>> OUR HEAVENLY FATHER, THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY AND PRIVILEGE [1. Invocation / Pledge of Allegiance;] [2. Call meeting to order;] [00:00:07] THAT HAS BEEN BESTOWED UPON EACH OF US AS TOWNSHIP DIRECTORS, TO SERVE AND LEAD OUR COMMUNITY. PLEASE HELP US TO DO WHAT IS RIGHT THROUGHOUT THE BUDGET PROCESS AND IN THE BEST INTEREST OF ALL. WE ASK FOR YOUR GUIDANCE TO MAKE GOOD DECISIONS ESPECIALLY DURING THESE CHALLENGING TIMES. WE ALSO ASK FOR YOU TO WATCH OVER ESPECIALLY THOSE WHO ARE FACING DIFFICULT HARDSHIPS AND ALSO OUR HEALTH CARE AND LAW ENFORCEMENT AND THEIR STAFF. WE ASK ALL THIS IN YOUR NAME, AMEN. >> THANK YOU. WE'LL WILL NOW DO OUR PLEDGES TO THE FLAGS. I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, AND TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS, 1 NATION, UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE, WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL. (AUDIO CUT OUT.) CHAIRMAN: I DECLARE IN ACCORDANCE WITH STATE LAW NOTICE OF MEETING WAS POSTED 72 HOURS IN ADVANCE. THIS BUDGET HEARING IS BEING HELD VIRTUALLY AS IN ACCORDANCE WITH RELAXED (INAUDIBLE) TEMPORARY SUSPENDED AUTHORITY FROM THE TEXAS GOVERNOR GREG ABBOTT. REQUIRES AT LEAST FOUR OF US BE IN ATTENDANCE. I'LL TAKE ROLL. ROLL CALL. WE ARE ALL PRESENT AND ACCOUNTED FOR. [3. Receive, consider and act upon adoption of the meeting agenda;] WE NEED A MOTION TO ADOPT OUR AGENDA. >> SO MOVED. >> SECOND. CHAIRMAN: ALL IN FAVOR, SAY AYE. ALL RIGHT. WE WILL HAVE PUBLIC COMMENT. [4. Public comment;* ] PUBLIC COMMENT WAS POSTED, INSTRUCTIONS FOR PUBLIC COMMENT WERE POSTED WITH THIS MEETING NOTICE. NUMBERS WERE PROVIDED FOR THE PUBLIC TO CALL IN. AND WE WILL TAKE THOSE CALLS IN ORDER RECEIVED. WE ASK THAT EACH CALLER ANNOUNCE THEIR NAME, WHAT PART OF THE WOODLANDS THEY'RE IN AND TRY TO KEEP THEIR COMMENTS TO AROUND THREE MINUTES. WE WILL TAKE OUR FIRST CALLER. >> WE HAVE ONE CALLER. CHAIRMAN: ALL RIGHT. CALLER. WILLIAM, DO WE STILL HAVE THEM ON THE LINE? >> GOOD MORNING. GOOD MORNING. THIS IS MARK, THANKS FOR THE WORK YESTERDAY. I THOUGHT THE DISCUSSION YESTERDAY WAS REALLY GOOD. Y'ALL TOOK SOME GOOD LOGICAL STEPS ALONG THE BUDGET SOLUTIONS. YESTERDAY AS PART OF THE PUBLIC COMMENT, I SUGGESTED THAT Y'ALL LOOK FOR BETTER WAYS TO ACCOMPLISH ESSENTIAL GOALS. BUT WHEN I LOOK AT THE BUDGET INITIATIVES, NEARLY EVERY ONE OF THEM IS A WAY TO SPEND MORE MONEY. WHERE ARE THE INITIATIVES AND THE OPTIONS EVALUATED TO SPEND LESS MONEY? IT SEEMS LIKE THE ORGANIZATION SHOULD ALWAYS BE LOOKING FOR BETTER WAYS TO DO THINGS. NOT JUST WAYS TO SPEND MORE MONEY. THERE ARE A COUPLE OF WAYS YOU COULD DO THAT. YOU COULD HOLD THE SPENDING FIXED BUT ASK THE ORGANIZATION TO DO MORE AND KIND OF FORCE THE ISSUE. YOU COULD REWARD GROUPS THAT COME UP WITH THE BEST WAYS TO IMPROVE THE OPERATION AND SAVE MONEY. BUT ANY TIME SOMEONE IS ASKING YOU TO SPEND MORE MONEY, THERE SHOULD BE MULTIPLE OPTIONS CONSIDERED AND THE CONSEQUENCES OF EACH OF THOSE OPTIONS EVALUATED. AT LEAST EXPLAINED TO YOU. AND ONE OF THOSE SHOULD BE DO NOTHING. SO THAT WOULD GIVE Y'ALL BETTER CHOICES INSTEAD OF JUST SPEND MORE MONEY OR DON'T SPEND MORE MONEY. [00:05:02] AT LEAST GIVE YOU SOME CHOICES. AS AN EXAMPLE, NOT TO PICK ON HORSES, BUT THE ALPHA OMEGA MOUNTED PATROL, IT LOOKS LIKE A GREAT SOLUTION TO PEDESTRIAN CROWD CONTROL. BUT WE'RE USING THEM IN A COMPLETELY OPPOSITE SITUATION. WE'RE USING THEM IN CAR PARKING LOTS WITH LOW CONCENTRATIONS OF PEDESTRIANS. IN A NON LAW ENFORCEMENT SETTING. SO IT DOESN'T LOOK LIKE WE'VE GOT THE RIGHT TOOL FOR THE JOB. STILL MIGHT WORK, BUT MAYBE NOT BE THE BEST SOLUTION. SO LOOK AT THE GOALS. ONE GOAL IS SECURITY. WE NEED TO KEEP THE TOWN CENTER SAFE. THERE IS NO QUESTION ABOUT THAT. BUT I DON'T SEE OTHER SIMILAR ENTITIES USING MOUNTED PATROLS LIKE THAT. IN FACT, IT SEEMS TO BE ALMOST THE LEAST EFFECTIVE AND MOST COSTLY WAY TO DO IT. SO ARE THERE OTHER OPTIONS THAT PROVIDE EQUAL OR BETTER SECURITY COVERAGE AND COST LESS THAN I THINK IT'S $48 AN HOUR. THAT SEEMS LIKE A PRETTY HIGH NUMBER. SO WE STILL NEED SECURITY. BUT ARE THERE BETTER WAYS TO DO IT? THE SECOND GOAL IS VISITOR INTERACTION. MOUNTED PATROLS MIGHT BE A GOOD SOLUTION TO THAT BECAUSE THEY'RE VISIBLE. BUT AGAIN, THERE MAY BE MORE EFFICIENT AND EFFECTIVE WAYS TO DO THAT. AND I QUESTION WHY IS VISITOR INTERACTION SOMETHING THAT IS FUNDED BY THE TOWNSHIP INSTEAD OF SOMETHING SUPPORTED BY THE VISIT THE WOODLANDS ORGANIZATION. BECAUSE THEY COULD THEN TRAIN AND COACH AND PROVIDE OVERSIGHT AND EVEN MATERIALS FOR DISTRIBUTION TO THE VISITORS. I MEAN, IT SEEMS LIKE THEY'RE THE ORGANIZATION THAT WOULD WANT TO COORDINATE VISITOR INTERACTIONS. SO IT SEEMS LIKE THIS IS AN AREA THAT IS RIPE FOR OPTIMIZING, TO FIND EFFICIENT AND EFFECTIVE WAYS TO DO THINGS. IF THERE IS NOT AN OBVIOUSLY BETTER SOLUTION THAT PROVIDES SECURITY AND ALSO SOLUTION THAT PROVIDES POSITIVE VISITOR INTERACTION, THEN THE BEST WAY TO DO IT IS PILOT. PILOT A COUPLE OF OPTIONS SIMILAR TO SOMETHING LIKE THE PARK RANGER PATROLS. WHICH COULD BE IN THE FORM OF BIKE PATROLS OR GOLF CART PATROLS. COORDINATED BY THE TOWNSHIP OR VISIT THE WOODLANDS, WITH SOME CLEAR RESPONSIBILITIES. SOME CLEAR TASKS. CLEAR OVERSIGHT. SO YOU COULD THEN COMPARE THE OPTIONS AND PICK THE ONE THAT WORKS BEST FOR US IN THE LOWEST OVERALL COST. SO THAT IS JUST AN EXAMPLE. I'M NOT TRYING TO PICK ON THE HORSES. BUT IT SEEMS LIKE THERE SHOULD BE OPTIONS THAT YOU CAN CONSIDER OR PILOT PROGRAMS TO FIND BETTER WAYS TO DO THINGS. AGAIN, LOOK FOR OPTIONS TO SAVE MONEY, NOT JUST SPEND MORE. THANK YOU FOR THE CHANCE TO PROVIDE INPUT. >> THANK YOU, MARK. DO WE HAVE ANY ADDITIONAL CALLERS ON THE LINE? >> NO, SIR. CHAIRMAN: ALL RIGHT. WE'LL CLOSE PUBLIC COMMENT AND GO TO AGENDA ITEM 5. [5. Receive, consider and accept a report regarding the 2020 no-new-revenue tax rate and voter-approval tax rate; ] THIS IS THE AGENDA ITEM WE WENT THROUGH YESTERDAY BUT DID NOT ACCEPT OR APPROVE, WAITING ON THE TAX ASSESSOR'S ESTIMATED EFFECTIVE TAX RATE. MONIQUE. >> GOOD MORNING. WE DID RECEIVE THIS MORNING, JUST RIGHT BEFORE THIS MEETING SOME INFORMATION FROM MS. MCGRAY'S OFFICE. I HAVE NOT HAD A CHANCE TO REVIEW THAT IN DETAIL. AND MOST DEFINITELY HAVE SOME QUESTIONS REGARDING IT. SO IT'S UP TO YOU. I CAN GIVE YOU WHAT IT IS, WHAT I RECEIVED THIS MORNING. I DIDN'T HAVE TIME TO PREPARE A SLIDE OR ANYTHING. BUT JUST DO WANT TO STATE THAT I HAVE SOME QUESTIONS REGARDING IT. CHAIRMAN: ALL RIGHT. WE TALKED YESTERDAY ABOUT THE IMPACT. >> I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE HAVE AN ACCURATE REFLECTION OF WHAT THAT NUMBER IS BEFORE WE START MOVING INTO ANY TYPE OF SERIOUS DECISIONS AND DISCUSSIONS ON WHAT OUR INTENDED BUDGET MOVING FORWARD SHOULD BE. CHAIRMAN: ALL RIGHT. ANY OTHER THOUGHTS? >> I AGREE. [00:10:01] >> I AGREE. CHAIRMAN: MONIQUE, WE'RE GIVING YOU THE DAY, TO HELP YOU GO THROUGH THE QUESTIONS AND CREATE SOME ALTERNATIVE PROJECTIONS BASED ON THE NEW INFORMATION. >> THANK YOU VERY MUCH. I WILL BE PREPARED TOMORROW TO SHOW ALL OF THAT WITH YOU. >> I'M SORRY. MONIQUE, IF YOU GET IT FIGURED OUT TODAY, I THINK TO FOLLOW UP, ON WHAT MAYBE DR. GIBBS ASKED YESTERDAY, COULD YOU SEND IT OUT TO US AND LET US KNOW WHAT IT IS. >> YES, SIR. ABSOLUTELY. I WILL BE GLAD TO DO THAT. CHAIRMAN: I KNOW WE HAVE NEW DIRECTORS GOING THROUGH THIS PROCESS WITH US. THIS HASN'T TYPICALLY BEEN AN ISSUE FOR US. WE MOVED UP OUR BUDGET DATES. WE USED TO DO THIS LATER IN AUGUST. AND THIS IS PROBABLY THE FIRST TIME THIS HAS BECOME AN ISSUE FOR US. AND YOU KNOW, WE HAVE THE ABILITY AS A BOARD TO CONTINUE TO DO BUDGETING ALL THE WAY UP TO THE LAST DATE, WHICH I BELIEVE IT GOES ALL THE WAY INTO THE END OF AUGUST, EARLY SEPTEMBER. >> YES, THAT'S CORRECT. YES. CHAIRMAN: SO BY DEFERRING TO GIVE OUR STAFF MORE TIME TO GO THROUGH THIS STUFF DOESN'T IMPAIR OUR ABILITY TO GET A RESPONSIBLE BUDGET PUT TOGETHER. JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE EVERYONE KNEW WE'RE NOT UNDER A TIME CRUNCH. WE'RE AHEAD OF WHERE WE WOULD NORMALLY BE BEFORE STARTING. AND GREATLY DUE BECAUSE OF THE TASK FORCE, BUDGET TASK FORCE THAT CAME OUT AND GOT AHEAD OF ALL OF THIS. I DO THINK THAT GIVEN WE'RE STILL IN A COVID WORLD, WE SHOULD LOOK AT CONTINUING THE BUDGET TASK FORCE IN 2020 AND 2021, BECAUSE WE'RE GOING TO HAVE EVOLVING INFORMATION AS WE CONTINUE TO GO THROUGH THIS CRISIS. I DON'T THINK THIS AGENDA ITEM REALLY GIVES US THE ABILITY TO DO THAT. BUT MAYBE IN A FUTURE BOARD MEETING, WE CAN HAVE THAT AS AN AGENDA ITEM TO EXTEND IT. >> OKAY. CHAIRMAN: ALL RIGHT. WE WILL TAKE NO ACTION ON AGENDA ITEM 5, WHICH WOULD MOVE US ALL THE WAY BASED ON THAT DECISION, TO, UNLESS THERE IS ANY BOARD ANNOUNCEMENTS OR BOARD AGENDA ITEMS, ALL THE WAY TO ADJOURNMENT, TO ALLOW STAFF TO WORK IN THE NEW INFORMATION. >> SO MOVED. >> FOR THE SAKE OF CLARITY, COULD I REQUEST THAT WE DO PUT THE CONSIDERATION OF CONTINUING THE BUDGET TASK FORCE ON THE FUTURE AGENDA ITEM. CHAIRMAN: YES. THAT IS FINE. >> WE WILL PUT THAT ON THE MEETING FOR THE 20TH. AUGUST 20TH. THANK YOU. CHAIRMAN: ALL RIGHT. WE HAD A MOTION AND A SECOND, I BELIEVE, FOR ADJOURNMENT. ALL IN FAVOR OF ADJOURNING, SAY AYE. AYE AYE. AND WE ARE ADJOURNED. WE WILL SEE EVERYONE TOMORROW. AND MONIQUE, APPRECIATE YOU GUYS GOING THROUGH THE EXERCISES FOR TODAY. >> THANK YOU. WE'LL GET IT DONE. CHAIRMAN: ALL RIGHT. THANKS. * This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.