Page 661 Page 1of4  MINUTES PROPERTY TAXHEARING BUDGET HEARING September 9, 2024  REGULAR CALLED CITY COUNCILMEETING  The City Council of the City of Jasper, Texas met on September 9, 2024, with thet following members  present to wit:  Anderson M. Land, Jr.. Marcus Barber... DeMarcus Holmes.. Ronald Sample.. Angel McCroskey.. Lequin Hilderbrand. Greg Kelley.. Liz Jarrell..  Mayor Council Member/Absent Council Member Council Member .Council Member Council Member .City Manager City Secretary  The meeting was called to order by Mayor Anderson Land at 5:30pm and opened with prayer by Mr. Willie King. All members were present to wit except Council Member Marcus Barber. Mayor Land announced the property tax hearing has started and asked for public comments. Marcia Anderson, Evelyn O'Neil, Angela Lee, and Marcos Adams shared their concerns and comments regardingthep proposed increase in property tax rates. The tax hearing ended at 5:45pm. Mayor Landi then announced thel Budget Hearing started at 5:45pm and asked for public comments. Mr. Chris Lanier voiced his concerns and opinions concerning thel budget. The budget The regular called city council meeting began when thel budget hearing ended at 5:53pm. City Manager Greg Kelleyi informed everyone of a Scheduled City-Wide Power Outage conducted by Entergy on September 28, 2024, from Midnight until 6:00am. Lisa Kotz1 from Southeast Texas Food Bank spoke concerning the Southeast Texas Hunger Free Community Coalition (HFCC). Mayor Land then asked for public comments and there were five. Wretha Thomas spoke concerning workingt together as at team. Marcos. Adams spoke concerning the city and the vegetation thati is covering the vision of public roadways on Hi-Truitt Road. Bobl Ewing spoke concerning the electric rates. Bob Mahar spoke concerning the good things happening in. Jasper. Marcia Anderson spoke concerning thei increase in rates. With no further public comments Mayor Anderson Land moved on  hearing ended at 5:53pm.  to the action items.    Page 662 Page 2of4  Motion was made by Council Member Ronald Sample to approve (5) sets of minutes including August 7, August 12, August 13, August 20, and August 28, 2024. Seconded by Council Member Mayor Anderson Land read item number two stating to allocate $2,000,000.00 to come fromi the SAMPA/Cambridge funds to be deducted from the energy cost billed to the City of. Jasper from SRMPAfor 8 months at $250,000.00 ar monthi from December 20241 through. July 2025 to reduce the cost to our ratepayers. Council Member Lequin Hilderbrand made ar motion to approve $1,000,000.00 to come fromi the SRMPA/Cambridgei funds instead of the $2,000,000.00 previously stated. Council Member Hilderbrand also stated fori it to be used over 8 months at $125,000.00a month from December 20241 through. July 2025. Seconded by Council Member Ronald Sample. The next item ont the agenda was to have as structure demolished at 2079 Greer Street which was damaged by a fire. Fire Marshall Brandon Duckworth informed the council the appropriate steps werei taken to have this structure demolished. Council Member DeMarcus Holmes made a motion tot table this item for av week. Council Member Lequin Hilderbrand suggested to Council Member Holmes to postpone this itemi instead ori tabling thei item. Council Member Holmes changed his motion to postpone the item. Seconded by Council Member Angel McCroskey. Discussion was made regarding the property owner Dent Mays being sick. Motion passed unanimously. The nexti item on the agenda was to vote on a Texas Municipal League Region 16 Director. City Manager Greg Kelley stated hel believes someone closer to. Jasper would benefit the City of. Jasper more. City Manager Kelley! believes the Hemphill Director would bet the better choice fori the City of Jasper, beingi in East Texas. City! Manager Kelley stated it was upt to the council to vote on a director. Motion was madel by Council Member Lequin Hilderbrand to votei for Hemphill Mayor Stephen Crowell for the Texas Municipal League Region 16 Director. Seconded by Council Member Angel Motion was made by Council Member. Angel McCroskey to approve the 2024-2025 Budget. Seconded by Council Member DeMarcus Holmes. Motion passed unanimously.  DeMarcus Holmes. Motion passed unanimously.  Much discussion was made. Motion passed unanimously.  McCroskey. Motion passed unanimously.  Motion was made by Council Member Angel McCroskey to approve Ordinance No. 090924A: setting electrical rates for 2024-2025. Seconded by Council Member DeMarcus Holmes. Council Member Angel McCroskey clarified the electric rates were not beingr raised this year. Motion passed Motion was made by Council Member DeMarcus Holmes to approve Ordinance No. 090924C applying allocated adjustments, contngencyreserves, and providing for amended budgets for1 the 2024-2025 fiscal year budget and plan. Seconded by Council Member Angel McCroskey. Three votingi in favor being Council Members DeMarcus Holmes, Angel McCroskey, and Lequin Hilderbrand. One voting against the motion being Council Member Ronald Sample. Motion Passed. Motion was made by Council Member Angel McCroskeyt to approve Ordinance No. 090924B setting and establishing the 2024-2025 fiscal year operating budget. Seconded by Council Member  unanimously.    Page 663 Page 3 of4  DeMarcus Holmes. Three voting inf favor being Council Members DeMarcus Holmes, Angel McCroskey, and Lequin Hilderbrand. One voting against the motion being Council Member Ronald The nexti item ont the agenda was to appoint a City Charter Review Commission oft five citizens from within the City of. Jasper as provided by Article XI, General Provisions 11.12 Charter Review Commission. Motion was made by Council Member Lequin Hilderbrand to postpone this item and item number 9 appointing a City Ordinance Review Commission of five or more citizens from within the City of Jasper as provided by Section 3.07(f) of Article III-The City Council. Seconded by Council Interim Chief Mike Poindexter explained the police department will be adopting the state model policy medical and psychological examinations instead of coming up with their own policy. Motion made by Council Member DeMarcus Hotmes to approve. Jasper Police Department Adoption of State Model Policy-Medical and Psychological Examinations. Seconded by Council Member Lequin Interim Chief Poindexter explained the (MOU) Memorandum of Understanding would bet to work together with Newton County, and the District Attorney for Newton already signed to approve this. The. Jasper Police Department will benefit from this memorandum including any seizures carried out. Motion madel by Council Member Lequin Hilderbrand to approve the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between Newton and Jasper. Seconded by Council Member DeMarcus Holmes. Two voted fort the motion being Council Members Lequin Hilderbrand and DeMarcus Holmes. Two voted against the motion, being Council Members Ronald Sample and Angel McCroskey. Interim Chief Poindexter explained if thisi is not approved, we will not be able to assist other agencies, and other agencies will not be able to assist. Jasper Police Department. Interim Chief Poindexter explained in the most recent seizure about $95,000.00 was recovered and. Jasper Police Department will not receive any of thet funds ift this did not pass. The council decided to vote Motion made by Council Member Lequin Hilderbrand to approve Resolution No. 3014 ar resolution of the City Council of the City of. Jasper, Texas, authorizing the City Administrator to enteri intoa multiple use agreement with the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) allowing thei installing and operation of automated license plate recognition cameras in TXDOT right of ways. Seconded by Council Member DeMarcus Holmes. Interim Chief Mike Poindexter and Detective Cody Christopher spoke concerning the cameras stating this ist for af free 60-day trial. There will be no cost to the city unless after 60 days the city decides to keep the cameras. Council Member Angel McCroskey asked ift the price after thet free trial was included' int the newl budget. Interim Police Chief Poindexter stated it was not because he did not have an accurate price at thet time. Interim Chief Poindexter stated JEDCO would bei funding half of the cost. Council Member Lequin Hilderbrand would like to see a Motion made by Council Member Ronald Sample to approve a special joint Jasper City Council/ Jasper Economic Development Corporation meeting to be held at City! Hall scheduled bythe City Secretary for the month of October 2024. Seconded by Council Member Angel McCroskey. Council  Sample. Motion Passed.  Member DeMarcus Holmes. Motion passed unanimously.  Hilderbrand. Motion passed unanimously.  again. All votedi in favor oft the Memorandum of Understanding.  generated report when available. Motion Passed Unanimously.    Page 664 Page 4 of4  Member Lequin Hilderbrand asked what the goal oft this meetingi is. Council Member Angel McCroskey explained this would be great information wise for the community, andi to show unity Motion made by Council Member Ronald Samplet to remove Mayor Anderson Land. Jr. from the following: Jasper Economic Development Corporation Board of Directors, Southeast Texas Regional Planning Commission Executive Committee, and Sam Rayburn Municipal Power Agency Board of Directors. Seconded by Council Member Angel McCroskey. Attorney! Mike Ratcliff stated the mayor cannot be removed from Southeast Texas Regional Planning Commission, but the mayor can be removed from. Jasper Economic Development Corporation Board of Directors and Sam Rayburn Municipal Power Agency Board of Directors. After much discussion, two voted in favor of removing Mayor Land from the boards, Council Members Ronald Sample and Angel McCroskey. Two voted against removing Mayor Land from the boards, being Council Members Lequin Hilderbrand and DeMarcus Holmes. Mayor Land brokei the tie, and he voted no. Motion does not pass. Motion made by Council Member Angel McCroskey to postpone the item to review and discuss the bylaws for. Jasper Economic Development Type Al Board. Seconded by Council Member Lequin Motion made by Council Member Ronald Sample for a legal opinion by an outside attorney regarding Proposition. A/Ordinance No. 5-10-221 that state the City of Jasper shall not charge more than ten percent above cost of any utilityi it provides toi its customers. Seconded by Council Member DeMarcus Holmes. Council Member Lequin Hilderbrand stated he believes this would be better suited under the forensic audit the council previouslya approved to move forward with. After Motion made by Council Member Lequin Hilderbrand to approve. Jasper Economic Development Corporation's 2024-2025 fiscal year operating budget. Seconded by Council Member DeMarcus Holmes.. Jasper Economic Development Corporation Executive Director Eddie Hopkins spoke concerning the budget. Mr. Hopkins stated JEDCO used the worst month of sales tax revenue to come up with this budget. Mr. Hopkins stated JEDCO also reduced thel budget by 5% since the City of Jasper did as well. Mr. Hopkins stated. JEDCO receives leads from the governor's office tol bring businesses to. Jasper. After much discussion, the motion passed unanimously. With no further  withi the City of Jasper and. JEDCO. Motion passed unanimously.  Hilderbrand. Motion passed unanimously.  discussion all voted against the motion. Motion does not pass.  business to discuss, the meeting was adjourned at 7:31pm.  Andersonk -épd, Mayor  ah  Attest:  524 Liz. Jarrell, City Secretary