Finance Committee Meeting

MINUTES OF CITY OF WHARTON FINANCE COMMITTEE MEETING 120 EAST CANEY STREET WHARTON, TEXAS 77488 Monday, February 14, 2022- 5: 30 p.m. City Manager, Joseph R. Pace, declared a meeting of the City Council Finance Committee duly open for the transaction of business at 5: 36 p.m. Committee Members present were: Mayor, Tim Barker and Councilmember, Russell Machann. Committee Member absent was: Councilmember, Alice Heard- Roberts. City Council Member present was: Councilmember, Clifford Jackson. Staff members present were: City Manager, Joseph R. Pace; Assistant to the City Manager, Brandi Jimenez; Finance Director, Joan Andel; City Secretary, Paula Favors; Assistant to the Building Official, Claudia Velazquez; Director of Planning & Development, Gwyn Teves and Public Works Director Anthony Arcidiacono. Staff member absent was: None. Visitors: None. Public Comments. There were no public comments. The first item on the agenda was to review and consider minutes from the meeting held January 10, 2022. Councilmember, Russell Machann, made a motion to approve the minutes as presented. Mayor, Tim Barker, seconded the motion. All voted in favor. The second item on the agenda was to review and consider a Resolution: A resolution of the Wharton City Council amending fees for the City of Wharton Code of Ordinances, Chapter 18, Building and Construction, Article III. Construction Codes, in accordance with Section 18- 68. Building Permit Fees and Inspection Fees. Assistant to the Building Official, Claudia Velazquez, presented a memo from the Code Enforcement Department requesting to amend the schedule of fees pertaining to the City of Wharton Code of Ordinances, Chapter 18, Building and Construction for the following Article: 1. Article III- Construction Codes( Building): Sec. 18- 68. Modifying building permit fees and establishing civil fees. After some discussion, Councilmember, Russell Machann, made a motion to recommend to the City Council to approve the resolution amending the fees for the City of Wharton Code of Ordinances, Chapter 18, Building Permit Fees and Inspection Fees. Mayor, Tim Barker, seconded the motion. All voted in favor. The third item on the agenda was to review and consider FEMA DR4269- 512 Public Assistance for Riverfront Park Update. Director of Planning& Development, Gwyn Teves, stated to the Committee that during the flooding event in April 2016, Riverfront Park, was damaged and public assistance was requested from FEMA for repairs in the amount of$ 1, 650, 518. 00 with additional mitigation funds of$ 1, 624, 077. 00. She stated that the assistance was only approved for$ 158, 577. 14. She stated that the City Staff appealed the determination. She stated that on June 25, 2019, the appeal for the determination was approved and the staff had been working with FEMA and TDEM get the funds obligated. She stated that during this process the City to was notified that the Wharton Levee had been funded and that the construction of the levee system could potentially impact access to the park. She stated that the City Staff was advised by FEMA that additional geotechnical studies of the area would be required to obligate the funds in 2021. She stated that the City  staffcontinued to work with FEMA to not needlessly spend additional time and money into the project and requested that FEMA obligate the funds to the City. She stated that on January 19, 2022, the City Staffhad met with FEMA, TDEM and USACE to discuss the obligation of funds, the impacts the levee could have on the location and possible alternate uses for the funding. She stated that the staff was advised on this call that FEMA would no longer require additional geotechnical studies to obligate the funds. She stated that park access was also going to be impacted by the construction of the levee system and the space would not be accessible or usable unless the City built new access over the levee system and would be required to go through the 408 permitting process with the USACE after construction of the levee system is complete. She stated that the City Staff was also advised on this call that the funds would only be available until eight( 8) years after the disaster and that FEMA would close out the funding for that disaster at that time. She stated that this meant the funds would have to be expended by April 2024. She stated that the funds were obligated at a 25/ 75 percent split to the City. She stated that the mitigation funds were also approved conditionally pending the approval of a scope of work by FEMA. She stated that if alternate projects were selected the City would not be able to utilize the mitigation funds, only the initial public assistance funds of 1, 624, 077. 00. She stated that some previously approved alternate project examples were: Repair, expand, mitigate, or construct a facility; Demolish facilities; Purchase capital equipment; Fund project shortfalls due to mandatory flood insurance reductions taken from PA Program funding for repairs to buildings in SFHAs; Supplement funds for an Improved Project; and, Conduct cost- effective hazard mitigation measures. She stated that it was the City Staff' s recommendation to utilize the available funds of$ 1, 624, 077. 00 for alternate projects at this time. After some discussion, Mayor, Tim Barker, made a motion to recommend to the City Council to utilize the available funds of $ 1, 624,077.00 for alternate projects at this time. Councilmember, Russell Machann, seconded the motion. All voted in favor. The fourth item on the agenda was to review and consider a Resolution: A resolution of the Wharton City Council approving a contract for Administration Services in connection with the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 ( ARPA) and authorizing the Mayor of the City of Wharton to execute all documents related to said contract. Director of Planning & Development, Gwyn Teves, stated to the Committee that the City Council had approved the establishment of a Consultant Selection Committee on July 26, 2021 and authorized that the City Staff to go out for administration services for the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 ( ARPA). She stated that the were received at City Hall on proposals February 1, 2022. The Committee scored and ranked the proposals. After some discussion, Councilmember, Russell Machann, made a motion to recommend to the City Council the approval of a contract to Public Management for the administration services in connection with the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 ( ARPA). Mayor, Tim Barker, seconded the motion. All voted in favor. The fifth item on the agenda was to review and consider a Resolution: A resolution of the Wharton City Council approving a contract for Administration Services in connection with the Texas Water Development Board Flood Infrastructure Fund( FIF) Project and authorizing the Mayor of the City of Wharton to execute all documents related to said contract. Director of Planning & Development, Gwyn Teves, stated to the Committee that the City Council had approved the establishment of a Consultant Selection Committee on July 26, 2021 and had authorized that the City Staff to go out for administration services for the Texas Water Development Board Flood Infrastructure Fund( FIF). She stated that the City of Wharton had been approved for funding to complete a citywide drainage study and construction projects. She stated that proposals were received at City Hall on February 1, 2022. The Committee scored and ranked the proposals. After some discussion, Councilmember, Russell Machann, made a motion to recommend to the City Council the approval of a contract to Langford for the contract for Administration Services in connection with the Texas Water Development Board Flood Infrastructure Fund ( FIF) Project. Mayor, Tim Barker, seconded the motion. All voted in favor. The sixth item on the agenda was adjournment. The meeting adjourned at 5: 46 p.m. 4pR. ce, City Manager