Oct 07, 2025 Labor and Economic Development Committee

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I USE WHAT THEY CAN DO WITH ROCKETS. LARGE ONE. AT YOUR TV. WE'RE GOING TO BE IN 74 SECONDS.

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SO I HAD TO GET PICTURES WITH THEM. OKAY. THAT'S FUNNY. AND AS SOMEONE WHO IS ACTUALLY SIX FOOT SEVEN, THAT'S MY ACTUAL HEIGHT. I FEEL VERY TARGETED BY THE SOCIAL MEDIA MEME. NO ONE CAN TELL ME WHAT IT MEANS. IT DOESN'T MEAN ANYTHING. I KNOW IT DOESN'T. IT'S THERE'S NOTHING GOOD ABOUT IT. ALL RIGHT, METRO TV, LET'S DO THIS THING. GOOD AFTERNOON. THIS IS

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[2. R-114-25     A RESOLUTION RATIFYING AND APPROVING A COLLECTIVE BARGAINING AGREEMENT (FROM THE DATE OF ITS APPROVAL THROUGH JUNE 30, 2029) RELATING TO WAGES, HOURS, AND OTHER TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT BETWEEN LOUISVILLE/JEFFERSON COUNTY METRO GOVERNMENT AND AMERICAN FEDERATION OF STATE, COUNTY AND MUNICIPAL EMPLOYEES AFL-CIO, LOCAL 2629 (AFSCME), CONCERNING NON-PROBATIONARY, NON-SUPERVISORY, REGULAR EMPLOYEES OF METRO GOVERNMENT FOR WHOM AFSCME IS RECOGNIZED AS THE EXCLUSIVE BARGAINING REPRESENTATIVE IN THE FOLLOWING METRO GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENTS: DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC HEALTH AND WELLNESS, OFFICE OF SOCIAL SERVICES, LOUISVILLE METRO - AIR POLLUTION CONTROL DISTRICT, OFFICE OF MANAGEMENT AND BUDGET - HEALTH (BILLING), OFFICE OF MANAGEMENT AND BUDGET - REVENUE COMMISSION, DEPARTMENT OF METRO ANIMAL SERVICES, LOUISVILLE METRO DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS, DEPARTMENT OF YOUTH TRANSITIONAL SERVICES, DEPARTMENT OF CODES AND REGULATIONS, OFFICE OF PLANNING, METRO TECHNOLOGY SERVICES, OFFICE OF RECORDS COMPLIANCE, AND DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS AND ASSETS. Action Required By: March 25, 2026 Sponsors: Ben Reno-Weber (D-8) ]

METRO TECHNOLOGY SERVICES, OFFICE OF COMPLIANCE, AND DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS AND

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EXCELLENT. GOOD AFTERNOON. I'M AARON JACKSON WITH OMB. THIS AGREEMENT BEFORE YOU COVERS APPROXIMATELY 182 POSITIONS ACROSS VARIOUS DEPARTMENTS, WHICH I WILL NOT REPEAT IN THE INTEREST OF TIME. IT IS A FIVE YEAR CONTRACT COVERING FISCAL YEAR 25 THROUGH FISCAL YEAR 29.

IT DOES INCLUDE STEPS, COLAS, AND LONGEVITY. IN FY 25, IT CALLS FOR WAGES OF APPROXIMATELY 20% RETRO TO JULY 1ST, 2024. FY 26 CALLS FOR A 3% WAGE INCREASE. FY 27 CALLS FOR A 3% WAGE INCREASE IN FY 28, AND FY 29 CALLS FOR A 2% WAGE INCREASES EACH YEAR. IT DOES INCLUDE $1,000 ANNUAL LONGEVITY FOR MEMBERS WITH 18 YEARS 18 PLUS YEARS OF EXPERIENCE. THE TOTAL COST OF THE CONTRACT IS APPROXIMATELY 48 MILLION WITHOUT FRINGES AND 60.6 MILLION WITH FRINGES, AND IT VOTED 116 IN FAVOR AND NINE OPPOSED. AND WITH THAT, I'LL ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS YOU MAY HAVE. THANK YOU. LET THE RECORD REFLECT. WE HAVE BEEN JOINED BY OUR COLLEAGUE, DOCTOR PAUL MCCARTNEY. COLLEAGUES, DO YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? COUNCILMAN OWEN THANK YOU. CHAIR, I WOULD LIKE TO ASK A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS ABOUT THESE.

THE FIRST BEING, I THINK WE'RE ALWAYS TRYING TO GET UP TO PAR WITH OUR PEER CITIES AND, AND, AND MOST OF THE TIME WHEN I ASK THIS QUESTION OR MAYBE ALL THE TIME, THE ANSWER I GET IS YES, WE FEEL GOOD ABOUT WHERE WE ARE COMPARED TO OUR PEER CITIES, AND I JUST WANTED TO ASK THAT IN WITHIN WITHIN THIS CONTEXT AS WELL. SO I DID ANTICIPATE THAT QUESTION. YES. AND I BELIEVE YES, I'M GETTING A HEAD NOD THAT IT DOES. IT IS IN LINE WITH WITH MARKET RATES. GREAT.

THAT'S WHAT I WANTED TO HEAR. AND THEN ANOTHER QUESTION I ALWAYS LIKE TO ASK AS WELL. I KNOW WE HAD 3 OR 4 OF THESE THAT WERE PENDING, YOU KNOW, NEGOTIATION. HOW MANY MORE DO WE STILL HAVE THAT ARE KIND OF, YOU KNOW, A LITTLE BIT BACKLOGGED FROM WHEN THEY EXPIRED? ARE WE ARE WE WE HAVE ONE MORE LEFT AND AND HOW FAR ARE WE AWAY FROM GETTING THAT ONE NEGOTIATED. RIGHT. EXCELLENT. THOSE ARE THE TWO ANSWERS I WANTED TO HEAR. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. EXCELLENT. ANYONE ELSE HERE? MR. CHAIRMAN? TECHNICAL QUESTION. DOES THE LENGTH OF THE TITLE OF THIS RESOLUTION HAVE ANYTHING TO DO WITH THE NATURAL VERBOSITY OF THE SPONSOR? NOT TO MY KNOWLEDGE. I DON'T BELIEVE THERE'S A STATISTICAL CORRELATION THERE, BUT OKAY, WE CAN CERTAINLY LOOK INTO THAT IN THE FUTURE. THANK YOU. MR. CHAIR. IF I MAY, CAN I BE ADDED AS A SPONSOR? ABSOLUTELY. AS LONG AS WE CAN BE SHORT ABOUT IT. OH, AND CAN I ASK MR. JACKSON A QUESTION? ABSOLUTELY. SO, SO THIS IS A PRETTY COMPETITIVE. YOU THINK THIS WILL SECURE OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH OUR EMPLOYEES, AND WE WON'T HAVE ANY FEAR OF LOSING SOME OF OUR GOOD EMPLOYEES? WILL THIS RETAIN OUR EMPLOYEES? BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT'S MORE. MOST IMPORTANT IS THAT THEY'RE COMPENSATED FOR THE WORK THAT THEY DO AND THAT THEY UNDERSTAND THAT WE UNDERSTAND THE VALUE IN THEM. SO YES, I AGREE WITH THAT, THAT THIS UNION CONTRACT IS FAVORABLE AND WITH EVERY EXPECTATION THAT WE'RE ABLE TO RETAIN OUR EMPLOYEES. THANK YOU. EXCELLENT. ANYONE ELSE? ANYONE ONLINE? GREAT. WELL, I WILL JUST ECHO OUR THANKS TO YOU FOR THIS WORK AND OUR GRATITUDE TO THE EMPLOYEES WHO FILL ALL OF THESE INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT ROLES. YOU KNOW, WE WE KNOW THAT ATTRACTING AND RETAINING THE BEST TALENT IS HOW WE'RE GOING TO SUCCEED AS A CITY. SO THANK YOU SO MUCH. THANK YOU. THIS IS AN ITEM REQUIRING A VOICE VOTE. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR, PLEASE SIGNIFY BY SAYING I, I, I ANY OPPOSED SEEING NONE. THIS ITEM IS PASSED BY ACCLAMATION AND WE'LL GO ON TO THE CONSENT CALENDAR. THANK YOU SO MUCH. LADIES AND GENTLEMEN. NEXT ON OUR AGENDA IS A DISCUSSION WITH ABOUT THE WORLD TRADE CENTER OF KENTUCKY. AND I AM SO HONORED

[1. ID 25-0555     WORLD TRADE CENTER KENTUCKY – Dr. Omar Ayyash, President]

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AND THEY DECIDED THIS IS BACK IN 1988. THEY DECIDED THAT WE'RE GOING TO BRING WORLD TRADE CENTER TO KENTUCKY, AND WE'RE GOING TO START A JAPAN AMERICAN SOCIETY. AND IF YOU LOOK AT THE NUMBERS AND THE EXPANSION THAT HAS RESULTED OF THAT, THEY REALLY HAD THE FORESIGHT. AND WHAT WAS REALLY EXCITING ABOUT THAT MOMENT IS MOST OF THE WORLD TRADE CENTERS TYPICALLY ARE CITY BASED, BUT THEY HAD THE VISION AND THE FORESIGHT TO NAME IT A STATEWIDE ORGANIZATION. I THINK WE'RE ONE OF A FEW HERE IN AMERICA THAT HAVE A STATEWIDE NAME. UTAH MIGHT BE THE OTHER WORLD TRADE CENTER THAT HAS A STATEWIDE PRESENCE. SO WE OPENED OUR DOORS IN 88, IN LEXINGTON, AND THEN EVENTUALLY IN 1995, WHEN THERE WAS A LOT OF MERGER HAPPENING IN THE CITY WITH ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT. THAT'S WHEN WE OPENED THE LOUISVILLE OFFICE FOR THE WORLD TRADE CENTER, AND WE HAVEN'T STOPPED BEATING EVER SINCE.

KNOCKING ON DOORS, SMALL, MEDIUM AND LARGE COMPANIES. NOW, I'VE BEEN FORTUNATE TO WORK FOR THE WORLD TRADE CENTER TWICE. I WORKED FOR THE WORLD TRADE CENTERS IN 1995 TO ABOUT 2001, AND I'VE BEEN WORKING WITH THEM FOR THE LAST THREE AND A HALF YEARS, AND I'VE BEEN SEEING THE TRANSFORMATION THAT HAPPENED IN THE STATE FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF HOW DID PEOPLE THINK ABOUT

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AND TYPICALLY THE NUMBERS ASSOCIATE WITH OH, IT MUST BE BOURBON. IT MUST BE HORSES ASSOCIATED WITH THAT. NO, THE NUMBERS ARE ACTUALLY AEROSPACE. THE AUTOMOTIVE INDUSTRY, PHARMACEUTICALS, THINGS OF THAT NATURE. OKAY. IF YOU STOP TO THINK FOR A MINUTE, WHY HAS THIS REALLY SHIFT HAPPENED? WELL, IT WAS A VERY GOOD DECISION THAT WE PROBABLY TOOK IN THE 2000 WHEN WE HELPED UPS EXPAND ITS WORLD PORT HERE. AND AGAIN, IN TERMS OF STATISTICS, JEFFERSON COUNTY IS NUMBER ONE EXPORTER IN THE STATE OF KENTUCKY. BOONE COUNTY IS NUMBER TWO IN THE STATE OF KENTUCKY, AND FAYETTE COUNTY IS NUMBER THREE IN THE STATE OF KENTUCKY. AND WHAT WE NEED TO CONTINUE TO FOCUS ON MANY TIMES IS PEOPLE FORGET THAT WE ARE A SEVEN HOUR DRIVE FROM TWO THIRDS OF THE US POPULATION. THINK ABOUT THAT. WE ARE A SEVEN HOUR DRIVE FROM TWO THIRDS OF THE US POPULATION, SO WE'RE DEFINITELY A LOGISTICS HUB AND IT CREATES A HUGE OPPORTUNITY FOR THAT. NOW LET'S GET TO THE POSITION THAT WE'RE IN TODAY. THE WORLD TRADE CENTER OF KENTUCKY HAS BEEN VERY FORTUNATE THIS YEAR BECAUSE OF WHAT'S HAPPENING IN WASHINGTON, DC. THE WAR TARIFFS HAS BECOME PROBABLY THE MOST COMMON WORD USED AT THE DINNER TABLE. A FIVE YEAR OLD TALKS ABOUT IT AS WELL AS A 80 YEAR OLD TALKS ABOUT IT, YOU KNOW, OH, YOU'RE NOT GOING TO GET THIS TOY THIS YEAR BECAUSE TARIFFS HAVE INCREASED OR DOUBLED THE PRICE FOR THEM. ONE OF THE KEY THINGS ABOUT THE WORLD TRADE CENTER IS THAT WE'VE BEEN FORTUNATE AS AN ORGANIZATION IS THAT WE DON'T ONLY TALK EXPORTS, WE ALSO TALK IMPORTS. SO WE HELP COMPANIES, SMALL, MEDIUM AND LARGE COMPANIES IN THE STATE OF KENTUCKY NAVIGATE THE INTERNATIONAL MARKETPLACE FROM AN EXPORT PERSPECTIVE. BUT WE ALSO HELP THEM NAVIGATE FROM AN IMPORT PERSPECTIVE. AND, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF THE PHONE HAS BEEN RINGING. THE EMAIL HAS BEEN GOING OFF. WE'VE BEEN TALKING TO A LOT OF KENTUCKY COMPANIES THAT ARE WORRIED ABOUT TARIFFS. WE IN MAY HUNKER DOWN IN ONE OF THE LOUISVILLE'S BEST COMPANIES, $1 BILLION COMPANY, WITHOUT MENTIONING THE NAME, AND WORKED WITH THEM IN A COMPLETE, YOU KNOW, TRADE COMPLIANCE PROGRAM, FIGURED OUT THEY'RE TRANSPORTED BORDER TRANSACTIONS BETWEEN THEIR SUBSIDIARY IN CANADA TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY'RE USING THE RIGHT HARMONIZED TARIFF SCHEDULE CLASSIFICATION CODES.

THAT'S THE SPECIAL WORD FOR, YOU KNOW, THE KEY NUMBER THAT YOU USE TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU'RE PAYING THE RIGHT DUTIES AND THE RIGHT TARIFFS AND THINGS OF THAT NATURE. AND AS THE CEO OF THAT COMPANY SAID TO ME, YOU KNOW, LOOK, I'M GOING TO DO THIS TO BE MORE COMPETITIVE IF MY MY COMPETITION NEEDS TO FOCUS ON THIS, I'M GOING TO WORK WITH THE WORLD TRADE CENTER TO ENSURE THAT I'VE GOT THE RIGHT TOOLS, AND I'M GOING TO MAKE IT EASIER FOR MY EMPLOYEES TO KNOCK DOWN ALL THE BARRIERS THAT HAVE TO DO WITH THEM. SO TO SUMMARIZE, THE WORLD TRADE CENTER IS HERE DOING CONSULTING WORK WITH A LOT OF OUR COMPANIES RIGHT HERE IN THE LOUISVILLE METRO GOVERNMENT ON INTERNATIONAL TRADE, INTERNATIONAL COMPLIANCE, HCTZ NUMBERS, DUTIES, TAXES. WE DO TRAINING SOME OF THE BEST PROGRAMS IN THE REGION. I JUST CAME IN FROM OUR INTERNATIONAL TRADE CERTIFICATION PROGRAM, WHERE COMPANIES FROM VALVOLINE, LINK-BELT RIVER SHELF, ALTEC. I'M SURE I'M FORGETTING A FEW UPS AND THINGS OF THAT NATURE ARE IN OUR CLASS RIGHT NOW STUDYING ABOUT MARKET ACCESS, LOGISTICS, LEGAL PAYMENT, THINGS OF THAT NATURE. AND THIS FRIDAY, I HEAD UP A DELEGATION OF 16 COMPANIES THAT ARE GOING TO DUBAI FOR THREE TRADE SHOWS. WE'RE GOING TO EXPAND NORTH STAR, EXPAND NORTH STAR. WHAT A BEAUTIFUL NAME. YOU CAN GUESS. IT'S ALL ABOUT STARTUPS. THAT'S THE FIRST TRADE SHOW WE'RE GOING TO. THE SECOND DAY WE HEAD TO GITEX. AND GITEX IS THE LARGEST BUSINESS TO BUSINESS TECHNOLOGY TRADE SHOW IN THE WORLD. 180 COUNTRIES ARE REPRESENTED TO THAT. AND THEN WHEN MY FRIENDS THROUGH THE WORLD TRADE CENTER NETWORK FOUND OUT THAT I'M BRINGING THIS DELEGATION AND THE DUBAI WORLD TRADE CENTER FACILITATES A LOT OF THIS. MY NEIGHBORS, A LITTLE BIT NORTH OF DUBAI CALLED SHARJAH, SAID, HEY,

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YOU ALREADY HAVE ACCESS TO THAT MARKET. YOU'VE ALREADY DEVELOPED RELATIONS WITH THE ABU DHABI WORLD TRADE CENTER, WITH DUBAI WORLD TRADE CENTER, WITH THE WORLD TRADE CENTER.

CAN WE TAG ALONG? CAN WE COME ALONG ON YOUR TRADE MISSION? AND OF COURSE, I SAID SURE. SO FOUR OF THE 16 COMPANIES, INCLUDING THE GOVERNOR'S OFFICE FROM UTAH, ARE JOINING THE KENTUCKY TRADE MISSION TO EXPAND ITS INTERNATIONAL TRADE. SO WITHOUT GOING INTO TOO MUCH DETAIL, AND I DIDN'T GO THROUGH MY SLIDES BECAUSE I'M ACTUALLY A PROFESSOR. AND, YOU KNOW, THIS IS TYPICAL. WHEN YOU'RE A PROFESSOR, YOU DON'T FOLLOW YOUR SLIDES. YOU CAN ACTUALLY TAKE ONE SLIDE AND TALK ABOUT IT FOR TWO HOURS. BUT WHAT I WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT MORE THAN ANYTHING IS THE IDEA THAT I ARRIVED IN KENTUCKY IN 1990 FROM VIENNA, AUSTRIA, AS A 17 YEAR OLD, AND AT THAT TIME, I THINK THE WORLD WAS HERE, IN AMERICA WAS HERE. I WAS SO MESMERIZED BY THE THINGS THAT WERE HAPPENING IN AMERICA THE BIG ROADS, THE BIG HIGHWAYS, THE BIG ACTIVITIES, THE MALLS AND THINGS OF THAT NATURE. SO I LEFT, AND IN 22, I RETURNED BACK TO LOUISVILLE, MY HOMETOWN, AND I NOTICED THAT GAP HAS SHIFTED. AND TO A CERTAIN SITUATION, WE'VE GOT MORE OF A IN SOME CASES, WE'RE ON THE SAME LEVEL PLAYING FIELD. IN SOME CASES, WE'RE ACTUALLY BEHIND WHEN IT COMES TO INNOVATION, ENTREPRENEURSHIP AND THINGS OF THAT NATURE. THE WORLD IS SURPASSING US. AND WHAT I URGE FROM THE CONSTITUENTS IN THIS ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT FORUM, AND I CAN'T THANK COUNCILMAN BEN RENO, MISTER CHAIR, FOR INVITING ME HERE IS GLOBALIZATION IS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT. AND WE'RE NOT GOING TO LEARN ABOUT GLOBALIZATION BY SITTING IN OUR BACKYARDS HERE. WE'VE GOT TO LEARN ABOUT GLOBALIZATION BY VISITING COUNTRIES. AND IT STARTS AT ALL LEVELS, WHETHER IT'S IN THE MIDDLE SCHOOL, WHETHER IT'S IN THE HIGH SCHOOL, WHETHER IT'S IN THE UNIVERSITY PROGRAM, OR WHETHER IT'S OUR COMPANIES EXPANDING AND DOING INTERNATIONAL TRADE OR COMING AND SETTING UP OPPORTUNITIES HERE. IT'S REALLY EXCITING TO SEE THE THE CHANGE THAT WENT FROM EXPORTING TO TENNESSEE TO $48 BILLION OF GLOBALIZATION HAPPENING IN OUR COMMUNITY, AND I REALLY APPRECIATE YOU FOR THAT OPPORTUNITY, AND I THANK YOU. AND IF ANYONE HAS ANY COMMENT OR QUESTION I'M HERE TO ANSWER. THANK YOU. THAT'S REALLY EXCITING. AND I LOVE THAT. YOU KNOW, I WORK RIGHT ACROSS THE STREET FROM BRAD CUMMINGS AT ECHL GAMES. AND THE IDEA THAT, YOU KNOW, HE TOOK WORK THAT HE WAS DOING WITH THE MICHIGAN LOTTERY, WHAT WE WOULD PREVIOUSLY HAVE CONSIDERED AN EXPORT OF A KENTUCKY PRODUCT AND IS NOW, YOU KNOW, DOING THIS IN THE MIDDLE EAST AND YOU'RE HELPING HIM TO EXPAND THERE. THAT IS SO COOL. AMONG SO MANY OTHERS COLLEAGUES, COMMENTS, QUESTIONS FOR THE GOOD DOCTOR, COUNCILMAN. YEAH, I MEAN, TWO MINUTES ON WHAT WHAT'S GOING ON WITH THE TARIFF SITUATION? HOW MUCH BUSINESS IS THAT SQUELCHING AND WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE? WELL, YOU KNOW, I MEAN, THERE'S A THAT'S A VERY DIFFICULT THING TO ANSWER. AND PART OF IT IS, YOU KNOW, THE KEY WORD IS UNCERTAINTY. SO

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BUT WHAT YOU NEED TO DO AS, AS A, AS A BUSINESS OWNER IS THAT YOU NEED TO ALWAYS HAVE YOUR CONTINGENCY PLAN. YOU NEED TO ALWAYS FIGURE OUT A WAY TO DO THAT. I DROVE HERE TODAY AND IT'S RAINING PRETTY HEAVILY. AND YOU KNOW, THERE'S RISK ALWAYS ASSOCIATED WITH THAT.

AND I WAS THINKING ABOUT HOW ARE YOU GOING TO MANAGE RISK TO MAKE SURE THINGS ARE HAPPENING.

AND WHAT I MEAN BY THAT. THE UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT HAS ALWAYS HAD PROGRAMS TO HELP YOU MITIGATE SOME OF THOSE DUTIES AND TAXES THAT ARE AVAILABLE TO YOU. I'M JUST GOING TO MENTION A FEW REAL QUICKLY HERE. ONE IS DUTY DRAWBACK. BELIEVE IT OR NOT, YOU CAN GET YOUR DUTY BACK IF YOU STIPULATE CERTAIN CONDITIONS. THERE ARE PROGRAMS AVAILABLE TO THAT CALL. THE WORLD TRADE CENTER WILL HELP YOU FIGURE THAT OUT. ANOTHER THING IS OUR RIVER PORT IS A FOREIGN FREE TRADE ZONE. VERY FEW PEOPLE RECOGNIZE THAT OUR RIVER PORT IS A FOREIGN FREE TRADE ZONE. WE RUN A PODCAST AT THE WORLD TRADE CENTER, AND IF YOU DON'T, IF YOU HAVEN'T HAD A CHANCE TO LISTEN TO OUR PODCAST, IT'S A GREAT WAY TO LEARN ABOUT. IT'S CALLED THIS GLOBAL TRADE ADVENTURE, ABOUT ALL THESE DIFFERENT PROGRAMS. I'VE HAD ONE ON DUTY DRAWBACK. I'VE HAD ONE WITH MIGUEL ZAMORA FROM THE RIVER PORT, TALKING ABOUT THE RIVER PORT AND TECHNICALLY WHAT IT MEANS BEING A FOREIGN FREE TRADE ZONE IS IF YOUR PRODUCT COMES INTO YOUR WAREHOUSE AT THE RIVER PORT AND SITS THERE, YOU DON'T HAVE TO PAY DUTIES. SO THAT ACTUALLY COULD BE UNTIL YOU BRING IT BACK INTO THE UNITED STATES. BUT IF YOU'RE GOING TO REEXPORT IT TO CANADA OR YOU'RE GOING TO DO SOMETHING WITH IT, TWEAK IT AND SEND IT OUT TO MEXICO OR WHAT HAVE YOU, YOU NEVER HAVE TO PAY DUTIES. TECHNICALLY, IT NEVER ENTERED THE UNITED STATES. AND THERE'S A TEN OTHER PROGRAMS THAT I CAN TALK ABOUT. AND JUST LIKE FOR THE SAKE OF TIME, I'M JUST GOING TO ONLY TAKE TWO MINUTES. AND THEN I'M GOING TO WHET YOUR CURIOSITY TO CALL THE WORLD TRADE CENTER FOR MORE OPPORTUNITY THERE. THANK YOU DOCTOR. THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR.

YOU BROUGHT UP AND MENTIONED THE RIVER PORT, AND I'M I'M WITHIN PROXIMITY OF THE RIVER PORT. AND WHAT ARE THE CHANCES OF REVITALIZING AND GETTING THAT PORT? I GUESS, UP TO SNUFF INTO BEING ABLE TO TAKE IN MORE FOR OUR CITY AND FOR JUST DISTRIBUTION, AS WE HAVE THE UPS HUB AND AND OTHER LOGISTICAL OPPORTUNITIES HERE. WHAT CAN WE DO TO TO PORT MORE THINGS INTO THE RIVER PORT TO DRIVE THAT ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT THERE AS WELL? YEAH. THANK YOU FOR YOUR QUESTION AND I APPRECIATE THAT. YOU KNOW, THE THOUGHT PROCESS THAT COMES TO MY MIND AS SOMEONE WHO'S BEEN IN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT FOR THE LAST 30 YEARS, THIS IS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR US AS A COMMUNITY TO RETHINK THE WAY THAT WE'VE BEEN WORKING AROUND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT. AND WHAT I MEAN BY THAT IS, YOU KNOW, WE CAN ATTRACT ANOTHER THEATER HERE AND WE CAN GIVE THEM GREAT UTILITY RATE AND WE CAN GIVE THEM GREAT TAXES, AND WE CAN DO ALL THESE THINGS THAT EVERY OTHER STATE OR EVERY OTHER COMMUNITY IS DOING. AND THE WAY WE'VE ALWAYS DONE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT FOR THE LAST 30 YEARS SHOULD BE ONE THAT WE SHOULDN'T BE FOCUSED ON. AND THIS IS WHERE I ENCOURAGE THIS BODY TO CONSIDER JOINING US ON A TRADE MISSION TO A PLACE LIKE DUBAI AND THE UNITED ARAB EMIRATES, WHICH IS NOW FOR THE LAST TEN YEARS, HAS BEEN RANKED AS THE NUMBER ONE FOREIGN DIRECT INVESTMENT PLACE IN THE WORLD. AND TO STUDY THE TYPE OF WORK THAT THEY'VE BEEN DOING TO REVITALIZE RIVER PORTS AND AND TRADE SECTORS. AND WE'RE WE AS THE WORLD TRADE CENTER CAN WORK ON THAT IS I REALLY THINK WE NEED TO DEVELOP A PROGRAM FOCUSED ON A SOFT LANDING PLACE FOR INTERNATIONAL STARTUPS. THE SEX, THE SUCCESS OF THE ENTREPRENEURIAL COMMUNITY HISTORICALLY IN A PLACE LIKE

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IT'S HAPPENING AT THE LOCAL SCENE HAS BEEN TOO LOCAL. WE NEED TO TAKE THAT AND GIVE IT A GLOBALOOK. AND IF I COULD ADD TWO THINGS FOR MY COLLEAGUES TO THAT THINKING ABOUT, PARTICULARLY THE RIVER PORT. YOU KNOW, WHEN I TALK TO ENTREPRENEURS WHO ARE THERE OR BUSINESS OWNERS WHO ARE THERE, WHAT THEY ARE WORRIED ABOUT IS HOW DO I GET A WORKFORCE THERE, WHICH MEANS WE NEED TO HAVE HOUSING THAT IS PROXIMATE AND TRANSIT THAT GETS THEM THERE ON THE TIMES THAT THEY NEED THEM THERE. AND I MEAN, THAT IS OUR CHALLENGE. HOW DO WE INVEST IN OR SUPPORT THE INFRASTRUCTURE THAT THOSE INVESTMENTS THAT ARE COMING IN THAT YOU ARE HELPING TO FACILITATE, LIKE THEY NEED WORKERS AND THEY NEED SOME, YOU KNOW, TECH WORKERS, AI, YOU KNOW, THAT KIND OF STUFF THAT'S IMPORTANT. BUT ALSO THEY JUST NEED HOUSING THAT A JC BUS DRIVER CAN AFFORD AT 80%. AMI COUNCILMAN PURVIS. AND THEY NEED THE ABILITY TO GET PEOPLE FROM THAT HOUSING AT 80% AMI TO THE PLACE WHERE THEY MAKE THE PEANUT BUTTER. AND THAT'S, YOU KNOW, THAT'S ON US. AND I JUST WILL ECHO WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT, THAT ENTREPRENEURSHIP PIECE, IT USED TO BE THAT THE CONSTRAINING FACTOR ON ENTREPRENEURSHIP, PARTICULARLY STARTUP STUFF, WAS CAPITAL. THAT'S WHY ALL THIS STUFF HAPPENED IN SILICON VALLEY, BECAUSE THEY JUST H MONEY SLOSHING AROUND ALL OVER THE PLACE. AND SO IF YOU CAN LIGHT MONEY ON FIRE UNTIL YOUR COMPANY MAKES IT OR DOESN'T MAKE IT, YOU'RE MORE LIKELY TO MAKE IT. THE CONSTRAINING FACTOR NOW IS GOING TO BE UNDERSTANDING THE PROBLEMS THAT NEED TO GET SOLVED, AND GETTING CUSTOMERS TO PROVE YOUR THAT INITIAL PROOF OF CONCEPT, THE POC, WHICH MEANS THAT WE WE HAVE AN ADVANTAGE FOR THE FIRST TIME. WE KNOW HOW TO MAKE STUFF HERE. THEY KNOW HOW TO MAKE NO STANFORD PHD KNOWS HOW TO MAKE ANYTHING RIGHT. BUT WE DO. AND SO IF WE CAN FIND THOSE ENTREPRENEURS AND GET THEM THOSE FIRST CUSTOMERS HERE, AND THEN ACCELERATE THEM OUT INTO THE WORLD, THAT MEANS CAPITAL IS NOT OUR PROBLEM. OUR ACTUAL NATIVE INGENUITY, PEOPLE WHO MAKE THINGS, THAT'S OUR ADVANTAGE. AND WE NEED TO LEAN INTO THAT. I KNOW WE'RE CLOSE ON TIME. OTHER COLLEAGUES. DOCTOR, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR PRESENCE. THANK YOU FOR ALL THE WORK THAT YOU DO. AND WE'RE GRATEFUL TO TO TO YOU. WE HOPE TO SUCCEED. HOPE TO SEE THAT YOU GET THE INVESTMENTS THAT YOU NEED TO KEEP DOING THIS STUFF. I APPRECIATE IT. THANK YOU, THANK YOU, APPRECIATE IT. THANK YOU.

[Adjournment Note: Agendas are followed at the discretion of the Chair. While an item may be listed, it does not mean all items will be heard and/or acted upon by the Committee.]