City publishing debt intention

The Odessa City Council will consider adopting a resolution during a meeting Tuesday to publish their intention to issue additional debt to use for several capital improvement projects. 

Council members will meet to vote on this resolution and other items during their meeting at 6 p.m. Tuesday on the fifth floor of City Hall, 411 W. Eighth St.

Council members will vote to take on around $90 million of additional debt through a certificate of obligation. The first step of this process is publishing a notice of intent to issue the debt for two consecutive weeks, at least 31 days before the certificate is authorized. 

The public can protest the certificate in the meantime by petitioning, requiring signatures from at least 5 percent of registered voters in the city of Odessa.

This proposed debt would go to a number of improvement projects, including improving roadways, building additional fire stations and a new animal shelter for the Odessa Police Department. Of the nearly $200 million worth of needs the city was presented by its various departments, this plan would pay for around $90 million of those. 

City officials agreed during a previous meeting there would need to be several public hearings so they could receive input and explain what they would be using this money for, but no hearings have been scheduled yet. 

Council members will also vote to approve appropriating an additional $3 million in hotel/motel tax revenue toward the construction of the Marriott Hotel and Conference Center. This is needed after city officials were informed the Marriott would cost more than anticipated due to rising costs of housing construction workers. 

IN OTHER BUSINESS, THE CITY COUNCIL WILL

  • Consider approval of City Council minutes, June 11, 2019. 
  • Consider approval of City Council and Ector County Commissioners Joint Meeting minutes, June 11, 2019. 
  • Consider approval of the request by Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, owner, for rezoning from Single Family-Three (SF-3) to Planned Development-Neighborhood Services (PD-NS) on Lots 10-14, Block 62, Harrisdale Subdivision (at the northwest corner of University Blvd. and Ventura Ave.) (Ordinance – Second and Final Approval),
  • Consider approval of the request by XTX Associates, LLC, owner, Newton Engineering, agent, for rezoning from Planned Development-Retail (PD-R) to Light Commercial (LC) on Lots 12- 13, Block 41, Harrisdale Addition, 6th Filing (on the northeast corner of Troy Ave. and University Blvd.) (Ordinance – Second and Final Approval).
  • Consider approval of the request by Odessa Housing Finance Corporation, owner, LCA, agent, for rezoning from General Residential (GR) to Special Dwelling District (SPD) on Lots 13-15, Block 2, and Lots 16-17, Block 3, Smith Heights Addition (east of the intersection of Fitch Ave. and Lamesa St.) (Ordinance – Second and Final Approval).
  • Consider a resolution to accept and appropriate funds in the amount of $100,000 donated to the City of Odessa Police Department from Bustin for Badges function. (Resolution).
  • Consider authorizing the City of Odessa Police Department to apply for and accept, $165,192, as additional revenue; amending the fiscal budget to appropriate awarded funds and authorizing the expenditure of awarded grant funds from the Project Safe Neighborhoods Program, FY 2020. (Resolution).
  • Consider necessary signatures in connection with City Funds. (Resolution).
  • Consider necessary signatures in connection with Municipal Court Cash Bond Account Funds. (Resolution).
  • Consider renewal of agreement with BBVA Compass for depository services.
  • Consider approving the Guidelines and Criteria Governing Tax Abatement in Reinvestment Zones and Enterprise Zones and amending the Odessa City Code Chapter 11 “Taxation” to become Chapter 11 “Taxation and Finance” by adding a new Article 11-3 “Tax Abatement In Reinvestment Zones And Enterprise Zones” to codify said guidelines and criteria (Ordinance – First Approval).