH. THAT WILL BE DONE THIS AFTERNOON. AT OUR 1:30 MEETING AND ONCE WE FINISH THAT THEN THE CITY SECRETARY WILL NOTIFY YOU THOSE THAT ARE SELECTED AND THOSE THAT ARE NOT. WE WILL NOTIFY YOU. AND OF COURSE, THANK YOU FOR YOUR APPLICATIONS ON THAT. FROM THE INTERVIEWEES. IS THERE ANY QUESTIONS YOU WOULD LIKE BEFORE WE START OUR INTERVIEWS? NONE FOR ME. ALRIGHT. NONE FOR ME. ALL RIGHT. WELL, THANK YOU VERY MUCH. VERY GOOD. WELL START WITH MS. EDWARDS AND WE'LL SEE THE REST OF YOU HERE VERY SHORT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. MS. EDWARDS. WHAT WE'LL DO IS WE'LL START. IF YOU CAN GIVE US A BRIEF OVERVIEW GIST OF WHY YOU WANTED TO SERVE ON THE PLANNING COMMISSION AND SOME OF YOUR BACKGROUND AND IF THAT COULD BE BRIEF AND THEN WE'LL OPEN IT UP FOR QUESTIONS FROM THE COUNCIL. GO RIGHT AHEAD. EXCELLENT. TO START OFF, MY NAME IS REJONE EDWARDS. I AM THE PRESIDENT OF 3910 ENTERPRISES. AND I AM INTERESTED IN SERVING MY COMMUNITY. I AM A BUILDER AND A DEVELOPER ON THE ISLAND, AND I HAVE HAD OPPORTUNITIES TO COME THROUGH THE PLANNING COMMITTEE ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS. AND I WOULD LIKE TO BE A PART OF THAT PROCESS. I HAVE IDEAS OR I'D LIKE TO JUST BE ABLE TO SERVE THE COMMUNITY IN THE BEST INTEREST. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU VERY MUCH, COUNCIL. LET'S OPEN IT UP TO QUESTIONS. COUNCIL FOR MS. EDWARDS, DAVID AND THEN MARIE. YEAH MS. EDWARDS. THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR APPLICATION FOR BEING WILLING TO SERVE. YOU SAY YOU'VE BEEN BEFORE COUNCIL PARDON ME, BEFORE THE PLANNING COMMISSION, BEFORE. HOW WAS THAT INTERACTION? HOW WAS THAT EXPERIENCE? AND WHAT DO YOU WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THAT? AND HOW DO YOU THINK THAT THAT BODY FUNCTIONS IN DOING THEIR JOB? AND AS LONG AS WE'RE ON THE SUBJECT, WHAT DO YOU THINK THEIR ACTUAL TASK IS? WHAT IS IT THAT THE PLANNING COMMISSION IS CHARGED WITH DOING? OK, SO MULTIPART QUESTION TO START WITH. WELL, MY EXPERIENCE WAS IT WAS IT WAS GOOD. I THINK THE INITIAL CONFUSION FOR ME WAS NOT NECESSARILY WITH THE PLANNING COMMISSION, BUT WITH THE CITY BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, I GOT APPROVAL FOR SOMETHING AND THEN LATER FOUND THAT THAT APPROVAL WASN'T CORRECT. SO I HAD TO GO BACK TO THE CITY, I MEAN, TO THE PLANNING COMMISSION TO GET A [01:20:06] VARIANCE ON A PROJECT THAT I WAS WORKING ON. SO ONCE I WAS ABLE TO GET TO THE PLANNING COMMISSION, I FELT LIKE THEY UNDERSTOOD WHAT I WAS ASKING FOR. THEY ASKED KNOWLEDGEABLE QUESTIONS AND I WAS ABLE TO ANSWER THOSE QUESTIONS. AND I GOT THE VARIANCE THAT I WAS REQUESTING. I THINK THAT PLANNING COMMISSION'S ROLE IS TO TO ITS KIND OF BROAD FOR ME. I FEEL LIKE IT SHOULD MAINTAIN THE CITY, YOU KNOW, APPEARANCE AND RULES. BUT IT ALSO SHOULD TAKE INTO ACCOUNT, YOU KNOW, THAT SOMETIMES THERE ARE ISSUES THAT OCCUR THAT THAT AREN'T NECESSARILY A PART OF THE CODE. OR THAT REQUIRED ADJUSTMENTS TO THE CODE. SO I THINK IT'S GOT TO BE A BODY THAT'S FLEXIBLE, THAT HAS TO BE SOMEWHAT OF A HEARTBEAT OF THE COMMUNITY. KEEPING THE COMMUNITY AND KEEPING THE BUILDING CODE IN CHECK. OR THE BUILDERS IN CHECK, BUT ALSO FLEXIBLE ENOUGH TO ALLOW FOR CHANGES TO IT WHEN NECESSARY. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MAYOR. THAT'S ALL I HAVE. VERY GOOD MOVING TO MARIE. MARIE? GOOD MORNING, REOJONE. I HAVE. GOOD MORNING MARIE. I HAVE THE PLEASURE OF SERVING ON THE BOARD OF BIG BROTHERS AND BIG SISTERS WITH MS. EDWARDS. SO I KNOW HER SOMEWHAT. AND I CAN SAY SHE IS A VERY GOOD BOARD MEMBER. PARTICIPATES, MAKES MEETING, HAS GREAT IDEAS. BUT MY QUESTION TO YOU IS, WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ON DEVELOPMENT IN GALVESTON? AND THAT'S A PRETTY BROAD QUESTION. SO. I THINK IT'S GREAT AND I THINK IT'S BAD ALL AT THE SAME TIME. I FEEL LIKE THE CITY OF GALVESTON IS KIND OF A MICROCOSM OF THE COUNTRY. YOU KNOW, WE HAVE VERY WEALTHY PEOPLE. WE HAVE PEOPLE THAT ARE IN POVERTY. AND THEN WE UNFORTUNATELY HAVE THE PEOPLE IN THE MIDDLE WHO ARE GETTING SQUEEZED. AND SO I THINK THAT DEVELOPMENT IN THE CITY NEEDS TO ADDRESS ALL OF THOSE ISSUES. AND SOMETIMES, YOU KNOW, IT'S VERY DIFFICULT BECAUSE WHEN THE VALUE OF PROPERTY OR WHEN THE VALUES DON'T NECESSARILY ALLOW YOU TO DEVELOP TO ALL SPECTRUMS OF THE COMMUNITY, THEN THAT SOMETIMES WHERE THE CITY OR GOVERNMENT HAS TO STEP IN TO ASSIST. SO DEVELOPMENT FOR ME IS VERY DIFFICULT IN THAT ASPECT BECAUSE YOU HAVE TO PAY THE COST OF MATERIALS, REALLY DO PLAY A PART IN WHETHER OR NOT YOU CAN BUILD PROPERTY THAT YOU KNOW MEETS THE NEEDS OF EVERYONE IN OUR COMMUNITY. SO I WOULD SAY THAT IN THE FUTURE, DEVELOPMENT IN GALVESTON IS DEFINITELY GOING TO BE CHALLENGING IF WE WANT TO HAVE A DIVERSE COMMUNITY. THANK YOU. AND CAN YOU EXPAND FOR THE OTHER BOARD MEMBER, OTHER COUNCIL MEMBERS, WHAT YOUR BUSINESS DOES? OUR BUSINESS DEVELOPS. WE MANAGE REAL ESTATE AROUND THE AREA. WE HAVE, I DON'T KNOW, AROUND 40 OR SO HOUSES WE BUILT JUST FOR CLARITY AND FOR OPENNESS. WE ARE A GLO RECIPIENT FOR THE GLO I MEAN, GLO RECIPIENT FOR HOUSING. AND WE BUILT TWENTY FOUR HOUSES FOR THEM, THE MOST NOTABLY PROBABLY BEHIND BEHIND DOMINO'S. WE BUILT EIGHT UNITS THERE, WHICH REQUIRED MY PARTICIPATION OR A MEMBERS. IT CAUSED US TO HAVE TO GO TO PLANNING COMMITTEE. WE REPLATTED THAT AREA AND THEN WE HAD TO DO A BUNCH OF VARIANCES AND EASEMENTS AND THINGS IN ORDER TO GET THAT PROPERTY BUILT. OUR COMPANY IS DIVERSE. WE TRIED TO BUILD MODERATE TO MIDDLE INCOME HOUSING, WHICH IS, AS I SAID, IS VERY CHALLENGING. AND WE ALSO BUILD MARKET RATE HOUSING. SO OUR COMPANY IS VERY MUCH INTO THE SPACE OF DEVELOPMENT AND BUILDER, BUT ALSO REAL ESTATE MANAGEMENT. THANK YOU. YOU'RE WELCOME. VERY GOOD, COUNCIL MEMBERS, ANY OTHER QUESTIONS FOR MS. EDWARDS? JOHN? MS. EDWARDS, THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE TODAY. HOW FAMILIAR ARE YOU WITH OUR LAND REGULATIONS? NOT ONE HUNDRED PERCENT, BUT I HAVE SOME FAMILIARITY WITH THE REGULATIONS, HAVING [01:25:01] DEALT WITH THEM IN THE PAST. OK. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? BILL. I THINK YOU'RE MUTED. THERE YOU GO. GOOD MORNING, YOUNG LADY. HOW ARE YOU? I'M WELL. HOW ARE YOU? TRYING TO MAKE THINGS [INAUDIBLE]. QUICK QUESTION FOR YOU. ARE YOU VERY WELL DIVERSE IN THE IBC AND THE [INAUDIBLE]? I'M FAIRLY DIVERSE. I'M FAIRLY WELL VERSED THERE. I'VE HAD TO DEAL WITH THE CITY ON A NUMBER OF ISSUES. SO THE CODE, THE CITY BUILDING CODE IS IT'S BEEN A FRIEND AND A FOE ALL AT THE SAME TIME. I UNDERSTAND, I'VE BEEN THERE. OH, I HAVE ANOTHER QUESTION. THERE'S TWO TYPES OF BOOKS THAT ARE OUT THERE. AS YOU WELL KNOW, THE LET'S TAKE THE IBC. IBC COMES OUT WITH A DOCUMENT THAT IS PRETTY WELL COMPLEX, BUT THERE ALSO A COMMENTARY THAT'S OUT THERE. AND IT'S A LOT EASIER FOR THE COMMENTARY BECAUSE IT BREAKS IT DOWN. MY QUESTION TO YOU IS, EVEN THOUGH YOU DEAL WITH THE IBC OR THE [INAUDIBLE] WITH THEIR STRICT RULES, WOULD YOU EVER FIND IT NECESSARY SOMETIMES TO MAYBE GIVE AND TAKE? BECAUSE A LOT OF RULES THAT ARE SET OUT THERE FOR CERTAIN EXAMPLES, BUT THEY EVERY RULE HAS AN EXCEPTION TO IT. I PERSONALLY HAVE RUN INTO SITUATIONS WHERE THERE HAVE BEEN SITUATIONS WHERE THE RULE IS [INAUDIBLE] THE APPLICATION IS TOTALLY DIFFERENT, AND SO I AM VERY FLEXIBLE WHEN IT COMES TO THAT. I HAVE TALKED WITH THE CITY ON A NUMBER OF OCCASIONS REGARDING WHEN THE RULES, WHEN THERE NEEDS TO BE SOME FLEXIBILITY IN THE RULE BECAUSE THE STANDING REGULATION DOES NOT APPLY OR IS NOT APPLICABLE IN THAT SITUATION. SO, ABSOLUTELY. ALL RIGHTY, VERY GOOD. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? WILL. THANKS MAYOR. THANKS MS. EDWARDS FOR BEING HERE FOR YOUR DESIRE TO SERVE. JUST A QUICK QUESTION, KIND OF TO ELABORATE A LITTLE MORE MARIE'S AND SOME OF THE THINGS YOU'VE ALREADY SAID. WHAT IDEAS OR WHAT SITUATIONS MAY YOU BRING IT INTO YOUR BUSINESS THAT THAT YOU WOULD HAVE FOR THE CITY TO MAYBE SPUR DEVELOPMENT, WHETHER THAT BE, YOU KNOW, ECONOMICALLY OR WHETHER IT THAT BE, YOU KNOW, HOUSING, AFFORDABLE HOUSING, WHICH IDEAS COULD YOU PRESENT TO THE CITY OR THAT YOU HAVE TO WHERE YOU COULD SPUR THOSE TYPES OF DEVELOPMENT? THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION. WELL, I THINK THAT A LOT OF THE WHAT WE COULD DO TO DEVELOP TO ME, I'M IN THE SPACE WE ALWAYS ARE GOING TO BE ABLE TO SELL, YOU KNOW, LUXURY HOUSING. THIS IS GALVESTON. WE HAVE TO LIVE IN A BEAUTIFUL PLACE. WE HAVE THE BEACH. THAT'S NOT GOING TO EVER BE OUR REAL PROBLEM. OUR PROBLEM IS GOING TO BE MAKING SURE THAT WE HAVE A DIVERSE COMMUNITY. THAT'S ALWAYS GOING TO BE OUR ISSUE BECAUSE AND I WANT TO SAY DIVERSE, I'M NOT NECESSARILY SPEAKING ABOUT RACIAL DIVERSITY. I'M SPEAKING ABOUT ECONOMIC DIVERSITY, BECAUSE DIVERSITY, WHEN IT COMES TO, YOU KNOW, LOW MODERATE AND MIDDLE INCOME PEOPLE IS SOMETHING THAT WE ARE GOING TO CONTINUALLY STRUGGLE WITH BECAUSE THE COST OF LAND HAS INCREASED SO MUCH AND THE COST OF BUILDING MATERIALS HAVE INCREASED EXPONENTIALLY. SO THERE ONE THING THE CITY HAS DONE IN THE RECENT YEARS THAT I THOUGHT WE COULD HAVE DONE BETTER WAS THAT WE DID NOT. WE TOOK THE MONEY FROM THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT AND PUT IT TOWARDS RENTAL ASSISTANCE. I FELT LIKE WE SHOULD HAVE TAKEN THAT MONEY AND USED IT TO HAVE A PROGRAM FOR REPAIRS OF HOUSES, ESPECIALLY FOR THE LOW AND MODERATE INCOME, BECAUSE THERE WERE THERE ARE TONS OF PEOPLE WHO IN THE CITY WILL FINE BECAUSE THEY CAN'T DO THE REPAIRS ON THEIR HOMES, BUT THEY CAN'T AFFORD THE REPAIRS ON THEIR HOMES. SO IF WE HAD TAKEN SOME OF THAT MONEY INSTEAD OF PUTTING IT TOWARDS RENTAL ASSISTANCE, WHICH I UNDERSTAND WE NEED RENTAL ASSISTANCE. RIGHT. BUT WE ALSO NEED [INAUDIBLE] NEED HELP TO REPAIR THEIR HOMES. AND THAT MONEY COULD HAVE BEEN USED TO HELP LOW MODERATE AND MIDDLE INCOME PEOPLE REPAIR THEIR HOMES IN AREAS OF REMODELING, IN AREAS OF FORTIFICATION, IN AREAS OF FLOOD MITIGATION, SO THAT WE DON'T HAVE SOME OF THESE ISSUES THAT WE SEE WHENEVER THERE'S [01:30:04] A LITTLE BIT OF WATER AND PEOPLE HAVE WATER IN THEIR HOMES, WE COULD HAVE USED IT LIKE RIGHT AFTER THE FREEZE. PEOPLE COULD HAVE GOTTEN SOME OF THAT MONEY TO CHANGE OUT THEIR PIPES FROM THIS OLD GALVANIZED PIPING TO PEX. I MEAN, THERE'S A NUMBER OF THINGS THAT WE COULD HAVE DONE WITH SOME OF THAT MONEY. AND I FELT LIKE THAT WOULD HAVE BEEN A REAL BOOST FOR THE CITY AND SOME OF THE, YOU KNOW, JUST THE CITY AND THE SOME OF ITS RESIDENTS. THANK YOU. I APPRECIATE IT. YOU'RE WELCOME. VERY GOOD. I HAD, MS. EDWARDS, I HAD A LIST OF QUESTIONS HERE IN FRONT OF ME. I WAS GOING TO ASK YOU AND ALL THE COUNCIL MEMBERS HAVE ASKED EVERY ONE OF THEM, SO WHICH WAS GOOD. THANK YOU FOR THAT. SO COUNCIL. SO I WANTED TO THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE. I'VE HAD THE PLEASURE OF WORKING WITH MS. EDWARDS ON SOME OTHER PROJECTS AND SHE'S BEEN EXCEPTIONAL. AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR APPLICATION. AND WE'RE LOOKING FORWARD TO DECIDING THIS AFTERNOON. APPRECIATE YOU. THANK YOU GUYS. THANK YOU. ENJOY. HAVE A GOOD DAY. BE SAFE. ALL RIGHTY. BYE BYE. ALL RIGHT. JANELLE WE'RE MOVING TO MR. HAROLD [INAUDIBLE]. PLEASE. OK. BY THE WAY, THE GTV WENT UP ALMOST, ALMOST RIGHT AFTER MARIE MENTIONED SOMETHING THERE. SO THANK YOU JANELLE FOR GETTING THAT GOING. GOOD MORNING, MR. [INAUDIBLE]. HOW ARE YOU, SIR? CAN YOU HEAR US? MR. [INAUDIBLE]? YES, I'M HERE. OK, VERY GOOD. YOU CAN HEAR US FINE? YEAH, NO PROBLEM. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. LET YOU GO AHEAD, WE'LL, IF YOU COULD OPEN WITH A BRIEF INTRODUCTION, LET US KNOW A LITTLE ABOUT YOU AND WHY YOU WOULD LIKE TO SERVE ON THE PLANNING COMMISSION THEN WE'LL OPEN THE QUESTIONS UP TO COUNCIL. GO RIGHT AHEAD. ARE YOU ON MUTE? I'M SORRY, THEY CUT ME OFF. THERE YOU GO. I'M SORRY. GO RIGHT AHEAD WITH YOUR INTRODUCTION, SIR. OK. MY NAME IS HARRY [INAUDIBLE] AND I MOVED TO GALVESTON. WELL, WE ORIGINALLY BOUGHT A HOUSE HERE ABOUT 11 YEARS AGO AND WE DECIDED TO MAKE THIS OUR FULL TIME HOME. AND BEING RETIRED AS I AM, I'VE BEEN LOOKING FOR SOMETHING TO GET INVOLVED WITH AND I'VE ALWAYS ENJOYED WORKING WITH THE PUBLIC. A LITTLE BIT ABOUT MY PAST. I GOT OUT OF COLLEGE, WORKED FOR THE DA'S OFFICE OVER AND [INAUDIBLE] CAMERON PARISH AS A CRIMINAL INVESTIGATOR, HANDLING HOMICIDE, VIOLENT CRIME. POLITICS. SO IT'S NOT THAT INTERESTING TO ME. SO I MOVED OVER INTO STEEL SALES AND GOT INVOLVED WITH HIGH TECH STEEL AND MADE A CAREER OUT OF THAT UP UNTIL THE TIME I REACHED NATIONAL OIL WELL. WHERE I ORIGINALLY JOINED THEM AS A PROPERTY MANAGER FOR THE DOWNHOLE DIVISION. AND WE HAD PROPERTIES AROUND THE WORLD IN ABOUT 18 DIFFERENT COUNTRIES. FROM THERE, I MOVED UP [INAUDIBLE] HELLO? GO RIGHT AHEAD. OK. FROM THERE, I MOVED UP IN AND TOOK OVER THE HEALTH, SAFETY AND ENVIRONMENT OVER ALL THOSE FACILITIES AND ALL THE EMPLOYEES. SO I'VE BEEN INVOLVED IN FACILITY ACQUISITION IN MULTIPLE COUNTRIES AND INVOLVED IN A LOT OF ENVIRONMENTAL AND INCIDENTS AND PROCEDURES AND DOCUMENTATION IN MULTIPLE COUNTRIES AND WORKED THROUGH ALL THOSE TYPE ISSUES WITH NOT A LOT OF PROBLEM . SINCE WE'VE BEEN IN GALVESTON. I LOVE IT. IT'S THE SIZE CITY THAT I ENJOY BEING IN, I'M OUT OF THAT HORRIBLE TRAFFIC UP IN HOUSTON, AND I JUST FEEL THAT I CAN MAKE A CONTRIBUTION HERE. UNFORTUNATELY, COVID HIT ABOUT THE TIME WE MOVED, SO WE'RE STILL KIND OF GETTING OUR FEET ON THE GROUND. ALL RIGHTY. THANK YOU, MR. [INAUDIBLE]. WE'LL OPEN IT UP FOR QUESTIONS FROM COUNCIL. COUNCIL? DAVID. YEAH, SAME QUESTION I HAVE FOR THE PREVIOUS CANDIDATE. FIRST OF ALL, THANK YOU FOR BEING WITH US TODAY AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR APPLICATION AND WILLINGNESS TO SERVE. HAVE YOU DEALT WITH THE PLANNING COMMISSION BEFORE? AND WHAT WAS THAT INTERACTION LIKE? AND WHAT DO YOU SEE AS PLANNING COMMISSION'S ROLE IN THE COMMUNITY? [01:35:01] I'VE NEVER DEALT WITH THE PLANNING COMMISSION FROM REVIEWING THE DOCUMENTATION OF THE PLANNING COMMISSION AS IT'S SET UP. I WAS VERY IMPRESSED IN THE WAY IT'S PUT TOGETHER. I SEE THE ROLE IN THE PLANNING COMMISSION AS SIMILAR TO WHAT I'VE DONE IN THE PAST. YOU'RE LOOKING AT A RATIONAL EXPANSION OF THE CITY. YOU'RE PROTECTING THE PEOPLE OF THE CITY FROM UNCONTROLLED CONDITIONS, I GUESS, PUTTING COMMERCIAL IN THE CENTER OF NEIGHBORHOODS. YOU'RE LOOKING FOR A RATIONAL EXPANSION OF THE COMMERCIAL WHERE IT FITS SEAMLESSLY INTO THE COMMUNITY. IT'S JUST A VERY INTERESTING PROPOSITION FOR ME TO MAKE SURE WE GET IT RIGHT AND FOLLOW THE ESTABLISHED RULES AND REGULATIONS AS THEY'RE LAID OUT. OK, THANK YOU, MR. [INAUDIBLE]. MARIE. FIRST, MR. [INAUDIBLE] I'D LIKE TO THANK YOU FOR REPLYING, IT'S SO GOOD TO SEE MORE OF DISTRICT SIX PEOPLE ARE PUTTING THEIR APPLICATIONS IN . YOU'RE CUTTING IN AND OUT. I'M SORRY. START AGAIN IF YOU WOULD. I WANTED TO ASK YOU HOW FAMILIAR YOU ARE WITH OUR LDR'S, WHICH IS OUR LONG TERM DEVELOPMENT REGULATIONS. THAT WOULD BE A LEARNING CURVE FOR ME. I REVIEWED, LIKE I SAY, THE DOCUMENTATION THAT'S AVAILABLE FROM THE CITY. BUT AGAIN, IT WOULD BE A SOMEWHAT OF A LEARNING CURVE. OK THANK YOU VERY MUCH. AGAIN, I WOULD LIKE TO THANK YOU. I THINK YOUR BACKGROUND IS CERTAINLY AN INTERESTING ONE FOR THIS POSITION. SO THANK YOU. THANK YOU. VERY GOOD. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS FROM COUNCIL. BILL? YES, MR. [INAUDIBLE] WHAT KIND OF CONSTRUCTION BACKGROUND DO YOU HAVE? AS FAR AS CONSTRUCTION? ONCE I JOINED THE STEEL INDUSTRY, I BECAME MANAGER OF A REGION THAT CONSISTED OF TEXAS, LOUISIANA AND OKLAHOMA. I WAS INVOLVED IN THE DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION OF THE FACILITY. AS I MOVED UP IN THE NATIONAL OIL WELL, I GOT INVOLVED WITH FURTHER BACK WITH THINGS LIKE WATER, POWER, ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES. COUNTRIES ARE DIFFERENT. STATES ARE DIFFERENT. SO THERE WAS A LOT OF SCRAMBLING AROUND AS WE EXPANDED LEARNING, YOU KNOW, EXACTLY WHERE THE FACILITY SHOULD BE AND WAS IT SERVICED PROPERLY. AS FAR AS CONSTRUCTION, I IN MANY CASES WROTE THE CONTRACT WITH CONTRACTORS WHO DID THE BUILDING. I WAS HEAVILY INVOLVED IN UNDERSTANDING THE FOUNDATION BECAUSE WE WERE PUTTING HEAVY EQUIPMENT ON TOP OF THESE FOUNDATIONS WITH AN EXPECTATION THE FACILITY WOULD BE IN OPERATION UP TO 25 YEARS. WE REALLY LOOKED HARD AT THINGS LIKE POWER OF THE ELECTRIC. WHEN YOU'RE RUNNING THE EQUIPMENT THAT WE WERE RUNNING EVEN AS FAR BACK AS WHEN I WAS A TW METALS. WE REALLY THE EQUIPMENT WE HAD WAS FROM JAPAN AND GERMANY AND WE NEEDED A CLEAN POWER. WE DIDN'T NEED A LOT OF HERKY JERKY END OF THE LINE TYPE PROBLEMS, WHICH ADDED UP TO QUITE A BIT OF MONEY. I DID A RESEARCH ON ONE LARGE FACILITY WE HAD AND THINGS LIKE DIRTY POWER WERE COSTING US ABOUT A QUARTER MILLION A YEAR IN REPAIR OF HIGH TECH EQUIPMENT AND DOWNTIME. AND IN THOSE CASES, WE WORKED WITH THE ELECTRIC COMPANY TRYING TO GET THOSE ISSUES SORTED OUT. SO IT'S HAVE I RUN A CONSTRUCTION CREW? NO, BUT I HAVE BEEN INVOLVED WITH THE DESIGN AND THE CONCEPTION AND THE ISSUES AS YOU GO FORWARD. I HAD ONE INCIDENT WHERE WE WERE ON A TIMELINE TO PUT IN A FACILITY. [01:40:03] THE EQUIPMENT CAME FROM GERMANY, AND WE HAD AN ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUE BECAUSE IT WAS SPRAYING EQUIPMENT AND THE TECHS THAT COULD SHOW UP TO TRAIN OUR PERSONNEL ON USING THE EQUIPMENT WE'RE ON A STRICT TIMELINE. THAT COULD HAVE PUSHED US BACK MANY MONTHS. AND I GOT INVOLVED LEGALLY WITH THE TCEQ ON GETTING THE FACILITY APPROVED AHEAD OF TIME SO THEY COULD DO THEIR INSPECTION AND WE COULD BE WITHIN CODE. BUT I'VE BEEN IN A HUGE ARRAY OF ISSUES. IN SAUDI WE HAD ROAD ISSUES AND WE WORKED WITH THE SAUDI GOVERNMENT, BUT THERE'S JUST DIFFERENT THINGS. THANK YOU. VERY GOOD. WILLIAM. THANKS [INAUDIBLE]. JUST A QUICK QUESTION I ASKED THE PREVIOUS CANDIDATE AND ELABORATE A LITTLE BIT MORE OF WHAT YOU'VE ALREADY MENTIONED WHEN YOU SAID A RATIONAL EXPANSION OF THE CITY. WHAT IDEAS IF YOU WANT TO GO INTO A LITTLE MORE DETAIL. WHAT IDEAS OR ISSUES DO YOU SEE IN GALVESTON THAT MIGHT BE HOLDING US BACK FROM THAT EXPANSION OR MIGHT BE HOLDING US BACK FROM DEVELOPMENT OVERALL THAT YOU WOULD BE ABLE TO BRING TO THIS COMMISSION? WHEN I LOOK AT GALVESTON, I GUESS WHAT I SEE HERE IS SIMILAR TO WHAT I EXPERIENCED IN HOUSTON. A LOT OF THE OPPORTUNITY IS HEMMED IN BY RESIDENTIAL. IT APPEARS THAT THE EAST END IS FAIRLY WELL DEVELOPED. SO THE DEVELOPMENT THAT COMES IN THE FUTURE COULD BE IN THE WEST. IN THE WEST YOU'VE GOT TWO ROADS ESSENTIALLY THAT SERVED THE WEST END. I THE WAY I LOOK AT THEM, THEY COULD BE A HINDRANCE. THE OTHER THING IS IN THE WEST END IT'S KIND OF A HODGEPODGE, YOU'VE GOT RESIDENTIAL, THEN YOU'VE GOT OPEN RANGE LAND AND WHAT HAVE YOU. AND THOSE ARE THE KIND OF CHALLENGES THAT YOU DEAL WITH. BUT I SEE THE GROWTH MOVING WEST AND FOR THE WEST TO CONTINUE TO DEVELOP RESIDENTIALLY I SEE THERE'S GOING TO HAVE TO BE SOME TYPE OF COMMERCIAL THAT MOVES OUT THIS WAY. THANK YOU. THAT'S ALL I GOT. APPRECIATE IT. THANK YOU. ANY QUESTIONS FOR MR. [INAUDIBLE]? VERY GOOD. MR. [INAUDIBLE] THANK YOU VERY MUCH. APPRECIATE IT. OK, THANK YOU. THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE. AND WE'LL MAKE OUR DECISIONS THIS AFTERNOON AND LET YOU KNOW AFTER THAT, SIR. OK, THANKS. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. MOVING IF WE COULD JANELLE WE'RE GOING TO SAMUEL HARRELL, PLEASE. SAM, ARE YOU THERE? MR. HARRELL? YES, I'M HERE. I'M HERE. VERY GOOD. I HEAR YOU, SIR, BUT I DON'T SEE. THERE WE ARE. YEAH. OH, I DIDN'T KNOW. I DIDN'T I JUST THOUGHT THAT THE OTHER PEOPLE, YOU GUYS WERE ON A PAUSE FROM SOMEBODY ELSE. OH, GLAD TO HAVE YOU HERE, SIR. THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE. WE'LL OPEN WITH AN INTRODUCTION OF JUST A BRIEF INTRODUCTION OF WHO YOU ARE, WHY YOU WOULD WANT TO BE ON THE PLANNING COMMISSION AND SOMETHING ABOUT YOUR BACKGROUND, SIR, IF YOU WOULD. ALL RIGHT. ALL RIGHT. SO SAM HARRELL HERE. I HAVE LIVED IN GALVESTON PROBABLY OFF AND ON ABOUT 13 YEARS. I DO ALSO RESIDE HERE IN THE MISSOURI CITY SUGAR LAND AREA OF HOUSTON. MY BACKGROUND IS SORT OF TWOFOLD, IF YOU WILL, FOR PART ENERGY EXPERIENCE AND THEN A PART TECHNOLOGY EXPERIENCE. MY LIFE AS AN ADULT HAS BEEN SPLIT SORT OF BETWEEN THOSE TWO REALMS. EARLY ON IN MY LIFE, I HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO WORK BOTH AT THE CITY OF CHICAGO, WHERE I'M FROM, AS WELL AS IN D.C. FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE AND AGRICULTURE. SO SORT OF CIVICS HAS ALWAYS BEEN IN MY DNA FROM THOSE INTERNSHIPS BOTH AT THE CITY AND [01:45:01] THEN AGAIN IN D.C.. SO PART OF WHAT I AM TRYING TO DO IN THIS STAGE OF MY LIFE IS JUST BRING A LITTLE BIT MORE OF THE EXPERIENCE THAT I HAVE INTO THE REALM OF THE NEEDS OF THE CITY OF GALVESTON IN THE AREAS THAT PROBABLY COULD BENEFIT FROM SOME OF THAT. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU, SIR. APPRECIATE IT. WE'LL OPEN IT UP TO QUESTIONS NOW. COUNCIL. DAVID. YEAH. MR. HARRELL, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR APPLICATION, FOR YOUR WILLINGNESS TO SERVE. YOU SAY YOU LIVE IN THE SUGAR LAND, MISSOURI CITY AREA. ALSO, DO YOU DO YOU VOTE HERE OR DO YOU VOTE THERE? I VOTE HERE. AND WHERE IS HERE. HERE IN MISSOURI CITY. IN MISSOURI CITY, I SEE. YES, I DO VOTE HERE. WE MADE A CONSCIOUS DECISION RIGHT BEFORE THE PANDEMIC TO MOVE THE CHILDREN FROM AMBASSADORS THERE TO THE SCHOOL HERE. SO I TYPICALLY TRY TO WHEN YOU HAVE CHILDREN YOU TYPICALLY TRY TO FOLLOW THAT MODEL. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. THAT'S ALL I HAVE MAYOR. OKAY. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS, COUNCIL. BILL AND THEN MARIE. SORRY ABOUT THAT. WHAT KIND OF CONSTRUCTION BACKGROUND DO YOU HAVE? QUITE A BIT. QUITE A BIT, BILL. SO MY CAREER, AS I MENTIONED, I STARTED IN UTILITIES. I HAVE MANAGED. SO I STARTED WORKING AT HOUSTON LIGHTING AND POWER WHEN I LEFT DC. AND I WORKED FOR THEM FOR QUITE SOME TIME. AND I ALSO WORKED IN THE OIL AND GAS INDUSTRY AND MANAGED ENERGY AND ENERGY INFRASTRUCTURE FOR MARATHON. AND AT THE TIME I WORKED IN THE CORPORATE OFFICE IN SAN ANTONIO, BUT I TRAVELED AROUND ALL OF THE REFINERIES. SO ALL OF THE SUBSTATION, ALL OF THE TRANSMISSION, ANYTHING THAT HAD ANYTHING TO DO WITH NATURAL GAS AND ELECTRICITY, STEAM, ALL OF THOSE PROJECTS FELL UNDER MY ORGANIZATION. SO WE MANAGED EVERYTHING FROM DESIGN, PHASE ENGINEERING ALL THE WAY THROUGH WORKING WITH CONTRACTORS TO PUT THAT INFRASTRUCTURE AND CIVIL WORK IN THE GROUND. HERE ON THE MAINLAND AND OUR FINERIES IN HAWAII AND ALASKA AND SOME REMOTE AREAS IN IDAHO AND IN SOME AREAS WHERE COAL [INAUDIBLE]. OKAY. THANK YOU. [INAUDIBLE]. MARIE. GOOD TO SEE YOU HERE AND THANK YOU FOR APPLYING. I GUESS MY QUESTION WOULD BE, IS YOUR HOMESTEAD HERE OR IN MISSOURI CITY? SO THE HOMESTEAD I MAINTAIN THE HOMESTEAD IN MISSOURI CITY AGAIN FOR THE REASONS THAT I MENTIONED, BECAUSE THE CHILDREN ARE IN SCHOOL. I SPEND ABOUT 50 PERCENT OF MY TIME ON 16TH STREET. I'VE ALWAYS HAD FOR THE LAST I WOULD SAY, 15, 17 YEARS I'VE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO WORK FROM, YOU CAN SEE WHERE I'M AT. THIS IS MY OFFICE HERE. I'VE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO WORK FROM HOME. AND SO IT'S PROVIDED ME THE ABILITY TO BE IN MULTIPLE PLACES, UNLIKE UNLIKE OTHER PEOPLE. LET'S SAY THAT. I DON'T GO TO AN OFFICE WHEN I'M FLYING. I FLY OUT OF THE COUNTRY, I'M EITHER AT HOBBY OR INTERCONTINENTAL. SO WHERE I'M AT AS A PHYSICAL ADDRESS IS PROBABLY NOT TYPICAL TO MOST PEOPLE YOU TALK TO. AND I'VE BEEN DOING IT FOR FOR QUITE SOME TIME. I LITERALLY JUST LEFT THE HOUSE OVER THERE TWO DAYS AGO AND I'LL BE BACK BEFORE THE WEEK IT IS OVER. AND YOU CAN STOP BY THE HOUSE AND SHOOT SOME WATER ON MY FLOWERS IF I DON'T GET THERE BECAUSE I JUST TRIED TO CLEAN UP SOME STUFF THAT WAS DEAD. [LAUGHTER] VERY GOOD. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS. YOU KNOW WHAT? PUT THAT ON, WILLIAM SINCE HE CARRIES THE BALL IN THE DISTRICT. [LAUGHTER] HE DOES, IT SOUNDS LIKE YOU'RE RIGHT AROUND THE CORNER FROM ME. BUT I HAD TO TAKE CARE OF MY OWN FIRST. OH NO, I DON'T WANT TO HEAR THAT. MINE'S LOOKING BAD RIGHT NOW. I'M NOT GOING TO LIE TO YOU. RIGHT. I GOT PALM TREES THAT NEED ATTENTION. [01:50:02] YEAH, I AGREE. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS, COUNCIL. YEAH. JUST BECAUSE I'VE BEEN ASKING YOU KNOW, EVERY CANDIDATE WE'VE HAD AND JUST IN FAIRNESS, YOU KIND OF TOUCHED ON IT A LITTLE BIT. WHAT IDEAS OR PROBLEMS DO YOU SEE OR SUGGESTIONS YOU HAVE FOR GALVESTON THAT COULD LEAD TO GREATER DEVELOPMENT, WHETHER THAT BE ZONING CHANGES, WHETHER IT BE DEVELOPMENT OR LDR CHANGES? YOU KNOW, WHAT IDEAS COULD YOU PRESENT TO MAKE THINGS MAYBE MORE AFFORDABLE? I GUESS WHAT I'M ASKING, WHAT IDEAS DO YOU HAVE TO SPUR DEVELOPMENT IN ANY WHICH WAY THAT YOU LIKE TO TOUCH ON? YEAH, YOU KNOW, AND IT'S A GREAT QUESTION. AND I KNOW YOU GUYS DON'T HAVE ALL THE TIME THAT I CAN AFFORD THROUGH THIS, BUT SORT OF THERE ARE FOUR VECTORS FOR THE CITY THAT I SEE OVER THE YEARS. AND COUNCIL AND ADMINISTRATIVE FOLKS HAVE DONE A GOOD JOB TOUCHING ON SOME OF THESE MOBILITY IS I THINK AT THE TOP OF MY LIST, I USED TO BE IN PUBLIC TRANSIT. SO I HAVE A PASSION FOR HOW TO MAKE A COMMUNITY BETTER BY OFFERING DIFFERENT MODES OF TRANSPORTATION FOR THOSE THAT THAT LIVE THERE. SO THERE IS AN ON ISLAND COMPONENT TO IT IN TERMS OF MAKING COMMUNITIES MORE WALKABLE, CREATING THE TYPE OF PUBLIC SAFETY, IN TERMS OF LIGHTING AND CONNECTIVITY FOR THE COMMUNITIES THAT I THINK WOULD MAKE IT BETTER FOR RESIDENTS. AND THEN THERE ARE THE THINGS THAT ARE MORE MODAL IN TERMS OF PARKING, ELIMINATING CONGESTION AND CREATING BETTER PLACES, BETTER ENVIRONMENTS FOR BUSINESSES TO WANT TO RELOCATE THERE, AS WELL AS LOOKING AT OTHER MODES OF TRANSPORTATION TO GET PEOPLE WHO NEED TO GET OFF THE ISLAND, OFF THE ISLAND SAFELY. BUT AGAIN, ELIMINATING SOME OF THE CONCERNS THERE. I THINK ON THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT SIDE, THIS IS ANOTHER AREA THAT TRANSIT AND TRANSPORTATION GOES HAND IN HAND WITH ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT. AND AS YOU CAN CREATE BETTER ROUTES, BETTER WALKABLE COMMUNITIES, BUSINESSES TEND TO FLOURISH IN THOSE AREAS. AND I THINK WHETHER IT'S ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ZONES, INCENTIVE FINANCING FOR SMALL BUSINESSES, I THINK THOSE THINGS CAN CAN HELP US REBOUND IN WAYS THAT YOU KNOW, WE'VE BEEN BEEN SORT OF STAGNANT. WE HAVE TO FIND A WAY TO NOT ONLY BRING BACK AND REBUILD THE CRUISE INDUSTRY, BUT WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO FIND OTHER BUSINESS PARTNERS THAT WE CAN JOIN WITH SO THAT WE GET OTHER INDUSTRIES FLOCKING TO THE ISLAND. THE PANDEMIC, IN MY MIND, GUYS HAVE CREATED AN OPPORTUNITY FOR THE ISLAND TO NOT BE A COMMUNITY WHERE FOLKS ARE COMING AND GOING. MANY FOLKS LIKE MYSELF, WHILE I ALLUDED TO MY ABILITY TO WORK AT HOME, AND I KNOW THAT'S A CONCERN FOR EVERYBODY ON COUNCIL IS PEOPLE THAT ARE THERE ON THE ISLAND. WE CAN GET A LOT MORE PEOPLE THAT ARE WORKING FROM HOME IN THIS NEW NORMAL AND HAVE THOSE FOLKS, AS LONGER TERM RESIDENTS SPENDING MONEY AND MORE ENGAGED IN THE ACTIVITIES OF THE CITY IF WE WERE TO CREATE THESE TYPES OF PARTNERSHIPS. AND I KNOW IF DES MOINES, IOWA, CAN CREATE PARTNERSHIPS TO INCENTIVIZE FOLKS IN THE BAY AREA TO MOVE OVER AND INCENTIVIZE THEM FOR HOUSING AND OTHER THINGS I SURE AS [INAUDIBLE] KNOW THAT GALVESTON CAN THINK OF SOME THINGS THAT WOULD OFFER AN OFF RAMP TO PEOPLE WHO ARE WILLING AND WANTING TO LEAVE WHERE THEY ARE FOR YOU KNOW, COMMUNITIES THAT ARE BETTER FOR THEM AND THEIR FAMILIES. THANK YOU. I APPRECIATE THE RESPONSE. YEP. VERY GOOD. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS, COUNCIL? MR. HARRELL, I MENTIONED THIS TO THE LAST CANDIDATE SAVING MY QUESTIONS TO THE LAST. I GET ALL OF THEM ANSWERED BEFORE I GET TO THEM. SO. [LAUGHTER] THAT'S ALL RIGHT. BUT I WOULD LIKE TO THANK YOU. I AM IMPRESSED WITH YOUR COMPREHENSION KNOWLEDGE OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND SOME OF YOUR THOUGHTS ON THAT, THAT'S IMPRESSIVE AND I APPRECIATE YOUR APPLICATION. WE'LL BE DECIDING THIS AFTERNOON, SIR, AND WE'LL BE BACK IN TOUCH WITH YOU THEN. THANK YOU, GUYS. THANK YOU. GOOD LUCK WITH EVERYTHING AND GOD BLESS YOU. STAY SAFE. YOU TOO. THANKS SAM. THANKS. BYE BYE. BYE. JANELLE, WE'RE NOW MOVING TO PAUL [INAUDIBLE] PLEASE. [01:55:03] OK. HE'S IN THE MEETING. HE'S JUST MUTED. PAUL ARE YOU THERE. PAUL, CAN YOU HEAR US? HELLO. HEY, PAUL. TOOK ME A SECOND GET BACK ON HERE. I UNDERSTAND. WELL, THANKS FOR BEING HERE. APPRECIATE IT. AND AS WE HAVE WITH OUR OTHER CANDIDATES, WE'LL OFFER A BRIEF TIME HERE AT THE BEGINNING FOR YOU TO INTRODUCE YOURSELF, GIVE SOME IDEAS OF WHY YOU WANT TO SERVE ON THE PLANNING COMMISSION AND A LITTLE ABOUT YOUR BACKGROUND, SIR. OK, FIRST THING IS, I'M PERSISTENT BECAUSE THIS IS PROBABLY THE THIRD TIME I'VE TRIED TO GET ON THE PLANNING COMMISSION AND [INAUDIBLE] WITH A BUNCH OF NEW COUNCIL MEMBERS. I'VE SPENT A LOT OF TIME GOING TO PLANNING COMMISSION MEETINGS IN PERSON WHEN WE USED TO, MOSTLY BECAUSE I WAS INTERESTED LIVING ON THE WEST END PARTICULARLY AROUND THE COASTAL DEVELOPMENT AND DECISIONS AROUND THAT. AND I WAS IMPRESSED BY THE VOLUNTEERISM OF THE MEMBERS OF THE PLANNING COMMISSION AND THEIR ADVISORY ROLE TO THE CITY COUNCIL. I THOUGHT, I'M A GEOLOGIST, WORKED FOR A LARGE CORPORATION FOR A LONG TIME UNTIL I RETIRED THERE. AND I THINK SOME OF THE SKILL SETS, PARTICULARLY A LOT OF MY JOB, WAS TECHNICAL DUE DILIGENCE, INTEGRATED WITH ECONOMIC AND FINANCIAL DECISIONS. AND I THOUGHT THAT WAS A REALLY GOOD FIT FOR WHAT THE PLANNING COMMISSION WAS ASKED TO DO ON A DAILY BASIS. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU, PAUL. WE'LL OPEN IT UP TO QUESTIONS FROM COUNCIL. COUNCIL MEMBERS. DAVID. AND THEN MARIE. HI PAUL, THANK YOU FOR YOUR APPLICATION AND FOR BEING PERSISTENT. I KNOW I'VE SEEN YOU AROUND THE PLANNING COMMISSION MEETINGS QUITE OFTEN. WHAT DO YOU SEE AS THE ROLE OF THE PLANNING COMMISSION IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE COMMUNITY? I THINK A BIG ROLE THAT I'D LIKE TO HAVE THE PLANNING COMMISSION TAKE A LEAD IN IS THE SAFETY OF THE COMMUNITY, YOU KNOW, MAKING SURE THAT WE MAINTAIN OUR QUALITY OF LIFE. WE DO NO HARM IN OUR DEVELOPMENT, THAT WE MAKE SURE THAT GALVESTON'S LONG TERM FUTURE IS POSITIVE, THAT WE DECREASE OUR RISK. WE ALLOW GROWTH TO MAKE SENSE. WE TRY TO MAINTAIN A PROPERTY VALUE SYSTEM, ALLOWS ALL KINDS OF RESIDENTS TO BE HERE. AND WHAT I REALLY WANT TO DO IS HELP. I THINK THERE'S A RISK THAT OUR NUMBER OF RESIDENTS WILL ACTUALLY NOT ONLY STABILIZE, BUT ACTUALLY DECREASE WITH TIME, WITH THE DIRECTION WE'RE GOING. I WANT TO MAKE SURE WE MAINTAIN OUR RESIDENT BASE WITH A ECONOMIC DIVERSITY. THOSE ARE REALLY BIG ISSUES FOR ME. I THINK OUR NATURAL RESOURCES NEED PROTECTION A LITTLE MORE THAN THEY'VE BEEN GETTING. I THINK THAT'S PART OF THE QUALITY OF GALVESTON. IF WE LOSE THAT, WE'RE GOING TO LOSE A LOT OF WHAT MAKES GALVESTON VERY SPECIAL TO MOST OF OUR PEOPLE. ALL RIGHT. THANKS. THANK YOU, MAYOR. YES. YES, SIR. MARIE. HI, PAUL. ONE I'D LIKE TO THANK YOU FOR APPLYING FOR THE PLANNING COMMISSION. WHAT IS OR HOW FAMILIAR ARE YOU WITH THE LDR'S? WELL, I'M FAMILIAR WITH THE LDR'S ON A AS INTEREST BASIS. I REMEMBER BECAUSE THE LDR'S HAS BEEN A SIGNIFICANT ISSUE, ESPECIALLY AROUND THE WEST END, BECAUSE WITH ALL THE ZONING, IT WAS KIND OF DONE LAST AND KIND OF QUICKLY. I'M PARAPHRASING. SO AGAIN AND AGAIN IN THE PLANNING COMMISSION, YOU'D HAVE A PRESENTATION THAT SAYS, HEY, MY ZONING IS IN ERROR AND IT NEEDS TO BE CORRECTED. SO I'VE SEEN A LOT OF THOSE. I'VE GONE THROUGH THE LDR DOCUMENTS BOTH AS TO GAIN SOME KNOWLEDGE FROM THOSE ISSUES. AND I WAS ON THIS BEACH ACCESS COMMITTEE AND LDR, I THINK, WAS PERTINENT AROUND [02:00:03] THERE. SO I FLIPPED THROUGH IT. BUT I'VE NEVER HAD TO APPLY IT DIRECTLY BECAUSE I'VE NEVER BEEN IN THAT ROLE. BUT I'M FAMILIAR WITH THE LDR. THANK YOU. SO WHEN YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT THE ISSUES ON THE WEST END, YOU MEAN YOU DIDN'T THINK THAT [INAUDIBLE] SHOULD BE RESIDENTIAL ONE? SORRY, THAT'S JUST. I'M SORRY COULD YOU REPEAT THAT, MARIE. I SAID THAT'S MORE OF A COMMENT IN THE LDR'S WHEN THEY RUSHED TO COMPLETE THEM, THEY MADE ALL THE [INAUDIBLE] RESIDENTIAL ONE? SORRY, THAT'S MORE OF A COMMENT ABOUT HOW IT DOESN'T MAKE SENSE TO RUSH AND FINISH THINGS? WELL, THAT'S WHAT'S CAUSED ALL THE PROBLEMS. IT JUST COMES UP REPEATEDLY THAT THEY SHOULD HAVE BEEN GRANDFATHERED INTO COMMERCIAL OR MIXED. RIGHT. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT, JOHN. PAUL, THANK YOU FOR THE APPLICATION. A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS FOR YOU. WHILE WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE WEST END AND THOSE AREAS OF ZONING. HAVE YOU BEEN FOLLOWING THE COMMISSION CLOSE ENOUGH TO KNOW ABOUT THE REZONING OF THOSE PROPERTIES ON THE WEST END? THAT WHERE WE'VE SEEN A HANDFUL OF THEM THAT WERE REZONED IN RESIDENTIAL WHEN THEY WERE ALWAYS OPERATING AS COMMERCIAL? CAN YOU WEIGH IN ON SOME OF THOSE DECISIONS IF YOU HAVE SOME KNOWLEDGE OF THEM? AND THEN I'LL HAVE ANOTHER QUESTION AFTER THAT. WELL, OVER THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS, I'VE SEEN AND NOTICED, AND ESPECIALLY THROUGH THE SIGNAGE OR JUST PICKING UP THROUGH CONVERSATIONS ABOUT SOME OF THESE AREAS, PARTICULARLY CORNER AREAS THAT HAVE BEEN ZONED RESIDENTIAL IN [INAUDIBLE]. AND I DON'T HAVE ANY ISSUE WITH THAT. IN FACT, IF THEY SHOULD BE A BUSINESS, WE NEED A MIX JUST LIKE THE REST OF THE CITY DOES OF RESIDENTIAL. AND WE NEED SOME CENTERS FOR COMMERCIAL ACTIVITIES AND CONVENIENCE AND THAT PEOPLE'S PROPERTIES ARE USED APPROPRIATELY. SO WHERE I'VE ALSO SEEN WHERE THE RATIONALIZATION OF CHANGING THE ZONING IS SOMETIMES USED TO CREATE PROPERTY VALUE INCREASES FOR THE APPLICANTS. SO YOU NEED TO MAKE SURE IT MAKES SENSE AND THAT THEIR HISTORY OF THE PROPERTY IS CONSISTENT WITH THE STORYLINE. AND WE NEED A MIX OF PROPERTIES ON THE WEST END. I'M NOT SURE IF THAT'S ADEQUATE. NO, THAT'S A GREAT ANSWER. ONE OTHER QUESTION. HEIGHT AND DENSITY REGULATIONS. SO, YOU KNOW, WE CURRENTLY HAVE, OF COURSE, HEIGHT AND DENSITY REGULATIONS ON SEVERAL LOCATIONS ACROSS THE ISLAND. CAN YOU JUST GIVE ME YOUR GENERAL OPINION ON OUR CURRENT HEIGHT AND DENSITY REGULATIONS? WELL, IT'S KIND OF A MIX. IF I WAS LOOKING AT A FUTURE OF A CITY, EXPANDING AERIALLY ISN'T THE RIGHT ANSWER. CONCENTRATING MAKES MORE SENSE, PARTICULARLY BEHIND THE PROTECTION OF THE SEAWALL. A LOT OF THE OBJECTION TO HEIGHT AND DENSITY COMES FROM THE RESIDENTS THEMSELVES ARE GOING TO BE IMPACTED BUT IN TERMS OF THE BIG PICTURE AS A COMMUNITY AND THINKING ABOUT SAFETY, I THINK IT'D BE BETTER TO HAVE DEVELOPMENT MORE CONCENTRATED AND LESS SPREAD OUT WHERE THEY'RE PROTECTED FROM SEA LEVEL AND HURRICANE IMPACTS. SO I'M A LITTLE MORE OPEN TO HEIGHT AND DENSITY INCREASES THAN PROBABLY A NUMBER OF RESIDENTS WHO FEEL THAT YOU'RE GOING TO BE DIRECTLY IMPACTED BY IT SO. OKAY THANK YOU. VERY GOOD COUNCIL MEMBERS. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? I HAVE A QUESTION PAUL BUT FIRST OF ALL, THANK YOU FOR YOUR PERSEVERANCE. IT'S ALWAYS A PLEASURE SEEING YOU. YOU TOO. QUESTION AFFORDABLE HOUSING. THE TOPIC COMES UP A LOT HERE AT GALVESTON PLANNING COMMISSION POSSIBLY MAY HAVE A ROLE IN THAT. DO YOU SEE PLANNING COMMISSION HAVING A ROLE IN THAT DECISION. AND IF SO, HOW WOULD THE PLANNING COMMISSION INSERT THEMSELVES OR BE INVOLVED WITH THAT, DO YOU THINK? [02:05:01] WELL, IN PLANNING COMMISSION, I SEE IT'S MOSTLY AN ADVISORY ROLE, BUT TRYING TO MAKE SURE THAT WE MORPH AND EVOLVE A LITTLE BIT. A LOT OF WHAT I SEE IN THE PLANNING COMMISSION, IT'S INTERESTING HOW OFTEN PRESIDENTS DRIVE THE DECISION MAKING, AND IF YOU ALLOW THAT TO HAPPEN ALL THE TIME, YOU NEVER GET TO EVOLVE. NEVER GET TO IMPROVE AND RECOGNIZE. I THINK THE CHANGES NEED TO BE TAKEN BY THE CITY IN TERMS OF THIS DIRECTION TO KEEP ITS LONG TERM QUALITY OF LIFE. SO IN TERMS OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING, IF AS A PLANNING COMMISSION MEMBER, WHEN I DRIVE THROUGH GALVESTON, I SEE BOARDED UP HOUSES, I SEE A LOT OF HOMES IN SIGNIFICANT NEED OF SIGNIFICANT REPAIRS AND IMPROVEMENT. IF I HAD ANY ABILITY TO TRY TO FOCUS THE CITY ON IMPROVING THOSE HOMES, IMPROVING WHAT WE ALREADY HAVE, ALLOWING THAT TO BECOME PART OF OUR AFFORDABLE HOUSING MIX, THAT'D BE A BIG BENEFIT. AND ALSO THERE'S THAT RISK THAT WE'RE GOING TO BECOME A WEEKEND HOME MECCA. AGAIN WE HAVE MORE HOMES, WE HAVE MORE PROPERTY VALUES. BUT WE ESSENTIALLY END UP WITH LESS RESIDENTS. SO I WOULD TRY TO KEEP A GOAL OF MAINTAINING OUR RESIDENT BASE IN MIND AS PART OF THE PLANNING COMMISSION. ARE THE DECISIONS GOING TO DEGRADE THAT RESIDENTS BASE OR HELP MAINTAIN, STABILIZE OR EVEN GROW IT? VERY GOOD. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, PAUL. WELL, WE'RE WINDING UP WITH OUR INTERVIEW. IT LOOKS LIKE PAUL WE WILL MAKE OUR DECISION THIS AFTERNOON IN OUR 1:30 MEETING WE'LL CONTACT YOU. THANK YOU AGAIN FOR BEING HERE. APPRECIATE IT. THANKS A LOT. JANELLE WE'RE MOVING TO NOW OUR LAST CANDIDATE, JERRY CANNIER. PLEASE, MA'AM. OK. HEY, JERRY. HEY, HOW ARE YOU? I'M FINE, AND THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE. WE, AS YOU KNOW, WE'LL START OUT WITH IF YOU COULD GIVE US A BRIEF INTRODUCTION, KIND OF WHY YOU WANT TO SERVE ON THE PLANNING COMMISSION, WHY YOU WOULD LIKE TO SERVE, AND ALSO A LITTLE BIT ABOUT YOUR BACKGROUND AND SO FORTH. AND THEN WE'LL OPEN IT UP TO COUNCIL FOR QUESTIONS. WELL, AS YOU KNOW, MY NAME IS JERRY CANNIER, AND I'VE LIVED IN GALVESTON FOR 21 YEARS. FOR THOSE 21 YEARS, I VOLUNTEERED TO DO A LOT OF DIFFERENT SERVICES FOR BOTH THE CITY AND FOR NON-PROFITS. AND FOR THE PLANNING COMMISSION I THINK THE ISLAND IS EXPERIENCING UNPRECEDENTED GROWTH. AND WITH THE FEDERAL DOLLARS COMING THIS WAY, WE WILL CONTINUE TO GROW FOR MANY YEARS. THIS IS OUR TIME TO GET IT RIGHT BY USING THE DOCUMENTS THAT WE ALREADY HAVE IN PLACE TO DO SO. JUST AFTER IKE, THE URBAN LAND INSTITUTE THAT PROVIDES LEADERSHIP IN CREATING AND SUSTAINING THRIVING COMMUNITIES WORLDWIDE CAME TO GALVESTON. WE WERE VERY LUCKY THEY WERE HERE TO HELP US RECOVER FROM THE STORM. THEY INTERVIEWED HUNDREDS OF GALVESTONIANS ABOUT WHAT THEY WANTED FOR THEIR CITY AND THEIR REPORT AND ITS CONCLUSIONS SHOWED US WHAT WE CAN BE IN THE FUTURE. IN ABOUT 2013, THE CITY BEGAN REVIEWING ITS EXISTING LAND DEVELOPMENT REGULATIONS. I WAS A CHAMBER BOARD MEMBER AT THAT TIME AND WAS GIVEN THE DUBIOUS HONOR OF CHAIRING THE CHAMBERS LAND DEVELOPMENT REGULATIONS COMMITTEE SO THAT WE CAN MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS TO THE CITY. IT LASTED FOR TWO YEARS, BUT WE FINALLY SUBMITTED IT TO CITY COUNCIL. I'M FAMILIAR WITH THE LDR'S IS AN ESSENTIAL DOCUMENT FOR THE CITY OF GALVESTON IN THE PLANNING COMMISSION. THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN IS ANOTHER IMPORTANT DOCUMENT THAT PROVIDES A VISION FOR THE FUTURE OF OUR CITY AND HOW TO MEASURE THAT PROGRESS. I BELIEVE THE CITY ADOPTED IT IN 2011, BUT IT'S NOT REALLY JUST A PERMANENT DOCUMENT. IT'S SOMETHING THAT SHOULD BE LOOKED AT LEAST MAYBE EVERY 10 YEARS. AND I UNDERSTAND THAT VISION GALVESTON IS COMING TO SEE YOU ALL THIS AFTERNOON. THEY'VE BEEN HARD AT WORK. I THINK THAT I KNOW THAT I'VE PARTICIPATED IN SEVERAL OF THEIR SESSIONS. THEY WILL PROVIDE IMPORTANT IDEAS AND DATA ABOUT WHAT THE CITIZENS EXPECT AND WHAT [02:10:04] THEY WANT TO SEE IN IN OUR CITY. I'M EXCITED ABOUT GALVESTON'S FUTURE, AND I WOULD LOVE TO BE PART OF THAT ON THE PLANNING COMMISSION. THANK YOU, JERRY. APPRECIATE IT. WE'LL OPEN IT UP TO QUESTIONS FOR COUNCIL. COUNCIL MEMBERS. DAVID. THANKS. JERRY, THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE. THANKS FOR YOUR CONTINUED PARTICIPATION. I KNOW YOU'VE SERVED THE CITY IN A NUMBER OF ROLES OVER THE LAST SEVERAL YEARS. WHAT DO YOU SEE AS THE ROLE THAT YOU THINK THE PLANNING COMMISSION SHOULD BE PLAYING IN THE CITY? I THINK THEY WENT WELL, AS I JUST SAID, I THINK THAT ALL OF THESE DOCUMENTS THAT WE HAVE IN OUR PORTFOLIO, WE SHOULD LOOK AT THOSE WHEN PEOPLE COME TO US ASKING FOR THE THINGS THAT PLANNING COMMISSION PROVIDES, WHETHER IT'S A VARIANCE, WHETHER IT'S TO BUILD SOMETHING, WHETHER FOR ALL THE REASONS THAT PEOPLE COME TO PLANNING, THOSE DOCUMENTS ARE THERE TO GUIDE US. ALL RIGHT, THANK YOU, JERRY. COUNCIL MEMBERS ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? JOHN AND THEN WILLIAM. YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE QUESTIONS THAT I'VE BEEN ASKING IS, YOU KNOW, YOUR EXPERIENCE WITH THE LDR'S AND YOU KNOW, I KIND OF KNOW THAT BECAUSE I SERVED ON THE CHAMBER WITH YOU AS WE WERE GOING THROUGH THIS PROCESS. BUT IF YOU COULD JUST MAYBE YOU HIT ON THAT A LITTLE BIT IN YOUR OPENING, BUT MAYBE YOU COULD TALK A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT THAT. AND I'M JUST GLAD TO SEE THAT YOU HAVE THAT EXPERIENCE WITH THE LDR'S. BUT THAT'S SOMETHING THAT THE PLANNING COMMISSION, YOU KNOW, THAT'S PRETTY MUCH WHAT WE GO BY WHEN MAKING DECISIONS. SO IF YOU COULD JUST TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THAT IN YOUR EXPERIENCE WITH THAT. WELL, I HAD AN IN-DEPTH BACKGROUND BY THE TIME I FINISHED MY TWO YEARS OF SERVICE. IT WAS I FOUND IT FASCINATING AND INTERESTING. I DIDN'T REALIZE THAT THOSE ALL EXISTED BEFORE. I DIDN'T UNDERSTAND WHAT THE BIG TO DO WAS BECAUSE THERE WAS A BIG TO DO. AS YOU REMEMBER, JOHN, AT THE CHAMBER, WE HAD PEOPLE WHO CAME TO OUR MEETINGS SAYING THAT THERE SHOULD BE NO REGULATIONS WHATSOEVER, THAT IT WAS AGAINST THE LAW AND WE COULDN'T DO THAT. BUT I THINK THOSE DOCUMENTS ARE EXTREMELY IMPORTANT TO THE CITY AND WITHOUT THEM PEOPLE COULD DO WHATEVER THEY FEEL LIKE. AND THAT'S NOT IN THE BEST INTERESTS OF THE CITY. THEY'RE VERY TECHNICAL. THEY'RE VERY LONG. AND WE REALLY GOT INTO EACH EACH SECTION OF THOSE LDR'S AT THE CHAMBER. AND I BELIEVE THAT THOSE ARE THE MOST RECENT ONES. I DON'T THINK THAT THEY'VE BEEN REWORKED. I'M NOT SURE, BUT I DON'T THINK THEY HAVE. THANK YOU. WILLIAM. THANKS, JERRY, FOR BEING HERE AND YOUR DESIRE TO WANT TO SERVE GALVESTON EVEN MORE. JUST A QUICK QUESTION. WHAT IDEAS OR RECOMMENDATIONS OR CHANGES, WHETHER IT BE THE LDR'S OR ANYTHING ELSE THAT YOU COULD THINK OF THAT COULD, YOU KNOW, SPUR DEVELOPMENT, WHETHER THAT BE ECONOMICALLY OR HOUSING WISE? YOU KNOW, WE HAVE THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING TALK THAT'S ALWAYS BROUGHT UP. SO WHAT IDEAS DO YOU HAVE? I'M JUST GIVING THE CANDIDATES A CHANCE TO KIND OF GO OVER SOME OF THEIR IDEAS TO SPUR DEVELOPMENT IN ANY WHICH WAY THEY KIND OF COULD THINK OF? I THINK DEVELOPMENTS COMING. I DON'T KNOW THAT WE HAVE TO SPUR MUCH OF IT. IT'S I MEAN, WE'RE GOING TO GET A LOT OF MONEY FROM THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT. AND WE ARE ALSO ON HOUSTON'S RADAR. WHEN I FIRST CAME HERE, WHICH WAS LATE IN 2000, WE WEREN'T CONSIDERED A PART OF HOUSTON AREA. WE WERE JUST AN ISLAND UNTO OURSELVES. BUT NOW WE ARE CONSIDERED TO BE PART OF THE HOUSTON METROPOLITAN AREA. AND I THINK DEVELOPMENT IS COMING, WHETHER IT'S RESTAURANTS, WHETHER IT'S HOMES. I KNOW WE NEED AFFORDABLE HOUSING. I THINK THE HOUSING AUTHORITY IS BEGINNING TO WELL, IT'S ADDRESSING SOME OF THAT AND OTHERS I JUST SAW. ONE OF YOUR MOST RECENT LET'S SEE APPROVAL'S, IF YOU WILL, WAS FOR SOME LAND DEVELOPMENT FROM I'M NOT SURE WHETHER IT WAS OUR EX MAYOR OR HIS SON, BUT THERE ARE SOME HOUSING COMING ALONG THAT WAS GOING TO BE MIDDLE INCOME, I BELIEVE. [02:15:06] I DON'T KNOW. IT WAS ENLARGING AN AREA WHERE THERE WAS MAYBE 13 HOMESITES TO 18 HOMESITES. DOING THINGS LIKE THAT SPUR GROWTH ALSO. DOES THAT ANSWER YOUR QUESTION AT ALL? THANK YOU. I APPRECIATE IT. MARIE. YOU KEEP MENTIONING A LOT OF FEDERAL MONEY AND IN THE HISTORY OF FEDERAL MONEY, TIES THE LOW TO MIDDLE INCOME. SO THE POOLS THAT YOU ARE SPEAKING OF, I'M JUST CURIOUS. I WAS SPEAKING OF EDUCATION, THERE'S QUITE A BIT OF MONEY COMING TO GALVESTON COLLEGE. THERE'S QUITE A BIT OF MONEY COMING TO TEXAS A&M. THERE IS A LOT OF MONEY COMING TO UTMB, AND I'M THINKING ROADS AND POSSIBLE BRIDGES. I WASN'T THINKING LOW INCOME HOUSING AT ALL. THANK YOU. VERY GOOD. JERRY I HAVE A QUESTION FOR YOU. IF YOU WERE APPOINTED TO THE PLANNING COMMISSION, I THINK ONE OF THE TOPICS COMING UP HERE IN THE NEAR FUTURE IS THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN. AND WOULD YOU MAKE SOME COMMENTS ABOUT YOUR THOUGHTS ON THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN, THE IMPORTANCE OF THAT, HOW IT INTERPLAYS WITH OUR COMMUNITY AND THINGS LIKE THAT? I THINK IT'S ONE OF WELL, I SAID BEFORE, IT'S ONE OF THE THREE MOST IMPORTANT DOCUMENTS THAT WE HAVE FOR THE CITY FOR PLANNING. IT'S A VISION FOR THE FUTURE OF OUR CITY. AND THE LAST TIME WE DID THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN PARDON ME, MY ALLERGIES ARE JUST OFF THE ROOF. EXCUSE ME. I BELIEVE IT WAS IN 2011, AND THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN IS A WORKING DOCUMENT, AND I THINK IT'S TIME TO TAKE ANOTHER LOOK AT IT. 2011 WAS A LONG TIME AGO. I DON'T BELIEVE A COMPREHENSIVE PLAN IS MEANT TO BE A PERMANENT FIXTURE. IT SHOULD BE LOOKED AT AGAIN. AND I SERVED ON THAT COMMITTEE. I ENJOYED SERVING ON THE COMMITTEE. IT WAS INTERESTING TO WORK WITH ALL THE DIFFERENT FACTIONS IN THE CITY. VERY GOOD COUNCIL. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS FOR MS. CANNIER? JERRY, THANK YOU VERY MUCH. APPRECIATE YOU [INAUDIBLE]. AND WE WILL BE MEETING AT 1:30 AND IT'S PART OF OUR AGENDA TO CHOOSE OUR APPOINTEE TO THE PLANNING COMMISSION. THANK YOU FOR YOUR APPLICATION FOR SURE. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. ALL RIGHTY. WELL, COUNCIL I THOUGHT WE HAD SOME GREAT INTERVIEWS THIS MORNING AND THOUGHT THIS WAS VERY HELPFUL. WE WILL RECONVENE AT 1:30 THIS AFTERNOON. AND WE ALSO. I'M JUST GOING TO MENTION. OH, GO AHEAD, MARIE. YOU HAD YOUR HAND UP. WELL, I DON'T KNOW WHETHER JANELLE WILL BE ADDRESSING THIS, BUT ONE OF THE CANDIDATES MENTIONED THAT THEIR HOMESTEAD WAS NOT IN THE CITY OF GALVESTON AND THEREFORE THAT DISQUALIFIES THEM. AND I THINK PEOPLE NEED TO BE AWARE OF THAT BEFORE THEY VOTE. YES AND THAT JANELLE SENT THAT OUT TO ALL OF COUNCIL. ALL COUNCIL MEMBERS HAD THAT. AND JANELLE DID YOU WANT TO MAKE A COMMENT ON THAT? YES, SIR. I SPOKE TO THE CITY ATTORNEY ABOUT THIS SUBJECT. AND THERE IS A CHARTER PROVISION THAT SAYS THAT BOARD AND COMMITTEE MEMBERS HAVE TO MEET THE SAME RESIDENCY REQUIREMENTS AS CITY COUNCIL. AND ONE OF THOSE REQUIREMENTS IS THAT YOU MUST NOT CLAIM A HOMESTEAD EXEMPTION ON ANY PROPERTY THAT'S NOT IN GALVESTON. SO MR. HARRELL WOULD NOT BE ELIGIBLE TO SERVE. CORRECT. AND JANELLE WOULD YOU MAKE SURE WE NOTIFY MR. HARRELL OF THAT SO HE KNOWS HIS STATUS ON THAT? OK, VERY GOOD COUNCIL WE HAVE GONE THROUGH OUR AGENDA. IT HAS BEEN FINISHED. I AM GOING TO ADJOURN OUR INTERVIEW SESSION AND OUR WORKSHOP FOR THIS MORNING AND WE WILL RECONVENE FOR OUR MEETING AT 1:30 THIS AFTERNOON HAVE A GOOD LUNCH. * This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.