[00:00:02]
          MORNING. IT IS NOW 8:30 A.M., AND I CALL THIS MEETING OF THE ABILENE CITY COUNCIL TO
ORDER. 
          [CALL TO ORDER]
I'LL ASK THE COUNCILMAN BRIAN YATES, TO LEAD US IN OUR INVOCATION PLEDGES THIS MORNING. 
          WOULD YOU PRAY WITH ME, PLEASE? DEAR LORD, WE HUMBLY APPROACH YOU TODAY IN THE MIDST OF
OUR INDIVIDUAL CHALLENGES AND ISSUES, AND EXPRESS OUR GRATITUDE FOR THE MANY BLESSINGS OF LIVING IN THIS COUNTRY AND THE GREAT
STATE OF TEXAS, AND MOST ESPECIALLY IN THE CITY OF ABILENE. WE'RE THANKFUL FOR ALL THAT YOU DO FOR US,
AND ASK THAT YOU WATCH OVER THE CITY EMPLOYEES AND THE CITIZENS OF ABILENE AS THEY GO THROUGH THEIR DAY,
AND CONTINUE TO GRANT YOUR BLESSINGS TO US. 
          IN JESUS NAME WE PRAY. AMEN. AMEN. I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF
AMERICA AND TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS. ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE,
WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL. 
          HONOR THE TEXAS FLAG. I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THEE. 
          TEXAS. ONE STATE UNDER GOD, ONE AND INDIVISIBLE. 
          NOW MOVE TO THE PUBLIC. COMMENT PERIOD. THERE'LL BE NO VOTES OR ANY FORMAL ACTIONS TAKEN
ON SUBJECTS PRESENTED DURING THE PUBLIC COMMENT. 
          [PUBLIC COMMENTS]
PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD WILL ALLOW MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC TO PRESENT IDEAS AND INFORMATION TO
CITY OFFICIALS AND STAFF. 
          PLEASE COME FORWARD AND STATE YOUR NAME AND THE CITY YOU RESIDE IN FOR THE RECORD,
AND THERE WILL BE A THREE MINUTE LIMIT, PLEASE. WE HAVE NEW CARDS. NEW CARDS. MY NAME IS EDDIE PUGH. 
          I DIDN'T KNOW IF YOU WERE CALLING CARDS TODAY. IF THEY DO,
THEY USUALLY CALL THEM. 
          THERE'S NO CARDS. MY NAME IS EDDIE PUGH. YES,
SIR. GO AHEAD. I'M SORRY. SO I DIDN'T HAVE ANYTHING PREPARED TODAY. 
          I JUST KNOW THAT ABILENE IS HIGHLY DISAPPOINTED IN THIS BOARD ALTOGETHER. 
          WE HAVE RISE. THAT'S BEEN AN ISSUE FOR THE PAST TWO AND A HALF YEARS. 
          I DON'T HAVE TO GO INTO THAT. Y'ALL KNOW THE DETAILS. WE HAVE APD. 
          I KNOW THAT THEY'RE WATCHING MY FACEBOOK PAGE. 
          THE DETECTIVES HAVE KIND OF WENT OVER SOME STUFF WITH ME WHEN I SPOKE TO THEM,
BUT THERE WAS A GUY. 
          HIS NAME WAS ROCKY. HE WAS ARRESTED AND THERE WERE FIVE POLICE OFFICERS SURROUNDED HIM. HE
HAD A LITTLE BIT OF WEED ON HIM, BUT EVEN IF HE HAD FIVE KILOS OF COCAINE, THAT DOESN'T GIVE FIVE OFFICERS A RIGHT TO TACKLE A MAN DOWN AND BREAK HIS LEG AND THEN
MAKE HIM WALK ON IT AT THAT. 
          IMAGINE IF THAT WAS YOUR FAMILY MEMBERS. HOW WOULD YOU ALL FEEL? YOU KNOW,
I MEAN, THE CITY HAS BEEN TORN APART BY LAWSUITS. 
          I DON'T KNOW WHY WE HAVE STANLEY SMITH OVER HERE EITHER HALF THE TIME,
WHETHER THERE'S PEOPLE IN HERE OR NOT. 
          YOU'RE LOOKING DOWN, SIR. YOU LOOK DOWN. SO I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY YOU COME OUT HERE. 
          YOU'VE BEEN HERE SINCE WHAT? 2015? 2016. AND HOW MANY LAWSUITS HAVE WE HAD? HE'S PART OF THE PROBLEM. HE NEEDS TO GO. AND,
MAYOR, YOU NEED TO GO. 
          IF YOU CAN'T DO BETTER IN YOUR LEADERSHIP. DO YOU HAVE ANYTHING TO SAY TO THAT? IT'S NOT AN AGENDA ITEM. NO, SIR. THANK YOU. I UNDERSTAND THAT,
BUT WHEN CAN WE PUT SOMETHING ON THE AGENDA THAT WE CAN ACTUALLY TALK ABOUT? THE PEOPLE, THE CITIZENS. YOU GUYS DICTATE WHAT GOES ON THAT AGENDA,
AND IT'S BECAUSE HE CENTERS IT FOR YOU GUYS. 
          JUST LIKE RISE. WE SPOKE ABOUT THAT, DIDN'T WE? AND NOTHING'S HAPPENING AT ALL. WE CONTINUE TO PUT UP WITH THE SAME [EXPLETIVE]. 
          ABILENE IS TIRED OF IT. DO Y'ALL READ THE COMMENTS ON SOCIAL MEDIA? THERE'S ABSOLUTELY NO
RESPECT FOR ANY OF YOU GUYS FOR APD DISTRICT ATTORNEY'S OFFICE. 
          IT'S AN EMBARRASSMENT. I KNOW YOU GUYS DON'T CONTROL THEM,
BUT Y'ALL SEE WHAT THEY DID TO KELSEY HUDDLESTON WHO GOT THE DWI. 
          THEY PRETTY MUCH HOOKED HER UP, GAVE HER A JOB. SHE WENT TO UTAH AFTER TWO MONTHS. 
          THERE'S NO JUSTICE THERE. TWO MONTHS. DID SHE GET PROBATION? SHE HAD AN INTERLOCK DEVICE BLAZED. YOU'RE AN ATTORNEY. 
          WHAT DO YOU THINK? IT'S NOT PUBLIC COMMENT. GO AHEAD. 
          OKAY, WELL, I'LL TELL YOU WHAT I THINK. I THINK IT'S BULL[EXPLETIVE]. AND SO DOES
EVERYBODY ELSE IN ABILENE. THERE'S NO JUSTICE, AND JUSTICE IS EVERYWHERE. AND Y'ALL BETTER PRAY TO GOD THAT I DON'T GET ELECTED FOR HOUSE
DISTRICT 71. 
          IF I DO, I'M GONNA DO EVERYTHING I CAN. I KNOW YOU'RE LAUGHING UP THERE,
COLONEL YATES. 
          LET ME SAY SOMETHING ABOUT YOU. YOU'RE A PIECE OF [EXPLETIVE] TOO INTEGRITY. FIRST SERVICE
BEFORE SELF EXCELLENCE IN ALL WE DO. 
          YOU GOT ON THE CITY COUNCIL AND YOU'RE A [EXPLETIVE] JOKE. 
          YEAH. YOU MAKE THE FACE AND THEN YOU FLIP THE CAMERAS. 
          WHY DO WE FLIP CAMERAS? WHY ARE Y'ALL TRYING TO CENSOR FACES AND STUFF OUT HERE? REACTIONS. PUBLIC REACTIONS. COMPLETE BULL[EXPLETIVE]. 
          PEOPLE ARE TIRED OF IT. IT'S THE PUBLIC COMMENT,
PERIOD. 
          WOULD ANYONE ELSE LIKE TO SPEAK AT THIS TIME? 
          [00:05:03]
SEEING NO ONE, I'LL CLOSE THE PUBLIC COMMENT. PERIOD. IT IS NOW 8:35 A.M. 
          [EXECUTIVE SESSION]
AND WE RECESS INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION PURSUANT TO THE OPEN MEETINGS ACT,
SECTION 551.087 DELIBERATIONS ABOUT BUSINESS PROSPECTS AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT. IT IS NOW 9:49 A.M. AND WE RECONVENE TO OPEN SESSION. 
          NO VOTES OR ACTIONS WERE TAKEN DURING EXECUTIVE SESSION. 
          IT IS NOW STILL 9:49 A.M. AND THIS MEETING OF THE ABILENE CITY COUNCIL IS ADJOURNED. 
          FINANCE.
* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.