Aug 22, 2022 Keep Angleton Beautiful Commission

[1. Approve the minutes from Regular Called meeting on April 25, 2022.]

[00:00:37]

MIC] START THE MEETING AT 5:31.

I THINK THE FIRST ITEM ON THE AGENDA IS MINUTES.

DO YOU WANT TO? NO, I THINK THEY DO THAT.

[2. Discussion and possible action on authorizing staff to pursue a tobacco and drug free parks ordinance.]

I SECOND.

CALL FOR VOTE.

ALL THOSE APPROVED AYE.

ANY OPPOSED? THAT MOTION CARRIES.

I PREDOMINANTLY WORK WITH EDUCATORS, PARENTS, [INAUDIBLE]HEALTH CARE PROVIDERS OF JUST EDUCATING ABOUT THE HARMFUL EFFECTS OF THAT TOBACCO.

BUT IT PUTS THE HIGHLIGHT UP ON OUR SITE UP THERE, ADVOCATE FOR POLICY CHANGE.

AND THAT'S WHAT WE'RE HERE TO DISCUSS TODAY.

MEGAN SAID THAT THIS WAS SOMETHING THAT WAS HIGH ON THE LIST FOR MIDDLETON PARKS AND RECREATION DEPARTMENT.

[00:05:33]

ALMOST ALL THE PRODUCTS.

BUT. SOME.

QUESTION. PAUL.

BUT. BUT.

WE THINK THAT'S JUST.

THERE'S. SO DELTA EIGHT IS LEGAL, 21 AND UP ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT OF CIGARETTES'.

CIGARETTES' MAKE UP NEARLY 38%, SO ALMOST 40% OF ALL COLLECTED LITTER IN THE UNITED STATES.

AND THEN AS WE GO CIGARETTES' AND E-CIGARETTES HAVE TOXIC CHEMICALS . I'M NOT GOING TO GO THROUGH THIS WHOLE LITTLE PACKET BECAUSE IT'S FOUR PAGES LONG, BUT IF YOU'D LIKE TO READ A LITTLE BIT MORE, I WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT ON PAGE THREE.

IF YOU LOOK ON THE SECOND COLUMN, THE LAST HIGHLIGHTED SECTION, GROWING CONCERNS OVER THE IMPACT OF TOBACCO WASTE ON ENVIRONMENT AS WELL AS SUBSTANTIAL COST MIC] AS OF OCTOBER 2017.

SO THIS FROM TRUTH INITIATIVE.

EXCELLENT SOURCE, AND I WOULD ENCOURAGE YOU TO LOOK THROUGH IT AND EDUCATE MORE ON THE HARMFUL IMPACT THAT TOBACCO HAS ON OUR

[00:10:49]

SO FINALLY, I THINK THIS IS WHAT I'M MOST PASSIONATE ABOUT.

I HAVE FOUR CHILDREN OF MY OWN.

ALL THE GAMES ARE PLAYED.

ANOTHER HOT SPOT FOR CIGARETTE BUTTS AND SO PARKS ARE MADE FOR FAMILIES TO GO AND ENJOY AND GET OUTDOORS AND BE HEALTHY AND CONNECT AND HAVE FUN.

BUT IF ANYONE IS SMOKING OR VAPING IN THE PARK, YOU ARE NEAR THAT PERSON.

YOU ARE BEING EXPOSED.

THE ONLY TRUE WAY TO PROTECT YOURSELF FROM SECONDHAND SMOKE IS FOR PEOPLE NOT TO SMOKE.

AND THERE'S ALSO SECONDHAND AEROSOL, WHICH COMES FROM THE VAPE DEVICES.

AND WE WANT TO BE VERY CLEAR, WHEN YOU THINK OF THE WORD VAPOR, YOU THINK OF WATER, AT LEAST I DID, UNTIL I BECAME MORE EDUCATED ABOUT IT.

AND VAPOR IS MORE IT'S AN AEROSOL.

THAT'S WHAT COMES OUT OF THE VAPE PENS.

SO INSTEAD OF THINKING OF A WATER VAPOR FROM A HUMIDIFIER, YOU NEED TO THINK OF HAIRSPRAY.

JUST, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE SPRAYING AROUND AND STICKY, STICKY.

AND SO THAT IS WHAT IS CLINGING TO THE THINGS AROUND IT.

SO WE WANT TO PROTECT THE CHILDREN OF ANGLETON, NOT ONLY FROM SECONDHAND SMOKE, BUT I ALSO ENCOURAGE US FROM WHAT THEY SEE, RIGHT? IF THEY SEE EVERYONE OUT THERE SMOKING AND VAPING, THEY'LL CONSIDER THAT AS A PART OF FAMILIES BEING OUTDOORS AND AND HAVING FUN TOGETHER. SO.

SO ANYWAY, THIS PICTURE RIGHT HERE, THESE LITTLE GIRLS HAPPEN TO BE FROM PEARLAND, BUT THEY ARE ONE OF OUR COWORKERS NIECE IS ON THIS TEAM AND THEY ACTUALLY WON THE STATE CHAMPIONSHIP FOR 6U AT BATES PARK.

SO WE THOUGHT THAT WAS PRETTY COOL.

AND WE WANTED TO INCLUDE A PICTURE OF SOME OF THAT, AN EXAMPLE OF KIDDOS THAT WOULD BE AT THAT PARK.

SO YOU ALSO HAVE A FLIER.

THIS ACTUAL FLIER I GAVE YOU AS WELL HAS SOME INFORMATION ABOUT SECONDHAND SMOKE THAT YOU CAN READ FOR YOURSELF, BUT THAT IS REALLY WHAT WE HAVE AND WE ARE WILLING TO TAKE QUESTIONS IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS.

AND IF WE DON'T HAVE THE ANSWER, WE COULD EASILY, PRETTY EASILY FIND THAT ANSWER FOR YOU.

I HAVE A QUESTION.

I'M DIANA, BY THE WAY.

THANK YOU ALL FOR BEING HERE.

ON THE THIRD PAGE WHERE YOU LISTED THE NUMBERS OF MUNICIPALITIES.

IS THAT US WIDE OR IS THAT JUST TEXAS? THAT IS US.

YES. SO IS THIS IS THE NUMBER AS LOW AS IT IS BECAUSE THIS IS JUST A IS THIS A NEW PROGRAM THAT'S JUST STARTING UP? NO I BELIEVE ONE THING WITH DATA.

EVIDENCE BASED DATA IS IT TAKES TIME TO GATHER IT AND THEN REPORT IT.

SO AS YOU CAN SEE, THIS IS FROM 2017.

SO IT'S ACTUALLY ALMOST WE'RE ABOUT TO BE IN 2022.

AND SO IT'S ALMOST SIX YEARS OLD AND ALSO FOR QUITE SOME TIME REALLY UNTIL VAPE DEVICES CAME ONTO THE SCENE, THERE WAS A DOWNTICK IN IN TOBACCO USAGE ACTUALLY.

BUT SINCE THE VAPES HAVE COME ON DEVICE AND ONTO THE SCENE AND WE'LL CAN TALK ABOUT THAT MORE THOROUGHLY IN 2014, WE HAVE SEEN A CONSIDERABLE UPTAKE.

[00:15:03]

AND ANXIOUS, THERE HAS BEEN AN INCREASE.

AND AGAIN, OUR DATA, EVEN FOR THE YOUTH, WE ARE JUST NOW GETTING THE 2021 DATA BEFORE THIS SUMMER.

OUR MOST RECENT DATA WAS FROM 2019 BECAUSE WE REALLY LOST THE COVID YEARS BECAUSE WE COULDN'T TAKE SURVEYS.

AND ESSENTIALLY WITH SMOKING AND VAPING, IT'S WE LINK THEM TOGETHER MAINLY BECAUSE BIG TOBACCO INVESTED, THEY STARTED SEEING A DECREASE IN THEIR PERCENTAGES OF SALES.

SO A LOT OF THESE E-CIGARETTE ORGANIZATIONS ARE BACKED BY PHILIP MORRIS, R.J.

REYNOLDS, LORILLARD, THE BIG TOBACCO INDUSTRIES.

SO IT'S ALL LOOKED IN THE SAME.

UNFORTUNATELY, THE MARKETING TACTICS ARE THE EXACT SAME.

THEY'RE NOT DOING ANYTHING NEW.

THEY'RE JUST MAKING IT LOOK LIKE A 2022 VERSION OF WHAT WAS DONE BACK IN THE 1940S AND 50S.

OKAY. THANK YOU.

SO AT THIS TIME, WOULD ONE OF YOU LIKE TO PROVIDE A MOTION TO RECOMMEND STAFF TO PURSUE DRUG AND TOBACCO AND DRUG FREE PARK ORDINANCE? I'LL MAKE THAT MOTION TO PURSUE THAT STAFF PURSUE AN ORDINANCE.

PURSUE A TOBACCO AND A TOBACCO AND DRUG ORDINANCE.

OKAY. WE HAVE A VOTE ALL IN FAVOR

[3. Discussion and possible action on a recommendation to increase the voluntary Keep Angleton Beautiful Commission donation on residential utility bills.]

ALL IN FAVOR AYE.

ALL OPPOSED SAME SIGN.

GREAT MOTION PASSED.

THANK YOU. THANK YOU SO MUCH.

MUCH NEEDED. YEAH.

OKAY. THANK YOU.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU.

I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO IT.

SO WE'RE GOING TO GO AHEAD AND MOVE ON TO THE THIRD ITEM ON OUR AGENDA, DISCUSSION AND POSSIBLE ACTION ON RECOMMENDATION TO INCREASE VOLUNTARY AND BEAUTIFUL COMMISSION DONATION ON RESIDENTIAL UTILITY BILLS.

SO TO PROVIDE A LITTLE BACKGROUND ON THIS.

AS YOU'RE ALL AWARE, THE CITY RESIDENTS CURRENTLY RECEIVE A BILL FOR VARIOUS SERVICES WITH WATER, SEWAGE, GARBAGE AND RECYCLING.

INCLUDED IN THAT, THEY HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO ELECT TO DONATE TO THREE DIFFERENT ORGANIZATIONS WITH BEING $2 TO THE FIRE DEPARTMENT, $4.50 TO THE AMBULANCE SERVICE, AND $0.50 TO KEEP ANGLETON BEAUTIFUL.

THIS IS A VOLUNTARY ONE.

THEY HAVE THE ABILITY TO DONATE TO THAT AT THEIR DISCRETION AND CANCEL THAT AT ANY TIME.

AND CURRENTLY, THAT $0.50 HAS BEEN IN PLACE FOR OVER THE PAST 15 YEARS.

SO IT HAS BEEN THERE FOR QUITE SOME TIME AND KIND OF LITTLE BACKGROUND.

IN THE SAME TOKEN, IN 2019, 2020, THOSE DONATIONS RECEIVED WERE JUST OVER $24,000, WHEREAS 2021 AND 2020 AND 2021 WAS JUST OVER $23,000.

THE REASON WE'RE COMING TO YOU TODAY IS TO CONSIDER IT IS BASED ON A NUMBER OF THE NEW PROGRAMS WE HAVE COMING UP AND CURRENT THINGS THAT WE HAVE IN PLACE.

WE'RE RECOMMENDING THAT WE INCREASE THAT TO A DOLLAR.

SO AS YOU'RE AWARE, WE DO A FALL AND SPRING CLEANUP WHERE RESIDENTS CAN COME IN, DO A LARGE DROP OFF RECYCLING, PROVIDE THAT OPPORTUNITY.

THE MAYOR'S MODEL PLEDGE WE DO THE TXDOT TRAFFIC CONTROL [INAUDIBLE].

AS YOU SEE THROUGHOUT THE CITY, WE'RE PROVIDING THE OPPORTUNITY TO ENHANCE THE BEAUTY THROUGHOUT DOWNTOWN DISTRICT AND THROUGH, AND WE'D LIKE TO CONTINUE THAT AND PROVIDE MORE OPPORTUNITIES TO DO THAT.

WE HAVE THE GATEWAY SIGNAGE MASTER PLAN AND TWO MORE OPPORTUNITIES TO WELCOME PEOPLE INTO ANGLETON AND WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE.

WE HAVE UPCOMING ONES.

WE ARE LOOKING TO ESTABLISH A WATERWAY CLEANUP AND PROVIDE AN OPPORTUNITY TO CLEAN OUT THE VARIOUS WATERWAYS THROUGHOUT THE CITY.

ADDITIONAL ADOPT A ROADWAY PROGRAM TO DO SIMILAR TO THE WATERWAY CLEANUP TO WHERE IT WILL GIVE RESIDENTS AND COMMUNITY MEMBERS AND VOLUNTEER GROUPS TO COME IN AND TO ADOPT A ROADWAY TO KEEP OUR CITY CLEAN.

ON TOP OF THAT, WE ARE FORTUNATE THAT THIS YEAR TO BE ABLE TO BRING ON A NEW RECREATION SPECIALIST AND OUTDOOR AND ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION.

AND WITH THAT, THERE'S A LOT OF NEW PROGRAMS THAT THEY'RE TRYING TO OFFER AND BRING IN.

AND THIS INCREASE WILL HELP US TO SUPPORT SOME OF THOSE OFFERINGS AND BRING THOSE IN PLACE.

SO I OPEN UP FOR YOUR DISCUSSION.

JASON HOW MUCH OF AN INCREASE IS THAT GOING TO BE TO WHAT YOU'RE.

[00:20:04]

WELL, MY THOUGHT IS, YES, LONG OVERDUE.

AND I THINK MEGAN REACHED OUT TO US AND ASKED, WELL, HOW LONG HAS IT BEEN $0.50? AND I SAID, FOR THE 11 YEARS I'VE BEEN ON THE BOARD.

AND THAT'S. YEAH.

AND CHLOE CAMPBELL IN A UTILITY BILLING WAS ACTUALLY ABLE TO PROVIDE US HER HISTORY AS WELL.

AND SHE'S BEEN WITH THE CITY FOR A MINIMUM OF 15 YEARS, WHICH IS WHY WE WE KNOW THAT IT'S AT LEAST BEEN 15 YEARS AT THIS RATE.

SO. WELL, AND IT'S A VOLUNTARY THING.

I MEAN, SO WE DON'T HAVE A LOT OF I MEAN, DO WE KNOW WHAT PERCENTAGE OF OF OUR CUSTOMERS? SO WE MAY BE ABLE TO ASK CHLOE WHAT THE ACTUAL PERCENTAGE IS, BUT WHAT YOU CAN EXPECT IF THE SAME NUMBER OF PEOPLE ARE DONATING, I MEAN, WE COULD PROBABLY DO THE MATH JUST BASED ON THE ANNUAL REVENUE THAT WE HAVE, BUT YOU CAN EXPECT THAT IT WOULD DOUBLE IF EVERYONE SIGNED UP, BUT WE COULD PROBABLY RUN THOSE NUMBERS AND GET A BETTER IDEA OF HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE ACTUALLY DONATING.

AND WHEN WE INCREASE THIS.

I'M ASSUMING WE'RE GOING TO INCREASE THIS AND THEN THEY CAN THEN AT THAT TIME DECIDE TO OPT OUT OR NOT? ABSOLUTELY. SO I WOULD THINK THAT LIKE ME, THE MAJORITY WOULD JUST PAY IT.

YOU'VE BEEN PAYING IT ALL ALONG.

SO I WAS GOING TO MAKE A COMMENT THAT BOTH THE FIRE DEPARTMENT VOLUNTARY CONTRIBUTION AND THE EMERGENCY SERVICES ALSO INCREASED THEIR VOLUNTARY CONTRIBUTIONS FOR THE SAME REASON THAT THEY HADN'T BEEN UPDATED IN A NUMBER OF YEARS.

AND I'LL HAVE TO CHECK MEGAN MAY REMIND ME, BUT.

SEE IF THERE'S BEEN ANY KIND OF DROP OFF OR WHATEVER ON THAT IS A PEOPLE ARE UPSET OR THEY SAY IT'S TOO MUCH OR WHATEVER. SO I DON'T KNOW THE IMPACT OF I THINK THEY JUST STARTED THAT A COUPLE OF MONTHS AGO.

SO THERE'S PROBABLY NOT A WHOLE LOT OF DATA, BUT.

AND WHAT WE HAVE SEEN JUST EVEN IN THE PAST COUPLE OF FISCAL YEARS IS THE NUMBERS THAT ARE PROVIDED IN YOUR AGENDA PACKET.

WE ARE SEEING PEOPLE FALL OFF AND BECAUSE WE HAD, I THINK IT WAS AROUND $24,000.

YEAH, JUST OVER 1,000 DROP FROM 2019-2020 TO 20-2021.

YEAH. YEAH. AND I THINK NEW RESIDENTS THAT COME IN, I CAN SEE THEM NOT SIGNING UP FOR IT BECAUSE THEY JUST DON'T UNDERSTAND WHAT THE BENEFIT IS OF AN EXTRA $0.50.

COULDN'T WE WOULD GIVE THEM THE OPTION AHEAD OF TIME BEFORE WE JUST CHANGED IT TO A DOLLAR.

RIGHT. SO IT'S A VOLUNTARY DONATION.

SO WE WOULD MAKE CONTACT WITH THE INDIVIDUALS THAT ARE PROVIDING THAT DONATION AND LET THEM KNOW THIS IS GOING UP.

ARE YOU WANTING TO CONTINUE YOUR VOLUNTARY DONATION OF THE ADOPTED RATE OR NOT.

THAT'S FAIR. AND THEN A COMMENT ABOUT WHY WE [INAUDIBLE] ASK FOR THIS, YOU KNOW, WILL THERE BE AN OPTION IF THEY WANT TO JUST STAY AT THE $0.50? THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION. WE HAVEN'T DISCUSSED THAT.

SO THAT COULD BE PART OF IF THAT'S SOMETHING THAT THE BOARD WANTED OR THE COMMISSION WANTED TO DISCUSS.

YOU COULD DEVELOP THAT INTO YOUR MOTION.

THAT WOULD BE BETTER THAN. YEAH, THAT WOULD BE GOOD.

IS THAT SOMETHING THAT THE CITY COULD HANDLE IF YOU HAD DIFFERENT RATES? THAT'S A GOOD QUESTION. ALSO, I DON'T KNOW.

GENERAL DONATIONS, AND SO THEY COULD STILL MAKE A DONATION IF THEY SO CHOSE TO.

AND WE HAVE THE CAPABILITY AT THE RECREATION CENTER TO DO A AUTOMATIC DRAFT COMPLETELY UNASSOCIATED WITH THEIR BILL IN TOTAL.

I MEAN, IT COULD JUST BE A [INAUDIBLE] RECURRING DONATION.

WELL, CHRIS ARE.

CHRIS. MY QUESTION WOULD BE, THOUGH, IF WE THOSE WHO WANTED TO CONTINUE ON A $0.50 OR DONATING THE $0.50 VERSUS GOING UP THE DOLLAR.

WOULD THAT LEAVE US WITHOUT? WOULDN'T THAT WOULD WE NOT? I MEAN, WE WOULDN'T RECOUP.

WE COULDN'T GET THAT MONEY IF WE'RE WANTING THE MONEY.

I'D RATHER SEE A CUSTOMER GO AHEAD AND KEEP GIVING US $0.50 IF THEY DON'T WANT TO GIVE US A DOLLAR.

I MEAN, I'D HATE TO SEE US LOSE OUT ON INCOME OR REVENUE TO CONTINUE DOING WHAT WE DO.

[00:25:09]

YEAH. IF THEY BELIEVE IN WHAT THEY'RE GIVING AND THEY'VE BEEN GIVING IT ALL THIS TIME, THEN GIVE A DOLLAR BECAUSE THEY'RE NOT GOING TO LOOK AT IT AND SAY, OH YEAH, IT WENT UP. I MEAN.

WELL, THE CONCERN TOO WOULD BE THAT IF YOU GAVE THEM THE OPTION, THEN MOST ARE GOING TO OPT FOR THE $0.50.

YEAH. [INAUDIBLE] YOU'RE CONTRIBUTING LESS AND LESS.

OKAY. WELL, I'D LIKE TO MOVE THAT WE RECOMMEND A $0.50 INCREASE IN THE VOLUNTARY DONATION FOR KEEP ANGLETON BEAUTIFUL COMMISSION ON THE RESIDENTIAL UTILITY BILLS TO A TOTAL OF $1,00. AND I SECOND THAT.

ANY ADDITIONAL DISCUSSION? ALL IN FAVOR AYE, AYE.

ALL OPPOSED SAME.

PERFECT. THANK YOU.

AND I BELIEVE THAT SHOULD BE THE LAST ITEM ON YOUR AGENDA.

SO WE'RE PERFECT.

THANK YOU. THAT'S GOOD.

[INAUDIBLE]

* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.