Feb 09, 2021 City Council Regular Meeting

[INVOCATION]

[00:00:03]

FOR YOUR GUIDANCE DURING THE EFFORTS THAT OUR CITY HAS HAD TO MAKE IN ALL THESE MONTHS OF COVID.

AND MAY WE CONTINUE TO COOPERATE AND SEE THE DOWNTURN AND THE SAFETY AND PROTECTION OF ALL PEOPLE.

I PRAY FOR THIS MEETING THAT A BLESSING BE UPON OUR MAYOR AND ALL OF THE COUNCIL PEOPLE THAT YOU LEAD AND GUIDE THEM WITH THE CONSIDERATIONS, THE DECISIONS, WHATEVER THEY MAY NEED TO HEAR ONE ANOTHER AND HEAR YOU GOD.

CONTINUE TO ALWAYS PRAY A BLESSING ON OUR WORLD, OUR COUNTRY AND OUR OWN AREA.

AND LASTLY, GOD, FOR ALL THE PEOPLE WHO GRIEVE AND MOURN THE DEATH OF ESPECIALLY THOSE WHO HAVE DIED THROUGH COVID THAT YOU TOUCH THEIR HEARTS WITH YOUR COMFORT? AS YOU TOUCH OURS WITH THE COURAGE AND ENDURANCE TO CARRY FORWARD.

WE PRAY THIS WITH OUR BELIEF IN YOU ARE GOD AND YOUR SON, JESUS.

AMEN.

AMEN.

THANK YOU, DAVLYN, WE ALWAYS ENJOY HAVING YOU HERE.

WE APPRECIATE THE TIME YOU COMMIT TO COME AND DO THIS.

YOU'RE WELCOME.

THANK YOU.

[ANNOUNCEMENTS]

ALL RIGHT, MAYOR, THANK YOU.

WE HAVE A NUMBER OF PROMOTIONS TO ANNOUNCE AND TYPICALLY I DON'T MAKE A LOT OF ANNOUNCEMENTS FOR PROMOTIONS UNLESS THEY'RE DIRECTOR, SOMETIMES ASSISTANT DIRECTOR LEVEL POSITIONS.

WELL, I GOT FOUR OF THEM FOR YOU TODAY.

FIRST, BLAIR SNOW HAS BEEN PROMOTED TO ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OF FINANCE, SHE'LL BE WORKING DIRECTLY FOR DEBBIE REID, WHO IS OUR NEW DIRECTOR OF FINANCE.

SO SOME KEY POSITIONS THERE.

BLAIR IS GOING TO BE LEADING A TEAM THAT'S RESPONSIBLE FOR CREATING AND MANAGING OUR CITY BUDGET.

IT'S A KEY POSITION BECAUSE OBVIOUSLY IT'S A BIG BUDGET.

WE'VE VACILLATED BETWEEN JUST OVER 400 MILLION AND THIS YEAR YOU KNOW JUST BELOW FOUR HUNDRED MILLION FOR THE LAST YEAR.

SO THAT'S A BIG DEAL HAS BEEN WITH THE CITY SINCE 2010.

SHE STARTED AS A MANAGEMENT ANALYST FOR THE CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE, WORKED IN PUBLIC WORKS AS PROGRAM MANAGER, BACHELOR'S DEGREE IN ACCOUNTING, MASTER'S DEGREE IN BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION, CURRENTLY OBTAINING HER CPA.

SO GOOD AD FOR US.

LOOKING FORWARD TO THE GOOD THINGS SHE'S GOING TO DO WITH FINANCE.

ALSO, VICTORIA [INAUDIBLE] HAS PREVIOUSLY WAS OUR DIRECTOR MUNICIPAL COURTS, BUT SHE HAS BEEN SERVING AT YEOMAN'S WORK FOR THE LAST SIX MONTHS, APPROXIMATELY SIX MONTHS AS WORKING OVER IN ANIMAL MANAGEMENT.

AND SHE WAS VERY CLEAR THAT THIS WAS NOT A CAREER MOVE FOR HER.

SHE WAS JUST WANTING TO HELP OUT BECAUSE WE NEEDED HELP OVER THERE WE WERE REAL SHORT ON STAFF.

AND SHE HAS GROWN, I THINK, I DON'T WANT TO PUT WORDS IN YOUR MOUTH, VICTORIA, TO LOVE THE TEAM OUT THERE TO LOVE THE MISSION.

SHE'S CERTAINLY AN AWESOME FIT OUT THERE.

SHE.

WELL, I GOT OFF MY NOTES, SHE PREVIOUSLY SERVED AS DIRECTOR OF COURT ADMINISTRATION FOR 19 YEARS OF COURT SERVICE, HAS BEEN SERVING AS MANAGEMENT ADVISER FOR ANIMAL MANAGEMENT SINCE AUGUST.

SHE'S TAKEN THE LEAD ON A NUMBER OF KEY INITIATIVES ANIMAL MANAGEMENT, ONLINE REPORTING SYSTEM, UPDATED FIELD OFFICER TRAINING, IMPLEMENTED MANAGEMENT, MANAGED INTAKE FOR THE PUBLIC.

RENOVATE SHE'S IN CHARGE OF THE RENOVATIONS AND THE UPGRADES OUT AT THE ANIMAL MANAGEMENT.

IF ANYBODY'S BEEN OUT THERE AND SEEN THE NEW ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICES AND THE NEW SURGICAL CENTER THAT WE HAVE OUT THERE.

IT'S GOING TO BE A HUGE ADD TO THE EFFECTIVENESS OF WHAT WE CAN DO AND THE QUARANTINE SPACE FOR ANIMALS.

IT'S GOING TO BE A HUGE ADD TO WHAT WE CAN DO ONCE WE GET FULLY UP AND RUNNING.

NO ANIMAL IS GOING TO COME OUT THERE, COME OUT OF THAT FACILITY THAT HAS BEEN SPAYED OR NEUTERED.

AND THAT'S ONE OF THE BIGGEST CHALLENGES WE HAVE HERE IN THE CITY OF AMARILLO IS THE NUMBER OF UNALTERED ANIMALS IN OUR COMMUNITY.

SO SHE'S BEEN A BIG LEADER ON PART OF THAT.

SHE'S GOING TO REPLACE ROB SHERWIN, WHO'S BEEN SERVING AS THE INTERIM DIRECTOR OUT AT ANIMAL MANAGEMENT.

ROB'S DONE A GREAT JOB.

HE'LL BE WITH US PHYSICALLY THROUGH THE END OF THE WEEK, AND HE'LL STILL BE PARTICIPATING IN MEETINGS AND OTHER THINGS VIA ZOOM AND REMOTELY FOR A PERIOD GOING FORWARD AFTER THAT.

SO WE'RE GOING TO BENEFIT ANIMAL MANAGEMENT UNDER VICTORIA'S LEADERSHIP.

WE HAVE A GREAT TEAM OUT THERE.

I WAS TALKING TO THAT TEAM THIS MORNING.

I'M REALLY EXCITED ABOUT WHAT'S HAPPENING IN ANIMAL MANAGEMENT RIGHT NOW.

[00:05:01]

WHILE Y'ALL MAKE WHATEVER COMMENTS YOU HAVE.

I THINK WE COULDN'T HAVE HAD A BETTER PERSON STEP INTO THAT POSITION TO BE THE DIRECTOR OF ANIMAL MANAGEMENT AND WELFARE.

SHE IS SUCH A SOLID PERSON AND CAN DO SUCH A GOOD JOB.

I WOULD ALMOST CALL HER MIDAS.

WHATEVER SHE TOUCHES CAN TURN TO GOLD.

SHE DOES SUCH A GREAT JOB.

I'M EXCITED FOR THE DIRECTION THAT IT WILL TAKE ANIMAL MANAGEMENT AND WELFARE.

I THINK THIS IS WHAT WE'VE BEEN LOOKING FOR TO HELP JUST COMPLETELY RECREATE THAT WHOLE SITUATION OUT THERE, REESTABLISH RELATIONSHIPS.

AND THE END RESULT IS GOING TO BE TO ANIMALS AND PETS THAT ARE HERE IN AMARILLO ARE GOING TO BE IN A MUCH BETTER POSITION BECAUSE OF WHAT SHE'S ABLE TO DO OUT THERE.

AND I DARN SURE DON'T WANT TO FORGET ABOUT BLAIR.

WATCHING BLAIR SINCE I'VE BEEN ON COUNCIL AND THE DIFFERENT THINGS THAT SHE STEPPED INTO.

SHE IS A MULTITALENTED PERSON AND I COULDN'T WISH ANY MORE FOR HER.

AND I'M REALLY GRATEFUL TO SEE HER MOVING UP THE LADDER.

SHE DOES SUCH A GREAT JOB.

SO I JUST ECHO COUNCIL MEMBER SAUER, BUT I'M SO EXCITED FOR BOTH OF THE LADIES TO HAVE THIS OPPORTUNITY.

SO AWESOME TEAM AND I KNOW THAT THEY'RE GOING TO DO WELL.

SO I AM SO PROUD OF BOTH OF THEM.

I'VE GOT TWO MORE BIGGIES, SO Y'ALL FEEL FREE TO KEEP ON JUMPING IN IF THERE'S MORE THAT WANT TO COMMENT ON VICTORIA, BLAIR RIGHT NOW, YOU CAN ALSO COMMENT LATER IF YOU WANT TO.

BUT VICTORIA, MOVING FROM COURTS TO ANIMAL MANAGEMENT.

AND VICTORIA, IF YOU WANT TO TURN ON YOUR CAMERA, I'M GOING TO SAY SOMETHING IS KIND OF EMBARRASSING FOR YOU.

ONE OF THE THINGS THAT SHE'S MOST EXCITED ABOUT OUT THERE IS SHE CALLED AND SAID, YOU KNOW WHAT I LOVE ABOUT WORKING OUT HERE? I CAN WEAR TENNIS SHOES.

IT'S TRUE.

19 YEARS WITH HEELS IN COURT.

[LAUGHTER] SO, YES.

ALSO BECAUSE VICTORIA HAS MOVED OVER TO ANIMAL MANAGEMENT, THAT CREATES AN OPPORTUNITY OUT OF MUNICIPAL COURTS.

ONE OF THE THINGS THAT, YOU KNOW, VICTORIA AND HER WORK OVER AT COURTS, SHE'S ALSO BEEN WORKING VERY CLOSELY WITH HER TEAM THERE.

AND WE DIDN'T HAVE TO LOOK FAR TO FIND THE NEXT DIRECTOR OF COURT SERVICES.

DONNA KNIGHT IS MOVING INTO THAT DIRECTOR'S ROLE OVER THERE.

AND I SHOULD SAY WE'RE IMMEDIATELY AT ANIMAL MANAGEMENT.

WE HAVE ALREADY BEGUN THE PROCESS OF INTERVIEWING OUR CANDIDATES FOR ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OUT THERE.

SO WE WILL HAVE DIRECTOR AND ASSISTANT DIRECTOR BOTH POSITIONS FILLED IN RELATIVELY SHORT ORDER AT THE SAME TIME THAT WE'RE GETTING CLOSER AND CLOSER AND CLOSER TO BEING FULLY STAFFED AT ANIMAL MANAGEMENT.

SO LOTS OF EXCITING, POSITIVE THINGS GOING ON THERE.

GREAT.

WE'RE WORKING TO REALLY BUILD UP OUR RELATIONSHIPS WITH OUR RESCUE COMMUNITY AND RESCUE OPERATIONS, MAKE SURE WE'VE GOT HEALTHY, FUNCTIONAL, EFFECTIVE RELATIONSHIPS AND THAT WE'RE MAKING AND THAT WE'RE ENABLING THEM TO BE EFFECTIVE BY PROVIDING THEM ANIMALS SO THAT THEY CAN DO THEIR MISSION.

WE WANT THEM TO BE SUCCESSFUL.

AND THAT'S SOMETHING THAT'S BEEN HAPPENING UNDER ROBIN VICTORIA'S LEADERSHIP.

SO I'M REAL EXCITED ABOUT WHAT'S GOING ON IN ANIMAL MANAGEMENT.

ON COURT SERVICES DONNA KNIGHT HAS BEEN WITH US FOR A WHILE.

SHE'S BEEN WORKING WITH VICTORIA.

WE DIDN'T HAVE TO LOOK FAR IT WAS A VERY OBVIOUS CHOICE AS WE STARTED DECIDING, WELL ONCE THE DOMINOS STARTED FALLING, ONCE WE MOVED VICTORIA OVER TO ANIMAL MANAGEMENT WE WOULDN'T HAVE DONE THAT IF WE DIDN'T HAVE A HIGH LEVEL OF CONFIDENCE IN THE PEOPLE THAT WOULD BE FILLING THE GAP THAT VICTORIA LEAVES OVER AT COURT SERVICES.

DONNA KNIGHT IS THAT PERSON.

SHE'S BEEN WITH MUNICIPAL COURT SINCE 2012.

SHE PROMOTED TO ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OF COURT SERVICES IN 2014.

SO SHE HAS A LOT OF EXPERIENCE WORKING DIRECTLY UNDER ONE OF THE MOST RECOGNIZED COURT ADMINISTRATORS IN THE STATE OF TEXAS.

VICTORIA IS ONE OF THREE COURT ADMINISTRATORS THAT WOULD TRAIN NEW MUNICIPAL COURT JUDGES IN HOW TO WORK WITH THE MUNICIPAL COURT SYSTEM.

SO SHE IS A BIG DEAL IN HER PROFESSION.

SHE HAS TRAINED DONNA TO BE ABLE TO BE THAT SAME QUALITY OF SERVICE.

SO WE'RE REALLY EXCITED.

I HAD A CONVERSATION WITH DONNA EARLIER THIS MORNING, REALLY EXCITED ABOUT WHAT SHE'S GOING TO BRING TO THIS ROLE.

DONNA, WAVE TO US.

THERE SHE IS.

MOST RECENTLY, DONNA SERVES AS INTERIM DIRECTOR OF COURT SERVICES.

SINCE VICTORIA HAS BEEN ON ASSIGNMENT OUT OF ANIMAL MANAGEMENT, SHE HAS BROAD KNOWLEDGE, LEADERSHIP SKILLS.

I KNOW SHE'S GOING TO DO AN AMAZING JOB.

SO PLEASE JOIN ME IN CONGRATULATING DONNA ON THIS NEW ROLE, THIS NEW OPPORTUNITY.

ALL RIGHT DONNA, CONGRATULATIONS, AND VICTORIA DON'T FORGET TO WEAR YOUR PEARLS WITH YOUR TENNIS SHOES.

[LAUGHTER] AND YOU KNOW THAT.

YOU KNOW THAT.

OK, FINALLY, WE HAVE IT SOUNDS LIKE A BROKEN RECORD I'M REALLY EXCITED TO

[00:10:05]

SO I'M NOT GOING TO OVERKILL THAT.

BUT DONNY HOOPER IS BEING PROMOTED FROM ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC WORKS TO DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC WORKS.

HE'S GOT A LOT OF EXPERIENCE IN PUBLIC WORKS.

HE SUCCEEDS RAYMOND LEE, WHO HAS MOVED ON TO ANOTHER OPPORTUNITY IN COLORADO, REALLY EXCITED ABOUT THAT, ABOUT THE OPPORTUNITY HE HAS IN FRONT OF HIM.

AND DONNY FIRST STARTED WITH HIS ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC WORKS IN 2018 PRIOR TO JOINING US.

HE HAD BEEN THE DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC WORKS FOR THE CITY OF PAMPA, WHERE HE SPENT 22 OF HIS 25 YEARS IN PUBLIC SERVICE.

HE'S GOT A PROVEN AND VERY IMPRESSIVE TRACK RECORD OF LEADERSHIP AND EXPERIENCE IN PUBLIC WORKS.

HE'S BEEN DOING A GREAT JOB WITH THE CITY OF AMARILLO, [INAUDIBLE] PRESENTED A NUMBER OF PROJECTS TO THE CITY COUNCIL AND AND HE'S GOT A NUMBER OF VERY HIGH VISIBILITY PROJECTS THAT HE'S RESPONSIBLE FOR.

SO IT'S AN OPPORTUNITY FOR PUBLIC WORKS TO REALLY SHINE RIGHT NOW, WHETHER WE'RE TALKING ABOUT ILLEGAL DUMPING ENFORCEMENT OR CLEANING UP OUR ALLEYS OR ANY OF THE OTHER PROJECTS THAT HE'S RESPONSIBLE FOR.

I'M EXCITED TO SEE HOW HE MOVES PUBLIC, WORKS FORWARD AS WELL AS IN THE FUTURE.

SO FINALLY, AGAIN, PLEASE JOIN ME IN WELCOMING DONNY, BUT NOT JUST DONNY, BUT ALSO VICTORIA, DONNA AND BLAIR.

ALL RIGHT, CONGRATULATIONS, DONNY.

NOW WE'RE ALSO FILLING THAT POSITION, THE ASSISTANT DIRECTOR IN PUBLIC WORKS POSITION IN AN EXPEDITED MANNER, BUT WE'RE GOING TO BE CONDUCTING INTERVIEWS AND POSTING AND SEEKING APPLICATIONS FOR THAT JOB.

SO IT'LL BE A LITTLE BIT BEHIND WHAT WE'RE GOING TO SEE IN ANIMAL MANAGEMENT, BUT PROBABLY ON THE SAME LINES AS WE'RE GOING TO SEE IN MUNICIPAL COURT.

THANK YOU.

I JUST WANTED TO CONGRATULATE ALL THOSE INDIVIDUALS ON THEIR PROMOTIONS AND AT THE SAME TIME I JUST WANTED TO GIVE A SHOUT OUT TO YOU, CITY MANAGER, IN THAT I DO THINK THAT ONE OF YOUR GREAT SKILLS IS IDENTIFYING ABILITIES AND SKILLS IN YOUR STAFF AND SHIFTING THOSE AROUND AND BEING WILLING TO MOVE PEOPLE OUT OF MAYBE LANES WHERE THEY HAVE BEEN IN AND NOT JUST STAY ON ONE TRACK.

AND SO JUST APPRECIATE YOU RECOGNIZING THESE INDIVIDUALS AND THE OPPORTUNITIES FOR THEM TO MOVE TO A DIFFERENT POSITIONS.

THANK YOU.

I APPRECIATE THAT IT'S A TEAM EFFORT.

WE'VE GOT A LOT OF GOOD PEOPLE IN HERE AND IT MAKES IT A LITTLE EASIER, YOU KNOW, TO FIND THE RIGHT PEG TO PUT IN THE HOLE WHEN YOU GOT SUCH GREAT RESOURCES.

WELL, I ECHO THAT IT IS VERY SATISFYING TO SEE PEOPLE WHO ARE ALREADY IN THE ORGANIZATION PERFORMING WELL, AND YOU AFFIRM THAT JARED BY FINDING A SPOT WITH MORE RESPONSIBILITY FOR THEM.

AND I DO I AGREE WITH COUNCILWOMAN HAYS THAT YOU'RE REALLY GOOD AT DOING THAT.

BUT CONGRATULATIONS TO THE FOUR OF YOU.

THANK YOU FOR THE SERVICE THAT YOU'VE GIVEN THE CITY.

WE LOOK FORWARD TO WITH YOUR NEW RESPONSIBILITIES, JUST THAT CONTINUING AND SEEING YOU HAVE MORE SUCCESS IN YOUR NEW ROLES.

STEPHANIE, DO WE HAVE ANYONE SIGNED UP FOR PUBLIC ADDRESS? MAYOR, WE DO NOT HAVE ANYONE SIGNED UP TODAY.

OK, THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

SO WE'LL MOVE THEN STRAIGHT DOWN INTO THE AGENDA ON ITEM 1A, REVIEWING YOUR PACKETS.

[1.A. Review agenda items for regular meeting and attachments;]

[1.B. Coronavirus Update;]

WE'VE BEEN CHECKING.

WE'VE HAD A CHANGE IN STATUS.

WE HAVE A DROPPING HOSPITALIZATION RATE, BUT WE ALSO HAVE A DESPERATE NEED TO CONTINUE STAYING VIGILANT WITH OUR FACE COVERINGS.

AS OUR HOSPITALIZATION RATE IS DROPPING, SO IS OUR HOSPITAL CAPACITY AS THE RAC DRAWS DOWN SOME OF THE NURSING ASSISTANTS THAT WE'VE BEEN PROVIDED OVER THE LAST HANDFUL OF MONTHS TO REALLOCATE THOSE PEOPLE TO SOME AREAS THAT ARE IN MUCH WORSE SITUATIONS THAN WE ARE, THAT'S GOING TO BRING DOWN OUR HOSPITAL CAPACITY.

SO WE NEED TO STAY DILIGENT.

I WANTED TO START WITH THAT MESSAGE.

WE HAVE TO STAY DILIGENT WITH OUR FACE COVERINGS, EVEN THOUGH WE ARE DOING MUCH BETTER, IT'S BECAUSE OF OUR COMMUNITIES WORK HARD WORK, DILIGENT WORK TO WEAR THE FACE COVERING.

SO I'VE SAID TOO MUCH.

CASIE, GO AHEAD AND TAKE IT AWAY.

AND AND THEN WE'LL BE ABLE TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS THAT COUNCIL MIGHT HAVE.

YES, THANK YOU, JARED, I APPRECIATE THAT.

THAT'S ALWAYS A GREAT MESSAGE.

SO AS OF TODAY, THERE ARE A TOTAL OF THIRTY TWO THOUSAND FIVE HUNDRED AND NINETY FOUR TOTAL CASES OF COVID-19 REPORTED IN POTTER AND RANDALL COUNTY, SIXTEEN THOUSAND SIX HUNDRED AND FORTY FOUR CASES, IN POTTER COUNTY AND FIFTEEN THOUSAND NINE HUNDRED AND FIFTY [INAUDIBLE] IN RANDALL COUNTY.

WE HAVE A TOTAL OF THIRTY THOUSAND ONE HUNDRED AND SEVENTY FIVE RECOVERIES AND

[00:15:02]

THAT LEAVES US WITH ONE THOUSAND SEVEN HUNDRED AND SIXTY EIGHT ACTIVE CASES.

AND EACH OF THE CASES DO REPRESENT A UNIQUE INDIVIDUAL.

THE ROLLING SEVEN DAY POSITIVITY AVERAGE FOR POTTER AND TO FOUR PERCENT.

AND THAT'S TRULY AMAZING.

AND THE POSITIVITY RATE AT THE DRIVE THROUGH TESTING SITE, WHICH IS A SUBSET OF THAT TOTAL, IS AT TWENTY TWO PERCENT.

SO JUST RIGHT AROUND A QUARTER OF THE PEOPLE WHO ARE COMING THROUGH THE DRIVE THROUGH TESTING SITE ARE TESTING POSITIVE AND THE FIVE DAY NEW POSITIVE CASE AVERAGES TO HOW MANY.

[INAUDIBLE] SEVENTY TWO.

OK, I'M SORRY.

NO, YOU'RE GOOD.

I APPRECIATE THAT.

YESTERDAY, OUR GA32'S HOSPITALIZATION PERCENTAGE FOR OUR PANHANDLE RAC REGION WAS AT 9.84 PERCENT.

SO WE HAVEN'T BEEN DOWN BELOW THAT 10 PERCENT MARK.

I BELIEVE MR. [INAUDIBLE] SAID SINCE SEPTEMBER 28TH.

SO TRULY A REALLY GREAT THING THAT 9.84 PERCENT MEANS THAT JUST THAT NINE POINT EIGHTY FOUR PERCENT OF ALL OF OUR HOSPITALIZED PATIENTS HAVE COVID-19.

OUR RAC IS NO LONGER CONSIDERED AN AREA OF HIGH HOSPITALIZATION, HOWEVER, IT'S CRITICAL THAT WE CONTINUE TO WEAR MASKS, SOCIAL DISTANCE AND HAVE GOOD HAND WASHING AS OUR HOSPITALIZATION RATE AND OUR INFECTION RATE ARE FRAGILE AND DEPEND ON THE CHOICES THAT WE MAKE TO REMAIN LOW.

OUR HOSPITAL, OUR LOCAL HOSPITAL CAPACITY HAS EASED UP A BIT, WITH JUST 65 PATIENTS HOSPITALIZED WITH COVID-19 ADULT BED UTILIZATION IS AT SEVENTY FOUR POINT FIVE PERCENT, ICU UTILIZATION IS AT SIXTY EIGHT PERCENT AND VENTILATOR UTILIZATION IS AT THIRTY THREE PERCENT.

THE HOSPITALIZATION RATE IS AT THREE POINT SIX EIGHT PERCENT AND THAT MEANS THAT THREE POINT SIX EIGHT PERCENT OF ALL OF THE PEOPLE WHO HAVE ACTIVE COVID-19 CURRENTLY ARE REQUIRING HOSPITALIZATION.

LOCALLY, HOWEVER, WE'RE STILL IN STATUS LEVEL RED.

WE DID REISSUE A STATUS LEVEL RED LAST WEDNESDAY FOR ANOTHER TWO WEEK TIME PERIOD AS THREE OF THE FOUR INDICATORS WERE IN THAT STATUS LEVEL RED THRESHOLD.

WE WILL CONTINUE TO MONITOR THE INDICATORS AND ISSUE ANOTHER STATUS LEVEL AS APPROPRIATE NEXT WEEK.

SO WE'LL REISSUE ANOTHER STATUS LEVEL BASED ON THOSE INDICATORS THAT WE SET IN OCTOBER.

AND SO IF THE INDICATORS ALLOW US, THEN WE'LL MOVE TO ORANGE.

AND IF NOT, WE'LL STAY AT RED FOR ANOTHER TWO WEEK TIME PERIOD.

WHILE THE STATUS LEVELS DON'T TRACK LIKE DIRECTLY ALONG WITH THE STATE'S DESIGNATION OF HIGH HOSPITALIZATION.

THEY DO WORK NICELY TOGETHER.

THE STATUS LEVEL RIGHT NOW, BEING IN STATUS LEVEL RED REMINDS US THAT WE'RE NOT OUT OF THE WOODS YET.

AND WHILE OUR NUMBERS ARE TRENDING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION, IT'S UP TO US AS A COMMUNITY TO CONTINUE TO FIGHT COVID-19 BY PRACTICING THOSE PUBLIC HEALTH PREVENTION MEASURES THAT WE ALL KNOW AND LOVE AT THIS POINT.

PUBLIC HEALTH OPERATIONS, SO THE PUBLIC HEALTH DRIVE THROUGH DOES REMAIN OPERATIONAL.

YOU CAN CALL 378-6300 TO BE SCREENED AND DIRECTED TO THE TEST SITE, THE OUTPATIENT [INAUDIBLE] FUSION CENTER IS OPEN.

WE'RE SEEING PATIENTS BASED ON REFERRAL.

AND TO DATE WE'VE SEEN ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTY EIGHT PATIENTS AND ONLY FOUR HAVE REQUIRED HOSPITALIZATION.

SO REALLY GREAT RESPONSE THERE.

AND ON THE VACCINE SIDE AND PUBLIC HEALTH, ALONG WITH ALL OF THE DEPARTMENTS SUPPORTING THE OPERATION, ARE STILL GIVING VACCINES.

THE CIVIC CENTER IS OPEN TODAY AND WE'RE GIVING LOTS OF VACCINES.

SO AS OF YESTERDAY, WE HAD GIVEN A TOTAL OF THIRTY THREE THOUSAND NINETY FIVE FIRST DOSES AND THIRTEEN THOUSAND ONE HUNDRED AND SEVENTY FIVE SECOND DOSES FOR A TOTAL OF FORTY SIX THOUSAND TWO HUNDRED AND SEVENTY DOSES GIVEN OF THE RECEIVED SIXTY ONE NINE FIFTY.

THIS MORNING, WE STARTED THE DAY WITH TWO THOUSAND ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTY FIVE NEW I'M SORRY FIRST DOSES AND THE SECOND ROUND OF SECOND DOSES, AS WE DID RECEIVE ANOTHER TEN THOUSAND SECOND DOSES THIS MORNING, RIGHT AROUND 10:00.

WE DO APPRECIATE THE VA, THEY SUPPLEMENTED OUR STAFF WITH FIVE HUNDRED SECOND DOSES SO THAT WE COULD START THE MORNING OFF WITH SECOND DOSES AVAILABLE TO THE COMMUNITY.

OF THE DATA ANALYZED, WHICH HAVE BEEN CERTAINLY A GOOD REPRESENTATIVE SAMPLE.

EIGHTY TWO POINT EIGHT PERCENT OF THE VACCINE GIVEN HAS GONE TO PEOPLE WHO LIVE HERE IN POTTER AND RANDALL COUNTY.

NINETY SIX POINT FOUR PERCENT OF THE VACCINE GIVEN HAS GONE TO PEOPLE WHO LIVE IN THE TEXAS PANHANDLE.

[00:20:02]

WE HAVE HAD GOOD UPTAKE ON SECOND DOSES AS WE'VE GIVEN EVERYTHING THAT'S BEEN SHIPPED TO US EXCEPT THOSE THAT WE HAVE NEW TEN THOUSAND DOSES THIS MORNING.

BUT AS OF YESTERDAY, WE'VE GIVEN EVERYTHING THAT HAD BEEN SHIPPED TO US, WE LIKE I SAID, WE RECEIVED OUR NEXT SHIPMENT THIS MORNING.

AND AGAIN, WE APPRECIATE THE VA LOANING US THOSE FIVE HUNDRED DOSES SO THAT WE COULD GET THE MORNING STARTED BEFORE OUR SHIPMENT ARRIVED THIS MORNING.

AND ALWAYS WANT TO REMIND EVERYBODY, WHEN YOU COME TO THE CLINIC FOR YOUR SECOND DOSE, REMEMBER TO BRING YOUR SHOT RECORD BACK YOUR LITTLE CARD THAT YOU GOT SO THAT WE CAN DOCUMENT YOUR SECOND DOSE.

AND I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU MIGHT HAVE.

YES CASIE, I HAVE FOUR QUESTIONS FOR YOU, THE FIRST ONE IS, DO WE KNOW WHEN TEACHERS WILL BE ABLE TO RECEIVE THE VACCINE? AND I GUESS THIS WILL JUST BE INDIVIDUALS WITHOUT UNDERLYING CONDITIONS.

SO THE STATE, THE EVAP COMMITTEE, THE EXPERT VACCINE ON ALLOCATION, THE EXPERT VACCINE ALLOCATION PANEL HAS NOT TAKEN UP THE TOPIC OF 1C OR TWO.

SO WE DON'T KNOW THAT FOR SURE.

WE DON'T KNOW THAT.

THAT HASN'T BEEN DISCUSSED YET WHEN THE NEXT GROUP OF PEOPLE MIGHT BE ABLE TO RECEIVE VACCINE.

BUT CERTAINLY IF THERE'S A TEACHER WHO IS IN THAT HIGH RISK CATEGORY SIXTY FIVE OR OLDER WHO HAS A CHRONIC HEALTH CONDITION, THEY CAN RECEIVE THAT VACCINE NOW.

AS AN OCCUPATION GROUP THAT HAS NOT BEEN DECIDED AT THE STATE LEVEL.

AND I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT.

OK, TO ADD TO THAT.

MAYOR, GO AHEAD.

YEAH, JARED YOU GO AHEAD.

AND FREDA, WE'RE GOING TO COME BACK TO YOUR QUESTION IF YOU WANT TO PAUSE FOR JUST A SECOND ON THOSE CRITERIA.

JARED, YOU WANT TO MAKE YOUR COMMENT.

I MAY BE STEPPING ON YOUR COMMENT MAYOR, BUT I WAS JUST GOING TO SAY WE'VE HAD REQUESTS.

WHY CAN'T WE VACCINATE OUR TEACHERS? SOME OTHER JURISDICTIONS IN TEXAS ARE VACCINATING THEIR TEACHERS.

WE DON'T KNOW BY WHAT MECHANISM THEY'VE BEEN ABLE TO DO THAT.

WHAT WE DO KNOW IS THAT VACCINATING PEOPLE OUTSIDE GROUPS, 1A AND 1B IS NOT CONSISTENT WITH DSHS AND GOVERNOR'S ORDERS.

WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE CAN CONTINUE TO BE THE MOST EFFECTIVE VACCINATION SITE IN TEXAS AND DOING THINGS OUTSIDE THE GUIDELINES WOULD JEOPARDIZE OUR SUPPLY AND INDICATE THAT WE HAVE COMPLETELY ADDRESSED OUR 1A AND 1B POPULATIONS.

AND THAT IS ABSOLUTELY NOT THE CASE.

SO IT'S IMPERATIVE FOR US TO CONTINUE TO FOLLOW THE GOVERNORS AND THE DSHS GUIDELINES REGARDING VACCINATIONS.

AND THAT'S WHY IT'S NOT BECAUSE WE DON'T WANT TO VACCINATE OUR TEACHERS.

AND THAT'S ABSOLUTELY NOT THE CASE.

IT'S JUST THAT WE'RE NOT EMPOWERED TO DO SO.

WE DON'T HAVE THE AUTHORITY TO DO THAT AT THIS TIME.

CASIE, CAN YOU TAKE A MOMENT JUST TO GO THROUGH THOSE? WHAT ARE THE UNDERLYING MEDICAL COMPONENTS TO BELONG TO THE 1B CLASS OF PEOPLE WHO CAN GET VACCINATED.

YES.

SO THE LIST THAT WAS PUBLISHED AND, IT SAYS IT'S NOT AN EXHAUSTIVE LIST, BUT THE CONDITIONS ARE LIKE DIABETES, HEART DISEASE, COPD, OBESITY.

SO IF YOU HAVE A BMI OVER 30, THEN THAT WOULD CERTAINLY BE A HIGH RISK CONDITION.

IT LISTS PREGNANCY AS A CHRONIC HEALTH CONDITION, ALTHOUGH WE KNOW THAT THAT CHRONIC HEALTH CONDITION DOESN'T LAST FOREVER.

WE KNOW.

AND SO THERE ARE A NUMBER OF THOSE TYPES OF CONDITIONS THAT ARE ON THAT LIST.

HOWEVER, IT SAYS THAT THE LIST IS NOT EXHAUSTIVE.

AND SO THE WAY WE HAVE PHRASED THAT IS THAT IF A PATIENT AND THEIR PHYSICIAN BELIEVE THAT GETTING LIKE HAVING COVID-19 OR THAT THEIR CONDITION, IF THEY GOT COVID-19 WOULD PUT THEM AT RISK FOR VERY SIGNIFICANT CONSEQUENCES THAN THEIR HIGH RISK CONDITION WOULD QUALIFY.

SO WE HAVE A NUMBER OF PEOPLE ASK, DOES MY CONDITION QUALIFY? AND IF IT'S NOT SPECIFICALLY LISTED ON THAT, ON THE LIST OF CONDITIONS THAT ARE EXAMPLES, IT WOULD BE SOMETHING LIKE IN AN IMMUNE DEFICIENCY OR SOMETHING THAT WOULD LOWER YOUR IMMUNE SYSTEM OR SOMETHING THAT WOULD PUT YOU AT RISK FOR COVID.

AND IT'S SOMETHING TO CONSIDER.

BUT THE CONDITIONS SUCH AS DIABETES OR HEART DISEASE OR COPD, CHRONIC LUNG DISEASE, CHRONIC KIDNEY DISEASES, THOSE TYPES OF CONDITIONS ARE SPECIFICALLY LISTED, BUT IT DOES SAY THAT THE LIST IS NOT EXHAUSTIVE.

CASIE, JUST THE PROCEDURE FOR WHEN SOMEONE COMES TO THE CLINIC TO GET THEIR FIRST SHOT, WHAT I OBSERVED IS THAT THERE IS A STAFF MEMBER THAT GREETS THEM AND WELCOMES THEM AT THE DOOR.

WE HAVE A LARGE SIGN UP ON THE DOOR THAT KIND OF LISTS THE BASIC CATEGORIES FOR 1B CONDITION AND THAT STAFF MEMBER, AFTER THEY SAY HELLO TO THE PERSON, THEY SAY, DO

[00:25:02]

IS THAT THE PROCEDURE THAT PEOPLE SHOULD EXPECT WHEN THEY COME TO GET THE VACCINE? YES.

AND WE ARE ASKING FOR PEOPLE TO BE HONEST.

YOU KNOW IF THEY HAVE A CHRONIC HEALTH CONDITION, YOU DON'T HAVE TO TELL US YOUR WHOLE LIFE STORY OR REVEAL ALL OF YOUR MEDICAL CONDITIONS TO OUR STAFF AT THE FRONT DOOR.

BUT WE DO ASK THAT YOU'RE HONEST.

AND IF YOU DON'T HAVE A CHRONIC HEALTH CONDITION, SAVE A DOSE.

SAVE THAT DOSE FOR SOMEBODY WHO DOES.

THE REASON THAT THE EVAP COMMITTEE WENT THAT DIRECTION IS BECAUSE IN A PANDEMIC, YOU NEED YOUR HEALTH CARE WORKERS.

AND SO THAT'S 1A AND THEN 1B WAS LISTED OUT SPECIFICALLY BECAUSE THAT'S WHO HAS BEEN SIGNIFICANTLY IMPACTED AND WHO IS DYING FROM COVID.

AND SO THAT'S WHO THAT WAS THE 1B AND THE 1A GROUPS THAT NEEDED THE VACCINE THE MOST AT THIS VERY RIGHT NOW WHEN THERE IS JUST NOT A ROBUST SUPPLY.

AND SO AS WE HAVE AS OUR SUPPLY CHAIN INCREASES AND AS YOU KNOW, WHEN THERE IS MORE VACCINE AVAILABLE THAN THOSE GROUPS WILL CERTAINLY INCREASE.

BUT RIGHT NOW, WE'RE ASKING PEOPLE TO BE HONEST.

AND IF THEY DO NOT HAVE A CONDITION, THAT WOULD PUT THEM AT HIGH RISK FOR A COMPLICATION OF COVID19 THAT THEY SAVE THAT DOSE FOR SOMEONE WHO DOES.

AND SO FREDA BACK TO YOUR QUESTIONS UNTIL WE GET DIFFERENT OR BETTER COMMUNICATIONS FROM DSHS ABOUT THAT TEACHER QUESTION, I JUST WANT US TO BE COMMUNICATING WITH ALL TEACHERS ABOUT WHAT THOSE CRITERIA ARE AND OF THE SENSITIVE ONE.

I'LL JUST SAY IT.

I THINK MAYBE IT'S JUST BECAUSE I'M A GIRL IS THE BODY WEIGHT FACTOR.

I HAVE SEEN PEOPLE COME TO THE CLINIC AND WHEN ASKED THE QUESTION, THEY WALKED AWAY BECAUSE THEY DIDN'T HAVE AN UNDERLYING HEALTH CONDITION.

BUT YET I THINK THEY PROBABLY MET THE BMI OF 30 CONDITION.

AND SO I JUST WANT TO ENCOURAGE FOLKS TO IT'S REALLY EASY IF YOU WANT TO INTELLECTUALLY KNOW, JUST GOOGLE A BMI CALCULATOR.

BUT IF YOU FIT ONE OF THOSE CRITERIA AS A TEACHER, WE WANT YOU TO COME AND GET A SHOT.

AND THERE ARE MANY OF YOU WHO DO.

SO LOOK CLOSELY AT WHAT THOSE CRITERIA ARE.

AND MAYOR WE HAVE SOME BMI CHARTS AT THE FRONT DOOR.

AND SO IF SOMEBODY IS CURIOUS, WE'RE HAPPY TO LET THEM.

AND WE DON'T ASK WE DON'T MAKE YOU SAY, YES, MY BMI IS OVER 30 OR MY BMI IS WHATEVER NUMBER IT IS.

BUT BECAUSE WE WANT TO CERTAINLY BE RESPECTFUL AND WE WANT TO BE AND NOT THAT.

IT'S OK, IF YOUR BMI IS OVER 30, LIKE THAT'S NOT.

BUT YOU DON'T HAVE TO SAY IT IS ALL I'M SAYING.

YOU DON'T HAVE TO SAY IF YOU HAVE DIABETES OR ARE PREGNANT LIKE WE HAVE PLENTY OF PEOPLE WHO ARE PREGNANT, THEY JUST YOU KNOW, IT'S NOT OUR BUSINESS.

LIKE, WE JUST WANT TO BE RESPECTFUL.

AND SO BUT WE DO HAVE A BMI CHART.

AND SO IF SOMEBODY COMES AND THEY JUST MEET THAT CONFIRMATION.

THEN WE DO HAVE THAT RESOURCE AVAILABLE FOR THEM THAT THEY CAN DISCREETLY JUST LOOK IT UP AND THEN SAY, YEP, I QUALIFY OR I DON'T.

I'LL COME BACK WHEN IT'S MY TURN.

AND SO WE CERTAINLY WANT YOU'RE NOT WEIGHING PEOPLE AND THEY DON'T HAVE TO COME WITH A DOCTOR'S LETTER THAT LAYS OUT THEIR CONDITIONS, I JUST WANT TO HAVE A VERY OPEN CONVERSATION ABOUT WHAT THEY CAN EXPECT WHEN THEY COME TO THE CLINIC AND AND HAVE TO TALK ABOUT THEIR CONDITIONS.

WE'RE DEFINITELY STAYING WITHIN THE BOUNDS OF THE ONE B AND ONE A CRITERIA, BUT WE'RE ASKING PEOPLE TO DO SO IN A VERY RESPECTFUL WAY.

OK, COUNCIL MEMBER TO YOUR VERY GOOD QUESTION.

I APPRECIATE THAT DETAILED INFORMATION BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, OUR CITIZENS NEED TO KNOW THAT AND THEY NEED TO HEAR IT.

SO THANK YOU FOR THAT.

MY SECOND QUESTION, CASIE, IS IN REGARDS TO THOSE INDIVIDUALS THAT ARE HOMEBOUND AND MAYBE THEY ARE RECEIVING MEALS ON WHEELS, YOU KNOW, ARE WE MAYBE CLOSE TO MAYBE FINALIZING A PROCESS OF HOW WE WOULD GIVE THE VACCINE TO THOSE INDIVIDUALS.

WE ARE WORKING ON THAT AND WE'RE INTERNALLY WORKING THROUGH PROCESSES, ONE OF OUR OTHER PROBLEMS IS, IS THAT WE JUST RUN OUT OF VACCINES SO QUICKLY, LIKE THE FIRST DOSES AND SO.

AGAIN, IT ALL HINGES ON PART OF THAT SUPPLY AND DEMAND, BUT WE ARE CERTAINLY WORKING

[00:30:05]

WE WANT TO DO THAT AND WE WANT TO DO THAT WELL.

WE NEED TO BE ABLE TO HAVE A SECURE AMOUNT OF VACCINE, AND WE DO RUN OUT VERY QUICKLY, AND SO THE SHORT, THE LONG, THAT WAS THE LONG ANSWER.

THE SHORT ANSWER IS WE'RE GETTING CLOSER AND WE'RE WORKING ON THE PROCESSES THERE.

OK, THANK YOU, MY THIRD QUESTION IS IN REGARDS TO HERD IMMUNITY.

WHEN DO WE THINK THE AMARILLO COMMUNITY WILL REACH THAT POINT? IS THERE LIKE A PERCENTAGE OF THE VACCINE THAT WE'RE TARGETING? SO WE'VE HEARD THAT THE NUMBER OF THE PERCENTAGE OF PEOPLE WHO NEED TO BE VACCINATED IS LIKELY ANYWHERE BETWEEN 60 AND 80 PERCENT, MAYBE EVEN CLOSER TO 85 PERCENT, ACCORDING TO THE COVID ACT NOW WEBSITE, WE ARE AROUND THIRTEEN POINT ONE PERCENT.

WE'RE CERTAINLY DOING A GOOD JOB THERE.

WE HAVE A WAYS TO GO.

AND SO, AGAIN, WE NEED MORE VACCINE.

WE CAN CERTAINLY PROVE THAT WE CAN PUT SHOTS IN ARMS. AND SO WE WILL CONTINUE TO DO SO.

BUT WE NEED TO HIT THAT 60 TO EIGHTY FIVE PERCENT, MORE LIKELY CLOSER TO THE EIGHTY FIVE PERCENT.

OK, THANK YOU.

AND THEN MY LAST QUESTION IS, SO WE'VE HAD LOTS OF INDIVIDUALS THAT HAVE COME FROM OUT OF TOWN TO RECEIVE THE VACCINE FOR DIFFERENT REASONS.

AND SO, YOU KNOW, THEY MAYBE COMING FROM COLORADO, THEY MAY BE COMING FROM NEW MEXICO.

I'VE EVEN HEARD MEXICO, AS A MATTER OF FACT.

CAN YOU SPEAK TO TO THAT? I KNOW THAT WE'RE NOT TURNING AWAY INDIVIDUALS THAT NEED THE VACCINE.

YES, SO ONE OF THE CRITERIA TO BE A HUB, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE AGREED TO IS THAT WE WILL NOT TURN ANYONE AWAY DUE TO RESIDENCY.

AND SO THAT IS ONE OF OUR OBLIGATIONS THAT WE FULFILL AS A HUB.

WE DO HAVE PEOPLE COME FROM OUT OF TOWN, BUT A VERY SMALL PERCENTAGE.

SO ONLY ABOUT THREE POINT SIX PERCENT OF THE VACCINE HAS BEEN GIVEN TO PEOPLE OUTSIDE OF THE WHOLE PANHANDLE.

SO DEFINITELY THE MAJORITY OF THE VACCINE, LIKE THE VAST MAJORITY, ALMOST ALL OF THE VACCINE, LIKE NINETY SIX PERCENT OF THE VACCINE, HAS GONE TO THE TEXAS PANHANDLE.

SO WE'RE DEFINITELY VACCINATING PEOPLE HERE AT HOME.

AND I WANT TO WANT TO ADD THAT TOO WE HAVE DONE A LOT OF WORK ON SOCIAL MEDIA AND OTHER OTHER MEDIUMS TO MAKE SURE THAT OUR IMMEDIATE POPULATION KNOWS WHEN WE'RE GIVING VACCINES AND WHEN WE'RE DONE, WHEN WE HAVE VACCINES AVAILABLE, WHEN THEY CAN COME ON DOWN AND GET ONE.

AND ALSO AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE, MAKE SURE THAT PEOPLE KNOW WHEN WE'RE [INAUDIBLE] BECAUSE THAT HAPPENS TOO.

WE ARE NOT ADVERTISING OUTSIDE OUR JURISDICTION.

WE DO NOT GET PAID ANYTHING FOR DOING VACCINES.

YOU KNOW, THESE ARE ALL THINGS YOU SEE ON SOCIAL MEDIA.

SO THERE'S A LOT OF STUFF THAT YOU HAVE TO WINNOW THROUGH.

YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU'RE UTILIZING SOCIAL MEDIA, THERE'S A LOT OF JUST THINGS THAT AREN'T ACCURATE.

SO WE DON'T ADVERTISE OUTSIDE OUR JURISDICTION.

AND IT'S NOT EVEN ADVERTISING.

IT'S REALLY JUST MAKING PEOPLE AWARE OF HOW THEY CAN GET A VACCINE BECAUSE WE ARE ENTRUSTED WITH GETTING SHOTS IN ARMS. AND THAT'S OUR MAIN PRIORITY.

WE ARE NOT ADVERTISING OUTSIDE OUR JURISDICTION.

WE'RE NOT GETTING PAID FOR VACCINATIONS.

IT'S NOT A REVENUE CENTER FOR US.

AND IN FACT, IT'S A SIGNIFICANT COST CENTER FOR US.

SO I JUST WANTED TO ADDRESS SOME OF THOSE QUESTIONS YOU ALL DIDN'T ASK, BUT I KNOW IS OUT THERE ON SOCIAL MEDIA AS WELL.

SO OK, CASIE THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR [INAUDIBLE].

THAT'S ALL OF MY QUESTIONS.

THOSE ARE MY QUESTIONS FOR THE YEAR.

SO THANKS.

[LAUGHTER] SO ACTUALLY, YOU KNOW WHAT, JARED? SPEAKING TO THAT WATCHING THE SUPER BOWL, NEW MEXICO WAS ACTUALLY ADVERTISING THAT THEY WERE GIVING INJECTIONS WHENEVER YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT US NOT DOING IT OUTSIDE OF OUR JURISDICTION.

I JUST REMEMBER SEEING THAT COMMERCIAL TWO OR THREE TIMES ABOUT NEW MEXICO, TOUTING THAT THEY WERE GIVING THE INJECTIONS.

SO I THINK THAT'S A VALID STATEMENT AND ACTUALLY, CASIE, I'M REALLY GLAD THAT YOU SAID THAT IT WAS ONE OF THE CRITERIA TO BE A HUB WAS THE FACT THAT WE WOULD NOT TURN AWAY PEOPLE BASED UPON THEIR LOCATION.

I THINK THAT'S REALLY IMPORTANT.

WE NEED TO LET PEOPLE REALIZE AND UNDERSTAND THAT.

BUT ALSO JUST AS IMPORTANT IS THREE POINT SIX PERCENT OF THIRTY THOUSAND DOSES IS, WHAT, NINE HUNDRED, MAYBE A THOUSAND DOSES HAVE ACTUALLY, VACCINES HAVE

[00:35:01]

SO OUT OF 30,000 THOUSAND, THAT'S I THINK YOU GUYS ARE DOING A GREAT JOB.

I AM JUST ELATED OVER LOOKING AT THESE NUMBERS AND I WRITE THESE NUMBERS DOWN EVERY TIME WE MEET AND TO WATCH HOW THEY HAVE JUST PRECIPITOUSLY FALLEN, ESPECIALLY SINCE THE FIRST OF THE YEAR.

IT'S EXCITING TO SEE THAT ALL OF THESE NUMBERS, ESPECIALLY THAT HOSPITALIZATION RATES FALL BELOW 10 PERCENT.

I MEAN, THAT IS AN INCREDIBLE LANDMARK FOR US TO HIT.

AND I AM SO GRATEFUL FOR EVERYBODY THAT HAS WORKED REALLY HARD TO GET US TO THAT POINT.

AND THAT'S REALLY EVERYBODY THAT LIVES IN THE CITY OF AMARILLO OR IN THE SURROUNDING AREA.

SO I'M JUST REALLY, REALLY GRATEFUL.

AND I CAN'T HELP BUT KEEP ON SAYING YOU GUYS ARE NOT DOING ENOUGH BAM INFUSIONS.

PEOPLE TURN UP TO BE COVID POSITIVE AND THEY'VE GOT A COMORBIDITY.

DON'T WAIT.

YOU NEED TO GET THAT DONE WITHIN THE FIRST 10 DAYS.

THAT'S HOW YOU QUALIFY FOR THAT ONE.

AND IT IS HAVING A SUBSTANTIAL EFFECT ON KEEPING PEOPLE OUT OF THE HOSPITAL.

AND SO I JUST GOT TO GO BACK TO THAT ONE AND DO IT OVER AND OVER AGAIN.

I MEAN, I KEEP RUNNING INTO PEOPLE THAT I'VE TALKED TO THAT HAVE DONE THAT VERY THING, AND IT HAS MADE A SUBSTANTIAL DIFFERENCE IN THE WAY THEY RECOVER.

SO ANOTHER SHOUT OUT YOU GUYS I'M GRATEFUL THAT YOU, CASIE, THAT YOU ALL HAVE MADE THE EFFORT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE PROVIDING THAT FOR THE CITIZENS HERE IN AMARILLO.

IT'S A BIG DEAL.

IT'S A VERY IMPORTANT DEAL.

SO THANK YOU.

OTHER QUESTIONS FOR CASIE.

I'VE GOT ONE COMMENT.

CAN YOU ALL HEAR ME? YES, SIR.

YES, SIR.

WE HEAR YOU.

THANK YOU.

I WANT TO COMPLIMENT CASIE'S MASK IT SAYS LOVE IS WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE FROM HERE.

SHE AND HER TEAM HAVE DEMONSTRATED A LOT OF LOVE TO THIS COMMUNITY.

WE APPRECIATE THAT.

ALSO, I WANT YOU TO NOTICE THAT MASK A LITTLE CLOSER.

FROM MY VIEWPOINT, IT LOOKS LIKE SHE HAS A RED NOSE.

[LAUGHTER] RUDOLPH THE RED NOSED REINDEER HELPING SANTA BRING ALL THESE GIFTS TO ALL OF AMARILLO.

THANK YOU, CASIE.

THANK YOU, SIR.

WE HAVE A GOOD TEAM.

AND I'M ABSOLUTELY READY FOR VALENTINE'S DAY, [LAUGHTER].

GREAT COMMENT.

CASIE, CAN YOU SPEAK JUST A LITTLE AS TO WHAT THE CITY IS DOING INTENTIONALLY TO GET THE MESSAGE OUT, MAYBE WE NEED TO PARTNER WITH THE SCHOOL DISTRICT.

WE TALKED ABOUT TEACHERS AND GETTING THE MESSAGE SPECIFICALLY TARGETED TO THEM.

BUT I KNOW WE HAVE TARGETED OUR COMMUNITIES OF COLOR BECAUSE WE WANT THEM TO YOU KNOW STATISTICALLY, IT'S SHOWING THAT THE PEOPLE THAT ARE CHOOSING VACCINATIONS DON'T MATCH THE STATISTICS OR ETHNIC BREAKDOWN IN OUR CITY BOTH FROM THE LATINO COMMUNITY AND THE BLACK COMMUNITY.

CAN YOU TALK JUST A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHAT WE'VE DONE AS A CITY TO GET THE MESSAGE TO THOSE COMMUNITIES, AND TARGET THEM? I CAN, YES, MA'AM.

AND I WILL SAY THAT OUR STATISTICS SO ON THE EVAP CALL OUR STATISTICS ARE VERY SIMILAR TO THE STATE'S STATISTICS.

SO WE THIS IS CERTAINLY SOMETHING THAT WE NEED TO WORK ON HERE AT HOME.

BUT ALSO WE'RE RIGHT IN LINE WITH THE STATE STATISTICS AS WELL.

BUT OUR WORK HERE AT HOME IS THAT WE HAVE HAD A CONVERSATION WITH THE NAACP WHO HAD A QUESTION AND ANSWER MAYOR NELSON AND I AND COUNCILWOMAN POWELL SERVED ON THAT QUESTION AND ANSWER PANEL.

AND THAT WAS WE HAD GREAT QUESTIONS AND IT WAS A GREAT OPPORTUNITY TO JUST VISIT AND TO ANSWER QUESTIONS THAT THEY HAD.

THIS WEEK, WE'LL BE DOING THE SAME Q&A.

WELL, PROBABLY NOT THE SAME QUESTIONS WHATEVER QUESTIONS COME UP, WE'LL ANSWER, BUT THE SAME FORMAT WITH THE BARRIO COMMUNITY.

AND SO THAT WILL BE ON THE 11TH.

IF I GET THE DATES WRONG, ANYBODY, PLEASE CORRECT ME.

BUT ON THE 11TH AT 6:00.

AND SO WE'LL HAVE A Q&A.

IT'LL BE MAYOR NELSON AND MARCUS [INAUDIBLE] FROM OUR TEAM.

[00:40:04]

HE'S RUNNING OUR SCREENING ROOM RIGHT NOW IN HIS REGULAR JOB.

HE DOES OUR HIV PREVENTION TEAM.

AND SO HE'S JUST A REALLY GREAT PERSON TO HAVE ON YOUR TEAM.

SO MARCUS WILL BE THERE AND THEN MYSELF.

AND SO WE'LL OFFER TIME TO JUST ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS THAT PEOPLE IN THE BARRIO COMMUNITY HAVE REGARDING THE VACCINE AND COVID.

AND THEN WE HAVE ALSO SENT OUT FLIERS IN OUR WATER BILLS TO EVERYONE HERE IN THE AMARILLO COMMUNITY.

AND WE'VE ALSO DONE TARGETED FACEBOOK ADS TO OUR ZIP CODES WHERE WE HAVE LOWER UPTAKE WITH IMMUNIZATIONS.

AND SO THAT HAS BEEN VERY WELL RECEIVED, A LOT OF CLICKS AND A LOT OF TRAFFIC BACK INTO OUR WEBSITE.

AND SO WE ARE JUST SO HOPEFUL THAT WE'LL HAVE LOTS OF PARTICIPATION FROM EVERY CORNER OF OUR COMMUNITY.

WE ARE AGAIN, WE'RE ALL IN THIS TOGETHER.

WE MAY NOT BE IN THE SAME BOAT, BUT RIGHT NOW WE ARE ALL IN THE SAME STORM.

SO WE WANT EVERYONE TO HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO BE VACCINATED.

THIS IS CERTAINLY NOT A MATTER OF ACCESS.

WE HAVE CLINICS OPEN ON TUESDAY NIGHT UNTIL 7:00 AND THEN THE FIRST AND SECOND SATURDAY OF THE MONTH.

SO IF YOU HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO BE VACCINATED, THEN WE CERTAINLY WELCOME YOU.

I WOULD JUST ADD WHAT A GREAT JOB THE COMMUNICATIONS TEAM HAS DONE WITH THEIR EFFORTS TO MESSAGE IT.

I KNOW THERE'S STILL MORE OUT THERE FOR US TO DO.

THE THURSDAY PANEL IS GOING TO BE IN SPANISH AND ENGLISH.

SO THAT'S SOMETHING IMPORTANT, IF YOU KNOW, A SPANISH SPEAKER.

AND YOU THINK THAT IT WOULD BE HELPFUL TO THEM TO GET THEIR QUESTIONS ANSWERED IN SPANISH.

THURSDAY IS THE OPPORTUNITY TO DO THAT AT A ZOOM MEETING.

AND YOU CAN SEE THAT INFORMATION ON THE CITY'S WEBSITE FOR GOING UP ON THE MAYOR'S FACEBOOK PAGE.

I KNOW BEFORE THURSDAY.

ANY OTHER QUESTIONS TO ASK ABOUT GETTING THE WORD OUT IN OUR CITY ABOUT VACCINES.

OK, OTHER QUESTIONS FOR CASIE.

I DIDN'T HAVE A QUESTION, BUT JUST TO GET A COMPLIMENT ON THE EFFICIENCY OF THE WAY THE SYSTEM IS BEING RUN, WE HAVE FAMILY DOWN IN LUBBOCK AND THEY WERE JUST DISCUSSING THE PROCESS THAT EITHER PEOPLE HAVE TO CALL FOR AN APPOINTMENT OR SIGN UP.

AND JUST THE LOGISTICS, THE FRUSTRATION OF THAT.

I KNOW ONE FAMILY MEMBER CALLED FIVE HUNDRED TIMES AND STILL NEVER GOT THROUGH AND EVENTUALLY WAS ABLE TO GET A VACCINE THROUGH THE VA.

AND SO, HOWEVER, THAT DECISION WAS MADE TO HAVE IT OPEN.

AND JUST A WALK IN CLINIC, I THINK HAS BEEN A TREMENDOUS POINT OF DIFFERENCE BETWEEN WHY OUR SYSTEM HAS RUN SO EFFICIENTLY.

SO COMPLEMENTS TO, HOWEVER, AND JUST RECOGNITION FOR THE EFFICIENCY OF HOW THAT'S BEING RUN.

AND AGAIN, TO THE COMMENT HOWARD MADE OF JUST THE OTHER FEEDBACK I GET.

IT'S JUST NOT THE EFFICIENCY.

BUT IT IS THE COMPASSION IT IS THE KINDNESS OF ALL THE STAFF.

I THINK IT HAS BEEN AN AMAZING.

JUST AN INTRODUCTION TO A LOT OF PEOPLE TO OUR CITY OR FROM OUTSIDERS AS WELL OF JUST A REALLY PUTTING A GOOD FACE FORWARD OF WHO WE ARE AS A COMMUNITY AND SO COMPLIMENTS TO YOU AND ALL OF YOUR STAFF.

I WANTED TO FOLLOW UP ON SOMETHING THAT EDDY SAID EARLIER.

AND IT IS STILL JUST THE UNDERUTILIZATION OF THE BAM INFUSION.

AND I'M JUST STILL SO SURPRISED IN CONVERSATIONS THAT I HAVE WITH PEOPLE IN THE COMMUNITY THAT DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO IF THEY TEST POSITIVE.

YOU KNOW, I THINK THAT PEOPLE ARE GETTING GOOD INFORMATION ON THE VACCINES, ON DIFFERENT WAYS TO TRY AND PROTECT YOURSELF.

BUT IF THOSE THINGS HAVEN'T WORKED AND YOU DO CATCH COVID JUST CONVERSATION AFTER CONVERSATION, I THINK THAT WE ARE STILL MISSING SOME COMMUNICATION OPPORTUNITIES AND TO GET INFORMATION ABOUT THOSE EARLY AT HOME TREATMENTS AND I WOULD IDENTIFY COMMUNICATION ON BASICALLY EVERY TOPIC IN THE CITY IS ALWAYS OUR BIGGEST CHALLENGE.

AND SO IT'S NOT FROM LACK OF EFFORT.

I THINK IT IS JUST IT'S ALWAYS A CHALLENGE TO GET ACCURATE INFORMATION.

AND SO ON THE BAM INFUSION.

I WANT TO FOLLOW UP ON THAT CASIE, WITH YOU KNOW THE CRITERIA FOR WHAT QUALIFIES SOMEBODY FOR THAT FREE INFUSION THROUGH THE CITY.

BUT IF YOU DON'T QUALIFY FROM THAT, THERE ARE OTHER SOURCES AND YOU MAY BE ABLE

[00:45:05]

AND SO I HAVE ONE OTHER COMMENT TO MAKE AND I'LL GO AHEAD AND MAKE THAT ONE AND THEN IF YOU GUYS COULD ADDRESS THAT AND ANSWER THAT, THE OTHER THING OF WITH THE EARLY AT HOME TREATMENTS, YOU KNOW, FOR THE LAST YEAR, WE HAVEN'T KNOWN A LOT OF THINGS.

A LOT OF THE MEDICAL COMMUNITY HASN'T BEEN COMFORTABLE WITH A LOT OF THE THINGS THAT WERE UNKNOWN.

ALL THIS HAS BEEN BRAND NEW.

AND I JUST THINK IT HAS BEEN IT'S VERY ENCOURAGING THAT THE AMERICAN JOURNAL OF MEDICINE DID COME OUT JANUARY 1ST.

THERE ARE 2021 REPORT THAT THEY HAVE LISTED SOME VERY SPECIFIC AT HOME TREATMENTS BASED ON AGE, ON COMORBIDITIES.

PART OF THAT IS A RETRACTION OF THEIR LACK OF USE ON THE HYDROXY CHLOROQUINE, THE STUDY THAT HAD BEEN PREVIOUSLY DONE, THAT THEY HAD RAISED CONCERNS OF THAT DRUG HAS BEEN RETRACTED.

AND SO IT'S PART OF THE DRUGS THAT ARE LISTED.

IT'S NOT THE ONLY THING.

AND THE COMBINATIONS ARE VERY MUCH DEPENDENT UPON YOUR AGE, YOUR SEX.

AND AGAIN, THOSE COMORBIDITIES AND WHAT MY NOTES HAVE IS THAT IT WAS PAGE 18 OUT OF THAT REPORT.

AND IT WAS A VERY DETAILED POSSIBLY IF OUR PUBLIC HEALTH DEPARTMENT COULD REVIEW SOME OF THAT INFORMATION, SEE WHAT WE MIGHT COULD BE ABLE TO PUSH OUT TO CONTINUE EDUCATING PEOPLE ON THE OPTIONS THAT THEY HAVE TO LOWER THAT RISK OF HOSPITALIZATION AND POSSIBLE FATALITY.

SO I CAN TALK ABOUT THE CRITERIA IS VERY SPECIFIC TO THE EUA THE EMERGENCY USE AUTHORIZATION AND SO THE EUA IS ACROSS THE BOARD.

SO REGARDLESS OF WHICH PROVIDER YOU'RE GOING THROUGH, THEY HAVE TO QUALIFY BASED ON PERSONAL RISK FACTORS.

SO AGE OR CHRONIC HEALTH CONDITION BASED ON THE EUA CRITERIA THAT IS SET BY THE FDA.

SO THAT IS THAT'S SOMETHING THAT'S JUST SET BY THE FDA.

AND SO PROVIDERS WILL ALL USE THAT SAME EUA CRITERIA.

THEY CAN YOU KNOW, THE BAM WHENEVER MAP IS CERTAINLY BEING USED AT THE HOSPITAL, I BELIEVE IS BEING USED AT SOME OF THE URGENT CARE CENTERS, BUT IT WOULD ALL BE ADMINISTERED BASED ON THAT EUA.

AS FAR AS THE EARLY AND AT HOME TREATMENT, YOU KNOW, CERTAINLY THIS IS A VIRUS WHERE THERE IS NOT GOING TO BE A TREATMENT PER SAY OR A CURE, CERTAINLY CARE WOULD BE SUPPORTIVE.

SO REST LOTS OF FLUIDS.

YOU CAN TAKE TYLENOL, ADVIL AS APPROPRIATE.

CERTAINLY, YOU KNOW, JUST TREATING THOSE SYMPTOMS, CERTAINLY CONTACTING YOUR PHYSICIAN IF SYMPTOMS DON'T IMPROVE AND AGAIN, SEEKING OUT THOSE WHOLE ANTIBODIES, IF YOU'RE IN THOSE HIGH RISK CATEGORIES, WE'RE ALWAYS HAPPY TO REVIEW ANY MATERIAL THAT IS PROVIDED, BUT THAT CERTAINLY WITH THIS BEING A VIRUS CARE WOULD BE SUPPORTIVE, CERTAINLY AT HOME.

SO, CASIE, CAN I MAKE A COMMENT ON THAT A LITTLE BIT? SO HERE'S WHAT I WANT TO TELL YOU.

TELL EVERYBODY ABOUT THIS ELAINE IS SO THIS IS A VERY UNIQUE TIME BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF THESE WE REALLY HAVEN'T EXPERIENCED THE PANDEMIC OF THIS MAGNITUDE IN ONE HUNDRED YEARS.

AND WITH THE WAY WE HAVE SOCIAL MEDIA AND ALL THE ACCESS NOW, WHAT'S ACTUALLY HAPPENING IS WE ARE LIVING OUT ALL OF THE TRIAL AND ERROR THAT HAS GONE ON BEHIND CLOSED DOORS AND ACTUALLY GOES ON OVER A PERIOD OF YEARS BEFORE THEY DEVELOP.

OK, THIS REALLY DOES WORK.

THIS REALLY DOESN'T WORK BECAUSE THEY GET TO DO THESE THINGS AND THEN TURN AROUND AND LOOK BACK AND GO, OH, THAT STARTED OUT WORKING, BUT IT DIDN'T WORK OR THAT DIDN'T START OUT WORKING.

BUT IT DOES END UP WORKING WHEN WE DO CERTAIN THINGS WITH IT.

AND I THINK ONE OF THE BIGGEST PROBLEMS, WHICH IS GOING TO BE REALLY FRUSTRATING FOR MOST OF THE PUBLIC IN GENERAL, IS THEY DON'T REALIZE THAT WHAT'S HAPPENING IS RIGHT IN FRONT OF THEIR FACE IS ACTUALLY THEY'RE WATCHING THE MEDICAL COMMUNITY TRYING TO WORK OUT THIS TRIAL AND ERROR PERIOD OF FIGURING OUT WHAT'S GOING

[00:50:05]

AND SO THEY HEAR ONE THING.

SO THEY THINK THAT IT'S GOT TO BE GOSPEL THEN THREE MONTHS LATER NOW THAT IT'S NOT GOSPEL ANYMORE.

SO LIKE THE STATEMENT THAT CASIE SAID, USING IBUPROFEN AND USING TYLENOL.

WELL, YOU KNOW, WHEN THIS FIRST THING STARTED, I GUESS ONE OF THE VERY FIRST THINGS THEY SAID, DON'T TOUCH IT WAS IBUPROFEN.

THEY FOUND THEY THOUGHT THAT THERE WAS A BIG PROBLEM WITH IBUPROFEN.

AND NOW THEN THAT'S SINCE OVER THIS PERIOD OF TIME, WE FINALLY FOUND IT.

WELL, NOW THAT REALLY IS NOT THE CASE.

AND SO I JUST THINK IT'S REALLY DIFFICULT.

AND I STILL THINK TIME IS GOING TO TELL FOR SURE WHAT'S ACTUALLY GOING TO WORK AND NOT GOING TO WORK.

AND SO IT'S GOING TO TAKE A LOT OF PATIENCE ON EVERYBODY'S PART TO LET THESE THINGS BEGIN TO PLAY OUT AND REALLY BEGIN TO FIGURE OUT WHAT IS WORKING AND WHAT ISN'T WORKING.

AND I'M JUST GRATEFUL THAT WE'VE COME ACROSS THE MONOCLONAL ANTIBODIES THAT HAVE ACTUALLY BEEN EXTREMELY SUCCESSFUL WITH THIS AND FINDING OUT OH WE CAN TREAT THIS EARLY.

AND I THINK THAT'S ONE OF THE PROBLEMS THAT KIND OF CAME IN ORIGINALLY WAS EVERYTHING WAS CENTERED AROUND WHAT HAPPENS ONCE THEY'RE HOSPITALIZED.

AND THAT'S WHERE A LOT OF THINGS WERE NOT WORKING BECAUSE IT WAS ALL BASED UPON REALLY SERIOUS HOSPITALIZED CASES.

AND NOW THEN WE'RE BEGINNING TO SEE SOME THINGS HAPPEN WITH DIFFERENT MEDICATIONS THAT GO OK, WE NEED TO BE FOCUSING ON PRE HOSPITALIZATION AND KEEPING THEM OUT OF THE HOSPITAL.

SO IT'S JUST IT'S BEEN INTERESTING TO SIT BACK AND KIND OF WATCH AND SEE WHAT HAS BEEN PLAYING OUT IN FRONT OF US THAT USUALLY WE NEVER SEE PLAY OUT.

WOULDN'T YOU SAY THAT'S PROBABLY THE CASE, CASIE.

ABSOLUTELY.

THAT'S A GREAT DESCRIPTION.

BUT EDDY ONE OF THOSE THINGS IS THAT WE ARE A YEAR INTO IT NOW AND A LOT OF THOSE THINGS HAVE BEEN NOW WE DO HAVE INFORMATION.

AND THAT IS WHY I WANTED TO BRING THIS UP, BECAUSE WHERE THERE HAVE BEEN SOME REVERSALS, THERE WERE SOME BECAUSE WE DIDN'T HAVE INFORMATION AND USED SOME OFF LABEL USE OF SOME OF THOSE MEDICATIONS, THEN I CERTAINLY UNDERSTAND THE MEDICAL COMMUNITY'S HESITATION, BEING SURE NOT TO CREATE MORE HARM OR TO CREATE AN EXPECTATION.

BUT THE INFORMATION THAT IS COMING OUT NOW IS WE'RE 11 MONTHS PAST THAT.

AND TO NOT TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THAT INFORMATION, I THINK WE ARE JUST WE WOULD BE MISSING SOME GREAT OPPORTUNITIES BECAUSE IN SPEAKING WITH PEOPLE IN OUR COMMUNITY, THERE ARE SO MANY DOCTORS THAT ARE USING A LOT OF STEROIDS, ANTIBIOTICS, AND SEEING PEOPLE THAT END UP IN THE HOSPITAL FROM PNEUMONIA BECAUSE THEY ARE COVID.

BUT THAT'S ONE OF THE BIGGEST RISKS AND IT'S LIKE.

YES, THERE ARE DOCTORS THAT ARE PREVENTIVE BEFORE YOU CATCH PNEUMONIA THAT THEY START YOU ON ANTIBIOTICS OR STEROIDS.

SO THE POINT IS TO TALK TO YOUR DOCTOR.

DON'T JUST IT INFURIATES ME, BREAKS MY HEART THAT PEOPLE JUST GO HOME AND SIT AND WAIT AND THEY DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO.

AND THEN THEY END UP AT THE HOSPITAL AND THEY DON'T ALWAYS ALL SURVIVE.

AND SO IT IS I AM GOING TO CONTINUE PUSHING FOR THE INFORMATION TO GET OUT BECAUSE IT'S I'VE HAD TOO MANY CONVERSATIONS.

PEOPLE JUST HAVE NO IDEA WHAT TO DO.

THEY WAIT AND THEN THEY GET VERY, VERY SERIOUS AND THEN NOT ALL OF THEM SURVIVE.

AND THERE IS SO MUCH THAT WE CAN BE USING NOW.

AND I JUST I DON'T WANT US TO BE OUT OF CONCERN BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE 10 OR 15 YEARS OF TRIALS.

WE DO HAVE A YEAR NOW.

AND TO SEE THE AMERICAN JOURNAL OF MEDICINE REVERSE ITS POSITION, I THINK THEY HAVE BEEN MORE CAUTIOUS.

AND TO SEE THEM REVERSE IT WAS A GOOD SIGN TO ME THAT THERE HAVE BEEN ADEQUATE STUDIES FOR BAM TO COME ON BOARD.

CERTAINLY WE WANT TO GET THAT INFORMATION OUT THERE.

I KNOW WE ALL AGREE IT IS IMPORTANT TO CONTINUE WORKING TO GET THAT MESSAGE DEEPER AND DEEPER INTO THE COMMUNITY.

OTHER QUESTIONS FOR CASIE OR FOR THE CITY MANAGER? CASIE, GO FORTH AND CONQUER.

WE'RE GIVING YOU A BIG PATS ON THE BACK AND WE KNOW YOU'RE PASSING THOSE OUT TO ALL THE DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS THAT ARE WORKING ON THIS ISSUE IN OUR CITY.

[00:55:03]

THAT'S DEFINITELY BEEN THE TAKEAWAY FROM TODAY'S CONVERSATION.

SO YOU'LL CONTINUE LOOKING FOR WAYS TO IMPROVE THAT I THINK IS IMPORTANT.

YES MA'AM THANK YOU.

OK, JARED, ANYTHING ELSE ON THAT ITEM? NO MA'AM.

[1.C. Report and updates from City Councilmember serving on outside Boards: Beautification and Public Arts Advisory Board; Amarillo Metropolitan Planning Organization Policy Committee; and]

SAUER.

OK, SO THIS IS REALLY PROBABLY THE STUFF THAT I'M ABOUT TO TELL YOU GUYS, THIS IS SOME OF THE MOST EXCITING STUFF I THINK, THAT WE'VE HEARD IN AWHILE.

AS A MATTER OF FACT, WE JUST HAD OUR REGULAR MEETING, COMPLETED IT AT 12:30 TODAY.

SO, I MEAN, THIS INFORMATION IS REALLY, REALLY FRESH.

SO WE HAD 11 APPLICANTS FOR THIS YEAR'S MURAL GRANT APPLICATIONS.

THE 11 APPLICANTS SUBMITTED THIRTY NINE THOUSAND TWO HUNDRED AND SEVENTY FIVE DOLLARS WORTH OF REQUESTS, AND WE AWARDED EIGHT MURAL'S WITH A TOTAL OF TWENTY NINE THOUSAND TWO HUNDRED AND SEVENTY FIVE DOLLARS.

IT'S KIND OF A CATCH 22 BECAUSE THAT MEANS THAT FOR THE FIRST TIME THAT WE ACTUALLY HAD MORE APPLIED THAN WHAT WE HAD MONEY AVAILABLE FOR.

AND I HATE IT FOR THE THREE THAT WERE NOT ACCEPTED, BUT I LOVE IT FOR THE FACT THAT IT IS REALLY BEGINNING TO TAKE OFF AND IT'S REALLY BEGINNING TO HAVE A A REALLY POSITIVE EFFECT ON THE CITY.

SO WE HAD.

SO THE WAY THAT THE GRANT WAS, IT WAS SET UP, WAS THE INTENTION OF THERE BEING TOWARD AT LEAST ONE IN FIVE DIFFERENT AREAS OF TOWN, ONE OF THEM BEING DOWNTOWN, ONE BEING IN THE SOUTHEAST, SOUTHWEST, NORTHEAST AND NORTHWEST OF THE 11 THAT WERE SUBMITTED, THERE WERE ONLY THREE OUT OF THE FIVE AREAS THAT WE HAVE GRANT APPLICATIONS FROM.

WE HAD ONE FOR DOWNTOWN.

WE HAD ONE OUT OF THE SOUTHEAST, AND THEN THE REST OF THE GRANT APPLICATIONS CAME OUT OF THE NORTHWEST PORTION OF TOWN.

SO WE ENDED UP AWARDING SIX OF THEM TO THE NORTHWEST PORTION OF TOWN, AND THEN WE'VE AWARDED ONE FOR THE CENTRAL BUSINESS DISTRICT AND ONE FOR THE SOUTHEAST PORTION OF TOWN.

AND THOSE WILL BE ANNOUNCED WITHIN THE NEXT COUPLE OF DAYS UPON THE APPROVAL THAT COMES OUT OF THE CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE.

SO THE ONE THING THAT I WILL SAY IS.

THERE WERE SIX OF THE GRANTS THAT WERE ACTUALLY ENDED UP AWARDED TO BLANK SPACE, BLANK SPACE HAD MULTIPLE APPLICATIONS.

AND YOU KNOW WHAT THEY ARE DOING A INCREDIBLE JOB OF BRINGING ART TO LIFE IN AMARILLO.

AS A MATTER OF FACT, JASON BOYETT MADE A COMMENT THAT I WANTED TO QUOTE.

HE SAID THAT THIS IS HAVING, QUOTE, SUCH AN IMPACT VISUALLY ON THE CITY OF AMARILLO AND THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT'S HAPPENING.

SO IT'S REALLY, REALLY, REALLY EXCITING.

SOME OF IT A COUPLE OF THESE ARE GOING TO BE ON 6TH STREET.

A COUPLE OF THEM ARE GOING TO BE ONE OF THEM IS OUT IN THE MEADOW PARK AREA, THERE'S SEVERAL.

SO WE'RE SEEING THESE BEING AWARDED ALL OVER TOWN AND IT'S GOING TO BE BEAUTIFUL.

ONE OF THEM, PARTICULARLY THAT IS BEING DONE AT SNACK PACK IS SOMETHING THAT WE'RE ALL VERY EXCITED ABOUT.

I AM KIND OF BLOWING THAT ONE AND LETTING THAT ONE OUT.

IT'S AN INTERACTIVE AND IT'S THE FIRST ONE THAT HAS BEEN AWARDED THAT'S GOING TO BE AN INTERACTIVE TYPE OF A MURAL AND IT'S GOING TO BE A WHOLE LOT OF FUN.

SO IT'S REALLY, REALLY EXCITING.

THE BEAUTIFICATION PROJECT, THEY'RE STILL WORKING HARD TO MAKE THE PRESENTATION FOR IT WHEN WE MEET NEXT MONTH, THERE'LL BE A LOT MORE TALK ABOUT IT.

BUT PROBABLY REALLY THE MOST EXCITING THING WAS WE HAD A THOMPSON PARK POOL UPDATE FROM MICHAEL KASHUBA.

AND SO HERE'S WHAT'S ACTUALLY ENDED UP HAPPENING.

IN THE OUTLAY OF HOW THE THOMPSON PARK POOL IN THE LAZY RIVER AREA, IN BETWEEN THAT LAZY RIVER, THERE WAS AN ORIGINAL INTENTION THAT THEY WOULD HAVE LANDSCAPE, BUT IT JUST DIDN'T REALLY SEEM TO WORK OUT.

[01:00:04]

AND IT WILL BE A GREAT WAY TO BE ABLE TO PROMOTE LOCAL ARTISTS IN TOWN.

AND ACTUALLY WHAT'S ENDED UP HAPPENING IS AS THE ARTS, AS THE BEAUTIFICATION AND ARTS IS ACTUALLY KIND OF PART OF PARKS AND RECREATION, WHAT WE'RE ACTUALLY SEEING IS THERE'S A THOUGHT THAT MAYBE WE WILL BEGIN TO SEE SOME WAYS TO PUT THESE ART INSTALLATIONS IN A LOT OF OUR DIFFERENT PARKS.

AND THE WAY TO KEEP THAT FROM BEING A HIGH MAINTENANCE TYPE OF AN ISSUE IS GOING TO BE THAT PROPOSING THAT THEY MAY BE A ROTATIONAL, THAT THEY'LL GO THROUGH DIFFERENT PARKS AND THEY CAN BE PUT UP AND TAKEN DOWN.

BUT THE DEAL IS, IS THAT STARTING WITH THE THOMPSON PARK POOL AND SO THERE'S A REAL OPPORTUNITY FOR ALLOWING LOCAL ARTISTS TO BE ABLE TO SHOWCASE THEIR ART.

AND SO IT'S REALLY EXCITING.

YOU KNOW, THIS IS A THING THAT I TOLD THE COMMITTEE THAT THIS IS THE FRUITS OF WHAT'S HAPPENED AFTER WHAT YOU GUYS HAVE STARTED THREE YEARS AGO, THAT WE WOULD HAVE NEVER HAVE THOUGHT THAT GOING TO THE CITY MANAGER, HIM FINDING AN AREA WHERE WE WOULD HAVE THIRTY THOUSAND DOLLARS TO BEGIN TO FUND MURAL ART IN THE CITY, THAT IT WOULD GO FROM ONE INSTALLATION AT THE AIRPORT TO NOW THAT WE'RE GOING TO HAVE EIGHT DIFFERENT ONES HERE ALL ACROSS TOWN TO THE FACT OF THAT NOW THEN WE'RE FIGURING OUT HOW DO WE MAKE THAT PART OF OUR PARKS AND RECREATION SYSTEM AND HOW DOES IT WORK INTO OUR MASTER PLAN AND HOW DO ALL OF THESE THINGS WORK? SO IT'S JUST IT WAS A REALLY EXCITING DAY TO SEE THAT THESE THINGS ARE ACTUALLY COMING TO PASS.

AND WE'RE GOT WE HAVE THIS POTENTIAL FOR TO BE ABLE TO SHOWCASE LOCAL ARTISTS ALL OVER TOWN.

IT'S REALLY GREAT.

I CAN'T SAY ENOUGH ABOUT IT.

IT'S ONE OF THE FAVORITE THINGS THAT I'VE SAID THAT PROBABLY EVERY TIME I'VE GIVEN A REPORT, IT'S ONE OF MY FAVORITE COMMITTEES TO SIT ON.

THEY'RE SO CREATIVE, IT'S SO EXCITING.

THERE'S SUCH A LOT OF LIFE THAT THEY CREATE.

AND IT'S REALLY GOOD FOR AMARILLO.

IT'S REALLY GOOD FOR WHAT IT CREATES IN OUR COMMUNITY AND HOW THINGS ARE CHANGING EVEN IN OUR OWN COMMUNITY IN JUST THE LAST THREE YEARS.

SO IT'S A REALLY EXCITING THING.

QUESTIONS FOR DR. SAUER ABOUT THAT REPORT.

JUST YESTERDAY OR MAYBE IT WAS THE DAY BEFORE, DR. SAUER, THERE WAS I WAS VISITING WITH A COUPLE OF YOUNG COLLEGE GRADUATES LIVING IN OUR CITY AND THEY WERE TALKING ABOUT THE MURALS AND HOW MUCH THEY THINK THEY'VE CHANGED THE CITY JUST BY HAVING ART.

INTERESTING THINGS TO LOOK AT.

AND SO I WAS PROUD THAT THEY WERE NOTICING AND WE HAVE TO RECRUIT THOSE GUYS TO COME BACK, WE EDUCATE THEM, YOU KNOW, WE PAY FOR THEM TO BE EDUCATED, THAT THEN WE NEED TO BE WORKING ON RECRUITING THEM TO COME BACK AND SO WE CAN GET THE FULL INVESTMENT OF WHAT WE'VE EDUCATED THEM WITH.

AND IT MADE ME HAPPY TO HEAR THAT THAT WAS SOMETHING THEY NOTICED BECAUSE FOR THE DOLLARS, IT'S A REALLY BIG IMPACT WITH NOT THAT BIG OF A PRICE TAG.

ISN'T THAT INTERESTING? I THINK THAT'S SO INTERESTING THAT REALLY THE INVESTMENT IS SO SMALL COMPARED TO THE RETURN THAT WE ACTUALLY GET OUT OF THIS IT'S JUST REALLY INCREDIBLE.

I WOULD HAVE NEVER THOUGHT THAT WE WOULD HAVE THIS KIND OF RETURN ON THE INVESTMENT THAT'S BEING MADE.

AND THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT I WOULD CALL IT.

IT'S AN INVESTMENT IN OUR COMMUNITY.

YEAH.

AND I APPRECIATE PEOPLE LIKE SHAWN KENNEDY AT BLANK SPACES WHO ARE REALLY POURING INTO IT AND USING THE KIDS OF OUR CITY TO DO IT.

THOSE KIDS AT CAPROCK HIGH SCHOOL THAT ARE PART OF THAT BUSINESS MODEL, THAT PART OF HIS BUSINESS PLAN, IT'S A GREAT STORY.

OK, LET'S MOVE ON TO A REPORT ABOUT THE AMARILLO METROPOLITAN PLANNING ORGANIZATION POLICY COMMITTEE.

DR. SAUER, YOU WANT ME TO TAKE A STAB AT IT? YOU WANT TO START? YOU KNOW WHAT I'M GOING TO LET YOU TAKE A STAB AT IT.

THE FIRST PROBLEM THAT I ALWAYS HAVE WITH MPO IS THE FACT IS I THINK I'M IN THE MILITARY OR SOMETHING.

THEY USE SO MANY ACRONYMS IN THIS DEAL.

I HAD TO ASK THE CITY MANAGER WHAT TIF WAS.

I WASN'T SURE WHAT THE "I" MEANS.

SO THE METROPOLITAN PLANNING ORGANIZATION IS A COMMITTEE THAT HELPS SET THE POLICY THAT SPENDS THE FEDERAL AND STATE DOLLARS WE GET FOR THE HIGHWAY IMPROVEMENTS IN OUR

[01:05:09]

AND REALLY THAT'S A VERY HIGH LEVEL SUMMARY OF WHAT THAT COMMITTEE DOES, IT IS COMPLICATED AN A VERY LONG TERM, EVERY PROJECT THEY TOUCH IS YEARS AND YEARS AND YEARS IN THE MAKING, SO IT'S HARD TO GIVE A QUICK SUMMARY OF THE WORK THEY'RE DOING, BUT I DID WANT TO BRING TO YOUR ATTENTION OR TO AT LEAST CITIZENS ATTENTION THAT THEY'RE COORDINATING RIGHT NOW, A SURVEY WHERE WE'RE ASKING AMARILLO CITIZENS, ESPECIALLY THOSE THAT ARE INTERESTED IN MAKING OUR CITY MORE WALKER FRIENDLY, THE WALKABILITY IN OUR CITY BIKING IN OUR CITY, OR IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN HAVING MORE TRANSIT OPTIONS IN OUR CITY, PLEASE TAKE THIS SURVEY SO THAT THE MPO WILL GET YOUR FEEDBACK ON HOW TO MAKE THOSE POLICY DECISIONS MOVING FORWARD.

A FEW YEARS BACK IT'S BEEN PROBABLY FOUR YEARS AGO WHEN THEY WERE DESIGNING THE NEW PART OF HELIUM THAT'S GOING TO BECOME THE FAR WEST SIDE OF THE LOOP.

AND WE SAW THE PLANS AND WE WERE SO DISAPPOINTED TO SEE THAT THERE WAS A BIKE LANE, BUT IT WAS ATTACHED TO THE HIGHWAY LIKE THERE WAS NO SPACE THERE FOR SAFETY REASONS THAT WOULD MAKE THAT BIKE LANE APART SEPARATE AND APART FROM THE CARS.

AND WHEN WE BEGAN TALKING ABOUT COULD WE MAKE THAT DRAW THAT DIFFERENTLY, WE HAD REALLY ALREADY MISSED OUR TIME FRAME TO DO THAT ON THAT SECTION OF THE LOOP.

AND IT WAS WE BECAME EDUCATED TO THE PROCESS THAT OUR HIKE AND BIKE PLAN DIDN'T REQUIRE THAT IT WASN'T EVEN A STATED GOAL IN WHAT THE CITIES HIKE AND BIKE PLAN.

SO YOU WONDER HOW ALL OF THOSE DECISIONS GET MADE.

THEY ACTUALLY GET MADE BY POLICY IN THINGS LIKE OUR HIKE AND BIKE PLAN, THAT THEN WHEN THOSE PROJECTS GET DESIGNED ARE EXECUTED, BASED ON WHAT WE SAID AS A COMMUNITY WHAT WAS IMPORTANT TO US IN THE PLANS THAT WE PUBLISHED OR THE POLICIES WE PUBLISHED.

SO HOW DO WE MAKE THOSE POLICIES? WE'RE ASKING FOR YOUR INPUT.

AND HERE'S YOUR CHANCE TO TAKE THE SURVEY AND TELL US WHAT NEEDS TO CHANGE IN THOSE POLICIES GOING FORWARD.

SO PLEASE LET YOUR FRIENDS KNOW ABOUT THAT.

THIS IS ON THE CITY WEB PAGE.

IT'S ON THE LANDING PAGE.

ONE OF THE THINGS ONE OF THE THINGS THAT JUST SCROLLS ACROSS.

THANK YOU, STEPHANIE.

YOU'RE DOING SUCH A GREAT JOB OF SHOWING PEOPLE WHERE THAT IS.

IF YOU JUST CAN HIT THE BUTTON TO LEARN MORE ABOUT IT AND GO TO THE WEBSITE TO GIVE YOUR INPUT ON WHAT WE SHOULD BE DOING TO MAKE AMARILLO AS A CITY MORE FRIENDLY TO WALKERS, BIKERS, PEOPLE WHO USE PUBLIC TRANSIT.

THAT WAS MY MAIN TAKEAWAY, EDDY.

ANYTHING YOU WANT TO ADD ON THAT? YEAH, THE ONLY THING THAT I WOULD WANT TO ADD IS, YOU KNOW, I THOUGHT THIS PARTICULAR MEETING WAS A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT THAN ANY OF THE OTHER ONES THAT I HAD SAT IN ON IN.

THE REASON THAT I SAY THAT IS BECAUSE SOMETIMES WE AS CITIZENS OR EVEN BEING ON COUNCIL KIND OF FEEL LIKE, OK, TXDOT, DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION, THEY'RE DOING THEIR THINGS BASED UPON WHAT THEIR MANDATE IS BEFORE THEM.

AND WE MIGHT HAVE A LITTLE BIT OF AN EFFECT.

WE MIGHT HAVE SOME EFFECT, BUT EVERYBODY KIND OF STAYS IN THEIR LANES AND DOES THEIR OWN THING AND SO ON THIS PORTION OF THE LOOP THAT IS BEING TALKED ABOUT, THAT'S ABOVE 9TH ON AROUND THE CURB NORTH, WE HAD SOME CITIZENS COME AND GAVE THEIR INPUT ON HOW PEOPLE ARE GETTING ON, HOW PEOPLE WILL BE GETTING ON TO THAT PART OF THE LOOP IN THAT AREA AND ACCESS AND WHAT THAT AFFECTS, HOW IT COMES OUT OF MAYBE A PARTICULAR DEVELOPMENT THAT'S OCCURRING OVER IN THOSE AREAS.

AND IT WAS REALLY INTERESTING TO SIT THERE AND LISTEN, BECAUSE THESE TWO PARTICULAR INDIVIDUALS WERE TALKING WITH US AND WITH TXDOT.

AND THERE'S A REAL CHANCE THAT MAYBE THEY'RE GOING TO SHIFT AROUND, MAYBE HOW THEY DO A CERTAIN PART OF IT BASED UPON THE INPUT THAT ACTUALLY CAME FROM THE CITIZENS.

AND WE NEED TO REALIZE THAT THAT'S WHAT THE MPO WAS THERE FOR.

THE METROPOLITAN PLANNING ORGANIZATION IS, THERE FOR, IS TO TAKE THE INPUT SO THAT WHEN THE STATE AND THE FEDERAL MONEY COMES THROUGH, WE DO ACTUALLY CAN HAVE A LITTLE BIT OF AN EFFECT OR HAVE A LOT OF AN EFFECT UPON HOW THE PLANNING ACTUALLY PANS OUT, JUST LIKE THE BIKE PATH PART OF IT.

BECAUSE I CAN REMEMBER WHENEVER WE FIRST CAME ON COUNCIL AND WE WERE TALKING ABOUT THE HIKE AND BIKE AND THEY WERE TALKING ABOUT THIS AREA OVER THERE ON HOLLYWOOD

[01:10:04]

AND THEN YOU BEGIN TO REALIZE, OH, WE'VE GOT TO BE FOUR OR FIVE, SIX, MAYBE EVEN 10 YEARS LOOKING DOWN THE ROAD IF WE WANT CERTAIN THINGS TO END UP HAPPENING.

AND TO THE AFFECT TO THAT PART OF IT WE PROBABLY SHOULD HAVE BEEN IN THE TALKING PROCESS TWO OR THREE YEARS PRIOR TO WHEN THESE THINGS WERE HAPPENING, WHATEVER CAME ON COUNCIL.

AND SO IT'S JUST THE THING THAT I THOUGHT WAS REALLY INTERESTING FOR ME WAS, OK, TXDOT REALLY DOES WANT TO LISTEN TO YOUR INPUT.

THEY REALLY WILL AGREE TO MEET WITH YOU.

IT COULD CHANGE THE THE ORDER THAT YOU DO THINGS IN.

I THINK WE LIVE IN A GREAT STATE.

I THINK WE LIVE IN A GREAT CITY AND PEOPLE REALLY DO LISTEN AND THEY TRY AND DO THE BEST THINGS THAT ARE POSSIBLE, ESPECIALLY WHEN WE'RE TALKING OF MILLIONS OF DOLLARS OF BUILDING HIGHWAYS AROUND OUR AREA.

AND SO IT WAS A REAL INTERESTING CONVERSATION TO LISTEN TO.

YEAH, GOOD POINT.

AND THOSE AGENDAS GET PUBLISHED ON THE CITY WEBSITE, JUST LIKE EVERY OTHER CITY COMMITTEE.

SO IF THAT'S SOMETHING AS A CITIZEN YOU'RE INTERESTED IN KEEPING UP WITH, YOU CAN JUST CHECK THE MEETINGS TAB.

WE MEET BASICALLY EVERY OTHER MONTH.

ON THE I THINK IT'S THE THIRD THURSDAY.

AT 1 AT ONE O'CLOCK, THIS.

ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT THAT? OKAY, MOVING ON TO ITEM 1D IS A REVIEW OF BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS AND A SUNSET

[1.D. Review Boards and Commissions – Sunset Policy;]

MR. CITY MANAGER.

HI MAYOR WE HAD A REQUEST FROM COUNCIL TO PUT THIS ITEM ON HERE, THE CHANCE TO HAVE A RECURRING SCHEDULED FULL SUNSET REVIEW OF BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS.

RIGHT NOW WE HAVE FRANCES CAN CORRECT ME, BUT I BELIEVE IT'S EXACTLY 50 BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS AND THAT INCLUDES OUR NINE BIDS, MAYBE 10 AT THIS POINT.

SO A NUMBER, A GOOD PERCENTAGE OF THEM OUR BIDS.

BUT WE STILL HAVE MORE BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS THAN MOST CITIES THAT I'M AWARE OF.

SO HAVING A REGULARLY SCHEDULED REVIEW, PROBABLY CITIZEN LED CITIZEN PARTICIPATED REVIEW OF OUR BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS THROUGH A SUNSET REVIEW PROCESS WOULD ALLOW US TO ASSESS.

IS A BOARD AND COMMISSION STILL SERVING A FUNCTION THAT DESERVES ITS EXISTENCE OR DOES IT NEED TO BE SUNSETED OR ELLIMINATED TO CREATE ROOM FOR OTHER BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS THAT COUNCIL MIGHT WANT TO CREATE OVER TIME.

SO I THINK THAT COUNCIL MEMBER HAYS I DON'T WANT TO PUT YOU ON THE SPOT.

I THINK THIS CAME FROM YOU.

AND I DIDN'T KNOW IF YOU HAD ANY COMMENTS YOU WANT TO MAKE THERE TO JUST START THE CONVERSATION WITH COUNCIL.

I DON'T KNOW THAT I HAD INITIALLY I THINK IT WAS PART OF OUR FULL CONVERSATION PROBABLY OVER A YEAR AGO WHEN WE WERE DOING SOME OF OUR APPOINTMENTS ON JUST THAT CONVERSATION OF KIND OF ONCE THEY GET STARTED HOW DOES A COMMITTEE OR BOARD EVER END OR DETERMINE THE NEED TO KEEP GOING FORWARD? AND I THINK IT ACTUALLY CAME UP POSSIBLY IN ONE OF OUR FIRST YEARS OF MAKING BOARD APPOINTMENTS BECAUSE THERE WERE SO MANY BOARDS.

I THINK FOR ME PERSONALLY, THAT WAS A SHOCK TO EVEN FIND OUT THAT THE CITY HAD THAT MANY BOARDS AND TO BE SURE THAT WE WERE EFFICIENTLY MAKING APPOINTMENTS AND USE OF STAFF TIME AND LOOKING FOR FEEDBACK FROM STAFF AS WELL, FOR WHICH OF THOSE COMMITTEES AND BOARDS POSSIBLY WERE NOT NECESSARY IN THE FUTURE OR THE WAY THE STATE LEGISLATURE DETERMINE SUNSET POLICY IF WE WERE GOING TO HAVE SOMETHING LIKE THAT AT THE CITY LEVEL.

SO COUNCIL IS [INAUDIBLE] STAFF TO WORK UP A POLICY OR A PROCEDURE TO PRESENT TO US.

ARE WE INTERESTED IN HAVING THAT DISCUSSION? THAT'S SORT OF WHY WE'RE ON THE AGENDA ABOUT IT TODAY BEFORE THEY PUT THE WORK INTO DEVELOPING THAT AND BRINGING IT BACK TO US FOR OUR INPUT.

JUST WANT TO SEE WHAT Y'ALLS THOUGHTS WERE ABOUT IT.

NOT EVERYBODY AT ONCE.

I THINK IT WOULD BE WORTH REVIEWING AND GET THE STAFF'S OPINION ON WHETHER A BOARD OR COMMISSION OUGHT TO CONTINUE OR NOT, AND THEN BRING IT TO THE COUNCIL AND WE CAN DISCUSS IT.

50 SEEMS LIKE AN AWFUL LOT, BUT THAT'S THE WAY IT IS EVIDENTLY.

AND MAYOR ONE THOUGHT OF IF WE JUST STARTED TRYING INSTEAD OF TRYING TO EAT THE

[01:15:09]

I DON'T WANT IT RUSHED THROUGH, WOULDN'T WANT TO BE MAKING HASTY DECISIONS, BUT POSSIBLY BREAKING THOSE UP IN SMALL SEGMENTS AND REVIEWING 10 OR A DOZEN OF THEM AT A TIME AND GETTING RECOMMENDATIONS IS A THOUGHT.

THANK YOU.

SO WHAT IF WE ASKED WHAT IF WE ASKED THE CITY MANAGER T LOOK AT OTHER CITIES, HE MENTIONED A CITIZEN LED COMMITTEE.

I MEAN SORRY, BUT IT SOUNDS LIKE WE MIGHT CONSIDER APPOINTING ANOTHER COMMITTEE TO HELP US WITH THIS PROJECT, BUT I LIKE ELAINE'S POINT OF IT NEEDS TO BE AN ONGOING THING, NOT SO MUCH A WAIT TILL WE PROMPT IT, BUT JUST THIS BE A CONSISTENT PART OF THE PROCESS, AND IT HAS TO COME IN SMALL CHUNKS, NOT IN ALL AT ONE TIME.

SO WHAT IF WE ASK THE STAFF TO LOOK AT HOW OTHER CITIES ARE DOING IT? WHAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR IS A SUSTAINABLE, EFFICIENT MODEL THAT WOULD CONTINUALLY REVIEW OUR BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS.

ARE THEY MEETING WHAT THEY WERE TASKED WITH AS FAR AS THEIR GOAL? ARE THEY MEETING REGULARLY HAVE THEY MET THAT? AND IS IT AN ONGOING NEED? SO THOSE ARE SOME OF THE, I THINK, OBVIOUS QUESTIONS THAT WE, THE FIVE OF US HAVE TALKED ABOUT IS WE'VE APPOINTED PEOPLE TO POSITIONS OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS.

JARED WOULD THAT BE SOMETHING THAT STAFF COULD BRING US A PROPOSAL? YES, ABSOLUTELY.

WE PUT IN PLACE IN PREVIOUS CITIES, YOU KNOW, USING BEST PRACTICES, RESEARCHING THE STATE.

WHAT IS THE BEST PRACTICE IN CITIES ACROSS THE STATE? IT'S SOMETHING THAT I'VE WORKED ON BEFORE, IT'S SOMETHING I KNOW WE'VE GOT STAFF ON HAND THAT HAVE WORKED ON BEFORE AS WELL.

TYPICALLY, IT'S NOT ANOTHER BOARD AND COMMISSION.

IT'S A ONE TIME SINGLE PURPOSE COMMITTEE THAT YOU APPOINT THAT DOES REVIEW ALL THE BOARDS COMMISSIONS.

WE'LL PUT TOGETHER A POLICY PROBABLY GOING TO RECOMMEND EVERY FIVE YEARS.

COULD BE EVERY THREE, COULD BE EVERY SEVEN.

I MEAN, YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE OPTIONS, BUT WE'LL PUT TOGETHER A GOOD TEMPLATE, IF YOU'D LIKE, AND THEN YOU CAN REVIEW IT, MAKE CHANGES HOWEVER YOU WANT.

AND IF YOU WANT TO MOVE FORWARD WITH IT, THEN IT WOULD BE SOMETHING Y'ALL CAN USE AND WE CAN CHANGE ANYTHING YOU WANT IN A DRAFT POLICY.

BUT WE'LL GO AHEAD AND PUT THAT TOGETHER, PUT IT ON AN UPCOMING AGENDA AND HAVE IT ON FOR YOU ALL TO DISCUSS.

WE'LL GIVE IT TO YOU WELL IN ADVANCE OF THAT MEETING.

SO YOU HAVE TIME TO REVIEW IT, ASK QUESTIONS SO THAT YOU'RE PREPARED PRIOR TO THAT CONVERSATION.

OK, ANY COMMENTS TO ADD TO THAT COUNCIL? NO, I WOULD LIKE TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THAT PROCESS.

AGREED.

OK, GREAT GREEN LIGHT TO MOVE FORWARD ON THAT THEN.

[1.E. Update on Recent Bond Sales;]

WELL WE'VE GOT LAURA STORRS ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER AND CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER, ALONG WITH STEVEN ADAMS BOND COUNCIL TO WALK US THROUGH IT.

LAURA.

THANK YOU, JARED.

GOOD AFTERNOON, MAYOR AND COUNCIL WANTED TO BRING YOU GUYS SOME EXCITING NEWS.

IT'S BEEN A GREAT YEAR FOR US AS FAR AS DEBT ISSUANCES GO.

WE HAVE BEEN ABLE TO SECURE SOME REALLY FAVORABLE INTEREST RATES THAT SAVE OUR TAXPAYERS A LOT OF MONEY.

AND SO I HAVE STEVEN ADAMS WITH SPECIALIZED PUBLIC FINANCE HERE.

HE'S OUR FINANCIAL ADVISOR THAT WANTS TO GO OVER A PRESENTATION WITH YOU ALL WE'VE DONE FOUR RECENT BOND SALES.

AND HE'S GOT KIND OF A RECAP ON HOW THOSE SALES WENT.

SO I'LL TURN IT OVER TO STEPHEN AND I WILL SHARE MY SCREEN WITH HIS PRESENTATION.

OK, THANK YOU, LAURA.

AND JUST TO RECALL THAT AT YOUR JANUARY 26TH MEETING, YOU AUTHORIZED THE SALE OF THESE BONDS WITH THE FINAL APPROVAL WITH THE CITY MANAGER AND MAYOR.

WE SOLD FOUR DIFFERENT BOND ISSUES SINCE THEN, TOTALING ALMOST 100 MILLION DOLLARS.

IT WAS A LOT OF DEBT.

AND QUICKLY, THE PROJECT AMOUNTS WERE FOR THE DRAINAGE REVENUE BONDS, 10 MILLION DOLLARS.

AND WE SOLD THOSE AT 1.41 PERCENT, RECEIVING EIGHT BIDS WITH CITIGROUP AS WINNER.

WATER AND SEWER REVENUE BONDS.

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AND WE RECEIVED ELEVEN BIDS AND SOLD THOSE AT A 1.38 PERCENT.

WE SOLD CERTIFICATES OF OBLIGATION FOR IMPROVEMENTS TO GREENWAY'S PID AND OF COURSE, THEY'LL BE REPAYING THOSE ON PID ASSESSMENT'S.

AND AT A 1.42 PERCENT AND THEN FINALLY, WE SOLD THE REMAINING OF THE 2016 BOND REFERENDUM, 57.155 MILLION DOLLARS PROJECT FUND OF GENERAL OBLIGATION BONDS AT A ONE POINT SIX PERCENT.

AND SO ALL THOSE ARE REALLY LOW RATES AND WE'RE REALLY HAPPY TO GET THEM AND I'LL GO A LITTLE INTO THESE JUST A LITTLE BIT IN DETAIL.

LAURA, JUST A QUICK GRAPH HERE.

YOU CAN SEE THAT INTEREST RATES ARE VERY, VERY LOW.

THEY'RE LOWER THAN THEY'VE BEEN, YOU KNOW, ALMOST 96 PERCENT OF THE PREVIOUS, YOU KNOW 50 YEARS OR MORE.

NEXT SLIDE.

JUST TO LET YOU KNOW THAT ALL FOUR OF THESE BONDS HAD AAA RATINGS BY STANDARD POOR'S, WHICH IS THE HIGHEST YOU CAN GET, AND, YOU KNOW, THERE ARE NOT MANY CITIES THAT ARE HONORED TO HAVE THIS TRIPLE-A RATING.

I WILL SAY THAT ALL FOUR ARE ON NEGATIVE OUTLOOK.

IT'S NOT BECAUSE OF ANYTHING THE CITY DID.

IN FACT, THE MANAGEMENT OF THE CITY IN THE WAY THAT THE FINANCES ARE MANAGED PROBABLY PRESERVED THOSE TRIPLE-A RATINGS, GIVEN THE FACT THAT STANDARD AND POOR'S HAS A NEGATIVE OUTLOOK ON ALL SECTORS OF PUBLIC FINANCE BECAUSE OF THE PANDEMIC THAT WE ARE CURRENTLY IN.

SO THAT'S REALLY GOOD.

AND THAT'S THE PRIMARY REASON YOU GOT THOSE LOW RATES.

NEXT SLIDE, THIS IS A SLIDE WE WANTED TO GIVE YOU AN UPDATE ON BACK WHEN WE WERE TALKING TO THE VOTERS OR PUTTING OUT INFORMATION TO VOTERS IN TWENTY SIXTEEN.

WE PROJECTED THAT THE TAX RATE IMPACT FOR BOTH PROPOSITION ONE AND PROPOSITION TWO, AND YOU CAN SEE AT THE TOP PROPOSITION ONE WAS EIGHTY NINE MILLION, FOUR HUNDRED AND NINETY FIVE THOUSAND DOLLARS.

AND PROPOSITION TWO WAS TWENTY MILLION AND EIGHTY THOUSAND DOLLARS.

THE TOTAL IMPACT WOULD BE SIX POINT SEVENTY SEVEN CENTS ON THE INTEREST AND SINKING [INAUDIBLE] TAX RATE OF YOUR AD VALOREM TAX RATE, WE ENDED UP WITH THAT BEING ONLY FIVE POINT ONE SIX CENTS OR ONE POINT SIX CENTS LOWER THAN WE HAD PROJECTED WITH AGGREGATE DEBT SERVICE SAVINGS LOWER BY OVER 16 MILLION DOLLARS.

NOW, OBVIOUSLY, THOSE LOW INTEREST RATES ATTRIBUTED TO THAT AND ALSO YOUR GROWTH IN THE ASSESSED VALUATION AND REALLY IT WAS JUST, YOU KNOW, THE HIGH RATINGS ALSO OF THE CITY, SO.

MUCH LOWER, TOTAL COST THAN WHAT WAS SHOWN TO THE VOTERS.

OK, NEXT SLIDE.

PROBABLY THIS IS JUST THE SOURCES AND USES FOR EACH ONE.

PROBABLY DON'T NEED TO SPEND A LOT OF TIME ON THIS.

SO FOR THE DRAINAGE UTILITY BONDS GO ON THE NEXT PAGE.

JUST TO RECAP, WE GOT EIGHT BIDS WITH CITIGROUP WINNING AT 1.41 PERCENT AND IF YOU GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE.

YOU CAN SEE THE FIRMS HAVE BID ON THE DRAINAGE REVENUE BONDS AND THERE WERE EIGHT BIDS.

NOW, THE INTERESTING THING, WE DO THIS 30 MINUTES BEFORE THE WATER AND SEWER REVENUE BONDS.

AND WE KNOW THE PEOPLE OVER AT CITIGROUP WHO DO THE BIDS AND WE CALL THEM AFTER THEY WANT THIS BECAUSE WE HAD TO COMPARE NUMBERS AND THEY SAID THEY WERE GOING TO BID THE EXACT SAME THING ON THE WATER AND SEWER REVENUE BONDS.

SO LET'S GO SEE HOW THEY DID.

NEXT SLIDE.

WELL, FIRST OF ALL, JUST TO POINT OUT, THIS IS THE DEBT SERVICE ON THAT DRAINAGE UTILITY SYSTEM BONDS, AND THIS WILL BE PAID OUT OF DRAINAGE REVENUE FEES.

SO IT'S A 20 YEAR ROUGHLY [INAUDIBLE] ENDED UP BEING A LITTLE BIT NOT LEVEL BECAUSE OF THE LOW INTEREST RATES, BUT MOSTLY LOW.

OK, THE WATER AND SEWER REVENUE BONDS THAT WERE WON BY HUNTINGTON SECURITIES AT A ONE POINT THIRTY EIGHT PERCENT AND WE'VE GOT 11 BIDS ON THIS, A LITTLE BIT LARGER ISSUE, WHICH THE BOND COMMUNITY LIKES A LITTLE BIT BETTER AND GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE.

YOU CAN SEE CITIGROUP GOT 5TH, SO EVERYBODY SAW THEIR BID ON THE DRAINAGE BONDS AND SHARPENED THEIR PENCIL AND FOUR FIRMS ACTUALLY BID AHEAD OF THEM THAT THEY BEAT THREE OF THEM, THEY BEAT ON THE PREVIOUS BID HUNTINGTON DIDN'T BID ON THE OTHER ONE.

SO ONE OF THE 11, BECAUSE WE GOT THREE MORE BIDS ON THE WATER AND SEWER.

[01:25:07]

THIS IS THE DEBT SERVICE ON THESE WATER AND SEWER BONDS, AGAIN, MOSTLY LEVEL.

AND THESE ARE BEING PAID BY WATER AND SEWER REVENUES.

NEXT SLIDE.

THIS IS THE CERTIFICATE OF OBLIGATION, THE SMALLEST BOND ISSUE THAT WE DID, WE GOT A ONE POINT FOUR, TWO PERCENT, A VERY LOW RATE, ONLY FIVE BIDS ON THIS ONE, WHICH IS ACTUALLY A LOT ON HISTORICAL TERMS, BUT COMPARED TO WHAT THE CITY HAS BEEN GETTING NOT AS MUCH SO, LET'S SEE WHO THE BIDDERS ARE ON THIS ONE.

THE WINNING BID WAS FIDELITY, AND YOU CAN SEE HILLTOP THERE FHN AND CITIGROUP.

NOW, YOU KNOW, WE BID THESE FOR GREENHILLS PID OTHER PID'S AND THEY CAN NEVER GET A RATE THIS LOW IF THEY ONLY HAD THE ASSESSMENTS AS THEIR CREDIT.

SO YOU'RE REALLY LENDING YOUR CREDIT TO THEM AND IT'S GREAT BENEFIT TO THEM BECAUSE THERE'S NO WAY THEY COULD GET A 1.42 WITH JUST THEIR ASSESSMENTS BEING MIC].

FINALLY.

THIS IS THEIR DEBT SERVICE ON THE [INAUDIBLE] ARE GOING TO BE PAYING ABOUT 60,000 DOLLARS A YEAR BETWEEN NOW AND 2041.

AND THE LAST BIT, THE ONE THAT EVERYBODY REALLY WANTED TO BID ON, WE RECEIVED 12 BIDS.

THIS IS YOUR BEST CREDIT, VOTED G.O.

BONDS BEST CREDIT OF MOST CITIES, AND YOU RECEIVED A ONE POINT SIX PERCENT.

YOU MAY ASK YOURSELF, WHY IS IT A LITTLE HIGHER THAN THE OTHER ONES? AND IT'S BECAUSE IT'S A LITTLE BIT LONGER AND IN DURATION.

SO THE LONGER YOU BORROW MONEY, THE HIGHER THE INTEREST RATE.

SO YOU GO ONTO THE NEXT SLIDE.

AND HERE ARE THE BIDS THAT YOU RECEIVED THE WINNING BID WAS WELLS FARGO, AND YOU CAN SEE THE OTHER 11 FIRMS THAT BID WERE LITERALLY FROM ALL OVER THE COUNTRY.

SO A LOT OF INTEREST IN YOUR DEBT.

SO THAT IS GOOD.

AND THEN FINALLY, YOU CAN SEE THE DEBT SERVICE ON THIS GOES THROUGH 2046.

SO IT'S A LITTLE BIT LONGER AND IT'S ABOUT 2.8 MILLION.

AND IT'S PAID FOR OUT OF THE INTEREST IN SINKING TAX RATE ON THE AD VALOREM TAX MIC] AND THAT'S ALL WE HAD.

I'LL BE GLAD TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTIONS, BUT LET ME JUST GO BY SAYING CONGRATULATE YOU FOR REALLY VERY LOW RATES AND ENJOYED WORKING WITH LAURA AND DEBBIE AND JARED AND THE REST OF THE STAFF WITH THE CITY THAT SERVES THERE WAS A LOT OF WORK THAT WAS PUT IN.

AND I THINK IT REALLY TURNED OUT WELL FOR THE CITY.

LAURA, BACK TO YOU.

THANKS, STEVEN.

SO JUST WANTED JUST TO SHARE THOSE HIGHLIGHTS WITH COUNCIL, BECAUSE WE DID IT A LITTLE DIFFERENTLY THAN WE DO NORMALLY, YOU ALL AUTHORIZED US TO ENTER INTO THESE BOND CELLS WITH CERTAIN PARAMETERS.

AND SO WE WANTED JUST TO COMMUNICATE THE RESULTS OF THOSE FOUR CELLS.

AND ALSO THE GOOD NEWS, AS STEVEN MENTIONED, APPROXIMATELY 16 MILLION DOLLARS IN DEBT SERVICE SAVINGS ON THE 2016 VOTER APPROVED BONDS FROM WHAT WAS ORIGINALLY ESTIMATED WHEN WE TOOK THOSE PROPOSITIONS TO THE PUBLIC.

SO THAT'S A GREAT WIN FOR OUR COMMUNITY AND A GREAT SAVINGS IN THOSE TAX DOLLARS.

SO ANY QUESTIONS THAT WE CAN ANSWER FROM COUNCIL? I THINK IT'S FANTASTIC, STEVEN, OR LAURA COULD WE GET A COPY OF THAT PRESENTATION? YES, ABSOLUTELY.

I WILL GET THIS SENT OUT TO COUNCIL AND I CAN ALSO I WILL GET THIS POSTED OUT ON THE CITY'S WEBSITE.

SO IF THE PUBLIC WOULD LIKE TO GET A COPY AS WELL.

GREAT THANKS.

WELCOME.

SO ONE QUICK QUESTION.

SO THE ORIGINAL THOUGHT WAS THE RESULT OF PROPOSITION ONE AND PROPOSITION TWO WAS GOING TO BE AN INCREASE IN THE INTEREST IN SINKING ON OUR TAX RATE OF 6.77 CENTS.

AND SO IT ENDED UP WHEN ALL WAS SAID AND DONE THAT IT'S 5.16.

AND SO WE'VE ACTUALLY SAVED THE CITIZENS 1.6 CENTS ON THEIR AD VALOREM TAXES.

BY THE WAY, ALL OF THIS HAS BEEN DONE AND TRANSPIRED, AND US KEEPING OUR TRIPLE-A RATING AND MOVING THINGS FORWARD TO SAVE MONEY ON BUILDING AND ALL OF THOSE THINGS.

YES, THAT IS CORRECT.

THANK YOU FOR THE GREAT WORK, THAT'S AWESOME.

THAT'S REALLY AWESOME.

ANY OTHER COMMENTS?

[01:30:02]

WE APPRECIATE WORKING WITH YOUR FIRM.

WELL, THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

WE APPRECIATE IT AS WELL.

THE MOTTO OF THE DAY IS BOND RATINGS MATTER.

[LAUGHTER] THEY DO.

AND JUST LIKE EVERYTHING WE'VE KIND OF ALREADY BEEN TALKING ABOUT, WHETHER IT'S MPO OR BEAUTIFICATION OR MAKING OUR COMMITTEES MORE EFFICIENT, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE TO HAVE A LONG TERM VIEW ON THINGS HERE AT THE CITY COUNCIL BECAUSE IT'S BEEN YEAR OVER YEAR OVER YEAR OF HAVING A STRONG FINANCIAL DEPARTMENT THAT STUCK TO FINANCIAL POLICIES.

THAT GETS US TO THAT TRIPLE-A RATING OVER AND OVER AGAIN.

AND WE BENEFIT FROM IT.

IT SAVES OUR TAX DOLLARS, SAVES OUR TAXPAYERS MONEY.

SECURING WATER DECADES AGO, WHERE YOU'RE NOT BEHIND ON THAT IS REALLY A LIFE SAVER COMPARED TO MANY OTHER CITIES.

EXCELLENT, EXCELLENT POINT.

SO WE JUST HAVE TO KEEP THAT TAKE AWAY, KEEP THINKING LONG TERM SHAPE THE WORK YOU GUYS DO FOR US ON THAT.

ANYTHING ELSE, QUESTIONS, COMMENTS? OK, SHORT TERM RENTAL STATUS UPDATE ITEM 1F, MR. CITY MANAGER.

[1.F. Short-term Rental Status Update;]

WE'VE GOT LAURA STORRS TO WALK US THROUGH WHERE WE'RE AT IN THE PROCESS.

WE WILL HAVE LETTERS GOING OUT VERY, VERY SOON AND MOVING FORWARD WITH COUNCIL GUIDANCE ON THAT.

SO LAURA WALK US THROUGH WHERE WE'RE AT RIGHT NOW WHERE WE SEE OURSELVES GOING IN THE NEAR FUTURE.

ALL RIGHT.

THANK YOU, JARED.

AND I AM GOING TO SHARE MY SCREEN.

I HAVE A VERY SHORT PRESENTATION TO SHARE RELATED TO THIS AREA.

IF IT'LL PLAY FOR ME.

THERE WE GO.

SO THIS IS JUST A QUICK UPDATE ON OUR PROGRESS RELATED TO SHORT TERM RENTALS.

SO AS YOU KNOW, WE DO HAVE SEVERAL SHORT TERM RENTALS HERE IN THE AMARILLO AREA.

OR MAYBE YOU DIDN'T KNOW BECAUSE YOU'VE NEVER LOOKED FOR ONE HERE LOCALLY.

BUT WE DO HAVE SEVERAL GROUPS THAT ARE UTILIZING THEIR PROPERTIES AS SHORT TERM RENTALS.

AND SO ONE THING THAT WE HAVE WANTED TO DO IS TO GET SOME INFORMATION OUT TO THESE GROUPS ON SOME REQUIREMENTS FROM THE STATE LEVEL, AN THE CITY LEVEL.

SO WE WORK TO CONTRACT WITH A THIRD PARTY GROUP CALLED LODGING REV'S.

AND WE ASKED THEM TO GO RESEARCH AND ALL OF THE SHORT TERM RENTALS THAT ARE ADVERTISED ON VARIOUS WEBSITES.

SO THEY DID A COMPREHENSIVE SEARCH FOR US.

AND ON THE BOTTOM OF THIS SCREEN IS THE RESULTS THAT THEY HAVE PROVIDED US.

AND I UNDERSTAND THIS IS A SMALL MAP, BUT YOU CAN SEE THERE'S A LOT OF DOTS ON THAT MAP.

AND SO THEY WERE LOOKING AT AIRBNB, VRBO AND SOME OTHER COMMON WEBSITES WHERE SHORT TERM RENTALS ARE LISTED.

THEY PROVIDED US WITH A LIST OF OVER 100 HUNDRED OF THESE SHORT TERM RENTALS THAT ARE IN THE AMARILLO AREA.

SO OUR NEXT STEPS IS WE ARE CURRENTLY FORMING SOME INFORMATIONAL LETTERS.

WHAT IT DOES THESE LETTERS OUTLINE, BOTH THE LOCAL AND THE STATE REQUIREMENTS TO SUBMIT HOTEL OCCUPANCY TAXES.

IT IS A REQUIREMENT FOR SHORT TERM RENTALS SIMILAR TO WHAT THE REQUIREMENT IS FOR OUR HOTELIERS.

AND SO WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE PROVIDE THAT INFORMATION.

WE'RE ALSO GOING TO INCLUDE A COPY OF OUR LOCAL ORDINANCE RELATED TO HOTEL OCCUPANCY TAXES SO THEY CAN HAVE A COPY OF THAT HANDY WITH THEM.

ALSO ON THIS INFORMATIONAL LETTER, WE'RE GOING TO GIVE THEM THE WEBSITE AND THE CONTACT INFORMATION FOR OUR THIRD PARTY COLLECTOR, WHICH IS AVENU INSIGHTS.

WE'RE GOING TO EXPLAIN IN THERE THAT THERE IS A REQUIREMENT FOR SHORT TERM RENTALS TO REGISTER WITH AVENU INSIGHTS AND TO SUBMIT MONTHLY INFORMATION RELATED TO THEIR SALES OR IF THERE'S NO ACTIVITY DURING THE MONTH.

AND SO WE ARE LOOKING TO GET THESE LETTERS MAILED OUT LATER THIS WEEK.

AND AGAIN, THESE ARE REALLY JUST AN INFORMATIONAL LETTER.

WE WANT THESE SHORT TERM RENTALS JUST TO UNDERSTAND WHAT THE LOCAL ORDINANCE STATES AND THAT WE'RE HERE TO HELP IN ANY WAY WE CAN.

AND AVENU INSIGHTS HAS BEEN A GREAT PARTNER WITH US OVER THE YEARS TO COLLECT ON THESE HOTEL OCCUPANCY TAXES, AND THEY ARE THERE TO HELP AS WELL.

AND SO THESE WILL BE GOING OUT IN THE VERY NEAR FUTURE AND WE'LL BE WORKING DILIGENTLY TO FIELD ANY QUESTIONS THAT COME IN AS WE CAN.

SO WITH THAT, ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS THAT I CAN ANSWER FOR COUNCIL ON THIS?

[01:35:05]

BUT YEAH, I HAD A QUESTION ON AVENU INSIGHTS AND THEIR COLLECTION SYSTEM.

SO DO THEY CHARGE A PERCENTAGE AND THEN COMPARING THAT TO.

I KNOW WE HAD A CONVERSATION A COUPLE OF YEARS BACK ON THE AIRBNB THE BRBO'S WERE ACTUALLY COLLECTING ONLINE.

THEY WERE DOING AUTOMATIC COLLECTION, THEY WERE ENTERING INTO AGREEMENTS WITH CITIES.

AND SO I JUST WOULD LIKE TO HAVE SOME FEEDBACK ON WHY WE DID NOT MOVE FORWARD WITH THOSE AUTOMATIC COLLECTIONS ON THE SITE AND IF THERE WAS A FEE AT THAT SITE AS WELL AS COMPARED TO THEN GOING WITH AVENU INSIGHTS.

OK, GREAT.

LET ME SEE IF I CAN KIND OF ANSWER THOSE ONE BY ONE.

SO FIRST OF ALL, ON AVENU INSIGHTS SIDE, THEY CHARGED THE CITY OF AMARILLO A FLAT FEE FOR DOING THE THIRD PARTY COLLECTIONS.

AS FAR AS THE HOTELIER'S OR THE SHORT TERM RENTALS ARE CONCERNED, THE ONLY FEE THAT THEY PAY THEY COULD PAY TO AVENU INSIGHTS IS IF THEY SUBMIT THOSE HOTEL OCCUPANCY TAXES WITH A CREDIT CARD, IF THEY PAY WITH A CHECK OR SOME SORT OF PAYMENT LIKE THAT, THERE'S NO FEE FOR THEM ASSOCIATED WITH IT.

IT'S ONLY IF THEY DO SUBMIT THOSE HOTEL OCCUPANCY TAXES WITH A CREDIT CARD.

AS FAR AS MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT AIRBNB HAS CERTAIN AGREEMENTS IN PLACE TO COLLECT TO AUTOMATICALLY COLLECT SOME OF THOSE HOTEL OCCUPANCY TAXES.

BUT IT'S MORE AT THE STATE LEVEL.

SO THERE'S A STATE HOT TAX, THERE'S A LOCAL HOT TAX.

THE STATE TAX IS SIX PERCENT ARE LOCAL HOT TAX IS SEVEN PERCENT, PLUS A TWO PERCENT VENUE DISTRICT HOT TAX.

AGAIN, MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT THOSE CERTAIN GROUPS ARE ONLY SUBMITTING THE STATE PORTION AND NOT THE LOCAL PORTIONS.

IF YOU THINK ABOUT IT, THE LOCAL JURISDICTIONS HAVE DIFFERENT ORDINANCES BASED ON THEIR LOCAL COMMUNITY.

AND I DO ALSO KNOW THAT OUR ORDINANCE IS STRUCTURED IN A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT THAN SOME OF THE OTHER CITIES ACROSS THE STATE.

AND I HAVE HEARD THAT THERE'S SOME AGREEMENTS IN PLACE FROM A COUPLE OF CITIES, MAYBE WITH AIRBNB RELATED TO THEIR LOCAL HOT, BUT WE DO NOT HAVE ONE OF THOSE IN PLACE.

AND MY UNDERSTANDING AS WELL IS IT'S NOT MAYBE AS SEAMLESS AS YOU MIGHT THINK IT WOULD BE.

IT'S KIND OF JUST AN UNDERSTANDING AGREEMENT.

AND I'M LOOKING AROUND ANDREW MAY HAVE TO JUMP IN IF I START SAYING SOMETHING A LITTLE BIT WRONG OR BRIAN, BECAUSE I KNOW THEY'VE KIND OF BEEN LOOKING INTO SOME OF THIS AS WELL.

AND SO FROM OUR STANDPOINT, WE ARE JUST LOOKING TO BECAUSE WE KNOW THAT THESE SHORT TERM RENTALS, A LOT OF THEM PROBABLY THINK ALL OF THEIR TAXES ARE BEING HANDLED STRAIGHT THROUGH THE GROUP THAT THEY'RE ASSOCIATED WITH.

SO THAT'S ANOTHER REASON THAT THESE LETTERS ARE GOING OUT TO LET THEM KNOW THAT HERE IN OUR COMMUNITY, IT'S A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT.

AND YOU HAVE TO TAKE THESE ADDITIONAL STEPS IN ORDER TO GET THE LOCAL PIECE SUBMITTED.

DOES THAT KIND OF HELP YOU ANSWER THOSE? I STILL HAVE A QUESTION ON THE ARE YOU SAYING THAT AVENU INSIGHTS CHARGES A FLAT FEE PER TRANSACTION, FLAT FEE FOR BEING OUR COLLECTION AGENCY IN THE CITY AND THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN WHAT THE CITY MIGHT BE GETTING CHARGED VERSUS WHAT THE OWNER, THE VRBO RENTAL OWNER MIGHT BE CHARGING FOR USING A SERVICE? OK, SO ON THE CITY SIDE, THE CITY PAYS PER PROPERTY, WHETHER THAT'S A SHORT TERM RENTAL OR A HOTEL, WE PAY A FEE TO AVENU INSIGHTS FOR COLLECTION PER PROPERTY, AND THAT'S AN ANNUAL FEE.

SO IT'S NOT WE'RE NOT BEING CHARGED PER MONTH.

IT'S PER PROPERTY ON AN ANNUAL BASIS.

AND AS FAR AS THE SHORT TERM RENTALS ARE CONCERNED, THEY DO NOT PAY ANY KIND OF A FEE INTO AVENU INSIGHTS.

I'M NOT SURE OF THE ARRANGEMENTS WITH SOME OF THE OTHER GROUPS LIKE VRBO AND AIRBNB, THOSE I'M NOT SURE ON THE FEES ON THAT SIDE, BUT A SHORT TERM RENTAL TO SUBMIT THE LOCAL PIECE OF THE HOTEL OCCUPANCY TAX, THEY WOULD JUST SIMPLY

[01:40:05]

THEY WOULD REPORT THEIR SALES FOR THE MONTH AND THEN THEY WOULD SUBMIT THAT CALCULATED HOTEL OCCUPANCY TAXES, THE LOCAL PIECE RELATED TO THAT, AND NOT PAY ANY ADDITIONAL FEE UNLESS THEY WERE PAYING WITH A CREDIT CARD.

AND I GUESS THE FEE FOR A SHORT TERM RENTAL IS LESS THAN WHEN YOU'RE SAYING A PER PROPERTY AND IT'S GOT TO BE LESS TO COLLECT FROM A PROPERTY OWNER THAN A HOTEL.

I WOULD THINK IT'S NOT THE SAME BECAUSE THE REVENUE SOURCE IS TOTALLY DIFFERENT.

AND I'LL BE HONEST, I'LL HAVE TO LOOK INTO THAT, I DON'T HAVE THAT INFORMATION HANDY, I CAN LOOK INTO THAT AND SHARE THAT WITH COUNCIL ON IF THERE'S A DIFFERENCE IN THAT FEE BETWEEN THE HOTELS AND THE SHORT TERM RENTALS.

BUT AGAIN, IT'S A VERY SIMILAR PROCESS THAT THE HOTELIERS ENCOUNTER VERSUS THE SHORT TERM RENTALS AND FROM THE COLLECTION SIDE.

AND YOU'RE CORRECT THAT THE REVENUE LOOKS VERY DIFFERENT, BUT IT'S STILL A MONTHLY INFORMATION, ITS MONTHLY INFORMATION THAT'S SUBMITTED.

AND THEN THERE'S A CALCULATION OF WHAT THAT TAX IS AND THEN THAT TAX IS SUBMITTED.

SO I WILL FOLLOW UP WITH COUNCIL ON THE BREAKDOWN BETWEEN THE FLAT FEE THAT WE'RE PAYING FOR SHORT TERM RENTALS VS.

AN ACTUAL HOTEL.

THANK YOU.

OTHER QUESTIONS COUNCIL.

I GOT A QUESTION YOU SAID THESE SHORT TERM RENTALS ARE SUPPOSED TO REGISTER THAT'S WITH THE CITY, THEY NEED TO REGISTER WITH AVENU INSIGHTS, SO THAT'S BASICALLY TELLING THEM THAT THEY ARE AN ACTIVE SHORT TERM RENTAL AND THEN IT GETS THEM QUALIFIED TO START SUBMITTING MONTHLY INFORMATION RELATED TO THEIR SALES OR THAT LACK THEREOF, BECAUSE SOMETIMES SHORT TERM RENTALS GO FOR A PERIOD OF TIME WITHOUT ANY KIND OF ACTIVITY.

BUT IT LETS AVENU INSIGHTS KNOW WHO THESE SHORT TERM RENTALS ARE AND TO BE LOOKING FOR FUTURE INFORMATION FROM THEM RELATED TO SALES.

SO THEY GET REGISTERED AND THEN THEY CAN JUST SUBMIT THAT INFORMATION ONLINE ON A MONTHLY BASIS GOING FORWARD.

THANK YOU.

THE NUMBER 100 OR APPROXIMATELY ONE HUNDRED, IS THAT HOW MANY HAVE REGISTERED? NO, NOT AT THIS TIME, I DON'T THINK OUR NUMBERS ARE QUITE THAT HIGH.

AND SO THAT'S WHY WE'RE REALLY WANTING TO GET THESE INFORMATIONAL LETTERS OUT TO GET GET THE WORD OUT THERE THAT AS A SHORT TERM RENTAL, THERE IS A LOCAL HOTEL OCCUPANCY TAX REQUIREMENT.

AND HERE'S THE STEPS YOU TAKE TO GET REGISTERED AND TO START SUBMITTING THAT ON A MONTHLY BASIS.

APPROXIMATELY HOW ANY HAVE REGISTERED.

I THINK WE HAVE.

YES.

SO WE HAVE A WAYS TO GO TO MAKE UP THAT DIFFERENCE BETWEEN OVER ONE HUNDRED AND THE TWENTY OR SO THAT ARE ACTIVELY REGISTERED.

SO THE ONE HUNDRED, THAT'S APPROXIMATELY HOW MANY SHORT TERM RENTALS ARE OPERATING IN THE AREA BECAUSE THEY SCREEN THE INTERNET ON THESE ADVERTISING.

AND THAT IS CORRECT.

AND HERE'S THE YOU KNOW, THE INTERESTING CHARACTERISTIC WITH A SHORT TERM RENTAL IS JUST BECAUSE THEY ARE ADVERTISED ON A WEBSITE DOESN'T MEAN THAT THEY ARE ACTIVELY RENTING OUT SPACE.

AND SO, YOU KNOW, WE COULD SAY THERE'S OVER 100 HUNDRED THAT HAVE BEEN IDENTIFIED THAT ARE ACTIVE TO BE RENTED.

THAT DOESN'T MEAN THAT THERE'S ONE HUNDRED EACH MONTH THAT HAVE ANY KIND OF ACTIVITY.

AND SO, YOU KNOW, IT WILL BE IT'S GOING TO BE A LEARNING PROCESS, I THINK, FOR US AND FOR THE SHORT TERM RENTALS AS WE KIND OF NAVIGATE THROUGH WHAT THIS LOOKS LIKE GOING FORWARD.

AGAIN, A SHORT TERM RENTAL COULD POTENTIALLY ONLY BE RENTING OUT SPACE EVEN ONCE A YEAR.

I MEAN, IT COULD BE AS INFREQUENT AS THAT.

BUT AT LEAST THESE ARE THE ONES THAT THE LODGING REV'S GROUP IDENTIFIED AS HAVING AN ADVERTISEMENT OUT ON A SHORT TERM RENTAL WEBSITE.

THANK YOU.

AND I GUESS LAURA SOME OF THOSE COULD BE BY MONTHLY RENTALS ONLY, WHICH WOULD EXEMPT THEM IF IT'S A 30 DAYS OR LONGER RENTAL, WOULD EXEMPT THEM FROM HOT.

IS THAT RIGHT? I'D HAVE TO LOOK INTO THAT.

I THINK THAT IS CORRECT.

BUT I WOULD HAVE TO DO A LITTLE MORE RESEARCH IN ORDER TO DETERMINE IF THAT'S WHY SOME OF THEM MAY NOT BE REGISTERED.

BUT, YEAH, THAT'S CERTAINLY A THOUGHT ON THAT.

[01:45:02]

I'VE GOTTEN THAT ONE EVEN FROM OUR HOTEL STANDPOINT.

I'VE GOTTEN THAT QUESTION ON DELINQUENT HOTEL OCCUPANCY TAXES FOR HOTELS THAT HAVE MISSED A MONTH OR TWO OF FILING.

I'VE HAD THE QUESTION, WELL, HOW MUCH DO THEY OWE IN HOTEL OCCUPANCY TAXES? AND THE INTERESTING THING ABOUT IT IS IT'S SELF REPORTING.

AND SO, YOU KNOW, THOSE ENTITIES HAVE TO SELF REPORT AND THEN IT CALCULATES THAT HOTEL OCCUPANCY TAX.

SO FROM A SHORT TERM RENTAL POINT OF VIEW AND AGAIN, WE'RE A FAIRLY UNIQUE COMMUNITY HERE IN AMARILLO, WE CAN'T REALLY COMPARE OURSELVES TO SOMEWHERE LIKE AUSTIN OR DALLAS OR SOUTH PADRE THAT ALSO HAVE A LOT OF SHORT TERM RENTALS BECAUSE THE ACTIVITY PROBABLY LOOKS A LOT DIFFERENT.

SO I DON'T KNOW THAT WE HAVE A GOOD WAY AT THIS POINT TO ESTIMATE WHAT WE POTENTIALLY COULD BE MISSING OUT FROM A SHORT TERM RENTAL STANDPOINT, BECAUSE IF THESE SHORT TERM RENTALS ARE RENTING OUT MULTIPLE TIMES A MONTH OR THEY COULD BE RENTING ONCE A YEAR, THEY COULD BE LISTED AND NOT EVEN RENTING IN THE YEAR.

IT'S VERY HARD TO TELL ON THAT.

A VERY GOOD QUESTION, BUT IT'S AN INTERESTING ONE BECAUSE IT'S A SELF REPORTED SELLS.

I THINK AND NOBODY LIKES ANTIDOTAL INFORMATION.

AND IF WE'RE UNDER THE ASSUMPTION THAT WE'RE DEALING WITH [INAUDIBLE] OPERATIONS.

AND IN TOTAL, THAT'S ROUGHLY THE SIZE OF A NORMAL HOTEL, MAYBE SLIGHTLY BIGGER THAN YOUR AVERAGE HOTEL, YOUR AVERAGE THREE STORY HOTEL.

BUT AND NOBODY WANTS ANECDOTAL INFORMATION, BUT I THINK WE ALL AGREE THAT THEY DON'T HAVE THE SAME OCCUPANCY RATES, THAT HOTEL HAS.

SO WE'RE NOT TALKING ABOUT A HUGE AMOUNT OF MONEY.

WHAT WE ARE TALKING ABOUT IS AN EQUITABLE OPERATING POSTURE RELATIVE TO OUR OTHER HOSPITALITY ORGANIZATIONS, WHICH ARE HOTELS IN TOWN.

IT'S NOT A DESIRE OR ANYTHING UNFAIR.

IT'S JUST A DESIRE FOR A LEVEL PLAYING FIELD FOR STR'S AND HOTELS.

I DON'T THINK ANYBODY IS GOING TO ASSERT THAT STR'S ARE OPERATING AT NEAR THE OCCUPANCY RATES IN HOTELS, YOU KNOW, 80 PERCENT AND ABOVE, WHICH IS WHAT WE'VE SEEN RECENTLY, IN MANY CASES HIGHER THAN THAT.

BUT, YOU KNOW, SO I WASN'T REALLY GOING ANYWHERE WITH THAT OTHER THAN SAY WE DO KNOW ROUGHLY HOW MANY WE THINK WE HAVE AND WE DO NOT THINK THEY'RE RUNNING THE SAME OCCUPANCY RATES AS MOST OF OUR HOTELS HERE IN TOWN.

THAT SAID, WE'RE WANTING TO COMMUNICATE VERY CLEARLY WITH THEM, THAT THEY DO HAVE A VERY CLEAR OBLIGATION TO BE REMITTING THEIR HOTEL OCCUPANCY TAXES ACCURATELY.

AND WE NEED TO BE SURE WE'RE PROVIDING THEM THAT INFORMATION OF WHAT THAT ROAD LOOKS LIKE HAVE HEARD FRUSTRATION FROM SOME OF THE STR'S MANAGERS SAID IT'S LIKE WE GET IT.

WE'RE SUPPOSED TO BE PAYING SOMETIMES THE PROCESS OF HOW WE'RE SUPPOSED TO BE MAKING THOSE PAYMENTS.

AND SO I THINK THIS CLARIFICATION IS GOING TO HELP.

AND I THINK JUST THE SELF COMPLIANCE FOR THE MAJORITY OF THOSE WHO WE'RE GOING TO SEE WITHIN OUR COMMUNITY AND WE'RE GOING TO MAKE IT AS CLEAR AS WE POSSIBLY CAN IN THE WRITTEN DOCUMENTATION WE SEND THEM.

BUT WE'RE ALSO GOING TO GIVE YOU PHONE NUMBERS WHERE THEY CAN REACH OUT AND WE CAN WALK THEM THROUGH THE PROCESS VERBALLY AND EVEN IN PERSON IF NECESSARY.

WE WANT TO MAKE SURE WE DO EVERYTHING WE CAN TO FACILITATE THEM GETTING REGISTERED AND REMITTING THOSE PAYMENTS, BECAUSE I DON'T THINK ANYBODY'S WANTING TO MISREPRESENT THINGS TO THE CITY.

IN LARGE PART, THEY JUST WEREN'T AWARE.

AND MY QUESTIONS ON THE CHARGES ON THE FEES IS JUST TO BE SURE THAT WE'RE NOT GOING TO BE PAYING A THIRD PARTY COLLECTION AGENCY MORE THAN THE REVENUES FROM THOSE PROPERTIES, BECAUSE IF IT'S NOT A PERCENTAGE AND IT'S A FLAT RATE AND THEY'RE NOT RENTING THAT FREQUENTLY, THEN I DON'T WANT TO GIVE AWAY ALL OF OUR REVENUES, EVEN WHATEVER, IF THEY'RE A SMALL AMOUNT.

[LAUGHTER] AND THAT CERTAINLY IS YES, AND THAT'S A FAIR STATEMENT AND IT IS A CONCERN, BUT AT THE SAME TIME, YOU KNOW, WE WAN EVERYONE TO BE ON EQUAL PLAYING GROUNDS AND NEED EVERYONE TO GET REGISTERED THAT POTENTIALLY COULD BE RENTING OUT PROPERTIES.

AND SO IT IS A LITTLE BIT CHALLENGING, AS YOU MENTIONED, WITH A FLAT FEE IN A CASE LIKE THIS, BECAUSE IF THERE'S NOT MUCH ACTIVITY, IT COULD POTENTIALLY ON A SINGLE PROPERTY, NOT NET TO THE GOOD FOR THE CITY.

BUT AGAIN, WE'RE GOING TO LEARN A LOT AS WE WALK FORWARD WITH ALL OF THESE

[01:50:04]

AND AGAIN, AS THE PANDEMIC STARTS, HOPEFULLY CALMING DOWN, THEN HOPEFULLY THESE STR'S WILL HAVE MORE AND MORE ACTIVITY PICKING UP.

AND HOPEFULLY THAT WILL BE A MOOT POINT.

BUT I STILL WILL GET THAT INFORMATION ON THOSE FEES FOR COUNCIL.

LAURA I THINK THE CITY MANAGER AND COUNCIL MEMBER HAYS BROUGHT UP GOOD POINTS ALSO ABOUT HOW ARE WE COMMUNICATING THIS TO OUR LOCAL HOTEL INDUSTRY OWNERS.

AGAIN, JUST WHAT WE WANT IS EQUALITY, EVERYONE WHO'S OFFERING ROOMS FOR SALE EVERY NIGHT IN OUR CITY TO BE UNDER THE SAME TAX STRUCTURE AND ALL OF THAT.

SO JUST MAKING SURE THAT HOTELIERS KNOW THAT THIS IS WHAT THE CITY IS DOING TO BETTER COMMUNICATE WITH STR'S.

AND I THINK THAT'S AN IMPORTANT COMMUNICATION POINT.

OK, COUNCIL MEMBER HAYS YOU MAY HAVE A COMMENT ON THAT, SERVING ON THE CBB WITH LOCAL HOTELIER'S.

EQUITY IN THAT AND BUT IT'S BEEN INTERESTING.

WE'VE HAD SOME STR OWNERS ON SOME OF THE BEST BOARDS, AND SO THEIR FEEDBACK WAS HELPFUL AS WELL AS SAYING WE'RE WILLING TO BE GOOD PARTNERS AND WANT TO BE GOOD PARTNERS.

WE JUST NEED TO KNOW WHAT WE'RE SUPPOSED TO BE DOING AND HOW TO DO IT.

SO I THINK WHAT YOU'RE DOING IS IS VERY NEEDED, LAURA.

AND I THINK MAYOR YOU BRING UP A GREAT POINT AND I WILL REACH OUT TO KASHION AND SEE IF WE'VE GOT EITHER A DISTRIBUTION LIST FOR THE HOTEL ASSOCIATION.

MIGHT BE A GREAT PLACE TO KIND OF START SO WE CAN GET SOME INFORMATION OUT TO THAT GROUP ON WHAT'S GOING ON WITH THESE INFORMATIONAL LETTERS AS WELL.

I KNOW I'VE MET WITH THAT GROUP BEFORE, BUT IT'S BEEN SEVERAL YEARS AGO AND I DON'T KNOW IF THEY'RE MEETING REGULARLY RIGHT NOW, BUT I CAN WORK WITH KASHION TO MAYBE HELP GET THAT MESSAGE OUT TO THEM ON WHAT STEPS THE CITY'S TAKING JUST TO GET THIS INFORMATION OUT, TO KIND OF CREATE EQUITY ACROSS ALL THOSE THAT ARE RENTING OUT SPACES.

THANK YOU.

ANY OTHER FINAL THOUGHTS ON THAT.

OK, LET'S MOVE ON AND DO THE QUARTERLY BUDGET UPDATE.

[1.G. Quarterly Budget Update;]

WELL, NORMALLY AND HISTORICALLY, WE'VE HANDED OFF TO LAURA STORRS AT THIS POINT TODAY, WE'RE GOING TO HAND OFF TO OUR DIRECTOR OF FINANCE, DEBBIE REID.

DEBBIE.

OH, DEBBIE MICROPHONE.

IS DEBBIE MUTED.

YOU SEE HER JARED? THERE SHE IS? THERE WE GO.

HOW'S THAT.

OK? I PUT MY VIDEO ON AND FORGOT TO TURN MY SOUND ON, SO.

GOOD AFTERNOON.

TODAY WE'LL BE REVIEWING THE QUARTERLY BUDGET UPDATE FOR THE FIRST QUARTER, WHICH IS, OF COURSE, OCTOBER THROUGH DECEMBER.

SO STEPHANIE'S HELPING ME WITH THE SLIDE PRESENTATION THERE.

WE'RE GOING TO START OFF WITH GENERAL FUND BUDGET.

SO THE FIRST ITEM THAT WE'LL LOOK AT FOR THE GENERAL FUND ARE THE GENERAL FUND REVENUES FOR THE THREE MONTHS ENDED DECEMBER 31ST.

AND YOU CAN SEE THAT BUDGETED REVENUES FOR THE FIRST THREE MONTHS WOULD HAVE BEEN AROUND FIFTY NINE POINT SEVEN MILLION.

AND WE'VE ACTUALLY COME IN AT 60.5 MILLION.

SO WE'RE AHEAD OF BUDGET BY EIGHT HUNDRED AND THIRTY FOUR THOUSAND.

ON THE REVENUE SIDE, THAT'S ONE POINT FOUR PERCENT ABOVE BUDGET.

AND THE NEXT SLIDE, WE'LL GO OVER WHAT THOSE MAJOR REVENUE VARIANCES ARE.

ON THE PROPERTY TAX REVENUE SIDE.

OUR TAXES ARE ONE POINT TWO MILLION OVER BUDGET THROUGH DECEMBER.

A LOT OF TIMES WITH PROPERTY TAX, IT'S A MATTER OF TIMING WHEN THE PROPERTY TAX PAYMENTS COME IN, ESPECIALLY BETWEEN THE MONTH OF DECEMBER AND JANUARY, AND ESPECIALLY WHEN WE GET THOSE LARGE PAYMENTS FROM THE MORTGAGE COMPANIES THAT HAVE MANY TAX PAYMENTS COMING INTO THE CITY.

ON THE SALES TAX SIDE, THIS IS GOOD NEWS.

WE ARE UP ONE MILLION DOLLARS OVER THE BUDGET THROUGH DECEMBER AND I'LL TALK A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT THAT ON A FUTURE SLIDE.

THE NEXT ITEM THERE, YOU'LL SEE IS HOTEL OCCUPANCY TAX, ANOTHER ONE THAT HAS REALLY GOOD NEWS FOR THE CITY OF AMARILLO.

WE'RE AHEAD FOUR HUNDRED AND THIRTY SIX THOUSAND THROUGH THE FIRST QUARTER.

AND AGAIN, I'LL HAVE MORE DETAILS ON THAT ITEM ON A FUTURE SLIDE.

OUR GROSS REVENUE, OUR GROSS RECEIPTS TAX IS SLIGHTLY OVER BUDGET BY TWENTY FIVE THOUSAND.

THOSE KIND OF TRACK ABOUT THE SAME FROM YEAR TO YEAR.

UNLESS WE MAKE A CHANGE IN OUR FEES.

LICENSES AND PERMITS IS OVER BUDGET BY ONE HUNDRED AND SEVENTY SIX THOUSAND.

AND THE MAIN AREA HERE THAT'S BRINGING IN MORE MONEY IS OUR BUILDING PERMITS.

SO THAT TELLS US THAT OUR CONSTRUCTION ACTIVITY AND DEVELOPMENT IN THE CITY OF AMARILLO IS REMAINING STRONG, WHICH IS GREAT NEWS FOR THE CITY OF AMARILLO.

[01:55:04]

THIS IS MORE DUE TO SOME OF OUR RECREATIONAL TYPE FEES, MAYBE THE GOLF RECREATION FEES, THE CIVIC CENTER, SOME ACTIVITY THAT IS MORE SEASONAL.

SOME OF THAT WOULD BE THE EFFECT MAYBE OF COVID AS WELL STILL LINGERING ON THROUGH THIS FIRST QUARTER.

SO WE HOPEFULLY WILL SEE THAT LEVEL OUT THROUGHOUT THE REMAINDER OF THE FISCAL YEAR.

OUR FINES ARE UNDER BUDGET SLIGHTLY BY TWO HUNDRED AND EIGHTY SEVEN THOUSAND.

THIS IS IN THE TRAFFIC FINES AND PARKING FINES AREA AGAIN, PROBABLY ALONG THE LINES OF LESS ACTIVITY DUE TO THE COVID RESTRICTIONS STILL LINGERING ON IN THIS FIRST QUARTER.

SO THE NEXT SLIDE WE'LL LOOK AT IS THE GENERAL FUND EXPENSES HERE THROUGH THE FIRST QUARTER, THE BUDGET IS FORTY EIGHT POINT EIGHT MILLION.

THE ACTUAL EXPENDITURES ARE FIFTY POINT TWO MILLION.

AND YOU MIGHT THINK, WHY ARE WE OVER BUDGET THROUGH THE FIRST QUARTER? THE BIG ITEM THERE IS THAT WAS THE PURCHASE OF THE AMARILLO HARDWARE BUILDING.

IF YOU'LL RECALL, COUNCIL APPROVED THAT PURCHASE AND IT WAS MADE THROUGH EXCESS GENERAL FUND RESERVES AS A RESULT, THE GOOD RESULTS OF LAST YEAR'S FISCAL YEAR END.

IF WE TAKE OUT THAT PURCHASE, JUST TO COMPARE OPERATIONALLY HOW THE GENERAL FUND IS DOING, WE HAD A VARIANCE OF ONE POINT FOUR MILLION OVER BUDGET THROUGH THE FIRST THREE MONTHS.

BUT WITHOUT THE PURCHASE IN THERE, THAT DIFFERENCE WOULD BE THREE POINT THREE MILLION POSITIVE.

WE WOULD BE UNDER SPENT ACCORDING TO BUDGET THROUGH THE FIRST THREE MONTHS.

MOST OF THE AREAS IN THE GENERAL FUND ARE RUNNING UNDER BUDGET.

I THINK THIS IS, AGAIN, IS DUE TO CITY MANAGEMENT DIRECTION THAT WE HOLD THE LINE ON SPENDING AS WE CONTINUE THROUGH THIS JOURNEY OF COVID.

WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE KIND OF HOLD THE LINE AND MAKE SURE THAT OUR REVENUES TRACK WELL AND KEEP US STRONG FINANCIALLY.

ALL AREAS LIKE PROFESSIONAL SERVICES, SUPPLIES, UTILITIES AND CONTRACTUAL SERVICES ARE ALL TRENDING UNDER BUDGET IN MOST DEPARTMENTS.

THE NET VARIANCE THEN OOPS ONE MORE ITEM ON THAT LAST SLIDE, STEPHANIE.

THE NET VARIANCE OVERALL THEN THIS IS THE DIFFERENCE IN REVENUES AND EXPENDITURES.

WE WOULD IF WITH THE AMARILLO PURCHASE IN THERE THE AMARILLO HARDWARE PURCHASE, WOULD BE FIVE HUNDRED AND FIFTY THOUSAND MORE EXPENSIVE THAN REVENUE.

BUT WHEN YOU TAKE THAT OUT, WE'RE ACTUALLY FOUR POINT ONE MILLION POSITIVE MORE BETWEEN THE LESS SPENDING AND THE MORE REVENUE WE'RE IN GOOD SHAPE THROUGH THE FIRST QUARTER OF FISCAL YEAR OF 2021.

SO NOW LET'S DIVE INTO SOME OF THE DETAILS OF SOME OF THOSE REVENUE LINE ITEMS. SO THE FIRST ONE IS THAT WE'LL LOOK AT IS SALES TAX.

AND AGAIN, [INAUDIBLE] THIS IS TRENDING VERY WELL THROUGH DECEMBER.

WE'RE ACTUALLY YOU'LL SEE ON THIS SLIDE WE'RE COMPARING FISCAL YEAR 19 20 TO FISCAL YEAR 2021 ACTUAL AND THROUGH THE FIRST THREE MONTHS WE'RE ONE MILLION DOLLARS MORE IN SALES TAX OR SIX POINT NINE PERCENT ABOVE.

SO THAT'S GREAT NEWS FOR THE CITY OF AMARILLO.

WE DID BUDGET CONSERVATIVELY ON SALES TAX.

THIS WAS NOT KNOWING HOW COVID WOULD CONTINUE INTO THE NEW YEAR.

BUT AS YOU CAN SEE, THE RETAIL SPENDING IN AMARILLO HAS REMAINED VERY STRONG.

AND THAT'S GREAT NEWS FOR THE CITY.

THE NEXT REVENUE ITEM THAT WE'LL LOOK AT IS HOTEL OCCUPANCY TAX.

THESE ARE TRENDING WELL AS YOU CAN SEE, AGAIN, THE SAME LAYOUT HERE ON THIS SLIDE.

WE'RE COMPARING LAST YEAR'S ACTUAL TO THIS YEAR.

WE ARE TWO POINT ELEVEN PERCENT MORE THAN LAST YEAR ON GROSS COLLECTIONS.

KEEP IN MIND, THE ONE THING INTERESTING ABOUT THIS BEING THE FIRST QUARTER WE'RE COMPARING IT TO LAST YEAR, FIRST QUARTER, WHICH WAS PRE COVID.

SO NOT ONLY ARE WE SEEING GOOD RESULTS COMING OUT OF COVID, BUT EXCEPTIONALLY GOOD RESULTS WHEN YOU CONSIDER THAT LAST YEAR, FIRST QUARTER WITH A PRE COVID QUARTER AND WE'RE COMPARING IT TO A COMING OUT OF [INAUDIBLE].

SO WE'RE THIRTY SIX POINT ONE FOUR PERCENT ABOVE BUDGET YEAR TO DATE.

NOW, KEEP IN MIND ALSO, WE DID BUDGET LOWER THIS YEAR BECAUSE WE WANTED TO BE CONSERVATIVE ON OUR REVENUES, NOT KNOWING THE CONTINUED EFFECT OF COVID.

ONE THING THAT WE FEEL IS HELPING IN THIS AREA.

WE HAVE A LOT OF MEDICAL PROFESSIONALS STAYING IN THE CITY OF AMARILLO TO HELP US WITH COVID RESPONSE.

AND WE CERTAINLY APPRECIATE THAT MEDICAL STAFF BEING HERE AND THAT WE HAVE EXCELLENT HOTELS TO ACCOMMODATE THEIR NEEDS.

AND ALSO, I THINK MANY PEOPLE ARE TRAVELING BY CAR INSTEAD OF FLYING AND AMARILLO IS A PASS THROUGH WHEN THEY GO TO THE MOUNTAINS IN COLORADO OR NEW MEXICO THEY'RE PASSING THROUGH OUR CITY AND THEY'RE STOPPING AT OUR HOTELS AND ALSO FREQUENTING OUR RESTAURANTS AND HOPEFULLY SHOPPING TOO.

SO HOTEL OCCUPANCY TAX IS DOING VERY WELL SO FAR IN THE FIRST QUARTER.

THE NEXT REVENUE ITEM IS THE GROSS RECEIPTS BUSINESS TAX.

THIS IS JUST SLIGHTLY AHEAD OF BUDGET AT JUST TWENTY FIVE THOUSAND.

SO WE'RE PRETTY MUCH TRACKING.

STEPHANIE WE'LL HAVE TO CHANGE ONE SIDE THERE.

THERE WE GO.

THIS ONE IS THE FRANCHISE FEE FOR ELECTRICITY, GAS, WATER, SEWER.

THESE ARE ALL THOSE OTHER BUSINESSES THAT HAVE LINES RUNNING THROUGH THE CITY AND

[02:00:03]

SO THESE REVENUES ARE TRENDING PRETTY MUCH ON TARGET WITH BUDGET.

OK, AND THEN THE NEXT AREA WE WILL COVER OUR UTILITY SALES.

THESE ARE THE SALES ACTIVITY THROUGH DECEMBER AGAIN.

AND HERE YOU CAN SEE THAT WE ARE GOING TO LOOK FIRST AT THE GENERAL FUND.

IN THE GENERAL FUND WE'LL LOOK AT THE SOLID WASTE FEES.

AND WE HERE ARE JUST ABOUT EQUAL TO THE BUDGET FOR THE YEAR.

SO WE'RE COMPARING THE ANNUAL BUDGET, THE BUDGET THROUGH DECEMBER COMPARED TO ACTUAL AND WE'RE PRETTY MUCH RIGHT ON TARGET WITH SANITATION FEE.

IN THE WATER SEWER FUND, YOU'LL SEE WE'RE LOOKING AT WATER SALES AND SEWER SALES, WATER SALES ARE AHEAD OF BUDGET BY SEVEN PERCENT THROUGH THE FIRST QUARTER AND SEWER SALES BY TWO PERCENT.

SO OVERALL, A FIVE PERCENT AHEAD OF BUDGET IN THE WATER SEWER FUND.

ONE THING TO THINK ABOUT HERE IS THAT THE FALL HAS CONTINUED TO BE A VERY DRY MONTH.

AND THE STATE ACTUALLY REPORTED THAT THE CALENDAR YEAR 2020 WITH THE EIGHTH DRIEST YEAR ON RECORD.

SO LAST YEAR WE HAD VERY GOOD CONSUMPTION IN OUR WATER SEWER FUND AND THAT'S CONTINUING THROUGH THIS FIRST QUARTER.

SO, ONE THING WE'LL DO IS WE'LL MONITOR THIS THROUGHOUT THE FISCAL YEAR, WHEN THE SUMMER MONTHS COME OR EVEN THE FALL OR THE SPRING CAN.

IF WE HAVE A VERY WET SPRING OR A VERY WET SUMMER OR MORE THAN USUAL WET SUMMER, THAT COULD AFFECT OUR REVENUES BEFORE WE GET TO THE END OF THE FISCAL YEAR.

SO WE ALWAYS CONTINUE TO MONITOR THAT.

THE DRAINAGE FUND IS PRETTY MUCH RIGHT ON TARGET WITH BUDGET.

SO THOSE ARE UTILITY SALES REVENUES THERE.

THE LAST ITEM THAT WE WILL COVER IS OUR HEALTH INSURANCE FUND.

WE ALWAYS LIKE TO KEEP AN EYE ON THE THE MEDICAL CLAIMS FOR THE YEAR.

LAST YEAR, THE MEDICAL CLAIMS AND WITH THE HEALTH FUND ENDED WELL.

AND WE REALLY BELIEVE THAT THAT HAD A LOT TO DO WITH THE COVID RESTRICTIONS THEY HAD ELECTIVE SURGERIES WERE SHUT DOWN FOR A WHILE.

A LOT OF PEOPLE WERE NOT ACTUALLY GOING TO THE DOCTOR WITH THE COVID RESTRICTIONS IN PLACE.

SO WE HAD LESS COST TO THE PLAN AS A RESULT OF LAST YEAR.

NOW, THIS YEAR, IN THE FIRST QUARTER, YOU SEE THAT FOR THE MEDICAL CLAIMS ARE SEVEN PERCENT AHEAD OF BUDGET ON THE CLAIMS EXPENSE, ABOUT THREE HUNDRED AND NINETY SIX THOUSAND BEYOND THE BUDGET AMOUNT THROUGH THE FIRST QUARTER.

NOW, THIS COULD BE THE EFFECT OF THE COVID RESTRICTIONS BEING LIFTED.

AND SO MAYBE MORE PEOPLE HAVE BEEN GOING TO THE DOCTOR OR HAVING ELECTIVE SURGERIES.

ANOTHER THING TO KEEP IN MIND, THE FIRST QUARTER OF OUR FISCAL YEAR IS THE LAST QUARTER OF THE CALENDAR YEAR.

SO MANY TIMES MEDICAL CLAIMS EXPENSES TO THE PLAN ARE HIGHER IN THAT LAST QUARTER OF THE CALENDAR YEAR, FIRST QUARTER OF OUR FISCAL YEAR.

SO WE'LL MONITOR THESE CLAIMS AS WE GO THROUGH THE FISCAL YEAR.

WE SHOULD SEE THEM KIND OF BE A LITTLE BIT LESS IN THE FIRST CALENDAR QUARTER AS PARTICIPANTS WOULD NOT HAVE MET THEIR DEDUCTIBLE.

BUT AGAIN, WE'LL MONITOR THIS CLOSELY AS WE ALWAYS HAVE.

SO WITH THAT COUNCIL, THAT'S OUR FIRST QUARTER RESULTS.

THE FISCAL YEAR IS OFF TO A VERY STRONG START.

AND SO I WOULD ANSWER ANY OTHER QUESTIONS THAT YOU MIGHT HAVE.

DO WE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS FOR DEBBIE COUNCIL? I JUST HAD A COMMENT THAT OBSERVATION OF JUST THE ESTIMATING, ALL THOSE DIFFERENT AREAS OUTSIDE OF HOTEL AND SALES TAX, THOSE ARE THINGS THAT ARE VERY MUCH MARKET DRIVEN AND OUTSIDE THAT ALL OF THE INTERNAL OPERATIONS, IT AMAZES ME HOW CLOSELY THOSE WERE PROJECTED AND HOW RIGHT ON TRACK WE ARE SO GOOD JOB.

THAT WOULD BE THE TEAM'S [INAUDIBLE] FIRST BUDGET COMING UP.

BUT LAURA AND THE TEAM, THEY HAVE DONE A GOOD JOB.

YOU HAVE A LOT OF EXPERIENCED FINANCE STAFF HERE.

AND THAT'S REALLY HELPFUL TO THE CITY OF AMARILLO.

THEY KNOW THE OPERATION.

THEY KNOW IT WELL.

AND WE HAVE A VERY GOOD TEAM.

AND I'M JUST THANKFUL TO BE A PART OF IT.

THAT'S A GREAT COMMENT, ELAINE, I APPRECIATE YOU PATTING THEM ON THE BACK.

IT'S TRUE.

ANYBODY ELSE QUESTIONS FOR DEBBIE SO THAT'S YOUR JOB.

MORE REVENUE.

YEAH, I THINK I'M JUST KIND OF EXCITED ABOUT THE FACT THAT WE'RE ACTUALLY SHOWING SOME SIGNS OF RETURNING TO WHAT WE WERE PRE COVID.

AND I THINK THAT'S AN INCREDIBLE THING THAT'S ACTUALLY HAPPENING HERE IN OUR COMMUNITY.

AND I MEAN, THAT'S A REALLY, REALLY GREAT SIGN.

DEBBIE I HAD ONE QUESTION ON THE HOT COLLECTIONS AND ARE WE SEEING I KNOW DURING THE WORST PART OF THE PANDEMIC, WE DID HAVE A LOT OF HOTELS THAT WERE REALLY STRUGGLING WITH MAKING THOSE PAYMENTS.

THEY HAD GOTTEN BEHIND.

KIND OF WHERE ARE WE ON THAT? WHAT PERCENTAGE OF OUR HOTELS ARE PARTICIPATING NOW IN THOSE COLLECTIONS?

[02:05:02]

IF YOU THINK ABOUT IT, THE HOTEL, EVEN THOUGH THEY WOULD HAVE BEEN STRUGGLING AS FAR AS LEVEL OF OCCUPANCY, THE HOTEL OCCUPANCY TAX IS REALLY ABOVE AND BEYOND WHAT THEY NEED FOR THEIR OPERATIONS, FOR THEIR REVENUE SOURCE.

IT'S REALLY NOT THEIR MONEY.

SO THEY WOULD ONLY BE REMITTING WHAT THEY COLLECTED ABOVE AND BEYOND THEIR [INAUDIBLE].

YOU KNOW, TO THEN REMIT TO THE CITY, THE REPORTS WE'RE GETTING NOW FROM AVENU INSIGHTS, WE HAVE VERY LOW AMOUNT OF HOTELS THAT ARE BEHIND ON REPORTING.

THAT'S GOOD, THAT'S GOOD FOR US AND GOOD FOR THEM.

SO GLAD TO HEAR THAT.

ANYBODY ELSE QUESTIONS FOR DEBBIE? OK, DEBBIE, THANK YOU.

WE APPRECIATE THE WORK THAT YOU'RE DOING.

KEEPING AN EYE ON THE NUMBERS.

LET'S MOVE ON TO DO THE SALES TAX UPDATE.

[1.H. Sales Tax Update; and]

SO AS A REMINDER, THE MORE DETAILED REPORT FOR THE SALES TAX AND FINANCIAL INDICATORS WERE INCLUDED IN YOUR WEEKLY REPORT LAST WEEK, SO THIS IS JUST A ONE PAGER TO GO OVER SOME OF THE HIGHLIGHTS THAT WE'VE SEEN, A LITTLE DIFFERENT THAN WHAT DEBBIE JUST PRESENTED.

THIS IS FISCAL YEAR TO DATE THROUGH JANUARY, WHICH IS AUGUST THROUGH NOVEMBER, ACTUAL SALES.

SO JUST KEEP THAT IN MIND.

SO THE OVERALL PERFORMANCE WE'RE SEEING THAT IT'S UP FIVE POINT SEVEN EIGHT PERCENT COMPARED TO LAST YEAR.

WE'VE SEEN SIX MONTHS IN INCREASES ON THE SALES TAX FRONT, REALLY LED THE WAY BY NOVEMBER WHERE WE SAW TWELVE POINT EIGHT PERCENT INCREASE COMPARED TO LAST YEAR.

SO WE'RE SEEING REALLY STRONG PERFORMANCE ON SALES TAX.

RETAIL CONTINUES TO BE THE THEME OF WHAT'S REALLY LIFTING THE SALES TAX COLLECTIONS FOR THE CITY.

AS YOU CAN SEE THERE, IT'S TWELVE POINT SEVEN SEVEN PERCENT.

AND THE RETAIL CATEGORY ONE, AS THE MAJORITY OF OUR TAXPAYERS JUST UNDER 5000, WHICH IS TWENTY SEVEN PERCENT OF OUR TAXPAYERS.

THEY'VE SEEN SEVEN MONTHS OF INCREASES ON THE COLLECTIONS.

GENERAL SERVICES IS UP POINT ONE FIVE PERCENT.

IT'S BEEN MOSTLY DOWN.

IT'S HAD ONE MONTH IT WAS UP AND THEN EIGHT MONTHS OF DECREASES.

SO IT'S GOOD TO SEE FISCAL YEAR TO DATE THAT IS ABOVE ZERO PERCENT.

SO IT IS IMPROVING.

FOOD AT POINT SEVEN ONE PERCENT.

JUST RECENTLY, THEY'VE BEEN DOWN ONE MONTH, BUT UP FOR THREE.

SO SEEING PRETTY SOLID PERFORMANCE THERE.

PROFESSIONAL SERVICES IS SEEING A DECLINE OF TWENTY FOUR PERCENT AND THEY ACTUALLY MAKE UP ABOUT SEVENTEEN AND A HALF PERCENT OF OUR TAXPAYERS AND THEY'VE BEEN DOWN ELEVEN MONTHS IN A ROW GOING BACK TO LATE MARCH.

SO THAT'S AN AREA THAT HAS HAS BEEN IMPACTED ON THE SALES TAX COLLECTION FRONT, MOST LIKELY DUE TO COVID WHOLESALE UP FIVE POINT SIX THREE PERCENT.

AND THAT ONE'S HAD THREE CONSECUTIVE MONTHS OF INCREASES, MISCELLANEOUS OF FIFTY SIX PERCENT, THAT ONE'S HAD SEVEN MONTHS IN A ROW OF INCREASES.

MANUFACTURING IS DOWN JUST SLIGHTLY UNDER ONE PERCENT.

AND THEY'VE ALSO THEY'VE REALLY ALTERNATED EACH MONTH.

THEY'VE HAD ONE MONTH UP, ONE MONTH DOWN, FAIRLY CONSISTENT IN THAT REGARD.

AND THEN AGRICULTURE AND ACCOMMODATION'S CONTINUES TO BE IN THE FIFTY TO SIXTY FOUR PERCENT RANGE.

BUT IT'S A LITTLE BIT OF AN ANOMALY IN THE NUMBERS BECAUSE WE REALLY DON'T HAVE A LOT OF TAXPAYERS AGRICULTURAL.

WE ONLY HAVE 89, WHICH IS POINT FIVE PERCENT OF THE OVERALL AND ACCOMMODATION ONLY HAS TWENTY FOUR POINT ONE PERCENT OF OUR OVERALL TAXPAYERS.

SO AG'S BEEN DOWN.

ACTUALLY I WENT BACK AND LOOK, THEY'VE BEEN DOWN FOR 20 MONTHS IN A ROW AND ACCOMMODATION'S BEEN DOWN FOR ELEVEN MONTHS RIGHT AFTER COVID REALLY STARTED IMPACTING THINGS.

JUST TO GIVE YOU A LITTLE MORE HISTORICAL CONTEXT ON HOW SOME OF THESE PERFORMING A LITTLE MORE DETAIL ON RETAIL NON STORE RETAILERS CONTINUES TO BE THE HIGHEST INCREASE AT SEVENTY SEVEN PERCENT, WHICH IS ACTUALLY DOWN A LITTLE BIT APRIL THROUGH NOVEMBER.

WE HAD ANYWHERE FROM ONE HUNDRED AND FOUR PERCENT TO ONE HUNDRED AND SEVENTY THREE PERCENT INCREASES IN THE PREVIOUS YEAR, BUT STILL SEEING VERY STRONG NUMBERS THERE, BUILDING MATERIALS AS WELL AT TWENTY SIX PERCENT MISCELLANEOUS STORE IS TWELVE FURNITURE, SIX PERCENT SPORTING GOODS AND HOBBY AND BOOKSTORES ARE STILL PERFORMING VERY WELL COMPARED TO THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS.

THEY'RE UP NINE PERCENT.

REALLY, THE BIGGEST NEGATIVE I WANT TO POINT OUT WAS CLOTHING ACCESSORY STORES STILL IN THE NEGATIVE 2.43 PERCENT.

[02:10:01]

SO I THINK IT'S A GOOD SIGN IT'S MOVING CLOSER TO THE BREAKING EVEN POINT.

AND AS FAR AS THE FOOD CATEGORY, RESTAURANTS OVERALL UP 1.38 PERCENT, BUT DID WANT TO POINT OUT FULL SERVICE RESTAURANTS IS CONTINUE TO BE IN THAT NEGATIVE CATEGORY.

THEY HAVE BEEN GOING BACK TOWARD WHEN COVID STARTED AND THEN THE LAST COUPLE OF MONTHS, IT'S ACTUALLY CONTAINED TO THAT NUMBER IS GROWING A LITTLE BIT MORE, A COUPLE OF POINTS EACH MONTH COMPARED TO LIMITED SERVICE EATING PLACES ARE AT NINE POINT ZERO NINE PERCENT, STILL PERFORMING VERY STRONGLY, MAINLY DUE TO THE DRIVE THRU AND QUICK SERVICE ATMOSPHERE OF THE LIMITED SERVICE, EATING PLACES.

AND REMOTE SELLERS.

BRIEFLY, THIS IS, OF COURSE, A CATEGORY THAT STARTED UP WITH THE CHANGES IN THE SALES TAX COLLECTIONS AN THE STATE LAW CHANGES STARTED BACK IN DECEMBER 2019 AT THE TWENTY THOUSAND COLLECTION AMOUNTS.

AND NOW WE'RE TO A POINT WE CAN ACTUALLY COMPARE TO THE PREVIOUS YEAR, DECEMBER 2020 WAS ACTUALLY UP ONE HUNDRED FIFTY TWO PERCENT IN JANUARY 2021 WAS UP ONE HUNDRED PERCENT.

AND SO WE'RE STARTING TO SEE PRETTY SOLID COLLECTIONS ON THAT FRONT.

AND I LOOKED AT THE STATE'S DATABASE AND THERE'S ALMOST FORTY FIVE HUNDRED REMOTE SELLERS NOW REGISTERED.

SO ANY OF THOSE THAT DO BUSINESS SHIPPING TO AMARILLO, THE CITY WILL BENEFIT FROM THOSE SALES TAX COLLECTIONS.

AND THEN JUST TO TOUCH ON HOTEL OCCUPANCY PERFORMANCE DECEMBER SIXTY SEVEN POINT TWO PERCENT, NOVEMBER SIXTY SEVEN POINT FIVE IN OCTOBER, SIXTY FOUR POINT ONE ARE ACTUALLY THE HIGHEST OCCUPANCY RATES THAT WE'VE SEEN OVER THE LAST YEAR.

AND THOSE MONTHS ARE THE HIGHEST THAT WE'VE SEEN SINCE FISCAL YEAR SEVENTEEN, EIGHTEEN, WHEN YOU LOOK BACK A FEW YEARS.

SO IT IS PERFORMING A LOT STRONGER THAN IT WAS PREVIOUSLY.

AND THE AVERAGE DAILY RATE YOU CAN SEE THERE, IT'S BEEN OVER THE LAST FEW MONTHS SEVENTY ONE DOLLARS UP TO SEVENTY SIX DOLLARS, WHICH IS PRETTY COMPARABLE TO WHAT WE WERE SEEING IN THE PREVIOUS YEAR, WHICH WAS PRE COVID.

SO WE ARE STARTING TO SEE ADR GETTING BACK UP TO WHERE IT USUALLY IS.

AND THEN LASTLY, THE AMARILLO WORKFORCE SNAPSHOT.

THE UNEMPLOYMENT RATE FOR DECEMBER WAS FOUR POINT NINE PERCENT, COMPARED TO TWO POINT THREE PERCENT IN TWENTY NINETEEN, WHICH MATCHED THE AMARILLO MSA OF THE SAME RATE, FOUR POINT NINE PERCENT.

THAT COMPARED TO TEXAS AT SEVEN POINT ONE AND THE US AT SIX POINT FIVE.

WE STILL ARE SEEING MANY OF THE INDUSTRIES ARE STILL SHOWING DECREASES IN THE JOBS.

A FEW OF THE HIGHLIGHTS FOR THE MONTHLY CHANGE GOVERNMENT AT POINT FIVE PERCENT UP LEISURE AND HOSPITALITY WAS SEEING AN INCREASE AT ONE POINT ONE PERCENT.

AND THE ONE NEGATIVE ON THE MONTHLY WAS EDUCATION.

HEALTH WAS DOWN JUST UNDER A PERCENT IN THE JOB COUNT.

AND THEN YEARLY CHANGE, MANUFACTURING, INFORMATION AND FINANCIAL ACTIVITIES, EDUCATION, HEALTH AND LEISURE AND HOSPITALITY WERE ALL STILL DOWN FOR THE YEAR WITH LEISURE AND HOSPITALITY BEING THE LARGEST, BUT IT IS A LITTLE BIT BETTER THAN IT WAS IN PREVIOUS REPORTING CYCLES.

THEY'VE DROPPED A FEW POINTS THERE IN THEIR PERCENTAGES.

SO I'D BE HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS YOU MIGHT HAVE.

ANDREW I HAD A QUESTION ON THE BARS, THE NEGATIVE TWENTY EIGHT PERCENT.

WHERE ARE WE RIGHT NOW ON OUR CAPACITY RESTRICTIONS? I KNOW ALL THE DRINKING ESTABLISHMENTS WERE ON DIFFERENT SCHEDULES.

ARE THEY THE SAME WITH EVERYONE ELSE RIGHT NOW? AND THIS IS LOOKING THE NUMBERS YOU'RE GIVING US OUR AUGUST THROUGH NOVEMBER.

RIGHT.

SO HOPEFULLY THESE AVERAGES ARE WEIGHTED MAYBE THAT WERE WORSE EARLIER IN THAT TIME PERIOD AND MAYBE WE'RE SEEING IT COME UP.

I DON'T KNOW IF YOU WANT TO SPEAK TO ANY OF THAT ADDRESS, ANY OF WHAT WE'RE SEEING MORE IN A SNAPSHOT RIGHT NOW AS OPPOSED TO THE WHOLE FOUR OR FIVE MONTHS AND SPECIFICALLY ON THE BARS.

ANY OTHER INFORMATION ON THAT? SURE.

I COULD DRILL INTO THAT A LITTLE BIT DEEPER FOR YOU TO GIVE YOU THE LAST FOUR MONTHS SPECIFICALLY SO WE CAN SEE IF WE'RE SEEING A BETTER TREND FOR THOSE.

BUT, YES, THOSE WERE SOME OF THE TIME PERIODS THAT THEY WEREN'T ALLOWED TO OPEN.

THAT'S ONLY BEEN ABOUT THE LAST MONTH OR SO THAT THEY WERE OPEN.

I BELIEVE IT IS JUST RANDALL COUNTY THAT ALLOWED THEM TO OPEN ORIGINALLY MANY IN POTTER COUNTY DID START ADDING FOOD SERVICES.

SO THEY'RE ABLE TO PERMIT THAT WAY AND THEY WERE ABLE TO OPEN AS WELL.

SO I DON'T HAVE THE SPECIFIC NUMBERS OF WHICH ONES WERE STILL CLOSED, BUT WE COULD GET THAT INFORMATION FOR YOU TO HELP PUT THIS IN A LITTLE BIT MORE CONTEXT.

COUNCIL MEMBER HAYS ALL OF THE BARS WHILE WE WERE AT [INAUDIBLE] HOSPITALIZATION,

[02:15:04]

NOW THAT WE'VE BEEN NOT AN AREA OF HIGH HOSPITALIZATION FOR THE LAST WEEK OR SO, THEY'VE BEEN OUT ALL OF THE BARS THAT WERE IN COUNTIES WERE THE JUDGE HAD FILED THE REQUISITE PAPERWORK WITH TABC CAN OPEN AT 50 PERCENT.

BOTH COUNTIES HAVE DONE THAT.

BOTH POTTER COUNTY AND RANDALL COUNTY HAVE DONE THAT SINCE WE'VE COME OUT OF THAT CLASSIFICATION, [INAUDIBLE].

SO THEY CAN'T OPEN NOW THAT THEY WERE CLOSED FOR THE LAST HANDFUL OF MONTHS AND EVEN PRIOR TO THAT, [INAUDIBLE] FOUND TO OPEN RIGHT BEFORE [INAUDIBLE] HOSPITALIZATION.

SO THEY'RE AT 50 PERCENT RESTAURANTS ARE AT SEVENTY FIVE PERCENT NOW.

YES MA'AM.

ANY OTHER SALES TAX QUESTIONS FOR ANDREW? ANDREW, THANK YOU.

APPRECIATE THAT.

OK, ITEM 1I IS TO REQUEST FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS AND REPORTS.

ANYTHING THAT COUNCIL HAS, THEY WANT TO ASK THE CITY MANAGER ABOUT.

NO.

OK, DO WE NEED TO TAKE A BREAK OR DO YOU ALL WANT TO PRESS ON AND DO OUR CONSENT AND NON CONSENT AGENDA? THUMBS UP TO KEEP KEEP GOING.

OK, ALL RIGHT, WE'LL KEEP GOING.

ANYTHING ON THE CONSENT AGENDA THAT NEEDS TO COME OFF FOR FURTHER DISCUSSION

[2. CONSENT ITEMS]

IF NOT, THEN LET'S ENTERTAIN A MOTION ON THE CONSENT AGENDA ITEMS. MAYOR, I MOVE TO APPROVE THE CONSENT AGENDA AS PRESENTED.

SECOND.

IT'S BEEN MOVED BY COUNCIL MEMBER POWELL AND SECONDED BY COUNCIL MEMBER SAUER TO APPROVE THE ITEMS ON THE CONSENT AGENDA.

ALL THOSE IN FAVOR, PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND.

I SEE FIVE.

THANK YOU, SO THAT PASSES WITH A FIVE 0 VOTE.

[3.A. CONSIDERATION OF ORDINANCE NO. 7910]

MR. CITY MANAGER.

OKAY MAYOR, I'M GOING TO CALL LAURA STORRS TO PRESENT THE ITEM.

THIS IS A BUDGET AMENDMENT TO REFLECT SOME OF OUR OPERATIONAL NECESSITIES OVER THE COURSE OF THIS YEAR, PRIMARILY WITH PIDS, BUT FINANCIALLY MORE WITH PUBLIC HEALTH THAN ANYTHING ELSE.

LAURA.

THANKS, JARED.

SO, COUNCIL, AS YOU'LL PROBABLY REMEMBER ABOUT THIS TIME EVERY YEAR WE BRING FORWARD ANY NECESSARY BUDGET AMENDMENTS TO BE MADE TO THE PRIOR FISCAL YEAR'S BUDGET.

AND I KNOW WE ARE SITTING AT THE 1ST OF FEBRUARY AND WE'RE TALKING ABOUT AMENDING A BUDGET THAT ENDED SEPTEMBER 30TH OF 2020.

BUT THIS IS JUST SOME OF THE FINAL WORK THAT WE DO TO BE PREPARED TO PRESENT OUR AUDITED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS TO COUNCIL.

AND THOSE WILL BE COMING TO YOU ALL FOR CONSIDERATION AT YOUR NEXT COUNCIL MEETING.

I'M GOING TO GO AHEAD AND SHARE MY SCREEN REAL QUICK.

THIS IS A VERY SHORT PRESENTATION AND THEN I'LL OPEN IT UP FOR SOME QUESTIONS FROM COUNCIL.

SO, AGAIN, THESE ARE THE FISCAL YEAR, 19 20 BUDGET AMENDMENTS.

AND HERE'S A LIST OF THOSE NECESSARY BUDGET AMENDMENTS THAT WE WOULD LIKE COUNCIL TO CONSIDER, AS YOU CAN SEE.

AND AS JARED MENTIONED, THE PUBLIC HEALTH FUND OBVIOUSLY ENCOUNTERED ONE OF THE MOST UNIQUE YEARS PROBABLY THAT THEY HAVE EVER EXPERIENCED.

WE HAD A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF ADDITIONAL EXPENDITURES IN THE PUBLIC HEALTH AREA THAT WAS MAINLY RELATED TO ALL OF THE TESTING, OUR DRIVE THRU TESTING FACILITY, OUR CONTACT TRACING, THOSE ACTIVITIES.

NOW, WE DID RECEIVE SOME ADDITIONAL GRANT DOLLARS THROUGH THE CARES ACT TO HELP AID IN THE PUBLIC HEALTH OPERATIONS.

AND WE DID RECEIVE SOME ACTUAL ASSISTANCE FROM THE STATE, BUT THERE WERE ADDITIONAL EXPENDITURES THAT THEY ENCOUNTERED IN ORDER TO DO THEIR OPERATIONS IN SUCH AN EFFICIENT WAY THROUGHOUT THE PANDEMIC THAT WAS IN LAST YEAR.

SO WE ARE LOOKING TO AMEND THE PUBLIC HEALTH FUND BUDGET BY ONE POINT TWO MILLION DOLLARS.

AND JUST SO YOU'RE AWARE, THE FUNDING FOR THAT, AS COUNCIL WAS AWARE LAST YEAR, THE GENERAL FUND OPERATIONS HAD EXCESS RESERVES RELATED TO THE VERY EFFICIENT SPENDING THAT ALL THE DEPARTMENTS WENT THROUGHOUT THE PANDEMIC.

[02:20:06]

THERE WERE SEVERAL MEASURES PUT IN PLACE TO REALLY PULL BACK ON SPENDING THAT WE WERE ALSO VERY FORTUNATE TO RECEIVE A SIGNIFICANT PORTION OF CARES ACT FUNDING THROUGH THE CORONA VIRUS RELIEF FUNDING THAT WENT INTO THE GENERAL FUND OPERATIONS LAST FISCAL YEAR.

AND WITH THOSE COMBINED EFFORTS, WE DID HAVE EXCESS RESERVES AND THOSE EXCESS RESERVES ARE STAYING TO HELP CONTINUE FUNDING COVID-19 RESPONSES.

AND SO LAST YEAR, YOU CAN SEE THAT THERE WAS ABOUT ONE POINT TWO MILLION THAT WENT TO HELP AID IN THE PUBLIC HEALTH EFFORTS.

THE NEXT ITEM DOWN IS THE COMPENSATED ABSENCES FUND.

THERE'S A HALF A MILLION DOLLAR BUDGET AMENDMENT THAT IS NEEDED FOR THAT FUND.

THIS IS THE FUND THAT ALL OF THE SECOND ANNUAL LEAVE AND COMP TIME BALANCES ARE PAID OUT OF UPON TERMINATION, WHETHER THAT IS SOMEONE LEAVING OR RETIRING FROM THE CITY THERE.

WE HAVE CERTAIN POLICIES ON THE AMOUNT OF LEAVE THAT'S PAID OUT.

IT COMES OUT OF THIS FUND.

THIS CAN CERTAINLY FLUCTUATE FROM ONE YEAR TO THE NEXT.

AND WE ARE BASICALLY FUNDING IT ON A PAY AS YOU GO BASIS.

SO WE'RE NEEDING ABOUT HALF A MILLION DOLLARS IN A BUDGET AMENDMENT IN THAT COMPENSATED HEALTH I'M SORRY, COMPENSATED ABSENCES FUND.

THERE'S A SMALL TWELVE THOUSAND DOLLAR BUDGET AMENDMENT NEEDED IN COURT SECURITY FUND.

THAT IS WHERE YOUR BAILIFFS ARE PAID FOR OVER AT MUNICIPAL COURT.

AS YOU CAN IMAGINE, WE REALLY RAMPED UP THEIR EFFORTS THIS PRIOR YEAR.

THEY WERE OUR FRONT LINE AS PEOPLE WERE ENTERING INTO THE COURTS.

THEY'VE DONE A LOT OF SCREENING IN THAT AREA.

SO WE NEED A SMALL AMOUNT TO AMEND THAT BUDGET.

AND THEN THESE LAST FOUR HERE ARE RELATED TO YOUR PUBLIC IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT.

AS YOU ALL ARE AWARE, THESE ARE ALL FUNDED BY ASSESSMENTS IN THOSE AREAS.

WE WORK WITH THOSE PID'S EACH YEAR TO DEVELOP A BUDGET BASED ON WHAT WE ANTICIPATE EXPENDITURES BEING.

BUT AS YOU CAN SEE, SOMETIMES EXPENDITURES COME IN A LITTLE HIGHER THAN ANTICIPATED.

AND SO THIS IS JUST PUTTING FORTH BUDGET AMENDMENTS TO ADJUST THAT BUDGET TO THE AMOUNTS THAT WERE ACTUALLY SPENT.

BUT AGAIN, THESE ARE ALL SELF-FUNDED AND WE HAVE PROVIDED THIS INFORMATION TO THOSE PUBLIC IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT BOARDS.

ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS THAT I CAN ANSWER FROM COUNCIL ON THIS? AND AGAIN, THIS IS AN ORDINANCE, SO WE'LL HAVE FIRST READING TODAY AND SECOND READING ON FEBRUARY TWENTY THIRD.

YES, LAURA, I HAD A QUESTION ON SO WHEN WE'RE AMENDING THE BUDGET, YOU'RE LISTING THESE ARE ALL AMENDED EXPENSES.

THEY ARE CATEGORIES WHERE OUR EXPENSES ARE BEING INCREASED.

BUT WE WE HAVE SOME OFFSETTING REVENUES.

AND, YES.

ALL WE'RE BEING PRESENTED IS THE, YOU KNOW, THE AMENDMENT ON THE EXPENSES.

CAN WE ALSO SEE.

I'D LIKE TO SEE, LIKE, YOU KNOW, THE NET.

IT'S LIKE WE WE'RE HAVING SOME NET CHANGES, BUT WE HAD SOME REVENUES COME IN.

AND BECAUSE ALL OF THESE ARE NOT BEING TAKEN OUT OF THOSE RESERVES THAT WE WERE ABLE TO HANG ONTO LAST YEAR.

YES, THAT IS CORRECT.

AND TO ANSWER THAT QUESTION, THE ONLY ONE THAT WE USED ANY KIND OF RESERVES TO PAY FOR WOULD BE IN THAT PUBLIC HEALTH BUDGET AMENDMENT.

AND YOU ARE CORRECT, WE ARE AMENDING THE EXPENDITURE SIDE OF THE BUDGET.

AND AS I MENTIONED, PUBLIC HEALTH DID GET I THINK THEY HAD A FEW HUNDRED THOUSAND THAT THEY RECEIVED IN ADDITIONAL GRANT FUNDS, BUT THEN THEY HAD ADDITIONAL EXPENDITURES THAT WE COVERED THAT DID GET PAID OUT OF EXCESS RESERVES THAT WE HAD IN PLACE.

THE REST OF THOSE FUNDS THEY EITHER HAD ON THE PID'S, AGAIN, THERE WERE VERY SMALL AMOUNTS.

AND SO THEY MAY HAVE COME A LITTLE BIT OUT OF RESERVES OR THEY MAY THEIR ASSESSMENTS NORMALLY COME IN ALMOST EXACTLY ON WITH WHAT WE BUDGET IN THOSE AREAS.

AND THEN THE COURT SECURITY FUND, IT ACTUALLY DID SLIGHTLY GO INTO RESERVES BECAUSE THAT COURT SECURITY FEE IS RELATED TO THOSE MUNICIPAL COURT FEES THAT WE HAVE GONE OVER SEVERAL TIMES WITH.

COUNCIL COVID HAS HAD AN IMPACT ON THAT.

THERE HAVEN'T BEEN AS MANY CITATIONS OUT THERE, NOT AS MUCH ACTIVITY ON THE STREETS WHEN WE WERE AT SHELTER IN PLACE ORDERS.

AND SO THOSE REVENUES DID TREND BELOW.

BUT IN ALL THESE CASES THAT WE'RE BRINGING FORWARD, THE FUNDS ARE VERY HEALTHY.

EVERYTHING'S IN GOOD SHAPE.

IT'S JUST A FORMALITY TO GET THOSE BUDGETS AMENDED ON THESE LEGALLY ADOPTED BUDGETS.

SO IT'S REALLY JUST THAT PUBLIC HEALTH FUND AND SO DO WE NOT AMEND THE SIDE OF THE BUDGET FOR REVENUES? NO, WE DO NOT AND IN THIS CASE, SO ON THE PUBLIC HEALTH FUND, WE WOULD BE

[02:25:06]

SO IT'S MORE OR LESS AN EQUAL AND OFFSETTING AMOUNT TO THAT FUND AS A WHOLE.

ON THE GENERAL FUND SIDE, WE'RE NOT LOOKING TO DO ANY KIND OF A BUDGET AMENDMENT FOR A TRANSFER THAT WAS GOING TO PUBLIC HEALTH BECAUSE, AGAIN, YOUR GENERAL FUND DEPARTMENTS DID AN AMAZING JOB OF PULLING BACK ON SPENDING.

THERE WAS A HIRING FREEZE IN PLACE AND THOSE SAVINGS FROM THE EXPENSE SIDE MORE THAN COVERED THIS AMOUNT THAT NEEDED TO GO OVER TO FUND COVID RESPONSE OVER IN PUBLIC HEALTH.

SO NEXT YEAR'S BUDGET, WOULD IT HAVE A CATEGORY ON REVENUES OF CARES DOLLARS BECAUSE IT WAS A SOURCE THAT CAME IN THAT WE ARE TRANSFERRING FROM OR AT LEAST AGAIN, IF THAT I GUESS I'M NOT UNDERSTANDING HOW, BECAUSE MONEY IS MAGICALLY APPEARING IN OUR BUDGET IF WE DON'T AMEND THE REVENUE SIDE AS WELL TO SHOW THAT WAS NOT A REVENUE SOURCE WE EXPECTED.

AND SO, YOU KNOW, I DON'T KNOW HOW THAT ENDS UP BALANCING OTHER THAN IF IT'S JUST CODED.

IT'S JUST REVENUE, BUT WASN'T SHOWN WHAT WE RECEIVED FROM EITHER STATE OR FEDERAL FUNDING.

AND THAT'S A GREAT POINT.

AS WE GET ADDITIONAL GRANT DOLLARS IN WE INCREASE THE REVENUE BUDGETS AND INCREASE THE EXPENSE BUDGET.

SO THERE WERE SOME AS I MENTIONED, THERE WAS ABOUT THERE WAS A FEW HUNDRED THOUSAND THAT PUBLIC HEALTH RECEIVED AND THOSE REVENUE BUDGETS WENT UP AND THOSE EXPENSE BUDGETS WENT UP EQUAL IN OFFSETTING.

AND ON THIS ONE POINT TWO MILLION DOLLARS THAT'S GOING OVER THERE.

YES, WE WOULD SHOW THAT REVENUE ON THE BUDGET SIDE COMING IN FROM THE PUBLIC HEALTH STANDPOINT AS WELL, OFFSETTING THOSE EXPENDITURES BEING SPENT.

AND YOU MENTIONED ON THE COMPENSATED ABSENCES THAT WE KIND OF DO THAT PAY AS YOU GO.

YES.

DID WE HAVE MORE PEOPLE RETIRE THAT WE WERE NOT PROJECTING THIS YEAR? DO WE NOT KEEP.

I KNOW YOU GUYS ARE AMAZING AT ALWAYS KEEPING SO MANY EXTRA RESERVES.

AND SO IS THIS JUST KIND OF TRYING TO BOLSTER UP OUR RESERVES? ARE WE REALLY SHORT THESE DOLLARS IF WE DON'T TRANSFER THEM? WELL, AND IF COUNCIL WILL REMEMBER, WE TALKED ABOUT SOME TRANSFERS GOING INTO THE COMPENSATED ABSENCES FUND WHEN WE MET ON BUDGET REVIEW BACK IN THE SUMMER.

AND YES, YOU'RE CORRECT, IT IS ON A PAY AS YOU GO BASIS AT THIS POINT.

WE'RE WORKING TO BUILD IN A DEDICATED FUNDING SOURCE FOR THAT GOING FORWARD.

WE NORMALLY BUDGET THIS FUND ON ABOUT A THREE YEAR AVERAGE.

BUT, YOU KNOW, IF YOU HAVE EVEN A COUPLE OF MORE TENURED PEOPLE THAT RETIRE, THAT CAN CERTAINLY MAKE ONE YEAR LOOK VERY DIFFERENT THAN ANOTHER YEAR.

AND SO, AGAIN, WE TRY TO KEEP WE TRY TO HAVE A GOOD CONSERVATIVE BUDGET EACH YEAR FOR THIS FUND.

BUT AS YOU CAN SEE, WE DID BUDGET SLIGHTLY LOW IN THAT YEAR AND WE DID HAVE SOME TENURED RETIREMENTS THAT OCCURRED IN THIS PAST FISCAL YEAR.

AND I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO REMEMBER WE ARE IN A TRANSITIONAL PHASE WITH REGARD TO COMPENSATED ABSENCES.

WE HAD A RESERVE FUND THAT WE USED FOR THE LAST DECADE TO PAY COMPENSATED ABSENCES.

THAT FUND WAS FULLY DEPLETED IN THE LAST FISCAL YEAR, THE PREVIOUS NOT THIS ONE THAT WE'RE MAKING AMENDMENT TO BUT THE PREVIOUS FISCAL YEAR.

AND SO WE ARE WORKING TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE FUNDS TO BE ABLE TO CASH FUND THAT.

BUT WHAT LAURA WAS SAYING ABOUT SOME OF YOUR TENURED EMPLOYEES, ESPECIALLY IF YOU HAVE A TENURED EMPLOYEE IN PUBLIC SAFETY, THEY'RE GOING TO HAVE A LARGER PAYOUT THAN ANY OTHER EMPLOYEE.

AND THAT'S WHAT WE EXPERIENCE THIS YEAR.

THEN ON THAT COURT SECURITY FUND, WILL WE BE ABLE TO GET REIMBURSED FROM CARES DOLLARS ON THAT? I MEAN, IT'S NOT AN EXACT LIKE SOME OF THOSE OTHERS.

IT IS BECAUSE OF COVID AND THE RESTRICTIONS THAT THOSE REVENUES WERE NOT THERE TO COVER THE COST OF THE SALARIES AND THE MAINTENANCE OF THAT COURT.

BUT IS THAT WHEN WE GET TO LIST ON THOSE DOLLARS, WHEN WE ARE REQUESTING REIMBURSEMENT FROM THE STATE.

WE DON'T CURRENTLY HAVE ANY ACTIVE GRANT FUNDS OR CARES ACT MONEY THAT IT WOULD QUALIFY FOR, BUT THAT IS SOMETHING THAT WE ARE KEEPING IN MIND AS MORE FUNDING STARTS COMING FORWARD.

THAT WOULD BE SOMETHING THAT COULD POTENTIALLY BE ELIGIBLE.

WE DON'T HAVE ANYTHING AT THIS POINT THAT IT WOULD BE ELIGIBLE FOR.

GREAT QUESTIONS.

ANYTHING ELSE? OK, THANK YOU, LAURA.

DO WE HAVE A MOTION WITH REGARD TO ORDINANCE NUMBER 7910.

[02:30:14]

SECOND.

IT'S BEEN MOVED BY COUNCIL MEMBER POWELL AND SECONDED BY COUNCIL MEMBER HAYS TO APPROVE ORDINANCE NUMBER 7910.

ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION OR QUESTIONS ABOUT THE MOTION? ALL OF THOSE IN FAVOR, PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND.

ALL THOSE OPPOSED.

I SAW 4 HANDS.

COUNCIL MEMBER POWELL DID YOU INTEND TO VOTE FOR OR AGAINST? FOR.

OK.

THANK YOU MAYBE I JUST MISSED YOUR HAND.

THAT PASSES WITH THE 5 0 VOTE.

ITEM THREE B IS CONSIDERATION OF ORDINANCE NUMBER 7911.

[3.B. CONSIDERATION OF ORDINANCE NO. 7911]

HI MAYOR, THIS IS CREATING A CIVIL NUISANCE FOR TO ALLOW US TO ENFORCE ILLEGAL DUMPING, UTILIZING A CIVIL PENALTY RATHER THAN A CRIMINAL PENALTY.

WE WENT OVER THIS IN WORK SESSION, GOT OUR NEW DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC WORKS, DONNY HOOPER, TO GIVE US A ABBREVIATED PRESENTATION THAT YOU PREVIOUSLY RECEIVED, WILL ABSOLUTELY GO INTO AS IN-DEPTH RESPONSE OF QUESTIONS AS YOU WOULD LIKE.

SO, DONNY TAKE IT AWAY.

THANK YOU, JARED.

THIS IS JUST A BRIEF RECAP OF WHAT WE WENT OVER THE LAST WEEK OF ORDINANCES.

THIS IS, OF COURSE, GETTING TO THE FIRST READING INTO THAT, AND I'M HAVING A LITTLE TROUBLE WITH MY SCREEN.

THERE WE GO.

CAN YOU ALL SEE THAT OK? YES.

SOME OF THE CHALLENGES THAT, OF COURSE, WE TALKED ABOUT LAST TIME THAT WE SPOKE TO IS BEING UNABLE TO IDENTIFY WITH PEOPLE RESPONSIBLE FOR ILLEGAL DUMPING IN OUR COMMUNITY AND MAKING IT DIFFICULT IN TURN TO PROSECUTE THOSE AND ALSO HAVING TO CATCH SOMEONE IN THE ACT OF DOING THAT OR HAVING A WITNESS THAT WOULD BE WILLING TO COME FORWARD WHEN THAT'S OCCURRING JUST MAKES IT REALLY HARD TO PROVE SOME OF THESE CASES AND ALSO NOT ENOUGH PERSONNEL TO MONITOR THOSE HOTSPOT AREAS THAT WE HAVE MAKES IT REALLY CHALLENGING.

AND THE CURRENT SYSTEM THAT WE'RE USING NOW TO REVIEW THE VIDEO FOOTAGE TAKES A LONG TIME TO GO THROUGH.

WHEN WE HAVE AN EVENT THAT TAKES PLACE, SAY, OVER A WEEKEND WHEN THOSE EVENTS OCCUR, JUST TO BE ABLE TO FIND THOSE AREAS.

SO THE SOLUTIONS THAT WE HAVE FOR THAT IS WE BROUGHT TO YOU BEFORE WAS GETTING SOME PORTABLE CAMERAS THAT WOULD BE ABLE TO BE MONITORED BY A PROFESSIONAL SECURITY COMPANIES SO THEY COULD NAIL THAT DOWN TO A SPECIFIC TIME FRAME WHEN AN EVENT OCCURRED.

THIS EQUIPMENT, OF COURSE, IS ALL STATE OF THE ART IT'S MOTION SENSITIVE, WEATHER RESISTANT, HAS NIGHT VISION.

AND THESE CAMERAS, OF COURSE, CAN MAKE OUT LICENSE PLATES FROM QUITE A DISTANCE AWAY, UP TO ABOUT 200 FEET A DETAILED REPORTING SYSTEM THAT COMES ALONG WITH THAT AS WELL, AND BEING ABLE TO IDENTIFY PERPETRATORS TO TAKE LEGAL ACTION.

AND ON THIS FIRST READING THE ORDINANCE TODAY, JUST TO REMIND YOU, THIS IS AN ORDINANCE THAT REALLY GIVES US IT'S ANOTHER TOOL THAT WE'LL HAVE IN OUR TOOLBOX.

WE HAVE TOOLS CURRENTLY IN PLACE NOW, BUT THIS JUST GIVES US ANOTHER TOOL, THE ABILITY TO IMPOSE CIVIL PENALTIES, AS MR. MILLER MENTIONED, MUCH LIKE WE HAVE IN ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH AND CODE ENFORCEMENT.

ALSO THE ABILITY TO USE PHOTOGRAPHIC AND VIDEO SURVEILLANCE TO ISSUE THOSE NOTICES OF VIOLATION AND THE ABILITY TO HOLD THE OWNER OF THE MOTOR VEHICLE LIABLE FOR ILLEGAL DUMPING.

SO THAT'S REALLY THE THE HIGH LEVEL LOOK AT WHAT THIS ORDINANCE IS ABOUT.

I KNOW THAT BRIAN MCWILLIAMS IS ON THE ZOOM TODAY AS WELL.

AND IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, HE'S PROBABLY GOING TO BE ABLE DETAIL OR ANY OF US THAT ARE SERVED ON THAT TASK FORCE COULD DO THAT AS WELL.

SO JUST OPEN IT UP FOR YOUR QUESTIONS.

BE GLAD TO TRY TO ANSWER THEM.

ANY QUESTIONS COUNCIL.

SO DID I MISS THE TIMING ON IMPLEMENTATION? I GUESS WE HAVE TO APPROVE IT.

YEAH, YOU KNOW, ONCE THIS IS APPROVED, IF APPROVED, WE'RE PROBABLY LOOKING AT ABOUT A TWO WEEK TIME PERIOD.

ONCE WE CAN GET SOMETHING INTO PLACE OR CONTRACT TO GET SOMETHING PUT IN PLACE TO START THAT PROCESS AND THEN BEGIN THAT.

SO, YOU KNOW, I THINK WE'LL PROBABLY SEE SOME RESULTS RIGHT AWAY FROM SO IT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT'S GOING TO TAKE A LONG TIME FOR US TO IMPLEMENT, AND START SEEING RESULTS .

BUT IT'LL GO INTO EFFECT IMMEDIATELY.

WE JUST WON'T BE READY TO UTILIZE IT FOR A COUPLE OF WEEKS.

I HAVE TO SAY, THAT IS NOT THE TYPICAL GOVERNMENT RESPONSE DONNY.

I WAS SO EXCITED TO HEAR IS LIKE, NO, THIS DOESN'T IT WON'T TAKE US LONG.

WE CAN MOVE INTO THIS QUICKLY.

WE CAN ACTUALLY IMPLEMENT THIS FAST.

[02:35:01]

SO THAT'S I LOVE THAT RESPONSE.

THANK YOU.

AND I THINK IT GOES BACK TO THE HOMEWORK.

WE PUT A LOT OF HOMEWORK INTO THIS.

WE'VE BEEN WORKING ON IT FOR, YOU KNOW, THE PAST COUPLE OF MONTHS AND A GREAT TEAM OF PEOPLE THAT HAVE COME TOGETHER TO COME UP WITH SOLUTIONS AND THE RESEARCH THAT WE'VE DONE, EVEN WITH MEMBERS THAT ARE NOT ON THE TASK FORCE, TO BE ABLE TO FIND THESE SOLUTIONS AND WORK WITH THESE COMPANIES.

SO, YOU KNOW, IT HAS TAKEN US A WHILE TO GET HERE, BUT WE'RE READY TO GO.

WE'RE READY TO SEE THIS PROBLEM GO AWAY.

IT'S GOOD IT'S GOOD TO HAVE A PLAN FOR IT AND IT'S GOOD TO HAVE MORE THAN ONE TOOL IN YOUR TOOLBOX.

THIS IS SOMETHING THAT I AM SEEING MORE AND MORE EMAIL ABOUT RECENTLY.

AND I THINK IT'S JUST WHEN COVID HIT AND WE PUT IN THE HIRING FREEZE.

AND THEN YOU GUYS STARTED GETTING BEHIND AND ACTUALLY HAVING EMPLOYEES IN THE HANDS TO GO OUT AND DO ALLEY CLEANUPS THEN IT'S FUNNY HOW LONG IT TAKES BEFORE IT BOTHERS PEOPLE OR BEFORE THEY ACTUALLY START EMAILING ELECTED OFFICIALS ABOUT IT.

SO I KNOW Y'ALL ARE GETTING ON TOP OF THAT NOW THAT YOU'RE BACK TO HIRING AND YOU'RE SHORTENING THAT LIST OF ALLEYS WHERE PEOPLE GET CALLED TO SAY, MY ALLEY NEEDS ATTENTION, BUT ANYTHING WE CAN DO DONNY TO HELP THIS TASK FORCE COME UP WITH OTHER IDEAS TO STOP THE PROBLEM FROM HAPPENING TO BEGIN WITH IS SOMETHING I THINK I WOULD CERTAINLY BE IN SUPPORT OF.

SO I THINK THIS IS A GOOD IDEA AND WE'LL KEEP WORKING ON THAT PROBLEM.

MAYOR, I NEEDED TO CORRECT TO JUST TO BE SUPER CLEAR, BECAUSE OF THE NATURE OF THIS ORDINANCE DEALING WITH THE CIVIL PENALTY, WE WILL PRINT IT TWICE IN THE NEWSPAPER AND WILL GO INTO EFFECT 10 DAYS AFTER THE LAST PRINTING.

THIS IS JUST SOME OF THE MINUTIAE IN [INAUDIBLE] EFFECT, BUT THAT TIMING IS GOING TO MATCH THE TIMING THAT WE HAVE TO HAVE IN ORDER TO GET THE EQUIPMENT IN PLACE TO DOCUMENT THE CITATIONS.

SO THERE WILL MEAN NO HOLDUP ON THAT, BUT COUNCIL APPROVING IT HERE WILL SET THAT WHOLE PROCESS IN MOTION.

GOOD.

GOOD TO BE VERY CLEAR ON THAT.

OK, ANY OTHER QUESTIONS FOR DONNY.

WE HAVE A MOTION ON ORDINANCE NUMBER 7911.

MAYOR, WE DO.

I MOVE TO ADOPT ORDINANCE NUMBER 7911 TO AMEND CHAPTER 8-3 TO PROVIDE FOR CIVIL NUISANCE FOR CERTAIN UNLAWFUL DUMPING, CREATING A CIVIL PENALTY FOR CERTAIN UNLAWFUL DUMPING AND PROVIDING FOR CIVIL COST RECOVERY FOR ILLEGAL DUMPING.

SECOND.

IT'S BEEN MOVED BY COUNCIL MEMBER POWELL AND SECONDED BY COUNCIL MEMBER SAUER TO APPROVE ORDINANCE NUMBER 7911.

ANY FURTHER QUESTIONS OR DISCUSSION ABOUT THE MOTION? I JUST WANTED TO COMMENT THAT, YOU KNOW, THIS IS A TOPIC THAT WE HAVE BEEN WORKING TOWARDS SO MANY YEARS AND WE'VE MADE PROGRESS AND KIND OF HAD SOME STEPS BACK ON ISSUES, AS YOU IDENTIFIED.

AND, YOU KNOW, THIS IS ONE OF THE AREAS WHERE CITIZENS DID SUPPORT US TAKING HARSHER STEPS.

A LOT OF TIMES THEY DON'T WANT GOVERNMENT INVOLVEMENT AS MUCH AS IN THIS AREA AND ESPECIALLY THOSE HOMEOWNERS THAT WHERE IT'S THINGS ARE BEING DUMPED ILLEGALLY IN THEIR ALLEYS AND THEY'RE NOT THE ONES PUTTING IT OUT THERE.

AND SO I'M JUST I'M REALLY, REALLY ENCOURAGED, VERY EXCITED TO SEE THIS GET IMPLEMENTED AND SEE THE IMPACT AND VERY HOPEFUL THAT IT'S GOING TO ADDRESS A PROBLEM THAT WE HAVE BEEN WORKING VERY HARD TO TRY AND FIND SOLUTIONS TO.

THANK YOU.

OK, ALL OF THOSE IN FAVOR OF THE MOTION, PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND.

ANY OPPOSED NO.

OK, THAT PASSES WITH THE 5 0 VOTE AND WE WILL MOVE ON TO ITEM 3C, WHICH IS A PUBLIC

[3.C. PUBLIC HEARING AND CONSIDERATION OF ORDINANCE NO. 7906 -- ADOPTING THE AMARILLO COMMUNITY INVESTMENT PROGRAM (CIP) FY 2020/2021-FY2024/2025]

JARED.

RIGHT MAYOR.

WE'VE GOT KYLE SCHNIEDERJAN WHO'S GOING TO REPRESENT THE COMMUNITY INVESTMENT PROGRAM, WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THIS IN A PREVIOUS WORK SESSION AND THIS IS GOING TO BE JUST A VERY BRIEF REPRESENTATION OF THE SAME INFORMATION AND THEN ANSWERING YOUR QUESTIONS BY COUNCIL .

KYLE.

ALL RIGHT, THANK YOU VERY MUCH, JARED MAYOR AND COUNCIL.

PLEASURE TO BE WITH YOU TODAY.

AS YOU MENTIONED, WE'RE HERE FOR TO PRESENT THE CIP PLAN.

WE'VE DONE OUR FIRST PUBLIC HEARING PREVIOUSLY IN OUR LAST COUNCIL MEETING.

THIS IS THE SECOND PUBLIC HEARING OF THIS DOCUMENT.

[02:40:01]

IT IS A PROGRAM THAT WE PUT TOGETHER THAT GIVES US A GUIDANCE DOCUMENT TO MOVE THESE PROJECTS FORWARD AND TO CONTINUE TO COORDINATE THEM THROUGH OTHER DEPARTMENTS AND OTHER THINGS ACROSS THE ENTIRE CITY, INCLUDING CITIZEN INTERACTION AND AND ALL OF THOSE THINGS THAT COME TOGETHER TO MAKE THIS PROCESS SUCCESSFUL AND DO THAT ON A REPETITIVE BASIS.

WE'VE AGAIN, TALKED ABOUT IT A COUPLE DIFFERENT TIMES, BUT WE HAD OUR FIRST PUBLIC HEARING ON JANUARY 26TH.

AND THEN THIS IS OUR SECOND PUBLIC HEARING.

GIVE THE AMPLE OPPORTUNITY TO HEAR FROM THE PUBLIC AND ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS THEY MAY HAVE.

AND THEN LIKEWISE, AS THIS IS A ROLLING PLAN, OUR DEPARTMENTS HAVE STARTED SOME OF THOSE PROJECTS THAT ARE CONSIDERED, I GUESS, YEAR ONE TYPE PROJECTS AND PROJECTS THAT ARE APPROVED IN OUR ANNUAL BUDGET.

THOSE ARE ALREADY UNDERWAY.

AND THEN ABSOLUTELY MAKING PLANNING AND COORDINATION EFFORTS FOR THOSE YEARS TWO THROUGH FIVE PROJECTS AS WELL.

NEXT WEEK, IN FACT, WE START WE HAVE OUR KICKOFF FOR OUR NEXT YEAR'S CAPITAL PLAN AND START COMMUNICATING WITH EACH OTHER AND ACROSS LOTS OF DEPARTMENT LINES AND AND OTHER COORDINATION ISSUES AND START LOOKING AT WHAT THOSE NEXT YEAR PROJECTS AND NEXT YEAR'S ITERATION OF THIS PROCESS WILL BE.

THE INFORMATION IS OUT THERE FOR THE GENERAL PUBLIC ON OUR WEBSITE.

THERE ACTUALLY IS THE LINK AT THE TOP OF THE PAGE.

BUT I SAID THE SIMPLEST WAY TO GET TO THAT IS JUST ON THE CITY WEB PAGE AND GO TO THE DEPARTMENTS TAB THERE THE SCREEN, THE FINANCE DEPARTMENT.

AND THEN UNDER FINANCE, WE HAVE THE FINANCIAL INFORMATION, WHICH THAT PAGE INCLUDES ALL OF OUR ANNUAL BUDGETS AS WELL AS THIS ONE RIGHT HERE, THE DRAFT FIVE YEAR COMMUNITY INVESTMENT PROGRAM, WHICH AFTER THIS APPROVAL, AS YOU GUYS SEE FIT THAT WILL CYCLE OFF DRAFT AND BE THE THE FORMAL APPROVED DOCUMENT.

I WOULD BE HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU HAVE AND ANY QUESTIONS THAT THE PUBLIC MAY HAVE IN THIS PUBLIC HEARING.

ANY QUESTIONS FOR KYLE BEFORE WE MOVE TO THE PUBLIC HEARING? THE LAST FIRE STATION THAT WE'RE FIXING TO BE DOING, THE ONE THAT WE HAD JUST APPROVED PURCHASING THAT PROPERTY, IT WASN'T A FULL FIRE STATION.

I THINK IT'S PART OF ONE OR THE OTHER SUPPORTS FACILITIES.

WHERE IS THAT ON YOUR SCHEDULE? KIND OF THE START DATE AND THE COMPLETION.

IS THAT ON YOURS? SO THAT WOULD HAVE BEEN ONE OF THE VERY LAST ITEMS THAT WE DID A PROPOSITION TO, AND I BELIEVE I'M SCROLLING THROUGH MY I'M GOING TO SHARE A DIFFERENT SCREEN HERE REAL QUICK.

THAT LOOKS REALLY FUNNY HOW ABOUT THAT IS THAT BETTER.

THIS IS ACTUALLY THE DOCUMENT STRAIGHT OFF THAT WEB PAGE I WAS JUST HIGHLIGHTING AND ABOUT MIDWAY THROUGH THAT ON PAGE 20 IS THE ACTUAL STANDARD LIST OF THOSE PROJECTS THROUGH THE YEARS 1 THROUGH FIVE.

AND IF ONE OF THE THINGS YOU'LL NOTICE IS THAT ALL THE PROPOSITION TWO DOLLARS WERE PREVIOUSLY SPENT THESE YELLOW HIGHLIGHTED PROJECTS, RIGHT HERE ARE THE LAST OF THE PROPOSITION ONE PROJECTS AS DENOTED OVER HERE ON THE FAR RIGHT.

AND SO THOSE PROPOSITION TWO DOLLARS WERE A PREVIOUS YEAR'S ALLOCATION, MEANING THAT I DON'T NECESSARILY HAVE THOSE DOLLARS LISTED HERE IN THE BOOK.

BASICALLY, THEY WERE ALREADY IDENTIFIED AND PUT TOGETHER AND I APOLOGIZE.

I DON'T KNOW THE EXACT SCHEDULE JERRY AND THE FACILITIES GROUP OPERATE AND ARE DOING THOSE PROPOSITION TWO PROJECTS.

AND SO I CAN GET YOU THAT SCHEDULE.

I DON'T KNOW IT OFF HAND.

I APOLOGIZE FOR THAT.

THAT'S FINE.

I JUST DIDN'T KNOW IF THAT FELL UNDER WHAT YOU WERE PRESENTED IT AND IT WAS MORE OF I'M HOPING THAT'S ANOTHER SHORT TERM PROJECT THAT WE'LL SEE SOMETHING KIND OF A QUICK TURNAROUND.

I DIDN'T KNOW WHERE WE WERE ON THE STATUS AND THAT MAY FALL LIKE YOU SAY TO JERRY OR SOMEONE ELSE TO SAY JUST WHERE WE ARE IN STARTING THAT AND HOW LONG THAT PROJECT'S GOING TO TAKE.

AND THEN BECAUSE THAT WAS ONE OF THE FINAL THINGS OF THAT WHOLE PROPOSITION, ALL THOSE DOLLARS.

YES MA'AM.

[02:45:02]

OK, AT THIS TIME, WE'LL OPEN A PUBLIC HEARING ON ITEM 3C, WHICH IS ORDINANCE NUMBER 7906.

IF ANYONE WISHES TO SPEAK FOR, ON OR AGAINST THIS ITEM.

NOW IS THE TIME TO CONTACT THE CALL HOST AND I'LL HAND IT TO STEPHANIE WITH INSTRUCTIONS ON HOW TO DO THAT.

THANK YOU, MAYOR.

IF YOU JOINED US TODAY TO SPEAK ON THIS PUBLIC HEARING, PLEASE PRESS STAR NINE FOR THE RAISE HAND BUTTON STAR NINE FROM YOUR TELEPHONE OR THE RIGHT HAND BUTTON FROM YOUR ZOOM APP.

MAYOR, I DO NOT SEE ANYBODY THAT WISHES TO SPEAK ON THIS ITEM.

OK, THANK YOU, STEPHANIE.

WE WILL CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING ON ITEM 3C AND ENTERTAIN A MOTION.

YES, MAYOR I MOVE TO ADOPT ORDINANCE NUMBER SEVENTY NINE ZERO SIX, ADOPTING THE AMARILLO COMMUNITY INVESTMENT PROGRAM FOR THE FISCAL YEAR 2020-2021 THROUGH 2024-2025, WHICH WILL GUIDE CAPITAL INVESTMENT DECISIONS FOR THE NEXT FIVE YEARS.

IT'S BEEN MOVED BY COUNCIL MEMBER POWELL AND SECONDED BY COUNCIL MEMBER SMITH TO APPROVE ORDINANCE NUMBER 7906.

QUESTIONS OR DISCUSSION ABOUT THE MOTION COUNCIL.

OK, ALL OF THOSE IN FAVOR, PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND.

I SEE 4 FREDA.

OH, I SEE YOUR HAND NOW I'M SEEING IT.

OK, I SEE FIVE IN FAVOR.

GOOD.

THAT MOTION PASSES WITH THE FIVE 0 VOTE.

FREDA YOUR NAME SIGN IS HIDING YOUR HAND IS WHAT IT IS, I KEEP SEEING IT'S LIKE IT KIND OF COMES UP RIGHT BEHIND HERE YOUR TITLE.

ALL THESE ZOOM THINGS.

WE NOW HAVE ALL THESE ZOOM SKILLS.

LIKE I TOLD YOU ALL BEFORE, YOU HAVE LITTLE TELLS.

LIKE I CAN TELL WHEN YOU'RE ABOUT TO SAY SOMETHING AND THEN I GET YOUR MICROPHONE TURNED OFF.

IT'S ACTUALLY IN SOME WAYS EASIER THAN WHEN WE'RE SITTING ON THE DAIS AND WE ACTUALLY CAN'T SEE EACH OTHER BECAUSE WE'RE SIDE BY SIDE.

BUT HOPEFULLY ALL OF THAT'S COMING TO AN END BEFORE TOO MUCH LONGER.

RIGHT.

OK, ITEM 3D CONSIDERATION OF A RESOLUTION REGARDING AMARILLO HEALTH FACILITIES

[3.D. CONSIDERATION OF RESOLUTION – AMARILLO HEALTH FACILITIES CORPORATION AMENDED BYLAWS]

HI MAYOR THE AMARILLO FACILITIES CORPORATION MET ON JANUARY 21ST, THEY'RE RECOMMENDING THESE AMENDED BYLAWS TO ACCURATELY REFLECT THEIR CURRENT OPERATING PARAMETERS.

LAURA STORRS IS HERE TO WALK US THROUGH IT.

LAURA.

THANK YOU, JARED.

COUNCIL THIS IS ONE OF YOUR BOARDS THAT ACTUALLY ONLY MEETS ON AN ANNUAL BASIS, BUT THEY DO NOT HAVE A LOT OF CURRENT ACTIVITY THAT IS GOING ON.

AND SO WE HAD OUR ANNUAL MEETING WITH THIS BOARD, AND DURING THE REVIEW OF THE BYLAWS, WE NOTICED THAT THERE WERE SOME ITEMS THAT NEEDED TO BE AMENDED.

THE BIG CHANGES THAT WE'VE OUTLINED IN YOUR PACKETS ARE THIS BOARD IN THE BYLAWS HAS JUST SET WAS SET AT A SEVEN MEMBER BOARD AND BACK IN 2014, COUNCIL MADE SEVERAL REVISIONS TO A LOT OF THE BOARDS AND THIS WAS ONE OF THE BOARDS THAT WENT DOWN TO A THREE MEMBER BOARD BECAUSE THEY DON'T HAVE A LOT OF ACTIVITY AND A LOT OF NEED TO MEET AT THIS POINT IN TIME.

AND SO WE NOTICED THAT THE BYLAWS HAD NOT BEEN AMENDED TO REFLECT THE CHANGE THAT COUNCIL MADE SEVERAL YEARS AGO.

SO THIS IS KIND OF JUST CLEAN UP.

SO IT'S TAKING THE BYLAWS ARE BEING AMENDED TO GO FROM A SEVEN MEMBER BOARD DOWN TO A THREE MEMBER BOARD.

WE ALSO, AS YOU CAN IMAGINE, HAD TO ADJUST THE QUORUM DOWN TO TWO BOARD MEMBERS BEING PRESENT TO ESTABLISH A QUORUM.

WE ALSO DID SOME OTHER MINOR CLEAN UP IN THE BYLAWS IT HAD STATED THAT THEY WOULD MEET ANNUALLY IN THE MONTH OF SEPTEMBER.

WE'VE BEEN HAVING THIS GROUP MEET IN ABOUT JANUARY OR FEBRUARY, SO WE JUST REMOVED THE MONTH THAT IT STATED THEY NEEDED TO MEET IN.

AND THEN A COUPLE OF OTHER SMALL CHANGES, CHANGING THE ADDRESS OF CITY HALL AND CHANGING THE CITY COMMISSIONER AND CITY COMMISSION REFERENCE TO CITY COUNCIL REFERENCE.

SO IT SHOWS YOU IT'S BEEN A WHILE SINCE THESE HAVE BEEN AMENDED.

THIS GROUP IS REGULATED.

THERE IS STATE LEGISLATION IN PLACE THAT KIND OF OUTLINES THE REQUIREMENTS OF THIS BOARD.

AND THAT IS ONE OF THE REASONS THAT IT MUST COME TO COUNCIL IN ORDER FOR THE BYLAWS TO BE AMENDED.

SO, AGAIN, THIS IS ONE OF YOUR SMALLEST BOARDS WITH THE LEAST ACTIVITY AND THEY

[02:50:01]

BUT WE FELT IT WAS GOOD TO GO AHEAD AND GET THE BYLAWS AMENDED AND KIND OF CLEANED UP TO MATCH THE DIRECTION THAT COUNCIL HAS FOR THIS BOARD.

ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS THAT I CAN ANSWER FROM COUNCIL ON THIS? OK, AND DO WE HAVE A MOTION ON THIS ITEM? YES, MAYOR, WE DO.

I MOVE TO APPROVE THE RESOLUTION FOR THE AMENDMENT TO THE AMARILLO HEALTH FACILITY BYLAWS.

IT'S BEEN MOVED BY COUNCIL MEMBER POWELL AND SECONDED BY COUNCIL MEMBER SMITH TO APPROVE THE RESOLUTION REGARDING ANIMAL HEALTH FACILITIES CORPORATION AMENDED BYLAWS, ANY DISCUSSION OR QUESTIONS ABOUT THE MOTION? ALL THOSE IN FAVOR, PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND.

OK, I SEE FIVE ZERO IF YOU'RE WATCHING ONLINE AND YOU'RE CURIOUS, COUNCIL MEMBER POWELL IS VOTING WITH HER HAND RAISED OPTION ON THE ZOOM MEETING.

SO AGAIN, I'M TELLING Y'ALL WE ARE EXPERTS ON ZOOM HERE, RIGHT AT THE VERY END.

IT'S ONLY TAKEN US ALMOST A YEAR TO GET THERE.

OK, THAT BRINGS US TO THE END OF OUR ACTION ITEMS ON THE NON CONSENT AGENDA.

[4. EXECUTIVE SESSION]

SO BECAUSE THAT SECTION IS A LITTLE LONGER THAN WE TYPICALLY HAVE IN EXECUTIVE SESSION COUNCIL, LET'S TAKE A BATHROOM BREAK ON OUR WAY OVER TO THE EXECUTIVE SESSION AND I WILL SEE YOU ALL IN THAT ZOOM MEETING.

THANK YOU ALL FOR JOINING US TODAY.

HOPE YOU HAVE A GOOD REST OF THE WEEK.

MAYOR.

I'LL READ THE LANGUAGE.

OH THANK YOU, BRYAN.

NO PROBLEM.

SECTION 551.087 DISCUSS COMMERCIAL FINANCIAL INFORMATION RECEIVED FROM EXISTING BUSINESS FOR BUSINESS PROSPECT WITH THE CITY'S NEGOTIATING TO LOOK INTO THE FACILITY OR FOR INCENTIVE AS THE CITY'S WILLING TO EXTEND OR FINANCIAL INFORMATION SUBMITTED BY THE SAME.

SECTION 551.072 TO DISCUSS THE PURCHASE EXCHANGE LEASE SELL OF VALUABLE REAL PROPERTY PUBLIC DISCUSSION OF SUCH WOULD NOT BE IN THE BEST INTEREST OF THE CITY'S BARGAINING POSITION.

SECTION 551.074 DISCUSS THE APPOINTMENT EMPLOYMENT EVALUATION OF A PUBLIC OFFICER OR OFFICIAL FOR THE CITY OF AMARILLO.

THE TIME IS NOW 3:54 P.M.. THANK YOU, BRYAN.

* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.