[1. Call to order; Establishment of Quorum]
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OKAY. WE'RE READY. OKAY. IT IS 602 OR 3, I'LL CALL THIS MEETING OF THE HORIZON CITY ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION BOARD OF DIRECTORS TO ORDER, WE DO HAVE. WE DO HAVE A QUORUM, WE CAN MOVE TO ITEM NUMBER TWO, OPEN FORUM. IS THERE ANYONE SIGNED UP FOR OPEN FORUM? SEEING NONE. UNLESS LILY WANTS TO SAY SOMETHING. WE CAN GO TO ITEM NUMBER THREE, APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES FROM
[3. Approval of Minutes from:]
JUNE 19TH, 2020 FOR REGULAR BOARD MEETING. DO I HAVE A MOTION ON THE MINUTES? MAKE A MOTION TO APPROVE. I HAVE A MOTION. IS THERE A SECOND? SECOND? WE HAVE A SECOND. ANY DISCUSSION ON THE MINUTES? HEARING NONE. ALL IN FAVOR? AYE, AYE. OPPOSED? MOTION CARRIES. WE[4. Discussion and Action:]
GO TO ITEM NUMBER FOUR FOR DISCUSSION AND ACTION ON A RESOLUTION APPROVING THE PROPOSED EDC BUDGET FOR FISCAL YEAR 2024 2025. IDIOTS. YES SIR. AGAIN. GOOD EVENING. BOARD MEMBERS EDDIE GARCIA, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR FOR THE HORIZON CITY ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION. I WANT TO THANK YOU ALL, FIRST OF ALL, FOR BEING OUT HERE AND TAKING TIME OUT OF YOUR DAY TO BE HERE. IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT WHAT IT IS THAT WE'RE DOING, WE CAN ALREADY SEE A LOT OF STUFF HAPPENING IN HORIZON. WE'RE WORKING TOWARDS A LOT OF STUFF NEEDING TO SEE IN THE PRESENTATION A PRESENTATION TO SET OUT, YOU KNOW, SOME OF THE ACTIVITIES THAT WE'VE BEEN WORKING ON, SOME OF THE ACTIVITIES THAT WE'RE GOING TO WORK ON IN THE FUTURE, AND THEN WE'RE GOING TO GO INTO THE NUMBERS AS TO WHAT WE HAVE AND WHAT WE'RE PROPOSING ARE YOU GOING TO SEE IT? IT'S PRETTY FLAT. YOU'RE GOING TO SEE SOME BIG NUMBERS THERE BECAUSE WE'RE BUYING WE'RE PURCHASING THE BUILDING. WE EXPECT TO HAVE THAT BUILDING COMPLETED IN MARCH IS WHAT THE DEVELOPERS INDICATED TO US. BUT WE'LL TAKE IT FROM THERE. BUT WE'VE ALREADY, BUDGETED THOSE FUNDS AND THOSE ARE GOING TO COME OUT OF OUR RESERVES. SO THAT'S THE WAY THE PRESENTATION IS SET UP. IT'S LAID OUT THAT WAY AGAIN. SO ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE'VE BEEN WORKING ON CONSISTENTLY IS WORKING WITH THE SMALL BUSINESSES THAT ARE HERE IN HORIZON CITY, WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT AS HORIZON DEVELOPS, THAT THEY HAVE ALL OF THE TOOLS THAT THEY NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY SURVIVE, RIGHT, THAT THAT THEY FLOURISH BECAUSE THOSE ARE THE BUSINESSES THAT EMPLOY THE MAJORITY OF PEOPLE, YOU KNOW, IN IN THE CITY, IN AN AREA IN OUR CASE, SO WE'RE BRINGING IN TRAINING, YOU KNOW, WE'RE WORKING WITH PROJECT VIDA. THAT IS ONE OF OUR PARTNERS THAT WE HAVE THAT HOUSES THERE AT THE AT THE EDC. SO THEY HAVE A LITTLE OFFICE THERE, THERE THERE ARE A COUPLE OF DAYS OUT OF THE WEEK. THEY HAVE A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT GO AND TALK TO THEM ABOUT FINANCING, AND I'VE SEEN THEM GO IN THERE AND THEY GET ON THE PHONE AND THEY TRY TO GET PEOPLE FINANCED TO DO SOME BUSINESSES HERE IN THE AREA. SO WE'RE PARTNERING WITH THEM. THEY THEY PROPOSED A WORKSHOP, IT'S IN SPANISH, AND WE'RE GOING TO AND WE HAVE SOME FOLKS THAT ARE GOING OUT THAT WAY, MAKING SURE, YOU KNOW, THAT THAT WE'RE PROVIDING INFORMATION ON LOW INTEREST LOANS, HUMAN RESOURCES SERVICES AND BUSINESS MARKETING.AGAIN, YOU'LL SEE IN OUR NEXT SLIDE WHY IT IS THAT WE'RE DOING THAT BECAUSE RAFA WENT OUT THERE, PUT OUT A SURVEY. AND THOSE WERE THOSE ARE THE THINGS THAT PEOPLE HAVE INDICATED THAT THEY WANT TO SEE MORE MARKETING. THEY WANT TO SEE FINANCE, AND THINGS OF THAT NATURE. I THINK THE OTHER THE ONE THERE TO YOUR RIGHT, THE CURRENT KEY ISSUES, WHAT YOU'RE GOING TO SEE THERE IS FINANCE AGAIN, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE LOOKING FOR THAT FINANCING, FINANCING OPPORTUNITIES. WE WORK WITH A WHOLE BUNCH OF BANKERS. WE WORK WITH, FIRST LIKE GCU, A WHOLE BUNCH OF FOLKS BROUGHT THEM DOWN HERE, TO TALK TO FOLKS ABOUT FINANCING PROJECT VIVA, EVEN, PEOPLE FUND THIS FUND. WE WORK WITH ALL THOSE INDIVIDUALS TO SEE WE CAN GET FINANCING. I THINK THE OTHER THING IS THE PHYSICAL SPACE. RIGHT? DO WE HAVE THE BUILDINGS THAT ARE OUT THERE? PHYSICAL SPACE. YOU KNOW, BUILDINGS THAT WE CAN HOUSE PEOPLE IN. AND THAT'S ONE OF THE THINGS THAT YOU'RE GOING TO SEE. ONE OF THE INITIATIVES THAT WE'VE BEEN WORKING ON IS TO HAVE SOME BUILDINGS HERE IN HORIZON CITY. WE'VE GOT A LOT OF VACANT LAND, JUST NOT A LOT OF PEOPLE TAKING ADVANTAGE RIGHT NOW OF BUILDING ON THAT, ON THOSE EMPTY PARCELS. OH YES, SIR, GO AHEAD.
QUESTION ON THE SHEET. AND I THINK IT'S GREAT THAT YOU HAVE THAT THOSE PARTNERSHIPS, THOSE, SPACES ARE NOT REVENUE GENERATING. RIGHT. THEY'RE NOT REVENUE GENERATED, YOU KNOW, WE ARE, A NONPROFIT, AND I WOULD HAVE TO GET INTO THE WHOLE PROCESS OF FIGURING OUT HOW I WOULD DEAL WITH THOSE DOLLARS. RIGHT. YOU KNOW, IF I WOULD COVER MY, MY RENT OR MY LEASE SPACE. I MEAN, FOR THE COUPLE OF DAYS THAT THEY'RE THERE, IT'S KIND OF HARD TO DO THAT,
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ESPECIALLY BECAUSE WE WORK WITH THEM. THEY'RE NON-PROFITS AS WELL, WE ALSO HAVE, THE WORKFORCE SOLUTIONS BORDERPLEX THERE. THEY HAVE A SATELLITE OFFICE THERE, WHICH WE THINK IS IMPORTANT, AND WE HAVE PEOPLE STOP IN THERE, YOU KNOW, WE'RE GETTING ON THE COMPUTER, APPLYING FOR JOBS, WE THINK THAT THAT IS ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT FOCUSED, RIGHT? BECAUSE WE HAVE THOSE THINGS WHERE, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE NEED JOBS. YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I'VE LEARNED FROM BEING ON THE BOARD FOR WORKFORCE SOLUTIONS, BORDERPLEX, IS THAT THOSE FOLKS, THEY HANDLE A LOT OF THE DATA. THEY HAVE A LOT OF DAYCARE DOLLARS THAT THEY PUT OUT THERE. SO IT'S IMPORTANT, YOU KNOW, THAT WE SUPPORT THEM IN ANY WAY WE CAN. BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, IN ORDER FOR PEOPLE TO WORK, THEY NEED TO PUT THEIR CHILDREN IN DAYCARE. AND THOSE ARE THE THINGS THAT WE FOCUS ON HERE IN, IN OUR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, OFFICE. BUT GOOD QUESTION, WE DON'T CHARGE RENT, AND I DON'T FORESEE US CHARGING, US FOR THE SPACES. I MEAN, WE'LL GO INTO THAT, YOU KNOW, AS WE GET OUR NEW OFFICES AND WHAT IT IS THAT WE DO, THERE MAY BE AN OPPORTUNITY TO DO SOMETHING LIKE THAT, BUT AT THIS POINT, WE HAVEN'T EXPLORED THAT, BUT IT'S NOT OUT OF THE QUESTION. WE'RE PROVIDING MORE OF A SERVICE THAT'S MORE OF A SERVICE, REALLY. YOU KNOW, IT'S FOR THE FOR THE GOOD OF THE PUBLIC, RIGHT? YOU KNOW, AND AS YOU SAW IN THAT FIRST SLIDE, YOU KNOW, WE HAD THE LGC BOARD, IT'S OUR LOCAL GOVERNMENT CORPORATION THAT'S WORKING ON GETTING SOME TRANSPORTATION. PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION FOR FOLKS OUT HERE BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE THAT, YOU KNOW, SOME METROS IN THE CITY OF EL PASO, IT ISN'T PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION. THEY DO HAVE SOME OTHERS, BUT IT'S NOT. THEY DO HAVE BUSSES THAT RUN THROUGH THEM, BUT IT'S NOT AN ORGANIZED THING. AND SO THAT'S WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO. WORKING IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE TRANSIT ORIENTED DEVELOPMENT THAT THE CITY IS WORKING ON. BUT UTILIZING ALL THE SPACE THAT WE HAVE THERE, YOU KNOW, SPONSORING THOSE MEETINGS, HAVING PEOPLE SHOW UP SO WE CAN SEE YOU UTILIZE OUR OFFICES. AND I THINK THAT'S MORE IMPORTANT, YOU KNOW, TRYING TO GET A LEASE. BUT WE, YOU KNOW, AS WE PROGRESS, WE'LL SEE WHERE WE'RE AT. YOU KNOW, I WON'T LEAVE THAT. I'LL TAKE ANOTHER LOOK AT IT IN THE FUTURE TO SEE WHAT IT IS THAT WE'RE DOING. BUT AGAIN, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, THOSE, THOSE PHYSICAL SPACES THAT WE WERE TALKING ABOUT, WE GOT THE PROJECT FOLLOWING KNOXVILLE, DEVELOPMENT, YOU KNOW, WITH THE ONE THAT WE DID WITH GEORGE DIP.WE DO HAVE A PERFORMANCE AGREEMENT WITH HIM THAT 25,000FT■!S. THIS IS WHERE WE'RE GOING TO BUY OUR OFFICES AT 2500 SQUARE FOOT OFFICE. THEY'RE ALSO GOING TO DEVELOP ANOTHER 2500 SQUARE FOOT OFFICE. BUT AGAIN, WE'RE DOING, YOU KNOW, WHAT PEOPLE ARE ASKING US FOR, IN IN THAT SURVEY, THEY'RE ASKING FOR PHYSICAL SPACE TO BE OUT THERE SO THAT THEY CAN OPEN UP BUSINESSES HERE IN HORIZON CITY. SO THERE'S A NEED FOR THAT. AND WE THINK WE'RE GOING TO BE ABLE TO DO THAT WITH A 25,000FT■!S TT IT'S GOING TO GET DEVELOPED HERE IN THIS AREA, THAT'S IN THE ACTUAL LETTERS AS WELL. I'M CALLING AND, KNOXVILLE. SO AGAIN, WE'RE HITTING WE'RE HITTING ALL THESE METRICS. RIGHT. YOU KNOW WHAT IT IS THAT PEOPLE ARE TELLING US AND WHAT IT IS THAT WE NEED TO DO, IN THIS DEVELOPMENT, YOU KNOW, AS YOU CAN TELL THERE, YOU KNOW, WE WORKED ON THIS AGREEMENT, WE WORKED ON THE PERFORMANCE AGREEMENT. EDC BOARD DID APPROVE THAT. AND SO, YOU KNOW, THE APPLICANT IS REQUIRED TO SPEND ABOUT $3.1 MILLION, AND WE'RE GOING TO PROVIDE THEM WITH A FOUR YEAR, $28,000 INCENTIVE PER YEAR. I THINK THE OTHER THING, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, WE'RE TALKING TO DIFFERENT FOLKS. ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE SAW, YOU KNOW, WE WERE TALKING TO YOUTH, THAT THERE WAS AN INDIVIDUAL OUT THERE THAT REACHED OUT TO US ABOUT BRINGING SOME, SOME ELECTRIC VEHICLE CHARGERS HERE TO THE AREA. THERE ARE ELECTRIC VEHICLE CHARGERS IN ALL OF THE COUNTY EXCEPT FOR HORIZON CITY. YOU KNOW, WE HAVEN'T HAD THAT OPPORTUNITY TO BRING SOME HERE. AND SO WE'RE WORKING TOWARDS GETTING A GRANT. YOU KNOW, WHERE THERE'S LITTLE TO NO EXPENDITURE FROM THE CITY, TO GET THESE CHARGERS HERE IN HORIZON CITY.
SO THERE IS A GRANT OUT THERE THAT WILL TRY TO CAPTURE SOME OF THAT STUFF. BUT IS THERE A LOCAL BUSINESS THAT MIGHT BE INTERESTED IN COOPERATING OR PARTICIPATING IN THAT? SO THERE IS A SO THE BUSINESS THAT WE'RE GOING TO WORK WITH. SO TYPICALLY WHAT YOU WHAT YOU HAVE IS 80% THAT'S COVERED BY THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT. AND THEN 20, YOU KNOW, THAT WE WOULD NEED TO COME UP WITH. BUT THERE'S A COMPANY THAT'S OUT THERE WITH CHARGEPOINT, THAT THEY HAVE AN INTEREST IN MAKING SURE, YOU KNOW, THAT THEY THEY'LL, THEY'LL JUMP IN ON THAT 20, YOU KNOW, WHERE YOU COVER THAT, THAT, THAT, THAT GAP, YOU KNOW, THE GAP THAT THE CITY HAS TO COME UP WITH. SO THEY'RE WILLING TO DO THAT, BUT WE'VE SUBMITTED 30 SITES ALREADY, TO, FOR THE GRANT TO SEE IF WE CAN DO SOMETHING LIKE THAT. YOU KNOW, EVEN THE CITY, THE MUNICIPAL SERVICES CENTER, YOU KNOW, WE'RE GOING TO GET A CIRCLE K HERE IN THE FUTURE, ON KENZO AND EASTLAKE.
THAT'S AN OPPORTUNITY THERE FOR THOSE HEIGHTS. HIGH SPEED TYPE CHARGERS, THE DIFFERENT PARTS
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THAT WE HAVE. SO TYPICALLY WHAT YOU WANT TO DO IN THOSE IS IF IT'S IN A PARK, YOU KNOW WHEN PEOPLE GO AND THEY SIT AT YOU, THEY CAN GO TO THE PARK, LET PARK THEIR CAR THERE, YOU KNOW, AND IT TAKES TWO, THREE HOURS TO CHARGE. RIGHT. SO, SO, SO THOSE ARE THE OPPORTUNITIES THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT IN TERMS OF THESE CHARGING AND FUELING STATIONS THAT WE'RE TRYING TO BRING INTO HORIZON CITY. YOU KNOW, WE WE'RE REALLY GOING OUT THERE MAKING SURE THAT WE'RE IN THAT CONVERSATION THAT'S HAPPENING THROUGHOUT THE COUNTY OF EL PASO, MAKING SURE THAT WE CAN BRING THESE HERE TO HORIZON CITY AS WELL. DOES THAT ANSWER YOUR QUESTION, SIR? AND SO THERE'S SOME DETAILS THERE, RIGHT. YOU KNOW, WE WOULD TRY TO, THE, THE, THE INDIVIDUALS THAT PUT UP THE MONEY FOR THIS, FOR, FOR THESE FUELING STATIONS, YOU KNOW, THEY WOULD CAPTURE THE REVENUE INITIALLY AND THEN IT WOULD BE THE CITY FIVE YEARS AFTER, I THINK, YOU KNOW, FROM A STAFF PERSPECTIVE, IT'S PROBABLY BEST TO HAND IT OVER TO SOMEBODY ELSE THAT THAT IS GOING TO TAKE IT AND MAINTAIN THOSE THINGS AFTER YEAR FIVE. RIGHT. THE CITY DOESN'T WANT TO BE IN THE BUSINESS OF MAINTAINING THOSE, FUELING STATIONS. WE WANT TO HAND IT OVER TO CHARGEPOINT BECAUSE THEY HAD AN INTEREST INITIALLY FOR THAT 20. DOES THAT KIND OF MAKE SENSE? WITHIN FIVE YEARS, THEY JUST CONVERT ALL ALL OF THE GAS STATIONS. BUT MAYBE. RIGHT SO THAT'S KIND OF WHERE YOU'RE AT, YOU KNOW, BUT LET'S SEE LET'S SEE WHERE THIS GOES. YOU KNOW, WE'RE PURSUING IT, WE'RE STILL IN THE BEGINNING STAGES. WE NEED TO SEE WHAT THOSE DOLLARS LOOK LIKE AND WHERE THAT MONEY IS GOING TO COME FROM RIGHT NOW. LIKE, I SAID, WE'RE TRYING TO MAKE WE'RE TRYING TO GET THESE IN HERE WITH WITH LITTLE TO NO INVESTMENT ON THE CITY SIDE, BECAUSE THIS HAS TO BE A CITY PROJECT. SO ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE DO IS WE'RE NOT ONLY DOING WORK FOR THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION, WE'RE ALSO THE LEAD ON PROJECTS FOR THE CITY AS WELL. SO WE'RE NOT JUST WE'RE NOT WE'RE NOT IN A SILO WORKING JUST ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT FOR THE CORPORATION. WE ALSO WORK WITH THE CITY OF BERLIN. THE NEXT ONE IS LA GALERA. SO THIS IS A PROJECT. IT'S A PECAN, NUT PROCESSING COMPANY THAT HAS BEEN LOOKING AT HORIZON CITY FOR A WHILE. THEY PURCHASED LAND, I WOULD SAY THREE, FOUR YEARS AGO HERE IN HORIZON CITY, ABOUT 20 SOME ODD ACRES THAT THEY PURCHASED, AND SO THEY'RE GETTING READY TO CONSTRUCT. AND SO WE'LL BE WORKING WITH THEM. I THINK ONE OF THE THINGS LIKE I MENTIONED BEFORE IS WE'RE EITHER GOING TO TAKE LEAD AT THE EDC SO THAT WE CAN SHEPHERD THEM THROUGH THE PERMITTING PROCESS, JUST TO MAKE SURE THAT IT THAT WHEN THEY COME IN AND THEY SUBMIT THEIR PERMITS, THAT IT'S A SEAMLESS PROJECT. RIGHT? WE'RE GOING TO INTERVENE IN THIS THING BECAUSE WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THIS 15 TO $20 MILLION INVESTMENT IN HORIZON CITY TAKES PLACE, AND IT'S AS SMOOTH AS POSSIBLE. RIGHT? I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE OPEN FOR BUSINESS, AND WE SAY WE'RE OPEN FOR BUSINESS. YOU KNOW WHERE WE MEAN IT. WE'RE GOING TO DO IT. THE CITY LETS US. SO THAT'S THE THING. WE WORK WITH THE CITY RIGHT, LIKE I SAID, WE TAKE THE LEAD ON SOME OF THESE AND HERE'S HERE'S THE AREA IN QUESTION. YOU KNOW, THEY PURCHASED 20 ACRES, IN THIS AREA. AND IT'S A PROJECT THAT WE REALLY WANT TO SEE COME TO FRUITION. I CAN TELL YOU THAT THE TOWN OF HORIZON CITY INVESTED ABOUT $5 MILLION IN SOME OF THESE PONDING AREAS, AND THAT WAS ONE OF THE, DECIDING FACTORS FOR THIS COMPANY TO COME AND BUY PROPERTY HERE BECAUSE THEY DIDN'T NEED THE DEDICATED ADDITIONAL FUNDING AREA. THIS AREA HAS THE FUNDING ALREADY, AND SO THAT WAS A GOOD DECISION FROM THE CITY COUNCIL TO DO SOMETHING LIKE THAT. AND THEY BUILT THE STREETS OUT AS WELL.AGAIN, THIS IS ANOTHER 350 ACRE PARCEL THAT'S JUST FURTHEST SOUTH OF HORIZON CITY. WE'VE BEEN WORKING WITH DIFFERENT BROKERS FOR THE PROPERTY. WE'VE BEEN WORKING WITH THE COUNTY OF EL PASO. I THINK ONE OF THE ISSUES THAT WE'RE FACING WITH THIS PIECE OF PROPERTY IS THAT IT ONLY HAS ONE POINT OF ACCESS FROM THE NORTH, AND IT GOES THROUGH A SUBDIVISION. THIS IS AN INDUSTRIAL PIECE OF PROPERTY. WE'RE LOOKING FOR A SECOND POINT OF ACCESS TO EITHER, TO EITHER GO TO THE FREEWAY OR TO GO TO DARRINGTON. RIGHT. OUR EASIEST SPOT TO MOVE OUT IS TO GO TO DARRINGTON. BUT WE'RE WORKING WITH THE COUNTY TO SEE IF THEY'LL PROVIDE US SOME ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DOLLARS TO GET THIS DONE. SO, BECAUSE THE ROAD LIES OUTSIDE OF THE TOWN OF HORIZON CITY AND LIES IN THE COUNTY. SO WE'D HAVE TO BE A PROJECT THAT BOTH THE CITY, THE EDC, AND THEN THE DEVELOPER WE FIND WHEN WE'RE ABLE TO FIND ONE AND THE COUNTY THAT WE ALL PARTICIPATE TO GET THIS PIECE OF PROPERTY BACK ON THE TAX ROLLS AND PRODUCTIVE. IT'S A 350 ACRE PIECE OF PROPERTY, HAS BEEN SITTING VACANT, AND THERE IS NO ACTIVITY AT THIS POINT. IT'S NOT VACANT.
THERE ARE SOME BUILDINGS IN THERE, BUT THEY'RE JUST NOT BEING UTILIZED TO THEIR MAXIMUM POTENTIAL. AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT ARE THE LAST BULLET POINT IS, LIKE WE MENTIONED, WE'VE
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BEEN WORKING WITH THE BROKER WITH THE REAL ESTATE AGENT, THAT REPRESENTS THE OWNER. AND SO WE'RE TALKING TO THE DIFFERENT DEVELOPERS OUT THERE, PEOPLE THAT ARE LOOKING AT THIS PIECE OF PROPERTY, YOU KNOW, AND INDICATING TO THEM THAT WE'VE BEEN WORKING WITH THE COUNTY, TRYING TO GET A LETTER FROM THE COUNTY. I THINK THE COUNTY IS WORKING ON THAT TO DELIVER TO US SO THAT WE CAN SHOW THAT WE HAVE A PLAN TO GET THIS PROPERTY DEVELOPED. IT'S JUST NOT, YOU KNOW, PIE IN THE SKY WISHING TYPE THING. THERE ARE THINGS THAT WE'RE IMPLEMENTING, MAKING SURE THAT WE CAN GET THIS DONE. I THINK THIS IS THIS IS ANOTHER, PART, SO THIS IS OUR CODE DEVELOPMENT, RIGHT? SO WE'RE WORKING WITH THE CITY TO ACQUIRE PROPERTY. SO YOU SEE THOSE PURPLE SHADED AREAS AND THOSE GREEN SHADED AREAS, THOSE ARE PARCELS THAT WE'VE IDENTIFIED THAT WE COULD POTENTIALLY PURCHASE FROM LANDOWNERS IN THERE. THIS IS JUST ACROSS THE STREET, AND TO GATHER ALL OF THESE PARCELS, PURCHASE THEM. YOU KNOW, AND START TAKING DOWN THIS PROPERTY TO GET IT DEVELOPED SO IT DOESN'T SIT VACANT FOR ANOTHER 50, 60 YEARS, IT'S GOING TO TAKE A LOT OF WORK. THE CITY HAS SET ASIDE SOME DOLLARS, SOME ARPA FUND DOLLARS, AND MORE THAN LIKELY, WHAT I'M GOING TO DO IN THE FUTURE HERE IS SET ASIDE SOME ADDITIONAL DOLLARS TO PURCHASE PROPERTIES UNDER THE EDC NAME. SO IT'LL BE BOTH THE CITY AND THE EDC GOING IN THERE AND PURCHASING PROPERTIES TO TRY TO GET THIS BACK ON THE TAX ROLLS.RIGHT. SO IT'S A PRODUCTIVE PIECE OF PROPERTY. IT'S HEAVY LIFTING, YOU'RE GOING TO SEE SOME THINGS THAT I'M ABLE TO ACQUIRE THESE PROPERTIES, WHERE WE'RE GOING TO TRADE WITH DIFFERENT INDIVIDUALS SO THAT WE CAN COMPLETE LOTS AND BLOCKS. RIGHT WE WANT TO KEEP THOSE LOTS. WE WANT TO MAKE A COMPLETE BLOCK SO THAT CAN WE CAN EITHER REPLAT IT, AND DEVELOP THEM INSTEAD OF IT BEING ALL THESE FRACTURED TYPE OWNERSHIP IN THE AREA. THIS IS LAND THAT WHEN I CAME HERE INITIALLY, YOU KNOW, I TOOK THE LEAD IN PURCHASING THIS PROPERTY FOR THE CITY. THIS IS WHERE THE TRANSIT ORIENTED DEVELOPMENT IS, IS MORE THAN LIKELY GOING TO BE LOCATED, YOU KNOW, WHERE THEY'RE GOING TO HAVE THE BUSSES, WHAT THEY CALL THE TRANSIT PLAZA. THEY'LL HAVE BUSSES GOING IN THERE. THE CITY HALL WILL BE IN THERE. SO WHEN THOSE CONCEPTUALES ARE READY TO COME OUT, I THINK THAT THE CITY HAS A CONSULTANT. I'LL BRING THOSE TO SEE WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE.
BUT AGAIN, YOU KNOW, THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WE'RE TAKING THE LEAD ON, TO BRING IN TO HORIZON, TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE ABLE TO DEVELOP THIS PROPERTY. AND I MENTIONED THIS OVER AND OVER.
RIGHT. WE TALKED TO DIFFERENT FOLKS. AND WHEN WE SHOW THEM THE FIRST THING THEY SAY, WELL, LOOK, THIS IS FRACTURED OWNERSHIP. YOU GUYS DON'T OWN ANYTHING IN THERE. MY RESPONSE TO THAT IS LIKE, LOOK, WE'VE GOT A PLAN AND WE'RE GOING TO EXECUTE THIS PLAN TO MAKE SURE THAT WE CAN TURN AROUND AND GET THIS PROPERTY BACK ON THE TAX ROLLS. I THINK THE OTHER THING THAT WE'RE DOING BECAUSE OF THIS DEVELOPMENT IS WE'RE LOOKING AT BRINGING IN A HOTEL. BUT ONE OF THE THINGS THAT THE CITY DOESN'T HAVE IS A HOTEL OCCUPANCY TAX. RIGHT SO WE'RE GOING TO IMPLEMENT THAT AS WELL, WHERE THE EDC WILL TAKE THE LEAD ON GETTING THAT DONE. AS WELL FOR THE CITY. BECAUSE WE NEED TO TURN AROUND AND UTILIZE THOSE DOLLARS AS INCENTIVE DOLLARS TO GET A HOTEL BUILT IN THIS AREA. IT'S A LOT, RIGHT? BUT BUT, YOU KNOW, WE WE'RE TAKING THE RIGHT STEPS AND WORKING WITH THE CITY TO DO SOME OF THIS STUFF. AND HERE COME YOU KNOW WHAT IT IS THE BUDGET PART OF IT. DO YOU ALL HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ON SOME OF THE STUFF THAT THAT WE'VE BEEN WORKING ON. SO THIS IS OUR BUDGET. YOU SAID DON'T MISS THE SLIDE. OKAY. THIS IS OUR BUDGET HERE. THIS IS OUR REVENUES THAT WE GET ON A YEARLY BASIS. YOU GOT 2021, 2022, 2023. YOU CAN SEE THERE THAT IT'S BEEN GOING UP AN AVERAGE OF ABOUT 50 TO $60,000 PER YEAR. WE'RE ON WE'RE ON TARGET TO CONTINUE TO EXCEED LAST YEAR'S BUDGET, IT'LL PROBABLY EXCEED IT BY ANOTHER 50 TO $60,000. FROM WHAT WE'RE SEEING NOW, WE BREAK THESE DOWN ON A MONTHLY BASIS BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT THE TEXAS COMPTROLLER SENDS OUR WAY. AND SO WE'RE ABLE TO GAUGE WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN HERE IN THE FUTURE, BECAUSE WE'RE EXCEEDING THE MONTH BY MONTH WHAT WE WERE DOING LAST YEAR, HISTORICALLY, IN TERMS OF SALES TAXES HERE IN HORIZON. SO IT'S AN INCREASE OF 20% FROM 2021 TO 2023. THERE ARE SOME THINGS THAT I NEED TO BE CAUTIOUS WITH AS WE MOVE FORWARD WITH THE BUDGET, BECAUSE I DO KNOW THAT WE'RE GOING TO HAVE AN ALBERTSONS MOVE INTO THE AREA THAT ALBERTSONS IS NOT IN HORIZON CITY, SO THERE MAY BE SOME COMPETITION THERE. BUT I THINK I'VE TAKEN THE NECESSARY STEPS IN THIS BUDGET TO KEEP IT AS FLAT AS POSSIBLE TO ENSURE THAT WE DON'T WE DON'T GET WE DON'T TAKE TOO MUCH OF A HIT ON WHAT IT'S HAPPENING. I MEAN,
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EVENTUALLY IT'LL STABILIZE. SO WE'LL WATCH IT FOR THE NEXT COUPLE OF YEARS AS TO WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN, BECAUSE WE KNOW WE'VE GOT WALMART, THE GOOD THING IS, YOU KNOW, ALBERTSONS DOESN'T HAVE A LOT OF ITEMS THAT ARE TAXABLE, YOU KNOW, LIKE WALMART DOES. YOU KNOW, YOU CAN'T GO BUY A BIKE AT ALBERTSONS LIKE YOU CAN AT WALMART. SO IT'S THOSE TYPES OF THINGS, BUT THOSE ARE GOING TO REMAIN CAUTIOUS. IT'S TO MAKE SURE THAT WE MEET EVERYTHING.AND HERE'S THE OTHER THING, OUR ADDITIONAL PROJECTS HERE IN HORIZON CITY. AGAIN, I TALKED TO YOU ABOUT THE HOTEL THAT WE'RE WORKING WITH. WE'RE TALKING TO AN INDIVIDUAL THAT'S DEVELOPED A HOTEL JUST SOUTH OF US, NEAR THE FREEWAY HERE ON EAST LAKE, WE'VE GOT HS VENTURES. WE'RE ALSO LOOKING AT DOING SOME LAND ANNEXATION, TO THE EAST OF THE CITY, THERE'S SOME LAND THERE THAT BELONGS TO THE TEXAS GENERAL LAND OFFICE. THIS INDIVIDUAL HAS LAND IN THAT AREA, IF WE DON'T GO AND TALK TO THE GLO, WHAT WILL HAPPEN IS WE'RE GOING TO LEAPFROG OUR DEVELOPMENT THERE BECAUSE THIS INDIVIDUAL HS VENTURES, YOU KNOW, THERE'S A BIG GAP BETWEEN WHAT THE GLO OWNS AND THIS INDIVIDUAL. SO THERE ARE CONCEPTUALES THAT WE'RE WORKING OUT THERE MORE LIKELY THAN NOT, WE'RE GOING TO HIRE A CONSULTANT TO GET US IN FRONT OF THE GLO.
SO THAT, WE'RE IN FRONT OF THE EXECUTIVES, YOU KNOW, AND WE PITCH WHAT IT IS THAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO HERE. AND THE PITCH IS GOING TO BE, LOOK, WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE ORDERLY DEVELOPMENT TO THE EAST. RIGHT, SO THAT WE CAN GET THIS LAND DEVELOPED. YOU KNOW, IT'S JUST PROPERTY THAT'S OUT THERE, RIGHT NOW, THAT'S VACANT. THAT DOESN'T HAVE ACCESS TO WATER AND SEWER.
SO WE NEED TO BE ABLE TO MASTER PLAN THAT WHOLE AREA. I THINK THAT'S GOING TO BE OUR PITCH. SO WE'RE LOOKING AT ABOUT $6,000 AT YOU KNOW, I'M GOING TO TRY TO UTILIZE NOW VERSUS NEXT BUDGET.
I'VE IDENTIFIED THE DOLLARS TO DO THAT. SO YOU'LL PROBABLY SEE AN AGREEMENT COME YOUR WAY AT OUR NEXT EDC BOARD MEETING. WE'RE ALSO WORKING YOU KNOW, FAMILY ATTRACTION OR FAMILY, LIKE FAMILY ADVENTURE PARK THAT WE'RE TALKING TO. WE'RE TALKING TO DIFFERENT PEOPLE, TO BRING INTO HORIZON CITY, CONNECTING THEM WITH THE DIFFERENT LANDOWNERS, PEOPLE THAT ARE BUYING PROPERTIES OUT HERE, A SPORT TRAINING FACILITY IS ANOTHER ONE, THAT WE'RE WORKING WITH. AND WHAT'S BASEBALL ORIENTED TYPE OF, SPORTS TRAINING FOR, FOR FOLKS OUT HERE, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, IT'S FAMILY ENTERTAINMENT. AT THE END OF THE DAY THAT WE'RE TRYING TO BRING YOUR THINGS THAT YOU'RE ONLY GOING TO FIND OUT IN WEST EL PASO. WE'RE TRYING TO BRING THEM HERE TO HORIZON. BUT AGAIN, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE'RE LACKING IS BUILDING. RIGHT. AND SO WORKING WITH WITH DIFFERENT FOLKS OUT THERE THAT OWN LAND THAT THAT HAVE THE WHEREWITHAL TO BUILD SOME OF THESE PROPERTIES, AND WE'RE MAKING THOSE CONNECTIONS. THE OTHER ONE IS A, A BREWERY, RENTAL RESTAURANT THAT WE'RE TRYING TO BRING HERE TO THE HORIZON CITY AREA, SO, SO THOSE ARE JUST, YOU KNOW, PROJECTS THAT WE'RE WORKING HERE IN THE FUTURE, IT'S A LOT OF HEAVY LIFTING, BUT WE THINK WE CAN GET IT DONE. IT'S JUST IT'S A LOT OF WORKING WITH LANDOWNERS AND MAKING THOSE CONNECTIONS AND COORDINATING ALL THOSE MEETINGS WITH PEOPLE THAT ARE INTERESTED IN HORIZON CITY AND THE PROPERTIES THAT WE HAVE HERE IN HORIZON. SO THIS IS THIS IS OUR ADMINISTRATIVE EXPENSES, YOU KNOW, A BREAKDOWN OF WHAT WE HAVE. SO TYPICALLY WHAT YOU'LL SEE HERE IS OUR PERSONNEL SERVICES CONTRACT CONTRACTED SERVICES. THESE ARE ALL OUR ADMINISTRATIVE EXPENSES, THAT WE THIS DOES NOT INCLUDE STAFF AND SALARY. SO THE SALARIES FOR STAFF WON'T COME UNTIL OUR BUDGET. DEPARTMENT AND THEY GO BACK, TAKE A LOOK. WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN WITH THE REST OF THE CITY. THERE ARE GOING TO BE ANY RAISES. SO THERE'S GOING TO BE AN INCREASE TO OUR MEDICAL, AND THEN ANYTHING ELSE THAT COMES WITH THAT, YOU KNOW, THOSE FRINGE BENEFITS THAT EMPLOYEES HAVE, WE GET HERE AT THE EDC. SO I CAN SHOW YOU RIGHT NOW WHAT THOSE WHAT THOSE EXPENSES LOOK LIKE. AGAIN, OUR SALARIES LAST YEAR WAS ABOUT $308,000. THAT'S WITH ALL DIFFERENT BENEFITS. THE HEALTH OUR RETIREMENT BENEFITS, PAYROLL TAXES. SO THAT MAKES UP A BIG CHUNK OF OUR BUDGET. AGAIN, WHEN YOU WHEN YOU LOOK AT OUR LINE ITEMS HERE, A LOT OF IT IS UNCHANGED. THERE ARE SOME INCREASES, OF COURSE, THAT WE NEED TO DO A ACCOUNT FOR, WHICH IS OUR CITY ATTORNEY MAKING SURE THAT WE HAVE AN ATTORNEY. THAT, THAT THEY TYPICALLY UP THEIR PRICES YEARLY, AND BECAUSE WE'RE MOVING TO A NEW BUILDING, THE OTHER INCREASE SO EVERYTHING'S ON A LOT OF THAT STUFF IS UNCHANGED. BUT ELECTRICITY, GAS AND WASTE, WASTE DISPOSAL AND WATER ARE ALL GOING TO INCREASE THIS YEAR. BECAUSE WE'RE MOVING INTO A NEW BUILDING. AND SO NOW
[00:25:02]
WE'RE GOING TO INCUR THOSE COSTS THAT WE TYPICALLY DIDN'T INCUR OVER, AT OUR LEASE AT OUR OFFICE SPACE, WE DID INCUR THE COST OF ELECTRICITY AND, AND, ELECTRICITY AND GAS, BUT WE HAVE TO UP IT A LITTLE BIT BECAUSE WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO DO SOME DEPOSITS IN OUR NEW BUILDING. SO WE'RE ACCOUNTING FOR A WHOLE BUNCH OF STUFF IN OUR BUDGET HERE, WHICH IS WHY YOU'LL SEE THE INCREASES. TYPICALLY, YOU WOULDN'T SEE THAT. THE OTHER THING THAT I DID IS I MADE SURE THAT I DID LEAVE THE 49,200, IN CASE, YOU KNOW, THAT SOMETHING HAPPENS FOR THE LEASE SPACE THAT WE HAVE NOW, I WHAT MAY HAPPEN, YOU KNOW, IT'S ALL ABOUT TIMING NOW IS IF WE CAN GET OUR BUILDING DELIVERED IN MARCH OR VERY CLOSE TO MARCH OF NEXT YEAR, WE'LL PROBABLY GOING TO TERMINATE OUR LEASE IN JANUARY. BECAUSE THAT ENDS IN APRIL. SO WE'LL START MOVING EVERYTHING OUT IN MARCH, SO THERE MAY BE A LITTLE LAG THERE WHERE WE HAVE TO WORK FROM HOME FOR ABOUT A MONTH, MONTH AND A HALF TILL WE GET OUR NEW OFFICES. BUT I DON'T THINK IT MAKES SENSE FOR US TO GO IN THERE AND TRY TO EXTEND THE LEASE, YOU KNOW, OR GET A COUPLE MORE YEARS, YOU KNOW, IT WOULD BE THROWING MONEY DOWN THE DRAIN HERE, BECAUSE WE'RE BUYING THE PROPERTY, YOU KNOW, IT'LL STABILIZE IN THE NEXT COUPLE OF YEARS WHERE THAT $49,000 THAT WE'RE PAYING IN LEASE SPACE IS, IS GOING TO GO INTO OUR INTO OUR BUDGET TO ROLL OVER TO OUR BUDGET WHERE WE CAN UTILIZE IT FOR SOMETHING ELSE. ASIDE FROM PAYING A LEASE. AND THERE ARE SOME THINGS THAT WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO PAY FOR, LIKE GARBAGE, YOU KNOW, MAINTAINING OUR OUR LANDSCAPING AND STUFF LIKE THAT.BUT, YOU KNOW, IT'S NOWHERE CLOSE TO $49,000 A YEAR. AND TYPICALLY WHAT HAPPENS IN WOULD HAVE HAPPENED IN MARCH. YOU KNOW, I CAN'T SAY FOR SURE, BUT THE RENT WOULD HAVE GONE UP BY ANOTHER 10. SO THE 49,000 THAT YOU SEE THERE WOULD NOT HAVE HELD AFTER MARCH OR APRIL, THAT'S WHEN I WAS 22. SO IT WOULD HAVE BEEN IT WOULD HAVE BEEN ANOTHER 10. SO I THINK WE'RE MAKING THE RIGHT DECISION TO PURCHASE A PIECE OF PROPERTY, SO WE HAVE OUR OWN SPACES AND MAKE SURE THAT, YOU KNOW, SOMEBODY DOESN'T CHANGE THEIR MIND AND DOESN'T RENEW OUR LEASE, THAT WOULD BE THE WORST. RIGHT? BUT I THINK THAT'S KIND OF WHERE WE'RE AT. SO A LOT OF IT IS UNCHANGED, AND AGAIN, THESE ARE OUR, OUR TYPICAL YOU KNOW, WE'VE GOT INCENTIVES THAT WE'RE WORKING WITH A LOT OF THESE $90,000 GOING TO PAY $28,000 TO FOR THAT DEVELOPMENT, THAT OUTGOING FOLLOWING. THAT'S THE INCENTIVE THAT WE WORK WITH THAT YOU ALL APPROVED. WITH THE DEVELOPER IN THAT AREA. AND THEN 10,000 FOR BORDERPLEX ALLIANCE AND 10,000 FOR ARMS. WE COMMITTED TO DOING THAT FOR ARMS. THE ONLY THING THAT I MIGHT, MIGHT END UP DOING IS I MAY NOT RENEW WITH BORDERPLEX, DEPENDING, YOU KNOW, WHAT OUR COSTS ARE TO LOOK LIKE AS, AS WE GET CLOSER TO HAVING THAT BUILDING. OUR AGREEMENT WITH BORDERPLEX ALLIANCE ENDS IN OCTOBER. AND BEFORE THEN, I'LL COME BACK TO YOU, AND I'LL LET YOU KNOW THAT MORE THAN LIKELY, WE'RE WE'RE GOING TO END OUR AGREEMENT WITH BORDER PATROL AGENTS. SO MAYBE GIVE IT A COUPLE OF YEARS BEFORE WE GO BACK AND TALK TO THEM. CHRISTIAN, YOU SAID THE 28,000 GOES TO THE FOLLOWING. YES, SIR. WE HAVEN'T ALREADY PAID THAT. NO. SO THERE WERE TWO. ONE OF THEM WAS THE A 380 THAT THE CITY HAD, WHICH WAS LIKE $36,000 FOR THE DEMOLITION OF THE BUILDING.
AND THEN WE'VE GOT AN AGREEMENT WITH THE DEVELOPER TO PAY OUT $28,000 OVER A FOUR YEAR PERIOD.
OKAY. OKAY. SO THERE'S TWO DIFFERENT WE HAVE A PERFORMANCE AGREEMENT. THE CITY HAS A 380 AGREEMENT. SO THOSE FUNDS HAVE ALREADY GONE OUT BECAUSE THE BUILDING'S GONE, AND SO, YOU KNOW, WE TYPICALLY AREN'T GOING TO PUT MONEY UP, UP FRONT UNTIL WE GET A BUILDING, YOU KNOW, AND THEY INVEST THE MONEY SO WE WON'T PUT ANYTHING OUT UNTIL HE COMES WITH RECEIPTS TELLING US, HEY, I SPENT $3.1 MILLION. THE BUILDINGS ARE UP. I'VE GOT SHELLS. HERE'S YOUR BUILDING.
YOU KNOW, THE ONE WE SAID WE'D DELIVER AND THEN WE START PAYING THAT. BUT IT'S COMING UP QUICK, SO WE HAVE TO ACCOUNT FOR IT IN THIS COMING YEAR. YOU KNOW, BECAUSE HE CAN HE CAN PROVE UP AS OF MARCH, YOU KNOW, ACCORDING TO HIM. SO AND SO HERE'S WHAT WE'RE GETTING FROM THE RESERVES.
AND WE'RE GETTING ABOUT $80,000. THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WAS FUNDED AND BROUGHT TO YOU AT OUR LAST DVC MEETINGS TO BUILD OUT OFFICE SPACES IN THAT BUILDING ANOTHER $12,000 FOR FURNITURE, FURNISHINGS AND THEN THE $618,000 FOR THE PURCHASE OF THE BUILDING, AND SO YOU'LL SEE THAT THIS IS THE BIGGEST CHUNK OF DOLLARS IN ALL OF THAT WE'RE GETTING FROM OUR OUR RESERVES T, TO, TO GET OUR BUILDING UP. SO WE'RE GOING TO PAY CASH FOR THE BUILDING. WE'RE GOING TO PAY CASH FOR THAT BUILDING AND PAY CASH FOR THAT BUILDING, YOU'VE GOT ABOUT $2 MILLION IN RESERVES RIGHT NOW. AND FROM THERE WE WILL LIKELY DO. WE'RE GOING TO BUY THAT OUT. YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU GET A BUILDING, IT'S JUST, YOU KNOW, IT'S CASH. IT'S JUST ANOTHER ASSET. YOU KNOW? BUT IT
[00:30:01]
WENT FROM CASH TO A BUILDING, THAT YOU HAVE, BUT THOSE DOLLARS WILL TAKE A LOOK AT THEM. YOU KNOW, AS WE'RE MOVING FORWARD IN THE TOD AND HOW MUCH WE'RE GOING TO ALLOCATE TO PURCHASE PROPERTIES THAT ARE, THAT ARE GOING TO BELONG TO THE EDC AS WELL, AND THEN WE'LL FIGURE OUT WHAT WE'RE GOING TO DO WITH THOSE PROPERTIES TO GET SOME DEVELOPMENTS IN THAT AREA THERE.AND THAT CASH BUYS THE BUILDING AND THE LAND. YES, WE'RE GOING TO SPLIT IT OUT BY METES AND BOUNDS AND SELL IT TOO. YEAH. THERE IS NO LEASE. WE'RE NOT WE'RE NOT LEASING THE LAND FROM UNDER THE GROUND LEASE. YEAH. SO WE'RE GOING TO BE RESPONSIBLE FOR MAINTAINING OUR. SO THERE ISN'T GOING TO BE ANY CAM OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT BECAUSE WE'RE RESPONSIBLE FOR MAINTENANCE. SO THOSE ARE THE THINGS WE'RE ACCOUNTING FOR LANDSCAPING. YOU KNOW GETTING SOMEBODY OUT THERE TO, TO PICK UP THE TRASH, YOU KNOW, WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO ACCOMPLISH THOSE THINGS, WHICH WE DIDN'T DO IN OUR SPACE THAT WE LEASE NOW, SO THERE'S THAT'S WHY YOU SEE SOME INCREASES IN LIKE, GAS, WATER AND GARBAGE LAND PICKUP. AND AGAIN, THIS IS THE CAPITAL BUDGET. YOU KNOW, LIKE I MENTIONED BEFORE, THIS IS TYPICALLY WHAT YOU'LL SEE HERE $110,000. THAT'S THAT 9010 AND TEN. AND THEN AT OUR ADMINISTRATION BUDGET, 130,000 SALARIES AND BENEFITS 308,000.
WE HAVE $648,000 THAT WE'RE WORKING WITH. THIS YEAR. THIS NUMBER, OF COURSE, IS GOING TO GO UP BECAUSE WE DON'T KNOW WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN WITH OUR SALARIES. DEPENDING ON WHAT THE CITY COUNCIL APPROVED, AS THEY MOVE FORWARD WITH IT, THEY'RE GOING TO DO A 3, 5% INCREASE. IS MEDICAL GOING TO GO UP THE MEDICAL COST? YOU KNOW, OUR INSURANCE IS NOT GOING TO GO UP, AND SO THINGS LIKE THAT, AS OUR FISCAL AGENT, I CAN UNDERSTAND THE BENEFITS AND THE BENEFITS.
HOWEVER, WE THIS BODY WOULD DETERMINE OTHER INCREASES, CORRECT? YES. YOU COULD YOU COULD DO THAT. YOU COULD DO THAT. SO AND I'M NOT SUGGESTING THAT WE DO. SO WE AS A AS, CUSTOMARY WE'VE KIND OF FOLLOWED WHAT THE CITY DOES. YEAH. TYPICALLY. BUT WE DO HAVE THAT INDEPENDENCE. LIKE IF WE WANTED TO CUT HIS SALARY BY 20, DO THAT OR SOMETHING. WE COULD DO THAT.
AND I'VE GOT A CONTRACT. YOU KNOW, BUT YOU KNOW WHAT WE HAVE IN OUR CONTRACTS, ME AND RAFA AND VERONICA IS A LITTLE DIFFERENT BECAUSE SHE. SHE'S AN HOURLY EMPLOYEE. BUT ME AND RAFA HAVE IN OUR CONTRACTS IS, YOU KNOW, THAT WE'LL DO WHATEVER THE CITY DOES. SO THE CITY DOESN'T GET VARIES. WE DON'T GET A RAISE IF THEY GET 2. WE, YOU KNOW, WE WANT TO BE CONSISTENT WITH WITH EVERYTHING ELSE THAT'S HAPPENING. YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN, YOU KNOW, I THINK IT'S ONLY RIGHT. MY POINT WAS, YOURS IS CONTRACTUAL, THAT WE DID IT THAT WAY. RIGHT? IT'S NOT CONVENIENT.
THIS BOARD DOES HAVE THE AUTONOMY TO. YES, YOU COULD YOU COULD POTENTIALLY DO THAT. I WAS I WAS TRYING TO MAKE BUT TYPICALLY WE'VE GONE WITH WHATEVER THE CITY DOES. RIGHT.
AND I THINK IT'S A FAIR THING. YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW IF, IF THEY'RE HURTING I MEAN IT'S, YOU KNOW, WE'RE ALL WE'RE ALL A TEAM AT THE END OF THE DAY. BUT I GET YOUR POINT, ANTICIPATING THAT GENERALLY THERE'S FROM 2 TO 5% INCREASE IS WHAT HISTORICALLY THE CITY HAS DONE. RIGHT, HEALTH CARE COSTS HAS ACTUALLY BEEN PRETTY STATIC FOR THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS. OKAY SO YOU WOULDN'T EXPECT THE PERCENTAGE INCREASE FROM FOR THE SALARY BUDGET MORE THAN 5, MORE THAN LIKELY SOMETHING LIKE THAT. SO WE'RE GOING TO BE IN THE SAME RANGE. YOU'RE GOING TO BE IN THE SAME RANGE. BUT YOU WILL AND I'LL LET YOU KNOW. JUST POINT OUT YOU KNOW, THIS IS THE DRAWDOWN FROM OUR BUDGET THAT WE HAVE HERE. OKAY, ALL RIGHT. THERE'S ANOTHER POINT YOU HAVE ON THERE. I THINK YOU HAD $90,000 FOR PROJECTS OR INITIATIVES. YES, SIR. SO YOU HAVE TO ACCOUNT FOR THAT 28,000 THAT WERE FOR 80,000. OKAY. YES BUT WE DO HAVE A RESERVE OF YOU HAVE $2 MILLION DOLLARS JUST BECAUSE IT'S IN HERE IS, IS, $90,000. IT'S THE RIGHT PROJECT COMES ALONG. RIGHT. WE CAN GO TO THE RESERVE. YEAH. OF COURSE, AND USE SOME OF THAT OTHER. THIS IS JUST KIND OF A PLACEHOLDER FOR THAT. YEAH, THAT'S THE OTHER THING THAT I WANTED TO. THIS IS KIND OF DIFFERENT FROM A BUSINESS IN THAT IT'S KIND OF OUR RESPONSIBILITY TO USE THAT MONEY, RIGHT? NOT HOARD THAT MONEY IN A BUSINESS YOU TEND TO SAVE EVERYTHING YOU CAN. THAT'S NOT REALLY OUR PURPOSE HERE. SO WE NEED TO FIND MORE PROJECTS. THAT'S WHAT WE NEED TO DO.
EXACTLY. YOU'RE ABSOLUTELY RIGHT. I MEAN, THAT'S YOU KNOW, I WORKED, YOU KNOW, I THINK YOU CAN ATTEST TO THIS WORKING WITH DIFFERENT ORGANIZATIONS, TRYING TO PUT THE MONEY OUT THERE,
[00:35:04]
DIFFERENT BUSINESSES. AND IT'S BEEN EXTREMELY DIFFICULT TO GET A PERFORMANCE AGREEMENT WRITTEN UP, YOU KNOW, AND TRY TO GET SOME DOLLARS OUT THERE FOR WHATEVER REASON. RIGHT WE JUST HAD THERE ARE SOME LIMITATIONS, THOUGH, THAT THEY USE. DC DOES HAVE YOU KNOW, WE CAN WE CAN'T JUST GIVE IT TO YOU. YOU CAN'T JUST DO ANYTHING RIGHT. BUT WE CAN DO TOURISM. WE CAN DO I THINK RETAIL NOW IS WHAT WHAT I WAS, WHAT I WAS TOLD, AND I THINK THE OTHER THING, YOU KNOW, PROBABLY THE HOTEL, WE CAN DO ENHANCED FUNDS. WE CAN DO INCENTIVES. YEAH. WELL, YEAH.AND WE CAN DO IT IN HALF THE PROJECTS. RIGHT? RIGHT. ENHANCEMENT PROJECTS ARE, YOU KNOW, SO THERE'S A WHOLE BUNCH OF THINGS THAT WE CAN DO, RIGHT? IT'S JUST IT JUST HASN'T. YOU KNOW, IT THE CONDITIONS HAVEN'T BEEN RIGHT TO GET THAT MONEY OUT THERE, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE WE HAVE WE HAVE TO PROTECT THOSE DOLLARS AS WELL. THERE ARE SOME OTHER REQUIREMENTS THAT WE HAVE WHENEVER WE DO A PERFORMANCE AGREEMENT THAT, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE HAVE TO AGREE TO DO CERTAIN THINGS, LIKE INVEST $3.1 MILLION, PUT UP THAT BUILDING, AND THEN I'M GOING TO GIVE YOU THE INCENTIVE. RIGHT? SO IT DOESN'T IT DOESN'T GO SOUTH ON THIS, AND WE'RE NOT PUTTING MONEY OUT THERE THAT SHOULD NOT HAVE DONE ANYTHING. I KNOW IT'S MORE RISKY, BUT WOULD WE ATTRACT MORE INTEREST IF WE OFFERED SOME UPFRONT MONEY? WE CERTAINLY CAN. AND THAT IS NOT OFF THE TABLE TO SOME. TO SOMEBODY HAS A PRETTY GOOD BUSINESS PLAN, BUT THEY NEED SOME GAP TO FILL A GAP OR SOMETHING. YEAH. I MEAN THAT, THAT THAT IS NOT OFF THE TABLE. YOU KNOW, ESPECIALLY WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT WE STILL HAVE 40 ACRES OUT THERE IN THE INDUSTRIAL AREA THAT WE JUST CANNOT GET SOLD. I MEAN, THE OWNER CAN'T SELL IT ANYMORE. IT'S SO DIFFICULT. WE'VE SAID, HEY, WE'LL DO INCENTIVES, NO PROBLEM. WE'LL DO AN UPFRONT INCENTIVE, BUT IT'S JUST BEEN VERY DIFFICULT TO GET THAT MONEY OUT TO GET A TAKER. YOU KNOW, I THINK WHAT'S HAPPENING IS YOU SEE A LOT OF DEVELOPMENT JUST HAPPENING RIGHT OUTSIDE OF HORIZON, BUT AT SOME POINT, YOU KNOW, YOU'LL MOVE ON TO STURGIS THE WAY IT'S DEVELOPING UP EAST LAKE, WHAT YOU'RE GOING TO SEE AT CAINAZZO AND, AND EAST LAKE NOW IS A NEW CIRCLE K, RIGHT. I WAS JUST ON A CALL TODAY AND IT'S COMING. RIGHT. BUT IT'S SLOWLY MOVING UPSTREAM. I THINK THIS THING'S GOING TO HAPPEN WITH THE INDUSTRY, BUT I WANTED TO POINT THIS OUT REAL QUICK. YOU KNOW, WE TALKED ABOUT THE $648,000. THIS IS WHERE WE'RE AT LAST YEAR. BUT THIS WAS OUR ACTUAL YOU KNOW, WHAT CAME IN IN TERMS OF REVENUE AND 2023. AND WE EXPECT AGAIN, TO HAVE TO EXCEED THAT AMOUNT. SO WE'VE GOT, WE'VE GOT A CUSHION THERE, YOU KNOW, IN CASE, YOU KNOW, WHATEVER THE CITY DECIDES TO DO, BUT KEPT IT FLAT INTENTIONALLY, TO MAKE SURE THAT WE CAN CONTINUE TO DO PROJECTS AND ALL THAT ARE OUR SALARIES AND OUR FRINGE BENEFITS. DON'T DON'T START TO TAX. WHAT'S COMING OUR WAY IN TERMS OF SALES TAXES AND WHEN ARE WE SUPPOSED TO MOVE INTO THE NEW OFFICE THAT I KNOW I MISSED? YEAH. SO WHAT? WE'RE WORKING WITH THE DEVELOPER SENT US AN EMAIL. YOU KNOW, HE'S INDICATED THAT HE'S GOING TO HAVE IT DONE BY MARCH. AND SO SOMETIME AFTER THAT, OUR LEASE ENDS IN APRIL. RIGHT INTO APRIL. YOU MENTIONED ARRANGEMENT FOR TENS OFFICE, RIGHT? YEAH. HE'S READY TO PICK UP. WELL YOU KNOW, BECAUSE I SEE, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE RENT PROJECTED ALL THE WAY UNTIL 2029. BUT THAT'LL GO THAT'LL GO AWAY WAY. RIGHT. SO THAT'LL START GOING. WE'LL START USING THAT FOR PROJECTS RIGHT, WE'RE GOING TO TAKE ABOUT I WOULD SAY ABOUT SEVEN, $7,000 FROM THERE BECAUSE WE'RE GOING TO HAVE SOME OTHER EXPENSES BECAUSE NOW WE OWN A BUILDING. RIGHT. AND I THINK WE CAN MANAGE THAT. WHAT OBLIGATION? IT'S PROBABLY MINOR, BUT IT'S OBLIGATION TO HAVE A FULL SPACE AS FAR AS I WOULD THINK, ONLY SIGNAGE IS ALL WE WOULD HAVE. YEAH, WE'RE GOING TO. SO WE'VE ACCOUNTED FOR SIGNAGE REMOVAL, WE'VE ACCOUNTED FOR THE NEW ALARM AT THE PLACE THAT WE'RE MOVING TO. ARE WE GOING TO GIVE YOU BACK SOME. OH NO, WE'RE KEEPING THAT. WE BOUGHT IT. WE'LL GIVE YOU THAT. WE'RE ACTUALLY TRYING TO DO IS SEE IF WE CAN RETROFIT IT AND HANG IT INSIDE OF THE OF THE NEW SPACE, BUT BUT YEAH, A LOT OF THAT STUFF, YOU KNOW, AND THE OTHER THING, YOU KNOW, ALL THOSE PARTITIONS, ALL THOSE CUBICLES, THEY'RE PROBABLY GOING TO COME FROM, WHICH IS WHY WE ASKED FOR THE $80,000 TO GET THE OFFICE SPACE. OKAY, I DID TALK TO UTEP ABOUT THOSE, CUBICLES, AND THEY SAID, HEY, LOOK, YOU DON'T OWE US ANYTHING, YOU KNOW? AND THOSE WERE DONATED TO YOU. DO WHATEVER YOU WANT. THEY DID COME BACK AND PICK UP SOME SOME, COMPUTERS THAT THEY HAD THERE. AND THEY WANT A COUPLE OF, IS IT SOME SOFAS THAT WE HAVE THERE? SOME SEATS, SOME BENCH BENCHES THAT WE HAVE THERE OVER HERE. YOU CAN COME AND GET THEM WHENEVER YOU WANT. YOU KNOW, BUT WE'RE TRYING TO, YOU KNOW, GIVE IT MORE OF A OF A OF A LOOK WHERE, YOU KNOW, WE'RE NOT WE DON'T HAVE, YOU KNOW, MISMATCHING SEATS. YOU KNOW, IT'S A LITTLE BIT MORE OF A PROFESSIONAL TYPE LOOK, YOU KNOW, ESPECIALLY ON BUSINESS BUSINESSES COME IN HERE, AND
[00:40:03]
THAT WE GIVE THEM WE PUT OUR BEST FOOT FORWARD AS WE'RE WORKING WITH PEOPLE ON BUSINESSES. THEY'RE INVESTING A LOT OF MONEY IN HORIZON CITY. I WAS CURIOUS ABOUT YOUR COMMENTS ABOUT PORTA PLEX ALLIANCE. YOU KNOW, THE THING WITH BORDER PLEX ALLIANCE IS, THEY THEY THEY AND YOU CAN TELL, I MEAN, A LOT OF THEIR WORK IS CENTERED IN THE CITY OF EL PASO, AND IT'S CENTERED. SOME OF THEM ARE EVEN IN NEW MEXICO. BUT THERE ISN'T A LOT OF WORK THAT'S COMING OUT INTO THE COUNTY AREAS. YOU KNOW, PAST THE 75. AND SO, YOU KNOW, UNTIL AND I'LL AND I'LL TALK TO THEM ABOUT IT, YOU KNOW, BUT UNTIL WE WORK A LITTLE BETTER, YOU KNOW, IN TERMS OF GETTING SOME OF THOSE KICKED THIS WAY, THEN WE'LL DO IT. I THINK THAT CONVERSATION IS VALID, THAT YOU GO TO THEM AND SAID, OKAY, WE INVESTED. RIGHT? AND YET WE HAVEN'T SEEN RIGHT AND SEE WHAT THEIR ANSWER IS. BUT RIGHT. BUT IF IT'S NOT WORTH IT, IT'S NOT I MEAN, IT'S PRETTY PRICEY. IT'S PRICEY. YEAH. I MEAN I THINK IT'S THAT I MEAN, I DON'T KNOW WHAT KIND OF INTELLIGENCE DO GET SOME INFORMATION FROM THEM, YOU KNOW, AND THEY SUBMIT PROPOSALS TO THE STATE FOR US. BUT ONE OF THE DAY, THAT'S WHAT THEY'VE GOT GOING FOR THEM, UNLESS IT LANDS IN THEIR LAP. RIGHT. YOU KNOW, LIKE, OH, WOW. WE'RE WE'RE GETTING THIS DEVELOPMENT IN HERE, BUT THE MAJORITY OF THE WORK THAT THEY'RE DOING IS WITH THE STATE. AND, YOU KNOW, WE'VE GOT A CERTIFIED ECONOMIC DEVELOPER OVER HERE CAN DO THE SAME THING THAT THAT WATERSHED ALLIANCE AND PLAY THE GUITAR TO THAT. IT PLAYS A GUITAR. YEAH YEAH, WE CAN DO IT. IT DOESN'T SOUND VERY COST EFFECTIVE. YEAH DO WE HAVE A CONTRACT WITH THEM OR. YEAH, WE HAVE AN AGREEMENT WITH THEM. IT'S A LITTLE INFORMAL AND IT'S IN OCTOBER. BUT YOU KNOW, I'M THINKING OF, YOU KNOW, JUST JUST PARTING WAYS. WELL, AT LEAST HAVE THAT CONVERSATION. I'LL HAVE THE CONVERSATION WITH THEM. YEAH, DEFINITELY. I WILL, WHICH IS WHY I HAVEN'T TAKEN IT OUT OF THE BUDGET, TO SEE, YOU KNOW, HOW THEY RESPOND, BUT IT'S A CHALLENGE OUT HERE ON HORIZON. I MEAN, THOSE GUYS, THEY WEREN'T EVEN INVOLVED WITH, AMAZON. THEY DIDN'T BRING THAT PROJECT HERE. THE PROJECT CAME TO BUY ITSELF OFF THE STORE. AND SO THAT'S KIND OF THE DILEMMA THAT I'M IN WITH, I KEEP I KEEP GOING WITH THIS, YOU KNOW, HOW MUCH MONEY AM I GOING TO INVEST, FOR THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT? IT'S HARD, YOU KNOW, YOU JUST NEVER KNOW WHEN THAT PROJECT'S GOING TO HIT YOU, RIGHT, BUT IT'S SOMETHING WE NEED TO TALK TO THEM ABOUT AND SEE WHAT IT IS THAT THEY'RE DOING. I CAN TELL YOU. SO FAR IN TERMS OF DOLLARS, THE ONLY MUNICIPALITY JUST EAST OF ROUTE 25 THAT DOES. BUT WITH THAT, I'LL TAKE ANY QUESTIONS. YOU KNOW, IT'S A LOT OF INFORMATION, WE'RE WORKING ON A LOT OF PROJECTS AT THE SAME TIME, AND WORKING WITH THE CITY, YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT, YOU KNOW, MR. MILLER HERE, YOU KNOW, I'M WORKING AS THE INTERIM PLANNING DIRECTOR TEMPORARILY, BUT BECAUSE WE NEED TO KEEP PROJECTS MOVING FORWARD. RIGHT? WE WE'RE ALSO DOING DEVELOPMENT PLATS. YOU KNOW, ENSURING AND A DEVELOPMENT PLAT. REALLY? IS THIS THE CONSEQUENCE OF IT? THAT'S NOT A CONSEQUENCE. IT JUST ENSURES ORDERLY DEVELOPMENT IN OUR ETJ. RIGHT SO WE'RE GOING TO START REQUIRING THAT PEOPLE PLAT OR SUBMIT A DEVELOPMENT PLAT IN OUR EPA TO ENSURE THAT THEY HAVE ALL THE SERVICES THAT ARE NEEDED, THAT THERE, THAT THERE ARE ROADS OUT THERE. I MEAN, THERE ARE SOME CONSEQUENCES TO FOLKS OUT THERE, BUT I THINK IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE NEED TO DO. AND I CAN TELL YOU THAT THIS IS REALLY IMPORTANT BECAUSE WE'RE HAVING DEVELOPMENT TO OUR WEST, JUST CLOSE TO THE INDUSTRIAL CENTER WHERE PEOPLE ARE GOING OUT THERE. THEY'RE BUILDING, THEY HAVE NO WATER, NO, STREET SIGNS, NO ADDRESS. AND THIS IS A FULL BLOWN DEVELOPMENT OF THE INDUSTRIAL PARK, AND SO THERE'S EVER AN EMERGENCY, YOU'RE NOT GOING TO FIND YOUR, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE HEARD, YOU KNOW, YOU HAVE TO JUMP THE CURB TO GET TO THEM, BUT THAT HAPPENS TO BE IN THE CITY OF EL PASO, ETJ THEY HAVE DEVELOPMENT PLATS, BUT THEY'RE NOT ENFORCING IT. SO IT'S SO FAR AWAY FROM THEM THAT THEY'RE LIKE, IT'S NO BIG DEAL. IT DOESN'T AFFECT US. RIGHT. AND SO THAT'S ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE'RE WORKING WITH THE CITY. THE MAYOR, MR. MILLER, AND TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHAT WE CAN DO AND, YOU KNOW, AND, AND ADOPT DEVELOPMENT PLATS INTO OUR SUBDIVISION ORDINANCE, TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE ORDERLY DEVELOPMENT AROUND THIS. RIGHT, BECAUSE IT'S TAXING. IT CAN BE, THAT'S KIND OF WHERE WE'RE AT, MR. COUNTY, HAVE THAT AUTHORITY. THE COUNTY DOES NOT HAVE THAT AUTHORITY. SO THEY HAVE A LOT OF THAT GOING ON OUT. YEAH, THEY, THEY, THEY UNFORTUNATELY DON'T I MEAN, THEY THEY CAN'T REQUIRE A[00:45:01]
PLAT. I MEAN, YOU CAN'T STOP PEOPLE FROM DEVELOPING, BUT THE CITY CAN'T. THE CITY CAN IN OUR EPA, WE EXPAND OUR ETJ. WE CAN THE CITY CAN IN OUR THE CITY OF EL PASO. CAN THEY HAVE IT IN THEIR REGULATIONS AND THEY CAN GO OUT THERE AND START ENFORCING IT. WE BROUGHT THEM DOWN HERE AND SHOWED THEM THAT. BUT I THINK I THINK IT DIDN'T CLICK. IT WAS LIKE, HEY, THIS IS AN RPG, WE HAVE DEVELOPMENT. BUT YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, I'M TRYING TO GET THEM TO RELEASE THAT SO THAT WE CAN GO IN AND START ENFORCING THESE THINGS. IT JUST IT JUST MAKES FOR ORDERLY DEVELOPMENT. LOOK, AT THE END OF THE DAY, IN AROUND HORIZON CITY. BUT YEAH, THAT'S KIND OF WHERE THAT IS. IT'S A LOT. BUT IT TAKES WORK. WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO GO OUT AND WORK WITH THE, THE CITY OF EL PASO TO SEE IF THEY'LL RELEASE THAT EPA. BUT IT'S A TOUGH ONE, YOU KNOW, AND THERE'S JUST SO MUCH HAPPENING OUT IN THE IN THE COUNTY AREA OF, OF HORIZON FROM EL PASO.YEAH, IT'S REALLY BLOWN UP. YEAH. THAT AREA IS IT JUST REALLY. YEAH. IT WELL YEAH. WITH THAT I'LL TAKE ANY QUESTIONS. I HAD TWO SMALL QUESTIONS ABOUT OUR CONTRACTED LABOR. THERE'S 10,000 TO FOR A GRANT WRITER. RIGHT WHO DO WE USE FOR GRANT. WE WERE USING I CAN'T REMEMBER HER NAME, WHAT IS HER NAME? KRISTY BORDEN. KRISTY BORDEN IS AN INDIVIDUAL, BUT WE HAD A CONTRACT. WE DON'T HAVE A CURRENT ONE. WE DON'T HAVE A CURRENT ONE. BUT I THINK I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE CONTINUE TO BUDGET FOR THAT BECAUSE, AGAIN, YOU KNOW, WE'RE WE'RE WORKING ON TRYING TO BRING THOSE ELECTRIC VEHICLE FUELING STATIONS. AND THAT'S A GRANT, YOU KNOW, SO WE NEED TO FIGURE OUT, YOU KNOW, WHAT IT IS THAT WE'RE DOING. WE CAN'T BE LEFT OUT OF THE CONVERSATION. THAT'S HAPPENING AROUND US. AND WE'VE GOT NO ELECTRIC VEHICLE FUEL STATIONS HERE IN THIS AREA. DOES THAT ANSWER YOUR QUESTION? YEAH. DO YOU HAVE A SUGGESTION? NO, I DON'T I WAS JUST CURIOUS. AND THEN THE OTHER ONE, I HAD A QUESTION ABOUT WHAT IS CDMS? CDMS SO THAT IS TERRY CASADA. SHE DOES A LOT OF CONTRACT WORK FOR THE TOWN OF HORIZON CITY.
AND SHE ALSO DOES WORK FOR THE EDC AS WELL. SO IT'S LIKE SPECIAL PROJECTS THAT WE'RE WORKING ON. BUT SHE IS THE CIP MANAGER FOR THE TOWN OF HORIZON. SO I SEE SO, SO SHE HAS A WE HAVE A CONTRACT WITH HER. THAT ENDS I BELIEVE IN OCTOBER, DECEMBER, SO WE'RE STILL UNDER CONTRACT WITH HER TO MAKE SURE THAT WE FUND WHATEVER IT IS THAT WE WORK WITH HER. SHE DOES A LOT OF WORK FOR THE TERS. YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE OTHER THINGS THAT WE MIGHT BE WORKING ON IS TAKING OVER THE TERS FROM HER, BECAUSE WE'RE EQUIPPED TO DO THAT. YOU KNOW, WE DID THAT AT THE CITY OF EL PASO. SHE'S HANDLING MORE OF THE CIP PROJECTS. BUT IT'S JUST A CONVERSATION THAT WE NEED TO HAVE WITH THE CITY AS TO WHETHER OR NOT THAT WE'RE GOING TO RELEASE IT. I JUST WANT TO BE CLEAR, YOU KNOW, THAT SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WE'RE WORKING ON, THEY'RE, THEY'RE, THEY'RE REALLY ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, BUT THEY, THEY, THEY'RE WITH THE CITY, AND THEY'RE WITH THE CITY BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, THAT'S JUST THE WAY THE CODE IS WRITTEN. THE TEXAS LOCAL GOVERNMENT CODE IS WRITTEN IN TERMS OF ECONOMIC, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, CORPORATIONS, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT. CORPORATIONS CAN ONLY DO CERTAIN THINGS WITH OUR DOLLARS. BUT THERE IS SOME, YOU KNOW, THERE IS SOME THINGS THAT WE WANT TO CONTINUE TO WORK ON BECAUSE THE CITY REALLY IS TAXED WITH THE AMOUNT OF WORK THAT THEY HAVE. YOU KNOW, IF WE DON'T GO IN THERE AND TRY TO HELP, WE'LL JUST BE SITTING, YOU KNOW, WAITING FOR THEM TO GET IT DONE AS WELL. BUT LOOK AT THE END OF THE DAY, THESE DOLLARS COME FROM THE TOWN OF HORIZON CITY. THESE ARE SALES TAX DOLLARS THAT BELONG TO THE TOWN OF VISION CITY, AND SO WE THINK WE CAN BE GOOD PARTNERS IN WHAT IT IS THAT WE'RE DOING, WITH THE TOWN. AND WHEN WE'RE WORKING TO GET THINGS DONE, BUT THAT'S, YOU KNOW, THAT'S KIND OF A SITUATION THAT WE'RE IN. I DON'T WANT TO WAIT AROUND TOO LONG. I'LL TRY TO GET MAKE SOME OF THESE PROJECTS COME TO FRUITION WHILE I'M HERE. DOES THAT MAKE SENSE? BUT YEAH, THAT WAS IT. IT'S A TOUGH ONE. YOU KNOW, THERE'S A WHOLE BUNCH OF STUFF HERE THAT WE HAVE, YOU KNOW, AND AT THE END OF THE YEAR, WHAT HAPPENS WITH SOME OF THESE DOLLARS THAT WE DON'T UTILIZE, WE JUST GO INTO THE RESERVES, WE TYPICALLY DON'T DO A LOT OF ROLES. WE STICK TO, TO WHAT WE HAVE HERE IN FRONT OF YOU IN TERMS OF THE BUDGET, THE ADMINISTRATIVE BUDGET, AND, AND OUR CAPITAL BUDGET AS WELL. AND WHAT I'VE DONE, JUST TO GIVE YOU SOME MORE CONTEXT, WHEN YOU'RE LOOKING AT OUR CAPITAL BUDGET THAT YOU HAVE THERE ON THE SCREEN AND A LOT OF THOSE INCENTIVES, YOU DON'T HAVE THEM. SO I NEED TO I SET ASIDE SOME DOLLARS, UNDER THE INCENTIVES
[00:50:03]
RETAIL INITIATIVE TYPE THINGS. AND THEN AS THEY COME UP, YOU KNOW, WE'LL, WE'LL WE'LL START NAMING THE PROJECTS AND PUTTING IT OUT THERE. AND AGAIN, LIKE MR. MILLER SAID, WE CAN PULL IT OUT OF RESERVES. AND THE IDEA IS LIKE, LET'S SAY I WANT TO DO A $400,000 INCENTIVE UNLESS I DO IT UP FRONT, YOU KNOW, THEN THEN THAT'S DIFFERENT BECAUSE I WANT TO PULL IT OUT OF RESERVE. BUT IF I DO A $400,000 INCENTIVE, I'M GOING TO SPREAD THAT $90,000 AND GIVE CHUNKS OUT OF TIME AT A ONE YEAR AT A TIME, YOU KNOW, SO IT LOOKS LIKE A BIG INCENTIVE, BUT IT'S JUST IN PIECES, YOU KNOW, OUT OF THAT 90, $100,000. AND I'M ABLE TO IF I END THE CONTRACT WITH BORDERPLEX ALLIANCE, DOES THAT KIND OF MAKES SENSE? SO IT'S MAKING THE MOST USE OF OUR DOLLARS WHILE WE CAN ALONG THOSE LINES, YOU KNOW, A LITTLE WHILE AGO WE'RE PAYING CASH FOR THE BUILDING. SHOULD WE? WE ALWAYS TALKED ABOUT IT WITH SOMEBODY ELSE'S MONEY, SHOULD WE LOOK AT BORROWING THAT MONEY AND PUTTING IT TO THAT? I MEAN, WE CERTAINLY CAN. WE CAN. I'M NOT NECESSARILY ADVOCATING THAT BECAUSE WE'RE NOT DOING THAT MUCH INCENTIVE WORK. RIGHT. BUT IF WE HAD, WE COULD BORROW MONEY ON THE ON THE. YEAH, I MEAN THAT WE'VE LOOKED AT THAT POSSIBILITY. AND SO WHEN YOU DO THAT THERE ARE PEOPLE THAT LEND YOU MONEY. BUT NOW YOU'RE COMMITTING YOUR SALES TAX DOLLARS. WELL, IF WE ALREADY HAVE THE ASSET THOUGH, WE CAN COMMIT THE ASSET. MAYBE YEAH YOU'RE RIGHT, YOU'RE RIGHT. SO THERE ARE THINGS LIKE THAT WE CAN DO. I MEAN, IF YOU WANT TO GET CREATIVE WITH THAT, YOU CAN. I MEAN, THERE'S JUST THERE'S A WHOLE BUNCH OF POSSIBILITIES.YOU KNOW, WE'VE TALKED TO PEOPLE THAT WILL DO FINANCING. WE WERE LOOKING AT BUYING THE BUILDING IN WHICH WE'RE IN RIGHT NOW, AND IT'S FOR SALE. YOU KNOW, IT'S JUST IT'S GOING TO BE A HUGE AMOUNT OF DOLLARS THAT WE'RE GOING TO BE PUTTING OUT. YOU KNOW, YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE TO COMMIT TO FOR 20, 25 YEARS. BUT IT'S DOABLE. I MEAN, YOU CAN RENT IT OUT AT THAT POINT. YOU KNOW, YOU CAN LEASE OUT THOSE SPACES, BUT THAT'S NOT OUR MISSION IS TO LEASE. WE WOULD HAVE TO HIRE SOMEBODY TO DO THAT WORK FOR US. I MEAN, YOU KNOW, WE'VE EXPLORED A WHOLE BUNCH OF STUFF, YOU KNOW, WORKING HERE. YOU KNOW, TRYING TO GET CREATIVE WITH A WITH A, YOU KNOW, WHEN WE SAY WE HAVE $2 MILLION, YOU KNOW, IT LOOKS LIKE A WHOLE BUNCH OF MONEY, BUT THERE'S A WHOLE BUNCH OF MONEY THAT'S COMPETING AGAINST US OUT THERE. AND THE IDEA IS TO HAVE TO PUT YOU KNOW, $125,000 THAT WE'RE GOING TO GIVE THE DEVELOPER HERE. IN KNOXVILLE AND CALLING SO HE CAN INVEST $3.1 MILLION, YOU KNOW, SO WE'RE JUST LEVERAGING A SMALL AMOUNT, YOU KNOW, OVER A FIVE YEAR PERIOD. IT LOOKS DIFFERENT. BUT HE PUT IN $3.1 MILLION. SO IT'S JUST LEVERAGING THESE THESE SMALLER DOLLARS TO GET MORE INVESTMENT INTO INTO THE AREA. THAT'S TYPICALLY THE WAY THAT IT WORKS. ANY FURTHER QUESTIONS? OKAY BEING NONE THIS IS AN APPROVAL PROCESS. I WOULD ENTERTAIN A MOTION FOR TO APPROVE. I MAKE A MOTION TO APPROVE. SECOND, I HAVE A MOTION IN A SECOND. IS THERE ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? HEARING NONE. ALL IN FAVOR? AYE, AYE. ANY OPPOSED? THE MOTION. DOES CARRY. THANK YOU SIR. ALL RIGHT. I DON'T BELIEVE WE HAVE AN EXECUTIVE SESSION ITEM. SO BEING NO FURTHER ITEMS ON THE AGENDA, I WOULD ENTERTAIN SOME TIME. I GUESS WE'RE JUST ADJOURNED. WE'RE NOT. WE'RE
* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.