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OH YEAH.GOOD MORNING EVERYONE, AND WELCOME TO THIS SPECIAL CALL MEETING AUGUST THE SECOND, 2024.
UH, AT THIS POINT I'D LIKE TO ASK ALDERMAN ROYAL, IF YOU WOULDN'T MIND OPENING US OF A WORD OF PRAYER, PLEASE.
FATHER, WE THANK YOU TODAY FOR YET ANOTHER OPPORTUNITY TOGETHER IN YOUR NAME TO CONDUCT CITY BUSINESS.
WE PRAY FOR THE LEADERSHIP OF THE HOLY SPIRIT.
WE PRAY THAT WE WILL MAKE RIGHT DECISIONS, AND THAT WE WILL WORK COLLABORATIVELY TOGETHER FOR THE GOOD OF ALL THE CITIZENS OF THIS GREAT CITY.
WE ASK THIS PRAYER IN JESUS' NAME, AMEN.
IF YOU WOULD PLEASE STAND AS WE FLAG OUR COUNTRY.
EXCUSE ME, I PLEDGE TO THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS, ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE, WITH LIBERTY, LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL.
MADAM CLERK, IF YOU WOULD PLEASE CALL ROLL ALDERMAN PRI.
[1. Discuss the vacancy of the Ward 6 Seat following Alderman Robert Brinson' s resignation; and]
YOU ALL SHOULD HAVE RECEIVED AN EMAIL, UH, EARLIER THIS WEEK, UH, FROM ALDERMAN BRISSON, UM, I GUESS NOW, SENATOR BRISSON, UH, THAT HE HAD RESIGNED HIS POSITION FROM WARD SIX ALDERMAN TO ACCEPT THE OATH OF OFFICE, UH, FOR THE STATE SENATE SEAT.UH, THAT CREATES A VACANCY, OBVIOUSLY, ON OUR BOARD.
UH, SO I FELT LIKE THIS IS SOMETHING FAIRLY SIGNIFICANT THAT, UH, WE NEEDED TO DISCUSS.
AND, UH, I ASKED THE ATTORNEY, UH, I BELIEVE HE SENT AN EMAIL OUT TO US YESTERDAY, BUT MAYBE IF HE WANTS TO KIND OF KICK US OFF AND LET US KNOW THE PROCESS, WHAT THE REQUIREMENTS ARE, AND HOW WE COULD GO THROUGH THIS.
MAYOR MEMBERS, THE BOARD, UM, STATUTE PROVIDES THAT, UH, THE BOARD FILLS THE SEAT.
UM, THE STATUTE'S VERY CLEAR THAT, UH, IT IS YOUR PREROGATIVE AND, UM, YOU'LL DO THAT BY A MAJORITY VOTE OF THE BOARD.
UM, ELECTIONS AND SUB ELECTIONS, THOSE KINDS OF PROCEDURES ARE NOT AUTHORIZED BY THE STATUTE.
UM, JUST TAKES A SIMPLE MAJORITY VOTE, UM, TO DO THAT.
UM, YOU HAVE, UM, UM, SEVERAL MONTHS TO DO THAT.
UM, THE SOONER THE BETTER VACANT SEATS ARE NOT HELPFUL, OBVIOUSLY.
UM, UM, WHY DO I SAY TWO MONTHS? UM, COUNTY STATUTES HAVE A 60 DAY TIME PERIOD.
UM, CITY STATUTES DON'T HAVE A TIME PERIOD.
SO IN MY BUSINESS, WE CALL IT A REASONABLE TIME, AND WE LOOK AT THE COUNTY STATUTE AND SAY, THAT'S PROBABLY REASONABLE ENOUGH.
SO SEVERAL MONTHS, ALTHOUGH I CAN'T THINK OF A SCENARIO WHERE I'VE HAD A BOARD IN THE LAST MANY DECADES TAKE MORE THAN 3, 4, 5 WEEKS TO FILL THE VACANCY.
UM, IN DOING THAT, UM, SEVERAL OPTIONS ARE AVAILABLE TO YOU.
UM, SOMETIMES BOARDS WILL HAVE, UH, WILL, WILL HAVE AN IMMEDIATE CONSENSUS ON WHO TO FILL THE SEAT.
UM, AND IF THAT'S THE CASE, THAT CAN BE DONE VERY RAPIDLY, UM, BY VOTE.
UM, SOMETIMES THERE ARE MULTIPLE, UM, CANDIDATES, UM, OR THERE ARE, UM, PUBLIC OFFICIALS WHO, WHO WANT TO PROMOTE A PARTICULAR PERSON WHO'S EXPRESSED AN INTEREST TO THEM.
IF THAT'S THE CASE, UM, I SUGGEST A WRITTEN BALLOT WHERE YOU, UM, ADOPT A PROCEDURE AMONG YOURSELVES TO, TO THIN THE HERD SO THAT YOU GET IT DOWN TO A COUPLE PEOPLE.
BUT AS SOON AS YOU HAVE IN THAT PROCESS A PERSON WHO HAS A MAJORITY OF THE VOTES, THEN THAT PERSON WOULD FILL THE POSITION.
QUESTIONS, ANY QUESTIONS? UM, WHY DON'T WE DO WHAT YOU JUST SAID? GET A LIST OF NAMES OF PEOPLE, THEREFORE WE CAN NARROW IT DOWN TO THE PERSON THAT WE ARE GONNA SELECT.
THEREFORE, NO ONE CAN SAY THAT, HEY, I WANTED TO DO IT, BUT NOBODY CHOSE ME.
SO, UH, I THINK THAT'S THE DIRECTION TO GO IN.
WELL, YEAH, I'D, I'D JUST LIKE TO, JUST TO ADD, I MEAN, WE'RE IN THE MIDDLE OF SUMMER.
UM, THINGS ARE VERY QUIET IN THE CITY RIGHT NOW, AND THAT'S NOT A BAD THING.
UM, IT AFFORDS US AN OPPORTUNITY TO TAKE OUR TIME IN THIS PROCESS.
UM, BOB'S RESIGNATION, UM, HAPPENED JUST IN THE LAST WEEK.
UM, WE HAVE NOT HAD A CHANCE TO COMMUNICATE OUT TO THE RESIDENTS IN WARD SIX THAT THERE IS A VACANCY.
I THINK WE NEED TO DO EVERYTHING THAT WE CAN THROUGH SOCIAL MEDIA, THROUGH WORD OF MOUTH, POSSIBLY EVEN A, EVEN A DIRECT MAILING TO THE RESIDENTS IN WARD SIX.
UM, LETTING THEM KNOW WHAT THE,
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UM, PROCESS WOULD BE.AND, AND I THINK THIS BOARD HAS YET TO IDENTIFY THAT HOPEFULLY WE CAN DO THAT THIS MORNING.
UM, THAT IF WE HAVE MORE THAN ONE INDIVIDUAL WHO EXPRESSES AN INTEREST IN THE POSITION, AND I KNOW OF, OF ONE OTHER, UH, INDIVIDUAL IN ADDITION TO THE ONE WHO HAS COMMUNICATED THEIR INTEREST TO THE CITY, I SUSPECT THAT THERE MAY BE OTHERS OUT THERE.
SO I WOULD LIKE TO SEE US ENCOURAGE ANYBODY IN WARD SIX WHO MAY HAVE AN INTEREST TO EXPRESS THAT INTEREST TO THE CITY, TO US, UM, SO THAT WE CAN THEN ESTABLISH A PROCEDURE TO POSSIBLY SIT DOWN WITH EACH OF THOSE INDIVIDUALS AND TALK TO THEM BEFORE A FINAL DECISION ON THE VOTE IS TAKEN.
SO I WOULD LIKE TO SEE US TAKE THE TIME TO GO THROUGH A, A PROCESS THAT OPENS THIS UP TO ANYBODY AND EVERYBODY BEFORE ANY FINAL DECISIONS MADE.
UM, I CONCUR WITH, UH, ALDERMAN KENZIE AND, UM, ALDERMAN PRI.
UM, I DO THINK THAT WE NEED TO GIVE OUR CITIZENS AN OPPORTUNITY, THOSE CITIZENS, UM, WITHIN WARD SIX, AN OPPORTUNITY, UM, TO PRESENT THEMSELVES TO US FOR THIS, UM, SEAT.
UM, IT'S ALWAYS BEEN MY STANCE TO ALWAYS GIVE OUR CITIZENS AN OPPORTUNITY TO COME FORWARD, TO SPEAK, TO VOICE THEIR CONCERNS AND BE A PART OF OUR GOVERNMENT.
UM, AND I DO KNOW THAT THERE ARE OTHER INDIVIDUALS IN WAR SIX THAT IS INTERESTED IN THIS, UM, SEAT BECAUSE I'VE HAD TWO TO CONTACT ME THIS MORNING,
SO, UM, I TOO WOULD LIKE TO GIVE, UM, UH, AS ATTORNEY DAVIS SAID, UM, WE WANT TO FILL THIS SEAT AS SOON AS POSSIBLE, BUT I DO THINK WE NEED TO TAKE THE PROPER, UH, TIME TO VET, UH, CITIZENS THAT COME FORTH THAT HAVE AN INTEREST IN THIS PARTICULAR SEAT.
I AGREE THAT WE SHOULD GET THE CITIZENS AWARD SIX INVOLVED.
I THINK ANYONE THAT'S INTERESTED IN, UM, IN THIS SEAT SHOULD ACTUALLY SUBMIT A LETTER, UH, OF INTEREST ALONG WITH A RESUME TO THE CITY CLERK.
SO WE'LL KNOW WHO, WHO'S INTERESTED AND WHAT THEIR EXPERIENCE MAY BE.
AND THEN IF WE, UM, ATTEND ATTORNEY DAVIS, IF WE GET NUMEROUS CANDIDATES, UM, WE CAN ALWAYS GO WITH THE BALLOT VOTE, CORRECT? YES, MA'AM.
AND I CONCUR WITH ALL I I'M TOTAL, UM, IN TOTAL AGREEMENT TO GIVE OPPORTUNITY TO OUR CITIZENS, THOSE WHO MAY HAVE AN INTEREST IN SERVING.
WE ALREADY HAVE A PROCESS ON BOARD FOR, UM, VARIOUS BOARDS THAT EXIST WITHIN THE CITY.
I THINK IT'S GOOD TO FOLLOW THAT PRECEDENCE THAT WE HAVE.
AGAIN, WE MADE MENTION OF THAT IN, UH, SUBMITTING AN APPLICATION OR SUBMITTING A LETTER OF INTEREST TO THE CITY CLERK AND ALL OF US GETTING AN OPPORTUNITY TO REVIEW.
AND THAT'S THE PROCEDURE FOR OUR OTHER BOARDS.
AND I FEEL THAT IT'S A GOOD PROTOCOL FOR THIS PARTICULAR, UH, OPPORTUNITY WITH A RESUME.
MY CONCERN ABOUT THE RESUME IS THAT NOT EVERYBODY NECESSARILY HAS A RESUME THAT MIGHT BE CURRENT.
WELL, JUST SOMETHING, I MEAN, A COUPLE PARAGRAPHS OF A LETTER THAT WOULD MAYBE OUTLINE BACKGROUND INTERESTS AND THAT KIND OF THING.
WOULD, THAT WOULD BE A RESUME I COGNIZE.
UM, ATTORNEY DAVIS, UM, SOCIAL MEDIA, OBVIOUSLY THERE'S NO COST ASSOCIATED WITH THAT.
I'M SURE THE MANAGER CAN WORK WITH, UH, OUR PIO TO HANDLE THAT.
THE DIRECT MAILING PIECE THAT ALDERMAN PER MENTIONED THERE WOULD, THERE WOULD OBVIOUSLY BE A COST ASSOCIATED WITH THAT.
WE DON'T HAVE THAT IN A BUDGET, SO I DON'T KNOW.
COULD IT GO ON THE ELECTRIC BILL BY ANY CHANCE? TO THE EXTENT PEOPLE READ IT? UM, THAT'S A QUESTION.
IF IT'S FREE, THAT MIGHT BE AN OPTION.
I DIDN'T UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU SAID.
WHAT WAS THE ELECTRIC BILL? UM, HAS, UM, A, A SPACE FOR COMMUNITY NOTES.
I JUST DON'T KNOW IF THERE'S A FEE ASSOCIATED WITH THAT TO THE CITY THERE.
'CAUSE I REMEMBER WE'VE TALKED IN THE PAST ABOUT GETTING INFORMATION OUT THAT WAY THERE'S A FEE ASSOCIATED WITH IT.
THE ONLY QUESTION I WOULD HAVE WITH THAT IS HOW YOU DELINEATE THE WARD.
BOUNDARIES DON'T NECESSARILY MATCH UP WITH OUR ELECTRIC BILLS, BUT CORRECT.
UM, AND SOME OF THE PEOPLE ARE NOT ONLY HAVE CITY ELECTRIC, IT'S IN THAT WARD.
UM, ALDERMAN PRILL, WOULD YOU BE OKAY IF THE SOCIAL
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MEDIA AND THE WORD OF MOUTH AND WE WEREN'T ABLE TO DO THE DIRECT MAIL, WOULD YOU BE OKAY WITH THAT? WELL, DIRECT TO MAIL IS NOT A DIFFICULT THING TO ACHIEVE.UM, I, I WOULD DEFER, UH, TO OTHERS, BUT THERE ARE EASY WAYS, UM, TO IDENTIFY THE BOUNDARIES OF WARD SIX IN THIS CASE.
UM, AND TO THEN PULL, UM, ADDRESSES OUT OF SYSTEMS THAT ARE ALREADY IN PLACE, INFORMATION THAT'S ALREADY AVAILABLE, UH, TO GENERATE A MAILING LIST.
AND THEN IT'S JUST A MATTER OF WHAT THE DIRECT MAILING, UH, WOULD ENTAIL.
AND I WOULD SIMPLY ENVISION JUST AN ANNOUNCEMENT THAT A POSITION IS, HAS COME OPEN.
UM, WE ARE CONSIDERING, UM, ANYBODY, YOU KNOW, INTERESTED IN, IN BEING CONSIDERED FOR THE POSITION.
UM, JUST OUTLINE THE TERM OF OFFICE THAT IT'S FILLING AN UNEXPIRED TERM.
UM, AND THAT, UH, YOU KNOW, IF ANYBODY'S INTERESTED TO SUBMIT A LETTER, UM, YOU KNOW, KIND OF A BACKGROUND LETTER TO THE CITY BY A CERTAIN DATE, JUST TO KEEP IT VERY SIMPLE, UM, THAT WAY WE ARE GUARANTEEING THAT WE'RE KIDDING EVERY HOUSEHOLD BECAUSE SOCIAL MEDIA, WE DON'T KNOW HOW MANY PEOPLE SOCIAL MEDIA IS GOING TO BE TOUCHING.
UM, THERE'S ANOTHER SOLUTION TOO.
I MEAN, WE'VE GOT THAT REVERSE 9 1 1 SYSTEM THAT CAN IDENTIFY THE BOUNDARIES AND SEND A TELEPHONE CALL OUT TO 'EM AND ANNOUNCE IT.
BUT I THINK YOU HAVE TO SIGN UP TO BE PARTICIPANT IN THAT.
IF I'M NOT MISTAKEN, AND NOT EVERYBODY I KNOW IT'S COLLEEN NOT HERE.
SHE, UNFORTUNATELY, YEAH, SHE'S OUT THIS WEEK.
I THINK WE, I HAVE TO BE SIGNED UP.
I THINK HE SIGNED, I THINK YOU SIGN UP TO RECEIVE THE ALERTS, BUT I THINK YOU CAN SEND OUT A MESSAGE AND THE OLD SYSTEM, WE USED TO BE ABLE TO DO IT THAT WAY.
I, WE'VE GOT A NEW SYSTEM NOW, BUT THAT MIGHT BE A SOLUTION IF WE CAN, IF WE CAN IDENTIFY THE BOUNDARIES AND JUST SEND A PHONE CALL OUT TO EVERYBODY COULD DO THAT A COUPLE TIMES.
SO, SO HOW ABOUT, HOW ABOUT IF STAFF CAN RESEARCH THIS TOPIC AND THEN FOLLOW BACK UP WITH THE BOARD ON SOME OPTIONS FOR DIRECT MAIL, THE REVERSE 9 1 1, ANY ANY FORMS OF COMMUNICATION THAT WE CAN GET THE MESSAGE OUT? IF STAFF COULD KIND OF TAKE THAT AS A TAKEAWAY AND THEN REPORT BACK TO THE BOARD.
CAN CAN ALSO, UH, UM, ATTORNEY DAVIS, CAN'T WE RECEIVE THE, UH, WARD SIX, UM, CITIZENS FROM THE BOARD OF ELECTION? WOULDN'T THAT GIVE US THE NAMES AND ADDRESSES OF ALL THOSE THAT WOULD, THAT'S IN WARD SIX.
AND THEN THE CITY, WE CAN TAKE THAT INFORMATION AND DECIPHER, YOU KNOW, SEND OUT THE PHONE CALLS.
THAT DOESN'T NECESSARILY MEAN 'CAUSE YOU COULD NOT BE REGISTERED AND ELIGIBLE TO RUN FOR ALDERMAN.
I, I BELIEVE OUR OWN GIS SYSTEM, UH, AND OUR CENSUS DATA WILL GET US, GET US PRETTY DEEP OKAY.
WE KNOW THERE'S ROUGHLY 5,000, UH, VOTING PEOPLE IN THAT, IN THAT WARD.
I DON'T KNOW HOW MANY HOUSEHOLDS THERE ARE BY MAILING ADDRESS.
I MEAN, AND YES, THERE IS A COST WITH A DIRECT MAILING.
I DON'T KNOW WHAT THAT WOULD BE.
IF WOULD SUSPECT IT'S GONNA BE A FEW HUNDRED DOLLARS.
UM, I I WOULD EXPECT THAT OR BUDGET COULD ABSORB THAT.
UM, THE, THE NEXT NOTE I HAD WAS INTERVIEW PROCESS.
UH, WHAT DOES THE BOARD HAVE IN MIND FOR AN INTERVIEW PROCESS? OBVIOUSLY IF IT'S GONNA BE A QUORUM, IT WOULD BE AN OPEN PUBLIC MEETING, UM, UNLESS YOU WANTED TO TAKE IT AND DO SMALL GROUPS AND ROTATE THROUGH, BUT THAT'S JUST MORE TIME FOR POTENTIAL CANDIDATES TO HAVE TO SIT THROUGH MULTIPLE MEETINGS.
ANY IDEAS ON HOW YOU'D LIKE TO DO THAT PROCESS? I, I WOULD, AGAIN IT, WITHOUT KNOWING HOW MANY INTERESTED PARTIES THERE MAY BE, AND I DON'T EXPECT THAT THERE'S GONNA BE A LOT, BUT EVEN IF IT'S JUST A HANDFUL, I, I MEAN, I WOULD LIKE TO SEE THIS BOARD HAVE AN OPEN PUBLIC MEETING AND INVITE THOSE, UH, INTERESTED PARTIES, UH, TO COME IN, NOT AS, AS IT GROUP, JUST ONE AT A TIME.
AND YES, IT'S GONNA BE AN OPEN MEETING, BUT IF SOMEBODY IS INTERESTED IN BEING A MEMBER OF THIS BOARD, THEY NEED TO BE COMFORTABLE TALKING ABOUT THEMSELVES, UH, IN AN, IN AN OPEN PUBLIC SESSION.
UH, AND THAT WOULD JUST GIVE US A CHANCE TO, TO TALK WITH THEM, GET TO KNOW THEM A LITTLE BIT BETTER.
UM, AND ONCE WE GET THROUGH THAT PROCESS, THEN I THINK WE'RE IN A BETTER POSITION TO, YOU KNOW, START VOTING ON PEOPLE.
IS ANYONE NOT SATISFIED WITH THAT PROCESS? I, I DON'T HAVE A PROBLEM WITH THAT PROCESS, BUT HOW, I DON'T REALLY, YOU DON'T KNOW HOW MANY CANDIDATES IS GONNA, UH,
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I JUST THINK THAT, UM, WE, WE DON'T HAVE THAT PROCESS IN PLACE FOR OUR OTHER BOARDS.WE DON'T HAVE A A PERIOD WHERE WE INTERVIEW THEM AND, AND TALK TO THEM AND GET TO KNOW THEM AND THEY JUST GO THROUGH THE PROCESS OF SUBMITTING INFORMATION IN AND THEN WE TAKE THAT INFORMATION, DECIPHER IT, AND READ IT AND COME UP WITH A CANDIDATE THAT WE FEEL IS MOST QUALIFIED.
SO IT SOUNDS LIKE I JUST TWO OR DON'T NECESSARILY WANNA HAVE A INTERVIEW PROCESS.
HOW ABOUT ALDERMAN, KENZIE, AND ROYAL? ANY THOUGHTS ON THAT? WELL, AGAIN, AS I SPOKE EARLIER, WE HAVE A PROCESS IN PLACE WITH ALL OF OUR BOARDS, SO I WOULD LIKE TO FOLLOW THAT PROCESS.
ALDER MCKENZIE, YOU HAVE A THOUGHT ON THAT? I'M FOLLOWING THE LEAD.
ALDERMAN FRI SOUNDS LIKE, UM, THE INTERVIEW IN A PUBLIC SESSION IS NOT NECESSARILY THE WILL OF THE MAJORITY OF THE BOARD.
UM, I, I DO THINK THAT THERE'S CERTAINLY SOME BENEFITS TO DOING THAT, BUT ALSO YOU HAD MENTIONED THAT DOING IT ONE BY ONE WHERE THEY ALL WOULDN'T BE HERE, BUT IF FIVE PEOPLE DECIDE THEY WANT TO PUT THEIR NAME IN THE HAT, IT'S A PUBLIC MEETING, FOUR OF 'EM CAN BE HERE WHILE THE ONE IS TECHNICALLY BEING INTERVIEWED.
SO, UM, THAT COULD BE INTERESTING.
IT COULD ALMOST BE LIKE A CANDIDATE, UM, PANEL IF YOU WILL.
BUT, UM, AND MAYOR, IN ADDITION TO THAT, YES MA'AM.
WE HA WHEN THEY SUBMIT THEIR INFORMATION, TELEPHONE NUMBER, WHATEVER THE CASE MIGHT BE, WE STILL HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE PHONE CALLS, ENGAGE THEM, TALK WITH THEM, UH, IF WE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, TO FILL OUT QUESTIONS TO THEM AS INDIVIDUALS.
AND IF WHATEVER QUESTIONS WE MIGHT HAVE OR ANSWERS WE RECEIVE, WE CAN ALWAYS REPORT BACK TO THE BOARD.
AND, UH, SHARE THAT INFORMATION.
THAT WAS ALL THE NOTES THAT I HAD THAT I MISSED.
ANYTHING FROM OUR CONVERSATION.
THE ONE THING THAT I WOULD LIKE TO EXPRESS IS THAT WE TAKE OUR TIME, WHATEVER IT TAKES, THAT WE CAN MOVE THROUGH THIS PROCESS.
NOT TO BE RUSHED IN IT, BUT TO TAKE OUR TIME.
IF THERE'S NO STATUTORY REGULATION THAT SAYS WE HAVE TO OPERATE WITHIN A TIMEFRAME ACCORDING TO ATTORNEY DAVIS AND I'D LIKE FOR US TO TAKE OUT 60 DAYS.
UH, HE SAID THAT, BUT HE SAYS HE'S DOING THAT IN COMPARISON WITH THE COUNTY.
BUT AS FAR AS WE ARE CONCERNED, THERE'S NO STATUTORY RE REGULAR REGULATION THAT SAYS WE HAVE TO DO IT WITHIN A CERTAIN TIME.
I STILL ENCOURAGE US TO TAKE OUR TIME GETTING THROUGH THIS PROCESS.
ALSO, UM, HOW MANY SOURCES OF SOCIAL MEDIA DO WE HAVE WITH THE CITY? I KNOW WE HAVE FACEBOOK, WE HAVE INSTAGRAM, WE HAVE, UH, TV THREE AND WE HAVE IS THERE ISN'T THIS OTHER SOURCES? TWITTER, TWITTER, WHATEVER IT'S CALLED NOW.
I MEAN, SO IT CAN GO OUT THAT WAY AS WELL.
I MEAN, WE CAN ADVERTISE, UM, OUT TO OUR CITIZENS THAT WAY AS WELL.
I MEAN, I DON'T KNOW, I KNOW IT IS PROBABLY NOT REQUIRED OF US TO PUT IT IN THE NEWSPAPER.
UM, SO I DON'T, I DON'T KNOW IF THAT WOULD BE A SOURCE, BUT, UH, I JUST HOPE THAT WE CAN COME UP WITH A A A A CANDIDATE LIST S FOR WARD SIX.
THAT'S GONNA NOT REQUIRE US SPENDING SO MUCH MONEY TRYING TO GET THIS INFORMATION COMPILED AND PUT TOGETHER AND PUT OUT THERE, I MEAN, SENT TO THE, TO THE, THE RESIDENTS OF WARD SIX.
UH, JUST A, JUST A COUPLE COMMENTS.
I WOULD SAY, UM, WE HAD, OUR ELECTION WAS IN, IT WAS 2022, RIGHT? IT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE 21.
THERE WERE, UH, TWO CANDIDATES, UM, THAT FILED FOR WARD SIX.
OBVIOUSLY FORMER ALDERMAN, NOW SENATOR BRISSON AND, UH, TRAVIS OAKLEY.
AND TRAVIS NOW IS A CITY EMPLOYEE.
HE WORKS FOR OUR PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT, SO HE'S TECHNICALLY INELIGIBLE.
UM, SO JUST KEEP THAT IN MIND 'CAUSE THE ELECTION WASN'T THAT LONG AGO.
UH, THE, THE OTHER THING, ALDERMAN ROYAL, I, I WOULD, UM, I WOULD JUST SOMEWHAT CAUTION US ON TAKING OUR TIME TOO LONG.
UM, AS WE ALL KNOW, UH, TIME GOES BY QUICKLY.
THIS TERM WILL BE OVER IN DECEMBER OF NEXT YEAR.
UH, SO WHAT IS THAT, UH, 15, 15 MONTHS OR SO? UM, AS YOU ALL KNOW, WE WERE ALL NEW BOARD MEMBERS AT SOME POINT IN TIME.
IT'S A, IT'S A PRETTY STEEP LEARNING CURVE.
UM, WE HAVE TWO ALDERMAN WHO WERE FORMER EMPLOYEES, SO THEY KIND OF HAD A LITTLE BIT OF HEADS UP.
AND THEN ALDERMAN PRILL WAS A FORMER TOWN MANAGER.
BUT IF YOU FIND SOMEBODY THAT, YOU KNOW, RISES TO THE TOP THAT DOESN'T UNDERSTAND LOCAL GOVERNMENT, THEY'RE NOT FAMILIAR WITH THE CITY, UM, THE LEARNING CURVE'S GONNA BE LONGER
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FOR THEM.AND I BELIEVE, UM, CITY MANAGER, WE HAVE A COUPLE OF UPCOMING MEETINGS.
UM, ONE IS GONNA BE A MULTI-HOUR MEETING OVER OUR LAND USE ORDINANCE UPDATE.
UH, THAT'S GONNA BE A PRETTY IN-DEPTH WORKSHOP, WHICH IS VERY TECHNICAL.
AND THEN WE ALSO, I THINK THE CITY CLERK WAS POLLING ABOUT THE, UM, BOND REFERENDUM.
THE BOND REFERENDUM, UH, WHICH WOULD BE COMING UP.
SO WE'VE, WE'VE GOT VERY IMPORTANT THINGS ON THE HORIZON, SO I DON'T WANNA RUSH IT EITHER.
UH, BUT I ALSO DON'T WANT TO DRAG OUR FEET SO LONG THAT SOMEBODY COMES IN AND THE NEXT THING WE'RE DOING IS STARTING OUR NEXT BUDGET WORKSHOP.
SO I JUST THINK WE NEED TO KEEP THAT IN MIND.
SO ANYTHING ELSE THAT WE HAVEN'T COVERED THIS MORNING? ANYTHING FROM STAFF? IS THE BOARD, UM, JUST GOING BACK TO LIKE A DIRECT MAILING, I MEAN, IS, IS THE BOARD WILLING TO, TO DO THAT OR, UM, NOBODY HAS A, AN INTEREST IN DOING THAT.
I, I DON'T HAVE AN ISSUE WITH THE DIRECT MAILING PERSONALLY.
UM, IT'S GONNA BE MORE THAN A FEW HUNDRED DOLLARS.
I CAN TELL YOU THAT COMING OFF OF THE CAMPAIGN AND DOING MAILINGS THROUGHOUT THE CITY, UH, JUST A POSTCARD WAS SEVERAL THOUSAND DOLLARS.
TAKING IN MIND, THIS IS JUST GONNA BE FOR, YOU KNOW, ONE PARTICULAR WARD.
IF, IF STAFF COMES BACK AND IT'S, YOU KNOW, $2,000, I, I WOULDN'T HAVE A PROBLEM WITH THAT.
IF YOU COME BACK AND IT'S $10,000, THAT'D PROBABLY BE A DIFFERENT STORY, BUT I DON'T KNOW IF WE WANT TO GIVE 'EM SOME GUIDELINES ON A A DOLLAR AMOUNT, WE CAN CERTAINLY DO THAT.
AGAIN, IT, IT'S NOT GONNA BE THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS.
I COULD GUARANTEE THAT IT, IT, IT WOULD BE IN A FEW HUNDRED RANGE.
THIS STAFF IS GONNA COME BACK AND UNDERSTOOD TO US WITH, CAN YOU PLEASE RESTATE WHAT WE'RE ASKING YOU TO DO? YES, MA'AM.
UM, WITH THE GUIDANCE THAT YOU'VE GIVEN US, WE'LL COME BACK WITH THE OPTIONS THAT YOU ALL REQUESTED FOR US TO LOOK INTO, UH, BY NEXT WEEK SOMETIME AND, AND LET YOU ALL MAKE A DECISION HOW, HOW YOU ALL WANT TO PROCEED.
BUT WE'LL GIVE YOU ALL THE OPTIONS FOR THE SOCIAL MEDIA AS WELL.
ANYTHING ELSE? NOTHING FROM ME.
SECOND, I HAVE A MOTION TO SECOND TO ADJOURN.
ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SAY AYE.