[00:00:05]
FIGURED OUT YOUR NEW TECHNOLOGY, AND I'M REMINDED ONCE AGAIN, I THINK IT'S ALBERT EINSTEIN THAT SAID NEVER STOP LEARNING.
SO HERE WE ARE LEARNING A NEW SKILL AND THAT'S HOW TO MEET DIGITALLY.
AND I'M PROUD OF ALL OF YOU FOR HAVING A GROWTH MINDSET, A WILLINGNESS TO TRY SOMETHING NEW. AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR DILIGENCE IN GETTING THIS SET UP IN ORDER FOR US TO HAVE TODAY'S MEETING SAFELY.
ALL BE TOGETHER MEETING PUBLICLY, BUT YET WITH ABSOLUTE PHYSICAL DISTANCE.
SO THANK YOU FOR WHAT YOU'VE DONE TO GET THIS STARTED TODAY.
[INVOCATION]
AT THIS TIME, I'D LIKE TO CALL ON MARCUS NORRIS TO OPEN OUR MEETING WITH AN INDICATION MARCUS.MARCUS, I DON'T THINK YOU HAVE YOUR MICROPHONES UNMUTED.
THERE YOU GO. I APOLOGIZE, MY APOLOGIES, SIR.
FATHER, THANK YOU FOR THE MIRACLE OF TECHNOLOGY.
HELP US TO BE GOOD STEWARDS OF IT.
WE ARE ESPECIALLY THANKFUL TODAY FOR OUR HEALTH CARE WORKERS.
WE ASKED YOU TO FILL SOME PHYSICAL STRENGTH, EMOTIONAL STRENGTH AND SPECIAL WISDOM TO CARE FOR THE SICK AND INJURED IN OUR COMMUNITY.
FOR THE ILL WE ASK FOR YOUR HEALING FOR THE ILL AT EASE.
WE ASK YOU FOR PIECE FOR THE MORNING WHEN WE ASK FOR YOUR COMFORT.
YOU'VE BEEN THROUGH YOUR PROPHET JEREMIAH.
YOU INSTRUCTED US TO SEEK PEACE AND PROSPERITY OF THE CITY, WHICH WE FIND OURSELVES.
SO WE ASK YOUR SPECIAL BLESSING TODAY FROM THIS CITY COUNCIL FROM THE CITY OF AMARILLO IN CHRIST NAME I CHOOSE TO PRAY.
AT THIS TIME WE'LL MOVE TO THE PUBLIC ADDRESS PORTION OF THE AGENDA.
AND I'LL ASK THE CITY SECRETARY, DO WE HAVE ANYONE CUED UP FOR PUBLIC ADDRESS TODAY? NO, MA'AM, WE DO NOT. I DO THANK THE PUBLIC FOR THEIR PATIENCE AND THEIR WILLINGNESS TO LEARN NEW SKILLS.
YOU HAVE YOUR TIME TO WATCH FROM HOME.
IF YOU'RE WATCHING, THEN YOU OBVIOUSLY FIGURED OUT HOW TO FIND US TODAY.
BUT YOU CAN WATCH ON FACEBOOK LIVE.
YOU CAN WATCH IN THE CITY OF AMARILLO'S WEB SITE.
OR YOU CAN EVEN JOIN THE ZOOM CALL.
THERE ARE A LIMITED NUMBER OF SLOTS FOR THE ZOOM CALL IF IT'S FULL.
NO PROBLEM. YOU'RE GOING TO SEE THE SAME CONTENT ON THE CITY'S WEBSITE OR ON OUR FACEBOOK LIVE BROADCASTS.
SO I'M REALLY GLAD THAT OUR CITIZENS ARE ENGAGED.
AND CERTAINLY THE THINGS WE HAVE ON THE AGENDA TO TALK ABOUT TODAY ARE IMPORTANT FOR CITIZENS TO KNOW. SO STILL NO CALLERS, FRANCES? NOBODY CALLED IN FOR PUBLIC ADDRESS? NO, MA'AM. OK.
AND IF THEY WANT TO DO THAT NEXT WEEK, FRANCES.
CAN WE JUST TALK FOR A MINUTE TO EDUCATE ON HOW THEY WOULD GO ABOUT DOING THAT? WE HAD PUT THE INSTRUCTIONS ON THE AGENDA THEN OUR I.T.
DEPARTMENT CAN HELP US IF WE NEED ANYTHING ELSE.
OK. SO IF YOU'RE A CITIZEN AND YOU'RE WONDERING NEXT WEEK HOW TO SIGN UP FOR PUBLIC ADDRESS, THAT WOULD ALLOW YOU THREE MINUTES TO COMMENT ON ANY ITEM THAT'S ON OUR AGENDA.
THEN THE INSTRUCTIONS FOR DOING THAT ARE ON THE AGENDA THAT GETS PUBLISHED EVERY FRIDAY ON THE CITY'S WEB SITE.
DEPARTMENT IS AVAILABLE TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU MIGHT HAVE ABOUT HOW TO DO THAT IF YOU'RE A CITIZEN. OK.
[A. Review agenda items for regular meeting and attachments;]
LET'S MOVE ON TO AGENDA ITEM 1A.IS THERE ANYTHING IN YOUR PACKET COUNCIL THAT YOU HAD QUESTIONS ABOUT YOU WANTED TO GET CLARIFICATION ON BEFORE WE MOVE THROUGH THE AGENDA? MAYOR, I DON'T HAVE ANYTHING.
AND I'M SEEING HEAD SHAKES FOR EVERYONE ELSE.
[B. Amarilio Economic Development Corporation Update;]
THAT'S AN UPDATE FROM THE AMARILLO ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION.AND WE WOULD HAVE KEVIN CARTER ON THE LINE WITH US TO GIVE BENEFIT.
WELCOME, KEVIN. GOOD AFTERNOON.
I JUST WANT TO FIRST START OUT BY SAYING THANK YOU FOR THE LEADERSHIP THAT YOU'RE SHOWING AND AS WELL AS THE COUNCIL AS WELL IN THIS DIFFICULT TIME, JUST KIND OF WANT TO TALK
[00:05:01]
ABOUT SOME OF THE THINGS THAT HAVE BEEN GOING ON IN THE LAST QUARTER.JUST TO GO BACK TO LAST QUARTER, AT THE END OF THE IN THE FOURTH QUARTER, WE HAVE THE CITY COUNCIL AND OUR BOARD APPROVED A PROJECT FOR SSI FOODS.
FORTY TWO MILLION DOLLAR CAPITAL EXPENDITURE.
ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTY EMPLOYEES LOCATED IN CENTER PORT.
AND IF YOU GET A CHANCE TO DRIVE OUT TO 24TH AND FOLSOM OUT ON THE EAST SIDE OF OUR BUSINESS PARK, YOU CAN SEE AMAZING JOB THAT WESTERN BUILDERS IS DOING AND ALL THE CONSTRUCTION FOLKS OUT THERE.
THAT PROJECT IS ONGOING AND STILL ON SCHEDULE TO BE COMPLETED AND UP AND RUNNING BY THE THIRD QUARTER OF 2020.
SO THAT'LL EMPLOY ABOUT A HUNDRED FIFTY FOLKS.
SO SOME OF OUR FIRST QUARTER SUCCESSES WE HAD TO PROJECT IN THE FIRST MONTH IN JANUARY WAS SPEND ON THAT UTILITY SERVICE COMPANY.
THEY DO UP TOWER TECHNOLOGY WHERE THEY REFURBISH BLADES WHILE THEY'RE ON THE TOWER AND CAN'T WAIT TO SEE THAT IN ACTION.
SO THEY HAVE FINALLY MOVED INTO THE W.T.
ENTERPRISE CENTER AND ARE USING THAT SPACE.
AND SO WE APPROVE THAT PROJECT OR THE CITY COUNCIL AND THE BOARD APPROVED THAT PROJECT IN JANUARY. LAST MONTH, WE CLOSED ON THE LAST FIVE ACRES OF OUR SOUTH GEORGIA BUSINESS PARK, WHICH IS SOMETHING NEW.
WE CLOSED ON THE FIRST HUNDRED AND NINETY ACRES BACK IN JUNE OR JULY OF 19 AND THEN CLOSED ON THAT PROPERTY WITH BNSF.
ACTUALLY, WE CLOSED ON THAT PROPERTY LAST WEEK.
AND SO THAT WOULD GIVE US ONE HUNDRED AND EIGHTY FIVE ACRES OF RAIL SERVED PROPERTY IN RANDALL COUNTY. IN JANUARY, WE HAD OUR SECOND STATE OF THE ECONOMY, DR.
RAY PERRIMAN CAME IN AND WE HAD ABOUT THREE HUNDRED AND THREE HUNDRED ATTENDEES IN PERSON. WHAT I WAS MOST SHOCKED ABOUT THAT WAS WE HAD NINE HUNDRED PEOPLE THAT LIVESTREAM THAT EITHER THROUGH PBS OR OUR FACEBOOK PAGE.
SO QUITE A LARGE GATHERING OF FOLKS THAT WANTED TO HEAR ABOUT THE STATE OF OUR ECONOMY BACK IN JANUARY. AT THAT STATE OF THE ECONOMY, WE LAUNCHED A NEW PROGRAM CALLED TAKE ROOT INITIATIVE THROUGH OUR WORKFORCE DIRECTOR SABRINA MECK PEREZ THAT GOT THAT GOING.
THAT'S A LIVING WAGE BOARD AND THE LIVING WAGE THAT WE'VE SET IN AMARILLO IS FORTY FIVE THOUSAND DOLLARS. SO THERE ARE SEVERAL JOBS ON THERE.
AND JUST TO LET YOU KNOW THAT PEOPLE ARE STILL POSTING JOBS RIGHT NOW ON THAT ON THAT WEB SITE. SO THERE ARE PEOPLE IN AMARILLO THAT ARE LOOKING FOR FOLKS TO COME TO WORK, AND THAT'S A POSITIVE NEWS. BACK IN FEBRUARY, THE MAYOR, GARY MOLBERG FROM THE CHAMBER, MICHAEL [INAUDIBLE], WHO IS OUR VISE PRESIDENT OF BUSINESS RETENTION EXPANSION AND THREE MEMBERS FROM BELL WENT TO FORT WORTH AND DID A MAYOR CALL OR A VRE VISIT TO BELL HEADQUARTERS IN FORT WORTH.
WE WERE TREATED VERY WELL AND GOT TO HAVE LUNCH WITH THEIR EXECUTIVE LEADERSHIP TEAM, WHICH I THINK WAS NINE OR 10 FOLKS AND GOT TO TOUR THAT.
LISTEN ABOUT SOME OF THE PROGRAMS THAT THEY GOT THAT THEY HAVE GOING ON.
ONE OF THOSE PROGRAMS THAT WE GOT TO HEAR ABOUT WAS THEIR [INAUDIBLE] PROGRAM, WHICH AT THAT TIME THEY WERE HOPING THAT SOMETIME IN MARCH THAT THEY WOULD DO WHAT'S CALLED A DOWN SELECT, WHERE THEY WOULD PICK WHETHER BELL WOULD WOULD GO AHEAD.
THEY PICKED TWO COMPANIES TO COMPETE ON THAT PLATFORM.
AND LAST WEEK, WE FOUND OUT THAT BELL WAS SELECTED AS ONE OF THE TWO COMPANIES TO BUILD A NEW HELICOPTER. IT'S CALLED THE INVICTUS 360.
THEY WILL START WORK ON THAT IN OCTOBER TO BUILD THE PROTOTYPE.
AND WE'RE NOT SURE WHO THE COMPETITOR IS, BUT WE WERE HOPEFUL THAT WE WILL COME OUT ON TOP AT BELL HERE IN AMARILLO.
AND THEN ALSO ABOUT TWO OR THREE WEEKS AGO, AMARILLO BELL WAS SELECTED TO DOWN SELECTED ALSO FOR THE V2 80 THAT WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT FOR THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS.
SO SOME REALLY GOOD NEWS COMING OUT OF BELL AND SO SOME REALLY GOOD NEWS THAT WE NEED RIGHT NOW. AND SO WE'RE REALLY EXCITED ABOUT THAT HERE IN JUST A FEW MINUTES.
WE'LL TALK ABOUT OUR NEWEST PROJECT, GOLDEN SPREAD, THAT WE'RE GOING TO PRESENT TO YOU GUYS LATER ON IN THE AGENDA.
ALSO WANT TO KIND OF TALK TO YOU, IF YOU IF I CAN, ABOUT OUR COVID-19 RESPONSE, THE RESOURCE GUIDE. I KNOW LAST WEEK WE CAME AND TALKED ABOUT A COUPLE OF THINGS.
THERE HAS BEEN TONS OF UPDATES, BUT SOMETHING THAT WE'RE REALLY WANT TO PUSH IS THAT TWC IS GOING TO DO A WEBINAR THAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN TOMORROW.
WE ACTUALLY SENT A LETTER OUT OR SENT AN EMAIL OUT ABOUT JOINING THAT WEBINAR.
WE MET THE HUNDRED CAPACITY IN 10 MINUTES OF OUR RESPONSE.
AND SO WE HAD TO GO TO A DIFFERENT PLATFORM.
[00:10:01]
AND SO WE'VE GOT EVERYBODY REGISTERED AND VISITED WITH TWC EARLIER.WE'RE ALREADY UP TO 180 FOLKS THAT ARE ON THAT WEBINAR.
AND SO IF YOU'RE INTERESTED IN GETTING ON THAT WEBINAR AND YOU HAVEN'T RECEIVED THAT LINK, YOU CAN EMAIL ME AT KEVIN@AMARILLOEDC.COM.
AND I WILL SEND YOU THAT LINK ON THAT WEBINAR TOMORROW.
IT'S WEDNESDAY, APRIL 1ST AT 3:30.
IT'S GOING TO LAST ABOUT AN HOUR HERE IN [INAUDIBLE] THE COMMISSIONER REPRESENTING EMPLOYERS IS GOING TO BE ON THAT WEBINAR, ALONG WITH ADRIANA CRUZ, WHO IS DIRECTOR OF ECONOMIC AND DEVELOPMENT TOURISM FOR THE GOVERNOR'S OFFICE.
AND THEN SEVERAL ATTORNEYS AT TWC THAT THEY'RE GOING TO TALK ABOUT.
DIFFERENT THINGS THAT ARE GOING ON WITH THE CARES ACT AND ALSO THIS IS JUST GEARED FOR PANHANDLE FOLKS, SO IT'S NOT A STATEWIDE WEBINAR.
SO I WANT TO THANK OUR PARTNERS OVER IT WORKFORCE SOLUTIONS OF THE PANHANDLE FOR HELPING US PUT THIS TOGETHER.
THEY ARE THEY ARE LIKE EIGHT OR NINE FOLKS THAT ARE GOING TO BE ON THIS PANEL.
SO REALLY, IF YOU'RE INTERESTED IN WHAT'S GOING ON THERE.
JUST EMAIL ME, KEVIN@AMARILLOEDC.COM.
ALSO, OUR RESOURCE GUIDE IS AVAILABLE AT TXPANHANDLECOVID19.COM THAT'S TXPANHANDLECOVID19 .COM. THERE'S ALSO A WEBINAR THAT WAS DONE THIS MORNING THAT THAT RECORDING IS ON THERE AND THAT HAS THE LATEST SMALL BUSINESS GUIDE TO THE CARES ACT, WHICH WAS THE STIMULUS PACKAGE THAT CONGRESS PASSED LAST WEEK.
AND SO THAT SITE, THAT WEBINAR AND THAT GUIDE, IT'S ABOUT 11 OR 12 PAGES THAT TALKS ANYWHERE FROM EMPLOYMENT LAW, HOW TO APPLY FOR THE EMERGENCY LOAN AND KIND OF ALL THE RULES THAT COME OUT THAT GUIDE IS AVAILABLE.
WE JUST UPLOADED THAT TO THE WEB SITE IN THE PAST HOUR.
AND SO YOU CAN GO TO THAT TXPANHANDLECOVID19.COM AND FIND THAT INFORMATION.
AND SO I WANT TO SAY THANKS TO OUR PARTNERS OVER AT THE SPDC, GINA AND THAT GROUP.
IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, I'D CERTAINLY BE WILLING TO ANSWER THOSE QUESTIONS.
COUNCIL, DO YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS FOR KEVIN? EDDY WHY DON'T YOU GO AND THEN WE'LL COME BACK TO THE ELAINE.
WOULD YOU KIND OF GIVE A BETTER EXPLANATION OF OF THE DEAL ABOUT V2 80? YEAH, ABSOLUTELY. YES, SIR.
THE V2 80 IS IT'S ON THE OSPREY TYPE AIRCRAFT.
IT'S KIND OF GOT SOME DIFFERENT FEATURES THAT PROJECT'S BEEN GOING ON ABOUT TWO OR THREE YEARS AND THE ARMY OR THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT DOWN SELECTED FROM FOUR DIFFERENT COMPETITORS. THERE WAS TWO COMPETITORS THAT JUST HAD JUST DRAWINGS AVAILABLE.
AND THEN [INAUDIBLE] HAS A MODEL THAT HAS BEEN FLYING, DOESN'T HAVE NEAR AS MANY HOURS AS THE V2 80. WHEN WE WERE IN FORT WORTH, THE V2 80 HAD OVER A HUNDRED AND THIRTY HOURS OF FLIGHT TIME ON THAT.
AND SO THEY'VE DOWN SELECTED FROM FOUR DOWN TO 2 AS WELL AS THE OTHER PROGRAM AS WELL.
BUT AEDC HELPED WITH THAT V2 80 PROJECT.
AND SO WE'RE REALLY EXCITED AND HOPEFUL THAT THAT AIRCRAFT WILL BE BUILT IN THE NEXT 16 MONTHS. WE SHOULD FIND OUT.
HOPEFULLY THAT AIRCRAFT WILL BE BUILT IN AMARILLO, IF WE'RE SELECTED.
THAT WAS THE MAIN THING THAT I WAS WONDERING WAS WHAT THE DOWN SELECTED ACTUALLY MEANT, BECAUSE I THINK MOST PEOPLE WOULDN'T HAVE UNDERSTOOD THAT WE'RE IN THE RUNNING.
AND NOW THEN WE DOWN SELECTED TO 2.
RIGHT. AND THAT'S ON THAT'S ON THE V2 80 AND THE INVICTUS.
SO WE'VE GOT TWO WE'VE BEEN DOWN SELECTED TO THE FINAL TWO ON BOTH THOSE PROJECTS.
KEVIN, CAN YOU RESTATE THE WEB SITE TO FIND THE INFORMATION SPECIFICALLY WHEN YOU REFERENCED ABOUT THE STIMULUS PACKAGE THAT CONGRESS PASSED TO GET MORE OF THE DETAILS ON THAT? CAN YOU JUST KIND OF RUN THROUGH THAT AGAIN SLOWLY? YEAH. SO THE WEB SITE IS TXPANHANDLECOVID19.COM.
THAT'S TXPANHANDLECOVID19.COM.
AND THERE'S A TAB FOR SPDC OR SBA.
IT'LL BE UNDER ONE OF THOSE TABS, THE WEBINAR.
THEY TAPED THE WEBINAR THIS MORNING AND SO YOU CAN WATCH THE WEBINAR.
AND THEN THAT RESOURCE GUIDE, THE SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS GUIDE TO THE CARES ACT IS A PDF THAT YOU SHOULD BE ABLE TO JUST CLICK ON.
YOU CAN DOWNLOAD AND PRINT IT.
IT'S 11 OR 12 PAGES I PRINTED EARLIER.
[00:15:03]
A FUTURE AGENDA ITEM WOULD BE POSSIBLY TO COME BACK WHEN YOU HAVE.I KNOW YOU'VE JUST GOTTEN THAT INFORMATION AND JUST GOTTEN IT UPLOADED AND I DON'T KNOW IF THAT WOULD POSSIBLY BE IN COLLABORATION WITH REPRESENTATIVE THORNBERRY'S OFFICE OF JUST KIND OF TALKING TO OUR COMMUNITY ABOUT WHAT'S AVAILABLE.
AND INSTEAD OF IT JUST BEING ON THE WEB SITE ACTUALLY HAVE A CONVERSATION AND POSSIBLY JUST A BRIEFING DURING ONE OF OUR WORK SESSIONS.
YEAH, THAT WOULD BE GREAT. I THINK WE COULD PROBABLY GET KIND OF AN UPDATE ON THAT WHERE THAT WEBINAR IS. MAYBE TRY TO GET TRENT FROM WORKFORCE SOLUTIONS AND THEN MAYBE ALSO GINA FROM SPDC AND TRY TO GET THEM ON.
AND WE COULD DO SORT OF AN UPDATE AT THE NEXT WORK SESSION. WE'D LOVE TO DO THAT.
I'M MAKING A NOTE ABOUT THAT KEVIN WE'LL REACH OUT TO YOU.
YEAH, ABSOLUTELY. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS, COMMENTS? CERTAINLY, I WOULD SAY THE BUSINESS AND RETENTION PART OF THE EDC IS SOMETHING THAT I'VE BEEN WORKING ON VERY HARD.
I APPRECIATE THE LEADERSHIP AND THE SKILLS OF MICHAEL [INAUDIBLE] AS HE'S AT THE HELM OF THAT. AND REALLY ALL OF THE WORK THAT HE DID ARRANGE THAT MEETING AT BELL IS VERY PRODUCTIVE MEETING RELATIONSHIP BUILDING WISE.
WE'RE ALL IN WITH BELL AND THEY KNOW THAT WE'RE BEHIND THEM AS PARTNERS AND WE'RE ROOTING FOR THEM ON THESE CONTRACTS.
AND I THINK THE CITIZENS NEED TO UNDERSTAND THAT THESE ARE SIGNIFICANT CONTRACTS.
THESE ARE THE TYPE OF CONTRACTS THAT WILL AFFECT OUR COMMUNITY FOR THE NEXT 20 OR 30 YEARS. THERE ARE THAT LARGE AND IT COULD GENERATE THAT MUCH WORK AT THE BELL PLANT HERE IN AMARILLO. SO IT'S VERY IMPORTANT FOR US TO STAY INFORMED ON THE PROGRESS OF THEM.
SOMETIMES IT'S HARD TO KEEP THEM IN THE FRONT OF WHAT WE'RE THINKING ABOUT BECAUSE THE TIMELINES FOR HOW CONGRESS MOVES AND APPROVES THINGS AND MILITARY CHOOSES PRODUCTS IS SLOW. BUT I REALLY APPRECIATE YOUR DILIGENCE IN BUILDING THOSE RELATIONSHIPS AND KEEPING US INFORMED AS A COMMUNITY ABOUT BELL'S PROGRESS AND SUCCESSES BECAUSE WE CERTAINLY WANT TO CHEER THEM ON. YEAH, WE'RE REALLY LUCKY TO HAVE THE LEADERSHIP TEAM THAT WE HAVE HERE LOCALLY WITH JASON HENDERSON AND GEORGE HAERING AND [INAUDIBLE].
THEY SET THAT MEETING UP AND GOT TREATED REALLY WELL DOWN THERE.
AND SO THEY'RE THOUGHT OF REALLY WELL AT BELL HEADQUARTERS ARE LEADERSHIP TEAM [INAUDIBLE]. SO WE'RE VERY HAPPY.
EVERY CHANCE I HAD IN A ONE ON ONE CONVERSATION WITH SOMEONE FROM THE EXECUTIVE TEAM, I TALKED ABOUT HOW STRONG THEIR LEADERSHIP WAS HERE IN AMARILLO AND HOW [INAUDIBLE] THE PARTNERSHIP WE HAVE WITH JASON HENDERSON AND GEORGE.
AND THEY DO A FANTASTIC JOB NOT JUST INSIDE THE BOUNDARIES OF THEIR PLANT, BUT THEN THE BELL PRESENCE IN OUR COMMUNITY AND OUR NONPROFIT REALM IS VERY STRONG TOO AND APPRECIATE THEIR LEADERSHIP AND THE WAY THEIR CULTURE BLEEDS OUT INTO OUR CITY.
THANK YOU, KEVIN, WE APPRECIATE YOUR TIME.
AND WE'LL BE BACK IN TOUCH WITH YOU ABOUT THAT NEXT AGENDA ITEM.
[C. Traffic Advisory Board Update on Installation of a Pedestrian Light at Rails to Trails on Georgia Street;]
ITEM 1C IS A TRAFFIC ADVISORY BOARD UPDATE ON THE INSTALLATION OF PEDESTRIAN LIGHT AT RAILS TO TRAILS ON GEORGIA STREET.MR. CITY MANAGER. MARY, WE'VE GOT DONNY HOOPER, ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC WORKS, TO GIVE US THE INFORMATION. DONNY, TAKE IT AWAY.
THANK YOU SO MUCH AND GOOD AFTERNOON, EVERYONE.
THE TRAFFIC ADVISORY BOARD RECENTLY MET ON MARCH THE 4TH.
WE HAD A REALLY PRODUCTIVE MEETING, ALTHOUGH THERE WAS JUST ONE ITEM ON THAT AGENDA.
WE DID HAVE SOME REALLY GOOD DISCUSSION, FOLLOWED BY THE APPROVAL OF THE INSTALLATION OF A PEDESTRIAN SAFETY DEVICE ON RAILS TO TRAILS AT THE CROSSING OF GEORGIA, WHICH IS ACTUALLY ABOUT A BLOCK NORTH OF THE 10TH STREET INTERSECTION.
THIS ITEM WAS FORWARDED TO THE BOARD FROM THE BICYCLE AND PEDESTRIAN SAFETY COMMITTEE, WHO REALLY DID ALL THE GROUNDWORK AND IDENTIFYING A SAFETY CONCERN AT THAT INTERSECTION.
AND, OF COURSE, RECOMMENDED, AS WE'RE GOING TO TALK ABOUT HERE, THE HAWK OR OVERHEAD CROSSING SIGNAL BE INSTALLED AT THAT INTERSECTION.
SO I DO HAVE A SMALL PRESENTATION FOR YOU TODAY THAT CLARIFIES WE'RE GOING TO BE GOING WITH THIS PROJECT AND WHAT WE'RE GONNA BE DOING AT THAT CROSSING MOVING FORWARD.
AND WE WANT TO BRING THAT TO YOU AS INFORMATIONAL ITEM, OF COURSE, AND GET COUNCIL'S INPUT, IF YOU HAVE ANY, FOR THIS PROJECT BEFORE WE PROCEED WITH THAT.
SO WITH THAT PRESENTATION, WE'LL BEGIN THAT.
AND I CAN'T SEE IT ON MY SCREEN.
SO I'M JUST I'M JUST ASSUMING IT'S UP.
WELL, LET'S PAUSE FOR A MINUTE AND I'M GOING TO ASK EACH COUNCIL MEMBER SINCE THIS IS NEW AND WE'RE ALL LEARNING THIS NEW TECHNOLOGY.
STEPHANIE, WILL YOU TELL US WHEN IT'S UP? COUNCIL MEMBER SMITH, DO YOU SEE?
[00:20:06]
YES, I SEE IT. OK.COUNCIL MEMBER SAUER DO YOU SEE IT.
YES, MA'AM. COUNCIL MEMBER HAYS.
JUST SINCE IT'S NEW I MAKE SURE WE'RE ALL SEEING IT.
THANK YOU. A LITTLE BIT OF WHERE WE'RE GONNA GO WITH THIS.
THE PURPOSE OF THE PRESENTATION IS TO PROVIDE INFORMATION REGARDING THE PLANS PEDESTRIAN CROSSING UPGRADES FOR THE GEORGIA PLAINS, RAILS TO TRAILS WERE ALSO DISCUSSED A BIT ABOUT THE SAFETY ISSUES ON THE PROPOSED CROSSING AND ALSO PROVIDE FEEDBACK TO OUR OVERALL PLAN FOR THIS.
OUR TRAFFIC ENGINEER, AFTER YOU GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE, COMPLETED A TRAFFIC STUDY IN DECEMBER 2019.
THAT TRAFFIC STUDY DATA INDICATED THE NEED FOR SOME ADDITIONAL SAFETY DEVICES AT THAT INTERSECTION WHERE RAILS TO TRAILS, CROSSES.
AND BY THE WAY, THIS IS THE ONLY INTERSECTION IN ALL OF RAILS TO TRAILS THAT DOES NOT HAVE A TRAFFIC CONTROL DEVICE AT IT.
IT'S BECAUSE OF IT'S OFF SET FROM THE INTERSECTION THERE AT PLAINS.
I DID GO OUT MYSELF, A PERSONAL OBSERVATION, LOOKED AT THE INTERSECTION ON MULTIPLE OCCASIONS, INCLUDING YESTERDAY, AND ALSO VISITED THE SITE ON FRIDAY AS WELL, JUST TO MAKE SURE THAT WE WERE STILL SEEING THE SAME CHALLENGES OUT THERE.
AND WE ARE. AND THAT'S THE PEDESTRIANS TRYING TO CROSS THAT RAILS TO TRAILS SAFELY ON A VERY BUSY GEORGIA STREET LOCATION.
SO OUR SOLUTION TO THE CONCERN IS TO INSTALL AN OVERHEAD HAWK SYSTEM THAT'S AN OVERHEAD PEDESTRIAN LINE. I'LL BE ABLE TO SHOW YOU SOME PHOTOS OF THAT AS WE GO THROUGH THE PRESENTATION. THIS APPROACH WAS APPROVED UNANIMOUSLY BY THE BICYCLE AND PEDESTRIAN SAFETY COMMITTEE. AND THEN WE, OF COURSE, FORWARDED THAT TO THE TRAFFIC ADVISORY BOARD AND MET WITH THEM. AS WE MENTIONED, THEY APPROVED IT AS WELL.
NOW, NORMALLY A [INAUDIBLE] IS ABOUT SEVENTY FIVE THOUSAND DOLLARS IN TO INSTALL A SYSTEM LIKE THIS, A SIGNAL LIKE THIS AT AN INTERSECTION.
WE'RE GONNA BE ABLE TO DO THIS FOR BETWEEN 25 AND 35 AND WE'RE OPEN MORE TOWARDS THE LOWER END OF THAT RANGE IS REALLY GOING TO BE DEPENDENT ON OUR BORING COSTS AND SOME ASSOCIATED ITEMS WITH THAT.
BUT WE'RE VERY THANKFUL FOR SOME DONATED POLES AND MAST ARMS FROM TXDOT THAT THEY WERE ABLE TO DONATE TO US FOR OUR USE IN LOCATIONS.
AND WHAT TXDOT BASICALLY DOES WHEN THEY REDESIGN AN INTERSECTION THAT HAS TO HAVE A NEW CONFIGURATION, THEY WILL DONATE THAT MATERIAL TO US AGAIN FOR OUR USERS.
AND IT DID REDUCE THE OVERALL COST OF THIS PROJECT.
THIS IS JUST AN OVERHEAD VIEW OF THAT INTERSECTION.
YOU SEE PLAINS GOING OFF TO THE EAST THERE.
AND THAT'S GEORGIA STREET THAT HAS THE FOUR LANES PLUS THE CENTER TURN LANE.
SOME OTHER PHOTOS THAT I TOOK THE OTHER DAY.
THIS IS THE EXISTING CROSSING.
IF YOU'RE GOING ON RAILS TO TRAILS AND YOU'RE TRAVELING TO THE WEST.
THIS IS WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE WHEN YOU COME TO THAT INTERSECTION THAT IS LOOKING NORTH FROM THAT INTERSECTION. AND YOU SEE THAT THE ONLY THING IN THAT PHOTO THERE THAT STOPS THE TRAFFIC IS JUST THE DOWN THERE ON THE FLASHING PEDESTRIAN CROSSING SIGN THERE THAT REALLY HAS BEEN INEFFECTIVE. TRAFFIC JUST CONTINUES TO MOVE THROUGH THAT LOCATION.
THIS IS A PHOTO OF WHAT IS IN PLACE OUT ON [INAUDIBLE] STREET.
YOU'RE PROBABLY FAMILIAR WITH THIS.
IT'S RIGHT JUST NORTH OF NORTH WEST TEXAS HOSPITAL.
A LOT OF THE STUDENTS THAT ARE CROSSING OVER INTO THE TEXAS TECH MEDICAL FACILITY THERE USED THIS. THIS IS A HAWK SYSTEM.
THIS IS EXACTLY WHAT THEY LOOK LIKE.
AND THOSE LINES CAN BE EITHER RED OR THEY CAN FLASH RED OR YELLOW.
THIS IS MORE WHAT THE CONFIGURATION WILL LOOK LIKE.
WE'LL HAVE TWO MAST ARMS. THE ONLY DIFFERENCE IN THIS IS THAT THE MAST ARM THAT WOULD BE ON THE EAST SIDE WOULD ACTUALLY HAVE THREE OF THE SIGNAL HEADS ON THERE FOR EACH LANE OF TRAVEL.
SO YOU HAVE ONE FOR THE CENTER LINE, ONE FOR EACH DRIVING LANE ON EACH SIDE WILL BE A TOTAL OF FIVE OF THOSE ON THERE.
THIS IS REALLY THE HOT FLASH PATTERN.
JUST WANT TO SHOW YOU WHAT IT WOULD DO.
IT WILL HAVE, BY THE WAY, THE PEDESTRIANS THAT ARE CROSSING THERE, IF YOU SEE ON THE BOTTOM. WELL, THEY DON'T IF THEY CAN PUSH ACROSS MUCH LIKE IT IS DOWNTOWN WITH A COUNTDOWN AS WELL.
THE LIGHTS WILL STAY A SOLID RED UNTIL THEY'VE CLEARED THE INTERSECTION.
AND ONCE THE PEDESTRIANS HAVE CLEARED THAT INTERSECTION, IT WILL GO BACK TO A FLASHING RED, WHICH WILL ALLOW MOTORS TO KNOW THAT THEY CAN PROCEED AS LONG AS NOTHING IS IN THE INTERSECTION AND GO BACK TO BEING TURNED OFF AFTER A FULL PROCEED THERE.
SO THAT'S REALLY THE OVERALL GLANCE AT THE SYSTEM, JUST WHAT WE'RE DOING.
AND I'M VERY PROUD OF WHAT WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO DO WITH BOTH OF THESE GROUPS, BOTH THE PEDESTRIAN BICYCLE SAFETY COMMITTEE AS WELL AS A TRAFFIC ADVISORY BOARD AND PUSHING THESE ITEMS FORWARD AND IDENTIFYING AREAS IN OUR COMMUNITY WHERE WE CAN MAKE THINGS SAFER.
I THINK FOR THE RAILS TO TRAILS, THIS IS JUST AN EXCELLENT PROJECT THAT WILL BRING THAT TRAIL TOGETHER AS A COMPLETE PATH FROM ONE END TO THE OTHER.
SO IF THERE'S ANY QUESTIONS, I'D BE GLAD TO TRY TO ANSWER ANY OF THOSE AT THIS TIME.
COUNCIL, ANY QUESTIONS? GET BACK TO WHERE I CAN SEE YOUR FACES.
THERE WE GO. OK, DONNY, I DON'T THINK WE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS.
THANK YOU. I VERY MUCH SO THEY THINK SPEAK ON BEHALF OF COUNCIL TOO.
WE DO APPRECIATE THAT. THIS WAS CITIZEN DRIVEN AND THAT THIS WAS STAFF RESPONDING TO A
[00:25:04]
NEED THAT SOMEONE, A CONCERNED MOTHER BROUGHT UP IN THE COMMUNITY.THEN IT WENT THROUGH THE PEDESTRIAN BIKE SAFETY BOARD.
THEY FELT LIKE IT NEEDED TO BE ADDRESSED.
SO I JUST WOULD HIGHLIGHT THAT SEEMS LIKE THE PROCESS IN PLACE IS WORKING.
SOMETIMES YOU GET IMPATIENT WITH THAT PROCESS.
BUT I REALLY APPRECIATE STAFF AND THE EFFORTS THEY'VE MADE TO LISTEN TO THE CITIZENS CONCERNS AND TO RESPOND DIRECTLY TO THAT CONCERN.
THANK YOU MA'AM. OK, WE'LL MOVE ON TO ITEM 1B, WHICH IS A CORONAVIRUS UPDATE.
[D. Coronavirus Update; and]
MR. CITY MANAGER. MAYOR, WE'VE GOT A NUMBER OF PERSONNEL THAT ARE GOING TO GIVE US SOME INFORMATION IN FORM OF AN UPDATE.WE WILL ALSO HAVE OPPORTUNITIES FOR QUESTIONS.
IN FACT, I WOULD RECOMMEND SINCE WE'RE GOING TO BE MOVING FROM PERSON TO PERSON, THAT IF COUNCIL HAS QUESTIONS, ALLOW THAT PERSON TO FINISH THEIR PREPARED COMMENTS AND THEN WE CAN HAVE A DIALOG ON THAT.
WE'LL START WITH CASIE STOUGHTON.
BUT WE ALSO HAVE JORDAN [INAUDIBLE] TO TALK ABOUT SOME OF THE COMMUNICATION IMPACTS.
AND REALLY, MORE THAN ANYTHING ELSE, JUST HIGHLIGHT THE REACH THAT WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO HAVE WITH SOME OF THE ANNOUNCEMENTS THAT WE'VE MADE RELATIVE TO ANY OF OUR PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE WITH REACH.
YOU'LL BE AMAZED AT HOW MANY MORE PEOPLE ARE PAYING ATTENTION THAN EVER PAID ATTENTION TO THINGS BEFORE THAT WE'RE PUTTING OUT THROUGH OUR DIFFERENT SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORMS. IN ADDITION TO CASIE AND JORDAN, WE ALSO HAVE MYSELF, KEVIN STARBUCK AND A NUMBER OF OTHER PERSONNEL WHO'VE BEEN WORKING CLOSELY WITH COUNCIL AND STAFF AND THE HEALTH DISTRICT TO HELP LAY OUT THE WAY FORWARD.
SO WITH THAT SAID, AND IF THERE'S ANY NO GUIDANCE FROM YOU, WE'LL GO AND MOVE TO CASIE STOUGHTON. CASIE.
THIS MORNING, PUBLIC HEALTH RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF SEVEN ADDITIONAL COVID-19 CASES IN POTTER RANDALL COUNTY.
THIS BRINGS US TO A TOTAL OF 18 CASES IN POTTER AND RANDALL COUNTY.
EIGHT CASES IN POTTER COUNTY AND 10 CASES IN RANDALL COUNTY.
IN RESPONSE TO COMMUNITY NEED PUBLIC HEALTH, IN COLLABORATION WITH TEXAS TECH HEALTH SCIENCE CENTER AND SUPPORTED BY POTTER COUNTY, AMARILLO POLICE DEPARTMENT, AMARILLO FIRE DEPARTMENT, ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH AND MANY OTHERS STOOD UP A DRIVE THROUGH TESTING CENTER LAST FRIDAY. ON FRIDAY, FORTY SIX INDIVIDUALS WERE TESTED.
ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTY SIX ON MONDAY.
AND SO FAR. THIRTY THREE THAT WAS ABOUT 11 O'CLOCK.
SO WE'VE PROBABLY TESTED MORE TODAY.
WE INTEND TO BE OPERATIONAL WITH THE DRIVE THROUGH TESTING THROUGH THIS WEEK.
THE DRIVE THRU CLINIC IS OPEN FROM 9 A.M.
SYMPTOMATIC PEOPLE WHO WOULD LIKE A TEST NEED TO CALL 378-6300 TO BE ASSESSED FOR TESTING. AND OUR STAFF AT THE CALL CENTER WILL DIRECT THEM FOR TESTING AS APPROPRIATE.
WE ALSO RECEIVED WORD LAST NIGHT THAT THE STATE HEALTH DEPARTMENT LAB IN LUBBOCK IS AGAIN UNDER CRITICAL SHORTAGE OF TESTING SUPPLIES AND THEY ARE ONLY APPROVING TESTING IF THE PATIENT IS HOSPITALIZED, CRITICALLY ILL OR I'M SORRY.
IF A HOSPITALIZED PATIENT IS CRITICALLY ILL OR IN CONSULTATION WITH THE REGIONAL EPIDEMIOLOGIST. THIS WILL FORCE HOSPITALS TO SEND MORE TESTING TO COMMERCIAL LABS.
WE HAVE BEEN IN COMMUNICATION WITH HOSPITALS MULTIPLE TIMES.
COMMUNICATING THIS INFORMATION AND WORKING ON CONTINGENCY PLANS.
STAFF AT PUBLIC HEALTH MAINTAIN THE CALL CENTER, 8:00 A.M.
TO 5:00 P.M. MONDAY THROUGH FRIDAY, FIELDING CALLS FROM THE PUBLIC AND PROVIDERS.
WE'RE PLEASED TO TAKE PRESSURE OFF THE HOSPITALS AND OTHER HEALTH CARE PROVIDERS WITH THE DRIVE THRU TESTING CENTER.
AND I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU MIGHT HAVE.
JUST A HOUSEKEEPING MATTER, [INAUDIBLE].
AS FAR AS TALKING ABOUT THE ORDER, AND I KNOW IT'S RELATED TO THIS.
BUT STEER COUNCIL ON HOW WE ARE GOING TO BRING THAT TO THEM FOR THEIR CONSIDERATION THAT'S GOING TO BE UNDER THAT'LL BE AVAILABLE FOR COUNCIL DISCUSSION AND CONSIDERATION AS NON-CONSENT ITEM C SO WILL BE THE LAST THING THAT WE CONSIDER PRIOR TO GOING INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION.
YOU COULD, HOWEVER, CONSIDER ASKING ALL THOSE QUESTIONS NOW AND MOVING THAT OUT OF ORDER IF YOU SO CHOSE. BUT IT IS ON THE AMENDED AGENDA BASED ON THE EMERGENCY DECLARATION THAT THE MAYOR MADE YESTERDAY. WE'VE PLACED IT ON TODAY'S AGENDA USING SECTION PER 551.045 OF THE TEXAS LOCAL GOVERNMENT CODE. SO IT'S ON HERE FOR CONSIDERATION.
WE CAN DO IT. IT IS SCHEDULED FOR THE LAST ITEM PRIOR TO EXECUTIVE SESSION, BUT WE CAN ALSO TAKE IT AT ANY POINT OUT OF ORDER AS MAYOR DIRECTS.
COUNCIL, THE WAY I'D LIKE FOR US TO HANDLE THIS IS LET'S ASK ALL OUR QUESTIONS RELATED TO
[00:30:01]
CORONA, RELATED TO THAT ORDER.NOW IS A GREAT TIME FOR US TO HAVE THAT CONVERSATION.
ASK OUR SUBJECT MATTER EXPERTS THAT ARE COMING TO MAKE PRESENTATIONS AND ANSWER QUESTIONS SO DON'T FEEL LIKE WE'RE.
WE'RE NOT GOING TO WAIT TO GET THE DATA FOR THAT DECISION.
NOW IS A LOGICAL TIME FOR US TO HAVE THAT CONVERSATION.
THEN WHEN WE GET TO THAT AGENDA ITEM, WE CAN HAVE MORE DISCUSSION ABOUT IT.
AND OBVIOUSLY, IF WE THINK OF MORE QUESTIONS, WE'LL BRING THOSE PEOPLE BACK.
BUT NOW IS A LOGICAL TIME FOR YOUR QUESTIONS AND INFORMATION TO BE OUT THERE.
SO DON'T FEEL LIKE YOU NEED TO HOLD BACK ON THAT.
OKAY. SO ANY QUESTIONS FOR CASIE THEN? YES, MAYOR.
CASIE. COULD YOU GO BACK OVER THE THE NUMBER OF CASES REPORTED, THAT DATA THAT YOU GAVE INITIALLY? YES, MA'AM.
WE HAVE EIGHT CASES IN POTTER COUNTY, 10 IN RANDALL COUNTY FOR A TOTAL OF 18 CASES.
IT'S AN INCREASE OF [INAUDIBLE].
OK. HOW MANY DO WE HAVE OUTSIDE OF OUR DISTRICT? WE HAVE. YES MA'AM, WE HAVE NINE CASES.
WE HAVE NINE THAT HAVE BEEN TESTED LOCALLY THAT ARE OUTSIDE OF OUR DISTRICT.
OK. THANK YOU VERY MUCH, I APPRECIATE THAT.
CASIE CAN I FOLLOW UP ON THAT, HOW MANY OF THOSE CASES OF OUR 18 ARE CANYON CITY RESIDENTS? I'LL HAVE TO CHECK ADDRESSES.
BUT AS OF BEFORE, THE SEVEN TODAY, ZERO WERE, BUT I'LL HAVE TO CHECK THE ADDRESSES, SPECIFICALLY THE ADDRESSES ON THE ADDITIONAL AND I'LL GET WITH MY STAFF RIGHT NOW.
OK. IF THEY COULD BE LOOKING AT THAT WHILE WE'RE MEETING, THAT WOULD BE HELPFUL.
MAYOR, I BELIEVE THAT THOSE OF THOSE NINE THEY HAVE BEEN TESTED OR TREATED IN IN AMARILLO.
BUT I DON'T KNOW HOW MANY OF THEM ARE STILL OR IF ANY OF THEM ARE STILL IN OUR JURISDICTION OR RECEIVING TREATMENT IN OUR JURISDICTION.
CASIE MIGHT WANT TO SPEAK TO THAT? YES, SIR. THERE ARE A FEW STILL RECEIVING TREATMENT IN OUR HOSPITALS.
COUNCIL MEMBER HAYS DID YOU HAVE QUESTION? YES CASIE, WOULD YOU SEE WE TO GO BACK OVER JUST WITH THE DRIVE THROUGH TESTING, THE KIND OF THE AMOUNT OF RESPONSE USAGE WE HAD FRIDAY, THEN MONDAY AND THEN KIND OF SEEING THAT TODAY AND AND JUST ADDRESS IF YOU THINK WE'RE KIND OF GETTING CAUGHT UP ON SOME OF THE BACKLOG OF CITIZENS WHO HAD BEEN WANTING TO GET TESTED, WERE HAVING SOME DIFFICULTIES ACCESSING TESTS AND JUST HOW KIND OF THE PACE OF GETTING PEOPLE THROUGH YOUR STAFF AND HOW YOU VET INDIVIDUALS.
SURE. SO WE OPENED THE DRIVE THRU CLINIC ON MONDAY.
WE HAD FORTY SIX INDIVIDUALS THAT.
YOU MEAN FRIDAY. I'M SORRY, I'M TRYING TO DO SEVERAL THINGS.
SORRY. SO, YES, WE HAD FORTY SIX INDIVIDUALS THAT CAME THROUGH THE CLINIC ON FRIDAY AND THEN MONDAY IT REALLY PICKED UP.
WE HAD A HUNDRED AND TWENTY SIX THAT CAME CAME THROUGH THE TESTING CENTER ON MONDAY.
TODAY THAT SLOWED DOWN A LITTLE BIT MORE.
WE WORKED WITH JORDAN AND OUR COMMUNICATION TEAM WHEN WE SAW THAT SLOWING DOWN.
WE DID ANOTHER MEDIA PUSH AND IT PICKED BACK UP.
AND SO WE APPRECIATE WE APPRECIATE OUR COMMUNITY.
WE KNOW THAT THIS IS TAKING SOME PRESSURE OFF OF THE HOSPITALS AND OFF OF MEDICAL PROVIDERS. PEOPLE SEEKING TESTS BUT NOT BUT NOT CRITICAL IN NEED OF EMERGENCY CARE.
SO THAT REDUCES THE BURDEN OF PPE USAGE AT THE HOSPITALS AND AT MEDICAL FACILITIES FOR US TO BE ABLE TO PROVIDE THIS LEVEL OF TESTING AT THE COMMUNITY LEVEL.
CASIE, HAD YOU SAID BEFORE THIS THERE IS NO CHARGE, CORRECT.
THAT THESE TESTS, WHEN ONCE THEY GO THROUGH YOUR VETTING PROCESS AND THEY DO, THEY GET AN APPOINTMENT OR ARE THEY ASSIGNED A TIME OR DO THEY JUST THEN HAVE A HOW HOW DOES THAT WORK. THEY CALL OUR CALL CENTER.
THAT'S SO THAT WE START TAKING CALLS AT 8:00 A.M.
AND THEY CALL OUR CALL CENTER AND OUR CALL TAKERS TAKE THE INFORMATION AND DO THE SCREENING WORK OVER THE PHONE.
AND SO THAT LIMITS FACE TO FACE INTERACTION.
SO WE'RE ABLE TO DO THAT OVER THE PHONE.
AND AGAIN, THAT PUTS THAT PHYSICAL DISTANCE BETWEEN OUR STAFF AND PATIENTS.
AND SO WE'RE REDUCING THAT RISK THERE.
[00:35:03]
SO WE TAKE THAT SCREENING INFORMATION OVER THE PHONE.IT ALSO REDUCES TIME AT THE SCREENING AT THE TESTING SITE, BECAUSE THEY DON'T HAVE TO DO THAT AND TAKE THAT INFORMATION AT THE TESTING SITE BECAUSE WE'VE ALREADY DONE IT OVER THE PHONE HERE AT PUBLIC HEALTH.
AND SO WE TAKE THAT INFORMATION.
RICH AND HIS TEAM AND I HAVE BEEN VERY HELPFUL TO US.
AND SO WE'VE LEARNED WAYS TO COMMUNICATE THAT INFORMATION AND WE TAKE IT HERE AT PUBLIC HEALTH, IT'S VERY SECURELY IN HIPPA COMPLIANT FORMAT TRANSMITTED OVER TO THE TESTING SITE. AND SO THEY HAVE THAT INFORMATION AND ARE READY TO RECEIVE OUR PATIENTS.
AND SO WE HAVE THE NAMES HERE.
YOU KNOW, THE PATIENT GIVES THE NAME, GIVES THEIR NAME AT THE TESTING CENTER.
AND OUR STAFF THERE ARE READY TO RECEIVE THAT INFORMATION.
AND THEN OUR STAFF ARE ABLE TO PROCESS THEM THROUGH THE TESTING CENTER THAT WAY.
AND CASIE, CAN YOU UPDATE ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I ALWAYS WATCH ON THE REPORT CARD IS NOT JUST THE NUMBER OF CASES THAT ARE GOING UP, WHICH I CERTAINLY ANTICIPATE THAT I'M EXPECTING THAT NUMBER TO GO UP BECAUSE OF THE INCREASE THAT WE'RE DOING IN TESTING AND THE ACCESSIBILITY FOR FREE TESTING.
BUT THEN I HAVE BEEN SURPRISED AT THE LOW NUMBER OF PEOPLE WHO ARE ACTUALLY HOSPITALIZED.
SO THE LAST REPORT CARD, I THINK, HAD JUST ONE INDIVIDUAL THAT THAT ACTUALLY NEEDED TO STAY IN THE HOSPITAL.
AND MOST INDIVIDUALS WHO WERE TESTING POSITIVE ARE BEING ABLE TO JUST BE ABLE TO STAY ISOLATED AND JUST HOME CARE.
CAN YOU KIND OF TALK ABOUT THAT? GUESS TO ME, THAT IS A VERY ENCOURAGING NUMBER, THAT OUR HOSPITAL IS NOT BEING INUNDATED EVEN WITH OUR POSITIVE CASES GOING UP.
I THINK IT MEANS A COUPLE OF THINGS.
I THINK IT DOES MEAN THAT PEOPLE ARE ABLE TO STAY AT HOME.
IT ALSO MEANS THAT WE HAVE TO BE VERY CAREFUL WITH WITH SOCIAL DISTANCING AND WITH ISOLATION, BECAUSE IT MEANS THAT PEOPLE AREN'T SUPER, SUPER SICK RIGHT NOW.
WE DO HAVE PEOPLE THAT ARE VERY ILL, AND THAT DO REQUIRE HOSPITAL CARE.
BUT WHAT IT ALSO MEANS IS THAT MOST PEOPLE ARE ABLE TO STAY HOME.
AND SO WE HAVE TO BE VERY, VERY AWARE.
AND AND WE AND PEOPLE HAVE TO STAY HOME.
ISOLATE IF THEY'RE SICK, LIKE AT ANY LEVEL OF SYMPTOMS, IF YOU HAVE A COUGH, A FEVER OR A RUNNY NOSE. ANY LEVEL OF SICKNESS, YOU HAVE TO STAY HOME.
YOU HAVE. WE ALL HAVE TO WASH OUR HANDS.
WE CAN'T TOUCH OUR FACES BECAUSE MOST PEOPLE DON'T HAVE THE LEVEL OF SICKNESS THAT REQUIRE THEM TO BE HOSPITALIZED.
DR. SAUER DO YOU HAVE QUESTIONS. NO, MA'AM.
SURE. REMIND ME, ONCE A PERSON IS TESTED LIKE AT OVER A HUNDRED PEOPLE TESTED [INAUDIBLE]. HOW LONG IS IT BEFORE YOU GET RESULTS WHETHER IT'S POSITIVE OR NEGATIVE? USUALLY 24 TO 72 HOURS.
OK. CASIE CAN I PAUSE FOR A MINUTE AND LET'S KIND OF GO BE ON TESTING.
THIS IS SOMETHING THAT I CONTINUE TO SEE PEOPLE TRYING TO WRAP THEIR ARMS AROUND HOW THE TESTING PROCESS WORKS.
MIND IF I SAY SOME THINGS AND THEN YOU CAN CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG.
THERE ARE REALLY TWO DIFFERENT AVENUES INTO GETTING THE TEST.
AND THEN, TWO, IS A PRIVATE LAB HAVE I STATED THAT CORRECTLY, YES MA'AM.
OK, LET'S TALK FOR A MINUTE, BECAUSE PEOPLE NEED TO UNDERSTAND THE CRITERIA, THE RESPONSE TIMES. ALL OF THAT'S DIFFERENT DEPENDING ON WHETHER YOU WENT THROUGH THE STATE LAB OR THROUGH A PRIVATE LAB. AND I THINK THAT CREATES SOME CONFUSION OUT THERE BECAUSE PEOPLE THINK IT'S ALL ONE PROCESS.
IT'S ACTUALLY TWO DIFFERENT ROADS INTO TESTING LABS.
ONE IS THE STATE LAB IN LUBBOCK AND ONE IS THE PRIVATE LABS.
AM I SAYING THAT CORRECTLY? YES, MA'AM. OK.
LET'S JUST TALK ABOUT THE STATE LABS FOR A SECOND.
THEY WON'T RELEASE A TEST KIT.
THEY WON'T PROCESS A TEST UNLESS THE PATIENT MEETS THE STATE LAB SET CRITERIA.
SO EVEN IF A DOCTOR ORDERS A TEST.
THE STATE LAB WON'T PROCESS IT UNLESS THEY HAVE THIS CRITERIA IN PLACE.
[00:40:01]
SO THE CRITERIA CHANGED BECAUSE THEY THE STATE LAB HAS A SHORTAGE IN SUPPLIES.AND SO THE PATIENT HAS TO BE VERY CRITICALLY ILL HOSPITALIZED OR IN CONSULTATION WITH THE REGIONAL EPIDEMIOLOGIST.
AND SO THEY HAVE THEY HAVE TIGHTENED UP THEIR PARAMETERS DUE TO THEIR SHORTAGE OF SUPPLIES. AND THAT HAPPENED LAST NIGHT.
STATE LAB. IT TAKES 24 TO 48 HOURS TO GET RESULTS BACK FROM THE STATE LAB.
NOW, LET'S TALK ABOUT PRIVATE LABS, BECAUSE JUST BECAUSE THE STATE LAB HAS TIGHTENED THEIR CRITERIA, IT DOES NOT MEAN THAT WE HAVE TO ABIDE BY THOSE CRITERIA BECAUSE WE HAVE ANOTHER AVENUE. WE HAVE PRIVATE LABS.
HOW MANY PRIVATE LABS ARE NOW PROCESSING TESTS.
AT LEAST FIVE OR SIX AND PROBABLY MANY MORE THAN THAT.
AND THEY ALL HAVE A DIFFERENT TURNAROUND TIME ON THE WAY THAT THEY PROCESS AND RESULT OUT LABS. AND DO THEY ALL HAVE DIFFERENT CRITERIA FOR WHAT THEY WILL PROCESS? YES. BUT MOST OF IT IS VERY BROAD.
THE PARAMETERS ARE VERY BROAD.
AND GENERALLY IT'S ONLY BASED ON A DOCTOR'S ORDER.
AND SO THAT'S A VERY IMPORTANT PIECE OF INFORMATION.
WHILE WE MIGHT NOT BE ABLE TO PROCESS THAT TEST THROUGH THE STATE LAB.
THE GATE IS MUCH WIDER IN GETTING SOMETHING PROCESSED THROUGH A PRIVATE LAB AND WE HAVE FIVE OR SIX OF THOSE.
THEY ALL HAVE DIFFERENT CRITERIA.
SO IT MAKES IT DIFFICULT FROM YOUR POSITION.
AS FAR AS IT'S A SIMPLE QUESTION LIKE HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE TO GET A TEST RESULT BACK? BUT IT'S A DIFFICULT ANSWER BECAUSE YOU HAVE SO MANY ENTITIES INVOLVED, STATE LAB FIVE OR SIX PRIVATE LABS.
THE SITUATION IS FLUID AND EVOLVING.
SO EVEN LAST NIGHT, THE STATE LAB CRITERIA CHANGED.
SO I WANT PEOPLE TO HAVE AN UNDERSTANDING OF A SIMPLE QUESTION IN THIS CURRENT PANDEMIC ENVIRONMENT OFTEN HAS A COMPLICATED RESPONSE.
AND SO THAT'S ONE OF THE THINGS WE VALUE THE MOST IN THE CITY IS OFFERING ACCURATE INFORMATION BACK TO CITIZENS.
IT'S NOT THAT. WE DON'T WANT THOSE QUESTIONS BEING ASKED, BUT WE APPRECIATE THE PATIENCE AND THE GRACE THAT PEOPLE ARE GIVING US AS WE TRY TO PUT THE APPROPRIATE LAYERS OUT THERE. SO A SIMPLE QUESTION AND GET RESPONDED TO WITH WHAT IS ACTUALLY A MORE COMPLICATED ANSWER. [INAUDIBLE] I HAVE A QUESTION.
SURE. SO OUR DRIVE THROUGH TESTING CENTER.
ARE WE USING A COMBINATION OF THE STATE LAB AND PRIVATE LABS? NO, WE'RE ONLY USING PRIVATE LABS.
WE'RE USING A COMBINATION OF DIFFERENT PRIVATE LABS, BUT ONLY PRIVATE LABS.
OK. I WANT TO BRAG ON CASIE FOR A MOMENT WITH REGARD TO THIS DRIVE THRU TESTING FACILITY AND THE ENTIRE TEAM.
KEVIN STARBUCK'S LEADERSHIP, HIS TRAINING AND HIS SKILLS IN EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AND CRISIS MANAGEMENT HAVE BEEN INVALUABLE TO US.
IT'S HAPPENING BEHIND THE SCENES.
CITIZENS ARE NOT GETTING TO SEE THAT.
CHIP ORTON AND HIS TEAM, BUT AS THEY'VE WORKED WITH CASIE TO SET UP THIS DRIVE THROUGH TESTING. CASIE, I WANT YOU TO TELL THE STORY OF HOW YOU GUYS HAVE PARTNERED WITH TEXAS TECH. AND I REALLY DON'T LOVE THIS PHRASE, BUT IN A LOT OF WAYS IT'S SO ACCURATE TO WHAT'S HAPPENED Y'ALL HAVE COWBOYED UP HERE.
THERE WERE MANY BARRIERS TO HAVING ACCESS TO ENOUGH TESTS TO GET THEM STARTED IN OUR COMMUNITY. AND I WANT YOU TO TELL THE STORY, HOW YOU PARTNERED WITH TEXAS TECH, HOW YOU MADE A DEAL WITH A PRIVATE LAB TO SWAP THIS THING FOR THAT THING AND COBBLE TOGETHER THE SUPPLIES WE NEEDED TO START TESTING IN OUR COMMUNITY.
IF WE HAD RELIED ON FORMAL CHANNELS, WE WOULD STILL NOT HAVE THIS SERVICE IN OUR COMMUNITY. SO PLEASE TELL THAT STORY, BECAUSE I DON'T THINK THE COUNCIL HAS HAD A CHANCE TO HEAR IT. SO WE WORKED.
SO WE I TALKED TO THIS THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT IN LUBBOCK AND THEY WERE USING A PARTICULAR LAB. AND SO WE TALKED TO THEM AND THEY WERE ABLE TO GET US A CERTAIN NUMBER.
THEY WERE ABLE TO GET US A HUNDRED ABOUT A HUNDRED AND FIFTY TWO HUNDRED SWABS.
AND SO WE DID THAT FOR MONDAY AND WE DID THAT FOR TUESDAY.
WORKING WITH THIS ONE PARTICULAR LAB.
AND THEN DR. MILTON RECEIVED INFORMATION FROM [INAUDIBLE] THAT THERE WAS ANOTHER LAB THAT HAD POTENTIAL FOR TESTING.
AND SO WE VERY QUICKLY WORKED WITH THEM AND THEY SENT US ANOTHER THREE HUNDRED TEST KITS.
BUT THEY SAID THEY HAD A SHORTAGE OF VTM, BUT THEY HAD SWABS.
TELL US WHAT VTM IS SO EVERYBODY KNOWS WHAT THAT IS.
[00:45:03]
VIRAL TRANSPORT MEDIA. SO VTM IS VIRAL TRANSPORT MEDIA.SO YOU HAVE TO SWAB SOMEONE'S NOSE AND THEN YOU HAVE TO PUT IT IN VIRAL TRANSPORT MEDIA.
AND IT'S A LIQUID THAT AMPLIFIES THEIR RNA IN THAT SWAB SO THAT IT THE PCR PLATFORM IS ABLE TO RUN THE TEST.
AND SO IT'S WHAT TRANSPORTS THAT SWAB TO THE LAB.
BELL AT TEXAS TECH, WHO WE'RE VERY, VERY FORTUNATE TO WORK WITH, HE HAS A RESEARCH LAB THERE AT TEXAS TECH.
AND SO HE SUGGESTED THAT HE COULD MAKE VTM BECAUSE IT'S A RECIPE.
AND SO WE WORKED WITH [INAUDIBLE] LAB.
MILTON RECEIVED INFORMATION FROM [INAUDIBLE] FOR.
AND SO THEY SAID IF WE HAD VTM THAT DR.
BELL MADE IN HIS LAB, THEY HAD ADDITIONAL SWABS THAT WE COULD USE.
AND SO WE HAVE WE'VE PUT ALL OF THIS TOGETHER AND THEY'RE VERY, VERY EXCITED TO BE ABLE TO USE THE VTM AND NOW TEXAS TECH IN LUBBOCK IS ALSO MAKING VTM.
AND THIS IS SOMETHING THAT'S GOING TO CATCH ON IN OTHER COMMUNITIES AS AS A WAY TO COMBAT THE VTM SHORTAGE THAT WE ARE SEEING AT A STATE LEVEL AND ALSO AT A NATIONAL LEVEL, BECAUSE IT'S SOMETHING IT'S A RECIPE THAT YOU CAN FIGHT THAT YOU CAN MAKE IN A LAB.
IS THERE AN ONGOING CONVERSATION ABOUT HOW WE GET ACCESS TO TESTS.
AND I SAID, SO WHERE THIS IS GOO.
AND YOU TOLD ME IT'S VERY IT'S SPECIFIED [INAUDIBLE].
SO WE'RE SIMPLIFYING THE WORK THAT DR.
BELL AND THE TEXAS TECH TEAM HAVE DONE IN TELLING THE STORY.
IT'S BEEN HERCULEAN. THEY HAVE REALLY STEPPED UP AND SERVED OUR COMMUNITY.
AND I MADE SURE TO COMMUNICATE THAT TO DR.
MITCHELL IN THE TEXAS TECH SYSTEM THIS WEEK TO LET THEM KNOW HOW MUCH WE APPRECIATED THE PARTNERSHIP. WITHOUT THAT, THEN WE WOULDN'T HAVE HAD THAT VTM TO TRADE FOR SWABS.
AND IT WAS THE COMBINATION OF RECEIVING THOSE SWABS AND THE VTM SUPPLIES THAT WE ALREADY HAD THAT HAVE ALLOWED US TO OPEN THIS TESTING DRIVE THRU FACILITY TO OUR CITIZENS.
SO THAT'S JUST ONE STORY OF THE WORK THAT'S HAPPENING BEHIND THE SCENES.
BUT I THINK IT'S A VERY IMPORTANT AND REPRESENTING IT'S REPRESENTATIONAL OF THE COMMITMENT THE STAFF IS MAKING WORKING AROUND THE CLOCK TO PROTECT OUR CITY AND KEEP US SAFE. COUNCIL DO Y'ALL HAVE ANY MORE QUESTIONS FOR CASIE? I MIGHT HAVE A COUPLE MORE.
I WANT TO TOUCH BASE WITH Y'ALL FIRST.
CASIE, TALK TO US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT HOW WE KNOW WE HAVE COMMUNITY SPREAD.
TALK ABOUT THE DISEASE CHAIN AND CLUSTERS, PLEASE.
SO WHEN WE DO CONTACT INVESTIGATION, WE DO WE TALK TO EVERYONE THAT THAT PERSON HAS SPENT A SPECIFIC TIME AND DISTANCE WITH.
AND THEN WE HAVE AS WE HAVE RECEIVED ADDITIONAL POSITIVE CASES AND WE HAVE BEEN ABLE TO IDENTIFY LINKS TO THOSE POSITIVES.
AND SO WE HAVE POSITIVES WHO ARE COWORKERS, WE ARE POSITIVES WHO ARE SPOUSES.
AND SO WE'RE LINKING THOSE POSITIVES TOGETHER.
AND WE HAVE AT LEAST TWO SEPARATE CLUSTERS RIGHT NOW THAT WE'RE WORKING ON.
AND THEN WE ALSO HAVE ADDITIONAL CASES RIGHT NOW THAT IN OUR COMMUNITY WHERE THEY THEY DON'T THEY HAVE NOT IDENTIFIED ANY TRAVEL.
THEY'VE JUST SIMPLY BEEN HERE IN OUR COMMUNITY.
AND SO WE KNOW THAT WE HAVE COMMUNITY SPREAD HERE WITHIN OUR COMMUNITY, BUT ESPECIALLY THOSE CHAINS OF CONTACTS.
AND THEN THERE AS THEIR CONTACTS BECOME ILL AND BE TESTED AND AND COME BACK POSITIVE, THEN THAT INDICATES COMMUNITY SPREAD WITHIN THE BOUNDARIES OF OUR COMMUNITY.
COUNCIL DO Y'ALL HAVE ANY QUESTIONS FOR CASIE ABOUT THE MEDICAL DATA, ABOUT CLUSTERS, ABOUT THE DISEASE INVESTIGATIONS THAT ARE ONGOING AND ABOUT HOW DEEPLY SEEDED WE THINK THIS IS INTO OUR CITY.
ONE THING I WOULD SAY IS I THINK THAT'S PROBABLY AT THIS POINT IN TIME, THE MOST IMPORTANT PART OF THE WHOLE ORDEAL IS TO KIND OF ONCE YOU BEGIN TO UNDERSTAND THAT, YOU CAN KIND OF UNDERSTAND WHY. IT'S LIKE THROWING A MATCH IN THE MIDDLE OF A DRY FIELD OR UNDERNEATH THE
[00:50:03]
BALE OF HAY. IT JUST AUTOMATICALLY IGNITES AND IT JUST GOES COMPLETELY OUT OF CONTROL.AND SO I'M GRATEFUL FOR OUR MEDICAL COMMUNITY AND FOR CASIE AND FOR ALL THOSE WHO ARE TRYING TO DO THEIR VERY BEST TO KEEP US AHEAD OF THE CURVE, WHICH KIND OF GOES BACK TO WHAT COUNCILWOMAN HAYS SAID A WHILE AGO ABOUT THE FACT THAT WE ONLY HAVE ONE PERSON THAT'S IN THE HOSPITAL AND ALL THE REST ARE AT HOME.
I'M GRATEFUL THAT WE'RE TAKING THIS TIME AND THAT IT'S HIGHLY IMPORTANT THAT WE ARE SHELTERING IN, BECAUSE THIS IS HOW WE'RE GOING TO BE ABLE TO DEFEAT IT, TO GET AHEAD OF IT. AND SO IT'S A REALLY, REALLY I'M JUST GRATEFUL FOR YOU, CASIE, AND FOR ALL OF THOSE THAT ARE WORKING SO HARD.
I WANTED TO MAKE A COMMENT ON.
IT'S WE'RE AT THAT POINT RIGHT NOW OF THAT MINDSET.
IT'S WE'RE TRYING TO ADJUST AS A COMMUNITY TO BE SAYING, OK, WHAT CAN WE DO TO KEEP FROM BEING EXPOSED PERSONALLY TO THIS VIRUS? BUT THERE'S A SECOND HAT.
WHAT DO WE DO TO KEEP FROM EXPOSING OTHER PEOPLE? AND I THINK IT IS THAT IT IS THAT TWO PRONG THAT IS SO CRUCIAL.
AND SEEING PEOPLE SOMETIMES PEOPLE ARE MORE MORE CAUTIOUS WHEN THEY START THINKING ABOUT PROTECTING OTHER PEOPLE THAN PROTECTING THEMSELVES.
THEY MIGHT BE A LITTLE BIT NOT AS CAUTIOUS, BUT WHEN THEY STARTED THINKING I COULD PASS THIS TO MY PARENTS, TO MY GRANDPARENTS, TO EXTENDED FAMILY AND FRIENDS, I DON'T WANT TO BE THE ONE RESPONSIBLE FOR DOING THAT.
AND SO I THINK IT'S JUST AS WE CONTINUE MESSAGING.
IT'S THAT THOUGHT PROCESS FOR US TO BE THINKING AS A COMMUNITY, HOW DO HOW DO WE KEEP FROM EXPOSING OURSELVES, BUT THEN ALSO TAKING THAT SECOND STEP OF RESPONSIBILITY OF HOW DO WE MAKE SURE THAT EVEN IF WE DON'T KNOW IF WE HAD IT OR NOT, THAT WE'RE NOT PASSING IT ON TO SOMEBODY ELSE.
ANY OTHER COMMENTS? COUNCILMAN SMITH, DO YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS FOR CASIE? NO I DO NOT.
COUNCILWOMAN POWELL. NO, MAYOR.
CAN I MAKE ONE COMMENT? YES, ABSOLUTELY.
AND THE ONLY OTHER THING THAT I'D WANT TO SAY IS SINCE THE COMMENT THAT WOULD GO BACK TO THE FACT OF WE'RE KEEPING UP WITH TWO SETS OF NUMBERS, WE'RE KEEPING UP WITH THE POTTER RANDALL NUMBERS.
WE'RE ALSO KEEPING UP WITH [INAUDIBLE] NUMBERS.
AND SO I THINK THAT REALLY WHAT'S BEING DONE HERE IS IT'S SO IMPORTANT THAT IT EXTENDS WELL BEYOND THE CITY LIMITS OF AMARILLO AND THAT I HOPE THAT THOSE THAT ARE IN THE SURROUNDING COMMUNITIES ESPECIALLY CLOSE AROUND US, LIKE [INAUDIBLE] AND SOME OF THOSE THAT ARE OUT THAT THEY UNDERSTAND WHAT'S GOING ON HERE AND HOW THEY CAN ALSO BE A PART OF THIS AND HELP US BUY SHELTER AGAIN BY TAKING CARE OF THEIR THAT THEIR SOCIAL DISTANCING THAT THEY'RE DOING ALL OF THOSE THINGS.
IT'S NOT. THIS IS A CRUCIAL STEP.
AND I THINK WE'LL LOOK BACK ON THIS IN TIME, SIX MONTHS FROM NOW EVEN AND GO.
I'M SO GRATEFUL THAT WE DID THIS BECAUSE IT'S GOING TO HAVE SHORTENED AND FLATTENED OUR CURVE. IT'LL GIVE US THE ABILITY TO BE ON TOP.
THEY TALK ABOUT A SECOND WAVE THAT MIGHT COME LATER ON DOWN THE ROAD.
IT GIVES US THE ABILITY TO BE MUCH MORE READY TO HANDLE THAT CAPACITY, BE ABLE TO DO THE THINGS THAT WE NEED TO TO BE SUCCESSFUL.
CASIE? I WANT TO ASK YOU, AND IT MIGHT BE HELPFUL TO HAVE KEVIN STARBUCK IN A MINUTE IF HE COMES UP TO TALK ABOUT HOSPITAL CAPACITY, BECAUSE THAT'S THAT'S REALLY THE WHOLE REASON THAT WE THAT I ISSUED THE ORDER YESTERDAY.
IT'S ABOUT KEEPING OUR CITY SAFE AND IT'S ABOUT KEEPING OUR CITY WORKING WHERE WE CAN BE WORKING AND KEEPING OUR CITY SAFE.
ONE OF THE CRITERIA IS MAKING SURE WE MANAGE OUR HOSPITAL CAPACITY.
TALK TO THE COUNCIL ABOUT THE NUMBERS ON OUR HOSPITALS AND KIND OF WHERE WE ARE ON HOSPITAL CAPACITY.
OUR HOSPITALS HAVE DONE A REALLY GREAT JOB OF KEEPING THEIR CENSUS LOW SO THAT THEY CAN CONSERVE PPE TO MANAGE AN INFLUX OF PATIENTS IF NECESSARY.
SO THEY HAVE THEY HAVE ALL THREE DONE A GREAT JOB OF KEEPING THEIR CENSUS'S LOW.
THEY HAVE THE GOVERNOR IN HIS EXECUTIVE ORDER REQUIRED ALL ELECTIVE SURGERIES TO BE
[00:55:01]
CANCELED. AND SO OUR LOCALLY THAT IS HAPPENING.THAT IS A SACRIFICE THAT MANY IN OUR COMMUNITY ARE MAKING ON THIS BEHALF.
BUT THAT DOES AGAIN, FREE UP PPE THAT WOULD HAVE TO BE USED DURING THOSE ELECTIVE SURGERIES. IT FREES UP OTHER EQUIPMENT THAT WOULD BE NEEDED DURING ELECTIVE SURGERIES.
AND SO THOSE THOSE PIECES ALL, AGAIN, FEED INTO THE SURGE PLAN THAT WOULD THAT IS IN PLACE. MAYOR, IN FOLLOW UP TO THAT? IT IS. I THINK THAT WE ARE VERY FORTUNATE AND THE PANHANDLE THAT WE WERE NOT THE LEAD OUTBREAK AREA, THAT WE HAVE BEEN ABLE TO HAVE A LITTLE BIT MORE TIME, AS COUNCIL MEMBER SAUER MENTIONED, OF JUST HAVING THAT TIME TO GET THE PIECES OF THE PUZZLE IN PLACE.
I FEEL LIKE AS A COMMUNITY, WE ARE WE ARE VERY PREPARED RIGHT NOW.
WE HAVE OUR DUCKS IN A ROW AND IT'S LIKE WE ARE OPEN FOR BUSINESS AND WE DON'T WANT THE CUSTOMERS. IT'S LIKE WHAT WE ARE DOING OUR PART TO GET READY AND THE FACT THAT WE HAVE HAD THAT THAT GRACE OF TIME.
THEN AT THE FEDERAL LEVEL, AT THE STATE LEVEL, THERE HAVE BEEN SOME ADVANCEMENTS AND THE TESTING AND JUST SO MANY OF THE OTHER ISSUES THAT ARE BEING ADDRESSED THAT WE DID NOT HAVE TO MAKE THOSE DECISIONS IN THE HEAT OF THE MOMENT.
WE HAD SOME TIME TO TO LAY THE GROUNDWORK HERE.
BUT IT'S JUST REALLY CRUCIAL THAT EVEN THOUGH WE'RE PREPARED NOW, WE NEED THE COMMUNITY PARTICIPATION TO KEEP US FROM NEEDING WHAT WE HAVE PREPARED FOR.
WELL SAID. CASIE, TALK JUST A MINUTE ABOUT HOW YOU AND DR.
MILTON ARE REACHING OUT TO REGIONAL HOSPITALS, TRYING TO BE IN FRONT OF A POSSIBLE SURGE INTO OUR HOSPITALS.
JUST, YOU KNOW, HAVING GROWN UP SMALL TOWN PANHANDLE GIRL, I KNOW THE DRILL FOR THOSE SMALL TOWN HOSPITALS AND BASICALLY THEY ARE VERY GRATEFUL TO HAVE AMARILLO AS A LARGER MEDICAL COMMUNITY TO SEND THE MORE COMPLICATED PATIENTS TO, BUT TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT HOW YOU AND DR.
MILTON ARE REACHING OUT TO THOSE COMMUNITY HOSPITALS SO THAT WE WILL ALREADY HAVE CONVEYED EXPECTATIONS FOR [INAUDIBLE] AND OBVIOUSLY THEY'RE NOT UNDER OUR AUTHORITY.
BUT COMMUNICATION IS SO IMPORTANT IF WE'RE TALKING TO THEM ABOUT THE TYPES OF CASES THAT WE WOULD LIKE TO SEE THEM SEND HERE AND NOT JUST HAVING THEM SEND EVERYONE TO ACTUALLY PLAY INTO A SURGE SITUATION OR IN THE EVENT WE ARE ALREADY AT FULL CAPACITY.
I WANT PEOPLE TO SEE YOU'RE WORKING ON THIS AHEAD OF TIME BEFORE IT'S AN ISSUE.
SO SHARE THAT THINKING AND WHERE YOU ARE ON THAT PROGRESS WITH COUNCIL.
SO WE DO HAVE COMMUNICATIONS SET UP.
WE ALSO WORK THROUGH THE [INAUDIBLE] AND WE WORK THROUGH THE TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF STATE HEALTH SERVICES ON SOME OF THOSE COMMUNICATIONS.
WE ARE ALSO SETTING UP A ZOOM MEETING.
SO I THINK THAT'S HOW WE MEET NOW.
SO WE'RE SETTING UP ZOOM MEETINGS WITH THE WITH THE LEADERSHIP OF THOSE HOSPITALS TO WORK ON THOSE PLANS. SO THAT'S IN PROGRESS? YES, MA'AM. I'VE HEARD DR.
MILTON SAY SEVERAL TIMES IN THE NUMEROUS MEETINGS THAT WE'VE HAD WITH HIM THAT IF HE IF HE DOES HIS JOB WELL, NO ONE WILL EVER SEE THE DATA TO SHOW THAT HE NEEDED TO DO HIS JOB, WHICH IS SORT OF A CIRCULAR WAY OF SAYING IF THE ACTIONS WE'VE TAKEN ARE EFFECTIVE, IT WILL LOOK LIKE POSSIBLY WE OVERREACTED IF WE'RE JUST TIED TO THE DATA.
WHAT WOULD YOU SAY TO SOMEBODY, A CITIZEN OR SOMEONE WHO'S QUESTIONING THE TIMING OF THE ACTION THAT WE'RE TAKING? DO YOU THINK WE'RE OVERREACTING? NO, MA'AM, I BELIEVE THAT ALL OF THE ACTIONS THAT WE'RE TAKING GIVE US TIME TO.
WE HAVE WE'VE USED THE TERM FLATTEN THE CURVE SO IT GET THIS ALL GIVES THIS TIME TO FLATTEN THE CURVE, THE NUMBER OF CASES WILL RISE.
BUT WHAT WE WANT TO DO IS SPREAD THAT OUT OVER TIME SO THAT IT ALLOWS OUR PPE CHAINS, THOSE SUPPLY CHAINS, TO BE BACK FILLED.
IT GIVES SCIENCE AND RESEARCHERS TIME TO DEVELOP A VACCINE.
IT GIVES MANUFACTURING TIME TO BUILD AND AND MAKE NEW VENTILATORS.
[01:00:04]
AND IT GIVES OUR HEALTH CARE WORKERS TIME TO REST AND TIME TO RECHARGE, IN TIME TO TO RESTAFF AND TIME TO TAKE CARE OF US.AND SO WE CAN FLATTEN THAT CURVE.
AND SO WE DON'T HAVE THAT HUGE RASH AT THE HOSPITAL.
AND SO WEAK WE SPREAD THAT OUT OVER TIME.
AND WE REALLY DO REDUCE THE NUMBER OF LIVES LOST.
AND CASIE, I WOULD ADD THAT, YOU KNOW, IN ADDITION TO PREVENTING LIVES BEING LOST, IT'S THE PREVENTION OF EVEN CATCHING IT, BECAUSE FROM THE INDIVIDUALS THAT I KNOW THAT HAVE THAT I'VE SPOKEN TO WHO HAVE BEEN DIAGNOSED POSITIVE.
AND JUST READING SOME OF THEIR REPORTS IS A NASTY VIRUS.
AND IT IS NOT SOMETHING THAT EVEN IF IT'S NOT A DEATH SENTENCE, IT IS SOMETHING THAT EVERY INDIVIDUAL IN OUR COMMUNITY SHOULD HOPE TO AVOID BECAUSE IT IS ROUGH.
AND SO IT'S NOT JUST THAT ONE STATISTIC THAT THAT WE'RE WORKING TO KEEP LOW.
I AGREE. ANYTHING ELSE FOR CASIE THEN? CASIE, YOU'RE DOING A GREAT JOB.
IT'S A LOT ON YOUR PETITE SHOULDERS, BUT YOU'RE MANAGING IT.
WE'RE GRATEFUL FOR YOU AND WHATEVER YOU NEED.
YOU HAVE OUR FULL SUPPORT AND WE'RE GRATEFUL FOR THE LOAD THAT YOU'RE CARRYING FOR OUR CITY RIGHT NOW. THANK YOU, MAYOR.
I AM. I'M VERY PLEASED TO WORK WITH THE TEAM THAT I HAVE HERE AT PUBLIC HEALTH.
THEY'RE DOING AN EXCELLENT JOB UNDER EXIGENT CIRCUMSTANCES.
ALL RIGHT. JARED. WE HAVE ALSO JORDAN SCHUPBACH, I THOUGHT TO BE USEFUL FOR HIM TO JUST PROVIDE A LITTLE BIT OF INFORMATION ABOUT HOW IT APPEARS THAT PEOPLE REALLY PAYING ATTENTION TO SOME OF THE INFORMATION HERE.
WE HAVE JUST LIKE YOU AND EVERYONE ELSE WHO'S WATCHING THIS MEETING, WE'RE ALL, YOU KNOW, ROLLING WITH NEW TECHNOLOGIES.
SO HE'S GONNA BE ON KEVIN STARBUCK'S COMMUNICATION DEVICE.
HE'S HAD A TECHNICAL CHALLENGE WITH HIS.
SO, JORDAN GO AHEAD AND GIVE US THE COMMUNICATIONS UPDATE REAL QUICK.
THANK YOU, MR. MILLER, SO I'M NOW IN STEPHANIE'S OFFICE ON MY OWN PHONE.
IN ANY EVENT, I APPRECIATE THE OPPORTUNITY TO KIND OF ROLL THROUGH SOME OF THE REAL LARGE SWATHS OF OUR COMMUNICATION EFFORTS SO FAR.
I WANTED TO PROVIDE NOT JUST THE INFORMATION BUT ALSO SOME CONTEXT.
SUN GONNA START BY TALKING ABOUT SOCIAL MEDIA AND WHERE WE'RE OUT THERE TO PROVIDE THAT CONTEXT I WALKED BACK INTO PREVIOUS MONTHS PRIOR TO CORONAVIRUS AND LOOKED AT ANALYTICS OF A LOT OF OUR POSTS AND THE RESPONSES AND REACTIONS WE WERE GONNA GET THERE.
SO I'M GOING TO COMPARE SOME RECENT CORONAVIRUS INFORMATION AND ANALYTICS TO WHAT WE USED TO DO. SO AS AN EXAMPLE, WHEN WE POSTED A VERY AVERAGE POST PREVIOUSLY ON FACEBOOK, FOR EXAMPLE, ABOUT THE LIGHT PARADE THAT POST RECEIVED TWENTY SEVEN HUNDRED PEOPLE REACHED, SO WE REACHED TWENTY SEVEN HUNDRED PEOPLE WITH THAT POST.
THAT WAS PRETTY THAT'S PRETTY AVERAGE FOR US.
BACK THEN, A BIG POST FOR US, REALLY BIG RESPONSE.
LOTS OF PEOPLE REACHED WAS AS AN EXAMPLE WHEN WE ANNOUNCED THE DRAWINGS FOR THE NEW POOL.
THAT WAS THAT GOT A LOT OF RESPONSE AND WE REACHED ALMOST TWENTY ONE THOUSAND PEOPLE.
AND THOSE WERE JUST THOSE ARE REALLY, REALLY BIG NUMBERS FOR US.
SO NOW THE CONTEXT YESTERDAY AND FREQUENTLY NOW WE POSTED ABOUT THE MOVING TO LEVEL RED AND WE OUR REACH COUNT WAS OVER ONE HUNDRED AND EIGHTY FIVE THOUSAND PEOPLE.
SO. NINE TIMES THE REACH THAT WE'VE HAD PREVIOUSLY, AND IT'S I MEAN, IT'S JUST IT'S EXTREMELY SIGNIFICANT NUMBER OF PEOPLE THAT ARE PAYING ATTENTION TO WHAT WE'RE DOING NOW.
ADDITIONAL NUMBERS. THREE PEOPLE COMMENTED ON THE LIGHTS PARADE.
TWO HUNDRED AND SEVENTY ONE PEOPLE COMMENTED ON THE POOL DRAWINGS.
ALMOST THIRTY FIVE HUNDRED PEOPLE COMMENTED ON THE MOVEMENT YESTERDAY TO LEVEL RED.
SO I JUST WANTED TO BE ABLE TO KIND OF PROVIDE THAT INFORMATION TO LET PEOPLE KNOW, YOU KNOW, HOW EFFECTIVE SOCIAL MEDIA IS BEING, HOW IT'S A GOOD TOOL FOR US TO GET INFORMATION
[01:05:02]
OUT AND JUST TO KIND OF PROVIDE ADDITIONAL CONTEXT ABOUT THE ENORMOUS GROWTH.ONE OTHER NUMBER I'LL PROVIDE THERE REALLY QUICKLY.
WE STARTED OUR FACEBOOK PAGE IN 2012.
RIGHT. SO IT TOOK US EIGHT YEARS TO GO FROM 0 FOLLOWERS TO 12000 FOLLOWERS ON THE 1ST OF MARCH. AND FROM THE 1ST OF MARCH TO TODAY, WE'VE GROWN THAT TWELVE THOUSAND TO TWENTY ONE THOUSAND FOUR HUNDRED.
SO WE'VE NEARLY DOUBLED OUR FOLLOWER COUNT IN ONE MONTH COMPARED TO THE EIGHT YEARS PRIOR. SO SOCIAL MEDIA IS A REALLY EASY WAY FOR ME TO GRAB ANALYTICS.
IT'S REALLY QUICK. SO IT'S AN EASY WAY FOR ME TO JUST PROVIDE REALLY QUICK INFORMATION ABOUT HOW WE'RE DOING OR WHAT WE'RE DOING.
I DO WANNA JUST TOUCH ON A COUPLE OF THINGS QUICKLY IN THAT I CAN CERTAINLY ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS. BUT WE'VE ALSO LAUNCHED OUR STANDALONE WEB SITE AT AMARILLOALERTS.COM, WHICH IF ANYBODY HAS NOT BEEN THERE YET, YOU SHOULD REALLY VISIT IT.
IT PROVIDES A LOT OF REALLY GOOD INFORMATION FOR BUSINESSES, FOR CITIZENS, FOR TRAVELERS.
IT'S JUST A REALLY, REALLY GREAT TOOL.
WE LAUNCHED IT ON THE 26TH I BELIEVE WHICH WAS LAST THURSDAY, AND WE'VE HAD OVER 70000 VISITORS TO THAT WEB SITE, INTERESTINGLY ENOUGH TWENTY SEVEN PERCENT OF THEM ARE COMING FROM FACEBOOK. SO THERE'S THE CONNECTION, I GUESS.
THAT WEBSITE IS ALSO ACCESSIBLE THROUGH THE PUBLIC HEALTH, AMARILLO PUBLIC HEALTH.ORG WEB SITE. WE WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT PEOPLE DIDN'T HAVE TO LEARN A NEW PLACE TO GO.
THEY COULD STILL GET THERE FROM THE OLD PLACE.
SO I FEEL LIKE THAT WAS IMPORTANT TO NOTE.
AND LET'S SEE, I MEAN, I JUST CAN'T SAY ENOUGH ABOUT THE COLLABORATION WITH PUBLIC HEALTH HAS BEEN ENORMOUSLY HELPFUL.
I.T. HAS BEEN ENORMOUSLY HELPFUL.
SO THERE'S. IT'S BEEN AN ENORMOUS TEAM THAT'S PUT THIS EFFORT TOGETHER FAR BEYOND JUST THE COMMUNICATIONS OFFICE.
I DID WANT TO MENTION THAT. AND I GUESS I CAN ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS IF ANYBODY HAS ANY.
COUNCIL. I HAD A QUESTION, MAYOR. GO AHEAD, JORDAN.
HAVE YOU GIVEN ANY THOUGHT TO POSSIBLY RESTARTING OUR COUNCIL CONNECT AND USING SOME OF THE TECHNOLOGY WE'RE USING NOW OR A FACEBOOK LIVE TYPE OF EVENT? I THINK THE PRESS CONFERENCES ARE WORKING VERY WELL.
GETTING INFORMATION OUT AND IT GIVES JOURNALISTS AN OPPORTUNITY TO ASK QUESTIONS THAT I'M TRYING TO THINK OF, AVENUES FOR CITIZENS TO GET QUESTIONS DIRECTED TO US AS WELL.
OBVIOUSLY, WE'RE ALL GETTING INDIVIDUAL CALLS.
PEOPLE ARE REACHING OUT TO US INDIVIDUALLY, BUT TRYING TO THINK OF JUST A PAINTING WITH A BROADER BRUSH AND TO HEAR YOUR THOUGHTS ON THAT.
YES, MA'AM. THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION, ACTUALLY.
IT'S AS YOU WELL KNOW, THIS THING HAS MOVED SO QUICKLY.
WE WE KIND OF HAD PLANS IN PLACE FOR A PBS TOWN HALL AND THEN WE HAD TO SHUT THOSE DOWN BECAUSE WE COULDN'T HAVE THAT MANY PEOPLE IN ONE ROOM.
AND THEN WE WERE, YOU KNOW, SO AS SOON AS WE GET ONE THING READY TO GO, WE GET SOME NEW GUIDANCE. I FEEL LIKE WE'RE IN A PRETTY GOOD PLACE NOW WITH ZOOM.
IF IF NO OTHER METHOD, WE CAN ALWAYS DO SOMETHING LIKE THAT FOR ZOOM.
AND IT'S CERTAINLY SOMETHING THAT WE HAVE BEEN TALKING ABOUT AND SOMETHING THAT I DON'T WANT. I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S FAIR TO SAY WE'VE STABILIZED A LITTLE BIT, BUT WE'VE KIND OF STABILIZED A LITTLE BIT.
AND SO WE CAN START PUSHING FOR EVEN MORE OF THOSE COMMUNICATION EFFORTS.
AND THAT'S CERTAINLY SOMETHING ON THE TOP OF OUR LIST.
ANYBODY ELSE? QUESTION FOR JORDAN.
JORDAN TALKED TO US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE.
BUT I. WE'VE BEEN IN CONVERSATION FOR A WHILE ABOUT WHETHER OR NOT OUR COMMUNITY WOULD NEED TO ENTER INTO A SHELTER IN PLACE TYPE ORDER SITUATION.
AND THIS TEAM HAS BEEN CONCEPTUALIZING THAT, NOT KNOWING IF WE NEEDED TO DO IT OR NOT.
OVER THE PAST WEEK, INCLUDING OUR LEGAL DEPARTMENT LOOKING FOR GUIDANCE FROM OTHER CITIES AND STUDYING OTHER CITIES.
BUT I'LL TELL YOU THAT. THE WORK THAT'S COME OUT OF THE COMMUNICATIONS DEPARTMENT IN THE LAST WELL, THEY GET IT IN ABOUT A 48 HOUR TIMEFRAME, WHICH MEANT COMING UP WITH LOGOS AND ONE PAGERS FOR HOW TO COMMUNICATE WHAT IS ESSENTIAL, WHAT IS NOT ESSENTIAL, WHAT IS LOW RISK. IT'S A TREMENDOUS PUSH OF COMMUNICATION TO OUR CITY.
AND IN THE TIMEFRAME IN WHICH THEY DID IT WAS JUST CRAZY SHORT.
[01:10:02]
AND SO, YEAH, THERE MAY BE PEOPLE OUT THERE GRADING OUR PAPER ON, WELL, THIS IS STILL UNCLEAR OR THIS COULD HAVE COMMUNICATED BETTER.BUT I WANT TO TELL YOU, IT WAS AN AMAZING EFFORT AND WE'RE ALWAYS LEARNING HOW WE CAN DO IT BETTER. AND THE NEXT TIME WE HAVE A WORLDWIDE PANDEMIC, WE'RE GOING TO KNOW BETTER HOW TO COMMUNICATE AND TO DO IT.
BUT I COULDN'T SPEAK MORE HIGHLY ABOUT THE WORK THAT YOU AND YOUR TEAM ARE DOING, JORDAN.
AND I KNOW, LIKE YOU SAID, IT'S REALLY A GIGANTIC TEAM WITH I.T.
BEING INVOLVED AND CASIE AND HER TEAM AND EMERGENCY OPERATIONS.
BUT I WANT THE CITIZENS TO KNOW THIS HAS BEEN AN AROUND THE CLOCK EFFORT.
AND YOU GUYS HAVE PUT OUT SOME WONDERFUL WORK PRODUCT.
AND THE VOLUME OF WHAT YOU'VE HAD TO PUT OUT IN THE LAST SEVERAL WEEKS HAS BEEN TREMENDOUS. SO ON BEHALF OF THE CITIZENS, I WANT TO SAY THANK YOU.
AND THEN I WANT TO OPEN THE DOOR FOR YOU TO TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT OUR ALL IN MESSAGE AND SOME OF THE THINGS THAT YOU HAVE AND YOUR TEAM HAVE CREATED TO COMMUNICATE THE ALL IN MESSAGE TO THE CITY.
YES, MA'AM. I APPRECIATE YOU SAYING THAT.
AND IT CERTAINLY IS VERY LITERALLY BEEN AROUND THE CLOCK EFFORT.
AND ALL OF THE PRAISE AND COMPLIMENTS CERTAINLY GO TO MY TEAM WHO HAVE BEEN DOING ALL THE HEAVY LIFTING. SO I'M VERY GRATEFUL TO HAVE THEM.
ALL IN AMARILLO WAS THE LAUNCH OF ESSENTIALLY THE STAY HOME GUIDELINES THAT WERE ISSUED.
BUT THE INTENT WAS TO NOT JUST ISSUE GUIDELINES FOR PEOPLE TO NOT LEAVE THEIR HOUSE, BUT REALLY TO MAKE IT MORE OF A COMMUNITY EFFORT WHERE EVERYBODY COMES TOGETHER AND SUPPORTS THIS FOR THE BETTERMENT OF OUR ENTIRE COMMUNITY.
AND SO THAT THE GUIDELINES WE'VE SENT OUT IN A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT WAYS, ALL OF THIS THINGS I'M GOING TO REFERENCE CAN BE FOUND ON THE WEB SITE, WHICH AGAIN IS AMARILLOALERTS.COM. SO IF ANYBODY NEEDS ANYTHING THAT I'M TALKING ABOUT, THE LOGOS, THE GUIDELINES, ALL OF THESE THINGS ARE AVAILABLE ON THE WEB SITE.
WE'VE REACHED OUT SPECIFICALLY TO BUSINESSES, LET THEM KNOW WHAT TO EXPECT IN THIS TIME AND HOW THEY CAN OPERATE SAFELY IF THEY'RE ON THE ESSENTIAL LIST AND CHANGES THEY CAN MAKE WITHIN THEIR OWN BUSINESSES TO JUST MORE JUST TO JUST TO SUPPORT THE CAMPAIGN IN GENERAL. WE'VE HAD WONDERFUL SUPPORT FROM THE COMMUNITY LISTENING TO KIND OF THE CALL TO HANG SOMETHING YELLOW OR DISPLAY SOMETHING YELLOW ON THEIR FRONT DOOR TO THEIR FRONT PORCH. THAT'S BEEN REALLY COOL TO WATCH THE COMMUNITY COME TOGETHER AND SUPPORT THAT AS WELL. AND REALLY JUST ANOTHER WAY FOR EVERYBODY TO SAY, WE ARE NOTICING WHAT THE FIRE DEPARTMENT AND THE POLICE DEPARTMENT AND OUR MEDICAL PROVIDERS WERE NOTICING, THE WORK THAT THE PEOPLE THAT ARE THAT ARE DOING THE HEAVY LIFTING ON CORONAVIRUS RESPONSE.
YOU KNOW, WE NOTICED WHAT YOU'RE DOING AND WE JUST WANT TO SHOW YOU THAT SUPPORT.
SO IT'S BEEN GREAT TO WATCH THAT AS WELL.
LET'S SEE WHAT WE WERE ABLE TO PUT TOGETHER.
YOU KNOW, THIS WAS A SCARY TIME FOR CHILDREN.
I'VE GOT A COUPLE OF KIDS MYSELF, AND I KNOW THAT THEY HAVE A LOT OF QUESTIONS FOR ME AND THEY'RE CERTAINLY NOT ALONE.
AND SO IT'S BEEN WE'VE MADE AN EFFORT TO KIND OF REACH OUT TO TO THE CHILDREN AND THROUGH THE ISD AND THROUGH OUR OWN WEBSITES TO GIVE THEM THIS A LITTLE COLORING PAGE THEY CAN DO, WHICH MIGHT JUST SPARKS IN CONVERSATION WITH THEIR PARENTS.
AND THEN THEY CAN HANG THE COLORING PAGE IN THEIR FRONT WINDOWS TO AS THEIR WAY OF SHOWING SUPPORT TO, YOU KNOW, THE POLICE CAR THAT MIGHT BE DRIVING BY ON PAROLE OR THOSE KIND OF THINGS, PATROL AS WELL.
SO I KIND OF COVERED THINGS THERE.
YES. ALSO, DO YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT THAT? MAYOR, I WOULD MAKE A COMMENT ON JUST COMMUNICATIONS IN GENERAL AND AGAIN, THANK YOU, JORDAN, TO YOU AND YOUR TEAM.
I READ A COMMENT FROM ANOTHER GOVERNOR THAT WAS TALKING ABOUT AND TRUE TO WHAT THEY LEARNED GETTING IN KIND OF THE HEAT OF THE FIRE EARLY.
WAS THAT JUST COMMUNICATIONS, HOW CRUCIAL THAT WAS.
IT WAS ALMOST LIKE A MILITARY OPERATION, THAT IT WAS JUST THE LOGISTICS, THE THE YOU COULD NOT OVER COMMUNICATE.
AND SO I JUST I APPRECIATE THE EFFORTS THAT YOU'RE MAKING.
AND WE'VE GONE FROM ONE PRESS CONFERENCE A WEEK TO THREE.
WE'RE DOING THE DAILY UPDATES ON THE REPORT CARDS AND.
AND SO JUST I THINK THOSE ARE REALLY CRUCIAL.
SO THANK YOU FOR WHAT YOU'RE DOING ON THAT.
WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT SOCIAL DISTANCING, SOME SPECIFICS.
I THINK IT HELPS THE COMMUNITY TO TALK ABOUT, TOO.
AND I KNOW THIS SOUNDS SUPER CHEESY, BUT EVEN LIKE ONE OF THE PRESS CONFERENCES, HAVING A MEASURE, YOU KNOW, A YARDSTICK OR SOMETHING OF WHAT SIX FEET ACTUALLY IS LIKE, WHEN I MEASURED I GOT A JUST A TAPE MEASURE OUT AND I MEASURED OUT WHAT SIX FEET WAS LIKE.
[01:15:02]
AND, YOU KNOW, IF PEOPLE THINK THEY'RE STANDING FAR ENOUGH APART, JUST SEEING TWO PEOPLE TRULY SIX FEET APART, IT'S MORE DISTANCE THAN SOMETIMES I THINK WE ARE ALLOWING THAT SPACE. AND CASIE MAY BE ABLE TO ADDRESS LATER OF WHY THAT'S SIX FEET, WHY THAT CAUTION AND WHY THAT IS THERE.AND THEN THAT DEFINING SOCIAL DISTANCING ALSO IS NOT JUST PHYSICAL DISTANCE, BUT LIMITING THE NUMBER OF INTERACTIONS PER WEEK, PER DAY.
AND I SAW GREAT EXAMPLES ON FACEBOOK, PEOPLE TALKING ABOUT FIGURE OUT YOUR GROCERY SHOPPING ONCE A WEEK.
DON'T GO JUST WHEN YOU RUN OUT OF SOMETHING, CONSOLIDATING YOUR TRIPS, MAYBE HAVING ONE PERSON WHO'S ASSIGNED.
AND SO, YOU KNOW, ANY OF THOSE IDEAS YOU COME UP WITH OF COMMUNICATING EXAMPLES? I THINK IT REALLY HELPS.
WE'RE NOT ALWAYS THINKING THAT WAY.
PEOPLE HERE AT SOCIAL DISTANCING IS A NEW TERM AND HELPING DEFINE IT IN A REAL PRACTICAL, LOGICAL DAY TO DAY APPLICATION.
YES, MA'AM. I THINK THAT MAKES A LOT OF SENSE.
AND FOR THAT MATTER, YOU KNOW, I'LL TAKE ALL SUGGESTIONS FROM COUNCIL, FROM THE COMMUNITY, FROM ANYBODY ON HOW WE CAN DO THIS BETTER.
THIS IS A A TEAM EFFORT THAT EXTENDS FAR BEYOND JUST MY OFFICE.
AND SO WE'VE HAD A LOT OF REALLY GOOD SUGGESTIONS COMING FROM SOCIAL MEDIA.
WE'VE HAD INCREDIBLE COMMUNITY SUPPORT.
WE'VE GOT A LOT OF REALLY GREAT THINGS HAPPENING THAT DIDN'T COME FROM MY MIND.
YOU KNOW, THEY CAME FROM PEOPLE WHO HAD OTHER IDEAS.
SO I ABSOLUTELY WOULD WELCOME THOSE KIND OF SUGGESTIONS ON HOW WE CAN CONTINUE TO IMPROVE WHAT WE'RE DOING. SO, CASIE, MY QUESTION TO YOU IS WHY THE SIX FEET? I KNOW IT'S NOT AN EXACT MAGIC NUMBER, BUT WHERE DOES THAT COME FROM? WHY IS THAT IN PLACE? WHY IS THAT CONSIDERED A BOUNDARY OF PROTECTION? SO GENERALLY, WHEN WE COUGH OR SNEEZE, THOSE DROPLETS DON'T TRAVEL MUCH FURTHER THAN THEY DON'T TRAVEL MUCH. THAT'S ABOUT THE DISTANCE THAT WE CAN COUGH AND SNEEZE.
AND SO THAT IS THAT'S GENERALLY THE BOUNDARY THAT WE WANT TO STAY BACK FROM EACH OTHER, BECAUSE THAT'S ABOUT HOW FAR THOSE DROPLETS.
THOSE DROPLETS DON'T TRAVEL MUCH FURTHER THAN THAT.
NOBODY INTENDS TO SNEEZE ON SOMEBODY ELSE OR COUGH ON SOMEONE ELSE.
AND WE JUST ALL KNOW SOMETIMES THERE ARE JUST SOMETIMES THERE IS A QUICK TICKLE AND YOU JUST WANT TO BE A DISTANCE ENOUGH AWAY THAT AN UNINTENTIONAL REFLEX DOESN'T LAND ON YOUR SKIN OR SOMEONE ELSE'S.
IT'S KIND OF GROSS, BUT SORRY.
SO THOSE DROPLETS ARE FAIRLY HEAVY.
SO WHEN YOU SNEEZE OR COUGH, THEY FALL.
BUT THEY DO YOU KNOW, THEY DO GO OUT AT SOME DISTANCE.
BUT SIX FEET IS WHAT SCIENCE IS SAYING IS IT IS ABOUT THAT GOOD SAFE, SAFE PERIMETER.
IT'S BASIC. I DON'T THINK WE CAN MAKE ANY PRESUMPTIONS ON COMMUNICATION RIGHT NOW, SO I'M GLAD WE'RE HAVING THIS CONVERSATION I THINK IS A VERY GOOD QUESTION TO EMPHASIZE.
ANYBODY ELSE HAVE QUESTIONS FOR JORDAN? I HAVE A COUPLE OF THINGS, BUT I WANT TO GIVE YOU GUYS AN OPPORTUNITY TO ASK QUESTIONS OR MAKE COMMENTS. JORDAN.
STEPHANIE ON THE AMARILLO ALERTS PAGE WOULD YOU GO TO THE BLUE SECTION THAT SHOWS ALL OF THE DIFFERENT CATEGORIES WHERE INFORMATION'S BEEN SUMMARIZED? YES, MA'AM, I'M PULLING IT BACK UP RIGHT NOW.
OK. SO JORDAN MENTIONED THIS IS A BRAND NEW WEB SITE.
SO I DON'T KNOW ANY OF YOU HAVE EVER WORKED ON SETTING UP A WEB SITE IN YOUR BUSINESS.
IT'S THE KIND OF THING YOU CAN SAY IN ONE SENTENCE.
BUT THERE'S SO MANY DECISIONS TO BE MADE.
AND ACTUALLY PUTTING IT TOGETHER, IT TAKES TIME TO BUILD SOMETHING LIKE THIS.
AND WE BUILT IT WHAT, IN 10 DAYS, JORDAN, MAYBE LESS.
YES MA'AM. LESS THAN THAT. IT WAS, WE PROBABLY BUILT IT IN ABOUT LESS THAN 24 HOURS WAS THE WAS THE INITIAL WORK WAS DONE WELL? WELL, THAT'S AMAZING.
ANYBODY THAT'S EVER BEEN THROUGH A WEB SITE BUILDING PROCESS IN THEIR BUSINESS OR WITH A NONPROFIT IS IN AWE OF THE FACT THAT YOU COULD PUT IT TOGETHER THAT QUICKLY.
THE CONTENT ON THIS PAGE IS SO VALUABLE.
IF YOU AS A CITIZEN HAVE NOT BEEN TO VISIT THIS PAGE AND LOOK PARTICULARLY AT THE THINGS THAT HAVE BEEN SET ASIDE AND CATEGORIZED FOR CERTAIN PEOPLE IN OUR COMMUNITY, AGAIN, NONE OF US HAVE EVER BEEN IN THIS SITUATION.
BUT IT'S OUR ROLE AS CITY LEADERSHIP TO TRY AND COMMUNICATE TO YOU CATEGORY BY CATEGORY THE THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW TO MAKE GOOD DECISIONS AND TO MOVE FORWARD THROUGH THIS.
[01:20:04]
THIS IS TEMPORARY. WE'RE GOING TO GET THROUGH THIS.BUT IN THE MEANTIME, A LOT OF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS.
YOU HAVE QUESTIONS AS BUSINESS OWNERS.
YOU HAVE QUESTIONS AS LEADERS AND CHURCHES.
YOU HAVE QUESTIONS AS SENIORS.
AND SO THE COMMUNICATIONS TEAM HAS DONE A FABULOUS JOB OF SUMMARIZING INFORMATION FOR EACH ONE OF THOSE DIFFERENT CATEGORIES TO MAKE IT EASY FOR YOU.
SO YOU DON'T HAVE TO TRUDGE THROUGH A WEB SITE THAT MIGHT HAVE FOUR OR FIVE PAGES OF INFORMATION. THEY'VE TRIED TO FUNNEL IT SPECIFICALLY TOWARD ALL THESE DIFFERENT CATEGORIES, MAKING IT EASY FOR CITIZENS TO QUICKLY GET A BROAD SWATH OF THE INFORMATION THAT'S GOING TO BE RELEVANT TO THEM.
AND I JUST THOUGHT THAT WAS A GREAT APPROACH AND IT WAS DONE SO QUICKLY.
AND I THINK IT'S GOING TO REALLY SERVE OUR CITIZENS WELL.
I KNOW THEY'VE ALREADY BEEN USING IT.
BUT IF YOU ARE A CITIZEN WHO IS NOT AWARE OF THAT, I HIGHLY ENCOURAGE YOU TO LOOK AT THAT PAGE, ENCOURAGE YOUR FRIENDS AND NEIGHBORS, YOUR FAMILY TO GO AND LOOK AT THAT PAGE BECAUSE IT'S GOT GOOD, VALUABLE INFORMATION ON IT.
I ALSO WANTED TO TALK FOR A MINUTE ABOUT HOW THIS IS AN EVER EVOLVING SITUATION IN JORDAN, HIGHLIGHTED THAT ABOUT EVERY THERE HAVE BEEN SEVERAL TIMES WHERE WE'VE HAD A PLAN IN PLACE READY TO GO ON LAUNCHING IT TO COMMUNICATE, AND THEN WE HAD TO BACK UP BECAUSE SOMETHING SHIFTED. SO WE'RE NOT JUST SEEING THE WORK PRODUCT THAT THEY'VE DONE.
THEY'VE HAD TO ROLL ONTO THE FLOOR.
YOU KNOW, LIKE FILM TERMS, YOU KNOW, IT WAS THE CUTTING ROOM FLOOR.
THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF HOURS AND PROJECTS THAT DIDN'T MAKE IT OUT PUBLICLY BECAUSE WE HAD TO GO BACK TO THE DRAWING BOARD.
SOMETHING SHIFTED IN THE DATA OR SOMETHING SHIFTED ON A STATE OR NATIONAL LEVEL.
SO I WANT TO KNOWLEDGE SO MUCH OF THE WORK THAT'S HAPPENED THAT'S NEVER GONNA MAKE IT INTO THE PUBLIC AS WELL BECAUSE IT IS AN EVER EVOLVING SITUATION.
CAN WE TALK JUST FOR A MINUTE SPECIFICALLY ABOUT GROCERY STORES AND SHOPPING TRIPS.
ELAINE YOU MADE SOME COMMENTS THAT MADE ME THINK ABOUT SHOPPING TRIPS? TRYING TO REMEMBER NOW WHAT IT WAS.
ABOUT THE ONCE, ONCE A WEEK, MAYBE HAVING ONE PERSON ASSIGNED AND KIND OF ONE OF THOSE THINGS, TOO, IT'S LIKE IF ONE PERSON IS ASSIGNED OR IF YOU HAVE A ROUTINE WHEN YOU DO LEAVE HOME AND THEN ONCE YOU HAVE TO DO WHEN YOU COME BACK, I'M JUST READING SO MANY GREAT SUGGESTIONS.
AND IF PEOPLE REALIZE IT, REALLY COME BACK IN.
AND SO IT KIND OF ENCOURAGES YOU NOT TO JUST BE RUNNING IN AND OUT OF THE HOUSE ALL THE TIME FOR MULTIPLE TRIPS.
YOU KNOW, FOR ONE THING HERE AND ONE THING THERE.
WE EVEN TALKED ABOUT BECAUSE I'VE HAD A LOT OF E-MAIL FROM CITIZENS ABOUT SAYING THE CITY NEEDS TO KIND OF LIKE WE DO MAYBE WATERING YOUR LAWNS, YOU KNOW, SAY THESE PEOPLE SHOP ON THESE DAYS. PEOPLE SHOULD SHOP ON OTHER DAYS TO TRY AND REGULATE OUR SUPPLY CHAIN A LITTLE BIT MORE AND TO REGULATE THE VOLUME OF PEOPLE THAT ARE GOING INTO STORES.
WE HAD GOOD ROBUST DIALOG FROM THE CITY TEAM ABOUT THIS.
AND I WAS SO GLAD THAT CASIE STOUGHTON POINTED OUT THAT EVERY FAMILY HAS DIFFERENT NEEDS AND DIFFERENT CAPABILITIES FOR SHOPPING, THAT THERE ARE FAMILIES FOR FINANCIAL REASONS T HEY CAN ONLY SHOP EVERY TWO OR THREE DAYS THAT THEY REALLY ARE THAT TIGHT FINANCIALLY.
I THINK IT WAS ALSO BROUGHT UP VERY SYMPATHETICALLY THAT IF WE WERE TO PUT ANY KIND OF RESTRICTION ON DAYS THAT PEOPLE COULD SHOP OR, YOU KNOW, EVEN ENCOURAGING THEM IF YOUR LAST NAME STARTS WITH THIS LETTER, PLEASE TRY TO SHOP ON THIS DAY THAT THIS MIGHT INCITE PANIC, THAT PEOPLE WERE BEING RESTRICTED FROM GOING TO THE GROCERY STORE.
SO. WHERE WE WENT WITH THAT FROM A COMMUNICATIONS POINT OF VIEW WAS JUST TO ASK PEOPLE TO SHOP IN THEIR NORMAL GROCERY PATTERN AND WHATEVER THAT IS FOR YOUR FAMILY.
WE'VE HAD AGAIN, SO MANY GREAT SUGGESTIONS FROM CITIZENS AND I REALLY, REALLY APPRECIATE JORDAN'S STANCE THAT HE'S OPEN TO SUGGESTIONS.
BUT I WANTED TO TOUCH PARTICULARLY ON GROCERY STORES AND TALKING ABOUT WHY WE DECIDED NOT TO ISSUE SOME SORT OF GUIDANCE ON WHEN A FAMILY COULD OR SHOULD GO TO A GROCERY STORE.
I THINK THAT'S RIGHT IN LINE WITH WHAT COUNCILWOMAN HAYS IS SAYING.
SHE'S SAYING BE INTENTIONAL ABOUT IT.
AND IF YOU'RE A PEOPLE PERSON AND IT'S DRIVING YOU BANANAS TO BE SHUT IN OR GO ALL IN.
DON'T USE THE GROCERY STORE AS YOUR CHANCE TO GET OUT AND CONNECT.
JUST TRY TO HOLD BACK, ESPECIALLY FOR THE NEXT FEW WEEKS.
DO YOU WANT TO TAKE A MINUTE TO TALK ABOUT GROCERY STORES AND TO AT LEAST USE THIS AS A
[01:25:01]
POINT TO INFORM THE COUNCIL ON SUNDAY AFTER OUR TEAM ARRIVED AT THE DECISION THAT WE THOUGHT GOING ALL THE WHAT WAS NECESSARY.I TOOK SOME TIME THAT EVENING TO REACH OUT TO OUR GROCERY STORES.
WHAT WE RECOGNIZE IS THAT THEY'RE OUR BIGGEST GATHERING PLACE IN THE CITY RIGHT NOW.
NOW THAT WE'VE SHELTERED IN AND EVERYONE IS CLOSING THEIR BUSINESSES, GROCERY STORES ARE GOING TO STAY OPEN AND PEOPLE ARE GOING TO GATHER MOSTLY AT THE CHECKOUT COUNTERS.
AND IF WE DON'T FIGURE OUT HOW TO SPACE THAT PROPERLY, WE'RE GONNA HAVE A REAL PROBLEM IN OUR CITY WITH SPREADING THE VIRUS JUST AT THE CHECKOUT COUNTER FOR GROCERY STORES.
SO ON SUNDAY NIGHT, I VISITED WITH BOTH STORE MANAGERS FOR OUR SAM'S CLUB.
I VISITED WITH TWO OUT OF THE THREE STORE MANAGERS FOR WALMART AND I VISITED WITH THE REGIONAL DIRECTOR FOR ALL OF OUR UNITED GROCERY STORES AND TOLD THEM AS A COURTESY WHAT WAS BEHIND THE HEART OF THIS SHUT IN ORDER AND TRIED TO PUT THEM ON NOTICE A LITTLE BIT.
JUST AS A BUSINESS THAT WAS GOING TO BE HIGHLY AFFECTED BY IT.
HAD GREAT CONVERSATION WITH ALL OF THOSE BUSINESS LEADERS, THEY ARE VERY MUCH SO WILLING TO COOPERATE WITH US IN IMPOSING IN THEIR STORES OPERATIONALLY EVERYTHING WE NEED TO KEEP CITIZENS SAFE.
THERE ARE SANITIZING SURFACES.
THEY ARE RECOMMENDING PHYSICAL DISTANCE.
ALL OF THEM ARE EITHER PUTTING IN PLACE OR HAVE ON ORDER TO PUT IN PLACE WHAT YOU WERE POINTING OUT, ELAINE SIGNAGE ON THE FLOOR THAT SHOWS PEOPLE WHAT 6 FEET ACTUALLY IS.
THEY RECOGNIZE THAT THEY'VE GOT TO CONTROL HOW THEIR SPACING INSIDE THEIR STORE.
SO THEIR EMPLOYEES AND THEIR CUSTOMERS CAN BE SAFE.
AT THIS TIME, WE DISCUSSED WHETHER OR NOT WE SHOULD LIMIT THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE THAT GO INTO A STORE.
IT'S REALLY DIFFICULT TO DO THAT FAIRLY BECAUSE THESE STORES ARE ALL DIFFERENT SIZES.
AND THE TRUTH IS, IT'S NOT ABOUT THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE IN THERE.
IT'S ABOUT THE DISTANCE THAT THEY CAN HAVE FROM EACH OTHER.
SO IN CRAFTING THE ORDER AGAIN, WE WANTED TO NOT.
WE DID NOT WANT TO OVERREACH ON WHAT WE THOUGHT NEEDED TO HAPPEN IN ORDER FOR OUR CITY TO STAY SAFE. SO WE DID NOT PUT A NUMBER OF THRESHOLD AT THIS TIME AND WE WILL CONTINUE TO WATCH AND MONITOR.
I'M SURE YOU GUYS ARE GETTING E-MAILS AND PICTURES FROM CITIZENS TO SHOWING ANYTIME TIME THEY SEE A PROBLEM AREA IN THE CITY.
THEY'RE MAKING US AWARE OF IT AND I'M GRATEFUL FOR THAT.
THAT'S WHAT IT MEANS FOR US TO TAKE CARE OF EACH OTHER IS TO BE THE EYES AND EARS OUT IN THE CITY. SO I WOULD MAKE A PLEA TO CITIZENS TO HELP THESE STORES.
AND WHEN YOU GO IN TO SHOP, YOU'VE GOT TO BE AWARE OF KEEPING THAT SPACE.
EVERYONE HAS A ROLE TO PLAY HERE.
AND WHILE WE HAVE CITY LEADERSHIP HAVE REACHED OUT AND HAD THESE CONVERSATIONS, THEY'LL BE ONGOING CONVERSATIONS WITH GROCERY STORES.
THOSE GROCERY STORE OWNER MANAGERS ARE VERY COOPERATIVE.
THEY VERY MUCH WANT TO COMPLY WITH THE PHYSICAL TESTING REQUIREMENTS AND ALL OF THE OTHER THINGS THAT'S GOING TO TAKE TO KEEP THEIR EMPLOYEES AND THEIR CUSTOMERS SAFE.
AND YOUR ROLE AS A CUSTOMER IS TO IMPOSE THOSE ON YOURSELF AND TO BE VERY AWARE OF YOUR SPACING WHEN YOU'RE IN THE STORE AND ESPECIALLY AT THE CHECKOUT LINES.
SO WE'LL CONTINUE TO EVALUATE THAT.
AND IF WE NEED TO MAKE A CHANGE, THEN WE'LL WE'LL GO ALL IN AND MAKE A CHANGE.
BUT OUR INTENT IN ISSUING THIS ORDER AND CRAFTING IT WAS TO ONLY MAKE THE CHANGES AND ONLY IMPOSE THE RESTRICTIONS THAT WE THOUGHT WERE ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY TO KEEP OUR CITY SAFE IN THE GROCERY STORES.
OBVIOUSLY, THEY'RE GOING TO BE OPEN.
THEY'VE GOT TO BE OPEN FOR PEOPLE TO HAVE ACCESS TO FOOD.
BUT WE'VE GOT TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO OPERATE THOSE STORES IN A WAY THAT'S SAFE AND PROTECTS OUR COMMUNITY. DOES ANYBODY HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT THE GROCERY STORE COMPONENT TO ALL OF THIS? SUGGESTIONS.
MAYOR, I WOULD ALSO POINT OUT TO OUR COMMUNITIES WE ARE GETTING INFORMATION OUT.
YOUR POINT ON STICKING TO YOUR REGULAR PATTERNS.
IT'S NOT JUST FREQUENCY, BUT VOLUME THAT WE DON'T HAVE A NEED TO BE STOCKING UP ON THINGS. WE ARE NOT AS A NATION.
WE DO NOT HAVE DISRUPTIONS TO OUR FOOD SUPPLY CHAIN.
WHAT WE HAVE A STRAIN ON OUR RESOURCES FOR OUR MEDICAL COMMUNITY.
AND SO BUSINESSES ARE REPURPOSING AND ADDRESSING THOSE INCREASED NEEDS IN THE MEDICAL INDUSTRY. YOU KNOW, WE'VE HAD N95 MASKS FOR YEARS, BUT LIKE A FRIEND OF MINE HAS BEEN A
[01:30:02]
NURSE FOR 30 YEARS AND SAID HAS SHE'S USED HERS TWICE.AND SO IT'S THIS IS UNUSUAL, THAT ITEM THAT IS IN HIGH DEMAND AND WE ARE NEEDING INCREASED PRODUCTION IN THAT.
BUT THAT'S NOT AFFECTING OUR FOOD SUPPLY CHAIN.
AND SO IT'S JUST CONTINUING TO ENCOURAGE OUR COMMUNITY.
YOU DON'T NEED TO STOCK UP ON THINGS.
YOU DON'T NEED TO HOARD, YOU KNOW, NEED TO TO BUY JUST MULTIPLE OF ITEMS YOU'RE USED TO BUYING IN A CERTAIN FREQUENCY AND CERTAIN VOLUME IS GOING TO BE ENOUGH.
WE'RE NOT GOING TO BE HAVING GROCERY STORES CLOSED BASED ON THE CURRENT SITUATION WE'RE IN. I'M REALLY GLAD YOU BROUGHT THAT POINT OUT ALSO ON SUNDAY WHEN I WAS MAKING CALLS TO THOSE LARGE RETAILERS AND GROCERY STORES.
I CALLED ONE OF OUR LOCAL SUPPLY CHAIN SUPPLIERS TO OUR GROCERY STORES AND VISITED IN DEPTH WITH THEM ABOUT WHAT THEIR SUPPLY CHAINS WERE LOOKING LIKE, WHAT WE NEEDED TO DO AS A CITY TO CONTINUE TO HELP THEM KEEP THEIR EMPLOYEES HEALTHY SO THAT THEY COULD CONTINUE STOCKING THIS AND SUPPLYING OUR GROCERY STORES IN THOSE GROCERY STORES THROUGHOUT THE REGION. THEY OBVIOUSLY DON'T JUST STOCK OUR AMARILLO GROCERY STORES.
THEY STOCKED ALL OF OUR PANHANDLES SMALL TOWN, GROCERY STORES AS WELL.
SO I HAD VERY GOOD CONVERSATIONS WITH TWO LEADERS IN THOSE INDUSTRIES AND HAD A GREAT RESPONSE FROM GETTING ANYTHING WE ASKED THEM TO DO.
THEY'RE GONNA STEP IN LINE AND GO ALL IN WITH US TO MAKE SURE THAT OUR SUPPLY CHAINS ARE NOT INTERRUPTED AND THAT PEOPLE HAVE ACCESS TO THE FOOD AND THE GROCERIES THAT THEY NEED.
ANYTHING TO ADD TO THAT COUNCIL? QUESTIONS. OK, JARED, BACK TO YOU ON WHATEVER ELSE YOU GUYS HAVE TO UPDATE ON CORONA.
WE DON'T HAVE ANYTHING ELSE PREPARED TO UPDATE FOR YOU UNLESS YOU HAVE SOME QUESTIONS OUTSIDE OF COMMUNICATIONS AND PUBLIC HEALTH.
AS I SAID PREVIOUSLY, WE HAVE MULTIPLE CITY TEAMS SET UP TO MANAGE OUR RESOURCES, PERSONNEL, STAFFING, OTHER THINGS GOING ON FROM THAT PERSPECTIVE.
WE HAVE SHUT DOWN CERTAIN FACILITIES.
WE HAVE REDUCED ACCESS TO CERTAIN AREAS OF THE PARKS.
SO THERE'S CERTAIN AMENITIES, AS YOU SAID YESTERDAY, THAT ARE NOT AVAILABLE, LIKE THE BASKETBALL COURTS, VOLLEYBALL COURTS, THINGS LIKE THAT, WHERE IT'S DIFFICULT TO MAINTAIN SOCIAL DISTANCING. BUT THE PARKS AS A WHOLE ARE STILL AVAILABLE FOR EXERCISE, FOR GETTING OUTSIDE. LETTING KIDS RUN OFF SOME STEAM, THAT TYPE THING, AS LONG AS WE MAINTAIN THE SOCIAL DISTANCING AND NOT GATHERING IN LARGE GROUPS [INAUDIBLE].
SO OTHER THAN THAT, IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS FOR ME FROM AN ADMINISTRATIVE STANDPOINT OR WHAT STAFF IS DOING OUTSIDE OF PUBLIC HEALTH AND OUTSIDE OF COMMUNICATIONS, I CAN ANSWER THOSE NOW, BUT THERE'S NOTHING ELSE PREPARED AT THIS POINT.
I'VE GOT ONE MORE. SO WHAT ABOUT THE TENNIS COURTS? WE TOOK THE NETS DOWN ON THE TENNIS COURTS.
WE'RE IN PROGRESS OF TAKING TENNIS NETS DOWN.
OR THAT'S THE TENNIS COURTS THAT ARE AVAILABLE IN THE PARKS.
WE'VE CLOSED THE TENNIS CENTER AND WE'RE ALSO TAKING DOWN THE VOLLEYBALL NETS AND POSTING SIGNAGE AT THE BASKETBALL COURTS.
SO THAT IS GONNA TAKE US A COUPLE OF DAYS TO COMPLETE BECAUSE THAT'S A LOT OF FACILITIES.
SO WE'RE STILL USING ALL OF OUR PARKS PERSONNEL TO DO THAT AS WELL AS MAINTAIN PARKS.
OK. BECAUSE I JUST HAD A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS BY DIFFERENT CITIZENS ABOUT THE FACT OF, YOU KNOW, IT'S KIND OF IMPOSSIBLE TO HAVE ENOUGH PEOPLE TO CAUSE A PROBLEM IF THEY'RE PLAYING TENNIS AND THEY'VE GOT A SIX.
BUT AS A GENERAL RULE, IT'S JUST GONNA BE WE'RE GONNA GO AHEAD AND CLOSE ALL THE AMENITIES AT ALL THE PARKS.
YEAH. AND THE BIGGER ISSUE ON TENNIS WAS NOT SO MUCH OUR ONE OR TWO TENNIS COURTS AT SET AWAY PARKS. WHEN WE WERE LOOKING AT HUSBANDING AND MANAGING OUR SUPPLY OF CLEANING SUPPLIES AT THE TENNIS CENTER, WE WERE DOING A LOT OF CLEANING.
WE'RE CLEANING FREQUENTLY TOUCH SURFACES.
WE'RE CLEANING GATES HANDLES ALL THE DIFFERENT THINGS THAT PEOPLE MIGHT TOUCH WHILE THEY'RE UTILIZING THE CENTER. REALIZING THAT WE MIGHT CONCEIVABLY NEED THOSE FOR PUBLIC SAFETY, FOR PUBLIC HEALTH, POSSIBLY EVEN FOR SOME OF OUR HOSPITALS OR THINGS LIKE THAT.
SO WE STOPPED USING THOSE SUPPLIES IN AREAS THAT WE COULD REASONABLY DO THAT OR SHOULD REASONABLY DO THAT AS FAR AS THE TENNIS COURTS AT THE PARKS.
THAT WAS MORE OF A STAYING CONSISTENT WITH THE AMENITIES CHANGES THAT WE'VE MADE WITH ALL THE OTHER AMENITIES AT THE PARKS THAT EVEN STRETCHES TO THINGS LIKE GAZEBOS, PICNIC TABLES, THINGS LIKE THAT.
SURE, I UNDERSTAND. LET'S BE SPECIFIC AS TO WHY WE CLOSED OUR GOLF COURSE IT WAS EXACTLY THE SAME AS WHAT WE TALKED ABOUT WITH THE TENNIS CENTER.
WE WERE USING A LOT OF SUPPLIES TO CLEAN THE PRO SHOP.
THE FOOD SERVICE AREA, WE WERE STILL DOING FOOD FOR GOLFERS.
I THINK GOLF BY ITS NATURE IS MORE SOCIALLY DISTANCED AS LONG AS THOUGH IT WAS ONLY ONE
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PERSON ON A CART.BUT WE STILL HAVE TO SANITIZE THAT CART AND EVERY SINGLE CART THAT GOES OUT OR COMES IN.
SO IT WAS PRETTY INTENSIVE ON THE SUPPLIES AND THAT'S REALLY MORE THAN ANYTHING ELSE THE REASON WHY WE DID THAT. BECAUSE THOSE EMPLOYEES WEAR GLOVES AND MASKS TO SANITIZE THOSE CARTS. AND FRANKLY, YES, A STAGE WE'RE PRESERVING EVERY GLOVE AND MASK THAT WE POSSIBLY CAN IN ANTICIPATION.
SO WE HAVE A BETTER FEEL FOR WHAT OUR SEARCH IS GOING TO LOOK LIKE.
YES, MA'AM. JUST TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE AS MUCH SUPPLIES AS POSSIBLE FOR ANY FUNCTION THAT MIGHT NEED THEM ASSOCIATED WITH MANAGING CORONAVIRUS.
I CAN SEE ON MY PHONE AND WE TALKED ABOUT HOW THIS IS AN EVER EVOLVING SITUATION.
I CAN SEE THAT GOVERNOR ABBOTT IS MAKING SOME CHANGES WITH SOME TYPE OF ANNOUNCEMENT.
DID YOU HAVE SOMEBODY WORK ON THAT WHILE WE'RE STILL SITTING HERE IN THE MEETING? LET'S FIND OUT WHAT HIS WHAT HIS CHANGES ARE.
WE MAY NEED TO COME BACK AND REVISIT ANY OF THIS CONVERSATION IN LIGHT OF ANY CHANGES HE'S MAKING AT THIS MOMENT.
IT APPEARS. AND WE HAVE PEOPLE TEST ON THAT.
IT DOES APPEAR THAT HAS MUCH OF THE HALLMARKS OF A OF A STATEWIDE SHELTER ORDER OF SOME KIND, ALTHOUGH IT DOESN'T HAVE A NAME IN IT.
WE HAVE STAFF AND BOTH HERE AND OUT OF TOWN WORKING TO ANALYZE IT AND PREPARE US A SUMMARY. IT DOES, HOWEVER, ANY ANYTHING THAT'S MORE RESTRICTIVE IN WHAT THE GOVERNOR'S PUTTING OUT WILL SUPERSEDE ANYTHING THAT WE HAVE DONE, ANYTHING THAT IS LESS RESTRICTIVE THAN WHAT WE'VE DONE. WE HAVE DONE OUR ORDER STILL STAY IN PLACE.
THAT BRINGS UP A REALLY GOOD POINT THAT I JUST WANT TO PAUSE FOR A MINUTE AND TALK ABOUT WHEN WE PEOPLE WHO LIVE IN AMARILLO LIVE IN MULTIPLE JURISDICTIONS.
THEY EITHER LIVE IN POTTER COUNTY OR RANDALL COUNTY.
THEY EITHER ARE IN THE SCHOOL DISTRICT FOR AMARILLO OR RIVER ROAD, HIGHLAND PARK BUSHLAND OR CANYON.
THEY'RE YOU KNOW, EITHER A RESIDENT OF THE CITY OF AMARILLO OR A RESIDENT OF THE CITY OF CANYON OR THEY LIVE OUTSIDE THE CITY JURISDICTION.
AND SO BECAUSE WE'RE SO REGIONAL, WE'VE HAD GREAT COOPERATION FROM OUR REGIONAL PARTNERS.
AND I KNOW AS A TEAM, WE'VE TRIED VERY HARD TO HAVE EVERYONE'S VOICE AT THE TABLE IN MAKING THESE CONVERSATIONS, WHICH TAKES A LOT OF WORK BECAUSE THEY'RE CHANGING EVERY DAY.
AND SO EVERY DAY THAT MEANS THAT TEAM CIRCLES BACK, GOES UP AND TRIES TO LOOK AT THE INFORMATION CURRENTLY IN FRONT OF THEM TO MAKE DECISIONS AND TRY TO BE IN COMMUNICATION.
WHEN WE ISSUED THE STAY IN PLACE ORDER YESTERDAY, AT THE SAME TIME, DR.
MILTON ISSUED AN ORDER UNDER HIS AUTHORITY AS THE PUBLIC HEALTH DIRECTOR TO SHELTER IN PLACE IN THE BY COUNTY HEALTH DISTRICT.
WHAT IT HOW WHAT ARE THE BOUNDARIES OF THE BI COUNTY HEALTH DISTRICT? THE BOUNDARIES OF THE BI COUNTY HEALTH DISTRICT ARE BOTH.
ARE YOU ASKING ME, MAYOR? I'M SORRY, I'M JUST JUMPING.
BRYAN MAY CHUCKLE. CASIE MAY CHIME IN, BUT LET'S HAVE A CONVERSATION FOR A MINUTE.
ANYBODY THAT STUCK WITH US THIS LONG MIGHT BE CURIOUS AND UNDERSTANDING THERE'S MULTIPLE ORDERS OUT THERE.
AND I WANT TO JUST TAKE A MINUTE AND DOVE INTO IT TO EDUCATE AND WALK THROUGH THAT PROCESS. THANK YOU.
THE BI COUNTY HEALTH DISTRICT COVERS BOTH POTTER COUNTY AND RANDALL COUNTY IN ALL JURISDICTIONS INSIDE THOSE TWO COUNTIES.
ALL OF OUR JURISDICTIONAL PARTNERS LEAVE, HAVE REPRESENTATIVES ON THE BOARD OF THE DISTRICT. ALTHOUGH THE DISTRICT ITSELF IS AN OPERATIONAL COMPONENT OF THE CITY OF AMARILLO. SO DOES THAT MEAN THAT WHAT DR MILTON SAYS AS THE HEAD OF THE BI COUNTY HEALTH DISTRICT? THAT IT WOULD SUPERSEDE WHAT THE CITY OF AMARILLO LIKE WE'RE ABOUT TO VOTE ON A STAY IN PLACE LATER ON IN OUR IN OUR AGENDA.
DOES THAT SUPERSEDE THAT? IF WE HAD VOTED IT DOWN.
THE AUTHORITY THAT THE HEALTH DIRECTOR USES TO MAKE THEIR ORDERS IS DIFFERENT THAN THE AUTHORITY THAT THE MAYOR OR THE CITY COUNCIL USES.
THE MAYOR USES TO MAKE OR CITY COUNCIL USED TO EXTEND A ORDER ASSOCIATED WITH A DECLARATION OF DISASTER.
SO IN MOST CASES, IT WOULDN'T SUPERSEDE, IT WOULD JUST STAY IN PLACE.
SO I THE HEALTH ORDER MAKES A A MORE RESTRICTIVE ORDER THAN WHAT THE CITY HAS ALREADY DONE IN THE AREAS WHERE THEY'RE SPEAKING TO THE SAME TOPIC, THE HEALTH ORDER WILL TAKE PRECEDENCE. OK.
THAT'S WHAT I WAS LOOKING FOR. SO IT DOES TAKE PRECEDENCE IF THE OTHER ORDERS ARE OF A LESSER VALUE. YES.
NOW I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT ALL OF MY TEAM IS IS JUMPING IN IF THE IF THEY HAVE
[01:40:04]
CLARIFYING INFORMATION ON WHAT I'VE SAID.I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE PROVIDING TO COUNCIL AND EVEN [INAUDIBLE] IS ACCURATE.
SO BUT YOU KNOW, EVERYTHING I'VE SAID SO FAR IS ACCURATE, BUT WE MIGHT HAVE MORE ILLUMINATION THAT WE CAN PROVIDE.
NO, GO AHEAD, JARED. DO YOU HAVE MORE? JUST CAUSE I WAS FAILING THAT MAYOR. YES. I WANT TO CLARIFY THAT THE CITY COUNCIL FOR AMARILLO HAS AUTHORITY OVER THE BOUNDARIES OF THE CITY OF AMARILLO.
SOME OF THAT'S IN POTTER COUNTY.
SOME OF THAT'S IN RANDALL COUNTY.
DR. MILTON HAS AUTHORITY OVER BOTH COUNTIES.
OUR AUTHORITY COMES FROM DIFFERENT PLACES.
THE CITY HAS AUTHORITY TO DECLARE A DECLARATION OF DISASTER.
AND BRYAN, I DON'T HAVE THAT STATUTE NUMBER IN MY HEAD, BUT IT'S LOCAL GOVERNMENT CODE 4118 YOU KNOW IT.
IT'S ACTUALLY 418 OF THE GOVERNMENT CODE.
OK, SO SECTION 418 OF THE GOVERNMENT CODE GIVES THE CITY THE AUTHORITY TO DECLARE TO DECLARE A STATE OF EMERGENCY OR A DISASTER DECLARATION.
AND THAT'S WHERE THE AUTHORITY FOR US INSIDE THE BOUNDARY OF THE CITY LIMITS OF AMARILLO WE HAVE THE AUTHORITY TO DECLARE AN EMERGENCY.
CORRECT. THE HEALTH DIRECTORS AUTHORITY COMES FROM A DIFFERENT STATUTE.
CHAPTER 81 OF WHAT CODE, BRYAN? THAT'S THE HEALTH AND SAFETY CODE.
DR. MILTON'S AUTHORITY COMES FROM A DIFFERENT LAW THAN THE CITY'S AUTHORITY.
AND SO WHEN THE CITY ISSUED ITS ORDER, IT ISSUES THE ORDER UNDER THE SECTION THAT IT HAS AND THAT COMES WITH THE PENALTIES AND EVERYTHING LISTED IN THAT LAW.
AND SO I'VE HAD SOME PEOPLE SAY, WELL, THE THE PENALTIES LISTED DON'T MATCH AND THE TWO ORDERS BETWEEN DR.
MILTON AND THE CITY OF AMARILLO.
AND THAT'S BECAUSE IT'S TWO SEPARATE STATUTES THAT GIVE THEM THE AUTHORITY TO ISSUE THOSE ORDERS. AND THAT'S ALSO WHY THE ORDERS DON'T MATCH.
EXACTLY, BECAUSE THERE ARE SOME NUANCES BETWEEN THE DIFFERENCES OF THE STATUTES ABOUT WHAT DR. MILTON CAN ORDER.
IT'S VERY, VERY, VERY HEALTH SPECIFIC.
BUT THE CITY AUTHORITY COMES FROM REALLY ANY DISASTER SITUATION.
SOME MIGHT BE HEALTH SPECIFIC THAT SOME MIGHT BE WEATHER RELATED OR FIRE RELATED.
SO YOU CAN UNDERSTAND WHY THE STATUTES HAVE DIFFERENT LANGUAGES AND THAT THAT'S AN EXPLANATION AS TO WHY THE ORDERS ARE A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT, BECAUSE THE AUTHORITY TO ISSUE THOSE ORDERS COMES FROM TWO DIFFERENT STATUTES.
THAT'S AN EXCELLENT EXPLANATION.
SO I ALSO WANT TO CLARIFY THAT WHAT THE COUNCIL IS GOING TO CONSIDER TODAY COMES FROM OUR AUTHORITY IN THE GOVERNMENT CODE SECTION 418.
COUNCIL STILL DOES NOT HAVE ANY ROLE, AUTHORITY OR CONTROL OVER WHAT DR.
MILTON IS DOING. HE'S DOING HIS JOB AS THE PUBLIC HEALTH AUTHORITY AND HE'S THE ONLY ONE THAT DECIDES TO ISSUE THAT ORDER.
IS THAT CORRECT, BRYAN? THAT IS CORRECT. SO WE WON'T BE RATIFYING HIS ORDER.
HE DOESN'T NEED RATIFICATION FROM US.
HE'S BEEN VERY OPEN IN HIS COMMUNICATIONS, I FEEL LIKE, WITH THE CITY AND THE COUNTIES AND THE CITY OF CANYON.
BUT HE ACTS ALONE ON HIS AUTHORITY THAT THAT STATUTE GIVES HIM.
OK. SO JUST COUNCIL TO CLARIFY, THERE'S NOTHING FOR US TO RATIFY ABOUT THAT SECTION 81 ORDER AND THAT COVERS BOTH THE ENTIRE COUNTIES OF POTTER AND RANDALL COUNTY.
BUT THERE'S NO ACTION FOR US IN IT.
IF YOU SIT DOWN AND COMPARE HIS ORDER TO OUR ORDER, I'VE HAD SOME PEOPLE COMMENT THAT THEY THINK THE CITY OF AMARILLO'S ORDER IS ACTUALLY MORE RESTRICTIVE.
AND AGAIN, THE EXPLANATION FOR THAT IS IT'S WHAT WE HAVE AUTHORITY TO DO IN OUR STATUTES VERSUS WHAT HE HAS AUTHORITY TO DO IN HIS STATUTE.
AND WHILE WE'VE BEEN COMMUNICATING BACK AND FORTH WITH HIM, HE'S MADE THE DECISION TO ISSUE IN HIS ORDER WHAT HE FELT LIKE HE NEEDED TO DO.
AND WE'VE MADE THE DECISION TO PUT IN OUR CITY ORDER WHAT WE FELT LIKE WE NEEDED TO DO.
THOSE HAVE BEEN COMMUNICATED, BUT HE'S BEEN COMPLETELY INDEPENDENT AND DECIDING WHAT HE WANTED TO PUT IN HIS ORDER.
IS THAT CORRECT? THAT IS CORRECT.
MAYOR, I THINK JUST FOR EVERYONE'S AWARENESS, WE KIND OF REFER TO THE AMARILLO AREA PUBLIC
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HEALTH DISTRICT AND THE CITY OF AMARILLO PUBLIC HEALTH DEPARTMENT AND PUBLIC HEALTH IN GENERAL, ALL THOSE TERMS KIND OF GET CONFLAGRATED.BUT FOR THE PURPOSE OF THE CITY OF AMARILLO PUBLIC HEALTH DEPARTMENT IS WHERE WE'RE SENDING THEM, WHERE THEY'RE CALLING.
WHAT WHAT DR. MILTON REPRESENTS AND LEADS IS THE AMARILLO AREA PUBLIC HEALTH DISTRICT, AND THAT'S OUR TWO COUNTY AREA, OUR BI-COUNTY AREA, BI-COUNTY HEALTH DISTRICT.
SO MANY DIFFERENT TERMS AROUND THOSE FUNCTIONS.
IT REALLY DOESN'T, IT'S NOT A CLARIFICATION SO MUCH AS IT IS JUST WANTED TO TO THROW THAT OUT, SO RECOGNIZING THAT EVERYBODY WHEN THEY SAY PUBLIC HEALTH, MANY TIMES THEY'RE MEANING KIND OF ALL THAT TOGETHER, BUT THEY ARE DIFFERENT ENTITIES.
GREAT CLARIFICATION, BRYAN, BECAUSE THE DOCTORS ORDER DOES COVER OUR CITY.
WE COULD NOT TAKE ACTION TO UNDO HIS ORDER.
IS THAT CORRECT? THAT IS CORRECT.
BUT WE CAN TAKE ACTION TO ENHANCE AND GO FURTHER IF WE FEEL LIKE FURTHER RESTRICTIONS WERE NEEDED INSIDE OUR CITY LIMITS.
AND I DO THINK THAT OUR ORDER DID THAT.
AND WE'RE JUST TRYING TO MAKE OUR CITIZENS INSIDE OUR CITY LIMITS AS SAFE AS POSSIBLE.
SO, COUNCIL, THERE'S SOME NUANCE IN THERE THAT YOU MAY HAVE QUESTIONS ABOUT.
DR. MILTON HAD A SEPARATE ORDER.
THE CITY OF AMARILLO'S ORDER IS BEFORE YOU TODAY FOR CONSIDERATION.
POTTER COUNTY HAD A SEPARATE ORDER.
THE CITY OF CANYON HAD A SEPARATE ORDER.
AND SO OBVIOUSLY POTTER COUNTY IS MAKING THEIR OWN DECISION.
WHILE WE'VE ASKED THEM AS A PARTNER TO COMMUNICATE WITH US AND THEY HAVE HAD THE SAME MEDICAL DATA PRESENTED TO THEM THAT YOU'RE GETTING PRESENTED TO YOU TODAY, THEY'RE A STANDALONE ENTITY AND THEY'RE GOING TO MAKE THEIR OWN DECISION.
CITY OF CANYON, WE'VE BEEN WORKING VERY HARD TO COMMUNICATE WITH THEM.
AND I CAN'T SAY ENOUGH ABOUT THE LEADERSHIP OF MAYOR HINDERS AND WHAT A GREAT RESOURCE HE'S BEEN FOR ME TO BOUNCE IDEAS AND TO DIALOG BACK AND FORTH.
WE TALK ALMOST DAILY SINCE ALL OF THIS HAPPENED.
SO I APPRECIATE HIS LEADERSHIP, BUT THE CITY OF CANYON IS MAKING DECISIONS FOR THEMSELVES ABOUT THEIR RESIDENTS.
AND THE SAME THING FOR RANDALL COUNTY, THEY'RE INDEPENDENT OF US.
AND SO I JUST WANTED TO LAY THAT FRAMEWORK OUT FOR A CITIZEN WHO MIGHT BE WONDERING WHY DO WE HAVE ALL THESE DIFFERENT ORDERS AND HOW DO THEY TOUCH EACH OTHER AND WHOSE ORDER TRUMPS? THOSE ARE CONFUSING QUESTIONS.
SO I THINK, BRYAN, YOU ANSWERED THAT DR.
MILTON'S ORDERS COVERS EVERYONE.
AND WHILE WE CAN'T BACK OUT OF THIS ORDER WITHIN THE CITY LIMITS, IF WE AS A COUNCIL FEEL LIKE WE NEED TO GO FURTHER, WE CAN DO THAT.
AND THAT'S WHAT YOU'LL BE TALKING ABOUT AND VOTING ON TODAY.
MARY, YOU MIGHT JUST CLARIFY ALSO WHY SOME OF THE DATES WERE DIFFERENT OF JUST WHERE YOUR ABILITY TO MAKE A DECLARATION GOES FOR A WEEK AND THEN WHAT WE ARE ACTUALLY VOTING ON TODAY, HOW THAT EXTENDS, WHEN THEY'RE RENEWED, THINGS LIKE THAT.
THE MAYOR HAS AUTHORITY TO ISSUE A EMERGENCY DECLARATION FOR A WEEK AND THEN IT WILL TERMINATE AFTER SEVEN DAYS UNLESS THE CITY COUNCIL HAS RATIFIED IT.
SO WHEN WE ISSUED THAT YESTERDAY, IT'S CONFUSING.
WE TRIED TO SAY THAT OVER AND OVER AGAIN, BUT THE ONE PAGER SUMMARY THAT COMMUNICATIONS WAS ISSUING NEEDED REALLY TO TELL PEOPLE OUR EXPECTATION WITHOUT PRESUMING ON HOW COUNCIL WOULD VOTE ABOUT IT. BUT OUR EXPECTATION WOULD BE THAT IT WOULD LAST TWO WEEKS.
SO WE KIND OF HIT A PINCH POINT IN HOW WE COMMUNICATE TO CITIZENS THAT IT'S STARTING AT MIDNIGHT, BUT BASICALLY, TWELVE HOURS LATER HERE, THE COUNCIL WOULD BE CONSIDERING IT.
AND IF THE COUNCIL RATIFIED IT, IT WOULD LAST FOR TWO WEEKS.
SO THEY'VE GOT TO BE JUST HARD TO COMMUNICATE ALL OF THAT IN THE SUMMARY TO CITIZENS.
AND SO WE MADE THE CALL TO JUST LIST IT AS A TWO WEEK ORDER THINKING THAT THAT WAS LESS CONFUSING TO CITIZENS ON THE TIME FRAME.
BUT THAT TWO WEEK TIME PERIOD IS ABSOLUTELY SUBJECT TO HOW THE COUNCIL VOTES TO RATIFY OR NOT RATIFY THAT ORDER TODAY.
REMEMBER THAT UNDER 418 A MAYOR OF A MUNICIPALITY HAS ALL THE POWERS OF THE GOVERNOR.
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THUS, JUST LIKE THE GOVERNOR CAN EXTEND, THEY CAN MAKE A DISASTER DECLARATION FOR FIFTEEN DAYS, 20 DAYS, HOWEVER LONG WITHIN THE BOUNDS OF A 30 DAY WINDOW.YOU MADE THAT WITHIN A TWO AND ONE DAY WINDOW, WHICH HAS BEEN RATIFIED WITHIN SEVEN DAYS BY THE CITY COUNCIL.
AND SO WHAT YOU SAID AT THE END IS ABSOLUTELY TRUE.
THE CITY COUNCIL COULD CERTAINLY MODIFY THAT IF THEY WISHED, BUT YOU HAVE THE POWER TO MAKE THAT A TWO WEEK PROCESS IF YOU WANT, SUBJECT TO THE RATIFICATION OF CITY COUNCIL.
SO DOES THE CLOCK START TICKING WHEN WE RATIFY IT OR AT 11:59 OR MIDNIGHT TUESDAY MORNING? IT'S AS IT IS RIGHT NOW.
IF YOU WERE TO JUST RATIFY AND CONFIRM, CONTINUE, THAT'S REALLY THE BETTER WORD, CONTINUE THE DECLARATION, THEN THAT'S WHAT IT IS, A CONTINUANCE.
AND THUS, THE CLOCK STARTED WHEN MAYOR NELSON FILED THE DECLARATION.
TWO WEEKS FROM YESTERDAY MORNING, IT WAS SIGNED YESTERDAY MORNING.
YOU SIGNED THE DECLARATION, MAYOR? THAT IS CORRECT. OK.
AND I SIGNED IT YESTERDAY MORNING.
THERE WERE DRAFTS OF IT GOING AROUND AS EARLY AS SATURDAY, EARLY AFTERNOON.
AND WE DID TRY TO COMMUNICATE THAT, ALLOW SOME OF OUR PARTNERS, RANDALL COUNTY, POTTER COUNTY, CITY OF CANYON, TO SEE THOSE DRAFTS.
OUR CITY'S NEVER BEEN THROUGH A CRISIS LIKE THIS.
AND SO CERTAINLY IT WAS SOMETHING WE WANTED ALL OF THEIR INPUT ON.
AND I HAD MULTIPLE CONVERSATIONS OVER THE WEEKEND WITH MAYOR HINDERS, JUDGE TANNER, JUDGE HOUDASHELL. THEN WE ALL HAD A MEETING ON SUNDAY AFTERNOON WHERE EACH ONE OF THOSE LEADERS WAS ABLE TO EXPRESS CONCERNS, QUESTIONS, INPUT ONTO THE DRAFT OF OUR ORDER.
AND AS A RESULT OF THAT MEETING, OUR DRAFT DID CHANGE EVEN ON SUNDAY NIGHT.
JUST LISTENING TO THOSE LEADERS INPUT AND WANTING TO ADJUST TO ANY CONCERNS THAT THEY HAD BECAUSE THE ORDER WOULD AFFECT MANY OF THEIR CITIZENS AS WELL.
YOU KNOW, WE HAVE, AGAIN, MULTIPLE GENERATIONS OF JURISDICTIONS.
SO, YOU KNOW, MANY OF JUDGE TANNER'S CITIZENS ARE ALSO OUR CITIZENS.
SO WE WANTED THEIR INPUT ON IT AND WORKED VERY HARD TO CREATE A ROUNDTABLE WHERE ALL OF THEIR IDEAS COULD BE HEARD, THEIR CONCERNS HEARD, AND ACTUALLY LEFT THAT MEETING AND MADE CHANGES BASED ON THE INPUT THAT WE HEARD FROM THEM.
MAYOR, JUST TO JUMP IN ON THE ONGOING ANALYSIS OF WHAT'S COMING OUT FROM AUSTIN.
LITERALLY RIGHT NOW WE ARE EVALUATING IT AS AS THE MEETING GOES, AND WE WILL HAVE MUCH MORE GUIDANCE OR AT LEAST CLARIFICATION FOR YOU AND EVERYONE ELSE.
THE GOVERNOR HAS PUT OUT AN AMENDED ORDER.
IT DOES ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO STAY HOME WHERE POSSIBLE.
IT DOES FOCUS ON ESSENTIAL SERVICES AS CONTINUING AND IT DOES SUPERSEDE WHERE CONFLICTS EXIST ANY OTHER ORDER.
SO IF ANY COUNTY OR CITY HAD PUT OUT ANY ORDERS WHERE THERE ARE CONFLICTS, THIS ORDER SUPERSEDES IT. SO WE ARE EVALUATING IT.
I THINK IT'S A LITTLE PREMATURE TO SAY THAT WE HAVE A FULL UNDERSTANDING OF ANY AREA WHERE THERE MIGHT BE CONFLICTS.
I HAVE NOT SEEN ANY AREAS OF CONFLICT YET.
HOWEVER, WE WILL PUT THAT OUT.
I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT THE STATE IS PUTTING OUT AN EXPANSION OF THEIR PREVIOUS ORDER THAT DOES REPLACE THEIR PREVIOUS ORDER.
DEFINITELY SEEN ACROSS THE NATION, MANY CITIES DOING THIS AND WE'VE SAID ALL ALONG THAT WE WOULD MAKE A DECISION BASED ON COMMON SENSE AND REAL TIME DATA FOR OUR CITY.
WE'RE GOING TO HAVE A CHANCE TO DISCUSS THAT AND VOTE ON THIS ITEM AS WE MOVE DOWN THE AGENDA, BUT ANYTHING ELSE COUNCIL, QUESTIONS? WE'LL COME BACK IT. WE'VE GOT MORE QUESTIONS, BUT COUNCILWOMAN POWELL? YES, MAYOR. I'VE BEEN RECEIVING A LOT OF CONCERNS FROM CITIZENS WHO ARE STILL NOTICING, SUCH AS THERE'S A LARGE GATHERING IN REGARDS TO FUNERAL SERVICES, FUNERAL VISITATIONS.
[01:55:06]
SOME CHURCHES ARE STILL HAVING SERVICES.AND THEN ALSO IN THE AREA OF [INAUDIBLE] SALONS NEED TO NOT OPERATE TEMPORARILY.
SO SHOULD WE HAVE MR. CITY MANAGER SPEAK TO THAT OR MAYBE CASIE OF THE IMPORTANCE OF NOT HAVING MORE THAN 10 PEOPLE. AND I UNDERSTAND, YOU KNOW, IN THE FUNERAL INDUSTRY, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE A LOT OF FAMILIES THEY CARE ABOUT THEIR LOVED ONES.
AND, YOU KNOW, THEY WANT TO HAVE A FUNERAL SERVICE, BUT A LOT OF THE FUNERAL HOMES RIGHT NOW ARE POSTPONING THOSE SERVICES UNTIL A LATER DATE AND JUST FOCUSING ON GRAVE SITE SERVICES. MAYOR PRO TEM POWELL, I WILL TOUCH ON SOME OF THAT.
AND CASIE, CAN EXPAND AS APPROPRIATE AND WE HAVE A NUMBER OF OTHER TEAMMATE TEAM MEMBERS THAT MIGHT WANT TO EXPAND AS WELL.
THE I'VE HAD A NUMBER OF CONVERSATIONS WITH FUNERAL HOME OPERATORS WHO HAVE CALLED TO ASK, I HAVE A SERVICE COMING UP, WHAT CAN I DO? DO I HAVE TO CLOSE THAT SERVICE? CAN I STILL CONTINUE TO FUNCTION UNDER OUR ORDER AS IT WAS ISSUED YESTERDAY AND WILL BE CONSIDERED FOR AN EXTENSION TODAY? IT DOES NOT LIMIT BUSINESS ACTIVITY ONLY TO ESSENTIAL BUSINESSES.
IT ALSO INCLUDES BUSINESSES THAT CAN OPERATE IN A LOW RISK MANNER, AND A LOW RISK MANNER IS DEFINED AS LESS THAN 10 PEOPLE GATHERING TOGETHER.
ALL OF THOSE PEOPLE MAINTAINING A MINIMUM OF SIX FOOT SOCIAL DISTANCING, FREQUENT SANITATION OF ALL FREQUENT TOUCH SERVICES LIKE CARTS LIKE POINT OF PAY, AREAS LIKE A CASHIER STAND AND ALL DESK TABLES, ANYTHING THAT GETS TOUCHED FREQUENTLY.
AND ALSO ENHANCED HYGIENE FOR ALL OF THEIR EMPLOYEES.
IF THEY CAN MAINTAIN THAT, THEY CAN CONTINUE FORWARD.
AND WHAT I RECOMMENDED IN THE CASE OF THE FUNERAL HOME THAT I SPOKE WITH YESTERDAY WAS VIRTUAL SERVICES, VIRTUAL VISITATIONS, SOME WAY FOR PEOPLE TO BE ABLE TO GATHER ELECTRONICALLY AND VIRTUALLY LIKE WE ARE TODAY, WHERE THEY CAN COMMISERATE TOGETHER, BUT STILL NOT EXPOSE PEOPLE WHO WOULD COME TO THAT FUNERAL TO INFECTION.
WE KNOW IN JUST LIKE A CHURCH, THE INDIVIDUALS THAT GO TO FUNERALS VERY FREQUENTLY ARE PEOPLE WHO FALL INTO OUR HIGHER RISK CATEGORIES, I.E.
PEOPLE OVER 65 AND PEOPLE WITH DIMINISHED IMMUNE SYSTEMS. SO WE HAVE WORKED WITH THEM TO EDUCATE THEM ON THAT.
WE HAVE ALSO SPOKEN TO SOME BEAUTICIANS AND NAIL SALONS AND OTHER THINGS LIKE THAT.
SO WE'RE WORKING TO GET THAT INFORMATION OUT AS THOROUGHLY AS POSSIBLE.
BUT THERE WILL BE PEOPLE WHO DON'T HAVEN'T SEEN IT.
YOU KNOW, AS HARD AS THAT IS TO BELIEVE WITH HOW MUCH NEWS THERE IS OUT THERE RIGHT NOW, AND THERE WILL ALSO BE PEOPLE WHO WILL WORK TO CIRCUMVENT THAT GUIDANCE.
SO, MR. CITY MANAGER, THE INDIVIDUALS THAT I AM IN CONTACT WITH, I HAVE BEEN EMAILING THEM THE INFORMATION AND REFERRING THEM TO OUR WEBSITE SO THAT THEY CAN ACTUALLY READ THAT FOR THEMSELVES. CASIE, DO YOU HAVE ANYTHING TO ADD THAT? NO, I THINK YOU COVERED IT PERFECTLY.
THE GOAL IS TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE PROTECTING EVERYBODY THAT WOULD COME TO THAT FUNERAL SERVICE. JUST LIKE YOU SAID, THEY COULD BE AT A HIGH RISK CATEGORY, BUT THEN THEY COULD ALSO TAKE IT BACK TO THE LOVED ONES IF THEY'RE EXPOSED.
AND SO WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE ABLE TO ACCOMMODATE.
WE KNOW THAT THESE ARE HARD TIMES, THESE ARE SCARY THINGS, AND SO THEY'RE VERY DELICATE ANSWERS, BUT I THINK THAT'S A VERY GREAT WAY TO PUT IT.
WE'VE HAD SOME ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS FROM PLACES OF WORSHIP.
CAN I DO A BAPTISM? AND MY FEEDBACK TO THE MINISTER THAT I SPOKE WITH YESTERDAY WAS ABSOLUTELY DO THE BAPTISM. BUT YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE TO BE ABLE TO MAINTAIN ALL OF THE OTHER CHARACTERISTICS OF A LOW RISK BUSINESS, OR IN THIS CASE, NOT BUSINESS, BUT A LOW RISK OUTING.
SO YOU SEPARATE ALL OF YOUR ATTENDEES BY AT LEAST SIX FEET.
YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE TO ACCELERATE THAT PROCESS.
AND TYPICALLY THE WAY I UNDERSTAND BAPTISMS, THERE IS GOING TO BE SOMEBODY IN CLOSE PROXIMITY TO SOMEBODY ELSE.
THE GOVERNOR'S ORDER DOES SPEAK TO RELIGIOUS SERVICES, BUT IT'S YOU KNOW, AS I SAID, WE HAVE NOT YET HAD TIME TO BE ABLE TO FULLY ANALYZE AND DIGEST THAT.
SO WE'LL WE'LL PROVIDE MORE FEEDBACK ON THAT AS WE GO.
OUR ORDER DOES NOT SPEAK TO THAT BEYOND ENCOURAGING SOCIAL DISTANCING AND MAKING SURE
[02:00:03]
THAT EVERYTHING WE'RE DOING IS LOW RISK OR ESSENTIAL.JARED, I THINK YESTERDAY I SAW A SUMMARY SHEET, HAD A LITTLE BIT OF GRAPHIC ON IT, HELPING A BUSINESS OWNER DETERMINE WHETHER OR NOT THEY'RE LOW RISK.
YES. IS T HAT ON THE WEBSITE? IT IS IN A LITTLE DIFFERENT FORMAT ON THE WEBSITE NOW, BUT IT DOES VERY CLEARLY STATE WHAT IS LOW RISK AND WHAT IS NOT LOW RISK.
AND THE BUSINESS OWNER CAN MAKE ALL NECESSARY STEPS TO CONTINUE OPERATING.
FOR EXAMPLE, A CALLER I TALKED TO ANOTHER PERSON I SPOKE TO YESTERDAY.
THEY ARE A FAMILY OPERATED AUTO DETAILING BUSINESS.
HE SAYS WE HAVE A MASSIVE WAREHOUSE WHERE WE HAVE ONE PERSON WORKING ON ONE CAR AND THEY'RE SCATTERED AT LEAST 20 OR 30 FEET APART.
CAN I CONTINUE OPERATING? I SAID, YOU MAKE SURE THAT EACH ONE OF YOUR PEOPLE ARE USING ENHANCED HYGIENE MEASURES, THAT THEY'RE CLEANING ALL THEIR FREQUENTLY TOUCHED EQUIPMENT, THAT THEY'RE CLEANING ALL OF THEIR SHARED EQUIPMENT BECAUSE SOME EQUIPMENT AND TOOLS DOES GO FROM ONE CAR TO ANOTHER CAR.
THEY MUST MAKE SURE THAT THEY'RE ADDRESSING ALL OF THE LOW RISK BUSINESS CHARACTERISTICS THAT ARE LISTED RIGHT THERE ON THE SCREEN TO THE LEFT.
SO IT'S REALLY A DECISION THAT THEY CAN MAKE.
SO THEY GO THROUGH THIS DECISION MATRIX AND THEN THERE'S A QUESTION, YES OR NO? I'VE HAD SOME QUESTIONS ABOUT HOW WE PLAN TO ENFORCE THIS, AND I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT FOR US TO SAY THAT THE GOAL OF ENTERING INTO THIS AMENDED ORDER IS NOT TO ISSUE CITATIONS.
IT'S NOT TO ENTER INTO THE ENFORCEMENT PORTION OF THE ORDER.
IT'S TO INFORM PEOPLE AND TO ASK THEM TO TAKE IT SERIOUSLY.
WE'VE NEVER BEEN THROUGH A PANDEMIC LIKE THIS.
WE'VE NEVER HAD SOMETHING LIKE THIS AFFECT OUR COMMUNITY.
AND WE NEED PEOPLE TO UNDERSTAND HOW SERIOUS IT IS AND OUR AUTHORITY TO IMPOSE THIS EMERGENCY STATE OVER THE CITY LIMITS DOES COME WITH SOME PENALTIES, BUT I CANNOT IN MY MIND IMAGINE AMARILLO THAT YOU WOULD NOT COOPERATE ON BEHALF OF YOUR MEDICAL COMMUNITY THAT NEEDS TO STAY SAFE, ON BEHALF OF YOUR FRIENDS AND NEIGHBORS WHO MIGHT BE HIGH RISK IN THE HIGH RISK CATEGORY.
THERE'S NOTHING IN THE HEART OF PASSING THIS ORDER THAT'S ABOUT TRYING TO REMOVE PEOPLE'S FREEDOM FOR THE SAKE OF ENFORCING IT.
IT'S FOR THE SAKE OF INFORMING.
IT'S FOR THE SAKE OF KEEPING PEOPLE SAFE.
AND ULTIMATELY, I BELIEVE IT'S GOING TO SAVE LIVES AND WE'LL NEVER KNOW WHOSE LIFE WAS SAVED BY THIS, BUT AS A LEADER IN THE CITY, I KNOW IT'S GOING TO SAVE LIVES.
ABSOLUTELY. WE'RE ENCOURAGING COMPLIANCE, NOT FOCUSING ON THE OTHER SIDE OF IT.
CORRECT. MR. CITY MANAGER, IF NONPROFITS OR JUST VOLUNTEERS ARE ASKING THOSE SAME QUESTIONS, WHAT'S THE STRUCTURE, WHAT'S IT LOOK LIKE IF WE WANT TO GATHER SUPPLIES AND DELIVER THOSE TO PEOPLE WHO ARE UNABLE TO GET OUT OR CAN'T AFFORD THOSE PURCHASES RIGHT NOW OF SOME OF THE ESSENTIALS? THAT IS A GOOD LOCATION TO SEND THEM TO TO LOOK AT.
THEY WOULD TO ME BE A NON-ESSENTIAL, BUT HOW DO YOU OPERATE LOW RISK? AND THEN IF THEY STILL HAVE QUESTIONS, IF THEY GO TO THAT SPOT AND WE DIRECT THEM THERE AND THEY'RE STILL NOT QUITE SURE WHAT'S THE STEP BEYOND THAT? PEOPLE ARE TRYING TO COMPLY.
AND THEY WANT TO ASK AHEAD OF TIME.
AND SO WE'RE JUST TRYING TO CLARIFY WHAT IS THAT AVENUE OF COMMUNICATION? YOU IDENTIFIED ONE I WAS NOT FAMILIAR WITH.
AND SO THAT'S HELPFUL TO KNOW WHERE THAT IS ON THE WEBSITE.
IF THEY DON'T GET THEIR ANSWER BEYOND CALLING ONE OF US WHO GIVES THAT APPROVAL? IT'S NOT SO MUCH APPROVAL AS IT IS WE'RE PROVIDING INPUT AND FEEDBACK.
YOU KNOW, THEY HAVE SPECIFIC AND AND, YOU KNOW, A VARIETY OF QUESTIONS.
WE WANT TO PROVIDE THEM SOME INTERPRETATION ON HOW TO APPLY THAT GUIDANCE IN THEIR BUSINESS BECAUSE SOMETIMES IT'S A LITTLE DIFFERENT FROM ONE BUSINESS TO ANOTHER BUSINESS, YOU KNOW, LIKE TO THE DETAILING PLACE REALLY DOESN'T HAVE CUSTOMERS THERE.
SO WE DON'T HAVE A QUEUING QUESTION, YOU KNOW, SOME OF THEM ARE MAYBE KNICK-KNACKS, YOU KNOW, I DON'T KNOW. WE HAVEN'T MANY KNICKKNACK STORES IN TOWN, BUT, YOU KNOW, I MEAN, THEY MIGHT HAVE A FEW PEOPLE IN THE STORE WAITING IN LINE TO TO MAKE A TRANSACTION.
[02:05:05]
BUT AS FAR AS SEEKING CLARIFICATION FROM US, THE PRIMARY NUMBER ONE PLACE TO CALL IS THE COMMUNICATIONS DEPARTMENT.WE ARE ALSO FIELDING A LOT OF CALLS HERE IN THE CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE.
BOTH OF THOSE WE'RE HANDLING AS MANY CALLS AS WE CAN, PUBLIC HEALTH.
IF YOU HAVE A HEALTH RELATED QUESTION, UNDERSTANDING THOSE PERSONNEL ARE WORKING AND FOCUSED ON HELPING INDIVIDUALS WHO FEEL SICK AND WANT TO KNOW WHAT TO DO OR IF THEIR SYMPTOMS ARE ASSOCIATED WITH COVID-19 OR NOT.
AND WHAT STEPS THEY SHOULD TAKE IF THEY ARE SO WE CAN PROVIDE THAT HEALTH ASSISTANCE THROUGH PUBLIC HEALTH, BUT WE'RE FIELDING CALLS IN THE CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE AND ALSO IN THE COMMUNICATIONS DEPARTMENT, PRIMARY LOCATION BEING COMMUNICATIONS DEPARTMENT.
THE BEST WAY TO GET AN ANSWER WHERE YOU MIGHT NOT HAVE TO GET PUT ON HOLD OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT IS SEND US AN EMAIL THROUGH COMMUNICATIONS AND WE WILL GET A RESPONSE BACK TO THAT VERY QUICKLY.
WE'RE ALSO RESPONDING AS MUCH AS WE POSSIBLY CAN TO QUESTIONS ON FACEBOOK AND OTHER PLACES. HOWEVER, AS WAS DESCRIBED BY JORDAN EARLIER, WITH THE VOLUME OF QUESTIONS THAT WE'VE GOTTEN, OR COMMENTS IN SOME CASES, AND WE'RE NOT NECESSARILY RESPONDING TO A COMMENT BECAUSE SOMETIMES NOT REALLY REQUESTING INFORMATION, BUT MORE MAKING A STATEMENT OF OPINION. BUT WE'RE RESPONDING TO THOSE QUESTIONS AS MUCH WE CAN, BUT THEY'RE COMING IN SO FAST THAT IT MIGHT SCROLL DOWN TO THE POINT WHERE WE MISSED THAT ONE WHILE WE'RE ANSWERING ANOTHER QUESTION. SO THE VERY BEST WAY TO GET THAT ANSWER IS TO SEND US AN EMAIL AND WE WILL GET IT TO YOU RESPONDED TO AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE.
IF IT'S TIME SENSITIVE, OBVIOUSLY, GIVE US A CALL.
AND MANY TIMES WE GET TO EVERY SINGLE PERSON.
I'M NOT AWARE THAT WE'VE MISSED BEING ABLE TO ANSWER QUESTIONS THAT PEOPLE ACTUALLY HAVE.
IN MANY CASES, WE'VE GOTTEN COMMENTS WHERE PEOPLE JUST WANT TO SHARE THEIR THEIR OPINION.
AND THAT'S, YOU KNOW, WE WELCOME THAT.
HOWEVER, IT DOES TAKE AWAY FROM TIME THAT WE COULD SPEND ANSWERING SOMEONE'S QUESTION.
SO WE DO HAVE A NUMBER OF WAYS TO ADDRESS PEOPLE'S QUESTIONS.
AND I WOULD ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO SEND THE EMAIL TO THE COMMUNICATIONS DEPARTMENT.
WE HAVE THAT LISTED ON MOST OF THE PLACES WHERE WE HAVE GUIDANCE.
SO WE'LL MAKE SURE AND GET THAT OUT.
JORDAN, IF YOU CAN THROW OUT THAT EMAIL, I'M SORRY, I DON'T HAVE IT READY RECOLLECTION RIGHT NOW. IT'S PUBLICCOMMUNICATIONS@AMARILLO.GOV.
CORRECT. TO CLARIFY, JORDAN IT DOES HAVE AN S, COMMUNICATIONS IS PLURAL, RIGHT? YES, MA'AM, THAT'S CORRECT. THERE'S ALSO JUST A CONTACT LINK ON THE WEBSITE AS WELL, SO EITHER WAY IT'LL GET TO US. AND WE CHECK IT ROUTINELY SEVERAL TIMES A DAY.
YEAH. AND I SHOULD'VE KNOWN THAT THE MAYOR WOULD HAVE THAT READY RECALL.
AND THEN A DIFFERENT TOPIC, MR. CITY MANAGER, CAN YOU TELL US HOW WE ARE FUNCTIONING OUT AT RICK HUSBAND AIRPORT, BASED ON THE GOVERNORS RESTRICTIONS FROM TRAVELERS COMING FROM DIFFERENT STATES, CERTAIN CITIES. HOW ARE WE IMPLEMENTING ENFORCEMENT OF THAT? THE ENFORCEMENT OF THAT IS BEING HANDLED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY.
SO DPS OFFICERS ARE HANDLING ENFORCEMENT OF TRAVEL FROM THOSE LOCATIONS THAT ARE REQUIRING A 14 DAY QUARANTINE.
SO WE ARE FACILITATING THEIR EFFORTS.
THE AIRPORT IS STILL OPEN AND OPERATING, ALTHOUGH IT HAS EVERYONE IS SEEN WITH VIDEOS ON THE NEWS OF DIFFERENT AIRPORTS, THE NUMBER OF TRAVELERS GOING THROUGH ARE GREATLY DIMINISHED. BUT FROM AN ENFORCEMENT STANDPOINT, THAT'S BEING HANDLED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY, OR DPS OFFICERS.
ANYBODY ELSE HAVE A QUESTION ON THIS TOPIC BEFORE WE MOVE DOWN IN THE AGENDA? MAYOR? YES, SIR.
I KNOW WE HAVE A REVISED AGENDA, ITEM 3C DEALING WITH WHETHER TO RATIFY YOUR ORDER FROM YESTERDAY OR NOT, BUT I THINK MAYBE I'D SUGGEST WE MAY WE MIGHT CONSIDER IT NOW.
I DON'T WANT TO CUT OFF ANY DISCUSSIONS, THERE'S BEEN GOOD DISCUSSIONS, BUT WHY DON'T WE CONSIDER TAKING THAT OUT RIGHT NOW? I THINK THAT'S A GOOD SUGGESTION.
WOULD ANYONE HAVE A PROBLEM WITH MOVING UP ITEM 3C TO CONSIDER IT FOR A VOTE RIGHT NOW? NO, I'M SEEING SEEN HEADS SHAKE.
OK. I SEE YOU. OK, WITH THAT SUGGESTION THEN, LET'S GO AHEAD AND PICK UP ITEM 3C FOR
[C. CONSIDER RESOLUTION - CONFIRMING AND CONTINUING THE MAYOR'S FIRST AMENDED DECLARATION OF DISASTER: (Contact: Bryan McWilliams, City Attorney) This resolution confirms and continues the Mayor's Declaration of Disaster which was declared on March 30, 2020.]
CONSIDERATION. ANYONE ON COUNCIL NEED FURTHER INFORMATION OR QUESTIONS BEFORE WE HAVE A MOTION? MAYOR, I WOULD WANT TO CLARIFY AGAIN THAT THIS IS FOR A TWO WEEK TIME PERIOD.THAT IS ALL THAT WE ARE DISCUSSING RIGHT NOW.
[02:10:01]
AND SO TO GO BEYOND THAT, WITH THESE RESTRICTIONS THAT WE HAVE OUTLINED AND THE IDENTIFICATION OF ESSENTIAL VERSUS NONESSENTIAL, THAT WOULD HAVE TO BE REVISITED AFTER.CAN YOU REMIND ME THE DATE? IS THAT APRIL 14TH? YES MA'AM. OK.
SO THIS IS ONLY THROUGH APRIL 14.
AND JUST FOLLOWING UP ON A COUPLE OF COMMENTS THAT COUNCIL MEMBER SAUER MENTIONED EARLIER ON, JUST LIKE WITH REVISITING SOME OF THESE INDIVIDUAL SPECIFIC THINGS THAT I DO SUPPORT, BATTENING DOWN THE HATCHES FOR TWO WEEKS AND TRYING TO BE AS CAUTIOUS, AS PROACTIVE AS WE CAN. AND THEN I WOULD DEFINITELY BE LOOKING TO LOOSEN SOME OF THOSE.
AND SPECIFICALLY AN EXAMPLE IS THE TENNIS COURTS.
WHEN IT'S OUT IN THE PUBLIC LOOKING FOR OPPORTUNITIES LIKE THAT, LOOKING FOR OPPORTUNITIES WITH OUR NON-ESSENTIAL BUSINESSES THAT CAN FIGURE OUT THOSE LOW RISK WAYS OF OPERATION, GIVING THEM MORE FREEDOMS AND FLEXIBILITY CONSIDERING AT THAT TIME THE GOLF COURSES, IF WE WERE ABLE TO GO TO JUST STRICTLY WALKING AND NO CARTS.
USE WAS THIS TIME TO KIND OF BE RETHINKING, BUT THAT WE ARE DEBATING TODAY JUST THESE RESTRICTIONS FOR A TWO WEEK PERIOD.
THANK YOU. THANK YOU FOR THOSE THOUGHTS AND SHARING YOUR THINKING ON THAT.
COUNCILWOMAN POWELL, ANY THOUGHTS OR THINKING THAT YOU WANT TO SHARE WITH US? NO, NOT AT THE MOMENT, MAYOR.
SAUER? SO I'VE GOT TWO QUESTIONS, ONE OF THEM WOULD BE, DO WE HAVE ANY INFORMATION YET ON ITS THE GOVERNORS STATE OF TODAY, DOES IT AFFECT WHAT WE'RE DOING? AND THEN THE SECOND ONE IS JUST GOING TO BE I THINK THAT IT'S REAL IMPORTANT THAT, AS FAR AS I'M CONCERNED, IS THAT THE DRIVING FORCE IS GOING TO BE ARE WE AT THE POINT WHERE WE FEEL LIKE LINES ARE BEING TAKEN CARE OF? DO WE FEEL LIKE THAT WE HAVE REACHED A POINT THAT WE HAVE FLATTENED OUT THE CURVE? I'M GONNA BE REAL INTERESTED AT THAT POINT IN TIME FROM HEARING FROM CASIE AGAIN, POSSIBLY EVEN HEARING FROM DR.
MILTON HAS REALLY GOT A PRETTY BIG SAY IN WHAT GOES ON AS FAR AS SETTING THAT DIRECTION FROM THE BI-COUNTY HEALTH DISTRICT.
SO THOSE ARE SOME THINGS THAT I'M GOING TO WANT TO BE FOR SURE THAT WE HEAR FROM BEFORE WHENEVER IF WE MAKE THAT DECISION AT THE END OF THIS 14 DAYS.
AND SO I THINK THE BOTTOM LINE IS, IS I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE MAKING A SAFE PLACE FOR THE CITIZENS OF AMARILLO TO BE ABLE TO WALK OUT FROM UNDERNEATH THIS AND KNOW THAT WE'RE GOING TO HAVE IT FULLY UNDER CONTROL AND WE'RE NOT GOING TO BE WORRIED ABOUT SOMETHING SLAPPING US RIGHT BACK QUICKLY BECAUSE WE EXITED SOMETHING TOO QUICK.
GOOD THOUGHTS. EXCELLENT THOUGHT.
COUNCIL MEMBER SMITH, ANY THOUGHTS OR QUESTIONS? WELL, I'D LIKE TO SAY THIS WON'T BE THE END OF THE DISCUSSION.
BEFORE THIS TWO WEEKS IS UP IF THIS IS RATIFIED WE'LL HAVE MORE DISCUSSIONS WHETHER TO CONTINUE IT OR NOT.
I GUESS I WOULD LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION TO RATIFY THE MAYOR'S ORDER SHE MADE YESTERDAY.
SECOND. IT'S BEEN MOVED AND SECONDED TO EXTEND THE ORDER AS ENTERED YESTERDAY, THE FIRST AMENDED DECLARATION OF DISASTER FOR THE CITY OF AMARILLO.
I WANT TO MAKE JUST A FEW COMMENTS ABOUT IT BEFORE WE VOTE.
I DO THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT IT BE TWO WEEKS AND THAT IT BE LIMITED AS MUCH AS IT CAN BE LIMITED BOTH IN SCOPE AND LEAVING PEOPLE THE LIBERTIES THAT THEY CAN HAVE, ESPECIALLY THE LIBERTY TO OPERATE A BUSINESS AND TO SUPPORT YOUR FAMILY AND THE TIME LIMITATION.
[02:15:04]
BECAUSE WHAT WE WANT TO DO IS MAKE A MEASURED APPROACH TO THIS.WE DON'T WANT TO OVERREACT, BUT WE DON'T WANT TO WAIT TOO LATE TO REACT.
ALL OF THE DATA WE'RE SEEING IS THAT TIMING IS A VERY IMPORTANT PART OF THE EQUATION.
AND FORTUNATELY, WE'LL ONLY KNOW IF WE GOT THE TIMING RIGHT IF, YOU KNOW, SIX MONTHS FROM NOW, OUR CURVE IS FLAT AND WE SEE THAT WE NEVER EXCEEDED OUR HOSPITAL CAPACITY.
SO, AS ALWAYS, YOU WISH YOU HAD A LITTLE BIT OF A CRYSTAL BALL TO PREDICT THE TIMING, BUT WE'VE TRIED VERY HARD TO THREAD THE NEEDLE ON THE SCOPE OF LIMITING WHAT ACTIVITIES COULD BE DONE AND ALSO THE TIMEFRAME FOR IT.
SO AT THE END OF TWO WEEKS, I WOULD FULLY EXPECT THAT WE WOULD HAVE A CONVERSATION WITH DR. MILTON IN A COUNCIL SETTING ON WHETHER OR NOT WE NEEDED TO EXTEND IT, AND WE WOULD LOOK AT THE DATA PRESENTED IN OUR COMMUNITY AT THAT TIME.
IT WOULD BE A DATABASE DECISION WHICH THIS COUNCIL IS VERY GOOD AT DOING.
AND I WOULD PREDICT THAT'S HOW THAT WOULD PLAY OUT.
I DO THINK IT'S IMPORTANT FOR DR.
MILTON TO BE HERE. SO WE'LL MAKE SURE THAT WE COORDINATE THAT WITH HIS SCHEDULE SO THAT Y'ALL CAN HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO ASK HIM QUESTIONS DIRECTLY.
OK. ANY FURTHER QUESTIONS, COMMENTS? YES, MAYOR. I AM IN FAVOR OF, YOU KNOW, EXTENDING THE DECLARATION FOR TWO WEEKS.
AND I JUST WANT TO REMIND COUNCIL WE THINK BACK TO THE CITY OF ST.
LOUIS WHEN THEY HAD THE FLU PANDEMIC, WHICH WAS THE 1918, AND YOU LOOK AT ALL OF THAT DATA IN THE WAY THAT CITY HANDLED IT.
I MEAN, THEY TOOK MEASURES EARLY ON.
I FEEL LIKE WE'RE REALLY, REALLY BEHIND.
I FEEL LIKE WE'RE ABOUT THREE MONTHS BEHIND.
BUT THEY STAYED THE COURSE, ND SO IN DOING SO, THEY STAYED THE COURSE, THEY WERE FIRM IN THE DECISIONS THAT THEY WERE MAKING, BUT THEY ALSO SAVED A LOT OF LIVES.
AND I THINK THAT'S REALLY WHAT WE'RE FOCUSED ON HERE.
I MEAN, I LOVE TO SOCIALIZE, AND IT'S REALLY, YOU KNOW, PUT A DAMPER, YOU KNOW, ON MY ACTIVITIES. BUT IF WE DON'T TAKE ACTION NOW AND, YOU KNOW, WE'VE GOT THE STAY HOME OR ORDER IN PLACE,AND SO WE NEED TO FOLLOW THAT.
AND I TOO WANT TO KEEP SEEING THE CASES THAT ARE BEING REPORTED, YOU KNOW, HOW MANY TESTS ARE WE DOING? BECAUSE I FEEL LIKE WITHIN THE NEXT TWO WEEKS, THOSE NUMBERS MAY GO UP.
AND IF THEY DON'T GO UP, I DON'T THINK THAT WE SHOULD.
MAKE A HASTY DECISION, AND I KNOW THAT WE AS A COUNCIL WILL NOT DO THAT WITHOUT THE FACTS AND DATA FROM OUR MEDICAL COMMUNITY.
ONE OTHER COMMENT I'D MAKE IS I GUESS I MADE THE MOTION BECAUSE WE'VE GOT A PROBLEM.
AND THINGS THAT I'D LIKE TO DO.
I WON'T BE ABLE TO DO, BUT IT'S JUST PART OF IT.
WE'VE GOT TO ATTACK THE PROBLEM AND SEE IF YOU CAN'T GET IT SOLVED.
WE WILL ADDRESS AFTER TWO WEEKS LATER.
THAT'S TRUE. I THINK EVERY ONE OF US WISHES WE COULD PUSH A BUTTON AND GO BACK TO LIFE AS WE HAD IT BEFORE COVID-19, BUT THAT'S NOT THE SITUATION THAT WE'RE IN.
WE WILL NEVER GO BACK TO A NORMAL LIFE.
IT'LL BE A DIFFERENT KIND OF NORMAL GOING FORWARD.
BECAUSE IN MY OPINION, WE CAN'T GO BACK TO BE A NORMAL.
NO. JARED DID YOU YOU HAVE A COMMENT? YES, MA'AM. I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT AS WE DO THIS, WE'RE PLANNING TO KEEP IT IN PLACE FOR TWO WEEKS. I UNDERSTAND THAT THERE IS THE POSSIBILITY THAT IF WE NEED TO MODIFY OUR ORDER TO ACCOMMODATE ANY AREAS WHERE OUR ORDER IS SUPERSEDED BY THE GOVERNOR'S ORDER AND I HAVE NOT EVALUATED THIS, BUT FOR EXAMPLE, IF THE GOVERNOR'S ORDER FOCUSES ON ESSENTIAL
[02:20:02]
SERVICES ONLY AND DOES NOT PROVIDE AN ALLOWANCE FOR LOW RISK OPERATIONS THAT ARE NOT CLASSIFIED AS ESSENTIAL SERVICES, WE WOULD PREPARE MODIFICATIONS FOR THAT ORDER OF THAT ORDER THAT YOU WOULD APPROVE AND THEN WOULD BE RECONSIDERED BY COUNCIL FOR EXTENSION NEXT TUESDAY. BUT I DON'T KNOW THAT THAT'S GONNA BE THE CASE.I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THROUGH OUT THERE THAT THE GOVERNOR HAS MADE ANOTHER ORDER DURING OUR MEETING, AND AS WE FULLY EVALUATE THAT FOR CONSISTENCY, FOR OUR ORDER, FOR CONSISTENCY WITH THE GOVERNOR'S ORDER THERE COULD BE MODIFICATIONS TO ORDER BASED ON THAT. BUT AT THIS POINT, IT'S PREMATURE FOR US TO MAKE CHANGES TO WHAT WE HAVE IN FRONT OF US. SO I RECOMMEND WE MOVE FORWARD WHAT WE HAVE AND THEN WE MAKE ADJUSTMENTS AS APPROPRIATE AFTER WE'VE HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO EVALUATE THE GOVERNOR'S ORDER RELATIVE TO OUR ORDER.
WE HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND TO EXTEND THE FIRST AMENDED DECLARATION OF DISASTER THAT WAS SIGNED YESTERDAY.
ARE WE READY TO VOTE ON THAT? READY FOR THE QUESTION, MAYOR. OK.
WHAT I'D LIKE FOR YOU GUYS TO DO IS IN ADDITION TO THE VOTING VERBALLY, IF YOU WOULD ALSO JUST RAISE YOUR HAND SO THAT I CAN, THINK IT WILL HELP FRANCES.
IT WILL HELP ME TO SEE WHAT VOTES ARE BEING CAST, PLEASE.
SO ALL OF THOSE IN FAVOR OF THE MOTION TO EXTEND THE ORDER ISSUED YESTERDAY TO SHELTER IN PLACE PLEASE SAY AYE.
AYE. AND ANYONE OPPOSED? NO. SO THAT'S FIVE VOTES IN FAVOR OF THAT MOTION, FRANCES.
OK, MOVING ON TO AGENDA ITEM 1E, REQUESTING FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS AND REPORTS FROM THE CITY
[E. Request future agenda items and reports from City Manager.]
MANAGER. WE HAVE THE ONE ABOUT A SUMMARY OF THE CONGRESSIONAL SUPPORT AND AID PACKAGE, I HAVE A NOTE OF THAT AND ALSO THE NOTE ABOUT ADDING DR.ANYTHING OTHER THAN THOSE TWO? MAYOR, I WOULD LIKE TO ASK FOR AN UPDATE FROM DR.
WRUBEL ON JUST KIND OF OUR ANIMAL MANAGEMENT SERVICES, DURING, WHAT CHANGES, IF ANY, ARE HAPPENING WITH COVID, KIND OF AN UPDATE ON JUST HOW HOW OUR SHELTER IS ADAPTING, HOW PEOPLE STILL CAN ADOPT ANIMALS OUT THERE.
I'M SURE WE STILL HAVE ANIMALS THAT ARE THERE HOPING TO GET ADOPTED INTO HOMES.
AND SO IF WE COULD MAYBE HAVE A CONVERSATION ON THAT AND THEN MAYBE NOT FOR ONE WEEK, BUT TWO OUT TO IDENTIFY AT SOME POINT WHEN WE'RE GOING TO BEGIN SOME BUDGET DISCUSSIONS.
I KNOW BEFORE WE WOULD HAVE A LOT OF INFORMATION, WE'LL BE TWO MONTHS BEFORE WE WOULD KNOW WHAT OUR SALES TAX COLLECTIONS, WHAT THE IMPACT OF ALL THIS IS GOING TO BE.
WE GET THAT IT'S A LAG OF TWO FULL MONTHS, BUT I KNOW THAT CITY STAFF IS ALREADY LOOKING AT THAT, BEGINNING TO HAVE THOSE CONVERSATIONS, MAKE PROJECTIONS.
I DON'T WANT TO TO WAIT UNTIL THAT TWO MONTH PERIOD.
AND SO JUST A CONVERSATION OF WHEN WE CAN, WHAT AN APPROPRIATE TIME TO GET THAT ON THE AGENDA IS. SURE.
YEAH. THOSE CONVERSATIONS ARE HAPPENING, BUT I THINK IT WOULD BE A GOOD AGENDA ITEM JUST SO THAT WE AS COUNCIL WOULD HAVE FULL VISIBILITY ON HOW THEY'RE PROCESSING THAT AND SOME OF THE PRELIMINARY PLANS THAT THEY'RE DISCUSSING AND PUTTING IN PLACE.
THOSE ARE GOOD QUESTIONS. MAYOR, IN REGARDS TO WHAT COUNCIL MEMBER HAYS WAS SAYING IN RELATIONSHIP TO ANIMAL MANAGEMENT.
IF WE COULD ALSO HAVE STAFF DISCUSS THE PROCESS FOR PICKING UP STRAY ANIMALS DURING OUR COVID-19 CHALLENGES THAT WE'RE HAVING.
I THINK I'LL ALSO GET WITH THE CITY MANAGER ABOUT GETTING AN UPDATE FROM OUR CDBG TEAM.
THEY'RE WORKING SO HARD TO HELP FOLKS IN THE COMMUNITY THAT ARE EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS.
AND I WANT A CHANCE FOR THE COUNCIL TO BE INFORMED ABOUT THE WORK THAT'S HAPPENING THERE AND THE EXTRA WORK THAT THEY'RE DOING TO MEET THE NEEDS OF THAT PART OF OUR COMMUNITY DURING THIS TIME. MAYOR AND COUNCIL MEMBER HAYS AND POWELL, THE THESE UPDATES ARE ALL RELEVANT TO THE CORONAVIRUS UPDATE, SO WE WILL ROLL A NUMBER OF DEPARTMENTAL UPDATES INTO THE CORONA VIRUS UPDATE.
AS THESE THINGS STAND NOW, AND BECAUSE WE STILL HAVE THIS ITEM ON THE AGENDA, WE COULD SPEAK TO MANY OF THESE THINGS, BUT I THINK WE COULD SPEAK IN MORE DETAIL AND WITH A LITTLE MORE PREPARATION NEXT WEEK, IF THAT'S OK.
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BUT WE CAN SPEAK EXTEMPORANEOUSLY NOW ON MOST OF THESE THINGS.FOR EXAMPLE, I CAN SPEAK, GO AHEAD.
MR. CITY MANAGER I'M GOOD WITH NEXT WEEK.
OK. OK. [INAUDIBLE] FOR A TIME AND TO HAVE DR.
WRUBEL AVAILABLE, THINGS LIKE THAT.
I'M GOOD WITH POSTPONING THAT FOR A WEEK, BUT I APPRECIATE YOUR OFFER ON THAT.
ABSOLUTELY. AND JUST FOR EVERYONE'S PEACE OF MIND, WE'VE BEEN PUTTING AN EXTENSIVE AMOUNT OF CALORIES BEHIND MAKING SURE THAT WE HAVE ACTIVE AND AGGRESSIVE PLANS IN EACH ONE OF THESE AREAS TO MAKE SURE WE'RE DOING EVERYTHING WE POSSIBLY CAN.
AND SOME OF THEM ARE VERY CHALLENGING.
REALLY, QUITE FRANKLY, ALL OF THEM ARE VERY CHALLENGING, BUT WE HAVE DONE A LOT OF WORK ON EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THESE. SO WE'LL HAVE A LOT TO REPORT ON ALL THREE OF THESE ITEMS WHEN WE GET TO NEXT WEEK. SOUNDS GOOD.
THANK YOU. THANK YOU. YES MA'AM.
[2. CONSENT ITEMS]
OK. AT THIS TIME, LET'S MOVE TO AGENDA ITEM NUMBER TWO, THE CONSENT AGENDA.ANYTHING THERE, COUNCIL, THAT NEEDS TO COME OFF FOR FURTHER QUESTIONS OR DISCUSSION? HEARING NOTHING I'D ENTERTAIN A MOTION.
MAYOR, I MOVE TO APPROVE THE CONSENT AGENDA AS PRESENTED.
MOVED BY COUNCIL MEMBER POWELL AND SECONDED BY COUNCIL MEMBER HAYS JUST FOR THE ITEMS ON THE CONSENT AGENDA.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND AND SAY AYE.
AYE. THAT PASSES WITH THE 5-0 VOTE.
[A. CONSIDER RESOLUTION - DISCUSSION AND CONSIDERATION OF A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY OF AMARILLO. TEXAS POSTPONING THE BOND ELECTION CALLED FOR MAY 2. 2020. UNTIL NOVEMBER 3, 2020: (Contact: Bryan McWilliams, City Attorney) This resolution allows for the postponement the City bond election set for May 2, 2020 pursuant to Governor Greg Abbott issued a proclamation on March 18, 2020 and Election Advisory No. 2020-12 authorizing political subdivisions that would otherwise hold elections on May 2, 2020 to move their general or special elections to November 3, 2020 due to public health and safety concerns related to the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak.]
MOVING ON TO ITEM 3A, NON-CONSENT IS TO DISCUSS AND CONSIDER RESOLUTION FOR POSTPONING THE BOND ELECTION CALLED MAY 2ND TO 2020 UNTIL NOVEMBER 3RD 2020.MAYOR, WE DISCUSS THIS AT SOME LENGTH LAST WEEK DURING OUR DISCUSSION SECTION WHERE WE GOT THE COUNCIL'S INPUT ON WHAT DIRECTION THEY WOULD LIKE TO GO BECAUSE WE ARE PROVIDED SOME OPTIONS BY THE GOVERNOR'S INITIAL ORDER, WHICH ALLOWS US TO DO ONE OF THREE THINGS.
WE CAN CONTINUE FORWARD WITH THE ELECTION.
WE CAN POSTPONE THE ELECTION TO NOVEMBER OR WE CAN CANCEL THE ELECTION.
AND WHEN I SAY POSTPONE TO NOVEMBER, I MEAN NOVEMBER OF 2020.
THE GUIDANCE THAT WE RECEIVED DURING THAT MEETING, BECAUSE IF WE FELT IT WOULD BE A CHALLENGE GIVEN THE WAY THE CORONAVIRUS WAS DEVELOPING AT THAT TIME TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THE ELECTION IN MAY, BECAUSE MOST OF OUR ELECTION OUR POLL WORKERS FALL INTO HIGH RISK CATEGORIES AND OUR VOTERS, WE COULD EXPECT DEPRESSED VOTER TURNOUT BECAUSE OF CONCERNS ABOUT CORONAVIRUS. AND IT'S EVERYONE'S HIGHEST GOAL FOR AS MUCH TURNOUT AS POSSIBLE WHILE STILL BEING AS FINANCIALLY RESPONSIBLE AS POSSIBLE.
THAT'S WHY IT WAS ORIGINALLY SCHEDULED IN MAY BASED ON THE IMPACTS ON TURNOUT AND ON THE AVAILABILITY OF POLL WORKERS BECAUSE OF THEIR CONCERNS.
AND ON THE CONCERNS OF VOTERS AND NOT KNOWING EXACTLY WHAT WAS GOING ON OR HOW THEY COULD BE SAFE WITH CORONAVIRUS.
YOUR GUIDANCE TO US OR WHAT WE HEARD WAS TO PREPARE A RESOLUTION THAT WOULD POSTPONE THE ELECTION UNTIL NOVEMBER 3RD 2020.
SO THAT'S WHAT YOU HAVE IN FRONT OF YOU IS A POSTPONEMENT OF THE ELECTION.
THIS DOES PRESERVE THE OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO, AT A LATER DATE, CONSIDER CANCELING THE ELECTION AND EITHER RECALLING THE ELECTION OR CONSIDERING AT A FUTURE TIME.
QUESTIONS COUNCIL? NO? OKAY, HEARING NO QUESTIONS, DO WE HAVE A MOTION ON THIS ITEM? YES, MAYOR, I MOVE TO APPROVE THE RESOLUTION OF THE CITY OF AMARILLO, TEXAS, FOR THE POSTPONEMENT OF THE CITY BOND ELECTIONS SET FOR MAY 2ND, 2020, PURSUANT TO GOVERNOR ABBOTT'S ISSUED PROCLAMATION ON MARCH 18TH, 2020.
AN ELECTION ADVISORY NUMBER 2020-12 TO MOVE THE ELECTION TO THE GENERAL ELECTION, WHICH IS NOVEMBER 3RD, 2020 DUE TO THE PUBLIC HEALTH AND SAFETY CONCERNS RELATED TO THE NOVEL CORONAVIRUS, COVID-19, OUTBREA.
MOVED BY COUNCIL MEMBER POWELL, SECOND BY COUNCIL MEMBER SAUER TO POSTPONE THE MAY 2ND 2020 ELECTION WITH REGARD TO OUR CIVIC CENTER BOND TO NOVEMBER 2020, THE SAME DATE FOR THE GENERAL ELECTION.
WE HAVE ANY DISCUSSION OR QUESTIONS, COUNCIL? ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF THE MOTION, PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND AND SAY AYE.
[B. CONSIDER APPROVAL - LOCATION INCENTIVE AGREEMENT - BETWEEN AMARILLO ECNOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION AND GOLDEN SPREAD ELECTRIC COOPERATIVE, INC.: (Contact: Kevin Carter, Director of Amarillo Economic Development Corporation) This item considers approving a Location Incentive Agreement (LIA) between Amarillo Economic Development Corporation and Golden Spread Electric Cooperative (GSEC). GSEC is changing the model of totally outsourcing their transmission function to an in-house function and adding the ability to offer distribution services to their members. The first five (5) jobs will be created in the first year with a ramp up of up to 10 more jobs over the next four years. The new jobs will have a salary range of $80k- $120k. Each job would be incentivized at the maximum of $20,000 paid out over a 5-year period. GSEC currently has a LIA that runs through 2022.]
ITEM 3B IS TO CONSIDER THE APPROVAL OF A LOCATION INCENTIVE AGREEMENT, WHICH IS BETWEEN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION AND GOLDEN SPREAD ELECTRIC CO-OP, MR. CITY MANAGER.WE'VE HEARD BRIEFINGS ON THIS ITEM IN BOTH EXECUTIVE SESSION AND PREVIOUSLY IN OPEN
[02:30:04]
SESSION. SO I BELIEVE WE HAVE KEVIN CARTER AMARILLO ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION TO PRESENT THE ITEM AND ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS THAT COUNCIL HAS.YES, SIR. MAYOR, CITY COUNCIL, I WOULD LIKE TO CONSIDER THE APPROVAL OF THIS LOCATION INCENTIVE AGREEMENT BETWEEN AEDC AND GOLDEN SPREAD ELECTRIC COOPERATIVE.
LET ME TELL YOU A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE PROJECT.
GOLDEN SPREAD CURRENTLY OUTSOURCES THEIR TRANSMISSION AND DISTRIBUTION FUNCTION.
NOT THE FISCAL FUNCTION, BUT THE COMPUTERIZED FUNCTION OF THOSE SERVICES.
AND THEY'RE WANT TO BRING THOSE TO AMARILLO.
THEY'RE CURRENTLY BEING OUTSOURCED, MOSTLY IN SAN ANTONIO AND ABILENE AREA.
THIS WOULD HELP THEM BRING THAT SERVICE IN-HOUSE IN AMARILLO.
THEY CURRENTLY ARE RENOVATING ONE OF THE FLOORS OF THE BUILDING THAT THEY HAVE.
AND SO THIS WOULD BRING UP TO 15 JOBS TO AMARILLO.
THOSE ARE REALLY WELL-PAID JOBS THAT THE SALARY RANGE OF THOSE JOBS ARE 80 TO $120,000 EACH. THE FIRST FIVE JOBS WOULD BE CREATED IN THE FIRST YEAR.
AND THE ADDITIONAL 10, THEY WOULD HAVE A FOUR YEAR RAMP UP PERIOD THERE.
AEDC WOULD THEN PAY THOSE 20 THOUSAND DOLLARS OVER A FIVE YEAR PERIOD UP TO THREE HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLAR INCENTIVE.
WE CURRENTLY HAVE A LOCATION INCENTIVE AGREEMENT WITH GOLDEN SPREAD.
IT WAS ORIGINALLY ISSUED ON MAY OF 2010 FOR 10 YEARS.
THAT AGREEMENT WAS AMENDED IN JANUARY OF 2013 TO GO THROUGH 2022.
THE ORIGINAL LOCATION INCENTIVE AGREEMENT HAS GOLDEN SPREAD SPENDING, A LOCAL SPEND OF TWELVE POINT SIX MILLION.
THAT WAS AMENDED IN 2013 TO HAVE A SIXTEEN POINT FOUR MILLION DOLLAR LOCAL SPEND.
RIGHT NOW THEY ARE CURRENTLY SPENDING IN EXCESS OF 20 MILLION DOLLARS A YEAR.
SO THEY'RE WELL ABOVE WHAT THAT SPENDING LEVEL IS.
AND SO THAT AGREEMENT, THE MAIN THING THAT CAME OUT OF THAT PREVIOUS AGREEMENT IS IT KEEPS GOLDEN SPREAD HEADQUARTERS IN AMARILLO THROUGH THE YEAR 2032.
SO THE AEDC APPROVED THAT PROJECT ON MARCH 23RD ON A 5-0 VOTE, AND WE WOULDN'T ASK THE CITY COUNCIL TO DO THE SAME.
THANK YOU, KEVIN. DO YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS FOR KEVIN, COUNCIL? AND THAT 20, I'LL SPEAK TO THAT.
THE TWENTY THOUSAND DOLLAR NUMBER IS WITHIN THE INCENTIVE GUIDELINES BASED ON SALARY CRITERIA. THAT'S WHERE WE GET THE TWENTY THOUSAND DOLLARS PER JOB INCENTIVE WAS PART OF OUR INCENTIVE GUIDELINE. DO WE HAVE A MOTION? WE DON'T HAVE ANY QUESTIONS. WE HAVE A MOTION ON THIS ITEM? YES, MAYOR. I MOVE TO APPROVE THE LOCAL INCENTIVE AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE AMARILLO ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION AND GOLDEN SPREAD ELECTRIC COOPERATIVE INC.
SECOND. IT'S BEEN MOVED BY COUNCIL MEMBER POWELL AND SECONDED BY COUNCIL MEMBER SMITH THAT WE APPROVE THIS AGREEMENT WITH GOLDEN SPREAD ELECTRIC CO-OP.
BEFORE WE VOTE COUNCIL, I'M NOT GOING TO VOTE ON THIS PARTLY BECAUSE OF MY INVOLVEMENT WITH THIS PREVIOUSLY ON THE AEDC AND ALSO JUST IN SOME LEGAL REPRESENTATION THAT I'VE DONE. SO I'M GOING TO RECUSE MYSELF FROM THIS VOTE.
AT THIS TIME, THOUGH, I WILL, GO AHEAD [INAUDIBLE].
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR PLEASE SHOW A SIGN OF SAYING AYE AND RAISING YOUR HAND.
THIS MOTION PASSES WITH A 4-0 VOTE.
THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MAYOR PRO TEM.
YES, MA'AM. THE LAST ITEM ON OUR AGENDA TODAY IS AN EXECUTIVE SESSION ITEM.
[4. 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 551.071 - Consult with Attorney about pending or contemplated litigation or settlement of same or on a matter in which the attorney's duty to the governmental body under the Texas Disciplinary Rules of Professional Conduct conflicts with this chapter. (a) Fisher v. City of Amarillo. 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.]
MR. CITY ATTORNEY. CAN YOU READ OUR SPECIAL LANGUAGE? ABSOLUTELY, MAYOR.SO THE TEXAS OPEN MEETINGS ACT CLOSED SESSION OF THE AMARILLO CITY COUNCIL WAS ANNOUNCED ON MARCH TH 31ST 2020 AT 3:34 P.M.
UNDER THE FOLLOWING AUTHORITY, SECTION 551.071 CONSULT AN ATTORNEY ABOUT PENDING
[02:35:02]
LITIGATION, SECTION 551.071 CONSULTING AN ATTORNEY ON A MATTER IN WHICH THE ATTORNEY'S DUTY OF THE GOVERNMENTAL BODY UNDER THE TEXAS DISCIPLINARY RULES OF PROFESSIONAL CONDUCT CONFLICTS WITH THIS CHAPTER, SECTION 551.072 DISCUSS THE PURCHASE, EXCHANGE, SALE AND LEASE VALUE OF REAL PROPERTY.A PUBLIC DISCUSSION OF SUCH WOULD NOT BE IN THE BEST INTERESTS OF THE CITY'S BARGAINING POSITION. THANK YOU.
THIS TIME WE ARE EXCUSED TO EXECUTIVE SESSION.
* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.