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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMinutes City Council - 04/07/2020 - Special 'ss:'?„ c pus cih, r , ,.,...-,�I ,.,,,,,, 1s5. I HEREBY CERTIFY that the foregoing is a true and correct copy of the minutes of the Special Meeting of the Corpus Christi City Council of April 7, 2020, which were approved by the City Council on April 14, 2020. WITNESSETH MY HAND AND SEAL, on this the 21st day of April 2020. • Rebecca Huerta City Secretary Corpus Christi, Texas (SEAL) City of Corpus Christi Rebecca Huerta, City Secretary P.O. Box 9277 Corpus Christi,Texas 78469-9277 (361)826-3105 rebeccah@cctexas.com SCANNED Cid of Cor us Christi Meeting Minutes 1201 Leopard Street 4#14111,11111r% ISO tY p Corps Christi,TX 78401 :w::1) 11 cctexas.com City Council Tuesday,April 7,2020 9:30 AM Council Chambers SPECIAL CITY COUNCIL MEETING A. Mayor Joe McComb to call the meeting to order. Mayor McComb called the meeting to order at 9:34 a.m. B. Invocation to be given by Mayor Joe McComb. Mayor McComb gave the invocation. C. Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag of the United States and to the Texas Flag. Mayor McComb led the Pledge of Allegiance to the flag of the United States and the Texas Flag. D. City Secretary Rebecca L. Huerta to call the roll of the required Charter Officers. City Secretary Rebecca L.Huerta called the roll and verified that a quorum of the City Council and the required Charter Officers were present to conduct the - meeting. Charter Officers:City Manager Peter Zanoni,City Attorney Miles K.Risley and City Secretary Rebecca L.Huerta. NOTE: Council Members Paulette Guajardo and Michael Hunter participated telephonically. Council Members Greg Smith and Ben Molina participated by video conference. Present: 9- Mayor Joe McComb,Council Member Roland Barrera,Council Member Rudy Garza,Council Member Paulette Guajardo,Council Member Gil Hernandez,Council Member Michael Hunter,Council Member Ben Molina,Council Member Everett Roy,and Council Member Greg Smith E. CITY MANAGER'S COMMENTS/UPDATE ON CITY OPERATIONS: Mayor McComb referred to City Manager's Comments. City Manager Peter Zanoni made no comments. a. GOVERNMENT ACTIONS RELATED TO CORONA VIRUS City of Corpus Christi Page 1 Printed on 4/10/2020 City Council Meeting Minutes April 7,2020 F. PUBLIC COMMENT- AUDIENCE AND PRESENTER SOCIAL DISTANCING AND PUBLIC TESTIMONY AND PUBLIC HEARING INPUT AT PUBLIC MEETINGS OF THE CITY COUNCIL. To reduce the chance of COVID-19 transmission, public meetings will be held in a manner intended to separate, to the maximum practical extent,audience and presenters from personal contact with members of Community, City Staff, and City Council.This meeting will be broadcast at cctexas.com/services/council meeting-agendas-minutes-video. Public testimony and public hearing input for Public Comment and all items on the agenda at public meetings of the City Council should be provided in written format and presented to the City Secretary and/or designee no later than five minutes after the start of each meeting of the City Council.Testimony and/or public input shall be in accordance with the City Secretary's instructions,which shall be posted on the City Secretary's door and on the City website, and allow for electronic submission. The written public testimony shall be provided to members of City Council prior to voting on measures for that meeting.Written testimony shall be limited in accordance with the City Secretary requirements and shall be placed into the record of each meeting. This testimony shall serve as the required public testimony pursuant to Texas Government Code 551.007 and shall constitute a public hearing for purposes of any public hearing requirement under law.The meeting may be held telephonically or via videoconference.The public may participate remotely by following the instructions of the City Secretary at cctexas.com/departments/city-secretary. Mayor McComb referred to comments from the public. The following people submitted public comments which are attached to the minutes: Tom Ernst,14721 Whitecap Blvd.;Debbie Fernandez,802 S.Carancahua St.; and Gilda E.Ramirez,6433 Clairfield St. G. REGULAR AGENDA: 1. Ordinance Approving and Extending Orders issued pursuant to the Coronavirus Disaster Declaration; providing for penalties; and declaring an emergency. Mayor McComb referred to Item 1. City Attorney Miles Risley presented on the ordinance approving and extending orders issued pursuant to the Coronavirus disaster declaration.He said the ordinance extended the following orders until April 30,2020,which were attached to the ordinance:Second Amended Order regarding Public and Private Gatherings; First Amended Order to Stay at Home;and Order to Report COVID-19.Mr.Risley then distributed a new Second Amended Order to Stay at Home.He said the order was being amended to prohibit"short-term rentals", pending Council approval. Council Member Garza made a motion to amend Section 1 of the ordinance to City of Corpus Christi Page 2 Printed on 4/10/2020 City Council Meeting Minutes April 7,2020 read"Second Amended Order to Stay at Home",seconded by Council+Member Roy. Council Members,City Attorney Miles Risley and City Manager Peter Zanoni discussed the following topics: a request from a council member to modify rules for non-operating businesses; if the rules are modified for non-operating businesses,a council member requested taking more precautions,i.e.,making masks mandatory and putting a curfew in place;a council member's request to consider closing playground equipment;that mixed messages do not need to be sent out to the public;Texas State Parks are closing today,so consider city parks; need feedback from the public health officials before making any changes to the rules;that certain businesses(e.g.bars,restaurants,food courts,gyms,cosmetology salons,tattoo studios,and massage parlors) specified in the Governor's March 31,2020 Order cannot be reopened;a council member's concern about opening non-essential businesses;the need to plan an exit strategy and coordinate with other cities and the state;adhere to the rules today because short term pain versus long term gain;and the City is working with Texas A&M Corpus Christi to provide more data,which should be available this Friday. There being no further discussion,Mayor McComb called for a vote on the motion to amend Section 1 of the ordinance referenced above.The motion passed unanimously. Council Member Garza made a motion to approve the ordinance as amended, seconded by Council Member Hernandez.This Emergency Ordinance was passed and approved as amended with the following vote: Aye: 9- Mayor McComb,Council Member Barrera, Council Member Garza, Council Member Guajardo, Council Member Hernandez, Council Member Hunter, Council Member Molina, Council Member Roy and Council Member Smith Abstained: 0 Enactment No: 032082 2. Ordinance approving a$2,000,000.00 agreement between the City of Corpus Christi and the Corpus Christi Business and Job Development Corporation for Type A funding for maintenance of arterial and collector streets within the City; approving a Chapter 380 agreement in an amount not to exceed $2,000,000.00 with LiftFund, Inc. for a small business recovery program; appropriating $2,000,000.00 from the unreserved fund balance of the Business and Job Development Fund for use on the arterial and collector street improvements; amending the operating and capital budget; and declaring an emergency. Mayor McComb referred to Item 2. Chief Financial Officer Constance Sanchez presented information on the following topics: small business recovery program;funding for program; LiftFund,Inc.;loans;eligibility;program summary;program access information;and staffs recommendation. Council Member Hernandez made a motion to amend the ordinance to City of Corpus Christi Page 3 Printed on 4/10/2020 City Council Meeting Minutes April 7,2020 prioritize businesses most affected by the COVID-19 virus specifically identified in the Governor's order,seconded by Council Member Barrera. Council Members,City Manager Peter Zanoni,President and CEO of LiftFund, Inc.Janie Barrera,President and CEO of Corpus Christi Regional Economic Development lain Vasey,Chief Operating Officer Mike Culbertson,and Market Manager of LiftFund,Inc.Laura Estrada discussed the following topics: a council member's request to prioritize businesses that are most affected by the Governor's order;what small businesses are doing to sustain their operations; a council member's concern about the requirement that a business have annual gross revenues of not more than$5 million,and that more small businesses can be helped if the revenue is reduced;the Paycheck Protection Program versus the LiftFund program;LiftFund is a non-profit program so it is not gaining any revenue;the default rate is 4% based on other cities and programs with a 96%retention rate;LiftFund's mission is to provide credit; LiftFund has an agreement with the City to ensure that the taxpayers won't be charged a higher interest rate;a recommendation to not reduce the revenue cap more than$2.5 million;what are the technical services provided for the loan;many small business owners do not know how to manage the technical side; LiftFund is offering a loan that needs to be repaid,it is not a grant;a council member's concern of capping the revenue at$1 million as opposed to $2.5 million;that LiftFund can be a bridge to get to the Paycheck Protection Program,but it can also sustain itself on its own;LiftFund is not requiring a letter or a statement from the banks in order for someone to receive a loan;a council member's concern that a$1 million revenue cap is too low;75%,of the Paycheck Protection Program's reimbursement relies heavily on labor costs;if there was any discussion for using the$2 million to eliminate,reduce or defer utility bills for four to five months for small businesses;the Small Business Recovery Task Force is brainstorming other ideas,such as utilities,to help small businesses;LiftFund is screening applicants to determine legitimate need for those who deserve the loan and who can pay it back;a council member's concern that the interest rate is too high;what percentage of commercial businesses are behind on their utilities;and the Type B fund plan is in motion for additional funds. Council Member Barrera made a motion to amend the ordinance to prioritize businesses most affected specifically identified in the Governor's order and to reduce the annual gross revenue cap to$1,500,000,seconded by Council Member Hernandez. This Ordinance was passed as amended and approved with the following vote: Aye: 9- Mayor McComb,Council Member Barrera, Council Member Garza, Council Member Guajardo, Council Member Hernandez, Council Member Hunter, Council Member Molina, Council Member Roy and Council Member Smith Abstained: 0 Enactment No: 032083 H. ADJOURNMENT The meeting was adjourned at 11:24 a.m. City of Corpus Christi Page 4 Printed on 4/10/2020 Sarah Brunkenhoefer From: CitySecretary Sent: Monday,April 6, 2020 8:18 AM To: Rebecca Huerta Cc: Sarah Brunkenhoefer; Norma Duran Subject FW: Coronavirus Importance: High FYI. See below. From:Tom Ernst<tcernst@q.com> Sent:Sunday,April 5, 2020 6:58 PM To:Joe McComb<Joe.McComb@cctexas.com>; CitySecretary<CitySecretary@cctexas.com> Cc: nueces.countyattorney@nueces.com. Subject: RE:Coronavirus Importance: High [[WARNING: External e-mail.Avoid clicking on links or attachments. We will NEVER ask for a password, username, payment or to take action from an email. When in doubt, please forward to SecurityAlert@cctexas.com. 11 (Note to City Secretary: Please forward this Email to the City Council members) Dear Mayor McComb I am getting the feeling that Nueces County doesn't understand the seriousness of the of the COVID-19 pandemic.While the "sheltering" order is commendable, keeping the beaches open is not. We understand that there is an order to park 100 ft. apart on the beach and to vacate by 8 pm, but that isn't enough. Last night when I walked to Whitecap Beach, cars were parked right next to each other and large groups of young people were gathering, all the way down to the Bob Hall Pier.The Beach Patrol confirmed that they observed the same conditions. But even that beach crowding is not the point.The point is that having the beaches in Nueces County open at all,. is attracting travelers from all over(including Houston, Dallas and hotspots like CA,WA, IL,WI,etc.).Today(Sun. Apr 5`h) new people arrived to our condo complex from Austin, Houston, Dallas and as far away as AR, OK and IL. I spoke with several of them and they said they weren't concerned with "stay at home" advisories.They came for the sun and the beach.These travelers have to go to the stores for their supplies. Walmart, HEB,Target, etc. have people in them that are recent arrivals to Corpus Christi.Travelers make up over 60%of our cases here. This pandemic hasn't hit here full force yet, BUT IT WILL. Attracting more people here by keeping the beaches open is a recipe for disaster. Hotels/motels may be closed in Pt A and PI, but the VRBO condo rentals are attracting new arrivals daily. We are hunkered down here but every time we have to go to the store we are amongst new arrivals from hotspots that have ignored the "shelter" orders. It is critical that we reduce the influx of travelers into the County for the rest of April. Please take this pandemic as seriously as it deserves.The beaches need to be closed off and we need to publicize that act. Please take action quickly. Thank you in advance for your serious attention and action, Thomas C Ernst Sr 14721 Whitecap Blvd CC,TX 78418 1 Sarah Brunkenhoefer From: CitySecretary Sent: Monday, April 6, 2020 3:38 PM To: Rebecca Huerta Cc: Sarah Brunkenhoefer; Norma Duran Subject: FW: Coronavirus Attachments: Whitecap Beach VRBO.png; Beach Club.jpg Importance: High FYI. From:Tom Ernst<tcernst@q.com> Sent: Monday,April 6, 2020 3:33 PM To:Joe McComb<Joe.McComb@cctexas.com>; CitySecretary<CitySecretary@cctexas.com> Cc: nueces.countyattorney@cctexas.com Subject: RE:Coronavirus Importance: High [[WARNING: External e-mail.Avoid clicking on links or attachments. We wilt NEVER ask for a password, username, payment or to take action from an email. When in doubt, please forward to SecurityAlert@cctexas.com. 11 Further to my recent note regarding closing Padre Island beaches. . .VRBO has hundreds of condos for rent on Padre Island. I am not picking on the Beach Club, but only use them as an example.You can see on the attached pictures that they highlight their proximity to the beach.They've closed their pool but attract more people to the area because of the beach. Many travelers have moved in there in the past week, ignoring sheltering advisories.These new travelers will be at Walmart,Target, HEB (they've already had an employee with COVID-19 at HEB)and other open stores. Since the virus has been mainly spread by travelers in Nueces County it is paramount that we close our beaches for the rest of April and remove this attraction. Port A beaches are closed with the exception of exercise. Please take quick action to help stop the spread of this extreme pandemic, by closing beach access to all traffic. Please forward this message to the City Council members. Thank you,Tom Ernst From:Tom Ernst<tcernst@q.com> Sent: Sunday, April 5, 2020 6:58 PM To: 'joe.mccomb@cctexas.com'<joe.mccomb@cctexas.com>; 'citysecretary@cctexas.com' <citysecretary@a cctexas.com> Cc:'nueces.countyattorney@nueces.com.' <nueces.countyattorney@nueces.com.> Subject: RE: Coronavirus Importance: High (Note to City Secretary: Please forward this Email to the City Council members) Dear Mayor McComb l am getting the feeling that Nueces County doesn't understand the seriousness of the of the COVID-19 pandemic.While the "sheltering" order is commendable, keeping the beaches open is not.We understand that there is an order to park 1(111 ft apart nn thn hnarh and to uaratra hxr A nm hilt that icn't anni'oh I act nioht uarhon I ‘arallcari tri 1A/hitaran Raarh Hall Pier.The Beach Patrol confirmed that they observed the same conditions. But even that beach crowding is not the point.The point is that having the beaches in Nueces County open at all,. is attracting travelers from all over(including Houston,Dallas and hotspots like CA,WA, IL,WI,etc.).Today(Sun.Apr 5th) new people arrived to our condo complex from Austin, Houston, Dallas and as far away as AR,OK and IL. I spoke with several of them and they said they weren't concerned with"stay at home"advisories.They came for the sun and the beach.These travelers have to go to the stores for their supplies.Walmart, HEB,Target, etc. have people in them that are recent arrivals to Corpus Christi.Travelers make up over 60%of our cases here.This pandemic hasn't hit here full force yet,BUT IT WILL.Attracting more people here by keeping the beaches open is a recipe for disaster. Hotels/motels may be closed in Pt A and PI,but the VRBO condo rentals are attracting new arrivals daily.We are hunkered down here but every time we have to go to the store we are amongst new arrivals from hotspots that have ignored the"shelter"orders. It is critical that we reduce the influx of travelers into the County for the rest of April. Please take this pandemic as seriously as it deserves.The beaches need to be closed off and we need to publicize that act. Please take action quickly. Thank you in advance for your serious attention and action, Thomas C Ernst Sr 14721 Whitecap Blvd CC,TX 78418 • 2 taut:Travelers with stays in March or April are covered by our COVID-l9 Emergency Policy Learn more Of 0 r) Trip Boards g Login 8 Sign up 0 Help v Feedback Eo U Gr_ns stand,TX.USA �'. 00120 a o4t B,,)2o 2 guests Bearooms instant Confirmation '' ( More Filters Great Location! Walk to Whitecap BEACH! 44 0 Et -,..: Condo Sleeps 4 470 Sq.Ft. + :-; ii'4.1et a ' Bfvt! *[hMeapc,,i,tie, j Wonderful!4.8/5I 6 e, %roc we $94 per night *****(68) 9 It Enjoy beautiful Texas beaches and emerald green waters... zdlitepp. 9 9 9.1) 04'1 Condo 2 BR 2 BA Sleeps 6 462 Sq.Ft. 9 IOP , Last Minute Deal IP 'a` 1 Excellent!4.6/5 are 4 $100 per night ****''I (9) Be Close to the Beach and Enjoy an Endless-list of Ameni... oto.coni865879?adultsCourtt=?8iarrival=2020-04-11&--leparture=2020-04-18 3q. Ft. GOo a #,r.. $ F::"..:4.411'' , . r 4g r;;,*W.'6u.. ':I hL • PUBLIC COMMENT/INPUT FORM City of Corpus Christi Enter either"City Council"or the name of the City Board: City Council DATE OF MEETING (mm/dd/yy): 04/07/20 NAME: Debbie Fernandez ADDRESS: 802 S. Carancahua St,#432 CITY: Corpus Christi STATE: TX ZIP: 78401 TOPIC: AGENDA ITEM NUMBER(if applicable): If no agenda item is specified,then this will be considered a general public comment and not a public hearing. LiftFund is prepared to deepen its 15-year relationship with the City of Corpus Christi to further support small business owners with interest-free relief capital.I encourage the mayor and oouncilmembers to approve LiftFund's proposal before City Council on Tuesday, April 7th.I firmly believe that the work LiftFund is doing is crucial for our small business community,espedall*now during this T4e01.4 PUBLIC COMMENT/INPUT FORM City of Corpus Christi Enter either"City Council" or the name of the City Board: Emergency City Council Meeting DATE OF MEETING (mm/dd/yy): 04/07/2020 NAME: Gilda E. Ramirez ADDRESS: 6433 CLAIRFIELD STREET CITY: CORPUS CHRISTI STATE: TX ZIP: 78414 TOPIC: In Support for agreement with LiftFund, Inc. for Small Business F AGENDA ITEM NUMBER (if applicable): 2 If no agenda item is specified,then this will be considered a general public comment and not a public hearing. As Vice President for Small Business and Education for the United Corpus Christi Chamber of Commerce,I fully support the LiftFund, Inc.proposal in front of City Council for a vote on Tuesday,April 7th.I firmly believe that the work LiftFund,Inc.is doing is crucial for our small business community,especially now during this unprecedented disaster. LiftFund is prepared to further develop its relationship with the City of Corpus Christi in support of small business owners with interest-free relief capital. In my position with the chamber,I regularly work collaboratively with Mrs. Laura Leal Estrada,Market Manager for LiftFund, Inc.to assist small businesses,especially in disseminating information and helping mentor business owners.I encourage Mayor McComb and City of Corpus Christi Councilmembers to approve the Chapter 380 agreement with LiftFund, Inc.for the small business recovery program.