City Council - Regular Meeting

The legal committee is convening. Madam clerk, please call role. Miss Keler here. Mr. Fowler. Mr. Lover. I'm here. Mr. Chair, you have a committee. I mean, you have a quorum.

All right. Alex City Council meetings and committee council committee meetings are broadcast live and may be viewed live by the public. Optim Optimum Cable Channel 4. A rebroadcast may be viewed on Optimum Cel channel Optimum Cable channel 4 in the city of Belandia website www.celandrael laa.com. Item number one to consider final adoption of an ordinance rescending ordinance 178-2024 that authorize the mayor to enter into an intergovernmental agreement between the city of Alexandria and the greater Alexandria economic development authority data district for the purpose of cooperative economic development general services related agreement and agenda and otherwise providing with respect there too. Does anyone agenda administration want to speak on this item? We don't know what it's there for.

Okay. Well, I put it there because I'm trying to figure out what is the ordinance. What is that particular ordinance? The ordinance states what it states about itself, right? Okay. So, carp, it's been in place for a long time. All right. Well, I think you probably have folks here that you want to speak to it. Yep.

Okay. Anyone from Gay like to speak about? My name is uh Steven McGee. I am the chairman of GATA, the Greater Alexandria Economic Development Authority. Um, according to rescending this ordinance, this intergovernmental agreement was I would like to use the correct words. The way it was introduced was I don't agree the way it was. I wasn't on the board at that time. This was during a time when I was not on the board, but from what I understand, they walked in with an agreement, handed it down, voted on it. No one read the agreement. They just I don't know. They signed it prematurely. I think the one of the previous commissioners who was here at that time is here. He could maybe

maybe contest. I'm not putting you in nothing. All I said was you were there. Were you not there? Mr. McGee. Hold on, Mr. McGee. Just tell us. Tell us. Okay, but you were there. The the agreement, the way we read it, is not really a valid agreement. It's not really a valid contract. What does it do? What does it do?

What what they're asking for is $1.25 million that they are going to match with 1.3 if I'm correct to gut out a building, the Wise and Gorings building, which is currently assessed at $44,000. Doesn't have a development plan. Doesn't have a developer. Uh the contract states that we would just give the money to them or we would pay whatever certain invoices that they would turn in after they were paid. But to do what? To just get the building into a a box. Has Gator received any city invoices?

No. Not. Well, yes, I think we have received some invoices, but we have a a problem with the contract. The contract has no end date. It has no date that it would end. It has no return for our investment or for us giving the money. Um, how much we're actually doing? Something that a developer should be doing when he gets ready to do something with the building when there's a plan. How much are the invoices? Uh, I'm not sure. Uh, our executive director, Miss Angie Bernardo, could probably answer that question better than I can.

All right. uh as far as the invoices, but this is also not a project that ga we don't it's not something that we see that we should be involved in. Okay. Miss, anything else you'd like to add, Mr. Yes, sir. Um I think I want to say Mr. Ransom, it totals to the request reimbursement about 52,000. I'm not sure, but I can get that information to you. So, how are you receiving invoices? I'm sorry. Like how much have you received in invoices? That that's the amount I think. How much is like 52,000 or something like that over a course of um a couple of years?

Let me go back to the beginning. I don't want I don't know if that's 52,000 or not, but I'm I'm going to get it for you. Um what I do want to say is you asked what this ordinance does, what this intergovernmental agreement does. It was in it was um valid years ago during Mayor Royy's first term. During Jeff Hall's term, the then board cancelled it. They came back with another new board and they reinstated it. And it was basically they didn't want to have to submit like through our application process or our intergovernmental agreement. So they could just shoot stuff to us like Riverfett, Winterfett and we would just do it, write a check, right? Um I advised against that as Mr. Mohler did back then. He didn't want to continue to do that and neither did our board. So now we have another new board and they did not want to continue to do it. That also that intergovernmental agreement also had addendums. Um one with the Wise and Golding building that Mr. McGee just mentioned to you and the other one was for us to be at the um at the uh Bolton Avenue Community Center. Our legal advice our legal council has advised us to halt on that because she felt like it was a gratuitous donation. So that in a nutshell is where we stand and this current board does not want to go forward with any of that. We we welcome I mean to work with the city but we feel like the money can be used in a better manner than on the wise and gold ring building.

Yes. Mr. Rans. He's not speaking. I mean if if we need to speak to clear up anything after the other speakers do we will but it's not our ordinance. I mean I hear laugh. It doesn't make sense. is you got this up calling it gratuitous. It's not gratuitous. No legal, no lawyer will agree to that except I guess the lawyer that said it. Okay. But we're happy to address things after everybody speaks. We It's not our ordinance that's put up. So we'd like to the benefit of hearing.

Does anyone else has any any more additional reasonable comment public comment on this issue?

Yes. Mr. D. Okay. Thank you. My name is Dirk Margime. I'm a 20 plus year resident of what is now District 2 on Southfield Drive. I'd like to voice my support for this ordinance to rescend the agreement between the city of Alexandria and Gada in regard to the Weiss and Gold Ring building. And I'd like to thank Councilman Larvidane for bringing this issue forward. In 2016, when the notion of this building being donated first arose, a public meeting was held to discuss it. The town talk reported at that time that the majority of the people at that meeting were against receiving the donation. I quote from the paper. The majority of citizens speaking at the public hearing said the city has higher priorities than the Weiss and Gold Ring building. End quote. Others voiced concerns that allowing the property owner to donate after he was given notice of intent to demolish if he did not make needed repairs was tantamount to a government bailout. So the consensus then was that it was not a reasonable use of city funds to make the property safe and marketable. The responsibility should fall on the property owner. There were other pressing matters. At the time, Mayor Roy was driving the the River Act forward and said publicly that there were already parties interested in partnering with the city to revitalize the building. The big idea

touted at the time was a children's museum. That was 10 years ago. So, here we are 10 years later and a few hundred,000 deeper into the very same situation. Promises of interested parties and great hope for a children's museum again across town. But many folks are unaware that a condition of the donation set by the property owner at that time was that the property be separated from its two adjacent properties. the Reed typewriter building and which still sits undeveloped and also the parking garage behind the building. Those properties were held back 10 years ago, but the city took the parking building in donation again in 2023 and now we're talking about spending money to demolish that property. So once again, the property owner has evaded responsibility for the upkeep of his own investments. And I think we could all agree that the city doesn't need to be in the real estate business. Obviously, the real estate owns property. I would refer to it as the real estate development business. History has proven the difficulty of the city to make these kind of deals. We It's proven grossly ineffective at navigating real estate projects. So why not acknowledge this is not our lane, offer these properties at a greatly discounted price and let the private sector make what they will make of it. And by the way, getting out of the real estate game would also mean not

brokering a trade for another building. Let the private sector do their work. Let me be clear. I do not think GATA funds should be used to further subsidize this project. I'm actually thrilled that GADA is busy providing funds for initiatives in Alexandria that spark community development and engagement at the neighborhood level. We have numerous economic development efforts happening at the industry level. So the work that Gada is doing is very unique and vital to this region. I don't think siphoning off up to a billion dollars of their funds for the failed Weiss gold ring experiment is a good use of those funds. Plus, the recent wave of publicity around the $40 to $80 million reignite project certainly indicates that there's plenty of capital money available from the city coffers. Why fight for Gada's money? The lawsuits surrounding GA over the last two years, hear me, are petty and messy. They've contributed greatly to the erosion of public trust in this civic governing body. Let me add a thank you to Councilerson Fowler for finally filling his vacant gate seat. And I strongly urge council persons Miss Felter and Mr. Valard to do the same. End the Tacit embargo and fill those seats. It will enable Gada to fulfill its mission investing in

meaningful community development and engagement. I urge all of you to vote in favor of this ordinance and make this a veto proof decision for the good of this city and then on another day consider a different way to deal with the whites and gold ring building. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

Good evening everyone. Candy Kristoff and I want to thank everyone for you all for bringing this up. I totally concur with everything that Dirk just said in the manner that he said it in the spirit of unity that he said it and I think that we can use our funding a whole lot better to serve the people of Alexandria rather than in the particular building. I think that it's not in the city's uh business of developing. I I totally agree that that's not Gator's Lane. that should not be our lane for the city government and that we can use our taxpaying dollars better and I would urge you all to please resend that because we can do better than that. We can do better than that.

Thank you. All right. Out of those comments, does the administration have a response? Thank you. Well, let me since my name was called Dr. Dr.

So the idea first and foremost we're saying that city has a responsibility in economic development and one of the biggest things for economic development is site development and site readiness. This agreement that we came across was to help with site readiness for other developers to come into the building and or any private investors to come into the building to develop. If you look at Shreport, New Orleans, they invest a lot of money, the city in site development mean meaning putting a property that's not in commerce or operation back into use to attract investors and private entities.

All right, Dr. Luc. I get that. So to say that we're not the city's not that's not their job that economic development that is the best practice to make sure the foundation is put together make sure the building is up to code so developers can come into we've lost a lot of opportunity because we don't have readied sites. That is the city's job is to put property back into commerce. So to say that it's not I think that does a disservice. I don't think that's the best practice. I'm a business person. So, I wouldn't invest in a business that or a building that's not that's not ready. Okay.

That's an additional funding. Hold on. Hold on. No, no, no, no. Wait, wait. Let me This is This is my meeting now. This is my meeting. This is a This is my meeting. I'm But this is my meeting now. That's This is my meeting now. You're interfering with a public comment. No. No. I Wait. Look. No. Go ahead. Go ahead. Go ahead. I'M ON A BORDER NOW. GO AHEAD. Wait a minute. Now private citizen making a comment. I understand that. Go ahead. No. Go ahead. Go ahead. My question to you is, do you know how much money has been spent already on this building? Do from a gay standpoint? Yes. I don't think we paid when I was there. We didn't pay anything.

You have Let's talk about it. So the contract and correct me if I'm wrong, the language in it was that I think that was the concern from the language in the contract. However, a lot of negotiation to correct the language directly with the city was ongoing. So if there was a problem with the pay schedule or how the fees were being brought up, we had negotiates uh negotiations about that. So for example, if it was 1.3, there was no language saying how that was going to be paid. However, the door was open to construct that payment in the best way possible to ensure Gada had cash flow. So we're not paying 1 point whatever upfront that was going to be stretched over a period of time. There was conversation about the ownership portion on the other end. Okay, when it's done, if it's sold, will GA take over? Will we get a piece of that? All those were being discussed about the contract. So when it was voted back in 24, uh the contract was negotiated with the previous attorney. So when we came in 25 and we reread it, there was open dialogue about correcting anything that Gada felt that was incorrect. Pay schedule was one. Uh ownership or operation was the second one. All that was in the works to ensure that the project went went forward and if Gada had the opportunity to own the project or operate the project or get portions of the lease or whatever all that all that was being negotiated. So it was going to benefit not just GA but the city when you talk about putting back commerce, utilities, construction, uh lease options, all that.

Now I can answer answer your question or whatever the comments are. Okay. I want to hear from the administration now. Mr. Le, just to answer your question, the city submitted um request for reimbursement in May of 2025 at our board meeting. We put it on the agenda. One invoice was in the amount of $60,954.85 and the second one was in the amount of 52 $52,57325. So about 105,000 and 4,000. Okay. 111,000. And the board it failed um for you know it didn't pass. It didn't pass. No.

112 plus 112 plus. All right. Does the administration wish to talk about this? Sure.

All righty. We'll we'll take some of the comments in order. Uh Mr. Argon mentioned some things about the newspaper. Uh I talked to Mr. Fowler about it. So in council meetings if somebody is against something it's usually that's how the room gets loaded. Most people who are sitting at home and are for things or whatever the city business goes on they don't come out. The I recall the meeting well uh the people uh the paper did correctly report that the people who took the mic were against it. What the paper didn't report and what is obvious to anybody was the tons of sharetses and think Alex meetings that took uh about a year's worth of time and all of the different public meetings throughout Spark which had more inclusion and people from every walk including council participation uh the district one councilman participated everybody was involved and all these projects were vetted then these were the people's desires to do projects and it's all wellestablished and I've brought all the different ordinances and resolutions that spell out the river act in detail. So what Mr. Markcom said is plucking out a truth from and then using it to tell a story or weave a tapestry that's untrue. Secondly, uh the city's role in development. uh heard another comment made that it's not the city's role or GA's role to develop. That that's insanity. It it is Gator's role to develop.

Am I going to talk or you going to talk for me? If you don't if if you want it that way, I don't we won't say anything. We'll do a briefing and show the public the truth. Okay. All right. So,

it is 100% Gada's role to develop and it is also a city's role to engage in economic development. These things are spelled out in the state constitution and in statute. Here's Gada's actual stated public purpose. The district is created for the purpose of cooperative economic development between the city of Alexandria and the district. No, just those two. Next, the district shall have as its purpose cooperative economic development between the city of Alexandria and the district. It repeats it in the next sentence. in order to provide for the renovation, restoration and development of property in the city in the district and to pay the cost of the capital improvements relating there too. So Gada's purpose was created for the city. The mayor doesn't have any say in GA. Gada is a creature of the council. The council determines who's on it. There's no mayoral participation in that. Our participation comes in the form of working together on that cooperative uh engagement and to the idea that GADA is not for that purpose is crazy. It's also crazy the city isn't for that purpose. Here are some of the city's diances if you will into cooperative economic development downtown. One, the hotel that is now a green flag holiday in was a city project that put it into commerce in the private sector when it was debilitated almost to nothing by its ownership at the time. the CLTCC campus located downtown started with uh a city uh participation in locating property and battling to get

it here instead of co located out at the campus uh the new LSUA project all of those were there okay but the public purpose my question is the gate the gold ring building why so the public purpose the goal of the Weiss and gold ring building

the public purpose is for GADA is to engage in any cooperation under that statutory public purpose. You don't have to have an extra public purpose. Demolition is a proper public use of money. After all, Mr. Lane, you constantly talk about demolishing houses. The city doesn't get a direct dollar back for that. The city gets, you may not like my answer, but I'm going to give it. The city gets value, not house for house. When it's demolished, we lose money. We go out and probably will never get that money back. But we do it on the bet and with the vision that if we clear out enough areas, as Gary has pointed out, if we do it in clusters and bundles that we will open areas for development. We don't get a dollar fordoll back. We do it in the hope that development will occur.

What's the plan for the Weiss and Gore Ring building? Is there a plan? 100%. But first, we're gonna just like there was a bunch of outline of a story here. We're going to show why we engage in demolition. Gada years ago engaged in a demolition of the Cavalier. Mayor Mayor,

Mr. L, I'll do this at my briefing. I'm not going to be interrupted. I'll invite everybody back to hear it where I'm not interrupted. If I don't, as the mayor of the city who's elected at large, if I don't have the right or ability in this body to give an answer to a very serious thing, which is your attempt to undo an ordinance that already a contract that's valid and was unanimously voted for by Gada, was signed, and I might add, as a lawyer, was detrimentally relied on because the public purpose, which is approved, and which is not a gratuitous donation by any stretch, stretch any stretch is it a gratuitous donation I guess my

Mr. Yes. Is it a gratuitous donation? I guess there's two lawyers. What's the plan? What is the plan for the

to make the building ready for development as the former chairman just very eloquently outlined, which is a public purpose in the statute for GA just like there wasn't a plan for the Cavalier Motel when Gada tore it down at about a $600,000 price tag. I might have tore it down with the vision that it wouldn't be something today, but would be another weed plucked in that beautiful Masonic Carter that could lead to something like Reignite in the future. That's how economic development works. You clean up the garden and you get it ready so that it can grow things. That's how it's done every day. And there's absolutely a reason that a building that was not just an eyesore but was a public emergency. There was a ton of pressure on the council to do something with it. Mike Tudtor was hammering the town talk and folks every day about it being a fire hazard. Then there was a fire. So there was a big issue there. I know others want to put it on me, but the council came to me and said, "Can you get him to donate it and then can we come up with a plan?" So 97 9571 2016 resolution with plan voted unanimously uh to uh build a plan around the donation. Unanimous. Mr. Green voted for it. Your brother voted for it. Ordinance 176 2016 ordinance for the plan for the Weiss and Gold Ring building outlined everything about it. 1920 2017 again a detailed plan that we have followed about the building. It's

been 10 years

132 2023. Yes. And so each time anything occurs like now it's gada being an obstacle to it. This whole plan calls for a public piece that would be a building that we all know would have a gap. People use tiff for this. People use lots of different uh economic development tools for gap financing. It is very unlikely that someone will come and take that building in the shape it was in. So in economic development, we have tools to fill gaps. One of the gaps is a tip. One of the gaps would be participation by a special purpose entity like GADA. Here are all your appraisals for the building to show you how careful we are. Here's the appraisal uh was for 650,000. Here it is. I'll put it in the record. 650. The one in 2020 250. The one that added the tower the parking tower back 935. It came to our attention that the back parking area posed a threat to the public. It could fall. people are parking under it. These are things. Yes, you might would you could force the private person to do it and you might have the success better than we've had to get people to take care of their houses that you deal with month from month to month and take care of other buildings like the motel that burned down. Those are things Gada could do. They could fund the demolition of that with the city and that could be a project. We're okay with any projects like that. But the idea that demolition's not a proper public purpose is exa exactly against what gate is for. It takes in external dollars to be used in our internal city instead of using our internal operating capital dollars. It's a beautiful marriage if you think about what it's for. So we've spent less than the appraisal value so far to secure a building and potentially block

blackbox it for development. That's what you would use it for. Okay,

the plan was simple. Get the building ready for development and find someone who would come in and turn it into mixed use. On the website of the city is about a probably a 160 page document that goes through each piece of that whole river, all the different parts including Weiss's. It was one part. There's a 19page part two version of that which I have here and we'll also put in the the record of a council that shows exactly what the plan was for that bill. When I left office, they carried forward. They did their own plan. I identified someone. I don't know if it would have been someone we used. When I came back, I picked up on Jeff's faults that he was using. We talked to them. We did have a plan. It called for about $3 million in gap financing from somewhere to make up 15 to$20 million project work. All of those within reason under article 7 in devel proper development. The part that was gas would have been it wasn't h exactly half. I think our part was a little more than theirs. I can't remember. Angie had it close. It it was somewhere in a we'll just call it 1.3 and 1.7 some something like that. Uh it might have been a little different. You could call it one and a half and one and a half. But whatever that portion was, the city would match part and capital outlay. Gada would match part and gada's part would come potentially in tranches and certainly can. It didn't have to come as one pavement. I think it was asked to be, but that group agreed. We certainly didn't care if it came in parts of demolition. Doesn't have to go in demolition. It could be some other part. But the idea that that ordinance that passed and that they voted on unanimously that led to a contract that's been executed by me and GA and that contract has now been acted upon to

the detriment of the city and citizens and used can now be undone by the recision of the ordinance is legally ridiculous because you can't do that. As you know, we've taken an action in reliance on it in good faith based on a statute that says GA was designed for that purpose. So that leaves us in this position of why is this ordinance why even do this this way? But mayor, we're the stewards of the people's money though is this council. We are. And so Gada stiffened the the citizens on its bill. As a steward, we're going to get to the bottom of that.

Why do we want Gator's money? Because Gada's money is for the use of the city in development. As I just read, it's not Gada's money. It's my money and your money and his money and his money and her money. It's my money as a taxpayer. But guess what? It didn't get generated by a property tax here. That's the beauty of it. It got generated some by people staying in hotels here. They can live here. Marty Gro balls people live here and stay in a hotel that night. But mostly it's generated by if we're doing our job out of town people. And that out of town money comes into GA for the sole purpose of aiding the city in development for the city. And so if Gada, for example, has a bunch of the money it uses, it'll have a group come in and it'll say, "We're going to give you money to come. We're going to pay for bills and we're going to offset room costs and all that." I'd ask you what's more gratuitous, the offsetting of the very thing you want to be bring people to do, which is increase taxes or a project that would demolish a dangerous building or part of it and get it ready for development when you know if you took that cost off of people as Dr. Lewis said, you would then have a gap brought down where someone in the private sector would say, now I don't have to pay for the asbestous abatement. Now I don't have to pay for all the other stuff. It's ready to go. Cities do that every day. And many of you have asked us to look at those very projects every day. And you on Gator are charged with doing that. I spent two years getting my economic development certification. So, I know that's all we talked about was how to gap finance and how to incent people to develop. And a major part of that is demolishing, weeding the garden of things that get in the way of development. This project

seems more like it's snake bitten because no one can simply get along about it. Or maybe they didn't like Harry Silver in one case. I don't know. I don't know. I don't think that's I guess my my concern is I voted for Stall key $300,000 to tear down the garage and you told us that the garage was in in bad shape and it was a a hazard. I get that part. We haven't done that yet. I and but but I voted for that because

you know I agree with you. If you're I'll believe you. If you're telling me the garage is a hazard, it's a hazard and let's remove it. My concern is once we spend $300,000, why do we need to put any more money into it? No one's asking. Malcolm, you're you're creating a straw man argument that doesn't exist. And I get why. I know why. I

I' I've been I've been listening to this now for years. I came back in office only with the desire to work with GA. Met with Mr. Mohler had a wonderful conversation. He wanted something back. He wanted h wanted Gada back in housing and he knew that that had been controversial and not everybody was for it. He said, "Can will you give me your words? You'll help me do that again." I said, "Yes." He wanted to reform the giving of money to organizations. He wanted a new way to do it. I said, "We both can use that. We can figure out which is the city community services, which is you, and how to do that better." I wrote down exactly what he said. But let me tell you what he was also for. He he was for building out Masonic. And we talked about Masonic versus Weisses. Clifford and I didn't care which and how we did it. We wanted to partner on one. I wouldn't have cared if Gada would have said and I openly said it. Look, we just don't want to be in the Weiss's deal. We'll do this. But the Weiss's deal under Jeff's crew did call for help from a special purpose entity or an SPE or a a GA, a a an entity designed to send money into a project. It called for that and that's normal. So, it made total sense to do it this way and it still makes total sense. The idea would be you'd have housing and you'd have commercial. Commercial on bottom, housing on top. Commercial on bottom, housing on top. Our idea was let Gada move into the redo. We'll redo the bottom and that can be GATA can literally be the anchor of a project sort of much like it ended up doing by this other project where it can be the anchor in a building with other things. That was our idea. We didn't have to have that, Mr. Lane. Those are ideas in

how development occurs. But this false idea that's being thrown out in political season by political operatives for political candidates, this is what silliness comes comes in this room for, right? The idea that developments occur where you have a set deal and then a set response. We give this we know that there'll be a deal tomorrow. That's not true. We have deals fall through all the time. We have deals fall through at the LED level every day, but we keep chasing the deals. There's no risk to the public here because the building was donated and still we have less public money in it than the donation. We can still go sell it if that's what you want to do. So, you'll note I took it out of your priority one budget cuz I can tell the council doesn't have much stomach for what should be a good project. should be the last building down here in this area that we ought to really be focused on doing something with. And so that's what our response is.

Proper purpose publicly, non-gratuitous donation because we get something for it. You have a building ready for development. It adds tax dollars, property, and sales tax. If people are living in that building, no one lives downtown right now, right? If people are living in that building, what does that create the need for next? What things follow where people live? Uh, restaurants, other retail, a grocery, all of those things come. I see Mr. Wilhelm's in here. I know that DARE for years talked about the need for a mixeduse building.

Mixed use would be the perfect thing for that bill. But there's there's yes, there's a published plan. It's been published on it's you can go see it anytime. The problem is you've got to go look at the plan. You've got to I have it right here. But but you're going to cut me off when I take you through how detailed it is. Cuz there's going to be some folks that resent how detailed the plan is. They shouldn't, but they will.

But I can take you through the plan. The plan is designed to never let us build the bridge to nowhere. Our money goes in only at the level behind the private dollars. So we never get ahead and do that which I've done with every public project I've ever done, Mr. Loberane. And I have the record to back it up. Why would I change on this one? All right.

If I may, I think I have some insight that I got while U. Mayor Roy was talking. When the Central Louisiana Economic Development Group was established many moons ago, I was a part of that with Johnny Vernardo, with um um Lawson, June Rex. We all was a part of that when that started. And with that was supposed to be coming GAA to use for funding for the community, especially in our blighted areas to help in those community areas. And I think that the problem that we have in the community with the back and forth with the back and forward is that we're not seeing enough improvements in the community area with the funding that we knew from the beginning was to be to be used to help in the community area of most need. I think that's where the back and the forward is coming from. And um I just had that insight I wanted to share.

Thank you. I just want you to agree with what Miss Kristoff just said. I would note that GAA uh that while the language in the statute doesn't say that, someone gave me that same insight earlier.

I was there. I personally believe that although not stated in the legislation and maybe even some councilmen would disagree that there was some back and forth between ASEAD and GATE at the time and the purposes. I would tell you that it is my belief personally morally and otherwise that GADA whether stated or not the vision was that it would be used as a tool particularly to help communities that had not been involved in major economic development for various reasons and let me be specific African-American aspects of our community

and moreover that it would have to follow and should follow blight and other areas. And so I want you to know that the Spark districts which were drawn are drawn based solely on that. So if you look at where Spark is and can be, it follows exactly that same CDBG and other federal tracks. This is in that. This tract is in that. This is a District 3 area that is in need. To the extent you would want to see things elsewhere, I agree. But I think that if that were to develop into a mixeduse project, it would cause the need for people to be downtown with more foot traffic, more I don't know what the noises are for. And I think that would be a help

uh to all of us. But it's okay if it's not desired. It's not desired. I think what it is is not that it's not as is as as it's not important, but when we look at the other areas in our community, we see that this x amount of millions of dollars can go further toward helping with the blighted area as compared to rehabbing of a building at millions of dollars that in our mind and in our intent, I was there in those meetings was supposed to go for that. So, it's not that it's not important. It's not that it's not a need. It's not that it can't benefit. But when you look at the community and the great needs that are there and how it continues to be overlooked, then you look at that and compare to the building when we we going to be we GOING TO BE UPSET.

I understand. And I would just say the idea would be when you put it in commerce, you can also sell the building just like we did at Holiday Inn and it made money. We actually made money back, but we had to take a risk to get there. I understand. But in the meantime, while we doing that, the needs over here are still waiting, right? And so, M just just to give a d a datim point to that in the Spark projects and how they're located.

65 cents of every dollar capital spent for that whole period that I was mayor for Spark was spent in the area that would be district 26. That's a fact. That's my commitment. No one can take that from me because I did it and I can back it up with math. Okay. I'm glad you could see the point and the insight. I only see it. I agree with you. Thank you. Can I say one thing?

Okay. Go ahead. Go ahead. Mr. Gator has a new vision. We have a new board. We have a new vision. And you have to understand, we want to impact areas that need impact. We want to take areas that are disadvantaged and we want to develop and we want to build in those communities and in those areas so that those areas that need impact get the impact that's needed during in in the time that is needed to be impact. District three, District 2, District 1. These are districts that need that impact.

I'm not saying that the project that you want to do with Wise and Goring isn't a wise project, but it's not a project that needs that type of impact at this time. Okay. All right. Mr. Arman. Yes, sir. Mr. Mr. I'm on the committee. Since my name was interjected into the voting, when that bill was voted on by the president, Representative Lar and myself, we voted to move forward with Wise and Gorang being sold,

not holding on to it. The late Joe Fuller had a buyer for that wise and gor rank building. If you're going to contradict me, I guess we'll go out to Garden of Me, have a seance to prove me wrong. that won't

the build the building the owner of that the purchaser of that building was from Lafayette but he was told what to do with the building and that was not his intent to spend the money the way someone wanted him to spend it we recently voted to spend $300,000 to tear down the back part of the building I do say we as a council I voted against it uh I'm I I'm only one vote, but I am not suspending not another pan pecan on that wise and go rain building. It needs to go into commerce to be sold once you all tear the back part of it down. We need to come out of it. The new gator board has chosen not to a new board go along with that million-doll plan that was done. The council has changed. That's why Mr. Lman had brought it forward. Ladies and gentlemen, I'm not making this as a political statement as someone said that it's polit political season. Alexandria needs to move forward. We need to get out of real estate business. We have the Johnny Bernardo excavator out there now still sitting untouched, unused per se. The wise is the go- ring building. It needs to go. It needs to be sold to somebody who wants to have the mayor's vision, God's vision, whomever's vision, and do something with it. All I'm asking is social and said, "Let us come out of this contract, this ordinance, if we give that if we, excuse me, if Gator gives that $1 million, it's going to clean them out."

And they have a new vision as Mr. McGee just stated. So, Dr. Mr. Lewis, you said that they were doing things to move forward. Start when Mr. Mhler them bought that hotel out there on Masonic Drive. They wanted to put a grocery store there for those people in that area. It is now a parking lot.

So, ladies and gentlemen, we need to move forward. We've been farfetched 532 on this. This is not my committee, but we need to do something with that wise and go rain building. As sure as God, I'm sitting here. I'm not voting on another penny to be spent on it. It needs to be sold. So, s so, sold. All right. Thank you, Mr. Lardan, for your time. Mr. L, do you have any? I do.

Yes. Go ahead. Um, I would like to say that GADA is responsible for public funding and to make sure that anything they invest in actually goes back to the community. Um, Wise and Go Rings is a building that is dilapidated and the amount of money that we're looking at to spend on it. And when I drive a third street, I see some of that money that could be spent in my community and my district. Um,

that is what I would like to see with that amount of money. Um, Gator is like I said for the community and we have this one building, Wise and Go Rings, that we keep harping on. We really don't know what is going to happen with that building. At the present time, they don't have a developer. So, it would be different if we had someone to say, "We're going to renovate this building. We're going to have a daycare in there. We're going to have apartments in there. We're going to have this. We're going to have that." But at this time, we basically don't know what is going to be inside. But when you drive down Third Street, you see I see was some of that money that there want to apply to Gator can benefit District 3. And so that's what I would like to see done with that money.

All right. One more. Yes.

Uh there was some good points made this white. My problem is it's 10 years and the way people are dying now, I don't know how many years I got left. I mean, uh, Miss Candy, I like like what you said. I mean, we we scrapping money. We don't know what we're going to get from the federal government with with what's going on. We got wars going on. We got all kinds of crazy stuff. So, life we as we knew it has changed. So, we need to get all the money we can now. So, We've been talking about this thing since 2016. It is 202 26.

So if we don't if we look at the walk be 2030 and I've been working with you guys on Gator and I like the vision and I see we need stuff now and that and I mean I know was bought in when you guys voted on it. It was a good good intent and whatever whatever but I think it's time to move on. That's that's my feel. All right. No. Any additional comments? Mr. L. What about the contracts that are the subject of the IG? We just we just let I don't know. Okay. What contracts are you talking about? The addendance to the I have not seen in your in your agreement.

So the contracts are valid and it's not gratuitous. And so so so the council have an end date.

So I I can address that. So evergreen contracts exist all the time. So ever evergreen contracts move forward, but in this case it it has a better than an end hold on hold on. It has better than an end date. It allows either party to get out without cause by notice to the other party. So it doesn't need an end date because it's so easy to exit. All that was thought of. The contract drafter sitting back there, he's a pretty bright guy. uh the contract drafter uh there was no need for a formal term because as Mr. Mohler and I always enjoyed the way that works is the mayor and the executive director could do certain projects under that agreement and this agreement was modeled the same way. So there doesn't need to be an end date because it was not envisioned that GA and the city's relationship would end. The end date was either party could get out with notice to the other. What makes this

bilaterally terminated? Is that what you're telling me? So what makes this different is Wait a minute. Hold up. Can it be bilaterally terminated? Either party can terminate the contract. Okay. Okay. However, All right. It's pretty simple. I All right. The chairman I I don't It's just distracting as all get out the the Well, I'm I have the floor right now. Mr. Mr. Chairman, you don't have the floor. Let let them let them finish. I apologize.

So, the fact that you can get out makes total sense. Just like Gada could be dissolved, and I fought against that when there was a move to do that a year or so ago, unless it had debt. Same principle at work. What has happened now is you guys are going to adopt an ordinance to rescend an ordinance that there's an obligation attached to that's been performed. You use bilateral. I was waiting you one side of the bilateral agreement has performed the other side has breached. So your ordinance can't legally. Yes. This is how the law works. Your ordinance can't legally undo the obligation we took in reliance on GA doing its part. It doesn't have any meaning. So you could pass it. It won't change the contract or the need to take action on the contract. How that would be better dealt with is what we were trying to do. And this is just such a fight. Gada wants to be in court. I don't know why we don't want to be in court. What we want to do is figure out pathways to work on this. It could have been, look, we acknowledge our obligation. This is what Dr. Lewis and I talked about. We acknowledge the obligation. Our folks may want to go in a different direction on Weiss's. Can we refocus on Masonic? That's how people in economic development work together. You don't air your laundry or do not in economic development. This isn't how you do that. It's not how you do it in any of the classes I took. It's not how you do it in reality. It's not how people work together. But I can tell you this, the gratuitous donation that's occurring in this building is the idea that Gada gets to walk out. I understand it's having financial trouble. I just read about one of them that happened in court yesterday. But if this is a way to get out of all of those problems on the

city's back, I'm going to defend the citizens of Alexandria who are owed a performance back. It has nothing to do with Weiss's. We can do a different deal. If Gada doesn't want to be involved with Weiss's, but be assured, recision of the ordinance doesn't change the value that Gada owes in the agreement that we relied on. And that is for courts to determine. I mean, you do that through a declaratory judgment or otherwise, but but that can be determined. But I think you know that an ordinance after the fact, Mr. Larine, cannot impair an existing obligation. I think you know that.

I know that. But but there's a question I have, Mayor. According to what I was told, 112,000 has been expended so far by the city. No, we've expended more than that. How much? We've expended 270 to secure the emergency side and then based on the council's agreement, we uh we had Darent come in and get it ready to blackbox. So, we're 550 in which is nothing for the building. It's worth it's worth improved who knows what, but it's been appraised at 650. So, we're already 550 in.

Okay. And so if GATA were doing its part, there is no harm to the park. We had bigger risk on the hotel and we came out of that. But this 550 doesn't include the 300. We just allocated. Correct. Does it? I I don't I think what we're going to probably do is since we do have developers on the line, we don't I know Gada knows you would not meet with your developers in a room like this and try to do it,

right? Everyone knows that. So we don't either. So I we are in development as I reported to you at your at your budget hearing there. There is an interested developer and as I reported the interested developer wants us to get it as close to blackboxed which I thought with GATA would work perfectly. We get it ready. The developer comes in and what they'd like to do cuz I don't want to be in that business. What I think they'd like to do is they're about to redo the Chase building here which is desperately needed. Right. Who needs that?

Capital One. Excuse me, I keep calling it Chase. Capital One here would be redone in that parking lot that goes with it. We would make an exchange. We get back whatever value we have above and the city can get another lot that is desperately needed downtown that we can program for hotels and the school and everybody to use. Then the developer would take in the exchange that building which they can do mixed use and all the things they want. they would owe us a difference if there's a difference in price, but you're also going to be incentivizing them probably anyway in this building here, which is a huge building. You don't want to go dark on you at all. So, all of those things you do in development and they don't all fall in place on day one. It it takes some work. The idea that it's been 10 years, Mr. Johnson, that's nothing in development like this. Cities go through this all the time. I'm just not going to pretend that those are comments that are shouldn't get a response back when you think of what it takes to develop something. We didn't create the parking lot on Masonic. That's not true either. What Mr. Green said, we we criticized that. We criticized Gada at the time for spending that amount of money to get to a parking lot. I did. You know what? I was wrong. Clifford was right. You have to take those risks. He plucked the weed and everyone in town said he was shouldn't have done it. All the real estate guys criticized Clifford and he just said, "I'm going to get rid of everything in this quarter that's inconsistent with the zoo and uh what could be a quarter that look like that." There's some other things still there that aren't consistent with a kid's quarter, but that was his vision. The city didn't stop a store or do anything else. We we wanted to partner with Clifford. I agreed with his vision of the quarter. All right.

If Weis doesn't fit Gada, it doesn't let Gada out of the obligation that we relied on. We just need to take the same money that is in that agreement and do a project together. We agree. That's all. But you don't need to resend the ordinance. The ordinance. You don't need to resend the ordinance. It's not a trick. You drop that. We agree right here in open that we'll we'll let Gada off the Weiss aside and the same money we agreed to we'll partner on another project that the community agrees on. That's how you do this and that's what we've tried to do. Madam President has a comment.

So that would what you're saying now mayor is basically what I was thinking of. Um

you don't necessarily have to use the wise and go rings building. Um it Dr. Lewis and I were talking about it. He look, it was a it was a tough deal. Uh they were having a membership battle as all of you know, y'all were the appointing authority on it. Uh Dr. Lewis was not a strange he was it was rough. I didn't like to go to the meetings. I went to one to try to tell him this is what we're willing to do. Uh he he was no friend to me. He was just looking for a way out for everybody. And the way out is not this ordinance that divides us further. The ordinance, guys, the ordinance won't do what you're being told it will do. So, it's a meaningless act. So, I can veto it and have the eye or every oh, he vetoed it, but I have to veto an act that I consider to be an illegal meaningless act.

Let me make your question answer my question. because it's undo it's impairing an existing obligation. That's why I would veto it only. But if you drop the ordinance, then I'll put in writing tomorrow gada whatever we decide is owed between us on what we've already moved forward on this project. We'll continue that project or not or not. But you'll pick a project we can agree on. And the one I'd beg you to do is on reignite somewhere in the quarter that you want something on Masonic. And if you don't want that can't wear scan and if you don't want that and there's another project in one of the districts that makes more sense the city will park.

We can get that project by paying that's how you resolve this paying them like people that ought to resolve this. We don't have to agree 100%. Pay us. You don't even have to trust each other 100%. What we have to do is we agree on it a year. No, we don't. Mr. Markcom, you're right. I want you and we move forward.

You said it takes 10 years to work on something. Some do. I look, my husband's a contractor. I understand. I trust me, I understand. But while it's taken 10 years to make that come up to where you can get some type of resolution, we got children down here in our area who's gone from 1 to 10 years old or from 10 to the teens age that still haven't had any help that we're still waiting on.

So economic development is the creation of wealth. That was the point when we started Gator that it was the point that it would help the economic community that we have in OUR BLIGHTED AREAS. THAT was the point. I was in the meetings. Ma'am, I agree with you on that already. All right. So, so Mayor, I'm for helping kids, too. Everyone in the mayor, mayor, hold up, hold up, hold up, Mr. Johnson, you have a comment. Okay. at this point. How do we get data out of this? I I want them to be I mean I'm trying to figure out Listen, we went back in the surface.

Can I make it Can I make it easy so that you don't have to We can't We don't build the trust bridge all today. Table the ordinance. Table not table permanently. Lay the ordinance on the table. Gada has a meeting. I'll go to the next meeting. will agree to uh GATA passing a resolution or ordinance. I don't know which one it does or both, but passing a legally binding deal that any of the claims we have, we'll move on to another project. Then we come back in front of you, your ordinance is moved. It's so easy. It's going to take a minute talking with the guys about what they want. But my commitment is the project y'all want to do. That's that's not the bad thing we're that's nothing to go after. All right.

This project made sense. All right. But it doesn't make sense if the body doesn't want to do it. Okay. So, hold up to your question. What's the question? Are you talking about a specific plan that we want to meet? Is that what you're saying? I'm asking. So, I'm saying that there's money in the agreement that was made that's owed. Understand that we're not going to give up the money we're owed.

What we would do is join each other. I I don't go. It's illegal for the city to give up money. It's owed. That would be a gratuitous donation. I see some smirking. That's the law. So, what we would do it it is the law. All right. Mr. Johnson, you have a a comment. Wow. We're not talking about that, Miss Bernata. I'm responding to people in the audience nodding their head saying it's laughable. You don't trust your It would be for the city to give up. I'm not even that earlier. We'll let we can let him hold. Hold up. Hold up. Hold up. We're not talking about any of that. Hold up. Hold up.

Mr. Johnson. Mm-m. The question is the money that Gator has given to the city. They haven't given any money to the city. The money the city has incurred as under that contract. Yes. Is is the is the unknown. And so we would pick another project and instead of gate us paying that money toward anything to do with Weiss's it would pay to another project that we cooperate on which we're required to do by state law. And so you would meet with Gator 100% and you guys will sit down and come up with a decision. Yes. Whether then to use the Wise and Gold Rings building and find another project.

Yes, ma'am. Now, now here's here's my question. Um, what if Gada does not want to do any deals with the city? Then Gada has no purpose under this statute that says it's formed to do deals with the city. I'm just I'm just asking. I'm asking the district shall mandatory have as its purpose cooperative economic development between the city and the district. That's a mandator mandatory language. Mr. Gloria, what does that mean? I'm asking I'm asking. So I'm answering. I know that Mr. Lord is tired of being in court. She's been in court for the last four years and and and I do not want to wind up in court. Then let's not. So you you

cuz we will if we don't resolve it, but let's not. I think in in this scenario, uh the administration and Gator needs to have a discussion, right? Sure. On on how we want to proceed. Um priorities have changed and attitudes have changed on this project. It's been 10 plus years and a lot of people who were present when the initial agreement entered are no longer in this room and people are tired of passing by the whites and gold building, rice and gold rings building and not see any any um improvement and the fact that we're putting what I'm writing have written down is $550,000.

But Might of those years was because the previous administration stop me. That's eight of your years. But I understand that. I I understand that. But that only But uh if we allocated if my public school math is working, we've already spent $550 and we've allocated another 300,000 to demolish the garage. That's $850,000. Is that the monies that we would want Gada to reimburse the city?

Not necessarily. Uh we we the gada city agreement was based on the idea of the I don't remember if it's 1 million even click or whatever but it's I think it's 1.2 something 1.25 whoever's saying that that's right on your

Yeah that's correct. So it would be up to that and other projects but again it was never our intention to try it was never my intention to make GA pay in a lump sum or anything else. get the idea was to build some thing together. We when I first came back I have it in writing. I didn't ask that it it didn't have to be Weiss's my request to get it was Weiss's or what I thought at the time was going to become Reigniting which now is Weisses or Masonic order. How it got pushed into that maybe I blame Mr. Ransen on that. I I never was married to what it had to be. I just wanted the deal to make on one of the two projects. Yeah. Well, that's it.

Okay. Give us a chance to to work through it and and we'll come back. So, are you saying that those are the only two projects? No, sir. Not at all. Not at all. I guess I and and I don't want you to be misunderstood or misconstrued. We want to work with the city. We want to work with the city, but on a decent project that impacts areas that need impact. Not areas that don't need impact at this time. I'm not saying that that area doesn't need Yeah. I'm going to tell you the citizens think it it does, but it's not what your vision is. It's not what your vision is. It's what the city's vision the community vision.

Sir, the community's vision does include a downtown that's thriving and certainly includes redoing that building. That building is part of the culture, that tower of the city. people came in a meeting and said that people from all walks. You're trying to parse all my words. I'm trying to agree with you and we're in violent agreement. Here's the thing. Whatever projects are important to GA, let's get a list of those and figure out which of those match with some city priorities and instead of fighting over nothing, let's go after the things we agree on with that same uh energy and make it focused in a positive way instead of a negative way. That's all. It doesn't hurt us to try.

Mr. Chairman, I'm willing to Yes, sir. Go to the podium so people can see everybody outside. What does this guy get to say? What

I think we're conflating a few different issues. uh won the mission of Gada and certainly uh whether or not they GAA invests in Weiss and Gold Ring does not invalidate their mission or that they are somehow not investing in the community. What's at stake here is the dollars where GA will choose to invest those dollars. Respectfully, the mayor has given you the legal remedy under threat, a bully threat of more lawfare and lawsuits. No, I'm not making a bully threat.

Not not at all. They're they're engaged in litigation that I'm not involved in, Mr. Chair. And they're litigation. He has given you the legal remedy. The city can release the contract by his own words. No either either party can release the contract with notice of the other. This body whether it's through if the ordinance is not the path he's given you the path Mr. Dirk that's not what I said at all. I think what he's saying is the parties can can walk away from but there's some obligations that are still outstanding that have to be addressed grossly

and one and and the obligation he's speaking of is the fact that the city has spent money in detrimental reliance of this agreement. I I agree that has to be addressed like that those monies that have been spent to the mic you put the work okay Mr. Mr. Go to the mic, please. Go to the mic. Fair enough. Yeah. Yeah. I think it's certainly reasonable to allow the gator board to make their own decisions about how they spend the money. Grossly incorrect.

So, I think I clarified that point, Mayor. Thank you. But, Mr. McGee, so you've heard this spirited debate that we've had on this issue. You you do understand that the city has performed and expended funds in relying upon the existing contracts come in place. Okay. Do you know how much has been spent? Uh not right off. Uh I believe

we're not going to hold them to our total nor the anticipated as we work through the 300 because it was not you'd look at it kind of in the percentages that it was and go up to that amount. We'll put a written proposal that Gada can chew on. It's there's nothing no one's being strongarmed here today. It's not going to get resolved now until they get a chance to hear it. Okay. Are you willing to sit down with the administration and work? Absolutely. Absolutely. But the thing is we don't want to be told. We don't want to be understand just anybody. We want to choose the projects we want to be involved in that would be most beneficial to those areas that need impact.

All right. I I I can't say it any clearer than that. Now, Mr. McGee, now the administration has asked us to table this matter until the two of you have had a chance to talk. Are you in favor of that? No. All right. Would you please get the uh executive director? She's the executive director. She Oh, well, Miss Bernardo, please join. You'll be passing you'll be passing an ordinance that you chairman, but this is still our executive director and we do work closely together.

The thing is, and I would caution against this because the same kind of thing came up with GRC, Gator Revitalization Corporation, and I remember work really closely with Mr. Mhler. And I remember when um the city committed a letter that they were going to support GRC after time went by, never did happen. We have been trying to even when Mr. Lewis was on the board, we were trying to contact you all to work out the language to work out something that would make us all happy. We were met with silence.

It's just not true. I I have no speaking at this point. I didn't interrupt you, but oh my god, I have no reason to lie. None whatsoever. I don't have a political bone in my body. None whatsoever. So, I have no reason to lie. And I was sitting there, I was sending out the messages even with this current board there. And it met with silence. Mhm. Um, you know, that that that's the bottom line. Gator wants to work with the city. Absolutely.

I try to reach out. I was told once that the mayor didn't have to talk to me. He's not obligated to talk to me. Okay. That's a slap in my face. So, um, you know, if he wants to sit down with Mr. McGee, I'm going to be in the room. I'm going to be at the table.

Absolutely. this this this idea that um what Mr. Mohler wanted Mr. Moto was totally against this wise and gold ring building. He was totally against it. So the idea of bringing up his name and memory of whatever I know because we would sit down hours and talk about it with Miss He was totally against it. So to misrepresent him in the way that you have done, shame on you. All right. So wait a

All right. So you know you sold hold up hold up Miss Franklin hold Franklin. All right. So hold up. So what we have to deal with here is if we move forward with resending this ordinance. The city's going to sue Gator for the money. City's going to sue. I don't want to be in another suit. I'm tired of this. And that and that and that's what's going to happen. that's going to happen and arguably an argument can be made that the money is old, you know, but yeah, it's it's going to, you know,

it's not even need to be tabled. It's the ordinance is committing to an to a vain and useless act. It's under the law. It's vain and useless. It can't have effect, so why do it? What it did was lead to a conversation where we're trying to snatch defeat from the jaws of victim. I see it differently. May I miss Miss Miss Frankie at the point? If I may, if I may. Yes.

Um, as I've observed and listened, um, and there has been a lot of tension back and forth, slander, poking, whatever you want to call it. But I think I heard us get you guys get to a place where the Gator organization is willing to sit with the city.

But what I also hear is there is an obstruction there, maybe years of obstruction that will not cause them to sit amicably without some type of intervention. So my question is, is there another party that could be a part of this sit down mediation?

Thank you. So that voices can be heard clearly because the mayor made some statements and some viable statements and I heard Miss Candy and he aligned and agree. I heard he and Mr. McGee align to working with each other. But we tend to go right back into the battle. So if there's mediation as part of the first step table, first step mediation, sit down, negotiate, identify. There's a laundry list. There's something under I think you said reunite.

Reignite. Thank you. Thank you all. There's something under there projects. There are ideas. There are things that's on the plate with GATA right now today that they may be looking at and no either party understands either. Okay. Well, Miss Franklin, the question that I'm now having to ponder and this body's having to ponder, do we want to take a move that spurs more litigation before the parties have had a chance to talk? This move would spur more litigation. Well, no. No. Like, like if if we resend the ordinance, that's going to uh cause a lawsuit to file. I so so I heard table

I heard table and let me re let me reiterate what I heard I heard first step table okay then I heard let's come to the table together and talk however in the process we keep getting the obstruction so my suggestion was thank you a mediator between the city and gada to gain clar ity and help them hear each other. So, table it and then appoint a a mediator. Yes. Table it and appoint a mediator. I don't know. That's just a suggestion. Mr. Mter to the podium. You need to get to the podium.

Hold up, hold up, hold up, y'all. Hold up, hold up, hold up, hold up. People have to come to Miss Felter, you got a comment? Yes. I I think I'm hearing what Miss Franklin is saying and I think I absolutely agree. I wanted to take in all of the comments and get an idea of what we wanted to do here, what was going to be the effect. Taking a lot of notes, a lot of things that I'm going to go back and look at. Um I don't I think rescending the ordinance is going to cause more issues and more dissension than table

tableabling it. I think tableabling it gives us an opportunity to talk, get on the same page, and see what we can do without any negative outcomes. Um, how long should we table it? This, Mr. Laran, this should be quick. I'm not Yeah, people think I'm trying to go make people do something. I'm not going to participate in I'm going to ask Mr. Dr. Cray Lewis and you to be the appointees to go figure out the projects he want, bring it back. That's what I'm going to ask. Hold on. Hold up. Hold up. What is Hold up. Sir, you don't have the floor. Hold up. Hold up. Wait a minute.

Mr. J. Mr. Scott. Mr. Scott. Please. Mr. Scott. Mr. Scott. Mr. Scott, please. I know. Mr. Scott, please. We're trying to keep order. So, if we're trying to keep All right. All right. But yeah, so that I don't understand if I say I'm going to participate. It it like I'm I can't win. No matter what I say, it's always a a thing back. I would ask, Mr. Loggerane that you stand for the city. The mayor doesn't make an appointment to GA. It makes no sense for it not to be council members who appoint the body. The body was created by the council and by the legislature to serve the city in that capacity. Mr. Johnson,

that's who should do it. All right, Mr. Mr. Lane should do it. I'm going to follow your lead. I I think we're getting there. Uh I the biggest thing is trust. I understand nobody trusts each other. I think uh what Miss Franklin said is the best idea I didn't heard. And the table it and allow allow the parties to talk. Call the party to talk. Four weeks. Oh, that's a Monday. No, no, not that long. Two weeks. Two weeks. Two weeks. Mr. Mr. Just pass the ordinance. It can be dealt with another way. We'll see who was telling the truth here today. We can get into discovery and we'll see who was lying. All right.

Okay. Just real quick, I know you've y'all taken up a lot of time on this. I think the biggest issue that the community, the council, the mayor, everybody's having is you you understand that the wise and gold ring building may not be the project. What we all got to remember in this room, we only want to come to the table now because it's brought up. Why didn't we come to the table initially? There has been many requests. It's in everyone's email um about coming to the table and redoing the agreement between the GA and the city changing the language because there was no expiration period in the contract. Um um he's shaking his head but I can read it out loud but we don't have but three minutes. Um, everyone has um I have a little honestly. So, everyone has and I can shake my head particular thing of understanding. But we got to remember we can't just come to the table when our back is against the wall.

That's not when we come to the table. We come to the table together collectively to make this city great. Everyone has their own opinion of how we want to make this city grow, but we on one side and on this side and we only come to the table when friction comes up. He he did say the mayor did say he'll come to the table and talk about redoing the agreement and all of that. That conversation should have happened way before today. That that's just as simple as that. Whether he comes to the table or not, it's not about coming to the table. It's about now we're coming to the table because an ordinance have been presented to resend our original ordinance. All right. So, so Rev, but my question is where do we go from here? Well, the council has that vote.

I understand that. I understand that and but I don't want to do something that hurts Gada. So whether you hurt Gada not Gator is hurting because there's members of the council that has not even appointed people.

The mayor did say that he doesn't have that power. He's correct. Every Senate council member has the authority to appoint someone to the gate of board. So you're you're saying where do we move from next? Where do we move from next is okay if we're going to come to the table let's come to the table before today. We should not have waited to this moment to say well maybe the wise and go ring building is not what the community is saying that they want now maybe we can partner with the project going down Masonic Gada and from my understanding Miss Angie has never gotting gotten received an invitation for to help with the project on Masonic until today if Gator is the economic development authority in the city of Alexandria Gada should be invited into those rooms that has something to do with economic development. That's all I'm saying. All right.

All right. So, Mr. Lardine, just to make sure that the record reflects, I'm not a I'm neither a member of data nor an appointing authority to it. You're seeing two things conflated. The idea that I'm not seeing anything conflated.

So, folks, people are hearing two different things. They're hearing that the mayor refused to redo the agreement for the same reasons we've outlined. We don't have to claw back an agreement that was made when we're when we perform. Thank you, Mr. City Attorney. There's a difference between going to the table and figuring out another way around it by saying, "Look, we're not going to claw back the agreement, but we will do this." And we have done that over. I don't agree with any of the representations that were made about the position I'm in. But there's only one way to handle that if people are willing to take the mic and say something that both sides say is untrue.

And that's looking at the record of the information and that's letting someone independent resolve it. And that's where we're we're headed. So there's Madam Chair. Maybe maybe maybe I people need to be under oath. No, no. Go ahead. Maybe May may maybe I can go ahead and end all this discussion. We don't have a problem if you want to table it for two weeks. We want to know when you're going to stop stop work until we come to an agreement so you don't incur any more bills

on the building. In other words, stop work on the building. So there's no more money incurred or bills incurred. We come to the table with you. I'm offering to sit down with you and and work out a better way to do this. And then once we go from there, then if you want to continue to work on the building, if we decide not to and we go another way, then you do that. If we decide not to work on the building at all and we both agree, then the there's no more money being incurred. Okay?

But we need to stop work on the building first so that there's no more bills being made. We, you and I or you and our executive committee sit down and we have an agreement or we have a discussion and come to an agreement or come to a place where we can agree that we can work with you on Okay. I have a question. Yes.

Okay. Um I don't know that the city would need to stop work on the anything on the building because we're committed to doing things on the building whether gada I'm asking this actually we're committed to doing things on the wise and gold rebuilding whether gada is a part of funding it or not like whether we incurr I guess my well expenses wouldn't wouldn't affect well it it could possibly it could possibly if we incur her more expenses, we're going to ask GA to reimburse us up to 1.2 or 1.3 million. Wow.

I mean, I guess Okay, could you clarify that since you're going one point up to 1.25 million? This is the Yeah, this is so So, yeah, we're okay. So, an appointed body by the elected body is now. So, we don't agree to that. So we we made a simple request of how to work together and there's a pile on because everyone wants to make sure it didn't go the way we thought. So let's keep arguing and fighting. We don't want to be a part of that. Here's a deal. Nope. I'm trying.

Let the council do with GA what it wishes. We don't have to involve the administration. I didn't I didn't think this was going to be anything like this. This is making about the mayor and Gada. I didn't create Gator's problems and I don't want to be involved in trying to resolve something that no one wants me to help resolve. I have asked over and over. I've been on TV. I defended Gada right here when a bunch of guys wanted to end GATA before it took on debt. I stood in their way. I told them I'd take them to court for GATE. All I've done is tried to work. The idea that I didn't go to a meeting and try to work or reach out. This has become a thing where if I don't talk directly to a person or someone to try to fix something that's not my thing to fix, it's on me. I do not accept that obligation. Thank you. No, thank you. It won't work. There's too much anger. I didn't create this anger. But I'm not wanting to be a part of that in my life.

Okay. So, my question is because everybody gets up and we keep saying the same thing over and over. made an offer to treat and it was rejected and so I made an offer the same one you're making that was rejected and we had to So I'm asking no one Miss Fernado and the commissioners are you guys willing to meet with the mayor yes and come up going to have someone meet for me instead of it being me yes ma'am I'm not a part of gaya this is your body make that decision No matter what I do,

Madam President, I have So, should we have someone on our behalf meet with the person on your behalf? Sir, you're appointed by them to do a job. And I'm doing it, but I'm going to and I'm going to and I'm going to continue to do. All right. So, elected folks appoint This is the role gated. All right. All right. All right. The agreement is between the city of Alexandria and Gada. You're a representative of the city. So why can't we sit down and talk? Why send somebody else? Ma'am, you just told me shame on me. I did and I absolutely. And you told me, "Same on me." And you know, because what you said is it's not

and I So we didn't reach out. We reached out to you and no one called it back. Mr. President. Yeah. I mean, uh, chairman. Yes, sir. Yes. Okay. We've came to the conclusion we need to do a mediator per Miss Franklin. The mayor said he doesn't want to meet with them. Gator has a leak. Gator Gator has an attorney. We have a city attorney. I don't think we need to have Mr. Lewis, Dr. Lewis on the mediation section of because he's a previous Gator board member.

Not at all. Can the two attorneys from each entity meet either it be Mr. Goins or his appointee or it be the appointee for Gator legally and meet and have a discussion. It's 6:15 and we've been on this quite a while. Yes, we're going back and forth. Yes. And to stop accusing this one and that one, let the legal representatives of each side meet. Will that be accept the That's my representative. Yes.

Thank you. All right. Okay. Two weeks. Two weeks. Two weeks. Two weeks is fine. All right. So, I make a motion that um to the council that we table it for two weeks um and give both parties a time a chance. Oh, so we delay it. Just delay it. Okay. So, just delay it. But but put it back on the agenda in two weeks. M let's Who's meeting? Yes. My idea was not I wouldn't meet at all. I don't want to meet alone with just Gada. That's all. No. No. This is not a decision. This is a decision professionals have to make.

Be professional. You can't meet if people are talking. Who would you like to meet without from your administration or for the council member? I want to talk to talk to them about it. But my my thought was not to keep dragging the administration into a he said she said. I think I would want Mr. Larddane to meet for the city. I don't know what's wrong with that. He's chair of legal. He's I don't mind meeting. I don't mind meeting. I think I think it should be him. That was my original request. It wasn't I won't talk to Gate. It was I think he's the right person to me. But here's the deal. If if

Okay. And I asked for another person. I thought if if they don't want Cray Lewis, I'll I'll come up with another person from the administration. Okay. Well, okay. I don't I don't know why the mayor of the city can't appoint he wants to represent for the city. I don't know if you're asking me to participate how it's up to you to tell me who I want to. I think Dr. Lewis is a you GA should appoint Gada is an appointed body trying to tell the elected folks what and who they can meet with and how.

I would like Dr. Lewis to me because Dr. Lewis does have the whole history of this. Dr. Lewis is a former chair. Dr. Lewis has spoken his mind about all of this the whole time. I think he knows the projects we're interested in. He knows projects that you guys are interested in. And between him and Mr. Lardine, I think that's who I'd like to be the emissary for the administration. He's not a member of the administration. Does he work for the city or is he a part of your matter? He doesn't matter. It doesn't matter. Okay, I I'll take that challenge. I'll take the challenge. How does he have a conflict of interest? He was previously in a position on the boards. That doesn't matter.

That doesn't create a conflict of interest. Oh, yes it does. Thank you.

Okay. All right. We meeting a journ. Let's go. You want to take a break? to the reconvene.

The Alexandria City Council meeting, April 7, 2026, is called to order now. The Alexandria City Council meeting and the council committee meetings are broadcast live and may be viewed live by the public on Optum cable channel 4 and a rebroadcast may be viewed on Optum Cable channel 4 and the city of Alexandria, Louisiana website. We will have the invocation by Miss June Edison and we would have the pledge by Councilman Johnson. You come to the mic, Miss J. Before we start, there was an officer at that door. Brother Jules, will you open that door? And if you will open that door, we letting some negative negativity out of here.

In the name of Jesus. Father in the name of Jesus, I come to you asking for unity

which you are. I come asking you for understanding which you give us. I come to ask you for wisdom and knowledge which comes from you. And I just ask you, Father, in the name of Jesus, that work here will be done and done unto you. that we've come here to serve and to serve as unto you. So we ask you to just be in this meeting. We ask for all the negative energy to leave this room now in the name of Jesus. We ask for peace to abide in this room in the name of Jesus. And we just ask you, Father, to lead us, guide us, show us the way. We can't do anything without you. You've already said so. So I ask you to be with this council. I ask you to be with this mayor and his administration. I ask you to fill this building, Father, with integrity and trust and love. God, you said love.

Yes. So I pray now in the name of Jesus that this portion of the meeting will go forth peaceably. It will go forth in unity. it will go forth with knowledge and understanding and in wisdom in Jesus name. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. I aliance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands. One nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. A roll call, please. Mr. Johnson here. Miss Stelter here. Mr. Green present.

Mr. Fowler. I'm not sure. Mr. Lord here. I'm not sure. Mr. Laurette here. Merry here. Madam President, you have a floor. We have the approval of a minutes taken by our regular meeting held on March 24th. Motion and second. Move. Motion by Councilman Bord, second by Councilwoman Felter. Public comments. Mr. White.

Yes, ma'am. Madam President, let me read this session. Public comments. What section on the written minutes would you like to make a comment on? If it is not in the written minutes, there will not be any discussion or comments only on the minutes. Yes. If you have any questions pertaining to any item on the agenda, please contact administration before or after the meeting. Yes, ma'am. All right.

My name again is Mr. Cornelius Lawson White Jr. I live at 363810th Street in Alexandria, Louisiana. My zip is 71302. My phone number is area code 3184466934. In the last meeting, we honored, of course, Peabody for winning the state championship and everything. I just wish uh the mayor, he called me a liar about my utility bill. I know, but that was on that was on the record. Then we

not in a minute. Cancel that Peabody parade that cancelled and Glenn Moore. They had the sheriff Mr. White to keep Glenn Moore. Mr. White. BUT IT WAS WRONG. MR. WHITE, I DIDN'T CANCEL. You did. I didn't talk. Mr. Mayor, don't talk to him. Okay, Mr. White. I thought Mr. I thought wrong, Mr. White. That's fine.

Mr. White, let me tell you something today. I've been respecting you since I've been sitting in this seat. I've been trying not to have you put out of here for the respect of you. But I'm going to tell you today, you're going to make your comments and it's going to pertain to whatever is on the agenda. And if you cannot do that, you will be escorted out. I hope you can do it freely to go out. But if you do not make the comments that are need to be said that is on these items, I will have you escorted out today. Well, that's what he wants. So,

well, no, it's not about him. I'm the president. This is the city council's meeting. It is not the mayor's meeting. I've been No. No. I've been giving you the respect. And I gave you respect. No, you have not. Yes, I have. No, sir. You have not. So, I'm done with that. I'm just going to let you know tonight. I don't want to put you out, but I will have you escorted out. Okay. Okay. Well, you just lost the election. Okay. You know what? Everyone She will be all in favor. Any opposed? Motion carries. We have a public hearing for the budget.

Second. Motion by Councilman Fowler. Second by Councilman Johnson. Um public comments. Public hearing is open. Public hearing open. The public hearing is open. That's all right. That's all right,

Mr. Freddy Price. Madame President, uh, members of the council and the administration, mayor, Mr. President,

uh, I wanted to talk on the the budget for 2627. And the reason I'm here, first of all, I'm I'm the owner of Price Tech Technology for solutions uh, for office supplies for almost 20 years. I'm here to address um the uh the council the reference to items directly tied to this budget. Uh there are over $120 million plus going to be in this new budget tied to goods and services that the city would be buying. A year ago, I stood before this council to raise concerns about procurement and opportunities and reference the um the the law which is uh codified in the mini code uh and executive order that the mayor has wr wrote uh for 2009 the MR 2009. At that time, I was told that the mayor had the opportunity to do some re uh things, bring the the that code and what's in the ordinance back together because there was some things that he needed time to to do. The council said, "Let's give him some time." It's been a year and we have given him some time. We want to see some measurable things that we could see that the minority businesses that are in the city are having an opportunity to uh win opportunities with the city. It's been a year and there's no measurable uh things that have happened that we could see. Um the mayor uh when he became mayor uh one of his first things

that he wanted to do was to look at revitalizing his diversity and action plan. It was a part of this 100 day plan. I I have and I know I have a few minutes so I'm going to play just if I could uh the a part of that council meeting and minutes

something about the incub Mr. Price, you want to speak on it?

No. Okay, I know I have three minutes and that's going I'll come back because I I have a a glitch here. But just to wrap it up, what's going on right now? minority business are not being able to receive what is in the ordinance, the law, and we would like the council to look at that and uh deal with that before they pass the budget. We want them to be able to be able to share opportunities with minority business, womenowned businesses. That is my reason I'm here and I want to be able to position that to the council and ask you to think about that before you actually vote on the budget. Okay.

Thank you, Mr. Price. Thank you. Uh never mind. I can't talk. I'm sorry. Right. I forgot public comment. I could be disparaged if you don't. Nobody can answer. I know what this is. Mark Basser. Thank you.

My name is uh Mark Vasser. I'm pastor of the Church of Living God and president of Vassor Business Consultant and have been a uh working in the business uh field here in Alexander for over 20 years. And I'm also here to talk about um opportunities for uh minorities in this community and as it pertains to the budget. and to ask at the end that the city council would really, you know, take a look at making sure that, you know, some of the things that have been spoken on to happen. Um, that there's some some uh what's a good word. Togetherness, maybe that's the word of the day. Togetherness to work to make this city better for all. I I wanted to piggy back a little bit with Mr. Price has started off with with my three minutes. Um, and this is this is actually that executive order that JMO. Is it okay if I read some of this?

Yes. Okay. I got three minutes. I'll go through it. I'll go through it quickly if I can.

Uh, it's this is uh section one. Yeah, it's actually section three. It says as of the effectuating date, failure to implement the program in an orderly and immediate fashion will result in personal action including any such responsible position and effectuation of the program by a third party contractor. The second part I wanted to read to the to the council was uh second point was to be able to conduct a citywide with regional application disparity study within 3 months of the effectuation date of this order. That was that would have made this was in February 2009. That would have made it April 2009. Uh, I've got another document here and in here it says there's a goal for 15% I believe it was for MBEs and 7% for WES. Uh, this is another this is the disparity study that was also taken not three years later 13 years later. It's August the 20 August 2022. And a couple of points I just want to uh add. How much time I got? I know y'all tracking it. Okay, I can take my time.

Okay. Uh, part of this disparity study in this in this summary, I wanted to read a couple points. It says it's about 30% of the firms in the region available for city contracts are owned by people of color or by white women, 15% people of color, 50% white women. Number three,

I know I'm out of running out of time. I'll just read this last point if I can. City utilization of minority and womenowned firms is less than what might be expected based on the availability of city contracts. And it goes on to say that there was only about in this study only about 6% of the city contract dollars for 2015 through 2019 went to minority and womenowned firms. and it was far less than what they recommended, which was 20%, but it was still only not even quite half of what it was for what the goal uh in the ordinance was. And I would just ask for the city council that before you, you know, pass this budget um and that there will be some collaboration to really move this forward uh so we're not here another, you know, 13 years or some other time.

What business do you have, Mr. No. Um, this is a public hearing. I'm a consultant. This is a public hearing for the public. Yeah. My my company is Bass Business to answer I'm the president of that company. So that's why I'm Thank you. Thank you. Miss Kristoff.

Good evening again. A good friend of mine told me, "If you don't know your numbers, you don't know your business. And if you don't know your business, you can't grow your business." And uh in looking at the diversity plan, I'd ask everyone to show us and help us to be able to see where the growth is, where the intervention is being assessed. We know that the de that the plan is there for us to expand uh and contracts to minority businesses and women of women. We know that I believe that it's the administration to help increase that. It'll increase the economy of everybody. But what we are not seeing is where those numbers are going to it and that leads others to believe that there's nothing happening and if there's nothing happening then the numbers will show it. One thing I think we all can agree on is that numbers don't lie. So whatever that whatever that percentage is for minority contracts, one time it was less than 2% that was for minorities and women and out of $125 million budget if I'm corre calling the right number there. we should have more than 2% I don't know what the current number is but we need to see what that growth is in the inclusion of minority businesses and womenowned businesses and I ask that uh that there be something a system in place where that is continuing to be known to the public there is a lot of uh mistrust and if we had the numbers which we couldn't lie with you know numbers don't lie. Then I think that would help with the relations going forward. Thank you.

Thank you.

Mr. White. Yes, ma'am. Thank you, Madam President.

Again, I am Mr. Cornelius Lawson White Jr. I live at 363810th Street in Alexandria, Louisiana. My zip is 71302. My phone number is area code 318-4466934. Just like the three people that just spoke here, there needs to be more minority outreach and stuff. And Mayor Hall was working on that with a disparity study that he had. Now, I don't know what Mayor Roy has been doing or anything like that, but he always blames Mayor Hall for different things and stuff. But you're the city council now. you have a chance to make a difference in this community and everything and I hope and pray you will and God bless you and God bless America.

Thank you. That was that was it. Yeah. Um discussions. All in favor? No. We have to close We need a motion and a second to close the budget. Close the public hearing. Close the public hearing. Move. Moved by Councilman Fowler, second by Councilman Bord. All in favor? All in favor?

Any opposed? Motion carried it. G. Consent calendar. Number one, introduction of an ordinance authorizing the mayor to accept the low bid submitted for operating supplies for the electric distribution department. Number two, introduction of an ordinance authorizing the mayor to accept the loia submitted for full spectrum imaging system two, color lab system and full spectrum imaging system two, color mobile system for the police department. Number three, introduction of an ordinance authorizing the mayor to accept the low bid submitted for electromemeters and accessories for the electric distribution department. Number four, introduction with an ordinance authorizing the mayor to accept the low bid submitted for operating chemicals for wastewater department. Number five, introduction on an ordinance authorizing the mayor to award professional service contract to Marmar Lacro and Hixon for the West Alexandria wastewater capacity and planning study. Number six, introduction of an ordinance authorizing the mayor to renew the existing contract with Fluid Process and Pumpings LLC for chlorination and decllorination equipment for the water and wastewater departments. Number seven, introduction of an ordinance authorizing the mayor to execute a a grant contract agreement with Louisiana Community Forest for the Alexander Zoo Invested Tree Removal Project.

A motion, please. Second. Second and base it. I'm sorry. Motion by Councilman Fowler, second by Councilwoman Felter. Any items to committee? H resolution. Resolution to co-sponsor 2026 pops on the river courage in April 2026 presented by the rape symphony officer. Motion please. Move. Second. Second. Motion by Council Member Lloyd, second by Councilwoman Felter. Public comments, discussion. All in favor? Any opposed? Motion carried.

Number nine, resolution authorizing advertisement for beans for genatory supplies. Motion by Councilman Johnson. Second. Second. Second by Councilman Fowler. Public comments. Discussion. All in favor? Any opposed? Motion carried. Number 10. Resolution authorizing advertisement for B for minimum of 130 passenger trolley. Motion please. Move. Second. Second. Motion by Councilman Baloid. Second by Councilman Fowler. Public comments, discussion. All in favor? Any opposed? Motion carried.

I. Ordinances for final adoption subject to public hearing. Number number 11 to consider fin adoption of an ordinance authorizing the mayor to accept the loia submitted for operating supplies for the wastewater department. Motion please move. Second. Second. Motion by Councilman Veloid. Second by Councilman Fowler. Public comments, discussion. All in favor? Any opposed? Motion carried. Number 12. to consider upon follow adoption of an ordinance authorizing the mayor to accept the low bit submitted for cast ductile iron and related accessensory. Motion please move.

Second motion by council member Lloyd. Second by councilman Fowler. Public comments discussion all in favor. Any oppose?

Huh? Nobody's opposed. Motion carries. I don't know what GMC say. Oh, he said I number 13 to consider found adoption of an ordinance authorizing the mayor to accept the low BS for operating supplies for the gas department. Um, madame president, we're going to delay this item for two weeks. Motion to delay for two weeks. Need a motion in a second. Motion by Councilman Balor. Second. Second by Councilman Fowler. All in discussion. All in favor? Any opposed? Motion carried.

Number 14, to consider final adoption of an ordinance adopting the operating budget for the city of Alexandria for fiscal year 2026 2027 to make appropriation for the ordinary expenses of all city divisions, department, office, and agency, pension, and otherwise providing with respect to the expenditure of appropriations. Authorizing contract and ensuring agreements for the employees benefit including health, life and other optional coverages. Authorizing contracts for ordinary expenses and other insurance including general liability and workers compensation. Adopting the capital budget for the city of Alexandria for fiscal year 2026 2027. appropriating funds for the capital budget for the city of Alzine for fiscal year 2026 2027 and providing for capital expenditures and other matters with respect to appropriation and the expenditure of funds pertaining there too.

A motion please move second motion by council member Ward second by councilman Fowler. Public comments. Miss Bale. The reason I stand today, I'm asking the council to vote no on this budget. Uh Mr. Johnson, I think you might be the president of the finance committee. Correct.

Upon looking at the video of the budget meeting. Um, I didn't hear you ask too many questions and um I noticed Miss Perry had said that she had put something on the agenda maybe four or five years ago for a project in district three and nothing has been done. if I read it correctly, um something dealing with digits, covered digits or whatever. And in the budget now, it has that maybe this will be brought up in 2030 to 2031. I may be wrong, but capital projects, I know the mayor did a lot of talking. He had some people to say some things, but those people couldn't quite finish theirs because he jumped in. He almost talked about almost an hour. So if the projects that the council wants happen in their district, they should be able to do to have that work done. I think Mr. Johnson, there's a sidewalk in front of your house.

No, that's one on cold pepper. Okay. All right. Co pepper. You talked about co pepper and yes, cold pepper has been coming up for a long time. Yes. Three people that I know died of on co pepper. So, and I know it's a little narrow road. There's no sidewalks, ditches, or whatever, but we the people put you guys in office to work for us. It is your meeting, as has been stated so many times. It is your meeting, not the mayor's meeting.

So, I feel that if you have projects in your district, you need to submit them. But of course, the final decision won't be up to you as you already found that out. That's all I have to say.

Thank you, Miss B. Mr. Price. 7.7 million. Madame President, I stand once again before you uh asking this council who is the keeper of the funds for this city. The administration uh is carries out the policies. Um we talked about the DEI program uh the ordinance that's there. We're asking the council to require an implementation of a plan where the full small minority business program is embedded in that ordinance. Uh over the years we have not seen any information. We talked about numbers and to be able to share what is the data that shows that the plan is actually working. Uh what the plan should include uh and what in the implementation plan we want procurement access bonding assistance financial support outreach certification and coordination and monthly quarterly reporting. Those are the requirements that are outlined in the ordinance, the law. It is the law and we're requesting that this council hold the administration to the law. Work with the administration. You, Madam President, that you said as a council, you and administration work well together. Well, this is an area where we want to see the council work well together with administration, ensure that the law is is carried out and where when it is carried out in a fashion that's outlined in the law, then small businesses will be able to have a fair share and be a

part of the 100 plus $20 million that is going to be spent in this budget on goods and services. That's all we're asking for. We're not asking for favors. We're asking for an opportunity that's already uh outlined in the law that says that we have there's there's uh aspirational goals of 15% for minority uh minority businesses, 7% for women businesses. In contracts, we were looking for an opportunity to win contracts. Each contract that goes out, each RFP that goes out has a force a clause in that RFP that talks about the AEX program and that each uh contractor, if they're going to bid on government uh contracting, then they need to make a bonafide effort to go out and ensure that they're seeking out minority and womenowned businesses as a part of the law. And so we're asking that this council consider before they pass this budget, maybe a pause on the budget until they uh come up with an amendment, some form of fashion that will require that the law will be carried out in a fashion that businesses like Maya can go out and be able to compete and win business. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Price. Um discussion. Yes. Yes sir.

Madame President uh council and mayor in response to listen to these gentlemen asking about the fairness. Mayor I recall Mr. uh Price been here last year and being told some things was going to be followed through on. I'm respectedly requesting a quarterly report on the progress of small business initiatives. The report should include the following. Name of small business gaining a city contract. Two, the amount of the contract. Three, percentage of stated goals set by the mayor. Four, was the contract awarded to a local vendor? And five, how will small businesses notified of the opportunity? That request is from me to you for the council. Madame clerk, I'm sorry, madame president, if we could go to the budget book, I have some things that during the course of the time we departed last Tuesday that I went across and that was troubling to me. Uh page 161 item 480223 salary mural assistance recreation coordinator. Last year he rece they received $76,500. This year it's going it's being asked for $99,500. That's a $23,000 raise in that month in the uh for that year from last year. What did they do so significant to require a $23,000 raise?

Mayor, um Dr. Skip Fox. Do you know Dr. Fox? Who? Dr. Skip Fox. Oh yes, I know of him. Um he's okay. Well, he's the recreation director and I'm sorry. I keep hearing talking. I don't know where. Is it Keith Fox? Is it Keith A. Fox? That's his name. Yeah. Yeah. Dr. Fox.

So, Dr. Fox uh is the rec director. I hired Dr. Fox on the deal of the 995. And when we hired him, there were a couple things we asked that he do. He wasn't sure when we first brought him on if it was going to be full or part-time. And so I told him that we would do some assessments along the way. Uh the 995 was the agreed price that we would get to on the from from the first time I talked to him. And we wanted him to commit that you're going to do this full-time. This will be the job. And we kind of want him to go get a wreck certification. Dr. Fox has a do he's imminently qualified. He uh ran a bunch of stuff in uh kids ball and uh that was the deal. So quite frankly, he he stayed under that probably too long. Um

when was he initially hired, sir? Excuse me. Couldn't help. So you're asking me this at 7. If you would have just sent an email today, I'd have all this and I'd have him here. I had no way of knowing this. if you will permit me. Is HR person here? No, Dr. Fox is upstairs. I'll have him come down and he can answer any questions you have. Okay. Okay. I mean, this meeting has been planned, so I would Well, I know. But you How would I know you were going to ask about that? Last night, I got you. I went through after we went home and I went through the book. But how would I know that would be your question? Well, you sir, you prepared the book?

Yes, sir. someone in your department. Let me correct that. And that was the statement I'm asking of you. That's one of two statements I'm going to ask you.

My answer is the agreed price for Skip was 995 and I just explained and we weren't sure are you going to be full-time or not. He he was full-time the whole time as if I recall right. And there was some certifications and things we wanted him to get in wreck and we wanted him to meet certain goals. And so under the charter salaries are the mayor's prerogative to do and that salary was set at 995. And so we added it to the budget that way. So it's technically not a 20some,000 raise. It's a catch up to the deal that we made.

Don't do them all that way, but did that one that way. So you're saying that the caveats that he performed I'm I'm going to give an example if he did so well that we're coming up on item in 16 about cheetah park I think it is uh 17 did he manifest his professionalism by attaining and directing that part to be kept up to the standards of a $99,000 job as opposed to how he maintained Johnny DS that looks like Yankee Stadium.

So, I'm just saying if you're going to pay these people, I respectfully want to know if you're going to fix it, do it as you were saying that it be done across the board in all direction. If you hired him at 995, I don't know when you hired him. I've only been on the council a year. Uh I see 765, he worked for that last year. uh 76794 last year before that and he was satisfied he stayed. Uh so that was my question about that. That was that was puzzling to me and it is your prerogative to pay those people what you pay them for. And if while we're talking about cost, if you would go to page 128.

Can I tell you about I just want to give you I'm just so uh get your people together.

Well, I was giving Michael a chance to get Skip. So in 2025, there were 18 specific programs that utilized all community centers, enrichment camps, art camps, theater, Friday night hoops, litter prevention, back to school bash, health fairs, business summits, daily programming by Dr. Fox, adult fitness, open gym, pickle ball, senior programming, blind dancing. Those were programs under him. The events he accomplished in 2025 were 16 special events free and open to the public each. approximately 150,000 attendees and all of the events and community services that he was a part of in 2025 on parks and wreck. Your question, 15 special events, the kids fest, the runw walk, the party in the park series, basketball tournaments, sports camp, pickle ball tournament, eight partnerships with other organizations, and m Dr. Fox 49 tournaments and rented play with the $2 million impact. That was Dr. Fox in 2024 also when he worked in programs. So you can see that he grew. He had 13 programs. He had this daily programming of adult fitness, open gym, pickle ball, senior programming. So you can compare the programs and see that he grew it 13 to 18 and added two other line items under daily and two items there. So there's growth from 25 to 24 in parks and wreck in 25 to 24. You can see the numbers again. 15 in 25 special events, seven in that year, eight and eight in partnerships. Looks like he had the same, but 49 versus 28 tournaments, a $1 million impact in 24 to 2 million in 2025. in 2025 on uh special events here. 16 special events, 18 the first year, 150,000 attendees versus 100,000

in that year. That's what Dr. Fox uh brought along with Tanya and community services. And I'll put that uh in the budget record. And Dr. Fox is here and can speak to what he does. Sure. Yes, sir. Mr. Mayor. Yes, sir. I'll entertain any questions the council may have, sir. I asked the question, he gave the information, but ironically, he said I should have given him a heads up, but you came down with all these pamphlets. Uh, that's cuz I try to be prepared like a scout should. Well, it should, but my question was, uh, Mr. Fox, when was you, Rodox? Dr. Fox, excuse me. Dr. Fox. Dr. Fox.

Dr. Fox. Dr. Fox. Respect him. Dr. Father, Councilman Green. Yes, sir. When were you done hired, please? Uh, December of 2023, sir. December of 23. And I gave you 24 and 25. Thank you. That's all it is, Dr. Fox. Thank you. Thank you, Dr. Yes, sir. Uh, while at home again, page 128. Item 480105. I'm sorry. Did you say 128? 128. Thank you.

Item 4801 05. Your plan director goes from 90,000 to 122,000. That's $12,000. uh in your priority to begin. Uh he's been there 6 months at the most and you're giving him a $12,000 raise.

Uh it appears that way on paper, sir, but as you know, Daniel Smith is the planning director. He's a dual uh degree holder from Princeton and Georgetown, law degree and public policy masters that he received at the same time and was top of his class. uh he took over for the previous planning director who was Richard Johnson who did not hold those degrees. He also was deputy uh city attorney and so he was already paid in a much higher amount when he was an acting deputy city attorney, the number two city attorney moving into a division head and so that is to continue and place him in the proper pay. He was paid more than the previous planning director because of his qualifications and because he was leaving a slot at a higher pay than the planning director enjoyed at the time.

Certainly understandable, but that was by choice that he chose to go back to that department. Uh, mayor, it's a higher required. It's a division head. Okay. It's a higher required level of work. I recall his resume, but I think his escort chief was in some type of foreign language, something foreign. But that's that's here. There you told me why you giving them 102,000 and that's all I wanted to know, sir. Thank you, Madam President. You're welcome. I have a couple questions. Yes, you go ahead. All right. Mayor, is there any money in this budget for affordable housing?

You you asked that last time. There is. It's in the form of uh the community uh projects that are within CDBG home funds and all of that. Okay. And what exactly what programming will be done with that money?

Um, as you asked me last time, it's on page 129, and there's all of the information. So, I'll go over it. Community Development Department is responsible preparing grant applications for federal funds, preparing all associated reports, complying with federal requirements, maintaining records, federal guidelines, effectively administrating administering the following programs. Housing rehabilitation deferred loan program, that's housing renovation for owner occupied structures with CDBG at home. Home rental housing rehabilitation, that's renovation of rental for low-income tenants. Code enforcement demolation, we'll skip to the next one. Housing development program, new construction of single family housing for firsttime home buyers. Uh business facade improvement, we'll go to the next one, housing assistance program, down payment and closing cost assistance for firsttime home buyers. Monitor home activities was is another activity. Uh monitor all subreients uh and grant agreements with HUD. And I won't list all of the ones there. You can see there's quite a few. Uh so those are all things that community development does with direct regard to housing and housing purchase.

And uh how much money is allocated for item four? Is that item four? Item number four, housing development program. How much money are we allocating for that? Four. What page Mr. Johnson? 129.

129. So, it's going to be from on 131 is going to be the operating side. It's probably going to be in a fund. So, I'll ask uh Mr. Caffrey, why don't you have uh Paul check with uh Shirley and them at community services. It's going to be in a different fund. This is going to be their operating. So, we'll have to see what the fund provides. Uh, as I said last time at the meeting, going by memory, 530,000 or so in probably CDBG funds and another 300 something,000 in home funds is a guess. I believe the total is about 900,000. I see Daniel's here. I didn't even know. Daniel, do you know the answer?

These are basically correct. A lot of that carries over year. So, 800,000 in community development from home in CDBG. Again, I think it's I don't know. I think it's 531,000 uh and about 300,000. Uh, as I said last time when we met last week when I first came in to put it in perspective, it was close to 2 million in both funds. Um, that's how much has been lost in federal support over the years. and and the funds are budgeted at MBA because you don't know what the amounts are that change each year until that time. So that's when we uh put them in and you would see the amounts. So there's but there's carryover from the previous year. So you're covered from the previous year and then there's an amount but those numbers are going to be roughly right.

Okay. And how much do we have for item number six? Or is that is that all the money that's divided amongst these nine items or He says 500,000 in home and 300,000 in CDBG. I said 531 in CDBG and 300 at home. It's flipped and I'm off by 31,000. 3001. And item number Okay. So one is 500K and number four is 300K. Yes.

And how much for number six? Six. asked what the down payment assistance is. I think it's covered in those two funds. I think all of those funds are divided up. Okay. So, it's your appreciation that 800,000 is allocated for items one, four, six, and seven. I'm going to defer to getting the actual information rather than guess. All right. That person's coming down to talk to us.

The hat payment is included in those amounts. So, can you tell me again which items are covered by the 800,000? Which numbers? See, community development is covered by the 800,000 give or take. Some of I can't say that each grant part that could be this, but the funds that go into any housing payments, assistance, etc. are covered by the 800,000. Okay. So, but I'm looking at items 1 through nine. Can you like tell me which items are covered by the I think I just did all of them. Did you hear the number like I

8 800,000 covers all the items for community development which is page 129 1 through nine but there could be in this additional grant funds that they seek for uh rehab in a building or for example the bus uh the bus interchange project. Those kind of things could lead to other grants and opportunities which I know that we've had. I just don't know them by heart. And we've applied for additional monies. Correct. But we won't know if we receive those until later on the year.

I I want to be clear. It's possible that someone on staff knows about receipt, but they wouldn't be new budgeted until MBA. And anything from last from the current budget we're in is car will carry over now anyway. And so it always carries forward. All right. And what's the current what's the the carryover? Well, yeah, that is ex I have to know the there's no way to know that sitting here. Okay. All right. All right. All right. Okay. It's it's being spent. So, I'm just talking from last year would be brought over to you don't know.

So, this is a budget for the projection for next year. I'd have to have finance pull the account and ask what's in it. And even that wouldn't be true because they could have a number in it but have obligations against that number that you'd have to get probably a person from the department to say. But you told me 800k is is budgeted for items one through nine. 800k is what we receive from the federal government that we pass through in our budget through that. There's additional money that goes into assistance that can come from a multitude of places but especially other grant opportunities. All right. Are we allowed to

Yeah. I I said demolition, but I didn't want to include it because in fairness, Mr. Lane, I thought he's really talking strictly about straight housing protection. I just wasn't going to add in those are federal funds. Are we will are we able to add money to that? Yes. And and yes, we so to the we do each year. You add a lot to demolition that helps us move it. One of the big problems with some of those funds is being able to utilize them and getting through it. And we've increased demolition as you've heard comments from the city. We talked about it from citizens. Uh we're moving a lot more. So we are

we are in a constrained position that I've said before to the council that you could add 2 million to it and you can't move that in a year. What do you mean to? So, some people have the idea that if you had an unlimited amount of money in a in a city, it could it would just automatically be able to be spent at that amount. And the truth is, the way projects are bid and work, you're still constrained by the size of your city, your staff, and how it works. So, it it doesn't always help to pile up on one year if at max you can move this many houses through demolition, this many other things through its program. There's a program limit, but the 800k isn't for demolition.

No, we add money for that. So, what I was telling you is the council will sometimes go, "Well, add another 300." And you're seeing how much we've jumped up now, but we still haven't We're spending more. I I think we can keep spending a little more.

Okay. Well, in other words, the staff is meeting your expectation of adding money. My point is if there was 200 million in the capital budget for the city, unless you just spend it on something crazy, you can only move 30 million a year through it if you were when we were doing spark that was with a bond behind it. In a non-bond year, if you're setting it on fire, you're moving 13 to 15 per year of a five-year capital budget per year. If you have like Reignite, what we're proposing to you, if you put a bond on top and we move it, right, the record years the city's ever had were under me during Spark and it was

we got a $27 million capital year. One year moved $27 million in one year. All right. Well, as I've kind of been saying since day one, affordable housing is something the city really needs. And I would like for us to dedicate more to that. Um but of course you have the people and the manpower to implement that. Yeah. And um you know you guys are the ones in community of development, Mr. Smith. You guys are the ones who implement these programs as a body. I would just like to express my desire to do more in that regard.

And we're we're going to ask y'all for more money in in in the next year to do just that. Okay. All right. You don't have to do it today, but we're going to be asking you for more money and I and I know you'll carry that water for us. Okay. I'm sorry. No, you go ahead.

All right. Also, uh we have safe Alex officers. During the the committee meeting, I expressed the desire that those officers have some sort of training and deescalization and mental health awareness awareness. Um I we went down a discussion on that on that issue. Um, you know, as I prefaced it in in the meeting, we need to find a way to deal with crime. Those guys appear to be helping. I see them around, right?

Um, I I I just want to see us take some non-conventional approaches to dealing with crime given our current gun ownership laws and a lot of young people who think a gun is a solution to their problem. So I would just like to make sure that those safe Alex officers there's some money available for training or for us to hire people who do have that training to deal with deescalization and touching people that we really can't reach.

Deescalation occurs with with full officers. Um, if if a problem is happening with a cso that requires a level of deescalation that you're talking about, the contact would be for Sergeant Peppers to head Lieutenant Peppers, excuse me, to head that way. He just made Lieutenant

He would be heading that way. Uh, but they do receive training as we pointed out. So they're they're not a gun toer, but they do receive training. And in some cases, they could in theory have been an officer before, so they have a lot more. But what we don't want to do is encourage non-postcertified officers to enter into a postcertified required moment. Our charter prohibits it and so does common sense. But uh we do have two supervisors, Mr. Lverdane, in addition to the normal cso. So, and we may do more that we're requiring to do some more uh for for their pay and we are still open to some additional things

and and in essence I just want us to try to reach people that you and I people up here may not know but who are in the neighborhoods and those those officers really need to be plugged in into the communities to know if there's some beef going on with somebody, can they talk it out? You know, just really, you know, those guys and those individuals need to be really connected to their neighborhoods and know the people and know who they're dealing with.

On a community police level, the CSOS are there to help relieve them so they can get more back into that. Dr. Fox, and we sort of discussed earlier uh with his training as Dr. Fox. He's a mental health uh professional and he actually puts on in addition to them training with the academy and it happens to be Lieutenant Peppers over there uh the C who trains the CSOS also Dr. Fox does a mental health component for the CSOS. Okay. All right. Uh and also lastly um an issue that was mentioned by Mr. Price and Reverend Vasser and Miss Kristoff um minority contracting. How are we looking on that issue?

Um I don't I can if you will wait I can get the last report. I think the last report was the last report we received was very positive from when we came in. Uh I think goal at goals which is is really a good place to be

15. Um I I want to make sure I don't The last one I looked at was it's that's been you know a quarter that we'll look but uh people have to remember I understand the comments that the council decides the RF when RFPs come in the council sits mayor Roy doesn't decide those people can think that all they want. I don't go pick contracts. contracts come in and people in the administration sit with you guys and an RFP comes in and y'all make an award. Bid items, which we get the most complaints about from citizens, we don't have any say. It's a sealed bid. It's open and the lowest bid gets it. In fact, it can be frustrating because the local person might not be the lowest. And we're not allowed to load that in any way. That bid comes in low. We are allowed to write bids with certain specs and try to help uh ourselves there, but we can't legally write, for example, only a local person can get a bid. The state law doesn't allow it. Uh those are governed by title 38 and that can that can get tough because it frustrates when you guys have to award a bid to an out of towner when you see a perfectly good intowner there and it's off by only x amount. Uh on the RFP side, there are smaller amounts of purchase that can come in uh where they can call several people uh and then whoever's the lowest there. So it doesn't go to a sealed bid, but they have to make those calls. They're required to document those calls. They're very aware of Mr. Price, for example. He may not always win those bids. He gets very frustrated when he doesn't, but he may not win them. someone else may get it. Uh we've been asked before to carve out if it's under a certain amount, let it be only go this

way and just the law doesn't that would help us to be able to do that. For me, I want to keep it local local period. I'm willing to pay a tiny bit more for local because I can justify the tiny bit extra for local that I think will generate in the community more times. that dollar will turn if someone lives here more than it'll turn if they don't live here. So, those are things that are important. Uh I I have no issues with I don't always agree with what he thinks we're doing or not doing, but I respect this man and I don't have a problem with what he's saying. Um I his wife I brought back and she is a consultant for the city right now. Um and has been for the years that I've been back was greatly needed. I respect the family and uh I'll keep doing better.

Um, Mayor Roy, you mentioned you'll have to for us to give you time to look at the report.

I'm trying if they can hear me so maybe someone's bringing it down and that's what I have a question about that. Haha. The fairies upstairs. Okay. How often do you as the administration you and your administration look at that? So they're required by executive order and ordinance. Uh wrote both of those to give it to me quarterly. Um we have done some extras and Mr. JG and I sorry Mr. Goens and I will ask them. Uh sometimes more than that if if there's some frustration about not getting information. I think there was a lot of difficulty when we switched our banner model. We stayed in banner but we've redone everything. Uh, I can tell y'all that when when prepared to do it, I will do more. I didn't There were public comments. I didn't comment to them. But there's just so much misinformation that gets out there that if someone's applying a fraction to it, they're going to get it wrong. So, you heard several times $120 million in goods and services. I heard that several times tonight.

It's not that much. It ain't close to that. That's completely far from truth. So the operating budget itself if you flip to right in the beginning is probably 78 million right that's the operating part of that 78 million uh I'm going to s say again what page are we going down a little 70 million page 70 I'm looking at page 18 okay

revenue and expenditure balance So if the budget's between 70 and 75 million 2/3 is going to be in guess what salary in French. So lop that out of it. You heard 120 million I just showed you it's 70. They'll call it 75. 2/3 is in is in ops infringe. Uh y'all know my staff. you know my commitment to diversity there. You see them. So there's a part of my piece of my de of my diversity and action plan DIA there.

Then you have to take the rest of what's left which is again two/3 went to that of that number and you then have to remove all bid items on both the capital and operating side because I have no control over bid. So you see that the denominator is greatly shrinking away from 120 million where our controls are is you you have to get a proper denominator. We constantly have to throw out different things. There could be an item in theory and we struggle with this. Jonathan and I do because we lead the staff on that. It's on us. Although there's a person in purchasing and all that, as excuse me, Mr. Price pointed out, it comes down to me in the executive order or him. And so when we push on that, there could be things, Malcolm, for example, if we're buying bullets, that's going to be bad because maybe that'd be a bit if we're buying bullets and there's only one bullet company for police, right? Do you count that in the denominator or not? If there's no minority company in the world that sells them, does that belong in the in the denominator which grows the percent by which the numerator looks at it. So if the numerator over the denominator gets you to 15, but you expand that then your fraction and it goes off and it's not fair to the administration or you. So we constantly have to look at it. I will not allow anything to callull out to I put stuff in to make it it probably hurts us. But there are things that can't go in the denominator because they're never going to be a product or thing that could be sold. So bid items go out. A lot of things y'all see are also pass through purchase of gas and all that stuff. That can way expand that denominator and it's just not true. It's a pass through. It doesn't belong in there. I think I have all that pretty well called and I think the numbers that that we have now are are are fairly accurate. We have

divisions that do better than others and some of that is not totally their fault. It's because the things they buy there aren't persons to do it. The things where for example he can do a lot would be in basic business things that we have every day. The things that you have from your desk to computer things that that's a place where I would h So that's all on the number side. Uh as I heard someone say the numbers math is math. I said it too earlier. The other place where a DIA or DEI program or if people don't like that term today for whatever reason which doesn't make sense to me but if we want to call it justice in general the other place where you can make a huge difference is and I heard him say it is in capacity building it's it's the outreach to tell people what you buy so that they can calculate do I want to move a little of my business this way or I'm already in that business but I didn't know. So the outreach portion or what we call the capacity side is the place where I think we can do more. We were rocking and rolling uh for a couple of years. I think that in fact there was uh Tyra Wicker whom you may know was a former council woman in Baton Rouge did something tomorrow is doing a program tomorrow out at uh the airport. I would encourage people to go. Uh she's doing it from 11:30 to

1

1 and that's at the air park tomorrow. And it is going to be a seminar on doing business with the city of Alex with cities, but she's going to be specific city of Alexandria. She didn't coordinate through us. She didn't have to. She's a professional and knows what she's doing. But that'll be going on tomorrow. She asked me to come out and do a presentation with that condensed of review. I told her I'll sponsor her to come back and do another one. The one I would do, I've done. Uh I think Mr. Price was there. I do one on how you do business with the city. What are the pitfalls? What are the things they're looking for? And I do one on article 7. So I do one on Malcolm compliance with article 7. I have my own PowerPoint I've developed. It's a pretty uh in-depth uh presentation and that that's where we are today.

Uh I see the report hasn't come down yet. Um, I look I I would hope that we could I see you smiling about it. I We just have to learn to trust each other a little more than that. My My appointment for that is Stacy West. She is out and you know why. Uh maybe you don't. Um mother's past. The mom's pass. Oh. Oh. So, I'll just leave that at that. Okay.

Okay. So, um I asked the mayor for I emailed my um request to the mayor and I the main thing I had was the improving of drainage um the closing of the open ditches and to replace some water manes, install street lights and overlay some streets. Um,

the mayor is going to meet with me, him and Mr. Gil, Mr. Wickersonen, and attorney Goins, and we will go over this the items that I actually request to be done. And once I meet with um those people from the administration, then I can let you all know. Miss Perry, your item is you have 1.455 455 in carryover streets, drainage, sidewalk repairs. That's 187 on the budget for anybody looking. You have a new half million in 2020 and 2627. I got it right here.

This is two mil 2 million for that. This is kind of what I was telling Mr. Lan earlier. You could add it to four. It doesn't mean we can move them. I have your list. Your list was placed uh at the end of last week, but I I know not later than the beginning of this week. We've we're only two days in uh into Mr. Wilkinson's hands and asked to do a modeling of everyone on of them on your list and give you a most need all the way down. They are doing it right now and I'm positive that's happening, right? Yes, sir. Also, there's a separate capital budget for disclosures.

Yeah, I'm doing it under street drainage. There's a separate one for disclosures. So, yours is I'm sorry. Yeah, I told you the the large one. Uh but they're similar and they're going to they'll still be raided in that way. Uh Mr. Johnson, uh Marcus in down here, but he went to your request and they looked at that yard and they started on a project for that right now. So that request you made uh they're on top of that. I I want to I want to go next.

I want to I want to ask I want to talk. So, we had the budget uh on on Wednesday of last last week, and I'm going to address what uh was said earlier. It's frustrating. And since I talked about this, I haven't had a street paid yet.

I have fans, I think Houston, and Dallas that's on the Capitol program. Now, since then, I got pulled from that district that they're no longer mine, but they're still in the queue, so to speak. So, what I did, I have two uh meetings a month. One is in Shannidor and one is in Martin Park, and I speak to them every month. Those are good uh home uh neighborhood meetings. Deerfield do not have one at at the time. I have someone from Deerfield coming over to Shannidor because they said years ago someone fought fell out with someone else years and years ago. In these meetings I tell them my priorities. So I had a reverend that drives a school bus on cold pepper and he actually have to put his wheel on the opposite side of the yellow line to save those kids when he got off the bus. So I told everyone in those two meetings that that I talked to every month I say dear mean cold pepper has to be a priority because the safety of those kids we are frustrated. You think you're frustrated? I'm frustrated. You know what question I get asked most? I get asked this one question more than I get asked any question. Gary, why do you do this when you don't have to? I do it because I think I can make a difference. I think and no when no going to come and one or two things going to happen. I'm going be elected again all night. Only two things. There's only two things that can happen.

It's a pleasure. It's an honor for me to be council. It is an honor. Everybody know I'm twice retired. So I have the opportunity in the morning to get up sometime ride around go to pe and talk to her her on her job. I don't have a job cuz I don't have a job and she and she's frustrated. I'm frustrated. And now that this is new administration, we don't know what kind of money we're getting from federal from federal government. You don't mean this administration, you mean the the big the big administration.

So I know what this young lady right here go through. She sometime almost cries because she can't get anything done and I can't and it's frustrating. So, in that meeting last Wednesday, we got our books like two weeks in advance. So, I had a chance to go through all of my everything. I said, "No, what I'm going to do since I can't get anything really done, you know, that sidewalk in front of my house, husband got that done like 20 years ago. I'm still getting stuff done." Uh, Mr. uh uh uh last guy before me just left out of here, Mr. Porter.

Mr. Porter got the generator. in in Martin Park. I don't take credit for for nothing none of that stuff. We sat and we sat and we sat and we talked and we talked and we talked. I got a room in my house. I called the situation room. I got all my freaking awards on there. And I sit there sometime I I sit there with my wife is in the bed and I think of all the things I've done and all the places I've went and some of them was not as bad as Alexander but a few of them was. We are trying to get there. I am so glad that Miss June prayed this uh for us to get along because that first meeting that first meeting was almost hour and a half of us bickering. And all I can tell you, all I could do is do my best. I I'm in Deerfield 24/7. Every day I go there. I have friends down there. We got a We got a project. We got a a house about to sink. And I'm so glad the administration took took that and put a party. The guy dropped a a stick in his yard and it go all the way down. That's right right there on uh on Eagle Way. And he's concerned about his house shifting. And I'm concerned too. The guy next door though, I grew up with him. I was a little bit older than he so I feel the frustration. I'm frustrated. So, in that meeting, I said, I'm going to try to get cold pepper. I know some work done on pepper years and years ago, but you cannot walk because you're walking the beach. I asked for that and I asked my my two parks because I know other parks already

got contracts. I those are two things. Maybe I could get one of those things. But I'm going to say it again. I'm honored to be a council person and I all I could do and tell y'all the truth and to do my best. That's all all I could do.

Thank you, Mr. President. Before I mean, chairman, just two easy questions. Mayor, the request asked about the quarterly reports. When will we be able to start expecting those and uh who's responsible for getting the word out? What department that falls under for all these fits we have? Who do we have for advertisement? Who do we have for advertising? Who do we use as advertisement? Well, the community services director is responsible for getting it out. I don't know who all she uses. I I I don't do those decisions at that level. That's what I'm asking the questions. Yeah. I I'd have to ask Tanya Coral. Okay.

Thank you. And you feel like it's not getting out. Uh a lot of people not it's getting out but a lot of people aren't a lot of janders aren't areas people that don't follow don't go on the uh our web page don't follow KB uh I'm not getting we use a lot of radio too though so Morley would be the person that would select the radio stations I don't know that she selects them or she might hire Huh? Yeah.

Yeah. There's probably some media buys that occur, but you know, uh, obviously, uh, Slaw Broadcasting, Jerry, there's, you know, there are people that get those the two the two main guys that are doing radio. And then there's going to be some a little more selective stuff on social media that's not just our page, uh, that gets it out. And uh but generally not just radio and TV. I mean there's other things but those are going to be your big ones. Okay. Thank you. And if you have a specific thing tell me. I don't I'm not trying to

urban cast. I don't know if they do that.

Is that who you were talking about? Now this URBAN if you want to put it to urban cast a lot of people who don't get news from us I mean from us uh the city of Alexandria do use urban cast so I was just asking how how was the selection of the media output that's all we got he's going to do he's going to do he could use urban cast do you want to leave do you All right.

You know, you know, may you know, mayor, we've we've heard a lot of discussions and we've heard a lot of things said, but I think you will agree it's kind of unfortunate that some of the things the council lady from district 3 has put forth and they still haven't been addressed. Correct. It's like the previous um with the previous administration in and certain things that the the councilman in district two has put forth and they have not been addressed either. Correct.

Mine was addressed went to the capital. Well, it I want to make sure that my two parks is going to I'm going to get those two parks and I'm I have my but I have my my list going up uh on Thursday. Well, Mr. Johnson, when we did the project, we bid it. Yes. And so those are bid. We can't change that. And then we said when you came after it was already bid, we said I'll I told you at what you're asking for, I can get that another way through another project that won't go. We'll just move it. That's easy. But it's not fair to say when we put out the bid, man.

That was the part. I understood that. I came out there. That's understood. The contract, I mean, the bid is already out there. I don't want to add to that bid. I want my like you said separate. I want my tooth bar accepted. And you agree? I think we're saying the same thing. Yeah. Mr. Green, do you have Yes. But it's only in here. Okay, I got it. And Miss Perry, the most money in the capital budget is is in district three. Yeah. We're gonna get all that broken down by district, who got what, and we'll we'll do you have any that you want to address about this where I spend the money like

as council large, I pick it back on everybody. I'm contacted by everybody in the city and I try to follow through. Uh going to each council person's district, Miss Lizzy, Mr. Johnson, Miss Perry, as well as yours and as well as Mr. Power. So, uh, I'm here for the citizens as as large I respond and whatever projects you guys are asking for, I'm in support of that because I know definitely over there in the park area, you have some horrible streets

and uh, so they're bad streets all over the city. So, I'm here for everybody to work with everyone and prayerfully we'll get something done to move forward for the city. But let me ask mayor the budget if we delay this two weeks till everybody is satisfied with that would that be a problem delayed? I didn't hear what he said. If we delay it to two weeks would that be a problem? If we delayed this two weeks to our next Tuesday's meeting the 21st to everybody gets done with what they want done. Yeah that's this is your budget now. I've heard a comment earlier that the mayor talked for an hour. That's because well I I didn't say that. So anyway,

uh

yeah, Miss B said I did. I did because I'm required to. It's the mayor's budget under the charter is presented just like the executive does at the state and all over in cities. So it's mine to explain what the features are. Each year I'm required by the charter to give a message. And so I do. And as you see, I come prepared to meetings to try to answer questions because I think that's my job. So if I talk more than someone else, it's because it's my budget responsibility to do so. Once we hand you the budget and it's yours now, it's yours. So now you can delay it and do what whatever you need to do. Uh, I do have an amendment that I'd like to present on behalf of the council when it's time.

All right. Delay two weeks. Um, Mr. Johnson, she No, it's back to the president. Um, my question is when we delay it for two weeks, what exactly will um you guys be doing? What what is it that you want to do within the two weeks? The purpose meet with the administration. I I want to have my meeting like you, but I want to have my my stuff uh typed down like I I had a plan for Thursday. So, two weeks is excellent for me. So, I can get my two things up to the to the mans and get a date. Just just so we know, it's yours to delay two weeks done. As long as it's poor May, it doesn't matter. But yes,

the projects you're saying aren't going to be listed. That's not how they're listed. They're going to go in one of these, right? So, if you if if that's what's that's what the madam president's asking. If that's all that's holding it up, there's no reason to hold up the budget for that. You just switch them around when you want to. That's your right as a council person. Well, I think let's not I think that the thought is there's some talk of delay and have a conversation with you and let's take that course of action so that that the other colleagues can feel satisfied that their concerns are being addressed.

But what will hap y'all always do this but you never do anything in the two weeks. That's what's so funny. I could name all of the requests. That's what Miss Madame President is trying to say like what's happened to now that it's fine but because but we're going to the public there has to be a meeting then in two weeks. We'll we'll need to see those meetings with you guys cuz my bet is you're not going to meet. You haven't before. You might this time. But let's make the record clear. We'll do it. It's not a wow. It's the truth. Wow. Okay. All right. Do I have I think make the

I'm I'm can support delaying two meetings in good faith that the people that want to meet I don't personally need a meeting. Um it seems sounds like there are some people who will want a meeting. So if that's the case Okay. So I move that we delay the um budget for our next council meeting. I second it. And um Okay. I'm asking that we're delaying this. Sorry for trying to do this favor for you guys.

So, what I'm asking you to do is make sure Councilman Green, Councilman Johnson, um, Councilman Lberane, that you guys set up your meeting so that you can get the answers that you want. My meeting has all Let's a minute before we delay it. Okay. And also we're asking for um a salary increase for our city clerk and administration assistance. So um we need to vote on that

to amend you need to amend the ordinance I mean the budget to um to add that to the Okay. So I amend the budget to add um the salary increase for the city clerk and administrative assistance. I need a motion. Okay, hold on. 7% 7% seven. You choked on that, J. Technically, if you amend the line item for their salaries, also the finance director, then have to make an amendment on on their pension line.

Okay. Okay. So there's two related to it. So we're agreeing to include this within the budget delay the passing of the budget for two. This is this a substitute motion to consider the one amendment this area is making for your two staff. Okay. All right. And you it it just consists of two line items. Okay. Okay. It's a salary being a pinchion. So the motion motion I'll articulate for one of you to adopt. It would be a motion to amend the salaries as indicated the letter from the president received by the mayor today

and who motion and all fringe and other benefits attended thereto. All right. Motion by Okay. Motion by um Councilman Loberane and second by Councilman Johnson. All in favor? All in favor? Any oppose? Motion carry. And now y'all can do the motion. The motion to delay. Second. Um need a motion to delay the budget. Um motion by Councilman Pace. Second by Councilman Marine. Two weeks.

In two weeks. All in favor? I. Any oppose? Motion carried. Okay. Okay. Number 15, adopt 11 mill rate for the city vote center for 2026. Motion, please. Second. Second. Motion by Councilman Fowler. Second by Councilwoman Felter. Comments. Public comments. Discussion. It sounds like Okay. It sounds like these mill rates are the same for last year. They they nothing changed. Nothing changed. Okay. And they're included already in the budget. Okay.

All in favor? Any opposed? Motion carried. Takes a roll call. Yes. For the for the village. Correct. Okay. Mr. Fowler. Yes. Mr. Bard. Yes. Mr. Lang. Yes. Miss Perry, yes. Mr. Johnson, yes. Miss Felter, yes. Mr. Green, yes. Yes. Okay, Madam President, you have six yeses and one absent. Mr. Motion carried that.

Okay. Number 16 to consider following adoption of an ordinance resending or August 178, 2024 that authorized the mayor to enter into an intergovernment agreement between the city of Alexandria and greater Alexandria economic development authority gate district for the purpose of cooperative economic development general service related agreement an addendum and otherwise provide with respect there to matter uh to be delayed for two weeks. two weeks. Okay. Motion by Mr. Lavan to delay two weeks. Second, second by Councilman Johnson. Public comments discussion. All in favor? Oh.

I'm just disappointed Miss Felter had to step out. I understand. Given the previous discussion in the uh committee meeting, I think it's disingenuous of this council to encourage uh a sitdown meeting between the leadership of Gada and the administration when they have not fully seated the GA board. I'd like to make my appeal to Mr. Valard, council person Lizzie Felter to fill their commissioner seats as soon as possible. end the tacet embargo of GADA, allow them to be fully functional, fulfill their mission of economic development in the community, and give us a full slate of commissioners to do that work. We're going to ask them uh in this room to do that work, then empower them to do it with your uh commissioner seats. Thank you. Okay,

somebody else. Mr. White, are y'all delaying this? I'm just asked. So, can we speak on it in two weeks? Yes. Yes. Okay. Okay. Thank you. Okay. Okay. Um discussion. All in favor? I oppose. Motion carried. Number 17 to consider followship with an ordinance to redesign and reconstruct cheetah park to includes include a new baseball field with the locker rooms, weight rooms, dugout, batting cage along with a parking lot that includes a tailgating for recreation vehicles. Motion, please. Move. Second. Second.

Motion by Councilman Lombardane. Second by Councilman Johnson. Public comments. Mr. White. Yes, ma'am. Madam President, thank you ma'am. You're welcome.

Again, I am Mr. Cornelius Lawson White Jr. I live at 363810 Street in Alexandria, Louisiana, zip 71302. And my phone number is area code 3184466934. Now, I know y'all do all of these projects. It seems like always at near election time and stuff like that. I live over there in that area. This thing should have been taken care of a a good long time ago. And I I know Miss Perry, you trying to work hard with the administration and get stuff done just like you want to get those doors replaced at that venue over there. Um, but it just seems like we always want to wait till it's close to election time to put all of these different projects together and stuff when we need to start out at the ground trying to get it, you know, going. But anyway, I'm glad y'all are working on it. So, God bless you. God bless America.

Thank you, Mr. White. Discussion. All in favor? Well, I got I want to talk something. Um, how much money is this going to cost us? Huh? Don't know yet. Well, well, we have a recreation tax. Yeah. Yeah. Uh, a recreation tax. Don't I don't think it covers that for 2 million or at least I don't know how it might be 3 or 4 million the way you want it. You want weight rooms, dugouts, batting cages, locker I mean parking lot, uh, tailgating areas. Um, you know, I have no problems. I like how much it cost. What you have with it? I mean, you

How much how much going to I mean, our budget's tight as can be. You know that. Everybody wants something. Everybody wants something. Everybody wants something. But Well, I want something and I want that baseball field done. I know. I asked I asked for it to be done, but but a lot of things that was put in there was put in there by the administration. So it's it's not that's not about the cost u Mr. Lord it's about something that should have took place long time ago. Okay. Thank you. Okay. Who uses a baseball field anyway? Well, we can't we can't use it to you need it torn up that bad. No one use it.

Hey y'all. No, we need to pass over there and check on it. Madam President, pass the If we could pass the ordinance and if you choose to go out and look at it, please do. And I dare tell you I got pictures on my phone. But uh

uh Madame President has been looking into this. I don't play baseball, but I do go out there. I went out there once I was contacted about the severity of the place. So that's why I made the comment about the rec director making sure that the whole area is taken care of. The whole city, the whole city. I'm just not from one side, the other side, the entire city. If we want to bring commerce and people to this city, we've got to have an overall face to make the city look well. Thank you, Madam President.

You're welcome. And then, u Mr. Valor, we have Peabody Magnet High School that has to go to someone else's field to play baseball and then in order for them to play baseball, they have to keep up the field themselves, which is a public field for the city. So therefore, whatever the administration added in here, I want it all. Same with Thank you. Yeah, that was Yeah. And I I have no idea how much it's going to cost, but we need it. We'll find out. Whatever. We'll find out. All in favor?

Any opposed? Motion carried number 18 to consider file adoption of an ordinance authorizing mayor to enter agreement between the city of Bell and the Louisiana department and dreary in the state of Louisiana. Motion please move second. Second motion by council member boy second by councilwoman Felter. Public comments discussion all in favor. Any opposed? Motion carried. Number 19 to consider file adoption of an ordinance authorizing the mayor to enter into a contract with Bonnet Auction Company LLC for professional auctioneering services. Motion please. Second. Second.

Motion by Councilwoman Felter, second by Councilman Johnson. Public comments. Um discussion. All in favor? Any opposed? No. No. No. Okay. You need to speak. Um council. No. No. Not on 19th. Okay. I need to ask a question. All right. All in favor? Motion carried. Me uh before Madam President, what to the administration and to the citizen of Alexandria, a death occurred last weekend on Eddie Williams Boulevard from drag racing on I49 from Sugar House Road to Broadway.

And I just want to say that many people have complained to me about the drag racing on Eddie uh down Sugar House. I don't know if the city police, the parish police are aware of it. They say it occurs about 11:30 at night. Some of the people in the room are the ones who have complained at 11:30 at night. I'm in my bed, but I wish the police aware of it, be more cognizant of it, start issuing tickets and do something about that. That death should have been not that should not have occurred. Thank you for letting me make that statement. The death did not occur because of the drag race. Oh, yes it did.

No, the death occurred. The kids were probably out there for it, but it was a drunk driver. It's not fair to just say that it was a drunk driver that did it. It was a drunk driver that hit him while he was watching the dragon, right? So, so it's got more than one cause, but it was definitely a drunk driver that should have been drunk able to be in a car because they should have been doing dime, right? Yeah. That that's the more and the kid wouldn't have been out there had they not been drag racing.