Jun 30, 2022 Special City Council

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HUTTO >> IT'S 8:45.

[1. CALL SESSION TO ORDER]

WE'LL START WITH ROLL CALL. COUNCILMEMBER SUTTON

>> HERE. >> COUNCILMEMBER THORNTON

>> HERE. >> COUNCILMEMBER CLARK

>> HERE. >> JOIN ME IN THE PLEDGE OF OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, AND TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS, 1 NATION, UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE, WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL NA UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE, WITH LIBERTY AND JO NATION, UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE, WITH LIBERTY AND JN NATION, UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE, WITH LIBERTY AND JE NATION, UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE, WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL

>> HONOR THE TEXAS FLAG. I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THEE TEXAS, ONE STATE UNDER GOD, ONE AND INDIVISIBLE.

>> NEXT WE HAVE PUBLIC COMMENT. WE HAVEN'T RECEIVED ANY OF

[5.1. Interviews with candidates, deliberation, and possible action to select a City Manager]

CITY MANAGER. >> (INAUDIBLE)

>> THAT WOULD BE GREAT. MAYOR AND COUNCIL, GOOD MORNING, I'M LARRY GILLY, WITH SGR.

I'M HERE TODAY TO HELP FACILITATE THE PROCESS OF INTERVIEWING WITH THE CITY MANAGER CANDIDATES.

I'LL BEGIN BY SAYING THAT SGR IS CERTAINLY DELIGHTED TO BE A PART OF THIS PROCESS AND WE APPRECIATE YOUR CONFIDENCE IN US AND ALLOWING US TO ASSIST YOU THROUGHOUT THIS PROCESS.

AND YOUR SELECTION OF YOUR NEXT CITY MANAGER.

JUST A FEW THINGS THIS MORNING, AS YOU GET STARTED, YOU HAVE BEEN PROVIDED BRIEFING BOOKS THAT CONTAIN A VARIETY OF INFORMATION REGARDING EACH OF THE CANDIDATES.

YOUR STAFF HAS PREPARED SOME INFORMATION TO HELP GUIDE YOU THROUGH THIS PROCESS THIS MORNING.

YOU'LL HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO ASK QUESTIONS OF EACH OF THE FOUR CANDIDATES THAT ARE BEFORE YOU TODAY.

AS YOU DO THAT, JUST A COUPLE OF THINGS THAT I WOULD SUGGEST THAT YOU KEEP IN MIND AND ALSO I WILL TELL YOU THAT THERE ARE SEVERAL PEOPLE IN THE ROOM TO ASSIST WITH KIND OF GUIDING YOU ALL THROUGH THE PROCESS, IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS AS WE GO, INCLUDING YOUR INTERIM CITY MANAGER, HUMAN RESOURCES DIRECTOR, CITY ATTORNEY AND MYSELF. SO DON'T HESITATE TO REACH OUT TO ANY OF US, AS WE NAVIGATE THROUGH THIS DAY.

IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS AT ALL.

YOU'VE BEEN PROVIDED A LIST OF QUESTIONS TO ASK EACH OF THE CANDIDATES. AND THOSE QUESTIONS WERE DEVELOPED BY THE CITY COUNCIL. YOU ALL CHOSE THE QUESTIONS THAT YOU FELT WERE MOST APPROPRIATE TO ASK THE CANDIDATES TODAY. I WOULD ENCOURAGE YOU TO ASK ALL FOUR CANDIDATES THE SAME QUESTIONS.

IT ESTABLISHES NOT ONLY A FAIR PROCESS, BUT IT HELPS YOU IN TERMS OF YOUR EVALUATION OF EACH OF THE CANDIDATES THAT YOU'RE MEETING WITH TODAY TO REALLY EVALUATE HOW EACH OF THOSE CANDIDATES ARE A POTENTIAL FIT FOR THIS POSITION. AT THIS POINT, WE KNOW THAT THEIR CREDENTIALS ESTABLISHED, EACH OF THE FOUR ARE WELL QUALIFIED FOR THIS POSITION. WHAT YOU NEED TO DECIDE NOW IS WHO IS THE RIGHT FIT TO ASSIST YOU IN LEADING HUTTO INTO THE FUTURE. THAT IS THE PURPOSE OF THE EFFORTS TODAY. ONE OF THE THINGS THAT MAY HAPPEN AS YOU ASK THESE QUESTIONS IS THE RESPONSE FROM THE CANDIDATES MAY LEAD YOU TO WANT TO ASK A FOLLOW-UP QUESTION. THAT IS PERFECTLY ALL RIGHT.

AGAIN, I WOULD ENCOURAGE YOU TO ASK ALL OF THE CANDIDATES THE SAME QUESTIONS, THOSE FOLLOW-UP QUESTIONS MAY OR MAY NOT BE RELEVANT TO THE NEXT CANDIDATE. SO THAT IS UNDERSTANDABLE.

BUT AS LONG AS IT'S IN THE SAME LINE OF QUESTIONING, YOU'RE PERFECTLY ALL RIGHT. AGAIN, AS LONG AS IT STAYS WITHIN THE LEGAL BOUNDARIES OF THE TYPES OF QUESTIONS THAT YOU SHOULD BE ASKING AND YOU ALL ARE FAMILIAR WITH THAT, YOU'VE

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I KNOW YOUR CITY ATTORNEY WOULD BE HAPPY TO PROVIDE GUIDANCE AS WELL. WITH THAT, YOU'VE GOT THE OUTLINE OF WHAT YOUR DAY LOOKS LIKE.

I'LL BE AVAILABLE TO ASSIST IN ANY WAY POSSIBLE WITH ANY OF THE LOGISTICS THAT YOU MAY NEED ASSISTANCE WITH.

SO FEEL FREE TO CALL ON ME WITH WHATEVER YOU MIGHT NEED, MAYOR.

THANK YOU. >> THANK YOU, SIR.

DO WE START RIGHT AT NINE? IF IT'S OKAY, WE CAN RECESS

UNTIL NINE. >> I JUST HAD A QUESTION OR COMMENT. IT LOOKS LIKE WE'VE GOT 11 QUESTIONS TOTAL. 45 MINUTES PLANNED.

AND SO IT SOUNDS LIKE IF WE'RE GOING TO STAY ON TRACK, WE PROBABLY OUGHT TO AVERAGE FOUR MINUTES PER QUESTION.

THAT WOULD INCLUDE QUESTIONS PLUS ANSWERS.

MAYBE WE COULD JUST KIND OF TIME OURSELVES OR HAVE A TIMEKEEPER TO LET US KNOW. ARE WE STAYING ON TRACK, FALLING BEHIND. THAT WOULD BE HELPFUL FOR ME TO

KIND OF KNOW. >> I THINK LARRY CAN HELP YOU OUT WITH THAT. YOU DO HAVE A BIT OF A BUFFER

BETWEEN INTERVIEWS, 15 MINUTES. >> IF WE GO OVER A LITTLE BIT.

OKAY. >> WE HAVE A LIMITED AMOUNT OF TIME. SO I'LL REMIND THE CANDIDATES ALSO THAT THERE IS A LIMITED AMOUNT OF TIME AND THEY NEED TO BE THOROUGH BUT SUCCINCT IN THEIR RESPONSES.

>> THAT IS ACTUALLY PART OF THE PROCESS.

IF THEY GO LONG-WINDED, THEN YOU KNOW, IT TELLS YOU ONE

THING. >> ARE WE GOING TO DO WHAT HE SUGGESTED, THE SAME PERSON ASK EACH QUESTION?

>> IF IT'S OKAY WITH COUNCIL, WE CAN JUST START PLACE ONE, QUESTION 1, 2, GO AROUND THAT WAY.

>> MY COMMENT WAS TO PRE-ASSIGN THE QUESTIONS.

>> QUESTION 8 WOULD BE PLACE ONE AND 9 IS TWO, 10 IS 3.

IF THAT IS OKAY. SO WE'LL RECESS UNTIL 9.

>> IF I'M HEARING YOU CORRECTLY, MAYOR, I WILL TAKE

QUESTION ONE. >> YES.

>> SHE'S GOT A >> IT'S NINE O'CLOCK.

BACK FROM RECESS. AND OUR FIRST CANDIDATE IS MR. TARRON RICHARDSON. GOOD MORNING.

>> GOOD MORNING, EVERYONE. >> SO WE'RE FAIRLY NEW TO THIS.

I DON'T KNOW IF YOU GUYS JUST WANT TO GO STRAIGHT TO THE QUESTIONS OR IF YOU WANT EACH CANDIDATE TO GIVE A QUICK SOMETHING ABOUT THEMSELVES, A SUMMARY.

>> YEAH. >> YEAH.

A LITTLE SUMMARY, TWO MINUTES. >> WE'VE GOT 45 MINUTES TO DO 11 QUESTIONS. AND WE GET KIND OF TALKIE OURSELVES.

SO HEADS-UP ON THAT, MAYBE GIVE US A TWO OR THREE MINUTE CONVERSATION ABOUT YOU AND WHY YOU LIKE HUTTO AND THEN WE'LL

START WITH THE QUESTIONS. >> I'LL BE AS FAST AS POSSIBLE.

MY NAME IS TARRON RICHARDSON, OR YOU CAN CALL ME DR.

RICHARDSON. I STARTED WITH THE CITY OF VIRGINIA, RICHMOND, STARTED AS AN INTERN.

I WAS ABLE TO EXPERIENCE ALL OF THE DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS IN TERMS OF OPERATIONS, WORKING UNDER THE CITY MANAGER AT THAT TIME. FROM THAT, I WORKED MY WAY UP TO BECOME THE ASSISTANT TO THE CITY MANAGER.

AND THEN I TRANSITIONED ON LATER ON TO BECOME THE ASSISTANT CHIEF ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICE, WHEN WE CHANGED GOVERNMENTS TO A CITY MANAGER FORM OF GOVERNMENT.

THEN I WANTED TO GET INTO THE CITY MANAGEMENT PROFESSION.

SO I WANTED TO LEAVE AND GO GET EXPERIENCE AS ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER. BUT AS WE KNOW, YOU KNOW, YOUR CAREER SOMETIMES TAKES A PATH OF ITS OWN.

AND I ENDED UP COMING BACK TO THE CITY OF RICHMOND, BECAME A

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I SERVED IN THAT POSITION UNTIL I GOT A CALL TO INTERVIEW FOR A POSITION WITH THE CITY OF DESOTO, TEXAS.

I BECAME THE ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER AND THEN THE CITY MANAGER WITHIN A TWO-YEAR TIME FRAME.

I STAYED FOR NEARLY TEN YEARS. AND FROM THERE, I MOVED ON TO THE CITY OF CHARLOTTESVILLE, IN VIRGINIA.

I WORKED THERE. AFTER LEAVING CHARLOTTESVILLE, I ENDED UP WORKING FOR THE CITY OF RICHMOND, WHERE I AM NOW.

SO MY CAREER HAS COME FULL CIRCLE, IN TERMS OF GOING BACK TO THE CITY OF RICHMOND. BUT I DID LIKE THIS OPPORTUNITY HERE IN THE CITY OF HUTTO, PRIMARILY BECAUSE OF THE DIFFERENT THINGS GOING ON HERE. IT SEEMED LIKE IT'S A PROGRESSIVE COMMUNITY, IN TERMS OF THE GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT AND THE DIFFERENT THINGS THAT I SAW IN TERMS OF BEING HERE IN THE COMMUNITY AND TOURING THE COMMUNITY.

I WAS ABLE TO SEE MORE ABOUT WHAT I WAS READING ABOUT.

AND I GREATLY ENJOYED YOUR HISTORIC DISTRICT.

I'M GLAD THAT IS SOMETHING THAT YOU ARE PRESERVING WITHIN YOUR COMMUNITY. BECAUSE I THINK THAT IT GIVES PEOPLE NOT ONLY A SENSE OF YOU KNOW, COMMUNITY, BUT ALSO TOO FOR THE FOLKS WHO HAVE BEEN HERE FOR THE LONGEST TIME, IT GIVES THEM AN OPPORTUNITY TO CONTINUE TO BE A PART OF HISTORY, AS YOU DO GROW, IN TERMS OF OUTWARD.

OUTSIDE OF THE HISTORICAL DISTRICTS.

SO THAT WAS GOOD. I GOT A CHANCE TO ACTUALLY WALK THE DOWNTOWN AND HAVE DINNER IN THE DOWNTOWN.

ALSO STAYED IN THE DOWNTOWN AREA.

TO GET A BETTER FEEL FOR WHAT WAS GOING ON AND ACTUALLY BE ABLE TO TALK TO FOLKS IN THE COMMUNITY TO JUST GET THEIR FEEL OR THEIR PULSE ABOUT WHAT THEY WANTED TO SEE IN THEIR COMMUNITY OR RATHER YET, IN A NEW CITY MANAGER FOR THE COMMUNITY. SO WITH ALL THOSE THINGS SAID, I THINK HUTTO IS A GREAT PLACE. I THINK IT'S GOOD TO SEE A COMMUNITY HAVING THIS TYPE OF GROWTH AND THE NEW THINGS ABLE TO COME HERE. AND JUST THE POSSIBILITY THAT HAVING YOU KNOW, A PLACE WHERE YOU CAN HAVE EMPLOYMENT INSTEAD OF HAVING TO DRIVE SO FAR OUT AND BE IN TRAFFIC, AND JUST ALSO TOO, THE WORK THAT THE COUNCIL IS DOING IN TERMS OF TRYING TO CORRECT THOSE THINGS, WITH THE WORK -- WITH THE FUTURE WORK THAT IS BEING DONE ON 70, 69 AND 1660, I THINK IT IS. BUT ANYWAY, JUST MAKE A LONG STORY SHORT, THERE IS A LOT OF POSITIVE THINGS IN THIS COMMUNITY GOING ON TO BE ABLE TO BE PREPARED FOR THE GROWTH AND THERE'S THINGS THAT WE CAN WORK ON COLLECTIVELY THAT CAN HELP WITH THAT PROCESS. SO WITH THAT SAID, I CLOSE THERE. BECAUSE I'M SURE I'M AT THREE MINUTES. JUST TO SAY THAT IT'S A GREAT COMMUNITY, VIBRANT COMMUNITY. AND IT'S GROWING LEAPS AND BOUNDS. I THINK MORE SO IS THAT FOR THE PEOPLE WHO HAVE BEEN HERE FOR MANY YEARS, THAT IT'S GOOD TO BE ABLE TO INCLUDE THEM IN THE PROCESS AS YOU GROW OUTWARD,

WITH NEW PEOPLE COMING IN. >> THANK YOU, SIR.

ALL RIGHT. WE'LL START WITH COUNCIL MEMBER SUTTON. START US OFF WITH THE

QUESTIONS. >> HEY, DR. RICHARDSON, I'M SORRY I COULDN'T BE HERE IN PERSON.

I HAD A POSITIVE COVID TEST ON MONDAY.

I KNOW HOW IMPORTANT THIS PROCESS IS AND I VALUE YOUR TIME AND INTEREST IN HUTTO. MY QUESTION KIND OF COUNCIL MEMBERS KIND OF ALREADY ANSWERED SOME OF THEM.

I GUESS THE ONE PART OF IT THAT WASN'T COVERED IS SHARE A LITTLE BIT WITH US ABOUT WHAT WE SHOULD KNOW ABOUT YOU AS A

PERSON. >> GREAT.

THANK YOU FOR THAT. I THINK THAT IS ALWAYS GREAT TO SHARE WHEN YOU ARE GETTING TO KNOW A NEW GROUP OF FOLKS.

ONE OF THE THINGS IS THAT I'M VERY OUTGOING.

I'M AMBITIOUS. VERY STRAIGHTFORWARD IN MY RESPONSES. VERY -- I'M A RESEARCHER.

AND I JUST LIKE TO BE ABLE TO WORK IN COLLABORATION WITH OTHERS, TO TRY TO REACH A COMMON GOAL.

AS I WAS SAYING HERE, YOU KNOW, I TALKED TO A LOT OF THE EMPLOYEES, TALKED TO THEM ABOUT A LOT OF DIFFERENT THINGS GOING ON, THE CHALLENGES THAT THEY WERE HAVING.

AND MY WHOLE GOAL IS TO BE ABLE TO BE WITHIN THIS ENVIRONMENT.

AS I'VE ALWAYS DONE WITH FOLKS WHO HAVE WORKED UNDER ME OR FOLKS WHO HAVE ASKED ME FOR THEIR ADVICE OR JUST SERVED AS MENTORS TO OTHER, IS TO HELP THEM GROW WITHIN THIS PROFESSION TO GROW YOU KNOW, TO GROW IN TERMS OF YOU KNOW, WHAT THEY WANT TO DO. UNDERSTANDING THAT AS WELL AS TRYING TO GET THEM TO GET THE NECESSARY TRAINING, AS WELL AS THE NECESSARY EDUCATION THAT THEY MAY NEED TO PERFORM THE

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IN TERMS OF IF THERE IS ANYTHING THAT THEY MAY NEED.

FOR INSTANCE, THEY MAY NOT KNOW CERTAIN THINGS ABOUT HOW TO GET THEIR SERVICE REQUESTS TAKEN CARE OF.

OR WHO THE RIGHT PERSON IS THAT SHOULD BE TAKING CARE OF CERTAIN THINGS. I LIKE TO BE ABLE TO BE THAT LIAISON FOR THE FOLKS IN THE COMMUNITY TO BE ABLE TO GET THOSE THINGS DONE. I THINK THAT IS MOST IMPORTANT.

BUT FOR ME, AS A CITY MANAGER, I HAVE ALWAYS BEEN ONE TO WORK YOU KNOW, WITH THE STAFF, NOT JUST SAY YOU KNOW, HERE IS SOMETHING THAT WE NEED TO GET DONE, BUT ALSO TO BE INVOLVED AND ENGAGED IN THE PROCESS. I ALWAYS TELL PEOPLE TOO, PEOPLE DON'T CARE HOW MUCH YOU KNOW UNTIL THEY KNOW THAT YOU CARE. THAT IS WHAT I TRY TO SHOW ALL OF MY EMPLOYEES, AS WELL AS THE COUNCIL IN TERMS OF MY WORK ETHIC. I'M A PART OF THE COMMUNITY.

I WANT TO KNOW ABOUT THE COMMUNITY. THAT WAS ONE OF MY REASONS FOR YOU KNOW, VISITING, YOU KNOW, THE COMMUNITY.

EATING AT THE RESTAURANTS, ONCE FOR LUNCH AND THEN ONCE FOR DINNER, AS WELL AS STAYING IN THE COMMUNITY, BECAUSE I WANTED TO HEAR AND SEE WHAT WAS GOING ON IN THE COMMUNITY, GET A BETTER UNDERSTANDING SO I COULD GAUGE WHAT I WOULD BE GETTING MYSELF INTO, IN TERMS OF THE CHALLENGES THAT NEED TO BE MET WITHIN THE COMMUNITY. OVERALL, I WOULD JUST SAY YOU KNOW, I'M VERY INVOLVED AND ENGAGED.

AS I SAID BEFORE, VERY CHARISMATIC, NOT ONLY TO THE STAFF, BUT ALSO TO THE COMMUNITY.

YOU KNOW, I TRY TO BE YOU KNOW -- I TRY TO BE AS -- JUST A GREAT PERSON, IN TERMS OF ME COMMUNICATING WITH THE COUNCIL, IN TERMS OF THE DIFFERENT THINGS THAT THERE MAY BE A NEED TO GET THE JOB DONE. AND I'LL STOP THERE.

>> THANK YOU, SIR. >> GOOD MORNING, DR.

RICHARDSON. >> GOOD MORNING.

>> WHAT IS THE MOST SURPRISING, WHETHER IT BE A BEST OR WORST THING THAT YOU HAVE DISCOVERED ABOUT OUR COMMUNITY?

>> I WAS NOTICING WHEN I WAS ON THE TOUR, AS WELL AS JUST DOING MY REGULAR RESEARCH, NUMBER ONE IS LOOKING AT THE COMMUNITIES, LOOKING AT THE EXISTING COMMUNITY AS IT IS NOW AND THEN LOOKING AT THE OTHER COMMUNITIES.

WHAT I WAS STARTING TO SEE AS I WALKED INTO THOSE COMMUNITIES WAS THAT THE INFRASTRUCTURE REALLY NEEDED TO BE TAKEN CARE OF IN THE OLDER PARTS OF THE COMMUNITY.

AS I WENT OUT IN THE NEWER PARTS, THEY LOOKED PRETTY GOOD.

BUT MY CONCERN IS, YOU KNOW, IN THE NEWER PARTS THAT MAYBE 10 OR 15 YEARS OLD, WHERE ARE THE CAPITAL PROJECTS GOING TO.

GOING TO THEM OR THE HISTORICAL DI DISTRICTS. WHAT ARE WE DOING WITH INFRASTRUCTURE IMPROVEMENTS. THAT IS ONE.

NUMBER TWO IS, YOU KNOW, I ALWAYS TALK ABOUT THIS IN COMMUNITIES IN TERMS OF BRINGING NEW BUSINESSES TO THE COMMUNITY. WHAT THE PEOPLE LOOK FOR.

THEY LOOK FOR GREAT PARK SYSTEMS. THEY LOOK FOR GOOD TRAIL SYSTEMS. THEY LOOK FOR YOU KNOW, PLACES TO GO, TO EAT, PLACES TO ACTUALLY BE ABLE TO STAY. SO I THINK THAT IS THE CHALLENGE TOO, IS BEING ABLE TO PREPARE FOR THAT, TO BRING PEOPLE IN TO THE COMMUNITY TO HAVE THOSE CONNECTING TRAIL SYSTEMS, WHICH GOES TO THE HISTORICAL AREAS, TO THE NEWER AREAS OF THE CITY, AS WELL AS THE PARKS AND INFRASTRUCTURE IN THE PARKS TO BE ABLE TO ALLOW THE COMMUNITY TO ENGAGE IN THOSE THINGS. TO BE ABLE TO HAVE THE RECREATION, TO BE ABLE TO HAVE THE FACILITIES AND THEN ALSO TOO, YOU KNOW, I WOULD LIKE THE COLLABORATION WITH THE DISTRICT. IN TERMS OF HOW DO YOU DO THAT IN THE SUMMERTIME WITH THE CHILDREN.

ARE THE SCHOOL FACILITIES BEING USED.

HOW ARE WE UTILIZING THE PROGRAMS, COLLABORATION.

AND THAT IS ANOTHER THING THAT YOU KNOW, I WAS WONDERING TOO, MORE ABOUT THE AGREEMENTS BETWEEN SURROUNDING CITIES OR NOT ONLY WITH THE SURROUNDING CITIES, BUT WITH THE SCHOOLS PERIOD. JUST HOW WE OPERATE AND DO THINGS. THE OTHER AREAS THAT YOU KNOW, I LOOKED AT WAS THE -- JUST THE GROWTH PATTERN.

HOW ARE WE GOING ABOUT DOING THAT.

YOU KNOW, I THINK IT'S GREAT TO DO THE MASTER PLAN.

BECAUSE IT DOES TRULY ALLOW YOU TO SEE WHAT THE COMMUNITY WANT IN TERMS OF WHERE THEY WANT THINGS TO GO.

AND ABOVE AND BEYOND THAT, AS I SAID BEFORE TOO, YOU KNOW, I AM CONCERNED ABOUT SOME OF THE LEAKAGE IN TERMS OF THE FUNDS THAT MAY COME INTO THE CITY IN TERMS OF REVENUE.

AS I WAS SAYING BEFORE, WE HAVE TWO HOTELS IN THE CITY.

BUT IF WE HAD MORE, WHAT WOULD WE GAIN FROM THAT IN TERMS OF PEOPLE COMING IN TO THE COMMUNITY FOR THE DIFFERENT

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HOTEL, MOTEL TAX THAT WE COULD HAVE.

THEY ARE THE BASIC THINGS I WAS ABLE TO LOOK AT TOO.

MAIN THING, HOW DO WE LOOK AT PROGRESSIVE GROWTH IN TERMS OF INFRASTRUCTURE IMPROVEMENTS. WE HAVE TO PREPARE TODAY.

WHEN YOU LOOK AT TRAFFIC CONTROL AND DIFFERENT THINGS LIKE THAT, WHAT ARE WE DOING. DO WE HAVE IT IN PLACE LOOK AT IMPROVING OUR TRAFFIC SIGNALS. THE BIGGEST THING TOO THAT I ALSO LOOKED AT, I'LL CONCLUDE AFTER THAT, IS THE NUMBER OF PERSONNEL THAT WE HAVE WITHIN THE CITY.

WE HAVE TO GEAR UP IN TERMS OF BEING ABLE TO HIRE THE NECESSARY PEOPLE, THE RIGHT NUMBER OF PEOPLE TO BE ABLE TO ACCOMMODATE THIS GROWTH THAT WE HAVE IN THE COMMUNITY.

NOT ONLY DO WE HAVE TO DO THAT, BUT WE HAVE TO LOOK AT THE INSTITUTIONAL KNOWLEDGE, WHICH I THINK FROM MY RESEARCH WAS LOSING A LOT OF THOSE FOLKS WHO WERE HERE FOR A NUMBER -- WELL, THOSE THAT WERE HERE FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS AND THOSE WHO HAVE BEEN HERE FOR A SHORT-TERM STENT HERE.

BEING ABLE TO INVEST IN OUR EMPLOYEES, TO TRY TO GET THEM TO STAY ON BOARD. SO WE HAVE THE LONGEVITY IN TERMS OF OUR PERSONNEL TO KEEP THINGS GOING, SO WE HAVE A CONTINUITY OF SERVICES. ABOVE AND BEYOND THAT, IS JUST YOU KNOW, REALLY GAUGING WHAT WE NEED.

AS I WAS TALKING ABOUT BEFORE, I TALKED TO A FEW OF YOU ABOUT THAT, IS YOU KNOW, DO WE HAVE THE NECESSARY TRAINING, DO WE HAVE THE NECESSARY EXPERIENCE, OR THE NECESSARY EDUCATIONAL COMPONENT FOR ALL OF OUR EMPLOYEES FOR THIS GROWTH? AS I WAS TELLING PEOPLE BEFORE, YOU PUT INFRASTRUCTURE IN, MEANING YOU KNOW, UNDERGROUND INFRASTRUCTURE OR EVEN BUILDINGS. IF YOU BUILD THEM, DO WE HAVE THE FOLKS TO BE ABLE TO TAKE CARE OF THEM.

DO THEY HAVE THE NECESSARY EXPERTISE TO BE ABLE TO MAINTAIN THEM. THERE ARE SOME OF THE KEY AREAS. I'LL STOP THERE DUE TO TIME.

>> THANK YOU, SIR. >> COUNCIL MEMBER CLARK

>> THANK YOU, SIR, FOR THAT ANSWER.

QUESTION NUMBER 3 IS, IF OFFERED THIS POSITION, WHAT DO YOU HOPE TO HAVE ACCOMPLISHED IN THE FIRST 100 DAYS AND AFTER

ONE YEAR? >> I WOULD SAY IN THE FIRST 100 DAYS, THE MAIN THING IS TO BE ABLE TO GAIN RESIDENCY HERE IN THE COMMUNITY. AS I MENTIONED BEFORE, YOU KNOW, I CAN'T BE AN EFFECTIVE CITY MANAGER IF I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHAT IS GOING ON IN THE COMMUNITY.

I WANT TO BE ABLE TO FEEL IF PAIN THAT EVERYONE ELSE FEELS, SO I CAN MAKE THE CHANGE OR ER MEETINGS WILL NOT ONLY BE CITY COUNCIL MEETINGS WITH ALL OF YOU, BUT ALSO TOO, WE COULD HAVE SOME TYPE OF RETREAT WHERE WE COULD TALK ABOUT YOUR OVERALL PLANS AND VISION FOR THE NEXT YEAR, FIVE YEARS AND TEN YEARS. SO I CAN START FORMULATING IDEAS IN TERMS OF HOW I GO ABOUT PLANNING.

NUMBER ONE IS THE STAFFING PIECE, AS I MENTIONED BEFORE.

NUMBER TWO IS, TALK ABOUT GROWTH, NUMBER THREE IS HOW DO WE MAINTAIN SEMBLANCE OF THE PAST OF THIS COMMUNITY AND MAINTAIN IT. WHAT DO WE WANT THAT TO LOOK LIKE IN THE FUTURE AS WE START TO BUILD OUTWARD. AND THEN MORE SO BE ABLE TO HAVE RETREAT WITH MY DIRECT REPORTS AS WELL AS BE ABLE TO GO INTO THE DIFFERENT DIVISIONS DURING MY FIRST FEW DAYS HERE. AND WORK WITHIN THE DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS AND REALLY SEE THEIR INNER WORKINGS SO I CAN UNDERSTAND THEIR STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES IN TERMS OF US BEING MORE EFFECTIVE AND EFFICIENT IN THE WAY THAT WE OPERATE.

AND THEN WITH THAT, I WOULD ALSO DO MEETINGS WITH THE COMMUNITY AND THE VARIOUS PLACES THROUGHOUT THE COMMUNITY. AND NOT ONLY JUST HAVING THEM COME TO CITY HALL, BUT GOING OUT TO THE COMMUNITY TO THOSE VARIOUS -- YOUR PLACES WITHIN THE COMMUNITY.

AND MEETING WITH THE RESIDENTS AND TALKING TO THEM AND GETTING ENGAGED AND INVOLVED WITH THEM TO REALLY UNDERSTAND WHAT IS THEIR NEED IN THEIR COMMUNITY, WHICH WILL HELP ME BETTER PERFORM AS CITY MANAGER AS WELL AS ME BE ABLE TO INFORM YOU ABOUT SOME OF THE CONCERNS THAT YOU MAY NOT HEAR FROM THE RESIDENTS WITHIN THIS COMMUNITY.

AND THEN FROM THAT, BE ABLE TO COME BACK TO THE COUNCIL AND BE ABLE TO TALK ABOUT THOSE THINGS AND THEN PUT TOGETHER THE PLAN AND SEE IF IT STILL GELS OR JIVES WITH THE ANNUAL PLAN.

BUT MY MAIN THING IS TO PROVIDE STABILITY IN THIS POSITION IN TERMS OF CITY MANAGER AS WELL AS PROVIDE SOME STABILITY THROUGHOUT THE ORGANIZATION. I WANT PEOPLE TO FEEL COMFORTABLE IN THE WORKPLACE. I WANT THEM TO FEEL LIKE THEY'RE A PART OF THE COMMUNITY.

AS WE GROW, I WANT THEM TO FEEL YOU KNOW, WHAT IT IS TO BE A PART OF THAT GROWTH AND TO PUT THEIR FINGERPRINTS ON

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BECAUSE I THINK IN THE END, YOU WILL HAVE A BETTER END PRODUCT, IN TERMS OF WHAT YOU'RE DELIVERING TO THE COMMUNITY.

BECAUSE NUMBER ONE, YOU KNOW, YOU WANT TO BE ABLE TO PROVIDE THE TAXPAYERS WITH THE MAXIMUM AMOUNT OF SERVICES THAT YOU CAN PROVIDE WITH THE AMOUNT OF TAXES THAT YOU'RE PAYING WITHIN THE COMMUNITY. AND THEN, MY LAST ITEM, I WOULD SAY ALSO TOO, TO BE ABLE TO TAKE A DEEP DIVE INTO THE FINANCES. THAT IS MY KEY STRENGTH AND IT HAS ALWAYS BEEN, IS TO LOOK AT THE FINANCIAL PICTURE AND MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE MAXIMIZING OUR DOLLARS THAT WE HAVE IN TERMS OF OUR ANNUAL EXPENDITURES. AND MAKING SURE THAT WE'RE AS EFFICIENT AND AS EFFECTIVE AS POSSIBLE WITH THOSE DOLLARS.

BECAUSE I BELIEVE IN SUPERIOR CUSTOMER SERVICE THROUGHOUT MY CAREER. AND WHICH I CAME UP IN THAT TYPE OF SYSTEM, WHERE YOU DELIVER QUALITY, BUT NOT JUST QUALITY, BUT SUPERIOR PUBLIC SERVICES, REGARDLESS OF WHAT -- HOW SMALL THE REQUEST MAY BE FROM A RESIDENT. AND I'VE ALWAYS BEEN THE TYPE OF PERSON THAT AFTER A RESIDENT HAS CALLED, AND I LIKE THIS SIZE COMMUNITY, BECAUSE I CAN TOUCH A LOT OF PEOPLE.

FOR MANY YEARS, I HAVE DONE THAT WHEN THERE WAS CALLS THAT WERE LARGE CALLS, WELL, THEY WERE MAJOR CALLS IN TERMS OF REQUESTS AND THINGS LIKE THAT. I WOULD SOMETIMES GO KNOCK ON THE DOOR OF THE RESIDENT SAY HOW DID WE PERFORM AS A CITY OR WHAT COULD WE DO BETTER, BECAUSE I WANT TO KNOW.

BECAUSE MY WHOLE THING IS CUSTOMER SERVICE DELIVERY.

>> TIME UPDATE. WE'RE ABOUT A FOURTH OF THE WAY THROUGH THE QUESTIONS, A THIRD OF THE WAY THROUGH THE TIME.

THE NEXT QUESTION IS GOING TO BE PROBABLY A FULL THREE-MINUTE ONE. IT CAN BE DIFFICULT TO USE GOOD JUDGMENT WHEN EVERYONE ELSE SEEMS TO DISAGREE WITH YOUR APPROACH. CAN YOU TELL US ABOUT A TIME WHEN YOU HAD TO GO AGAINST THE WISHES OR NEEDS OF YOUR SENIOR LEADERSHIP TEAM. WHAT DID YOU DO? HOW DID YOU EXPLAIN YOUR REASONING AND WHAT WAS THE

RESULT? >> RIGHT.

AND THAT CAN HAPPEN ANY TIME. ALWAYS HAPPENS AROUND BUDGET TIME. ESPECIALLY WHEN THERE IS DIFFERENT NEEDS FOR DIFFERENT AREAS OF THE CITY IN TERMS OF THEIR DEPARTMENTS. EVERYONE HAS MAJOR YOU KNOW, IT'S A PARAMOUNT IMPORTANCE WHEN IT COMES TO BUDGET TIME IN TERMS OF THINGS THAT YOU NEED. IN THOSE INSTANCES, YOU KNOW, HAVE THE CONVERSATION WITH THE EMPLOYEES AND MY DIRECT REPORTS, IN TERMS OF HOW DO WE GO ABOUT FUNDING CERTAIN THINGS. WE PUT IT IN TOGETHER AS A PROGRAM. YOU KNOW, WHAT ARE THE MAJOR NEEDS, NUMBER ONE, THAT I WANT TO KNOW.

NUMBER TWO IS HOW DO THESE NEEDS IMPACT OTHER DEPARTMENTS.

BECAUSE A LOT OF TIMES, WHEN YOU LOOK AT BUDGETS ACROSS THE BOARD, YOU KNOW, THERE IS ONE THING THAT ONE DEPARTMENT NEEDS THAT IS BASICALLY THE SAME THING THAT ANOTHER DEPARTMENT NEEDS. YOU CAN LOOK AT WAYS TO DO YOU KNOW, YOUR PROCESS OF ELIMINATION.

AND THROUGH THAT, OVER THE YEARS, YOU KNOW, I'VE LEARNED HOW TO DO THAT STRATEGICALLY. IN TERMS OF BEING ABLE TO LOOK AT THE DIFFERENT PROGRAMS, INITIATIVES, AS WELL AS EQUIPMENT AND THE VARIOUS NEEDS THAT MAY BE NEEDED WITHIN THE VARIOUS DEPARTMENTS. AND TRY TO GET THE DIRECTORS TO BE ABLE TO UNDERSTAND YOU KNOW, THAT THIS IS A PROGRAMMED APPROACH THAT WE HAVE TO GO ABOUT DOING THIS, IN TERMS OF THE FUNDING. IT MAY NOT BE THIS YEAR, BUT IT MAY BE THE NEXT YEAR OR THE FOLLOWING YEAR.

BUT TO GET THEM TO SEE THAT. BECAUSE THE OTHER THING IS THAT YOU KNOW, YOU LOOK AT SOME DEPARTMENTS, WHERE THINGS COME UP AND YOU HAVE TO MAKE ADJUSTMENTS IN TERMS OF YOU KNOW, HOW DO YOU GO ABOUT YOU KNOW, THE EXPENDITURES IN ONE DEPARTMENT FROM ANOTHER AND MAKING SURE THAT EVERYBODY IS ON BOARD. BECAUSE I TELL EVERYBODY, I SAID YOU NEVER KNOW WHEN THAT FISCAL YEAR COMES, WHEN YOU'RE GOING TO SPEND MORE AND YOU NEED TO YOU KNOW, AND EVERYBODY ELSE, YOU KNOW, YOU HAVE TO TAP INTO THEIR BUDGET TO BE ABLE TO SOURCE YOUR OVERALL EXPENDITURES.

WITH THAT BEING SAID, YOU KNOW, I ALWAYS HAD THOSE ANNUAL MEETINGS AS WELL AS MY S SIX-MONTH MEETINGS WITH MY DIRECTORS TO GO OVER OUR OVERALL BUSINESS PLAN ABOUT HOW WE PLAN TO OPERATE. ON A MONTHLY BASIS, I TRY TO GO THROUGH THEIR BUDGET TO BE ABLE TO TALK ABOUT THEIR OVERALL EXPENDITURES AND WHERE THEY'RE AT, WHAT PERCENTAGES ARE THEY AT DURING A CERTAIN TIME PERIOD OF THE YEAR.

AND JUST BE ABLE TO TALK MORE ABOUT THAT IN TERMS OF THEM UNDERSTANDING. BUT THE OTHER THING IS TOO, YOU KNOW, IN MANY ORGANIZATIONS, YOU KNOW, YOU BRING IN FOLKS AND YOU TRY TO GIVE THEM A CHANCE IN TERMS OF THE PEOPLE BEING FIRST-TIME DIRECTORS OR COMING FROM THE COMMUNITY WHERE THEY HAD AN ABUNDANCE OF FUNDING AND THEN YOU COME TO A COMMUNITY WHERE YOU DON'T HAVE THAT ABUNDANCE OF FUNDING.

BEING ABLE TO TALK TO THEM STRATEGICALLY ABOUT THAT, AND BE ABLE TO EDUCATE THEM ON THE WHOLE PROCESS OF THAT.

[00:30:02]

WHEN I FIND THAT TO BE THE ISSUE, WHEN WE COME TO BUDGETS AND DIFFERENT THINGS LIKE THAT, I TRY TO SEND MY DIRECTORS TO BUDGET TRAINING, TO BETTER UNDERSTAND FINANCING, AS A DIRECTOR. SO WITH THAT BEING SAID, THAT HAS BEEN A CHALLENGE OVER THE YEARS.

BUT THAT IS IN ANY GOVERNMENT THAT YOU'LL GO INTO, WHEN YOU HAVE DIRECT REPORTS AND YOU'RE MANAGING A BUDGET AND TRYING TO MAINTAIN YOUR OVERALL EXPENDITURES AT A CERTAIN LEVEL. THAT HAS ALWAYS BEEN MY PROCESS TO BE ABLE TO DO THAT, TO TRY TO ALLEVIATE SOME OF THE ISSUES THAT MAY FALL OUT FROM THAT. NOW, WHAT I WILL ASK IS THAT YOU KNOW, IN THIS BUSINESS AS A CITY MANAGER, IN TERMS OF RUNNING THE OPERATIONS, YOU KNOW, THAT I'M ABLE TO JUST RUN THE OPERATIONS IN TERMS OF THE FINANCING AND THINGS LIKE THAT ON THE OPERATIONS SIDE. BECAUSE IN SOME COMMUNITIES, WHERE IT'S RELATIVELY SMALL, THE RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN THE CITY COUNCIL, MAY IMPACT THE WAY THAT I OPERATE IN TERMS OF DOING THE BUDGET. THAT CAUSES ISSUES TOO, BECAUSE OF THAT RELATIONSHIP. SO THAT IS ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I ALWAYS LIKE TO BE CLEAR ON WHEN I AM HAVING CONVERSATION WITH THE COUNCIL, IS YOU KNOW, AM I GOING TO BE THE PERSON WHO IS SOLELY IN CONTROL OF THE OPERATIONS BUDGET, BUT GIVE IT BACK TO THE CITY COUNCIL, TO MAKING ADJUSTMENTS THAT CAN BE MADE. BUT THAT IS THE MAIN THING, BE ABLE TO RUN THE OPERATIONS. AND YOU KNOW, BE ABLE TO HAVE CONVERSATION WITH THE COUNCIL ABOUT WHAT IS GOING ON RATHER THAN THE EMPLOYEES HAVING CONVERSATIONS ABOUT WHAT THEY WANT IN TERMS OF THE BUDGET PROCESS WHICH CAUSES INTERFERENCE IN TERMS OF HOW WE OPERATE ON THE OPERATIONS SIDE TO BE MORE EFFICIENT. BUT YOU KNOW, AS I MENTIONED BEFORE, IS THAT AS LONG AS WE HAVE THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN CITY MANAGER, CITY COUNCIL, AND I'M ABLE TO MANAGE WITH THE EMPLOYEES, THAT IS NO PROBLEM. BUT I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THAT WOULD BE THE CASE IN TERMS OF BEING ABLE TO MANAGE THAT PROCESS AND NOT CAUSE ANY INTERFERENCE IN TERMS OF THAT.

BECAUSE IN THE PAST, I HAVE HAD THAT HAPPEN.

AND THAT WAS A CHALLENGE IN TERMS OF TRYING TO GET THINGS DONE. BUT IF I'M ABLE TO HAVE THAT RELATIONSHIP WITH THE COUNCIL IN TERMS OF OUR YOU KNOW, OUR BODIES IN WHICH WE HANDLE AND MAINTAIN IN TERMS OF THAT PROCESS, I THINK IT WILL TURN OUT WELL.

FROM THAT, MY PAST, WHEN THAT HAS HAPPENED, IN TERMS OF ME HAVING THAT RELATIONSHIP, THAT WORKING RELATIONSHIP WITH THE COUNCIL, IN TERMS OF THE BUDGET, THERE WAS NO ISSUES.

>> MAYOR PRO TEM. >> IN THIS AGE OF DOING MORE WITH LESS, HOW DO YOU BUILD AND MAINTAIN A COHESIVE MOTIVATED TEAM, CREATING A PEOPLE CENTERED FOCUS.

>> ONE OF THE THINGS IS THAT WE'RE ALWAYS IN CONSERVATIVE MODE. THAT IS ONE THING THAT I DO APPRECIATE IS ABOUT BEING A MANAGER IN THE STATE OF TEXAS.

I REALLY ENJOY BEING ABLE TO LOOK AT THE WAY THAT WE PERFORM AND LOOK AT AREAS WHERE WE COULD DO BETTER, EVEN THOUGH IN ALL GOVERNMENTS, YOU ARE WORKING -- YOU'RE DOING MORE WITH LESS. THAT IS THE NATURE OF THE PROFESSION. BUT YOU HAVE TO BE ABLE TOP MAKE SURE THAT YOU ARE RUNNING THINGS IN AN EFFICIENT MANNER, WITH WHAT YOU HAVE. BUT AS I SAID BEFORE, YOU KNOW, AS THE COMMUNITY GROWS, WE WANT TO BE PROGRESSIVE IN THE WAY THAT WE GROW OUR EMPLOYEES. AND WE GROW OUR STAFFING SIZES.

BECAUSE YOU'LL SEE IN MANY INSTANCES, YOU KNOW, YOU HAVE A LOT OF PEOPLE IN AN ORGANIZATION THAT ARE DOING SIMILAR THINGS WHEREAS, YOU COULD PULL THAT TOGETHER, YOU KNOW, AND CREATE ONE POSITION, WHERE THAT PERSON CAN DO THAT.

BUT MY MAIN THING IS TO FOCUS MORE ON HOW WE'RE GROWING IN TERMS OF HAVING THE NUMBER OF PERSONNEL TO BE ABLE TO DO IT.

I THINK TOO, AS YOU START TO GROW AND EXPAND, YOU HAVE TO DO THE FUTURE PLANNING. AND THAT IS IMPORTANT.

I THINK THAT IS VERY IMPORTANT IN TERMS OF MY RELATIONSHIP WITH THE COUNCIL. IS TO BE ABLE TO TALK ABOUT HOW WE'RE GROWING AND THE VARIOUS NEEDS THAT ARE NEEDED WITHIN THE COMMUNITY. AS I TALK ABOUT THE BUDGET A LOT OF TIMES, YOU KNOW, AS YOU START TO SEE PROPERTY VALUES GO UP, BUT THE TAX RATE DOESN'T MOVE, OR IN SOME CASES, IT GOES UP, BUT YOU KNOW, WHAT I WANT TO MAKE SURE IS THAT YOU KNOW, THAT THERE IS ALWAYS THAT INVERSE ACTION IN TERMS OF THAT, IF PROPERTY VALUES ARE GOING UP, THEN WE SHOULD CLEARLY IDENTIFY YOU KNOW, WHAT OUR INTENDED EXPENDITURES ARE TO BE ABLE TO JUSTIFY YOU KNOW, WHY ARE WE STILL AT THAT SAME

[00:35:02]

ARE WE GETTING MORE EMPLOYEES. ARE WE DOING MORE INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS, ARE WE GOING TO DO CAPITAL PROJECTS AND USE GENERAL FUND DOLLARS, INSTEAD OF GOING OUT FOR MORE DEBT. I THINK THOSE THINGS ARE IMPORTANT IN TERMS OF LOOKING AT HOW WE DO BUSINESS AND HOW FAST DO WE GROW CERTAIN AREAS. YOU KNOW, IF WE DON'T HAVE THE NECESSARY PERSONNEL TO BE ABLE TO CONDUCT THE OVERALL AFFAIRS.

NOW, AS I SEE HERE, YOU KNOW, CERTAIN AREAS, YOU KNOW, LET'S SAY FOR LIKE FOR INSTANCE, THE POLICE DEPARTMENT WITH THE GROWTH AND THE PROJECTED GROWTH, HOW ARE WE LOOKING AT HIRING MORE POLICE OVER TIME. BECAUSE I DON'T WANT TO GET TO THE POINT WHERE WE HAVEN'T TALKED ABOUT IT.

AND THEN ALL OF A SUDDEN WE'RE AT 50,000.

AND WE NEED YOU KNOW, 15 MORE POLICE OFFICERS.

WELL, YOU CAN'T DO THAT WITHIN ONE FISCAL YEAR.

SO I THINK WE GROW PROGRESSIVELY OVER A PERIOD OF TIME. BUT WE HAVE TO HAVE THOSE CONVERSATIONS. THEY'RE TOUGH CONVERSATIONS.

BECAUSE YOU ALSO HAVE TO LOOK AT THE DIFFERENT THINGS THAT WE'RE DOING IN THE CITY. WE'RE GROWING, THERE'S INFRASTRUCTURE IMPROVEMENTS, WHAT ARE WE DOING TO BE ABLE TO FUND THOSE OVER A PERIOD OF TIME.

HOW ARE WE LOOKING AT WAYS TO BUDGET FOR THAT.

YOU KNOW, THE MAIN THING IS THAT YOU KNOW, WHEN WE BUDGET, YOU KNOW, WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT EVERYTHING IS TIGHT IN TERMS OF HOW WE UTILIZE THE TAX DOLLARS.

AND YOU KNOW, FOR YEARS, I'VE ALWAYS DONE THAT TO MAKE SURE THAT, AS I MENTIONED BEFORE, THAT WE'RE MAXIMIZING ALL OF OUR TAX DOLLARS THAT WE'RE USING AND NOT HAVING THIS BIG SURPLUS AT THE END OF THE YEAR, WHEN WE ARE SET AT A TAX RATE.

BEING ABLE TO UTILIZE THOSE FUNDS AND MAKE SURE THEY'RE BEING USED THROUGHOUT THIS CITY.

I THINK MORE SO WITH ME, AS I SAID BEFORE, I'VE DONE MY RESEARCH IN TERMS OF THE NUMBER OF PERSONNEL THAT YOU HAVE IN THE DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS AND THE WAY THAT YOU'RE GROWING, YOU KNOW, FOR INSTANCE, PUBLIC WORKS, YOU NEED MORE PEOPLE IN TERMS OF BEING ABLE TO GET THE JOB DONE, IN TERMS OF INFRASTRUCTURE AND MAINTAINING THAT.

INTERNALLY, YOU KNOW, WE NEED STAFFING FOR DIFFERENT THINGS THAT MAY GO ON. I MEAN, YOU SEE THE LIBRARY.

YOU KNOW, AS WE START TO BUILD MORE HOUSES AND DIFFERENT THINGS LIKE THAT, WE HAVE TO GROW THAT IN ORDER TO MEET THE CHALLENGES AND FOR PEOPLE TO COME HERE, FOR THEIR CHILDREN AND THEN YOU KNOW, THE DIFFERENT BUSINESSES, IF THEY BRING PEOPLE HERE, WE HAVE TO HAVE YOU KNOW, A LIBRARY, WE HAVE TO HAVE, AS I MENTIONED BEFORE, A PARK SYSTEM.

HOW DO WE MAINTAIN THAT IF WE DON'T HAVE PARK PERSONNEL.

SO THE MAIN THING IS TO LOOK AT IT STRATEGICALLY IN TERMS OF THE WAY THAT WE GO ABOUT STAFFING, IN ORDER FOR US TO DO MORE WITH LESS, BUT REALLY NOT DOING MORE OR LESS, BUT DOING THE MAXIMUM AMOUNT OF JOB THAT WE CAN DO WITH THE PERSONNEL THAT WE HAVE AND HOW WE PLAN TO GROW IT, TO MAINTAIN IT.

>> THANK YOU, SIR. COUNCIL MEMBER KINSEY.

>> HELLO AGAIN. MY QUESTION IS, TELL US ABOUT A TIME THAT YOU HAD TO PROBLEM SOLVE WITH CITY COUNCIL SPECIFICALLY AND WHAT ROLE DID YOU PLAY AND WHAT WAS THE

OUTCOME OF THAT? >> YES.

THERE WERE MANY ISSUES OVER TIME THAT I'VE DEALT WITH WITH THAT. BUT I THINK THE MAIN THING IS JUST THE -- ONE OF THE MAJOR ISSUES THAT I TALK ABOUT TOO IS THE PARKING, ALWAYS A SITUATION WITH THE DOWNTOWNS AND DIFFERENT THINGS LIKE THAT. OR WITHIN VARIOUS COMMUNITIES WHERE THEY'RE BUILDING REALLY FAST AND PARKING ISSUES.

ONE OF THE MAIN THINGS WE WERE ABLE TO DO, LOOK AT OUR OVERALL ZONING, WITH THE CITY COUNCIL. AND THROUGH THAT, BEING ABLE TO ENGAGE THE COMMUNITY, ENGAGE THE COMMUNITY IN DIFFERENT SURVEYS, DIFFERENT CONVERSATIONS, PERTAINING TO THAT AND OPEN PUBLIC MEETINGS TO TALK ABOUT HOW CAN WE ACTUALLY LOOK AT WAYS TO IMPROVE THAT.

WELL, YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE PLANNING OR ZONING DOCUMENT, ZONING LAWS, THEY WERE OLD AND ANTIQUATED.

YOU KNOW, DIDN'T FIT WHERE WE ARE NOW IN TERMS OF THE GROWTH.

SO ONE OF THE THINGS WE WERE ABLE TO DO IS LOOK AT THAT AND BE ABLE TO CHANGE THAT, TO BE ABLE TO ACCOMMODATE THE NEW DEVELOPMENTS AND HOW THEY'RE BEING DEVELOPED.

SO WE WOULDN'T HAVE THAT MAJOR ISSUE, LIKE WE HAD IN THE OLDER NEIGHBORHOODS. IN TERMS OF NOT HAVING THE ZONING AND THEN THE AMOUNT OF CARS WITHIN THE NEIGHBORHOOD OR PARKING ISSUES THAT WE WERE HAVING TO TRY TO ALLEVIATE

THAT. >> THANK YOU, SIR.

COUNCIL MEMBER >> MY QUESTION IS, BEING ABLE TO CHANGE ANOTHER PERSON'S BEHAVIOR TAKES SKILL AND RESPONSIBILITY. TELL US ABOUT A TIME WHEN YOU WERE SUCCESSFUL IN DOING THIS, AND WHAT WERE THE PAYOFFS FOR YOU AND OTHER PEOPLE IN THE ORGANIZATION.

>> WELL, WHENEVER YOU GO INTO CERTAIN ORGANIZATIONS, YOU HAVE

[00:40:01]

MANY TIMES THE PERSON WHO IS THE SPEAKER, I SAY THE HEAD SPEAKER OF EVERYONE, WHENEVER YOU HAVE CONVERSATION, DIFFERENT THINGS LIKE THAT, NOT BEING ABLE TO ALLOW OTHERS TO BE ABLE TO VOICE THEIR THOUGHTS OR THEIR OPINIONS BECAUSE PEOPLE LOOK TO A CERTAIN PERSON TO BE ABLE TO DO THAT BECAUSE THEY'VE BEEN ABLE TO DO IT FOR THE LONGEST TIME.

ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I WAS ABLE TO DO IS JUST TO DO A PERSONALITY ASSESSMENT AND WAS ABLE TO TALK ABOUT THAT WITH MY DIRECT REPORTS. HAVE THEM TAKE THAT AND BE ABLE TO UNDERSTAND MORE THEIR TYPE OF PERSONALITY AND HOW THEY DEAL WITH THINGS AND DIFFERENT THINGS LIKE THAT.

AND WHAT WAS FUN ABOUT THAT WAS, THERE WAS A LOT OF PEOPLE AROUND THE TABLE WHO HAD SIMILAR PERSONALITIES, BUT WE NEVER UNDERSTOOD THAT OR TALKED ABOUT THAT BECAUSE WE NEVER LOOKED AT THE PERSONALITY ASSESSMENTS IN TERMS OF YOU KNOW, IF I SAY SOMETHING TO YOU HOW WILL YOU REACT.

OR IF I'M A PERSON THAT LIKES TO TAKE CHARGE OF THINGS, HERE IS HOW I WOULD LIKE THE THINGS TO BE DONE.

SO WE WERE ABLE TO DO THAT AND GET THE DIFFERENCE AND UNDERSTANDING OF HOW PEOPLE REACT OR RESPOND OR THE WAY THAT THEY COMMUNICATE WITH ONE ANOTHER.

THAT WAS A TIME WHEN WE WERE ABLE TO REALLY BUILD THE BONDS WITH PEOPLE BECAUSE WE TEAM PEOPLE UP, NOT ONLY WITH SIMILAR TRAITS, BUT ALSO WITH POLAR OPPOSITES.

TO REALLY TALK ABOUT THAT. AND TO REALLY TALK ABOUT YOU KNOW, WHY THEY DO CERTAIN THINGS.

AND WHY THEY RESPOND AND REACT A CERTAIN WAY TO DIFFERENT THINGS. AND FROM THAT, I WAS ABLE TO BUILD MORE OF A COHESIVE LEADERSHIP TEAM THROUGH THAT PROCESS. BECAUSE THEY START TO UNDERSTAND EACH OTHER MORE. AND FROM THAT PROCESS, YOU STARTED SEEING MEETINGS WHERE PEOPLE BECOME, YOU KNOW, THE PEOPLE WHO NEVER SAID ANYTHING, STARTED TO SAY MORE.

BECAUSE THEY FELT LIKE THEY WERE CONNECTED TO OTHERS.

AND THEN IN THE END, IN TERMS OF OUR SERVICE LEVELS, THEY GRADUALLY IMPROVE, BECAUSE WE WEREN'T JUST DOING ONE SERVICE, I WOULD LIKE TO SAY THIS, YOU KNOW, YOU DON'T WANT TO HAVE PUBLIC UTILITIES PAVE A STREET ON MONDAY AND TUESDAY PUBLIC UTILITIES COMING BEHIND THEM AND DIGGING A HOLE AND PUTTING A NEW SERVICE LINE. WITH THAT BEING SAID, THAT ONLY WAS IT A WAY THAT WE WERE ABLE TO REDUCE OUR OVERALL EXPENDITURES, BUT ABLE TO COMMUNICATE MORE IN TERMS OF THE WAY THAT WE WERE DOING OUR DAY TO DAY OPERATIONS.

BECAUSE PEOPLE HAD VOICES WITHIN OUR GROUP AND WERE SPEAKING MORE AT OUR LEADERSHIP TEAM MEETINGS ABOUT DIFFERENT PROJECTS THAT THEY WERE HAVING, DIFFERENT THINGS THAT THEY WERE NEEDING FROM OTHER DEPARTMENTS TO BE ABLE TO CONDUCT THEIR DAY TO DAY AFFAIRS. AND THAT WORKED OUT VERY WELL IN TERMS OF US BEING ABLE TO JUST BECOME A SOLID TEAM.

AND OVER TIME, YOU KNOW, WE STARTED SEEING THINGS MOVE A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENTLY. WE STARTED SEEING THE WAY THAT WE PROVIDED SERVICES WAS A WHOLE LOT DIFFERENT FROM THE WAY THAT WE WERE DOING IT BEFORE.

WE SAW MORE TEAM WORK AND MOST IMPORTANTLY WE SAW OUR OVERALL EXPENDITURES DECREASE. AND LASTLY, WAS THAT YOU KNOW, THE COMMUNITY SAW OUR WORK BEING DONE DIFFERENTLY AND MORE EFFICIENT IN TERMS OF WE WERE OPERATING.

JUST THE BIG KEY THING WAS YOU KNOW, JUST THE OVERALL PROGRAMS THAT WE WERE PUTTING OUT TO THE PUBLIC WERE MUCH BETTER BECAUSE WE HAD MORE INPUT, MORE ENGAGEMENT FROM EVERYONE.

>> THANK YOU. SO GO BACK TO COUNCIL MEMBER SUTTON AND THEN I'LL GIVE YOU A TIME UPDATE.

FOUR QUESTIONS LEFT AND TEN MINUTES.

>> OKAY. >> SORRY ABOUT THAT.

I WAS MUTED. HOW DO YOU HANDLE PEOPLE WHO ARE DIFFICULT TO GET ALONG WITH? DESCRIBE A SITUATION WHICH YOU WERE EFFECTIVE IN GETTING A DIFFICULT PERSON TO COOPERATE. EXPLAIN WHAT YOU DID THAT MADE

THE DIFFERENCE. >> MORE SO, YOU KNOW, I'LL TALK ABOUT IT FROM INSIDE THE ORGANIZATION AS WELL AS OUTSIDE THE ORGANIZATION, WITHIN MY FOUR MINUTES LEFT.

ONE IS INTERNALLY, WHAT I TRY TO DO WITH THOSE FOLKS IS TO BE ABLE TO SIT DOWN WITH THEM AND REALLY TALK ABOUT THE ISSUES THAT THEY'RE HAVING WITHIN THE ORGANIZATION.

AND HAVE THEM LEAD A LOT OF DIFFERENT THINGS THAT WE'RE DOING TO GET THEM MORE INVOLVED AND MORE ENGAGED.

ABOVE AND BEYOND THAT, WITH FOLKS LIKE THAT, I LIKE TO HAVE

[00:45:02]

IN CASES WHERE THAT CAN'T BE DONE, UPFRONT, MAYBE WE NEED TO GO IN A DIFFERENT DIRECTION. SIMPLE FACT IS THAT YOU'RE INTERRUPTING THE OPERATIONS WITHIN THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT.

AND YOU'RE IMPACTING THE WAY THAT WE DO BUSINESS.

AND YOU KNOW, WE DON'T WANT TO HAVE THAT DISTRACTION BECAUSE IT IMPACTS ALL OF THE OTHER AREAS OF THE CITY IN TERMS OF GETTING THINGS DONE AND WHAT WE WANT TO DO IS TO BE AS PRODUCTIVE AS POSSIBLE, BUT THE MAIN THING IS THAT YOU TRY TO INCORPORATE THEM WITHIN THE ORGANIZATION A LITTLE BIT MORE, GET A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF THEIR VARIOUS ISSUES AND TRY TO WORK WITH THEM ON AN I WOULD SAY ON A MONTHLY BASIS IN TERMS OF GOING OVER THOSE ISSUES AND REALLY TRYING TO UNDERSTAND THEM AND TRY TO FIX THOSE THINGS.

MY MAIN THING IS TRY TO WORK WITH THE EMPLOYEE, TO TRY TO GET THEM ON BOARD. BECAUSE I FEEL LIKE A LOT OF PEOPLE, THEY FELT LIKE THEY WERE EXCLUDED FOR A PERIOD OF TIME. OR A CERTAIN MANAGER WAS HERE, THAT HELD THEM TO THIS STANDARD WITHIN THE ORGANIZATION AND THEN THEY FELT LIKE THEY COULD BE THAT WAY ALL OF THE TIME.

BUT I THINK MORE SO IS TO GET EVERYBODY ON THE SAME PAGE IN TERMS OF THE WAY THAT YOU OPERATE AND FUNCTION.

AND BE ABLE TO HAVE THAT COMMUNICATION WITH THAT INDIVIDUAL TO TRY TO GET THEM TO PERFORM BETTER.

ON THE OUTSIDE OF THAT, IN TERMS OF YOU KNOW, THE RESIDENTIAL SIDE, YOU KNOW, YOU HAVE RESIDENTS WHO YOU KNOW, HAVE ISSUES WITH THINGS THAT YOU MAY DO WITHIN THE CITY.

AND I ALWAYS SAY FOR ME, IS THAT THEY'RE THE RESIDENTS THAT I WANT TO BECOME MORE INVOLVED IN DIFFERENT THINGS.

BECAUSE THEY COULD BE THE ADVOCATES FOR VARIOUS THINGS THAT YOU HAVE GOING ON IN THE COMMUNITY.

NOT ONLY THAT, I TALKED ABOUT THIS BEFORE, TO GET THEM MORE INVOLVED IN DIFFERENT THINGS, THE AREAS THAT THEY'RE PASSIONATE ABOUT, THAT THEY COME TO THE PODIUM TO TALK ABOUT, GET THEM MORE INVOLVED IN THAT.

TO CREATE A CIVIC ACADEMY, ON AN ANNUAL BASIS TO BE ABLE TO GET THOSE FOLKS TO UNDERSTAND, HERE IS HOW THE CITY OPERATES, TO BE ABLE TO HAVE THOSE DISCUSSIONS TO TALK ABOUT DIFFERENT THINGS. I THINK MORE SO GETTING ENGAGED, GETTING INVOLVED IN THE COMMUNITY CAN ALLEVIATE A LOT OF THOSE ISSUES BY BEING IN THE COMMUNITY AND GETTING INVOLVED IN THE DIFFERENT THINGS THAT THEY MAY HAVE AND DIFFERENT PLACES THROUGHOUT THE CITY.

>> COUNCIL MEMBER THORNTON. >> IN THE NEXT THREE YEARS, WHAT CHALLENGES DO YOU FORESEE THE CITY HAVING IN THE AREA OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT. AND BASED ON WHAT YOU KNOW RIGHT NOW, HOW WOULD YOU ADDRESS THOSE CHALLENGES?

>> RIGHT. I THINK WITH ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, I THINK THERE IS ALWAYS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR NEW OPPORTUNITIES. AS I WORKED IN MY FORMER POSITIONS, THAT WAS ONE OF THE THINGS I'VE BEEN REALLY GOOD AT IN TERMS OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND PUSHING THE ENVELOPE AND GOING OUT AND GETTING THOSE THINGS THAT THE COMMUNITY WANTS. AS I MENTIONED BEFORE, THOSE KEY TOPICS COME FROM THE CITY COUNCIL IN TERMS OF THE ANNUAL GOALS SET. IN TERMS OF WHAT YOU WOULD LIKE TO SEE IN THE COMMUNITY. NOT ONLY FROM THAT, BUT ALSO GOING TO THE DIFFERENT PLACES AND TALKING TO THE PEOPLE WITHIN THE VARIOUS PLACES THROUGHOUT THE COMMUNITY, TO BE ABLE TO TALK ABOUT YOU KNOW, WHAT DO YOU WANT, WHAT DO YOU DESIRE IN TERMS OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND BEING ABLE TO CHASE AFTER THEM. THE MAIN THING IS IN TERMS OF THE LEAKAGE I SEE. AS I TALKED ABOUT THE HOTELS, YOU KNOW, IF WE GROW BUSINESSES OR NOT EVEN IN THE COMMUNITY, BUT SURROUNDING BUSINESSES, OR MAJOR COMPANIES COMING IN, YOU KNOW, THEY NEED PLACES TO STAY, YOU KNOW, FOR TRAINING, FOR THEIR ADMINISTRATIVE STAFF TO -- EXECUTIVE STAFF COMING IN FROM DIFFERENT MEETINGS AND THINGS LIKE THAT.

WHAT ARE WE DOING TO PREPARE FOR THAT.

DO WE HAVE THE NECESSARY HOTELS TO BE ABLE TO ACCOMMODATE.

DO WE HAVE THE NECESSARY MEETING SPACE TO ACCOMMODATE FOR THAT. THAT IS A LEAKAGE OF REVENUE.

THAT IS A PART OF THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PIECE.

MEETINGS WITH THE COMMUNITY, IN TERMS OF WHAT THEY WANT.

DO YOU WANT MANUFACTURING JOBS, DO YOU WANT MANAGERIAL JOBS.

DO YOU WANT A CORPORATE HEADQUARTERS HERE, TO BE ABLE TO HAVE THE EXECUTIVE LEVEL JOBS.

THOSE ARE THE QUESTIONS YOU NEED TO ASK.

BECAUSE WITH THE BUSINESSES COMING IN AND GOING AFTER THEM

[00:50:01]

WE NEED INFRASTRUCTURE IMPROVEMENTS.

YOU KNOW, HOW MANY BUSINESSES DO WE NEED TO BRING IN TO BE ABLE TO BRING IN THE NECESSARY REVENUE TO BE ABLE TO ALLEVIATE SOME OF THAT STRESS ON THE TAXPAYERS.

THOSE ARE THE THINGS THAT I LIKE TO LOOK AT IN TERMS OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT. AS I SEE OUT FRONT, THE HOTEL THAT MAY COME. BUT WHAT TYPE OF HOTEL DO YOU WANT HERE. IS IT MORE BOUTIQUE, NATIONAL BRAND. THOSE THINGS THAT WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT AND BE ABLE TO HAVE HERE.

THE RESTAURANTS, DOES IT IMPEDE UPON OUR HISTORIC DISTRICTS.

DOES IT TAKE AWAY FROM THEIR REVENUE.

YOU KNOW, WHAT TYPE OF BUSINESSES, WHAT TYPE OF RESTAURANTS DO WE WANT TO SEE IN THE COMMUNITY.

AND THE MAIN THINGS THAT I KEEP GOING BACK TO, HISTORICAL PART OF THAT. THE FOLKS IN THE COMMUNITY WHO ARE HERE NOW, WHAT DO THEY WANT TO SEE AND THEN THE FOLKS COMING IN, THAT IS ANOTHER PIECE OF IT TOO.

ALSO TOO, THE PLACEMENT. WHEN YOU'RE DOING THE MASTER PLANNING, WHERE DO YOU WANT TO SEE THESE TYPES OF BUSINESSES AND DIFFERENT THINGS GO. IN TERMS OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, I USUALLY TRY TO TAP INTO THAT HEAVILY IN TERMS OF THE WAY THAT WE OPERATE. BECAUSE I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE BRINGING AS MUCH MONEY AS POSSIBLE TO TAKE AWAY THE STRESS OF HOW MUCH WE HAVE ON THE BUDGET AND GROW THE ORGANIZATION IN TERMS OF THE NECESSARY PERSONNEL TO BE ABLE TO HANDLE THOSE TYPE OF NEW ENTITIES THAT ARE COMING IN TO

THE COMMUNITY. >> THANK YOU, SIR.

COUNCIL MEMBER CLARK. >> WE'RE IN OUR FINAL TWO QUESTIONS HERE. HOW HAVE YOU PERSUADED THE CITY COUNCIL TO GO ALONG WITH YOU ON AN ISSUE THAT WAS A HARD SELL?

>> RIGHT. LET ME JUST SAY THIS, THE MAIN THING WITH ME IS, I RESEARCH EVERYTHING, I ANALYZE EVERYTHING, TAKE AN ASSESSMENT OF EVERYTHING.

I THINK FOR ANY CITY MANAGER, IT'S IMPORTANT THAT YOU BRING ALL THE NECESSARY INFORMATION BACK TO THE COUNCIL SO THAT THEY CAN MAKE AN INFORMED DECISION.

YOU KNOW, AS I TALK ABOUT PROJECTIONS, AS I TALK ABOUT THE STAFFING, AS I TALK ABOUT YOU KNOW, JUST THE ANCILLARY IMPACT THAT IT WILL HAVE ON THE NEIGHBORHOODS THAT YOU'RE WANTING TO DO CERTAIN THINGS IN.

THE OVERALL IMPACT OF YOU KNOW, HOW DOES IT IMPACT YOU KNOW, OTHER DEPARTMENTS AND WILL WE BE ABLE TO GET THE JOB DONE.

IN TERMS OF, IF YOU WANTED TO CREATE A WATER PARK HERE, WITHIN THE CITY OF HUTTO, HOW DO WE GO ABOUT THAT IN TERMS OF INFRASTRUCTURE IMPROVEMENTS. DO WE HAVE THE NECESSARY ROADS TO BE ABLE TO HANDLE THAT. HOW IS IT GOING TO IMPACT THE RESIDENTS IN THE COMMUNITY THAT WE'RE GOING TO BE BUILDING AROUND. SO WITH ME, I TRY TO BRING ALL OF THAT INFORMATION. BECAUSE I LIKE TO BE VERY INFORMATIVE TO THE CITY COUNCIL.

IN TERMS OF YOU REALLY UNDERSTANDING ABOUT WHAT YOU'RE VOTING ON AND THEN THE FUTURE IMPACT OF IT AND THE IMPACT THAT IT'S GOING TO HAVE ON YOUR CONSTITUENTS.

THAT IS WHAT I'VE BEEN ABLE TO DO, IN TERMS OF TRYING TO, I DON'T USE THE WORD PERSUADE, BUT TO INFORM THE COUNCIL ON DIFFERENT THINGS BECAUSE YOU KNOW, IT'S A WORKING RELATIONSHIP. IT'S A TWO-WAY STREET IN TERMS OF THE WAY WE OPERATE AND DO BUSINESS.

SO YOU KNOW, AS A CITY MANAGER, I CAN LIVE WITH THAT EVERY DAY.

I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT I'M INFORMING YOU THE BEST THAT I CAN IN TERMS OF WHAT WE'RE ABLE TO DO, AND BE ABLE TO MAINTAIN IT FOR THE COUNCIL AND FOR THE COMMUNITY AS A WHOLE.

>> AS WE CONCLUDE, ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU HAVE FOR

US? >> NO. I THINK I'VE ASKED ALL OF MY QUESTIONS THROUGHOUT OUR CONVERSATIONS YESTERDAY AND THIS MORNING. I THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY. I THINK THIS IS A GREAT PLACE IN TERMS OF THE POTENTIAL. AND I THINK THAT YOU HAVE A LOT OF ASSETS WITHIN YOUR ORGANIZATION AND I JUST WANT TO SAY TOO, IN CLOSING, IS THAT I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT YOU DO MAINTAIN YOUR HISTORICAL DISTRICT AND MAKE SURE THE FOLKS THAT HAVE BEEN HERE FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS HAVE A PLACE HERE. DON'T FORGET ABOUT THE OVERALL DEVELOPMENT OF THOSE AREAS AND MAKING SURE THEY HAVE WHAT THE NEWER COMMUNITIES HAVE IN THE EXISTING COMMUNITY.

WITH THAT SAID, I REALLY DON'T HAVE ANY QUESTIONS.

I THINK I'VE ASKED THEM ALL IN THE LAST COUPLE OF DAYS, BECAUSE WE HAD A LOT OF TIME TO REALLY HAVE DIFFERENT CONVERSATIONS ABOUT DIFFERENT THINGS THAT ARE GOING ON IN THE

[00:55:04]

BUT AS ME AS A CITY MANAGER, I TRY TO BE AS FISCALLY RESPONSIBLE AS POSSIBLE, I WILL LOOK AT DIFFERENT AREAS TO TRY TO LOOK AT WAYS THAT WE COULD EITHER MAINTAIN OUR TAX RATE OR GO BACK DOWN A LITTLE BIT IN WAYS THAT WE COULD, WITH THE NEW REVENUE THAT IS COMING IN WITH THE PROPERTY TAX VALUATIONS AND TO BE ABLE TO LOOK AT THE INCREASE IN OUR OVERALL PERSONNEL THAT WE HAVE TO BE ABLE TO DO THE JOB AS WELL AS ALL OF YOUR INFRASTRUCTURE NEEDS THAT YOU NEED AS THE COMMUNITY CONTINUES TO GROW.

>> THANK YOU, SIR. ANY OTHER COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS FROM COUNCIL? ALL RIGHT.

IF THERE IS NO OBJECTIONS FROM COUNCIL, WE'LL RECESS AT 9:48

AN >> IT'S 10 O'CLOCK.

BACK FROM RECESS. NEXT WE HAVE MANUEL DE LA ROSA.

GOOD MORNING. WE'VE GOT ABOUT 45 MINUTES, ROUGHLY 10, 11 QUESTIONS AND WE'LL LET YOU START OFF WITH MAYBE A TWO TO THREE MINUTE KIND OF INTRO AND WE'LL START DOWN THE LINE, JUST ASKING YOU QUESTIONS.

>> OKAY. GOOD MORNING.

GOOD MORNING THERE, I SEE YOU ON THE ZOOM, OR TEAMS. MY NAME IS MANUEL DE LA ROSA. I AM A NATIVE OF SAN ANTONIO.

DIVERSE COMMUNITIES. THE CURRENT CITY THAT I'M AT, BEEN THERE SIX AND A HALF YEARS.

PROBABLY ONE OF THE MOST DISADVANTAGED COMMUNITIES IN

THE ENTIRE STATE. >> THANK YOU, SIR.

>> ALL RIGHT. WITH THAT, COUNCIL MEMBER

SUTTON. >> GOOD MORNING.

MR. DE LA ROSA. I APOLOGIZE FOR NOT BEING IN-PERSON TODAY. I KNOW HOW IMPORTANT THIS PROCESS IS AND I REALLY APPRECIATE YOUR TIME AND INTEREST IN OUR HOME TOWN. THE FIRST QUESTION IS SHARE WITH US WHAT WE SHOULD KNOW ABOUT YOU AS A PERSON AND WHY YOU'RE INTERESTED IN THIS POSITION HERE IN HUTTO.

>> OKAY. >> I BELIEVE THAT THAT I AM THE PERSON THAT HUTTO SHOULD HIRE BECAUSE I HAVE DEDICATED MY ENTIRE CAREER TO PUBLIC SERVICE.

RIGHT OUT OF HIGH SCHOOL, I WORKED FOR AN OIL SERVICES COMPANY FOR A LITTLE OVER FIVE AND A HALF YEARS.

GOT LAID OFF TWICE FROM THE SAME COMPANY.

GOT HIRED. WANTED STABILITY.

I MARRIED YOUNG. THERE WAS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR ME TO START WORKING FOR CITIES IN OCTOBER OF 1986, AS A POLICE DISPATCHER. SINCE THEN, I HAVE WORKED ABOUT EVERY POSITION IN CITY GOVERNMENT.

THE CITY THAT I STARTED WAS A COMMUNITY THAT WENT THROUGH GENTRIFICATION. BY THE TIME I LEFT, IT HAD BEEN AN AFFLUENT COMMUNITY. I WANTED TO DEDICATE MY LIFE TO BEING A GOOD PUBLIC SERVANT. HAVING SEEN HUTTO, FOR OVER TEN YEARS, I BELIEVE THAT I CAN BRING THOSE SKILL SETS, EXPERIENCE, HELP HUTTO GET TO THE NEXT LEVEL.

>> THANK YOU, SIR. COUNCIL MEMBER THORNTON.

>> GOOD MORNING. WHAT IS THE MOST SURPRISING, BEST OR WORST, ET CETERA, THING THAT YOU HAVE DISCOVERED ABOUT

US. >> I READ ARTICLES AND I'VE BEEN READING ARTICLES. AS A CITY MANAGEMENT PROFESSIONAL, I LOOK AT BEST MANAGEMENT PRACTICES FROM OTHER CITY MANAGERS AROUND THE STATE AND COUNTRY.

IF YOU'RE FAMILIAR WITH TMO CONNECT, IT COMES OUT WEEKLY, MONDAY THROUGH FRIDAY. I READ MY LOCAL PAPER, READ WALL STREET, AND TML CONNECT. YOU HAVE NOT HAD A LOT OF STABILITY WITH YOUR CITY MANAGEMENT.

WHEN IT COMES TO THE ACTIONS OF WHY PEOPLE RUN FOR OFFICE, THAT IS WHY WE HAVE THIS DEMOCRACY FORM OF DOCUMENT.

YOU REPRESENT YOUR CONSTITUENTS.

[01:00:03]

THROUGH THAT PROCESS. >> THANK YOU.

COUNCIL MEMBER CLARK. >> THANK YOU.

QUESTION NUMBER 3, IF OFFERED THIS POSITION, WHAT DO YOU HOPE TO HAVE ACCOMPLISHED IN THE FIRST 100 DAYS AND AFTER ONE

YEAR? >> I BELIEVE IN THE FIRST 100 DAYS, IT'S IMPORTANT FOR ME TO UNDERSTAND EXACTLY WHO YOUR STAFF IS, ASSESS THEIR SKILL SETS, YOU HAVE A LOT OF NEW STAFF FROM WHAT I CAN TELL. AND I CAME TO REALIZE WHEN I READ YOUR COMPREHENSIVE, YOUR FINANCIAL -- ANNUAL REPORTS.

SO I READ ALL OF THE NOTES, SAW THAT THERE WAS -- YOU DIDN'T HAVE ENOUGH FOLKS, FOR EXAMPLE, REFERENCE TO HR.

YOU HAVE ADDED A LOT OF STAFF HERE.

SO I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW WHERE THE SKILL SETS ARE.

I WOULD LIKE TO SEE YOUR ANNUAL REPORTS, I WOULD LIKE TO UNDERSTAND WHERE YOUR CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PLAN IS AT.

IF NOT, YOU'RE IN THE MIDST OF YOUR BUDGET PREPARATION PROCESS. YOU HAVE BONDS THAT YOU'VE ISSUED, PROJECTS ON HOLD. AND THEN FIRST 100 DAYS, DETERMINE EXACTLY WHERE WE ARE WITH CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS, WHERE WE NEED TO BE WORKING TOWARD AND IN THE FIRST YEAR, MAKE SURE THAT WE ALL CITY COUNCIL, ALONG WITH THE CITY STAFF, WE UNDERSTAND WHAT DIRECTION WE'RE GOING IN AND HOW WE'RE GOING TO GET US BACK ON TRACK.

THE STAKEHOLDERS ARE NOT JUST INTERNAL.

THEY'RE ALSO EXTERNAL. SCHOOL DISTRICT, CHAMBER, THE LOCAL COLLEGE. EVERYONE NEEDS TO HAVE SOME TYPE OF INPUT INTO THAT PROCESS.

AND MEET THOSE GOALS AND OBJECTIVES AND UNDERSTAND WHAT AT LEAST GET INPUT, SO WE CAN TRY TO ADDRESS AND SEE IF WE'RE ALL GOING TO GET THERE AT THE SAME TIME.

>> THANK YOU, SIR. ALL RIGHT.

SO IT CAN BE DIFFICULT TO USE GOOD JUDGMENT WHEN EVERYONE ELSE SEEMS TO DISAGREE WITH YOUR APPROACH.

CAN YOU TELL US ABOUT A TIME WHEN YOU HAD TO GO AGAINST THE WISHES AND NEEDS OF YOUR SENIOR LEADERSHIP TEAM? WHAT DID YOU DO, HOW DID YOU EXPLAIN YOUR REASONING AND WHAT

WAS THE RESULT? >> YOU KNOW, WHAT I TRY TO INSTILL IN MY SENIOR STAFF, THERE'S USUALLY AN INNER CIRCLE AND DEPARTMENT DIRECTOR ROLE, SOMETIMES COORDINATORS THAT HAVE DIRECT CONTACT WITH ME. IT'S IMPORTANT THAT IF I -- IF THEY BELIEVE THAT I AM INCORRECT, JUST PLAIN WRONG, THEN TELL ME. I DEAL IN FACTS.

I DEAL IN STATISTICS. I DO NOT DEAL IN EMOTIONS.

I WANT TO KNOW EXACTLY WHERE WE'RE GOING AND WHY.

AT THE END OF THE DAY, MAYOR AND COUNCIL MEMBERS, I AM ACCOUNTABLE TO YOU, YOU'RE ACCOUNTABLE TO CONSTITUENTS.

AND MY LIVELIHOOD DEPENDS ON MEETING THE GOALS AND OBJECTIVES, NOT ONLY OF THE CITY COUNCIL, BUT THAT OF THE COMMUNITY. I WANT THE STAFF THAT WILL BE ABLE TO TELL ME WHEN THEY THINK I'M ON THE RIGHT PATH AND INCORRECT. SAME APPLICABLE TO THEM.

I BELIEVE THAT I SERVE AS A RESOURCE, I DON'T MICROMANAGE, BUT I DO BELIEVE THAT I AM THE OVERSIGHT.

AT THE END OF THE DAY, I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY'RE ON THE RIGHT TRACK, WE'RE ALL HEADED IN THE SAME DIRECTION.

IT MAY NOT BE THE RIGHT DIRECTION.

BUT WE'RE ALL GOING TO GET THERE.

I DON'T OPERATE IN AN SILO. I DON'T BELIEVE THAT ANYONE DEPARTMENT IS ON AN ISLAND BY THEMSELVES.

WHETHER IT'S POLICE DEPARTMENT, OR PUBLIC WORKS, OR ANY OTHER DEPARTMENT, BUT THOSE TEND TO BE THE LARGER DEPARTMENTS.

THAT WE WORK AS A TEAM. THAT WE ALL KNOW EXACTLY WHAT WE'RE ALL DOING TOGETHER. SO IF I HAVE TO OVERRULE IT'S BECAUSE I AM GOING TO TAKE THE FULL BLUNT OF WHATEVER THE OUTCOME IS. I DO ALLOW MY STAFF TO MAKE DECISIONS. IF THEY MAKE AN INCORRECT DECISION, THEY LEARNED, AND I'VE LEARNED.

NOTHING CAN'T BE FIXED. BUT NO DECISION SHOULD BE MADE THAT CREATES SUCH A NEGATIVE IMPACT ON THE ORGANIZATION THAT CAN'T BE CORRECTED. BECAUSE IF I MAKE EVERY DECISION FOR EVERY ONE OF MY DIRECTORS, THEN THEY'RE NOT GOING TO GROW IN THEIR POSITIONS.

[01:05:01]

AND SOMETIMES IF I DISAGREE, I NEED TO SHOW THEM WHY I DISAGREE. IT MAY BE A STATUTE, POLICY, MAY BE AN ORDINANCE, BEST MANAGEMENT PRACTICE.

MY EXPERIENCE INDICATES TO ME I'VE DONE IT, TRIED IT, IT'S FAILED AND WE CANNOT GO DOWN THAT PATHWAY.

THANK YOU. >> THANK YOU, SIR.

MAYOR PRO TEM. >> IN THIS AGE OF DOING MORE WITH LESS, HOW DO YOU BUILD AND MAINTAIN A COHESIVE MOTIVATED TEAM, CREATING A PEOPLE CENTERED CULTURE IN A NUMBERS

FOCUSED WORLD? >> EVER SINCE COVID, EVERY CITY GOVERNMENT, EVERY STATE GOVERNMENT, INCLUDING THE FEDS, WE'RE ALL DOING MORE WITH LESS. I THINK THAT WE SHOULD ALL BE GRATEFUL FOR MANY OF US THAT ARE WORKING.

WE NEED TO TAKE CARE OF THOSE THAT DO NOT HAVE WHAT WE HAVE.

ONE OF THE THINGS, I MENTIONED IT EARLIER, IS GETTING BACK TO BASICS. A LOT OF TIMES WE WANT, BUT WE CANNOT AFFORD. OR WE WANT SOMETHING WHEN SOMETHING ELSE COULD BE SUBSTITUTED.

WHEN I LOOK AT -- WHEN I DEAL WITH MY PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT AND OUR ENGINEERS, SPECIFICALLY WHEN IT COMES TO WATER AND WASTE WATER, I SAID LOOK, I DON'T NEED A CADILLAC WHEN IT COMES TO SELF-PRIMING PUMPS. I'M OKAY WITH A CHEVROLET.

PLUS, WHERE IS THIS EQUIPMENT COMING FROM? WHO IS GOING TO SERVICE IT. IF I NEED TO GET REPLACEMENT PARTS, CAN I GET THEM LOCALLY? SO FOR EXAMPLE, I'M DEALING WITH LIFT STATIONS. THEY HAVE SUBMERSIBLE PUMPS.

FLIGHTS COME FROM SWEDEN. I CAN GET SELF-PRIMING ABOVE GROUND. I WOULD RATHER PAY MORE TO HAVE SOMETHING THAT THE EMPLOYEES DON'T HAVE TO GET INTO A LIFT STATION DOWN IN THE WET WELL AND WORK ON IT TO REMOVE ALL OF THE DEBRIS THAT GETS ON THE PIPES.

BUT I DON'T HAVE TO DEAL WITH THE SUPPLY CHAIN THAT WE'RE HAVING CURRENTLY, EQUIPMENT COMING FROM EUROPE.

SO WE NEED TO THINK ABOUT WHAT WE'RE DOING, WHY WE'RE DOING IT. AND WHAT IS GOING TO BE THE BEST SUBSTITUTE WITHOUT BUYING SOMETHING THAT IS SO COST PROHIBITIVE OR SO CHEAP THAT IT WON'T WORK IN THE LONG-RUN.

SO WE'RE ALWAYS LOOKING TO DO MORE WITH LESS.

MAYOR PRO TEM. >> THANK YOU, SIR.

COUNCIL MEMBER KINSEY >> GOOD MORNING.

CAN YOU TELL US ABOUT A TIME THAT YOU HAD A PROBLEM SPECIFICALLY WITH CITY COUNCIL AND WHAT WAS THE OUTCOME?

HOW WAS IT RESOLVED? >> YOU KNOW, I HAVE DEALT WITH MANY CITY COUNCILS. I'VE BEEN AN ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER SINCE ABOUT 1997. YOU HAVE A TOUGH JOB.

YOU WANT SOMETIMES WHICH CAN'T BE ACHIEVED OR OBTAINED.

IT JUST IS. AS A CITY MANAGER, MY JOB IS TO EITHER GIVE YOU THE BEST GUIDANCE, BEST RECOMMENDATION AND OFFER YOU A SOLUTION. IT IS INCUMBENT UPON ME TO PROVIDE THOSE OPTIONS FOR YOU. SO YOU CAN MAKE AN INFORMED DECISION. I CAN TELL YOU THAT I RECENTLY WE STARTED AND I HAVE BEEN ENCOURAGING OUR CITY COMMISSION, WHICH IS WHAT WE REFER TO THEM IN THE AREA THAT I'M IN, THAT WE NEEDED A WATER RATE STUDY FOR A WATER RATE INCREASE. WE WEREN'T GOING TO BE ABLE TO MAKE OUR FUTURE DEBT PAYMENTS. THIS BUDGET YEAR FINALLY MANAGED TO DO THAT. WE CONTRACTED WITH A CONSULTANT, DID A WATER RATE STUDY, BASED ON DISCUSSIONS WITH THE CITY COMMISSION, TOOK ME A BETTER PART OF FOUR MONTHS AND THREE OPTIONS ON HOW TO PERFORM THOSE WATER RATE INCREASES. AND YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT SINGLE FAMILY, MULTIFAMILY AND COMMERCIAL.

SO WHEN I GET INVOLVED WITH SOMETHING, I'M IN IT FOR THE LONG-RUN. I KNOW IT'S IMPORTANT.

I KNOW -- I UNDERSTAND THE POLITICS.

I DON'T GET INVOLVED IN YOUR POLITICS.

BUT I KNOW EXACTLY WHAT YOUR POLITICS ARE.

I AM POLITICALLY ASTUTE WHEN TO SAY SOMETHING AND NOT TO SAY SOMETHING. THESE DECISIONS ARE NOT MADE BY ME ALONE. WE HAVE FINANCIAL ADVISORS THAT PROVIDE SUPPORTING INFORMATION. YES YOU'RE GOING TO GET INTO A PROBLEM AREA IF WE DON'T ADDRESS THIS.

I'VE BEEN THERE SIX YEARS. IT WASN'T A CONCERN MY FIRST YEAR AFTER YEAR ONE, I SAID YEAH, WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO ADDRESS THIS. AFTER THAT, IT TOOK ME TWO YEARS TO HAVE THAT DISCUSSION. WE'RE DOWN TO THE BOTTOM LINE.

AGAIN, MY EXPERIENCE HAS BEEN THAT IF I HAVE DISCUSSIONS WITH YOU, COLLECTIVELY AND INDIVIDUALLY, AND EXPLAIN WHY AND PROVIDE YOU THE DATA, EITHER FROM OUR CITY OR FROM OTHERS AS TO WHAT THAT INDUSTRY STANDARD MAY BE, YOU WILL BE ABLE TO MAKE WHATEVER DECISION YOU MAKE AND THAT IS WHAT I'M

GOING TO IMPLEMENT. >> THANK YOU, SIR.

[01:10:06]

COUNCIL MEMBER KOLAR. >> THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE.

MY QUESTION IS, BEING ABLE TO CHANGE ANOTHER PERSON'S BEHAVIOR TAKES SKILL AND RESPONSIBILITY.

TELL US ABOUT A TIME WHEN YOU WERE SUCCESSFUL IN DOING THIS.

WHAT WERE THE PAYOFFS, FOR YOU AND THE OTHER PERSON AND THE

ORGANIZATION. >> I DEAL WITH A LOT OF DIRECTORS AND WHETHER I WAS AN ACM OR CM.

IT'S IMPORTANT THAT DIRECTORS BE THE PERSON WITH THE CUSTOMER SERVICE SKILLS. INCLUDING THE CITY MANAGER.

CITY MANAGER IS THE CHIEF ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICER FOR THE PROVIDE DELIVERY SERVICES TO EVERYBODY.

BUT HE ALSO TAKES DIRECTION AND HE'S GOT TO NEGOTIATE A LOT OF CONTRACTS. SO THERE IS A SOFT SKILL SET.

THERE IS A CONTRACT NEGOTIATION SKILL SET.

THERE ARE A LOT OF OTHER SKILL SETS THAT YOU HAVE TO WORK ON.

BUT ANY TIME WE REPLACE ANY EMPLOYEE, WHETHER IT'S AN ENTRY LEVEL POSITION, MID LEVEL OR SENIOR, IT'S COSTLY TO THE ORGANIZATION TO RETRAIN, REHIRE.

SO IF WE CAN CHANGE THAT BEHAVIOR BY COACHING THEM, MENTORING THEM, TRAINING THEM. SOMETIMES THROUGH PROGRESSIVE DISCIPLINARY, I'LL DO IT. NO ONE GETS TO NOT MEET THE GOALS AND OBJECTIVES AND NO ONE GETS TO NOT BE NICE AT THEIR JOB. WE WANT OUR EMPLOYEES TO BE FAIR, CONSISTENT. WE WANT THEM TO LISTEN TO EVERYBODY. I DO NOT WANT THEM TO BE IN ANY WAY COMING ACROSS THEY'RE TRYING TO INTIMIDATE OR BULLY THEIR WAY THROUGH. IT'S NEVER ONE-SIDED.

IT'S ALWAYS MULTI-SIDED AND THEN WE MAKE THE BEST DECISION AND YOU EXPLAIN THAT DECISION. SO I HAVE UNFORTUNATELY, I'VE HAD TO REASSIGN POLICE CHIEFS, WITH CIVIL SERVICE, BACK INTO LOWER POSITIONS. I'VE DONE THAT.

I'VE DONE THE SAME THING WITH FIRE CHIEFS.

I'VE HAD TO REASSIGN DEPARTMENT DIRECTORS BECAUSE THEIR CONDUCT WAS UNBECOMING AND IT WAS SOMETHING THAT WHERE I HADN'T LOST TOTAL CONFIDENCE, BUT CERTAINLY ON THE PATHWAY IF WE DIDN'T MAKE BEHAVIOR MODIFICATION CHANGES.

>> THANK YOU, SIR. COUNCIL MEMBER SUTTON.

>> HOW DO YOU HANDLE PEOPLE WHO ARE DIFFICULT TO GET ALONG WITH? DESCRIBE A SITUATION WHICH YOU WERE EFFECTIVE IN GETTING A DIFFICULT PERSON TO COOPERATE, EXPLAIN WHAT YOU DID THAT MADE THE DIFFERENCE.

>> I DEAL WITH MANY EMPLOYEES WITH DIFFERENT PERSONALITIES.

ESPECIALLY WHEN THERE ISN'T A DIRECTOR THAT CAN MANAGE THEIR HUMAN ASSETS. ONE OF THE FUNDAMENTAL JOBS OF ANY DIRECTOR, WE'RE ALL MANAGERS OF ASSETS.

I WOULD LIKE TO PUT THOSE ASSETS EITHER INTO CAPITAL HUMAN OR PHYSICAL. SO EVERY DIRECTOR, JUST LIKE ADMINISTRATION, JUST LIKE MANAGEMENT, JUST LIKE ANYBODY ELSE THAT IS PUT INTO A POSITION OF AUTHORITY, WE HAVE TO TAKE CARE OF THE CITY'S FUNDS.

TAKE CARE OF THE CITY'S ASSETS, WHICH IS THE HUMAN RESOURCES AND THEN EVERY PHYSICAL TANGIBLE OR INTANGIBLE ASSET THAT THE CITY OWNS, EMPLOYEES THAT DO NOT GET ALONG, SOMETIMES YOU HAVE TO CALL THEM IN, HAVE A DISCUSSION AND TRY TO FIND OUT, AS I'VE GOTTEN OLDER, I'M GETTING THERE, I GET TO SEE THAT THERE IS DIFFERENT AGE GROUPS THAT JUST ARE NOT ON THE SAME PAGE. THEY DON'T COMMUNICATE THE SAME. THEY DON'T HAVE THE SAME IDEAS.

THEIR WORK ETHICS ARE DIFFERENT.

SO WE HAVE TO BRIDGE THOSE GENERATIONAL GAPS AND WE ALSO HAVE TO -- WHEN I'M ALSO DEALING WITH CERTAIN GROUPS OF EMPLOYEES, SOMETIMES THEY'RE VERY TECHNICAL.

WHICH MEANS THAT THEY DON'T HAVE THE SOFT SKILLS.

OR THEY HAVE THE SOFT SKILLS AND NOT THE TECHNICAL.

AND WHEN I PAIR THEM TOGETHER, BECAUSE THEY NEED TO WORK TOGETHER, THEY'RE JUST NOT GETTING ALONG.

OR SOMEBODY SAID SOMETHING THAT JUST RUBS THEM WRONG.

AND SO WE TRY TO COUNSEL THEM. TRYING TO FIND EXACTLY WHAT IS THE ISSUE. IF WE CAN RESOLVE THAT.

SO I HAVE MY PLANNING DEPARTMENT IS BROKEN UP INTO -- IT HAS SIX DIFFERENT DIVISIONS. CODE COMPLIANCE, BUILDING, PLANNERS. THE STORMWATER DIVISION, ANIMAL CONTROL, UP UNTIL RECENTLY, UNTIL I RELOCATED THAT DIVISION TO THE POLICE DEPARTMENT. THEY DEAL WITH THE SAME ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANTS TO HANDLE A LOT OF THE PAPERWORK.

SOMETIMES THEY HAVE COMPETING INTERESTS, COMPETING PROJECTS.

OR THEY JUST DON'T LIKE EACH OTHER FOR WHATEVER THE REASON MAY BE. SO WE ALWAYS TRIED COUNSELING.

[01:15:02]

SO WE MAKE THOSE KIND OF CHANGES TO SOLVE IT.

ANY EMPLOYEE ISSUE GETS REPORTED TO HR.

IT DOESN'T MATTER HOW INSIGNIFICANT IT IS.

OR IF SOMEBODY SAYS HEY, HE MADE A COMMENT THAT I FOUND OFFENSIVE, IT GETS REPORTED. HR WILL LOOK INTO IT, TAKE IT TO THE ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER, IF HE SAYS YEAH, IT NEEDS MY ATTENTION, I GET INVOLVED. BUT THERE ISN'T AN EMPLOYEE ISSUE ANYWHERE IN THE ORGANIZATION, THAT ISN'T BROUGHT TO MY ATTENTION. I DO NOT WANT TO LOSE ANY EMPLOYEES BECAUSE SOMEBODY ISN'T COOPERATING.

WE WILL WORK VERY DILIGENTLY TO CHANGE THAT PERSON'S MINDSET OR AT LEAST IF WE NEED TO REASSIGN, WE WILL.

SOMETIMES IT'S MAYBE JUST BUYING FINDING A SIMPLE SOLUTION FOR THEM. BUT WITHOUT CATERING, YOU CAN'T TALK TO EACH OTHER. THAT IS UNACCEPTABLE.

WE HAVE TO WORK FOR THE CITY AND MEET OUR GOALS.

>> THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER THORNTON.

>> IN THE NEXT THREE YEARS, WHAT CHALLENGES DO YOU FORESEE THE CITY HAVING IN THE AREA OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT? AND BASED ON WHAT YOU KNOW RIGHT NOW, HOW WOULD YOU

ADDRESS THOSE CHALLENGES? >> I THINK HERE RECENTLY, YOU'VE GOT A DOUBLE EDGED SWORD.

YOU'VE GOT A GREAT PROPERTY VALUATION INCREASE.

THE PROBLEM IS, PEOPLE ARE PAYING A LOT MORE TAXES.

THE OTHER PROBLEM IS YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE BUSINESSES THAT CAN'T AFFORD TO BUY THE LAND. YOU MIGHT BE LOOKING AN INCENTIVIZING BUSINESSES. YOUR LOCAL GROCERY STORE IS NOT EVEN IN YOUR CITY LIMITS. RIGHT OUTSIDE.

130, SOUTH OF YOU. HOW DO YOU GET SOMEBODY LIKE THAT INSIDE THE CITY. YOU MAY HAVE TO ACTUALLY HAVING TO CREATE A 380, OFFER INCENTIVES.

THESE TECH COMPANIES, THEY'RE GOING TO COME IN WITH THE RECENT, WITH SAMSUNG GOING INTO THE TAYLOR AREA, TO THE EAST OF YOU, YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE SO MANY SUPPORT SERVICES FOR THAT TYPE OF INDUSTRY. ALONG WITH YOU KNOW, I THINK BRIGHTCOM AND OTHER BUSINESSES ALREADY HERE.

SO YOUR CHALLENGES ARE GOING TO BE ECONOMICALLY, PROVIDING THE INFRASTRUCTURE, WATER AND SEWER, THE ROADWAYS, THAT CAPACITY. SO YOU BRING IN MORE BUSINESS, BUT YOU DON'T ADDRESS YOUR THOROUGHFARES, YOU'RE GOING TO GET UPSET FOLKS THAT TAKES THEM 30 MINUTES TO GET DOWN 79 ALL THE WAY DOWN TO THE 130. AND I'VE DRIVEN THROUGH HERE DURING THE PEAK HOURS ON MY WAY WHEN I'VE COME FROM COLLEGE STATION. I CAME UP THROUGH THIS AREA TO GO TO GEORGETOWN. I'M GOING THIS IS CRAZY.

I DIDN'T REALIZE UNTIL AFTER I SAW THE MAP.

BUT IT'S NOT THE DIRECTION IT SENT ME THROUGH.

YOUR CHALLENGE IS GOING TO BE HOW TO MANAGE THAT.

ALL GROWTH SHOULD BE SUSTAINABLE, SMART GROWTH.

AND IT SHOULD BE MANAGED. IT SHOULD BE MANAGED THROUGH YOUR DEVELOPMENT CODES. IT SHOULD BE MANAGED THROUGH YOUR FUNDING, CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS.

PRIORITIZE THOSE MAIN CORRIDORS.

YOUR MOBILITY PLAN IS GREAT. WHAT I DON'T KNOW IS WHICH ROADS ARE GOING TO GO IN FIRST. SO YOUR NORTH SOUTH, EAST WEST, WHICH IS YOUR PRIMARIES. I DID SEE -- I CANNOT RECALL WHICH OF YOUR COUNCIL MEMBERS. I THINK IT'S CALLED 1660, NORTH/SOUTH DIRECTION, REFERENCE MADE.

ESPECIALLY WHEN IT CROSSES 79. YES.

ANY RAILROAD COMMUNITY THAT HAS A WORKING RAILROAD LINE IS DEALING WITH THE SAME CHALLENGES AND TO GET MORE ADDITIONAL CROSSINGS, IT'S DIFFICULT WHEN YOU'RE DEALING WITH THE RAILROAD COMPANIES. AND I KNOW WHO IS HERE, BECAUSE I'M DOWN IN SOUTH TEXAS, AND I DEALT WITH THEM WHEN I WAS IN KYLE, TEXAS. SO YOUR CHALLENGES ARE GOING TO BE HOW DO YOU WANT TO PRIORITIZE AND WHAT DO YOU CONSIDER TO BE THOSE PRIORITIES.

WHETHER IT'S THROUGH YOUR PLANNING, ZONING OR CITY COUNCIL. BUT YOU'VE GOT TO PRIORITIZE IT AND START PUTTING THAT PLAN TOGETHER.

>> THANK YOU, SIR. COUNCIL MEMBER CLARK.

>> THANK YOU, QUESTION TEN. HOW HAVE YOU PERSUADED THE CITY COUNCIL TO GO ALONG WITH YOU ON AN ISSUE THAT WAS A HARD SELL?

>> YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE THINGS ABOUT WORKING FOR CITIES, AS LONG AS I HAVE, I'VE SERVED THREE CITIES FOR LONG TENURES.

14 YEARS, ALMOST SEVEN YEARS AND SIX AND A HALF CURRENTLY.

[01:20:03]

YOU OFFER GOOD ADVICE THROUGH YOUR CAREER.

YOU DON'T SURVIVE BEING A CITY MANAGER WHEN YOU GIVE BAD ADVICE. AT LEAST NOT TOO MANY TIMES CAN YOU BE WRONG AND NOT SEE YOUR SHELF LIFE COME TO AN END.

SO OVER MY CAREER, I HAVE GIVEN A LOT OF ADVICE AND WE'VE MOVED A LOT OF PROJECTS. I RECALL WHEN I WAS IN SHANANDOAH, AT THE TIME, THE MAYOR, WE WERE LOOKING TO EXPAND OUR CERTIFICATED WATER AND SEWER CCNS.

STATE ISSUED CERTIFICATE. WE WERE CHALLENGING A LOCAL WATER SUPPLY CORPORATION THAT WAS ENCROACHING WITHIN OUR CITY LIMITS WITH THEIR WATER SUPPLY. WE WERE RUNNING HEFTY BILLS.

SHE GOES, THE MAYOR GOES, MANNY, IT'S COSTING US A LOT.

I SAID YOU KNOW, AT THAT TIME IT WAS ABOUT A HALF MILLION.

I SAID MAYOR, EVEN IF IT COSTS US ABOUT A MILLION TO MILLION AND A HALF, THE RETURN OVER THE NEXT TEN YEARS -- UP IN THE WOODLANDS, EARLY ON. WHO WOULD HAVE THOUGHT IT WOULD HAVE GONE THROUGH THE EXPLOSION.

AT LEAST WE SAW THAT THE VISION WAS THE CITY WAS GOING TO CONTINUE TO GROW. THE RETURN ON THAT INVESTMENT, HYPOTHETICALLY COULD BE 20 TIMES THAT.

QUITE LITERALLY IT'S MUCH MORE THAN THAT TODAY.

SINCE THEN, I WAS THERE IN '08, WHEN WE HELPED THE SCHOOL DISTRICT WITH THEIR 60-ACRE SPORTS FACILITY.

HOUSES A STADIUM AND AUDITORIUM.

BUT IT'S CONVINCING THEM, TRUSTING YOU, AND DEVELOPING THAT. SO YOU'LL SEE THAT I WORKED FOR A COUPLE OF CITIES FOR A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME.

BASED ON SOME PERSONAL THINGS THAT WAS GOING ON IN MY LIFE, AND CARING FOR MY WIFE, I TOOK THESE JOBS.

I DIDN'T APPLY TO BE THERE LONG.

AND THE CITY COUNCIL DIDN'T HIRE ME TO BE THERE FOR A LONG TIME. THEY SAID THESE ARE THE TASKS WE HAVE FOR YOU. BASED ON YOUR SKILL SETS, BASED ON YOUR REFERENCES, THIS IS WHAT WE WANT YOU TO ACCOMPLISH.

BUT YOU'RE PROBABLY NOT -- WE'RE NOT GOING TO GET RE-ELECTED AND YOU WON'T SURVIVE TOO LONG AFTERWARDS.

I TOOK THE ASSIGNMENTS BECAUSE I THOUGHT IT WAS GOOD FOR THE COMMUNITY AND BECAUSE I WANTED TO CONTINUE HONING MY SKILL SETS. THANK YOU.

>> THANK YOU, SIR. WRAPS UP OUR LINE OF QUESTIONING. IS THERE ANY TYPE OF QUESTIONS

THAT YOU HAVE FOR US? >> I DID.

WHEN I FILLED OUT THE QUESTIONNAIRE, I THINK I KNOW WHAT YOU'RE LOOKING FOR, CITY MANAGER.

IT'S MORE OF A STATEMENT, MAYOR, AND COUNCIL MEMBERS.

THE QUESTIONS ARE GOING TO BE EXACTLY WHAT IS YOUR TIMELINE, LOOK AT YOUR FUNDING, PUT A CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PLAN TOGETHER. I STUDIED YOUR ANNUAL REPORTS.

ONLINE YOU HAVE THE APRIL MONTHLY REPORT.

I LOOKED AT YOUR FINANCIAL REPORTS FOR THIS BUDGET, CURRENT BUDGET CYCLE. AND EVEN YOUR AUDITED.

SO HAVING STUDIED YOUR STRATEGIC PLAN, THE CURRENT ONE, 2040 THAT IS PROGRESS IN BEING UPDATED, YOUR MOBILITY PLAN, TRAFFIC IMPACT. I WAS ACTUALLY LOOKING FOR YOUR TRAFFIC IMPACT ANALYSIS. DID A RESEARCH AND THAT IS HOW I CAME ACROSS, I WOULD LIKE TO WORK ON YOUR WEBSITE.

MAKE IT MORE USER FRIENDLY. I HAD TO DO A LOT OF SEARCHS TO FIND SOME THINGS. AND AT THE END OF THE DAY, I GUESS THE QUESTION IS GOING TO BE EXACTLY WHAT ARE YOUR INDIVIDUAL PRIORITIES AND THEN WHAT ARE YOUR PRIORITIES COLLECTIVELY. AND THAT IS WHAT I WOULD WANT TO START ON. WHAT I BELIEVE IS, IF I CAN START WORKING ON THAT, THAT WILL GIVE ME AN IDEA.

AND THEN WHICH STAKEHOLDERS DO YOU WANT ME TO MEET FIRST AND THEN WORK MY WAY THROUGH. CITIZENS ARE PROBABLY ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT STAKEHOLDERS WE HAVE.

IT'S VERY DIFFICULT SOMETIMES TO GET INTO SEE THE CITY MANAGER FOR ANY NUMBER OF REASONS.

OUT OF THE OFFICE, SOMEWHERE ELSE.

AND I ALWAYS BUILT A TEAM OF STAFF THAT FROM AN ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER, THE ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER THAT AT ANY TIME, CITIZENS COME IN, WHAT IS IT, GIVE IT TO ME.

IF I NEED TO FOLLOW UP WITH A SIMPLE PHONE CALL, SOMETIMES AFTER HOURS. JUST SAY 6:30, I CALL HEY, WE GOT YOUR MESSAGE. THIS IS WHAT WE'RE GOING TO DO FOR YOU. AND EITHER THIS PERSON OR THIS PERSON IS GOING TO FOLLOW UP WITH YOU.

AND IF THEY DON'T ADDRESS IT, HERE IS MY NUMBER, CALL ME RIGHT BACK. BUT IT'S WHERE I WANT TO GO,

[01:25:04]

THANK YOU. >> ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS FROM COUNCIL? ALL RIGHT.

>> THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. >> THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME.

APPRECIATE IT. >> RECESS AT 10:30, IF THERE IS

NO OBJECTIONS.LUNCH. >> IT'S 11 O'CLOCK.

WE'RE BACK FROM RECESS. NEXT CANDIDATE IS JAMES EARP.

GOOD MORNING. WE HAVE ABOUT 45 MINUTES FOR ROUGHLY TEN QUESTIONS. LET YOU HAVE TWO OR THREE MINUTES FOR AN OPENING AND THEN AFTER THAT, WE'LL GO AROUND THE ROOM WITH A SERIES OF QUESTIONS FOR YOU.

>> OKAY. THANK YOU.

SO IT'S TABLE THEN? >> YES, SIR.

>> MAYOR, COUNCIL, THANK YOU SO MUCH.

FOR THE RECORD, JAMES EARP, CITY MANAGER AT THE CITY OF KYLE. VERY EXCITED TO BE HERE.

FOR THOSE WATCHING THROUGH THE LIVE STREAM, TO THE PUBLIC AND STAFF. THANK Y'ALL FOR ALLOWING ME TO BE HERE. A LITTLE BIT ABOUT ME, I'M FROM THE DALLAS FT. WORTH AREA. DECIDED THAT I WANTED TO GET INTO PUBLIC SERVICE EARLY, RECRUITED BY MAYOR WHEN I WAS IN HIGH SCHOOL TO HELP HIM WITH HIS POLITICAL CAMPAIGN.

MY PATH WENT TO BANKING AND FINANCE.

CAME UP AND STARTED MY PROFESSIONAL CAREER, WENT TO EAST TEXAS, RUNNING A MANAGEMENT PORTFOLIO FOR A BANK. MET MY FIRST CITY MANAGER.

BEFORE THAT I DIDN'T KNOW IT WAS A THING, BUT WHAT A GREAT OPPORTUNITY TO BE ABLE TO WORK IN A PROFESSION WHERE YOU ACTUALLY GET TO HELP YOUR COMMUNITY.

AND I DECIDED TO RETOOL AND MOVED OUT OF BANKING AND FINANCING AND TOOK MY FIRST CITY JOB IN THE CITY OF ENNIS.

THAT WAS A CITY MANAGER WHO SPECIFICALLY LOOKED FOR YOUNG MPA STUDENTS, IF YOU WILL, MASTERS OF PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION STUDENTS. RECRUITED THEM AND HE HAD BEEN THERE FOR A LONG TIME IN THE CITY OF ENNIS.

I THINK HE HAD MAYBE A 30-YEAR TENURE AT THE TIME THAT I STARTED AS CITY MANAGER. HIS POINT OF VIEW WAS THE WAY THAT I GIVE BACK IS I BRING IN YOUNG FOLKS.

I TEACH YOU FOR TWO YEARS, WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW, YOU'RE TO GO OFF INTO THE WORLD AND BECOME ASSISTANT CITY MANAGERS OR CITY MANAGERS ELSEWHERE. THAT IS WHAT I DID.

I CAME TO THE CITY OF KYLE IN 2006.

A LOT OF THE SAME SIMILARITIES OF THE CHALLENGES THAT HUTTO IS FACING TODAY HAS COME OUR WAY IN KYLE.

68TH EMPLOYEE THAT WALKED IN THE DOOR, HELPED GROW THAT ORGANIZATION OVER 300 FTES. 16 YEARS IN KYLE.

I DEVELOPED MY PROFESSIONAL NETWORK TO INCLUDE, YOU KNOW, NOT ONLY MY PROFESSION AS FAR AS CITY MANAGEMENT GOES, KNOWING SOME OF THE FOLKS HERE AS YOUR APPLICANTS, HELPED YOU GET THIS PROCESS GOING, CERTAINLY THOSE FOLKS, BUT ALSO MY NETWORK IN THE COMMUNITY AND REGION.

SO I'M VERY EXCITED TO BE ABLE TO BE HERE AND THE OPPORTUNITIES THAT HUTTO PROVIDES.

LOOKING FORWARD TO ANSWERING YOUR QUESTIONS.

>> THANK YOU, SIR. WITH THAT, WE'LL START WITH

COUNCIL MEMBER SUTTON. >> GOOD MORNING, JAMES.

>> GOOD MORNING. >> I'M SORRY I COULDN'T BE THERE IN PERSON. I KNOW HOW IMPORTANT THIS DECISION IS FOR THIS COUNCIL AND FOR THIS CITY.

I APPRECIATE YOU TAKING YOUR TIME AND INTEREST IN COMING OUT AND HELPING US. MY QUESTION TO YOU IS, WHAT SHOULD WE KNOW ABOUT YOU AS A PERSON AND WHY ARE YOU INTERESTED IN THE POSITION HERE AT HUTTO?

>> ME AS A PERSON, I THINK PROBABLY THE MOST IMPORTANT THING FOR YOU TO KNOW IS I REALLY DO VALUE INTEGRITY.

I AM CERTAINLY THE TYPE OF PERSON WHO WILL NOT DO A PARTICULAR ACTION EVEN THOUGH IT MAY BENEFIT ME IF I DON'T FEEL THAT IT'S RIGHT. FOR EXAMPLE, I COULD HAVE BEEN SITTING UPSTAIRS AND WATCHING THE OTHER FOLKS DO THESE INTERVIEWS IN MY TIME OFF AND I CHOSE NOT TO.

THAT IS THE TYPE OF PERSON THAT I AM.

I BACK THAT UP EVERY SINGLE DAY IN MY ACTIONS, THE WAY THAT I BEHAVE. MAKING SURE THAT THERE IS ALIGNMENT AND DOING WHAT I SAY I'M GOING TO DO.

I HAVE A SERVANT'S HEART. ONE OF THE MAIN REASONS THAT I DO THIS WORK IS BECAUSE THE WORK THAT I DO NOT ONLY BENEFITS THE STAFF, AND HELPS THE COUNCIL ACHIEVE THEIR GOALS. ALL OF MY WORK AND EFFORT BENEFITS THE COMMUNITY. I THINK THAT COMMUNITY

[01:30:03]

WE'RE A LITTLE BIT AHEAD OF THE CURVE, IF YOU WILL, FROM WHERE HUTTO IS CURRENTLY SITTING. POPULATION WISE, WE'RE PUSHING 60,000 IN POPULATION. WE CERTAINLY HAVE A LOT OF THE SAME DEMOGRAPHICS. AND A LOT OF THE SAME SITUATIONS. SO I FELT LIKE WHENEVER THE OPPORTUNITY PRESENTED ITSELF, THAT KNOWING THE CHALLENGES THAT Y'ALL HAVE FACED AS A COMMUNITY, BEING A PROFESSIONAL MANAGER WHO TAKES THAT ROLE VERY SERIOUSLY WAS A GOOD FIT.

AND ALSO, MY EXPERIENCE IS DIRECTLY RELEVANT, I FEEL LIKE I CAN BRING TO THIS COMMUNITY MY LESSONS LEARNED, BOTH POSITIVE AND NEGATIVE. AND CERTAINLY SERVE AS A RESOURCE TO HELP COUNCIL AND THE COMMUNITY ACHIEVE ITS

GOALS. >> THANK YOU.

THANK YOU, SIR. COUNCIL MEMBER THORNTON.

>> GOOD MORNING. >> GOOD MORNING.

WHAT IS THE MOST SURPRISING, BEST OR WORST THING YOU HAVE

DISCOVERED ABOUT US? >> THE MOST SURPRISING, BEST OR WORST. I'M GOING TO GO WITH THE BEST.

THE COMMUNITY HAS SURPRISED ME A LITTLE BIT.

AND IN ALL FAIRNESS, EVEN THOUGH I LIVE REALLY CLOSE TO HUTTO ON THE MAP, I HAVEN'T SPENT TIME IN HUTTO.

MY KIDS DIDN'T PLAY BALL HERE. THEY PLAYED BALL IN LEANDER AND OTHER PLACES LIKE THAT. I DIDN'T HAVE MANY REASONS TO VISIT HUTTO. HEARING THAT THE SCHOOL DISTRICT HAS ONE MASCOT ALL THE WAY THROUGH THE ENTIRE SCHOOL DISTRICT I THINK IS PRETTY NEAT.

THAT IS SOMETHING THAT THE CITY OF STEVENVILLE DID WITH THEIR YELLOW JACKETS, HELPING BUILD THAT COMMUNITY FABRIC TO EVERYONE FEELS LIKE THEY'RE A PART.

THE NUMBER OF FOLKS THAT CAME OUT AND VISITED LAST NIGHT, THEY WERE HERE BECAUSE THEY CARED SO MUCH ABOUT NOT JUST THEIR COMMUNITY, BUT ABOUT GIVING BACK AND HELPING.

I THINK THAT THAT IS SOMETHING THAT YOU CAN'T REALLY GAUGE UNTIL YOU'RE IN IT. I MEAN, YOU CAN CERTAINLY SEE THAT FROM THE OUTSIDE THE ANNOUNCEMENTS THAT COME FROM ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND THOSE TYPES OF THINGS, YOU KNOW, THOSE ARE MORE STERILIZED, I SUPPOSE.

YOU CAN'T REALLY SEE THE HEART OF THE COMMUNITY UNTIL YOU'RE IN IT. I THINK THE HEART OF HUTTO SURPRISED ME IN A VERY GOOD WAY.

I THINK THE BIGGEST NEGATIVE THAT I HAD LEARNED OVER TIME HAS BEEN THE LACK OF REAL LEADERSHIP OF THE ORGANIZATION AT THE STAFF LEVEL. SO I THINK I USE THIS ANALOGY WITH ONE OF YOU, BUT IT FEELS TO ME LIKE HUTTO IS HITTING ON ALL CYLINDERS EXCEPT FOR ONE, AND THAT IS THE KEY POSITION OF CITY MANAGER AND HELPING THE COMMUNITY AND ORGANIZATION SUCCEED AND DO WHAT IT NEEDS TO DO.

SO LEARNING ABOUT THE CHALLENGES AND THE HISTORY THERE, CERTAINLY WAS A CONCERN. ALSO ONE OF THE THINGS THAT MOTIVATED ME TO APPLY. I SOMEWHAT TAKE THE PROFESSION OF CITY MANAGEMENT VERY SERIOUSLY.

I WANT TO DELIVER TO THIS COMMUNITY WHAT PROFESSIONAL CITY MANAGEMENT SHOULD LOOK LIKE.

>> THANK YOU, SIR. COUNCIL MEMBER CLARK.

>> YES. THANK YOU FOR YOUR COMMENTS SO FAR. IF OFFERED THIS POSITION, WHAT DO YOU HOPE TO HAVE ACCOMPLISHED IN THE FIRST 100

DAYS AND AFTER ONE YEAR? >>

>> 100 DAYS IS VERY SPECIFIC. IT JUST SO HAPPENS THERE IS A BOOK OUT CALLED THE FIRST 100 DAYS OF THE 100 DAY PLAN.

USUALLY WHAT HAPPENS IN THE FIRST 100 DAYS OF ANY NEW POSITION, PARTICULARLY ONE WHERE YOU'RE TAKING ON A ROLE OF LEADERSHIP IS A VAST MAJORITY OF THAT TIME IS SPENT LISTENING AND LEARNING. SO YOU CAN WALK IN AND BELIEVE THAT YOU HAVE THE ANSWERS OR BELIEVE THAT YOU KNOW WHAT IS BEST. BUT THAT IS NOT ALWAYS THE TRUTH OR THE CASE. PARTICULARLY, IT MAY BE THAT IT'S THE RIGHT THING TO DO. BUT YOU REALLY WOULD JUST LUCK INTO IT IF YOU AREN'T LISTENING.

SO WITHIN THE FIRST 100 DAYS, IT WOULD BE MOSTLY ABOUT ESTABLISHING RELATIONSHIPS WITH THE COUNCIL, ALSO WITH STAFF.

THAT IS INTERNAL. ESTABLISHING RELATIONSHIPS EXTERNAL. SO THE VARIOUS STAKEHOLDERS IN THE COMMUNITY. I'M NOT GOING TO GO DOWN THE LONG LIST, BUT Y'ALL KNOW WHO I'M TALKING ABOUT, GENERALLY, SCHOOL DISTRICTS TXDOT, SO ON AND SO FORTH.

[01:35:03]

ESTABLISHING EXPECTATIONS OF COUNCIL AND STAFF.

BEING A PART OF THAT PROCESS SO THAT WE ALL KNOW HOW WE'RE TO OPERATE AND WORK TOGETHER, WHAT THE EXPECTATIONS ARE.

SO THAT WAY THERE IS NOT CONFUSION AND ANGST, TO A CERTAIN DEGREE FRUSTRATION ON THE PART OF ANYONE ENGAGED IN THAT PROCESS. I WOULD CERTAINLY HOPE TO HAVE BEGUN TO IDENTIFY THE THINGS THAT ARE STRENGTHS OF THE ORGANIZATION THAT WE CAN LEVERAGE AND ALSO BEGIN TO IDENTIFY THE AREAS THAT NEED -- I USE A TERM IN MY MANAGEMENT TALK CALLED SCAFFOLDING. BECAUSE A LOT OF TIMES THINGS NEED SUPPORT. WHERE DO YOU SCAFFOLD AND WHERE DO YOU TEAR DOWN AND DEMOLISH. BEING ABLE TO HELP FORM THOSE OPINIONS AND UNDERSTAND. I MEAN TO HAVE INFORMED OPINIONS ABOUT THOSE IN THE FIRST 100 DAYS.

STABILITY, ESTABLISHING STABILITY AND BEGINNING TO EARN TRUST I THINK IS VERY IMPORTANT IN THE FIRST 100 DAYS AS WELL.

THAT TRUST GOES NOT JUST WITH TWO CHAINS OF COMMAND BASICALLY, COUNCIL, TO CITY MANAGER, CITY MANAGER TO STAFF.

SO THAT TRUST GOES BOTH WAYS. THE CITY MANAGER LIVES IN THAT VORTEX OF THE TWO CHAINS OF COMMAND IN A LOT OF WAYS.

I KNOW THAT TRUST HAS BEEN CHALLENGED IN THE PAST.

AND WE NEED TO MAKE IT SAFE TO HAVE TRUST AGAIN, I THINK.

>> THE FIRST YEAR. >> WELL, HOPEFULLY SUCCESSES THAT WE ALL CAN CELEBRATE AND SMILE ABOUT.

HOPEFULLY LOOKING AT MAKING SURE THAT THE RESOURCES OF THE ORGANIZATION ARE GOING IN THE RIGHT PLACES, THAT ARE IN LINE WITH THE GOALS WITH THE COMMUNITY AND COUNCIL.

MAKING SURE THAT THE EXECUTION OF THAT IS HAPPENING.

SO ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I HAVE LONG DEALT WITH AS A STAFF MEMBER, AND I THINK MOST COUNCILS WOULD RELATE TO THIS, THERE IS SOME SORT OF FRUSTRATION THAT IS INHERENT IN THE PROCESS, BECAUSE THE GOVERNMENT DOESN'T MOVE FAST AND IT'S NOT NECESSARILY DESIGNED TO BE PURPOSELY SLOW.

BUT THE TYPES OF PROJECTS AND THE SCALE OF WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT TRYING TO ACCOMPLISH, TAKES TIME TO COMPLETE.

BUT THAT DOESN'T NECESSARILY MEAN THAT YOU SHOULDN'T HEAR ABOUT SOMETHING FOR THREE YEARS, JUST BECAUSE IT'S BEING WORKED ON FOR THREE YEARS. SO MAKING SURE THAT COMMUNICATION IS GOING WELL IN THAT FIRST YEAR, THAT THE PROJECTS THAT ARE OF HIGH PRIORITY, ARE BEING FOLLOWED AND BEING ADDRESSED, THAT THERE IS UPDATES AND GOOD COMMUNICATION BETWEEN STAFF UP TO COUNCIL AND FROM COUNCIL DOWN TO STAFF. YOU KNOW, SPECIFICALLY, I DON'T KNOW THAT I COULD GIVE YOU SPECIFIC PROJECTS PRIMARILY BECAUSE I THINK THAT IS THE PURVIEW OF THE COUNCIL AND THE COUNCIL'S GOALS. I THINK Y'ALL ARE STILL FORMING THOSE TO A CERTAIN DEGREE. BUT A YEAR FROM NOW, MY GOAL WOULD BE FOR Y'ALL TO LOOK BACK AND SAY WOW, I CAN'T BELIEVE HOW FAR WE'VE COME IN A SINGLE YEAR.

THAT WOULD BE MY GOAL. >> THANK YOU, SIR.

IT CAN BE DIFFICULT TO USE GOOD JUDGMENT WHEN EVERYONE ELSE SEEMS TO DISAGREE WITH YOUR APPROACH.

PLEASE TELL US ABOUT A TIME WHEN YOU HAD TO GO AGAINST THE WISHES AND NEEDS OF YOUR SENIOR LEADERSHIP TEAM.

WHAT DID YOU DO? HOW DID YOU EXPLAIN YOUR REASONING AND WHAT WAS THE RESULT?

>> GENERALLY, WHENEVER I ENGAGE IN DECISION MAKING, I SOLICIT INPUT FROM SUBORDINATES AND USUALLY I'M ABLE TO LEAD BY CONSENSUS. SO I END UP NOT NEEDING TO PULL BUT I'M BOSS, DO WHAT I SAY TYPE CARD.

I WOULD SAY SPECIFICALLY IN THIS PARTICULAR SCENARIO, WHERE YOU WOULD END UP IN THAT TYPE OF A SETTING WOULD BE WHERE THERE IS EITHER ADDITIONAL CONSTRAINTS OR THERE ARE ADDITIONAL GOALS THAT THE STAFF AREN'T COMPREHENDING OR ABLE TO UNDERSTAND OR THEY'RE NOT TAKING INTO THEIR DECISION MAKING PROCESS FOR ANY NUMBER OF REASONS.

WHENEVER I'VE HAD TO DO THIS IN THE PAST, IT HAS GENERALLY BEEN AT THE DEPARTMENT HEAD LEVEL. THAT IS USUALLY WHERE I OPERATE, IS AT THAT LEVEL OF THE ORGANIZATION AND NOT DOWN AT THE FIELD LEVEL OF THE ORGANIZATION.

KYLE HAS HAD TO REINVENT ITSELF A NUMBER OF TIMES, IN THE TIME THAT I'VE BEEN THERE, AS YOU MIGHT IMAGINE FROM 68 EMPLOYEES TO 300 EMPLOYEES. WE'VE HAD TO CHANGE HOW WE DO THINGS. WE'VE HAD TO CHALLENGE, THIS IS HOW WE'VE ALWAYS DONE IT TYPE MINDSET.

WE'VE HAD TO BUILD SYSTEMS THAT DIDN'T EXIST.

AND THERE HAVE BEEN RESISTANCE TO THOSE TYPES OF DECISIONS.

[01:40:05]

AND WHENEVER THAT HAS HAPPENED, MAYOR, IT HAS GENERALLY RESULTED IN MY STAFF SAYING YES, SIR.

AND THEN GETTING BEHIND THE NOTION 100 PERCENT.

BUT THAT ONLY HAPPENS BECAUSE I HAVE TAKEN IN TO ACCOUNT THEIR FEEDBACK, THEIR OPINION. THEY'VE BEEN A PART OF THE PROCESS. AND THEY LOOK TO ME TO MAKE THE FINAL DECISION. SO VERY SELDOMLY HAVE I HAD TO MAKE A CONTROVERSIAL DECISION AND JUST FORCE SOMETHING DOWN THE ORGANIZATION. IN FACT, I DON'T KNOWGLE EXAMP WHERE I'VE HAD TO DO SOMETHING THAT MAYBE WE DIDN'T AGREE ON, BUT AT THE END OF THE DAY, THE RESPECT AND TRUST WAS THERE THAT ONCE I MADE THE DECISION, THAT IS WHAT THE EXECUTION

WOULD BE. >> THANK YOU, SIR.

MAYOR PRO TEM. >> JAMES, THANKS FOR BEING HERE. IN THIS AGE OF DOING MORE WITH LESS, HOW DO YOU BUILD AND MAINTAIN A COHESIVE MOTIVATED TEAM, CREATING A PEOPLE CENTERED STRUCTURE IN A NUMBERS

FOCUSED WORLD? >> WELL, MY MANAGEMENT STYLE AND MY RECRUITING STYLE ARE I TEND TO RECRUIT NOT JUST ON TALENT AND CAPABILITY, BUT ALSO ON HEART.

I CAN HAVE SOMEONE WHO IS THE BEST AT WHATEVER JOB THAT THEY DO, BUT IF THEIR HEART IS NOT RIGHT, WHAT I MEAN BY THAT IS, THEY'RE THERE FOR THE RIGHT REASONS.

THEY'RE THERE TO SERVE, THEY'RE THERE BECAUSE THEY CARE.

WHETHER IT'S ABOUT THE COMMUNITY OR ABOUT THEIR CO-WORKERS. IT DOESN'T REALLY MATTER TO ME.

SO LONG AS THEY'RE THERE THINKING ABOUT OTHERS, GENERALLY SPEAKING. IN A WAY, IT'S THE GOLDEN RULE.

YOU KNOW, CARE FOR YOUR -- LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR.

IN THIS PARTICULAR CASE, IT'S CARE FOR YOUR CO-WORKERS.

CARE FOR YOUR COMMUNITY. SO IT'S REALLY ABOUT MAKING SURE THAT YOU HAVE THE RIGHT PEOPLE ON THE BUS, SO TO SPEAK.

ONCE YOU HAVE THE RIGHT PEOPLE, IT'S WHEN YOU GET TO THE RESOURCE ALLOCATION OF THAT QUESTION.

THEN IT'S A MATTER OF WHAT CAN WE DO TO LEVERAGE.

ONCE YOU HAVE THE RIGHT HEART AND THEY'RE ALSO VERY CAPABLE AT WHAT THEY DO, THEN WHAT CAN WE DO TO LEVERAGE THAT WITH SOMEWHAT LIMITED RESOURCES. SO AN EXAMPLE WOULD BE I HAD A POTHOLE CREW, IF YOU WILL, THAT WAS GOING AROUND AND FIXING POTHOLES AND THEY WERE PROBABLY SOMEWHERE LIKE 14 MONTHS BEHIND THE SCHEDULE OF WHERE THEY NEEDED TO BE.

WE COULD HAVE HIRED FOUR MORE YOU KNOW, CREW MEMBERS TO GO AND PATCH POTHOLES OR WE COULD BUY ONE PIECE OF EQUIPMENT THAT WOULD ALLOW ONE PERSON BY THEMSELVES, IDEALLY TWO, BUT NO LESS THAN ONE, TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE, FIX THE POTHOLE, DO EVERYTHING CONTAINED. AND IT WAS FASTER BECAUSE IT KEPT THE HOT MIX HOT THROUGHOUT THE DAY.

INSTEAD OF YOU HAVING A LIMITED TIME TO USE THE HOT MIX ASPHALT BEFORE IT CURES. AND WE WERE ABLE TO RETOOL THE OTHER THREE STAFF MEMBERS BACK IN TO OTHER STREET PROJECTS.

BY BUYING ONE PIECE OF EQUIPMENT.

IN A WAY, UTILIZING, TECHNOLOGY, IF YOU WILL.

SO THAT ENDED UP SAVING THE CITY AN ENORMOUS AMOUNT OF MONEY OVER HIRING ANOTHER FOUR-PERSON CREW AND PAYING WAGES FOREVER AND IT ALLOWED US TO CATCH BACK UP ON THE DELAYED SCHEDULE. BUT THAT IS A FIELD POSITION.

YOU HAVE OFFICE POSITIONS. YOU HAVE ALL KINDS OF OTHER FOLKS. SO WHAT YOU'RE LOOKING FOR IS ONE, MAKING SURE THAT WE'RE DOING AS AN ORGANIZATION THE THINGS THAT WE REALLY CARE ABOUT AS A COMMUNITY.

SO MAYBE YOU CARE ABOUT YOUR PARKS LOOKING LIKE THEY'RE BRAND NEW EVERY SINGLE DAY. YOU COULD WALK OUT THERE ANY DAY OF THE WEEK, NOT A WEED IN SIGHT, NOT A PIECE OF TRASH, ALL THE BALL FIELDS ARE PA PAINTED, EVERYTHING LOOKS BRAND NEW. IF THAT IS WHAT YOUR GOAL AS A COMMUNITY IS, BUT THEN YOU'RE SPENDING ALL OF YOUR TIME AND RESOURCES DOING OTHER THINGS, REGARDLESS OF WHAT IT IS, PARKS, PUBLIC WORKS, OR WHEREVER ELSE, THEN YOU'RE NOT -- YOU'RE GETTING FRUSTRATED AS A COMMUNITY BECAUSE THE GOAL ISN'T BEING MET. AND THEN THE RESOURCES AREN'T IN THE RIGHT PLACE. SO THERE IS A LOT OF EFFICIENCY THAT HAPPENS BY JUST MAKING SURE THAT RESOURCES ARE GOING TOWARD THE ACTUAL GOALS OF WHAT THE COMMUNITY IS.

>> THANK YOU. THANKS.

COUNCIL MEMBER KINSEY. >> TELL US ABOUT A TIME WHEN YOU HAD TO PROBLEM SOLVE SPECIFICALLY WITH CITY COUNCIL.

WHAT ROLE DID YOU PLAY AND WHAT WAS THE OUTCOME?

[01:45:01]

>> USUALLY MY AREA THAT I SPENT MOST OF TIME IN COLLEGE HAS BEEN IN DEVELOPMENT. I WILL SAY EARLY ON, PIDS, WHENEVER THEY FIRST STARTED COMING AROUND WERE ACTUALLY A FOUR LETTER WORD FOR US TO BEGIN WITH.

THE CITY COUNCIL WAS VERY MUCH AGAINST THE NOTION OF PIDS, AS WAS I, ON STAFF. I DIDN'T REALLY UNDERSTAND THE WAY TO LEVERAGE THAT TOOL. IT WAS MOSTLY BECAUSE IT WAS NEWER AND IT WAS IN RESPONSE TO THE DEVELOPERS NOT BEING ABLE TO GET LOANS THROUGH THE BANKS AS EASILY AS THEY COULD PRIOR TO 2008. PREDOMINANTLY WHY THE PIDS BLEW UP. I HAD FORMED AN OPINION, I DID NOT HAVE AN INFORMED OPINION ABOUT PIDS.

IN THAT PARTICULAR CASE, I EDUCATED MYSELF AND BEGAN TO UNDERSTAND THE WAY THAT YOU WOULD LEVERAGE THAT TOOL.

BECAUSE IT IS A TOOL. IT'S NOT ONE SIZE FITS ALL FOR ALL TIMES. BUT IT IS A TOOL.

HOW YOU LEVERAGE THAT TOOL TO INCENTIVIZE THE TYPE OF DEVELOPMENT THAT YOU WANT TO SEE AS A COMMUNITY.

BECAUSE RESIDENTIAL IS USUALLY WHERE PIDS END UP.

RESIDENTIAL IS THE HARDEST THING TO INCENTIVIZE FROM A POLITICAL STANDPOINT, FOR VARIOUS REASONS.

IN THAT PROCESS, I DID THE SAME THING WITH MY INDIVIDUAL COUNCIL MEMBERS. AND PLANNING AND ZONING, FOR THAT MATTER.

AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT FOR THAT MATTER.

SO BEGINNING TO THE PROCESS OF EDUCATION, THAT IS WHERE YOU WILL FIND ME DEFAULT TO MOST EVERY SINGLE TIME.

EDUCATION OF MYSELF, EDUCATION OF OTHERS.

AND IT'S NOT THAT WE ALL HAVE TO NECESSARILY AGREE ON THE OUTCOME. BUT AT LEAST IF YOU'RE INFORMED, THEN YOU'RE MAKING AN INFORMED OPINION, RATHER THAN JUST FORMING AN OPINION. SO WHAT I DID IN THAT PARTICULAR CASE, COUNCIL MEMBER KINSEY, WE HAD A COUPLE OF WORKSHOPS. SOME OF THE PID DISCUSSIONS HAPPENED THROUGH THE DEVELOPMENT PROCESS, BECAUSE WE WOULD USUALLY HAVE A DISTRICT OR IN OUR CASE, DISTRICTS, DISTRICT REP AND THEN A PLACE REP IN SOME OF THE NEGOTIATIONS, SO THEY WOULD ALSO GET A LITTLE BIT OF THE EDUCATION FROM THE DEVELOPMENT SIDE OF WHY THEY WERE INTERESTED. AND THEN OVER TIME, THAT TRANSITIONED FROM BEING A HARD NO TO OKAY, NOW WE UNDERSTAND IT'S A TOOL. WHEN AND HOW ARE WE GOING TO LEVERAGE IT. IT WAS AN EDUCATION PROCESS.

AND IT TOOK A BIT OF TIME. >> THANK YOU.

MY QUESTION IS, BEING ABLE TO CHANGE ANOTHER PERSON'S BEHAVIOR TAKES SKILL AND RESPONSIBILITY.

TELL US ABOUT A TIME WHEN YOU WERE SUCCESSFUL IN DOING THIS.

WHAT WERE THE PAYOFFS FOR YOU, THE OTHER PERSON AND THE

ORGANIZATION? >> I CAN'T USE MY CHILDREN.

THAT DOESN'T COUNT. OKAY.

WELL, I MEAN, THERE'S PLENTY OF EXAMPLES.

I WANT TO START WITH KIND OF THE HIGHER LEVEL OF THIS QUESTION, THOUGH. AT THE END OF THE DAY, I'M NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR THE OTHER PERSON'S BEHAVIOR OR CHOICES, THEY ARE. IT ALWAYS HAS TO START WITH HEART. PEOPLE HAVE TO BE WILLING AND WANTING TO CHANGE OR TO BE RECEPTIVE TO FEEDBACK AND CRITICISM. I HAVE BEEN -- I'M NOT GOING TO GO WITH NEGATIVE BEHAVIOR, BUT JUST PARTICULARLY BEHAVIORS THAT NEED TO BE ADJUSTED TO CAUSE THE EMPLOYEE TO BE MORE EFFICIENT AND BETTER AT WHAT THEY DO.

SO ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I HAVE SPENT A LOT OF TIME DOING IS I HAVE ONE ON ONE MEETINGS WITH MY DIRECT STAFF.

AND THOSE OCCUR WEEKLY. 30 MINUTE SEGMENTS.

ALLOWS ME TO BE ABLE TO DESIGNATE SPECIFIC TIME TO THEM TO HELP UNDERSTAND WHAT ROADBLOCKS MAYBE THEY NEED TO HELP MOVE AND IT ALSO ALLOWS ME TO GAUGE WHERE THEY ARE IN THEIR DEVELOPMENT OF THEMSELVES PROFESSIONALLY.

I'M GOING TO GO WITH TIME MANAGEMENT.

THAT IS A BIG ONE. AND I THINK IT'S ONE THAT ALL OF US CAN RELATE TO EASILY. I HAD A PARTICULAR DIRECT REPORT WHO WAS BUSY. VERY BUSY ALL OF THE TIME.

SUPER BUSY. AND CAN'T POSSIBLY DO ONE MORE THING BECAUSE I'M SO BUSY. AS I BEGAN TO FERRET OUT SOME OF THE REASONS WHY THEY WERE SO BUSY, WHAT I BEGAN TO UNDERSTAND IS THAT MANY JOBS HAD ENDED UP BEING DUMPED ON THIS PARTICULAR ROLE BECAUSE THERE WAS LIKE REALLY NO OTHER PLACE FOR THOSE TO GO IN THE ORGANIZATION.

SO THERE WAS SOME OF THAT. AND THEN THERE WAS SOME OF THE PERSONALITY AT PLAY, BEING A DOER.

I SEE THIS NEED AND I GO AND TAKE CARE OF IT.

THE FIRST THING I DID IS HAD THEM TRACK WHERE THEY WERE SPENDING THEIR TIME AND HOW. I DON'T WANT TO SEE IT.

THIS ISN'T FOR ME TO HOLD YOU ACCOUNTABLE.

THIS IS FOR YOU TO LEARN ABOUT YOURSELF.

[01:50:03]

WHAT TASK YOU'RE DOING. WE DID THAT FOR A LITTLE BIT.

AND CAME BACK AND ASKED THEM, NOW IDENTIFY WHICH TASKS ONLY YOUR ROLE CAN DO THIS PARTICULAR TASK.

I WANT YOU TO IDENTIFY THOSE. THEY DID THAT.

AND THEN I SAID WHAT WE NEED TO DO THEN IS WE NEED TO DELEGATE, DROP YOU KNOW, THESE OTHER ITEMS. EITHER NEED TO GO TO SOMEONE ELSE OR WE NEED TO STOP DOING THESE PARTICULAR TASKS TO FREE UP YOUR CAPACITY TO BE ABLE TO DO THE THINGS THAT YOU NEED TO DO.

AS ANY INDIVIDUAL PERSON RECEIVING CRITICISM OR FEEDBACK ON HOW THEY WORK, THEY CAN CHOOSE HOW THEY RESPOND TO THAT. THIS PARTICULAR EMPLOYEE EMBRACED IT VERY MUCH SO AND HAS DONE AN EXCELLENT JOB IN MY OPINION. I'M NOT SAYING THAT THEY'RE THERE YET. BUT THEY'RE MAKING PROGRESS.

IF YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT UNETHICAL BEHAVIORS OR BEHAVIORS THAT ARE COUNTER PRODUCTIVE TO THE HEALTH OF THE ORGANIZATION, THAT IS A VERY DIFFERENT TYPE OF RESPONSE AND VERY DIFFERENT ANGLE OF ATTACK. GENERALLY, AGAIN, I GO BACK TO HEART. IF WE ARE NOT DOING WHAT WE SAY WE'RE GOING TO DO, OR EVEN WORSE, BEING DECEPTIVE ABOUT WHAT WE'RE DOING, USUALLY THAT IS A HEART ISSUE TO BEGIN WITH.

IF IT'S NOT, USUALLY EXTERNAL PRESSURES THAT ARE BEING APPLIED, IT COULD BE FAMILY AND FINANCIAL.

IT COULD BE POLITICAL, FOR THAT MATTER.

IT COULD BE ANY NUMBER OF EXTERNAL PRESSURES, TRYING TO FERRET THOSE PARTICULAR PRESSURES OUT AND SEEING IF THERE ARE ROADBLOCKS IN A WAY THAT CAN BE REMOVED.

I'VE HAD TO TERMINATE A NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES OVER THE YEARS.

SOME OF THEM HAVE BROKEN MY HEART IN SOME WAYS.

OTHER ONES WERE VERY NECESSARY IN OTHERS.

MOSTLY I SEEK INFORMATION. BUT NOT BECAUSE I'M SUPER ANALYTICAL, IT'S BECAUSE I WANT TO UNDERSTAND THE VARIOUS DIFFERENT ASPECTS THAT ARE AT PLAY, AND I DON'T WANT TO JUMP TO A CONCLUSION THAT IS WRONG. AND NOT BECAUSE I DON'T WANT TO ALWAYS NOT BECAUSE I ALWAYS WANT TO BE RIGHT.

IT'S BECAUSE THE DECISIONS THAT I MAKE AFFECTS SO MANY OTHER PEOPLE. FAMILIES, COMMUNITY, EVERYTHING. I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT I'M

BEING A RESPONSIBLE STEWARD. >> THANK YOU, SIR.

COUNCIL MEMBER SUTTON. >> HOW HAVE YOU HANDLED PEOPLE WHO ARE DIFFICULT TO GET ALONG WITH? DESCRIBE A SITUATION IN WHICH YOU WERE EFFECTIVE IN GETTING A DIFFICULT PERSON TO COOPERATE. EXPLAIN WHAT YOU DID THAT MADE

THE DIFFERENCE. >> I TEND TO TRY TO BE VERY GENUINE, COUNCIL MEMBER. GENERALLY, WHAT YOU SEE IS WHAT YOU GET WITH ME. THAT USUALLY WINS OVER MOST DIFFICULT PEOPLE THAT I ENCOUNTER IN MY LIFE.

BECAUSE THEY'RE NOT USED TO ACTUAL GENUINE PERSONS.

THEY'RE USUALLY USED TO PEOPLE TRYING TO FIND AN ANGLE OR YOU KNOW, BEING SNEAKY, OR HOWEVER YOU WANT TO STATE IT.

LOOKING OUT FOR THEIR SELF-INTEREST FIRST.

THAT IS USUALLY WHAT THE DIFFICULT PEOPLE ARE ENCOUNTERING AND WHY THEY ARE BEING DIFFICULT.

I HAVE HAD A DEVELOPER THAT CAME IN AND YOU KNOW, WAS ACCUSING THE CITY OF EVERYTHING UNDER THE SUN THAT YOU CAN IMAGINE, SCREAMING PROFANITIES AND JUST VERY GENERALLY COURSE AND HARD TO GET ALONG WITH IN MANY WAYS.

IN THAT PARTICULAR CASE, BELIEVE IT OR NOT, MY DEMEANOR OF BEING CALM AND COLLECTED LIKE YOU WOULD PROBABLY EXPECT AND NOT REACTING TO THE ANGER OUTBURSTS, WAS ACTUALLY COUNTER PRODUCTIVE. AND IT WASN'T UNTIL I GOT ANGRY BACK AT HIM THAT HE CALMED DOWN AND WE COULD BE ABLE TO TALK.

I USED THAT EXAMPLE NOT TO SAY THAT I'M A HOT HEAD OR THAT I'M AN ANGRY PERSON BECAUSE I'M NOT REALLY.

WHAT I'M TRYING TO ILLUSTRATE TO YOU IS THAT THERE ARE DIFFERENT PATHS TO EACH DIFFICULT PERSON AND EACH DIFFICULT CONVERSATION AND EACH DIFFICULT SCENARIO THAT YOU FACE. AND THE SAME RESPONSE IS NOT ALWAYS GOING TO GET YOU WHAT YOU WANT.

AT THE END OF THE DAY, IT'S ABOUT UNDERSTANDING WHAT THEY ACTUALLY REALLY WANT. DO THEY REALLY WANT THAT PARTICULAR THING TO GET DONE, THAT PARK THAT THEY'RE JUST CONCERNED ABOUT OR THAT POTHOLE THAT NEEDS TO BE FIXED OR THE SPEEDING THAT IS HAPPENING ON THEIR STREET.

IS THAT REALLY WHAT THEIR BASE NEED IS.

IF YOU CAN UNDERSTAND THEIR BASE NEED, THEN GENERALLY YOU CAN TURN VERY DIFFICULT PEOPLE INTO ADVOCATES.

[01:55:01]

ANSWER THAT QUESTION. >> THANK YOU.

COUNCIL MEMBER THORNTON. >> IN THE NEXT THREE YEARS WHAT CHALLENGES DO YOU FORESEE THE CITY HAVING IN THE AREA OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT? BASED ON WHAT YOU KNOW RIGHT NOW, HOW WOULD YOU ADDRESS THOSE CHALLENGES?

>> WELL, I FEEL FAIRLY CONFIDENT THAT I CAN SPEAK FROM SOME AUTHORITY ON THIS. YOUR CHALLENGES ARE YOU USUALLY ONLY GET TO DEVELOP ONE TIME. AND IT IS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT THAT THAT FIRST TIME IS DONE THE RIGHT WAY.

AND WHAT I MEAN BY THAT IS, IN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT GENERALLY SPEAKING, THERE ARE -- THERE IS THREE LEGS ON THE STOOL.

THERE IS RESIDENTIAL:THERE IS COMMERCIAL.

THEN THERE IS COMMERCIAL AND INDUSTRIAL.

SO I'M SPLITTING COMMERCIALS WHERE RETAIL WOULD LIVE, INDUSTRIALS WHERE LIVING WAGE JOBS WOULD LIVE.

THOSE THREE LEGS DON'T HAVE TO BE BALANCED IN A COMMUNITY.

IF A COMMUNITY WANTS TO BE A BEDROOM COMMUNITY AND ONLY HAVE HOMES, IT CERTAINLY CAN CHOOSE TO DO THAT.

IF A COMMUNITY NEEDS TO BE AN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT HUB FOR RETAIL, THEY WANT TO ATTRACT REGIONAL SALES TAX FROM OUTSIDE, THEY CAN CERTAINLY DO THAT.

IF THEY WANT TO BE AN EMPLOYER OF CHOICE, THEY CAN DO THAT.

SO HUTTO SPECIFICALLY, ONE, NEEDS TO DECIDE WHAT IT WANTS TO BE. I KNOW YOU'RE GOING THROUGH COMP PLANS, DOWNTOWN PLANS. I KNOW AS A COMMUNITY, YOU'RE TRYING TO HAVE THAT CONVERSATION.

SO YOU HAVE TO DECIDE WHAT YOU WANT TO BE.

ONCE YOU DECIDE WHAT YOU WANT TO BE, YOU HAVE GOT TO MAKE SURE THAT THE CUTS THAT YOU GET AT THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT WORLD, THE PROJECTS THAT YOU CHOOSE TO INCENTIVIZE ARE NOT THE HOUSING DEVELOPMENTS THAT COME IN OR NOT.

YOU HAVE TO MAKE SURE THAT THOSE ALL MATCH WHAT THE LONG-TERM VISION IS. FOR EXAMPLE, IF YOU DECIDE THAT YOU WANT TO BUILD A TOWN CENTER, WHICH IS NOT UNLIKE WHAT YOU'RE DOING HERE WITH THE CO-OP, I'M NOT TALKING ABOUT THE CO-OP. BUT IF YOU WANT TO BUILD A TOWN CENTER, THE MATH AND FORMULA BEHIND A SUCCESSFUL TOWN CENTER, THERE NEEDS TO BE THINGS FOR PEOPLE TO DO, PLACE TO WORK, EAT AND LIVE ALL IN THE SAME FOOTPRINT.

THAT IS WHAT ALLOWS THE RETAIL AND THE RESTAURANTS TO THRIVE, BECAUSE THE POPULATION CHANGES AND TURNS OVER THROUGHOUT THE DAY WHEN PEOPLE LEAVE FOR WORK, OTHER PEOPLE COME FOR LUNCH BECAUSE THEY'RE HERE FOR THE OTHER THINGS.

THEY EAT WHERE THEY LIVE. SO ON AND SO FORTH.

THAT IS CERTAINLY A CHALLENGE THAT HUTTO IS FACING RIGHT NOW.

HOW TO DEVELOP THE LAND THAT YOU HAVE AVAILABLE WITHIN THE CONSTRAINTS OF THE AGREEMENTS THAT ARE ALREADY POTENTIALLY IN PLACE. HOW TO BRING DEVELOPERS TO THE TABLE. IF THEY ALREADY HAVE A DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENT, BUT MAYBE IT'S AGED, THOSE ARE THE BEST OPPORTUNITIES FOR TRYING TO GET THEM BACK TO THE TABLE THROUGH VARIOUS INCENTIVE PACKAGES THAT THE CITY CAN PUT TOGETHER. YOU HAVE A 4A, 4B, DEDICATED DOLLARS SPECIFICALLY FOR THAT. BUT THE CITY ALSO HAS OTHER TOOLS AND PIDSS, 380S, SO ON AND SO FORTH.

YOU WANT, AS A COMMUNITY, TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU'RE NOT ACTUALLY MAKING DECISIONS TODAY THAT ARE GOING TO HARM THE COMMUNITY IN THE FUTURE. WHENEVER THAT BIG DEVELOPMENT OR WHATEVER TURNS OVER FOR THE SECOND OR THE THIRD OR THE FOURTH TIME, YOU WANT IT TO STILL BE AN ECONOMIC ENGINE TO THE CITY THAT IT WAS WHENEVER YOU INCENTIVE THAT PROJECT IN THE FIRST YEAR. IF YOU WANT MORE SPECIFICS THAN THAT, I CAN ELABORATE, BUT I'M TRYING TO BE RESPECTFUL OF

TIME. >> THANK YOU, SIR.

NEXT QUESTION IS, HOW HAVE YOU PERSUADED THE CITY COUNCIL TO GO ALONG WITH YOU ON AN ISSUE THAT WAS A HARD SELL?

>> WELL, POORLY, WHENEVER I FIRST STARTED DOING IT.

I THINK BECAUSE EARLY ON IN MY CAREER, I THOUGHT IT WAS MY DUTY TO TRY TO SELL THE CITY COUNCIL.

OVER TIME, I HAVE LEARNED THAT IT'S MORE ALONG THE LINES OF EDUCATING AND ALLOWING THE CITY COUNCIL TO DECIDE WHAT THE POLICIES AND DIRECTIONS OF THE ORGANIZATION ARE GOING TO BE.

SO WHENEVER I WAS TRYING TO SELL ITEMS, ROUND-ABOUTS WERE A GOOD EXAMPLE. EARLY ON, KIND OF LIKE THE PID STORY, I WAS AN OPPONENT OF ROUND-ABOUTS.

AND SENATOR WATSON HELD A TRAINING AND INVITED ME TO ATTEND. I ATTENDED.

AND BECAME EDUCATED AND LEARNED, OH, I UNDERSTAND NOW

[02:00:02]

I DON'T USE GENERALLY INFLUENCE OR POLITICS IN ORDER TO GET YOU KNOW, THINGS ACROSS. I USE IN MY TERMS, EDUCATION AND THEN ALSO ILLUSTRATION. SO SHOWING WHERE THINGS WORK IN OTHER LOCATIONS OR IN OTHER SCENARIOS WHERE YOU CAN -- A LOT OF TIMES YOU MAY NOT BE ABLE TO UNDERSTAND SOMETHING WHENEVER IT'S CONCEPTUAL. BUT WHENEVER YOU CAN SEE IT CONCRETE, IT COMPLETELY CHANGES THE DYNAMICS OF UNDERSTANDING.

FOR ME, IT'S ABOUT COMMUNICATION AND EDUCATION AND WORKING WITH THE COUNCIL TO HELP THEM KIND OF SELF-REGULATE AND UNDERSTAND WHAT THE POLICY IS.

WHENEVER YOU'RE TRYING TO SELL THINGS TO COUNCIL, IT CAN BECOME WHERE YOU START STEPPING OFF INTO THE POLITICAL REALM.

I TRY VERY HARD TO DIFFERENTIATE THE TWO AND TO LET THE POLITICS HAPPEN WHERE THE POLITICS NEED TO HAPPEN.

BUT AT THE SAME TIME, I AM A PROFESSIONAL.

AND I DO HAVE AN OPINION AND I HAVE A VOICE TO EXPRESS THAT OPINION. SO GENERALLY THAT IS WHAT I DO.

BUT I DO IT VIA EDUCATION. >> JAMES, IF I COULD ASK A FOLLOW-UP QUESTION. YOU MENTIONED BEFORE ABOUT FORMED OPINIONS AND INFORMED OPINIONS.

YOU USED A COUPLE OF EXAMPLES WHERE POTENTIALLY YOU HAD A FORMED OPINION AND THEN LATER ON DEVELOPED AN INFORMED OPINION. HOW DO YOU -- I'M TRYING TO THINK OF HOW TO WORD THIS. HOW DO YOU MAKE SURE THAT WHEN YOU DO HAVE AN OPINION, HOW DO YOU CATCH YOURSELF GOING FORWARD TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE NEVER ALWAYS GOING TO HAVE AN INFORMED OPINION, BUT HOW DO YOU CATCH YOURSELF GOING FORWARD TO MAKE SURE THAT WHEN YOU HAVE AN OPINION, IT'S

INFORMED, NOT ALWAYS FORMED. >> I WISH I WAS AT THE POINT IN MY LIFE WHERE I COULD SAY THAT ALL MY OPINIONS ARE ALWAYS INFORMED. I KNOW THAT IS JUST NOT POSSIBLE. I HAVE COUNSEL.

I SOLICIT FEEDBACK FROM MY STAFF.

SAFE ENVIRONMENT WHERE MY IDEAS CAN BE CHALLENGED.

GENERALLY IF I HAVE AN IDEA THAT I WANT TO BE THE PERSON WHO IS ACTUALLY SPEARHEADING, IT WOULD BE ON THE ORGANIZATIONAL SIDE, NOT NECESSARILY ON THE COMMUNITY SIDE. ALTHOUGH MANY OF THE THINGS THAT WE DO ORGANIZATIONALLY AFFECT THE COMMUNITY.

USING PIDS FOR EXAMPLE, OR ROUND-ABOUTS, FOR EXAMPLE, THOSE ARE CERTAINLY ORGANIZATIONAL.

I ALSO HAVE GENERALLY ACCEPTED THE PREMISE THAT I DON'T KNOW EVERYTHING. AND QUITE FRANKLY, I TRY TO KEEP A HUMBLE SPIRIT ABOUT MYSELF TO KNOW THAT THAT IS TRUE. AND THERE MIGHT BE SOMETHING EVEN IF I HAVE AN INFORMED OPINION, THAT MIGHT CHANGE THAT OPINION THE OTHER WAY, IF I KNEW EVEN MORE.

IF I WERE THE CITY MANAGER HERE, I WOULD EFFECTIVELY HAVE A CITY MANAGER'S TEAM, WHATEVER YOU MIGHT WANT TO CALL IT.

CMO, CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE, A TEAM OF SENIOR STAFF AND I WOULD CULTIVATE A RELATIONSHIP WITH THEM TO THE POINT WHERE THEY COULD TELL ME NO. AND FOR THE COUNCIL'S PERSPECTIVE, I WOULD ASK THAT YOU WOULD NEVER PUT ME IN A POSITION TO WHERE I COULDN'T SAY NO EITHER. THAT EVERYONE IS ABLE TO RESPECT THE ABILITY TO SAY NO. BECAUSE IT'S VERY IMPORTANT.

OTHERWISE, WE ARE ALL LIKE PUT BLINDERS ON AND RUNNING OFF A CLIFF TOGETHER. IF NOBODY IS LISTENING TO THE

COUNTER ARGUMENTS. >> THANK YOU, SIR.

ALL RIGHT. SO I THINK THAT WRAPS UP OUR QUESTIONS FOR TODAY. BUT ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS

THAT YOU HAVE FOR US? >> WELL, ONE, I HAD HOPED TO HEAR Y'ALL ARTICULATE WHAT HUTTO DOES WANT TO BE.

BUT THAT MAY PUT YOU IN A BIND, SEEING AS HOW THE COMP PLAN IS UNDERGOING RIGHT NOW. I THINK INSTEAD WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO ASK IS, YOU KNOW, WHAT AS A COUNCIL DO YOU BELIEVE THE SUCCESSFUL CITY MANAGER WILL HAVE ACCOMPLISHED WITHIN

3-YEARS. >> GO IN ORDER OR FIRE THEM

AWAY? >> THIS IS A BROAD QUESTION,

[02:05:07]

THAT IS A BIG ONE FOR ME. PUBLIC SAFETY IN REGARDS TO SOME OF THE THINGS THAT ARE GOING ON ON OUR STREETS RIGHT NOW. I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO SEE US CONTINUE TO GROW AND BRING IN BUSINESSES, I BELIEVE THAT IS WHERE WE -- I THINK A LOT OF US CAN AGREE ON THAT.

WE NEED COMMERCIAL AND OF COURSE, INDUSTRIAL BUSINESS FOR PEOPLE TO WORK HERE. I KNOW THAT IS IMPORTANT TO THE CITIZENS AS WELL. I WOULD -- WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO SEE FOR HUTTO IS A ROBUST GROWING FAMILY COMMUNITY.

AND A CITY THAT WORKS TOGETHER AND BUILDS AND MAINTAINS RELATIONSHIPS WITH OUR NEIGHBORS AND OUR NEIGHBORS OUTSIDE OF THE CITY, AND INSIDE OF THE CITY.

>> THANK YOU. >> I WOULD SAY THAT WE NEED TO BE MUCH MORE CAUGHT UP ON OUR INFRASTRUCTURE, ROADS.

WE HAVE A LOT OF WORK TO DO. WE KNOW FOR WATER AND WASTE WATER IN THE NEAR FUTURE. AND WE NEED TO HAVE THAT PLAN ROLLING WITHIN THE NEXT COUPLE OF YEARS.

WE'RE NOT GOING TO BE DONE BY ANY MEANS.

BUT WE NEED TO HAVE THE PLAN IN EFFECT AND KNOW WHERE IT IS.

KNOW WHEN IT'S GOING TO BE DONE.

DEFINITELY SOME OF THE INCREASES I THINK ARE COMING.

DEPENDING ON THE ECONOMY, TO A CERTAIN EXTENT.

BUT IF THE ECONOMY DOES OKAY, I THINK WE'RE IN REALLY GOOD SHAPE FOR GROWING COMMERCIAL AND INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT HERE AND SO WE WANT TO KEEP THAT GOING.

AND THEN KEEPING THE TAX BURDEN OFF THE RESIDENTS.

NOT JUST LOWERING THE RATE, BECAUSE THE VALUATIONS ARE GOING UP SO MUCH, THAT THAT DOESN'T NECESSARILY LOWER THE BILL. YOU CAN LOWER THE RATE AND RAISE THE RESIDENT'S TAX BILL. FOCUSED ON WHAT IS THE IMPACT TO THE RESIDENT OF THAT TAX BILL AND KEEPING THAT THE SAME OR LOWERING IT OVER TIME AS WE CAN.

SO NOT -- DON'T LIKE PLAYING GAMES, WE LOWERED THE TAX RATE FIVE YEARS IN A ROW, BUT YET THE TAX BILL WENT UP 30 PERCENT IN THAT TIME. THAT IS NOT OKAY WITH ME.

>> OKAY. >> SO YEAH, THE TAX BURDEN AND GETTING MINE HAS BEEN MORE FOCUSED, WHAT WE DO AS A CITY TO ALLOW THE OVERALL TAX BURDEN TO GO DOWN OR AT LEAST BE STABLE. AND THEN THE INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS, BUT MORE SO, NOT EVEN THAT WE GET THEM STARTED IN GOING, BUT THAT WE HAVE THE COMMUNICATION BACK TO THE COMMUNITY WHERE PEOPLE CAN SEE, YOU KNOW, WE VOTED ON BONDS AND WE'RE FIVE YEARS LATER AND STILL DOESN'T FEEL LIKE ANYTHING HAS BEEN DONE SINCE WE DID THAT.

SO JUST IN THREE YEARS NOT ONLY HAVE WE STARTED THE PROJECTS, WE HAVE MILESTONES SPECIFIED. UPDATED ORGANIZATION TO RUN AS EFFICIENTLY AS POSSIBLE TO ACHIEVE THOSE GOALS.

THE COMMUNITY SEES THAT FEEDBACK AND EVERYONE SAYS HEY, HUTTO IS BETTER TODAY. COUNCIL WILL COME AND GO, CITY MANAGERS COME AND GO. BUT IF WE CAN GET THE FOUNDATION ESTABLISHED. IN THREE YEARS, WE KNOW THAT HUTTO IS ON THE RIGHT PATH AND MAJORITY OF THE PUBLIC AGREES WITH THAT AND EXCITED WITH THE FUTURE.

NOT SAYING, OH, MAN, WE NEED TO FIX IT AGAIN.

>> JAMES, GREAT QUESTION. FOR ME, FOR SUCCESSFUL CITY MANAGER TO SAY WE HAD SUCCESS IN THREE YEARS, FOR ME IT'S ALL ABOUT JUST THE MANAGEMENT AND THE MANAGEMENT OF I GUESS YOU COULD CALL IT STABILITY. AND TO BE SUCCESSFUL IN THAT, I MEAN, THE STABILITY I THINK IT WORKS WITH THE CITY COUNCIL TO MAKE THE CITY COUNCIL'S VISION NOT CHANGE EVERY ELECTION, TO WHERE THERE IS STABILITY THERE. WHERE WE'RE FOCUSING ON LONG-TERM TO WHERE WE'RE NOT, START GOING DOWN ONE PATH AND SPEND MONEY AND TIME AND ENERGY AND THEN WE SWITCH 18 MONTHS LATER AND GO DOWN ANOTHER ONE. STABILITY WITH THE STAFF.

WE'VE LOST SO MUCH INSTITUTIONAL KNOWLEDGE HERE OVER THE YEARS, THAT IT'S CRAZY TO SEE.

I MEAN, IT'S GREAT TO SEE. BUT IT'S CRAZY THAT ALL OF THE PEOPLE CONVENIENTLY BEING CHOSEN FOR CITY MANAGER ROLES AND INTERIM ROLES AROUND THE STATE OF TEXAS HAVE HAD A PATH THROUGH HUTTO DURING OUR WORST TIMES.

SO THEY WERE HERE. WE HAVE A PLAN, STICK TO THE

[02:10:20]

STABILITY AND THE TAX BILL, SOMEONE SAID BEFORE, NOT THE RATE. BECAUSE THE RATE TO ME HAS ALWAYS BEEN IMMATERIAL. WHAT IS THE ACTUAL DOLLARS OUT OF POCKET. WHATEVER WE DO, IF WE'RE DOING THINGS TO LOWER THAT, I THINK THAT IS SUCCESS.

IF WE DO THINGS AND NO ONE CAN AFFORD TO ENJOY THEM, THEY MOVE ON. I QUESTION WHY ARE WE DOING IT TO BEGIN WITH. LASTLY, STABILITY AND RELATIONSHIPS. TO WHERE NOT EVERY RELATIONSHIP IS GOING TO BE HAND IN HAND ALL OF THE TIME.

BUT I ALWAYS FEEL LIKE IF WE CAN HAVE CONSTRUCTIVE DISAGREEMENT, AND I THINK YOU GET BETTER, KIND OF LIKE WHAT YOU SAID BEFORE, ABOUT BEING ABLE TO SAY NO, SOMETIMES WHEN SOMEONE SAYS NO, IT'S OFFENSIVE.

BUT I THINK EVERYBODY OUGHT TO BE OPEN-MINDED, IF WE HAVE THE STABILITY AND THE SAME GOALS, AND WORK TOWARDS THAT, I THINK IN THREE YEARS, KNOWING THAT ALL OF THE DIFFERENT AGENCIES GET TO TALK AND SHARE THEIR CONCERNS, WITHOUT ANYBODY BEING

UPSET, TO ME THAT IS SUCCESS. >> FOR ME, I AGREE WITH A LOT OF WHAT HAS BEEN SAID. EASING THAT TAX BURDEN OFF THE CITIZENS I THINK IS A BIG ONE FOR ME.

ONE OF THE REASONS THAT I RAN FOR CITY OFFICE IS BECAUSE I SAW A DISPARITY. IN MY OPINION, WE WERE GETTING OUT OF WHACK WITH A LOT OF HOMES COMING IN, BUT NOT A LOT OF OTHER BUSINESSES, INDUSTRIAL AND EMPLOYERS COMING IN.

SO I THINK TO ME THAT WOULD BE A BIG SUCCESS.

FOR ME, HELPING GET THE CO-OP FINISHED OFF AND FILLED OUT AND GOING. IT WAS -- HAD A GRAND VISION THREE YEARS AGO. IT FEELS LIKE VERY VERY LITTLE HAS HAPPENED. GETTING THAT GOING AND COMBINING IT WITH DOWNTOWN AND HAVING A ROBUST DOWNTOWN PLAN, SO WE CAN FIGURE OUT WHAT WE WANT TO DO WITH DOWNTOWN.

THAT WOULD BE A SUCCESS TO ME. I THINK MORE THAN ANYTHING, IF YOU WERE TO BE HIRED, THAT YOU'RE STILL HERE IN THREE YEARS. I THINK THAT WOULD BE SUCCESS.

WE HAVE THE SAME CITY MANAGER AFTER THREE YEARS.

THAT WOULD BE AWESOME. SO FOR ME, I THINK THAT WOULD BE A BIG SUCCESS. BECAUSE I THINK THAT SHOWS THAT WE'RE ALL WORKING TOGETHER, WE'VE GOT THE RIGHT VISION,

RIGHT PEOPLE AND MOVING ALONG. >> I DEFINITELY AGREE.

I THINK THAT WE NEED THAT STABILITY AND WE SPENT A LOT OF TIME AT OUR LAST RETREAT KIND OF TALKING ABOUT WHAT IS THE VISION OF THIS COUNCIL, NOT NECESSARILY THE MILESTONES OF TWO YEARS AND THREE YEARS. MORE LONG TERM.

THAT IS KIND OF WHAT OUR PILLARS ARE.

AND WE ESTABLISH THOSE AND HOW WE GET THERE, AND WHAT DOES THE HIGHEST QUALITY OF LIFE MEAN TO US.

WE NEED TO HAMMER THAT OUT AND EACH INDIVIDUAL COUNCIL MEMBER OF COURSE, LIKES ONE THING OR ANOTHER.

FOR ME, IT'S DEFINITELY HAVING THOSE HEALTHY RESPECTFUL RELATIONSHIPS. I KNOW A LOT OF PEOPLE HAVE SAID THAT. WITH THE CHAMBER, ISD, LOCAL COLLEGE, PD, ESD. A LOT OF THOSE IN THE PAST, ESPECIALLY WITH CHANGING PERSONALITIES AND CHANGING PEOPLE, A LOT OF THINGS HAVE FALLEN THROUGH THE CRACKS.

REALLY REESTABLISHING THOSE RELATIONSHIPS, FOR ME, MAYBE NOT ALL OF OUR PROBLEMS, DEFINITELY NOT ALL OF THEM, BUT SOME THINGS DEFINITELY CAN BE ALLEVIATED WHENEVER THE RELATIONSHIPS ARE OPEN AND FLOWING AND GOING BACK AND FORTH AND EVERYONE IS WORKING TOGETHER AND REALLY THE PEOPLE WHO BENEFIT THE MOST FROM THAT IS THE CITIZENS.

DEFINITELY THE WATER ISSUE IS A PRESSING ONE.

AND WHENEVER I SAY FINANCIAL STABILITY, I THINK FOR ME THAT MEANS DIVERSIFYING THE ECONOMY AND ECONOMIC BASE.

I PERSONALLY DON'T SEE HUTTO AS JUST A BEDROOM TOWN.

HOWEVER, I THINK THAT HUTTO IS VERY UNIQUE.

IT'S SOMETHING THAT YOU KEEP SAYING IS HEART.

HUTTO HAS A LOT OF HEART. HUTTO IS VERY STRONG I THINK IN ITS SENSE OF SELF. I THINK THAT MAKES US VERY VERY UNIQUE. I THINK THERE ARE WAYS THAT WE CAN KEEP THAT HOME TOWN FEEL WHILE STILL GROWING RESPONSIBLY AND SUSTAINABLELY. I DEFINITELY THINK THAT IT'S GOOD FOR ME TO BE ABLE TO SAY NO AND FOR YOU TO TELL ME NO AS WELL. I LIKE THAT.

THAT IS SOMETHING THAT YOU SAID THAT RESONATED WITH ME.

YEAH. THOSE ARE MY THOUGHTS.

>> THANK YOU, COUNCIL MEMBER >> THANK YOU FOR ASKING US A QUESTION. I GUESS FOR ME IN THREE YEARS, I WOULD LIKE TO SEE JUST THE TRUST IN THE CITY MANAGER'S POSITION. WHETHER IT'S FROM THE CITY

[02:15:01]

ALL THE DIFFERENT ANGLES OF BUILDING THAT CONFIDENCE BACK.

BECAUSE WE HAVE HAD THE INSTABILITY WITH OUR PAST CITY MANAGER. SO TO GO BACK WITH WHAT PETER SAID, TO HAVE OUR CITY MANAGER STILL HERE IN THREE YEARS, TO HAVE THAT SOLID FOUNDATION AND TO YOU KNOW, BE HERE FOR THE RESIDENTS, THE STAFF AND THEN ALSO THE COUNCIL.

ALSO, ISSUES THAT ARE SUPER PRESSING, THE WATER AND WASTE WATER SYSTEMS. THAT IS VERY IMPORTANT.

OUR INFRASTRUCTURE ROADS OF COURSE, NEED ATTENTION.

I DO ALSO AGREE ABOUT THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITIES OF DIVERSIFYING THE TAX BASE.

ALSO WITH PROPERTY VALUES INCREASING, AND US FIGURING OUT A TAX BASE, THE RESIDENTS OF COURSE, THEY ARE PAYING HIGHER TAXES, BECAUSE THE MARKET VALUE HAS GONE UP.

BUT IF WE CAN LOWER IT, WHICH IS POSSIBLE, BUT ALSO AT LEAST MAINTAIN IT, THEN THE RESIDENTS CAN SEE VISUALLY OUT IN THE COMMUNITY, WHAT THEY'RE INVESTING IN.

I LIKED HOW YOU SAID THAT THE SENSE OF COMMUNITY.

YOU SAID IT IN BETTER WORDS. BUT THE SENSE OF COMMUNITY IN THE WORLD, IT'S NOT NECESSARILY HUTTO, TEXAS, IN THE U.S.

WE'RE KIND OF BECOMING BROKEN. AND JUST TO BRING THE COMMUNITY BACK TOGETHER, IF OUR RESIDENTS CAN SEE OUR PARKS YOU KNOW, BEING MAINTAINED WELL, THE ROADS LOOKING GREAT.

THEY'RE PUTTING THEIR HARD EARNED DOLLARS, ESPECIALLY IN THE INSTABILITY THAT MAY COME IN THE FUTURE OR AT ANY TIME, IF THEY SEE THAT, THEN THEY KNOW THIS IS THEIR COMMUNITY AND THEY'RE INVESTING THEIR HARD-EARNED DOLLARS IN THIS COMMUNITY. SO THAT IS IMPORTANT FOR ME.

>> THANK Y'ALL FOR BEING SO OPEN AND FRANK.

I KNOW WE'RE PAST TIME. SO I NEED TO CLOSE.

SO I WOULD SAY THE REASON THAT MOTIVATED ME TO ASK THAT QUESTION IS BECAUSE I WANTED TO SEE IF THERE WAS ANYTHING THAT WOULD BE A RED FLAG FOR ME ON SOMETHING THAT I DIDN'T THINK I COULD DELIVER. I DIDN'T HEAR ANYTHING.

IF YOU WERE TO CHOSE ME AS YOUR CITY MANAGER, I DIDN'T HEAR ANYTHING THAT CAUSES ME CONCERN.

AT THE END OF THE DAY, EVERY COMMUNITY HAS STREETS, EVERY COMMUNITY HAS PARKS, EVERY COMMUNITY HAS WATER AND WASTE WATER. IT'S THE PEOPLE THAT ARE THERE THAT ARE UNIQUE AND DIFFERENT. THAT IS WHAT WE'RE ACTUALLY HERE TO DO. I KNOW A LOT ABOUT A LOT OF DIFFERENT THINGS THAT HUTTO IS EXPERIENCING FROM MY TIME IN KYLE. BUT WHAT I KNOW IS NOT AS IMPORTANT AS WHO I AM. I HOPE THAT YOU SELECT ME AND I'M ABLE TO HELP THE ORGANIZATION MOVE FORWARD.

>> THANK YOU, SIR. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS

FROM COUNCIL? >> I JUST HAD ONE.

HOPEFULLY HR DOESN'T YELL AT ME.

BECAUSE I NOTED IN YOUR RESUME, YOU'VE GOT THESE GREAT CREDENTIALS FOR CITY MANAGER. BUT YOU ALSO DO A LOT WITH THE

COLLEGE. >> I DO.

>> SO MY QUESTION TO YOU, IF YOU WERE TO COME UP HERE, WHAT IS YOUR PLAN ON THAT SIDE? I MEAN, IF YOU CAN SAY, LIKE YOU KNOW BECAUSE GOING FROM BEING AN ASSISTANT MANAGER, TO MANAGER, HUTTO NEEDS A PERSON FULLY INVESTED IN HUTTO CITY MANAGER. MY QUESTION IS, IS THERE A SPLIT THEN THAT IS GOING TO OCCUR, YOU'RE STILL GOING TO TEACH CLASSES DOWN AT TEXAS STATE DOWN SOUTH.

THAT IS MY ONLY THING THAT KIND OF SEPARATES YOU FROM EVERYONE ELSE. YOU DO HAVE THIS OTHER PART OF YOUR LIFE THAT IS A BIG PART OF YOUR PROFESSIONAL STUFF.

I JUST KIND OF WANTED TO GET A CLARIFICATION ON THAT.

>> YEAH. MY HEART IS IN MENTORING AND GROWING THE PROFESSION FOR OBVIOUS REASONS.

BECAUSE I THINK ACTUAL PROFESSIONAL ADMINISTRATORS, DEPARTMENT HEADS, EVERYONE, IT'S EXTREMELY IMPORTANT TO THE INTEGRITY TO THIS FORM OF GOVERNMENT.

I DON'T BELIEVE THAT I COULD NOT -- I MEAN, I'M FULLY INVESTED IN KYLE. WAY MORE THAN AN ACM ROLE WOULD LOOK AT ON PAPER. BUT I ALSO HAVE A PASSION FOR DEVELOPING OUTSIDE OF MY OWN ORGANIZATION.

SO I MEAN, IF THERE IS PARTICULAR ISSUES WHERE YOU'RE WORRIED ABOUT CONFLICTS OR WHATEVER ELSE, I MEAN, WE CAN CERTAINLY EXPLORE THOSE. BUT MY HEART AT THE END OF THE DAY, IS MENTORSHIP AND DEVELOPMENT OF THE PROFESSION.

BECAUSE I FEEL THAT STRONGLY ABOUT IT.

EVEN IF I'M PUTTING 80 HOURS A WEEK HERE, I WOULD STILL FIND TIME TO DO THAT. IT'S THAT IMPORTANT TO ME.

>> THANK YOU. >> ANY OTHERS? ALL RIGHT. WE'LL RECESS AT 11:54 1

[02:20:02]

>> IT'S ONE O'CLOCK. WE'RE BACK FROM OUR LUNCH RECESS. AND WE HAVE RICK BEVERLIN AND APPRECIATE YOU BEING HERE, RICK.

WE HAVE 45 MINUTES, ROUGHLY TEN QUESTIONS.

WHAT WE'VE BEEN DOING IS WE START OFF QUESTIONS WITH PLACE ONE, GO AROUND AND GIVE KIND OF TWO TO THREE MINUTES IN THE BEGINNING FOR AN OPENING STATEMENT IF THEY WANT.

AND FINISH IT UP WITH QUESTIONS.

THE FLOOR IS ALL YOURS. >> IS THIS ON?

>> YES, SIR. >> I WAS EXPECTING A LIGHT.

AND THEN I REALIZED THERE WASN'T ONE.

MAYOR, COUNCIL, THANK YOU FOR THE INVITE.

A LITTLE BIT ABOUT MYSELF, ORIGINALLY FROM THE HOUSTON AREA. I WORKED FOR EVERYTHING FROM THE METROPOLITAN PLANNING ORGANIZATION THERE, HGAC, TO PRIOR TO THAT I ACTUALLY STARTED IN PLANNING FOR THE CITY OF MISSOURI CITY, AS AN INTERN, PAID INTERN FOR TWO YEARS WHILE I WAS WORKING ON MY MPA.

MY UNDERGRADUATE DEGREE IS FROM UNIVERSITY OF ST. THOMAS AND MY MPA IS FROM U OF H. CURRENTLY I'M THE CITY MANAGER OF CITY OF LEANDER. RIGHT AT 83,000 POPULATION.

WHEN I ARRIVED ABOUT TWO AND A HALF YEARS AGO, WE WERE RIGHT AT 66,000. AS YOU KNOW, TO THE WEST SIDE OF THE COUNTY. VERY MUCH A GENERALIST, BUT I WOULD SAY THAT A LOT OF MY BACKGROUND DOES INCLUDE TRANSPORTATION, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, AS WELL AS THE FINANCING PIECE AND THE STRATEGY, THE IMPLEMENTATION STRATEGIES. SO THAT IS KIND OF A HYBRID OF MY BACKGROUND WHICH I REALIZE IS A LITTLE BIT UNIQUE IN THIS INDUSTRY. SO AGAIN, THANK YOU AND THE WARM WELCOME FROM STAFF, FROM EVERYTHING FROM LARRY AND FROM ISAAC AND EVERYONE AND THE WHOLE PROCESS. AND TO THE OTHER CANDIDATES. BECAUSE I THINK WE'VE ALL ENJOYED EACH OTHER'S COMPANY DURING THIS TIME.

>> THANK YOU, SIR. WITH THAT, COUNCIL MEMBER

SUTTON. >> HEY, MR. BEVERLIN.

I APOLOGIZE FOR NOT BEING ABLE TO BE THERE IN PERSON TODAY.

I KNOW THIS IS A VERY IMPORTANT PROCESS AND A VERY IMPORTANT HIRE FOR THE CITY AND THE CITY'S FUTURE.

AND I APPRECIATE YOUR TIME AND INTEREST IN HUTTO.

MY QUESTION FOR YOU IS, SHARE WITH US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE TYPE OF PERSON THAT YOU ARE AND WHY YOU'RE INTERESTED IN COMING

HERE AS OUR CITY MANAGER. >> OKAY.

IF YOU LOOK AT MY RESUME, YOU CAN SEE I WAS ALSO IN THE PRIVATE SECTOR FOR ABOUT A DECADE.

BUT I STARTED OFF LIKE MANY, WITH A POLITICAL SCIENCE DEGREE. I WAS A RUGBY PLAYER IN UNDERGRADUATE. I WAS STILL TRYING TO FIND MY WAY OBVIOUSLY. I DID FROM AN EARLY AGE WANT TO SERVE. WHEN I PURSUED BY MPA, THAT WAS AT A TIME FRAME THAT I WAS ACTUALLY RIGHT ON THE CUSP OF ALSO GOING TO LAW SCHOOL AND DECIDED NOT TO DO THAT.

I WENT THROUGH AN INTERVIEW PROCESS AND ALSO THE CLERK, ONE OF THE BIG FIRMS DOWNTOWN, AND I THINK THAT YOU KNOW, FROM DAY ONE, MY CALLING WAS TO SERVE. I DID THAT OBVIOUSLY WITH MISSOURI CITY, AND THEN GALVESTON THE FIRST TIME, BECAUSE I DID WORK FOR GALVESTON TWICE, INITIALLY IN PLANNING AS WELL. AND THEN ALSO AT THE REGIONAL COUNCIL OF GOVERNMENTS RUNNING THE TRANSPORTATION IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM. I DID LEARN A LOT IN THE PRIVATE SECTOR. I SPENT ALMOST A DECADE.

HOWEVER, THAT CALLING CAME BACK TO ME.

WHAT I REALLY DIDN'T WANT TO DO WAS JUST COME AND DELIVER A VERY POLISHED PLAN AND SEND AN INVOICE AND THEN LEAVE.

EVEN THOUGH MANY OF THOSE PROJECTS THAT I WORKED ON ARE PLANS IMPLEMENTED AND STILL UP AND RUNNING TODAY.

SO I THINK THAT IN GENERAL, MY PERSONA IS TEAM ORIENTED.

I THINK I RUN VERY COLLEGIAL ORGANIZATIONS.

I TRY TO WORK ON PROBLEM-SOLVING AND TEAM BUILDING. AND THAT THE WHOLE REASON MYSELF AND I KNOW THE OTHER CANDIDATES, I THINK ALL GOT INTO THIS BUSINESS IN THE FIRST PLACE IS HOW CAN WE MAKE THINGS BETTER FOR COMMUNITIES. AND WORKING IN LOCAL GOVERNMENT, I THINK IS THE CLOSEST YOU CAN DO TO THAT.

>> THANK YOU. >> GOOD AFTERNOON.

WHAT IS THE MOST SURPRISING, BEST OR WORST THING YOU HAVE

DISCOVERED ABOUT US? >> WELL, THE ONE THING, I WON'T

[02:25:02]

SO I DO KNOW THAT Y'ALL HAVE HAD YOU KNOW, PERIODS OF UNCERTAINTY. THAT BEING SAID, EVEN WHEN COVID HIT, I KNOW WE ABSORBED SOME OF YOUR STAFF EVEN AND SOME OF OUR CREWS. AND I ALWAYS KNEW THAT Y'ALL HAD GREAT STAFF HERE. SO I THINK THE ONE THING THAT THIS EXPERIENCE HAS ALSO CONFIRMED IS THAT JUST LIKE WHERE I'M AT RIGHT NOW, WHERE I HAVE WONDERFUL STAFF, IS Y'ALL HAVE GREAT STAFF AS WELL. AND Y'ALL ALSO HAVE TONS OF OPPORTUNITIES MOVING FORWARD. I WOULD NOT HAVE APPLIED FOR THE POSITION IF I DIDN'T THINK THAT BOTH OF THOSE THINGS WERE PRESENT. AND I DO THINK THAT IF BASED ON MY EXPERIENCE, I HAVE COME INTO ENTITIES THAT WERE GOING THROUGH PERIODS OF EITHER UNCERTAINTY OR RECOVERY FROM A STORM, OR OTHER ISSUES, ORGANIZATIONALLY THAT NEEDED TO BE RIGHTED. AND THAT WAS MY MOTIVATION TO APPLY. SO I THINK THAT JUST TO MORE DIRECTLY ANSWER IT, I THINK THE BEST THING THAT I CONFIRMED IS THAT YES, YOU HAVE WONDERFUL STAFF, AND THAT COUNCIL HAS A

COMMITMENT TO MOVE FORWARD. >> THANK YOU.

>> ALL RIGHT. THE NEXT QUESTION WAS, IF OFFERED THIS POSITION, WHAT DO YOU HOPE TO HAVE ACCOMPLISHED

IN 100 DAYS AND AFTER ONE YEAR? >> OKAY.

SO THE FIRST 100 DAYS, OF COURSE, THE LONGER YOU'RE AT THIS READING EVERYTHING, COMES A LITTLE FASTER THAN WHEN YOU FIRST STARTED. I REALLY DO THINK THE FIRST 100 DAYS, NOT TO OVERSIMPLIFY IT, I MENTIONED THIS IN THE STAFF INTERVIEW AS WELL, EVEN THOUGH IT WASN'T WITHIN THE 100 DAY CONTEXT, IS EARNING BOTH STAFF TRUST AND COUNCIL TRUST.

AND I THINK THAT AS THIS POSITION IS THE PIVOTER OF, THE NEXUS BETWEEN STAFF AND COUNCIL, THAT THAT IS THE PIECE, IT'S NOT JUST READING THE ROOM, IT'S MAKING SURE THAT EVERYTHING IS TRANSLATED FROM COUNCIL, BE IT THE INTERPRETATION OF THE STRATEGIC PLAN, THE CIP, ALL OF YOUR DIRECTIVES, AND THEN HOW WE MOVE FORWARD AND THEN ALSO BUILDING THAT TRUST WITH THE STAFF THAT SOMEONE IS HERE AND GOING TO SEE IT THROUGH. SO I THINK THAT THAT IS REALLY REALLY THE FIRST 100 DAY CORE. NOW, IN TERMS OF ACROSS THE YEAR, I THINK THAT IS WHERE YOU START SEEING PROGRESS.

NOW, YOU HAVE THINGS IN THE BOOKS.

AND YES, I KIND OF JOKE ABOUT THIS, ROME WASN'T BUILT IN A DAY. BUT THE SUBURBS OF AUSTIN HAVE BEEN ALMOST. SO IF YOU LOOK AT THE RATE OF GROWTH, THAT YES, THERE ARE THINGS THAT ARE GOING TO HAVE TO BE TACKLED EARLY ON, VERY QUICKLY, VERY STRATEGICALLY.

THE GROWTH IS HAPPENING. IT'S THE SAME EXPERIENCE WHERE I'M AT IN TERMS OF THAT GROWTH. I DO THINK Y'ALL HAVE SOME BENEFIT OF SCALEABILITY AND THE ABILITY TO -- I MEAN, YOU'VE GOT A LOT OF THINGS ALREADY IN PLACE.

YOU'RE GOING TO NEED TO LOOK AT THOSE REGIONAL PARTNERSHIPS.

I THINK THAT IS ALSO A CRITICAL PIECE.

I DO THINK THAT I CAN HELP LEVERAGE THOSE REGIONAL PARTNERSHIPS THAT I'M ALREADY DOING RIGHT NOW.

THAT I'VE BUILT TO THE BENEFIT OF HUTTO.

AND I THINK THAT AS THE YEAR WOULD END, THAT INCLUDES A LEGISLATIVE AGENDA AS WELL. AND I THINK THAT ALL OF THOSE THINGS IN TANDEM, WHETHER YOU'RE WORKING WITH CAMPO, WORKING WITH YOUR REGIONAL PARTNER CITIES ON WATER, AND WORKING ON TRANSPORTATION, ALL OF THE -- AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, THAT BY THE END OF THAT YEAR, AT LEAST THE CLEAR PATH ON WHERE WE'RE GOING IS LAID OUT AND IT'S MOVING

FORWARD. >> THANK YOU, SIR.

>> ALL RIGHT. IT CAN BE DIFFICULT TO USE GOOD JUDGMENT WHEN EVERYONE ELSE SEEMS TO DISAGREE WITH YOUR APPROACH. SO CAN YOU TELL US ABOUT A TIME WHEN YOU HAD TO GO AGAINST THE WISHES OR NEEDS OF YOUR SENIOR LEADERSHIP TEAM, WHAT DID YOU DO, HOW DID YOU EXPLAIN YOUR REASONING AND WHAT WAS THE RESULT?

>> NOT TO GIVE TOO MUCH OF SPECIFICS, BUT THERE HAVE BEEN A FEW INSTANCES, I COULD USE ONE THAT IS FAIRLY RECENT, IN TERMS OF LOOKING AT LET'S SAY MEMBERSHIP OF CAPITAL METRO, THINGS LIKE THAT. SO IN THAT EXAMPLE, AND I DO

[02:30:05]

GO THROUGH A THIRD-PARTY STUDY, GET DATA.

AND SO THERE IS -- I THINK ONE OF THE DIFFICULTIES ALWAYS, IS EVEN WHEN THINGS ARE INTUITIVE, WHAT ARE YOU DOING TO CONFIRM AND RECONFIRM THAT YOU'RE HEADING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION OR DO YOU WANT TO HEAD THE WRONG DIRECTION.

SO I THINK GOING THROUGH THOSE EXERCISES ARE NOT ALWAYS POPULAR, BUT YOU NEED TO GO THROUGH THOSE EXERCISES TO KNOW REALLY IS THAT THE RIGHT THING TO DO.

AND SO IN THAT CASE, I DON'T THINK IT WAS REALLY POPULAR TO SLOW THAT PROCESS. IT PLAYED OUT.

BUT I THINK IT WAS THE RIGHT THING TO DO.

BECAUSE THERE WAS MEANINGFUL DATA THAT WAS GAINED FROM IT.

I THINK WITHOUT THAT, YOU'RE UNABLE TO MAKE A CRITICAL DECISION. AND I THINK THAT IS OUR JOB, AS STAFF, IS SO YOU DON'T HAVE TO MAKE DECISIONS IN THE DARK.

AND THE COMMUNITY CAN ACTUALLY HAVE A POINT OF REFERENCE SO THEY CAN THEN MAKE THEIR DECISIONS IN A LOGICAL WAY.

>> THANK YOU, SIR. >> THANK YOU.

SORRY, WAS WRITING DOWN MY THOUGHTS THERE.

SO NEXT QUESTION, WE'RE IN AN AGE OF DOING MORE WITH LESS.

HOW DO YOU BUILD AND MAINTAIN A COHESIVE MOTIVATED TEAM, CREATING A PEOPLE CENTERED CULTURE IN A NUMBERS FOCUSED

WORLD. >> OKAY.

IN MORE THAN ONE VENUE HAVE ACTUALLY WORKED WITH FAIRLY LEAN STAFF, TO SAY THE LEAST. WHETHER YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT WHERE I AM PRESENTLY, OR IF YOU LOOK AT THE STAFFING LEVELS IN PLACES LIKE KEMA, EITHER PRIOR TO ME OR AFTER.

I THINK PART AND PARCEL OF THAT IS THE STAFF HAS TO KNOW THAT YOU GENUINELY CARE ABOUT THEIR WELL-BEING.

IN TERMS OF RETAINING STAFF, ATTRACTING STAFF, AND THE OTHER THING IS I CAN SAY EVERYWHERE I'VE BEEN, I'VE BEEN ABLE TO RECRUIT FOLKS THAT HAVE WORKED WITH ME IN DIFFERENT VENUES, MAYBE IN TOTALLY DIFFERENT CIRCUMSTANCES AND SOME PEOPLE MAY FIT IN ONE VENUE, AND IT MAY BE TWO OR THREE BACK AND THEN OTHER PEOPLE WOULDN'T. I THINK THAT ONE OF THE -- REALLY ONE OF THE CRITICAL THINGS IS A HAPPY STAFF, AS SIMPLISTICALLY AS I CAN PUT IT, THAT THEY KNOW THAT THEY HAVE A CONSTANT THERE. THAT THEY KNOW THAT THEY HAVE BUY-IN IN THEIR WORK. AND THAT GOES PERMEATES THROUGHOUT THE STAFF, ALL THE WAY DOWN TO THE RANK AND FILE FOLKS IN THE FIELD. THAT THEY CAN HAVE THAT INPUT.

SO FROM A PRODUCTIVITY STANDPOINT, I THINK THAT REALLY HAVING THAT COLLEGIAL ENVIRONMENT IS CRITICAL.

NOW, AS YOU KNOW, WITH OUR ENVIRONMENT, RECRUITING IN OUR CURRENT HOUSING MARKET, RETENTION, EVEN ISSUES WHEN YOU WILL -- LET'S SAY YOU'RE LOOKING AT HIGH LEVEL SUBJECT AREA EXPERTS AND YOU MAY OFFER THEM A POSITION AND THEY'RE COMING FROM DALLAS OR HOUSTON OR SAN ANTONIO, THEY START THE HOUSING SEARCH. SO THOSE ARE CHALLENGES FOR ALL OF OUR PEER CITIES IN THE REGION RIGHT NOW.

AND I THINK YOU HAVE TO RECOGNIZE THAT THOSE THINGS DO COME UP AND THAT BEING SAID, YOU ALSO HAVE TO LOOK AT OTHER OPPORTUNITIES TO BRING PEOPLE IN.

SOMETIMES EVEN FROM OTHER INDUSTRIES, WHERE IT IS A FIT.

SO I THINK THE FIRST BEST RECRUITING GOAL, AND THEN ALSO BEING ABLE TO MOVE FORWARD WITH A LEAN EFFICIENT STAFF, IS HAVING A HAPPY STAFF. AND HAVING ONES THAT THEY REALLY KNOW THAT YOU'RE IN IT FOR THEIR WELL-BEING.

>> THANK YOU. CAN YOU TELL US ABOUT A TIME WHEN YOU HAD TO DEAL WITH A PROBLEM SPECIFICALLY WITH CITY COUNCIL, HOW YOU PROBLEM SOLVED THAT, WHAT ROLE DID YOU PLAY

AND WHAT WAS THE OUTCOME? >> OKAY.

SO I CAN PROBABLY POINT TO SEVERAL EXAMPLES ACROSS MY CAREER WHERE BASICALLY JUST HAVEN'T DONE THINGS A CERTAIN WAY, AS AN EXAMPLE. SO I KNOW IT MAY SEEM A LITTLE METHODICAL A THE THINGS THAT I BROUGHT FROM THE -- BOTH THE PRIVATE SECTOR PIECE, HAVING BEEN ON THAT SIDE AND ALSO HAVING BEEN AT THE MPO. TRYING TO THINK OF THINGS

[02:35:04]

SO I DO THINK THAT YOU KNOW, IN ONE OR TWO CASES, YOU HAVE HAD COUNCILS, I CAN GIVE YOU ONE EXAMPLE, HEY, I'M NOT SURE IF WE SHOULD GO THIS WAY OR GO THAT WAY.

THERE WAS ONE PROJECT THAT WAS FAIRLY SIGNIFICANT, AND IT WAS PROBABLY NOT AS CONTROVERSIAL WITH OUR COUNCIL AS IT WAS WITH ONE OF THE ADJACENT CITIES. HOWEVER, WE HELPED MOVE A LARGE PROJECT THAT WAS SHELVED FOR ALMOST 20 YEARS.

WE WERE ABLE TO MOVE THAT UP. NOW, AS PART OF THAT PROCESS, I THINK THIS IS ALSO THE DOWNTOWN -- OR THE BUSINESS OWNERS ALONG THAT CORRIDOR, ONE OF THE CONCERNS TOO IS IT'S GOING TO FUNCTION AS A BYPASS. ARE THEY THEN GOING TO BYPASS OUR BUSINESSES. SO ONE OF THE THINGS WE DID TO HELP MOVE THAT FORWARD WAS ALSO, IT WASN'T A BIG STUDY, WE DID HIRE SOMEONE THAT HAD WORKED FOR TXDOT TO DO TRAFFIC WORK FOR US. I HAD LOOKED AT THE PLAN SET.

I THINK REALLY THAT WHOLE AREA WAS KIND OF ON THE FENCE, IS THIS A GOOD PROJECT OR NOT. AT THE END OF THE DAY, YES, IT WAS A $30,000 PIECE OF TRAFFIC WORK.

I THINK TXDOT PROBABLY DID 30 MILLION OF ADDITIONAL IMPROVEMENTS AND NEW ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT, TO GIVE BOTH CITIES ADDITIONAL EXITS.

TO BE QUITE HONEST, THAT PROJECT WOULD HAVE JUST FUNCTIONED AS A BYPASS OTHERWISE.

I THINK THAT IS ONE THAT HELPED PUT THEM AT EASE.

JUST IN GENERAL, IN PROCESS, I THINK A LOT OF CITIES, AND THIS IS JUST A GENERAL STATEMENT. A LOT OF CITIES, IF THEY HAVEN'T DONE SOME THINGS A CERTAIN WAY EVER, EVEN IF IT'S AN INDUSTRY BEST PRACTICE, THEN I THINK SOMETIMES THEY GIVE PAUSE. AND I WOULD SAY THAT ALMOST EVERYWHERE I'VE BEEN. WE'VE NEVER DONE IT THAT WAY.

BE IT A TRAFFIC ANALYSIS, A STRATEGIC PLANNING SESSION.

IF THEY'VE NEVER DONE THAT. HOW YOU EVALUATE BOTH THE MANAGER AND STAFF IN TERMS OF GOALS.

ALL OF THOSE ITEMS. SO I THINK THAT THAT IS PROBABLY THE BIGGEST THING, THE BIGGEST CHALLENGE IS IF YOU'RE TAKING ON ANYTHING THAT IS ATYPICAL TO THE PROCESS, IN THAT VENUE THAT YOU'RE AT. THAT THEY THEN TYPICALLY GO, WELL, I'M NOT SURE ABOUT THAT. WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO THINK

ABOUT THAT A LITTLE BIT MORE. >> THANK YOU.

MY QUESTION IS, BEING ABLE TO CHANGE ANOTHER PERSON'S BEHAVIOR TAKES SKILL AND RESPONSIBILITY.

TELL US ABOUT A TIME WHEN YOU WERE SUCCESSFUL IN DOING THIS.

WHAT WERE THE PAYOFFS FOR YOU, THE OTHER PERSON AND THE

ORGANIZATION? >> OKAY.

IN TERMS OF OTHER PEOPLE'S BEHAVIOR, YOU KNOW, OBVIOUSLY AS YOU KNOW, CONTROLLING OTHER PEOPLE'S BEHAVIOR IS PROBABLY AN AGE-OLD QUESTION, ESPECIALLY WHEN YOU'RE TRYING TO GET THEM TO DO THE RIGHT THING. I DO THINK THIS GOES BACK REALLY TO THE TRUST PIECE. I'M THINKING BACK ON ONE ORGANIZATION WHERE WE HAD A SPECIFIC DEPARTMENT THAT REALLY HAD A MORALE ISSUE. HAD HIGH TURN-OVER, ONE OF THE REASONS I WAS BROUGHT IN, THAT WAS ONE OF THE FIRST AREAS TO SHORE UP. AND I THINK IN GENERAL, THIS KIND OF -- I USE THIS EXAMPLE A LITTLE BIT AS WELL, IN MORE DETAIL WITH STAFF, IS THAT THIS WENT BACK TO EXPECTATIONS FOR EVERYBODY. WHEN YOU'RE RUNNING CERTAIN SHOPS THAT INVOLVE LABOR, SOMETIMES THEY KIND OF SLIP IN SOME OF THEIR FORMALITY AND SOME OF THEIR LANGUAGE AND ALL OF THOSE OTHER THINGS. WHAT WE DID WAS A MULTI-PRONGED APPROACH. FOUGHT FOR THEM FOR RAISES AND GOT THEM. RIGHTED THAT DEPARTMENT IN TERMS OF ITS OPERATIONS AND ITS REVENUES.

WE ACTUALLY SHED SOME THINGS THAT WE WERE OPERATING.

AND THEN CONVERTED SOME THINGS FROM DIRECT SERVICE TO CONTRACT. AND IN DOING THAT, IT REALLY BROUGHT THE MORALE AND THE ATTITUDE AND ALL OF THOSE OTHER THINGS, IN-FIGHTING, THE BAD APPLES MIGRATED AWAY.

AND THOSE THAT WERE THE BEST STAYED.

BECAUSE WE KIND OF ELEVATED THE DECORUM OF THE WHOLE DEPARTMENT. SO I THINK THAT WAS MORE OF A UNIVERSAL ONE. AND YES, WE HAD SOME SPECIFIC PEOPLE THAT HAD NEVER EVER BEEN ASKED TO DO ANYTHING LIKE THAT.

WHERE THAT WAS JUST THE WAY IT WAS DONE.

AND YOU COULD OPERATE LIKE THAT.

AS I USE THE TERM YOU KNOW, IT WAS A DEPARTMENT WHERE POLICE OFFICERS, WHEN THEY WOULD COME BY WOULD BLUSH.

SO THAT WAS DEFINITELY A BEHAVIOR CHANGE TO THE

[02:40:02]

>> OKAY. SO HOW HAVE YOU HANDLED PEOPLE WHO ARE DIFFICULT TO GET ALONG WITH? DESCRIBE A SITUATION IN WHICH YOU WERE EFFECTIVE IN GETTING A DIFFICULT PERSON TO COOPERATE WITH YOU.

EXPLAIN WHAT YOU DID THAT MADE THE DIFFERENCE.

>> OKAY. I CAN PROBABLY GIVE YOU AN EXAMPLE OF PROBABLY IN AT LEAST TWO VENUES, WHERE LET'S SAY COUNCIL MEMBERS HAD A CERTAIN VIEW OF THE DEVELOPMENT PROCESS. AND THEY HAD BEEN ELECTED.

THE CITY WAS ALWAYS WRONG, CITY WAS ALWAYS TOO TOUGH.

AND WERE OFTEN VERY CRITICAL OF STAFF.

TYPICALLY THEY HAD -- CERTAIN DEVELOPERS MAY HAVE HAD THEIR EAR. SO I DO THINK THAT IN BOTH CASES, BOTH OF THOSE VENUES, THAT ACTUALLY SITTING DOWN WITH THEM AND WALKING THROUGH SOME OF THE PROCESS, YOU KNOW, THEY HAD NOT SERVED ON P&Z, THEY HADN'T SERVED IN THE OTHER ROLES. KIND OF EXPLAINING THE PROCESS AND ALL OF THE STEPS ALONG THE WAY, THAT IT DIDN'T ENTIRELY CHANGE ALL OF THEIR PERSPECTIVE, BUT IT DEFINITELY CHANGED THEIR VIEW OF WHAT STAFF DOES AND ONCE THAT APPRECIATION WAS THERE, THAT IT WASN'T JUST A SCENARIO WHERE YOU KNOW, YOU'RE HANDED ONE PIECE OF PAPER, AND YOU'RE RANDOMLY STAMPING IT APPROVED OR DISAPPROVED. I THINK, LIKE ANY OTHER SITUATION, WHEN YOU MAY HAVE SOME DIFFICULTY IN COMMUNICATION, IT REALLY BOILS DOWN TO TRY TO ENHANCE THAT COMMUNICATION AND BRIDGE THAT GAP BY BRIDGING THE UNDERSTANDING OF REALLY WHAT THE PROCESS IS.

AND SO I DO THINK BY DOING THAT, IT ALSO BOLSTERED THEIR CONFIDENCE IN STAFF, WHICH YOU KNOW, COMING ON TO COUNCIL, IF THAT IS WHAT YOU'RE ELECTED UNDER THAT KIND OF UMBRELLA, THAT THINGS WERE ALWAYS NOT RIGHT AND THAT IS WHO THEIR SUPPORTERS WERE, AT THE END OF THE DAY, I WOULD COUNT THOSE FOLKS EVEN IN THOSE VENUES AS SUPPORTERS ACTUALLY, RATHER THAN ANTAGONISTIC AT ALL. HOPEFULLY THAT ANSWERS YOUR

QUESTION. >> THANK YOU.

>> IN THE NEXT THREE YEARS, WHAT CHALLENGES DO YOU FORESEE THE CITY HAVING IN THE AREA OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT? BASED ON WHAT YOU KNOW RIGHT NOW, HOW WOULD YOU ADDRESS

THOSE CHALLENGES? >> I THINK THAT ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND IT MAY BE A LITTLE BIASED IN MY CASE, BECAUSE I DO HAVE A PRETTY HEAVY TRANSPORTATION BACKGROUND, I THINK YOU CAN ALSO BE A VICTIM OF YOUR OWN SUCCESS OR OTHERS SUCCESS AROUND YOU.

SO I THINK THAT THE TRANSPORTATION COMPONENT IS DEFINITELY GOING TO BE A PIECE OF SUCCESSFUL ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT. YOU DON'T WANT TO BECOME THE PLACE NOT TO QUOTE, YOGI BEAR, NO ONE GOES THERE ANYMORE, IT'S TOO CROWDED. I CAN TELL YOU, IN AREAS THAT HAVE TOO MUCH TRAFFIC, YOU MAY HAVE A BIG BUSINESS DISTRICT, I HAVE SEEN THIS, ACTUALLY, WE STUDIED IT IN ONE PLACE, WHERE WE DIDN'T HAVE GOOD TRAFFIC FLOW AND WE ENHANCED IT.

AND INSTEAD OF EVERYONE STUCK IN TRAFFIC, YOU ACTUALLY, ONCE YOU TOOK THAT AWAY, IT APPEARED TO BE LESS TRAFFIC, YOU ACTUALLY HAD MORE PEOPLE GOING TO THE CASH REGISTERS.

SO I THINK THE TRANSPORTATION FUNCTIONALITY PIECE IS GOING TO BE KEY FOR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT.

I THINK THE SCALEABILITY OF WHAT IS DONE ON BEHALF OF HUTTO AND OUR PARTNERS AROUND US, IS ALSO -- I MEAN, IT'S GOING TO AFFECT THE HOUSING PIECE. AND OBVIOUSLY THE PRIMARY JOBS PIECE. I THINK WHAT Y'ALL NEED TO -- AND EVERYONE NEEDS TO BE COGNIZANT OF IS THE SCALEABILITY OF, IS IT BETTER TO GET LET'S SAY $100 MILLION PROJECT, WHERE YOU CAN USE YOUR HOME GROWN TALENT, THOSE THAT WORK HERE, THOSE THAT LIVE HERE, BE EMPLOYED THERE.

VERSUS LET'S SAY A BILLION DOLLAR PROJECT THAT EFFECTIVELY OVERNIGHT DISPLACES EVERYONE FROM THAT MARKET AND NONE OF THE EMPLOYEES ARE GOING TO COME FROM YOUR CURRENT CITIZENRY.

AND SO I THINK THAT, AS EVERYTHING IS COMING INTO OUR REGION, THERE DOES NEED TO BE SOME COGNIZANCE OF THE SCALE, THE IMPACT, IS IT OVERWHELMING, AND CAN YOU STILL RETAIN YOUR

[02:45:04]

BUT EVEN IF THINGS CLUSTER THAT ARE TOO OVERWHELMING, ON YOUR IMMEDIATE PERIPHERY, HOW YOU PLAN AROUND THAT, HOW YOU WORK WITH YOUR PARTNERS TO ADDRESS THOSE TRAFFIC IMPACTS AND THOSE OTHER IMPACTS, AND IT IS A FINE LINE.

BUT I DO THINK PRIMARY JOBS, IF FOLKS HAVE PRIMARY JOBS, THEN THEY'LL SPEND MONEY LOCALLY. IF THEY CAN WORK LOCALLY, YOU GET MORE RECIRCULATED DOLLARS THROUGH THE COMMUNITY.

NOT JUST THE STUDIES THAT HAVE OCCURRED, BUT ALSO JUST ENOUGH REAL DATA. IF YOU HAVE LOCALLY OWNED RESTAURANTS, THOSE LOCALLY-OWNED RESTAURANTS, THOSE DOLLARS STAY IN THAT COMMUNITY.

THEY'RE NOT NECESSARILY GOING BACK TO CORPORATE.

SO JUST THINK OF IT THAT WAY. AND I THINK THAT THOSE ARE GOING TO BE THOSE QUESTIONS, AS THOSE THINGS COME UP, THEY'RE GOING TO BE UNIQUE. BUT I THINK MORE ANALYSIS RATHER THAN LESS. YOU KNOW, YOU USUALLY HAVE A CRITICAL TIMELINE, WORKING WITH THE GOVERNOR'S OFFICE ON SOME OF THESE. THERE'S GOING TO BE SOME THAT YOU MAY DEFINITELY WANT AND YOU WANT TO GO FOR.

THERE MAY BE OTHERS THAT YOU PUSH BECAUSE JUST BECAUSE IT'S COMING DOESN'T MEAN IT'S NECESSARILY THE BEST THING FOR THE COMMUNITY. THOSE ARE THE -- I DO THINK HUTTO IS IN THAT POSITION TO BE ABLE TO ALSO DECIDE WHAT THEY BECOME. BECAUSE WHAT YOU RECRUIT MAY AFFECT WHAT YOU ARE LATER IN TERMS OF COMMUNITY CHARACTER.

AND IN TERMS OF CAN THE CITIZENS LIVE, WORK AND STAY WITHIN HUTTO, WHICH I THINK IS EVERYBODY'S GOAL.

I DON'T KNOW IF ANYBODY REALLY LIKES THOSE 35 COMMUTES.

I DON'T THINK MOST PEOPLE DO. I KNOW FROM THE HOUSTON AREA, NO ONE WANTS A 45 COMMUTE. I'LL LEAVE YOU WITH THAT AS

WELL. >> THANK YOU.

SO THE NEXT QUESTION IS, HOW HAVE YOU PERSUADED THE CITY COUNCIL TO GO ALONG WITH YOU ON AN ISSUE THAT WAS A HARD SELL?

>> I DON'T THINK THAT -- IT KIND OF SPEAKS TO MY GENERAL APPROACH OF BEING SOMEWHAT CAUTIOUS, IN THAT I THINK WHEN IT COMES TO SOMETHING THAT IS A CRITICAL DECISION POINT, WE HAVE TO GIVE YOU -- IT'S OUR JOB TO GIVE YOU AS STAFF, ENOUGH INFORMATION TO MAKE THAT DECISION.

AND IF THERE IS SOMETHING RIGHT ON THE PIVOT POINT, RIGHT ON THE EDGE, THEN WE NEED TO BE ABLE TO SHOW YOU THE BENEFITS.

I THINK LACKING THAT, IT'S HARD FOR US TO.

I MYSELF WOULD NOT BE UP HERE TRYING TO MAKE A HARD PITCH FOR SOMETHING THAT I TRULY DIDN'T BELIEVE WAS SOMETHING THAT IS GOING TO BE A POSITIVE. AND IF I CAN QUANTIFY IT, I'M GOING TO QUANTIFY IT AS PART OF THAT TO SHOW YOU WHAT THE BENEFITS ARE. IF THERE AREN'T BENEFITS, I'M NOT GOING TO BE PROBABLY GOING TO BE TRYING TO BE SELL THAT TO YOU. YOU KNOW WHAT, YOU COULD DO NOTHING AND YOU'RE JUST AS GO. YOU MAY BE MONEY IN AND BENEFIT NEUTRAL. I DO THINK IN A WORLD OF FIVE DOLLAR GAS AND $2,000 ONE BEDROOM RENT, AND HIGH PROPERTY TAXES, ALL OF THE ABOVE, I THINK WE HAVE TO BE COGNIZANT OF THAT. THE CITIZENS, I THINK EXPECT US TO DO THAT AS WELL. SO FROM OUR CUSTODIAL STANDPOINT, TO BE GOOD STEWARDS OF THE PUBLIC'S MONEY, MY APPROACH IS NOT TO PUSH SOMETHING THAT IS NOT NECESSARY. I'LL JUST LEAVE IT AT THAT

POINT. >> THANK YOU.

>> THANKS, RICK. THAT IS PRETTY MUCH ALL THE QUESTIONS WE HAD. ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS THAT

YOU HAVE OF US? >> WELL, I'LL LEAVE IT TO Y'ALL TO DETERMINE WHAT Y'ALL THINK IS THE BEST FIT FOR A CITY MANAGER AND THE CHEMISTRY. I DID WANT TO THANK Y'ALL.

I DID WANT TO AGAIN, THANK LARRY AND ISAAC, YOUR WHOLE STAFF FOR THE WARMTH. ALL OF YOUR CANDIDATES ARE WONDERFUL. I MEAN, I ALREADY MENTIONED, I GREW UP IN THE SAME PART OF TOWN AS MANNY.

TERRON AND I WENT TO DINNER LAST NIGHT.

GREAT GUY. MR. EARP, GREAT GUY AS WELL.

GOT A LOT OF EXPERIENCE WORKING IN A FAST-GROWING CITY.

YOU CAN'T GO WRONG EITHER WAY. I THANK Y'ALL FOR THE OPPORTUNITY. I PRIMARILY APPLIED BECAUSE KIND OF WHY I WENT IN TO THIS IN THE FIRST PLACE, IF I CAN

[02:50:03]

KIND OF BEEN MY FORTE BY DEFAULT, HELP RIGHT A SHIP, HELP MAKE THE STAFF FEEL COMFORTABLE, THEY'RE NOT ON EGG SHELLS, THEY CAN MEET THEIR GOALS AND THE CITY CAN MAKE THEIR GOALS AS WELL. I THANK YOU AGAIN AND THANK THE CITIZENS FOR ALLOWING ME THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE HERE TODAY.

>> THANK YOU, SIR. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS

FROM COUNCIL? >> I DON'T KNOW.

THE ONLY QUESTION THAT I KIND OF HAD WAS, YOU KNOW, WHEN I LOOK AT DIVERSITY OF ALL DIFFERENT CANDIDATES, YOU'RE THE ONLY ONE THAT IS REALLY REALLY GEOGRAPHICALLY CLOSE, WHERE YOU ALREADY ARE. DIDN'T KNOW IF LIKE YOU HAD LIKE, YOU KNOW, WHAT ABOUT FOR HUTTO THAT YOU WOULD MAKE A CHANGE FROM LEANDER TO HUTTO. IT'S SO CLOSE.

THEY'RE JUST DOWN THE ROAD FROM EACH OTHER.

IS IT JUST BECAUSE WE'RE FURTHER BACK AND YOU SEE WHAT WE COULD DO TO USE THE BEST PRACTICES THAT HAVE BEEN ESTABLISHED THERE IN LEANDER? JUST KIND OF CURIOUS.

>> I DO THINK, OBVIOUSLY, IN YOUR CYCLE, WHERE YOU'RE AT IN DEVELOPMENT, THERE IS TONS OF OPPORTUNITY.

I ALSO DO THINK, AND THAT INCLUDES, YOU KNOW, PROTECTING THE COMMUNITY CHARACTER AND GROWING AT THE SAME TIME.

AND THE EARLIER YOU ARE IN THAT PROCESS, IT'S KIND OF LIKE EDUCATION OF A CHILD. THE EARLIER YOU GET IT GOING IN THAT PROCESS, THE BETTER THE OUTCOMES CAN BE.

AND I DO THINK Y'ALL ARE AT A KIND OF A CRITICAL INFLECTION POINT. YOU'VE BEEN THROUGH A TIME WHERE IT'S BEEN TOUGH ON STAFF. AND JUST THE NOT KNOWING, THAT PUTS FOLKS ON EGGSHELLS. ESPECIALLY AFTER, AGAIN, HAVING ABSORBED EVEN SOME OF Y'ALL'S FOLKS AND THAT IS AN UNFORTUNATE SITUATION. I THINK ME BEING CLOSE ALSO PROBABLY GIVES ME IN SOME WAYS LESS PAUSE.

BECAUSE I HAVE SEEN SOME OF IT. MY THOUGHT PROCESS IN APPLYING WAS ALSO THAT I THINK Y'ALL AREN'T THAT -- Y'ALL ARE ABOUT READY TO -- Y'ALL HAVE ALREADY HIT -- YOU'VE SCRAPED THE BOTTOM ON SOME OF THOSE ISSUES AND IT'S ALL UP FROM HERE AND ALL POSITIVE FROM HERE. IF Y'ALL CAN STABILIZE THIS POSITION. AND SO I -- THE BEST WAY I CAN

DESCRIBE IT. >> THANK YOU, SIR.

>> ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU, RICK.

>> THANK Y'ALL. >> APPRECIATE YOUR TIME TODAY.

WE HAVE A PROCEDURAL QUESTION. SINCE OUR NEXT DEAL IS NOT UNTIL TWO, I BELIEVE THEN WE'RE GOING INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION, DO WE RECESS UNTIL WE COME BACK? DO I GO AHEAD AND READ EXECUTIVE SESSION 6.1 AND THEN JUST BREAK AND DO THAT? OR WHAT IS THE BEST WAY TO DO

THIS? >> THE WAY YOU HAVE IT POSTED IS THERE IS NO BREAK BETWEEN YOUR AGENDA ITEMS AND EXECUTIVE SESSION. SO IT'S UP TO COUNCIL IF YOU WANT TO TAKE A SHORT BREAK AND START YOUR EXECUTIVE SESSION

PRIOR TO TWO. >> WE CAN START EXECUTIVE SESSION AND THEN TAKE A BREAK TOO, RIGHT?

>> CORRECT. >> THE OTHER INTERVIEW UP TOP.

>> MR. MAYOR, MEMBERS OF THE COUNCIL, THE GROUP UP STAIRS HAS FINISHED. WE MIGHT NEED A COUPLE OF MINUTES TO MAKE SURE THE ARRANGEMENTS UPSTAIRS ARE DONE.

MATT IS GOING TO BE DEBRIEFING THE COMMITTEE FOR ABOUT THE NEXT HALF HOUR OR SO. BUT THE ROOM UPSTAIRS IS EMPTY AND THEY'RE GETTING IT READY. IF WE CAN GET ABOUT FIVE OR TEN MINUTES, THAT WOULD BE HELPFUL FOR US.

>> OKAY. WE'LL GO TO EXECUTIVE SESSION,

[6. EXECUTIVE SESSION]

SO THE NEXT AGENDA ITEM IS 6.1, EXECUTIVE SESSION IN ACCORDANCE WITH TEXAS OPEN MEETINGS ACT, SECTION 551.074, PERSONNEL MATTERS, DELINEATING DISMISSAL OF A PUBLIC OFFICER OR EMPLOYEE, CITY MANAGER, INTERIM CITY MANAGER, WE'LL GO INTO TE

[7.1. Consideration and possible action on Executive Session in accordance with Texas Open Meetings Act Section 551.074, Personnel Matters: Closed Meeting to deliberate the appointment, employment, evaluation, reassignment, duties, discipline, or dismissal of a public officer or employee - City Manager, Interim City Manager.]

[02:55:02]

THE APPLICANTS, THE CANDIDATES, AND THEIR FAMILIES.

THAT THEY WERE EITHER AWAY FROM OR THAT CAME, THE WHOLE PROCESS. EVERYBODY THAT WAS INVOLVED.

AND I HOPE THAT WE'RE ABLE TO MAKE A DECISION ON THE NEXT STEP FORWARD AT OUR NEXT MEETING ON JULY 7TH.

ANYONE ELSE HAVE ANYTHING TO ADD?

>> JUST THANKS FOR THE PUBLIC FOR TUNING IN

>> I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO THANK EVERYBODY THAT HELPED OUT.

THANKS TO DAVID, ESPECIALLY FOR GETTING ME CONNECTED TO BE A PART OF THIS. I WAS REALLY CONCERNED ABOUT THAT. AND APPRECIATE ALL OF Y'ALL'S PATIENCE WITH ME BEING REMOTE TODAY.

AND I JUST LOVE HOW EVERYBODY CAME TOGETHER TO MAKE THIS WORK AND THE CANDIDATES THAT WE HAD WERE AMAZING.

>> COUNCIL MEMBER CLARK. >> YEAH.

I WANTED TO SAY THANKS FOR THE PUBLIC THAT CAME OUT ALSO AND BEING INVOLVED IN THE PROCESS. I THINK IS ONE OF THE MOST TRANSPARENT INTERVIEW PROCESSES THAT WE'VE HAD.

AND HOPEFULLY WE'LL START, IF THIS CONTINUES TO GO WELL, WE'LL FORMALIZE IT INTO A PROCESS, AS THE MAYOR SUGGESTED. AND THAT IS ALL I HAVE.

THANK YOU FOR THE DAY. >> ANYONE ELSE?

>> HEARING NOTHING, IF THERE IS

* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.