>> WELCOME EVERYONE TO TODAY'S BUSINESS MEETING FOR THE CITY COUNCIL.
[00:00:05]
WE'RE GOING TO START THE MEETING OFF WITH AN INVOCATION.[INVOCATION ]
IN HERE TO DO THAT FOR US TODAY IS GREG DOW FROM CENTRAL CHURCH OF CHRIST. GREG.>> THANK YOU MAYOR. I APPRECIATE THE OPPORTUNITY TO LEAD THE PRAYER THIS AFTERNOON. LET'S BOW.
LORD WE COME BEFORE YOU TODAY WITH HONEST HEARTS.
WE ARE STRUGGLING IN THE MIDDLE OF A LONG PANDEMIC.
WE ALL KNOW FAMILIES WHO'VE BEEN IMPACTED BY THIS VIRUS.
SOME HAVE SUFFERED DEATHS, SOME HAVE EXPERIENCED ILLNESS, SOME HAVE ENDURED ECONOMIC LOSS.
FATHER PLEASE HAVE MERCY ON THESE FAMILIES.
THIS AFTERNOON FATHER, WE TURN TO YOUR PROPHET HABAKKUK WHO SAID THE RIGHTEOUS WILL LIVE BY FAITH.
WHEN STORMS ARISE WE LIVE BY FAITH, WHEN HARDSHIPS COME WE LIVE BY FAITH, WHEN INJUSTICE OCCURS WE LIVE BY FAITH, WHEN WE ARE CONFUSED, OVERWHELMED, AND EXHAUSTED WE LIVE BY FAITH.
AS OUR CITY LEADERS MEET TODAY, I ASK THAT YOU GIVE THEM FAITH.
MAY THEY TRUST IN YOUR WISDOM, YOUR DISCERNMENT, AND YOUR GUIDANCE, AND MAY YOU FILL THEM WITH COURAGE, HOPE, AND PEACE IN THE NAME OF JESUS CHRIST. AMEN.
AMEN. GREG THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR MAKING TIME TO BE HERE TODAY.
I APPRECIATE THE OPPORTUNITY, THANK YOU.
>> SURE. WE MOVE ON TO THE NEXT PORTION OF THE MEETING AND THAT IS PUBLIC ADDRESS.
STEPHANIE, DO WE HAVE ANYONE SIGNED UP FOR PUBLIC ADDRESS TODAY?
>> I'M CONFIRMING WITH FRANCIS, BUT I DON'T BELIEVE WE DO MAYOR.
>> THANK YOU LADIES. ITEM 1A ON THE AGENDA IS TO REVIEW THE AGENDA.
[1A. Review agenda items for regular meeting and attachments;]
ANY OF THE ATTACHMENTS, ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS OR ANYTHING IN THE MEETING ATTACHMENTS FROM THE COUNCIL THAT WE NEED FURTHER EXPLANATION ON BEFORE WE TOUCH EACH ITEM?>> I THINK THERE MAY HAVE BEEN ONE MAYBE.
>> LET ME GO BACK THROUGH REAL QUICK.
I'M JUST STILL TRYING TO CATCH UP.
>> ANYBODY ELSE? THEN LET'S MOVE ON TO ITEM 1B, THE CORONAVIRUS UPDATE.
[1B. Coronavirus Update;]
MR. CITY MANAGER. [NOISE]>> GREAT. TO DO THE CORONAVIRUS UPDATE TODAY WE'RE GOING TO HAVE A COUPLE OF DIFFERENT STAFF MEMBERS SPEAKING.
WE'RE GOING TO HAVE CASIE STOUGHTON AS AS WE HAVE ROUTINELY HAD.
DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC HEALTH WILL ALSO GO FROM THERE TO OUR INTERIM DIRECTOR OF COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT ON TEMPORARY ASSIGNMENT FROM THE POLICE DEPARTMENT, JASON WILLS BURGER, AND I NEED TO CHECK WITH ANDREW OR DR. SAUER TO SEE IF THEY HAVE ANY UPDATES ON. [OVERLAPPING]
>> DR. SAUER WILL TAKE SOME TIME TO PRESENT AS WELL.
WITH THAT SAID, AND THEN WE'LL ALSO ANSWER QUESTIONS FROM ALL COUNCIL MEMBERS.
CASIE STOUGHTON, PLEASE TAKE IT AWAY.
>> GREAT. THANK YOU. AS OF TODAY THERE ARE A TOTAL OF 6,068 CASES OF COVID-19 REPORTED IN POTTER AND RENO COUNTIES, AND STEPHANIE HAS THE REPORT CARD TODAY SO SHE CAN PUT THAT UP ON THE SCREEN FOR YOU TO SEE.
THERE'S A TOTAL OF 6,068 CASES OF COVID-19 REPORTED IN POTTER AND RENO COUNTIES TODAY.
3,966 IN PORTER COUNTY, 1,102 RENO COUNTY.
WE HAVE A TOTAL OF 5,539 RECOVERIES AND AN INCREASE TO 84 DEATHS HERE IN OUR COMMUNITY.
LIKE THE PASTOR SAID, WE HAVE BEEN TOUCHED BY EACH OF THESE SITUATIONS, AND I THINK WE HAVE ALL BEEN TOUCHED BY THESE SITUATIONS, AND SO WE'RE [INAUDIBLE] WITH EACH TEST THAT WE HAVE NOTED.
THAT LEAVES US WITH 445 ACTIVE CASES ON OUR CASE COUNT TODAY.
EACH OF THE CASES DO REPRESENT A UNIQUE INDIVIDUAL AND STAFF GOT DUPLICATE TESTS IS TO NOT COUNT MULTIPLE TESTS FOR THE SAME PERSON.
THE PUBLIC HEALTH DRIVE-THROUGH DOES REMAIN OPERATIONAL.
SO FAR WE'VE TESTED JUST OVER 7,000 INDIVIDUALS IN OUR COMMUNITY.
SO WE'RE VERY PLEASED WITH THE STAFF AND THE HARD WORK THAT THE STAFF HAVE DONE THERE AT THE DRIVE-THROUGH TESTING CENTER.
HOSPITAL CAPACITY TODAY NOTES 40 PATIENTS IN THE HOSPITALS. THAT'S DOWN.
[00:05:02]
THIS REPORT SINCE [INAUDIBLE] WE HAVE FEWER PATIENTS IN THE HOSPITAL THIS WEEK.THE HOSPITALIZATION RATE IS STEADY AT ABOUT 8.9 PERCENT, ADULT BED UTILIZATION IS AT 69 PERCENT, VENTILATOR USE IS AT 41.5 PERCENT, AND ICU UTILIZATION IS AT 73.5 PERCENT.
PUBLIC HEALTH IS PARTICIPATING IN A CLINICAL RESEARCH STUDY WITH DR. MILTON AND DR. STIGLER AT TEXAS TECH AND PHARMA TECHS RESEARCH.
WE'RE RESEARCHING, WE'RE WORKING WITH THEM TO RECRUIT RESEARCH CANDIDATES, RESEARCHING THE ANTI SPIKE MONOCLONAL ANTIBODY, AND SO WE'RE REALLY EXCITED TO BE PART OF THIS RESEARCH PROJECT WITHIN AND RECRUITING RESEARCH STUDY CANDIDATES.
HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU MIGHT HAVE.
>> CASIE ON THE HOSPITALIZATION RATE, THAT IS SPECIFICALLY FOR COVID-19 PATIENTS, RIGHT?
>> YES MA'AM. THAT WOULD BE THE NUMBER OF COVID-19 PATIENTS DIVIDED BY THE ACTIVE CASES.
>> ANY OTHER QUESTIONS FOR CASIE COUNCIL? CASIE, I SAW A NEWS REPORT YESTERDAY TALKING ABOUT THE PLASMA TREATMENT WHICH WE TALKED ABOUT AND HAD AVAILABLE HERE REALLY SINCE MAY, AND THEY WERE BECAUSE THE PRESIDENT HAS BEEN TALKING ABOUT IT, SOME ACTING LIKE THIS WAS A BRAND NEW THING.
I MEAN WERE WE ON THE FRONT EDGE OF THAT?
>> I THINK THE CONVALESCENT PLASMA IS CERTAINLY SOMETHING THAT IS USED FOR MANY DIFFERENT TREATMENTS AND THERAPIES.
I THINK THAT IT'S ONE THAT IS A LONGSTANDING TREATMENT.
DR. SAUER CERTAINLY MAY HAVE MORE INPUT HERE.
I THINK THAT ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE'RE SEEING NOW IS THAT WE REALLY NEED RESEARCH, AND SO AS TIME MOVES ON THERE WILL BE MORE CLINICAL TRIALS JUST LIKE THIS ONE THAT WE'RE PART OF.
SO THERE WILL BE MORE CLINICAL TRIALS DONE ON THERAPIES JUST LIKE CONVALESCENT PLASMA AND THIS MONOCLONAL SPIKE PROTEIN THAT WE'RE PART OF.
THEN THERE WILL BE RANDOMIZED CONTROL WITH PLACEBO TRIALS DONE SO THAT WE KNOW FOR SURE THAT THESE THERAPIES AND TREATMENTS ARE BENEFICIAL TO PATIENTS.
I THINK THAT AS TIME GOES ON THAT THAT WILL BE REALLY BENEFICIAL TO OUR COUNTRY AND OUR COMMUNITIES.
>> SO IF I ADDED ANYTHING TO THAT, HERE'S WHAT I WOULD SAY.
AFTER WATCHING THIS FOR A LONG PERIOD OF TIME, THERE'S A BIT OF A BATTLE GOING ON BETWEEN THE ACADEMICS IN THIS AND THE PEOPLE WITH BOOTS ON THE GROUND THAT ARE SEEING THESE PATIENTS EVERY DAY.
THE ACADEMICS HAVE A HARD TIME ACCEPTING TREATMENT UNLESS IT HAS GONE STRINGENTLY THROUGH A, B, C, D, AND E, AND THEY'LL HAVE A TENDENCY TO, I'M NOT GOING TO SAY, DO THIS TO PUT THEIR FINGERS ON THEIR NOSE, BUT THEY'LL PUSH BACK ON IT PRETTY HARD UNTIL THEY HAVE SOME DEFINITIVE EVIDENCE THAT GIVES THEM THE ABILITY TO SAY THAT.
I THINK THAT'S WHAT'S HAPPENED WITH THIS PLASMA DEAL RIGHT NOW, IS WE'VE SEEN A LOT OF SUCCESS WITH THE HUMAN FROM WHAT I'VE HEARD SO FAR.
BUT IT'S TECHNICALLY ANECDOTAL AND IT'S NOT DEFINED BY SCIENCE, AND THAT'S WHERE ALL OF THIS IS COMING IN.
SO I THINK THAT'S WHERE IT'S INTERESTING.
TO SEE THE PUSH ACTUALLY, I FELT LIKE I'D BEEN READING THE PAST COUPLE OF DAYS, IS PUSH BACK AGAINST PLASMA THAT IT'S UNKNOWN, AND I DON'T THINK THAT'S REALLY FAIR, AND I THINK THAT'S THE ACADEMIC PART, GETTING OUT IN THE MIDDLE OF IT.
>> WELL THANK YOU FOR THAT INSIGHT.
IT WAS NOT GOING TO SURPRISE ME THAT OUR MEDICAL TEAM, AS WELL AS OUR PUBLIC HEALTH DEPARTMENT WERE ON THE FRONT EDGE OF SOMETHING.
I JUST WANTED TO CALL IT OUT AND- [OVERLAPPING]
[00:10:01]
I'LL GO BACK TO YOU THEN, JARED.>> WE ALSO HAVE DIRECTOR OF COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT, JASON RIDDLESPURGER, TO TALK TO US A LITTLE BIT FROM THE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT STANDPOINT. JACE.
>> THANK YOU, SIR, MAYOR, AND COUNCIL.
I'M GLAD TO BE HERE WITH YOU TODAY.
WE WANTED TO JUST GIVE YOU AN UPDATE ON THE CDBG CARES, SPECIFICALLY ABOUT THE EMERGENCY ASSISTANCE FOR RENTAL, MORTGAGE, AND UTILITY BILLS.
WE WANTED TO LET YOU KNOW THAT WE HAD ORIGINALLY $300,000 AVAILABLE FUNDS AND WE HAVE TO THIS POINT SPEND ABOUT TWENTY-EIGHT THOUSAND.
WE HAVE ABOUT TWO HUNDRED AND SEVENTY THOUSAND REMAINING.
WE HAD ORIGINALLY PUBLICIZED THIS TO THE PUBLIC JULY 2ND, THROUGH THE CITY COMMUNICATIONS DEPARTMENT.
WE PUT OUT INFO CARDS AT THE LEGAL AID, THE LIBRARIES, THE WATER DEPARTMENT, JUST TO GET THIS OUT TO THE PUBLIC.
OF THAT 28,000 THAT WE'VE SPENT, THERE WERE 57 APPLICATIONS, AND 45 OF THOSE WERE APPROVED.
THE MAIN REASONS FOR THE REJECTION OF THE 12 THAT DIDN'T MAKE THE LIST WERE THAT THEY WERE OUTSIDE OF THE CITY LIMITS OR THEY HAD NO DOCUMENTATION OF COVID IMPACT.
WE'VE DOUBLED UP OUR EFFORTS TO PUBLICIZE THIS OUT TO THE PUBLIC THROUGH THE COMMUNICATIONS DEPARTMENT.
THEY'VE PUT THIS BACK OUT ON THE FACEBOOK AND ALSO THROUGH THE WEBSITES.
WE'RE HOPING TO GET MORE APPLICATIONS FOR THAT.
THE SMALL BUSINESS RELIEF PART OF THIS, WE ALSO HAD 272,000 AVAILABLE IN FUNDS THERE.
THAT WAS OPENED TO THE PUBLIC AUGUST 4TH, BUT WE'VE HAD NO APPLICATIONS TO DATE FOR THAT.
IF WE DON'T GET MANY MANY APPLICATIONS FOR THAT, WE'RE LOOKING AT PUTTING SOME OF THAT BACK INTO OUR RENTAL, MORTGAGE, AND UTILITY EMERGENCY ASSISTANCE SO THAT WE CAN CONTINUE TO HELP PEOPLE IN THAT MANNER.
ANOTHER AREA WE HAD WAS OUR EMERGENCY SHELTER.
IT'S ALREADY BEEN SPENT FOR OUR EMERGENCY SHELTER WHEN WE PUT A LOT OF THE FOLKS IN THE HOTELS.
THEN, OF COURSE, OUR PUBLIC SERVICES, 350,000 WAS GIVEN TO THE GSRC, CATHOLIC CHARITIES, MARTHA'S HOME AND THE COMING HOME PROGRAM.
THOSE HAVE BEEN SPENT AS WELL.
JASON, CAN WE JUST TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE FUNDS THAT WERE SPENT ON PEOPLE THAT WERE PUT UP IN HOTELS? I THINK THERE WAS SOME MISINFORMATION ON SOCIAL MEDIA LAST WEEK ABOUT THAT.
TELL US AGAIN HOW MUCH THE CITY SPENT PUTTING PEOPLE IN HOTELS DURING COVID.
>> THAT WAS OUR EMERGENCY SHELTER SPECIFICALLY PUT $75,000 INTO THAT PROGRAM SO THAT WE COULD GET SOME OF OUR PREDOMINATELY OR HOMELESS INDIVIDUALS THAT WE WERE EITHER IN DANGER OF CONTRACTING COVID OR HAD ALREADY TESTED POSITIVE FOR COVID.
WE WANTED TO GET THEM INTO THE HOTELS SO THAT THEY COULD BE SEPARATED FROM OTHER HOMELESS INDIVIDUALS SO THAT WE COULD PREVENT A MAJOR EPIDEMIC RUNNING THROUGH THE HOMELESS COMMUNITY. GO AHEAD.
>> I JUST HAD SEEN A POST ON SOCIAL MEDIA THAT SAID WE SPENT $1.35 MILLION ON HOTEL ROOMS, AND I KNEW THAT WAS NOT TRUE.
THIS IS JUST A GREAT OPPORTUNITY TO REMIND CITIZENS THAT IF YOU WANT DATA ABOUT THIS CITY, YOU CAN ALWAYS EMAIL PUBLICCOMMUNICATIONS@AMARILLO.GOV WITH ANY QUESTION ON ANY TOPIC, AND THEY'LL GET YOU THE STATISTICS OR THE DATA TO ANSWER THE QUESTIONS THAT YOU HAVE.
IF YOU READ SOMETHING AND YOU THINK, "CAN THAT BE TRUE?" YOU CAN CHECK IT WITH THAT EMAIL ADDRESS, PUBLICCOMMUNICATIONS@AMARILLO.GOV.
WE, AS A CITY, THROUGH CDBG FUNDING OR THROUGH, WERE THOSE RENTAL ASSISTANCE DOLLARS, JASON, THE 75,000 SPENT ON HOTELS?
>> YEAH. YOU MAY NOT KNOW, BUT MAYBE KEVIN KNOWS WHAT HOTELS, THE NAME OF THE HOTELS THAT COLLECTED THAT.
>> I KNOW THAT THE TWO PREDOMINANT ONES THAT WE USED WERE THE AMARILLO VALUE INN, THE OYO ON I-40 EAST.
>> [OVERLAPPING]. I THINK THAT WAS THE ONLY TWO WE USED.
>> THE ONLY TWO, THE OYO AND THE AMARILLO VALUE INN?
>> GREAT. BECAUSE THE HOTEL LISTED IN THESE POSTINGS WAS ALSO WRONG.
JUST WANT CITIZENS TO KNOW THE FACTS ON THAT, THAT WE SPENT $75,000 TO THOSE TWO HOTELS, AMARILLO VALUE INN AND THE OYO.
THANK YOU. I APPRECIATE THAT INFORMATION, JASON.
>> MAYOR, JUST TO EXPAND ON THAT, THE STATE OF TEXAS LAST WEEK ACTIVATED
[00:15:02]
A CONVALESCENT CENTER FOR ANYBODY WHO HAD COVID AT A STATE LEVEL.THIS WAS PRIMARILY ACTIVATED FOR CITIZENS THAT HAD SYMPTOMS OR HAD ISSUES OUT IN THE REGION AND MAY NEED A SIMILAR APPROACH THAT WE HAVE TAKEN WITH OUR HOMELESS POPULATION AND THOSE IN NEED HERE LOCALLY IN OUR COMMUNITY.
THAT MAY HAVE DRIVEN SOME OF THE CONFUSION IN THAT THE STATE DID LET A CONTRACT WITH A LOCAL HOTELIER FOR THAT PROGRAM.
BUT THAT IS NOT A PROGRAM THAT HAS BEEN ADMINISTERED OR FUNCTIONING THROUGH THE CITY.
IT IS BEING ADMINISTERED THROUGH THE DEPARTMENT OF STATE HEALTH SERVICES PRIMARILY OUT OF AUSTIN.
THAT MAY HAVE DRIVEN SOME CONFUSION THAT PEOPLE HAD ABOUT THAT PARTICULAR PROGRAM.
OUR APPROACH HAS BEEN TO FOCUS SPECIFICALLY ON ADDRESSING CHALLENGES WITH OUR HOMELESS POPULATION AND THOSE IN NEED IN OUR LOCAL COMMUNITY.
IT'S BEEN THROUGH OUR COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT THAT THEY HAVE UTILIZED THE TWO HOTELS THAT JASON HAD MENTIONED AND THROUGH THAT PROCESS, CONTACTED OVER A DOZEN HOTELS TO INQUIRE ABOUT THEIR INTERESTS, AND AVAILABILITY, AND ABILITY TO SUPPORT THE PROGRAM THROUGH THE NORMAL PURCHASING PROCESSES THAT WE WOULD HAVE GONE THROUGH.
ALL OF THESE TYPES OF THINGS ARE READILY AVAILABLE INFORMATION WHERE WE'D BE HAPPY TO SHARE WITH ANYBODY WHO WANTS THE FACTS RELATED TO HOW THESE PROGRAMS HAVE BEEN ADMINISTERED.
BUT THERE ARE OTHER PROGRAMS THAT THE STATE IS ADMINISTERING THROUGH THE TEXAS DIVISION OF EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AND THE DEPARTMENT OF STATE HEALTH SERVICES THAT ARE OUTSIDE OF THE PURVIEW OF THE CITY OF AMARILLO'S OPERATIONS.
>> KEVIN, CAN YOU EXPAND ON, DO YOU KNOW THE NAME OF THAT HOTEL THAT THE DEPARTMENT OF STATE HEALTH SERVICES CONTRACTED WITH?
>> I DON'T HAVE IT RIGHT OFF THE TOP MY HEAD.
I KNOW ME AND CASIE STOUGHTON HAD TALKED ABOUT IT.
CASIE, IF SHE'S STILL ON THE LINE, SHE MIGHT BE GOOD TO ASSIST US WITH THAT INFORMATION.
>> I DON'T BELIEVE THAT INFORMATION WAS SHARED WITH US.
WE CAN CERTAINLY GET THAT INFORMATION.
I THINK IF WE DO HAVE A PATIENT WHO IS IN NEED OF THOSE SERVICES, THEN WE CAN CONTACT DSHS AND WE CAN ENROLL THEM IN THOSE SERVICES.
>> THE OTHER PART OF THAT IS THAT THEY WERE ACTIVATING HOTELS IN JURISDICTIONS ACROSS THE STATE OF TEXAS.
THERE WAS A HOTEL IN AMARILLO, THERE WAS ONE IN [INAUDIBLE] , ONE OF WICHITA FALLS, SO FORTH AND SO ON.
EVERY MAJOR CITY ACROSS THE STATE HAD ONE OF THESE OPERATIONS ACTIVATED TO PROVIDE THESE TAXES SUPPORT MECHANISMS AS THEY WERE NEEDED.
WE HAD CONVERSATIONS WITH DSHS, AND INITIALLY THEIR INDICATION WAS THUS THAT THEY FELT THAT THIS WAS, WELL, A BENEFICIAL OPPORTUNITY FOR THE REGION.
THEY WERE NOT ANTICIPATING HEAVY USAGE OF IT, SO THEY WERE ONLY LOOKING AT A HANDFUL OF ROOMS POTENTIALLY BEING AVAILABLE IN THE INITIAL WAVE.
NOW, IF THE NEED EXPANDED AND THERE WAS NEED FOR ADDITIONAL ROOMS, THEN THEY WOULD HAVE EXPANDED THAT CONTRACT ACCORDINGLY.
BUT THEY WERE STARTING ON A VERY SMALL SCALE TO SUPPORT REGIONAL ACTIVITIES OUTSIDE OF THE AMARILLO AREA AND WERE OPEN TO ACCEPTING PEOPLE FROM THE AMARILLO AREA IF OUR PUBLIC HEALTH DEPARTMENT SAW THE NEED AND THAT TYPE OF ASSISTANCE WOULD HAVE BEEN BENEFICIAL.
>> THANK YOU. I JUST WANTED TO PUSH OUT AS MUCH INFORMATION AND FACTS AS WE COULD JUST IN RESPONSE TO THAT SOCIAL MEDIA POSTING IN CASE CITIZENS WERE LOOKING FOR THE FACTS AND GIVE THEM A CHANCE TO ASK MORE QUESTIONS IF THEY WANTED TO. THANK YOU-ALL.
>> MISS POWELL, DID YOU HAVE A QUESTION?
>> NO, MA'AM. I DO NOT. THANK YOU.
>> OKAY. ANY OTHER COUNCIL THAT WOULD HAVE A QUESTION FOR, ARE WE SUPPOSED TO CALL HIM SERGEANT [INAUDIBLE] , WHAT ARE WE SUPPOSED TO CALL YOU NOW?
>> IT'S FLEXIBLE IN THIS CASE, PEOPLE CALL ME SERGEANT [INAUDIBLE] , BUT HE'S ACTING IN AN INNER CAPACITY OVER COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT RIGHT NOW WITH COOPERATION FROM THE POLICE DEPARTMENT.
I'VE BEEN CALLING HIM JASON IN HIS CURRENT ROLE? IT SOUNDS ODD, NO.
WE WANT TO RESPECT YOUR SERVICE SERGEANT RIDDLES BURNERS, SO WE'LL CALL YOU WHATEVER YOU WANT.
>> THANK YOU. APPRECIATE THAT.
>> THE ONLY OTHER THING WE HAVE ON THIS TOPIC IS DR. SAUER AND POSSIBLY ANDREW TO GIVE US AN UPDATE ON CARES ASSISTANCE FUNDING AND ASSISTANCE FUNDING ASSOCIATED WITH CORONA VIRUS. DR. SAUER?
>> OKAY. ON THE PUBLIC SECTOR REIMBURSEMENT PROGRAM, THERE'S NOT BEEN ANYTHING SUBMITTED BY ANY BUSINESSES THIS PAST WEEK.
THOSE NUMBERS STILL REMAIN THE SAME.
ON THE $10,000 GRANT APPLICATIONS FOR THE CRF.
[00:20:01]
THIS IS WHERE WE STAND AT THIS POINT IN TIME.THERE ARE 42 APPLICATIONS THAT WERE RECEIVED AS OF YESTERDAY, AND 17 OF THOSE ARE GOOD TO FUND.
SO WE'VE HAD 17 OF THEM THAT ARE GOOD TO FUND FOR A TOTAL OF A $162,000.
SO IF YOU DO THE SIMPLE MATH, THAT WOULD BE POTENTIALLY A 170,000, BUT THERE ARE A COUPLE OF THEM THAT DID NOT ASK FOR THE ENTIRE $10,000 GRANT.
WE HAVE TWO MORE THAT ARE ALMOST READY TO FUND AND THAT WOULD BE $20,000.
WE HAVE 11 THAT WE SENT BACK AND THE STAFF GAVE THEM SOME GUIDANCE ON BRINGING IT BACK TO THE COMMITTEE AND THAT'S 97,500.
THERE WERE THREE OF THEM THAT WERE DENIED OR REFERRED BACK TO PUBLIC SAFETY, THIS REIMBURSEMENT.
THEN WE HAVE NINE NEW APPLICATIONS FOR $89,000 THAT HAVE YET TO BE SEEN.
THEREFORE, THERE'S BEEN 393,500 THAT HAVE BEEN WORTH OF FUNDS THAT HAD BEEN ASKED FOR, 25,000 HAD BEEN DENIED TO THIS POINT.
THERE'S A TOTAL POTENTIAL GIVING OUT OF $368,500.
THE GOOD THING ABOUT THAT IS IF ANYBODY IS OUT THERE LISTENING WITH BUSINESS, YOU'VE GOT UNDER 50 EMPLOYEES.
YOU'RE PRETTY SQUARE WITH THE CITY, YOUR BUSINESSES IN THE CITY LIMITS, AND YOU HAVE LOST REVENUE BECAUSE OF COVID.
THERE'S STILL A $181,000 THAT'S LEFT AVAILABLE TO BE APPLIED FOR.
I WOULD I WOULD HIGHLY SUGGEST THAT YOU GO AHEAD AND DO THAT.
THIS IS AN EASY WAY TO JUST HAVE AT LEAST A LITTLE BIT OF OF AN INFUSION OF CASH THAT'S ACTUALLY COMING FROM THE CARES FUNDING THAT IS AVAILABLE.
THE COMMITTEE AGAIN, WE'LL MEET AGAIN ON FRIDAY, LOOK AT THE 11, IF THEY HAD BROUGHT THEIR PACKAGE BACK TO THE COMMITTEE.
PLUS WE'VE GOT NINE NEW APPLICATION.
SO FAR IT'S BEEN PRETTY SUCCESSFUL.
I WOULD REALLY, REALLY LIKE TO SEE ALL OF THAT MONEY BE SENT OUT TO BUSINESSES HERE IN TOWN THAT ARE IN NEED THOUGH.
THAT'S UNLESS THERE'S MORE THAN ANDREW CAN ADD TO THAT, THAT'S ALL THAT I HAVE.
THAT'S ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I WANT CITIZENS TO UNDERSTAND.
THE CARES ACT GAVE A LARGE SUM OF FEDERAL DOLLARS TO AUSTIN.
AMYGDALA WAS ENTITLED TO $11 MILLION AND THEY GAVE IT TO AUSTIN.
NOW AUSTIN HAS IMPOSED SOME RESTRICTIONS ON HOW WE CAN SPEND THAT MONEY AND HOW WE CAN COLLECT IT.
WHAT ARE WE AT ROUGHLY, KEVIN, WE'VE SPENT ABOUT $3 MILLION OF OUR CARES ACT FUNDING.
>> IT'S KIND OF HARD TO SAY BECAUSE OF THE VARIOUS GRANTS, BUT OUT OF THAT 11 MILLION THAT YOU'RE REFERENCING, ONLY 2.2 HAS BEEN GIVEN TO THE CITY DIRECTLY.
NOW WE'VE RECEIVED OTHER GRANTS, THE ALMOST MILLION DOLLARS SINCE CDG FUNDS, CASEY SPIRITS RECEIVED ALMOST A MILLION DOLLARS BETWEEN TWO GRANTS FOR RESPONSE ACTIVITIES AND PLANNING ACTIVITIES.
WHEN YOU COUPLE THOSE TOGETHER, WE REALLY ARE RIGHT AROUND THE $4 MILLION MARK TOTAL THAT THE CITY HAS BEEN ELIGIBLE FOR.
OVERTIME IF WE SPEND BEYOND THAT, WE POTENTIALLY WILL BE ELIGIBLE FOR UP TO 11 MILLION FROM THE STATE BUT IT REQUIRES THE EXPENDITURES TO BE WITHIN THE CATEGORIES THAT THE STATE HAS AUTHORIZED.
>> INITIALLY, AS WE WERE RECEIVING THAT INFORMATION, I KNOW I HAD SOME CONVERSATIONS ABOUT, COULD WE GO BACK TO THE GOVERNOR AND ASK THEM TO EXPAND THE TYPES OF CATEGORIES THAT WE CAN USE BECAUSE OTHERWISE, OUR MONEY IS JUST SITTING THERE.
SOME OF THE CATEGORIES THAT I HAD TALKED ABOUT WERE INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS THAT I THOUGHT WOULD STIMULATE ECONOMIC ACTIVITY THAT WOULD HELP OUR SMALL BUSINESSES, OUR RETAILERS, OUR HOTELIERS, OUR RESTAURANT OWNERS, HELP THEM HAVE A RESTART TO OUR ECONOMY.
THERE WAS SOMETHING ON SOCIAL MEDIA ABOUT THAT LAST WEEK AND SOMEBODY WAS TRYING TO CREATE A DIALOGUE ABOUT HOW WE WERE TRYING TO SPIN
[00:25:01]
COVID FUNDS INSTEAD OF SPENDING THEM ON SICK PEOPLE OR TAKING CARE OF COVID NEEDS.WE WERE TRYING TO SPEND THEM ON THE CIVIC CENTER AND I JUST WANTS TO GIVE THE CONTEXT AROUND THAT INFORMATION.
THE CONTEXT IS WE HAVE THESE FUNDS DESIGNATED FOR AMARILLO, MILLIONS OF DOLLARS.
WE'VE COVERED EVERY COVID EXPENSE, WE'VE COVERED EVERY COVID NEED AND THOSE MILLIONS OF DOLLARS ARE STILL SITTING HERE.
WHAT WE WERE TRYING TO DO WAS EXPAND THE DEFINITION OF THINGS THAT WOULD BE APPROVED AND INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS THAT HAD AN ECONOMIC STIMULUS COMPONENT TO THEM COULD HELP OUR LOCAL BUSINESSES RESPOND AND RECOVER TO COVID.
IF YOU READ THAT ON SOCIAL MEDIA AND WANTED MORE AND YOU HAPPENED TO BE WATCHING THIS MEETING, THEN YOU NOW HAVE MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THAT TOO.
ANYTHING ELSE TO ADD ON THAT FROM THE COUNCIL? QUESTIONS OR FOLLOW-UPS?
>> MAYOR FOLLOWING UP ON THAT THOUGHT OF JUST GOING BACK TO THE GOVERNOR AND HAVING THOSE CONVERSATIONS ABOUT HOW TO HELP US RECOVER FROM COVID.
ONE OF THE THINGS I'D LIKE US TO CONSIDER IS GOING BACK TO THE GOVERNOR AND REQUESTING AN ALLOWANCE FOR US TO MOVE ON TO PHASE THREE.
THAT WOULD BE A HUGE HELP FOR OUR LOCAL BUSINESSES IF WE ARE ABLE TO GO BACK WITH THE PREVIOUS PLAN THAT WAS TOSSED.
WHEN I LOOK AT OUR NUMBERS COMPARED TO THE REST OF THE STATE, OUR CASES ARE NOT SPIKING.
OUR HOSPITAL IS NOT MAXIMUM UTILIZATION.
WE ARE CONTINUING TO BUILD MORE AND MORE RECOVERIES INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE GOING TO BE CARRYING ANTIBODIES INSIDE OUR OWN COMMUNITY.
WE HAVE BEEN BELOW THE 500 ACTIVE CASES FOR QUITE AWHILE.
WE WERE ALREADY OVER 4 THOUSAND CASES AT ONE POINT, WAS THAT THE MAXIMUM OR WAS IT THE 3,000. MY APOLOGIES.
WE WE'RE OVER 4,000 ACTIVE CASES AT ONE TIME.TO BE BELOW 500 AT THIS POINT, I THINK THAT OUR COMMUNITY IS IN A GREAT POSITION TO BE LEGITIMATELY OR REQUESTING THE GOVERNOR TO ALLOW US TO MOVE FORWARD.
>> BY PHASE THREE [NOISE] YOU MEAN RESTAURANTS GOING TO 75 PERCENT? I MEAN, WHAT DO YOU MEAN WHEN YOU USE THE PHRASE PHASE THREE?
>> WHAT THE GOVERNOR HAD OUTLINED PREVIOUSLY AND IT WAS PRIMARILY CAPACITY LEVELS.
MAYBE I JUST NEED TO REACH OUT TO THE GOVERNOR'S OFFICE AND TALK ABOUT, WHAT THEIR THOUGHT IS ON WHEN THAT MIGHT HAPPEN, WHAT CRITERIA THEY'RE LOOKING AT, ARE THEY CONSIDERING SPLITTING THE GEOGRAPHY OF TEXAS BASED ON STATISTICS? WILL THEY LET THE PANHANDLE OR WEST TEXAS DO SOMETHING DIFFERENT THAN SAY THE METRIC CRITERIA OR MORE POPULOUS SOUTHERN PLACES IN THE STATE? SO, THAT'S SOMETHING FOR US TO CONSIDER AND TALK ABOUT.
>>WELL, IN KIDS, WHENEVER YOU TALK ABOUT IT THAT WAY MAYOR.
HE ACTUALLY PICKED US OUT OF THE PILE AND SAID WE COULDN'T GO TO PHASE TWO FOR THAT PERIOD OF TIME.
THAT MIGHT BE A WAY THAT YOU KIND OF REMIND HIM THAT, YOU WOULDN'T LET US GO TO PHASE TWO BECAUSE WE WERE SPIKING.
I THINK IT'S A FAIR THING TO ASK.
DO WE KNOW HOW OFTEN THE GOVERNOR REVISITS THIS EMERGENCY DECLARATION?
>> WELL, I MEAN, WE DON'T KNOW.
WE DON'T HAVE ANY STATEMENT OR POLICY FROM THE GOVERNOR'S OFFICE THAT SAYS HOW OFTEN THEY'RE GOING TO CHANGE IT.
THEY KNOW THAT HE IS UNDER FREQUENT GUIDANCE AND COUNSEL FROM DSHS, FROM OTHER DEPARTMENT, AND MAKES CHANGES WHEN APPROPRIATE.
I THINK THE SPIKE IN OTHER PARTS HAS CAUSED A SIGNIFICANT SLOWDOWN AND EVEN A BACK-UP A LITTLE BIT.
BUT I THINK THEY'RE TRYING TO HOLD ANYMORE.
I THINK THAT THAT'S BORN OUT BY MOST OF THE JURISDICTIONS HAVE THEIR POSITIVITY RATES GOING DOWN, STILL MEANS THEY'RE STILL DEALING WITH A LOT OF POSITIVES.
BUT WE DON'T HAVE A POLICY OR STATEMENT FROM THE GOVERNOR'S OFFICE AS TO HOW FREQUENTLY THEY WILL CHANGE.
I THINK IT'S GOING TO BE BASED SOLELY UPON THE NUMBERS THAT WE'RE EXPERIENCING AS A STATE, NOT NECESSARILY AS DUAL JURISDICTIONS.
>> YOU KNOW WHAT? I'D REALLY LIKE FOR US TO GET SCHOOLS OPEN AND IT'LL GIVE US ANOTHER 30 DAYS OR SO TO SEE
[00:30:03]
WHAT OUR NUMBERS ARE DOING BEFORE WE OFFICIALLY ASK HIM.I THINK CITIZENS ARE WEARING MASKS AND STUDENTS WILL DO THAT.
PEOPLE WILL CONTINUE TO GET THIS VIRUS.
WE'VE NEVER FROM THE GET-GO THOUGHT WE COULD KEEP PEOPLE FROM GETTING IT.
WE JUST WANTED SOCIETY, WE WANTED OUR POPULATION TO GET IT AT A RATE THAT WAS SLOW ENOUGH, WE COULD PROCESS THEM AND THEY WOULD GET THE BEST MEDICAL CARE WE COULD OFFER.
I THINK WE'VE ALL BEEN PRAYING FOR OUR SCHOOLS TO OPEN SAFELY.
WE'RE BEGINNING TO HEAR STORIES OF, WELL, THIS CLASSROOM IS DOWN OR AREAS IN THE PANHANDLE WHERE WHOLE SCHOOLS HAD TO CLOSE AGAIN.
THEN I THINK YOU GUYS ARE MAKING A GREAT POINT, I THINK COUNCIL MEMBER HAYS, IT IS GOOD FOR US TO BE FOCUSED ON WHEN WE WOULD LIKE TO MOVE TO THE NEXT STAGE, ESPECIALLY IF OUR NUMBERS ARE STAYING LEVEL.
>> CASIE [INAUDIBLE] [OVERLAPPING]
FIRST, I DO HAVE THE NAME OF THE HOTEL THAT YOU ASKED ABOUT EARLIER.
>> CASIE, DO YOU THINK, IS IT A VIOLATION FOR US TO SHARE THAT PUBLICLY? BECAUSE ANOTHER WAY OF GIVING THAT, WITH WHAT THE SOCIAL MEDIA POSTED IS THAT IT WENT TO THE HOTEL THAT MY FAMILY OWNS.
SO I JUST WANT TO BE ABLE TO SAY THAT'S NOT TRUE.
MY FAMILY'S HOTEL DIDN'T RECEIVE ANY OF THE CITY DOLLARS OR THE STATE DOLLARS FOR ANY OF THESE PROGRAMS. WE'VE NOT RECEIVED ANT OF THAT PAYMENT.
SO CAN YOU JUST CONFIRM THAT THE HOTEL IS NOT THE ONE OWNED BY MY FAMILY?
>> IT IS NOT. IT'S A NATIONAL CHAIN.
>> YEAH. THAT'S FINE AND I DON'T KNOW IF DSHS AS THE CONFIDENTIALITY AGREEMENT WITH THAT HOTEL OR NOT.
I JUST WANTED TO GET OUT THAT THAT POST ON SOCIAL MEDIA WAS NOT TRUE.
>>I CAN CONFIRM WITH DSHS IT IS A NATIONAL CHAIN.
I CAN CONFIRM WITH DSHS ABOUT THE SPECIFICS AND THEN CERTAINLY GET BACK TO YOU ALL.
WITH REGARD TO THE CONVERSATION THAT'S OCCURRING NOW, I THINK THE MOST IMPORTANT THING, WHETHER WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE ACTUAL OCCUPANCY NUMBERS WOULD BE THE NEED TO STAY SIX FEET APART.
ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE SEE, ESPECIALLY WHEN YOU ARE TAKING YOUR MASKS DOWN, IS THAT, IT'S A RIGHT TIME FOR EXPOSURE.
YOU'VE GOT TO BE ABLE TO MAINTAIN THAT SOCIAL DISTANCE AND YOU'VE GOT TO BE ABLE TO KEEP PEOPLE APART.
I THINK THAT THAT IS THE VERY MOST IMPORTANT THING TO REMEMBER.
WHEN YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT OCCUPANCY, NUMBERS OR LEVELS OF CAPACITY OR WHATEVER YOU'RE LOOKING AT, YOU STILL GOT TO BE ABLE TO MAINTAIN AT LEAST THAT SIX FEET DISTANCE.
I WOULD JUST ENCOURAGE US TO REMEMBER THOSE PIECES OF THE GUIDANCE.
>>MAYOR, I WOULD JUST FOLLOW UP WITH THAT.
ABSOLUTELY, THE HEALTH AND THE TRANSMISSION OF THIS VIRUS IS A HUGE PART OF ALL OF THOSE DECISIONS.
THIS IS A MULTI-DIMENSIONAL ISSUE THAT WE'RE FACING AS A COMMUNITY.
IT'S ALSO THAT REMINDER OF THE FINANCIAL IMPACT THAT WE HAVE IN OUR COMMUNITY, THE MENTAL IMPACT THAT WE HAVE.
I'M NOT SURE EXACTLY THE DAY COUNT, BUT WHY DON'T WE ROUGHLY WE'RE ABOUT 180 DAYS INTO OUR 15 DAYS TO SLOW THE SPREAD [LAUGHTER], PERSONALLY ANOTHER 30 DAYS SOUNDS LIKE A LONG TIME TO ME.
I DO HEAR WHAT YOU'RE SAYING AND IT DOES ALLOW.
I THINK WE NEED TO AT LEAST BEGIN THIS CONVERSATION.
I DON'T WANT TO GO OVER 200 DAYS.
BUT THE IMPACT HAS BEEN SUCCESSFUL.
THE THINGS THAT WE'VE IMPLEMENTED, AGAIN, WE'RE NOT SPIKING OUR HOSPITALIZATION, WHICH WAS ONE OF THE MAJOR ISSUES AT THE START OF THE VIRUS.
TO BE SURE THAT WE ARE ABLE TO PROVIDE EVERY PERSON WHO CONTRACTED THE VIRUS WITH MEDICAL ASSISTANCE AND WE ARE MEETING THAT THAT NEED AND THAT SERVICE.
[00:35:01]
WITH THE SCHOOL OPENINGS, I ABSOLUTELY ANTICIPATE THAT THE NUMBER OF CASES ARE GOING TO GO UP.THAT'S JUST THE REALITY BUT IT IS GOING TO BE AMONG THE LEAST AT RISK, THE LEAST VULNERABLE INDIVIDUALS IN OUR POPULATION.
THAT THE STATISTICS OF HOW THAT GROUP UNDER AGE 15 IS IMPACTED BY THIS VIRUS IS MINIMAL.
IT IS INCREDIBLY LOW, WHAT THE LAST STATISTICS STATES.
THE MEDIAN AGE OF DEATHS WAS 76, THAT WAS THE MEDIA, IT'S MUCH HIGHER THAN THAT.
LOWER THAN 15 IS A VERY LOW IMPACT.
I DON'T WANT TO SEE THE REST OF THE CITY WAITING BEYOND A NECESSARY TIME PERIOD FOR A LOW-RISK PART OF OUR POPULATION.
>> ANY OTHER COUNCIL MEMBERS HAVE THOUGHTS TO ADD TO THAT?
>> MAYOR, THE ONLY THING THAT I WOULD LIKE TO ADD IS, BEFORE YOU HAVE A CONVERSATION WITH GOVERNOR ABBOTT, I WOULD LIKE FOR YOU TO HAVE A CONVERSATION WITH CASIE AND OUR OTHER LOCAL MEDICAL PROFESSIONALS TO GET THEIR INPUT IN WHAT THEY'RE THINKING.
I THINK CERTAINLY I AGREE WITH WHAT YOU'RE SAYING ELAINE, EVERY BUSINESS THAT'S HELD BACK FROM BEING FULLY OPEN OR DOING THEIR FULL [NOISE] OFFERING OF SERVICES IS FEELING THE IMPACT OF IT, AND I THINK WE'RE ALSO MINDFUL OF ALL THE TEACHERS THAT ARE GOING BACK TO SCHOOL TOO.
CERTAINLY, GOOD DATA SHOWING THAT OUR KIDS ARE NOT AS AFFECTED BY IT, BUT WE'RE ALSO MINDFUL OF THE TEACHERS THAT ARE ON ALL DIFFERENT AGE RANGES, THAT ARE NOW MORE LIKELY TO BE EXPOSED TO WITHIN THE SCHOOL SETTINGS TOO, SO THAT'S ANOTHER COMPONENT JUST TO KEEP IN MIND.
>> LET ME ASK YOU A QUESTION, OF THE 11 MILLION HAS BEEN DESIGNATED TO HELP CITY MEMORIAL, AND OBVIOUSLY, WE'RE AT FOUR MILLION, AND WE DON'T USE ALL OF THAT.
WHERE DOES THAT GO? BACK TO THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT OR THE STATE, OR WHAT? [OVERLAPPING].
>> JARED YOU WANT TO TRY AND ANSWER HIM?
>> [INAUDIBLE] MEMBER SMITH. TO ANSWER THAT QUESTION, THAT FUNDING IS ONLY AVAILABLE UPON EXPENDITURE OF THOSE DOLLARS AS A REIMBURSEMENT.
WHILE THE STATE GAVE US AN INITIAL ALLOCATION OF $2.2 MILLION UP FRONT FROM THAT $11 MILLION ALLOCATION, ONLY IF WE DON'T SPEND THAT 2.2 MILLION, THAT WOULD HAVE TO GO BACK TO THE STATE AND THEN THE STATE WOULD EITHER USE IT OR RETURN IT TO THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT.
THEN THE 11 MILLION, THE LARGER AMOUNT THAT WE WOULD BE ELIGIBLE FOR, IS ONLY BASED ON REIMBURSEMENT UPON ACTUAL EXPENDITURES RELATED TO THAT.
KEEPING IN MIND THAT WE HAVE OVER THREE MILLION DOLLARS OF EXPENSES RELATED TO RESPONSE ACTIVITIES THAT WE HAVE DOCUMENTED UNDER THE FEMA PROGRAM.
WE DON'T HAVE THIS IN FACT YET, BUT MY GUESS IS THAT THAT WOULD BE WHERE WE BURN THROUGH MAJORITY OF OUR FUNDING THAT WE CURRENTLY HAVE PLUS BEYOND THAT, THAT WE COULD THEN REQUEST REIMBURSEMENT FROM THE STATE.
IT'S HARD TO IMAGINE HOW FEMA WILL COME BACK AND DO REIMBURSEMENT ON THOSE TYPES OF PROGRAMS UNDER THE DISASTER ACT PROGRAMS, BUT WE REMAIN IN A POSITION OF DOCUMENTING EVERY EXPENSE RELATED TO THE RESPONSE TO COVID.
>> NOW THE OTHER PART OF THAT IS, SOME OF THE REASONS WHY WE HAVEN'T BEEN ABLE TO ACCESS SOME OF THOSE FUNDS THAT HAVE BEEN AUTHORIZED IS THAT THEY DO HAVE PRETTY SPECIFIC GUIDELINES FOR WHAT AN ELIGIBLE EXPENSE IS AND WHAT AN ELIGIBLE EXPENSE IS NOT.
THE CORONAVIRUS HAS HAD SIGNIFICANT IMPACT ON OUR ABILITY TO DO A LOT OF CAPITAL PROJECTS AND OTHER THINGS THAT WERE AFFECTED BY SIGNIFICANTLY DECLINED REVENUE OR SIGNIFICANTLY LOWER REVENUE DURING A CERTAIN PERIOD OF TIME, SO IT IS OUR EXPECTATION THAT FUTURE ALLOCATIONS FOR CARERS OR OTHER TYPE OF AID FUNDING IS GOING TO HAVE BROADER USE WHERE WE CAN DO MORE GOOD FOR THE COMMUNITY, BUT AT THIS TIME IT'S VERY SPECIFIC ON WHAT THOSE FUNDS CAN BE USED FOR OR WHAT THOSE FUNDS WILL BE REIMBURSED FOR.
>> I THINK HOWARD THE ANSWER IS, I THINK AUSTIN WILL KEEP THEM IF WE DON'T SPEND THEM, BUT I THINK WE DON'T KNOW THAT FOR SURE YET, BUT THAT'S WHAT I WOULD PREDICT.
[00:40:02]
>> THAT'S WHY I WAS TRYING TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO GET THEM TO AMARILLO.
>> MAYOR, I DID HAVE ONE OTHER QUESTION FOR CASIE, I HAD READ AN ARTICLE THAT THE CDC HAD CHANGED THEIR TESTING PROTOCOL, THAT NOW BEFORE, IF YOU TESTED POSITIVE, THEN BEFORE YOU WERE RELEASED AND CLEARED, YOU TOOK ANOTHER POSITIVE TEST, BUT NOW IS IT CORRECT THAT AFTER JUST 13 DAYS AND NO FEVER THAT A SECOND TEST IS NOT REQUIRED?
>> ALL ALONG WE'VE HAD THE TEST-BASED STRATEGY OR THE NON TEST-BASED STRATEGY.
FOR THE MOST PART, WE HAVE USED THE NON TEST-BASED STRATEGY TO RELEASE PEOPLE BACK TO WORK.
JUST LAST WEEK, THE CDC CAME OUT WITH NEW GUIDANCE THAT INDICATED TO US THAT THEY NO LONGER RECOMMEND THE TEST-BASED STRATEGY FOR RELEASE TO WORK.
SO WE ARE CONTINUING TO USE THE NON TEST-BASED STRATEGY LIKE WE HAVE USED IN MOST CASES.
>> IS THE 10 DAY, DOES THAT START THE COUNT WHEN YOU FIRST HAD SYMPTOMS?
>> THE 10 DAYS STARTS ON THE DATE OF THE TEST COLLECTED BECAUSE THAT'S A VERY DEFINITE DATE.
SOMETIMES THE DATE OF SYMPTOM ONSET CAN BE VERY SUBJECTIVE, AND SO WE DO START THE 10-DAY COUNT FROM THE DATE THAT THE TEST WAS COLLECTED.
THEN YOU HAVE TO BE 24 HOURS FEVER FREE AND THEN A RESOLUTION OF SYMPTOMS AT THE END OF THAT 10 DAYS.
THEN OUR PATIENT MONITORING TEAM WILL RELEASE THAT PATIENT BACK TO WORK OR SCHOOL.
THAT IS FOR SOMEONE WHO'S POSITIVE.
[OVERLAPPING] FOR SOMEONE WHO IS A CONTACT, THEN IT'S STILL A 14-DAY QUARANTINE, FROM THEIR BREAK IN CONTACT WITH THE PERSON WHO'S POSITIVE.
>> OKAY. ANYTHING ELSE THEN? JARED ANYTHING ELSE?
>> NO MAYOR, NOT ON CORONAVIRUS.
>> COUNCIL, ARE WE DONE WITH QUESTIONS? IT'S VERY GOOD DIALOGUE TODAY.
LET'S MOVE ON THEN TO ITEM 1C AND UPDATE ON TRANSIT MULTI-MODAL FACILITY.
[1C. Update on Transit Multimodal Facility; and]
>> ALL RIGHT MAYOR, WE'VE BEEN WORKING ON A MULTI-MODAL TRANSIT FACILITY FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS NOW.
WE'VE WORKED WITH FEDERAL TRANSIT ADMINISTRATION.
THEY'VE FUNDED A GRANT TO BE ABLE TO DO A STUDY ON WHERE A MULTI-MODAL TRANSIT FACILITY WOULD NEED BE LOCATED TO BEST SERVE OUR COMMUNITY, TO BEST SERVE OUR UPDATED ROUTE STRUCTURE.
WE'VE BEEN WORKING ON PROPERTY ACQUISITION AND A NUMBER OF OTHER STEPS TO MOVE IN THAT WAY ALONG WITH.
HENCE, WE WEREN'T SUCCESSFUL IN THOSE GRANT APPLICATIONS AND WE MADE THOSE APPLICATIONS OVER THE COURSE FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS.
THAT SAID, WE'RE STILL MOVING FORWARD WITH THE PROJECT AND TO GIVE US AN UPDATE ON THAT TRANSIT MULTI-MODAL FACILITY, WE'VE GOT OUR DIRECTOR OF TRANSIT, MARITA WELLAGE-REILEY. MARITA?
>> GOOD AFTERNOON. I WANT TO SHARE MY SCREEN WITH YOU.
[NOISE] CAN EVERYONE SEE THAT?
WE WE LOVE THIS WATCHING PEOPLE ACQUIRE NEW SKILLS [LAUGHTER] BECAUSE WE LIKE LEARNING, MARITA, AND WE VALUE PEOPLE STRUGGLING TO FIGURE OUT NEW SKILLS.
ZOOM CALLS ARE A NEW SKILL THAT WE'VE ALL HAD TO STRUGGLE.
>> OKAY. THAT IS A RENDERING OF THE CONCEPT OF OUR MULTIMODAL TERMINAL.
WE HAVE COMPLETED THE PHASE 1, WHICH IS THE NEXT SLIDE HERE, THERE WE GO.
THE FEASIBILITY STUDY, WELL, THAT WAS COMPLETED IN 2019 AND WE DETERMINED WHAT THE SPACE REQUIREMENTS WERE
[00:45:01]
FOR A JOINT OPERATION THAT WOULD INCLUDE AMARILLO CITY TRANSIT, GREYHOUND, OR ANY OTHER SERVICE PROVIDERS IN THE AREA THAT WOULD NEED A TERMINAL TO OPERATE AND TRANSFER PASSENGERS FROM.THAT WOULD INCLUDE PANHANDLE, COMMUNITY TRANSIT SERVICE TOO AND CORD CARE, AND ANY OTHER PROVIDERS THAT WOULD WANT TO JOIN US.
WE DID THE SITE SELECTION AND WE REVIEWED UP TO 10 DIFFERENT SITES TO COME TO THE ONE THAT WAS SELECTED.
THEN THE PRELIMINARY ENVIRONMENTAL WAS DONE AND WE SUBMITTED THAT TO THE FEDERAL TRANSIT ADMINISTRATION.
AS FAR AS OUR FUNDING AVAILABILITY, WE WERE VERY FORTUNATE TO RECEIVE $9.8 MILLION IN CARE ACT FUNDS.
THOSE FUNDS WILL COVER AMARILLO CITY TRANSIT OPERATIONS FROM FEBRUARY OF 2020 THROUGH THE END OF FISCAL YEAR '21, WHICH WOULD BE OCTOBER 1ST.
WE MAY, DEPENDING ON HOW WELL WE CAN STRETCH THOSE FUNDS, THEY MAY EVEN GO INTO OUR FISCAL YEAR '22.
BECAUSE WE HAVE THOSE CARE FUNDS, WE HAVE FUNDING THAT WAS 53 OF SEVEN UP CAPITAL AND OPERATING GRANT FOR FISCAL YEAR '19-'20 AND WE HAVE FUNDS THAT HAVE BEEN ALLOCATED TO US FOR FISCAL YEAR 2021.
THOSE FUNDS ARE EQUAL $6.6 MILLION.
WE ARE RECOMMENDING THAT WE USE THOSE FUNDS FOR CONSTRUCTION OF THE TERMINAL AND THAT THE FEDERAL SHARE OF THAT 6.6 IS $5.2 MILLION.
NOW, THE LOCAL SHARE WOULD BE $1.32 MILLION AND WE ALREADY HAVE A COMMITMENT FROM AEDC TO FIND $1.2 MILLION WHICH WOULD LEAVE APPROXIMATELY A $120,000 REMAINING IN LOCAL SHARE MONIES TO BE ABLE TO ACCOMPLISH THE PROJECT.
HERE IS A PHASE APPROACH TO THE COMPLETION OF THE PROJECT.
WE'VE ALREADY FINISHED PHASE 1, WHICH WAS A PRELIMINARY DESIGN AND FEASIBILITY STUDY, WHICH IS FUNDED IN 100 PERCENT BY TEXT DOT.
WE'RE CURRENTLY IN PHASE 2, WE'RE WORKING ON THE REQUEST FOR QUALIFICATIONS FOR THE ARCHITECTURAL AND ENGINEERING PART OF THE PROJECT.
WE HOPE TO HAVE THE RFQ COMPLETED.
ONE OF THE REASONS IT TAKES SO LONG IS THAT WE HAVE TO INCLUDE AND BE AWARE OF ALL THE DIFFERENT FEDERAL REQUIREMENTS THAT WE HAVE TO MEET IN ORDER TO BE ABLE TO DO THIS.
THEN WE WOULD GO THROUGH THE SELECTION PROCESS ONCE WE HAVE DETERMINED WHICH FIRMS WERE QUALIFIED FOR THE ARCHITECTURAL AND ENGINEERING PORTION OF THE PROJECT WHEN WE COME TO COUNCIL FOR APPROVAL.
THEN WE'D MOVE INTO PHASE 3 ONCE AWARDED THE DESIGN AND ENGINEERING CONTRACT AND WE WOULD MOVE INTO A PHASE WHERE WE WOULD BEGIN DESIGN UP TO 20-25 PERCENT OF THE PROJECT AND AT THE SAME TIME, WE WOULD BE WORKING ON A REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL FOR A CONSTRUCTION CONTRACT.
THEN WE WOULD PROPOSE TO MOVE INTO PHASE 4 WITH THE SELECTION OF A CONSTRUCTION MANAGER AND SEEK COUNCIL APPROVAL, COMPLETE THE DESIGN.
THAT WOULD BE GOING ON WHILE WORKING WITH THE CONSTRUCTION MANAGER.
AT THE SAME TIME, WE'D START REDESIGNING SOME OF OUR ROUTES AND WORKING WITH THE PUBLIC TO GET PUBLIC INPUT ON THAT.
BECAUSE WHEN WE MOVE FROM DOWNTOWN, WE WOULD NEED TO SHIFT WEST IN DOWNTOWN THAT WE WOULD BE ABLE TO HAVE OUR NETWORK TOGETHER AND EVERYBODY KNOW WHERE WE'RE GOING ONCE THE CONSTRUCTION PHASE IS DONE.
NOW, THE CONSTRUCTION PHASE WAS ESTIMATED TO TAKE 8-9 MONTHS FROM MARCH 2021 TO OCTOBER 2021 AND HOPEFULLY, THE PROJECT WILL BE COMPLETE AT THE END OF OCTOBER 2021.
>> ALL THOSE DATES COULD PUSH AND PULL JUST A LITTLE BIT, BUT THAT'S THE ESTIMATED TIMELINE AS WE CURRENTLY STAND.
[00:50:04]
>> WE HAVE WORKED WITH JERRY ON COMING TO THAT ESTIMATED TIMELINE.
OF COURSE, THE FEDERAL PROCUREMENT PROCESS CAN TAKE A LONG TIME.
>> COUNCIL, QUESTIONS, COMMENTS?
>> CAN'T WAIT FOR THIS PROJECT TO START.
>> I THINK IT WOULD BE REALLY GREAT FOR THE CITY AND FOR EVERYTHING TRANSPORTATION IN TOWN.
I'M VERY HOPEFUL THAT WE CAN PUSH THIS ONE ACROSS THE LINE.
>> MARITA, CAN YOU CLARIFY BACK ON THAT? GO BACK TO SLIDE 2 ON THE FUNDING.
ALL OF THIS STILL PENDING, CAN YOU JUST WALK US THROUGH WHAT'S BEEN SECURED AND WHAT IS STILL ON HOLD.
WE HAVE THE 1.2 COMMITMENT FROM ADC, BUT WHERE ARE WE ON OTHER FUNDING? WELL, YOU HAVE ALREADY APPROVED OUR 1920 AND YOU'VE ACCEPTED THAT.
IN FACT, YOU'VE MET THAT WITH APPROXIMATELY $2.1 MILLION IN LOCAL FUNDS.
BECAUSE THAT WEST FUND ARE OPERATING, PART OF THE CAPITAL IN THAT GRANT WAS FOR THE DESIGN OF THIS FACILITY.
SO THE CAPITAL FOR THE DESIGN IS ALREADY APPROVED IN THAT GRANT.
NOW, WE WOULD HAVE TO GO AND WE'D HAVE TO REVISE OUR GRANT APPLICATION WITH THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT.
BUT THOSE FUNDS ARE ALREADY ALLOCATED TO US AND YOU'VE ALREADY ALLOCATED A MATCH TO THE TUNE OF $2.1 MILLION.
WHEN WE LOOK AT THIS, THE FEDERAL SHARE OF 80 PERCENT IS $5.28 MILLION.
I WILL REMIND YOU WHEN WE GO THROUGH THE OPERATING GRANT, CAPITAL IS FUNDED AT 80-20, OPERATIONS ARE ARE FUNDED AT 50-50.
SO IF WE USE THE GRANT TO DO CAPITAL, THERE'S LESS OF THE CITY'S FUNDS THAT ARE REQUIRED TO MATCH THESE FUNDS.
RIGHT NOW, WE ARE MATCHED TO DO THE PROJECT WITHIN $1.32 MILLION, AND WE HAVE THE COMMITMENT FROM AEDC FOR 1.2.
TECHNICALLY, THAT $120,000 REMAINING CITY MATCH, HAS ALREADY BEEN SET ASIDE OR ALLOCATED TO AMARILLO CITY TRANSIT FOR THAT 1920 GRANTS.
NOW, THAT MEANS $3.8 MILLION THAT'S COMING FROM OUR FISCAL YEAR 2021, IT'S A FORMULA GRANT, SO IT COMES TO US, WE HAVEN'T APPLIED FOR IT YET BECAUSE WE HAVE THE CARES ACTS BONDS.
BUT WE CAN APPLY FOR THAT AND THEN USE THAT FOR THE PROJECT.
COUNCILMAN HAYES, TO EXPAND UPON THAT, I THINK WHERE YOU ARE MAYBE LEANING TOWARDS IS THAT THE CITY HAS PURSUED TWO DIFFERENT GRANT OPTIONS TO PROVIDE CAPITAL FUNDS TO CONSTRUCT THIS FACILITY.
THE BUILD GRANT THAT WE WERE DENIED LAST YEAR, AND THEN AN FTA FACILITIES GRANT THAT WE LEARNED THAT WE WERE DENIED EARLIER THIS YEAR.
THE NEXT GRANTING OPPORTUNITY WOULD BE NEXT YEAR IF WE WERE TO PURSUE A FACILITIES GRANT OR BUILD GRANT TO TRY TO GET ADDITIONAL CAPITAL DOLLARS TO DO THAT.
MARITA, THOUGH, HAS WORKED THROUGH EVALUATING THE DIFFERENT FUNDING SOURCES THAT WE CURRENTLY HAVE AVAILABLE AND WE ARE IN SOME WAYS REAPING THE BENEFIT OF FTA, COVERING THE EXPENDITURES OF TRANSIT OPERATIONS WITH CARES ACT DOLLARS, THAT HAS OPENED UP THE DOOR TO WHERE WE CAN POTENTIALLY USE SOME OF OUR EXISTING FUNDING FROM OUR ANNUAL ALLOCATION TOWARDS THIS PROJECT TO COVER THE EXPENSE OF CONSTRUCTING THIS PROJECT AND MOVING FORWARD IN LIEU OF PURSUING ADDITIONAL GRANTS FOR A CAPITAL FACILITIES CAMPAIGN.
THANK YOU, GUYS. I APPRECIATE, YOU ALL CAME BACK THROUGH THAT.
MARITA, I'M IMPRESSED WITH THE WAY YOU'RE THINKING FORWARD AND OUTSIDE OF YOUR NORMAL OPERATING BUDGET, JUST TO THINK ABOUT HOW WE CAN.
[00:55:01]
THE COVID SITUATION AND I THINK WE WOULD IN A HEARTBEAT TO SWEAT TO GO AWAY.BUT IN THE MIDST OF ADVERSITY, THERE'S ALWAYS OPPORTUNITY AND I THINK YOU'RE USING THIS ADVERSITY TO EXAMINE WHERE YOU ARE AND THE GOALS OF YOUR DEPARTMENT TO BETTER SERVE CITIZENS.
SO I WOULD COMMEND YOU ON THAT AND I WOULD SAY, AS YOU CONTINUE LOOKING FOR GRANTS THAT YOU CAN APPLY FOR, IF MORE OF THESE DOLLARS CAME AVAILABLE, I CONTINUE TO HEAR CITIZENS BE CONCERNED ABOUT THE LACK OF BENCHES AND COVERED BUS STOPS FOR CITIZENS THAT USE THE BUSES.
I THINK AS A COUNCIL, WE ALL FEEL A PULL TOWARD AND IT'S ALWAYS BEEN TIED TO FUNDING.
IT'S NOT THAT WE HAVEN'T WANTED THAT FOR OUR CITY, AND I KNOW THAT THAT'S A PRIORITY FOR YOU AS DEPARTMENT HEAD AS WELL.
I WOULD JUST THROW OUT, NUMBER 1, THANK YOU FOR WORKING ON THIS, FOR HAVING A BROADER VISION AND NUMBER TWO, JUST KEEPING IN MIND COVERED BUS STOPS OR SOMETHING ELSE THAT WE'RE LONGING TO HAVE FUNDING FOR IN THE CITY.
SO IF YOU WERE TO GET CAPITAL GRANTS THAT YOU COULD PUT TOWARD THE COST OF THE BUS STATION, PERHAPS WE COULD LOOK FOR A WAY TO USE SOME OF THE DOLLARS THAT WOULD THEN BE AVAILABLE TOWARD COVERED BUS STOPS.
WELL, YOU HAVE NEXT COUNCIL MEETING, I BELIEVE YOU WILL HAVE FROM US THE PROPOSED PER AWARD FOR A CONTRACT FOR OUR BENCHES AND SHELTER PROJECT.
I WILL SEEK FUNDS FOR BENCHES AND SHELTERS.
OKAY, WONDERFUL. I CAN'T WAIT TO HEAR THAT.
THANK YOU FOR THAT, AND THANK YOU FOR ALL THE WORK THAT YOU'RE DOING.
ANYTHING ELSE COUNCIL, FOR MARITA? OKAY. JARED, THANK YOU ON THAT.
IS THAT EVERYTHING THEN ON ITEM 1C, JARED? YES, MA'AM.
OKAY. ITEM 1B IS REQUEST FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS AND REPORTS FROM THE CITY MANAGER [NOISE].
[1D. Request future agenda items and reports from City Manager.]
I WOULD LIKE TO MAKE A REQUEST. [NOISE].LET ME GET IT BACK, SET RIGHT, AND WE CAN TALK ABOUT IT.
YES. [OVERLAPPING] OKAY. NOW I'M BACK. THANKS FOR LETTING ME PAUSE.
MAKES ME NERVOUS WHEN I CAN'T SEE YOU GUYS. OKAY, HOWARD.
IT HAS COME TO MY ATTENTION FROM A SECTION IN THE COMMUNITY THAT WOULD LIKE TO ADDRESS THE CITY COUNCIL.
IT'S ABOUT CIVIC CENTER PLANS AND RELATED ROI STUDY.
SO I'D LIKE TO ASK IF WE PLAN, ARRANGE FOR AN EXECUTIVE SESSION WITH THE WHOLE COUNSEL AND ALEX RALLY COULD COME MAKE A PRESENTATION TO THIS.
EXECUTIVE SESSION, THE OPEN MEETINGS ACT ONLY ALLOWS US TO DO THAT IF IT RELATES TO REAL ESTATE PURCHASE OR TO A CONTRACT NEGOTIATION.
I THINK THIS NEEDS TO RUN THROUGH THE LEGAL DEPARTMENT TO FIND OUT WHETHER OR NOT WHAT YOU'RE PROPOSING.
I THINK YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE TO GIVE BRIAN AND JARED SOME SPECIFIC INFORMATION ABOUT WHAT WOULD BE DISCUSSED IN THAT SESSION.
OTHERWISE, THE OPEN MEETINGS ACT IS NOT GOING TO ALLOW THAT.
I WAS GOING TO ASK ALEX RALLY ABOUT THAT.
>> JARED, DO YOU MIND JUST FOLLOWING UP TO SEE IF THAT'S SOMETHING THAT COULD BE ARRANGED.
OBVIOUSLY, ONLY IF IT FITS WITHIN THE LEGALITIES OF DOING A PROPER EXECUTIVE SESSION.
>> YES MA'AM. I WILL CHASE DOWN ALL THE APPROPRIATE INFORMATION AND WORK WITH THE CITY ATTORNEY TO EVALUATE THE PROPERTIES, MEET WITH YOU AND DISCUSS PLACEMENT ON AGENDAS, ACCORDANCE WITH ORDINANCES.
>> GREAT. ANYBODY ELSE HAVE SOMETHING?
>> IS IT TOO EARLY TO ASK FOR MAYBE AN UPDATE ON HOW THINGS ARE GOING WITH PARKS AND REC, THE MASTER PLAN [NOISE]?
>> CAN YOU GIVE US AN UPDATE ON HOW FAR, AND IF WE'RE AT A POINT WHERE WE CAN DO AN UPDATE? WE CAN ALWAYS DO AN UPDATE AS LONG AS WORK HAS BEEN DONE AT THIS POINT.
>> YES COUNCILOR. [OVERLAPPING] I HAVE VISITED WITH MICHAEL KASHUBA, HE CAN PROVIDE YOU AN INITIAL KIND OF THE NEEDS ASSESSMENT PORTION OF THE PARKS MASTER PLAN, WHAT THEY'VE LEARNED THROUGH SOME OF THEIR INITIAL COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT.
[01:00:01]
WE CAN SCHEDULE THAT AT ONE OF OUR UPCOMING MEETINGS TO PROVIDE YOU A SUMMARY OF THAT INFORMATION SPECIFIC TO THE PARKS MASTER PLAN AND WHAT THE CONSULTANT HAS COMPLETED UP TO THIS POINT.>> THAT WOULD BE GREAT, THANK YOU.
>> ANYBODY ELSE? I THINK THAT MOVES US THEN NEXT TO THE CONSENT AGENDA.
[2. CONSENT ITEMS:]
ANYTHING ON THE CONSENT AGENDA THAT NEEDS TO COME UP FOR FURTHER QUESTIONS OR DISCUSSION COUNCIL? OKAY, HEARING NOTHING, DO WE HAVE A MOTION ON THE CONSENT ITEMS?I MOVE TO APPROVE THE CONSENT AGENDA AS PRESENTED.
>> MOVED BY COUNCIL MEMBER POWELL, SECONDED BY COUNCIL MEMBER SAUER TO APPROVE THE ITEMS ON THE CONSENT AGENDA.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR, PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND.
THAT PASSES WITH THE FIVE OF VOTE.
ITEM 3A IS TO DISCUSS AND CONSIDER A PROPOSED TAX RATE.
[3A. DISCUSS AND CONSIDER PROPOSED TAX RATE:]
MR CITY MANAGER?>> MAYOR, WE HAVE ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER LAURA STORRS, OR CHIEF [NOISE] FINANCIAL OFFICER HERE TO PRESENT OR TO MAKE A PRESENTATION, AND THEN TO ANSWER QUESTIONS THE COUNCIL MIGHT HAVE ON PROPOSED TAX RATE. LAURA.
I HAVE A PRESENTATION THAT I AM GOING TO SHARE MY SCREEN REAL QUICK, TO HELP WALK US THROUGH.
FIRST OFF, I'D LIKE TO START WITH WE PRESENTED A PROPOSED BUDGET.
FIRST OF ALL, WE FILED IT WITH OUR CITY SECRETARY ON AUGUST 4TH, AND WE'VE PRESENTED A PROPOSED BUDGET ALONG WITH A 2020 PROPOSED PROPERTY TAX RATE ON AUGUST 4TH AND AUGUST 5TH TO COUNCIL.
SO THE ITEM TODAY, IS THE FIRST ACTION THAT COUNCIL WILL NEED TO TAKE RELATED TO THE PROPERTY TAX RATE.
WE ARE GOING TO GO THROUGH A PRESENTATION OR SOME INFORMATION ABOUT THE 2020 PROPOSED PROPERTY TAX RATE.
THEN WE WILL BE LOOKING FOR COUNCIL TO TAKE A VOTE ON THE PROPOSED RATE.
SO WE'LL START HERE WITH THE FIRST SLIDE.
THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF CHANGES THAT HAVE TAKEN PLACE IN THIS CURRENT YEAR.
SO IN THE MIDST OF COVID-19 AND EVERYTHING GOING ON WITH THE PANDEMIC, WE ALSO HAVE BRAND NEW TAX LAWS THAT ARE IN EFFECT, AND THAT IS RELATED TO THE RECENT LEGISLATIVE SESSION.
IT IS SENATE BILL 2, AND IT'S MADE SEVERAL CHANGES TO THE PROPERTY TAX RATE IN THE TRUTH IN TAXATION LAWS.
THE INTENTION BEHIND IT WAS TO MAKE EVERYTHING AS CLEAR AND TRANSPARENT AS POSSIBLE FOR OUR RATE PAIRS.
SO WE'RE GOING TO START HERE AND TALK ABOUT SOME OF THE CHANGES THAT THIS NEW TAX LAW HAS PUT INTO EFFECT, AND THESE CHANGES WENT INTO EFFECT FOR THE CURRENT BUDGET YEAR THAT WE ARE PROPOSING IN THIS PROPOSED TAX RATE.
THE FIRST THING THAT WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT IS IN THIS FIRST BLUE BOX HERE.
PREVIOUSLY, WE HAVE ALWAYS TALKED ABOUT AN EFFECTIVE TAX RATE.
SO WHAT AN EFFECTIVE TAX RATE IS, IS THAT'S ESSENTIALLY ALLOWING A CITY TO RECEIVE THE SAME AMOUNT OF PROPERTY TAX REVENUE FOR OPERATIONS AND MAINTENANCE IN AN UPCOMING YEAR AS THEY DID IN THE PRIOR YEAR.
SENATE BILL 2 HAS CHANGED THAT WORDING.
THE EFFECTIVE TAX RATE IS NOW CALLED THE NO-NEW-REVENUE TAX RATE.
AGAIN, AS I MENTIONED, THAT IS A RATE THAT IS CALCULATED TO GIVE US A TAXING ENTITY, THE SAME AMOUNT OF OPERATING AND MAINTENANCE REVENUE IN THE NEXT YEAR AS THEY HAD IN THE PREVIOUS YEAR.
BUT IT DOES ALLOW FOR THE DEBT SERVICE SIDE OF THE RATE TO FLUCTUATE BASED ON THE DEBT SERVICE REQUIREMENTS.
THE NEXT CHANGE IN SOME OF THE WORDING RELATED TO SENATE BILL 2 IS THE ROLLBACK RATE.
SO IN PRIOR YEARS WE'D ALWAYS REFERRED TO A ROLLBACK RATE, AND THAT WAS BASICALLY A RATE THAT TRIGGERED THE ABILITY FOR TAXPAYERS TO PETITION FOR AN ELECTION TO POSSIBLY ASK OR VOTE A LOWER PROPERTY TAX RATE IN, THAN WHAT WAS APPROVED BY COUNCIL.
AGAIN, THAT ALLOWED A VOTER TO PETITION.
NOW, WHAT SENATE BILL 2 HAS CHANGED, IS THAT ROLLBACK RATE IS NOW REFERRED TO AS A VOTER-APPROVAL TAX RATE, AND THERE'S A FEW DIFFERENCES HERE.
THE ROLLBACK RATE ESSENTIALLY ALLOWED EIGHT PERCENT MORE IN OPERATING AND MAINTENANCE DOLLARS,
[01:05:01]
THAN WHAT HAD BEEN RECEIVED THE PRIOR YEAR, WHERE NOW THIS VOTER APPROVAL TAX RATE ONLY ALLOWS FOR THREE AND HALF PERCENT ABOUT THE PRIOR YEAR'S MAINTENANCE AND OPERATING COLLECTIONS.THE OTHER DIFFERENCES, IF YOU WILL GO DOWN TO THE NEXT BOX HERE.
SENATE BILL 2, NOW REQUIRES A MANDATORY ELECTION IF A TAX RATE IS ADOPTED THAT EXCEEDS THAT VOTER APPROVAL TAX RATE.
SO BEFORE AGAIN, THE ROLLBACK RATE ALLOWED A CITIZEN TO PETITION FOR AN ELECTION, WHERE NOW SENATE BILL 2 WITH A VOTER-APPROVAL TAX RATE, IF THE COUNCIL WERE TO APPROVE A RATE THAT EXCEEDED THE VOTER-APPROVAL TAX RATE, IT WOULD AUTOMATICALLY TRIGGER A MANDATORY ELECTION WHICH WOULD OCCUR IN NOVEMBER.
THE NEXT CHANGE RELATED TO SENATE BILL 2, IS IN PRIOR YEARS THERE WERE ALWAYS TWO PUBLIC HEARINGS THAT WERE REQUIRED RELATED TO PROPERTY TAXES.
NOW, SENATE BILL 2 ONLY REQUIRES ONE PUBLIC HEARING.
SO THAT WAS ANOTHER CHANGE THAT WENT INTO EFFECT AND WILL GO INTO EFFECT THIS YEAR.
THE LAST CHANGE, MAJOR CHANGE THAT I WANTED TO OUTLINE IN THIS PRESENTATION, IS WE HAVE SEVERAL NEW PUBLIC NOTICES.
WE ACTUALLY HAVE ONE POSTED OUT ON THE CITY'S WEBSITE AT THIS POINT IN TIME.
BUT LATER THIS WEEK WE WILL BE PUBLISHING PUBLIC NOTICES IN THE NEWSPAPER AND ALSO, ON THE CITY'S WEBSITE TO ADVERTISE FOR THE PUBLIC HEARINGS THAT WILL BE COMING UP RELATED TO PROPERTY TAX AND ALSO TO ADOPTING THE BUDGET.
WE'RE GOING TO GO IN A LITTLE BIT MORE DETAIL IN A MINUTE.
BUT I JUST WANTED COUNCIL TO BE AWARE THAT A LOT OF THE PUBLIC NOTICES HAVE CHANGED RELATED TO SENATE BILL 2.
I WANT TO ALSO STATE IF THERE IS A QUESTION FROM COUNCIL AS I'M GOING THROUGH THIS, PLEASE STOP ME AND WE CAN TALK ABOUT IT AS WE GO OR WE CAN COVER IT AT THE END.
THIS NEXT SLIDE HERE, IS OUTLINING WHAT WE TALKED ABOUT AND SOME OF THE CHANGES RELATED TO SENATE BILL 2.
SO WE'VE GOT A COMPARISON OF THE 2019 RATES VERSUS THE 2020 RATES.
AGAIN, THE WORDING HAS CHANGED, SO LET'S LOOK AT THESE IN COMPARISON.
LAST YEAR FOR 2019, THE EFFECTIVE TAX RATE WAS 0.36198.
FOR 2020, THAT SAME RATE IS NOW CALLED THE NO-NEW-REVENUE TAX RATES, AND THE CALCULATED RATE IS 0.38070.
AGAIN, FOR THIS 2020 NUMBER, THIS WOULD ALLOW THE CITY TO RECEIVE APPROXIMATELY THE SAME AMOUNT OF OPERATING AND MAINTENANCE DOLLARS AS THEY DID IN THE PRIOR YEAR, AND ALLOW THAT DEBT SERVICE RATE TO INCREASE OR DECREASE AS NEEDED, BASED ON DEBT SERVICE REQUIREMENTS.
THIS NEXT LINE HERE, AGAIN, WE TALKED ABOUT HOW THE ROLLBACK TAX RATE IS NOW CALLED THE VOTER-APPROVAL TAX RATE.
SO THIS LAST YEAR FOR 2019, AGAIN, THERE IT ALLOWED FOR AN UP TO EIGHT PERCENT INCREASE, AND THAT ROLLBACK TAX RATE WAS 0.41021.
FOR 2020, THE VOTER-APPROVAL TAX RATE THAT'S BEEN CALCULATED AND IT'S BASED ON ONLY A THREE AND A HALF PERCENT INCREASE.
SO THIS IS THE UPPER LIMIT, BOTH FOR AND MANDATORY ELECTION IS REQUIRED.
SO YOU CAN SEE THE DIFFERENCE THAT NO NEW REVENUE RATE VERSUS THE VOTER APPROVAL RATE. THEY'RE RIGHT THERE.
SO THEN LET'S LOOK AT WHAT THE APPROVED RATE FOR 2019 WAS AND THE 2020 PROPOSED RATE.
CURRENTLY, THE RATE THAT'S IN EFFECT NOW, THAT WAS APPROVED FOR 2019 IS 0.38851.
YOU'LL SEE THAT FALLS IN BETWEEN THE EFFECTIVE TAX RATE AND THE ROLLBACK TAX RATE FOR 2019.
SO LAST YEAR, IT JUST HAD TO BE VOTED ON BY COUNCIL.
IT DID NOT EXCEED THIS ROLLBACK TAX RATES, SO IT DID NOT TRIGGER ANY ABILITY FOR A CITIZEN TO PETITION FOR AN ELECTION.
OVER HERE, ON THE 2020 YEAR, WE HAVE A PROPOSED TAX RATE, THAT THE PROPOSED BUDGET IS BUILT AROUND 0.39681.
YOU'LL SEE ONCE AGAIN, THAT RATE FALLS IN BETWEEN THE NO-NEW-REVENUE TAX RATE AND THE VOTER-APPROVAL TAX RATE.
SO IT DOES NOT MEET OR EXCEED THIS VOTER-APPROVAL TAX RATE.
SO AT THIS POINT, IF COUNCIL PROCEEDS WITH THIS PROPOSED TAX RATE, IT WOULD NOT REQUIRE A MANDATORY ELECTION TO OCCUR IN NOVEMBER.
[01:10:07]
ON THIS NEXT SLIDE, WE WANTED TO TALK THROUGH WHY OUR BUDGET IS BUILT WITH THE PROPOSED TAX RATE THAT IT IS VERSUS USING THAT NO-NEW-REVENUE TAX RATE.THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THOSE TWO RATES IS ABOUT $1.8 MILLION.
THE DIFFERENCE ON THOSE IS THE PROPOSED TAX RATE, WE'VE LEFT THE OPERATING AND MAINTENANCE RATE FLAT WITH WHAT THE 2019 RATE IS, AND WE'LL GO OVER THAT ON THE NEXT SLIDE.
BUT THE REASON THAT IT DOES PRODUCE MORE REVENUE IS BECAUSE APPRAISED VALUES DID INCREASE OVER THE 2019 APPRAISED VALUES AND THERE ARE NEW PROPERTIES THAT HAVE ROLLED ON WITH THE APPRAISED VALUES.
THIS 1.8 MILLION WOULD ALLOW THE CITY TO CAPTURE THAT GROWTH IN APPRAISED VALUES IN THOSE NEW PROPERTIES COMING ON.
OVER HERE, I KNOW 1.8 MILLION IS A LOT OF DOLLARS AND WANT TO TALK THROUGH WHAT THAT COULD TRANSLATE TO.
THIS 1.8 MILLION, IF WE WERE TO GO WITH THAT NO-NEW-REVENUE TAX RATE, WE WOULD HAVE TO CUT $1.8 MILLION OUT OF THE PROPOSED BUDGET THAT HAS BEEN FILED, AND WHAT THAT CAN TRANSLATE TO.
AGAIN, WHAT WE WERE TRYING TO DO WITH THE PROPOSED BUDGET, AND WE'LL BE HAVING MORE PRESENTATIONS ON THAT IN COMING WEEKS, BUT WE WERE ATTEMPTING TO KEEP ALL OF OUR RATE INCREASES AS LOW AS POSSIBLE, KEEP THE TAX RATE IS AS LOW AS POSSIBLE, BUT STILL MAINTAIN THE SAME SERVICE LEVELS THAT WERE BUILT INTO THE BUDGET THAT WE'RE OPERATING UNDER RIGHT NOW.
WE HAD TO TAKE THAT INTO ACCOUNT IN LIGHT OF THE FACT THAT COVID-19 HAS HAD IMPACT ON SEVERAL OTHER REVENUE SOURCES.
ONE, FOR INSTANCE, IS OUR SALES TAX.
WE'VE BEEN VERY FORTUNATE AND SALES TAX HAS BEEN COMING IN STRONG.
BUT IN OUR PROPOSED BUDGET FOR THIS UPCOMING YEAR, IT IS STILL SLIGHTLY LOWER THAN WHAT'S IN THE CURRENT APPROVED BUDGET.
THE REASON FOR THAT IS WE'RE STILL SEEING SOME UNCERTAIN TRENDS RELATED TO COVID-19 IMPACTS.
WE'RE ALSO SEEING SOME REDUCTION IN OUR FRANCHISE FEES AND OUR FINDS IN [INAUDIBLE].
AS MENTIONED, WE'LL BE GOING OVER THAT MORE IN A COUPLE OF WEEKS DURING OUR PROPOSED BUDGET PRESENTATION.
BUT I WANTED TO MAKE SURE COUNCIL UNDERSTOOD WHY WE BUILT A BUDGET AND IT WOULD'VE BEEN VERY CHALLENGING FOR US TO CUT OUT 1.8 MILLION.
TO KEEP THOSE SERVICE LEVELS AT THE SAME AMOUNT AS THE CURRENT YEAR, WE'D HAVE TO LOOK AT FINDING ANOTHER 1.8 MILLION.
AGAIN, THESE ARE JUST A COUPLE OF EXAMPLES OF WHAT A 1.8 MILLION TRANSLATES TO.
ONE THING, FOR INSTANCE, IS 24 POLICE OFFICER POSITIONS COULD EQUAL 1.8 MILLION.
OR WE COULD BUY APPROXIMATELY TWO FIRE TRUCKS WITH 1.8 MILLION, JUST TO GIVE EVERYONE A FRAME OF REFERENCE HERE.
OR WE COULD POTENTIALLY RESURFACE ABOUT 25 LANE MILES WITH 1.8 MILLION.
ANOTHER EXAMPLE, AND AGAIN THESE ARE ALL ORS, WE COULDN'T DO ALL OF THIS WITH 1.8 MILLION.
WE COULD DO EACH ONE OF THESE DIFFERENT THINGS WITH 1.8.
THE OTHER EXAMPLE HERE IS POTHOLE REPAIRS.
1.8 MILLION TRANSLATES TO ABOUT 29,500 POTHOLE REPAIRS.
THESE ARE SIGNIFICANT DOLLARS THAT WE WOULD VERY MUCH BE CHALLENGED WITH TRYING TO MAINTAIN CURRENT SERVICE LEVELS, BUT CUT BACK THAT 1.8 MILLION TO EQUAL THAT NO-NEW-REVENUE TAX RATE.
ON THIS NEXT SLIDE HERE, WE WANT TO TALK AGAIN, AND I'VE TALKED A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THIS IN THE PREVIOUS SLIDES, THERE'S VARIOUS ELEMENTS THAT MAKE UP THE PROPERTY TAX RATE.
THE FIRST ONE IS THE OPERATIONS AND MAINTENANCE PIECE.
WE HAVE A COMPARISON HERE FROM THE 2019 RATE TO THE 2020 RATE.
YOU WILL SEE WE ARE PROPOSING TO KEEP THAT OPERATION MAINTENANCE PIECE OF THE RATE FLAT.
IT'S CURRENTLY AT 0.34448, AND FOR 2020, WE'RE PROPOSING TO KEEP IT FLAT AT 0.34448, AND AS YOU CAN SEE, THAT WOULD BE NO CHANGE.
THEN THE OTHER PIECE OF THE RATE IS THE INTEREST AND SINKING PORTION OF THE RATE.
WHAT THAT DOES, IT PAYS FOR DEBT SERVICE FOR THOSE PROPERTY TAX DEBT ISSUANCES.
FOR 2019, OUR INTEREST AND SINKING PORTION OF THE RATE IS 0.04403.
[01:15:05]
WE'RE PROPOSING FOR IT TO INCREASE UP TO 0.05233.THERE IS AN INCREASE THERE AND HERE'S OUTLINES OF WHY THAT PORTION OF THE RATE WOULD BE INCREASING.
WE ISSUED A SMALL AMOUNT OF ADDITIONAL DEBT ASSOCIATED WITH THE 2016 VOTER-APPROVED BONDS, AND IT WAS RELATED TO PROPOSITION 2, WHICH WAS REPUBLIC SAFETY.
WE DID THAT EARLIER THIS YEAR, AND YOU CAN SEE THE IMPACT ON THIS INTEREST AND SINKING RATE IS 0.0005, JUST A VERY SMALL FRACTION OF A PENNY.
THE OTHER ISSUANCE THAT AFFECTS THIS INTEREST AND SINKING RATE IS THE THOMPSON POOL DEBT ISSUANCE FROM EARLIER THIS SUMMER.
THE PORTION OF THE TAX RATE ASSOCIATED WITH THAT DEBT ISSUANCE IS 0.0030.
AGAIN, JUST THREE-TENTH OF A PENNY TO PAY FOR THE DEBT SERVICE ASSOCIATED WITH THAT THOMPSON POOL DEBT ISSUANCE FROM EARLIER THIS YEAR.
THEN FINALLY, WE ALSO ISSUED SOME TAX NOTES ASSOCIATED WITH REIMBURSING THE CITY FOR THE PURCHASE OF SOME PROPERTY OVER ON SOUTH JOHNSON STREET, AND THE RATE WILL GO UP BY 0.0048 TO SUPPORT THAT DEBT SERVICE ISSUANCE.
THOSE THREE THINGS WERE THE REASON THAT THIS INTEREST AND SINKING RATE IS NEEDING TO GO UP FROM THE 2019 RATE TO THE 2020 RATE.
DOWN HERE AT THE BOTTOM, YOU'LL SEE THE TOTALS.
THE CURRENT 2019 RATE IS 0.38851, AND THE 2020 RATE, WE ARE PROPOSING TO GO UP TO 0.39681.
THAT IS A DIFFERENCE OF 0.00830.
AGAIN, I KNOW I'M TALKING ABOUT A LOT OF DECIMAL PLACES, SO LET'S BREAK THIS DOWN WHERE IT MAY MAKE A LITTLE BIT MORE SENSE.
WHAT THAT TRANSLATES TO $100,000 VALUE OF THE HOME IN AMARILLO, IS $8.30 PER YEAR.
ON THIS NEXT SLIDE, EVERY YEAR WE TRY TO TAKE A COMPARISON OF THE CITIES' PROPOSED PROPERTY TAX RATE AND COMPARE IT WITH SOMEWHAT SIMILAR SIZED CITIES ACROSS THE STATE OF TEXAS.
WHAT WE HAVE DONE IS WE HAVE PULLED THE 10 LARGER CITIES THAN AMARILLO BASED ON POPULATION, AND THEN THE 10 SMALLER CITIES THAN AMARILLO ALSO BASED ON POPULATION.
WHAT WE'RE GOING TO LOOK AT IN THE NEXT TWO CHARTS IS WE'RE GOING TO COMPARE THE PROPOSED 2020 TAX RATE FOR THE CITY OF AMARILLO COMPARED TO THE APPROVED 2019 PROPERTY TAX RATES FOR THOSE 20 CITIES.
YOU'LL SEE RIGHT HERE, I'M GIVING AWAY WHAT WE'RE GOING TO SHOW, BUT ALL OF THE CITIES' RATE IS LOWER THAN ALL BUT ONE OF THOSE COMPARABLE CITIES' TAX RATES.
ON THE NEXT CHART HERE, THIS GRAPH, AND I APOLOGIZE, I KNOW THIS IS A LITTLE BIT BUSY HERE, BUT SQUEEZING THAT MUCH INFORMATION ONTO ONE GRAPH IT MAKES IT A LITTLE BIT SMALLER.
YOU'LL SEE AMARILLO IS RIGHT HERE IN THE MIDDLE.
IT'S THE GREEN BAR RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE.
TO THE LEFT ARE THE 10 CITIES THAT ARE LARGER THAN AMARILLO, AND TO THE RIGHT, ARE THE 10 CITIES THAT ARE SMALLER THAN AMARILLO, ALL BASED ON POPULATION.
WHAT THIS GRAPH SHOWS, THESE BLUE BARS, AND THEN THE GREEN BAR FOR THE CITY OF AMARILLO, ARE THE TAX RATES FOR EACH OF THESE CITIES.
THE BLUE BARS REPRESENT THE 2019 APPROVED TAX RATES FOR EACH OF THE CORRESPONDING CITIES.
THEN THE GREEN BAR HERE REPRESENTS THE CITY OF AMARILLO'S PROPOSED 2020 RATE OF 0.39681.
THEN THERE'S THIS ORANGE LINE THAT TRAILS DOWN, THAT IS THE POPULATION.
YOU'LL SEE WHAT'S A LITTLE CHALLENGING IS TO GO TEN CITIES LARGER.
WE PICK UP CITIES LIKE AUSTIN, FORT WORTH, EL PASO, ARLINGTON, AND YOU CAN SEE THEIR POPULATIONS ARE A LOT LARGER THAN AMARILLO'S.
THAT'S WHY YOU SEE THIS LARGE UP-TAKING THIS ORANGE LINE.
YOU CAN ALSO SEE EACH OF THEIR RATES HERE ON THESE GRAY BOXES THAT ARE ON EACH OF THE BLUE BARS.
THEN AS YOU COME DOWN, HERE'S AMARILLO'S POPULATION, WHICH IS A LITTLE OVER 200,000 ALL THE WAY DOWN TO WACO.
WANTED TO POINT OUT HERE THAT THE LOWER TAX RATE THAN THE CITY OF AMARILLO IS RIGHT HERE IN MIDLAND, AND YOU CAN SEE THAT THEIR 2019 TAX RATE IS 0.3922 VERSUS THE CITY'S PROPOSED TAX RATE FOR 2020 OF 0.39681.
[01:20:03]
THE AVERAGE OF THESE 21 CITIES, INCLUDING THE CITY OF AMARILLO, IS 0.604842, SO ABOUT 60.5 CENTS.WE ARE AT JUST UNDER $0.40 FOR THIS NEXT YEAR.
IF THERE'S NO QUESTIONS ABOUT THIS CHART, I'M GOING TO GO TO THIS NEXT ONE.
FIRST OF ALL, THESE ARE THE EXACT SAME 21 CITIES THAT WERE ON THE LAST CHART.
WE JUST SORTED THEM FROM HIGHEST TO LOWEST.
WHAT WE'RE SHOWING ON THIS CHART IS WE TOOK THE TAXABLE VALUES FOR EACH OF THESE COMMUNITIES, DIVIDED BY THEIR POPULATION, DIVIDED BY 100 TIMES THEIR TAX RATES.
IT WOULD HAVE BEEN THE 2019 TAX RATE FOR ALL THE BLUE BARS AND THEN THE 2020 TAX RATE FOR AMARILLO.
THIS IS THE TAX REVENUE PER CAPITA.
YOU CAN SEE THAT AMARILLO IS OVER HERE ON THE FAR RIGHT AT THE LOWEST AMOUNT OF $221.
WHAT THIS IS OUTLINING IS THAT THE CITY OF AMARILLO, WE DO HAVE A LOW TAX RATE.
WE ALSO HAVE LOWER APPRAISED VALUES IN COMPARISON WITH A LOT OF THE OTHER SIMILAR SIZED CITIES IN THE STATE OF TEXAS.
THOSE TWO COMPONENTS PUT TOGETHER PUT US WAY OVER HERE ON THE RIGHT, WHICH IS THE LOWEST AMOUNT.
YOU CAN SEE THE AVERAGE OF THESE CITIES IS ABOUT $453 PER CAPITA, WHERE THE CITY IS AT LESS THAN HALF OF THAT AT $221 PER CAPITA.
[NOISE] IF THERE'S NOT ANY QUESTIONS ON THIS OR IF WE NEED TO COME BACK TO IT, WE CAN.
I'M GOING TO GO TO THIS NEXT SLIDE HERE.
EACH YEAR WE TRY TO SHOW WHERE THE CITY OF AMARILLO RATE FALLS IN PROPORTION WITH THE TOTAL TAX BILLS THAT OUR CITIZENS ARE SEEN.
NOW AGAIN, YOU ARE ALL AWARE WE HAVE TWO COUNTIES.
WE HAVE THE CITY OF AMARILLO, AND THEN WE HAVE SEVERAL SCHOOL DISTRICTS THAT ARE INSIDE THE CITY LIMITS.
WE JUST PICKED ONE OF THE MORE COMMON EXAMPLES TO SHOW HERE.
BUT PLEASE KNOW THAT THIS DOES NOT VARY MORE THAN A PERCENTAGE POINT OR TWO BETWEEN ALL THE VARIOUS COMBINATIONS OF THESE TAX BILLS.
ON THIS CHART, IT SHOWS THE AMARILLO INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT WITH A CITIZEN BEING IN POTTER COUNTY.
IT SHOWS THE 2019 RATES FOR EACH OF THE TAXING ENTITIES ON THIS BILL, EXCEPT FOR THE CITY OF AMARILLO.
WE DID GO AHEAD AND INCLUDE OUR 2020 PROPOSED RATE.
NOW, THESE OTHER ENTITIES COULD HAVE CHANGES TO THEIR TAX RATES.
WE AREN'T SURE ON THOSE QUITE YET, IT'S A LITTLE EARLY TO KNOW.
WE WILL UPDATE THESE ONCE WE HAVE THEM, BUT THESE ARE THEIR 2019 RATES.
YOU CAN SEE THAT EVEN WITH THE CITY'S 2020 RATE, WHICH IS A SLIGHT INCREASE FROM THE 2019 RATES, THE CITY OF AMARILLO MAKES UP ABOUT 16 PERCENT OF THE TOTAL TAX BILL.
THIS DOESN'T VARY A WHOLE LOT FROM ONE YEAR TO THE NEXT.
IT USUALLY STAYS RIGHT AROUND 15,16 PERCENT OF THE PROPERTY TAX BILL.
AGAIN, I KNOW THIS IS AMARILLO INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT IN POTTER COUNTY, BUT IT'S VERY SIMILAR WITH CANYON INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT IN RANDALL COUNTY, AND THEN ALL THE OTHER VARIOUS VERSIONS OF PROPERTY TAX BILLS BASED ON THE LOCATION OF WHERE A CITIZEN LIVES.
THIS NEXT AND FINAL SLIDE IS TO GIVE A TIMELINE ASSOCIATED WITH PROPERTY TAX AND WHAT COUNCIL IS GOING TO BE SEEING OVER THE NEXT FEW WEEKS.
AS I TALK THROUGH THIS, I'M GOING TO HAVE BRIAN MCWILLIAMS, OUR CITY ATTORNEY, JUMP IN HERE IN JUST A SECOND AND TALK THROUGH A LITTLE BIT OF THIS, BECAUSE THIS IS SOMETHING DIFFERENT THAN WHAT WE'VE BEEN DOING OVER THE PAST SEVERAL WEEKS.
WE WANT TO MAKE SURE COUNCIL HAS AN UNDERSTANDING OF WHY WE ARE DOING THIS AND EXPLAIN TO OUR CITIZENS WHY WE'RE DOING THIS.
WE HAVE TWO MORE ACTION ITEMS RELATED TO PROPERTY TAX AFTER TODAY'S VOTE ON THE PROPOSED RATE.
THE FIRST ITEM THAT'S GOING TO TAKE PLACE WILL BE ON SEPTEMBER 8TH.
ON SEPTEMBER 8TH, WE'RE GOING TO DO THE ONE AND ONLY PUBLIC HEARING ON THE TAX RATE.
WE'RE GOING TO DO THE FIRST READING ON THAT TAX RATE AND HAVE COUNCIL TAKE A VOTE ON IT.
NOW HERE'S WHERE THE DIFFERENCE SHOWS UP.
WE HAVE BEEN DOING ALL OF OUR COUNCIL MEETINGS OVER ZOOM BECAUSE OF COVID-19.
[01:25:02]
THERE HAVE BEEN SOME CHALLENGES AS WE'VE BEEN LOOKING AT THE PROPERTY TAX LAWS.SOME OF THE GOVERNOR'S ORDERS, WE HAVE DETERMINED DO NOT POSSIBLY COVER INTO THIS PROPERTY TAX PORTION OF THE LAW.
WE ARE NEEDING TO DO IN-PERSON MEETINGS FOR THESE TWO ITEMS. WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT DOING, WE'VE ALREADY GOT A SCHEDULED ZOOM MEETING FOR SEPTEMBER 8TH FOR THE REGULAR COUNCIL MEETING.
WHAT WE WILL DO IS, WE WILL HAVE AN IN-PERSON MEETING AT 04:00 PM AT THE AMARILLO CIVIC CENTER COMPLEX IN THE GRAND PLAZA ROOM ON SEPTEMBER 8TH.
WE'LL HAVE THE NORMAL ZOOM MEETING AT 01:00 PM, FOLLOWED BY AN IN-PERSON MEETING TO CONDUCT THE REQUIRED STEPS ASSOCIATED WITH THE PROPERTY TAX CHANGES, AND ALSO WITH PROPOSED BUDGET.
THOSE WILL BE DONE IN PERSON ON SEPTEMBER 8TH AND ON THE 15TH.
ON THE 15TH, THAT IS NORMALLY A WORK SESSION DAY FOR OUR COUNCIL, BUT WE NEED TO HAVE THE PROPERTY TAX RATE APPROVED WITHIN SEVEN DAYS OF THE INITIAL READING OF THE PROPERTY TAX RATE.
THAT IS A CHANGE FROM SENATE BILL 2.
WE ARE NOT ALLOWED TO WAIT TWO WEEKS IN BETWEEN, SO WE HAVE TO DO THEM BACK-TO-BACK WEEKS.
ON THE 8TH, WE WILL DO THE PUBLIC HEARING AND THE FIRST READING AND VOTE, AND ON SEPTEMBER 15TH, WE WILL DO THE SECOND AND FINAL READING AND HAVE COUNCIL TAKE A VOTE.
COUNCIL WILL ALSO NEED TO RATIFY THE TAX RATE ON THAT DATE.
THIS MEETING WILL ALSO NEED TO BE DONE IN PERSON.
WE HAVE IT SCHEDULED FOR 12:00 PM AT THE AMARILLO CIVIC CENTER COMPLEX, AGAIN IN THE GRAND PLAZA ROOM.
WE WILL BE PUTTING OUT PRESS RELEASES ASSOCIATED WITH THIS.
WE ARE ALSO PUBLISHING NOTICES IN THE GLOBE NEWS AND ALSO ON THE CITY'S WEBSITE.
BRIAN, IF YOU'RE AVAILABLE, CAN YOU MAYBE GIVE COUNCIL JUST A LITTLE BIT MORE LEGAL INFORMATION ON WHY WE ARE NEEDING TO DO THESE MEETINGS IN PERSON.
SINCE [OVERLAPPING] WE'VE BEEN DOING ZOOM SINCE THEN. THANK YOU BRIAN.
>> BE GLAD TO. YEAH, I'M SORRY ABOUT THAT, LAURA. JUST VERY BRIEFLY.
WITH THE HEARING ON TAX RATES AND BUDGETS, THOSE ARE SPECIAL RULES THAT WE SEE ONCE A YEAR.
IN THIS PARTICULAR CASE, DURING THE PANDEMIC, AS YOU ALL KNOW THE GOVERNOR SUSPENDED MULTIPLE RULES AND VARIOUS CODES TO ALLOW FOR SOCIAL DISTANCING AND FOR GOVERNMENTS TO CONTINUE GOVERNMENTAL BUSINESS USING VIDEO CONFERENCING.
HOWEVER, THESE TWO PARTICULAR RULES ARE VERY SPECIFIC IN NATURE.
THEY CERTAINLY CONTEMPLATE A LIVE PRESENTATION, IF YOU WILL.
MY RECOMMENDATION IS TO GO AHEAD AND HAVE THESE HEARINGS IN-PERSON.
YOU CAN STILL CERTAINLY CARRY THEM OVER TO ZOOM.
BUT THIS WILL ALLOW COMPLETE, PLAIN, I GUESS COMPLIANCE WITH THE STATUTE, IN MY OPINION.
THAT'S THE SHORT OF IT. [OVERLAPPING].
>> [OVERLAPPING] NO. GO AHEAD, MAYOR.
>> NO. IT'S OKAY. YOU GO, JARED.
>> I WAS JUST GOING TO SAY THAT THE REASON WE'RE ONLY HITTING THE THINGS THAT WERE REQUIRED OR IT COULD BE ARGUED THAT ARE REQUIRED FIRST-DAY STATUTE TO BE DONE IN PERSON.
WE'RE STILL TRYING TO BALANCE THAT WITH THE NEED TO PROVIDE THE BEST SAFEGUARDS WE CAN FOR OUR CITIZENS, OUR STAFF, AND OUR COUNCIL, IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE GOVERNOR'S EXECUTIVE ORDERS FOR CORONA VIRUS AND REMOTE MEETINGS, ET CETERA.
WE'RE JUST DOING THE THINGS THAT WE HAVE TO DO.
YOU'VE HEARD, SO EVERYTHING ELSE IS BEING HANDLED THROUGH THE MEETING FORMAT THAT'S AUTHORIZED THROUGH THE GOVERNOR.
>> SO BRIAN, YOU'RE SAYING THAT THE GOVERNOR'S ORDERS THAT CHANGED THE OPEN MEETINGS ACT THAT ALLOWS DIGITAL MEETINGS DID NOT INCLUDE THESE TWO PROVISIONS WITH REGARD TO PASSING THE BUDGET AND SETTING THE TAX RATE.
>> YOU'RE ABSOLUTELY CORRECT, MAYOR.
>> THAT'S CONFUSING, BUT WE WANT TO BE ABSOLUTELY IN COMPLIANCE.
>> MAYOR, IF I MAY ADD, I THINK AGAIN, AS I STARTED AT THE BEGINNING OF THE PRESENTATION, THIS HAS BEEN A CHALLENGING YEAR BECAUSE WE DO HAVE BRAND NEW TAX LOSSES FROM SENATE BILL 2 ALONG WITH COVID-19, AND TRYING TO BALANCE TO ENSURE WE'RE COMPLYING WITH ALL THE NEW LAWS ALONG WITH,
[01:30:06]
AS JARED MENTIONED, THE SAFETY AND HEALTH OF OUR CITIZENS, OUR EMPLOYEES, OUR COUNCIL, IT'S BEEN CHALLENGING.AGAIN, WE HAVE NOT TAKEN ANY OF THIS LIGHTLY AND HAVE WORKED TO FIND THE BEST SOLUTION.
THIS IS THE RECOMMENDATION FROM OUR LEGAL ADVISORS TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THESE TWO MEETINGS TO BE IN-PERSON.
EVERYTHING ELSE WILL CONTINUE TO BE CONDUCTED AT THIS POINT IN TIME OVER ZOOM MEETINGS.
>> JARED, CAN WE JUST ADD MAYBE A REPORT NEXT WEEK ON YOUR THOUGHTS ON IN-PERSON MEETINGS VERSUS ZOOM AND WHY WE'RE STILL AT ZOOM.
IT SAYS ITS WORK SESSION NEXT WEEK. COULD WE ADD THAT?
>> THANKS. PARDON MY INTERRUPTION, LAURA.
THAT WAS MY FINAL SLIDE, I KNOW I COVERED A LOT OF INFORMATION.
I WANTED TO OPEN IT UP TO COUNCIL NOW.
IF YOU HAD ANY QUESTIONS ON ANY OF THESE SLIDES OR ANYTHING RELATED TO PROPERTY TAX, I WOULD BE MORE THAN HAPPY TO ANSWER THOSE QUESTIONS FOR YOU.
>> YES. LAURA, WOULD YOU RESTATE THE EFFECTIVE TAX RATE FOR 2019?
THE EFFECTIVE TAX RATE, I BELIEVE I EMAILED OUT A VERSION OF THIS EARLIER INTERNALLY HERE THAT MAY HAVE HAD A BAD RATE ON IT.
THE EFFECTIVE TAX RATE FOR 2019 IS 0.36198, AND IT'S ON THE SLIDE THAT'S ON THE SCREEN NOW.
>> THANK YOU, BECAUSE I HAD A DIFFERENT RATE.
I WILL SEND YOU A COPY OF THIS LATER SO YOU HAVE THE FINAL RATE ON IT.
>> OKAY.I APPRECIATE THAT VERY MUCH, LAURA.
THIS MAKES A LOT MORE SENSE TO ME NOW.
>> ALL RIGHT. GREAT. THANK YOU.
>> ANY OTHER QUESTIONS COUNCIL? THERE WAS A LOT OF INFORMATION [NOISE] [INAUDIBLE] WORKED HARD TO PUT THAT PRESENTATION TOGETHER AND HER TEAM.
>> MAYOR, MY ONLY OTHER QUESTION WOULD BE THE IN-PERSON MEETING ON THE 15TH, WE'RE GOING TO BE SCHEDULED FOR AN IN-PERSON AT WORKSHOP LATER THAT DAY ANYWAY, SO THAT THAT'S VERY EASY TO ACCOMMODATE.
I'M INTERESTED IN HEARING THE COUNCIL'S THOUGHTS ABOUT ON THE 8TH, IS THERE A BENEFIT? IF WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO ALL GO DOWNTOWN AND MEET THERE AT 4:00 PM, WE MAY OR MAY NOT BE FINISHED WITH OUR AGENDA AT THAT TIME.
JUST THOUGHTS ON PROS AND CONS OF JUST SCHEDULING THE ENTIRE MEETING DOWN THERE, TO BEGIN WITH, AS OPPOSED TO SEPARATING PART ON ZOOM, AND THEN PART IN-PERSON JUST FOR THE TAX RATE ISSUE.
>> I THINK THAT WOULD GET TO THE PHILOSOPHICAL CONVERSATION THAT MAYOR WANTED ME TO PRESENT.
WHY ARE WE MEETING IN PERSON? WHY ARE WE MEETING TOGETHER? WHY ARE WE MEETING IN PERSON? VERSUS WHY ARE WE MEETING IN ZOOM? WITH REGARD TO WHY ARE WE MEETING ON ZOOM, WE'RE TAKING ADVANTAGE OF THE SAFETY OPPORTUNITIES AND THE SAFETY ALLOWANCES THAT THE GOVERNOR HAS GIVEN US.
I KNOW THAT WE DO HAVE AT LEAST PERSONS AND OUR CITIZENS THAT LIKE TO WATCH THE MEETINGS AND VIEW THE MEETINGS, BUT ALSO ON OUR COUNCIL AND OUR STAFF.
THAT'S WHY WE'VE BEEN TAKING ADVANTAGE IS THE WRONG WORD, UTILIZING THE TOOLS ACCORDED TO US BY THE GOVERNOR TO BE ABLE TO SAFELY CONDUCT MEETINGS.
BECAUSE OF THE CONFLICT OR LACK OF CLARITY IN STATE STATUTE WITH REGARD TO ADOPTING THE TAX RATE AND THE GOVERNOR'S EXECUTIVE ORDER REGARDING ALLOWING COUNCIL MEETINGS TO BE CONDUCTED VIRTUALLY, I MADE THE DECISION TO ONLY HAVE THOSE THINGS THAT WE HAVE A LACK OF CLARITY OR CONFLICT IN PERSON BECAUSE WE DON'T WANT TO APPROVE A TAX RATE IN A WAY THAT'S NOT SUPPORTED BY THE GOVERNOR OR BY STATUTE.
WE KNOW THAT THE STATUTE SAYS WE NEED TO DO IT IN-PERSON.
THAT'S WHY WE'RE DOING THAT THING IN ACCOUNTS MEETINGS, AND EVERYTHING ELSE THAT WE DO, WE KNOW ARE COVERED IN THE ORDER OF THE GOVERNOR.
THAT'S WHY WE CONTINUE TO DO THOSE REMOTELY OR CONTINUING TO UTILIZE THE SAFETY PROTOCOLS THE REMOTE MEETINGS HAVE BEEN.
THAT IS IT IN A NUTSHELL, BUT I KNOW THAT PROBABLY A LITTLE BIT TOO FAR DOWN THAT ROAD FOR BRANDS COMFORT, BUT WE CAN GET MORE INTO DETAIL ON THAT NEXT WEEK WHEN WE HAVE THE CONVERSATION WITH THE MAYOR'S QUESTION EARLIER ABOUT THIS REMOTE VERSUS IN-PERSON MEETINGS,
[01:35:03]
THE PLANS, THE PHILOSOPHY, ETC.BUT THAT'S WHERE I'VE BEEN SO FAR.[OVERLAPPING]
>> I APPRECIATE THAT RESPONSE ON THE BIG PICTURE, ON THE PROS AND CONS AND BALANCING THAT AS WE GO FORWARD.
I'M JUST BRINGING UP THE ISSUE ABOUT SPECIFICALLY SEPTEMBER 8TH.
>> IF I MAY ADD ONE OTHER THING TO THAT CONVERSATION, WE ALREADY HAVE CERTAIN COUNCIL ITEMS THAT HAVE BEEN ADVERTISED THAT NEED TO TAKE PLACE ON SEPTEMBER 8TH, AND THEY'VE ALREADY BEEN ADVERTISED THAT THOSE WILL BE CONDUCTED OVER ZOOM.
NO MATTER WHAT HAVE TO DO, THOSE ITEMS OVER A ZOOM MEETING, AND THEN I THINK THAT'S PART OF THE DIFFERENCES AS WELL BECAUSE ON SEPTEMBER 8TH, WE'LL BE BRINGING FORWARD THE FIRST READINGS ON THE PIT BUDGETS, AND THOSE ALL HAVE TO BE ADVERTISED THROUGH MAILINGS, THROUGH THE NEWSPAPER, THOSE TYPE THINGS.
THEY WERE ALREADY SENT OUT AND SHOWN THAT THEY WERE GOING TO OCCUR ON SEPTEMBER 8TH AT 1:00 PM. OVER ZOOM.
WE COULDN'T NECESSARILY TAKE THE ENTIRE COUNCIL MEETING EVEN IF WE DECIDED THERE WAS A SAFE WAY TO DO IT, WE COULDN'T SHIFT ALL OF IT TO AN IN-PERSON MEETING.
>> OKAY. WELL, THAT MAKES SENSE.
THERE'S A REASON AND A PURPOSE.
>> ANY OTHER QUESTIONS COUNCIL, ABOUT THE TAX RATE PRESENTATION? I DON'T WANT TO RUSH YOU. OKAY. WELL, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THAT.
>> TALK ABOUT ITEM 3B, WHICH IS A PUBLIC HEARING AND CONSIDERATION OF A RESOLUTION TO SUBMIT A BUS AND BUS FACILITIES 5339 PROGRAM GRANT APPLICATION FOR FEDERAL AND STATE FUNDING OF EMERALD CITY TRANSIT MR. CITY MANAGER.
>> MAYOR, WE CAN TAKE A VOTE ON ITEM 3B [OVERLAPPING].
>> OF COURSE WE CAN DO. WE TALKED ABOUT IT.
I'M READY TO MAKE THAT MOTION.
MAYOR, I MOVE THAT THE PROPOSED TAX RATE FOR THE MAINTENANCE AND OPERATION AND DEBT SERVICE FOR THE PROPOSED 2020/2021 TAX RATE, JUST ONE MOMENT HERE.
I'VE GOT MY STUFF OFF TRACK HERE. LET ME START AGAIN.
I MOVE TO PROPOSE A TAX RATE OF 0.39681 FOR MAINTENANCE AND OPERATION IN DEBT SERVICE FOR THE PROPOSED 2020/2021 CITY OF EMERALD FISCAL BUDGET YEAR BE APPROVED.
>> THAT WAS A LOT, BUT I'M SO GLAD YOU'RE BRINGING US BACK AROUND TO IT.
IT'S BEEN MOVED BY COUNCIL MEMBER, POW, AND SECONDED BY COUNCIL MEMBER, SOUR.
TO APPROVE THIS YEAR'S PROPOSED TAX RATE AS SUGGESTED IN THE MOTION, ANY FURTHER QUESTIONS OR DISCUSSION FROM THE COUNCIL?
I WAS THINKING THAT PREVIOUS YEARS, THE FIRST VOTE WAS NOT ON APPROVING THE RATE, BUT ON APPROVING THE [OVERLAPPING]
>> THE INTENTION OR SETTING THE DATES?
>> YES. COUNCIL MEMBER, HAYES, THAT'S CORRECT.
IT'S CHANGED A LITTLE BIT BECAUSE OF SENATE BILL 2.
IT USED TO BE A NOT-TO-EXCEED RATE.
NOW, THE LAW STATES THAT COUNCIL NEEDS TO VOTE ON A PROPOSED RATE, AND THEN THEY NEED TO SCHEDULE THE PUBLIC HEARING ASSOCIATED WITH THE PROPERTY TAX RATE.
THAT WAS WHAT WE DISCUSSED BACK ON THAT FINAL SLIDE THAT WILL TAKE PLACE ON SEPTEMBER 8TH, SO IT HAS CHANGED.
IT HAS CHANGED FROM WHAT WE'VE DONE IN PRIOR YEARS.
>> THAT'S UNDER THE NEW LAW, SENATE BILL 2. RIGHT, LORA?
>> EVEN THOUGH LEGISLATURE HAD ALREADY MADE THAT LAW WHEN WE DID BUDGET LAST YEAR, IT WASN'T EFFECTIVE UNTIL LIKE SEPTEMBER 1, AND SO LAST YEAR'S BUDGET DID NOT CATCH THE NEW LAW, RIGHT?
>> THIS IS THE FIRST BUDGET THAT IT APPLIES TO, SO WE HAVE TO FALL ALL THE NEW SENATE BILL 2 LAWS.
>> ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS RELATED TO THE MOTION? OKAY. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF THE MOTION, PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND.
I SEE FIVE HANDS THAT PASSES WITH A 5-0 VOTE.
[3B. PUBLIC HEARING AND CONSIDERATION OF A RESOLUTION TO SUBMIT A BUS AND BUS FACILITIES (5339 PROGRAM) GRANT APPLICATION FOR FEDERAL AND STATE FUNDING OF AMARILLO CITY TRANSIT:]
[01:40:03]
WHICH IS A PUBLIC HEARING AND CONSIDERATION OF A 5339 GRANT FOR THE TRANSIT DEPARTMENT.>> YES, MA'AM. WE MET ON A REGULAR BASIS TO PRESENT THE ITEM, REPRESENT THE RESOLUTION RATHER, AND ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS COUNCIL MIGHT HAVE.
WE HAVE DIRECTOR OF TRANSIT, MARITA WELLAGE-REILEY, AND WE WILL THEN HAVE A PUBLIC HEARING. MARINA?
>> OKAY. I'M GOING TO SHARE MY SCREEN AGAIN.
[NOISE] IT WAS A LITTLE FASTER THIS TIME.
THIS IS ASKING YOU TO CONDUCT A PUBLIC HEARING IN CONSIDERATION OF OUR FISCAL YEAR 5339 BUS AND BUS FACILITIES GRANT APPLICATION TO THE US DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION AND TXDOT.
[NOISE] THE PUBLIC HEARING IS TO APPLY FOR THESE FUNDS INTO PURCHASE FIXED-ROUTE BUSES.
NOW, THE PURCHASE OF THESE FIXED ROUTE BUSES WILL COMPLETE OUR FLEET AND MAKE ALL OUR FLEET TO BE CURRENT FROM 2017 MODELS.
A PURCHASE WOULD BE COMPLETED IN FISCAL YEAR 21, JANUARY 2021.
WE ARE APPLYING FOR $339,749 IN FEDERAL ASSISTANCE, EXCUSE ME, AND THEN WE ARE ASKING FOR TRANSPORTATION DEVELOPMENT CREDITS FROM TXDOT TO MATCH THE FUNDS, AND THAT WOULD BE $67,950 IN LIEU OF LOCAL MATCH.
I'LL PUT THE BEAUTIFUL BUS BACK ON MY SCREEN.
>> MAYOR, HAVE WE CONDUCT THE PUBLIC HEARING?
>> YES. BUT BEFORE WE DO THAT COUNCIL, ANY QUESTIONS FOR MARITA WHILE SHE'S STILL AVAILABLE? OKAY. NOW, LET'S DO THE PUBLIC HEARING.
AT THIS TIME, I'M GOING TO OPEN A PUBLIC HEARING ON THIS MATTER.
ANY PERSON WHO WISHES TO SPEAK FOR ON OR AGAINST THIS MATTER MAY CONTACT US BY DIALING ME.
I HOPE YOU'VE ALREADY DIALED IN ACTUALLY AND FOLLOWING THE INSTRUCTIONS THAT ARE IN THE AGENDA.
STEPHANIE OR FRANCIS, DO WE HAVE ANY CALLERS WAITING TO COMMENT ON PUBLIC HEARING?
>> IF WE HAVE ANY ATTENDEES THAT WISH TO SPEAK ON THIS ITEM, IF YOU PLEASE CLICK THE HAND BUTTON OR DIAL *9 FROM YOUR TELEPHONE AT THIS TIME.
IF WE DO NOW, WILL GIVE IT ABOUT 10 SECONDS.
>> I DO NOT SEE ANYBODY THAT WISHES TO SPEAK ON THIS ITEM.
>> THANK YOU. WE'LL CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING AND THEN ATTAIN A MOTION.
>> YES, MAYOR. I MOVED THROUGH THE RESOLUTION TO SUBMIT A BEST AND BEST FACILITY, 5339 PROGRAM GRANT APPLICATION TO THE UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION IN THE AMOUNT OF $339,749 AND TO THE TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION IN THE AMOUNT OF $57,950 ON BEHALF OF THE CITY OF AMARILLO.
>> MOTION'S BEEN MADE BY COUNCIL MEMBER, POWELL, AND SECOND BY COUNCIL MEMBER, SMITH.
ANY FURTHER QUESTIONS OR DISCUSSION FROM THE COUNCIL?
>> NO, I JUST LOVE MARITA'S COMMENT THAT, THIS WILL COMPLETE OUR FLEET.
>> WITH THAT, ALL OF THOSE IN FAVOR OF THE MOTION, PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND.
I SEE FIVE, THAT'LL PASS WITH THE FINAL VOTE.
ITEM 3-C IS THE CONSIDERATION OF
[3C. CONSIDERATION OF A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL FOR THE CITY OF AMARILLO SETTING A DATE. TIME. AND PLACE FOR A PUBLIC HEARING ON THE PROPOSED ANNEXATION OF CERTAIN PROPERTY BY THE CITY OF AMARILLO. TEXAS AND AUTHORIZING THE CITY MANAGER TO EXECUTE THE AGREED SERVICE PLAN APPLICANT/S: PERRY WILLIAMS FOR PDUB LAND HOLDINGS. LTD:]
A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL FOR THE CITY OF AMARILLO, SETTING THE DATE, TIME, AND PLACE FOR PUBLIC HEARING ON THE PROPOSED ANNEXATION OF CERTAIN PROPERTY BY THE CITY.>> MAYOR, FOR LAST COUPLE OF YEARS ON COUNCIL DIRECTION, WE HAVE BEEN WORKING WHEN A ANNEXATION IS REQUESTED.
TO DO AN ANALYSIS IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE DEVELOPER REQUEST OR THE PERSON REQUESTING THE ANNEXATION TO ASSESS FINANCIAL VIABILITY.
[01:45:01]
THE CITY SUBSIDIZING AN ANNEXATION, OR IS THE DEVELOPMENT PAYING FOR ITSELF? THE REASON WHY WE'RE DOING THAT, REASON COUNCIL DIRECTED THAT, WAS TO BE ABLE TO HAVE AN UNDERSTANDING OF THE FINANCIAL SUSTAINING BOTH OF OUR CURRENT ANNEXATION PRACTICE OR PAST ANNEXATION PRACTICES, ALONG WITH THE SUSTAINABILITY GOING FORWARD OF THOSE ANNEXATIONS.ONE OF THINGS THAT IS APPARENT, ESPECIALLY WITH HOW ANNEXATION SET HAVE GONE HISTORICALLY AND HOW OUR FINANCIAL RESOURCES HAVE CHANGED OVER TIME, IS THAT OUR CURRENT OR PREVIOUS ANNEXATION PRACTICES WERE NOT FINANCIALLY SUSTAINABLE.
THAT'S MY COUNCIL DIRECTED STAFF TO DO THOSE ASSESSMENTS, THOSE ANALYSES IN PARTNERSHIP AGAIN, WITH THE DEVELOPERS THAT ARE REQUESTING ANNEXATION.
WE'VE DONE THAT ONCE BEFORE AND THEN WE'VE DONE THIS A SECOND TIME.
TO PRESENT THE FINDINGS AND ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS YOU'VE GOT, OF COURSE, ANY STAFF MEMBER ON THE CALL WILL ASSIST WITH THOSE ANSWERS.
BUT WE'VE GOT ANDREW FREEMAN, MANAGING DIRECTOR OF PLANNING AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, TO PRESENT THE ANNEXATION AND ALSO TO ANSWERING QUESTIONS COUNCIL MIGHT HAVE. ANDREW?
>> I PULL MY SLIDES UP REAL QUICK FOR YOU. CAN EVERYBODY SEE THOSE?
>> THIS IS THE FIRST STEP IN THE PROCESS AS FAR AS CONSIDERING A LANDOWNER INITIATED ANNEXATION, PARTICULARLY WITH THE LEGAL CHANGES THAT THE LEGISLATURE MADE AS FAR AS WHAT A CITY CAN DO.
CITY CAN NO LONGER ANNEX A PROPERTY, IT HAS TO BE BASELY PARTITIONED BY THE LANDOWNERS FOR THE MOST PART.
THE PURPOSE OF TODAY'S ITEM, IT IS A RESOLUTION ANNEXATION REQUEST.
THE RESOLUTION BASICALLY AUTHORIZES THE CITY MANAGER TO EXECUTE A NEGOTIATED AGREED SERVICE PLAN AND WHAT THAT SERVICE PLAN DOES, AND REALLY LAID OUT THE RESPONSIBILITIES BOTH OF THE CITY AND A LANDOWNER IF THE ANNEXATION IS TAKE PLACE.
IT ALSO SETS FORWARD A TIME FOR THE PUBLIC HEARING.
ANYONE INTERESTED IN THE PROJECT, CAN COME SPEAK.
THE PROPOSED DEVELOPMENT 327 ACRES IN SOUTHEAST AMARILLO, IT GOT PLANNED 1,632 RESIDENTIAL LOTS AND APPROXIMATELY 31 ACRES OF NON-RESIDENTIAL USES, COMMERCIAL OFFICE, FOR EXAMPLE.
THEY ANTICIPATED BUILD-OUT PERIOD IS 10 YEARS AND THAT'S WHAT WE USE FOR THE ANALYSIS THAT WAS INCLUDED IN YOUR AGENDA PACKET.
HERE'S JUST AN OUTLINE OF THE AREA BEING PROPOSED.
YOU HAVE SUNDOWN TO THE NORTHWESTERN TO THE EAST AND A FUTURE BELL EXTENSION TO THE WEST.
YOU COULD SEE THE PRELIMINARY PLAN ON THE LEFT SIDE OF THE SCREEN SHOWING 12 DIFFERENT UNITS OF RESIDENTIAL, AND THEN THE PLAN COMMERCIAL ON THE NORTHEAST AND NORTHWEST CORNERS.
HERE'S ANOTHER AERIAL JUST FROM GOOGLE, A LITTLE MORE ZOOMED OUT.
YOU CAN SEE WHERE IT IS RELATION TO RANDALL HIGH SCHOOL, SUNDOWN LANE OF THE PINNACLE DEVELOPMENT TO THE NORTH AND THEN YOU HAVE LOOP 335 TO THE NORTH AS WELL.
AGAIN, ON THE AGREED SERVICE PLAN, IT DOES LAY OUT THE DETAILS OF WHO'S RESPONSIBLE FOR WHICH PARTS OF THE ANNEXATION AS FAR AS EXTENDING UTILITIES OUT, WHAT THE DEVELOPER HAS TO BUILD, THE LANDOWNER HAS TO BUILD AS FAR AS THEIR PROJECT IS CONCERNED.
IT DOES NOT COMMIT THE CITY TO ANNEXATION THAT COMES LATER WITH THE ORDINATE AND THE PUBLIC HEARING NEXT MONTH IF COUNCIL MOVES FORWARD WITH THIS REQUEST.
IT'S THE FIRST OF THREE COUNCIL ACTIONS IN THE PROCESS.
AS FAR AS STATE LAW IS CONCERNED, IT ACTUALLY ONLY REQUIRES ONE READING, BUT OUR CHARTER DOES REQUIRE TWO FOR AN ORDINANCE.
THE SECOND READING WOULD NOT OCCUR TILL LATE SEPTEMBER.
AS FAR AS THE INTENT AND PURPOSE OF ANNEXATION OF THE CITY OF ETJ, IT'S TO PROVIDE AND PROTECT AREAS FOR FUTURE GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT IN AND AROUND THE CITY, PROMOTES EARLY GROWTH LOGICAL LAND DEVELOPMENT PATTERNS WHEN PLANNING LONG RANGE PLANNING FOR DEVELOPMENT AND PLANNING FOR MUNICIPAL SERVICES TO SERVE THOSE AREAS.
IT APPLIES CITY CODES AND REGULATIONS THAT YOU MIGHT NOT SEE OUT IN THE COUNTY OR ETJ, OR RELATED TO MAINTENANCE STANDARDS, FIRE AND CONSTRUCTION CODES, LAND USE REGULATIONS, ZONING AND SUBDIVISION.
IT ALSO ALLOWS DIVERSITY OF THE CITY'S ECONOMIC BASE, CREATE JOB OPPORTUNITIES, NEW HOUSING OPPORTUNITIES BY HAVING COMMERCIAL, INDUSTRIAL, OR RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENT, DEPENDING ON THE AREA IN IT.
SOME OF THE CRITERIA WE LOOKED AT WHEN EVALUATING ANNEXATION REQUEST.
WHETHER EXISTING OR PLANNED DEVELOPMENT BEING CONSIDERED FOR ANNEXATION, THE NEED TO PROTECT PUBLIC HEALTH, SAFETY, AND WELFARE.
[01:50:03]
THEN SERVICE NEEDED WITH THE AREAS PROPOSED FOR ANNEXATION AS WELL AS THE FISCAL IMPACT THAT THE CITY MANAGER MENTIONED INITIALLY.AS FAR AS THE EXISTING OR PLANNED DEVELOPMENT, WE'RE LOOKING AT THE UNDEVELOPED AREAS ADJACENT TO THE CITY LIMIT, IT'S WHERE YOU WANT TO DECIDE.
THE DENSE D AS FAR AS WHAT'S BEING CONSIDERED IN THE IMMEDIATE OR NEAR TERM GROWTH AREAS.
IF SOMETHING'S NOT IN THE SEA LIMITS IT HAS TO RESORT TO WATER WELLS, OR SEPTICS, OR OTHER MEANS TO HAVE UTILITIES WHICH USUALLY LIMITS THE AMOUNT OF DIBS THAT THEY CAN HAVE IN PLACE COMPARED TO IF THEY ARE ON CITY SERVICES, THEY CAN PUT MORE DENSE DEVELOPMENT.
IN THIS CASE, 1,600 HOMES COMPARED TO A FEW 100 HOMES.
ALSO, YOU WANT TO CONSIDER IF YOU WERE NOT ANNEXED AREA, IF YOU WERE TO ANNEXED IN THE FUTURE INTO THE BARRIER THAT KEEPS YOU FROM BEING ABLE TO ANNEX, THERE'S AN OPPORTUNITY IN THE FUTURE THAT CITY COUNCIL OR THE CITY WANTS TO CONSIDER.
ALSO, ANNEXATION WITH THESE BARRIERS CAN RESULT IN [INAUDIBLE] EXPANSION.
PUT A STRAIN ON, SAVE THE ABILITY TO PROVIDE THOSE SERVICES, OR CAN MAKE IT MORE EXPENSIVE TO PROVIDE THOSE SERVICES IN THE FUTURE IF A DECISION IS MADE TO ANNEX.
THE NEED TO PROTECT PUBLIC HEALTH, SAFETY AND WELFARE, MAINTAINING A SAFE LIVING AND WORKING ENVIRONMENT, PROVIDING THOSE REGULATIONS MENTIONED EARLIER.
THIS PROTECTS THE DEVELOPMENT FROM INADEQUATE DESIGN OR CONSTRUCTION STANDARDS THAT CAN BE FOUND IN OTHER CORPORATORS.
WHICH CAN BE IMPORTANT WHEN CITY IS CONSIDERING WHAT'S TAKING PLACE ON THE EDGES OF THE CITY LIMITS.
IT ALSO HELPS PREVENT INCOMPATIBLE LAND USES.
AS YOU KNOW, ANYTHING CAN BE BUILT IN THE COUNTY OR THE ETJ, THERE'S NO ZONING REGULATIONS.
IT CAN MAKE IT AN UNPREDICTABLE DEVELOPMENT PATTERN IF THE COUNCIL WERE TO TRY AN ANNEX IN YOUR BOUNCING.
IS IT A RIGHT FIT FOR THE COMMUNITY AS OPPOSED TO NOW IT'S [INAUDIBLE] AND OPEN LAND WITH A PLAN, WHAT THEY'RE PROPOSING VERSUS SOMETHING THAT'S ALREADY IN PLACE.
THE NEXT THING WE LOOK AT IS THE SERVICE NEEDS OF THE AREAS PROPOSED FOR ANNEXATION.
SO WE'LL LOOK AT THE MUNICIPAL SERVICES PROVIDED FROM A RESIDENTIAL, COMMERCIAL, AND INDUSTRIAL STANDPOINT, AND WOULD IT BENEFIT THE LEVEL SERVICES FOR AN URBAN AREA RATHER THAN A RURAL? ALSO DEFINE FUTURE SERVICES RELATED TO BOUNDARIES AND STRATEGIC EXPANSION OF SERVICE, SO THIS TAKES INTO ACCOUNT OUR WATER AND SEWER PLAN, AND ARE WE ABLE TO ACCOMMODATE FUTURE GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT? ALSO, LET'S SUPPORT TO HAVE A SYSTEM-WIDE APPROACH VERSUS A PIECEMEAL APPROACH.
DOES THE EXTENSION OF EXISTING PUBLIC INFRASTRUCTURE ADVERSELY IMPACT EXISTING SERVICE LEVELS? SO WE WANT TO LOOK AND MAKE SURE WE'RE NOT ANNEXING NEW AREA TO THE DETRIMENT OF OUR CURRENT USERS AND CURRENT CITIZENS, BEING ABLE TO MAKE SURE WE CAN MAINTAIN THOSE EXISTING SERVICES AND TAKE ON THE ADDITIONAL RESPONSIBILITY.
THEN WE ALSO LOOK AT IDENTIFYING SERVICE NEED OR DEFICIENCIES TO ALLOW THE CITY TO FACILITATE BUDGETARY PLANNING.
MAKING SURE WE CAN IDENTIFY THOSE AND BE ABLE TO TAKE CARE OF THOSE IN THE FUTURE BASED ON THE REVENUE THAT IT'S BRINGING IN.
[NOISE] LASTLY, WE TOUCH ON THE FISCAL IMPACT, WHAT ARE THE ANTICIPATED COSTS AND REVENUES ASSOCIATED WITH PROVIDING AND MAINTAINING MUNICIPAL SERVICES TO THE ANNEXED AREA.
THIS WAS PROVIDING YOUR PACKAGE, GIVE YOU AN IDEA OF THE AD VALOREM AND DIFFERENT FEES THAT THIS DEVELOPMENT WOULD PRODUCE VERSUS THE OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE COST AND THE CIP COST, CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS TO SERVE THE SITE.
SO WE'LL LOOK AT FISCAL RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE, SAY, LIMITED EXPANSION.
WE'D ALSO WANT TO ENSURE THE AREA WOULD BENEFIT FROM ITS PROXIMITY TO THE CITY ARE CONTRIBUTING REVENUE TO OFFSET THOSE COSTS OF URBAN SERVICES.
ONE THING TO CONSIDER, [NOISE] PARTICULARLY WITH THIS SIDE, WE DO HAVE A BOND PROJECT FROM 2016 THAT'S ALREADY DEVELOPING SUNDOWN, SO IT'S DIRECTLY ADJACENT TO SOMETHING THE CITY'S ALREADY INVESTING IN AS FAR AS THAT ROAD, AND IS ALREADY BENEFITING FROM THAT GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT TAKING PLACE ON THE CITY'S PART ALREADY THROUGH THAT BOND ELECTION.
WE ALSO LOOK AT THE BENEFITS, OF COURSE, POPULATION GROWTH, WHETHER IT'S SALES TAX, WHETHER IT'S BEING ABLE TO QUALIFY FOR MORE GRANTS IF THE CITY OVERALL POPULATION IS GROWING LIKE WE'RE EXPERIENCING NOW WITH THE 2020.
SINCE THIS IS DEPENDING ON THOSE RESULTS, IT PUTS US INTO A DIFFERENT CATEGORY AS FAR AS OUR ELIGIBILITY FOR FUNDING SOURCE IS RELATED TO THOSE CRITERIA.
THEN WE ALSO LOOK AT, IS THE APPLICANT PROPOSING TO MITIGATE OR PARTICIPATE IN COSTS ASSOCIATED WITH THE ANNEXATION? BASED ON CURRENT DEVELOPMENT POLICIES, THE CITY IS RESPONSIBLE FOR A PORTION OF THE EXTENSION OF UTILITIES, UPSIZING THE UTILITIES OR A PORTION OF THE ROAD, THE DEVELOPER HAS CERTAIN REQUIREMENTS THEMSELVES.
[01:55:01]
IN THIS CASE, IT IS ON THE OUTER EDGE OF THE CURRENT ZONE PROTECTED BY THE FIRE DEPARTMENT, SO IF THE CITY CONTINUES TO ANNEX AND GROW IN THIS AREA, THERE WOULD BE A NEED FOR ANOTHER FIRE STATION, SO THE DEVELOPER IN THIS CASE HAS ALSO AGREED TO PAY APPROXIMATELY 140,000 TOWARD THE CONSTRUCTION OF THAT NEW FIRE STATION.SO THAT'S SOMETHING NEW THAT HASN'T BEEN INCLUDED IN PAST ANNEXATION AGREEMENTS, AND SOMETHING TO CONSIDER AS FAR AS THE DEVELOPER'S WILLINGNESS TO PARTICIPATE IN SOME OF THESE COSTS RELATE TO THIS ANNEXATION.
>> THAT CONTRIBUTION TOWARDS THE FIRE STATION WOULD ACCELERATE THE POINT IN TIME AT WHICH WE WOULD BE ABLE TO AFFORD TO PAY FOR THAT FIRE STATION.
ALL OF THE HOUSES THAT ARE BUILT OUTSIDE, ON CURRENT SERVICE AREAS, OR OUTSIDE THE SERVICE AREAS OF OUR MUTUAL AID PARTNERS, IN THIS CASE, RANDALL COUNTY, UNTIL THE NEW DEVELOPMENT IN THAT AREA GENERATES ENOUGH REVENUE TO PAY FOR THE DEBT SERVICE, CONSTRUCTION, AND OPERATION OF THE FIRE STATION, IT'S POSSIBLE THAT IF AN ISO, AN INSURANCE SERVICE ORGANIZATION OR STANDARDS ORGANS, I FORGET THE S, PARDON ME, BUT AN ISO EVALUATION WHICH DETERMINES THE INSURANCE RATES FOR AREAS.
IN OUR CITY, WE HAVE ONE OF THE LOWEST IN THE STATE, AN ISO RATING OF 2.
IT'S POSSIBLE THAT IF AN ISO RATING WAS DONE PRIOR TO THE POINT IN TIME AT WHICH THE NEW DEVELOPMENT GENERATED ENOUGH REVENUE TO PAY FOR THE CONSTRUCTION AND OPERATION OF THE FIRE STATION THAT WOULD SERVICE THAT AREA THAT WE MIGHT [NOISE] HAVE A SPLIT ISO RATING.
IN OTHER WORDS, THE CITY WOULD HAVE A 2, AND THEN A SMALL SECTION OF THE CITY OUTSIDE THE FIVE-MINUTE SERVICE AREAS OF OUR EXISTING FIRE STATIONS WOULD HAVE 10.
THAT'S COMMON IN AREAS THAT EXPAND, AND IT'S ALSO VERY COMMON THAT THOSE AREAS DON'T DEVELOP QUICKLY ENOUGH TO BE ABLE TO BUILD A FIRE STATION PRIOR TO THE NEXT ISO RATING.
SO THAT IS SOMETHING TO BE AWARE OF, BUT THAT WILL REDUCE THE POINT IN TIME, IT WILL ACCELERATE THE POINT IN TIME AT WHICH WE WOULD BE ABLE TO AFFORD WITH THE CONTRIBUTION FROM THE DEVELOPER AND THE REVENUE ASSOCIATED WITH THE GROWTH OF THE NEW DEVELOPMENT.
IT WOULD ACCELERATE THE POINT IN TIME AT WHICH WE COULD AFFORD TO BUILD AND OPERATE THAT NEW FIRE STATION AND SERVICE THAT AREA.
>> THAT WAS REALLY THE FINAL SLIDE.
THIS IS REALLY AN OPPORTUNITY TO BRING FORTH THE AGREED SERVICE PLAN, INITIATE THE CONVERSATION WITH COUNCIL AND GET YOUR FEEDBACK, YOUR QUESTIONS, ALSO IN PREPARATION OF THE PUBLIC HEARING THAT WOULD TAKE PLACE IN SEPTEMBER, IF APPROVED, TO GIVE US AN OPPORTUNITY TO BRING BACK ANY ADDITIONAL INFORMATION YOU MIGHT HAVE ON THIS REQUEST.
BUT IF APPROVED TODAY, THE PUBLIC HEARING WOULD GO ON SEPTEMBER 8TH AND THEN SECOND READING WOULD BE SEPTEMBER 22ND.
WE'D BE HAPPY TO TRY AND ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS YOU MIGHT HAVE [NOISE].
>> ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS FOR ANDREW? OKAY. THEN DO WE HAVE A MOTION TO SET THE DATES FOR THIS TIMELINE?
>> YES, MAYOR. I MOVE TO APPROVE THE RESOLUTION TO CONSIDER ALLOWING THE CITY MANAGER TO FORMALIZE AN AGREED SERVICE PLAN RELATED TO A LANDOWNER-INITIATED ANNEXATION REQUEST IN THE VICINITY OF BEACON'S POINT, WHICH IS AT SOUTHWESTERN AND WEST SUNDOWN LANE.
>> IT'S BEEN MOVED BY COUNCIL MEMBER POWELL, SECONDED BY COUNCIL MEMBER SMITH, TO APPROVE A RESOLUTION THAT WOULD FORMALIZE THE AGREED SERVICE PLAN AND THE DATES INCLUDED IN THAT PLAN FOR THIS PROCESS TO MOVE FORWARD.
ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS FROM THE COUNCIL? OKAY. HEARING NONE, ALL THOSE IN FAVOR, PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND.
OKAY, THAT'S FIVE VOTES FOR, SO THAT ITEM PASSES WITH A 5-0 VOTE.
>> MAYOR, I WILL ALSO ADD THAT [NOISE] THIS WILL BE A GOOD OPPORTUNITY [NOISE] FOR US TO [INAUDIBLE].
WE'RE ALREADY WORKING WITH RANDALL COUNTY AND WITH THE CITY OF KING AND HAVE HAD VERY PRELIMINARY CONVERSATIONS WITH PERSONS OVER DAKOTA COUNTY TO HAVE A COMMON DEVELOPMENT STANDARD, TO INCLUDE WAYS TO FACILITATING FINANCIALLY SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT THROUGHOUT OUR TWO COUNTY FOOTPRINT SO THAT WE AND OTHER JURISDICTIONS DON'T CONTINUE TO HAVE CHALLENGES OR SHORTFALLS ON ANNEXATION AND THE ASSOCIATED COSTS, PRIMARILY IT'S ASSOCIATED COSTS FOR VERY LARGE TICKET ITEMS LIKE DRAINAGE,
[02:00:04]
LIKE ROADS, LIKE WATER AND WASTE WATER, THINGS LIKE THAT.SO THIS WILL BE A GOOD TIME IF COUNCIL IS ON BOARD WOULD KICK-OFF EVALUATION OF HOW WE CAN AS A TWO COUNTY AREA, SPECIFICALLY FOR US, THOUGH, AS THE CITY OF AMARILLO, HAVE A PHILOSOPHY AND A PLAN IN PLACE THAT WILL FACILITATE AND ENCOURAGE DEVELOPMENT, WHILE ALSO MAKING SURE THAT IT IS FINANCIALLY SUSTAINABLE FOR THE CITY AND FORWARD IT TO ALL OF OUR TAXPAYERS.
>> JARED, IS THAT SOMETHING WE COULD GET ON A WORK SESSION AGENDA AND THE NEXT TWO OR THREE?
>> ABSOLUTELY. [OVERLAPPING]. ABSOLUTELY. I CAN PUT IT ON THERE AND I'LL WORK WITH YOU TO SCHEDULE THAT AND WORK IT IN IN A WAY THAT IT'S SOMETHING WE CAN FOCUS ON WHILE WE'RE ALSO GOING THROUGH THIS EVALUATION THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT RIGHT NOW, BUT ALSO ALL THE STEPS THAT WE NEED TO TAKE TO FINALIZE THE BUDGET FOR NEXT FISCAL YEAR.
BUT WE CAN GET THAT ON THERE VERY QUICKLY.
>> OKAY. THANK YOU. OKAY, ITEM 3D
[3D. CONSIDER APPOINTMENTS COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT ADVISORY COMMITTEE:]
IS TO CONSIDER THE APPOINTMENTS FOR THE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT ADVISORY COMMITTEE.WE'VE BEEN WORKING ON THIS FOR A WHILE, TO GET THE REQUIREMENTS CHANGED SO THAT WE COULD EXPAND THE NUMBER OF THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF PEOPLE THAT COULD SERVE ON THIS COMMITTEE.
SO, JARED, I'VE HANDED OVER TO YOU.
>> RIGHT, AND I'M GOING TO VERY QUICKLY HAND IT OVER TO JASON RIDDLESPURGER, OUR INTERIM DIRECTOR OF COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT, TO WALK US THROUGH THIS ITEM.
I KNOW THAT OUR PREVIOUS DIRECTOR, JULIANA KITTEN, WAS VERY INSTRUMENTAL IN INITIATING THE PROCESS TO SIMPLIFY THIS, WHAT WAS A VERY CUMBERSOME AND COMPLICATED, CONFUSING EVEN, PROCESS.
BUT JASON IS THE PERSON THAT'S GOING TO CARRY US ACROSS THE LINE, AND HE WAS ALSO INVOLVED THROUGHOUT THE WHOLE TIME WITH JULIANA. SO, JASON, TAKE IT AWAY.
>> THANK YOU, SIR. WE ARE REQUESTING THE COUNCIL TO APPOINT FOUR NEW MEMBERS TO THE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT ADVISORY COMMITTEE.
WE HAVE THREE SITTING MEMBERS THAT THEIR TERM RUNS THROUGH THE END OF THE YEAR.
OF THOSE FOUR VACANCIES, TWO OF THE APPLICANTS ARE FROM THE TARGET AREA.
IN ORDER FOR US TO MEET THE REQUIREMENTS, WE HAVE TO HAVE FOUR TOTAL IN THE TARGET AREA, SO TWO OF THOSE THAT ARE CURRENTLY SEATED, MILDRED DARTON AND JINGER WHITE, ARE BOTH IN THE TARGET AREA, AND OUT OF OUR 14 APPLICATIONS, ONLY TWO OF THOSE ARE FROM THE TARGET AREA, AND THOSE ARE, EDNA NEAL AND GLENDA GRISHAM.
SO WE'VE GOT TO APPOINT THOSE TO BE IN THAT THEY FULFILL OUR NEED TO HAVE FOUR IN THE TARGET AREA.
THAT LEAVES US WITH TWO OTHER VACANCIES THAT CAN BE FROM AT LARGE.
SO THOSE ARE BASICALLY THE TWO THAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR RECOMMENDATIONS AND APPOINTMENTS TO OUR COMMITTEE.
>> DO YOU HAVE INDIVIDUALS THAT YOU ARE RECOMMENDING FOR THOSE SPACES?
>> THE TWO THAT I'VE MENTIONED BEFORE FROM THE TARGET AREA, EDNA NEIL AND GLENDA GRISHAM.
THEN IT WOULD BE OUR RECOMMENDATION.
WE HAVE AN APPLICATION FROM A FORMER COUNCIL MEMBER, LILIA ESCAJEDA, A VERY GOOD RECOMMENDATION.
WE'VE WORKED VERY CLOSELY WITH DEPUTY PROFESSOR FROM THE SOCIAL WORK DEPARTMENT, MEG DEJONG-SHIER.
SHE'S BEEN VERY CLOSELY WORKING WITH US IN A LOT OF OUR PIT COUNTS, VERY ACTIVE AS FAR AS PROVIDING INTERNS TO BOTH CIT, THE COMING HOME PROGRAM.
SHE'S BEEN A VERY GOOD ADVOCATE FOR THE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT AND OTHER OTHER AGENCIES.
>> WERE THEY INCLUDED IN OUR PACKET SOMEWHERE AND I JUST MISSED THEM?
>> THEY ARE INCLUDED IN YOUR PACKET, YES.
>> YES. IT WAS A SEPARATE PACKET.
>> OKAY. IT'S NOT ON THAT MAIN ONE.
>> OKAY. GREAT. THANK YOU, JASON, WE APPRECIATE THAT.
COUNCIL, WHAT WE NEED TO DO NOW IS DISCUSS THOSE OTHER TWO, LET'S CALL THEM SPOTS SIX AND SEVEN.
STAFF IS MAKING A RECOMMENDATION OF TWO POTENTIAL CANDIDATES.
ANYBODY ELSE WANT TO MAKE A RECOMMENDATION?
[02:05:03]
LOTS OF GOOD PEOPLE ON THE LIST.>> YES, THERE IS. I KNOW WE DIDN'T RECEIVE AN APPLICATION FROM MARY EMENY, BUT I KNOW THAT SHE HAS AN INTEREST IN SERVING AS WELL.
BUT FROM WHAT I CAN SEE IS WE HAVE THE TWO TARGET AREAS SEVERED WITH MS. NEIL AND THEN ALSO MS. GRISHAM.
I CERTAINLY KNOW THAT LILIA ESCAJEDA WOULD BE A GOOD CANDIDATE FOR THIS BOARD AS WELL AS MS. SHIER.
I'M GOOD WITH THOSE BEFORE THAT HAVE BEEN MENTIONED.
>> MAYOR, CAN I SUGGEST MAYBE THAT WE DO TWO SEPARATE NOMINATIONS AND GO AHEAD AND NOMINATE MS. NEIL AND MS. GRISHAM BECAUSE THOSE ARE SPECIFIC THAT HAVE TO FIT, AND THEN THE OTHERS ARE AT LARGE, IF I'M FOLLOWING THAT CORRECTLY.
>> WOULD YOU LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION ABOUT MS. NEIL AND MS. GRISHAM?
>> YES, MAYOR, I MOVE TO APPOINT EDNA NEIL AND GLENDA GRISHAM FOR AN APPOINTMENT ON THE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT ADVISORY COMMITTEE FOR PLACES FOUR AND FIVE.
>> THERE'S A MOTION MADE BY COUNCIL MEMBER HAYS, SECONDED BY COUNCIL MEMBER POWELL TO APPOINT EDNA NEIL AND GLENDA GRISHAM TO THE CDBG COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT ADVISORY COMMITTEE IN THE TWO PLACES THAT ARE TARGET AREA SPECIFIC.
ANY QUESTIONS OR DISCUSSION FROM THE REST OF THE COUNCIL ON THAT MOTION? ALL THOSE IN FAVOR, PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND.
WHAT WE HAVE LEFT TO DECIDE THEN ARE PLACES SIX AND SEVEN THAT ARE AT-LARGE PLACES.
>> THEN SOME OF THE NAMES THAT ARE ON THE LIST, WERE THESE NAMES SUBMITTED BY COUNCIL MEMBERS? DID THEY SUBMIT AN APPLICATION PREVIOUSLY TO SERVE ON THIS COMMITTEE?
>> THESE INDIVIDUALS PUT THEIR OWN APPLICATIONS IN TO BE APPOINTED TO THE COMMITTEE.
THESE WERE FROM THESE INDIVIDUALS.
>> THEY WERE INCLUDED IN THE [INAUDIBLE]. [OVERLAPPING]
>> IT'S A COMBINATION OF RECENT APPLICATIONS AS WE HAVE OPENED THIS UP FOR THE LAST TWO WEEKS AND THE PREVIOUS APPLICATIONS THAT THE CITY SECRETARY MAINTAINED FROM LAST FALL'S APPLICATION PROCESS.
THE CURRENT APPLICANTS ARE A COMBINATION OF THOSE TWO, ALL OF WHICH HAVE BEEN RECEIVED BY THE CITY SECRETARY.
>> MS. POWELL, DID YOU HAVE A COMMENT OR A QUESTION?
>> NO, I WAS JUST SAYING THAT THE APPLICATIONS WERE INCLUDED WITH THE PACKET AS WELL.
>> I'D LIKE TO SPEAK IN FAVOR OF MS. FARREN, NANCY FARREN.
DEFINITELY I HAVE BEEN INVOLVED WITH HER IN MULTIPLE ACTIVITIES OVER THE YEARS AND SHE IS ALL IN ON WHATEVER SHE SERVES ON AND I KNOW THAT SHE WOULD BE QUITE A POWERFUL VOICE ON THAT COMMITTEE.
>> THANK YOU. JASON, HAS NANCY BEEN SERVING ON ANY OF THE POINT IN TIME COUNTS OR WORKING WITH COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT IN ANY WAY? IT'S NOT REQUIRED FOR HER TO SERVE ON THAT COMMITTEE, I'M JUST CURIOUS.
SHE'S A DELIGHTFUL PERSON AND I AGREE WITH COUNCILWOMAN HAYS'S ASSESSMENT OF HER AS FAR AS HER WORK ETHIC AND DEDICATION TO OUR COMMUNITY.
ANYBODY ELSE HAVE SOMEONE THEY WANT TO MAKE A COMMENT ON? I KNOW [INAUDIBLE] , CARA GILBERT, [INAUDIBLE] , ALL OF THEM GREAT PEOPLE.
>> I WOULD TELL YOU GUYS THAT CARA GILBERT IS ON MY LIST OF PEOPLE FOR TASK FORCE FOR GREATNESS, WHICH WE HOPE TO HAVE BACK TO YOU SOON.
I WOULD RATHER NOT HAVE HER APPOINTED TO THIS COMMITTEE,
[02:10:04]
BUT LEAVE HER AS A POTENTIAL TO BE APPOINTED TO THAT COMMITTEE.>> I'M IN FAVOR OF JASON'S RECOMMENDATION, SO I'M GOOD WITH THE INDIVIDUALS THAT HE HAS MENTIONED.
>> GENTLEMEN, COMMENTS BEFORE WE HAVE A MOTION? UNLESS SOMEBODY WANTS TO JUMP IN WITH A MOTION.
>> I ALWAYS THINK THIS IS ONE OF THE MOST CHALLENGING THINGS WE DO AS A COUNCIL AND OBVIOUSLY THE REASON WE'RE DOING THIS NOW IS BECAUSE THIS COMMITTEE STRUCTURE CHANGED, WE CHANGED THE RULES AROUND IT AND IT'S BEEN SHORT MEMBERS EVER SINCE WE APPOINTED PEOPLE LAST NOVEMBER.
IF YOU'RE A CITIZEN WONDERING WHY WE'RE DOING COMMITTEE APPOINTMENTS IN AUGUST, IT'S NOT THAT WE'RE MOVING AWAY FROM OUR GENERAL POLICY TO APPOINT THEM ALL TOGETHER IN ONE MEETING IN NOVEMBER, WE JUST HAVE HAD SOME STRUGGLE ON THIS COMMITTEE GETTING PEOPLE IN THOSE POSITIONS AND KEEPING THEM THERE.
THIS CHANGE THAT WE'VE MADE IN HOW WE BUILD THIS COMMITTEE OPENED IT UP AND WE NEEDED TO GO AHEAD AND GET THESE PLACES APPOINTED. DO WE HAVE A MOTION?
>> YES, MAYOR. I MOVE TO APPOINT LILIA ESCAJEDA AND MARGARET SHIER AS AT-LARGE MEMBERS TO THE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT ADVISORY COMMITTEE.
>> IT'S BEEN MOVED AND SECONDED TO APPOINT LILIA ESCAJEDA AND MARGARET DEJONG-SHIER TO THE PLACES SIX AND SEVEN.
ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION OR QUESTIONS FROM THE COUNCIL? HEARING NONE, ALL THOSE IN FAVOR, PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND.
WE'VE GOT FIVE VOTES IN FAVOR OF THAT.
THANK YOU ALL VERY MUCH FOR GETTING THOSE APPOINTMENTS MADE.
JASON, WE LOOK FORWARD TO HEARING ABOUT THE WORK THAT THAT COMMITTEE'S GOING TO DO.
>> THANK YOU SO MUCH. WE WILL.
>> THAT BRINGS US TO THE END OF OUR NON-EXECUTIVE SESSION AGENDA.
AT THIS TIME, I'D ASKED THE CITY ATTORNEY TO READ OUR SPECIAL LANGUAGE
[4. EXECUTIVE SESSION:]
SO WE CAN MOVE INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION.>> YES, MA'AM. PURSUANT TO THE TEXAS OPEN MEETINGS ACT A CLOSED SESSION OF THE AMARILLO CITY COUNCIL WAS ANNOUNCED ON AUGUST THE 25TH, 2020 AT 3:13 PM UNDER THE FOLLOWING AUTHORITY: SECTION 551.072 DISCUSS THE PURCHASE, EXCHANGE, SALE, LEASE, OR VALUE OF REAL PROPERTY.
PUBLIC DISCUSSION OF SUCH WOULD NOT BE IN THE BEST INTERESTS OF THE CITY'S BARGAINING POSITION.
>> THANK YOU. AT THIS TIME, WE'LL ADJOURN INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION. APPRECIATE ALL OF YOU.
* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.