Odessa City Council members heard about the drug epidemic in Odessa from Dr. Alejandra Garcia of Medical Center Hospital who said they are seeing people in their 20s and 30s with heart issues due to drug use and tragic car accidents, also due to the rise in drug use.
She spoke passionately about the crisis and how to help drug abusers both with rehab and counseling. She said the rise in the abuse of drugs both nationally and locally is concerning. She said many in Odessa are very proud of the work they do as the world’s energy epicenter but added that some turn to drugs to stay awake longer to earn more money.
She spoke as someone who has trained in Odessa for several years and council members seemed receptive during Tuesday’s council meeting.
In other business, Odessa’s City Council on Tuesday made the final approval on changes in the water, sewer and solid waste rates.
Water and sewer will go up 6 percent and solid waste will increase 3.5 percent. Those higher charges will be reflected on November bills.
Council also accepted a donation from Texas J Regional Advisory Council and appropriated the funds to Odessa Fire Rescue. The $19,157 donation will be used to purchase EMS supplies.
The city’s water agreement with the Ector County Utility District and the Amy Bell Sports Complex were also on the agenda.
According to materials provided to council members, City Attorney Dan Jones proposed the city fund the pre-development agreement for the Amy Bell Sports Complex up to $1 million. He’d also like the city to be named the sole beneficiary of the Amy Bell Sports Foundation.
Jones, however, asked the Council to table the item so he would have more time to work on the 5013c. He said it should be back on the agenda in two weeks.
The Bell family, which has been in Odessa for five generations, donated 100 acres of land for the City of Odessa’s future sports complex in May.
The donated land, which is worth an estimated $5 million, is located at the future intersection of Amy Bell Road and Faudree Road.
The only thing the Bell family asked in return was for a five-acre park to be included in the project that will be dedicated to Bell, who died at the age of 33 in May 2014.
At the time of the donation, city officials estimated the new sports complex would cost $50 million, but said there would be room to expand in the future.
They said it would boast a 75,000-100,000 square foot indoor facility with 20 volleyball courts, 10 basketball courts and a 200m banked competition track. Outside, they intend to build 8-12 multi-purpose fields for soccer, football and lacrosse and up to eight baseball/softball fields.
However, the Texas Tribune reported in September the complex is now anticipated to be $70 million and 140,000 square feet with 30 pickle ball courts, 20 volleyball courts, 10 hardwood courts, a portable 200-meter banked competition track, fitness centers, conference rooms, offices, a concession area, a cafe and a retailer. In addition, outside there will be 12 fields for soccer, football and lacrosse and up to eight softball and baseball fields. There are also plans for athletic training and physical therapy.
The agreement executed with RADDSports on Sept. 19 to “design, develop, construct, equip, manage and maintain” the city and the development shall “develop a budget for the center estimated by the developer to be $70 million.”
Last month, the city announced Occidental and 1PointFive had donated $1 million to the project with a photo on Facebook showing council members Steve Thompson, Denise Swanner and Mark Matta holding an over-sized $1 million check.
The Odessa American filed a Texas Public Information Act request asking for a list of all businesses, organizations and individuals who have invested or donated to the complex, along with any contracts or documents that have been signed.
“This is currently in discussions only. Oxy and 1PointFive have verbally committed to investing/donating per the City Attorney,” was the response.
Councilmember Steve Thompson previously said the city’s sports complex committee decided to increase the size of the project after Matta and Swanner went to Jacksonville, Florida, to look at another RADDSports complex.
“But all we’ve done so far is accept the land. We haven’t accepted the final draft or anything like that of the complex. They’re still working on that,” Thompson said.
On the West Odessa water issue the city council voted unanimously with no discussion to go month to month on the city’s wholesale water contract with ECUD.
According to materials provided to the council, the city council agreed in November 2020 to supply ECUD water so it could sell it to its customers. The contract contained a rate model that both agreed to.
However, “during a recent review of the ECUD contract by the city attorney, the current ECUD contract may be invalid,” Utilities Director Kevin Niles wrote. “Based on this information, the staff’s recommendation is to renew with ECUD on a month-to-month basis at the current rate of 3.83/1000 until further notice.”
In other matters, the council awarded five-year economic development agreements between the Odessa Development Corporation and GCC Permian, Standard Industrial Manufacturing Partners.
The council tabled an agreement with Liberty Oilfield Services.
Council also voted to remove supervision of the city’s animal control services from the Odessa Police Department.
