Aug 02, 2022 City Council Regular Meeting

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TO OUR REGULAR COUNCIL MEETING SCHEDULED FOR TODAY, TUESDAY, AUGUST 2ND, AT 1 P.M.

HERE AT CITY HALL AT 601 SOUTH BUCHANAN STREET IN THE COUNCIL CHAMBERS.

SO THANK EVERYONE FOR BEING HERE AND APPRECIATE YOUR INVOLVEMENT AT THIS PARTICULAR TIME.

[INVOCATION]

THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE.

YES, MA'AM. IF YOU'LL JUST BUY YOUR HEADS AND CLOSE YOUR EYES.

LORD, TODAY WE'RE THANKFUL, FIRST OF ALL, FOR ANOTHER DAY, FOR THE LIFE THAT YOU HAVE ALLOWED US TO HAVE, LORD GOD, FOR ANOTHER BREATH THAT YOU'VE ALLOWED US TO TAKE IN ORDER TODAY. WE'RE GRATEFUL.

WE'RE THANKFUL, GOD, THAT WE HAVE THE RIGHT AND THE PRIVILEGE TO CALL ON YOUR NAME, AND TODAY, LORD GOD, WE PRAY THAT YOU WOULD BE LORD OF ALL AND THE THINGS THAT ARE TO TAKE PLACE IN THIS MEETING. GOD, OUR PRAYER TODAY, LORD GOD, IS THAT YOUR WILL WOULD BE DONE OR ON EARTH AS IT IS IN HEAVEN.

OUR PRAYER TODAY IS THAT IN THE MIDST OF DIFFERENCES, OF OPINION, DIFFERENT THOUGHTS, DIFFERENT INTENTIONS.

LORD, WE PRAY THAT IT WOULD BE YOUR INTENTION AND YOUR PURPOSE THAT WOULD PREVAIL OVERALL.

LORD, WE PRAY THAT THE PEACE OF GOD WOULD JUST FILL THE ROOM GOD AND WOULD TAKE OVER LORD GOD AND WOULD OVERWHELM AND LORD, WE JUST PRAY AGAIN THAT IT WOULD BE YOUR PURPOSE THAT PREVAILS.

LORD OVER AMARILLO, OVER THE CITY, OVER EVERY INDIVIDUAL.

LORD TODAY I TAKE THE TIME TO HONOR OUR LEADERSHIP AND TO THANK YOU FOR EACH OF THEM, FOR THEIR LIVES.

LORD, I ASK YOU TO BLESS THEIR HOMES, THEIR FAMILIES, OR THEIR RELATIONSHIPS.

GOD, AND WE JUST PRAY.

BLESSINGS OVER THE CITY OF AMARILLO, LORD GOD, AGAIN, THAT YOU WOULD HAVE YOUR WAY.

WE ASK THAT YOU BE GLORIFIED IN EVERYTHING, LORD, THAT YOU BE LORD OF THE CITY OF AMARILLO, AND WE ASK IT IN THE NAME THAT IS ABOVE EVERY NAME, THE NAME THAT HAS AUTHORITY IN HEAVEN, ON EARTH, AND EVEN UNDER THE EARTH, AND THAT NAME IS THE NAME OF JESUS CHRIST.

AMEN. AMEN.

AMEN. THANK YOU, MR. GONZALES, FOR BLESSING US TODAY.

WOULD YOU PLEASE JOIN ME IN THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE? THANK YOU. YOU MAY BE SEATED.

AT THIS PARTICULAR TIME, I'M GOING TO TURN THE MIC OVER TO OUR CITY SECRETARY, MISS STEPHANIE COGGINS, AND SHE WILL

[PUBLIC ADDRESS]

THANK YOU, MAYOR PRO TEM.

THANK YOU FOR PARTICIPATING IN TODAY'S CITY COUNCIL.

YOUR INPUT AND YOUR OPINIONS ARE IMPORTANT TO US AND WE ARE GLAD THAT YOU'RE HERE TO SHARE THEM TODAY.

AT EACH POSTED MEETING, WE INVITE OUR FELLOW COMMUNITY MEMBERS TO ADDRESS CITY COUNCIL REGARDING POSTED AGENDA ITEMS. EACH SPEAKER HAS 3 MINUTES TO ADDRESS COUNCIL.

AT THE END OF TWO AND A HALF MINUTES, YOU WILL HEAR A BEEP WARNING YOU THAT YOU HAVE 30 SECONDS LEFT TO WRAP UP YOUR THOUGHTS, AND WE ASK THAT YOU STAY WITHIN YOUR 3 MINUTES.

SPEAKERS ARE ASKED TO LIMIT YOUR COMMENTS TO ITEMS ON THE POSTED AGENDA.

WE HAVE SEVERAL PUBLIC HEARINGS ON THE AGENDA TODAY.

IF YOU'RE HERE TO SPEAK ON AN ITEM WITH A PUBLIC HEARING, WE WOULD ASK THAT YOU EITHER SPEAK DURING PUBLIC ADDRESS OR DURING THE PUBLIC HEARING, BUT NOT BOTH.

THIS HELPS US KEEP ACCURATE RECORDS AND IT IS YOUR CHOICE ON WHEN YOU WISH TO PROVIDE COMMENTS.

WE HAVE TWO SPEAKERS SIGNED UP TODAY.

WHEN YOU COME TO THE MICROPHONE, IF YOU'LL PLEASE STATE YOUR NAME, WHETHER OR NOT YOU LIVE IN THE CITY OF AMARILLO AND IF YOU ARE SPEAKING FOR ON OR AGAINST YOUR AGENDA ITEMS. AGAIN, THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE TODAY.

OUR FIRST SPEAKER IS NOAH DAWSON, AND ON DECK AFTER MR. DAWSON WILL BE JAMES SCHENCK.

HEY, HOW'S IT GOING? NOAH DAWSON STILL LIVING IN AMARILLO, AND IT'S BEEN FAR TOO LONG.

ABOUT A YEAR SINCE I'VE LAST SPOKEN AT A MEETING.

PART OF ME MISSES SEEING Y'ALL'S FACES EVERY WEEK, BUT, YOU KNOW, LIFE GETS IN THE WAY SOMETIMES, DOESN'T IT? ANYWAY, IT'S JUST A BRIEF PREVIEW, SO I WON'T WASTE EVERYONE'S TIME BY RAMBLING.

ALL MY POINTS TODAY RELATE TO AND ARE SPECIFICALLY AGAINST TWO B AND C, THREE A AND THREE C THROUGH F.

I KNOW IT'S QUITE A LOT, BUT I'M SURE I'LL MANAGE.

I'LL TRY AND GET THROUGH IT AS QUICK AS I CAN.

FIRST OFF, I JUST WANT TO SAY I KNOW Y'ALL HAVEN'T VOTED ON SOMETHING RELATED TO AN INCREASE IN TAXES SINCE MAY, THOUGH YESTERDAY'S RULING DIDN'T PAN OUT IN Y'ALL'S FAVOR AS FAR AS THAT WENT.

SO WHAT THAT TRIAL WILL BRING? WELL, AT LEAST Y'ALL VOTED ON AN ITEM THAT WAS REALLY ABOUT TAX NOTES INSTEAD OF WHAT WAS PRINTED ON THE AGENDA SAYING WAS TAX AND REVENUE NOTES, BUT HEY, WE ALL MAKE MISTAKES.

I GUESS IT'S JUST UP TO THE COURT TO DECIDE ON HOW BIG A MISTAKE THAT WAS.

JUST REAL BRIEFLY, I NOTICED THIS EARLIER.

IT'S NOT EVEN MY NOTES, BUT SPEAKING OF MISTAKES, THERE'S A MINOR MISTAKE ON THE AGENDA.

[00:05:04]

I'M SURE IT'S NOT A HUGE DEAL.

JUST FELT I SHOULD PUT THAT OUT SINCE I HAD MISTAKES IN MY SPEECH, BUT ANYWAY, SPEAKING OF TAX HIKES IN MAY, YOU KNOW WHAT? I HAVEN'T DEFEATED A TAX HIKE SINCE MAY, SO I DON'T KNOW WHAT Y'ALL, BUT I'M GETTING WITHDRAWALS.

SO IF WHATEVER TAX HIKE YOU ARE PLANNING ON IS SO BIG THAT IT NEEDS TO GO TO THE BALLOT, I'M UP FOR DEFEATING IT IN NOVEMBER, BUT PLEASE DON'T FEEL THE NEED TO DO SO SOLELY ON MY ACCOUNT. I'M SURE I'LL MANAGE IT.

THE TAX HIKE PROPOSING ISN'T QUITE MASSIVE ENOUGH TO REQUIRE MY SERVICES AND CUTTING IT BACK DOWN AT THE BALLOT BOX.

WELL, Y'ALL PROBABLY DON'T NEED TO HEAR ME GIVE MY FULL SPIEL ABOUT MY VIEWS ON PROPERTY TAXES.

MR. STANLEY'S THE ONLY ONE WHO HASN'T HAD THE PLEASURE OF HEARING ME SPEAK AT AD NAUSEAM BEFORE HE WAS ELECTED, BUT HE'S ALSO THE ONLY ONE Y'ALL THAT'S ACTUALLY DECENT ON THAT ISSUE. SO I WILL DO IT FOR THREE.

AS FOR ALL THE OTHER ITEMS, MY VIEWS ON PROPERTY TAX LIBERTARIANISM ALSO STILL EXTEND TO A LIBERTARIAN POSITION ON PRETTY MUCH ALL ISSUES, INCLUDING OPPOSING GRANTING SPECIAL PRIVILEGES AND PICKING WINNERS AND LOSERS.

I WILL SAY THAT THE STUFF ABOUT ALBERS AEROSPACE DID KIND OF PIQUE MY INTEREST.

I DON'T KNOW IF YOU KNOW THIS, SO I THINK I ACTUALLY HAD A PLEASURE BRIEFLY SPEAKING WITH YOU, MAYOR PRO TEM, AFTER THE LAST TIME I SPOKE ABOUT MEETING ABOUT A YEAR AGO, BUT ONE OF MY OTHER LOVES, ASIDE FROM GETTING GOVERNMENT TO PEOPLE'S LIVES, IS THE MASSIVE GROWTH IN THE NEW PRIVATE SPACE SECTOR, UNFORTUNATELY, SEEMS THEY AREN'T EVEN REALLY IN THAT FIELD.

LOOKS LIKE THEY'RE MORE IN THE BUSINESS OF STUFF RELATED TO MILITARY DRONES.

SO EMPHASIS ON AERO AND NOT SPACE.

HOW DOES POINTING THOUGH I MIGHT CLARIFY MY PRINCIPLES AREN'T FOR SALE CONTINGENT ON IF I LIKE THE COMPANY ENOUGH OR NOT, AND IT'S ONLY A FEW MONTHS AGO I WAS SUBMITTING ONE OF MY LAST RESEARCH PAPERS I DID FOR MY ECONOMICS BACHELOR'S DEGREE, AND IT WAS ALL ABOUT HOW THESE KINDS OF ECONOMIC INCENTIVE PACKAGES IN THE LONG RUN TEND TO BE A BAD DEAL FOR PRETTY MUCH EVERYONE INVOLVED.

WELL, I HOPE YOU ALL HAVE A GREAT DAY, AND TO THOSE WHO ALL WHO STILL AREN'T OVER THE FACT THAT MY TEAM WON IN 2020, GOOD LUCK IN COURT.

I MEAN, IF WHAT KIND OF TESTIMONY THAT LAST HEARING WASN'T EMBARRASSING ENOUGH FOR Y'ALL TO RESIGN.

WELL, AT LEAST THAT GUN CONTROL LETTER ENDED MAYOR NELSON'S POLITICAL CAREER.

THANK YOU, MR. DAWSON.

NEXT UP, JAMES SCHENCK.

BEFORE WE START, CAN I ASK FOR A POINT OF ORDER? IN REFERENCE TO SPEAKING ON THE PUBLIC HEARINGS AND SPEAKING NOW WHEN I'M NOT GOING TO SPEAK ON THE PUBLIC HEARINGS NOW YOU'RE SAYING I CAN'T SPEAK DURING A PUBLIC HEARING, WHICH WOULD BE A COMPLETELY DIFFERENT TOPIC SUBJECT IF IT'S ON A DIFFERENT TOPIC.

MR. SCHENCK, YOU COULD SPEAK ON THAT DURING THE PUBLIC HERE.

OKAY, JUST CLARIFYING THAT.

OKAY, PUBLIC COMMENTS.

ONE OF THE THINGS AND MOST OF YOU HAVE SEEN TEXTS FROM ME IN THE PAST, WHEN YOU'RE NOT USING THE MICROPHONE, WHEN YOU'RE TRYING TO WATCH THIS ON TV OR ON THE COMPUTER, LATER IT TURNS INTO THIS AND THIS WHEN YOU'RE NOT, THESE ARE DIRECTIONAL MICROPHONES AND WHEN YOU SPEAK INTO THEM, THEY HEAR YOU , BUT IF YOU'RE OVER HERE OR IF YOU'RE LOOKING THIS WAY ON TV, IT ALMOST GOES OFF, AND I'M HEARING IMPAIRED SOME, BUT LET ME TELL YOU, I GOT THEM UP SO LOUD RIGHT NOW, I CAN HEAR YOU BREATHE.

SO PLEASE, JARED KNOWS ABOUT IT.

I TALK WITH HIM, WORK ON THAT.

SPEAKING OF THE MIC, I'VE GOT A MAKE REFERENCE TO THE LAWSUIT THAT'S GOING ON.

I KNOW YOU CAN'T SPEAK ON IT, BUT WE'VE ACTUALLY HIRED WHAT LOOKS LIKE THE MOST EXPENSIVE LAW TEAM OUT OF AUSTIN THAT THE CITY COULD POSSIBLY HAVE, AND THEY'RE USING OUR MONEY, TAXPAYER MONEY TO BASICALLY SUE A DISGRUNTLED TAXPAYER, WHICH I'M IN THAT GROUP.

ABOUT 42,000 CITIZENS ARE IN THAT GROUP, WERE DISGRUNTLED WITH WHAT'S TRYING TO TRANSPIRE HERE , AND IT'S IRONIC TO ME THAT YOU'RE BASICALLY USING TAXPAYER MONEY TO SUE THE TAXPAYER, BUT THAT'S ALL MOOT RIGHT NOW BECAUSE OF THE RECENT RULING.

SO WE'LL CARRY ON NOW.

NOW, THE BUDGET ITEM, WHICH I HAVE MARKED AS ONE.

IT'S INTERESTING THAT WE'RE GOING FROM 419 MILLION UP TO 502, AND I REALIZE THERE'S SOME THERE'S SOME GOOD THINGS IN THERE.

THERE'S SOME EXPENSIVE THINGS GOING ON IN THERE, AND AS YOU EXPLAIN THEM TODAY, HOPEFULLY THIS IS THE FIRST READING AND THE REASON WE'RE HAVING THIS MEETING TODAY, WHICH IS BACK TO BACK NORMAL KIND OF MEETINGS THAT I'VE BEEN GROWING UP WITH THE LAST FEW DECADES, WHERE YOU MEET EVERY TUESDAY AND YOU DON'T LET THESE AGENDAS PILE UP ON YOU TO WHERE YOU'VE GOT

[00:10:09]

YOU CAN ACTUALLY WORK THROUGH THINGS AND HAVE TIME TO DO IT.

AND I'M HOPING THAT WHEN LAURA GOES OVER THE BUDGET THING TODAY, WHICH IS OBVIOUSLY GOING TO BE THE FIRST READING BECAUSE YOU HAVE TO GET TWO READINGS IN OR SOMETHING BEFORE IN THE EVENT THAT IT HAS TO GO ON TO THE BALLOT BECAUSE WE'VE GOT YOU'RE ASKING FOR A PRETTY HIGH AMOUNT OF INCREASE ON PROPERTY TAX.

I'D LIKE TO HEAR A LOT OF DIALOG ABOUT THAT.

IF YOU AND I'M HOPEFULLY THAT'S WHAT WE'RE GOING TO BE TALKING ABOUT TODAY.

SO ONWARD.

THANK YOU, MR. SCHENCK.

MAYOR PRO TEM, THAT CONCLUDES PUBLIC ADDRESS.

THANK YOU, MS. COGGINS. I APPRECIATE THAT.

ALL RIGHT, SO WE WILL MOVE ON TO AGENDA ITEM NUMBER ONE.

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

CURRENT MATTERS OF PROJECTS.

SO ITEM ONE A IS REVIEW AGENDA ITEMS FOR REGULAR MEETING AND ATTACHMENTS.

SO COUNCIL, DO YOU HAVE ANY AGENDA ITEMS THAT YOU HAVE QUESTIONS ON? NO, MA'AM. THANK YOU.

WE WILL MOVE ON TO AGENDA ITEM ONE B, WHICH IS UPDATES FROM COUNCILMEMBERS SERVING ON OUTSIDE BOARDS OR COMMISSIONS, AND SO THE ITEM

[1.B. Updates from Councilmembers serving on outside boards and commissions i. Amarillo Local Government Corporation ii. Convention and Visitors Bureau;]

WE ACTUALLY HAVE TONY [INAUDIBLE] HERE AT THE REQUEST OF HOWARD SMITH.

SO I'M GOING TO TURN IT OVER TO HOWARD.

WE BOTH GET TO SIT ON THE LGC TOGETHER, AND HE WANTED TO INVITE TONY TO SHARE A BIT OF NEWS AND THEN GIVE AN UPDATE.

SO I'LL HAVE HOWARD TAKEN.

OKAY, THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

YES, MA'AM. WE HAD A GOOD MEETING.

WE DIDN'T HAVE ANY ACTION ITEMS ON THE MEETING.

WE DID RECEIVE A DRAFT OF THE BUDGET, WHICH WE WILL ADDRESS NEXT MONTH, AND WE DISCUSSED PARKING FEES AND WE DIDN'T TAKE ANY ACTION THERE.

WE'LL ADDRESS THAT NEXT MONTH, AND THEN WE HAD AN EXCITING ANNOUNCEMENT, AND I ASK TONY [INAUDIBLE] TO COME HERE AND I'M GOING TO LET HIM COME UP TO THE PODIUM AND TELL US ABOUT THAT.

COUNCILMEMBER SMITH, WOULD YOU USE YOUR MICROPHONE, PLEASE? THANK YOU. YES, SIR.

THANK YOU, MAYOR PRO TEM.

THANK YOU. COUNCILMEMBERS AND CITY ADMINISTRATIVE STAFF AND COMMUNITY FOR ALLOWING ME TO COME UP HERE AND TALK AND WELCOME.

I THOUGHT THIS WOULD JUST BE A FUN.

IT WAS A NICE REPORT TO THE LGC.

SO I THOUGHT IT'D BE FUN TO SHARE THIS WITH THE REST OF THE COMMUNITY.

ALTHOUGH A LOT OF PEOPLE HAVE PROBABLY ALREADY SEEN THIS, BUT I'LL GIVE YOU THE HIGHLIGHTS AND [INAUDIBLE] I'M SORRY.

WE STARTED THE VIDEO.

OH, WELL, PAUSE IT REAL QUICK.

YEAH. YOU HAVE TO WAIT AND HAVE THE EXCITEMENT READY, BUT SOME SOME VERY INTERESTING THINGS HAPPEN IN BASEBALL ON A NIGHTLY BASIS, ESPECIALLY AT HIGHTSTOWN.

A LOT OF HISTORY BEING MADE EVERY SINGLE NIGHT.

A LOT OF MAJOR LEAGUE STARS BEING FORMED.

IN FACT, RIGHT NOW WE CURRENTLY HAVE FIVE FORMER SOD POODLES FROM LAST YEAR'S TEAM IN THE EVERYDAY STARTING LINEUP FOR THE ARIZONA DIAMONDBACKS AND ANOTHER 33 PLAYERS WHO HAVE PLAYED WITH US OVER THE LAST THREE YEARS COVERED, NOT INCLUDED THAT ARE NOW IN THE MAJOR LEAGUES ON VARIOUS TEAMS THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY, BUT I'LL GET TO THIS ONE THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT RIGHT NOW DURING THE AMARILLO SOD POODLES GAME AGAINST THE SAN ANTONIO MISSIONS ON SATURDAY, JULY 16TH, SOD POODLE PLAYER LEANDRO SODANO HIT THE LONGEST HOME RUN EVER RECORDED IN BASEBALL HISTORY DURING THE STATCAST ERA.

NOW TO EXPLAIN WHAT STATCAST IS PRIOR TO STATCAST, HOME RUNS AND DISTANCES AND SPEEDS AND EVERYTHING ELSE WERE ESTIMATED, BUT SINCE THE STATCAST ERA AND WE ACTUALLY HAVE A SIMILAR TECHNOLOGY AT HODGE TOWN CALLED TRACKMAN, WHICH TRACKS EVERYTHING FROM THE SPEED OF THE PLAYER TO THE SPEED OF A PITCH, THE DISTANCE OF A HOME RUN, THE ARC OF A FASTBALL, THE SPIN RATE OF A CURVEBALL, THE DROP OF A SLIDER.

IT MEASURES LITERALLY EVERYTHING AT THE BALLPARK FROM A BASEBALL ANALYTICS STANDPOINT.

SO IN THAT ERA, WHICH BEGAN IN 2015, THIS IS THE LONGEST HOME RUN EVER HIT, AND THEREFORE SINCE HOME RUNS WERE JUST ESTIMATED PRIOR TO THIS, THIS IS THE LONGEST HOME RUN EVER RECORDED.

THE 527 FOOT HOME RUN IN THE BOTTOM OF THE FIFTH INNING TIED THE GAME AND THE SOD

[00:15:02]

7 TO 6 THIS HOME RUN AND THIS GIVES YOU IT SHOWS YOU THE VALUE OF OF PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATED SPORTS THAT WE HAVE HERE IN AMARILLO AND HOW POPULAR IT IS AROUND THE COUNTRY.

THIS HOME WAS HOME RUN WAS FEATURED ON SPORTSCENTER LATER THAT NIGHT, AND THE CLIP OF THE HOME RUN WENT VIRAL, GARNERING NEARLY 2 MILLION VIEWS ACROSS ALL SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORMS. IT WAS SEEN ON FOX SPORTS, MLB, THE ATHLETIC SPORTS ILLUSTRATED, BLEACHER REPORT, BARSTOOL SPORTS AND JOHN BOY MEDIA ALL CIRCULATED THE CLIP ON THEIR PLATFORM. SO IF YOU DON'T MIND, WE'LL GO AHEAD AND SET THIS UP AND PLAY THE SHOT.

OH, YEAH. I LOVE THAT SOUND.

LOVE THAT SOUND. [INAUDIBLE].

WE'RE GOING TO RODEO DRIVE AND IT'S THE MINOR LEAGUE PROSPECT FOR THE DIAMONDBACKS.

LEANDRO [INAUDIBLE].

WE WENT TO HOME DEPOT 527 FEET.

THE TAPE MEASURE SAID.

NO MAJOR LEAGUE HOMER HAS MEASURED THAT DISTANCE SINCE STATCAST BEGAN TRACKING HOMERS BACK IN.

AS YOU CAN SEE, THAT WAS ON ESPN THAT NIGHT, GOT A TREMENDOUS RESPONSE, AND IF YOU'RE WONDERING WHY THE JERSEYS LOOK LIKE THEY WERE, IT WAS CHRISTMAS IN JULY, AND YES, IT DID ACTUALLY LOWER THE TEMPERATURES THAT NIGHT BY THREE DEGREES.

IT FELT THAT WAY TO ME, BUT THOSE WERE GREAT UNIFORMS. IT WAS A GREAT NIGHT FOR [INAUDIBLE], A TREMENDOUS NIGHT FOR AMARILLO, AS WE RECEIVED A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF EXPOSURE AND A GREAT NIGHT FOR THE SOD POODLES.

ALSO, DURING THE LGC MEETING, I SHARED SOME OF THE ATTENDANCE NUMBERS AND THINGS OF THAT.

SO I THOUGHT IT WOULD BE INTERESTING FOR YOU GUYS TO HEAR SOME OF THIS.

IT'S BEEN A GREAT SEASON OFF THE FIELD AS WELL IN AMARILLO AS WE NOW SIT IN FIRST PLACE IN THE TEXAS LEAGUE WITH 283,248 FANS IN ATTENDANCE OVER OUR FIRST 51 HOME GAMES, THAT'S AN AVERAGE OF 5554.

THE SOD POODLES HAVE 18 GAMES REMAINING IN OUR SEASON, AND OUR GOAL IS TO REPEAT AS TEXAS LEAGUE ATTENDANCE CHAMPIONS ONCE AGAIN IN 22, AS WE DID IN 2021. IT'S WORTH NOTING THAT OF ALL THE TEXAS LEAGUE CITIES, THE METROPOLITAN POPULATION OF AMARILLO IS SMALLER THAN ALL THE OTHER CITIES IN OUR MARKET OR IN OUR LEAGUE, RATHER, AND WE'RE ALSO CURRENTLY SITS IN THIRD PLACE IN ALL OF THE 30 AA MARKETS AROUND THE COUNTRY.

SO YOU KNOW HOW THIS WORKS.

EVERY MAJOR LEAGUE CLUB HAS ONE TRIPLE-A TEAM.

EACH MAJOR LEAGUE CLUB HAS ONE DOUBLE-A, ONE HIGH-A AND ONE LOW-A, AND THOSE FOUR LEVELS MAKE UP ALL OF MINOR LEAGUE BASEBALL.

SO WE SIT IN THIRD PLACE IN ALL OF DOUBLE-A MARKET AND ADDITION THAT I THINK THIS IS PRETTY ASTOUNDING.

OUT OF THE 120 MINOR LEAGUE AFFILIATED TEAMS IN THE NATION, AMARILLO RANKS 21 OUT OF THE 120, WHICH IS ABSOLUTELY INCREDIBLE WHEN YOU COMPARE OUR MARKET SIZE TO THE REST OF MINOR LEAGUE BASEBALL.

AGAIN, WE HAVE THREE, SIX GAME HOME STANDS REMAINING BEGINNING WITH TUESDAY, AUGUST 7TH.

SO WE HOPE TO SEE EVERYONE OUT AS WE BATTLE FOR A PLAYOFF SPOT IN SEPTEMBER, AND I BROUGHT THIS IDEA UP AND I'M JUST GOING TO OFFER IT TODAY BECAUSE I THINK IT WOULD BE INTERESTING FOR OUR COMMUNITY AND INTERESTING FOR PEOPLE THAT ARE VISITING AMARILLO IF THE CITY WOULD COMMISSION OR IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE BALL CLUB COMMISSION, A PLACARD TO BE PLACED WITHIN THE CONCRETE OR WITHIN THE PAVEMENT OF CITY HALL TO MARK THAT LOCATION WHERE THE 527 FOOT SHOT HIT.

BECAUSE I'LL BE HONEST WITH YOU, SINCE IT'S THE FIRST ONE EVER RECORDED IN THE HISTORY OF BASEBALL OR THE LONGEST ONE EVER RECORDED IN THE HISTORY OF BASEBALL, THAT RECORD COULD GO DOWN NEXT WEEK, OR THAT RECORD COULD STILL BE HERE IN 50 YEARS.

SO I THINK IT WOULD BE A FUN PROJECT TO MARK THAT LOCATION SO VISITORS AND FANS ALIKE CAN CAN SEE IT WHEN THEY COME INTO AMARILLO.

SO THAT'S ALL I HAVE.

IF ANYONE HAS ANY QUESTIONS, I'LL BE HAPPY TO ANSWER THEM.

OKAY, THAT IS THAT IS AWESOME.

COUNCIL, DO YOU HAVE ANY COMMENTS FOR FOR MR. [INAUDIBLE]? THIS IS A HISTORICAL MOMENT FOR OUR CITY AND ALSO FOR THE SOD POODLES.

JUST ONE COMMENT.

IF WE BUILD A COLISEUM, THAT PLACE MAY BE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE FLOOR.

WELL, THAT'LL HAVE TO BE WORKED OUT, HOWARD.

I'M SURE IT WON'T GET IN THE WAY OF ANY ACTIVITIES GOING ON.

WE'LL JUST HAVE A NICE LITTLE PLACARD.

IT'LL BE UNDERGROUND. WE CAN PUT IT UNDER GLASS.

COLE HAS A COMMENT, I THINK.

YES, SIR. SO I LIKE YOUR IDEA.

I THINK MAYBE KIND OF GOING IN LINE WITH THE WAY HOWARD'S THINKING.

IF WE WERE ABLE TO PUT SOMETHING AT THE FRONT GATE, YOU KNOW, OUT THERE EITHER IN THE PAVEMENT OR UP ON A LITTLE STAND, AND WE COULD COMMEMORATE THE LONGEST HOME RUN EVER HIT.

I THINK THAT'S A GOOD THING, AND THEN I WANTED TO MAKE SURE I DIDN'T GET IT WRONG.

SO IN TEXAS LEAGUE, WE'RE NUMBER ONE IN ATTENDANCE.

CORRECT. NUMBER ONE IN SALES, WE'RE NUMBER ONE AS FAR AS WE DON'T SHARE THAT INFORMATION.

[00:20:07]

YEAH, AND AS FAR AS ATTENDANCE GOES IN THE TEXAS LEAGUE, WE'RE NUMBER ONE AT DOUBLE-A LEVEL, WHICH IS NEXT LEVEL UP WE'RE NUMBER THREE AND WE'RE NUMBER 21 OVERALL IN THE NATION , AND THAT'S YOU KNOW, THAT'S INCREDIBLE.

THAT JUST SPEAKS TO WE OFTEN TALK ABOUT THIS IN AMARILLO OF MY STAFF AND EVERYTHING ELSE.

WE FEEL LIKE WE HAVE THE BEST FAN BASE IN ALL OF BASEBALL, ESPECIALLY POUND FOR POUND WHEN YOU CONSIDER THE SIZE OF OUR MARKET COMPARED TO ALL THE OTHER MARKETS.

AND THAT BEING IN THE TOP 21 IN THE COUNTRY, THERE ARE 30 MAJOR LEAGUE TEAMS I'M SORRY, THERE ARE 30 TRIPLE-A TEAMS IN THAT 120 ALL THOSE MARKETS BEING 750, A MILLION, 2 MILLION, 3 MILLION PERSON MARKETS, AND WE'RE BEATING 20 OF THOSE TRIPLE-A TEAMS NOW.

SO THAT SHOWS YOU NOT ONLY THE COMMITMENT.

THE SUPPORT THAT THIS COMMUNITY GIVES THIS TEAM.

THEY'VE MADE IT THEIR TEAM.

I'M JUST A CARETAKER AT THIS POINT, AND WE LOVE OUR FANS AND KNOW WE HAVE SOME OF THE BEST SUPPORT IN THE NATION FROM THE CITY OF AMARILLO AND OUR COMMUNITY. WELL, I THINK, YOU KNOW, IF COUNCIL WANTED TO DIRECT STAFF TO LOOK INTO COMMEMORATING THAT WITH THE PLACARD, I'D BE IN FAVOR OF THAT.

YES. LET'S HAVE A LOOK AT IT.

SEE WHAT'S INVOLVED. HE OFFERED TO HELP.

THANK YOU, TONY. I'LL HANG IT FOR YOU.

ABSOLUTELY. YES.

HEY, WE APPRECIATE YOU BEING SUCH A GREAT CARETAKER OF OUR SOD POODLES AND YOUR LEADERSHIP, BECAUSE WITHOUT YOU, THEY WOULDN'T BE MAKING ALL OF THESE HISTORICAL RECORDS FOR THE FUTURE.

SO HOW PROUD AM I TO BE IN AMARILLO AND TO HAVE YOU HERE IN AMARILLO WITH US.

WELL, THANK YOU VERY MUCH, BUT I WOULD LIKE TO TAKE CREDIT FOR IT, BUT IT'S BECAUSE I HAVE A GREAT STAFF AND WE HAVE AN EVEN BETTER COMMUNITY.

SO IT'S REALLY THE TRIBUTE TO THEM THAT THIS THESE RECORDS AND THESE NUMBERS GO TO.

SO THANK YOU GUYS VERY MUCH.

I APPRECIATE IT. THANK YOU. I WANT TO MAKE ONE MORE COMMENT.

YES, SIR.

I GO TO QUITE A FEW BALLGAMES AND I LOOK OUT THERE IN THE CENTER FIELD IS 400 FEET FROM HOME PLATE.

SO GOING 527, THAT'S WAY BEYOND.

YEAH. SO YOU SHOULDN'T PARK YOUR CAR IN THE CITY LOT.

I'M NOT ANYMORE. [CHUCKLING] THANKS FOR COMING.

THANK YOU, GUYS. THANK YOU.

OKAY, THAT'S GOING TO BE A HARD ACT TO FOLLOW.

SO THE NEXT ITEM IS B TWO AND THAT IS CONVENTION AND VISITORS BUREAU UPDATE, AND SO COUNCIL ESPECIALLY DR.

EDDY SAUER. BRACE YOURSELF.

I'M GOING TO ASK MISS KASHION SMITH TO COME UP AND PRESENT THE BUDGET FOR US, AND PLEASE NOTICE THAT'S GOING TO BE IN REFERENCE TO ITEM I ON THE NON CONSENT AGENDA.

SO MISS KASHION SMITH IS THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR FOR THE CONVENTION AND VISITORS BUREAU.

I HAVE SLIDES, DR.

SAUER. SO JUST SO EVERYBODY, I CAN'T DO THIS EVERY MONTH, BUT I DID ONE ONE UP HER SLIDES JUST A LITTLE BIT FROM THE LAST MEETING. SO OUR BOARD UPDATE BASICALLY IS OUR BUDGET UPDATE AND I KNOW THAT'S ON THE CONSENT.

SO I'M GOING TO TRY AND HIT THE HIGHLIGHTS OF THAT BECAUSE THAT'S REALLY ALL WE STUDIED IN OUR LAST BOARD MEETING.

THE MAIN THING, I THINK THE BIG TAKEAWAY, ESPECIALLY COMING OUT OF THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS, THE DEVASTATION REALLY THAT OUR BUDGET TOOK DURING COVID, WE'VE RECOVERED FROM THAT.

NOT ONLY DO WE HAVE HEALTHY RESERVES, WE'RE ALSO AT A POINT WHERE WE ARE COMFORTABLE IN TAKING A PROJECTION FOR THE YEAR WITHOUT BEING UNEASY ON CAN WE MEET THAT? WE ACTUALLY PUT IN A COUPLE OF HUNDRED THOUSAND INTO RESERVES IN THIS BUDGET.

THE REASON THAT WE HAVE DONE THAT IS WE ARE LOOKING AT NOT THIS FISCAL YEAR BUT NEXT FISCAL YEAR BEING ABLE TO FLIP OFF OF A PROJECTION.

SO WE WILL ACTUALLY TAKE WHAT IS IN THE BANK AS OUR RESERVES, FLIP THAT TO THAT YEAR'S BUDGET AND THEN LET THE COLLECTIONS GATHER IN THE BANK ACCOUNT SO THAT WE WILL NOT BE AT RISK OF GOING THROUGH THAT AGAIN.

SO IF WE EVER HAVE SOMETHING HIT THE MARKET, WE WON'T BE DEPENDENT ON HAVING TO STOP ALL OF OUR FUNCTIONS AND NOT SPEND HOPING THAT WE CAN MAKE IT THROUGH THAT YEAR.

SO WE'LL BE ACTUALLY WORKING OFF OF WHAT WE KNOW IS TO THE PENNY AND THE BANK AT THAT POINT AND THE 200,000 THAT WE'VE BUDGETED FOR THIS YEAR IN RESERVES WILL ACTUALLY IT LOOKS LIKE WE'LL ACTUALLY BE OVERAGE THAT WILL START THE NEW RESERVES ONCE THAT PROJECTION PROCESS IS FLIPPED.

[00:25:07]

OKAY, ADDITIONAL STAFF THIS YEAR, THIS FISCAL YEAR, WE WILL BE BACK UP TO FULL STAFF.

WE HAD ONE STAFF MEMBER THAT WE WENT AHEAD AND STARTED LAST WEEK.

WE HAVE TWO MORE POSITIONS THAT WE WILL BE ROLLING IN AND THEN WE'LL BE AT FULL STAFF.

SO THAT IS VERY EXCITING.

WE HAVE A MAJOR FOCUS ON PR AND WE ARE DIPPING OUR TOES BACK IN TO INTERNATIONAL AS LONG AS WITH THE DOMESTIC MARKETS.

2013 WE HAD A DIRECTOR OF TOURISM, [INAUDIBLE] IF ANYBODY IS STILL AROUND THAT REMEMBERS HER.

SHE WAS A GERMAN LADY WHO WAS ALL ABOUT ROUTE 66 AND SHE REALLY HAS LEFT A LINGERING BRAND FOR US ACROSS THE SEA.

SO WE WANT TO MAKE SURE GOING INTO ROUTE 66 CENTENNIAL THAT WE'RE REBRANDING AND BRINGING THAT STRENGTH BACK AND BRINGING THOSE GUESTS BACK AS AS THOSE FLOODGATES START TO OPEN.

BRAND USA IS SEEING A LOT OF INTEREST NOT ONLY IN COMING BACK IN, BUT ROUTE 66 IS OF COURSE, A MAJOR TOPIC FOR THE INTERNATIONAL TRAVELERS.

WE EXPANDED OUR PARTNER CO OPS.

SO THIS YEAR WE OFFERED CO-OPS IN MARKETING WITH OUR HOTEL AND ATTRACTION PARTNERS AND ACTUALLY SAW THOSE EXCEED EXPECTATIONS.

THEY ALL OUTPERFORMED THE INDUSTRY STANDARDS.

SO WE'RE GOING TO EXPAND THOSE AND GIVE MORE OPTIONS, AND WHAT THAT DOES IS ALLOW THE PARTNERS TO COME IN.

IT'S BENEFICIAL FOR ALL OF THEM, BUT ESPECIALLY FOR OUR NONPROFITS, AND A LOT OF OUR ATTRACTIONS ARE NONPROFIT.

SO IF THEY GIVE US $2,500 TOWARDS MARKETING, THEY'RE GETTING $5,000 WORTH OF MARKETING BACK.

AND OF COURSE, THAT IS BRANDED AMARILLO AND THEN HIGHLIGHTS THE HOTELS, THE ATTRACTIONS.

WE'VE BEEN PARTNERING THOSE TOGETHER.

SO WE'RE GOING TO EXPAND THAT IN A FEW OF THE BUDGETS.

IF YOU REALLY WENT THROUGH THE DETAILS, WHICH THIS YEAR IS HIGHLY DETAILED, I WILL [INAUDIBLE] BACK WHO IS OUR DIRECTOR OF FINANCE NOW.

SHE REALLY SPENT A LOT OF TIME GOING IN AND MAKING SURE THAT WE ARE MONTHLY LOOKING AT OUR EXPENSES BECAUSE WE DO GIVE MONTHLY UPDATES TO OUR BOARD ON OUR EXPENDITURES AND OUR COLLECTIONS.

SO WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT IS AS ACCURATE AS POSSIBLE.

SO SHE SPENT A LOT OF TIME GOING THROUGH THOSE DETAILS, THOSE OPPORTUNITY FUNDS REALLY FOR THIS YEAR THAT YOU'LL SEE IN THERE ARE POP UP SPONSORSHIPS AND OPPORTUNITIES THAT MAY COME WITHIN THE YEAR.

SAY SOMEBODY CALLS THE MARKETING DEPARTMENT AND HAD A CONTRACT FALL THROUGH AND NOW WE CAN HAVE IT HALF PRICE, AND IT REALLY SPEAKS TO THE MESSAGE THAT WE'RE SENDING.

WE'LL BE ABLE TO DO THAT.

WE'VE NOT BEEN ABLE TO UTILIZE ANY TYPE OF FUNDS LIKE THAT THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS, SO THAT'S VERY NICE, BUT WE ALSO WANTED TO LEAVE FLEXIBILITY.

WE DO STILL HAVE SOME UNCERTAINTY IN THE MARKETS, SO WE WANT TO BE ABLE TO FLEX TO THAT AND TELL THE STORY WELL AND YOU KNOW, AND MOVE WHERE WE NEED TO INCREASE FUNDING FOR THE ARTS MARKETING GRANT.

THIS IS ANOTHER IT'S NOT REALLY A CO OP.

WE ACTUALLY DO MARKETING GRANTS FOR THE NONPROFIT ARTS ORGANIZATIONS.

THEY QUALIFY FOR HOT TAX.

SO IF THEY SUBMIT A APPLICATION THAT HAS MARKETING THAT SPEAKS TO VISITORS, THEN THAT IS JURIED AND THEN WE GRANT FUNDS TO THEM THAT WENT FROM 80000 TO 140, AND THAT WAS A BIG DEAL FOR THOSE PARTNERS.

ROUTE 66 CENTENNIAL IS COMING UP IN 2026, SO WE ARE GEARING UP FOR THEIR FESTIVITIES.

THIS THIS FISCAL YEAR.

YOU'LL START SEEING SOME EVENTS AND FESTIVALS ROLLING OUT NEXT SUMMER.

WE'VE GOT NINE FULL DAYS THAT WE ARE REALLY FOCUSING EVENTS ON FOR THE ENTIRE ROUTE ALONG TEXAS.

WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE REINVIGORATING THOSE TRAVELERS IN A WAY THAT IS TEACHING THEM HOW TO TRAVEL ROUTE 66 ALL ACROSS TEXAS.

SO IT'S NOT JUST THE ONE NIGHT STOP IN AMARILLO.

WE REALLY THINK THIS IS AN OPPORTUNITY TO BUILD THE NEXT GENERATION OF ROUTE 66.

SO WE'RE ALL OVER IT AND WE CAN GET INTO THAT FURTHER AT OTHER TIMES, BUT THERE IS A COMMISSION FROM THE FEDERAL LEVEL THAT HAS EACH GOVERNOR OF ALL EIGHT STATES HAVE PUT FORTH A ASSIGNED PERSON TO SIGN, TO SERVE ON A COMMISSION.

OURS IS RICHARD WARE, HE'S BEEN WORKING VERY CLOSELY WITH MYSELF AND BOBBY [INAUDIBLE] AND WE'VE PULLED IN PARTNERS FROM ALL ALONG THE ROUTE ON TEXAS.

SO THIS HAS BEEN VERY INTERESTING AND A LOT OF FUN TO WORK WITH.

AND THEN WHAT I FEEL LIKE IS OUR BIGGEST NEXT SLIDE IS OUR BIGGEST AND MOST EXCITING PROBABLY ANNOUNCEMENT IS WE KNOW THAT WE'VE HAD A LOT OF MOVEMENT IN FILM, WE'VE HAD A LOT OF BIG OPPORTUNITIES THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS.

SO WE ARE GOING TO GO FULL ON WITH A NEW FILM COMMISSION THIS YEAR.

[00:30:01]

THEY WILL GATHER THE COMMUNITY, THE ASSETS, PUT THE DIRECTORY TOGETHER, GET US ONLINE AND UPDATED IN AUSTIN AND AGGRESSIVELY GO OUT TO THE PRODUCTION COMPANIES. WE'VE BEEN SPEAKING FOR THE LAST FEW MONTHS WITH THE AUSTIN FILM OFFICE TO SEE WHERE OUR OPPORTUNITIES ARE.

FROM WHAT WE CAN TELL RIGHT NOW, WE'RE GOING TO BE GOING AFTER COMMERCIALS INITIALLY TO REALLY BUILD THE RELATIONSHIPS THAT WE NEED TO, AND THEN THEY WILL ALSO BE ACTIVELY GOING AND TRAVELING AND MEETING AND DOING SALES MISSION TYPE OF TRAVEL TO GET THOSE GROUPS IN AND TO BACK SOME OF THE EFFORTS THAT SOME OF OUR LOCALS HAVE BEEN DOING, AND THAT IS THE FASTEST I CAN DO ON ALL OF THESE DEPARTMENTS THAT WE HAVE DONE, BUT ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS? BECAUSE I KNOW THERE IS A LOT OF DETAIL IN THE BUDGET THAT WAS SUBMITTED TO YOU GUYS.

SO THANK YOU, KASHION, I APPRECIATE THAT AND COUNCIL THAT'S ACTUALLY ITEM I ON THE NON I'M SORRY ON THE YEAH.

ON THE CONSENT AGENDA ITEM.

SO ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS FROM COUNCIL AT THIS TIME.

YES. MAYOR PRO TEM.

KASHION, JUST AS AN OVERALL, DO YOU HAVE A METRIC OR A WAY TO LOOK BACK OVER LAST YEAR AND SAY, HEY, HERE'S HOW MUCH MONEY WE PUT BACK INTO OUR COMMUNITY, HERE'S OUR RETURN ON INVESTMENT.

SO, YES, WE CAN SPLIT THAT DOWN ITEM BY ITEM AND GO INTO HOW MUCH TRADE SHOWS REALLY BROUGHT BACK IN, HOW MUCH, BUT WE ARE LEISURE HEAVY.

SO WE'VE GOT A COUPLE OF DIFFERENT THINGS THAT WE GAUGE AND THAT COMES IN IN FISCAL YEAR VERSUS CALENDAR YEAR.

SO THE STATE EVERY CALENDAR YEAR, WHENEVER THEY AND THEY DO A VERY ROBUST RESEARCH THROUGH [INAUDIBLE] AND THEY PRODUCE NUMBERS LIKE THE ECONOMIC IMPACT, THE SALES TAX IMPACT.

I MEAN, IT REALLY BREAKS EVERYTHING DOWN AND I CAN SHARE THIS WITH YOU, BUT WHAT WE DO AND HOW WE GAUGE OURSELVES IS ARE WE SEEING GROWTH IN THE OVERALL IMPACT OF THE VISITOR SPEND? AND AS EXAMPLE, WE DID $947 MILLION OF VISITOR SPENDING IN AMARILLO IN 2021. I ALWAYS SKIP OVER 2020 BECAUSE IT WAS JUST AN ANOMALY.

IN 2019, WE WERE AT 920 MILLION.

WE USUALLY AVERAGE ABOUT 60% IN SALES TAX REVENUE THAT THE VISITOR PRODUCES.

SO WE TRY TO TRACK THAT AND MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE STAYING ON TRACK WITH THAT.

ONE OF THE KEY THINGS THAT WE'RE TRACKING NOW WITH OUR NEW STAFF IS THE OVERNIGHT STAYS.

SO WE'VE WATCHED FOR 20 YEARS AND WE TALK ABOUT THE PASS THROUGH TRAFFIC.

ONE OF OUR GOALS IN OUR STRATEGIC PLAN COMING OUT OF THE CDC AND BECOMING THE BUREAU WAS TO EXTEND THAT STAY AND TO GIVE MORE OF A DESTINATION MESSAGE.

SO WE ALSO TRACK THE OVERNIGHT STAY AVERAGE AND WE SAW THAT GROW AND ACTUALLY GO OVER TWO NIGHTS FOR THE FIRST TIME IN MY CAREER, WHICH IS IS OVER 20 YEARS IN THE INDUSTRY HERE IN AMARILLO.

SO THERE'S DIFFERENT METRICS, BUT BASICALLY WE'RE MAKING SURE THAT THE VISITOR SPEND IN AMARILLO IS GROWING.

I THINK THAT'S GREAT, AND IF YOU HAVE A WAY TO KIND OF SUMMARIZE THAT, CHART IT, GRAPH IT, WHATEVER YOU COULD DO AS WE INCREASE THIS BUDGET GOING INTO THIS NEXT YEAR, MAYBE WE GET A SIX MONTH LOOK BACK AND WE'LL BE ABLE TO TRACK LIKE, WELL, HERE'S WHERE YOU INCREASE MY BUDGET, HERE'S WHERE THESE ADDITIONAL MONIES HAVE KIND OF FILTERED INTO THE COMMUNITY AND WE'RE ALREADY SEEING A RETURN, AND THEN AS WE MOVE FORWARD, IT WOULD JUST BE SOMETHING NICE TO HAVE FOR BUDGETARY PURPOSES.

ABSOLUTELY. I WILL SAY THAT THE MAIN GAUGE OF OUR.

OUR SPENDING COMES BACK INTO THE COLLECTIONS.

MM HMM. SO, I MEAN, WE ARE A SET PERCENTAGE OUT OF THE OVERALL COLLECTIONS.

SO OUR BUDGET GROWS.

WE WE FEEL LIKE WE KNOW THERE'S A LOT OF DIFFERENT FACTORS.

IF I-40 IS DOING VERY WELL THAT YEAR JUST ON OVERALL TRAFFIC, ALBUQUERQUE CAN AFFECT US.

BUT IF WE ARE PULLING THEM OFF THE HIGHWAY, I'LL CLARIFY.

I DIDN'T MEAN TO SAY LIKE AS FAR AS THE HOT TAX PERCENTAGE, I'M JUST TALKING ABOUT THE WAY IT'S BROKEN DOWN IN ALLOCATIONS TO DIFFERENT TO DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS.

OKAY, YOU MAY BE LEANING REALLY HEAVY ON COFFEE MUGS AS FAR AS A GIFT, YOU KNOW, AND LIKE, THEY'RE JUST RETURNING NOTHING, YOU KNOW? SO, LIKE, CAN WE TAKE OUR OUR MONIES AND PUT IT INTO SOMETHING ELSE THAT WE'RE SEEING A BIGGER RETURN ON INVESTMENT IF YOU'RE TALKING MEDIA MARKETING OR WHATEVER, AND SO THAT GOES A LONG WAY FOR OUR SMALL BUSINESSES AND THOSE THAT ARE PRODUCING HAVE MORE TO PRODUCE WITH.

SO THAT'S ALL I'M KEYING IN ON, ABSOLUTELY, WE ACTUALLY CHANGED GEARS A LOT, AND I CAN SEND YOU OUR LAST COUPLE OF STRATEGIC PLANS AS WELL TO SHOW HOW WE SHIFTED UNDER THE CVC AND WITH THE CHAMBER.

FOR MANY, MANY YEARS WE WERE HIGHLY FOCUSED ON CONVENTIONS AS WE SAW THE TYPE OF HOTELS BEING BUILT CHANGING AND THE TRAFFIC CHANGING.

[00:35:02]

WE DO FLEX AND ADJUST TO THAT BY DEPARTMENT.

SO WE'RE VERY HEAVY IN LEISURE MARKETING RIGHT NOW AS WE SEE FACILITIES COME ONLINE THAT WILL YOU WILL SEE THAT SHIFT IN OUR BUDGET.

YOU WILL SEE THOSE TRADESHOWS GO UNDER CONVENTION [INAUDIBLE] IN THOSE THINGS.

SO I CAN ABSOLUTELY REPORT ON THAT.

OKAY, THANK YOU, MA'AM.

THANK YOU. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS, COUNCIL? NO. ALL RIGHT, THANK YOU, KASHION.

I APPRECIATE THAT VERY MUCH.

OKAY, ITEM ONE C IS DISCUSS COMPREHENSIVE PLAN UPDATE MR.

[1.C. Discuss Comprehensive Plan Update; and]

WE'VE GOT EMILY KOLLER, ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OF PLANNING TO BRING THE ITEM.

THIS IS JUST LAYING SOME GROUNDWORK FOR A VERY IMPORTANT PROJECT THAT WE [INAUDIBLE].

MICROPHONE, AND THAT WAS NOT CLOSE ENOUGH.

YEAH, THIS IS LAYING THE GROUNDWORK FOR A VERY IMPORTANT PROJECT THAT'S GOING TO BE COMING UP SOON.

SO, EMILY, TAKE IT AWAY.

THANK YOU, MR. CITY MANAGER, AND GOOD AFTERNOON, MAYOR PRO TEM AND COUNCIL.

AS YOU KNOW, WE POSTPONE THE ZONING CODE REVISION PROJECT BECAUSE WE KNEW THAT THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN UPDATE WAS COMING.

THE PLAN IS THE GUIDE FOR HOW AMARILLO GROWS AND DEVELOPS, AND BY LAW, OUR OTHER PLANNING DOCUMENTS AND LAND USE TOOLS MUST BE CONSISTENT WITH THIS.

THE LAST ONE WAS ADOPTED IN 2010 AND BEST PRACTICE IS ABOUT EVERY TEN YEARS.

SO WE WANT TO LET YOU KNOW THAT THE CONTRACT APPROVAL IS SCHEDULED FOR THE NEXT COUNCIL MEETING AUGUST 16TH.

WE'VE SELECTED MIG WHO MAY SOUND FAMILIAR TO YOU BECAUSE THEY'RE THE ONES THAT COMPLETED OUR PARKS MASTER PLAN, AND I THINK EVERYONE WAS REALLY HAPPY WITH THEIR EFFORT.

THEY ALSO HAVE A TEAM OF SUB CONSULTANTS THAT HELP WITH THE WORK.

IT'S PRETTY COMPREHENSIVE, HENCE THE TERM COMPREHENSIVE PLAN.

THE PROJECT BUDGET IS 400,000.

THIS WAS APPROVED IN LAST YEAR'S CIP AND THE CONTRACT YOU'RE GOING TO SEE IS JUST UNDER THAT AMOUNT.

WE WILL PLAN TO START PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT IN SEPTEMBER AND THERE'S A LIST OF WHAT WE EXPECT TO BE INCLUDED IN IN THAT EFFORT. A SUCCESSFUL COMP PLAN RELIES REALLY HEAVILY ON PARTICIPATION, AND SO WE WANT TO START EMPHASIZING THAT NOW, AND AS WE CONTINUE TO MOVE THROUGH THIS, THAT WE WE CANNOT CRAFT A PLAN THAT'S USEFUL FOR AMARILLO IF WE DON'T HAVE PEOPLE PARTICIPATING IN THIS PROCESS, AND THAT DOESN'T MEAN JUST HEARING WHAT'S WRONG.

IT MEANS HEARING WHAT PEOPLE LOVE ABOUT THE CITY AS WELL.

THE ENGAGEMENT EFFORT SHOULD TAKE US THROUGH A REALLY THE FIRST HALF OF OUR CONTRACT TIMELINE.

THIS IS EXPECTED TO WRAP UP IN DECEMBER OF 2023.

SO THIS IS LIKE A 12 TO 16 MONTH PROJECT.

WE WILL HAVE A STEERING COMMITTEE.

THAT'S ANOTHER REASON WHY WE'RE HERE TODAY, IS THAT WE'D LIKE YOU TO START THINKING ABOUT POSSIBLE APPOINTMENTS TO THE STEERING COMMITTEE.

THERE WOULD BE AN EXPECTED COMMITMENT OF EIGHT MEETINGS.

PART OF THOSE WOULD BE VIRTUAL, AND THEY REALLY WILL BE RESPONSIBLE FOR GUIDING THIS PROJECT AND HELPING US GET THIS TO THE FINISH LINE. THE KEY COMPONENTS FOR THE DELIVERABLE OF THE PLAN ITSELF.

I'VE JUST LISTED A FEW OF THOSE.

THE FIRST ONE IS THE COMMUNITY PRIORITY.

SO THAT'S WHY WE NEED PEOPLE'S PARTICIPATION IN THIS, SO WE CAN EFFECTIVELY ARTICULATE WHAT THOSE PRIORITIES ARE.

WE ALREADY KIND OF KNOW SOME OF THEM HOUSING, INFILL INFRASTRUCTURE, BUT WE'LL HAVE A VISION AND A LIST OF GOALS THAT COME OUT OF THAT. AND THEN FROM THERE, WE KIND OF START TO WORK THROUGH THE MORE TECHNICAL SIDE WITH LAND USE AND ZONING.

AN IMPORTANT PART OF THIS IS A NEW FUTURE LAND USE MAP FOR THE CITY, AND WHAT THEY WILL DO IS PRODUCE THREE ALTERNATIVES FOR THAT, AND THE COMMUNITY IS GOING TO GET TO SELECT WHICH ONE THEY PREFER, AND THAT WILL BE BASED ON INFRASTRUCTURE COSTS, ASSESSMENT, THE ECONOMIC IMPACT, THE FISCAL IMPACT TO THE CITY.

IT'S A PRETTY DETAILED ANALYSIS, AND AGAIN, THE COMMUNITY GETS TO DECIDE WHICH OF THOSE THEY WANT TO MOVE FORWARD WITH AS PART OF THE FINAL PLAN.

SO OUR NEXT STEPS AFTER CONTRACT APPROVAL WILL BE AN INTERNAL PROJECT KICKOFF AND THEN THE STEERING COMMITTEE FORMATION

[00:40:01]

OKAY, SO, MISS EMILY, WHAT IS YOUR DEADLINE FOR THE SUBMISSION OF THE CANDIDATES FOR THE STEERING COMMITTEE? WE HAVEN'T SET A DEADLINE YET.

WE WERE HOPING TO HAVE THAT IN PLACE IN SEPTEMBER, BY THE END OF SEPTEMBER.

THE DEADLINE FOR US, THOUGH, OH, I GUESS MAYBE EARLY SEPTEMBER.

SO WE COULD BRING IT TO THE COUNCIL, THE SECOND MEETING.

SO PROBABLY MID SEPTEMBER, PROBABLY.

OKAY, ALL RIGHT, THANK YOU FOR THAT PRESENTATION, COUNCIL.

DO YOU HAVE QUESTIONS FOR MISS EMILY? OKAY, WHAT WE'RE GOING TO DO IS AND I HAVEN'T TALKED TO EMILY ABOUT THIS OR ANYBODY IN PLANNING, BUT WE WOULD SEND YOU A NUMBER OF REMINDERS BETWEEN NOW AND, YOU KNOW, THAT EARLY SEPTEMBER HOPEFUL DEADLINE OF BEING ABLE TO GET ALL THE NAMES.

SO WE'RE GOING TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU'VE GOT PLENTY OF REMINDERS.

THE LAST THING WE WANT IS TO GET TO THAT DATE.

SEND A REMINDER OUT BEFORE THE END AND.

YOU'LL HAVE TO SCRAMBLE.

OKAY, ALL RIGHT, NO OTHER QUESTIONS.

OKAY, THANK YOU. THANKS.

OKAY, ITEM ONE D ON OUR AGENDA IS REQUESTS, FEATURE AGENDA ITEMS AND REPORTS FROM THE CITY MANAGER COUNCIL.

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

[2. CONSENT ITEMS]

I MOVE TO ACCEPT THE CONSENT AGENDA AS PRESENTED.

OKAY, SO I HAVE A MOTION.

DO I HAVE A SECOND? COUNCILMEMBER SMITH.

I HAVE A MOTION BY COUNCILMEMBER SAUER AND A SECOND BY COUNCILMEMBER HOWARD SMITH.

I'M SORRY ABOUT THAT.

ALL THOSE IN FAVOR.

ALL THOSE OPPOSED THAT PASSES WITH 4-0 VOTE.

OKAY, MOVING ON TO ITEM TWO, WHICH IS THE NON CONSENT AGENDA ITEMS, ITEM A IS DISCUSS AND CONSIDER PROPOSED TAX RATE.

[3.A. DISCUSS AND CONSIDER PROPOSED TAX RATE:]

WHAT WE'RE GOING TO BE DOING IS DISCUSSING THE PROPOSED TAX RATE AND SETTING THE MAXIMUM TAX RATE PRIOR TO TAX RATE APPROVALS OR CONSIDERATIONS AT FUTURE MEETINGS.

LAURA'S ALSO GOING TO GO OVER THE BUDGET CALENDAR AND ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS YOU'LL HAVE.

LAURA OKAY, JUST WANT TO REMIND COUNCIL TOO THAT WE ACTUALLY SPENT THREE DAYS WORKING ON THE BUDGET DURING OUR BUDGET WORKSHOP.

GO AHEAD. ALL RIGHT, GOOD AFTERNOON, MAYOR PRO TEM AND COUNCILMEMBERS.

AS THE CITY MANAGER MENTIONED, I'M HERE TO TALK ABOUT A PROPOSED PROPERTY TAX RATE.

SO ALSO, AS MAYOR PRO TEM POWELL MENTIONED, WE SPENT THREE SOLID DAYS REVIEWING A PROPOSED BUDGET AND ALSO A PROPOSED TAX RATE.

NOW, SINCE THAT TIME, WE HAVE RECEIVED CERTIFIED VALUES, WHICH HAS CHANGED THAT PROPOSED TAX RATE JUST SLIGHTLY.

I SENT ALL OF YOU AN EMAIL THIS MORNING WITH DETAILED INFORMATION ABOUT THAT.

IT'S ALSO POSTED OUT ON OUR WEBSITE.

WE HAVE THE ORIGINAL VERSION OF OUR PROPOSED BUDGET AND THEN THE MODIFIED ONE WITH VERY DETAILED INFORMATION ON WHAT CHANGED BETWEEN THE TWO.

IN CASE THERE'S ANY QUESTIONS, WE ARE ALWAYS HAPPY TO HELP ON THAT.

SO TODAY WE ARE NOT ACTUALLY TALKING MUCH ABOUT BUDGET, WE'RE REALLY JUST TALKING ABOUT THE PROPERTY TAX RATE AND IT'S JUST THE PROPOSED PROPERTY TAX RATE AND IT'S JUST THE CEILING. WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT TODAY IS TO HAVE COUNCIL TAKE A VOTE ON WHAT'S THE HIGHEST PROPERTY TAX RATE THAT THEY WOULD LOOK AT APPROVING THIS YEAR. THIS IS NOT DETERMINE WHAT WILL BE APPROVED.

IT'S JUST SETTING THE CEILING FOR IT, AND THEN WE'LL GO OVER THE DATES AND TALK ABOUT WHEN THE PUBLIC HEARING WILL BE SO OUR CITIZENS CAN COME OUT AND TALK FURTHER ABOUT THEIR THOUGHTS ON THE PROPERTY TAX RATE.

SO ON THIS SLIDE HERE, THIS IS INFORMATION WE'VE SHARED WITH YOU GUYS PREVIOUSLY, BUT WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT TO SHARE IT AGAIN BECAUSE THIS HAS HIGHLY AFFECTED US.

BACK IN 2019, TEXAS, THE TAX LAW FOR TEXAS CHANGED FROM SENATE BILL NUMBER TWO, AND THIS IS ALL WITHIN TEXAS TAX CODE SECTION 26.

THAT IS WHERE YOU FIND INFORMATION ABOUT HOW A PROPERTY TAX WORKS FOR A MUNICIPALITY.

[00:45:06]

WHAT THAT VOTER APPROVAL TAX RATE IS, IT'S ESSENTIALLY IT'S THREE AND ONE HALF PERCENT ABOVE THE PRIOR YEAR'S MAINTENANCE AND OPERATING RATE.

ON THE TAX RATE, THERE'S TWO PIECES TO A TAX RATE, A MAINTENANCE AND OPERATIONS RATE, AND THEN AN I&S INTEREST IN SINKING THAT SERVICES DEBT THAT IS BACKED BY PROPERTY TAXES.

SENATE BILL TWO ALLOWS FOR THAT RATE TO ADJUST FOR WHAT'S NEEDED FOR DEBT SERVICE, AND THEN ADJUST ABOUT THREE AND A HALF PERCENT ABOVE THE PRIOR YEAR MAINTENANCE AND OPERATING RATE. WE'RE GOING TO TALK ABOUT THAT A LITTLE BIT MORE BECAUSE WE'RE IN A UNIQUE YEAR THIS YEAR WITH THIS VOTER APPROVAL TAX RATE.

THE OTHER THINGS THAT SENATE BILL TWO DID IS IT COMPRESSES THE TIMELINE FOR APPROVING A BUDGET.

SO NOW, PRIOR TO THE PASSAGE OF SENATE BILL TWO, A COUNCIL COULD APPROVE A TAX RATE THAT WOULD ESSENTIALLY GO UP 8% OVER THE PRIOR YEAR FROM A MAINTENANCE AND OPERATING STANDPOINT, AND THEY COULD THEN APPROVE THAT AND THEN CITIZENS COULD PETITION FOR AN ELECTION.

NOW, IF ANYTHING'S APPROVED ABOVE THE VOTER APPROVAL TAX RATE, A MANDATORY ELECTION HAS TO BE CALLED.

SO. STATE LAW ALSO DEFINES WHEN A COUNCIL HAS TO CALL AN ELECTION, AND THAT THIS YEAR HAS TO BE DONE BY AUGUST 22ND.

SO THAT MEANS WE HAVE TO WORK THROUGH ALL OF OUR BUDGET AND PROPERTY TAX APPROVALS BEFORE AUGUST 22ND TO ALLOW TIME IF COUNCIL SO CHOSE TO GO TO AN ELECTION OR NOT. SO WE'RE TRYING TO ENSURE WE MEET THAT TIMELINE.

SO AS MENTIONED, AGAIN REQUIRES A MANDATORY ELECTION.

IF THE ADOPTED TAX RATE EXCEEDS THE VOTER APPROVAL TAX RATE, THEN AS AS YOU CAN SEE, THIS LIMITS THE CITY'S ABILITY TO LOWER TAXES IF AN ELECTION IS NOT SUCCESSFUL.

SO WHAT THAT MEANS IS IF YOU TAKE IT TO AN ELECTION, THIS WAS SOMETHING THAT OCCURRED FOR US LAST YEAR.

WE TOOK IT TO AN ELECTION.

CITIZENS VOTED IT DOWN AND WE HAD TO GO TO THE VOTER APPROVAL TAX RATE.

SO STATE LAW OUTLINES ALL OF THAT THROUGH THESE CHANGES IN SENATE BILL TWO, AND PLEASE STOP ME IF Y'ALL HAVE QUESTIONS, AS WE'RE GOING ALONG.

OKAY, SO NOW LET'S TALK ABOUT ONE PORTION OF THE PROPERTY TAX RATE.

SO THIS IS PROPERTY TAX FUNDING FOR THE MAINTENANCE AND OPERATIONS OF THE CITY.

SO THIS IS WHAT PAYS FOR THE OPERATIONS INSIDE OF OUR GENERAL FUND.

AS YOU ALL ARE AWARE, OUR GENERAL FUND HAS A LOT OF THE MAIN SERVICES THAT THE CITY PROVIDES, EVERYTHING FROM PUBLIC SAFETY, OUR POLICE DEPARTMENT, OUR FIRE DEPARTMENT, 911. THIS HAS OUR STREETS, IT HAS OUR TRAFFIC, LIBRARIES, PARKS, AND JUST THE BULK OF OUR OPERATIONS ARE INSIDE YOUR GENERAL FUND, THE OPERATIONS AND MAINTENANCE SIDE OF THE TAX RATE, AS I MENTIONED EARLIER, THE SENATE BILL TWO CHANGES CAP WHAT THAT AMOUNT CAN BE.

SO WHAT I HAVE ON THIS SLIDE HERE IS OUR CURRENT OPERATIONS AND MAINTENANCE RATE FOR THE YEAR THAT WE'RE OPERATING UNDER RIGHT NOW, THAT RATE IS AT 36.423 CENTS.

SO FOR NEXT YEAR, THE YEAR THAT WE'RE LOOKING TO HAVE COUNCIL START TAKING ACTION ON THE VOTER APPROVAL RATE AND AGAIN, THIS IS OUTLINE THE CALCULATION FOR THIS IS OUTLINED IN STATE LAW.

THAT RATE IS ACTUALLY GOING DOWN TO 33.079 CENTS.

SO LET ME TALK YOU THROUGH HOW THAT WORKS.

SO AS APPRAISED VALUES GO UP, YOU NEED LESS TAX RATE TO BRING IN THE EXACT SAME AMOUNT OF REVENUE.

SO IF STATE LAW ONLY ALLOWS MAINTENANCE AND OPERATIONS TO ONLY GO UP THREE AND A HALF PERCENT, AS YOU'RE ALL AWARE, APPRAISED VALUES CAME IN STRONG.

THIS YEAR. WE GOT OUR CERTIFIED VALUES IN.

THEY WERE ABOUT 13% UP FROM THE PRIOR YEAR.

SO THOSE STRONG THAT STRONG GROWTH IN OUR APPRAISED VALUES MEANS IT TAKES A LOWER RATE EVEN TO ACHIEVE A THREE AND A HALF PERCENT INCREASE FROM A REVENUE STANDPOINT ON OUR OPERATIONS AND MAINTENANCE RATE.

SO OUR THAT PORTION OF OUR RATE IS CAPPED AT THIS 33.07 $0.09.

WHAT THAT MEANS FROM A REVENUE STANDPOINT, FROM A REVENUE STANDPOINT, THAT WILL PRODUCE ABOUT $750,000 FOR NEXT YEAR'S BUDGET, AND I JUST PUT A NOTE DOWN THERE BECAUSE WE TALKED ABOUT THIS DURING BUDGET REVIEW.

I HAD DID AN ESTIMATE OF WHAT I THOUGHT THE RATE MIGHT COME IN AT AND I HAD ESTIMATED HIGH AND THIS IS ACTUALLY COME DOWN EVEN MORE, BUT

[00:50:04]

SO YOU CAN SEE THAT SENATE BILL TWO HAS CAPPED THE GROWTH POTENTIAL ALLOWED ON THE PROPERTY TAX RATE, AND WHAT THAT KIND OF CORRESPONDS TO WHAT WE'RE SEEING ON OUR EXPENSE SIDE, THE GROWTH ON OUR EXPENSE SIDE IN OUR GENERAL FUND.

SO AGAIN, THIS IS JUST ONE PORTION OF OUR PROPERTY TAX RATE WE'RE LOOKING AT.

QUESTIONS? OKAY, SO THE NEXT PIECE.

SO THIS IS ACTUALLY LOOKING AT THE TOTAL PROPERTY TAX RATE.

SO THE CURRENT YEAR TAX RATE THAT IS APPROVED IS 44.334 CENTS, AND SO WHAT THAT ACHIEVES IS OBVIOUSLY ALL OF OUR CURRENT SERVICE LEVELS.

SO WHAT WE HAVE BUILT INTO OUR BUDGET NOW IS A PROPOSED 22 RATE TAX RATE, AND THAT IS ALSO EQUAL TO THE VOTER APPROVAL TAX RATE THAT HAS BEEN CALCULATED ACCORDING TO STATE LAW.

THAT HAS ALSO BEEN VERIFIED BY OUR TAX ASSESSOR, COLLECTOR AND THEIR ATTORNEY.

SO THIS OUR VOTER APPROVAL RATE FOR THE UPCOMING YEAR IS 49.086 CENTS, AND THAT IS WHAT WE ARE LOOKING AT FOR A PROPOSED TAX RATE.

THAT IS STAFF'S RECOMMENDATION.

SO WHAT DOES THAT MEAN FROM A FUNDING STANDPOINT? WELL, WITH THAT RATE BUILT INTO OUR GENERAL FUND BUDGET, WITH OTHER CHANGES, WE ARE LOOKING TO ACHIEVE THE CURRENT SERVICE LEVELS THAT WE HAVE IN PLACE.

WE ARE ALSO LOOKING TO ADD IN SOME PUBLIC SAFETY INITIATIVES, SUCH AS FOUR NEW POLICE OFFICERS.

WE'RE LOOKING TO ADD A NEW FIRE STATION, PLUS 15 FIREFIGHTERS TO STAFF THAT NEW STATION.

WE'RE ALSO LOOKING TO ADD IN ONE NEW FIRE DISTRICT CHIEF.

WE'RE LOOKING TO CONTINUE THE PARK MAINTENANCE AND IMPROVEMENTS FUNDING THAT COUNCIL AUTHORIZED IN THE CURRENT YEAR BUDGET.

WE'RE ALSO LOOKING TO PROVIDE FUNDING FOR THE ATHLETIC FIELD, LIGHTING, CITY HALL AND CIVIC CENTER FUNDING THAT WAS APPROVED PREVIOUSLY, AND THEN THERE'S MORE THAN THAT, AND WE'LL BE GOING OVER MORE OF THOSE DETAILS IN THE NEXT COUPLE OF WEEKS.

SO THIS IS JUST A HIGHLIGHT OF WHAT THIS PROPERTY TAX RATE WITH THE PROPOSED BUDGET COULD ACHIEVE, WHAT THAT MEANS FOR A PROPERTY TAXPAYER AND I KNOW THERE'S AN AVERAGE TAXPAYER AMOUNT BUT WE NORMALLY QUOTE THE $100,000 HOME AMOUNT, JUST BECAUSE YOU CAN DO THE MATH A LITTLE EASIER BASED ON WHAT YOUR HOME VALUE IS.

SO THE CHANGE IN THE TAX RATE FROM THE CURRENT YEAR'S TAX RATE TO THE PROPOSED TAX RATE WOULD BE JUST UNDER $4 PER MONTH INCREASE ON A $100,000 HOME.

SO NOW LET'S LOOK AT THE BREAKDOWN ON THE TOTAL PROPERTY TAX BILL.

THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WE LIKE TO MAKE SURE THAT COUNCIL AND OUR CITIZENS ARE AWARE OF.

THE CITY OF AMARILLO IS ONE PIECE OF A TOTAL PROPERTY TAX BILL.

SO WHAT WE HAVE SHOWN ON THIS GRAPHIC HERE IS THE 2021.

SO THE CURRENT PROPERTY TAX RATES FOR ALL THE OTHER ENTITIES AND THE PROPOSED RATE FOR NEXT YEAR FOR THE CITY OF AMARILLO.

SO AS YOU ARE AWARE, THE CITY OF AMARILLO HAS TWO COUNTIES THAT ARE INSIDE OF IT.

THERE'S ALSO FIVE DIFFERENT SCHOOL DISTRICTS IN TWO DIFFERENT WATER DISTRICTS.

SO PROPERTY TAX BILLS VARY DEPENDING ON WHERE OUR CITIZENS LIVE WITHIN THE CITY OF AMARILLO.

THIS IS JUST ONE EXAMPLE OF SEVERAL.

THIS IS ONE THAT SHOWS THE AMARILLO INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT AND THE POTTER COUNTY MAKE UP ON THE PROPERTY TAX BILL.

THIS IS JUST ONE OF THEM.

SO WHAT THIS SHOWS IS THAT WITH THE CURRENT RATES FOR EACH OF THE OTHER ENTITIES AND THE PROPOSED RATE FOR THE CITY OF AMARILLO, THE CITY IS RIGHT ABOUT 19% OF THE TOTAL PROPERTY TAX BILL.

SO WHAT THAT MEANS IS, IS WITH A PROPOSED RATE GOING FROM $0.44 TO $0.49 ON THE TOTAL TAX BILL, A CITIZEN WOULD SEE LESS THAN A 2% INCREASE ON THEIR TOTAL TAX BILL, AND AS A REMINDER, IF A CITIZEN IS OVER 65 YEARS OF AGE, THEN THIS CHANGE DOES NOT AFFECT THEM.

SO WE ALSO LIKE TO LOOK AT COMPARISONS BETWEEN OUR TAX RATE AND OTHER MUNICIPALITIES OF SOMEWHAT SIMILAR SIZES ACROSS THE STATE OF TEXAS.

[00:55:01]

WHAT WE HAVE ARE THEIR CURRENT APPROVED RATE SO THEIR 2021 RATES.

SO AS WE GO THROUGH THE NEXT COUPLE OF SLIDES, WE'LL BE LOOKING AT COMMUNITIES WITH THEIR CURRENT APPROVED RATES, THEIR CURRENT TAXABLE VALUES AS COMPARED TO OUR NEW CERTIFIED VALUES AND OUR NEW PROPOSED PROPERTY TAX RATE.

SO ON THIS SLIDE, AND I APOLOGIZE TO THOSE SEATED IN THE AUDIENCE BECAUSE I KNOW THERE'S A LOT OF INFORMATION ON THIS AND IT'S A LITTLE BIT SMALL, BUT WHAT WE DO, WHAT WE'VE DONE IS WE'VE LOOKED AT EIGHT CITIES LARGER THAN US AND EIGHT CITIES SMALLER THAN US ACROSS THE STATE OF TEXAS.

AND WE HAVE MAPPED ON HERE THEIR POPULATION AND THEIR TAX RATES, AND SO WHAT YOU CAN SEE ON THIS GRAPH HERE WITH THE PROPOSED TAX RATE FOR THE CITY OF AMARILLO AT THE 49.086, WE ARE THERE. THERE ARE ACTUALLY THREE COMMUNITIES THAT HAVE A LOWER TAX RATE THAN WE DO NOW.

AGAIN, THESE THIS IS THEIR CURRENT TAX RATE VERSUS OUR PROPOSED TAX RATE.

THOSE THREE COMMUNITIES ARE FRISCO, PLANO AND MIDLAND, AND THEN YOU CAN SEE WHERE THE OTHERS KIND OF FALL IN THIS LINE, THAT ORANGE LINE THAT'S KIND OF GOING ACROSS THE PAGE, THAT'S THE POPULATION.

SO WE WANTED TO MAKE SURE YOU HAD THAT FOR FRAME OF REFERENCE, THERE IS A GRAY LINE THAT GOES ACROSS THE MIDDLE TOWARDS THE TOP THERE THAT SHOWS THE AVERAGE TAX RATE OF THESE 17 COMMUNITIES, INCLUDING OURSELVES, INCLUDING AMARILLO, AND THAT AVERAGE TAX RATE IS 57.215 CENTS.

SO YOU CAN SEE THAT OUR PROPOSED RATE IS LOWER THAN THE AVERAGE OF THESE CITIES, AND THERE'S WE ARE ONE OF THE LOWER ON THIS CHART.

SO THEN ON THIS ONE, WHAT WE LOOK AT IS WE TRY TO SHOW THE CORRELATION BETWEEN THE TAXABLE VALUES FOR EACH OF THE COMMUNITIES, THE POPULATION, FOR THE COMMUNITY AND THE TAX RATE FOR THE COMMUNITY.

SO THIS IS TAX REVENUE PER CAPITA.

SO THIS IS ESSENTIALLY WHAT EACH ONE OF THESE COMMUNITIES RECEIVES PER PERSON IN PROPERTY TAX DOLLARS.

SO THERE'S MULTIPLE THINGS AT PLAY HERE.

AS I MENTIONED EARLIER, WE DON'T HAVE ALL OF THESE CITY'S UPDATED CERTIFIED VALUES.

THEY DON'T HAVE THOSE PUBLISHED EVERYWHERE WHERE IT'S READILY AVAILABLE.

SO WE'RE LOOKING AT LAST YEAR'S CERTIFIED VALUES FOR ALL OF THESE COMMUNITIES, LAST YEAR'S TAX RATE VERSUS OUR PROPOSED UPCOMING TAX RATE AND OUR SORT OF NEW CERTIFIED VALUES, AND AS I MENTIONED, OUR CERTIFIED VALUES GREW ABOUT 13% THIS YEAR.

I WOULD IMAGINE MOST COMMUNITIES ACROSS THE STATE OF TEXAS SAW A LARGE AMOUNT OF GROWTH IN THEIR APPRAISED VALUES.

SO WHAT THIS SHOWS US IS THAT AMARILLO RECEIVES ESSENTIALLY $404 PER PERSON BASED ON THIS PROPOSED TAX RATE. GIVEN OUR CURRENT CERTIFIED VALUES, YOU'LL SEE THAT THE AVERAGE OF THESE SAME 17 COMMUNITIES IS ABOUT JUST UNDER $502 PER CAPITA, AND THERE ARE SEVERAL THERE'S A FEW CITIES THAT ARE LOWER THAN US, BUT YOU'LL NOTICE I HIGHLIGHTED IN RED THOSE THREE COMMUNITIES THAT HAD A LOWER PROPERTY TAX RATE THAN US LAST YEAR, AND YOU'LL SEE FRISCO AND PLANO ARE WAY OVER TO THE RIGHT, THAT THEY HAVE A LOT MORE TAX REVENUE PER CAPITA COMING IN, AND THAT'S BECAUSE THEY'RE CERTIFIED THEIR TAXABLE VALUES ARE MUCH HIGHER THAN OURS PER CAPITA, AND THEN MIDLAND, YOU CAN SEE, IS STILL SLIGHTLY LOWER THAN US.

SO IF THERE'S NOT ANY QUESTIONS ON THAT.

I WANT TO TALK JUST BRIEFLY ABOUT WHAT COMES NEXT.

SO TODAY, WHAT WE'RE LOOKING TO ASK COUNCIL TO DO IS TO VOTE ON A PROPOSED PROPERTY TAX RATE.

ALL THAT DOES, AGAIN, IS SETS THE CEILING THE MAXIMUM AMOUNT THAT COUNCIL CAN CAN CONSIDER OVER THE NEXT COUPLE OF WEEKS.

SO IT CANNOT GO ABOVE WHATEVER RATE IS APPROVED TODAY.

SO WHAT WE ARE RECOMMENDING IS THE VOTER APPROVAL TAX RATE, BECAUSE THAT'S THE MAXIMUM TAX RATE THAT COUNCIL CAN AUTHORIZE WITHOUT GOING TO AN ELECTION, AND AGAIN, THAT IS THE 49.086 RATE.

SO THE NEXT STEPS, WHAT WILL HAPPEN NEXT IS WE WILL START PUBLISHING PUBLIC NOTICES IN THE NEWSPAPERS AND ON THE CITY'S WEBSITE.

THOSE WILL COME OUT LATER THIS WEEK, AND THEN WE WILL LOOK FROM A PROPERTY TAX STANDPOINT.

[01:00:01]

RIGHT HERE IN THE CITY COUNCIL CHAMBERS, AND THAT IS A TUESDAY.

SO TWO WEEKS FROM TODAY, AT THAT SAME MEETING, WE WILL ALSO BE HOLDING A PUBLIC HEARING ON THE BUDGET.

WE WILL ALSO BE DOING THE FIRST READING AND HAVING COUNCIL TAKE A VOTE ON THAT FIRST READING OF THE ORDINANCE TO APPROVE THE BUDGET.

SO THERE'S GOING TO BE A LOT GOING ON ON THE 16TH.

THEN ON AUGUST 19TH, WHICH IS A FRIDAY AT 1:00 PM HERE IN THE COUNCIL CHAMBERS, CHAMBERS, WE WILL LOOK TO HAVE A PUBLIC HEARING ON THE PROPERTY TAX RATE, SO WE WILL ADVERTISE THIS IN THE NEWSPAPERS.

TUESDAY, AUGUST 16TH, IS A PUBLIC HEARING ON THE BUDGET.

FRIDAY, AUGUST 19TH, IS A PUBLIC HEARING ON THE TAX RATE.

ALSO, THERE WILL BE A SECOND READING ON THE BUDGET AND A SECOND READING TO ADOPT THE TAX RATE AT THAT SAME MEETING ON AUGUST 19TH, AND THEN WE WILL THAT WILL ALL BE FOLLOWED BY A VOTE TO RATIFY THE TAX RATE, AND AT THAT POINT, WE IF COUNCIL DECIDED TO APPROVE ANYTHING ABOVE THE VOTER APPROVAL RATE, THEY WE WOULD ASK YOU TO CALL AN ELECTION AT THAT SAME DATE IF NEEDED.

QUESTIONS FROM COUNCIL.

OKAY, THANK YOU, MISS STORRS.

COUNCIL, DO YOU HAVE ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS FOR LAURA? YES, MA'AM. MAYOR PRO TEM, THANK YOU FOR THE TIME.

IT MAY TAKE A MINUTE TO KIND OF GO THROUGH THIS WITH YOU, IF YOU DON'T MIND.

SO CAN YOU EXPLAIN TO ME HOW OUR FISCAL YEARS WORK? OUR FISCAL YEAR GOES FROM OCTOBER 1ST TO SEPTEMBER 30TH OF EACH YEAR.

OKAY, CURRENTLY, WE'RE IN FISCAL YEAR 21-22.

YES, SIR. I SPOKE WITH YOU YESTERDAY AND SO WERE YOU ABLE TO DO ANY RESEARCH? WERE YOU ABLE TO SPEAK WITH BOND COUNCIL ABOUT.

WE HAD TALKED ABOUT A FEW THINGS DEFINING DEBT, LIKE WHAT QUALIFIES US TO FIND DEBT, DEBT ISSUANCE AND OUR I&S SIDE.

SO LET ME PREFACE THIS CONVERSATION FOR COUNCIL.

I'M IN FAVOR OF OUR BUDGET AS IT PERTAINS TO THE M&O SIDE.

SO I'M NOT TRYING TO GO DOWN BOTH.

LOOKING AT THE TOTAL TAX RATE, WHAT I'M ISOLATING RIGHT NOW IS THE $0.07.

AND TELL ME IF THAT'S CORRECT, IS IT CLOSE TO $0.07 OF INCREASE ON THE I&S SIDE ONLY.

SO FOR.

YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT THE TOTAL CHANGE IN THE I&S SIDE.

YEAH. SO IF I CAN SUMMARIZE AND YOU CORRECT ME WHERE I'M WRONG.

SURE. 44.06 IS OUR CURRENT TAX RATE THAT'S GOING TO BE REDUCED NOW TO 42.

IS THAT ROUGHLY IT, $0.42 YOU WOULD REDUCE THAT TAX RATE DOWN IN ORDER TO OFFSET THE REVENUES THAT ARE COMING IN WITH THE HIGHER APPRAISED VALUES. OKAY, SO YOU'RE ASKING THE REDUCTION ON THE MAINTENANCE AND OPERATIONS SIDE WHAT THAT TOTAL AMOUNT IS? THAT'S CORRECT. SO IT'S A LITTLE OVER 3.3 CENTS.

3.3 CENTS. YES, SIR.

SO THAT COMES DOWN FROM 44.06 TO WHAT ARE WE AT THERE? 41 SOMETHING.

YES. HANG ON AND I'LL WRITE THAT DOWN.

ABOUT JUST UNDER OR JUST OVER $0.41? YES, SIR, $0.41.

SO WE'RE AT $0.41.

WE'RE NOW GOING TO INCREASE THIS TO $0.49.

SO WE HAVE $0.08, NOT SEVEN TAX INCREASE, AND BACK TO LIKE WHAT WE SPOKE ABOUT YESTERDAY, I'M JUST ISOLATING THAT EIGHT CENT INCREASE SO THAT WE CAN FOCUS ON THAT AND THE ABILITIES TO INCREASE THAT IN THIS YEAR'S BUDGET AS IT PERTAINS TO DEBT ISSUANCE.

YES. SO COUNCIL HAS AUTHORIZED THREE ADDITIONAL DEBT ISSUANCES SINCE THE CURRENT PROPERTY TAX RATE WAS APPROVED.

SO THERE'S BEEN THREE ADDITIONAL DEBT ISSUANCES, AND AT THE TIME OF APPROVAL OF THOSE ORDINANCES, THE ORDINANCE AUTHORIZES THE LEVY ON THE TAX RATE.

SO THEN WHEN IT COMES TIME TO ACTUALLY SET THE PROPERTY TAX RATE, SINCE COUNCIL HAS APPROVED THOSE ORDINANCES, STAFF HAS TO RECOMMEND A PROPERTY TAX RATE THAT WILL SUPPORT THE DEBT, THE UPCOMING DEBT SERVICE FOR EACH OF THOSE DEBT ISSUANCES THAT COUNCIL HAS AUTHORIZED IN THE YEAR, PLUS ALL THE PREVIOUS ONES PRIOR TO THAT.

THAT'S GREAT. SO LET'S TAKE THOSE ONE AT A TIME.

IF WE FOCUS ON THE THREE MAIN DEBT ISSUANCES.

YES, SIR. WE TAKE PARK LIGHTING.

YES, WE TAKE CITY HALL AND THEN WE TAKE THE CIVIC CENTER.

YES. SO DURING OUR FISCAL YEAR, FY 21-22, COUNCIL MOVED TO ISSUE DEBT ON PARK LIGHTING AND

[01:05:08]

IT'LL IT'LL COME UP IN 22-23.

YES, AND THOSE DEBTS HAVE BEEN ISSUED, CORRECT? YES, THEY HAVE WASN'T JUST MOVED BY COUNCIL, IT WAS ISSUED.

THE ORDINANCES WERE APPROVED WHICH LEVIES THE TAX FOR THOSE DEBT ISSUANCES.

SO I GUESS WHAT I WANT TO KNOW IS, IS THERE A STATUTE THAT DIFFERENTIATES BETWEEN AN ORDINANCE BEING APPROVED BY COUNCIL AND A SPECIFIC DEBT ISSUANCE? AND WERE YOU ABLE TO FIND THAT WHEN YOU SPOKE WITH BOND COUNCIL? SO I SPOKE WITH BOND COUNCIL JUST RIGHT BEFORE LUNCH.

THEY WERE TIED UP MOST OF THE MORNING AND I TRIED TO REACH OUT TO YOU AND I THINK WE PLAYED PHONE TAG JUST A LITTLE BIT.

BUT SO CHAPTER 26 OF THE TAX CODE IS WHERE ALL OF THIS IS DEFINED.

THERE HAS BEEN CHANGES TO IT.

ONE BIG ONE IS HOUSE BILL 1869 THAT HAS NARROWED THE DEFINITION OF WHAT MEETS DEBT AS FAR AS THE PROPERTY TAX RATE IS CONCERNED, AND IT LAYS OUT CRITERIA, BUT THAT'S ALL WITHIN THE TAX CODE UNDER CHAPTER 26.

SO THAT'S GREAT.

SO I HAVE HERE HOUSE BILL 1869 THAT I BELIEVE WAS PART AUTHORED OR TOTALLY AUTHORED BY MR. BURROWS OUT OF LUBBOCK, AND I SPOKE WITH HIM BACK WHEN WE WERE KIND OF IN THE MIDDLE OF THIS ISSUE, TRYING TO GET SOME KNOWLEDGE AND SOME WISDOM ON HOW ALL THIS WORKS, AND SO DEBT MEANS THIS IS LET'S SEE, HERE IT'S SUBDIVISION SEVEN UNDERNEATH 1869, IT SAYS DEBT MEANS A A BOND WARRANT CERTIFICATE OF OBLIGATION OR OTHER EVIDENCE OF INDEBTEDNESS OWED BY TAXING UNIT, AND THAT INCLUDES A TAX NOTE, HE SAID, AND SO THAT'S WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT HERE ON THE CIVIC CENTER IS A TAX NOTE, AND THEN ALSO CITY HALL WAS A TAX NOTE AS WELL, CORRECT? YES, SIR. SO HAS BEEN APPROVED AT AN ELECTION.

SO IT MEETS ONE OF THE FOLLOWING REQUIREMENTS AND THEY DO A GOOD JOB OF IDENTIFYING THIS.

SO IT HAS BEEN APPROVED AT AN ELECTION.

IT INCLUDES SELF-SUPPORTING DEBT.

IT'S EVIDENCED UNDER A LOAN UNDER A STATE OR FEDERAL FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAM.

IT'S ISSUED FOR DESIGNATED INFRASTRUCTURE AND IT KEEPS GOING ON HERE.

AND SO I WON'T READ YOU THE FULL THING, BUT IT TALKS ABOUT INFRASTRUCTURE, POLICE, FIRE, THINGS LIKE THAT.

SO IT ACTUALLY KIND OF GOES TO WHAT YOU'RE SPECIFICALLY PROVIDING THAT MONEY TO, AND THEN IT'S EVIDENCE.

SO WHAT EVIDENCE DO I HAVE HERE IN MY BUDGET FOR THIS EIGHT CENT INCREASE OTHER THAN COUNCIL SO MOVED? SO WE WORKED WITH BOND COUNCIL PRIOR TO EACH OF THE PROPOSED ORDINANCES THAT WE BROUGHT BEFORE COUNCIL TO ENSURE THAT IF THEY WERE GOING TO BE PAID WITH WHICH EACH OF THE THREE WERE GOING TO BE PAID WITH PROPERTY TAXES, THAT THEY MET THE DEFINITION ACCORDING TO STATE LAW, AND SO HOUSE BILL 1869 WAS A PART THAT WE LOOKED AT.

SO AND I APOLOGIZE BECAUSE I DON'T HAVE HB 1869 SITTING RIGHT IN FRONT OF ME.

SO IF YOU'LL. BEAR WITH ME.

I'LL TRY TO SPEAK TO THIS TO THE BEST OF MY MEMORY.

SO FIRST OFF WAS CITY HALL, AND WITH CITY HALL WE ARE RENOVATING AN EXISTING CITY FACILITY, AND SO THERE IS A PART UNDER HOUSE BILL 1869, I BELIEVE THAT SPEAKS TO THAT LANGUAGE.

SO THAT'S HOW IT MET THE CRITERIA.

MET THE CRITERIA.

THEN ON THE ATHLETIC FIELD LIGHTING, I BELIEVE THERE'S SOMETHING UNDER HOUSE BILL 1869 THAT SPEAKS TO PARKS SOMETHING PARKS FACILITIES OR IMPROVEMENTS, SOMETHING TO THAT NATURE IN THERE, AND SO THAT IS HOW IT WAS ABLE TO MEET THE CRITERIA ON HOUSE BILL 1869 AS WELL.

AND THEN ON THE THIRD ONE, WHICH IS THE CIVIC CENTER PROJECT, THERE IS AN ITEM IN HOUSE BILL 1869 THAT SPEAKS TO IF A PROJECT IS LOCATED WITHIN A REINVESTMENT ZONE, THAT IT DOES MEET THE CRITERIA TO BE ON THE ON THE INSIDE OF THE RATE, AND THE CIVIC CENTER IS LOCATED INSIDE OF A REINVESTMENT ZONE, AND WE DID PREVIOUSLY WORK WITH THAT, THE BOARD THAT OVERSEES OUR TAX INCREMENT REINVESTMENT ZONE DOWNTOWN TO WORK THAT INTO THE PROJECT PLAN, PROJECT AND FINANCING PLAN AND THEN BROUGHT IT FORWARD TO COUNCIL TO APPROVE THAT AS WELL.

THAT IS A GREAT JOB FOR MEMORY.

I LOVE THAT AND IT GOES PRETTY MUCH IN LINE WITH WHAT I'M LOOKING AT HERE.

[01:10:01]

OKAY, BUT TELL ME, I'M A LITTLE BIT CONCERNED IN HOW WE AS COUNCIL NEED TO DIRECT MONIES FOR THIS ISSUANCE IF IT COMES THROUGH LATER AT A LATER DATE IN A IN A BUDGET THAT'S COMING IN IN 22-23, HOW WERE YOU ABLE TO FINANCE OR TAKE CARE OF WHAT YOU DID IN THE CURRENT YEAR? BECAUSE WE PASSED IN 21-22 PARK LIGHTING AND CITY HALL, THOSE WEREN'T BUILT INTO THE BUDGET A YEAR IN ADVANCE.

SO HOW DID WE HAVE THE MONEY TO PAY FOR THOSE THINGS? SO WE DO NOT HAVE A DEBT SERVICE PAYMENT ON EITHER ACTUALLY ALL THREE OF THOSE DEBT ISSUANCES UNTIL NEXT FISCAL YEAR, AND SO THE FIRST DEBT SERVICE PAYMENT WILL OCCUR IN THE NEW FISCAL YEAR BEGINNING OCTOBER 1ST, 2022, WHICH IS WHY WE ARE BRINGING A PROPOSED RATE TO OUR CITY COUNCIL TO CONSIDER TO SUPPORT FROM THE PROPERTY TAX RATE SIDE THOSE DEBT SERVICE PAYMENTS THAT ARE COMING UP IN NEXT FISCAL YEAR, AND WE DO THAT EVERY YEAR.

WE LOOK AT ANY NEW IF THERE'S A NEW ISSUANCE OR IF THERE'S EXISTING ONES WITH THE UPCOMING DEBT SERVICE PAYMENTS ARE AND WE SHAPE THE PROPERTY TAX RATE AROUND THAT.

SO WE COULD EASILY FUND OURSELVES WITH AN EMERGENCY OR AN ISSUE IN DECEMBER.

IT COULD BE BROUGHT TO COUNCIL, WE COULD MOVE AND THEN YOU WOULD HAVE AN ABILITY TO WORK EVEN IN THIS THIS FUTURE BUDGET FOR AN ITEM THAT'S NOT BUDGETED CURRENTLY LIKE WE DID WITH THE POOL.

YES, AND THEN WE WORK WITH OUR FINANCIAL ADVISORS TO STRUCTURE THE DEBT.

SO FOR INSTANCE, IF IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE DIDN'T KNOW, LIKE THE SWIMMING POOL THAT COMES UP AND I DON'T REMEMBER THE TIMING OF WHAT TIME OF YEAR WE ISSUED THAT DEBT OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD, BUT WHAT YOU CAN DO IS YOU CAN DO AN INTEREST ONLY PAYMENT AND STRUCTURE IT WHERE THERE'S MORE OF A BALLOON PAYMENT LATER ON.

AND I'M PROBABLY OVERSIMPLIFYING THIS, BUT IN ORDER TO MEET THE NEEDS OF A FIRST DEBT SERVICE PAYMENT, POTENTIALLY JUST OFF OF A SMALL AMOUNT OF CASH ON HAND, AND THEN THE NEXT, LIKE WHEN PRINCIPAL PAYMENTS START COMING ON, YOU WOULD HAVE THE ABILITY BECAUSE IT'D BE AT A FUTURE TIME PERIOD TO BUILD THAT INTO THE PROPERTY TAX RATE TO MAKE THAT LARGER DEBT SERVICE PAYMENT COMING UP, AND IF YOU'LL HANG IN THERE WITH ME, JUST A FEW MORE QUESTIONS.

I'M GOING SOMEWHERE HERE.

SO 7985, IS THAT LOAN STRUCTURED CURRENTLY? ARE YOUR TERMS FINALIZED IN ORDINANCE 7985 CURRENTLY? THE TERMS THAT WERE OUTLINED IN THAT ORDINANCE ARE ARE LISTED IN THE ORDINANCE.

THEY'RE LISTED IN THE ORDINANCE, BUT THEY'RE NOT APPLICABLE AT THIS POINT.

RIGHT. I MEAN, WE WOULD HAVE NEEDED TO CLOSE ON THAT LOAN IN JUNE, I BELIEVE, FOR THOSE TERMS TO HAVE BEEN VALID.

WELL, MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT THE ORDINANCE IS STILL IN PLACE AND STILL VALID AT THIS POINT IN TIME, AND SO WHAT WOULD YOU NEED TO DO IF THEY LET'S SAY THAT THE ENCUMBRANCE WAS DROPPED AND 7985 IS RELEASED AND YOU'RE MOVING FORWARD AND FROST BANK IS READY TO CLOSE THAT NOTE.

CAN YOU DESCRIBE TO ME THE PROCESS THAT WOULD THEN TAKE PLACE? WOULD THEY IMMEDIATELY GRAB THAT ORDINANCE AND JUST.

MR. CITY MANAGER CAN WE CONTINUE ALONG THESE LINES.

YEAH, I THINK WHAT I'M HEARING IS HYPOTHETICALS.

WELL, THAT'S WHAT I'M HEARING.

LET'S NOT BE HYPOTHETICAL, THEN.

WHAT I'M WHAT I'M TRYING TO ASSESS HERE IS 7985 IS BEING TREATED AS THOUGH IT'S A DEBT THAT HAS BEEN ISSUED AND IT HAS NOT BEEN ISSUED BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE THAT LOAN IN PLACE TO BUILD IT INTO THE BUDGET.

SO YOU BUILT IN $0.08 WORTH OF DEBT SERVICE, AND SO HANG IN THERE WITH ME JUST A SECOND, BECAUSE I WANT TO KNOW, IS THAT MONEY RESTRICTED TO JUST THAT ORDINANCE? SO LET ME ANSWER TWO THINGS REAL QUICK.

SO ORDINANCE 7985 WAS AN APPROVAL FROM COUNCIL TO ENTER INTO AN AGREEMENT FOR A DEBT ISSUANCE WITH FROST BANK.

IN THAT SAME ORDINANCE, IT LEVIED A TAX RELATED TO THAT AMOUNT.

SO THAT ORDINANCE IS STILL IN PLACE, WHICH IS WHY I AM HERE WITH A PROPOSED TAX RATE, WITH ENOUGH OF A OF A TAX RATE TO COVER THE UPCOMING DEBT SERVICE PAYMENT FOR THAT ORDINANCE THAT WAS APPROVED BY COUNCIL THAT IS STILL IN PLACE.

THE SECOND POINT OF YOURS IS THAT WHEN WHEN YOU SET A PROPERTY TAX RATE ON THE INSIDE, IT IS TO COVER THE DEBT SERVICE PAYMENTS OF THE OUTSTANDING DEBT THAT THE CITY HAS, AND SO THAT'S WHAT IT HAS TO BE USED.

[01:15:03]

MY UNDERSTANDING, I DON'T THINK YOU COULD EVEN USE IT FOR LIKE A FUTURE PROJECT THAT HASN'T EVEN BEEN CONSIDERED BY COUNCIL YET.

SO AND AGAIN, IT CAN ONLY BE USED FOR DEBT THAT'S BEEN APPROVED BY COUNCIL AND THEN MEETS THE DEFINITION OF BEING DEBT ON THE INSIDE OF THE PROPERTY TAX RATE ACCORDING TO STATE, AND I THINK, TO PUT IT SIMPLY, 7985 DIRECTS STAFF BY COUNCIL GOT COUNCIL DIRECTION TO DO THE PROJECT.

IN ORDER TO DO THE PROJECT.

WE HAVE TO ISSUE THE DEBT.

WE DON'T HAVE A WAY TO.

WE DON'T HAVE THE AUTHORITY TO NOT INCLUDE THE NECESSARY TAX RATE TO SERVICE THE DEBT IN THE BUDGET.

NOW, COUNCIL COULD DIRECT US TO NOT DO THE PROJECT ANYMORE, WE WOULD DO THAT THROUGH COUNCIL ACTION.

SO BUT THE ISSUE IS HERE, AND I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE SAY THE WORD HYPOTHETICAL, MR. MCWILLIAMS, BECAUSE WE'RE HYPOTHETICALLY ASSUMING THAT THIS ORDINANCE WILL WILL BE RELEASED AND IT WILL MOVE FORWARD, AND SO YOU HAVE TO CONSIDER, BECAUSE IT HASN'T BEEN DONE YET, THAT THERE IS AN EITHER OR EITHER IT WILL BE RELEASED OR IT WILL NOT, AND SO I WANT TO LOOK DOWN THE RISK THAT WE'RE TAKING AND THE PATHWAY THAT WE'RE MOVING DOWN IF IT'S NOT RELEASED, AND SO IF IT'S NOT RELEASED, AM I TO UNDERSTAND THAT WE WOULD NOW HAVE $0.08, WHICH WOULD EQUATE TO HOW MANY MILLION PER YEAR IN ADDITIONAL REVENUES THAT WE WOULD HAVE TO USE AGAINST A FUTURE DEBT? OKAY, SO THE INCREASE IN THE I&S SIDE OF THE PROPERTY TAX RATE IS ESSENTIALLY I THINK WE JUST DID THE CALCULATION ABOUT $0.08 THAT TRANSLATES TO 12.5 MILLION DOLLARS AND THAT IS FOR CIVIC CENTER, CITY HALL AND ATHLETIC FIELD LIGHTING.

IT'S FOR ALL THREE OF THOSE.

SO WHATEVER PORTION OF THIS WOULD GO TOWARDS THE 7985 ORDINANCE, IF THAT FAILED, THEN COUNCIL WOULD BE ABLE TO UTILIZE THAT AMOUNT OF DEBT AND DEBT SERVICE ON AN ADDITIONAL PROJECT.

NO, THE TAX RATE WOULD GO AWAY IF THE IF THEY CHOSE IF EITHER THROUGH LAW OR COUNCIL ACTION 7985 AND THE DIRECTION ASSOCIATED WITH IT WENT AWAY, THE TAX RATE WOULD GO DOWN BECAUSE COUNCIL WOULD HAVE TO TAKE ACTION TO ALLOCATE THAT TAX RATE [INAUDIBLE] WOULDN'T GO DOWN BECAUSE WE WOULD MOVE FORWARD WITH A BUDGET, SET IT, BUT IT WOULD GO DOWN IN [INAUDIBLE] REALIZED THROUGHOUT THIS THIS COMING YEAR AND THEN THAT MONEY WOULD BE ONLY I DON'T WANT TO ASSUME AT THE DIRECTION OF COUNCIL IT WOULD GO DOWN.

WELL, NO, NO, NO, IT WOULD HAVE TO GO DOWN.

IT BY DEFINITION HAS TO BECAUSE WE CAN ONLY SET A PROPERTY TAX RATE ON THE INSIDE THAT EQUALS THE UPCOMING DEBT SERVICE PAYMENTS.

IF IN THIS HYPOTHETICAL SITUATION, THE TAX NOTES ASSOCIATED WITH THE CIVIC CENTER PROJECT WENT AWAY THIS YEAR.

THEN NEXT YEAR THEY WOULD NOT BE OUTSTANDING, AND SO WE WOULD HAVE A LOWER I&S RATE THAT WE WOULD BRING AND WE WOULD HAVE COUNCIL AUTHORIZE THAT IT WOULD AUTOMATICALLY GO DOWN, AND THEN ANY OF THE DOLLARS THAT WE COLLECTED IN THIS YEAR ASSOCIATED WITH THE TAX RATE THAT WOULD HAVE GONE TOWARDS THE CIVIC CENTER PROJECT WOULD BE USED TO PAY DOWN EXISTING DEBT OR POTENTIALLY LOWER THE PROPERTY TAX RATE EVEN MORE IN A FUTURE YEAR.

SO WE WOULD TAX OUR TAXPAYER IN ADVANCE.

WE WOULD COLLECT THOSE MONIES AND BE THE FIDUCIARY OF THOSE MONIES TO ENSURE THAT THEY WOULD GO FOR THIS SPECIFIC PROJECT, AND IF THIS SPECIFIC PROJECT DIDN'T GO FORWARD.

WE WOULD THEN HAVE THE FIDUCIARY LEGAL RESPONSIBILITY TO CREDIT THAT BACK TO OUR TAXPAYERS IN 23-24 WE'RE ONLY TAXING AFTER COUNCIL'S DIRECTED THE PROJECT TO BE DONE.

NOT REAL RELEVANT TO THIS PARTICULAR QUESTION BECAUSE LIKE AND IF 7985 DOES NOT PASS, IF IT FAILS, WE ARE COLLECTING MONEY IN ADVANCE THAT WE CANNOT SPEND AND WE'RE NOT SERVICING DEBT WITH IT.

WELL, COUNCIL COULD SPEND IT TO PAY DOWN ALREADY OUTSTANDING AUTHORIZED DEBT.

SO LET'S SAY THE ATHLETIC FIELD LIGHTING COUNCIL COULD USE THAT MONEY TO PAY DOWN THAT DEBT OR SOMETHING.

I APOLOGIZE. THAT'S DIFFERENT THAN WHAT I HEARD A SECOND AGO.

I HEARD THAT PARTICULAR AMOUNT THAT'S ISOLATED AND CALCULATED FOR THE CIVIC CENTER CAN ONLY BE USED FOR THE CIVIC CENTER.

NOW, WE'RE SAYING WE COULD CHOOSE AS COUNCIL TO USE THAT MONEY TO PAY DOWN OTHER DEBTS OUTSTANDING, OTHER EXISTING OUTSTANDING DEBT, BUT THEN THE NEXT

[01:20:09]

WHAT ASSURANCE WOULD WOULD HOWARD OR EDDY OR MYSELF HAVE TO KNOW THAT IF THERE WAS A FUTURE COUNCIL WORKING IN THIS BUDGET, THAT THEY WOULDN'T HAVE A PROJECT X COME UP, THAT THEY COULD ALLOCATE THAT AMOUNT OF DEBT SERVICE TO, AND THEY WOULD HAVE A FUTURE PROJECT THAT WOULDN'T GO TOWARDS THE WILL OF MY TAXPAYER.

MEANING I'M IN FAVOR OF PAYING DOWN TAXPAYER DEBT, IF THIS FAILED.

WHAT DO I HAVE TO HOLD ON TO? WHAT STATUTE IS THERE WHERE IS THIS COMING FROM THAT YOU'RE TELLING ME THAT WE COULDN'T USE THAT MONEY TO LEVERAGE SOME OTHER PROJECT? WELL, AND THAT'S SOMETHING THAT I'LL HAVE TO GET MORE INFORMATION FOR YOU GOING FORWARD.

I KNOW WE HAD A QUICK TURNAROUND FROM OUR DISCUSSION, AND I WASN'T ABLE TO CATCH BOND COUNCIL UNTIL A COUPLE OF HOURS BEFORE THIS MEETING, BUT WHAT BOND COUNCIL TOLD ME IS THAT THEY WOULD NOT RECOMMEND COUNCIL UTILIZING THAT FUNDING FOR A NEW PROJECT THAT HASN'T EVEN BEEN CONSIDERED YET. NOW, I DON'T KNOW IF THERE'S A CERTAIN PORTION OF STATE LAW THAT COVERS THAT, OR I'LL SEE WHAT I CAN FIND OUT AND GET TO YOU, BUT THEY SAID NO, WE WOULD NOT RECOMMEND THAT A COUNCIL USE MONEY THAT WAS TAXED FOR AN OUTSTANDING PROJECT FOR AN UPCOMING PROJECT THAT HASN'T EVEN BEEN CONSIDERED YET.

THE ONLY THING THAT'S WORRISOME IN THAT IS RECOMMEND IS A DIFFERENT WORD THAN RESTRICT.

SO I HAVE TWO QUESTIONS THAT I'M STILL SEEKING AN ANSWER FOR.

IS IT RECOMMENDED OR RESTRICTED IF YOU GO AHEAD AND PUT THIS IN THE BUDGET AS TO WHAT YOU CAN DO WITH THAT MONEY IN THE FUTURE? AND THEN IS IT REQUIRED IS THE OTHER WORD, IS IT REQUIRED FOR YOU TO PUT THIS MONEY IN THE BUDGET FOR A FUTURE DEBT ISSUANCE THAT HAS NOT BEEN RELEASED? SO ALL WE'VE DONE IS MAKE A MOTION, ALL WE'VE DONE IS MOVE AS COUNCIL.

WE HAVE AN ORDINANCE AND IT DID PASS AND I GET THAT AND STAFF HAS BEEN INSTRUCTED TO DO THINGS, BUT YOU COULD NOT PUT THAT IN THE BUDGET AND YOU COULD STILL STRUCTURE THE TERMS WHEN THAT PASSES, SAY AFTER OCTOBER, NOVEMBER, WHATEVER MAY HAPPEN, THAT COULD THEN BE FISCALLY RESPONSIBLE BECAUSE WE'VE DONE THAT WITH THE POOL AND WITH PARK LIGHTING AND WITH CITY HALL.

SO I WOULD ASSUME WE COULD DO THAT WITH THIS DEBT AS WELL.

IT'S ALL ABOUT TIMING AND WHEN YOUR DEBT PAYMENTS NEED TO BE PAID, IF WE ARE TO DO THE PROJECT AS DIRECTED BY COUNCIL, WE ARE REQUIRED TO PUT IT INTO THE BUDGET.

NOW TO YOUR QUESTIONS OF TIMING.

IF WE DID NOT INCLUDE IT IN THE BUDGET, IF COUNCIL SAID WE'RE GOING TO POSTPONE THE PROJECT, DON'T DO IT UNTIL LATER NEXT YEAR, THEN THE WE WOULD BE ABLE TO AT SOME POINT BETWEEN, SAY, MAY AND OCTOBER OF NEXT YEAR, ISSUE THE DEBT AND HAVE THE TAX RATE HIT THE TAX ROLL IN OCTOBER OF 23.

NOW, THERE WOULD BE DELAYS TO THE PROJECT AND EVERYONE CAN CAN DEBATE AND DISCUSS, YOU KNOW, WHAT'S THAT MEAN TO INTEREST RATES AND CONSTRUCTION PRICES, BUT THAT IS A TIMING QUESTION THAT COUNCIL WOULD HAVE TO GIVE US GUIDANCE ON.

SO IF WE ARE TO MOVE FORWARD, AS WE'VE BEEN DIRECTED TO THIS POINT, WE ARE REQUIRED TO HAVE IT IN THE TAX RATE.

IF, HOWEVER, COUNCIL WANTS TO DELAY THE PROJECT OR SLOW THE PROJECT OR DO IT ON A DIFFERENT TIMELINE OR NOT DO IT, THEN WE COULD NOT INCLUDE THAT TAX RATE IN THE TAX RATE FOR NEXT YEAR.

I BELIEVE THAT'S VERY HELPFUL, AND I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE REALIZE WE HAVE TIME SO WE HAVE TWO WEEKS TO FIGURE THIS OUT.

SHOULD BE PLENTY OF TIME TO GET THE ANSWERS.

IF IT'S NOT RESTRICTED, I THINK I WOULD LOOK AT, YOU KNOW, POTENTIALLY HOWARD OR EDDY AND FREDA AND SAY, HEY, DID YOU ALL KNOW THIS MONEY'S NOT RESTRICTED? ARE WE GOING TO INCREASE THE INSIDE OF OUR BUDGET FOR A FUTURE COUNCIL WHERE THEY COULD POTENTIALLY MOVE FORWARD WITH THE PROJECT THAT THIS COUNCIL DIDN'T DIRECT OR MAYBE DOESN'T SEE THE VALUE IN? AND IF THAT'S THE CASE, I DON'T KNOW IF FEELINGS WOULDN'T CHANGE.

AND THEN ON THE OTHER SIDE, IS IT REQUIRED, LIKE, DO YOU HAVE TO DO THIS? OR COULD COUNCIL DIRECT YOU TO PUT FORTH A BUDGET THAT DOES NOT INCLUDE THIS ADDITIONAL I&S DEBT ISSUANCE BECAUSE IT HASN'T BEEN ISSUED? AND THEN CAN YOU STRUCTURE THE DEBT MOVING FORWARD ONCE THIS ENCUMBRANCE HAS BEEN LIFTED AND 7985 IS FREE TO MOVE FORWARD? THOSE ARE MY TWO QUESTIONS.

WE HAVE TIME. WE HAVE TWO WEEKS TO FIGURE THIS OUT.

I'D LIKE THOSE ANSWERS BEFORE WE SIT BACK DOWN TO FORMALLY VOTE ON THIS.

OKAY, THANK YOU, MA'AM.

WELL, TO THE SECOND ONE, WE CAN ABSOLUTELY NOT INCLUDE THE TAX RATE IN THE BUDGET THIS YEAR.

[01:25:03]

SO MY LAST COMMENT AND I'LL LEAVE IT ALONE.

WE'RE IN A RECESSION.

SO LIKE WHAT YOU'RE JUST TELLING ME IS I WOULD PREFER NOT TO TAX IN ADVANCE MY TAXPAYER AND AT THE GOODWILL OF THE PEOPLE, SIT AND WAIT UNTIL THIS ENCUMBRANCE HAS BEEN LIFTED, AND I WOULD HOPE THAT MY COUNCIL WOULD SEE THE VALUE IN THAT IN US STILL NEEDING TO MOVE FORWARD TOGETHER AND SEE THE GOOD IN THIS PROJECT, AND IT DOESN'T CHANGE ANYTHING IN THE WAY THAT YOU STRUCTURE YOUR BUDGET.

THANK YOU. OKAY, THANK YOU, COUNCILMEMBER STANLEY.

ANY OTHER COMMENTS ON THIS END? MY ONLY QUESTION IS THIS IS THE MAXIMUM TAX RATE AND THAT'S ALL THAT IT IS, AND WE STILL HAVE TO TALK ABOUT THE BUDGET AND WORK OUR WAY THROUGH THAT.

THAT IS CORRECT. WE'RE GOING TO BE TALKING ABOUT THIS A LOT MORE ON THE 16TH AND ON THE 19TH.

I WOULD PREFER TO JUST.

OKAY, UH COUNCILMEMBER SMITH.

LET ME SEE IF I UNDERSTAND THIS.

THE .49086 INCLUDES ANY DEBT THAT WE ALREADY HAVE IN PLACE OR POTENTIALLY MIGHT HAVE IN PLACE.

IT SHOWS IT ACCOUNTS FOR ALL OF THE OUTSTANDING DEBT THAT THE CITY OF AMARILLO HAS, INCLUDING ANYTHING THAT WE HAVE NOT MADE A DEBT SERVICE PAYMENT ON YET.

THAT COUNCIL HAS ALREADY APPROVED AN ORDINANCE AUTHORIZING THE DEBT.

OKAY, WELL BECAUSE THIS IS THE MAXIMUM AND WE GOT GIVE OR TAKE TWO WEEKS TO DISCUSS THIS MORE. I MOVE TO ADOPT A PROPOSED TAX RATE OF 0.49086.

SECOND. I HAVE A MOTION FROM COUNCILMEMBER SMITH AND A SECOND FROM COUNCILMEMBER SAUER.

SO BEFORE I ASK FOR THE VOTE, I HAVE A FEW COMMENTS AS WELL AND I JUST WANT TO SAY THAT I AM IN FAVOR OF THE PROPOSED TAX RATE OF OF 0.49086 FOR THE FISCAL YEAR 22-23.

AS THE OPERATIONS AND MAINTENANCE RATE IS LOWER THAN THE FISCAL YEAR 2021 2022 BY 3.3 CENTS, AND, AND THE BUDGET PROVIDES FUNDING FOR THESE THINGS RIGHT HERE, WHICH IS A NEW FIRE STATION, 15 FIREFIGHTERS, ONE NEW FIRE DISTRICT CHIEF, FOUR POLICE OFFICERS.

WE HAVE THE CONTINUED PARK AND MAINTENANCE IMPROVEMENT FUNDING, AND WE ALSO HAVE THE ATHLETIC FIELD LIGHTING, AND SO I WANT TO SAY THIS IS THE CITIZENS THAT HAVE EMAILED ME FOR AND AGAINST.

THEY HAVE SPOKEN EXTREMELY LOUDLY THAT THEY WANT US TO FOCUS ON THESE THINGS AND THEY WANT US TO GET BACK TO THE BASICS, AND I HEAR I HEAR WHAT THEY'RE SAYING.

THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT OUR CITIZENS WANT.

SO WITH THAT SAID, I HAVE A MOTION IN A SECOND TO ADOPT A PROPOSED TAX RATE OF 0.49086. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR, PLEASE SAY AYE.

AYE.

ALL THOSE OPPOSED? NO. OKAY, THAT PASSES WERE THE THREE ONE VOTE.

THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MISS STORRS.

I APPRECIATE YOUR DEDICATION AND YOUR PATIENCE AND YOUR TIME.

CAN I MAKE A COMMENT REAL QUICK, MAYOR PRO TEM, I REALLY APPRECIATE YOU GUYS SITTING HERE PATIENTLY AND LETTING ME GO THROUGH THAT AND ASK MY QUESTIONS.

THEY'RE IMPORTANT. IT'S A GOOD DISCUSSION AND I REALLY APPRECIATE LAURA AND HER ABILITY TO GO AND GRAB ALL THIS INFORMATION AND WORK ON SUCH A TIGHT DEADLINE, AND I LOOK FORWARD TO GETTING THE OTHER ANSWER THAT I'M STILL LOOKING FOR, BUT JUST AN OPPORTUNITY TO SAY THANK YOU.

OKAY, THANK YOU, COUNCILMEMBER STANLEY.

I APPRECIATE THOSE COMMENTS.

ALL RIGHT, MOVING ON TO LET'S SEE, WE'RE ON THE NON CONSENT AGENDA ITEM B, WHICH IS A PUBLIC HEARING AND

[3.B. PUBLIC HEARING AND CONSIDERATION OF RESOLUTION NO. 08-02-22-2]

[01:30:07]

MR. CITY MANAGER ALL RIGHT, WE HAVE JASON BERGER, DIRECTOR OF COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT, TO COME PRESENT THE ITEM.

THIS IS CONSIDERATION OF THE HOME INVESTMENT PARTNERSHIP ALLOCATIONS AS RECOMMENDED BY THE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT ADVISORY COMMITTEE.

JASON. THANK YOU, CITY MANAGER THANK YOU ALL FOR HAVING ME HERE.

I WANTED TO PRESENT THE CDAC OR THE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT ADVISORY COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THE CDBG AND HOME INVESTMENT PARTNERSHIP.

WE RECEIVED 1,584,592 IN CDBG FUNDING AND 828,236 IN HOME FUNDING.

WE HELD A TWO COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT ADVISORY COMMITTEE MEETINGS ON JUNE 13TH AND JUNE 15TH WHERE AGENCIES CAME IN AND PRESENTED THEIR PROPOSALS FOR FUNDING FOR THOSE TWO DIFFERENT FUNDING SOURCES.

CDAC HAS RECOMMENDED WE FUND BUILDING SAFETY AT 340,986, OUR PUBLIC SERVICES PROJECTS AT 237,688.

NEIGHBORHOOD IMPROVEMENTS AT 203,000.

OWNER OCCUPIED HOUSING IMPROVEMENTS AT 486,000.

PLANNING AND MANAGEMENT AT THREE 16,000 918, AND THEN IN OUR HOME INVESTMENT PARTNERSHIP, FUNDING FOR HOME ADMIN WAS $82,823.60.

TENANT BASED RENTAL ASSISTANCE THAT'S GOING TO BE THE MAJOR FUNDING THAT GOES TO FROM HOME IS THE TENANT BASED RENTAL ASSISTANCE.

OR YOU MAY HAVE HEARD OF TBRA THAT'S AT 589,177 AND THEN OUR CHODO, WHICH IS THE COMMUNITY HOUSING DEVELOPMENT ORGANIZATIONS, THE ONLY CHODO WE HAVE IN AMARILLO IS HABITAT FOR HUMANITY.

THE FULL ALLOCATION THAT WE COULD GIVE THEM, MINIMUM AMOUNT WE COULD GIVE THEM WAS 124,235.40, AND THEN ALSO THE OPERATING COST OF 32,000. SO THESE WERE THE RECOMMENDATIONS.

I HAVE A SPECIFIC BREAKDOWN THAT I'VE PROVIDED FOR YOU.

IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT THOSE SPECIFIC ALLOCATIONS, I CAN GO OVER THOSE, BUT I'VE GOT THE I THINK ALL OF YOU RECEIVED THIS BREAKDOWN ON ALL OF THE FUNDING. YES, WE DID, JASON.

COUNCIL, DO YOU HAVE ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS FOR JASON? NO. OKAY, AT THIS PARTICULAR TIME, I WILL ENTERTAIN A MOTION FOR.

EXCUSE ME. LET ME BACK UP.

WE DO HAVE A PUBLIC HEARING ON ON THIS PARTICULAR ITEM.

SO AT THIS TIME, I WILL OPEN IT UP FOR A PUBLIC HEARING AND LET ME FIND MY INFORMATION HERE.

SO I'LL OPEN A PUBLIC HEARING.

WE WILL NOW TAKE COMMENT FROM ANYONE WHO WISHES TO SPEAK FOR OR AGAINST OR ON THIS ITEM.

WHEN YOU COME TO THE PODIUM, PLEASE STATE YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS FOR THE RECORD AND LIMIT YOUR COMMENTS TO 3 MINUTES AND PLEASE ADDRESS YOUR COMMENTS TO CITY COUNCIL. SO DO WE HAVE ANYONE THAT WISHES TO SPEAK ON, FOR OR AGAINST THIS PARTICULAR ITEM? SEEING NO ONE.

I WILL CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING AND ASK FOR A MOTION.

MAYOR PRO TEM. I MOVE TO ADOPT RESOLUTION NUMBER 08-02-22-2, APPROVING THE 2022-2023 COMMUNITY PUBLIC DEVELOPMENT BLOCK GRANT AND HOME INVESTMENT PARTNERSHIP ALLOCATION FOR THE FISCAL YEAR 22 ANNUAL ACTION PLAN.

THE ANNUAL ACTION PLAN TO BE SUBMITTED TO HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT ALLOCATES $1,584,592 IN CDBG FUNDING AND $828,236 IN HOME FUNDING.

SECOND. OKAY, THANK YOU.

I HAVE A MOTION BY COUNCILMEMBER SAUER AND A SECOND BY COUNCILMEMBER STANLEY.

ALL THOSE IN FAVOR.

PLEASE SAY AYE.

AYE. THAT ITEM PASSES WITH 4-0 VOTE.

MOVING ON TO THE NON CONTENT ITEM C WHICH IS CONSIDER APPROVAL LOCATION INCENTIVE AGREEMENT BETWEEN AMARILLO ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

[3.C. CONSIDER APPROVAL - LOCATION INCENTIVE AGREEMENT BETWEEN AMARILLO ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION AND A-5 REALTY, LLC (TEXAS COMPANY) AND A-7 AUSTIN, LLC (TEXAS COMPANY) DOING BUSINESS AS AUSTIN HOSE]

GO AHEAD. MAYOR PRO TEM COUNCIL.

[01:35:03]

ANOTHER EXCITING DAY IN AMARILLO.

WE GET TO TALK ABOUT TWO PROJECTS TODAY AND ONE OF BUSINESS RETENTION AND EXPANSION.

THAT'S AN EXISTING BUSINESS THAT WE ALREADY HAVE HERE IN AMARILLO THAT HAS DECIDED TO EXPAND THEIR BUSINESS, AND THEN WE HAVE A NEW BUSINESS.

SO I'M GOING TO TALK FIRST ABOUT THE BUSINESS THAT HAS CHOSEN TO EXPAND THEIR BUSINESS.

AUSTIN HOSE THEY'VE BEEN IN BUSINESS SINCE 1966.

THEY'RE A PREMIER HOSE AND FITTING COMPANY, PRIMARILY IN THE OIL AND GAS AG INDUSTRIES.

THEY PURCHASED ANOTHER ONE OF THEIR COMPETITORS IN THE LAST FEW MONTHS AND ARE LOOKING TO EXPAND THAT OPERATION HERE IN AMARILLO.

BEFORE I GET STARTED, I ALSO WANT TO INTRODUCE ONE OF THEIR PRINCIPALS.

JIM CRAMER IS HERE IN THE AUDIENCE.

SO JIM WAVE SO APPRECIATE JIM AND BEEN WORKING WITH HIM FOR A LITTLE OVER SIX OR EIGHT MONTHS ON THIS PROJECT AND EXCITED TO BRING IT TO COUNCIL TODAY FOLLOWING THEIR RECENT ACQUISITION.

THEY REALLY ARE WANTING TO GO NATIONWIDE WITH THIS BUSINESS AND WITH THIS EXPANSION THAT THEY'RE GOING TO DO.

THEY WOULD ADD OVER TWO PHASES.

THEY WOULD ADD 30 FTES, AND THEN THEY WOULD ALSO EXPAND THEIR FOOTPRINT BY 150,000 SQUARE FEET.

THEY'RE CURRENTLY ON I-27 RIGHT NOW ABOUT THE WESTERN EXIT, BUT THEY WOULD PUT THEIR NEW LOCATION IN OUR SOUTH GEORGIA BUSINESS PARK THAT'S LOCATED AT FARMERS AVENUE IN SOUTH GEORGIA.

THIS IS A PIECE OF PROPERTY THAT WE BOUGHT ABOUT THREE YEARS AGO AND ARE STARTING TO DEVELOP THAT, AND SO WE'RE EXCITED THAT AUSTIN HOSE WANTS TO MAKE THE NORTH END OF THAT PROPERTY THEIR NEW HOME.

THE AMARILLO EDC AGREEMENT BASED ON THE EDC AND THE CITY'S GUIDELINES AND CRITERIA FOR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, WE WOULD DO A JOB CREATION INCENTIVE OF $10,000 PER JOB PAID OUT OVER FIVE YEARS FOR THE 30 EMPLOYEES THAT THEY ADD, AND THEN WE WOULD CONVEY 20.7 ACRES OF LAND TO AUSTIN HOSE OVER A COUPLE OF PHASES, PROVIDED THAT THEY MEET THE STANDARDS IN THE LOCATION INCENTIVE AGREEMENT.

I'D CERTAINLY ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS, BUT THAT'S THE MAIN SCOPE OF THE PROJECT.

THE TOTAL VALUE OF THE INCENTIVE IS 300,000 FOR THE JOB CREATION INCENTIVE AND AROUND 750,000 ON THE LAND CONVEYANCE.

THANK YOU, MR. CARTER. IT IS ALWAYS EXCITING WHEN WE HAVE AN EXISTING BUSINESS IN OUR CITY THAT IS WILLING TO EXPAND THEIR BUSINESS ALONG WITH THE JOBS COUNCIL. THIS WAS AN ITEM THAT WAS BROUGHT TO US IN EXECUTIVE SESSION.

DOES ANYONE HAVE ANY ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS FOR MR. CARTER? OKAY, IF NOT, I WILL ENTERTAIN A MOTION FOR ITEM THREE C.

MAYOR PRO TEM.

I MOVE TO APPROVE A LOCATION INCENTIVE AGREEMENT BETWEEN AMARILLO ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION AND A-5 REALTY LLC AND A-7 AUSTIN LLC DOING BUSINESS AS AUSTIN HOSE.

THAT WOULD PROVIDE AUSTIN HOSE $300,000 FOR THE CREATION OF FULL TIME EMPLOYEES TO BE PAID OUT OVER FIVE YEARS AS THEY ARE CREATED AND WOULD PROVIDE FOR AMARILLO ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION TO CONVEY 20.7 ACRES VALUED AT $724,500 TO AUSTIN HOSE.

DO I HAVE A SECOND? SECOND.

I HAVE A MOTION BY COUNCILMEMBER SAUER AND A SECOND BY COUNCILMEMBER SMITH.

ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF THE MOTION, PLEASE SAY AYE.

AYE. THAT PASSES WITH 4-0 VOTE.

MR. CITY MANAGER.

[3.D. CONSIDER APPROVAL - TAX ABATEMENT AGREEMENT BETWEEN CITY OF AMARILLO AND AMARILLO ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION AND A.5 REALTY. LLC (TEXAS COMPANY) AND A-7 AUSTIN. LLC (TEXAS COMPANY) DOING BUSINESS AS AUSTIN HOSE:]

SO, KEVIN. YES, THIS ITEM WOULD CONSIDER A TAX ABATEMENT FOR AUSTIN HOSE WITH THE TWO ENTITIES THAT ARE LISTED A-5 AND A-7.

$15 MILLION IN TOTAL CAPITAL EXPENDITURE.

30 NEW FULL TIME JOBS IN ADDITION TO THE JOBS OF THE 60 OR SO THAT THEY ALREADY HAVE HERE IN AMARILLO.

THE AVERAGE ANNUAL SALARY OF THOSE WOULD BE ABOVE THE $45,000 WAGE REQUIREMENT THAT WE HAVE IN OUR GUIDELINES.

SO WITH THESE PARAMETERS WERE ASKING FOR A SIX YEAR 60% TAX ABATEMENT ON REAL AND BUSINESS PROPERTY IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE GUIDELINES AND CRITERIA THAT COUNCIL HAS APPROVED, BUT JUST A COUPLE OF ITEMS THAT I WANT TO TALK ABOUT IS THE IMPACT THAT AUSTIN HOSE.

THIS NEW THIS NEW EXPANSION WILL HAVE ON OUR ECONOMY.

IT'S ABOUT A $67 MILLION ECONOMIC IMPACT OVER A 20 YEAR PERIOD.

[01:40:05]

IT WILL CREATE 65 NEW JOBS, 30 DIRECT AND 35 SPINOFF, WHICH IS A LITTLE OVER 1 TO 1 IN SPINOFF JOB CREATION, AND SO $15 MILLION CAPITAL EXPENDITURE.

SO OUR REQUEST IS THAT YOU WOULD APPROVE THE SIX YEAR 60% TAX ABATEMENT ACCORDING TO THEIR GUIDELINES.

OKAY, COUNCIL QUESTIONS? SEEING NONE, I WILL ENTERTAIN A MOTION.

MAYOR PRO TEM I MOVE TO APPROVE A TAX ABATEMENT AGREEMENT BETWEEN CITY OF AMARILLO, AMARILLO ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION AND A-5 REALTY LLC AND A-7 AUSTIN LLC DOING BUSINESS AS AUSTIN HOSE THAT WILL PROVIDE FOR AN ABATEMENT OF FUTURE TAXES ON THE CONSTRUCTION AND EQUIPMENT COST AT 60% ABATEMENT FOR SIX YEARS.

DO I HAVE A SECOND? OKAY, I HAVE A MOTION BY COUNCILMEMBER SAUER ND SECOND BY COUNCILMEMBER SMITH.

ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF THE MOTION, PLEASE SAY AYE.

AYE.

THAT PASSES WITH 4-0 VOTE, AND I JUST WANT TO SAY TO MR. CRAMER, APPRECIATE YOU BEING HERE TODAY AND THANK YOU SO MUCH.

OKAY, THE NEXT ITEM IS ITEM E AND IT IS CONSIDER APPROVAL LOCATION INCENTIVE AGREEMENT BETWEEN AMARILLO ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION

[3.E. CONSIDER APPROVAL LOCATION INCENTIVE AGREEMENT BETWEEN AMARILLO ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION AND UNMANNED SYSTEMS. INC. (NEVADA) DOING BUSINESS AS ALBERS AEROSPACE:]

MR. CITY MANAGER. ALL RIGHT, MAYOR PRO TEM, WE'VE GOT THE NEXT TWO ITEMS ARE THE PRESENTATION BY KEVIN AGAIN OF THE LOCATION INCENTIVE AGREEMENT FOLLOWED BY THE TAX ABATEMENT AGREEMENT WITH THE AEROSPACE COMPANY YOU JUST MENTIONED.

KEVIN, [INAUDIBLE].

THANK YOU MR. CITY MANAGER. THIS IS ALBERS AEROSPACE.

THEY ARE A VETERAN OWNED AEROSPACE AND DEFENSE COMPANY THAT SUPPLIES ENGINEERING AND MANUFACTURING IN THE DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE SPACE.

THE COMPANY IS EXPERIENCING EXCESSIVE, AGGRESSIVE GROWTH, ALONG WITH SEVERAL ACQUISITIONS THAT THEY'VE MADE.

BEFORE I GET STARTED, I DO WANT TO INTRODUCE SOME OF THE PRINCIPALS THAT ARE HERE.

WE'VE GOT JOHN ALBERS, WHO THE COMPANY IS NAMED AFTER.

HE'S PRESIDENT.

HE'S A RETIRED COLONEL IN THE ARMY.

MARINES. SO WHERE'S MISTER? OH MY GOODNESS.

ALBERS? THAT WAS A PRETTY BIG ONE.

SORRY. LET ME JUST NOT SAY THE BRANCH.

THEN WE HAVE EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT ROB WINSTON HERE ALSO.

HE'S A FORMER LIEUTENANT COLONEL, ALSO WORKED FOR NASA, TEXAS TECH GRAD, AND WILL BE THE EXECUTIVE THAT MOVES TO AMARILLO IF THIS PROJECT IS APPROVED AND ALBERS AEROSPACE DECIDES TO MOVE THEIR OPERATION TO EXPAND THEIR OPERATION TO AMARILLO, AND THEN WE HAVE RICK URIBE.

HE IS A RETIRED GENERAL FROM THE MARINE CORPS, HAS BEEN OUT, HAS JUST GOTTEN OUT IN THE LAST FEW MONTHS AND IS THEIR VICE PRESIDENT OF AVIATION, AND THEN ALSO IN ATTENDANCE IS JOHN HARRISON.

HE'S A CONSULTANT AND PART OF THE CAPITAL TEAM THAT IS WITH ALBERS AEROSPACE.

SO GUYS WAVE.

THANK YOU. THAT'S WHAT I WAS GOING TO SAY.

SO WELCOME AND ESPECIALLY WELCOME TO ROB.

WELCOME TO OUR CITY.

SO WE'RE GOING TO BE EXCITED TO HAVE YOU HERE.

YES, SIR. THERE YOU ARE.

[LAUGHTER] OKAY, THIS IS LONG, SO I WON'T READ IT ALL, BUT ALBERS AEROSPACE IS SOURCING LOCATIONS FOR A CENTER OF EXCELLENCE, AND WHAT THAT MEANS IS WITH THIS OPERATION THAT THEY WOULD EXPAND INTO AMARILLO, THEY WOULD ALSO BRING WITH IT THE EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES.

THEY WANT TO PARTNER WITH WEST TEXAS A&M AND TEXAS TECH TO DEVELOP ENGINEERING PROGRAMS THAT WOULD FIT INTO THE AEROSPACE AND AVIATION REALM, AND SO THIS IS A GREAT OPPORTUNITY FOR AMARILLO TO, YOU KNOW, WE GOT BELL 24 YEARS AGO OR 23 YEARS AGO.

WE REALLY HAVEN'T EXPANDED THAT AEROSPACE AND AVIATION NICHE, AND THIS GIVES US A GREAT OPPORTUNITY TO EXPAND THAT INDUSTRY CLUSTER, AND THIS IS A GREAT OPPORTUNITY THAT WOULD PROVIDE 400 JOBS, AND SO WE'RE VERY EXCITED.

WE STARTED VISITING WITH ALBERS AEROSPACE PROBABLY SIX OR EIGHT MONTHS AGO, AND I DO WANT TO THROW A BIG SHOUT OUT TO THE PERSON THAT KIND OF BROUGHT THAT PROJECT TO US. IT WAS JOHN HARRISON WHO'S SEATED LEFT OF JOHN ALBERS AND THEN ALSO A RESIDENT HERE IN AMARILLO.

[01:45:08]

THAT IS JUST OUTSIDE THE FENCE, BUT ON THE RUNWAY AT THE AIRPORT, JUST TO THE SOUTHWEST OF BELL HELICOPTER, I KNOW THAT RED SQUARE OR RED TRAPEZOID LOOKING THING IS A LITTLE BIT HARD TO SEE ON THE SCREEN, BUT THAT IS WHERE WE WOULD CONVEY 30 ACRES OF LAND IN THIS PROJECT.

THE AGREEMENT, THE LOCATION INCENTIVE AGREEMENT WOULD BE THE LAND CONVEYANCE OF THE 30 ACRES THERE JUST OFF OF AIRPORT BOULEVARD AND SOUTHEAST THIRD AVENUE. AEDC WILL FINANCE AND CONSTRUCT TWO HANGARS WITH RUNWAY ACCESS UP TO $50 MILLION DOLLARS.

ALBERS WILL LEASE THE HANGARS WITH POTENTIAL PARTIAL LEASE FORGIVENESS AVAILABLE IF LOCATION SPEND GOALS ARE MET, AND THOSE ARE INCLUDED IN THE LOCATION INCENTIVE AGREEMENT.

AND ALSO AN INCENTIVE OF $4 MILLION DOLLARS TO SUPPORT THE LAUNCH OF AMARILLO OPERATIONS WITH A SECOND 4 MILLION AFTER 12 MONTHS.

THIS INCENTIVE WILL BE PAID ACCORDING TO AN APPROVED BUDGET WITH REPORTING REQUIREMENTS AND IS TIED TO ANTICIPATED JOB CREATION OF 400 FTES AT AN AVERAGE ANNUAL SALARY OF $100,000.

SO A LITTLE OVER 2.25 TIMES OVER OUR MINIMUM REQUIREMENT IN JOB CREATION.

THE AMARILLO EDC VOTED ON A 4 0 VOTE ON JULY 25TH TO APPROVE THE PROJECT.

I WOULD CERTAINLY ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS ON THE LOCATION INCENTIVE AGREEMENT OR ABOUT THE COMPANY OR THE PRINCIPALS BACK HERE WOULD ABSOLUTELY ENTERTAIN ANY QUESTIONS AS WELL.

SO THE SO THE OVERALL ECONOMIC IMPACT TO OUR CITY IS THAT'S GOING TO BE? IT'S IN THE NEXT PART, BUT I'M GOING TO GO AHEAD AND TELL YOU, MAYOR PRO TEM.

THAT'S GOING TO BE HUGE. IT'S ABOUT $1.65 BILLION DOLLARS OVER 20 YEARS.

HUGE. YES, IT IS.

OKAY, COUNCIL, DO YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS FOR MR. CARTER? YES, MAYOR PRO TEM.

SO KEVIN AND I GOT A LITTLE BIT OF TIME EARLIER TODAY.

KEVIN, I'M GOING TO ASK IF YOU COULD JUST MAYBE EXPLAIN A FEW OF THE THINGS THAT WE TALKED ABOUT EARLIER TODAY THAT YOU'RE ABLE TO AND SO THIS PARTICULAR COMPANY, THE HISTORY OF IT, THE OTHER ENTITIES THAT ARE INVOLVED.

YEAH, THERE ARE SEVERAL ENTITIES.

WHAT'S THAT NUMBER? JOHN, HOW MANY ENTITIES ARE INVOLVED IN ALBERS AEROSPACE? SO WE HAVE THE PRINCIPAL OH, KEVIN, WOULD YOU ASK JOHN TO COME UP TO THE MICROPHONE, PLEASE? THANK YOU.

ABSOLUTELY. I APPRECIATE THE OPPORTUNITY TO STAND BEFORE YOU COUNCIL.

THANK YOU. THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

THANK YOU, MR. STANLEY.

SO WE ALBERS AEROSPACE.

I STARTED THE COMPANY IN 2015 AFTER RETIRING FROM THE MARINE CORPS 24 YEARS AS A TEST PILOT AND A PROGRAM MANAGER FOR THE MARINE CORPS.

I WAS THE CUSTOMER ONCE.

NOT THE ARMY. THAT'S CORRECT.

NOT THE ARMY. [LAUGHTER] I HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE THE CUSTOMER ONCE.

I'M BUILDING THE COMPANY I WANTED TO WORK WITH WHEN I WAS IN THAT ROLE AS THE CUSTOMER.

I AM A GRADUATE OF TEXAS A&M, SO I WASN'T BORN HERE, BUT I GOT TO TEXAS AS FAST AS I COULD AND MOVED HERE WHEN I WAS IN JUNIOR OR I'M SORRY, IN JUNIOR HIGH.

ANYWAY, WE ARE COMPANY, SO THE UNMANNED SYSTEMS INC., WE MERGED WITH THAT LAST YEAR AND MOVED OUR COMPANY REVERSE MERGER INTO IT, DOING BUSINESS AS ALBERS AEROSPACE.

WE ACQUIRED HERITAGE LAST FALL.

I'M EXCITED TO TELL YOU THAT RIGHT NOW WE'RE IN AN EXCLUSIVITY PERIOD WITH ANOTHER COMPANY THAT WE'RE GOING TO ACQUIRE, THAT WE'RE GOING TO MOVE HERE, WE'RE GOING TO EXPAND IT INTO AMARILLO.

SO WE'RE VERY COMMITTED TO THIS PROJECT, VERY EXCITED ABOUT IT.

WE HAVE SOME OTHER LLCS THAT HOLD AIRPLANES THAT WE DO BUSINESS WITH, WITH THE GOVERNMENT, RIGHT, FOR LIABILITY PROTECTIONS, ETC.

, BUT PRINCIPALLY, IT'S A AN OPERATING HOLDING COMPANY RIGHT NOW ONE SUBSIDIARY, IF THAT ANSWERS YOUR QUESTION, SIR.

YES, SIR, AND IF YOU DON'T MIND TO FIELD A FEW QUESTIONS.

YES FOR SURE. YOUR COMPANY IS MULTIFACETED IN THE WAY OF MAYBE YOU'VE GOT MORE THAN JUST AND YOU HAVE A NEW EVTOL AND THAT'S PATENTED, IS THAT CORRECT? THAT'S CORRECT. ROB BACK THERE, WHO'S TEXAS TECH GRAD, IS THE DESIGNER OF THAT EVTOL, AND IT HAS A DUAL USE.

IT'S GOT A MILITARY APPLICATION, AND AS THE AIR TAXI BUSINESS EXPANDS, THAT VEHICLE CAN ALSO PLAY IN THAT MARKET.

SO WE INTEND TO WE'RE ALL WAR FIGHTERS AND WE'RE COMMITTED TO DOING THAT AND SUPPORTING THE COUNTRY.

THAT'S OUR PRINCIPAL APPLICATION WITH A SECONDARY ON THE EVTOL.

SO YES. AND THE STRUCTURES THAT WILL BE CONSTRUCTED FOR YOU.

ONE OF THEM, I BELIEVE, IS A PAINT BOOTH.

[01:50:01]

IS THAT RIGHT? THAT'S CORRECT.

SO A SIMPLE WAY, IF I COULD BE SO BRASH, IS WE'RE LIKE A MINI NORTHROP GRUMMAN AT A VERY SMALL LEVEL.

WHEN I GOT THE VISION FOR DOING THIS AND THE PASSION INSIDE OF ME, WHY WAIT TILL I'M GIGANTIC TO START GLOBBING AND ALL THESE THINGS ON? LET'S BUILD IT NOW WITH GREAT PEOPLE WITH SEVERAL OF WHOM ARE IN THE BACK, MY FELLOW LEADERS.

WE CAN START BUILDING THIS THING RIGHT NOW, AND SO WE'VE BEEN VERY FORTUNATE AND HAD GREAT GROWTH IN THE LAST, LAST FIVE YEARS, AND WE'RE VERY EXCITED WITH THE INTRODUCTION WE GOT WITH JERRY AND THROUGH JOHN HARRISON AND THEN KEVIN.

KEVIN, AND I HAD THE GOOD FORTUNE OF BUMPING INTO EACH OTHER IN NEW YORK CITY A COUPLE OF WEEKS AGO.

I WAS VISITING MY SON AND HE WAS THERE DOING BUSINESS FOR AMARILLO, KNOCKING THINGS OUT.

WE LITERALLY BUMPED INTO EACH OTHER IN THE CITY OF NEW YORK, WHICH IS CRAZY, BUT ANYWAY, WE'RE VERY EXCITED ABOUT IT, AND YES, WE WILL BE DOING GREAT THINGS. OKAY, THANK YOU, SIR.

I APPRECIATE YOU COMING UP SPEAKING.

ANY OTHER QUESTIONS. THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

COUNCIL ANY OTHER QUESTIONS FOR MR. CARTER? JUST FOR KEVIN IN THE WAY OF I DID GET AN OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK TO MR. BENTLEY EARLIER TODAY, AND I'LL JUST TELL YOU FOR ME, IT'S.

AND FOR REFERENCE SCOTT BENTLEY IS THE AEDC BOARD CHAIR.

THAT'S CORRECT. SO THE BOARD CHAIR SCOTT BENTLEY, I DID GET TO SPEAK WITH SCOTT EARLIER TODAY, AND I KNOW SCOTT VERY WELL AND I KNOW HIM TO BE A GOOD CONSERVATIVE BANKER.

AND SO I THINK SCOTT AND I PROBABLY BOTH LOOK AT THIS THE SAME WAY.

IT'S HARD TO LOOK AT THE EDC AND THE ROLE THAT THEY'VE BEEN CHARGED WITH, WITH MY CONSERVATIVE SMALL BUSINESS HAT ON.

SO AS A BUILDER AND A CONTRACTOR HERE IN AMARILLO, I WOULD GLADLY SPECULATE ON TWO BUILDINGS, YOU KNOW, WORTH $50 MILLION DOLLARS, AND THE HANGARS THAT AREN'T AVAILABLE IN OUR NATION, I THINK THE RISK IS IN THE ENTITY AND IT IS A GROWING COMPANY.

IT'S GROWING FAST, AND THAT MEANS THEY'RE EITHER REALLY GOOD AT WHAT THEY DO OR THEY'RE GROWING TOO FAST, AND SO LOOKING AT THAT, THERE'S AN ASPECT OF RISK HERE, AND SO, YOU KNOW, FOR WHAT THE AMARILLO ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE OR CORP HAS BEEN CHARGED WITH IS TO GROW AMARILLO AND TO DO JUST THIS, AND SO THAT REQUIRES RISK, AND SO, YOU KNOW, I FEEL LIKE THIS IS WHAT YOU'VE BEEN TOLD TO DO , AND SCOTT KIND OF TOLD ME THE SAME THING.

HE FELT LIKE THAT SO.

THE WAY IT'S STRUCTURED IS IN A WAY THAT I'M UNCOMFORTABLE WITH ON A PERSONAL BASIS, BUT IN THE CHAIR THAT I SIT IN HERE, I CAN'T BE UNCOMFORTABLE WITH YOU DOING YOUR JOB , AND SO YOU'RE TAKING A BIG RISK ON THESE GUYS, AND I WANT TO STATE THAT, BUT I BELIEVE IT AND I HOPE FOR IT TO BE A VERY GOOD RISK AND A VERY WELL-PLACED RISK, MAINLY BECAUSE I DON'T KNOW YOU AND I DON'T KNOW YOUR COMPANY, BUT YOUR INDUSTRY IS A IS A VERY GOOD INDUSTRY FOR WHAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR HERE IN GROWTH, AND I THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, SCOTT SHARES THAT, AND I KNOW YOU SPOKE ABOUT THAT EARLIER TODAY, SO I APPRECIATE YOU TALKING A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT IT.

A LOT OF TIMES OUR PUBLIC DOESN'T GET TO HEAR WHAT I GET TO HEAR, AND SO I WANTED TO TAKE A MINUTE TO JUST BE REAL AND GENUINE AND SAY, HEY, THIS IS A STRETCH FOR ME, MIGHT BE THE FURTHEST I'M GOING TO STRETCH, BUT LIKE, THIS IS A RISK AND WE'VE GOT TO TAKE IT PROBABLY IN THIS FIELD.

YES, COUNCILMEMBER STANLEY IT IS A RISK AND IT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT WE AS A CORPORATION HAVE TAKEN LIGHTLY OR OUR BOARD HAVE TAKEN LIGHTLY.

IT'S JUST THE RISK WE'RE WILLING TO TAKE TO GET MORE INTO THIS INDUSTRY CLUSTER THAT WE'VE NOT HAD A LOT OF GROWTH IN, IN AMARILLO, AND WE REALLY WANT TO GROW THAT BECAUSE WE HAVE THAT POTENTIAL.

WE HAVE THE SECOND LONGEST RUNWAY IN THE COUNTRY, AND WE HAVE AVAILABLE LAND THAT'S ON THE RUNWAY BUT OUTSIDE THE FENCE, WHICH IS SUPER IMPORTANT, AND SO IT IS A RISK TO TAKE THIS CHANCE TO GROWTH.

BUT THAT'S PART OF SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WE DO AS A CORPORATION, SOMETIMES TAKE A RISK AND HOPE THAT IT PAYS OFF FOR THE NUMBER THAT MAYOR PRO TEM POWELL TALKED ABOUT, THAT ECONOMIC IMPACT.

YEAH, WE'RE BELIEVING IN YOU.

OKAY. BOTH OF YOU. OKAY, ANY OTHER QUESTIONS COUNCILMEMBER STANLEY? OKAY, WHAT ABOUT QUESTIONS FROM THIS END ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? NO. THE ONLY THING THAT I WOULD SAY IS I SEE IT AS A RISK, BUT I SEE THE RISK DIFFERENTLY.

IT'S A VERY WELL CALCULATED RISK, GENTLEMEN, AND I THINK YOU'RE TAKING A RISK YOU KNOW, MAKING THE CHOICES YOU DO WHERE YOU COME , AND I WANT YOU TO KNOW THAT WE'RE WELL WORTH THE RISK ALSO.

AND WE'RE IN THIS WITH YOU GUYS, AND IT'S A WORTHY RISK AND THE BEST OF LUCK BECAUSE IT'S GOING TO HAPPEN.

COUNCILMEMBER SMITH.

ANYTHING YOU BRING TO US IS A RISK.

[01:55:01]

IT IS A LITTLE BIT MORE OF A RISK, BUT WE'RE WILLING TO TAKE THAT.

SOMETIMES YOU HAVE TO DO THAT.

I'M WILLING TO TAKE IT, TOO.

OKAY, ALL RIGHT, THANK YOU.

SO, MR. CARTER, CAN YOU JUST SPEAK TO A LITTLE BIT? I KNOW THAT EVEN THOUGH WE DO TAKE A RISK TO BRING BUSINESSES INTO THE CITY OF AMARILLO, YOU ALL DO A LOT OF VETTING OF THE COMPANIES THAT YOU'RE BRINGING IN.

SO IF YOU COULD SPEAK TO THAT.

YEAH, ABSOLUTELY. SO WE HAVE TYPICALLY HOW THAT WORKS, AND I CAN EXPLAIN ON THIS PROJECT, WE ASK FOR FINANCIALS AUDITED OR CPA PREPARED FINANCIALS ON AN ORGANIZATION AND ALSO USUALLY THE PRINCIPAL PERSON THAT'S INVOLVED.

SO WE DID RECEIVE FINANCIALS FOR THE ENTITIES THAT ARE ASSOCIATED WITH ALBERS AEROSPACE AND ALSO JOHN ALBERS PERSONAL FINANCES. I HAVE NOT SEEN THOSE, BUT DOUG NELSON IN OUR OFFICE, OUR SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT OF FINANCIAL SERVICES, HAS SEEN THOSE.

THEY HAVE NOT LEFT THE OFFICE.

WE WANT TO PROTECT THAT INFORMATION, AND OBVIOUSLY WE WOULDN'T, YOU KNOW, WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO DO THIS BUSINESS IF WE WEREN'T ABLE TO PROTECT THAT INFORMATION.

AND SO THERE'S A COUPLE OF PEOPLE THAT HAVE VIEWED THAT INFORMATION COUNCILMEMBER STANLEY CAME AND VIEWED SOME OF THAT INFORMATION TODAY IN OUR OFFICE.

WE DIDN'T SEND THAT, AND SO THERE IS A VETTING PROCESS.

OUR BOARD, A COUPLE OF MEMBERS OF OUR BOARD HAVE SEEN THAT JUST TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE VETTING.

IT'S A GREAT QUESTION.

COUNCILMEMBER STANLEY ASKED THAT TODAY, YOU KNOW, HOW ARE WE VETTING THIS? AND SO WE'VE WENT THROUGH THAT PROCESS, BUT THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION.

WE DO THAT WITH EVERY PROSPECT E GO THROUGH THAT PROCESS WHERE WE HAVE THOSE FINANCIALS, WHERE WE SEE HOW STRONG THE COMPANY IS ON PAPER.

YEAH, I JUST WANT THE CITIZENS WATCHING TO KNOW THAT THERE IS A PROCESS THAT WE GO THROUGH AND WE DON'T JUST TAKE A RISK, YOU KNOW, WITHOUT DOING OUR HOMEWORK.

YEAH, ABSOLUTELY, AND IT'S, YOU KNOW, THE COUNCIL AND OUR BOARD ARE CERTAINLY ABLE TO VIEW THOSE DOCUMENTS AS THEY SEE FIT, AND SO I APPRECIATE COUNCILMEMBER STANLEY BEING INTERESTED AND COMING AND WILLING TO LEARN AND ASK THE HARD QUESTIONS SOMETIMES THAT HAVE TO BE ASKED. SO I APPRECIATE THAT.

THAT'S RIGHT. WE APPRECIATE ALL QUESTIONS.

OKAY, SO WITH THAT SAID, I WILL ENTERTAIN A MOTION FOR ITEM E.

MAYOR PRO TEM I MOVE TO APPROVE A LOCATION INCENTIVE AGREEMENT BETWEEN AMARILLO ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORP, AND UNMANNED SYSTEMS INC.

DOING BUSINESS AS ALBERS AEROSPACE THAT WOULD PROVIDE ALBERS AEROSPACE 8 MILLION FOR THE CREATION OF FULL TIME EMPLOYEES TO BE PAID OUT IN TWO INSTALLMENTS HALF IN 30 DAYS OF APPROVAL OF THE LIA AND HALF AFTER ONE YEAR, AND WOULD PROVIDE FOR THE AEDC TO CONVEY 30 ACRES VALUED AT 1,800,000 TO ALBERS AEROSPACE.

DO I HAVE A SECOND? SECOND. OKAY, I HAVE A MOTION BY COUNCILMEMBER SAUER AND A SECOND BY COUNCILMEMBER SMITH.

ANY OTHER DISCUSSION? IF NOT ALL THOSE IN FAVOR, SAY AYE.

AYE. ALL THOSE OPPOSED THAT PASSES WITH A 4 0 VOTE.

OK. THE NEXT AND LAST ITEM ON OUR AGENDA TODAY IS ITEM F AND THAT'S CONSIDER APPROVAL TAX ABATEMENT AGREEMENT BETWEEN CITY OF

[3.F. CONSIDER APPROVAL - TAX ABATEMENT AGREEMENT BETWEEN CITY OF AMARILLO AND AMARILLO ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION AND UNMANNED SYSTEMS, INC. (NEVADA) DBA ALBERS AEROSPACE]

MR. CITY MANAGER.

KEVIN TALKED ABOUT THE TAX ABATEMENT AGREEMENT.

OKAY, AND ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS.

YES. SO JUST, YOU KNOW, A LITTLE RECAP OF THE PROJECT SCOPE AND PROPOSAL, 70 PLUS MILLION DOLLARS IN TOTAL CAPITAL EXPENDITURES.

THAT'S $50 MILLION DOLLARS IN BUILDING AND A LITTLE OVER $20 MILLION DOLLARS IN EQUIPMENT IN PROPERTY, 400 NEW FULL TIME JOBS, 100,000 AVERAGE ANNUAL SALARY. WE WERE REQUESTING A TEN YEAR, 100% TAX ABATEMENT ON THE REAL AND BUSINESS PERSONAL PROPERTY, AND TYPICALLY, THIS IS WHERE I WOULD TELL YOU WHAT THE ECONOMIC IMPACT IS, BUT MAYOR PRO TEM POWELL HAS MADE ME GO AHEAD AND JUMP AHEAD OF THAT.

SO BUT ANYWAY, HERE'S THE SLIDE THAT TALKS ABOUT THAT A LITTLE OVER $1.65 BILLION DOLLARS OVER 20 YEARS.

THAT'S A HUGE ECONOMIC IMPACT TO OUR AREA OVER A 20 YEAR PERIOD, AND SO IT'S AN EXCITING DAY TO BE IN AMARILLO AND IT'S I'M JUST HAPPY TO BE ABLE TO BE HERE AND HAPPY THAT ALBERS HAS ASKED AMARILLO TO LOOK AT US AS THEIR EXPANSION AND THEIR NEW HEADQUARTERS FOR A COUPLE OF THEIR ENTITIES, AND SO I WOULD ASK, ACCORDING TO THE GUIDELINES AND CRITERIA THAT YOU'VE ADOPTED, THAT YOU WOULD APPROVE THE 100 YEAR OR THE 100 NOT 100 YEAR, 100 EXCUSE ME, 100%, TEN YEAR TAX ABATEMENT ON THE REAL AND

[02:00:08]

OKAY, THANK YOU, MR. CARTER. ANY QUESTIONS? OKAY, SO I WANT TO TAKE AN OPPORTUNITY AGAIN TO SAY THANK YOU TO JOHN, TO ROB, RICK AND JOHN, AND A SPECIAL THANK YOU TO JERRY HODGE FOR REACHING OUT TO YOU ALL AND MAKING THIS HAPPEN.

YOUR COMPANY IS GOING TO BE A A NICE ASSET TO OUR CITY AND ALSO FOR THE GENERATIONS THAT ARE COMING OUT OF COLLEGE RIGHT NOW.

THEY WILL HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO BE ABLE TO HAVE A GREAT PAYING JOB ALONG WITH BENEFITS.

SO THAT'S REALLY NICE, AND SO I APPRECIATE YOU ALL BEING HERE AND JUST WANT TO SAY WELCOME AGAIN TO ROB, WHO'S GOING TO BE MOVING INTO OUR CITY, AND SO WE'RE HERE TO HELP AND ASSIST.

SO THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE TODAY.

WITH THAT SAID, I WILL ENTERTAIN A MOTION FOR ITEM F.

MAYOR PRO TEM I MOVE TO APPROVE A TAX ABATEMENT AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE CITY OF AMARILLO, THE AMARILLO ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION AND UNMANNED SYSTEMS INC.

DOING BUSINESS AS ALBERS AEROSPACE THAT WILL PROVIDE FOR AN ABATEMENT OF FUTURE TAXES ON THE CONSTRUCTION AND EQUIPMENT COST AT 100% ABATEMENT FOR TEN YEARS.

OKAY, I HAVE A MOTION FROM COUNCILMEMBER SAUER AN A SECOND FROM COUNCILMEMBER SMITH.

ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF THE MOTION, PLEASE SAY AYE.

AYE. ALL THOSE OPPOSED.

THAT MOTION PASSES WITH A 4 0 VOTE, AND I WANT TO TAKE THIS TIME TO SAY THAT THIS CONCLUDES OUR COUNCIL MEETING AND OUR AGENDA TODAY.

I APPRECIATE EVERYONE BEING HERE.

JUST WANT TO SAY HELLO TO CRAIG GALTIER, WHO'S IN THE AUDIENCE, AND DON TIBBS.

I SEE YOU OUT THERE AS WELL.

APPRECIATE YOU ALL BEING HERE.

SO THANK YOU SO MUCH.

THAT ADJOURNS OUR MEETING COUNCIL.

* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.