City of Biloxi, MS City Council meetings, 13 Jul 2021

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From YouTube: Special called council meeting July 13 2021

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Special Called City Council Meeting held Tuesday, July 13, 2021 at 11 a.m. at Biloxi City Hall. Topic: Budget workshop

A

I'll entertain a motion to adopt the agenda for this workshop.

A

There's a motion by mr lawrence and a second by mr guns, any discussion all in favor. That's a 5-0 vote. uh The record reflect mr deming and miss newman are not present. Thank you.

A

uh That brings us to the bigger.

B

A

Mayor's report.

B

Yeah mayor's report well, no report no report.

A

Excellent report mayor that brings us to the council report, mr lawrence.

C

Yeah I'd like to ask one thing: you all do know where the roundabout is. Don't you with two piles of trash for the seventh week who exactly I gotta call get that picked up.

B

It's not working right, we'll go, take a look at it. I mean.

C

You know seven weeks, the roundabout, you know you're talking about making this.

B

Okay, I got, I got the message. Well, good thing, you can do it so it's about time you never billy. Ray's number. Did you call him? I'm.

C

Trying to pick it up all right, okay, all right! You know.

A

Thank you anything.

D

Else, mr lawrence.

A

Mr guys, nothing, mr.

E

Barrett, the weather is beautiful today, right.

B

Now, reporter I wish they'd.

E

Been like this the whole summer, that's.

A

It it would be like this for the rest of.

D

The test one two, three okay,.

A

Thank you. I have nothing uh that brings us.

D

One quick thing: one thing quickly, just a gun- I don't know if you guys know melting hairs, supervisor.

B

D

Yeah no supervisor over there he passed away this morning, so I just wanted to make a note of that and keep the family in the prayers. Thank you, mr god.

A

All right that brings us to uh the public agenda. Are there any comments.

A

B

E

A

Here from the public, so uh there being no comments we'll move to the police policy agenda, the subject matter. This meeting is uh really it's a workshop to discuss the fiscal year 2021 and 2022 budget next year's budget. Mr mayor.

B

Yeah, thank you, mr president, uh and I know this is a small format blaming this on me. Not diana the numbers are diana's. The format is mine. uh I kind of made a decision to go from higher to low. That's how I look at normally the business before us every week.

B

So you know the numbers can be presented in and any way you would feel comfortable, but this is one page tells it all from high to low um and uh there there's some history. Diana has a history. If we want to look at, you know from 18 to 19 19 to 20 20 to 21, but since 2020 was 20, 20 and 21 is a you know a bit more comparison, 2019 to 2021, maybe a better comparison.

B

So if you have any questions we'll be able to uh to do that, but uh these numbers reflect, I think, uh a recovery. That's that's on the way in the projections that we look to finish this year and next year uh you know.

B

Diane has been been tremendous in trying to guestimate and and uh uh look at at hard numbers uh comparison to uh specifically 19, but, as you can see, uh the first 15 or so line items kind of tells the tale for the you know for what we're going to be facing in 20 21 22..

B

So with that in mind, uh um we're here to answer questions you know, does.

C

This sheet, like here, where y'all get them from anywhere.

D

We're getting, let's have one of those they were.

C

In that box well, well, I've been downstairs. Oh okay, I had to come upstairs yeah.

D

So they gotta have to go downstairs and get one you wanna go, get it I'll, go get it yeah. You want mine.

C

I just wanna look at it. You know looking on the phone, I.

A

uh I do have a I do, have a question: yes, under the column titled fiscal year, 2022 projected revenue right, that's and then right to the right of that. You see the over or under, and how is that, over or under calculated? What columns are you comparing.

B

You're, comparing fy 21 revised budget to what we're projecting as the next year's budget. So those are the two shaded columns.

A

The shaded columns give you.

B

That plug, which is over under fy 2021, revised and the percentage next to it, is that percentage.

B

So if you look at the first line on the big line item, you know we had uh budgeted 17.555 million dollars, uh we're projecting to receive by the end of this year, 20.374 million dollars so uh looking at month by month and uh situation by situation. As far as things, we figured that uh our diana put together 20.2 million dollars, which is 2.6 over the 2021 budget, which is 15 percent higher.

B

C

I got my sheet out of time. What are you talking about now? The.

B

First, one yeah: the first line item is the of course, the biggest gaming number, the biggest number in our budget revenue-wise the february first.

C

For as long as you talk about the gaming yeah.

B

Gaming revenue right: that's what we're receiving that pretty much drives a lot of things. In last year october 1, we had projected there's a little bit of revision, 17.555 million dollars.

B

We feel like by the end of uh when september comes along. We will have collected 20.222.

E

uh Yeah, I ask a question about that: he's looking at it on our gaming revenue, if we just go off of um traditionally what we, what we bring in, which we haven't got june's numbers yet right or we have.

A

E

So july august september we have left two more months of gaming hits. So we have three left two two we haven't got july's left yet have we? No? We haven't gotten back.

B

E

We only got two okay. I got.

B

A september account okay,.

E

So, two more so july and august. um Traditionally, what would we, if we just go off of the numbers that we in the past, if we take covet out what? What does that put us at um that puts us at about 20 million yeah.

B

So that that's that's the middle column right there, okay.

E

Gotcha and so that's like 115 120 of what we projected is that correct I mean I could do it real quick, but y'all are more known, uh yeah. It's.

B

It's about ten twelve percent, more okay, so, okay,.

E

All right good deal that was that was my only question on that, and does that include um that doesn't does include um the sports betting correct. Yes,.

F

B

Gaming devices: that's that's down a little bit further. Okay,.

G

So, uh to follow up on councilman barrett's comments, we're we are projecting 2022 uh to be less.

B

We're projecting 20.222 to be the gaming revenue we'll budget october 1. we're guessing that we will receive 20.374.

B

If we're looking at uh probably two 2019 diana, then we look at the uh july and in september business, that's what we were looking at 2019, which was put us. Let me back up at the highest level. 2019 was a pretty much banner year. We based on gross gaming revenue was 903 million dollars right okay, but we had stronger months earlier than that in that 2019 year, but we looked at that. 2019 couldn't compare 2020 for september july, so we've based that. Well, we figured like we're.

B

Gonna get three million dollars total in gaming for the next in the next two months. Pretty much but.

G

My question is we're going to hit 23.74 for this fiscal year when gaming and hospitality early on had a lot of restrictions with kovitch a lot. We were handcuffed with a lot of that stuff. The.

B

The last two months were actually were projected off of prior to that stuff. So we look. We looked at 2019 july and and uh august and september months to come up with the next three million dollars.

B

I think where you're going is we're we're projecting twenty point three seven four million this year, but yet we're we're estimating twenty point two a little bit or so thousand dollars less, which you know we could. We could have revised that, but we're still guessing we're being conservative in this number. I don't we don't want to plan, you know the revenues and expenses and and be uh we don't want a sandbag, but we want to be realistic.

H

Stimulus packages this past year that will not be available next year to the citizens of what that come.

D

Gamble with us.

H

And also um unemployment, some people were not working and unemployment was higher. Plus this past year we had three of the highest months of gaming revenue that we've had for the past seven years and will that trend stay? We don't know so we took those items into consideration and factored in where we thought we would be, and it came in slightly less than where we think this.

G

Year will be- and I appreciate that that's logic and- and I can appreciate it, but I will tell you this because of staffing, I'm in hospitality industry. We have reduced our our inventory. In other words, we left rooms on empty, so did the gaming industry because they didn't have enough housekeepers to clean rooms.

G

We didn't have enough servers to turn tables, and so I think, there's going to be a balance of that, because if we are able to staff up in this next fiscal year, I think we can go to capacity and open up those opportunities. uh You know for more revenue. Well, this is where I'll tell you right now, at margaritaville's property.

G

We got 371 rooms there and we cap it at 300 rooms, there's 71 rooms every night that's available, but because of staffing shortages, and we just can't service them, it would be crazy to rent those 71 rooms and not being able to clean them. And that's that's a that's the same thing going on across this industry, because we just they just can't get the help to to clean some of these rooms and get those bodies in in. In those gaming facilities and non-gaming facilities, but just pointing it out that.

B

Yeah, no there's there's some.

G

B

We have some argument to it, just especially when we, you know the next. You know several iterations and we know one month I mean if we're looking the month that we'll be catching next, we'll have five full weekends in it. You know and we, which is not all the time. You know it happens, but you got a holiday and in in july's business that's come. It may put us in a little bit situation. Okay, uh but those weekends are 20 more or less.

B

You know so the more full you you got july, 1 through all in in through 30th uh or that full weekend. So we just wouldn't be conservative. We feel, like that's a good number. We can increase it if, uh if it's prudent.

E

Okay, I have one more question, so you said that you are projecting july and august's numbers off of 2019. now was june. I haven't seen june's numbers, yet it was 98 million dollars gross gaming revenue was that continue?

E

So so, if that continues, and we do continue to to shatter numbers or records or whatever that 20.374 actually could end up being higher if july and august turn out, like the three or four prior months have been okay all right, that's all.

B

But but keep in mind if it does shatter that that month you know if it puts us in four million dollars. Let's say: okay, then that means we're catching four million dollars in revenues and will be translated right to fund balance in general, so we're gonna, you know it'll, be reflective of that, so we'll have more fun balance to to uh to work with, as we move to the next steps. Correct. Thank you, but.

E

B

Is you know this is first pass, you know kind of kind of deal, and you know three weeks from now four weeks from now we'll be in a you know, better mode to craft these numbers. But this is it, mr lawrence, you had.

A

Some questions yeah.

C

I do um the gaming goes july august and september left correct, no.

B

Two more months we've got, we got two more months of collections. We will collect a june mail, we collected june revenue already that was 98 million dollars of gross gaming revenue. We will collect july and july and august numbers by the end of fiscal year and that.

C

Makes it 12 months yeah? Okay, then? What are we actually taking in so far uh 17 point? No, where we act live, that's not what we actually. What have we taken in that as of the ninth month or tenth month? True numbers not.

B

That's that's the column collected, so the true.

C

Numbers are seven, seventeen.

B

Point one: two: seven million: that's right: okay,.

C

How many months, 17 million for how many months.

B

10 months, 10 months, okay, 10 months.

C

That's what I need to know we're going to go to story lane.

B

I'll take the heat we'll make it bigger for those who need.

E

C

C

So these projected numbers another thing that forecasts all this is just made up: numbers on percentages.

B

Not made-up numbers, these are.

C

Doing just no fact that you could collect that much money, no.

B

We there's no facts other than what.

C

We did last year.

B

These are accurate guesses.

C

Educated guesses, if we just add the last two months like we did last year, it would come up to what 20.3 million so just just uh add them the next two months, two months, so you got the 17 the next one would be 20.3 if it just pretty much did what it did last year for two more months: okay,.

B

Which would bump up again about three million dollars in two months of growth? Of actually taxes collected.

C

And it's three million: it goes in our general fund, yeah.

B

It's the difference between revenues and expenses. It's a cash collected so.

C

And what about all the percentages with the the police, department and fire department? That's all part of the deal! It's all part of that yeah! So what have they gained? Because that's a big well.

B

Last month, I think it's like 276 000 went to public safety. Is that not right? You know anyway,.

H

B

That's all part of that one figure that's 17.55 collected or 17 whatever it is.

C

Yeah so I mean that's counting the schools, that's everything included.

B

That includes school. Now that has no school collections. This is exclusive. What we receive and put in the general fund depository account.

C

But I mean we have to pay the school system monitors too.

B

Yeah, that's but that's separate. We collect more money for that.

C

In the school system itself is how much does it we give them per year, 20- probably 25 million three million, how many millions we get yeah.

B

A month is about 270 250 250.

B

H

B

Yeah but yeah, it's a bunch of money, three and a half four million a year annually, paul you, you probably know remember more than that.

A

I used to I used to know, but I hadn't kept up with for some reason. I want to say five and a half six million somewhere five to six million somewhere in there. I may be wrong month. We paid out 1.4.

H

Million to all the schools.

C

That's off the game annually. I don't.

A

Know no and that's not just biloxi schools, because a small portion goes to those other schools so for some reason.

A

So an average of six hundred and six hundred thousand a month that if that was a good year, would be about seven million a year. I don't know if the district school districts ever hit- seven million. So I'm going to say somewhere.

B

A

Five and a half and six and a half million.

B

This july distribution that we got for june business to the general fund, 1.263 million to public safety, 0.63 million 631 thousand dollars, city schools, 631 thousand dollars.

I

B

uh Another six: you know: county schools or county school districts and public safety. Six hundred thirty one thousand dollars.

C

Is that that's per year? Well, that's per month! That's one month: okay,.

B

Kt you want to make a copy this one page right here, yeah you take a copy of that. You just ditch that one page one five.

A

C

A

Might you have mr lawrence.

C

I'm thinking relax, I am relaxed, always relax, just relax here. Don't.

A

Get too excited.

C

You don't look like fofo.

B

Felix have been trying to ask a question of me: I'm worried about felix.

C

We started doing a game or something just trying to get all the school systems the police department, how much we gain in these departments, which is good for the city, the police department, firefox. You know what we actually gain, because the revenue is up, so it helps us into our budget. I mean they're different fathers into all that. So that's that's. What we're trying to find those things out, because it takes all those numbers directly for us to put a budget together.

B

Yeah and the bottom line is the bottom line. That's where we're going from now. You look at the bottom and that's what reflects of all of those revenues, and that's that's what we actually put the you know what we can do in in expenses and what we can do in projects. The difference between is is the uh gain and a loss and from balance I.

C

Guess my question I'm trying to get to is that we have. We give the schools 37 meals a year and then 37 point something 43 meals a year is what we we're actually.

B

C

Point something bill per year: that's what we give the school system, I'm just trying to.

B

C

I'm just saying if we gain as much money as any way, we can reduce something to separate.

F

C

Can keep more money? You know.

H

C

All the bills, we don't want to put all the money up, pay all the bills. I don't know if that's the law, we sat there, don't oh that's set by law peter. You know that.

A

What is that the revenue to the schools? Yeah? That's uh that's set by statute when gaming wasn't gaming statute related to gaming in 92, when, uh when.

C

I'm not talking about that money. That is that's what that is set up by the state, the percentage. My point is: if we gain that much money for the school system with added gaming, then we need to look like reducing the military. The city can fix up the city clean up the city paved the street. You know we didn't pay the county.

B

A ton of money like an indirect kind of charge to the to them for things that we do for them, which is where you're going.

C

And this I was supposed to we voted gaming and for uh to help the city of luxembourg and finally helping the schools and everybody else. Just the.

B

First page, okay, just one for one page: it gives you an idea just the first page.

C

That's my point to get to is I'm looking for a hack of the city, keep them all this ton of money we take in for everybody else. Mr leonard now observation.

A

Everything go ahead. You remember arnold harshack, up your nose with a rubber hose right, so.

I

This is only my fifth year of doing this, and I know all most of you have been doing it more years than that, but I always like to remind myself of this is just like doing a checkbook at home before you start writing the bills. You want to know what your balance is. That's why we always start with revenue.

I

Your next three meetings, you're going to be dealing with expenses and you're going to be dealing with expenses with whatever that bottom line number is that's the balance in the checkbook to start writing checks next week in the week after and the week after. That's why we always start with revenue. So we know what the balance is that we're working against.

B

Well, it's it's sort of what your paychecks are going to get. I mean that's the to to make work the balance and get this revenue in, and then you pay, whatever you usually dictate so.

I

Which all gets to the balance, which means that, unless it gets adjusted this week, we'll go into those next two meetings? Knowing that we have 67 million in the general fund to play with that's our that's our money to play with.

C

Right, I know we just deal with the game and we'll get to the added income that we received from the cover 19 all these other months right now we just the first line of gaming. That's how we're.

B

C

B

Right now we're doing pretty good and we're guessing we're going to do really good over the next two months as compared to what we started october 1 with okay.

C

My point, I hope just y'all, just listening is: how can we, the city, keep more money.

B

Well, that's a that's.

C

Another question: I'm all about from all this stuff: everything everybody's gaining, what's sitting right.

B

Let me see, let me repeat this question, maybe I'll repeat what you're asking me look at this one page: okay, this first page, you got that 1.3 percent of the gross gaming 3.2 percent of the gross gaming revenue, which was 98.7 million dollars cities the city schools, gets 20 percent of that 3.2 percent, which total 631 dollar throw thirty three six hundred thirty two thousand dollars. Your question is: how can we keep more of that.

C

B

I can't answer that. I got some ideas and I don't know whether we can do that today.

C

Well, we need to be part of someone in my ideas. We need all notice to set this budget, so any ideas you have, you need to explain it well.

B

We set in the budget based on the law.

A

So so the the question is: can we reduce the amount of money that the school district gets? Anybody for us.

C

To keep more money right right well,.

A

The military, the millage for schools, is set by the school board. Okay, so if they want to reduce the military.

C

The school board do something wrong: we get rid of school board if they want, if they want.

A

Think if they want to increase it, if they want to increase it, they can the percentage that the school district gets is through the statute that was approved when gaming first came.

B

Legislation, that's right.

H

A

Why harrison county board of supervisors gets 10 percent of the gaming revenue? You can't reduce what they get. You can't reduce what the biloxi schools get. You can't reduce what the harrison county schools get. You can't reduce. I don't believe what the police department of the fire department gets, which leaves what goes to the city's general fund, which is what 40 percent yeah.

B

So georgia, if you want to increase.

A

That from 40 goes to the general fund to 45. You got to have something changed at the state level right because that's a state statute, so the more gaming goes up the more money each of these entities gets. You can't really do anything about that. As I say, it.

B

A

B

Meeting anyhow, not today.

C

I understand and then the school board had the right to be. They get ex for seven meals every year. They want to go up to seven meals a year. They can do that. I mean, I know how long I'm saying if they collect that much money, it's about time for us to figure out how we, the city, who pays all the bills. It's like mgm paul, don't get nothing back. We collect the money. We created the money.

C

We got to take care of the citizen, so yeah, I don't know, I'm not saying anything against the school. I'm just saying stay tuned for the city to figure out how you can keep more money. I'm gonna give a ton of money to the county. Was that 24 25 million a year I mean we give a ton of money. A lot of people, you know, keeps the least amount the city blocks it.

C

So it's time for us to step up. So we can take care of paving the street clean, hire somebody to clean up the street coming across the bridges in the interstate right. Now it's about a dirty, looking town that you can get into, but we just we got to be able to collect and keep more money. So we can do that and that's what we need to look at. It's got to be somewhere. The city can help us so pretty much. What I'm looking for next.

A

All right, mr guy, are you done, mr.

C

Lawrence, I want to act on gaming, okay,.

D

Mr guys yeah, I just had a few few strong questions um I didn't see in here. I know. Last year we talked about reimbursement, money uh from mccovet, 19. and uh looking through here did we incur or did we um put in for did we receive any reimbursements through uh cover 19 yeah? I know we had some areas, but I just didn't see it or maybe I overlooked it, I'm just not kind of looking over it now.

B

The fourth line down is other grants. We go, you see other grants, we had budgeted other grants to be in in some of the loss that we had anticipated october 1 because of cove it was 1.3 million.

B

Okay, then the cares act said we're going to get 11 million, but you're going to get 5.5 right off the top. We did get a million for coving. So that's that's why you see the 6.5 in that figure? Yeah we're. You know we're trying to say what are we going to get next year, we're going to get a 5.5? Was it 5.3? What is it 5.549 over in the second grade column there? Okay! So that's going to be the second installment for the cares act. You know part of the 11 million dollars.

B

That's coming. May it's come okay! That's.

G

B

Great now, okay, but along those lines I mean this is not in any of these figures at this point, but I had a conversation with the uh lieutenant governor. Yesterday we talked about water. Sewer cares, you know uh coveted kind of stuff. There's they've got 1.8 billion dollars to provide for water, sewer, storm drain kinds of projects.

B

We have about 20 million dollars in projects, as I told lieutenant governor yesterday morning, and that will be another line item, but it will be for water sewer projects that that's coming cool cool.

C

Y'all requested that money. What have you requested that money already we.

B

Haven't requested, we don't know how much we that we're going to get we've got 10 or so projects that about 20 million dollars worth of water sewer projects that we're going to push forward. And that's you know. As we talked about yeah and there's some things we uh we were successful in washington. We got notice of yesterday too, but that won't be in this general fund. It will be in water sewer, right.

C

And what did? What is the fund you going after? What do they call it you're getting.

B

Money from it, yeah yeah, just a covered infrastructure or infrastructure covered book cares act. I guess covert related yeah.

D

Cares interesting infrastructure, gotcha and- and I was just curious about the homeland security- the police department bomb grant. I see it here in three different times, but he's like three different uh times that we apply for it. Okay, so you just kind of spreading them out instead of grouping them all at once, specific.

B

Grants that family five four specific grants that they are filed for.

D

And we anticipate getting all three next year.

H

Yeah we're applying for one for a hundred thousand dollars. Okay,.

D

Gotcha all right, thank you. That concludes bobby.

A

A few things um about seven or eight lines: down solid waste user charge, we're looking at a reduction of about a hundred and thirty thousand dollars. I'm assuming that's because there's a reduced number of users.

A

What what accounts for that reduction.

B

Yeah, the hundred thirty one thousand dollars based on actually accounts, go.

H

Last year, when we calculated the revenue generated, we did it based on cost per house, and we were off a little bit in our calculation and we're trending more towards the 2.4, we're still working with the hcua on getting this year's numbers to be able to calculate that figure. So right now we just have it based on where we think 2021 is going to shake out.

A

So it's a more accurate calculation. Basically, okay.

A

The next item is down. Maybe five or six items from that abc permits we're looking at a reduction of about 50 000, uh I'm assuming because covert restrictions are listed, less people are drinking kidding. That's right.

H

It's a product, um availability, okay,.

A

Gotcha, well, that's true. Okay, thank you, then. uh Maybe a third of the way down, there's a an item: titled public facilities, com, dev, community development and you're. Looking at a reduction of about ninety thousand dollars there, I'm not sure, I'm just not sure what public facilities community development.

H

There's been a change in where the civic center biloxi library is going to be coded in this current year. It's under community development and the month of july. We changed it to under parks and recs. So.

A

H

It's just a switch between two.

A

That's a change in coding. Thank you.

A

Then, probably eight or nine items down from that there's a rental, biloxi library, lb2 and there's a reduction of about 36 000.

A

I know that there's a tenant I think under or we're working on a contract with the tenant downstairs, but that's not included here. Is it or is it probably.

B

Included because we included some of the rent potential for the capital repair that they're putting. Is that not right?.

H

Well, initially, it was budgeting both floors to one line item and then when we got the second tenant, we split it out and there's an lb-1 and an lb2.

H

Lb lb1 is further down.

A

Okay and then below that is. The next item is prior year tax as a reduction of about 140 000., and I just need a definition for prior year, taxes.

H

Prior year, taxes that are collected in the current year and the isle of capri filed a property tax appeal and I believe, we're in our third year and final year of that payback or adjustment.

A

Gotcha then, um one last item, uh maybe a dozen items down from there. You have the cable one franchise tax and that's going projected to be down about 46 000.. I know that we no longer have cable one. I know that's sparklight, but is there an explanation for the reduction in the projected revenue of about 46 000.

H

Is that the one that has nd 520 next to it, that you're referring.

A

H

We give a part to b news and then the rest goes into the cable one franchise tax and the part that's going to be news, is less than what we had predicted last year.

A

Okay, all right, thank you.

F

I think also there there that franchise fee is on cable services only and that those services have been trending down, as people are cutting the cord for.

H

F

H

Up paul, it's probably 12 to 15 down that is the major cable one franchise tax.

B

That franchise tax is on cable tv, correct.

H

A

Internet yeah and where's: I'm sorry where is.

H

That it's budgeted for 225. 225 000.. So if you just come down and go across you'll see it.

A

H

That's the main cable franchise.

A

H

Referenced as the part that goes to b news.

A

Okay, I got it all right. That explains it all right, um all right, any other questions, mr lawrence.

C

Peter on this, uh the rent is that supposed to be always supposed to be adjusting it per year on a rent for the waterfront, the 3 million 2.9.

C

F

B

F

The golden nugget rent yeah, uh no, the court, the court decision on that was that uh 20 years ago, whatever when this, when the settlement was reached, that the city acknowledged that we were not going to get any cpi, that cpi is applied. But then it goes in a split three ways: it's part of the three-way split, so that 3.2 is a a flat rate and all sums after that is split. Three ways.

C

And we're about the goodbye, so this is shipyard that piece of property. What are we doing with that? One? That's not done, and nobody pays anything for that.

F

Right there's: no, I think we've had some preliminary discussions on what to do with that property. We get the first.

B

350 to 250.

F

350 2 000., so.

C

We're not receiving any money for that.

B

B

C

And the the other one is other.

H

Revenues where.

B

This million have.

C

Come from it says other than revenues, other revenue me and whatever it is five nine looks like.

G

C

So we collected that from where who's actually paying those other revenues.

B

1.594 uh other revenue for.

H

The administration fee that the general fund charges it's the administration fee that the general fund charges to the water and port funds.

B

Indirect costs for them.

C

So we charge it against them. We correct.

B

And they pay it monthly they've been paying it monthly.

C

And that's strictly, though, that's.

B

Based on their operations, that's our enterprise funds and they pay us an indirect fee, our management. You know our of you know.

C

All the things we do for them. Other problems we have is the harbor that we're getting off the harbor.

B

Well, that's the feed of those employees and and water and sewer operation pays to the city for what you know, the the the things that we do: payroll and administration and all that that's 1.5 million a year and that's what it was last year and it's based on a formula.

H

Based on revenue.

C

They're just trying to pay it out. You know I'm gonna get that we might do better, just contracting out the hobbies, because right now, they're just a mess and not run right, nothing good about them. So I mean you know. Sometimes we need to look at it's time to change things, they're, not working. It's like the court system. It's not working you're spending a ton of money, it's not working, so we need to look at doing something different. I'm not going to keep throwing money at something. That's not working, but.

B

Let me say something when you say it's not working. Okay, that's that's something! That's another subject. It will go in detail when it's not working, because those things are doing what they need to do, they're, making money and that's when you say not where it could be working better. I agree that and that's what you're saying when you say it's not working. That's not correct. I mean you, you look at the fund balance each month like I do and you can see it if it was not working.

B

That would be going the other way, but it's not so we do. We can do better. I agree, but to just say you know it's not working. That's incorrect.

C

It's not working, but I mean you can't put on.

B

C

Something's wrong something's broken so you'll.

B

Be able to be happy to go with details and you know look at what you're.

C

Doing what's your perception, okay time, to adjust these things are just not you, you won't ever it's not working to its perfection. Let's put it that way. You could do a lot could be better. It could be way better, but I'm not going to sit there and keep throwing money.

B

You know it's incorrect to say it's not working.

C

Well, it's not working good for the city when you're losing me over me in a year. That's not good! For the city, it's just like the ballpark you're losing me in a year for the ballpark, I'm not that's, not good! For us! No.

F

Good for them, let me speak to that too, because up, I was trying to determine why. Why did it go from a million to half a million, and one thing david sent me today is the citations from five years ago, there's half as many citations and arrests being made so we're drilling down into what is that for those more dui's?

F

Are there less speeding tickets being given, but if you give less tickets you're going to receive less money, I think the collection and the assessment of the penalties, I think, have been constant, but I think it may be. There are less tickets being issued we're going to drill down on what what were the citations before and what are? They now ended up letting people.

C

F

This is impressive.

C

You can find out how many you should know that these.

F

Are arrests? These are before you get into court, so that doesn't have anything to do with the judge.

C

You know you can't just charge people for nothing and I'm go they're doing anything. No phone can't pay. I have to do that. That's what I'm saying so you got to look at what's happening.

F

Look at it uber and rod sharing probably has taken a toll that are less duis, because more people take rides rather than driving. But we're going to look at look at the data.

C

On that, no peter what they did, they stayed home to drink. They stayed at the house and drink.

B

They just didn't leave the house, but you can't get pc get arrested.

C

If you don't leave the house.

B

Yeah bring more bills up I'll, be abc numbers.

C

And these fees on the coast, elected the power company in tex is these: are these a set race.

H

C

F

Are those are statutory like franchise fees, they're, based on a percentage of their sales and with coast, electric it's based on their substations and their assessed property? Mississippi power is in the in the same boat. There.

C

So we've seen a lot of power on the ground stuff within texts of that. So do we get that money back when he caused all these problems, break these gas lines who handles all that? Would the city have staying right and pay for themselves like they dig in something they break the gas line, like the other day, to shut down seal who's responsible for that.

B

The contractor.

C

The contractor that did it and then we collect the money for them.

F

Yeah we I mean we do it's a case-by-case situation, but we've um uh that's part of their agreement. They agree to fix those things. We build them in the past, they've paid them in the past. If it's a large enough settlement, we bring that before the council to approve but yeah that occurs.

F

They haven't had a major gas uh blind destruction. I don't think in the last year.

B

I think they they went through the uh when they were doing that. Intex was doing their eight inch gas main. They went right through a force through a main division street and and uh cabbage straight, and I think jimmy lane was contracted and was paid by them to correct that.

C

When it's a community court, this is the people, that's violation, yeah. We had.

B

A little yeah listed.

C

B

C

One thousand hurry collected 21, 27 54.

B

That really should be kind of combined with courts. I mean that's a court, that's exactly a brand new item. That's it correct! That's a separate line. I mean it's down forty five thousand words of diana community court, yeah.

F

Community court was not really um affordable, it's just been started in the last year to get up and running and uh that's we had budgeted a thousand and so far we've collected twenty one thousand and uh objecting.

C

F

Forty five thousand yeah.

C

So, in that case we have, we have one judge, yes and what everybody under the wrestling you live. You have to have secretary. You have had what else is. This is separate from the court that you do no she's under me as well, and that's when it goes to the general fund and.

F

She's one of the judges you voted against last week, she's one of the judges you voted against, but she's followed him he's our community court.

C

F

She does not need a secretary, she operates out of uh community court and deals with all the code enforcement and uh there's been doing a.

B

Good job might mention too. We have two part-time judges instead of two full-time judges, too. That's some of the moves we made over the last couple of years.

F

Right and we have one of the prosecutors comes over and and uh as part of his flat fee, he handles community court as well.

C

His interest in investment is what.

B

Investments on.

H

The decline from 210 to 20.

C

H

Are you questioning the decline from 210 to 20. they've.

C

Done the interest investment 210 000.

H

Correct we had a larger fund balance before we paid off that 2.8 million dollar loan and then covet hit and we're still trying to build up our reserves. So our interest on our bank accounts is not as much this.

C

A

I'm going to move to mr grav and I know he has a question then we'll come back to mr lawrence.

G

Yeah, um so I have delorean tax, uh we're, projecting uh 342 000 and some change uh over right. Is that correct right? Yes, can you can you tell me what that increase entails? You know what what why why we increase that by that amount assessed.

B

Valuation is increased. This.

H

Is a reassessment year.

G

So this this 342 is based on reevaluations assessed.

B

Valuations basically,.

G

Success valuation, but.

B

There has been an increase in assessed valuation things that have come online, some of the things that come on after abatements too, so in general. The accessories gives us an idea. The last couple years is like 2.3 percent uh increase in this sss valuation. Okay,.

G

It's a reassessment.

B

Every four years they're supposed to reassess yes.

G

Sir, all right so that that makes sense- and and I see that so my question is- we have some of these tax abatements coming off? Where are those increases at or where do we.

D

See those coming.

G

Back because I thought it was like close to a million dollars a year that was coming back to us or.

B

Well, I think we had somewhere in that neighborhood uh some last year and that we, you know at the last, you know a couple iterations we put it in, but uh some of it's all factored in. That's why you know I was thinking more. It's going to be like a three percent year, but actually 4.4 is what it was. Can.

G

I ask that you check into that and just see if that's been accounted for.

F

These revenue figures.

G

And maybe we can get a follow-up and an update on that? Okay. Okay, thank you. That's all I have mr.

E

Barrett um my own um two, two real quick questions. um What was our original proposed budget amount? Because this says revised um for 2021.

B

No, I think we had. uh We had increased the revenue projection by about 600 000. If you look at just at the bottom line,.

E

61 million 459 so originally, when we did this last year we were around 60., yeah, okay and then one other question. um What is our projected surplus at the end of this year? That will we will roll over? We don't.

B

We haven't really done that at this point, but we will, in the next few weeks, balance the role which we're looking.

E

At okay, what is that right now? Do we have that.

B

Well, I know what it is in the general fund, but it's not reflective.

E

Okay yeah, it won't reflect what what are because there's the stuff.

B

Let me let me take a minute. I want to tell you one thing.

E

I just know you usually roll over around 4 million or so or we have been correct, yeah and that's the number I'm referring to is the.

A

E

I'm just saying so: we have, if we're looking, we have a six million dollar cert. You know overage of just offer projected that's not counting what you know. We will have in our cash balance that we roll over.

B

E

B

So don't go chartered at a jet or anything, but at the beginning of the year fyi in october 1, our beginning balance was eight point: seven, nine one, eight eight five, eight point: seven million eight.

E

Million seven hundred thousand. Basically, that was what we were getting.

B

A year with, okay, all right, our balance at this point is of 7. 2 is 18.362 million, but.

E

That is, some of that is going to be.

B

We've got, we've got yeah, absolutely five million of it, plus another, a million or so that came in that's in the cash that's reflective in the cash, but to gain a loss. We went from 8 million to 18 million. So at this point in time now we haven't put you know we got six more payrolls to do about all right, which okay, so to gain a loss, the gain in the year that was 9.7 million right now, so we gotta roll over.

E

To what you know so we're projecting a six million dollar overage, so whatever our couch balance is at the end of september, we'll roll over and so we'll be projecting a more like a 14 million dollar overage. Is that what you're saying no.

B

I'm not saying that I'm just trying to say that we're probably six million or so more. If we play to the numbers- okay, it will probably plus the two million dollars- and you know, increase in gaming that we didn't plan on. You know. Hopefully you know that 111 million dollars a month it gave us a shot in the long, but this balance sheet and you you know the numbers that I look at so that I'll expect that to go down. But I don't expect it to go down much less than 6 million. Okay.

E

And then one other question- and I I don't have any more on this: um when will the revenue numbers come in for casinos um for july.

B

For july will be september or august, some by august.

E

August, 10th, okay, so so, depending on what that is, we could, even if it if it blows it out the water, and we get close to this 2021 um forecasted revenue just off of july. We could possibly um well.

B

E

The budget this.

B

Is reflective and there's no reason this one piece of paper will kind of tell you where we're going to be look at that figure down here. That hits the general fund, which comes in on the 10th okay, where.

E

Am I looking I'm so okay, I got.

B

It on this page, you see total city, a biloxi general fund for one month, 2.08 2.081, so we got two more opportunities to do. That.

E

F

E

In the middle of the page I see it, I got it right here, perfect, okay, that's all I have. I.

D

Have a question: what last year, when we did that big massive cleanup- and I know we had to um all that big debris clean up- um borrow the money to to make money yeah right- I don't see that in here and where we reimburse for that.

B

No, we've got that some receivable that we were asking for we're good we're, expecting 2.9 million. I think it was approved for fema. We went and borrowed up to 10 million right and paid this, so we still got a a payable about a loan: okay, okay, we're expecting 2.9 million and maybe more three yeah.

H

That's just federal.

B

That's just the federal stuff, so that's coming, that's not reflect, that's not a revenue. It's you know a receivable and a a payable gotcha.

C

That's exactly the jews out of the gym.

B

Seven: eight million: what do we borrow um we're in like.

D

Five and a half five and a half million five and a half okay, we.

B

Had a credit line of 11. and it was the idea as we as it came in, we would pay it all pay it down. I think we paid it one down and we paid one in a row. No okay,.

C

I know uh half the money went to pretty much to clean up.

H

C

Would probably cost us five million or so just to have clean up? We had to pay the contractor, so we.

B

Paid all the contracts, all the contractors when you.

C

Get the money in you just put it in and reduce the note good pay off.

H

To pay off the note yeah, we have not received that money, though.

C

Gotcha so they have not received any of the five say, whatever anything.

B

That we've we've submitted for reimbursement has not been received, yet it's been approved at the fema level, not they hadn't drilled it down from mima. At this point,.

C

Look at the bottom on the two hurricanes, zeta and sally oh yeah, plus they have a lot more money coming in yeah.

B

Well, hopefully, that's you know again, that's a receivable. If you look at it from a business standpoint, we're going to get that money back. We borrowed it we'll be out the interest, and probably one percent or two point two five percent of what I would pay we'll we'll have to you know, pay that out as interest over the as it swings out. Okay,.

C

I have no idea how much money we have claimed to get from fema six.

D

Million or so yeah five point something almost.

C

Six million yeah- you must have other claims.

B

No we've got you know, we've got claims every you know every every day with all infrastructure projects. You know, there's some trap funds of about a million, so that are projects that you know as close outcomes. We'll give that back. That's that number that you ask about everything. Those are fema claims that we, you know, will.

C

Receive about the mgm falcon, the school board is like a million dollars. I think they have to reinvent you fema.

B

We did we had some insurance coverage, so whatever insurance covers backs off the fema claim.

I

Right we're still fighting the insurance claim issue.

B

Making insurance claims too.

I

But but the but the full value of the repairs was put into the fema portal yeah they're, just at some point we're going to have to tell them how much insurance we get paid and they'll deduct that from the amount that's that's claimed just.

B

Like they did with katrina, whatever we received that's off the top and then.

I

We're in this dispute with the insurance company right.

C

Some of the big light poles in there I mean there's something another plane. I know they're going off.

C

I don't know they go off. Have them go off would have something short enough. I would say. Oh that's from the hurricane, just like the football yeah.

C

B

Other thing happen.

C

To the stadium that we have to prepare.

B

I'm not sure I think they did pay, give something.

C

B

I I think you know the the the beer shed and some of the other things that the uh the the uh batting eye- and uh I I can't some.

I

Of the stuff they paid.

B

Some of they paid to get open.

I

Physical, not the stuff that we get insured.

B

C

B

No, I think we closed out sally. Then we got all salad money. We've already received that nothing anticipated in this revenue.

C

Expression we hadn't have any claims getting it over. uh The boardwalk does the same beast used to be one. I mean it looks like that's all. We call from those that put all the sand all over the highway and stuff like that.

B

Now, what you know the stuff that we've done in you know that mdot and sand beach hadn't done. I'm not sure uh whether we claimed that cleanup or anything like that, but we have actually claimed all our force account labor, that we did for zeta cleanup. You know and equipment we use based on rates, so italia did a good job in putting that stuff together.

C

C

That's it until we check it out some more all.

I

C

For me, anyway, we'll.

B

A

Print bigger for you, like, I said, just shoot me anything else, mr lawrence.

C

Following this right now,.

A

Okay, I I don't know that anybody else has any questions there. There are a couple of things I just want to mention to the council.

A

Councilman newman has requested that we move our 11 o'clock budget workshops times. We have two more she's requested that we move them to after to one o'clock or later, and when we're having these we've got them all lined up on tuesdays. I prefer we keep the times as they are. We discussed at the last council meeting she's requesting that kenny. You have a conflict on what the.

G

A

On the august meeting and we've got um our next budget workshop is scheduled for next tuesday at 11., and I'm.

C

Like if you want to move to one o'clock and get the other two councilmen here, all seven people should be at this meet all.

A

Right, well, it's gonna do it! Well, if we move it to one o'clock, we have a council meeting at 1 30 on those dates, so I don't think we're going to be able to do much about departments in half an hour.

A

I'm thinking that it would be immediately following the council meeting. Is that good with everybody, if everybody's comfortable with that.

E

Whatever works for you, I'm.

A

E

Open, whatever works, everybody else, I'm I'm game.

D

I just agree: we need more than 30, we need more than 30 minutes for sure sure.

A

So basically, then, the practical thing to do would be to move these budget workshops on council days from 11 in the morning until immediately following the council meeting. Is that what you want to do? If so, then people have to revise after deadlines and times.

E

With I think it's the 27th is that correct is that's mml.

A

No we're not meeting on the 27th okay. Okay, here are the dates we're looking at next tuesday is scheduled for 11 o'clock. We have a 1, 30 council meeting. um Excuse me yeah next tuesday, two weeks after that tuesday august 3rd, we're meeting at four o'clock. That's good, because it's a night meeting and then tuesday august 10th we're scheduled at 11 o'clock and we're talking about moving that to after the council meeting. Is everybody good with that on.

C

That day next week, we're not going to do it after the council meeting.

A

So next week, which is the 20th, if we move it, it would have to be moved to after the council meeting everybody's everybody's good with that most of us are good with that all right and then on august 10th instead of 11 o'clock in the morning. That would follow the regularly scheduled council meeting at 1 30..

A

Most of us are comfortable with that. So I'll I'll make a note I'll get the clerks to send your revised calendar.

A

So next week july 20th we meet after the council meeting, okay and then again on tuesday august 10th, we'll we're we'll be covering non-departmental budgets and insurance. We're looking at meeting immediately after that council meeting, which is scheduled for 1 30.. So that's what we'll do?

A

Okay, I'll get everybody an email on that there's a one other thing on, and I'd mention this to the mayor.

A

Next week, we'll meet after the scheduled council meeting and we're going to be covering departmental budgets for police fire, community development, administration, executive and the legislative departments, and- and my thinking was, if y'all the administration could get us. Those uh proposed figures say by the end of today.

A

Well, first thing: tomorrow morning I could distribute those to the council me members and if the council members would just get me any questions, you have look at it for a couple of days, give me any questions you have, let's say by friday, around noon and I'd, compile them all and send them to the administration that way. They'd know what questions you have you'd be able to look at the numbers for a few days and when we got together after the council meeting next tuesday they'd be prepared to answer those questions.

A

Now there may be a question too that occurred to you over the weekend. That's fine! We understand that. But after looking at these documents for a day or two get them to me, I'll I'll just compile the questions you have and send them to the administration, they can work on the answers or tweak them.

C

Department here they're going to be here, so we can talk to them directly. I would.

A

Assume the department heads are here they they always have been, but if the administration can do that, just get me something by the end of business today as soon as possible, but by the end of the day, I'll forward that to the council members. What I need from the council members is just hey. Look at it thursday and friday morning then get me the questions you have about friday at noon, I'll, compile them that way. The administration can be working on those questions for you, okay, we'll do that all right!

A

The last thing is, I just need to see mr glavin and mr lawrence just for a moment. After this meeting just talk about insurance stuff. All right uh is there anything.

F

A

I

I'll entertain a motion to.

A

Adjourn I'll make permission. Excuse me a motion to recess there's a motion by mr barrett second by mr glavin in discussion all in favor of recessing.

A

Thank you. That's a 5-0 vote. Thank you.