SOME SAME OLD FACES. WE GOT SOME NEW FACES. SO TO EVERYONE, WELCOME. WE'RE GOING TO GO AHEAD AND CALL OURSELVES TO ORDER HERE TODAY. IF YOU WOULD PLEASE RISE, WE'RE GOING TO HAVE THE INVOCATION BROUGHT FORWARD BY JOHNNY THOMASON, KINGDOM KEYS RADIO. AND THEN WE'LL DO THE PLEDGES. THANK YOU. GOOD AFTERNOON EVERYBODY. LET US PRAY. OUR DEAR HEAVENLY FATHER, WE COME TO YOU ON THIS WONDERFUL DAY IN THE NAME OF JESUS WITH GRATITUDE FOR OUR CONSTITUTIONAL REPUBLIC GOVERNMENT. WE THANK YOU, LORD, FOR THESE MEN THAT ARE WILLING TO SERVE ON THIS CITY COUNCIL. LORD, WE ASK YOU TO LEAD, GUIDE AND DIRECT THEM IN THE LEGISLATION THAT WILL COME FORTH. FATHER, WE ASK A SPECIAL BLESSING UPON THEIR WIVES AS THEY SERVE IN THESE NON-PAID ORDAINED POSITIONS. HE WILL BLESS THOSE WHO FEAR THE LORD, BOTH SMALL AND GREAT. LORD, I PRAY THAT THESE HAVE A HEALTHY FEAR FOR YOU, THAT THEY ARE NOT WISE IN THEIR OWN EYES, BUT THEY WILL BE BLESSED WITH WISDOM AND KNOWLEDGE FROM ON HIGH. I PRAY THAT THEY SERVE ON THIS GOLD CITY COUNCIL, THAT THEY ACKNOWLEDGE THAT THEY ARE SERVING YOU WITH ALL THEIR HEARTS, AND NOT FEARING MAN, THAT THEY WILL NOT BE DECEIVED AS YOU ARE THEIR HELP AND THEIR SHIELD. MAY WE ALL FEAR YOU, LORD, AND STAND IN AWE OF YOU. AND YOU ARE OUR LIGHT AND OUR SALVATION. YOU ARE OUR STRENGTH OF LIFE AND YOU ARE MIGHTY. BE WITH THESE TODAY TO MAKE THE RIGHT DECISIONS AS AUTHORITIES THAT EXIST FROM YOU, AND THAT THEY ARE YOUR MINISTERS. EMPOWER THEM TO OVERCOME EVIL AS THEY FEAR YOU. GIVE THEM POWER AND PROSPERITY BY COURAGE AND NOT BY COMPROMISE. WE THANK YOU THAT WE CAN ALL COME BOLDLY TO THE THRONE OF GRACE, THE EMPOWERMENT TO OVERCOME AND TO LIVE RIGHTEOUS LIVES. WE THANK YOU, FATHER, THAT YOU GAVE YOUR ONLY SON, THAT WHOSOEVER BELIEVES IN HIM SHALL NOT PERISH, BUT WILL HAVE EVERLASTING LIFE. JESUS. YOU ARE THE ONLY WAY TO THE FATHER. WE SHALL STAND RESTRAINING LAWLESSNESS UNTIL THE DAY WHEN WE WILL BE TAKEN OUT OF THE WAY. FOR YOU ARE THE COMING LORD. NOW MAY THE LORD JESUS CHRIST HIMSELF AND OUR GOD THE FATHER, WHO HAS LOVED US AND GIVEN US EVERLASTING CONSOLATION AND GOOD HOPE. BY GRACE COMFORT YOUR HEARTS AND ESTABLISH YOU IN EVERY GOOD WORK AND WORD. IN HIS NAME WE PRAY. AMEN. AMEN. THANK YOU SIR. YOU GUYS JOIN ME IN THE PLEDGE. I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. AND TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS. ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE, WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL. THE TEXAS FLAG AS WELL. HONOR THE TEXAS FLAG. I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THEE, TEXAS. ONE STATE UNDER GOD, ONE AND INDIVISIBLE. PLEASE BE SEATED. I TELL YOU, YOU GUYS ARE GETTING PRETTY GOOD AT THAT TEXAS PLEDGE. WE DIDN'T EVEN PUT IT ON THE TV THIS TIME, AND I DON'T THINK WE MISSED IT AT ALL. DO I HAVE ANY ANNOUNCEMENTS HERE, MISS CITY SECRETARY? IS SHE IN HERE? NO, SIR. NO. MR. CITY SECRETARY AND ANNOUNCEMENTS FROM YOU, SIR. OKAY. JUST KIDDING. MR. CITY MANAGER, SOMETIMES IT JUST COMES OUT SO THEY STILL KNOW. OKAY. AT THIS TIME, WE ARE GOING TO TURN IT OVER FOR PUBLIC COMMENT. I WOULD ASK OUR CITY SECRETARY THAT'S SEATED TO READ US INTO PUBLIC COMMENT. THANK YOU FOR PARTICIPATING IN TODAY'S CITY COUNCIL MEETING. YOUR INPUT AND YOUR OPINIONS ARE IMPORTANT TO US, AND WE ARE GLAD YOU ARE HERE TO SHARE THEM. AT EACH MEETING, WE INVITE OUR FELLOW COMMUNITY MEMBERS TO ADDRESS CITY COUNCIL REGARDING POSTED AGENDA ITEMS. EVERY SPEAKER HAS THREE MINUTES TO ADDRESS THE COUNCIL. AT THE END OF 2.5 MINUTES, A WARNING BELL SOUND TO ALERT THAT YOU HAVE 30S LEFT TO WRAP UP YOUR THOUGHTS. WE ASK THAT YOU STAY WITHIN THE THREE MINUTES ALLOTTED. SPEAKERS ARE ASKED TO LIMIT YOUR COMMENTS TO ITEMS ON THE POSTED AGENDA. WE HAVE SEVERAL PUBLIC HEARING OR AT LEAST ONE PUBLIC HEARING ON THE AGENDA TODAY. IF YOU ARE HERE TO SPEAK ON AN ITEM WITH A PUBLIC HEARING, WE ASK THAT YOU MAKE YOUR COMMENT DURING PUBLIC ADDRESS OR THE PUBLIC HEARING, BUT NOT BOTH IN ORDER TO KEEP ACCURATE RECORDS. IT IS YOUR DECISION WHICH YOU WANT TO SPEAK DURING. WHEN YOU COME TO THE MICROPHONE, PLEASE STATE YOUR NAME AND WHETHER OR NOT YOU LIVE WITHIN AMARILLO CITY LIMITS. PLEASE STATE IF YOU'RE SPEAKING ON FOR OR AGAINST AN ITEM. AND AGAIN, WE THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE TODAY TO SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS WITH THE CITY COUNCIL. AT THIS TIME, I WILL INVITE THE FIRST PERSON ON THE LIST, SCOTT BENTLEY, WHO IS SPEAKING ON ITEM 70. AND AFTER MR. BAILEY WILL BE LLOYD BROWN.
GOOD AFTERNOON. AFTERNOON, SIR. THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING ME TO BE HERE TODAY AND SPEAK. SO I NOTE WITH INTEREST ON THE AGENDA ITEM POSTED TODAY, WHICH INCLUDES LANGUAGE RELATED TO THE CURRENT AND FUTURE NEEDS AND EXPECTATIONS FOR THE EDC. HERE IS THE CURRENT NEED. REMOVE THE BUDGET RESTRICTIONS THAT IMPAIR OUR ABILITY TO DO WHAT WE HAVE EXCELLED AT PROMOTING ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT IN AMARILLO. I NOTICED THE BUDGET IS NOT ON THE AGENDA TODAY FOR CONSIDERATION. SO IF IT TAKES A SPECIAL MEETING TO DO SO, THEN SO BE IT. YOU HAVE COMPLETED A FULL AUDIT OF OUR OPERATIONS AND NOTED NO ISSUES. LET'S GET BACK ON THE BUSINESS THAT WE HAVE FOCUSED ON TOGETHER 35 YEARS, INVIGORATING A PARTNERSHIP THAT HAS BROUGHT UNPRECEDENTED, UNPRECEDENTED GROWTH TO AMARILLO JOB CREATION AND EXPANSION OF OUR TAX BASE FOR THE BENEFIT OF AMARILLO ABSENT POLITICAL GAMESMANSHIP. OUR TRACK RECORD IS CLEAR. THE AGENCY IS ABOUT TO CONCLUDE ONE OF THE BEST, IF NOT THE BEST, SIX YEAR STRETCHES OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT IN THE HISTORY, PROVIDING 6400 NEW OR RETAINED JOBS IN OVER $400 MILLION IN ANNUAL PAYROLL. LET ME REPEAT THAT OVER $400 MILLION IN ANNUAL PAYROLL. OUR COMMITMENT TO MAKING AMARILLO STRONGER AND PROVIDING MORE OPPORTUNITIES FOR FOR OUR FAMILIES, FRIENDS, AND NEIGHBORS IS GREATER THAN EVER BEFORE. AND THE POTENTIAL, IF UNIMPEDED, IS GREATER THAN EVER BEFORE. OUR REQUEST IS FOCUSED, SIMPLE, AND COMPELLING. FUND OUR MARKETING BUDGET. ALLOW US TO MOVE FORWARD, INCREASE OUR COMPETITIVE STANDING, AND SEE FURTHER GROWTH IN OUR AMARILLO ECONOMIC EXPANSION IS NOT A PARTIZAN OR POLITICAL ISSUE, AS UNDERSCORED BY CARLTON SCHWAB, PRESIDENT AND CEO OF TEXAS ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL, WHO JUST THIS WEEK WEIGHED IN ON THE ISSUE. I QUOTE THE EDC AMARILLO EDC HAS EXCELLENT REPUTATION AMONGST EDC IN THE STATE. THE WAY IT DOES BUSINESS IS COMPARABLE TO OTHER EDC'S OF SIMILAR SIZE. ABILENE AND OTHER PLACES THAT, LIKE SOME OF THE DALLAS-FORT WORTH AREA SUBURBS THAT ARE SIMILAR SIZE. THE EDC IS AMARILLO OF AMARILLO IS HIGHLY RESPECTED ORGANIZATION. HE CONTINUED, WHAT YOU'RE DOING IS POLITICIZING ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, WHICH YOU CANNOT DO. THE PROSPECT COMPANIES, THE WORD WILL GET OUT VERY QUICKLY THAT ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DECISIONS IN AMARILLO ARE POLITICAL ONES, NOT ECONOMIC ONES, NOR ECONOMIC ONES, DETERMINED BY THE LEADERS OF OUR BUSINESS COMMUNITY AND HIGHLY FUNCTIONING STAFF LIKE THE ONES YOU HAVE AT THE EDC. SO TODAY, GENTLEMEN, IS MY HOPE THAT WE CAN MOVE FORWARD TOGETHER. WE HAVE SOME TRULY INCREDIBLE OPPORTUNITIES ON THE HORIZON, AND IT'S CRITICAL THAT WE ALL MOVE IN THE SAME DIRECTION. SO LET ME CLOSE WITH THIS. I LOVE THIS CITY AND I KNOW YOU LOVE THIS CITY. SO LET'S WORK TOGETHER TO MOVE FORWARD AND ACCOMPLISH GREAT THINGS. THANK YOU. THANK YOU SCOTT. THANK YOU SIR. UP NEXT IS LLOYD BROWN. AFTER MR. BROWN WILL BE JACOB MEYER. LLOYD BROWN, I LIVE AT 3203 BOWIE. AND IT'S NICE TO SEE THE COUNCIL. FELLOW CITIZENS OF AMARILLO. MAYOR STANLEY AND ESTEEMED COUNCIL MEMBERS. I STAND BEFORE YOU TODAY TO ADDRESS SEVERAL PRESSING CONCERNS REGARDING THE LEGAL REPRESENTATION OF THE CITY COUNCIL AND RECENT DECISIONS THAT AFFECT OUR COMMUNITY. LET'S BEGIN BY DISCUSSING THE MATTER OF LEGAL REPRESENTATION. OUR CITY COUNCIL HAS CHOSEN TO EMPLOY AN AUSTIN BASED ATTORNEY AT A SUBSTANTIAL COST OF NEARLY $300,000. THIS ATTORNEY'S PRIMARY FOCUS IS ON REPRESENTING YOUR INTERESTS. THE COUNCIL, NOT THOSE OF OUR CITIZENS, CITY OR CITIZENS. IT IS CRUCIAL TO NOTE THAT WE ALREADY HAVE A DEDICATED CITY ATTORNEY, BRIAN MCWILLIAMS, WHOSE ROLE IS TO SERVE AMARILLO AND ITS RESIDENTS. MAYOR STANLEY, I MUST EXPRESS DEEP CONCERN ABOUT THE CITIZENS OF AMARILLO PAYING FOR PERSONAL ATTORNEY FOR THIS COUNCIL. YOU WERE QUOTED LAST WEEK ON OCTOBER 7TH. A SECOND, EXCUSE ME, AN AMARILLO TRIBUNE ARTICLE THAT SAID THIS AGREEMENT ALLOWS THE COUNCIL TO USE HEIGHT AS A RESOURCE FOR UNBIASED ADVICE, WHEREAS THEY, BEING OUR ATTORNEYS, MIGHT NOT BE ABLE TO DO THAT WHAT THE CITY ATTORNEYS, THEY'RE NOT CONFLICTED OR THEY'RE LOOKING OUT FOR THE ENTIRE ORGANIZATION AS A WHOLE. HOW IT HAS THE ABILITY TO LOOK OUT FOR THE COUNCIL AND THE MEMBERS, AND TO BE AN EDUCATOR AND COACH OF THE COUNCIL MEMBER. THIS STATEMENT RAISES A CRUCIAL QUESTION WHY DO YOU AND THE OTHER COUNCIL MEMBERS NEED AN ATTORNEY TO LOOK OUT FOR YOU INDIVIDUALLY WHEN YOU HAVE CLAIMED TO BE A TRANSPARENT
COUNSEL? WHY DO YOU NEED TO NOT TAKE THE CITY OF AMARILLO AND THE ORGANIZATION AS A WHOLE, BUT JUST THE COUNCIL? ADDITIONALLY, I MUST EXPRESS MY CONCERN ABOUT THE USE OF LEGAL OPINIONS, PARTICULARLY BY YOU, MAYOR STANLEY. THE TERM UNLAWFUL ACT HAS BEEN USED AS A STATEMENT OF FACT BASED SOLELY ON THE OPINION OF THIS PERSONAL ATTORNEY, MR. HYDE. HOWEVER, WE MUST REMEMBER THAT THIS IS A LEGAL OPINION, NOT AN ESTABLISHED LEGAL FACT. TODAY I HAVE WITH ME AND SUBMIT THE MEMORANDUM FROM AMARILLO BASED UNDERWOOD LAW FIRM THAT REVIEWED THIS SAME SITUATION AND REACHED A COMPLETELY DIFFERENT CONCLUSION. THEY DETERMINED THAT THE CEO'S ACTIONS WERE WITHIN HIS AUTHORITY AND NOT UNLAWFUL. THE STARK DIFFERENCE IN LEGAL INTERPRETATION UNDERSCORES THE COMPLEXITY OF THIS SITUATION AND THE NEED FOR CAREFUL CONSIDERATION OF MULTIPLE PERSPECTIVES. ADDITIONALLY, AS OF TODAY, THIS IS THE ONLY PUBLIC OFFICIAL WRITTEN OPINION THAT ANYONE HAS SEEN. SO TO CONCLUDE. I URGE ALL OF US TO REFLECT ON THESE ISSUES AND ENSURE THAT OUR CITY'S RESOURCES ARE USED WISELY, AND LEGAL OPINIONS ARE CAREFULLY CONSIDERED AND ARE IN CONTEXT, AND THAT YOU, OUR ELECTED OFFICIALS, MAINTAIN THE TRANSPARENCY THAT YOU HAVE PROMISED. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MR. BROWN. LET'S GIVE THIS TO. PLEASE BRING IT FORWARD. THANK YOU, MR. BROWN. AS A STATEMENT OF FACT, MR. HIDE WAS AN INTRICATE PART IN THIS COUNCIL'S BUDGET THIS YEAR, AND HE HELPED TO PROVIDE ALMOST $2 MILLION WORTH OF TAX REVENUES THAT WE RESOURCED WITHIN OUR EXISTING BUDGET WITH HIS EXPERTISE AND KNOWLEDGE. SO MONEY WELL SPENT. WHO DO YOU HAVE NEXT, MA'AM? JACOB MEYER. AFTER MR. MEYER WILL BE. MR. MEYER'S LAST. ALL RIGHT. CAN Y'ALL HEAR ME? ALL RIGHT. YES, SIR. ALL RIGHT. GOOD AFTERNOON. MY NAME IS JACOB MEYER. YOU MAY KNOW ME AS THE PRESIDENT OF THE AMARILLO AREA YOUNG REPUBLICANS. AND SO THERE'S JUST BEEN SOMETHING ON MY CHEST THAT I NEEDED TO GET OFF OF IT FOR A WHILE. REGARDING SOME OF THE LOCAL BALLOT MEASURES. I JUST WANT TO HIGHLIGHT THE IMPORTANCE OF TWO OF THEM. PROPOSITION A, OF COURSE, HAS BEEN A HUGE THING, BUT PROPOSITION D AS WELL. I THINK THAT ONE'S KIND OF BEEN UNDERRATED IN A WAY, BUT I WANT TO GIVE A LITTLE BACKGROUND ABOUT MYSELF. BEFORE I STARTED THE YOUNG REPUBLICANS HERE, I WAS A MEMBER OF THE YOUNG CONSERVATIVES OF TEXAS OR YCT AT TEXAS TECH. AND WHEN I WAS THERE, I WAS FORCED TO CONFRONT THE THE ABORTION ISSUE. I COULDN'T RUN AWAY FROM IT ANYMORE. AT THE TIME, I WAS A CAPITAL L LIBERTARIAN. AND SO I THOUGHT, YOU KNOW, WE SHOULD HAVE THE GOVERNMENT SMALL, AS SMALL AS IT CAN BE WHILE MAINTAINING IT, BECAUSE WE HAVE TO HAVE SOME. RIGHT. BUT WHEN I WAS LOOKING INTO THE ISSUE, ONE OF THE GUYS THAT I WAS READING THAT SHAPED MY PHILOSOPHY WAS DOCTOR RON PAUL. AND I'M JUST GOING TO READ A LITTLE BIT OF AN EXCERPT FROM HIM WHERE I'M GOING TO PARAPHRASE WHAT HE STATED. HE WAS AN OB GYN AND HE WITNESSED A BOTCHED ABORTION THAT SAME DAY. HE TURNED AROUND AND WITNESSED A LIVE BIRTH OF AN UNBORN CHILD, OR THAT BECAME A BORN CHILD THAT WASN'T MUCH LARGER THAN THE ONE THAT WAS DIED IN A BOTCHED ABORTION AND WAS LEFT TO DIE. AND HE SAID THAT HE HAD TO CONFRONT THE ISSUE AS WELL. SO WHAT I DID IS I THOUGHT, WELL, THIS GUY WITNESSED ONE, AND MAYBE ME WITNESSING ONE WOULD CHANGE MY MIND. AND IT DID. I SAW THE MOVIE UNPLANNED, AND I SAW THE SCENE WHERE IT GETS SUCKED OUT THROUGH THE VACUUM TUBE AND IT MADE ME SICK. THAT'S WHAT CAUSED ME TO CHANGE MY MIND. AND WE HAD TO CONFRONT THE ISSUE, BECAUSE LUBBOCK WAS CONSIDERING BECOMING A SANCTUARY CITY FOR THE UNBORN. YOU KNOW, IT ATE UP EVERY SINGLE MEETING. WE COULDN'T RUN AWAY FROM IT. AND I'M NOT GOING TO LIE. I DIDN'T THINK THE PRIVATE ENFORCEMENT MECHANISM WOULD WORK. YOU KNOW, YOU GUYS, A LOT OF PEOPLE ON THE COUNCIL HAVE BEEN CRITICAL OF IT. BUT MUCH TO MY PLEASANT SURPRISE, IT WORKED. PLANNED PARENTHOOD, ANNOUNCED AFTER IT PASSED IN 2021 THAT THEY WERE GOING TO COMPLY WITH THE ORDINANCE. I THOUGHT THEY WERE GOING TO IGNORE IT, BUT THEY DIDN'T. IT WAS A GENUINELY PLEASANT SURPRISE. AND FURTHERMORE, I REMEMBER YOU GUYS TALKING ABOUT WANTING TO DO A PUBLIC ENFORCEMENT ORDINANCE BEFORE WE DID THE PETITION. I THINK IT WAS OPTIONS A AND B BACK IN DECEMBER. I DON'T LIKE THE IDEA OF A PUBLIC ENFORCEMENT MECHANISM WHEN IT COMES TO THE ABORTION ISSUE. I THINK THE PRIVATE ENFORCEMENT IS THE BEST WAY TO GO FORWARD BECAUSE LIKE I STATED AT THE LAST MEETING I WAS AT THERE WAS A GENTLEMAN HERE WHO WAS ARRESTED
FOR CLAPPING BACK DURING THE PREVIOUS REGIME. AND I THINK THE COPS WERE AS MUCH AS I LOVE THE POLICE DEPARTMENT HERE, THEY DO GREAT WORK, BUT THEY WERE A LITTLE TOO COMFORTABLE WITH THAT. SO IT WAS JUST SUCH A FLAGRANT FIRST AMENDMENT VIOLATION THAT, YOU KNOW, I DON'T TRUST PUBLIC ENFORCEMENT WHEN IT COMES TO THE ABORTION ISSUE. PRIVATE ENFORCEMENT IS THE BEST WAY TO GO. GOD BLESS YOU ALL. GOD BLESS WEST TEXAS AND GOD BLESS THE CITY OF AMARILLO. THANK YOU SIR. APPRECIATE YOU BEING HERE. MAYOR LAURA STREET HAD SIGNED UP TO SPEAK AND I MISSED HER. OKAY. MRS. STREET, YOU'RE UP. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. COUNCIL. AND I WANT TO SAY ALSO, THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE. IT'S A LOT AND THERE'S A LOT GOING ON, SO WE REALLY APPRECIATE THAT. I'M HERE TO TALK ABOUT THE RANGE, WHICH HAS BEEN A SUBJECT OF A LOT OF DISCUSSION RECENTLY IN CONNECTION WITH THE EDC. I JUST WANT TO SAY, TO BEGIN WITH, IN 2020, THE EDC BOARD OF DIRECTORS, WHILE I WAS ON THE BOARD, BEGAN A DISCUSSION ABOUT SOME LAND WE BOUGHT BY THE MEDICAL CENTER BECAUSE WE HAD A VET SCHOOL, A MEDICAL SCHOOL, AND A PHARMACY SCHOOL ALL IN THE SAME PLACE AT THAT TIME WAS THE ONLY PLACE IN THE NATION WE HAD THAT WE NEEDED TO KNOW. WHAT KIND OF BUSINESSES AND INDUSTRY SHOULD WE BRING IN TO SUPPORT THAT WITH THAT 37 ACRES, WE MADE A DECISION TO DO SOMETHING STRATEGICALLY AND ASK THE RIGHT QUESTIONS. WHAT WOULD BE THE BEST INVESTMENT THE EDC COULD MAKE TO CAPITALIZE ON THIS OPPORTUNITY? WHAT IS THE BENEFIT TO OUR AREA? WHAT ROLE SHOULD THE EDC HAVE IN FUTURE GROWTH AND DIVERSIFICATION? SO IT'S DETERMINED THAT WE WOULD MOST PRUDENTLY HAVE A STRATEGY TO EXPLORE POSSIBLE AREA INDUSTRY, EDUCATIONAL AND BUSINESS SYNERGIES BY INTERVIEWS, DISCUSSIONS AND SURVEYS. WE DID OVER 150 INTERVIEWS. WE HIRED A CONSULTANT EXPERT IN AGRICULTURE, FOOD PRODUCTION AND EDUCATION DOCTOR MATT GARNER. HE WAS OUR CONTENT EXPERT. WE FUNDED A FEASIBILITY STUDY THROUGH A NATIONAL FIRM CALLED HRA ADVISORS, WHO WHO DETERMINED THAT WE HAD THE LARGEST BEEF AND DAIRY SHED IN THE NATION, IN THE WORLD RIGHT HERE. AND NOBODY HAS WHAT WE HAVE AND WE CAN DO WITH WHAT WE HAVE TO START AMARILLO GLOBAL FOOD HUB. SO WE CREATED A TEAM OF AREA LEADERS IN THESE INDUSTRIES, AND EXECUTIVES IDENTIFIED WITH SKILLS AND KNOWLEDGE TO DETERMINE WHAT OUR NEEDS, PRIORITIES, AND OPPORTUNITIES ARE. THIS WAS INDUSTRY LED, NOT UNIVERSITY LED. WE WORK WITH THE UNIVERSITIES. WE DEVELOPED AN ORGANIZATIONAL SUPPORT SYSTEM FOR THE GLOBAL FOOD HUB, A 500 AND 1C6 MEMBERSHIP GOVERNING MODEL, 501 C3 FOUNDATION FOR ADDITIONAL FUNDING, AND A C CORP THAT WOULD BE USED LATER ON WHEN ENTREPRENEURSHIP BEGAN TO ARISE. INNOVATION HAPPENS ONLY WHEN PEOPLE WITH DIVERSE BACKGROUNDS, EXPERIENCES, EDUCATION AND KNOWLEDGE COME TOGETHER TO CREATE A TIPPING POINT OF IDENTIFIED CHANGE. WE HIRED A MARKETING FIRM THAT HAD A GLOBAL A GLOBAL MIND TO BRAND US. WE STARTED DOING PUBLIC PRESENTATIONS, STARTING WITH THE AMARILLO ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION, STATE OF THE ECONOMY IN 2003, AND WE DID A LOT OF THOSE PRESENTATIONS ALL AROUND. THIS IS MUCH BIGGER THAN THE EDC, BUT THE EDC MUST BE A MEMBER AND PROVIDE GUIDANCE AND ADVICE. WE IN BEST PRACTICES WERE TOLD BY HRA THAT WE WOULD BE STARTING REALLY IN YEAR 3 TO 5. WE WOULD STABILIZE IN FIVE, THREE TO 5 TO 10 YEARS AND WE WOULD MATURE BY 20 YEARS. THIS IS FOR THE FUTURE. OUR AREA CAN BE A PART OF A GROWING NUMBER OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, RESEARCH AND INNOVATION HUBS IN OUR NATION. THIS WILL TAKE WHAT WE HAVE AND EXPAND IT INTO THE FUTURE WHERE WE MAKE DECISIONS, FOOD PRODUCTION AND WHERE WE BRING IN INDUSTRY, JOBS, EDUCATION, GROWTH AND SUSTAINABILITY. THERE'S A WHOLE LOT IN THIS. I WOULD LOVE TO SIT DOWN WITH EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU AND EXPLAIN WHAT THE RANGE IS, WHAT IT DOES. THERE'S A WEBSITE, THE RANGE.ORG. IT'S VERY DIFFICULT TO PUT INTO THREE MINUTES WHAT NEEDS TO HAPPEN. BUT THIS IS OUR FUTURE SO THAT WE MAY MAKE THE DECISIONS. AND THE EDC IS ESSENTIAL. ACCORDING TO SENATOR PERRY, KEVIN CARTER AND OUR EDC IS ESSENTIAL TO THIS AREA. THANK YOU, MR. STREET. HANG ON ONE SECOND AND I'LL LET YOU GO. I KNOW WE MAY HAVE A FEW OTHER PEOPLE THAT ARE HERE TO SPEAK HERE TODAY. ITEM SEVEN D ADDRESSES THIS. I'D BE HAPPY TO BRING YOU IN FOR DISCUSSION. YOU AND THE OTHER MEMBERS THAT EITHER SIT ON THE RANGE OR HELP TO FOUND THAT. I THINK IT WOULD BE A GREAT EXERCISE FOR US TO BE ABLE TO GET SOME ANSWERS TO SOME OF THE QUESTIONS THAT WE'VE HAD. I APPRECIATE YOUR OFFER OF BEING ABLE TO SIT DOWN WITH US ONE ON ONE, BUT WE HAVE A FORUM HERE TODAY THAT WE COULD CONDUCT THIS PUBLICLY, AND IT'S GOING TO HELP US MOVE THIS FORWARD AS A BODY. SO IF YOU'RE WILLING TO STAY, I'D BE HAPPY TO INCORPORATE YOU IN THAT DISCUSSION.
ABSOLUTELY. OKAY. AND IT GOES THE SAME FOR ANYBODY ELSE THAT'S HERE, EITHER PREVIOUS MEMBER, CURRENT MEMBER ON THE BOARD OR RANGE EDC. THANK YOU. MA'AM. THANK YOU. SORRY. GO AHEAD SIR. NO, THAT'S. I'LL TAKE CARE OF IT THEN. OKAY. WELL, I JUST FEEL LIKE IF FACILITATE A LITTLE BIT MORE ORGANIZED CONVERSATION VERSUS WE TRY TO ASK A QUESTION NOW SO THIS WAY WE CAN CONTRIBUTE. ANYONE ELSE YOU HAVE SIGNED UP? OKAY. DO I HAVE ANYBODY HERE THAT WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK? IF YOU WANT TO SPEAK, RAISE YOUR HAND. YES, SIR. MR. FISHER, IF YOU COME FORWARD, I'M GOING TO SPEAK ABOUT THE ADC STUFF. WOULD YOU LIKE TO ME TO. WELL, I THINK I'M GOING TO LIMIT THAT DISCUSSION. NOT FOR AN OPEN FORUM, BUT JUST FOR DIRECT QUESTION AND ANSWER FOR THOSE THAT EITHER CURRENTLY SIT ON THE ADC OR PREVIOUSLY SERVED. THANK YOU. I HAVE SOME DOCUMENTS AND BRING THEM UP, SIR. I'LL HAND THEM OUT. THERE WE GO. THANK YOU. LET'S GO TO THAT WAY. MY NAME IS MIKE FISHER. I LIVE IN THE CITY OF AMARILLO, AND I'M HERE TO TALK ABOUT THE ADC STUFF. AND I'D LIKE TO RESPOND TO MRS STREET THAT THAT VET SCHOOL WAS. THEY GAVE $90 MILLION OF EDC MONEY THAT WAS ILLEGAL, THAT IF YOU GO LOOK IT UP, THEY THEY CANNOT GIVE MONEY TO A TO A SCHOOL. AND PAMPA WAS REFUSED TO BUILD THE CLARENDON COLLEGE AND IT'S IN THE EDC LAWS THAT AND IT CITED PAMPA. THAT WAS THE ATTORNEY GENERAL'S OPINION WAS TO NOT GIVE MONEY TO A PUBLIC SCHOOL OR ISH A SCHOOL OR COLLEGE. SO ANYWAYS, THAT WHOLE THING IS A DEBACLE. AND THEN WE'RE UP HERE QUOTING THE UNDERHANDED, I MEAN UNDERWOOD LAW FIRM. AND I MEAN, THAT'S JUST CRAZY IN ITSELF. THOSE GUYS ARE BEHIND ALL OF THIS. I GAVE YOU A PICTURE THAT SHOWS AGAIN WHAT I GAVE YOU LAST WEEK, BUT THERE'S A LITTLE MORE INFORMATION. JASON HERRICK, HIS COMPANY RECEIVED THE EDC ENTERPRISE CHALLENGE OF 99,000. AND THAT'S INTERESTING. AND YOU CAN SEE THAT ON EVERYBODY ELSE. GOT 100,000, BUT HE GOT 99,000 FOR A COMPANY. THAT WAS A MERE IDEA. I GUESS THEY DIDN'T HAVE A PHYSICAL ADDRESS. NO REGISTERED TEXAS LLC, NO WEBSITE. AND HE WON 99,000 BUCKS. WHY WAS IT 99,000? BECAUSE THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A SECOND DEGREE AND A THIRD DEGREE FELONY IS 99,000 AND 100,000, 100,000 ELEVATES IT TO A SECOND DEGREE FELONY. SO IT LOOKS LIKE THEY'RE TRYING TO SAVE TEN YEARS ON A PRISON SENTENCE. THAT COULD BE POSSIBLE. IF YOU LOOK AT THE FOLLOWING PAGE, THE NEXT PAGE IS JUST A BREAKOUT OF OF KEVIN CARTER'S EXPENSE ACCOUNT, HIS CREDIT CARD EXPENSES. AND I EYEBALLED IT. THIS IS DATA THAT WAS PUBLIC INFORMATION REQUEST BY MICHAEL FORD. AND I GOT A COPY OF IT. AND I BROKE OUT ONE EXPENSE THAT JUMPED OUT TWO OF THEM, BUT ONE OF THEM IS GRIFFIN. GRIFFIN WINK ADVERTISING A WHY IS THIS AN EXPENSE ON HIS CREDIT CARD? DOES IT MAKE SENSE? THAT'S A BUSINESS EXPENSE FOR THE BUSINESS YOU'RE MARKETING. AND TO ME, A PERSONAL CREDIT CARD IS FOR FOR UNEXPECTED EXPENSES THAT ARE RELATED TO, LIKE, TRAVEL. BUT HE SPENT. LOOK AT THAT TOTAL 52,798. AND THAT'S IMPORTANT. AND I'LL GET BACK TO THAT. THE SECOND THING WAS IN THE SAME LET'S SEE, IF YOU LOOK DOWN AT THE BOTTOM, THERE'S THREE EXPENSES, SAME CALENDAR YEAR. HE BOUGHT TWO SEASON TICKETS TO THE SOD POODLES ON OUR DIME ON A TAX DOLLAR. DIME, 6800 APIECE. A 14,000 BUCKS. AND I GUESS HE WAS THINKING ABOUT BASEBALL IN NOVEMBER BECAUSE THAT'S WHEN HE BOUGHT IT. HE BOUGHT ONE IN MARCH AND ONE IN NOVEMBER OF THE SAME YEAR. AND THEN IF YOU LOOK AT THE OTHER 118 19,000 ALMOST TO RENT THE EMBASSY SUITES. AND WHY DID HE DO THAT? THIS IS MERE MONEY LAUNDERING. AND HE COULD HAVE USED LIKE RIGHT HERE NEXT DOOR FOR PROBABLY UNDER A THOUSAND BUCKS TO DO THE STATE OF THE CITY PRESENTATION. BUT HE SPENT 20 GRAND, ALMOST 20 GRAND, AND DIDN'T WANT IT TO SHOW AS A LINE ITEM SOMEWHERE WHERE THE CITY WROTE A CHECK. ONE MORE YEAR, SIR. GO AHEAD AND WRAP UP QUICKLY, PLEASE. ALL RIGHT. IF YOU ADD UP THE 52,798 TO THE 750,000 THAT THEY GAVE THE RANGE, THAT PUTS YOU OVER THE BUDGET. THAT'S OVER 800,000 ON MARKETING. AND I HAVEN'T LOOKED THROUGH ALL OF THIS. I'M SURE THERE'S MORE. SO NOW HE'S OVER BUDGET.
AND THIS IS AN EXAMPLE OF DOING THE TWO SIGNATURE THING THAT THEY SAY IS GOING TO BE SAFE BECAUSE HE SPENT 50 K IN ONE YEAR. SO IT'S NEVER GOING TO REQUIRE TWO SIGNATURES. AND THEY'RE JUST USING THAT CREDIT CARD TO SKIRT THE THE RULES. SO DON'T BELIEVE ANYTHING THESE GUYS ARE SAYING BECAUSE THEY'VE GOT PLANS ON ON CHANNELING THAT MONEY BACK TO THEMSELVES ONE WAY OR ANOTHER. MR. FISHER, THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE, SIR. I HAVEN'T. MR. FORD, YOU NEXT. GO AHEAD. COME ON UP. I WON'T MISS HIM. MIKE FORD, AMARILLO, TEXAS. MR. MAYOR, COUNCIL MEMBERS, I WOULD JUST RESPOND TO THE NEED FOR OUTSIDE COUNSEL. MR. MAYOR, YOU KNOW VERY WELL IF YOU EVER READ ANYBODY EVER TOOK THE TIME TO READ THESE TAX NOTES, THE COURTS CASE DELIBERATIONS AND THE TAX NOTES CASE, YOU WOULD UNDERSTAND FULL WELL WHY YOU NEED A DIFFERENT COUNSEL. I WISH THE CITY HAD GONE BEYOND THAT. BUT THE THE AMOUNT OF LAWLESSNESS THAT'S REPRESENTED THAT WE THAT WE SUFFERED AS A CITY IN THE $265 MILLION TAX NOTES CASE IS SUFFICIENT CAUSE TO HAVE OUTSIDE COUNSEL. AND, MR. MAYOR, YOU KNOW, YOU WERE SET AS AN ADVERSE PARTY. THE CITY ATTORNEY CAN NO LONGER REPRESENT YOU, AND HE SHOULD HAVE INFORMED YOU OF THAT IMMEDIATELY. BEYOND THAT THE GREAT THINGS THAT THE EDC HAS DONE SINCE 2020. THE EDC, NOT ONE SINGLE PUBLIC NOTICE BY THE EDC, HAS MET THE LEGAL REQUIREMENTS FOR PUBLIC NOTICES. THEY'RE ALL ILLEGAL. SO THIS MASSIVE, WONDERFUL RECORD THAT THEY'VE AMASSED SINCE 2020, IN THE LAST YEAR IS ALL FOR NAUGHT BECAUSE THEY CANNOT PRODUCE AN ADMINISTRATIVE RECORD THAT STANDS LEGAL SCRUTINY. I KNOW THAT'S AN OPINION, BUT I KNOW IT'S REALLY EASY TO ESTABLISH IF YOU ACTUALLY GO LOOK AT THE TAX NOTES CASE, THE NOTICES THAT WERE POSED BY THE CITY COUNCIL, THE LEGAL NOTICES READ LIKE A NOVEL COMPARED TO DISCUSS, CONSIDER AND TAKE APPROPRIATE ACTION ON PROJECT 19 0101 AND SO ON AND SO FORTH. THAT GIVES YOU NO NOTICE. WE DO KNOW THAT THEY HAVE PLENTY OF INFORMATION. THIS IS THE NOTICE THAT I JUST READ. THIS IS THE INFORMATION THAT'S IN THE MEETING MINUTES. SO THEY HAVE CHAPTER AND VERSE, SUBSTANTIAL INFORMATION THAT THEY'RE ABLE TO PROVIDE IN THEIR MEETING MINUTES. BUT THEY DON'T PRODUCE IT IN THE MEETING NOTICES. FINALLY, WE GET TO THE RANGE. AND, YOU KNOW, THE RANGE MIGHT HAVE BEEN A GREAT THING, BUT AGAIN, WE CANNOT WE CANNOT PUBLICLY NOTICE THINGS PROPERLY. WE WE CAN'T DO THINGS LEGALLY. SO THIS IS IN JANUARY 1820, 2022, THE THE EDC WAS GIVEN THIS PROPOSAL BY HRA FOR $375,000 TO CREATE THE RANGE, THE GLOBAL AMARILLO GLOBAL FOOD HUB AND ITS ENTITIES AND SUBSEQUENT ENTITIES. THAT WAS IN ADDITION TO THE $200,000 FEASIBILITY STUDY. YOU HAVEN'T SEEN THIS. THIS IS PART OF THE OF THE PUBLIC RECORD. THIS IS PART OF THE OF THE RECORDING OF THAT MEETING THAT I POSTED YESTERDAY. THIS THIS SHOWS THAT WE, THE ADC, SPENT OVER HALF $1 MILLION. NONE OF IT NOTICED. NONE OF IT PUBLICLY NOTICED. AND THEY CREATED THESE CORPORATE ENTITIES THAT THEY JUST GAVE AWAY. HOW DO YOU DO THAT? PLEASE EXPLAIN. AND WHEN YOU'RE ASKING THESE FOLKS, WHEN THEY COME UP HERE FOR THIS, PLEASE ASK THEM HOW THEY LEGALLY CREATED THESE LEGAL ENTITIES. 501 C3, 501 C6 AND AN AND A C CORP AND JUST HANDED THEM OVER. THERE'S NOTHING IN THE LAW THAT ALLOWS THAT. THEY SPENT A HALF $1 MILLION OF OUR TAXPAYER MONEY, AND THEY JUST DECIDED THEY'RE GOING TO GIVE IT TO SOMEBODY ELSE. HAVE THEM EXPLAIN THAT, PLEASE. THANK YOU. I HAPPILY ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS YOU GUYS MIGHT HAVE. THANK YOU SIR. APPRECIATE YOU. DO I HAVE ANYONE ELSE HERE WHO WOULD LIKE TO GIVE PUBLIC COMMENT? MR. HARPOLE, IF YOU COME FORWARD, SIR. MAYOR HARPOLE. PARDON. AFTERNOON, MAYOR. COUNCIL MEMBERS. AND IT'S VERY GOOD TO JUST CALL ME PAUL. OKAY. I LIKE THAT. PAUL HARPOLE, 7703 PEBBLEBROOK DRIVE AMARILLO. THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING ME TO ADDRESS THE COUNCIL. THE EDC HAS A 35 YEAR HISTORY OF HIGHLY SUCCESSFUL PROJECTS. THEIR WORK HAS ADDED UNTOLD NUMBERS OF JOBS AND RAISE THE INCOME LEVEL OF INNUMERABLE CITIZENS OF AMARILLO. OUR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM. OUR CORPORATION HAS BEEN A MODEL FOR MANY EDC'S IN THE REGION.
OUR GOVERNOR'S ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT LEADERS HAVE PRAISED OUR EDC OVER TIME AFTER TIME, OVER YEARS AS BEING A MODEL AGENCY FOR MANY EDC EDCS IN THE REGION. AS A CITY, WE STARTED THIS BECAUSE WE DESIRED JOBS, GROWTH AND STABILITY. OUR CURRENT POTENTIAL PARTNERS ON THE OTHER SIDE DESIRE EMPLOYEES GROWTH AND STABILITY. STABILITY AND PREDICTABILITY ARE ESSENTIAL. AS BUSINESSES ACROSS THE US AND INDEED THE WORLD LOOK FOR OPPORTUNITY, THEY ARE WORKING WITH THEIR OWNERS AND INVESTORS AND GOVERNMENTS TO INCREASE THE VALUE AND EFFICIENCIES OF THEIR INVESTMENTS. WE HAVE A STRONG SUCCESS RECORD. WE HAVE A UNIQUE SUCCESS RECORD, BUT IT IS PRECARIOUS. SIMPLY BY DEFINITION, IT'S PRECARIOUS. I WOULD LIKE TO CHALLENGE YOU TO THINK FOR A MINUTE OF OPPORTUNITY LOST. WE CAN NEVER LOSE SIGHT OF THE DAMAGE WE CAN INADVERTENTLY DO WITH ONE STRAY COMMENT, ONE EMOTIONAL COMMENT. ANYONE JUDGING US AMARILLO THEY GET TO DECIDE HOW TO INTERPRET THE MESSAGE WE SEND. WHAT WE ARE TRYING TO SAY TO THE WORLD? YEAH, A LITTLE DRAMATIC. THE WHOLE WORLD. LET ME RELATE A BRIEF, TRUE ACTUAL EVENT THAT TOOK PLACE IN AMARILLO. OUR COUNCIL WAS INVITED TO GO OUT TO THE QUARTER HORSE ASSOCIATION MUSEUM FOR AN EVENT. BELLE WAS PUTTING ON FOR. THEY SAID SUPPLIERS WERE COMING IN. WE APPEARED REAPPEARED AND THERE WERE HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE THAT SHOWED UP FROM AROUND THE WORLD. THEY WERE FROM SPAIN, ITALY, EUROPEAN COUNTRIES. THEY WERE FROM SOUTH AMERICAN COUNTRIES. THEY WERE FROM THE MIDDLE EAST, ISRAEL, AND THEY WERE FROM AREAS IN THE SOUTH PACIFIC. THEY WERE HERE IN AMARILLO BECAUSE THEY WERE VALUING WHAT COULD BE DONE WITH THE OSPI PROGRAM AS THEY PUT COMPONENTS INTO THAT OFFSPRING. AND THEY WERE TRYING TO QUALIFY WHETHER THEY COULD PUT A SUBSIDIARY HERE IN AMARILLO. YEAH, ACROSS THE STREET. THEY WANTED TO BE ABLE TO HAND THOSE COMPONENTS ACROSS THE FENCE. MAY I HAVE A FEW SECONDS MORE? PLEASE CONTINUE. IT WAS CRITICAL TO THEM THAT THEY UNDERSTOOD WHERE THEY STOOD. IT WAS CRITICAL TO THEM THAT WE SHOWED A UNITED, BALANCED EFFORT, AND WE DID. THE V 22 PRODUCED HUNDREDS OF THOSE, BUT THE POTENTIAL FOR WHAT'S COMING NEXT WITH THE V 280 IS 4 TO 5000 UNITS. WE PRODUCE 3 OR 400 OSPREYS. THEY WENT WORLDWIDE AND NOW SEEING THE SUCCESS OF THAT, DOZENS OF COUNTRIES HAVE MADE INQUIRIES. THEY'RE WORKING WITH THE DEFENSE DEPARTMENT TO DECIDE IF THEY CAN TAKE THOSE UNITS AND FIT INTO OUR UNITED STATES STRUCTURE OF OF IMPORTING AND EXPORTING. EVERYONE THAT HAS EVER BEEN INVOLVED WITH THE EDC PROCESS, THEY UNDERSTAND THE LIMITATIONS, THE RULES, THE LAWS THAT GOVERN THEM. PLEASE. PLEASE TRUST. YES. VERIFY. HOWEVER, PLEASE UNDERSTAND THE INDEPENDENCE NEEDED BY OUR EDC AND THE SUCCESS IT HAS SECURED IN AMARILLO. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. MAYOR. DO I HAVE ANYONE ELSE HERE WHO WISHES TO GIVE PUBLIC COMMENT TODAY? SEEING NO ONE, WE'RE GOING TO GO AHEAD AND PUBLIC OR CLOSE PUBLIC COMMENT. MOVE ON TO OUR DISCUSSION ITEMS. ITEM SEVEN A. MAYOR AND COUNCIL, DO I HAVE ANYONE THAT NEEDS A REVIEW ON A SCHEDULED AGENDA ITEM? NO, SIR. OKAY. ITEM SEVEN B WE HAVE MR. HOOPER COMING UP HERE TO GIVE US AN UPDATE ON ROADWAY SAFETY MEASURES. THANK YOU SO MUCH, MAYOR AND COUNCIL. GOOD TO BE HERE TO BRING YOU A VERY POSITIVE UPDATE ABOUT AN INQUIRY THAT COUNCILMAN SIMPSON HAD AND WANTED US TO GIVE AN UPDATE ON THE ROADWAY SAFETY ORDINANCE WHERE WE'RE AT WITH THAT NOW. I ALSO HAVE CHIEF BIRKENFELD AND ALSO OUR JACOB DYER AS OUR CITY MARSHAL AS WELL, TO ANSWER QUESTIONS AT THE END OF THIS. JUST KIND OF A BRIEF RECAP ON WHERE WE WERE AT WITH THIS. WE FORMED A TASK FORCE WHEN WE WERE GIVEN THE TASK OF GOING ABOUT THIS, FINDING OUT WHAT WE COULD DO TO IMPROVE OUR INTERSECTIONS AND THE PEDESTRIANS THAT WERE IN THOSE INTERSECTIONS. I WANT TO REMIND YOU, TOO, THAT WHENEVER WE WE STARTED, THAT WE FOCUSED ON SAFETY OF THOSE INTERSECTIONS, NOT WHAT THIS PRESENTATION IS GOING TO FOCUS ON TODAY IS THE SAFETY ASPECT OF THIS. JUST A REMINDER OF WHAT THIS ORDINANCE WAS ABOUT STANDING AND WALKING IN CERTAIN AREAS. THE ENFORCEMENT PIECE WAS FOCUSED ON ALL THE SIGNALIZED INTERSECTIONS IN AMARILLO, PARTICULARLY THOSE THAT HAD HIGH PEDESTRIAN INJURIES AND FATALITIES, WHICH WE HAD SEEN A
LOT OF OVER THE PAST COUPLE OF YEARS. THE ORDINANCE CHANGE THAT WE MADE WERE BASICALLY SAYING THAT PEDESTRIANS ARE NOT ALLOWED TO OCCUPY EITHER THE MEDIAN THAT'S SIX FEET OR LESS IN WIDTH, OR AN AREA OF FOUR FEET FROM THE CURB INSIDE THE DEFINED SAFE ZONE THAT WE DEFINED IN THE ORDINANCE AS WELL, THAT SAFE ZONES ARE 100FT FROM THE CENTER OF ANY OF THE INTERSECTIONS, MAKING IT ILLEGAL TO BE IN THE ROADWAY AT ANY LOCATION WHICH WAS ALREADY, IN OUR EXISTING ORDINANCE, ILLEGAL TO BE STATIONARY ON AN ISLAND UNDER SIX FEET, AND ILLEGAL TO BE WITHIN THE DEFINED CLEAR ZONE OF THAT FOUR FOOT BOUNDARY WE'RE TALKING ABOUT. THIS IS JUST A QUICK GRAPHIC. THIS IS THE I-40 AND ROSS INTERSECTION, AS WE SHOWED YOU BEFORE WHEN WE WERE PUTTING THIS ORDINANCE INTO PLACE, YOU CAN SEE THAT THE CENTER MEDIANS ARE BLOCKED COMPLETELY OUT. AND THEN THOSE ARE THE SAFE ZONES OF THE YELLOW HIGHLIGHTED AREAS. AND THEN, OF COURSE, THE RED IS THE AREA THAT THEY CANNOT STAND IN. AS WELL. SO THIS IS ALSO I-40 AND SONCY TWO. THESE WERE TWO OF OUR BIGGER INTERSECTIONS WHERE WE SAW PROBLEMS WITH ACCIDENTS. I'LL BE GLAD TO REPORT THAT WE HAVE HAD ISSUED OVER 200 WARNINGS, NINE ARRESTS, TEN CITATIONS BETWEEN THE TWO DEPARTMENTS. WE HAD TALKED ABOUT COMING BACK IN ABOUT A YEAR. SO WE WANT TO HAVE LIKE 12 MONTHS WORTH OF DATA THAT WE COULD COMPARE TO A YEAR WORTH OF DATA. WE HAD THREE YEARS THAT WERE COMPILED BEFORE, BUT THIS IS WHAT WE'VE DONE SINCE THIS BEGAN. WE KNEW ABOUT SIX MONTHS OF THAT WOULD PROBABLY BE EDUCATING THOSE WHO WERE IN THE RIGHT OF WAY, LETTING THEM KNOW ABOUT. SO THAT'S WHERE YOU SEE THE 200 PLUS WARNINGS THAT HAVE BEEN ISSUED NINE ARRESTS, TEN CITATIONS. HERE'S THE BEST PART OF THE WHOLE THING. YOU SEE THE NUMBERS IN 21, 22 AND 23 ALL PRETTY CLOSE TO 80, THE HIGHEST BEING 80. AS FAR AS THE INJURIES ARE CONCERNED, WE'RE AT 23 RIGHT NOW AS FAR AS AND THIS IS JUST IT'S NOT PED CYCLISTS. THAT'S ACTUALLY JUST PEDESTRIANS. THAT'S A NUMBER THAT'S 23 THAT YOU SEE FROM MARCH TO PRESENT. SO WE STILL HAVE A FEW MONTHS LEFT TO GAIN A FULL YEAR'S WORTH OF DATA. BUT IF YOU MULTIPLY ALL THAT OUT, WE'VE CUT IT IN HALF BASICALLY THIS YEAR SO FAR. IF THAT WERE TO PROJECT OUT AT THE SAME RATE THROUGH THE REST OF THE YEAR, JUST ANOTHER GRAPH THAT'S KIND OF SHOWING THAT DECLINE TO WHERE WE'RE AT RIGHT NOW. THE INTERESTING THING ABOUT ALL OF THAT IS, IS AS YOU LOOK AT THE MAP, AND I KNOW THAT'S REALLY DIFFICULT TO SEE, BUT WE HAVE PRODUCED A MAP BEFORE SHOWING YOU WHERE ALL THE ACCIDENT LOCATIONS WERE AT. IF YOU LOOK AT WHERE ALL THESE ACCIDENT LOCATIONS ARE, THERE WERE ONLY TWO THAT WERE IN THE IDENTIFIED AREAS WHERE WE SAW THAT WE WERE HAVING ALL THE PROBLEMS AND ISSUES. SO I THINK IF YOU LOOK AT THAT 20 SOMETHING NUMBER THAT WE HAD JUST A MOMENT AGO, THAT'S QUITE A DECREASE. BUT WHEN YOU LOOK AT JUST HAVING TWO THAT ARE IN THOSE AREAS WHERE WE SAW TROUBLED AREAS, I THINK THE PROGRAM SO FAR HAS BEEN EXTREMELY SUCCESSFUL. I THINK ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE'VE NOTED IS THAT THERE IS THERE IS STILL ACTIVITY THAT'S OUT THERE THAT WE SEE. BUT I OBSERVED ONE YESTERDAY. I WANTED TO JUST KIND OF SET FOR ABOUT 20 MINUTES, AND THE PERSON WAS STANDING LEGALLY IN A PLACE THAT WAS ON THE SIDEWALK OUTSIDE OF THE SAFE ZONE AND JUST STANDING THERE. THEY WEREN'T BOTHERING TRAFFIC, BUT THEY WERE THERE. AND I THINK IT GIVES THE APPEARANCE THAT, YOU KNOW, MAYBE THEY'RE STILL GOING TO BE AN UPTICK IN THAT OR IT'S COMING BACK. BUT I THINK OUR POLICE DEPARTMENT, OUR MARSHAL'S OFFICE, HAS DONE A VERY GOOD JOB IN EDUCATING THE CITIZENS THAT ARE IN THESE AREAS. WE'VE ACCOMPLISHED THE GOAL SO FAR, AND I THINK WE'RE GOING TO CONTINUE TO SEE AND GAIN GROUND ON THAT AS FAR AS INJURIES AND FATALITIES. BY THE WAY, THERE WERE TWO FATALITIES IN THAT REPORT PERIOD, AND NEITHER ONE OF THEM WERE IN AN INTERSECTION. ONE OF THEM WAS IN AN ACCIDENT THAT WAS ON SACHSE. AND THEN THE OTHER ONE WAS IN AN AREA THAT WAS ALONG, I BELIEVE, A SERVICE ROAD OF I-40, BUT IT WAS NOT NEAR AN INTERSECTION ANYWHERE. BOTH OF THOSE, THE PEDESTRIANS WERE AT FAULT FOR THOSE. SO I THINK WITH THAT, IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, I CAN CERTAINLY TRY TO ANSWER THEM. BUT WE HAVE TWO OF THE EXPERTS THAT ARE HERE CAN ANSWER THEM AS WELL, AND WE'LL ENTERTAIN THOSE IF YOU HAVE THEM. QUESTIONS, COUNCIL? YES, SIR. SO WHAT. SO WE WE PUT THE INTERSECTIONS BY ORDINANCE THAT ARE APPLYING RIGHT NOW OR WHAT INTERSECTIONS. IT'S BASICALLY ANY INTERSECTION IN TOWN, BUT WE REALLY FOCUSED OUR ENFORCEMENT PIECES ON THOSE. THAT HAVE SIGNALIZED SIGNALIZED INTERSECTION. OKAY. AND THEN SO THOSE BEING ARRESTED WERE THAT IS THAT BECAUSE OF MULTIPLE TIMES OR WHAT LED TO ARRESTS VERSUS JUST GIVING A WARNING MULTIPLE TIMES? OUR STRATEGY HAS ALWAYS BEEN TO EDUCATE FIRST WARN AND THEN CITE, AND THEN IF IT CONTINUES, IT'S AN ARREST. THERE COULD BE OTHER FACTORS THERE. OTHER VIOLATIONS PRESENT, BUT MOST OF THESE WERE WORN CITE ARREST SITUATIONS. AND IS THIS JUST OFFICERS PATROLLING IN THOSE AREAS THAT ARE OUR CITIZENS, LETTING US KNOW WHERE THESE PROBLEM ISSUES OR HOW? WHAT LEADS US TO MAKE THOSE ARRESTS OR WARNINGS? IT'S A COMBINATION OF BOTH. WE'VE GOTTEN CALLS FROM THE PUBLIC, BUT WE'VE ALSO ASSIGNED OFFICERS. AND I KNOW THE MARSHAL'S OFFICE HAS DONE DONE THE SAME THING, ASSIGNED SPECIFIC PATROLS TO GO CHECK THOSE AREAS DURING DURING THE PEAK TIMES THAT WE KNOW THAT'S OCCURRING. AND IF CITIZENS NOTICE A PROBLEM, HOW DO THEY HOW DO THEY REPORT IT? WHO DO THEY REPORT IT TO? IS IT 911 OR IS IT NON-EMERGENCY NUMBER? WHAT'S THE PREFERENCE FOR? PREFERENCE IS NON-EMERGENCY UNLESS THERE'S SOMETHING CRITICAL GOING ON. IF SOMEBODY APPEARS TO BE IN DISTRESS OR STANDING IN THE MIDDLE OF THE STREET, CAUSING AN IMMEDIATE DANGER. OTHERWISE, IF SOMEBODY IS IN ONE OF THESE ZONES, CALL THE NON-EMERGENCY NUMBER 3783038. THAT'LL GET YOU TO DISPATCH. IT MAY TAKE A FEW MINUTES FOR US TO GET OUT THERE, BUT WE'LL CERTAINLY PUT IT IN THE QUEUE AND GO OUT THERE AND CHECK ON IT.
GOOD. THANKS. THANKS FOR THE UPDATE I APPRECIATE IT. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? NO. GENTLEMEN, REALLY APPRECIATE YOU. I KNOW YOU GUYS HAVE THREE AND A HALF FULL WORKLOADS ON A DAILY BASIS, AND THEN THIS IS ONE MORE THING. AND SO THIS IS PREVENTATIVE, AND WE GREATLY APPRECIATE IT. I THINK IT GOES A LONG WAY TO ACHIEVING THOSE PILLARS THAT WE'VE SET. SO THANK YOU. APPRECIATE YOU AND YOUR TEAMS. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MR. HOOPER. ALL RIGHT. ON TO AN UPDATE FOR THE WOMEN'S HEALTH CLINIC. WE HAVE MISS CASIE STOUGHTON HERE TO GIVE US AN UPDATE. THANK YOU, MAYOR AND COUNCIL FOR HAVING US BACK TODAY. I JUST WANT TO TAKE A MINUTE TO HIGHLIGHT AGAIN THE NEED FOR WOMEN'S HEALTH SERVICES IN THE TEXAS PANHANDLE. THIS SLIDE WAS CREATED BY THE TEXAS TECH VIBRANT MOMS PROJECT, A PROJECT IN WHICH AMARILLO PUBLIC HEALTH IS PARTNERING WITH TEXAS TECH. THEY HAVE AN NIH GRANT, AND THEY'RE WORKING ON SOME MATERNITY CARE SERVICES ACROSS THE TEXAS PANHANDLE OR ACROSS TEXAS. 46% OF COUNTIES ARE CONSIDERED MATERNITY CARE DESERTS, AND THIS IS PARTICULARLY CONCENTRATED IN WEST TEXAS AND THE PANHANDLE. AMONG THE SIX COUNTIES THAT ARE NOT HIGHLIGHTED ON YOUR SLIDE UP THERE, BUT ARE HIGHLIGHTED ON MY NOTES. AMARILLO POTTER AND RANDALL COUNTIES AND DEAF. SMITH COUNTY, GRAY COUNTY, SWISHER AND PARMER COUNTY. BETWEEN 22 AND 42% OF WOMEN RECEIVE NO PRENATAL CARE IN THE FIRST TRIMESTER, AND UP TO 48% OF WOMEN ENTER PREGNANCY WITH A CHRONIC CONDITION. AND SO WE BELIEVE THAT HEALTH SERVICES PROVIDED THROUGH PUBLIC HEALTH CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN THIS, IN THESE AREAS. OH, THERE THEY ARE. THESE ARE THE HRSA WOMEN'S PREVENTIVE SERVICES GUIDELINES. AND AGAIN, THESE SERVICES ARE IDENTIFIED AS HAVING STRONG SCIENTIFIC EVIDENCE OF THEIR HEALTH BENEFITS AND SHOULD BE PROVIDED AS PART OF COMPREHENSIVE CARE. OUR TEAM TOOK BACK THE FEEDBACK THAT WE RECEIVED AT OUR LAST AT THE LAST COUNCIL MEETING WHERE WE TALKED ABOUT WOMEN'S HEALTH AND INTEGRATED EACH OF THESE SERVICES THAT WE DISCUSSED, LIKE CAR SEATS AND CRIBS, TRANSPORTATION. AND THE TEAM IS READY TO ACCOMPLISH THOSE, THOSE GOALS, BUT THEY REQUIRE FUNDING. AND SO TODAY WE'RE GOING TO TALK ABOUT THE WOMEN'S HEALTH CLINIC, BUT ALSO TALK ABOUT THE NEED FOR ADDITIONAL FUNDING. SO THIS IS THE COMPREHENSIVE LIST OF SERVICES THAT WILL BE ABLE TO PROVIDE THROUGH THE WOMEN'S HEALTH CLINIC. WE'LL BE ABLE TO PROVIDE WELL-WOMAN EXAMS, WHICH WILL BE VERY COMPREHENSIVE IN NATURE MAMMOGRAM REFERRALS, PAP TESTING, PREGNANCY TESTING, CONTRACEPTION, STD TESTING AND TREATMENT, AND FEMININE HYGIENE ITEMS, AS WELL AS PRENATAL CARE WHICH WILL, OR PRE PRENATAL CARE, WHICH WILL INCLUDE PREGNANCY TESTING, PRENATAL VITAMINS, STD SCREENING, DRUG SCREENING, MENTAL HEALTH SCREENING, MEDICAID NAVIGATION AND LINKAGE TO SOCIAL SERVICES. AND THEN ONCE ONCE WE KIND OF HAVE COMPLETED ALL OF THAT, WE'LL BE ABLE TO PROVIDE A WARM HANDOFF INTO PRENATAL CARE. OUR TIMELINE IS CURRENTLY ON TRACK, SO WE, THE TEAM AT PUBLIC HEALTH, ARE CURRENTLY SETTING UP THE EXAM ROOMS THAT HAVE BEEN ALLOCATED FOR THE WOMEN'S HEALTH CLINIC. WE HAVE IDENTIFIED SIX EXAM ROOMS FOR WOMEN'S HEALTH, AND WE'RE REPURPOSING THE CLINIC FURNITURE THAT WE SECURED WHEN CITY CARE CLINIC CLOSED. AND SO THERE'S NO ADDITIONAL. THERE'S NO THERE'S NO COST ASSOCIATED WITH THE CLINIC FURNITURE, WHICH IS REALLY NICE BECAUSE WE'RE ABLE TO REPURPOSE THAT FURNITURE. THE TIMELINE FOR THE ADDITIONAL PIECES INTERNALLY THROUGH THE CITY BETWEEN OCTOBER AND DECEMBER, WE'LL WORK WITH FINANCE TO SET UP BUSINESS PROCESSES. WE'LL WORK WITH HR TO POST, INTERVIEW AND HIRE FOR ALL OF THE POSITIONS, AND WILL WORK WITH PURCHASING TO ESTABLISH CONTRACTS FOR LAB TRANSPORTATION AND REFERRAL SERVICES. EXTERNALLY, OUR GOAL IS TO START SEEING FOR OUR FIRST PATIENTS IN THE FIRST QUARTER OF 2025. HERE IS A JUST A QUICK VIEW OF THE BUDGET, A BREAKDOWN OF ITEMS. YOU CAN SEE THE RECURRING COSTS AND THE ONE TIME COSTS, ONE TIME COSTS BEING THE PURCHASE OF EQUIPMENT, THE PURCHASE OF COMPUTERS AND OFFICE FURNITURE, RECURRING COSTS, SALARIES, SUPPLIES, AND CONTRACTUAL SERVICES. THE TOTAL REQUESTED BUDGET FOR THIS PROJECT WOULD BE $1,398,101. SO WE ARE ASKING FOR AN ADDITIONAL $398,000.
ONE TIME COSTS ARE $58,100, AND THEN RECURRING COSTS WOULD BE $1,340,001. THESE ADDITIONAL SERVICES ARE GAME CHANGING. FOR EVERY DOLLAR INVESTED IN WOMEN'S HEALTH, ABOUT $3 IS PROJECTED IN ECONOMIC GROWTH, GENERATING THE EQUIVALENT IMPACT OF 137 MILLION WOMEN ACCESSING FULL TIME POSITIONS BY 2040, AND THAT INFORMATION WAS PROVIDED BY THE MCKINSEY GLOBAL INSTITUTE. SO THAT'S REALLY AN INCREDIBLE RETURN ON INVESTMENT. YOU CAN SEE ADDITIONAL STATISTICS. 64% OF WOMEN REPORTED HAVING DIFFICULTY AFFORDING MENSTRUAL PRODUCTS. 21% REPORTED THAT THEY WERE UNABLE TO AFFORD THESE PRODUCTS EVERY MONTH. WHEN WE TALK ABOUT CAR SEATS AND CRIBS, WHICH WAS CERTAINLY APPRECIATED THAT YOU BROUGHT UP LAST TIME, MOTOR VEHICLE DEATHS ARE THE LEADING CAUSE OF INJURY AND DEATH AMONG CHILDREN. MANY DEATHS CAN BE PREVENTED. IN 2021, THERE WERE 711 CHILD PASSENGERS BETWEEN THE AGES OF 12 WHO WERE 12 AND YOUNGER, WHO WERE KILLED IN MOTOR VEHICLE CRASHES. AND IN 2020, MORE THAN 63,000 CHILDREN WERE INJURED. SO CERTAINLY BEING ABLE TO PROVIDE CAR SEATS AND CRIBS WOULD WOULD MAKE AN IMPACT IN THIS AREA. AND THEN ONE STUDY FOUND A RETURN ON INVESTMENT FOR NON-EMERGENCY MEDICAL TRANSPORTATION BETWEEN $792 AND $3423 PER PATIENT PER MONTH. SO AGAIN, A HUGE RETURN ON INVESTMENT FOR MEDICAL TRANSPORTATION. AND WE HAVE A SUCCESSFUL TRACK RECORD APPLYING FOR, RECEIVING AND EXECUTING GRANTS WITH THE WOMEN'S HEALTH INFRASTRUCTURE IN PLACE WILL BE ABLE TO SEEK DIFFERENT GRANTS FOR PAYING FOR DIFFERENT ASPECTS OF THIS PROGRAM. SO OUR GOAL IS NOT TO ASK FOR THIS AMOUNT OF RECURRING FUNDING EACH YEAR, BUT TO HAVE A GREAT PROGRAM AND TO HAVE A REALLY SUCCESSFUL PROGRAM, WE NEED TO HAVE A STRONG INFRASTRUCTURE IN PLACE. QUESTIONS FROM MISS CASEY. I APPRECIATE ALL YOUR WORK, CASEY. ANY QUESTIONS? COUNCIL? NO. HEY. WE WE'RE EXCITED AS WELL. SO I THINK THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WE DEFINITELY CAN SEE THE ROI ON. WE APPRECIATE YOUR LEADERSHIP ON IT. I KNOW IT'S RIGHT. KIND OF IN THE HEART OF WHERE YOU OFFICE AND YOU SEE IT. AND SO ONE THING THAT I'M MOST EXCITED ABOUT, I THINK, IS THE GAP, YOU KNOW, HAVING THOSE RESOURCES AVAILABLE BUT NOT HAVING THEM WHEN YOU NEED THEM. THIS WILL ALLOW YOU TO FACILITATE THAT CONSISTENCY THAT, THAT OUR COMMUNITY NEEDS. AND THEN WE DEFINITELY LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING THOSE OUTCOMES. SO THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. APPRECIATE YOU. THANK YOU. NO. DON'T LEAVE. SORRY. COUNCILMAN. TIPPS. OH. DID YOU HAVE A. OH. I'M SORRY. HE JUST SAID THANK YOU. CASEY, APOLOGIZE. YOU CAN LEAVE. YEAH. THANK YOU. APPRECIATE THAT. YEAH. I THOUGHT YOU WERE TALKING. SORRY. THAT'S OKAY. OKAY. AT THIS TIME, WE'LL GO ON TO ITEM SEVEN D AN UPDATE REGARDING OUR ADC CORPORATION IN CONNECTION TO THE RANGE. SO WE HAVE LLOYD BROWN WHO SPOKE EARLIER, SCOTT BENTLEY FORMER BOARD CHAIR ON THE EDC CURRENTLY SERVING. WE HAVE MR. CARTER HERE AND SOME OTHER EDC STAFF MEMBERS. WE HAVE ANDREW HALL, THE CURRENT CHAIR HERE. IS THIS MINE OR DOES IT NEED TO GO SOMEWHERE ELSE? YES. OKAY. THANK YOU. MR. STREET, THANK YOU FOR STAYING. I WOULD LIKE TO TRY TO FACILITATE A CONVERSATION HERE AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE. A LOT OF THE STRUGGLE, I THINK, IN THIS IS THE LACK OF BEING ABLE TO COMMUNICATE, THE LACK OF ABILITY TO JUST GO AND GET THE DATA AND JUST HAVE IT. AND THEN MY PERSONAL OPINION IS THAT THIS BODY SITS AS THE AUTHORIZING UNIT AND THAT THIS BODY'S OPINION MATTERS MOST. AND SO WE DON'T NECESSARILY NEED TO ARGUE OVER WHAT TERM IS UNLAWFUL VERSUS ILLEGAL. WHAT WAS APPROPRIATE? WHAT WAS INAPPROPRIATE? YOU KNOW, THIS BODY WILL SET THE RULES AND THE REGULATIONS AND THE GUIDELINES FOR THE WAY IN WHICH THAT ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ENGINE RUNS. AND SO IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE WORK COLLABORATIVELY TOGETHER AND THAT WE LISTEN TO YOU GUYS. IT'S ALSO VERY IMPORTANT THAT YOU GUYS TAKE DIRECTION AND WORK ALONGSIDE US TO ACCOMPLISH THAT MISSION. SO IN HOPES OF TRYING TO DO THAT FOR THE GOOD OF OUR COMMUNITY ALL OF THOSE PROJECTS THAT ARE CURRENT, ALL THOSE FUTURE PROJECTS, EVERYTHING WE'VE ACCOMPLISHED
AND HAVING GOOD, STRONG ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, WHICH WE ARE NOT OPPOSED TO. SO MR. YOU NEIL GERBER. I AM GOING TO ASK YOU TO COME UP FIRST, I BELIEVE, SIR. SO WHAT WE DO HAVE IS WE HAVE AN UPDATE COMING FROM MR. GERBER THAT WILL SHED A LITTLE LIGHT ON THE DOCUMENT THAT WE WILL RELEASE TO THE PUBLIC. SO I WOULD JUST PREFACE THIS WITH SAYING EVERYTHING THAT WE HAD MR. GERBER GO AND GET IS ALL OF YOUR INFORMATION. YOU ARE THE BOSS. YOU ARE THE TAXPAYER. YOU OWN THE CITY, YOU OWN THIS ENTITY, YOU'RE THE THE SHAREHOLDER. AND WE ARE GOING TO TAKE HIS INFORMATION. IT'S BEEN REDACTED JUST FROM NAMES AND CERTAIN INFORMATION THAT HAD TO BE TO PROTECT IDENTITIES AND PRIVACY. IT WILL COME OUT TO YOU IN ITS FULLNESS FOR YOU TO REVIEW IT. AND I THINK THAT'S WHAT WE WANT TO SHOW THE PUBLIC TO HELP RESTORE CONFIDENCE THROUGH THIS ISSUE. SO, MR. GERBER, YOU'RE UP. GOOD AFTERNOON. YES. SO, AS REQUESTED BY COUNCIL AND THE MAYOR, WE HAVE COMPLETED THE AUDIT OF EXPENDITURES GREATER THAN $25,000 FOR EDC. WE ALSO ELECTED TO LOOK AT JOURNAL ENTRIES. OF COURSE, SOME EXPENDITURES WILL GO THROUGH JOURNAL ENTRIES LIKE WIRE TRANSFERS. WE DID NOT LOOK AT SALARIES, WAGES, FRINGES, DEPRECIATION OR AMORTIZATION. SO LOOKING THROUGH ALL THE EXPENDITURES FOR 24, 23 AND 22, WE GOT ABOUT A 90% COVERAGE IN TOTAL OF LOOKING AT THE SUPPORT AND SEEING THE PROCESS. A COUPLE OF FINDINGS WE HAD OR NOT FINDINGS. WE RAN INTO IS THAT WE WERE UNABLE TO IDENTIFY POLICIES, PROCEDURES, CONTROLS TO AUDIT AGAINST, WHICH IS A BIG KEY FOR ANY AUDIT THAT WE TAKE ON. WE HAVE TO HAVE A BACKBONE FOR THAT TO BE ABLE TO SAY, OKAY, WELL THIS IS HOW THE PROCESS WORKS. YES. APPROVAL LEVELS. THIS IS HOW APPROVALS ARE DONE, THINGS LIKE THAT. SO WE HAD THAT ISSUE. OTHER THAN THAT, I CAN GET INTO DETAIL OR IF THERE'S SPECIFIC AREAS YOU WANT TO ASK ME QUESTIONS ON, WE CAN DIVE IN. ULTIMATELY, WHAT WE DID IS AFTER A REVIEW OF ALL THESE EXPENDITURES AND ADJUSTING, WE CAME TO THE CONCLUSION THAT THE ENTRY IN THE TRANSACTION THAT WAS DONE FOR THE RANGE WAS AN EXCEPTION TO THE NORM. SO THAT'S THE ONLY ITEM THAT WE COULD IDENTIFY THAT DIDN'T FOLLOW THE PROCESS FOR PAYMENTS AND JOURNAL ENTRIES, WIRE REQUESTS AS WHAT WE SEE FOR EVERYTHING ELSE. SO WE CAN COMFORTABLY SAY THAT, YOU KNOW, EXCEPTION TO THE RULE IS THAT ONE ITEM. SO WE'VE PROVIDED YOU GUYS WITH THE DRAFT REPORT BREAKING OUT MORE DETAIL AS TO EXACTLY WHAT WE DID, WHAT WE LOOKED. WE PROVIDED SOME RECOMMENDATIONS. THESE RECOMMENDATIONS IS SOMETHING THAT THE THE COUNCIL AND CITY MANAGEMENT AND EDC CAN LOOK AT. YOU GUYS DECIDE WHERE YOU WANT TO GO WITH IT, WHAT YOU WANT TO BRING IN AND APPLY IT TO IT GOING FORWARD. AND THEN AT THIS POINT, IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, WE ALSO SORRY, WE PROVIDED YOU GUYS WITH ALL OUR WORK PAPERS TO SHOW HOW WE GOT OUR DATA, WHAT WE LOOKED AT, AND FOR ALL THOSE ITEMS OVER 25,000. WE PROVIDED YOU TO SUPPORT ALL THIS. I BELIEVE AFTER TODAY WE'LL GO PUBLIC FOR ANYBODY TO LOOK AT. I WILL REQUEST THAT IF YOU HAVE, SAY, SINGLE LINE ITEMS THAT YOU'VE IDENTIFIED AS LOOKING THROUGH, THAT YOU HAVE QUESTIONS ON, ON AN EXPENDITURE THAT WE KIND OF PULL A LIST TOGETHER AND WE CAN COME BACK TO YOU GUYS ON THOSE ITEMS AND GIVE YOU A DETAILED DESCRIPTION FOR INDIVIDUAL TRANSACTIONS. SO I APPRECIATE THAT YOU, NEIL. I KNOW YOU'RE TRYING TO KEEP US AT SOMEWHAT OF A HIGH LEVEL. SO YOU'RE SPECIFICALLY SAYING, NOT NECESSARILY THE POINT IN TIME THAT I WANT TO REFERENCE LINE ITEM 1483. AND THIS VOUCHER LOOKS TO BE WITH THE SUPPORTING DOCUMENT DOUBLE ENTERED. LET'S SAY IT'S A JOURNAL ENTRY OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT. YOU WANT TO GET WITH COUNCIL INDEPENDENTLY ON THOSE SPECIFIC LINE ITEMS. AND WHAT COUNCIL CAN DO IS GET TOGETHER, MAKE YOUR LISTING. WE CAN GET THE FULL LIST, BECAUSE I SUSPECT THAT WE'LL GET PUBLIC REQUESTS FOR MULTIPLE OF THE ONES THAT YOU'RE GOING TO REQUEST US TO GET ADDITIONAL INFORMATION FOR. SO I THINK WE SHOULD START AT KIND OF AN OVERALL HIGH LEVEL. AND THEN I THINK IT IS OKAY TO DRILL DOWN INTO SOME OF THE OTHER REIMBURSEMENTS, SOME OF THE WAYS IN WHICH THE VOUCHERS WERE MADE, THE WAY THAT THE
THE EDC FUNCTIONS SO COUNCIL. BEFORE I JUMP INTO MY QUESTIONS, I'LL ASK IF ANYBODY HAS SOMETHING THEY'D LIKE TO LEAD WITH. YEAH, I JUST HAVE ONE QUESTION. YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU SAY THIS ONE TRANSACTION IS DIFFERENT, ABNORMAL. CAN YOU GO INTO MORE DETAIL OF WHAT MAKES IT THAT WAY? WELL JUST FROM. WELL, YOU KNOW, JUST REMEMBER, WE WE DON'T HAVE ANY POLICIES, PROCEDURES OR DOCUMENTATION THAT WILL GIVE ME AN INDICATION THAT IT'S AN EXCEPTION. OKAY. SO THERE'S NO EXCEPTION AGAINST WHICH I CAN REPORT AGAINST. HOWEVER FROM OUR FROM OUR SIDE, YOU KNOW, THE BUDGET TRANSFER LINE ITEM, YOU KNOW, IT'S NOT RIGHT OR WRONG. IT'S THE APPEARANCE. BUT WE DON'T AUDIT AGAINST APPEARANCE. SO THAT'S WHY I COULDN'T CALL OUT FOR EXCEPTION OR AUDIT FINDING. SO WHAT I'M SAYING IS IT'S JUST THAT'S THE ONLY IN OUR CONCLUSION IS THAT APPEARS TO BE AN ANOMALY. OKAY. BECAUSE EVERYTHING ELSE IS THE SAME OVER THE PAST THREE YEARS. OKAY. OKAY. YOU KNOW, CAN YOU EXPAND ON THAT? I MEAN, JUST IT'S AN ANOMALY. HOW? IN THE SIZE, IN THE PROCEDURE. LIKE WHAT? WHY IS IT AN ANOMALY? YEAH. IN A PREPAID THE SIZE AND HOW IT WAS RECORDED. BUT AGAIN, I GOT TO STATE THAT IT'S NOT AN EXCEPTION BASED ON WHAT'S IN PLACE. SURE. THERE ARE NO POLICIES. THEY FOLLOWED BASICALLY FOLLOWED THE SAME PROCESS. AND WHY WE SAY IT'S AN ANOMALY? BECAUSE IT WAS BROUGHT TO OUR ATTENTION TO LOOK AT THAT 750. SO IF, IF WE IF THIS WASN'T AN ISSUE AND WE JUST SAID, LOOK AT THESE BOOKS, POINT OUT ANYTHING THAT STANDS OUT, THIS ONE, YOU SAID, WOULD IT STAND OUT IF YOU HAD NO KNOWLEDGE OF THIS ONE TRANSACTION, WOULD IT STAND OUT TO YOU. WE WOULDN'T HAVE LISTED IT AS AN EXCEPTION AT ALL BECAUSE IT FOLLOWS THE SAME TRENDS AS OTHERS, BUT THE WORDS YOU JUST USED BEFORE WERE THE EXCEPTION TO THE NORM. YEAH, IT'S AN ANOMALY DUE TO THE PREPAYMENTS, THE SIZE OF IT, THE JOURNAL ENTRY. AND THAT'S THE ONLY THING THAT I COULD IDENTIFY THAT'S A LITTLE OUTSTANDING. STANDING OUT MORE THAN NORMAL TRANSACTIONS FOR THE SIZE. YEAH, JUST THE SIZE OF IT. OTHER THAN THAT, EVERYTHING WAS IT WAS JUST LIKE A $50,000 TRANSACTION. IT WAS JUST EXACTLY 650. YES. SO THAT STOOD OUT AS WHAT YOU SAY. IT'S AN EXCEPTION TO THE NORM, MAINLY JUST BECAUSE OF THE SIZE. YES. OKAY. YES. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. OTHER QUESTIONS FOR COUNSEL? NOT AT THIS TIME. OKAY. I'LL JUST. I'LL ALSO JUST MENTIONED INTERNAL AUDITS. CURRENTLY WORKING ON TWO ADDITIONAL AUDITS PERTAINING TO THIS. WE WILL BE LOOKING AT REIMBURSEMENTS AND WE'RE LOOKING AT VENDORS WITH A TOTAL SPEND IS OVER 25,000 PER YEAR. SO WE KEPT IT OUT OF THIS REPORT SO THAT WE CAN BETTER FOCUS ON THE OTHER TWO. SO LET ME GO BACK TO THIS REPORT ON A COUPLE OF THINGS. DID THIS AUDIT IDENTIFY THE FUNDING SOURCE? YES. OKAY. YES. IN OUR WORK PAPERS, WE WE IDENTIFY WHERE THE FUNDING CAME FROM. SO IF THERE WAS $100,000 PAYABLE TO X, Y, Z, YOU CHECKED A BOX OF. YES. THIS WAS BUDGETED. AND THIS WAS APPROVED. YES. DID YOU IDENTIFY ANYTHING OTHER THAN THE RANGE PAYMENT FOR THE 750 THAT WAS NOT FUNDED? AND WHAT WAS NOT APPROVED? NO, SIR. OKAY. AND WHEN I SAY APPROVED, YOU DON'T HAVE A POLICY TO REFLECT THAT THEIR BOARD APPROVED IT IN THE WAY OF A VOTE. RIGHT. I'M JUST SAYING YOU HAVE A WAY TO LOOK AT IT AS A BUDGETED LINE ITEM IN THEIR OVERALL WORKING BUDGET. YES, THAT'S WHAT WE DID. SO FOR EACH ONE, EACH INDIVIDUAL GL ACCOUNT, AND THEN THE RELATED EXPENSES. THEN WE COULD TIE IT BACK TO A BUDGET LINE ITEM. OKAY. SO WE DO HAVE SOME QUESTIONS ON SOME OF THOSE REIMBURSEMENT EXPENSES IN THIS DRAFT THAT'S COMING OUT OR IN THIS REPORT THAT'S COMING OUT. THERE ARE PERSONAL REIMBURSEMENTS TO STAFF. AND THOSE REIMBURSEMENTS, I HAD TO ASK YOU SOME QUESTIONS. SO THEY WERE FILLED OUT ON A MONTHLY REPORT AND IT WOULD SAY, LIKE, HERE'S WHAT IT WAS FOR OR WHO IT WAS TO HERE'S THE AMOUNT. IT HAD A LINE ITEM THAT SAID P CARD. AND THEN IT HAD A LINE ITEM THAT SAID OTHER. CAN YOU EXPLAIN WHAT THE P CARD IS? OKAY. JUST TO JUST TO BRING UP AGAIN, WE ARE CURRENTLY WORKING ON AN AUDIT TO ADDRESS ALL THOSE AREAS. THE DATA IS IN THE DATA FOR THIS AUDIT. BUT WE LIKE I SAID, WE SEPARATE IT OUT. BUT TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTION. SO P CARD LISTINGS. THAT IS THE CITY CARD THAT'S IN OUR POSSESSION.
SO WE GET ISSUED CITY CARDS TO DO TRAVEL PURCHASES. OUTSIDE OF THAT PERSONAL CARDS. SO WHEN YOU LOOKED AT THE SUPPORT THAT YOU SAW, WE GOT P CARD AND THEN PERSONAL. THAT'S WHERE EMPLOYEE UTILIZES THEIR OWN PERSONAL CARD TO PAY FOR WHATEVER IT MIGHT BE SUBSCRIPTIONS, DUES. SO IT LOOKED IT LOOKED LIKE COMMON PRACTICE FOR EMPLOYEES. AND REALLY I SAY EMPLOYEES JUST BECAUSE I SAW A FEW OTHER NAMES. BUT THE MAJORITY OF WHAT I SAW WAS, WAS KEVIN CARTER'S OTHER LINE ITEM. AND SO LARGE AMOUNTS OF MONEY THAT WERE CHARGED TO PERSONAL CREDIT CARD, NOT OUT OF THE ORDINARY FOR HIM TO REIMBURSE HIMSELF AT THE END OF THE MONTH ON THAT PERSONAL CREDIT CARD. CORRECT. OKAY. MY MY CONCERN ON THAT AND MR. CARTER WILL HAVE YOU ADDRESS THIS ONE HERE IN A MINUTE. BUT MY CONCERN ON THAT IS IF YOU'RE UTILIZING A PERSONAL CREDIT CARD. WHY? SO YOU HAVE A PURCHASING CARD, A P CARD THAT GOES STRAIGHT THROUGH TO THE COMPANY. I COULD SEE IF MAYBE YOU WERE STANDING IN A HOTEL, AND THE HOTEL SAID, I'M SORRY, I CAN'T ACCEPT THAT. I HAVE TO HAVE A PERSONAL CARD ON FILE TO HOLD YOU LIABLE FOR DAMAGES OR WHATEVER. BUT THEN IF IT'S A PURCHASE TO. WHAT DID YOU SAY, THE SOD POODLES? TICKETS FOR 6800. WHY ARE WHY ARE WE NOT WRITING A CHECK THROUGH OUR FISCAL AGENT? WHY ARE WE PAYING A CREDIT CARD FEE TO OUR VENDOR OVER HERE? AND THEN WHY USE A PERSONAL CARD AND HAVE TO REIMBURSE THAT? WHY? WHY NOT? WHY NOT USE THE FISCAL AGENT? I CAN'T ANSWER THAT. OKAY. SO THESE ARE QUESTIONS, AND THERE'S NO EXISTING POLICIES OR PROCEDURES THAT SAY THAT IT CAN'T BE DONE. OKAY. I THINK THOSE ARE SOME OF THE QUESTIONS THAT I WOULD LIKE FOR MR. CARTER TO ANSWER HERE IN A MINUTE BEFORE YOU STEP DOWN. WE MAY HAVE A FEW OTHERS. SO IN THIS TRANSACTION, YOU SEE THE 750,000 THAT IS WIRE TRANSFERRED TO THE RANGE. YES, SIR. DID IT GO TO THE AMARILLO GLOBAL FOOD HUB? YES. SO IT DID GO TO THE AMARILLO GLOBAL FOOD HUB 50 WENT IN TOTAL IN 23. OKAY. FINANCE TEAM DOCUMENTED A 500,000 ABOVE THE LINE PREPAID ITEM. SO WHAT YOU WILL THEN SEE IN 24 YOU'LL SEE ANOTHER 250 ENTRY. IT'S NOT ADDITIONAL OVER AND ABOVE THE 750. IT'S JUST THE MOVEMENT OF THE FUNDS FROM ABOVE THE LINE TO BELOW THE LINE TO REDUCE THAT ASSET. SO FOR OUR PUBLIC TO HEAR WHEN YOU GET THIS DOCUMENT AND YOU SEE, OH WELL, HERE'S THE $750,000 WIRE TRANSFER. AND THEN IF YOU LOOK INTO THE FOLLOWING YEAR, SAY 2024. YOU SEE A $250,000 JOURNAL ENTRY. THAT JOURNAL ENTRY IS DOCUMENTING THAT MEMBERSHIP FEE. IT'S NOT AN ADDITIONAL EXPENDITURE. IT TOOK THAT ORIGINAL EXPENDITURE OF THE 750 AND RECORDED IT WITHIN THE CURRENT YEAR TO RECORD THE MEMBERSHIP FEE TRANSACTION. CORRECT. OKAY. AND THERE IS NO SUPPORTING DOCUMENTATION ON THAT ONE. WELL WE HAVE THE EMAIL REQUEST TO DO THE PAYMENT. WE HAVE AN INVOICE FROM THE RANGE FOR THE 750. THE WIRE TRANSFER. YOU HAVE AN INVOICE FROM THE RANGE. YES SIR. YOU DO. YES. AND IT SAYS MEMBERSHIP FEES DO. $750,000. OKAY. I DIDN'T SEE THAT. I SAW THE EMAIL BACK AND FORTH BETWEEN BLAIR SNOW, WHO WAS EMPLOYED AT THE TIME FOR THE WIRE TRANSFER APPROVED BY KEVIN CARTER. AND THEN I DID NOT SEE AN ACTUAL INVOICE. OKAY, YEAH, I MIGHT HAVE MISSED IT WASN'T PART OF THE EMAIL AND THE BANK TRANSFERS. I'LL GO DOUBLE CHECK THE SUPPORT, BUT, YEAH, WE HAVE AN INVOICE. SIGNED INVOICE. OKAY. YEAH. AND THEN THERE WAS NO CONTRACT. THERE WAS NOTHING ELSE LIKE SOME OF THESE OTHER ENTITIES THAT WE PAY MEMBERSHIPS TO ALL THE TIME. I MEAN, YOU SEE SUPPORTING DOCUMENTATION AND YOU DO SEE AN INVOICE COMING FROM THEM. I DIDN'T SEE THE INVOICE FROM THE RANGE. SO IF I'VE MISSED THAT, IF YOU CAN IF YOU CAN GET THAT TO US, I'LL GO DOUBLE CHECK. YEAH. I SAW COUNCILMAN SCHERLEN CREEPING UP TO HIS MICROPHONE. YOU WANT TO. YOU HAVE A QUESTION? YEAH, I JUST HAVE A QUESTION. ON THESE DOCUMENTS YOU WENT THROUGH? YES, SIR. ON A LOT OF THESE BIGGER ONES, IS THERE AN EXPLANATION WHAT IT'S FOR, OR IS THERE ANY NOTATIONS? A LOT OF THAT WILL BE HIGH LEVEL. SO IF YOU HAVE A JOURNAL ENTRY OR IF YOU LOOK AT THE PAYMENT VOUCHERS, YOU'RE GOING TO SEE A PAYMENT REQUEST COME THROUGH, WHICH IS LIKE A COVER SHEET. THEN YOU SHOULD HAVE THIS. OR YOU DO HAVE THE INVOICE AND THAT INVOICE WILL BREAK OUT WHAT WE'RE PAYING FOR. SO IN OUR PROCESS, WE MADE SURE THAT WE LOOKED AT THE LINE ITEM IN THE GENERAL LEDGER. SEE WE PAID MADE SURE THAT THE SUPPORT IS THERE, THAT WE'VE GOT A REQUEST THAT THE INVOICE MATCHES THE AMOUNTS, MATCHES THE VENDOR, MATCHES, THAT THE DATE IS WITHIN
RANGE. SO AND THEN IN ADDITION WE ALSO LOOK TO SEE OKAY IS THERE ANY KIND OF APPROVAL ON THAT DOCUMENT. SO WE WILL LOOK AT OKAY THERE'S A SIGNATURE BY MR. CARTER OR ANY ONE OF THE OTHER TEAM OR MULTIPLE WHICH KIND OF INDICATES THAT OKAY THEY WENT THROUGH A APPROVAL PROCESS. WELL, I NOTICED WHEN I WAS GOING THROUGH THE DOCUMENT YOU SHARED WITH US THAT I NOTICED ON A LOT OF MEAL TICKETS AND HOTEL VISITS. THERE IS NO DOCUMENTATION OF WHO WENT TO DINNER OR ANYTHING LIKE EDDY SHOWS A BASICALLY MILLS AND A TOTAL. OKAY. IS THAT CORRECT? WELL, WE IF THE AMOUNTS WERE RELATED TO CREDIT CARDS AND IT WAS UNDER 25, WE HAVE NOT LOOKED AT THAT AT THIS TIME. SO WE'VE ONLY LOOKED AT ANYTHING OVER 25,000. OKAY. NOW WHEN WE LOOK AT THE REIMBURSEMENTS. YES. AND THINGS LIKE THAT WILL BE DIGGING IN A LITTLE DEEPER. BUT, YOU KNOW, I THINK THAT'S WHAT I WAS LOOKING AT WAS THE REIMBURSEMENT AREA. YEAH. AND WE ESPECIALLY KEPT IT OUT OF THIS AUDIT. SO WE DON'T GET ALL THIS STUFF INTERMINGLED. SO WE ELECTED TO DO THREE DIFFERENT AUDITS. SO WE DID YOUR 25,000 REQUEST. AND NOW WE'RE LOOKING AT VENDORS AND WE'LL BE LOOKING AT REIMBURSEMENTS. SO IN A IN A COUPLE OF WEEKS YOU SHOULD HAVE A REPORT ON THE REST. OKAY. THAT'S WHAT THAT'S WHAT I WAS WONDERING. ANOTHER THING WOULD YOU RECOMMEND IN YOUR POSITION TO HAVE BETTER DOCUMENTATION, FOR INSTANCE, ON REIMBURSEMENTS AND THINGS LIKE THAT. FROM MY REVIEWS, THE SUPPORT THAT'S THERE IS PRETTY SOLID. THERE'S A LOT OF DOCUMENTATION. AS WE STARTED LOOKING AT REIMBURSEMENTS, IF YOU LOOK AT THAT, I MEAN, YOU CAN LOOK AT EVERYTHING LISTED AND THERE IS SUPPORT FOR EVERYTHING BEHIND IT. SO I DON'T THINK IT'S A LACK OF SUPPORT ISSUE. OKAY. I MEAN, I THINK AS I MENTIONED IN MY REPORT, I MADE SOME RECOMMENDATIONS AS TO APPROVAL LEVELS, CREATING POLICIES, CREATING PROCEDURES THAT WOULD, YOU KNOW, JUST FIX THE PROCESS. THANK YOU. OKAY. A COUPLE QUESTIONS. SO SO THIS 750,000 WAS DONE AT A PREPAY. THAT IS YOU'RE ACTUALLY PAYING THE MONEY AT ONE TIME. BUT THEN YOU'RE RECOGNIZING THE EXPENSE AND SUBSEQUENT YEARS CORRELATED TO THE BUDGET. IS THAT IS THAT COMMON WITH THE CITY OR WITH ADC DOING PREPAIDS LIKE THAT? COMMON. THIS IS THE FIRST TIME I'VE SEEN IT, BUT OF COURSE I'VE ONLY BEEN HERE TWO YEARS AND IT'S ONE OF MY FIRST MAJOR AUDIT AUDITS LIKE THIS. BUT YES, IT HAPPENS. WE WILL PAY SOMETHING IN ADVANCE FOR, SAY, THREE YEARS AND STUFF AND RECORD THAT PREPAID ON THE BOOK AND THEN ON THE CREDIT CARD. WHAT IS THE CITY'S POLICY ON CREDIT CARD USE? P CARD USAGE VERSUS PERSONAL CARD USAGE? WELL, CITY EMPLOYEES ARE NOT ALLOWED TO USE PERSONAL CARDS UNLESS IT'S A CASE OF EMERGENCY. AND THEN THEY CAN GET A REIMBURSEMENT ON THAT. AND IS THERE ANY POLICY WITH THE ADC REGARDING. NO, SIR. OKAY. WELL THAT'S. NO THERE IS. WELL SPECIFIC TO YES. SO NINE POINT FOR EACH EMPLOYEE. THIS IS EDC'S POLICY. EACH EMPLOYEE IS ISSUED A PURCHASING CARD. THIS IS A COMPANY CREDIT CARD TO BE USED FOR COMPANY RELATED EXPENDITURES. ALL EXPENDITURES MUST BE SUBSTANTIATED, AND THERE MUST BE RECEIPTS AND INVOICES WHICH DOCUMENT THE NATURE AND AMOUNT OF THE EXPENDITURE. THEN, RIGHT BELOW IT IN 9.5 PERSONAL EXPENDITURES ELIGIBLE FOR REIMBURSEMENT. IN ORDER FOR ANY PERSONAL EXPENDITURE TO BE CONSIDERED REIMBURSABLE, THE EXPENDITURE MUST BE IN CONNECTION WITH THE PERFORMANCE OF SERVICES AS AN EMPLOYEE. ALL PERSONAL EXPENDITURES INCURRED DURING THE NORMAL COURSE OF BUSINESS, WHICH REFLECTS THE MISSION OF THE ORGANIZATION, ARE ELIGIBLE FOR REIMBURSEMENT UPON REVIEW AND APPROVAL BY THE PRESIDENT AND CEO. AND THEN A MONTHLY EXPENDITURE REPORT MUST BE SUBMITTED TO THE PRESIDENT CEO AT THE BEGINNING OF THE FOLLOWING MONTH, AND IT CONCLUDES ON THE PERSONAL EXPENDITURES ARE REIMBURSED SEPARATELY AND MAILED TO THE ADDRESS ON FILE. SO WHEN AND THEN THE REST OF MY THAT'S THE POLICY THEY HAVE ON THE EDC SIDE. BUT IT DOESN'T IT DOESN'T LIKE IT'S CLEAR THAT THE CITY POLICY IS USE ONLY THE P CARD. THERE'S NO WORDING IN THAT THAT SAYS USE ONLY THE P CARD AND THAT THAT YOU CANNOT USE A PERSONAL CARD. I MEAN, LIKE I SAID, IT JUST STATES IN HERE. EACH EMPLOYEE IS ISSUED A PURCHASE CARD. THIS IS A COMPANY CREDIT CARD TO BE USED FOR COMPANY RELATED EXPENDITURES. AND DOES IT SAY IS IT REQUIRED? THAT MAY BE A POLICY WE WANT TO LOOK AT. IF DOWN THE ROAD THAT WE FEEL LIKE WE NEED TO APPLY THE SAME POLICY TO THE EDC THAT WE DO TO THE CITY. WELL, I MEAN, I HAVE SOME QUESTIONS FOR KEVIN HERE IN A LITTLE BIT, BUT I MEAN, IT'S A TO ME, APPROVE ALL EXPENDITURES AND ALL EXPENDITURES.
SO ALL EXPENDITURES HAVE BEEN APPROVED. CORRECT. I MEAN, AS FAR AS CREDIT CARD ACTIVITY OR. CORRECT. EVERYTHING. YES. THERE'S APPROVALS. OKAY. YEAH. LOADED QUESTION THERE. GOOD QUESTION. BUT IT'S THE QUESTION OF THE HOUR. WHAT IS APPROVAL OF ALL EXPENDITURES? AND SO COUNCIL, ANY FURTHER QUESTIONS FOR YOU? NEIL, I THINK IT WOULD BE GOOD TO GIVE MR. CARTER AN OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK TO THE CREDIT CARD ISSUE. I HAVE NOTHING FOR YOU, NEIL. THANK YOU, MR. GERBER. APPRECIATE YOU. THANK YOU. MR. CARTER, THANK YOU FOR JOINING US HERE TODAY. DO YOU MIND TO ADDRESS THE THE USE OF OF A PERSONAL CREDIT CARD AND YOUR P CARD? MAYBE THE WHY BEHIND IT AS FAR AS, LIKE, WHY YOU USE YOUR PERSONAL CARD? YEAH, ABSOLUTELY. I THINK I THINK THE THE NATURE OF THE REASON WHY WE WENT, YOU CAN SEE PROBABLY, I MEAN, IF YOU LOOK, 4 OR 5 YEARS AGO, WE USED THE P CARD AND THEN WE STARTED HAVING PROBLEMS. LIKE WHAT MR. SHERLUND I THINK TALKED ABOUT MAYBE WITH THE HOTEL WHERE IT WOULDN'T REJECT THE CARD. AND IT WAS GETTING FRUSTRATING. SO WE WENT TO THE PERSONAL CARD. IT WAS ALLOWED UNDER OUR POLICY. IT DOESN'T SAY THAT WE'RE REQUIRED TO USE PERSONAL CARD. I THINK THAT FIRST HAPPENED WHEN MISS STREET WAS OUR CHAIR, AND THEN IT'S CONTINUED. I'VE HAD PERMISSION FROM EACH ONE OF OUR CHAIRS TO USE A PERSONAL CARD. SINCE THEN, THE DOCUMENTATION IS EXACTLY THE SAME WHETHER YOU USE THE P CARD OR THE PERSONAL CARD, AND I HAVE A COPY OF WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE. WHAT YOU'RE GOING TO GET IN THE AUDIT, IF YOU IF I CAN BRING IT UP TO YOU, THAT'LL BE VERY HELPFUL. I'LL LET AND IT HAS THAT'S A COPY OF MINE. SO EACH MONTH THERE'S A DETAILED. I'M SORRY I DIDN'T BRING COPIES. THAT'S OKAY. WE CAN PASS IT. IT'S A DETAILED. SO, YOU KNOW, I DON'T EVEN KNOW WHAT THE AMOUNT IS. COUNCIL MEMBER TIPPS. WHATEVER THAT AMOUNT IS. I THINK THAT'S THE ONE FROM AUGUST. MAYBE 7201, $7,200. IT'S GOING TO HAVE HOTEL BILLS. IT'S GOING TO HAVE WHATEVER TRAVEL EXPENSES. IT IS GOING TO HAVE OUR MARKETING COMPANY THAT WAS THEIR PREFERRED PAYMENT. AND THAT'S GRIFFIN WINK. THAT'S PART OF OUR BUDGETED, THE $800,000 WHERE WE PAY FOR WEBSITE CONTENT DEVELOPMENT OR MARKETING. THAT'S ONE OF THE, YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT THAT'S A MONTHLY GOING YOU'RE ALL GOING TO ALSO GOING TO SEE THE AT&T BILL. THEY DON'T ACCEPT CHECKS OR THEY WE'VE HAD PROBLEMS WITH THAT. AND SO THAT'S ONE OF THE MONTHLY EXPENSES THAT'S ON THERE. BUT THE BACKUP DETAIL FOR EACH ONE OF THOSE EXPENSES WOULD BE THE SAME, WHETHER IT WAS A P-CARD OR REIMBURSEMENT. IN THE CASE OF ALL OF OUR STAFF, EXCEPT FOR ME, IS THEY SUBMIT THAT ON A MONTHLY BASIS AFTER THE MONEY IS EXPENDED. I HAVE TO APPROVE THAT THEIR EXPENSE. BUT FOR ME TO GET REIMBURSED, I HAVE TO, TO FILL OUT THAT PAPERWORK. AND THEN FOR ME TO GET, I HAVE TO GO AND TYPICALLY I DON'T I THINK MAYBE ONCE. ONE EXCEPTION IS IT'S ALWAYS BEEN THE BOARD CHAIR THAT SIGNED OFF ON THAT REIMBURSEMENT BEFORE THAT CHECK IS ISSUED TO ME, AND BEFORE THAT VOUCHER IS FILLED OUT WITH THE CITY, CAN I CAN I INTERJECT SOMETHING REAL QUICK? YES, SIR. CAN YOU DESCRIBE TO ME WHAT YOU MEAN BY APPROVED? WHEN YOU SAY APPROVED, LIKE IS THE CITY COUNCIL APPROVED? IS IT APPROVED BY YOUR BOARD OR ARE YOU THE THE AUTHORIZER OF THOSE. SO LET'S SAY MR. NELSON TURNS IN HIS $10,000 REIMBURSEMENTS FOR THE MONTH. SO THOSE ARE APPROVED BY THE BY THE BOARD AND THE COUNCIL THROUGH THE YEAR. WITH THE BUDGET THAT YOU GUYS APPROVED LAST YEAR, LET'S JUST SAY WE'RE WORKING OFF OF LAST YEAR'S BUDGET THAT YOU APPROVED. I DON'T KNOW, $3.7 MILLION THAT YOU APPROVED LAST YEAR FOR THE EDC BUDGET. SO, MR. CARTER, THOSE ARE APPROVED BASED ON THE FACT THAT YOU ARE TAKING THOSE ITEMS AND ALLOCATING THOSE TO THE FUNDS THAT YOU'RE YOU'RE WORKING IN. SO SO YOU PUT THEM OVER TO PROJECT DEVELOPMENT OR BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT IS PROBABLY GOING TO BE THE MOST FIT MINE. BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT IS GOING TO BE WHAT MOST OF MINE COME OUT OF. AND THAT'S 91110.61346. THAT'S WE HAVE FOUR BUSINESS UNITS THAT WE OPERATE UNDER 91100. THAT'S OUR OPERATIONS ACCOUNT. THEN WE HAVE 9110. THAT'S OUR MARKETING BUDGET. THEN WE HAVE NINE ONE 200. THAT'S OUR TPDC. THOSE ARE PASS THROUGH FUNDS. AND THEN I THINK IT'S 91220I BELIEVE IS PROJECT SUPPORT. IS THAT RIGHT, DOUG OR LAURA? I THOUGHT THAT WAS WHAT'S TPDC THEN. SO FOR BUSINESS UNITS, IT'S GOING TO BE ESTABLISHED. YOU'RE ONE OF THOSE. AND THEN A LINE ITEM INSIDE OF EACH ONE OF THOSE BUSINESS UNITS. SO YOU'RE TRACKING THESE. SO LET'S SAY LIKE TEAM TEXAS AND SOME OF THE OTHER ITEMS THAT ARE ALL MEMBERSHIPS YOU'RE PAYING THOSE YOU'RE TRACKING THOSE. YOU'RE ALLOCATING THOSE TO THOSE LINE ITEM BUDGETS, MAKING SURE YOU'RE NOT OVER BUDGET. AND THEN YOU'RE TURNING THAT INTO YOUR BOARD.
AND YOUR YOUR BOARD IS HOW DOES THIS EVER GET BACK TO THE PUBLIC? WHERE DOES THIS EVER BECOME ANYTHING THAT THE PUBLIC CAN SEE? I THINK IF THE PUBLIC REQUESTS THAT INFORMATION, CERTAINLY WE WOULD GIVE THAT INFORMATION BECAUSE IT'S LIKE YOU SAID EARLIER, THE PUBLIC OWNS THAT INFORMATION. BUT TO MAKE SURE THAT, YOU KNOW, WE'RE WITHIN CAPACITY. WE DO HAVE AN AUDIT EACH YEAR TO MAKE SURE. AND THEY LOOK AT THEY LOOK AT EVERY ONE OF THOSE REIMBURSEMENTS FOR ME. I KNOW THAT BECAUSE I'VE HAD QUESTIONS ASKED IN THE PAST. AND SO I GOT A FEW OTHERS, BUT I DON'T WANT TO GET IN YOUR WAY. I JUST HAVE ONE DIRECT QUESTION, KEVIN. SO WHATEVER ON THESE PERSONAL REIMBURSEMENTS, WHEN YOU'RE PAYING WITH A PERSONAL CARD, I MEAN, DO YOU HAVE ANY DIRECT BENEFIT, LIKE POINTS OR MILES OR THINGS LIKE THAT? WE DO. YES, SIR. AND HOW DO YOU DELINEATE THAT BETWEEN BUSINESS AND PERSONAL USE? IF IT'S GOING, I GUESS I DON'T UNDERSTAND THE QUESTION. SO IF YOU'RE LIKE SAY FOR INSTANCE, ON I'LL JUST PULL UP 2024. I MEAN, FOR A TEAM TEXAS MEMBERSHIP FOR IT'S LIKE $10,000. YOU GOT 10,000 POINTS, YOU KNOW, ON A SOUTHWEST AIRLINE CARD OR A CHASE CARD OR SOMETHING SIMILAR TO THAT. HOW DO YOU DELINEATE THOSE POINTS FROM WHENEVER YOU'RE IN PERSONAL USE VERSUS ON BUSINESS? IT'S BEEN PAST HISTORICAL THAT STAFF GETS TO KEEP THOSE MILES. OKAY. OKAY. I WANT TO DRILL DOWN INTO THAT A LITTLE BIT MORE. BUT DID YOU HAVE SOMETHING, SIR? NO, I WAS JUST GOING TO ASK YOU. YOU HAD MADE MENTION. DOES THE ENTIRE STAFF USE PERSONAL CARD MAINLY OR JUST NOT EVERYONE DOES. IT'S THEIR OPTION. WE'VE MADE THAT THEIR OPTION. AND SO. SO I WANT TO GO ON, LIKE, DO YOU HAVE A CASH BACK CARD? I DO NOT, NO, SIR. OKAY. SO YOU GET NO CASH BACK. YOUR BENEFIT FROM THE USE OF THAT PERSONAL CREDIT CARD WOULD BE IN MILES. THAT'S CORRECT. I MEAN, I'LL TELL YOU WHAT MINE IS. MINE IS AN AMERICAN AIRLINES CARD. OKAY. AND THEN YOU CAN USE THOSE MILES AND KEEP THEM FOR YOUR OWN PERSONAL USE. YOU'RE NOT APPLYING THOSE TO, SAY, SAVINGS TO THE EDC FOR YOUR NEXT TRIP. NO, SIR. OKAY. AND IS THAT OKAY? I MEAN, I DON'T GUESS I UNDERSTAND THE QUESTION, OTHER THAN IT'S BEEN HISTORICAL HISTORY THAT WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO USE THOSE MILES PERSONALLY. OKAY. JUST AS WHEN WE STAY IN A HOTEL, WE GET HOTEL MILES AND THOSE KIND OF THINGS. WE'VE NOT GIVEN THOSE BACK. OKAY. THOSE HAVE BEEN USED. YOU DISCLOSE THAT TO YOUR BOARD AND THEY KNOW. AND I MEAN, THE ONLY THE ONLY NEW ONES TO FIND THIS OUT WOULD BE US IN, LIKE, KIND OF HOW THIS WORKS, I THINK SO. DESCRIBE FOR ME THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A BUDGET AND AN APPROVED EXPENDITURE, JUST IN YOUR OPINION. OKAY, SO LET'S TAKE LAST YEAR'S BUDGET THAT WAS APPROVED BY OUR BOARD AND OUR COUNCIL. IT AUTHORIZES US TO SPEND AS AN ORGANIZATION UP TO THAT BUDGETED AMOUNT FOR THAT PARTICULAR LINE ITEM UP TO THAT TOTAL AMOUNT FOR THE TOTAL BUDGET. FOR THE TOTAL BUDGET. SO IF YOUR BUDGET IS 28 MILLION, YOU HAVE A $28 MILLION TOTAL SPEND. WELL, I MEAN, I GUESS IF THAT WAS THE TOTAL BUDGET, OUR TOTAL BUDGET WAS $3.7 MILLION IN SPENDING LAST YEAR. SO YOU HAVE $3.7 MILLION WORTH OF DISCRETIONARY EXPENDITURES THAT YOU CAN MAKE BASED ON THE FACT THAT THEY WERE APPROVED IN A BUDGET WHEN IT WAS APPROVED AT COUNCIL. THAT'S CORRECT. SO IN YOUR OPINION, COUNCIL APPROVED YOUR BUDGET FOR 3.7 MILLION, AND THAT GIVES YOU THE ABILITY TO APPROVE THOSE LINE ITEM EXPENDITURES AS YOU SEE NEEDED, NOT BASED ON THE BUDGET LINE ITEM AMOUNTS. WE TRY TO STAY WITHIN THAT BUDGET. THERE IS SOME DISCRETION. IF YOU GO OVER AND YOU'RE UNDER IN OTHERS, JUST JUST AS EVERY MUNICIPALITY IN THE STATE DOES, AND THE EDC'S DO THEY HAVE THAT BUDGET POWER TO MOVE WITHIN LINE ITEMS, JUST LIKE I SAID, LIKE THE CITY OF AMARILLO HAS. IT'S THE SAME AUTHORITY THAT WE WE HAVE THE SAME. SO WE DO THE SAME ACCOUNTING PRINCIPLE. SO YOU HAVE A BUDGET LINE ITEM FOR THE RANGE. YOU CHOOSE NOT TO FUND THAT. EVEN THOUGH IT WAS APPROVED FROM THE COUNCIL AND THIS IS A SCENARIO YOU CHOOSE TO FUND A MEMBERSHIP TO THE KKK. AND AND YOU DIDN'T ASK FOR ANYONE'S PERMISSION. NOBODY APPROVED IT. YOU COULD DO THAT CURRENTLY UNDER YOUR POLICY OR UNDER YOUR HISTORIC GUIDANCE. THAT'S A TOUGH QUESTION TO ASK. THAT'S AN IRRESPONSIBLE. IT WOULD BE GROSS REFERENCE TO USE THAT AS A REFERENCE. I MEAN, I DON'T EVEN KNOW HOW YOU I WANT TO MAKE THE COMPARISON TO TAKING $100,000 BUDGET LINE ITEM FOR THE RANGE, TURNING IT INTO 250 ADVANCING IT UP TO
750 AND FUNDING THAT UNDER YOUR DISCRETION. SO THAT'S OKAY ACCORDING TO YOU. CORRECT. NO, SIR, BECAUSE I WOULDN'T I MEAN, THAT'S MORALLY THERE'S NO WAY I WOULD DO THAT. SO. SO YOU DID NOT DO THAT. THAT'S THAT'S A HARD QUESTION. SO YOU DID NOT YOU DID NOT CHANGE THE AMOUNT FROM THE $100,000 MEMBERSHIP FEE AT THE RANGE TO 250, AND THEN ADVANCE IT THREE YEARS IN A ROW AND APPROVE THAT THROUGH A WIRE TRANSFER. I THINK TWO BOARD MEMBERS WOULD TELL YOU THAT THEY GAVE ME THE PERMISSION TO DO THAT. SO THAT WAS NOT FOR ME. OKAY. I THINK THAT'S A VERY, A VERY DIRECT QUESTION THAT REQUIRES A DIRECT ANSWER. SO YOU WERE DIRECTED BY YOUR BOARD MEMBERS TO CARRY OUT THAT BY THE BUDGET COMMITTEE OF THE ADC THAT YEAR? OKAY. AND AND IF IF THEY HADN'T HAVE DIRECTED YOU UNDER CURRENT GUIDANCE AND PRINCIPLES, POLICIES, YOU COULD HAVE DONE IT AS LONG AS YOU WERE UNDER YOUR 3.7 MILLION. CORRECT. AND THAT'S THE GUIDELINES THAT WE WERE OPERATING UNDER. YOU KNOW, HISTORICAL THAT'S HOW WE'VE OPERATED THE EDC IS TO HAVE THAT LINE ITEM AUTHORITY TO MOVE WITHIN THE ITEM, AS LONG AS WE STAYED UNDER BUDGET. OKAY. COUNCILMAN SCHERLEN I SEE YOU GRABBING YOUR MICROPHONE AND YOU CAN DO THAT WITHOUT BOARD APPROVAL, CORRECT? YES. ALL IT TAKES IS TWO. YOUR CHAIRMAN AND VICE CHAIRMAN CAN DO THAT. CORRECT? I MEAN, FROM WHAT WE UNDERSTAND MR. CARTER IS, I BELIEVE MR. BENTLEY AND MR. HALL GAVE YOU APPROVAL TO DO THAT. IS THAT CORRECT? YES, SIR. SO, IN OTHER WORDS, ALL IT WOULD HAVE TAKEN IS ONE MORE BOARD MEMBER TO MAKE THIS TOTALLY LEGAL. CORRECT. YEAH. I CAN'T ANSWER THE LEGAL QUESTION BECAUSE WE HAD THE BUDGET, WE HAD THE HISTORICAL APPROVAL PROCESS THAT WE COULD STAY WITHIN OUR BUDGET. AND THAT'S WHAT WE DID. COUNCIL MEMBER. AND THIS IS WHERE WE'RE HAVING A PROBLEM WITH IS THIS HISTORICAL THING. AND I'M NOT TRYING TO BE ARGUMENTATIVE. YEAH. NO PROBLEM. MY MY BIG THING IS I WOULD THINK YOU HAVE THESE CHAIRMAN AND VICE CHAIRMAN. ALL IT WOULD TAKE IS ONE MORE BOARD MEMBER. AND WE WOULDN'T BE SITTING HERE TODAY TALKING ABOUT THIS. I MEAN, TO ME, THAT IS A VERY, VERY LAX COMPANY POLICY. I MEAN, I DON'T KNOW, A BUSINESS IN THE WORLD THAT WOULD ALLOW THREE QUARTERS OF $1 MILLION TO GO WITHOUT APPROVAL. I MEAN, NOW YOU HAD APPROVAL AND YOU YOU SAID THAT. AND I APPRECIATE YOU SAYING THAT, BUT YOU WERE DIRECTED BY. AND WHO GAVE THESE TWO GENTLEMEN THE DIRECTION TO DO THIS? WHERE DID THAT COME FROM? THEY WERE THEY WERE THE APPOINTED BUDGET COMMITTEE THAT YEAR. AND SO. OKAY. BUT I MEAN, WHO CAME TO THEM SAYING WE NEED TO DO THIS? I THINK DURING THE THE CONVERSATION WITH THE, YOU KNOW, SETTING UP THE RANGE AND SETTING UP WITH ALL THE STUDIES THAT WE CONDUCTED, WE KNEW THAT WE WERE GOING TO PAY SOME TYPE OF MEMBERSHIP IN THE RANGE. I MEAN, WE SET IT UP. WE WANTED IT TO SUCCEED. AND SO THE DECISION WAS MADE TO PAY THOSE TO GET THEM STARTED. AND THEN HOPEFULLY IN THE FUTURE, WE WOULDN'T AS AN ORGANIZATION HAVE TO FUND THAT ORGANIZATION. WE JUST NEEDED TO GET IT OFF THE GROUND. WE WANTED TO SUCCEED. WE SPENT, I DON'T KNOW, $350,000 ON A STUDY OVER TWO YEARS. WE NEEDED THAT, THAT ORGANIZATION TO SUCCEED. AND SO THAT'S WHY IT WAS DONE. AND SO, OKAY. YEAH, I THINK, YOU KNOW, I'M NOT AFRAID TO STAND UP HERE. I THINK MR. BENTLEY AND MR. HALL WOULD SAY, HEY, WE YOU KNOW, WE NEED TO MAKE IMPROVEMENTS TO OUR POLICY TO KEEP THIS FROM HAPPENING IN THE FUTURE. I DON'T I DON'T THINK THERE'S ANY DOUBT. I THINK THEY'VE SAID THAT TO TO YOU, MAYOR, AND TO YOU, COUNCIL MEMBER SIMPSON, IN THAT MEETING, I BELIEVE THEY SAID THAT TO YOU. AND THAT'S WHY WE IMPLEMENTED THE POLICY LAST WEEK AND OR THIS LAST BOARD MEETING TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE NOT HERE IN FRONT OF YOU AGAIN AFTER I SAW YESTERDAY'S INTERVIEW ON TV. I THINK THERE'S SOME MISUNDERSTANDING ON THE MOTION I MADE AT THE MEETING LAST WEEK. I GUESS IT WAS IT CAME OUT. BASICALLY, WE'RE STRANGLING Y'ALL BECAUSE WE'RE NOT GIVING YOU ANY MONEY. I MADE THE MOTION. I SAID, IF Y'ALL NEED ANYTHING, COME AND ASK. Y'ALL HAVEN'T CAME TODAY TO ASK FOR ANYTHING. YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT A BUDGET ITEM FOR ADVERTISING.
ALL YOU GOT TO DO IS SAY WE NEED THIS TO DO ADVERTISING? I ACTUALLY DID COME TODAY WITH THE WITH AN ITEM ON THE AGENDA THAT DID NOT GET PUT ON THERE, AND WAS GIVEN NO REASON AS TO WHY THAT AGENDA WAS TO PUT ON. I SENT THAT TO THE MAYOR AND TO THE CITY MANAGER TO ADJUST THE MARKETING BUDGET FOR A COUPLE OF GATEWAY SIGNS THAT WE'VE BEEN WORKING ON FOR THE, YOU KNOW, UNFORTUNATELY, WE'VE BEEN WORKING ON FOR A YEAR. SORRY ABOUT THAT. COUNCIL MEMBER. TIPPS. I SENT THAT TO THE MAYOR AND THE CITY MANAGER AND GOT NO RESPONSE AS TO WHETHER THAT WAS GOING TO BE ON THE AGENDA. I JUST WHEN THE AGENDA CAME OUT, IT WAS NOT ON THE AGENDA. SO WE WE DID COME AND ASK FOR THAT. COUNCIL MEMBER SCHERLEN. BUT AS FAR AS MARKETING, NO, WE DID NOT ASK FOR THAT TODAY. WE'RE NOT AT THAT POINT. IT'S JUST IF WE GET PAST THIS MONTH, WE WILL HAVE TO COME AND ASK BEFORE WE, YOU KNOW, WITH THE CONSTRAINTS, WE'LL HAVE TO COME AND ASK FOR THAT. I JUST WANTED THE PUBLIC TO KNOW THAT WE DIDN'T TIE Y'ALL'S YELLS HANDS. YOU ARE ABLE TO GET MONEY IF YOU ALL NEED MONEY. YOU'RE ABLE TO SPEND MONEY IF YOU NEED MONEY. WE'RE JUST ASKING YOU TO COME WITH GET APPROVAL BEFORE WE JUST GIVE YOU $3.7 MILLION TO DEAL WITH WHAT YOU WANT TO. WELL, THIS IS A CONSTRAINED BUDGET FOR A VERY SHORT PERIOD OF TIME, WITH THE INTENTION OF PASSING A BUDGET THAT HAS A LIST OF LINE ITEM EXPENDITURES THAT CAN BE APPROVED BY COUNCIL. SO CHAPTER 22 OF THE BUSINESS ORGANIZATION CODE REQUIRES A MAJORITY VOTE OF YOUR BOARD FOR THIS TO BE AUTHORIZED. SO THE WAY THAT YOU'VE BEEN OPERATING HISTORICALLY DOESN'T IS NOT AS CONSISTENT WITH STATE LAW AS WE WOULD LIKE. AND I THINK THAT'S WHY WE'RE ASKING THESE HARD QUESTIONS HERE TODAY. HOW HOW ARE YOU GUYS SINGLE HANDEDLY OR IN SMALL TWO MEETING DISCUSSIONS, TWO, TWO PERSON DISCUSSIONS, CHANGING AMOUNTS AND ADVANCING FUNDS WITHIN AN OVERALL GLOBAL BUDGET THAT DOES HAVE A LINE ITEM. THE BUDGET THAT YOU PRESENTED DID HAVE A $100,000 EXPENDITURE TO AMARILLO GLOBAL FOOD HUB. YES, SIR. OKAY, SO YOU DID YOU DID GET THAT AMOUNT APPROVED. AND THEN DO YOU KNOW WHO OWNS THE THE RANGE? WHO DID YOU SET THAT UP WITH WHEN WHEN IT WAS GIFTED. THERE WAS NO GIFT. WE WE WE HELPED DO THE STUDY AND AND AND MISS STREET MAY BE THE ONE THAT CAN EXPLAIN THAT, BUT NO EDC FUNDS WERE EXPENDED TO SET THE THE NONPROFIT UP. THEY PAID THEIR OWN LEGAL FEES. I MEAN, OBVIOUSLY PROBABLY OUT OF THE DUES THAT WE WE PAID, BUT WE DID NOT WE DID NOT EXPEND LEGAL FEES SETTING UP THE THE RANGE STRUCTURE. SO THE STUDY, THE STUDY HELPED SUGGEST WAYS TO SET THAT, SET THE CORPORATION UP AND WHAT NEEDED TO BE WITH THE SUBSEQUENT. BUT IT'S A NONPROFIT, SO NOBODY OWNS THE NOBODY OWNS THE RAIN. IT'S JUST THE BOARD MEMBERS THAT ARE SO SO IT'S A NONPROFIT AND IT WAS INCENTIVIZED BY THE EDC. AND SO CAN YOU RECAP THAT INCENTIVE? YOU HAD AN INCENTIVE. WE PAID DUES. SO IT WAS AN INCENTIVE. WELL, YOU HAD THE STUDY THAT YOU FUNDED FOR 375,000. YEAH. I DON'T THINK IT WAS 375. I THINK THAT WAS WHAT IT WAS GOING TO BE UP TO. I DON'T HAVE THE LIST OF. SO LET'S LET'S SAY IT WAS OVER 300,000. MAYBE IT WAS APPROVED BETWEEN THE TWO STUDIES. BUT I MEAN, IT WAS OVER ABOUT A, I DON'T KNOW, 19 OR 19 OR 20 MONTH PERIOD WITH THE TWO STUDIES AND I WOULD SAY EVERY BIT OF 350 TO 400,000 THAT AND THAT MAY BE CUTTING IT SHORT. MR. GARNER WAS PRETTY INTRICATE IN GETTING ALL THAT DONE. I NOTICED THAT IN THAT THREE YEAR LOOK BACK, I SAW SEVERAL PAYMENTS TO MATT GARNER INDIVIDUALLY WHERE THOSE PAYMENTS MADE AS A CONSULTANT ON ON SETTING UP THIS RANGE. IN THE BEGINNING, WE I MEAN, WAY BEFORE THE IDEA OF THE RANGE MR. GARNER WAS SET UP AS A CONSULTANT WITH EDC. PROBABLY GOING BACK TO I'M GOING TO SAY I'M PRETTY SURE IT HAPPENED, RIGHT? I REMEMBER HIM GOING ON A TRIP WITH US TO CALIFORNIA RIGHT BEFORE COVID, SO THAT WOULD HAVE BEEN 2020. WAY BEFORE THE WE WE INJECTED OR INTERACTED WITH HANNAH. SO MR. GARNER WAS A LONG TIME CONSULTANT FOR THE EDC. OKAY. WELL, I APPRECIATE YOU SPEAKING VERY CLEARLY AND DIRECTLY TO THE CREDIT CARD ISSUE. YES, SIR. THAT, TO ME, IS A LARGER ISSUE, I THINK, WITH LOOKING AT THAT. SO ESPECIALLY IF IT WAS CASH BACK INCENTIVES OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT. I DEFINITELY THINK FOR A PRIVATE PERSON TO BENEFIT FROM PUBLIC MONIES CAN BE SOMETHING THAT WE WOULD TAKE VERY SERIOUS. AND SO WE WILL CHECK THE, THE LEGAL ASPECT OF ALL THAT AND SEE, YOU KNOW, ARE THOSE MILES ANYTHING THAT EVER SHOULD BE
GIVEN BACK TO THAT ENTITY IS IS THAT ALREADY ADDRESSED IN STATE LAW? WE DON'T KNOW. SO WE'LL CHECK ON THAT. I THINK THAT'S AN IMPORTANT THING TO TO CLARIFY MOVING FORWARD. AND CERTAINLY I MEAN, IF THIS BODY DECIDES THAT OUR BOARD NEEDS TO MAKE THAT A RESTRICTION, THEN WE CERTAINLY WILL COMPLY WITH THAT RESTRICTION. OKAY. ORGANIZATION. WE APPRECIATE THAT. IS THERE ANYTHING ELSE THAT YOU WERE DIRECTED TO DO AS IT PERTAINS TO THE RANGE BY ANYONE ELSE? I MEAN, NOT THAT I CAN THINK OF. I MEAN, SO YOU WERE WORKING TO ESTABLISH THE RANGE, WORKING ON IT WORKING ALONGSIDE OF YOUR TEAM SUBCOMMITTEE DIRECTED YOU TO FUND IT THROUGH THAT WIRE TRANSFER, BUT YOU WERE NOT PART OF ANY OTHER CONVERSATIONS ON SETTING THE MEMBERSHIP DUES. WHO WOULD PAY WHAT? NO. THEY HAD LEADERSHIP TEAMS WITHIN THE RANGE. AND I THINK, LIKE I SAID, MISS STREET CAN TALK TO THAT A BIT MORE. YOU KNOW, THERE'S A PUBLISHED LIST OF THOSE NAMES THAT WERE ON THOSE LEADERSHIPS. I CERTAINLY WASN'T PART OF THE MEMBERSHIP LEVEL. OKAY. THAT'S I WASN'T ON ANY ACTUALLY, I WASN'T ON ANY OF THOSE COMMITTEES. I JUST WAS A I MEAN, I WAS A BOARD MEMBER. I MEAN, YOU ALL KNOW THAT. BUT, I MEAN, JUST LIKE WE'RE BOARD MEMBERS OF ORGANIZATIONS, WE'RE A MEMBER OF THE CHAMBER, AND I'M A BOARD MEMBER. YOU KNOW, JUST LIKE PORTS TO PLAINS, WE PAY 100 AND SOMETHING THOUSAND DOLLARS. YOU'RE A BOARD MEMBER ON THAT ORGANIZATION BECAUSE YOU WANT TO HAVE THAT VESTED INTEREST IN THOSE ORGANIZATIONS TO SHAPE THAT POLICY GOING FORWARD, THAT YOU'VE, YOU KNOW, YOU'VE CONTRIBUTED TO. CORRECT. AND I THINK POINT WELL TAKEN. I MEAN, THE POINT YOU'RE MAKING IS, IS DIRECTED TO A CONFLICT OF INTEREST WHERE YOU'RE SAYING, YOU KNOW, LOOK, I'M NOT CONFLICTED WITH SITTING ON THE RANGE. I HAVE A VESTED INTEREST THERE AT THE POINT THAT I'M MAKING IS NOT THE CONFLICT OF INTEREST WITH YOU BEING THE DIRECTOR AND SITTING ON THAT BOARD, THOUGH THAT MAY HAVE SOMETHING TO DO WITH THE POLICIES MOVING FORWARD. THE POINT I'M MAKING WAS THE PROCUREMENT OF HOW THAT PAYMENT GOT MADE AND WITH NO NOTICE, NO VOTE, AND NOTHING EVER COMING BACK TO COUNCIL AND THE THE ADVANCE. SO LET ME ASK ONE FINAL QUESTION. THEN I'LL ASK IF COUNCIL HAS ANYTHING ELSE FOR YOU. AND THEN I WOULD LOVE TO HEAR FROM MRS STREET. OR IF MR. BENTLEY OR ANYONE HAS SOMETHING TO OFFER TO THE CONVERSATION. WOULD YOU AGREE WITH ME THAT YOUR BUDGET VERSUS YOUR ACTUALS ARE PRETTY DIFFERENT? NO. OKAY, SO YOU WOULD SAY THAT YOUR BUDGET VERSUS YOUR ACTUALS AT THE END OF THE YEAR ARE REAL SIMILAR. YOU SCHEDULE A LINE ITEM, YOU BASICALLY KNOW THAT'S HOW MUCH YOU'RE PAYING. YOU SPEND IT OUT. YOU DON'T YOU DON'T HAVE A LOT OF DISCREPANCIES. WE CERTAINLY DIDN'T THIS PAST YEAR. I THINK WE HAVE IN THE PAST WHEN WE HAD SOME PROJECT SUPPORT MONEY THAT WAS THERE FOR SOME INFRASTRUCTURE IMPROVEMENTS. YOU KNOW, I THINK WE'VE HAD SOME YEARS WHERE WE'VE GONE GOTTEN PRETTY CLOSE ON OUR MARKETING BUDGET, AND THEN WE'VE HAD SOME YEARS WHERE WE'VE WE'VE NOT SPENT AS MUCH IN MARKETING. YOU KNOW, IT ALL DEPENDS ON, YOU KNOW, HOW THAT FALLS WITHIN THE, THE YEAR. BUT, YOU KNOW, WE TRY TO WE TRY TO BUDGET THAT WHERE WE WHERE WE'RE FAIRLY CLOSE ON LINE ITEMS. OKAY. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS FOR MR. CARTER? GENTLEMEN? YEAH. KEVIN, I WOULD ASK. I MEAN, MAYBE ANDREW SCOTT, YOU CAN CHIME IN AS WELL. SO WHEN WHEN THE ASK WAS MADE FOR $100,000 AND IT WAS TO BOTH BOARDS IS IT UNUSUAL THAT AN ENTITY WOULD COME BACK AND SAY WE'RE CHANGING THE MEMBERSHIP DUES? TWO AND A HALF TIMES. IS THAT UNUSUAL? YOU KNOW, I THINK, YOU KNOW, I THINK THIS IS WHERE WE'RE AT WITH THE RANGE. IT IS AN UNUSUAL. AND I KNOW THE WORD ANOMALY HAS BEEN USED. I THINK WE KNEW THAT IT WAS. WE. WE WANTED THIS. WE SET THIS THING UP TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE WORK THAT, YOU KNOW, HAS DONE WITH THEIR VERO PROGRAM, AND TEXAS TECH WAS DOING WITH THE VET SCHOOL, THE MED SCHOOL AND THE PHARMACY SCHOOL AND WHAT AMARILLO COLLEGE WAS DOING WITH THE INNOVATION OUTPOST. WE KNEW THIS WAS GOING TO BE UNIQUE. THE REASON THE $100,000 WAS BUDGETED, IT WAS A PLACEHOLDER. AND, YOU KNOW, LIKE I SAID, LIKE I TOLD COUNCIL MEMBER, WE PROBABLY COULD HAVE HANDLED THAT A LOT BETTER IN HINDSIGHT, FOR SURE. BUT, YOU KNOW, WE WERE TRANSPARENT ABOUT SETTING UP THE RANGE THE WHOLE TIME. I MEAN, WE HAD LAURA CAME AND DID A PRESENTATION AT STATE OF THE ECONOMY ABOUT IT. I MEAN, IT'S NOT LIKE WE WERE TRYING TO HIDE THE ORGANIZATION. SURE. SO WE WERE TRYING TO BE TRANSPARENT. AS FAR AS. THAT'S THE FIRST TIME IT'S HAPPENED SINCE I'VE BEEN HERE IN FIVE AND A HALF YEARS. I CAN'T SPEAK FOR THE OTHER, YOU KNOW, 28 YEARS. YEAH. NO, I GET IT. SO IT IS UNUSUAL. I MEAN, TO GO, LIKE YOU SAID, FOR US. FOR ME, IT WAS UNUSUAL. SO YOU WENT FROM MY FIVE YEARS. IT'S THE FIRST TIME IT'S HAPPENED, RIGHT? SO TWO AND A HALF TIMES AND THEN ASK FOR THREE YEARS. I HEARD YOU SAY. YOU MEAN THERE ARE TIMES IN CONTRACTS THAT WE WILL PREPAY? NO, I THINK WE HAVE PREPAID SOME CONTRACTS. I DON'T, YOU KNOW. OKAY. AND THAT'S MAINLY FOR FUNDING, I'M GUESSING. AND I HAD A TALK WITH ANDREW EARLIER TODAY IS YOU KNOW, I THINK THE BIG QUESTION IS, YOU KNOW, WITH THE PUBLIC IS, YOU KNOW, THIS IS KIND OF RISKY.
AND MOST OF THE PEOPLE THAT ARE SERVING ON YOUR BOARD ARE BUSINESS PEOPLE, YOU KNOW, THAT RUN BUSINESSES AND THAT TYPE OF DEAL. IT APPEARS TO BE A LITTLE BIT RISKY. YOU KNOW, IT'S DIFFERENT WHEN IT'S NOT YOUR OWN MONEY, RIGHT? IT JUST IS. AND I'M NOT POINTING THAT. I'M JUST SAYING IT JUST IS DIFFERENT WHEN IT'S YOUR OWN MONEY. I THINK YOU MAYBE GIVE PAUSE OF SAYING, I MEAN, THIS IS A NEW ORGANIZATION. IT'S A NEW COMPANY. I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE ROI IS GOING TO BE. YOU. MAYBE I'M WILLING TO INVEST 100 OR 250, BUT WHILE 750, IT'S A LOT, I GUESS. AND THAT'S WHAT AND I'D ASK ANDREW EARLIER TODAY AND SAID, YOU KNOW, I WOULD LIKE TO HEAR, YOU KNOW, THE WISE AND LAURA WILL GET UP AND TELL US. YOU KNOW WHY IT'S WORTH IT. AND I GET IT. I MEAN, BUT TO INITIALLY DUMP 750 IN A NEW ORGANIZATION THAT YOU'RE FORMING NOW TO GET YOU SPENT 350 ISH ON THE STUDIES TO HELP LAY THE FOUNDATION TO SAY, WE REALLY WANT TO MAKE SURE THIS IS GOING TO BE SUCCESSFUL. IT'S GOING TO BE BENEFICIAL, YOU KNOW, TO OUR COMMUNITY. TO ME, THAT'S JUST A BIG $750,000, A LOT OF MONEY. YOU KNOW, I MEAN, IT IS A RISK. THAT'S WHAT WE DO IN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT. WE HAVE TO TAKE RISKS SOMETIMES IN FOSTERING ECONOMIC GROWTH IN OUR AREA. AND I THINK HOPEFULLY LAURA HAS WITH HER ALREADY THE BENEFITS THAT THE RANGE HAS HAD. I KNOW IT'S OVER $1 MILLION IN BENEFIT THAT IT'S ALREADY PROVIDED, ESPECIALLY IN ONE GRANT TO TEXAS TECH IS OVER $1 MILLION. THAT THE RANGE HELPED WITH TEXAS TECH ON THAT. AND SO WE'VE ALREADY GOT OUR ROI. BUT YES, IT WAS A RISK TAKING THAT. I MEAN, I THINK THAT'S PART OF OF WHAT WE DO TO TRY TO, TO, TO DO ECONOMIC GROWTH IN OUR AREA AND CREATE WEALTH HERE. THAT'S ONE OF OUR PART OF OUR MISSION STATEMENT. AND SO, YES, I UNDERSTAND YOU KNOW, OUR CITIZENS CONCERN YOU KNOW, AND SO, YOU KNOW, I CERTAINLY HOPE THAT, YOU KNOW, BY IF LAURA HAS THE OPPORTUNITY TO COME UP AND, AND GIVE THE BENEFITS OF THE RANGE AND ALREADY CAN SHOW YOU WHAT THE ROI IS ON THAT. SO IN YOUR STUDIES OF THE RANGE, I MEAN, ESPECIALLY WHEN YOU'RE GOING INTO IT, DID YOU KNOW, AND MAYBE THIS ISN'T A FAIR QUESTION TO ASK YOU GUYS, BUT I WOULD GUESS IN YOUR STUDIES OF IT BEFORE YOU MOVE FORWARD DID WE LOOK AND SEE? I MEAN, HOW MANY MEMBERS, I MEAN, WERE WE WHO ARE WE APPROACHING OR WHO ARE YOU GUYS APPROACHING OR WHO IS THE RANGE APPROACHING? SAY, HEY, THESE ARE THESE ARE GOING TO BE SOME STAKEHOLDERS IN THIS THING. AND, YOU KNOW, AND TO WHAT AMOUNT? I MEAN, WAS THE EDC THE THE LARGEST BY FAR. I MEAN, WERE THERE OTHER ASKS OF MEMBERSHIPS AT THAT AT THAT AMOUNT, YOU CAN'T ANSWER. OKAY. AND THAT'S OKAY. YOU CAN ANSWER THAT. I GET IT. OKAY. ALL RIGHT. WE KNEW WE WERE GOING TO BE IN AT THE LARGEST LEVEL, THOUGH. WE DID KNOW THAT. I MEAN, WE NEEDED TO BE BECAUSE WE HELPED SET THE ORGANIZATION AT LEAST THE FOUNDATION FOR IT. YEAH. OKAY. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS FOR MR. CARTER? MR. CARTER, THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE. LAST AND FINAL QUESTION FOR ME. SO IT WAS YOUR INTENT TO CREATE THE RANGE INSIDE OF THE EDC? NO, NO. OKAY. SO IT WAS NOT YOUR INTENT TO CREATE ALWAYS GOING TO BE AN INDEPENDENT ORGANIZATION. THAT'S THE FRAMEWORK THAT THE STRATEGIC PLAN I THINK I, I THINK YOU ALL SHOULD HAVE THOSE STRATEGIC PLANS. I KNOW MAYOR I SENT YOU AND AND AND FORGIVE ME, I THINK I CAN LOOK BACK. I KNOW THAT YOU HAD A QUESTION ABOUT THE INVOICE. I KNOW WHEN YOU ASKED FOR ALL THE DOCUMENTATION, I'M PRETTY SURE THAT THAT RANGE INVOICE WAS IN THERE. BUT I'LL GO BACK AND CHECK. MY APOLOGIES IF YOU DIDN'T HAVE THAT. I THINK THE ISSUE THAT WAS IN THE I THINK IT WAS PART OF THE AUDIT. SO I APPRECIATE THAT. I THINK THE ISSUE IS THE GLOBAL FOOD HUB WAS ESTABLISHED IN JANUARY. RANGE WAS IN APRIL. PAYMENT WAS MADE IN JANUARY, ASSUMING IT WOULD HAVE GONE TO THE GLOBAL FOOD HUB, NOT THE RANGE, BUT THAT'S IT'S JUST A DBA. SO IT'S THE SAME ORGANIZATION. SAME ORGANIZATION. ISN'T THAT RIGHT ON THE CORPORATE? I THINK THE THE QUESTION WOULD BE PROBABLY A CONTRACT VERSUS A MEMBERSHIP. YEAH. YOU KNOW, LIKE ONE OF THOSE IS A 500 AND 1C3. THE OTHER ONE IS A C6. SO ONE OF THOSE CAN RECEIVE BECAUSE IT'S SET UP TO HAVE MEMBERSHIP, THE PARENT ORGANIZATION. SO IT'S A MEMBER THAT'S, THAT'S A MEMBERSHIP BASED ORGANIZATION. THE QUESTION WOULD BE IF YOU DID NOT INTEND TO CREATE THIS AND YOU WERE JUST A MEMBERSHIP HOLDER, THEN DID YOU FUND A WIRE TRANSFER INCORRECTLY AS A, AS A MEMBERSHIP THAT THAT WAS GOING AS A CONTRACT, MEANING THE THE RANGE WASN'T THE ENTITY WASN'T THERE TO SELL MEMBERSHIPS UNTIL APRIL, I BELIEVE. SO DID WE PREPAY A MEMBERSHIP OR DID WE PAY ON A CONTRACT, OR DID WE ESTABLISH THESE COMPANIES INSIDE OF THE EDC? NO CONTRACT WAS NO CONTRACT, SO IT HAD TO BE A MEMBERSHIP FOR DUES. WE PAID THE 750,000 750,000 INVOICE FOR OUTSIDE LEGAL WORK WAS DONE BY THE RANGE TO SET UP THE ORGANIZATION.
SO 750,000 INVOICE FOR DUES PAYABLE TO THE ECONOMIC OR I'M SORRY, THE GLOBAL FOOD HUB AMARILLO GLOBAL FOOD HUB WHICH YOU UNDERSTOOD WAS A C3. NO, IT'S A C6. IT'S A C6. C3 IS A NONPROFIT. THAT CAN THAT YOU CAN WRITE OFF FOR CHARITY. C6 IS A MEMBERSHIP BASED ORGANIZATION, JUST LIKE WE ARE, JUST LIKE THE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE IS. YOU CAN, YOU CAN. IT'S A MEMBERSHIP BASED ORGANIZATION. MAN, I THANK YOU FOR BEING UP HERE AND VISITING WITH US. THANK YOU. APPRECIATE IT. MRS. STREET, I APOLOGIZE FOR YOU HAVING TO SIT IN YOUR CHAIR AND LISTEN TO ALL THAT WHEN YOU PROBABLY HAVE THE ANSWERS. AND SO PLEASE FEEL FREE TO TAKE US BACK AND REDIRECT AND CORRECT AND EDUCATE US ON ON HOW THIS CAME ABOUT. WELL, THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO DO THAT AND I'M HAPPY TO TAKE ANY QUESTIONS AT ANY TIME. I WILL SAY WE'VE BEEN WORKING ON THIS NOW FOR THREE YEARS. IT HAS BECOME MORE COMPLICATED AS TIME GOES ON, AS IT SHOULD BE. I'LL TRY AND SIMPLIFY IT FROM THE VERY BEGINNING TO KIND OF ALLOW YOU TO FOLLOW ALONG WITH WHY WE ARE WHAT WE ARE, AND HOW THAT CAME ABOUT. I ALREADY GAVE YOU THE HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE OF THAT AS IT STARTED WITH THE EDC. THIS IS A CALCULATED RISK. ANY TIME THERE'S A STARTUP, ANYTIME THERE'S A NEW BUSINESS MODEL, A NEW BUSINESS THOUGHT, ENTREPRENEURSHIP, WHATEVER YOU WANT TO CALL IT, IT DOESN'T MATTER ON NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS OR STARTUPS. ALSO, AND IN THE EVOLUTION OF A NORMAL NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION OR A USUAL NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION, AND I HAVE A CERTIFICATE IN NONPROFIT MANAGEMENT. THERE IS AN EVOLUTION OF THAT ORGANIZATION AS A STARTUP FOR A PERIOD OF TIME. AND THEY EVEN LOOK AT IT AS, YOU KNOW, LIKE WHEN YOU'RE GROWING UP, YOU'RE A TODDLER, YOU'RE IN GRADE SCHOOL, YOU'RE YOU'RE AN ADOLESCENT, AND THEN YOU'RE MATURE. AND IT TAKES 20, 20 YEARS FOR MOST ORGANIZATIONS TO BECOME MATURE. THIS IS A STARTUP, NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION. IT IS BASED ON A MEMBERSHIP MODEL, A 500 AND 1C6. AND WE DID THAT BECAUSE WE VISITED THE PERMIAN STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIP IN MIDLAND-ODESSA AREA. AND THIS IS PRETTY MUCH THE MODEL THAT THEY USED. AND THEY HAVE BROUGHT IN SO MUCH FUNDING FROM THE STATE AND FEDERAL GOVERNMENT FOR INFRASTRUCTURE, EDUCATION, HEALTH CARE AND HOUSING IN THAT AREA. WE THOUGHT FROM OUR INTERVIEWS AND AS I SAID, WE DID OVER 150 INTERVIEWS AND THAT IS OF INDUSTRY, EDUCATIONAL BUSINESSES, ORGANIZATIONS, AGENCIES, YOU NAME IT. WE WERE LOOKING AT FIRST THE PANHANDLE, BECAUSE THIS IS THE AMARILLO ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION. WE KNEW THAT WE HAD SOME QUESTIONS TO ASK ABOUT WHAT DO WE DO TO SUPPORT WHAT WAS GOING ON AT THE HEALTH SCIENCES CENTER WHEN WE DID THE 150 OVER 150 INTERVIEWS AND GROUP SESSIONS, WE REALIZED THIS WAS FAR BIGGER THAN THE EDC. WHAT WE HAD IN FRONT OF US WAS A DISCUSSION ABOUT SOMETHING THAT WE COULD START THAT WAS BECOMING REGIONAL, NATIONAL AND GLOBAL. BUT WE DIDN'T KNOW EXACTLY WHAT THAT WAS. WE KNEW THAT IT WAS GOING TO BE INDUSTRY LED BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT THE INDUSTRY WAS COMING OUT WITH. WE ALSO KNEW THAT WE HAD TO GET OUR UNIVERSITIES, COLLEGE AND OTHER HIGHER EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS TO WORK WITH US ON THIS, TO BE A REAL INNOVATION HUB, A REAL RESEARCH AND INNOVATION HUB. SO WE HIRED HRA ADVISORS IN THE EDC TO DO A FEASIBILITY STUDY. I HAVE A 57 PAGE FEASIBILITY STUDY I'M HAPPY TO SEND TO YOU AT ANY TIME. THAT SAID TO US, WE HAVE A BIG THING GOING ON RIGHT NOW WITH ALL WE HAVE IN OUR AREA. AS I SAID, THE LARGEST BEEF AND DAIRY SHED IN THE NATION, IN THE WORLD, RIGHT HERE, WE HAVE AGRICULTURE. WE HAVE EVERYTHING TO BE A GLOBAL FOOD HUB. SO ORIGINALLY WE NAMED IT JUST TO HAVE SOMETHING TO TALK ABOUT. THE AMARILLO GLOBAL FOOD HUB. THE RANGE BRANDING CAME LATER ON BECAUSE WE KNEW WE NEEDED TO HAVE A BRAND. JUST LIKE OTHER RESEARCH INNOVATION ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT HUBS AROUND THE UNITED STATES. WE HIRED HRA BECAUSE THIS IS WHAT THEY DO ALL OVER THE UNITED STATES. THE SENIOR DIRECTOR THAT WORKED WITH US IS IN CHARGE OF THE RESEARCH TRIANGLE IN NORTH CAROLINA. THEIR MODEL WE LOOKED AT ALSO, WE LOOKED AT AT KANSAS, AT PURDUE, UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA AT DAVIS. DOCTOR GARNER AND I WENT TO THE ASSOCIATION FOR UNIVERSITY RESEARCH PARKS NATIONAL CONFERENCE SO THAT WE COULD LEARN MORE ABOUT WHAT THIS REALLY MEANS. I'M A MEMBER OF THE TEXAS TECH RESEARCH PARK BOARD, SO THERE WAS A LOT OF DISCUSSION GOING ON ABOUT WHAT REALLY DO WE HAVE, HOW DO WE SYNERGIZE THAT? HOW DO WE LOOK FORWARD? WE KNOW THAT WE HAVE ISSUES HERE WITH JOBS, WITH BUSINESSES WHO ARE LOOKING AT US TO MOVE IN. YOU KNOW, WE ARE A SMALL RURAL AREA AND LOOKING AT THE STATE OF TEXAS. WE DO HAVE SOMETHING TO BUILD ON THAT WILL CREATE A GLOBAL HUB. IF WE DON'T DO THIS, THE REST OF THE NATION IS GOING TO PASS US BY.
WE'RE GOING TO REMAIN THE SAME THAT WE ARE. BUT I'M NOT GOING TO DO ANY PHILOSOPHY ON THAT. I'M JUST GOING TO TELL YOU EXACTLY HOW THIS CAME ABOUT. SO WE DECIDED THEN THAT WE WOULD FORM THE AMARILLO GLOBAL FOOD HUB. WE ALSO HIRED HRA TO BE OUR STAFF. IN THE BEGINNING, THERE WERE FIVE PEOPLE FROM THAT ORGANIZATION THAT THAT HELPED US OVER A PERIOD OF A YEAR, I BELIEVE, AND I'M NOT I DON'T HAVE MY PAPERS HERE TO MAKE SURE THAT I HAVE ALL MY FACTS CORRECT. I'M JUST GIVING YOU THE HIGHLIGHT HERE. BUT WE HIRED THEM BECAUSE NO ONE ELSE HERE HAD THE EXPERTISE TO PUT SUCH A HUB TOGETHER. WE KNEW THAT WE WANTED TO DO IT IN A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME, AS WE POSSIBLY COULD. THE BUSINESS STANDARD OF A REGIONAL OR A GLOBAL HUB, THAT IS ECONOMIC AND RESEARCH AND INNOVATION IS, AS I SAID BEFORE, 3 TO 5 YEARS JUST TO START SEEING SOME RETURN. WE'RE IN OUR THIRD YEAR NOW. WE NOW HAVE ALMOST $2 MILLION IN-HOUSE OF GRANTS AND MONIES THAT WE RECEIVED FROM THE TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE, FROM AMARILLO AREA FOUNDATION, FROM THE NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF HEALTH. WE APPLIED TO THE NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION FOR $168 MILLION GRANT WITH THE AMARILLO COLLEGE. OUT OF 500 APPLICATIONS. WE WERE WE WERE THE 15TH. THEY FUNDED 12. THAT'S A LOT OF MONEY TO COME INTO OUR AREA TO BUILD THIS INNOVATION HUB. WE WERE ASKED TO REAPPLY AND SO WE WILL REAPPLY. WE JUST APPLIED FOR A $12 MILLION GRANT THAT WE WERE ASKED TO APPLY FOR. BECAUSE WHAT WE FOUND OUT ALSO IN THIS IS THAT THERE IS MONEY THAT IS SLATED FOR AREAS LIKE OURS. TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE SAID THERE IS MONEY FOR THE PANHANDLE OF TEXAS, BUT WE NEED A MECHANISM TO TO SEND IT TO THE PANHANDLE OF TEXAS THAT ALLOWS INNOVATION, COLLABORATION, PARTNERSHIPS AND SUSTAINABILITY. THAT'S THE RANGE. NO ONE ELSE HAS EVERYTHING TOGETHER BECAUSE WE HAVE EVERYBODY WORKING TOGETHER, INDUSTRY AND NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS AND FOUNDATIONS AND UNIVERSITIES AND YOU NAME IT, I MEAN, EVEN AMTECH. AMTEC. SO THERE'S ALL OF THIS THAT HAS TO COME TOGETHER TO CREATE THIS HUB. AND WITH THAT, WE DECIDED WE REALIZED WE DID MORE STUDY. WE REALIZED THAT WE HAD PRIORITIES IN OUR AREA. AND IT STARTS IN THE IN THE AMARILLO AREA. AMARILLO IS THE PLACE WHERE THIS IS GOING TO BE THE HUB. WE NEED VENDORS TO SUPPORT ALL OF THIS ACTIVITY. WE NEED CPAS, WE NEED BANKERS, WE NEED MARKETING FIRMS, WE NEED YOU NAME IT. ALL THE THINGS THAT NEED TO SUPPORT THIS KIND OF ECONOMIC STRUCTURE, WE'RE GOING TO NEED TO BRING IN OR DEVELOP. BUT OUR PRIORITIES WERE NUMBER ONE, WATER. WE TALKED TO EVERYBODY ABOUT WATER. WE'RE GOING TO RUN OUT OF WATER IF WE DON'T DO SOMETHING DIFFERENT. AND I'VE GOT TONS OF EXAMPLES OF THAT AND ENVIRONMENTAL STEWARDSHIP AND EMISSIONS WITH ALL OF OUR CATTLE. ONE OF THE BIGGEST THINGS RONNIE JACKSON TOLD US ABOUT IS THAT WE NEED TO DECREASE THE EMISSIONS OF OUR CATTLE AND GAS BECAUSE OF THE WAY THEY WORK. AND DOCTOR GARNER, THAT'S ONE OF HIS SPECIALTIES, IS COW RUMEN. AND THAT'S WHAT WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT AUTOMATION AND WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT. WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT IS PROBABLY OUR SECOND BIGGEST BEHIND WATER. WE HAVE A TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE WORKFORCE PROGRAM GOING ON RIGHT NOW, ALSO WITH THE TEXAS WORKFORCE COMMISSION, DATA MANAGEMENT AND ANALYTICS. WE DON'T KNOW EXACTLY WHAT WE HAVE HERE. WE THINK WE KNOW IT, BUT WE'VE GOT TO DO SOME MANAGEMENT OF OUR DATA. WE HAVE TO ANALYZE IT. AND A GOOD EXAMPLE IS THE BROADBAND PROJECT WITH AMARILLO AREA FOUNDATION THAT IS NOW ALSO WITH REGION 16, IN GETTING BROADBAND TO ALL THE AREAS IN THE PANHANDLE OF TEXAS THAT NEED IT, BECAUSE OUR FARMERS AREN'T GOING TO BE ABLE TO CHANGE FROM IRRIGATION THAT IS AERIAL, THAT LOSES 90% OF THE WATER BY THE TIME IT GETS TO THE GROUND, TO GROUND AREA, TO GROUNDWATER, BECAUSE IT COSTS TOO MUCH MONEY. WE CAN WRITE GRANTS FOR THAT. THERE'S MILLIONS OF DOLLARS OUT THERE THAT HANNAH HAS SHOWN US THAT WE HAVE ACCESS TO, BUT WE NEED THIS ENGINE IN ORDER TO DO THAT. SO MRS STREET, I REALLY APPRECIATE THE THE EDUCATION ON THAT. IS THERE ANYTHING ELSE THAT YOU'VE GOT IN THE INCUBATOR OTHER THAN THE ONES THAT YOU JUST SPOKE TO? WE DO. WE HAVE WELL, THERE'S A COUPLE OF THINGS I REALLY CAN'T TALK ABOUT JUST YET, BECAUSE IT'S JUST LIKE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND BUSINESSES WHEN WHEN WE'RE HAVING THIS DISCUSSION AND THEY'RE SAYING, YES, WE'RE GOING TO GIVE YOU THIS, BUT IN RETURN, YOU KNOW, CAN YOU DESCRIBE THE INDUSTRY OR MAYBE THE IMPACT THAT YOU'RE LOOKING TO MAKE? WELL OH, THE IMPACT, YES. SURE. IT'S GOING TO BE WITH AGRICULTURE.
AND WE HAVE THERE'S FOUR PROGRAMS THAT ARE COMING THAT WE'RE PUTTING TOGETHER RIGHT NOW. WE HAVE $3.5 MILLION THAT THAT IS IN THE PIPELINE THAT WE'RE GETTING READY TO ANNOUNCE ANNOUNCED PROBABLY BY THE FIRST OF THE YEAR THAT 3.5 MILLION IS SOMETHING THAT'S GOING TO COME IN EACH YEAR FOR AT LEAST TWO YEARS, AND MAYBE BEYOND THAT. WHAT WE'RE BEING TOLD BY THE TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE IS THAT IF WE CAN SHOW WITH THE FIRST $300,000 THEY HAVE GIVEN US, THAT'S WHAT WE HAVE THIS YEAR. IF WE CAN SHOW THAT, WE CAN MAKE IMPACT ON WHAT WE HAD TALKED ABOUT IN THE RANGE, THEN WE WILL CONTINUE TO HAVE THAT KIND OF MONEY COME IN AND THERE WILL BE MORE DOWN THE ROAD BECAUSE AS WE'VE BEEN TOLD, IT'S THERE. WE NEED TO MATURE, WE NEED TO PUT OURSELVES TOGETHER. WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE SOMETHING THAT'S SUSTAINABLE IN THIS. THE OTHER THING IS THE HEALTH AND NUTRITION. THAT'S ANOTHER AFTER DATA MANAGEMENT AND ANALYTICS IS HEALTH AND NUTRITION. WE HAVE $1.6 MILLION GRANT FROM THE NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF HEALTH THAT IS FOR HEALTH AND NUTRITION IN THE PANHANDLE AREA. THAT HAS TO DO WITH WOMEN AND PREGNANCY AND NEWBORNS AND BREASTFEEDING. THAT'S A LOT OF MONEY. AND THAT'S GOING TO THE RANGE THAT IS COMING THROUGH THE RANGE. THE RANGE DOESN'T HOLD THIS MONEY. THE RANGE WILL WRITE A GRANT, SAY, THE $300,000 FOR THE TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE THAT COMES TO US, AND WE DISPENSE THAT IN THE ORGANIZATIONS AND AGENCIES, UNIVERSITIES, INDUSTRY THAT'S GOING TO DO THE PROGRAM. SO YOU YOU'RE THE GRANT WRITER. WE'RE THE GRANT WRITER. AND WE UTILIZE GRANT GRANT WRITERS ALSO FROM BOTH UNIVERSITIES. DO YOU JUST TO DEVIATE REAL QUICK, AND THEN I'LL LET YOU JUMP BACK IN WITH WHAT'S LEFT IN THE INCUBATOR. DO YOU FEEL LIKE THE RANGE COULD BE A COMPETITOR FOR OTHER GRANTS, LIKE MAYBE IF WE'RE GOING AFTER THE SAME WOMEN'S GRANTS OR, YOU KNOW, NIH? I MEAN, DO YOU HOW DO YOU HOW DO YOU MAKE SURE YOU'RE NOT COMPETING AGAINST TEXAS TECH AND, AND OTHER PEOPLE THAT ARE APPLYING FOR THE SAME GRANTS? WE DON'T COMPETE WITH TEXAS TECH OR ANYONE ELSE. WE WORK WITH THEM. THAT $1.6 MILLION IS GOING TO TEXAS TECH. WE HELP THEM WRITE THE GRANT. WE IDENTIFIED IT. WE IDENTIFIED IT, HOW IT WAS GOING TO COME IN, WHAT IT NEEDED TO HAPPEN, WHAT KIND OF A GRANT NEEDED TO GO IN. WE WROTE THE GRANT WITH THEM. I SHOULD SAY DOCTOR GARNER DID WROTE THE GRANT WITH THEM. DOES TEXAS TECH PAY FOR THAT SERVICE? PAY FOR. WELL, IS THERE A DOES THE RANGE GET PAID IN ORDER TO PERFORM THAT REQUEST? NOT AT THIS POINT. OKAY. SO SO THE RANGE WAS JUST ASSISTING IN WRITING THE GRANT. RIGHT. OKAY. BUT IT COMES IN BECAUSE IT'S PART OF THE RESEARCH INNOVATION ENGINE. OKAY. IF THAT MAKES SENSE. THEY I MEAN, IT DOES AND IT DOESN'T, JUST BECAUSE I SEE TEXAS TECH AS A PHENOMENAL STAKEHOLDER THAT WRITES THEIR OWN GRANTS. SO I DON'T FOR ME, IT WOULD JUST BE THE IGNORANCE OF NOT KNOWING WHY TEXAS TECH WOULD NEED, YOU KNOW, OUR HELP. WELL, HERE'S HERE AND HERE'S WHAT WE FOUND OUT. THERE ARE GRANTS THAT TEXAS TECH COULD WRITE FOR THAT THEY MAY OR MAY NOT BE AWARDED. BUT IF THERE IS TRANSLATIONAL RESEARCH THAT TEXAS TECH IS DOING WITH THEIR RESEARCH AND THEY'RE WRITING GRANTS TO GET FUNDING FOR THAT, IT'S NOT TRANSLATED TO PRACTICE. GOOD EXAMPLE, THE WATER SITUATION. WE HAVE A PHD AND HE'S HEADING UP THE WATER. THE WATER INITIATIVE. YES, TEXAS TECH CAN WRITE GRANTS ON RESEARCH ON HOW WE'RE GOING TO CHANGE WHAT WE DO WITH WATER. BUT THAT'S NOT TRANSLATED TO THE RANCHER AND THE FARMER AS TO HOW ARE WE GOING TO FUND THAT WITH THEM? HOW ARE WE GOING TO WORK WITH THEM? WHAT ARE WE GOING TO DO EXACTLY? IT'S JUST RESEARCH ABOUT WE SHOULD DO X. X MAY NOT LOOK LIKE X ON THE FARM OR THE RANCH. DAIRIES ARE YOU KNOW, WE HAVE WHAT, 32 DAIRIES WE HAVE. WE HAVE BEEF PRODUCTION. BEEF PRODUCTION I'M SORRY. BEEF PACKING PLANTS. WE HAVE SEVERAL DIFFERENT AREAS THAT WE CAN LOOK AT THAT USE WATER. YES, WE HAVE WATER DISTRICTS. WE HAVE AN ORGANIZATION WITH WATER. WE'RE BRINGING ALL OF THIS TOGETHER TO TALK ABOUT WHAT WE NEED TO DO WITH WATER IN OUR REGION. OKAY. IF I CAN GET YOU TO HANG IN THERE WITH US, I KNOW I'M I'M REALLY BEING A BURDEN ON YOUR TIME. NO. YOU'RE GOOD. I JUST WE'RE GOING TO TAKE A RECESS IN A MINUTE. WE'RE GOING TO GO AHEAD AND TRY TO FINISH HERE. SO YOU GUYS HANG IN THERE. I KNOW WE'VE PUSHED PRETTY CONTINUALLY HERE, BUT I WOULD LIKE TO FINISH WITH WITH MRS STREET. AND THEN I DO WANT TO ALLOW COUNCIL BECAUSE I THINK SOME OF THE OTHER POINTS YOU'D LIKE TO GET TO, I THINK ARE A LOT OF OUR QUESTIONS. SO I WOULD LIKE TO LET COUNCIL ADDRESS YOU WITH SOME QUESTIONS. AND SO COUNCIL DOES ANYBODY HAVE A QUESTION THEY WOULD LIKE TO OFFER? I DO. YES, SIR. MISS STREET ONE, THANK YOU FOR ALL YOU DO FOR OUR COMMUNITY. I'M SORRY. SO THANK YOU FOR ALL YOU DO FOR OUR COMMUNITY AND CITY. PLEASE CALL ME THAT. WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF THE MEMBERS? SO, YOU KNOW, THE EDC IS A MEMBER. PRETTY BIG MEMBER. WHAT'S THE BENEFIT TO THEM OR ANY OTHER MEMBERS.
THE BENEFIT OF THE MEMBERSHIP, WHOEVER IT IS, IS GOING TO BE A MEMBER, WHETHER IT'S A BANK OR A UNIVERSITY OR A BUSINESS OR AN INDUSTRY ITSELF. THE BENEFIT IS THAT WE HAVE GROWTH IN OUR AREA, WHICH INCREASES EVERYTHING AND EVERYONE WE HAVE. LET'S GO TO OUR PRIORITIES. WE HAVE BETTER USAGE OF WATER. WE KNOW HOW TO WORK WITH IT SO THAT WE HAVE IT FOR THE FUTURE. WE HAVE ENVIRONMENTAL STEWARDSHIP OF ALL THE THINGS THAT ARE GOING TO HAPPEN IN FOOD PRODUCTION. WE WANT TO BE ABLE TO MAKE THE DECISIONS AS TO HOW THIS IS GOING TO BE PRODUCED, RATHER THAN SOMEBODY FROM THE OUTSIDE COMING IN AND TELLING US THIS IS WHAT WE'RE GOING TO DO. AND A GOOD EXAMPLE IS THAT CAVERNOUS BEEF SAYS THAT, YOU KNOW, SOMEONE COMES IN AND SAYS, I WANT TO SELL YOU THIS WIDGET. IT'S GOING TO HELP YOU CUT YOUR BEEF UP BETTER. IT'S MORE EFFICIENT. IT'S A ROBOT. OKAY. HE GETS IT. IT BREAKS DOWN. THERE'S NOBODY HERE TO FIX IT. IF WE PRODUCE IT, IF WE MAINTAIN IT, IF WE TRAIN THE WORKFORCE TO USE IT. AND THAT'S WHAT THIS TEXAS COMMISSION WORKFORCE PROGRAM IS DOING RIGHT NOW, IS THAT WE'RE TRAINING ALL OF THEIR BEEF BEEF PRODUCTION PEOPLE TO USE A CERTAIN MACHINE INSTEAD OF THEM SENDING ALL OF THEIR PEOPLE TO NORTH. I THINK IT'S NORTH CAROLINA. THEY SEND THEM TO SO. SO THERE'S NO DIRECT ROI TO ANY. THESE ARE BASICALLY STAKEHOLDERS IN THE COMMUNITY THAT WE WANT TO SEE AMARILLO GROW AND WE WANT TO PROSPER. SO THE MEMBERS, THEY'RE BASICALLY INVESTING IN THE BETTERMENT OF THE CITY OR COMMUNITY OR AREA. WOULD THAT BE FAIR TO SAY? WELL, I THINK IT GOES BEYOND THAT BECAUSE WE'RE ALL GOING TO WE'RE ALL GOING TO SEE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT. THAT'S THE BOTTOM LINE, IS THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT. WHETHER YOU'RE AN INDIVIDUAL OR A BUSINESS OR AN ORGANIZATION, YOU'RE GOING TO BENEFIT FINANCIALLY FROM THAT. THE THE RANGE IS NOT, BUT THE RANGE NEEDS TO HAVE AN ENGINE TO BE ABLE TO PULL ALL THIS IN. YEAH. OKAY, SO WHEN WE WHEN Y'ALL DO RECEIVE THE GRANT FUNDING WHO DRIVES THE INITIATIVES? I MEAN, WHO IS IT? THE BOARD. THE BOARD? ARE THEY THE ONES THAT DECIDE? I MEAN, WHO DRIVES THOSE INITIATIVES OR WHAT THEY GO AFTER? AND THEN WHEN WE DO GET THE FUNDING, WHO THAT'S DISPERSED TO, OR IT'S USED FOR THE THE WHO, WHO DRIVES THE INITIATIVE TO DO THIS. IT'S OUR PRIORITIES AND IT'S THE PHDS, THE THE PEOPLE IN THE INDUSTRIES THAT WE'RE WORKING WITH. WHAT'S OUR BIGGEST PROBLEM? WHAT DO WE NEED TO LOOK AT? WE'LL TAKE EMISSIONS, FOR EXAMPLE. THAT IS SOMETHING THAT WE WE WERE FINDING OUT FROM LOTS OF DIFFERENT AREAS, THE ENVIRONMENTALISTS, THE EVEN IN WASHINGTON DC. YOU KNOW, THERE'S A LOT THAT A LOT THAT NEEDS TO BE SAID ABOUT DECREASING OUR ENVIRONMENTAL EMISSIONS BECAUSE WE HAVE SO MUCH ANIMAL PRODUCTION HERE IN DAIRIES AND CATTLE. AND IF WE LOOK AT THAT, THEN WE ARE ACTUALLY LOOKING AT WHAT KIND OF FUNDING DO WE HAVE TO DECREASE THAT EMISSIONS? WHAT? THOSE EMISSIONS? WHAT KIND? WHAT CAN WE DO? WE CAN ACTUALLY CAPTURE IT AND USE IT FOR FUEL. WE NEED TO TRANSLATE THAT. SO IF WE CAN GO INTO AN AREA WHERE WE HAVE THE ABILITY TO WRITE GRANTS FOR AN IDEA, AND LET'S SAY A RESEARCHER AT TEXAS TECH HAS THIS IDEA, WRITES THE GRANT GETS THE MONEY, THERE'S RESEARCH THAT'S DONE. WE CAN DO SOMETHING DIFFERENT. WE CAN BE INNOVATIVE WITH THIS. THAT'S GOT TO TRANSLATE TO HOW WE'RE GOING TO REALLY BE ABLE TO DO THAT. AND THAT TAKES IT TO INDUSTRY. OKAY. WHO WHO WAS THE BRAINCHILD BEHIND THE RANGER, THE AMARILLO GLOBAL FOOD HUB. WHO WAS IT? A GROUP LIKE WHO CAME TOGETHER AND THOUGHT, WE WANT TO USE THIS SYNERGY BECAUSE WE HAVE ALL THIS HERE. WHO WHO WAS IT? WELL, IT STARTED, OF COURSE, WITH THE EDC AND THE FEASIBILITY STUDY. OKAY. FROM THAT, WE CREATED A LEADERSHIP TEAM. AND THE LEADERSHIP TEAM WERE 16 PEOPLE THAT WE CHOSE BASED ON THE INDUSTRIES THAT WE THINK WE WANT TO LOOK AT THAT THROUGH THE GLOBAL FOOD HUB AND OTHER SKILLS AND SKILL SETS OF PEOPLE FROM BANKING, FROM ACCOUNTING, FROM FOUNDATIONS, FROM, YOU KNOW, THERE ARE 16 PEOPLE AND I'VE GOT I DON'T HAVE THE LIST WITH ME. IF I TRIED TO REMEMBER THEM ALL, I FORGET THEM. BUT I CAN SEND ALL OF THIS TO YOU SO THAT YOU CAN SEE. BUT THERE WERE PEOPLE THIS LIST OF 16 PEOPLE WERE CHOSEN BECAUSE OF HOW THEY'VE BEEN ABLE TO ADVANCE OUR COMMUNITY IN THEIR WORK, IN AND HOW THEY LOOK AT THE CITY AND WHAT THEY DO TO MAKE IT BETTER. WE CHOSE THEM FOR WHO THEY WERE. OKAY. AND PERCENTAGE WISE, WE KNOW THAT THE EDC IS THE LARGEST CONTRIBUTOR OR MEMBER. PERCENTAGE WISE, WHERE ARE THEY, DO YOU THINK? JUST A GUESS. WELL, REMEMBER, WE'RE JUST IN YEAR THREE, RIGHT? WE ARE JUST NOW SEEING SOME RETURN. RIGHT NOW THEY ARE THE LARGEST BECAUSE WE USED THAT $750,000 TO SET THIS UP.
SURE. TO DO ALL THE WORK TO BE ABLE TO TO WHAT DEGREE WHERE WE ARE, THEY'RE THE LARGEST. LIKE HOW LARGE? 80%. 50%. I DON'T HAVE IT. I DON'T HAVE THE PERCENTAGES BECAUSE WE HAVE OTHER MEMBERS. WE HAVE BANKS, WE HAVE WE HAVE BUSINESSES, WE HAVE THE UNIVERSITIES. THE UNIVERSITIES ARE MEMBERS ALSO. AND THEY HAVE GIVEN TO BECOME MEMBERS. HOW MANY MEMBERS WOULD YOU SAY YOU HAVE? I DON'T KNOW IF I HAVE THAT NUMBER WITH ME. JUST AS A GUESSTIMATE. MORE THAN TEN. LESS THAN. YEAH, I'D SAY I'D SAY I'LL. I'LL GO FOR 12 BECAUSE WE'RE IN DISCUSSION WITH A THREE MORE. RIGHT. DO YOU HAVE ANY OTHER MEMBER THAT PAID $50,000. OH YEAH. OKAY. UNIVERSITIES DO ANYBODY THAT PAID 100,000 OKAY. ANYBODY THAT PAID 250,000 OTHER THAN THE CITY. NOT YET. WE ARE IN DISCUSSION WITH TWO VERY LARGE ORGANIZATIONS THAT ARE TALKING TO US ABOUT DOING THAT. THEY'RE GOING THROUGH THEIR BOARD ACCESS RIGHT NOW. BUT BUT YOU DO HAVE OTHER MEMBERS THAT HAVE PAID $100,000? YES. OKAY. YES. NO. YOU'RE GOOD. NO, I'M. I'M DONE. THANK YOU. OKAY. SORRY. COUNCILMAN. SCHERLEN. I THOUGHT YOU ASKED MY QUESTION. OKAY. OTHER QUESTIONS FOR MRS STREET. I HAVE A FEW, BUT I'LL WAIT. WHY? WHY? TELL ME AGAIN. SO THIS. THIS ISN'T SOMETHING WE CREATED. THIS IS SOMETHING THAT'S USED ACROSS THE COUNTRY. THIS 501 C3, C6, THE C CORP OUT OF THIS. THIS WAS IN THE ADVICE OF HR AND ADVISORS WHO I SAID DOES THIS ALL OVER THE NATION. THEY'RE THE LARGEST CONSULTING FIRM THAT SETS THESE UP. AND WE SET IT UP. WE WANTED TO DO A 501 C6 MEMBERSHIP GOVERNANCE MODEL. THAT'S THE THAT'S THE GOVERNING BODY BECAUSE WE HAVE SO MANY DIFFERENT INDUSTRIES THAT ARE INVOLVED ARE GOING TO BE INVOLVED WITH THIS. IN OUR INTERVIEW PROCESS, WE FOUND OUT THAT WE HAVE A LOT OF DIVERSE INDUSTRY HERE. THERE ARE AREAS THAT HAVE JUST UNIVERSITIES. SO IT'S UNIVERSITY LED. OURS IS INDUSTRY LED. SO LET'S SEE IF I CAN REMEMBER WHAT YOUR QUESTION WAS. YEAH. THE SETUP I MEAN THE, THE SO THE PERMIAN ISH INITIATIVE SET UP THE SAME WAY WITH THE. SO IT'S A PRETTY COMMON SETUP TO HAVE THESE THREE. IT'S A COMMON SET OF ENTITIES. YEAH. BECAUSE THEY WERE THEY WERE 20 DIFFERENT COMPANIES IN THE PERMIAN BASIN AREA WHO NEEDED TO COME TOGETHER TO CREATE INFRASTRUCTURE REPAIR BECAUSE OF ALL THE THINGS THAT ARE GOING ON DOWN THERE. THEY WROTE A GRANT FOR THEY HIRED A COMPANY FOR $1 MILLION TO WRITE A GRANT, AND THEY RECEIVED $600 MILLION FROM THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT FOR INFRASTRUCTURE WORK. THEY KNEW AT THAT POINT THEY WERE ON TO SOMETHING. AND NOW THEY FUND NOT ONLY INFRASTRUCTURE, BUT THEY WRITE GRANTS FOR HEALTH CARE, HOUSING, EDUCATION. AND THERE'S ANOTHER ONE IN THERE. BUT BECAUSE THEY SAID TO US, YOU KNOW, THERE'S SO MUCH MONEY OUT THERE THAT WE COULD HAVE ACCESS TO, BUT WE HAVE TO HAVE A SYNERGY OF OF AN INNOVATIVE, DIVERSIFIED GROUP THAT ALLOWS US TO BRING IT IN, ADMINISTER IT. YOU KNOW, ANY FEDERAL GRANTS WE GET, WE'RE GOING TO BE ADMINISTERING THOSE GRANTS. WE DON'T. AND THIS IS HOW THE GRAPH LOOKS WITH HNA. I HAVE A GRAPH ALSO I CAN SHOW YOU THAT SHOWS THAT IN A STARTUP OF AN INNOVATION HUB, THOSE PEOPLE WHO ARE INVOLVED IN IT IN THE VERY BEGINNING FUND IT PRIMARILY. BUT AS THESE GRANTS ARE WRITTEN, AS THIS MONEY COMES IN, YES, WE CAN WRITE INTO THAT A PERCENTAGE OF EACH GRANT FOR OPERATIONS. THAT'S WHERE WE HIRE THE PEOPLE THAT WE NEED TO HIRE. RIGHT NOW WE HAVE TWO EMPLOYEES, BUT AS TIME GOES ON, THEN WE HAVE MORE MONEY THAT WE CAN OPERATE WITH. IT GETS TO BE A LARGER ORGANIZATION THAT IS MORE EFFECTIVE, MORE EFFICIENT. WE WRITE MORE GRANTS, WE BRING MORE MONEY IN. BUT IT'S ALMOST ALWAYS GOING TO BE I'M I'M THINKING 15% OPERATIONS. AND THE REST OF IT'S GOING TO BE THE MONEY THAT GOES TO OUR AREA. AND WHY WAS WHY DID WHY NOT SET IT UP INSIDE THE EDC? WHY CREATE A SEPARATE ORGANIZATION TO DO THIS TYPE OF THING? BECAUSE WE HAD TOO MANY DIFFERENT INDUSTRIES, EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS AND ORGANIZATIONS AND AGENCIES THAT DID NOT WANT TO HOUSE THIS IN ONE PUBLIC ENTITY. AND THAT WAS THE EDC. AND THEN YOU SAID TEXAS TECH AND WEST TEXAS HAVE BOTH JOINED TOGETHER TO BE PART OF THIS AND FIND VALUE. AND AND THEIR ADMINISTRATIONS FIND THAT THEY ARE MEMBERS THEY ARE MEMBERS GOOD. WELL THANK YOU. YOU DON TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTION, YOU'RE TALKING TO THE PERSON. THAT PROBABLY IS THE MAJOR EMPHASIS IN THAT SHE DID NOT SAY THIS, BUT THANK YOU FOR ALL THE WORK THAT YOU'VE DONE ON THIS PROJECT. I THINK IT'S GOT TREMENDOUS OPPORTUNITY. YOU LOOK AT THE DAIRY AND CATTLE INDUSTRY AND THE BILLIONS OF DOLLARS THAT IT GENERATES. IF WE BUMP UP THAT 1 OR 2%, ALL THESE PEOPLE ARE GOING TO GET ROI THROUGH ADDITIONAL SALES TAX THROUGH THROUGH MORE BUSINESS.
AND I'M SORRY THAT THE RANGE GOT INVOLVED IN THIS, BECAUSE IT'S A GREAT ORGANIZATION THAT I THINK WILL DO A LOT OF GOOD FOR OUR COMMUNITY IN THE FUTURE. AND THANK YOU FOR. THANK YOU. IT IS MY HOPE THAT THAT EVERYONE WILL SEE THE POTENTIAL OF THIS, BECAUSE IF WE DON'T DO THIS, WE WILL BE LEFT BEHIND WITH WHAT'S HAPPENING IN THE REST OF THE NATION. AND WE TRAVELED TO TAKE A LOOK AT IT EVERYWHERE. SO ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? COUNCILMAN CRAFT. YES, SIR. SO, MR. STREET, THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. I'M GOING TO ASK A FEW, IF YOU DON'T MIND HANGING IN THERE WITH ME. JUST SOME VERY DIRECT QUESTIONS. SO THE $750,000. PRETTY IMPACTFUL AT THE POINT IN TIME THAT THE RANGE NEEDED IT. WELL, YES, WE HAD TO HAVE SOMETHING TO START WITH AND THAT WAS WHY THE DECISION WAS MADE. I REQUESTED THAT I WAS NOT ON THE BOARD OF THE EDC AT THE TIME. YOU SERVED ON THE EDC FOR HOW LONG? SIX YEARS. SIX YEARS. AND WERE THE CHAIR. RIGHT. AND THEN YOU'VE SERVED ON LOTS OF DIFFERENT BOARDS AND COMMITTEES. SO PRETTY FAMILIAR WITH EVERYTHING. DO YOU CAN YOU TELL ME, DID THE RANGE KNOW THAT THE 750,000 WAS NOT APPROVED BY THE COUNCIL, THAT IT WASN'T IN THE BUDGET? LET'S SEE. I WASN'T ON I WASN'T ON THE BOARD AT THE TIME. I HAD NO INPUT ON THE BUDGET OR WHAT DID THE RANGE KNOW THAT THAT WOULD YOU BE WILLING TO JUST SPEAK TO THE CONVERSATION OF HOW DID WE GET FROM 100,000 WHO HAD THE IDEA OF, WELL, LET'S CHARGE THIS MEMBER 250 AND THEN LET'S ADVANCE IT THREE YEARS IN A ROW. WHOSE IDEA WAS THAT? ALL I CAN SAY IS THAT THAT'S THE EDC BECAUSE I WAS NOT INVOLVED IN THAT CONVERSATION. OKAY. SO THAT GOES BACK TO OUR SUBCOMMITTEE BUDGET SUBCOMMITTEE OF THE TWO MEMBERS. SO THERE WAS NO DIRECTION. SO I GUESS I'M LOST IN WHO MADE THE ASK, HOW DID THE RAIN ASK OF THE EDC? WHAT DID YOU ASK FOR? I ASKED FOR A MEMBERSHIP, A LEGACY MEMBERSHIP OF 250,000, AND I ASKED IF THERE WAS A POSSIBILITY THAT WE MIGHT HAVE ENOUGH IN THE MEMBERSHIP TO BE ABLE TO START THIS, AND THAT WAS MEMBERSHIP THAT IN RETURN WOULD BE THREE YEARS OF MEMBERSHIP. OKAY. SO YOU ASKED FOR THE 250, BUT YOU NEEDED THE 750. I DID NOT HAVE A SPECIFIC NUMBER. YOU DIDN'T KNOW YOU NEEDED THE 750. SO YOU DIDN'T ASK FOR THE 750? TO TELL YOU THE TRUTH, I DON'T KNOW. ALL I REMEMBER IS THAT I SAID, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE THE MEMBERSHIP LEVEL OF $250,000. AND THE DISCUSSION WENT TO, YOU KNOW, WE NEED MORE. WE NEED TO DO SOME FUNDRAISING. AND WE STARTED FUNDRAISING AT THAT TIME. BUT WE WANTED TO SET IT UP AND DO IT AS QUICKLY AS WE POSSIBLY COULD SO THAT WE COULD FUNDRAISE, BECAUSE UNLESS WE HAD SOMETHING TO START WITH, WE HAD NOTHING TO FUNDRAISE WITH. CORRECT. OKAY. SO YOU MAY NOT HAVE KNOWN THAT THE 750 WASN'T APPROVED. AND YOU DIDN'T ASK FOR THE 750? YOU ASKED FOR THE 250. WE WE WOULD HAVE SOMEHOW OFFERED THE 750 BECAUSE WE KNEW THAT THE ENTITY NEEDED ADDITIONAL FUNDING. YOU PROBABLY NEEDED 1 MILLION OR $2 MILLION. YOU PROBABLY DIDN'T JUST NEED THE 750. YOU KNOW, WE HAVE TO BE GOOD STEWARDS OF WHAT WE BRING IN ALSO. WE'RE A NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION THERE. YOU KNOW, WE WE ARE WE ARE A PUBLIC TRUST. SO WE HAVE TO BE VERY OPEN ABOUT HOW WE BRING IN MONEY AND WHAT WE DO WITH IT. THERE IS NO ONE, NO ONE IN THIS ORGANIZATION THAT IS GETTING ANY KIND OF RENUMERATION FOR THIS WORK. RIGHT. AND I THINK ESPECIALLY ON THE FRONT END, YOU KNOW, IT'S ESPECIALLY HEAVY LIFTING. DO YOU GUYS CURRENTLY SEND A MEMBERSHIP INVOICE A RECEIPT OF PAYMENT. HOW DO YOU WHAT DID YOU SEND, SAY, TEXAS TECH FOR THEIR BUSINESSES USUALLY REQUIRE THAT FOR THEIR RECORDS. AND YES, WE DO. SO YOU DO HAVE A PROCESS. AND I THINK I DID SEE THAT DOCUMENT COME TO MY PHONE. THERE WAS A RANGE RECEIPT FOR MEMBERSHIP DUES. BUT WE ACTUALLY HAD FUNDED THE, THE AMARILLO GLOBAL FOOD HUB. OKAY. RIGHT. AND I'M NOT SURE WHICH ONE IS THE C6 OR THE C7. YOU YOU WERE IT WAS A IT WAS A MEMBERSHIP DUE ACCORDING TO MEMBERSHIP DUES. BUT THAT'S THE C6. THAT'S THE MEMBERSHIP ORGANIZATION. YOU DIDN'T GO THROUGH THE FOUNDATION FOR THIS. WE DIDN'T PAY THE CORRECT ENTITY OR WE DID PAY THE. NO, YOU DID OKAY. YOU WERE REQUESTED TO BE A MEMBER, OKAY, A FOUNDING MEMBER. AND THAT'S WHAT YOU PAID INTO WAS THE MEMBERSHIP. THE 500 1C3 IS A FOUNDATION. IT'S FOR THOSE WHO WE'VE HAD PEOPLE WHO SAY, WELL, I DON'T WANT TO BE A MEMBER, BUT I'LL, I WANT TO FUND. SO THAT GOES. BUT THE 500 AND 1C3 WAS THE AMARILLO GLOBAL FOOD HUB. THE 500 AND 1C6 WAS THE RANGE. NO. OKAY, I APOLOGIZE. IT'S ALL THE AMARILLO GLOBAL FOOD HUB. THE 500 AND 1C6 IS THE RANGE WHICH IS THE AMARILLO GLOBAL FOOD HUB.
IT'S THE SAME THING. IT'S JUST A BRAND. THE RANGE IS A BRAND OF THE ALMOST LIKE JUST A DBA. LIKE YOU SAID, YOU JUST DOING BUSINESS AS YOU. IT'S AS SIMPLE AS A NAME CHANGE. SO YOUR C3 AND YOUR C6 WERE SET UP SAME TIME WHENEVER THE FUNDING WAS, WAS MADE. OKAY. CORRECT. AND THE C3 IS THE RANGE FOUNDATION OKAY? I THINK PROBABLY FOR ME. WE DON'T KNOW WHERE THE MONEY WENT. SO YOU'RE DOING A GOOD JOB OF TELLING US, HEY, WE'RE SPENDING THE MONEY TO TRY TO GET THESE GRANTS AND TRY TO GET ADDITIONAL FUNDING BACK HERE TO FUND THIS ENGINE THAT'S GOING TO, YOU KNOW, EVENTUALLY FILTER INTO, YOU KNOW, ECONOMIC GROWTH IN THE COMMUNITY. I CAN APPRECIATE THAT. HOW MUCH ARE HOW MUCH IS THE RANGE? I'M NOT GOING TO ASK HOW MUCH MR. GARNER MAKES. I WANT TO KNOW HOW MUCH IS THE RANGE EXTENDING TO RUN ITSELF, LIKE, TELL ME THE FINANCIAL HEALTH OF OF THIS ENTITY THAT WE'VE INVESTED THREE QUARTERS OF $1 MILLION IN? MR. GARNER IS NOT TAKING A SALARY, OKAY, TO DO THIS AT THIS POINT. HE STARTED OUT WITH HR AND A HRA, HIRED HIM TO BE ONE OF THE STAFF, FIVE MEMBERS, THE FIVE STAFF MEMBERS. AND THEN WHEN WE DECIDED WE DIDN'T NEED HRA ANYMORE, WE COULD GO FORWARD WITHOUT THEIR CONSULTING. AND BECAUSE WE KNEW WHAT WE NEEDED TO DO, BY THAT TIME WE HAD THE UNIVERSITIES ON BOARD. WE HAD THE 16 MEMBER LEADERSHIP TEAM PUT TOGETHER, AND WE KNEW WE COULD GO FORWARD AND WHAT WE HAD TO DO AT THAT POINT, HE REMAINED AS EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR AND HE HAS NOT TAKEN A SALARY SINCE. WEST TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY SUPPORTS OUR SECOND STAFF MEMBER. THAT'S ONE OF THE THINGS THAT THEY DO AS A MEMBER. AND THAT'S THE ONLY TWO STAFF MEMBERS. WE HAVE OPERATIONS, WE HAVE AN OFFICE, BUT IT'S VERY SMALL. WE DON'T HAVE A RESEARCH PARK HERE LIKE OTHER AREAS DO. BUT WE WERE ADVISED BY HR, AND BECAUSE WE'RE INDUSTRY LED NOT TO HAVE A RESEARCH PARK BECAUSE WE'RE NOT GOING TO BUILD BUILDINGS, WE'RE DOING COLLABORATIONS AND PARTNERSHIPS AND, AND DISCOVERY AND INNOVATION. SO WE HAVE A SMALL OFFICE ON POLK STREET AND THAT WAS FUNDED BY THE MEMBERSHIP MONEY. AND THAT'S REALLY ALL WE'VE GOT. THE REST OF IT IS SO AS FAR AS LIKE SPENDING, I MEAN, NO, $250,000 A YEAR. NO, NO OVERHEAD LIKE THAT. YOU HAVE A VERY SMALL OVERHEAD. YEAH, I WOULD SAY. YEAH, RIGHT. OKAY. AND AND THE INTENTION IS IS GOOD. THE INTENTION IS FOR THE COMMUNITY AND TO HAVE ECONOMIC GROWTH AND, YOU KNOW, BE THE BE THE HUB THAT GATHERS THE RESOURCES THAT ARE ALREADY HERE. NOW, I DISAGREE WITH THE METHANE, BUT OUTSIDE OF THAT YOU KNOW, WE WOULD HOPE THAT YOU WOULD CONTINUE IN, IN DOING A GOOD JOB IN BRINGING THAT ROI. WHAT WHAT WE HAVE AND WHAT WE'RE DEALING WITH IS WE'RE A FOUNDING MEMBER. IS THAT RIGHT? SO, SEE, WE WE WERE NOT NOTIFIED OF THAT AS COUNCIL WHEN I WAS PLACED ONE. I WASN'T NOTIFIED THAT THAT MY VOTE WAS CHANGED FROM 100,000 TO THE 250 AND THEN ADVANCED THREE YEARS. THESE GENTLEMEN WEREN'T WEREN'T NOTIFIED THAT THEY WEREN'T ALLOWED TO VOTE. CURRENTLY AS ELECTED REPRESENTATIVES, THAT THEY DON'T HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO VOTE ON THOSE EXPENDITURES. SO I THINK THIS IS THE PROBLEM THAT WE HAVE, AND WE'VE TRIED TO KEEP THIS AS A PROBLEM THAT WE HAVE WITH OUR EDC AND IN THE WAY THAT WE HAVE SEEN THAT THERE ARE SOME LAX POLICIES OR SOME MISSING POLICIES OR WHATEVER. WE'VE REALLY TRIED NOT TO FOCUS ON THE RANGE. IT'S BEEN IT'S BEEN DONE IN A WAY WHERE I THINK EVERYBODY IN THE ROOM WISHES YOU YOU GUYS HAD DONE IT DIFFERENT. I WANT TO SAY WE HAVEN'T DONE ANY OF THIS. WE ARE THE OVERSIGHT BODY THAT IS REQUIRED AND COMPELLED UNDER UNDER THE LAW TO HOLD THIS ACCOUNTABLE. AND WE ALL WANT TO RESTORE THAT CONFIDENCE TO OUR EDC AND NOT DO DAMAGE TO THE RANGE. I HOPE YOU UNDERSTAND THE INTENTION OF THIS COUNCIL IS NOT TO DAMAGE THE RANGE AS AN ENTITY OR BRING QUESTIONS ABOUT THAT, BUT TO ASK THE RIGHT QUESTIONS OF IT'S ABNORMAL. IT'S AN ANOMALY FOR OUR EDC TO FUND SOMETHING THREE YEARS IN ADVANCE. THAT WAS A STARTUP. IT'S $750,000. IT'S A LOT OF MONEY. IT SHOULD HAVE COME BACK TO COUNCIL. IT DIDN'T. AND THEN WE'VE SAID THE WHOLE TIME, LIKE, WHATEVER THE MEASURE IS THAT NEEDS TO BE TAKEN, WE WANT TO CORRECT THIS. AND SO YOU BEING WILLING TO COME IN HERE AND WE DIDN'T ASK YOU TO BE HERE. NO. AND SO WE REALLY APPRECIATE THAT WE HAVE NOT HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO REACH OUT AND, AND SAY, WOULD YOU COME AND WOULD YOU EXPLAIN IN THE OVERSIGHT CAPACITY THAT WE HAVE, WE ARE VERY LIMITED IN, IN WHAT COULD LOOK LIKE US HAVING CONVERSATIONS BEHIND THE SCENES TO PREVENT THE, THE, THE RIGHT CONVERSATIONS THAT NEED TO HAVE IN THE PUBLIC. SO I, I'VE ALWAYS LOOKED AT YOU AS A TRUE PROFESSIONAL.
YOU YOU ARE GIFTED IN A LOT OF GOOD WAYS, AND YOU CAN SPEAK AND DRAW PEOPLE THAT FOLLOW YOU. AND, AND YOU'RE A LEADER AND YOU HAVE SOME GOOD LEADERSHIP SKILLS. AND SO WE APPRECIATE THAT. AND, AND SO IN TRYING TO BE TOO CAUTIOUS ON THIS DEAL, I THINK IT'S ENDED UP WHERE NOW WE HAVE MORE OF A RELATIONAL ISSUE AT THE DINNER TABLE ON THE EDC SIDE, WHICH I THINK WE'RE GOING TO DEAL WITH NEXT. BEFORE WE SO GRACIOUSLY THANK YOU ONE MORE TIME FOR BEING HERE. DO YOU DO WE HAVE ANYTHING ELSE? COUNCIL FOR MRS STREET. THANK YOU, MR. STREET. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS IN THE FUTURE. ALSO, YOU KNOW, THE ONLY OTHER THING THAT I WOULD ASK IS IF YOU HAVE ANY GENERAL LEDGER THAT YOU'D BE WILLING TO OFFER. THE WAY THAT YOU'RE SAYING EVERYTHING SOUNDS REALLY GOOD. IF WE CAN PUT THAT IN THE HANDS OF THE PUBLIC OF, YOU KNOW, HERE, HERE'S HOW HEALTHY WE ARE. HERE'S HERE'S THE THE EGGS THAT WE HAVE IN THE INCUBATOR. HERE'S WHAT WE'RE DOING. AND, AND EVEN THE FACT THAT, YOU KNOW, MR. GARNER DOESN'T GET A SALARY. YOU KNOW, THOSE ARE THOSE ARE THINGS THAT I THINK COULD BE HELPFUL FOR THE RANGE IF YOU CHOOSE NOT TO DO THAT. I TOTALLY UNDERSTAND. IT'S NOT A IT'S NOT A REQUEST FROM COUNCIL. IT'S JUST AN IDEA OR A THOUGHT. I WOULD BE HAPPY TO DO THAT IF YOU'D GIVE ME. GIVE ME SOME DIRECTION ON EXACTLY WHAT YOU WOULD LIKE TO SEE. BECAUSE AS A AS A 500 AND 1C6, IT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT WE, YOU KNOW, JUST LIKE THE REALTORS ASSOCIATION, THEY DON'T PUBLICIZE THEIR LEDGERS. WELL, I THINK I'M HAPPY TO GIVE IF WE COULD SEE THE TOTAL NUMBER OF MEMBERS, THE AMOUNTS THAT THE MEMBERS PAID WHEN THEY PAID IT. YOU KNOW, HOW HEAVY WAS THE INVESTMENT THAT WE MADE? $750,000. A LOT OF MONEY, BUT $750,000 MAY AS WELL BE $75 MILLION IF YOU DON'T HAVE A DOLLAR. AND SO ARE WE THE FOUNDING MEMBER OR ARE WE A FOUNDING MEMBER? DID DID THIS START BECAUSE OF THE EDC OR DID THIS START BECAUSE OF THE 16 MEMBER GROUP AND THE OTHER RESOURCES THAT ARE HERE? AND THEN IF IT WASN'T DONE CORRECTLY, IS THERE A WAY TO CORRECT IT? I THINK WE ALSO HAVE TO LOOK AT THE SEMANTICS OF THIS IS A MEMBERSHIP. IT'S NOT IT'S NOT A GIFT. THE $750,000 WAS MEMBERSHIP, NOT A GIFT. SO LET'S LOOK AT HOW THAT CAN BE GIVEN TO YOU IN A WAY THAT YOU ARE COMFORTABLE WITH, IN THE WAY THAT. YEAH. AND I'M I'M AGREEABLE TO HAVE A MORE CLARIFYING CONVERSATION WITH THAT SO THAT WHAT I'M ASKING FOR IS SPECIFIC. THANK YOU MA'AM. REALLY APPRECIATE YOUR TIME TODAY. THANK YOU. COUNCIL. CAN WE TAKE A 15 MINUTE RECESS? WE'LL COME RIGHT BACK FOR ITEM 70. WE'RE DONE WITH ITEM 70. I'M HOPING TO MOVE THROUGH ITEM 70 EFFICIENTLY. AND AND NOT NOT PERSONALLY. SO I DON'T KNOW IF YOU GUYS KNOW THIS, BUT, LIKE, I GET I GET SOME CRITICISM. AND SO IT'S A COMMON THING TO BE CRITICIZED ON THE RADIO AND TO HAVE A GUY ASK YOU, HOW DO YOU DEAL WITH THE CRITICISM? AND I SAID IN AN INTERVIEW THIS LAST WEEK, I SAID, YOU KNOW, I AM TOTALLY FINE WITH THE CRITICISM OF POLICY. LIKE, SO YOU CRITICIZE MY POLICIES ALL YOU WANT TO. I THINK SEVEN IS BETTER THAN FIVE. THERE'S PLENTY OF PEOPLE THAT THINK I'M CRAZY TO TRY TO DO THAT AND THAT I'M THAT IT NEEDS TO STAY. FIVE THAT IS A GREAT DEBATE AND BE AS CRITICAL OF THAT AS YOU WANT. BUT THEN CRITICIZING THE PERSON IS WHERE I TRY TO STOP, YOU KNOW. SO JUST SETTING THE ATMOSPHERE IN HERE FOR I HOPE YOU GUYS CAN HEAR THERE'S SOME CRITICISM COMING. AND I TOOK SOME CRITICISM YESTERDAY. I THINK THERE WAS SOME CRITICISM FROM YOUR BOARD YESTERDAY TOWARDS US. AND I GET IT AND I UNDERSTAND IT. BUT LET'S LET'S BE CRITICAL OF HOW WE, WE BUILD THIS POLICY AND HOW WE MOVE THIS THING FORWARD. AND THEN LET'S BE WILLING TO JUST CALL IT WHAT IT IS AND WILLING TO WALK AWAY IF WE NEED TO. SO I SAY THAT IN ITEM 70 IS NOTICED SO THAT WE DON'T OFFEND ANYONE. NUMEROUS TOPICS RELATED TO THE EDC, ARTICLES OF INCORPORATION, DEVELOPMENT, INFRASTRUCTURE ALL THINGS EDC. BUT IT IT IS SOMEWHAT IN RESPONSE TO WHERE WE ARE WITH THIS ISSUE FROM THE RANGE. SO PREVIOUSLY WHAT HAPPENED IN HERE WAS I CONDUCTED A MEETING WITH THE HOPES OF THREE POTENTIAL OUTCOMES. ONE WAS LET'S PASS THE BUDGET AS PRESENTED WITH COUNCIL. THE SECOND WAS LET'S PASS THE BUDGET WITH THE RECOMMENDATIONS FROM THE STAFF ON THE THINGS THAT THEY WANTED. THE THIRD WAS LET'S PASS THE BUDGET WITH RECOMMENDATIONS FROM GEORGE HYDE ON A CONSTRAINED BUDGET.
AND THAT LED US INTO A CONVERSATION WITH A POTENTIAL ARTICLES OF INCORPORATION AMENDMENT THAT IS IN ADDITION TO THE BUDGET DISCUSSION. BUT IT CAME ABOUT THROUGH THE BUDGET DISCUSSION BECAUSE HOW DO YOU FIX THE BUDGET? WELL, THE ARTICLES COULD SPEAK TO IT. IT IS AN OPTION RIGHT NOW. IT'S AN OPTION THAT I BELIEVE THIS COUNCIL WITHOUT LESS GOT AN OPPORTUNITY TO DISCUSS. AND WE WERE ABLE TO PUSH IT FORWARD IN GIVING DIRECTION TO HIDE, NOT TO GO AND AMEND THE ARTICLES AND FOR IT TO NEVER COME BACK FOR A VOTE, NOT NOT TO GO AND SPEND THE $10,000 THAT WE, WE ESTIMATED JUST FOR HIM TO BE READY FOR US ONCE WE GOT THE FINANCIAL REVIEW TO ALLOW HIM TO REVIEW THE FINANCE, THE FINANCIAL REVIEW DATA, MAKE THE RECOMMENDATIONS AND THEN BRING IT BACK TO COUNCIL FROM THERE. HE WAS SUPPOSED TO WORK WITH OUR EDC BOARD ON THE THE RECOMMENDATIONS OF AMENDING THE ARTICLES. AMENDING THE ARTICLES DOES SEVERAL THINGS. IT TAKES A GOVERNANCE POLICY ISSUE AND IT PUTS IT INTO THE ARTICLE OR THE CHARTER THAT EVERYBODY HAS TO LIVE BY, AND THAT IF ANYBODY WANTS TO CHANGE IT IN THE FUTURE, A COUNCIL HAS TO DO IT. SO IT TAKES AWAY THE ISSUE OF, WELL, YOU'RE NOT FOLLOWING YOUR BYLAWS. LIKE, WHY ARE Y'ALL NOT FOLLOWING YOUR BYLAWS AGAIN? WELL, WE DIDN'T INTERPRET IT THAT WAY. OR WE DIDN'T. WE JUST DIDN'T THINK WE HAD TO ASK, YOU KNOW? SO IT PUTS IT INTO THAT CHARTER MECHANISM. IT IS AN OPTION. WHAT WE'RE FIXING TO DO HERE IS HAND THE MICROPHONE OVER TO LES AND LET HIM DISCUSS VERY CANDIDLY WHAT HE FEELS ABOUT THIS AND LET HIM HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK TO THIS ONE PARTICULAR ISSUE. AND THEN COUNCIL CAN HAVE A DISCUSSION. AND I APPRECIATE OUR EDC MEMBERS THAT ARE STILL HERE. IF YOU GUYS ARE WILLING TO SPEAK TO IT, I THINK THAT WOULD BE VERY HELPFUL AS WELL. SO TAKING IT FROM THERE. COUNCILMAN SIMPSON. I KNOW YOU AND I GOT TO HAVE A CONVERSATION OF, HEY, HOW DID THIS HAPPEN AND WHY? AND I SHARED WITH YOU MY MY SIDE. I WANT TO HEAR YOUR SIDE AND LET COUNCIL HEAR IT AND GO FROM THERE. SURE, I APPRECIATE THAT. AND REALLY, I THINK THIS IS THIS IS THE THING I'M BRINGING UP IS ABOUT POLICY AND KIND OF THE POLICY THAT WE HAVE SET, BECAUSE I BELIEVE SINCE TAKING OFFICE, THIS COUNCIL HAS SET A NEW STANDARD FOR TRANSPARENCY AND AND CITIZEN INPUT AND MANY OF THOSE THINGS THAT WE DO GO ABOVE AND BEYOND EVEN WHAT THE LAW REQUIRES. YOU KNOW, FOR EXAMPLE THE COUNCIL INSTITUTED A ROLLING AGENDA THAT LOOKS WEEKS OUT AT POTENTIAL POTENTIAL AGENDA ITEMS. YOU KNOW, WHY DID WE DO THAT? WELL, I THINK THIS COUNCIL FELT LIKE, YOU KNOW, NOT ONLY US, BUT THE PUBLIC NEEDS HEADS UP ON ISSUES. NOT THAT JUST COME OUT 72 HOURS IN ADVANCE, BUT THAT CAN COME OUT WEEKS AHEAD. THAT IF PEOPLE HAVE INTEREST IN IT, THEY CAN COME AND THEY CAN GIVE THAT. AND, AND I THINK THAT'S TRANSPARENCY AND LETTING PEOPLE KNOW IN ADVANCE, AS FAR IN ADVANCE AS YOU CAN WHAT YOU'RE GOING TO TALK ABOUT. AND ALSO, I THINK WHEN IT COMES TO, TO ALLOWING FOR CITIZEN INPUT, HOW MANY HOURS HAVE WE SPENT ON THIS DAIS LISTENING TO CITIZEN INPUT? I THINK WE'VE DONE AN EXCELLENT JOB OF DOING THAT, WHETHER IT RANGES FROM MANY HOURS ON THE SANCTUARY CITY TO MASSAGE ORDINANCES AND EVERYTHING IN BETWEEN. AND WE DON'T REQUIRE CITIZENS TO SIGN UP. THEY CAN. SO WE CAN HAVE IT IN ORDER TO IT. BUT I THINK, I THINK THE APPROACH THAT WE'VE TAKEN TO ALLOW CITIZENS TO HAVE INPUT HAS GONE ABOVE AND BEYOND WHAT EVEN, MAYBE, THE LAW WOULD REQUIRE. I THINK, ON BOTH OF THESE THINGS. SO, YOU KNOW, ON THE ON THE MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 30TH MEETING, A SPECIAL MEETING WAS CALLED REALLY OSTENSIBLY TO GIVE A FINAL READING FOR PUBLIC IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT BUDGETS. I MEAN, THAT WAS THE REASON WHY IT WAS A SPECIAL CALLED MEETING, AS I UNDERSTAND IT, THAT AND AND YOU KNOW, IT WAS ORIGINALLY, I THINK, SCHEDULED FOR THE WEEK BEFORE, BUT SOME SOMETHING HAPPENED AND IT WAS DELAYED TO THAT DAY. BUT IN THERE, YOU KNOW, COUNCIL NOT BY VOTE. AND THERE WAS NOTHING PUT ON THERE ABOUT THE ARTICLES OF INCORPORATION. AND, YOU KNOW, MAYBE IT CAME UP ORGANICALLY, BUT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT AND I THINK YOU INTERCHANGED THE WORD CHARTER WITH THIS. I MEAN, THIS IS THE EQUIVALENT TO THE CHARTER. AND, YOU KNOW, WHEN WE LOOKED AT OUR OWN CHARTER, WE REACHED OUT. WE DIDN'T RUSH THROUGH IT. WE GAVE A LOT OF TIME. WE HAD A LOT OF CITIZEN INPUT ON THAT. WE JUST DIDN'T DECIDE ON OURSELVES WHAT CHANGES, YOU KNOW, NEEDED TO BE MADE. AND, YOU KNOW, I THINK IN, IN FULL TRANSPARENCY, GOING EVEN ABOVE AND BEYOND WHAT THE LAW MAY REQUIRE, THIS ITEM OF REWRITING THE THE ARTICLES OF INCORPORATION, WASN'T ON THE AGENDA.
AND WHAT I WOULD REQUEST IS THAT, YOU KNOW, THAT WE LOOK AT THIS AND BRING IT BACK AND HAVE THE SAME LEVEL OF TRANSPARENCY THAT WE'VE ALWAYS HAD, AND BEING ABLE TO DO THIS, TO BE ABLE TO HAVE A CONVERSATION, DISCUSSION AND THE AND A VOTE ON THIS, WHERE, YOU KNOW, WE'RE GOING ON THE RECORD WITH WHAT WE THINK WE OUGHT TO DO GOING FORWARD. SO I JUST THINK AND WE'VE SET A HIGH STANDARD FOR THIS, AND I'D LIKE TO CONTINUE THAT BY BRINGING, YOU KNOW, PUTTING A HALT TO ANY WORK AT THIS POINT, ANY ADDITIONAL TAXPAYER EXPENSE, BRINGING IT BACK THROUGH COUNCIL, ALLOWING THE PUBLIC TO BE NOTICED THAT THIS CONVERSATION IS GOING ON. IF ANYBODY WANTS TO HAVE ANY CONVERSATION AND INPUT AND THEN ALLOWING ALL OF US TO BE ABLE TO HAVE A CONVERSATION ABOUT THAT. SO THAT WOULD BE MY REQUEST TODAY. WELL, EXPLAIN THAT IN THE WAY IN WHICH WE'RE WE'RE HERE, IT'S NOTICED. WHAT DO WE NEED TO WHAT DO WE NEED TO PUT A FUTURE AGENDA ITEM ON FOR TO TO PUT IT ON AS AN ACTION ITEM? OKAY, SO WE WERE ABLE TO GIVE CONSENT BECAUSE THE PROFESSIONAL SERVICES AGREEMENT WAS ALREADY INSTITUTED. THE MONIES HAVE ALREADY BEEN PUT IN THE BUDGET HIRED ALREADY WORKS AT OUR INITIATIVE. SO WE AS A COUNCIL GAVE DIRECTION AND CONSENT. NOT A FORMAL VOTE. SO HOW WOULD I PUT IT ON FOR AN ACTION ITEM? IT'S A NOT TO EXCEED $10,000 ITEM WHERE YOU ALREADY HAVE THE PROCUREMENT FOR THE CONTRACT. JUST BASICALLY IN FULL TRANSPARENCY TO SAY, HERE'S WHAT HERE'S WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT. I MEAN, I DON'T I THINK REWRITING THE ARTICLES OF INCORPORATION FOR THAT HAVE BEEN IN PLACE SINCE 1990, I THINK IS SOMETHING THAT I DON'T I DON'T THINK WE SHOULD RUSH THROUGH AND AGREED. AND NOW. BUT NOW WE'VE DID IT, AND WE SAID IT'S GOING TO BE READY IN 7 TO 10 DAYS. WELL, I DON'T THINK SO. AND SO LET'S SAY IT THIS WAY. THE ARTICLES COULD HAVE TAKEN 7 TO 10 DAYS WITH COLLABORATION FROM THE EDC BOARD. MR. HYDE, WE'VE PUT ALL THE BRAKES ON THAT SINCE OUR LAST CONVERSATION BETWEEN YOU AND I. YOU KNOW, MR. HYDE WAS INSTRUCTED, YOU KNOW, WAIT ON THE THE DOCUMENTS THAT WE'RE GOING TO GIVE YOU. AND THEN, YOU KNOW, YESTERDAY'S MEETING, THE THE EDC I BELIEVE, VOTED TO HIRE ANOTHER ATTORNEY THAT WOULD PREVENT THE CONVERSATION FROM HAPPENING FROM MR. HYDE AND AND THIS BODY. SO WE I'LL LET YOU SPEAK TO THAT MR. BENTLEY IN A MINUTE, BUT I WOULD SAY YOU'RE GOING TO VOTE ON THIS. SO. SO THE PROPER NOTICE FOR AN ACTION ITEM WOULD BE THE VOTE YES OR NO TO AMEND THESE ARTICLES WHEN THE PUBLIC CAN SEE WHAT ARE THE AMENDMENTS THAT YOU'RE PROPOSING. I DON'T BELIEVE THAT I HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO PUT AN ACTION ITEM UP THAT SAYS, I'M THINKING ABOUT AMENDING THE ARTICLES, AND I'D LIKE YOU ALL TO VOTE ON IT. WELL, WE'RE HIRING AN ATTORNEY TO DO IT. HE MAY BE UNDER CONTRACT, BUT WE'RE SPENDING MONEY TO TO DO IT. CORRECT. AND I'M JUST SAYING, YOU KNOW, WE WE DID THE SAME THING ON THE CHARTER. WE DIDN'T KNOW WHAT CHANGES WERE GOING TO BE MADE ON THE CHARTER. WE HAD SOME IDEAS, BUT WE HAD A GOOD ROBUST PUBLIC DISCUSSION ON IT AS WE DID, YOU KNOW, MANY OTHER ISSUES. AND I THINK THAT THAT THAT DISCUSSION IS STILL TO COME. THE VOTES ARE STILL TO COME. I WILL GLADLY PUT IT ON THE FUTURE AGENDA ITEM WHEN IT'S READY. IF I IF I COULD DO ANYTHING TODAY IF, IF YOU'RE, IF YOU'RE YOUR PUSH WOULD BE TO. YOU DON'T WANT MR. HYDE LOOKING AT THOSE ARTICLES THEN THEN THAT WOULD BE SOMETHING THAT WE COULD LOOK AT HERE AS A BODY. WELL, I THINK HAVING AND MAYBE, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, I WAS NOT INVOLVED IN THE DISCUSSION ON FRIDAY. I'VE GOT QUESTIONS ABOUT IT. I HAVE A LOT OF I DON'T UNDERSTAND IF IT'S ALREADY IN STATE LAW. ACCORDING TO HIM, WHY DO WE WHY DO WE HAVE TO CHANGE THE ARTICLES OF INCORPORATION? WHY DON'T WE JUST FOLLOW THE LAW? I MEAN, THERE'S A LOT OF QUESTIONS ON HERE, AND I DON'T EVEN KNOW IF LOOKING AT THE ARTICLES OF INCORPORATION IS THE BEST WAY TO DO THIS IF IT'S NEEDED OPENING THE BOX TO BE ABLE TO DO THAT. SO THAT'S THAT'S MY CONCERN. SO IF YOU WOULD I'M GOING TO I'M GOING TO GO A LITTLE FURTHER. WHAT IS YOUR CONCERN WITH ALLOWING MR. HYDE TO BRING FORWARD RECOMMENDATIONS? I MAY NOT HAVE A CONCERN WITH IT, BUT I JUST WOULD LIKE TO HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE A CONVERSATION THAT WE LOOK AT HAVING. AND, YOU KNOW, I APOLOGIZE FOR NOT BEING IN THE MEETING. I'VE BEEN AT, YOU KNOW, I THINK YOU'VE BEEN AT SEVERAL I'VE BEEN AT EVERY MEETING THAT WE'VE HAD, THIS WAS CHANGED AT THE LAST MINUTE. IT'S SOMETHING THAT I ALREADY, YOU KNOW, HAD SOMETHING ELSE TO BUT TO GET PUBLIC INPUT AND GET PUBLIC COMMENT AND MAYBE THERE'S, YOU KNOW, THE CITIZENS THAT'S THAT'S WHO WE REPRESENT. I THINK WE NEVER GAVE THE CITIZENS A CHANCE TO FOR THEM TO HAVE ANY INPUT ON THIS BECAUSE THERE WAS NEVER ANY NOTICE, GIVEN THAT SOMETHING TO THIS EXTREME WOULD BE CONSIDERED FOR THE EDC. SO IT IS EXTREME TO ALLOW MR.
HYDE TO MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS. IT'S ABOUT, I THINK IT'S EXTREME TO LOOK AT MAKING THE MAKING CHANGES TO THE TO THE ARTICLES OF INCORPORATION. SO LET ME EXPLAIN. WE'RE NOT TRYING TO REDRAW ALL OF THE ARTICLES OF INCORPORATION. WE AS A BODY DISCUSSED THE IMPORTANCE OF HAVING A BUDGET THAT WAS APPROVED THAT REFERENCED THE ACTUAL EXPENDITURES. SO WHAT WE HAVE, IN MY OPINION, WITH THE RANGE ISSUE IS WE HAVE THE WILLINGNESS TO ASK FOR FORGIVENESS AND NOT PERMISSION. WE ASKED FOR PERMISSION FOR $100,000. WE THEN HAD MULTIPLE CONVERSATIONS WHERE IT WENT FROM 100 TO 250, AND THEN IT WENT IN A WIRE TRANSFER TO 750. WE KNEW AND HAD KNOWLEDGE THAT WE COULD HAVE COME BACK AND ASKED FOR AN AMENDMENT, OR AT LEAST VOTED ON IT ON YOUR YOUR BOARD. THAT TO ME IS STEPPING OUTSIDE OF BYLAWS ARTICLES. GOOD GOVERNANCE AS WELL AS STATE LAW. SO THIS BODY IS REQUIRED TO APPROVE ALL EXPENDITURES. ONE WAY TO DO THIS, AND TO FIX IT ONCE AND FOR ALL, IS TO AMEND THE ARTICLES OF INCORPORATION TO WHERE THE PRE-APPROVED REQUESTED LINE ITEM BUDGET COMES TO THIS COUNCIL. WE APPROVE IT AND IT'S BASED ON THEIR ACTUALS FROM THE PREVIOUS YEAR, ALL OF THEIR CURRENT CONTRACTS, AND ALL OF THEIR CURRENT PAYROLL. ANYTHING THAT'S IN ADDITION TO THAT, THERE IS NO DISCRETIONARY FUND. THEY SIMPLY BRING IT IN AND IT CAN BE AS FINITE AS WE ONLY WANT TO SHOP AT OFFICE DEPOT, AND WE'RE ONLY BUYING PENCILS FROM OFFICE DEPOT, OR IT CAN BE AS GENERAL AS $500 A YEAR FOR PENCILS. AND YOU'RE NOT LIMITED TO JUST OFFICE DEPOT. IT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE LOGISTICALLY COMPLICATED. IT'S NOT HARD. IF ANYTHING, IT'S A IT'S A WILLINGNESS TO SUBMIT TO THE AUTHORITY OF COUNCIL TO JUST HAVE THAT ADDITIONAL CONTROL MEASURE. SO COUNCILMAN, I'D LIKE TO HAVE HYDE WORK ON THAT ONE ITEM. WE HAVE A PROTOCOL WHERE HYDE WORKS ON THOSE ITEMS AT MY REQUEST, AT THE REQUEST OF OTHER COUNCIL MEMBERS, WE ARE SPENDING SOME MONEY WITH HIM. WE I CAN SHOW THAT IT'S TAXPAYER MONEY WELL SPENT. I DON'T HAVE A PROBLEM WITH DEFENDING THE $10,000 HERE. AND I WORKED REALLY HARD, ALONG WITH STAFF AND YOU AND EVERYBODY ELSE, TO FIND $29 MILLION IN OUR BUDGET THAT WE WERE ABLE TO REWORK AND MOVE AROUND. SO I DON'T FEEL LIKE WE ARE THE COUNCIL THAT THAT IS LOOKING AT A FINANCIAL ISSUE HERE. I THINK WE HAVE AN ISSUE OF DON'T TOUCH IT AND I'M NOT GOOD WITH DON'T TOUCH IT. AND I'M NOT GOOD WITH A LAWYER THAT SAYS I'M HERE TO, YOU KNOW, PREVENT YOU FROM TOUCHING THESE ARTICLES. SO BOTTOM LINE, COUNCILMAN SIMPSON, THESE ARTICLES ARE HOURS SITTING ON THIS GOVERNING BODY. THEY'RE NOT THE BOARDS. SO HOW WOULD YOU LIKE TO ADDRESS THOSE ARTICLES? I WOULD LIKE TO TALK ABOUT THE MERITS OF DOING IT. AND THIS IS NOT ABOUT THIS IS JUST ABOUT TRANSPARENCY AND TAKING OUR TIME INSTEAD OF GOING FULL SPEED AHEAD. OKAY. TODAY IS THE DAY FOR US TO TALK ABOUT THE MERITS OF DOING THIS. NO REASON TO NOTICE THIS AND WAIT ANOTHER WEEK. NO REASON TO CALL ANOTHER SPECIAL SESSION. WHAT ARE THE MERITS FOR NOT DOING THIS? WHAT I'M ASKING FOR TODAY IS TO PUT IT BACK ON THE AGENDA. IF WE DON'T WANT TO DO THAT. I'M AGREED. I'M AGREED. I WILL PUT IT BACK ON THE AGENDA WHEN IT'S READY TO VOTE ON IT. SO. SO WE'RE GOING TO HAVE HYDE PROPOSE THOSE AMENDMENTS TO THE ARTICLE. I DON'T KNOW, YOU KNOW I'M NOT. HOW DO WE KNOW THAT HYDE HAS THE CORRECT INTERPRETATION OF THE LAW? THAT LAW HAS OVER 473 DIFFERENT LINES. HE'S TAKEN ONE LINE OUT OF THAT. HE SAYS THAT THE LAW PROHIBITS ADC SPENDING EVEN $0.01 WITHOUT CITY COUNCIL AUTHORIZATION. SO WE'RE GOING TO SIT HERE AND WE'RE GOING TO, YOU KNOW, WHAT'S THAT GOING TO LOOK LIKE? I MEAN, WHAT HAVE WE INSTRUCTED HIM TO DO? AND IS THAT IS THAT FUNCTIONAL? WHAT OTHER COMMUNITIES OPERATE UNDER THE SAME WAY? ARE WE GOING TO SPEND TWO HOURS IN EVERY COUNCIL MEETING, SITTING HERE GOING THROUGH ADC EXPENSES IF THEY HAVE TO WIND UP YOU KNOW, BEFORE THEY GO TO DINNER? DO THEY HAVE TO? I'M JUST TRYING TO GET AN UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT HIS. IT'S NOT THAT WAY. SO TWO TWO RESPONSES. AND THEN COUNCILMAN SHERWIN CAN SAY SOMETHING ONE. WHO IS HYDE? WELL, HE ARGUED BEFORE THE TEXAS SUPREME COURT AND THE APPELLATE COURT. HE'S GOT 25 YEARS IN WORKING THROUGH A OR EDC PROBLEMS. HE HE'S VERY KNOWLEDGEABLE AND HE'S VERY WELL RESPECTED. AND HE TEACHES CLASS ON THIS, SO I DON'T THINK THAT HIS COLLEAGUES WOULD TELL YOU HE'S A BAD LAWYER AT ALL. I'M NOT EVEN SAYING HE HAS TO BE THE ONE TO DO IT. I'M JUST SAYING IT IS AN IT IS A WAY TO FIX THIS PROBLEM.
AND THEN IN IN THE SPECIFICITY, I AGREE WITH HIM. WE HAVE TO APPROVE ALL EXPENDITURES. HOW WE APPROVE THEM CAN BE HOW WE'VE DONE IT, WHICH OBVIOUSLY HAS SOME PROBLEMS IN IT. IF YOU GUYS ARE SAYING YOU HAVE THE DISCRETION TO SPEND $3.7 MILLION WITHOUT ANYBODY EVER KNOWING ABOUT IT OR VOTING ON IT, IT'S A PROBLEM. BUT IF WE WANT GREATER SPECIFICITY, THAT'S HOW WE DO IT IS THROUGH THESE ARTICLES. AND THERE IS NO DRAWBACK ON THIS IF IF WE MAINTAIN THE CONTROL, YOU'RE NOT LOSING ANY CONTROL. COUNCILMAN SIMPSON YOU'RE GOING TO BE A PART OF ALL OF THE CONVERSATIONS. YOU CAN DIRECT HIDE, AND WE CAN MASSAGE THOSE MUCH LIKE WE DO ANY OTHER ORDINANCE. WHAT ABOUT WHAT ABOUT THE POTENTIAL FINDING? I MEAN, I JUST DON'T KNOW IF WE SHOULD JUST TAKE HINES OPINION AS LOCK, STOCK AND BARREL. I MEAN, YOU CAN GET LEGAL OPINIONS TO, YOU KNOW, WHATEVER. I MEAN, IS THERE THE POTENTIAL OR COULD WE GET ANOTHER OPINION, PERHAPS TO LOOK AT SOMEONE ELSE? WHAT'S YOUR WHAT'S YOUR OPINION OF IS IT JEFF MOORE THAT YOU GUYS CONTACTED. WHAT'S YOUR OPINION OF MR. MOORE? COUNCILMAN SIMPSON. I DON'T I DON'T KNOW, MR. MOORE. ONE POTENTIAL SOLUTION HERE WOULD BE TO REMOVE JEFF MOORE FROM AN ACTIVE ROLE OF COMMUNICATING ON BEHALF OF THE EDC BODY, ALLOW MR. HYDE AN OPPORTUNITY TO WORK WITH THE EDC TO BRING FORTH THESE RECOMMENDATIONS, AND THEN ALLOW JEFF TO REVIEW THEM AND GIVE YOU HIS OPINION OF, WELL, THIS IS TOO STRONG. THIS IS FINE. I WOULD OR I WOULDN'T. I WOULD BE IN FAVOR OF THAT. MR. BENTLEY, WOULD YOU MIND COMING UP HERE AND SPEAKING, OR ACTUALLY, I APOLOGIZE. LET ME. LET ME CALL ON MR. HALL. OR WOULD YOU RATHER, MR. BENTLEY? OKAY. I'M ONLY. I ONLY CALLED YOU OUT BECAUSE ME AND YOU WERE NODDING OUR HEADS AT EACH OTHER, SO. SURE. BUT EITHER YOU GUYS AND THEN ANYONE ELSE. BUT WHAT WHAT IS THE ISSUE WITH CHANGING THE ARTICLES FOR YOU GUYS? WELL, THE REASON I WAS SHAKING MY HEAD IS SOMETHING YOU SAID, MAYOR, IS THAT WE WE WANT TO PREVENT YOU FROM CHANGING THE ARTICLES. THAT IS NOT AT ALL THE REASON WE WE GOT ANOTHER ATTORNEY TO IS ACTUALLY WHAT COUNCILMAN SIMPSON SAID. JUST TO GET ANOTHER OPINION. BECAUSE THIS IS THIS IS UNLIKE ANYTHING WE'VE SEEN BEFORE OR HEARD. AND SINCE THIS IS RECOMMENDATION WAS DONE LAST WEEK, WE STARTED CALLING AROUND, CHECKING OTHER EDCS, CHECKING WITH ATTORNEYS AND THE LIKE. WE WE KNOW MANY, OR KEVIN HAS TOLD US THIS MANY EDCS THAT OPERATE THE WAY THAT WE DO. SO TO GO AHEAD AND CHANGE THE ARTICLES AND THE WAY THAT YOU ALL ARE RECOMMENDING IS, IS VERY UNUSUAL. THAT'S WHAT WE'VE BEEN TOLD. SO WE WANTED TO GET ANOTHER OPINION NOT TO KEEP THIS FROM HAPPENING, BUT JUST TO GET ANOTHER OPINION. OKAY. COUNCILMAN SCHERLEN I SKIPPED YOU. SO AFTER YESTERDAY'S MEETING WITH YOU GUYS, I WATCHED IT ALL LAST NIGHT. YOU ALL THREW US TOTALLY UNDER THE BUS. I FELT LIKE Y'ALL WERE GOING AGAINST THIS GOVERNING BODY HERE COMPLETELY. HOW DO Y'ALL RECOGNIZE THAT? I MEAN, WE ARE THE GOVERNING BODY. WE MAKE THE DECISIONS. ABSOLUTELY. AND YOU'RE FIGHTING US. WE'RE NOT FIGHTING YOU. WE'RE JUST TRYING TO GET ANOTHER OPINION. WELL, YOU'RE ENTITLED TO GET AN OPINION. THAT'S ALL. WE'RE ENTITLED TO GET AN OPINION, TOO. ABSOLUTELY. NOW, WHAT WE DECIDE UP HERE IS GOING TO BE THE DECISION. ABSOLUTELY. AND WHETHER WHATEVER WE DECIDE WHAT HAPPENED ON THIS WHOLE DEAL IS DIRTY. I DON'T CARE. I KNOW YOU SAID WORDS AND SOME OTHER PEOPLE HAVE SAID WORDS. NOW, IN MY OPINION, YOU ALL NEED TO WORK WITH US INSTEAD OF AGAINST US. FROM THE VERY BEGINNING, YOU GUYS HAVE NOT BEEN FORTHCOMING WITH ANY INFORMATION. I'VE CALLED EVEN MR. HALL THERE. ASK DID YOU DO YOU AGREE WITH EVERYTHING YOU QUOTED IN THE TRIBUNE? AND HE SAID, YES, I DO. AND IF I REMEMBER RIGHT, ANDREW, I SAID, I GOT A PROBLEM WITH THAT. AND THE REASON I HAVE A PROBLEM WITH IT, IF Y'ALL BELIEVED WHAT YOU DID WAS RIGHT, THERE'S NO WAY TO NO WAY TO MAKE IT RIGHT. YOU BROKE YOUR OWN BYLAWS. YES YOU DID. COULD I COULD I RESPOND? YES. GO AHEAD. I BEG TO DIFFER ON THAT. WE HAVEN'T BEEN FORTHCOMING IN OUR FIRST, VERY FIRST MEETING WITH WITH THE MAYOR AND COUNCILMAN SIMPSON. WE, WE WE NOTATED AND WE SAID ANDREW AND I DID WE WISH WE WOULD HAVE HANDLED THIS DIFFERENTLY, BUT THERE'S NO POLICIES OR PROCEDURES TO GUIDE US THAT SAYS WE CAN OR CANNOT DO WHAT WE DID. SO WE THOUGHT WE WERE WITHIN OUR AUTHORITY, NOT TRYING TO CIRCUMVENT EVERYTHING.
SO WE WERE VERY FORTHCOMING IN THAT WE WISH WE WOULD HAVE HANDLED IT DIFFERENTLY. AND YOU'RE RIGHT, WE WOULDN'T BE HERE TODAY IF WE WOULD HAVE. SO IN HINDSIGHT. SO WE MADE A RECOMMENDATIONS TO TO IMPLEMENT. SO THIS THIS DIDN'T HAPPEN AGAIN. SO THERE'S CLEAR CLEAR POLICY AND GUIDELINES ON ON WHAT IS ALLOWED. IT IS IN Y'ALL'S BYLAWS THAT YOU BRING UP MR. HYDE. I MEAN MCWILLIAMS. NO, I WAS GOING TO SAY CRAFT MR. GRAYSON. OH, WE WERE TALKING ABOUT THE BYLAWS EARLIER. DO YOU REMEMBER THAT CONVERSATION OR BRIAN? EITHER ONE. BRIAN, WOULD YOU BRING UP THEIR BYLAW THAT THEY BROKE THERE? THE BYLAWS COULD BE INTERPRETED TO REQUIRE ALL THINGS TO COME TO THE CITY COUNCIL. AND I BELIEVE THAT'S WHAT THE INTENT WAS. THAT IS YOUR BYLAWS. IT'S NOT OUR LAWS. IT'S Y'ALL'S LAWS. AND HE SAID COULD BE INTERPRETED THAT WAY. I MEAN, BUT IT COULD NOT BE INTERPRETED THAT WAY AS WELL. YOU KNOW, WHAT WOULD YOU DO THAT IN BUSINESS WORLD? WOULD YOU DO WHAT YOU DID IN THE BUSINESS WORLD? WHAT'S YOUR QUESTION? I JUST STATED IT. IF YOU WERE AT YOUR BANK AND THEY COME IN AND SAY, I WANT $750, WOULD YOU GO GET ANDREW AND GIVE HIM THEM $750,000. IF I THOUGHT THAT WAS WITHIN OUR AUTHORITY TO DO SO. SURE. OKAY. SO DO YOU THINK WHAT Y'ALL DID WAS WITHIN YOUR PURVIEW? WE WOULDN'T HAVE DONE IT. OKAY. IT'S NOT. I'LL TELL YOU THAT RIGHT NOW. AND IF Y'ALL CONTINUE TO FIGHT THIS, YOU'RE GOING TO GO DOWN A ROAD. YOU WILL NOT WIN, I PROMISE YOU THAT. COUNCILMAN. WE ARE NOT. HEAR ME? WE'RE NOT HERE TO FIGHT THIS. WE'RE HERE TO WORK WITH YOU. WE WANT TO RESOLVE THIS. WELL, WHAT DID THAT MEETING YESTERDAY. WE WANT TO RESOLVE COUNCILMAN CRAFT. YEAH. SO, MR. BENTLEY, MR. HALL I'M OBJECTIVE ON THIS THING THE WHOLE WAY. AND SO FIRST, I JUST WANT TO SAY I BELIEVE THAT YESTERDAY WAS DISRESPECTFUL IN THE WAY IN WHICH, YOU KNOW, YOU WANT TO SAY THAT WE'RE POLITICIZING THIS STUFF. WE'RE NOT. I KNOW FOR ME, AND I CAN PROBABLY SPEAK FOR COUNCIL MEMBERS, WE WANT TO FOLLOW THE LAW. ABSOLUTELY. THE STATE LAW. WE HAVE OUR LEGAL COUNSEL THAT, YOU KNOW, AFTER OUR LAST MEETING WHERE WE ALL BROUGHT UP THE POLICY CHANGES THAT WAS GIVEN TO OUR LEGAL COUNSEL, AND HE BROUGHT BACK RECOMMENDATIONS. AND PART OF THAT WAS ARTICLES OF INCORPORATION. AND HE WAS ON THE PHONE DURING THAT NEXT MEETING. BUT I TRULY BELIEVE THAT WE WANT TO FOLLOW THE LAW, AND WE'RE GOING TO DO WHAT IT TAKES. IT'S NOTHING PERSONAL. AS FAR AS THE THE $10,000 HIRING OF THE ATTORNEY I BELIEVE THAT YOU DON'T HAVE THE AUTHORITY TO DO THAT UNDER Y'ALL'S BUDGET. AND I'D LIKE AN EXPLANATION WHY YOU GUYS FEEL THAT. YOU DO. AND I'D LIKE TO HEAR FROM YOUR YOUR CHAIRMAN. OKAY, WELL, HE CAN HE CAN SPEAK FOR HIMSELF. BECAUSE IT WAS THE WORDS OUT OF HIS MOUTH. LET ME, LET ME LET ME JUST SAY ONE THING. WHAT WE DID YESTERDAY WAS NOT MEANT TO BE DISRESPECTFUL TO ANYBODY. WE JUST WANTED ANOTHER OPINION ON THE OPINION GIVEN BY YOUR ATTORNEY BECAUSE WE'VE NOT SEEN, LIKE I SAID BEFORE OR HEARD OF OF OTHER EDCS DOING IT DOESN'T MEAN IT HASN'T HAPPENED, BUT IT'S VERY UNUSUAL. SO WE WANTED TO GET AN ATTORNEY TO LOOK AT IT AS WELL. SO THAT IS NOT SO WHY WOULD Y'ALL WANT TO GET AN ATTORNEY WHEN WE'RE THE AUTHORIZING UNIT? I MEAN, WE'RE BASICALLY THE PARENTS AND THE EDCS THE CHILDREN. DOES THAT MAKE SENSE? WE CONTROL YOUR BOARD. WE APPROVE ALL EXPENDITURES. YEAH. YOU KNOW, THE OPTICS OF THIS IS TERRIBLE. WE'VE ALREADY GIVEN A DIRECTION TO GO DO SOMETHING. IT IS OUR RIGHT UNDER STATE LAW TO DO THAT FOR YOU GUYS TO GET A SECOND OPINION. WHAT'S YOUR OPINION GOING TO DO? WHAT IS THE PLAN? ONCE YOU GET YOUR SECOND OPINION, COME BACK AND WE'RE GOING TO GO BACK AND FORTH AND FIGHT THIS THING. I MEAN I DON'T AND I AND I KNOW I SOUND FRUSTRATED, BUT I'M JUST BEING VERY OBJECTIVE ABOUT IT. WHAT'S THE END GOAL WITH THE SECOND OPINION TO FIND TO FIND OUT IF IF THE OPINION THAT YOUR ATTORNEY HAS GIVEN IS ACCURATE AND IF AND IF AND IF IT IS, THEN IF OUR ATTORNEY SAYS THAT'S THAT'S TOTALLY ACCURATE. THAT'S THAT'S THAT'S WHAT Y'ALL NEED TO DO, THEN. ABSOLUTELY. BUT IF NOT, WE WOULD HOPE TO COLLABORATE TO MAKE IT SOMETHING THAT'S MORE WORKABLE FOR FOR ALL THE PARTIES INVOLVED. AND THAT AND THE COLLABORATION WAS THE INITIAL GOAL BEFORE YOU GUYS DECIDED TO WANT TO GO HIRE AN ATTORNEY. WE STATED IN OUR MEETING THAT MR. HYDE WAS GOING TO REACH OUT TO THE EDC BOARD, WORKED TOGETHER WITH THE EDC ON THESE ARTICLES, NO LESS. AND I HAD A CONVERSATION AND I CALLED MR. HYDE AND SAID, HOLD OFF. LES WANTS TO ADDRESS THIS IN A DISCUSSION ITEM. I DON'T HAVE A WAY TO PUT IT UP FOR A VOTE. WE'VE ALREADY DIRECTED YOU. YOU'RE WAITING ON THE THE DRAFT TO COME TO YOU SO YOU CAN ANALYZE THE DATA.
AND SO HE HAS NOT REACHED OUT. AND, AND YOU GUYS HAD YOUR DEVELOPMENT YESTERDAY. SO THINGS HAVE CHANGED. AND I STILL WOULD LIKE TO HEAR FROM THE CHAIRMAN ABOUT HOW WE'RE BLOWING THIS THING UP POLITICALLY BY HIRING OUR OWN OUTSIDE COUNSEL. I MEAN, I WOULD LIKE AN EXPLANATION FROM THAT, RESPECTIVELY. OKAY. ANYTHING ELSE FOR ME WHILE I'M HERE? MR. BENTLEY, WE APPRECIATE YOU. THANK YOU. SIR. AND I DIDN'T MEAN TO COME DOWN ON YOU PERSONALLY. WELL, IF I DID THE SAME THING, I APOLOGIZE AS WELL. OKAY. THANK YOU. HELLO. SO I WOULD I WOULD SAY THE SAME THING THAT THAT MR. BENTLEY IS SAYING THAT THOUGH, YOU KNOW HOW IT'S PERCEIVED. IF THAT'S. I'LL APOLOGIZE FOR THAT. WHAT WE ARE TRYING TO DO IS FIGURE OUT A WAY FROM FROM THE BEGINNING, WHEN WE TALKED TO MR. MAYOR AND MR. COUNCILMAN SIMPSON OF HOW WE CAN FIGURE OUT HOW TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THIS. THIS WAS BROUGHT TO LIGHT. I STILL THINK WITHIN OUR PROCEDURES WE FOLLOWED WHAT WE COULD DO. BUT THAT'S NOT SAYING THAT'S NOT WHAT WE NEED TO BE DOING. AND SO I AGREE WITH DIFFERENT PROCEDURES AND NEW WAYS TO DO IT THAT WE CAN BE BETTER. WE CAN WORK TOGETHER TO FIGURE THAT OUT. I WOULD I WOULD SAY THAT THE WAY I LOOK AT HAVING A SECOND OPINION IS LIKE IN REAL ESTATE. I MEAN, YOU'RE IN CONSTRUCTION. WE DO DEVELOPMENT AS WELL. IT'S ALWAYS GOOD TO HAVE MULTIPLE OPINIONS. I WOULD CALL THOSE MULTIPLE BIDS, MAKE SURE WE FIND THE RIGHT WAY WHERE HOPEFULLY THOSE BIDS, THOSE THINGS, WE CAN FIND THE RIGHT MIDDLE GROUND. ON SEEING WHAT'S OUT THERE. WE'VE TALKED TO THE HEAD OF THE THE ASSOCIATION OF EDC'S. HE SAID, AS HE REPRESENTS HUNDREDS OF THESE EDC'S, THIS WOULD BE OUTSIDE OF NORMAL. IT WOULD BE AN ANOMALY AS WHAT Y'ALL ARE USING OF HOW THESE EDCS WORK. SO WE WERE VERY CONCERNED AND HONESTLY WE WERE TAKEN OFF GUARD WHEN THE ARTICLES OF CORPORATION STARTED TALKING, IT WAS NOT ON THE AGENDA. AND SO WHEN THAT HAPPENED, WE WERE GOING, WHOA, THIS IS THIS IS GETTING BIGGER, MORE COMPLEX, MORE THINGS THAT WE NEED TO FIGURE OUT. HOW ARE WE DOING SOMETHING WRONG? OR ARE WE DOING SOMETHING THAT NEEDS TO BE IMPROVED OR WE DO SOMETHING RIGHT? AND THAT'S HOW WHEN WE HIRED MR. MR. MORE, IS THAT GOING TO COME TO US? I MEAN, AS FAR AS THAT EXPENDITURE SINCE THE BOARD'S APPROVAL TO COME TO COUNCIL. CORRECT. WELL, THEY APPROVED THE PROFESSIONAL SERVICES SO THAT VOTED ON THAT YESTERDAY. CONTRACTS HAVE A NEW ATTORNEY. OH. CONTRACTUAL RIGHT. BECAUSE HE'S A NEW ATTORNEY. HE'S NOT ON NORMAL OPERATIONAL STUFF. THE MOTION WAS MADE. WERE APPROVED. WAS IT TOO MUCH? WELL, MAYBE WE NEED TO UNAPPROVE THEM. WE COULD DO THAT. SO WHAT I'M GETTING AT IS I'M CURIOUS. SO THIS ATTORNEY THAT THE BOARD APPROVED IS NOT CURRENTLY ON Y'ALL'S STAFF, CORRECT? IT'S JUST UNDERWOOD LAW FIRM. IS THAT THE ONLY ONE? AND THEN WE'VE APPROVED HIM TO FOR AN OPINION AND THAT'S IT. YEAH. SO HOW DOES THAT FALL INTO THE PROFESSIONAL LINE ITEM SINCE THIS IS A NEW EXPENDITURE? YOU KNOW, IT'S A, IT'S A COMPANY OR AN ATTORNEY THAT YOU GUYS DON'T HAVE ON STAFF. I THINK THAT'S A DIFFERENT PIECE. CORRECT. WELL, WE DON'T HAVE ANYONE ON STAFF. WE, WE WE HIRE OUTSIDE SERVICES, PROFESSIONAL SERVICES. SO THAT WOULD FALL UNDER THAT LINE. YEAH. WELL I WOULD RECOMMEND THAT THAT THAT EXPENDITURE COMES TO COUNCIL FOR FINAL APPROVAL. SO I THINK WE'RE GOING WE'RE GOING BACKWARDS HERE A LITTLE BIT. COUNCILMAN SCHERLEN GO AHEAD. AND THEN I'D LIKE TO ASK ONE MORE QUESTION. IT IN ALL APPEARANCES FROM YESTERDAY'S MEETING, IT LOOKS LIKE Y'ALL BROKE OPEN MEETINGS. LAW. I DON'T KNOW IF YOU DID, BUT WITH YOUR PRE MADE STATEMENT THAT YOU READ AT THE VERY END SOUNDED TO ME LIKE YOU KNEW WHERE THE VOTE WAS COMING FROM AND HOW IT WAS GOING TO BE THERE. I MEAN, THAT WAS A PRE DONE STATEMENT. YOU PULLED IT OUT, YOU READ YOUR STATEMENT. CAN I ASK YOU STRAIGHT OUT. DID Y'ALL TALK AHEAD OF TIME. THE ONLY PERSON I TALKED WITH IS IS THE ONE PERSON I CAN TALK WITH. AND I CHOSE THAT TO BE MR. BENTLEY. AND AS THE CHAIRMAN OF THE EDC DURING THE RANGE, WE HAVE BEEN MAKING SURE THAT WE ARE TRYING TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THIS, MAKING THE RIGHT DECISIONS, WHATEVER WE CAN DO POLICY WISE. AND SO WE HAD TALKED ABOUT HAVING A STATEMENT READY IF IT DID GET VOTED ON.
OKAY, OKAY. SO I WANT TO GO BACK HERE ONE MORE TIME, IF YOU DON'T MIND IF YOU'LL INDULGE ME A LITTLE BIT, I'M GOING TO PICK A WORD. INSTEAD OF UNLAWFUL OR ILLEGAL, I'M GOING TO PICK A WORD THAT IS WRONG. IT WAS WRONG. WHAT HAPPENED? IT'S A VERY GENERAL TERM. I DON'T THINK WE'RE GOING TO ARGUE OVER THIS ONE. TO TAKE AN APPROVED BUDGET FOR $100,000 AND TAKE IT FOR AN ITEM THAT I VOTED FOR, TO HAVE A CONVERSATION WHERE YOU YOU TWO ONLY DIRECTED AND YOU TWO ONLY CAME UP WITH THE IDEA YOU WEREN'T ASKED TO. ACCORDING TO TESTIMONY EARLIER FROM MRS STREET. YOU KNEW SHE NEEDED MONEY, BUT, YOU KNOW, I MEAN, SHE SHE DIDN'T SET THE PRICE AT 750. SHE SAID 250. WAS THAT CORRECT? IS THAT THE WAY YOU HEARD IT? SHE SAID 250 FOR THREE YEARS. AND THEN WE WERE SENT THE 750. SO FOR 250, FOR THREE YEARS, EACH TIME MADE 750. SO I'M GOING TO GO BACK REAL QUICK AND CLARIFY THIS. SO WE ALL HAVE OUR OUR FACTS IN ORDER HERE. MRS. STREET MADE THE ASK TO GO FROM THE $100,000 REQUEST TO THE 250, AND TO ADVANCE IT THREE YEARS UP FRONT. CORRECT. SHE SAID, WE WANT THE MEMBERSHIP IS $250,000 FOR AND WE NEED IT FOR THREE YEARS. SO SHE MADE THE REQUEST CORRECT. OKAY, WELL, THEN MAYBE I'M MISUNDERSTOOD. I THOUGHT HER HER STATEMENT EARLIER WAS THAT SHE DID NOT MAKE THAT THAT ASK AND THAT I HAD QUESTIONED HER, THAT MAYBE YOU GUYS HAD OFFERED TO GIVE THAT MONEY IF SHE. I BELIEVE SHE STATED THAT SHE HAD ASKED FOR A MEMBERSHIP DUE. BUT AS FAR AS THE THE MOUNT. I THOUGHT SHE SAID 250 AS WELL. OKAY, SO DID YOU. AND DID MR. BENTLEY DIRECT? YOUR DIRECTOR, MR. CARTER TO FUND THE $750,000 WIRE TRANSFER. CORRECT. OKAY. AND AND YOU DID THAT WITHOUT TAKING IT TO YOUR BOARD. WE DID THAT WITH. I MEAN, WE'VE SAID THIS AND AND AGAIN, FOLLOWING THE PROCEDURES THAT WE DO THINK NEED TO BE FIXED AND ENHANCED. GO TO MY WORD AND WRONG. IT WAS WRONG. I THINK IT COULD HAVE BEEN DONE BETTER. WHAT WAS IT? RIGHT. I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S RIGHT OR WRONG. WELL, WE NEED TO KNOW TO FIGURE OUT. WE NEED TO KNOW SO WE CAN GET FORWARD, TO MOVE FORWARD TOGETHER. WE NEED TO KNOW. I'M TALKING ABOUT WE'RE WE NEED TO BE WORKING TOGETHER. AND THAT'S ALL WE'RE ASKING TO DO IS FIGURE OUT WHAT THAT IS. SO IF YOU'RE IF WHATEVER WE NEED TO DO. WELL, HERE'S WHAT I, HERE'S WHAT WE NEED TO DO TO MOVE FORWARD. WE NEED TO AGREE ON WHAT HAPPENED. SO THIS IS WHAT I NEED. SO AS PART OF THIS BODY THAT'S THE AUTHORIZING UNIT TO MOVE FORWARD. I NEED A FEW THINGS. ONE, I NEED TO CALL IT WHAT IT IS. AND I NEED TO KNOW THAT I HAVE A BOARD THAT UNDERSTANDS WHAT RIGHT AND WRONG IS. AND IF I DON'T AND I VERY IMPERSONALLY VERY PROFESSIONALLY. PLEASE DO EVERYONE A FAVOR. VOLUNTEER YOUR RESIGNATION. STEP DOWN. LET US APPOINT SOMEONE TO THAT BOARD THAT WE CAN WORK TOGETHER WITH. IF WE'RE GOING TO WORK TOGETHER, LET'S TRULY WORK TOGETHER. IF WE'RE NOT, ALLOW US THE RESPECT TO MOVE FORWARD WITH A BOARD THAT WANTS TO TIGHTEN THIS UP SO THAT SOMETHING THAT IS WRONG, THAT WE ALL LOOK AT AND SAY IS WRONG, DOESN'T HAPPEN AGAIN. WE ALL SAID WE WISHED IT HADN'T HAPPENED AND THAT WE FEEL BAD AND THAT WE WISH YOU KNOW IT WOULD BE DONE BETTER. WHAT WHAT HAPPENED WAS, ACCORDINGLY, YOU TWO SUBCOMMITTEE MEMBERS DIRECTED KEVIN WITHOUT THE APPROVAL OF YOUR BOARD AND WITHOUT THE APPROVAL OF THIS COUNCIL. IS THAT WRONG? WE WERE ASKED TO FUND AN INITIATIVE THAT A MEMBERSHIP OF THE RANGE THAT WE, AS THE BOARD HAD BEEN WORKING FOR FOR OVER SINCE THE VET SCHOOLS, THE VET SCHOOL STARTED IN 2015, WAY BEFORE MY TIME. ALL YOUR ALL OF THOSE STUDIES GOT TO A POINT WHERE WE FOUND OUT THAT THE RANGE IS WHAT WAS BEING CREATED. AND SO IN ORDER TO GET DONE WHAT LAURA IS SPENDING HER YEARS OF WORK DOING NOW, WE KNEW THAT IT WAS VITAL FOR FOR THE EDC TO HAVE A MEMBERSHIP TO COME OUT AS BEING MAJOR SUPPORTER FOR THIS INITIATIVE THAT WE'VE BEEN WORKING ON FOR
YEARS TO GROW OUR COMMUNITY, TO HELP OUR WORKFORCE, TO DO EVERYTHING THAT THE RANGE IS FINALLY GETTING TO A POINT WHERE WE'RE DOING IT'S ON THE RIGHT PATH. THE TIMELINE THAT WE WERE GIVEN BY THE CONSULTANTS IS THERE. AND SO WE KNEW IT WAS VITAL. AND NOT ONLY WAS IT VITAL THAT WE SHOWED OUR FELLOW BUSINESS COMMUNITY THAT WE WERE SUPPORTIVE OF IT, BUT IT'S VITAL IN THE STATE LEVEL AS WELL. THE FIRST THING THEY ASK IS, WELL, IS YOUR LOCAL ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION SUPPORTING THIS AS WELL? THAT HELPS OPEN THOSE DOORS TO GET ALL OF THESE INITIATIVES THAT THEY ARE WORKING ON. PRETTY IMPORTANT THAT THIS VITAL COMPANY THAT'S GOING TO DO ALL THESE GREAT THINGS, THIS NONPROFIT FOLLOW THE RULES AND HOW IT WAS ESTABLISHED AND HOW IT WAS FUNDED. CORRECT. PRETTY IMPORTANT THAT WE TAKE IT BEFORE THE BOARD AND THAT WE NOTICE EVERYBODY AND THAT WE LET EVERYBODY KNOW ABOUT IT, AND THAT WE VOTE FOR THE FUNDING OF IT. WHEN WE'RE STARTING THIS UP, PRETTY IMPORTANT ON THIS VITAL ENTITY. I THINK THAT IS EXACTLY WHAT WE WANT TO GET TO IMPROVE OUR PROCESSES BECAUSE WE AGREE WITH YOU. IT IS VERY IMPORTANT. OKAY. AND THAT WE WOULD NOT WANT WE DON'T WANT TO BE HERE. WE OBVIOUSLY WE WANT TO MAKE SURE WE'RE DOING THE RIGHT THINGS THAT YOU'RE ASKING US TO DO, HAVE BROUGHT TO LIFE. OF COURSE WE WANT TO DO THAT. WE WANT TO WORK WITH YOU TOGETHER. DO YOU DO YOU GUYS GET TRAINING AS FAR AS THE EDC BOARD ON ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT STUFF? YES WE DO. AS FAR I MEAN, I'M NOT TALKING LIKE OPEN MEETINGS, ACT STUFF LIKE THAT. I MEAN, SPECIFIC EDC ANY TRAINING ABOUT YOUR YOUR BYLAWS, STATE LAW? WE DO. WE WERE WE WERE RECEIVED WHEN WE BECOME MEMBERS. WE WERE RECEIVED. EVERYTHING WE NEED TO DO. WE ARE INSTRUCTED HOW IT ALL WORKS. WE READ IT. WE DO EVERYTHING TO BE PREPARED FOR THIS IMPORTANT POSITION THAT WE DON'T TAKE FOR GRANTED. OKAY. SO LET ME TELL YOU WHAT I NEED. AND THEN COUNCILMAN SIMPSON. YOU CAN SEE IF IT'S WHAT YOU NEED. I THINK WE COULD COME TO AN AGREEMENT THAT THE EDC BOARD IS WILLING TO WORK TOGETHER WITH THIS AUTHORIZING BODY TO POTENTIALLY AMEND THE ARTICLES. NOW, WOULD ANY OF US KNOW EXACTLY WHETHER WE WANT TO DO THIS OR NOT UNTIL WE GET THE RECOMMENDATION FROM HYDE? NO, I HAVE NOTHING TO PRESENT. ALL I HAVE IS JUST A KNEE JERK REACTION OF WE MAY NOT WANT TO DO THAT. WELL, HOW WOULD WE KNOW IF WE MAY WANT TO DO IT? SO I WOULD LIKE TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THE TWO BOARDS TOGETHER. ENGAGING WITH HYDE. I WOULD LIKE TO REMOVE MR. MOORE FROM AN OPPOSING COUNSEL. THAT WOULD HAVE TO BE COMMUNICATED THROUGH FROM LAWYER TO LAWYER, AND ALLOW YOU GUYS TO WORK DIRECTLY WITH MR. HYDE TO SPEED UP THE PROCESS FOR THESE RECOMMENDATIONS. KNOWING COUNCILMAN SIMPSON THAT ALL THIS IS GOING TO COME FOR A VOTE, AND THAT IT'S ALSO GOING TO COME FOR A DISCUSSION ITEM BEFORE IT COMES FOR A VOTE, AND THAT IF MR. BENTLEY SAYS, I DON'T LIKE THIS IDEA, OR YOU SAY, I DON'T LIKE THAT IDEA, WE STILL HAVE A VERY FUNCTIONING COUNCIL THAT WANTS TO DO THE RIGHT THING. AND IT'S NOT JUST THE ONE WAY THAT IT HAS TO BE DONE. DO YOU WANT TO JUMP IN? SO WE WOULD NOT GET A SECOND OPINION. WE WILL GET THE SECOND OPINION. WE WOULD RESERVE MR. MORE TO WAIT AND ALLOW. SO YOU WOULD DISENGAGE WITH HIM SO THAT YOU'RE NOT TALKING TO THE OPPOSING ATTORNEY IN THE WAY THAT Y'ALL HAVE SET THIS UP WITHOUT YOUR ATTORNEY PRESENT. SO YOU HAVE A REPRESENTATIVE NOW ON THIS ISSUE THAT'S SUPPOSED TO GUIDE YOU THROUGH ALL THIS, I THINK IS A GOOD ATTORNEY. HE'D PROBABLY WANT TO BE PART OF ALL THESE CONVERSATIONS, UNLESS HE IS JUST GOING TO REMOVE HIMSELF FROM THAT ENGAGEMENT AND PROVIDE A SECOND OPINION OR A LEGAL OPINION IF HE PROVIDES THE LEGAL OPINION OF THIS IS LEGAL. THE OPINION THAT HE CAN'T PROVIDE THAT I THINK IS UNIQUE IS IS THIS SOMETHING THIS COUNSEL SHOULD DO? YOU KNOW, THE ONLY PERSON THAT CAN PROVIDE THAT OPINION IS THIS COUNSEL. YEAH, THAT'S GOING TO BE MY QUESTION. BACK TO THE LEGAL OPINION. WHAT WERE YOU GUYS GETTING AN OPINION ON ONCE YOU HIRED HIM TO SEE IF WHAT WE WERE DOING WAS LEGAL? NO. NOT YOU. IF WHAT WE ARE DOING THE THE ARTICLES OF INCORPORATION, THE OPINION ON ALL OF THAT, SIMILAR TO WHAT MR. HYDE WAS TALKING ABOUT, WE JUST FIGURED IT'S A GREAT OBVIOUSLY A GOOD THING FOR BUSINESS TO HAVE MULTIPLE OPINIONS. SO GETTING AN OPINION OF WHAT I'D SAY. NO, THE ARTICLES AND THE ADC, HOW IT'S OPERATING, ARE WE DOING IT CORRECTLY OR ARE WE NOT? OR IS THERE SOMEWHERE IN BETWEEN THAT I WOULDN'T KNOW ABOUT? OBVIOUSLY, IF IT'S WRONG, THEN OF COURSE WE WANT TO FIX THAT. SO IT'S NOTHING AGAINST WHAT Y'ALL. WHAT I'M FOCUSED ON ADC. WHAT WE'RE WHAT THE MISSION IS, AND IF THAT MISSION IS BEING PERFORMED CORRECTLY THROUGH OUR ARTICLES OF INCORPORATION PROCEDURES AND BYLAWS. OKAY. WE HAVEN'T FOLLOWED THE BYLAWS AND THE STATE LAW ON THIS ONE ISSUE.
THAT'S AN ANOMALY. WE CAN SEE THAT. SO REGARDLESS OF WHAT THE NEWS HAS REPORTED, THAT EVERYTHING WAS FINE AND THERE WASN'T ANYTHING WRONG, THAT IT'S OBVIOUSLY WRONG. SO WHAT WENT ON WAS WRONG. WE ARE FIXING WHAT WAS WRONG, AND WE NEED TO WORK WITH A BOARD THAT UNDERSTANDS THAT WE'RE STARTING FROM THAT POINT, AND WE HAVE CHOSEN TO WORK WITH MR. HYDE. HYDE, KELLY. AND WE THINK THAT THAT IS THE BEST WAY FORWARD. WHAT I NEED IS FOR A BOARD TO SAY, YES, SIR. WE APPRECIATE THAT YOU GUYS ARE GOING TO TAKE THAT ACTION. WE WILL WORK ALONGSIDE OF YOU, AND WE WILL CONTINUE TO GIVE YOU OUR OPINION ON HOW WE FUNCTION BEST, BECAUSE WE KNOW BEST FOR THIS BOARD AND HOW IT FUNCTIONS, AND WE START FROM THERE. SO YOU DO NOT WANT A SECOND OPINION. I DON'T WANT A SECOND OPINION. I DON'T NEED ONE. I WOULD NEVER STOP YOU FROM GETTING A SECOND OPINION. AND IF COUNCILMAN SIMPSON WOULD LIKE YOU TO HAVE THE SECOND OPINION, I'M OKAY WITH THAT. WHAT I'M NOT OKAY WITH IS A LAWYER BEING HIRED TO PREVENT MR. HINES RECOMMENDATIONS FROM COMING FORWARD. WELL, I APOLOGIZE IF THAT'S HOW IT CAME OFF. WE DID NOT MEAN IT FOR THAT. WE JUST WANT AS I MEAN, HONESTLY, I WANT AS MANY OPINIONS AS WE CAN GET. THE PROBLEM IS THEIR OPINIONS. AND WE NEED CASE LAWS. WE NEED ALL OF THESE THINGS. BUT IF THE BEST THING WE CAN HAVE IS GOING TO EXPERTS IN THE FIELD, MR. HYDE, MR. MOORE AND GETTING THESE OPINIONS, THEN I MEAN, THAT'S JUST WHAT WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO LIVE WITH. I WISH THERE WAS A SPECIFIC CASE LAW SPECIFIC EVERYTHING THAT SAYS THIS IS WHAT YOU HAVE TO DO, BUT IT'S NOT THERE. AT LEAST WE CAN'T FIND IT, I HOPE. IF IT IS THERE, I WOULD LOVE TO SEE IT. BUT TO HAVE THOSE OPINIONS BY THESE EXPERTS, I THINK, IS JUST GOOD PRACTICE TO HAVE MULTIPLE IDEAS AND MAKE SURE WE'RE DOING THE BEST WAY. AND IF IT'S THEY BOTH SAY THIS, THEN LET'S GO THAT WAY. THEY'RE BOTH SAYING THAT WAY. GREAT. IF THEY'RE SOMEWHERE IN THE MIDDLE, THEN LET'S WORK TOGETHER TO GET TO THAT POINT. SO LET ME RESTATE AND THEN COUNCILMAN, YOU MAY HAVE SOMETHING. THIS BODY OF FOUR LES COUNCILMAN SIMPSON, BECAUSE HE WAS NOT AT HE WAS NOT PRESENT, AGREED THAT IT WOULD BE MONEY WELL SPENT SOMEWHERE BETWEEN 5 AND $7500 TO HAVE MR. HYDE WORK WITH YOUR BOARD TO BRING RECOMMENDATIONS FOR AMENDMENTS TO YOUR ARTICLES. WE WANT TO DO THIS. DOES YOUR BOARD HAVE ANY PROBLEM WITH THIS? NO. I JUST WOULD ASK THAT WE COULD HAVE THAT OTHER OPINION JUST TO MAKE SURE THAT BOTH. EVERYONE. I DON'T THINK WE'RE DISAGREEING. MR. HALL, YOU HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY. I KNOW COUNCIL HAS REQUESTED THAT YOU WOULD BRING THAT ADDITIONAL $10,000 TO US PER YOUR CONSTRAINED BUDGET. BECAUSE IT'S NOT THERE. BECAUSE WHAT HAPPENED WITH THE $750,000 WAS WRONG. THAT'S THE REASON FOR THE CONSTRAINED BUDGET. WE'RE GOING TO KEEP GOING BACK THERE UNTIL WE MOVE FORWARD. WE ARE NOT GOING TO MOVE FORWARD IF WE PREVENT OURSELVES FROM GOING TO WHAT HAPPENED. SO IN ORDER TO FIX WHAT HAPPENED, THIS IS ONE OPTION AND WE DON'T HAVE TO DO IT. WE'LL VOTE FOR IT AND MAYBE WE'LL VOTE AGAINST IT. I DON'T KNOW, BUT WHAT I DO NEED IS I NEED TO KNOW THAT YOUR BOARD IS AVAILABLE AND NOT SUBJECT TO AN ENGAGEMENT WITH ANOTHER ATTORNEY. THAT'S GOING TO PREVENT YOU FROM SPEAKING TO HIM. SO IF YOU CAN TAKE CARE OF THAT, THEN I THINK WE COULD MOVE FORWARD. AND I WOULD, I WOULD ASK COUNCILMAN SIMPSON, IF YOU CAN GET ON BOARD WITH THIS, THEN I THINK WE COULD MOVE THIS ONE FORWARD. IS THERE ANY REASON THAT YOU DON'T WANT TO ALLOW MR. HYDE TO GO AHEAD AND ENGAGE NOW, AND THAT YOU NEED ANOTHER MEETING TO COME OUT HERE AND DO ALL THIS AGAIN? AS LONG AS WE AS AS LONG AS WE'LL GET A SECOND OPINION. SURE. I'M. I'M. WE CAN MOVE FORWARD. WELL, NO ONE WOULD EVER PREVENT YOU GUYS FROM GETTING A SECOND OPINION. I'M TALKING ABOUT US GETTING A SECOND OPINION. NO ONE WOULD PREVENT YOU FROM GETTING A SECOND OPINION EITHER. I, AS A COUNCIL MEMBER KNOW THE BENEFIT TO BEING ABLE TO REACH OUT AND VISIT WITH A LAWYER. SO HOW YOU WANT TO BRING THAT FORWARD? I'LL LEAVE THAT ONE ON YOU IN YOUR SECOND OPINION. DO YOU UNDERSTAND WHAT I'M SAYING? NO. HOW HOW YOU WOULD ASK FOR THAT SECOND OPINION TO BE PAID FOR THROUGH THIS BODY WOULD BE A PROFESSIONAL SERVICES AGREEMENT. I WOULD LEAVE THAT ON YOU TO GO OUT OUTSIDE OF MR. HYDE. OUTSIDE OF MR. MCWILLIAMS. OUTSIDE OF MC MCKAMY. TO GET AN OPINION ON WHAT THIS BODY SHOULD OR SHOULDN'T NOT DO. AND THE LEGAL OPINIONS ARE VERY SHORT. THIS IS NOT AN OPINION OF OF LEGALITY.
WE CAN DO THIS PER STATE LAW, AS MR. HYDE. HAS HE GIVEN AN A LEGAL OPINION OR THAT'S WHAT YOU'RE WORKING ON RIGHT NOW? MR. HYDE HAS GIVEN PLENTY STATE STATUTES ON WHAT THE STATE REQUIRES AS US AS THE AUTHORIZING BODY AND WHAT OUR CAPABILITIES ARE. HE GIVEN AN OPINION ON THIS TOPIC? THAT'S WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO WORK ON. WHAT'S SO COMPLEX? WHICH TOPIC, SIR, THE THE HOW, WHAT EVERYTHING THAT WE'RE SAYING THE EDC IS, IS NOT THEY'RE DOING WRONG. HAS THAT BEEN GIVEN IN WRITING OR SOMETHING THAT WE CAN REVIEW? BECAUSE WE'RE WE'RE STRUGGLING WITH THE LANGUAGE. AND HERE THIS PERSON IS SAYING WE'RE DOING THIS AND THAT, BUT I WANT TO SEE THE LET ME READ IT. LET ME READ IT. NOW, TO BE CLEAR, THE LAW ALLOWS THE CITY COUNCIL AT ANY TIME, IN ITS SOLE DISCRETION, TO ALTER THE CORPORATION'S STRUCTURE, ORGANIZATION, PROGRAMS OR ACTIVITIES, OR BY RESOLUTION TO TERMINATE THE EXISTENCE OF THE CORPORATION. THE CITY'S ROLE IN ITS RELATIONSHIP WITH THE EDC IS THAT OF THE PARENT CORPORATION. THE EDC ROLE IS THAT IN OF THE CHILD CORPORATION, THE CITY'S AUTHORITY IS LIMITED ONLY BY THE LAW OF THIS STATE ON THE IMPAIRMENT OF CONTRACTS ENTERED INTO THE CORPORATION. SO EVERYTHING THAT I'M PROPOSING FOR US TO DO, WE HAVE THE AUTHORITY TO DO GREAT. DO WE HAVE CONSENSUS WITH YOUR BOARD OR ARE YOU GUYS OKAY TO MOVE FORWARD? OBVIOUSLY, I CAN'T GIVE CONSENSUS TO MY BOARD. I MEAN, DON'T YOU HAVE TO BRING THAT? WELL, I'M SAYING FROM THOSE MEMBERS THAT ARE HERE, DO WE FEEL LIKE WE'RE OKAY? I HAVE THREE HERE. I GUESS I'M WHAT IS THE CONSENSUS? WHAT ARE YOU ASKING SPECIFICALLY? ARE YOU GOING TO WORK TOGETHER WITH HYDE? I'M POLITELY ASKING YOU TO TO DO WHAT WE'RE TELLING YOU TO DO, AND MAYBE I'LL JUST RETRACT THAT. SO I'M NOT ASKING FOR CONSENSUS. WHAT I'M SAYING IS, IS WE HAVE THE RESPONSIBILITY OF OVERSIGHT ON THIS. WHAT HAS HAPPENED IS WRONG. IT LOOKS VERY, VERY BAD ON US AS A COUNCIL. IT REFLECTS POORLY ON THE EDC. THIS SHOULD NOT HAVE GONE ON. WE WON'T TOLERATE THIS. WE'RE GOING TO FIX IT IN THE WAY THAT WE WANT TO FIX IT RIGHT NOW IS THROUGH THE ARTICLES OF INCORPORATION THAT WILL FIX THIS. AND AS LONG AS I HAVE A BOARD THAT'S WILLING TO WORK WITH US, THEN I'M GOOD TO WORK WITH YOU GUYS. IF NOT, I DO APPRECIATE YOU GUYS RESIGNING AND STEPPING ASIDE SO THAT WE CAN GET A BOARD PUT TOGETHER THAT WE CAN WORK WITH. I MEAN, I THINK WE'VE FROM DAY ONE, FROM THE FIRST MEETING WE TALKED WAS HOW DO WE MOVE FORWARD? HOW DO WE WORK TOGETHER? AND SO, ABSOLUTELY, WE'RE WILLING TO DO THAT AND WANT TO DO THAT. I APPRECIATE THAT, SIR. I THINK THIS IS HOW WE WANT TO MOVE FORWARD. OKAY. COUNCILMAN. YEAH. I'M FINE. OKAY. THANK YOU. APPRECIATE YOU BEING HERE. OKAY. ITEM 70 IS COMPLETE. ITEM SEVEN F IS A REQUEST FOR ANY FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS. DO I HAVE ANY FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS REQUESTED? OKAY. MOVING ON. WE WILL MOVE ON TO OUR CONSENT AGENDA. DO I HAVE ANYTHING THAT NEEDS TO BE PULLED OFF OF THE CONSENT AGENDA? ALL RIGHT. NOT HEARING ANYTHING. I WOULD ASK FOR A MOTION. I MOVE TO APPROVE THE CONSENT AGENDA AS PRESENTED. I SECOND. I HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND ON THE CONSENT AGENDA. ALL IN FAVOR, PLEASE SAY AYE. AYE. ANY OPPOSED? MOTION PASSES WITH A40 VOTE. MISS CITY SECRETARY. MOVING ON TO NON CONSENT. I HAVE A CONFLICT OF INTEREST THAT I DISCLOSED LAST TIME. THIS IS THE SECOND AND FINAL READING ON ITEM NINE A AS WELL AS ITEM NINE B. I'M GOING TO TURN THE MEETING OVER TO OUR MAYOR PRO TEM SCHERLEN, AND HAVE HIM RUN ITEM NINE A AND B AND STEP OUT. HEY, BRADY, YOU GOT ME AGAIN, MAN. THIS IS A ITEM. I BELIEVE THIS IS A PUBLIC HEARING, ISN'T IT? OR IT'S NOT. IS IT? SO THIS IS A SECOND READING. WE HAD THE PUBLIC HEARING AT THE LAST MEETING. SO THE REASON THAT THESE ARE ON NON CONSENT IS SINCE IT WASN'T A UNANIMOUS VOTE LAST TIME, THEY HAD TO COME ON AS A NON CONSENT ITEM. SO NOTHING HAS CHANGED ON ANY OF THESE TWO ITEMS SINCE IT WAS PRESENTED LAST TIME. SO UNLESS YOU ALL HAVE QUESTIONS OR WANT ME TO GO BACK OVER ANYTHING ON THESE TWO ITEMS, I DON'T HAVE ANYTHING ADDITIONAL AT THIS POINT. DOES ANYBODY HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OF BRADY ON NINE A? NO, SIR. COULD I HAVE A MOTION PLEASE?
I MOVE TO ADOPT ORDINANCE NUMBER 8154 AS PRESENTED. SECOND. WE HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND. ALL IN FAVOR, SAY AYE. AYE. ALL OPPOSED? SAME SIGN. WE HAVE A 3 TO 0. OKAY, LET'S GO TO NINE B. DOES ANYONE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ON NINE B? IF NOT, CAN I HAVE A MOTION? I MOVE TO ADOPT ORDINANCE NUMBER 8155 AS PRESENTED. SECOND. WE HAVE A MOTION. WE HAVE A SECOND. ALL IN FAVOR, SAY AYE. AYE. ALL OPPOSED? SAME SIGN. OKAY. ALL RIGHT. SOMEBODY HOLLERED. GET HIM! OKAY. ALL RIGHT. OH. NO WORRIES. HERE WE GO. HERE WE GO. THANK YOU. MAYOR PRO TEM, ON TO ITEM NINE C. WE HAVE A PUBLIC HEARING HERE. LET ME SEE WHO IS COMING UP. THIS IS MR. QUIGLEY. IS THAT CORRECT? NO. OKAY. HEY, COME ON UP, MA'AM. SO IF YOU DON'T MIND TO WALK US INTO THIS ONE FOR TRANSIT. YES. GOOD. GOOD EVENING. SO I'M HERE ON BEHALF OF AMARILLO CITY TRANSIT TO CONDUCT A PUBLIC HEARING ON THE PROPOSED PROJECTS AND ASKING FOR THE AUTHORIZATION TO APPLY FOR MULTIPLE GRANTS. SO I LIST THEM THERE. I'LL GO OVER THE AMOUNTS HERE. SO FIRST GRANT IS SECTION 5307 FOR ABOUT 3.5 MILLION, WHICH WOULD BE USED FOR OPERATING PREVENTIVE MAINTENANCE, BUS REPLACEMENTS AND THEN TRAINING. OUR GRANT IS ABOUT 420,000 FOR OPERATING SECTION 5339 GRANT IS 295,000 FOR BUS REPLACEMENTS. THEN WE HAVE A NEW FORMULA GRANT FOR 53, TEN FOR 243,000 FOR ENHANCING THE MOBILITY OF SENIORS AND INDIVIDUALS WITH DISABILITIES. I'M HERE FOR ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS ON THE PROPOSED PROGRAM PROGRAMING PROJECTS. ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS? QUESTIONS. COUNCIL. OKAY. THANK YOU. OKAY. AT THIS TIME, WE'LL OPEN A PUBLIC HEARING ON ITEM NINE C. DO I HAVE ANYONE HERE THAT WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK FOR OR AGAINST THIS ITEM? SEEING NO ONE WILL CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING AND I'D CALL FOR A MOTION. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. MOVE TO ADOPT RESOLUTION NUMBER TEN. DASH 824, DASH ONE. SECOND. ALL IN FAVOR, PLEASE SAY AYE. AYE. ANY OPPOSED? MOTION PASSES WITH A40 VOTE. ON TO ITEM NINE D MRS STORRS. ALL RIGHT. GOOD EVENING, MAYOR AND COUNCIL. THIS IS A FIRST READING ON AN ORDINANCE THAT IS RELATED TO THE TEXAS MUNICIPAL RETIREMENT SYSTEM. AS YOU ALL KNOW, DURING THE BUDGET PROCESS, WE DISCUSSED THE OPTIONS RELATED TO A COST OF LIVING ADJUSTMENT FOR OUR RETIREES. IN THE CURRENT YEAR, THAT HAS BEEN SET AT A 30% OF COST OF LIVING ADJUSTMENT. AND DURING THE BUDGET PROCESS, YOU ALL APPROVED THE BUDGET FOR THAT TO INCREASE UP TO A 50% COST OF LIVING ADJUSTMENT. AS A REMINDER, THE COST OF LIVING ADJUSTMENT. IT'S AT A 50% RATE, SO IT WOULD BE HALF OF THAT. SO IN ORDER FOR THAT TO GO INTO EFFECT ON JANUARY 1ST OF 2025 TO MRS REQUIRES THAT WE PASS AN ORDINANCE AND WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO DO THIS ANNUALLY GOING FORWARD. SO YOU ALL WILL GET VERY USED TO HAVING ME PRESENT THIS EACH YEAR. SO ALL THIS ORDINANCE DOES IS STATE THAT WE ARE ELECTING TO DO THE NON RETROACTIVE 50% COST OF LIVING ADJUSTMENT INCREASE. AND THAT'S ON A REPEATING BASIS. AND IT'S THE 100% UPDATED SERVICE CREDIT WITHOUT TRANSFERS. SO ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS THAT I CAN ANSWER. MAYBE A FEW. GO AHEAD. NO, NO I WAS GOING TO SAY THANK YOU TO STAFF. AND THIS IS HUGE FOR OUR RETIREES. YES I AGREE. WE'RE SUPER PROUD OF THIS ONE. GIVE US THE AMOUNT OF TIME THAT WE HAVE TO GET THAT OTHER 20%. YES, SIR. WE HAVE. WE HAVE TO HAVE IT APPROVED BY THE END OF CALENDAR YEAR 2025. SO THE LAST OPPORTUNITY THAT WE COULD LOOK AT DOING AN ADJUSTMENT TO THE ANNUAL COST OF LIVING ADJUSTMENT FOR OUR RETIREES WOULD BE THIS NEXT BUDGET CYCLE. SO THE UPCOMING ONE THAT WE'LL BE DOING IN THE SUMMER OF 2025. YES. AND THE HIGHEST IT CAN GO UP TO IS A 70%. AND IT'S ALL DONE BY STATE LAW. YOU HAVE THE OPTION OF A 30%, 50% OR 70% AND DO KNOW THAT IT'S BEEN GREATLY APPRECIATED.
I'VE HEARD FROM SEVERAL RETIREES AND CURRENT STAFF THAT YOU ALL SUPPORTED INCREASING IT FROM THE 30% UP TO THE 50%. I THINK THAT'S CERTAINLY A WIN FOR OUR ORGANIZATION. WELL, WE APPRECIATE STAFF'S HARD WORK ON THE BUDGET AS WELL AS THIS COUNCIL, AND I THINK WE WILL CONTINUE TO LOOK FOR THAT 20%. PERFECT. THANK YOU, THANK YOU. DO I HAVE A MOTION ON THIS CONSIDERATION, GENTLEMEN? I'LL MAKE A MOTION TO ACCEPT. LET'S LET HIM MAKE THE MOTION. ALRIGHT. YOU GOT IT. YOU ALWAYS MAKE THEM. YOUR TURN. I'LL MAKE A MOTION. WE ACCEPT ORDINANCE 8166, AS STATED. SECOND. MOTION AND A SECOND. OH, THIS IS A RESOLUTION. OH, NO. NO. IT'S ORDINANCE. YOU'RE RIGHT. ARE WE GOOD ON OUR ON OUR LANGUAGE. OKAY. MOTION. AND A SECOND ON ITEM 90. ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? ALL IN FAVOR, PLEASE SAY AYE. AYE. ANY OPPOSED? MOTION PASSES. ITEM 90. A RESOLUTION ON THIS ONE, MRS. COGGINS. THANK YOU. MAYOR. COUNCIL. THIS IS YOUR ANNUAL PROCESS TO APPOINT PRATT MEMBERS POTTER RANDALL APPRAISAL DISTRICT. WE'VE GOT JEFFREY DAGLEY IN THE AUDIENCE WITH US TODAY. JEFFREY IS THE CHIEF APPRAISER. IS THAT RIGHT, JEFF? JEFFREY IS THE CHIEF APPRAISER FOR PRIDE, SO HE WORKS WITH BOTH BOARDS. HE'S HERE TODAY TO HELP ANSWER QUESTIONS. IF YOU'LL RECALL, LAST YEAR THIS PROCESS CHANGED BECAUSE WE NOW HAVE ELECTED MEMBERS AS WELL. AND SO THEY WENT THROUGH THEIR ELECTION PROCESS THIS YEAR. AND THEY'VE GOT ELECTED MEMBERS ON EACH OF OUR TWO BOARDS. TODAY WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE FIVE POSITIONS THAT AMARILLO AS A TAXING UNIT HAS A PLACE IN APPOINTING. SO TODAY WE'RE SEEKING NOMINATIONS. FOR ELIGIBILITY. WE'VE GOT THE ELIGIBILITY LAID OUT ON THIS SCREEN RIGHT HERE. MAIN THING IS SOMEONE HAS TO LIVE IN THE COUNTY FOR WHICH THEY ARE ELECTED OR APPOINTED BY THE TAXING UNITS FOR TWO YEARS PRIOR TO TAKING OFFICE. THEY MAY NOT BE AN EMPLOYEE OF A TAXING UNIT THAT PARTICIPATES IN THE APPRAISAL DISTRICT. THEY CANNOT BE RELATED TO AN INDIVIDUAL WHO'S ENGAGED IN THE BUSINESS OF APPRAISING PROPERTY FOR COMPENSATION OR REPRESENTING PROPERTY OWNERS FOR COMPENSATION. UNDER THIS TITLE, THEY MAY NOT OWN PROPERTY THAT HAS DELINQUENT TAXES ON IT, AND THEY CANNOT HAVE INTEREST IN CERTAIN CONTRACTS. SO LET'S LOOK AT POTTER COUNTY FIRST. WE'VE GOT ONE RESOLUTION TODAY. COUNCIL CAN NOMINATE FROM 1 TO 5 PEOPLE. RIGHT HERE IS YOUR CURRENT BOARD OF DIRECTORS. IF YOU'LL LOOK AT THE BOTTOM, THOSE ARE THE BOARD POSITIONS NOT UP FOR APPOINTMENT BY US AS A TAXING AND TAXING UNIT. SO ON THE TOP FOR POTTER COUNTY, ZACHARY PLUMMER, CINDY SPINAL AND MITZI WADE HAVE ALL DESIGNATED THEY ARE WILLING TO SERVE AGAIN. JOHN COFFEY IS NOT AND THOMAS WARREN THE THIRD WAS ACTUALLY ELECTED INTO THE TAX ASSESSOR COLLECTOR POSITION. AND SO HE'LL BE AN EX OFFICIO BEGINNING JANUARY 1ST. SO ON THESE I WILL SAY WE DID RECEIVE A COMMENT FROM ZACHARY PLUMBER THAT I FORWARDED TO EACH OF YOU TODAY, JUST DESIGNATING HIS WILLINGNESS AND DESIRE TO CONTINUE SERVING IN THIS ROLE. ANY QUESTIONS ON POTTER COUNTY? SO YOU'RE LOOKING FOR ONE ADDITIONAL NAME. IF WE ARE IN AGREEMENT WITH THE OTHER THREE THAT ARE UP. PERHAPS TWO, YOU CAN DO ANYWHERE FROM 1 TO 5. SO YOU COULD DO JUST THE THREE THAT HAVE SAID THEY'RE WILLING TO SERVE, OR IF ANY OF YOU HAVE A NAME THAT YOU'VE BROUGHT WITH YOU TODAY THAT YOU'D LIKE TO PUT FORWARD, WE COULD TAKE UP TO TWO ADDITIONAL. SO I MAY BE MAKING THIS MORE COMPLICATED. JOHN COFFEY IS NOT WILLING TO SERVE AGAIN. CORRECT. AND SO YOU NEED ONE ADDITIONAL NAME. THOMAS WARREN. THE THIRD WILL NOT BE ABLE TO SERVE AGAIN BECAUSE HE WILL MOVE TO EX OFFICIO IN THE NEW YEAR. SO YOU NEED TWO. THAT'S YOUR SECOND ONE. OKAY. I DIDN'T REACH OUT TO HIM. I WISH I SHOULD HAVE. BLAIR SCHAEFER, YOU KNOW, IN IN BEING AN ENTITY, YOU KNOW, AN INDIVIDUAL THAT MAY BE WILLING TO SERVE. IF WE CAN ASK HIM NOW, HE IS AN EMPLOYEE OF THE CITY OF AMARILLO. OH THAT'S RIGHT. SO HE'D BE INELIGIBLE. DOESN'T QUALIFY. OH HE IS. THAT'S TRUE. HE SERVES ON THE POTTER COUNTY COMMISSIONERS COURT. SO HE ACTUALLY IS ELIGIBLE? YEAH. I WOULD ASK THE STAFF WOULD WOULD VISIT WITH HIM AND. I'LL JUST MAKE MENTION THAT POTTER COUNTY HAS DONE THEIR NOMINATION PROCESS AND THEY DID NOMINATE MR. SHAFFER. SO HE HAS BEEN ALREADY NOMINATED HIM. YES, SIR. SO WE WOULD BE NOMINATING HIM AS WELL. YOU CAN IF YOU WISH TO. OKAY. GENTLEMEN, DO YOU HAVE ANYBODY ELSE THAT YOU'D LIKE TO NOMINATE? I DON'T HAVE ANYBODY. WHAT DO YOU SAY? NO, NO.
CHIP. CHIP. HUNT. I THINK WE'LL GO WITH THOSE TWO. OKAY. SO WE'LL PUT A PIN IN THAT ONE FOR JUST A MOMENT. MOVE TO RANDALL COUNTY AND THEN WE'LL COME BACK AND TALK ABOUT THE MOTION. SO FOR RANDALL COUNTY THEY'VE GOT FOUR MEMBERS. THEY HAVE ONE THAT'S CURRENTLY VACANT THAT WE'RE GOING TO TALK ABOUT ON OUR NEXT ITEM. DOWN AT THE BOTTOM, YOU'LL SEE THE FOUR DOWN THERE THAT ARE THE NOT FOR APPOINTMENT BY TAXING UNITS THAT HAVE BEEN ELECTED. AND THEY'RE YOUR TAX ASSESSOR COLLECTOR AS WELL. SO ON THE TOP, GINGER WHITE, DIANE THURMAN AND BOB LINDSAY ARE ALL WILLING TO SERVE. AGAIN. ROBIN PATTERSON IS NOT WILLING TO SERVE AGAIN. SO WE'D BE LOOKING FOR ONE FOR THAT. AND THEN THE VACANCY. SO UP TO FIVE NAMES HERE AS WELL THAT YOU CAN NOMINATE. AND I'LL MAKE A LITTLE NOTE. THE VACANCY WAS CAUSED BECAUSE CLAUDIA BURKETT WAS ELECTED INTO THAT FIRST ELECTED POSITION. AND SO THAT CREATED A VACANCY IN OUR TAXING UNIT MEMBERS. BECAUSE THE STAFF HAVE ANY RECOMMENDATIONS. ANYBODY THAT'S APPLIED? NO. OR REQUESTED A NOMINATION? NO. NO. NOT BEYOND THE THREE THAT ARE ALREADY SERVING. GO AHEAD. COUNCILMAN. KIM BENSON, SHE APPLIED EARLIER, AND SHE WASN'T ACCEPTED OR ELECTED AT THAT TIME. I WOULD RECOMMEND HER. OKAY. ANY OTHERS? WE NEED ONE MORE. IF YOU WANT. IF YOU'VE GOT ANOTHER ONE. IF NOT, WE CAN GO WITH FOUR NOMINATIONS. NO. AND NOTHING FROM STAFF. NO RECOMMENDATION FROM STAFF? NO, SIR. OKAY, WE'LL GO WITH THAT. OKAY. AND I DO WANT TO MAKE ONE NOTE, AND I'LL LET JEFFREY EXPLAIN THIS BETTER, BUT THESE, ONCE THEY ARE SELECTED, ONCE WE GO THROUGH THE REST OF THIS PROCESS, SOME WILL COME ON FOR DIFFERENT YEAR TERMS AND THIS GETS THEM IN LINE AND GETS THEM, I BELIEVE. STAGGERING WITH THE ELECTED POSITIONS AS WELL. ALL RIGHT. SO THE LEGISLATURE PASSED AND THEN THE VOTERS APPROVED A CHANGE TO THE COMPOSITION OF THE BOARD, AS YOU'VE SEEN. AND PART OF THAT IS TO GET TO FOR FOUR YEAR STAGGERED TERMS. SO ONCE WE RECEIVE ALL THE NOMINATIONS FROM THE TAX UNITS, WE WILL RETURN THE A BALLOT TO THE TAX UNITS. AND THEN YOU CAN CAST YOUR NUMBER OF VOTES ANYWHERE FROM ONE CANDIDATE TO FIVE, AND DISTRIBUTE THOSE VOTES. HOWEVER YOU CHOOSE. THE THREE CANDIDATES THAT RECEIVED THE HIGHEST NUMBER OF VOTES WILL SERVE A THREE YEAR TERM BEGINNING IN 2025. THEN, THE NEXT TWO CANDIDATES THAT RECEIVE THE NEXT TWO HIGHEST VOTES WILL WILL SERVE A ONE YEAR TERM. AND THEN WE'LL COME BACK AGAIN FOR THOSE TWO VACANCIES THAT WILL BE CREATED AFTER THAT ONE YEAR TERM IN 2026. THOSE TWO POSITIONS WOULD THEN TURN INTO A FOUR YEAR TERM. ALL RIGHT. NICE. I JUST HAVE A QUICK QUESTION. YES. ON THE JUST TRYING TO LEARN ON THE COMPOSITION OF THIS ONE. SO WE APPOINT I MEAN, WE RECOMMENDED IN THEIR ELECTED INTO OFFICE. RIGHT. AND THEN THOSE ONES THAT GET ELECTED, DO THEY APPOINT A BOARD, ANOTHER BOARD. NOW THEY ALL SERVE ON ONE BOARD. THEY YES. THEY WORK. THEY WILL APPOINT THE APPRAISAL REVIEW BOARD MEMBERS. THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS WILL. AND THAT'S A CHANGE ALSO THAT WAS PUT INTO PLACE. SO THEY WILL HAVE TO HAVE A MAJORITY VOTE BY THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS. BUT WITHIN THAT MAJORITY, THOSE THREE ELECTED POSITIONS, THERE HAS TO BE A MAJORITY VOTE FROM THOSE THREE IN THAT IN THAT BOARD WOULD APPROVE VALUES ESSENTIALLY. THEY WOULD HAVE TO VOTE ON THE VALUES, RIGHT? THEY HEAR PROTESTS THAT ARE FILED BY PROPERTY OWNERS. THERE'S THEY'RE THE BODY, THE INDEPENDENT BODY THAT WOULD HEAR PROTESTS AND AND HOW'S THAT? AND HOW DOES THAT WORK NOW SINCE THIS IS, SINCE THAT'S NEW, HOW DOES THAT WORK NOW? CURRENTLY, THE APPRAISAL REVIEW BOARD PROCESS ITSELF WILL NOT CHANGE. IT'S JUST THE WAY THAT THE APPRAISAL REVIEW BOARD MEMBERS ARE APPOINTED CURRENTLY, OR HOW IT HAS BEEN IN THE PAST. BEFORE THE LAW CHANGES, THE ADMINISTRATIVE LAW JUDGE WOULD APPOINT THE MEMBERS TO THE APPRAISAL REVIEW BOARD AND APPOINT THE CHAIR AND THE SECRETARY FOR EACH BOARD. OKAY, GOTCHA. THAT'S IT. THANK YOU SIR. THANK YOU, MISS CITY SECRETARY, YOU GOT ITEM NINE, NINE E AND F. YES. SO LET ME RECAP ON THIS ONE. AND THIS IS ONE RESOLUTION. AND SO COUNCIL WOULD RESOLVE TO APPROVE THE RESOLUTION IF YOU DO, WITH ZACHARY PLUMMER, CINDY SPINEL, MITZI WADE, BLAIR SCHAEFER AND CHIP HUNT NOMINATED FOR POTTER COUNTY AND GINGER WHITE, DIANE THURMAN, BOB LINDSAY AND KIM BENSON NOMINATED FOR RANDALL COUNTY. SO MOVED. SO MOVED. DO WE HAVE A SECOND?
SECOND. HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND. ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION ON ITEM NINE E. ALL IN FAVOR, PLEASE SAY AYE. AYE. ANY OPPOSED? ITEM NINE F. OKAY. THANK YOU. SO ON TO NINE F REAL QUICK ON TIMELINE. WE WILL HAVE BALLOTS DELIVERED BACK TO US BY OCTOBER 30TH BY GEOFFREY. ON NOVEMBER 12TH, WE HAVE TO DO IT AT EITHER OUR FIRST OR SECOND MEETING AFTER WE RECEIVE THOSE BALLOTS. AND SO ON NOVEMBER 12TH, CITY COUNCIL WILL GET TO CAST YOUR VOTES FOR THE THE INDIVIDUALS THAT ARE NOMINATED FROM ALL OF THE AGENCIES. SO 9FI DISCUSSED THIS BRIEFLY. CLAUDIA BURKETT WAS ELECTED ONTO THE RANDALL COUNTY BOARD OF DIRECTORS. AND SO WE HAVE A VACANCY, AND THEY'RE GOING THROUGH THE PROCESS THAT'S SET OUT IN LAW ON HOW TO FILL THAT VACANCY. WE HAVE A RESOLUTION IN HERE OF COUNCIL WOULD LIKE TO NOMINATE SOMEONE, BUT KEEP IN MIND IF SOMEONE IS NOMINATED AND THEY GET INTO THIS POSITION, THERE ARE ALSO TERM LIMITS NOW ON SERVING ON THE BOARDS. AND SO IF THEY GET INTO OFFICE, THEIR OFFICE ENDS AT THE END OF THIS YEAR. AND SO THEY MIGHT BE IN IT FOR 1 TO 2 MONTHS, AND THEN THEY WOULD IN ESSENCE EXPIRE AN ENTIRE TERM IN THAT TIME. AND SO IN SPEAKING WITH JEFFREY, THERE ARE A LOT OF TAXING AUTHORITIES THAT HAVE JUST DECIDED NOT TO NOMINATE ANYONE. I THINK THAT'S STAFF'S RECOMMENDATION. RECOMMENDATION TO COUNCIL TODAY IS WE WOULD RECOMMEND NO ACTION ON THIS ITEM, AND THAT WE JUST LEAVE THAT VACANT TO BE FILLED ON JANUARY 1ST WITH THIS PROCESS THAT WE JUST TALKED ABOUT. BUT WE DID WANT TO BRING THAT, GIVE YOU ALL THE OPTION, BECAUSE YOU DEFINITELY HAVE THE ABILITY TO NOMINATE SOMEONE TO FILL THAT SHORT TERM VACANCY IF YOU'D LIKE TO. ANY NOMINATIONS, ANY QUESTIONS OR NOMINATIONS? I THINK WE AGREE WITH YOU. YOU WANT TO TAKE NO ACTION ON THIS? OKAY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU MA'AM. AND JEFFREY, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE. MR. HOOPER, YOU'RE FINALLY BACK UP. THIS IS A GOOD ONE. WE'RE READY TO GET SOME STREETS FIXED. IT IS A GOOD ONE. YEAH. SO JUST A COUPLE OF HOUSEKEEPING ITEMS. I'M GOING TO HAVE ALAN HARTER COME UP AND PRESENT THE ITEM. THIS. WE HAVE INTENTIONALLY NAMED THIS THE ANNUAL STREET DEPARTMENT MAINTENANCE PROGRAM, BECAUSE WE DON'T WANT TO CONFUSE IT WITH THE SUMMER MAINTENANCE PROGRAM, WHICH IS IN C AND D. SO THAT'S ONE ITEM. TWO WAS WE WE HAD THIS ACTUALLY ON CONSENT ORIGINALLY. AND AFTER DISCUSSIONS WITH MR. PATH, WE DECIDED BECAUSE IT'S SUCH A BIG ITEM THAT WE WOULD WANT TO COME DO A SMALL PRESENTATION TO SHOW YOU EXACTLY WHAT WE'RE DOING WITH THE MONEY AND HOW THIS CONTRACT IS GOING TO WORK. SO WITH THAT, I'LL GIVE IT OVER TO ALAN HARTER AND LET HIM PRESENT THE ITEM. THANKS. MR. HOOPER, COUNCIL MAYOR ALAN HARTER, ASSISTANT PUBLIC WORKS DIRECTOR. GOOD. I WAS HOPING THAT WAS THE SLIDE THAT WOULD COME UP. SO A LITTLE BIT OF HISTORY. SO, AS YOU KNOW, YOU REQUESTED THAT WE EXPLORE THE POSSIBILITY OF UTILIZING CONTRACTORS TO ASSIST WITH PATCHING REPAIRS. $6 MILLION WAS ALLOCATED DURING THIS BUDGET PROCESS TO THE STREET DEPARTMENT. MR. HOOPER IS BROUGHT TO YOU BEFORE THE PURCHASE OF THREE DURA PATCHER POTHOLE PATCH TRUCKS, WHICH ARE HAVE BEEN ORDERED AND ARE SCHEDULED TO BE DELIVERED LATER THIS YEAR. WE PURCHASED EMULSION STORAGE TANKS THAT WILL BE USED ON THOSE PATCH TRUCKS, AND THEN $5 MILLION IS BEING ALLOCATED FOR GENERAL REPAIRS. THAT'S ASPHALT PAVEMENT PATCHING, CRACK SEALING AND BRICK STREET REPAIRS. I'LL GET INTO KIND OF WHAT THAT ENTAILS AND WHAT THAT WILL LOOK LIKE A LITTLE BIT LATER. SO BASICALLY THE SOLUTION, THERE WAS A CONTRACT FOR ANNUAL STREET MAINTENANCE. WE PUT TOGETHER BID DOCUMENTS AND SPECIFICATIONS, WORKED A LITTLE BIT THROUGH OUR ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT ON OUR STANDARD SPECIFICATIONS AND SOME LOCAL CONTRACTORS. AND TODAY WE'RE AT A POINT WHERE WE'RE READY FOR AWARD OF CONTRACTS TO LOCAL CONTRACTORS. SO THE SCOPE, AS I MENTIONED, STREET MAINTENANCE SERVICES, ASPHALT PAVEMENT PATCHING. SO THAT IS ANYTHING REALLY RANGING FROM A POTHOLE, SOMETHING THAT'S ONLY A FEW FEET BY A FEW FEET UP TO A PATCH THAT MAY BE A FULL LANE WIDTH FOR HUNDREDS OF FEET LONG. AND I HAVE SOME PICTURES LATER ON THAT KIND OF SHOW THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THOSE CRACK SEALING. THAT'S REALLY MORE OF A PREVENTIVE MAINTENANCE PROCEDURE. SO WHEN YOU HAVE A STREET THAT WAS REPAVED OR PAVED WITHIN THE PAST FEW YEARS, NOT UNCOMMON FOR THAT TO DEVELOP SOME CRACKS. WE GO IN WITH A MATERIAL THAT BASICALLY SEALS THOSE IN, PREVENTS WATER FROM GETTING IN THERE, PROLONGS THE LIFE OF THE STREET, AND THEN BRICK PAVEMENT REPAIR GENERALLY SMALL AREAS. THE AREAS WHERE WE SEE THE NEED FOR BRICK PAVEMENT REPAIR IS USUALLY WHERE WATER PONDS PRETTY HARD ON THOSE BRICKS, BECAUSE IT CAUSES THAT SURFACE TO KIND OF START TO GET UNLEVEL. SO THAT'S WHAT THAT WOULD BE. WE HAD TWO BIDDERS, ADVANCED PAVEMENT MAINTENANCE AND LA FULLER AND SONS CONSTRUCTION WERE RECOMMENDING THAT WE AWARD THEM BOTH A CONTRACT FOR $2.5 MILLION APIECE, WHICH WOULD BE A TOTAL OF $5 MILLION. THE PROJECT DURATION IS ONE YEAR MAXIMUM. I'LL GET INTO KIND OF HOW WE'RE GOING TO EVALUATE THE TIMELINE LATER ON WHILE WE'RE GOING THROUGH THIS PROJECT, SO FIRST THING, WORK ASSIGNMENT WORK IS GOING TO BE ASSIGNED FROM EXISTING SERVICE REQUESTS AND IDENTIFIED NEEDS. WE KNOW WE HAVE SOME AREAS THAT ARE IN NEED OF WHAT WE CALL KIND OF MINOR AND MAJOR REPAIR AREAS, WHERE WE SEE A LOT OF POTHOLES THAT COME UP.
MAYBE THERE AREN'T ANY RIGHT NOW, BUT WE CAN KIND OF SOLVE A LOT OF PROBLEMS BY PATCHING THOSE AREAS NOW AND THEN. THE MAJORITY OF THE WORK IS ACTUALLY GOING TO COME FROM NEW SERVICE REQUESTS, WHICH ARE REPORTED OR IDENTIFIED. WE DON'T HAVE A BACKLOG OF OF POTHOLES OR SMALL AREAS THAT NEED TO BE REPAIRED. THOSE ARE THINGS THAT REALLY COME UP DEPENDING ON THE WEATHER. HOW HARD OF A WINTER ARE WE GOING TO HAVE? AS THEY POP UP, WE GO OUT AND ADDRESS THEM. LOOKING AT OUR METRICS FOR WHAT WE DID LAST YEAR, WE ANTICIPATE THAT WE'LL HAVE ABOUT 320 POTHOLES PER MONTH DURING THE WINTER. IN THE SUMMER, THAT GOES DOWN SLIGHTLY. WINTER WEATHER IS PRETTY HARD ON STREETS, AND SO THAT KIND OF GIVES YOU AN IDEA OF WHAT WE'RE EXPECTING OUR CONTRACTORS TO BE DEALING WITH AS FAR AS POTHOLES GO. SO DEFINITELY ENOUGH WORK TO KEEP THEM BUSY. AND THEN CONTRACTORS ARE GOING TO BE CHOSEN BASED ON BID PRICING AND AVAILABILITY TO PERFORM THE WORK, SO THE CONTRACTORS WERE ABLE TO PROVIDE PRICING FOR DIFFERENT SIZES OF REPAIRS. ONE OF THE CONTRACTORS GENERALLY BETTER PRICING FOR SMALL REPAIR AREAS. ANOTHER CONTRACTOR WAS BETTER FOR LARGER AREAS, SO WE'LL KIND OF HAVE THEM FOCUS ON THAT, GET THE BEST BANG FOR OUR BUCK, BUT WE'LL ALSO WORK WITH THEM TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY'RE AVAILABLE WHEN WE NEED THEM TO RESPOND. TIMELY. QUALITY CONTROL WILL BE PERFORMED BY OUR STREET DEPARTMENT. WE WILL HAVE A DEDICATED SUPERVISOR OVERSEEING ALL THIS WORK. THE STREET DEPARTMENT WILL CREATE WORK ORDERS, GO OUT IN THE FIELD AND MARK REPAIR LOCATIONS SO WE KNOW EXACTLY WHAT THE CONTRACTOR IS GOING TO BE DOING. I REALLY KIND OF WANT TO TAKE IT OUT OF THEIR HANDS FROM FROM GOING PAST THE AREAS THAT NEED TO BE REPAIRED. CERTAINLY THEY'LL WANT TO WORK WITH THEM IF THEY HAVE RECOMMENDATIONS ON WHAT WE COULD DO TO TO DO A BETTER JOB. THAT SUPERVISOR WILL INSPECT WORK, PROCESS PAYMENTS AND ALSO TRACK CONTRACT EXPENSES THROUGHOUT THE LIFE OF THE CONTRACT. DURING THE PROJECT, WE'LL EVALUATE IT CONTINUOUSLY. BUT WHAT I PLAN TO DO IS AT A SIX MONTH POINT, I'LL PERFORM AN EVALUATION. I SAY I IT REALLY WILL BE THE TEAM TO DETERMINE HOW LONG DO WE EXPECT THIS CONTRACT TO LAST? IT MAY NOT MAKE IT TO A YEAR BEFORE WE EXPEND ALL THOSE $5 MILLION, OR WE MAY BE SEEING THAT WE'RE TRACKING FOR THE MONEY TO LAST LONGER THAN A YEAR. I KIND OF GO OVER LESSONS LEARNED FOR IF WE WANT TO IMPLEMENT A SIMILAR CONTRACT IN THE FUTURE, AND THEN RECOMMENDED FUNDING FOR FUTURE CONTRACTS. WE'RE GOING TO BE BASED ON, YOU KNOW, $5 MILLION. CAN WE SPEND THAT IN ONE YEAR? DID WE SPEND THAT IN THE FIRST FEW MONTHS? THOSE TYPES OF THINGS. THIS IS JUST SOME OF THE PICTURES THAT I'VE GONE OUT AND TAKEN RECENTLY OF, JUST KIND OF GIVE YOU AN IDEA OF WHAT A SMALLER TO MEDIUM SIZED PATCH LOOKS LIKE WHEN IT'S COMPLETED. THAT'D BE A LITTLE BIT BIGGER THAN A POTHOLE OR SOMETHING SIMILAR. THESE ARE ALL CITY OF AMARILLO STREETS. THAT'D BE A LITTLE BIT OF A LARGER ONE, A FEW HUNDRED FEET LONG, BUT A FULL LANE WIDTH. I DIDN'T GET ANY PICTURES OUT IN OUR ARTERIAL STREETS. I DIDN'T REALLY FEEL LIKE PLAYING FROGGER IN MY VOLKSWAGEN AND ATLAS, BUT IT WOULD BE A VERY SIMILAR PRODUCT. I DID WHAT CRACK SEALING LOOKS LIKE. I HAVE TO ADMIT, THIS IS A GOOGLE IMAGE. I DIDN'T NECESSARILY PURCHASE IT. SO THIS ISN'T AN AMARILLO STREET, BUT IT GIVES YOU A GOOD IDEA OF WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE. AND THEN BRICK PAVEMENT REPAIR JUST A SMALL AREA IN AN INTERSECTION WHERE IT'S BEEN PATCHED BACK. REALLY CAN'T TELL THAT MUCH HAS BEEN DONE AFTER THE FACT, OTHER THAN MAYBE THE WAY THE BRICKS ARE TURNED. PROJECT TIMELINE IF THIS IS AWARDED TODAY. I'VE TALKED TO BOTH OF OUR CONTRACTORS THIS WEEK, AND WE COULD BE HAVING PRE-CONSTRUCTION MEETINGS AS SOON AS NEXT WEEK. GETTING THEM A NOTICE TO PROCEED AS WELL, AND THEN STARTING WORK THE LAST WEEK OF THIS MONTH. JUST SO YOU KNOW, WHEN WE HAVE CONTRACTORS MOVING TO THE STREETS, WHAT OUR STREET DIVISION WOULD BE DOING WOULD BE PRIMARILY SHIFTING THEIR OPERATIONS TO ALLEY REPAIRS. WE KNOW WE HAVE A LOT OF PLACES WHERE WE GET PONDING WATER AND THINGS LIKE THAT THAT ARE REALLY HARD ON OUR ALLEYS, TRASH TRUCKS, LARGE EQUIPMENT GOING THROUGH THOSE AREAS, A LOT OF WORK THAT NEEDS TO BE DONE THERE. SO WE'D BE SHIFTING OUR CREWS TO THOSE AREAS. WE EXPECT THE NEW DIRT PATCHES TO BE OPERATIONAL IN JANUARY OF NEXT YEAR. THEN WE'D STILL ALSO HAVE OUR STREET DEPARTMENT FOR ANY KIND OF EMERGENCY STREET REPAIRS THAT POP UP IF THE CONTRACTOR ISN'T AVAILABLE TO RESPOND RIGHT AWAY. WE DEFINITELY WANT TO TAKE CARE OF ANY EMERGENCY SITUATIONS WE HAVE. AND THEN I THINK I LEFT OUT THE MOST IMPORTANT SLIDE, WHICH IS THE ONE AT THE END THAT SAYS QUESTIONS WITH A BIG QUESTION MARK. BUT AT THIS POINT, I'LL SEE IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS. QUESTIONS, GENTLEMEN. YEAH. WE'RE READY. WE'RE EXCITED. APPRECIATE IT. YES, SIR. ANYBODY WITH A MOTION? OKAY. I MOVE TO AWARD A $2.5 MILLION PER CONTRACT TO ADVANCE PAVEMENT MAINTENANCE LIMITED AND LA FULLER AND SONS CONSTRUCTION FOR THE ANNUAL STREET DEPARTMENT MAINTENANCE PROGRAM. SECOND. MOTION AND A SECOND. ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? ALL IN FAVOR, PLEASE SAY AYE. AYE. ANY OPPOSED? MOTION PASSES WITH A40 VOTE. THANK YOU. ALAN. YES, SIR. NEXT ONE UP, WE HAVE MISS CASSIN SMITH COMING UP FOR IS THIS A BUDGET AMENDMENT? IT'S A REQUEST TO UTILIZE RESERVES. THERE YOU GO. I THINK I'VE GOT SLIDES. YEAH. AND I KNOW, I MEAN, DINNER TIME IS RIGHT AROUND THE CORNER, SO I'LL BE QUICK. WE HAVE A OPPORTUNITY TO SPONSOR THE WRANGLERS HOCKEY TEAM IN A WAY THAT IS A LITTLE OUTSIDE OF THE BOX FOR MARKETING FOR
US. WE ARE PROPOSING THAT WE GO AHEAD WITH THIS SPONSORSHIP AND UTILIZE $15,000 OUT OF OUR RESERVES. WE WOULD HAVE A BUS WRAP THAT THE REAR PANEL IS DEDICATED TO VISIT AMARILLO LOGO PLACEMENT ON THE HELMETS THAT ARE USED AT THE HOME GAMES, THE COMMERCIAL SPOTS ON NHL, TV.COM FOR ALL GAMES THAT ARE BROADCAST AND PRODUCTION INCLUDED IN THAT. SO ALL THE CREATIVE TO MAKE EVERYTHING HAPPEN. NOW WHEN THEY TRAVEL IN THEIR BUS, THEIR GAMES ARE OUR DRIVE MARKETS THERE ALONG I-40. 287, 87 THEY'RE GOING INTO OKLAHOMA CITY, ALBUQUERQUE, DFW, METRO COLORADO. I THINK IT'S GREELEY, COLORADO. SO YOU ACTUALLY GO THROUGH COLORADO SPRINGS AND DENVER. THESE ARE OUR FEEDER MARKETS. THESE ARE PLACES THAT WE SPEND A LOT OF MONEY ON ADVERTISING ALREADY AND HAVE A LOT OF TRAFFIC ON THOSE HIGHWAYS. SO BASICALLY HERE'S THE TOTAL BUS WRAP. BASICALLY, IT'S A MOVING BILLBOARD WHERE ALL OF OUR DRIVE MARKET IS COMING IN AND OUT OF MARKET MANY YEARS AGO. AND YOU STILL SEE THEM EVERY SO OFTEN. I KNOW THAT BEFORE I WAS IN THE OFFICE, THERE WERE WRAPS DONE WITH AFFILIATED FOODS. SO IT'S KIND OF THE SAME CONCEPT TO HAVE THE BRAND OUT ON THE HIGHWAY. WE'RE ABOUT 90% DRIVE TRAFFIC WITH OUR VISITORS. WE DO ABOUT 6 MILLION VISITORS A YEAR, AND ABOUT 90% OF THOSE COME IN ON THE HIGHWAYS. SO WE THINK IT'S A PRETTY GOOD INVESTMENT. HERE'S AN EXAMPLE OF THE LOGO THAT WILL BE ON THE OPPOSING TEAMS DURING THE HOME GAMES. OH, AND THAT'S ALL I'VE GOT. DO YOU ALL HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ON ANYTHING. A GREAT BIG THANK YOU RIGHT THERE. ANY QUESTIONS FOR CASHIN. WELL THANK YOU FOR ALL YOU DO. THANK YOU. YEAH WE APPRECIATE YOU GUYS. Y'ALL ARE DOING GOOD. MOTION. I'LL MAKE A MAKE A. I MOVE WE DO THE RESOLUTION NUMBER 10.8 .24.4. AS PRESENTED. SECOND. MOTION AND A SECOND. ALL IN FAVOR, PLEASE SAY AYE. AYE. ANY OPPOSED? THAT IS OUR LAST ITEM. UNLESS WE HAVE ANY REASON WE DON'T WANT TO ADJOURN. GENTLEMEN. YOU'RE ADJOURNED. THANK YOU ALL.