City Council

CITY COUNCIL MINUTES CITY OF ODESSA, TEXAS June 23, 2020 On June 23, 2020, a regular meeting of the Odessa City Council was held at 6:00 p.m., Odessa Marriott Hotel and Convention Center, Devonian III and IV, 305 E. 5th St., Odessa, Texas. City Council present: Mayor David R. Turner; Council members: Michael Shelton, District One; Dewey Bryant, District Two; Detra White, District Three; Tom Sprawls, District Four; Mari Willis, District Five; and Peggy Dean, At-Large. Others present: Michael Marrero, City Manager; Norma Aguilar-Grimaldo, City Secretary; Natasha Brooks, City Attorney; Phillip Urrutia, Assistant City Manager; Cindy Muncy, Assistant City Manager; and other members of City staff. A quorum being present, Mayor Turner called the meeting to order and the following proceedings were held: The invocation was given by Mayor Turner and followed by the Pledge of Allegiance and Texas flags. CONSENT AGENDA ITEMS A. City Council minutes, June 9, 2020; B. City Council minutes, June 9, 2020; C. City Council minutes June 12, 2020; D. City Council work session minutes, June 12, 2020; E. Ordinance No. 2020-19 – Install and remove traffic signals; F. Resolution No. 2020R-41 - EA Engineering, Science, and Technology Inc., PBC, (EA) Improvements Agreement for the Environmental Protection Agency for the Odessa Chromium No. 1 Superfund Area and approving the Utility Services Agreement for the Superfund Impacted service area; G. Annual renewal of Motorola/Premier One software for $307,308. Motion was made by Council member Shelton and seconded by Council member White to approve consent agenda items. The motion was approved by the following vote: Aye: Turner, Shelton, Bryant, White, Sprawls, Willis, and Dean Nay: None OTHER COUNCIL ACTION Bid award for the 2019 CIP water and sewer line replacements. Yervand Hmayakyan, City Engineer, stated that three bids were received. He recommended the bid be awarded to TEC Excavation for $1,134,289, which was below estimate. Approximately 11,500 linear feet would be replaced for water and sewer lines. Motion was made by Council member White and seconded by Council member Willis Council Minutes June 23, 2020 Page 2 to approve the bid award as recommended. The motion was approved by the following vote: Aye: Turner, Shelton, Bryant, White, Sprawls, Willis, and Dean Nay: None Review and accept the 2019 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report (CAFR). Mrs. Muncy stated that the CAFR was reviewed with Council. Motion was made by Council member Sprawls and seconded by Council member Dean to approve the CAFR. The motion was approved by the following vote: Aye: Turner, Shelton, Bryant, White, Sprawls, Willis, and Dean Nay: None Community-wide program for COVID-19 testing. Mr. Urrutia stated that a COVID-19 Task Force reviewed possible projects and expenditures of CARES funding for COVID-19 expenses. The task force received a presentation from Dr. Ruiz, Dr. Gonzales and members of Odessa Fire who have served as the administration of the mobile testing for COVID-19 in our community. It was recommended taking the testing to community locations. The team recommended 16 testing locations with eight locations in the summer and eight in the fall. Expenses will result from support staff working under Dr. Ruiz and Dr. Gonzales. Additional costs would be lab fees, city staff time, supply expenses and education tools for the community. The first eight testing locations were Salinas Park, Woodson Park, Sherwood Park, Central Park, Slator Park, UTPB Park, Lawndale Park, and Floyd Gwin Park. Testing of 200 individuals per location, or 3,200 in total was anticipated. The cost to administer this program was $718,488. The testing would be free to people. Council member Willis appreciated the locations throughout the community especially with the Latinos and African Americans being hit hard by the virus. Council member Dean stated it would be very effective to the community and citizens. Mr. Urrutia reported that there was an Ector County request of $40,000 for assistance. It died for a lack of a second motion. The testing would be available to Ector County residents. Mr. Urrutia stated that the community wide education would be done with flyers and social media for people to be aware of the testing opportunity. Council member Willis applauded for moving forward and serving all citizens. There would be an outreach support to the citizens if they tested positive. Council Bryant commended the team for the program and involvement to combat this virus. Motion was made by Council member Bryant and seconded by Council member Dean to approve the a community-wide program for COVID-19 testing. The motion was approved by the following vote: Aye: Turner, Shelton, Bryant, White, Sprawls, Willis, and Dean Nay: None PUBLIC HEARING Open a public hearing to consider approval of the request by Investment Corporation of America, owners, to rezone Windsor Height Addition, 6th Filing, Block 55, Drill Site No. 7 (5.27 acres), from Single Family-Two-Drill Reservation (SF-2-DR) to Office District (O) approximately 5.27 ac., Odessa, Ector County, Texas (southeast of the intersection of E. 37th St. and Englewood Ln.). Randy Brinlee, Director of Development Services, stated that there was a concern on property value but with the change in zoning, it Council Minutes June 23, 2020 Page 3 would increase the property value. He reviewed the location, which was vacant. The zoning change would facilitate an office facility for a medical office. The Planning and Zoning Commission recommended approval. No one came forward and the public hearing was closed. Motion was made by Council member White and seconded by Council member Willis to approve the ordinance on first approval. The motion was approved by the following vote: Aye: Turner, Shelton, Bryant, White, Sprawls, Willis, and Dean Nay: None Open a public hearing to consider amending Chapter 14 of the City Code of Ordinances, Section 14-11-1: Fences and Screening. Mr. Brinlee stated that the amendment to the fences would address materials for fencing. The materials would be industry and standardized materials. No one came forward and the public hearing was closed. Motion was made by Council member White and seconded by Council member Sprawls to approve the ordinance on first approval. The motion was approved by the following vote: Aye: Turner, Shelton, Bryant, White, Sprawls, Willis, and Dean Nay: None ORDINANCE Install traffic signals. Hal Feldman, Traffic Engineer, stated that two locations of traffic signals would be included in the Code of Ordinances. Motion was made by Council member Sprawls and seconded by Council member Dean to approve the ordinance on first approval. The motion was approved by the following vote: Aye: Turner, Shelton, Bryant, White, Sprawls, Willis, and Dean Nay: None Citizen’s comments on non-agenda items. Mark Trotter asked if the City had any meetings to assist small businesses with property tax due to COVID-19. Mayor Turner would talk to Mr. Trotter. RESOLUTION Resolution No. 2020R-42 – Outside Agency requests for funding from Hotel Motel Tax for FY 2020-21. Mrs. Muncy stated the allocations was for the Hotel Motel Tax Funds and General Funds. Haley Howey, Children’s Miracle Network, was grateful for the past funding that helped Medical Center Hospital. She requested equipment that would help families with children that were ill. The Davis Family experienced help from the Children’s Miracle Network and was thankful for the support as it took care of families. Susan Rogers, Crime Stoppers, reported that the Crime Stoppers Conference was an amazing success and thanked the Council for the funding. The calls have not been affected with COVID-19. Council Minutes June 23, 2020 Page 4 Chris Barnhill, PermiCare, reported that the agency assisted clients with mental health issues to adapt to daily life. Programs were offered to clients such as rehab, employment skills and other services. Rebecca Grisham, Teen Court, reported that Teen Court was established in 1983 and had an agreement with the City, County and ECISD. Teen Court served kids on Class C tickets including speeding, alcohol and fighting. There were over 10,000 hours of community service with nonprofits. The City and school provided funding. Odessa Teen Court was the oldest model in the nation. Diana Ruiz, UTPB First 5 Permian Basin, stated that the First 5 program served 300 plus families with children under five years of age. The mission was to enhance parent skills and support children. The funds was for Kinder Camp giving 100 children a book. The visits were virtual. Erika Thomas, Young Professionals of Odessa, stated that the organization contributed to improve the quality of life. It provided community involvement, leadership education and investment of the future. She thanked the Council for past funding. Council member Willis wanted to see the growth of the organization with more membership diversity and the opportunity of all to grow. JoAnn Davenport-Littleton, Black Cultural Council, thanked Council for its past support. The funds would be used in many events including Black History program, Martin Luther King Celebration and Juneteenth. The Black Cultural Council worked with the Odesa Arts in collaborating on public art. New events were added for next year. Council member Shelton commended the work in the community. Gena Linebarger, Commemorative Air Force AIRSHO Director, stated that the airsho had 13,000 attendees from 18 states, 75 cities and 3 foreign countries. The 2020 airsho was cancelled due to COVID-19. The profit from the airsho remains in the community and funds other events. The events were all volunteers. Last year, the City of Midland funded the same amount as Odessa. Steve Patton, Director of Parks and Recreation stated that the decorations would be in front of the Conference Center during the holiday period. The banners would complement the holiday events. Lawanna Lambert, Downtown Odessa Director, thanked the Council for their past support. She stated that new events were added and highlighted some of the events. There were events that were cancelled due to COVID-19. She thanked the Downtown Odessa board, as they were supportive, creative and active. Richard Esparza, Fiesta West Texas, stated that Fiesta West Texas has grown since 1996. Last year, there were between 30,000 to 40,000 people that attended. The event was a three-day event. This year, the event was cancelled due to COVID-19. He appreciated the Council’s support. Donnie Margettie, Jr. Jacks Youth Hockey, stated that there were 200 participants in the youth hockey and eight travel teams. Last year, there were three tournaments. The funds helped to pay for ice time. The youth learn how to play hockey in the program from Council Minutes June 23, 2020 Page 5 September to March. The hockey was marketing through social media, ads and flyers at the mall. The cost was $400 per child with opportunity of scholarships. Becca Myers, Junior League of Odessa, reported that the Junior League has developed over 71 years of local programs. Merry Market was in its 38th year, a signature fundraiser. The funds received were distributed in the community. Randy Ham, Odessa Arts, provided results from the Odessa Arts study that had a strong economic impact on the community. There was over $6 million given back to the Odessa economy. The data reflected that the arts help generate dollars into our community. Some of the organizations will adjust its schedule due to cancelled events from COVID-19. Hot Summer Nights would hold the deposits for next year’s concert series. Monica Tschauner, Discover Odessa, stated that it decreased its budget due to COVID-19. The staff would be assisting groups at events. The sales team was working on future proposals. The goal was to provide visitors a good experience of Odessa. Council members White and Sprawls commended Discover Odessa on forward thinking with the budget. The Sports Enhancement Program assisted in recruiting sports events to Odessa. Community members oversaw the process. She reported that half of the applicants were new requests. She would work on marketing the program. Rick Matchett, Odessa Jackalopes, thanked the Chamber for the fantastic job and the Council for the past funding. The 10th season was moving forward with expectations of 1,100 room nights and 50,000 attendees for the season. Visitors would utilize the hotels. The Jackalopes promoted Odessa. Erika Thomas, Odessa Links, stated that the conference would provide educational training to nonprofit organizations. There was a variety of topics and thanked the Council for past support. This year’s conference was changed to a digital conference. Mr. Patton stated that the Fall Festival was cancelled for this year. Starbright Village, this year, would be a drive through only with no walking tour. There would be full advertising and creative planning for the community Christmas tree lighting. Council member Willis stated that the two events were long standing, amazing, and enjoyed by all. Mr. Patton reported that the funds for the Ratliff Ranch Golf Links were expended. The advertising was curtailed due to limited amount of players on the golf course due to COVID-19. Chris Yount, Permian Basin Fair President, thanked the Council for past funding. The members pay dues and scholarships were awarded. The marketing would reach out a number of communities. The fair will be held in a safe manner. Gary McCain, Sandhills Stock Show and Rodeo, stated that the organization was 87 years old. The rodeo promoted youth and it competed across the state. The rodeo was in the top 50 nationwide. There were many heads in beds during the 14-day rodeo. Nick Hernandez, Texas Tours Entertainment, stated that this was the 49th annual car show. It was a three-day event, November 19-21. The car show was a tradition in Odessa and a community event. There were between 400 to 500 cars with 75% from out of town. Each car had a crew of four to six people. He thanked the Council for its past support. He would not jeopardize the health of the community by taking preventive measures. Casey Carson, U.T. Permian Basin Athletics, stated that athletics was not funded by the Council Minutes June 23, 2020 Page 6 state but funded by student and local sponsorships. The majority of the current year funds were used. Eugene Neboh, West Texas Track Club, thanked the Council for its continuous support. The club was to help combat childhood obesity. Due to the virus, this year’s tournament was cancelled. The tournament benefitted the children. Christine Holcomb, White Pool House, stated that the White Pool House was a popular tourist destination highlighting the early pioneers and entrepreneurs. The tours had stopped due to COVID-19 but was reopened at 50% capacity. Monica Tschauner stated that the USATF Regional Track meet would occur in July 2021. It was a significant event. The last meet had 1,800 attendees. It would be a weeklong event. This event qualified for a sports grant. Mrs. Muncy explained the rollover of funds that were not used in the current year due to COVID-19. There were funds that would be rolled over to the organizations. Each Council member gave a recommendation for funding. The following General Fund allocations were made: Children’s Miracle Network $20,000 Odessa Crime Stoppers 60,000 PermiaCare 90,000 Odessa Teen Court 65,000 UTPB First 5 Permian Basin 10,000 Young Professionals Organization 15,000 The following Hotel/Motel Tax Fund allocations were made. Black Cultural Council $ 55,000 Commemorative Air Force 0 Downtown Odessa 450,000 Downtown Odessa/Parks – banners/decorations 80,000 Fiesta West Texas 15,000 Odessa Jackalopes Jr. Hockey 10,000 Junior League of Odessa 15,000 Odessa Arts 700,000 Discover Odessa 939,310 Sports Events Recruitment Program 37,000 Odessa Jackalopes Hockey Team 30,000 Odessa Links 4,500 Parks – Fall Festival 15,000 Parks– Starbright Village 150,000 Permian Basin Fair & Exposition 125,000 Ratliff Ranch Golf Links 48,908 Sandhills Stockshow and Rodeo 100,000 Texas Tours Entertainment 25,000 U.T. Permian Basin Athletics 100,000 West Texas Track Club 5,000 White-Pool House Friends 35,000 Council Minutes June 23, 2020 Page 7 USATF West Texas 50,000 Ector County Coliseum interlocal agreement 50,000 Administrative Costs/Audit Fees 32,599 Motion was made by Council member White and seconded by Council member Bryant to approve the resolution. The motion was approved by the following vote: Aye: Turner, Shelton, Bryant, White, Sprawls, Willis, and Dean Nay: None MISCELLANEOUS Appointment of Boards: Animal Shelter Advisory Committee, Historic Preservation Commission, Traffic Advisory Committee, Zoning Board of Adjustment, Midland Odessa Urban Transit District and PermiCare MH/MR Board of Trustees. Motion was made by Council member Bryant and seconded by Council member Willis to reappoint John Landgraf to the PermiCare MH/MR Board of Trustees. The motion was approved by the following vote: Aye: Turner, Shelton, Bryant, White, Sprawls, Willis, and Dean Nay: None Recess for executive session to consider the evaluation of applicants for the position of Associate Municipal Court Judge including the possible appointment of a new Associate Municipal Court Judge, as authorized by the Texas Government Code, Section 551.074 (Personnel Matters). Motion was made by Council member Bryant and seconded by Council member Sprawls to go into executive session under 551.074. The motion was approved by the following vote: Aye: Turner, Shelton, Bryant, White, Sprawls, Willis, and Dean Nay: None Motion was made by Council member White and seconded by Council member Willis to return from executive session. The motion was approved by the following vote: Aye: Turner, Shelton, Bryant, White, Sprawls, Willis, and Dean Nay: None There was no other business, the meeting adjourned at 8:47 p.m. ATTEST: APPROVED: Norma Aguilar-Grimaldo, TRMC, CMC David R. Turner City Secretary Mayor