Beginning at the November 11, 2020 Council Strategy Session, City Council heard presentations and held Work Sessions concerning future needs of the City of Lubbock. During this Work Session, the City Manager and Staff presented future needs topics as they were brought forth by the City Council in FY 2019 and FY 2020. Two of the topics presented during this planning session were for Fire Station 20 and for street maintenance and enhancement. The Mayor and City Council agreed to explore these needs further through a Future Needs Subcommittee, with Councilmember Jeff Griffith and the Chair and Councilmembers Shelia Patterson Harris and Latrelle Joy as Subcommittee Members. The Committee met weekly, on average, to work through their recommendation to bring forward to the City Council. On February 9, 2021, the subcommittee brought their first presentation for discussion to the Council in Work Session. The subcommittee’s recommendations, as presented by the City Manager, were to proceed immediately with Fire Station 20 and the unimproved/dirt streets paving, as part of a certificate of obligation. Other needs discussed by the subcommittee were either recommended to be funded through a general obligation bond. At the February 23, 2021 regularly called City Council meeting, the subcommittee and City Manager presented a follow-up recommendation for discussion inWork Session. The Council requested that the subcommittee evaluate the need for additional arterial streets projects, including reconstruction of Broadway, as well as the Civic Center renovations and appropriate funding methods for these projects. The subcommittee and the City Manager brought back recommendations during Work Session at the March 23, 2021 regular meeting of the City Council. Due to potential legislative changes regarding financing projects, the Council discussed potential changes to the funding of certain projects with certificates of obligation. The subcommittee recommended moving forward with Fire Station 20, dirt street/unpaved road improvements, and Erskine Avenue from the west City limits to Frankford Avenue, as a single certificate of obligation. All arterial streets, including Broadway, were recommended to be part of a bond election put forward in November 2021. At the following Future Needs Subcommittee meeting, the members requested staff to present a formal resolution to the City Council to fund Fire Station 20, unimproved/dirt streets paving, and Erskine Avenue with Certificates of Obligation. During the April 13, 2021 City Council meeting, the Council again heard an updated list of streets projects proposed by the subcommittee, as well as an update on Broadway reconstruction estimates. During the Regular Session of the Council meeting, the Council considered and unanimously approved a resolution expressing gratitude to the subcommittee for their work and also agreeing to the recommended list of projects proposed by the Future Needs Subcommittee. In a subsequent resolution, 3 projects were proposed to move forward immediately by financing the projects using Certificates of Obligation. The Council ultimately passed this measure by a vote of 5-2. This agenda item contains two resolutions. First is the Reimbursement Resolution, which allows Staff to immediately start working on these projects prior to our bond sale. The second resolution is the Authorization of Publication of Notice of Intent. This resolution authorizes the City to publish a notice of intent in the Lubbock Avalanche Journal to issue Tax and Water and Wastewater System Surplus Revenue Certificates of Obligation (COs). The COs are being issued for the following purposes: 1. Construction, renovation, improvement and extension of City streets and related infrastructure, vehicles and equipment, including sidewalks, street lighting, traffic signals/controllers and traffic signal communication systems, signage, drainage, landscaping, utility improvements, extensions, relocations and acquisition of land and rights-of-way in connection therewith; 2. Construction, improvement, renovation, and equipment of Fire Department facilities and acquisition of land, buildings and other facilities related thereto (collectively, the “Project”), and 3. Payment of professional services of attorneys, financial advisors, engineers, and other professionals in connection with the Project and the issuance of the Certificates. All projects funded through this CO issuance were discussed and approved by the Future Needs Committee of the City Council. Specifically, these Certificates are intended for paving of dirt streets throughout Lubbock, reconstruction of a portion of Erskine Avenue that will service a Fire Station and the North Police Substation, and for the construction of Fire Station 20. |