HomeMy WebLinkAboutMinutes City Council - 08/26/2021 - WorkshopI HEREBY CERTIFY that the foregoing is a true and correct copy of the minutes of the
Workshop Meeting of the Corpus Christi City Council of August 26, 2021, which were
approved by the City Council on September 14, 2021.
WITNESSETH MY HAND AND SEAL, on this the 14th day of September 2021.
(S E A L)
Rebecca Huerta
City Secretary
Corpus Christi, Texas
City of Corpus Christi
Rebecca Huerta, City Secretary
P.O. Box 9277
Corpus Christi, Texas 78469-9277
(361) 826-3105
rebeccah@cctexas.com
SCANNED
City of Corpus Christi
Meeting Minutes
City Council Workshop Session
1201 Leopard Street
Corpus Christi, TX 78401
cctexas.com
Thursday, August 26, 2021
9:00 AM City Council Chambers
FY 2022 Budget Workshop for HOT Tax, American Bank Center, Visit Corpus Christi,
Development Services, and any adjustments due to community input
A. Mayor Paulette M. Guajardo to call the meeting to order.
Mayor Guajardo called the meeting to order at 9:11 a.m.
B. City Secretary Rebecca L. Huerta to call the roll of the required Charter Officers.
Executive Assistant to the City Secretary Sarah Brunkenhoefer 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 and City Attorney Miles Risley.
Note: Council Member Michael Hunter participated by telephone conference.
Present 8 - Mayor Paulette M. Guajardo, Council Member Roland Barrera, Council Member Gil
Hernandez, Council Member Michael Hunter, Council Member Billy A. Lerma, Council
Member Ben Molina, Council Member Mike Pusley, and Council Member Greg Smith
Absent 1 - Council Member John Martinez
C. BRIEFINGS TO CITY COUNCIL:
1. 21-1004 FY 2022 Budget Workshop for HOT Tax, American Bank Center, Visit Corpus
Christi, Development Services, and any adjustments due to community input
Mayor Guajardo referred to Item 1.
Director of Development Services Al Raymond presented information on the following
topics: developer engagement timeline; updated fee change summary; proposed
revenue increase to existing fees FY22; new revenue -proposed fees; eliminate reduced
fee; building scenarios -new residential; land development scenarios -zoning; and land
development scenarios.
Council Members, Director Raymond, City Manager Peter Zanoni, and Assistant Director
of Development Services Nina Nixon -Mendez discussed the following topics: school
districts will now have to pay the full building permit cost; a Council Member's concern
about taxing school districts at 100%; a Council Member's concern about the proposed
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Meeting Minutes August 26, 2021
fee increase for buildings; a request for justification on what the revenue is being spent
on; and a Council Member's request for specific discussion on the indirect cost plan.
Executive Officer of the Coastal Bend Homeowner's Association Wendy Herman stated
that they were unaware of the new home fee increases, so Development Services held
several meetings to discuss in detail the proposed fee increases. She is also working on
calculations to see what the increase is going to be on a house on October 31, 2021.
General Manager of American Bank Center Matt Blasy presented information on the
following topics: mission statement; about American Bank Center; COVID-19 impact;
organization; FY 2021 achievements; performance indicators; FY 2022 proposed
budget: $12.3M; and FY 2022 facility progress report.
Council Members, General Manager Blasy and City Manager Peter Zanoni discussed
the following topics: a Council Member's concern about the lack of parking spaces at the
American Bank Center; a Council Member's concern that the food service is not
adequate for large events; not having a hotel attached to the American Bank Center is a
competitive disadvantage; a Council Member's request for more specifics on major
building upgrades; and a Council Member's proposal of doing a ground lease in place of
the Water Gardens.
President and CEO of Visit Corpus Christi Brett Oetting presented information on the
following topics: summer hotel performance; sales tax and visitor volume; sales tax and
hotel performance; sales tax and HOT collections; 2020-2021 achievements; Coast Like
a Texan summer campaign; ads and summer visitors; FY21-22 proposed budget; and
FY 2022 strategy and goals.
Council Members, President Oetting and Director of Parks and Recreation Dante
Gonzalez discussed the following topics: there was $28 million in hotel revenues for the
month of July; people from out of town are interested in convention center hotels; sports
have surpassed convention economic impact in the last five years; Visit Corpus Christi
will be hiring a head of sports sales that will be attending trade shows and conferences;
speedboat racing is committed to return to Corpus Christi; and 1,300 swimmers
participated in the Games of Texas.
Director of Management and Budget Eddie Houlihan presented information on the
following topics: hotel occupancy tax (HOT); HOT revenue history; FY21-22 new
proposed HOT uses; additional FY21-22 HOT expenditures; and FY21-22 funding
requests.
Council Members, Director Houlihan, City Manager Peter Zanoni and City Attorney Miles
Risley discussed the following topics: staff recommends additional funding of $25,000
for the Botanical Gardens; there is $8,000 in the marina fund for gateway signage; Type
A funds are a good revenue source for power washing of the seawall; short-term rentals
are illegal in Corpus Christi, but the City still collects taxes on them regardless of illegality;
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and a policy will be brought to Council in the fall regarding short-term rentals.
Director of Management and Budget Eddie Houlihan presented information on the
following topics: council workshops; budget public input sessions; Council District
1 -August 9; Council District 2 -August 11; Council District 3 -August 12; Council District
4 -August 16; Council District 5 -August 18; public input session summary; city manager
recommended addition -based on community input sessions; Fiscal Year 2022 holiday
proposals; holiday count by City; and staff amendments.
Council Members, Director Houlihan, City Manager Peter Zanoni and Chief Financial
Officer Constance Sanchez discussed the following topics: the property tax revenue in
the general fund is $92.6 million; a Council Member's concern about hiring more
employees, but adding two additional City holidays; and the Winter break closure only
applies to non-essential services, so police officers, firefighters and sanitation workers
will still be available.
D. ADJOURNMENT
There being no further business, Mayor Guajardo adjourned the meeting at 12:15 p.m.
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