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Minutes 2021-06-01 Work Session1 PRATTVILLE CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION MINUTES TUESDAY, JUNE 1, 2021 5:30 P.M. The Prattville City Council held a Work Session on Tuesday, June 1, 2021, at 5:30 p.m. in the Council Chambers at City Hall. The meeting was called to order by Council President Jerry Starnes and all Councilors were present. Council President Starnes called the meeting to order. He announced this work session is to discuss the Council’s consideration for allocation of the one cent sales tax that will be sunsetting on July 31, 2021. The one cent sales tax brings in approximately $6.8 million a year. This tax can be designated to one, two, three or four departments, or bring the reserve account to $10 million, prior to any other projects. Council President Starnes noted this session is for public comment and discussion purposes on the suggestions for the one cent sales tax allocation. There will be no action or vote taken this evening. COMMENTS FROM PERSONS PRESENT: Jon Lee Finnegan, 211 Deer Trace, First of all, I want to thank you very much for putting each of the presentations on the website. I was just informed by Jamie Sutton that they are now online, I believe under the minutes and that gives the citizens you know, the ability before July excuse me June 15 meeting to review it and see what people are, are asking for etcetera. My feeling and of course I did not come here with children so I have never had children ever been involved in the educational process except the learning I hope. But I do like the idea of some of that money going to education. I am very worried about how of course, what percentage if any of is going to go to the Ivy Classical, because that is an unproven school right now. That mean, it's just not even supposed to open till the 22nd. So, I worry about that and money going to the education. I'm a big proponent of infrastructure. I think the way that Prattville is growing leaps and bounds that we need to have that money to widen the roads to, you know, to take care of the potholes, or whatever it is, but the infrastructure, I would have liked that maybe the half, and then the half, quarter for education. And the other two, forgive me with Parks and Rec. But anyway, that’s just my opinion. But I do thank you so very, very much for getting those presentations that everybody did so well online for other citizens to review and look at before that. Thank you. Councilor Jackson asked Ms. Finnegan what her allocation breakdown would be? Ms. Finnegan responded, One half for infrastructure. One quarter for education. And I don't want to leave anybody else out. I feel bad because I put Cultural Arts and Parks and Rec together, you know, so that was my opinion. David Burns, 150 Shady Oak Lane, I would suggest that the whole bucket be put toward education. As you know, an amount of our ad valorem tax goes towards schools and are sort 2 of at the bottom. And I think that as the city council that you would make a statement to our citizens. I know everyone that education is important when making that statement and putting that amount of money towards education. It would make a great statement to our community. And also, I'd like to maybe ask you maybe let's do a little dream. Say for instance, and you fill in any company you'd like. Say a major manufacturer is looking at Prattville. So, you know, we would really like to come to Prattville. But question was asked, what do you do as far as education? How much money is put towards education? For you and our economic development, they will say, yes, in fact, not long ago, we had a one cent sales tax, and we designated it all to education. That will make a great statement to the person or company that is coming. And we will be able to say, in Prattville, we are pro-education. if I was a person that will make that decision, and I was representing my employees, I would like to say to my employees that are transferred to Prattville, Alabama that education is important. Any questions? Marcus Deramus, 1267 Alabama Street, I certainly feel that some of this money probably should go to education but I have difficulty saying, you know, take $22 million that is sitting up there and devote all to education and Elmore County. And I would also have difficulties taking that same $22 million, and spending all of it in total. But certainly, I feel that some of it should go to education, but there are a lot of needs other than education. And some of these needs are things that need to be met with this money. So, I have difficulty you're taking all this money, all this one cent sales tax and we don't delegate is one cent sales tax to education for the next ever how many years? You go write that bond issue because there are a lot of needs in this town, streets in this town that need to be fixed. The mayor wants to street. There are a lot of streets broke down and needs something done as far as infrastructure in this town. Because we're talking about, you know, if I had to fit numbers on like that for the year and get to armory, we talking about 600 students 600 to some other numbers of students and then a great number of people in town would have needs are going to be left out because they don't even have children in the school system. And so, they get to say that Well, you know, we can take all this money and go fund education with it. And the other thing that I had concerns with was if this was a lottery system as far as the scope is concerned, and when the emphasis made on this money for education was that it was going to draw Maxwell people to the city to participate in education system. If it's a lottery system, how are these Maxwell people going to know how to get their children into the system? If you take education money, I think you just spend it on what you've already got and improve the education system that’s in Prattville and Autauga County. Richard Harrison, 121 Irma Lane, We have a school system and to spend 20 something million dollars, just to educate 600 who knows how they are really selected and like he said how are you really going to know about that. It’s going to already be booked up by the time they get transferred here, right? I love education and I fought for education many times. But again, this isn’t going to educated but a handful. Let's use our money wisely. We got an education system and a county and we get them to help. We can start a city school system. But this school supposedly calls themselves a public school. Well, if they were a public school, public schools have public transportation, but they don't. Because they are not truly a 3 public school. If you have to, go through the state and change some rules around a little bit so you can make it work legal, then that something's not right about it. Try to give some change of state level so you can do what you want to do. These rules were here for a reason. I don't believe we should take all this money and educate the handful now if you can find a way to educate 100% of the citizens of Prattville then by all means use all the money on education. But it is abuse of taxpayers’ money just to dump all this money into one little spot handful of specially selected people. We'll put it that way. I haven't heard any good things about the drawing and I hadn’t heard anything about it being fair. So, if you've found a way to educate Well, we're already half without making some people wealthy that put them to school then by all means do it. We got elderly people, we've got school people. And everybody so this money should be spent to help everybody. Education too, but education everyone fairly. Ask if we can get some state laws fixed so they can do what they want to do. That is wrong. And if that happens you probably have a lot of people in Prattville buying groceries in Millbrook and there a lot of people doing it and that is all I got to say. Mike Scroggins, Riverchase North, Thank you for the fire department you put in over there. One small complaint is the alley over at Riverchase I guess the Stone Martin builder. I have been there a lot of years and there is one way in and only one way out. You know, most of the Riverchase kids it isn’t safe for the kids to play out there. You know what? I remember them playing in the streets out there and there just is no outlet for traffic. There is one lane of traffic and I don’t want anyone to get hurt. If someone could look at it out there and I don’t know where you would put it. I'm not an engineer, but I just appreciate your time. COMMENTS FROM COUNCIL: Councilor Striplin- I provided my written comments to the council last week and they have not changed, but I would like the public to at least know my position. At this point, I support a renewal of the tax, but for only 10 years. And the reason being is the priorities within our community change. What was important in 2001 is different 2011. And it's different 2021. And I feel certain that will be different in 2031. If we can get the funding for greater than 10 years. In this instance, I feel like we are neglecting our fiduciary responsibility to future councils and future citizens of Prattville. The future is uncertain just look at the last 16 months, no one predicted COVID, no one predicted homeschooling would be so popular, no one predicted working from home, which was rare, it is now commonplace in vacancies in commercial office property, property, business meetings, family matters, and now regularly conducted by ZOOM, something I had not heard of 16 months ago. The projects that have been presented thus far, could be done in different phases. If there were in four categories 1.7 million for 10 years, generating $17 million for each category. If this stream was monetized either through it alone the bank loan or a bond that would certainly be expenses related to the issuance of a bond. And obviously, the interest would reduce the amount that's available over an extended period of time. Without specific further discussion, and review, I don't feel comfortable in committing to any of the projects that have been presented to us at this point. Here, if the council considered a six-month moratorium on projects, this moratorium would not be cast in stone. But if the project could be presented, discussed, approved, engineered, awarded, and financing established, in less than six months, I would consider the revenue that was 4 collected would be going into a general fund trust reserve fund. The city has general reserves and it is a percentage of our budget, we are not exactly where I would like to see us. That is ultimately the sort of thing Emergency thought it was a catastrophic situation, those funds would then be available for use personally, in this interim, while we're trying to decide what priorities we establish, my thoughts are the city and the public would be better served, stored the money in a general fund and then as the projects come forward, that we move forward with them. Thank you. Councilor Jackson- I would love to see us be more focused on education. I would love to see a half percent go to education and then from there you know, we can split into fourth and eighth with other departments. And I would love for us to show that we value education. We could then divide the remainder to the other three categories. Councilor Chambers- I like the similar idea that Councilman Striplin has far as having that general fund, maybe something like that 10% right off the top for that we need it for and beyond that, and then start dividing up for the different categories. I do support education. You know, I think, you know, if we had the opportunity to do so they would need to do so Also, I'd like to see the county help with that, I think combining that right there would really help the schools and the students. And, you know, because I still see it as a, you know, a core part of a 20 25%, whatever you want to put it, then the rest of that when divided up does not always have to be equal thirds or equal fourths, we can start talking about, you know, maybe a little bit more for Parks and Recs versus cultural arts or something like that. But I think all of them should have a certain percentage. Thank you. Councilor Gornto- I think I kind of like, you know, certain percentage of the general reserve. And maybe we look into a specific time period, when we just put everything in the reserve, kind of get together to decide, you know, what, what takes priority and what we want to tackle first. I have spoken with some of the citizens in district five and we've kind of all come to the agreements that the money that we do, for this one cent designate towards various departments needs to be earmarked for special projects, rather than just going into, you know, a department’s general fund, and we use for whatever, without being able to be able to track it, necessarily. I also agree with Councilor Striplin, one of the things you know, when you set some sort of duration on the on the tax so it will sunset, there will be another Council that can decide, you know, based off the priorities of the city at that point, but to continue it and break it up something else or end it, whatever is decided. Councilor Strichik- Yeah, I agree. I believe so far. As you can see, we're all in favor of spending that million dollars. I know it's tough on some people, but we're, we're already collecting them. And we don't need to step away from the $7 million we need annually. My thoughts are similar to everyone else, we're all kind of on the same page. It's hard to get some people to agree anything, it's hard at my house to figure out we will eat dinner sometimes. I have a problem with education like Mr. Burns, you brought up a great point. More money needs to go in our education. And also, with that said, not step on toes or getting anyone else's business our county commission and board education need to start taking 5 ownership of some of this as well. We cannot be the fourth highest median income state of Alabama, and set the lowest funded school system in the state of Alabama. That is absolutely insane, in my opinion. So, it's time for our other constituents, elected officials to step up, promote push to increase education money. Our government has done it. Pike Road is about to do it. Auburn has done it. We are going to be left behind if we sit here at 10% paying our teachers less than what they're making elsewhere. We're losing teachers, we're losing technology, we're losing transportation and buildings, to other counties and municipalities around the state sit near 10%. There's not a whole lot of responsibility of the City of Prattville or City Council to provide that money. There are other entities involved in this equation that need to step up and do their part as well. So, I know, I cannot call for a lot of things. So maybe you should start calling your county commissioners and your board of education members express your concern about how education goes in this county as well. So that's it. I’d like to take a third of that penny toward education. Also, caveat there is when we give a third of that penny to education. I want that money spent on public schools in Prattville, Alabama, and perhaps Prattville High School. Our money should not buy tennis balls and buildings in Autaugaville, Marbury or Billingsley no disrespect to them. The argument always is well, these people shop in Marbury, Billingsley and Autaugaville and they shop in Prattville. That's true. They do but they also shop in Birmingham, Clanton, Montgomery Millbrook and Wetumpka and they don’t give you a penny. So, I want money earmarked and I want to report monthly from their CFO person. Say how the money's being spent. We are bought and sold on Prattville Primary school elementary school. I want the money spent in Prattville. Again, that's just the way I feels we stand. Also, the infrastructure is very important. on third party infrastructure, our roads, our streets need help are growing and growing or growing, we're going to be sewage, we're going to be power, we're going to everything. Even though the project we're working on downtown here on Main Street, in bridge Street, we need money for that. So that's money well spent for infrastructure. Also, another third, I'd like to go toward the parks and rec prop projects, our parks are way behind. We're getting left behind around the state with our parks. But we've had many times in my lifetime. And we've done some great things on the back of a park and we're going to continue to do so I'd like to see that money. Go the morning bond issue pay for improvements that Mr. Kelly brought to us two weeks ago about the five major parts from what we face are smaller parts and families and society is way, way, way past time to improve those parts. Those parts, that's every citizen in this city from one year old, 100-year-old, everyone participates and uses our park system and every one of us. So that would be money well spent. So, I'm not getting my free one thirds, also off the top, take a million dollars a year and put it into our reserve account. And so that reserve account caps at $12 million. Like Mr. Strickland brought up cases like catastrophe. We don't know what the economy's going to do. We don't know what's going to happen five years from now, three years from now, 10 years from now, let's put some money away for a rainy day. Let's take that million and then we start getting into the thirds or these three departments, education, infrastructure, parks and recreation. Thank you. Council President Pro Tempore Boone- Yes, sir. First of all, I would like to start with my priority, which is reserve, I believe that fiscal responsibility is so important. And while I don't think that the reserve deserves the same percentage amount as the other, and that's something like slipping into I do think that it is top priority that we look to the future, we look to 6 the rainy day and we'd be financially conservative and would be smart. And so, starting with a reserve is my ideal. After that. We have a few pastors in the house tonight, maybe younger, some of you others might kind of be at it. I'd like to kind of explain my thought process as a religious metaphor. So, here's my religious metaphor. If you go to church, you're committed to probably participate in tithes and offerings. So, a tithe is the required amount by not by what he requires you to give to the church usually 10% into his paycheck. So, it's required. It's an act of obedience is something you do right off the top. And offering is anything you give in addition to that, so you go to church one day, and the Gideons come in, and they speak and you're moved by them, and you want to give to bind Bibles for hotels, or missionary comes in and talks about the work that's going on in China, and you feel moved, and you're going to take money out of your pocket, besides the time you've already given to give to that missionary. Well, that's kind of how I say the education issue. Tonight. We are tied in the city of Provo, and we have offerings and our ties with the things that we are required and responsible for already what departments fall under the city prep that we are required to pay for already. And so, some of these things that we brought up in these buckets, as we're kind of calling our divisions are already under the city, we already have Parks and Rec, we already have infrastructure, we already have public facilities. So, these are things that we're going to pay for and have to pay for and nobody else is stepping up to help us pay for those. We have to pay for them. There are times. So, these are where money needs to go where requirements or I see education as an offering a gift, something where you feel moved in our hearts, something that we need to add to. Yes, there is an issue with education in our county. And so, we do feel obliged we do you feel a desire, everybody on this board feels the desire to help out. So, but this is not something that we're required to do. There are entities that are already set up to fund and pay for the education system. They're just not stepping up in the way that I feel that they should. So, I am in favor of that. But because of that I disagree with Mr. Stones, one half portion. I disagree with Mr. Jackson's portion, I believe that it should still be one four, because I believe that 1/4 is a generous offering on behalf of the City of gravel to say that yes, we say the need, yes, we're willing to give but we're doing this out of our heart's desire, not out of obligation, but we need to take care of our family first. This is kind of like at home, you pay your mortgage, before you get the extra channels from spectrum to watch sports. There's just fiscal responsibility here. And our responsibility is to the departments that we are already in charge of and we need to be spending on them. First and foremost. And then you get the sports package and that's kind of where education falls and the mind game is we want to help is important. However, it is not part of our regular duty. So that's the force that I see. I'd also like to quickly address Mr. Strickland's comments about putting a time limit on the renewal of the tax, I don't feel that that's necessary. And the reason that I doubt is because we're very fortunate in the flexibility that this body has. So, he's absolutely right that our needs will be different in your time totally agree with his philosophy. However, if one year from now our needs are different, this body has the flexibility to go back and change things we can go in. And anytime that how many times a week, do you come in here, hear me say we're going to a man in line 21. To set, we have the flexibility to come back into vogue again, and make any changes we want to, if new council members come in, in our places, they also will have the same right and privilege, they don't have to waste Lucas Arts, in 10 years, they can at any time get together. And if they have a majority vote, they can vote in a new time limit to a new priority, and your dollar amount, whatever they so choose. So, I feel like that is 7 not something that's really necessary is putting a time limit on there, because we do have the freedom to re address this and bring it back for this body at any time. Those are my comments for tonight. Thank you for the privilege Mr. Starnes. Council President Starnes- Thank you. And the way I see it is the one cent sales tax, we keep it and I would like to have meeting with the superintendent. And I would like to give him an opportunity to improve that system. And I hope all three entities can come together and make our school system the best that it can be. So, with that being said, I would like to for half a cent go to the education. And with that I would like to protect that Education Fund and not have anything come before that. And then the 1.7 million for infrastructure and the 1.7 million for Parks and Rec. I agree that we need to build up our reserve account, let's pull from those two buckets. And we can build that reserve account. But I do want to protect that Education Fund. And hopefully we can come up with a better school system then what we have – a better funded school system. I do disagree with the time limit. I agree with Councilor Boone that we could adjust that in any time if we need to. So, with the town voted on, not for that, but I am for bringing it up the general reserves. Is there anyone else that would like to address the council? On the one cent penny? Yes, sir, go ahead. Mayor Gillespie- Thank you, you know, in for the ones who were here, the ones who were close by 2011 and 2012. It's big change. Whenever the one penny was discussed back then the halls were filled up, this table was filled. And I think there is a lot of support for the City of Prattville this is a never-ending story. And it's been quite a few good points that you guys have the flexibility to come in. And I think that that flexibility us having that ability to change is unique to been part of our success and if my memory serves me right 2011 I did veto the sales tax. And it was because of the public’s sentiment in my desires that time was put in over the four-year cycle. So then that way you get to the next you put it on the last three years of the quadrennium when the first year of the following quadrennium which gave the next elected body time to look at and evaluating and moving forward with it. But you know, we had we had a target that we thought was going to be out there. It will still be out there and have been for all the hard work and dedication of our employees, our citizens, councils and you know, just all of us together. But one of the components I did not care for for this with the current one penny sales tax, because it did talk about the general fund reserve, and strictly for that and here we are today. But if you look at the community as a whole before back into the world, we don't call it that to me because infrastructure is important. And comment about the problems of potholes should not be a part of this infrastructure package. This, this package, in my opinion on the big-ticket items, for the long range, paving McQueen Smith Road. we still have a lot of work to be done on Fairview Avenue. So, there's a lot of things, we got to look at the big picture, and not the smaller picture on this thing. I guess I have changed a lot. Mr. Striplin, You and I have sort of flip flopped from 2011 or So you wanted a long-range plan and I wanted a short-range plan. Well, now I feel like the long-range plan is the direction to go. Because, again, elected bodies can come in and change this. Whenever there's, there's a need and the infrastructure, education is so important. But I would caution that on education components, I think there needs to be some kind of oversight committee on that. But also, to like remind everybody that education, I guess you can call it the traditional education and the non-traditional education. And a good example of that would be that we 8 have a good heritage Association here. And they've got some long-range plans, they have a build out, just make up something when using them, when maybe they need some funding for education for that component, which I would consider nontraditional education. There's also what we have CAPC here, the city of Prattville right now, and Autauga County, can we get him in to prep meal shopping center out there? And I think they're doing well. But you know, where do they really follow you? They're not, they're not. They're not the non-traditional and traditional leader, to your college system on that one. So, I think we got we can do not need to box ourselves. infrastructure is important. Education is important. But you know, mental health is also important. And I can actually put that in several different categories, parks and RECs, when you have people out, walking in our forests and walking our trails and parks, great little creek back here that has come leaps and bounds in positive notoriety. What we have done with our downtown here, so we have different things. But you know, again, we don't need to look at the small picture not the day to day fixes, looking at the big-ticket projects out there. Look at creative arts you know, that was mentioned with our facilities, and also along with our library, our library, the building that is, they have outgrown it, but since day one, that building was built, it's they couldn't go back. And I think spent, I believe is $40,000 to just a year or two after that building was built to keep it from sliding and settling even more. So, there's some there's some big things out there. I do appreciate the council looking over this very closely. I appreciate the citizens input. But it is this is something that should not be looked at the short-term level, it ought to be looking at the big ticket, long term level, the council does have the ability to pull it in and change it and put it back out there again. So, I do appreciate the council and all the hard work that they put into this. I do think there's going to be a lot more need for plans before it does come back with comments over there, there is that there does have to be a lot more due diligence. There does have to be planning. I think in the very near future, I'm going to be voting on releasing some funds for us to be doing some remodeling over here at the city hall annex, as I found out I think Kelly cook has as well just like with the pavilion at Pratt Park that's looked at as a public facility building over here public facility and so with that in mind, anytime you build or remodeling, you have to get an architect and that costs a lot of money. It takes time. Thank you for entertaining this. ADJOURN: There being no further business to come before the Council, the meeting adjourned at 6:09 p.m. APPROVED: ___________________________ Lisa Terrill City Clerk ___________________________ Gerald “Jerry” Starnes, President Prattville City Council