City of Laredo, Texas Port of Entry Advisory Committee, 15 Feb 2023

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From YouTube: Port of Entry Advisory Committee Meeting, 02/15/2023

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Port of Entry Advisory Committee Meeting, 02/15/2023

A

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A

Will be um February, 15, 2023 Board of Entry advisory committee meeting uh we'll do a quick roll call and uh we'll welcome both of our new members, the new appointed members, so we'll start with a roll call, Monica Salinas.

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Back Monica and our mayor mayor appointee, thank you, Carlos Hernandez, here.

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We have District 2 Ricardo Cervantes he's pending out, so he's not with us today, JD Gonzalez president.

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And Juan Pascal, both emailed that will be out of town. It will not be able to make it because there will be excused Arturo, Dominguez president or Mira Richard.

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David quick, is out of time also and Gene lindren president, and then um we have a new appointee representing Association of Laredo forwarding agents, Rodolfo Garza, president perfect Robert, Morris Jerry, you know HOSA, president and Jerry. Maldonado is President Jerry Jason, Jerry Jason, okay! Well, just does he go by Jason and Jerry president.

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And Jerry Jerry no Jose is.

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And then did I miss anybody? Okay, okay, so we have um we'll go to item number three. We have any public or citizen comments, nobody! Okay!

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Then we would like to pass on to item number four approval of the minutes for our December 7th 2022. uh Second, second, all in favor all right.

A

And items we'll go ahead and jump into number five item for discussion: number one update on World, Trade, Bridge, fascinating free location projects and any other amount of uh matter incident there too peace. Thank you.

C

Good evening, chairman and members of the committee event for the record today to provide you all an update on the World, Trade, Bridge, fascinating relocation project and the Expansion Project is um Mr Sid milky from SCA. He will be making a presentation.

D

Good evening, chairman and committee members again, my name is Sid milky I'm a Structural Engineering Associates, and we are the consultants for the World, Trade, Bridge expansion and also for the fast lane. I, don't have a handout for the fast lane tonight, because it is running trucks through the fast lane. Today they started I believe two weeks ago, initially with testing CBP, put all their computers in and started testing.

D

As far as I know, all lanes are running they're all open and available I will be going tomorrow in just doing a brief inspection to make sure that we had a few little glitches that we had deadbolt here and a little bit of water seepage there. But I'm gonna go check on those tomorrow, but I want to see how well everything is. Flowing I'm told that things are flowing well.

D

Traffic is moving directly through off the bridge straight off the bridge up the straight up: the middle of the Port of Entry and into I-69w I'm, going to be interested to see how long it takes to process those trucks and do a little timing to see how fast they're going today, because I anticipate that may be speeding up over time.

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D

E

Right are they doing x-rays on every single truck going through.

D

There are right now there are no x-rays on any of the trucks going through the fast lane, they're being treated just like they were in the existing Port of Entry. They.

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Have a mobiles.

D

Available if they do want to take any of the trucks off to the side, there is a portion of that facility that was designed for that.

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D

The Z portal right now is not in operation when it was taken out of operation some two years ago. I guess for construction, CBP reorganized their budgetary process and they're now having to allocate money to restart that. But it's there it's set up. It is almost totally wired and could be started and tested as soon as they get their budgetary process. In order and the people, the Iran staff I mean they're, there everything's waiting just waiting for the contract to be signed to get it. We.

E

Learned that the last Customs, meaning that coming through Colombia everything, was going to go through an x-ray.

D

And I think that's probably true, I, don't know exactly operationally how CBP is handling their various different uh traffic but as far as I know most of the empties, if not all the empties are still going through, Colombia I, don't think any of them have been allowed through other than maybe ctpad fast, empties and I. Don't know if they've been allowed to go through yet.

H

They are yeah, they are, they.

D

Have been doing that so, okay, excellent excellent, that's one of the other things I wanted to find out. I, don't know that information just.

H

To add Mass another question actually I'm going to ask for Carlos because he's somebody who's in the Spanish, for it.

I

Okay, I'm sorry for my English can I speak in Spanish.

I

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Okay, Las cases.

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Problema poke Lane Carlos in Los Angeles.

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D

So that they're, using both the existing Fast Lanes, that were there prior and they're using the new Fast waves, also simultaneously, is.

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J

These things are using the empties to go through there and that's causing a bit of a problem, as it goes on that curve. The loaded, trailers and.

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A

An operation that allows.

D

You that CBP has determined uh and hopefully that something will change over time. uh The last I heard was they were still going through the process and trying to increase the traffic through the new Fast Lane. They didn't want to put it all over there initially, just because they wanted to make sure their all their systems work properly. They were all integrated back to the main computer and.

A

Just for the for the record for smoking, uh you're already involved in the construction phase and development phase, non-operational right.

D

Absolutely that is okay, so I think uh any.

A

Operational questions that we have, or we can always dot it down, then go back to uh CBP meetings or what not for we could definitely do it. That is correct.

D

Absolutely I appreciate that yeah.

B

D

Welcome, anyway, it's moving forward. uh The trucks are going through, uh we hope to see increased traffic through there and in the coming days as as the traffic they move it over as CBP gets used to operating through that facility, and my trip tomorrow is just to up for the facility side from the construction side to make sure that our contractor did. What he's supposed to do and there's like I said there was a few little odds and ends that we needed to take care of so I'll be working on that.

D

But, as far as we know, it's open, it's operational and I I, don't know if it's been announced, but the uh ribbon cutting ceremony is going to be a week from Friday on the 24th of February, so I will have a I'm sure there'll be a big ceremony for that uh this I understand. This is the first major donation acceptance project that has been completed by the corporation between the City of Laredo, GSA and CBP, and that program started six years ago. The D we call it dap. uh This is one of the major projects.

D

This is probably one of the most complicated projects of those that are going through depth right now, but this is no.

D

We didn't start first, we started later it took a while to get to this point, but we are the first one to open and it is one of the largest and most complicated, plus it's going to be as far as I know on the southern border with Texas, it's the only facility that will have trucks coming directly off an international bridge, great through the Port of Entry and straight on to an interstate highway with no curves once they get all the traffic moved over there for the CTF fast traffic, all the rest go through the rest of the port.

D

So hopefully that will be a major we've been planning on this as a first step for the Expansion Project. So that's why I'm mentioning it? It hopefully will increase throughput through the Port of Entry significantly over time. Mr.

H

Clarity, you said this is the first major prop for death. The DAP contributor was a city.

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H

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H

And the revenues were that I mean going to that the rumors came from the bridge fund. Where did the revenue come from.

C

uh 80 was funded through Tech stock and the other 20 was funded through Bridge funds.

L

Thank you, Mr milkey, um congratulations on the completion of the project in collaboration with the city, uh the ribbon, cutting on the 24th any idea what time it'll be in the morning, 9.

M

L

Perfect in case it gets hot all.

D

Right, thank you and we don't want. We don't interrupt the traffic as little as possible. So perfect. We're.

C

Gonna, do it early and uh we're working on the invitation as soon as it's finalized. I'll definitely share it with you all, but save the date ribbon. Cutting ceremony for the fast lane will be Friday February 24th at 9, 00 A.M.

B

D

So it's been a long time coming, but it is a major major step forward uh for throughput at the World Trade bridge and now I'm going to talk about another project, that's also near and dear to my heart, and that is the World Trade Bridge Expansion Project, which is we think, the next logical step to increasing throughput in in in and responding to what the trade is giving us today, I mean the trade has been increasing even through covet.

D

We had a downturn for a very short period, but now it's coming up I think numbers were up again this last year in the eight percent range and we've only been predicting 35 increase, so the numbers are coming back up very fast and very very quickly. So let me see if I can make this work there. We go okay, some of this you may have seen many times before some of it. You might not have seen But. What I wanted to show the committee is.

D

This is pretty much typical of what we're showing to the public, what we're showing to other agencies that we deal with what we show to our stakeholders. Cbp GSA we met last week with TxDOT in Austin. We have. We presented them with very, very much this presentation here, so just so that you all see the same thing and how elaborate as I can and now I'm open to any question that you may have.

D

So this is just World Trade Bridge today, you've seen all this I'm sure if you've been at the Port you've seen the trucks in both directions: stacked up on the bridge, that's the 15 Lanes of the current Port down on the bottom right. Obviously, the need and purpose for the bridge expansion is a world. Trade bridge is number one commercial Crossing on the U.S Mexico border trade is growing rapidly and it's crap growing at a faster rate than even textile or any other.

D

Other professionals have predicted two or three years ago there have been major infrastructure Investments by the private sector through that whole region of the Mines Road that has grown dramatically over the last 10 years.

D

There has been significant local state and federal investments in transportation infrastructure in that same area and I'll show you some pictures in a minute and the whole intent of this is to reduce the wait times and increase the system throughput so that if we get more trucks through World Trade, we get more trucks into Laredo and or into Nuevo, Laredo and or Beyond. So we have 8 000 trucks a day. One way now we think we can increase the throughput well over 10 000 per day.

D

One way and the fast lane was just a starting point.

D

These are hold on I'll show you a few projects that have been completed over the last 10 years. You may have seen them. You may not have seen them some of them don't really stand out. Of course, you've seen the the primary expansions uh back in 2011, that was a 5.4 million dollar investment. uh Seven primary lanes were added. Two secondary lanes were added uh one new exit Lane and it reduced the wait times in half at that time. This is back in 2011., so this is another preparation for increasing the growth and processing throughput.

D

One thing I want to point out is, on the right hand, side. These are the Fast Lanes over to the far right, they're going to be moving to the middle, so that will open up space in the normal processing sequence for those other lanes that will be be moved over that are fast today. So we you move over 25 percent of the traffic going through the port today into the fast that's already CD Pat certified that opens up 25 percent, more capacity in the existing Lane.

D

A

That movie that may alleviate Russell with Mr Fernando, saying that it won't get done before they'll be on the far end coming in on that curve. They.

D

Will they will they they will and and I'm going to talk about that again, because when all this got started, when 2011 back in 2011, we had one, we had five exit Lanes coming out of the Port of Entry that went to one lane only on I-35 or on I-69w Luke 20.. Only one everything was channeled down to one.

D

Now we have three lanes, so we've tripled the capacity of the output. Thinking that one lane would be one lane nearest the barrier in the center coming right out of the Fast Lane would be generally dedicated to fast traffic. The other two lanes were coming out of now, six exit booths will be coming and entering the exiting the Port of Entry and entering the mind's Road area. So what we had was one back in even in a year ago, we only had one exit link.

D

Now we have three, so we've increased the output capacity and immediately after we turn that's the other thing that when you think about it, you say well. You've got five Lanes going into two lanes that doesn't make a lot of sense, but those five Lanes they have to come to a complete, stop they're, not traveling down the road at 60 miles an hour.

D

They come to a complete stop at the exit, Booth of CBP, so they're stopping and then they're starting again, so you've ever gone out there and watched they they do come together, pretty well those truck drivers. They do it every day, all day long, so they actually feed together. Quite well, so we've improved the throughput because we have now have three lanes and that's just one thing: I want to point out, because I hear that often you got five Lanes going into one lane or two lanes. It doesn't make a lot of sense.

D

Well, the trucks stop. They come from a complete stop right there. They make that right hand turn. Yes, it is a sharp right hand turn, but they make that right hand turn they come together and they're doing it, while they're, accelerating so by the time they get to Mines Road. If they stay on I-69w they're traveling at a pretty good rate, so they're traveling at a much better rate than they than they were when they exited so.

D

Also in in 2012, the city invested two million dollars to include and add a climate controlled processing area on the AG side of the existing dock, and there has there are six Bays available for inspection here. It's climate controlled, it's not cold, it's not frozen. So it's for agricultural products, fruit and vegetables that don't have to be that are.

E

Not frozen, unfortunately, only three trucks fit in there. Oh that's a different.

D

Story, that's again, that's another story uh in advance of, hopefully accepting Hazmat cargo at World, Trade Bridge, the city invested, a million dollars and and basically a Mexico invested, the same amount back in 2008..

D

We capture all the water on the existing Bridge, all the water, and it's going into this. What you see there is a big holding vault and that's a sand filter also. So all the water comes off the bridge rain water, whatever it goes through the sand, filter and the intent is, if you do have a spill, whether it's diesel, whether it's other chemicals or whatever, that may happen on the bridge, it will be captured. This tank is big enough to hold one one tanker, One Transport, so that you can capture that off the bridge.

D

You can actually wash the bridge in here, and this will capture it when that event is occurs, shut, valves off going to clean the sand and replace the sand, but that's An Occurrence that has not occurred into my knowledge, even if Colombia, since it's been going, they've never had a major Hazmat spill, so this is done, but it's done because it needs to be done in case because we're Upstream of the city's water intake. What's the capacity you.

E

Said I'm, sorry, what's the capacity.

D

Is it 8, 000 I believe this is 11, 12, 000, gallons, I believe total. So we take a little bit at the bottom where the sand filter is so around 10, 000 gallons of liquid capacity. On top.

N

D

Little bit more because we want to make sure we had capacity to wash it for for fire department to watch off the pavement.

D

H

Sir, it's for clarity, we're saying the 2008. We have a valid functional, Hazmat containment facility. There will free beer, thresh unauthorized to use.

D

Right, that's correct. The president's permit, I believe, has not been amended yet to allow hazardous materials other than the very lowest levels to come through the port, I.

O

Think the problem is.

A

Not on this side, if it doesn't allow us we're here,.

C

The presidential permit has been amended, but the Diplomatic notes have not been exchanged to allow the crossing of the hazardous material. That's what we're waiting on and I know it's being discussed with the new governor from Olympus, so that he can continue looking into completing that that process.

H

I know during the last 14 years, there's been several announcements in the newspaper, but it has not been validated. That's authorized to cross, but I know that this is something we've been working on personally and I'm, just hoping we get together and make it happen because I mean where you say, two thousand dollar investment or a.

F

Million dollar investment.

H

In 2008, which is what's that, take into consideration right now, it's probably about three thousand three million three million dollars. That's not been used that we're capable of using- and this is a better qualified tax, meth containment than all the Southern United States, because they made us go through different requirements. Right I,.

C

Mean the the thing is that we have it available. Should there be a spillage, I mean we're also protecting the Rio Grande River.

C

That could be from.

D

A drinking water standpoint there could be other other things that would come off the trucks.

P

It's not even CVP, though the the one that is not permitting that no CVP does permitted no repeat's.

A

Not permitted right now so claim, and even because.

P

O

P

What was the problem of words? It.

O

Is not permitted by CBP because we don't have the presidential permit.

C

I mean but I believe that the normal radio still needs to fulfill some requirements. In order for the Diplomatic notes to be, and.

P

The only thing that we're.

C

Working on getting getting this new Administration.

Q

C

N

That diplomatic.

C

Notes can be exchanged Parts.

N

Our side of the commitment has been met. It's the other side that has not do.

M

We know that those requirements are well that what is needed on the Mexican side I'll show you a picture. The.

D

Next one, we are very involved.

C

Okay back to the refrigerated inspection facilities, also to let you know that the city is also partnering with Garros and they have a third facility because the original ones uh we outgrew them. So they have a third facility and it's already an operation. So we continue to promote the uh the perishables and the use of the facilities.

M

From the governor, he was very interested in this project, so he's asking on what exactly is needed on the Mexican part to move forward.

D

This this facility, I, don't know if it came up for you guys. Yes, okay, this is I, call it an on-site containment facility. This is situated right in the middle of the Port of Entry, and this was a almost a two million investment that the city made after we retrofitted the bridge to capture it.

D

This is the piece of the puzzle on the Mexican side that I understand has not been constructed thus far, and this is the piece of the pie that is keeping the Mexican side from agreeing to a diplomat exchange of diplomatic notes that would allow the passage of hazardous material.

D

That's my understanding, I know that this issue was discussed with the governor when he was here just a couple of weeks ago, and it's back on the burner for the City of Laredo I'm sure we're going to be pushing it as part of the expansion, because the the City of Laredo as a sponsor for the Expansion Project, has to deal with the concessionaire on the Mexican side, which is owned by the state of family.

D

So we will be dealing directly with the state of Town Lake bus for the expansion of the bridge, and this is a very small component that we hope that the governor will see as as a piece of the pie that they can do fairly quickly in the coming time period.

D

That would allow the crossing of hazardous material, but this is this is just a capture point if there is a leaking um fuel tank or if there's a leaking tanker, there's access points from from the bridge and from anywhere in the Port of Entry, where CBP can place the tanker in here- and this also is size that has two bays and it's sized I believe for six thousand gallons each.

D

So we can back a truck in there back a trailer and, and it can be capturing any leakage while that's being developed, while the process for capturing and recovery of that is being developed and implemented. I don't believe this exists on the Mexican side, which I think is the piece of the pie. That's busy.

E

Mr milking and back then, when they were approving the U.S site, they had mentioned that the state of Tamaulipas had done two studies that failed in the uh I guess. The US is the one that reviews the studies and apparently they failed, and but that's what Congressman cueller's office told us back. Then we had no idea about this about this facility.

D

I have no about I. Have no idea about the studies. I was not a party too, and who.

E

Who approved it on this site, the state department, it.

D

Has to be the president's apartment, I believe has been amended, so the amendment is on paper, and so that is already done, but as typical of anything that happens across border when you do in a something of change that you want to change that goes across the border changes the piercing of the Border as they call it. They exchange Diplomat notes between the US government and the Mexican Government, and that goes through the Department of State and the SRE on the Mexican side.

E

So if it's a study or facility or whatever it's the state department that.

D

Approves it they would they would, they would say yes and they've already given approval, because the presidential permit is has been amended so, but the Diplomatic notes have been exchanged so basically Mexico's saying we're not ready to to.

E

Allow to exchange.

D

To exchange and so yeah and and that hopefully we'll get into that as we develop the Expansion Project so just.

H

To add, as well enough I know back in 2005, we started initial discussions to allow certain types of hazmats right now when we're having our discussions, you're talking about an extreme diesel leaks or whatever you know to take consideration, but we're looking at and just to help facilitate certain kind of like flavoring for beverages. There's a corrosive project to that. There's also looking at. What's that polyurethane, where that's a flammable content, I mean they're, not their hazardous, only because dot regulates them, but other than that I mean they're, just they're the minimal Hazard.

H

The way we see it, we're just hoping that you know, instead of using those extreme gasoline or explosives or whatever you guys are using terminology, they can go out there and say hey we're looking for the minimum criteria initially to see how we can move forward with that. Just observation.

D

No, that's absolutely correct. There's many many products that are brought across the border these days that are considered hazardous and they're attractive hazardous, but we would not, as as normal, normal folks on the ground. We don't necessarily consider them hazardous, but they are classified as such and.

E

The presidential permit just doesn't allow class one or two I think.

D

This is explosives.

A

E

Those two I think they're. If it's compressed guys.

D

So but other stuff, as far as president's permit is concerned.

D

It could be loud eventually.

J

C

For the benefit of the new committee members I'll send you the email that I sent the other committee members with the actual uh document through the U.S federal register. That indicates I mean it can be. It has to be non-radioactive non-explosive uh non-corrosive, but I'll I'll share that information with you uh tomorrow when I get to the office. I'll email that information to you also for the benefit of.

A

The new members you can follow us I'll.

H

Send it to everybody? Yes, definitely! Yes, and it's just for cleared this group as well, whenever there's discussions to make sure that we promote it in the manner words the list has now because it seems like they go up and they speak up on. You know the most dangerous product and that's not the case.

C

Those will continue to be processed through Colombia. It's the non-radioactive non-explosive that the less riskier materials that will be allowed to the world trade but I'll send it to you, and it indicates um the section of the CFR where you can go in and and do more additional research.

C

D

Enhancements and I've already talked about this. Obviously this is the fast lane project and this is a Joan shot from mid-January. The one on the left is looking from the I-69w perspective at the International Bridge and you can see uh I, don't think. Oh there. It is.

D

This is the Fast Lanes. These are the four Fast Lanes right there they empty. They come right off the bridge. These are the exit lanes and they go right down to I-69w. On the other side, this is looking from the International Bridge toward I-69w, and you can see the four links here and you can see the exit roadway down there that goes directly to I-69w and Joints at the exit facility for the rest of the port. What's.

A

The lane on the left left for cars or for vehicles or man's vehicles or whatnot the one, the one right here.

M

A

Picture, oh this one left left left left. Oh that picture left lane or furthest to the left that one right there this one right here. Yes,.

D

Okay, well I mentioned this is an area there. Right here is the Z portal, which is a non-invasive inspection technology process. That's only good for empties, because it doesn't it's a low energy device. uh Cbp can bring one of their mobile vacas, which is a high energy device into this area, and they can line up trucks and check three to four trucks over here. If they want to. If they find an anomaly, this is the pathway they take it into the back of the existing Poe.

D

It goes right by this is also the pathway for any hazardous material to get back, because the Hazmat in on site is right over here. So this is that's. What this Lane is for is just any secondary. Inspections can be taken out of the flow and put over here and can be checked over here uh if by chance, which doesn't happen very often, but Federal Motor carriers wants to come out and check the trucks mechanically, or they can do that over here as well, and it can take those trucks out of the normal flow.

I

We have more space in the future for more books. Yes, sir.

D

uh I didn't bring a bull I, don't think. I have I, don't have a blow up, but there's yeah, you see there's a little building right there, which is all you can see it better on this side that little building right there. That is a combination, restroom and I.T fiber Hub. There is room right there between those two for two more Lanes, no more two more so we we've designed it for a capacity of six total.

H

This picture: here's for the sake of this group here right because it seemed like the first picture had a lot more traffic.

D

This was probably very early in the morning, and it was on a morning when the weather was good and I. Don't think that they'd opened I, don't know that yeah they'd open up the toll, so this probably about nine o'clock.

D

It's not around noon are in four yeah. They wouldn't let us fly the Drone during the construction period except early in the morning, just because of that, but they didn't want all the traffic around us. In case we happen to have lose control of our drone.

D

Okay. Well, perfect. Thank you and the other thing that I've already talked about is is now we have from the Port of Entry down here all the way to I-35 on I-69w Loop 20.. There are three lanes three full operational Lanes where there only used to be one coming across this bridge, so we've tripled the capacity and what so, once the trucks come out of the exit lanes that exist right here and merge with the fast lane.

D

We have three full lanes that can go from zero to whatever highway speed will allow all the way and across now, because now the direct connectors across I-35 exist as well, so they can go to the other side of I-35 as well problem that tech stocks dealing with is Mines, Road and right in here now so plus, there's other things going on other enhancements in the works, the direct connectors. These are text-out projects. There are three completed three under construction right now and two awaiting funding.

D

These six, though, will pretty much carry most of the traffic in the direction of flow that that's uh typical today and then, of course, you're you're, I'm sure you're, very familiar with the minds. Road intersection text dots analyzing this intersection. This is I-69w here over Mines Road they're, trying to figure out a way to make that intersection, work faster uh and then a Char Roofing, your Parkway and the light seal Road.

D

Those both will be reliever routes for I-69w to take traffic uh Beyond uh onto I-35 and get them out of the center out of the radio so and.

J

L

Of course, yes,.

L

D

Wrong well, I think didn't I didn't didn't text out work out a deal with the city yeah.

L

E

Was for maintenance only?

E

No, it was for maintenance, the the exchange of the roads, Clark and.

A

Somebody no that when was it when.

E

Kilim also.

A

Gave him that was why it's here, that's foreign.

D

Yeah, these are old values. These are very old values that we got from TxDOT like two years ago, so they're, they're, very old.

L

So now it's the other way around. Well, you see, it was fun, did not charge enough. There's a gap fund now: okay, foreign.

D

Everybody's trying to get the traffic out of the World Trade Bridge get Mines Road, more functional ideas. You have to cross traffic between Mines Road and I-35 improved, so our next logical step is uh expanding, World, Trade Bridge. uh This is a plan view that you've probably seen uh what we're proposing is to take the traffic. That's coming Northbound, all the Northbound traffic will be put onto a new eight-lane bridge, except for fast traffic. Fast traffic will remain on these two Southern or easternmost lanes, and they'll continue to go straight up through the fast project.

D

What this does is it takes out this double this reverse curve. This road will remain for an internal access road, but right now, as traffic comes off of the bridge, they have to they basically get down to about three lanes where there's four lanes of Paving there, but they they make the lanes a little wider. We'll have a full eight Lanes coming across when we finish this bridge into 15 primary Lanes in this area and.

L

D

Be working with CMP to make sure that if we need to move it a little bit here and there we'll take that into account uh if they want to add any any other non-invasive inspection Technologies in this area, we want to make sure that we have done our Bridge so that that can be done without affecting the bridge. They may want to put some sort of overhead sign Bridge with some Lane delineations.

D

We can do that real quickly as part of our project, a man to also facilitate southbound traffic increase the capacity coming into the port Adventure on the Mexican side, we're proposing it at four two more Lanes upstreams are north of the existing bridge and they will attach to the existing Bridge. So the existing bridge will end up being from eight Lanes, now it'll end up being 10 lanes wide two lanes for fast six lanes for southbound traffic and we'll have another eight lanes over here directly coming into the non-fast Port of Entry.

A

Well, those the five that's going to move to the center one suspension is ready, they're going to be canceled out.

A

That he said that they're going to move to the center right there on the right side, they're.

D

They're on the center Lane right now and there's one center lane dedicated to fast right now, so.

A

That's going to get canceled and only fast is going to be on the on the existing.

D

Bridge, there's only fast going to be on the existing and they're going to move to the two exterior Lanes on the right hand, side so that we'll have I, don't think I included yeah it's hard to see, but you can see arrows, there's six arrows going this way and there's two arrows coming this way: either fast and there's eight arrows going that way all into uh the existing Port of Entry.

D

G

Haven't worked out any real.

D

Details yet, but we we did propose this to the previous administration in in tamilipas, and the current governor was here and he seemed to be very, very supportive of this project. So it will help both countries. I think the governor was very understanding that uh this is the largest port of entry and what helps Texas and Laredo helps with tamalipus.

K

Remind us again: where are we as the City of Laredo today, with this project? At what step are we in how many steps are needed to get it done? Okay,.

D

Here's where we are today um in March of last year, we created what we call an interagency working group, which originally consisted of the U.S Department of State U.S CBP usgsa, the City of Laredo.

D

We brought Tech stock into the picture and then our consultant team as well, and we're adding other stakeholders as we go down the process, those being the Corps of Engineers and ibwc April 29th of last year, we prepared and submitted the presidential permit application to the U.S state Department, as was defined in the in the rules at the time in July 2022.

D

The project was improved by at the federal level for one million dollars of funding to go to the construction of this project.

D

Why was that important? um The rules that existed the rules that are in place today specify that you can submit your presidential permit application, but you have to go: do all the other permitting processes. They don't say. Who is the lead Federal agency to go over your environmental clearance process? We talked to the Federal Highway Administration fhwa. They volunteered to be that agency.

D

That takes the lead for the NEPA clearance and also other things, but in order for them to be able to step forward and take their role, there have to be Federal money associated with this project. That enabled them to be a part of the project. If there's no federal money involved, they cannot step in and do what we'd ask them to do in the past. In the distant past, most of these Bridges were funded either through revenue, bonds or through other sources.

D

That did not include Federal Transportation money and also there were other rules in place before for the processing of the president's permit, so we're kind of in in new ground.

D

There has been some precedence set, but Federal highways have stepped forward and agreed to do this for this project, and so that's the reason that we ask the mpo for one million dollars of funding and it was approved- and this is the date when in this month last year, when it passed and it was approved at the federal level in the Texas Statewide Transportation Improvement program, July 26th, we did have a pre-scoping meeting for NEPA clearance. We need we knew, we need to go forward and do the environmental clearance right up front.

D

We knew that we had a pre-scoping meeting because we didn't have all the paperwork in order. So at that time we actually found out there's an endangered species living in the river underneath the bridge and downstream there's a muscle, that's considered by U.S fish and wildlife.

D

That's in danger, so we've we've written that into our plan of action for the environmental clearance on August 29th of last year, the City of Laredo received a letter from the Department of State, which indicated that they will not by the the president, the White House indicated that they will not process the presidential permit application until the NEPA clearance process has been completed and that's somewhat a reversal of the procedures that have been followed prior in the previous administration.

L

Interrupt this morning's breakfast with the mayor has a special guests.

L

Henry Cuellar and the private sector had some very directed comments towards Congressman Claire, asking him who do we got to meet with in DC to challenge that that that stance and we don't want to wait a year and a half for for environmental clearance and and he promised to find out or try to find out, is it? Is it the White House? Is it the the Department of State? We want a name.

L

We want to meet with somebody we're going to DC in three weeks two and a half weeks, and we want to set that up it. Okay,.

E

Guess what um I guess the question is between this bridge and the railroad bridge? Why did they do it in four bucks? That's that's really the big question the.

D

The railroad bridge received their presidential permit under the previous administration, who was the administration? That's uh and and for instance, the also up Downstream from us, the far Bridge they're doing the same thing: they're doubling their Bridge. We received that permit. In three months our presidential permit was granted in three months we're now doing the Nepal clearance. We haven't done a construction, yet we're still doing the NEPA clearance, because we have to do that by law. You have the president's Department authorized.

D

Now we have a presidential permit which guarantees the bridge sponsor the fact that you have a permit to do this. Now you go, spend the larger money and spend the larger time the.

K

Problem is the administration. The previous administration was more proactive about getting things done, and this Administration is taking its time to do it. It's completely goes against the other one. So ultimately, it's the administration, the current Administration in Washington DC, they're.

D

They're using the same executive order but they're using a clause that says the president May request additional information prior to processing the president's permit. That is the Clause that this Administration is using to require us to do the Nepal clearance prior to them doing the president's permit application at we would we would love to ask the current Administration in the White House to say at least review the president's permit application.

D

Now, let's work with us, let's, let's work out any problems you may have with it now, while we're doing we're going to do the NEPA process. There's no question about that. They've.

P

Given us a some sort of a timeline for that, there's not I want I want to know. If you know something about that, because they told us several months- and you know like 18 months or so just to to have that clear and and start you know moving all the other parts. So do you know anything about that.

D

Yeah my best guess in just a minute based on what we know today, so uh the next slide as a matter of fact. In order to actually start the Nepal process, as I mentioned, we we had to get the federal money on associated with this project, which we did.

D

It has the appropriate paperwork, except for the advanced funding agreement and I understand that I know that the city council approved AFA last Monday at their session and that has been sent to TxDOT and we've been told that that will be signed in the next week or so. That is the piece of the pie.

D

That's the agreement between the City of Laredo and the state of Texas, which binds us for this project for them to work with us and allows their staff, because there's a memorandum of understanding in place between Federal highways and TxDOT, where TxDOT does most of their environmental clearance in-house. Now they don't have to go to fhwa, so the AFA We Believe.

D

Now that the city signed it, we're told that it's gonna, it's a done deal and systematic the commission signing it, and so we're preparing and you'll see in the schedule in a minute we're preparing to start the process next month and we do have a timeline associated with that. So the AFA was signed was approved by Council on Monday um and then it says a waiting, TxDOT signature. It was sent today. I just saw an email today where engineering department sent it to text out here at the district level.

D

So the motion the approved motion was signed, and so was the AFA and that's- and that's now fully in text out hands there there's really nothing that we can do other than wait for the commission. I think the commission meeting is next Thursday, so I'm pretty sure they will act by then timeline.

D

We we believe that AFA will be signed which that triggers the environmental clearance process we're right now, believing it's 24 months, because now I mean we have combined we've compressed it.

D

We were ready to do it and we thought in 18 months and that's pushing on it if you've ever gone through an environmental clearance process, um if they're, if you're just adding I, don't know how to describe it, we have to do one for the the Hazmat well for the fast lane, we did an environmental clearance process for the fast lane and that took six months just because there's paperwork there's studies that have to be done that have to be documented. That are current.

D

So, if you think about it, we built that inside of an existing Port of Entry that had been operating since 1998, we still had to spend six months to get it and cleared environmentally. So we could spend the construction money.

D

This is a new project, it's adjacent to an existing Port of Entry international bridge, but it is Downstream and it does Pierce The Border another time, so it will require an environmental assessment, whereas the other project. Actually, we did a can't, remember the name of the Lesser document, the shorter document, but we're going to have to do an EA at a minimum.

D

We think we can combine with that when I say goodbye, that's the minimum level of clearance that we can do to satisfy all of the agencies and satisfy all the requirements of the National Environmental Policy Act, which is we call it neat butt and their rules in there about what we have to do. So, don't ask me how many modules there are in that clearance process. There are 20, I, believe different areas of study when we another we increased one, because now we have a hazardous I'm, not hazardous I'm.

D

Sorry, we have an endangered species to deal with, so our plan is to try to get the process cleared in 24 months from start to finish. Yes, sir.

J

Who found this muscle and why were they dig in there to find it in the purpose? If we can't do EPA the need to study without the funding.

M

D

Muscle has nothing to do with that with the with the NEPA study. It's just found it added to the time, potentially that it'll take us to clearly but I understand that.

J

Correctly, is you got to move the clam somewhere right, the muscles? That's what we understand. Yes, sir. Has anybody gone in to confirm they're? Actually there and it's not somebody just thought of.

D

Course, that's part of the first step that we'll have to do as part of our nipple clearance relative to this endangered species is. We will have to hire another consultant to go, take divers down there and do a muscle study to find out. Are they nobody.

J

Knows if somebody just claimed there was a muscle there and we just accepted it as fast.

D

I'm told that the U.S fish and wildlife has determined that they exist in the Rio Grande at multiple locations from uh I believe Del, Rio, all the way down, Beyond Laredo and I'm told they have been located at the City of Laredo water intake for their water system. That's what I'm told I I! Don't don't please don't quote me on that, because I.

M

Don't know that's what the Environmental Studies are gonna.

D

Actually, that's that's part of it. That's just one little voice, they're.

M

Going to confirm it, the muscle still exist.

D

Yes, as far as your species, we'll have to perform a muscle study, which means we'll have to send the diver down and they'll, have to study half of the river 150 200 feet up and downstream, and if there are no muscles found in that area, then we finalize the report. We add it to all the rest of the modules, so the environmental clearance. Let me go on our way.

D

If muscles are found, then we schedule a muscle, relocation, and this is allowed where we send the dive- and we don't want to do this until right before we're done with our nipple clearance, because there's also rules about how long you can, after you do the relocation that you have to build the project before the muscles come back and you have to do it again.

D

So we'll have to time the relocation part of the project to where we do it right at the very end we go. Hopefully we don't have any, but supposing we do hire another diver set of divers go down there get the muscles out, take them to a place where they exist, where they're known to exist and re redeposit them there.

D

So nobody's really seen the.

J

Report that their muscles under the bridge, if somebody said that they are.

D

I'm told there is a report, there is document until there's documentation that they're that they're there in the river and they're.

J

But don't understand but nobody has seen or.

D

Said we haven't, we haven't, we haven't, died, I haven't gone to the river. None of us have been it's in a diver in there to see.

J

Documentations that they exist in the river there's no documentation, there's a bridge.

D

Specifically, no, but because they're Upstream in the river and downstream in the river- and they typically will move with the flow of the river. It's assumed that they potentially will exist in this area and whether we want to build the bridge. So that's the purpose of doing the muscle study, the first piece and.

M

Finding that are they there, the environmental appearance having monsters on a lot could still put it from us still.

D

Have we would probably could do it in 20 months if we didn't have okay, the muscle studies.

M

Four months I'm sorry, the issue of.

D

Muscles we're estimating that. That's all that's going to extend it for us, okay, but.

P

But here's a question regarding that uh the NEPA clearance have to be done: 18 20, 20, 24 months, whatever it takes right, but uh from what I heard this morning and in another places what we can look for it to get the presidential uh authorization to go forward in all the other stuff, the stuff that we have to do, instead of waiting all for the new appearance to start doing all the other stuff.

D

We're not the City of Laredo is not waiting. um What what's not shown in here is what we call the engineering phase. The injury phase always takes less time than the environmental clearance, so we'll be doing the next month. Also, instead of and also in addition to starting the environmental clearance, we have a team.

G

D

Team, an engineering firm on our team, that's going to go out there and Survey the river and and get cross-sections. We need to get five cross-sections total uh and then we need to survey the alignment as the bridge goes across the river for our purposes of design. We're going to start the preliminary design in two months and we're going to start citing our interior Vents, and you saw a lot of it's already been sketched in we're, going to confirm or deny we're going to create a conceptual set of plans.

D

As soon as we can start the other permitting process, which is ibwc conceptual clearance and their flood study. We have to do a flood study that shows that this bridge will not cause any rise or fall of the water level. That's.

G

All going to be.

D

Going on simultaneously, okay.

G

D

That, anyway, the real difference is your. The City of Laredo is spending the money that they were going to spend anyway, without the guarantee that the president will approve the permit.

D

Now, that's the big thing and when we are done with the environmental clearance, and we have our design 100 ready to go, we still can't go to beds because we have to wait for the president's permit. So that's where time is added at the end that we don't know how long the White House at that time, whoever's in the White House at that time. How long they're going to take to review the report that we submitted last April?

D

That's what we were hoping to get them to change is at least do simultaneous review of that President's permit application so that the City of Laredo has some sort of guarantee that you're not spending all this money and then you've got to stop anyway and go back and do these other things that now they're saying you have to do that we could have found out last.

P

Year, so what should we be asking over there in Washington? If, if we can.

D

Asking asking the White House to go ahead and process and review the president's permit application simultaneously, with the other, permitting activities that are ongoing, that the city is committing to they committed to it publicly to do that's in my opinion and I'm, not an engineer, I'm, not a politician, so that would be my opinion. Ask them to go ahead and do what their previous administration did, which is review the presidential permit when it's submitted.

K

I guess once the for the DC trip once the agenda's out. Let's hope the item is on the agenda for the city, yeah.

D

That's something I don't have any control over, but no I agree to answer the question in my opinion and again I'm, not an expert in all the politics and everything.

D

But years ago the process was different in that the Department of State was granted the power by the White House to review president's permanent applications to review the environmental clearance process to be the administrator and the, and they actually then issued the Fonzi, and they would issue the president's permit in 2019 I believe in February a new executive order was written by the by the previous president.

D

That said in his attempt to streamline the federal process where, before you had to do exactly what we're doing you did all the work you didn't turn in the presidential permit. Until you were ready to have the project environmentally cleared, they need turned in the president's a permit document and the need for clearance document. It was then only then was it checked and reviewed by federal agencies and that process took another two years. Oftentimes or more I did a project in El Paso. We we did the presidential permit four months.

D

It took us two years to do the Nepal clearance, but it wasn't clear because we then submitted to the state department, and then we went through another two years of back and forth before we were granted a Fonzie and the president's apartment. So it's a matter of time. It's a matter of when you spend your money, it's a matter of guaranteeing that when you spend the big box, which is the design and the need for clearance, and all that that you have a permit potentially in your hand, that's the reason they changed.

D

The procedure was to try to streamline it, so my recommendation would be if you can go to the White House, which is a big big house. There's a lot of people that work there.

G

D

I think it's the Council on Environmental, Quality, I, think they're, probably the direct advisors to the president and matters such as this I'm, not sure but I- think that's and maybe even just direct advisors to the president. But that would be the group that I think you should go to the state department they're out of the picture, with the new executive order, that Authority was taken from them they're now the they're now the administrator they're The Gatherer and the the distributor of information.

D

So uh we we try to tell everybody, don't don't pick on the state department. You know they're doing what they're being told to do and they're been told not to Grant presidential permits at this point in time until they are received in their environmental clearance.

J

D

For Environmental Quality.

D

Ceq I believe, is the initials they go by.

H

That's the question: I know: we've been talking on this I know: we've got to move forward, but uh taking into consideration, isn't it could be a possible new Administration in 24., but with your proposal to go out and if there was a change to go to see if we can initialize them quicker, because, if you're looking at five years right now to get this decompleted, if we call our timeline and we comply with all the requirements, is that a possibility if.

D

Things fall and let me let me go through the rest of the timeline and I can show you where I think we can save time if things change, because, basically we're trying to do everything we have to do anyway. To answer the question: we're starting NEPA clearance, we're starting the conceptual design we'll follow up with the full. uh What we call plan, specifications and estimate design as we follow through we'll be doing cost estimates every stage of the way, while the environmental clearance process is ongoing and that's always the critical path.

D

So we can do the design quickly, we can communicate with our Mexican. That's the other thing that the governor we've asked I'm getting off, but the governor of Mexico we've urged him to hire an engineering company to help guide them. Help guide the concession through this process because there's another process in Mexico.

D

It's different and they've got to get permission as well and we want to make sure the bridge design is the same on both sides and that we all fit together and so we're hoping that the governor will hire at least a firm, that's experienced and we'll work together. But everything is going to go simultaneously when I do develop a schedule.

D

Next month, you'll see I'll present it to you and you'll, see where everything's going on there's going to be it's going to be this long and everything's the red Line's going to be environmental clearance and the construction okay, so we're anticipating two years for environmental clearance process and that's from start in March of this year through the issuance of a Fonzi, which is the document that says the project is cleared ready to go from here on and that's assuming and fhwa always says assume an EA.

D

But if we find something along the way, if we find some more endangered species or something else which we don't think we're going to find we're in an area, that's been Disturbed for many many years it may take longer. But we think two years is doable. We think we can convince the other sponsors. This is actually compressing it on our other sponsors on TxDOT who's.

D

Doing the reviewing on fhwa he's doing the reviewing we've compressed it as much as we feel comfortable so that they won't object because all the stuff we develop, they have to review and decide yeah you're ready to go.

D

You put that put that one down just keep adding the modules together, we're hoping that in July 2025, which is a month after are actually between July and September a month after, if everything stays the same after we submit our Fonzie to the state department and they submit it to the White House, we've shown July September July August September three months for the president to and his staff to review. The president's permit tell us what we need to change if anything get any more information to them.

D

If we have to and give us the presidential permit, there's no timeline. The president has not set a time on himself. So there's no guarantee that that's only three months. uh We we, as I mentioned on another project. We just finished last year before last. We got it in three months that that was with a different Administration with with who looked at the environmental clearance issues differently.

D

Okay, once we get the Fonzie, then the Fonzie and the presidential permit allow us. The Fonzi primarily allows us to get the Coast Guard official permit the ibwc permits and an Army Corps of Engineers permits. Those have to be done. Those are very uh less time. Consuming. I did mention that we're going to bring the Coast Guard into our interagency working group, that's how they want to do it. Their new process is very streamlined.

D

They'll. When we get our Fonzie we'll submit our Coast Guard application. The next day they will know they will have already seen it they're already to be sure that they're ready, we'll be make sure they're ready to give us their permit. They have a 45-day publication window, so they have to go to the public, say we're going to Grant this permit this bridge permit and they have to wait 45 days for the public to to convince to commit if they want to. We have that we have ibwc. We've already talked to them several times. Again.

D

We have a conceptual approval from them. We have the hydraulic study that they have to approve. We have a final design approval that we need from them and we also need basically a license agreement to cross over the boundary of the Rio Grande. Those have been done, those that haven't changed. We know we've been I guess I mentioned, we've been talking to ibwc and when you, when we talk about ibwc Sila, is their Mexican counterpart.

D

So we will try to be working with the Mexican counterpart, hopefully on the Mexican side, working with that agency or that by national agency simultaneously.

D

So we've allocated uh October, November and December of 2025 for that permitting period again, that's pushing on it. We think we can do it. That's 45 days for Coast Guard to advertise and then send us the permit.

D

Then we go to bids after that, so we're considering construction period of one year, basically well a little more than one year, because we're actually doing the two lanes on the existing Bridge. So our thought process there is build. The brand new bridge build the eight Lanes move, all the Northbound traffic to the new bridge. Then we can manipulate the traffic and not a ffect, the traffic, that's on the existing bridge and we can move over a lane or two to allow us to cut off the overhang and have those other two lanes.

D

So that's why it's longer than a year, because we have two big phases that we have to work in, but that will have basically the in one year uh by January of 2027, more or less we'll have the eight lanes open.

D

We should be able to do that 12 to 14 months pretty easily uh and then we're just saying: 2027 December we'll have both Bridges operational and fully open the traffic on both sides. So that is that is our current timeline. This line item here uh this July 2025 to September 2025..

D

That is the area that has no time limit on it, we're estimating at three months if we get simultaneous review of the president's permit application, while we're doing the Nepal process that three months goes away, um we may be able to shorten the Nepal process, but at this point and not having to get started with it, yet we try to be as uh not as conservative as possible, but we try to tell you guys that this is what we think we can do.

D

This is probably the best we can do if we can shorten it a little bit. We will the NEPA process not only includes the studies, the studies we can do in probably a year, but we have to have a public meeting at least one and we've got to advertise for that public meeting for 45, I believe 45 days or 30 days in advance. We have to write the public meeting notice that has to be approved by the feds and by text dots. So the public meeting takes about 90 days of time.

D

It's not we're going through the other stuff at the same time, but it takes 90 days. We have to advertise at the end for the public to ask for a public hearing if they want a public hearing. We present the document in the draft Forum here's what we found. Here's the things that we found- and this is just part of the NEPA process- and that takes time it has to be advertised but to the public and all the preceding things. We don't just write it in the paper.

D

The way we want to all the words we use have to be approved by TxDOT in the Federal Highway Administration, so anyway, uh very short description, but but I did Cover the timeline. That's what we think is possible that three-month window, hopefully we can get it to go away in the meantime. uh If, if nothing else, it can go simultaneously with the NEPA clearance.

D

There's a lot of other details again: I didn't talk about the PS e or the conceptual design, that's engineering. That is always the shortest easiest thing for us to do.

D

We we have control of it other than we're working with our counterpart in Mexico, because this is we don't design half a bridge, we designed the whole bridge and they designed their whole bridge and the two generally matched they may not be identical, but they'll match.

M

No just one question so at this point uh I know: there's there's working on on the the mou between uh Laredo or Texas and and Tamaulipas is that holding up something on your side? No, no.

D

That's not holding up a thing we're the city has already given us as our Consultants. We have under contract the NEPA clearance, the conceptual design and some serving that we need to do that. We're going forward with that regardless uh it. What helps is to have the mou in place with the counterpart, with our the state of tamaulipos and or the concessionaire, and and have them have their consultant their engineer on board, so we can work together.

D

M

D

Be beneficial that would help us a lot, that's being worked on and and that yeah if the next steps. My next slide is what we have for the next steps.

D

um The request has gone to the state of Tom Olympus to provide the City of Laredo a letter of support for the project. We've asked the governor. He was verbally asked when he was here. The mayor's followed that up with a letter wherein he indicated the City of Laredo support for the project and requested a letter. This is will be duplicate of one that was done by the previous administration. But we need that because we want to show the White House.

D

We have the support of our Mexican sponsor um City of Laredo provided a similar letter to the state of Tom Olympus. We've talked about an mou. We want to have an mou in place. That's a not a real binding document, but it shows that the two parties are working together and we did have an mou in place with the previous administration and Tom Olympus. We would like to do the same thing here with the current Administration, so that everybody knows that we're working together and.

C

D

Okay, well let me let me let me: uh we've asked the the governor to designate a a bi-national coordination group uh and the U.S side. It would be Bridge director, assistant city manager, myself and other team members on my engineering team I'm a Consulting team, and that would be that would that would make up our bi-national working group I mentioned. We have an Internet interagency working group, that's a U.S side agency, but we want to have this binational working group where we sit down.

D

We talk, we make sure you know this is this is the alignment we want? This is where we want it to be. This is how many columns we want things of that nature. How are you doing on your permitting? Where are you on your environmental clearance? We, we would meet probably once a month just to keep the lines of communication open. So that's where we are. That's the things we're focusing on right now, not the long range things, but this is the next month and Yvette said she has an updated so.

C

Yes, hi um last week on Monday Council authorized the city manager to move forward with the mou it has been drafted and it is the mayor. Has the mou they're working the logistics to see how they're gonna execute it so as soon as we know, if it's going to be a ceremony, how it's going to be executed by both our mayor, Trevino and the governor, but the moul is drafted and it was approved by Council, so we're just waiting on the logistics for the execution of the mou. Thank.

A

You thank you. Everyone can.

E

I make a motion to extend the time yeah sure from 7 30 to 8. Maybe.

A

E

A

The second okay, unfair.

K

Hi and uh one one last question: I guess the in my mind most important one: what is the estimated cost of this going up every day, I know and number two who actually is paying for it? Are we doing have seas with Mexico or and and to our knowledge?

K

Are they on board with x amount of dollars, or is that still has that subject been touched with them and, let's just say it's going to cost a.

D

Dollar and we've done our estimate for our half okay and uh it was originally 24 and now we've up.

G

D

We've added these other two. Of course, our lanes, we went up to oh I, don't know it's the 20 we were, we were less than 24 right now we're 24.. Okay, we shared that information with them. We say this is what we think our half is going to cost, and this is this is pretty much half and half they have more roadway, but that's cheaper for the square foot than the bridge, so the bridge is going to be basically halves and the original Bridge was built that way with the there's.

D

A center span right over the river that one was actually constructed by the Mexican contractor I. Think on this project and.

K

When we say half and half just for illustration purposes, so whatever the water, the width of the water half is half or how does that? How does that calculate it? Roughly.

D

Speaking, yes, the center of the water is the boundary of the between the U.S country. So you can see this I, don't know yeah, we can see it. You can see it okay right here, that's what we call an international span, that's where the boundary cuts through there, so that the bridge to the left would be the Mexican construction. The bridge to the right would be the U.S construction for the City of Laredo and the the span that's over the center.

D

Typically, we we do a joint bid, actually their contractor bids, our contractor bids and whoever's the lowest actually does the construction, and then the other party will pay half back. Oh wow, that's just the way it's been done in the past we'd like to try to continue that it's most Equitable, both parties sounds reasonable, uh but, yes, that's the way the funding is is going to be set up. We believe they should bear their half of the expense or their portion. Not it may not be half but their portion of the expense on their side.

D

Thank you. We have been told that again this is hearsay, but we've been told that there are plans to increase their capacity in the port and do other things in the port, which is why we're hoping that we can get a Hazmat put in there too, as they as they go forward. So this is going to require doing this is going to require something of a facility right here. They have to expand this canopy or whatever have to do roadway in here plus they've got other processing issues they want to deal with.

D

So hopefully the state of Tom leap is the concessionaire will be doing other things in their port that you've already done. You know fast lane and stuff like that, and this cost will be split at the border. Mr Monkey.

L

Just one easy question: if we had a presidential permit in hand right now, how much would this timing improve three.

D

L

Oh three months, so it's not a year and a half or two years well, just.

D

Three months, we're only allowing the president three months in the future to go back and look at our president's permit application that was submitted last April we've only.

L

Allowed in three months to look at it and approve it, so the long lead time item is the Environmental clearance I'm. Sorry, if the two, the twos were environmental clearances.

D

And change that what what the benefit of having the presidential permit on hand is you're guaranteed that you have the permission of the federal government to spend this money and get it done. Thank you.

J

There's two questions in place like you go ahead and.

A

J

Move on to that question that Judy asked about the new president coming in. If there's it's different from Biden, there's not going to change anything I, don't think it does. Hopefully it doesn't. But when I look at it is we had anticipated having the presidential permit in hand, and that was going to give us the or the city. The for the word.

J

Excuse me the they're going to be able to start doing all this stuff, Environmental, Studies and everything else, but we've been delayed right now, five months, because he didn't have anything to guarantee that you're going to get funding for it. So you didn't want to go and spend that money in advance. So we've lost five months in this process because we didn't get the presidential permit and that's why I understand.

D

It three to five months: we've we've extended the this last year, it's possible. We could have cut three to five months out of the process. If we had been grants to the president's permit in three months after we submitted April, probably would be a little bit farther ahead than we are today, but not a lot so.

G

D

Little bit of time lost there there we're.

G

Only estimating.

D

Three months of time, at the end, that could be a year if we have no control over that and we don't have control over. Who will be what administration will be in the white house when we get to that point. That is past the 2024 election time. So we have no idea. What's going to happen there, one thing I will say: is we really want to try?

D

We've tried to make sure we're going to be do this in the elected period of the governor tomalepas, because it's very critical that once we get his administration on board that we get it done, if we at can at all possible, get it done in that six year window because the they are. They are your counterpart in Mexico they have the concession for the bridge and they control the first things.

D

We don't see any major federal uh opposition on the Mexican side. At this point, there's nothing I mean they. Obviously the federal government wants uh Bridge fight forward, but this is going to benefit the federal government as well with a minimal expenditure and almost none by the federal government in Mexico. This is all pretty much concession by the state.

E

Mr milky, just for your consideration, we had a informal meeting with the Coronel on the Mexican side, with the Architects equivalent to GSA and all- and these were the observations first, if this was a done deal with your design, and we told them that we didn't know if it was the final design.

E

The other thing was that fan where the two lanes are going to be constructed, those two new Lanes you see that fan or that curve that you that they have there were already planning to do something with that, because right now they have an issue with it. So, but it was minimal and the other thing was the right-of-way on their site.

E

Supposedly it has to be kind of be parallel to the other one, so they don't have to do a new permit, like a fair presidential permit that had to be a little bit more parallel before it can go to the to our site.

D

The green part is what we're envisioning is roadway, his embankment and roadway. So definitely we can. We can adjust that we can adjust this align. This angle too, right what's critical to us, is we want to hit the dead center of these Lanes right here? That's! What's critical to us. This was just done without any consultation on the Mexican side. We just thought it would be better if it's a straight shot. If we need to alter this, we can definitely do that. At this point. It's not set in stone. We have an alignment. We have.

D

We have a profile alignment that we've defined here. It can be moved, it can be changed, but we want to know that pretty quickly and and I know they had a meeting before and we would we would love to come and again meet with them and it will be available in the future to try to do that and- and we need to.

E

We need to that was just an observation if you have anything else to add well,.

M

That's what we said I mean that was only the candidate that told us I think it's something minimal that make more work on. So just that when the time comes, you could sit down and work together and.

D

Certainly, the president's apartment itself is is defining the fact that there's a piercing of the Border here there's another piercing on the border and we've told them in the permit. This was going to be eight Lanes wide, whether it's at this angle and I'm not telling what the angle is or at this angle uh or or whatever we we don't. We don't tell them in the president's deferment, so they'll be permitting eight Lanes of bridge across the river Downstream of the existing Bridge.

D

If we need to work with our counterparts in Mexico and tilt it a little more, we can definitely do that to make their job easier as well.

E

My last question: Mr of all the bridges that you've done, how many bridges have you built with Mexico just 90.? My question is on the Boost. We see that the fast lane can only add like two more booths and that's horizontal is have you ever seen something vertical like.

D

E

D

I've seen there's there's other places where they have them at two different levels, like one of the officers, is up higher and the other officer is down lower, depending on which, whether it's the Mexican side or the U.S side, these booths are actually long enough and there's two windows. There's two processing windows and every one of these moves on the fast lane. So it's intended that there would be a a SAT officer.

G

D

Whatever officer is responsible for permitting traffic to come, Northbound out of their port to sit in the booth at the fast lane, so we've tried to do that best. We could and there's two counters and two computer stations and we've they. We they talk with uh Wi-Fi line of sites, so we've tried to make sure that we can have both sets of officers in our fast lane. Blues simultaneously and CBP has worked with us on that to try to let that layoff work.

E

Talking about vertical as an overpass to put another like if you have probably who here, can you add another one back there.

D

We could uh there's not a lot of room because we've tried to push it as tight as we can. We were stuck with the with the.

D

Let me see if I can go back here. Real, quick, okay,.

A

E

We can't go right.

D

We can't fan out anymore and and I'll be honest with you. Technology has changed so much since we started this project, I'm thinking that technology is going to overtake us again in six more by the time you get ready to think about these other two lanes. I'm thinking technology is already going to overtake in what's out there now and you're, going to have speeds processing through here so much faster. That's just my my thought, because this port was built with technology from the 1990s and 1980s. Actually, so it's not it's!

D

It's very slow and they've done their best. Cbp's done their best to outfit these booths, but they were based on technology. Then we did put an extra long Booth here. For that purpose we could put another Booth here. What we're finding with fast. It probably would work with non-fast. It doesn't because each truck will have a different processing time.

D

So if you get a truck in the front in that lane, that takes longer than the truck in the back you're delaying both trucks, so that thought, while it's good oftentimes, does not work as planned unless you have even the same type of cargo, even if they have car parts or car radios and there's three or four trucks with car radios, each one of them may take a little bit different time. The process, unless.

E

D

Unless they're identical trucks, empties and the drivers are all pre-certified and all the stuff is coming from the same warehouse and going to the same warehouse, each one takes a little bit different amount of time to process. But technology is already increasing the speed dramatically from when this project was when we originally built wall. Trade Bridge.

A

For your information, I think the timeline it puts us in perspective of where we at as a and then for the next three four years and I'm, pretty sure you've got some information to take the Washington Junior going to Washington right so I'll be definitely probably.

A

Thank you very much. uh We'll move to item number two uh discussion with possible action on implementing a tired and sufficient fund fee for repeat by letters and any other matters in in there too. So I'll remove this eight o'clock. Yes, sir, thank you uh we do have. uh We have a copy of the reports from January by 2023, November and December from World, Trade and Colombia.

A

We just meet the new members of this project. Basically for the new members we started noticing last year that there's a many u-turns and sufficient funds u-turns at the World Trade Bridge, a driver shows up, doesn't have funds, he can't pay another through. He has to go out, do a U-turn and go find for his office to go pay or he has to get down and pay.

A

But this creates about a couple minute delay and it stops the whole traffic okay from the hope that stop the traffic and let that truck do u-turning coming to be from. You know two to five four five minutes, but it was happening. uh You know 500 times a month, that's probably 40 times a day and then a peak period. You know we added up that art. It was costing at least a two-hour delay every day, stop in the traffic, so we placed a every time. They have the insulin. A driver shows up with insufficient funds.

A

They get five besides have to pay across that truck. They have to pay at 25 right now. Twenty five dollars 25.

C

Plus a per axle fee yeah, that's a fine and then when they cross, they pay the toll.

A

Exactly and you can see the breakdown here, uh everybody can see the breakdown One account and it's not uh it's not the menu, but one account had did it seven times throughout the month three accounts. Did it six times each two accounts at five times, then 160 accounts only had one. So we could consider this at an accident or mismanagement, one time they fixed it, but it's, um but it's it's still impacting you. We remove the the other 56 times that the other repeat, offenders.

M

Are doing it an account is a driver's company, a company do.

O

We have data on that uh 167 account if they are repetitive um every month, even it's once a month or we don't have that on that.

C

O

Like, let's say this company, those ones.

A

You turn everybody.

C

O

Every month or not, yes,.

C

I can return the assistant director. He does the compilation of of this data and with me also is Miss Lupita Reyes. She is the assistant director in charge of the customer service centers the Avi program here today.

N

So yes for the record Kent Richard system, Bridge director on the operations site, as you can see what I gave you was a breakdown for November, December and January for World Trade bridge and also for Columbia Bridge. As you can see, a November World Trade Bridge was 336. December 416 and then we went back down to 318..

N

Just looking at January alone was 223 accounts that made up that 318 Crossing. What I've been doing on a monthly basis, as you can see like you, were presenting 167 accounts with one new term now you're asking the question it is, and yes, we do have some of that information. Ms Reyes will step up in a moment and she did a more detailed analysis saying from April of 22 to current time.

N

This account had X this other one had Y and she has that information and she can kind of give you a snapshot of what everybody who our top players are from April, but who has the most and I can assure you that our front office is contacting these companies, and maybe you know, and this you know we need deposits with any deposits, because it's slowing down our industry and it's hurting their pocketbook. You know and Misty Martin will also talk about that on another information implementation that we have.

N

That, hopefully, will resolve this once and for all right. Thank.

H

You man I, noticed that it seems like in the last three things that we have here: there's the top five there's multiple repeaters, especially on the One account. Is this all the same accounts or is it different accounts that.

N

Are computers will be able to give you every month.

A

Through months, it's different.

H

Right here, but I'm talking about just like the one more accounts.

A

Different could be different right here. They're telling you have one account at seven times, but.

H

It's the same guy for each month.

M

That's the information.

C

Will provide that that information for you, and also following up with your recommendation, to make it mandatory to have everybody be enrolled in the auto replenish, which is leaving the credit card on file for when they don't have funds in the account. She will give you an update as to where we're at on that recommendation that you all asked us to implement.

C

Q

Good evening Lupita Reyes assistant Bridge director for the finance side of it on the insufficient funds. I have a breakdown we have. It started in April 2022.

Q

and, as of then, we have a total of 3674 transactions of insufficient funds or negative funds. um I have a breakdown. The breakdown is, um we have six in accounts that have from 16 to 35 accounts that have been from 20 to 35: repeat: offenders, okay, so those 16 accounts.

A

Are offended totally to 35 times.

Q

60 accounts half from 20 to 35. Repeat it: okay, each one and then we have 52 accounts from 10 to 19..

B

Q

And then from uh one to nine, we have the restaurant, which is 3636.

O

How much was the last amount I'm, sorry, the last amount of accounts for one to.

Q

Ten one to nine is three thousand six hundred and six.

L

Which I would suggest is the majority of the accounts right right. It's 4, 500 4700, that's the issue of the ones that accidentally do it once a month.

A

Right correct yes, once a month or once every every three four five months right, yeah, because it's many account sets. So that's the number.

Q

It's been throughout the 10 10 months, then, since.

A

We started, we started charging in April when.

F

A

Start charging okay.

F

I want to add to that. If I can um so when we first, they presented the survey. The last meeting, um one of the questions that stood out to me was that the drivers were not aware that they didn't have money, and then it came that the drivers are not the ones actually putting the money, so the driver gets there and they don't know that. There's money.

F

So then that's when we came out that the um having a credit card on file we've always done it to where that was optional, and it was a business decision for the business owner. So my recommendation was: let's take away the option and let's make it a requirement, and so then that way, the only reason to charge a fund or a fee would be an insufficient fund fee or not having you know the credit card balances or something versus you know having to deal with like another oops situation.

F

Maybe the 25 is not a big punishment for them and um and so I don't know. When did you when did the taking away the option get implemented and and have we seen any difference? The.

Q

Other function that I have is the the auto replenish, which is a the other, the other range. What it is is you put it threshold, let's say fifty dollars, and then you put another finish of 100 every time that your your account goes under the 50 000, the other replenish kicks in, but you need to have an active credit card all the time.

G

E

um Legally, can you do that? Yes, I.

A

Guess that's what we've been talking about since last year. Now you check the legal and probably was.

F

When did it become, when did it get implemented that the option was taken away? It's only been have we done that yet.

B

Q

What we have here on the flyer that I they distributed, uh we have a total of 17 746, open accounts.

Q

Yes, uh we started, we have 17 746 open accounts out of those 17 700, it's composed of 4769 commercial and 12 977, non-commercial 17 700. We have four thousand eight hundred and seventy six accounts that have the auto replenish active, correct. Okay out of those four, those four thousand 876, only 1033 are commercial, uh the rest of them, the 3843, they're non-commercial, uh the way it works and what we're doing right now. Is we the replenish? We the replenish function?

Q

It works. We do it nine times a day, okay, to perform nine times a day on the following day. If it does not go through, we, it keeps trying and trying and trying and trying to to get your money or replenish on the second day and the first time the first try if it doesn't go through it, disactivates the the auto replenish. So now, staff needs to go back and reactivate all the accounts all over again. So.

A

But right now, as the status was asking, we don't have.

A

Also, there's more voluntary, but if it one time it it didn't, go through so you've been canceling every day. Some accounts.

Q

F

Already volunteered.

A

To have it but their credit card before.

Q

A

Ago either expired or whatever they haven't changed it. Okay. So that's! Yes, that's.

Q

It automatically.

A

Takes it away after the second day, yes and.

Q

What happens we do at uh my csrs? They do advise the customers, whether existing or new, uh to please activate the auto replenish, what they complain or what they they say is that you know it's not met. You can't tell me, or you cannot force me to do it.

Q

This is legal, require you charging me to three percent, because if we do charge the three percent to using the the credit card, so we yes, we do have uh little complaints and it mostly comes from from companies that have um that are smaller than the big ones. The frequency going and deposit by check, yeah.

A

Q

uh We mostly have a library in them with individuals with with non-commercial but uh yeah. We are trying to advise. We haven't made it mandatory, uh but again I, don't know if we're going to go through with it, um but most probably in March.

A

How do you, how do you go through that and what happens if you don't have it like how much time do you give and then, when that time meets and I'd never give your credit card, you're gonna just cancel my account or how would it work.

C

Yeah, nobody right to.

C

Customers that that deposit regularly and large amounts they vary. So we tell them just put the credit card on file, leave the auto replenish in the event that you're out of town, something happens and you lose control of your account. It'll cover you right, depending on the threshold that they indicate and the amount that they're going to charge their credit card, but we tell some that kind of has have given us resistance into doing this. It's like, if you deposit, regularly into your account well.

G

C

To touch your credit card, so that's how we're.

O

We're talking about credit card are we do we have the option of ACH?

O

No, because a lot of I know a lot of uh small companies that they don't want to put that credit card on file not to track that expense, but maybe they are willing to put an ACH account. No.

C

That is another process. I know we're working off topic on uh updating our credit card terminals. Technology changes so we're having to look at Bank Merchants and work with Finance. So it's not just accept the different method of of payment.

C

um It's it's a process so.

A

So I guess, with that propaganda, going back to Mexico, that was a Association that Mr Fernandez leads. We can help him propaganda there with his with his associate Associates and members that hey joined this the refreshment and again, if you put.

G

In money frequently you're never going to use it you're never going to charge that three percent it's another battery.

A

But in case it does happen once every two three months, it's less than the 25 that you're gonna get charged. You know for your part of your financial for for 50.. How much is it one percent three percent it'll be a dollar fifty. You know instead of the 25 fine, so we kind of got to kind of do that culture and and promote it. At the end, it's probably 90 Mexican companies that are uh Mexican dry companies that are falling on these in these in Germany.

L

I have uh a wild idea. First of all, I can do the math too. So one of the charts that I made in my mind, was a thousand commercial accounts on utter replenish and, depending upon the day of the week, 4 700 total commercial accounts. That's that's only 22 percent of the commercial accounts that are on auditory punished.

H

41.66 yeah.

L

There you go my wild idea is: why not wait? Give the give the accounts a uh a waiver to pay the fine if they sign up on the spot, with auto replenish.

A

And they can't find the spot, because the drivers don't have a credit card which somebody's depositing yeah.

L

Somebody's applying.

A

They'll, send a runner or somebody, but not all drivers have a credit card unless you're the owner.

G

L

Okay, but the concept idea is still there: it's why it could work somehow. You know somehow um the carrot and state right. Here's your fine! By the way you can eliminate your fine yeah, but we'll give you credit if you have to pay it on this power to run it. If you sign a Toronto.

A

Or in the next five days sign up to replenish or whatever you know, uh memory punishment, so you're trying to do just kind of a career, encourage them to sign up incentive on that. Removing that fine.

E

I think, while they obligate people to to use a credit card, I think I would make a motion to double the fine to fifty dollars on.

A

The second repeat: on.

E

Just anybody who has to do a u-turn like.

H

Like we had said right now, they're already complaining to smaller companies, so they're, the ones that are I mean they're, seems like the small repeat for violators. I think he would wake them up a little bit more and Carlos already said that they're already aware of it, he's already presented to their Association. So since they're aware of it, I mean what more can we do and then slap them in the hand a little bit heavier and see what they do and how.

C

They, based on your recommendation up the fee to 50 plus upper axle and see, if that makes it, it causes an impact.

G

C

Right now, they're paying the fee and and but.

H

Just to add also I know that uh the agenda replies for a tiered. You know tear process as well. Are we going to incorporate that as well or just leave it at a one-time, fifty dollars.

C

I would I would leave it out at a rough and doing it at record keeping. We would need a lot of personnel to keep track at what point are we going to say.

C

Every month we start again and then have staff constant, with Excel spreadsheets keeping control of where, where they're at at the first stage, second stage third stage. So with with your recommendation, if you'd like I, can move forward in updating the toll rate and bringing it up to fifty dollars.

H

Our second time go ahead. Well now we can debate that's right, but then I also suggest that maybe make an additional motion to incorporate some of the associations to get better Outreach that way, we're increasing so you're aware of it. So it doesn't come in blind.

I

I

H

I want to go back to your numbers a little bit because you sit there and say: there's basically 3 606 one to nine repeaters right. Oh.

Q

And the insufficient.

H

Q

A total 3 674 transactions within the past 10.

H

Months with different companies.

Q

H

4369 total commercial accounts.

G

H

75 of the companies that are involved- that's.

B

H

It looks like yes.

A

Well, he said different accounts. Oh these are different accounts for 2 600. and you only have 4 500 registered 469 4769.

O

Out of those three thousand six hundred, do you know which are because they have not updated their credit card or they have actually doesn't have funds. They don't have funds.

Q

Because they don't deposit the check.

O

Q

That the car wasn't right, but maybe they don't have they don't deposit and when they pass the drivers when they pass, they don't have money or they don't have.

A

Any lower account is maybe they were assigned the replenishment program and since probably one time their credit card didn't pass. It knocked them off the repetition program. So they don't know that they're not in the replenishment program anymore. No, that's.

C

What you're trying to see? Yes, yes, we get our reports. Staff gets a report on a daily basis and it indicates which credit cards were declined and which account so staff reaches out to them.

G

Okay, because if.

C

They're, they don't update their expiration date on their card or something but.

N

They get a notice, yes, before staff.

C

Does get a report of all the decline transactions and the accounts of who they are so staff reaches out to them to update their their account.

O

Profile and they reach out before the account goes on several balance right or.

C

When, unfortunately, it they reach out to them, when the system tries to replenish their account and if their expiration date is.

C

Or the card has no.

F

A

C

Knows it doesn't tell us the reason it just declines it on.

G

The numbers I think.

A

These are yeah. Are you sure these are accounts, because the maximum amount we've had was 500 a month and then in 10 months, so he's on 500, 400 300., so we've done less than 5 000 instances and so I'm I think these are not accounts. These are instances where they've done it and all the 3600 and 52 and 16. it's a year period.

H

Individually, I.

A

Know so our max amount is should be around five thousand.

Q

Three, the 3674: there are transactions.

A

Yes, transactions.

O

We have about five thousand accounts. Then we have this data into transferring to accounts like how many accounts are repeated offenders. Yes,.

M

Q

Yeah, like I, said we I have 16 accounts that that are from 20 from 20 to 35 a.

G

Q

Your terms, but.

O

What we are interested in resolving is the one one you turn one uh U-turn accounts. So if those are repetitive every month, that's what we are. We uh talking about 300 and 600 I mean 3 600. uh The.

Q

3600 only did it once on the.

G

10Th yeah, okay,.

O

Those are Accounts.

G

O

Q

Only did it once within.

L

Certain times, which is just about all of them,.

A

Well, that's a well that's accounts. You're saying: are you sure that's what counts? Yes, they're transactions transactions I count. So the first stat is accounts the seconds or transactions. No.

O

No! No! No! Yes! For.

Q

Example, I have one I'm not going to mention names that it's one account within the 10 months. He had any sufficient 35 times it's a repeated. He did it.

M

Again, there's 16 carriers that go from 10 to 35 meters times.

H

A year ago, within the last month,.

Q

Yes, we started in April 20, so.

A

I guess, but whatever it is, that we see on the week on the breakdown we're not going to get them we're not getting the names of these accounts. It's something that I want to see and I asked you this morning. Probably you went to Legal I, think legal said no, but uh how would you get to them or or at least the person you're not getting to, or maybe the phones are wrong or whatnot, but the associations are- or maybe we know them, uh but I guess, that's gonna, that's gonna be a possibility.

A

The possibility of raising that to 50 that's gonna should shut down at least uh the second time probably won't hit the first timers, but we're picking up a category. The second third and fourth, which is still a big amount of u-turns. It's 56 accounts, but it's in total. It's about 110, u-turns,.

H

A

We go ahead and approve that motion. You have to go and take it back to city council and do that or just general staff or or city.

C

Manager, oh yes, yes, I'll, go ahead and discuss this with with Mr, landip and um I. Don't see them say no, but um also give our new city manager that comes in on Tuesday this opportunity um to discuss it with them and if I get the green light, we can present it in the meeting for March 20th. So.

E

I'm going to read I'm sorry I.

F

Also want to I mean I can always bring it as an agenda item also um for for March, but um I have a question as far as like as this Gap right here in the grade, the the 17 000. uh All these accounts that are not part of the auto replenish.

F

Is there a way to in the program when they go to replenish their their the monies next time it stops them if they don't put a backup credit card on file like if you know you like make it mandatory that every single account from now on has to have a backup account a credit card on file. So when they put the money in the account, that's fine, but it's not flagging them that they have to have a backup get me. So is there any way that the system can can give them like a uh you?

F

Don't have a credit card on file um when you get to the bridge it's gonna ring, like you, don't have enough money, even though you do because you don't have the credit card or something is there? Is there a way to do that in the program, because I think the best thing it would be to get this?

F

This number, where all of our accounts are on auto replenish or on or not not a replenish, but have a backup credit card, because it seems like there's confusion between accounts and in and instances, I think we need to clarify like if we're talking about an account versus an instance and I think here we need to talk about Auto replenish versus having a credit card on file, because they don't have to do the auto replenish, but they need to have a credit card as a backup, so when they get there and it Flags their account as zero, it automatically charges them or something.

C

They would need to be on the auto replenish and they need to identify the threshold amount if their balance goes beyond below a thousand dollars charge. My credit card five.

F

Thousand, so how do we force them to get that yeah.

K

C

Have to continue with an educational campaign, you.

K

C

Sure your assistance, when you have your your Association meetings, remind your colleagues to look into their accounts and and update their profiles and and they can themselves do it online. What.

F

If what, if they don't like what happens to them, you.

K

Make sure so the way that my suggestion will be the following: you, you have to have a card on file and if they choose to have a card on file, there is a three percent processing fee. If you don't want to pay that make sure you go and physically cash or check or whatever other form, so that that card is never charged or.

C

Physically or if you physically go with a car to our office, charge.

K

So so just just do what you have to do. If you don't want to pay the three percent that that's very simple and then we shouldn't complicate that yeah.

K

Exactly so so, let's, let's move forward with a 50 increase and and continue to tell them. You know our replacement is the way to go. You leaving a credit card on file does not mean we're ever going to charge it, but when you do leave a credit card on file and your threshold is a hundred dollars, the system will automatically charge it now, if you don't want to pay the the three percent you can see, if you're going to be 100, go deposit, yeah.

A

They can control for their credit card.

K

That can be charged that consumer me as a consumer. It's up to.

A

Me if I don't want to go, do it then charge the card so just to move on I I'm guessing the motion and I do agree with Mr Fernandez. Whenever that motion passes in in Council or whatever the procedure is to give them at least only a three week or two week or one month say: hey May, 1st or April 28th we're gonna rate is going up to 50., see if that brings it down, and then we I would agree on that and then we'll you'll start with it can I reread.

E

A

Yes, you can the.

E

Motion is to recommend counsel, to give the 30-day notice to the accounts that the increase of fifty dollars for the fee for the u-turns or non-sufficient fund accounts.

A

Well, you just had a motion just to to give notice yeah.

E

First, you got to look you.

B

Already know 30-day.

E

Notice and then to increase it, no we'll have to have Council. The motion is to recommend we. We can't do more times. Okay,.

A

I, don't know what to.

E

Do we recommend that they give a.

A

30-Day notice, the 30 days after it gets approved so with it.

K

A

G

To fifty dollars with a 30-day notice.

H

Yes, are you going to add on the Outreach as well or no.

E

Because that's that's part of the 30 days.

C

F

That's the 30-day event yeah.

E

P

Yes, okay, is it going to be the 50 foreign.

P

K

P

H

Here it's easier: you have to make a motion to extend the time.

A

So this motion passes right. Okay, perfect! uh You need a motion to extend okay, three more minutes, 15 more minutes, 30.

E

Seconds, if needed, okay, all right.

A

Okay, well, moving up to item number three.

C

We don't we for beauty, conflicting schedules, we don't have anybody from the police department here to address item number three: okay,.

F

uh Just to add to item three I think what um what Ria said was. We are having them uh reconfigured via um consulting firm, that we hired to reconfigure them, because the last time they were configured was like in 2016 or something synchronization. Yeah I mean synchronization, yes, so they're, actually either we're going out for a company to do it or we've already contracted the company to do that, but the lights being um re reprogrammed or is already something the city's working on. Okay, just.

K

It's not a feature that our city traffic department can do. We can manage our own traffic lights.

F

Going that's on their.

A

Own consultant to do that to do the study and everything like this, but that's common, that's common. They.

F

Were synchronized years ago like set and then now they're having to manually, do them because they're not working properly so I think they're they're manually doing them until they uh intersections but like.

E

Like, for example, like, for example, Mr Morris, if he wants to get all the green lights and my throat has to go 40 miles an hour and he'll probably get all the green lights. But.

J

His truck doesn't have to go 65 miles an hour to catch them all green, but.

E

I didn't say that.

A

You know the trick now.

E

But I mean the trucks run much slower than that so yeah. The synchronous agent has to be very different than what it is.

F

J

In the meantime, can we not have somebody control them manually.

J

That they have the ability remotely to even see with the cameras, and they can control them there. We wouldn't even have to pay the police sector to go out and do that if they were just controlling on from the desk, and it would be seem to be cheaper even if they had to hire somebody extra to do that full-time than to pay the 500 000 in overtime or whatever. It is to the police to come and sit and control the lights.

F

Well, the issue with the police having to be there is because the trucks block the intersections, it's, not the controlling of the lights. It's the blocking, because the trucks are are, are are waiting in the intersection and blocking it or they. People can't.

J

Get it from witnessing it. They only do that out of frustration, because they've sat through three or four cycles of light, because it didn't move in front of them and if they keep that traffic flowing, then they won't be blocking the intersections.

F

Well, they will for like Wolf, Creek, neighborhood and stuff they're, not they're, not respecting the curb cut, so people that live in like, for example,.

J

F

Can't get in because the trailers block, so the police have to babysit the corners to keep the.

J

Last one or two intersections, where the lights are, they wouldn't have to do.

K

That I, don't think and and I've never seen a police officer at Wolf Creek. Sorry I drive that every day, but yes, their presence is needed, but and there's not an officer at every intersection. That is needed that that's for sure and and wherever they're at yes, they behave a little bit better. They don't get in the middle of the road while the light is red, but on all the other ones.

J

I've seen the police car sitting there and they're in the middle of the intersection. It's just they do it out of frustration, because their traffic is.

K

Not moving and if they do do it, what is the officer going to do nothing I.

J

Mean just look up.

K

What what can you do, what can he do? Pull.

J

K

J

Mean there's nothing to back up and you can't pull them over. He just looks at them, so it's it's, not the police being there to keep them from out of the it's keeping the flow moving, because when they're not frustrated, they don't, they know not to block the to the traffic.

E

But can we go with council member Perez to to the traffic department to see how it was run and.

F

Yeah, they invited I think at the last meeting we had they invited.

E

F

Guys want to go with.

A

F

A

F

No, so they can go.

E

See what it looks like to see what they can do and what they can't do just understand.

J

During the peak hours.

G

C

You'll reach out to yes.

G

A

A

Moving out to item number four.

C

Yes, through this presentation, unless you have any other questions.

B

A

Perfect, um we want to set up that any other business.

A

Number seven schedule next meeting date.

A

So what date are.

C

We oh Wednesday of the month. Okay,.

A

The second, the third week of March, wouldn't be that spring break, so we're already gonna move it into.

L

The 20 something it's Wednesday is March 22nd. All right are you.

J

Okay, with that day, Nursery a move that we'd make the date March 22nd, okay,.

A

Second, an hour in favor aye. Our next meeting date is March 22nd.

H

For the city yeah first week of March on March 5th.

C

Through the 9th yeah.

A

Okay and then I need a motion for adjourner motion.

A

Thank you very much great information and long meeting, but it was a good update um and uh welcome again to our new.