2026-10-27 - Pre-Council

00:00President Small will be arriving

00:02sometime this morning. He's been out of

00:04town and uh

00:07his plane

00:08uh had some maintenance issues this

00:09morning, so he's been pushed back.

00:12But, we can go ahead and get moving

00:13along.

00:14>> This is the pre-meeting of the Mobile

00:16City Council, Tuesday, [clears throat]

00:17October 27th.

00:19We have approval of minutes from October

00:21the 20th.

00:22>> Everybody good?

00:27>> Appeals, we have request for a waiver of

00:28the noise ordinance on October the 31st

00:30from 4:00 p.m. until 10:00 p.m. on

00:32Elmira Street.

00:34April the 3rd from 6:30

00:37p.m. until 11:00 p.m. in Mardi Gras

00:39Park.

00:40November the 14th

00:42from 7:00 p.m. until 12:04 a.m. on

00:44Venetia Road. December 5th 9:00 a.m.

00:47until 1:00 p.m. on Dolphin Island

00:49Parkway.

00:50>> All right. Anybody have problems with

00:52these uh noise ordinances? Uh

00:53Councilwoman Ingram?

00:55>> Thank you, Madam Vice President. If you

00:56can change October the 31st to 9:00 p.m.

01:01>> Okay.

01:02And have you heard anything from C.J. on

01:05this one that's 12:00 a.m.?

01:06>> Yeah, I have not.

01:09>> Yeah, he may want to change that one.

01:12Everybody else good?

01:14Okay.

01:16>> Public hearings, today is a public

01:18hearing

01:19to consider the application of Tiffany

01:20Money Williams for a certificate of

01:22public convenience and necessity to

01:23operate a sedan service.

01:25Today is a public hearing to consider

01:28a vacation fee as a condition of

01:30vacation of a public alleyway adjacent

01:34to Highland Avenue. a vacation fee as a

01:37condition of vacation of a public

01:39alleyway adjacent to property located

01:41north of 144 Highland Avenue.

01:44>> Any um concerns, questions about these?

01:49Okay.

01:50>> Presentation of petitions and other

01:51communications to the council, Dr.

01:53Vincent Robinson uh providing

01:55information about the renovation at

01:56Rightway Christian uh Center Church.

01:59Matthew Miller addressing the council

02:01regard regarding 14.7 million

02:04um

02:06dollar taxpayer funds. Nina Dortch

02:09um regarding regarding the 14.7 million

02:12in funds. Estella Trotter regarding the

02:1514.7 million.

02:17Reggie Hill, economic development

02:19eradicating juvenile delinquency,

02:21budgeting, and municipal enforcement.

02:23Sabrina Mass um regarding 14.7 million.

02:27>> Um Council, before we move on since

02:29we've got some

02:31uh petitions and presentations that we

02:34just heard people are asking about the

02:3514.7 million. Let's get on through the

02:38agenda

02:39and then allow the mayor to come

02:41forward. We all have some questions and

02:43the mayor has some new information that

02:44he wants to provide. So, let's just

02:46finish with the agenda and then we'll

02:47take care of that.

02:50>> Ordinance is held over 64038 consider

02:53proposed rezoning of property relocated

02:56at 255 Church Street.

02:58>> Councilwoman Ingram

02:59>> Thank you, Madam Vice President. I'm

03:01going to be requesting that we hold this

03:03over until mid-December

03:06and mainly because planning recommended

03:08the approval. However,

03:10there's a fresh whole matter that we

03:12have to take care of and so we're going

03:14to do that. Despite that, we can do that

03:17through the council has the authority to

03:20do that and so we're going to be

03:21proposing

03:23a change to the

03:26to the map the zoning map and so I'm

03:29asking that we hold it over until

03:30mid-December.

03:31>> Uh let's look at the calendar.

03:32>> December 15th. That'll be our Christmas

03:34meeting.

03:35>> Well, our Christmas meeting is December

03:3615th.

03:38>> Uh at the museum.

03:40>> Yeah, at the museum.

03:41>> That's That'll be fine.

03:43>> Okay.

03:44Um Madam Vice

03:45>> it's going to be controversial.

03:47>> [laughter]

03:48>> I mean, we haven't had anyone yet to um

03:51comment address it, but you know, if if

03:54we're concerned about that, we can look

03:57for later towards the end.

04:01>> Well, because we will

04:03take off the next week.

04:05>> Yeah, and then we'll have December 29th.

04:07>> And then December 29th would be our next

04:09meeting.

04:10>> Okay.

04:12>> Um

04:14>> Okay, if we can go with December the 8th

04:16>> December 8th

04:17>> Yes, Josh.

04:17>> Um I just had a question um for

04:19Jonathan, I guess. Um obviously, when it

04:21comes to chaining changing things,

04:23owning maps, anything with with that,

04:26obviously there's

04:27does this have to be advertised, I

04:29guess? Is that is that what we need to

04:31initiate now? And I guess are we are we

04:33saying let's go ahead and advertise with

04:34the changes now so that we can meet that

04:37that deadline, I guess?

04:39>> Yes, so I think what Samantha will be

04:41doing is calling for a public hearing

04:43next week. Um and that's what Atlanta

04:45and I were just talking about. It

04:46[clears throat] should be the 8th of

04:47December. And so the advertising is what

04:49will take place between next week and

04:51the 8th.

04:52>> Okay. And then we'll just re-advertise

04:54or advertise it

04:55as this I guess as a as a new subject

04:58per se, and then all that will be it'll

05:00go out with the official legal-ease per

05:02se of of what we're trying

05:03>> Yeah, it'll be a new agenda item because

05:05it's a it's an update to the zoning map

05:08on the the council's own initiative.

05:10>> Got you.

05:11>> Which the DDD and UDC allow for.

05:13>> Got you. Awesome, thank you.

05:14>> And and I just want to add, you know,

05:17holding it over to mid-December allows

05:19us not to table that application, so

05:21they have to start that process over. So

05:22all of this and the developer is in line

05:25with us. We we're working with them in

05:26terms of this.

05:27>> Okay, CJ standing there. You heard

05:29everything? Okay.

05:31Great.

05:32>> [clears throat]

05:34>> Okay, thanks. Anybody else?

05:36Okay.

05:38Resolution held over 08 1087 approved

05:40purchase order to Spire. And 21 1088 is

05:44also authorizing contract with Spire.

05:46Everybody good with things?

05:48Councilwoman Ingram on the Spire

05:52contract. Yes, ma'am. They provided me

05:54some additional information. Thank you.

05:56>> Okay.

05:58>> 10 11 38 refer the application of Saint

06:01Ignatius Cemetery

06:03Mobile to the Mobile County Board of

06:05Health to create a cemetery within the

06:07city limits.

06:08>> And congratulations to Saint Ignatius

06:10for being able to start on a new

06:12cemetery over there for the church.

06:16>> 21 11 39 authorize contract with Wesley

06:19Fontaine to provide tennis lessons. 21

06:2211 40 authorize contract with

06:25Elaine Campbell to provide tennis

06:27lessons.

06:28>> [gasps]

06:28>> 21 11 41 authorize professional services

06:31contract with the Bloom Group.

06:33>> Um Madam Vice President

06:35>> Yes, sir, Mr. Penn.

06:36>> Yeah, I'll ask the council

06:38to lay [clears throat] this over a week.

06:39I want to get some more information.

06:42One, we talked about this firm. But I

06:45also want to know what municipalities

06:47that they are providing a service for

06:49already. I know we we we're saying that

06:51it's a large firm, but at the same time

06:53I want to understand what the service

06:55all been are

06:57being provided already as well as how

06:59much

07:01those cities are paying. And that should

07:02be public information since we're

07:04providing it.

07:05The payment right now where a request

07:07for it. So, I'm just asking the council

07:10to hold it over for a week.

07:11>> Everybody got that?

07:13Okay.

07:13>> Madam Vice President

07:14>> Yes, ma'am.

07:15>> I I want to add to just moving forward

07:18when we receive this it was very vague

07:20and and I'm just asking as

07:22[clears throat] for the public

07:23information so that they are aware of

07:25how we're expending the public funds. In

07:27the future that we at least have at a

07:29minimum

07:30some type of basic scope of work so that

07:32it's clear how those what those services

07:35are in terms of the use of public funds.

07:38Thank you.

07:38>> Okay. All right.

07:41>> 31 11 43

07:43authorize the mayor to apply accept and

07:45receive a grant from the Mobile

07:46Metropolitan Planning Organization to

07:48fund the construction of segment five of

07:50the Three Mile Creek Greenway Greenway

07:53Trail.

07:5450 10 89 resolution calling for public

07:57hearing and authorizing preparation of

07:58project plan

08:00for tax increment financing District 5.

08:0350 10 90 resolution calling for public

08:06hearing and authorizing preparation for

08:07project plan for tax increment financing

08:10District 7.

08:11>> [clears throat]

08:12>> 50 11 17

08:16>> [clears throat]

08:18>> and 11 18 are resolutions calling for

08:21public hearings to consider proposed tax

08:22increment financing District 3.

08:25>> Okay, um I know the mayor has a request

08:27on these and I know Mr. Reynolds has got

08:29a lot to say, but mayor, you came to us,

08:32asked us to lay these over for a couple

08:34of weeks. You want to explain?

08:41>> Good morning.

08:43Good morning. Um yes, it is our request

08:46to lay these over a couple of weeks.

08:48Uh you know, we've certainly continued

08:50to have some discussions primarily

08:51around

08:52the Tillmans Corner Highway 90 TIF. Uh

08:56I know that we were attempting to update

08:57our map as it was attached to this one

08:59and I think

09:01for that alone, uh we need to lay these

09:03over a couple of weeks, but

09:05one thing I do want to note,

09:07um

09:09so much of the details of a TIF are

09:11determined in a project plan.

09:14Who sits on the board, what projects are

09:16eligible, how the money that is

09:18ultimately collected can be spent,

09:21all is delineated in the project plan.

09:25With the resolutions that are before

09:27this council today,

09:30the ability of the mayor to

09:32fill out and and finalize

09:35the at least the initial proposition as

09:37to what those pro-

09:39plans look like as part of this

09:41resolution. So, until this council

09:43votes on these resolutions, I don't have

09:46the power to answer a lot of the

09:47questions that are being asked through a

09:50proposed plan.

09:52Um

09:54with these resolutions,

09:56we're not asking anybody to agree on any

09:58of those details at this point.

10:01The only question we're asking is A, can

10:03we pursue the project plan as a city?

10:06And B,

10:07can we inform the public more on TIFs?

10:10TIFs are terribly complicated.

10:13You know, I think

10:14TIF kind of sounds like GIF, which

10:15sounds simple, but it's not.

10:18And a large part of these

10:21public hearings

10:22is generally explaining the process of a

10:24TIF, how they how they work, how they

10:26grow,

10:27uh how they've worked in the past

10:28specifically related to downtown.

10:31Uh and those presentations were

10:34continuing to be able to work on those.

10:36We're continuing to be able to work on

10:38some numbers and some finer details as

10:40we're talking with our partners, issues

10:43that are raised such as paygo and

10:44others.

10:45We're able to continue working on that,

10:47but because this resolution

10:49includes in it the language authorizing

10:51the mayor to produce the project plan,

10:56it by not voting on it,

10:58it is hamstringing that, and frankly,

11:00it's not allowing us

11:02to really get down to the nitty-gritty

11:04with our taxing partners

11:08and hammer out those details.

11:10That said, with our

11:13uh desire to change the map for

11:15Tillman's Corner, reducing it somewhat

11:18in size and scope,

11:20um and looking at the other ones, I I

11:22think it's prudent to lay it over 2

11:24weeks so we can continue those

11:25conversations,

11:27uh and hopefully at that time have this

11:30call for public hearing so we can truly

11:32start the process of hammering out the

11:34details in these tips.

11:36>> Okay, I believe also another reason for

11:39trying to lay these over is because we

11:41have something else to talk about that

11:43will take up a lot of time as well.

11:45>> There's no doubt that there's another

11:46primary focus of today.

11:48>> focus to discuss, yes. Okay.

11:50>> And I'm Vice President.

11:51>> All right, let's go ahead and start, Mr.

11:52Reynolds.

11:52>> I I'll be brief. Um

11:56I thought I knew

11:58how tips work. I I was convinced I did I

12:00I knew. I spent 2 hours at the Revenue

12:03Department yesterday with uh Revenue

12:05Commissioner Kim Hastie along with other

12:07elected officials.

12:08And there is so much that I did not know

12:11about these things, and I don't think

12:13most of us understand it.

12:15Um

12:17She and their comptroller are making

12:19themselves available to us.

12:22They are willing to

12:24put on a presentation, they're willing

12:25to sit down with you individually,

12:27whatever you need to come up to speed

12:30with what a TIF actually is and what the

12:33implications of passing a TIF are.

12:37And so I I hope that everybody's going

12:40to take this opportunity to do that. I

12:43don't think 2 weeks is, you know, I I

12:45don't think we're going to get there. I

12:46would We got a lot of stuff going on

12:48right now, right? And

12:50I think it the things that are going on

12:52require our focus, everybody's focus,

12:56currently. I would like for for us to

13:00push this out to January 12th.

13:03Uh hold these over to January 12th so

13:05that everybody can come up to speed with

13:07>> [clears throat]

13:08>> what's in this cuz this is complicated.

13:11And now we we're all sort of talking on

13:14the same level, not just on us on the

13:16council, but the county commission, the

13:18school board, the mayor's office,

13:20everybody.

13:21You know, I

13:23I hope y'all see that there's value in

13:25that, that there is no immediate rush

13:28for us to jump into this thing.

13:30Um and and frankly I mean we should we

13:33should have majority of the plan sorted

13:35out before and I think the statute

13:36contemplates the creation of that plan

13:39either before or after a public hearing,

13:43right? That's the statute contemplates

13:45that, correct?

13:46>> [clears throat]

13:47>> More or less, I think that's

13:48>> Yeah. So,

13:49you know, it's just a different

13:50approach, that's all, but I think where

13:52we're at, we can still get to a good

13:54place where everybody's going to be

13:55happy, it's going to be a big public

13:56benefit, but it's going to take some

13:58work and massaging to get there because

14:01implications, as you understand them,

14:03they're they're they're significant. I

14:04mean, it

14:05they could be a game changer, but it's

14:07got to be structured in the right way.

14:09So, I'd ask we hold till January 12th,

14:10not only these, but the other calls as

14:12well.

14:12>> Okay, and I do see um Revenue

14:15Commissioner Kim Hasty. Kim, stand up.

14:17State Representative Margie Wilcox, am I

14:19missing anybody in here? Margie, stand

14:22up cuz you've been a big part of some of

14:23these discussions.

14:26All right. Thank you for your help and

14:28for being here.

14:29Councilman Penn.

14:30>> I think um Dr. Ingram had her mic up.

14:33>> Oh, I'm sorry. Councilwoman Ingram.

14:35>> Thank you, Madam Vice President.

14:36[clears throat]

14:37Um

14:38I want to follow up with what um

14:40Councilman Reynolds just stated and what

14:42the mayor stated. It sounds like there's

14:44a

14:44uh conflict. So, will in delaying this,

14:48are we going to be provided with

14:50additional information? I know I've

14:51requested addi- additional information

14:53in terms of the residents, you know, the

14:55residential areas, um and yet I hear you

14:59saying that we really can't,

15:01you know, draft that plan until

15:03afterwards. So, if we can just get a

15:05clarification on what's happening during

15:08this time period.

15:09>> Yeah. Mayor.

15:15>> To answer that, uh of course we've been

15:17a little distracted this week and I know

15:18that we did in fact meet on the

15:21your desire to have the number of

15:22residents

15:24um specifically associated with the

15:25waterfront TIF

15:27uh and any others, but I think primarily

15:29the waterfront TIF affects your

15:31district. Uh we can still gather that

15:33kind of data. We we do still have

15:36our consultant working on those numbers.

15:40You know, these

15:41numbers matter when it comes to the TIF,

15:43whether it's blight percentage, you

15:45know, what the where the baseline is

15:47expected to be set, what increment can

15:48we

15:49uh look forward to and under what

15:52circumstances, what percentage of taxing

15:54authorities

15:56base will be involved in the TIF.

15:58All things that we need to negotiate.

16:00While the statute doesn't necessarily

16:03say and it's been some time since I've

16:05read it whether the

16:06proposed plan is

16:08uh I know there's no requirement for the

16:10proposed plan to be completed prior to

16:13uh a public hearing. The resolution that

16:15we have before us includes that

16:18authorization. And so, you know, I

16:20believe that we do need that

16:21authorization to continue

16:23um in order to continue forward and

16:26finalizing those plans. You know, I want

16:28to I want to thank uh Commissioner Hasty

16:30who she and I,

16:31you know, sat on the phone together last

16:33night for I'm not sure how long

16:35while I was driving the girls around the

16:36neighborhood and

16:38uh you know, we talked in detail about

16:40this. They are complicated.

16:42Again, you know, what we're really

16:43asking, we're not asking to hammer out

16:46every detail of these TIFs behind closed

16:49doors in the dark. We want to bring the

16:51public into the conversation.

16:53And what we will be continuing to work

16:55on is our presentations to the public

16:58about these particular TIFs, about TIFs

17:00in general.

17:02Uh you know, I know I've recorded at

17:03least one video, but we're trying to

17:04produce a series of educational videos

17:07as to how these work. Um

17:10I [snorts] can't say that we're going to

17:11put every finer detail out there

17:13um because it's hard enough for us to

17:15explain. And so, we're going to try and

17:17break it down where any average member

17:18of the public can generally understand

17:21what we're trying to do. Um and that's,

17:23you know, not always easy, especially

17:25with something as complicated as these.

17:28Uh but, we will also continue to talk

17:30with our partners. You know, again, the

17:32negotiation around the project plans,

17:35around the maps, can continue.

17:38I just can't authorize our consultant to

17:40lay those down on paper until this vote

17:43is had. Uh I I think January is far too

17:46far.

17:47I think we do risk certain things,

17:49um if we delay this too long.

17:52Uh that means we need to find agreement

17:55with our partners. That doesn't mean we

17:57need to

17:58ram it through. That is not what the

18:00mayor's office or anybody else is trying

18:02to do.

18:03We're just trying to check the boxes so

18:05that these things can be a become a

18:07reality,

18:08you know, before

18:10um

18:11so that we don't stand to lose out on

18:14potential progress and opportunities.

18:16Um

18:18>> Anybody have any questions for me?

18:20>> Fleming.

18:21>> [clears throat]

18:21>> Mayor, I'm glad to hear you say you

18:22don't want to ram it through,

18:24>> [cough]

18:24>> but I do understand there is a little

18:26bit of sense of urgency.

18:27Um

18:29I think we need to

18:31definitely dive into this, learn what we

18:33can, but I still want to kind of revert

18:35back to what Councilman Wood said a few

18:36weeks ago. It's like, we're just calling

18:38for a public hearing. We're not doing

18:41We're not voting on a TIF. We're not

18:42voting on the map of the TIF. We're not

18:44voting on We're not raising We're not

18:46doing anything. We're just simply trying

18:48to get the ball rolling.

18:50And all we're all you're really asking

18:52us to do is just authorize you to start

18:54making preparations to present the plan.

18:58Not Not to vote on the TIF.

19:01So, [clears throat] if we can just get

19:02the ball rolling,

19:04it's going to change a thousand times

19:05based on the conversations we have with

19:08our partners, the conversations we have

19:09among ourselves,

19:11the school board the you know, the

19:12county.

19:14>> [clears throat]

19:14>> I just I don't see the harm

19:17in setting a date for the public hearing

19:20and allow the administration and all of

19:22us to get together with our partners to

19:26prepare the plan and go from there.

19:28That's I just don't see the harm in

19:30that. So,

19:32I just don't want to keep kicking this

19:33down the road and miss out on some

19:35opportunities. So, that's all I have.

19:37>> [clears throat]

19:38>> Uh Councilman Penn?

19:39>> No, thank you, Madam Vice President.

19:40Just want to kind of just bring some

19:41clarity and kind of hearing both sides.

19:44Um one, I hear we already approved the

19:48consultant a contract, correct?

19:50>> Correct.

19:51>> Okay. So, the public can kind of

19:53understands.

19:54But, legally is something and I'm asking

19:57both of I'm asking our counsel attorney

19:59as well.

20:00Um

20:01is it legal something stopping them from

20:03creating a plan

20:05to start the process now?

20:08>> [clears throat]

20:09>> When it comes to the official project

20:12>> They're back.

20:12>> Yeah, when it comes to the official

20:13project plan, the statute

20:16pro- all of the authority to create a

20:19tax increment district, including the

20:21project plan,

20:22is with the legislative body, which is

20:24the city council.

20:25And so, as I appreciate it, what the

20:27mayor's office is saying is for the

20:29mayor to officially taken action to

20:32create a project plan,

20:34he needs authorization from the council

20:35to do that. Now, when it comes to

20:38information that consultant may have

20:40gathered, I'm not sure there would be

20:42anything stopping

20:44sharing that information. But, as far as

20:46specifically the project plan,

20:49as that phrase is used in the statute,

20:52yes, in order for the mayor to prepare

20:54it, he needs authorization from the city

20:56council to do it because it actually

20:58falls to you by statute.

20:59>> Thank you. And I think that's a great

21:02point in going into my next statement is

21:04that

21:05to do to to get some of the information

21:07we need, we got to

21:09we got to pay something, right? We got

21:11to put something in place. But at the

21:13same time, I believe waiting these 2

21:16weeks, this is an opportunity to kind of

21:18build some some of those relationships

21:20that Councilman Reynolds is talking

21:21about. I think we need to have

21:24um

21:25we on one accord with our partners. So,

21:28in the next 2 weeks, I think that's

21:29something that I'm requesting that we we

21:31make sure that we're building those

21:33relationships in the next 2 weeks.

21:34[clears throat]

21:35Um I'm willing to take that same

21:37session, Councilman Reynolds. So, in

21:40those 2 weeks, I would like to take that

21:41section. I don't know if you can set

21:42some up for the whole council, if

21:44they're in agreement, if we can do maybe

21:46some three or

21:48um two. I'm open to that. The second

21:52piece, I think is the issue is that if

21:56there's any information the consultant

21:59already have, I'd like this council to

22:01receive it.

22:03If there's anything that has already

22:05been put together, if we already approve

22:08this contract with the consultant,

22:13is it illegal to share that information

22:15with the council?

22:16>> Certainly not. Um

22:18certainly not illegal to share that

22:20information.

22:22What it specifically prohibits,

22:24based on us laying this over, is the

22:26completion of the project plan.

22:28Uh the truth is some work was done on

22:31pieces of the project plan

22:34after the approval of the consultant

22:36contract, which was part of the scope.

22:39Frankly, I I think we had the permission

22:42of the council to do it until

22:45until this resolution was put on the

22:46board and not voted on um because to me

22:49that's when the authorization was

22:51withheld. Um

22:54there you know, I

22:57there's a lot of data that the

22:58consultant has. We've been working on

23:00this for 6 months, minimum.

23:03Um

23:05maps, blight data, undeveloped versus

23:08developed. Um

23:11you know, we really have to put a

23:12parameter around what you want. It's

23:14it's honestly too much to absorb if it's

23:17just everything. Okay. Um but, you know,

23:20there there was an executive summary put

23:22together. It was in fact an executive

23:24summary, fairly short. Um more more

23:28summary in nature than actual

23:30nitty-gritty details.

23:32Um

23:33I can ask him to expand upon that to

23:35some degree and

23:37through our communications with our

23:39taxing partners,

23:41I've asked him to compute a a lot of

23:43numbers, a lot of data to show what the

23:46options are, what they look like,

23:48what the ultimate result of them would

23:50be if we decide on certain percentages

23:53or certain types of projects. Um

23:56So, he's working hard.

23:59Um

24:00I don't know that you want me to send

24:01you everything. I'm not sure that I

24:03could even figure out how to ask for

24:06everything.

24:07>> So,

24:07well, I appreciate you sharing that

24:09information, Mayor. This is my request.

24:11Um and I can't speak for the whole

24:13council, but I know I would like to have

24:15some information. I'll share with

24:16information I would like with the

24:18administration and I guess any of my

24:20colleagues would do the same in the 2

24:21weeks. [clears throat] I will take that

24:23session, Councilman Reynolds, um already

24:26been involved in. And at the same time,

24:28I would like to see our partners, you

24:30know, just make sure we're we're

24:31communicating in these 2 weeks.

24:33But, like you said, we got to be

24:35transparent. And to get this ball

24:37rolling, we have to approve something.

24:39Um and it's not approving

24:41the TIF, it's just giving the

24:43opportunity where the public can can

24:45have input and we can start the process.

24:47Um again, this information. Thank you,

24:49Madam Vice President.

24:50>> The only thing that a vote on these

24:52resolutions would set in stone

24:55is the date of the public hearing and

24:57even that could be changed, but um

25:00you know, that's all we're really

25:01asking. Set a date for the public

25:03hearing and authorize me to authorize

25:07our team and consultants to at least get

25:09the first draft completed for the

25:11project plans.

25:13>> Anybody else? Councilwoman Ingram? So

25:15So, Mayor, I just want to confirm. So,

25:17within these 2 weeks, um what we can

25:19count on receiving, you know, the things

25:21that we've requested. I understand and

25:22we have a lot going on, but we can

25:24ensure that our partners receive

25:25outstanding items that they've requested

25:27because I've spoken with some of the

25:28partners, the commissioners. Um in

25:31addition to that, the request that

25:33Councilman Penn has just um addressed,

25:36we can expect to receive that. That

25:38would would allow us for the next 2

25:40weeks to be empowered and be ready for

25:43the um to approve the hearing so that

25:46we're able to ask uh informed questions.

25:49Is that what I Is that what we're going

25:51to do during those 2 weeks?

25:52>> That's what I'm going to do,

25:53you know, and obviously

25:55Well, there we go.

25:57Uh obviously, things could intervene,

25:59but um you know, the one request that I

26:01know from you is the houses affected in

26:03your district uh as far as the

26:05waterfront TIF, which I've asked to be

26:08[clears throat] tabulated, and I just

26:09haven't received it yet.

26:12Okay. You got it? Okay.

26:15Uh well, there you go. There's one.

26:17Um

26:18the only other, in talking with

26:20Commissioner Loggains, she uh has asked

26:22for certain, you know, estimates and and

26:25I promised percentages as well to see

26:28how those would be affected, those

26:30potential estimates.

26:31Uh that is something that I think we are

26:34nearly complete on

26:36uh and we'll be producing that for each

26:38of the districts.

26:39Anything I didn't hit? Okay.

26:42>> Okay. Anybody else? Uh Mr. Reynolds?

26:44>> Yes, ma'am. I I want more I mean, I want

26:46I want all the information that I can

26:49possibly get to fully understand it. I

26:52Once y'all sit through this this

26:53learning session, you're going to find

26:55that there's a lot of things that you

26:56just you got to know to know the impact

26:58of it, you know, and you know, how

27:00you know, the blight survey data, you

27:02know, on a granular level granular level

27:04and all that stuff is important and

27:07I think before we get too far down the

27:08road. That's why, you know, it was one

27:10of the many reasons I'm asking that we

27:11hold it further. I mean, number one,

27:13we're we're all a bit distracted from

27:18you know, this. Right I understand and

27:21we need the other issues need our

27:24>> [clears throat]

27:24>> total focus.

27:25Um

27:26but I I'd like

27:28I'll I'd love to put a list together and

27:30send it over to you what what I think

27:32would be helpful hopefully you'll you'll

27:35will share that with with me as well.

27:38>> Okay.

27:39>> one thing I just want to say I

27:40understand that we've had a big event

27:42that we'll be talking about here

27:43shortly.

27:45The city does not have the luxury

27:48of singular focus on one issue.

27:52This city is involved in generally

27:54everything that happens in this region.

27:57Um

27:59while we have poured a great amount of

28:02time, energy and focus on the

28:05transaction as I as I call it.

28:09That is not made us lose focus and

28:12momentum on the hundreds of other

28:14matters that are sitting before us on

28:16our desk right now.

28:18The promise that I've made to the public

28:21is that as painful as this incident is

28:23the paint as painful as the loss of

28:25these dollars right now is

28:29it's not going to stop or slow the

28:31momentum of Mobile.

28:33We will not let the momentum of our area

28:36and our city be damaged even by this

28:40awful situation.

28:42By this loss of of this great dollar

28:44amount which is

28:46you know, there's no minimizing it. It

28:48is it is big.

28:50But, it's not enough to knock us off

28:51track.

28:52And

28:54I would say delaying

28:56these tax increment finance districts

28:58too long

29:00has the potential to have a far greater

29:04negative impact on the future of Mobile

29:07than even this great loss does. So,

29:10you know, [clears throat] I I understand

29:11there's a lot

29:13I understand it's complicated. I

29:14understand there's a lot of information

29:15to be shared.

29:17And we are doing our best to share it as

29:19quickly as we obtain it. As soon as it's

29:22requested, as soon as we have the

29:24answers, we share.

29:26Uh and we intend to be transparent

29:27through this process. That's why we're

29:29trying to get the public involved.

29:31Just as we intend and promise to be

29:33transparent

29:35as it result as it revolves around the

29:37transaction.

29:38>> Okay.

29:39Uh

29:40just [clears throat] let me interject

29:41one thing. Um

29:43This is only agenda two call for public

29:45hearings coming up.

29:47>> [clears throat]

29:47>> So,

29:49you know, if we don't get the

29:50information that we need, and I

29:53understand it's probably going to take

29:55some time. I don't see anybody here from

29:57the county commission, but I know they

29:59are involved in talks

30:01um as well as the school board. So, I

30:03don't really know where they are as far

30:05as being comfortable with anything at

30:07this point. But, we could look at I'm

30:10just throwing this out as a possibility.

30:13Maybe not till January. We could move it

30:15another couple of weeks or two more

30:17weeks down the road, but we've got this

30:18two-week window.

30:20So, that if we don't get the information

30:22that we need, and we're still lacking,

30:24and don't feel like we have the input

30:26from our partners, we could then decide

30:29to bring it back up and lay it over yet

30:30again. So, it's so it's so it's not out

30:33of the realm of possibility that we find

30:35ourselves still lacking for information

30:37that we've asked for, and just lay it

30:39over again. I mean, yeah, it's kicking

30:41the can, but we need to kick it as far

30:43as we have to in order to get what we

30:45need. And in the meantime,

30:47Josh, could we set up

30:51a committee meeting, an ad hoc committee

30:52meeting,

30:54President Small, with our partners, with

30:57Commissioner Hasty, in order to present

30:59the information that Ben has been

31:01working on that we have not been privy

31:02to? So, that might help us all

31:05getting gain a little bit more insight.

31:07Maybe we could do it next week.

31:09>> I I Madam Vice President, I'll concede

31:11to that so we can move along with

31:12[clears throat] our agenda. We got many

31:13other things to discuss. I concede to

31:15the

31:15>> would be a wise thing to do.

31:16>> Concede to the two weeks and we'll have

31:18the discussions from there.

31:19>> Okay.

31:20>> Madam Vice President, uh just for

31:21clarification, um I guess looking at

31:24making it part of a finance committee

31:25meeting, I guess, is that Is that what

31:28the suggestion is?

31:28>> I I think it would be a good idea for us

31:31to to do that. It could be an ad hoc

31:33meeting. We'll let you chair it since

31:34you're the finance chair cuz I'm sure

31:35everybody will be there, but to invite

31:38our partners to

31:40certainly get uh Commissioner Hasty

31:42involved to present the information on

31:44exactly what TIFs are, how it impacts

31:46us, all of the revenues, all those

31:47questions that I think everybody would

31:49like answers to.

31:50And Kim, maybe we can provide you with

31:53some uh questions ahead of time

31:56so that you'll be better prepared. And

31:57then we also need to invite our county

31:59commission partners or at least a

32:00spokesperson for them, as well as the

32:02school board, to be a part of this so

32:04that we can all talk around the table

32:06and get the information.

32:07>> Yeah.

32:09I um I'll definitely will we we can talk

32:11about that in a few minutes or in a

32:12little bit, but um I don't know if I

32:14know she had 10-minute tags. I don't

32:16know if she has 10-minute TIF

32:17discussions or not, [laughter] but

32:18>> Do you think you can do it in 10

32:19minutes?

32:22>> All right, thank you.

32:23>> Okay. And um okay, so we're going to lay

32:26this over for 2 weeks, the call for

32:28public hearings, correct?

32:30All right.

32:32Pardon me?

32:34And we have Yeah, and the resolutions,

32:35yes.

32:36Do you want to take over?

32:37>> [laughter]

32:40>> All right, moving along.

32:41>> Consent resolutions being introduced. 37

32:441144 and 1145 are recommending approval

32:47to the ABC Board for issuance of a

32:49special events retail license to Movies

32:52in the Park

32:53at 300 Conti Street and 11 1711

32:57Hillcrest Road.

32:5946 1146 honorarily rename a portion of

33:02Jessie Street to honorary Mrs. Leona

33:05Foster Street. 58 1147 and 1148 are

33:09authorizing removal of weeds

33:11and assessing costs for removal of weeds

33:14groups 1683 and 108.

33:1860 1149 through 1153 are determining

33:22appropriations to Family Counseling

33:24Center of Mobile Inc., the Child

33:26Advocacy Center Inc., Hillsdale Heights

33:28Homeowners Association

33:31Inc. and the Courtyards at Magnolia

33:34Grove Property Owners Association serves

33:36a public purpose and approve payment.

33:38Resolutions being introduced 08 1154

33:41approve purchase order to ID Software

33:43Identification Management Systems

33:46for transportation worker identification

33:48credential biometric readers for Mobile

33:50Cruise Terminal $38,500.

33:5408 1155 approve item award bid

33:58base bid for diesel fuel.

34:0008 1156 approve purchase order

34:03Environmental Systems Research Institute

34:05for annual renewal of software and

34:07support services for GIS Department

34:08$78,819.

34:11>> Madam President.

34:12On the

34:13on that resolution she just read 08 1156

34:18I just found out this morning that

34:20invoice is due at the end of this month

34:22and so even though it's over 50,000 we

34:24would ask for a consent pay that. It's

34:26just a renewal of GIS software.

34:29>> Everybody you with that?

34:32Okay.

34:35081157 approved purchase order 25 CAS

34:38Proprietary Limited for 1 year

34:41subscription for open-source

34:43intelligence software for Gulf Coast

34:45Technology $76,400.

34:49081158 approved purchase order to SHI

34:52International for 1 year subscription to

34:54Adobe Acrobat Sign Studio and Creative

34:57Cloud software services

34:59$153,879.28.

35:03081159 approved purchase order North

35:05American Fire Equipment for 50-ft

35:08sections of fire hoses $22,950.

35:12081160 approved purchase order to

35:14Trillian Holdings for 1 year

35:16subscription for employee standards of

35:18conduct conduct training products and

35:21support for OPR $26,532.

35:27>> Madam Vice President.

35:28>> Yes, ma'am.

35:28>> If we can have administration to share

35:30more about this training product and

35:32also the number of staff that are

35:35involved and and if it's a mandatory

35:37training.

35:44>> Um yes, this this has like ethics

35:45training or workplace harassment that

35:47type training and it's done through a

35:49video system so that we're able to reach

35:51all our employees. It is mandatory

35:52training.

35:53>> Thank you.

35:53>> Okay.

35:56211161

35:58authorized contract to Hans Loh

36:01to provide tennis lessons and clinics

36:04for parks and recreation department

36:05$80,000.

36:07211162

36:09authorized contract of Osprey Initiative

36:12to develop and deliver

36:14litter-free education program into

36:16students

36:17across Mobile $30,000.

36:2020

36:21>> Madam Vice President.

36:22>> Yes, ma'am.

36:23>> Um I'm excited [clears throat] to see

36:24this program. I think it's great. You

36:26know, it's another way for us to take

36:28care of some of our public services

36:30needs, but I do have a a few questions.

36:33Uh part of the scope space that is for

36:35middle school students, then there's

36:37another section that says sixth graders

36:39only or sixth graders. And so my first

36:41question is the targeted group.

36:49>> [clears throat]

36:50>> Good morning. Yes, this is the fourth

36:51year we're going with this contract. Uh

36:53historically it's been the sixth

36:55graders.

36:56We're uh exploring into the fifth grade

36:58as well for this one.

37:00>> So do you have I didn't see it in the

37:03packet, but do you have the data because

37:04they have really outlined excellent um

37:07metrics to measure the success of the

37:09program? Can you speak to what has

37:11occurred over the last 4 years in terms

37:13of the progress?

37:14>> I do have the metrics. Uh don't have

37:16them off cuff, uh but I can get them to

37:18you.

37:19>> Okay. All right. And then the project

37:21manager um

37:22that project manager is that from your

37:24office? Is it from Parks?

37:26>> Uh that'd be me.

37:27>> That's you. Okay.

37:28>> Correct.

37:29>> And then lastly, when you share that

37:31information, it talks about that this is

37:33going to be for school year 2026-2027.

37:36So that means we got about 6 months

37:37left. Have they already started the

37:39program and this is just

37:41>> Um they won't. They they'll be engaging

37:43in November for the first and they'll

37:45follow up at the end of uh the spring

37:47semester for a follow-up session.

37:50>> Okay.

37:50>> It's uh the same pattern we've done for

37:52the past

37:53uh 3 years prior to this.

37:55>> And so that's all the middle schools in

37:56Mobile

37:57>> It's the ones that have that choose to

37:59opt-in. So this is something that the

38:01council could support in reaching out.

38:03There's some There's some schools uh

38:05within the city that have opted out, but

38:08the majority are in.

38:10>> Okay. And And if you'll put that

38:11information in there also, the schools

38:13that are in, so that we are able to

38:15reach out to the other schools to see if

38:16we can partner with them. And then my

38:18last question is um several I know

38:21Councilman Penn and I have done a um a

38:23litter pick up in our communities where

38:25we get volunteers to come out and help

38:27us. Is there a possibility that we could

38:29partner with something like this with

38:30this program or is it strictly in the

38:33classroom?

38:34>> Absolutely. Um well, not necessarily

38:36with this program, but litter pick up is

38:38something that

38:39we could definitely partner with.

38:41>> Okay. All right. Thank you.

38:42>> Of course.

38:43>> Anybody else?

38:45Okay.

38:4725 11 63 consider the purchase and sale

38:50agreement and accept warranty deed for

38:53acquisition of 455 Crawford Lane for

38:55fire station 14 120,000.

38:5937 11 64 consider the application

39:02Tiffany Monique Williams for certificate

39:04of public convenience and necessity to

39:05operate a sedan service. 47 11 65 and 11

39:0966 consider vacation of public

39:12um alleyway adjacent to

39:14um property located on Highland Avenue

39:17and also considering

39:20a vacation fee for

39:23the property property on Highland

39:25Avenue. Call for public hearings

39:2841 10 92 93 41 11 20 and 11 21 are

39:32calling for public hearings on the TIF

39:35in district 573

39:39district 573.

39:40All scheduled for November 17th.

39:43>> What's the date on that? For two weeks?

39:44>> Yeah, what's the date on that for two

39:46weeks?

39:47>> Um

39:51>> [clears throat]

39:52>> That'll be November 10th.

39:54>> 10th.

39:55>> November 10th. Okay. Yeah.

39:58All right.

40:00>> 41 11 67 call for public hearing to

40:02amend the downtown development district

40:05regulating plan to rezone property

40:06located at the southwest corner of

40:08Church Street and South Jefferson Street

40:11from T3 to T4 scheduled December 1st.

40:1541 11 68 call for public hearing to

40:18consider the proposed rezoning of

40:20property located at 5685

40:23I-10 Industrial Parkway from B-3 and I-1

40:27to I-1, scheduled December 1st.

40:3041-11-69,

40:32call for public hearing to consider an

40:34application for the proposed rezoning of

40:36property located at 255, 257, and 259

40:40Dogwood Drive from R-1 to B-2, scheduled

40:43December 1st. Announcements.

40:45>> Let's look at

40:46those that we will be willing to waive

40:48the

40:49>> [clears throat]

40:49>> rules for today before we ask the mayor

40:50to come up. Any questions or concerns on

40:53the consent items? Those are all good to

40:56go. Okay. On resolutions,

41:00we have a few 08-11-54,

41:0408-11-56, [clears throat]

41:06and 08-11-59,

41:0908-11-60,

41:12and that looks to be it.

41:14>> Uh 21-11-62.

41:18>> Any others?

41:19Any questions? All good?

41:22Okay. With that, um I'm going to go

41:25ahead and turn it over to our president

41:26who has come in.

41:28>> [laughter]

41:29>> Okay.

41:29>> Oh, yeah.

41:33>> You're doing good.

41:34>> CJ and I have a running joke about

41:37meetings where there are a lot of items

41:39and maybe some controversy.

41:40>> [laughter]

41:42>> That he never seems to be here.

41:44Um

41:45>> [laughter]

41:47>> With that, I'm going to ask the mayor if

41:50you will come up. Um

41:53If you will just Why don't you give us

41:54an overview of where we are, what's

41:56going on, the latest information,

41:58everything you can share before we open

42:01the floor up for questions from the

42:02council.

42:04>> Yes, ma'am. And I'm I'm happy to um

42:07accept the questions. I do want to kick

42:09it over to our finance director for some

42:12of the details, but um just as a

42:14predicate to that I I want to talk about

42:17some of the response I've seen in the

42:19public when

42:21$14.7 million

42:24of taxpayer dollars

42:26are directed to the wrong place, to bad

42:28people.

42:30You know, I think it's right to be

42:31angry.

42:33I'm I'm angry.

42:35Um

42:36we have people in our office who are

42:39angry at the [snorts] system

42:41and questioning their actions, but the

42:44truth is

42:46this is a growing industry that affects

42:48everyone from

42:50um

42:51senior citizens on fixed incomes to

42:53multinational

42:55um multi-million dollar companies. The

42:58amount of fraud in our country that is

43:00accomplished, much like it was in our

43:02case,

43:03uh has risen from about $4 billion every

43:06year in 2020

43:08uh to $20.8 billion last year.

43:12And we were sitting with the FBI and the

43:14Secret Service

43:15and our partners at CISA yesterday and

43:17we're talking about the trainings that

43:19we're going to pursue to ensure

43:22that this never happens again.

43:24Uh this is a growing industry that is

43:26affecting people globally, it's

43:27affecting companies, it's affecting

43:29individuals, and it's affecting cities.

43:32Uh

43:33we have two primary priorities

43:36at this stage. One

43:38is to ensure that we have the

43:39protections and the processes in place

43:41to make sure nothing like this can ever

43:44happen again.

43:45Part of that is, you know, going to hard

43:49checks that have to be picked up by a

43:51human being um for dollar amounts that

43:54are above a certain dollar amount, $1

43:56million

43:56at the current time.

43:58There are some contemporaneous

43:59protections that we'll put in place with

44:02any wire transfers and ACHs that do

44:05happen going forward.

44:06You know, we do need to be somewhat

44:07protective about what our processes are.

44:09We don't want to give the criminal

44:12element out there a playbook.

44:14Um

44:16that's our primary objective at this

44:18very moment. Ensure that this can never

44:20happen again. Secondly,

44:22is to ensure that everybody

44:24um to hold everyone accountable who's

44:27responsible. And that, of course, is the

44:30criminal actors themselves.

44:32Uh that's why we're continuing to daily

44:35almost meet with our FBI partners,

44:38uh our partners at the Secret Service,

44:40uh with CISA primarily to ensure that

44:42we're putting all the protections that

44:44we can in place.

44:46Um we continue to meet regularly, phone

44:49calls daily, in-person meetings.

44:52Uh we want to make sure that everyone

44:54who's

44:55responsible is held accountable. And

44:58I will say sadly, you know, that does

45:00include um some employees here at the

45:02city, you know, that where

45:04um you know, I I really can't talk about

45:06the exact

45:08details of what led to at least one

45:11termination and a number of

45:13uh two other employees being placed on

45:15leave. But

45:17what I want to ask the public to do is

45:19to direct their anger to the right

45:22place. It's to the people

45:25who would engage in this kind of

45:26criminal scheme. It's to the people who

45:28would steal the life savings of your

45:30grandmother and my grandmother if they

45:32had the opportunity.

45:34Not good decent people who make

45:36mistakes. Not good decent public

45:38servants

45:40who who may have

45:42um

45:43not done everything that needed to be

45:44done.

45:47This was not an inside job. There is

45:49nobody in the city of Mobile

45:51who benefited from this this money.

45:55Um

45:56we've fallen victim as a city to a

45:58scheme that is working

46:01each and every day across the world.

46:04Uh and we want to ensure that it never

46:06happens to us again. As far as more

46:09details on exactly how this stuff was

46:11accomplished, I do want to call on Mr.

46:14um Logan Gewin to give you a few words

46:17and as far as questions, I'll stay up

46:18here and

46:20be ready to answer them.

46:23>> [clears throat]

46:30>> Bluetooth.

46:34>> [clears throat]

46:40>> Um

46:41yes, and we'll be happy to take

46:44questions.

46:46I'm happy to talk about anything. We're

46:47constrained in certain ways about what

46:49we're able to say, but outside of that,

46:51I'm

46:53uh

46:54no issues talking, I promise.

46:56Um

46:58it it takes a lot for

47:01something like this to happen. There

47:04parts of it that are simple.

47:07Regardless,

47:09if you if you follow the trail, there

47:13a hundred different needles that are

47:14threaded.

47:16Near misses. It it really takes a lot

47:19for this kind of thing to happen. It

47:21takes

47:22some circumstance or luck in a number of

47:25places, in my view. Um one example is

47:28the hurricane

47:30that distracted everybody, including our

47:32vendors, our financial partners, our

47:35our team

47:36for a few days. That was at a key

47:37moment. Um a lot had to happen for this

47:41to happen. This is not

47:43just someone updated number and it and

47:45it was over.

47:46Um

47:48the

47:49initial incoming inquiry came in in May

47:53to our team.

47:56>> [clears throat]

47:56>> Uh uh May.

47:59I can now give you the date if

48:01everyone's got their pen out.

48:03Um

48:04>> Can you move the microphone over a

48:06little bit?

48:08>> On?

48:08>> Yeah.

48:08>> Yeah.

48:10>> The red red is on. Can you move it over

48:12just a little bit so I'm speaking to it?

48:14>> Got it.

48:17Um the first Anyway, the first

48:20communication I viewed was May

48:25I think the beginning of this is

48:26important.

48:29Uh

48:30Actually, it's over in my other folder,

48:32but it's is May 26th or May 29th. I'll

48:34get you the date.

48:36From then on there was a a continuing

48:38conversation, false documents exchanged,

48:42misplaced trust established.

48:45Uh this conversation did eventually

48:47result in edits to our vendor

48:50information

48:52in our system. Very importantly, it

48:54resulted in a

48:56invoice of the actual vendor that was

48:59provided to the false vendor.

49:01That is what helped establish legitimacy

49:03as this eventually worked its way up the

49:05chain.

49:07>> Can you repeat that one more time?

49:10>> Yes. [laughter] I'll try.

49:12The

49:13um

49:14About 2 months into this conversation,

49:17an invoice of the

49:20uh real vendor was shared with the false

49:22vendor.

49:24And

49:26that was a key part in what later

49:28established legitimacy as this had

49:30reached,

49:31you know, the mid the some of the higher

49:34levels.

49:35Um

49:37the

49:40Eventually, this information was shared

49:42with our banking partner.

49:44Um

49:46which is where the payments are

49:47initiated from in this case. This

49:48actually

49:50uh we we love our Treasury Department.

49:52This actually did not go through them.

49:54Uh, that was a key question.

49:57Um, the and this this false information

50:00was used in a payment.

50:02The payment was

50:04um requested by the team on October 2nd.

50:09>> So, the payment team you are referring

50:11to is

50:12>> Was requested by city officials. Um,

50:16I was not part of this. We can talk

50:17about it in a second, but it was

50:18requested by city officials on

50:21the 2nd.

50:22Uh, questions

50:25you know, the first question and okay,

50:26where is it?

50:28You know, October 7th.

50:30Uh, people did some you know, went out

50:33and ran some checks.

50:35Had the hurricane happen.

50:37Um,

50:38after that happened everyone

50:41including on the different sides of this

50:43and the the vendor checked back in

50:45and

50:48uh, that would have been Tuesday the

50:4913th.

50:51And so, and actually there was a two-day

50:54>> [snorts]

50:55>> This this has happened sometimes.

50:56There's By the way I see it, there's a

50:58two-day gap actually from the vendor

51:00their internal communication during that

51:02week.

51:03Um, [clears throat] all of a sudden we

51:05found ourselves to the 16th which which

51:07is when I found out that is when the

51:09mayor found out

51:11of this incident. Um,

51:14the

51:16I'm seeing a couple questions on

51:19who

51:21should the mayor approve every single

51:22payment of this kind of thing? I mean,

51:24this is a

51:26regular monthly payment with an

51:28established process and established

51:30cadence. It's paid under the contract

51:33that the council approved last year.

51:35This has been working like clockwork for

51:3718 months. There's nothing different

51:39about this payment

51:41except for that the

51:44the payment info had gotten changed

51:46behind it. But, uh there were plenty of

51:48protections around

51:49>> hearing everything, Logan.

51:50>> Yes, there are uh

51:53there are plenty of protections around

51:56uh

51:57otherwise executing and approving this

51:59payment the right way. The

52:02the vendor

52:03I don't know how deep I should get into

52:04that, but the

52:07I just wanted to point this is this is a

52:09regular

52:10way payment that is certainly below the

52:12mayor's level. So, I've seen some

52:14comment on that, and I

52:16wanted to address that.

52:18Um

52:23I guess I can answer questions. Um

52:27Yeah, go for it.

52:29>> Um

52:31You know, [snorts] one thing I do want

52:32to say is

52:34no one has worked harder

52:36than Logan Gewecke to understand exactly

52:39what's happened here.

52:40Um transparency is our goal, but we do

52:43have to protect the city's interest.

52:45Now, while there is blame

52:48to be shared on the city's

52:50behalf, I I do think there are questions

52:52that need to be answered all around

52:55uh that we can't answer internally.

52:58Uh and so, I don't

53:01it is not our desire to withhold any

53:03information,

53:04but for the city's best interest, there

53:06are things that we cannot

53:08fully delineate at this time.

53:11Um

53:13>> [clears throat]

53:14>> We have protections

53:15>> To me, the crux of this issue was the

53:17change in information to the vendor

53:20that occurred back in May.

53:24Frankly, we have protections around

53:27changing of that information

53:30that were instituted

53:32after that time that should that could

53:34have should have and would have

53:36caught this, um

53:38but it began

53:40much further back than those changes and

53:42those verification procedures.

53:45The payment itself was fairly routine.

53:47The only change was which where it was

53:49going.

53:50The verifications around it. Now, we

53:52have

53:53uh I believe we

53:55are will and have instituted a number of

53:59checks that are additional to what

54:01existed prior to this incident. Um they

54:04do make its way all the way up to the

54:05finance director now.

54:07Ultimately, the finance director will be

54:09approving such things uh where those had

54:13not always fallen under his purview.

54:15Uh I believe we need some

54:16contemporaneous controls around these

54:20um transactions. I don't expect that

54:23you're going to see one above a million

54:24dollars again transferred electronically

54:28under my administration or without some

54:30updates and

54:32um I don't expect to see that happen

54:34anytime soon, but that doesn't mean we

54:35don't need to protect every other

54:37transaction below that amount as well.

54:40Um I think we can do that to some degree

54:43with contemporaneous communications with

54:45our known partners because if you catch

54:47these incidents within one, two, up to

54:50three days,

54:52it's correctable. You can stop payments.

54:55You can call back the money. It's

54:57fixable. Once it gets outside of that

54:58window,

55:00you're in a bad place and and sadly we

55:03as a city are in a bad place when it

55:05comes to these dollars. That doesn't

55:06mean we've given up. That doesn't mean

55:08that we're going to stop

55:11doing everything in our power to both

55:13hold the criminal actors responsible

55:14[clears throat]

55:15and recover some or all of this money.

55:19With that said, any questions?

55:21>> All right, let me start off.

55:23Uh Logan had mentioned something about

55:25how the payment was made and you did

55:28too, Mayor, that this is a regular

55:29payment. We have seen some things out in

55:32internet, social media land that why was

55:36the council not approving this payment?

55:38You know, why did it not come before the

55:40council's finance committee? Well, I

55:42will tell you just like you did that

55:45this was a budgeted item. The contract

55:48with the arena had been approved how

55:50many months ago?

55:52Regular payments do not come before the

55:54city council or its finance committee.

55:57Never has, never will as far as I know.

55:59This was a regular payment that went out

56:02that unfortunately got tied in with the

56:05fraudulent vendor and we know what

56:08happened after that. So, just want to

56:10make sure that they understand how this

56:12happened and then that the council was

56:14not involved on a finance committee

56:16level or anything else.

56:18Um and starting I guess I'll do the

56:20first question since I'm already talking

56:22here, but um

56:23we had also heard and you had mentioned

56:25to us that there had been another

56:29um

56:30incident, not quite to this degree

56:32obviously, sometime ago where the city

56:35found itself in a similar position, but

56:37you were able to recover the funds. Can

56:39you talk about that?

56:40>> Yes, this this is not the first time and

56:43look, attempts of this nature are

56:45occurring constantly. You know, any city

56:48with a budget the size of ours is being

56:50attacked and and and the attempts are

56:52happening.

56:53One attempt, um

56:55I don't have the date, but I will say

56:57about a couple of months ago.

56:59Is that correct? August, I think.

57:02Um there was a very similar situation

57:05where monies were directed to a a false

57:09account and we identified the issue

57:11within 2 days to my knowledge and we

57:14were able to recover all those monies.

57:15When I talk about the city instituting

57:18policies that would have caught this

57:21change in information that frankly is

57:23the crux of what happened to us with the

57:2614.7 million dollars, we put those

57:28changes in place after that failed

57:31attempt. After that, our successful, you

57:34know, recovery of those funds,

57:36we put

57:38procedures in place that frankly would

57:39have stopped this from happening had it

57:41happened after August, but in fact it

57:44was accomplished back in May.

57:46>> Yeah, unfortunately the time kind of

57:48overlapped and so those procedures and

57:50policies were put in place after the

57:52fact.

57:53All right, let's open it up for

57:54questions.

57:56Uh Mr. Fleming.

57:57>> Sure. Uh

57:58thank you, Mayor. Uh this might be a

58:00question directed more towards Logan,

58:02but I'll let you guys choose.

58:04Uh thank you for sharing the timeline

58:06um

58:08and the process and how this incident

58:10was able to,

58:12you know, come to be.

58:14Uh Logan, is it common for our vendors

58:18to change

58:20payment verifications frequently? Was

58:22this something that was usual for us to

58:25have a vendor say, "Hey, there's going

58:26to be a change in the verification or

58:28the the wire transfer instructions?"

58:31Would that have thrown up any red flags?

58:32Is that standard or is that

58:35is that not common?

58:37Do you see that a lot?

58:39>> We get vendor changes every day that

58:41come in.

58:42>> Okay.

58:43>> Um

58:45the

58:47just the terrible

58:49circumstance when you include the what

58:52I'll call the human error on this,

58:56uh

58:57is that it happened with this one.

59:00The

59:02um

59:03I'm

59:04fairly new here. I don't believe the

59:06history I've pulled internally. I don't

59:10have the stats, but I do not believe we

59:12have a history of making

59:15of having these kind of issues in the

59:16past. I think this

59:19um

59:21the it just it just had to be it was

59:23this one.

59:25>> You know, one thing I want to say is

59:27there have been a lot of positive good

59:30news articles about

59:32this valuable, incredible asset that we

59:34are building in the arena.

59:36Um, the budget for the arena

59:40with good news stories, with big money's

59:42being spent

59:44that can bring bad attention, and that's

59:46certainly what happened here

59:48um, quite directly.

59:49Um

59:52Vendors changing information happens all

59:54the time.

59:57It it happens

59:59with companies, it happens with cities.

1:00:02There are protections, and frankly, you

1:00:04know,

1:00:05it'll be cumbersome. It'll be a hassle

1:00:08uh, for a lot of our vendors to change

1:00:10their information now,

1:00:12but that's the price we we are going to

1:00:13pay for safety. Um

1:00:17that a lot of

1:00:20a lot of bad thing, you know, very good

1:00:23luck or very bad luck existed in this

1:00:25situation depending on which side you

1:00:27look at it from.

1:00:28The bad guys were lucky, we were not.

1:00:31Bank holidays, hurricanes,

1:00:33a number of things happened here that

1:00:36you know, I will say is sickening as

1:00:40Logan goes through every email and every

1:00:42communication that was related to this,

1:00:45he sees it and I think he feels it

1:00:48as much or more than anybody, uh, how

1:00:51knowing what the final result will be to

1:00:53read through

1:00:55some of those communications is pretty

1:00:56much is pretty heartbreaking. So,

1:00:58uh, again, I I want to thank him for his

1:01:01diligence in chasing this matter down.

1:01:04>> Okay, next.

1:01:06Bo, are you finished?

1:01:07>> I am, thank

1:01:07>> All right, next.

1:01:11>> I will

1:01:11>> President Small.

1:01:12>> Yeah, uh, yeah, thank you, um, Miss Oh,

1:01:15yeah, right in that. Uh, Mr. Mayor.

1:01:18I know you probably say you cannot get

1:01:19into too much details, but many people

1:01:22are asking why was one employee fired

1:01:25and two,

1:01:27you know, on leave. And is so

1:01:30there any one else that going to be on

1:01:33leave or get fired behind this situation

1:01:36here?

1:01:38>> Uh Mr. Small, I appreciate um the

1:01:40question. I understand why you're asking

1:01:41it. Uh I hope you can appreciate we

1:01:43can't comment on ongoing personnel

1:01:45matters uh in this forum further than

1:01:48what we've already said publicly.

1:01:50Um what I can tell you is that our

1:01:51internal investigation continues.

1:01:54Uh the ongoing criminal investigation

1:01:56continues. We've been in communication

1:01:58with uh the FBI as recently as late last

1:02:00night and early this morning. Um you

1:02:03know, we're starting to take trying to

1:02:04strike a balance here. It's a delicate

1:02:06balance. I think that what is important

1:02:08to everyone in this room is that we make

1:02:11all every effort to recover these funds,

1:02:14ensure that it doesn't happen again.

1:02:16Uh part of that is being careful today.

1:02:19And um you know, the mayor obviously and

1:02:22uh Logan are committed to transparency.

1:02:25They wouldn't be up here if they

1:02:26weren't. But um we can't speak to

1:02:29ongoing personnel matters. And and

1:02:31there's certain things that we are not

1:02:32going to be able to speak to just

1:02:34because they're part of conversations

1:02:35with the FBI. That's of course not the

1:02:38employee matters, but I just want to

1:02:39make that clear since I'm up here.

1:02:41Thank you.

1:02:42>> I understand Mr. Mayor that it might not

1:02:44affect the budget, the money might not

1:02:46affect the budget this year

1:02:48or this uh cycle. Um

1:02:51but what about the future? I mean, does

1:02:53this hurt any future projects?

1:02:56>> I I think ultimately it does. You know,

1:02:59the anytime

1:03:01an amount of money like this is gone,

1:03:04gone to the wrong place, it's going to

1:03:06have an effect.

1:03:07Uh the good news and silver lining is

1:03:10it's it it's not going to be felt this

1:03:12year, I expect. Uh but there's no doubt

1:03:16that our hope was that money was

1:03:18ultimately going to be returned and not

1:03:20spent. You know, the contingency was not

1:03:22going to be spent. And then it was going

1:03:24to either be returned in in the form of

1:03:28capital projects invested in and or an

1:03:30increase in the unassigned fund balance.

1:03:33Um, as it stands today, we can't say

1:03:35that it will be used for those purposes.

1:03:38The only way it will is if we recover

1:03:40some or all of these funds. So,

1:03:43it absolutely will have an an effect

1:03:45next year.

1:03:47>> Are there any plans on how we're going

1:03:50to, you know, be able to to complete

1:03:52those projects that we may thought we we

1:03:54know where that 14.7 may come from? I

1:03:57mean, had any mean thought about at this

1:03:59time?

1:04:00>> You know, certainly, and it's the same

1:04:01way as it it always is. Really, it's um,

1:04:04saving money where we can, whether it's

1:04:07in operations or on capital projects. We

1:04:10are

1:04:11we have a great um,

1:04:12project management team and also some

1:04:15project management professionals that we

1:04:17employ. And we actually have projects

1:04:20that come in under budget. Um, that does

1:04:22happen. So, that's one way. Make, you

1:04:24know, making sure that we're completing

1:04:25projects efficiently and effectively and

1:04:28hopefully under budget. And that's not

1:04:30just the big project, it's all projects.

1:04:33Uh, another way is is through increased

1:04:36revenue through uh, you know, spending.

1:04:40Um, our hope is that

1:04:42with the arena, you know, with some of

1:04:44the activation that's happening along

1:04:47uh, the waterfront with many of the good

1:04:49things that are happening in the city,

1:04:51I hope that we get more tourism than

1:04:53ever. Year-round cruising, you know, I I

1:04:55I I welcomed the cruise ship just this

1:04:57past weekend.

1:04:59Tons of people standing around our

1:05:01streets, walking into our downtown,

1:05:03spending dollars, increasing tourism,

1:05:05increasing tax sales is absolutely a way

1:05:08that we can outperform our projections

1:05:11on revenue and that could certainly make

1:05:13up the difference. Uh outside of that,

1:05:15it's it's recovery. It's recovery of

1:05:17these funds

1:05:18uh from any source that we can recover

1:05:20them from.

1:05:21>> Vice President, I don't know whether the

1:05:23rest of the council ask questions today

1:05:25or don't, I'll come back.

1:05:26>> Okay. Uh Councilman Penn.

1:05:29>> Thank you

1:05:30>> [clears throat]

1:05:30>> uh Madam Vice President. I'm going to be

1:05:31honest. Um

1:05:33we don't have enough time with the

1:05:34amount of questions I have. Um so, I'm

1:05:36going to ask a couple questions, but

1:05:38um at a certain point, we need to have

1:05:40another meeting um cuz I'll submit these

1:05:43in in writing so y'all can be able to

1:05:45answer some of the

1:05:46>> I'll address that in a few minutes.

1:05:47>> Okay. All right.

1:05:48>> [clears throat]

1:05:48>> Um and so,

1:05:50a couple things. Before I ask my

1:05:52question, y'all already answered that

1:05:54this happened before. I just wanted why

1:05:56the council wasn't notified at that

1:05:57time.

1:06:00>> When the money was recovered?

1:06:02>> Yeah, the first time.

1:06:03>> Um you know, honestly, uh I was of the

1:06:06opinion that you had. That's why I was

1:06:07speaking with the council

1:06:09um

1:06:11about it openly when I had some of our

1:06:13private meetings.

1:06:14Uh honestly, I was under the impression

1:06:16that you had been informed. I can't

1:06:19speak to as to why you weren't.

1:06:20>> Okay. And just requesting going forward,

1:06:22that type of information um

1:06:25I think this council we need to be aware

1:06:27of. Um the second thing on yesterday, a

1:06:32um press release, and I know you all are

1:06:33are There's a lot going on in the city.

1:06:37Um but I I think the council

1:06:39um with our communication person need to

1:06:42be on the email so we can know exactly

1:06:44what's taking place. We received I I

1:06:47started getting phone calls immediately

1:06:48and didn't know exactly what was going

1:06:50on.

1:06:51Um one of my questions is the Region

1:06:54Arena project uh process through the

1:06:56capital um the Tyler system.

1:06:59Um

1:07:00why is not this project a part of that?

1:07:03>> Say that again.

1:07:03>> The Regions Arena is usually under

1:07:06capital.

1:07:07Why is this why it wasn't it capital for

1:07:09this project?

1:07:11>> You know, I I I'm not sure the project

1:07:13was begun long before I was mayor. Um

1:07:17uh I'll let Logan talk to it.

1:07:19>> I can speak to that a bit.

1:07:21Um

1:07:23There's ton of history in this

1:07:24department.

1:07:27Um

1:07:30I kind of want to give some background.

1:07:32I guess I'll give it after, but um

1:07:34this is a a decision under the

1:07:37a a former finance director.

1:07:40Um

1:07:40how they wanted to manage it in the

1:07:42system. It's in the system, but

1:07:44I mean, we're really really getting into

1:07:46inside baseball here, but it's not under

1:07:48our capital department. We're not the

1:07:50account managers for the arena project.

1:07:53And

1:07:54I don't think that's a scandal or

1:07:56anything, but there was there was a

1:07:57decision at some point, and it it's been

1:08:00held with our

1:08:02other positions in the department.

1:08:04Partly because of

1:08:06I believe how you account for the bond

1:08:08and that how that physically accounts

1:08:10for within our system.

1:08:12>> Yeah, and bonds are usually held in

1:08:13capital. And so I I

1:08:16I I would like to get some just more

1:08:17information regarding that. Um and I

1:08:19know I don't want to like hold up the

1:08:21meeting for everyone else. Uh financial

1:08:23procedures following this

1:08:25um

1:08:26fraud, um what was what failed?

1:08:32>> [clears throat]

1:08:33>> So

1:08:36you know, uh

1:08:38I would say that a lot of things failed.

1:08:40One, a a lot of things failed.

1:08:43A lot of people

1:08:45failed

1:08:46to properly

1:08:48validate the requested changes.

1:08:52Who, what, where, and when? I'm afraid

1:08:54that we have to, you know, keep close to

1:08:57the vest at this time, but as soon as

1:08:59we're able want that publicly, we

1:09:01absolutely will.

1:09:03>> Got you.

1:09:04Um

1:09:06>> [clears throat]

1:09:06>> So,

1:09:08like I said, I I I have tons. I'mma

1:09:10submit my questions cuz I don't want to

1:09:11hold it up and I I want to disrespect

1:09:13the council. But, what a couple things

1:09:15that I'm I'm going to ask for in this

1:09:17process is a written policy governing

1:09:19vendor verification and payment

1:09:22authorization. I would like to receive

1:09:25the region's financial report for the

1:09:27accounting system. A current status of

1:09:30the financial recovery and insurance

1:09:32claim, the scope of work for independent

1:09:34investigations,

1:09:36written assessment for potential impacts

1:09:38of the city reserve and capital project,

1:09:40a corrective plan of identifying the

1:09:43departments and implications of

1:09:45any deadlines that we're putting in the

1:09:47place, and and just

1:09:49with this situation going on, just a

1:09:51update, a weekly update of where we at.

1:09:55I will submit all this information to

1:09:57you and I know

1:09:58Councilman Wood is going to talk about

1:10:01some meetings opportunities

1:10:03that we can go forward, but that's the

1:10:05information. Like I said, I got about 40

1:10:07questions and I just don't want to take

1:10:08over the meeting, but I will share this

1:10:10information to you all

1:10:12in writing.

1:10:14>> Yeah, I would suggest you send them the

1:10:15list cuz I know Robert was writing as

1:10:17fast as he could, but if you could put

1:10:19all that in writing and send to the

1:10:20administration, I think that would help.

1:10:22>> I'll send it to you.

1:10:22>> Okay.

1:10:23>> Madam

1:10:24um Yes, ma'am. Go ahead.

1:10:26>> I I want to follow up regarding

1:10:28Councilman Pierce's question.

1:10:29Mayor, you shared that there were

1:10:32several failures, you know, from that

1:10:35from the 14.7

1:10:37transaction as you referred to it. So,

1:10:39in August when we directed the money to

1:10:42a false account at that time, were they

1:10:44the same types of failures?

1:10:47Not asking you to give me what failures,

1:10:49but were they the same type?

1:10:52>> It was a

1:10:53uh

1:10:55It was a

1:10:56very different type of attack.

1:10:58>> Okay.

1:10:59Okay, thank you.

1:11:00And then

1:11:02in that same along the same in that same

1:11:05focus area regarding that last

1:11:07transaction of the first transaction,

1:11:10you shared that you assume you thought

1:11:12that we had been informed. My question

1:11:14is who have you assigned to share that

1:11:17type of information with us? Like who

1:11:19did you expect to tell us that?

1:11:23>> Well, we have a lot of conversations but

1:11:26phantom ghost of a memory I thought I

1:11:28was sitting right here and we had a

1:11:30a meeting

1:11:32after one of these meetings where

1:11:35frankly in my what apparently was not a

1:11:38clear and true memory. I thought I was

1:11:40present when that happened but

1:11:43uh

1:11:43you know, apparently all the things that

1:11:45we talk about run together and I

1:11:47failed. You know, generally something

1:11:49like this um

1:11:51Chief Barber

1:11:53uh you know, being uh over

1:11:55finance,

1:11:57Miss Keisha Brown are two that I often

1:12:00trust to communicate some of these

1:12:02issues to you directly.

1:12:04>> So I would ask as we move forward if we

1:12:06can just get a clear

1:12:08understanding of what that's going to

1:12:10look like because as Councilman Penn

1:12:12stated we're going to be we need

1:12:13updates. So who should we expect that

1:12:15from? So therefore cuz it's not just

1:12:17your all of us should be responsible.

1:12:19This is a team effort so that we can say

1:12:21hey we haven't received an update today

1:12:23Chief Barber, where are we? And then

1:12:24that way because we know you have a lot

1:12:26going on but I think that if we had a

1:12:28structured way of knowing who um it

1:12:31would allow all of us to be involved in

1:12:33in making sure that it happens.

1:12:35>> I think we'll we'll certainly have more

1:12:37communications on what exactly those

1:12:39weekly updates

1:12:41you wish to include and again you know,

1:12:44the city has a lot of things none more

1:12:46important than this.

1:12:48I just want to talk with the team but it

1:12:50it'll likely be Chief Barber.

1:12:52>> Thank you.

1:12:53And then um

1:12:55earlier you stated I I think it was Fox

1:12:5710 that we have secured outside legal

1:13:00counsel forensic accounting firm. So,

1:13:02that's two different um firms or

1:13:05organizations. My My question is how

1:13:09what does that what does that look like

1:13:11in terms of the budget? Is that coming

1:13:13out of

1:13:14um a

1:13:15funding that we already had set aside?

1:13:17What does that look like in terms of our

1:13:19budget?

1:13:19>> to let retrieve answer that one.

1:13:23>> Yes, certainly. So, in terms of the uh

1:13:25outside legal counsel, that's coming out

1:13:27of um the uh

1:13:30legal liability fund budget.

1:13:33Um and then the uh we have separate

1:13:36retained counsel um by our insurance

1:13:40carrier. And uh they we've also engaged

1:13:44a forensics firm through our insurance

1:13:46carrier. Uh they've recommended. Um

1:13:50ultimately, my understanding of our

1:13:53current coverages is that there is an

1:13:54existing deductible, but so the city

1:13:57will be on the hook for the first piece

1:13:59of that. And then once we hit that

1:14:01deductible, and I can get you that

1:14:02information, um then uh it will be

1:14:05picked up by our insurance carrier.

1:14:07>> Okay, thank you for that. And just as

1:14:09Councilman Penn stated uh and I know

1:14:11that

1:14:12Councilman Woods is going to share where

1:14:14we're going next. Um there I have other

1:14:16questions, and again, I'll submit these

1:14:17in writing, but I do have this last

1:14:19question, and this is a follow-up also.

1:14:21Um you stated that, you know, eventually

1:14:24that there's a potential impact to our

1:14:26future budgets.

1:14:27And, you know, not right now, but we

1:14:29know that that's coming. I guess um my

1:14:32question would be

1:14:33um would you please share with us the

1:14:35plan that will allow us to be able to

1:14:38figure out what are the priorities

1:14:40uh in terms of hiring uh seated

1:14:43priorities in terms of projects that

1:14:44might be delayed so that the council has

1:14:49that in writing. And that's not

1:14:50something that we find out later that,

1:14:53okay, these positions are not going to

1:14:54be filled, and we don't find out until

1:14:56we see that the public service is not

1:14:58being offered. So, I would ask that we

1:15:00can get the plan ahead of time so that

1:15:02we are aware of what those priorities

1:15:04are and the potential impact in terms of

1:15:07budgets and hiring.

1:15:10Thank you, uh Mr. Mayor.

1:15:13>> Just a little add-on on that, whether

1:15:15the funding that was set aside as the

1:15:18owner's contingency, that 15 million,

1:15:20almost sounds like it's a savings

1:15:22account that's being drained,

1:15:24>> [laughter]

1:15:24>> that was looking toward future use and

1:15:27not necessarily the arena. But, any of

1:15:29those dollars that will have to be put

1:15:32into play as Councilwoman Ingram has

1:15:34talked about,

1:15:35is that capital? Is that operations? How

1:15:39were you looking to spend that and now

1:15:40going to have to find another

1:15:42uh source of revenue?

1:15:43>> Well, you know, we we certainly never

1:15:45try to count our chickens before they've

1:15:47hatched.

1:15:48The truth is, this money was set aside

1:15:50directly for the arena

1:15:52for any contingency that came up during

1:15:55the project.

1:15:56This is not the contingency that anyone

1:15:59predicted, um

1:16:00but it was there for a reason. This is

1:16:02the contingency that we received.

1:16:05Um

1:16:07you know, it it's hard for me to say

1:16:09we had plans for that 15 million dollars

1:16:11outside of the arena project prior to

1:16:14that project being completed. We didn't

1:16:16we don't. Uh and the truth is, I think

1:16:19we can make up these dollars

1:16:23in many ways, I I hope.

1:16:25But, these dollars will always be gone

1:16:27until we can

1:16:28recover them hopefully from the criminal

1:16:30actor. And then, if we make up dollars

1:16:32by

1:16:33having a greater tourism rush over the

1:16:36spring and summer,

1:16:38um if we sell

1:16:40100 times the tickets that we thought we

1:16:43might at the arena.

1:16:45That 15 is still

1:16:46not there. That 14.7 is still not there.

1:16:50And so,

1:16:51you know, there's no way to whitewash

1:16:52this and say it's not bad. It's bad.

1:16:55This is terrible.

1:16:57It It's a terrible reality that many

1:17:00Americans and American companies in

1:17:01other American cities are facing.

1:17:04We, through bad luck,

1:17:07happen to be facing it on a huge dollar

1:17:10amount, huge dollar amount.

1:17:12Uh and so many ways that is truly bad

1:17:15luck.

1:17:16These are regular payments that were not

1:17:17always in this amount. Invoices differ.

1:17:21We got lucky in the wrong way.

1:17:24>> And And I think we all understand that.

1:17:25I think what we're just trying to get

1:17:27clear on is the $15 million

1:17:30because that was an owner's contingency

1:17:32to be used for the arena, but now we're

1:17:34hearing because that money is not going

1:17:36to be there, future projects outside of

1:17:39the arena might be implicated. So, how

1:17:41are we supposed to This is owner's

1:17:43contingency, but yet

1:17:45I mean, we were hoping it wouldn't have

1:17:47to be used and there would be money left

1:17:48over, then we could use it for other

1:17:49things. I get that.

1:17:50>> Right.

1:17:51>> But

1:17:52I'm just I think we're failing to

1:17:53understand how that specifically impacts

1:17:56these future budgets when they were not

1:17:57set aside necessarily for future

1:17:59budgets.

1:18:00>> I I don't think it's a question I can

1:18:01answer. That's That's what I'm saying.

1:18:03There There was no specific plan for

1:18:05this money once it was returned. It was

1:18:08just the hope that ultimately it would

1:18:10be

1:18:11uh either returned to unassigned balance

1:18:15and or placed into capital projects.

1:18:18>> Right. I I would agree with that.

1:18:19>> That was the hope. [laughter]

1:18:20>> Yes. We We understand that.

1:18:22>> There There's no way for me to

1:18:23specifically say it's going to affect

1:18:25this project and that project. All

1:18:27money's fungible. In the end, we have

1:18:29you know, expected revenues, we have

1:18:31expected expenses, and capital expenses.

1:18:34Uh and we can budget with the dollars

1:18:36that we have. And our hope was that

1:18:39these dollars would have been on the

1:18:40positive side

1:18:41>> [snorts]

1:18:42>> uh until they're recovered, likely they

1:18:44won't be.

1:18:44>> Okay.

1:18:45>> [laughter]

1:18:46>> Madam Vice President.

1:18:49Oh, uh before we go any further, we are

1:18:51pushing the council meeting back to 11.

1:18:54Uh just so that we can finish this and

1:18:56then everybody get downstairs. We're

1:18:57already alerting everybody that we are

1:18:58pushing the meeting back to 11.

1:19:01Um did you have anything else you wanted

1:19:02to add?

1:19:02>> I just want to follow up. I don't I want

1:19:04to make sure we're all on the same page

1:19:05what I'm asking for.

1:19:08Uh Mr. Mayor, you shared earlier that

1:19:102027 there's some potential there's a

1:19:13potential impact, you know,

1:19:15understanding that it might impact

1:19:17hiring, it might impact city priorities.

1:19:20What I'm asking is that I understand

1:19:22that there was a contingency, but we

1:19:23know that even with a contingency we can

1:19:25still have um shortfalls with with the

1:19:28um the development. And I think that's

1:19:30what you're what you're I'm not sure.

1:19:32You I'm just repeating what I heard you

1:19:33say in terms of uh with Fox 10 in terms

1:19:36of the potential impact, hiring, um

1:19:39um city priorities. So, having shared

1:19:42that, any plans that that are that

1:19:45you're developing or that you're

1:19:47considering in terms of hiring,

1:19:49uh in terms of city priorities, I'm

1:19:51asking that we are made aware of that

1:19:53and we do not find out that we're not

1:19:55hiring or filling a vacancy

1:19:59once

1:20:00we find out because the service is not

1:20:01there.

1:20:03>> You know,

1:20:05ag- again, I I don't know that it's

1:20:07possible

1:20:08to directly apply these dollars to a

1:20:11specific area. In the end,

1:20:13we will finish this year's budget with

1:20:16a certain amount of dollars in the bank,

1:20:17a certain amount of money not spent, a a

1:20:20certain amount of expenses, uh and just

1:20:22as we do every year, we will budget

1:20:25based on what is available to us.

1:20:27I think at this point, until some

1:20:29recovery is made,

1:20:31there's no argument that we will have

1:20:34$14.7 million less than we might have

1:20:37otherwise

1:20:39as we are looking through next year's

1:20:40budget.

1:20:42>> So, then your comment about the

1:20:44potential impact is not that you have

1:20:47something that you have planned or

1:20:49there's not something you foresee in

1:20:51terms of us having to

1:20:53um address slow down on our hiring. That

1:20:55you don't perceive that right now.

1:20:57>> No.

1:20:58>> Okay.

1:20:58>> You know, there's no specific area that

1:21:00I think will be directly impacted other

1:21:02than

1:21:04we just will have $14.7 million less

1:21:06until we make some recovery.

1:21:08>> Okay. And it And And again, if that

1:21:09changes, just let us know. And again,

1:21:11I'm just following up on what I heard on

1:21:13Fox 10. And so, thank you for that.

1:21:17Okay. Um Ben.

1:21:19>> Mr. Mayor, I'm sorry that we're all in

1:21:22this. And I know you are as well.

1:21:25Um

1:21:28I don't think me or the city council was

1:21:30out to get you. Okay?

1:21:32But, I think we can agree

1:21:34and I think the city council is expected

1:21:37to have a role to play in all of this.

1:21:40We agree on that, I'm sure.

1:21:42And our constituents

1:21:44are

1:21:45demanding that we play the role we're

1:21:47supposed to play. Okay?

1:21:50So,

1:21:51there are going to be processes that we

1:21:53should I think we're duty bound to sort

1:21:55of follow through this. And

1:21:58but as we do it, I think all of us

1:22:02should agree that this is not a finger

1:22:04pointing game. This is not

1:22:07who who can we make look the worst. And

1:22:10is as long as we have that mutual

1:22:12understanding here. Not that we're

1:22:13trying to protect each other or cover

1:22:15things up or anything like that, but

1:22:17mutually agree that

1:22:19this is a problem. We are the victims of

1:22:21a crime. And we all must proceed

1:22:24together on figuring out number one,

1:22:27what is best for the citizens we

1:22:29represent.

1:22:30Um

1:22:31number two, protecting the investments

1:22:33we've already made. I mean, we've made

1:22:35significant investments in this project.

1:22:37We've We've got plans for many other

1:22:39projects.

1:22:40And as we ask these questions and try to

1:22:43wrap our heads around it, I hope that

1:22:45y'all will be forthcoming with

1:22:47information with us.

1:22:49It doesn't all have to be shared

1:22:51in a public setting. I think all of us

1:22:53understand, and I know people hate it,

1:22:55that some of this stuff has got to be

1:22:57discussed if we want to protect our

1:23:00opportunity of recovery. We got to have

1:23:02a uh special call or a uh

1:23:05executive session. I mean,

1:23:07to keep us up to speed. And then as we

1:23:10exit those executive sessions,

1:23:13my my hope would be we agree on, okay,

1:23:18we've gone down this rabbit hole of

1:23:21recovery for this particular thing as

1:23:23far as we could go. The public needs to

1:23:25know this portion where, you know, we

1:23:27can put information out so we don't

1:23:29leave our citizens in the dark. And I

1:23:31know that's not anybody's goal.

1:23:33But because we have a role to play,

1:23:36um we're going to have committee

1:23:37meetings, you know, we're going to have

1:23:39public discussions. I I expect we should

1:23:41have some

1:23:43um

1:23:45discussions in executive session as

1:23:46well.

1:23:47And I think we owe it to our citizens to

1:23:50give recovery a chance. Like, we've got

1:23:52to give it a chance. That doesn't mean

1:23:54we never give up on it.

1:23:56At some point, we're going to have to

1:23:57cut bait, you know, and not pay lawyers,

1:24:00you know? I mean, we we got to be

1:24:02mindful of

1:24:03are we paying lawyers? How much, you

1:24:04know? And keep up with that as we go so

1:24:07that we're not throwing good money after

1:24:09bad. And

1:24:12um

1:24:15the big thing I want to know right now,

1:24:17have has every single vendor account

1:24:20been gone through right now? and

1:24:22somebody personally got on the phone or

1:24:25verified that the information we have

1:24:26for everyone of vendors big task. Has

1:24:29that been done right now?

1:24:34>> That is part of what is in process and

1:24:36no

1:24:40Uh, every single well

1:24:42I can talk a little bit about it and I

1:24:44think in every single payment we're

1:24:46making right now is getting

1:24:48manually personally verified by multiple

1:24:51parties against recent changes in vendor

1:24:53information.

1:24:55Uh, I do sit at the top of that approval

1:24:57after it's done

1:24:59multiple times below me.

1:25:02Um,

1:25:03the

1:25:04I know we're trying to

1:25:07I can't talk about everything we've done

1:25:08in considering partly cuz it does get

1:25:11give information to the people out there

1:25:13but

1:25:14I can tell you I mean I can stand up

1:25:16here and little stone-faced sometimes

1:25:18but we are

1:25:19um, it is all hands-on deck by they're

1:25:22putting in the work and also trying to

1:25:24put

1:25:25the smartest work in possible so

1:25:28uh, as we say by the end of this we're

1:25:30at the gold standard is the goal.

1:25:32>> I I

1:25:32and I believe that Logan. I I believe

1:25:34that

1:25:35y'all are doing everything you can to

1:25:38not allow this to happen again and to

1:25:40make sure that we're operating the way

1:25:42we should. I truly do believe that.

1:25:45Um, I think we use this opportunity to

1:25:47roll up our sleeves everybody from the

1:25:48mayor down from the city council

1:25:50everybody roll up our sleeves and pay

1:25:52attention the next 120 days or so. I

1:25:56mean in the minutia and looking at not

1:25:59just financial stuff but how's our city

1:26:00operating? Let's spend some time on

1:26:02operations of our city and use this as

1:26:05the opportunity to understand it make

1:26:07sure there are adequate protections and

1:26:09that we're moving in the direction our

1:26:10citizens want us to, okay?

1:26:13>> I would enjoy opening that condo as

1:26:16well. You've you've described the

1:26:17council as a board before.

1:26:19Um

1:26:21the

1:26:23if you don't mind.

1:26:24>> Question.

1:26:25>> Uh

1:26:26my department has seen six directors

1:26:29since 2021.

1:26:31We've had about 100% turnover since 2023

1:26:35in these accounting AP functions.

1:26:37Uh there were definitely action and and

1:26:41actions and inactions

1:26:43that happened here that

1:26:46I I do believe were disqualifying for

1:26:48these positions. I would stand behind

1:26:50that. But, there's also uh

1:26:53organizational lessons uh

1:26:56behind all this that we want to I want

1:26:58to come out helping make this make the

1:26:59city better for it. Uh certainly the

1:27:02department for it. But, it gets into the

1:27:05the unsung just grinding work of

1:27:08managing people and uh delegating and

1:27:13structuring it all the right way. And

1:27:16um

1:27:18Anyway, we've we've been I mean, even 6

1:27:21weeks ago, we were

1:27:23we reassigned an employee to update all

1:27:25our policies across the department.

1:27:27Um that's something that we saw needed

1:27:30to be done from the past. And part of

1:27:32the unfortunate part is this had kind of

1:27:33slipped under the rug

1:27:35unknowingly. Uh

1:27:38before all this happened. But,

1:27:39>> Uh one last thing, I know Robert's going

1:27:41to give some commentary. One last thing

1:27:43is um

1:27:44we need an update on this project. We

1:27:46need to hear from the people who are

1:27:47managing this project. We need to make

1:27:49sure that all that's being said is in

1:27:52fact what's going on. Let's get into it

1:27:54and make sure that

1:27:56that project is going to go forward as

1:27:58we should. Not that there's a lack of

1:27:59trust in that. I'm just saying, we need

1:28:01to be reassured and seen see it

1:28:03ourselves.

1:28:04>> I I did just happen to [clears throat]

1:28:06receive a update last Monday on the

1:28:10project. And at that update meeting I

1:28:12did ask them to prepare an update

1:28:14specifically for the council. So I just

1:28:16wanted to say that.

1:28:18As for what the lawyers, you know, when

1:28:20to stop paying lawyers, I really want

1:28:22Mr. Shreve to talk about the different

1:28:26roles that these groups will play.

1:28:30>> Yeah, just to speak real quick.

1:28:32Because I know there's been some

1:28:33questions about engaging outside counsel

1:28:36and the cost that we're going to incur.

1:28:37As the council knows in the budget that

1:28:39was approved, we have a legal liability

1:28:40fund and that's something that we've

1:28:42done routinely every year. Um

1:28:45what I can tell you is that it's

1:28:47difficult to anticipate in any given

1:28:48year what liabilities that the city may

1:28:51be exposed to, right? But what I can

1:28:53guarantee you is that with over 2,000

1:28:55employees and with everything that the

1:28:57city has going on is that we are going

1:28:58to consistently face liabilities every

1:29:01year and we've planned for that. We've

1:29:03budgeted for that so that we can retain

1:29:05outside counsel. Um the counsel that's

1:29:07involved in this particular matter thus

1:29:09far has been counsel we've engaged

1:29:11directly as well as counsel that we've

1:29:13engaged through our insurance carrier. I

1:29:15mentioned in response to Councilwoman

1:29:17Ingram's question earlier that there'll

1:29:19be a deductible that applies on that

1:29:20insurance carrier piece, but I do think

1:29:22that

1:29:23that very well may ultimately be covered

1:29:25by the carrier.

1:29:26So I I what I want to convey to the

1:29:29council is

1:29:30I'm not I don't have any concerns about

1:29:32the legal costs associated with this

1:29:34matter in terms of it being outsized

1:29:36relative to other matters that we have

1:29:39ongoing. Um you know, the city is

1:29:41consistently defending lawsuits. We pay

1:29:44a number of outside firms to do that. We

1:29:46have various other legal exposures that

1:29:48we have to do with deal with just as by

1:29:50virtue of being a very large entity with

1:29:52a lot going on. Um but but I want I want

1:29:55you to rest assured that I have no

1:29:57concerns um based on what I know to date

1:29:59and based on the outside counsel that

1:30:01we've retained uh

1:30:03that we're going to have any any

1:30:04problems from a budget standpoint.

1:30:07>> [clears throat]

1:30:08>> You mean like we're not going to have

1:30:09any problems

1:30:11with finding the money to pay them, or

1:30:13you're saying we're not going to have

1:30:14any problems when it gets to we can

1:30:16recover a million and their

1:30:19their cost now gets to a million.

1:30:22>> Yeah, no, I I don't have any concerns

1:30:24about our ability to pay them. I don't

1:30:25have any concerns about it having a

1:30:27significant impact on our legal budget.

1:30:31Does that make sense?

1:30:34>> Yeah, I mean I I I get it that what I'm

1:30:36saying

1:30:37>> We're not going to spend a million to

1:30:38recover a million.

1:30:38>> Yeah, right. I mean it's Somebody's got

1:30:40to keep their finger on the pulse. I

1:30:42mean somebody doing that, Logan? Is that

1:30:43you?

1:30:44>> Yeah.

1:30:45>> Is that you looking at that?

1:30:45>> Uh that's part of my job, too. And yeah,

1:30:48no, we're not going to do that.

1:30:50>> Okay.

1:30:51>> Madam Vice Chair.

1:30:53>> Okay.

1:30:54>> Um I guess kind of as as we're wrapping

1:30:56up here, uh and by no means uh is and I

1:30:59can assure the public we've all had a

1:31:01lot of questions um asked of us. Um

1:31:04we've all had people reach out to us, um

1:31:06ask us about this, and and I know I can

1:31:08I can speak for us when we say that we

1:31:10definitely, speaking to the public, we

1:31:11don't take this lightly. Obviously,

1:31:13taxpayers' dollars disappeared and went

1:31:16into someone's account that it wasn't

1:31:18supposed to go, and there's no benefit

1:31:19to the city of Mobile from it. So, I I

1:31:21do want to say that there are a lot of

1:31:23questions that that have been asked, and

1:31:24there are some that were answered. Um

1:31:26and obviously right now there's the

1:31:28Secret Service, the FBI, there's

1:31:30forensic auditors coming in, accountants

1:31:32coming in, um really to dive down to

1:31:34those issues. And and I I can or would

1:31:37like to share with the public that um

1:31:39the actions of this council um we're

1:31:40going to continue to ask the questions.

1:31:42And uh and also ask for the answers and

1:31:44continue to seek the answers um when

1:31:46allowable or when when able to. Um

1:31:48again, I but also too, I will ask for

1:31:50patience when it comes to the the public

1:31:51because uh

1:31:53you know, I I would tell you that if if

1:31:54this body did anything um whatsoever to

1:31:57prevent one dollar being recovered from

1:32:00from this money, I I know that I would I

1:32:02would personally take it very hard and

1:32:03it would lose a lot of sleep over that.

1:32:05That's that's definitely something that

1:32:07that I don't want personally from my

1:32:09council seat. Don't want to get in the

1:32:10way of so so I do understand there's

1:32:12things that we can talk publicly, things

1:32:13that questions that can be answered, but

1:32:15I do know that there's some that can't

1:32:16at this moment. But I assure you that as

1:32:18soon as possible,

1:32:19you know, I

1:32:20intend to to do what I can to share what

1:32:22we can when we can.

1:32:24That being said, I know I've talked with

1:32:26everyone individually.

1:32:27Uh

1:32:28I would like to go ahead and call for

1:32:30for two finance committee meetings

1:32:33uh next next Monday 11:03.

1:32:36Um preferably immediately after council

1:32:39if if possible or you know, as close as

1:32:41we can to to the end of the year. Uh

1:32:43next Tuesday, I'm sorry.

1:32:45Um and then also to for for next week

1:32:48obviously there's a TIF conversation

1:32:49that we need to possibly tack on and and

1:32:51with somewhere around that conversation

1:32:52that that the finance committee meeting

1:32:54has, but but um I would ask and just

1:32:56like Mr. Penn said that he's he's got

1:32:59he's got numerous questions. I I would

1:33:01ask that that you you provide those

1:33:03questions you know, closer we can

1:33:06to the day with all your questions that

1:33:08way we can you know, we can convey those

1:33:10to the administration and they can they

1:33:11can get the things that we request and

1:33:13things we need. Really shooting to make

1:33:15make next week's finance committee

1:33:16meeting a very productive meeting.

1:33:19Um on top of that

1:33:21I know we'll we'll send over some

1:33:22questions as well, but kind of diving

1:33:24into the what's the potential impacts of

1:33:26future budgets. Um I know just from

1:33:29district six with $4 million you know,

1:33:32per district and and CIP I haven't spent

1:33:353.5

1:33:37you know, this budget cycle the

1:33:38district's spending I know that 14.7

1:33:41million dollars is a lot of roads.

1:33:43And um so really you know, not saying

1:33:45that that's the money that would be used

1:33:46for roads, but um you know, any any

1:33:48potential you know, projections for for

1:33:51upcoming budgets and again we'll get

1:33:52questions over to you guys so so that

1:33:54you'll have enough time to to at least

1:33:56look at those and and kind of formulate

1:33:57some responses. On the second Finance

1:33:59Committee meeting, um again, this is

1:34:02um well well as we walk through this and

1:34:04as information becomes available, I'm do

1:34:07want to use the Finance Committee uh the

1:34:08Finance Committee as a way to at least

1:34:10collectively provide that information. I

1:34:12know that the mayor's office and the

1:34:14administration is going to do everything

1:34:15it can to keep citizens um up to speed

1:34:17as as soon as they possibly can. But um

1:34:20really as far as a catch basin, I'm

1:34:21going to use the Finance Committee

1:34:22meeting uh moving forward um as that.

1:34:25So, I would like to have one on 11/17.

1:34:28And again, um you know, immediately

1:34:30following or or as close as possible to

1:34:31the end end of council. That way we

1:34:33respect everyone's time um from from

1:34:35team members uh of the city to to also

1:34:37fellow council members.

1:34:39Um again, if you if you will uh get

1:34:41questions that you have in as soon as

1:34:43possible so we can go ahead and get

1:34:44those over and then um allow them to to

1:34:46start working on it. Um and then

1:34:48finally, uh I've mentioned it to to

1:34:50several of you guys and ladies. Um

1:34:54one thing that that I would like um to

1:34:56to see, obviously, we do have a

1:34:58responsibility to the taxpayer given our

1:35:00city council seats. And And one of the

1:35:02authorities that we we have or one of

1:35:04the things we have is is obviously

1:35:06investigations. We can we can have

1:35:07investigations. At this time, I'm not

1:35:09asking for an investigation. I think

1:35:11that there's really in the United States

1:35:13of America, there's probably no one

1:35:14better equipped to get down to the

1:35:16bottom of what, when, where, why, and

1:35:17how, and who did it than the FBI and and

1:35:21the Secret Service. Um but what I am,

1:35:23however, uh obviously, anytime

1:35:26money disappears into wherever it went

1:35:29and to the bad actor, I'm obviously

1:35:32there is some questions from the public

1:35:34and concerns from the public. And um you

1:35:36know, in order to reinstall trust,

1:35:38there's nothing that this council body

1:35:40can do uh right now unless somebody

1:35:43calls you up and says, "Hey, I have the

1:35:44money. Come get it." Um there there's

1:35:47nothing this body really can do to to go

1:35:49and get that money back. But what we can

1:35:51is in our in the powers that we have in

1:35:53our city council, what we can do is

1:35:55ensure that we do everything we can so

1:35:57we can sleep at night to know that we've

1:35:59we've done everything we can to make

1:36:01sure this doesn't ever happen again.

1:36:03Um, that being said, I do feel and I've

1:36:05I've shared with you and I've worked

1:36:06with uh Council President Small um over

1:36:09the past couple days. Um, I would would

1:36:11like to put a resolution um today on the

1:36:13agenda. Um, this resolution is uh

1:36:16forming an ad hoc advisory committee on

1:36:18financial transaction security.

1:36:20And this uh this this committee, this ad

1:36:23hoc committee, um consisting of right

1:36:25now I have uh we have um seven

1:36:27individuals that that we would, you

1:36:29know, collectively select. Um, and the

1:36:31the the purpose of this is again, uh

1:36:34we're not launching an investigation,

1:36:36we're not doing we're not going to go

1:36:38try to track down who it is or or dive

1:36:40into the process. There's there's other

1:36:42folks doing that. But, um instead what

1:36:44this this would be in in my idea and

1:36:47talking with you guys about it with

1:36:48everyone about it, um there's some

1:36:51really really talented individuals that

1:36:53are residents of Mobile and they call

1:36:54themselves Mobilians. And on a daily

1:36:56basis, they they review policies and

1:36:58procedures. They they audit things they

1:37:01in their their line of work where they

1:37:03handle lots of financial transactions.

1:37:05They are they've instituted policies.

1:37:07Um, so that being said, would would like

1:37:09to engage some Mobilians, um some that

1:37:13uh

1:37:13you all of them you'll you'll know, I'm

1:37:15assuming. And I'm not going to not going

1:37:17to name a structure, we can work through

1:37:19that over the next week. But, um you

1:37:21know, right now I do want to form an ad

1:37:22hoc committee of Mobilians that that

1:37:25have expertise in doing things like

1:37:27that. And uh we would charge them

1:37:30basically of of reviewing policies and

1:37:32procedures. Um, and I know that they

1:37:34were they've been updated, but this

1:37:35would just be a a secondary look from

1:37:38from somebody outside of the outside of

1:37:40the city um

1:37:42that works for the city to at least

1:37:44provide any guidance that they might see

1:37:46because again, I I know I know coming

1:37:48from a banking world,

1:37:50uh banks regularly talk together because

1:37:52one bank's doing something or they have

1:37:54another policy that does that that that

1:37:56ends up protecting everybody. So, um

1:37:58that being said, I I would like to put

1:38:00this resolution on there. Um uh Council

1:38:02President Small is um has agreed to to

1:38:05co-sponsor with me and and would would

1:38:07love to have all you on board as well.

1:38:09But again, this is not an investigation.

1:38:11Um instead, this is a um a review of of

1:38:14of policies and procedures by some local

1:38:16experts that uh that are Mobilians that

1:38:18that, you know, you see at the grocery

1:38:19store. So, um with that being said, that

1:38:22that's it for me.

1:38:24>> Thank you. And um Lisa, you can give us

1:38:27the resolution number if if everybody's

1:38:29in agreement to add this to the agenda.

1:38:31>> Yes, I would love to be a sponsor as

1:38:33well.

1:38:33>> Okay. I think you can put us all on as

1:38:35sponsors. And if you will just put that

1:38:37on the agenda for today.

1:38:39Uh

1:38:39>> If [clears throat] I may, I I would

1:38:41certainly like to be added as a sponsor

1:38:43on that resolution.

1:38:43>> the mayor, okay.

1:38:45Uh following up on before we we're going

1:38:47to wrap this up, but following up on

1:38:49what Councilman Woods is proposing, and

1:38:51you know, y'all may not remember this,

1:38:53but many years ago when we were uh given

1:38:55a proposal to raise the sales tax, we

1:38:58also had one of these advisory type

1:39:00commissions. Uh in fact, President Small

1:39:02was appointed to it. So, this is going

1:39:05to be similar. Just providing

1:39:07information, asking questions, helping

1:39:09us work through some things, and they

1:39:11will have some great ideas that we may

1:39:13or may not want to consider.

1:39:15And I was Josh has said, it's not an

1:39:17investigation. It is part of this

1:39:18process, helping everybody to move

1:39:20forward, provide that information, and

1:39:23look at what we are doing because they

1:39:25deal with these things every day. And it

1:39:28helps to have outside eyes a lot of

1:39:30times come into play in our processes.

1:39:33Do you want anything?

1:39:34Okay. With that then, unless anybody's

1:39:36got any other questions at this point, I

1:39:38know Mayor, you will be presi- providing

1:39:40information at the

1:39:42um

1:39:42the meeting during your presentation to

1:39:45the council. Just plan to do it then if

1:39:47you would and come to the podium to

1:39:48speak. Um, we may or may not have

1:39:51questions at that point uh for you.

1:39:54Thank you everybody for coming and

1:39:56providing the information and mayor and

1:39:58team. I know it's been a very difficult

1:39:59time for you. It's a difficult time for

1:40:01our city. We appreciate the forthcoming

1:40:05information that you have provided to us

1:40:07all. I mean, everybody wants to know how

1:40:09did this happen? How could it happen to

1:40:11us?

1:40:12Who's responsible? How are we moving

1:40:14forward? That's what we all want to

1:40:16know. So, I just appreciate all of the

1:40:18work that is going into providing that

1:40:20kind of information to making sure that

1:40:23this doesn't happen again. Anybody else?

1:40:25All right, we all adjourned.

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