City Council

 

Dee Margo

Peter Svarzbein, District 1

 

Mayor

Alexsandra Annello, District 2

 

 

Cassandra Hernandez, District 3

 

 

Sam Morgan, District 4

 

Tommy Gonzalez

Isabel Salcido, District 5

 

City Manager

Claudia Ordaz Perez, District 6

 

 

Henry Rivera, District 7

 

 

Cissy  Lizarraga, District 8

 

SPECIAL CITY COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES

CITY HALL, 300 N. CAMPBELL

 

MAIN CONFERENCE ROOM, 2ND FLOOR

 

July 29, 2019

 

9:00 AM

 

 

 

The City Council met at the above place and date.  Meeting was called to order at 9:05 a.m.  Mayor Dee Margo present and presiding and the following Council Members answered roll call:  Peter Svarzbein, Sam Morgan, Isabel Salcido, Claudia Ordaz Perez, Henry Rivera, and Cissy Lizarraga. Late arrivals: Alexsandra Annello and Cassandra Hernandez at 9:11 a.m.

 

 

 

 

 

AGENDA

 

 

 

 

 

 

1.

Discussion and action on the proposed bond election, including but not limited to, its budget-related impacts to/on capital projects, operating and maintenance and debt service.

 

The following members of City staff presented PowerPoint presentations (copies on file in the City Clerk’s Office).

 

  1. Mr. Richard Bristol, Streets and Maintenance Director
  2. Mr. Sam Rodriguez, City Engineer
  3. Ms. Dionne Mack, Deputy City Manager,

 

Discussion revolved around the following topics

 

  • Community Health
  • Public Safety along with a review of the current needs in the Police and Fire Departments such as equipment, fleet, and facilities
  • Status of street resurfacing and reconstruction projects
  • Other capital projects
  • Capital needs of the Animal Services and Health departments

 

Mayor Margo and Representatives Svarzbein, Annello, Hernandez, Morgan, Salcido, Ordaz Perez, Rivera, and Lizarraga commented.

 

The following City staff members commented:

 

  1. Mr. Robert Cortinas, Chief Financial Officer
  2. Ms. Laura Cruz-Acosta, Strategic Communications Director
  3. Ms. Karla Nieman, City Attorney
  4. Police Chief Gregory Allen
  5. Fire Chief Mario D’Agostino

 

Mr. Ron Martin, Representative for the El Paso Municipal Police Officer’s Association commented.

 

Ms. Lisa Turner, citizen, commented.

 

1ST MOTION

Motion made by Representative Morgan, seconded by Representative Svarzbein, and unanimously carried to REMOVE the Public Health and Animal Services from the proposed bond election package.

 

AYES: Representatives Svarzbein, Annello, Hernandez, Morgan, Salcido, Ordaz Perez, Rivera, and Lizarraga

NAYS: None

 

2ND MOTION

Motion made by Representative Annello, seconded by Representative Hernandez to DIRECT staff to come back with the original proposal for Police and Fire.

 

AYES: Representatives Annello, Hernandez, Morgan, and Lizarraga

NAYS: Representatives Svarzbein, Salcido, Ordaz Perez, and Rivera

 

Mayor Margo broke the tie by voting “Nay”.  The motion FAILED.

 

3RD MOTION

Motion made by Representative Svarzbein, seconded by Representative Rivera, and carried to APPROVE Bond Proposition Option C-1 for Police and Fire.

 

AYES: Representatives Svarzbein, Morgan, Salcido, Ordaz Perez, Rivera, and Lizarraga

NAYS: Representatives Annello and Hernandez

 

4TH AND FINAL MOTION

Motion made by Representative Hernandez, seconded by Mayor Pro Tempore Ordaz Perez and unanimously carried to DIRECT staff to prepare for a Street package 2020 bond election to include identifying additional revenue sources.

 

AYES: Representatives Svarzbein, Annello, Hernandez, Morgan, Salcido, Ordaz Perez, Rivera, and Lizarraga

NAYS: None

 

 

 

 

ITEMS 2 AND 3 WERE TAKEN TOGETHER

 

 

 

2.

Presentation of certified appraisal roll, effective tax rate, roll back rate and certified estimated collection rate for the FY 2019 – 2020 Budget and the FY 2019 3rd Quarter Financial update.

 

 

 

 

 

 

3.

Presentation, Discussion and Action on the FY 2019 – 2020 Budget.

 

Mr. Robert Cortinas, Chief Financial Officer, presented a PowerPoint presentation (copy on file in the City Clerk’s Office).

 

The presentation contained the financial report for the 3rd quarter of FY2019, the budget calendar for FY2020, a budget summary, certified property values, Council budget requests and the Ordinance introducing the tax rate for the 2020 fiscal year.

 

Mayor Margo and Representatives Svarzbein, Annello, Hernandez, Salcido, Ordaz Perez, and Rivera commented.

 

The following City staff members commented:

 

  1. Mr. Cary Westin, Deputy City Manager
  2. Ms. Karla Nieman, City Attorney

 

Ms. Dinah Kilgore, Chief Appraiser and Mr. David Stone, Assistant Director, from the El Paso Central Appraisal District briefed council on the decline of commercial property values due to slow growth in the sector and the large number of lawsuits filed.

 

Ms. Lisa Turner, citizen, commented.

 

1ST MOTION

Motion made by Svarzbein, seconded by Representative Lizarraga, and unanimously carried to INCLUDE all items presented for consideration totaling $780,000 with the proposed FY2019-2020 budget.

 

AYES: Representatives Svarzbein, Annello, Hernandez, Morgan, Salcido, Ordaz Perez, Rivera, and Lizarraga

NAYS: None

 

2ND AND FINAL MOTION

Motion made by Representative Hernandez, seconded by Representative Svarzbein, and unanimously carried to DIRECT staff to bring forth a proposal on the impact to personnel and operations and identifying all of those cuts if the Mayor vetoes the budget to include any impact to Police and Fire.

 

AYES: Representatives Svarzbein, Hernandez, Morgan, Salcido, Ordaz Perez, Rivera, and Lizarraga

NAYS: None

NOT PRESENT FOR THE VOTE: Representative Annello

 

 

 

 

 

 

4.

Introduction of an Ordinance levying FY 2019 – 2020 taxes.

 

PUBLIC HEARINGS WILL BE HELD ON AUGUST 6, 2019 AND AUGUST 13, 2019.

 

MOTION

Motion made by Mayor Pro Tempore Perez, seconded by Representative Lizarraga, and unanimously carried to APPROVE the introduction of the Ordinance setting the tax rate at the rollback rate of 0.907301.

 

AYES: Representatives Svarzbein, Annello, Hernandez, Morgan, Salcido, Ordaz Perez, Rivera, and Lizarraga

NAYS: None

 

 

........................................................................................................................

ADJOURN

 

 

Motion made by Representative Hernandez, seconded by Representative Annello and unanimously carried to ADJOURN this meeting at 12:47 p.m.

 

AYES: Representatives Svarzbein, Annello, Morgan, Salcido, and Rivera

NAYS: None

 

 

........................................................................................................................

 

 APPROVED AS TO CONTENT:

 

 

 

 

 

 ____________________________

 

 Laura D. Prine, City Clerk