Two Items Return to City Council: Concho Christmas & Retiree Healthcare

In October City Council discussed two items it will revisit on November 5th.  The first is the Concho Christmas Celebration, which Council approved authorizing the City Manager to negotiate an agreement with Lee Pfluger. Concho Christmas Celebration and Downtown San Angelo.  That agreement is not on the agenda but a $200,000 budget amendment will be considered.

The 10-1-24 background packet mentioned no dollar amount and no projections were given by City Manager Daniel Valenzuela during his brief presentation.  So how can the budget amendment imply that funding was previously approved?   Shouldn't Council approve the negotiated MOU prior to approving a budget amendment?  I realize time is not on the City's side if Lee Pfluger's Concho Christmas Celebration needs to be taken over this year.  The public may or may not hear more as this is but one of a number of budget amendments.

The second item to return for Council consideration is Retiree Health Insurance.  City retirees turned out in force for public comment, governed by a pre-meeting registration process for the first time.  Former Police Chief Russell Smith has spoken on this item for decades.  As someone impacted by the proposal one might expect Smith to get five minutes of public comment time and be allowed to show his presentation.  That was not the case on October 1st.  

To stem large increases the city reduced retiree health benefits further:

This bid would add a $500 annual deductible for health and a $250 charge for Outpatient Surgery.

HR Director Brian Kendrick's memo is not clear on the amounts paid by retirees vs. the city under proposed plan changes.  Hopefully that will be made clear in the meeting.  It's hard for the public to react to information not shared in the agenda packet.  How many will hear new information during the presentation, which is after public comment registration?

I hope Russell Smith gets to speak all he feels he needs to share with City Council on this topic.  

Pre-meeting public comment registration means citizens in the audience cannot provide public comment on any statements made by City Council members during their deliberations.  Those would need to be given in the next council meeting.  

If "Citizens of San Angelo" are truly at the top of the organization chart, they should at least feel they had the opportunity to speak.