[1. Call to Order]
[00:00:03]
>> GOOD AFTERNOON. EVERYONE HEAR US OKAY OUT THERE.
WELCOME BACK TO OUR NEW CITY HALL BUILDING.
THANK YOU FOR PARTICIPATING IN YOUR MEETING.
WE'VE GOT SOME CITY BUSINESS TO ATTEND TO HERE TODAY, A FEW UPDATES, DISCUSSION, AND A VERY SHORT NON-CONSENT.
WE WOULD NEVER SAY WE'RE GOING TO GET YOU OUT OF HERE EARLIER ON TIME, BECAUSE THEN IT'LL GO LONG, BUT WE WILL HOPE.
THOSE OF YOU WHO'VE COME TO SPEAK.
WE GREATLY APPRECIATE THAT ENGAGEMENT.
WE ARE GOING TO GO AHEAD AND FORMALLY OPEN THIS SESSION, CALL OURSELVES TO ORDER.
WE'RE GOING TO ASK MR. GREG CORONA TO COME FORWARD AND GIVE THE INVITATION.
[2. Invocation]
IF EVERYONE WOULD PLEASE STAND FOR THIS AND THE PLEDGE.>> HEY, LET'S PRAY TOGETHER. HOLY GOD, WE COME TO YOU TODAY, FATHER, ASKING FOR YOUR BLESSING, ASKING FOR YOUR HAND, JUST TO BE OVER THIS MEETING, FATHER TO BE OVER OUR CITY, AND LORD, I PRAY FOR LORD THIS COUNCIL, FOR OUR MAYOR.
GOD, I LIFT THEM UP TO YOU, ASKING YOU JUST TO GIVE THEM WISDOM, TO GIVE THEM DISCERNMENT AS THEY LEAD.
FATHER, BE WITH OUR CITY WORKERS AND OUR CITY LEADERS AND THE THINGS THAT THEY DO, THINGS THAT THOSE OF US, LORD, THAT ARE OUT THERE THAT WE'LL NEVER FULLY KNOW OR UNDERSTAND.
BUT GOD, I PRAY FOR UNITY FOR OUR CITY.
GOD, I PRAY THAT IN ALL THINGS, LORD, YOU WOULD WORK FOR THE BENEFIT OF OUR PEOPLE.
THANK YOU FOR SALVATION THAT COMES THROUGH HIM.
WE PRAY THESE THINGS IN YOUR HOLY NAME, AMEN.
IF YOU GUYS JOIN ME IN THE PLEDGE.
ALLEGIANCE] THE TEXAS FLAG AS WELL? PLEASE BE SEATED. MS. CITY SECRETARY.
WE WILL MOVE INTO NUMBER 5, IF YOU HAVE ANY ANNOUNCEMENTS.
>> MAYOR, NO ANNOUNCEMENTS TODAY.
>> WOULD ASK YOU TO TALK US IN OR LEAD US INTO PUBLIC COMMENT, PLEASE.
[6. Public Comment]
>> THANK YOU. THANK YOU FOR PARTICIPATING IN TODAY'S CITY COUNCIL MEETING.
YOUR INPUT AND YOUR OPINIONS ARE IMPORTANT TO US, AND WE'RE GLAD THAT YOU'RE HERE TO SHARE THEM.
AT EACH POSTED MEETING, WE INVITE OUR FELLOW COMMUNITY MEMBERS TO ADDRESS CITY COUNCIL REGARDING POSTED AGENDA ITEMS OR TOPICS RELATED TO CITY POLICY.
EVERY SPEAKER TODAY WILL HAVE THREE MINUTES TO ADDRESS THE COUNCIL.
EXCUSE ME, LET ME NOT READ THAT.
WE ASK THAT YOU STAY WITHIN YOUR THREE MINUTES ALLOTTED.
WE ARE WORKING THROUGH A TIME CLOCK RIGHT NOW.
WE'RE GOING TO USE THE SAME ONE WE USED LAST MEETING.
THERE IS NO BEEPING ON THIS, BUT WE WILL HAVE THAT TIME CLOCK UP ON THE SCREEN.
IT WILL CHANGE COLORS AT 30 SECONDS TO LET YOU KNOW THAT YOU SHOULD WRAP UP YOUR THOUGHTS AND PLEASE STAY WITHIN YOUR THREE MINUTES.
WE DO HAVE A PUBLIC HEARING TODAY.
IF YOU'RE HERE TO SPEAK ON THAT PUBLIC HEARING, WE'D ASK THAT YOU EITHER SPEAK DURING PUBLIC COMMENT OR DURING THE PUBLIC HEARING, BUT NOT BOTH IN ORDER TO HELP US KEEP ACCURATE MINUTES.
IT'S YOUR CHOICE AT WHICH TIME YOU'D LIKE TO SPEAK.
WHEN YOU COME TO THE MICROPHONE TODAY, PLEASE STATE YOUR NAME AND WHETHER OR NOT YOU LIVE IN AMARILLO CITY LIMITS, AND THEN YOU MAY BEGIN ADDRESSING COUNCIL.
PLEASE NOTE THAT IF YOU'RE SPEAKING ON AN ITEM NOT ON TODAY'S AGENDA, THE TEXAS OPEN MEETINGS ACT LIMITS HOW ELECTED OFFICIALS MAY RESPOND.
COUNCIL MAY RESPOND WITH STATEMENTS OF FACT, ASK THAT THE TOPIC BE ADDED TO A FUTURE AGENDA, OR THEY MAY REFER THE MATTER TO THE CITY MANAGER WHO CAN HAVE STAFF STEP OUT AND VISIT WITH YOU.
AGAIN, WE'RE THANKFUL THAT YOU'RE ALL HERE TODAY.
OUR FIRST PUBLIC COMMENT IS CHRIS PITTMAN, SO WE WOULD INVITE CHRIS UP, AND ON DECK AFTER CHRIS, WILL BE TIMOTHY ENGLES.
>> MS. CITY SECRETARY, DO WE HAVE THE CLOCK GOING, AND DO YOU HAVE THE ABILITY TO NOTICE WHEN THE THREE MINUTES IS UP?
THANK YOU, GUYS. GO RIGHT AHEAD, SIR.
>> GOOD AFTERNOON. MY NAME IS CHRIS PITTMAN.
YES, I AM A RESIDENT OF AMARILLO.
I LIVE IN THE ESTECADO NEIGHBORHOOD.
TO START OFF, THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR ONGOING EFFORTS IN PURSUING THE SAFE STREETS FOR ALL INITIATIVES.
THE PUBLIC OUTREACH REGARDING THIS HAS BEEN PHENOMENAL, AND THOSE INVOLVED HAVE BEEN EXCEPTIONALLY KIND AND FRIENDLY.
THE SAFE STREETS FOR ALL EFFORT ADDRESSES THE ISSUE THAT MANY OF OUR STREETS AND INTERSECTIONS ARE INHERENTLY UNSAFE DUE TO THEIR DESIGN.
THIS IS NOT MERELY A RESULT OF UNFORTUNATE CIRCUMSTANCES.
IT REFLECTS A SYSTEMIC ISSUE THAT DEMANDS OUR IMMEDIATE ATTENTION.
WE KNOW HOW TO MAKE OUR STREETS SAFER, AND WE WILL SEE SOME GREAT EXAMPLES OF HOW TO DO SO LATER TODAY.
[00:05:01]
I ENCOURAGE THE ADOPTION AND CONTINUED EXPLORATION OF THESE AND FUTURE SAFE STREET FOR ALL PROJECTS.I WANT TO HIGHLIGHT THAT THERE ARE AFFORDABLE AND INCREMENTAL STEPS THAT WE CAN TAKE TO ENSURE STREET SAFETY THUS ALLOWING FOR A GREATER NUMBER OF SAFE STREET FOR ALL PROJECTS.
I ENCOURAGE THE CITY TO EXPLORE THESE OPTIONS AS WE MOVE FORWARD.
OUR CITY'S OWN SAFE STREET FOR ALL PROJECTS COMPLEMENT AND SUPPORT THE TEXAS TRANSPORTATION'S GOAL OF ROAD TO ZERO, WHICH AIMS TO REDUCE THE NUMBER OF DEATHS ON TEXAS ROADWAYS BY HALF BY THE YEAR 2035 AND ZERO BY 2050, AND DOING SO BY PRIORITIZING SAFETY AND STREET DESIGN.
I INVITE THE CITY TO CONSIDER USING THE ROAD TO ZERO GOAL AS THE NUMBER 1 GUIDING PRINCIPLE IN ALL OF OUR INFRASTRUCTURE DECISIONS, REGARDLESS IF THE PROJECT IS NET NEW, A REPAIR, OR REGULAR MAINTENANCE.
WE SHOULD TAKE THE OPPORTUNITY TO DETERMINE HOW THE ROAD CAN BECOME SAFER FOR ALL USERS.
THIS MEANS PRIORITIZING SAFETY OVER FACTORS SUCH AS COST, TRAFFIC VOLUME, AND TRAFFIC SPEED.
AS REVIEW TODAY'S TRAFFIC-RELATED PRESENTATIONS, I URGE YOU TO ASK, IS THIS PROPOSED INITIATIVE PRIORITIZING SAFETY, COST, VOLUME, OR SPEED? WE MUST DO OUR PART TO SUPPORT THE GOAL OF ACHIEVING ZERO DEATHS ON OUR ROADWAYS THROUGH THE IMPLEMENTATIONS OF THE SAFE STREETS FOR ALL INITIATIVES.
BY ALIGNING OUR POLICIES AND PRACTICES WITH THIS AMBITIOUS GOAL, WE CAN CREATE A SAFER ENVIRONMENT FOR ALL ROAD USERS, NO MATTER HOW WE CHOOSE TO TRAVEL BY FOOT, BIKE, OR CAR.
TO BETTER COMMUNICATE OUR SAFETY FIRST APPROACH, I PROPOSE THAT THE CITY ADOPT EXISTING TEXAS POLICY, WHICH WAS ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE LAST SESSION, AND SHIFT OUR LANGUAGE AWAY FROM THE TERM ACCIDENT.
WHEN REFERRING TO CAR COLLISIONS, THIS TERM IS MISLEADING.
WHILE HUMAN ERROR MAY PLAY A ROLE, THE DESIGN OF OUR STREETS OFTEN LEADS TO PREVENTABLE COLLISIONS, HIGHLIGHTING DEEPER SYSTEMIC ISSUES, ESPECIALLY IN AREAS WITH FREQUENT INCIDENTS.
BY REFRAMING OUR LANGUAGE, WE CAN FOSTER A CULTURE THAT RECOGNIZES THE NEED FOR PROACTIVE MEASURES TO ENHANCE SAFETY AND REDUCE THE FREQUENCY OF THESE COLLISIONS.
IN CONCLUSION, I URGE THE COUNCIL TO TAKE BOLD STEPS TOWARD PRIORITIZING SAFETY AND OUR INFRASTRUCTURE DECISIONS AND TO EMBRACE THE LANGUAGE THAT REFLECTS OUR COMMITMENT TO PREVENTING COLLISIONS.
TOGETHER, WE CAN WORK TOWARDS A FUTURE WHERE OUR STREETS ARE SAFE FOR EVERYONE, WHETHER ON FOOT, BIKE, OR VEHICLE.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME AND CONSIDERATION.
AFTER TIMOTHY WILL BE LAURA ABERNATHY.
I WANT TO COMMENT ON TWO DIFFERENT ITEMS. FIRST IS THE SAFE STREETS FOR ALL PROJECT.
I WAS ON THE STEERING COMMITTEE FOR THAT, AND I'M IN HUGE SUPPORT OF IT.
I THINK BASICALLY ALL THE DIFFERENT DESIGNS AND RECOMMENDATIONS THAT THEY'VE PUT FORTH ARE TRAILBLAZING AND VERY IMPORTANT FOR SAFE STREETS.
I'D ALSO LIKE TO MENTION THAT SAFE STREETS ALSO MAKE THRIVING PLACES THAT HAVE MORE ECONOMIC ACTIVITY, AND THAT CAN HELP DRIVE AND IMPROVE THE BOTTOM LINE OF AMARILLO.
THAT'S SOMETHING I'VE MENTIONED TO, LET'S SEE, PAST TWO COUNCILS, THAT THE CITY REALLY NEEDS TO DO THE MATH.
WE NEED TO LOOK AT ACRE BY ACRE.
WHAT IS THE RETURN ON INVESTMENT WE'RE GETTING FOR A HALF ACRE SINGLE FAMILY HOME VERSUS A ROW OF TOWN HOMES, THINGS LIKE THAT, MULTI-STORY DEVELOPMENT.
WE'LL FIND THAT GENERALLY, YOU MAKE A LOT MORE MONEY, AND WE CAN COVER OUR BASIC SERVICES MUCH BETTER IF WE HAVE MORE THAN JUST SPRAWLING SINGLE FAMILY DEVELOPMENT.
THAT BRINGS ME TO THE SECOND POINT.
I SEE THAT YOU HAVE ON HERE THE POSSIBILITY OF TEARING DOWN THE WAREHOUSE AT 500 SOUTH GRANT STREET FOR ADDITIONAL PARKING.
PARKING LOTS, ESPECIALLY ANY CITY-OWNED LAND PARCEL, DOES NOT GENERATE ANY TAXABLE REVENUE.
RIGHT NOW, DOWNTOWN STILL HAS A GOOD MIX OF HISTORIC BUILDINGS.
BUT THE MORE THAT WE TEAR THOSE DOWN FOR SHORT-TERM NEEDS, MAYBE THERE'S A PARKING NEED IN THIS AREA, WE DESTROY THE FABRIC THAT MAKES THIS PLACE SPECIAL.
I WOULD HIGHLY RECOMMEND THAT WE LOOK FOR OTHER OPTIONS THAT WE CAN DO TO MEET THE PARKING NEEDS.
MOST OTHER CITIES WOULD CHOOSE TO BUILD A PARKING GARAGE.
I THINK THAT'S MORE EXPENSIVE, BUT I THINK IT'S A BETTER USE OF THE INFRASTRUCTURE.
SIMILARLY, HONESTLY, WITH THE CIVIC CENTER, YOU WANT TO PUT THE CIVIC CENTER, YOU WANT TO RENOVATE THE CIVIC CENTER IN A PLACE THAT HAS
[00:10:02]
A GRID SYSTEM THAT HAS A LOT OF DENSE BUILDINGS AROUND, BUT THEN YOU NEED C AND C ACRES AND ACRES OF PARKING FOR THAT.REALLY, IF YOU NEED A LOT OF CARS IN A PLACE, YOU SHOULD PUT THAT SOMEWHERE OUTSIDE OF DOWNTOWN OR BUILD PARKING GARAGES FOR THAT.
THAT'S THE BEST USE OF CITY LAND, AND ESPECIALLY OF THE HISTORY THAT THIS PLACE HAS.
NOWHERE ELSE DOWNTOWN HAS THAT.
I STRONGLY ENCOURAGE YOU NOT TO DEMOLISH 501 SOUTH GRANT STREET.
IT'S A BAD RETURN TO THE CITY, AND IT'S BAD FOR THE HISTORY OF THE CITY.
I'M VERY INTERESTED IN WORKING WITH YOU ALL ON OTHER OPTIONS APART FROM TEARING DOWN AREAS IN OUR LITTLE BRICK TOWN IN AMARILLO.
THIS SHOULD BE OUR MINI BRICKTOWN JUST LIKE OKC. THANK YOU.
>> THANK YOU, TIM. AS A STATEMENT OF FACT, THE EXISTING WAREHOUSE SPACE THAT WE'RE CURRENTLY USING NOT BEING DISCUSSED, TO BE TORN DOWN, TO BE CONVERTED TO POSSIBLE PARKING.
IT WOULD BE PARKING GARAGE STYLE.
THEN NEED TO KNOW MR. FREEMAN, IS THAT THE CORRECT ADDRESS?
>> WE'LL HAVE MUCH MORE ON THAT HERE LATER.
IF YOU GUYS WILL HOLD ON THOSE COMMENTS, JUST SO WE'RE NOT LEADING ANYBODY DOWN A PATH WHERE THEY MAY GRAB HOLD OF ONE COMMENT OR JUST HEAR ONE PART OF THE UPDATE.
IF EVERYONE WILL PLEASE STAY TUNED IN UNTIL WE CAN GO THROUGH THE FULL PRESENTATION.
YES, MA'AM, PLEASE COME FORWARD.
>> THE LAST SPEAKER IS LAURA ABERNATHY.
>> GOOD AFTERNOON. I'M LAURA ABERNATHY.
>> SHOW YOU'RE PEOPLE-FRIENDLY.
>> I AM HERE TODAY ON BEHALF OF THE RESIDENTS OF 77TH STREET THAT ARE SOUTH OF THE GREENWAYS PLAYA LAKE, TO REQUEST YOUR SUPPORT AND ADDRESSING A CRITICAL NEED FOR FLOOD MITIGATION IN OUR COMMUNITY.
AS YOU KNOW, DEVASTATING LOSS OF PROPERTY AND HOMES OCCURRED JUNE 1ST, 2023, WITH SOME RESIDENTS STILL DISPLACED TODAY.
THEIR HOMES ARE STILL NOT LIVABLE.
AS YOU KNOW, THE AREA CONTINUES TO BE A HIGH RISK FOR FLOODING AS A PA IS CURRENTLY SITTING AT 100% CAPACITY.
EVEN A SMALL AMOUNT OF PRECIPITATION COULD BECOME MORE DETRIMENTAL THAN PRIOR RAIN EVENTS HAVE IN THE PAST.
DUE TO CONTINUED DEVELOPMENT AND A BLIND EYE BY CITY OFFICIALS, LOSS OF LIFE IS NOW A VERY REAL CONCERN FOR THESE FAMILIES, SHOULD ANOTHER EVENT OCCUR IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT AS IT DID BEFORE.
I COME WITH TWO REQUESTS ON BEHALF OF THE RESIDENTS.
THE FIRST REQUEST IS, PLEASE BEGIN PUMPING THE GREENWAYS PLAYA NOW PROACTIVELY AND MONITOR THE LEVELS TO ENSURE SAFE CONDITIONS FOR THE RESIDENTS IN THE AREA.
TWO, THE REGIONAL FLOOD PLANNING GROUP IS CURRENTLY IDENTIFYING AREAS TO BE INCLUDED IN THE STATE FLOOD PLAN, WHICH OFFERS STATE FUNDING FOR ELIGIBLE FLOOD MITIGATION PROJECTS.
THE AREA SOUTH OF THE GREENWAYS LAKE NOT ONLY MEETS ALL ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS, BUT ALSO HAS A PROVEN NEED FOR IMMEDIATE ATTENTION.
HOWEVER, TO HAVE THIS AREA CONSIDERED FOR A STATE-FUNDED FLOOD MITIGATION PROJECT, WE NEED A POLITICAL SUBDIVISION SUCH AS THE CITY OF AMARILLO AS A SPONSOR FOR OUR PROPOSAL.
YOUR SPONSORSHIP OF THIS FLOOD MITIGATION INITIATIVE COULD BE INSTRUMENTAL IN PREVENTING FURTHER LOSS AND PROVIDING SAFE LIVING CONDITIONS FOR THE FAMILIES AFFECTED BY ONGOING FLOOD RISKS CAUSED BY THE GREENWAYS PLAYA LAKE.
I HAVE SENT A PRIOR EMAIL BEFORE.
IT GOT SENT THROUGH THE CHAIN OF COMMAND AND REALLY WASN'T ADDRESSED THAT WAS ON 114 OF 2024.
I'M REACHING OUT AS THE CITY COUNCIL MEANS.
BUT AGAIN, YOUR SPONSORSHIP CAN BRING MUCH NEEDED RELIEF AND PROTECT BOTH PROPERTY AND LIVES.
WE'RE ASKING FOR SPONSORSHIP FOR A FLOOD MITIGATION PROJECT. THANK YOU.
>> THANK YOU, MA'AM. IF I COULD, I'M GOING TO DIRECT YOU IF YOU HAVE ANY TIME TO GET WITH STAFF, THEY COULD GIVE YOU A CURRENT UPDATE ON WHAT THE PLAN IS FOR THAT PLAYA, THE DRAINAGE IMPROVEMENTS THAT'LL BE MADE IN ORDER TO PUMP THAT ON A FORCE MAIN SO THAT IT'S NOT CONTINGENT UPON IT BEING DAISY CHAIN TO MCDONALD LEE.
THEN, WHAT I COULD ALSO DO FOR YOU, MS. ABERNATHY, BECAUSE I KNOW YOU AND I HAVE GONE BACK AND FORTH ON EMAIL SEVERAL TIMES.
WE COULD PUT IT ON FOR AN UPDATE FOR ALL OF OUR PUBLIC TO HEAR AS AN UPDATE OR A DISCUSSION ITEM NEXT COUNCIL MEETING SO THAT WE COULD GET A FULL UPDATE ON ALL OF THE PUMPS THAT HAVE BEEN INSTALLED, THE ADDITIONAL LAND THAT'S BEEN PURCHASED, THE INCREASED VOLUME IN ALL OF OUR PLAYA LAKES, AND THEN THESE FORCE MANS THAT ARE GOING TO GREATLY IMPROVE OUR CAPACITY SO THAT WE'RE NOT AT THE RISK OR UNDERNEATH THAT ISSUE OF NOT BEING ABLE TO PUMP THEM WHILE THEY'RE RAINING FROM ONE TO THE NEXT.
[00:15:03]
IF STAFF WOULD PUT THAT ON FOR THE NEXT COUNCIL MEETING, AND WE'LL ALSO GIVE YOU THAT UPDATE DIRECTLY.ANYONE THAT YOU'D LIKE TO SPEAK WITH AFTER MAYBE ONE OF THESE GENTLEMEN OVER HERE.
ANYONE ELSE THAT WOULD LIKE TO OFFER PUBLIC COMMENT HERE TODAY, PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND.
MR. FISHER, I SAW YOUR NAME FIRST IF YOU'D COME FORWARD. I SAW YOUR HAND.
I LIVE IN THE CITY LIMITS OF AMARILLO.
I STILL DON'T HAVE MY ADC DATA, AND I'M GOING TO KEEP SAYING IT FOREVER.
I'LL JUST KEEP SAYING IT AND THE NEXT COUNCIL WILL BE LIKE WHAT IS HE TALKING ABOUT? I HAVE SOME THINGS I'M STILL INTERESTED IN.
DID MCWILLIAMS, OUR CITY ATTORNEY APPROVE THE LETTER THAT THE FORMER POLICE CHIEF WROTE SUPPORTING THE UNDERWOOD GUY? DID MCWILLIAMS WRITE THE RESPONSE FROM THE CITY REGARDING THAT LETTER? IF SO, I ASK AGAIN, WHY IS MCWILLIAMS STILL HERE? ALL THESE DECISIONS THAT ARE MADE, AND I GUARANTEE YOU BY THE FORMER POLICE CHIEF, WAS THAT THE BLESSING OF THE CITY'S ATTORNEY'S OFFICE? EVERYTHING GOES THROUGH THEM.
WHEN IS SOMEBODY'S HEAD GOING TO ROLL FROM THE CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE? I'M GOING TO BEGIN THIS WITH ANOTHER, I CALL THEM A GOVERNMENTISMS, LIKE I DID LAST TIME.
WHEN SOMEBODY'S ASKING FOR FUNDING, THE EXPERIMENT HAS ALREADY BEGAN.
ITEM 7C ON THE AGENDA TODAY, YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT STREET SAFETY, AND I'VE TALKED ABOUT THIS BEFORE.
I REALLY BELIEVE THAT THIS WAS ALL CREATED.
I THINK THE SAFETY ISSUE IN OUR CITY STREETS WAS CREATED.
IF YOU THINK BACK WHEN WE LOST THE RED LIGHT CAMERA MONEY, THAT'S WHEN ALL THE ACCIDENTS STARTED HAPPENING, JOG YOUR MEMORY.
THEN THEY PUT IN THE CENTRALLY CONTROLLED SYSTEMS, AND THEN ALL THESE ACCIDENTS STARTED HAPPENING.
THEN YOU'RE WONDERING, DID WE LOSE OUR MIND DURING COVID? NO, WE DIDN'T.
THESE LIGHTS ARE MESSED UP, AND IT'S ON PURPOSE.
WHEN YOU HEAR A NARRATIVE, AS MR. FREEMAN TALKS ABOUT TODAY, WHEN THEY'RE EXPLAINING AWAY HOW FISHER IS CRAZY, I'M GOING TO JUST GIVE YOU THE FACTS, BUT I HAVE TO PAINT A NARRATIVE BECAUSE WHEN I ASK FOR DATA, I DON'T GET IT.
I SIT AT A STOP LIGHT, AND I RECORD IT WITH A CAMERA, AND I SENT IT TO YOU GUYS.
YOU GUYS HAVE AN EMAIL OR YOU WILL BE GETTING AN EMAIL THAT HAS THE VIDEO AND THE PROOF.
THE SAFETY, DO YOU REMEMBER BEFORE THE RED LIGHT CAMERAS WENT AWAY, WE HAD LIKE A TWO SECOND DELAY AT ALMOST EVERY INTERSECTION, AND THEY CALL IT A CLEARANCE INTERVAL, SO IT STAYS RED.
ALL LIGHTS STAY RED FOR 1.5, 2.5 SECONDS TO MAKE SURE EVERYBODY'S CLEARED OUT AND ALL THE LAST MINUTE PEOPLE THAT MADE THAT BAD DECISION AT THE LAST SECOND TO GO FOR IT, HAVE TIME TO GET THROUGH THERE WITHOUT AN ACCIDENT.
THAT CLEARANCE INTERVAL AT EVERY INTERSECTION I'VE LOOKED AT IS ONE SECOND.
IF YOU LOOK AT THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN COLTER AND SANZE.
THE DEATH RACE 5,000 ON SANZE, WHY IS THERE DEATHS ON THAT STREET? IF YOU LOOK AT THE WIDTH OF THE STREET, IT 100 AND I'M TRYING TO FIND HERE WHERE MY DATA IS.
IT'S 120 FEET FROM WHERE YOU STOP TO CLEAR ALL THE TRAFFIC THAT'S OPPOSING YOU.
WHERE ON COLTER, IT'S ONLY 75 FEET, BUT THEY ALL STILL GET ONLY THAT ONE SECOND DELAY.
THAT'S WHY WE'RE GETTING ACCIDENTS.
THAT'S WHY WE HAVE STATISTICS THAT DON'T MATCH THE REST OF THE COUNTRY.
I'D LIKE TO BE ABLE TO REBUT THESE GUYS WHEN THEY TALK, AND FEEL FREE TO ASK ME TO COME UP AND PRESENT SOME MORE DATA BECAUSE YOU'RE GOING TO GET A NARRATIVE TODAY, AND IT'S GOING TO BE AGAINST WHATEVER I SAID BECAUSE IT'S ALL ABOUT THE MONEY.
WE'RE APPLYING FOR GRANTS FOR SAFETY.
ALL THIS SAFETY CRAP STARTED BEFORE THEY ASKED FOR THIS MONEY SO THEY COULD HAVE A REASON TO ASK FOR IT. THANK YOU.
>> APPRECIATE YOU, MR. FISHER.
DO I HAVE ANYONE ELSE HERE TODAY WHO'D LIKE TO OFFER A PUBLIC COMMENT? OKAY, SEEING NO ONE ELSE, WE WILL GO AHEAD AND CLOSE SECTION 6.
WE WILL MOVE INTO OUR DISCUSSION ITEMS.
[7.A. Review agenda items for regular meeting and attachments;]
COUNCILMAN CRAFT, I KNOW YOU HAD SOMETHING YOU WANTED TO OFFER, IF I CAN KICK IT OVER TO YOU ON THIS 7A.>> ABSOLUTELY. I SPOKE WITH COUNCIL MEMBER SCHERLEN A COUPLE OF DAYS AGO.
HE JUST WANTED ME TO PASS ALONG.
HE APPRECIATES EVERYONE IN THE COMMUNITY FOR THEIR PRAYERS AND SUPPORTS. HE IS STILL WORKING.
IF YOU NEED ANYTHING, GET WITH HIM BECAUSE HE'S AT HOME.
[00:20:03]
WE JUST REALLY CARE ABOUT TOM, AND HE JUST WANTED ME TO PASS ALONG AND THAT HE THANKS EVERY SINGLE ONE OF YOU IN THE COMMUNITY AND HE'S STILL WORKING HARD FOR YOU GUYS.WE APPRECIATE COUNCILMAN SCHERLEN FOR ALL OF HIS TIME AND ENERGY, EVEN THOUGH HE IS WORKING FROM HOME, AND WE EXPECT HIM BACK TWO WEEKS FROM NOW IN NEXT COUNCIL MEETING, BUT ONCE AGAIN, NOT AT THIS ONE.
DO I HAVE ANY OTHER ITEMS FROM COUNCIL YOU GUYS NEED TO REVIEW OR ANYTHING ELSE YOU'D LIKE TO DISCUSS BEFORE WE GO TO 7B? OKAY, ON TO ITEM 7B,
[7.B. Amarillo Police Department 2024 Crime Report, "Hot Spots", and proactive measures used to address crime]
CHIEF JOHNSON, IF YOU'LL COME FORWARD ON THAT ONE AND WALK US INTO THAT ONE.>> I APPRECIATE YOU-ALL HAVING ME HERE TODAY TO TALK ABOUT OUR YEAR END CRIME DATA.
THIS FIRST SLIDE HERE IS JUST OUR AUTHORIZED STRENGTH.
THIS IS NOT OUR TOTAL STRENGTH.
THIS IS JUST WHAT WE'RE AUTHORIZED TO HAVE RIGHT NOW.
THREE HUNDRED AND SEVENTY EIGHT POLICE OFFICERS, 78 FULL TIME PROFESSIONAL STAFF, AND NINE PART TIME PROFESSIONAL STAFF POSITIONS.
THAT JUST GIVE YOU AN IDEA OF WHAT OUR FULL STRENGTH WOULD BE IF WE HAD IT.
I DO WANT TO TAKE JUST A MINUTE HERE IF YOU'LL INDULGE ME AND INTRODUCE YOU TO SOME OF OUR PROFESSIONAL STAFF THAT I'VE BROUGHT TODAY.
WE HAVE ELIZABETH HINOJOSA, WILL YOU STAND UP, PLEASE? SHE'S OUR OFFICE MANAGER.
WE HAVE LYNETTE ALAMO, SHE'S ONE OF OUR CRIME SCENE TECHNICIANS, LISA GIBSON AND JENNY FLORES FROM OUR RECORDS DIVISION.
LISA IS OUR COMMANDER OVER THE RECORDS DIVISION.
JENNY IS ONE OF OUR IBR SPECIALISTS, AND JAMES GRAHAM IS OUR MANAGER OVER THE PROPERTY DIVISION.
THE REASON I WANT TO INTRODUCE YOU TO THEM IS WE HAVE A LOT OF SUPPORT FROM THE COMMUNITY IN AMARILLO, THE POLICE OFFICERS DO.
THERE'S NOT A DAY GOES BY THAT I'M OUT, EATING LUNCH.
SOMEBODY DOESN'T COME UP AND THANK ME FOR WHAT I DO.
BUT I'LL TELL YOU RIGHT NOW, THESE FOLKS DON'T EVER GET THANKED.
EVEN FROM PEOPLE INSIDE OUR OWN DEPARTMENT DON'T RECOGNIZE THE CRITICAL NEED FOR OUR FULL TIME PROFESSIONAL STAFF AND OUR PART TIME PROFESSIONAL STAFF.
I WOULD HAVE BEEN REMISS NOT TO MENTION THEM.
THEY ARE JUST AS CRITICAL TO OUR OPERATION TO OUR SUCCESS AS THE MAN AND WOMAN OUT THERE IN THE PATROL CAR.
I WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY WERE RECOGNIZED.
I'VE ALSO BROUGHT MY COMMAND STAFF AND SEVERAL LIEUTENANTS AND SERGEANTS THAT ARE SUBJECT MATTER EXPERTS IN CASE ANY QUESTIONS COME UP THAT I'M NOT ABLE TO ANSWER.
HOPEFULLY WE CAN HAVE A QUESTION FOR YOU, BUT I CERTAINLY WANTED TO INTRODUCE OUR PROFESSIONAL STAFF.
THIS IS OUR CURRENT STAFFING FOR POLICE OFFICERS, ONLY 336 OFFICERS.
I WANT TO POINT OUT TWO OF THOSE ARE REHIRES.
IT SAYS ONE WENT THROUGH OUR ACADEMY.
THAT WAS AN OFFICER THAT WORKED FOR ANOTHER AGENCY, POTTER COUNTY THAT WE TRAINED IN OUR ACADEMY.
HE WENT BACK TO POTTER COUNTY, WORKED THERE FOR A LITTLE WHILE, DECIDED HE WANTED TO COME WORK FOR US.
THAT IS NOT SOMETHING WE INTENDED TO DO.
WE DON'T INTEND TO PULL PEOPLE AWAY FROM OTHER AGENCIES, BUT HE MADE THAT DECISION TO COME BACK AND WORK FOR US.
TWO REHIRES AND ONE OF THOSE WENT THROUGH OUR ACADEMY.
I BELIEVE WE'RE FIXING A THIRD REHIRE, IF I'M NOT MISTAKEN.
OUT OF THOSE 336, SEVEN OF THOSE OFFICERS ARE CURRENTLY IN FIELD TRAINING.
THEY'RE NOT OUT THERE ON THEIR OWN.
THEY'RE BEING TRAINED BY THE TRAINING OFFICERS.
THEY HAVE GRADUATED THE ACADEMY.
WE HAVE 10 RECRUITS IN THE ACADEMY, PLUS WE HAVE AN ADDITIONAL POTTER COUNTY EMPLOYEE THAT IS GOING THROUGH OUR ACADEMY TO GET HIS CERTIFICATION, AND THEY'RE SET FOR A JULY GRADUATION.
WE HAVE 32 OFFICER POSITIONS OPEN.
THAT HAS GONE DOWN SOME IN THE LAST SEVERAL MONTHS.
IT MAY BE TOO EARLY TO ATTRIBUTE IT TO THE RAISE THAT YOU GUYS APPROVED, THAT THE CITIZENS APPROVE, BUT WE HAVE HAD TWO COMPLETE APPLICATION PROCESSES SINCE THE RAISE WENT INTO EFFECT, AND THE NUMBERS OF APPLICANTS HAVE ALMOST DOUBLED ON BOTH OF THOSE.
THAT'S A PROMISING SIGN THAT THAT IS EFFECTIVENESS, AND WE HOPE TO SEE MORE OF THAT AS WE MOVE FORWARD.
I WANT TO GET INTO SOME OF THE CRIME NUMBERS.
THIS IS OUR PART 1 INDEX CRIME.
THIS IS HOMICIDE, RAPE, ROBBERY, AGGRAVATED ASSAULT, AND OUR VIOLENT CRIME TOTALS AND THEN BURGLARY THEFT, STOLEN VEHICLES, ARSON, AND THEN OUR PROPERTY CRIME TOTALS.
THE FIRST COLUMN IS HOW MANY WE HAD IN 2024.
THE SECOND COLUMN IS FOR 2023 FOR A COMPARISON, THEN THE PERCENTAGE CHANGE AND THEN THE ACTUAL NUMBER CHANGE.
AS YOU CAN SEE, THE VIOLENT CRIME TOTAL FROM '23 TO '24 WENT DOWN 5.3%.
THE PROPERTY CRIME TOTAL WENT DOWN 14.2% FOR AN OVERALL REDUCTION IN PART 1 CRIMES OF 12.5%.
I'LL LET Y'ALL LOOK AT THAT FOR JUST A MINUTE.
>> CHIEF, REAL QUICK, WHILE YOU'RE GIVING US A MINUTE, WOULD YOU CONTRIBUTE SOME OF THE THEFT AND SOME OF THOSE OTHER ONES,
[00:25:03]
LIKE STOLEN VEHICLES, THE REDUCTION ON THAT, IS THAT TECHNOLOGY THAT'S ADVANCING THAT? WE HAVE LICENSE PLATE READERS.ARE WE LOCATING THOSE VEHICLES QUICKER?
>> ON THE STOLEN VEHICLE, SPECIFICALLY, I HAD THEM RUN THAT NUMBER.
WE RECOVERED 164 STOLEN AUTOS IN 2024 THAT ARE DIRECTLY FROM LPR HITS, FROM THE LICENSE PLATE READER HITS, 164 WAY AWAY ECLIPSES, ANYTHING WE EVER DID BEFORE THE LPR.
YES, WE CAN DEFINITIVELY SAY THAT THE TECHNOLOGY WE HAVE BEEN ROLLING OUT OVER THE LAST SEVERAL YEARS HAS HAD A POSITIVE IMPACT ON THIS.
>> ANY OTHER QUESTIONS ABOUT THAT? HEY, STEFF, I DON'T THINK THIS IS WORKING.
YOU CAN SEE THAT IT'S BEEN STEADILY GOING DOWN IN AMARILLO.
THAT ALSO MATCHES THE NATIONAL AVERAGE.
CRIME HAS BEEN GOING DOWN ACROSS THE NATION THE LAST 25-30 YEARS.
NOW, YOU WILL NOTICE THERE ARE SOME SPIKES IN THERE DURING CERTAIN YEARS, BUT THE OVERALL CRIME OVER THAT TIME PERIOD IS COMING DOWN.
YOUR YELLOW LINE THERE IS THE TOTAL NUMBER OF CRIMES, YOUR GREEN LINE IS YOUR PROPERTY CRIMES, AND YOUR RED LINE IS YOUR VIOLENT CRIMES.
VIOLENT CRIMES HAS STAYED PRETTY CONSISTENT OVER THE LAST 25 YEARS.
I DON'T KNOW WHY THIS IS WORKING.
>> CAN I ASK ONE QUESTION ABOUT THAT LAST PAGE TOO.
>> THAT'S JUST RAW NUMBERS, CORRECT?
>> THAT'S THE NUMBER OF CRIMES.
>> REALLY, IF YOU WERE TO LOOK AT PER CAPITA, THE AMOUNT OF CRIME PER PERSON OR PER INDIVIDUAL OR PER CAPITA.
IF YOU'RE LOOKING 1999-2024, I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE 1999 POPULATION WAS, BUT WE'VE SEEN AN INCREASE IN POPULATION, SO MORE PEOPLE LIVING HERE, BUT THAT CRIME IS DECREASING.
I GUESS THE PER CAPITA RATE WOULD PROBABLY EVEN LOOK MORE DRAMATIC THAN THIS CHART WOULD IF YOU WERE JUST LOOKING AT THAT.
>> THAT'S CORRECT. HALEY, CAN YOU SPEAK TO THAT?
>> CAN WE RUN PER CAPITA NUMBERS? WE CAN GET THOSE IF YOU WANT TO LOOK AT IT.
>> I JUST LIKE TO LOOK AT THAT BECAUSE IT'S INTERESTING.
IT'S GOOD THE CRIME IS GOING, BUT I WOULD BET IF YOU ADD THE PER CAPITA TO IT, EVEN THOUGH WITH THE POPULATION INCREASE, WE'RE STILL SEEING A PRETTY SIGNIFICANT DROP IN CRIME.
>> SINCE THESE ARE RAW NUMBERS, THAT'S CORRECT.
>> HALEY, I APOLOGIZE. I DIDN'T INTRODUCE YOU.
THIS IS HALEY HERNANDEZ, ONE OF OUR CRIME ANALYSTS, SO I DON'T WANT HER MAD AT ME, SO I NEED TO INTRODUCE HER.
>> IT LOOKS LIKE WE WERE AROUND 171,000 POPULATION BACK 1999.
>> THAT'S AN INTERESTING POINT.
NEXT SLIDE. THIS IS OUR 10 YEAR VIOLENT CRIMES.
AGAIN, YOU CAN SEE IN 2020, WE HAD A SPIKE IN VIOLENT CRIMES.
THAT ALSO OCCURRED ACROSS THE NATION THAT YEAR, BUT IT'S BEEN COMING DOWN STEADILY SINCE THEN.
THOSE ARE YOUR HOMICIDES, RAPE, ROBBERIES, AND AGGRAVATED ASSAULTS.
IF YOU-ALL WANT ME TO PAUSE ON SOME OF THEM, JUST LET ME KNOW.
THIS IS SOME OF THE HISTORICAL DATA ON OUR MURDER CASES IN AMARILLO IN THE LAST 25 YEARS.
THE BLACK LINE IS TOTAL NUMBER OF MURDERS.
THE GREEN LINE IS THOSE THAT ARE SOLVED, AND THE RED LINE IS UNSOLVED MURDERS.
WE HAVE BEEN WAY ABOVE THE NATIONAL AVERAGE ON HOMICIDE SOLVED.
IS THAT A FAIR STATEMENT, JIM? I'VE BROUGHT JIM CLEMENTS COMMANDER OF THE HOMICIDE UNIT.
THIS IS JUST A GRAPH SHOWING THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN POTTER AND RANDALL COUNTY WHEN IT COMES TO HOMICIDES.
THERE'S A PRETTY DRASTIC DIFFERENCE IN THE NUMBER OF HOMICIDES IN POTTER COUNTY VERSUS RANDALL COUNTY AND THERE'S A VARIETY OF REASONS THAT THAT COULD BE.
THEN THIS IS THE MANNER OF DEATH IN ALL THE TOTAL HOMICIDES.
YOU CAN SEE THAT 73% WERE GUNSHOTS, AND THEN SOME OF THE OTHERS THERE.
I WAS ASKED TO TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT HOT SPOTS.
I THINK MR. SIMPSON, YOU HAD ASKED ABOUT THAT AT ONE TIME.
THIS IS A MAP THAT I HAD HALEY PUT TOGETHER FOR ME.
THIS IS A HOT SPOT JUST FOR HOMICIDES AND VIOLENT CRIMES IN 2024.
THE RED AREA IS THE ACTUAL HOT SPOT.
THE INDIVIDUAL BLUE DOTS ARE SPECIFIC INSTANCES.
WHAT THE SYSTEM DOES IS IT TAKES THE TOTAL NUMBER OF AN AREA, AND THEN IT PUTS THE HEAT MAP AROUND THAT AS A SIZE INDICATOR ABOUT HOW MANY INCIDENTS WE'VE HAD IN THOSE AREAS.
IF YOU LOOK REAL CLOSE, THERE'S A SHADED AREA THERE TOWARDS THE TOP, THAT IS OUR PSN ZONE.
THAT IS OUR PROJECT SAVED NEIGHBORHOOD ZONE THAT WE'RE WORKING IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE US ATTORNEY'S OFFICE ON.
YOU CAN SEE THAT THAT IS STILL OUR MOST PROMINENT AREA FOR CRIME, AT LEAST AGGRAVATED ASSAULTS AND HOMICIDES.
GO TO NEXT ONE. WHEN WE TALK ABOUT HOT SPOTS,
[00:30:05]
AND WE TALK ABOUT PROACTIVE ENFORCEMENT, AND MR. CRAFT, YOU'LL KNOW THIS FROM WORKING IN THE FIRE INDUSTRY.THEY TALK ABOUT THE FIRE TRIANGLE.
THAT MEANS YOU HAVE TO HAVE OXYGEN, FUEL, AND HEAT.
YOU TAKE ONE OF THOSE OUT OF THE EQUATION, YOU WON'T HAVE A FIRE.
THAT'S HOW THEY WORK THEIR FIRE SCENES.
WE ALSO HAVE A CRIME TRIANGLE, AND THAT CONSISTS OF THE OFFENDER, THE SUSPECT, THE LOCATION AND THE TARGET OR VICTIM.
YOU TAKE ONE OF THOSE AWAY AND YOU DON'T HAVE A CRIME COMMITTED.
WHEN WE TALK ABOUT PROACTIVE ENFORCEMENT, THAT'S WHAT WE'RE DOING IS WE'RE ADDRESSING ALL THREE OF THOSE LEGS OF THAT TRIANGLE.
IF WE CAN REDUCE THE NUMBER OF EACH LEG, WE CAN REDUCE OVERALL CRIME MUCH BETTER THAN IF WE'RE JUST TARGETING ONE SPECIFIC LEG OF THAT.
YOUR FIRST LINE OF PROACTIVE ENFORCEMENT IS GOING TO BE YOUR PATROL OFFICER.
THAT'S THE GUY OUT THERE WORK IN THE FIELD ANSWERING THE CALLS.
>> BECAUSE OF THE WAY THE ORGANIZATION HAS TO BE SET UP, THE PATROL OFFICER IS ONLY GOING TO HAVE A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF TIME TO BE PROACTIVE BECAUSE HE'S GOING TO BE RESPONDING TO CALLS FOR SERVICE.
IN BETWEEN THERE IS WHEN HE'S GOING TO BE PROACTIVE, ENFORCING TRAFFIC VIOLATIONS, BEAT CHECKING, BUSINESSES SEEING IF EVERYTHING'S LOCKED UP, LOOKING FOR SUSPICIOUS PEOPLE.
THEY'RE PREDOMINANTLY ANSWERING CALLS AND CALLS FOR SERVICE AS THEY COME IN.
WHEN YOU GET INTO OUR SPECIALIZED UNITS, THOSE ARE THE UNITS THAT ARE TASKED PRIMARILY WITH PROACTIVE ENFORCEMENT.
THAT'S GOING TO BE OUR MOTOR SQUAD, OR PACE SWAT NARCOTICS UNIT, THE NPO UNIT, NEIGHBORHOOD POLICING UNIT, PIO, PUBLIC INFORMATION OFFICE CRIME PREVENTION INTELLIGENCE AND ANALYSIS, STUDENT CRIME STOPPERS AND CID.
CRIMINAL INVESTIGATION DIVISION.
THAT'S OUR DETECTIVE DIVISION.
THAT'S ALL, I DON'T THINK I HAVE ALL OF THEM LISTED THERE, BUT THOSE ARE THE ONES THAT CAME TO MY MIND OF SPECIFIC INSTANCES I CAN GIVE YOU OF PROACTIVE ENFORCEMENT.
MOTORS IS THE ONE THAT'S GOING TO HANDLE THE TRAFFIC ENFORCEMENT.
THEY TAKE THE DATA THAT WE COLLECT THAT WE'RE GIVEN, AND THAT'S HOW THEY ALLOCATE THEIR RESOURCES OF WHERE THEY NEED TO BE.
ONE OF THE MOST COMMON ONES IS PEOPLE ASK US TO WORK ENFORCEMENT AT SCHOOLS.
THE PROBLEM IS THERE'S OVER 60 SCHOOLS IN AMARILLO, AND I'VE GOT ROUGHLY EIGHT MOTORS OFFICER.
THERE AREN'T MANY AS MANY AS I THOUGHT.
WE'VE GOT EIGHT MOTORS OFFICERS, SO OBVIOUSLY, WE CAN'T COVER ALL 60 EVERY SINGLE DAY, SO THEY HAVE TO ALLOCATE THEIR RESOURCES IN THE MOST WISE WAY THAT THEY CAN.
PAY SWAT, NARCOTICS, THEY TARGET SPECIFICALLY VIOLENT CRIME INDIVIDUALS.
ANY CITY WILL HAVE A SMALL SEGMENT OF YOUR POPULATION IS GOING TO BE RESPONSIBLE FOR A LARGE PORTION OF YOUR CRIME.
THOSE ARE THE TYPES OF INDIVIDUALS WE WANT TO FOCUS ON.
THE NEIGHBORHOOD POLICING UNIT.
THAT'S OUR PRIMARY COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT UNIT, THEM, ALONG WITH PIO AND CRIME PREVENTION.
THEY WILL GO OUT AND GIVE PROGRAMS ON SAFETY, IN THE HOME SAFETY IN A BUSINESS.
THEY'LL GIVE BUSINESS ASSESSMENTS TO TRY TO GIVE PEOPLE TIPS ON HOW TO MAKE THEIR BUSINESS MORE SECURE.
WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO ACCOMPLISH WITH THAT IS THE LOCATION LEG OF THE CRIME TRIANGLE TO ADDRESS THE LOCATION LEG.
THEY'RE ALSO THE ONES THAT GO OUT AND TALK ABOUT PERSONAL SAFETY AND TEACHING PEOPLE HOW THEY CAN PERSONALLY TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR THEIR OWN SAFETY.
SOME OF THE CRAZE TRAINING, CRAZE IS THE CIVILIAN RESPONSE TO ACTIVE SHOOTER EVENTS.
THAT'S THE LEG THAT'S THE TARGET AND THE VICTIM TRYING TO HELP THEM.
OUR INTELLIGENCE ANALYSIS UNIT DOES THE SAME STUFF BY GATHERING THE DATA.
STUDENT CRIME STOPPERS WORKS PROGRAMS LIKE OUR UNDERAGE BUYING PROGRAMS FOR TOBACCO AND ALCOHOL.
THEN SIMILARLY, THE CID DIVISION TRAFFIC INVESTIGATION UNIT.
LAST YEAR, WE RAN SEVERAL OPERATIONS ON STREET RACING WITH AIR RESOURCES AND HUMAN RESOURCES ON THE GROUND.
SPECIAL VICTIMS UNIT, THEY RAN A COUPLE OF DIFFERENT OPERATIONS TO TARGET ONLINE SOLICITATIONS OF A MINOR.
THESE ARE ALL EXAMPLES OF THE PROACTIVE ENFORCEMENT THAT WE DO THROUGHOUT THE POLICE DEPARTMENT EVERY YEAR.
DOES ANYBODY HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ON THAT PART.
NO, SIR. DO YOU HAVE SOMETHING?
>> ON THE HOT SPOTS WITH THE MAP ON THERE, WE'RE SEEING AN OVERALL DECLINE IN OUR CRIME RATE ACROSS THE BOARD, WHAT ABOUT THESE HOT SPOTS? ARE WE SEEING INCREASE, DECREASES AND THESE AREAS THAT ARE CAUSING MOST OF OUR PROBLEMS?
>> THE HOT SPOTS ON THIS MAP AS FAR AS VIOLENT CRIMES, HAS STAYED PRETTY CONSISTENT OVER THE LAST SEVERAL YEARS,
[00:35:01]
AND THAT'S IN THAT PSN ZONE.THAT'S FAIRLY CONSISTENT THROUGH THE YEARS.
WE HAVE HAD SOME VERY HIGH PROFILE INCIDENTS THAT FALL OUTSIDE THE PSN ZONE.
LIKE I SAY, ARE HIGH PROFILE INCIDENTS.
THEY GET A LOT OF PUBLICITY, THEY'RE TRAGIC, HORRIFIC INCIDENTS, BUT THAT ONE INCIDENT IS NOT GOING TO CREATE A HOT SPOT ON ITS OWN.
>> THEN, OF COURSE, THE QUESTION CAME UP AFTER WE HAD THE SHOOTING IN DOWNTOWN, WHICH IS THERE.
BUT WHEN YOU LOOK AT THESE HOT SPOTS, AND OBVIOUSLY, WE'VE HAD INSTANCES AND PROBLEMS DOWNTOWN IN THIS SAME LOCATION OR VICINITY BEFORE WHERE ALCOHOL IS SERVED AND THOSE TYPES OF THINGS.
BUT WHAT ARE THE COMMONALITIES IN THESE HOT SPOTS THAT CONTRIBUTE TO THAT.
>> HALEY, DO YOU KNOW? CAN YOU SPEAK TO THAT? WHAT COMMONALITIES WE'RE FINDING?
>> THAT ACTUALLY LEADS TO THE BIGGER QUESTION OF WHAT CAUSES CRIME IN CERTAIN AREAS MORE THAN OTHERS.
THERE'S NOT ANY ONE ANSWER FOR THAT.
THERE'S A RANGE OF THINGS THAT SOME WE DIRECTLY AFFECT SOME WE DON'T.
SOCIOECONOMIC CONDITIONS, LACK OF EDUCATION, LACK OF RESOURCES.
THOSE ALL PLAY INTO WHERE YOU'RE GOING TO END UP WITH YOUR HOT SPOTS.
>> WHAT ABOUT SO IF YOU'RE LOOKING AT BARS OR OTHER ESTABLISHED SO THEY'RE MAKING THE MAJORITY OF THEIR MONEY OFF OF ALCOHOL, AND THEY HAVE TABC THAT ARE REGULATING THEM.
IF THERE ARE PARTICULAR INSTANCES WHERE YOU'RE CONTINUING TO HAVE PROBLEMS IN THAT AREA, CAN YOU WORK WITH TABC? WHEN SOMETHING IS HAPPENING IN A LOCATION THAT SEEMS TO BE RELATED TO ALCOHOL OR THE TYPE OF BUSINESS THERE, HOW DOES THAT WORK? WHAT ARE OUR TOOLS AND ENFORCEMENT WHEN IT COMES TO ALCOHOL LICENSE AND THOSE TYPES OF THINGS?
TABC HAS A RANGE OF ADMINISTRATIVE MECHANISMS THEY CAN USE THAT ARE NOT AVAILABLE TO US.
THERE ARE SOME CRIMINAL VIOLATIONS THAT WE CAN USE IF WE TRY TO FILE THOSE.
BUT WE DO WORK CLOSELY WITH TABC.
I'M NOT THROWING ANYBODY UNDER THE BUS.
TABC'S AS SHORT STAFFED AS ANYBODY ELSE.
BUT WE WENT THROUGH A STRETCH WHERE I DON'T FEEL LIKE WE WERE GETTING AS MUCH ATTENTION FROM TABC AS WHAT WE FELT LIKE WE COULD GET.
TABC HAS RECENTLY HAD A CHANGE OF THE DIRECTOR OVER THIS AREA.
HE'S ALSO IN LIAISON WITH CAPTAIN LOFTIS, AND I FEEL OPTIMISTIC ABOUT OUR FUTURE AND HOW WE WORK WITH TABC HERE.
>> ANDRE YOU WERE GOING TO SAY SOMETHING.
>> I WAS JUST GOING TO ADD. I HAVE REACHED OUT TO TABC STAFF IN AUSTIN TO TRY AND SCHEDULE UP A FOLLOW UP MEETING WITH THE UPPER LEADERSHIP LEVEL SO WE CAN CONTINUE THE CONVERSATION TO SEE WHAT ELSE WE COULD BE DOING, ALSO, WHAT THEY'RE DOING AS WELL TO FOCUS ON SOME OF THESE CHALLENGES.
WE'RE STILL WAITING TO SET THAT MEETING UP.
>> WHEN IT COMES TO PLANNING AND ZONING AND ALCOHOL LICENSES? WHAT ARE THE RULES AND REGULATIONS THERE? DOES THERE HAVE TO BE DISTANCE BETWEEN THEM, THAT TYPE OF THING?
>> REALLY, IT COMES DOWN TO DISTANCES FROM EITHER CHURCHES, SCHOOLS, DAYCARES.
BUT IF THEY'RE OUTSIDE OF THOSE ZONES, IT COMES DOWN TO ZONING DISTRICT, WHETHER IT'S ALLOWED BY THAT ZONING DISTRICT, IS THE ONLY MECHANISM TO PREVENT THOSE BUSINESSES FROM GOING IN.
>> DO WE HAVE ANY ZONING DISTRICTS WHERE IT MAY SAY, HEY, IN THIS ZONING DISTRICT, ALCOHOL LICENSES HAVE TO BE THIS FAR APART OR THEY CAN'T BE ALL TOGETHER OR THAT TYPE OF STUFF OR PRETTY MUCH ACROSS.
>> NO, OURS ARE JUST BASED ON DISTANCES FROM THOSE ESTABLISHMENTS BY STATE LAW. THANK YOU SIR.
>> CHIEF, I DIDN'T REALIZE THAT WAS THE END OF THE PRESENTATION.
THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION.
NO. HEY, MAN, WHEN HE'S DONE, HE'S DONE.
I ACTUALLY WOULD LIKE TO JUST GIVE A ROUND OF APPLAUSE FOR ALL OF OUR LOCAL HEROES WHO ARE IN HERE THAT ARE ACKNOWLEDGED.
[APPLAUSE] IT'S A SIMPLE THING, BUT RECOGNITION GOES A LONG WAY FROM CRIME ANALYTICS TO THE CIVILIAN STAFF, THE PROFESSIONALS THAT WORK DAY IN AND DAY OUT AS THE BACKBONE OF THE ENTIRE SYSTEM.
NOTHING FUNCTIONS WITHOUT YOU GUYS AND SO, THANK YOU.
I KNOW THAT OUR BADGED OFFICERS, UNIFORMED POLICE OFFICERS, SOMETIMES GET THAT RECOGNITION OUT IN THE PUBLIC,
[00:40:03]
AND WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU GUYS KNOW THAT WE SEE IT.WE SEE THE WORK THAT YOU PUT IN, AND WE APPRECIATE IT.
THANK YOU ALL. DID WE HAVE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS FOR CHIEF JOHNSON? I JUST LET HIM WALK AWAY.
[7.C. Update on Traffic Accident Data and Intersection Timing]
DO WE HAVE DONNIE? MR. HOOPER, IF YOU'LL COME UP AND GIVE US THIS OR IF YOU WANT TO STAY SEATED, WE ARE LOOKING FOR A 7C UPDATE ON TRAFFIC ACCIDENT DATA.>> THANK YOU SO MUCH, AND I'M GOING TO JUST STAY SEATED HERE IF IT'S OKAY WITH YOU GUYS, AND WE'LL TRY OUT SOME OF OUR NEW TECHNOLOGY FROM HERE.
THIS IS A REQUEST THAT CAME FROM COUNCILMAN SCHERLEN.
THE WAY THAT WE UNDERSTOOD THAT REPORT WAS TO TALK ABOUT FATAL TRAFFIC ACCIDENTS THAT OCCURRED AT CONTROLLED INTERSECTIONS HERE IN AMARILLO.
I HAVE GATHERED A LOT OF DATA AND YOU TALKED ABOUT THE PEOPLE FROM PD BACK HERE.
WE WORK REALLY CLOSE WITH THEM WHEN IT COMES TO TRAFFIC ACCIDENTS.
WE'VE SPENT THE PAST COUPLE OF WEEKS ON THE PHONE WITH THEM GATHERING ALL THE DATA FOR THIS PRESENTATION HERE IS PRESENTED TO YOU.
WE'LL ALSO TAKE A LOOK AT THE OVERALL ANNUAL ACCIDENTS.
BASICALLY WHAT I'M GOING TO DO IS LOOK AT 2024, WHAT'S OCCURRED THERE.
THERE'S A LITTLE BIT OF DATA THAT WE CAN COMPARE FOR THE PAST FIVE YEARS, BUT WE'RE GOING TO LEAVE THAT TO EMILY'S FOR THE SAFE STREETS PRESENTATION, AS THEY HAVE A LOT MORE IN DEPTH DATA THAT GOES ALL THE WAY BACK FIVE OR SIX YEARS.
THE SECOND PART OF THIS PRESENTATION, THERE'S THREE PARTS TO IT.
THE SECOND PART OF IT WILL BE ALAN HARDER, DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC WORKS IS GOING TO COME UP AND TALK ABOUT TRAFFIC SIGNAL TIMING, AND GIVE YOU SOME INFORMATION ABOUT THAT.
AS FAR AS THIS PRESENTATION IS CONCERNED, THIS SLIDE RIGHT HERE REPRESENTS A TRAFFIC ACCIDENT FATALITY ACCIDENTS THAT OCCURRED IN 2024.
THERE'S A LOT TO UNPACK HERE OUT OF THOSE 20 FATAL CRASHES, THAT WAS OUT OF 6,084 TOTAL WRECKS THAT OCCURRED IN THE CITY IN THAT SAME TIME FRAME.
IF YOU DO THE MATH ON THAT, THAT'S LESS THAN A HALF OF 1% OF OUR ACCIDENTS WERE FATAL ACCIDENTS AT OUR INTERSECTIONS HERE IN AMARILLO.
FOUR OF THOSE FATALITIES WERE PEDESTRIANS, AND THEN THERE WERE FIVE OF THE AUTO DEATHS THAT OCCURRED IN TWO WRECKS WHERE THERE WERE CHARGES THAT WERE FILED FOR INTOXICATION MANSLAUGHTER.
I THOUGHT THAT WAS INTERESTING TO BRING THAT FACT, AS WELL.
IF YOU LOOK AT THE DATA ON THE FATAL CRASHES ON THE LEFT, YOU CAN SEE THE CONTRIBUTING FACTORS TO THOSE, 50% OF THOSE WERE ATTRIBUTED TO SPEED. SOME OF THESE ARE COMBINED.
SOME OF THEM HAVE MORE THAN ONE FACTOR THAT'S COMBINED INTO THAT ONE ACCIDENT.
ALCOHOL MADE UP 25%, 5% OF THAT WAS FOR ILLEGAL SUBSTANCES, 20% OF THAT WAS FOR OTHER, WHICH IS MEANS FAILURE TO STOP AT A STOP SIGN, DISREGARDING YIELD SIGN, THINGS LIKE THAT, THAT WE'RE IN THAT OTHER CATEGORY OF 20.
IF YOU LOOK OVER ON THE RIGHT, THE FATAL CRASHES BY YEAR, AND YOU LOOK AT THE FIVE YEAR DATA, WE'RE ACTUALLY DOWN THIS YEAR.
IN FACT, THE SECOND LOWEST OUT OF THE TOTAL OF SIX YEARS, HAVING THE 20 FATAL CRASHES VERSUS 30 THAT WERE IN 2019, 24, 25, AND 15 WAS A DOWN YEAR, 22 WAS DOWN YEAR OF 15, AND THEN WE WERE BACK UP TO 24 IN 2023.
AGAIN, 20 THIS YEAR FARES BETTER THAN IT DID THE PREVIOUS YEARS AND SECOND BEST OUT OF THAT SIX YEAR TOTAL.
THE TRAFFIC FATALITIES AT CONTROLLED INTERSECTIONS.
THIS IS A 14 MONTH GLANCE AT THAT DATA.
THERE WERE NINE FATAL CRASHES.
THREE OF THOSE INVOLVED MOTORCYCLISTS, SIX OF THEM WERE AUTOMOBILE ACCIDENTS.
THERE WERE 12 FATALITIES THAT CAME AS A RESULT OF THOSE NINE FATAL CRASHES.
OVERALL, SO THAT'S 45% OF OUR OVERALL ACCIDENTS, OVERALL FATAL ACCIDENTS OCCURRED AT CONTROLLED INTERSECTIONS.
CONTRIBUTING FACTORS, MUCH THE SAME, DISREGARDING TRAFFIC CONTROL DEVICES, SPEEDING, ALCOHOL, CONTROLLED SUBSTANCE, DISTRACTED DRIVERS WERE JUST SOME OF THE REASONS THAT WE SAW AND SOME OF THE REPORTS WE GOT FROM APD.
THIS IS A MAP THAT WE CREATED.
THESE ARE ACCIDENTS THAT OCCURRED AGAIN.
THESE ARE JUST CONTROLLED INTERSECTIONS, FATAL ACCIDENTS.
THE GREEN REPRESENTS THE MOTORCYCLE ACCIDENTS THAT OCCURRED.
THE RED REPRESENTS THE AUTOMOBILE ACCIDENTS THAT OCCURRED.
AGAIN, SIX AUTO CRASHES, THREE OF THOSE MOTORCYCLE.
THIS DOES NOT INCLUDE THE PEDESTRIAN FATALITIES, AND YOU CAN ALSO SEE THAT ONE OF THOSE WAS LOCATED OUT BY THE AMARILLO NATIONAL AIRPORT, THAT WAS A VEHICLE VERSUS A SEMI TRUCK THAT TOOK PLACE OUT THERE.
THIS JUST GIVES YOU A BETTER IDEA OF THOSE LOCATIONS.
YOU CAN SEE EXACTLY WHERE THEY OCCURRED.
THERE WERE TWO OF THOSE THAT WERE ON THE I-40 FRONTAGE ROAD.
THERE WERE THREE ACCIDENTS OCCURRED ON SANZE, ONE OF THOSE INVOLVING A MOTORCYCLE, AND THEN TWO OF THOSE.
ONE OF THEM WAS A DOUBLE FATALITY THAT OCCURRED AT SANZE AND 45TH.
THEN WE HAD ONE THAT WAS AT WOLF AND THEN, VIRGINIA.
THAT GIVES YOU AN OVERALL LOOK AT WHERE ALL THOSE ACCIDENTS OCCURRED.
I CAN ANSWER QUESTIONS NOW ABOUT THAT SMALL REPORT.
WE CAN MOVE RIGHT INTO ALAN'S PRESENTATION IF YOU'D LIKE, BUT I CAN TAKE A BRIEF PAUSE HERE IF YOU'D LIKE TO ASK SOME QUESTIONS ABOUT THAT DATA BEFORE WE MOVE ON WITH THE SECOND PART OF THAT PRESENTATION.
>> IF YOU'RE ON IT, I THINK I'M GOING TO ASK A FEW, AND THEN WE'LL SEE IF COUNSEL HAS ANY OTHER.
REGARDING MR. FISHER'S CONCERN ON THE INTERSECTION AND THE TIMING, AND MR. HARDER MAY SPEAK MORE TO IT AS WELL.
[00:45:01]
>> THEY ARE, AND IN FACT, THAT IS WHAT ALAN'S PRESENTATION IS ABOUT.
THEY'RE ADJUSTABLE IN ONE DIRECTION.
SOME OF THEM ARE NOT ADJUSTABLE TO THE OTHER DIRECTION, AND HE'LL EXPLAIN THAT WHAT THAT MEANS IN OTHER WORDS, WE CAN'T LESSEN THE TIME ON SOME OF THOSE THAT ARE BUILT INTO THOSE CABINETS OR ALL OF THEM THAT ARE BUILT INTO THE CABINETS, BUT HE CAN EXPLAIN ALL THAT IN HIS PART.
>> BUT IF WE HAD STUDIES AND SOME VALIDITY THAT SHOWED A TWO SECOND DELAY, WOULD BE SAFER ON 120 FOOT INTERSECTION VERSUS A SECOND AND A HALF? WE'LL HAVE THAT DATA?
>> MY OTHER QUESTION WOULD JUST BE IN SOME OF THE E MAILS, MAYBE EVEN SOCIAL POST OF RACING AND HIGH SPEED OCCURRENCES.
WHILE CHIEF IS STILL HERE, HOW DOES THAT NORMALLY WORK WHERE IS THAT STAFF DRIVEN FOR YOU GUYS TO PERFORM LIKE A SPEEDING OP, OR YOU'RE MAYBE USING THE DRONE TECHNOLOGY OR YOU'RE USING SOME OTHER METHOD TO MONITOR THAT.
HOW DO WE GET TO THAT IF WE COULD COVER THAT BEFORE WE GO INTO. [OVERLAPPING]
>> I WOULD DEFER THAT TO CHIEF JOHNSON IF HE WOULDN'T MIND COMING BACK UP.
>> CHIEF, IF YOU COULD TELL US, JUST HOW OFTEN DO YOU NORMALLY PERFORM THAT? IS THAT A TASK OR A TASK FORCE THAT SET UP THAT WAY?
>> I THINK LAST YEAR, WE DID TWO OR THREE, AND IT'S MOSTLY DURING THE WARMER WEATHER WHEN MORE PEOPLE ARE OUT.
THAT'S WHERE WE SEE MOST OF OUR ISSUES WITH STREET RACING.
>> EVERYTHING WE DO COMES WITH A COST.
IF IT'S EXTRA, WE'RE HAVING TO PAY EXTRA.
WE TAKE PEOPLE OUT OF THEIR REGULAR ASSIGNMENT AND PUT THEM OUT FOR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
IT COSTS EXTRA SO WE DO TRY TO BE MINDFUL OF THE PUBLIC'S MONEY, BUT THAT'S HOW WE PLAN IT.
THE STREET RACING ONES ARE USUALLY RUN THROUGH OUR TRAFFIC INVESTIGATION UNIT, BUT THEY INVOLVE MEMBERS THROUGHOUT THE DEPARTMENT AND OTHER AGENCIES AT TIMES.
>> I WAS JUST GOING TO ADD THAT WE'RE FORTUNATE TO HAVE THE MOTORS TEAM BECAUSE THEY'RE BASICALLY DEDICATED FULL TIME YEAR ROUND TO GO AFTER SOME OF THESE HOT SPOTS, AND THEY USE THAT DATA TO DETERMINE WHERE THEY WANT TO SET UP AND MONITOR AS WELL.
>> THAT'S CORRECT. I WAS THINKING MORE OF THE PLANNED OPS, BUT THAT'S PART OF MOTORS.
WE ACTUALLY ALSO HAVE GRANT MONEY TO ENFORCE SPEEDING, DUI, SEAT BELT VIOLATIONS, AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
THOSE ARE THE THINGS WE'VE APPLIED FOR TO GIVE US EXTRA RESOURCES TO BE ABLE TO ENFORCE SOME OF THESE LAWS.
>> SPRINGTIME HERE, WARMER WEATHER COMING, WOULD WE ANTICIPATE ONE OR TWO OPERATIONS THAT WOULD GO INTO THE PUBLIC DURING THIS SPRING SEASON OR WOULD YOU KNOW?
>> WE'RE PLANNING THEM RIGHT NOW.
I DON'T WANT TO SAY EXACTLY WHEN WE'LL BE DOING THAT.
THAT DEFEATS THE PURPOSE SOMETIMES, BUT I CAN'T TELL YOU THEY ARE COMING.
>> NO, I THINK IT'S GREAT TO NOT SPEAK SPECIFICALLY TO EXACTLY WHEN OR WHERE, BUT I THINK IT IS GOOD TO MESSAGE TO OUR COMMUNITY THAT IT'S COMING, AND MEN MIGHT BE TOMORROW RIGHT WHERE YOU'RE USED TO RACING.
TO DISCOURAGE THAT, I THINK IT'S NICE FOR OUR PUBLIC TO HEAR THAT WE WILL BE ACTIVELY LAW-ENFORCING THIS ISSUE.
>> I DO THINK THAT'S ONE OF THE THINGS WE BETTER ON IS A MESSAGING TO THE PUBLIC THAT WE DO THOSE THROUGHOUT THE YEAR AND LETTING THEM KNOW THAT, WE'RE NOT TRYING TO BEAT ANYBODY DOWN.
WE HAVE TO START ENFORCING THE NUMBERS ARE WHAT THE NUMBERS ARE.
>> WELL, I THINK WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO IS SAVE LIVES.
BOTH THOSE INNOCENT LIVES THAT ARE CONSEQUENCE BECAUSE OF SOMEBODY'S RECKLESS BEHAVIOR, BUT ALSO THAT LIFE OF THAT YOUNG MAN OR WOMAN, JUST WASN'T MATURE ENOUGH YET TO KNOW THAT THAT WASN'T A SMART DECISION.
I THINK WE MAY HAVE ALL BEEN THERE AT ONE POINT, OR AT LEAST MOST OF US, AND WE'RE THANKFUL WE LIVED THROUGH IT.
I WOULD LOVE TO SEE ONE OF THOSE OPERATIONS AND THEN PULL THAT DATA AND ADVERTISE THAT TO THE COMMUNITY.
THEN THAT WAY, THE COMMUNITY SEES BOTH HANDS.
ONE, WE ARE TRYING TO PROTECT.
BUT THEN ALSO, WE'RE DISCOURAGING THAT IF YOU KNOW THAT YOU'RE MORE LIKELY TO GET ARRESTED AND GO TO JAIL FOR EXCESSIVE SPEED.
>> THAT'S GREAT. THANK YOU FOR LETTING ME SPEAK TO THAT. I APPRECIATE IT CHIEF.
COUNSEL, YOU GOT ANY OTHER QUESTIONS FOR MR. HOOPER BEFORE HE HANDS IT OVER TO ALAN. THANK YOU, SIR.
>> THANKS, MAYOR, COUNSEL. CAN YOU HEAR ME FINE? THANKS. I JUST WANT TO GIVE A QUICK UPDATE REGARDING TRAFFIC SIGNAL TIMING AS IT RELATES TO INTERSECTION SAFETY.
I'M GOING TO GO OVER THE PURPOSE OF TIMING STANDARDS, WHAT THOSE SPECIFIC STANDARDS ARE, AND THEN THE FACTORS THAT IMPACT THAT TIMING.
THE PURPOSE IS TO ENSURE THE SAFE TRANSITION OF SIGNALS FROM GREEN TO YELLOW AND THEN TO RED.
THE TWO STANDARDS I'M GOING TO TALK ABOUT ARE WHAT ARE CALLED THE YELLOW CHANGE INTERVAL AND THE RED CLEARANCE INTERVAL.
THAT'S OFTEN REFERRED TO AS THE ALL RED, AND I'LL DEFINE THOSE ON THE NEXT FEW SLIDES.
THOSE STANDARDS ARE PUBLISHED IN THE MANUAL ON UNIFORM TRAFFIC CONTROL DEVICES.
THESE ARE NATIONWIDE STANDARDS THAT ESTABLISH
[00:50:02]
UNIFORM CRITERIA FOR THE USE OF TRAFFIC CONTROL DEVICES, NOT JUST SIGNALS, BUT SIGNS, CONSTRUCTION ZONES, THINGS LIKE THAT.THE PURPOSE OF THAT IS TO ENSURE CONSISTENCY FOR MOTORISTS TRAVELING ANYWHERE IN THE UNITED STATES.
IF YOU'RE TRAVELING IN AMARILLO, TEXAS, BAKERSFIELD, CALIFORNIA, OR RICHMOND, VIRGINIA, YOU CAN EXPECT THAT YOU ARE GOING TO SEE TRAFFIC PATTERNS THAT ARE VERY SIMILAR, SO YOU KNOW THEY'RE CONSISTENT AND YOU CAN EXPECT THE SAME THING.
THE FIRST STATER I'LL TALK ABOUT IS THE YELLOW CHANGE INTERVAL.
THAT IS THE LENGTH OF TIME THAT A YELLOW IS DISPLAYED FOLLOWING A GREEN SIGNAL.
IT CONFIRMS TO MOTORIST THAT THE GREEN IS ENDED AND THAT A YELLOW WILL SOON FOLLOW, AND ITS GOAL IS TO PROVIDE TIME FOR DRIVERS TO REACT AND TO COME TO A STOP BEFORE THEY GET TO THAT INTERSECTION, OR IF THEY'RE CLOSE ENOUGH TO THE INTERSECTION, TO GO AHEAD AND GET THROUGH THE INTERSECTION BEFORE THE LIGHT TURNS RED.
IT'S THE SPEED LIMIT OF TRAFFIC APPROACHING THE SIGNAL.
TO BRIEF A TIME MAY RESULT IN DRIVERS BEING UNABLE TO STOP SAFELY, BUT TOO LONG OF A TIME RESULTS IN DRIVERS TREATING THE YELLOW AS AN EXTENSION OF THE GREEN AND INVITES INTENTIONAL RED LIGHT RUNNING.
THE MINIMUM RECOMMENDATION IN THE MUTCD IS THREE SECONDS.
THAT INCREASES AS THE SPEED LIMIT INCREASES, BECAUSE NATURALLY, YOU NEED MORE TIME TO REACT AND STOP.
ONE THING TO NOTE ON THE CONTROLLERS THAT WE USE IN THE CITY OF AMARILLO, WE CANNOT PHYSICALLY PROGRAM A TIME LESS THAN THREE SECONDS.
I TRIED IT MYSELF THIS AFTERNOON, JUST TO BE SURE I WAS COMFORTABLE WITH THAT STATEMENT.
THE SYSTEM LARRY SAID, YOU CANNOT PROGRAM LESS THAN THREE SECONDS PER MUTCD.
I WAS WORKING IN A TEST PLATFORM, SO IT WASN'T ANYTHING THAT WAS GOING TO GO LIVE JUST,.
THE NEXT STANDARD IS, AGAIN, WHAT'S CALLED THE RED CLEARANCE INTERVAL OR THE ALL RED.
THIS IS THE LENGTH OF TIME FOLLOWING A YELLOW SIGNAL THAT ALL SIGNALS IN THE INTERSECTION ARE RED.
THE PURPOSE OF THIS IS TO PROVIDE ADDITIONAL TIME FOR TRAFFIC TO CLEAR THE INTERSECTION BEFORE CONFLICTING TRAFFIC IS GIVEN A GREEN SIGNAL.
A EXAMPLE OF THAT WOULD BE IF I WAS TRAVELING, LET'S JUST SAY NORTHBOUND ON AN ARTERIAL STREET, AND I WAS GETTING CLOSE TO THE INTERSECTION AND IT TURNED YELLOW.
IF THAT LIGHT TURNED RED WHILE I WAS EITHER ENTERING THE INTERSECTION OR SOMEWHERE IN THE INTERSECTION, THERE IS ENOUGH TIME BEFORE THE TRAFFIC COMING EAST WEST GETS A GREEN LIGHT THAT I CAN GET OUT OF THAT INTERSECTION SAFELY.
THERE ARE TWO FACTORS THAT IMPACT THAT DURATION.
IT'S THE SPEED LIMIT OF APPROACHING TRAFFIC AND THE WIDTH OF THE INTERSECTION.
THE MINIMUM RECOMMENDATION IN THE MUTCD IS ONE SECOND.
THAT DURATION INCREASES WITH WIDER INTERSECTIONS, NATURALLY, YOU NEED MORE TIME TO GET ACROSS IT, OR WITH SLOWER SPEED LIMITS.
WE ARE ABLE TO PROGRAM IN LOWER TIMES THAN ONE SECOND, BUT WE DO NOT HAVE ANY INTERSECTIONS THAT HAVE LOWER TIMES THAN ONE SECONDS.
THE SYSTEM WILL GIVE US A WARNING IF WE TRY TO PLUG IN SOMETHING LOWER THAN ONE.
MOST OF OUR INTERSECTIONS ACTUALLY ARE LOOKING AT DURATIONS UPWARDS OF 2-3 SECONDS FOR THAT RED CLEARANCE INTERVAL.
JUST TO SUMMARIZE THE TWO STANDARDS THAT REALLY HAVE TO DO WITH INTERSECTION SAFETY OR THE YELLOW CHAIN INTERVAL AND RED CLEARANCE INTERVAL THAT PROVIDE A SAFE TRANSITION FROM GREEN TO YELLOW TO RED.
THE MUTCD IS THE STANDARDS THAT WE USE TO ENSURE CONSISTENCY ACROSS THE UNITED STATES.
THE FACTORS ARE SPEED LIMIT AND INTERSECTION WITH.
ONE THING I WANTED TO POINT OUT, TRAFFIC VOLUME IS NOT A FACTOR, AND SO IT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT HAS TO BE ADJUSTED AS WE SEE GROWTH IN THE CITY.
IT PURE IS BASED ON SPEED LIMIT AND INTERSECTION WITH.
TYPICALLY, ONCE THESE VALUES ARE SET FOR AN INTERSECTION, THERE'S VERY LITTLE REASON TO CHANGE THEM.
WE DO STILL IN TRAFFIC ENGINEERING, CHECK THEM FROM TIME TO TIME, MAKE SURE THAT THEY MEET CURRENT STANDARDS AS THE MUTCD IS UPDATED.
WE ALWAYS WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE MEETING THE NEWEST STANDARDS.
BUT WITHIN THOSE STANDARDS, THERE'S VERY LITTLE THAT HAPPENS THAT REQUIRES THAT TO BE CHANGED.
WITH THAT, I'LL ASK YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS.
>> THANKS. THE ONLY QUESTION I HAVE IS, DO YOU KNOW LAST TIME THAT THEY WERE CHECKED? I KNOW YOU SAID FROM TIME TO TIME.
>> ABSOLUTELY. IT CHECKED MULTIPLE TIMES THROUGHOUT THE YEAR.
ANNUALLY, WE PULL DATA, WORKING AGAIN WITH APD ON WHICH INTERSECTIONS HAVE THE MOST COLLISIONS, NOT NECESSARILY FATAL, BUT THE MOST COLLISIONS, AND WE CHECK ALL OF THE TOP ONES FOR THOSE.
THEN ROUTINELY, AS WE GET REQUESTS FROM CITIZENS OR COMPLAINTS ABOUT, WOULD YOU CHECK THIS, OUR TRAFFIC ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT VERIFIES THOSE TIMES.
> CAN YOU GIVE AN EXAMPLE IN THE PAST WHEN YOU ALL HAVE INCREASED THE SAY THAT I'LL STOP ON THE RED.
>> YEAH. THE ONLY TIME I CAN'T GIVE YOU A SPECIFIC EXAMPLE.
ONE THING THAT WOULD REQUIRE THAT WOULD BE, LET'S SAY THAT THERE WAS A SPEED LIMIT CHANGE ON A PARTICULAR STREET.
THAT WOULD REQUIRE US TO GO IN AND CHANGE THOSE DURATIONS.
BUT I DON'T HAVE A SPECIFIC EXAMPLE WHERE I CAN THINK OF RECENTLY THAT WE'VE CHANGED THE DURATIONS.
>> ALAN. THIS MAY BE A QUESTION FOR YOU MAYBE JUST FOR STAFF IN GENERAL.
ARE WE CURRENTLY APPLIED FOR ANY GRANT FUNDING THAT WOULD REWARD GREATER LEVEL OF ACCIDENTS?
>> I CAN'T SPEAK TO THAT. THAT'S NOT SOMETHING I'M AWARE OF.
[00:55:02]
>> I CAN'T SPEAK TO THAT EITHER. NOT AWARE.
>> THE GRANT FUNDING THAT WE'RE APPLYING FOR, HAVE YOU EVER SEEN IT WHERE IT'S REGULATED OR RELEVANT TO THE MORE TRAFFIC ACCIDENTS YOU HAVE, THE MORE FATALITIES, THE MORE MONEY YOU GET FOR YOUR COMMUNITY?
>> I HAVE NOT. WHAT I'M GOING TO SPECIFICALLY IS THE CONCERN THAT MAYBE WE ARE REGULATING THESE TRAFFIC INTERVALS AT A LESSER SECOND IN ORDER TO ALLOW FOR MORE TRAFFIC ACCIDENTS TO THE DETRIMENT OF OUR POPULATION SO THAT WE COULD GET A GRANT FUND.
SPECIFICALLY SPEAKING TO THAT, WE DON'T KNOW OF A SINGLE GRANT FUND THAT WOULD REWARD THAT BEHAVIOR.
COME BACK UP HERE IN JUST A SECOND.
LET ME GET THROUGH WITH MY QUESTIONS.
COME BACK UP HERE AND I'LL ASK YOU MAYBE YOUR ANECDOTAL EVIDENCE LIKE TO THE WORST INTERSECTIONS.
BECAUSE WE WANT TO DRILL DOWN ON THIS.
IF THIS IS A SIMPLE SOLUTION OF MAYBE A HALF A SECOND OR A SECOND FOR A RED LIGHT, AN ALL RED INTERVAL, I THINK WE WOULD JUST WANT TO KNOW, WHAT WOULD BE THE LIMITATIONS, MR. HARDER ON YOU TAKING THAT DIRECTION FROM THIS COUNCIL, OR DO YOU NEED ANY DATA THAT DRIVES THAT ANALYTIC?
>> REALLY NO DATA. IT'S VERY OBJECTIVE.
IT'S VERY SIMPLE ENGINEERING EQUATIONS AND GRAPHS THAT SHOW YOU FOR AN INTERSECTION OF A GIVEN WIDTH WITH A GIVEN SPEED LIMIT.
THIS IS THE RECOMMENDED DURATION.
AS A PROFESSIONAL ENGINEER, I WOULD ADVISE AGAINST DOING ANYTHING TO INCREASE THAT UNNECESSARILY FOR THAT VERY REASON OF EXPECTED STANDARDS ACROSS THE COUNTRY, JUST LIKE THE YELLOW INTERVAL, IF YOU INCREASE IT BEYOND WHAT IS REQUIRED FOR SAFELY CLEARING THE INTERSECTION.
AGAIN, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT DRIVING THE SPEED LIMIT, OBEYING THE LAW, NOT ENTERING THE INTERSECTION AFTER THE LIGHT HAS TURNED RED.
BY INCREASING IT, YOU WOULD ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO GET USED TO I HAVE MORE TIME.
THEN THEY GO SOMEWHERE ELSE, OR THEY GO TO A DIFFERENT INTERSECTION IN TOWN.
WE'RE NOT FOLLOWING THAT SAME STANDARD.
>> I REALLY APPRECIATE THAT IN MAKING GOOD DECISIONS THAT ARE DATA DRIVEN.
ALSO, THOUGH, WE WANT TO LOOK ANECDOTALLY WITH IF WE HAVE AN INTERSECTION, SAY 45TH AND SANZE THAT IS HIGH, DO WE HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY BASED ON JUST THAT ONE INTERSECTION BEING FOR WHATEVER THE REASON IS? MAYBE IT'S THE WAY THE SUN SETS, MAYBE IT'S JUST THE TRAFFIC COUNT OVER THERE.
COULD WE MANUALLY ADJUST THAT AT A HALF SECOND OR WOULD YOU GUYS MAKE A RECOMMENDATION IF YOU SAW THAT EVIDENCE?
>> CERTAINLY COULD BE. I WOULD NEED TO LOOK INTO DATA AS FAR AS ACCIDENT DATA.
MAKE SURE THAT THAT ACTUALLY SUPPORTS THAT THERE IS A PROBLEM THERE BEYOND WHAT WE SEE AT OTHER INTERSECTIONS IN TIME.
>> OKAY. THEN IF WE SAW THAT, WE HAVE THE ABILITY TO CALIBRATE OR CONTROL THOSE DIFFERENT INTERSECTIONS.
THAT'S REALLY GOOD TO UNDERSTAND.
THIS IS EDUCATIONAL FOR ME, WHICH IS GOOD.
DO WE HAVE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS FOR MR. HARDER? DON'T RUN OFF.
I DO WANT TO KEEP YOU HERE JUST BECAUSE, MR. FISHER, IF YOU DON'T MIND COMING BACK UP, MIKE, WE'RE GOING TO HAVE YOU COME BACK UP.
IF YOU HAVE SOME DATA THAT YOU COULD SHARE WITH US BECAUSE THE EMAIL THAT I HAD GOTTEN WAS RACING DOWN 45TH AND SANZE.
YOU CAN STEP TO THIS MICROPHONE RIGHT HERE, SIR.
THEN I BELIEVE THE INTERSECTION THAT IS 45TH AND SANZE WAS THE ONE THAT YOU WERE LOOKING AT, IS THAT CORRECT?
>> WELL, IN FRONT OF UNITED, ALSO, I DON'T THINK MR. HOOPER INCLUDED THE DEATH THAT JUST HAPPENED MOST RECENTLY, IN HIS DATA.
HE DIDN'T TALK ABOUT IT ANYWAYS. I DON'T THINK.
>> THAT WAS A FATALITY AT THAT INTERSECTION OF 45TH AND SANZE.
>> YES. I BELIEVE THEY'RE COMING ACROSS THE STREET TO THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
I THINK THEY LIVED IN SLEEPY HOLLOW.
MISS I'LL ANSWER YOUR QUESTIONS. [OVERLAPPING].
>> WELL, WHAT I WANTED TO KNOW WAS, IF THERE WAS ANY GRANTS OUT THERE THAT WERE REWARDING LOSSES SO THE GREATER THE ACCIDENT RATING, THE GREATER THE GRANT IS NOT GOOD BUSINESS.
I DON'T THINK. I THINK IF YOU'RE DRIVING GRANTS FOR ADDITIONAL TECHNOLOGY AND THINGS LIKE THAT BASED ON TRAFFIC COUNT AND VOLUME.
I THINK THAT'S WHAT THEY'RE LOOKING AT, RIGHT MR. HARDER?
>> I CAN'T SPEAK TO THAT FOR THE GRANT USER.
>> I'VE GOT IT RIGHT HERE, MISS KOHLER PRESENTED JUST NOT TOO LONG AGO.
THAT'S WHAT BROUGHT MY ATTENTION TO THIS.
I AGAIN, MADE THE ASSUMPTION THAT MONEY WAS INVOLVED WHENEVER I MADE THE POST YEARS AGO.
I SAID, THERE'S GOT TO BE SOMETHING INVOLVED WITH MONEY.
I DIDN'T KNOW UNTIL I CAME IN HERE BECAUSE I GOT A WEED NOTICE, AND I'M SITTING HERE WATCHING MISS KOHLER PRESENT SAFER STREETS PROJECTS.
THEY APPLIED FOR A GRANT, GOT $500,000, AND THEY SHOWED A MAP OF THE UNSAFE INTERSECTIONS.
I'LL GIVE YOU ONE THAT'S JUST SO OBVIOUS.
I COME HOME LATE A LOT FROM WORK, AND I HIT SANZE, AND IT'S RIGHT THERE.
[01:00:01]
IT'S THE FIRST LIGHT HEADED NORTH OFF OF HOLLYWOOD ON SANZE ACROSS FROM THAT NEW CREDIT UNION THAT'S BUILT THERE.WHEN YOU'RE DRIVING NORTH, THAT LIGHT TURNS RED.
FOR ME, I'M THE ONLY PERSON ON THE ROAD BECAUSE IT'S THREE IN THE MORNING.
THINK OF THE SCENARIO. I CAN'T SEE TO THE RIGHT.
IF I'M USED TO THAT THING TURNING AROUND, I'M LIKE, NOBODY'S EVER HERE, I'LL JUST GUN IT.
I CAN'T SEE BECAUSE THERE'S A BUILDING RIGHT HERE.
>> BUT YOU'RE SAYING YOU WOULD INTENTIONALLY RUN A RED LIGHT TO CAUSE THAT ACCIDENT?
>> YEAH, I'M JUST KIDDING ON THAT.
BUT I'M SAYING YOU'RE A HUMAN BEING, YOU MAKE DECISIONS YOU'RE SUBCONSCIOUS GOES.
YOU KNOW WHAT? THERE'S NEVER ANYBODY HERE.
I MIGHT JUST RELAX THROUGH IT.
I'M NOT PAYING ATTENTION BECAUSE I'M NOT MAKING AN EXCUSE THAT IT'S OKAY TO RUN RED LIGHTS, BUT WHAT I AM SAYING IS THAT OUR LIGHTS ARE TRICKING PEOPLE.
>> I WOULD LIKE TO SAY, AND SPECIFICALLY, THAT'S WHAT I WANT TO TALK ABOUT.
I WANT TO SHOW THAT OUR LIGHTS ARE NOT TRICKING PEOPLE.
I WANT TO SHOW THERE'S UNIFORMITY, AND I WANT TO SHOW THAT THE ENGINEERING BEHIND IT DOES NOT CONSIDER THE HUMAN ELEMENT THAT SAYS, WE'RE GOING TO WILLFULLY BREAK A LAW.
THAT'S WHY ENGINEERS ARE GOOD.
THERE ARE OTHER FACTORS IN LIFE WHERE WE CALCULATE THE HUMAN ELEMENT.
BUT ENGINEERING MOST OF THE TIME IS NUTS AND BOLTS, BLACK AND WHITE.
IT'S GOING TO BE DATA DRIVEN AND SO IF WE CAN SHOW UNIFORMITY IN THOSE INTERSECTIONS, I THINK IT'D GO PRETTY GOOD WAYS TO THE FACT THAT WE'RE TRYING TO RECEIVE GRANTS.
WE ARE SUPPORTING SAFER STREETS.
>> WE'RE NOT GOING TO VOTE AGAINST A CAUSE THAT MAKES OUR STREETS SAFER, BUT WE ALSO DON'T WANT TO INVITE CRITICISM THAT WE SOMEHOW QUALIFIED FOR A GRANT BECAUSE WE LESSEN THE SAFETY OF AN INTERSECTION.
>> YOU HAVE TO HAVE UNSAFE STREETS TO GET THE UNSAFE STREET GRANT.
>> WELL, I GUESS WHAT I WOULD SAY IS, I BELIEVE THAT WE CAN SHOW THAT WE ARE UNIFORM AND THAT WE ARE REGULATING, MONITORING ALL OF THAT.
I BELIEVE THAT OUR PUBLIC ACCEPTS THAT WHEN THEY CAN SEE IT.
THUS THE TRANSPARENCY AND THE OPEN QUESTIONING, AND YOU INVOLVED IN OUR DISCUSSION HERE TODAY, BECAUSE I THINK THIS IS THE BEST WAY FOR US TO INTERACT.
SPECIFICALLY, YOUR INTERSECTION THAT IS 45TH AND SANZE, TELL ME HOW THAT INTERSECTION OPERATES ACCORDING TO THE WAY YOU'VE OBSERVED IT.
IF YOU'RE DRIVING, AND THIS IS TO MY BENEFIT, AND I DON'T AGREE WITH IT THE WAY IT WORKS.
WHEN I LEAVE MY HOUSE AND I PULL OUT ON THE 45TH, I NEVER HAVE TO STOP AT THAT LIGHT.
NORMALLY, THE THROUGH TRAFFIC GETS THE BENEFIT, AND YOU HAVE TO SIT THERE FOR A WHILE, AND THAT MAKES SENSE BECAUSE THERE'S A LOT OF TRAFFIC GOING NORTH AND SOUTH.
I NEVER HAVE TO STOP AT THAT LIGHT, EVER.
I LIVE RIGHT THERE AND THAT'S MOST OF THE TIME I GO THAT WAY.
IT TURNS GREEN AND STOPS EVEN BUSY TRAFFIC SO I CAN GO THROUGH.
NOW YOU'RE DEPENDING ON MAYBE 30 CARS, MAYBE 10, BUT FOR EVERYBODY TO BE IN SYNC.
WHEN YOU'RE SUBCONSCIOUS AT WORK, WHEN YOU KNOW WHEN YOU GET HOME, AND YOU'RE LIKE, MAN, I'M NOT DRINKING, BUT I DON'T REMEMBER STOPPING ANY LIGHTS, AND WE ALL DO THAT.
IT'S OUR SUBCONSCIOUS DECIDING.
IF THE TRAFFIC LIGHTS DON'T WORK, THE WAY WE EXPECT THEM TO WORK.
THAT SUBCONSCIOUS IS KICKING IN, AND WE'RE AUTO PILOTING THROUGH THESE LIGHTS, AND THEY DON'T WORK THAT WAY THAT THEY SHOULD WORK OR NORMALLY OR WAY WE EXPECT THEM.
>> LET ME SAY THIS. I APPRECIATE THE INDULGENCE WITH COUNCIL AND WITH OUR AUDIENCE HERE.
I THINK YOU'RE PROVING THE POINT THAT MR. HARDER IS MAKING, UNIFORMITY IS GOING TO BE IMPORTANT.
WE DON'T WANT TO BE REAL SUBJECTIVE.
WE WANT TO BE OBJECTIVE, BECAUSE YOU ARE MULTITASKING ANYTIME YOU'RE HANDLING THAT VEHICLE.
IF YOU'RE USED TO THEM, ALWAYS TAKING SO MUCH RHYTHM IN WHAT YOU GET USED TO, I THINK THAT'S WHY WE WANT TO MAKE SURE IT'S UNIFORM.
MR. HARDER, WILL YOU HAVE THE DATA OF THE STUDY THAT YOU COULD BRING BACK TO COUNCIL JUST FOR A FUTURE UPDATE THAT WOULD INVESTIGATE THIS ONE PARTICULAR INTERSECTION IN RELATIONSHIP TO THE OTHER HOT SPOTS? YES, MR. HOOPER.
>> I THINK ONE THING THAT WE MIGHT MENTION, WE WERE TALKING ABOUT GRANTS A MOMENT AGO.
WE HAD APPLIED FOR AN ATTAINED GRANT, WHICH WAS ACTUALLY GOING TO GIVE US THE ABILITY TO PUT SPM SYSTEMS ON ALL OUR TRAFFIC SIGNALS.
WHAT THAT IS IS AN AUTOMATED SYSTEM THAT DETECTS A VEHICLE IS THERE, THREE IN THE MORNING.
THERE'S NO VEHICLES THERE, AND IT'S GOING TO LOOK AT IT, AND IT'S GOING TO SAY, HEY, THIS IS GREEN FOR THE THROUGH TRAFFIC, AND IT KEEPS IT THAT WAY UNTIL THE CAR APPROACHES.
IT REPLACES THE IN-GROUND MONITORING SYSTEM WE HAVE.
WE WERE DENIED THAT GRANT, BUT THAT WAS TO IMPROVE THOSE TRAFFIC SYSTEMS TO WHERE WE COULD ACTUALLY FLOW TRAFFIC A LITTLE BIT BETTER,
[01:05:02]
ESPECIALLY IN SOME OF THE INTERSECTIONS AND I SEE THAT.I PULL UP AND WENT TO THE GROCERY STORE AT NIGHT, AND WE SAT THERE AT THE RED LIGHT.
THERE'S NO OTHER CARS COMING THE OTHER DIRECTION, THAT SYSTEM FIXES THAT.
WE HAVE STARTED INSTALLING THAT IN SOME LOCATIONS IN AMARILLO, BUT AGAIN, IT COMES BACK TO A FUNDING ISSUE.
THAT'S PART OF OUR LONG RANGE PLAN IS TO GET SYSTEMS LIKE THAT IN PLACE THAT WORKS WITH OUR TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT SYSTEM THAT WE INSTALLED IN 2019 TO REACH ITS FULL POTENTIAL.
I THOUGHT THAT WOULD FIT INTO THIS CONVERSATION PRETTY WELL.
THAT IS ONE OF THE THINGS WE ARE WORKING ON.
>> MR. FISHER, IF YOU'LL ALLOW US TO BRING THE DATA BACK, WE'LL LET YOU EVALUATE IT ON YOUR OWN.
YOU CAN GO BACK OUT AND RE-OBSERVE IT, TIME IT, WHATEVER YOU'D LIKE TO DO.
I THINK THAT'S GOOD CIVIC ENGAGEMENT ON YOUR PART.
THEN FOR US, LET US FULFILL THE OTHER SIDE OF THIS.
LET US SHOW YOU WHERE THE MONEY COMES FROM, WHAT CRITERIA WE HAD TO MEET TO GET IT.
THEN, IS THERE ANY INCENTIVE THERE THAT WOULD BE WORKING AGAINST THE SAFETY OF THE POPULATION? BECAUSE I CAN ASSURE YOU EVERYONE UP HERE WANTS TO LOWER THOSE TRAFFIC FATALITIES TO THE MOST POSSIBLE.
WE ALSO WANT TO LOWER THE RISKS BY UNIFORMITY AND MAKING SURE THAT EVERYTHING IS GETTING CHECKED.
I BELIEVE STAFF TO BE DOING A GOOD JOB ON THIS.
UNTIL WE'RE SHOWN OTHERWISE, LIKE, I THINK WE'RE MAKING GOOD PROGRESS, BUT A LOT OF WHAT I'M HEARING FROM COMMENTS IN SOCIAL AND MAYBE THE PUBLIC IS A WILLFUL DISREGARD FOR THE LAW.
THEY'RE EXCESS SPEEDS, WELL OVER 100 MILES AN HOUR.
YOU'RE RUNNING RED LIGHTS THREE OR FOUR SECONDS AFTER.
YOU'VE GOT PEOPLE THAT ARE ON THEIR CELL PHONE, THEY'RE DISTRACTED.
IF WE HAVE SOMETHING THAT WE'RE IN CONTROL OF, BY ALL MEANS YOU'RE HELPING US MAKE IT BETTER.
THAT'S WHY I THINK THIS IS A GOOD DISCUSSION.
I APPRECIATE YOU PARTICIPATING IN IT. THANK YOU, SIR.
>> THANK YOU, MR. HARDER. YES, SIR.
>> I WAS JUST GOING TO CLARIFY.
THE SAFE STREETS FOR ALL GRANT PROGRAM THAT WE HAVE PARTICIPATED IN, WE HAVE BEEN AWARDED GRANTS.
I WAS LOOKING AT THE US DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION WEBSITE.
AS IN THE FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS, IT SAYS, IF MY COMMUNITY DOES NOT HAVE A HISTORY OF HIGH ROADWAY COLLISIONS, DEATHS AND INJURIES, COULD IT STILL BE SELECTED FOR AN AWARD? IT SAYS, YES, IT IS POSSIBLE TO NOT HAVE A HIGH NUMBER OF ROADWAY DEATHS AND SERIOUS INJURIES AND STILL RECEIVE A PLAN DEMONSTRATION GRANT OR AN IMPLEMENTATION GRANT.
IT IS NOT A REQUIREMENT TO HAVE HIGH DATA AND FATALITIES TO BE ELIGIBLE FOR THESE PROGRAMS.
>> THANK YOU FOR THAT. THAT'S ADDITIONAL DATA.
LET'S PULL A COUPLE OF OUR SISTER CITIES THAT ARE SIMILAR TO US, MCKINNEY, LOVICK, WHATEVER.
LET'S SEE WHERE WE STACK UP NEXT TO THEM IN SOME OF THESE FATALITIES.
>> ANYTHING FURTHER FOR THIS SUBJECT, COUNCIL? MR. HOOPER, THANK YOU. Y'ALL DON'T NEED ANY DIRECTION FROM COUNCIL, CORRECT?
>> NO, SIR. I THINK WE GOT IT.
>> REALLY GOOD. THAT CONCLUDES ITEM 7C.
WE'LL MOVE FORWARD TO ITEM 7D.
[7.D. Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A) Plan final presentation]
MISS KOHLER, IF YOU'LL COME UP HERE AND TALK ABOUT OUR SAFER STREETS.>> GOOD AFTERNOON, MAYOR AND COUNCIL.
THIS IS MY FIRST TIME UP HERE.
CAN YOU HEAR ME OKAY? THANK YOU.
WE ARE WORKING ON A PLAN TO INCREASE ROADWAY SAFETY IN AMARILLO AND I THINK I JUST WANT TO SAY THAT THE WHOLE POINT OF THIS IS TO DO A THOROUGH AND COMPREHENSIVE ANALYSIS TO FIGURE OUT EXACTLY WHAT ARE THOSE CONDITIONS THAT ARE CAUSING OUR ROADS TO BE UNSAFE, HAVE GOOD DATA.
BUT PART OF THIS IS ABOUT PURSUING GRANT FUNDING FOR THE CITY, FUNDING THAT THE CITY DOESN'T HAVE TO FIND ITSELF TO ADDRESS THOSE CHALLENGES.
THIS IS AN EFFORT THAT HAS BEEN UNDERWAY FOR ABOUT A YEAR.
WE WERE AWARDED THE PLANNING GRANT IN 2022 AND THE SAFE STREETS AND ROADS FOR ALL PLANNING GRANT.
WE CONTRACTED WITH THE GOODMAN CORPORATION, THEIR TRANSPORTATION PLANNING EXPERTS BASED IN HOUSTON TO CONDUCT THE PROCESS FOR US AND DO THE ANALYSIS FOR US.
WE STARTED IN JANUARY OF LAST YEAR.
I HAVE BEEN UP HERE PRESENTING PROGRESS REPORTS TO YOU, BUT TODAY, I DID ASK OUR EXPERTS TO COME.
WE HAVE ROBERT MCCANY, WHO'S OUR PROJECT PRINCIPAL, AND EAGLE TANG, WHO'S OUR PROJECT MANAGER.
THEY'RE GOING TO DO THE BULK OF THIS PRESENTATION AND CAN HELP ANSWER QUESTIONS AND ADDRESS ANY CONCERNS THAT YOU HAVE BUT BEFORE I TURN IT OVER TO THEM, I WANTED TO REITERATE THAT WE'VE HAD AN INCREDIBLE AMOUNT OF PUBLIC PARTICIPATION IN THIS EFFORT.
IT'S SO CLEAR THAT AMARILLO ONES REALLY CARE ABOUT THIS.
THIS IS A CONTINUATION, ESSENTIALLY OF THE COMMUNITY GOALS FROM CITY PLAN TO WORK ON OUR STREETS,
[01:10:02]
WORK ON MOBILITY ISSUES, TRANSPORTATION CHALLENGES.WE'RE BUILDING OFF ACTUALLY YEARS OF COMMUNITY PARTICIPATION WORK FOR THIS EFFORT.
THIS IS OBVIOUSLY NOT AN ACTION ITEM.
WE'D LIKE TO MAKE SURE THAT WE DO ADDRESS THOSE CONCERNS THAT THE COMMUNITY MAY HAVE OR THAT YOU MAY HAVE BEFORE WE BRING THIS BACK.
THE IDEA IS THAT WE WOULD COME BACK AS AN ACTION ITEM ON THE NEXT AGENDA FOR ADOPTION OF THIS PLAN.
THEN, YES, WE WOULD BE CONTINUING TO WORK ON FUNDING PROJECTS SPECIFICALLY WITHIN THIS, WHICH ROBERT AND EAGLE WILL SHARE IN MORE DETAIL WITH YOU.
I THINK THAT'S ALL I HAD, AND I'LL LET YOU GUYS TAKE IT FROM HERE.
>> GREAT. THANK YOU, COUNCIL AND MAYOR.
I JUST WANT TO START WITH SAYING, THANK YOU FOR HAVING US. JUST TO GIVE YOU A LITTLE BIT.
I'D LIKE IF IT'S OKAY, MAYOR, IF I CAN ANSWER ONE OF THE QUESTIONS FROM THE LAST PIECE.
I HAVE A LITTLE BIT OF EXPERIENCE DOING GRANTS, PROBABLY DONE ABOUT 1,000 OF THEM NOW PLUS FOR SAFETY AND OTHER PROJECTS.
JUST TO SAY THAT THERE ARE GRANT PROGRAMS THAT DO PROVIDE A HIGHER SCORE WITH MORE SEVERE ACCIDENTS, FATALITIES.
NOT NECESSARILY THE SAFE STREETS FOR ALL PROGRAM, BUT THE TRANSPORTATION ALTERNATIVES AND OTHERS.
HOWEVER, WITH THAT SAID, IT WOULD BE AN ABSOLUTE GRAVE VIOLATION OF PROFESSIONAL ETHICS TO ESSENTIALLY COOK THE BOOKS, CHANGE THE DESIGN TO HAVE MORE FATALITIES, SEVERE ACCIDENTS, WHATEVER.
WE WOULD NEVER PARTICIPATE IN THAT AS A FIRM.
I DON'T THINK ANYONE IN THE CITY WOULD PARTICIPATE IN THAT, CERTAINLY NOT SOMEONE THAT'S A PROFESSIONAL PLANNER OR A PROFESSIONAL ENGINEER.
WITH THAT SAID, THE GOAL IS IS THAT YOU'RE ACTUALLY NOT ELIGIBLE FOR THOSE GRANTS BECAUSE THE GOAL IS YOU HAVE SAFER STREETS.
THAT'S WHY WE STARTED WITH THIS PLAN FOR A COMPREHENSIVE APPROACH TO LOOK AT THOSE STREETS AND TO LOOK AT ALL OF YOUR NETWORK AND ALL OF THE ACCIDENTS OVER BETWEEN THE YEARS OF 2019 AND 2023.
I HAVE THE CLICKER. THERE WE GO. PROJECT TEAM.
WE WORKED PRIMARILY WITH THE PLANNING DEPARTMENT, EMILY, SCHERLEN, JOY, JON, GREAT STAFF TO WORK WITH.
I FELT LIKE A REALLY GOOD RELATIONSHIP, VERY RESPONSIVE, ETC.
WE ALSO WORKED WITH THE ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT, THE TRAFFIC DEPARTMENT, THE TRANSIT DEPARTMENT.
WE WORKED WITH THE SCHOOL DISTRICTS, FIRE, POLICE.
WE HAD A LOT OF INTERACTION WITH FOLKS, AS YOU'LL SEE HERE IN A MINUTE ABOUT HOW MANY PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT AND STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT WE GOT.
LITTLE BIT OF PROJECT BACKGROUND.
IT'S A GRANT PROGRAM THAT CAME OUT OF BILL, WHICH IS THE BIPARTISAN INFRASTRUCTURE LAW.
THERE WAS ABOUT FIVE BILLION APPROPRIATED FUNDS OVER FIVE YEARS.
THAT FIVE BILLION INCLUDED FUNDS FOR PLANNING AND DEMONSTRATION GRANTS, WHICH YOU GUYS HAVE RECEIVED ONE FOR BOTH.
THE FIRST ONE WAS THE 2022, YOU RECEIVED ABOUT $240,000 IN FEDERAL FUNDS TO COMPLETE A SAFE STREETS FOR ALL PLAN.
IT'S THE BASIC BUILDING BLOCKS FOR UNDERSTANDING THE ROADWAY AND REDUCING CRASHES.
THE IDEA FOR THE SAFE STREETS PLAN IS TO BRING THE DATA ANALYSIS AND COMMUNITY INPUT TOGETHER AND OPEN THE DOOR FOR FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES.
A LITTLE BIT MORE ON THE PROJECT BACKGROUND.
IN ORDER TO DO A PLAN, WE LOOK AT DATA ANALYSIS AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT TO COME UP WITH PROJECTS.
THERE'S ALSO A THIRD PIECE OF THAT AND THAT STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT.
WE LUMP THAT IN WITH COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT.
YOU CAN SEE THE THREE PEOPLE THERE, ALSO COUNCIL AND PLANNING STAFF, AND ALL OF THE FOLKS THAT WE JUST TALKED ABOUT.
BRINGING ALL THREE OF THOSE TOGETHER IS REALLY IMPORTANT.
THE FIRST THING THAT WE CAME UP WITH WAS A VISION, AND THE VISION IS TO REDUCE 35% OF FATAL OR SEVERE CRASHES BY THE YEAR 2035.
NOW, EAGLE WILL TALK ABOUT THIS HERE IN A SECOND, WE ONLY LOOKED AT CRASHES ON NON-INTERSTATE ROADWAYS.
THE DATA YOU SAW JUST A MINUTE AGO IS GOING TO BE SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT BECAUSE THERE IS SOME INTERSTATE RELATED FATALITIES IN THAT DATA.
BUT WE WANT TO REDUCE 35%, WHICH IS ABOUT 60 FATAL AND SEVERE CRASHES BY 2035.
WE'RE SAYING THAT HOPEFULLY, IF YOU WERE TO IMPLEMENT SOME OF THESE STRATEGIES THAT THAT WOULD TAKE PLACE. PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT.
I WANT TO TALK ABOUT PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT, SO I ASKED EAGLE IF I COULD HAVE THESE SLIDES, AND I'LL TURN IT OVER TO OUR PROJECT MANAGER BECAUSE WE'RE REALLY PROUD ABOUT THE PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT.
I THINK THE CITY SHOULD BE VERY PROUD TOO.
I'VE WORKED ON DOZENS AND DOZENS OF PLANNING STUDIES OVER MY 20 YEAR CAREER OF WORKING ON TRANSPORTATION PLANS, AND I CAN SAY THIS IS THE PROBABLY ONE OF THE TOP FIVE MOST ENGAGED COMMUNITY/ PLANS THAT I'VE EVER BEEN PART OF.
I ALWAYS LIKE TO SAY THAT I REALLY WANT THE PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT TO HELP DRIVE RECOMMENDATIONS OUT OF THE PLAN.
THAT'S THE GOAL. SOMETIMES IT DOESN'T ALWAYS HAPPEN.
WE KNOW THIS BECAUSE SOMETIMES WE JUST DON'T GET THE PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT.
BUT BETWEEN STAFF AND THE CONSULTING STAFF, WE WORKED REALLY HARD, AND YOU CAN SEE ALL OF THE DIFFERENT PIECES HERE, ONLINE SURVEYS, COMMITTEE MEETINGS, STAKEHOLDER MEETINGS, POP UP EVENTS.
[01:15:03]
I THINK I HAVE A T SHIRT BACK THERE AS WELL WITH A LITTLE QR CODE ON IT.AS A RESULT, WE RECEIVED ALMOST 7,000.
IF ANYBODY WANTS TO RESPOND IN THE NEXT 30 MINUTES, THAT WOULD BE GREAT.
BUT 6,900. Y'ALL THIS IS REALLY IMPRESSIVE.
IT'S SO IMPRESSIVE THAT WE GOT SELECTED TO PRESENT AT THE TRANSPORTATION RESEARCH BOARD IN DC IN JANUARY, AS A RESULT, TO REALLY SHOW OFF THIS PLAN.
FOLKS HAD TALKED TO US. THEY WANTED US TO COME AND PRESENT SOME MORE TO SAY, HEY, HOW DID YOU GET SO MUCH ENGAGEMENT? HOW DID IT DRIVE YOUR RECOMMENDATIONS? WITH THAT, I'LL TURN IT OVER TO EAGLE TO TALK ABOUT HOW THE PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT, AND THEN EAGLE WILL TALK ABOUT THE TECHNICAL PIECE, AND THEN WE'LL CONCLUDE WITH SOME OF THE PROJECTS THAT WE PROPOSED.
>> THANK YOU, ROBERT. CAN I HAVE A CLICKER?
>> I'M GOING TO BRIEFLY TALK ABOUT CRASH SUMMARY, HYDRO NETWORK DEVELOPMENT AND OUR PROPOSED SAFETY PROJECTS.
AS FOR THE CRASH SUMMARY, WE LOOKED AT 2019-2023 DATA, AND BETWEEN THOSE FIVE YEARS, THERE WERE A TOTAL OF 18,023 CRASHES OCCURRED.
THE REASON THAT WE LOOKED AT 2019-2023 BECAUSE IT'S COMMON TO LOOK AT A FIVE-YEAR PLANNING HORIZON TO PERFORM THE ANALYSIS.
ALSO, LIKE EMILY STATED THAT OUR PROJECT KICKED OFF IN JANUARY 2024, SO WE WEREN'T ABLE TO LOOK AT THE FOUR 2024 DATA.
LIKE ROBERT MENTIONED BRIEFLY ABOUT THE INTERSTATE, OUR CRASH DATA SET EXCLUDED ANY CRASHES OCCURRED ON THE INTERSTATE.
TO FIX THE INTERSTATE IS VERY EXPENSIVE.
BECAUSE WE HAVE VERY LIMITED SAFETY RESOURCES AND FUNDING, WE ARE TRYING TO PRIORITIZE CITY STREET, CITY FACILITIES LIKE FM ROAD OR ROUTE 66 PEOPLE USE IT EVERY DAY INSTEAD OF THOSE TEXTILE FACILITIES THAT THEY OWN AND THEY MAINTAIN.
TO THE MAP ON THE RIGHT SIDE, IT'S A HOT SPOT ANALYSIS.
WE CAN SEE THAT GENERALLY, A LOT OF CRASHES OCCURRED NEAR DOWNTOWN AREA AND SOME NORTH, SOUTH OR EAST, WEST, MAJOR CORRIDORS IN THE WEST SIDE OF THE TOWN.
FATALITY RATE IS THE NUMBER OF FATAL CRASHES OCCURRED PER 100,000 POPULATION, AND THE THICKER BLUE LINE STANDS FOR AMARILLO AND THE THINNER BLACK LINE IS STATE OF TEXAS.
WE CAN SEE THAT BETWEEN 2019-2023, AMARILLO IS GENERALLY LOWER THAN THE STATE AVERAGE.
HOWEVER, THERE WAS A SPIKE BETWEEN 2020-2023.
WITHIN THESE FIVE YEARS, THERE WERE A TOTAL OF 64 FATALITIES AND 446 SEVERE INJURIES.
AS FOR THE EMPHASIS AREA, THIS IS WHAT WE USUALLY CALL FOCUS AREA OR MAJOR SAFETY CONCERNS.
THESE ARE THE SIX MAJOR SAFETY CONCERNS, ANY PLAN THAT YOU USUALLY LOOK AT.
IF YOU LOOK AT THE VERY RIGHT COLUMNS AT DIFFERENCE, IF IT'S A POSITIVE NUMBER, MEANING THAT AMARILLO HAS HIGHER THAN STATE AVERAGE NUMBER OF CRASHES IN THIS AREA.
IF WE HAVE A NEGATIVE NUMBER, MEANING THAT AMARILLO HAS A LOWER THAN STATE AVERAGE IN THIS AREA.
WE CAN SEE THAT AMARILLO IS ONLY LOWER THE AVERAGE IN DESTRUCTION IN DRIVING.
MEANING EVERYBODY PAYS A LOT MORE ATTENTION ON THE ROAD IN AMARILLO THAN THE REST OF TEXAS.
HOWEVER, FOR THE REST FIVE ASPECTS, VULNERABLE ROADWAY USERS USUALLY REFER TO PEDESTRIAN AND BICYCLIST.
THESE ARE THE PEOPLE WHEN THEY'RE INVOLVED IN CRASHES, THEY TEND TO GET MORE SEVERELY INJURED.
INTERSECTION RELATED, MEANING THOSE CRASHES OCCURRED BY PEOPLE TURNING IMPROPERLY OR DOING WHITE TERMS. SPEED RELATED, VERY EASY TO UNDERSTAND SPEEDING OR FAILED TO CONTROL THEIR SPEED.
LEFT TURN RELATED, THIS USUALLY REFERS TO PEOPLE TRYING TO TURN FROM THE MIDDLE TURN LANE TO THE PLAZA OR SHOPPING CENTERS.
THE LAST ONE IS PEOPLE AROUND THE STOP SIGN OR TRAFFIC SIGNAL.
I DO WANT TO SAY THAT SPEEDING IS THE NUMBER 1 REASON WHY CRASHES OCCUR IN THE AMARILLO.
>> ABOUT A HIGH INJURY NETWORK.
HIGH INJURY NETWORK ESSENTIALLY IS JUST A ROAD MAP SHOWING PEOPLE WHERE ARE THE MOST DANGEROUS ROADWAYS.
IT'S ALSO A TOOL THAT OFTEN USED BY PLANNERS, ENGINEERS TO IDENTIFY PROJECTS OR PRIORITIZE FUNDING RESOURCES.
HOWEVER, I DO WANT TO CLARIFY THAT THIS IS A TOOL THAT HELPED MAKE THE DECISION.
IT DOES NOT MAKE THE DECISION, BECAUSE WHEN WE PRIORITIZE PROJECTS OR APPLY FOR FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES, WE WOULD ALSO LOOK AT PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT, CRASH ANALYSIS, AND SOME ENGINEERING ASPECTS BEFORE WE MAKE THE DECISION.
THE SCREENSHOT ON THE SCREEN, IT'S OUR HIGH INJURY NETWORK INTERFACE.
IF YOU'RE INTERESTED, FEEL FREE TO SCAN THE QR CODE AND TAKE A LOOK AT ON YOUR PHONE.
UNLIKE OTHER SAFETY ACTION PLANS, WE USUALLY PROPOSE ONLY ONE HIGH INJURY NETWORK.
FOR AMARILLO, WE PROPOSED FOUR.
THESE FOUR ARE UNDER TWO BIG CATEGORIES.
ONE IS ALL MODES OF TRANSPORTATION, INCLUDING BIKING, WALKING, AND DRIVING, AND THE OTHER ONE IS ONLY FOR VULNERABLE ROADWAY USERS.
UNDER EACH OF THEM, WE PROPOSED HIGH-INJURY CORRIDOR AND HIGH -INJURY INTERSECTIONS.
[01:20:01]
BECAUSE OF THE TIME LIMIT HERE, I'M GOING TO ONLY TO GO THROUGH THE MODE OF TRANSPORTATION, HIGH-INJURY CORRIDOR, AND HIGH-INJURY INTERSECTION.AS FOR THE HIGH-INJURY CORRIDORS, IF YOU SEE THE MAP ON THE RIGHT, YOU SEE TWO COLORS ON LINES, ORANGE LINES AND RED LINES.
THESE ORANGE LINES ARE HIGH-INJURY CORRIDORS.
THESE RED LINES ARE TOP 15 HIGH-INJURY CORRIDORS, MEANING THAT AMONG ALL OF THESE HIGH-INJURY CORRIDORS, THESE 15 CORRIDORS RANK THE HIGHEST.
OVERALL, MORE THAN 60% OF FATAL AND SEVERE CRASHES OCCURRED ON JUST LESS THAN 9% OF AMARILLO'S ROADWAYS.
SIMILARLY REGARDING THE HIGH INJURY INTERSECTIONS, MORE THAN 63% OF FATAL AND SEVERE INJURIES OCCURRED ON JUST 2% OF AMARILLO'S INTERSECTIONS.
NOW WE LOOKED AT THESE HIGH-INJURY INTERSECTION.
IT WILL HELP US TO PROPOSE COUNTERMEASURE AND FIND WHERE THESE COUNTERMEASURES WILL BE BEST EFFECTIVE.
BY COMBINING THE PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT THAT ROBERT COVERED EARLIER AND ENGINEERING STUDIES OR ANALYSIS, INCLUDING RIGHT OF WAY ANALYZATION, DRAINAGE, AND THE UTILITY CONSIDERATION, WE PROPOSED A TOTAL OF 16 SAFETY PROJECTS.
THESE 16 PROJECTS ARE DIVIDED INTO SHORT-TERM, MEDIUM TERM, AND LONG-TERM.
THESE ARE REFERRING TO THE SIZE OF THE PROJECT, MEANING HOW MUCH THEY COST, AND ALSO THE COMPLEXITY OF THE PROJECT, MEANING, DO THEY NEED TO COORDINATE WITH OTHER AGENCIES OR DO THEY NEED UTILITY RELOCATION, SO ON AND SO FORTH.
AMONG THESE 16 PROJECTS, CITY HAD APPLIED FUNDING FOR FIVE OF THEM.
THEN WE HEARD BACK FROM ONE PROJECT, AND THAT IS PROJECT NUMBER 1, SAFER SPEED FOR SCHOOLS.
I WANT TO CALL OUT THAT THE SAFER SPEED FOR SCHOOLS IS ONE OF THE FEW PROJECTS THAT IS NOT ON THE HIGH INJURY NETWORK.
WE'RE AIMING TO REDUCE SPEED AT FIVE SCHOOLS, INCLUDING MARGARET WILLIS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, SAN JACINTO ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, OLSON PARK ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, HAMLET ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, AND THEN DAVID CROCKETT MIDDLE SCHOOL.
FOR THE REST OF THE FOUR, THESE ARE THE PROJECT CITY HAD PURSUED OR IS CURRENTLY PURSUING FUNDING FOR THE REST.
WE ALREADY GOT PROJECT NUMBER 1 AWARDED, AND WE'RE REALLY, REALLY FOR THE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT THAT WE COLLECTED, I WOULD LIKE TO SHARE ANOTHER ACHIEVEMENT ON TOP OF THIS FUNDING SUCCESS IS THAT WE ARE GAINING A LOT OF NATIONWIDE RECOGNITION.
I THINK ROBERT MENTIONED A LITTLE BIT.
BACK IN JANUARY, I CAN'T GET THE NAME, MANAGER OF COMMUNICATION ENGAGEMENT, SCHERLEN KENDALL AND I WENT TO THE ANNUAL TRANSPORTATION RESEARCH BOARD, ALSO KNOWN AS TRB.
TRB, IT'S THE BIGGEST ANNUAL TRANSPORTATION CONVENTION.
IT ATTRACTS OVER 15,000 PARTICIPATIONS WORLDWIDE EVERY YEAR TO GO TO THAT CONVENTION.
SCHERLEN AND I WERE ABLE TO PRESENT IN FRONT OF THEM SHOWCASING HOW GREAT AMARILLO DID IN PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT AND IN FUNDING PURSUIT.
DURING OUR PRESENTATION, WE MET SOMEBODY FROM SOCIAL PINPOINT.
SOCIAL PINPOINT IT'S A NATIONWIDE SURVEY COMPANY.
THEY SPOTTED US SAYING THIS IS PROBABLY ONE OF THE BIGGEST TOP THREE ENGAGEMENT THEY HAVE EVER SEEN IN THEIR ENTIRE CAREER.
THEY HAD INVITED US TO DO A WEBINAR IN APRIL THAT HAD AVERAGE ATTENDEES OF 600 TO PRESENT A BASIC SHOWING OF HOW GREAT AMARILLO DID IN BOTH THE PLANNING AND FUNDING PURSUIT AND ENGAGEMENT.
WE ALSO GOT SELECTED IN TO PRESENT INTO TRB AGAIN.
BUT THIS TIME, A SUBBRANCH, CALLED TOOLS FOR TRADE IN JUNE TO SHOWCASE IN TO EVERYONE THAT HOW GREAT AMARILLO DID IN THE SAFETY PLAN, IN THE PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT AND IN THESE FUNDING PURSUE.
I THINK THIS IS A GREAT OPPORTUNITY FOR THE CITY TO SHOW TO EVERYONE, CITIES NOT ONLY WORKING WITH THE SAFETY EXPERTS, BUT ALSO WORKING WITH THE COMMUNITIES WITH THE PUBLICS THAT WE ARE TRYING TO SAVE LIVES.
THIS IS A PLAN WE'RE TRYING TO PROVE, AND I THINK WE PROVED WITH OUR PROJECT NUMBER 1.
THIS PLAN IS NOT JUST SOME LINES AND DOTS ON A MAP.
IT'S NOT JUST SOME SITTING DOCUMENTS ON THE SHELF.
IT IS A ROAD MAP FOR REAL FUNDABLE AND IMPLEMENTABLE PROJECTS.
THIS IS JUST A BEGINNING BECAUSE WE ALL KNOW ROADWAY SAFETY, IT'S AN ONGOING EFFORT.
OUR PLAN LAYS A VERY NICE FOUNDATION FOR CONTINUED ACTION, COLLABORATION, AND INVESTMENT IN MAKING AMARILLO STREET SAFER FOR EVERYBODY.
THAT WRAPS UP OUR PRESENTATION TODAY. THANK YOU.
>> THANK YOU, GUYS. QUESTIONS, COUNSEL.
>> QUICK QUESTION. ON THE SAFER SPEED FOR SCHOOLS, WHAT WERE THOSE SCHOOLS AGAIN, AND WHAT EXACTLY WILL HAPPEN THAT WILL FACILITATE THAT?
>> HAMLET ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, MARGARET WILLIS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, OLSON PARK ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, SAN JACINTO ELEMENTARY SCHOOL,
[01:25:02]
AND DAVID CROCKETT MIDDLE SCHOOL.WE'RE PLANNING TO INSTALL SPEED CUSHIONS AND TOUGH CURBS TO SHORTEN THE CROSSING DISTANCE FOR THE STUDENT TO CROSS IN THE INTERSECTIONS.
TO INSTALL THE SPEED CUSHION, WE'RE TRYING TO REDUCE THE SPEEDING BEHAVIOR AND SPEEDING RELATED CRASHES.
>> THAT'S A DEMONSTRATION PROJECT FOR THE SAFE STREETS FOR ALL.
TYPICALLY IN DEMONSTRATION, THEY CALL IT PAINT AND POST.
THINGS THAT YOU CAN TAKE DOWN IF YOU SO NEEDED TO.
IT'S NOT A SIGNIFICANT INVESTMENT.
IT'S MORE OF A SMALLER INVESTMENT TO DEMONSTRATE WHETHER OR NOT THIS SHOULD BE A PERMANENT IMPROVEMENT.
>> THANK YOU. THAT WE'RE TRACKING, BECAUSE WE WORK ON MULTIPLE THINGS, ESPECIALLY WITH OUR MPO.
WALKABILITY IN THE COMMUNITY, BIKE LANES, ALL SORTS OF THINGS LIKE THAT.
DOES YOUR SAFETY PLAN HAVE ANY OF THOSE INVOLVED?
>> OUR SAFETY PLAN DEFINITELY LOOKS AT WALKABILITIES, AND BIKE ABILITIES, BUT MOSTLY FROM THE SAFETY PERSPECTIVE, BUT WE ALSO LOOKED AT CONNECTIVITIES TO THE SCHOOLS, TO THE PARK.
OUR PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT ANALYSIS, WHICH IS PUBLISHED ONLINE ALSO REFLECT THAT, AND WE'RE ALSO LOOKING AT ACCESSIBILITY, MEANING PEOPLE USING WHEELCHAIRS CAN ACCESS SHOPS AND SCHOOLS EASILY.
>> ONE OF THE DRIVING GOALS, AND I WAS ON ONE OF THE SLIDES EARLIER WAS ALL USERS.
WE WANT TO MAKE SURE WE LOOK AT ALL USERS.
WE DON'T WANT TO COME HERE AS AN ADVOCATE FOR BIKES OR AN ADVOCATE FOR PEDS, OR AN ADVOCATE FOR AUTO.
WE THINK THAT A LIFE IS IMPORTANT, NO MATTER IF YOU'RE ON A BIKE, YOU'RE WALKING, OR YOU'RE IN AN AUTO.
WE'RE LOOKING AT ALL THE DIFFERENT PIECES OF THAT.
TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTION, SEVERAL OF THESE PROJECTS WILL INCLUDE OR DO INCLUDE PROPOSED BIKE AND PED IMPROVEMENTS.
>> THANK YOU. MISS KOHLER, ARE YOU BACK UP TO MAYBE GIVE US NEXT STEPS, OR DOES THIS CONCLUDE THE PRESENTATION?
>> THANK YOU, ROBERT, APPRECIATE IT.
MY QUESTION WOULD BE WE'RE UNDERSTANDING THERE WILL BE SOME DIFFERENT IMPLEMENTATIONS TO HELP CONTROL AND MAKE THINGS SAFER, DEPENDING ON WHAT SCHOOL YOU'RE AT OR WHAT THE VULNERABILITY IS.
WHAT'S THE NEXT STEP? THEN WHAT WOULD BE THE TIME FRAME? WHEN WOULD COUNSEL HAVE SOMETHING LIKE THAT BACK?
>> FOR THE PLAN ITSELF, THIS IS THE PLAN, AND IT'S POSTED ON OUR WEBSITE RIGHT NOW.
WE DID A REVIEW PERIOD IN FEBRUARY.
I LOOKED AT THE COMMENTS THIS MORNING.
I CAN TELL YOU THAT THERE AREN'T NEGATIVE COMMENTS ABOUT THE PLAN.
PEOPLE ARE REALLY HAPPY WITH THE PLAN.
IT'S ABOUT, "HEY, CAN YOU DO MORE OR WHAT ABOUT THIS LOCATION?" I THINK THE PLAN ITSELF, AS FAR AS BEING VETTED AND THROUGH THE PROCESS IS READY FOR APPROVAL.
BUT WE HAVE BEEN APPLYING FOR FUNDS FOR THESE PROJECTS THAT ARE IN HERE ALREADY.
THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THIS IS UNDERWAY.
THE SAFER SPEEDS FOR SCHOOLS, WE ARE ESSENTIALLY WAITING ON A FUNDING AGREEMENT.
IT'S FEDERAL FUNDING, AND SO WE ARE WAITING FOR THE GO AHEAD.
WE HAD HOPED TO DESIGN AND CONSTRUCT AND DO A BASELINE MEASUREMENT TO BE READY FOR THE NEXT SCHOOL YEAR.
TO INSTALL OVER THE SUMMER 2025.
THERE'S NO WAY THAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN.
WE PUSHED THAT BACK ANOTHER YEAR.
WE'D BE LOOKING AT THE FALL OF '26 FOR THE INSTALLATION OF OUR DEMONSTRATION PROJECT.
I THINK THAT'S A REALLY GOOD WAY TO THINK ABOUT HOW SOME OF THESE PROJECTS ARE DESIGNED.
IT'S ABOUT TESTING SOME OF THESE IDEAS IN AMARILLO IN ONE PLACE.
IF THE COMMUNITY LIKES THEM AND THEY WORK, AND WE MEASURE AND CAN TELL THAT THEY ARE MAKING A DIFFERENCE, THEN WE CAN IMPLEMENT THEM IN OTHER ASPECTS.
THE 16 IS JUST A SAMPLING OF DIFFERENT STRATEGIES.
SOME OF THOSE ARE GOING TO BE EASIER TO DO THAN OTHERS.
A COUPLE OF THESE PROJECTS ARE IN YOUR CATEGORY SEVEN AND CATEGORY NINE FUNDING REQUESTS.
THAT'S AN IMPORTANT FUNDING SOURCE FOR US AS WELL, AND WE'RE ALREADY PURSUING THOSE.
I DON'T KNOW. DOES THAT ANSWER? I THINK ABOUT NEXT STEPS.
>> I THINK SO. DO YOU NEED COUNSEL TO SUPPORT PRIOR TO GOING OUT FOR THESE FUNDING MECHANISMS OR HAVE YOU ALREADY BEEN ABLE TO DO THAT? THEN THE NEXT TRIGGER WOULD BE THE AWARD?
IF WE HAD RESOLUTIONS OF SUPPORT FOR THESE APPLICATIONS, I THINK THAT WOULD HELP US GREATLY.
WE HAVE INCLUDED SOME LETTERS OF SUPPORT FOR THE SAFE STREETS.
WE HAD THE SCHOOL DISTRICT PARTICIPATE WITH US ON THAT ONE, WHICH I THINK WAS MEANINGFUL.
BUT I THINK AS WE MOVE FORWARD,
[01:30:01]
THAT WOULD BE A GOOD PRACTICE FOR US IS TO HAVE A COUNSEL RESOLUTION FOR ANY OF THESE APPLICATIONS.>> COUNSEL, YOU WANT TO GIVE ANY DIRECTION ON ANY OF THAT? ARE ALL COMFORTABLE WITH THE OVERVIEW OF WHAT THIS WOULD INCLUDE, OR DO YOU NEED MORE DETAILS BEFORE YOU'D SUPPORT IT?
>> NO, I THINK IT LOOKS GOOD. THANK YOU FOR ALL OF YOUR WORK ON IT.
>> I THINK IT'S GOOD, ESPECIALLY WITH THE COMMUNITY SUPPORT.
I THINK IT'S A GOOD IDEA IF WE CAN DO A RESOLUTION.
>> I THINK THE DIRECTION TO TAKE FROM HERE WOULD BE TO GET US A LETTER OF SUPPORT THAT WE COULD CONTRIBUTE TO IF YOU NEED US TO, BUT THEN LET US TRY TO HELP ADVOCATE FOR SOME OF THOSE GRANT FUND DOLLARS.
EMILY, I THINK THE PLAN IS NEXT MEETING TO ADOPT THE PLAN, SO THAT'S A BIG NEXT STEP.
>> IF YOU'RE READY FOR IT, WE'LL BRING THE PLAN, AND THEN I THINK WE JUST NOTE THAT FOR ANY OF THESE PROJECTS THAT ARE COMING OUT OF THIS, THAT OUR PRACTICE WOULD BE THAT WE WOULD COME TO YOU FOR A RESOLUTION OF SUPPORT FOR ANY APPLICATION THAT WE WOULD BE SUBMITTING.
>> I WANT TO CONGRATULATE YOU AND EVERYBODY OF THE OFFICE OF ENGAGEMENT AND INNOVATION, AND YOUR TEAM FOR HITTING ANOTHER, I WOULD CALL IT A GRAND SLAM, NOT JUST A HOME RUN ON THE COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT PART OF IT.
I THINK THE BIGGEST THING IS, IN THE COMMUNITY, PEOPLE JUST WANT TO FEEL LIKE THEY'RE LISTENED TO THAT YOU'RE GETTING INPUT FROM.
THEY REALIZE AT THE END OF THE DAY, AS LONG AS YOU'RE LISTENING, YOU MAY NOT BE ABLE TO DO EVERYTHING.
MY QUESTION WOULD BE OF THE NEARLY 7,000 PEOPLE THAT HAVE RESPONDED, HOW DID THAT INFLUENCE? WAS THERE SOMETHING THAT CAME UP OUT OF THE COMMUNITY PART THAT SAID, "WE JUST HADN'T REALLY BEEN THINKING ABOUT THAT" OR SOMETHING THAT SAID, "WELL, WE'RE GOING TO TILT A LITTLE BIT THIS WAY" OR HOW DID THAT COMMUNITY INPUT REALLY IMPACT WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT TODAY?
>> WELL, I THINK AND EAGLE TOUCHED ON THIS, THE EXAMPLE OF THE SAFER SPEEDS FOR SCHOOLS PROJECT.
SHE MENTIONED THAT WHERE THOSE IMPROVEMENTS ARE GOING TO BE INSTALLED ARE NOT ACTUALLY ON THAT HIGH INJURY NETWORK, BUT BECAUSE SAFETY AROUND SCHOOLS WAS REALLY PROBABLY THE TOP PRIORITY IN OUR ONLINE MAPPING EXERCISE, THAT'S WHY WE DECIDED TO PURSUE A SCHOOL SAFETY PROJECT.
THEN THOSE ARE SOME OF THE NEIGHBORHOODS THAT WERE MOST VOCAL.
OLSON PARK WAS ONE OF THE MOST VOCAL NEIGHBORHOODS IN THE PROCESS AS WELL.
THE COMMUNITY INPUT PAIRED WITH THE SAFETY DATA HELPS US PRIORITIZE THE PROJECTS.
>> I JUST CAME UP. I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO MENTION THAT THE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT PART ALSO FILL THE GAPS OF WHAT CRASH DATA WON'T SHOW US BECAUSE AMARILLO IS GROWING RAPIDLY, AND WE USE WHAT HISTORICAL DATA FROM 2019-2023, THERE ARE SOME NEW ROADS THAT BEEN BUILT, WHICH THE CRASH DATA IS NOT CAPTURED IN THE CRASH SYSTEM.
HOWEVER, THE COMMUNITIES HAD PUT LOTS OF COMMENTS ON THAT TYPE OF ROAD, AND THAT WILL EVENTUALLY SHAPE OUR PROJECT BECOME ONE OF OUR PROPOSED PROJECTS.
>> GOOD. THANK YOU. JUST TO NOTE, BECAUSE IT COMES UP OFTEN, I BELIEVE THREE OF THOSE SCHOOLS ARE NORTH OF I-40.
TWO OF THOSE SCHOOLS ARE SOUTH OF I-40 IN THOSE AREAS.
I'M GLAD WE'RE GETTING THAT INPUT FROM ALL AREAS OF THE COMMUNITY AS WELL.
WE ALSO CALL THESE PROJECTS PILOT PROJECTS.
I FIGURE PEOPLE WOULD ASK WHY THESE FIVE PROJECTS, NOW THE OTHER PROJECTS, BECAUSE WE'RE TRYING TO MAKE SURE THAT OUR PROJECTS STAY COMPETITIVE, SO WE CAN SECURE FUNDING, AND THEN ONCE WE GOT IMPLEMENTED AND GET GOOD RESULTS, WE CAN GO BACK TO THE FEDERAL AND STATE, SAY, HEY, WE HAVE DONE THESE PROJECTS BEFORE AND THEY GOT REALLY GREAT RESULTS, AND NOW WE WOULD LIKE TO APPLY FOR MORE FUNDING FOR MORE STUDENTS AND BENEFIT MORE SCHOOLS.
>> REALLY GOOD. I THINK THAT TAKES CARE OF IT ON OUR END.
THANK YOU TO YOU AND ROBERT FOR YOUR WORK ON THIS.
THANK YOU, MISS KOHLER. WE'LL LOOK FOR IT TO COME BACK TO COUNSEL.
I THINK WE CAN TAKE A 15 MINUTE RECESS, COME BACK IN HERE AND THEN PUSH FOR MAYBE AN HOUR TO GET THROUGH THE REST OF IT AND GET EVERYBODY OUT OF HERE.
MR. DANFORTH, IT'S PERFECT IN HERE.
YOU HAVE THE AC FUNCTIONING VERY WELL.
THANK YOU, GUYS. WE'LL SEE YOU BACK HERE IN A FEW.
>> HEY, I APPRECIATE EVERYONE.
GETTING BACK TO WHERE YOU'RE SEATED. THANK YOU.
WE ARE GOING TO GO AHEAD AND CALL OURSELVES BACK IN SESSION.
WE ARE MOVING OURSELVES TOWARDS ITEM 7.E,
[7.E. Environmental Health proposed updates to Chapter 8-5 of the Amarillo Municipal Code]
WHICH IS AN UPDATE ON SOME CODES OVER THERE IN ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH. MR. SPINEL.>> GOOD AFTERNOON. MAYOR AND COUNCIL.
>> I APPRECIATE HAVING ME HERE TODAY.
I WOULD LIKE TO HAVE A QUICK DISCUSSION ABOUT
[01:35:02]
SOME ITEMS I'D LIKE TO PROPOSE TO UPDATE TO OUR MUNICIPAL CODE.HOPEFULLY, WITH YOUR SUPPORT ON THE NEXT COUNCIL MEETING.
LET ME MAKE SURE I WHAT CHANGES OR CHANGE HERE.
I WANT TO START BY SAYING THAT EVERYTHING IN THIS PRESENTATION, ALL THE ITEMS THAT I'M PROPOSING TO CHANGE, I HAVE PRESENTED TO THE PANHANDLE RESTAURANT ASSOCIATION, AND I HAVE RECEIVED A LETTER OF SUPPORT FOR THAT.
ADDITIONALLY, EACH ONE OF THESE ITEMS WILL EITHER HAVE A POSITIVE IMPACT ON OUR REGULATED COMMUNITY OR A POSITIVE IMPACT ON BUSINESS OPERATIONS.
I WANTED TO START WITH THAT BEFORE I MAKE SURE I DIDN'T FORGET IT.
>> BEFORE YOU JUMP IN THERE, BECAUSE THIS JUST SAYS CHAPTER 8-5.
SPECIFICALLY, GREASE STRAPS, GREASE STRAPS, AND SEPTICS, ALL OF THE ABOVE, WHAT ARE WE LOOKING AT?
>> IT'S SEVERAL SECTIONS WITHIN 8-5.
TO GIVE YOU GO OVER, WE'RE GOING TO UPDATE A FEW DEFINITIONS.
WE'RE GOING TO TALK ABOUT A FEW PERMANENT RATES.
WE'RE GOING TO REMOVE SOME LANGUAGE WITHIN OUR ORDINANCE, AND THEN WE'RE GOING TO UPDATE SECTION 8-5-27, WHICH IS GREASE STRAPS.
>> REALLY FOUR SEPARATE SECTIONS WITHIN 8-5 AS A CHAPTER.
WE'LL START WITH THE DEFINITIONS.
THERE'S TWO CHANGES AND ONE NEW.
FIRST, THE EXTENSIVELY REMODELED DEFINITION.
THIS CURRENTLY EXISTS WITHIN OUR GREASE STRAP ORDINANCE, WHICH IS SECTION 8-5-27 OF THE MUNICIPAL CODE.
IT'S A BUSINESS FRIENDLY LANGUAGE THAT BASICALLY TALKS ABOUT, IF A FACILITY EXTENSIVELY RENOVATES GREATER THAN 30% OF THEIR ASSESSED VALUE, THEY WOULD HAVE TO BRING WHATEVER WE'RE TALKING ABOUT INTO COMPLIANCE WITH CURRENT STANDARDS OF STATE LAW.
THERE'S REALLY TWO TRIGGER POINTS FOR UPGRADING WHATEVER WE'RE TALKING ABOUT.
IT'S CHANGE OF OWNER, EXTENSIVE REMODEL REPAIR.
THIS DEFINITION SETS A 30% VALUATION, WHICH HAS BEEN VERY HELPFUL IN THE PAST.
I'D LIKE TO REMOVE IT FROM 8-5-27 AND MOVE IT UP TO THE DEFINITION SECTION AND APPLY IT TO THE REST OF THE CHAPTER, ESSENTIALLY APPLYING IT TO EVERY PROGRAM I HAVE WITHIN THE DEPARTMENT.
IT'S BUSINESS FRIENDLY, AND IT HAS HELPED OUR BUSINESSES NOT HAVE TO UPDATE SOME THINGS AND WHICH THEY OTHERWISE WOULD HAVE HAD TO.
I WANT TO UPDATE THE DEFINITION OF REINSPECTION FEE.
THIS HAS BEEN IN OUR CODE FOR YEARS AND YEARS, AND I WANT TO UPDATE IT TO REFLECT LONG STANDING PRACTICES AND OPERATIONAL PRACTICES.
I ALSO WANT TO ADD SOME LANGUAGE TO THAT DEFINITION THAT TALKS ABOUT WHEN FEES ARE REQUIRED TO BE PAID.
NOW I'D LIKE TO ADD A DEFINITION OF RISK ASSESSMENT.
THIS IS ALREADY FOUND WITHIN STATE LAW, BUT IT JUST FURTHER CLARIFIES WHAT CRITERIA WE USE WHEN DETERMINING INSPECTION FREQUENCY WITHIN OUR FOOD HYGIENE PROGRAM.
THE REINSPECTION FEE ONE, I'M HAPPY TO SHARE IN WHAT INSTANCES THOSE ARE CHARGED, IF YOU'D LIKE, BUT IT IS A LONG STANDING PRACTICE. IT'S NOTHING NEW.
I STILL WANT TO GET TOO DOWN IN THE WEEDS THERE.
SECTION 2, I WANT TO TALK ABOUT PERMITTING RATES FOR SCHOOLS, PUBLIC AND PRIVATE SCHOOLS AND THEN PERMANENT RATES FOR CHILDCARE CENTERS.
PUBLIC AND PRIVATE SCHOOLS CURRENTLY ARE HOW WE CHARGE OUR PERMANENT FEES FOR FOOD ESTABLISHMENTS IS BASED UPON SQUARE FOOTAGE OF THE TOTAL BUILDING.
FOR SCHOOLS, YOU HAVE A MULTI USE BASICALLY AN OPERATION WHERE YOU HAVE A RESTAURANT INSIDE OF A LARGER FACILITY THEY USE FOR OTHER PURPOSES.
THEY'RE PAYING A RATE OF OVER 15,000 SQUARE FEET.
ESSENTIALLY, IT'S THE HIGHEST PERMANENT RATE THAT WE HAVE.
JUST GIVE YOU A LITTLE BREAKDOWN.
WE HAVE 91 SCHOOLS ACROSS FIVE SCHOOL DISTRICTS WITHIN POTTER AND RANDALL COUNTY.
ABOUT $77,000 IS WHAT THEY PAY ACROSS ALL FIVE SCHOOL DISTRICTS.
THE CHANGE I'M PROPOSING IS JUST TO FOCUS THEIR FEE ON THE FOOD ESTABLISHMENT OPERATION WITHIN THE LARGER BUILDING.
THAT WILL GIVE THEM ABOUT A $200 BREAK PER PERMIT, OR ESSENTIALLY ABOUT $18,000 IN SAVINGS.
THAT'LL BE SPREAD OUT ACROSS 91 SCHOOLS.
THEN PERMANENT RATES FOR CHILDCARE CENTERS.
CURRENTLY, CHILDCARE CENTERS ARE REQUIRED TO HOLD TWO LICENSES UNDER STATE LAW, ONE, IF THEY SERVE FOOD, AND THEN THE SECOND IS THROUGH CHILDCARE LICENSING, COMBINING THOSE TOGETHER, THESE FACILITIES ARE 39 OF THEM WITHIN OUR JURISDICTIONS, BUT COMBINING THEM TOGETHER, THEY PAY MORE THAN THE HIGHEST PERMANENT RATE FOR JUST A FOOD ESTABLISHMENT.
I'D LIKE TO TAKE THAT INTO CONSIDERATION WHEN SETTING THEIR FEES, STATING THAT BETWEEN THE TWO PERMITS TOGETHER, THEY CAN'T BE CHARGED MORE THAN THE HIGHEST FEE STRUCTURE THAT WE HAVE.
I'LL TELL YOU IT'S ABOUT $8,000 IN SAVINGS ACROSS THE 39 FACILITIES.
BOTH OF THESE IDEAS FOR CHILDCARE CENTERS AND PUBLIC SCHOOLS WERE BROUGHT TO ME BY BOTH OF THESE ENTITIES LAST FISCAL YEAR.
I THOUGHT THEY WERE REALLY GOOD IDEAS, THINGS THAT I DIDN'T COME UP WITH.
I APPRECIATE THAT PARTNERSHIP WITH THESE ENTITIES.
I THINK IT'S SOMETHING THAT WOULD MAKE SENSE TO IMPLEMENT.
[01:40:01]
SECTION 3, I'D LIKE TO REMOVE SOME DUPLICATE LANGUAGE OUT OF OUR ORDINANCE THAT IS ALREADY WRITTEN INTO STATE LAW, SPECIFICALLY TALKS ABOUT VENDED WATER, WATER VENDING MACHINES.THIS IS ALREADY IN TEXAS ADMINISTRATIVE CODE TITLE 25 AND PARTIALLY TRANSCRIBED WITHIN OUR CITY ORDINANCE.
IT DOESN'T MAKE SENSE FOR THAT TO BE THERE ANY LONGER.
THEN SECTION 4, I'D LIKE TO MAKE A COUPLE OF CHANGES TO OUR GREASE TRAP ORDINANCE.
ONE, REMOVING THE EXTENSIVELY REMODELED DEFINITION OR RENOVATED DEFINITION UP TO THE DEFINITION SECTION WITHIN THE ORDINANCE, WHICH WOULD APPLY TO EVERYTHING.
I'D LIKE TO EXPAND THE ACCEPTABLE DESIGN PROFESSIONAL LISTS FOR HYDROMECHANICAL UNITS TO INCLUDE MASTER PLUMBERS, OUR STAFF, AND PRODUCT MANUFACTURERS.
CURRENTLY, THE ORDINANCE ONLY ALLOWS FOR LICENSED PROFESSIONAL ENGINEERS TO SIZE THESE WHEN NECESSARY FOR HYDROMECHANICAL UNITS.
IF YOU USE A GRAVITY FLOW UNIT, ANYBODY CAN SIZE IT.
IF YOU USE A HYDROMECHANICAL UNIT, AN ENGINEER HAS TO SIZE IT.
WHEN WE FIRST WROTE THAT ORDINANCE, WE LOOKED ACROSS THE STATE OF TEXAS.
THERE'S SOME MODEL ORDINANCES OUT THERE, AND A LOT OF THEM HAD THAT LANGUAGE IN IT, SO WE ADOPTED IT AS WELL.
LICENSED ENGINEERS WERE CHARGING ABOUT $200 TO DO THAT.
I THINK THE COST TO SIZE ONE OF THESE IS UPWARDS OF $100 NOW.
I'D LIKE TO DIVERSIFY THAT AND ALLOW MASTER PLUMBERS, OUR STAFF, PRODUCT MANUFACTURERS TO SIZE.
IT'S REALLY EASY TO DO AND ONLY TAKES 10, 15 MINUTES.
I THINK THAT WOULD BE A GOOD BENEFIT TO THE COMMUNITY, SOMETHING TO HELP LOWER SOME COSTS FOR THEM.
THEN ADDITIONALLY, I'D LIKE TO ADD SOME TANK TEE CRITERIA.
I'LL SHOW YOU SOME PICTURES OF WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT HERE IN A MINUTE.
BUT WHEN A GREASE TRAP IS MISSING TANK TEES, ESSENTIALLY, IT DOESN'T WORK THE WAY IT'S INTENDED TO ALLOWING GREASE TO MOVE THROUGH THE TANK AND NOT BE CAPTURED IN THE TANK.
I'D LIKE TO ADD SOME CRITERIA THAT IF TANK TEES ARE MISSING OR DAMAGED, HOW THEY HAVE TO BE REINSTALLED.
THIS WON'T IMPACT ANY EXISTING FACILITY UNLESS THEIR GREASE STRAP IS DAMAGED AND DOESN'T HAVE THESE.
TYPICALLY, IF THE GREASE TRAP IS NEW OR YOU KNOW WHO INSTALLED IT, OR YOU KNOW THE PRODUCT MANUFACTURER, YOU CAN LOOK UP THEIR SPECIFICATIONS.
THE CODE WOULD STILL ALLOW FOR THAT.
A LOT OF THE ONES THAT WE'RE SEEN THAT ARE DAMAGED OR MISSING ARE REALLY OLD.
WE HAVE NO IDEA WHO MADE THEM OR WHEN THEY WERE INSTALLED, SO WE HAVE NOTHING TO REFER BACK TO.
WE'RE TRYING TO SET THAT CRITERIA AND IF WE DON'T KNOW, YOU INSTALL TO THIS STANDARD.
NOT ONLY THAT HELP THE GREASE TRAPS OPERATE IN THE WAY THEY WERE MEANT TO, IT'LL HELP OUR WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLAN, IT'LL HELP OUR LIFT STATIONS.
I'LL HELP THE OVERALL HEALTH OF OUR WASTEWATER COLLECTION SYSTEM.
A TYPICAL GREASE TRAP IS A TWO COMPARTMENT CHAMBER THAT YOU PUT WATER THROUGH IT AND IT SEPARATES FATS, OILS AND GREASES IN THE FIRST COMPARTMENT AND ALLOWS SLEDGE TO FALL TO THE BOTTOM.
ONLY CLEAN WATER MOVES TO THE SECOND COMPARTMENT AND THEN IT DOES FURTHER SEPARATION, AND THEN ONLY CLEAN WATER MOVES OUTSIDE INTO OUR SEWAGE COLLECTION SYSTEM.
ONCE THESE TANKS ARE FULL, YOU PUMP THEM OUT, AND YOU TAKE THAT TO AN ACCEPTABLE LOCATION.
WITHOUT THE TANK TEES, WHICH I HAVE PUT RED ARROWS TO, THE TRAP DOESN'T WORK AT ALL.
IT ALLOWS GREASE TO FLOW STRAIGHT THROUGH TO THE CITY SEWER LINE, AND WE'RE FINDING QUITE A FEW OF THEM THAT ARE EITHER DAMAGED, NOT THERE, OR WE'RE NEVER INSTALLED.
HERE'S A FEW PICTURES THAT NOTATE WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT HERE.
EACH ONE OF THESE DON'T HAVE TANK TEES INSTALLED.
YOU CAN SEE ON THE THIRD EXAMPLE, WHEN THE WATER FLOWS IN, IT STIRS THE GREASE LAYER THAT'S SUPPOSED TO FLOAT TO THE TOP.
IT STIRS IT UP AND ALLOWS IT TO MOVE ON TO THE SECOND COMPARTMENT.
THEN IF YOU DON'T HAVE THEM ON EITHER SIDE OF THE TANK, THE INLET OR OUTLET, IT JUST ALLOWS GREASE TO FLOW STRAIGHT THROUGH.
THESE ARE PRETTY MINOR CHANGES TO OUR ORDINANCE THAT I THINK WILL HAVE POSITIVE IMPACTS TO OUR COMMUNITY, OUR REGULATED BUSINESS PARTNERS, OR OUR OPERATIONS.
WITH YOUR SUPPORT, I'D LOVE TO TAKE THIS FOR AN AGENDA ITEM NEXT SESSION.
I'M HAPPY TO TAKE ANY QUESTIONS.
>> WHENEVER YOU REACH OUT TO THE RESTAURANT COMMUNITY, DO THEY HAVE ANY NEGATIVES ON THIS?
>> THIS WAS PRESENTED TO THE PANHANDLE RESTAURANT ASSOCIATION MULTIPLE TIMES, AND I BELIEVE THEY SENT THESE OUT TO ALL OF THEIR MEMBERS FOR QUESTIONS.
LAST TIME I MET WITH THEM WAS EARLY JANUARY, AND I SAT DOWN AND ANSWERED A TON OF THESE QUESTIONS.
THE MAIN CONCERN THAT I RECEIVED WAS REGARDING THE GREASE TRAP CHANGE FOR THE TAINT TEE IS, HOW WILL THIS IMPACT MY CURRENT SYSTEM? DO I HAVE TO GO IN AND RETROFIT IT TO MEET THE NEW STANDARD? THE ANSWER IS NO.
THE ONLY HAVE TO MAKE A CHANGE IS IF YOUR SYSTEM IS DAMAGED OR MISSING SOMETHING.
IF YOUR SYSTEM HAS TANK TEES THAT WERE
[01:45:02]
INSTALLED AND MET THE CRITERIA WERE THEY INSTALLED, IT DOESN'T IMPACT YOU AT ALL.THIS IS ONLY IF THEY'RE MISSING.
WITH THAT EXPLANATION, WE RECEIVED A LETTER OF SUPPORT.
>> QUESTION. NO. ANYTHING. ANTHONY, GOOD JOB ON THIS BECAUSE I KNOW IT'S EASY TO JUST GET IN THERE AND START MANIPULATING CODES AND WORK ON WHAT YOU'RE THINKING OR MAYBE SEE IT FROM MORE OF THE REGULATORY SIDE.
I THINK THE STEPS WITH THE PUBLIC AND ESPECIALLY THE RESTAURANT GROUP VERY HELPFUL.
WE'LL LOOK FOR YOU BRINGING IT BACK.
>> ABSOLUTELY. I WILL SAY WE HAVE A FANTASTIC RELATIONSHIP WITH OUR RESTAURANT COMMUNITY, AND WE WORK TOGETHER QUITE OFTEN, SO I APPRECIATE HEARING THAT.
>> THAT MOVES US OUT OF 7.E AND INTO 7.F.
[7.F. Discuss possible conversion of an existing city-owned 1-Story, 31,000 square foot warehouse located at 500 S. Grant into additional parking for City Hall]
WE'RE GOING TO KICK IT BACK OVER TO DONNIE HOOPER AND TALK ABOUT A POTENTIAL PARKING FACILITY.>> THANK YOU SO MUCH. THIS IS TO DISCUSS POSSIBLE CONVERSION OF AN EXISTING CITY FACILITY THAT WE HAVE ACROSS THE STREET, YOU'VE SEEN, 31,000 SQUARE FOOT WAREHOUSE LOCATED AT 500 SOUTH GRANT INTO AN ADDITIONAL PARKING AREA FOR CITY HALL.
THIS IS NOT AS WE HEARD IN OUR PUBLIC COMMENT.
THIS IS NOT TO DEMOLISH THIS BUILDING AT ALL.
THIS IS TO CONVERT THIS BUILDING INTO A USABLE SPACE.
ALSO DISCUSSED THE ESTIMATED COST FREE MODEL AS WE GO THROUGH THIS PRESENTATION.
THIS IS THE SOUTH FACING VIEW OF THAT WAREHOUSE, WHICH ORIGINALLY WAS PURCHASED AS PART OF THE OVERALL PURCHASE OF THE EMERALD HARDWARE PROPERTY WHEN WE BOUGHT IT.
THIS LOADING DOCK THAT YOU SEE OUT IN FRONT OF THAT IS A BIG MODIFICATION THAT WOULD HAVE OCCUR TO TURN THAT INTO A PARKING GARAGE.
WE'D HAVE TO REMOVE THAT ENTIRE LOADING DOCK AND THEN CONVERT SOME OF THOSE DOORS AND WINDOWS AND THINGS ACROSS THE BUILDING SO THAT WE COULD USE IT AS THAT FACILITY.
I'LL SHOW YOU SOME RENDERINGS IN A MINUTE WHAT THAT WOULD LOOK LIKE.
THAT'S THE SAME FRONT DOCK THAT'S ON THERE.
THAT'S THE SIDE VIEW ON GRANT STREET AS YOU'RE LOOKING TO THE NORTH WEST, AND YOU SEE THE WINDOWS THAT ARE UP THERE.
THE SAME WINDOWS EXIST ON THE NORTH SIDE OF THE BUILDING AND ON THE WEST SIDE OF THE BUILDING AS WELL.
THIS IS A RENDERING OF WHAT THIS WOULD LOOK LIKE IF IT WAS TURNED INTO A PARKING FACILITY.
YOU CAN SEE THAT IT HAS AN EXIT RAMP ON THAT SIDE, AN ENTRANCE RAMP WOULD BE ON THE OTHER SIDE, AND I'VE GOT ANOTHER RENDERING I'LL SHOW YOU IN JUST A SECOND.
YOU ALSO SEE THE STEPS AND THE ADA ACCESS FROM THAT FRONT VIEW.
THIS IS THAT SAME SIDE VIEW LOOKING TO THE NORTHWEST.
YOU SEE SEVERAL THINGS THERE, INCLUDING THE ENTRANCE RAMP, THE CAR GOING IN THERE, AND YOU SEE THE EXIT RAMP ON THE OTHER SIDE, THE ADA RAMP THAT WOULD BE REQUIRED.
ALSO THE STREETSCAPE THAT WOULD NOT ONLY ADD TO THE AESTHETICS OF DOWNTOWN, BUT IT WOULD MAKE THE FACILITY LOOK A LOT NICER NEXT TO THIS BRAND NEW CITY HALL THAT WE'RE SITTING NEXT TO AS WELL.
THIS IS A TOP OPEN VIEW OF THAT OF WHAT YOU'D SEE INSIDE.
IT'S JUST AN OPEN SPAN BUILDING THAT HAS THE COLUMNS IN THE CENTER OF THAT.
VERY EASY TO TURN INTO THAT PARKING AREA.
JERRY ACTUALLY LOOKED AT THIS WHEN WE WERE FIRST LOOKING AT THE ACQUISITION OF THE PROPERTY, AND THAT'S THE FIRST THING HE SAW WAS THAT THIS WOULD BE A GREAT PLACE TO HAVE ADDITIONAL PARKING FOR CITY HALL.
THERE'S ABOUT 66 PARKING SPACES THAT WOULD BE AVAILABLE IN THERE.
WE THOUGHT IT WAS GOING TO BE CLOSER TO 70, BUT THERE ARE A COUPLE OF FIRE STANDS IN THERE THAT YOU HAVE TO, MANIPULATE AROUND, NOT BE ABLE TO PARK IN THOSE AREAS, BUT IT WOULD RELIEVE A LOT OF OUR PARKING THAT WE HAVE OUT FRONT, ESPECIALLY WHEN WE HAVE SOME OF THE LARGER MEETINGS THAT TAKE PLACE HERE, WHETHER IT BE A COUNCIL MEETING OR SOME OTHER MEETING THAT TAKES PLACE AT CITY HALL.
WE'VE TALKED ABOUT, EVENTUALLY, AT SOME POINT IN TIME, IF THE COUNCIL ENTERTAINED IT, AND WE WANTED TO LEASE OUT SOME SPACE AS WELL, THAT THERE WOULD BE ADDITIONAL PARKING NEEDS FOR THE BUILDING ALSO.
NOW, AGAIN, THIS IS JUST AN ESTIMATE, AND I WANT YOU TO HEAR THAT WORD BECAUSE WE ARE WORKING ON THE NUMBERS NOW AND WE SHOULD BE GETTING SOME FINAL NUMBERS BACK THIS WEEK.
I'M ASSUMING, BY THE END OF THE WEEK, PROBABLY.
BEFORE WE GET TO THE NEXT COUNCIL MEETING, WE SHOULD HAVE YOU SOME ACCURATE NUMBERS ON THERE, JUST SO THAT YOU KNOW ABOUT 250,000 OF THAT IS JUST FOR STREETSCAPE.
THAT'S WHAT WE'RE ESTIMATING THAT WE'D SPEND ON THAT.
BUILDING RENOVATION WOULD HAVE SOME ASBESTOS ABATEMENT THAT WOULD HAVE TO OCCUR, THE RAMPS, AND THE ADA, I TALKED ABOUT, THE VENTILATION SYSTEM.
ALL THOSE WINDOWS THAT YOU SEE WOULD BE CONVERTED INTO VENTS.
WE HAVE TO HAVE THAT OBVIOUSLY FOR EXHAUST FUMES AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
THEN A LITTLE BIT OF ROOF DRAIN WORK.
THE ROOF IS IN VERY GOOD SHAPE, BY THE WAY.
JERRY WAS GIVING ME A REPORT ON THAT JUST YESTERDAY.
THEN WE HAVE STORM DRAIN REMOVAL.
THERE'S AN ABANDONED STORM DRAIN THAT WE WOULD HAVE TO GET RID OF THAT RUNS ALONG THE SIDEWALK OVER THERE, WHERE WHETHER WE TURN THAT INTO A PARKING LOT OR WE TURN IT INTO A PARKING GARAGE, IT'S GOING TO HAVE TO BE REMOVED, NO MATTER WHAT.
THEN WE HAVE GATE ARMS THAT WOULD HAVE TO BE INSTALLED FOR SECURITY PURPOSES TO BE ABLE TO HAVE BADGE ACCESS TO THAT, AND THERE'S THE SECURITY AND BADGE ACCESS.
THAT WAS THE TOTAL COST OF 1.25 MILLION.
THIS IS AN ITEM THAT, OF COURSE, COUNCIL ASKED US TO BRING BACK AT THE LAST MEETING,
[01:50:01]
AND WE JUST WANTED TO GIVE YOU THE NUMBERS AND LET YOU KNOW WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT DOING THERE? THIS WAS TAKEN OUT OF THE PROJECT WHENEVER WE WERE LOOKING AT THE OVERALL SCOPE AND BUDGET OF THE PROJECT OF 35 MILLION AND REALIZED THAT WE WERE NOT GOING TO BE ABLE TO DO THIS, SO IT WAS PULLED AND TAKEN BACK OUT OF THE ORIGINAL PROJECT FOR CITY HALL.THEN WE ALSO HAVE STREETSCAPE THAT WAS ON THERE AS WELL, AND THEN I CAN ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS IF YOU SHOULD HAVE THEM.
>> HOW MANY EMPLOYEES DO WE HAVE HERE AT CITY HALL? I KNOW THIS IS A GUESS AND YOU'RE GOING, HOW MANY ARE PARKING? HOW MANY CARS?
>> HUNDRED AND SEVENTY-FIVE VEHICLES EACH DAY?
>> HUNDRED AND SEVENTY-FIVE EMPLOYEES, DEPENDS, AND GENERALLY, EVERYBODY DRIVES THEIR OWN VEHICLE.
ANDREW TRIED TO GIVE ME A RIDE ONE TIME, BUT I DENIED IT.
>> YEAH, I DID THAT, IT'S BAD.
HOW MANY SPACES DO WE HAVE OUT FRONT NOW?
>> JERRY, YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE TO.
>> YEAH, I'M LOOKING AT JERRY.
>> I CAN TELL YOU THIS. WE DID THE MATH, WE COUNTED THESE OVER AND OVER AGAIN, AND WE HAD APPROXIMATELY THE SAME AMOUNT OF PARKING SPACES THAT WE HAD IN JUST THE EAST SIDE OF THE OLD CITY HALL.
IT'S JUST ELONGATED INSTEAD OF IT BEING A SQUARE.
IT DOESN'T SEEM LIKE THERE'S AS MANY OUT THERE, BUT THERE ARE.
NOW, THERE'S ALSO SOME PARKING THAT THE PARKS DEPARTMENT HAS FOR THEIR BUILDING AS WELL THAT IS IN THE SAME PARKING LOT AS OURS, BUT IT'S RESERVED FOR THAT PARKS DEPARTMENT, SO THERE'S A FEW NUMBERS THAT WOULD COME OFF OF THAT TOTAL FROM THERE.
BUT ROUGHLY THE SAME AMOUNT, BUT WE'VE NOTICED TOO THAT, WELL, LET ME JUST SAY THIS, WHEN WE FIRST SET OUT THE PARKING PLAN HERE, WE MADE SURE THAT WE HAD THE CENTER PARKING SPOTS AND THE CLOSEST PARKING SPOTS TO THE BUILDING THAT THOSE WOULD BE RESERVED FOR CUSTOMERS.
I'VE TOLD STAFF, DON'T PARK IN THOSE PARKING AREAS.
IF YOU HAVE TO PARK ACROSS THE STREET OR FIND SOMEWHERE ELSE, DO THAT.
WELL, AFTER WE PUT THAT MESSAGING OUT, YOU CAN SEE EVERY DAY THAT WE DO HAVE A LOT OF VEHICLES THAT ARE PARKED ACROSS THE STREET, AND THAT'S JUST ON A NORMAL DAY.
>> TRY TO HELP ME FIGURE OUT, IS THERE ANY WAY TO DOCUMENT? HOW DO WE KNOW WE HAVE A PARKING SHORTAGE RIGHT NOW?
>> WE CAN DO THAT. WE'VE JUST BASICALLY BEEN DOING IT OFF OBSERVATION AT THIS POINT IN TIME, JUST NOTICING THAT, EVEN I'VE REALIZED THE GRAND OPENING WAS A LARGE EVENT, BUT THERE WAS NOT ANY PLACE TO PARK EVEN ACROSS THE STREET FOR THAT EVENT, AND WE HAD TO PARK ALL THE WAY DOWN THE THE WAY AT THE CIVIC CENTER, IN THE OLD BUILDING, WE ALSO HAD PARKING SHORTAGES THERE, SO THAT WAS THE OTHER THING THAT WE'RE GAUGING IT OFF OF, WHERE A LOT OF US WERE HAVING TO PARK DOWN THE NORTH SIDE OF THE CIVIC CENTER TO BE ABLE TO HAVE ACCESS TO THE BUILDING.
THERE WERE SOME DAYS WHERE EVEN THOSE SPOTS WERE NOT AVAILABLE AS WELL.
>> I DON'T KNOW. I THINK WHAT I'D LIKE TO SEE IS MAYBE A MAP OF THIS WHOLE FOOTPRINT IN THE AREA.
>> AS TO WHERE THE PARKING IS, THE NUMBER OF SPACES, AND ANYTHING THAT CAN SAY, WOW, WE JUST HAVE OVERWHELMING NEED TO HAVE A PARKING GARAGE FOR A MEDIA AND A LITTLE BIT.
>> WE CAN DO THAT IF THERE'S ANOTHER PRESENTATION THAT WE WOULD GIVE YOU THAT WOULD GIVE YOU THE FINAL NUMBERS FOR IT, AS WELL, WE COULD BRING THOSE NUMBERS BACK TOO.
THAT WOULD BE REAL EASY TO DO.
>> BECAUSE I THINK TO JUSTIFY THE COST EXPENSES, UNLESS SOMETHING'S CHANGED, PARKING IS STILL THE NUMBER ONE LAND USE IN DOWNTOWN.
THERE'S PLENTY OF PARKING SPACES.
IT'S NOT ALWAYS RIGHT BY THE BUILDING THAT YOU WANT TO BE AT.
THERE IS PLENTY OF PARKING IN THIS GENERAL AREA.
SOMETIMES PEOPLE MAY HAVE TO WALK A LITTLE BIT.
BUT I GUESS FOR ME, IF WE CAN TAKE A FOOTPRINT ON HOW MANY PARKING SPACES WE HAVE, AND HOW OFTEN IS IT THAT WE WOULD NEED THESE ADDITIONAL PARKING SPACES, IS IT A DAILY? DO WE THINK THERE'D BE A NEED FOR IT? I'M JUST LOOKING FOR SHOW ME WHERE THE SHORTAGE IS, AND WHY THERE WOULD BE A DEMAND FOR THIS AND, I GUESS IT BE WORTH THE MILLION AND CHANGE IN INVESTMENT.
> YES, SIR, WE CAN BRING THAT BACK TO YOU FOR SURE.
>> WE CAN PROBABLY GO A STEP FURTHER AND GET SOME OF OUR DRONES AND DO SOME MIDDAY SNAPSHOTS REGULARLY TO SEE THE PROGRESSION SO WE CAN GET REAL FOOTAGE OF THE PARKING USAGE.
>> ONE OTHER THING, BECAUSE WE'VE GOT TO CONSIDER WHAT'S POSSIBLY GOING TO HAPPEN ACROSS, I GUESS I'M POINTING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION, WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN TO THAT OTHER PARKING? WE GOT TO CONSIDER THAT BECAUSE SOME ARE PARKING THERE WHENEVER IT'S FULL.
>> IF WE DEMO CITY HALL AT SOME POINT IN TIME, WHICH THAT'S THE PLAN, WE WOULD STILL KEEP THE PARKING THAT IS IN THE FRONT OF CITY HALL, AND ON THIS SIDE, ON THE EAST SIDE, THAT WOULD STILL REMAIN THERE, THE PACIFIC CENTER PARKING, WE THINK ABOUT THE RANCH RODEO WHEN IT COMES, THERE'S NOWHERE TO PARK WITHIN TWO BLOCKS FROM HERE.
WE'VE ALSO GOT SOME BUSINESSES THAT WE'RE CONSIDERING THAT ARE ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE BUILDING FROM US,
[01:55:03]
WHERE SOME OF OUR EMPLOYEES HAVE BEEN PARKING ON STREET PARKING, WHICH IS OKAY, EXCEPT FOR SOME OF IT'S BLOCKING THEIR BUSINESSES ON THE OTHER SIDE AND WE PARKED THERE, SO WE'RE JUST TRYING TO BE GOOD NEIGHBORS TO THEM, AS WELL.>> MR. HOOPER, MY CONCERN WOULD BE BUDGET.
IF WE RUN THOSE NUMBERS, THAT'S ROUGHLY $20,000 PER SPOT.
I KNOW THAT'S GOT 250 FOR LANDSCAPE, SO I WOULD THINK IF WE WERE WILLING TO PHASE INTO IT, SO MAYBE YOU PULL THE STREETSCAPE OUT AND THEN IF WE COULD VALUE ENGINEER IT, THERE MAY NOT BE MUCH THERE BECAUSE OF THE COMPLEXITY OF THAT RETROFIT.
BUT IF WE JUST TOOK THE PARKING SPOTS IN FRONT OF THE EXISTING WAREHOUSE, AND THEN WOULD WE DO DIAGONAL OVER ON THIS SIDE NEXT TO OUR OLD LOADING DOCK AS WELL?
>> YEAH. LET'S JUST SAY WE WANTED TO FIND 20 PARKING SPOTS, CAN WE FIND 20 RIGHT OVER HERE BETWEEN THE TWO BUILDINGS, WE'RE NOT UTILIZING RIGHT NOW PER STRIPING, BUT WE MAY BE PARKING THERE?
>> YEAH. WE HAVE A TEMPORARY PLAN FOR THAT AS WELL, BUT WE PUT THAT ON HOLD UNTIL WE FIGURED OUT WHICH DIRECTION COUNCIL WANTED US TO GO ON THE GARAGE.
WHAT WE CAN DO IS BRING THAT BACK AS PART OF THAT PRESENTATION AS WELL AND SHOW YOU WHAT IT LOOK LIKE IF WE KEPT IT AS IS AND HOW MANY PARKING STALLS WE COULD HAVE IN THE EXISTING SPACE.
>> I THINK IF WE LOOK AT IT, IF YOU'RE ONLY GAINING 60 PARKING SPOTS FOR 1.2 MILLION, AND THAT'S A LOT PER SPOT FOR WHAT YOU'RE TRYING TO GET TO, AND THEN, IF YOU CAN SHOW US ARE THERE 20 THAT ARE BETWEEN THE TWO BUILDINGS, IF WE RETROFITTED A LITTLE BIT OF JUST THE PARKING AREA AND HOW TRAFFIC FLOWS, AND WE KEEP THAT BUILDING FOR FUTURE OR JUST WAREHOUSE, THAT WOULD BE SOMETHING I'D BE INTERESTED IN LOOKING AT.
I THINK THAT 1.2 MILLION HAS VOTE-ABILITY FOR THE COUNCIL IF WE WERE SATISFIED ELSEWHERE IN OUR BUDGET.
BUT I THINK WITH THE BUDGET CONSTRAINTS THAT WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO PUSHING MONEY AROUND TO OTHER PLACES, I THINK THE PARKING NEED IS GOING TO BE LESSER THAN SOME OF THE OTHER IDENTIFIED NEEDS, SO I WOULD HOPE WE WOULD HAVE MAYBE EITHER, IF WE CAN SHOW WHAT WE CAN MAXIMIZE WITHOUT SPENDING ANY MONEY OR VERY LITTLE MONEY OVER THERE VERSUS SHOWING THIS AS AN EXPENDITURE THAT'S GOING TO HELP US.
>> JUST TO CLARIFY, WHAT I'M HEARING IS THAT YOU ALL WOULD LIKE TO HAVE ONE MORE EXPANDED PRESENTATION THAT HAS MORE DATA ATTACHED TO IT? I THINK THAT'S WHAT I'M HEARING.
>> I THINK SO. I THINK IF WE TOOK SOME DRONE FOOTAGE AND SHOWED HOW MUCH WE'RE USING.
JUST A FEW SNAPSHOTS, THAT'LL TELL US WHEN ARE WE FULL CAPACITY, HOW MANY PARKING SPOTS CURRENT, WITHIN GOOD WALKING DISTANCE, HOW MANY ADDITIONAL WE COULD ADD IF SAY YOU DID DIAGONAL PARKING UP NEXT TO OUR NEW BUILDING, AND ALSO JUST REGULAR PULL-IN PARKING OVER LIKE WE'VE BEEN DOING, THERE'S JUST IT'S NOT STRIPED, THAT'LL HELP US MAKE A GOOD DECISION ON WHAT THE ROI IS, I WOULD SAY, ON THAT ONE PLUS TWO MILLION DOLLARS.
>> WE COULD ALSO BRING BACK SOME FUNDING OPTIONS BECAUSE WE DO HAVE SOME DOLLARS FROM THE CITY HALL PROJECT FROM INTEREST EARNINGS DEDICATED TO CITY HALL THAT COULD COVER IT IF COUNCIL WANTED TO PROCEED THAT WAY, SO WE'LL BRING THAT BACK TOO.
>> I WOULD SAY IF WE'RE IDENTIFYING SOMETHING THAT WAS BOND RELATED, AND IT'S GOING TO BE RESTRICTED TO THIS BUILDING, THAT WOULD BE SOMETHING WE'D LIKE TO KNOW.
>> EXCELLENT. WE'LL DO THAT THEN.
>> I THINK ONE OTHER THING JUST WHILE WE'RE LOOKING AT THIS, AND IT'S A LITTLE BIT MORE DIFFICULT TO DO BECAUSE YOU'RE THINKING ABOUT NOT WHAT IS, BUT WHAT COULD BE, BUT JUST NOT FORGETTING TO THINK ABOUT LONGER TERM, AND WHAT COULD HAPPEN IN OTHER AREAS OF DOWNTOWN OR IS THAT THE HIGHEST AND BEST USE OF PARKING RIGHT NOW, I JUST THINK IT'S GOOD TO LOOK AT THE ENTIRE FOOTPRINT OF DOWNTOWN, IN OTHER WORDS, WHEN WE COME TO PLACE 10 YEARS FROM NOW, WE SAID, MAN, WHY IN THE WORLD DID WE MAKE THAT INTO PARKING? WE DON'T NEED PARKING THERE.
WE REALLY NEED PARKING SOMEWHERE ELSE.
I THINK IT'S JUST SOMETHING TO LOOK AT AND MAY NEED CHANGE ANYTHING ON THIS.
THEN MY OTHER QUESTION IS, ARE GOVERNMENTAL ENTITIES ELIGIBLE FOR TIERS FUNDING, OR IS THAT ONLY FOR BUSINESS?
>> TECHNICALLY, YES, IT HAS BEEN USED FOR GOVERNMENT.
IT'S BEEN USED FOR POTTER COUNTY STREETSCAPE, AND IT WAS ALSO USED FOR AMARILLO COLLEGE STREETSCAPE, SO IT HAS HISTORICALLY BEEN USED FOR BOTH.
>> THAT COULD BE SOMEWHERE IF WE'RE, OF COURSE.
>> PARTICULARLY THE 250,000 STREETSCAPE WOULD BE AN EASY ONE TO QUALIFY.
>> ANYTHING FURTHER, MR. HOOPER?
>> WE'LL LOOK FOR THAT BACK. THANK YOU, GUYS. APPRECIATE THAT.
MOVING US, COUNCIL, DO WE HAVE ANY FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS REQUESTED? NO? WE'RE GOING TO MOVE OVER TO OUR CONSENT AGENDA, SECTION 8.
[8. Consent Items]
DO I HAVE ANYTHING THAT COUNCIL HAD A QUESTION,[02:00:02]
NEEDED DISCUSSION, OR THAT WE NEED TO PULL OFF?>> I MOVE TO APPROVE THE CONSENT AGENDA AS PRESENTED.
>> MOTION AND A SECOND ON ALL ITEMS, CONSENT.
>> ANY OPPOSED? MOTION PASSES WITH A 4-0 VOTE.
TURNING A FEW PAGES HERE TO NUMBER 9.A.
[9.A. PUBLIC HEARING AND CONSIDERATION OF ORDINANCE NO. 8184]
WE HAVE MR. HENDRICK HERE OR KENDRICK COMING UP HERE TO DO A PUBLIC HEARING.>> GOOD AFTERNOON, MAYOR AND COUNCIL.
THE ORDINANCE 8184 IS A PUBLIC HEARING AND CONSIDERATION FOR THE REZONING OF A 1.16 ACRE TRACK AND LAND OUT OF BLOCK 46 OF RIDGECREST, UNIT NUMBER 12, LOCATED IN RANDALL COUNTY, TEXAS, PLUS ONE-HALF OF ALL BOUNDING STREETS, ALLEYS, AND PUBLIC WAYS.
THE CHANGE FROM RESIDENTIAL DISTRICT 1 TO PLANNED DEVELOPMENT DISTRICT 408 FOR SINGLE-FAMILY DETACHED HOMES WITH INCREASED MAXIMUM LOT COVERAGE, AND A REDUCED MINIMUM LOT WIDTH AREA, AND FRONT YARD SETBACK IN THE VICINITY OF HOLIDAY DRIVE AND FULTON DRIVE, AND THE APPLICANT IS OJD ENGINEERING LLC FOR MIKE STANDEFER.
THE APPLICANT IS PROPOSING TO CHANGE THE ZONING TO DEVELOP THIS PROPERTY WITH NINE SINGLE-FAMILY DETACHED HOMES IN AN ALLEY, AND EIGHT OF THOSE HOMES WILL BE ZERO-LOT LINE GARDEN HOMES.
THE REQUEST WOULD CONFORM WITH CITY PLAN 2045 AND THE PLACE TYPE OF NEIGHBORHOOD LOW IDENTIFIED FOR THE PROPERTY.
CURRENTLY, THE APPLICANT'S PROPERTY IS RESIDENTIAL DISTRICT 1, WHICH WOULD ALLOW FOR SINGLE-FAMILY DETACHED HOMES.
THE APPLICANT'S PROPOSED PLAN DEVELOPMENT WOULD FEATURE THE FOLLOWING DIFFERENCES FROM RESIDENTIAL DISTRICT 1 HOWEVER.
INCREASED LOT COVERAGE, 60% VERSUS 45, REDUCED MINIMUM LOT WIDTH, 37 FEET VERSUS 60 FEET, REDUCED MINIMUM LOT AREA, 04,400 SQUARE FEET VERSUS 7,500 SQUARE FEET, AND REDUCED MINIMUM FRONT YARD SETBACK, 15 FEET VERSUS 25 FEET.
THE PLANNING AND ZONING COMMISSION DID NOTE THAT THE PROPOSED LOTS WOULD BE AN INCREASE IN DENSITY WHEN COMPARED TO THE PREVAILING DEVELOPMENT PATTERN IN THIS AREA, WHICH IS APPROXIMATELY FOUR DWELLING UNITS PER ACRE.
HOWEVER, THIS LOCATION ALONG FULTON DRIVE IS LOCATED DIRECTLY ACROSS THE STREET FROM FIVE DUPLEXES, THAT ARE A TOTAL OF 10 DWELLING UNITS, AND THOSE COME OUT TO A UNIT DENSITY OF 8.3 UNITS PER ACRE, AND THOSE WERE CONSTRUCTED IN THE 1970S.
NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE. THAT IS THE PROPOSED SITE PLAN FOR THE GARDEN HOMES.
MOST OF THEM FALL FRONT ALONG FULTON AND ONE ALONG HARMONY.
ON THIS SLIDE HERE, THE PROPERTY IN RED IS THE APPLICANT'S PROPERTY, AND THE PROPERTY IN YELLOW ARE THOSE JUST MENTIONED DUPLEXES THAT THE PROPERTY IS LOCATED DIRECTLY ACROSS THE STREET FROM.
THE APPLICANT'S PROPOSED DENSITY IS 7.8 UNITS PER ACRE, AND THE CITY PLAN PLACE TYPE FOR THE CATEGORY, WHICH IS THAT NEIGHBORHOOD LOW CATEGORY HAS A RECOMMENDED DENSITY OF 1-9 UNITS PER ACRE, SO THE APPLICANT'S PROPOSED DENSITY WOULD FIT WITHIN THAT RANGE THAT'S CALLED FOR.
ADDITIONALLY, CITY PLAN ALSO CALLS FOR ENCOURAGING APPROPRIATE INFILL PROJECTS AND ESTABLISHING A GREATER DIVERSITY OF HOUSING OPTIONS BOTH IN ESTABLISHED AND DEVELOPING NEIGHBORHOODS, SO THIS PROPOSAL WOULD ACCOMPLISH THOSE TWO GOALS AS WELL.
IN EXAMINING THE REQUEST, THE PLANNING AND ZONING COMMISSION IS OF THE OPINION THAT THIS IS AN APPROPRIATE INFILL PROJECT, WHEN CONSIDERING THE DEVELOPMENT PATTERNS IN THIS AREA THAT THE APPLICANT'S PROPERTY IS LOCATED NEXT TO, AND IT WOULD ALSO MAINTAIN THE PREDOMINANT SINGLE-FAMILY NATURE OF THIS AREA.
WE DID SEND 26 PUBLIC NOTICES AS REQUIRED BY STATE LAW, AND WE DID RECEIVE ONE COMMENT IN OPPOSITION TO THE REQUEST.
THE PRIMARY CONCERNS THAT WERE EXPRESSED WERE THE DENSITY OF THE PROPOSED DEVELOPMENT, INCREASES IN TRAFFIC, IF APPROVED, AND PARKING ISSUES AND CONCERNS ABOUT INCREASED FLOODING IF ADDITIONAL DEVELOPMENT IS ALLOWED IN THIS AREA.
JUST TO SHOW YOU A VERY SIMILAR PLANNED DEVELOPMENT HERE IN TOWN TO GIVE YOU A VISUAL OF WHAT THIS COULD POTENTIALLY LOOK LIKE.
THIS IS A PLAN DEVELOPMENT OVER IN SLEEPY HOLLOW THAT FEATURES VIRTUALLY IDENTICAL LOT SIZES AND ALSO A DEVELOPMENT STANDARDS.
THE ONE EXCEPTION IS THE LOT COVERAGE ON THIS DEVELOPMENT WAS 50% AND THE APPLICANTS PROPOSING 60%.
BUT THIS IS LARGELY A VERY SIMILAR EXAMPLE OF WHAT THE DEVELOPER HAS PLANNED, AND THAT'S WHAT IT WOULD VISUALLY LOOK LIKE FROM THE STREET POTENTIALLY REGARDING THE SIZE OF HOME AND THE TYPE OF LOT THAT THESE WOULD BE ON, AND THESE ALSO FEATURE A 15 FOOT SETBACK AS WELL, JUST AS THE APPLICANT'S PROPOSING.
GIVEN ALL THAT, THE PLANNING AND ZONING COMMISSION DID RECOMMEND APPROVAL WITH A 7-0 VOTE AT THEIR MARCH 3RD MEETING ON THIS REQUEST?
>> VERY WELL. ANY QUESTIONS FOR BRADY?
>> WHAT'S THE CURRENT USE, BRADY? WHAT IS IT RIGHT NOW?
>> THIS PROPERTY WAS OWNED BY THE AMARILLO DEAF CHURCH, AND IT WAS JUST A VACANT PORTION OF THEIR LOT THAT THE DEVELOPER BOUGHT FROM THEM.
THEY ALSO DID DEMOLISH A PORTION OF THEIR BUILDING AS WELL,
[02:05:02]
SO IT'S CURRENTLY UNDEVELOPED AT THIS POINT.>> ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? THANK YOU, MR. KENDRICK.
AT THIS TIME, WE'LL OPEN A PUBLIC HEARING.
DO I HAVE ANYONE HERE TODAY WHO WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK FOR OR AGAINST THIS ITEM? SEEING NO ONE, WE'LL CLOSE OUR PUBLIC HEARING, WOULD REQUEST A MOTION BY COUNCIL.
>> I MAKE A MOTION TO APPROVE ORDINANCE NUMBER 8184 AS PRESENTED.
ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? ALL IN FAVOR, PLEASE SAY AYE.
>> ANY OPPOSED? MOTION PASSES.
WE APPRECIATE THE HARD WORK AND THE FUTURE HOUSING OVER THERE.
THAT'S A GOOD DEAL, SO THANK Y'ALL.
[9.B. CONSIDERATION OF ORDINANCE NO. 8185]
MOVING US TO ITEM 9.B.LET ME SEE WHO WE HAVE ON THIS ONE.
SHOWS MRS. COGGINS, A TABC ISSUE, POSSIBLY.
>> THANK YOU, MAYOR AND COUNCIL.
WE ARE BACK TODAY WITH AN ALCOHOL-RELATED VARIANCE REQUEST FROM THE BIG TEXAN RV RANCH.
IN YOUR PACKETS, YOU'VE GOT SOME INFORMATION, AND WE'RE GOING TO GO THROUGH THIS ON THE SCREEN AS WELL.
THE BIG TEXAN RV RANCH, THEY OPERATE AS AN RV PARK, THEY HAVE CABINS AS WELL, AND THEY ARE SEEKING TO ADD THE SALE OF ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES, BEER, AND WINE ON THEIR PREMISES.
IT WOULD BE OFF-PREMISE SALES FROM IN ESSENCE, LIKE A GIFT SHOP THEY HAVE THERE, AND THEY ARE SEEKING THIS IN HOPES OF ADDING OPTIONS AND OPPORTUNITY FOR THEIR GUESTS TO HAVE CONVENIENT OPTIONS TO BUY BEER AND WINE WITHOUT HAVING TO DETACH THEIR TOWED VEHICLES FROM THEIR RVS AND TRAVELING OFFSITE.
THE APPLICANT IS OPERATING, AS WE TALKED, AS AN RV AND CABIN CAMPGROUND.
>> THEY'RE LOCATED AT 1414 SUNRISE DRIVE.
THEY APPLIED FOR A LICENSE TO SELL BEER AND WINE OFF-PREMISE.
ULTIMATELY, THEY WERE DENIED AN ALCOHOL BUSINESS LICENSE ON FEBRUARY 26, 2025, BECAUSE THEY ARE WITHIN A 300-FOOT SETBACK OF SUNRISE ELEMENTARY.
AS A REMINDER, SCHOOLS ARE MEASURED AS THE CROW FLIES.
PROPERTY LINE TO PROPERTY LINE FROM THE BIG TEXAN RV RANCH TO SUNRISE ELEMENTARY, THEY'RE APPROXIMATELY 193 FEET AWAY.
THE BIG TEXAN RV RANCH IS LOCATED IN AN AREA ZONED LIGHT COMMERCIAL, AND THAT ZONING DOES ALLOW FOR ALL TYPES OF ALCOHOL SALES.
THE SURROUNDING AREA HAS NO LEGAL ALCOHOL BUSINESS LICENSE WITHIN THAT 300-FOOT SETBACK.
ONE THING TO NOTE ON THIS AND SOMETHING THAT THEY INCLUDED IN THEIR REQUEST TO US, WHICH WAS INCLUDED IN YOUR AGENDA PACKET, IS SUNRISE ELEMENTARY IS ONE OF THE SCHOOLS THAT AISD WILL BE CLOSING AFTER 2025.
WE DID REACH OUT TO AISD, AND THEY WROTE US BACK AND SAID THEY WOULD NOT OPPOSE THIS VARIANCE AS FAR AS SOME OF THE REASONING THAT THE APPLICANT GAVE, AND WE WORKED WITH CHRIS GANT, WHO'S ONE OF THE CO-OWNERS OF THIS RV PARK.
HE WAS NOT ABLE TO BE HERE TODAY.
BUT IN THE LETTER THAT'S IN YOUR PACKET, HE DID SHARE SOME REASONING, NUMBER 1, THE CLOSURE OF THE AISD SCHOOL.
THEIR INTENTION IS TO SELL A VERY LIMITED QUANTITY OF BEER AND WINE EXCLUSIVELY TO REGISTERED GUESTS OF THE BIG TEXAN RV RANCH.
THEIR ON-SITE STORE PRIMARILY SERVES THEIR RESIDENTS AND NOT THE GENERAL PUBLIC.
THEN THEY ACKNOWLEDGE THE SMALL PORTION OF THEIR PROPERTY, WHICH WE'LL LOOK AT ON THE MAP HERE IN A MOMENT THAT FALLS WITHIN THAT 300-FOOT SETBACK IS ACTUALLY FENCED OFF AND NOT BEING USED AT THE MOMENT.
ONE THING TO REMEMBER WHEN WE TALK ABOUT A VARIANCE REQUEST.
OUR CODE DOES NOT ALLOW IT WITHIN 300 FOOT OF A SCHOOL OR A CHURCH, YOU AS COUNSEL CAN ALLOW A VARIANCE TO THAT FOR SEVERAL DIFFERENT REASONS, WHICH ARE ON THE SCREEN HERE.
IF YOU FIND THAT DENYING THEM THE ABILITY FOR THEIR PROPOSED ALCOHOL SALES WOULD HIT ONE OF THESE CONSIDERATIONS, THEN YOU MAY WANT TO CONSIDER APPROVING A VARIANCE TODAY.
IF YOU APPROVE A VARIANCE TODAY, ONCE WE APPROVE IT FOR THAT PROPERTY, IT IS GRANDFATHERED IN FOR LIFE.
THAT'S WHAT YOU HAVE TO REMEMBER, AND IT COULD OPEN UP AS ANY OTHER TYPE OF ALCOHOL SALES AS WELL.
IT COULD TRANSFER TO A BAR, IT COULD TRANSFER TO A RESTAURANT, ANY OF ALCOHOL SALES WOULD BE WET AT THAT LOCATION AFTER THAT.
WHAT YOU'LL SEE THERE, THE BIG TEXAN RV RANCH AND SUNRISE ELEMENTARY.
THE SCHOOL IS HIGHLIGHTED IN RED, AND THE APPLICANT IS HIGHLIGHTED IN GREEN, AND IT'S THAT NORTHWESTERN CORNER OF THE RV RANCH THAT FALLS WITHIN THAT 200-FOOT SETBACK.
THERE ARE NO OTHER ALCOHOL LICENSE WITHIN THE SETBACK,
[02:10:02]
BUT I'VE GOT A FEW OTHER THAT ARE NOTATED WITH RED CIRCLES THERE THAT ARE IN THAT VICINITY. ANY QUESTIONS?>> THE ACTUAL LOCATION OF THE, I GUESS, STORE IS NOWHERE NEAR 300 FEET, CORRECT?
>> THAT IS CORRECT. THE WAY THAT IT WAS EXPLAINED TO ME, I BELIEVE IT IS IN THE SOUTHEASTERN PART, SO IT'S ALMOST COMPLETELY ACROSS FROM WHERE THAT SETBACK FALLS.
>> BUT WE MEASURE FROM PROPERTY LINE TO PROPERTY LINE.
>> WE DO. IF ANY PIECE OF THE PROPERTY FALLS WITHIN THAT SETBACK, THEN TECHNICALLY, IT'S SOMETHING WE WOULD HAVE TO DENY.
>> ARE THERE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS I CAN ANSWER FOR YOU ON THIS ONE?
>> TECHNICALLY, THEY CAN APPLY FOR THIS, I GUESS, WHENEVER THE LAST DAY OF THE SCHOOL CLOSES, OR IF IT'S STILL ZONED FOR A SCHOOL, DOES IT?
>> I THINK TECHNICALLY ONCE IT'S STILL OWNED BY A SCHOOL, IT'S BEING [OVERLAPPING].
>> AS LONG AS THE PROPERTY IS AT AISD'S NAME, THEY WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO.
>> I TALKED THROUGH THAT WITH THE APPLICANT.
WE TALKED THROUGH THAT A LITTLE BIT AND CHATTED, AND IN THE INTEREST OF TIME, THEY WANTED TO SEEK A VARIANT SO THAT THEY COULD DO SOMETHING BECAUSE WE DON'T KNOW WHAT AISD'S PLANS WOULD BE WITH THAT PROPERTY.
>> ANYTHING FURTHER? MS. COGGINS, THANK YOU.
>> AT THIS TIME, WE WILL OPEN A PUBLIC HEARING, CORRECT?
>> [OVERLAPPING] IS NOT A PUBLIC HEARING.
>> IT'S NOT A PUBLIC HEARING, EVEN THOUGH IT'S A VARIANCE.
>> CORRECT. BUT I WILL REMIND YOU WHEN YOU MAKE A MOTION, AND LET ME PUT THESE BACK ON THE SCREEN, WE WOULD NEED YOU TO IDENTIFY WHICH OF THESE THAT YOU WOULD WANT TO MAKE THAT MOTION WITH.
>> COUNCIL, ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION ON THIS ONE?
>> I MOVE TO ADOPT ORDINANCE NUMBER 8185, ALLOWING A VARIANCE IF THE ENFORCEMENT OF A SETBACK WILL NOT BE EFFECTIVE OR NECESSARY.
>> I HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND.
ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? ALL IN FAVOR, PLEASE SAY AYE?
>> ANY OPPOSED? MOTION PASSES WITH A 4-0 VOTE.
[9.C. CONSIDERATION OF ORDINANCE NO. 8186]
ARE YOU UP ON THIS ONE?>> GOOD AFTERNOON, MAYOR AND COUNCIL.
THIS ITEM IS ONE OF THE FINAL STEPS THAT WE TAKE IN ORDER TO CLOSE OUT OUR PRIOR FISCAL YEAR.
PLEASE NOTE THAT THIS IS RELATED TO FISCAL YEAR 2023-2024, AND THESE ARE BUDGET AMENDMENTS THAT WE'RE BRINGING FORWARD FOR THE LEGALLY ADOPTED BUDGETS BY THE CITY OF AMARILLO THAT WE WILL PRESENT IN OUR AUDITED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS THAT WE WILL BE PRESENTING TO YOU ALL AT THE NEXT CITY COUNCIL MEETING IN ORDER FOR YOU TO CONSIDER ACCEPTING IT.
THIS IS ORDINANCE NUMBER 8186, AND I DO WANT TO MENTION THAT THE ORDINANCE THAT WAS POSTED WITH THE AGENDA HAS A MISTAKE IN IT THAT I HAVE CORRECTED, AND I'M NOT SURE IF YOU'LL GOT A COPY OF THE UPDATED ORDINANCE OR NOT AT YOUR PLACES, BUT WE WILL MAKE SURE THAT IT IS INCLUDED FOR THE SECOND READING AT THE NEXT COUNCIL MEETING.
I'LL GO OVER THAT IN JUST A SECOND.
WE HAVE A HANDFUL OF RECOMMENDED BUDGET AMENDMENTS, AND I'LL JUST GO OVER THESE ONE BY ONE.
YOU ALL, PLEASE STOP ME IF YOU HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT ANY OF THESE.
WE HAVE A REQUESTED AMENDMENT OF 240,000 TO OUR LOCAL SEIZED PROPERTY FUND.
THOSE FUNDS WERE USED TO PURCHASE A VEHICLE AND SOME VARIOUS OTHER ITEMS THAT ARE NEEDED BY OUR POLICE DEPARTMENT.
THIS IS PURCHASED FROM SUFFICIENT FUNDS INSIDE THERE.
IT'S HARD FOR US TO ESTIMATE HOW MUCH SEIZED PROPERTY WILL GET ON AN ANNUAL BASIS, AND SO IF MORE COMES IN THAN ANTICIPATED, THEN A LOT OF TIMES THE POLICE DEPARTMENT WILL GO AHEAD AND PURCHASE NEEDED ITEMS. WE'RE LOOKING AT A $240,000 AMENDMENT, AGAIN, WITHIN THE FUNDS CONTAINED IN THE SEIZED PROPERTY FUND.
OUR NEXT ONE IS OUR COMPENSATED ABSENCES FUND.
THIS IS THE FUND THAT WE PAY OUT OUR TERMINATED SICK LEAVE, ANNUAL LEAVE, AND COMP TIME WHEN ANYONE SEPARATES SERVICES FROM THE CITY OF AMARILLO, OTHER THAN WATER AND SEWER, AIRPORT, AND DRAINAGE.
WE PAID OUT A LITTLE BIT MORE THAN ANTICIPATED THIS YEAR BY $450,000, AND WE HAVE COVERED THAT IN WHAT WAS AVAILABLE FROM OUR GENERAL FUND.
THAT IS OUR COMMON PRACTICE IN THAT AREA.
WE BUDGET ABOUT 1.25 MILLION EACH YEAR, BUT IT JUST DEPENDS BASED ON HOW MANY SEPARATIONS WE HAVE DURING THE YEAR, AND ESPECIALLY IF ANY OF THOSE ARE MORE TENURED EMPLOYEES, SOMETIMES THOSE PAYOUTS COME OUT A LITTLE BIT HIGHER.
[02:15:03]
THE NEXT ONE IS OUR COURT TECHNOLOGY.I'M GOING TO TALK ABOUT COURT TECHNOLOGY AND COURT SECURITY FUNDS.
THOSE ARE BOTH STATE-MANDATED FEES THAT WE COLLECT THROUGH OUR MUNICIPAL COURT AREA.
ACTUALLY, THESE ARE BOTH A POSITIVE THING.
WE'RE WANTING TO REDUCE THE AMOUNT THAT WE NEEDED FROM THE GENERAL FUND IN COURT TECHNOLOGY BY 15,000, SO WE NEED LESS, SO WE COLLECTED A LITTLE BIT MORE IN FEES AND ANTICIPATED.
THEN IN OUR COURT SECURITY FUND, 40,000, WE NEEDED A LITTLE BIT LESS AS WELL.
COURT TECHNOLOGY FUND HELPS PAY FOR SOME OF THE MUNICIPAL COURT SOFTWARE AND COURT SECURITY FUND PAYS FOR MOST OF THE BAILIFF'S COSTS OVER AT OUR MUNICIPAL COURT.
THE NEXT SEVERAL ARE PUBLIC IMPROVEMENT DISTRICTS.
PLEASE NOTE THAT THESE ARE FUNDED THROUGH THE ASSESSMENTS OF THOSE NEIGHBORHOOD, PUBLIC IMPROVEMENT DISTRICTS.
NO CITY FUNDING GOES INTO THESE PARTICULAR FUNDS, BUT THEY ARE A LEGALLY ADOPTED BUDGET, SO WE HAVE TO ADJUST AS WE MOVE FORWARD THROUGHOUT THE YEAR.
THE FIRST ONE IS HERITAGE HILLS PID, AND I BELIEVE IN YOUR ORDINANCE, IT HAD BEEN LISTED AT A $260,000 AMENDMENT.
WE HAD A LATE ENTRY THAT CAME THROUGH, AND THAT'S ACTUALLY GOING TO BE 295,000.
THEY PAID OUT A LITTLE BIT MORE IN PARK AMENITIES THAT THE DEVELOPER PUT IN, AND IT'S ALL WITHIN THE RESERVES THAT THEY HAVE IN THAT PUBLIC IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT.
THE OTHER ONE WE HAVE LISTED IN YOUR ORDINANCE THAT IS NO LONGER THERE IS YOUR COLONY'S PID, THEY DO NOT NEED A BUDGET AMENDMENT.
THAT IS GOING TO BE A CHANGE ON THE NEXT COUNCIL MEETINGS FINAL ORDINANCE FOR BUDGET AMENDMENTS.
THE NEXT ONE LISTED HERE IS POINT WEST PUBLIC IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT, AND THERE'S A $35,000 BUDGET AMENDMENT NEEDED.
AGAIN, THERE WAS A LITTLE BIT MORE PAID OUT FOR PARK AMENITIES AND SOME IRRIGATION THAN WHAT WAS ORIGINALLY BUDGETED, ALL WITHIN THEIR RESERVES.
VINEYARDS HAS A SMALL AMOUNT OF 5,000.
THEY PAID A LITTLE BIT MORE FOR TEMPORARY LABOR AND SOME ASSESSMENT COLLECTION BY POTTER COUNTY, AND IT'S ALL WITHIN THEIR EXCESS RESERVES.
THE LAST PID IS PINNACLE PID OF 50,000.
THEY PAID OUT JUST A LITTLE BIT MORE IN TEMPORARY LABOR THAN WAS BUDGETED, BUT ALL WITHIN THEIR EXCESS RESERVES AVAILABLE.
THE LAST ONE HERE IS OUR BONDED DEBT SERVICE FUND.
THIS IS WHERE WE PAID OUT OUR PROPERTY TAX, OUR HOTEL OCCUPANCY TAX, AND THEN ALL OF OUR PID-SUPPORTED DEBT.
ON THIS ONE, WE PAID OUT A LITTLE BIT MORE IN DEBT SERVICE THAN WE BUDGETED.
WHICH SEEMS WEIRD BECAUSE WE KNOW HOW MUCH WE'RE GOING TO PAY OUT EACH YEAR.
THE REASON FOR THAT WAS BECAUSE ACTUALLY THE DEBT THAT IS ASSOCIATED WITH CITY HALL IS BEING PAID HALF BY PROPERTY TAXES AND HALF BY OUR WATER AND SEWER REVENUES, AND IT WAS ALL IN THE WAY WE BUDGETED IT.
WE ACTUALLY, IN THE BUDGET, PUT IT IN AS THE DEBT SERVICE BEING PAID HALF OUT OF THIS AREA, HALF OUT OF WATER AND SEWER.
THE WAY WE ACTUALLY PAID IT, IT ALL CAME OUT OF THIS BONDED DEBT SERVICE FUND AND WATER AND SEWER JUST REIMBURSED THIS FUND.
IT'S JUST IN THE WAY THAT WE HAD ACCOUNTED FOR, BUT WE NEED TO GO AHEAD AND DO A BUDGET AMENDMENT.
IT'S ALL WITHIN THE FUNDING THAT WAS AVAILABLE INSIDE THAT FUND.
WITH THAT, I KNOW THIS IS A LOT, THIS IS REALLY JUST CLEAN UP AS WE GOT ALL THE FINAL AUDIT ADJUSTMENTS IN FOR THE YEAR.
AS I MENTIONED, WE'LL BE GOING OVER AN AUDIT WITH OUR AUDIT COMMITTEE, A LITTLE BIT MORE DETAIL ABOUT OUR AUDITED FINANCIALS, I BELIEVE LATER NEXT WEEK AND THEN NEXT COUNCIL MEETING, WE'LL BE BRINGING THE AUDITED FINANCIALS.
AS MENTIONED, THIS IS JUST FIRST READING OF THIS, AND THEN THE SECOND AND FINAL WILL BE ON THE NEXT COUNCIL MEETING.
WHAT CAN I ANSWER FOR YOU ALL?
>> JUST ON THE PIDS. DO THEY KNOW ABOUT THESE BUDGET AMENDMENTS?
>> YES. WE HAVE SENT THIS OUT TO ALL OF THE PID BOARDS TO LET THEM AWARE.
THAT'S HOW WE DETERMINED THERE WAS AN ENTRY THAT WAS INCORRECT BETWEEN THE HERITAGE HILLS PID AND COLONY'S PID BECAUSE THEY DID SOME REVIEW OF IT.
WE'RE ASKING MORE QUESTIONS, AND WE WERE ABLE TO GET THAT FIXED BEFORE WE BROUGHT IT TO YOU ALL.
>> MS. STORES. ON THE 540? YES.
>> THAT'S ALL FOR CITY HALL DEBT SERVICE?
>> YES, THAT'S ASSOCIATED WITH THE CITY HALL DEBT SERVICE.
YES. ACTUALLY, THE DEBT SERVICE ON CITY HALL IS HIGHER THAN THAT, BUT THIS IS FOR THE PORTION THAT WATER AND SEWER WAS PAYING ASSOCIATED WITH THAT.
>> FOR EXAMPLE, LET'S SAY WE PAID OUT $1 MILLION.
WE RECEIVED REVENUES 540,000 FROM SEWER AND WATER BECAUSE THEY'RE HOUSED HERE.
>> SO THEY CAN AFFORD TO PAY FOR THAT DEBT SERVICE, THEIR PORTION?
>> WHEN WE'RE MAKING A BUDGET AMENDMENT LIKE THIS, HOW WAS IT REPRESENTED BECAUSE THIS IS THE '23-'24 BUDGET?
>> HOW WAS IT REPRESENTED IN OUR LAST '24-'25 BUDGET?
[02:20:03]
>> IN THE '24-'25 BUDGET, I WOULD HAVE TO GO BACK AND DOUBLE-CHECK, BUT I THINK WE PUT IT ALL IN THIS FUND AND SHOWED A TRANSFER COMING IN FROM OUR WATER AND SEWER FUND, WHERE IN THIS YEAR, WE SHOWED ESSENTIALLY TWO SEPARATE DEBTS, AND THAT'S NOT ACCURATE BECAUSE IT'S JUST ONE DEBT ISSUANCE AND ONE DEBT SERVICE PAYMENT.
AND SO WE'RE MAKING ONE PAYMENT, AND THEN THE OTHER FUND IS REIMBURSING THIS FUND FOR IT.
>> WOULD THAT HAVE BEEN SHOWN IN A INTERDEPARTMENTAL INTER-FUND TRANSFER?
>> SO YOU WOULD HAVE SHOWN A FUND TRANSFER FROM WATER AND SEWER INTO GENERAL FUND, AN THEN THE [OVERLAPPING]?
>> INTO THE BONDED DEBT SERVICE FUND.
>> YOU'RE AMENDING THE OLD BUDGET TO RECONCILE THAT REVENUE SOURCE?
>> TO SHOW THAT WE PAID ALL THE DEBT SERVICE OUT OF THIS PLACE AND NOT IN THE TWO SEPARATE FUNDS.
WE HAD REVENUE COMING IN TO OFFSET IT, AND THEN THEY MADE THE FULL DEBT SERVICE PAYMENT OUT OF THIS BONDED DEBT SERVICE FUND INSTEAD OF A PIECE OUT OF THAT AND A PIECE OUT OF WATER AND SEWER.
>> BUT THEN JUST THE DOCUMENTATION, NOTICE IT HERE A PUBLIC MEETING, GO BACK AND SHOW IT?
>> THEN CURRENT BUDGET INCLUDES ALL FUNDING COMING FROM GENERAL FUND?
>> I BELIEVE SO. I'LL HAVE TO DOUBLE-CHECK ON THAT AND I CAN CONFIRM BACK WITH YOU ALL.
>> IF YOU WOULD BECAUSE I'M LOST.
THAT WOULD STILL BE AN INTERDEPARTMENTAL FUND TRANSFER, RIGHT?
>> YES, SIR. WHAT WOULD HAPPEN IS IF IT'S ALL BUDGETED IN THIS FUND, IT WOULD SHOW THE LARGER DEBT SERVICE EXPENSE, AND IT WOULD SHOW A REVENUE SOURCE OF TRANSFER IN FROM WATER AND SEWER.
ON THE WATER AND SEWER SIDE, IT WOULD SHOW A TRANSFER OUT INSTEAD OF A DEBT SERVICE PAYMENT.
>>I FOLLOW YOU THERE. I GUESS I WAS JUST READING THE PARENTHESES SHOWING THAT IT WAS COVERED BECAUSE WE HAD EXCESS RESERVES.
BUT TECHNICALLY, IT'S COVERED BECAUSE YOU HAVE REVENUES.
>> YES COMING IN FROM WATER AND SEWER FUND.
YES, SIR. ABSOLUTELY. THAT'S PROBABLY A BETTER WAY TO PUT IT.
I CAN UPDATE THAT ON THE MEMO TO MAKE IT A LITTLE MORE CLEAR FOR THE NEXT READING AT THE NEXT COUNCIL MEETING.
>> I THINK SO. JUST THE LEVEL OF SCRUTINY THAT WE OPERATE UNDER, ESPECIALLY WHEN YOU HAVE TRANSFERS LIKE THAT, I THINK IT WOULD BE GOOD TO SHOW THAT YOU REVENUED MONEY FROM WATER AND SEWER THAT PAID FOR THAT DEBT SERVICE OUT OF THE GENERAL FUND, AND THEN ON THE CURRENT YEAR'S BUDGET, HOWEVER, YOU WANT TO UPDATE THAT IN THE AUDIT COMMITTEE MEETING WOULD BE GREAT WITH ME.
>> ON THE BUDGET PIECE. I DON'T HAVE THE BUDGET IN FRONT YOU, BUT WHEN YOU LOOKING AT THE BUDGET, IT'S REVENUE BONDS THROUGH WATER AND SEWER, RIGHT?
>> ARE YOU ASKING ABOUT THIS PARTICULAR DEBT ISSUANCE?
>> YEAH. THE REVENUE BOND CAME FROM WATER AND SEWER FOR CITY HALL, SO THERE WERE TWO BONDS, CORRECT?
>> NO. THERE WAS JUST ONE DEBT ISSUANCE.
IT WAS A TAX NOTE WITH A PROPERTY TAX PLEDGE AND A LIMITED PLEDGE FROM WATER AND SEWER.
THE WAY WE HAVE FUNDED IT IS HALF HAS COME OUT OF PROPERTY TAXES AND HALF HAS COME OUT OF WATER AND SEWER.
AGAIN, AS JUST A POINT OF NOTE, THAT DEBT ISSUANCE WILL BE PAID OFF, I BELIEVE IT'S IN 2029.
>> WE HAVE A COUPLE MORE YEARS OF THIS, AND THEN THAT ONE ACTUALLY WILL GO AWAY.
IT'S A LITTLE BIT COMPLICATED BECAUSE WE HAVE TWO FUNDS PAYING FOR IT, BUT IT'S TRULY JUST ONE DEBT ISSUANCE.
>> ANY FURTHER QUESTIONS? MRS. STORES, WE APPRECIATE IT.
>> I MOVE TO ADOPT ORDINANCE NUMBER 8186.
>> I HAVE A MOTION IN A SECOND, ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? ALL IN FAVOR, PLEASE SAY AYE.
>> ANY OPPOSED? MOTION PASSES.
THAT CONCLUDES ALL OF OUR BUSINESS DEALINGS HERE TODAY.
WE APPRECIATE EVERYONE FOR COMING IN AND ATTENDING THE MEETING.
COUNCIL, WITH A MOTION TO ADJOURN, WE'LL GET OUT OF HERE.
>> I MOVE TO ADJOURN THIS MEETING.
>> MOTION IN A SECOND. YOU'RE ADJOURNED. THANK YOU, GUYS.
* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.