Apr 14, 2020 City Council Regular Meeting

[00:00:01]

HE WOULD GIVE IT TO THEM ABUNDANTLY.

[INVOCATION]

AS OUR CITY COUNCIL STRUGGLES TO CRAFT A REASONABLE BUT EFFECTIVE RESPONSE TO THE CORONAVIRUS EPIDEMIC, NOBODY IN OUR LAND KNOWS FOR SURE WHAT WILL WORK.

ALL OF US FLYING BLIND.

LORD, THAT OUR COUNCIL, OUR CITY STAFF ARE WORKING AROUND THE CLOCK TO ADDRESS THIS CRISIS. PLEASE, GUIDE THEM, LORD, AND HELP THEM MAKE DECISIONS THAT WILL PROTECT ALL OF US IN THIS DANGEROUS TIME.

WHEN I FINISH THIS PRAYER, LORD, YOU KNOW THAT OUR COUNCIL WILL WELCOME JASON MAYS AS OUR CITY'S NEW FIRE CHIEF.

THANK YOU FOR JASON, LORD.

THANK YOU FOR HIS INTEGRITY, FOR HIS COMMITMENT TO OUR SAFETY AND FOR HIS COMPETENCE.

GUIDE HIM AS HE LEADS HIS CREW OF FIRST RESPONDERS, LORD, AND KEEP THEM SAFE WHEN THEY MUST GO INTO HARM'S WAY.

WE ASK IN THE NAME OF YOUR SON WHO TELLS US NEVER TO BE AFRAID.

AMEN. THANK YOU VERY MUCH, PASTOR.

WE APPRECIATE THOSE WORDS AND WE RECEIVED THEM TODAY.

THANK YOU. AT THIS TIME, WE DO HAVE A SPECIAL PRESENTATION WITH REGARD TO REGARD TO OUR

[PRESENTATION]

ALL RIGHT. WELL, I WANT TO INTRODUCE OUR NEW FIRE CHIEF.

IT WAS--ALL MY THUNDER WAS COMPLETELY STOLEN BY A GREAT PRAYER.

IF YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE YOUR THUNDER STOLEN, WHY NOT HAVE IT BE STOLEN BY PRAYER? SO THANK YOU, SIR.

BUT OUR NEW FIRE CHIEF, JASON MAYS, I WANT TO WELCOME HIM TO THE ORGANIZATION.

WE HAD SO MANY REALLY GOOD APPLICANTS FOR THE JOB.

WHAT IT TELLS ME IS AND WHAT IT TELLS JASON AND WHAT IT SHOULD TELL THE COMMUNITY IS THE PERSON LEADING OUR FIRE DEPARTMENT HAS WEATHERED A STORM OR AT LEAST A COMPETITION THAT WAS MADE UP OF VERY CAPABLE AND TALENTED INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL CANDIDATES.

WE CAST A VERY WIDE NET TO LOOK FOR THIS NEW CHIEF.

WE FOUND OUR NEW CHIEF INSIDE OUR OWN GROUP.

IT'S NOT A SURPRISE. WE HAVE ONE OF THE BEST FIRE DEPARTMENTS IN THE STATE.

WE HAVE SOME OF THE BEST STAFFING STANDARDS IN THE STATE.

WE HAVE SOME OF THIS TRAINING STANDARDS AND WE'RE VERY WELL-EQUIPPED DEPARTMENT.

SO WE WERE A VERY ATTRACTIVE DEPARTMENT TO A LOT OF PEOPLE FROM ACROSS THE STATE AND INSIDE OUR OWN ORGANIZATION.

AND IF I'VE LEARNED ANYTHING THROUGH THIS PROCESS, IT'S JUST HOW CAPABLE AND DEEP LEADERSHIP TEAM IN OUR FIRE DEPARTMENT IS.

JUST A LITTLE BIT ABOUT JASON, CHIEF MAYS, HE HAS OVER 20 YEARS WITH OUR FIRE DEPARTMENT.

I HAVE--I'M SORRY, I DIDN'T MEAN TO HOLD IT UP IN FRONT OF A CAMERA--RESUMÉ FOR JASON, FOR CHIEF MAYS. AND IT JUST GOES ON AND ON AND ON WITH HIS QUALIFICATIONS.

HOWEVER, I SHOULD POINT OUT, HE STARTED THE THIRD DEPARTMENT IN NINETEEN NINETY NINE, BEEN WITH US FOR OVER 20 YEARS.

HE'S LED IN ALMOST EVERY SECTION OF THE DEPARTMENT, EXTREMELY WELL QUALIFIED AND COUNCIL, IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS I'D LOVE TO ANSWER 'EM, BUT HE'S GOT A MASTER'S IN ORGANIZATIONAL LEADERSHIP, PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION, BACHELORS IN FIRE SCIENCE.

HE IS IDEALLY TRAINED FOR WHAT WE WERE ASKING HIM TO DO.

HE'S AN EXCELLENT LEADER. AS IS BORNE OUT BY TALKING TO THE REST OF THE LEADERS IN THE DEPARTMENT. THEY RECOGNIZE HIM AS A LEADER.

AND I LOOK FORWARD.

ONLY GOOD THINGS AND FARTHER STEPS FORWARD, CARRYING FORWARD THE WORK THAT WAS DONE BY CHIEF GREENLY AND THOSE THAT WENT BEFORE HIM.

WE WISH CHIEF GREENLY THE BEST IN RETIREMENT.

BUT NOW AND WE TALKED ABOUT THAT LAST WEEK, BUT NOW IS THE TIME TO LOOK FORWARD.

AND I AM VERY OPTIMISTIC LOOKING FORWARD UNDER THE LEADERSHIP OF CHIEF MAYS.

I DON'T KNOW. DO WE HAVE CHIEF MAYS ON HERE? YES, SIR. CHIEF, I'D LOVE TO GIVE YOU AN OPPORTUNITY TO SAY A FEW THINGS.

I'VE KIND OF RAMBLED IN A POSITIVE WAY ABOUT YOU, BUT I'M VERY EXCITED BY WORKING WITH YOU AT THE HELM OF THE FIRE DEPARTMENT.

GO AHEAD AND TELL US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHAT YOU'RE THINKING.

SURE. FIRST OFF, I'M FROM IDEAL IT IS TO HAVE A BROTHER SHELBURNE GIVE MY PRAYER.

HE'S BEEN AN IMPORTANT ROLE IN MY LIFE AS HE SHEPHERDS MY MOTHER AT HER CHURCH AND A TREMENDOUS MAN. AND I'M HONORED BEYOND WORDS AND I'M EXTREMELY HUMBLED FOR THIS OPPORTUNITY. AMARILLO IS MY HOME AND ALWAYS WILL BE.

WE'VE GOT A TEAM AND IT'S AN HONOR TO BE YOUR FIRE CHIEF.

AND WE'VE GOT YOUR FIRE DEPARTMENT IS IN GOOD HANDS WITH THE OTHER LEADERS THAT WE HAVE ON STAFF. AND I LOOK FORWARD TO EVEN WITH A CHALLENGE SUCH AS THIS WITH COVID, WHILE IT'S ALL A SURPRISE TO US, IT'S NOT A SURPRISE TO OUR LORD.

AND HE'LL GUIDE US THROUGH THIS AND WITH THE PROFESSIONALS THAT WE HAVE ON THE TRUCKS.

WE ARE ALL IN GOOD HANDS AND WE WILL GET THROUGH THIS AS SMITH POINTED OUT MANY TIMES.

SO THANK YOU SO MUCH.

[00:05:02]

THANK YOU, CHIEF. THERE'S NOTHING LIKE STEPPING INTO A LEADERSHIP ROLE WHILE WE'RE GOING STRAIGHT UPHILL INTO THE WIN WITH SOMEONE CHASING OUR TAIL.

SO I'M GLAD YOU'RE UP FOR IT.

I'M GLAD YOUR BENCH IS DEEP AND I SPEAK FOR THE WHOLE COUNCIL IN TELLING YOU THANK YOU FOR BEING WILLING TO PICK UP THE REINS AND TO LEAD THIS TEAM.

WE NEED GREAT LEADERSHIP OVER THERE NOW AS MUCH AS EVER.

AND WE'VE BEEN USED TO HAVING IT.

SO WE'LL EXPECT NOTHING LESS.

AND I'M CONFIDENT THAT THAT'S WHAT WE'RE GOING TO GET.

SO BLESSINGS ON YOU AS YOU START THIS NEW POSITION.

THERE'LL BE NO HONEYMOON PERIOD.

ABSOLUTELY. ALL RIGHT.

THANK YOU, CHIEF. MAYOR? I WANT TO, BEFORE WE JUMP ANY FURTHER, I UNDERSTAND THAT ONE OF OUR COUNCIL MEMBER MIGHT NOT BE ABLE TO HEAR. I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'VE GOT THAT IRONED OUT BEFORE WE MOVE FORWARD. OK.

CAN ALL OF OUR COUNCIL MEMBER HEAR? LET'S JUST DO A CHECK.

EDDY, CAN YOU HEAR US? YES. OK.

HOWARD. YES.

FREDA.

YES. AND I CAN'T SEE ELAINE.

ELAINE, CAN YOU HEAR US? SO MAYBE WE'RE HAVING PROBLEMS THERE.

SO WE MAY NEED TO PAUSE JUST A MINUTE TO WORK THROUGH THIS.

AND... OK, WE CAN DO THAT FOR JUST A MOMENT.

HELLO, DR. MILTON. HI, I MADE IT.

SORRY, I'M LATE. NO, WE APPRECIATE YOU.

WE'RE HAVING TECHNICAL DIFFICULTIES WITH COUNCILWOMAN HAYS' CONNECTION.

SO WE'RE JUST GIVE HER A SECOND TO GET IRONED OUT HERE.

MAYOR, WE'RE WORKING THROUGH THOSE CHALLENGES.

IF WE DON'T HAVE HER AUDIO AND VIDEO, THEN WE'LL DEFAULT TO AUDIO ONLY.

SO WE'RE WORKING THROUGH THAT RIGHT NOW. WE SHOULD HAVE A RESOLUTION HERE IN THE NEXT FEW MINUTES OR LESS.

IS IT POSSIBLE TO DROP HER ON THE PHONE, WHILE THEY'RE...? YEAH, THAT'S WHAT WE'RE WORKING ON RIGHT NOW IS GETTING THE AUDIO ONLY OPTION.

AND THEN WE CAN WORK OUT AUDIO AND VIDEO AS WE GO.

OKAY, WE CAN BE PATIENT.

I THINK WE MIGHT GO AHEAD AND JUMP AROUND.

WHAT DO YOU THINK, JARED, ABOUT DOING THE CONSENT AGENDA WHILE WE'RE WAITING ON HER? OR WE COULD DO ITEM C, YOU KNOW, THE SMALL BUSINESS DEAL, BUT EITHER ONE WOULD BE FINE, I THINK. I THINK SHE HAD REQUESTED THAT ONE.

SO I'D HATE TO MOVE ONTO THAT ONE.

OK. YEAH, SURE. WITHOUT HAVING, IF POSSIBLE, HAVING HER.

BUT I THINK WE COULD MOVE ON TO THE CONSENT AGENDA.

COUNCIL, ANYBODY HAVE A PROBLEM WITH DOING THAT? WELL, MAYOR, WE MIGHT OUGHTA WAIT, BECAUSE COUNCILWOMAN HAYS MIGHT HAVE SOMETHING ON THE CONSENT AGENDA.

LOOKING AT THOSE ITEMS, DO YOU THINK THERE IS ANYTHING? THERE'S A POSSIBILITY THERE COULD BE.

I DON'T KNOW. BUT. OH, THERE SHE IS, BUT NO AUDIO.

OK.

I DON'T THINK SHE HAS AUDIO THOUGH.

OK. SHE'S DIALED AND WE'RE GOING TO PULL HER OVER ON HER DIALING NUMBER AND THEN YOU ALL SHOULD BE ABLE TO HEAR HER.

OK. RIGHT.

CAN YOU HEAR ME NOW? YES.

YES. YES, WE CAN HEAR YOU.

GOOD. THANK YOU, STEPHANIE.

THANK YOU FOR FIGURING OUT AN ALTERNATE ROUTE.

YES. THANK YOU, STEPHANIE.

YEAH, WE APPRECIATE IT VERY MUCH.

[00:10:01]

FRANCES OR STEPHANIE, I DON'T BELIEVE WE HAVE ANYONE ON THE LINE FOR A PUBLIC ADDRESS.

IS THAT CORRECT? STEPHANIE, CAN YOU CONFIRM THAT? IT IS CORRECT, MAYOR, THIS IS FRANCES.

THERE IS NO ONE SIGN UP TO SPEAK.

OK. THANK YOU. SO NOW MOVING TO ITEM 1A: REVIEW THE AGENDA OF THE REGULAR MEETING.

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

THE MPO MULTIMODAL TRANSPORTATION PLAN.

WE ALSO HAVE TRAVIS MUNO ON CALL, I BELIEVE.

I'M CHECKING TO MAKE SURE, YES, HE'S ON HERE.

BUT WHAT THAT IS, IS THE REGIONAL TRANSPORTATION PLAN, MULTIMODAL TRANSPORTATION PLAN.

IT'S PAID FOR THROUGH THE MPO.

TRAVIS, CAN YOU GIVE US A FEW DETAILS ON THAT? YEAH. WHAT IT IS, IS THE MPO HAS THE CARRYOVER FUNDS THAT THEY'VE ACCUMULATED OVER THE YEARS AND THE POLICY BOARD IS ELECTED TO DO A MULTIMODAL PLAN WITH THOSE FUNDS.

AND WHAT THAT IS, IS IT'S AN UPDATE TO OUR THOROUGHFARE PLAN, WHICH THE THOROUGHFARE PLAN WE HAVE NOW WAS ORIGINALLY DONE IN THE EARLY 1990S.

AND IT'S ALL BEEN TWEAKED A FEW TIMES SINCE THEN.

SO THIS WILL BRING IT UP TO DATE PLUS WITH THE RECENT EXPANSION OF THE INFIELD BOUNDARY LAST YEAR, THIS WILL INCLUDE ALL THOSE NEW AREAS THAT HAVEN'T BEEN ACCOUNTED FOR IN THE PAST TO BRING THOSE INTO THE THOROUGHFARE PLAN.

THIS WILL ALSO DO A BICYCLE PEDESTRIAN PLAN.

IT'LL HAVE A GREAT DEAL OF PUBLIC INVOLVEMENT ON IT.

IT WILL HELP US IDENTIFY NEEDS THAT ARE OUT THERE AND GAPS.

AND IT'LL ALSO HELP US TO DEVELOP THE LIST OF CAPITAL PROJECTS TO GO FORTH ON.

SOMETHING ELSE, THIS WILL DO IS ALSO BRING IN THE TRANSIT MASTERPLAN THAT WAS DONE A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO AND HELPED US INTEGRATE IT INTO WITH ALL THE OTHER TRANSPORTATION MODES, THE AUTOS, THE BIKES, THE AUSTRIANS AND SO FORTH.

ALL THIS WHILE DOING A STUDY ON FREIGHT ALSO.

SO, TRAVIS, WOULD YOU KIND OF GIVE IT A LITTLE BIT OF AN EXPLANATION, I KNOW I SIT ON THAT COMMITTEE, BUT WOULD YOU KIND OF GIVE AN EXPLANATION OF WHAT THAT METROPOLITAN PLANNING ORGANIZATION, WHAT IT ACTUALLY DOES AND HOW BIG OF A DEAL IT ACTUALLY IS FOR NOW THAN THE AMARILLO AND CANYON AREA? YES, THE MPO IS MADE UP OF THE CITY OF AMARILLO.

THE CITY OF CANYON. [INAUDIBLE] COUNTY, RANDALL COUNTY, WE HAVE A BOARD MEMBER FROM THE COG PANHANDLE COUNCIL.

WE ALSO HAVE THE CITY OF CANYON MANAGER ON THE BOARD.

AND IT'S ALL THE ENTITIES COMING TOGETHER TO TALK ABOUT AREAS THAT AFFECT OUR REGION AS FAR AS TRANSPORTATION WISE.

SOMETHING ELSE. THIS PLAN WILL HELP YOU DO IS ALSO TAKE INTO ACCOUNT LIKE WT AND ANY PLANS THEY HAVE. AMARILLO COLLEGE PLANS THAT THEY HAVE.

SO WE'RE TRYING TO GET KIND OF A COORDINATED EFFORT HERE ON THE TRANSPORTATION NEEDS OF THE COMMUNITY. AND THIS IS ALSO THE ONE THAT ACTUALLY IS HELPING US GET THE LOOP BUILT LIKE IT'S SUPPOSED TO BE BUILT.

CORRECT? IT WILL TAKE THOSE INTO CONSIDERATION.

A LOT OF THOSE LOOP PROJECTS ARE ALREADY IN THE PROCESS.

BUT THIS WILL HELP WITH THAT, ESPECIALLY THE FREIGHT MOVEMENTS AND STUFF LIKE THAT.

AS THE STATE LOOKS AT FUNDING ALLOCATION STATEWIDE IN DIFFERENT POTS OF MONEY AND WE, THE MPO RANKS AND CATEGORIZES PROJECTS THAT ARE ELIGIBLE FOR A VARIETY OF DIFFERENT FUNDING SOURCES THAT COME THROUGH THE STATE.

ALL OF OUR LOOP PROJECTS, AS WELL AS OTHER REGIONAL MPO PROJECTS ARE RANKED INSIDE.

THEY'RE NOT JUST LOOP 335 PROJECTS, BUT ALSO I TWENTY SEVEN EXPANSION PROJECTS BETWEEN CANYON AND AMARILLO, ALONG WITH A VARIETY OF OTHER TRANSPORTATION PROJECTS.

SO AS WE RANK THOSE PROJECTS, THAT ENABLES THEM TO IDENTIFY WHERE TO PUT MONEY IN.

SO WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO, THROUGH COOPERATION AND THE FACILITATION OF METROPOLITAN PLANNING ORGANIZATION, WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO LEVERAGE WELL OVER HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS OF DOLLARS IN STATE FUNDS TOWARDS I-TWENTY SEVEN AND THREE THIRTY FIVE AND VARIETY OF OTHER REGIONAL TRANSPORTATION PROJECTS.

ANOTHER THING THAT TRAVIS MENTIONED WAS THE MULTIMODAL TRANSPORTATION PLAN, WHICH IS WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT RIGHT NOW.

ANOTHER ITEM THAT'S GOING TO CONSIDER ONE OF OUR MODES OF TRANSPORTATION IS BICYCLE'S.

AND I KNOW A TOPIC OF CONVERSATION OVER THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS HAS BEEN HOW DO WE TAKE

[00:15:04]

SO WORKING THROUGH THAT IS SOMETHING THAT THIS IS GOING TO ASSIST AS WELL.

YEAH. AND EVEN ON THAT, I CAN REMEMBER AFTER FIRST COMING ON THE COUNCIL THREE YEARS AGO IN GOING TO A MEETING, TALKING ABOUT PART OF THE LOOP WAS THE FACT THAT EVEN AT THAT POINT IN TIME, THE BICYCLE PEDESTRIAN PART OF IT WAS JUST BEING EVEN CONSIDERED AND WASN'T EVEN. SO IT WAS TOO LATE IN THE GAME TO PUT IT ON THAT PORTION OF THE LOOP.

SO IT REALLY IS A BIG DEAL THAT WE'RE ACTUALLY DOING THIS RIGHT NOW.

AGREED. ANYMORE COMMENTS, EDDY, OR QUESTIONS? NO, MA'AM, THAT JUST KIND OF JUMPED OFF THE PAGE THAT I THOUGHT PEOPLE NEED TO REALLY UNDERSTAND HOW BIG OF A DEAL THIS REALLY IS.

AND THE FACT THAT THE MPO ACTUALLY HELPS BRING THAT MONEY IN FROM THE STATE AND FEDERAL MONEY THAT WE CAN FOCUS IN ON SOME OF THESE THINGS THAT WE KNOW HAVE NEEDED TO BE DONE FOR A LONG PERIOD OF TIME.

AND I'LL COMMENT THAT DR.

SAUER WAS REALLY A DRIVING FORCE BEHIND ASKING THOSE QUESTIONS AND, YOU KNOW, THREE YEARS AGO WHEN THAT SEGMENT WAS LET.

AND NOW CONSTRUCTION IS BEGINNING THERE.

NOTHING MOVES QUICKLY IN THE TXDOT WORLD.

SO THIS HAS BEEN THREE YEARS OF QUESTIONS AND COMMENTS AND HOW DO WE GET WHERE WE WANT TO BE AS A CITY, WHICH IS MUCH MORE BIKE FRIENDLY AND NOT AS CAR DEPENDENT? BECAUSE AS WE CONTINUE TO GROW AND WE CONTINUE TO FIGHT THE FIGHT TO GET HIGHWAY DOLLARS, WE HAVE TO LEARN TO LIVE WITHIN OUR CURRENT HIGHWAY MEANS.

SO WHILE WE'RE BUILDING THE LOOP, WE AT THE SAME TIME, I THINK HAVE TO ENVISION OUR CITY AS LESS CAR DEPENDENT.

AND WE'RE DOING THAT THROUGH THE WORK THAT MERIDA DOES IN TRANSIT.

AND SHE'S MAKING US A MORE TRANSIT FRIENDLY CITY WHERE YOU DON'T HAVE TO OWN YOUR OWN CAR JUST TO MOVE FROM POINT A TO POINT B.

AND I THINK THERE IS A VERY HIGH DEMAND FROM FAMILIES, FROM CYCLING ENTHUSIASTS AND FROM PEOPLE WHO ARE INTERESTED IN NOT BEING CAR DEPENDENT FOR OUR CITY TO BE FRIENDLY TO THOSE LIFESTYLES AS WELL.

SO THIS HAS BEEN THREE YEARS WORKING.

TRAVIS HAS BEEN A GOOD LISTENER AND THE MPO COMMITTEE HAS BEEN LISTENING AND WORKING, INTERFACING WITH TECH START TO EMPHASIZE THAT WE WANT THE ABILITY TO BE A MORE BIKE FRIENDLY COMMUNITY.

AND PUTTING THIS PLAN TOGETHER AND MOVING FORWARD, IT SEEMS A LITTLE RIDICULOUS TO SAY, WELL, IT'S KIND OF TAKEN US THREE YEARS TO GET TO THIS POINT, BUT THE PROJECTS IN THE TXDOT WORLD ARE BIG.

AND THAT'S HOW THEIR TIMELINES WORK SO.

AND I WOULD ALSO ADD TXDOT HAS NOT BEEN AN ADVISORY AT ALL.

NO, NOT AT ALL. ABSOLUTELY, HAVE BEEN VERY GOOD TO LISTEN AND TO WORK WITH.

IT'S BEEN VERY GOOD FOR OUR AREA.

I AGREE WITH THAT 100 PERCENT, AND I'M REALLY GLAD THAT YOU STATED THAT SO OBVIOUSLY.

TRAVIS, ANY FINAL COMMENTS? NO, THE THING IS, THIS DOESN'T REQUIRE ANY CITY FUNDS, IT'S JUST ALL MPO FUNDS, SO.

IT'S NOT ANYTHING ADDITIONAL OUT OF THE TAXPAYER'S POCKET SADOWAY.

YES. THANK YOU FOR POINTING THAT OUT.

OK. ANYBODY ELSE HAVE SOMETHING ON EITHER THE CONSENT OR THE REGULAR AGENDA THAT THEY WANT TO ASK QUESTIONS ABOUT? OK. NOT SEEING ANYTHING.

SO LET'S MOVE ON TO AGENDA ITEM 1 B WHILE WE'VE GOT DR.

[B. Coronavirus Update; (Part 1 of 2)]

COULD WE GET AN UPDATE THEN? JARED, LET'S JUST START WITH CASIE AND DR.

MILTON. YEAH, IF WE WANT, LET'S JUST FIRE IT OFF WITH DR.

MILTON FIRST AND WE CAN HAND IT OFF TO CASIE FOR A PUBLIC HEALTH UPDATE.

BUT FROM A PUBLIC HEALTH AUTHORITY, DR.

MILTON IS THAT PERSON.

DR. MILTON? YEAH, I DON'T REALLY HAVE ANYTHING PREPARED HER, BUT WE HAVE CONTINUED TO FIND CASES, I THINK, AS IF YESTERDAY THERE WERE MORE THAN ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTY.

I SAW A QUESTION THAT CAME THROUGH PRIOR TO THE MEETING ABOUT KIND OF TRYING TO BREAK DOWN A LITTLE BIT OF THE NUMBERS THAT WE HAVE HERE LOCALLY.

YOU KNOW, I'M NOT A STATISTICIAN AND SO I PROBABLY CAN'T DO GOOD, REAL GOOD SERVICE OF

[00:20:03]

YOU CAN JUMP IN AND CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG BEFORE AND HAVE ABOUT ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTY CASES.

OUR DOUBLING TIME IS ABOUT SEVEN DAYS.

AND FROM REVIEWING THE STATE WEBSITE, THE DSHS WEBSITE, THAT'S ABOUT IN-LINE WITH THE STATE. IT SEEMS THAT TO ME, IT SEEMS THAT WE'RE DOING A LITTLE BIT BETTER JOB OF TESTING IN TERMS OF JUST TOTAL NUMBERS VERSUS OUR POPULATION.

I DON'T KNOW IF, CASIE, YOU WOULD HAVE A COMMENT ON THAT AS WELL.

WHAT WE HOPE TO SEE IS THAT OUR DOUBLING TIME CONTINUES TO DECREASE FROM OUR DOUBLED IN SEVEN DAYS AS OF YESTERDAY.

PRIOR TO THAT, IT TAKEN ONLY ABOUT THREE DAYS, I THINK, TO DOUBLE.

SO I THINK WHAT THAT IMPLIES IS THAT WE'RE SLOWING.

I THINK THAT'S WHAT ANOTHER PORTION OF THAT QUESTION WAS HAD TO DO WITH WHETHER THIS WAS A AN ACCURATE VIEW OF THE COMMUNITY.

AND I WOULD ANSWER THAT AND SAY THAT, YOU KNOW, ANY TYPE OF SCREENING YOU DO OR STAGE IS GOING TO HAVE SOME FORM OF SELECTION BIAS.

AND, YOU KNOW, FOR EXAMPLE, THESE INDIVIDUALS THAT WE'RE DOING WITH THE DRIVE THROUGH TESTING, THEY'RE ALL DRIVING THROUGH.

SO WE'RE NOT SAMPLING PEOPLE THAT THAT DON'T HAVE A CAR OR DON'T HAVE ACCESS TO THAT.

I THINK WE'RE WORKING SOME ON THE DEMOGRAPHICS THAT'D COME UP IN A QUESTION PREVIOUSLY, BECAUSE IT IT APPEARS THAT PEOPLE THAT MINORITIES, AFRICAN-AMERICANS AND HISPANICS ARE BEARING THE BRUNT OF THIS PANDEMIC.

AND I'D LIKE TO BE ABLE TO HAVE SOME SORT OF STATISTICS LOCALLY TO SEE IF WE CAN EVALUATE THAT SOMEWHAT AND MAYBE TRY TO ADDRESS THAT IN A MORE PROACTIVE WAY.

I THINK A LOT OF THOSE REASONS ARE PROBABLY SOCIO ECONOMIC REASONS.

AND THAT'S SOMETHING WE'VE ALWAYS STRUGGLED WITH WITH PUBLIC HEALTH, IS TRIED TO HAVE GOOD ACCESS TO HEALTH CARE FOR EVERYONE IN THE COMMUNITY.

SO ALL IN ALL, I WOULD SAY THAT THINGS ARE GOING.

WE ARE STILL WORKING REALLY HARD, THAT WE'RE STILL WE'RE NOTICING A SLOW IN THE CURVE, WHICH I THINK IS ENCOURAGING.

WE'RE CONTINUING TO FIND CLUSTERS OF OUTBREAKS THAT WE'VE BEEN ADDRESSING ON A DAILY BASIS. AND, YOU KNOW, THAT'S HOW I SEE IT.

SO, YES, I ECHO THOSE THINGS.

TODAY, WE'VE NOT RECEIVED LAB RESULTS AND SO WE'LL TALK ABOUT YESTERDAY'S NUMBERS.

WE HAD YESTERDAY WE HAD ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTY TWO CASES OF COVID-19 IN POTTER AND RANDALL COUNTIES, SEVENTY NINE IN POTTER, SEVENTY THREE IN RANDALL.

WE HAVE A TOTAL OF ELEVEN RECOVERED INDIVIDUALS AND FOUR DEATHS IN OUR COMMUNITY.

THE MAJORITY OF CASES HAVE BEEN CONTRACTED LOCALLY.

THERE ARE AND MOST ARE ISOLATED AT HOME.

HOWEVER, THOSE WHO ARE HOSPITALIZED GENERALLY REQUIRE A HIGHER LEVEL OF CARE.

DR. MILTON CAN PROBABLY TALK ABOUT THAT A LITTLE MORE.

YESTERDAY, THERE WERE LESS THAN 20 INDIVIDUALS HOSPITALIZED IN LOCAL HOSPITALS.

THOSE NUMBERS MAY NOT EXACTLY CORRELATE WITH WHAT'S ON THE REPORT CARD.

THE NUMBERS THAT ARE ON THE REPORT CARD REFLECT PEOPLE WHO HAVE BEEN HOSPITALIZED AT ONE TIME, AT SOME TIME IN THEIR COURSE OF ILLNESS.

I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT, TOO, THAT WE NOTE WE ARE REPORTING AGE ON OUR REPORT CARD.

THE AGE GROUPS THAT HAVE THE HIGHEST INCIDENCE IN OUR COMMUNITY ARE THE AGES OF WELL, THIRTY TO THIRTY NINE HAVE THE HIGHEST NUMBERS.

AND THEN TWENTY TO TWENTY NINE IS NEXT.

I THINK THAT THOSE ARE PROBABLY THE AGE GROUPS WHO ARE OUT AND ABOUT THE MOST.

AND SO THOSE AGE GROUPS ARE BEING AFFECTED IN NUMBERS MOST.

IT IS THE AGE GROUPS.

60 AND ABOVE WHO ARE AFFECTED WITH SEVERITY.

MOST DOCTOR MILTON CAN PROBABLY SPEAK TO THAT A LITTLE BIT MORE AS WELL.

WE DO HAVE A GRAPH, A LINE GRAPH THAT'S COMMUNICATIONS HAS PUT OUT FOR US ON AMARILLO ALERTS DOT COM.

I THINK IT'S A HELPFUL GRAPH.

WHAT IT DOES SHOW IS THAT OUR NUMBERS HAVE NOT SHOWN A DESCENT YET.

CASIE, THEY HAVE NOT SHOWN WHAT YET.

A DISSENT. SO A DECLINE.

[00:25:01]

OK. IT HADN'T EVEN FLATTENED OUT YET.

HAS IT? NOT YET, SIR.

THERE'S NO PLATEAU YET.

YEAH. SO THE RATE OF INCREASE IS SLOWING, BUT WE'RE NOT SEEING ANY INDICATION YET THAT IT HAS PEAKED. CORRECT, IT'LL PROBABLY BE ANOTHER A LITTLE MORE TIME BEFORE WE ARE ABLE TO SEE THAT. SO, CASIE, ON THE 11 THAT HAVE RECOVERED IS THAT PANHANDLE-WISE, OR WAS THAT JUST POTTER-RANDALL? THAT'S JUST POTTER-RANDALL.

OK, SO WHAT WE CONSIDER A RECOVERY IS SOMEONE WHO IS 14 DAYS POST OUR RECEIPT OF THEIR POSITIVE LAB AND THEY HAVE TO BE SYMPTOM FREE FOR THREE DAYS IN A ROW.

AFTER THAT 14 DAYS.

SO IF YOU GO BACK 14 DAYS, WE HAD ELEVEN POSITIVE CASES AT THAT TIME.

SO, SO FAR EVERYONE HAS RECOVERED.

NOT NOT EVERYONE.

WELL, OK.

BUT A NUMBER OF PEOPLE.

YES. YES, SIR.

WOULD YOU GUYS BE WILLING TO COMMENT ON THIS GAP I CAN'T SHOW YOU, BUT I'M SEEING A GAP THAT'S GROWING BETWEEN OUR LINE AND THE PANHANDLE'S LINE, AND SO, YOU KNOW, WE'RE DOING THIS, WE'RE GROWING, BUT WE FLATTEN THAT A LITTLE BIT.

THE PANHANDLE ON THE OTHER SIDE IS CONTINUING TO REALLY SPIKE.

AND IT'S THAT GAP WHERE THEIRS IS STILL GROWTH GOING WHILE OURS IS FLATTENING OUT THAT I'D LIKE FOR YOU TO COMMENT ON.

YES, MA'AM. SO THAT IS.

SO THE BLUE LINE.

THE BLUE LINE AND THE GREEN LINES ARE POTTER AND RANDALL AND THE ORANGE LINES ARE POTTER-RANDLE TOTAL.

SO THOSE ARE STILL OURS.

THEY'RE JUST THE TOTAL OF POTTER AND RANDALL.

OK, SO IT'S NOT THE PANHANDLE AT LARGE.

IT'S POTTER.

AND RANDALL TOGETHER, WHEREAS LIKE THE.

.. LET ME LOOK AT THAT. THE BLUE LINE IS THE BLUE LINES ARE RANDALL AND THE GREEN LINES ARE POTTER.. BUT THE ORANGE LINES ARE OUR AMARILLO PUBLIC HEALTH TOGETHER.

SO I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE SEE WHERE POTTER AND RANDALL ARE TOGETHER BECAUSE THAT'S OUR ENTIRE COMMUNITY TOGETHER.

WHEN I LOOKED AT A SIMILAR GRAPH THAT WAS SHOWING.

I THOUGHT I SAW SOMETHING THAT WAS INDICATING A GAP BETWEEN WHAT OUR CURVE IS DOING AND WHAT THE PANHANDLE'S CURVE IS DOING.

HAVE YOU SEEN ANYTHING THAT'S COMPARED THAT? I HAVE NOT, BUT I CAN CERTAINLY LOOK FOR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.

AND I THINK INFORMATION WOULD BE GOOD TO INCLUDE ON THAT HOW WE'RE COMPARING WITH THE STATE AS WELL, JUST LOOKING AT THE PANHANDLE.

RANDALL POTTER TOGETHER AND THEN THE STATE.

AS YOU STATED. DR. MILTON, WE SEEM TO BE TRACKING WITH THE STATISTICS WITH THE REST OF THE STATE. BUT TO SEE THAT.

I THINK SO THESE ARE RAW NUMBERS.

I THINK IN THAT INSTANCE, WE WOULD HAVE TO DO RATES LIKE PER 100000.

YEAH. YES.

DR. MILTON, I HAD A QUESTION: YOU SAID THAT OUR RATE OF GROWTH IS TRACKING THE REST OF THE STATE. THAT THAT DOUBLING HAS MOVED OUT TO 7.

ON THE DEATHS PER 100000, RIGHT NOW WE'RE AT TWO PER ONE HUNDRED THOUSAND.

DO YOU KNOW HOW THAT COMPARES TO THE REST OF THE STATE? I DON'T HAVE THAT QUOTE.

I WAS JUST LOOKING AT THE DSHS WEB SITE BEFORE I GOT ON.

AND IT WAS. I JUST DON'T HAVE THAT NUMBER.

NO. SO, THE ANSWER'S I DON'T KNOW IN COMPARISON.

DOCTOR, WOULD YOU GIVE A SUMMARY TO THE COUNCIL ON THE CONVALESCENT ANTIBODY? YEAH, SURE. SO.

SO, YOU KNOW, WHEN PEOPLE GET INFECTED WITH BLOOD OR ANY OTHER TYPE OF INFECTION, PART OF THE IMMUNE RESPONSES TO PRODUCE ANTIBODIES.

AND THERE HAS BEEN SOME EVIDENCE THAT HAVE SHOWN THAT IN PEOPLE WHO RECOVER FROM COVID AND PRODUCE THESE ANTIBODIES, IF WE CAN KIND OF HARVEST THAT, THAT IT CAN BE BENEFICIAL

[00:30:02]

SO GENERALLY SPEAKING, PEOPLE NEED TO BE OUT AND RECOVERED FROM THEIR ILLNESS ABOUT FOUR WEEKS. AND IN OUR TIMELINE, OUR FIRST CASES HERE WERE ABOUT MARCH THE 18TH, WHICH WOULD BE FOR WEEKS TOMORROW.

AND SO I'VE BEEN IN DISCUSSIONS WITH COFFEE MEMORIAL AND THEY ARE READY TO GO AND HAVE AN AREA SET UP OVER THERE AT THEIR FACILITY WHERE WE CAN START RECRUITING VOLUNTEERS WHO HAVE RECOVERED. AND THEN IF THEY ARE SCREENED WELL AND SEEM TO BE ASYMPTOMATIC, THEN THEY CAN BE REFERRED OVER THERE TO BE A DONOR.

WE OVER THE WEEKEND, WE DID HAVE A REQUEST FOR AN INDIVIDUAL TO RECEIVE CONVALESCENT ANTIBODY AND THERE WAS NONE LOCALLY BECAUSE WE WERE JUST A LITTLE TOO EARLY FOR US.

ONE UNIT WAS FOUND IN OKLAHOMA CITY, THAT'S ALL.

AND APPARENTLY THERE WAS ANOTHER UNIT OR TWO IN ARKANSAS THAT WAS REQUESTED, BUT ARKANSAS MET IT TO FORT SMITH, I THINK MAYBE THEY REFUSED TO GIVE IT UP BECAUSE THEY WANTED TO KEEP IT FOR THEIR COMMUNITY. SO IT'S IN YOU KNOW, IT'S IN RARE SUPPLY.

BUT THAT AS OF YESTERDAY, I THINK WE HAD NINE RECOVERED, CASIE, YOU CAN CORRECT ME IF THAT'S NOT TRUE.

AND SO WHAT WE HOPE IS THAT THROUGH THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT, AS WE ARE SCREENING PEOPLE, WHEN THEY ARE BECOMING RECOVERED, THERE'S USUALLY A CONTACT THAT'S MADE THAT AT THAT POINT IN TIME THAT WE WILL ALSO ASK THEM IF THEY WOULD BE INTERESTED IN VOLUNTEERING.

AND IF THAT'S THE CASE, THEN THERE ARE SOME FORMS THAT I CAN FILL OUT FOR THE INDIVIDUAL AND THEN WE CAN REFER THEM OVER TO COFFEE MEMORIAL SO WE CAN START OUR OWN DONOR POOL HERE. SO THAT'S THAT'S THE HOPE THAT WE CAN GET ALL THAT GO ON THIS WEEK.

IS THAT FAIR ENOUGH, CASIE. YES, SIR.

HOW CAN CITIZENS GO AHEAD ELAINE I HAD A QUESTION ON THAT WITH THE ANTIBODY, SO WE KNOW THOSE INDIVIDUALS THAT WERE TESTED AND THEY WERE POSITIVE AND NOW THEY HAVE RECOVERED. AND SO THAT'S ABSOLUTELY MAKES SENSE.

THEY'RE THE FIRST PEOPLE WE WOULD OUTREACH TO AND ASK THEM ABOUT THEIR INTEREST IN VOLUNTEERING. WHAT ABOUT JUST THE COMMUNITY IN GENERAL? IF THEY ARE TESTED.

CAN THEY BE FOUND WITH ANTIBODIES IN THEIR BLOOD SYSTEM AS WELL? IT'S JUST THAT MAYBE THEY DIDN'T KNOW THEY HAD IT.

THEY WERE NEVER SYMPTOMATIC.

WELL, YES, I THINK THAT YOUR EFFICIENCY IS GOING TO GO WAY DOWN, THOUGH, BECAUSE IN ALL LIKELIHOOD THE PENETRATION OF THIS INTO OUR COMMUNITY IS REAL, STILL VERY LOW.

I WOULD EXPECT, YOU KNOW, 5 PERCENT OR LESS OF PEOPLE ARE PROBABLY SEROPOSITIVE.

SO. SO WHAT SEEMS TO MAKE MORE SENSE TO ME IS TO USE THE INDIVIDUALS THAT WE KNOW THAT WE'VE ALREADY SCREENED TO BE POSITIVE IN OUR FOLLOWING AT HOME AND TO ASK THEM TO COME BACK IN AND POTENTIALLY BE VOLUNTEERS.

I THINK THAT TEXAS TECH AND DR.

BELL ARE WE WERE IN DISCUSSIONS EARLIER THIS WEEK OR LATE LAST WEEK.

IT'S ALL RUNNING TOGETHER ABOUT DOING KIND OF A ZERO PREVALENCE STUDY HERE AND IN THE COMMUNITY. AND SO THAT THAT'S UNDERWAY.

BUT AS I SAID, I THINK THE PREVALENCE OR THE PENETRATION OF THE COVID INTO OUR COMMUNITY IS STILL PROBABLY PRETTY LOW.

SO I KNOW A LOT OF ORGANIZATIONS HAVE BEEN DOING BLOOD DRIVE.

AND SO THAT'S TO THE GENERAL COMMUNITY.

AND ARE WE ABLE TO TEST THOSE DONATIONS THAT ARE MADE TO SEE IF THEY POSSIBLY HAVE ANTIBODIES IN THEM? OR IS THAT GOING BACK TO YOUR SAYING THING IS, IS IT COSTLY, TIMELY TO JUST RUN TESTS ON THE DONATIONS THAT WE'RE ALREADY RECEIVING TO SEE IF MAYBE WE WE DO HAVE SOME SUPPLY? WELL, I'M SURE THOSE THINGS COULD BE DONE.

I THINK THAT WOULD THAT AND AGAIN, WOULD PROBABLY TAKE A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF TIME THAT WE PROBABLY DON'T HAVE.

I WOULD THINK TO KIND OF GET THAT UP AND RUNNING AND I'M SURE THOSE STUDIES WILL BE DONE ON GENERAL BLOOD DONORS TO SEE HOW MANY OF THEM ARE POSITIVE.

BUT WHAT WE'RE HOPING IS THAT WE CAN, YOU KNOW, KIND OF TARGET AND FOCUS IN ON INDIVIDUALS THAT WE KNOW ARE POSITIVE.

YOU KNOW, I THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, ONE INDIVIDUAL KIND OF, FROM WHAT I UNDERSTAND, ONE

[00:35:04]

AND AND SO YOU COULD GET YOU KNOW, YOUR SUPPLY COULD REALLY BE VERY WELL ENHANCED WITH JUST A FEW DONORS.

I DON'T KNOW THAT WE NEED, YOU KNOW, HUNDREDS OF DONORS NECESSARILY.

I THINK TOO, THAT THE TECHNOLOGY WILL WILL IMPROVE OVER TIME.

AND SO RIGHT NOW, THIS IS THE PROCESS THAT WE HAVE.

BUT OVER TIME, IT MAY EXPAND TO WHERE THE PROCESS CHANGES.

AND SO I, BECAUSE THIS IS ALL EVOLVING.

YOU KNOW, JUST LIKE EVERY CAVEAT ON EVERY THING THAT PUTS OUT, YOU KNOW, THIS IS AN EVER EVOLVING SITUATION AND THINGS LIKE THAT.

SO RIGHT NOW, THIS IS THE WAY THAT WE'RE WORKING THROUGH IT.

BUT I THINK THAT IT'S IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT THE TECHNOLOGY IS CHANGING VERY RAPIDLY.

AND SO WHEN WE KNOW THAT THAT HAS CHANGED AND WE CAN KIND OF ONE COME, ONE COME ALL, WE WILL CERTAINLY LET OUR COMMUNITY KNOW.

ONE OTHER COMMENT.

ONE OTHER COMMENT I'LL MAKE IS THAT I SPOKE TO THE DIRECTOR.

HE DOESN'T LIVE IN AMARILLO; HE LIVES IN OKLAHOMA CITY.

AND, YOU KNOW, COFFEE MEMORIAL'S PART OF A GROUP OR CONGLOMERATE OF BLOOD BANKS, AND WE WERE TALKING ABOUT THE FACT THAT IT'S DIFFICULT TO FIND PATIENTS WHO WE KNOW THAT HAVE RECOVERED. AND IT WAS KIND OF ALONG THESE SAME DISCUSSIONS.

HOW DO YOU SCREEN FOR THAT? AND WHEN I MENTIONED THAT I WAS THE HEALTH AUTHORITY, I SAID, WE'VE GOT A LIST HERE.

I'M CERTAIN THAT WOULD HELP US.

I MEAN, HE WAS VERY ENTHUSIASTIC ABOUT THAT.

IT SEEMED LIKE IT THAT WAS A KIND OF A LITTLE BIT OF A RESOURCE THAT HE WAS A LITTLE BIT ENVIOUS OF. IN FACT, HE WAS HOPING THAT WE COULD HELP EVERYBODY, NOT JUST AMARILLO, BUT MAYBE IF WE GAVE ENOUGH NOTICE, WE COULD HELP OTHER COMMUNITIES AS WELL.

SO DR. MILTON OR CASIE, WHICHEVER ONE.

SO YOU TAKE A UNIT OF BLOOD FROM A PERSON WHO HAS NOW HAS THE ANTIBODIES.

DO Y'ALL HAVE ANY IDEA HOW FAR THAT UNIT OF BLOOD GOES? WILL YOU ONLY BE ABLE TO TREAT ONE PATIENT? WE DIDN'T TREAT TEN, A HUNDRED? HOW FAR DOES THAT ACTUALLY GO? DO WE EVEN KNOW THAT YET? YEAH. SO.

SO WE DON'T REALLY KNOW THAT BECAUSE.

BECAUSE YOU'RE NOT REALLY.

WELL YOU HAVE TO SEPARATE OFF THE PLASMA FROM THE RED BLOOD CELLS.

FIRST OF ALL, THAT'S CALLED FRESH FROZEN PLASMA.

AND THEN THERE'S ANTIBODIES TO ALL SORTS OF THINGS, OBVIOUSLY, IN THAT FRESH FROZEN PLANS OF PLASMA. AND THERE'S ACTUALLY A STUDY WE'RE TRYING TO TACK TO WHERE WE WANT TO QUANTIFY THE AMOUNT OF COVERT ANTIBODY THAT YOU COULD GIVE.

AND SO OBVIOUSLY THAT WOULD MAKE A DIFFERENCE IF SOME PERSON WAS PRODUCING MORE ANTIBODY THAN OTHERS. AND THEN WHAT WOULD BE AN EFFECTIVE ANTIBODY DOSE? I DON'T THINK THOSE THINGS HAVE REALLY BEEN WORKED OUT YET, AS FAR AS I KNOW.

BUT IT'S FAIRLY CLEAR THAT AT LEAST IN SOME SMALL STUDIES, THAT PEOPLE CAN HAVE ALMOST AN IMMEDIATE BENEFIT IF THEY'RE RECEIVING, YOU KNOW, COVID CONVALESCENT ANTIBODY, IT DOES SEEM TO REV DOWN THIS IMMUNE RESPONSE THAT CAN BE SO DAMAGING.

DOES IT ALSO KICK UP THE PATIENT'S RESPONSE TO CREATING ANTIBODIES? IS THAT PART OF IT ALSO? I DON'T THINK ANYBODY REALLY KNOWS ABOUT THAT, BUT I IMAGINE IT DOESN'T HAVE MUCH TO DO WITH THAT, BUT THAT THIS IS ALL KIND OF AN INVESTIGATIONAL NEW DRUG.

THAT'S HOW THE FDA HAS CATEGORIZED THE USE OF THIS.

IT'S AN INVESTIGATIONAL NEW DRUG.

SO THAT MEANS THAT IT'S NEW.

THERE COULD BE POTENTIAL SIDE EFFECTS TO THAT.

AND IT'S UNDER THAT PREMISE.

DR. MILTON AND CASIE, I THINK THE BIG QUESTION ON THE COUNCIL'S MIND TODAY IS WE'RE WONDERING, CAN WE RESTART THE CITY? WHAT'S THE TIMING GOING TO BE ON WHEN WE CAN RESTART THE CITY? DO WE NEED TO CONTINUE TO SHELTER IN PLACE? ARE WE READY TO BEGIN TO LIFT THE SHELTER IN PLACE REQUIREMENTS? TALK TO US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT YOUR OPINION ON WHERE WE ARE THERE.

WELL, I MEAN, MY OPINION IS THAT I KNOW THAT EVERYBODY IS REALLY HURTING.

I MEAN, IT'S AFFECTED US.

IT'S AFFECTED. I MEAN, THEY'RE FURLOUGHING PEOPLE AT THE HOSPITAL.

YOU KNOW, IT'S AFFECTING ALL OF US.

IT'S AFFECTING ME IN MY OFFICE.

AND IT'S DEVASTATING.

SO I UNDERSTAND THAT.

IT'S HARD FOR ME TO RECOMMEND CHANGING ANYTHING AT THIS POINT WHEN WE'VE DOUBLED IN THE LAST WEEK. I WOULD SUGGEST THAT WE CONTINUE DOING WHAT WE'RE DOING FOR TWO MORE WEEKS.

[00:40:07]

AND HOW CAN YOU CONTINUE TO HAVE SOCIAL DISTANCING WHEN YOU'RE STARTING TO START UP THESE BUSINESSES AGAIN? I THINK THAT'S THE MOST IMPORTANT REMEDY OF PREVENTING THE TRANSMISSION OF THIS IS SOCIAL DISTANCING.

AND I THINK THAT MASKS ARE GOING TO BE IMPORTANT AND I'M PROBABLY GOING TO CONTINUE TO RECOMMEND THAT.

AND IN TERMS OF ENVISIONING A PARTICULAR BUSINESS, I THINK EACH BUSINESS IS DIFFERENT.

AND AND SO WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO MAYBE HELP A LOT OF PEOPLE INDIVIDUALLY ABOUT, YOU KNOW, WHAT THE LAYOUT OF THEIR BUSINESS PLAN IS AND HOW DO YOU MAKE THAT AS SAFE AS POSSIBLE. AND, YOU KNOW, I THINK THE OTHER PROBLEM IS THAT, YOU KNOW, AS WE CONTINUE TO HAVE MORE AND MORE CASES, JUST THE ABILITY TO TRACK ALL THOSE AND DO CONTACT INVESTIGATION IS MAKES IT, THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT WILL GET MORE STRETCHED.

AND I THINK THAT'S THAT'S CONCERNING TO ME IS THAT WE WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO TO FOLLOW THEM AS CLOSELY. I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE THRESHOLD WOULD BE.

CASIE WOULD KNOW MORE ABOUT THAT.

BUT I KNOW THAT IT'S IMPORTANT TO GET OPENED BACK UP IN SOME FORM.

I MEAN, NO ONE CAN REALLY TAKE ALL THIS, YOU KNOW, FOR THAT MUCH LONGER.

I UNDERSTAND THAT.

BUT I THINK WE NEED TO BE REALLY CAREFUL ABOUT IT.

AND, YOU KNOW, FROM SPEAKING TO MY COLLEAGUES, [INAUDIBLE].

I SEE AT NORTHWEST JUST NOW.

WE WERE KIND OF VISITING ABOUT THIS AND THEY REALLY ARE NERVOUS ABOUT THINGS OPENING BACK UP. THEY AND I DON'T BLAME THEM.

THEY'RE REALLY AFRAID WHAT WOULD HAPPEN IF WE OPENED UP TOO SOON.

CASIE, DO YOU WANT TO ADD TO THAT? I ECHO DR.

MILTON'S COMMENTS. I THINK THAT WE'VE PUT OUR COMMUNITY IN A GOOD POSITION RIGHT NOW WITH REGARD TO THIS VIRUS' OUTBREAK.

AND I THINK THAT OPENING UP TOO SOON MIGHT PUT US IN HARM'S WAY.

SO HOW WILL COMING OUT TOO SOON BE HARMFUL FOR US? CAN WE TALK TO SOME SPECIFICS ABOUT THAT? HOW WOULD OPENING UP TOO SOON BE HARMFUL FOR US? YES. WELL, I THINK THAT I MEAN, ONE OBVIOUS THING IS THAT YOU WOULD HAVE MORE DEATHS AND SO THAT WOULD BE THE ISSUE.

AND OF COURSE, YOU KNOW, THE BIGGEST CONCERN THAT YOU WOULD HAVE IS IF YOU HAD A SURGE ON THE HOSPITAL, THEN YOUR MORTALITY RATE WOULD MARKEDLY GO UP BECAUSE YOU WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO, YOU KNOW, IF THEY HAD WORSENING RESPIRATORY STATS.

WE DIDN'T HAVE ENOUGH VENTILATORS, ETC.

AND THEN YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT PEOPLE NOT GETTING THAT KIND OF CARE THAT THEY WOULD NEED.

AND SO THAT'S GOING TO INCREASE THE MORTALITY RATE.

I THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, I DON'T KNOW, I MEAN, I THINK PSYCHOLOGICALLY, IF YOU KIND OF WALK THROUGH IF WE OPENED UP TOO EARLY AND YOU HAD AN OUTBREAK, WHAT WOULD THAT DO PSYCHOLOGICALLY TO THE TO THE COMMUNITY? WOULD THAT MAKE EVEN THINGS MORE FEARFUL FOR THEM AS OPPOSED TO A SLOWER, MORE PROGRESSIVE WAY OF DOING THAT? I THINK THERE WOULD BE CERTAINLY I HAVE PATIENTS THAT I TAKE CARE OF THAT COMMENTED YESTERDAY. I'M DOING TELEPHONE OFFICE VISITS NOW, AND MOST OF THEM ARE GLAD TO STAY AT HOME. THEY DON'T WANT TO BE OUT.

AND I THINK THEY'RE AFRAID.

THEY'RE AFRAID OF GETTING OUT.

NOW, THAT'S OBVIOUSLY THAT'S THE INDIVIDUALS THAT I TAKE CARE OF.

AND MANY OF THEM ARE IMMUNOCOMPROMISED, ET CETERA.

BUT I THINK IF WE HAD AN OUTBREAK, AS I SAID, IF WE OPENED TOO QUICKLY AND HAD A PROBLEM THAT WE COULDN'T IDENTIFY QUICKLY, THEN THAT WOULD REALLY SET PEOPLE BEHIND PSYCHOLOGICALLY THAT IT'S SAFE.

WHAT DO YOU THINK, CASIE? I AGREE. RIGHT NOW WE HAVE A HUNDRED AND FIFTY TWO CASES THAT WE'RE DOING CONTACT INVESTIGATIONS ON AND MONITORING HIGH RISK CONTACTS.

SO WE'RE MONITORING OVER 300 PEOPLE DAILY.

SO THAT'S I THINK VERY IMPORTANT FOR OUR COMMUNITY.

VERY IMPORTANT FOR SLOWING THE SPREAD OF THAT OF DISEASE IN OUR COMMUNITY.

WE NEED TO BE SURE THAT WE ARE ABLE TO CONTINUE TO DO THAT AND ABLE TO YOU KNOW THAT WE

[00:45:05]

OK. SEE, WHAT I'M HEARING YOU TALK ABOUT IS THE MANPOWER REQUIRED FOR THE MONITORING OF FOLLOWING THE INDIVIDUALS THAT HAVE TESTED.

AND SO MY QUESTION IS ROUGHLY HOW MANY PEOPLE DO YOU FEEL WE ARE ASSIGNING RIGHT NOW TO TRACK THOSE ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTY TWO CASES, WHICH MEANS MORE LIKE 300 INDIVIDUALS.

SO WE HAVE A CORE TEAM OF FOUR, WE EXPAND THAT UP TO BETWEEN 10 AND 20 AS THE CASES KIND OF EBB AND FLOW AND THEN WE HAVE ABOUT FIVE OR SIX PEOPLE WHO DO ALL OF OUR MONITORING.

I THINK, THOUGH, IT'S ALSO IMPORTANT FOR PEOPLE TO KNOW THAT THEY DON'T HAVE TO GO TO WORK IF THEY'RE SICK.

AND THAT I THINK IS REALLY CRITICAL FOR OUR COMMUNITY THAT PEOPLE HAVE THAT FLEXIBILITY, THAT THEY DON'T HAVE TO GO TO WORK WHEN THEY'RE SICK.

CASIE, HOW MANY CASES CAN--IF YOU'RE AT FULL MAX OF YOUR TEAM OF 20 HOW MANY CASES CAN Y'ALL HANDLE? OPEN CASES. I THINK IT JUST DEPENDS.

YOU KNOW, EACH PERSON HAS A DIFFERENT NUMBER OF CONTACTS THAT THEY'RE ASSOCIATED WITH.

AND OUR TEAM, YOU KNOW, THEY MOVE THROUGH THOSE AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE, BUT WANT TO BE VERY THOROUGH. AND SO RIGHT NOW WE'RE ABLE TO STAY UP WITH THOSE.

I THINK IF WE DOUBLE AGAIN IN THE NEXT WEEK AND WE'RE AT THREE HUNDRED, IT WOULD DEFINITELY PUT A STRAIN ON OUR TEAM.

BUT WE'RE WE'RE COMMITTED TO DOING THAT.

THAT'S OUR JOB.

WE DO HAVE THE ABILITY TO STAFF UP WITH SOME TEMPORARY STAFFING AND THEN REACH OUT TO OTHER DEPARTMENTS AS NEEDED.

SO I DON'T KNOW THAT I HAVE AN EXACT NUMBER FOR CAPACITY, BUT RIGHT NOW WE'RE UP TO DATE.

AND I WOULD ADD THAT, YOU KNOW, THAT THE INDIVIDUALS WHO DO THE CONTACT INVESTIGATION, THERE'S A FAIR AMOUNT OF TRAINING THAT GOES INTO THAT.

AND SO RAMPING THAT UP AND FINDING THE PEOPLE THAT COULD BE ABLE TO DO THAT IN A COMPETENT MANNER, I THINK IS THAT'S HARD TO FIND.

WOULDN'T YOU AGREE, CASIE? YES. THE TEMPORARY STAFFING THAT WE WORKED WITH, WE HAVE LIKE THREE THAT WE'RE WORKING WITH. WE HAVE A ROTATION OF ABOUT SIX NURSES.

AND SO THAT'S BEEN NICE BECAUSE THEY ARE TRAINED.

AND SO IF WE NEED TO EXPAND THAT CADRE OF NURSES, THEN WE CAN DO THAT.

AND THEY'RE ALL TRAINED.

THEY DON'T ALL COME EVERY DAY, BUT THEY ARE TRAINED IN THE EVENT THAT WE NEED TO STAFF THAT STAFFING UP.

AND THEN THE OTHER THING THAT I'M NOTICING JUST FROM VISITING WITH CASIE IS JUST AS YOU INCREASE THESE NUMBERS OF CASES, THE DATA ENTRY IS REALLY TIME CONSUMING.

I SPEND MOST OF THE EVENING, IT SEEMS LIKE, JUST PUTTING IN THE DATA AND IF THESE NUMBERS CONTINUE TO RISE THEN THAT'S GOING TO TAKE MORE AND MORE TIME AS WELL.

FAIR ENOUGH? YES, SIR. CASIE COULD SAYING YOU'RE A WEEK AWAY FROM HAVING POTENTIAL, A LOT OF DIFFICULTY KEEPING UP WITH THIS. YES, SIR.

I THINK THAT'S IMPORTANT.

IT IS IMPORTANT.

IT'S MAKING IT VERY PROACTIVE.

IT'S PUTTING SOME PRACTICALITIES AROUND SOME OF THE DATA THAT Y'ALL ARE PRESENTING THIS.

AND I WANT TO ASK A FEW MORE PRACTICAL TYPE QUESTIONS.

YOU KNOW, WE SAID, WELL, WHAT'S THE RESULT IF WE COME OUT TOO SOON? OBVIOUSLY, MORE DEATHS.

AND YOU ALLUDED, DR.

MILTON, TO HOSPITAL CAPACITY ISSUES.

BUT I THINK WHAT WE'RE HEARING FROM YOU IS YOU DON'T, IN YOUR PROFESSIONAL OPINION, FEEL LIKE IT'S TIME TO COME OUT.

BUT SOME OF THE FACTORS THAT WE NEED TO CONSIDER ON WHETHER OR NOT IT IS TIME TO COME OUT IS OUR GROWTH. AND YOU ALREADY WENT OVER THAT FOR US.

WE'RE STILL GROWING.

WE HAVEN'T SEEN A PEAK AND A DOWN.

AND WE EVEN UNDERSTAND THAT THAT COULD DO THIS.

YOU KNOW, IT'S NOT NECESSARILY ONCE WE PEAK AND START GOING DOWN, THAT'S THAT'S NOT A GUARANTEE. WE'RE GOING TO KEEP GOING DOWN.

BUT WE HAVEN'T SEEN ANY DOWN IN OUR NUMBERS AT ALL.

BUT, IS THAT CORRECT? THAT WOULD BE ONE CRITERIA WE WOULD BE LOOKING FOR? AND THEN CONSIDERING OUR HOSPITAL CAPACITY BECAUSE WE'RE GROWING AT A SLOWER RATE, I THINK I HEAR YOU SAYING OUR HOSPITAL CAPACITY IS OK RIGHT NOW.

IS THAT CORRECT? I THINK THAT'S FAIR ENOUGH.

OK. SO CONTINUING AT THE RATE THAT WE'RE GROWING IS A GOOD TARGET FOR US ON THE HOSPITAL

[00:50:04]

IS THAT FAIR TO SAY? NOW, REPEAT THAT QUESTION.

WELL, OUR JOB AS A COUNCIL IS TO GIVE EVERYONE THE GREATEST AMOUNT OF FREEDOM THAT THEY CAN WHILE STILL MAINTAINING THE SLOW GROWTH OF THIS VIRUS THROUGHOUT OUR CITY AND HOSPITAL CAPACITY IS ONE OF THE METRICS WE'RE LOOKING AT TO SEE IF WE'RE HITTING THAT TARGET OR NOT.

SO AT THIS TIME, WE'RE DOING OKAY ON HOSPITAL CAPACITY, BUT THAT'S PARTLY RELATED OR MAYBE ALL RELATED TO THE FACT THAT WE'VE ASKED PEOPLE TO SHELTER IN.

THAT'S WHAT I'M ASKING YOU TO AFFIRM OR CONFIRM FOR US.

THAT'S TRUE. I THINK THAT.

YOU KNOW WHAT, WE OBVIOUSLY ARE GOING TO NEED TO SEE THAT THE DOUBLING RATE'S GOING TO GO TO 14 DAYS. AND, YOU KNOW, IN 28 DAYS OR THAT WE'RE GOING TO FLATTEN OUT OVER TIME.

IF IT KEEPS GOING UP EVERY SEVEN DAYS, WE'RE GOING TO EXCEED HOSPITAL CAPACITY, OBVIOUSLY, AT SOME POINT.

SO WE'RE GOING TO NEED TO SEE THAT IMPROVE.

WHEN SHE SAID CASIE? YES, SIR. AND TACTICS FOR SEEING IT IMPROVE ARE PEOPLE NOT LEAVING THEIR HOMES, PEOPLE WEARING MASKS, IF THEY DO LEAVE, PEOPLE WASHING THEIR HANDS LIKE.

LIKE WE'VE NEVER WASHED OUR HANDS EVER BEFORE AND WE'VE GOT TO STOP TOUCHING OUR FACES, WHICH I FIND VERY DIFFICULT TO DO.

EVERY TIME I THINK ABOUT IT, MY NOSE IS ITCHING.

SO THOSE ARE THE FACTORS IN HOW WE CONTINUE TO SLOW THAT? THAT'S THE WHOLE THE ONLY FACTORS.

IT'S ALL SOCIAL DISTANCING.

YOU KNOW, THERE'S NOT MEDICATIONS FOR THIS.

THERE'S NOT A VACCINE FOR IT.

IT REALLY BOILS DOWN TO STAYING AWAY, YOU KNOW, SEPARATING YOURSELF AND BREAKING THAT TRANSMISSION. I THINK ANOTHER METRIC THAT WE'VE BEEN LOOKING AT AS A COUNCIL IS WHAT IS OUR TESTING CAPACITY, BECAUSE IF WE I THINK DR.

MILTON, YESTERDAY YOU SAID, YOU KNOW, AN OLD SAYING IN INFECTIOUS DISEASE IS, JUST BECAUSE YOU HAVE ZERO CASES DOESN'T MEAN THAT YOU DON'T HAVE ANY CASES.

JUST NO LOOKING HARD ENOUGH. YEAH, THAT MEANS YOU'RE NOT LOOKING HARD ENOUGH.

SO WHERE ARE WE ON TESTING CAPACITY, CASIE? ARE WE PICKING UP STEAM AND TESTING PEOPLE? AND IS OUR CAPACITY GROWING? SPECIFICALLY, DO WE HAVE SOME RAPID RESULT TESTING THAT'S NOW AVAILABLE IN OUR COMMUNITY? I THINK THAT THAT CAPACITY IS GROWING.

SO WE DON'T HAVE THAT CAPACITY AT THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT.

BUT I WAS ENCOURAGED.

WE HAD SEVENTY SEVEN PEOPLE TESTED THROUGH THE DRIVE THROUGH YESTERDAY WHEN IT WAS SNOWING. SO WE KNOW THAT PEOPLE ARE STILL WANTING TO BE TESTED.

IT'S ALSO HELPFUL TO US AT THE DRUG TESTING SITE THAT WE'RE ABLE TO SEND CONTACTS.

SO WHEN WE'RE DOING A CONTACT INVESTIGATION, IF WE IDENTIFY A CONTACT, WHO IS SYMPTOMATIC, THAT WE CAN SEND THAT CONTACT THROUGH TESTING.

AND SO THAT'S REALLY HELPFUL TO US AT THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT AS WELL.

SO WE'RE UTILIZING OUR OWN RESOURCES AND THAT'S HELPFUL.

WE TESTING HAS DECREASED, I THINK, TO A KIND OF A MORE STEADY PACE OF ABOUT 70, 65 TO 70 EACH DAY. I THINK THAT'S PRETTY REASONABLE.

SUPPLIES ARE STILL, YOU KNOW WE'RE STILL LOOKING FOR ADDITIONAL SUPPLIES.

THE SWABS ARE IN HIGH DEMAND.

TEXAS TECH HAS REALLY DONE A GREAT JOB IN MAKING A VTM.

AND SO THAT IS THAT'S REALLY A VERY HELPFUL TOOL FOR US.

THE SWABS ARE STILL IN VERY HIGH DEMAND.

THE LAB CAPACITY IS ROBUST SO WE CAN SEND SWABS AND SAMPLES TO THE LAB.

WE JUST NEED THE SWABS.

SO THEIRS ARE KIND OF HARD TO FIND.

WE DO HAVE ENOUGH FOR THE NEXT COUPLE OF WEEKS, BUT WE DO NEED TO FIND ADDITIONAL SWABS.

I THINK THAT THE TESTING THAT WE'RE DOING RIGHT NOW IS THE MOST RELIABLE.

THE RAPID TESTING THAT'S AVAILABLE, AND I'LL LET DR.

MILFORD'S SPEAK SPECIFICALLY ABOUT IT, BUT I THINK THAT THE TESTING THAT WE HAVE RIGHT NOW, THE TURNAROUND TIME IS SUFFICIENT AND THE RESULTS ARE THE MOST RELIABLE.

I THINK THAT'S FAIR TO SAY THE NEW TESTS.

YOU KNOW, HONESTLY, I DON'T THINK ANYBODY...IT'S JUST WITHIN THE LAST WEEK WE'RE STARTING TO SEE THESE THESE RAPID TESTS.

AND MY JUST IMPRESSION IS THAT THEY'RE NOT AS ACCURATE.

THAT CAN BE SOMEWHAT CONFUSING.

AND I THINK, YOU KNOW, AS I MEAN, NOT TO BE OVERLY CRITICAL ABOUT ANY TEST, I THINK AS THESE THINGS GO ALONG, THINGS TEND TO GET BETTER.

BUT INITIALLY, SOME OF THE TESTING IS A LITTLE BIT CONFUSING.

DECEIVING. SO, DR.

MILTON, HOW ARE YOU DETERMINING THAT?

[00:55:01]

YOU KNOW, THERE'S A PATIENT WHO, I THINK WE'RE WAITING FOR THE TESTS WHO CAME IN FROM AN OUTLYING TOWN JUST OVER THE LAST 24, 48 HOURS WHO WERE SCREENED WITH THE RAPID TESTS AND WAS TOLD THEY WERE NEGATIVE.

BUT NOW THEY'RE IN OUR HOSPITAL REALLY SICK.

AND IT LOOKS LIKE WE DON'T HAVE THE TESTS BACK YET, BUT I DON'T SEE HOW IT COULD BE ANYTHING OTHER THAN WHAT WE WE'RE...

THAN COVID. SO THAT'S ONE EXAMPLE TO WHERE THEY GET SCREENED INITIALLY AND IT'S NEGATIVE.

I WAS SPEAKING TO A PRIVATE PHYSICIAN YESTERDAY WHO'S STARTING TO DO THAT THROUGH HIS OFFICE. AND HE WAS JUST GOING OVER THE RESULTS WITH ME.

AND THEY WERE CONFUSING TO ME.

I MEAN, THEY JUST THEY DIDN'T QUITE MAKE SENSE.

TIMELINE. AND SO IN OTHER WORDS, YOU DON'T WANT TO TEST TO BE CONFUSING IN SOME WAYS WITH THE CLINICAL PICTURE.

IS THAT GOOD ENOUGH OF AN ANSWER? I'LL TAKE IT. CAN I ASK A QUESTION ABOUT THE ANTIBODY TEST? IT'S A COMPLETELY DIFFERENT TEST, RIGHT? YES. YES.

SO NOW THEN, WHAT IF SOMEBODY THOUGHT THAT THEY HAD THE COVID THAT THEY WEREN'T EVER TESTED? THEY RECOVERED.

AND THEY JUST WONDER, IS THERE A POSSIBILITY THAT I'M ONE OF THOSE THAT MAY HAVE RECOVERED, AND I WANT TO MAKE MY BLOOD AVAILABLE FOR.

SO IS THERE A WAY FOR SOMEONE LIKE THAT TO BE ABLE TO BE SEEN? AS FAR AS I KNOW, I THINK THOSE THINGS ARE IN THE WORKS.

I JUST SAW DR.

[INAUDIBLE] INTERVIEW ABOUT THIS A FEW DAYS AGO, MAYBE OVER THE WEEKEND.

YOU KNOW, IT WOULD MAKE SENSE TO HAVE THE ABILITY TO DO THAT.

NOT ONLY COULD THEY BE A DONOR, BUT COULD THEY GO BACK, GET INTO THE WORKFORCE SAFELY.

RIGHT. RIGHT.

AND BUT I DON'T THINK THAT THAT'S AS WIDELY AVAILABLE AT THIS POINT IN TIME WHERE YOU COULD DO THAT IN MASS QUANTITIES.

AND NOT ONLY THAT, AS I KIND OF ALLUDED TO, YOU KNOW, WE'RE PROBABLY STILL HAVE A REALLY LOW PENETRANCE OF COVID IN OUR COMMUNITY RIGHT NOW.

SO IF WE WERE DOING ANTIBODY TESTS ON INDIVIDUALS AT THIS POINT IN TIME, I WOULD THINK THAT THAT VAST MAJORITY WOULD NOT HAVE ANTIBODIES STILL MAYBE STILL MORE THAN 90 PERCENT.

THIS DOCTOR, ARE YOU SAYING THAT SCIENTIFICALLY, IF YOU'RE GOING TO COLLECT THE PLASMA FROM A DONOR FOR CONVALESCENT ANTIBIOTIC TREATMENT, YOU'RE GOING TO RELY ON THEIR PREVIOUS POSITIVE TEST AS PROOF THAT THEY HAVE ANTIBODIES? SO. SO WHAT WE THINK IS A GOOD STRATEGY IS WHEN IS THAT WE HAVE A LIST.

CASIE HAS A LIST OF PEOPLE THAT WE KNOW ARE POSITIVE.

THEY CAME THROUGH THE DRIVE THROUGH OR, YOU KNOW, MARCH THE 18TH, WE PICKED UP THOSE FIRST TWO. AND SO WE HAVE THEM AND WE'RE CHECKING IN WITH THEM.

AND ALSO, WE KNOW WHAT THEIR CLINICAL STATUS IS.

AND WHAT THE PROTOCOL WOULD BE, IS THAT AFTER, WE WOULD LIKE TO WAIT ABOUT FOUR WEEKS, WHICH IS TOMORROW, AND HAVE THESE INDIVIDUALS SCREENED THEM AGAIN.

THAT'S WHAT THE DIRECTOR AT COFFEE MEMORIAL WANTS US TO DO, IS WE NEED ANOTHER NASAL SWAB TO MAKE SURE THEY'RE NEGATIVE AT THIS POINT.

THAT THEIR PCR IS CLEARED FROM THEIR UPPER RESPIRATORY TRACT.

IF IT WAS STILL POSITIVE AND SOME PEOPLE HAVE BEEN POSITIVE EVEN AFTER TWO OR THREE WEEKS, EVEN THOUGH THEY'VE RECOVERED, THEY STILL CAN BE POSITIVE.

IF THEY'RE STILL POSITIVE, THEN THEY CANNOT DONATE.

BUT IF THEY'RE NEGATIVE AND THEY'RE ASYMPTOMATIC AND APPROACHING FOUR WEEKS THEN AND THEY WANT TO VOLUNTEER, THOSE WOULD BE THE INDIVIDUALS THAT WE WOULD ASK THEM TO DO.

AND WE'RE WORKING WITH OUR PATIENTS WHO ARE RECOVERED.

WE'RE WORKING WITH THEM ON THAT TIMELINE.

SO WHEN WE GET CLOSER TO THEIR DATE OF RECOVERY, THEN WE ARE WORKING.

WE'RE TALKING TO THEM ABOUT THIS.

AND WE'VE HAD MANY THAT ARE VERY EXCITED ABOUT IT.

AND WE'VE HAD ONE PERSON WHO WENT BACK THROUGH THE DRIVE THROUGH TESTING YESTERDAY AND IS VERY EXCITED ABOUT DONATING BLOOD AS SOON AS WE GET THOSE RESULTS BACK.

WE'LL SEND THAT PERSON YOU KNOW, THAT PERSON WILL GO BACK, GO TO COFFEE MEMORIAL AND DONATE BLOOD. AND SO OUR PATIENTS ARE EXCITED TO BE ABLE TO HELP OTHER PEOPLE.

SO IS THAT PART OF THE RECOVERY, ARE YOU ALL GOING TO BE ROUTINELY RETESTING THESE

[01:00:05]

NOW, THAT'S NOT A ROUTINE THAT THAT'S ONLY IF THEY WOULD BE INTERESTED IN BEING A DONOR.

BUT ALSO WHAT I HEARD OUT OF THAT IS PEOPLE, EVEN WHEN THEY'RE TWO WEEKS OUT, IF THEY'VE BEEN POSITIVE, THEY'VE STILL GOT TO BE CAREFUL BECAUSE THEY COULD BE ONE OF THAT PERCENTAGE THAT COULD STILL BE SHEDDING VIRUSES.

14 DAYS IS KIND OF AN ESTIMATE OF WHAT IT'S FELT TO BE SAFE.

AND THERE ARE PEOPLE THAT GO BEYOND THAT.

YEAH, THAT'S TRUE. WHAT'S IMPORTANT IS THAT WE ALL PRACTICE SOCIAL DISTANCING.

EVERYBODY NEEDS TO WEAR A MASK.

ALL OF THESE THINGS ARE STILL VERY IMPORTANT.

RIGHT. RIGHT.

WELL, AND I THINK THAT'S IMPORTANT FOR THAT TO BE SAID, BECAUSE I THINK THERE'S GONNA BE PEOPLE THAT ARE GONNA GET 14 DAYS OUT AND THEY'RE GOING TO THINK, WHEW, EVERYTHING'S GREAT. I CAN JUST ENTER BACK AND DO EVERYTHING AND I DON'T HAVE TO BE PROTECTED AND I WANT TO DO THIS. AND THEY COULD STILL ACTUALLY BE CARRIERS.

AND THE PEOPLE THAT COME THROUGH PUBLIC HEALTH, WE TALKED TO THEM ABOUT THOSE VERY SAME THINGS. WE HAVE THE BEST NURSES IN TOWN.

I THINK THE HOSPITALS HAVE THE BEST NURSES IN TOWN.

THE CLINICS HAVE THE BEST NURSES IN TOWN AND PUBLIC HEALTH HAS THE BEST NURSES IN TOWN.

SO I THINK WE'RE VERY FORTUNATE IN OUR COMMUNITY, BUT OUR NURSES DEVELOP A RAPPORT VERY QUICKLY WITH OUR PATIENTS.

AND THEN WHEN YOU TALK TO THEM EVERY DAY FOR TWO WEEKS, YOU YOU GET TO KNOW PEOPLE.

AND SO THEY TALK ABOUT THOSE THINGS.

AND BECAUSE WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT PEOPLE ARE ARMED WITH REALLY GOOD INFORMATION WHEN THEY LEAVE OUR CARE. SO, CASIE, WHEN PATIENTS ARE 14 DAYS OUT.

ARE THEY RETESTED AGAIN TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY ARE NOW NEGATIVE OR HOW DOES THAT WORK? NOT EVERY PATIENT.

14 DAYS IS OUR STANDARD.

IT'S A LITTLE BIT LONGER THAN THE STATE STANDARD.

AND SO WE FEEL LIKE WITH WORKING WITH DR.

MILTON, THAT, AGAIN, THAT'S AN ESTIMATE.

AND SO BUT IT'S A LONGER ESTIMATE THAN WHAT THE STATE REQUIRES.

AND SO THAT'S LOCALLY WHAT OUR HEALTH AUTHORITY REQUIRES.

SO, NO, MA'AM, NOT EVERY PATIENT IS RETESTED.

BUT THOSE WHO WANT TO DONATE BLOOD AND TO DONATE THE CONVALESCENT ANTIBODIES ARE REQUIRED T HAVE ANOTHER TEST.

YOU'RE BASING YOUR RECOVERY ON THESE--SORRY, FRIDA--YOU'RE BASING RECOVERY ON THE TIMELINE, THEIR SYMPTOMS THAT ARE PRESENTING NOT NECESSARILY ON A SECOND TEST THAT SHOWS THEIR NEGATIVE? RIGHT. CASIE, I HAD A FOLLOW UP QUESTION YOU MENTIONED EARLIER ABOUT THE NUMBERS THAT WE ARE SHOWING ON OUR REPORT CARD FOR PEOPLE WHO ARE HOSPITALIZED VS.

RECOVERING AT HOME.

AND I WANT TO BE SURE IF I HEARD THIS RIGHT OR NOT, BUT WHEN PEOPLE ARE RELEASED FROM THE HOSPITAL, DO WE LOWER THAT NUMBER? OR IS IT LIKE A STAGNANT NUMBER? IF WE KNOW THAT THEY'RE RELEASED FROM THE HOSPITAL AND THAT INFORMATION ISN'T ALWAYS REAL TIME. AND SO SOMETIMES THE NUMBER DOESN'T CHANGE IMMEDIATELY WITH THE PATIENT.

AND SO SOMETIMES THE NUMBER IS A LITTLE BIT STAGNANT, BUT THAT INDICATES THAT THEY WERE HOSPITALIZED AT ONE POINT.

RIGHT. WHICH IS REALLY DIFFERENT.

FOR US TO EVALUATE IF OUR HOSPITAL SERVICES ARE BEING OVERBURDENED, IF THEY ARE BEING OVER UTILIZED OR UNDERUTILIZED.

THAT NUMBER IS GOING TO BE IMPORTANT.

I THINK IF WE START PREPARING A PLAN TO OPEN BACK UP THE CITY, THAT THAT'S ALWAYS ONE OF THE KEY THINGS IS WE'RE WANTING TO BE SURE THAT WE'RE NOT OVER, YOU KNOW, OVERBURDENING OUR HOSPITAL SUPPORT RIGHT NOW.

THIS IS FROM MY SIDE I LOOK AT IT AND I FEEL LIKE WE'RE UNDER UTILIZING IT BECAUSE OF IT, AS EVIDENCED BY THE FURLOUGHS THAT WE HAD.

THE DECISION TO STOP ALL NON ELECTIVE PROCEDURES RIGHT NOW LEADS TO THAT.

CLOSING DOWN SURGICAL CENTERS THAT AREN'T ACTUALLY ATTACHED TO THE HOSPITAL, PART OF THE HOSPITAL AND ANTICIPATION BEING SURE, WE FREED UP ENOUGH CAPACITY FOR TREATMENT.

BUT SINCE WE HAVEN'T SEEN THE SURGE, WE ARE UNDERUTILIZING.

SO I WOULD LIKE TO HEAR YOUR THOUGHTS ON JUST MOVING TOWARDS THAT DIRECTION, THE POSSIBILITY OF REOPENING FOR ELECTIVE PROCEDURES.

BUT THEN IF WE SAW SOME OF THAT NEED TO GO TOWARDS TREATMENT OF COZIED, THAT IS

[01:05:05]

BUT IF WE BEGIN SEEING THAT WE ARE UNDERSTAFFED, WE ARE NEEDING MORE BEDS THAN THAT, YOU KNOW, YOU GET CANCELED.

BUT AS OPPOSED TO JUST THIS FLAT ACROSS THE BOARD CANCELING ALL ELECTIVE SURGERIES.

I'D BE INTERESTED TO HEAR YOUR FEEDBACK ON THAT.

SO, THE CANCELING OF ELECTIVE PROCEDURES WAS IN THE GOVERNOR'S ORDER, AND SO THAT'S SOMETHING THAT I THINK IS IMPORTANT.

BUT ALSO IT'S NOT JUST THE BEDS, BUT IT WAS THE PPE.

SO EVERY TIME THERE'S AN ELECTIVE SURGERY, A LOT OF PEOPLE GETS USED AND IT'S IMPORTANT TO GET THAT PPE IS UTILIZED IN THE FACILITIES WHERE COVID PATIENTS ARE BEING TREATED BECAUSE THAT TAKES A LOT OF PPE.

SO WHERE ARE WE ON SUPPLY NOW? SO THAT'S A GREAT POINT, CASIE.

IT'S LIKE WE NEEDED TO BE SURE WE HAD ALL OF THE SUPPLIES AND MATERIALS TO BE SURE AND PROTECT OUR HEALTH CARE WORKERS.

HOW ARE WE TRACKING THAT? IT SOUNDS LIKE WE'RE GOING TO NEED OF SUPPLIES OR AN ADEQUATE AMOUNT TO BE ABLE TO THEN MOVE AWAY FROM CANCELING ALL ELECTIVE SURGERY.

WE DON'T HAVE AN OPTION.

BUT IF THE GOVERNOR AT SOME POINT RESCINDS THAT AND WE HAVE THAT DECISION TO MAKE HERE LOCALLY, I'D LIKE US TO BE PREPARED.

A LITTLE BIT ABOUT PPE.

I MEAN, I KIND OF WALK THE HALLS OVER AT NORTHWEST EVERY DAY AND I'M IN THE COVID UNITS TALKING TO NURSES AND THERE'S TWO BASICALLY TWO PLACES IN THE HOSPITAL.

ONE'S IN THE ICU WHERE THEY KEEP THE PATIENTS WHO ARE INTUBATED AND REALLY, YOU KNOW, VERY, VERY ILL.

AND THERE'S JUST TWO POSITIVE TODAY.

BUT THERE'S SEVERAL OVER THERE THAT THEY'RE WAITING ON THE TESTING TO COME BACK.

AND THEN THERE'S THE FLOOR WHERE THEY'RE NOT AS ILL AND DON'T NEED AS MUCH RESPIRATORY CARE. AND THERE WERE NINE POSITIVES AS OF TODAY, I BELIEVE.

AND THE NURSES ON THE FLOOR, NOT ICU, ARE ALLOWED TO USE AN N95 MASK FOR FIVE SEPARATE EVENTS. IN OTHER WORDS, IF THEY HAVE TO GO TO FIVE DIFFERENT ROOMS AFTER THE FIFTH ONE, THEY'RE ALLOWED TO GET ANOTHER MASK.

AND SO THE POINT BEING IS THAT THEY ARE WATCHING THAT VERY CLOSELY.

AND IN ICU, I THINK THEY'RE ALLOWED TWO A DAY.

AND FROM ACTUALLY JUST SPEAKING TO THE NURSES THIS MORNING, A LOT OF THEM ARE JUST USING ONE AND SAVING THE OTHER SO THAT THAT'S THEIR LEVEL OF CONCERN THAT THEY HAVE.

NOW, I HAVEN'T SPOKEN TO BRIAN OR MICHAEL THIS WEEK ABOUT ABOUT THEIR FEELINGS ON PPE, BUT THEY'VE ASSURED US THAT THEY FEEL LIKE THEY'RE IN PRETTY GOOD SHAPE.

AS A RESULT OF THE CHANGE IN ELECTIVE SURGERY, OR IN GENERAL? WELL, I THINK ALL OF THE ABOVE.

I THINK THAT ALLOWS THE USE OF PPE TO BE REDUCED AND CONSERVED.

AND I THINK THAT IN TERMS OF ELECTIVE PROCEDURES, I MEAN, SOMETHING THAT'S A REAL GRAY ZONE. YOU KNOW, WE'VE HAD DISCUSSIONS WITH I'VE HAD DISCUSSIONS WITH BOTH CMOS ABOUT WHAT THAT REALLY MEANS.

I MEAN, THAT SOMETIMES PEOPLE NEED TO GO AHEAD AND.

WELL, FOR EXAMPLE, I HAD A DISCUSSION WITH AN OPHTHALMOLOGIST JUST THE OTHER DAY WHO SAID THAT HE'S A RETINA SPECIALIST.

OBVIOUSLY, HE'S GONNA BE DOING WORK RIGHT IN SOMEONE'S FACE ALL THE TIME.

AND IF THEY DON'T GET THEIR RETINAL PROCEDURES, THEY GO BLIND.

WELL, OBVIOUSLY, THEY NEED TO DO THAT, RIGHT? WE NEED TO DO THAT. WE NEED TO FIGURE OUT HOW WE'RE GOING TO GET THAT DONE.

AND SO, YOU KNOW, I COACHED HIM THROUGH HOW WE KIND OF WHAT WE SUGGEST IN TERMS OF MASKING AND THE LENGTH OF TIME AND AND THAT SORT OF THING.

AND EYE SHIELDS AND THAT SORT OF THING AND, YOU KNOW, KIND OF GOT HIM THROUGH IT THAT WAY. BUT SO.

SO, YOU KNOW, I THINK A LOT OF THESE SPECIALISTS AND PROCEDURE-LISTS, YOU KNOW, SOME THINGS ARE CLEAR THAT THAT'S AN ELECTIVE THING TO DO, BUT SOME OF THEM NEED TO BE DONE.

AND SO AND AND WE NEED TO USE THE THE RESOURCES FOR THAT.

[01:10:04]

MILTON OR CASIE? I'VE GOT A QUESTION OR TWO.

I THINK YOU'VE ALREADY SAID THIS IN HIS MEETING, BUT DID YOU REVIEW THE NUMBERS WHEN WE TALKED ABOUT DOUBLING? ARE WE TALKING ABOUT NUMBER OF CASES THIS WEEK COMPARED TO THE PREVIOUS WEEK? LAST MONDAY, WE WERE AT 77 CASES, AND THIS WEEK AT 152, ON MONDAY.

OK. SO BUT.

ANOTHER QUESTION, THE NUMBER OF CASES IS THAT--THAT'S CUMULATIVELY THEN 152.

WHEN SOMEONE RECOVERS, DO WE SUBTRACT FROM THAT? YES, SIR. THE LINE GRAPH THAT COMMUNICATIONS HAS BUILT FOR US ON AMARILLO ALERTS DOT COM HAS THE NUMBER OF CUMULATIVE CASES AND THEN THE NUMBER OF RECOVERED LIKE THE TOTAL NUMBER OF CASES WHICH THE RECOVERY SERIES PULLED OUT JUST RIGHT UNDER THE LINE.

SO I THINK IT'S HELPFUL TO SEE THAT BECAUSE YOU CAN SEE THE TOTAL, THE NUMBER OF ACTIVE CASES IS THE WAY THAT'S WORDED.

SO THE TOTAL NUMBER MINUS THE RECOVERIES.

WE WOULD DOUBLE AGAIN, WE'D GO UP ANOTHER 70 OR WE GO UP FROM 152 TO 300?IF WE DOUBLED AGAIN, WE WOULD GO UP TO THREE HUNDRED.

ANYTHING ELSE, COUNCIL? MAYOR, I HAD ANOTHER QUESTION.

DR. MILTON, YOU REFERRED EARLIER TO TESTING BIAS.

OBVIOUSLY, ANY TESTING HAS SOME LEVEL OF BIAS.

AND CURRENTLY WHAT WE'RE DOING NOW.

IT IS BIASED TOWARDS THOSE WITH SYMPTOMS OR SOME CONCERNS AND WHICH CERTAINLY ALTERS OUR INFORMATION AND REALLY KNOWING WHAT'S GOING ON IN OUR COMMUNITY.

AS THE GOVERNOR BEGAN DISCUSSIONS AND PLANS OF REMOVING SOME OF THE RESTRICTIONS, ARE THERE ANY CONVERSATIONS GOING ON ABOUT RANDOM SAMPLING IN A PARTICULAR POPULATION? I LOOK AT AMARILLO. IT SEEMS LIKE WE WOULD BE IT SEEMS LIKE KIND OF A PERFECT SIZE TO DO RANDOM SAMPLING WERE LARGE ENOUGH TO HAVE A BIG ENOUGH POPULATION, BUT NOT SO LARGE THAT IT WOULD REQUIRE AS LARGE A NUMBER OF TESTS MAYBE AS SOME OTHER COMMUNITIES.

HOUSTON, DALLAS, SOME OF THOSE AREAS.

ARE THERE ANY CONVERSATIONS, IS THERE A WAY FOR US TO POSSIBLY VOLUNTEER, GET IN LINE? YOU KNOW, I THINK WE WOULD BE A REALLY GOOD TEST POPULATION, BUT I KNOW IT WOULD REQUIRE A LOT OF EXTRA TEST KITS AND MORE MANPOWER FOR THAT TO HAPPEN.

YES. THOSE CONVERSATIONS ARE HAPPENING.

YES, MA'AM. I DON'T HAVE A LOT OF DETAILS JUST BECAUSE WE'RE IN CONVERSATIONS RIGHT NOW.

BUT YES, WE ARE IN CONVERSATIONS ABOUT HOW THAT MIGHT HAPPEN AND WHAT IT MIGHT LOOK LIKE.

OK. I THINK IT'S A GREAT IDEA, ELAINE AND I WAS PLEASED TO HEAR THAT THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT AND ONE OF OUR COMMUNITY PARTNERS ARE WORKING THAT ANGLE AS WE SPEAK.

SO TRYING TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO LAUNCH THAT IN OUR COMMUNITY, NOT RELYING ON BEING A PART OF A STATE STUDY OR SOMETHING, THAT TRYING TO DO OUR OWN STUDY HERE BECAUSE THAT DATA IS SO VALUABLE TO US AS A COMMUNITY.

SO I THINK THAT'S AN EXCELLENT QUESTION.

AND I'M SURE CASIE WILL BRING US MORE INFORMATION JUST AS SOON AS SHE HAS IT.

I'M VERY CURIOUS TO HEAR THOSE CONVERSATIONS ARE HAPPENING.

YES, MA'AM. THANK YOU FOR ASKING.

I SUSPECT THAT CASIE AND HER TEAM ARE HAVING A LOT OF CONVERSATIONS AND THAT THE VOLUME OF CONVERSATIONS THEY'RE HAVING WORKING 16 AND 18 HOUR DAYS FOR THE LAST GOING ON AT LEAST FOUR WEEKS NOW. IT'S HARD FOR THEM TO COME AND IN 30 MINUTES, 45 MINUTES GIVE US THE DOWNLOAD ON EVERYTHING.

SO WE DO APPRECIATE, CASIE, EVERYTHING THAT YOU GUYS ARE DOING.

DR. MILTON, WE APPRECIATE YOU VERY, VERY MUCH.

AND WE'RE ALL PRAYING FOR YOU AND PRAYING FOR YOUR TEENS.

WE'RE PRAYING FOR YOUR STAMINA.

WE'RE PRAYING FOR YOUR HEALTH.

RECOGNIZE THAT WE'RE RELYING ON YOU GUYS TO BE ON THE FRONT LINES FOR US.

[01:15:03]

AND I'M GLAD TO SERVE.

WELL, YOU'RE BOTH DOING A GREAT JOB AND WE APPRECIATE YOU.

I WONDER IF NOW I KNOW WE HAVE SOME OTHER GUESTS, MR. CITY MANAGER. WITH REGARD TO ITEM 1 C, I DON'T THINK WE'RE FINISHED NECESSARILY WITH ONE B, BUT IT'S ALL SORT OF CORONAVIRUS RELATED.

I'M WONDERING ABOUT OUT OF CONSIDERATION FOR OUR GUESTS ROLLING DOWN AND DOING ONE C HEARING THOSE PRESENTATIONS AND THEN COMING BACK TO STAFF PRESENTATIONS ON ITEM 1B, IF THERE ARE ANY OTHER STAFF PRESENTATIONS.

SURE, WE CAN DO THAT. WE HAVE--MAKE SURE IT WAS MUTED.

YEAH, WE CAN DO THAT. WE HAVE VERY FEW OTHER STAFF PRESENTATIONS.

I'M GOING TO SHARE A LITTLE BIT OF INFORMATION ABOUT WHAT WE'RE GONNA BE ABLE TO DO WITH THE CARE FUNDING THAT WE'VE RECEIVED, THE CARE ACT.

WE'LL ALSO HAVE ANTHONY SPANEL SPEAK JUST BRIEFLY.

AND THAT'S REALLY ALL WE HAVE.

WE SPOKE ABOUT ANIMAL MANAGEMENT LAST WEEK.

WE HAD JULIANNA KITTEN ON LAST WEEK.

WE DON'T HAVE EITHER ONE OF THOSE PEOPLE PLANNED THIS WEEK, BUT WE CAN ADDRESS ANY QUESTIONS YOU HAVE ABOUT ANY ONE OF THOSE TOPICS AS WELL.

SO WE DON'T HAVE THAT MUCH TO PRESENT.

ABSOLUTELY. WE CAN GO ON TO ONE C AND THEN COME BACK TO COMPLETE ANY ITEMS THAT I HAVE OR THE QUESTIONS THAT COUNCIL HAS ON ONE B.

COUNCIL DO WE HAVE A PROBLEM WITH DOING THAT? OUR GUESTS HAVE BEEN ON THE PHONE FOR SO LONG, AND CONSIDERING THEIR TIME.

OK. LET'S DO THAT [INAUDIBLE].

SO WE HAVE AS THE NEXT ITEM, MR.

[C. Small Business]

WE ALSO HAVE MARIN REVIS WITH WORKFORCE SOLUTIONS.

SO LET'S AND I DON'T KNOW WHO HAS THE LEAD ON THIS.

SO MANY GOOD THOUGHTS. KEVIN CARTER.

KEVIN. THANK YOU, MR. MILLER. VERY EXCITED ABOUT WHO WE HAVE TODAY TO TALK ABOUT SOME OF THE THINGS THAT ARE GOING ON WITH THE CARES ACT AND ALSO GOING ON AT THE WORKFORCE SOLUTIONS OF THE PANHANDLE. SO I'M GOING TO LET GINA GO FIRST.

GINA WOODWARD IS THE REGIONAL DIRECTOR FOR THE NORTHWEST TEXAS SPDC.

YOU MIGHT TRY AND UNMUTE, GINA.

UNLESS WE, STEPHANIE, HAVE HAVE HER MUTED ON OUR END.

UNMUTED NOW? YES.

NOW WE CAN HEAR YOU. ALL RIGHT.

WELCOME. SORRY FOR THE WOBBLY VIDEO.

WE'RE HAVING INTERNET ISSUES TODAY AND I'M ON MY PHONE.

THANKS FOR HAVING US. I WANTED TO JUST KIND OF GIVE YOU AN UPDATE ON THE OPTIONS THAT THE SBA HAS FOR OUR LOCAL BUSINESS OWNERS.

FIRST, JUST REAL QUICK, FOR THOSE WHO AREN'T FAMILIAR WITH THE SPDC.

SPDC IS A NATIONWIDE PROGRAM AND WE ARE PARTNERS WITH THE SBA.

IT'S THEIR PROGRAM. THEY STARTED ABOUT 30 YEARS AND THERE'S AN SPDC THAT'S ASSIGNED TO EVERY PART OF THE US.

OURS WORKS IN CONJUNCTION WITH WT.

OBVIOUSLY, WE ARE ASSIGNED TO HELP THE TEXAS PANHANDLE, BUT WE'RE WORKING WITH ALL OF OUR OFFICES NATIONWIDE RIGHT NOW.

ONE OF THE FIRST GOOD OPTIONS FOR PEOPLE THAT'S NOT GOTTEN A WHOLE LOT OF PUBLICITY YET IS PART OF THE CARES ACT THAT CAME OUT A LITTLE BIT OVER A WEEK AGO THAT CONGRESS APPROVED. PART OF THAT ALLOWS FOR SBA TO ACTUALLY MAKE SIX MONTHS OF PAYMENTS FOR PEOPLE WHO HAVE AN EXISTING SBA LOAN OR PEOPLE WHO HAVE AN SBA LOAN IN THE PROCESS.

AND THEY CLOSE ON THAT BY THE END OF SEPTEMBER.

AND THOSE PAYMENTS WILL INCLUDE PRINCIPAL INTEREST AND ANY FEES.

THERE'S TYPICALLY AT LEAST A THOUSAND OR TWO DOLLARS OF FEES WHEN YOU APPLY FOR AN SBA LOAN. SO THIS COULD SAVE BUSINESS OWNERS A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF MONEY.

TO BE ELIGIBLE FOR THAT, REALLY, ALL THEY NEED TO DO IS CONTACT WITH THE LENDER AND PUT IN THE REQUEST AND THE LENDER WILL THEN REQUEST THAT OF THE SBA.

I AM ENCOURAGING PEOPLE TO BE VERY PATIENT RIGHT NOW.

I'LL TELL YOU A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT THE PPP LOANS IN A SECOND.

BUT LENDERS ARE PROCESSING THOSE.

WE HAVE ALWAYS KNOWN THAT WE HAVE THE ABSOLUTE BEST REGIONAL LENDERS IN THIS AREA, AND THAT COULD NOT BE MORE TRUE.

RIGHT NOW. THEY ARE WORKING AROUND THE CLOCK TO MAKE THIS HAPPEN FOR PEOPLE.

SO IF YOU DO SUBMIT A REQUEST FOR THE SBA LOAN DEFERMENT, MAKE SURE THAT YOU'RE PATIENT WITH THEM BECAUSE THEY ARE WORKING HARD FOR ALL OF US.

ONE OF THE OTHER NEW PROGRAMS THAT CAME OUT AS PART OF THE CARES ACT IS THE PPP LOAN OR THE OFFICIAL NAME IS THE PAYCHECK PROTECTION PROGRAM.

THE WHOLE GOAL OF THAT PROGRAM IS TO KEEP PEOPLE EMPLOYED.

[01:20:04]

WE WANT THEM TO HAVE GAINFUL UNEMPLOYMENT AND BE ABLE TO PROVIDE FOR THEIR FAMILIES.

SO THIS PROGRAM IS ALSO A PROCESS BY LENDERS.

SO, AGAIN, THEY'RE VERY, VERY BUSY.

THEY'RE GOING TO BE LOOKING AT A BUSINESS OWNER'S AVERAGE PAYROLL FOR THE LAST TWELVE MONTHS. THEY WILL DIVIDE THAT OUT.

AND APPLICANTS WHO ARE ELIGIBLE, WHICH IS JUST ALMOST EVERYBODY, I'LL GO INTO THAT.

THEY WILL GET TWO AND A HALF TIMES THEIR AVERAGE PAYROLL FOR THE LAST 12 MONTHS.

SO IF WE HAVE AN APPLICANT THAT HAS AN AVERAGE PAYROLL OF TEN THOUSAND DOLLARS PER MONTH, THEY WOULD RECEIVE FUNDS OF TWENTY FIVE THOUSAND DOLLARS.

FOR-PROFITS AND NON-PROFITS CAN APPLY.

THAT'S TRADITIONAL WITH ALL SBA FUNDING.

BUT WHAT IS NEW? THE FIRST TIME I'VE EVER SEEN IT, AS LONG AS I'VE BEEN DOING THIS, SBA IS NOW OPENING THESE FUNDS UP TO RELIGIOUS ORGANIZATIONS.

I KNOW THAT MY CHURCH HAS TAKEN A HIT IN TITHES RIGHT NOW, AS HAVE MOST OTHER CHURCHES IN THE AREA. SO I'M REALLY ENCOURAGING CHURCHES TO ALSO THINK ABOUT APPLYING FOR THESE FUNDS. SOMETHING THAT I DO WANT TO TO POINT OUT FOR SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS WHEN WE SAY FOR-PROFITS. SO MANY PEOPLE TEND TO THINK THAT IT'S ONLY LLCS CORPORATIONS OR EVEN SOLE PROPRIETORSHIPS WITH MANY EMPLOYEES.

NOT TRUE. THIS INCORPORATES ALL FOR PROFITS IN THIS.

SO WHETHER THEY'RE A SOLE PROPRIETOR, SOME CALL THEMSELVES 1099, SOME CALL THEMSELVES INDEPENDENT CONTRACTORS.

IT'S ALL THE SAME THING.

YOU CAN BE WORKING OUT OF YOUR SPARE BEDROOM AND HAVE NO EMPLOYEES, AND YOU ABSOLUTELY STILL QUALIFY FOR THESE FUNDS.

WHEN YOU REQUEST THE FUNDS.

LET'S SAY YOU HAVE THAT TWENTY FIVE THOUSAND DOLLARS, IF THAT WAS YOUR AVERAGE PAYROLL, YOU'VE GOT TO USE AT LEAST 75 PERCENT OF IT ON PAYROLL.

THAT INCLUDES SALARY, RETIREMENT, HEALTH, AND ANY STATE TAXES IS INCLUDED IN THAT.

YOU CAN USE THE WHOLE THING ON SALARIES, BUT IF YOU DO CHOOSE TO DO THE SEVENTY FIVE PERCENT ON SALARIES, THE OTHER 25 PERCENT MUST BE SPENT ON EITHER RENT, MORTGAGE INSURANCE OR UTILITIES.

IF YOU FOLLOW THAT RULE, THE SEVENTY FIVE PERCENT RULE AT THE END OF THE EIGHT WEEKS FOLLOWING DISBURSEMENT OF THE FUNDS, THAT LOAN WILL ACTUALLY BE COMPLETELY FORGIVEN BY THE SBA. IT'S ESSENTIALLY GRANT FUNDS.

IF THE GUIDELINES ARE NOT MET.

IF YOU DON'T MEET THAT SEVENTY FIVE POINT FIVE PERCENT SPLIT, THE FUNDS JUST TURN INTO AN SBA LOAN. THE SBA IS GOING TO BACK ALL OF THESE SO OUR LOCAL LENDERS WILL NOT BE AT RISK IN THE TERMS ON THAT LOAN IS 1 PERCENT AT 2 YEARS.

SO IT'S DEFINITELY THE BEST LOAN THAT YOU WILL EVER GET.

AGAIN, ANYBODY WHO'S INTERESTED IN THE PPP FUNDS OR THE SBA LOAN PAYMENTS FOR SIX MONTHS, MAKE SURE THAT YOU'RE CONTACTING YOUR LOCAL LENDER.

AGAIN, THEY'RE WORKING AROUND THE CLOCK.

AND WE SO APPRECIATE THEM.

SBA LAST WEEK ISSUED SOME UPDATES.

AND NOW THOSE LENDERS WHO APPROVED THE LOANS ARE ACTUALLY REQUIRED TO DISPERSE THE FUNDS WITHIN FIVE DAYS OF APPROVAL.

SO WHEN I SAY THAT LENDERS ARE WORKING AROUND THE CLOCK, I ABSOLUTELY MEAN IT.

THEY ARE. AND YOU SHOULD HAVE YOUR FUNDS WITHIN THE WEEK IF YOU'RE APPROVED.

LENDERS CAN HELP WITH ALL THIS.

BUT THE SPDC, WE ARE ALSO WORKING AROUND THE CLOCK TRYING TO HELP OUR CLIENTS AND ANSWER QUESTIONS. THEY'RE WELCOME TO EMAIL OR CALL US.

AND I THINK OUR INFORMATION IS ON THAT HANDOUT.

AND I CAN GIVE THAT TO YOU AS WELL AS NEEDED.

BUT THOSE ARE THE TWO MAIN THINGS THAT SBA IS WORKING ON RIGHT NOW THAT WE'RE ASSISTING WITH. QUESTIONS FOR GINA, COUNCIL? GINA, CAN YOU RESTATE WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT.

.. SO IT'S TWO AND A HALF TIMES SOMEONE'S PAYROLL.

SO THE GOVERNMENT IS THINKING WE'RE GOING TO TRY AND HELP BUILD A BRIDGE FOR TWO AND A HALF MONTHS. BASICALLY, YOU DON'T GET THAT EVERY MONTH.

IS THAT, IT'S A ONE TIME DEAL.

AND BASICALLY, THEY'RE TRYING TO BUY TIME AND A BRIDGE TO BE THAT SAFETY NET FOR TWO AND A HALF MONTHS. AND SO EXPLAIN THE SEVENTY FIVE PERCENT TO BE ABLE TO THEN HAVE THAT LOAN FORGIVEN. IF IT'S TWO AND A HALF TIMES YOUR PAYROLL.

JUST KIND OF WALK ME THROUGH HOW THAT WOULDN'T BE 100 PERCENT.

I GUESS PARTLY IF PEOPLE ARE LAID OFF, YOU MAY HAVE PEOPLE WHO'VE BEEN SICK AGAIN THAT ARE OFF YOUR PAYROLL DURING THAT TIME.

SO YOU MAY NOT. YOU JUST MAY NOT HAVE AS LARGE OF A PAYROLL, EVEN THOUGH.

YOU'RE TRYING TO DISPERSE ALL OF THOSE DOLLARS.

[01:25:04]

ONE THING THAT THE SBA HAS COME TO REALIZE IS THERE'S ALREADY QUITE A FEW EMPLOYEES ON UNEMPLOYMENT. AND WE'VE ALREADY RUN INTO THIS WHERE THEY'VE CHOSEN TO JUST STAY ON EMPLOYMENT RATHER THAN COME BACK.

IF THAT DOES HAPPEN, THOUGH, THE BUSINESS WOULD BE REQUIRED TO HIRE SOMEBODY TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY HAVE THE SAME HEADCOUNT.

IF YOU HAVE PEOPLE OUT ON SICK LEAVE, THAT SHOULD NOT AFFECT IT.

BUT IF YOU HAVE PEOPLE WHO JUST SIMPLY CHOOSE NOT TO COME BACK TO WORK OR YOU HAVE TO TERMINATE FOR SOME OTHER REASON, YOU DO NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU KEEP THE SAME HEADCOUNT IN ORDER TO BE ELIGIBLE FOR THE FORGIVENESS AND FORTHCOMING.

GINA, ARE YOU SEEING PARTICULAR INDUSTRIES THAT ARE TAKING ADVANTAGE OF THIS MORE THAN OTHERS WHERE THEY'RE SEEING MORE COMPLICATIONS, THROUGH COVID?.

JUST WITH THEIR NUMBER OF HEADS STAYING ON PAYROLL? NO, NOT AT ALL.

WE HAVE SEEN SOME PRETTY DIVERSE APPLICANTS.

LIKE I SAID, EVERYTHING FROM WHAT I'M REALLY FOCUSING ON PERSONALLY RIGHT NOW IS JUST EDUCATING THOSE SOLE PROPRIETORS.

YOU KNOW, THE LADIES WHO MAKE EARRINGS OUT OF THEIR SPARE BEDROOM AND THEY DON'T QUALIFY FOR ANYTHING. THEY HAVE QUALIFIED AND RECEIVED FUNDS.

BUT THEN YOU ALSO MENTIONED THE RELIGIOUS ORGANIZATIONS.

WE'RE WORKING WITH SOME CHURCHES RIGHT NOW AND HOPEFULLY THEY'LL RECEIVE FUNDING, TOO.

SO NOW IT'S BEEN A PRETTY WIDE GAMUT.

I'M SO GLAD YOU MENTIONED THE NONPROFITS IN CHURCHES.

I WAS NOT AWARE OF THAT.

I THINK THAT'S REALLY GOOD INFORMATION FOR US TO HELP GET THAT INFORMATION OUT IN OUR COMMUNITY. NEW AND UNIQUE.

BUT AGAIN, THIS IS A UNIQUE SITUATION, SO I'M GLAD THEY'RE DOING IT.

KNOW A LOT OF THOSE SOLE PROPRIETORS DON'T HAVE BANKING RELATIONSHIPS.

OBVIOUSLY NOT EVERYBODY, BUT THE VERY, VERY SMALL MOM AND POP STORES OR MAYBE JUST THE MOM SIDE BUSINESS TYPE STORES.

WHAT ARE THEIR AVENUES TO GET INTO A BANK? MAYBE THEY'RE CULTURALLY INTIMIDATED? AND OBVIOUSLY LOBBIES ARE CLOSED.

SO YOU'RE NOT JUST WALKING UP TO THE NICE, YOU KNOW, FRIENDLY FACE IN THE BANK AND SAYING, I'VE NEVER BEEN A CUSTOMER HERE, BUT HOW DO I APPLY FOR A PPP LOAN.

SO LOBBIES ARE CLOSED.

AND IF THEY DIDN'T HAVE A PRIOR RELATIONSHIP WITH THE BANK OR THAT THEY CAN PICK UP THE PHONE AND SAY, HEY, HOW DO I GET THIS GOING FOR MY...YOU KNOW WHAT MIGHT BE JUST A COTTAGE INDUSTRY OR IT'S HAPPENING OUT OF THEIR HOUSE OR IT'S SOMETHING THAT THEY HAVE BEEN ABLE TO DO THROUGHOUT THE YEAR WITHOUT NEEDING A LOAN, HOW DO WE GET THEM ON BOARD FOR THE PPP LOAN? AGAIN, WE HAVE THE VERY, VERY BEST REGIONAL LENDERS.

WE HAVE A THOUSAND OFFICES OURSELVES ACROSS THE COUNTRY, AND SO WE'RE STAYING IN TOUCH WITH ALL THE OTHER SPDCS.

I CAN TELL YOU, THERE'S A LOT OF OTHER SPDC THAT ARE REALLY IMPRESSED WITH THE LENDERS THAT WE HAVE HERE AND HOW QUICKLY THEY MOVE AND HOW WELL THEY'RE HELPING CLIENTS.

IT'S NOT UNUSUAL FOR ME TO BE TEXTING SOME OF THOSE LENDERS LATE AT NIGHT.

AMY HENDERSON, JUDY WHITELY, THEY'RE ALL WONDERFUL.

I'VE BEEN ABLE TO TALK TO A LOT OF THEM.

AND ALTHOUGH THEIR FOCUS RIGHT NOW IS MAINLY ON EXISTING BUSINESSES, PARTLY JUST BECAUSE THEY HAVE TO GET THOSE LOANS PROCESSED AND THE FUNDS DISBURSED SO QUICKLY COMPLETELY UNDERSTAND THAT THEY WANT TO TAKE CARE OF THEIR CURRENT CLIENT FIRST.

BUT THEY HAVE TOLD ME THAT THEY WILL TAKE NEW CLIENTS.

AND I'VE SENT SOME NEW CLIENTS TO THEM THAT THEY'VE BEEN ABLE TO HELP.

THEY'RE NOT GOING TO BE AT THE TOP OF THE PILE ON THE APPLICATIONS, BUT THEY ARE ABSOLUTELY SETTING UP NEW ACCOUNTS REMOTELY AND PROCESSING PAPERWORK REMOTELY TOO.

SO THERE THEY ARE WONDERFUL.

AND WE'RE VERY LUCKY TO HAVE THEM.

SO CAN PEOPLE CONTACT YOU AT THE SBA IF THEY NEED AN ENTRY INTO ONE OF THOSE RELATIONSHIPS? ABSOLUTELY, WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO TALK TO A LOT OF THE LENDERS, SO WE KIND OF KNOW WHAT THEY'RE FOCUSING ON.

IF THERE'S ANY PARTICULAR INDUSTRY AND WE CAN HELP GIVE THEM SOME OPTIONS.

OK. AND SO DO YOU HAVE A PHONE NUMBER YOU WANT TO GIVE TO THE PUBLIC THAT THEY CAN CONTACT YOU AT? IT IS 8 0 6 6 5 1 5 1 5 1.

AND WE'VE GOT PEOPLE ANSWERING THAT LINE ALL DAY UNTIL LATE AT NIGHT.

OK. AND THE TIMELINE TO GET I MEAN, I KNOW THERE'S A LITTLE BIT OF CONCERN ABOUT IF MY APPLICATION IS NOT A TOP OF THE HEAP, THAT SBA FUNDS ARE GOING TO, YOU KNOW, LITTLE BIT

[01:30:01]

BUT WHAT'S THE DEADLINE FOR GETTING YOUR APPLICATION IN? SO THE DEADLINE RIGHT NOW IS JUNE 30TH.

THE PROGRAM WAS FUNDED AT THREE HUNDRED AND FIFTY BILLION ABOUT A WEEK AND A HALF AGO.

THAT SOUNDS LIKE A LOT OF MONEY THAT'S PROBABLY GOING TO GET USED UP QUICKLY.

BUT CONGRESS RIGHT NOW IS WORKING TO EXTEND THE CARES ACT.

AND WE EXPECT THAT THE FUND AT MINIMUM WILL BE REPLENISHED.

SO I'M NOT WORRIED ABOUT THE FUND RUNNING OUT AND THEY MAY END UP EXTENDING THAT DEADLINE IF WE SEE THE COVID CRISIS GO ON LONGER THAN WE EXPECTED.

SO MY POINT IS THAT PEOPLE SHOULDN'T WAIT.

THEY SHOULD GET RIGHT ON IT.

THEY SHOULD TREAT IT EVEN THOUGH THERE ARE SOME DEADLINES OUT THERE THAT THINK, WELL, WE'VE GOT TWO OR THREE MONTHS TO PUT THAT TOGETHER.

THERE REALLY IS A SENSE OF URGENCY [INAUDIBLE] OUR BUSINESSES.

AND I WOULD PLEAD TO THE MEDIA COVERING THIS MEETING THAT THEY WOULD BE VERY AGGRESSIVE IN GETTING THIS MESSAGE OUT TO OUR COMMUNITY BECAUSE EVERY SINGLE BUSINESS THAT GETS A PPP LOAN THOSE ARE DOLLARS INTO OUR COMMUNITY AND THEY WILL ACTIVELY PARTICIPATE RESTARTING OUR ECONOMY.

SO LIKE I TALKED TO A BUSINESS OWNER THIS WEEK.

THEY'RE A SMALL BUSINESS, JUST A HUSBAND AND WIFE.

AND THEY TAKE A LOT OUT OF THEIR PROFITS THAT AREN'T SALARY.

AND THEY WERE KIND OF LIKE, IT'S PROBABLY REALLY NOT WORTH OUR TIME.

AND I HIGHLY ENCOURAGED THEM TO GO AHEAD AND DO THAT PAPERWORK, BECAUSE EVEN IF IT'S JUST A FEW THOUSAND DOLLARS, IF WE HAD, YOU KNOW, A HUNDRED BUSINESSES DOING THAT AND NOW WE HAVE SEVERAL HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS FLOATING IN OUR ECONOMY THAT WE DIDN'T HAVE PRIOR TO THEM RECEIVING THEIR PPP LOANS.

SO I DON'T WANT ANYONE HEARING THIS MESSAGE AND THINKING I'M NOT A BIG ENOUGH SPLASH IN THE POND FOR MY LOAN FUNDS TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN MY LOCAL ECONOMY OR IT'S NOT REALLY WORTH IT FOR ME TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO FILL OUT THAT PAPERWORK BECAUSE MY BUSINESS IS ABLE TO MANAGE WITHOUT THE SAME CASH FLOW CRUNCH THAT MANY OTHER BUSINESSES ARE.

I'M MAKING A PLEA TO YOU IN OUR CITY, AS THE MAYOR, I AM ASKING THAT YOU FILL OUT THIS PAPERWORK. WE NEED EVERY DOLLAR WE CAN POSSIBLY GET TO FUND THE RECOVERY IN OUR CITY AND WE NEED EVERY SINGLE PAYCHECK THAT WE CAN COVER OVER THE NEXT TWO AND A HALF MONTHS.

SOMEBODY THAT DOESN'T HAVE TO GET LAID OFF OR TAKE FEWER OUR PARTS IN YOUR BUSINESS IN ORDER TO COVER YOUR CASH CRUNCH.

THAT'S WHAT THESE FUNDS ARE FOR.

SO IF YOU'RE MEDIA AND YOU'RE LISTENING, WE DON'T ASK THIS VERY OFTEN, BUT THIS IS VERY, VERY IMPORTANT FOR OUR COMMUNITY THAT YOU WOULD PLEASE HELP US GET THE MESSAGE OUT ON HOW IMPORTANT IT IS FOR EVERY SINGLE BUSINESS OWNER TO APPLY FOR THESE PPP LOANS AND FOR THEM TO CALL THE SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION, CONTACT A LOCAL BANKER THAT THEY GO TO CHURCH WITH WHATEVER IT TAKES FOR THEM TO FILL OUT THE PAPERWORK.

EVERY SINGLE BUSINESS TO APPLY FOR AND GET THESE FUNDS WILL BE VITAL FOR THE RECOVERY OF OUR CITY. ABSOLUTELY.

LET'S KEEP PEOPLE EMPLOYED.

AND I JUST WANT TO COMMENT ON THE FACT THAT JUST THE PACE OF THIS PROGRAM, NUMBER ONE GETTING APPROVED THROUGH CONGRESS AND THEN ACTUALLY FUNDED AND THEN HAVING THE STRUCTURE, THE PAPERWORK AND THE DEADLINE FOR THOSE LENDERS TO GET THE MONEY OUT, IT'S INCREDIBLE.

I HAVE NEVER SEEN ANYTHING LIKE THIS SO TRULY APPRECIATIVE OF WASHINGTON AND CONGRESS GETTING ON THIS AND THEN THE IMPLEMENTATION OF IT AT THE LOCAL LEVEL.

BUT THE PACE OF THE ASSISTANCE IS TRULY, TRULY INCREDIBLE.

IT IS, THIS IS A MASSIVE PIECE OF LEGISLATION AND IT'S PRETTY IMPRESSIVE THAT THEY'VE GOTTEN IT [INAUDIBLE] AS QUICKLY AS THEY HAVE.

AND THAT WE'RE IMPLEMENTING IT LOCALLY IN OUR BANKS.

RIGHT. BUT THEN TO THE MAYOR'S POINT, IF PEOPLE AREN'T AWARE OF IT, THEY DON'T KNOW HOW TO ACCESS IT. IT DOESN'T HELP.

IT'S NOT GOING TO HELP. IT'S A REALLY, REALLY CRITICAL APPRECIATE YOU BEING HERE TODAY TO EXPLAIN IT. YOU'VE CLARIFIED SEVERAL THINGS THAT I WAS NOT AWARE OF.

AND SO JUST REALLY APPRECIATE THE INFORMATION, GINA.

GLAD TO BE HERE. THANK YOU.

ANYBODY ELSE QUESTIONS FOR GINA? OK, I'LL HAND IT BACK TO KEVIN CARTER.

THANK YOU, MAYOR. THANK YOU, GINA.

GINA IS A GREAT PARTNER, NOT JUST FOR AMARILLO, BUT FOR THE WHOLE PANHANDLE.

WHAT THEY DO, THEIR PARTNERSHIP THAT THEY HAVE THROUGH THE SPDC IN WEST TEXAS A&M.

AND SO GLAD TO HAVE HER AS A PARTNER.

AND ALSO ONE OF OUR OTHER PARTNERS IS MARIN REAVIS.

HE IS THE WORKFORCE DIRECTOR FOR THE INTERNAL REGIONAL PLANNING COMMISSION.

SO, MARIN, YOU WANT TO TALK ABOUT SOME OF THE PROGRAMS THAT YOU GUYS HAVE?

[01:35:01]

AT TIMES, I CAN BE SOMEWHAT CONFUSING TO SOME FOLKS AND I HOPE TO KIND OF GET SOME BACKGROUND TO HELP EVERYBODY UNDERSTAND THE DIFFERENT ENTITIES THAT ARE COMING TOGETHER THAT HELPED CREATE THE SYSTEM.

ALSO WANT TO THANK KEVIN CARTER AND OUR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION AND OF COURSE, THE SMALL BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT CENTER AND GINA WOODWORTH, WHO WE PARTNERED WITH IN OUR WORKING WITH OUR LOCAL EMPLOYERS THAT WE HAVE REGULAR CONNECTIONS WITH TO DISSEMINATE A LOT OF THIS INFORMATION AND THE DIFFERENT OPPORTUNITIES THAT ARE BEING MADE AVAILABLE THROUGH THE YEAR.

AGAIN, MY NAME IS MARIN REVIS, I'M THE WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR AT THE PANHANDLE REGIONAL PLANNING COMMISSION.

THE TEXAS WORKFORCE SOLUTION SYSTEM IS BASICALLY A CONSORTIUM OF THE TEXAS WORKFORCE COMMISSION, THE LOCAL PANHANDLE WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT BOARD, AND OF COURSE, THE WORKFORCE SOLUTIONS PANHANDLE OFFICE.

WORKFORCE SOLUTIONS PANHANDLE OFFICE IS THE DIRECT CHILDCARE AND WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT SERVICE DELIVERY PROVIDER FOR THE TWENTY SIX COUNTIES THAT MAKE UP THE PANHANDLE WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT AREA.

THE PANHANDLE WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT BOARD IS BASICALLY CHARGED WITH PLANNING AND OVERSIGHT OF THE LOCAL SERVICE DELIVERY SYSTEM OF THE WORKFORCE SOLUTIONS PANHANDLE.

THAT BOARD IS A GROUP OF COMMUNITY LEADERS APPOINTED BY THE CHIEF ELECTED OFFICIALS OF THE PANHANDLE WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT CONSORTIUM GOVERNING BODY.

CONSORTIUM GOVERNING BODY CONSISTS OF SEVEN INDIVIDUALS THAT ARE ELECTED BY AND FROM AMONG THE 26 COUNTY JUDGES AND OF COURSE, THE AMARILLO CITY MAYOR.

THE MAJORITY OF THE PANHANDLE WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT BOARD REPRESENTS LOCAL BUSINESS COMMUNITY. WE ALSO HAVE MEMBERS THAT REPRESENT ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AGENCIES, COMMUNITY BASED ORGANIZATIONS, EDUCATION, ORGANIZED LABOR AND PUBLIC ASSISTANCE AGENCIES WHO WE PARTNER WITH TO DISSEMINATE A LOT OF THIS INFORMATION AND WORK WITH TRYING TO MAKE SURE EVERYBODY'S GOT THE MOST CURRENT AND UP TO DATE INFORMATION.

THE CONSORTIUM GOVERNING BODY AND THE WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT BOARD SELECTED PRPC TO SERVE AS THE ADMINISTRATIVE FISCAL AGENT AND GRANT RECIPIENT TO THE PANHANDLE WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT AREA. SO WE PICKED PRPC CONTRACTS WITH THE TEXAS WORKFORCE COMMISSION AND WE DISSEMINATE MONIES THROUGH THE WORKFORCE SOLUTIONS PANHANDLE OFFICE TO DELIVER THOSE SERVICES TO THE 26 COUNTY AREAS.

WORKFORCE SOLUTIONS SERVE THE COMMUNITY BY PROVIDING A VARIETY OF SERVICES.

MOST COMMONLY, PEOPLE RECOGNIZE WORKFORCE SOLUTIONS AS THE CHILD CARE SERVICE PROVIDER OF SUBSIDIZED CHILD CARE.

WE ALSO PROVIDE BASIC JOB INFORMATION, JOB REFERRALS AND MOST KNOWN FOR CONNECTING JOB SEEKERS TO THE EMPLOYERS WHO ARE IN MOST NEED OF THE WORKERS.

THE GOAL OF THE WORKFORCE SOLUTION OFFICE IS, OF COURSE, TO ESTABLISH A LOCAL SYSTEM THAT SERVES EMPLOYERS AND JOB SEEKERS IN ALL ASPECTS OF EMPLOYMENT AND TRAINING AND TO HELP BRING PROSPERITY OF BOTH.

ONE OF THE PRIMARY STRATEGIES IS COORDINATING ACTIVITIES WITH ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND THE LOCAL EMPLOYERS.

WE RECENTLY HAD A COUPLE OF VIRTUAL TOWN HALL MEETINGS WHERE WE SENT OUT NOTICES TO ABOUT A THOUSAND NINE HUNDRED EMPLOYERS LETTING THEM KNOW ABOUT THE EVENT.

AND WE ARE CONTINUING TO DO THAT THROUGH SOCIAL MEDIA.

WE HAVE A BUSINESS SERVICES UNIT WHO WORKS WITH THOSE EMPLOYERS AND BUSINESSES CLOSELY TO DEVELOP JOB FAIRS, JOB HIRING EVENTS AND DOING A VARIETY OF DIFFERENT UNIQUE STRATEGIES TO HELP PUT PEOPLE TO WORK.

AND OF COURSE, THAT IS THE MOST PRESSING ISSUE FOR US RIGHT NOW, IS WE'VE GOT ESSENTIAL BUSINESSES THAT ARE NEEDING ESSENTIAL WORKERS.

THROUGH OUR WORKFORCE SOLUTIONS PANHANDLE WEB SITE, WE CREATED A JOBS NOW 2020, WHICH LIST THE EMPLOYERS WHO ARE REACHING OUT TO US TODAY OR CURRENTLY IN SEARCH OF ESSENTIAL WORKERS. WE'RE GETTING THAT INFORMATION OUT THROUGH SOCIAL MEDIA AND THROUGH OUR PARTNERS TO IDENTIFY THOSE INDIVIDUALS THAT DO NOT WANT TO RELY ON UNEMPLOYMENT AND UNEMPLOYMENT

[01:40:03]

ANOTHER EMPHASIS.

SO I DO WANT TO MENTION THAT EVEN THOUGH WE RECOGNIZE WE'VE CLOSED OUR DOORS TO THE ACTUAL OFFICE, THE PHYSICAL OFFICE, WE ARE CONTINUING TO SERVE BOTH THE JOB SEEKERS AND EMPLOYERS THROUGH SOME VIRTUAL MEANS.

WE HAVE A SECURE WEB SITE THAT ALLOWS CUSTOMERS TO APPLY FOR A VARIETY OF DIFFERENT SERVICES. WE ALSO ARE WORKING WITH THOSE BUSINESSES TO CONNECT THEM.

OBVIOUSLY. HERE RECENTLY, WE DID RECEIVE SOME ADDITIONAL FUNDING AND WE ANTICIPATE MORE FUNDING WILL BE COMING OUR WAY THROUGH THE CARES ACT TO SUPPORT ESSENTIAL WORKERS IN CHILD CARE. SO IF YOU HAVE AN ESSENTIAL WORKER WHO IS NEEDING CHILDCARE IN ORDER TO GO TO WORK, WE HAVE AN APPLICATION ON OUR WEB SITE THAT THEY CAN APPLY FOR, AND WE'RE PARTNERED WITH THE CHILDCARE PROVIDERS WHO HAVE OPENINGS AND PLACING THEM AND COVERING THE 100 PERCENT OF THAT SUBSIDY FOR THOSE ESSENTIAL WORKERS.

WHAT ELSE? STEPHANIE, CAN YOU THROW THAT WEB SITE UP SO WE CAN ALL SEE IT WHILE MARIN'S TAKING A PAUSE THERE? JOBS NOW 2020.

THANK YOU, I APPRECIATE THAT.

SO WHAT'S OUR PRIMARY FOCUS? AND THEN ALSO THE OTHER IS TO CONTINUE TO SUPPORT TWC AND THEIR RECORD NUMBER OF UI CLAIMS BEING FILED.

PATIENCE IS A MUST AS TWC OR THE TEXAS WORKFORCE COMMITTEE CONTINUES TO BUILD SERVER CAPACITY TO HANDLE THE ONLINE TRAFFIC.

THEY DOUBLED IT AND THEY PLAN TO DOUBLE THE SERVER CAPACITY AS WE SPEAK HERE IN THE PAST COUPLE OF WEEKS. THEY HAVE PLANS TO HIRE OVER 700 NEW STAFF TO HELP CARRY THE BURDEN THAT HAS BEEN PLACED ON THE UNEMPLOYMENT SYSTEM.

WE CONTINUE TO FIELD CALLS AND PROVIDE INFORMATION TO JOB SEEKERS WHO ARE REACHING OUT US AND GIVING THEM ADVICE.

AS FAR AS WENT TO FILE A CLAIM.

MY RECOMMENDATION IS TO FILE A CLAIM ONLINE BETWEEN THE HOURS OF 1:00 IN THE MORNING AND 5:00 IN THE MORNING. THERE SEEMS TO BE LESS TRAFFIC.

YES, THAT COULD BE A BURDEN, BUT YOU'RE MORE LIKELY TO GET THROUGH AND NOT BE AS FRUSTRATED.

IF YOU TRY TO DO IT BETWEEN EIGHT AND FIVE, IT'S GOING TO BE NEARLY IMPOSSIBLE.

TWC HAS ALSO OPENED UP THEIR SYSTEM AND ARE WORKING SEVEN DAYS A WEEK, 7-7.

SO THEY RECENTLY DID THAT.

THEY'RE STARTING THIS NEXT WEEK IN.

THAT'S KIND OF THE INFORMATION.

I WANTED TO KEEP IT BRIEF AND ALLOW FOR ANY QUESTIONS THAT ANYBODY MIGHT HAVE.

STEPHANIE, I THINK THAT IS TARRANT COUNTY'S WEB SITE.

YES, IT IS.

WSPANHANDLE.COM. SORRY.

THAT'S OK. I JUST THOUGHT IT WOULD BE SO GREAT FOR PEOPLE TO SEE...SCROLL DOWN A LITTLE BIT,RIGHT ABOVE DUE TO COVID-19.

UP ABOVE.

RIGHT THERE. SO THAT'S THE JOBS NOW THAT LIST THE EMPLOYERS WHO ARE CURRENTLY LOOKING [INAUDIBLE] THAT ALLOWS JOB SEEKERS TO SUBMIT AN APPLICATION.

IF YOU SCROLL DOWN, YOU'LL SEE THE LIST OF EMPLOYERS THERE.

THEY'RE UNITED AND IN A VARIETY OF DIFFERENT ENTITIES THAT ARE CURRENTLY WORKING.

YEAH, IT'S SO IMPORTANT, SO MANY OF THOSE BUSINESSES ARE ESSENTIAL BUSINESSES AND THEY'RE LOOKING FOR ADDITIONAL EMPLOYEES.

AND PERHAPS YOU'RE IN A SITUATION WHERE LIKE IF YOU WERE A WAITRESS AND NOW YOUR JOB HAS GONE AWAY AND YOU NEED SOMETHING.

WELL, THERE ARE ESSENTIAL BUSINESSES THAT NEED YOU.

AND IF YOU NEED CHILDCARE HELP, THEN THAT'S WHAT MARIN IS TALKING ABOUT.

THEY HAVE RESOURCES THAT THEY CAN HELP YOU WITH CHILDCARE.

SO I THINK THIS IS A REALLY IMPORTANT RESOURCE.

IT'S PART OF WHY WE DID TAKE THE TIME TODAY TO PUT THIS ON THE AGENDA AND TALK ABOUT IT AGAIN FOR OUR MEDIA PARTNERS TO PUSH OUT INFORMATION TO CITIZENS WHO MIGHT NOT BE AWARE

[01:45:02]

WE REALLY NEED THOSE JOBS TO BE WORKED RIGHT NOW.

AND THERE'S ASSISTANCE FOR YOU IF YOU NEED CHILD CARE FOR YOUR FAMILY IN ORDER TO GO WORK IN A SENSE OF ESSENTIAL JOB, THEN THEY COULD GET THAT INFORMATION ON THIS WEBSITE FOR SURE, MARIN, BUT WHAT NUMBER SHOULD THEY CALL? SO THE MAIN OFFICE IS 372-5521.

AND SO I HAD A QUESTION ON THAT WITH THE CHILD CARE, SO THE PROCESS, IF THEY CONTACT YOUR OFFICE AND SAY, YOU KNOW, I'M A HEALTH CARE WORKER.

AND HOW DO I APPLY FOR ASSISTANCE? IS IT THEN OUR FUNDS TRANSFER DIRECTLY TO THE CHILD CARE FACILITY? IS IT GIVEN TO THE INDIVIDUAL TO APPLY TOWARDS PAYMENT? SO ONCE WE PICK AN APPLICATION AND ESTABLISH THEY ARE AN ESSENTIAL WORKER AND WE IDENTIFY AN OPENING, WE CONTRACT WITH THAT CHILD CARE PROVIDER AND MAKE DIRECT PAYMENTS TO THAT PROVIDER ON BEHALF OF THE ESSENTIAL WORKER.

IF THEY WERE TO REACH OUT TO US THROUGH THROUGH THE SECURE PORTAL, WE WILL SEND THEM A LINK TO SUBMIT AN APPLICATION ONLINE.

SO WE'RE NOT DOING PAPER OR MAILING ANYTHING.

WE'RE DOING EVERYTHING VIRTUALLY THROUGH THIS WEB SITE AND THROUGH E-MAIL AND THROUGH THE PHONE. THAT'S PRETTY INCREDIBLE.

IT IS. WE'RE HAPPY TO BE ABLE TO OFFER THAT SERVICE AND THE OPPORTUNITY TO HELP, ONE SUPPORT OUR CHILD CARE PROVIDERS, BECAUSE WE DON'T WANT THEM HAVING TO CLOSE THEIR DOORS BECAUSE ONCE WE'RE PAST THIS, EVERYBODY'S GOING TO STILL NEED OUR CHILD CARE PROVIDERS.

SO WE'RE SUPPORTING OUR CHILD CARE PROVIDERS IN OTHER WAYS AS WELL.

WE'VE ACTUALLY CREATED AND THIS IS SOMETHING ELSE THAT WE'RE REACHING OUT TO OUR PROVIDERS TO IDENTIFY IF THEY HAVE NEEDS AS FAR AS CLEANING SUPPLIES AND SO FORTH, THE TEXAS WORKFORCE COMMISSION THROUGH THE GOVERNOR'S TASK FORCE HAS CREATED A DISTRIBUTION CHAIN THAT ALLOWS US TO SUBMIT OUR NEEDS ON BEHALF OF OUR CHILD CARE PROVIDERS AND POOL THOSE SUPPLIES THAT THEY NEED IN ORDER TO MAINTAIN THE CLEANLINESS AND STAY IN OPERATION.

SO THAT'S ANOTHER PIECE OF THE PUZZLE THAT WE'RE PUTTING TOGETHER.

CAN YOU STATE THE NAME OF THE WEB SITE ONE MORE TIME? SO IT'S WS, THE WORKFORCE SOLUTIONS, PANHANDLE DOT COM.

(WSPANHANDLE.COM) THANK YOU. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS FOR MARIN, COUNCIL? MARIN HAS A VERY WELL-TRAINED AND VERY DEDICATED TEAM, AND I REALLY APPRECIATE MARIN AND THE WORK THAT YOU GUYS DO SO OFTEN BEHIND THE SCENES, BUT YOU REALLY MAKE AN IMPACT IN PEOPLE'S LIVES ACROSS THE PANHANDLE.

AND I APPRECIATE THE WORK THAT YOU'RE DOING.

THANKS FOR SPENDING TIME WITH US HERE TODAY.

THANK YOU. I APPRECIATE IT. HEY, KEVIN, BACK TO YOU.

OK, MAYOR. JUST A COUPLE OTHER THINGS.

YOU KNOW, WHENEVER THE PPP OR THE PAYROLL PROTECTION PLAN THAT ONLY ENCOMPASSES THOSE BUSINESS, LESS THAN FIVE HUNDRED EMPLOYEES, THE NEW PROGRAM THAT IS BEING ROLLED OUT AS WE SPEAK IS FROM THE TREASURY DEPARTMENT AND THAT COVERS THOSE BUSINESSES THAT ARE OVER.

FIVE HUNDRED EMPLOYEES.

AND THAT IS CALLED THE MAIN STREET BUSINESS LENDING PLAN.

AS MORE INFORMATION ON THAT BECOMES AVAILABLE, WE'LL HAVE THAT ON OUR WEB SITE.

AND SO THEY ARE JUST GETTING INTO THAT.

BUT THERE'S ABOUT SEVENTY FIVE BILLION DOLLARS THAT'S BEEN SET ASIDE IN THE CARES ACT FOR THAT PROGRAM. SO AS WE GET MORE INFORMATION, WE'LL HAVE IT ON OUR WEB SITE, AMARILLOEDC .COM. YOU CAN CLICK ON OR IT'S TXPANHANDLECOVID19.COM.

THAT'S OUR COVERED RESOURCE PAGE.

SO IT'S TXPANHANDLECOVID19.COM.

WE'LL HAVE MORE INFORMATION IS THAT BECOMES AVAILABLE.

I JUST WANT TO SAY, MAYOR, HOW IMPORTANT IT IS TO WHAT YOU SAID, THAT BUSINESS UTILIZE THESE PROGRAMS. OUR ECONOMY WAS VERY STRONG BEFORE THIS AND IT'S GOING TO BE STRONG AFTERWARDS, BUT IT'S GOING TO TAKE THESE DOLLARS THAT ARE IN THESE FEDERAL PROGRAMS TO HELP US RECOVER FROM

[01:50:01]

KEVIN, I HAD A QUESTION FOR YOU TO JUST I KNOW THAT YOUR WEB SITE DOES HOST SOME BUSINESS POSTINGS AS WELL AS INTERNSHIPS AND OPEN POSITIONS.

I WANT TO DRIVE BUSINESSES.

I WANT TO DRIVE POTENTIAL EMPLOYEES FOR THAT PAGE AS WELL.

IT'S A DIFFERENT CATEGORY OF WORKER, TYPICALLY, BUT TALK TO US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THAT.

YEAH, IT'S A NEW WEB SITE THAT WE STARTED BACK IN JANUARY.

WE LAUNCHED IN OUR STATE OF THE ECONOMY AND IT'S CALLED TAKE ROOT IN AMARILLO DOT COM.

AND IT HAS ALL KINDS OF JOBS THAT OUR LIVING WAGE JOBS OR SEVERAL JOBS THAT ARE POSTED RIGHT NOW. SOME PEOPLE ARE HIRING, SOME PEOPLE HAVE PUT A FREEZE ON THAT.

BUT WE DO HAVE SOME EMPLOYERS THAT ARE HIRING STILL ON THAT JOB BOARD.

SO IT'S TAKE ROOT IN AMARILLO.

DOT COM. GREAT.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

WITH WORKFORCE SOLUTIONS WAS SO FAR WE'VE HAD TWO WEBINARS AND RECORDINGS OF THOSE WEBINARS ARE AVAILABLE.

AND IT JUST TALKED ABOUT THE REALLY KIND OF SPELLING OUT THE CARES ACT IN THE PPP PROGRAM. IF YOU WANT MORE INFORMATION, THOSE WEBINARS ARE AVAILABLE ON OUR WEB SITE, THE RECORDED VERSION. AND THEN ALSO ON WORKFORCE SOLUTIONS' WEB SITE AS WELL.

REALLY GLAD YOU REMEMBERED TO PUT A PLUG IN FOR THOSE.

YOU CAN WATCH THOSE ANY TIME.

AND THEY'RE GREAT SUMMARIES OF INFORMATION.

ANYTHING ELSE COUNCIL FOR THE EDC.

OK, THANK YOU ALL VERY MUCH FOR YOUR TIME COMMITMENT TO BE HERE TODAY AND FOR YOUR PATIENCE IN WAITING FOR YOUR AGENDA ITEM TO COME UP, BUT WE REALLY VALUE YOUR PARTNERSHIP AND WE VALUE THE WORK THAT YOU'RE DOING IN OUR COMMUNITY RIGHT NOW.

IT'S REALLY VITAL.

IT'S GOING TO BE VITAL FOR OUR RECOVERY.

THANK YOU, MAYOR, COUNCIL.

[B. Coronavirus Update; (Part 2 of 2)]

JARED, I KNOW YOU HAD A LITTLE SUMMARY ON HOW THE CITY IS RECEIVING CARE ACT FUNDING AND WHAT WE'RE DOING WITH THOSE FUNDS.

YES, WE'VE GOT A COUPLE OF DIFFERENT EMERGENCY FUNDINGS SO FAR.

WE'LL BE VOTING ON ONE LATER ON IN THE MEETING.

THAT ONE IS NOT CARE ACT FUNDING.

THAT IS SIX HUNDRED AND SEVENTEEN THOUSAND, AND ON YOUR AGENDA YOU HAVE THREE HUNDRED FOUR THOUSAND. BUT WE LEARNED YESTERDAY THAT NUMBER HAS ACTUALLY BEEN INCREASED.

SO WE'RE GOING TO ASK YOU TO DO IS VOTE FOR THE TOTAL AMOUNT OF FUNDING THAT IS PUT THROUGH THE DEPARTMENT OF STATE HEALTH SERVICES, WHICH IS A STATE DEPARTMENT TO THE CITY OF AMARILLO, AND THAT WILL TOTAL SIX HUNDRED AND SEVENTEEN THOUSAND SIX HUNDRED TWENTY DOLLARS. THOSE HAVE VERY TIGHT CONTROLS ON HOW THAT MONEY CAN BE SPENT AND IT IS GOING TO BE SPENT DIRECTLY ON CORONAVIRUS COVID-19 RESPONSE AND EFFORTS.

SO WE ALSO HAVE AND WE'LL TALK MORE ABOUT THAT LATER ON IN THE MEETING.

WE HAVE ALSO RECEIVED NINE HUNDRED NINETY SEVEN THOUSAND FOUR HUNDRED FORTY NINE DOLLARS FROM HUD THROUGH THE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT BLOCK GRANT.

THIS IS GOING TO, RIGHT NOW WE'RE WORKING ON PRELIMINARY PLANS.

WE EXPECT TO GET LATER ADDITIONAL FUNDS.

BUT RIGHT NOW, WE'RE WORKING ON PREPARING A PRIORITIZATION WHICH WILL BE A CONTINUATION OF COVID DRIVE THROUGH TESTING OPERATIONS, PURCHASE OF MEDICAL EQUIPMENT AND SUPPLIES LIKE VENTILATORS AND PPE, AND ALSO ACTIVATION OF AN ALTERNATE CARE SITE TO SUPPORT HEALTH CARE INFRASTRUCTURE. BOTH OF THESE FUNDING SOURCES HAVE EXTREMELY TIGHT CRITERIA ON WHICH YOU CAN SPEND THE MONEY. WE CAN'T SPEND THEM ON ANYTHING THAT'S NOT COVID RELATED, SO WE CAN'T SPEND IT ON OPERATING COSTS.

WE CAN'T USE IT TO OFFSET DECREASED REVENUES TO THE CITY.

WE CAN'T USE IT TO PAY FOR INFRASTRUCTURE THAT WE WOULD WANT, WHETHER IT'S ANY TYPE OF ROAD OR OTHER FACILITY THAT WE WOULD BUILD.

SO IT DOES HAVE LIMITATIONS ON HOW THAT MONEY CAN BE SPENT.

WE'RE ALSO EVALUATING IT AND POSSIBLY THE FUTURE FUNDING WE'RE EVALUATING AS A POSSIBLE SOURCE OF FUNDING FOR GRANTS OR LOANS TO SUPPORT SMALL BUSINESSES IN LINE WITH WHAT WE WERE TALKING ABOUT EARLIER TO ENABLE RETENTION OF JOBS HELD BY LOW AND MODERATE INCOME PERSONS. SO BECAUSE IT'S A COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT BLOCK GRANT, IT IS ALSO GOING TO HAVE STRINGS ON IT OR REQUIREMENTS THAT WILL REQUIRE THOSE FUNDS TO DIRECTLY BENEFIT LOW AND MODERATE INCOME PERSONS.

SO WE HAVE RECEIVED THAT.

WE WILL BE BRINGING IT TO YOU FOR FUTURE CONSIDERATION.

WE HAVE NOT RECEIVED THE MONEY YET.

[01:55:01]

SO WITH REGARD TO THE NINE HUNDRED NINETY SEVEN THOUSAND DOLLARS THROUGH HUD.

ANYBODY HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ON EITHER ONE OF THOSE REALLY ABOUT THE HUD MONEY, BECAUSE WE'LL TALK IN MORE DETAIL ABOUT THE DEPARTMENT OF STATE HEALTH SERVICES IN JUST A MOMENT.

SO THE HUD MONEY IS POSSIBLY AVAILABLE FOR LMI LOW TO MODERATE INCOME BUSINESS OWNERS TO RECEIVE, Y'ALL ARE RESEARCHING THAT? YES, MA'AM. YES. WE'RE LOOKING INTO THAT AND WE'LL HAVE TO PRIORITIZE WHERE THOSE FUNDS GO. RIGHT NOW, WE HAVE A VERY PRESSING NEED TO CONTINUE TO FUND THE TESTING AND TO LOOK AT EQUIPMENT SHORTAGES THAT WE HAVE, OUR EQUIPMENT NEEDS THAT WE HAVE.

AND THEN ALSO TO LOOK AT THE ALTERNATE CARE SITE.

BUT ONCE WE CAN ADDRESS THOSE CHALLENGES, WE DO WANT TO LOOK AT THE POSSIBILITY OR THE APPROPRIATENESS AND WHETHER OR NOT WE CAN ACTUALLY USE THE MONEY TO FUND GRANTS OR LOANS TO SUPPORT SMALL BUSINESSES THAT EMPLOY LOW AND MODERATE INCOME PERSONS.

NOT SEEING ANY. OK, THANKS.

GO AHEAD, JARED. ALL RIGHT.

WE ALSO HAVE ANTHONY SPANEL ON TO JUST TOUCH BASE BRIEFLY.

ANTHONY, CAN YOU GET ON? YES, SIR. I'M HERE. ALL RIGHT.

JUST GIVE US A QUICK UPDATE FROM YOUR AREA.

YES, SIR. SO, ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH, AS YOU CONTINUE TO REACH OUT TO THE PUBLIC WITHIN ALL THESE AFFECTED AREAS, ESPECIALLY THE FOOD INDUSTRY.

WE STAY IN CLOSE CONTACT WITH OWNERS, OPERATORS, ADDRESSING ANY NEEDS OR CONCERNS THEY MAY HAVE. SPENT A LOT OF TIME, A LOT OF TIME EDUCATING ON THE REQUIREMENTS THAT WE'RE CURRENTLY IN.

NOT SEEING ANY PUSHBACK. THOSE GUYS ARE ABSOLUTELY WORKING WITH US AND DOING A FANTASTIC JOB. AND SO THERE'S BEEN A HIGH NUMBER OF COMPLAINTS FROM THE COMMUNITY AND WE INVESTIGATE THOSE ACCORDINGLY.

AND IT TYPICALLY ENDS UP JUST COMMUNICATING WITH THE OPERATORS AND EDUCATING ON WHAT'S REQUIRED. EVERYTHING IS GOING REALLY WELL ON OUR END AND WE'RE ABSOLUTELY SEEING THE NEWS [INAUDIBLE]. SO IF YOU HAVE ANY SPECIFIC QUESTIONS, I'LL BE HAPPY TO [INAUDIBLE] ANTHONY, WOULD YOU ADDRESS THE QUESTION THAT'S COME FROM THE PUBLIC, RELATED TO WHY FOOD DELIVERY COMPANIES ARE NOT REQUIRED TO WEAR MASKS FOR THEIR EMPLOYEES OR FOR SOME OF THE ISSUES ON THOSE ON JUST THE SAFETY OF THE DELIVERY PROCEDURE PROCESS? SURE SO SPECIFICALLY TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTION REGARDING PPE FOR DELIVERY DRIVERS OR WORKERS, KEEP IN MIND THE CDC RECOMMENDATION IS THAT EVERYONE WEAR A MASK OR FACIAL COVERING. IT'S A RECOMMENDATION.

IT'S NOT A REQUIREMENT. IT'S DEFINITELY SOMETHING THAT PEOPLE SHOULD ABIDE BY.

BUT THERE'S NO REQUIREMENT THAT SAYS THEY HAVE TO DO THAT.

RELATED TO WEARING GLOVES, YOU KNOW, YOU SEE A LOT OF MEMBERS OUT IN THE COMMUNITY, A LOT OF PEOPLE WEARING GLOVES ON A DAILY BASIS.

WHICH GLOVES CAN SERVE A GOOD PURPOSE, BUT THEY OFTEN PROVIDE A FALSE SENSE OF SECURITY.

YOUR GLOVES CAN BE CONTAMINATED.

SO IF YOU TOUCH ONE SINGLE BAG OR A CART OR YOU SCRATCH YOUR FACE OR YOU TOUCH YOUR PHONE, YOUR GLOVES ARE CONTAMINATED.

YOU KNOW, WE REGULATE THE FOOD INDUSTRY, ON A PRETTY LARGE SCALE HERE.

SO GLOVES ARE GREAT.

BUT THEY LIKE I SAID THEY OFTEN PROVIDE THAT ALL SENSE OF SECURITY.

AND I PERSONALLY MUCH RATHER SEE INDIVIDUALS GET THEIR HANDS DIRTY AND WANT TO WASH THOSE AND WASH THEIR HANDS OFTEN INSTEAD OF WEARING GLOVES AND THINKING THAT THAT DOESN'T HAPPEN. YOUR QUESTION REGARDING DELIVERY DRIVERS.

ONE ASPECT THAT'S KIND OF INTERESTING IS THAT INDUSTRY IS NOT REGULATED.

SO YOU HAVE UBER EATS OR TEXAS TO GO THOSE TYPE OF INDUSTRIES HAVE EVOLVED FASTER THAN REGULATION HAS EVOLVED BEHIND THEM.

SO MY ORGANIZATION, MY DEPARTMENT, WE DON'T REGULATE THAT.

TO MY KNOWLEDGE, THERE'S NOBODY IN THE COUNTRY THAT REGULATES [INAUDIBLE].

SO ONCE AGAIN, WE DO THIS ON AN EDUCATIONAL BASIS WITH THAT GROUP WE PUT INFORMATION OUT TO OUR FOOD INDUSTRY.

ALL OF OUR BUSINESS OWNERS AND OPERATORS THAT GIVE THEM GUIDANCE ON HOW TO DO THINGS IN A VERY SAFE MANNER AND A LOT OF THEM DO THAT.

BUT ONCE YOU KNOW WHAT THE DELIVERY DRIVER IS, WANTS TO GIVE THE FOOD TO THEM, IT'S AN INDEPENDENT COMPANY. IF THEY WERE THAT REQUIRE PPE OR NOT OR REQUESTS PPE, OR NOT, IT'S WE DON'T HAVE THE ABILITY TO MAKE THEM DO THAT.

[02:00:02]

I'VE HAD A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS ON WANTING TO ADDRESS JUST THE SAFETY OF JUST THE DELIVERY OF PACKAGING, ETC.

AND PEOPLE I DON'T THINK ARE CONCERNED SO MUCH ABOUT THE FOOD INSIDE THE PACKAGING, BUT THE PACKAGES ITSELF.

AND JUST CAN YOU ADDRESS IF WE HAVE HAD ANY INVESTIGATION THAT MADE THEIR WAY BACK TO WHERE SOMEONE THAT THE VIRUS WAS TRANSMITTED THROUGH PACKAGING.

I'M NOT AWARE OF ANYTHING THAT REALLY HAS CONFIRMED THAT.

I'VE READ THERE'S BEEN SOME CONCERNS RAISED.

I'VE NEVER SEEN THAT PROVEN OVER LONG DISTANCES.

NOW, THERE'S OTHER STUDIES THAT HAVE SHOWN THAT CERTAIN SURFACES ARE MORE AMENABLE TO THE VIRUS SURVIVING LONGER THAN OTHERS.

AND I JUST THINK IT JUST REFLECTS ON THE FACT THAT THE VIRUS IS, I THINK, A GOOD TERM IS IT'S JUST STICKIER, IT TENDS TO BE STICKY AND IT PROBABLY CAN SURVIVE ON SURFACES LONGER THAN, SAY, THE TYPICAL FLU.

WHICH WOULD MAKE MORE SENSE TO CONTINUE TO WASH OUR HANDS AND USE A MASK.

AND I THINK ONE POINT THAT'S WORTH HIGHLIGHTING IS OUR FOOD INDUSTRY SPECIFICALLY FOCUSES VERY HEAVILY ON CLEANING AND SANITIZING ON A NORMAL BASIS.

KEEP IN MIND THERE'S MANY, MANY COMMUNICABLE DISEASES THAT ARE TRANSMITTED THROUGH FOOD COVID NOT BEING ONE OF THEM.

BUT THE POLICIES AND PROCEDURES WE HAVE IN PLACE TODAY, THAT IS NORMAL OPERATIONS FOR THAT INDUSTRY IS JUST INCREASED AND HEIGHTENED NOW.

SO OUR GROUP OR OUR COMMUNITY THAT BUSINESS GROUP IS DOING A FANTASTIC JOB FOCUSING ON CLEANING AND SANITIZATION TO, YOU KNOW, LIKE YOU SAID, THE VIRUS DOES LIVE ON SURFACE, BUT WITH THE ENHANCED CLEANING THEY ARE DOING A FANTASTIC JOB OF DISINFECTING AND KILLING THAT VIRUS THAT COULD POTENTIALLY BE ON THE SURFACE.

ANY OTHER QUESTIONS FOR ANTHONY? COUNCIL? HARD TO FIND Y'ALL YOUR BOXES KEEP MOVING TRY TO MAKE EYE CONTACT TO MAKE SURE NOBODY'S. OK.

JARED, DO YOU HAVE ANYTHING ELSE THEN? I HAVE AN ITEM ON THIS THAT I WANT TO TALK ABOUT, BUT I WANT TO MAKE SURE WE'VE CLEARED ALL OF YOUR SPEAKERS OR POINTS FIRST.

NO, MA'AM, WE HAVE NOTHING ELSE PREPARED AS FAR AS PRESENTATIONS ON IT, BUT WE ARE ALL AVAILABLE AS WE GO THROUGH ANYTHING YOU HAVE TO ANSWER QUESTIONS OR PROVIDE ANY INPUT NECESSARY. COUNCIL WILL BE CONSIDERING LATER IN OUR AGENDA WHETHER OR NOT TO EXTEND THE SHELTER IN PLACE ORDER.

AND PART OF THIS WHOLE WORK SESSION CONVERSATION WAS TO GIVE YOU THE INFORMATION THAT YOU NEED IN ORDER TO CONSIDER THAT AGENDA ITEM.

BUT RELATED TO THAT.

I'M REALLY FEELING LIKE WE AS A COUNCIL HAVE A LEADERSHIP NEED AND A LEADERSHIP OPPORTUNITY HERE TO REACH OUT INTO THE COMMUNITY.

STEPHANIE, WOULD YOU THROW UP THAT LIST THAT I EMAILED YOU EARLIER? I THINK THERE ARE SOME KEY SEGMENTS IN OUR COMMUNITY THAT WE NEED TO BE VERY INTENTIONAL ABOUT TOUCHING BASE WITH AS A COUNCIL, AND SO I WOULD LIKE TO ASK FOR YOUR HELP IN LOOKING AT THESE GROUPS OF PEOPLE.

I'VE CAME UP WITH EIGHT CATEGORIES AND I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE NEED TO DISCUSS.

HAVE WE COVERED EVERY CATEGORY THAT WE THINK NEEDS TO HAVE A TOUCH POINT ON IT? BUT WE'VE GOT TO ASK TWO QUESTIONS TO OUR COMMUNITY.

AND ONE IS HOW DO WE RESTART THE CITY? AND SO THAT'S BASICALLY A NEXT 30 DAYS LENS.

AND THEN WE NEED TO ASK HOW DO WE RECOVER ECONOMICALLY AND THAT'S A LONGER LENS.

MAYBE A 6 TO 12 MONTH WINDOW.

BUT I THINK IT WOULD BE VERY BENEFICIAL IF WE AS LEADERS WENT OUT INTO THE COMMUNITY AND HELD ROUNDTABLE CONVERSATIONS WITH THESE DIFFERENT SEGMENTS AND TRY TO WORK OFF OF BASICALLY THE SAME QUESTION PLATFORM.

AND LET'S PUT OUR EARS TO THE GROUND.

LET'S ASK OUR BUSINESS LEADERS AND OUR COMMUNITY LEADERS, WHAT ARE THEY THINKING ABOUT HOW WE RESTART THE CITY AND WHAT ARE THEY THINKING ABOUT HOW WE RECOVER ECONOMICALLY?

[02:05:03]

AND I EVEN MADE A COUPLE OF ASSIGNMENTS THERE.

IT'S VERY [INAUDIBLE] FOR HOWARD TO WORK WITH THE REALTORS AND THE BUILDERS IN OUR COMMUNITY. ELAINE I THINK IT'S VERY NATURAL FOR YOU TO DO THE HOTELIERS BECAUSE OF YOUR CVC SERVICE ON THAT BOARD, BUT OBVIOUSLY OPEN FOR DISCUSSION.

THEY'RE IN THIS LIST.

THERE WOULD BE ENOUGH FOR EACH OF YOU TO TAKE TWO.

AND THEN THE ASTERISK AT THE BOTTOM OF THE LIST IS.

IN ADDITION, I THINK IT WOULD BE WISE FOR EACH ONE OF US TO PUT TOGETHER A ROUNDTABLE OF LEADERS THAT WE WOULD LIKE TO TOUCH BASE WITH AND I DON'T WANT TO SLOW IT DOWN BY SAYING LET'S RUN EVERYBODY'S LIST ACROSS EVERYBODY'S LIST TO MAKE SURE.

I JUST WANT YOU TO TAKE IT AND RUN WITH IT.

BUT I WOULD LIKE FOR EACH OF YOU SOMETIME IN THE NEXT WEEK TO TRY TO HAVE A ROUNDTABLE CONVERSATION WITH A GROUP OF LEADERS THAT YOU TRUST OR FEEL LIKE WOULD HAVE GOOD INPUT INTO THIS CONVERSATION AND ASK THEM HOW DO WE RESTART THE CITY AND HOW DO WE RECOVER ECONOMICALLY? WE CAN KIND OF RUN THROUGH THOSE QUESTIONS AND THEY'RE JUST TO TRULY IT'S JUST THROWING SOMETHING OUT THERE AS A STARTING POINT.

BUT I REALLY THINK WE WOULD BENEFIT OVER THE NEXT TWO WEEKS IF INDEED WE DO DECIDE TO EXTEND THE SHELTER IN PLACE ORDER.

WE NEED SOME FEEDBACK FROM OUR COMMUNITY ON HOW WE GO ABOUT RESTARTING THE CITY AND HOW WE GO ABOUT RECOVERING ECONOMICALLY.

MAYOR, I'LL REACH OUT TO THE RESTAURANT INDUSTRY.

OKAY, THANK YOU FREDA.

I GUESS I CAN START BY ASKING HOWARD.

HOWARD, ARE YOU WILLING TO DO REALTORS AND BUILDERS? YES, I AM. AND I SHOULD EVEN BACKUP AND ASK THE FOUR OF YOU, DO YOU SEE VALUE IN SPENDING OUR TIME DOING THIS? YES, MA'AM. I THINK IT'D BE GOOD.

WE NEED TO RESTART AT SOME POINT.

AND WE NEED TO SEE WHAT PEOPLE THINK.

ELAINE I CAN'T SEE YOU.

FOR SOME REASON, I THINK MY SCREEN IS TOO SMALL.

THERE SHE IS. OK. ELAINE, WHAT DO YOU THINK? I THINK I HEARD, A YES FROM EVERYBODY ELSE.

YES, I'M HAPPY TO REACH OUT TO THE HOTELIERS.

AND I THINK THAT THE ROUNDTABLE OF LEADERS IS GOING TO BE THE MOST EFFICIENT AND REALLY EFFECTIVE AND WHAT IT SOUNDS TO ME LIKE YOU'RE DESCRIBING IS THE TASK FORCE THAT SIMILAR TO WHAT IS BEING DEVELOPED AT THE NATIONAL LEVEL.

PROBABLY WHAT THE GOVERNOR IS DOING AT THE STATE LEVEL AS WELL IS TRYING TO PULL TOGETHER REPRESENTATIVES FROM EACH OF THOSE KEY AREAS? I THINK WE'LL PROBABLY BE ONE OF THE MOST EFFECTIVE WAY OF GETTING FEEDBACK.

CERTAINLY [INAUDIBLE] I'VE BEEN REACHING OUT INDIVIDUALLY.

BUT I THINK PART OF IT WILL BE TO IDENTIFY THOSE LEADERS IN DIFFERENT SECTORS TO GET THEM AT THE TABLE. AND I THINK STEPHANIE IS GOING TO BE AVAILABLE TO HELP US DO THAT.

WE HAVE SOME LISTS GOING AND SHE WILL BE AVAILABLE TO HELP SET UP ZOOM CALLS AS YOU DEVELOP. YOU KNOW, OBVIOUSLY ELAINE [INAUDIBLE] AND I THINK WOULD BE, I'M SPEAKING FOR HER. I HAVE NOT SPOKEN TO HER, BUT I THINK SHE WOULD BE HAPPY TO HELP YOU SET UP, YOU KNOW, A ZOOM CONFERENCE WITH HOTELIERS.

FREDA, WE HAVE CONNECTIONS WITH RESTAURANT ASSOCIATION.

HOWARD, YOU HAVE THE CONTACTS FOR THE REALTORS ASSOCIATION AS WELL AS THE BUILDERS ASSOCIATION. I HAVE SOME IDEAS ON REACHING OUT TO SMALL RETAILERS.

WE HAVE CONTACTS.

KEVIN [INAUDIBLE] HAS A GREAT LIST OF LARGE RETAILERS CONTACTS.

STEPHANIE ALSO HAS A LIST OF CHURCHES AND THEN NONPROFITS WE MIGHT HAVE TO DO A LITTLE BIT OF PUTTING TOGETHER ON.

BUT REALLY, I THINK I THINK WE'RE IN A POSITION WHERE WE CAN HELP YOU CREATE THOSE ZOOM CONFERENCES. AND TRY TO HAVE THOSE ROUNDTABLE DISCUSSIONS, WITH THOSE PEOPLE.

[INAUDIBLE] EDDY ANYTHING JUMP OFF THE LIST THAT LOOKS APPEALING TO YOU? DID YOU SAY THAT YOU WERE TAKING THE SMALL RETAILERS? I AM ASKING FOR HELP WITH THESE.

[02:10:02]

I THINK I'VE GOT CONTACTS AT EITHER ONE OF THOSE.

JUST TELL ME WHICH ONE.

GOODNESS I HAVE A GIGANTIC FROG.

ELAINE, FREDA. WHAT ARE YOU THINKING AS FAR AS ANYBODY HAVE A LEANING TOWARD LARGE RETAIL OR NON-PROFITS? I'LL TAKE THE CHURCHES.

OKAY. ALL RIGHT.

I'LL TAKE THE NONPROFITS THEN.

ELAINE, WOULD YOU BE WILLING TO DO BIG RETAIL? ABSOLUTELY. OK.

I'M HAVING TECHNICAL DIFFICULTIES ON MY SOUND AND SO IN AND OUT A LITTLE BIT SORRY.

OK. ARE Y'ALL WORKING IT? DO YOU WANT US TO PAUSE FOR A MINUTE? NO, I'M GOOD, I'M GOOD, THANK YOU.

OK, SO JARED WILL BE BACK IN TOUCH WITH YOU GUYS AS THIS LIST FINALIZES.

THE QUESTIONS ARE NOT LIMITING, MEANING IF YOU'VE GOT OTHER QUESTIONS THAT YOU THINK WOULD BE HELPFUL, I HOPE YOU WOULD ADD THEM TO JARED'S LIST AS HE CIRCULATES THIS.

BUT MAINLY IT'S NOT NECESSARILY TO HAVE A THREE HOUR SESSION WITH FOLKS, BUT IT IS A TOUCH POINT WITH PEOPLE WHO ARE LEADING IN OUR COMMUNITY.

AND THIS IS SUCH A UNIQUE SITUATION.

I THINK IT IS CALLING FOR US AS LEADERS TO BE INTENTIONAL ABOUT REACHING OUT.

DOING A LOT OF LISTENING, HARVESTING THEIR QUESTIONS AND BRINGING THEM BACK TOGETHER FOR A BIGGER DISCUSSION AMONG US AS THE COUNCIL NEXT WEEK.

WHAT ARE WE HEARING? WHAT ARE PEOPLE THINKING? WHAT ARE PEOPLE NEEDING? IT WILL HELP US AS WE STEER OUT OF THIS OVER THE NEXT SIX MONTHS AND WE DO NEXT YEAR'S BUDGET AND WE LOOK AT POSSIBLE OPERATIONAL CHANGES IN THIS YEARS CITY OPERATIONS.

IT'S GONNA HELP US GIVE US SOME DATA TO GO OFF OF PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT WISE RATHER THAN JUST THE FIVE OF US TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHAT WE'VE HEARD FROM PEOPLE.

SO YOU WANT A REPORT NEXT WEEK.

I THINK WE'LL WANT TO DISCUSS HOW IT'S GOING NEXT WEEK, BUT I THINK TIMEWISE, WE OUGHT TO SAY LET'S TARGET TO HAVE ALL OF THESE CONVERSATIONS COMPLETED BY TWO WEEKS FROM TODAY.

SO IT'LL BE ON THE AGENDA FOR US TO DISCUSS NEXT WEEK.

BUT FINAL REPORT AND FINAL DISCUSSION OF IT TWO WEEKS FROM TODAY.

HOW DOES THAT SOUND? FINE.

OK. GOOD.

ALL RIGHT. SO, JARED, I DON'T HAVE ANYTHING ELSE AND YOU DON'T HAVE ANYTHING ELSE ON COVID. NO MA'AM. THEN I THINK WE'RE AT ITEM 1 D, WHICH IS REQUEST FUTURE REPORTS AND AGENDA ITEMS. ANYBODY HAVE ANYTHING? NO, MA'AM. NO.

NO. CAN Y'ALL STILL SEE ME? YES MA'AM.

ARE YOU NOT SEEING YOURSELF.

I'M NOT SEEING ANY OF YOU GUYS? SO, OK, I'M FLYING BLIND, BUT AS LONG AS Y'ALL CAN SEE AND HEAR ME.

THAT'S FINE. IF YOU PUT IT BACK ON GALLERY VIEW.

BECAUSE IT MIGHT KEEP SWITCHING BACK AND FORTH.

I DON'T CHOOSE SPEAKER VIEW, BUT EVERY NOW AND THEN IT SHIFTS TO THAT AND I LOSE EVERYBODY. AND I HAVE TO GO BACK AND MANUALLY SELECT GALLERY VIEW UP AT THE TOP.

SO DO I.

YEAH. MINE HAS ACTUALLY JUST GONE TO LIKE A POST ZOOM MEETING SCREEN LIKE WHAT YOU SEE WHEN YOU'RE MEETING IS OVER.

SO. REALLY. YEAH.

I DON'T KNOW WHERE Y'ALL HAVE GONE AT ALL.

OH WAIT. NOW I HAVE YOU BACK.

I DON'T KNOW WHAT THAT WAS. OK.

BUT NOW WE'RE BACK. WE'RE ALL LEARNING, WE'RE LEARING TO ZOOM.

RIGHT. OK.

[2. CONSENT ITEMS:]

IF EVERYONE'S READY FOR THAT.

ANYBODY HAVE A QUESTIONS OR SOMETHING THAT NEEDS TO COME OFF OF CONSENT? AND HEARING NOTHING WOULD ENTERTAIN A MOTION.

MAYOR I MODE TO APPROVE THE CONSENT AGENDA AS IT IS PRESENTED.

SECOND. IT'S BEEN MOVED AND SECONDED TO APPROVE THE CONSENT AGENDA ITEM.

ALL THOSE IN FAVOR, PLEASE SAY AYE.

[02:15:03]

RAISE YOUR HAND AT THE SAME TIME TOO.

ANY ONE OPPOSED.

OKAY I SEE FIVE HANDS IN FAVOR OF THAT.

[A. CONSIDERATION OF ORDINANCE NO. 7847 (Contact: Cris Valverde, Assistant Director of Planning and Development Services) To participate in this public hearing please call 1-408-638-0968. When prompted for the meeting number dial: 330267295# and specify as to what ordinance you are referring to. This item is the first reading and public hearing to consider an ordinance rezoning a 1.34 acre tract of unplatted land, in Section 63, Block 9, B.S.& F. Survey, Randall County, Texas, plus one-half of all bounding streets, alleys, and public ways to change from Agricultural District to General Retail District (Vicinity: Town Square Boulevard and Soncy Road.)]

MR. CITY MANAGER.

RIGHT. SO WE HAVE CONSIDERATION BOARD JUST OVER SEVENTY SEVEN.

THAT IS A REZONING.

TO PRESENT THE ITEM WE HAVE CHRIS VELVERDE, ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OF PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT SERVICES. WE ALSO HAVE A PUBLIC HEARING ON THIS ITEM.

I'M SORRY, I'M PROBABLY GIVEN A TAKING A MAYOR PRO TEM POWELL'S JOB RIGHT HERE.

BUT WE DO HAVE A PUBLIC HEARING ON THIS [INAUDIBLE].

AND THE NUMBER FOR THAT IS ON THE AGENDA.

WE'LL PUT IT UP ON THE SCREEN FOR YOU AS WELL.

THERE IT IS ON THE BOTTOM OF THE SCREEN.

SO IF YOU WANT TO CALL AND MAKE COMMENT ON THIS REZONING ITEM.

ALSO, THE NEXT ITEM IS REZONING ITEM AS WELL.

SO IT WILL HAVE ITS OWN NUMBER FOR THAT CALL WHEN THAT TIME COMES UP.

SO, CHRIS, CAN YOU TAKE THIS ONE AWAY? ABSOLUTELY. THANK YOU, JARED.

ORDINANCE 4847 IS TO CONSIDER THE REZONING OF A 1.34 ACRE TRACT OF UNPLATTED LAND IN SECTION 63, BLOCK NINE BS&F SURVEY, RANDALL COUNTY, TEXAS.

IT'S TO CHANGE FROM AGRICULTURAL DISTRICT TO GENERAL RETAIL DISTRICT.

THE APPLICANT IS REQUESTING REZONING IN ORDER TO DEVELOP THE LAND WITH RETAIL RELATED LAND USES. THIS PARTICULAR TRACT IS NORTH OF THE HILLSIDE AND [INAUDIBLE] INTERSECTION, EAST OF TOWN SQUARE DEVELOPMENT, AND ALONG ONE OF AMARILLO'S MORE HIGHLY TRAVELED COMMERCIAL CORRIDORS BEING SUCH A HIGHLY TRAVELED CORRIDOR MUCH OF THE LAND NORTH ALONG BOTH SIDES OF [INAUDIBLE] ROAD TO I-40 IS NON RESIDENTIALLY ZONED AND OR DEVELOPED.

AS SUCH, PLANNING COMMISSIONERS BELIEVE THAT ALLOWING RETAIL ACTIVITIES NORTHWARD TO TOWN SQUARE BOULEVARD IS APPROPRIATE AND NOT A SIGNIFICANT DEPARTURE FROM THE FUTURE LAND USE MAP IF ALLOWED.

ADDITIONALLY, WITH MIXED USE ACTIVITIES WEST OF THE APPLICANT SITE AND TOWN SQUARE PLANNING COMMISSIONERS ARE OF THE OPINION THAT THE THAT SIMILAR LAND USES AND OR ZONING WILL AND SHOULD OCCUR BETWEEN SITES.

NOTICES WERE SENT OUT TO ALL PROPERTY OWNERS WITHIN 200 FEET.

AND AT THIS PARTICULAR TIME WE HAVE NOT RECEIVED ANY REQUESTS FOR COMMENT EITHER FOR OR AGAINST THIS REZONING.

CONSIDERING ALL JUST MENTION THE PLANNING AND ZONING COMMISSION, IS OF THE OPINION THAT THE PROPOSED REZONING IS IN CHARACTER WITH THE PREVAILING DEVELOPMENT AND ZONING PATTERNS ALONG [INAUDIBLE] ROAD AND WILL NOT HAVE ANY DETRIMENTAL IMPACTS ON THIS AREA.

THEREFORE, THEY'RE RECOMMENDING APPROVAL AS PRESENTED.

ANY QUESTIONS FOR CHRIS, COUNCIL.

THANK YOU, CHRIS. AT THIS TIME, I'LL OPEN A PUBLIC HEARING ON THIS MATTER.

DO WE HAVE ANYONE, FRANCES, ON THE PHONE WHO WISHES TO SPEAK ON FOR OR AGAINST THIS ITEM? I DO NOT, MAYOR. MAYOR, WHEN WE DO.

OH, GOOD. GO AHEAD STEPHANIE.

ANYONE THAT WOULD LIKE TO COMMENT, THAT'S ON THE PHONE RIGHT NOW.

IF YOU'LL PRESS STAR NINE TO RAISE YOUR HAND, THEN WE'LL KNOW TO UNMUTE YOU AND LET YOU MAKE YOUR COMMENTS. WE'LL GIVE IT JUST A FEW MORE SECONDS.

SURE. WE DON'T WANT TO RUSH ANYBODY.

AT THIS TIME. I DO NOT SEE ANY HANDS RAISED AGAIN.

STAR 9. IF YOU'D LIKE TO MAKE A COMMENT.

AND WE DON'T APPEAR TO HAVE ANY MAYOR.

OK. THANK YOU, STEPHANIE.

JARED, DID YOU HAVE ANOTHER COMMENT OR WAS THAT YOUR COMMENT? NO, I WAS GOING TO SAY THE SAME THING.

WE'VE BEEN JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE WERE CLEARLY ARTICULATING HOW PEOPLE COULD RAISE THEIR HANDS. YES. THANK YOU.

THANK YOU. OK.

AT THIS TIME, I WILL CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING ON THIS MATTER AND ENTERTAIN A MOTION FROM THE COUNCIL. MAYOR, I MOVE TO ADOPT ORDINANCE NUMBER 4847 IN THE VICINITY OF TOWN SQUARE BOULEVARD AND [INAUDIBLE] ROAD.

SECOND. IT'S BEEN MOVED AND SECONDED TO APPROVE ORDINANCE NUMBER 4847.

ANY FURTHER QUESTIONS OR DISCUSSION FROM THE COUNCIL? JUST WANT TO JUST DOING A SOUNDCHECK ELAINE, MAKING SURE WE HAVE YOU.

YES. I HAD JUST MUTED IT.

OK. THAT'S FINE BECAUSE I CAN'T SEE YOUR FACE.

OK. I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU HAD THE CHANCE IF WE NEEDED TO.

I CAN SEE NOW.

SO I CAN TELL THAT HE'S OK WITH IT.

THANK YOU. YEAH, AT THIS TIME I'LL CALL FOR A VOTE IF YOU COULD RAISE YOUR HAND OR SAY AYE.

[02:20:01]

ALL RIGHT. WE HAVE FIVE AYES IN FAVOR OF PASSING ORDINANCE NUMBER 7847.

[B. CONSIDERATION OF ORDINANCE NO. 7848 (Contact: Cris Valverde, Assistant Director of Planning and Development Services) To participate in this public hearing please call 1-408-638-0968. When prompted for the meeting number dial: 330267295# and specify as to what ordinance you are referring to. This item is the first reading and public hearing to consider an ordinance rezoning Lots 1 through 6, Block 3, Lee Green's Addition, in Section 154, Block 2, A.B.& M. Survey, Potter County, Texas, plus one-half of all bounding streets, alleys, and public ways to change from Light lndustrial District to Manufactured Home District. (Vicinity: Spruce Street and Southeast 21 Avenue.)]

MR. CITY MANAGER.

WELL THIS IS ANOTHER REZONING, MOVING FROM LIGHT INDUSTRIAL DISTRICT TO MANUFACTURED HOME DISTRICT. THIS IS IN THE VICINITY OF SPRUCE STREET AND SOUTHEAST 21ST AVENUE.

WE GO CHRIS VALVERDE AGAIN TO PRESENT THIS ITEM.

CHRIS. THANK YOU, JARED.

THIS IS TO CONSIDER THE REZONING OF LOTS 1 THROUGH 6 BLOCK 3 LEE GREENS ADDITION.

IT'S IN SECTION 154 BLOCK 2 [INAUDIBLE] SURVEY.

POTTER COUNTY, TEXAS.

AND AGAIN, IT IS TO CHANGE FROM LIGHT INDUSTRIAL DISTRICT TO MANUFACTURED HOME DISTRICT.

THIS PARTICULAR AREA IS A MIX OF RESIDENTIAL AND NONRESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENT, WITH RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENT BEING THE PREDOMINANT LAND EAST OF SPRUCE STREET.

THE APPLICANT IS REQUESTING REZONING IN ORDER TO DEVELOP THE SIX LOTS WITH SINGLE-FAMILY DETACHED HOMES. AS SUCH, AND CONSIDERING THE DEVELOPMENT PATTERN AND RECOMMENDED DEVELOPMENT TYPES EAST OF SPRUCE STREET IS RESIDENTIAL.

THE PLANNING COMMISSION BELIEVES THAT ALLOWING SINGLE FAMILY DETACHED HOMES TO DEVELOP IS IN LINE WITH THE ESTABLISHED DEVELOPMENT PATTERNS IN THIS PARTICULAR AREA.

NOTICES WERE SENT OUT TO ALL PROPERTY OWNERS WITHIN 200 FEET.

NO COMMENTS EITHER FOR OR AGAINST HAVE BEEN RECEIVED.

TAKING THIS INTO ACCOUNT, COMMISSIONERS ARE OF THE OPINION THAT THE PROPOSED REZONING IS APPROPRIATE AND A LOGICAL CONTINUATION OF THE PREDOMINANT DEVELOPMENT AND ZONING PATTERN, AS WELL AS THE EXISTING MANUFACTURED HOME ZONING DESIGNATION EASTWARD AND SOUTHWARD.

THEREFORE, PLANNING COMMISSIONERS RECOMMEND APPROVAL AS PRESENTED.

HAVE ANY QUESTIONS COUNCIL FOR CHRIS.

NO, MA'AM. OK.

THANK YOU, CHRIS. AT THIS TIME, I'LL OPEN A PUBLIC HEARING ON THIS MATTER.

DO WE HAVE ANYONE ON THE PHONE WHO WISHES TO SPEAK FOR, ON OR AGAINST THIS ITEM? IF SO, STEPHANIE, THEY NEED TO PRESS STAR 9, IS THAT CORRECT? YES, MAYOR. WE DO NOT HAVE ANYBODY RAISING THEIR HAND AT THIS TIME.

WELL, AT THIS TIME, I'LL CAUSE A PUBLIC HEARING ON THIS MATTER AND ENTERTAIN THE MOTION FROM THE COUNCIL. MAYOR, I MOVE TO ADOPT ORDINANCE NUMBER SEVENTY EIGHT FORTY EIGHT IN THE VICINITY OF SPRUCE STREET AND SOUTH EAST 21ST AVENUE.

SECOND. OK.

IT'S BEEN MOVED BY COUNCIL MEMBER POWELL AND SECONDED BY COUNCIL MEMBER SMITH TO APPROVE ORDINANCE NUMBER SEVENTY EIGHT FORTY EIGHT.

ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION OR QUESTIONS FROM THE COUNCIL? OK. HEARING NONE, WE'LL CALL FOR A VOTE.

ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF THE MOTION, PLEASE SAY AYE AND RAISE YOUR HAND.

AYE.

ANY OPPOSED.

THAT SOUNDS LIKE WE HAVE FIVE AYES IN FAVOR OF THAT MOTION.

MAYOR, BEFORE WE JUMP TO THE NEXT ITEM, I JUST WANTED TO MAKE A QUICK NOTE ON THAT ITEM.

THAT IS THE PROPERTY OR THE LOTTS THAT COUNCIL HAD PREVIOUSLY DONATED TO HABITAT FOR HUMANITY. SO WE'LL BE GOING THE CONSTRUCTION THERE IS GONNA BE FOR A VERY GOOD PURPOSE.

AND IT'S PREVIOUSLY BEEN IN FRONT OF YOU.

I SHOULD HAVE MENTIONED THAT AT THE START.

SO THANK YOU FOR ADDING THAT.

[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 Mayods First Amended Declaration of Disaster through April 28,2020.]

MR. CITY MANAGER.

MAYOR YOU DRAFTED THIS IN REVIEWING RECOMMENDATIONS WITH THE HEALTH AUTHORITY, DR.

MILTON AND WITH PUBLIC HEALTH AND WITH A VARIETY OF OTHER PEOPLE INVOLVED FROM ENVIRONMENTAL, HEALTH AND OTHER DEPARTMENTS, WE DRAFTED IT CONSISTENT WITH RECOMMENDATIONS THAT WERE MADE FROM DR.

MILTON EARLIER IN THE MEETING.

SO THIS WILL TAKE THE DECLARATION OF DISASTER THAT IS SCHEDULED TO EXPIRE TONIGHT AT MIDNIGHT AND EXTEND THAT TO TWO WEEKS FROM TODAY, WHICH WILL BE MIDNIGHT ON APRIL 28TH, WHICH WOULD BE TWO WEEKS FROM TODAY.

BUT IT IS EXACTLY THE SAME AS THE CURRENT ORDER.

IT JUST EXTENDS IT FOR TWO WEEKS AND WE CAN MODIFY THAT BASED ON YA'LLS CONVERSATION, BRYAN. YOUR INPUT? YEAH.

ACTUALLY, IT'LL BE FOR 11:59 P.M.

ON APRIL 28.

SO IT'LL GET YOU THROUGH THE MEETING.

MEETING T[INAUDIBLE]? I HOPE SO. I APOLOGIZE, I SAID MIDNIGHT.

I SHOULD HAVE SAID 11:59 BECAUSE IT WON'T GO TO MIDNIGHT.

IT WILL, IT'LL EXPIRE ONE MINUTE BEFORE THAT 11:59 P.M.

[02:25:01]

COUNCIL, WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS? DO WE WANT TO EXTEND IT? DO YOU FEEL LIKE WE NEED TO CONTINUE SHELTERING IN PLACE? I DON'T FEEL LIKE WE HAVE A CHOICE.

[INAUDIBLE] CONTINUE. YES.

I DO TOO. I SUPPORT CONTINUING IT, AND I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO FURTHER OUR CONVERSATION ON HOW WHAT WE ARE DETERMINING IS SEPARATE FROM THE GOVERNOR'S DECLARATION BECAUSE THERE ARE CERTAIN THINGS THAT, YOU KNOW, WE DON'T HAVE ANY FLEXIBILITY.

THERE ARE CERTAIN THINGS THAT HAVE BEEN HANDED DOWN FROM EITHER THE FEDERAL OR THE STATE LEVEL. AND IT'S JUST THE CLARIFICATION OF WHAT OUR LANE IS.

AND I THINK THE GOVERNORS RECURRENT ORDERS GO THROUGH MAY THE THIRD.

I MAY NOT BE CORRECT ON THAT.

THE CURRENT EXECUTIVE ORDER G 14 GA 14 EXPIRES AT MIDNIGHT ON APRIL 30TH.

OK. IF YOU'D LIKE, I CAN GO THROUGH THE DETAILS OF THAT AND THE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THAT AND WHERE OUR ORDER TAKES A LITTLE FARTHER.

I WOULD LIKE THAT JARED.

BUT LET'S PAUSE FOR JUST A SECOND.

I THINK I'M HEARING A CONSENSUS THAT WE WANT TO EXTEND IT.

CAN WE TALK ABOUT WHAT IT WOULD LOOK LIKE TO EXTEND IT TO BE CONCURRENT WITH THE GOVERNORS APRIL 30TH TIMEFRAME? I THINK THAT MIGHT ELIMINATE SOME CONFUSION FOR OUR CITIZENS.

SURE, WE CAN DO THAT. I CAN TOUCH ON IT.

AND THEN BRYAN CAN CLARIFY ANYTHING THAT I HAVE TO SAY OR EXPAND UPON IT.

BUT WE CAN EASILY TAKE IT TO THE 30TH.

IT'S JUST A MATTER OF CHANGING THE DATE ON THE DOCUMENTS WE HAVE IN FRONT OF YOU AND THEN BEFORE YOU SIGN IT. WHAT THAT WOULD REQUIRE, THOUGH, IS IF WE DO FEEL IT'S IN THE CITY'S INTEREST TO EXTEND THAT, YOU WILL NEED TO MAKE AN EXTENSION ON THE 30TH MAYOR OR MAYOR PRO TEM, AND THEN THE COUNCIL WILL CONSIDER RATIFYING OR EXTENDING THAT EXTENSION ON THE FOLLOWING TUESDAY. THE MAYOR'S AUTHORITY RIGHT, UNLESS YOU DID, YOU'RE CORRECT.

YOU COULD EXTEND THAT THAT ON THE 28TH THAT IS CORRECT.

YOU'RE ABSOLUTELY RIGHT. WE CAN STILL LOOK AT IT AGAIN IN TWO WEEKS AND GET COUNCIL FEEDBACK AND DR.

MILTON AND CASIE REAL TIME.

BUT I THINK IT WOULD BE MAYBE LESS CONFUSING.

MAYBE I'M WRONG. COUNCIL, WHAT DO YOU ALL THINK? SHOULD WE MIND IT UP WITH THE GOVERNOR'S TIMELINE? NO, I'D LIKE FOR US TO REVIEW IT AGAIN ON THE 28TH.

MAYOR AND MAYOR PRO TEM, I THINK.

I THINK THE MAYOR'S GOT A GREAT POINT.

WE COULD WRITE THE DOCUMENT TO GO TO THE 30TH.

WE CAN ALSO PUT IT ON THE AGENDA FOR THE 28TH SO WE CAN GET FEEDBACK AND INPUT.

YOU CAN EXTEND IT PRIOR TO THE EXPIRATION, JUST LIKE WE'RE DOING TODAY WERE EXTENDING PRIOR TO THE EXPIRATION IF YOU EXTEND SO WE CAN PUT IT TO THE 30TH TO BE CONSISTENT WITH THE GOVERNOR'S ORDER AND STILL CONSIDERED ON THE 28TH AND EITHER EXTEND AGAIN OR PROVIDE GUIDANCE TO THE MAYOR TO TAKE SOME ACTION PRIOR TO THE 30TH.

I'M OK WITH THAT.

I'M GOOD. BRYAN, YOU HAVE ANY INPUT? THAT'S FINE. WE CAN DO IT HOW EVER YOU WANT.

OK. I LOVE WHAT YOU'RE SAYING ABOUT MAKING IT CONSISTENT WITH THE 30TH AND MAKING CONSISTENT FROM A DATE STANDPOINT WITH THE GOVERNOR'S ORDER.

DR. SAUER I INTERRUPTED YOU. NO, THAT'S OK.

[INAUDIBLE].

WAS IT TODAY OR IS IT, IT WAS YESTERDAY THAT THE GOVERNOR SPOKE AND HE TALKED ABOUT RELAXING, POSSIBLY SOME THINGS WITHIN THE NEXT WEEK OR SO.

SO HOW DOES THAT AFFECT WHAT WE'RE DOING HERE? SO THAT WOULD THAT WOULD BE A GOOD TIME.

MAYOR, IF YOU'RE OKAY WITH IT, FOR ME TO GO INTO SOME DETAIL ABOUT WHAT THE GOVERNOR'S ORDER DOES AND WHAT IT DOES NOT DO.

AND THEN TALKING ABOUT THE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN GOVERNOR'S ORDER AND OUR ORDER.

SO THE GOVERNOR'S ORDER DOES A NUMBER OF THINGS, A FEW THINGS, REALLY.

IT DIRECTS THAT ESSENTIAL BUSINESSES STAY OPEN.

IT REFERENCES WHERE TO GO TO DEFINE WHAT THOSE ESSENTIAL BUSINESSES ARE.

IT ALSO DIRECTS THAT A VERY SMALL HANDFUL OF BUSINESSES WILL NOT BE OPEN.

AND THOSE BUSINESSES ARE IT.

FOR ONE, IT SAYS THAT YOU SHOULD NOT EAT AND YOU SHALL NOT EAT INSIDE BARS, RESTAURANTS, FOOD COURTS OR VISIT GYMS, MASSAGE ESTABLISHMENTS, TATTOO STUDIOS, PIERCING STUDIOS OR COSMETOLOGY SALONS.

EACH ONE OF THOSE HAS A NUMBER OF BUSINESS TYPES THAT FALL INTO THEM.

BUT THAT IS THE ONLY ELIMINATIONS OF BUSINESSES THAT SHOULD BE OPEN.

IT DOES NOT SPEAK TO NONESSENTIAL BUSINESSES OTHER THAN TO SAY FOLLOW THE CDC AND PRESIDENT'S GUIDELINES ON SOCIAL DISTANCING AND ENHANCE SANITATION.

IT ALSO SAYS THAT YOU SHOULD AVOID OR MINIMIZE OR NOT AVOID, BUT MINIMIZE SOCIAL

[02:30:06]

SO IT DOES NOT ELIMINATE NON-ESSENTIAL BUSINESSES.

IT DOES, HOWEVER, SPELL OUT OR IDENTIFY A VERY SMALL NUMBER OF NON-ESSENTIAL BUSINESSES THAT SHOULD REMAIN CLOSED.

THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE GOVERNOR'S ORDER AND OUR ORDER IS THAT WE TAKE IT A STEP FARTHER. WE ARE ALLOWED TO DO THAT.

THE ONLY AREAS WHERE THE ONLY THINGS THAT WE ARE NOT ALLOWED TO DO ARE THINGS THAT ARE IN CONFLICT WITH WHAT THE GOVERNOR HAS ORDERED.

SO OUR ORDER ON LOW RISK BUSINESSES, OUR GUIDANCE REALLY ON LOW RISK BUSINESSES IS CONSISTENT WITH THE GOVERNOR'S ORDER.

IT JUST CLARIFIES AND SAYS, HOW DO YOU DEFINE AND HOW DO YOU OPERATE AS A LOW RISK BUSINESS? LOW RISK BUSINESS IS NOT SPOKEN TO INSIDE THE GOVERNOR'S ORDER.

ALL WE'VE DONE IS CLARIFY THOSE CRITERIA THAT ARE IN THE PRESIDENT AND CDC'S GUIDELINES AND SPELL THEM OUT AS THE CRITERIA THAT A BUSINESS OWNER HAS TO BE ABLE TO SATISFY IF THEY'RE GOING TO OPERATE DURING THIS TIME.

THOSE CRITERIA INCLUDE.

I'M SORRY, I'M GRABBING MY DOCUMENTS KEEPING ALL EMPLOYEES AND CUSTOMERS AT LEAST SIX FEET APART AT ALL TIMES, NEVER EXCEEDING GATHERINGS OF MORE THAN 10 PEOPLE, TAKING EXTRA MEASURES TO SANITIZE COMMON SURFACES, WHICH INCLUDES THINGS LIKE COUNTERTOPS, CARTS, FAUCETS, POINT OF SALE DEVICES LIKE A CREDIT CARD MACHINE.

THINGS LIKE THAT. AND THEN ALSO INSURING EMPLOYEES AND CUSTOMERS MAINTAIN ENHANCED HYGIENE PRACTICES LIKE ANTHONY WAS TALKING ABOUT EARLIER.

JUST MAKING SURE PEOPLE ARE WASHING THEIR HANDS AND SANITIZING THEIR HANDS ON A REGULAR BASIS AND IN A VARIETY OF OTHER THINGS THAT GO INTO THE ENHANCED HYGIENE PRACTICES.

SO THAT IS THE PRIMARY DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE PRIMARY ENHANCEMENT IN OUR ORDER OVER WHAT'S WHAT'S GOING ON IN THE STATE AS A WHOLE.

WHAT QUESTIONS CAN I ANSWER ON THAT BECAUSE THERE HAS BEEN SOME CONFUSION ABOUT IS OUR ORDER CONSISTENT OR IS IT NOT? IT IS CONSISTENT WITH THE GOVERNOR'S ORDER.

IT DOES PROVIDE ADDITIONAL CLARIFICATION ON HOW NON-ESSENTIAL BUSINESSES SHOULD OPERATE.

I HAD A NON-ESSENTIAL BUSINESS REACH OUT TO ME THIS WEEK, AND THEY WERE TALKING IN DETAIL ABOUT THE CHANGES THEY MADE OPERATIONALLY TO MEET THE FOUR CRITERIA TO BE IN THE LOW RISK CATEGORY. AND THEY MENTIONED THAT THEY FEEL LIKE THERE IS POSSIBLY SOME CONFUSION IN THE COMMUNITY ABOUT WHETHER LOW RISK BUSINESSES CAN BE OPEN OR NOT.

AND I HAD A GOOD CONVERSATION WITH THIS BUSINESS OWNER, AND IT DOES SOUND LIKE HE'S ABLE TO ADJUST HIS BUSINESS TO BE LOW RISK.

THE IRONY AND I THINK SOME OF THE CONFUSION COMES FROM THE FACT THAT WHILE HIS BUSINESS CAN BE OPEN AS A LOW RISK BUSINESS, HE IS NOT ESSENTIAL.

AND SO WE'RE ASKING CITIZENS TO ONLY GET OUT FOR ESSENTIAL THINGS.

AND I THINK THAT COULD BE SOME OF WHERE THE CONFUSION IS.

YOU WERE ASKING PEOPLE, DON'T WE ON THE ROADS UNLESS YOU'RE GOING OUT FOR AN ESSENTIAL ACTIVITY. AND SO SOME OF THESE BUSINESSES THAT ARE LOW RISK CAN CONTINUE TO OPERATE.

BUT I DON'T KNOW THAT THEIR CUSTOMERS WILL FEEL COMFORTABLE UNDER THE CURRENT SHELTER IN PLACE ORDER GETTING OUT AND GOING TO THAT STORE OR USING THAT SERVICE.

DO YOU FEEL LIKE WE'RE SENDING A CONFUSING MESSAGE COUNCIL MEMBER WE HAD SAID ALL ALONG, IF OUR CITY CAN BE WORKING AND DOING IT SAFELY, WE WANT THEM TO BE WORKING.

WE WANT BUSINESSES TO BE OPEN.

BUT HAVE I DEFINED THIS POSSIBLE CONFUSION AND CAN WE GET SOME FEEDBACK FROM YOU GUYS ON IT? IT IS CONFLICTING.

I MEAN, JUST ON THE STRAIGHT ON THE LEVEL IT IS CONFLICTING WHEN YOU SAY DON'T GET OUT UNLESS YOU'RE DOING THIS FOR ESSENTIAL AND YET NOT ESSENTIAL ARE OPEN.

I MEAN, JUST HONESTLY, IT IS A CONFLICT.

YOU THINK IT'S SOMETHING WE NEED TO CHANGE? I DON'T KNOW THAT WE NEED TO CHANGE IT, BUT I'M JUST SAYING IT'S A CONFLICT.

I'M NOT GOING TO BECAUSE I UNDERSTAND BECAUSE I THINK WE'RE HAVING TO STRADDLE A LINE OF DOING A COUPLE OF THINGS.

NUMBER ONE AND MOST IMPORTANT IS PUBLIC SAFETY.

AND NUMBER TWO IS WE HAVE TO HELP THE CITY DO OUR VERY BEST TO KEEP THE ECONOMIC ENGINE GOING HOWEVER WE CAN DO THAT.

AND SOMETIMES THOSE CONFLICTS EACH OTHER.

AND THEY JUST CONFLICT WITH EACH OTHER AND ALL WE CAN DO IS EXPLAIN THAT CONFLICT AND

[02:35:07]

BUT IT STILL DOESN'T CHANGE THE FACT THAT IT'S A CONFLICT.

YOU UNDERSTAND WHAT I'M SAYING? MAYOR, IF I CAN ADD JUST A LITTLE BIT, ONE AS FOOD FOR THOUGHT.

ONE OF THE THINGS THAT IS MENTIONED INSIDE THE GOVERNOR'S ORDER IS THAT IT DOES [INAUDIBLE] DEFINE ESSENTIAL SERVICES.

AND I CAN TELL YOU THAT IF WE WANTED TO LIMIT ALL ACTIVITY AND ALL INTERACTION WITH BUSINESSES TO ONLY ESSENTIAL SERVICES, WE WILL STILL HAVE A LOT OF CONFLICTING, CONTRADICTORY INFORMATION BECAUSE THERE'S A LOT OF DEBATE AND DISCUSSION AMONG A LOT OF YOUR BUSINESSES. AND WE'VE GOTTEN A LOT OF LETTERS SAYING, HEY, JUST IN CASE YOU GO THERE, I'M IN A ESSENTIAL BUSINESS AND I DON'T WANT TO SAY THAT SOME OF THESE LETTERS ARE A REACH. I'M JUST SAYING THAT THERE IS A BROAD RANGE OF THINGS THAT CAN BE ARGUED YOU KNOW, WHETHER YOU WANT TO USE SIX DEGREES OF SEPARATION OR WHATEVER.

BUT ESSENTIAL SERVICES SHALL CONSIST OF EVERYTHING LISTED BY THE US DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY AND ITS GUIDANCE ON THE ESSENTIAL CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE WORKFORCE VERSION 2.0.

YOU KNOW, IT'S NOT IN THE ORDER, IT'S JUST REFERENCED IN THE ORDER.

SO THERE'S A LOT OF INFORMATION THAT NEEDS TO BE CHECKED.

WHAT WE'VE DONE THROUGH THIS ORDER IS WE'VE BYPASSED THAT WHOLE DEBATE AND WE'RE NOT REALLY ARGUING WITH PEOPLE SHOULD YOU BE OPERATING OR NOT? ONE, IF YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE MORE THAN 10 PEOPLE IN THERE, YOU BETTER BE ABLE TO CLEARLY BE A ESSENTIAL BUSINESS.

BUT TWO IF YOU'RE GOING TO BE OPEN, YOU NEED TO BE OPERATING IN COMPLIANCE WITH CDC AND PRESIDENTIAL GUIDELINES.

AND IT DOES ELIMINATE SOME OF THAT DEBATE OVER CAN I BE OPEN OR NOT, WHETHER YOU'RE ESSENTIAL OR NOT. THREE OF THOSE FOUR CRITERIA FOR LOW RISK BUSINESS HAVE TO BE MET.

THE ONLY ONE THAT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE MET IS THE LIMITATION ON 10.

BUT ALL THE OTHER THINGS, THE FREQUENT SANITATION OF COMMON SURFACES, THE MAINTAINING SOCIAL DISTANCING BETWEEN ALL PEOPLE INSIDE THE ESTABLISHMENT AND FREQUENT HYGIENE OR ENHANCED HYGIENE PRACTICES, ALL THOSE HAVE TO BE MET.

SO WE'VE KIND OF SIMPLIFIED THE CONVERSATION JUST A LITTLE BIT WITHOUT GOING SO FAR AS TO ACTUALLY SHUT DOWN SOME BUSINESS.

AND I THINK THAT'S THE REASON OR THE PURPOSE FOR SOME OF THE AMBIGUITY, AMBIGUITY IN THE GOVERNOR'S ORDER WITH REGARD TO THE GUIDANCE ON MINIMIZING SOCIAL GATHERINGS AND MINIMIZING INTERACTION WITH NON-RELATED PERSONS.

AND PLEASE [INAUDIBLE] UNDERSTAND ME SAY THAT THE GOVERNOR'S ORDER IS NEFARIOUS IN ANY WAY. I'M JUST SAYING, I THINK HE BUILT THAT IN SO THAT LOCAL GOVERNMENTS CAN HAVE A LITTLE BIT OF LEEWAY TO DECIDE HOW THEY WANT TO ADDRESS THE SITUATIONS IN EACH ONE OF THEIR [INAUDIBLE] JURISDICTIONS.

SO IF I HEAR YOU JUST SAY ONE MORE THING ABOUT THAT IS ANY TIME THAT WE'RE GOING TO BE INVOLVED WITH A CASE BY CASE SITUATION, WHICH IS KIND OF WHAT THIS IS, THERE'S ALWAYS GOING TO BE SOME CONFLICT IN THERE THAT WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO SAY, OK, WE'RE ALL RIGHT WITH THAT OR NOT, OK.

I JUST I DON'T THINK IT'S GOOD REGARDLESS OF WHICH WAY WE WENT.

IT'S NOT GOING TO BE CUT AND DRY AND WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO REALIZE THAT THERE'S GOING TO BE SOME CONFLICT IN THE DECISIONS THAT WE'RE MAKING ON THIS.

AND THAT'S REALLY THE ONLY THING THAT I SAYING ABOUT IT, JUST BECAUSE THERE IS SOME CONFLICT IN IT AND THERE ALWAYS WILL BE.

AND I'M OK WITH THAT.

I REALIZE THAT THAT'S WHAT WE'RE SUPPOSED TO DO TO MAKE THOSE KINDS OF DECISIONS.

ELAINE, DID YOU HAVE A COMMENT? I FEEL THAT THE GOVERNOR HAS GIVEN US SOME ROOM TO OPERATE AND TRYING TO FIND THAT BALANCE BETWEEN PROTECTING LIVES AND PROTECTING LIVELIHOODS.

AND I FEEL THAT WHERE WE ARE OPERATING RIGHT NOW, WHERE WE TOOK THE TACK OF IDENTIFYING LOW RISK BUSINESSES, THAT WE WERE GOING TO ALLOW TO CONTINUE OPERATING AS LONG AS THEY FOLLOWED SPECIFIC STRICT GUIDELINES THAT I FEEL LIKE WE'RE OPERATING RIGHT NOW WHERE THE GOVERNOR IS INDICATING HE HOPES TO BE MOVING TOWARDS IN THE NEXT COUPLE OF WEEKS.

I THINK THIS IS THE IT WOULD BE LIKE IF WE HAD SHUT EVERYTHING DOWN, AN INITIAL STEP TO GO BACK TO TRYING TO GET PEOPLE BACK TO WORK.

WE HAVE ROOM RIGHT NOW TO BE MORE STRICT.

WE ARE NOT OPERATING AT THE STRICTEST LEVELS.

BUT AS LONG AS WE SEE THE NUMBERS, AS REPORTED BY DR.

MILTON, OUR GROWTH RATE IN CASES SLOWING DOWN THAT ARE DOUBLING RATES.

IF WE STAY IF THE [INAUDIBLE] IF WE BEGAN EXTENDING THAT, THEN I WOULD SAY THAT'S AN INDICATION THAT OUR CURRENT RESTRICTIONS ARE OPERATING AS WE NEED THEM TO.

AND SO I FEEL LIKE WE ARE AT A GOOD MIDWAY POSITION RIGHT NOW TO STAY THE COURSE WHERE WE

[02:40:09]

REEVALUATE. SEE THOSE NUMBERS, LOOK AT THE RATE OF GROWTH.

AND THAT I THINK UNDER THE CURRENT SHELTER-IN-PLACE WE ARE AT A GOOD BALANCE BETWEEN PROTECTING THE COMMUNITY, BUT ALLOWING BUSINESSES THAT ARE WILLING TO GO THAT EXTRA MILE THAT WE ALLOW AND OPERATE.

GOING BACK TO YOUR PREVIOUS COMMENT.

MAYOR, I THINK REGARDLESS OF WHAT SOME BUSINESSES DO RIGHT NOW, THEY PROBABLY ARE NOT GOING TO SEE A LOT OF CUSTOMERS.

NO. PEOPLE ARE [INAUDIBLE] AND SO THAT'S JUST THE REALITY.

AND NO MATTER WHAT WE DO AND WHEN WE GET TO A POINT, EVEN IF WE WERE TOTALLY OPEN.

I THINK THERE IS GOING TO BE A LINGERING ONGOING CONCERN AND FEAR IN THE COMMUNITY TO BEGIN JUST MOVING ABOUT AS WE DID PREVIOUSLY.

AND I THINK ALL THOSE THINGS WILL BE ADDRESSED IN STAGES TO BE SURE THAT WE ARE ABLE TO GIVE OUR COMMUNITY REASSURANCES OF THE SAFETY LEVEL AND WHAT THE REAL RISK ARE AND LETTING THEM MAKE THOSE CHOICES.

HOWARD, WHAT ARE YOU THINKING? WELL. WE GOT A QUESTION HERE.

I THINK THERE CAN BE A CONFLICT BETWEEN WHAT THE GOVERNOR SAYS AND WHAT AMARILLO ALERTS SAYS. ONE MEMBER OF THE COMMUNITY BROUGHT UP TO ME ABOUT GOLF COURSES.

AND HE QUOTED THE GOVERNOR IS SAYING THAT GOLF COURSES MAY CONTINUE TO OPERATE.

LET ME READ A COMMENT THAT SUPPOSEDLY CAME FROM THE GOVERNOR.

PEOPLE ARE FREE TO WALK ALONG OR EVEN WITH A GOLF CLUB AND A GOLF BALL, GO ON THE GOLF COURSE. PUBLIC GOLF COURSE ANYBODY CAN.

A PRIVATE GOLF COURSE.

THE CLUBHOUSE IS SUPPOSED TO BE CLOSED BUT MEMBERS WHO ARE AUTHORIZED TO BE ON THAT PREMISES CAN WALK ALONG THE GOLF COURSE.

EVEN WITH A GOLF CLUB AND A GOLF BALL, AS LONG AS THEY ARE ALL MAINTAINING SAFE DISTANCING PRACTICES AND FOLLOWING THE CDC STANDARDS TO MAKE SURE THEY'RE NOT TRANSMITTING THE CORONAVIRUS.

AND THIS IS COMING FROM A PERSON THAT'S A GOLFER.

WANTS TO GO OUT AND PLAY GOLF.

STAY AWAY FROM OTHER PEOPLE AND EDDY TALKED TO ME ABOUT TWO WEEKS AGO I SAID WELL GO TO AMARILLO ALERTS IT DID NOT ALLOW GOLF COURSES.

NOW HE'S SAYING THE GOVERNORS COUNTER ACTED THAT.

SO I'M CURIOUS HOW THAT WOULD WORK.

MAYOR YOU WANT ME TO JUMP IN.

YES JARED. THE GOVERNOR'S CONVERSATION ON MONDAY OR ACTUALLY LAST WEEK, I BELIEVE IT WAS. DID OFFER OPINION ON WHETHER OR NOT THE SORRY I TOUCHED MY FACE.

SANITIZE MY HAND WANT TO SET A GOOD EXAMPLE THERE.

ON WHETHER OR NOT THE GOLF COURSES SHOULD STAY OPEN.

HE SAID, AND I'M GOING TO PARAPHRASE THAT HE FELT THEY SHOULD NOT.

HOWEVER, THEY DID NOT MODIFY THE STATE ORDER IN ANY WAY.

THERE IS NO FORMAL GUIDANCE DIRECTING CITIES OR ANY JURISDICTION TO CLOSE GOLF COURSES IN THEIR AREA, PUBLIC OR PRIVATE.

WHILE WE AND MANY OTHER PUBLIC ORGANIZATIONS AND ENTITIES ACROSS THE STATE HAVE CLOSED OUR GOLF COURSES, THERE IS NO, AS FAR AS I CAN TELL, OFFICIAL GUIDANCE FROM EITHER THE STATE OR OUR HEALTH DISTRICT OR CERTAINLY CITY OF AMARILLO TO CLOSE PRIVATE COURSES IN OUR AREA. SO THAT IS SOMETHING YOU COULD CONSIDER TO ADD INTO YOUR ORDER BASED ON THE INPUT AND OPINION OF THE GOVERNOR AND ALSO ON THE INPUT OPINION OF OUR PUBLIC HEALTH AUTHORITY OR HEALTH DEPARTMENT.

BUT IT IS NOT SOMETHING THAT'S REQUIRED.

WHICH GOES BACK TO OUR EARLY CONVERSATIONS ON THAT THERE ARE CERTAIN THINGS THEY ALLOW US TO DO. DON'T RESTRICT.

BUT IT'S NOT MANDATORY ONE WAY OR THE OTHER.

SO ON ONE TALK ABOUT MIXED MESSAGES.

SO ONE IS OF ALLOWING GOLF COURSES THAT ON THE OTHER HAND, CLOSING STATE PARKS, WHICH HAS A LOT MORE SPACE TO SPREAD OUT AND SOCIAL DISTANCE.

SO, YOU KNOW, EVERYTHING IS NOT IT'S NOT BLACK AND WHITE.

[02:45:09]

I WOULD NOT NECESSARILY WANT TO BE MAKING THAT CHANGE AND THAT DECISION TODAY.

I WOULD BE INTERESTED IN REEVALUATING THAT ON THE 30TH.

BUT FOR ME PERSONALLY, I AM I'M NOT WANTING TO MAKE THAT BIG OF A CHANGE WITHOUT A MUCH FURTHER CONVERSATION ABOUT ALL OF THE THINGS REQUIRED TO DO THAT.

I THINK IT COMES BACK TO OUR STANCE WAS IF YOUR BUSINESS COULD OPERATE SAFELY, WE WANTED YOUR BUSINESS TO BE OPERATING.

FOR THE WHAT WAS THE TERM YOU USED ELAINE YOU SAID IT SO ELOQUENTLY? THE LIVELIHOOD.

YES. THANK YOU. AND YOU KNOW, A LOT OF THOSE PRIVATE WE'VE CLOSED OUR PUBLIC GOLF COURSES NOT FOR HEALTH REASONS, BUT FOR EQUIPMENT REASONS.

SO, YOU KNOW, IN SOME WAYS YOU COULD ARGUE, COULD WE BE OPEN FOR WALKERS IF WE DIDN'T HAVE TO BE PUTTING STAFF OR SANITIZING EQUIPMENT? BUT THOSE PRIVATE BUSINESSES, IF THEY CAN OPERATE SAFELY AND THAT'S A PRIVATE BUSINESS.

THAT'S FEEDING INTO THE LIVELIHOOD OF THEIR EMPLOYEES AND THE ECONOMY OF OUR CITY.

I TEND TO SIDE WITH THE ELAINE AND THINK I MIGHT NOT BE PRODUCTIVE FOR US TO MAKE A CHANGE ON THAT TODAY.

I'M FINE WITH THAT.

I'VE JUST BROUGHT IT UP BECAUSE IT WAS BROUGHT UP TO ME.

YEAH, IT'S GOOD FOR IT TO BE OUT ON THE TABLE.

WHAT WERE YOU SAYING ELAINE? AND SO THERE'S THE LOGISTICS OF IT.

THE SAFETY OF IT, BUT I THINK THERE IS A PSYCHOLOGICAL ASPECT, THAT ASPECT OF IT AS WELL, THAT WE BEGIN LISTING THINGS LIKE THAT.

I THINK MENTALLY PEOPLE TAKE A STEP BACK AND GO, OH, WELL, THEY'RE LISTING THINGS.

AND IT GOES AGAINST WHAT CASIE AND DR.

MILSON ARE KIND OF HOPING FOR THAT MESSAGE TO BE IS, YOU KNOW, LET'S STAY THE COURSE.

LET'S DO WHAT WE'RE DOING RIGHT NOW.

I ABSOLUTELY FEEL LIKE IN THE NEXT TWO WEEKS, WE'RE GOING TO BE ABLE TO CONTINUE LOOSENING THE REINS AND THE BOUNDARIES OF THAT.

LITTLE BY LITTLE. AND I SEE LIGHT AT THE END OF THE TUNNEL AND IN A VERY SHORT PERIOD, EVEN IN THAT TWO WEEKS OF LOOKING AT.

OK, WHERE CAN WE BEGIN STEPPING BACK SOME OF OUR RESTRICTIONS? I JUST DON'T THINK WE'RE THERE TODAY.

AND THINKING I WANT TO SEE THOSE NUMBERS.

I WANT TO SEE US GET TO A FLATTENING A PEAK OR SOMETHING WHERE WE'RE NOT SEEING THAT.

WE CONTINUE TO SEE THESE RATE OF GROWTH NUMBERS STAY LOW BEFORE WE BEGIN ADDRESSING SOME OF THOSE THINGS. AND I THINK THERE WILL BE PLENTY OF OPTIONS FOR US TO BE ABLE TO TO LOOSEN UP EVEN BEFORE WE'RE GOING TO A JUST ALL HANDS ON DECK, EVERYTHING BACK OPEN.

FREDA, WHAT ARE YOU THINKING? WELL, MAYOR, FIRST OF ALL, I WANT.

I WANT TO SAY THAT I CARE DEEPLY ABOUT OUR CITIZENS AND THEIR HEALTH.

I ALSO CARE DEEPLY ABOUT OUR BUSINESSES AND THE SACRIFICES THAT THEY CONTINUE TO MAKE AS WE MOVE THROUGH THE COVID 19 CRISIS THAT WE'RE IN.

AND WE AS A COUNCIL, WE HAVE BEEN SMART IN THE SHORT TERM.

AND SO I JUST TOOK A STEP BACK AND I ASKED MYSELF, I SAID, OK.

SO WHAT IS OUR GOAL HERE? THAT WE'RE TRYING TO ACCOMPLISH? AND WE KNOW THAT WE WANT TO FLATTEN THE CURVE.

WE WANT TO SLOW DOWN THE SPREAD OF THE VIRUS SO THAT WE CAN MAXIMIZE THE RESOURCES THAT WE HAVE TO BE ABLE TO CARE FOR OUR CITIZENS.

WE WANT TO EASE THE STRAIN ON OUR HEALTH SYSTEM.

WE DON'T WANT TO BE IN LARGE GROUPS EVERY DAY.

YOU KNOW, WE WANT TO CONTINUE THOSE PRACTICES SO WE DON'T TRANSMIT THE VIRUS.

WE WANT TO BE ABLE TO EXPAND OUR TESTING CAPACITY.

WE WANT TO PROTECT MORE PEOPLE.

THAT'S REALLY WHAT IT'S ALL ABOUT.

WE WANT TO CONTINUE THE SOCIAL DISTANCING MEASURES.

AND IF WE'RE DOING THIS, THEN WE CAN ALL GET BACK TO, YOU KNOW, FREQUENTING THE DIFFERENT BUSINESSES AND MOVING ON WITH, YOU KNOW, WITH OUR DAY TO DAY LIVES.

[02:50:05]

BUT THE FOCUS IS REALLY ON THE HEALTH OF OUR COMMUNITY.

AND THAT'S REALLY WHERE WE ARE RIGHT NOW.

AND SO WHEN I ASK MYSELF, WHAT'S THE GOAL WHEN I LOOK AT THESE THINGS? WE'RE NOT THERE YET.

AND SO WHICH MEANS WE WE DO NEED TO EXTEND OUR STAY HOME.

SHELTER. WHICH I'M NOT HAPPY ABOUT THAT.

BUT I DO KNOW IT'S THE RIGHT THING TO DO.

AND MY FIRST OBLIGATION IS TO PROTECT OUR CITY AND PROTECT OUR CITIZENS.

WELL, LET ME SEE IF I'M HEARING A CONSENSUS TOWARD EXTENDING THE ORDER LINING IT UP WITH THE GOVERNORS APRIL 30TH DEADLINE, BUT PUTTING IT ON OUR AGENDA TO DISCUSS ON APRIL 28TH.

NOT CHANGING THE TERMS, SO WE WOULD STILL BE ADVISING PEOPLE TO SHELTER IN PLACE AND GET OUT ONLY FOR ESSENTIAL ACTIVITY OR TRAVEL.

CONTINUING WITH THE LOW RISK BUSINESS CATEGORY, RECOGNIZING THAT YOU CAN BE OPEN, BUT NOT MANY PEOPLE CAN COME OUT AND SHOP WITH YOU.

BECAUSE WE'RE ASKING THEM TO STAY IN UNLESS YOU'RE IN A ESSENTIAL ACTIVITY OR AN ESSENTIAL BUSINESS.

AND WE'RE ASKING WE'RE ASKING ALL BUSINESSES TO OPERATE WITHIN OUR ESTABLISHED GUIDELINES.

THAT'S REALLY THE KEY.

OK. DOES THAT KIND OF SUMMARIZE THE CONSENSUS THAT I'M HEARING? YES, MA'AM. AND MAYOR ALSO THAT DAY, THE 28TH OF BRINGING THIS CONVERSATION BACK AROUND TO WORD THAT AN EXTENSION OR DEADLINE ON THE 30TH.

IT WOULD GIVE US THE TWO WEEK TIME.

CORRECT. I'M NOT LOOKING AT MY CALENDAR TO GET THE INFORMATION BACK FROM OUR INDUSTRY SECTORS. YES.

AND GET FEEDBACK ON WHAT LIFE MIGHT LOOK LIKE AFTER THE 30TH.

A SUGGESTION FROM A DIFFERENT INDUSTRY GROUPS.

YES.

YOU'RE READING MY MIND ON THAT.

I THINK THAT'S VITAL TO HAVE THAT INFORMATION BEFORE WE VISIT THIS EXTENSION QUESTION AGAIN. I UNDERSTAND THAT [INAUDIBLE] YOU'RE ASKING US TO DO.

TALKING TO REALTORS AND BUILDERS IS TO GET DISCUSSION ABOUT WHAT IT WOULD BE LIKE WHEN WE ARE READY TO OPEN IT UP WHETHER IT BE OPENED UP THE 30TH.

IF WE DOUBLE AGAIN, DOUBLE AGAIN.

WE MAY NOT. THAT IS HOW WE WOULD APPROACH IT WHEN WE ARE READY TO OPEN.

THAT WOULD DEFINITELY BE ONE OF THE COMPONENTS TO GIVE THEM A LITTLE BIT OF WHAT WE'RE THINKING, BUT DO A WHOLE LOT OF LISTENING ABOUT WHAT THEY'RE THINKING.

ALL RIGHT. SO, MAYOR, I MOVE TO CONFIRM AND CONTINUE THE MAYOR'S FIRST AMENDED DECLARATION OF DISASTER THROUGH APRIL THE 30TH, 2020.

SECOND. THERE'S A MOTION TO EXTEND TO CONTINUE THE EXISTING DECLARATION OF DISASTER THROUGH APRIL 30TH.

IT'S BEEN MOVED BY COUNCIL MEMBER HAY.

SECONDED BY COUNCIL MEMBER POWELL.

ANY FURTHER QUESTIONS OR DISCUSSION FROM THE COUNCIL ABOUT THE MOTION? OK HEARING NONE ALL OF THOSE IN FAVOR OF THE MOTION, PLEASE SAY AYE AND RAISE YOUR HAND.

AYE. I THINK ANYONE OPPOSED.

SO THAT IS FIVE PEOPLE IN FAVOR OF THE MOTION AND NONE UNOPPOSED.

THANK YOU Y'ALL FOR THE GOOD CONVERSATION AND SHARING YOUR THINKING ON THAT ONE, WE HAVE A LOT TO CONSIDER THERE.

I THINK IT'S GOOD FOR US TO DIALOG OUT LOUD AND LET FOLKS HEAR WHAT WE'RE THINKING AND IT GIVES THEM A GREAT PLATFORM TO GIVE US FEEDBACK ON.

[D. CONSIDER APPROVAL - INTERLOCAL COOPERATION CONTRACT BETWEEN THE TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF STATE HEALTH SERVICES (DSHS) AND THE CITY OF AMARILLO FOR SUPPORT OF COVID.19 RESPONSE (Contact: Casie Stoughton, Director of Public Health) DSHS grant award to the City of Amarillo in the amount of $304,813.00 The interlocal cooperation contract between Texas DSHS and the City of Amarillo for support of the Coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) response in alignment with the Public Health Crisis Response Cooperative Agreement for Emergency Response from the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).]

[02:55:01]

SO WE ALREADY OPERATE UNDER A CONTRACT WITH DSHS, THE DEPARTMENT OF STATE HEALTH SERVICES. AND THIS IS ADDITIONAL FUNDS TO CONTINUE THAT SAME CONTRACT.

IT DOESN'T ADD ANY TASKS.

IT JUST ADDS FUNDING.

GIVEN THAT WE HAVE ALL OF THE EXTRA WORK THAT PUBLIC HEALTH AND OTHER DEPARTMENTS ARE DOING TO RESPOND TO CORONAVIRUS.

THE ITEM THAT WE HAVE IN FRONT OF YOU HAS A THREE HUNDRED AND FOUR THOUSAND EIGHT HUNDRED THIRTEEN DOLLAR CONTRACT AMOUNT.

HOWEVER, SINCE WE DRAFTED THIS AND PUT IT TOGETHER, IT'S GROWN TO SIX HUNDRED AND SEVENTEEN THOUSAND SIX HUNDRED TWENTY DOLLARS.

SO WHOEVER IS GOING TO MAKE A MOTION ON THAT, IF YOU CHOOSE TO MAKE A MOTION, I WOULD ASK THAT USE THE SIX HUNDRED SEVENTEEN THOUSAND SIX HUNDRED TWENTY DOLLAR NUMBER TO GIVE YOU MORE INFORMATION ON THIS.

AND HOPEFULLY I DIDN'T STEAL ALL OF OUR THUNDER.

I'M SURE I DIDN'T. CASIE STOUGHTON DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC HEALTH IS ON THE LINE.

I SAW HER UNMUTE A LITTLE WHILE AGO SO CASIE.

[INAUDIBLE] AS JARED SAID WE HAD WORD THAT THIS CONTRACT [INAUDIBLE] SO THIS WILL PAY FOR SOME OF OUR ACTIVITIES RELATED TO COVID WITH REGARDS TO STAFF SALARIES [INAUDIBLE] INTERPRETER WHICH WE REALLY APPRECIATE.

MARKETING, OUR HEALTH AUTHORITY COST [INAUDIBLE].

SO THOSE ARE JUST FEW OF THE ITEMS THAT [INAUDIBLE].

[INAUDIBLE] YOW HAVE ANY QUESTIONS FOR CASIE.

NO, MA'AM. MAYOR, I HAVE ONE QUESTION, SO CASIE.

LIKE THESE, THE COVID TESTS ARE OFFERED TO THE PUBLIC FREE OF CHARGE.

IS THIS WHERE THAT GETS COVERED? IS THIS LIKE A REIMBURSEMENT FOR A SIX HUNDRED SEVENTEEN THOUSAND? IS THAT PART OF IT? OR HAVE HAVE THOSE DOLLARS COME FROM SOMEWHERE ELSE TO HELP THE PUBLIC HEALTH DEPARTMENT IN PURCHASING TESTS OR ARE THOSE ALL? THIS IS WHAT WILL HELP OFFSET THE COST OF THOSE TESTS.

DO YOU KNOW IF WE'RE STILL AT A NET NEGATIVE? I'M NOT EXACTLY FOR SURE FOR THE NET NEGATIVE ON THE TESTING.

JARED, COULD YOU GATHER THOSE NUMBERS FOR US AND KIND OF GIVE US A FEEL YOU KNOW, OF WHERE WE ARE AS YOU ARE PRIORITIZING THOSE FUNDS, COULD WE ALSO SEE FUNDS EXTENDED TO THIS [INAUDIBLE]. YES, MA'AM. AND WE KEEP A WE KEEP A VERY DETAILED RUNNING TALLY OF THE COST OF RESPONDING. NOW, UNDERSTAND, THE COST OF RESPONDING THAT WE MANAGED THROUGH THE INCIDENT MANAGEMENT TEAM IS TOTAL COST OF RESPONDING.

THIS IS ADDITIONAL FUNDS TO PAY FOR A CONTRACT THAT WE ALREADY HAVE WITH PUBLIC HEALTH.

SO A LOT OF THE COST, WHETHER IT'S PUBLIC SAFETY PERSONNEL WHO ARE STAFFING AND MANNING OR OPERATING THE INCIDENT MANAGEMENT TEAM OR OTHER DEPARTMENTS THAT ARE MANAGING SUPPLIES, PROVIDING RESPONSES.

IF YOU'RE NOT TIED TO THIS CONTRACT, THIS CONTRACT DOES NOT PAY FOR THOSE ACTIVITIES.

SO WE TRACK THOSE EXPENSES VERY, VERY CLOSELY AS WE DO IN ANY EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT EVENT SO THAT WE CAN, ONE, HAVE A GOOD UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT WE SPENT, BUT TWO, SO THAT WE CAN BE REIMBURSED IF THAT'S POSSIBLE, THROUGH EITHER FEMA OR OTHER AGENCIES.

SO WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO TAILOR THE REPORTING ON EXPENDITURES TO THIS CONTRACT FOR THE FOR THE PURPOSE OF THIS THAT QUESTION SO WE CAN DO THAT, WE CAN ABSOLUTELY GET THAT DONE PRETTY QUICKLY.

OK, BUT WHEN YOU PROVIDE THAT DATA FOR US, I THINK IT WOULD BE REALLY HELPFUL TO SEE IT IN TWO COLUMNS TOTAL IN THE TAILORED COLUMN AND THEN HOW YOU GUYS WANT TO PRIORITIZE THE SPENDING THAT'S COMING FROM THESE TWO SOURCES.

RIGHT. CAN DO. COUNCIL WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT THAT.

THAT SOUNDED GOOD. THANK YOU.

YEAH. I THINK WE DO NEED TO SEE THAT RUNNING TALLY.

I THINK THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION AND I KNOW Y'ALL HAVE IT.

WE JUST HAVEN'T [INAUDIBLE]. AND I WOULD SAY THAT BOTH WITH THE HUD MONEY THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT EARLIER, THE NINE HUNDRED NINETY SEVEN THOUSAND DOLLARS AND THE SIX HUNDRED AND SEVENTEEN THOUSAND DOLLARS.

BOTH OF THOSE I MEAN, THAT'S ONE POINT.

A LITTLE OVER 1.6 MILLION DOLLARS.

BUT WE HAVE NOT EXPENDED THAT MUCH MONEY RESPONDING TO THIS YET.

[03:00:01]

BUT EXPENSES THAT WE HAVE NOT EXPERIENCED YET AND A LOT OF THE EXPENSES THAT WE HAVE EXPERIENCED ARE NOT REIMBURSABLE THROUGH EITHER ONE OF THESE FUNDING SOURCES.

SO THERE'S REALLY THE LION'S SHARE OF WHAT WE'VE SPENT SO FAR WILL NOT GET REIMBURSED TO US. SO MOST OF THESE FUNDS ARE GOING TO GO TOWARDS EITHER NEW PROJECTS FROM THE HUD PERSPECTIVE OR CONTINUING THE WORK YOU'RE ALREADY DOING THROUGH PUBLIC HEALTH WITH THE DSHS FUNDING, THE DEPARTMENT OF STATE HEALTH SERVICES FUNDING THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT RIGHT NOW. SO IT IS NOT GOING TO ALL GO RIGHT DOWN TO COLUMNS AND BE SUPER CLEAN.

SO WE'LL GET IT. WE'LL BE ABLE TO PUT IT TOGETHER FOR YOU IN A WAY THAT'S UNDERSTANDABLE.

YEAH. [INAUDIBLE] AND MATT THAT ARE REALLY GOOD AT PUTTING ALL OF THAT INFO IN A WAY THAT I KNOW ELAINE AND EDDY ALWAYS GET IT, BUT SOMETIMES NONE NUMBER OF PEOPLE NEED IT IN A COLORFUL GRAPH. SO WORK TOWARD THAT PLEASE.

WILL DO IT. ABSOLUTELY. THAT IT MAKES SENSE AS PART OF OUR LARGER CONVERSATION THAT I KNOW STAFF IS PREPARING OF JUST PROJECTIONS, LOOKING AT OUR CITY BUDGET, WHAT ALTERATIONS WE'RE ALREADY DOING GOING TO NEED TO BE DOING THAT.

OBVIOUSLY, OUR REVENUES ARE GOING TO BE DOWN.

SOME OF OUR EXPENSES DON'T NECESSARILY GO DOWN.

WE'RE LOOKING HOW WE CAN MAKE THEM GO DOWN.

BUT AT THE SAME TIME, WE HAVE EXPENSES GOING UP TO THE CITY THROUGH COVID 19.

AND SO BEING ABLE TO JUST HAVE THAT CLEAR IN OUR CONVERSATION, THE THINGS THAT WE CAN CONTROL CAN'T CONTROL.

REVENUES GOING DOWN, EXPENSES GOING UP.

ABSOLUTELY.

OK. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS THEN ABOUT ITEM 3D? HEARING NONE.

I'D ENTERTAIN A MOTION ON 3D.

YES, MAYOR, I MOVE TO APPROVE THE INTERLOCAL CORPORATION CONTRACT, ALONG WITH THE GRANT AWARD BETWEEN THE TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF STATE HEALTH SERVICES AND THE CITY OF AMARILLO FOR THE SUPPORT OF THE COVID 19 RESPONSE IN THE AMOUNT OF SIX HUNDRED SEVENTEEN THOUSAND SIX HUNDRED AND TWENTY DOLLARS.

YEAH. SORRY, I FROZE THERE FOR A MINUTE.

SO IT FROZE AT SIX HUNDRED AND SEVENTEEN, FREDA.

SO DID YOU FINISH THAT WITH SIX HUNDRED AND TWENTY? YES, MA'AM, I DID.

OK. SORRY ABOUT THAT.

AND HOWARD MADE A SECOND.

AND HOWARD MADE A SECOND.

OK. THANKS FOR CATCHING ME UP THERE WHILE I WAS IN INTERNET WORLD.

OK. IT'S BEEN MOVED BY COUNCIL MEMBER POWELL AND SECONDED BY COUNCIL MEMBER SMITH TO APPROVE THIS INTERLOCAL CORPORATION CONTRACT.

ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION FROM THE COUNCIL.

OK. HEARING NONE. ALL OF THOSE IN FAVOR, PLEASE SAY AYE AND RAISE YOUR HAND.

AYE.

ANY OPPOSED.

THAT PASSES WITH THE 5-0 VOTE.

[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 551.072 - 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 lncrement Reinvestment Zone #1 Boundary. (b) Discuss property located within the Southwest Quadrant of the City of Amarillo. (c) Lease negotiations for the retail space at the downtown Parking Garage. 2) Section 551.087 - Deliberation regarding economic development negotiations; discussion of commercial or financial information received from an existing business or business prospect with which the city is negotiating for the location or retention of a facility, or for incentives the city is willing to extend, or financial information submitted by the same: (a) Discussion regarding commercial or financial information received from a business prospect and/or to deliberate the offer of a financial or other incentive to a business prospect: . Project # 19-07-02 (Manufacturing)]

MR. CITY ATTORNEY, WOULD YOU MIND READING OUR EXECUTIVE SESSION LANGUAGE AND ANYONE THAT NEEDS TO TAKE A BIO BREAK, PLEASE FEEL FREE TO DO THAT.

COME RIGHT BACK. SO THE TEXAS OPEN MEETINGS ACT CLOSED SESSION OF THE AMARILLO CITY COUNCIL WAS ANNOUNCED ON APRIL THE 14TH, 2020 AT 4:04 PM UNDER THE FOLLOWING AUTHORITY, SECTION 551.072 DISCUSS THE PURCHASE, EXCHANGE, LEASE, SALE OR VALUE OF REAL PROPERTY WHICH PUBLIC DISCUSSION OF SUCH WOULD NOT BE IN THE BEST INTERESTS OF THE CITY'S BARGAINING POSITION.

551.087 COMMERCIAL OR FINANCIAL INFORMATION RECEIVED FROM EXISTING BUSINESS OR BUSINESS PROSPECT FROM WHICH THE CITY IS NEGOTIATING FOR LOCATION RETENTION OF A FACILITY OR FOR INCENTIVES THE CITY IS WILLING TO EXTEND OR FOR MY FINANCIAL INFORMATION SUBMITTED BY THE SAME. THANK YOU, MR. CITY ATTORNEY, WE'RE ADJOURNED TO EXECUTIVE SESSION.

* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.