Loading...
2025 06 27 CC Minutes Joint with MDDMINUTES OF THE JOINT SPECIAL MEETING OF THE CITY COUNCIL AND THE BAYTOWN MUNICIPAL DEVELOPMENT DISTRICT June 27, 2025 The City Council of the City of Baytown, Texas, met in a Work Session on Thursday, June 27, 2025, at 8:15 A.M. in the Conference Room, Public Safety Building 3200 North Main Street, Baytown, Texas, with the following in attendance: Jacob Powell Mayor Pro Tem ' Director Laura Alvarado Council Member / Vice President Sarah Graham Council Member 1 Director Kenrick Griffith Council Member i Director James Franco Council Member Director Mike Lester Council Member i Director Charles Johnson Mayor I President Jason Reynolds City Manager ?'General Manager Scott Lemond City Attorney 1 General Counsel Angela Jackson City Clerk / Assistant Secretary John Stringer Sergeant at Arms Mayor Charles Johnson convened the June 27, 2025 City Council Joint MDD Meeting with a quorum present at 8:28 A.M. All members were present with the exception of Council Member 1 Director James Franco. 1. CITIZEN COMMENTS Mayor / President Charles Johnson announced citizens signed up to speak. Don Marie Seaver, 805 Schilling Street Apartment 201 stated, "The concern about our public transportation is, I'm afraid that will leave a lot of us out of work unemployed. We really depend on our transportation for physical therapy, doctors' appointments, childcare and shopping. A list of just about everything you can think of. We really depend on this system, we don't know what to do without it. We aren't able to afford Uber or Taxi Cab services to get to and from an appointment. If you take our bussing services away a lot of us will lose our jobs and that will in return end of raising our unemployment rate. Which Baytown will suffer severely from." Jose Reyna, 3126 Wisconsin Street stated, "We need bus services very badly so that we can go to our doctors' appointments and to other services we need." Sparkle Castro, 2105 Cedar Bayou Road stated, "I use the transportation services for my dialysis and it has been a big huge help to me. My family works and everybody is busy, without this transportation services I would not be able to get to and from my dialysis treatments. I really really City Council Joint MDD Special Minutes June 27, 2025 Page 2 of 8 need that to still be here. I believe we really need to keep it going for everyone, no matter the age or whatever their circumstances are, thank you." Merle Sheppard, 1711 Manor Drive stated, "I very much the transportation services. I am a bilateral amputee and I can not drive and I need to go to the doctor, therapy, the hospital and I volunteer at the hospital several days a week. If I don't have the transportation, I will not be able to go to the hospital to pray for these people at the hospital. I hope the bus will not be cut off and thank you so much." Mayor / President Charles Johnson clarified for citizens there are specific items on the agenda and those that have signed up under Citizen comments to speak have all been called and the others wishing to speak have signed up under another item on the agenda and will be called to speak when that item is reached. 2. MUNICIPAL DEVELOPMENT DISTRICT ITEMS a. Consider a resolution authorizing an Interlocal Agreement between the City of Baytown and Baytown Municipal Development District to fund transportation services performed by Harris County Transit within the City of Baytown. General Counsel Scott Lemond provided a summary regarding Item 2.a., a resolution authorizing an interlocal agreement. Director Kenrick Griffith inquired if the MDD would fund a portion or the entire amount? General Manager Jason Reynolds clarified there would be a further discussion in the upcoming budget review later today. Which then would allow the City Council and MDD to make a more informed decision regarding the funding. Dr. June Stanski, 4601 Driftwood Drive stated, "I'm here to say the reason to live in Baytown is because Baytown cares. We care about our people and with a public transportation system that was established back when I moved here in 1985 and it is just refreshing to know that we are servicing our needy by public transportation and those that are disabled. It is just heartwarming to know that service is there and $400,000 or a million dollars, it's worth the service to make Baytown look great. Please, please fund the public transportation at whatever cost it takes, continue having City festivals because we need to keep Baytown great. We don't need to be money mongers and uncaring people. Please care about Baytown, keep this transportation system. If I have any extra minutes, I'd love to give it to Donna." Director James Franco entered the meeting at 8:44 A.M. Donna Mollman, 2201 Tuscan Lane stated, "For more than 17 years, Baytownians from all walks of life have enjoyed the freedom granted by access to public transportation provided by Harris County Transit. During those years, Baytown population increased from 69,025 in 2008 to 85,539 today. Public transportation not only reduces the number of cars on the road, but also reduces the City Council Joint MDD Special Minutes June 27, 2025 Page 3 of 8 pollution associated with so much traffic. I am privileged to have access on demand climate - controlled vehicles. However, many in our community are not so fortunate. Baytown citizens who do not own cars, may be poor or live in poverty or elderly, handicapped or disabled rely on public transportation to improve the quality of their life. Harris County Transit provides a means to medical care, schools, libraries, work, childcare, shopping and other amenities. I see many of our most vulnerable citizens waiting for the buses throughout the day as I run errands or go to appointments. A neighbor and fellow church member who was unable to drive was so excited when the first 2 circulator routes became available with a bus stop right in front of his apartment complex. For the first time since he moved from his parents' home, he did not have to rely on family, neighbors or friends for transportation. To ease his anxiety for this new-found freedom, my son and I traveled for the first time with him to Sterling Municipal Library, followed by lunch at Someburger. While the time spent on this one simple errand took 5 times longer than it normally would, the joy we shared that day is priceless. The circulator routes enable Baytownians to go to school, the library, get groceries, medical care, to work or for pleasure. With the increased cost of living, placing more economic pressure on families. Access to reliable public transportation provides a lifeline to our neighbors. I think it is wise to evaluate routes every few years due to changes in population. I would ask however; those changes be made with a scalpel rather than a chainsaw. It has been my experience that once public services are cut, they are rarely reinstated. Finally, the circulator routes help weave our individual threads into a strong societal fabric. The term loneliness epidemic refers to a widespread and growing concern about the negative health impacts of loneliness and social isolation. A public health crisis highlighting its significant impact on both individual wellbeing and societal health. I had the opportunity yesterday to reach out by phone to former Mayor Steven DonCarlos, who championed this access to public transportation during his administration. I would ask that you remember his wife and him in your prayers as they both have COVID. We are now in hurricane season and I wondered how will people be moved out of harm's way? I looked at the comprehensive plan 2040 and noticed that there were 2 key top priorities that addressed improving transportation, safety and resiliency, as well as increasing active transportation and transit. I remember several years ago the listening projects that were going on were called, Imagine Baytown, and I have imagined the Baytown for more than 50 years. Imagine a Baytown who cares about every citizen no matter what their socioeconomic, their financial ability, their health, their wellness, whatever. I imagine a Baytown caring for all its citizens. Thank you." Ashley Rincon, 10423 Winding Trail Road, La Porte stated, "I am representing the United Way of Greater Baytown area in Chambers County. These transportation services are essential for access to social services that provide basic needs in our community. Without the access to the bus system, our citizens cannot access essential services such as Love Network, Hearts and Hands of Baytown and they can't go to college at Lee College. Further their opportunities for employment in the future. This is also essential for our workforce who would otherwise not be able to make it to work. People who are working in grocery stores, HEB, Walmart or many other services in our area would not otherwise be able to access work because Uber is too expensive for them to afford. We need to keep money in our citizens' pockets and this is one of the ways that we can do it. Quality of life in Baytown is extremely essential, and having public transportation in our community is really important to keeping that quality of life where it should be. Just thank you for City Council Joint MDD Special Minutes June 27, 2025 Page 4of8 your time. I really hope that we can do what's best for our community and I think that supporting public transportation is essential to our community. Thank you." Glen Pelts, 10315 Little Oak Drive stated, "The thing that impresses me most is the numbers. When we started this program in 2007, there were people that said, you'll never ever have a 100 riders on that bus a day. We've been running in excess of 300 for several years. We're talking about people using the bus to go to work, medical services, shopping. We encourage people to go to work, but if they don't have a transportation, how are they going to go to work? The myriad of people that use this it crosses all socioeconomic groups. It's not related just to one. I think the $400,000 that we spend on this is minimal for what we get in return. The return in dollars is way more than $400,000. Whatever time I have left, I'm going to go ahead and yield to the transit people, David Jones or Ken Fickett because they actually have numbers that I don't have with me in relation to ridership." Leonard Lugo, 1507 North I VH Street stated, "We as residents, especially the disabled, which I am, need a bus shuttle service. Thousands of us people depend on transportation and that's their only transportation. I put my trust in God, the Lord Jesus Christ as Psalm 46 says God is a refuge and strength in times of health and trouble. I implore you that you would keep the bus service going contract. For we are indeed in troubled times. Thank you so much and God bless." Earl Guidry Jr, 217 West Lobit Avenue stated, "Thank you to the Mayor, thank you City Council Members. I want to say I appreciate the transportation system. I'm transitioning back into Baytown and it is allowed me to go back and forth to Houston. I've obtained my CDL license and it's also allowing me to look for employment. Guys please allow us to go back and forth until I get transportation. I need that bus system, so thank you." Troy Whiteneck, 9946 Bayou Woods Drive stated, "1 don't use the bus system, but when I travel through Baytown, I see people sitting at the bus stops. Last year, in the middle of the heat of summer I encountered an elderly lady in a parking lot north of Baker Road on Garth Road, heading north to take care of a cell phone problem. 1 loaded her and her walker in my truck and drove her north, took care of the cell phone problem and then drove her about a mile and a half back to Birdsong an assisted living facility where she lived. Baytown would benefit by a more robust bus system. I don't mind paying tax dollars when those dollars are used to help my friends that use the bus system. Thank you." Jerod Ardoin, 300 South Alexander Drive room number 107 stated, "We need the buses, that's how I go cut my yards. I cut yards. I cut in Highlands and I got back problems and stuff. I'm trying to do my own little gig. That's how I get back and forth to probation. I got classes for probation in Houston. I need it because I'm not trying to go back to prison, I don't mind going back, I just don't want to go back. I'm trying to keep myself out of trouble." Eric Landry, 805 Shilling Street stated, I'm here to ask to keep the transit open. You know that I'm just hoping that you'll be here to keep it open because there's so many people out there today that can't afford the taxi service and so many other things out there. We need the bus service out there and we're so thankful for the bus service, because I don't have a car out there. I'm one of the City Council Joint MDD Special Minutes June 27, 2025 Page 5 of 8 handicaps. I've been having epilepsy since I was the age of 13. I'm so thankful for the bus service because I get out here. I use bus service to for picking up my groceries back and forth, for hospital and just different things. I say, I'm just so thankful for it. Met so many nice people out there. Like I said, I'm just so thankful for it and I thank you for listening." Joshua Johnson, 4601 Village Lane apartment 2011 stated, "Good morning, City Council. When I moved to Houston a few years back, I moved in with a friend and I've come back six months later not knowing we had a bus transfer, Sir. According to my doctor, there's a medicine I am taking that is called Depakote ER medication. Department of Public Services (DPS) has changed their law and regulations out in the state of Texas. Anybody taking that kind of medicine, it's also known for seizures, but that's not what I take it for. David Jones knows a little bit about it. I take it for hyperactivity, but even though I don't take it for the seizures, I cannot in the state of Texas have a driver's license. I'm not allowed to have one. I have called about it multiple times. I went down to DPS when I got my identification card renewed and they said, Mr. Johnson, I can't give you a driver license I'll have you fill this paperwork out you are on psych medication Depakote ER. You're not allowed to have a driver's license. If we give you a license, we're liable because you could have a seizure because of the medicine you're taking, so we need this bus service. I need to get to the rental company at Aaron's Rental. I got to get to Legacy for my lab work to be done. Even though Legacy does their appointments through an application now, you still have to go into the office to get your Depakote level drawn and ever so ofter he likes to have a drug test done on me because of disability and the food stamps. These are some places I can't get to on my bicycle. I know a couple of you might have seen the bike sitting out there. That's my transportation today, because I felt like getting out riding around since I've been sore a lot lately. We need a bus service out here because I can't get a driver's license. I'm not going to try it no more. That's the reason we need a bus service. I need to get to the grocery stores, rental companies to get things straightened out so they can hit my bank account for my rental merchandise, doctor's appointments and stuff like that. We do need a bus service. Sometimes I got to go all the way over to Freeport Street over there at that medical clinic to see my foot doctor because he moved out of the medical center and over to that area now. So yeah, this bus service is a pretty good bus service out here and I try my best, I just didn't know how to do this. It's my first time, so, you know. Like I said, I moved to Houston and come back and there was the bus service out here. I moved there with some friends, me and my dad. Then they said, oh there's a bus service and I didn't even know nothing about it. We just had to figure it out from the hospital when my dad was in the hospital. That's the reason we need a bus service, without a bus service how am I going to get where I need to go or anybody needs to go. We need a bus service out here, there's no doubt about it. Without a bus we can't get to the grocery store, even the delivery service from Walmart they don't bring half of my stuff. I have to go in and show them what 1 didn't get so they can redeliver it to my front door. Y'all probably all know where that's at, you probably seen me on the news. Y'all probably all saw me on the news and I'm sure you did." DeJohn Ford, 705 Decker Drive stated, "Good morning Council Members, I use the buses to go to the grocery store and to the library. Baytown is a growing City and there's no reason why we shouldn't have a bus service out here if we're considered a growing City. That's all I have to say. I vote for keeping the bus service. Thank you." City Council Joint MDD Special Minutes June 27, 2025 Page 6of8 Tammy Guidry, 408 South Circle Drive stated, "Good morning, City Council, Mayor. I'm a native of Baytown. 1 was born and raised here. I'm 57 years old. I've been here all my life. When the bus services came to Baytown, I was so happy. Many of the people that I grew up with, in the area that I grew up in is over there in Pelly. We needed it. We needed transportation. I grew up in a family didn't have a car. We didn't have a car and we walked everywhere we had to go. This is a service that is needed in this community. I'm speaking not just for the citizens of Baytown, but also for the nonprofit agencies that assist those citizens. A misconception that has come about is that many of them have insurance and they have transportation through their insurance. That may be true with a lot of them. They may have insurance, but that transportation is limited. It's limited to medical visits only. It does not take them to the grocery store. It does not take them to the pharmacy. It does not take them to the Social security office or the food stamp office or the DPS office or the nonprofit agencies that assist them with services that they need. This transportation is needed in the City of Baytown. I'm also a case manager with Marcellus Williams Resource Center. We service as not only the Highlands area, but the Baytown area as well. We service over 300 clients a year. Most of those clients, I'm going to say 75% of them rely on the bus services to get them to our offices. Our service clients here on Tuesdays at the Sterling Library. A 100% of my clients come in needing bus passes. They need to get to and from. You can't help the homeless. You can't help those in need to better themselves to get on their feet. If they have no transportation. They can't get to the job interview without transportation. They can't get to the doctor's appointments and to the food stamps. Like I said, the social service agencies where they need to go. Many of them have applied for Social Security Disability and they need to get to Pasadena. They cannot do that if they don't have transportation. Our citizens, whether they're poor, black, white, whatever, the color, whatever the ethnic, background, whatever their financial situation, they deserve more. City of Baytown is a great place to live. I wouldn't live anywhere else. I love Baytown and I want to see the City of Baytown do the right thing by the people of Baytown. They need this assistance, they need this transportation. It's not just a few that's in this room. There's many others on a daily basis that ride these buses. Our agency gives away over 300 bus passes a year for people trying to get to and from because they have to go to take care of their appointments. I implore you, I'm one car note away from being without a car myself. Some of us are going through struggles, a lot of people. I can feel the passion and the empathy for the clients, the people that are here that depend on transportation. God has blessed me to be able to have a car, but I knew the days that I didn't have one. I know what it is to be in their shoes and to have to go walk to get to work, have to walk to go to the grocery store. I've been there and I know what they're going through. I implore the City of Baytown to find it in the budget to please fund this transportation because it's something that is needed by the citizens of Baytown. Like I say, God is in control of all of our lives. We don't know from day to day what our next step is going to be and what situation we are going to be in next. As a citizen of Baytown, as a case manager, as a someone who loves this City and loves the people, please fund this transportation program. Thank you." Abelina Oviedo, 1501 Morris Street stated, "Good morning, I know a lot of you, probably 50° o of the people in here own a vehicle. The other half we have to rely on Baytown Transit to get around. Not everybody can afford a vehicle. Not everybody can afford an Uber or Taxi or pay somebody to take you here and there because it gets expensive if you're paying somebody or even to use the Uber to get everywhere. I just pray that day they don't cancel the buses because a lot of people we use it for everything, we use it to go get groceries, to the doctor, to college, to go to work, to City Council Joint MDD Special Minutes June 27, 2025 Page 7 of S church, to everywhere and we need it for everything. Not everybody can afford a car. Not everybody can afford a taxi, an Uber, nothing like that. I mean, everything's too expensive. We can barely afford to pay a dollar on the bus to get around. I mean, it's hard. It's hard, and then you got to take that away from us is going to be even harder on us because we're already having a hard time. That's all I want say." Rusty Sinek, 13318 Bay Place Drive in Beach City stated, "Good morning Mayor and Council. Thanks so much for allowing everybody to come and speak. Even though I'm not in Baytown I'm concerned about our region and our community, which is very important. We always feel like we're not separated by Cedar Bayou from Chambers County to Harris County and Baytown. We feel like we are connected by Cedar Bayou. We're concerned about the entire region. I wanted to remind Council about a couple of things. One is, we have a program through United Way. I'm on the board of United Way and the program is called 211. Anybody who's in need of help anywhere can call 211 and get help with whatever they need. It's a central location people can call if they give them their zip code, they have a list of all of the assets that are available to them to help them. Hams Transit is one of the partners that serves the Baytown area as well as Chambers County. One of the things that Donna Mohlman mentioned, I think that is very important. That if it winds up being necessary to make changes that you use a scaffold and not a hatchet. What happens if you have to change? There's going to be a tough job for determining how they make those changes. A lot of people in this room if you've heard, have rental agreements in place. If you wind up having to cut one full route, I'm not sure what those people are going to do that are in those areas. They're sort of stuck. They have a rental agreement that they can't get out of. They have to continue to pay and yet they may not be able to get to work. Please fund this. Thank you very much." President Charles Johnson announced this meeting will be recessed at 9:13 A.M., until further discussion regarding the Budget took place and welcomed citizens to stay and attend the meeting if they choose to. President Charles Johnson announced the meeting will reconvene at 3:28 P.M. General Manager Jason Reynolds provided a break -down of the formula regarding funding for specific programs of the City of Baytown and introducing Ken Fickes. (Exhibit A) Harris County Transit Services Representative Ken Fickes provided a presentation regarding the interlocal agreement. (Exhibit B) City Council Members requested clarification on previous reimbursements and provided their opinions regarding Harris County Transit Services Agreement. 3. CITY COUNCIL ITEMS - PROPOSED ORDINANCES a. Consider an ordinance authorizing an Interlocal Agreement between the City of Baytown and Baytown Municipal Development District to fund transportation services performed by Harris County Transit within the City of Baytown. City Council Joint MDD Special Minutes June 27, 2025 Page S of S A motion was made by Council Member Sarah Graham and second by Council Member Kenrick Griffith to approve Ordinance No. 16,180, The vote was as follows: Ayes: Mayor Charles Johnson, Mayor Pro Tern Jacob Powell, Council Member Laura Alvarado, Council Member Sarah Graham, Council Member Kenrick Griffith, Council Member James Franco and Council Member Mike Lester Nays: None Approved ORDINANCE NO. 16,180 AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF BAYTOWN, TEXAS, AUTHORIZING THE CITY MANAGER TO EXECUTE AND THE CITY CLERK TO ATTEST TO AN INTERLOCAL AGREEMENT WITH THE BAYTOWN MUNICIPAL DE3VELOPMENT DISTRICT TO FUND THE TRANSPORTATION SERVICES PERFORMED BY HARRIS COUNT WITHIN THE CITY OF BAYTOWN; AND PROVIDING FOR THE EFFECTIVE DATE THEROF. b. Consider an ordinance authorizing Amendment No. 18 to the Interlocal Agreement with Harris County Transit for Public Transportation Services in the City of Baytown. Mayor Charles Johnson announced this item will be tabled until amendments can be made to reflect on the new agreement with Harris County Transit for the Public transportation Services. 4. ADJOURN With there being no further business to discuss, Mayor i President Charles Johnson adjourned the June 27, 2025, City Council Joint MDD Special Meeting at 3:34 P.M. Ln C14 0 LO 0) A I_I- -1r, $ � _2 ■ � cd� Ln N O N Ln 1 ES "i l w. { a s a d d oc i e a m e m s {�s N 7 C LM (%4 0 � Ln � MI 'h! _ sit q �a ■:f L�z > � ..�|! �■| !!� � . � ! IL| |_|�ƒ�t_ t( ) HIM Al } � �! LA N O N Ln G1 E lifti♦ f�Aii � c I c ii O a R I■ d 3 L 7 d f LACY 1 � ♦1 1 FF♦� 00 19 Ln N O N Ln 4' i� d r ; d C # w q.� d e yc Y wq �h t CL f Will Ef Lid (*4 O N Lf1 0) A C x6 W V) N O N LO 0) C O � m � c c C 00 � 01 1 C rc {{ till! f a r Z� eF �c t� �•r � Ln LQLj E zail b l oa. SIM r� V) W LU V) ri Lei H Q m LU U j � Qo oo �o 0 � � �o o o � ! Q� Z Z Q Q 00 V) D 0 U .0 06 V) W V_ w V) 0 w 0 V) V) w V_ w V) D m w F- D 0 0 w X tL CN 00 O a0 -o 00 to w U_ w '0 cn v� `0 Z N Q00 Q00 CV Q Lµ3Wd0 J r O U y N ] y�VSSKG L O O D (1) T V O O C } O > w L > Ln F Q F- O Lu V) V • • O u O z s L Q > o Z (> a) 1LLO o 0 V)tIq Q V . m O F- N } w Ll F � LO N O N N N Gl.. 3 N a E 0 L:)) 00 N w a in 'V) (,j U V • ce w V a� a } O D L Ln � CL c v O O '0 O 4-- > 00 OC) } 7 O m to L • 0 O 06 U LO co ta LtOWdD O J r o N 7 6 �oU54N�' N N U •� LO N CV C-1 O N Ln N U N O O V) Ln .i -a N _ F- o Z O V w o � D i O o on o OL LU > N N U w C) O ~ V O h-- ::E E C _ = di N Q 0 �V 0 O N o O — X U _ LLJ 'N V) �V 1— E N O V •- Cn �. O O D O > O w L. o V a 0 N inU °' U_ •E N — V = O0 O O N O I— w 4- / �ti33Nd0�\ O J r O r u z �a 40 NOU541jG N u, V) � � O �D s � } V 0 m 3 3 N 0 0 0 0 V T a m e • U- LU Lu U co Ln N V u C 4 L- T C a Ln 'a-0 o o z (D c Ln Ln Q O a U — Q V 0 in T LIJ 0 F— o = m V w Ce 0 V V) 0 0 coo 41 4- s J 0 Q Cl_ Cal 0 Vn N CM cn C D LO D 0 LL to m 0 O 0 O 0 10 M V) 4- N E Ln Q V Ln s CL .7 0 s v T-1 - F- z D 0 u Q 0� zz a-> w0 �z :� ry 0 LL 0 z Q F- yµ3wdaJ 4-:�, O J r O 'r u Z N _ 3 and �F s yDU51µ�'