[CALL TO ORDER]
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I'M MARY KALE, CHAIR OF THE CITY OF AUSTIN, OH, EXCUSE ME, VICE CHAIR OF THE CITY OF AUSTIN, ETHICS REVIEW COMMISSION.
I CALL THE ETHICS REVIEW COMMISSION MEETING TO ORDER.
IT IS WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 13TH, 2023, AND IT IS 6:19 PM WE ARE AT AUSTIN ENERGY HEADQUARTERS IN THE MUELLER ROOM.
NUMBER 1 1 1 1 A 48 15 MUELLER BOULEVARD, AUSTIN, SEVEN EIGHT SEVEN TWO THREE.
I WILL CALL THE ROLE, UH, VICE CHAIR MARY KALE HERE, SECRETARY WIND STANTON ADAMS HERE.
UH, OUR NEW COMMISSIONER, ANDREW KATES.
UH, WE DON'T HAVE ROSS HUMPHREY, BUT I HEAR HE'S GONNA BE COMING.
AND WE HAVE VIRTUALLY CINDY WILLIAMS. SIDNEY, EXCUSE ME.
UH, ONE PERSON IS ATTENDING VIRTUALLY.
THAT WOULD BE SIDNEY WILLIAMS. UH, WE DON'T HAVE ANY PUBLIC COMMUNICATION TONIGHT, SO I'M JUST GONNA GO STRAIGHT TO THE AGENDA.
UM, WE DON'T, UH, WE DON'T HAVE ANY RECUSALS.
[1. Review and evaluation of the contribution limits established in Chapter 2-2 (Campaign Finance) and consider making recommendations to the City Council as to those limits.]
ITEM NUMBER ONE, AND THAT IS REVIEW AND EVALUATION OF THE CONTRIBUTION LIMITS ESTABLISHED IN CHAPTER TWO DASH TWO, CAMPAIGN FINANCE.AND CONSIDER MAKING RECOMMENDATIONS TO THE CITY COUNCIL AS TO THOSE LIMITS.
AND I'M GONNA HAND IT OFF TO OUR COUNCIL TONIGHT.
UH, THIS IS CAROLINE WEBSTER WITH THE CITY OF AUSTIN LAW DEPARTMENT.
AND THE FIRST ITEM IS SOMETHING THAT HAPPENS EVERY YEAR OR EVERY OTHER YEAR, CERTAINLY ALWAYS IN A, AN ELECTION YEAR OR WHEN WE'RE LEADING UP TO WHEN WE HAVE AN ELECTION, WHICH OUR NEXT, UH, GENERAL ELECTION IS NOVEMBER OF 2024.
AND THE OUR CITY CHARTER PROVIDES IN ARTICLE THREE, SECTION EIGHT, UH, FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO HAVE A NOTEBOOK.
IT IS, IT IS ON TAB SIX OF YOUR NOTEBOOK, ON YOUR, ON YOUR, UH, DOCUMENTS THAT WERE PROVIDED FOR YOU.
AND BASICALLY WHAT IT PROVIDES IS THAT AS FAR AS CONTRIBUTIONS TO CANDIDATES WHO ARE, UH, RUNNING FOR CITY COUNCIL ARE CONCERNED, UH, THE CONTRIBUTION LIMIT WAS INITIALLY SET BACK IN 2006 WHEN THIS PART WAS ADDED TO THE CHARTER.
AND IT WAS $300 PER CONTRIBUTOR PER ELECTION FOR ANY, UH, CANDIDATE, BASICALLY.
AND THE, WHAT, WHAT THE CHARTER SAYS IS THAT BASICALLY EVERY YEAR, THE AMOUNT OF THAT CONTRIBUTION LIMIT WILL BE MODIFIED, UH, WITH THE ADOPTION OF THE BUDGET.
SO IT TAKES EFFECT WHEN COUNCIL ADOPTS THE BUDGET.
BUT YOU ALL HAVE THE ROLE OF APPROVING THE SPECIFIC AMOUNT SO THAT COUNCIL CAN THEN PUT THAT IN THEIR BUDGET WHEN THEY GET TO THAT POINT IN THE YEAR.
AND, UH, SO YOU HAVE TO INCREASE OR DECREASE THAT CONTRIBUTION AMOUNT IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE MOST RECENTLY PUBLISHED FEDERAL GOVERNMENT BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS INDICATOR CONSUMER PRICE INDEX, US CITY AVERAGE.
AND THAT'S A STANDARD AMOUNT, AN AMOUNT THAT IS, UH, RELEASED EVERY YEAR.
AND, UH, IT'S A, COMES FROM THE, WELL AS IT SHOWS THERE, FEDERAL GOVERNMENT.
AND THIS IS THE SAME PROCESS THAT IS USED, UH, FOR FEDERAL CANDIDATES UNDER THE FEC.
THEY ALSO ADOPT THIS AND ADJUST ACCORDINGLY.
THE TEXAS ETHICS COMMISSION ALSO DOES THIS FOR STATE AND COUNTY, UH, LEVEL, UM, CANDIDATES.
AND WE DO IT HERE FOR OUR CITY COUNT CANDIDATES TOO.
AND SO EVERY YEAR THAT AMOUNT GOES UP AND YOU HAVE TO ROUND IT TO THE NEAREST $50.
SO WHATEVER THE AMOUNT IS, IT GOES UP BY 50 UP OR DOWN, DEPENDING ON, ON WHAT THE, UH, BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS, UH, PROVIDES US.
AND SO REALLY, YOU ALL DON'T HAVE ANY AUTHORITY TO KIND OF CHANGE IT.
YOU REALLY HAVE TO GO BY THE NUMBER THAT WERE GIVEN BY THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, AND, UH, AND YOU JUST SORT OF APPROVE IT OFFICIALLY.
UM, IT DOESN'T SAY THAT HERE IN THE CHARTER BRIT UNDER, UM, YOUR AUTHORITIES THAT ARE LINED OUT IN CITY CODE, IT DOES SAY YOU HAVE JURISDICTION OVER THIS SECTION OF THE CITY CHARTER.
AND SO THAT'S WHY WE SAY IT GOES TO YOU ALL FOR APPROVAL.
AND, UM, SO THAT'S REALLY WHAT THAT ITEM IS.
NOW, I HAVE TO SAY, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU ALL WERE GIVEN
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THE LATEST AMOUNT OR IF IT'S JUST REALLY HERE TO ALERT YOU.I'M NOT A HUNDRED PERCENT SURE IF THEY HAVE RELEASED THE NEW NUMBERS YET.
IT MIGHT COME OUT JANUARY 1ST.
UM, BUT I THINK THE IDEA WAS TO GET THIS ON YOUR RADAR SO THAT YOU ARE AWARE OF IT.
UM, IF I CAN FIND THE NEW NUMBER, I CAN LOOK IT UP AND SEE IF I CAN FIND THAT NEW NUMBER.
AND, AND IF IT HAS BEEN CHANGED ALREADY FOR BASICALLY 2024, WE CAN GO FORWARD AND YOU ALL CAN CAN ADOPT IT.
UM, ONE THING TO NOTE ABOUT THAT IS THE FEC, THE FEDERAL ELECTION COMMISSION AND THE TEXAS ETHICS COMMISSION, THEY USUALLY ADOPT THEIR NEW NUMBER ON JANUARY 1ST.
OURS, UM, GOES TO COUNCIL, LIKE I SAID, WITH THE ADOPTION OF THEIR BUDGET IN AUGUST.
UH, IT'S POSSIBLE WE WILL GET A CHARTER AMENDMENT CHANGE NEXT YEAR TO ALIGN THAT WITH THE, UM, STATE AND FEDERAL PROCEDURES.
BUT RIGHT NOW IT'S JUST, IT'S FOR YOU ALL TO APPROVE AND THEN IT GOES TO COUNCIL LATER IN THE YEAR.
SO, UM, SO I JUST WANTED TO KIND OF EXPLAIN WHAT THAT WAS AND LET ME SEE.
AND I'M SORRY I DIDN'T, UM, REALIZE I WASN'T SURE.
I THOUGHT MAYBE YOU HAD BEEN SUPPLIED WITH THE NUMBER, BUT I, I'M NOT SEEING SPECIFICALLY WHERE IT IS.
SO LET ME JUST, UM, IF YOU ALL WANT TALK ABOUT IT FOR A MOMENT WHILE I LOOK THAT UP, IF YOU CARE TO, DO WE HAVE ANY COMMENTS ON THIS OR QUESTIONS ABOUT IT? I, I JUST READING THROUGH SECTION EIGHT, I SEE A, B, C, D, THEY ALL, UM, HAVE DIFFERENT LIMITS WITHIN THEM, UM, THAT ARE WITHIN OUR YEAH.
SO, UM, SO HAVE A LOOK AT THOSE AS WELL, IF YOU COULD.
SO IT'S THE CHARTER THAT REQUIRES THE INCREASE TO BE ALIGNED WITH THE CITY BUDGET.
IT DOESN'T, IT'S NOT ALIGNED WITH THE CITY BUDGET.
IT'S ALIGNED WITH THE INFORMATION WE GET THEM FROM THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, BUT IT'S JUST ADOPTED BY COUNCIL, RIGHT.
WHEN THEY ADOPT THE BUDGET AND, AND THEY CAN'T ADOPT IT AT ANOTHER TIME.
LIKE DOES A CHARTER PREVENT THEM FROM DOING THAT? IT DOES CURRENTLY.
I MEAN, 'CAUSE IT, LIKE YOU MENTIONED, THE, THE FEDS DON'T DO THAT.
I DON'T THINK THE STATE DOES EITHER.
AND IT'S PROBLEMATIC BECAUSE YOU'RE CREATING TWO DIFFERENT GIVING LEVELS WITHIN THE SAME REPORTING PERIOD.
AND THAT BECOMES VERY CONFUSING FOR CAMPAIGNS AND MORE IMPORTANTLY FOR CAMPAIGN OBSERVERS WHO SEE THAT SOME DONATIONS ARE HIGHER THAN OTHERS.
BUT THEN THERE'S ALSO A STRUCTURAL COMPONENT THERE, WHICH IS THAT LET'S SAY SOMEBODY GIVES, THEY MAX OUT AND THEN THEY'RE SUDDENLY ALLOWED TO GIVE ANOTHER $50 OR SO.
WELL, MAYBE THEY GIVE THAT NEXT $50, BUT THERE'S ALSO A PROCESSING FEE AFFORDED WITH THAT $50, AND NOW THEY'RE $2 AND 95 CENTS OVER THE LIMIT.
THIS IS A VERY SPECIFIC EXAMPLE, 'CAUSE I'M SPEAKING FROM EXPERIENCE AND THAT THOSE ADDITIONAL PROCESSING FEES ARE NOW THE SUBJECT OF ETHICS COMMISSION'S COMPLAINTS.
SO I, IF, IF IT'S POSSIBLE FOR, UH, FOR, AND I'M NOT SAYING IT HAS TO BE JANUARY 1ST.
I, I DON'T EXPECT US TO, TO GET IT THROUGH WITHIN THREE WEEKS, BUT TO HAVE IT AT LEAST ALIGNED WITH A FILING DEADLINE, LIKE IF THERE'S A 30 DAY REPORT IN A CAMPAIGN, MAYBE IT STARTS ON THE 29TH DAY OUT SO THAT THE, THE, AT LEAST THE REPORTS ARE CONSISTENT.
I KNOW THERE'S NO ACTIONS WE CAN TAKE TODAY, BUT I OFFER THAT UP JUST FOR CONSIDERATION FOR WHATEVER IS IN OUR POWER OR RECOMMENDATIONS.
COMMISSIONER LOWE? YEAH, I'D LIKE TO FOLLOW UP ON WHAT COMMISSIONER ESPINOZA SAID.
UH, COULD YOU TELL ME IF THIS IS ACCURATE? HMM.
IT USED TO BE 400 AND THEN THE LAST TIME THEY CHANGED IT, IT BECAME 450.
IS THAT CORRECT? THAT IS CORRECT.
SO WHAT COMMISSIONER ESPINOZA IS TALKING ABOUT IS THAT PERIOD, EXCUSE ME, THAT PERIOD SEPTEMBER, OCTOBER, NOVEMBER, AND THEN THE RUNOFF IN DECEMBER, RIGHT? IS THAT, WELL, I THINK THE RUNOFF STARTS THAT KIND OF TIME WE'RE TALKING ABOUT.
I THINK THE RUNOFF STARTS A NEW, A NEW RESET, THE PERIOD.
SO IT WAS 400, THEN 450 AT, FOR THE, UM, NOVEMBER ELECTION.
AND THEN FOR THE MID DECEMBER ELECTION IT WAS 450.
IS THAT CORRECT? I, I JUST, IF I REMEMBER THE NUMBERS CORRECTLY.
I DON'T THINK MY MICROPHONES OH, I AGREE.
SO THEY, SHE'S DOING, THEY ADOPTED IN AUGUST, RIGHT? YEAH.
LET'S GET, UM, MS. WEBSTER'S, UH, BEING WORKING.
WAS, WAS THAT CLEAR THOUGH, WHAT I WAS ASKING AS TO THE TIMING? YES.
SO, WELL, NOT QUITE, BUT THAT WASN'T QUITE CORRECT.
SO AS, AS, UH, COMMISSIONER ESPINOZA MENTIONED, WHAT HAPPENS RIGHT NOW, BECAUSE OUR BUDGET IS ADOPTED IN MID-AUGUST, UM, THE CLERK'S OFFICE
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PUTS OUT A CANDIDATE GUIDE AT THE END OF, OR I'M SORRY, AT THE BEGINNING OF MAY.SO IN MAY OF 2024, THE CLERK'S OFFICE PUTS OUT THEIR CANDIDATES GUIDE.
IT INCLUDES TONS OF INFORMATION, INCLUDING THESE CONTRIBUTION AND EXPENDITURE LIMITS.
AND SO, AS THE WAY IT GOES NOW, BECAUSE WE ADOPT, WE DON'T ADOPT THIS CHANGE OFFICIALLY UNTIL AROUND AUGUST 15TH, MID-AUGUST.
SO, UM, SO BECAUSE WE ADOPT THAT IN AUGUST, CANDIDATES ARE UNDER ONE AMOUNT, LIKE LAST FOR THE ELECTION IN 2022.
THEY WERE UNDER 400 UNTIL MID-AUGUST WHEN THE, UH, BUDGET WAS ADOPTED.
AND THEN IT WENT UP TO FOUR 50.
AND, UH, SO THEY WERE SUDDENLY ALLOWED TO RAISE AN EXTRA $50.
AND IT WAS, IT WAS FUNNY LOOKING AT THE CAMPAIGN FINANCE REPORTS, THERE WERE TONS OF DONATIONS THAT CAME IN RIGHT AFTER THAT WENT INTO EFFECT THAT WERE THE FOUR 50 LEVEL, UM, OR MAYBE AN ADDITIONAL 50 AS COMMISSIONER ESPINOZA STATED.
UM, SO THAT'S, UH, IT IS CONFUSING FOR CANDIDATES, CONFUSING FOR THE PUBLIC.
BUT TO CHANGE THAT, WE HAVE TO AMEND THE CHARTER, WHICH CAN ONLY BE DONE THROUGH AN ELECTION.
I WILL SAY THAT, UM, THE CHARTER REVIEW COMMISSION IS MEETING, UH, REGULARLY NOW, UH, TO MAKE CHANGES.
THEY WERE TASKED BY COUNCIL TO MAKE CERTAIN CHANGES, BUT ALSO, UM, STAFF, IN FACT, UH, WAJIHA, WHO'S YOUR, UH, USUAL ATTORNEY WHO'S HERE, SHE'S, SHE'S COMPILING THE REPORT FROM STAFF, UH, TO SAY THESE ARE THE CHANGES THAT CITY STAFF RECOMMEND.
SO, I MEAN, YOU'RE CERTAINLY FREE TO EITHER, I CAN BRING IT UP AT THE CHARTER REVIEW COMMISSION MEETING TOMORROW 'CAUSE I'M THEIR ADVISING ATTORNEY, OR CERTAINLY WAJIHA COULD MAYBE ADD IT, UH, TO HER REPORT.
UM, IT'S SOMETHING I'VE ALREADY MENTIONED TO THE, THE, UM, CHARTER REVIEW COMMISSION, BECAUSE I THINK IT'S, IT'S A CHANGE THAT NEEDS TO BE MADE, AND THEN IT'LL BE UP TO THEM WHETHER THEY RECOMMEND IT TO COUNCIL, AND THEN IT'LL BE UP TO COUNCIL WHETHER THEY WANNA PUT IT ON THE BALLOT.
SO THE SOONEST WE COULD KIND OF EFFECTUATE THIS CHANGE WOULD BE TO IMPACT, UM, THE 2026 ELECTION, UNFORTUNATELY.
SO, UH, QUESTION FOR YOU, IT REQUIRES, HOW'S THAT, UH,
WELL, I GUESS MY QUESTION WOULD BE, LIKE RIGHT NOW WHAT YOU PROPOSE, IF, IF THE LIMITS WERE TO CHANGE WITH THE ADOPTION OF THE BUDGET IN MID AUGUST, COULD THEY SAY, WELL, BUT THIS PIECE IS GONNA HAPPEN AT THE 29 DAY MARK, LIKE, WE'RE GONNA APPROVE THIS TO HAPPEN LATER? NO, NO.
THAT WOULD VIOLATE THE WORDING OF THE CHARTER.
SO THEY WOULD JUST HAVE TO ADOPT THE BUDGET LATER FOR THAT TO
UM, IF THEY GO ABOVE A CERTAIN RATE, THIS IS VERY HELPFUL.
I'M GONNA, I'M GONNA JUMP IN JUST A SECOND.
UM, COMMISSIONER STANTON ADAMS WANTED TO ASK SOMETHING AND THEN I BELIEVE, COMMISSIONER, DID YOU HAVE YOUR HAND UP? OH, OKAY.
FIRST OF ALL, I WANNA SAY IT'S BEEN A WHILE.
I FEEL LIKE SINCE I'VE BEEN, UH, SINCE I'VE JOINED THIS BODY.
AND, UM, I AM SO HAPPY TO SEE COMMISSIONERS WHO ACTUALLY HAVE EXPERIENCE WITH, WITH THE PROCESS.
SO THANK Y'ALL FOR BEING HERE.
IT'S, UH, REALLY GOOD TO SEE THAT.
UM, AND MY QUESTION IS, I, I WANNA MAKE SURE I UNDERSTAND WHAT WE ARE BEING ASKED TO DO TONIGHT, BECAUSE I'M, I'M READING IT AS AGENDA ITEM NUMBER ONE AS REVIEW AND EVALUATION OF THE CONTRIBUTION LIMITS.
AND I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHAT, WHAT I AM TO REVIEW AND EVALUATE.
IT'S NOT CLEAR TO ME, AND I, I DON'T KNOW WHERE THE, BECAUSE I THINK THIS IS PERTAINING TO ITEM NUMBER TWO.
AND SO WHAT WOULD BE VERY HELPFUL FOR ME TO REVIEW AND EVALUATE IS ALMOST KIND OF LIKE A, A TABLE OF HERE, HERE IS WHAT THE CURRENT LIMIT IS, HERE'S WHAT'S BEING PROPOSED, OR IF THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE'RE SUPPOSED TO COME UP WITH A PROPOSAL ON, WHAT THE OKAY, GREAT.
BECAUSE I DO NOT FEEL, UH, QUALIFIED TO EVEN SUGGEST, UM, A CHANGE IN THOSE LIMITS.
AND, AND SO I FEEL THAT I AM NOT PREPARED, AND I'M NOT SURE THAT, IS THIS STILL AN ACCURATE AGENDA ITEM TO REVIEW AND EVALUATE CONTRIBUTION LIMITS ESTABLISHED? UM, MS. WEBSTER, MS. WEBSTER, WERE YOU GONNA RESPOND TO THAT ONE?
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WELL, WHAT I WAS GONNA SAY IS, UM, IT, YEAH, I, IT WOULD'VE BEEN HELPFUL TO HAVE THOSE NUMBERS.I DON'T KNOW IF THEY'VE ISSUED THE NEW NUMBERS YET.
SO THAT, THAT'S THE, THAT'S THE THING.
I'VE BEEN LOOKING ON MY PHONE.
I'M TRYING TO FIGURE THAT OUT.
I USUALLY CHECK THE TEXAS ETHICS COMMISSION PAGE BECAUSE THEY ALWAYS UP, THEY ALWAYS PROVIDE THE NEW AMOUNTS IN THEIR INSTRUCTION GUIDES AND SUCH FOR THEIR FILING REPORTS, THE CAMPAIGN FINANCE FILING REPORTS.
AND SO I LOOK AT THAT, BUT AS FAR AS I KNOW, IT IS STILL AT FOUR 50 RIGHT NOW, AND IT HAS NOT BEEN INCREASED FOR 2024.
SO I THINK MAYBE THE, THE BEST THING MIGHT BE TO BE THAT, YOU KNOW, THIS WAS KIND OF, UH, A MOMENT FOR YOU ALL TO, UM, UNDERSTAND THIS DUTY WAS COMING UP AND FOR ME TO EXPLAIN IT.
AND THEN OBVIOUSLY I'LL DEFER TO THE, THE CHAIR, VICE CHAIR.
BUT, UM, IT, YOU KNOW, IT MAY BE SOMETHING THAT I CAN COME BACK WITH THAT INFORMATION AT A LATER TIME, MAYBE IN, IN, UH, I WOULD GUESS THIS IS YOUR LAST MEETING OF THE YEAR, SO MAYBE IN JANUARY I WOULD HAVE THAT INFORMATION FOR YOU.
SO I JUST WANTED TO POINT OUT THAT THE ETHICS COMMISSION DOESN'T LIKE UPDATING THE, THE THRESHOLDS EITHER.
UM, THEY ACTIVELY DON'T LIKE IT.
UM, AND NEITHER DOES A REGULATED COMMUNITY BECAUSE I MEAN, AT LEAST FOR THEM, IT'S A TON OF DIFFERENT THRESHOLDS.
UM, AND SO THEY ARE ASKING, THEY ASKED THE LAST LEGISLATIVE SESSION, UM, AND IT DIDN'T PASS, BUT THEY'RE GOING THROUGH SUNSET THIS TIME AROUND, AND I'M SURE THAT THEY WILL BE ASKING.
AND IF NOT, I WILL BE ASKING
UM, AND SO YOU, SO THE CITY ALREADY HAS THE ROUNDUP, UM, BUT JUST A CONSIDERATION OF MAYBE NOT DOING IT EVERY YEAR, UM, AND MAYBE SETTING IT ON A SCHEDULE OF EVERY BIENNIUM OR SO WHEN CITY ELECTIONS ARE GONNA HAPPEN, UM, AND MAYBE, YOU KNOW, AROUND THE FILING PERIOD, UM, SO THAT IT'S SET AS OF THAT MOMENT, AS OF, OKAY, EVERYBODY'S FILED, NOW WE'RE ADOPTING THE NEW RATE, UM, FOR THIS ELECTION CYCLE, AND WE'RE NOT GONNA DO IT AGAIN FOR TWO YEARS.
UM, YEAH, I WANNA FOLLOW UP WHAT, UH, COMMISSIONER KATE SAID, ACTUALLY THE TEXAS ETHICS COMMISSION DID NOT, UH, UPDATE THINGS FOR 30 YEARS FOR MANY THINGS.
SO, UM, I MEAN, IN THAT SENSE THEY WERE OUT OF, WELL, THEY DID NOT COMPLY WITH THE LAW.
SO, UM, YEAH, I, I, I THINK WE HAVE TO KEEP THAT IN MIND, RIGHT,
AND THEN THE SECOND THING IS THAT I, I DON'T KNOW IF WE SHOULD, I DON'T KNOW, AS A RESOLUTION OR SOMETHING, ASK OUR CHAIR.
SO WE'RE ON TO MAYBE SEND A LETTER TO THE, UM, CHARTER COMMISSION SO THAT WE KIND OF SPEAK WITH ONE VOICE AND THAT WE'RE NOT JUST ASKING OUR COUNSEL TO RELAY.
I'M ALSO HEARING THAT WE'RE PROBABLY BE BETTER PREPARED TO SEND A LETTER WHEN WE HAVE THOSE NUMBERS NEXT MONTH.
DOES THAT SEEM TO BE THE CONSENSUS? AND COMMISSIONER WILLIAMS, I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT YOU ARE INCLUDED IN THE DISCUSSION IF YOU HAD ANY, ANY COMMENTS ON THIS? I DO NOT.
UM, SO I GUESS WHAT I'M WONDERING, DO Y'ALL WANT TO DISCUSS THIS MORE TONIGHT? DO YOU WANNA WAIT UNTIL JANUARY WHEN WE HAVE MORE COMPLETE INFORMATION AND IN THE MEANTIME SORT OF PUT A LITTLE, UM, BUG IN CHAIR SAURON'S EAR THAT THIS IS COMING DOWN THE PIKE? HOW DOES THAT SOUND? I DON'T WANNA CUT OFF ANY DISCUSSION ON THIS, BUT I ALSO DON'T WANNA SPEND OUR TIME ON SOMETHING IF WE CAN'T REALLY MAKE PROGRESS ON IT.
DO WE NEED TO MAKE A MOTION? I'M HAPPY TO MAKE
I DON'T THINK WE NEED TO MAKE A MOTION ON THAT.
THAT IS, YEAH, I'M PRETTY SURE MY UNDERSTANDING OF THAT THERE WASN'T ANY KIND OF, UM, ACTION ONE WAY OR THE OTHER.
DOES THAT SOUND RIGHT TO YOU? YES, THAT'S CORRECT.
I MEAN, YOU ALWAYS HAVE THE, THE AGENDA ALLOWS YOU TO TAKE ACTION MM-HMM.
UH, BUT YOU CAN ALSO JUST, UM, SO YOU HAVE CONSIDERED IT.
SO IN, IN EFFECT, YOU HAVE DONE WHAT ITEM ONE, UH, SPECIFIES, AND THEN YOU CAN
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HAVE IT COME UP AGAIN ON A, UH, LATER AGENDA.[2. Discussion and possible action regarding revisions to City Code 2-2 (Campaign Finance).(Part 1 of 2)]
AGENDA ITEM NUMBER TWO, IF THERE'S NO FURTHER DISCUSSION ON NUMBER ONE, AND I WILL HAND THAT OVER TO, UM, MS. WEBSTER AGAIN.DO, I THINK ALL OF YOU DO HAVE A COPY OF THE PROPOSED ORDINANCE.
IT WAS ALSO SENT BY EMAIL, UH, FOR ANYONE WHO'S ATTENDING, UH, VIRTUALLY, UH, YOU SHOULD HAVE THIS IN AN EMAIL VERSION.
SO BEFORE I GO OVER THE, THE SPECIFIC CHANGES THAT ARE IN THIS PROPOSED ORDINANCE, I WANTED TO, UH, GIVE YOU SOME BACKGROUND ON WHY THIS IS COMING UP AND WHY THESE CHANGES, UH, REALLY DO NEED TO BE MADE, OR WE CERTAINLY LAW RECOMMENDS THAT, THAT THEY BE MADE.
SO THERE'S A FEW DIFFERENT THINGS THAT THIS ORDINANCE IS, IS DOING, AND WE PUT ALL THE THINGS IN ONE ORDINANCE SO THAT THE WHOLE CHAPTER WOULD BE AMENDED AT ONCE.
THERE'S A LOT OF KIND OF CROSSOVERS WHERE THE SAME SECTION WOULD HAVE TO BE AMENDED.
SO WE THOUGHT, LET'S JUST PUT IT IN ONE ORDINANCE.
SO TO START WITH, UM, THE CITY WAS SUED SEVERAL YEARS AGO BY A CANDIDATE, UH, DON, I THINK DON ZIMMERMAN.
AND, UM, AND THAT WE HAD FOR OUR, SORRY, FOR OUR GENERAL ELECTION, WE HAD A CAMPAIGN PERIOD AT THAT TIME OF A HUNDRED DAYS, 180 DAYS, SORRY.
AND THAT MEANT THE PERIOD DURING WHICH YOU COULD RAISE MONEY OR SPEND MONEY TOWARDS YOUR CAMPAIGN, TOWARDS YOUR CANDIDACY.
AND THE ZIMMERMAN CASE STRUCK THAT DOWN.
IT ALSO DID A COUPLE OF OTHER THINGS, BUT WE DON'T NEED TO WORRY ABOUT THOSE TONIGHT.
IT STRUCK ON THAT 180 DAY LIMIT, UH, CAMPAIGN PERIOD.
AND COUNCIL RESPONDED TO THAT BY THEN ADOPTING A 365 DAY CAMPAIGN PERIOD FOR THE GENERAL ELECTION.
AND, UH, THAT STOOD FOR A FEW YEARS.
AND, UH, LAST YEAR WE WERE SUCCESSFULLY SUED BY A CANDIDATE WHO WAS RUNNING, UH, FOR MAYOR, UH, JENNIFER VERDEN.
AND THE COURT DID STRIKE DOWN OUR 365 DAY CAMPAIGN PERIOD.
AND BECAUSE OF THAT, SO THE CITY CODE REFERS TO THAT 365 DAY CAMPAIGN PERIOD.
AND SO THIS PART OF WHAT THIS ORDINANCE IS DOING IS, IS DELETING THAT FROM, UM, CITY CODE AND SORT OF REWORDING THINGS SO THAT, UM, OUR CAMPAIGN PERIOD FOR SPECIAL ELECTIONS STANDS OUR CAMPAIGN PERIOD FOR THE RUNOFF ELECTION STANDS, BUT IT'S ONLY THE GENERAL ELECTION THAT ONE IS GONE.
SO WE'RE AMENDING THE CODE REALLY JUST TO REMOVE REFERENCES TO THAT, AND ALSO CHANGING THE CODE ONLY SO MUCH THAT WE HAVE TO IN ORDER TO MAKE SURE REFERENCES TO THAT 365 DAY PERIOD ARE REMOVED.
BUT THAT, THAT DID HAVE AN IMPACT ON THE VOLUNTARY CAMPAIGN FINANCE, UM, PARTICIPATION FOR CANDIDATES WHO WANT TO SIGN THE CONTRACT TO DO THE, THE CAMPAIGN FINANCE LIMITATION, WHICH THEY HAVE TO ABIDE BY CERTAIN CONTRIBUTION AND EXPENDITURE LIMITATIONS AND VARIOUS OTHER THINGS, AND ATTEND CERTAIN, LIKE DEBATES AND ET CETERA.
AND IF THEY DO ALL THAT, THEN THEY ARE ENTITLED, IF THEY GET INTO A RUNOFF ELECTION, THEY'RE ENTITLED TO FUNDS FROM THE CITY TO HELP TO COVER THEIR FURTHER CAMPAIGNING COSTS FOR THE RUNOFF ELECTION.
AND BECAUSE OUR, DO YOU WANNA STOP? YEAH, I'M GONNA JUMP IN AND LET THE RECORD NOTE THAT COMMISSIONER PUMPHREY IS HERE.
UM, SO THE AREA WHERE IT GOT A LITTLE BIT DIFFICULT WAS WHEN WE WERE TALKING ABOUT PEOPLE WHO WANTED TO SIGN UP FOR THE VOLUNTARY CAMPAIGN CONTRACT WHEN THEY WANTED TO SUBMIT THAT AND ABIDE BY THOSE RULES AND MAYBE BE IN THE RUNNING FOR, UH, FINANCING IN FOR THE RUNOFF ELECTION.
THAT ALSO REFERRED TO LIMITATIONS DURING THE CAMPAIGN PERIOD, WHICH WAS THE 365 DAY PERIOD.
SO WE HAD TO CHANGE REFERENCES TO THAT AND COME UP WITH A NEW WAY TO, OR I GUESS A NEW PERIOD, LET ME PUT IT THAT WAY.
A NEW PERIOD DURING WHICH CANDIDATES HAVE TO ABIDE BY THE CONTRIBUTION AND EXPENDITURE LIMITS.
AND SO THE WAY WE DECIDED TO DO THAT WAS, SINCE IT IS VOLUNTARY, YOU DON'T HAVE TO SIGN THE CAMPAIGN CONTRACT SINCE IT'S VOLUNTARY.
WHAT WE SAID IS RATHER THAN DURING THAT WHOLE 365 DAYS BEFORE THE ELECTION, INSTEAD, THEY HAVE TO LIMIT THEIR CONTRIBUTIONS AND EXPENDITURES ONCE THEY'VE SUBMITTED THE CONTRACT.
SO IF THEY CHOOSE TO BE A PART OF THAT PROGRAM AND THEY SIGN THE CONTRACT SAYING, YES, I'M GONNA GONNA COMPLY WITH THESE LIMITATIONS AND DO THESE OTHER THINGS I NEED TO DO, THEN THEY HAVE TO DO THAT BEGINNING WITH THE SUBMISSION OF THAT CONTRACT.
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THEY HAVE TO ABIDE BY THOSE LIMITATIONS.AND SO WE, WE FELT THAT WAS LIKE THE MINIMUM CHANGE WE COULD DO.
UH, THIS, THIS PROGRAM, THE VOLUNTARY CAMPAIGN FINANCE LIMITATION, UM, WAS PUT INTO CITY CODE BY, UH, PETITIONERS.
AND SO BECAUSE IT CAME FROM THE PUBLIC, WE WANTED TO CHANGE IT JUST AS LITTLE AS POSSIBLE JUST TO HAVE IT COMPLY WITH THE, THE COURT'S OPINION AND THE VERDEN LAWSUIT.
SO THOSE CHANGES, WHEREVER YOU SEE, UH, UH, REFERENCES IN CHAPTER TWO TWO OF CITY CODE TO THE, UM, CAMPAIGN PERIOD, I'VE ADDED, WE ADDED A NEW DEFINITION TO SAY WHAT THE VOLUNTARY CAMPAIGN FINANCE PERIOD IS, AND WE JUST SUBSTITUTED REFERENCES TO THAT THROUGHOUT, BASICALLY, SO THAT ONLY THE CANDIDATES WHO'VE CHOSEN TO DO SO ARE, ARE, UH, REQUIRED IF THEY WANT TO RECEIVE FUNDS TO ABIDE BY THOSE LIMITATIONS.
SO THAT'S, THAT'S ONE OF THE CHANGES THAT YOU'LL SEE.
AND IT, THE PHRASE IS VOLUNTARY CAMPAIGN FINANCE PERIOD, OR I FOR THAT, MAYBE NOT MY EXACT VERBIAGE, BUT IT SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
AND, UM, THE OTHER CHANGES WE, WE MADE WERE ALSO IN RESPONSE, UH, NOT TO AN ACTUAL LAWSUIT, BUT TO AN ISSUE THAT WAS, UH, BROUGHT TO THE CITY'S ATTENTION IN 2022, SORRY, 2022.
WE HAD, UM, CERTAIN CANDIDATES WHO WERE IN THE RUNOFF AND THE CITY HAD INTERPRETED STATE LAW AND ITS OWN CITY CODE IN A CERTAIN WAY WHERE SOMEONE, AND THIS, THIS IS IN REGARDS TO THE DEADLINE TO SUBMIT THAT CONTRACT, IF YOU DO WANT TO PARTICIPATE IN THE PROGRAM, YOU HAVE TO SUBMIT A CONTRACT BY A CERTAIN DEADLINE 30 DAYS AFTER YOU FILE A CAMPAIGN TREASURER, OR THE DAY THAT YOU FILE YOUR APPLICATION FOR PLACE ON THE BALLOT.
AND THE ELECTION CODE HAD VARIOUS OTHER THINGS IN THERE THAT WE, WE BOUNCED FROM LIKE 30 DAYS FROM WHEN THIS HAPPENS, LIKE WHEN YOU ANNOUNCE YOUR CANDIDACY 30 DAYS FROM WHEN YOU SOLICIT FUNDS, 30 DAYS FROM ET CETERA.
AND WE FOUND THAT WE COULDN'T REALLY ENFORCE THAT, THOSE DEADLINES BECAUSE THE CITY CLERK HAD NO WAY OF KNOWING NECESSARILY WHEN SOMEONE MADE A PUBLIC ANNOUNCEMENT ABOUT THEIR CANDIDACY, THEY HAD NO WAY OF KNOWING WHEN THEY FIRST SOLICITED CONTRIBUTIONS VERBALLY OR BY LETTER.
THERE WAS NO WAY THE CITY CLERK COULD KNOW THAT.
AND SO WE, WE ENDED UP AWARDING FUNDS TO CERTAIN CANDIDATES WHO BASICALLY THEY HAD FILED THE, THE CONTRACT 30 DAYS AFTER THEY FILED THEIR CAMPAIGN TREASURER REPORT.
UH, WHICH IS ALSO DIFFICULT BECAUSE A CAMPAIGN TREASURER DESIGNATION CAN BE YEARS OLD.
THEY DON'T HAVE TO FILE IT FOR EACH ELECTION.
SO YOU COULD HAVE A CAMPAIGN TREASURER DESIGNATION FROM SIX YEARS AGO.
SO DID YOU HAVE TO FILE YOUR CAMPAIGN CONTRACT 30 DAYS AFTER THAT? SO BECAUSE OF THOSE CONFUSIONS AND ISSUES AND A THREATENED LAWSUIT, WE WENT AHEAD AND HAVE AMENDED, UH, CITY CODE IN ORDER TO COMPLY WITH WHAT THE PARTIES IN THAT, UM, POSSIBLE LAWSUIT, WHAT THEY KIND OF WANTED TO SEE.
AND WHAT WE ALSO THOUGHT WAS REASONABLE AND LEGAL UNDER STATE LAW AND, AND WHAT WE COULD REASONABLY REQUIRE.
SO THE OTHER CHANGES WE HAVE IS ABOUT THE DEADLINE TO SUBMIT THAT CAMPAIGN CONTRACT.
IT NOW IS TIED TO 30 DAYS AFTER YOU SUBMIT A CAMPAIGN TREASURER DESIGNATION, BUT ONLY IF THAT CAMPAIGN TREASURER DESIGNATION WAS DONE IN THE LAST YEAR.
SO NOT ONE THAT'S SIX YEARS OLD, OR THE DAY YOU FILE AN APPLICATION FOR A PLACE ON THE BALLOT OR 30 DAYS AFTER YOU FIRST ACCEPT A CONTRIBUTION OR MAKE AN EXPENDITURE AS REFLECTED ON YOUR CAMPAIGN FINANCE REPORTS THAT HAVE TO BE FILED.
AND SO THE CLERK'S OFFICE CAN LOOK AT, YOU KNOW, OKAY, THEY FILED A CAMPAIGN FINANCE REPORT, LOOKS LIKE THEY STARTED, UH, COLLECTING, UH, CONTRIBUTIONS SIX WEEKS AGO.
THAT MEANS THEIR DEADLINE TO SUBMIT THE CAMPAIGN FINANCE CONTRACT IF THEY WANNA PARTICIPATE HAS ALREADY PASSED.
THEY ONLY HAD 30 DAYS AFTER THAT.
SO THOSE ARE THE WAYS WE FELT LIKE THE CITY CLERK COULD REASONABLY ASCERTAIN WHAT THE DEADLINE SHOULD BE.
AND SO WE'VE ADJUSTED THE CITY CODE TO REFLECT THAT.
UM, AND THAT IS IN AGREEMENT WITH, WITH, UM, THE OTHER PARTIES, UH, WHO WERE, UH, CANDIDATES IN 2022, NOT IN LIKE A FORMAL AGREEMENT, BUT KIND OF IN AGREEMENT OF WHAT THEY WERE SAYING AS WELL.
SO I MEAN, BASICALLY THE POINT HERE IS WE WANT TO STILL PROVIDE CANDIDATES WITH, UH, A FRAMEWORK AND WITH INFORMATION, UH, BUT ALSO IN A WAY THAT IS REASONABLE AND WON'T GET THE CITY SUED, BUT ALSO COMPLIES AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE WITH WHAT THE CITIZENS WANTED WHEN THEY ADDED THAT, UH, SECTION TO THE CITY CODE.
SO THAT'S THE OTHER CHANGE IN THAT ORDINANCE.
THE NEXT CHANGE IS REALLY JUST A CLEANUP.
[00:30:01]
REFERENCES TO THE TERM DATA FILE THROUGHOUT CHAPTER TWO, TWO.IT USED TO BE THAT WHEN CANDIDATES FILED THEIR CAMPAIGN FINANCE REPORTS, THEY WOULD GIVE YOU A STACK OF PAPER AND THEY'D GIVE YOU A THUMB DRIVE, WHICH WAS THE DATA FILE, AND THEY GAVE YOU THE THUMB DRIVE.
SO CITY CLERK'S OFFICE COULD THEN PUT THE REPORTS ONLINE, WHICH IS REQUIRED IN A SEARCHABLE FORMAT, RIGHT? AND SO, UM, A COUPLE YEARS AGO, MAYBE EVEN A LITTLE LONGER, UH, THE CITY CLERK'S OFFICE CONVERTED TO AN ELECTRONIC FILING SYSTEM.
SO NOW THERE IS NO STACK OF PAPERS ACCOMPANIED BY A THUMB DRIVE, AND THEY JUST HAVE THE ELECTRONIC AND THEY'RE ABLE TO UPLOAD IT.
AND SO THE CLEANUP IS JUST REMOVING REFERENCES TO THE DATA FILE AND JUST KIND OF CLEANING UP THAT LANGUAGE.
SO THAT IS, SHOULD NOT BE CONTROVERSIAL, BUT IT'S JUST A CLEANUP.
AND THE VERY LAST THING, UH, IT'S, IT'S REALLY ALSO A CLEANUP AND IT, I SHOULD HAVE MENTIONED THIS BEFORE AND I'M SORRY, UH, BUT IT GOES BACK TO THE VOLUNTARY, UH, CAMPAIGN FINANCE CONTRACT FOR THE, UH, CANDIDATES WHO SIGN THAT CITY CODE SAYS THAT THEY HAVE TO, UM, ATTEND CERTAIN FORUMS THAT YOU ALL ACTUALLY ARE KIND OF IN CHARGE OF SCHEDULING, ET CETERA, ALONG WITH USUALLY THE LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS.
AND THE QUESTION, THE WORD FORUMS IS CONFUSING BECAUSE ONE OF THE THINGS THEY HAVE TO DO IS, IS MAKE A, LIKE A FIVE MINUTE RECORDING, THEN THEY HAVE TO ATTEND DEBATES.
AND, UH, THE OTHER THING IS, UM, LIKE A VIDEO THING THAT'S RECORDED BY A TXN OR MAY NOT HAVE THAT EXACTLY RIGHT.
BUT ANYWAY, AND SO I, THE WORD FORUM WAS JUST CONFUSING AND I PERSONALLY DISLIKED IT,
SO WHAT WE CHANGED THAT TO WAS EVENTS, AND JUST TO GET RID OF THE WORD FORUMS, JUST CHANGE IT TO EVENTS AND IT, AND KIND OF MAKE SURE WE SPELLED OUT CLEARLY.
THESE ARE THE EVENTS, THESE ARE THE, THE, THE INTERVIEW, THE VIDEO RECORDING AND THE DEBATES.
AND IT, THAT IS REALLY ALSO A CLEANUP, NOT A CHANGE IN ANY OF THE REQUIREMENTS, JUST FOR CLARIFICATION'S SAKE, HOPEFULLY.
THANK YOU FOR THAT THOROUGH EXPLANATION.
MS. WEBSTER, I HAVE A QUESTION FOR YOU.
SO, UM, ARE WE EXPECTED TONIGHT TO, TO VOTE OR TAKE SOME KIND OF ACTION ON THESE, OR WHAT, WHAT IS THERE FOR US TO DO? SO THE, UH, CITY CODE PUTS IN YOUR PURVIEW CHANGES TO CAMPAIGN FINANCE REGULATIONS.
AND SO WE BROUGHT THIS TO YOU INITIALLY SO THAT YOU ALL COULD TAKE A LOOK AT IT, UNDERSTAND WHAT THE CHANGES ARE.
IT IS ABSOLUTELY MY FAULT THAT YOU DIDN'T GET THIS EARLIER.
UM, IT JUST, IT JUST, THE DRAFTING OF IT, THERE WERE SOME THORNY ISSUES I WAS TRYING TO WORK OUT.
AND SO IT'S ON ME THAT YOU DIDN'T GET AN ADVANCED COPY.
UM, YOU ARE CERTAINLY WELCOME TO MAKE A DECISION TONIGHT.
AND, AND, UM, IN THE, IN THE VERSION ON MY COMPUTER, AND THAT WAS EMAILED, IT'S GOT, UM, A RED LINE.
SO THE RED LINES OF THE CHANGES EITHER DELETIONS OR ADDITIONS ON YOUR, ON THE HANDOUTS, IT'S HIGHLIGHTED, UM, BECAUSE WE COULDN'T ACCESS A PRINTER THAT, UH, THAT SHOWED THE RED LINE.
UM, SO IT'S THE HIGHLIGHTED PARTS THAT ARE THE CHANGES AND YOU'RE, LIKE I SAID, ABSOLUTELY WELCOME AS, AS YOU SEE FIT TO MAKE A DECISION TONIGHT.
OR YOU'RE ALSO WELCOME TO POSTPONE A DECISION UNTIL JANUARY OR WHEN YOU, LIKE, OUR, OUR GOAL IS TO HOPEFULLY HAVE THIS DONE BEFORE THE CLERK PUTS OUT THEIR CANDIDATE GUIDE IN MAY, BEGINNING OF MAY.
AND SO IF YOU ALL ARE OKAY WITH THIS OR HAVE SOME CHANGES, WHAT HAVE YOU, WHAT WE WOULD LIKE TO DO IS BE ABLE TO GET THAT TO COUNSEL AND APPROVED BY THEM OR CHANGED BY THEM, WHATEVER, BEFORE THE CLERK IS PUTTING OUT THAT GUIDANCE.
SO THAT'S OUR, THAT'S OUR TIMELINE.
UH, CH UH, COMMISSIONER POEY, YOU SAID COUNCIL, WERE YOU REFERRING AS A CITY COUNCIL OR TO YOUR LEGAL COUNSEL? I'M SO SORRY.
NO,
SO BECAUSE THIS IS AN, AN ORDINANCE TO CHANGE CITY CODE, IT DOES HAVE TO BE APPROVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL.
YEAH, I WAS ASSUMING THAT TOO.
THAT'S WHY I WAS WONDERING WHICH COUNCIL.
SORRY, I HAVE ANOTHER QUESTION FOR YOU.
ARE WE REQUIRED TO VOTE ON THIS OR IS THIS MAINLY SO THAT WE CAN TAKE ACTION IF WE SEE CHANGES OR EDITS THAT WE WOULD LIKE TO MAKE TO WHAT YOU HAVE Y'ALL HAVE RECOMMENDED? IT'S THE LATTER.
I MEAN, WE, WE, WE SENT IT TO YOU ALL FIRST JUST BECAUSE THAT'S THE PROPER PROCEDURE, BUT YOU, YOU DON'T REALLY HAVE TO DO ANYTHING WITH IT.
YOU'RE NOT, IT'S NOT AS THOUGH COUNSEL CANNOT ACT WITHOUT YOUR RECOMMENDATION.
BUT WE WANTED TO GO THROUGH, YOU ALL AT LEAST HELP YOU TO SEE AND UNDERSTAND THE CHANGES BECAUSE IT DOES IMPACT OTHER THINGS THAT YOU ALL DO, LIKE THE CANDIDATE FORUMS OR EVENTS.
AND SO WE JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE YOU ALL ARE AWARE AND IN CASE SOMETHING SEEMED OUTLANDISH OR PROBLEMATIC, YOU COULD GIVE US THAT FEEDBACK.
[00:35:01]
IT'S UP TO YOU ALL.I'D LOVE FEEDBACK FROM Y'ALL HOW YOU WOULD WANNA GO FORWARD WITH THIS COMMISSIONER PUMPHREY.
UH, I'M JUST THINKING, UM, SO THAT THERE'D BE NO QUESTIONS AS TO WHAT WE BELIEVED ABOUT IT SINCE IT IS UNDER OUR PURVIEW.
MAYBE THE LEAST WE SHOULD DO IS SOMETHING LIKE STATE PROACTIVELY WE HAVE NO OBJECTIONS.
YOU KNOW, THAT WOULD SORT OF BE THE MINIMUM JUST SO IT WOULDN'T COME UP IN CITY COUNCIL.
WHAT DID THE COMMISSION THINK? AND THEN THERE WOULDN'T BE ANY CONFUSION.
COMMISSIONER LOWE? YEAH, I HAVE A QUESTION FOR COUNCIL NOW.
I REMEMBER A FEW MONTHS BACK AND I, I KNOW MS. WEBBY, YOU WERE NOT HERE, BUT, UM, THERE WAS AN ISSUE WITH, UM, CHANGING SOME LANGUAGE IN, UM, I GUESS IT WAS ONE OF THE REGULATIONS AND WE, THIS, THIS HAD TO DO WITH, UM, THINGS THAT WE THOUGHT MIGHT NEED TO BE DIFFERENT, BUT WE DID NOT HAVE THE AUTHORITY TO TELL THE CLERK WHAT TO DO.
WE JUST COULD MAKE SUGGESTIONS TO HER.
UM, IS THIS THE SAME SITUATION IF, I MEAN, IS ANYONE BOUND BY ANY DECISION IF WE SAY WE HAVE AN OBJECTION, WE HAVE NO OBJECTION.
YOU KNOW, UH, IN THE SENSE THAT THE CITY CLERK, AS YOU SAY, YOU CANNOT REQUIRE THE CITY CLERK TO DO ANYTHING, BUT IF YOU FEEL LIKE THESE ARE GOOD CHANGES OR HAVE NO OBJECTION TO THE CHANGES, UM, CITY COUNCIL THEN HAS THE AUTHORITY TO AMEND CITY CODE.
AND I WILL TELL YOU, I HAVE WORKED VERY CLOSELY WITH THE CLERK'S OFFICE ON THIS ORDINANCE.
SO THERE'S, THERE'S NOTHING IN HERE THAT'LL BE A SURPRISE TO 'EM.
IN FACT, THE DATA FILE CHANGE IS AT THEIR SPECIFIC REQUEST.
THE, UH, ALL THE OTHER CHANGES WE MEET WEEKLY IN FACT TO DISCUSS THIS ORDINANCE AND OTHER THINGS.
SO THIS IS DONE IN, UH, CONCERT WITH THEM.
AND, UH, SO YEAH, IT'S NOT, IT'S NOT THAT YOU ALL ARE DIRECTLY ORDERING THE CLERK TO DO ANYTHING, IT'S JUST YOU ALL ARE SAYING, WE, WE FEEL LIKE THESE CHANGES WOULD BE OKAY OR NOT, AND THEN COUNSEL WOULD MAKE THEIR DECISION.
YEAH, I, YOU KNOW, THE, THE INCIDENT I'M TALKING ABOUT BEFORE, THE CLERK DID COME BACK WITH ANOTHER DRAFT, BUT WE WERE TOLD WE DIDN'T HAVE THE AUTHORITY TO MAKE HER DO THAT.
YOU, YOU KNOW WHAT I'M ASKING? SO, UH, YEAH, I WOULD SAY, I WOULD SAY YOU DON'T HAVE THE AUTHORITY TO MAKE HER CHANGE IT, BUT YOU COULD CERTAINLY BE ON RECORD AS SAYING WE DON'T LIKE IT.
I WOULD SAY THAT AND THAT INFORMATION WOULD GO TO COUNSEL AS PART OF THE INPUT THEY HAVE IN MAKING THEIR DECISION.
COMMISSIONER STANTON ADAMS. YES, I APPRECIATE THE DETAIL AND I APPRECIATE THE OPPORTUNITY TO PROVIDE FEEDBACK.
UH, SO FOR ME, UH, I WOULD LIKE TO TAKE, UM, TAKE YOU UP ON THAT OFFER TO PROVIDE FEEDBACK, AND AT THE SAME TIME, I DO NOT HAVE AN EXPECTATION THAT YOU HAVE TO AGREE WITH, UH, MY FEEDBACK.
AND I CERTAINLY DON'T HAVE AN EXPECTATION THAT IT HAS TO BE CHANGED ACCORDING.
BUT I AM, YOU KNOW, IF I'M GIVEN THE OPPORTUNITY TO PROVIDE FEEDBACK, UH, I WOULD LIKE TO TAKE THAT.
AND, UM, ALSO I WOULD, I WOULD LIKE TO TAKE THAT TIME THIS EVENING BECAUSE I THINK THAT IF WE WAIT AND DELAY, WHO KNOWS WHAT KIND OF CASELOAD WE WILL HAVE AT THE NEXT MEETING.
AND I DON'T WANT TO DRAG OUT THAT MEETING LONG, IT SEEMS TONIGHT WE HAVE THE TIME.
UM, SO I WOULD LIKE TO GO THROUGH, UM, I'M JUST PROPOSING NOT OFFICIALLY THROUGH A MOTION, BUT, UH, I'M PROPOSING RECOMMENDING PERHAPS THAT WE GO, UM, LINE ITEM BY LINE ITEM AND WHOEVER HAS FEEDBACK PROVIDE IT.
AGAIN, I WOULD BE GIVING MY FEEDBACK AS JUST FRIENDLY SUGGESTIONS, UM, AT THAT.
AND THEN THAT WAY I WOULD FEEL MUCH MORE COMFORTABLE.
AND I AGREE WITH COMMISSIONER HUMPHREY'S, UH, RECOMMENDATION THAT AT THE VERY MINIMUM THAT WE PROVIDE SOME KIND OF A UNIFIED, UM, CONSENSUS OR, OR VOICE ON WHERE WE, WHERE THE COMMISSION STANDS ON THIS.
UM, BUT I WOULD FEEL MORE COMFORTABLE PUTTING MY NAME, ADDING MY NAME TO THAT LIST ONCE I'VE ACTUALLY HAD A CHANCE TO GO THROUGH THESE, THESE CHANGES.
[00:40:01]
UM, HOW ARE Y'ALL FEELING ABOUT GOING THROUGH ITEM BY ITEM THIS EVENING? I'M SEEING A NOD OVER THERE, YOU GUYS.COMMISSIONER WILLIAMS. I WOULD SUPPORT DELEGATING THAT OBLIGATION TO A COMMITTEE, TO A SUBCOMMITTEE TO REPORT BACK TO US AND, UM, SUMMARIZE WHAT THE CHANGES WOULD BE OR THEIR SUGGESTIONS INSTEAD OF GOING LINE BY LINE TONIGHT.
WELL, I GUESS MY CONCERN IS I DON'T REALLY KNOW HOW LONG THAT'S GONNA TAKE OR WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE.
OR IF WE'RE GONNA BE ABLE TO REALLY TRULY ACCOMMODATE THAT IN ONE NIGHT.
IT SOUNDS LIKE THIS IS WORK THAT A DIFFERENT COMMITTEE HAS BEEN WORKING ON FOR QUITE SOME TIME AND SO I I THINK IT MAY REQUIRE A LITTLE BIT MORE EFFORT THAN US, YOU KNOW, DOING A PERIPHERAL GLANCE OVER IT IN THE NEXT HOUR OR TWO AND TRYING TO GET IT DONE.
LET ME ASK YOU SOMETHING, UM, MS. WEBSTER, IS THAT, SO WE'RE GETTING, I'M WONDERING IF WE NEED TO TAKE A VOTE ON WHETHER OR NOT WE GO THROUGH ALL OF IT TONIGHT OR WHETHER OR NOT WE DELEGATE IT TO ONE OF THE EXISTING WORKING GROUPS OR A NEW WORKING GROUP? UH, HOLD ON, LET ME LOOK AT YOUR AGENDA.
MY GLASSES JUST BROKE, SO I'M GONNA HAVE TO HOLD THEM TO MY FACE.
IT HAVE TO BE A NEW WORK RECRUITMENT.
WELL, I GUESS WE COULD, YEAH, THAT EXISTS.
SO WHAT I WAS WONDERING IS IF YOUR AGENDA HAD LIKE A STANDING ITEM TO REVIEW WORKING GROUP ASSIGNMENTS OR, OR CREATE WORKING GROUPS, AND I'M NOT SEEING THAT SO I DON'T HOLD ON.
DISCUSSION AND POSSIBLE ACTION REGARDING REVISIONS CHAPTER TWO TWO, CITY CODE TWO TWO.
UM, WELL, CREATING A WORKING GROUP IS A POSSIBLE ACTION.
SO I THINK ACTUALLY THAT WOULD COME UNDER THE AGENDA.
SO IF YOU, IF YOU CHOSE TO DO THAT, TO ASSIGN IT TO, IF IT'S APPROPRIATE UNDER WITH THE EXISTING WORKING GROUPS OR TO CREATE A NEW ONE, I DO THINK THAT WOULD BE ACCEPTABLE UNDER THE, THE POSTING LANGUAGE ON THE AGENDA.
AND, UM, WAS THAT, UM, BEIT US JUST REMINDED ME THAT THE CLERK HAS, UM, RECOMMENDED THAT WE NOT HAVE STANDING GROUPS ON OUR AGENDA.
I THINK IT WAS MAYBE A, UM, AN ISSUE WITH MAINTAINING THOSE WORKING GROUPS, UM, WITH THE CHANGE IN MEMBERSHIP OF THE COMMISSION AS WELL AS SORT OF A WALKING, MAYBE A QUORUM ISSUE.
I, I DON'T RECALL EXACTLY, BUT THANK YOU FOR REMINDING ME OF THAT.
SO, UM, I GUESS WHAT I'M WONDERING IS WHETHER WE SHOULD, UM, I'M, I TEND TO BACK UP COMMISSIONER WILLIAMS BECAUSE, UM, WHAT I'VE, WHAT I'VE LEARNED IS THAT SOMETIMES SOME OF THESE VERY MINOR CHANGES REQUIRE A REALLY LENGTHY DISCUSSION,
OH, OH, I KNOW, I KNEW IT WAS IN THERE.
SO NO, WE DON'T, YEAH, THERE IS NOT.
SO WE'D NEED TO FORM A NEW WORKING GROUP.
THANK YOU COMMISSIONER STANTON ADAMS. AND SO I THINK WE'RE REQUIRED TO TAKE A VOTE WHEN WE FORM A WORKING GROUP.
AND, UM, FIRST I WANNA SEE IF THERE'S A MOTION ONE WAY OR THE OTHER FROM EITHER COMMISSIONER WILLIAMS OR COMMISSIONER STANTON ADAMS. IF YOU WANTED TO DO IT A CERTAIN WAY, WE DO NEED TO HAVE, UM, SIX OUT OF SEVEN OF US VOTE ONE WAY OR THE OTHER.
WELL, THERE'S ONLY SEVEN, SO WE'VE GOTTA HAVE SIX
SO, UH, DO WE HAVE A MOTION ONE WAY OR THE OTHER ON THAT? I'LL MAKE A MOTION.
I MOVE THAT WE USE THE TIME DURING THE FULL COMMISSION MEETING SO THAT WE HAVE, UM, THE BENEFIT OF, OF GETTING FEEDBACK FROM MORE COMMISSIONERS RATHER
[00:45:01]
THAN JUST A SELECT FEW.SO I, I, I MOVE THAT WE DISCUSS THESE, UM, PROPOSED CHANGES DURING THE MEETING AND IF, AND IF WE DON'T COMPLETE IT BY NINE, WHICH IS KIND OF LIKE THE STANDARD TIME, RIGHT? WE'RE ALLOWED, WE'RE ALLOWED TO GO UNTIL 10 AND THEN WE HAVE TO, UH, TAKE A VOTE FOR AN EXTENSION, BUT NINE, GIVE OR TAKE.
UM, SO I, I MOVE THAT WE DISCUSS IT NOW, GET AS FAR AS WE CAN AND, UM, CONTINUE AT A LATER MEETING IF NECESSARY.
I'M WONDERING IF THERE'S A SECOND ON THAT MOTION GREEDILY ON MY END.
UM, AND I'LL JUST SAY, I'LL JUST SAY THIS.
UH, SO EVERYBODY KNOWS I PUT AN OFFER ON A HOUSE IN SAN ANTONIO TONIGHT, AND, UM, SO I MIGHT NOT BE BACK.
UM, UNLESS I SOMEHOW GET A WAIVER OR SOMETHING FOR NOT LIVING IN CITY LIMITS.
UM, BUT I PROBABLY WON'T BE BACK.
UM, BUT YEAH, I'D LIKE TO TALK ABOUT IT TONIGHT IF YOU CAN.
SO IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION ON THE MOTION, COMMISSIONER ESPINOZA, IF WE TALK ABOUT IT TONIGHT, WE CAN STILL POTENTIALLY FORM A WORK GROUP UNDER YOUR PROPOSAL? YES.
I I THINK IT'S A GOOD IDEA SIMPLY BECAUSE AT LEAST TO START, BECAUSE AS YOU MENTIONED, YOU NEVER KNOW HOW LONG IT'S GONNA TAKE.
AND AS SOMEONE MENTIONED, WE DON'T KNOW WHAT'S GONNA BE ON THE AGENDA OF THE NEXT MEETING.
SO AS LONG AS WE'RE HERE, WE CAN GET STARTED ON IT.
I, I'D ALSO LIKE TO HAVE THE DISCUSSION WHILE WE HAVE THE BENEFIT OF MS. WEBSTER'S EXPERTISE HERE AS WELL, FURTHER DISCUSSION.
UH, VICE CHAIR KALE, I'LL SAY, AYE.
Y'ALL MADE SOME GOOD ARGUMENTS.
UH, COMMISSIONER ESPINOZA? YES.
COMMISSIONER STANTON ADAMS? YES.
COMMISSIONER WILLIAMS. I'LL SUPPORT THE MOTION.
WELL THAT ONE, UH, PASSED 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, IT PASSED.
SO THANK YOU EVERYBODY FOR YOUR INPUT.
AND WE WILL JUST START GOING THROUGH THESE.
UM, LET'S SHOOT FOR GETTING OUT OF HERE BEFORE NINE IF POSSIBLE.
SORRY, I JUST WANTED TO POINT OUT, SO THE ORDINANCE HAS THE CHANGES, IT DOESN'T NECESSARILY INCLUDE THE ENTIRE SECTION EACH TIME I'M CHANGING A SECTION, BUT IN UNDER TAB, UM, FIVE IN YOUR NOTEBOOK, IT HAS THE ENTIRETY OF CHAPTER TWO TWO.
SO I JUST WANTED TO POINT THAT OUT SO THAT YOU CAN KIND OF REFERENCE THAT AS WE GO ALONG.
SO CAN I ASK A GENERAL QUESTION TO KICK IT OFF? SURE.
UM, IN CITY LEGAL, UM, SLASH YOUR PERSONAL OPINION, DO YOU THINK THIS IS GONNA STAVE OFF FUTURE LAWSUITS? UM, JUST BECAUSE I MEAN, IT'S BEEN HIT TWICE.
UM, NOW IT'S FURTHER NARROWING IT DOWN JUST TO THE, THE VOLUNTARY CAMPAIGN CONTRACT PEOPLE.
BUT ARE YOU AT ALL WORRIED THAT SOMEBODY THAT IS LOOPED INTO THE VOLUNTARY CAMPAIGN CONTRACT IS ALSO JUST GOING TO SEE THAT THERE WERE OTHER LAWSUITS ON THIS AND FILE ONE TO POP THIS TOO? WHY NOT JUST GET RID OF THE WHOLE THING? UH, SO MY ANSWER TO THAT IS I CAN'T GUARANTEE WE WON'T BE SUED.
I THINK WE ARE MORE LIKELY TO WIN BECAUSE IT IS VOLUNTARY.
SO IF THEY CHOOSE TO ENTER THE PROGRAM, THEN THEY'RE, THEY'RE NO, THEY KNOW AHEAD OF TIME WHAT THEY'RE AGREEING TO.
I CAN'T, YOU KNOW, I CAN'T TELL YOU WHAT A COURT WOULD SAY.
I WOULD, I WOULD THINK THAT'S WHAT THE CITY'S ARGUMENT WOULD BE.
UH, WE ARE RESPONDING TO THE SUITS THAT HAVE BEEN FILED.
SO WHEN, LIKE WHEN IN THE ZIMMERMAN SUIT AND THE VERDIN SUIT, UM, THE COURT AGREED WITH SOME THINGS AND NOT EVERYTHING.
AND SO WE ARE KIND OF MAKING THE CHANGES BASED ON WHAT THE COURT DECIDED.
[00:50:01]
I, I DO THINK, I MEAN, THAT IS MY ENTIRE EFFORT IS TO CLARIFY THIS PROCEDURE, MAKE SURE CANDIDATES HAVE PROPER GUIDANCE AND CLARITY AND WE WON'T GET SUED OVER IT.UM, YOU KNOW, AS AN ATTORNEY WHO ADVISES THE CITY, UM, MY CLIENT IS THE CITY.
NOT THE CITY COUNCIL, NOT THE CLERK, YOU KNOW? SO MY GOAL IS TO MAKE THE CITY IN COMPLIANCE WITH STATE LAW AND THE COURT ORDERS AND TO REDUCE RISK FOR THE CITY.
AND, AND I HOPE THAT'S WHAT I'VE DONE.
YOU KNOW, OBVIOUSLY I CAN'T GUARANTEE IT.
UM, AND THEN I'M SORRY, YOU HAD, YOU HAD ANOTHER PART OF YOUR QUESTION I THINK.
OH, JUST IN, IN, IN ALL OF THAT, WHY NOT JUST NOT HAVE ONE? THE WELL, THE REASON IS BECAUSE THIS WAS A CI CITIZEN INITIATED PART OF THE, UM, CITY CODE.
I THINK COUNCIL, I CAN'T SPEAK FOR COUNCIL, BUT I WOULD THINK THAT COUNCIL WOULD BE VERY HESITANT AS THEY HAVE BEEN IN THE PAST OF GETTING RID OF THINGS THAT THE CITY AS A WHOLE HAS VOTED IN FAVOR OF.
AND IN THIS CASE, I THINK OVERWHELMINGLY SURE.
SORRY, NOT, NOT THE VOLUNTARY CAMPAIGN CONTRACT.
OH, BUT THE, THE, THE CAMPAIGN PERIOD OVERALL, JUST LIKE WHY NOT JUST GET RID OF IT ALTOGETHER INSTEAD OF NARROWING IT DOWN JUST TO THE CAMPAIGN CONTRACT PEOPLE? THE REASON FOR THAT IS BECAUSE IT ESSENTIALLY NULLIFIES THE CAMPAIGN, THE VOLUNTARY CAMPAIGN CONTRACT.
IF THERE ARE NO, I MEAN THAT'S THE WHOLE THING.
THERE ARE LIMITATIONS ON HOW MUCH THEY CAN, UM, HOW MUCH THEY CAN RAISE, HOW MUCH THEY CAN SPEND, HOW MUCH THEY CAN SELF-FUND AND THE OTHER THINGS, THE ONLY OTHER THINGS ARE THE PARTICIP PARTICIPATION IN THE DEBATES AND THE, AND THE INTERVIEW AND THE VIDEO RECORDING, WHICH ARE IMPORTANT OBVIOUSLY, BUT THE REAL MEAT IN THAT SANDWICH ARE THE CONTRIBUTION AND EXPENDITURE LIMITS.
BUT WHEN, OKAY, SO, BUT IN, IN, IN, IN NONE OF THAT, DID YOU SAY THAT THE TIME PERIOD TO RAISE THAT MONEY WAS CORE TO THE CAMPAIGN CONTRACT? WELL, IT, AND SO IF, IF THEY HAVE LIMITATIONS ON HOW MUCH THEY CAN RAISE TO BEGIN WITH, WOULDN'T THEY NEED MORE TIME? SO RIGHT.
UNDER CURRENT LAW, WELL, PRIOR TO THE COURT'S DECISION, THE CAMPAIGN PERIOD WAS 365 DAYS.
SO NOW THERE IS NO CAMPAIGN PERIOD, BUT YOU CAN START RAISING 30 YEARS AGO.
30 YEARS BEFORE YOU WANNA RUN FOR OFFICE RIGHT NOW.
AND THERE ARE LIMITS CERTAINLY, BUT THE IDEA ABOUT THE VOLUNTARY CAMPING, THE CONTRACT IS THAT YOU AGREE THE, THE POINT OF IT IS TO HAVE AN EVEN PLAYING FIELD.
AND, UM, THIS IS THE ONLY WAY WE CAN SEE TO STILL ACHIEVE THAT, AT LEAST ATTEMPT TO ACHIEVE AN EVEN PLAYING FIELD.
UM, SO THAT FOLKS WHO GET INTO THE RUNOFF HAVE, IF THEY SIGN THIS, THEY HAVE AN EQUAL CHANCE OF GETTING FUNDS MM-HMM.
BUT AGAIN, I'M, I'M NOT TALKING ABOUT THE ACTUAL DOLLAR AMOUNTS.
I'M SORRY, I'M JUST TALKING TIME PERIOD.
I MEAN, IT MAY NOT, IT MEANS THAT THEY, IT MAY NOT MAKE A DIFFERENCE.
IT MAY NOT MAKE A DIFFERENCE JUST BECAUSE THEY'RE, THEY'RE LIMITED TO HOW MUCH THEY CAN RAISE AND SPEND ANYWAY, SO THEY DON'T MAKE THE RAISE AND SPEND VERY MUCH.
AND THE COURT DIDN'T CHANGE THOSE LIMITATIONS, THOSE, THOSE NUMBERS.
SO, AND I THINK IT'S AN IMPORTANT DISTINCTION IS THAT THE CAMPAIGN CONTRACT IS VOLUNTARY, WHICH MEANS THEY'D BE VOLUNTARILY AGREEING TO A 365 DAY LIMIT.
UH, WELL IN THIS CASE IT'S A LOT AS WE'VE CHANGED IT, RIGHT.
WHICH WE ALL CAN MAKE A DIFFERENT SUGGESTION.
WE'VE CHANGED IT TO, IT'S NOT 365 DAYS.
IT'S, UM, UNLESS I'M FORGETTING WHAT I WROTE
AND SO THEIR CONTRACT IS DUE AT VARIOUS DIFFERENT TIMES.
AND SO THAT'S WHEN THE LIMIT STARTS.
SO I, I HAVE A QUESTION ON THAT, BUT I DON'T WANNA GO FOR IT.
ARE YOU OKAY? CAN YOU RAISE MONEY WITHOUT A TREASURER? NO.
SO I, AND I, I MEAN THAT WAS SOMETHING THAT'S JUMPED OUT TO ME WAS THAT I, YOU CAN RAISE A LITTLE WHAT'S THAT? YOU CAN RAISE A LITTLE, AT LEAST IN THEIR STATE LAW, CAN'T YOU, LIKE UNDER 50 BUCKS OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT? 500? I THINK IT'S, WELL IT'S, IT'S ONE OF THOSE THRESHOLDS THEY KEEP CHANGING.
UM, AND SO YEAH, IT'S LIKE 800 SOMETHING DOLLARS NOW OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
[00:55:01]
BUT YOU, YOU, AND THEN YOU ALSO, YOU CAN CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG, BUT I THINK THAT YOU ALSO HAVE TO SUBMIT SOME KIND OF STATEMENT SAYING THAT YOU WILL NOT RAISE OVER A CERTAIN AMOUNT.
I THINK I MIGHT BE WRONG ABOUT THAT, BUT THERE'S SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
WELL, AND THE REASON I ASK IS BECAUSE I KNOW PART OF THIS IS CREATING SOME SORT OF DEFINITIVE PROVABLE POINT WHEN SOMEBODY BECOMES A CANDIDATE.
AND I DON'T KNOW THAT, I MEAN, I HAVEN'T DEALT WITH, WITH CAMPAIGNS THAT HAVE NOT FILED A TREASURER BEFORE RAISING MONEY, BUT IF SOMEBODY CAN, I GUESS MAYBE IT WOULD COME IN THE FORM OF PETTY CASH OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
I I DON'T, IT SEEMS TO ME LIKE THAT WOULD BE A, A TIGHT THRESHOLD, UH, TO, TO, TO PROVE.
AND THEN I'M GONNA SORT OF BRING US BACK TO WHAT WE DECIDED WE WANTED TO DO, WHICH WAS JUST TO GO THROUGH POINT BY POINT.
YEAH, I WANTED TO GO BACK TO WHAT COMMISSIONER KATE SAID FROM AT THE VERY BEGINNING, WHY NOT GET RID OF THE PERIOD? BECAUSE WE ALREADY HAVE THE CAMPAIGN CONTRIBUTION LIMITS AND, YOU KNOW, OTHER KINDS OF LIMITS THAT HAVE BEEN UPHELD BY THE COURTS.
SO, UM, I, I MEAN I KNOW THAT YOU SAID CITY COUNCIL DOES NOT WANT TO DO ANYTHING ANTITHETICAL OR CONTRARY TO WHAT THE PEOPLE DECIDED WHEN THEY VOTED, BUT I, I, I MEAN, IS IT YOUR SENSE THAT IF THERE'S SOME CHANGE OR ABOLITION OF THAT TIME PERIOD, THAT THAT IS SOMEHOW CONTRARY TO WHAT THE PEOPLE WANTED WHEN THEY LAST VOTED? THE ONLY REASON I WOULD SAY YES, I THINK IT MIGHT BE CONTRARY IS BECAUSE THE LIMITS FOR FOLKS WHO SIGN THE CONTRACT ARE LOWER THAN THE OTHER LIMITS.
AND IF THERE'S NO, FOR ME, THE DIFFICULTY IS ALSO THAT CANDIDATES THEN ARE GIVEN NO NOTICE.
SO IF THEY'VE BEEN RAISING MONEY FOR TWO YEARS AND THEY'VE ALREADY BLOWN THROUGH WHAT THE CONTRIBUTION LIMITS THAT ARE ALLOWED UNDER THE CONTRACT, UM, THEY CAN STILL CHOOSE TO, THE WAY I'VE WRITTEN IT, THEY CAN STILL CHOOSE TO DO THE CONTRACT AND THEN LOWER WHAT THEY SPEND GOING FORWARD, AS OPPOSED TO IF THERE IS NO LIMITATION, THEN THEY'RE NOT HELD TO THOSE LIMITS.
AND AGAIN, IT'S, THERE'S NO EVEN PLAYING FIELD A BUT, OKAY.
SO WHAT I'M HEARING IS YOU ALL HAVE A SUGGESTION,
I I WANNA GIVE, UM, EXCUSE ME, I'M SORRY.
COMMISSIONER WILLIAMS RAISED HIS HAND.
AND, AND I WANNA MAKE SURE EVERYBODY GETS AN OPPORTUNITY.
UH, YEAH, MY QUESTION IS, DO WE ACTUALLY HAVE THE ABILITY TO ABOLISH OR RECOMMEND THAT THEY ABOLISHED THIS POLICY OR IS WHAT'S BEFORE US THE MODIFICATIONS, WHICH ALL KIND OF SEEM VERY PER, YOU KNOW, CURSORY TO, UM, THIS POLICY.
LIKE WHAT I HEAR IS A LOT OF CONVERSATION ABOUT WHETHER OR NOT THIS PROGRAM SHOULD EXIST OR NOT.
AND I THINK WHAT'S BEFORE US IS SIMPLY THESE NEW MODIFICATIONS OR, YOU KNOW, SMALL CORRECTIONS TO A PROGRAM THAT IS ALREADY IN PLACE.
AND SO IF, IF WE CAN ONLY, UH, RECOMMEND THAT THEY ADOPT OR REJECT THESE MODIFICATIONS, I'D LIKE TO STICK TO ADDRESSING THE MODIFICATIONS IN DECIDING WHETHER WE AS A BOARD WANT TO ADVOCATE IN FAVOR OR NOT IN FAVOR OF THOSE MODIFICATIONS.
IF WE HAVE THE ABILITY TO SEND A MESSAGE THAT WE DON'T LIKE THE POLICY AT ALL, THEN I THINK THAT THE CURRENT CONVERSATION IS RELEVANT AND I JUST NEED CLARITY ON THAT.
UH, I'M GONNA CALL ON COMMISSIONER STANTON ADAMS AND THEN COMMISSIONER LOWE.
I WAS SORRY TO CUT YOU OFF, BUT I SAW, YEAH.
OKAY, SO IF YOU COULD GO AND THEN COMMISSIONER LOWE AND WE'LL GET BACK ON TRACK
AND PERHAPS UNLESS, UNLESS, UM, UNLESS WE'RE TOLD THAT NO, THAT IS NOT AN APPROPRIATE RECOMMENDATION, LIKE WE CAN'T EVEN RECOMMEND THAT IT BE ABOLISHED.
I DON'T SEE A PROBLEM WITH THAT BEING A RECOMMENDATION AND YOU KNOW, IT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE MUTUALLY EXCLUSIVE.
WE WOULD RECOMMEND THAT IT BE ABOLISHED, BUT IF, IF NOT, THEN HERE IS WHERE WE STAND ON THE REVISION SO THAT WE COULD KIND, UM, COVER ALL BASES AND THEN ALSO JUST
[01:00:01]
PROCEDURE WISE, UM, VICE CHAIR, I WAS WONDERING, WE, WE HAVE ONE MORE AGENDA ITEM AND I'M WONDERING IF IT WOULD BE MORE EFFICIENT IF WE CAN GET THAT OUT OF THE WAY AND THEN THAT WAY WE SPEND THE REST OF THE TIME ON THIS AND THEN WE CAN VOTE IF WE WANT TO CONTINUE PAST NINE OR DEFER, UH, TABLE ANY REMAINING DISCUSSION FOR THE NEXT MEETING.BUT I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE GET TO THAT OTHER AGENDA ITEM, WHICH IS APPROVING THE MINUTES.
THANK YOU COMMISSIONER LOWE, I'M GONNA LET YOU GO.
YEAH, I AGREE WITH, UM, MADAME SECRETARY.
WE CAN CERTAINLY DO IT THAT WAY.
UH, MY, UM, DESIRE TO TAKE UP THIS ISSUE AS TO THE OVERALL POLICY IS BECAUSE WE ARE STARTING FROM SCRATCH AND, YOU KNOW, WE'RE TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHAT IS THE APPROPRIATE, UM, WHAT IS THE APPROPRIATE WAY FORWARD AFTER THE LITIGATION HAS STRUCK DOWN SOME OF THE, SOME OF THE ORDINANCE.
SO, UM, I I DO THINK IT IS A POLICY THAT WE SHOULD ADDRESS EVEN IF WE'RE NOT GONNA REDRAFT IT.
UM, AND I THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, WE SHOULD MAKE THAT KNOWN TO COUNCIL AS WELL.
UM, AND YOU KNOW, I MEAN, WE'RE GUESSING ABOUT WHAT'S, WHAT WE'RE GONNA GET SUED FOR, RIGHT? SO, UM, I I THINK COMMISSIONER KATES DID SUGGEST THAT IF WE GOT RID OF IT, YOU KNOW, THAT WOULD MAKE US, UH, CERTAINLY MORE IN LINE WITH WHAT THE COURT ORDERED AS OPPOSED TO TRYING TO FIGURE OUT HOW MUCH MORE REGULATION IS OKAY THAT A COURT WON'T STRIKE DOWN.
UH, COMMISSIONER KATES AND THEN I THINK I LIKE, UM, SECRETARY STANTON ADAM'S IDEA TO JUST GO THROUGH THE MINUTES, BUT COMMISSIONER KATE, GO AHEAD.
YEAH, AND I, I JUST WANNA BE CLEAR THAT I'M NOT, I'M NOT TRYING TO ADVOCATE THAT WE GET RID OF THE VOLUNTARY CAMPAIGN CONTRACT ALTOGETHER.
UM, I DON'T KNOW A TON OF CANDIDATES THAT USE IT, BUT, UM, I, I TOTALLY AGREE THAT THE PEOPLE VOTED THAT IN.
UM, AND, AND IT'S SACROSANCT AND, AND ALL THAT MINE WAS JUST SPECIFICALLY RELATED TO THE PERIOD, BUT YOUR COMMENT ACTUALLY MADE A LOT OF SENSE TO ME, UM, ABOUT THE TIME PERIOD OF YOU COULD BE RAISING FOR FOREVER AND THEN GET INTO THE CONTRACT AND THEN HAVE A HUGE LEG UP ON EVERYBODY ELSE BECAUSE YOU DON'T HAVE TO DIVEST YOURSELF OF ALL THAT MONEY PRIOR TO GETTING INTO THE CONTRACT.
SO THAT MAKES MUCH MORE SENSE TO ME.
[APPROVAL OF MINUTES]
JUST DO THE MINUTES REAL QUICK.I THINK THAT'S A GOOD IDEA IF THAT, SO WE DON'T DELAY.
UM, HAVE Y'ALL HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO GO OVER THE MINUTES AND THANK YOU, UH, SECRETARY STANTON ADAMS FOR YOU.
DO WE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT THEM? THEY'RE FROM THE, IS IT REALLY FROM SEPTEMBER 27TH,
UH, ANY QUESTIONS OR EDITS TO THE MINUTES? DO WE HAVE A MOTION TO APPROVE? UH, I MAYBE DIDN'T GIVE YOU ALL ENOUGH TIME.
I, I'D RECOMMEND THAT Y'ALL REVIEW BECAUSE I WAS NOT ACTUALLY AT THE MEETING, SO I WOULD BE ABSTAINING SO IT WOULD NOT BE APPROPRIATE FOR ME.
UM, IF WE'RE REQUIRED TO MAKE A MOTION TO APPROVE AND WE HAVE TWO ABSTAINING, WE CAN'T APPROVE BECAUSE THAT WOULD ONLY BE FIVE OF US.
SO WHILE IT MAKES SENSE FOR Y'ALL TO ABSTAIN, IT MEANS WE CAN'T TAKE ACTION ON IT UNTIL NEXT MONTH.
WILL WE RETRACT MY, SO THAT WE MOVE FORWARD? I DON'T, I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE RULE AND REG IS ON THAT, WHETHER OR NOT YOU'RE, YOU SHOULD ABSTAIN OR WHAT THE LAW IS ON THAT.
UM, I THINK WE CAN LEAVE IT TO THE NEXT MEETING.
SO THEN WE WOULD JUST BE, UH, APPROVING TWO MONTHS MEETINGS AT THE SAME TIME.
AND IF WE LOOK AT THE NUMBER OF COMMISSIONERS IN ATTENDANCE, MOST OF THOSE PERSONS ARE NOT HERE TODAY.
SO I THINK IT WOULD BE MUCH BETTER IDEA TO HOLD IT OFF UNTIL THE ONES WHO WERE PRESENT AT THE LAST MEETING COULD VOTE ON THESE MINUTES.
DO WE NEED TO VOTE ON WHETHER OR NOT WE ABSTAIN? I MEAN, WHETHER OR NOT WE DELAY? EXCUSE ME.
UH, I, I THINK YOU SHOULD VOTE ON IF YOU WANNA POSTPONE IT.
YOU SHOULD VOTE ON POSTPONING IT.
UM, SO YOU HAD MADE A MOTION, RIGHT? DID YOU MAKE A MOTION TO APPROVE? NO.
SO WE NEED A MOTION WHETHER OR NOT WE WANT TO POSTPONE.
[01:05:01]
YES.ANY DISCUSSION ON THAT? ALL IN FAVOR? I'LL JUST TAKE, UM, OKAY.
SO THAT'S UNANIMOUS OF WHO'S HERE.
SO WE VOTED TO POSTPONE APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES.
[2. Discussion and possible action regarding revisions to City Code 2-2 (Campaign Finance).(Part 2 of 2)]
LET'S GET BACK TO THE HIGHLIGHTED TEXT.UM, LET'S GO AHEAD AND START GOING THROUGH THIS.
I'M, I, UM, AND THEN I THINK MAYBE AFTER WE GO THROUGH IT, WE'LL BE ABLE TO MAYBE DECIDE IF WE WANNA LOOK AT THE PROGRAM IN GENERAL.
ALTHOUGH I'M HIGHLY UNCOMFORTABLE WITH MAKING SOME EVALUATION ABOUT SOMETHING THAT THE VOTERS APPROVE THAT REALLY, REALLY WOULD TROUBLE ME.
UM, BUT I ALSO, I'M NOT HERE TO SHUT DOWN DISCUSSION.
SO LET'S JUST START WITH THE FIRST HIGHLIGHTED ITEM PART ONE WHERE IT SAYS 24.
AND I'LL LET Y'ALL READ THROUGH IT IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS WITH IT.
OR IS IT EASIER IF WE JUST DO WE WANNA GO THROUGH 'EM ONE BY ONE OR LET Y'ALL READ THROUGH EVERYTHING AND THEN JUST PUT A LITTLE, UM, QUESTION MARK OR ANYTHING YOU HAVE QUESTIONS ON? WHICH, WHICH DO YOU THINK IS MORE EFFICIENT? IT, IT SEEMS, IT SEEMS, I'M SORRY, GO AHEAD.
UH, IT, IT, MS. WEBSTER HAD READ THROUGH A MUCH OF IT.
I WANNA SAY BEFORE, UH, WE GOT TO THIS POINT, IT SEEMS LIKE SHE HAD READ THROUGH FIRST MAYBE THE HIGHLIGHTS OF THE FIRST FOUR PAGES.
IF, IF I'M NOT MISTAKEN, WELL, IN THE SENSE THAT I, UH, REFERRED TO THE REASONS BEHIND ALL OF THOSE CHANGES.
AND, AND THEY'RE NOT, IT'S NOT LIKE ALL THE FIRST PARTS ARE THE BURDEN CHANGES AND ALL THE NEXT PARTS ARE THE DATA FILE CHANGES.
'CAUSE I, I PUT THE SECTIONS IN ORDER IN, UH, WHICH IS COMPLIANT WITH OUR DRAFTING REQUIREMENTS.
UH, SECRETARY STANTON ADAMS, UH, YES.
I'D RECOMMEND THAT, UH, WE'D BE GIVEN TIME TO REVIEW IT FIRST REAL QUICK AND NOTE FOR OURSELVES WHERE, WHICH, UM, HIGHLIGHT HIGHLIGHTED SECTIONS WE WOULD HAVE INPUT OR QUESTIONS ABOUT.
AND THEN, UM, COME BACK TOGETHER.
START THAT CLOCK OF, HEY, NOW LET'S REVIEW AN END AND THEN GO THROUGH LINE BY LINE.
ANYBODY HAVE ANY FEEDBACK? AND IT MAY BE THAT, YOU KNOW, MAYBE WE ALL HAVE FEEDBACK ON ONE AND THEN ON SOME OF THEM WE DON'T HAVE ANY FEEDBACK.
SO GIVE EVERYBODY A, A CHANCE TO STUDY IT.
HOW IS 10 MINUTES ON THAT? IS THAT ENOUGH? NOT ENOUGH? IS THAT ENOUGH? IT'S FINE WITH ME.
I'M GONNA SET MY TIMER HERE FOR 10 MINUTES AND, UM, SO EVERYBODY READ THROUGH IT.
IF WE NEED A LITTLE MORE THAN THAT, WE CAN ALWAYS CHANGE THAT, BUT THAT'S WHAT WE'LL SHOOT FOR RECESS IF YOU WANT.
OH, WE'LL RECESS FOR 10 MINUTES.
YEAH, THERE'S A WATER FOUNTAIN RIGHT BY THE RESTROOMS. WE'LL START AS SOON AS, UM, EVERYBODY'S BACK IN HERE.
AND I WOULD ALSO SAY IF THERE'S THINGS THAT Y'ALL WANNA DISCUSS, WE DO IT IN THE OPEN FORUM OF THE MEETING TOO.
[01:10:11]
IT'SUM, COOL, BECAUSE IT'S NOT CAN YOU YEAH, YEAH.
SO IT'S RULE 18 THROUGH ONE AS OF JANUARY COMING YEAR.
SO THIS IS MY BOOK AND I, I JUST UPDATE IT AHEAD OF TIME AND KICK IT OUT.
LIKE I JUST SAY, ALRIGHT, THIS IS GONNA BE EFFECTIVE.
WE READY TO RESUME? YOU GUYS? LET'S GO AHEAD AND JUST START GOING THROUGH THIS.
UM, I'M JUST GOING TO GO DOWN ITEM BY ITEM AND SEE A SHOW OF HANDS FOR ANYTHING.
YOU MIGHT HAVE A COMMENT OR QUESTION ON.
SO WE'LL START WITH THAT FIRST HIGHLIGHTED ITEM.
ANY QUESTIONS, COMMENTS ON THAT? YES.
YEAH, I HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT THAT ONE BECAUSE I'M NOT SEARCHING WHAT HAPPENS, UH, TO THE PERSON WHO HAS FILED THE CON WHO HAS SIGNED THE CONTRACT.
UH, WHAT HAPPENS TO THAT PERSON AFTER THE DATE OF THE GENERAL ELECTION AS OPPOSED TO A PERSON WHO DID NOT SIGN THE VOLUNTARY CON CAMPAIGN CONTRACT? LIKE, CAN THEY BOTH RAISE AS MUCH MONEY AS THEY WANT AFTER THE ELECTION? SO THE, IN 2, 2 17, IT, THERE IS, UM, THAT'S ABOUT WAIVER OF THE VOLUNTARY LIMITS.
AND IF YOU ARE RUNNING FOR AN OFFICE AND ANOTHER CANDIDATE RUNNING FOR THAT SAME OFFICE DOES NOT SUBMIT A CONTRACT, YOU'RE RELEASED FROM THE LIMITS YOU CAN BE RELEASED.
YOU DON'T HAVE TO EXCEED THEM IF YOU DON'T WANT TO, BUT YOU CAN AT THE, AT THE END OF THE PERIOD THE WHOLE TIME.
DURING THE WHOLE TIME AT ANY POINT PERIOD.
SEE, ENDING ON THE DATE OF THE GENERAL ELECTION.
SO YOU'RE SAYING IT'S RETROACTIVE? NO, NO, IT'S, IT'S THE LAST DAY THAT YOU CAN SUBMIT A ONE OF THESE CONTRACTS IS THE FILING DEADLINE.
THE APPLI CAN, UH, DEADLINE FOR AN APPLICATION FOR PLACE ON THE BALLOT.
SO YOU'LL KNOW AS OF THAT DEADLINE WHO HAS SUBMITTED A CANDIDATE, UH, CONTRACT AND WHO HASN'T.
SO AT THAT POINT, YOU'RE, YOU'RE RELEASED FROM THE LIMITS UNDER THE VOLUNTARY CONTRACT IF YOU WANT TO BE.
THAT'S, THAT'S 2, 2 17 IN HERE BY THE WAY.
BUT WHAT I'M SAYING IS IF YOU, UM, COMPLYING WITH EVERYTHING AS YOU GO ALONG MM-HMM.
DOES THIS APPLY DIFFERENTLY FROM WHAT, FROM WHAT IT'S CURRENTLY IN THE CODE? NO, BECAUSE NOTHING WOULD CHANGE AFTER THE GENERAL, THE AWARD OF FUNDS IS BASED ON WHAT HAPPENS THROUGH THE DATE OF THE GENERAL ELECTION AND THEN IT STOPS.
SO THAT MAKES ME THINK, I MAY HAVE MADE A, A TYPO IN HERE SOMEWHERE.
BUT, SO THE, THE AWARD OF THE MONEY FOR THE RUNOFF OBVIOUSLY IS FOR THOSE CANDIDATES WHO MAKE IT TO THE RUNOFF AND WHO HAVE COMPLIED WHERE THEY'RE REQUIRED TO COMPLY.
SO THOSE, THOSE LIMITS, ALL THOSE COMPLIANCE REQUIREMENTS ARE THROUGH THE GENERAL ELECTION, THE DATE.
AND SO AFTER THAT YOU'RE, YOU'RE THEN IN THE RUNOFF CAMPAIGN CONTRIBUTION PERIOD OR, AND YOU KNOW, CAMPAIGN PERIOD, WHICH IS HAS DIFFERENT LIMITATIONS.
BUT, SO THERE ISN'T REALLY ANYTHING THAT WOULD CHANGE.
YOU HAVE TO COMPLY WITH ALL OF THE STUFF UNDER THE CONTRACT UP TILL GENERAL ELECTION DAY.
SO I MIGHT NOT BE UNDERSTANDING YOUR QUESTION.
SO IT'S TWO PEOPLE WHO HAVE SIGNED THE CONTRACT.
THEN THEY'RE IN THE RUNOFF CAMPAIGN PERIOD? NO, NOT IN THE RUNOFF.
BOTH OF THEM SIGNED THE CONTRACT.
YOU CAN ONLY RAISE MONEY AFTER THE ELECTION TO COVER EXPENDITURES THAT HAVE ALREADY BEEN MADE.
SO TECHNICALLY THEY COULD STILL BE RAISING MONEY, BUT YEAH, THEY'D BE RELEASED FROM THE CONTRACT.
'CAUSE THE CONTRACT IS ONLY ABOUT GETTING FUNDS FOR THE RUNOFF.
SO IF THEY'RE NOT IN THE RUNOFF, NEITHER OF THEM, THEN THERE'S NOTHING BINDING THEM AT THAT POINT OTHER THAN
[01:15:01]
ANY OTHER LIMITATIONS ON WHAT YOU CAN RAISE TO PAY OFF YOUR DEBTS FOR YOUR CAMPAIGN DEBTS.SO IF, IF THERE ARE TWO PEOPLE WHO HAVE SIGNED THE CONTRACT MM-HMM.
THE CONTRACT ONLY COVERS YOU THROUGH THE GENERAL ELECTION.
IT DOESN'T LIMIT ANYTHING AFTER THE GENERAL ELECTION, THEN YOU'RE IN THE START OF A NEW CAMPAIGN PERIOD FOR THE RUNOFF ELECTION, WHICH WAS NOT STRUCK DOWN BY THE COURTS.
SO, BUT IF YOU DIDN'T MAKE THE RUNOFF, WELL, THAT'S A WHOLE DIFFERENT QUESTION.
THAT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH THE CAMPAIGN CONTRACT THAT HAS TO DO WITH REGULAR YEAH, I DON'T, I KNOW THE ONLY TIME YOU CAN CONTINUE IS TO PAY OFF CAMPAIGN DEBTS.
AND I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE LIMITATIONS ARE AT THAT POINT.
BUT THIS ORDINANCE DOESN'T IMPACT THAT YOU'RE SAYING? YEAH.
YOU'RE SAYING IT'S NOT IMPLICATED AT ALL BY THE CHANGES THAT ARE BEING MADE HERE? NO, THAT'S RIGHT.
YEAH, IT'S NOT IMPACTED AT ALL BY THE, THE PROPOSED ORDINANCE.
UH, COMM UH, SECRETARY STANTON ADAMS. IT'S UP.
TWO QUESTIONS FOR THIS SECTION IS ONE IS TIMELY SUBMIT.
IS THAT ALREADY DEFINED IN THE DEFINITIONS? UH, THIS IS THE DEFINITIONS SECTION.
THE TIMELY SUBMIT, HOLD ON, LEMME GET BACK INTO THAT.
IF NOT, I WOULD RECOMMEND THAT THAT IT, IT IS DEFINED.
IT IS DEFINITELY DEFINED, YES.
AND THEN SECOND QUESTION IS, IS THERE A NEED TO SPECIFY THE ACTUAL TIME ON THE DATE OF THE JANUARY ELECTION? SO ENDING ON THE DATE OF THE GENERAL ELECTION IS, I WOULD SAY IT ENDS AT MIDNIGHT, MIDNIGHT OF THE NEXT DAY, OR 11:59 PM 11 THAT DAY.
SO ON THE ELECTION, CAN WE, I WOULD RECOMMEND THAT WE EXPLICITLY STATE THAT AT 1159? YES.
11:59 PM ON THE DATE OF, OR ENDING YEAH.
ENDING AT 11:59 PM ON THE DATE OF THE GENERAL ELECTION.
ANY OTHER COMMENTS ON THAT SECTION? OKAY.
UH, I'M GONNA GO ON TO THE NEXT HIGHLIGHTED WHERE THERE'S A STRIKEOUT THROUGH GENERAL ELECTION.
ANY COMMENTS ON THAT LETTER? A, UH, I'M GONNA GO ON TO LETTER B WHERE THAT HAS BEEN DELETED.
ANY COMMENTS ON THAT DELETION? YES.
RECOMMENDATION THAT YOU JUST BE CONSISTENT WITH WHICH, WHICHEVER PHRASING YOU PREFER, WHETHER IT IS, UM, IN ACCORDANCE WITH BLAH, BLAH, BLAH AS IN THE FIRST SECTION, 24, OR AS I'VE SEEN IN SEVERAL OTHER INSTANCES AS PROVIDED IN SECTION BLAH, BLAH, BLAH, WHICHEVER ONE I KIND OF LIKE THE IN ACCORDANCE WITH, BUT I, I LEAVE THAT TO YOUR DISCRETION, BUT MY RECOMMENDATION IS JUST TO BE CONSISTENT.
UM, IF IT, AND IF IT'S HELPFUL, I CAN CALL IT OUT OR YOU CAN DO A SEARCH AND FIND
UM, AGAIN, JUST TO ALIGN AND BE CONSISTENT WITH, UH, WORDING A SPECIAL ELECTION OR A RUNOFF ELECTION, UM, SO THAT IT'S CONSISTENT WITH A, AND I THINK SEPARATE MAKING IT DISTINCT LIKE THAT IS MORE CLEAR THAT THEY ARE TWO DIFFERENT TYPES OF ELECTIONS RATHER THAN ANOTHER TERM
[01:20:01]
FOR THE SAME ONE.DOES THAT MAKE SENSE? WHAT I'M, YEAH.
A SPECIAL ELECTION OR A RUNOFF ELECTION.
AND I WOULD ASSUME SAME THING THAT MAYBE A GLOBAL, UH, EDIT ON THAT ONE THEN, SO WE DON'T HAVE TO DO IT EVERY TIME.
SO ANY OTHER COMMENTS ON THAT ONE? ALRIGHT, UH, PART THREE, LETTER B.
I'M RECOMMENDING THAT IT READ NO LATER THAN THE EARLIEST OF THE FOLLOWING.
AND IF ALL THREE OF THESE ARE OCCURRING DEADLINES THEN KEEP THE OCCURRING, BUT IT WOULD READ NO LATER THAN THE EARLIEST OF THE FOLLOWING OCCURRING DEADLINES.
I'M SORRY, WOULD YOU SAY THAT AGAIN PLEASE? SURE.
NO LATER THAN THE EARLIEST OF THE FOLLOWING OCCURRING DEADLINES.
AND THEN YOU CAN, UM, REMOVE THE BELOW HERE JUST SO THAT IT'S JUST CLEAR.
LIKE IT'S THE EARLIEST OF THE, OF ONE OF THE, YOU KNOW, OF THESE THREE.
LET ME KNOW WHEN YOU'RE READY TO, YOU READY FOR ME TO KEEP GOING? OKAY, TURN THE PAGE OVER.
OH, WE STILL HAVE, OH, EXCUSE ME, WHATEVER ITEM ONE RIGHT UNDER THAT.
UM, MORE JUST KIND OF GLOBAL EDITS FOR, UM, CONSISTENCY.
UM, IF YOU WANNA USE INDIVIDUAL VERSUS CANDIDATE, I THINK I'VE SEEN MORE CANDIDATE THAT MIGHT BE MORE APPROPRIATE.
BUT YOU PICK AND JUST USE THE SAME ONE.
UH, SAME THING WITH CITY CLERK'S OFFICE.
UH, SOMETIMES IT'S CALLED, YOU KNOW, IT'S THE CLERK'S OFFICE OR WITH THE CLERK, AND THEN OTHER TIMES IT'S CITY CLERK'S OFFICE.
I'M THINKING CITY CLERK'S OFFICE IS MORE OFFICIAL AND CLEAR.
AND THEN ALSO, UH, LAST POINT OF PARALLELISM IN THAT CLAUSE IS, UM, 365 DAYS OF THE DATE OF THE, I'M TRYING TO READ MY OWN HANDWRITING DATE OF THE CITY, OF THE CITY'S GENERAL ELECTION.
BECAUSE, BECAUSE I THINK YOU'VE SAID OH, YES, YES.
SO THE DATE, SO IN 24, THE FIRST ONE YOU SAID THE DATE OF THE GENERAL ELECTION.
SO I WAS JUST TRYING TO KEEP THAT SAME PHRASING.
365 DAYS OF THE, THE DATE OF THE CITY'S GENERAL ELECTION, THE CITY'S NEXT GENERAL ELECTION.
COMMISSIONER, COMMISSIONER, MADAM SECRETARY.
CAN I ASK YOU, UH, ABOUT, CAN I CLARIFY WHAT WAS IN PART THREE B TWO THAT YOU WOULD LIKE CHANGED? YOU WANTED THE WORD INDIVIDUAL CHANGED? NO, I WAS SUGGESTING, I WAS SUGGESTING, UM, IT WAS B ONE.
I WAS SUGGESTING THAT, UH, SHE PICK WHICHEVER WORD, EITHER INDIVIDUAL, THE DATE, THE INDIVIDUAL FILES, OR THE DATE THE CANDIDATE FILES, BECAUSE I'VE SEEN, YEAH.
AND AND YOU SAID THE SAME FOR NUMBER TWO, RIGHT? BUT WE'RE TALKING WITH PEOPLE WHO ARE NOT YET CANDIDATES, RIGHT? THIS IS WHAT'S TRIGGERING.
IS THAT NOT WHAT, WHAT THIS IS REFERRING TO? WELL, IN EVERY, EVERY, ALMOST EVERY INSTANCE, I MEAN THIS, EVERYTHING IS, UM, A CANDIDATE, RIGHT? A CANDIDATE B STARTS OUT WITH A CANDIDATE MUST SUBMIT.
RIGHT? WELL, I KNOW, WELL, MAYBE MS. WEBSTER CAN CLARIFY THIS.
[01:25:01]
ONE AND TWO IS REFERRING TO PEOPLE WHO BECOME CANDIDATES AND IT WILL BE 30 DAYS AFTER THE PERSON FILES, RIGHT? BECAUSE THE PERSON MAY BE AN INDIVIDUAL FILING THE CAMPAIGN TREASURER APPOINTMENT.AND AT THAT POINT, JUST BECOMING A CANDIDATE CANDIDATE, UH, I THINK CANDIDATE WE'RE TALKING ABOUT, I DO THINK CANDIDATE IS MORE APPROPRIATE.
ANYONE, IF YOU'RE, IF YOU'RE ACCEPTING A CAMPAIGN CONTRIBUTION, YOU'RE A CANDIDATE.
SO I DO THINK INDIVIDUAL FILES AN APPOINTMENT, BUT I AGREE FOR CONSISTENCY'S SAKE, I THINK CANDIDA, I MEAN ONE OR THE OTHER.
BUT I THINK CANIDA CAPTURES IT BETTER.
I MEAN, I, I'LL TAKE A LOOK AND MAKE SURE THAT'S TRUE THROUGHOUT.
UM, AND IF IT IS, THEN I THINK IT WOULD BE GOOD FOR IT TO BE CONSISTENT.
I I'M JUST THINKING IN CERTAIN INSTANCES, MAYBE I, I HAVEN'T LOOKED AT IT THAT CAREFULLY, BUT MM-HMM.
WHERE WE USE THE WORD CANDIDATE OR WE USE THE WORD INDIVIDUAL.
SO IF, IF YOU COULD JUST MINDFULLY CONSIDER THAT YOU BRING UP A GOOD POINT.
COMMISSIONER LOW, AND I WAS THINKING ABOUT THAT TOO.
CERTAINLY THE WORD CANDIDATE IS DEFINED.
IT IS ONE OF THE DEFINITIONS, RIGHT.
SO WHATEVER THE DEFINITION IS, JUST MAKING SURE THAT IT IS ON.
BECAUSE IF, FOR EXAMPLE, TO COMMISSIONER LOWE'S POINT, IF CANDIDATE IS DEFINED AS AN INDIVIDUAL WHO HAS TIMELY SUBMITTED, THEN IN THIS CASE, WOULD THIS, WOULD THE PROPER TERM, WOULD THE CORRECT TERM AT THIS POINT? 30 DAYS AFTER THE DATE TO INDIVIDUAL FILE? YEAH.
I THAT WOULD BE AN, THAT WOULD BE A CANDIDATE.
THIS, THIS IS A, THIS IS A GOOD SUGGESTION, I THINK IS ALL BECAUSE, AND, AND ACTUALLY EVEN MORE, UH, UH, SORT OF PILING ONTO THAT IS AS I'M READING THROUGH THIS, THE TERM INDIVIDUAL IN THIS CHAPTER IS USUALLY USED TO REFER TO SOMEONE WHO IS MAKING A CONTRIBUTION OR SOMEONE WHO IS GIVING SOMETHING TO THE CANDIDATE.
IF I USE INDIVIDUAL INSTEAD OF CANDIDATE, THAT ACTUALLY GETS A LITTLE CONFUSING.
SO THAT'S, THAT'S, THAT'S A GOOD POINT.
AND I THINK THE BEST THING IS TO KEEP INDIVIDUAL AS SOMEONE WHO MIGHT BE GIVING SOMETHING TO A CANDIDATE.
UM, AND THEN CAMPAIGN AS THAT'S GOOD CANDIDATE AS, YEAH.
I THINK, YOU KNOW, WHAT HAPPENED WAS WHEN, AS WHEN WE WERE ALL IN ENGLISH CLASS
PERSON, INDIVIDUAL CHARACTER,
THAT'S ALL, THAT'S WHAT THAT WAS.
SO ARE WE ON NUMBER TWO FOR THIS YET? YES.
AND I KNOW THAT THE SPELLING ERROR WAS ALREADY CALLED TO YOUR ATTENTION.
SO, UM, HOW ABOUT NUMBER THREE? WERE THERE ANY CHANGES TO THAT ONE Y'ALL SAW? UH, UH, YES.
I HAVE A, JUST A, UH, I GUESS KIND OF A GLOBAL QUESTION ON THIS WHOLE SECTION.
DO YOU THINK IT'S GOING TO CAUSE ANY KIND OF CONFUSION FOR THE CANDIDATES OR, UM, I DON'T WANNA SAY WATCHDOGS, BUT PEOPLE OUT THERE PAYING ATTENTION TO, UH, WHEN THESE PEOPLE FILE, FILE THIS AND SET IT UP IS TO, SINCE THEY HAVE SO MANY DIFFERENT OPPORTUNITIES THROUGHOUT THE YEAR TO, TO DO IT AND NOT LIKE ONE DEFINED SET TIME PERIOD, IS THAT GOING? I MEAN, I DON'T KNOW.
IS IT CONFUSING? UH, DO YOU MEAN, UH, AS FAR AS THE DEADLINES TO FILE THE CONTRACT ARE CONCERNED? YEAH.
SO FOR THIS SECTION OF FILING THE CONTRACT OF, SINCE THERE ARE, YOU KNOW, MULTIPLE DIFFERENT PLACES DOWN THE LINE WHERE YOU CAN DO IT, DOES THAT MAKE IT HARD FOR PEOPLE TO KEEP TRACK? UH, PROBABLY
BUT, SO THE REASON WE KIND OF SETTLED ON WHERE WE ARE IS 'CAUSE THE, THE CODE CURRENTLY SAYS ONCE THEY BECOME A CANDIDATE, CANDIDATE UNDER THE TEXAS ELECTION CODE, AND THE TEXAS ELECTION CODE HAS A LIST OF LIKE SEVEN THINGS, RIGHT.
OF HOW YOU BECOME A CANDIDATE.
AND WE JUST DECIDED THAT IT WAS NOT POSSIBLE TO, TO CONCLUDE ALL THOSE THINGS.
SO THIS WAS KIND OF OUR COMPROMISE GOTCHA.
BETWEEN THE THINGS THAT THE ELECTION CODE HAS THAT THE CLERK'S OFFICE CAN LEGITIMATELY CHECK.
UM, AND THAT WAS, THAT WAS WHAT WAS THE SUBJECT OF THE THREATENED LAWSUIT, UH, LAST ELECTION.
AND WE AGREED WITH THAT CHARACTERIZATION.
AND SO THAT'S, THAT'S WHY WE SETTLED ON THAT.
I'M NOT SAYING IT COULDN'T CHANGE, UM, IF, IF YOU ALL FEEL STRONGLY ABOUT MAKING THAT RECOMMENDATION, BUT THAT'S, THAT'S HOW WE LANDED THERE.
YEAH, I DON'T HAVE ANYTHING BETTER.
[01:30:01]
OH, SO SORRY.ON THREE I DO, I DO HAVE FEEDBACK ON THREE, UM, RECOMMENDATION JUST SO THAT IT'S VERY CLEAR.
UM, BUT THERE ARE TWO ITEMS, RIGHT? SO THE DATE, THE CANDIDATE FILES WITH THE CLERK OR CITY CLERK'S OFFICE, ONE OF THE FOLLOWING, IS THAT ACCURATE? I DON'T WANNA CHANGE THE, I DON'T WANNA MAKE IT A FALSE STATEMENT.
AN APPLICATION FOR A PLACE ON THE GENERAL ELECTION BALLOT OR, OR A DECLARATION OF WRITING CANDIDACY WITH THE CITY CLERK'S OFFICE.
CORRECT? IT'S ONE OF THOSE, YEAH, BECAUSE YOU WOULDN'T DO BOTH.
SO A CANDIDATE, THE FILING APPLICATION FOR WRITING CANDIDACY IS FIVE DAYS AFTER THE REGULAR FILING DEADLINE.
SO IF THEY FILE AN APPLICATION TO BE A CANDIDATE ON THE BALLOT, THAT'S THEIR DEADLINE.
IF THEY FILE AS A WRITING CANDIDATE, THAT'S THEIR DEADLINE.
SO YEAH, I WOULD RECOMMEND THAT WE JUST BE VERY CLEAR ABOUT THAT, THAT THE, THE DATE THE CANDIDATE FILES WITH THE CITY CLERK'S OFFICE, ONE OF THE FOLLOWING, AND THEN I SEE IT'S THE, OH, I SEE.
IT'S THE, WITH THE CITY CLERK.
AND ONE OF THE FOLLOWING, AND THEN JUST ENU, UH, LIST OUT THOSE TWO, JUST, JUST LIKE YOU DID WITH THE, YOU KNOW, THE EARLIEST NO LATER THAN THE EARLIEST OF THE FOLLOWING OCCURRING DEADLINES.
SO THAT IT'S CLEAR IT'S ONE OF THESE THREE AND THEN JUST HERE IN THREE, IT'S ONE OF THESE TWO.
EXCEPT THAT A PERSON WOULD ONLY BE DOING ONE OR THE OTHER, WHEREAS IN THE OTHER, A CANDIDATE WOULD BE DOING ALL THREE, THEY WILL FILE A CAMPAIGN TREASURER, THEY WILL FILE AN APPLICATION FOR PLACE ON THE BALLOT, AND THEY WILL FILE AND THEY WILL SOLICIT, UH, CONTRIBUTIONS AND MAKE EXPENDITURES.
THIS ONE, A CANDIDATE WOULD ONLY DO ONE OR THE OTHER.
DO WE, I COULD PUT EITHER THOUGH.
YEAH, SOME SOMEHOW WHERE IT'S JUST LIKE YOU, YOU FILE, YOU FILE WITH THE CLERK, EITHER THIS OR THAT.
I'M TRYING TO SEE, UH, IF THERE ARE OTHER AREAS WHERE IT'S AN OR AND IT'S LISTED OUT IN BULLET FORM, OR IS IT JUST AN, AND CAN I MAKE A SUGGESTION THERE? CAN WE JUST DO THREE SUBDIVISION, ONE, SUBDIVISION TWO.
SO RIGHT THREE WOULD BE THE DATE, THE MM-HMM
THEN SUBDIVISION, SMALL ROMAN NUMERAL ONE IS THE APPLICATION FOR THE PLACE ON THE BALLOT.
SMALL ROMAN NUMERAL TWO IS DECLARATION OF WRITING CANDIDACY.
THAT THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT I'M RECOMMENDING.
I'LL CONSIDER IT ONE OF THE FOLLOWING
SO THAT, THAT'S WHY THAT, THAT, THAT CLAUSE ONE OF THE FOLLOWING IS, IS IMPORTANT.
THAT'S, IT'S NOT CLEAR TO THE AVERAGE PERSON.
OTHERWISE I DON'T THINK I'LL CONSIDERATE
THAT'S NOT A LEGAL CHANGE, THAT'S JUST A FORMATTING CHANGE REALLY.
SO YEAH, FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION, I'LL THINK ABOUT IT.
I WILL WRITE IT DOWN ON THE LIST.
AGAIN, I'M NOT GONNA BE OFFENDED IF YOU DON'T
THIS IS JUST FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION.
ALRIGHT, ARE WE READY TO MOVE ON? OKAY.
ANY EDITS COMMENTS ON THAT ONE? ALL RIGHT.
SEEING NONE, I'M GONNA GO TO B.
ANY EDITS OR COMMENTS ON THAT ONE? OKAY.
GOING NOW TO THE BOTTOM OF PAGE TWO, PART FIVE, NUMBER ONE, ANY EDITS THERE? ALL RIGHT.
MM-HMM,
IS THAT, UM, IN A REGULAR ELECTION, IS THE, IS THAT IN OTHER SECTIONS? IT SEEMED TO HAVE JUST
[01:35:01]
POPPED IN AND, AND I REMEMBER YOU'RE SAYING THAT, YOU KNOW, THIS ISN'T THE TOTALITY OF THE CODE OR, OR, OR THE STUFF.BUT THIS IS THE FIRST TIME I'M READING THROUGH AND I COME ACROSS REGULAR ELECTION.
THE OTHERS ARE GENERAL ELECTION, UM, AND RUNOFF ELECTION.
I HAVE NOT SEEN I HAVE OR SPECIAL.
AND I'VE SEEN A SPECIAL ELECTION, GENERAL ELECTION, AND RUNOFF ELECTION THIS FIRST TIME I'M SEEING REGULAR ELECTION.
SO I'M WONDERING, IS THAT TRULY YET ANOTHER TYPE OF ELECTION? OR IS IT SUPPOSED TO BE GENERAL? UH, THE REASON I ADDED THAT IS BECAUSE B ALREADY USED THE TERM REGULAR ELECTION AND THE THE CODE USES IT THROUGHOUT.
SO IS THAT IT? BUT IT MAY BE BETTER TO CHANGE ALL THE REFERENCES TO REGULAR TO GENERAL.
'CAUSE I DO SEE, YEAH, I MEAN, GENERALLY THEY'RE ANONYMOUS, BUT YEAH, STILL I WOULD, I WOULDN'T HAVE KNOWN THAT.
AND I DON'T LIKE TO MAKE ASSUMPTIONS.
I WOULD NOT KNOWN THAT REGULAR IS THE SAME AS, AS GENERAL.
SO THAT'S SOMETHING YOU COULD TAKE ON ADVISEMENT, I GUESS MAKING A GLOBAL CHANGE.
UM, OTHER QUESTIONS ON NUMBER TWO AT THE TOP OF PAGE THREE? ALRIGHT.
LETTER B, QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? QUESTION.
AND THIS WILL, UH, THIS WILL ADDRESS, UH, OTHER AREAS TOO, SO IT'LL GO FASTER.
I'M WONDERING, DID YOU ADD IN THE SECTION NUMBERS? LIKE IT WAS NOT THERE BEFORE? OR DID THE SECTION NUMBER CHANGE? SO, 'CAUSE I'VE SEEN IT IN OTHERS AND I THINK IT'S A GREAT, I THINK IT'S A GREAT THING, BUT I COULDN'T TELL IF IT WAS LIKE, DID THE SECTION NUMBER CHANGE OR WAS IT JUST NOT THERE? AND YOU, AND YOU ADDED THE SECTION NUMBER, WHICH, WHICH SECTION ARE YOU, UH, B UM, CANDIDATES EXPENDITURE.
SO LIKE, UM, A CANDIDATE FOR MAYOR, BLAH, BLAH, BLAH.
AND THEN, BECAUSE, BECAUSE THROUGHOUT YOU'VE ADDED SECTION, THE SECTION NUMBER IN FRONT OF THE SECTION TITLE.
AND I'M WONDERING, WAS IT BECAUSE THE SECTION NUMBER CHANGED? OR WAS IT BECAUSE IT WASN'T THERE BEFORE AND YOU ADDED IT? IT'S NEITHER.
SO ACTUALLY IN THE VERSION, IF WE PRINT IT OUT IN PROPER COLORS FOR YOU, AGAIN, MY FAULT, THAT IS ACTUALLY BLUE AND IT'S A, IT'S A LINK.
IT'S A ALL, HOW ABOUT THAT? LOOK AT THAT.
COMMISSIONER HUMPHREY, THIS IS A COMMENT SO MUCH, I'M LOOKING FOR CLARIFICATION.
EARLIER I THOUGHT AS PART OF AN EXPLANATION, YOU SAID, SAY STANDARD CANDIDATE DOESN'T SIGN A CONTRACT.
HE SAID, THEN YOU DON'T HAVE TO FOLLOW.
BUT HERE IT SAYS YOU HAVE TO ACTUALLY PROACTIVELY OPT OUT THE DAY AFTER THE FILING.
RIGHT? YOU'RE MIKE, YOUR MIC, YOUR MICROPHONE.
UH, DO YOU UNDERSTAND MY QUESTION? THAT IS A GOOD QUESTION.
I DECIDED IT WAS A GOOD IDEA
AND SO I DID TALK TO THE CLERK ABOUT IT.
AND HOLD ON ONE SEC, MY MIC'S.
AND SO WE, YEAH, WE BASICALLY ADDED A REQ.
THIS IS A NEW, SO WE ADDED THIS REQUIREMENT THAT THEY NEED TO TELL YOU THEY'RE OPTING OUT BECAUSE OTHERWISE THERE JUST IS NO MECHANISM TO INFORM THE OTHER CANDIDATES.
AND THEY HAVE TO TELL YOU ON THE DAY AFTER THE FILING DATE.
WAS THAT IT? I AM I REMEMBERING THAT RIGHT.
MIDNIGHT OF THE, THE NEXT BUSINESS DAY AFTER THE DEADLINE TO APPLY FOR PLACE BALLOT.
SO THEY THEY HAVE TO MOVE FAST.
BE THEY CAN'T BE ON VACATION AND CALL IN A WEEK LATER AND SAY, I'M OPTING OUT.
NO, I WOULD ALLOW, THEY COULD EMAIL IT AND ATTACH IT.
BUT, UM, AND I'M GONNA CHANGE THE MIDNIGHT TO 11:59 PM AS ANIAH.
OKAY, SO IT IS 1159 OF THE NEXT BUSINESS DAY OR THAT YES.
I AM, I KIND LIKE I SAID, I KIND OF MADE THAT UP, SO I'M OPEN TO, TO SOME FLEXIBILITY THERE.
BUT THE REASON I WANTED IT TO BE VERY QUICK IS THAT THE OTHER CANDIDATES NEED TO KNOW QUICKLY IF THEY'RE RELEASED.
AND SO I WAS TRYING TO FIND A WAY TO GIVE THE PERSON WHO'S OPTING OUT A LITTLE TIME, BUT WITHOUT INFRINGING UPON THE OTHER CANDIDATES KIND OF RIGHT TO THE WAIVER.
IF, IF THEY'RE GONNA, YOU KNOW, TAKE ADVANTAGE
[01:40:01]
OF THE WAIVER.UM, WELL, THEY FIND OUT, THIS IS JUST AN OPEN QUESTION HERE.
IF I'M A CANDIDATE AND I'VE FILED, I'VE SIGNED A CONTRACT, AND THEN SOMEONE ELSE FILES WILL, I KNOW WITHIN A DAY THEY DIDN'T SIGN A CONTRACT, YOU'LL KNOW WITHIN A DAY AFTER THE, UM, FILING DEADLINE FOR AN APPLICATION PLACED ON THE BALLOT.
'CAUSE THE CLERK PUTS IT ALL ONLINE.
YOU, YOU'LL, YOU'LL KNOW SOONER THAN THAT.
YOU'LL KNOW A DAY AFTER THEY HAVE FILED WHATEVER THAT IS.
'CAUSE THERE'LL BE A CHECK MARK NEXT TO THE NAME.
SO THERE'S, THERE'S, I WANT TO CAN ADD SOMETHING, PLEASE.
SO WHEN THERE ARE THREE SPEAKERS AND THERE ARE THREE LIGHTS ON, IT ONLY ALLOWS FOR THREE, WHICH IS WHY THE LIGHT TURNS GREEN.
UM, MY BAD FOR TRYING TO PILE ON.
UM, SO I FLAGGED THIS AS WELL BECAUSE I SAW THAT IT SAID A CANDIDATE WHO SIGNS A CAMPAIGN CONTRACT MAY UP TO THE END OF THE FILING PERIOD, IN WHICH WHY I CIRCLED AND SAID WHY A TIME LIMIT.
AND THEN I NOTICED IN SECTION TWO IT SAYS, IF A CANDIDATE OPTS OUT OF A CONTRACT, HE OR SHE MAY CONTINUE USE TO USE THE DISCLAIMER.
AND MY ANSWER WAS, AHA, BECAUSE IT'S A LOOPHOLE, MEANING YOU CAN SIGN THE CONTRACT THEN BACK OUT, BUT STILL USE THE DISCLAIMER THAT SAYS THIS CANDIDATE HAS AGREED.
SO THERE'S KIND OF A LOOPHOLE BUILT IN.
HOWEVER, THERE'S ANOTHER PROBLEM HERE, AND I THINK THIS PROBLEM WITH THE ADDED LANGUAGE IS THAT YOU, YOU MAY HAVE, IT SAYS HERE THE, THE ADDED LANGUAGE IS A CANDIDATE MUST OPT OUT OF THE CONTRACT BY FILING A NOTICE, SUCH STATING SUCH WITH THE CITY CLERK NO LATER THAN MIDNIGHT OF THE NEXT BUSINESS DAY AFTER THE DEADLINE TO APPLY FOR A PLACE IN THE BALLOT.
THE PROBLEM THERE IS THAT YOU CAN OPT OUT OF THE CONTRACT AT ANY TIME DURING THE CAMPAIGN SIMPLY BY BREAKING THE RULES OF THE CONTRACT.
ONCE YOU'VE BROKEN THE RULES, THEN YOU'RE OUT.
AND THE ONLY WAY TO FIND THAT IS BY, IS BY THE, THE CAMPAIGN FINANCE REPORTS THAT ARE FILED OR ACTIVITY THAT SOMEBODY HAS OBSERVED THAT WOULD WOULD DO THAT.
SO I THINK THAT WE'RE, WE'RE ADDING LANGUAGE HERE THAT APPEARS TO BE IT, UH, PUT NOT ITERATED OR ENUMERATED, BUT IT'S, IT'S A, IT'S ALLUDED TO IN SECTION BI THINK YOU'RE ADDING CLARIFICATION IN SECTION B PART ONE.
UM, BUT I THINK THAT THERE ARE SO MANY WAYS AND, AND, AND SO MANY WAYS AND SO MANY DAYS THAT A CANDIDATE CAN OPT OUT BY BREAKING THE CONTRACT.
AND I'LL TELL YOU, AS A CAMPAIGN PROFESSIONAL, IT'S USED AS A STRATEGY.
YOU, YOU FILE FOR YOU, YOU FILE TO ABIDE BY IT, HOPING THAT SOMEBODY ELSE IS NOT GOING TO, WHICH MEANS YOU THEN DON'T HAVE TO AND THEN YOU GET RUNOFF FUNDS.
SO WOULD THIS BE, SORRY, AND ED, IN YOUR OPINION, WOULD THIS BE BETTER OFF IF IT JUST CONDENSED ALL THE WAY DOWN TO, SAY A CANDIDATE, UH, WHO SIGNED A CAMPAIGN CONTRACT MAY OPT OUT OF THE CONTRACT AT ANY TIME BY SENDING A WRITTEN CONFIRMATION TO THE CITY CLERK? I, I DON'T EVEN THINK THEY NEED TO SEND.
WELL, BUT I GUESS THAT THAT'S THE ONLY WAY THAT ANYBODY WOULD KNOW.
SO IT DOESN'T PUT ANYBODY AT A DISADVANTAGE.
I, YEAH, BUT I MEAN, DOES THAT REWRITE THE SPIRIT OF THE, OF THE CODE BY DOING THAT? I MEAN, WE WE'RE, BUT ISN'T THAT HOW IT WORKS NOW? JUST WITHOUT THE NOTICE? YEAH, THERE'S, THAT'S WHAT I'M SAYING IS I'M WONDERING IF THE NOTICE, UH, UNDERMINES THE SPIRIT OF IT.
BUT I I GUESS WE COULD INFORM BY ADDING A STEP.
I MEAN, THE WAY CANDIDATES KNOW RIGHT NOW IS THEY REVIEW THE CAMPAIGN FINANCE REPORTS AND THEN THEY KNOW IF SOMEONE'S BLOWN THE, UH, LIMITATIONS.
AND THEY KNOW IF SOMEONE HAS OPTED NOT TO SIGN A CONTRACT OR HAS NOT SIGNED THAT NOTICE OF INTENT NOT TO RAISE MORE THAN X NUMBER OF DOLLARS.
I MEAN, I DON'T WANNA PUT MORE WORK ON THE CITY CLERK, BUT YEAH.
I MEAN, COULD IT COULD JUST BE AT ANY POINT THEY GET THAT NOTICE, THEY JUST BLAST IT OUT TO ALL THE CANDIDATES IN THAT RACE AND SAY THE CAP'S BLOWN HAVE FUN,
THE DIFFICULTY IS THERE'S NO ENFORCEMENT OF THAT.
SO IF SOMEONE IS JUST LIKE, NOT GONNA, RIGHT, IT'S LIKE, OH, WELL, BUT THEN I DON'T WANT ANOTHER CANDIDATE SAYING, OH, WELL I COULDN'T EXCEED THE LIMITATIONS BECAUSE THEY DIDN'T SUBMIT THAT PIECE OF PAPER SAYING THEY'RE OPTING OUT EVEN THOUGH THEY'VE BLOWN THROUGH THE LIMITATIONS.
SO, I MEAN, I'LL, I'LL TAKE SUGGESTIONS EITHER WAY, BUT I, I THINK THE THING TO DO IS JUST DELETE STRIKE.
JUST BE ONE AND, AND, AND BREAK THAT BACK, UH, BASICALLY LEAVE IT THE WAY IT WAS EXCEPT FOR, UM, YEAH, I THINK, YEAH, I THINK MAYBE THE BEST THING, I'LL TAKE A LOOK AT IT, BUT I THINK MAYBE THE BEST THING, UH, YOU'VE MADE A, YOU'VE MADE A POINT THAT I HADN'T CONSIDERED.
[01:45:01]
UH, COMMISSIONER KATES, I, I APPRECIATE YOUR POINT AS WELL, BUT MY GOAL HERE IS TO KEEP THIS AS UNCONTROVERSIAL AS POSSIBLE.AND IF I'M MAKING A SUBSTANTIVE CHANGE, THEN THAT MIGHT CAUSE AN ISSUE.
SO I WILL PROBABLY DELETE IT ALTOGETHER.
UNLESS YOU ALL HAVE A STRONG, AS A BODY, HAVE A STRONG OPINION.
THE OTHER WAY, DID WE WHAT? SO IN B UH, PART SIX OF, UH, AMENDING, UH, SECTION 2 2 17, UM, I ADDED THAT NUMBER ONE THERE ABOUT FILING SOMETHING AND I WAS THINKING OF EASE FOR THE CLERK.
BUT I DID NOT THINK OF THE OTHER, THE CANDIDATE SIDE.
SO I THINK, I THINK MY CHOICE WOULD BE JUST TO DELETE THAT AND TAKE AWAY THE SUB TWO AS WELL.
'CAUSE WE DON'T NEED, I'LL JUST KEEP THAT SENTENCE WHERE IT USED TO BE.
I'M JUST GONNA WRITE MYSELF A LITTLE NOTE.
IS TWO GOING AWAY AS WELL? NO.
TWO IS LANGUAGE ALREADY IN, THAT'S NOT LANGUAGE I ADDED.
I ONLY MADE IT A TWO BECAUSE I WANTED TO HAVE THE ONE FIRST AND THEN A TWO.
SO I WOULD TAKE AWAY THAT ONE AND THEN TWO WOULD JUST MELT BACK UP INTO THE, INTO B.
UM, I'LL LET YOU FINISH DOING THAT.
I ASK, AND JUST SO EVERYBODY KNOWS, UM, SO THAT THERE'S NOT LIKE SIDE CONVERSATION.
I DID HAVE A SIDE CONVERSATION WITH CAROLINE EARLIER, UM, ABOUT THE, THE LAST SENTENCE OF B, UM, THAT STARTS WITH, OR, WELL, THE LAST PART OF B THAT STARTS WITH, OR A NOTICE OF INTENT UNDER THE TEXAS ELECTION CODE TO RAISE AND SPEND LESS THAN $500.
UM, THAT'S A, UM, AS WE FOUND, IT'S A VERY SPECIFIC CODE, UM, IN, UH, THE ELECTION CODE.
UM, THAT'S ONE OF THE, THE STATUTE OR ONE OF THE THRESHOLDS THAT THE ETHICS COMMISSION UPDATES EVERY YEAR.
UM, IT'S PROBABLY BETTER HONESTLY, TO JUST STRIKE THE DOLLAR AMOUNT ALTOGETHER AND SAY, UM, LESS THAN THE AMOUNT PRESCRIBED BY THE TEXAS ETHICS COMMISSION UNDER RULE 18 POINT 31.
WHICH LINE WAS THIS? UH, IT'S THE BOTTOM OF B PART SIX.
THAT'S GONNA BE THE WEEDS, BUT
MATT, MAY I ASK YOU, UM, REFERRING TO THE SPECIFIC RULE YEAH.
IS THAT RULE LIKELY TO CHANGE OR NO, IT'S NOT GONNA CHANGE.
IT'S, IT'S, THEY, THEY CREATED THE RULE AND THEY DROPPED A HUGE TABLE OF ALL OF THE DIFFERENT STATUTES THAT THEY'RE CHANGING AND, YOU KNOW, WHAT WAS IT BEFORE? WHAT WAS IT ORIGINALLY? WHAT WAS IT BEFORE? AND HERE'S WHAT IT IS NOW.
UM, AND YOU KNOW, LIKE I SAID BEFORE, THEY UPDATE EVERY YEAR.
UM, AND SO IT'S JUST, THEY WENT THROUGH THE LAST TIME AROUND AND THEY CHANGED ALL OF THEIR OWN STATUTES TO SAY THE AMOUNT PRESCRIBED AND BLAH, BLAH, BLAH, BLAH, BLAH.
SO, UM, AND I DON'T KNOW IF YOU WANNA SAY TEXAS ETHICS COMMISSION RULE OR CITE THE ADMINISTRATIVE CODE TO IT.
UM, IF YOU DO WANNA DO THE CODE, IT'S THE, THE CITATION I GUESS IS ONE TEXT DO ADMIN DOT CODE, AND THEN THE LITTLE STATUTE SIGNAL THINGY AND THEN 18.31.
UH, YEAH, I'LL THINK ABOUT THAT.
BUT YEAH, SO IT'S PEGGING IT TO THE TEXAS ELECTION CODE AND THAT WAY IT'S, YEAH, THAT 500 IT FLEXES WITH THAT.
THAT $500 IS, IS ALREADY POINTING TO THE TEXAS ELECTION CODE.
UM, IT'S JUST SHOWING THAT IT'S BEEN UPDATED AND RIGHT.
DO YOU, I'M SORRY, MAY I ASK A SURE.
UM, WHY IS IT THAT THAT IS TIED TO THE, THE FEDERAL NUMBER WHEN THE ELECTION CODE DOESN'T SAY THAT EITHER? THAT'S INTERESTING.
NO, THERE IS A SECTION, THE ELECTION, THE IS A SECTION IN THE CONSUMER.
IT'S IN FIVE, UH, 5 71 GOVERNMENT CODE SOMEWHERE.
IT REQUIRES A TEXAS YEAH, THEY'RE REQUIRED.
THEY JUST NEVER LOOKED AT UNTIL IAN WAS THERE.
UM, NO, BUT IT'S THERE AND IT REQUIRES THEM TO INDEX IT, BUT I'LL FIND IT AS WE KNOW THEY HAVE KNOCKED ON THAT.
SO YES, THEN, UM, AND I HAD REALLY BEEN FOCUSING JUST ON THE HIGHLIGHT OF THE CHANGES, BUT THEN, UH, MY EYE IS DRAWN TO WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT NOW TWO, WE'LL GO BACK TO BEING ONE.
I'M WONDERING WHY THIS SECTION 2, 2 14 IS NOT A LINK AND, AND A TITLE
[01:50:01]
AND THE, AND THE SECTION TITLE IN PARENTHESES.YEAH, BUT IT'S NOT, IT'S NOT UNDERLINED, YOU KNOW, IT DOESN'T APPEAR AS THE OTHER SECTION BECAUSE EVERYWHERE ELSE LATER ON IT'S GONNA, IT'S, IT'S DEFINITELY A HYPERLINK, RIGHT? IT'S UNDERLINE AND THEN THE SECTION NAME APPEARS IN PARENTHESES AFTER IT.
SO JUST CONSIDER MAKING THAT A HYPERLINK AND THEN, AND THEN PUTTING THE TITLE OF THAT SECTION IN PARENTHESES TO BE CONSISTENT.
I WOULD JUMP IN AND SAY JUST SORT OF THROUGHOUT, IF THAT'S GONNA BE YES.
SOMETHING THAT SEEMS TO BE THE ONLY ONE.
EVERYWHERE ELSE SEEMS PRETTY CONSISTENT.
I ALWAYS FORGET TO USE THE LINE NUMBER.
AH, MS. WEBSTER, ARE YOU READY FOR US TO KEEP GOING OR ARE YOU OKAY? ALRIGHT, SO I'M GONNA GO TO PART SEVEN IF WE'RE GOOD ON THAT.
I'M TRYING TO KEEP AN EYE ON COMMISSIONER WILLIAMS TOO.
I DON'T WANNA MISS YOU, SIDNEY.
LET'S GO TO PAGE FOUR, TOP OF PAGE FOUR, NUMBERS NUMBER TWO.
ANY QUESTIONS ON THAT? THAT'S LINE 1 37 AND LINE 1 38.
AND THAT LOOKS LIKE IT'S A CONSISTENT FORMAT WITH WHAT WE SAW BEFORE.
'CAUSE I MADE A NOTE TO ASK LIKE, WHY DID THIS CHANGE? BUT SHE EXPLAINED THAT IT'S
GO DOWN TO LINE 1 65 THROUGH 1 68.
ANY COMMENTS ON THAT? ALRIGHTY.
ANY COMMENTS ON SECTION E? WE, WE GOOD? OKAY.
I'M GONNA KEEP CRUISING THROUGH HERE.
ANY QUESTIONS ON THESE DELETIONS? I DON'T HAVE ANY FOR THE ENTIRE PAGE.
NONE FOR THE ENTIRE FOR DOING IT? YEAH.
IT'S, IT'S, UH, PAINSTAKING WORK.
ANY QUESTIONS ON PAGE FIVE OF ANY OF THESE DELETIONS? MAY I, IF I MAY INTERJECT? SURE.
UM, I NEED TO DOUBLE CHECK THE, UM, DRAFTING GUIDELINES WHEN YOU'RE DELETING A SECTION.
IT MAY BE THAT I DON'T ACTUALLY PUT THE SECTION, IT MAY BE JUST THAT I SAY SUBSECTION B IS DELETED AND I DON'T PUT IT.
SO IF THAT CHANGES IN THE FINAL VERSION, IT'S BECAUSE, UM, IT'S BECAUSE I DIDN'T HAVE TO PUT B THERE AND JUST SHOW IT CROSSED OUT.
SO, BUT I'LL, I'LL, I JUST DIDN'T HAVE TIME TO CONSULT THE, UM, DRAFTING BOOK BECAUSE I WAS RUSHING TO GET THIS FINISHED.
A COMMENT ABOUT YOU WANNA MAKE SURE IF YOU WROTE SOMETHING DELETED OR SO IN PART SEVEN, FOR EXAMPLE, TOWARDS THE BOTTOM OF PAGE THREE, IT SAYS, SUBJECT CAN BE OF SECTION 2, 2 21, BLAH, BLAH, BLAH IS DELETED.
AND THEN I PUT B AND SHOW IT STRUCK THROUGH, STRICKEN THROUGH I'D DONE STRUCK IT.
UM, BUT, BUT, UM, BUT I THINK THE ORDINANCE DRAFTING
[01:55:01]
MANUAL THAT WE FOLLOW MIGHT TELL ME THAT I, I WOULDN'T PUT B THERE AND SHOWN IT STRUCK OUT.I JUST WOULDN'T PUT THAT RED THERE AND I WOULD JUST PUT SUBSECTION B IS DELETED, PERIOD.
BUT THAT'S, THAT'S JUST A DRAFTING THING.
IT WOULDN'T CHANGE IT, IT WOULD STILL BE DELETED.
I JUST WANTED TO, YOU KNOW, IF YOU LOOKED AT THIS AGAIN, YOU'RE LIKE, WHERE DID THAT THING GO? IT'S BECAUSE I DIDN'T HAVE TO INCLUDE IT.
SO I JUST NEED TO DOUBLE CHECK ON THAT.
SO THE CONTENT IS STILL, I MEAN THE, THE MEANING AND EVERYTHING IS IDENTICAL.
IT'S JUST A DIFFERENT, IT'S NOT SHOWING THAT'S SHOWN DELETION.
AND I WOULD, I WOULD SHOW IT IF I HAD TO RE-LET ME, IF THERE WAS LIKE C, D, E, BUT THIS THERE B IS THE LAST SUBSECTION IN THAT SECTION.
THAT WAS THE ONE WE JUST WENT OVER.
THERE WERE NO QUESTIONS ON THAT.
ANY QUESTIONS? EDITS ON PAGE SIX? SAME HERE.
I DON'T HAVE ANY FOR THE ENTIRE CASE.
IT'S ALL JUST DATE OF FILES? YES.
YES, I DO HAVE, ARE YOU GONNA GO, GO, GO FOR IT.
UM, EVENTS, ARE THEY THE SAME EVENTS THAT, THAT WE TALKED ABOUT IN PART 15? A AND B AND C AND D AND E? YES.
AND THAT'S, THAT'S AN EXCELLENT POINT.
UH, THE REASON I ADDED CITY ORGANIZED IS BECAUSE LAST TIME AROUND WE WERE ASKED BY UT AND SOME OTHERS, SO NOT THE ONES YOU ALL AND CANDIDATES WERE ASKING, WELL, IF I PARTICIPATE IN THIS UT DEBATE, CAN I SKIP THE OTHER ONE? AND WE SAID NO.
AND SO I I WILL ADD CITY ORGANIZED THERE.
WHERE, WHERE ELSE, WHERE ELSE IT'S APPROPRIATE.
NO, I THINK THAT'S A REALLY GOOD CLARIFICATION.
CITY ORGANIZED, I WOULD ADD IT'S AN IMPORTANT CLARIFICATION.
I MEAN, IT'S, IT'S, THANK YOU SOMEBODY WHO WORKS IN CAMPAIGNS.
'CAUSE I'LL TELL YOU, YOU BASICALLY LOSE THE MONTH OF SEPTEMBER TO DEBATES AND MOST OF THEM AREN'T, AREN'T REALLY WORTHWHILE.
THE CITY OF AUSTIN WON THOUGH IS SO, UM, WOULD IT MAKE SENSE TO, UM, I MEAN, I DON'T KNOW IF, IF IT WOULD BE HARDER TO READ TO SAY CITY ORGANIZED CANDIDATE EVENTS EVERY TIME IN EACH ONE OF THEM VERSUS JUST PUTTING CANDIDATE EVENT AND THEN DEFINING IT AS CITY COUNCIL.
THAT OR CITY ORGANIZED EVENT IN THE DEFINITIONS.
SO YOU DON'T HAVE TO SAY, HAVE TO SAY IT EVERY TIME JUST FOR, I DON'T KNOW, READABILITY.
THAT'S A GOOD, THAT'S A GOOD, UM, ANYTHING ELSE ON PAGE SEVEN? THOSE WERE GREAT SUGGESTIONS.
UM, COULD I ASK, UH, MS. WEBSTER, YOU KNOW, I'M, I'M LOOKING AGAIN AT, UH, GOVERNMENT CODE 5 0 1 0 6 4 THAT, THAT, UH, COMMISSIONER KATES WAS TALKING ABOUT SUBSECTION B.
UM, YOU KNOW, I I THINK IT WOULD NOT BE A GOOD IDEA TO REFER TO THE ADMINISTRATIVE RULE, UM, BECAUSE I THINK WE SHOULD JUST SAY THE DOLLAR AMOUNT AS PRESCRIBED BY THE TEXAS ETHICS COMMISSION, YOU KNOW, PER, PER THE ELECTION CODE OR HOWEVER SPECIFIC YOU WANNA BE.
UM, AND I THINK, I MEAN, IT MAY BE THAT THEY NEVER CHANGE SECTION 18.31, BUT THEY CAN.
SO, UM, I THINK IT WOULD BE BETTER TO
[02:00:01]
TIE IT TO THE STATUTE THAT TELLS THEM THEY MUST ANNUALLY ADJUST THOSE THRESHOLDS UPWARDS IN NEAREST MULTIPLE OF 10, ET CETERA.ARE WE TALKING ABOUT LINE ONE 15? OH, NO, I'M SORRY.
WE'RE TALKING ABOUT, UM, WHAT WE WERE TALKING ABOUT EARLIER.
OH, IT IS B, YEAH, PART SIX B.
THAT, THAT, UH, PART THIS IS TO RAISE AND SPEND LESS THAN $500.
UM, WE'RE TRYING TO CLARIFY WHAT THAT $500 IS, BECAUSE IT'S NOT $500 ANYMORE.
UM, YOU KNOW, WE, WE, WE WANNA MAKE THAT AS SIMPLE AS POSSIBLE.
UH, YOU KNOW, CERTAINLY IF YOU LOOK AT THE SCHEDULE THAT'S, UH, THAT'S IN SECTION 18.31, LIKE IT'S ALL MAPPED OUT FOR YOU, BUT, UM, I DON'T THINK THAT'S THE BEST WAY TO REFER TO IT IN THE CODE.
SO KEEPING IT, TAKING IT BACK TO, UM, JUST THE MORE GENERAL REFERENCE TO THE STATUTE INSTEAD OF SPECIFYING THE ADMINISTRATIVE CODE NUMBER.
COMMISSIONER KATES IS A DIFFERENT YEAH.
I MEAN, YEAH, I'M, I'M STRUGGLING WITH THIS TOO.
UM, I THINK YOU'RE RIGHT THAT 18, JUST, JUST SAYING 18.31 DOESN'T GO FAR ENOUGH BECAUSE YOU DON'T KNOW MM-HMM.
UM, UNLESS YOU ALSO SAY 2 54 0 3 1, UM, WHERE THE ACTUAL STATUTE IS THAT SAYS THAT $500 TO BEGIN WITH MM-HMM.
AND THEN YOU GO AND LOOK AT THE TABLE AND FIGURE OUT IT'S 1,080, UM, THAT'S PROBABLY OVERKILL.
UM, WELL, YEAH, BUT EVEN TAKING HIM, I MEAN, EVEN TAKING HIM TO THE, TO THE REQUIREMENT TO UPDATE THIS THRESHOLDS DOESN'T GET YOU THERE EITHER.
WELL, YOU KNOW, I, I MEAN, WE STATED AS SIMPLY AND CLEARLY AS POSSIBLE IN THE CODE, AND THEN WHEN THE, YOU KNOW, ALL OF THE CAMPAIGN BROCHURES AND ALL THE THINGS THAT THE CLERK'S OFFICE PUTS OUT, IT, IT WILL, IT WILL TELL PEOPLE HOW TO FIND THAT, THAT, UH, SCHEDULE OR, YOU KNOW, WHATEVER OTHER BACKGROUND INFORMATION THEY NEED TO UNDERSTAND THAT PARTICULAR SECTION OF THE CODE.
WHAT ARE YOU RECOMMENDING COMMISSIONER LOW THAT IT BE THAT OH, RATHER THAN ON, UH, LINE 1 1 5 AND 1 1 6 UHHUH, UH, RATHER THAN UNDER THE TEXAS ELECTION CODE TO RAISE AND SPEND LESS THAN $500, WE SHOULD CITE THE SPECIFIC SECTION OF THE TEXAS ELECTION CODE, OR WE SHOULD REFER TO THE TEXAS GOVERNMENT CODE, WHICH TELLS THE TEXAS ETHICS COMMISSION TO, UH, ADJUST THE THRESHOLDS.
YEAH, I MEAN, I, I'D SAY, I'D SAY THE 2 54 RATHER THAN THE GOVERNMENT CODE, BECAUSE THE GOVERNMENT CODE DOESN'T TELL YOU.
IT DOESN'T TELL YOU THE AMOUNT.
THE ONLY ISSUE IS THAT WITH THAT IS THAT THE ELECTION CODE REFERS TO $500 AND IT DOESN'T STATE THAT IS CONSIGNED TIED TO THIS CONSUMER PRICE INDEX.
IT'S ONLY THE GOVERNMENT CODE THAT SAYS IT'S TIED, WHICH IS WHY OUR CITY CODE IS WRITTEN THIS WAY.
SO, BUT I CAN I, I TAKE ALL OF YOUR COMMENTS AND I, I'LL, I'LL FIND A WAY TO MAKE SURE THAT THE CODE, THAT CITY CODE IS CORRECT AND IN A WAY THAT ACCURATELY CITES OR POINTS CANDIDATES TO THAT INFORMATION.
UM, SO I, I TAKE BOTH YOUR POINTS AND I'LL, AND I'LL, I'LL, YEAH.
I DON'T KNOW HOW TO ACCURATELY AND SUCCINCTLY RIGHT.
SAY IT'S NOT THIS DOLLAR AMOUNT ANYMORE, IT'S OVER HERE AND IT COULD CHANGE AND IT COULD CHANGE AND GO LOOK AT IT, YOU KNOW, WHATEVER THE CURRENT RATE IS PER YEAH.
LIKE, IT WOULD BE NICE TO SAY $500 OR $1,080, BUT WE KNOW IT'S GONNA CHANGE AGAIN ANYWAY.
SO IT WOULD NICE, IT'D BE NICE TO JUST BE ABLE TO SAY UNDER THE TEXAS ELECTION CODE.
MAYBE THAT'S, I MEAN, IT DOES NOW THAT'S WAY TOO BROAD.
I MEAN, IT DOES NOW AND THEN NOTHING ELSE JUST END OF YEAH.
BUT THE PROBLEM WITH THAT IS THAT, THAT A PERSON, A CANDIDATE WOULD HAVE TO FIGURE IT OUT AND IT'S, IT'S JUST TOO, AND I THINK COMMISSIONER LOWE IS RIGHT, THAT, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE GONNA GET THE CITY, YOU'RE GONNA GET THE, ALL THE PACKET FROM THE CITY CLERK AND EVERYTHING TO TELL YOU WHAT IT IS.
UM, I'M JUST TRYING TO FIND A WAY TO SAY IT IN THE CODE TO MAKE IT SO THAT ANYBODY READING THE CODE CAN KNOW, LIKE, HEY, IT'S AT LEAST DOUBLE THAT.
IT NEEDS TO BE UPDATED WITHOUT HAVING TO HIRE ME
I THINK THOSE ARE GREAT SUGGESTIONS.
YOU, I, THAT'S WHY THAT'S, UH, BROAD EXPERTISE IS SO VALUABLE.
UM, ANY OTHER COMMENTS ON THESE? WE GOOD? UM, OKAY.
[02:05:01]
AND SEE IF WE HAVE ANYTHING ELSE, YOU GUYS, UM, I JUST WANNA THANK MS. WEBSTER AGAIN FOR, FOR THE OPPORTUNITY FOR SOLICITING OUR FEEDBACK.THEN I DON'T THINK THAT STAFF IS THANKED ENOUGH OR AT ALL FOR THIS TYPE OF THING, SO THANK YOU.
AND YOU HAVE ALL OF US TALKING AT YOU WHILE YOU'RE TRYING TO TYPE AND KEEP UP.
I'M, I'M SORRY IF I MAY, UH, AND THANK YOU FOR THAT.
I ACTUALLY, THIS IS EXACTLY WHAT I WANTED FROM YOU ALL.
I, BECAUSE YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU READ YOUR OWN STUFF OVER AND OVER AGAIN, YOU STOP SEEING IT.
AND SO TO CATCH THINGS WHERE I HAVEN'T BEEN CONSISTENT OR YOUR RECOMMENDED CHANGES, I MEAN, THAT'S EXTREMELY VALUABLE TO ME.
ANY, UM, ANY FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS WE POST? OH, SIDNEY.
COMMISSIONER WILLIAMS. DO WE NEED TO ADOPT THE MODIFICATIONS AND RECOMMEND THAT WE SUPPORT, DO WE NEED A MOTION TO RECOMMEND THAT WE SUPPORT THOSE MODIFICATIONS? I THINK YOU'RE RIGHT.
DO WE HAVE A MOTION TO THAT EFFECT? I MOVE, UH, I THINK I SECOND.
COMMISSIONER ESPINOZA, UH, MADE THE MOTION AND COMMISSIONER WILLIAMS SECONDED IT.
AND THAT IS TO ADOPT THE, UH, TO, TO RECOMMEND ADOPTING THESE, UH, RECOMMENDATIONS WE MADE TO YOU.
AND, UH, COMMISSIONER KATES, YOU HAD A QUESTION? I WAS JUST GONNA SAY AS AMENDED.
AS AMENDED SOME, SOME OF, SOME OF WHICH HAS BEEN AMENDED, SOME OF WHICH ARE UNDER ADVISEMENT.
SO I DON'T KNOW WHERE THAT FALLS.
CAN WE STATE THAT MOTION VERY CLEARLY AND EXPLICITLY PLEASE? BECAUSE WORDING IS VERY IMPORTANT.
I, I ACTUALLY DEFER TO ANDREW KATES TO SPECIFICALLY, NOT ONLY BECAUSE HE DOES HE KNOW THE LANGUAGE BETTER, BUT BECAUSE IT'S HIS ONLY MEETING AND I WANT HIM TO HAVE A MOTION ON RECORD.
SO HOW DO WE ADDRESS THE ONES THAT WE HAVEN'T, WE HAVEN'T GOT A FULL ANSWER ON YET? I, IS THERE ONLY ONE? I DON'T, SOME OF IT, I'M NOT REALLY SURE.
SO, UM, I'M GONNA REITERATE IT IS, UM, AND I'M GLAD YOU'LL FILL IN THE TEXT, BUT IT WILL BE COMMISSIONER ESPINOZA'S MOTION,
I THINK WE CAN COVER WHAT YOU'RE SAYING.
COMMISSIONER KATES BY SAYING THAT, UM, WE MADE SOME VERY SPECIFIC RECOMMENDATIONS, BUT WE ALSO MADE SOME THINGS THAT MS. WEBSTER IN HER EXPERTISE WILL TAKE INTO ADVISEMENT, UH, BASED ON, UH, YOU KNOW, A MUTUAL UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT WE INTENDED AND WHAT WE SAID.
UM, ALRIGHT, WELL THEN I WILL MAKE THAT, UM, UH, UH, I'LL MAKE A MOTION TO, UM, APPROVE AND RECOMMEND THE CHANGES TO, UH, CITY CODE PRESENTED TO US BY CITY LEGAL, UM, WITH RECOMMENDATION FOR OTHER CHANGES AS WE DISCUSSED.
SO YOU'RE RESTATING THAT MOTION FOR COMMISSIONER ESPINOSA, CORRECT? CORRECT.
YEAH, HE THREW HIS VOICE THIS WAY.
I CAN'T DEFER THE MOTION TO HIM.
DID HE HAVE A SECOND MR. HE, HE'S MADE THE MOTION.
COMMISSIONER WILLIAMS SECONDED IT.
AND I THINK IF WE GET INTO A NEW MOTION, WE HAVE TO TABLE AND DO ALL THIS OTHER STUFF AND MY BRAIN IS A LITTLE FRIED, SO, UM, I'LL BE VERY HONEST ABOUT THAT.
COMMISSIONER LOWE, ARE WE IN DISCUSSION? UM, I'M NOT, I WAS WONDERING THAT WE ARE NOT.
I'M JUST CLEAR WE'RE NOT IN DISCUSSION YET.
SO DID WE HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND? YES, WE DID.
UM, I WAS JUST FINALIZING THE MOTION AND REEMPHASIZING THAT WHAT COMMISSIONER KATE SAID WAS THE CONTENT OF THE MOTION.
NOW WE CAN DISCUSS THE MOTION.
UH, COMMISSIONER LOWE, AND THEN, THANK YOU.
UM, SINCE WE HAVE QUITE A FEW COMMISSIONERS WHO ARE NOT PRESENT, COULD WE UNDER THIS MOTION GIVE MORE TIME AT THE NEXT MEETING WHEN PERHAPS OTHER COMMISSIONERS WHO ARE NOT HERE TODAY WILL BE PRESENT? UM, I MEAN, CAN WE DISCUSS IT MORE, HAVE MORE THINGS TAKEN UNDER ADVISEMENT AS WE GO HOME AND THINK ABOUT THIS AND AS WE HAVE OTHER COMMISSIONERS AT THE NEXT MEETING? OR DO WE HAVE TO HAVE YET ANOTHER MOTION AT THE NEXT MEETING TO DO BASICALLY THE SAME THING IF WE'RE GIVING MORE INPUT AT THE NEXT
[02:10:01]
MEETING? I BELIEVE WE WOULD HAVE TO HAVE A MOTION AT THE NEXT MEETING.AND I WOULD ALSO SAY IT SEEMED LIKE ONE OF OUR GOALS WAS TO HAMMER IT OUT TONIGHT.
AND THAT'S NOT TO SAY I DON'T VALUE THOSE OPINIONS, BUT I THINK, UM, I, I PERSONALLY, WE SAID WE WANTED TO FINISH IT UP.
AND SO I WOULD LIKE TO SEE THAT FINALIZED AT THE SAME TIME.
IF THERE'S SOME SORT OF, UM, CONSENSUS THAT WE WOULD LIKE TO HAVE OTHER COMMISSIONERS TAKE A LOOK AT IT, I'M OPEN TO THAT.
I JUST WANT, DON'T WANT THIS MOTION TO FORECLOSE ANY MOTION AT THE NEXT MEETING OR ANY OPPORTUNITY FOR INPUT BY THE COMMISSIONERS WHO ARE ABSENT NOW, OR FOR THOSE OF US WHO ARE HERE NOW, BUT HAVE SOME NEW THOUGHTS IN THE NEXT MONTH.
THAT'S A SO I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THIS MOTION DOESN'T FORECLOSE THAT.
COMMISSIONER WILLIAMS, I, I AGREE WITH THE VICE CHAIR.
I THINK MY ORIGINAL VOTE TO, TO EVEN DIVE INTO THIS WAS BASED ON WHAT I THOUGHT WAS AN OVERWHELMING MAJORITY'S, UH, CONCERN OR EFFORT TO TRY AND GET THIS WRAPPED UP TONIGHT.
UM, I THINK IF WE WAIT UNTIL THE NEXT MEETING TO INVITE INPUT, WE'LL FIND OURSELVES DOING DUPLICATE WORK.
UM, WHILE I DO VALUE THEIR OPINION, I, I, I JUST, I THINK THAT THE, THE GOAL OF, OF WHAT WE DID TONIGHT WAS TO, TO GET TO THE BOTTOM OF IT.
SO SECRETARY STANTON ADAMS? YES.
I JUST WANNA, UH, CLARIFY, MAKE SURE THAT I UNDERSTAND THAT THE MOTION IS NOT MS. WEBSTER, YOU HAVE TO IMPLEMENT THE CHANGES THAT WE ARE RECOMMENDING.
THE, THE, THE MOTION IS WE APPROVE, UH, WE APPROVE THESE, WE ARE PASSING TO MS. WEBSTER OUR RECOMMENDATIONS FOR REVISIONS TO IT, FOR HER TO DO WHAT SHE WISHES.
BUT THIS IS WHAT UNIFIED WE, WE ARE PRESENTING THESE, THIS FEEDBACK, IF YOU WILL.
AND THEN I ALSO, UM, WOULD LIKE TO SEE THIS AS A CLOSED, AS A CLOSED THING, UH, IN THE INTEREST OF PROGRESS.
ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION ON THE MOTION? ALRIGHT.
SEEING NONE, I WILL TAKE A VOTE.
UM, I'LL, I'M GONNA DO THIS ONE BY ONE JUST BECAUSE WE PUT A LOT INTO IT.
COMM, UH, SECRETARY STANTON ADAMS? YES.
COMMISSIONER WILLIAMS. I SUPPORT THE MOTION.
IT PASSED UNANIMOUSLY WITH OUR GROUP.
[FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS]
FURTHER THINGS WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT TONIGHT? UM, FOR NEXT MONTH WE POSTPONE? YES.DO WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT THE CALENDAR? I KNOW IT WAS KIND OF ON THE AGENDA.
UM, I COULDN'T TELL IF IT WAS ON THE AGENDA.
IT WAS, DID YOU SAY LAST MONTH? MAY I ADD? I JUST WANTED TO ADD IT INTO THE PACKETS AS WE HAVE NEW COMMISSIONERS AND BECAUSE THE YEAR'S OVER THAT WAY WE HAVE THE SCHEDULE AND YEAH, EVERYBODY CAN PUT IN THEIR CALENDARS.
BUT I DO WANNA MAKE A NOTE THAT THERE ARE NO, UM, LOCATIONS YET AT THE MOMENT THAT IS STILL PENDING, BUT ONCE THAT HAS BEEN ADDED, I CAN SEND OUT A NEW CALENDAR WITH THOSE LOCATIONS.
SO, UH, SEEING NOTHING ELSE, I AM GOING TO ADJOURN THIS MEETING.
IT'S 8:44 PM WELL DONE YOU GUYS.
AND THANK YOU AGAIN, MS. WEBSTER AND MS. BONITAS, WE REALLY APPRECIATE IT AS WELL AS TECH SUPPORT.