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2024 05 03 CC Minutes Special MINUTES OF THE SPECIAL MEETING OF THE 411 CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF BAYTOWN May 03,2024 The City Council of the City of Baytown, Texas, met in a Special Meeting on Friday, May 03, 2024, at 9:00 A.M. in the Council Chamber of the Baytown City Hall at 2401 Market Street, Baytown, Texas, with the following in attendance: Sarah Graham Council Member Kenrick Griffith Council Member James Franco Council Member Jacob Powell Council Member Mike Lester Council Member Brandon Capetillo Mayor Jason Reynolds City Manager Scott Lemond City Attorney Gabriella Gonzales Open Government Supervisor John Stringer Sergeant at Arms Mayor Brandon Capetillo reconvened the May 02, 2024, City Council Special Meeting on May 411 03, 2024 with a quorum present at 9:03 A.M. All members were present with the exception of Mayor Pro Tem Laura Alvarado. At 9:04 A.M.,Mayor Brandon Capetillo recessed and convened in to an Executive Session pursu- ant to: 1).Recess into and conduct an Executive Session pursuant to Section(s)551.071 and/or 551.087 of the Texas Government Code to seek the advice of the City's attorneys and/or to discuss economic development negotiations. At 9:51 A.M., Mayor Brandon Capetillo reconvened the meeting and announced that, in accord- ance with Section 551.102 of the Texas Government Code, no action was taken in the Executive Session. 1. PROPOSED ORDINANCES a. Consider an ordinance authorizing an amendment to the Fiscal Year 2024 budget authorizing a transfer from the General Fund to establish a new fund specifically designated for the Golf Course and other Special Recreation Projects. Council Member Mike Lester commented, "Mayor, as we've discussed, basically to walk away from the golf course in my opinion,Council is basically taking the position of we're going to walk away from the Southside. We've heard the discussions, nothing's happening on the Southside. It's a chicken and egg thing.Nothing's happening because there's nothing there.We can't get anything there because there's nothing happening. I got a number of calls last night on both sides of the issue and the concern from a majority of my constituents that live in Evergreen and the other subdivi- City Council Regular Meeting Minutes May 03,2024 Page 2 of 5 • sions down there,is if we walk away from the golf course,we're walking away from the Southside of town and them; they're not really happy with that. So, I just want to make those comments because that's what I'm receiving, and I have grave concerns about that. That's my point." Council Member Sarah Graham expressed her concerns regarding Item 3.a.,"I want to say quite a bit, if everybody will just sit back and listen. I feel like this vote should not be mine. I was not involved in the original golf course decision that involved a bond for I think twelve and a half million dollars. I will say I have a hard time answering to friends and family that live border with the golf course. We now know thanks to some data presented by Troon, that the golf course is considered an asset to the City. I put on a survey when I was being elected that I would have voted no to the golf course and I stand by what I said,but I don't think that I'm voting to build or not to build a golf course right now. I'm voting whether I want to protect or not protect an asset that we have seen and heard from lots of constituents between all of us, for ayes and nays. I appreciate everyone that has come out here to speak, but I want you to know even this morning as I was walking into work, I was being followed by someone questioning what we're doing as a Council. They wanted to know how to keep the golf course going. I encourage people,if you see a different view than what you're hearing here; why don't you come speak? They're not willing to because they state they don't want their families bullied online. I have people that are telling me that. So, all I can say is I'm trying to hear from both sides,but this is a very challenging decision.We're not just voting on a golf course,we are voting to either allow negotiations to maintain an asset,whether you agreed or didn't agree years ago when it was voted on;or we're voting to say we're done. How many more empty lots do you want our Parks and Recreation Department and other departments • to continue to maintain that are still going to cost the City money?You really need to ask yourself that. It's going to be another empty lot with nothing if we don't allow the asset to continue being negotiated for,that's all I have to say." Council Member Jacob Powell expressed his concerns regarding Item 3.a., "Sir a couple things first, I want to thank all those that came out to speak yesterday. I know a 2:30 meeting is not ideal and some of you made it back today as well,so thank you all for just taking the time to be involved. Second, I wanted to thank staff for the amount of work they put into this. I think sometimes they take some heat for some of the things we've discussed, but the reality is meetings are scheduled when they are, Items that are on the Agenda; that's all being directed by a majority of the seven individuals on this dais. So, I just wanted to thank the staff for the amount of work they put in on making sure we had the information we needed to make an informed decision. With that being said, I was opposed to this deal originally a couple years ago and nothing that's happened in the last couple years has changed that for me. I went back and referenced the meeting from April 22, and some of the reasons given for supporting the course at the time. These are some of the quotes, `It would foster economic development in the area that has not had it.' `Six million dollars for a course that somebody else is going to own and operate, if there is a loss on an annual basis they are going to absorb that loss the City is not.' `I don't know of any municipal course in this area that doesn't sustain a loss on an annual basis.' `This is not our course and that's what's good about it, at the end of the day those guys are on the hook for that maintenance and operations.' The two main reasons that I heard that night for supporting the original deal were that we would not own and maintain it and if we were to pass this item today, that is no longer the case; we would own a • municipal golf course. The second item was that it would bring development on the Southside of town from those two individuals. That was not a general statement; they stated this was the first step of what they were going to bring and I don't think anybody with a straight face could say that those two individuals are bringing development on the Southside of town. So, to me you're right; City Council Regular Meeting Minutes May 03,2024 Page 3 of 5 • it's not a vote about a golf course, it's a vote about a contract that is going to cost us money on a continual basis and I'm opposed to that. I just ask everyone,if you are in favor of this today citizens deserve to know exactly why. If you were in favor of it a couple years ago and your reasons were growth in that area with the fact that we wouldn't own it; then your goals or objectives have changed because those two things are no longer true. Like I said, I'm voting,no. I think this was a bad deal and I think moving into a new contract is not going to make it any better. Thank you." Council Member Kenrick Griffith shared a quote, "I wanted to reference something that I heard from a Council Member at the April 22nd meeting. `It's okay when it's my money, it's not okay when it's somebody else's money.' To paraphrase, the money to maintain this is going to come from our general funds. That's our taxpayer's money and I have a problem with that. From the beginning, studying the history of this; I feel like this whole golf course was built on a lot of half truce and improper data. I can't in confidence move forward with supporting any kind of funding from the taxpayers'hard-earned money to support this golf course. That's where I'm at." Brandon Capetillo commented,"What I am experiencing as a Mayor in general here is bigger than a golf course, it's even bigger than a contract. It's a struggle between a bit of what Councilwoman Sarah Graham has said, `investing in the Southside of town,' that's the Alexander Drive area, the Evergreen area, Bayland Island and everything over there. For me, the past few years has been to try and bring things that I know the citizens deserve on that side of town. There have been im- provements along Alexander Drive and the area. I'm not going to say this is going to be the magic cornerstone of any type of economic development,but I do believe it's a component of what could • happen on the Southside and it needs that. A lot of growth is happening on the Northside and I get that; the Southside over the decades has not and a lot of the individuals that I've heard from along the Alexander Corridor have said, 'What about us? We get tired of driving to Garth Road for everything.' I'm still optimistic that this and other things could happen on the Southside. I don't want to see decay or deterioration from an economic standpoint in the older areas of town and that's where I'm at on it. But it is what it is. There's no doubt that I was optimistic of the developer and I'll take accountability for that. I have lost confidence in their ability, but then you just have the golf course itself and that I still have confidence in. I have confidence in Troon and what they have presented us as of the status today. At the end of the day, regardless of what's occurred or what quotes may be out there, I have to look at the cards that are on the table today as a Mayor, as an elected official. Incorporating everything, I'd say if I were to consider what loses money in the City and what makes money in the City, we wouldn't even have parks. Parks don't make a dime, but they're an amenity to our citizens as part of quality of life and I support that 100%in full, like many Council Members do. You can apply that to any of our parks, including Pirate's Bay, disc golf, all those things. I still see the golf course as that and that hasn't changed. I continue to want to invest in the Southside and that's still where I'm at with that. We'll take a vote,because there is a motion on the table. I will say I have one reservation, only because even on the golf course vote itself; I'm dissatisfied with taking a vote right now with one Council Member not here. I think anytime we've had an important vote on Baytown City Council, regardless of the perspective or opinion,we've always allowed each Council Member to cast a ballot. The citizens that they repre- sent deserve it whether for or against. I think we've always respected that, but I will say that's probably no longer the case. That will be something internal that Council will have to address amongst ourselves." Council Member Sarah Graham commented,"It was District 2 that voted me in, and we are on the Southside of Baytown, one of the things that I heard over and over again from some people in this City Council Regular Meeting Minutes May 03,2024 Page 4 of 5 . room that helped my election was that they wanted to see progress. They wanted to see economic development spur and they didn't want more of the same. I'm quoting constituents,so no disrespect, but they told me 'They didn't want to see any more of the good old boy system.' I was listening to everybody in here and some of the people that came in here and were openly against supporting the negotiating moving forward with the golf course property. Are part of the past two decades where District 2, has not seen the kind of spur and economic development that the constituents want. I was hoping to move things along a little faster for the people that live on my side of town, and to help us get things; grocery stores, places to go where we don't have to drive down Garth Road or Alexander.For me,this is such a complex situation and I'm sorry that I had to speak again, but I just want to make sure that I get this out there. This is not a black and white vote. There are so many other bigger issues here and Council Member Powell has very good points, but so does Council Member Lester. We have to answer to everyone,and in my particular situation the people that actually voted for me live in District 2 on the Southside. I don't know guys it may not have spurred anything in two years, but did we give it? Did we really give it enough chance? I don't know the answer to that,but there's lots of things that come out of the general fund and the Mayor was talking about Parks and Recreation. I feel like this is a sad day for us because we are now not showing a lot of cohesion as a Council and I feel like some of us are saying that they're willing to just accept the same old moving forward. If that's what the majority wants, I think that when we make votes like this, especially when we are talking about excluding an entire vote for District 1; where are we at? Everybody deserves to be here and be represented." Council Member Jacob Powell expressed his opinion, "Mayor, I don't disagree that everyone has 1111 a chance to be represented. I believe it was time to take action on this Agenda from yesterday. We recessed until today, and the course is in default today, so we needed to decide how we were going to move forward. I understand Councilwoman Alvarado wasn't able to be here and if I had to miss a vote like this I would probably be upset. We have a deadline,we have to decide how we're going to move forward. This can always be talked about in the future, but for what we had today the course is in default as of today and we needed to decide how to move forward. I'm not trying to exclude any district from being represented. I just believe it was time to take action, and I think we need to do that today." A motion was made by Council Member Jacob Powell and seconded by Council Member Kenrick Griffith to deny Item 3.a. The vote was as follows: Ayes: Council Member Kenrick Griffith Council Member James Franco and Council Member Jacob Powell. Nays: Mayor Brandon Capetillo and Council Member Mike Lester. Other: Council Member Sarah Graham(Abstained), Mayor Pro Tem Laura Alvarado(Absent) Approved • b. Consider an ordinance authorizing the City Manager to negotiate and enter into a Golf Facility Management Agreement with Troon Golf,LLC in accordance with discussions held in Executive Session. City Council Regular Meeting Minutes May 03,2024 Page 5 of 5 • Mayor Brandon Capetillo announced no action will be taken. ADJOURN With there being no further business to discuss, Mayor Brandon Capetillo adjourned the May 03, 2024, City Council Special Meeting at 10:10 A.M. T� 4 Angela Jaukson, CityClerk �, City of Baytown L (411 • •