City Council - Regular Meeting

Please

here green district green district

block district Father God, we thank you for another day. We thank you for your grace, your mercy, your kindness, your generosity. We thank you for giving us the opportunity. Lord God, continue to guide our hearts, our minds, our thoughts that we may continue to do the best for the city of Bas and always keep you first in everything that we do. Oh God, again I just ask all these blessings in your son Jesus name. Amen. Amen.

I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands. One nation under God indivisibley and justice for all. [snorts] We have a moment moment of silence please for that lost and lost

also Dr. Tim Spy family. agenda modification.

Um, a couple of things. Um, I know our last meeting we discussed um creating a review committee for the ambulance service and I don't see anywhere on the agenda. So, I don't know what we need to do next. Absolutely.

Okay.

Um I would like from district I would like for us to go back to actually signing the resolution. The reason being for You don't know what happened years from now. I can go back and look and see what I signed besides someone said I voted on sometimes videos. What do the council have to do the council agree to go back resolutions or some things that come before the council? instead of having

every resorporation resolution because you have you The reason sometimes even minutes in you know we have errors in the minute. So that way there be another way of being transparent to place

right [clears throat] it to next month's agenda. public comments as they relate to the items on the agenda.

Good evening. Thank you again once again Bradford 13 Washington about the agenda here I'm community development I'll be back number 10 number 10 I Let me go action on the previous meeting. Okay. We have one listed but got resol under the resolution have s is that something else that we expected to take place tonight not number each resolution should appear with his own individual number but they have anything else I will I don't want to lose my right to speak on resolution that's coming forward that I may have some concern on

but we have a number on

okay you have a number for the one different appointment of civil service but also something that's coming. I'd like to assert my wife the right to speak on you know as a comment right it's just on there

what you're saying under the modification that I can come back with something that say get up again and say well I get a chance to speak on that's the modification no there's no modification state law then if it is expanded that you get a second commentary on that specific yeah I understand something broad to the business but I'm asking my question very close is there anything else that we expect to bring tonight any other resolution tonight? No, sir.

Okay. Okay. Thank that that gave me a concern. I got one more here. I look at number 12 about any new or unfinished planning and zoning matters that any other matters that I like to reserve my right to speak on zoning or planning that you know may come up [laughter] the committee may come up speak about something that we have no idea about. I'd like to make a comment. agenda as put together those items will always be there if there's any business under those items but that way each time you know hey item 13 is always modification item 12 is always planning that way those those items stay the same number okay understand if the zoning need to come up tonight. We assigned to set a nuclear bomb on Western Madison. Can a student get up at that time to make that comment any item that will be added to this agenda?

Well, we not we're not expecting anything from the zone. So, pretty much what we saying is if it's not on the agenda and added to the because it's not on the comment, right? I'm saying that based on this nothing be added at this time. Okay. Thank

you. Okay. Thank you. I need you better. You won't go that way. I just want to make sure

announcement and recognition by the mayor and council. I'd like I'd like to um congratulate Miss Jania Tims Victoria class of 2025 at Grammy State University. She's from Bastro. They say it ain't no good in B. She went down there and she worked her tail off and she earned every bit of it. She couldn't be with us tonight. We do have a proclamation ready. She stopped by the city hall yesterday. We took pictures. I congratulated her and uh so did the marshall. She stopped in for a quick second and she let me know she had a job. She wasn't gonna be able to make the night and I said that got you where you are now today. So she had to work. She couldn't take off

and she's right here from across but she's made the city of Bast

and um Mrs. Pierre, our attorney, Mr. Pierre, uh his wife also, he's on the board of supervisor supervision for the Louisiana system that governs over GSU and eight other universities. She was going to come and be a part of what we going to do for Mr. Knight. So, I told her she was going to make it and I told her thank you. She was we just want to congratulate her because and thank her because she was giving up her time to come congratulate Miss also point out

yeah and congratulations goes out there too also we like to congratulate all graduates that's graduating

from this city and surrounding areas [clears throat] we we got a lot lot we have a lot of people from B that's graduating and doing good and I just like to take my hats off council I know they do too counselor I'll be doing we also have a parade It turned out real good. First year we got a float in it. Morray, our clerk. Um, and who else was? Miss Cotton and Sandra. So, Miss Sita and Mr. Hatfield. We all participated in that parade and it was awesome. Hopefully next year we can get at night. I'll get it with Miss Chmer for and see if they can change it over tonight because if broken good, we can do it. We don't have that much violence. If you have not, then the city of Nashville put on. Uh, also, I'd like to thank the city council for calling about things in in our community. Uh, y'all think they ain't working. They are working. Trust me, they working. They call and they say, "This need be done. This need be done." Uh, something wrong over here. I just want to take my hats off to y'all city council. I appreciate every last one. And I also want to thank thank KMB for always helping in the community uh on everything getting the houses down and everything [cough] anything XM they own or you don't have they going to be on it. Thank Trey Johnson for the gateways. He's repainting them. They looking good. When you come in our city they change to black and white so they look good. Uh Drax Drax invited me to dinner on Sunday. I got a church. I went ahead and get me up there. They get their 10th year anniversary in Morehouse. Uh and we we appreciate that. So I think for anybody else parade will be the third Saturday of February.

21st will be Black History. [clears throat] Thank y'all for coming out. Appreciate it. Uh I appreciate the opportunity uh to serve uh district uh within the city of Bapt. Uh it is an honor. Uh my intent is to be a conduit from the city to the to the uh to the constituents and from the constituents to back to the city. Sort of kind of like a middleman. And uh anytime there is uh information that is requested uh this is not it's never about uh being an intrusion on any other branch of government because we all we all work together no matter what. Uh there may be some times that there are some disagreements and uh but that's just the cost of doing business. I don't care what kind of organization you're in. There's going to be some disagreements, but my job is to come up here and work with everybody that's up here on this council, uh, the mayor's office, uh, and the citizens of of Matthew. Again, I appreciate the opportunity because I I didn't have to be here. Somebody else could have been in this in this seat. So I take it very seriously about uh about serving uh the citizens of district B. Again there has been a lot of activity uh within the city. Uh I appreciate the citizens uh for reaching out and uh if if they're

they're calling me, I'm going to be calling the city. Uh if the city has some information, I can guarantee you I'll be putting it out to the people in my district and the city as a whole because I'm not just concerned about district. I'm concerned about the well-being of the total of B. So if we have some disagreements about information changing hands, then again, I'm I'm looking for this the most simple basic right answer there. There is that's it. the simplest answer there is. And I think with that going forward, uh again, I appreciate the opportunity to work with each one of the uh other different counselor, uh the mayor, uh his staff, and I look forward to u to a better uh to a better 2026. Got to get through 2025 first, but I'm looking forward to a better 2026. Again, thank you. We had a project going on project before we got in. It was already in play and we came in and put it on in place. They replacing small pipes uh in different areas. Um and one of the areas was up there by Toyota. They went back and came and looked at they didn't need to do the work. So they save us. But on another project when they got down the main line was over there on East. They got down over there and it was worse than they thought it was. It was the main line just collapsed. I'm talking about auto just collapsed. So it need to be replaced. Uh we save some money over here. They put it over here. And now uh Mr. Uh Jones, if you can pass that out to them, uh that they're asking for $25 more,000 to complete that project. And I just want to let y'all

see it. Uh not just go ahead on and do it, but it got to be done. Well, may how much did we save um for the target work? How much money do we save by not doing the project that's supposed to Okay.

[clears throat]

Yeah. 300. So the pipe is going to be like I think it's 8 in they already did for a 15 inch pipe. So we did a better deal right there. I just want to see all we've been complaining about that for a uh code enforcement over there got one of a lot of properties taken care of. They came up here several times and asked that we clean it, clean it up, clean it up. And he was just trying to go through the legal steps and he finally come up with a plan. Nobody totally different. So that's just the beginning. Hopefully we'll find out ways to continue and clean up. Thank you for finding way. I'm sure people in my district happy and proud. They've been up there three or four times and they finally found I'm not if we clean it up to you to go before

you can't micromanage that property, you know, so we got to be careful so they won't come over and continue to dump trash back over because it's abandoned property and it's really a loose. That's where people hang out at. That's where they bring their stolen goods at. That's where they fix up stuff at and if we don't do anything about it, it's going to be in the same shape again in another six months. So, thank you for attending to some of this. We got a lot of stuff in each district, but that was a pressing issue that came up here several times. Thank you, legal counsel. Congratulations. Appreciate M J Green for staying on top of us. That's something we've been working on since we got in. J Green stay on top of us. Y'all got to that property yet? Okay. Y everything got to that property yet. So I said enough was enough. [laughter] Yeah. I I also have asked the council to give me at least 20 properties and then I was going to give five and five and five to the code enforcer. I have not received nothing. So we're trying to get it together. If y'all give me 20 properties, I'll give the code enforcer five [clears throat] from each and every one of y'all. We will get we will get it done like that. He gonna come up and talk about it, but I just want to let y'all know that if he can give it to me, I can give it to him. We not going to throw all of the property on at one time. So, number six, the Senate approve of

previous minutes, 2025.

Um, it is one change. Um, council D Green said he wanted his credit for the principal. We need to change that. It says J Green did. It needs to be amended. Dary

with the necessary correction. I'll make a motion. Seven. Consideration of action of reports of committee appointed by a finance committee report. zone. I move too fast. Is there any items in the finance report that any council member would like to speak on and address while we have the mayor? You can ask the mayor and Mr. Right, Mr. Jones. So if you see anything on there, [cough and clears throat] now's the time.

Well, I think we did have some concerns about some things, but we did talk about it in the finance that attorneys were looking into.

Yeah. If I may, just to add to that, yeah, Richard Smith, we uh kind of went over how we're going to move forward and develop the process. a lot of the question that council had that we're going to address in that budget process which will begin February 1st. uh um another mayor issue um preliminary u priorities for the next fiscal year with just like a outline of the budget and we know set schedule so that we can go through in depth department by department work together budget goal is to have bud pass at least 30 days unfortunately and intimately involved line item by line item department by department and when those issues come up like some of those issues that you prom things that we flush out have some answers for possibly move forward that we start addressing the budget again February 1 talking about the budget you mind if I ask that brought my attention. I already talked this since we made some amendments to the budget. They made some adjustments last week. Do we do we have to put it in the paper or could we just make some adjustments? How how does that work? Somebody brought somebody to ask you. I forgot about that. So, we make some we make amendments to the budget. Are we required to put it in for 15 days or can we the um it's different than the general

budget uh adoption process which Mr. Jones can u advice council that these uh immediate budget adjustments that we we make I do believe um they fall outside of that requirement that you have to do with the initial publishing of the budget. M Jones can kind of chime in on that. So I I think we've been in compliance with these adjustments. uh budget that so we're not out. Okay. I mean, but I mean technically I mean the council want to incur cost.

I I guess we can ask that question because we've always been like at the beginning at the end of year we come in we always we want to amend the budget. So we never put it in the paper again. What I'm saying we all just came in and voted on it. But I'm just saying if what is the difference between midyear and end of the year? There's no difference.

Yeah. And again uh we can't get a a more definite it varies from certain percent but based on the number that I looked at it didn't it didn't go I didn't go above 2% was what is Mr. Jones 5%

but I I can see I can see the the how vital it is what you ask because again don't make amendments to the taxpayers money right the bottom line number 14.3 we just made so that's why I say it's different um but we are in compliance but again the top end number didn't change we hadn't adjusted because again I said there are some room for grow regards to the sales tax and we'll address that later once

I guess I guess this only reason I brought it up because it brought my attention and I thought about ever since I've been on the council we we reconcile the budget at the end of the year it's the same process and we never ever put it in paper so I'm I'm saying is there something different but are we going to use the same mechanism the same we're following the budget the same are we doing the same thing that we normally correct because I know we prison ministry brought us a budget like every month to reconcile that we finally we finally rec to the attention you just got legal counsel so I just like [laughter] we just doing it more systematic

but I have question Even if the bottom no change when a budget become amended that means some changes took place. So even when those changes take place, do we not need to do we not need to advertise because it's a change somewhere you know I [laughter] and we and I get it I get you right we haven't did it but apparently question you just because we haven't did it don't mean that we should you know something to look into because I I kind of see you know it's a budget mean there something changes somewhere because if it wasn't going to We're trying to avoid, you know, having a fine at the end of the year because we had to [clears throat] end up doing totally transparent that instead of us being end of year of change took place year to date, we doing which give everybody insight on where we how much money we spent. I think Mr. Jones that regards to

Yeah. So you're not really a budget line items applies to the fund balance and so the line items are matters changing changing it's the because what you did was you need to finance that money that go into it. So actually the bottom line number is staying the same. So I get the bottom doesn't change but the question would be even for that particular line for something to be amended mean it has to be something that that was that was causing something to be amended meaning we just say we we do offic we we uh now we We we increase that office expense by $10,000. Now we want to know where. So if you do that that mean you have to take it from somewhere else in order for that number to change. But if you can't increase somewhere then not decrease somewhere else. So so even one item change another item had to change in order to offset the need to change higher or lower. You're exactly right. You're 100% right. It came out of a category that was actually that line item wasn't spinning at the rate at that saw.

Yeah. This is just extra transparency without bringing it to the council because lots It's [laughter] actually help someone deal with taxp. Hey, when did we swallow this one up? My last one I had had it here.

I think I said before, uh even though we're in compliance, if the council wanted to we can we have that adjustment to to the budget to be able to do so. But to ask your question, we are in compiance. U I just couldn't articulate on top of a do that. more directly by looking up. But yeah, the bottom line you don't have to until you exceed the line. You don't have you don't have transparency. move forward to report that in my district. Yes. Okay. He's here tonight because I can bring him to the mic now. I think that's I think that's what he had. He had he had a a planning his alter.

Okay. Well, I guess I'm asking because I spoke with the Came

reason I'm calling him up here because somebody brought to my attention that when the council well when the legal council not city council but the attorney said he was within his Right. Specs. You gave us specs and he gave you specs that you had to meet. Right. So when I went by there the other day, you almost in compliance, but you're not all the way in compliance right as of right now. But I spoke with you and you say you still in the process of finishing up the project. And I just want to know kind of give us a timeline. And I just want the people in my district to know because you know when person come to you and they tell you that they're gonna complete a project and do something and you know we we me as counselor we always on the side of caution and with the homeowner based on that said I went by and looked at it's not connected now and I'm just wondering how long will it be and are you still in the process because I know it's not complete because if you in if you saying is complete now then it's not in stretch but I spoke with you and you said you definitely was still working on it so can you explain to the people so we can explain to the people

yeah could we actually held off on the first year which is my grandmother her my problem. He just passed away couple weeks ago. That kind of put it on hold a little bit.

We were going with it full strong and Mr. C did a wrench in it and kind of hiccup this and all that and they just changed it original plans on what was going it had to be connected. So it did take a little bit of redesign connecting it to the house. Uh we are still in the process with the death there. I'm only able to work on weekends. I'm going out of town like to see my father on the weekend kind of been a little bit of a slow process. I did get position come back after the first year. That's really a question. So I I heard you say this, Mr. Co like this. Can you can you elaborate on what?

Well, I guess it's really might be somewhat my fault when my in-laws asked me to build this far. We're just going to throw up a not for park. I had no idea that there. I guess I should have checked into regulations and all that neighborhood. It had to be roof line connected connected to the house. Well was not aware of that. So he shuts down for over two months just trying to get it process for goong with it.

And the reason and the reason I as I do remember that this particular situation council green advocated for it came before the council and I thought that what was agreed on that. So, how I'm I'm just curious to know how Mr. Hook was able to come to you about changes that was made from he didn't actually come to me. He went to the neighborhood and try to get a position petition. Was that that was before [laughter] was that before you came here or after you came? [clears throat] the whole

the has to be connected to the house originally. We was unaware of that. We are in the process about it right now. D nothing happened right now. About two weeks ago, three weeks ago, one round we finished the concrete [snorts] and holding off until the first year the holiday by the death I think I only point that I want to make is make sure that that you was going to be in compliance. You just stated that you plan on connecting it. So that's I just ask roughly we never gave you a timeline. I just wanted to make sure that you was going to show us that you was going to be in compliance. That's what I'm saying. You're still working on you're still working on the project. It's not a done project. We're still in process of being in compliance finishing up the job. Correct. Okay. That's all I need to know.

Uh I'm just trying to get a good good understanding of what what you're saying. You came here and you got authorization to go ahead with your blanket, right? You did. And uh you were given the Okay. Now you're saying, you come back saying that a monkey wrench was to so everything is clear, right? He's just not. He just compromised. You know, we get further down the road. We don't want to have structure starts to be occupied and used and it's not being competing to figure out from our stand forward

on behalf of the city because the fact is it's it's being used and occupied And then we have an issue with it's not a compiance or I just we need to have this thing wrapped up within probably the next 30 60 days as soon as we can because I guess it needs to not be used at this point because the reality is is that if we asked anybody who came to us submitted plans and then built something nonforming those plans which were out of out of spec with our ordinances and have to use it. I I guarantee if you ask her one question, [snorts] I plan on doing it that way. I plan on picking six numbers every time.

So just for curiosity for all of us, then if if somebody comes and we we agree on some plans and it don't happen, what happened to that project? take place what happened to the project I don't want to commit to the house

that's where we come in that's where I have to make decision to do it. Then what happens is you violation ordinances which at what point most the person is instead of a project that's nonforming is go out and receive a temporary training district. Ultimately, the end result of that is is you seek injunction and declaration of relief saying that, hey, you either destroy it or we're going to compliance.

So, that that's that's kind of where I'm at is I get calls about it because it was something that was contentious and once people start seeing it kind of being accused of it,

but but who do we need to put a law, you know, It was just something I just gave you. It was okay. Trust me, I didn't bring you up. I just wanted to make sure that you were you was going to be in compliance. I didn't I didn't I didn't intend for you. What I'm saying is that [snorts] [clears throat] we allowed you gave us a plan and we went by. So, uh, Mr. actually contacted me about what's the time period. So, we're just trying to figure out, hey, how quickly are you going to get there? How much do I need to put on the calendar system to come back and say, hey, did this get

I'll be in contact with you. So you can get me probably not [clears throat] right now and I get back and I can contact individual council members and we just want we just want to make sure that you don't be in comp Okay. Thank you for coming up. I just wanted to make sure that you was going to be in compiance. I got the answer that I was looking for. But you don't be in compliance. If you come back three months later, four months later start,

we all good here. Yes sir. Thank [laughter] you

sir. Items submitted by me for the agenda. Mr. Miles Tony 6 Mr. Green Mr. Green attorney know I don't have to remind you all the Mr. Democrat all he did impacting the life of so many should be left to linger in the animals of time. I believe it's the right thing to do and I believe that you are the right people in the right place at the right time to do this to make the birthday of Mr. Henry Charles Cotton City and to change the name of the airport to the Hind Memorial Airport. Mr. Mayor, thank you. Thank you all. sir.

Yeah. So as far as far as we can do that something resolution however naming the airport is something that we have related to that sticking with it that was probably initially all research on holidays and things like appointment last night and those are proclamations. The council can issue a resolution holiday.

No, like the holidays.

[laughter]

for agenda for January. See you later. All right. [clears throat]

Happy holiday. Mary just being a life is very hard and I I don't want to go by what I heard but what I know. Oh, it's been ever since March. And I had nothing from this particular

1305 council of Yeah, you please explain this so have understanding about

your presentation. Yes. I just want to know what on 200 houses and I never had this problem.

You speak up, please. Sir,

can you speak in your mic, please? Miss Hawkins has performed numerous I've talked to numerous times spoken. The issue on this payment is that this was a cooperative endeavor agreement. There was two parties contracted to this. That was the city of Baxter and that was a individual who was the representative for that piece of property 135. when it came time that CX are nothing more than contracts city private party who represented they were the person who had the authority to maintain that property alone that's we can't go on somebody's property we have no right to be there without that that person was going to get reimbured for any demolition work that was done on that property. When it came time to have that agreement signed, there were some issues that were similar to this happens that we discussed last week or last at which point the private person who was supposed to come up here and get the payment and execute the C said, I want you to W9. They don't want to get that 1099 this month. [clears throat] They did not want to appear at that point which then left a house of demolished by

everything there was a contract was between the city and the private person. That person had to do the work. we would reimburse that person for the work that was done when was presented going directly to Miss Hawkins. So us having the authority to be on that property. Basically we don't have anything from that person saying that we can pay if we pay the contractor for that work. That means that we authorize the work. We had the contractor perform that work on our behalf without the owner or representative owner's permission on a private piece of property. It's no different than if it was your house and there were some issues with it and we just privately went in there with no other action. No, [cough] we [clears throat] had to send it to environmental court. We haven't gave you a notice of violation. We simply just went in there, did the work, and paid a contract. We would be liable because we did not go through the propert. So, I I thought the initial CA was for, and I might be wrong, but I thought it was the property owner gave consent for Miss Mary to do the performance work.

Correct. And the way that consent works is through the only agreement that would be signed to to to establish that consent was that CF that was not that was not signed. So once she was once the private person was informed that they have to send the W9 payment would be issued to them. So what's the difference like just like this we have and You don't have we have we have it with three parties on this and here's why it's a it is and it's with three parties partner as come sign each and every one of them and here's why because K went out there and they have an executed agreement with that property and I have a copy of those executed agreements that says they can do it is not the same no because at this point we don't have anybody who's authorized on behalf of that property to say we on that property said we can do that. All we're doing is back and these contain [cough] what I believe to place the person that property gave consent. And she only said it in the meeting. She did not sign any.

Yes. And Miss Hawkins and I have she's researched it too. Okay. That person is dead is the owner of that. We had somebody [clears throat] else

but if you don't mind asking The person talking about the property you did 1305 sound like preacher [laughter]

preacher in a nursing home

preacher was a family man. He was just [laughter] speaking auth who told you to turn down the Can can I speak let me speak please stop watch I was mayor I mean council at the time he be very close I Mr. Harris is here Miss Hawin sign Miss Harris and Mrs. Hawin I mean Mrs. uh

Harris I return home personal home personal and got the consent the consent form have been signed who by by Mrs. Harris who the overseer of the property Mrs. uh contractor, Miss Hawkins, myself, and the counselor. All three signature appear. Hold on. Let me put Hold on, man. Hold on. Hold on. You ain't call three people to lie tonight. Not tonight. Okay. Well, you said you didn't have a phone today.

Let me let me sh what you want. I'm not here to lie. I said we one community. This young lady, Miss Harris, she is her part. She is her part. I did mine. I turned it into the attorney several times. Wait, hold on. You turn it to Where's the W9 attorney?

Okay. Okay. Now, the W9 is prepared by by Mrs. Har. Miss Harris say I don't want to miss Harry Har said I do not want to sign a W9 through the tax. She said but I gave her consent to do the work. So let me ask right in order for Miss W9 had to be signed by So let me ask you a question. at the time. Did you did you ask Miss Carolyn would she be okay with signing a W9 for Miss for Miss Hawk to get paid? But truthfully, I didn't even aware that she had to sign a W9. It's not stated in the contract that a W9 would have to be signed. Well, the contract say nothing in the contract that you need a W9. So, when you did the work for Miss Miss Angela, did you have to sign W9?

Yeah. So you need I'm going so I'm only speaking. So I was asking if was she aware that sign? So she was aware. Correct. Not been time. She had to be. She did hers first. I thought she did her first. I thought she did your first mine. She did her phone was signed first. I was the first one to do the ARP project. I was the first initial. She did hers.

So at the time you Mr. W9 at the time it was not a contract that a sign. to be truth and honest right now. So only holding up being signed a sign she said she did not see contract will sign a do you feel comfortable sign well you just I see on

because with this W9 conversation came up Mr. have been before this council herself on several times trying to say hey look get it take care say I'll get that only thing we need to to make it so9 she didn't do the work

it's not it's not it's not our rule it's the IRS's Any person who receives a pay has to have a United with us. That is a contract. Anyone that do work right here. Say that again. Anyone do work. Anybody who receives a payment.

Okay. Get a payment for work. She she did the work. You said and be honest and I'll tell you this the night that it came out about the W9 had me done because I don't do the purchase in that you can pull the video from that night said I've got no problem doing that I'll do so let me ask a question not just just to kick back we're getting ready to bowl and I know You guys said there's three people involved with the pay, right?

So is the property owner are we paying the propert because the property owner has to give consent but we have the consent in the contract signed by K&B. Huh? We have consent in the contract. KMB gets a contract executed between them. It says all of it allows them to consent for us to K&B is not the property owner. KB is not but they're also paying half of it. So they get the consent. They get the consent and then they get the consent from the property. They get it from the property. Yeah. The reason why is because

and the one we voted on right the contract they have authorization I'm sorry. [laughter] So we so we contract correct but is not the same situation the property owner is signing

this will sign this agreement that you're willing to allow the contractor to come on here and do this, then we'll pay X dollars to help you get it done. Okay? Because we've got somebody doing it, too. They sign that. They then come to us and say, "Hey, will y'all agree to pay half the bill with us?" So, we pay half the bill with them. They already have everything. It's kind of like they did.

So, so take So, take the half of the pay from you. The same scenario. Just take away we gonna pay h and how would the scenario work? How would the scenario work? If we're going to we would have to have a contract signed between those parties authorizing the city of Ber to be on that property. So the consent is not authorizent all there was no consent signed anywhere other than that's consigned there in the agreement which says that it goes to property Now,

please do my name. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry.

My name is Carolyn Harris. I reside at 512 521 Alabama Avenue, Bastard, Louisiana. I'm looking through my phone because I have a copy of what was brought to me for me to sign, Betty Allen to sign, um, Miss Hawkins to sign, and Mr. Bracket to sign. I signed my rights for her to tear down the house and get paid. No one told me that I needed to sign anything else. As a matter of fact, it wasn't just me talking to Mr. Bracken. It was my aunt in Monroe also because she made me take pictures. Even though I'm the overseen, she made me take pictures of everything. I signed saying it was okay for them to go on the property and tear it down. Then we came up here. Mr. Jones going to tell me out there in the parking lot, "Don't worry about it. You ain't got to sign nothing. If I'm lying, Lord, strike me down.

Miss Hopkins is going to get taken care of. She going to get paid." Okay. So, lingered on. Lingered on. They called me up here to sign some papers. I'm thinking it has something to do with M unity. When I get up here, they tell me it's a property. That's when I told them, "NO, I'M NOT SIGNING NO W or whatever you call it to um do do that." Okay. So, bottom line is I signed it over for her to be able to do the property. Now in the process of it, why am I signing anyway when the property has been duplicated?

Because just because you still have rights to

nevertheless, I signed the papers. I have a copy. I signed the papers for them to to authorize her to to uh get paid to do the work.

No one told me anything about a W9 or anything like that. All I was told is that I needed to sign the papers so she could be able to go on the premises and do the work. I did that. Now, where the ball was dropped at, I don't know. And can I address adjudication, please? The property was adjudicated to the Mohawk Fair. Mr. Mitchell was attorney at the time. He gave us a letter, which I gave to Mr. Jones, the city government, a letter saying they had no objection to the property being uh condemned. That's a letter from the police jury, Mr. Mitchell. I that was a question came about, but this Jew became property. I went took it before the jury Mr. Mitch and the jury had no adjustment to having the problem. Then we moved it forward with this project and my family had just spoke her position and Miss

real quickly uh Mr. Don't put me in the process right now. In the process, we have CAS. We have to sign it. No purchasing requires for IRS rules. So, and so Miss Harris, she needs to sign a W9 for her to get paid, but Miss Harris is not going to sign W9, right?

Okay. So, where where does where does that where does that put the uh uh the payment process? The owner cannot sign without my authority. So, so here's the first time since and and also understand this everything just told you about that because there was fixing on from correctly March.

I will say now was it March or April that we've been dealing with it? One of the two.

It's been lingering on since March. There's a lot there's a lot more of the fixes I offered at the time they were offered or not. So by the time July rolled around, you can tell it's quite contentious. Uh everybody has kind of first time I've seen this since then. There is a fix and there is a fix that I can hope. We can alter the C to pay somebody different, but I can't alter that contract until it's voted on by council. If Miss Harris can sign it and I can get everybody in, but by the time the administration got in here, everybody was because it had been four, five, six months. What can we do? I can if if if Harris

if I can get one get it on the agenda the altered CA where Miss Harris signs off on work being done then Miss Mary signs off that she's going to get paid which is fine uh then we can pay because I have somebody to work on the property we Put it in the January. Miss Harris, that work talking about my signature. Now say that again. I just need your signature for the consent because I have to alter the paying party which is okay. So the consent that I did the first time is invalid.

Well, it's just because that contract that was the paying party was was to you alter her. I have to have that information. Let me let me real quick. Uh now you're talking about you're talking about a fix new fix for M get paid, right? So maybe that's bad.

Well, it's a it's not only part it's actually so what I'm asking is so now that there is a way to fix this. I don't want to have this uh let's say it comes to the council then voted off it's approved and then then something else the something else I'm worried about is do we have the legal documents that actually say that Miss Harris is the representative of that property that's what she Okay bottom line that we can move on please

there's a legal contract been executed and effect the only thing that's holding up was the W9 we don't get a W9. We need to execute a new but agreement. So you going to be paid still have a W9. So that's been the bottom line issue. There's been a legal contract that's perfected. The only hung up was the administrative part was the IRS det. So the fix that Mr. Jones talked about is exeg. And then Miss I mean uh Miss Har [clears throat] right on this. We know the person that's doing the work is going to have to submit W9,

right? So the person that's doing the work is going have to submit to W9. So let's backtrack to this property. So she actually did the work, right?

So what would be the difference in her? But let me finish. There's two parts to this. two components I think we get we getting we get it intertwined the point of the matter is because you can't say one thing and do a different thing in a different scenario because if this when if the person going to work need the W9 she actually need to work so she should provide the W9 let me finish now back up you talking about the legality of it not being the rightful error to give consent to the person that's doing the work in the beginning. Now, that does not that does not exclude her from getting paid because she actually did the work because she is the one she shouldn't be submitting W9 because she actually did the work just like K. We not going to make them submit the W9. The person that's doing the work is going to W9. Am I right? I'm talking you're 100% you're 100% right once you do

and the diff the small tweaking difference is the written consent to do that work on that property existed only in the document that we had that night which had the If you wanted the city to pay somebody who y'all had authorized them to pay, there would have been no problem. But by the time we got to the point where we could chainsaw party to pay this was five months down the road and everybody was trying to get it was very

correct. It's the only change is the same [clears throat] part that Ca saying the language of contracts matter you know context and and and the things still similar but the language has to different language different kind of CA but two different languages from now on we need to we need to make sure that we get the language right

because we don't need to be going kind of struggle every time because it look like you're paying one and not paying another one. But then when you get to looking at the contract language, you say, "Hey, the reason we can't pay it is because the way I [laughter] listen to the 30day,

but I thought initially the only thing that was holding off on CA, but I just subject attorney attorney. You know what really transpired when we first did it was back under the administration. Correct. It was back when we had the great money. So there was not a lot of stipulations. You got to go back in history

to see where we at now. When we first did it, Miss what's her name? Miss Hart came and she gave us stipulations and there was no stipulation W9. She said you pretty much can go do whatever you want with this money long as it falls within the category. But then when you draw a CDA and the language states otherwise, right? Because you say language matters and Yeah. when the previous administration means financ.

Yeah. Right. So, Mr. Jones, you going to redo it and we'll redo it and we'll get this off the page. We can move to the next [cough]

we develop. community. I got a couple more things.

No, that's the way you go. I'm move here for tonight. Again, communities in development. We are city government. Everybody know that pastors need to be developed. Each and every person here in this that has been elected is a part of the development of this community along with every citizen of this community. Don't miss talking about time. We're going to talk about community development. Okay. First of all, let's talk about polite in this community. order to have a better district, we're going to have to deal with our blight. I said we that's the city government as citizens that work. Okay, another thing education. We're going to have to network with the other agencies that go with education because there are people right here in our parish, right here in our parish that's building school all over the state of Louisiana and we don't have one. The same outfit that you see on 165 skeleton the same person that initiated a shame. Why? Because we can't come together. I said we as a government body. Okay. As a city father for budget, we got to make sure that we're following the budget act. And I ask each and every councilman especially my councilman to do their own research because mine different from the attorney

not done mine because if there any reason to amend any part of the budget without bringing the citizen why have the citizen do the original budget but that's still taxpayer money. I show you for example I hear our council talking about amending the budget the sew student sewer fee student fee cannot be put into the general budget pay administration that's a voted millage by the citizens we can't do that against the law do your own research don't take me from child practice please do [clears throat] your own research I love this city I think this where was there a meeting just day before yesterday I was surprised how many people in education and throughout all different walks of life got to say how much they love B we love this city and we got to stop this vigilant battling and care among one another to be that's community I also want to become economic battle compliance are we in compliance right now with the state and federal grants. Mr. Jones, I think that might be

We are. We are. Okay. What's your I'm sorry. We are. We are. Thank you, Mayor Mayor. And when did that when did that be? We got Okay. Okay. We got to We don't know. I [laughter] want to know what what was going on. Sure. You know I ask a good attorney tell you never ask a question if you already know the answer. [laughter] Okay. Okay. But

those are the things we need to work on. Priority to this city life council right now is getting ready for March. March the 31st. March the 30th is our deadline to file our audit report. Now my friend Mr. Jones. Okay. But my friends, Mr. Jones and previous administration had actually tried to kill our local newspaper. How you got to kill they fiated his newspaper because I [clears throat] had to find heal tactic. See I'm getting from Bat. I got friends in Bat Washington DC. Got friends all over the country. 72 years old. I can get short. But what I'm saying is we got to utilize what we have for our community. People came back to been all around the world and they taught this and that and they came back. They love ambassadors because I love ambassador. Okay. but community development. With that said, with that said, I would like to ask this president council. [clears throat] Therefore, therefore, I would like to ask this president council to form a community development committee that will work in all these areas. We spoke about education, bright economic development, receiving money. If you get your community involved, the communities involved and the people that involved, I think we can move our

community to another level. I think I may say it's a new day and a new way. Let's do it right way and we'll get it done. Thank you for your time. What point of clarity I'll make for that ethics commission called I told my legal opinion not a violation ethics but yesterday what happened yesterday [laughter] [clears throat]

you was the represent of that person dollar who did Yeah. Your name came up down. Yes. Come on. We can drop. We can have me and you get together. Me

talked about the money being used. I also I checked on that also and I spoke with the owner also and he said we in compant said when we use the we can't use the school money and well we go by legal advice and then I also talked to the I talked to the auditor and he said we well within our right to use the money he don't know why we haven't been using it in that

not administration calls for I I I spoke with him in depth Okay, then you fine. So he said why would you pass something you know you got to have something I give you example when you you got to work what do they get paid out of

so you don't have a sewer project in a sewer and it's you got the lower tax the week we can grow for one day and then you also got another tax which you call the fees. So if you don't have all that, who would pass a tax for a a sewer and you know somebody's got to operate from the general [clears throat] fund? I I I I didn't say we pay from the general fund. We we always The problem is we've been paying it from the general fund. We should go back to We should do it in the man. We should have been doing it. should have been paid out of that out out of out of the out of sew

but not out of the general fund. Right. Right. Not out of the general fun. Right. Okay. If I remember, go back and check your record. Mr. Smith was talking about combining it into the general fund. That's illegal. That's what I'm No, no, no. Go ahead, check the record. I'm not going to talk about all I'm talking about that. Okay.

I'm not going to disrespect the council. We can talk about that later. reports of chief of police and council rights. I recommend these following establishments for renewal of liquor license for 2026 and the person of the assign 124 South Washington restaurant happy 1233 North Washington class retail happy Morehouse Country Club 1729 Class B private club Value Books and Boos number 25 108 East Madison class A retail off premises and stop number one 1610 West Madison Avenue class A premises only chief if you bring this before they are in compliance I'll make a motion approve I Okay. [clears throat] I have a motion on the floor.

Okay. Well, I have two new liquor licenses. Um, the first one is going to be 741 Collison Road, JLL stop number three, class A retail dealer off premises. The second one is going to be JL stop number one East Madison class 8 off. Where is um is 101 East Madison? That's the short side. They changed owners

and Jesus on a motion. Chief, you have a good report about some um people that went to academy, right?

Yes, ma'am. We had choose to graduate this Monday have already started on any I guess [clears throat] she left. Yes, ma'am. graduate and we had one yesterday that passed entry into the What does that bring our number to now?

Our number still is at um 16 for now, but that's the complete number for the department. The number on patrol is going to be seven still get this train. They'll move it up to eight. We also lost an officer. One of our officers left and went to learn. What that make? It's still the same because he left and we gained more than yesterday. Right. So, how many days are we operating our police department? We're operating every day and three nights we have a shift that works and on the other two the other nights during the week the sheriff department.

Thank you question. How many how many days are you operating a day? 24 hours a day. You just operate three nights a week. Seven days a week, three nights. I mean, not speak about that budget for that. We gonna have to keep that cost somewhere else for how we operate. balanced budget. Sir, you could present us a balanced budget.

We still you can go back uh to the uh first amendment section with this budget.

Yes, sir. I'm just if I could get the attention if I could. Yeah. keep them right. And are you are you doing exit interviews? Um are they telling you what's the problem?

Actually, actually it's just these larger agencies. They got the benefits a little better and they entic the larger agencies. Lots of agencies are [cough and clears throat] Christian be competing with Christian mayor stated earlier. Uh, I'd like to ask everybody in the community to please pray for the family. U most of yall know we had a tragic fire yesterday morning. So please play pray for the family and the first responders. On a good note, we graduated four recruits last week. Um, I'd like to thank the mayor, Councilman Green, and Green for showing up. Uh, it was a pretty uh pretty good graduation ceremony. I like thank y'all for coming and y'all support. Um, we have a bicycle drive going. Uh, I'm going to continue collecting till tomorrow. Uh, and then and it's going really well. I don't want to put the numbers out there right now, but it's it's it's going really well. But that don't mean I'm still not going to be collecting because I want to reach as many children as we can and get them on their bikes and get them outside with some activities. So, and I will announce uh this weekend uh the giveaway day uh in the details on on what that's going to look like. So, I want all of y'all spread the word um so we can get that out there. Also, we had our uh

[clears throat] 100 year anniversary for the M fire department. Um so, I encourage y'all if you hadn't watched the video, it's it's about 11 minutes long, but it's I think it's well worth it. So, it's shared on the city page now. Thank the mayor for sharing that. If not, it's on the master proud farm page. Please go look at it and look at the history of the master power for 100 years. U so we celebrated that and uh as you'll see a part of that video, you'll notice where I speak in there and I proud to say I've been my family has been part of the master fire department for 74 continuous years. [applause]

[laughter]

on a personal level. Uh I told the mayor in a staff meeting the other day that u uh Rustin fire chief uh suddenly passed away about a month ago and he was the the district representative from the state of Louisiana for the Louisiana Fire Chief Association. He was over 12 parishes. Um so that created an absence on the board and I was elected and nominated. Come on now. [applause] That's all I got.

Did y'all have anything um celebratory by the hundred years for the fireman for the fire department? So we had we had we celebrated our annual Christmas. We had we put together a tribute video. So all our retirees and all that. But yeah, so go check it out. All right. How yall doing?

I don't have this month. We don't have this month. Like the mayor stated the 20 so we can get going. And what this gonna do is help keep a order on what I'm doing in East because I don't want nobody to feel like I'm in C dream too long too much. So if everybody give me, you know, get a get address, we can keep, you know, a good, you know what I'm saying? all my desk to

everything. Everything and I can say if I ran that um address already I have done it. I would let you know go to another one and we'll keep going. Yeah. Last thing I had said I had my say probably text me like four times like what this I got question most of most of the properties in my district belongs to people the city of right

so spoke with the attorney you said it last time so what is the process says instead instead of bringing breaking it up individually, Mr. Jones, you stated that [clears throat] by him owning a company that we have to send it to him as a whole for each instead of each property. So I guess my let me finish my question before if if we don't send him a tax bill for one thing. So that means he operate as one entity. All those properties fall under one entity. So my thing about this it should be easier and not harder to revoke his license because he operate under one entity. So he he if he's going to continuously continue to be a nuisance to the city of Bastard, we need to put some teeth into what we say because most of the black around here Amen.

He's he's the culprit of his property. I would praise that the property name that the the owner of the property that's listed is or it's not individual. It's it's he got right. Exactly. He got LLC. So look like we should have to go after the LLC.

So it's time we got to do something now. I mean we need to not grant him a license. That's what I'm saying. He doesn't need one. We don't we don't have anything in our that's that's moving forward in January is bringing that stuff bringing the revisions like your alcohol alcohol piece that we looked at and all that is bringing the first year so everybody's well aware you got we bring first year you got all the way through the time you get your stuff fixed when it comes

I I guess I don't know and maybe I don't know if this need like a special coffee because we are not even slapping him on the wrist right now. We're granting him occupational license to still collect rent. He's still making room and properties look like trash.

Well, we actually we're doing more right now. All all of his property returns were returned with unpicked up. Uh however that might have been a barrier with the previous code enforcement but this is not a barrier with this code enforcement and this because we just proceeded with action on the property and so uh the next avenue is is that we can go and proceed. You know one thing with ordinance changes is one is even if we do a call meeting we still have to advertise in the period. Two is you always want to wear the white hat and say, "Hey, you had noticed this. This was the beginning of you. This is advertised. This is what we're doing. We've discussed it, talked about it. Not only did you have that, you had notice these properties were all once a works performed the less properties. So you had notice of all this and now being measured is we can revoke your occupational license where you cannot proceed with business into the next year." So was was he one of the uh cases that went to environmental court?

So once once environmental court no short answer is no because that requires participation. If you're not picking notice up there's no participation. There's no need to go up the dock.

Yes. There's no need to go up there's no need to go up the docket with anything. So you're not going to participate. Everything we can do in there we can do outside of it. And so we'll just do it without having you the opportunity to be heard from the administrator coach. We'll just do it. That's what I call unconsensually. Uh we don't technically need your consent. It's just if you are going to participate and come here, there's things we can give time to. Maybe somebody's disabled. Maybe they have lack of funds. Maybe we can help out. Of course, those people are built for this individual. No participation, no anything. We're just going to proceed with it. Here's the middle. You have x number of days objective bill. The objective bill that comes here is voted on that bill there. [cough and clears throat]

Can these can this person or this area be served? Do you know where the central location is where the main office is? You can be served with it, but the the law requires that that would just be additional. It's not effective for law. It's just it's no sign. That's that's the requirement that I could not get through code enforcement previously.

That is your address. It's just like your driver's license. If you go down there, a lot of people will change their address on the license. If they send to you a notice that says, "Hey, you got to pay this." You don't pay it, they'll suspend your license. They don't care if they know that you live down there. Maybe the person's office lives with you. Whatever your license address is, that is it. his address to be the place that he is to get his weak when he comes to the office. And so I I would tell anybody with his council if you got a lot of property in your district, contact the attorney because they still are going through all the strenuous stuff that comes up with a simple solution, man. I think I think we're going to get his attention when he comes here. And I'll tell you, and it being that is that we uh participated in doing some standins for the prosecuting efforts in court. And there were several people who asked for community service. And when it was asked, was there anything that could perform during the winter? We have more than enough. And so I had two people from last school who in addition to just receiving normal requirements to do extra community service hours and we sent them upstairs.

I have a question. No, no. Um, I have a property and I guess you maybe you can answer more. Um, there is a uh property in my district. It's on the dead end and there is a garage operating on top of the street at the dead end. There's there's cars, there's all kinds of electric electrical equipment [laughter] equipment on both sides of the road. Now, the garage, he has built the garage on top of the road because the garage, you can see the uh you can see the stop sign and the barrier behind what the garage is. So, I I asked the police to send somebody down there uh to look at. And so, um, my my question is, what can we do about that? And that seemed I thought that was an easy fix. Um, it's off of uh and Sylvester, I think, right right off the railroad track. East Madison railroad track to the right. There's a trailer house. The garage is actually on top of the street. And so what can what can we do? What can we do about that to get that taken care of? That would be something that code takes care of all nonforming structures that are things if it is upon a public roadway you're going to have an issue that law

enforcement does have law enforcement probably with that I appreciate that again that's something real sitting on top of a lot of stuff kind of falls at and that's that's me. The big update was that we end up with the environmental environment in January. We have a plan enacted for the property owner properties and it was discussed earlier and we're headed into January to put together the uh the details on the ambulance service quality insurance panel put together your alcohol study your fees and changes and also bring forth changes on all the licenses.

Okay. What about the we talked about rolling the rolling tax that comes that comes across every every so often. I have to see when it comes next but we didn't do it last time.

We did not and there are certain ones that come every year based on assessments. We'll know more about that once all this collection. Generally speaking, your collection from now in March, they got their notices and they start going in. Then if they gau your property taxes collecting based on it and did you collect sufficient enough to be able to either go up or there is a deficit there'll get the total I have updated again and I believe assess and get those estimates for you. So in the event that comes up, I really tell you the specific amount straight from the uh tax, not just I guess we won't when that time come, we won't be crystal clear that's not to be taxed. It's already on the books. It's already been approved by the voters and all that. We just we just haven't wrote them up like others have and other people in the district also wrote them up. We just did not last year before. I mean you want you want clarity when it comes to the voters because you don't think this tax is already on the book. We just stay at the number we were year before. So I think that's what we need to our message need to we need to get our messaging on point to the voters so it won't be no misunderstanding that we we trying to force a tax on know it's already been approved which is actually we gave you some relief in the last couple years but you know if you don't keep up like everybody else the

insurance go up and everything everybody else you have to keep up because you're doing your citizens a disservice

and really don't it's a presentation back whenever you vote on those villages everybody talks about the mill amount it's not actually the amount the mill amount that counts it's the amount that you're taking out and that you're bonding and that's the that's the estimated mill amount to cover that amount and so what happens is when collections fall below or anything like that you're not actually collecting the amount that is the one that's authorized it's it's really in the presentation of the initial voting on that is that you vote an amount and it's believed that that amount of millage will cover it and then as the years go on below. So what ends up happening is you end up taking money from your general fund to cover uh debt that was voters voted to cover that 229 Adams.

At this time, I'll make the motion to approve. Miss Cena Adams. All in favor? Roll call.

Yes. I have a question. Uh do we have a slight bio or basic information?

I can tell you a little bit about her. She is a representative in she lives in district K. Misselle is a lifelong house. She's married to Miss Charlle. Um she's a good person in the community involved in church activities. She's a good representative in my opinion.

Miss Tap. Yes. Mr. Dodie. Yes. Mr. James Green. Yes. Mr. D. Yes.

Mr. Favor. We also got two. We only have one. The founder is the only person that's serving as well. [clears throat] We got this on also so we can have a meeting. Take these

[clears throat]

We got

[cough]

All right. Number 11 of business action on proposed resolution. Hey resolution 25-2 M you want to speak on you let me go

was uh I put in your packet

hey uh mod I want to give y'all a whole bunch of pages u and it'll take effect to my items. Uh we reduced uh administrative line item in the miscellaneous category by $9,000 and we increased fire protected gear. Uh chief will tell you um justification for that increase. Um and part well he'll tell you the two two reasons that went into that. Uh and again the bottom line budget did not change [clears throat] budget $4.3 million in revenue 14.3 million in expenditures. So they were just moving money between existing uh object categories. And just FYI members budget act is is found in title 39 sections 1301 and 132 14 statute. If anybody has any questions about whether or not we are in compliance and they call you tell the statute that we're not not in compiance and we get to explain it to you. It's title 39 section 1301 to 1350. That's the budget. Get a call and they say that something bring up some issue and questions are you don't get them. And we're not saying not answer questions, but you know, make sure they give you more information so you have an informed opinion about what they're trying to address to because if they're not citing specific law, then I'm not sure you can help them anyway.

That's that's section 1301- 01 through 1315. So again, u the chief will tell you uh justification for that $9,000 increase. Uh and it's main two different reasons that

Yeah. So I'm asking for please consider um approving this new this fire department line item for personal protective gear. Uh it'll go to purchase my new recruits that just graduated a new set of bucket gear. Uh the reason for the 9,000 uh y'all know I I try to stay within budget. I pride myself and uh being able to project the budget and I have the correct amount projected in the amount of 18,000 for the year. That's basically what it takes per year. But for whatever reason, there's a couple of invoices from last budget cycle that did not get paid until this budget cycle flipped over. So in the amount of $9,000 that's what made it short moving forward.

Yes sir.

Yes. Yep. Yep. Absolutely. Yes. So y'all would approve that 35 sets a year. So I have 39 employees just apply the four new employees. They're here. Yes. I favor.

Happy holidays. We will approve 2110 West Madison Avenue West Madison have different none of these places are all personal notic property. We have an opportunity to help us. Hey, can someone perform the work?

Okay, we had twobody put in a bid basel. Is there a Monday that is that is all facilitated through yes I've talked with regard to his he's actually we had a previous issue with the reason the reason I like I have several location my district I just want to So um and I don't I'm not trying to go I'm not going to I would love to go this particular person um house I just want to know even with the license I thought you had to when they come they have to be over a certain amount

there there is there's there's graduate thresholds it's one is I believe the threshold is 5,7500. You do what's called like a mini license where you have to do it on a SNAP. Then once you get above above the threshold of 20 I think it's 25,000 in a calendar year then you have to [clears throat] have what is actually the state forward contracting license one is so there's 0 to 7500 would be you don't have to do anything just you basically you put on notice that you're doing this work and they keep database of it and then above that 2500 We don't need no more red tape. We're not trying to make it difficult to accomplish our goals. Our goals fight and not to have all this red tape. We trying to make it streamline the process, make it simple so we can go out and get people to don't tear down old houses and and do whatever do whatever we we can.

[cough] actually.

Okay. So, I guess I guess I got one other question. So, I'm talking about W9. I want to be perfectly clear so we won't have this problem anymore. the person that's doing the actual work, not the person that own the house, not the person that signed, but the person that's actually doing the work. We going to draw the Cas. Those are the ones who going to have to present the W9. So they going to do the work, they have to present the W9. So anybody go out and get, they have to present W9. It's been that way.

So So walk me through my I I I don't think someone is going to tear down a house and um I will be with them. So do I need So the process if somebody is going to tear down a house that's not otherwise the city's done anything. Okay.

Uh you need to get the you need to ensure that the property owners or the agents of the owners are the ones who are signing off on action to get. So it could be just like the one that's witness that we've done before where the authorized or the owner comes in signs off says yes she had a consent on the property and these actions the contractor whoever you're going to use to do it is authorized to take these actions undertake this work and then it would be the contractor presenting us the final invoice saying that this occurred and This is for

yes. So is it possible that we council I'm just asking a question because it's taxpayers money. Is it any is there any we cannot put a cap on each property? You know, so we going to get a property for 8,000 cuz I looked at most of these properties, they most of the people that's been carrying out these houses for the last 15 years cuz you know I was looking for too. I saw the price range. What I don't want us to do is taxpayers be charged an excessive amount by the same people who was doing it for this amount. But now we're in the process of tearing down a bunch of houses to increase the the price to [clears throat] the stimulation most definitely because we we have people that's willing to tear our houses and work with the city. just red tape. I don't want people to go through all this red tape to clear a lot of that. I think you have a wide sampling looks like it's still working these property owner to agree That is the hardest part and really

I do get calls about different houses but it can't be is working on the car of that

east. West Madison North and South in the process of tearing down There are some properties that have big the big trees on the property. Can uh most of these people are not those people don't tear they tear down the houses. They don't bring down the trees. Can we also contract with a uh tree cutting service to uh take these take some of these trees down?

Well, the tree on the propert So we can't do anything [clears throat] unless it's created something that would be hazard violation of