FM Talk 1065 Podcasts
Mobile City Councilman Josh Woods - Jeff Poor Show - Thursday 6-27-24
(upbeat music) ♪ I keep a close watch on this heart ♪ - Lookin' back to the Jup4 show, let's talk 106.5, thanks for stayin' with us on this Thursday morning. In text line, you wanna be in touch with the show 2513430106. It's lookin' a bunch of text here. I will get to those here over the next, you know, 30 minutes or so. So, give it us feedback, you will get a response. Still to come on the program, April Murray Fogle, about an hour from now, and in two hours, our state auditor Andrew Sorrell will be with us. We'll talk to him about debaking and some other things going on around the state of joining us now. Somebody had known for a real long time, actually. But now, City Councilman here in Mobile, Josh Woods joins us on the line. Councilman, good morning, how are you? - I'm good, thanks for having me, Jeff, I appreciate it. - Hey, thanks for making time. Thanks for coming on. Well, let's, before we get into what we're talking about, how is the job, how you settling in there? I mean, yet I haven't taught the whole lot, so you got elected, but here you are. I mean, it's been a while. - Yeah, so, you know, the past obviously stepped in, halfway through a term, and really kind of, kind of getting up to speeds, taking some time, but really figuring it out. A lot of times, it just takes time to figure out who's in charge of what, who do I ask for certain things, and really get to know the people that I have the wonderful opportunity to work with on, you know, every Tuesday, getting to know their personalities and open up communication. So overall, it's been a, being great. I really appreciate the voters giving me the opportunity to serve them. - Yeah, it took a couple of tries here, but here you are. And I know I told you, but congratulations, anyway. Hey, this Amtrak stuff, and it is, I just, I remember the old Amtrak in Mobile 20 years ago, Josh, before Katrina, it showed up at like two in the morning if you wanted to take the train, and it just was a, now they say this time around, should it come back, will be better, but I don't think people who want it, I don't think understand what they're getting, and I don't think that people really are like clamoring for it here in Mobile. - Yeah, basically, I mean, you know, at the end of the day, the sunset unlimited that ceased after Katrina, I mean, you are right. It was that, you know, it was that line, I think we're from Jacksonville to New Orleans, and, you know, theoretical, all the way to California. But it, you know, that, since that ceased, and in times passed, now Amtrak's back, or are the opportunities back to reinsteal service from Mobile to New Orleans. So I'm not, I want to say the stocks will be Mobile, I'm going to ask a below, which I have been to do, I guess about a month and a half ago to spend some time in Pascal and even saw their train station, and then Gulfport, Biloxi, and, you know, on to New Orleans. And in the day, you know, it anticipated ridership, there's going to be, you know, starting off at least going to be 300 seats, going back and forth, every day, you know, what was told to us is, you know, this service would be, you know, more accommodating to rail, travel, you know, back and forth from New Orleans as far as times and everything. And, you know, into the day, but coming down to it, it's still going to be a four or five hour trip for Mobile all the way to New Orleans, if you wanted to take it. So, you know, there are some factors, but, you know, really, I don't foresee anybody doing business in a single day, you know, taking the Amtrak line between Mobile and New Orleans. But, you know, that's really even here in North Air as far as the conversation is. It's really what it boils down to is who's going to need to fund this. And that's kind of where we're at. That's where my discussion point is, I guess, you know, at this moment. - Yeah, it's heavily going to be heavily subsidized to trade fair itself. But like, it's like, once they get you started on this, and then you're on the hook for it beyond a certain point, right? Like, you're going to, there's a potential here that the city can have to foot a bill for something that is like the one's going to use it. - Yeah, and this is really kind of, you know, just to set the record straight. I'm not anti-amtrac. I'm not anti-amtrac, I'm in a mobile. I mean, I am in favor of, you know, if this is what they want to do, I'm in favor of proving the least for the train station. You know, all that jazz. I guess the real point is, and I think what's being lost, kind of in the messaging across the board is, is right now there is a government guarantee that the government's going to come in, and they're going to underwrite the majority of the next three years of losses that Amtrak has. And, you know, what's on the hook is, is the city, or the state of Louisiana is contributing three million, Louisiana contribute three million. And then, you know, what's being asked is that the city of Mobile, the city of Mobile, not state of Alabama, but the city of Mobile, contribute three million initially over the next three years. And then after that three years, the government subsidy underwriting the losses goes away, and then it's going to be left, you know, years four or five and into eternity, it's going to be left for, you know, Louisiana, Mississippi, and again, the city of Mobile to figure out how to fund, you know, the losses to continue the route. And best case scenario, you know, back to the napkin, when we were beating with Amtrak folks in the beating, best case scenario is that this route loses $7 million a year. I mean, that's best case scenario. That's projected ridership, and it's still going to lose $7 million a year. So after year three, you know, the state of Louisiana, the state of Mississippi, and again, the city of Mobile, will have to figure out how to cover those losses to, you know, best case scenario to the tune of 2.3 million a year. And I just, you know, every action that I do on council, I think I try to make sure that it's right for our residents or what is what the residents or the residents are pushing for, that they see the benefit. Also that make sure that that decision is appropriate and also responsible to the taxpayers of Mobile. And then at the end of the day, I also make a decision thinking, you know, I want this city to be a place where my kids grow up. I don't want to settle them with, you know, a liability for preperturities to make sure, you know, that something continues. So that's really where I'm in. I'm not against Amtrak, not against the train station. I'm just, don't see the benefit of signing the city and potential councils moving forward in the future, settling in with a 2.3 best case or even more liability they got to maintain every year. - Well, tell me this, how much feedback are you getting? Like, does anybody like, hey, councilman, you need to get this going? Like, I really want this coming back. Are you hearing any of that? - So really, since last week, you know, I've received more comments. I'll tell you, from my constituents, you know, the majority of the comments I'm receiving from my constituents, District 6, you know, they see the benefit of trying to be responsible and, you know, they see my side of it and they agree with my side of it. There are some constituents that have expressed, expressed, you know, they feel that this is good for the city that, you know, the city should, you know, go ahead and go and proceed, you know, as been presented. But I will tell you, since the past 48 hours, there's been a lot of extra emails coming from California, Illinois, up in the Northeast. So really, locally, as far as my constituent base is concerned, you know, the majority of the comments that I'm receiving are, you know, supporting my stance on this. - Just was by this push. I mean, it's like a lot of things that were told it's going to be great, but like, this isn't a grassroots thing at all. It feels very asked if like, like, why are, why all of a sudden here in June, 2024 is this Amtrak thing like front and center? Like, why is pushing, what is behind this? - Yeah, I'm, you know, I'm not really sure. I mean, I could, you know, I could guesstimate or I could make assumptions. But, you know, what I do know is I mean, I do believe that, you know, transportation, infrastructure is key in the United States. I think, I think it's lagging at a lot of places and a lot of places. So I do know, you know, the previous administration and then this administration, as far as President's concerned, I know that that's been a focus for both of them. I believe, you know, this administration does have a higher priority for rail transportation. So that could be where the push is coming from. But, you know, I can't really comment or give you that exact fact. I just know that infrastructure is a key component. I believe that Amtrak is a key component of this administration's, I guess, plan for infrastructure. - Like, I feel like you could say it's not coming from your constituents. - Yeah, I, you know, vast majority, vast majority comments I've received are, you know, Amtrak would be nice, but do you see the, you know, the fiscal side of it and trying to make sure that the city doesn't, doesn't, you know, get encumbered for, you know, future liabilities they could exceed, you know, 2.3 million every year. You know, the solution of this, really, the comfortable solution is, to me, the state of Alabama step up and, you know, ensure that after year three, you know, they're going to, they're going to ensure the liability versus us. Like, I would say the funding agreement, I believe the funding agreement, probably the easiest route would be to get the state to do like what its other sister states, the reason the Mississippi did is to come along and sign a funding agreement. - Wasn't it this though, too, the, you know, not some kind of fanboy from the Port of Mobile, but you are going to delay their, the freight coming in and out of there with a passenger route kind of having to come through there, right? - Well, so that, that was the conversation that kind of, that's kind of what got us to this point today. You know, numerous conversations have been sued between the Port and also the, you know, the various rail entities. At the moment, the Port is fine with, with the current plan for how Amtrak tends to operate. The Port, you know, in exchange for Amtrak happening, the rail lines between New Orleans and Mobile would be improved. 72 million dollars would be invested in the rail line between the Alabama state line and the city of Mobile. And then out of that 72, 50 million would actually be spent on the rail lines in the city line of immobile. So that's, that's kind of what got the Port okay with, with this position. So, you know, the investments that are going to take place, that the Port feels comfortable wanting to come for their productivity moving forward. But, you know, that's, that the improvements are needed and improvements, you know, should take place, but I think it's unfair to kind of hang that around the neck of Mobile saying, you know, we're going to miss out on 72 million and in, in rail investment, if y'all don't do this. But the other, the other thing I would think with this, Josh, the, I mean, no matter how many times the city elders say no or the, or Governor Ivey or whoever says no, we're not really interested. It'll come back in two years or we'll be having the same discussion probably because it's just, it's like the thing that won't go away, no matter how many times you tell them no. - Yeah, and that, and again, I'm not, I'm not anti-intract, a fact of the matter is, if Amtrak was in Mobile, there's a chance of me and my wife would take a weekend trip to New Orleans, spend some time there, get a hotel, you know, go to, go spend some time in New Orleans, go out to eat, and then maybe we'd take the train back. I mean, but, but, you know, as far as frequency, I'm not going to be a frequent user in Amtrak, but I'm also not spreading or painting a broad, broad brushstroke across the citizens of Mobile. But, you know, end of the day, what it does come down to me, though, is that fiscal responsibility of signing up future councils, signing up future mayors, signing up the city of Mobile, future budgets, for liability that could start at 2.3 million. And again, I want to harp on that. Best case scenario for this rail line is that they lose $7 million a year and those losses will have to be funded by whomever signs the funding agreement. So, you know, the partner states and the city of Mobile would be on the line for upwards of 7 million, best case and possibly more of that if ridership, you know, the ridership doesn't meet the prescriptions. - Joined by Mobile City Council and Josh Woods here on the program. Josh, I was trying to ask this, I'm just going to toss it, do you like a kind of a softball, but any thoughts on this Paul Pride saga where how that's playing out? - Yeah, so obviously that's been a conversation, a discussion that's ensued, really for the better part of the start of this year. I will tell you that I'm proud of the work that the city council's done as far as, you know, hearing the requests to look into these accusations and I believe we went out and we found the right person to do the job, you know, very totally independent, you know, very matter of facts. I do know that they are progressing and purposefully I and the city council members are not talking to that independent investigator, you know, if anything's needed, he contacts our attorney and our attorney, you know, works with him to get what he needs, if you need something. And so, you know, we've already said our council member, Smalls, President Smalls has already said, July 23rd, to be the date we meet as a committee, as a whole and receive the report and release the findings. So, you know, I am looking forward to kind of getting the report out there, you know, showing whatever it shows and then moving on with the business of the city mobile and trying to at least, you know, put some closure to this episode and in our time. - Any, has the mayor had any input in y'all's investigation? - No, not to my knowledge. We've, you know, there's not been anything that's came back, saying that hold on a second here, their administration's doing this, the administration's not doing this. As of the end of last week, the administration is cooperating fully. It's the message we got back from our investigator. So, I hope that continues and I appreciate them cooperating. And I, you know, look forward to the 23rd, where we kind of announce this, get the report out there and move on with the city business. We, no matter what we do, we can't get hung up on issues that we have to make sure as a council and as a administration that we push the city forward and we look, we look towards tomorrow and make sure that we continue forward and not just get hung up on all the issues. - So it sounds like in general, you just, you kind of, you're okay with things, how they proceeded so far. - Yeah, again, nothing's came to us. Our independent investigators has relayed to our attorney that people are cooperating. There's no issues at the moment. He'd let us know if there was an issue. And, you know, I'm very proud of what we did as far as, you know, the structure of this. And, again, very proud of who we're choosing and look forward to an independent report coming out. - Josh, thanks for your time this morning. We appreciate you hopping on real quick with us, but let's talk again soon. - Sounds good. I appreciate it. Have a great day. - You do the same. Josh Woods leads the gentleman, Mobile City Councilman. We gotta get a break in here. We'll be right back. This is the Jeff Moore Show at FM Talk, 106-5. (upbeat music) (upbeat music)