Mar 10, 2020 City Council Regular Meeting

[00:00:02]

WONDERFUL. WELCOME.

WE'RE GONNA GO AHEAD AND CALL TO ORDER THE CITY COUNCIL MEETING, REGULAR BUSINESS MEETING FOR THIS WEEK. AND HERE TO SAY OUR INVOCATION IS GENE SHELBURNE.

[INVOCATION]

THANK YOU FOR LEADERS WHO REALLY CARE IF SOMEBODY AT OUR TOWN IS HUNGRY OR COLD OR SICK OR AT RISK. THANK YOU.

THAT NOT JUST HERE IN THIS MEETING, LORD, OUR LEADERS AND OUR CITY STAFF ARE ALWAYS SEARCHING FOR A WISE AND EFFECTIVE WAYS TO HELP THOSE WHO APPEAR TO BE HELPLESS.

BUT YOU KNOW, LORD, THAT FINDING THE RIGHT STRATEGIES TO SUPPLY SUCH HELP IS NEVER SIMPLE. YOU HAVE TAUGHT YOUR PEOPLE TO CARE FOR THE NEEDY, BUT PROVIDING FOOD AND CLOTHES AND MEDICAL CARE AND HOUSING FOR THOSE WHO NEED THEM RAISES ISSUES THAT WE CANNOT IGNORE.

SOMETIMES IT SEEMS THAT WE NEED SOLOMON ON OUR TEAM TO KEEP US FROM CREATING PROBLEMS BIGGER THAN THE ONES THAT WE'RE TRYING TO SOLVE.

SO WE ASK YOU, LORD TO GOD, OUR COUNCIL MEMBERS TODAY, NOT ONLY AS THEY CONSIDER A MULTITUDE OF OTHER ISSUES, BUT AS THEY LOOK FOR WISE WAYS TO HELP THE HOMELESS IN OUR TOWN IN THE NAME OF YOUR SON WHO ALWAYS HELP THE POOR.

AMEN.

[PROCLAMATION]

OK, I'M GOING TO READ THIS PROCLAMATION AND THEN AFTERWARDS MARITA'S GONNA DO A LITTLE JIG FOR US BECAUSE SHE'S NEW AND IMPROVED, RIGHT, MARITA? LOOK HOW GOOD YOU LOOK. WHEREAS IN 2019, THE AMARILLO CITY TRANSIT DRIVERS DROVE OVER ONE MILLION MILES TO SERVE THE CITIZENS OF AMARILLO.

AND WHEREAS FRIENDLY AND PROFESSIONAL A.C.T.

TRANSIT DRIVERS HAVE A HUGE IMPACT IN OUR COMMUNITY BY PROVIDING ASSISTANCE TO THE GENERAL PUBLIC AND ESPECIALLY TO SENIORS AND CITIZENS WITH DISABILITIES BY PROVIDING QUALITY CUSTOMER SERVICE, WHEREAS OUR PASSENGERS RELY ON THE ACT TRANSIT DRIVERS TO PROVIDE TRANSPORTATION TO AND FROM WORK, SCHOOL, SHOPPING, EVEN MEDICAL APPOINTMENTS.

AND WHEREAS OUR TRANSIT DRIVERS, ROUTE SUPERVISORS, MAINTENANCE MECHANICS AND UTILITY WORKERS WORK TIRELESSLY TO DELIVER A SAFE AND CLEAN AND ESSENTIAL SERVICE THAT STRENGTHENS OUR COMMUNITY.

NOW, THEREFORE, WE, THE MAYOR AND THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF AMARILLO, TEXAS, DO HEREBY PROCLAIM MARCH 18TH, 2020 AS TRANSIT DRIVER APPRECIATION DAY IN AMARILLO.

AND WE ENCOURAGE CITIZENS AND RIDERS TO GIVE A KIND WORD, A SMILE OR A THANK YOU TO THEIR TRANSIT DRIVER IN HONOR OF THEIR HARD WORK THROUGHOUT THE YEAR.

AND WE DON'T JUST LIMIT THAT TO THIS ONE DAY.

WE WOULD ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO DO THAT EVERY SINGLE DAY, WHICH I'LL GIVE THEM A ROUND OF APPLAUSE, PLEASE. [APPLAUSE].

[00:05:03]

AND DOES SUCH A FANTASTIC JOB, HAS MADE A GREAT TURNAROUND IN THE SERVICE, THE QUALITY OF SERVICES. CHANGING THE ROUTE, IMPLEMENTING NEW POLICIES AND EVEN A NEW CULTURE IN OUR TRANSIT DEPARTMENT. WE'RE SO GLAD TO HAVE YOU.

AND I'M GOING TO TURN THE MICROPHONE OVER TO YOU.

WE ARE VERY GRATEFUL THAT WE COULD HONOR OUR EMPLOYEES TODAY.

AND WHILE THEY'RE ALL OUT WORKING, WE SNAGGED A FEW THAT COULD BE HERE.

AND SO THAT THEY COULD CELEBRATE THE HONOR THAT WE'VE BEEN GIVEN TO ANNOUNCE THAT MARCH 18TH. AND THAT'S PART OF A NATIONAL PROGRAM OF HONORING TRANSIT DRIVERS ACROSS THE UNITED STATES. SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH, MAYOR.

AND I'M VERY PROUD OF THE CREW THAT WE HAVE.

AND I'M ALWAYS HONORED WHEN PEOPLE CALL AND TELL US JUST HOW GREAT THEIR DRIVERS ARE.

AND I THINK THE PUBLIC WHO LETS US KNOW AND ALSO LET US KNOW IF WE DON'T MEET YOUR EXPECTATIONS, WE BECAUSE.

THANK YOU.

OCCASIONALLY. YES.

THANK YOU, MARITA.

IT'S A VERY WELL-DESERVING GROUP FOR OUR APPRECIATION FOR SURE.

WE DON'T HAVE ANYONE SIGNED UP FOR PUBLIC ADDRESS TODAY.

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

ANYTHING IN YOUR ATTACHMENTS COUNCIL THAT YOU NEED FURTHER EXPLANATION OR HAVE QUESTIONS ABOUT?NOT HEARING ANYTHING.

[B. Update on Point-in-Time (PIT) Count;]

SHE'S GOING TO INTRODUCE THE TOPIC AND ALSO ANY OTHER PEOPLE YOU NEED.

CAREFUL, THOUGH, THERE'S A LOT OF PEOPLE.

THERE ARE A LOT OF PEOPLE.

THANK YOU ALL. IT'S WONDERFUL TO BE HERE WITH YOU AGAIN, MAYOR AND COUNCIL AND MR. CITY MANAGER. BEFORE I GET STARTED, I WAS MOVED BY THE PRAYER THAT WE JUST HEARD.

AND I CARRY THIS PRAYER AROUND WITH ME.

AND IT IS THE SPIRIT OF, I THINK, THE INSPIRATION FOR MY WORK AND MY PASSION FOR THIS.

COULD I JUST READ IT? YES, YOU MAY.

SO I KNEW IT AS THE 11TH STEP PRAYER.

IT'S ALSO THE PRAYER OF SAINT FRANCIS.

AND I FALL SHORT ON A DAILY BASIS TO ACHIEVE THIS.

LORD, MAKE ME AN INSTRUMENT OF THY PEACE THAT WHERE THERE IS HATRED, I MAY BRING LOVE.

THAT WHERE THERE IS WRONG, I MAY BRING THE SPIRIT OF FORGIVENESS.

THAT WHERE THERE IS DISCORD, I MAY BRING HARMONY.

THAT WHERE THERE IS ERROR, I MAY BRING TRUTH.

THAT WHERE THERE IS DOUBT, I MAY BRING FAITH.

THAT WHERE THERE IS DESPAIR, I MAY BRING HOPE.

THAT WHERE THERE ARE SHADOWS, I MAY BRING LIGHT.

THAT WHERE THERE IS SADNESS, I MAY BRING JOY.

LORD GRANT, THAT I MAY SEEK RATHER TO COMFORT, THAN TO BE COMFORTED, TO UNDERSTAND, THAN TO BE UNDERSTOOD TO LOVE, THAN TO BE LOVED.

FOR IT IS BY SELF FORGETTING THAT ONE FINDS, AND IT'S BY FORGIVING THAT ONE IS FORGIVEN.

IT IS BY DYING THAT ONE AWAKENS TO ETERNAL LIFE.

AMEN. BEAUTIFUL.

SO WITH THAT SAID, WE'RE GOING TO GO ON TO A POINT IN TIME COUNT INFORMATION, AND WHAT I'M GOING TO TELL YOU IS WE HAVE SOME GOOD NEWS.

WE STILL HAVE A LONG WAY TO GO, BUT WE'RE MOVING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION.

SO I'M JUST GOING TO GIVE A BRIEF OVERVIEW ABOUT WHAT IS THE POINT IN TIME COUNT.

SO IT'S A 24 HOUR COUNT THAT ALL COMMUNITIES ACROSS THE UNITED STATES DO WHO RECEIVE FUNDING FROM HUD FOR HOMELESS SERVICES.

AND HERE IN AMARILLO, BECAUSE WE WANT TO INCREASE THE INTEGRITY OF OUR DATA, WE'VE DECIDED TO DO IT TWICE A YEAR.

THAT'S WHY YOU JUST SAW ME IN JULY.

AND NOW I'M BACK AGAIN.

[00:10:03]

AMANDA WEATHERFORD, WHO WORKS FOR TPC, AMY DIXON, SERGEANT RIDDLESPURGER, KELLY STEPHENS, WHO HAD BEEN THE PREVIOUS CHAIR FOR ABOUT 30 YEARS.

FORTUNATELY AGREED TO STAY ON AND HELP GUIDE US.

SELENE, JUNIE, VIRGINIA AND JOYCE, MARY RUSK AND CHESS GRANT.

AND THEY ALL WORK FULL TIME, HAVE REALLY HARD JOBS, AND DEDICATED THEIR TIME TO MAKE THIS POINT IN TIME COUNT A SUCCESS LIKE THE OTHERS HAVE BEEN.

[APPLAUSE].JULIANA, BEFORE YOU MOVE ON, JORDAN, CAN WE GET A PICTURE OF THAT TEAM BEFORE THEY LEAVE? I DON'T SEE JESSE IN HERE WITH HIS CAMERA, BUT I KNOW YOU GUYS ARE GONNA SNEAK OUT AFTER THIS ITEM.

AND I'D LOVE IT IF JESSE COULD CATCH YOU ALL AND GET A PICTURE OUT IN THE HALLWAY BEFORE ANYBODY LEAVES.

JULIANA, IF YOU TAKE THE LEAD ON THAT.

YOU GOT IT. ABSOLUTELY.

WE MIGHT HAVE A LOT OF PHOTO OPS BEFORE WE'RE DONE.

OKAY, GOOD. OKAY.

SO WHAT DOES HUD USE THE DATA FOR? THEY CREATE THIS REPORT EVERY YEAR, TAKES THEM ABOUT A YEAR TO DO IT.

WE JUST GOT THIS ONE THAT GOES TO CONGRESS.

AND ESSENTIALLY, IT'S A REPORT CARD ON ALL OUR COMMUNITIES, HOW WE'RE DOING, HOW WE'RE DOING IN TERMS OF IMPLEMENTING HUD'S POLICIES, HOW HUD POLICIES ARE ACTUALLY.

ARE THEY EFFECTIVE OR ARE THEY NOT EFFECTIVE IN REDUCING HOMELESSNESS? AND IT ALSO DETERMINES IT'S PART OF DETERMINING THE FUNDING THAT WE RECEIVE HERE IN AMARILLO. AND WE DO A YEARLY GRANT APPLICATION TO HUD ON BEHALF OF THE COMMUNITY CAUSE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT IS THE LEAD AGENCY FOR THE COC AND A LOT OF THE INFORMATION THAT IS COLLECTED AND SENT.

IT COMES FROM BOTH OUR HMIS SYSTEM AND FROM OUR POINT IN TIME COUNT.

SO HERE WE GO.

SO OUR METHODOLOGY, WE'VE BEEN DOING THE CONSISTENT METHODOLOGY FOR NOW THE THIRD TIME IN A ROW. WE USE A MOBILE APP, WE'RE SENDING TEAMS OUT ACROSS THE CITY.

HERE'S A MAP THAT SHOWS ALL THE DIFFERENT PLACES WE DID EITHER INTERVIEWS OR OBSERVATIONS, BOTH SHELTERED AND UNSHELTERED INDIVIDUALS.

AND WHAT WE ALSO DO.

THANKS TO AMY AND SALENE, HER PART OF MY DEPARTMENT IS WE VERIFY PEOPLE WHO, YOU KNOW, THE SURVEY SAID THEY WERE CHRONICALLY HOMELESS.

SO WE GO INTO THAT HMIS DATABASE AND MAKE SURE THAT IS THE CASE.

AND SAME FOR VETERANS AS WELL.

AND THAT'S A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF WORK.

BUT THEY REALLY PUSH THIS YEAR AND THAT'S WHY WE'RE SEEING YOU NOW IN MARCH, I THINK LAST JANUARY, IT WAS TOWARDS THE END OF APRIL, BEGINNING OF MAY.

SO THANK YOU TO AGAIN, AS ALWAYS.

SO PART OF THE POINT IN TIME COUNT IS A RESOURCE FAIR.

WE HAD 16 DIFFERENT ORGANIZATIONS THAT PARTICIPATED.

THIS WAS AT THE GSRC THE MORNING OF THE PIT COUNT.

SO AS INDIVIDUALS WERE COMING IN, THEY WERE ABLE TO RECEIVE RESOURCES, INFORMATION.

WE HAD, YOU KNOW, GREAT ORGANIZATIONS OUT THERE.

ANOTHER CHANCE HOUSE.

MOLLY, I DIDN'T SHOW YOU SWEATING OVER A HOT STOVE THIS YEAR.

ANIMAL WELFARE MANAGEMENT CAME OUT, DOWNTOWN WOMEN'S CENTER AND WE HAD SEVERAL AGENCIES NOT ONLY PUT UP A BOOTH BUT PROVIDE DONATIONS, BECAUSE WHEN WE'RE GOING OUT INTO THE FIELD, WE'RE GIVING OUT HAND WARMERS AND, YOU KNOW, THINGS THAT PEOPLE NEED WHO ARE NOT WILLING OR ABLE TO COME INTO THE SHELTER AT THAT POINT.

SO WE'RE VERY GRATEFUL TO ALL OF THEM.

OK. SO WE ALSO HAD SEVENTY NINE VOLUNTEERS.

YOU KNOW, THERE'S NO PAID STAFF THAT CONDUCT THIS PIT COUNT.

AND OUR PIT COUNT IS ONLY AS GOOD AS THE PEOPLE WE HAVE WHO ARE WILLING TO COME OUT AND DO THIS. SO WE'RE EXTREMELY GRATEFUL.

SO SEVENTY NINE PEOPLE, 19 TEAMS, AND SO MANY OF THEM ARE PART OF OUR COC.

MANY OF THEM ARE ALSO JUST CITIZENS WHO WERE INTERESTED AND WANTED TO BE A PART OF THIS.

AND SO I'D LIKE ANYONE WHO PARTICIPATED IN THE PIT COUNT, IF YOU WOULDN'T MIND.

JUST TAKE A QUICK STAND.

[APPLAUSE].

NEVER WOULD HAPPEN WITHOUT THEM.

SO THE RESULTS OF THESE EFFORTS.

YOU KNOW, WE'VE BEEN DOING THIS.

YOU KNOW, IT'S A YEAR LATER WHERE WE'VE BEEN DOING THE SAME METHODOLOGY.

REALLY KIND OF FOCUSED IN ON WHAT'S GOING ON HERE IN AMARILLO.

HAS IT MADE ANY DIFFERENCE? IN THE YEAR, WE WERE DOWN ONE HUNDRED AND SEVENTY FOUR PEOPLE.

[00:15:10]

I WILL TELL YOU, I TALKED TO CHAD OVER IN LUBBOCK TODAY.

HE'S KIND OF MY POSITION OVER THERE.

THEY WENT DOWN 10 PEOPLE.

I MEAN, THEY HAD A MUCH SMALLER NUMBER TO BEGIN WITH, BUT, YOU KNOW, 174 VERSUS 10.

SEE YOU LATER, LUBBOCK.

THEN THEIR TOTAL NUMBER.

SO THIS IS A BREAKDOWN BETWEEN SO OUR TOTAL NUMBERS OUR SHELTERED AND OUR UNSHELTERED.

AND YOU SEE THE GREEN IS UNSHELTERED.

SO THAT IS DEFINITELY DECREASING IN JANUARY OUR SHELTERED NUMBER WENT UP A LITTLE BIT, WHICH ISN'T UNEXPECTED.

RIGHT. AND WE WANT PEOPLE TO BE IN SHELTER.

YOU KNOW, IT'S A SAFER PLACE.

IT'S WARMER.

IT'S YOU KNOW, IT'S A GOOD THING.

AND I KNOW THAT OUR SHELTERS AROUND TOWN HAVE WORKED REALLY HARD TO GET THE MESSAGE OUT THAT PEOPLE ARE WELCOME AND TO PLEASE COME IN.

I THINK WE'RE SEEING THE DIFFERENCE OF THAT.

NOW, LAST YEAR WHEN WE MET IN JANUARY, THE CHRONIC HOMELESS NUMBER IS WHAT REALLY SCARED ME AND SHOCKED ME. WE'RE AT 34 PERCENT.

NATIONAL AVERAGE WAS 24 PERCENT.

AND NOW THAT OUR DENOMINATOR FELL, I THOUGHT, OH, NO, WHAT IF THAT SHOOTS UP.

BUT IN FACT, WE ARE NOW 27 PERCENT.

WE ARE STILL WAY TOO HIGH.

BUT TO DROP SEVEN PERCENTAGE POINTS IN ONE YEAR AND THE DENOMINATOR FALLING IS, AGAIN, IT'S JUST FANTASTIC.

SO THAT EQUATES TO A HUNDRED AND TWO PEOPLE WHO ARE CHRONICALLY HOMELESS AND PEOPLE WHO ARE CHRONICALLY HOMELESS ARE CONSIDERED TO HAVE SORT OF THE MOST COMPLEX NEEDS AS WELL AS OFTEN THEY'RE REFERRED TO AS KIND OF THE HARDEST TO HOUSE.

BUT THIS SHOWS IT CAN ABSOLUTELY BE DONE.

OK. AND THEN THIS JUST, YOU KNOW, SHOWN THIS SLIDE BEFORE.

IT'S A COMPARISON AND IT SHOWS THAT WE STILL HAVE PLENTY OF WORK TO DO.

WHEN YOU LOOK AT OTHER PLACES IN TERMS OF THEIR PERCENTAGE OF CHRONIC HOMELESSNESS AND WE DON'T HAVE THE 20 20 COUNT YET FOR THESE OTHER CITIES, WE TRIED TO GET IT FROM THEM, THEY UNWILLING TO RELEASE IT BECAUSE THEY GOT TO PRESENT TO CITY COUNCIL.

THEY HAVEN'T DONE IT YET. SO ANYWAY.

BUT CHAD DID TELL ME THEY WENT FROM 12.6 UP TO 14 PERCENT.

BUT, YOU KNOW, I DON'T WANT THAT TO HAPPEN FOR THEM.

BUT AGAIN, THEIR DENOMINATOR FELL.

SO WE STILL HAVE A LOT OF WORK TO DO, BUT WE'RE MOVING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION.

AND THEN THIS IS A BREAKDOWN OF THE DIFFERENT DEMOGRAPHICS, FEMALES, YOUNG ADULTS.

NOW, WE'RE GONNA GO INTO MORE DEPTH AT OUR COC MEETING THIS FRIDAY ABOUT THESE SPECIFICS.

OK, SO OUR VETERAN SO WE TALK A LOT ABOUT ENDING VETERAN HOMELESSNESS HERE.

SO WE FOUND 27 VETERANS WHEN WE DID THE PIT COUNT.

IT WAS 35 LAST YEAR.

THE GOOD NEWS IS WITH THESE 27, WE KNEW ALL OF THEM BECAUSE WE DO OUR VET MEETING EVERY WEEK. WE KNEW ALL OF THEM BUT THREE.

SO THAT MEANS WE'RE ALREADY WORKING WITH ALL OF THEM.

BUT THREE OF THEM AND THEY'RE IN THE PROCESS OF GETTING HOUSED.

SO AND MORE TO THAT POINT, WE'VE BEEN CONSISTENTLY AT FUNCTIONAL ZERO.

ACCORDING TO THE ICH BENCHMARKS AND WE'RE GONNA MEET ON THURSDAY, SELENE AND I ARE GOING OVER TO MEET WITH THE LEADER AT THE V.A.

FOR THEIR HOMELESS PROGRAM.

AND WE'RE STARTING THE OFFICIAL APPLICATION SO THAT WE CAN DECLARE THE AMARILLO HAS ENDED VETERAN HOMELESSNESS. [APPLAUSE] . SO HAVE WE DONE THIS, YOU KNOW? HOW HAVE WE HOUSED 174 PEOPLE, DROPPED 7 PERCENT IN CHRONIC HOMELESSNESS IN ONE YEAR? TO ME, THIS IS THE MOST IMPORTANT PART.

YOU KNOW, IT'S NOT WISHING OR HOPING.

IT'S OUR COC BOARD HAD A STRATEGIC PLANNING MEETING LED BY DR.

RUSSELL LOWERY-HART, WHO IS EXTREMELY HELPFUL.

ALL OF OUR COC MEETINGS WE'RE VERY FOCUSED.

WE'RE GIVING OUT THE HUD INFORMATION.

WE'RE TALKING ABOUT HMIS EVERYONE'S ON BOARD.

I GOT TO SAY, SERGEANT RIDDLESPURGER, WHO'S THE CHAIR OF COC, PROVIDES GREAT DIRECTION AND LEADERSHIP. SO IT'S THROUGH PARTNERSHIPS, THOUGH, AND TEAMWORK.

HUNDRED PERCENT. SO OUR CITY OF AMARILLO HOUSING AUTHORITY AND PANHANDLE COMMUNITY SERVICES, WHICH ALSO IS A HOUSING AUTHORITY AND THEY HAVE SIMILAR PARTNERSHIPS.

SO WE PARTNER WITH THE V.A.

FOR THE HUD VASH PROGRAM.

SO THAT'S FOR HOMELESS VETERANS, THE COMING HOME TEAM, TPC FOR THE SHELTER PLUS CARE

[00:20:01]

HART AND FOUND OUT THE NUMBER OF HOMELESS STUDENTS WHO WERE WORKING HARD, ATTENDING COMMUNITY COLLEGE AND LIVING IN THEIR CAR, WE SAID WE'VE GOT TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT THAT.

AND THAT'S ABSOLUTELY A PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN AC COLLEGE, PANHANDLE COMMUNITY SERVICES AND OUR HOUSING AUTHORITY.

AND THEN WE HAVE SEVERAL HOMELESS ORGANIZATIONS.

DOWNTOWN WOMEN'S CENTER, ANOTHER CHANCE HOUSE, VET STAR, AMARILLO HOUSING FIRST, WHO ARE ALL DOING THE BEST THEY CAN TO PROVIDE SUPPORT SERVICES.

BUT THEY NEEDED THE HOUSING AND OUR HOUSING AUTHORITY IN OUR ADMINISTRATIVE PLAN.

OUR PRIORITY IS HOMELESS.

SO WE'RE ABLE TO CONNECT WITH THEM, PROVIDE THE HOUSING AND THEY PROVIDE THE SUPPORTS BECAUSE AS YOU ALL KNOW, YOU GOT TO HAVE BOTH CAN'T HAVE ONE OR THE OTHER.

AND SO THESE PARTNERSHIPS JUST IN OUR CITY OF AMARILLO HOUSING AUTHORITY PROVIDED HOUSING AND SUPPORT SERVICES TO A HUNDRED AND SIXTY THREE HOMELESS PEOPLE IN ONE YEAR.

ANOTHER PART OF THE PARTNERSHIP AND TEAM WORK IS OUR LANDLORDS.

WE COULDN'T DO IT WITHOUT THEM.

COMING HOME HAS BENEFITED GREATLY FROM LANDLORDS WHO ARE WILLING TO BE FLEXIBLE, WILLING TO TAKE A CHANCE. I THINK PART OF IT IS BECAUSE THEY KNOW THAT THEY CAN CALL US AT ANYTIME. IF THERE'S AN ISSUE, WE'RE GONNA GO OUT THERE, WE'RE GONNA TRY TO FIX IT BEFORE IT LEADS TO HAVING TO GO TO COURT OR EVICTION.

AND YOU KNOW, WE HAVE SO MANY LANDLORDS AND THESE ARE JUST A FEW OF THE NAMES.

WE HAVE A COUPLE OF THEM HERE.

MR. LEVERETT.

WOULD YOU MIND STANDING UP? I DON'T KNOW IF MR. NEELY OR MR. BASKET OR MS. DENISE ARE HERE.THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH.

WE COULDN'T DO IT WITHOUT YOU.

[APPLAUSE].AND THEN ALSO DIFFERENT PHILANTHROPIC ORGANIZATIONS AND PRIVATE BUSINESSES HAVE COME ON BOARD.

SO AMARILLO AREA FOUNDATION, ABSOLUTELY INSTRUMENTAL IN US BEING ABLE TO EXPAND THE COMING HOME PROGRAM. HAPPY STATE BANK GAVE A VERY, VERY GENEROUS DONATION TO US.

THAT HAS HELPED TREMENDOUSLY BECAUSE THERE'S MANY THINGS THAT THESE DIFFERENT GRANTS DON'T COVER, YOU KNOW, BEFORE WE CAN GET SOMEONE ON JO WYATT, OUR PSYCHIATRIST DR.

STARK WILL PRESCRIBE MEDICATION.

WE'RE NOT GOING TO LET THE PERSON GO WITHOUT MEDICATION UNTIL IT'S COVERED BY JO WYATT.

SO WE BUY IT AND HAVING THAT DONATION EXTREMELY HELPFUL.

AND SO HAPPY STATE BANK, DR.

LONG AND NATRELLE LONG.

AND MR. JERRY HODGE HAVE ALL COME ON BOARD AS WELL.

THE LONGS ARE HERE. AND YES, I KNOW THEY ARE.

YA'LL STAND UP. [APPLAUSE].AND OTHER ORGANIZATIONS, I SEE THE GSRC, I MEAN, THEY'RE INCREDIBLE AT FACEBOOK.

IT'S LIKE EVERY FACEBOOK POST.

THANK YOU FOR THIS. THANK YOU FOR THAT.

AND I LOVE IT. IT'S FANTASTIC.

YOU ALL NEED THAT AND YOU PUT IT TO SUCH GREAT USE.

GOOD JOB.SO MOVING ON, SINCE YOU ALL HAD THE VISION AND DESIRE TO DO SOMETHING DIFFERENT ABOUT HOMELESSNESS A YEAR AND A HALF AGO AND STARTED THE COMING HOME PROGRAM.

I WANT TO GIVE YOU A QUICK UPDATE ON THAT.

SO COMING HOME, WE STARTED IT WAS AN INITIAL ONE HUNDRED AND FORTY THOUSAND INVESTMENT.

THE GOAL WAS TO SERVE TWENTY FIVE INDIVIDUALS, TWO SOCIAL WORKERS.

WE ENDED UP SERVING 32 HOUSEHOLDS AND 44 ADULTS AND SEVEN CHILDREN.

AND DURING THAT FIRST YEAR, ONE HUNDRED PERCENT RETAINED HOUSING.

WE ALSO LOST TWO CLIENTS TO DEATH.

THEY WERE CHRONICALLY HOMELESS.

THEY HAD SEVERE MENTAL ILLNESS.

AND THEY ALSO HAD CHRONIC HEALTH PROBLEMS. IT'S NOT SURPRISING THAT THEY PASSED AWAY.

AND WE KNOW THAT PEOPLE WITH THOSE CONDITIONS WILL DIE 25 YEARS EARLIER THAN THEIR COUNTERPARTS OR PEERS WHO AREN'T DEALING WITH THOSE CONDITIONS.

SO WE CAN DO SOMETHING ABOUT THE CHRONIC HOMELESSNESS.

RIGHT. WE CAN TAKE THAT OUT OF THE EQUATION.

AND THAT'S WHAT WE'RE WORKING ON.

SO NOW WE'VE EXPANDED COMING HOME STARTING IN DECEMBER OF 19.

CURRENTLY, WE HAVE A TOTAL OF 66 PEOPLE HOUSED.

OUR GOAL IS TO HAVE 70 TOTAL.

AND THAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN WITHIN THE NEXT 60 DAYS.

WE NOW HAVE FIVE SOCIAL WORKERS AND TWO PEER SUPPORTS.

OUR PEER SUPPORTS. DON'T KNOW IF YOU'RE FAMILIAR WITH THAT POSITION.

IT IS SOMEONE WHO HAS THE LIVED EXPERIENCE OF EITHER BEING HOMELESS, DEALING WITH MENTAL HEALTH OR ADDICTION ISSUES, GOING THROUGH THAT RECOVERY PROCESS AND NOW BEING ABLE TO USE

[00:25:01]

I CANNOT SAY ENOUGH ABOUT THOSE ROLES.

VERY GRATEFUL TO HAVE THEM.

IN FACT, COMING HOME TEAM IS HERE.

CAN I ASK THEM JUST TO STAND UP? [APPLAUSE].

I'VE RUN SEVERAL OF THESE TEAMS. PHILADELPHIA, CONSULTED WITH SOME IN NEW YORK, CONSULTED ACROSS THE COUNTRY AND WITHOUT A DOUBT, THIS IS THE BEST TEAM THAT I'VE EVER WORKED WITH.

THEY ARE THE MOST DEDICATED, THE MOST COMPASSION.

THEY HAVE THE VALUES SET.

THEY HAVE THE SMARTS.

AND IT JUST IT BLOWS ME AWAY ON A DAILY BASIS.

THEY'LL NEVER KNOW HOW INCREDIBLY GRATEFUL I AM TO THEM.

SO I WISH I COULD STILL SAY WE HAD 100 PERCENT HOUSING RETENTION.

WE HAVE 98.48%.

WE HAD ONE GENTLEMAN GO TO JAIL.

WE WOULD HAVE WORKED WITH HIM WHEN HE CAME BACK.

I'LL KNOW HE'S FLOWN THE COOP.

I DON'T KNOW WHERE HE IS, BUT MAYBE WE'LL FIND HIM, YOU KNOW, AND WE'LL WELCOME HIM BACK AND DO THE BEST WE CAN TO WORK WITH HIM.

WE HAVE CURRENTLY HAVE FIVE PEOPLE WHO ARE WORKING ON GRADUATION.

THEY DON'T REALLY NEED OUR SUPPORTS THE SAME AMOUNT.

AND SO WHAT WE'LL DO IS, YOU KNOW, GRADUALLY REDUCE OUR SUPPORTS, KIND OF A MUTUALLY AGREED TIMELINE, WORK WITH THEM.

AND THEN IF SOMETHING COMES UP, THEY CAN ALWAYS CALL US.

THAT WILL ALWAYS BE THE CASE.

BUT THEY SAY IN HOUSING, BECAUSE THE HOUSING IS PERMANENT AND SINCE THE HOUSING IS PERMANENT. WE CAN WALK AWAY BECAUSE THEY NO LONGER NEED THE SERVICES.

AND THEN WE CAN BRING SOMEBODY ELSE IN.

SO CURRENTLY WE HAVE 14 PEOPLE WORKING WITH DR.

STARK. OUR PSYCHIATRIST.

COULDN'T DO IT WITHOUT HER.

TWENTY SEVEN PEOPLE ARE NOW RECEIVING PRIMARY CARE THROUGH JO WYATT AT TEXAS TECH.

WE HAVE ONE PERSON WHO GOES TO THE V.A.

AND WE KNOW THAT THIS IS MUCH LESS EXPENSIVE, THAT THEY HAVE ONGOING ROUTINE, CONSISTENT CARE, THEN GOING TO THE EMERGENCY ROOM, WHICH WAS THEIR MEDICAL PROVIDER PREVIOUSLY.

SO THAT'S A HUGE COST SAVINGS.

WE HAVE EIGHT PEOPLE WHO ARE INVOLVED WITH RECOVERY PROGRAMS AND CURRENTLY WE HAVE FOUR PEOPLE WORKING.AND THEN COSTS.

BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, THE CITY MADE THIS INVESTMENT THAT I NEED YOU TO SEE THAT THIS IS YOU'RE GETTING A GOOD BANG FOR YOUR BUCK.

OK. SO WHEN WE LOOK AT COMPARISONS BETWEEN SORT OF AVERAGE COSTS FOR SHELTER AND I JUST DID 66 PEOPLE BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, THAT'S WHAT WE'RE CURRENTLY WORKING WITH, COMES OUT TO BE ABOUT TWENTY FIVE THOUSAND.

AND THEN THE COST OF COMING HOME IN TERMS OF THE CITY'S INVESTMENT, I'M NOT TALKING ABOUT THE DIFFERENT OTHER GRANTS THAT WE HAVE RECEIVED.

BUT THE CITY'S INVESTMENT IS ABOUT TWO THOUSAND PEOPLE, TWO THOUSAND DOLLARS PER PERSON.

AND THEN WHEN YOU INCLUDE HUD, THE COST OF RUNNING OF ONE BEDROOM APARTMENT, FOR MOST PEOPLE, IT'S ABOUT $10000 PER PERSON.

SO AND IT'S A PERMANENT SOLUTION AND ENDS HOMELESSNESS.

WHAT ARE OUR NEXT STEPS? SO OUR COC ORGANIZATIONS ARE REALLY GETTING ON BOARD WITH THE HOMELESS MANAGEMENT INFORMATION SYSTEM.

THEY'VE WORKED SUPER DILIGENTLY.

WE STILL HAVE A WAYS TO GO, BUT WE'VE MADE INCREDIBLE GROUND.

AND IT'S REALLY HELPING US TO HAVE INFORMED IN STRATEGIC PLANS NOW THAT WE ARE HAVING DATA THAT WE CAN RELY ON.

WE'RE ALSO GOING TO BEGIN COORDINATED ENTRY, WHICH IS SOMETHING THAT HUD HAS BEEN ASKING US TO DO FOR A FEW YEARS.

NOT US, I MEAN, THE COUNTRY.

AND SO OUR GOAL IS TO START THAT JULY 2020, STARTING WITH THE JSRC.

THE COC HAS TAKEN ON THE TASK TO DO THE HOMELESS SUMMIT THIS YEAR.

IT'LL BE FANTASTIC.

AND WHAT WE'RE THINKING IS DO IT LIKE ON A THURSDAY AND THEN FRIDAY DO TOURS OF THE DIFFERENT AGENCIES AND THEN SATURDAY WE'RE GONNA DO OUR POINT IN TIME COUNT.

SO WE ALSO RECEIVED 150 MAINSTREAM VOUCHERS THIS YEAR FROM HUD.

SO IT'S THOSE ARE FOR PEOPLE WHO ARE AGE 62 OR YOUNGER WHO HAVE A DISABLING CONDITION.

AND SO WE HAVE SEVERAL ORGANIZATIONS WHO SAID THEY'RE WILLING TO PARTNER WITH US.

THEY'LL PROVIDE THE REFERRALS AND THE SUPPORT SERVICES BECAUSE THAT'S AGAIN, KEY.

YOU MUST HAVE BOTH.

SO WE HAVE TO GET THOSE FILLED AND THEN WE'VE GOTTA HOUSE ONE HUNDRED AND SIXTY THREE

[00:30:03]

MY GOAL, YOU KNOW, I'D LIKE IT TO SAY.

WHAT MONTH ARE WE IN? MARCH? SO I'D LIKE TO SAY APRIL 2020, BUT, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE TELL ME I SHOULD BE MORE REALISTIC.SO WE'RE GOING TO END CHRONIC HOMELESSNESS IN AMARILLO BY JANUARY OF 2022.

[APPLAUSE].I'M GOING TO SAY THAT SOUNDS LIKE A BHAG, IT'S AN INTERNAL TERM, BIG, HAIRY, AUDACIOUS GOAL BECAUSE THAT'S A LOT OF WORK TO DO.

AND I JUST WONDERED, WANT TO KNOW WHAT A BIG CHALLENGE THAT YOU JUST LAID OUT FOR THIS THIS GROUP OF PEOPLE. YOU GOT A GREAT TEAM.

YOU'VE SAID IT. BUT A GREAT TEAM IS NOT A GREAT TEAM WITHOUT A GREAT LEADER.

AND GREAT LEADERS AND GREAT TEAMS DON'T ACCOMPLISH GREAT THINGS WITHOUT GREAT PARTNERS.

SO THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE IN HERE THAT ARE WORKING ON THIS TOPIC TO COME FROM WHERE WE WERE JUST A FEW YEARS AGO TO WHERE WE ARE NOW IS DUE IN ONE HUNDRED PERCENT PART TO THAT GROUP TOGETHER. EXACTLY.

TO YOU OR TO OUR PARTNERS OR TO OUR EMPLOYEES.

IT'S GROUP DUE TO ALL THOSE BE THE EFFORTS THAT WE WHAT YOU CAN, WHAT YOU HAVE ACCOMPLISHED TOGETHER IS MORE THAN THE SUM OF YOUR PARTS.

I COULD NOT AGREE WITH YOU MORE.WHAT YOU'RE CHALLENGING YOUR GROUP TO ACCOMPLISH IN TWO YEARS TIME IS IS IS AMBITIOUS AND AND TO BE APPRECIATED AND LAUDED AND SUPPORTED.

THANK YOU. THANK YOU.

SO THE COC ALSO NOW HAS A FACEBOOK PAGE AND IT HAS A VISION STATEMENT ON IT.

AND EVERYONE, IF YOU HAVEN'T LIKED US, PLEASE DO.

WE PUT OUT A LOT OF GOOD INFORMATION THERE.

YOU'LL GET INFORMATION ABOUT THE HOMELESS SUMMIT, ABOUT THE PIT COUNT AND JUST DIFFERENT ARTICLES AND INFORMATION ABOUT HOMELESSNESS HERE.

SO THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR TIME AND.

IS THERE ANYTHING ELSE? QUESTIONS? COUNCIL? QUESTIONS, COMMENTS? JULIANA, I HAD THREE DIFFERENT QUESTIONS ON WHEN YOU REFERRED TO GRADUATION.

THE FIVE THAT ARE WORKING ON GRADUATION, WHAT WHAT THAT IS.

SECOND, IF YOU REMEMBER THE NUMBER OF STUDENTS AT AMARILLO COLLEGE THAT WERE LIVING OUT OF THEIR CARS AND THEN IF YOU CAN DEFINE COORDINATED ENTRY.

SURE.SO, OK, SO THE FIRST QUESTION, GRADUATION.

GRADUATION IS WHEN, YOU KNOW, THE PEOPLE HAVE DEVELOPED THE LEVEL OF INDEPENDENCE THAT THEY DON'T NEED. MY TEAM COMING AND SEEING THEM LOOKS RIGHT NOW WHEN SOMEONE FIRST MOVES AND WE SEE THEM THREE TIMES A WEEK.

WE HAVE THREE PEOPLE THAT WE SEE EVERY SINGLE DAY, INCLUDING WEEKENDS, BECAUSE THEY NEED THAT LEVEL OF SUPPORT TO MAINTAIN HOUSING AND HEALTH, THAT KIND OF THING.

SO THE FOLKS THAT WE'RE TALKING WITH REALLY HAVE, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE GETTING TO THEIR DOCTOR'S APPOINTMENTS ON THEIR OWN.

THEY'RE, YOU KNOW, PAYING THEIR RENT ON THEIR OWN.

ALL OF THESE THINGS THAT, YOU KNOW, WE'RE KIND OF WORKING WITH OTHER FOLKS ON.

AND SO WHAT GRADUATION WOULD MEAN IS LIKE, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE INDEPENDENT, YOU DON'T NEED US. RIGHT. AND THAT IS THE GOAL.

ONE HUNDRED PERCENT.

BUT IT HAS TO BE YOU KNOW, IT'S A DISCUSSION, RIGHT? SOME PEOPLE ARE YOU KNOW, WE'VE ALREADY TALKED A COUPLE OF THEM AND THEY SAID, YEAH, ABSOLUTELY. LIKE, YOU KNOW, WE'VE BECOME A BOTHER TO THEM A LITTLE BIT, WHICH IS A GOOD THING. AND OTHER PEOPLE, YOU KNOW, MAYBE WANT TO TAKE A LITTLE BIT LONGER AND THAT'S OK.

AND THAT'S REALLY KEY TO THE SERVICE, IS THAT INDIVIDUALIZED CARE BASED ON THAT PERSON'S INDIVIDUALIZED NEEDS.

IN TERMS OF AMARILLO COLLEGE.

SO I BELIEVE DR.

HART HAD SAID SOMETHING ABOUT WAS IT ELEVEN HUNDRED STUDENTS WHO WERE EITHER HOMELESS OR MAYBE COUCH SURFING OR, YOU KNOW, SORT OF INTERMITTENTLY HOMELESS? YEAH, IT'S A STRIKING FIGURE.

AND WE, YOU KNOW, OBVIOUSLY WE DON'T HAVE ENOUGH VOUCHERS TO HOUSE ALL OF THOSE.

AND SO THEY'RE KIND OF LOOKING AND PRIORITIZING THE PEOPLE WITH THE GREATEST LEVEL OF NEED. AND THEN THEY SEND HIM OVER TO US.

AND THEN WE ACTUALLY PARTNER WITH PCS, WHO THEN KIND OF TAKES ON THE VOUCHER AND HANDLES ALL THE HUD STUFF.

IT'S, YOU KNOW.BUREAUCRACY.

AND THEN YOUR THIRD QUESTION WAS THE COORDINATED ENTRY.

OK. SO COORDINATED ENTRY.

ESSENTIALLY, YOU CAN HAVE ONE SPOT THAT DOES COORDINATED ENTRY OR A COUPLE SPOTS IN A COMMUNITY. AND WHAT THAT IS, IS THE HOMELESS, YOU KNOW, GO IN THERE.

AND THAT'S KIND OF WHERE YOU GET STARTED.

AND AN ASSESSMENT IS DONE BASED.

AND THEN BASED ON THAT ASSESSMENT, A REFERRAL IS MADE LIKE, OH, THIS PERSON REALLY NEEDS PERMANENT HOUSING, YOU KNOW, AND HOUSING FIRST MODEL MIGHT WORK BEST FOR THEM.

THIS PERSON IS REALLY LOOKING FOR MORE OF A RECOVERY PROGRAM.

WE'RE GOING TO REFER THEM TO A DIFFERENT AGENCY.

AND THE GOAL OF THAT IS TO RAPIDLY ASSESS AND GET PEOPLE CONNECTED AND ALSO ENSURE THAT,

[00:35:07]

THAT IT'S, YOU KNOW, SO IT'S IT'S GOING TO TAKE SOME TIME, BECAUSE THAT'S GOING TO BE A BIT OF A DIFFERENT.THAT'S SIMILAR TO THE MODEL WE WENT AND SAW IN OKLAHOMA CITY.

YES, VERY MUCH SO.

I JUST I DIDN'T PUT THOSE TWO TERMS TOGETHER OF THAT PROCESS.

SO ARE ARE WE DOING ANYTHING LIKE THAT AT ALL OR ARE WE BEGINNING TO STEP IN THAT ALREADY OR? WE HAVE.SO AMY AND SALENE, SO WE IN THE REASON WE'RE ABLE TO KIND OF DO THIS IS BECAUSE WE RECEIVED A GRANT TO EXPAND OUR HMIS SYSTEM AND GET A LOT OF RECEIVED TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE TO HELP SET THAT UP.

SO PART OF IT IS SETTING UP THE SOFTWARE SO THAT WE'RE ABLE TO DO THAT.

PART OF IT, TOO, IS WORKING WITH THE PROVIDERS DIRECTLY OF WHAT THIS IS GOING TO LOOK LIKE FOR THEM. AND SO ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE'RE DOING RIGHT NOW WITH THOSE MAINSTREAM VOUCHERS THAT I TALKED ABOUT.

SO WHEN THE AGENCIES ARE BRINGING THEM IN AND REFERRING THEM TO US, THERE'S JUST TWO PIECES OF PAPER FOR COORDINATED ENTRY AND THEY'RE FILLING THOSE OUT.

SO WE'RE SORT OF STARTING THAT PROCESS THAT WAY.

I MEAN, IT'S NOT IN OUR SYSTEM.

IT'S A LITTLE BIT OLD SCHOOL, BUT AT LEAST IT'S A BEGINNING.

WELL, MY LAST THING IS JUST CONGRATULATIONS.

AND I KNOW YOU GIVE RECOGNITION TO ALL THOSE PEOPLE AROUND YOU.

BUT I ALSO JUST WANT TO HIGHLIGHT THAT IT DOES TAKE SOMEONE TO STEP INTO THAT LEADERSHIP ROLE. AND YOU'RE PULLING A LOT OF MOVING PARTS TOGETHER, A LOT OF DIFFERENT ORGANIZATIONS AND ENTITIES. AND SO CONGRATULATIONS ON JUST THE COLLABORATIVE STRUCTURE AND SYSTEM THAT YOU'VE BEEN ABLE TO PUT TOGETHER AND WELL DONE.

I APPRECIATE THAT. BUT IT TRULY IS.

I MEAN, JUST LIKE OUR CITY MANAGER SAID, NONE OF THIS WOULD HAPPEN IF WE DIDN'T HAVE ALL OF THESE PEOPLE HERE DEDICATED AND WORKING DAY IN, DAY OUT TOWARDS THAT SAME MISSION.

AND EVERYONE CARES.

WE DON'T DO IT ALL THE EXACT SAME WAY, WHICH IS A GOOD THING, BECAUSE ALL OF OUR PEOPLE ARE INDIVIDUALS AND THERE'S DIFFERENT NEEDS.

AND SO HAVING ALL THESE ORGANIZATIONS TOGETHER ALLOWS FOR THAT RANGE OF SERVICES THAT WILL FIT FOR ONE PERSON DOESN'T FIT FOR ANOTHER.

BUT THEN WE GOT THIS OVER HERE.

AND JULIANA, THE KEY IS THAT I TAKE AWAY FROM THAT IS THAT YOU ALL SHOW PEOPLE THAT YOU CARE. AND THAT'S WHAT MAKES A DIFFERENCE BECAUSE IT DOESN'T MATTER HOW MANY RESOURCES YOU HAVE OR HOW MANY PROGRAMS YOU HAVE UNTIL YOU SHOW PEOPLE THAT YOU CARE.

THAT'S IMPORTANT.WE TALK ABOUT LOVE.

I MEAN, YOU KNOW, MY BUSINESS, I'M IN SOCIAL WORK.

YOU KNOW, I KIND OF WORKED AS A THERAPIST FOR A WHILE BEFORE I GOT INTO MORE WORKING WITH THE HOMELESS. AND, YOU KNOW, THAT WOULD BE CONSIDERED BAD BOUNDARIES TO TALK ABOUT LOVE.

I MEAN, THAT'S WHERE IT'S AT.

YOU KNOW, BEING ABLE TO EXPRESS THAT COMPASSION AND CARE FOR PEOPLE.

ANYTHING FROM THIS END.

I WILL CONGRATULATE YOU ON YOUR ENTHUSIASM TO SOLVE THIS PROBLEM AND YOUR ENTHUSIASM IS WHY YOU HAVE A LOT OF PEOPLE HERE.

KEEP IT UP. YOU'RE MAKING PROGRESS.

WE'RE MAKING PROGRESS.

WE DO HAVE A LONG WAY TO GO, THOUGH, LIKE IT'S NOT SOLVED.

NO VICTORY YET, BUT WE'RE GONNA HAVE VICTORY.

AND THAT'S KIND OF TIES INTO MY COMMENTS, WHICH I'VE WE'VE SAID ALL ALONG THIS COUNCIL VALUES DATA BECAUSE WE DON'T WANT TO MAKE GUESSES.

WE WANT TO MAKE LONG TERM STRATEGIC INVESTMENTS.

AND WE HAVE TO HAVE GOOD DATA TO DO THAT.

SO I COMMEND EVERYONE THAT PARTICIPATED IN THE PIT COUNT.

THANK YOU FOR AMPING IT UP TO TWICE A YEAR.

I RECOGNIZE THAT'S A HUGE COMMITMENT ON EVERYONE'S PART TO DO THAT.

BUT IT DOES PROVIDE US WITH MORE ACCURATE DATA, MORE RELIABLE DATA.

IT ACTUALLY, IN THIS CASE MOTIVATES AND INSPIRES US BECAUSE WE CAN USE OUR DATA CHANGING.

SO PLEASE KEEP THAT UP.

AND I APPRECIATE ALL OF THE HOURS THAT WENT INTO THAT WHEN WE MULTIPLY IT OUT AND SEE HOW MUCH TIME WAS INVESTED TO COLLECT THAT DATA.

IT'S VERY VALUABLE TO US AS A COUNCIL AND TO US AS A CITY TO YOU GUYS ORGANIZATIONALLY, EACH ONE OF YOU, YOU CAN RELY AND USE THAT DATA AND WE PLAN TO CONTINUE TO HARVEST THAT.

SO THAT IT'LL BE USEFUL.

I ALSO JUST WANTED TO COMMENT ON JEFFREY AND RON.

BACK TO WHAT COUNCIL MEMBER POWELL WAS SAYING, THAT I TAKE A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF COMFORT IN KNOWING THAT THEY THEY DID NOT DIE ON THE STREETS.

AND SO EVEN THOUGH LIFE WAS HARD FOR THEM, VERY HARD BECAUSE OF THIS PROGRAM, BECAUSE OF EACH ONE OF YOU AND THE IMPACT THAT YOU'RE MAKING IN OUR CITY.

WE HAD ONE MORE CHANCE AT THEM TO TELL THEM AS A COMMUNITY THAT THEY WERE VALUABLE AND THAT WE LOVED THEM.

SO THANK YOU FOR DOING THAT.

I WAS VERY TOUCHED BY THAT.

[00:40:01]

AND I JUST WANTED TO CALL OUT MICHELLE.

I MET ONE OF THE CLIENTS THAT SHE WAS WORKING WITH WHO HAD GRADUATED, DOMINIC.

AND IN HIS CASE, HE'S COMPLETELY SELF-SUPPORTIVE, HAS A JOB, REUNITED BACK WITH HIS CHILDREN, KICKED HIS ADDICTION DOWN THE ROAD.

SO, I MEAN, JUST HIS SUCCESS STORY AS A GRADUATE WAS VERY INSPIRING TO ME.

AND AND THEN I JUST WANTED TO THANK YOU, JULIANA, ALSO FOR INCLUDING THE FINANCIAL DATA AND JUST PROJECTING OUT THE IMPACT OF WHAT IT COSTS US GLOBALLY AS A COMMUNITY, IT MIGHT NOT BE TAXPAYER DOLLARS THAT ARE GOING TO EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THOSE EXPENSES, ALTHOUGH THERE ARE DEFINITELY TAXPAYER DOLLARS BEING INVESTED IN THESE PROGRAMS. I THINK IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT FOR US TO PUT A PENCIL TO IT AND TO SAY WHAT ARE THE RETURN ON THE DOLLARS THAT WE'RE INVESTING, BUT ALSO, OF COURSE, THE HUMAN CAPITAL THAT WE HAVE AND THE RETURN THAT WE'RE GETTING BY INVESTING IN PEOPLE'S LIVES, TOO.

SO THOSE WERE JUST MY COMMENTS OFF OF THAT.

ANY FINAL REMARKS, COUNCIL? YOU'RE DOING EXCELLENT WORK, YOUR TEAM IS HAVING A TREMENDOUS IMPACT IN THE CITY.

SELFISHLY, IMPATIENTLY, WE WANT IT TO BE MORE.

SO YA'LL KEEP IT UP.

GO GET SOME MORE STATS.

GO GET SOME MORE PEOPLE.

GO CHANGE SOME MORE LIVES AND LET US KNOW HOW WE CAN HELP.

EXCELLENT. THANK YOU. [APPLAUSE].OK.

AS YOU GUYS MAKE YOUR WAY TO THE HALLWAY, JESSE MELSON IS THERE WITH HIS HANDY DANDY CAMERA AND HE'S READY TO CAPTURE EACH ONE OF Y'ALL.

AND JULIANA IS IN CHARGE, RIGHT?

[C. Coronavirus Update; and]

MR. CITY MANAGER.WE'VE GOT CASEY STOUGHTON OUR DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC HEALTH TO GET US GIVE US THE INFORMATION TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS COUNCIL HAS.

SHE MAY HAVE TO FIGHT HER WAY UP HERE.

YEAH.

SHE CAN DO IT. SHE'S SMALL BUT MIGHTY.

CASEY, YOU READY? YES.OK.THANK YOU, MAYOR AND COUNCIL, FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO SHARE INFORMATION.

BEFORE WE START, I ALSO WANT TO THANK STAFF.

THE STAFF AT PUBLIC HEALTH WHO STAND PREPARED TO RESPOND AT ANY LEVEL.

MARK, CAROL, LORI, ANDREA, KIRSTEN, JOE, MIKE.

THE LIST COULD GO ON 37 STAFF DEEP.

AND I APPRECIATE EACH.

WE'VE ENJOYED WORKING CLOSELY IN RESPONSE WITH THE COMMUNICATIONS TEAM, THE OFFICE OF EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AND CITY MANAGEMENT.

THIS IS AN EVER EVOLVING SITUATION.

BUT IT'S IMPORTANT TO OPERATE ON FACTS.

AND SO WE WILL MOVE INTO THE PRESENTATION.

CORONAVIRUS. YOU MAY HAVE NOTICED IT IN THE NEWS IS IT'S A VIRUS.

AND I THINK THAT'S THE MOST IMPORTANT PART TO REMEMBER.

IT'S A GERM AND IT'S A VIRUS.

AND WE KNOW EXACTLY WHAT TO DO WITH VIRUSES AND GERMS. GOOD HAND-WASHING. SO I'LL SAY THAT A FEW MORE TIMES DURING THIS PRESENTATION.

GOOD HAND-WASHING. SO THE CORONAVIRUS.

CORONAVIRUSES ARE A LARGE FAMILY OF VIRUSES THAT CIRCULATE IN OUR COMMUNITIES REGULARLY.

THEY CAUSE COLDS AND DIFFERENT ILLNESSES LIKE LIKE FLUS, FLU-LIKE ILLNESSES.

COVID 19, IS THE RESPIRATORY ILLNESS THAT IS CAUSED BY THE PARTICULAR NOVEL CORONAVIRUS OR NEW CORONAVIRUS THAT WAS IDENTIFIED IN DECEMBER 2019 IN WUHAN, CHINA.

THERE'S SOME NOMENCLATURE THAT MIGHT BE HELPFUL FOR YOU THAT YOU MIGHT SEE IN OTHER PLACES. SO COVID 19, IS THE NAME OF THE DISEASE.

SARS COV 2 IS THE NAME OF THE ACTUAL VIRUS.

AND SO THAT MAY BE HELPFUL FOR YOU WHEN YOU SEE DIFFERENT THINGS IN THE MEDIA OR SUCH.

THE SYMPTOMS OF COVID 19 INCLUDE FEVER, COUGH, SHORTNESS OF BREATH, AND THEY FOCUS ON THOSE LOWER RESPIRATORY ILLNESSES.

SO FLU IS MORE OF AN UPPER RESPIRATORY ILLNESS.

COVID 19 IS MORE OF A LOWER RESPIRATORY ILLNESS.

AND THOSE RESPIRATORY SYMPTOMS INCLUDE A SEVERE COUGH THAT MIGHT PRODUCE MUCUS, SHORTNESS OF BREATH, CHEST TIGHTNESS, WHEEZING WHEN YOU EXHALE OR PNEUMONIA.

AND IT'S THOUGHT THAT PEOPLE ARE MOST CONTAGIOUS WHEN THEY ARE THE MOST SYMPTOMATIC.

SO WHEN THEY ARE THE SICKEST.

[00:45:06]

WE ARE ALL SUSCEPTIBLE BECAUSE THIS IS A NOVEL VIRUS OR A NEW VIRUS.

AND SO WE DO NOT HAVE NATURAL IMMUNITY TO THE VIRUS.

SO WE ARE ALL AT RISK, WHICH IS WHY GOOD HAND-WASHING IS IMPORTANT.

OLDER ADULTS, THOSE 65 AND OLDER AND PEOPLE WITH LOWER IMMUNE SYSTEMS ARE MORE AT RISK FOR SEVERE COMPLICATIONS.

AND SO IT'S IMPORTANT.

AGAIN, GOOD HAND-WASHING.

THE CURRENT OVERVIEW THERE ARE CURRENTLY NO CONFIRMED CASES OF COVID 19 IN POTTER AND RANDALL COUNTIES.

TEXAS. THERE ARE 13 CASES.

THERE ARE SIX IN FORT BEND COUNTY, SIX IN HARRIS COUNTY AND ONE IN COLLIN COUNTY.

AT 11:12 WHEN I PUSHED SEND TO STEPHANIE, THESE WERE THE NUMBERS.

AGAIN, THIS IS A PRETTY FLUID SITUATION.

AND SO THE NUMBERS MAY CHANGE IF YOU'RE IF YOU'RE GOOGLEING.

BUT IN THE US RIGHT NOW, THERE ARE SEVEN HUNDRED AND SIXTY ONE CASES WITH TWENTY SEVEN DEATHS. AND WORLDWIDE THERE ARE A 116,166 CASES AND WITH AROUND 4,000 DEATHS.

THE STAFF AT PUBLIC HEALTH HAVE BEEN QUITE BUSY.

WE HAVE PLANS IN PLACE AFTER THE RESPONSES FROM H1N1 AND EBOLA.

AGAIN, BOTH VIRUSES.

AND SO THOSE PLANS HAVE HELPED TO ACTIVATE DIFFERENT RESPONSES FOR THE COMMUNITIES SUCH AS HEALTH ADVISORIES AND HEALTH ALERTS.

THAT'S ONE OF THE MAIN WAYS THAT WE COMMUNICATE WITH OUR MEDICAL COMMUNITY.

WE'VE WE'VE PUSHED OUT SEVERAL HEALTH ADVISORIES, HEALTH ALERTS.

WE HAVE WORKED VERY CLOSELY WITH THE COMMUNICATIONS TEAM.

I THINK COMMUNICATION IS KEY IN A SITUATION LIKE THIS.

JESSIE AND JORDAN AND DAVE HAVE BEEN AMAZING AND THEY HAVE.

SO JESSIE HAS HELPED WITH YOU'VE SEEN THESE POSTERS AROUND CITY HALL AND OTHER PLACES.

SO WE HAVE JUST OUR STANDARD POSTER THAT WE CALL OUR ADULT POSTER, AND THEN WE HAVE ONE THAT'S FOCUSED ON KIDS OR THAT MAY NOT SPEAK ENGLISH, THAT HAS FOCUSED WITH PICTURES SO THAT WE KNOW WHAT TO DO WITH THOSE PREVENTION TIPS.

WE'VE GOT SOME POSTERS HERE IN CASE ANYONE WANTS TO TAKE THOSE TO THEIR THEIR PLACE OF BUSINESS OR THOSE PLACES THAT THEY FREQUENT, THEN WE WOULD LOVE FOR THEM TO TAKE THOSE POSTERS AND HANG THEM AROUND OUR COMMUNITY.

WE'RE ALSO WORKING WITH OUR HUMAN RESOURCES DEPARTMENT.

THE COMMUNICATIONS TEAM HELPED US DEVELOP THIS LITTLE BOOKLET THAT WE CAN.

WE'RE ALSO AN EMPLOYER.

AND SO WE WANT OUR EMPLOYEES TO HAVE GOOD INFORMATION.

AND SO WE HAVE CREATED THIS BOOKLET TO PROVIDE TO CITY EMPLOYEES SO THAT THEY HAVE GOOD INFORMATION IN THEIR HANDS TO SHARE WITH THEIR FAMILIES AND THEIR FRIENDS.

WE PARTICIPATE IN CONFERENCE CALLS BOTH WITH THE DEPARTMENT OF STATE HEALTH SERVICES AND CDC DAILY.

SO WE TRY TO STAY VERY SITUATIONALLY AWARE AND COORDINATION WITH PARTNERS.

AND I THINK JULIANA SPOKE VERY HIGHLY OF PARTNERS AND WE WORK IN VERY MUCH THE SAME WAY.

WE'RE IN A HIGH COORDINATION WITH THE MEDICAL COMMUNITY, WITH OUR E.M.S.

PARTNERS, FIRE, POLICE, SCHOOLS, DAYCARES, NURSING HOMES, ALL OF OUR PARTNERS THAT WOULD BE AFFECTED BY THIS.

I THINK THERE'S SOME OTHER GOOD INFORMATION TO JUST KNOW.

TYPICALLY, VIRUSES OF THIS TYPE ARE HAVE VIABILITY FOR ABOUT TWO TO EIGHT HOURS ON SURFACES. SO I THINK THAT'S JUST A HELPFUL, HELPFUL GUIDELINE.

CURRENTLY, THERE IS NO VACCINE OR ANTIVIRAL AVAILABLE FOR THE NOVEL CORONAVIRUS.

CARE WOULD BE SUPPORTIVE.

IT'S RECOMMENDED THAT MASKS NOT BE WORN BY THE WELL GENERAL PUBLIC THAT PPE SUPPLIES BE SAVED FOR HEALTH CARE USES AND THAT CURRENTLY TESTING IS COORDINATED THROUGH PUBLIC HEALTH. THERE IS A NETWORK OF LABS THROUGH PUBLIC HEALTH.

IT'S CALLED THE THE LRN LABS OR THE LABORATORY RESPONSE NETWORK.

AND SO THERE ARE FIVE LABS IN TEXAS THROUGH THIS SYSTEM THAT HAVE CORONAVIRUS TESTING CAPABILITIES. AND SO WE HELP OUR MEDICAL PARTNERS FACILITATE THAT TESTING.

CURRENTLY, THE COMMERCIAL TESTING IS COMING ONLINE.

AND SO THAT THAT WILL BE HELPFUL AS WELL.

DOES THAT MEAN LABS HERE IN AMARILLO WILL HAVE THAT TESTING CAPABILITY, CASEY? LABS LIKE LAB CORE, QUEST, THOSE TYPICAL LABS WHERE PHYSICIANS WOULD SEND OUT TO.

[00:50:04]

BACK TO THE BASICS.

ANY QUESTIONS FOR CASEY COUNCIL? SO, CASEY, IF AN INDIVIDUAL WAS TO COME IN CONTACT WITH THE VIRUS, SHOULD THEY IMMEDIATELY GO TO THE EMERGENCY ROOM OR SHOULD THEY BE TALKING TO MAYBE THEIR INTERNAL MEDICINE PHYSICIAN FIRST? SO THE SYMPTOMS OF THE CORONAVIRUS, THE COUGH, FEVER AND LOWER RESPIRATORY SYMPTOMS, THAT CAN LOOK LIKE A LOT OF THINGS RIGHT NOW.

AND SO IT'S GOOD TO BE EVALUATED BY YOUR HEALTH CARE PROVIDER.

YOU HAVE TO COME INTO CONTACT WITH THE VIRUS TO BE SICK FROM THAT PARTICULAR VIRUS.

WE DON'T HAVE ANY IN AMARILLO RIGHT NOW, ANY CONFIRMED CASES.

AND SO I THINK THAT'S HELPFUL TO KNOW.

WE HAVE A LOT OF TRAVEL IN AND OUT OF THE COMMUNITY.

AND SO. THERE IS POTENTIAL RISK, BUT IT'S GOOD TO BE EVALUATED BY YOUR PHYSICIAN.

AND THEN WE'RE WORKING VERY CLOSELY WITH PHYSICIANS ON THE NEED FOR TESTING.

I MIGHT CLARIFY ALSO THE DEFINITION YOU AND I VISITED ABOUT YESTERDAY.

JUST DIFFERENCE BETWEEN QUARANTINE AND ISOLATION.

SO QUARANTINE IS THE DEFINITION WHERE SOMEBODY WOULD BE RESTRICTED TO THEIR HOME IN THE EVENT OF AN EXPOSURE.

SO THEY'RE NOT YET SICK.

THEY HAVE HAD AN EXPOSURE AND SO THEY ARE BEING RESTRICTED TO AN AREA.

SO THAT THEY DON'T POTENTIALLY SPREAD SOMETHING THAT THEY MAY HAVE BEEN EXPOSED TO.

ISOLATION IS WHEN SOMEONE IS SICK AND THEY ARE BEING RESTRICTED TO A CERTAIN PLACE BECAUSE THEY ARE SICK.

ANYTHING ELSE?FROM A TRAVEL STANDPOINT, THIS REALLY ISN'T A QUESTION FOR CASEY, IT'S MORE OF AN INFORMATIONAL OBSERVATION.

WE ARE WE HAVE A NUMBER OF STAFF THAT TRAVELED THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY FOR CONFERENCES, FOR CERTIFICATIONS, FOR TRAINING AND OTHER THINGS.

WE'RE WORKING WITH CASEY AND PUBLIC HEALTH IN EVALUATING ALL OF THOSE TRIPS INDIVIDUALLY.

WE HAD SOME OF THE TEAM THAT WAS HERE TODAY SCHEDULED TO GO TO A COMING HOME CONFERENCE IN SEATTLE THIS WEEK.

WE CANCELED THAT JUST BECAUSE IT'S A HOT SPOT, NOT BECAUSE TRAVEL IS UNSAFE, YOU KNOW, BLANKET WISE. HOWEVER, THAT CONFERENCE WAS ALSO CANCELED.

AND I MEAN, THAT'S IN A UNIQUE HOT SPOT IN THE COUNTRY.

SO WE'RE GONNA CONTINUE TO EVALUATE ALL OF OUR SCHEDULED TRAVEL.

AND JUST BECAUSE THERE IS CORONAVIRUS DOESN'T MEAN WE'RE GOING TO CANCEL TRIPS, BUT WE'RE DEFINITELY GOING TO HAVE OUR EYES WIDE OPEN AND PAY VERY CLOSE ATTENTION TO WHERE THOSE TRIPS ARE SCHEDULED TO GO AND AND HOW NECESSARY IS THAT TRAVEL.

SO WE'RE GONNA BE EVALUATING THAT CONTINUALLY GOING FORWARD.

JUST WANTED YOU ALL TO BE AWARE OF THAT AND KNOW THAT IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, YOU CAN REACH OUT AND ASK US QUESTION.

BUT CASEY'S AN INTEGRAL PART OF THAT.

CASEY, I APPRECIATE THE UPDATE AND GETTING FACTUAL INFORMATION NOW, AS YOU SAID, IS JUST REALLY IMPORTANT WHEN WHEN SOMETHING IS UNKNOWN AND, YOU KNOW, JUST THE THREE ISSUES ALSO FROM THE JUST THE FEDERAL LEVEL THAT I THINK ARE IMPORTANT TO RECOGNIZE IS, WELL, ONE, JUST THE TRAVEL RESTRICTIONS THAT WERE PLACED SEVERAL WEEKS AGO REALLY LIMITED JUST EXPOSURE IN OUR COUNTRY.

NOW, WE JUST NEED TO BE SMART ABOUT HOW WE GO FORWARD, COMMON SENSE THINGS AS YOU'VE IDENTIFIED TODAY.

THE SECOND IS JUST THE LABORATORY RESTRICTIONS BEING LIFTED INSTEAD OF THEM ALL.

ALL THOSE TESTS HAVING TO GO THROUGH ONE AREA, LIFTING THAT PREVIOUS RESTRICTION AND ALLOWING ALL STATE LABS AND NOW EVEN THE OTHER LEVEL IS JUST A GREAT PRACTICAL RESPONSE FROM THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT TO GO.

THIS HELPS US GET MORE DATA AND MORE FACTS GATHERED AND OUT.

AND THEN THE THIRD, ONE OF JUST THE PHARMACEUTICAL COMPANIES BEING BROUGHT TOGETHER LAST WEEK AND SAYING, OK, WE NEED MORE TESTS, WE'RE GONNA NEED MORE DATA WHILE WE'RE GETTING MORE LABS OPEN TO DO THE TESTS, WE NEED MORE LABS AT THE ACTUAL TEST AND THAT THOSE WERE REQUESTED FOR THIS WEEK.

REALLY FAST PRACTICAL, LOGICAL RESPONSES TO THIS.

AND SO I WANT TO ADD IT TO WHAT WE'RE DOING LOCALLY AND APPRECIATE ALL THE INFORMATION, BECAUSE THAT IS ONE OF THE BIGGEST ISSUES WE FACE RIGHT NOW.

JUST ALL THE DECEPTION AND THE MISINFORMATION THAT'S GOING FORTH, WHICH LEADS TO FEAR

[00:55:01]

BUT I THINK IT'S JUST A REMINDER THAT FEAR IS JUST PLACING FAITH IN THE WRONG GOD.

AND SO WE HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO BE REMINDED, WE ARE IN CONTROL OF THIS MUCH ALL THE TIME ANYWAY. THIS JUST REMINDS US SO MAKES THIS KIND OF STEP BACK.

BUT. THIS IS ANOTHER GERM, ANOTHER VIRUS, WHAT YOU'VE DESCRIBED, OLD SCHOOL APPROACH TO IT. YOU KNOW, IF WE WOULD ACTUALLY JUST DO THOSE THINGS LISTED, NOT ONLY WOULD IT LIMIT THIS PARTICULAR GERM, BUT ONE THAT HAS ACTUALLY BEEN MORE LETHAL IN OUR COUNTRY.

THE BASIC FLU TO YOUNG AND OLD, IF WE WOULD JUST BE MORE CONSISTENT AND POSSIBLY ONE GOOD THAT COMES OUT OF THIS IS THAT WE'RE REMINDED GOOD HEALTH CHOICES TO MAKE WILL JUST HELP IN A LOT OF AREAS, NOT JUST THIS.

WE'VE HAD GOOD MEETINGS WITH THE SCHOOL DISTRICTS, WE'VE HAD GOOD MEETINGS WITH.

WELL, FRIDAY WE HAD WE MEET WITH DAYCARES AND NURSING HOMES AND THE HOSPITALS AND DIFFERENT PARTNERS. AND IT'S BEEN LIKE IT REMINDS ME AGAIN WHY IT'S GOOD TO LIVE IN AMARILLO, BECAUSE WE THINK, LIKE YOU SAID, WE THINK COMMON SENSE.

WE THINK LOGICALLY AND WE THINK PREPAREDNESS.

AND SO IT'S IT'S GOOD TO HAVE.

IT'S GOOD TO HAVE THOSE RELATIONSHIPS.

AND IT'S GOOD TO HAVE.

IT MAKES IT MAKES ME FEEL GOOD TO HAVE TO HAVE THE COMMUNITY THAT WE DO, BECAUSE WE HAVE WE WE THINK IN THOSE TERMS. AND SO IT'S GOOD.STEPHANIE, CAN WE GO BACK TO THAT SLIDE THAT SAYS CURRENT OVERVIEW? JUST TOUCHING ON THOSE NUMBERS.

I THOUGHT COUNCILWOMAN HAYS BROUGHT UP A GREAT POINT.

COMPARE THE CURRENT DEATHS THIS YEAR FROM THE FLU ARE, DO YOU KNOW THAT NUMBER? PUTTING YOU ON THE SPOT.SO.

SO THIS YEAR FOR THE FLU SEASON, IT'S ESTIMATED THAT WE'VE HAD 34 MILLION CASES OF THE FLU. THREE HUNDRED AND FIFTY THOUSAND HOSPITALIZATIONS AND TWENTY THOUSAND DEATHS.

SO IS THAT WORLDWIDE OR? IN THE UNITED STATES? IN THE UNITED STATES? OK, SO TWENTY SEVEN DEATHS COMPARED TO GIVE THE NUMBER AGAIN.

TWENTY THOUSAND. TWENTY THOUSAND.

OK. AGAIN, I THINK PERSPECTIVE IS IMPORTANT.

PREPAREDNESS IS ABSOLUTELY IMPORTANT.

AND YOU GUYS ARE DOING A GREAT JOB OF THAT.

AND I APPRECIATE THAT YOU WOULD BE HERE TODAY TO GIVE US AN UPDATE ON.

I KNOW YOU'RE SPENDING MANY HOURS A WEEK AND YOUR TEAM WORKING ON THIS.

AND YOUR PARTNERS.

SO THE CITY OF AMARILLO IS LITERALLY IN YOUR HANDS.

SO WHEN WE'RE NOT USING OUR OWN HAND SANITIZER, RIGHT? YES. SO, CASEY, THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

THANK YOU. HAVE A GREAT AMOUNT OF TRUST IN YOU AND YOUR TEAM AND OUR PARTNERS.

OH, I HAD ONE MORE QUESTION.

YOU'RE SEEING THAT POSTER.

WHERE WOULD AN EMPLOYER CALL IF THEY WANTED TO GET POSTERS? DO WE DELIVER THEM? DO THEY HAVE TO COME PICK THEM UP? WHAT'S THE DRILL ON THAT? WE CAN WE CAN MAKE ARRANGEMENTS WITH ANYONE.

THEY'RE WELCOME TO CALL THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT, PUBLIC HEALTH 3 7 8 6 3 0 0.

AND WE CAN MAKE ARRANGEMENTS TO FOR THEM TO HAVE POSTERS AND OR WE CAN EMAIL LINKS AND SO THEY CAN PRINT THEIR OWN POSTERS IF THAT'S SOMETHING THAT'S THAT THEY WOULD PREFER.

AND THEN WE HAVE A FEW HERE TODAY.

SO IF ANYONE HERE WANTS THOSE, THEN THEY COULD HAVE THEM 3 7 8 6300.

YES, MA'AM. 378 6300, IF YOU WANT POSTERS.

WE'LL BE HAPPY TO GET THOSE TO YOU.

YES.NO CHARGE.

YES. OK. THANK YOU, CASEY.

YOU'RE WELCOME. OK.

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

[2. CONSENT ITEMS]

WE UP ON THE DAIS HAVE A WONDERFUL MAP THAT'S VERY INFORMATIVE.

IN JORDAN, I WONDERED IF WE COULD PUT THAT OUT.

MAKE SURE THAT'S ON THE WEB SITE SOMEWHERE SO THAT CITIZENS CAN SEE HAS TO DO WITH THE CART ROLLOUT. I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING THAT CITIZENS WOULD BE INTERESTED IN.

JUST A PIECE OF INFORMATION THAT WANTED TO SEE IF WE COULD SPREAD THE WORD ON THAT.

OK, IS THERE ANYTHING ON THE CONSENT AGENDA COUNCIL THAT NEEDS TO COME OFF FOR FURTHER DISCUSSION OR QUESTIONS? IS THAT A MAYBE? WITH THAT ITEM, JUST I DON'T KNOW IF I CAN MAKE THE COMMENT HERE OR WE IF WE HAVE TO PULL IT OFF TO HAVE A COMMENT.

WHY DON'T YOU MAKE THE COMMENT HERE, AS LONG AS IT'S NOT SOMETHING WE NEED TO BE DISCUSSING.

OKNO, IT'S JUST WITH THAT MAP AND THE REMINDER OF WHERE THAT ROLL OUT.

THESE ARE STILL PREVIOUSLY IDENTIFIED NEIGHBORHOODS.

IT'S NOTHING NEW.

IF THEY WERE THE SAME PARAMETERS THAT WE HAD BEFORE.

THIS IS NOT AN EXPANSION.

WE'RE JUST CONTINUING THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THAT PREVIOUS LIMITED SECTOR.

GREAT POINT. YEAH, GREAT POINT.

OK, I'M NOT HEARING THAT THERE'S ANYTHING THAT NEEDS TO COME OFF THE CONSENT AGENDA.

[01:00:03]

MAYOR, I MOVE THAT THE CONSENT AGENDA BE APPROVED AS PRESENTED.

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

ALL THOSE IN FAVOR PLEASE SAY AYE.

AYE. ANYONE OPPOSED? THAT ITEM PASSES WITH THE 50 VOTE.

MOVING ON TO ITEM 3, A PUBLIC HEARING AND CONSIDERATION OF ORDINANCE NUMBER 78 41, MR.

[A. PUBLIC HEARING AND CONSIDERATION OF ORDINANCE NO. 7841: (Contact: Cris Valverde - Assistant Director of Planning and Development Services) This item is the first reading and public hearing of an ordinance rezoning a 0.30 acre tract of unplatted land in Section 31, Block 9, B.S.&F. Survey, Randall County, Texas plus one-half of all bounding streets, alleys, and public ways to change from Agricultural District to General Retail District. (Vicinity: Loop 335 and !-27.)]

WE'VE GOT CRIS VALVERDE, THE ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OF PLANNING DEVELOPMENT SERVICES, TO PRESENT THE ITEM.

CRIS.MAYOR, COUNCIL, GOOD AFTERNOON.

THIS IS A PUBLIC HEARING OF ORDINANCE 78 41, WHICH PROPOSES TO REZONE A 0.3 0 ACRE TRACT IN SECTION 31 BLOCK 9 BSNF SURVEY.

IT'S LOCATED IN RANDALL COUNTY AND IT'S TO CHANGE FROM AGRICULTURAL DISTRICT TO GENERAL RETAIL DISTRICT.

THE APPLICANT IS REQUESTING GENERAL RETAIL ZONING IN ORDER TO DEVELOP THE LAND WITH RETAIL RELATED LAND USES.

ANALYSIS BEGINS WITH REFERRING TO THE COMPREHENSIVE PLANS, FUTURE LAND USE AND CHARACTER MAP, WHICH IDENTIFIES RECOMMENDED DEVELOPMENT TYPES FOR A PARTICULAR AREA OF LAND.

ADDITIONALLY, CONSIDERATION AS TO WHAT IMPACTS A REQUEST MAY HAVE ON AREA ZONING AND OR DEVELOPMENT PATTERNS, AS WELL AS CONFORMITY TO THE NEIGHBORHOOD UNIT CONCEPT OF DEVELOPMENT.

PLANNING AND ZONING COMMISSION ANALYZED THE REQUEST WHILE CONSIDERING THESE SUBJECTS AND BELIEVES THAT THE REQUEST CONFORMS TO THE NEIGHBORHOOD UNIT CONCEPT OF DEVELOPMENT AS WELL AS THE RECOMMENDED DEVELOPMENT TIME FOR THIS PARTICULAR AREA, WHICH IS GENERAL COMMERCIAL. AS SUCH, PLANNING COMMISSIONERS ARE OF THE OPINION THAT IF APPROVED, RETAIL ZONING WILL NOT CREATE ANY NEGATIVE IMPACTS ON ANTICIPATED OR EXISTING DEVELOPMENT OR ZONING PATTERNS IN THE AREA.

NOTICES HAVE BEEN SENT OUT TO EVERYONE WITHIN 200 FEET.

WE HAVE RECEIVED A COMMENT FROM ONE PROPERTY OWNER WHO OWNS PROPERTY ADJACENT TO THE APPLICANT'S TRACT.

THE PROPERTY OWNER WAS IN FAVOR OF THE REQUEST AND HAD NO REAL ISSUES WITH RETAIL ZONING, WHEREAS HE STATED HE WILL BE COMING IN IN THE NEAR FUTURE, PROBABLY FOR RETAIL ZONING.

AGAIN, THIS COMPLIES WITH ALL FUTURE LAND USE RECOMMENDATIONS IN THIS PARTICULAR AREA.

AS SUCH, THE PLANNING AND ZONING COMMISSION RECOMMENDS APPROVAL AS PRESENTED.

ANY QUESTIONS FOR CRIS, COUNCIL? THANK YOU, CRIS.AT THIS TIME, WE'LL OPEN A PUBLIC HEARING ON THIS MATTER, IS THERE ANYONE PRESENT WHO WANTS TO SPEAK FOR ON OR AGAINST ORDINANCE NUMBER 78 41, PROPOSED ORDINANCE 78 41.SEEING NO ONE, THEN WE WILL CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING AND ENTERTAIN A MOTION.

MAYOR. I MOVE TO ADOPT ORDINANCE NUMBER 78 41 IN THE VICINITY OF LOOP 335 AND I 27.

IT'S BEEN MOVED BY COUNCIL MEMBER POWELL, SECONDED BY COUNCIL MEMBER SMITH TO APPROVE ORDINANCE NUMBER 7841.

ANY FURTHER QUESTIONS OR DISCUSSION FROM THE COUNCIL? I HAD A QUESTION. YES.

LOOKING BACK AT THAT MAP.

YOU KNOW, OBVIOUSLY, IT'S LIKE SO THAT'S AN OLD AGRICULTURE AREA, IT ABSOLUTELY MAKES SENSE FOR US TO BE MAKING THIS TRANSITION, SAYS WE'RE WORKING WITH LIKE THE NEW P&Z.

WILL WE CONTINUE PIECEMEALING APPROVAL LIKE THIS.

OR DO YOU THEN AT SOME POINT PART OF THAT ANALYSIS LOOKING GO, OK? AS OPPOSED TO ONE LITTLE SECTION AT A TIME WHEN THINGS ARE OBVIOUS THAT YOU GO AHEAD AND JUST BLANKET CHANGE? WELL, I THINK WE WITH RE-WRITE ANYWAYS, WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT DOING IS POTENTIALLY GOING BACK AND ANALYZING THE FUTURE LAND USE MAP FOR AREAS THAT ARE MORE RETAIL IN NATURE AND MORE PRONE TO BE DEVELOPED WITH RETAIL OR OTHER USES AND AND POSSIBLY DO A ZONING CHANGE IN THAT PROCESS TO KIND OF BRING THOSE IN LINE WITH SOMETHING THAT'S OUT THERE.

AGAIN, THAT'S JUST SOMETHING WE'RE LOOKING AT BECAUSE WE ARE HAVING A LOT OF THESE REZONING REQUESTS IN PARTICULAR AREAS.

AND AGAIN, AGRICULTURAL ZONING IS JUST A PLACE HOLDER WHEN IT IS ANNEXED.

AND AGAIN, THE MAJORITY OF THAT GREEN AREA ON THE MAP THAT IS OWNED AGRICULTURAL IS OWNED BY ONE PROPERTY OWNER.

THIS JUST SO HAPPENS TO BE A DIFFERENT PROPERTY OWNER FROM THAT.

THE ADJACENT PROPERTY OWNER IS NOT READY TO DOES NOT HAVE ANY FORMAL PLANS TO DEVELOP THAT LAND OUT THERE YET.

AND THAT'S WHY WE HAVE NOT SEEN ANY REQUESTS FOR REZONING.

THAT'S DEFINITELY WHAT TRIGGERS.

YES, MA'AM. WHEN THERE IS A PLAN IN PLACE.

YES. THAT NEEDS TO BE CHANGED.

THAT'S WHAT STARTS IT.

YES. AND YEAH, I BELIEVE I BELIEVE THAT AG AREAS IS HAS AN AGRICULTURAL EXEMPTION ON TAXES AS WELL. AND SO WHEN YOU START TO GO AWAY FROM THAT AGRICULTURAL EXEMPTION, SOME ROLLBACK TAXES MAY COME INTO IT, COME INTO PLAY SO THAT THERE'S SOME OTHER FORCES AT WORK AS WELL

[01:05:05]

THE LAND VALUE, SOMETIMES CHANGE WHENEVER.

THAT IS CORRECT.SO YOU HAVE THAT EXEMPTION.

I WOULDN'T WANT TO DO SOMETHING, I SURE WOULDN'T WANT TO SAY FOR THIS LITTLE PIECE, I WANT THE WHOLE THING DONE BECAUSE THAT MAY.

CORRECT.

AND SO WE REALLY LOOK AT OUR COMPREHENSIVE PLAN RECOMMENDED DEVELOPMENT MAP AS WELL AS JUST PLANNING PRINCIPLES WHEN WE DO GET THESE REQUESTS.

SO THIS ONE KIND OF JUST HITS ALL THE BOXES, CHECKS THOSE OFF.

IT DOESN'T STOP YOU GUYS, THOUGH, FROM HAVING A STRATEGIC PLAN.

I MEAN, JUST BECAUSE WE HAVEN'T FORMALIZED IT, TRIGGERING SOME OF THOSE CHANGES ON A TAXPAYER OR A LANDOWNER DOESN'T MEAN THAT YOU GUYS AS A DEPARTMENT, ESPECIALLY WITH THE REZONING, THE UPDATE OF THE ZONING CODE AREN'T LOOKING AT LARGE AREAS.

THANK YOU. OKAY. THAT'S PROBABLY GOING TO SHIFT US.

WE'RE TRANSITIONING TO THAT.

SO ABSOLUTELY, WE'RE GOING TO TRY AND BE A LITTLE MORE PROACTIVE AS POSSIBLE.

AGAIN, WE DON'T THINK WE'LL GET 100 PERCENT BECAUSE SOME DEVELOPERS.

WE EXPECT A HUNDRED AND TEN PERCENT.

THERE YOU GO. DIDN'T YOU SEE JULIANA'S CREW IN HERE.

YEAH. THAT'S HARD TO FOLLOW UP.

YEAH. SO THAT'S YOU'VE SEEN DONNIE IN HERE LATELY? ABSOLUTELY.SO WE'LL DEFINITELY TRY TO BE MORE PROACTIVE KNOWING SOME OF THE DEVELOPERS IN TOWN AND WHAT THEIR PLANS ARE.

THANK YOU. YES, MA'AM.

YEAH.ALL RIGHT.

WE HAVE A MOTION. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? THAT'S A GOOD QUESTION. OK.

ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF THE MOTION APPROVING ORDINANCE 78 41 PLEASE SAY AYE.

AYE. ANYONE OPPOSED? THAT PASSES WITH THE 5 0 VOTE.

[B CONSIDER RESOLUTION - AUTHORIZING THE CITY TO SEEK AND DISTRIBUTE STATE FUNDS FOR THE 2020 WORKING RANCH COWBOYS ASSOCIATION'S WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP RANCH RODEO: (Contact: Sherman Bass, Civic Center Manager) This resolution authorizes the City to seek and distribute State funds, pursuant to article 5190.14, Section 5C of the Texas Revised Civil Statutes for the qualifying event.]

MR. CITY MANAGER. WE'VE GOT SHERMAN BASS, DIRECTOR OF THE CIVIC CENTER HERE TO TO PRESENT THE ITEM. WE DON'T HAVE A PRESENTATION NECESSARILY, BUT SHERMAN'S GOING TO GO OVER THE RESOLUTION AND ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS YOU'VE GOT ALONG WITH POSSIBLY MICHELLE.

BUT THIS IS A VERY ROUTINE APPLICATION THAT WE MAKE TO AS THE HOST COMMUNITY FOR WRCA TO APPLY FOR STATE FUNDS THROUGH THE SPECIAL EVENT TRUST FUND FOR THE WRCA.

THIS HELPS OFFSET THEIR COST AND PROVIDE A SIGNIFICANT CENTER FOR THEM TO CONTINUE COMING HERE. SO THIS IS SOMETHING THEY KIND OF COUNT ON OUR ASSISTANCE TO ACCESS THESE FUNDS, WHICH ARE DESIGNED EXACTLY TO REIMBURSE THIS TYPE OF EVENT THROUGH THE STATE JUST REIMBURSING SOME OF THE FUNDS WE GENERATE TO THE STATE.

SO SHERMAN.THAT'S CORRECT.

THANK YOU, MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL.

AND THANK YOU MR. MILLER, HE TEED IT UP GREAT.

THIS IS NOT NEW. THIS IS ACTUALLY THE NINTH YEAR IN A ROW THAT WE'VE APPLIED FOR THIS FUND FOR ON BEHALF OF WRCA.

WE HAVE A PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN THE CITY OF AMARILLO, THE ANNUAL CONVENTION AND VISITOR COUNCIL AND THE WORKING RANCH COWBOYS ASSOCIATION TO APPLY FOR THESE FUNDS.

AND AGAIN, IT'S PRETTY ROUTINE.

OUR NINTH TIME TO APPLY.

AND JUST AS AN FYI, THOSE THOSE GRANTS HAVE BEEN FROM 50000 TO APPROXIMATELY 250000 OVER THOSE NINE YEARS. IT DOES VARY BASED ON RULES, CHANGES THAT ARE MADE BY THE LEGISLATURE IN THE EVENT TRUST FUND AS WELL AS BASED ON SURVEY DATA, BECAUSE WE DO SURVEY EVERY YEAR TO GET AS ACCURATE AS DEPICTION AS WE CAN OF THE ECONOMIC IMPACT FOR THIS EVENT.

QUESTIONS, COUNCIL?THANK YOU, SHERMAN.

THANK YOU. WE HAVE A MOTION ON THIS ITEM? YES, MAYOR, I MOVE TO APPROVE THE RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE CITY TO SEEK IN DISTRIBUTE STATE FUNDS FOR THEIR 2020 WORKING RANCH COWBOYS ASSOCIATION WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP RODEO PROCEEDED TO ARTICLE 51 90.14 SECTION 5 C OF THE TEXAS REVISED CIVIL STATUTES OF THE QUALIFYING FOR THE QUALIFYING EVENT.SECOND, IT'S BEEN MOVED BY COUNCIL MEMBER POWELL, SECOND BY COUNCIL MEMBER HAYS TO APPROVE THIS RESOLUTION.

ANY FURTHER QUESTIONS OR DISCUSSION FROM THE COUNCIL? HEARING NONE, ALL OF THOSE IN FAVOR OF THE MOTION PLEASE SAY AYE.

AYE. ANYONE OPPOSE THAT PASSES WITH A 5 0 VOTE.

[C. CONSIDER RESOLUTION - SUBMISSION OF GOVERNOR'S CRIMINAL JUSTICE DIVISION GRANT APPLICATION: (Contact: Asst. Chief Ken Funtek) This item considers approval of a resolution authorizing the City Manager to apply for FY2021 PSN grant funds to implement projects to improve shooting investigations and reduce gun violence in the city.]

MR. CITY MANAGER.WE HAVE ASSISTANT CHIEF KEN FUNTEK HERE TO PRESENT THE ITEM.

THIS IS VERY IN CLOSE KEEPING TO THE PROJECT SAFE NEIGHBORHOOD BRIEFING AND UPDATE THAT HE GAVE FOR Y'ALL TWO OR THREE WEEKS AGO.

BUT THIS IS FOR CONTINUED FUNDING FOR THAT PROJECT.

CHIEF.

IT IS. THANK YOU. GOOD AFTERNOON, COUNCIL.

MR. MANAGER. THIS IS KIND OF AN OFFSHOOT OF THAT.

IF YOU ALL RECALL, I BELIEVE A COUPLE MONTHS AGO, BACK IN OCTOBER, WE APPLIED FOR A GULF STATES GRANT THAT WAS SPECIFICALLY A TECHNOLOGY GRANT, THAT WAS A COMPETITIVE GRANT THAT UNFORTUNATELY WE DID NOT RECEIVE.

BUT WE BELIEVE IN THIS PROJECT SO MUCH THAT WE SAW ANOTHER OPPORTUNITY TO GO AHEAD AND APPLY FOR THAT.

AND IN THIS PARTICULAR ONE, WE'VE ACTUALLY EXPANDED THE SCOPE.

[01:10:05]

THIS IS IN SUPPORT OF OUR SHOOTING RESPONSE TEAM, I BELIEVE ALSO DISCUSSED THAT ABOUT EIGHT WEEKS AGO.

WE BEGAN A PROCESS THAT WE DO A NON-FATAL SHOOTING REVIEW ON ALL CASES WHERE WE HAVE SOMEBODY WHO WAS SHOT, PARTICULARLY FOCUSED IN ON THOSE WHERE THERE APPEARS TO BE A CHANCE FOR RETALIATION AND THINGS OF THAT NATURE.

THIS HAS BEEN A VERY SUCCESSFUL PROGRAM ACROSS THE COUNTRY IN DIFFERENT POCKETS AROUND SOME MAJOR CITIES.

AND JUST AGAIN, REALIZING THAT ANYTIME WE HAVE A SHOOTING, WE COULD'VE LOST A LIFE IN OUR COMMUNITY. SO WE ARE DEFINITELY PUTTING A LOT OF FOCUS AND ENERGY INTO THAT, IF YOU WILL.

SO IN THIS PROCESS OR THIS APPLICATION, WE'RE GOING TO FOCUS ON, AGAIN, OUR PSN ZONE AND LOOKING AT TRYING TO ADDRESS VIOLENT CRIME IN THE CORRIDORS WITHIN THE PSN ZONE.

THIS PROCESS.

SO GETTING THE AUTOMATED LICENSE PLATE READERS JUST TO RECAP THAT IT'S A PROCESS WHERE WE WOULD HAVE THREE ALPRS ON VEHICLES, WE WOULD HAVE TWO FIXED SITES YET TO BE DETERMINED AND WE WOULD ALSO HAVE A SPEED TRAILER.

YOU SEE THOSE, YOU DRIVE BY, YOU'RE GOING 43 IN A 35.

WELL, GIVEN OUT SECRETS, SEEING ONE OF THOSE THAT MIGHT HAVE ONE OF THOSE DEVICES ON IT.

SHOULD WE GET IT? AND THIS CAN BE USED, OBVIOUSLY, TO WORK ON OUR VIOLENT OFFENDERS WHERE WE GET THAT INFORMATION.

IF WE GET A SUSPECT VEHICLE TAG AND A DESCRIPTION, WE CAN ENTER THAT INTO THE SYSTEM.

AND WHAT THESE ALPR READERS WOULD DO, WHETHER IT'S A FIXED SITE AND THAT SUSPECT VEHICLE DRIVES BY, IT'S CAPTURING THAT IMAGE AND DATA, IT WOULD GIVE THE OFFICER AN ALERT IN THE VEHICLE. WE COULD ALSO GO BACK TO SEARCH THAT DATABASE, KIND OF LIKE CELL PHONE RECORDS.

IF WE'RE LOOKING AT A PARTICULAR INTERSECTION NEAR AND AROUND THE SCENE OF THE CRIME.

WE CAN HAVE A PLACE TO LOOK AND SEE WHAT VEHICLES WERE ON THAT AREA AT A CERTAIN TIME.

THAT COULD AGAIN GIVE US A POTENTIAL LEAD ON A CASE.

BUT BEYOND THE CRIME FIGHTING ASPECTS, WE CAN ALSO USE THIS FOR AMBER ALERT, SILVER ALERTS FOR ALZHEIMER'S AND THINGS OF THAT NATURE.

WE CAN ENTER THAT INTO THE SYSTEM AS IT IS NOW, OUR OFFICER, EVEN IF WE HAD A SUSPECT THAT WAS DEEMED THAT WAS POSSIBLY WANTED OR WANTED FOR QUESTIONING, THEY WOULD HAVE TO CONTACT, DISPATCH OR PULL UP TO THE RMS AND SEARCH THAT JACKET AND LOOK FOR AN ALERT CODE TO WHERE THIS WOULD BE AUTOMATED.

THE OFFICER WOULD GET AN ALERT ON THEIR COMPUTER AND LET THEM KNOW EITHER THIS IS A WANTED SUBJECT, STOLEN VEHICLE.

A CHILD POTENTIALLY A SUSPECT IN AN AMBER ALERT OR SILVER ALERT.

SO THAT HAS VERY MANY USES.

THE OTHER PART OF THIS PROGRAM THAT WE'VE BUILT INTO THIS WOULD BE REALLY TRYING TO RECOUP SOME OF OUR SERVICES ON THESE NONFATAL SHOOTINGS.

AT A MINIMUM WHERE WE'RE SENDING OUT TO DETECTIVES AND TO CSIS OUT ON THE SCENE.

AND I THINK YOU'LL APPRECIATE US TRYING TO BE AS FISCALLY RESPONSIBLE AS WE CAN THAT IF WE CAN GET SOME FUNDING TO HELP.

OFFSET THAT OVERTIME, THAT IS ALREADY QUITE A CHALLENGE FOR THE CITY.

WE'LL HAVE ADDITIONAL SUPPORT FROM THE CRIME ANALYSIS PATROL AND SPECIALIZED OPERATIONS.

SO MOVING ON, THE TOTAL GRANT APPLICATION IS FOR TWO HUNDRED THIRTY FIVE THOUSAND SEVENTY FIVE DOLLARS. AND YOU'LL LIKE THAT THERE'S NO GRANT, SORRY, NO MATCH ATTACHED TO THAT.

YOU GET UP HERE AND YOU GET ALL TONGUE TIED.

I APOLOGIZE. SO THERE'S NO MATCHING FUNDS REQUIRED.

THERE WOULD BE A SEVEN THOUSAND DOLLAR ANNUAL SERVICE FEE MOVING DOWN THE LINE THAT WE FEEL LIKE WE CAN EASILY ABSORB THAT.

AND I THINK IT WILL SHOW THAT IT WILL BE VERY SUCCESSFUL FOR THAT.

AND I KIND OF LOOK AT THIS AS KIND OF A PILOT PROGRAM.

THIS IS NOWHERE NEAR WHERE WE WOULD LIKE TO BE.

IF YOU LOOK AT MUNICIPALITIES ACROSS THE COUNTRY, WHETHER IT'S NEW YORK, CHICAGO, SO MANY METRO AREAS, IF THEY DON'T HAVE ALL OF THEIR UNITS OUT THERE, THEY HAVE DOZENS AND DOZENS, IF NOT HUNDREDS.

SO I THINK BY IF WE WERE TO GET THIS, WE CAN GET THE DATA FROM THAT.

AND IF WE SEE THAT THAT'S BEING SUCCESSFUL, PERHAPS IT WOULD BETTER SET US IN THE FUTURE FOR APPLYING FOR ADDITIONAL GRANTS.

IF WE CAN SHOW THAT WE HAVE A SUCCESSFUL PROGRAM THAT TECHNOLOGIES WORK AND THE PROGRAM IS WORKING. WE JUST DON'T HAVE THE FUNDS TO EXPAND THAT.

SO THAT MIGHT SET A SET FOR FUTURE GRANTS AS WELL.

[01:15:04]

SO THERE'S A 90 DAY RETENTION PERIOD ON THAT THAT'S VERY LIMITED BECAUSE IT'S JUST MAINLY DEALING WITH ALLOWING THEM TIME TO PROCESS THOSE THROUGH MUNICIPAL COURT.

AND IF IT DIDN'T GET FILED IN 90 DAYS, IT'S A TRAFFIC PARKING SITUATION, NOT TO THE DEGREE OF FELONIES THAT WE WOULD PREDOMINANTLY BE LOOKING AT IN THAT.

SO I WOULD SAY WE'RE YET TO BE DETERMINED.

I KNOW OUR PANHANDLE AUTO THEFT GROUP.

THEY HAVE ONE UNIT AND THEY'RE PRIMARILY THEY LOAD IN FOR STOLEN VEHICLES AND THEY'LL DRIVE AROUND TOWN. THEY COULD ALSO GET THAT AUTOMATIC ALERT SHOULD IT BE STOLEN.

AND THEY HAVE A TWO YEAR RETENTION POLICY.

WE'LL CONTINUE TO WORK ON THAT.

AND WE WANT TO BE WITHIN BEST PRACTICES IN NATIONALLY ACCEPTABLE STANDARDS.

BUT I THINK YOU WOULD AGREE THAT A 90 DAY PERIOD, SHOULD WE LOSE DATA.

THEY CAN BE TIED TO A SHOOTING OR A HOMICIDE IS JUST TOO LIMITED.

SO WE WOULDN'T WANT TO LOOK AT THAT AND MEET THOSE BEST PRACTICES MOVING FORWARD.

THIS WOULD BE CONTROLLED AS FAR AS ALL OF THOSE SEARCHES.

WE WOULD HAVE THAT TRACKED BY OUR ANALYSTS UNIT.

AND IF ANY OTHER LAW ENFORCEMENT IN THEIR REGION WANTED TO HAVE ACCESS TO THAT ON A LIMITED BASIS, WE WOULD HAVE TO HAVE AN MOU CARVED OUT BECAUSE WE REALIZE THIS IS SENSITIVE INFORMATION.

WE WOULD NOT SHARE THIS.

SOMEBODY WAS ASKED ABOUT THAT, I THINK, ON OUR PREVIOUS GRANT.

THIS IS NOT INFORMATION THAT WE PUSH OUT TO ANY OTHER GROUPS WHO WOULD BE SPECIFICALLY FOR LAW ENFORCEMENT PURPOSES.

ANY QUESTIONS WITH THAT? QUESTIONS FOR THE CHIEF, COUNCIL? I JUST WANT TO EMPHASIZE THAT GUN VIOLENCE IS SOMETHING THAT AS A CITIZEN, I AM CONCERNED ABOUT. YOU MENTIONED ABSOLUTELY EVERY TIME A GUN IS INVOLVED, LIVES ARE AT STAKE.

AND I AS A MOM, I THINK IT'S NOT ALWAYS THE PEOPLE THAT ARE POINTING AT EACH OTHER.

SO GRANTED, THAT'S IMPORTANT.

BUT WHAT IT DOES OVERALL FOR CITIZENS WHO FEEL UNSAFE TO WATCH THE NUMBER OF GUN CRIMES AND SHOOTINGS GO UP IN OUR CITY IS JUST.

ONE IS UNACCEPTABLE.

SO I AM ABSOLUTELY BEHIND WHATEVER IT TAKES FOR US TO MAKE IT A FOCUS.

TO LIMIT, RESTRICT, ELIMINATE ANY KIND OF GUN VIOLENCE IN OUR CITY.

AND I THINK THAT ABSOLUTELY HAS TO BE THE TARGET.

ABSOLUTELY. I COULDN'T AGREE MORE.

AND AS I STATED IN THE LAST PRESENTATION, WE'VE MADE SOME REALLY GOOD INROADS.

BUT MUCH LIKE HOMELESSNESS, WE HAVE A LONG WAYS TO GO.

AND AND WE'RE NOT GOING TO ACCEPT STATUS QUO EVER.

WE'RE ALWAYS GOING TO BE REACHING FOR WHAT WE CAN DO IN ADVANCE AND AGAIN, WORKING THROUGH THE GRANTS TO SUPPLEMENT.

WE KNOW WE HAVE A FINITE AMOUNT OF MONEY AVAILABLE AND THIS IS A WAY TO HELP BRING THOSE DOLLARS IN, TO HELP OUR COMMUNITY TO BETTER TO MAKE IT SAFER.

AND WE THINK IT'S A VERY WORTHWHILE PROJECT.

ANYTHING ELSE, COUNCIL? THANK YOU, CHIEF.WITH THAT I'D LIKE TO THANK CAPTAIN BROWN FOR THE PREPARATION AND SUBMISSION OF THIS AS WELL AS THE POWERPOINT.

I'M NOT VERY GOOD WITH POWERPOINTS.

I RELY ON MY TECHNICAL SAVVY STAFF.

SO THANK YOU ALL VERY MUCH.

YEAH.CAPTAIN BROWN'S SKILLS NEVER CEASE TO AMAZE US.

SO THANK YOU.

OKAY. DO WE HAVE A MOTION ON THIS ITEM? YES, MAYOR. I MOVE TO APPROVE THE RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE CITY MANAGER TO APPLY FOR THE FISCAL YEAR 2021 PROJECT SAFE NEIGHBORHOOD GRANT FUNDS IN THE AMOUNT OF TWO HUNDRED AND THIRTY FIVE THOUSAND SEVENTY FIVE DOLLARS TO IMPLEMENT PROJECTS TO IMPROVE SHOOTING INVESTIGATIONS AND REDUCE GUN VIOLENCE IN OUR CITY.

IT'S BEEN MOVED BY COUNCIL MEMBER POWELL, SECONDED BY COUNCIL MEMBER SMITH TO APPROVE THIS RESOLUTION. ANY FURTHER QUESTIONS OR DISCUSSION FROM THE COUNCIL? ALL OF THOSE IN FAVOR, PLEASE SAY AYE.

AYE.ANYONE OPPOSED? THAT PASSES WITH A 5 0 VOTE.

ITEM 3D TO CONSIDER THE APPROVAL OF THE SOUTHWESTERN PUBLIC SERVICE SALE AND PURCHASE OF A

[D. CONSIDER APPROVAL - SOUTHWESTERN PUBLIC SERVICE SALE AND PURCHASE OF WATER AGREEMENT: (Contact: Floyd Hartman, Assistant City Manager) This item considers approval of the Revised Agreement for Sale and Purchase of Water between the City of Amarillo and Southwestern Public Service Company.]

SO, FLOYD, TAKE IT AWAY.

MAYOR AND COUNCIL FLOYD HARTMAN, ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER, DEVELOPMENT SERVICES.

YES, WE'RE HERE TODAY TO PRESENT THE UPDATED WATER SUPPLY AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE CITY OF AMARILLO AND SPS, SOUTHWESTERN PUBLIC SERVICE.

I FIRST WANT TO THANK RONNIE WALKER AND HIS TEAM, RICHARD BELT, BUT ALSO INTERNALLY, JONATHAN GRESHAM, DIRECTOR OF UTILITIES.

ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OF UTILITIES, DAMEN RATLIFF AND THEN OUR LEGAL DEPARTMENT ON THE WORK OF THIS VERY IMPORTANT CONTRACT BETWEEN THE TWO ENTITIES.

BUT THIS IS A RECLAIMED WATER AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE CITY'S WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANTS

[01:20:04]

SO A LITTLE HISTORY BRIEF.

THIS PROGRAM STARTED IN THE 1960S WITH A RIVER ROAD PLANT PROVIDING WATER TO THE XL PLANTS OR THE SPS PLANTS.

THE PROGRAM EXPANDED GREATLY IN 2004 WHEN WE ADDED A PIPELINE FROM THE HOLLYWOOD ROAD PLANT AND SPS RECEIVED RIGHTS TO ALL OF OUR RECLAIMED WATER.

OTHER THAN THAT, THAT'S COMMITTED TO LIKE TANGLEWOOD.

THE CITY IN EXCHANGE OBTAINED WATER RIGHT FOR THE POTTER COUNTY WELL FIELD, WHICH HAS BEEN SINCE BEEN DEVELOPED FOR DRINKING WATER.

OVER 3 BILLION GALLONS PER YEAR IS PROVIDED THROUGH THIS PROGRAM.

SO IT'S A STATEWIDE RECOGNIZED PROGRAM HAS BEEN ONGOING, BUT IT EARNED THE BLUE LEGACY AWARD FROM THE TEXAS WATER FOUNDATION IN 2019.

SO WE'RE EXCITED TO CONTINUE AND RECOMMEND THE APPROVAL OF THIS CONTRACT TO CONTINUE THIS PROGRAM. HIGHLIGHTS OF THE CONTRACT THAT IS IN FRONT OF YOU THAT WE'RE RECOMMENDING APPROVAL FOR IS THAT SPS IS COMMITTED TO MAKING SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENTS TO OUR WASTEWATER TREATMENT FACILITIES AND THE CITY WILL OPERATE THOSE THAT IS IN AN EFFORT TO IMPROVE WATER QUALITY.

AND THEN WE HAVE ALSO ADDED ENHANCE THE COORDINATION COMMITTEE, WHICH WILL CONSIST OF TWO MEMBERS FROM EACH ENTITY TO MEET TWICE ANNUALLY TO TALK ABOUT CHALLENGES AND ONGOING ISSUES AND CONCERNS ABOUT THIS CONTRACT, WHICH ENHANCES OUR RELATIONSHIP.

BUT THIS WILL EXTEND THE DURATION OF THAT CONTRACT THROUGH 2040 AND MAINTAIN THIS VERY HIGH PROFILE WATER CONSERVATION PROGRAM THAT BENEFITS NOT ONLY AMARILLO, BUT THE REGION THROUGH THAT. AND YES, RONNIE'S HERE TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS OR GIVE COMMENTS ON THAT.

RONNIE, DO YOU HAVE ANYTHING YOU WANT TO? IF WE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS? I HAVE DEAN METCALF HERE.

DEAN IS OUR MANAGER FOR ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES FOR [INAUDIBLE] ENERGY.

SO HE'S BEEN HEAVILY INVOLVED IN THIS CONTRACT.

SO IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, DEAN CAN DEFINITELY ANSWER THEM FOR YOU.

AND WITH THAT, WE'RE WE'RE AVAILABLE FOR ANY QUESTIONS AS WELL, COUNCIL.

ANYTHING? OK.FLOYD, THANK YOU, RONNIE, DEAN, THANK YOU BOTH.

WE KNOW A LOT OF TIME HAS GONE INTO UPDATING THIS, IT'S A VALUABLE CONTRACT.

WE APPRECIATE THE PARTNERSHIP GREATLY.

AND I WANT TO COMMEND YOU, FLOYD, ON YOUR LEADERSHIP IN REPRESENTING THE CITY'S NEEDS AND UPDATING THIS CONTRACT IN A WAY THAT'S BENEFICIAL, I THINK, FOR ALL THE PARTNERS INVOLVED. BUT THANK YOU FOR THE WORK THAT YOU'VE DONE ON IT.

DO WE HAVE A MOTION ON THIS ITEM, COUNCIL? YES, WE DO. MAYOR, I MOVE TO APPROVE THE REVISED AGREEMENT FOR THE SALE AND PURCHASE OF WATER BETWEEN THE CITY OF AMARILLO IN SOUTHWESTERN PUBLIC SERVICE COMPANY THROUGH THE 2040 YEAR. SECOND.

IT'S BEEN MOVED BY COUNCIL MEMBER POWELL AND SECONDED BY COUNCIL MEMBER HAYS TO APPROVE THIS PURCHASE A WATER AGREEMENT.

ANY FURTHER QUESTIONS OR DISCUSSION? HEARING NONE. ALL OF THOSE IN FAVOR, PLEASE SAY AYE.

AYE. ANYONE TO POST THAT ITEM PASSES WITH A 5 0 VOTE.

[E. EXECUTIVE SESSION: City Council may convene in Executive Session to receive reports on or discuss any of the following pending projects or matters: 1) Section 551.074 - Discuss the appointment, employment, evaluation, reassignment, duties, and qualifications of a public officer or employee, in accordance with the Texas Open Meetings Act. (a) Discussion of Municipal Court Judge Laura Hamilton's performance evaluation. 2) Section 551.072 - Discuss the purchase, exchange, lease, sale, or value of real property and public discussion of such would not be in the best interests of the City's bargaining position: (a) Discuss property located within the Tax Increment Reinvestment Zone #1 Boundary. (b) Lease negotiations for the retail space at the downtown Parking Garage.]

UNDER THE FOLLOWING AUTHORITY.

SECTION 551.07.

DISCUSS THE PURCHASE EXCHANGE, LEASE SALE OR VALUE OF REAL PROPERTY.

PUBLIC DISCUSSION OF SUCH WOULD NOT BE IN THE BEST INTEREST OF THE CITY'S BARGAINING POSITION. SECTION 551.

074. DISCUSS THE APPOINTMENT, EMPLOYMENT EVALUATION AND DUTIES OF A PUBLIC OFFICER OR EMPLOYEE.THANK YOU.

WE'RE ADJOURNED TO EXECUTIVE SESSION.

* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.