Mar 23, 2021 City Council Regular Meeting

[00:00:02]

BEHOLD AND VISIT, WE PRAY, THE CITIES OF THE EARTH.

[INVOCATION]

BLESSED ARE HONEST AND ABLE LEADERS.

ENABLE THEM TO ELIMINATE POVERTY, PREJUDICE AND OPPRESSION, THAT PEACE MAY PREVAIL WITH RIGHTEOUSNESS AND JUSTICE WITH ORDER, AND THAT MEN AND WOMEN FROM DIFFERENT CULTURES AND WITH DIFFERING TALENTS MIGHT FIND WITH ONE ANOTHER THE FULFILLMENT OF THEIR HUMANITY.

AND WE PRAY ALSO FOR ALL VICTIMS OF VIOLENCE AND FOR THEIR LOVED ONES.

THROUGH JESUS CHRIST, OUR LORD, AMEN.

WHAT A BEAUTIFUL PRAYER.

HELEN, THANK YOU. THANK YOU.

PERFECT START TO OUR MEETING.

THANK YOU FOR THAT. THE NEXT ITEM ON OUR AGENDA IS THE PUBLIC ADDRESS ITEM.

[PUBLIC ADDRESS ]

MAYOR, WE DO HAVE ONE PERSON SIGNED UP FOR A PUBLIC ADDRESS TODAY, AND THAT IS MR. JAMES [INAUDIBLE].

I AM ALLOWING YOU TO TALK RIGHT NOW, MR. [INAUDIBLE], AND I'M ASKING YOU TO UNMUTE.

SO I THINK IT SHOULD.

PROMPT YOU [INAUDIBLE].

ARE YOU WITH US, MR. [INAUDIBLE]? I THINK I AM.

CAN YOU HEAR ME? WE CAN.

YES, SIR. YOU MAY BEGIN.

OK, GOOD AFTERNOON, COUNCIL.

MAYOR. MY CONCERN IS WITH, I'M CALLING YOU TODAY.

FIVE YEARS AGO, YOU KNOW, WE PUT THAT PROP ONE IN AND TODAY WE SEEM TO BE TRYING TO FINISH UP WITH SOME OF THE PROJECTS AND TWO ON THE CONSENT AGENDA, TWO I AND TWO J.

BOTH OF THOSE ARE LISTED AS, WELL TWO I IS LISTED OVER FIVE MILLION. I HAVE RECORDS FROM BACK WHEN THE BONDS WERE PASSED.

AND THIS PARTICULAR PART OF THE PROJECT WAS ONLY LISTED THREE POINT FOUR MILLION.

AND THAT'S JUST FROM RECORDS I HAVE FROM BACK WHEN IT WAS WHEN IT WAS ISSUED.

AND ON TWO J.

THAT'S WHAT THE SOUTHWEST QUADRANT, THE FIRST ONE WAS WITH THE [INAUDIBLE] HELIUM ROAD PROJECT THAT'S GOING ON OUT THERE.

THE NEXT ONE IS AT FIVE POINT SIX MILLION AT THE SOUTHWEST QUADRANT, FINALLY GETTING OVER HERE. AND IT WAS LISTED AT THREE POINT, WELL, A LITTLE OVER THREE MILLION.

COME OUT AT FIVE POINT SIX MILLION AND ACCORDING TO TODAY'S AGENDA ITEMS. MY QUESTION IS, I'D LIKE TO HEAR SOME DISCUSSION.

I'VE LOOKED BACK AND I'VE LISTENED TO MOST COUNCIL SESSIONS AND HAVE NEVER HEARD A DISCUSSION AS TO WHY THESE PROJECTS, WHICH IS ALL OVER SIX MILLION.

WENT TO OVER 10 MILLION AND WHERE? WHAT ARE WE TAKING FROM THESE OTHER PROJECTS OR WHERE HOW IS THAT WORKING? SO A LITTLE DETAIL ON THAT TODAY MAYBE DURING, WELL WHEN YOU GET TO THE CONSENT AGENDA, WHICH Y'ALL HAVE ALREADY CONSENTED TO THIS AND I WOULDN'T.

REALLY LIKE TO HEAR WHY YOU CONSENTED TO PROJECTS THAT WERE.

YOU KNOW, IN EXCESS OF FOUR MILLION MORE THAN WHAT WE VOTED ON AND AND THEN ONE OTHER THING IS THE POTENTIAL OF HAVING SOME PUBLIC MEETINGS NOW TO WHERE WE CAN ACTUALLY BE BACK IN THE COUNCIL CHAMBERS.

YOU KNOW, WE'RE OPEN AT 100 PERCENT IN THE CITY AND TO NOT HAVE COUNCIL MEETINGS IN FRONT OF YOU ALL TO WHERE WE CAN HAVE DISCUSSIONS WITH YOU BEFORE AND AFTER AND DURING.

YOU KNOW, IS REALLY LIMITING CITIZENS TO BE ABLE TO TALK WITH YOU.

AND, YOU KNOW, SURE, WE CAN EMAIL, WE CAN CALL AND WE CAN DO ALL THOSE THINGS.

BUT THAT'S NOT NOT HAPPENING.

SO ANYWAY, MAYBE THERE'LL BE SOME DISCUSSION ON THE CONSENT AGENDA.

THAT'S MY REQUEST TODAY.

I KNOW I'M PROBABLY I HAVEN'T COUNTED MY TIME, BUT I CAN KEEP TALKING [INAUDIBLE].

THANK YOU MR. [INAUDIBLE]. THANK YOU, MR. CITY MANAGER, IF WE COULD JUST HAVE YOU ADDRESS THOSE WHEN WE DO THE CONSENT AGENDA AND THEN YOU CAN TALK AGAIN ABOUT THE MEETING CONVERSATION, PUBLIC MEETINGS AND YOUR PLANS

[00:05:03]

SO WE'RE HAPPY TO DO THAT [INAUDIBLE].

I WAS OUT. STEPHANIE, WOULD YOU MIND? I THINK I THINK MR. [INAUDIBLE]'AS MIC IS STILL ON, I CAN HEAR I CAN HEAR YOU STILL, JAMES.

HE'S TURNED OFF NOW, MAYOR, AND.

OK GREAT, GREAT.

NOT REALIZING THAT HIS MICROPHONE WAS ON, SO.

OK, MOVING ON TO AGENDA ITEM ONE A TO REVIEW THE AGENDA FOR AND THE ATTACHMENTS FOR ANY

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

WAS THERE ANYTHING IN YOUR PACKET THAT YOU WANTED TO TALK ABOUT BEFORE WE COME TO AN ITEM ON THE AGENDA? OK, LET'S MOVE ON THEN TO ITEM ONE B THE CORONAVIRUS UPDATE, MR.

[1B. Coronavirus Update; ]

I FIGURED BEFORE I HAND IT OFF TO HER AND THEN TO LAURA STORRS TO GIVE INFORMATION ON THE ADDITIONAL RESCUE FUNDS, I THINK, IS WHAT THEY'RE BEING CALLED.

FROM CONGRESS, I WILL ALSO BUT FIRST, I'LL JUST TOUCH ON THAT LAST QUESTION FROM THE PUBLIC ADDRESS. SO [INAUDIBLE] THE THOUGHT PROCESS ON GO BACK TO IN-PERSON MEETINGS IS DIRECTLY TO WHEN OUR PUBLIC AND OUR TEAM COULD REASONABLY BE VACCINATED AND HAVE VACCINES AVAILABLE TO THEM.

BASED ON THE ANNOUNCEMENT THAT WAS MADE TODAY THAT EVERY ELIGIBLE, OR EVERY ADULT 18, 18 AND OVER IS ELIGIBLE FOR MODERNA AND EVERY ADULT 16 AND OVER IS ELIGIBLE FOR PFIZER, THEN EVERY ADULT INSIDE THE APPROPRIATE AGES FOR THE OTHER VACCINES WILL BE ELIGIBLE AS WELL.

SO IT IS.

I WOULD EXPECT IT TO BE RELATIVELY SOON WHEN WE COULD HAVE ALLOW ALL OF OUR CITIZENS TO HAVE BEEN VACCINATED AND THOSE THAT WANT IT.

OBVIOUSLY, THERE'S GOING TO BE PEOPLE THAT DON'T.

AND HOWEVER THAT WORKS OUT FOR THEM, THAT'S THEIR RESPONSIBILITY AND THAT'S THEIR CHOICE.

AND I'M NOT WE'RE COMPLEMENTING THAT.

I'M JUST SAYING ONCE WE GET TO THAT POINT, THERE IS NO LOGICAL REASON TO NOT MEET IN PERSON, AT LEAST IN AS MUCH AS THE COUNCIL WOULD LIKE TO.

WE STILL, AS LONG AS WE ARE IN THE GOVERNOR'S DECLARED STATE OF EMERGENCY OR DISASTER, RATHER WE HAVE THE AUTHORITY TO DO VIRTUAL MEETINGS.

BUT THERE'S NO YOU KNOW, THERE'S NO COMPELLING REASON TO YOU KNOW.

THERE'S NO REASON, HEALTH AND SAFETY, ONCE WE HAVE ADDRESSED THE VACCINE AVAILABILITY ISSUE FOR THOSE THAT WOULD COME TO MEETINGS.

SO THAT IS THE THOUGHT PROCESS THERE.

AND.

JARED, CAN I JUST ADD IN A LITTLE BIT THAT I'VE HEARD YOU GIVE THIS ANSWER A LOT.

AND REALLY ONE OF THE MAIN REASONS I'VE HEARD YOU GIVE IS THAT OUR COUNCIL CHAMBER IS SMALL FOR THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE THAT WE PACK INTO IT.

IF YOU'VE NEVER BEEN TO A CITY COUNCIL MEETING IN PERSON BEFORE, WE HAVE THE PEOPLE THAT SIT UP ON THE ON THE PLATFORM AND THOSE CHAIRS ARE THEY'RE NOT SIX FEET.

AND THERE'S NO WAY TO SPREAD THEM OUT BECAUSE THAT PLATFORM IS ONLY SO BIG.

SO IT CREATES A PROBLEM FOR THE COUNCIL.

BUT THEN THERE ARE ANOTHER 30, SOMETIMES 40 PEOPLE THAT ARE CITY STAFF EVEN RELATED, IN ADDITION TO THE PUBLIC THAT SIT IN THAT ROOM THAT HAS ABOUT A HUNDRED AND FIFTY CHAIRS IN IT. AND SO IT'S A SMALL ROOM AND THOSE DEPARTMENT HEADS CAN'T SAFELY DISTANCE SIX FEET IN THE ROOM, MUCH LESS WITH THE PUBLIC.

SO THAT WAS REALLY BEHIND YOUR DECISION IN THE BEGINNING TO NOT DO MEETINGS IN PUBLIC.

WE COULD MOVE TO A DIFFERENT ROOM.

WE COULD MOVE TO THE CIVIC CENTER, BUT WE DON'T HAVE CAMERA EQUIPMENT OR MICROPHONE EQUIPMENT THAT ALLOWS US TO BROADCAST THE MEETING.

AND SO YOU WERE PUT TO AN ELECTION, SORT OF HAVE AN IN-PERSON MEETING AND A LARGER SPACE WITHOUT THE ABILITY TO BROADCAST IT OR GO VIRTUAL SO THAT ANYBODY WHO WANTED TO WATCH IT COULD WATCH IT AND YET STILL BE SAFE.

DOING THE MEETINGS IN OUR EXISTING CITY COUNCIL MEETING ROOM JUST WASN'T AN OPTION BECAUSE IT IS SUCH A SMALL SPACE.

DID I SUMMARIZE THAT CORRECTLY? AND I JUST I DID THAT BECAUSE I'M NOT SURE EVERYBODY HAS HEARD YOUR THINKING ON THAT.

[00:10:01]

WHEN WE WHEN WE IMPLEMENT SOCIAL DISTANCING IN THE ROOM, THE CAPACITY GOES THROUGH THE FLOOR AND THEN WE GO TO A SPACE BIG ENOUGH.

THERE'S TECHNICAL, TECHNICAL ISSUES THAT ARE GOING TO MAKE IT A VERY DIFFICULT MEETING TO EITHER SEE OR HEAR.

WHETHER YOU'RE THERE OR WATCHING ONLINE.

SO I THINK WE HAVE A GOOD, GOOD WAY FORWARD, ESPECIALLY IN LIGHT OF THE ANNOUNCEMENT THAT CASIE WILL BE TALKING ABOUT HERE JUST A FEW MOMENTS. I DON'T KNOW EXACTLY WHAT THE TIMING WOULD BE FOR THAT.

OBVIOUSLY, WE WOULD WANT TO GIVE PEOPLE TIME TO GET THAT SECOND VACCINE, THE VACCINATION AND SOME OTHER THINGS. BUT WE'LL WORK WITH ON A VERY REGULAR BASIS WITH OUR PUBLIC HEALTH DIRECTOR AND OUR PUBLIC HEALTH AUTHORITY TO HELP INFORM WHEN WE'RE READY TO GO BACK TO IN-PERSON MEETINGS. NOW, IF THERE'S NO OTHER QUESTIONS ON THAT, AND I WANT TO I DEFINITELY DON'T WANT TO CUT ANYBODY OFF IF THERE ARE ANY QUESTIONS ON THAT.

IF THERE'S NO OTHER QUESTIONS ON THAT, I'M GONNA GO AHEAD AND HAND TO CASIE STOUGHTON, DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC HEALTH, TO GIVE US THE UPDATE ON CORONAVIRUS AND ACTIVITIES ASSOCIATED WITH IT. AND THEN WE'LL GO TO LAURA STORRS TO GIVE US A PRESENTATION ON ADDITIONAL FUNDS THAT ARE BEING MADE AVAILABLE. SO, CASIE.

THANK YOU, JARED. WE'LL TALK ABOUT THE NUMBERS AND THEN WE'LL TALK ABOUT THE VACCINE, BECAUSE I THINK THAT THAT'S A VERY IMPORTANT PIECE OF INFORMATION TO TALK ABOUT.

SO AS OF TODAY, THERE ARE A TOTAL OF THIRTY THREE THOUSAND FIVE HUNDRED AND FIVE TOTAL CASES OF COVID-19 REPORTED IN POTTER AND RANDALL COUNTIES.

SEVENTEEN THOUSAND ONE HUNDRED AND NINE CASES IN POTTER COUNTY AND SIXTEEN THOUSAND THREE HUNDRED AND NINETY SIX CASES IN RANDALL COUNTY.

THERE A TOTAL OF THIRTY TWO THOUSAND FIVE HUNDRED AND THIRTY SIX RECOVERIES.

AND WE ARE UP TO SEVEN HUNDRED AND FOUR DEATHS HERE IN OUR COMMUNITY.

THAT LEAVES US WITH TWO HUNDRED AND SIXTY FIVE ACTIVE CASES.

THE SEVEN DAY ROLLING POSITIVITY RATE IS CURRENTLY AT TWO PERCENT AND THE POSITIVITY RATE AT THE DRIVE THRU TESTING SITE IS AT 13 PERCENT.

FIVE DAY NEW CASE AVERAGE IS AT 17 NEW CASES PER DAY ON AVERAGE.

OUR YESTERDAY OUR GA34'S HOSPITALIZATION PERCENTAGE WAS AT FOUR POINT FIVE SEVEN PERCENT.

AND THAT MEANS THAT FOUR POINT FIVE SEVEN PERCENT OF ALL HOSPITALIZED PATIENTS HAVE COVID-19. THAT THAT PUTS US IN THAT IN NOT IN AN AREA OF HIGH HOSPITALIZATION NEED TO BE OVER THE 15 PERCENT THRESHOLD FOR SEVEN CONSECUTIVE DAYS.

WE'RE ALSO CURRENTLY IN STATUS LEVEL YELLOW.

IT IS IMPORTANT TO REMEMBER TO CONTINUE MASKING, SOCIAL DISTANCING, GOOD HANDWASHING AND VACCINATIONS. VIRUS IS STILL HERE IN OUR COMMUNITY.

WE DO HAVE GOOD NEWS ON THE LOCAL HOSPITALIZATION FRONT.

WE HAVE TWENTY THREE PATIENTS WITH COVID-19 HOSPITALIZED.

WHILE OUR CONCERN DOES LIE WITH EACH OF THE HOSPITALIZED PATIENTS.

WE RECOGNIZE THAT THAT IS A HUGE BLESSING.

AT ONE TIME WE HAD OVER THREE HUNDRED HOSPITALIZED PATIENTS WITH COVID-19.

SO WE'VE DEFINITELY COME A LONG WAY AS A COMMUNITY.

WE DO RECOGNIZE IT IS SIGNIFICANT FOR EACH OF THOSE TWENTY THREE PEOPLE THAT ARE IN THE HOSPITAL RIGHT NOW. ADULT BED UTILIZATION IS CURRENTLY [INAUDIBLE] ICU UTILIZATION AT SEVENTY TWO POINT FIVE PERCENT AND VENTILATOR CAPACITY AT TWENTY THREE PERCENT.

ONE, AN ADDITIONAL PIECE OF GREAT NEWS IS THAT AT THE TIME OF THE REPORT, NORTH WEST TEXAS HOSPITAL NOTED THAT THERE WERE NO PATIENTS CURRENTLY ON THE VENTILATOR RELATED TO COVID-19 AND BSA HAD A VERY, VERY SMALL NUMBER OF PATIENTS REQUIRING MECHANICAL VENTILATION. SO, AGAIN, JUST GREAT STRIDES THERE.

WE'VE TRULY COME A LONG WAY.

WE'VE DEFINITELY WORKED HARD TOGETHER AS A COMMUNITY AND WE CAN KEEP GOING TO KEEP OUR COMMUNITY AND LOVED ONES SAFE DURING.

THIS HAS DEFINITELY BEEN A HARD TIME.

THE PUBLIC HELD DRIVE THROUGH OPERATIONS REMAIN REMAIN CONSISTENT.

OUR PUBLIC HEALTH DIRECTOR TESTING SITE REMAINS OPERATIONAL.

INDIVIDUALS CAN STILL CALL 378-6300 TO BE SCREENED AND DIRECTED TO THE TEST SITE.

THE VACCINATION CLINIC AT THE CIVIC CENTER DOES REMAIN OPERATIONAL THROUGH ENTRANCE THREE ON THE NORTH SIDE OF THE BUILDING.

TO DATE, AMARILLO PUBLIC HEALTH HAS GIVEN SIXTY FOUR THOUSAND SIX HUNDRED AND FIFTY THREE FIRST DOSES AND THIRTY EIGHT THOUSAND FIVE HUNDRED AND THIRTY SEVEN SECOND DOSES FOR A TOTAL OF ONE HUNDRED AND THREE THOUSAND ONE HUNDRED AND NINETY DOSES GIVEN.

SO IT WAS A RED LETTER DAY TO REACH THAT ONE HUNDRED THOUSAND MARK.

AND WE SURE APPRECIATE ALL OF THE ALL THE EFFORT AND ALL OF THE TEAMS, THE POLICE DEPARTMENT, THE FIRE DEPARTMENT, THE CIVIC CENTER TEAM.

[00:15:01]

PARKS AND REC, THE LIBRARY, ALL OF THE DIFFERENT TEAMS THAT HAVE PULLED TOGETHER TO MAKE THIS HAPPEN FOR OUR COMMUNITY, COULD NOT BE MORE PROUD OF THEM.

TODAY WE'LL BE OPEN UNTIL 7:00.

SO COME SEE [INAUDIBLE] HEALTH CARE WORKER OVER THE AGE OF 50.

NOT NOT THE SAME IF YOU'RE A HEALTH CARE WORKER, COMMA, IF YOU'RE OVER THE AGE OF 50, IF YOU'RE OVER THE AGE OF 18 AND YOU HAVE A CHRONIC HEALTH CARE CONDITION, OR IF YOU'RE AN EDUCATOR OR WORK IN A LICENSED HEALTH CARE FACILITY, IF YOU WORK AT A SCHOOL.

PRESCHOOL, PRIMARY SCHOOL, SECONDARY SCHOOL, ANY OF THOSE CATEGORIES.

THAT GROUP HAS BEEN CALLED, SO WE CERTAINLY WANT TO ENCOURAGE ANY OF THOSE FOLKS TO COME BE VACCINATED TODAY.

BUT AGAIN, THE VERY BEST NEWS THAT CAME OUT TODAY WAS DSHS ANNOUNCED THAT BEGINNING MONDAY, MARCH THE TWENTY NINTH, THE COVID VACCINE WILL BE OPEN TO ALL AGES.

SO 16 AND OVER OLDER FOR PFIZER AND 18 AND OLDER FOR THE MODERNA VACCINE.

AND WE HAVE THE MODERNA VACCINE AT THE CLINIC, AT THE CIVIC CENTER.

AND SO WE WILL BE ABLE TO SEE PATIENTS THAT ARE 18 AND OLDER AT THE CIVIC CENTER.

I THINK ONE THING THAT'S TO NOTE RELATED TO THE CONVERSATION PREVIOUS RELATED TO IN-PERSON MEETINGS.

A PERSON RECOGNIZES THEIR FULL, FULL VACCINATION STATUS TWO WEEKS AFTER THEIR SECOND DOSE, AND SO THE PFIZER VACCINE, THERE'S THOSE TWO DOSES ARE THREE WEEKS APART.

THE MODERNA VACCINE IS FOUR WEEKS APART.

AND THEN TWO WEEKS AFTER THAT SECOND DOSE, THEN THAT PATIENT WOULD RECOGNIZE THEIR FULL IMMUNITY. AND SO I THINK THAT THAT'S DEFINITELY SOMETHING TO KEEP IN MIND, ESPECIALLY IF WE'RE GOING TO BE PULLING IN GROUPS OF PEOPLE INTO A SMALL SPACE AND WE DON'T NECESSARILY KNOW THEIR THEIR HEALTH STATUS.

SO DEFINITELY WE JUST WANT TO TO PUT THAT OUT THERE FOR CONSIDERATION.

AND THAT'S THAT'S ALL I HAVE TODAY.

ALL RIGHT, IS THERE ANY QUESTIONS FOR CASIE FROM COUNCIL? IF NOT, WE'LL GO AHEAD AND HAND IT OFF TO LAURA.

LAURA ARE YOU AVAILABLE, ARE YOU READY? YES, SIR, I AM HERE.

LET ME MAKE SURE I CAN SHARE MY SCREEN REAL QUICK, I HAVE A VERY BRIEF PRESENTATION THAT OUR FINANCE TEAM WITH DEBBIE REID LEADING IT, THEY HAVE PUT THIS TOGETHER FOR US TO SHARE THIS INFORMATION AND AND WANT TO MAKE SURE COUNCIL KNOWS THAT THIS IS COMING.

THIS IS VERY RECENT AND WE KNOW THERE'S GOING TO BE CONTINUED GUIDANCE ISSUED RELATED TO THIS FUNDING. AND WE WILL KEEP COUNCIL UP TO DATE AS THAT CONTINUES TO EVOLVE.

STEPHANIE, DO YOU MIND ALLOWING ME ACCESS TO SHARE MY SCREEN PLEASE? AND IT'LL BE MY SECOND SIGN ON.

OK.

PERFECT. ALL RIGHT, THANK YOU SO MUCH.

OK, SO AGAIN, A VERY BRIEF PRESENTATION.

WE ARE REALLY EXCITED THAT RECENTLY THERE WAS LEGISLATION PASSED THAT BECAME LAW ON MARCH 11TH, SO JUST JUST A FEW WEEKS AGO, IT'S VERY RECENT HERE, THIS IS THE AMERICAN RESCUE PLAN ACT OF 2021.

IT WILL BE REFERRED TO AS THE ARP.

WHAT WE'RE GOING TO BE LOOKING AT IS THIS FEDERAL STIMULUS BILL THAT IS H.R.

1319 AND THE IMPACT THAT IT HAS ON CITIES AND COUNTIES.

SO AS I MENTIONED, THIS BECAME LAW ON ON MARCH 11TH, AND IT'S ONE HUNDRED AND THIRTY POINT TWO BILLION DOLLARS IN RELIEF TO CITIES AND COUNTIES NATIONWIDE.

THE AMOUNT FOR THE CITY OF AMARILLO AND THESE WERE BASED ON POPULATION, THE AMOUNT COMING TO THE CITY OF AMARILLO IS SET TO BE FORTY TWO MILLION, TWO HUNDRED AND SEVENTY THOUSAND DOLLARS. THE WAY THIS RELIEF FUNDING IS SET UP, THERE IS DISTRIBUTION THAT WILL BE MADE IN TWO INSTALLMENTS.

SO 50 PERCENT IS ANTICIPATED TO COME BY MAY 10TH.

SO VERY QUICK, VERY QUICK TURNAROUND ON THIS.

AND THEN THE OTHER 50 PERCENT IS NO EARLIER THAN 12 MONTHS AFTER THE FIRST DISTRIBUTION.

SO WE WOULD BE LOOKING AT THEN NO EARLIER THAN MAY OF 2022.

SO LARGER JURISDICTIONS WHICH THE CITY OF AMARILLO DOES QUALIFY IN THAT CATEGORY IS A LARGE JURISDICTION, ARE SET TO RECEIVE DIRECT DISTRIBUTION FROM THE US TREASURY.

SO THIS IS A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT THAN THE WAY OUR CORONA RELIEF FUNDING, CORONAVIRUS

[00:20:02]

WE ARE CONSIDERED A LARGE JURISDICTION, SO WE WILL GET DISTRIBUTION STRAIGHT FROM THE US TREASURY. SO THERE'S NO APPLICATION, NO QUALIFICATION PROCESS.

SMALLER JURISDICTIONS, WHICH WOULD BE SEVERAL OF THOSE THAT ARE ALSO IN OUR REGIONAL AREA, THEY WILL BE APPLYING THROUGH THE STATE.

SO IT'LL PROBABLY BE A FAIRLY SIMILAR PROCESS TO WHAT WE WENT THROUGH AS WE WERE DOING THE CORONAVIRUS RELIEF FUNDING, THE CRF FUNDING.

NOW, ALL OF THESE FUNDS MUST BE SPENT BY DECEMBER THIRTY FIRST OF 2024.

ON THIS SIDE, LET'S TALK FOR A SECOND ABOUT THE ELIGIBLE AREAS OF USE, AND THIS IS THE ONE THAT IF THIS ACTS ANYTHING SIMILAR TO THE CORONA RELIEF FUNDING, CORONAVIRUS RELIEF FUNDING, IT DID EVOLVE OVER TIME.

BUT THESE ARE THE ELIGIBLE AREAS THAT ARE BEING OUTLINED AT THIS POINT IN TIME.

SO THIS IS WHAT WE ARE DOING, OR PLANNING OFF OF.

SO THE FIRST ONE IS RESPONSE TO PUBLIC HEALTH EMERGENCY WITH RESPECT TO COVID-19 RESPONSE AND OH I'M SORRY, OR IT'S NEGATIVE ECONOMIC IMPACTS.

SO THAT MAY INCLUDE ASSISTANCE TO HOUSEHOLDS, SMALL BUSINESSES, NONPROFITS, OR IT CAN AID TO IMPACTED INDUSTRIES SUCH AS TOURISM, TRAVEL AND HOSPITALITY.

IT'S ALSO ELIGIBLE TO RESPOND TO WORKERS PERFORMING ESSENTIAL WORK DURING COVID-19 BY PROVIDING PROPER PAY.

THERE IS A PROVISION OF GOVERNMENT SERVICES TO THE EXTENT OF THE REDUCTION IN REVENUE OF ELIGIBLE CITIES AND COUNTIES RELATIVE TO REVENUES IN THE MOST RECENT FULL FISCAL YEAR, AND THAT THAT AREA IS VERY DIFFERENT THAN THE CRF FUNDING.

THERE WAS NO PROVISIONS IN THE CRF FUNDING THAT ALLOWED FOR ANY KIND OF A REVENUE LOSS OR REVENUE REDUCTION. SO THAT IS KIND OF A NEW AREA WITH THIS RELIEF FUNDING.

THEN THE LAST AREA IDENTIFIED FOR AN ELIGIBLE USE IS TO MAKE NECESSARY INVESTMENTS IN WATER, SEWER OR BROADBAND INFRASTRUCTURE.

AND AGAIN, THAT IS ANOTHER NEW AREA TO THIS RELIEF FUNDING THAT WE DID NOT SEE IN THE CRF FUNDING THAT THE CITY RECEIVED BEFORE.

AND AS A REMINDER, THAT WAS ABOUT 11 MILLION DOLLARS THAT THE CITY RECEIVED LAST YEAR.

WELL, IT WAS WE WERE OUTLINED TO RECEIVE IT LAST YEAR AND WE GOT IT IN THE BANK ACCOUNT JUST AFTER OUR FISCAL YEAR END.

SO THIS IS A WHOLE NEW SET OF RELIEF FUNDING.

IT COMES WITH SOME NEW CRITERIA, BUT WE ARE VERY EXCITED FOR THIS OPPORTUNITY FOR OUR COMMUNITY AND FOR OUR CITY.

SO AT THIS POINT, I WANT TO OPEN IT UP TO COUNCIL IF YOU HAVE ANY SPECIFIC QUESTIONS ON THIS OR THE PREVIOUS RELIEF FUNDING THAT WE HAVE.

SO, LAURA, IN REGARDS TO YOUR FIRST FIRST BULLET, IS THERE ADDITIONAL DETAILS AS FAR AS HOUSEHOLDS, SMALL BUSINESSES, NONPROFITS, AS TO WHERE THOSE DOLLARS, HOW THOSE DOLLARS COULD ACTUALLY BE SPENT AND THE ASSISTANCE IN THOSE PARTICULAR AREAS? YES, MA'AM. YES. THERE'S THERE'S SOME ADDITIONAL CRITERIA IN THERE THAT WE ARE SORTING THROUGH AND WE'RE TRYING TO FIND POSSIBLE ELIGIBLE USES THAT WE CAN SHARE WITH COUNCIL AS WE MOVE FORWARD WITH THIS, IF THAT IS AN OPTION OR AN AREA THAT COUNCIL DECIDES TO PROCEED. OK, THANK YOU SO MUCH, I APPRECIATE IT.

MAYOR, CAN YOU HEAR ME? YES, WE CAN HEAR YOU.

YAY. NOT THAT IT TOOK MORE THAN ONE HOOP TO JUMP THROUGH.

BUT THANK YOU, STEPHANIE, FOR WALKING ME THROUGH ALL THAT YEAH, WELL, I JUST WANT TO MAKE NOTE ON IT'S VERY INTERESTING WITH THESE DOLLARS THAT WE DO HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE DIRECT TRANSFERS TO SMALL BUSINESSES, TO HOUSEHOLDS, TO TOURISM, TRAVEL, HOSPITALITY.

THAT IS VERY DIFFERENT FROM THE OTHER.

WE HAD MAJOR RESTRICTIONS AND COULD ONLY REIMBURSE THE CITY FOR OUT OF POCKET EXPENSES.

AND SO ONE THING THAT I'D LIKE US TO TO LOOK AT IS BEING SURE THAT WE COVER DIRECT EXPENSES FOR SURE, AND THEN BEYOND THAT, THAT WE TAKE ADVANTAGE AND LOOK AT OPPORTUNITIES TO ACTUALLY PUSH THESE DOLLARS THROUGH TO OUR CITIZENS AND OUR LOCAL ECONOMY.

ONE OF THE THINGS THAT IS DIFFERENT WITH THIS, IN THE PAST COVID RELIEF BILLS, MOST OF

[00:25:04]

RECOVERY OF REVENUES AND, YOU KNOW, IT MAY NOT HAPPEN TODAY, BUT A TAX INCREASE IS DEFINITELY BEING DISCUSSED IN WASHINGTON.

ODDS ARE THAT OUR LOCAL CITIZENS AND BUSINESSES ARE, THIS ISN'T FREE MONEY.

IT'S BEING ADVANCED, BUT IT'S GOING TO COME OUT OF SOMEBODY'S POCKET AT SOME POINT.

AND MORE THAN LIKELY, OUR INDIVIDUAL HOMES, HOUSEHOLDS, BUSINESSES.

AND I WOULD LIKE US TO PRIORITIZE THE DISTRIBUTION AS DIRECTLY AS WE CAN BACK TO THE POCKETS OF LOCAL CITIZENS AND BUSINESSES.

AND COUNCIL MEMBER HAYS, OUR PLAN ON THIS WILL BE SIMILAR TO WHAT WE DID WITH THE CRF FUNDING. WE ALSO WILL BE WORKING WITH OTHER CITIES, BRAINSTORMING SOME IDEAS ON HOW BEST TO PUT TOGETHER PROGRAMS OR SOME IDEAS FOR PROGRAMS FOR THOSE VERY ITEMS THAT YOU ARE ADDRESSING. AND AS WE KIND OF COLLABORATE AND COME UP WITH SOME IDEAS ON THOSE, WE WILL CERTAINLY BE PRESENTING OPTIONS FOR COUNCIL IF THEY WOULD LIKE TO CONSIDER IT.

AND SO, AGAIN, THIS IS ALL VERY NEW INFORMATION THAT'S COME OUT.

AND SO IT'S JUST DETERMINING THE BEST WAYS TO NAVIGATE WHAT THOSE ELIGIBLE USES ARE TO ENSURE THAT WE ARE HANDLING THE MONEY PROPERLY.

AND THEN AS THE COUNCIL DECIDES, THEY WOULD LIKE TO UTILIZE THOSE FUNDS.

ALSO, AS WE LOOK BACK AT ONE OF THE INDUSTRIES THAT WAS HIT THE HARDEST WAS OUR HOTEL INDUSTRY AND OUR TRAVEL INDUSTRY AND SURPRISINGLY, OUR SALES TAX HAVE REBOUNDED QUICKLY.

THEY WERE NOT AS NEGATIVE AS WE EXPECTED THEM TO BE.

AND SO I WOULD LIKE THAT TO REALLY BE ON THE BURNER OF A POSSIBLE INVESTMENT INTO OUR FUNDING, SOME OF THE TRAVEL AND TOURISM THAT WE LOST SIGNIFICANTLY TO OUR HOT TAXES THIS LAST YEAR. I WAS NOT AWARE UNTIL YOUR REPORT TODAY, LAURA.

I THINK THIS IS A REALLY ENCOURAGING, INTERESTING ASPECT OF THESE DOLLARS, THAT WE HAVE SOME FLEXIBILITY THAT WE DID NOT HAVE IN THE PAST.

LAURA, DO YOU HAVE ANY INDICATION ON A TIMELINE FOR YOU KNOW FURTHER DETAILS ON INFORMATION ABOUT WHAT TYPES OF PROJECTS WOULD QUALIFY? I JUST KNOW WHEN WE DID WHEN WE HAD THE PREVIOUS PACKAGE, IT TOOK A LITTLE WHILE FOR US TO FIGURE OUT. WE ENDED UP DOING SMALL BUSINESS GRANTS AND LOANS AND BUT, YOU KNOW, IT TOOK US FOUR OR FIVE MONTHS TO PUT THAT TOGETHER AND UNDERSTAND HOW THOSE PROGRAMS COULD BE FUNDED WITH THOSE DOLLARS.

SO IS THAT THE KIND OF TIMELINE YOU WOULD SORT OF HAVE IN MIND FOR THIS? WELL, WE CERTAINLY HOPE WE CAN TURN THIS AROUND FASTER THAN WE DID THE LAST TIME.

PART OF WHAT OCCURRED WITH THE LAST RELIEF FUNDING AS AGAIN, WE GOT IT FROM THE STATE.

AND SO THE STATE HAD SOME ADDITIONAL INFORMATION THAT THEY WERE PUTTING OUT THERE RELATED TO THE USE OF THE FUNDS.

AND ACTUALLY THE STATE WAS UPDATING.

THEY THEY HAD A WEBSITE AND IT WAS IT WAS VERY USEFUL.

THEY HAD A WEBSITE WITH FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS AND THEY WERE UPDATING IT ALMOST ON A WEEKLY BASIS.

SO THEY WERE PUSHING OUT CONSTANT INFORMATION AS CITIES WERE COMING UP WITH THESE GREAT IDEAS ON HOW TO UTILIZE THE FUNDS THEY WERE COMING UP WITH.

YES OR NO, OR IF YOU DO IT THIS WAY, IT WILL WORK.

IF YOU DON'T, YOU NEED TO KIND OF DO IT A LITTLE DIFFERENT.

SO GIVING SOME GUIDANCE NOW DO YOU HAVE A SECOND TO LOOK AT THESE OTHER TILES AND YOU.

SOMEBODY HAS THEIR, YEAH, MAKE SURE EVERYBODY'S ON MUTE.

THANK YOU. AND SINCE SINCE THESE DOLLARS ARE COMING STRAIGHT FROM THE TREASURY DEPARTMENT, IT MAY LOOK AND FEEL A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT.

AND WE ARE ANTICIPATING THERE COULD BE A SOMEWHAT BROADER SCOPE TO IT FOR ELIGIBILITY.

AND SO, AGAIN, WE WANT TO WRAP OUR ARMS AROUND THIS AND MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE PROPOSING THINGS OR COMING UP WITH IDEAS THAT DO MEET THAT CRITERIA.

SO MAYOR, AGAIN, DON'T KNOW OF A TIME FRAME QUITE YET, BUT CERTAINLY HOPE IT WILL BE MUCH QUICKER THAN THE FOUR TO FIVE MONTHS.

THE OTHER GREAT THING IS WE WERE ALSO WHEN WE RECEIVED THE LAST FUNDING, WE WERE ALSO NECK DEEP IN THE PANDEMIC, TRYING JUST TO MANAGE ALL THE CHANGES GOING ON.

WE ARE IN A MUCH MORE STABLE PLACE AT THIS POINT IN TIME.

AND SO CAN HEAVILY FOCUS ON HOW HOW FAST WE CAN GET SOME IDEAS OUT THERE AND BACK TO

[00:30:04]

AND SO THE NEXT STEP WILL BE STARTING TO BRING THOSE BACK.

AND I WILL KEEP JARED IN THE LOOP AND HE CAN GET SOME INFORMATION OUT TO COUNCIL SO WE CAN GET TIMING AND THEN HOPEFULLY IN THE NEXT MONTH TO GET SOME IDEAS OVER TO COUNCIL.

I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO NOTE ALSO THAT OUR NEIGHBORING JURISDICTIONS ALSO HAVE RECEIVE.

THEY DID. THESE FUNDS, INCLUDING CITY OF CANYON, CAN'T REMEMBER EXACTLY WHAT THE NUMBER IS . IT WASN'T NEARLY THE TYPE OF NUMBERS THAT THAT CITY OF AMARILLO HAS, BUT IT'S PROPORTION. AND THEN ALSO TWENTY SIX MILLION IN RANDALL COUNTY.

TWENTY TWO MILLION IN POTTER COUNTY.

SO SO THERE'S THERE'S A GOOD AMOUNT OF RESOURCES COMING TO THIS PART OF THE STATE AND THIS PART OF THE COUNTRY THROUGH THIS PROGRAM.

AND I THINK IT'D BE IMPORTANT FOR US TO ALSO.

AT LEAST BE AWARE OF WHAT THE OTHER ENTITIES ARE DOING [INAUDIBLE] BE AWARE THAT WE CAN MAKE SURE THAT THE FUNDS ARE NOT DUPLICATING EFFORTS, THAT THEY ARE COMPLEMENTARY OF EACH OTHER, PROJECTS AREN'T STEPPING ON EACH OTHER'S TOES, THAT KIND OF THING.

LAURA, I HAD ONE OTHER QUESTION ON FROM THE STATE DOLLARS AND WHERE WE'RE SITTING, HAVE WE BEEN FULLY REIMBURSED FOR ALL OF OUR OUT-OF-POCKET COSTS RELATED TO COVID-19 THAT WE QUALIFIED FOR THROUGH THE STATE? AND IF THAT FUNDING RAN OUT, IF THERE WERE STILL IF WE STILL HAD SOME NEGATIVE IN SOME CATEGORIES WHERE WE HAVE NOT BEEN REIMBURSED.

SO AS FAR AS RECEIVING THE FUNDING FROM THE STATE, WE HAVE RECEIVED ALL OF THE FUNDING FROM THE CRF THAT THAT WAS A PROVISION OF THE CARES ACT.

AND WE DID RECEIVE ALL OF THOSE DOLLARS IN AND WE MET ALL OF THE CRITERIA FOR ELIGIBILITY TO RECEIVE THE FULL 11 MILLION DOLLARS ON THAT.

SO THAT HAS ALL BEEN RECEIVED.

SOME OF THOSE DOLLARS ARE THEY REIMBURSE THE CITY FOR COSTS, SOME OF THOSE COSTS THE CITY HAD ALREADY ABSORBED AND SO ARE NOW UTILIZING ANYTHING THAT WAS EXCESS TO CONTINUE FUNDING THE ONGOING OPERATIONS THAT ARE OCCURRING WITH OUR PUBLIC HEALTH FACILITIES.

SO THAT IS THE TESTING FACILITY AND THAT IS ALSO THE VACCINATION CLINIC.

AND THOSE DOLLARS ARE IT'S BEEN VERY ESSENTIAL TO OUR COMMUNITY.

AND SO THE CITY HAS ENSURED THAT THERE IS FUNDING AVAILABLE TO CONTINUE COVERING THE COSTS. WE DO HAVE GRANT DOLLARS THAT HAVE THAT NORMALLY FUND MOST OF OUR PUBLIC HEALTH OPERATIONS. BUT PUBLIC HEALTH HAS ALREADY EXPENDED ALL OF THEIR GRANT DOLLARS ASSOCIATED WITH COVID-19.

AND SO THE CITY IS USING SOME OF THOSE EXCESS FUNDS THAT WERE AVAILABLE RELATED TO THE CARES ACT TO CONTINUE FUNDING THOSE ONGOING COSTS AT PUBLIC HEALTH.

LAURA, IS THERE A SUMMARY THAT THE CITIZEN WHO'S CURIOUS ABOUT HOW THOSE FUNDS WERE SPENT? DO WE HAVE THAT POSTED SOMEWHERE? BECAUSE I'VE HAD CITIZENS REACH OUT AND ASK, DID THE CITY COUNCIL USE THOSE FUNDS TO BUY A WAREHOUSE DOWNTOWN? AND THE ANSWER IS NO, THEY DIDN'T.

BUT I THINK IT WOULD BE GREAT IF CITIZENS COULD EASILY ACCESS THE SUM.

I'VE SEEN SUMMARIES, BUT IF CITIZENS COULD EASILY ACCESS THOSE TO SEE WHERE THE MONEY WAS SPENT JUST TO HELP ACCURATE INFORMATION BE OUT THERE IN THE COMMUNITY SO THAT, YOU KNOW, IF THEY HAD A QUESTION AND THEN JUST AT THE BOTTOM, IF YOU COULD SAY YOU KNOW IF YOU HAVE MORE QUESTIONS, YOU CAN ALWAYS CONTACT THE MAYOR'S HOTLINE, AND THAT'S 378-6445.

BUT IT MIGHT BE GREAT TO HAVE A STAFF MEMBER AS A POINT OF CONTACT ON THAT INFORMATION.

DO YOU THINK THAT'S SOMETHING, JARED, WE COULD PUT ON THE CITY WEBSITE? HOW CAN WE DIRECT A CITIZEN TO GO LOOK FOR THAT? ABSOLUTELY. WE CAN DO THAT.

I WOULD ANTICIPATE THAT WE WOULD PUT THAT ON THE CITY WEBSITE AND JUST HAVE A LINK THAT'S EASY TO FIND. I DON'T KNOW THAT IT WOULD BE THE RIGHT PLACE TO PUT IT ON AMARILLO ALERTS, BECAUSE THAT'S MORE ON THE COVID.

NOT SO MUCH ON. HEALTH RELATED.

YEAH.

[INAUDIBLE] I DON'T WANT TO I DON'T WANT TO MIX THAT UP TOO MUCH AND WANT THAT TO BE A VERY NARROWLY FOCUSED WEBPAGE.

BUT WE'LL LINK THAT OFF OF THE CITY'S WEBPAGE.

OK, I THINK THAT'D BE GREAT.

THANK YOU.

JUST AS YOU'RE GATHERING THOSE THAT DATA TO BE SURE THAT WE INCLUDE THE DOLLARS THAT WERE GRANTED TO SMALL BUSINESSES, NOT JUST OUR OUTLAYS ON REIMBURSEMENT TO CITY COSTS.

[00:35:03]

ABSOLUTELY. AND AGAIN, THERE WAS GRANTS TO SMALL BUSINESSES AND THERE WERE DOLLARS THAT WENT TO COVER THE PPE.

SO YOU KNOW MASKS, HAND SANITIZER, THOSE TYPE ITEMS THAT BUSINESSES EXPENDED TO HELP NAVIGATE COVID.

SO, YES, WE WILL HAVE ALL WE CAN HAVE ALL OF THAT INFORMATION OUT THERE.

YEAH, SO, AGAIN, YOU CAN IF YOU CAN'T FIND IT ON THE WEBSITE OR YOU WOULD LIKE SOMEBODY TO JUST EMAIL IT TO YOU DIRECTLY, YOU CAN CALL THE MAYOR'S OFFICE AT 378-6445.

OR YOU CAN ALWAYS EMAIL, THIS EMAIL ADDRESS IS PUBLIC COMMUNICATIONS.

IT'S PLURAL. PUBLICCOMMUNICATIONS@AMARILLO.GOV.

AND JUST ASK THEM TO EMAIL YOU THAT INFORMATION.

AND YOU CAN ASK ANY QUESTION TO THAT HOTLINE OR TO THAT EMAIL ADDRESS AND THE CITY TEAM WILL WORK ON GETTING YOU THE ANSWER.

MAYBE NOT WHAT ARE THE LOTTERY NUMBERS FOR THE NEXT TEXAS LOTTERY? I DON'T KNOW THEY'D HAVE THAT ANSWER, BUT ANYTHING RELATED TO CITY OPERATIONS.

AND MAYOR I JUST WANTED TO STATE THAT THIS ALLOCATION TO CITIES THAT AMARILLO, WE ARE IN A REALLY GOOD POSITION TO UTILIZE THESE DOLLARS FOR THE BENEFIT OF OUR COMMUNITY.

A LOT OF CITIES DID NOT TAKE PROACTIVE STEPS THE WAY WE TOOK EARLY ON IN THE PANDEMIC, MAKING DECISIONS, HARD DECISIONS OF HOW TO PRESERVE OUR RESOURCES DURING UNCERTAIN TIMES.

AND WE NAVIGATED THAT FINANCIALLY VERY WELL AND ENDED UP IN A GOOD POSITION.

WHERE A LOT OF CITIES NOW ARE USING THESE DOLLARS TO DIG OUT OF SOME MAJOR DEFICITS AND NOT SOME REALLY FINANCIALLY PRUDENT DECISIONS AT THE LOCAL LEVEL AND STATE LEVEL.

AND SO JUST, AGAIN, COMMEND THE CITY MANAGER FOR THOSE DECISIONS THAT WERE MADE VERY EARLY ON. AND JUST A RECOGNITION THAT THIS IS A GREAT OPPORTUNITY.

AND FOR US TO REALLY THINK THROUGH ALL THE BEST WAYS TO UTILIZE THESE DOLLARS, WE'RE IN A LOT BETTER POSITION THAN A LOT OF COMMUNITIES.

FANTASTIC POINT AND YES, A GIGANTIC KUDOS AND THANK YOU TO OUR CITY MANAGER AND HIS STAFF . THEY LISTENED TO WHAT COUNCIL SAID ABOUT CONSERVATIVE FISCAL MANAGEMENT DURING THAT TIME . SO WE WERE ABLE TO GET THROUGH IT, WE DIDN'T HAVE TO RAISE TAXES AND.

I THINK OUR ECONOMIC NUMBERS ARE SHOWING SO STRONG, WE'RE AHEAD IN SALES TAX FOR WHERE WE WERE COMPARED TO THIS TIME LAST YEAR, WHICH WAS RIGHT AT OR BEFORE CORONAVIRUS.

SO THAT'S JUST REALLY AN AMAZING THING, A SURPRISING THING.

AND WHAT A PLEASANT SURPRISE.

WE'RE USED TO ALL THE SURPRISES BEING CHALLENGING.

AND THIS IS A NICE SURPRISE TO SEE US ECONOMICALLY REBOUNDING SO STRONGLY.

SO THANK YOU FOR BRINGING UP THAT POINT, ELAINE.

I REALLY APPRECIATE THAT.

MAYOR, IF I CAN ADD REAL QUICK, THIS ACT ALSO WILL HAVE SOME POTENTIAL DOLLARS COMING TO SOME OTHER AREAS.

WE DID GET INFORMATION IT WASN'T THROUGH THIS ACT, BUT IT WAS A SEPARATE RELIEF FUNDING.

OUR AIRPORT IS SET TO RECEIVE AN ADDITIONAL TWO POINT EIGHT MILLION DOLLARS IN FUNDING.

AND THEN THERE IS ALSO SOME ADDITIONAL RELIEF MONEY THAT IS THAT IS GOING TO COME TO THE AIRPORT. WE DON'T HAVE THAT FINAL NUMBER YET, SO WE'LL BRING THAT TO COUNCIL, ONCE WE GET IT. I THINK MAYBE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT MAY SEE A LITTLE BIT MORE TRANSIT POSSIBLY.

AS WE GET THOSE NUMBERS FINALIZED AND WE KNOW WHAT WE WILL BE RECEIVING.

WE'RE GOING TO CONTINUE TO BRING THAT INFORMATION TO COUNCIL BECAUSE I THINK WE NEED TO REALLY CELEBRATE THAT THOSE ESPECIALLY WHEN YOU LOOK AT OUR AIRPORT AREA, THAT WAS ONE OF THE AREAS THAT WAS IMPACTED THE STRONGEST BY COVID IN THAT THEY'RE RECEIVING SOME ADDITIONAL RELIEF FUNDING THAT'S GOING TO HELP GET THEM THROUGH SO THEY CAN STABILIZE.

SO WE'RE REALLY EXCITED ABOUT THAT ONE AS WELL.

ANYBODY ELSE HAVE QUESTIONS FOR LAURA ABOUT COVID FUNDS? ANYTHING ELSE ON CORONAVIRUS UPDATE? NO, MA'AM. THAT'S IT.

GREAT, [INAUDIBLE].

NO, THAT'S IT, CASIE HIT ALL THE ALL THE IMPORTANT PARTS FROM THE RECENT ANNOUNCEMENT FROM DSHS. SO THAT'S IT. YEAH, WE DEFINITELY WANT TO ENCOURAGE ANYONE WHO IS AN ADULT TO GO AND GET A VACCINE THAT BEGINS MONDAY OF NEXT WEEK.

SO I GOT.

GETTING CLOSE, FOLKS.

I GOT A TEXT JUST A MOMENT AGO FROM ONE OF OUR LOCAL BUSINESS OWNERS WHO'S INCENTIVIZING HIS EMPLOYEES TO COME GET VACCINATED AND WAS ASKING WHEN'S THE BEST TIME TO COME?

[00:40:02]

HOWEVER, THAT SAID, AND FOR EVERYBODY WATCHING TO ENCOURAGE YOU TO COME, WHEN YOU WHEN YOU HAVE AN AVAILABLE MOMENT, LINES MOVE QUICKLY.

WE CAN HANDLE A LOT OF PEOPLE.

WE'VE NEVER FULLY STRESSED OR FULLY FOUND OUT HOW MANY PEOPLE WE CAN VACCINATE.

WE ANTICIPATE WE CAN VACCINATE UP TO 5000 PEOPLE IN A DAY.

THE MOST WE'VE DONE IS THIRTY FIVE HUNDRED THIRTY SIX HUNDRED, SOMETHING LIKE THAT.

AND CASIE YOU CAN CORRECT ME IF I'M GROSSLY WRONG, SO BUT NOT JUST A LITTLE BIT WRONG, I'M KIDDING, BUT WE CAN HANDLE A LOT OF PEOPLE.

SO I WOULD TELL PEOPLE, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE WE HAVE A GOOD AMOUNT OF VACCINE RIGHT NOW.

NOW'S THE TIME TO COME.

IF YOU WANT TO GET ONE, GO AHEAD AND COME ON DOWN.

YOU WON'T HAVE TO WAIT TOO TERRIBLY LONG.

AND IT'S GOING TO BE A VERY PLEASANT EXPERIENCE.

YOU'RE REALLY GOING TO BE IMPRESSED WITH WHAT OUR TEAM HAS DONE OUT THERE WITH WHAT CASIE'S TEAM HAS DONE, WITH WHAT ALL OF OUR FIREFIGHTERS ARE DOING WITH WHAT ARE POLICE OFFICERS DOING ARE DOING THERE WITH ALL OF THE NURSES AND EVERYONE ELSE THAT'S OUT THERE.

SO I REALLY WANT TO ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO GET ON OUT THERE AND DON'T WAIT, YOU KNOW, GO AHEAD AND COME ON DOWN. TYPICALLY, AFTERNOON IS NOT AS LONGER WAIT AS MORNING, IT DOES TAPER OFF AFTER ABOUT 1:30 AND IT'S THE SLOWEST TOWARDS THE CLOSE TOWARDS THE END OF THE VACCINATION DAY.

DO WE KNOW THAT PART OF IT? YOU KNOW, I THINK OUR ALLOCATION WAS, WHAT, ABOUT FIVE THOUSAND VACCINES A WEEK? IS THE ALLOCATION NUMBER GOING UP? NO WE EXPECT IT FOR THE ALLOCATION TO STAY THE SAME, BUT WE DO KNOW THAT ABOUT A MONTH AGO WE WERE CLOSED FOR A WEEK DUE TO THE SNOWSTORM.

AND SO WE DO HAVE WE DO HAVE ENOUGH VACCINE.

SO I AM EXCITED TO BE BUSY.

I'M VERY EXCITED TO HAVE LONG LINES AGAIN AND TO SEE PEOPLE TO BE VACCINATED.

SO PLEASE COME STRESS OUR TEAM.

COME. LISTEN TO THE MUSIC PLAYING WE HAVE SO ALL THE GOOD THINGS ABOUT THE CLINIC, WE'RE READY TO [INAUDIBLE].

BUT I'LL TELL YOU, FOR MY PART, I'M EXCITED TO SEE WHAT OUR TEAM CAN DO BECAUSE THE WEATHER'S [INAUDIBLE] BRUTALLY COLD OUTSIDE FOR, YOU KNOW, AND WE DON'T RECOMMEND THAT PEOPLE COME SUPER EARLY AND WAIT OUTSIDE EVEN NOW BECAUSE IT'S [INAUDIBLE].

BUT OUR SYSTEMS WORKED OUT NOW, WE CAN MOVE A LOT OF PEOPLE THROUGH AND AND LIKE I SAID, EVERY SINGLE GOTTEN A COMMENT FROM [INAUDIBLE], THAT'S A POSITIVE EXPERIENCE.

EVERYONE WAS SO POSITIVE.

THE ENERGY WAS SO HIGH.

THERE'S POSITIVE ENERGY OUT THERE.

AND THAT'S THAT'S COMING FROM THE TEAM.

IT'S ALSO COMING FROM THE PEOPLE THAT THEY'RE VACCINATING WHO ARE EXCITED TO BE ABLE TO, IN A WAY, PUT THIS BEHIND THEM.

IT'S NOT ALL THE WAY BEHIND THIS.

THIS IS STILL SOMETHING WE'RE ALL DEALING WITH.

BUT THERE IS AN ENORMOUS PEACE OF MIND THAT COMES WITH GETTING THAT VACCINATION, IS WHAT WE'RE BEING TOLD. SO. SO CASIE DO YOU FORESEE ADDING EITHER PFIZER OR THE JOHNSON AND JOHNSON VACCINE, OR IS IT OR OR IS IT? RIGHT NOW WE KNOW IT'S MODERNA SOLELY.

DO YOU EXPECT ON A STATE LEVEL TO SEE THAT CHANGE ANY AT ALL? YOU KNOW, I REALLY DON'T KNOW.

I THINK IT KIND OF DEPENDS ON WHAT WE ARE ALLOCATED AND WHAT THE STATES SENDS US.

SO I REALLY DON'T KNOW, I JUST LOOKED AT THAT INFORMATION ON THE DSHS WEBSITE THIS MORNING AND.

NO PRIVATE PROVIDERS GOT JOHNSON AND JOHNSON IN THE ALLOCATION THIS WEEK, ONLY THE DSHS OFFICE GOT IN HERE IN POTTER, RANDALL COUNTY.

SO I GUESS IT JUST DEPENDS ON WHAT THEY HAVE TO ALLOCATE.

OK, ANY OTHER QUESTIONS ABOUT CORONAVIRUS? GREAT, THANK YOU, CASIE AND LAURA, BOTH OF YOU, FOR THE WORK YOU'RE DOING ON THOSE ISSUES. ITEM ONE C IS REPORTS AND UPDATES FROM CITY COUNCIL MEMBER SERVING ON OUTSIDE

[1C. Reports and updates from City Councilmembers serving on outside Boards: Beautification and Public Arts Advisory Board; and ]

SAUER, DO WE HAVE A REPORT ON THE BEAUTIFICATION OF PUBLIC ARTS ADVISORY BOARD? I DO. IT'LL BE A REAL QUICK ONE.

SO THE BEAUTIFICATION ARTS ADVISORY BOARD MET LAST TUESDAY.

AND SO WHAT ENDED UP COMING OUT OF THAT IS THE FACT THAT THE RFQ, THE THE REQUEST FOR QUALIFICATIONS FOR THE THE INITIAL OR PILOT BEAUTIFICATION PROJECT DROPPED LAST TUESDAY. AND SO THERE HAVE OR DROPPED ACTUALLY MONDAY.

SO THERE IS AN EXPECTATION OF IT'LL BE SOMEWHAT KIND OF LIKE WHAT WAS OUT AT THE AIRPORT

[00:45:03]

SO THIS PROJECT IS GOING TO BE LOCATED AT THE CORNER OF PLAINS BOULEVARD AND WESTERN STREET, NORTHWEST CORNER ON THE RAILS TO TRAILS, WHICH IS GOING TO BE AN EXCELLENT PLACE FOR THERE TO BE A LOT OF TRAFFIC TO BE ABLE TO SEE THAT.

IT'S GOING TO BE A [INAUDIBLE] TYPE STRUCTURE.

SO I DON'T KNOW IF YOU GUYS ARE KIND OF FAMILIAR WITH EXACTLY WHAT THAT IS.

IT'S A FENCE LIKE STRUCTURE OR CAGE OR CYLINDER OR BOX THAT'S FILLED WITH ROCKS AND CONCRETE AND IT'S USED IN LANDSCAPING AND OTHER APPLICATIONS.

SO IT CAN BE THERE'S A POSSIBILITY THAT IT CAN HAVE LIGHTING.

THERE'S A POSSIBILITY OF A LOT OF DIFFERENT THINGS THAT COULD GO ALONG WITH IT, LANDSCAPING, ALL OF THESE OTHER KINDS OF OPPORTUNITIES.

AND I THINK EVERYBODY IS VERY EXCITED ABOUT THAT'S ON THE COMMITTEE IS VERY EXCITED ABOUT SEEING THIS COME TO FRUITION, BECAUSE, AGAIN, WE'RE HOPING THAT THE SAME THING ENDS UP HAPPENING. THAT HAPPENED WITH THE MURAL PROJECT AND IT REALLY LET THE MURAL PROJECT TAKE OFF. AND WE'VE SEEN SOME INCREDIBLE RESULTS OUT OF THAT OVER THE PAST TWO OR THREE YEARS.

SO THERE HAVE ALREADY, I THINK FROM TALKING TO SHERMAN BASS, THERE HAVE ALREADY BEEN 32 DOWNLOADS. TWENTY THREE IT'S BEEN THE RFQ HAS BEEN DOWNLOADED TWENTY THREE TIMES ALREADY.

SO THERE'S OUGHT TO BE A LOT OF INTEREST THAT'S GOING ON.

SO REALLY JUST LIKE TO MAKE SURE THAT ALL THE ALL ANYBODY THAT'S OUT THERE THAT MIGHT BE INTERESTED IN DOING THAT.

I MEAN, THIS COULD BE AS FAR AS BEAUTIFICATION PROJECTS ARE CONCERNED AND EVEN WITH THIS ONE, LANDSCAPERS, ARCHITECTS, METAL WORKERS, ARTISTS, MASTER GARDENERS, THIS IS REALLY GOING TO BEGIN TO KIND OF TAKE ON A WHOLE NEW LIFE OF ITS OWN FOR BEAUTIFICATION IN THE CITY OF AMARILLO. AND SO I THINK IT'S A IT'S JUST THAT NEXT STEP OF US BEING ABLE TO CREATE AN ENVIRONMENT THAT BEAUTIFIES AMARILLO AND LETS US SHOW OFF AND SHOWCASE EXACTLY WHAT WE ARE. SO AS WE BEGIN TO ATTRACT MORE BUSINESSES AND MORE PEOPLE MOVING TO AMARILLO AND WE'RE MAKING AN EFFORT AT BEAUTIFYING THE CITY, I THINK THIS IS A REALLY IT'S AN OUTSTANDING PROJECT THAT WILL THAT WILL BE SOON TO HIT.

WE'LL SEE IT PROBABLY START THE PROCESS ENDS MARCH THIRTY FIRST, THEN THOUGH DURING THE MONTH OF APRIL WILL BE WHEN THE RFQS WILL BE EVALUATED AND AN AWARD WILL BE MADE.

AND SO SOMETIME AFTER MAY 1ST, NOW THEN YOU'LL HAVE ANOTHER PROJECT GOING UP.

AND SO IT'S GOING TO BE A REALLY EXCITING NEW ADDITION TO THE CITY.

GREAT REPORT. YOU'RE RIGHT, THOSE MURALS REALLY DID YOU KNOW YOU GUYS TALKED ABOUT THE MURAL AND NEXT THING YOU KNOW, THEY'RE LIKE 20 MURALS ALL ACROSS THE CITY AND THAT'S STILL GOING. I STILL SOMETIMES TURN A CORNER AND I'M LIKE, OH, THERE'S A NEW MURAL.

SO Y'ALL GET EXACTLY WHAT YOU WANTED TO DO WITH THAT PROJECT, JUST CREATING A RIPPLE EFFECT. YEAH.

AND ACTUALLY, SPEAKING OF THAT, YOU NEED TO GO FIND SNACK PAK 4 KIDS BECAUSE IT'S THE FIRST ONE THE OF THE MURAL PROJECTS AND IT'S ALREADY BEEN FINISHED FROM THIS YEAR'S PROJECTS THAT HAVE ALREADY BEEN RELEASED.

AND IT'S A DINOSAUR AND IT'S AN INTERACTIVE ON THE BUILDING.

AND IT'S PROBABLY ONE OF MY FAVORITES.

AND IT WAS ACTUALLY ALMOST ONE OF THE LEAST EXPENSIVE ONES THAT WAS ACTUALLY REIMBURSED FOR. BUT IT'S A LOT OF FUN.

IT'S GOING TO BE ONE OF THOSE WHERE PEOPLE WANT TO GO, STOP, GET A PICTURE TAKEN.

LOOKS LIKE YOU'RE LETTING A DINOSAUR DRINK OUT OF A CUP.

IT'S REALLY SO THAT'S ANOTHER ONE THAT'S ON THE SNACK PAK 4 KIDS BUILDING.

WHAT'S THE ADDRESS OF THAT? YOU WOULD ASK ME THAT.

[LAUGHTER] THIS IS WHERE STEPHANIE YEAH. SOMEBODY WILL HELP US.

YEAH. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS FOR EDDIE? EDDIE I WANT TO YOU KNOW WHAT THE ADDRESS IS FOR THE SNACK PAK 4 KIDS, THE DINOSAUR ONE? I DON'T HAVE IT RIGHT IN FRONT OF.

GIVE ME JUST AND I'LL FIND IT.

OK. THANK Y'ALL.

IT'S UP.

IS IT THIS ONE? NO, IT'S NOT THAT ONE.

OK, LET ME BACK OUT OF THERE.

THE ADDRESS FOR SNACK PAK 4 KIDS IF SHERMAN CAN CONFIRM THIS IS 2406 SOUTHWEST THIRD AVENUE IS WHAT [INAUDIBLE]. THAT IS CORRECT.

THANK YOU. OK.

GREAT REPORT EDDIE. FINAL THOUGHTS? YOU KNOW, IT'S STILL ONE OF MY FAVORITE ONES.

[00:50:01]

IT'S VERY EXCITING.

AND PEOPLE ARE IT'S IT'S GETTING THE BUZZ AND IT'S CHANGING THE LANDSCAPE OF AMARILLO.

YOU KNOW, THAT'S REALLY RIGHT NOW, THAT'S ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT THINGS THAT WE CAN HELP DO. ELAINE, DID YOU HAVE A COMMENT OR QUESTION? I WANTED TO COMMENT ON THE MURAL OUT AT THE AIRPORT, JUST THAT THE CDB USES THAT IMAGE ON A LOT OF MARKETING MATERIALS AND A LOT OF THE POSTCARDS AND THINGS.

IT'S SUCH A GREAT VISUAL AND REPRESENTS OUR CITY SO WELL.

I WANTED TO ALSO GIVE YOU A HEADS UP THAT THE PARKS AND REC IS GOING TO BE WORKING THROUGH APPLICATIONS FOR ART AT THOMPSON PARK AND SOME OTHER PLACES.

AND I KNOW THEY'RE GOING TO BE REACHING OUT TO YOUR COMMITTEE FOR SOME PARTICIPATION IN THAT. YOU KNOW, I JUST THINK COORDINATION SOMETIMES I FEEL LIKE WE'RE BEFORE WE HAD NO FISHING LINE IN THE POND AND NOW WE'RE GETTING A LOT.

I JUST WANT TO BE SURE WE'RE ALL TALKING TO EACH OTHER AND COORDINATING AND I DON'T KNOW HOW THAT LOOKS LIKE, BUT JUST KIND OF ANOTHER PLUG FOR THAT.

AND THEN I HAD A QUESTION ON.

YEAH, OUR ONE OF OUR FIRST YEARS, WE TALKED ABOUT WANTING TO IMPROVE OUR ENTRY GATEWAY AT OUR CITY LIMIT AREAS AND SOME OF THE ROADBLOCKS FOR TXDOT, YOU KNOW, WITH THAT, IF THAT'S STILL BEING PURSUED THROUGH YOUR COMMITTEE.

EDDIE, IS THAT A DIFFERENT COMMITTEE? [INAUDIBLE] THERE WAS SOME TALK.

IT'S NOT BEING PURSUED RIGHT NOW BECAUSE OF KIND OF THE ISSUES THAT ARE WITH TXDOT.

AND PART OF IT MAYBE IS MAYBE WE NEED TO BE OFF THE GROUND WITH A LITTLE MORE CLOUT TO BE ABLE TO MAYBE HELP FACILITATE THAT ONE.

ORIGINALLY, WHEN WE WERE TALKING ABOUT THE [INAUDIBLE], THAT WAS SOME OF THE THINGS THAT THEY WANTED TO USE WITH THAT [INAUDIBLE] MONEY WAS TO DIRECTLY ADDRESS THE GATEWAYS AS WE COME INTO TOWN. SO AND I KNOW THAT THAT COMMITTEE IS BEING WORKED ON VERY HARD RIGHT NOW SINCE THAT GOT PASSED IN THE LEGISLATURE.

AND I'VE HAD A LITTLE INVOLVEMENT WITH THAT.

AND I REALIZED THAT ONCE THAT GETS DONE AND WE BEGIN TO GET THE MONEY FROM THAT [INAUDIBLE], I FEEL LIKE THAT THE HOTELIERS PROBABLY I DON'T WANT TO SPEAK FOR THEM AT ALL, BUT I THINK THAT THEY'RE GOING TO THEY WOULD VERY MUCH RELISH THE FACT THAT IF WE CHANGE THE GATEWAYS AND IT'S GOT PEOPLE SEEING WHAT'S AVAILABLE, THAT THAT WOULD DIRECTLY AFFECT PEOPLE STAYING AT THEIR FACILITIES.

SO I THINK THAT'S REALLY GOOD.

TO ADDRESS YOUR YOUR QUESTION OR YOUR COMMENT FROM THE PARKS AND RECREATION, I CAN TELL YOU THAT ALMOST EVERY MEETING THAT WE HAVE WITH BEAUTIFICATION AND ARTS IS MICHAEL [INAUDIBLE] IS THERE. AND WE HAVE BEEN HEAVILY TALKING ABOUT THE FACT OF PUTTING MURALS OR ART. ACTUALLY, THEY'RE GOING TO MAKE THE ON THE LAZY RIVER OR THE GREENWAY GREEN AREA IS IS NOW THEY'RE GOING TO THEY'RE DIRECTLY LOOKING AT PUTTING ART RIGHT THERE THAT COULD BE TRANSITIONED IN AND OUT.

AND EVEN TALKING ABOUT PUTTING IT IN THE THE BUILDING THAT WILL BE BUILT ADJACENT TO IT ALSO AT A LATER DATE.

SO, YEAH, THERE THERE IS THE NICE THING ABOUT THE BEAUTIFICATION AND ARTS IS IT'S REALLY GOING TO EVENTUALLY PROBABLY FALL UNDERNEATH THE PARKS AND RECREATION.

AND SO THERE'S ALREADY A LOT OF COMMUNICATION.

I MEAN, WE'VE BEEN COMMUNICATING WITH THEM ON THE MASTER PLAN AND HOW THE BEAUTIFICATION AND ARTS MASTER PLAN ACTUALLY FOLDS INTO THEIRS.

AND UNDERNEATH THEIRS, SO THERE'S A LOT OF ACTUALLY, I'D CALL IT SYNERGY THAT'S ACTUALLY BEGINNING TO BUILD. SO IT'S IT'S REALLY GOOD.

GREAT. I'M GLAD TO HEAR THAT AND TO ALL OF OUR LOCAL YOUNG ARTISTS, YOU KNOW, THESE OPPORTUNITIES TO HAVE PLACES TO SHOWCASE THEIR TALENT, I THINK IS REALLY ONE OF THE MESSAGES WE HAVE WANTED TO BE GETTING OUT AND AND THE NEED FOR THEM TO HAVE OPPORTUNITIES HERE IN AMARILLO.

AND THOSE ARE SOME GREAT CANVASES AND PLATFORMS TO BE BUILDING FOR OUR LOCAL ARTISTS.

ONE OF THEM IS THE ONE PART THAT'S REALLY GREAT.

I'M SORRY I'M GOING ON A LITTLE BIT IS IT'S COME OUT OF CAPROCK IS THE BLANK SPACE MURALS GROUP. AND THOSE GROUPS OF THAT GROUP OF INDIVIDUALS, WHICH IS PREDOMINANTLY IT MAY STILL BE ALL FEMALES HAVE BEEN THEY WON SIX OF THE EIGHT PROJECTS FOR THE MURAL PROJECT.

AND SO THEY'RE THEY'RE GETTING A LOT OF EXPERIENCE ON THE WHOLE NINE YARDS AND THE WHOLE ART COMMUNITY IN THE WAY THAT WORKS, IN THE WAY YOU MAKE IT SO THAT YOU CAN MAKE MONEY WITH THAT AND SO THAT YOU CAN.

IT'S BEEN REALLY EXCITING TO WATCH.

AND, YOU KNOW, KUDOS TO BLANK SPACES.

YEAH. AND THE TEACHER INVOLVED WITH THAT IS HIS IDEA AND IT'S HIS STUDENTS IS SEAN KENNEDY, DONE A FANTASTIC JOB MAKING THAT PROGRAM, MAKING IT PROFITABLE FROM AN

[00:55:03]

YEAH, AND WHO WOULD HAVE EVER THOUGHT THAT THE CREATION OF THE BEAUTIFICATION AND ARTS PROJECT WOULD EVENTUALLY LEAD TO EVEN SOMETHING LIKE THAT COMING OUT OF OUT OF AISD AS IT'S A IT'S JUST BEEN A IT'S JUST BEEN A REALLY GREAT EXPERIENCE AND OPPORTUNITY FOR OUR CITY. WELL, GREAT WORK.

PLEASE TELL THE COMMITTEE HOW MUCH WE APPRECIATE THEIR WORK.

ELAINE. IT MIGHT BE NICE TO INVITE SEAN AND HIS TEAM OF ARTISTS TO A COUNCIL MEETING, SOMETIME FOR RECOGNITION DURING THE EARLY PART OF OUR MEETINGS JUST TO ACKNOWLEDGE THEM, RECOGNIZE THEIR WORK AND THEIR CONTRIBUTION TO OUR CITY AND MAYBE OUR FIRST BACK IN PERSON MEETING TO ACTUALLY INVITE THEM TO COME IN PERSON, THOSE TEENAGERS FOR CIVIC INVOLVEMENT. YEAH, THAT'S A GREAT IDEA.

WE MIGHT TRY TO WORK THAT AROUND A SUMMER MEETING DATE SO THAT THEIR THEY DON'T MISS SCHOOL TO HAVE TO BE HERE.

BUT MAYBE THE JUNE BEAUTIFICATION COMMITTEE REPORT, EDDIE OR SOMETHING WOULD BE A GREAT TIME. HOPEFULLY KAT AND FRANCIS [INAUDIBLE] THAT AS AN IDEA.

I THINK THAT'S A GREAT IDEA.

OK, ANYTHING ELSE ON THAT?

[1D. Request future agenda items and reports from City Manager.]

LET'S MOVE ON TO THE CONSENT AGENDA.

[INAUDIBLE] WE'VE GOT QUESTIONS.

YES, JARED.

I'M SORRY. I FORGOT TO MENTION ONE THING IN THE CORONAVIRUS UPDATE.

OK. NOT JUST WANT TO REMIND EVERYONE WE WILL NOT BE HAVING A PRESS CONFERENCE TOMORROW.

WE WILL NOT BE HAVING A PRESS CONFERENCE TOMORROW.

ONCE WE WENT TO CONDITION YELLOW, WE HAD AGREED WITH ALL OF OUR PARTNERS THAT HAVE BEEN MAKING THOSE PRESS CONFERENCES POSSIBLE THAT WE WOULD MAKE THE ANNOUNCEMENTS NECESSARY ON COUNCIL MEETING WEEKS. AND IN THOSE OFF WEEKS, WE WILL BE STILL HAVING THAT WEDNESDAY PRESS CONFERENCE. SO WE WILL BE HAVING THE PRESS CONFERENCE NEXT WEDNESDAY, BUT WILL NOT BE HAVING A PRESS CONFERENCE TOMORROW.

SO I JUST WANT TO REMIND EVERYONE THAT.

YEAH, THANK YOU FOR THAT REMINDER.

AND I APPRECIATE THE EXPLANATION FOR WHY WE'RE NOT DOING THOSE WEEKLY.

IT'S GREAT NEWS BECAUSE THE CHANGE IN STATUS, OUR NUMBERS ARE SO MUCH BETTER AND.

DON'T WE LOOK FORWARD TO THE TO THE TIME WHEN THE CITY DOESN'T NEED US TO DO THEM AT ALL? SO THANKS FOR EXPLAINING THAT.

OK, BACK TO CONSENT AGENDA COUNCIL IS THERE.

[2. CONSENT ITEMS:]

SO WE'VE GOT SOME. WELL, WITH REGARD TO ALL THE [INAUDIBLE].

WITH [INAUDIBLE] PROJECT [INAUDIBLE] ITEM TWO J, I'VE GOT FLOYD HARTMAN, ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER, TO WALK US THROUGH WHAT'S GOING ON WITH THE PROJECTS.

WE ALSO HAVE ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER LAURA STORRS, WHO'S ALSO OUR CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER, THAT CAN ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS COUNCIL HAS ON THE DOLLAR AMOUNTS THAT WERE [INAUDIBLE].

WE'LL ALSO JUST INFORMATION.

WE WILL ALSO BE HAVING A PROP TWO UPDATE NEXT WEEK OR NEXT COUNCIL MEETING.

SO THAT'S COMING. FLOYD? OH FLOYD YOU'RE ON MUTE.

OH, I'M SORRY. OK, MAYOR, COUNCIL, THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO PROVIDE YOU THIS ADDITIONAL INFORMATION.

ON ITEM I, LET'S START WITH IT, THE ORIGINAL COST ESTIMATE ON THE [INAUDIBLE] PAVING CONSTRUCTION COST WAS THREE POINT FOUR MILLION.

INCLUDED IN THIS BID IS A BID ITEM TOTALING ABOUT THREE POINT SEVEN MILLION FOR PAVING.

THERE ARE TWO OTHER ITEMS IN THE BID THAT ARE LISTED IN THE LAST TWO SENTENCES OF THE AGENDA ITEM, THAT IS THE WATER MAIN EXTENSION AND A STORM DRAIN EXTENSION COORDINATED TO COORDINATE ALL OF THOSE AT THE SAME TIME, WHICH IS A GOAL AND OBJECTIVE OF THE CIP PROGRAM AND COORDINATE.

THE WATER MAIN COST IS GOING TO BE FUNDED OUT OF YOUR WATER AND SEWER FUND [INAUDIBLE] PROJECT, AND THAT IS ABOUT FOUR HUNDRED TWENTY EIGHT THOUSAND.

THEN YOU HAVE A NINE HUNDRED JUST UNDER ONE MILLION DOLLARS STORM DRAIN FUNDED OUT OF THE STORM WATER FUNDING ACCOUNT.

SO THAT GETS YOU TO THE TOTAL, THOSE ARE ROUND NUMBERS.

AND IF YOU NEED MORE DETAIL, WE CAN GET IT BUT THAT GETS YOU TO THE FIVE MILLION EIGHTY FIVE THOUSAND PROJECT THAT IS LISTED THERE.

ONLY THE THREE POINT SEVEN MILLION IS FUNDED THROUGH THE PROPOSITION VOTER APPROVED BONDS. THAT IS ABOUT THREE HUNDRED THOUSAND MORE THAN THE ORIGINAL 2016 ESTIMATE THAT IS

[01:00:02]

THOSE. OK. AND WHEN I GET INTO THE OTHER PROJECT, GO AHEAD.

I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE YOU'RE GOING TO PAUSE AFTER I, FLOYD, SO THE COUNCIL CAN ASK ANY QUESTIONS THEY HAVE, I'M SURE YOU WERE, I THOUGHT, YOU WERE FINISHED.

SORRY. SO THE FUNDING BECOME AVAILABLE FROM SOME OTHER FUND PROJECTS THAT WERE LISTED.

TWO SPECIFICALLY WAS [INAUDIBLE] ROAD PAVING, WHICH NOW IS A TXDOT PROJECT.

SO WE DON'T HAVE TO DO [INAUDIBLE] UNDER THE BOND BECAUSE TXDOT IS DOING [INAUDIBLE] ROAD AT THE LOOP. AND THEN THERE WAS A PROJECT, ALSO A TXDOT RIGHT OF WAY FUNDING THAT WAS IN THAT LIST. SO THAT ADDITIONAL FUNDING COMES FROM THOSE PROJECTS THAT NO LONGER NEED TO BE DONE. SO, YES, I'LL PAUSE THERE.

YOU HAVE QUESTIONS ON I.

SO THE SIMPLE ANSWER, FLOYD, IS THAT NUMBER REPRESENTS MORE THAN THAT, WE WEREN'T COMPARING APPLES TO APPLES IN THE QUESTION THAT WAS ASKED BY THE CITIZENS.

RIGHT. YES.

OK, AND WE COULD HAVE BEEN MORE CLEAR AGENDA ITEM IDENTIFYING THAT, SO WE WILL WE WILL DO THAT NEXT TIME. GREAT, GOOD.

WE APPRECIATE THAT. OK, YES ELAINE, QUESTION? SO, FLOYD, I JUST NOW GOT TO THAT THAT PAGE.

SO IF YOU WOULDN'T MIND TO JUST STAY [INAUDIBLE].

SO YOU HAVE THREE PROJECTS, PROJECT FOUR SIX TWO ZERO ZERO SEVEN.

AND THAT IS WHICH PROJECT AND WHAT'S THE DOLLAR AMOUNT ON THAT? WELL, I DON'T HAVE THE PROJECT MEMORIZED, BUT THE PAVING IS THREE POINT SEVEN MILLION.

THE WATER IS FOUR HUNDRED TWENTY EIGHT THOUSAND AND THE STORM DRAIN IS NINE HUNDRED FORTY THREE. SO LOOK AT THE FIFTY SIX HUNDRED IS THE STORM DRAIN.

THE FIFTY TWO HUNDRED OR THE ONE THAT STARTS WITH FIVE SIX PROJECT IS STORM, THE ONE THAT STARTS WITH FIVE TWO IS WATER.

AND THE ONE THAT STARTS WITH FOUR SIX IS STREET.

SO BACK UP IT'S THREE POINT SEVEN MILLION FOR STREET, A LITTLE OVER FOUR HUNDRED THOUSAND FOR WATER AND A LITTLE UNDER A MILLION FOR STORM DRAIN.

GREAT, THANK YOU.

IN CASE WE NEED TO ANSWER THOSE QUESTIONS.

LATER OR FOLLOW UP.

AND IF I NEED TO GET THE EXACT BREAKDOWN FROM THE BID, I CAN PROVIDE THAT LATER.

THOSE ARE ROUND NUMBERS.

THANK YOU. THANK YOU.

OK, FLOYD, ON TO ITEM J.

IF YOU DON'T MIND. OK, SO ITEM J IS ACTUALLY A VERY POSITIVE THING, WE ARE ABLE TO TAKE SOME OF THOSE FUNDS FROM THE THOSE TWO PROJECTS I LISTED AND EXPAND OUR BID PROJECT INTO ARTERIALS, NOT JUST THE RESIDENTIAL ROADS.

THE ORIGINAL COST ESTIMATE IN 2016 FOR THE QUADRANT WAS ABOUT THREE POINT ONE MILLION, JUST UNDER THREE POINT ONE MILLION.

THE BIDS ARE ACTUALLY AT THREE POINT FOUR MILLION.

AGAIN, THOSE ARE REFLECTED IN INCREASED LINE ITEM COST OVER THAT TIME.

WE ARE ABLE TO ADD A NUMBER OF ARTERIALS AND SOME ADDITIONAL RESIDENTIAL STREETS OR COLLECTOR STREETS IF YOU WILL, OVER WHAT WAS ORIGINALLY BUDGETED BECAUSE OF THOSE OTHER FUNDS. SO ALL OF THOSE ADDITIONAL FUNDS IN THIS ONE, ABOUT TWO POINT TWO MILLION, DO ARE BOND FUND. VOTER APPROVED BOND FUNDED.

BUT THEY ARE ADDITION TO THAT QUADRANT BUT THEY, THOSE ARE THE ARTERIALS.

THERE WAS ALSO AN ARTERIAL IDENTIFIED CONSTRUCTION PROJECT THERE.

AND IF YOU'LL REMEMBER, WE HAVE ALWAYS IDENTIFIED THAT IN 2016 WE DIDN'T HAVE THE PAVING ASSESSMENT, SO WE COMMITTED TO THE BEST PRACTICES MOVING FORWARD.

SO INSTEAD OF COMPLETE REBUILD, THESE TAPE SEALS, MICRO SERVICING OR SCRUB SEAL APPLICATIONS ARE BEING APPLIED ON THOSE ARTERIAL TO PREVENT US HAVING TO DO ARTERIAL RECONSTRUCTION AT THIS POINT BASED OFF OF THE PAVING ASSESSMENT THAT WAS DONE AFTER THE 2016 BOND. SO THIS IS EFFICIENCY IN APPLICATION, PUTTING THE MONEY WHERE IT IS AND LAURA CAN GO INTO WHY THOSE FUNDS CAN BE MOVED FROM ONE JOB TO THE OTHER ON A QUALIFYING.

IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS ABOUT THAT, ARE THERE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? SO CAN I MAKE A STATEMENT REAL QUICK AFTER ESPECIALLY [INAUDIBLE], SO HERE'S WHAT I WOULD WANT TO SAY IS.

WHENEVER WE LET'S TALK ABOUT THE EFFICIENCIES AND THE THINGS THAT HAVE HAPPENED IS WHEN WE

[01:05:02]

AND BECAUSE OF EFFICIENCIES LIKE THIS AND MOVING PROJECTS UP, TAKING ADVANTAGE OF MUCH BETTER INTEREST RATES IS ACTUALLY WE ARE SAVING THE TAXPAYERS A FULL PENNY BY THE TIME ALL THE PROJECTS HAVE BEEN COMPLETED, THAT'S A IS THAT A CORRECT STATEMENT? YES.

I BELIEVE THAT IT WAS.

THAT, ACTUALLY, AND ACTUALLY WE'VE ALREADY ALREADY REALIZED ALMOST ALL OF THAT ONE, THAT PENNY SAVINGS, WHICH THAT'S A PRETTY BIG DEAL WHEN YOU START TALKING ABOUT THAT.

OUR TAX RATE IS 39 CENTS AND IT WOULD BE HIGHER THAN THAT.

IT WOULD BE AT 40 CENTS IF IT WASN'T FOR THE ABILITY FOR OUR TEAM TO BE ABLE TO PUT THESE EFFICIENCIES TOGETHER AND TO MAKE US THAT MUCH, THAT MUCH BETTER MAKE THINGS MORE EFFICIENT FOR OUR COMMUNITY.

THAT'S AN EXCELLENT POINT, EDDIE.

AND I REALLY APPRECIATE THE CITIZENS TIME CALLING IN AND ASKING QUESTIONS AND APPRECIATE THEIR WATCHING AND BEING INTERESTED IN HOW THOSE TAXPAYER DOLLARS ARE BEING SPENT ON AN IMPORTANT PROJECT LIKE STREETS AND ROADS.

IT DOES BRING UP JUST HOW THE PROJECTS ARE COMPLICATED AND HAPPENED OVER A LONG TIME FRAME. SO YOU SOMETIMES WILL CATCH A SNIPPET OF INFORMATION.

AND IF YOU'RE NOT USING THE WHOLE TIME FRAME OF THE PROJECT, YOU CAN ACTUALLY MISREPRESENT OR JUST OUT OF WANTING TO HAVE GOOD INFORMATION.

YOU HAVE TO HOLD IT OVER A LONG PERIOD OF TIME FOR IT TO BE THE MOST ACCURATE.

SO I'M REALLY GLAD THAT YOU'RE POINTING THAT OUT, EDDIE, BECAUSE AS OUR BOND COUNCIL POINTED OUT TO US A MONTH OR SO AGO, WHEN WE SOLD THE REST OF THOSE TWO BONDS, WE SAVED CITIZENS MONEY FROM WHAT WE HAD ESTIMATED THOSE PROJECTS WERE GOING TO COST IN 2016.

[INAUDIBLE], YEAH, MILLIONS OF DOLLARS.

SO, AGAIN, I REALLY APPRECIATE THE CITIZEN BEING ENGAGED IN ASKING THIS QUESTION.

REALLY APPRECIATE STAFF BEING ON THE BALL AND HAVING AN ANSWER FOR US.

AND ONCE AGAIN, IT'S JUST SO VITAL TO OUR COMMUNITY THAT WE CONTINUE TO BE STRONG AT FISCAL MANAGEMENT AND AND WE THAT KEEPS OUR TAX RATES LOW YEAR AFTER YEAR.

ANY OTHER RESPONSES OR QUESTIONS TO THOSE TWO ITEMS ON THE CONSENT AGENDA? IS THERE ANOTHER ITEM ON THE CONSENT AGENDA YOU WANT TO DISCUSS BEFORE WE HAVE A MOTION? OK, I JUST WANT TO CLARIFY THAT WE HAVE NOT CONSENTED TO THE CONSENT AGENDA YET UNTIL WE TAKE THIS VOTE NOW THAT IT'S A SCHEDULING, A PREPARATION, PREPARING AN AGENDA, BUT THOSE ITEMS CAN BE MOVED. ANY ITEM ON THE CONSENT AGENDA WE HAVE AT TIMES PULLED BOTH OFF FOR A FULL INDIVIDUAL VOTE AND DISCUSSION.

SO THEY'RE NOT LOCKED IN STONE ON THEIR PLACEHOLDER ON THE CONSENT.

AND SO THIS IS THE ACTION THAT WE TAKE NOW AS A COUNCIL TO CONSENT TO THOSE ITEMS. AND THEN WE WILL CONSIDER INDIVIDUALLY ALL OF THE OTHER ITEMS. BUT THEY'RE ALL BASICALLY THE SAME, IT'S JUST WHETHER WE'RE DOING IT AS ONE BIG GROUP AND MAKING THOSE DETERMINATIONS TODAY, NOT PRIOR TO A COUNCIL MEETING.

YEAH, THANKS FOR CLARIFYING THAT.

AND I'LL ASK THE CITY MANAGER, JUST GIVE US YOUR 30 SECOND VERSION, JARED, OF HOW YOU DECIDE WHETHER OR NOT AN ITEM GOES ON THE CONSENT AGENDA.

I THINK THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION.

SO CONSENT AGENDA ITEMS ARE TYPICALLY THINGS THAT ARE ROUTINE IN NATURE, THINGS THAT YOU SEE ON A REGULAR BASIS, LIKE A ROUTINE PURCHASE, AN ANNUAL PURCHASE OF FERTILIZER NOT TO EXCEED TWO HUNDRED EIGHTY THOUSAND DOLLARS OR SOMETHING OF THAT NATURE, THINGS THAT YOU SEE ON A REGULAR BASIS THAT ARE VERY OPERATIONAL AND ROUTINE.

WE ALSO PUT THINGS ON THERE THAT YOU HAVE SEEN BEFORE OR THAT WE'VE DONE EXHAUSTIVE PRESENTATIONS ON DURING DISCUSSION SESSIONS, ON PREVIOUS MEETINGS, OR WE PUT SECOND READING ITEMS THAT WERE UNANIMOUS ON FIRST READING ON CONSENT.

WE ALSO MAKE SURE THAT WE WORK TO MAKE SURE SOMETIMES WE GET IT WRONG, BUT WE WORK TO AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE, MAKE SURE THAT THINGS ON CONSENT ARE THINGS THAT YOU ARE ALL VERY FAMILIAR WITH AND THAT CITIZENS HAVE HAD ADEQUATE OPPORTUNITY TO SEE IN PREVIOUS COUNCIL MEETINGS BEFORE WE HAVE ON CONSENT.

WE TRY NOT TO PUT THINGS THAT ARE EXTREMELY LARGE LIKE THESE TWO, UNLESS THEY ARE THINGS THAT YOU'VE SEEN FREQUENTLY.

IN THIS CASE PROP TWO AND PROP ONE PROJECTS, WE'VE BEEN DISCUSSING THEM VERY FREQUENTLY.

[01:10:04]

THE SIZE OF THEM CERTAINLY WOULD HAVE JUSTIFIED PUTTING THEM ON NON CONSENT.

HOWEVER, THE FACT THAT WE'VE SEEN THESE SO MANY TIMES MADE IT FALL INTO THAT ROUTINE CATEGORY AND THAT'S WHY WE HAD IT ON CONSENT.

BUT WE CERTAINLY THIS JUSTIFIED WE COULD HAVE GONE TO NON CONSENT.

SO THIS IS ONE OF THE GRAY AREA ITEMS WHERE YOU CAN PUT IT ONE PLACE OR THE OTHER.

ONE OF THE REASONS WHY WE HAVE SO MANY STAFF MEMBERS AT ALL OF OUR COUNCIL MEETINGS, IF THEY HAVE SOMETHING ON THE AGENDA, EVEN IF IT'S ON CONSENT, YOU NEVER KNOW WHEN SOMETHING'S GOING TO GET PULLED. WHEN A COUNCIL MEMBER MIGHT HAVE A QUESTION.

A LOT OF PEOPLE ASK ME, DO I HAVE SO MANY STAFF MEMBERS AT THE MEETINGS? I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'VE GOT THE SUBJECT MATTER EXPERT.

YOU SAW HOW WELL FLOYD DID ANSWERING ALL OF THESE VERY DETAILED QUESTIONS, LOOKING BACK INTO HIS WAY BACK MACHINE TO HAVE ALL THE FACTS FROM 2016 AT READY RECALL SO THAT HE CAN EXPLAIN. HERE'S HOW THIS WORKED.

AND WE ALSO HAVE LAURA, WHO WAS ON CALL AS WELL, ON DECK AS WELL, TO BE ABLE TO ANSWER IT, TO GO INTO DEEPER DETAIL ON THE FINANCE SIDE OF THINGS.

THAT'S WHY WE HAVE ALL THOSE PEOPLE THERE JUST FOR A SITUATION LIKE THIS TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'VE GOT THE RIGHT PERSON TO GIVE YOU ALL EXACTLY ACCURATE INFORMATION BEFORE YOU'RE ASKED TO MAKE A VOTE. SO I HOPE THAT GIVES YOU A REALLY GOOD LOOK INTO WHAT I'M THINKING AND WHAT THE MAYOR IS THINKING AS WE BUILD THE BUDGET, BUILD THE AGENDA TOGETHER AND PICK WHICH ITEMS GO ON CONSENT AND WHICH IS GOING ON NON CONSENT.

YEAH, GREAT, GREAT EXPLANATION.

AND OF COURSE, EVERY COUNCIL MEMBER KNOWS THAT THEY CAN WHEN WE GET TO THE MEETING, ANY ONE OF THEM CAN PULL AN ITEM OFF OF CONSENT AND MOVE IT TO THE NON CONSENT AGENDA FOR FURTHER DISCUSSION OR HAVE THAT AS AN INDIVIDUAL ITEM ON ITS OWN.

SO GREAT, GREAT QUESTIONS.

WE DO THIS MULTIPLE TIMES.

AND IF WE FORGET THAT IF IT HAPPENS TO BE SOMEBODY'S FIRST MEETING OR THEY'RE NOT FAMILIAR WITH HOW THAT HAPPENS.

SO I REALLY APPRECIATE ELAINE HITTING PAUSE ON THAT AND THROWING THAT QUESTION TO JARED, BECAUSE THAT'S A GREAT JUST A GOOD FOUNDATIONAL QUESTION TO TOUCH BASE ON EVERY ONCE IN A WHILE. OK, WITH THAT, DO WE HAVE A MOTION ON THE CONSENT AGENDA? YES, MAYOR WE DO. I MOVE TO APPROVE THE CONSENT AGENDA AS PRESENTED.

OK. IT'S BEEN MOVED BY COUNCIL MEMBER POWELL AND SECONDED BY COUNCIL MEMBER SAUER TO APPROVE THE ITEMS ON THE CONSENT AGENDA.

ALL OF THOSE IN FAVOR, PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND.

THAT PASSES WITH THE 5-0 VOTE.

WE ARE ON ITEM THREE A UNDER THE NON CONSENT ITEMS, WHICH IS CONSIDERATION OF ORDINANCE

[3A. CONSIDERATION OF ORDINANCE NO. 7914: ]

HI, MAYOR. WE'VE HAD THIS IN FRONT OF COUNCIL FOR A COUPLE OF TIMES RECENTLY AND WE HAVE BUT THIS IS THE FIRST READING OF THIS ITEM.

SO WE HAVE VICTORIA MEDLEY TO GIVE A VERY BRIEF PRESENTATION AND THEN ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS COUNCIL MIGHT HAVE.

VICTORIA'S OUR DIRECTOR OF ANIMAL MANAGEMENT WELFARE, VICTORIA.

HEY, GUYS, I'M BACK, SO WE'VE GONE OVER THIS A FEW TIMES, HAD SOME AND I KNOW THAT YOU GUYS HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO LOOK AT OUR POWERPOINT.

THIS ORDINANCE WAS APPROVED OR WENT THROUGH OUR ANIMAL ADVISORY BOARD AND THEY VOTED ON THREE TO ZERO TO SEND IT TO COUNCIL TO GET IT APPROVED.

AS I SAID, WE'D GONE OVER THIS A FEW TIMES.

IS THERE ANY QUESTIONS THAT ANYBODY HAS ABOUT IT? OTHER THAN ANY UPDATES FROM COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT, I AM I AM NOT HEARING ANY OPPOSITION TO IT. I AM NOT NECESSARILY HEARING SUPPORT FOR IT, IT'S JUST KIND OF BEING QUIET.

SO IF YOU HAVE ANY OTHER INSIGHT ON WHAT THE FEEDBACK BEYOND THE ADVISORY BOARD, JUST THE GENERAL COMMUNITY, WHAT YOU HEARD.

WE'VE HAD VERY LITTLE, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE REACHING OUT TO US REGARDING THIS ORDINANCE.

WE HAD A FEW QUESTIONS THAT WE WERE ABLE TO RESPOND TO REGARDING, LIKE HOW IT WOULD AFFECT OUR RESCUES OR OUR FOSTERS AND EXPLAIN TO THEM THAT IT WOULDN'T.

SO WE'VE HAD VERY LITTLE RESPONSE FROM THE COMMUNITY REGARDING ONE WAY OR THE OTHER.

A GREAT QUESTION.

I THINK WE'VE HAD ONE PERSON EXPRESS A CONCERN THAT DOESN'T GO FAR ENOUGH.

THEY WANT IT TO BE MUCH, MUCH MORE AGGRESSIVE.

AND I THINK EVERYBODY HERE WANTS TO DO THE VERY BEST JOB SERVING OUR ANIMALS IN OUR COMMUNITIES WE CAN.

BUT I THINK WE ALSO HAVE TO RECOGNIZE THAT.

AND I'M SURE THE ANIMAL MANAGEMENT BOARD, A LOT OF THEIR THOUGHT PROCESS AND VICTORIA YOU MIGHT BE ABLE TO EXPAND WAS WE HAVE TO WE CAN'T GO STRAIGHT FROM VERY FEW ORDINANCES THAT REALLY HELP US MANAGE OUR ANIMAL POPULATION AND PROVIDE THE HEALTHIEST OUTCOMES FROM THE SHELTER TO HAVING VERY AGGRESSIVE ORDINANCES.

SO WE HAVE TO HAVE A MEASURED APPROACH TO INCREMENTALLY TAKE THOSE STEPS AND WHATEVER STEPS OUR BOARD FEELS ARE APPROPRIATE OR WHATEVER STEPS THEY FEEL ARE APPROPRIATE TO RECOMMEND TO COUNCIL. WE CAN OBVIOUSLY TAILOR THAT RECOMMENDATION AT THE COUNCIL LEVEL.

[01:15:03]

VICTORIA IS THERE ANYTHING TO ADD ON THAT? NO, I AGREE.

AND I THINK THAT WE WANT TO BE REAL.

I THINK THE BOARD UNDERSTANDS AND JUST KIND OF HOW WE'RE LOOKING AT DEVELOPING THE DEPARTMENT IS DOING IT REALLY SEQUENTIAL AND INCREMENTAL, BEST ADDRESSED NOT JUST THE, YOU KNOW, THE CARE AND THE WELFARE OF THE ANIMALS, BUT ALSO THE SAFETY AND THE HEALTH OF OUR COMMUNITY. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS FOR VICTORIA? ALL RIGHT, DO WE HAVE A MOTION THEN ON ITEM THREE A? YES, MAYOR, WE DO.

I MOVE TO APPROVE ORDINANCE NUMBER 7914, AMENDING CHAPTER EIGHT DASH TWO TO INCLUDE REQUIRING A PERMIT FOR THE BREEDING OF AN ADULT DOG OR CAT TO ADD DEFINITIONS FOR ADULT DOG OR CAT AND BREEDER, AND TO PROVIDE FOR SEVERABILITY REPEALER AND CONTINUATION OF PRIOR LAW AND PENALTY.

SECOND. BEEN MOVED BY COUNCIL MEMBER POWELL, SECONDED BY COUNCIL MEMBER SMITH.

DO WE HAVE FURTHER DISCUSSION OR QUESTIONS ABOUT THIS ITEM? I'VE GOT ONE QUESTION.

VICTORIA OR JARED, HOW ARE WE GOING TO COMMUNICATE THIS TO THE GENERAL PUBLIC? I MEAN, WE STARTED THAT PROCESS ALREADY THROUGH PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT.

AND BUT NOW THAT IT'S BECOMING IF THIS WERE TO PASS AND BECOME AN ORDINANCE, HOW ARE WE GOING TO COMMUNICATE THAT TO FOLKS WHO HAVE A PET AND WANT TO KNOW HOW WHAT WHAT'S REQUIRED OF THEM? OR WHAT DOES THIS ORDINANCE CHANGE FOR THEM? MAYOR, WE'RE GOING TO OBVIOUSLY, ONCE IT GETS PASSED OR WHEN IT GETS PASSED, WE'LL PUT IT ON OUR WEBSITE AND IT IN THE PROPOSED ONE IS OUT THERE RIGHT NOW.

THE OTHER THING THAT WE'RE REALLY DOING IS OUR FIELD OFFICERS ARE THE ONES THAT HAVE A LOT OF ONE ON ONE EXPERIENCE WITH PEOPLE OUT IN THE FIELD.

SO WE ARE REALLY TRYING TO KEEP TRACK OF IF WE HAVE SOMEBODY THAT MIGHT HAVE SOME OF THESE ISSUES THAT ONCE THIS IS PASSED, WE'RE ABLE TO GO AND TALK TO THEM AND EDUCATE THEM REGARDING THE ORDINANCE, NOT NECESSARILY CITING THEM OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT, BUT REALLY TRYING TO EDUCATE THEM FIRST.

SO I DO KNOW THAT OUR FIELD SUPERVISOR HAS REALLY BEEN TRYING TO KEEP TRACK OF THOSE ISSUES THAT WE'RE HAVING IN CERTAIN PARTS OF TOWN WITH WITH POSSIBLE BREEDING THAT WE REALLY WILL WANT TO FOCUS ON THEM, TO EDUCATE THEM FIRST.

AND MAYOR, I WOULD ALSO ADD WHAT VICTORIA DESCRIBED AS VERY SIMILAR TO WHAT WE DO THROUGH ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH, THROUGH BUILDING SAFETY, WE EDUCATE, WE WARN.

AND SO THERE'S A COUPLE OF BIG, VERY DETAILED STEPS BEFORE WE CIT.

HAD MY HAND REAL CLOSE TO THE CAMERA.

IT MAKES IT LOOK KIND OF WEIRD. SO THERE'S A LOT OF STEPS WHERE WE TRY AND EDUCATE BEFORE WE ACTUALLY ISSUE A CITATION, NOW IN THIS SITUATION.

IF WE COME UP ON A PRETTY EGREGIOUS SITUATION AND WE'VE SEEN SOME WITH REGARD TO BACKYARD BREEDING AND OTHER THINGS THAT ARE JUST UNHEALTHY FOR THE ANIMALS, UNHEALTHY FOR OUR COMMUNITY, AND DEFINITELY UNHEALTHY FOR OUR SHELTER.

WE COULD THEORETICALLY IN THOSE SITUATIONS JUMP STRAIGHT TO A CITATION.

BUT THAT WILL BE A DECISION TO DO THE RIGHT THING.

YOU DON'T YOU KNOW, AT THAT POINT, YOU KNOW, THE HORSE IS WAY OUT OF THE BARN AT THAT POINT. SO WE NEED TO ADDRESS THOSE IN A MEANINGFUL WAY.

BUT I DON'T THINK THAT'S GOING TO BE THE RULE.

I THINK THAT'S GOING TO BE THE EXCEPTION.

AND WE NEED TO BE PREPARED TO ACT IN AN EXCEPTION LIKE THAT.

GENERALLY SPEAKING, THOUGH, FOR MOST FOR THE MOST PART, WE'RE GOING TO DO EXACTLY WHAT VICTORIA SAID, EDUCATE, WARN BEFORE ANY CITE, TO EDUCATE AND WARN BEFORE ANY CITATIONS.

THANK YOU. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? DISCUSSION. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF THE MOTION, PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND.

I SEE FIVE. THAT PASSES WITH A 5-0 VOTE.

VICTORIA, THANK YOU FOR YOUR WORK ON THIS.

THANK YOU. ITEM THREE B IS TO CONSIDER THE APPROVAL OF A TAX ABATEMENT AGREEMENT

[3B. CONSIDER APPROVAL - TAX ABATEMENT AGREEMENT BETWEEN CITY OF AMARILLO AND AMARILLO ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION AND CACIOUE- LLC AND LOOP 335 SOUTH GEORGIA STREET VENTURES. LLC. ]

OH, WELL, I'M SORRY.

AND AND ANOTHER PARTNER IN THAT WHICH IS LOOP THREE THIRTY FIVE SOUTH GEORGIA STREET VENTURES, LLC.

MR. CITY MANAGER? WELL, WE'VE GOT KEVIN CARTER, PRESIDENT AND CEO OF ADC, HERE TO WALK US THROUGH THE ITEM. WE ALSO HAVE A NUMBER OF GUESTS.

YOU'VE PROBABLY SEEN SOME NAMES YOU MIGHT NOT RECOGNIZE.

SO WE'RE REALLY EXCITED TO HAVE ALL OF THE REPRESENTATIVES FROM CACIQUE WITH US.

SO, KEVIN, TAKE IT AWAY AND PLEASE INTRODUCE ALL OF OUR GUESTS.

[01:20:01]

MAYOR AND COUNCIL. LET ME INTRODUCE OUR GUESTS FIRST AND THEN THEN WE'LL JUMP RIGHT IN AND THEN IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS.

BUT I'M VERY THRILLED TO BE ABLE TO INTRODUCE GILL DE CARDENAS.

HE IS THE CEO OF CACIQUE.

AND ALSO ON THE CALL IS JUSTIN [INAUDIBLE].

HE IS SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT OF OPERATIONS, AND THEN KELLY [INAUDIBLE], WHO IS A PARTNER WITH SITE SELECTION GROUP WHO BROUGHT THE PROJECT TO US.

AND SO VERY GLAD TO HAVE YOU GUYS ON THE CALL, GIL AND YOUR TEAM.

THANKS FOR HAVING US. EXCUSE ME.

I'LL JUMP RIGHT IN ON THIS.

FIRST ITEM IS TO CONSIDER APPROVAL FOR TAX ABATEMENT AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE CITY OF AMARILLO AND THE AMARILLO ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION AND CACIQUE LLC AND LOOP THREE THIRTY FIVE SOUTH GEORGIA STREET VENTURES LLC.

AND SO WE'RE GOING TO SHARE OUR SCREEN.

I'VE GOT A PRESENTATION FOR THIS.

CACIQUE IS A FAMILY OWNED COMPANY.

THEY'VE BEEN AROUND SINCE 1973, THEY ARE THE LEADING PRODUCER OF LATIN CHEESES IN THE US.

THEY ALSO PRODUCE OTHER PRODUCTS SUCH AS CHORIZOS, CREMAS AND SALSAS.

AND THEY ARE LOOKING FOR A LOCATION TO EXPAND THEIR OPERATIONS DUE TO SIGNIFICANT GROWTH WITHIN THE COMPANY. IF THEY CHOOSE AMARILLO WITH THIS PROJECT, THE PROJECT WILL BE APPROXIMATELY 200,000 SQUARE FOOT FACILITY ON 55 ACRES OF LAND IN THE AMARILLO EDC OWNED SOUTH GEORGIA BUSINESS PARK.

IT WILL GO AT THE SOUTHERN END OF THE PROPERTY.

88 MILLION DOLLARS IN NEW CAPITAL EXPENDITURE.

52 MILLION OF THAT IN BUILDING IMPROVEMENTS AND 36 MILLION IN EQUIPMENT.

THIS FIRST PHASE WOULD BE 200 NEW FULL TIME JOBS WITH THE POSSIBILITY OF ADDING 300 ADDITIONAL. THE PROPOSAL FOR YOU TODAY IS A 10 YEAR, 100 PERCENT TAX ABATEMENT ON THE REAL AND BUSINESS PERSONAL PROPERTY.

AND I WANT TO VISIT WITH YOU ABOUT SOME OF THE ECONOMIC BENEFIT OF THIS PROJECT.

THE OVERALL ECONOMIC IMPACT OF THE PROJECT FOR 20 YEARS IS 527 MILLION DOLLARS OVER OVER 20 YEARS. AND THAT'S JUST BASED ON THE FIRST 200 JOBS.

THAT DOES NOT INCLUDE THE ADDITIONAL 300 THAT MAY COME IN LATER PHASES.

SO QUITE A HUGE ECONOMIC IMPACT TO OUR ECONOMY.

ROUGHLY 27 MILLION DOLLARS A YEAR OVER 20 YEARS.

YOU CAN LOOK AT SOME OF THE THINGS THAT.

ARE GOING TO HAPPEN.

200 DIRECT JOBS.

THIS ONE HAS A LARGE BECAUSE IT'S MANUFACTURING HAS A LARGE SPIN OFF NUMBER, SO IT'S ALMOST TWO TO ONE.

SO 200 DIRECT JOBS AND 190 SPINOFF JOBS, ALMOST TWO FOR ONE.

THE THE SALARIES THAT ARE DIRECT ARE 40 OR A LITTLE OVER THE MEDIUM WAGE.

45,778. AND LOOK AT THE AMOUNT ON THE SPINOFF JOBS.

THOSE ARE 45,000 DOLLARS SPINOFF JOBS, WHICH YOU DON'T SEE ALL THE TIME.

WITH THE LAST PROJECT THAT WE PRESENTED, THOSE SPINOFF JOBS WERE QUITE A BIT LESS THAN THE DIRECT JOB.

SO THOSE ARE THE DIRECT AND SPINOFF JOBS ARE ALMOST EQUAL IN PAY.

AND SO WHAT A HUGE ECONOMIC IMPACT THAT THIS PROJECT HAS.

YOU CAN KIND OF SEE SOME OF THE BENEFITS, YOU KNOW, YOU'LL HAVE NEW RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY TAX, YOU'LL HAVE NEW FF&E PROPERTY TAX, REAL PROPERTY TAX, THERE ARE SOME COSTS, BUT MOST OF THOSE COSTS ARE IN THE UTILITY COSTS.

AND YOU CAN SEE IN THE LINE ABOVE YOU'RE GOING TO GET UTILITY REVENUE.

SO YOU SEE REVENUE AND THEN YOU SEE THE COST TO OFFSET THAT, THE COST OF GOVERNMENT SERVICES THAT YOU RECOUP IN BILLING.

SO AND THEN THE COST OF GOVERNMENT SERVICE, THAT'S POLICE FIRE, THOSE THINGS THAT YOU PROVIDE YOUR RESIDENCE.

SO. OVERALL, A HUGE BENEFIT, THE BENEFIT TO THE CITY AFTER THE 10 YEAR ABATEMENT IS 5.5 MILLION DOLLARS IN PROPERTY TAX FOR THE NEXT 10 YEARS TO AN OVER THE 20 YEAR LIFE OF THE CITY'S BENEFIT IS 5.6 MILLION.

THAT'S TO THE CITY OF AMARILLO, NOT TO THE COMMUNITY AS A WHOLE, WHERE THE 527 MILLION COMES INTO EFFECT.

ANY QUESTIONS, MAYOR? YEAH. COUNSEL, DO YOU HAVE QUESTIONS FOR THE EDC TEAM AND IF WE NEED TO PUT THOSE NUMBERS?

[01:25:03]

BY THE WAY, Y'ALL ARE JUST GETTING BETTER AND BETTER AT PUTTING THOSE TOGETHER THAT HELP US UNDERSTAND THE PROJECT AND MAINLY HELP CITIZENS WHO AREN'T FAMILIAR ON A DAY IN AND DAY OUT BASIS WITH HOW THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DOLLARS WORK.

SO I REALLY APPRECIATE THOSE SLIDES.

SO BASED ON THAT, REAL QUICK MAYOR, I JUST WANTED TO MAKE A COMMENT THAT WE HAVE SPENT THE LAST FOUR YEARS DEVELOPING SOME VERY, AND ESPECIALLY WHEN KEVIN CARTER CAME ON, WE BEGAN TO DEVELOP SOME VERY SIGNIFICANTLY MEASURABLE CRITERIA FOR WHENEVER WE BEGAN TO LOOK AT EACH ONE OF THESE PROJECTS.

SO THESE PROJECTS ARE NOT WILLY NILLY.

THEY FOR TAX ABATEMENTS TO OCCUR AT CERTAIN LEVELS.

THEY HAVE TO HAVE A CERTAIN NUMBER OF PEOPLE CERTAIN WE NEED TO BE HAVING THE JOBS NEED TO BE PAYING AT A CERTAIN LEVEL.

SO WE'VE GOT ALL OF THESE CRITERIA THAT THESE CHECK MARKS HAVE TO HAVE TO MARK OFF SO THAT WE KNOW THAT THE INVESTMENT IS GOING TO BE SIGNIFICANT INTO AMARILLO, SO THAT OUR INVESTMENT THERE'S DEFINITELY A SIGNIFICANT RETURN ON OUR INVESTMENT.

AND SO, KEVIN, THANK YOU.

YOU'VE DONE A GREAT JOB.

YOU CONTINUE TO DO A GREAT JOB.

AND THIS HAS BEEN AN INCREDIBLE TWO YEARS WITH YOU AT THE HELM.

YEAH, WE'RE LOOKING AT THAT EDC TEAM, ALL THREE OF YOU GUYS.

YES, I CAN'T TELL IF THAT'S DOUG OR MICHAEL.

IS IT IS MICHAEL.

IT'S DOUG. OK, SO DOUG IS NOT NEW.

WE ALWAYS APPRECIATE DOUG.

HE DOES GREAT WORK AND HE'S BEEN DOING THAT FOR YEARS.

BUT I WAS GOING TO COMMENT THAT ALL THREE OF YOU WERE NEW IN THE LAST TWO YEARS JUST TO COUNCIL MEMBER SAUERS POINT.

WE HAVE HAD SOME CHANGES IN PERSONNEL AND LEADERSHIP AT THE EDC.

AND I REALLY APPRECIATE THE WORK Y'ALL HAVE DONE.

THERE ARE OTHER HOOKS IN THE WATER AND WE'RE STILL WORKING.

BUT THIS COMPANY, THE FAMILY INVOLVED WITH THIS COMPANY, THE EMPLOYEES THAT WE'VE MET, THEY ARE A FIT FOR OUR AMARILLO CULTURE AND THEY ARE A FIT FOR OUR ECONOMY.

PART OF WHAT DRIVES THE DECISION HERE IS THE MILK SHED THAT THEY NEED TO MAKE THEIR PRODUCTS. AND WE HAVE THAT HERE BECAUSE OF INVESTMENTS THAT WE'VE MADE OVER THE LAST 20 YEARS IN THE DAIRY INDUSTRY.

SO I THINK YOUR POINT FROM THAT, EDDY, WAS WE'VE REALLY SEEN THE FRUIT OF THE PERSONNEL AT THE EDC PUTTING THEIR FISHHOOK IN THE LINE AND WORKING HARD FOR PROJECTS THAT WILL BENEFIT OUR ECONOMY.

AND THIS IS A PROJECT THAT IS A GREAT MATCH WITH OUR COMMUNITY.

AND SO BECAUSE OF THAT, WE JUST WANT TO TELL GIL WE ARE SO EXCITED FOR YOU GUYS TO COME TO AMARILLO. WE THINK YOU GUYS ARE A PERFECT FIT FOR US AND WE'RE PERFECT FIT FOR YOU.

COUNCIL, ANY OTHER QUESTIONS, THEN I'M GOING TO THROW THE MICROPHONE TO GIL, JUST GIVE HIM A CHANCE TO SAY ANYTHING THAT HE WANTS TO SAY ON BEHALF OF THE COMPANY.

BUT LET'S DEFINITELY COVER ANY OF YOUR QUESTIONS.

BUT I ALSO WANTED TO KEEP FOLLOWING UP AND BE SURE TO HAVE AN OVERVIEW, SAY WELCOME, WE'RE VERY EXCITED TO HAVE YOU GUYS COMING TO BE A PART OF OUR COMMUNITY.

AND I HAD A QUESTION FOR KELLY.

I KNOW WHEN YOU'RE INTRODUCED AS LIKE A SITE SELECTOR.

AND SO IF YOU CAN KIND OF EXPLAIN WHAT YOUR ROLE IN THIS THIS PROJECT IS HAS BEEN.

SURE, ABSOLUTELY. SO SITE SELECTION GROUP, WE HAVE COMPANIES SUCH AS CACIQUE THAT WILL COME TO US TO ASK FOR ASSISTANCE IN TERMS OF DETERMINING WHERE TO LOCATE THEIR NEXT FACILITY. AND SO WE WORK WITH LOCATION ANALYTICS.

SO DETERMINING WHERE IS THE BEST AVAILABLE LABOR AND MOST AFFORDABLE LABOR, MOST QUALIFIED LABOR, TRANSPORTATION AND LOGISTICS AND ALL OF THE VARIOUS DIFFERENT ANALYTICS TO GO INTO THAT COMPONENT OF IT AND THEN, YOU KNOW, REAL ESTATE AVAILABILITY, ET CETERA.

AND THEN IN ADDITION TO THAT, WE HELP THEM WITH THE BROKERAGE SIDE OF THINGS AND AS WELL AS THE ECONOMIC INCENTIVE SIDE.

AND SO WE HAVE STARTED WITH A NATIONWIDE SEARCH AND WE'VE NOW NARROWED IT DOWN, OBVIOUSLY. AND THE FAVORED COMMUNITY WITHIN TEXAS IS ABSOLUTELY AMARILLO.

AND THE SUPPORT DEFINITELY FROM THE AEDC AS WELL AS THE MAYOR AND THE REST OF THE CITY ADMINISTRATION HAS BEEN HUGELY HELPFUL IN HELPING US GATHER INFORMATION IN THE COMPANY AND, YOU KNOW, NARROWING DOWN THE SCOPE OF THE PARTICULAR SITES.

GREAT QUESTION. I'M NOT SURE I WANT TO ASK THIS PUBLICLY, SO I'M ASKING THIS LIKE ON A

[01:30:02]

AN ALTERNATIVE THAT COMPANIES ARE LOOKING FOR.

YEAH, AND I'D LOVE TO HAVE A MORE IN-DEPTH CONVERSATION OFFLINE WITH THAT FOR SURE.

BUT I THINK THE FIRST THING IS, IS BEING BUSINESS FRIENDLY.

AND THE CITY DEFINITELY UNDERSTANDS THAT.

AS WE'VE MENTIONED, THERE'S THERE'S CERTAIN THINGS THAT WILL DRIVE A PROJECT.

AND, YOU KNOW, MILK SHED IS ONE OF THEM.

THERE ARE OTHER AREAS IN TEXAS THAT HAVE THAT MILK SHED.

SO THERE WERE OTHER FACTORS THAT MADE AMARILLO COME OUT ON TOP, BUT DEFINITELY UNDERSTANDING BUSINESS AND BEING BUSINESS FRIENDLY, BUSINESS FRIENDLY, AS WELL AS UNDERSTANDING THE COST GAPS THAT MIGHT EXIST BETWEEN DIFFERENT SITES, WHETHER THAT'S FROM A TAX PERSPECTIVE OR A REAL ESTATE PERSPECTIVE.

BUT ADDRESSING THOSE ISSUES AND NARROWING THAT GAP SO THAT IT'S A LONG TERM SUCCESS.

BUT I'M ABSOLUTELY HAPPY TO EVEN HAVE THAT DIALOG AFTER THIS.

THANKS, KELLY, APPRECIATE THAT.

SURE. EDDY, FREDA, HOWARD.

ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? YOU KNOW, ANYTHING YOU WANT TO SAY ON BEHALF OF THE COMPANY, ACTUALLY, I WANT TO SAY SOMETHING ON THE BEHALF OF AMARILLO.

IF YOU DON'T MIND. THAT IS, I WANT YOU ALL TO UNDERSTAND THAT FROM OUR PERSPECTIVE, WE STARTED THIS SEARCH WITH ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTY THREE SITES.

I BELIEVE IT WAS THAT KELLY AND HER TEAM FOUND.

SO THAT'S ONE HUNDRED TWENTY THREE COMPETITORS.

ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTY TWO EXCUSE ME, TO AMARILLO.

AND HERE WE ARE AT THE VERY END LITERALLY WITH WITH JUST A COUPLE LOOK AT AND AND YOU'RE AT THE TOP. AND I THINK THAT SPEAKS VERY HIGHLY TO YOUR COMMUNITY, WHAT YOU'VE BEEN ABLE TO PRODUCE. THE SUPPORT WE'VE GOTTEN FROM KEVIN IN THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT GROUP, WE'RE THRILLED WHEN WE FINISH THIS PROCESS UP.

WE WANT YOU TO UNDERSTAND HOW THANKFUL WE ARE OF EVERYTHING YOU'VE DONE FOR US.

WE'RE A FAMILY OWNED BUSINESS, WE UNDERSTAND.

WE LOOK AT THINGS A LITTLE DIFFERENTLY FROM TIME TO TIME, AND CERTAINLY COMMUNITIES TO US ARE ARE VERY IMPORTANT.

IT'S NOT JUST A DOLLAR SIGN AND YOU'VE GOT A TREMENDOUS COMMUNITY FROM A BUSINESS STANDPOINT. OUR PARENTS STARTED THIS BUSINESS 48 YEARS AGO WITH 1,500 DOLLARS IN THEIR POCKETS. THAT WAS WHEN THEY COULD BORROW FROM OTHER FRIENDS AND WHAT THEY HAD, SAVED, THE FIRST DELIVERY VEHICLE WE HAD WAS THE FAMILY CAR WHEN IT WAS NOT TAKING US TO SCHOOL.

AND THE FIRST FACILITY WE HAD WAS RENTED DURING DAYLIGHT HOURS ONLY BECAUSE IT'S ALL MY PARENTS COULD AFFORD.

AND WHEN I SAY MY PARENTS, IT'S ACTUALLY I HAVE THREE OTHER BROTHERS, SISTERS WHO ARE MY PARTNERS IN THE BUSINESS.

SO WE ARE A FAMILY BUSINESS ALL THE WAY THROUGH.

MOST OF THE TEAM WE HAVE HAVE BEEN WITH US A SIGNIFICANT PART FOR MORE THAN 10 YEARS AND WHERE THIS MIX OF PEOPLE HAVE BEEN WITH US A LONG TIME, NEWER PEOPLE.

JUSTIN WAS ON THE CALL JOINING US JUST OVER TWO YEARS AGO.

AND THIS IS GREAT LAND GREAT CULTURE OF WHAT GOT US HERE AND WHAT'S GOING TO GET US TO THE NEXT PHASE. SO WE'RE A LITTLE DIFFERENT AS A COMPANY.

AT THE END OF THE DAY, WE REALLY APPRECIATE THE COMMUNITY WE'RE IN.

IT'S IMPORTANT TO US. OUR PEOPLE ARE VERY IMPORTANT TO US.

I THINK WE'RE A LITTLE DIFFERENT THAT WAY AND WE KIND OF GET THE SAME VIBE FROM AMARILLO.

SO I REALLY AM THANKFUL FOR EVERYTHING YOU'VE DONE FOR US.

AND WE'RE LOOKING TO FINALIZE THIS PROJECT HERE PRETTY SOON.

WONDERFUL. WELL, I HAVE THOROUGHLY ENJOYED THE TIME THAT I'VE SPENT WITH YOU GUYS AS A TEAM ON YOUR VISITS TO AMARILLO AND ZOOM MEETINGS AS WE WORK THIS PROJECT.

I COULD TELL FROM THE FIRST TIME I MET THIS TEAM THAT YOU WOULD BE A FABULOUS FIT FOR THE COMMUNITY OF AMARILLO.

SO THANK YOU FOR THE KIND WORDS.

BUT LET ME TELL YOU HOW EXCITED WE ARE TO HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE THE PLACE WHERE YOUR BUSINESS GROWS TO THE NEXT LEVEL.

THAT'S ABSOLUTELY HOW WE WANT TO PARTNER WITH YOU.

AND WE LOOK FORWARD TO DOING IT AS WE WORK TO FINALIZE AND FINISH FINISH THAT EXACT RESULT. SO THANKS, GIL.

THANKS, KELLY. THANKS, JUSTIN, FOR ALL OF THE HOURS THAT YOU ALL PUT INTO GETTING TO THIS

[01:35:02]

ANY OTHER QUESTIONS BEFORE WE CONSIDER A MOTION ON THIS? MAYOR, I JUST WANT I JUST WANT TO SAY HELLO TO GIL AND WELCOME HIM TO AMARILLO, AND I'M SO LOOKING FORWARD TO MEETING YOU AS WELL IN THE FUTURE.

SO THANK YOU. THANK YOU.

I'D LIKE TO SAY YES, HOWARD, WHAT A COMPLIMENT, GIL, FOR PICKING US OUT OF A HUNDRED TWENTY THREE SITES.

THAT'S AMAZING. I USED TO BE PART OF A FAMILY BUSINESS MYSELF, SO I THINK IT'S WONDERFUL.

THAT'S A FAMILY BUSINESS THAT'S BEEN CHOSEN AND ALSO FOR PLACES THAT ARE NOT FAMILY BUSINESSES, BUT ESPECIALLY APPRECIATE YOU CHOOSING AMARILLO.

THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT, COUNCIL, DO WE HAVE A MOTION TO APPROVE THIS ITEM THREE B? YES, MAYOR WE DO.

I MOVE TO APPROVE THE TAX ABATEMENT AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE CITY OF AMARILLO AND AMARILLO ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION AND CACIQUE, LLC AND LOOP 335 SOUTH GEORGIA STREET VENTURES, LLC.

THAT'S IT. SO MOVED BY COUNCIL MEMBER POWELL, SECONDED BY COUNCIL MEMBER SMITH TO APPROVE THIS TAX ABATEMENT AGREEMENT.

ANY FURTHER QUESTIONS OR DISCUSSION? I WOULD THROW A QUESTION JUST TO AEDC TEAM ABOUT THE PROCEDURE AND THE TIMELINE HERE.

WE'RE READY IF WE APPROVE THIS AGREEMENT AND THE LOCATION INCENTIVE AGREEMENT THAT'S FOLLOWING ON ITEM THREE C.

KEVIN, CAN YOU JUST TELL US, TIMELINE WISE, WHAT ARE THE NEXT STEPS IN MAKING THIS PROJECT A REALITY? YES, MA'AM, I CAN TELL YOU. SO THE CITY OBVIOUSLY DOES THE TAX ABATEMENT AGREEMENT FIRST, AND THEN WE HAVE THREE OTHER ENTITIES THAT HOPEFULLY WILL OPT IN TO THAT AGREEMENT.

ONE OF THOSE WILL PRESENT TONIGHT TO AMARILLO COLLEGE AT THEIR BOARD OF REGENTS MEETING TONIGHT. AND THEN IN THREE WEEKS, WE WILL PRESENT ON APRIL 13TH, WE WILL PRESENT AT RANDALL COUNTY. TO THIS WE VISITED WITH THE COMMISSIONERS ARE VERY EXCITED ABOUT THIS PROJECT AND RANDALL COUNTY.

AND SO THAT WOULD BE THE NEXT STEP.

AND THEN AFTER THAT, WE'RE GOING TO VISIT WITH HIGH PLAINS UNDERGROUND WATER DISTRICT ABOUT SIGNING ON TO THIS AGREEMENT.

AND THEN ALSO OF CACIQUE HAS SUBMITTED AN APPLICATION FOR THE TEXAS ENTERPRISE FUND THAT IS THE STATE'S DEAL CLOSING FUND.

AND SO THOSE FUNDS ARE VERY IMPORTANT.

WE HOPE TO HEAR SOMETHING ABOUT THAT IN MID TO LATE APRIL.

AND THEN, CACIQUE, I WILL MAKE A DECISION AT THAT TIME WHAT LOCATION THEY WILL CHOOSE.

IS THAT RIGHT, KELLY OR GIL? THAT'S CORRECT. AND THEN MAKE A DECISION AND MOVE FORWARD QUICKLY.

THEY'RE EXCITED TO MAKE THAT DECISION AND GET STARTED.

I THINK IT'S A GREAT SIGN THAT THE GOVERNOR RECENTLY CALLED US OUT FOR HAVING HISTORIC ACCOMPLISHMENTS WITH REGARD TO ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, AND WE, OF COURSE, WE'RE WORKING ON THIS DEAL AT THE TIME AND KNEW WE WOULD BE ASKING FOR HELP FROM HIS OFFICE.

SO I THOUGHT THAT'S FANTASTIC THAT HE WATCHING FROM AUSTIN ABOUT THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT SUCCESS WE'RE HAVING HERE IN THE CITY OF AMARILLO.

I THINK IT'S A GOOD SIGN FOR US.

IT'S A GOOD TIME FOR US TO BE ASKING FOR ASSISTANCE FROM HIS OFFICE FOR NEW BUSINESSES THAT ARE INTERESTED IN MAKING AMARILLO THEIR HOME.

AND WE SINCERELY APPRECIATE YOUR HELP AND SUPPORT IN THAT, AS WELL AS ALL THE VARIOUS REPRESENTATIVES AS WELL.

OK, IF THAT DOES IT FOR A DISCUSSION ON THE MOTION, THEN I WILL CALL A QUESTION ALL OF THOSE IN FAVOR OF THE MOTION.

PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND.

AND THAT PASSES WITH A FIVE VOTE VOTE MOVING ON TO ITEM THREE C.

[3C. CONSIDER APPROVAL - LOCATION INCENTIVE AGREEMENT BETWEEN AMARILLO ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION AND CACIQUE, LLC. ]

KEVIN, YOU WANT TO GIVE US A LITTLE PREVIEW ON THIS ITEM? YES, MA'AM. THIS ITEM IS TO CONSIDER APPROVAL FOR A LOCATION INCENTIVE AGREEMENT BETWEEN AMARILLO AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION AND CACIQUE LLC.

THIS ITEM AUTHORIZES THE AEDC TO EXECUTE A LOCATION INCENTIVE AGREEMENT WITH CACIQUE LLC AND LOOP 335 SOUTH GEORGIA VENTURES LLC.

ALREADY KIND OF GIVING YOU A LITTLE BIT OF HISTORY, THERE ARE THE LEADING PRODUCER OF WINE AND CHEESE, THIS 10 YEAR AGREEMENT WOULD INCENTIVIZE CACIQUE WITH UP TO 5 MILLION DOLLARS IN JOB CREATION INCENTIVE BASED ON $10,000 DOLLARS PER JOB FOR A TOTAL OF 500 EMPLOYEES PAID OUT OVER 5 YEARS.

[01:40:02]

THIS DOES FIT WITHIN THE INCENTIVE GUIDELINES AND THE REGULATIONS THAT THE COUNCIL ADOPTED ALMOST TWO YEARS AGO.

RIGHT BEFORE I GOT RIGHT AFTER I GOT HERE, I GUESS THOSE WERE ADOPTED.

AND I WILL TELL YOU, ANDREW FRIEDMAN PUT THOSE TOGETHER AT THE CITY ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT OFFICE AND DID A FANTASTIC JOB.

WHEN WE SEND THOSE TO PROSPECTS, THEY'RE IMPRESSED WITH HOW THAT'S ALL PUT TOGETHER.

AND SO THAT DOES FIT WITHIN THE GUIDELINES, BOTH THE ABATEMENT AND THIS PROCESS.

AND SO I KIND OF WANTED TO TIE THAT TOGETHER.

ALSO, THE AGREEMENT WOULD PROVIDE UP TO $2,500 DOLLARS PER EMPLOYEE, UP TO 300 EMPLOYEES IN RELOCATION EXPENSE REIMBURSEMENT.

WE THINK THIS IS A HUGE OPPORTUNITY BECAUSE IT ALLOWS US TO GROW OUR WORKFORCE AND TO HAVE EMPLOYEES MOVE IN AT SOME OF THEIR CURRENT LOCATIONS.

SO THAT WOULD BE PER EMPLOYEE THAT RELOCATES TO THE AMARILLO MSA.

ALSO INCLUDED IN THE AGREEMENT IS AN INCENTIVE THAT WOULD CONVEY A 55 ACRE TRACT OF LAND IN THE SOUTH GEORGIA BUSINESS PARK IN RETURN FOR THESE INCENTIVES.

AND IF CACIQUE SELECTS AMARILLO FOR ITS LOCATION, THEY WILL CONSTRUCT A 200,000 SQUARE FOOT FOOD PROCESSING FACILITY WITH THE COST OF AT LEAST 88 MILLION DOLLARS.

52 MILLION DOLLARS IN IMPROVEMENTS.

36 MILLION IN EQUIPMENT.

THE AGREEMENT ALSO INCLUDES A GROUND LEASE ON THE 55 ACRE TRACT OF LAND THAT ALLOWS THE COMPANY TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF REINVESTING MONEY FROM THE SALE OF THE CURRENT LOCATION.

AFTER THE 1031 EXCHANGE IS COMPLETED, THEN THE LAND WOULD CONVEY TO THE COMPANY.

SO CACIQUE PLANS TO MOVE EMPLOYEES INTO THE AREA THAT HELPS WITH THE WORKFORCE AND ALSO ADDITIONAL TAX BASE.

OUR BOARD VOTED YESTERDAY FOUR ZERO TO APPROVE THE LOCATION INCENTIVE AGREEMENT, AND WE WOULD ASK THE COUNCIL TO DO SO AS WELL.

COUNCIL DO HAVE ANY QUESTIONS FOR THE AEDC TEAM.

OK, DO WE HAVE A MOTION ON THIS ITEM.

YES, THERE WE DO.

I MOVE TO IMPROVE THE LOCATION, ITS AGREEMENT BETWEEN AMARILLO ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION AND CACIQUE LLC TO PROVIDE CACIQUE LLC 5 MILLION DOLLARS FOR THE CREATION OF UP TO 500 FULL TIME EMPLOYEES, AND WHICH IS TO BE PAID OUT OVER 5 YEARS AND WILL BE BASED ON A 10 YEAR PERFORMANCE TERM.

ALSO, THE AMARILLO ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION WILL CONVEY 55 ACRES OF LAND AND PAY $2500 DOLLARS PER EMPLOYEE FOR RELOCATION EXPENSES FOR EMPLOYEES THAT MOVE INTO THE FIVE COUNTY MSA AREA.

SECONDED.

IT'S BEEN MOVED BY COUNCIL MEMBER POWELL AND SECONDED BY COUNCIL MEMBER SAUER TO APPROVE THIS LOCATION INCENTIVE AGREEMENT.

ANY FURTHER QUESTIONS OR DISCUSSION FROM THE COUNCIL? OK, ALL OF THOSE IN FAVOR OF THE MOTION, PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND.

I SEE FIVE HANDS THAT PASSES WITH THE 5-0 VOTE.

CACIQUE TEAM, THANK YOU FOR YOUR PATIENCE AND JOINING OUR MEETING TODAY.

WE LOOK FORWARD TO BEING ON THE GROUND IN AMARILLO SOON, WE HOPE.

THANK YOU MAYOR. THANK YOU ALL VERY MUCH.

THANK YOU.

AEDC TEAM GOOD WORK ON THIS PROJECT.

IT IS EXACTLY WHAT WE'RE AIMING FOR, A COMPANY THAT MEETS OUR LOCAL POLICIES WITH REGARD TO ECONOMIC INCENTIVES AND YET WILL ALSO BE VERY COMFORTABLE TO THE CULTURE THAT WE HAVE HERE AS A FAMILY OWNED BUSINESS AND OUR CONSERVATIVE VALUES.

SO IT'S A GREAT MATCH.

AND YOU GUYS JUST KEEP BRINGING US THESE WONDERFUL PROJECTS AND IT'S EXCITING TO SEE THE WORK THAT YOU'RE DOING. SO GREAT JOB.

THANK YOU MAYOR, THANK YOU COUNSEL.

YEAH, OK, THAT BRINGS US TO THE END OF OUR AGENDA BEFORE WE GO INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION.

SO I'D ASKED THE CITY ATTORNEY IF HE WOULD READ OUR EXECUTIVE SESSION, SPECIAL LANGUAGE.

[4. EXECUTIVE SESSION:]

07, DISCUSSED COMMERCIAL FINANCIAL INFORMATION RECEIVED FROM THE EXISTING BUSINESS OR BUSINESS PROFIT, WHICH THE CITY IS NEGOTIATING FOR THE LOCATION OR RETENTION OF A FACILITY OR FOR INCENTIVES.

THE CITY WOULD STAND FOR FINANCIAL INFORMATION SUBMITTED BY THE STATE.

THANK YOU.

* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.