HomeMy WebLinkAboutMIN 08.06.2007 CC-SThe City Council of the City of Georgetown, Texas, met in Special Session on the above date with Mayor
Gary Nelon presiding.
Council Present:
Gary Nelon, Gabe Sansing, Bill Sattler, Pat
Berryman, Farley Snell, Ben Oliver
Council Absent.9
Patty Eason, Keith Brainard
Staff Present:
Paul E. Brandenburg, City Manager; Patricia E. Carls, City Attorney; Jessica Hamilton, Assistant City
Secretary; Micki Rundell, Director of Finance & Administration; Tom Yantis, Assistant City Manager;
Kimberly Garrett, Director of Parks and Administration; Leticia Zavala, Controller; Tom Benz, System
Engineer; Shirley Rinn, Executive Assistant to the City Manager
• P=M •• '- • •• • • • 1"� 11
Mayor Nelon announced that Executive Session would be held at this time.
recessed to Executive Session -- 4:01 pm
Executive Session
Regular Session to convene and continue Executive Session, if necessary
In compliance with the Open Meetings Act, Chapter 551, Government Code, Vernon's Texas Codes,
Annotated, the items listed below will be discussed in closed session and are subject to action in the
regular session that follows.
C Sec.551.071: Consultation with Attorney
- Advice from attorney about pending or contemplated litigation and other matters on which the attorney has a duty to advise
the City Council, including agenda items
-Transamerican Underground vs. Arch Insurance Co., C. C. Carleton Industries, and Third Party Defendant the City of
Georgetown, Cause No. 06-121-C277, District Court of Williamson County, 277th Judicial District
D Sec 551.072: Deliberations about Real Property
- Consideration and possible action regarding the proposed disposition of City -owned property located at 605 W. 15th St., said
property being more particularly described in a deed recorded at Volume 2262, Page 201, Official Records, Williamson
County, Texas -- Terri Glasby Calhoun, Paralegal and Patricia E. Carls, City Attorney
returned to Open Session -- 4:13pm
Regular Session
A Action from Executive Session
Motion by Sansing, second by Oliver that the City Council approve and authorize the Mayor to sign the
compromise and settlement agreement regarding the lawsuit TransAmerica Underground vs. Arch Insurance
Company to authorize the City Attorney to execute the documents necessary regarding the City's position on the
claims not resolved by this settlement agreement. Approved 5-0 (Brainard, Eason Absent)
B Vote to place adoption of the proposed 2007 tax rate on a future agenda and to set dates for two public
hearings -- Micki Rundell, Director of Finance & Administration
City Council Meeting Minutes/August 6, 2007
Page 1 of 8 Pages
Rundell gave a Powerpoint presentation regarding the proposed tax rate. She said that the 2007 Assessed
Valuation is certified at a little over $3.6 Billion and that's net of $89 million in TIF districts. She said that it also
includes $336 million of new and annexed property and that $722 million is now frozen. She added that 20% of
the total tax space is in frozen valuation. Rundell noted that the 2006 value was $3.1 billion and the freeze then
was $713 million. She noted that Assessed Valuations continue to rise and they have tripled their valuation in
over 10 years and doubled it in 5 years. Rundell said that, this year, the average home value has increased
about 9.7% to $183,970. She said that the effective tax rate is the rate necessary to derive the same amount of
revenue as previous year based upon the current year assessed valuations. She added that the effective rate
this year is $0.34217 and that the adopted 2006 tax rate was $0.36728 and that included $0.0312 sales tax for
property tax relief. Rundell said that the Proposed 2007 tax rate to fund the City Manager's budget is $0.35659
and that also includes the $0.0312 sales tax for property tax relief. She gave a summary of the proposed tax
rates and said that the effective rate is $0.34219, the rate needed to fund the Clity Manager's budget is
$0.35659 and the rollback rate is $0.37527. She said that the proposed rate of $0.35659 is a 4.2% increase
over the effective rate. She added that the M&O fund, which funds the General Fund, is $0.20322 which is less
than the 2006 M&O rate of $0.21979. She said that the I&S, the debt service portion, has increased to
$0.15337 versus last year's $0.14749. She added that the increase is directly attributable to the 2004 bond
authorization that the City issued for the Rec Center. She said that the total GO impact from the 2004 bond
issue is 4.67 cents. Rundell showed Council a graph that illustrates the differences between the effective and
the adopted tax rates as well as the rollback rates. She said that most of the increases over the prior years were
because the City is dealing with increases in staffing and things that are related to public safety. She said that,
this year, the City is somewhere in the middle.
Rundell said that Council has to vote for a future tax agenda item which is required by the Texas Tax Code. She
noted that they will set public hearing rates as well as meet certain publication requirements. She said that this
is a record vote, and that the record of this vote is included in the publications. She told Council that what they
are voting on is to set the maximum amount that would be considered for tax vote at a future Council meeting.
She reiterated that Council can go below the posted amount, but not above it. She reviewed what goes into the
tax rate. She said that the M&O portion of the rate is variable and that the I&S rate is determined by the debt
service for the 2007 amount of $0.15337. She added that any changes that Council makes to this tax rate
impacts the General Fund. Rundell showed the Tax Component chart. She said that the O&M portion of the
rate goes down from last year and that the debt portion is substantial. She gives Council four options to
consider for the tax rate. She said that Option 1 is the tax rate set by the City Manager, the $0.35659 that fund
the proposed operating plan. She added that Option 2 is the rollback rate, $0.37527, which increases General
Fund revenue by about $525,000. She said that Option 3 is the same tax rate as the prior year, $0.36728, and it
increased the General Fund revenue by $308,000. She mentioned that any other tax rate could be considered
by the City Council and, if the City was to go with the effective tax rate at $0.34217, that would decrease the
general fund by $416,000. Mayor commented that the additional options are numerous under Option 4.
Motion by Snell, second by Oliver to vote to place adoption of a tax rate of $0.35659 cents per $100 valuation,
equaling $0.20322 cents for Maintenance and Operation and $0.15337 cents for debt service, as an action item
at the August 30, 2007 special Council meeting to be held at 4 p.m. at City Council Chambers, at the northeast
corner of Seventh and Main Streets, Georgetown. Approved 5-0 (Brainard, Eason Absent)
Motion by Snell, second by Oliver to set two public hearings, as required by law, to be held on Monday, August
20 at 4:OOp.m., and on Monday, August 27 at 4:OOp.m. at City Council Chambers, at the northeast corner of
Seventh and Main Streets, Georgetown. Approved 5-0 (Brainard, Eason Absent)
E Applicant
Presentations and Discussion of
Community/Social
Services and Youth and Children's Program
Funding
Applications
for FY'07-08 -- Paul
E. Brandenburg, City
Manager
Brandenburg thanked all of the applicants and gave a brief overview of the funding application process. He said
that the funding is broken into two categories: social service funding and youth and children's program funding.
He added that there are sixteen requests for the social service funding and seven for the children's and youth
program funding. He said that the total dollar amount requested for the social service funding is about
$332,000, and there is about $309,000 from the proposed base budget to be used. He added that, for the youth
and children's program funding, there is about $15,000 requested. He said that this is in the base budget. He
said, on the City Council Agenda next Tuesday, the Mayor will appoint a subcommittee of Council members that
will take all of this information and come up with a recommended budget on how to fund the programs. He said
that this will become a part of the budget that will be adopted for 2008.
Joyce Spitznogle of the Assistance League of Georgetown Area, said that Assistance League is a non-profit, all
volunteer philanthropic organization dedicated to helping those in need in our community. She added that their
signature philanthropic project is "Operation School Bell." She said their request to the City is for $3,000 to
partially fund this project. She noted this represents 4.9 percent of the budget for Georgetown students. She
said the total budget for both Georgetown and Jarrell is $68,250. She added this is a $68.25 per child for the
City Council Meeting Minutes/August 6, 2007
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1,000 students they serve. one spoke about "Operation School Bell" and what'it provides for the children. She
said there is no other program in our community that provides both new shoes and new clothes for children in
need. She told Council in September 2007 there will be over 16,000 children that qualify for free and reduced
lunches in Georgetown alone. She said, while Assistance League has been able to serve an increased number
of students each year, they still fall far short of having enough funds for everyone. She said that, in 2007, their
plan is to provide for 900 children. She said funding comes from grants, direct mailings to the community, and a
thrift shop where they sell goods.
Joy Dillman Director of ECI- PRIDE Early Childhood intervention (Bluebonnet Trails Community MHMR
Center), said it has been a joy working with the people of Georgetown. She said that she has been involved in
ECI for more than 30 years. She noted, because of what is learned each year about how the brain develops in
young children, she continues to be excited about what can be done in their program to make life-long
differences in the growth and development of children and their families. She said all of the children they work
with have some sort of medical condition, developmental delay, or have suffered trauma that sets them back in
their development. She added the first three years of life is the most critical time for brain development. She
said, if they can start early enough, their intervention can often help the children overcome the effect of their
disease, their exposure to alcohol and drugs, and their experience of abuse and neglect. She noted they provide
support and information to families and they provide therapy and help to children in many ways. She said it
became Federal Law in 2007 to screen and evaluate every child under three that is in the Child Protective
Services system. She said this has increased their referrals and enrollment significantly. She described the
effects of stress and abuse on the brain. Sattler asked and Dillman confirmed that they are very involved in the
Georgetown Project. Dillman confirmed that they are associated with Georgetown schools. Berryman asked
and Dillman said this was an unfunded mandate that she received, but that the Legislature has appropriated
some additional funds for the next biennium. Sattler asked if they get any funding from schools in regards to
drug screenings. Dillman said that is not part of ECI, but they do try to get families to access those services.
Sattler asked and Dillman confirmed that they work closely with the Child Find program.
Edna Johnson of Capital Area Rural Transportation System (CARTS), spoke about their curb to curb transit
program. She added they do not go into the homes, but they do help the clients with their groceries. She said it
costs about $90,000 to run a vehicle. This includes insurance, fuel, and oil. She noted that the vehicles are
propane powered, which is a mandate from TXDOT. She spoke about an "out of area" vehicle that runs out of
town to Round Rock and Austin five days a week. She told Council, last year, they did over 8,500 one-way trips.
Johnson added that they are working on the intermodal transit facility at the Park 'n Ride lot. She gave Council
a brief update of that and other projects. Berryman asked and Johnson said that they did 8,500 rides last year,
which included Sun City. Berryman asked and Johnson confirmed that the 'but of area" vehicle follows a route
from Taylor, through Georgetown, and to Austin. Berryman asked and Johnson said that the people who use
CARTS know the schedule and pick up times for all of the rides. She mentioned that they work with Faith in
Action Caregivers.
A speaker from Catholic Charities of Central Texas said the organization has been around since 1962 to assist
the poor and vulnerable in twenty-five different counties. He said they have had a presence in Williamson
County for a little over two years. He added they have been helping people in Round Rock as well as Katrina
survivors in Georgetown. He said the request they are submitting is for $5,000 to serve grandparents that are
raising grandchildren. He said this came about from the 2005 American Communities Survey showing there
were 4,533 families in Williamson County that had grandkids living with them. He added, out of that amount,
2,279 were raising those grandchildren. He said the $5,000 request would go toward rent and utility assistance.
He noted their goal is to assist seniors in developing and implementing a plan for increased self-sufficiency
through case management. Oliver asked and the representative confirmed that this is a new program started on
August 1st. Snell said this is a great program and he knows people that are living this life. He added the
problem he sees is that the City has developed some refined guidelines on where funding should go, and he is
not sure if this organization fits those guidelines. Snell suggested, in the future, they should tailor their
application to the City's guidelines. The representative said he will take that into consideration.
Rita Scott of Faith in Action Caregivers , told Council they are an interfaith volunteer organization that offers free
transportation and other support services to people who are 65 years of age or older and who live in
Georgetown. She noted they currently serve 208 seniors and the services are provided by 141 dedicated
volunteers. She said their program is the only agency in Georgetown that focuses on individualized
transportation needs for seniors living in their own homes. She added they offer door-to-door service, and many
times the drivers stay with clients during their doctor visits or trips to the grocery store. Scott said, without their
assistance, many elderly Georgetown residents would be at risk of losing their independence, have to move to a
congregate living facility, or still drive on the streets with severe vision and hearing problems. She noted the
majority of their transportation services are for medical -related purposes which help the seniors maintain their
health and have their chronic conditions monitored in a timely manner. She said, last year, their volunteers
provided 3,234 one-way transportation services and contributed over 7,000 hours of service to the community.
She said they expect their need to rise. Scott said the funds requested will help to provide the necessary
infrastructure to keep their program viable and to help recruit volunteers from the community. Sattler asked and
City Council Meeting Minutes/August 6, 2007
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Scott said the volunteers use their own personal automobiles. Sattler asked and Scott confirmed that they work
with CARTS, saying as people enroll in their program, they are given information on other services that are
available, including CARTS. Sattler asked and Scott confirmed that they have both clients and volunteers in
Sun City. She noted that they try to match volunteers to clients that live in the same area. Berryman asked if
they have a counterpart in Austin. Scott said there are eight different organizations in the Austin area. Sattler
asked and Scott confirmed they receive funding from churches that provide about 20% of their budget. Snell
asked and Scott said the grants will pay for telephone services, her salary, volunteer training, volunteer
screenings, and all of the things necessary to get the drivers matched up to clients.
Family Eldercare, Inc. No representative was present to speak.
Don Loving of The Caring Place (Georgetown Community Service Center), said he would like for their original
amount requested to be reduced to $45,000. He said their original application was for $65,000 and, as he
conducted an internal audit, he found they had a surplus fund in their minor home repair account in the amount
of $26,000. Loving said The Caring Place has been in the community since 1985, providing emergency
assistance to people. He said they are currently providing direct emergency assistance to over 2,400 families
per year. He added they are providing fresh food for over 3,000 families, and over 1600 families receive other
kinds of assistance. He said their services are for emergency services only, so people who come to their facility
have to demonstrate what kind of physical or personal emergency they are having. Sansing said he finds it
awkward that they reduced the request by $20,000. He asked if the extra $20,000 would help repair more
homes. Loving said he is not sure; and they are making contacts with the people who can identify those homes
that most need the services. He added, to be good stewards of the funding, they want to make sure they are
able to get to those homes that need it. Berryman asked and Loving said there were 7 homes last year that
received repair. Berryman asked and Loving said he does not know why there weren't more requests for
funding last year. Brandenburg said Code Enforcement has been offering up The Caring Place as a resource to
people who can not afford to fix their homes. Snell said that he feels it is important that Council supports this.
Snell commented and Loving agreed that this is a contract for specific services and is not a grant. Sansing said,
to him, it's more than just cosmetics, paint, and gutters. He said some houses that people live in should be
deemed uninhabitable. Snell agreed.
Paulette Taylor, of Georgetown Cultural Citizens Memorial Association, Inc. said this is their first request and
they would humbly appreciate any percentage Council designates for them. She said one of their main focuses
is the high utilities at their facilities. She said they want to be able to provide a facility that is measurable and
that benefits the community. She noted they want to be able to provide a wholesome atmosphere for children in
our school system. Taylor said they want to become an ongoing program so that their facility is not closed
during the summer. She said she does not want the children and the community to lose that enhancement.
Snell said he noticed they had also made an application to the Children's and Youth Fund. He said their
association seems to address that kind of world better. Snell added that the paying for utilities to a building that
has multiple uses is a little bit of a stretch. He added that he thinks this is a great organization, but he wanted to
send out a little signal that it doesn't quite fit. Taylor said they were new at this and they decided to submit both
applications, one for the children, and one for their two facilities. Berryman asked and Taylor confirmed that
they have a tutorial program. Taylor said this is under the Education Helping Hands Tutoring and she is one of
the lead tutors. She said there are several in the community. Sansing said he was looking at the utilities and he
knows the Shotgun House is probably the majority of the electric because it is not insulated and is in disrepair.
He said it may be time to revamp the guidelines for the funding applications
Debbie Hoffman, of Habitat for Humanity of Williamson County said, as of July 1, they have expanded their
service area to all of Williamson County. She said they are constructing three houses right now in Old Mill
Village and the request is to continue that construction. She added they will continue to request a partnership
with the City of Georgetown to expand their reach into other parts of the City. She said, for right now, they need
to complete the development between 17th and 18th streets.
Laverne, Treasurer of Handcrafts Unlimited said they are a unique organization that has served artisans in the
Georgetown Area for 24 years. She added that the wide community support that the shop enjoys is
demonstrated by the fact that the Executive Director, the Board members, and all of the volunteer staff have
been volunteers for many years. She said that they have no paid staff or employees. She noted Georgetown
has an increasing number of retirees and, at the same time, a growing number of the workers are opting for
early retirement. She said it can be assumed that a large number of these retirees are searching for a
purposeful activity and a connection to others outside of the traditional workplace. She said the artisans can
sign their handcrafted creations over to the shop where they are sold. She added that a percentage of the sales
are retained by the shop for operating expenses. She said many of the artisans rely on the shop to provide
funds to supplement their social security and other fixed income sources. She noted activities at the store also
give our senior citizens a social outlet. She said classes in a number of the handcrafts such as quilting,
crocheting, and knitting are provided all age groups, thus helping to preserve and pass on these traditions. She
said their annual budget barely covers their expenses. She added they have had to draw upon limited reserves
to avoid operating in the red. She said their future plans include providing funding for staff training,
City Council Meeting Minutes/August 6, 2007
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merchandising, display, ano advertising. She told Council their mission is to c,untinue operating a successful
retail shop to help provide older citizens an interactive environment and the chance to supplement their
incomes. Snell said they have continued to focus on the clear physical need of citizens and he feels this is a
stretch for that kind of guideline. Laverne said she understands, but the program does help the seniors
supplement their incomes. Oliver asked and Laverne confirmed that most of the $10,000 is a one-time expense.
She also added they might be facing a relocation. Berryman said and Laverne agreed, handcrafts provide a
greater mental health capacity for older people.
Gloria Cueva, of Literacy Council of Williamson County said they are the only agency in the County that provides
adult literacy tutoring as well as tutoring for high school dropouts. The implications of not helping these adults
increase their literacy skills is significant and greatly impacts the workforce, healthcare costs, and other social
services costs. She said they are making a huge difference in the community. Cueva noted they have a very
small budget, considering they are serving, countywide, 1,200 people for about $130,000. She added they are
partnering with the Getsemani Community Center who is going to offer them space for GED tutoring. Berryman
asked and Cueva said they serviced 350 adults from Georgetown last year.
Jack Hunnicut, of Lone Star Circle of Care said this year, they will do over 70,000 patient encounters, and just
under 30,000 of those will be citizens of Georgetown. He noted their budget this year will be just shy of $12
million. He added the request for funding will be for less than 1 % of their budget to provide healthcare for the
underserved and uninsured. He said they have added extended hours at their Pediatric Center; they now have
comprehensive OB -GYN services; a full time psychiatrist on staff; and they added a child psychologist to the
staff last month. Hunnicut added, in August and September, they will be adding two new family practice
positions at the Georgetown adult site.
Cindy Hecker of Pregnancy Center of Williamson County , thanked Council and said they are the first Pregnancy
Help Center in Williamson County. She said they mostly serve the women, children, and families of
Georgetown. She added they partner with Lone Star Circle of Care. She noted they served 250 new clients
and over 1,100 total client visits last year. She said, one of the reasons for the request is to help fund the
educational classes for the girls who choose to keep their children. She spoke about the educational classes on
parenting they provide to pregnant women. She also said they have a credit system for all of the classes they
offer. She said they give out new infant cribs as an incentive for attending the classes and obtaining credits.
She added that, for safety reasons, they are not allowed to give out used infant cribs. She noted the cribs and
matresses are about $175 and they become toddler beds, youth beds, and then a double bed. She said they
need three to four cribs a month. She said the other item they have requested funds for are educational
materials for their library. She said one of the ways the girls can earn credit is viewing CDs, videos, and reading
books. She added this is good for girls who have transportation issues. She said there is a great need for
spanish speaking videos and spanish books. Berryman said one of the concerns that has been brought to her is
that there is a problem regarding the separation of church and state. Hecker said they offer a Bible study class,
but none of their classes are mandatory. The girls can choose which classes they want to go to. Snell asked
and Hecker confirmed that, in order to receive the cribs, there are certain education requirements that need to
be met. Hecker said this is a great thing because the girls will make a commitment and the program builds
great self esteem. Berryman asked and Hecker said the books are on parenting, breastfeeding, and child birth.
Snell commended the organization for providing support services to women who choose to keep their child.
Snell asked and Hecker confirmed that their education covers not only being a good parent, but preventing
future pregnancies through abstinence. Snell asked and Hecker said those classes do not count for earning
credits for the cribs. She said, as far as abortion, they use a brochure that is done by the State of Texas entitled
"The Woman's Right to Know." Sattler asked and she confirmed that the women must take their crib to their
own homes.
Pat Schnieder of Stonehaven Senior Center, said the Center is a place for seniors over 50 to come and have
their social, recreational, educational, and creative needs met. She said the Center was designed by Dr.
Lancaster of Southwestern and was built at the same time as the Georgetown Housing Authority. She added it
was built with the understanding it would be a separate entity to serve the senior citizens of this area. She noted
it is at a very convenient location close to Stonehaven Apartments, and added the Center is not only for
residents of the Apartments, but for everyone in Georgetown and Williamson County. She noted people must
have their own transportation to get there. She spoke about the many services the Center offers citizens. She
said it is a way for senior citizens to get out of their homes and meet friends. Schnieder said they are not open
on Saturdays and Sundays, so they rent out their building in order to generate extra funds. She added they get
funds from renting the building as well as memorial and monetary contributions.
Patty Connor of Williamson County Crisis Center dba Hope Alliance , said they run the only Emergency Shelter
in the County for women and children. She said they house 35 individuals and are staying full. She added,
unfortunately, for the past year and a half they have been turning away 15-20 families per month. She said,
fortunately, they have received about $2,500 from the County to use for hotel funds. She said $69 a night is the
cheapest rate they have been able to get in the County. She noted they offer individual and family counseling
as well as support groups. She added they have a legal advocate on staff who can help clients access
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Page 5 of 8 Pages
protective orders as well as crime victims compensation funds. She said they nave outreach offices in
Georgetown and they are a founding member of the Sexual Assault Response Team. Connor said they have a
prevention program called Project Empowerment where they go into schools and provide presentations on
conflict resolution, dating violence, healthy relationships, and safe space. She spoke about their housing
program. She said they have up to 12 apartments where they can transition women from the shelter into the
housing program for one year where they help supplement the rent. She said 7% of their clients come from
Georgetown, not including those in their housing program and hotline. She said she is asking for an increase in
funds this year for a couple of reasons. She saidt the shelter is continuing to stay full; they have had a 2%
increase in the number of Georgetown residents that they are serving, and they have recently had to move out
of the County annex building where they have been housed at no cost. She said they are having to lease space
for $1 per square foot.
Andrew Shell of Williamson- Burnet County Opportunities , said they have been in business for about 40 years
and were founded in 1966 by a former Mayor of Georgetown. He said they are asking for continued support for
their congregate meals and the Meals on Wheels program. He said they serve and deliver approximately 140
meals per day, which equates to 2,800 per month. Shell said, in many of those cases, the volunteer is the only
person that their clients are seeing on a regular basis during the day. He added, for a lot of people who go to
their noon congregate meals, that is the only social time they have during the day. He said it is much more than
delivering food and eating meals. He said they are asking for the continued use and utility support of the
Madella Hilliard Neighborhood Center. Shell noted they are requesting the same amount of funding and,
although this is a small percentage of their budget and they have a large volunteer base in Georgetown, they
have seen a tremendous increase in cost. Snell asked Brandenburg why the utilities and rental items could not
be part of an actual request in the grant applications in coming years. Brandenburg said he is not adversed to
that and that he feels it is a holdover from year's past when funding was a lot tighter. Shell said he felt it was
inappropriate to list everything on their application. Snell said that WBCO is grandfathered by the social
services budget and they don't have to worry about the guidelines.
recessed -- 5:37pm
resumed -- 5:44pm
Brandenburg gave a brief background of the Children's and Youth Program application process. He said the
City received seven requests for Childrens and Youth Program Funding totaling $70,500. He added, last year,
the Council allocated $25,000 for Children's and Youth Program funding and the proposed budget for the 07/08
fiscal year is about $38,000. He said, last year, they had three applicants and this year they have seven
applicants.
Daniel Anstee of the Clements Boys & Girls Club- Georgetown Stonehaven Unit , said their association name
has changed to "Boys and Girls Club of Central Texas." He gave an overview of which cities are in their
organization. He said they have to sustain themselves through their own fundraising means. He said they are a
new program and this is their second year of operation. He added they are in their summer program. He noted
they have a current active membership of 332. He said their membership is 65% hispanic, 20% caucasian, 15%
African American. He said 75% of the children who came throught the program last year qualified for free and
reduced lunches. Anstee said they are operating out of two units: the Stonehaven Unit and Getsemani
Community Center. He said that they are serving 120 kids per day and one of the big goals of their program is
to help the community in as many ways as possible. He spoke about their partnerships with other
organizations. He noted the money that sustains their program has to come from as many different local entities
as possible. He said the bulk of the cost of their annual budget of $100,000 to $110,000 is predominantly
staffing costs and program supplies. Oliver asked and Anstee said they use the Getsemani Community Center
to help split the children up into age groups. He added the 13-17 year olds have been going to Getsemani in the
afternoons. Sattler asked and Anstee noted they have a management agreement with Killeen. Mayor said and
Anstee agreed that Killeen is their sponsoring corporation. Sattler asked and Anstee said they have total control
over their monies.
Don Loving of the Georgetown Community Service Center aka The Caring Place , said the percentage of the
budget for their Emergency Services is about 5% and the funding for the youth services program they are
proposing is less than I%. He said the over -arching vision of their organization is to break the cycle of poverty.
He added their primary service is emergency assistance to individuals with an emphasis on self-sufficiency. He
added, based on research and experience, they believe the silver bullet to break the cycle of poverty is
education. He said they are crafting a summer program called "Sizzling Summer" which is designed to reach 25
children who would otherwise not have a summer educational experience.
Paulette Taylor of Georgetown Cultural Citizen Memorial Association , spoke about the Willie Hall Center's After
School Tutorial Program. She said the children in this neighborhood enjoy coming to the Willie Hall Center as a
foundation. She added they have the math curriculum from GISD which parallels with what the children are
City Council Meeting Minutes/August 6, 2007
Page 6 of 8 Pages
learning. She said this helps them perform well on the TAKS test. She said they have a comraderie with Carver
and the forwarding schools. She said the main reason for their request is that they have children who have no
one to help them with homework when they get home from school. She added they are hoping to offer
computer classes. She said they are trying to get Southwestern, as well as retired couples who enjoy tutoring
children, to help with the after school program. Taylor noted they try to provide supplies for the families that
cannot always complete their supply list. She said their focus is to help the children achieve. Berryman asked
and Taylor said they have been able to track the children's performances inside and outside of school. She said
they do criminal background checks and, per the parent's permission, they have access to school progress
reports. She said they have a tracking system and work with GISD under Partners in Education. Snell asked
about their relationship with Partners in Education. Taylor said Partners in Education provides the lead tutors
with educational backgrounds or degrees in education and they also get sponsors to provide a stipend for the
lead tutor. She said, as a lead tutor, she works under the umbrella of Partners in Education to provide
educational services. She noted Partners in Education has training for volunteers as well as lead tutors. She
said they are following a supervised guideline and the rest of the responsibilities lie with the Cultural Citizen
Memorial Association.
Doug Smith of the Georgetown Palace Theatre , said the Palace Theatre will be doing 10 productions in the
coming year. He said, in September, they will be doing "You Can't Do That, Dan Moody" which will be
performed in the restored Court House where the original trial took place. Smith spoke about their children
summer workshops. He said the Palace Board of Directors considers this program to be an important part of
our community. He added this is the fourth year they have offered this program and it has grown each year. He
said last summer 350 children were enrolled and, this year, they have nearly 400. He noted the summer
program consists of five two-week sessions for four age groups. He said most kids pay $150 a week for tuition,
but this fee does not cover the whole cost of the program. He added 38 of these children are on scholarship.
He said the children on scholarship are recommended by their teachers and come from parents who cannot
afford the cost. He said they are requesting $10,000 to help subsidize their program. Smith noted the kids
receive training in acting, singing, and dancing. He said they have classes going on at the Palace Theatre, two
spaces on Rock Street, in one of the community rooms at the Library, and in the Main Street Baptist Church
facility. He said they have a small weekend program during the school year which is held in the singing and
dance studios on Rock Street. He said their goal is to give the kids self confidence and a sense of self worth
which will help them succeed in life. He said the program is especially important to the scholarship students
who are mostly at -risk kids. Snell asked where the $10,000 figure came from and spoke about the guidelines
and how they are well crafted to provide scholarships. Sansing asked and Smith said the tuition does not pay
for the full cost of the program. Smith said it pays for the teachers, the rent at the Library, the rent at Rock
Street, and the rent over at the Baptist Church. He said it does not pay for any of the Palace Theatre
overheads. Smith said the cost per student would probably be more than $200. Mayor said the total would
easily equal $10,000. Snell said, if they were to enter into a contract with the Palace Theatre for scholarships,
there should be guidelines for where the money would go so there is accountability.
Darrick McGill of Georgetown Partners in Education , recited their mission statement. He said the request this
year is for $10,000 for their Helping Hands Tutoring program. He said there is an overview of their programs in
the grant application. He noted there are three main volunteer -based programs: Project Mentor, Helping Hands
Tutoring, and Business Link. He said, last year, volunteers mentored 957 GISD students. He said the Helping
Hands Tutoring program is the only no -cost tutoring program in Georgetown. He said their $10,000 request is to
fund the lead tutor stipends at five of their six sites. Sattler asked and McGill confirmed the foundation has been
set up and they are just about to kick off their initial fundraising drive. McGill said the overall foundation of the
program is expanding. He said its first priority is to fund the three core programs and, outside of that, provide
grants for teachers in GISD in order to improve their classrooms and expand their curriculum.
Mary Calixtro of Getsemani Community Center , said their mission is to create community by strengthening
families, connecting cultures and empowering leaders. She spoke about the history of the Center. She said it
was a Methodist Church owned by the Rio Grande Conference that served Spanish speaking Methodists. She
said the Rio Grande Conference was unable to fund the Church, so it stayed vacant for a number of years until
Methodists decided to turn it into a community center. She said they collaborate with both the Boys & Girls
Club, the Literacy Council, and Helping Hands Tutoring. She added they also rent the Center for two families as
well as the Sertoma Club. She described their summer program and said it will end on the 17th of August.
Calixtro said they want to expand the program to target at -risk kids. She added they have gotten a list of these
children from the principals of schools throughout GISD. Sansing said First Methodist Church has been very
active in helping to keep Getsemani going. He said he was the one who lead the team to build the parsonage
and redo the church. He added this program is exactly what social services funding is for because the kids in
the area are indeed at -risk. Calixtro said there are no other programs within walking distance of the nearby
neighborhood. She said she wanted the neighborhood kids to have a place where they feel safe. Snell asked
how the summer program is related to the Boys and Girls Club. Calixtro said the Boys and Girls Club uses the
facility in the afternoon and the summer program is in the morning with K -6th graders.
Gene Davenport of the Georgetown Project , said the Georgetown Project was created 10 years ago as a
City Council Meeting Minutes/August 6, 2007
Page 7 of 8 Pages
vehicle to build collaboration:He said they have about 45 partners, including' rnany of the organizations that just
spoke to Council. He added the Georgetown Project ensures the organizations that influence kids do it in a
professional, responsible way. He said they use a research -based program called Forty Developmental Assets.
He noted those assets are designed to ensure success for children. Davenport said, in 1997, 25% of GISD
students were on free and reduced lunch. He added, today, the number has risen to 37%. He said educational
outcomes are directly related to the economic level and the educational level of the home. He noted the poverty
level in our community is having a direct impact on what is happening with our children. He said through
collaboration and the projects they are promoting, we are well on our way to addressing the needs of these
children so coming from disadvantaged homes is not a liability but an asset. Davenport said they are asking for
$5,000 for the ASAP and KID CITY programs.
Mayor asked that Brandenburg recap what the next steps will be in this process. Brandenburg said the Mayor
will appoint a Council Subcommittee at the next City Council meeting. He said the Subcommittee will go back
through the applications and come up with a formal budget for the two different programs. He said it will then be
presented to City Council for confirmation. Sattler asked and Mayor said the appointment of the Subcommittee
will be at the next meeting and then Council will meet a week or two after that to finalize it. Brandenburg said
they should have a confirmation by the second meeting in August. Mayor said the Subcommittee meets
between the date of appointment and the following meeting in order to make recommendations. Sansing asked
and Brandenburg confirmed they have a total of $348,140 for both the Social Service Funding and Children's
and Youth Program Funding. Sansing said the total being asked for is $384,000. He noted there is only a
$35,860 gap, and he said Council should study the applications to see if these organizations can get the funding
that they have requested. Mayor said the Subcommittee will have to take all of this into consideration.
Motion by Berryman, second by Sansing to adjourn.
adjourned -- 6:21 pm
The meeting was adjourned at 06:21 PM.
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Page 8 of 8 Pages