City Council

CITY COUNCIL MINUTES CITY OF ODESSA, TEXAS September 8, 2020 On September 8, 2020, a regular meeting of the Odessa City Council was held at 6:00 p.m., Odessa, Texas. Due to the COVID-19, the meeting was teleconferenced, as allowed by Governor Abbott’s executive order. The City Council was present through teleconference. 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. Census update. Charlene McBride provided a census update. The response to the census in Texas was 60.7% and Ector County had a 51% self-response rate. The Ector County target for the end of the census was 65%. West Odessa was not responding. She provided the timeline for the census. The last day to respond was September 30. The Census was hiring workers for the non-response follow up. The media campaign increased its ads through September. There were partners in the community for questionnaire assistance which was quite successful. The census materials were used on social posts. There would be a non-response follow up to the residences that did not fill out the questionnaire. They were following the COVID-19 guidelines. The Census workers were easily identifiable with their badges. Citizens could call and make an appointment for the census. Ms. McBride stated that the self-response percentage would be added up to the local follow up percentage to bring a total count of the City’s and Ector County’s census. She thanked the City’s support for the dedication to the Census. CONSENT AGENDA ITEMS A. City Council minutes, August 25, 2020; B. City Council work session minutes, September 1, 2020; C. Resolution No. 2020R-62 – MOUTD budget for FY 2020-2021; D. Resolution No. 2020R-63 – Extend time to expend the CDBG funds for $8,965 allocated to Odessa Affordable Housing’s Minor/Emergency Repair program. Motion was made by Council member Willis and seconded by Council member Dean to approve consent agenda items. The motion was approved by the following vote: Aye: Turner, Shelton, Bryant, White, Sprawls, Willis, and Dean Nay: None Council Minutes September 8, 2020 Page 2 OTHER COUNCIL ACTION Bid award for 18: water line relocation at Yukon Rd. and E. Loop 338. Yervand Hmayakyan, City Engineer, stated that three bids were received for the relocation of the water line located at Yukon and Loop 338. The relocation would eliminate the conflict of a TxDOT project. The lowest and recommended bid was to TEC Excavation for $428,158. Motion was made by Council member Sprawls and seconded by Council member Shelton 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 Ratify the property tax revenue increase reflected in the FY 2020-21 annual budget. Mrs. Muncy stated that there will be a tax rate increase to $0.477115 cents per $100 valuation for 2021. The proposed tax rate is equal to the no-new-revenue tax rate of $0.477115 and lower than the voter-approval tax rate of $0.481917. The final vote on the proposed tax rate will be September 15, 2020. The annual budget for FY2021 will raise more total property taxes than last year's budget by $251,380.00. The property tax raised from new property added to the tax roll this year was $884,447.00. Motion was made by Council member Willis and seconded by Council member Shelton to ratify the property tax revenue. 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 Jonathan Ramirez and Roberto Arenivas, owners, for a specific use permit to allow a beauty shop-one chair accessory use in a Single Family-Three (SF-3) zoning district on Lot 5, Block 11, Ridgecrest West (208 Monticello Dr.). Randi Brinlee, Director of Development Services, reviewed the location. The permit was for a one chair beauty shop at a residential property. The shop would be at the back portion of the house. There was no additional structure and it would have two paved parking spaces. The Planning and Zoning Commission recommended with certain conditions. Mr. Brinlee reviewed the conditions. No one came forward and the public hearing was closed. Motion was made by Council member Willis and seconded by Council member Shelton 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 Appoint judges and clerks for the General City Election on November 3, 2020. Mrs. Grimaldo stated that the Texas Election Code required that the governing body appoint the judges and set the rate of compensation for the judges and clerks for the November 3, 2020 election. Council Minutes September 8, 2020 Page 3 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 Water, sewer, and solid waste rate changes. Mrs. Muncy stated that increase of the water rate change was to assist with the maintenance, repair and replacement of the water and sewer lines. There was a proposed 2.5% increase in water rates. She provided a comparison of the increased costs for water and sewer. The senior/disabled customers with a small meter had a lower rate. The last water increase was in 2015-2016 at 8%. The last sewer rate increase was in 2011-2012 at 10%. The funds for the sewer would be used to replace lines and maintenance. The solid waste proposed rate increase was 2.5% due to increase of landfill fees. There was no discount on solid waste fees for the seniors and disabled. Motion was made by Council member Dean and seconded by Council member Sprawls to approve the water rate ordinance on first approval. 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 Sprawls to approve the sewer rate ordinance on first approval. 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 Willis and seconded by Council member White to approve the solid waste rate ordinance on first approval. The motion was approved by the following vote: Aye: Turner, Shelton, Bryant, White, Sprawls, Willis, and Dean Nay: None Levy the tax for the 2020 tax year, Fiscal Year 2020-21. Mrs. Muncy stated that the levying the tax for the 2020 tax year was a tax rate of 47.7115 cents per $100 property valuation. The proposed tax rate was the same as the no-new-revenue tax rate. The FY 2021 proposed tax rate was 47.7115 and the no-new-revenue tax rate was 47.7115. The FY 2020 current tax rate was 47.6601. There were no changes in the exemptions. There was a decrease in total taxable value. Total exemptions were 18.53%. She provided the difference in taxes for an average homeowner. She reviewed the exemptions, which included government owned property. Motion was made by Council member Sprawls and seconded by Council member Bryant 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 Council Minutes September 8, 2020 Page 4 RESOLUTION Resolution No. 2020R-64 – City of Odessa Fiscal Year 2020-21 annual budget. Mrs. Muncy stated that the budget was reviewed at prior meetings with a public hearing on August 25. She highlighted the proposed budget. There was no cost of living increase for employees, there was a hiring freeze except for essential personnel and a 10% decrease in sales tax revenue. There was a zero-net increase. Motion was made by Council member Dean and seconded by Council member White to approve the resolution. The motion was approved by the following vote: Aye: Turner, Shelton, Bryant, White, Sprawls, Willis, and Dean Nay: None Resolution No. 2020R-65 – Authorize the sale of approximately 37.92 acres of land in Section 45, Block 42, T-1-S, between the 7400 Block of N. Golder Avenue and the 7400 Block of N. County Road West, Ector County Texas. Ms. Brooks stated that the sale of land was located between the 7400 block of Golder and N. County Road West. The City no longer needed the land as it had a prior grazing lease. The fair market value was $258,000. There was one bid received for $281,000. The land would be used to store oil field equipment. Motion was made by Council member White and seconded by Council member Willis to approve the resolution. The motion was approved by the following vote: Aye: Turner, Shelton, Bryant, White, Willis, and Dean Nay: Sprawls MISCELLANEOUS Appointment of Boards: Animal Shelter Advisory Committee, Board of Survey, Citizens Golf Advisory Committee, Odessa Housing Finance Corporation, Traffic Advisory Committee, Zoning Board of Adjustment, and Midland Odessa Urban Transit District. Motion was made by Council member Bryant and seconded by Council member Sprawls to reappoint Connie Coots to the Odessa Housing Finance Corporation. 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. No comments. There was no other business, the meeting adjourned at 6:52 p.m. ATTEST: APPROVED: Norma Aguilar-Grimaldo, TRMC, CMC David R. Turner City Secretary Mayor