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Regular Council Meeting February 27, 2023 Page 2 no orderly manner, no trash cans and trash just sitting out unsightly and animals were getting into it. He also said his wife picked up litter up and down the side of the street two or three times a week. John Fuston, 4010 Miranda Drive — he said he wasn't really against privatization but concerned if that occurs what will happen to the City's equipment. He questioned what would happen if privatized and after the contract ends and they find out it wasn't such a good deal that the City would not be able to afford to purchase equipment. Deborah Garrett — 6220 FM 905 — she said she was speaking about the Lamar County Humane Association. She said she understood it was run by volunteers, and knew there was a lack of money. She said there was a big problem with Distemper in all of Texas, but there's got to be something done to protect the animals and the people that adopt them that love them, love them real fast. Pete Dalrymple, 620 SE 39a' Street — he said he had worked in the medical field for quite a few years, and quite truthfully every time they privatized anything, whether it was surgical greens, or instruments or anything else, it was screwed up. He said when the hospital took care of it, they always knew they were going to get what they had. Once you start outsourcing, everybody I know of that has privatized trash pickup and stuff, their bills always change, and they're going to do this, or they couldn't come on Thursday. He said we had a very good system here, and we like the people that work. He said they need to think about it, like he said about the vehicles, you've got them. Larry Schenk, 3765 Dawn Drive — he said he spoke to them at the last meeting they discussed this issue of trash privatization. He said he was concerned because he knew the community didn't want it last time, and for good reasons. He said he was concerned about a long-term contract, and you lose your authority over taking care of the rates. You lose your authority over regulating that activity. He said he was just concerned in general about the concept of privatization. He said the City Manager made a very interesting comment, "first of all since the rate adjustment has not been made in over a decade", well maybe it's time. He said he would prefer to have a rate adjustment than to have a private hauler. Secondly, "since these changes we have stabilized our operation." He said he thought it was good news that you were looking for when you went from two to one pick up a week, so the operation is stabilized which was part of the justification. He said he really would like to know why we want to do it, that he stayed for the full meeting last time and he still did not know. Finally, I would make a suggestion. He said he was concerned about the $40,000.00, because they need police officers and that is where he would rather see it go. He said if they were going to do this, that they just needed to do commercial and see if that works before they sell the equipment and let the employees go. He said they could not go back, and he had been down that road with other cities. Judith Malone, 1975 E. Cherry Street — she spoke about drainage in the northeast part of the City and how the addition of concrete and the tearing down of trees due to the new development is making the drainage problem worse. Don Walker, 340 CR 32050 Brookston, Texas - he spoke about non-profit organizations and how difficult they were to maintain.