[Public Hearing] [00:02:23] JAMES VALADEZ: GOOD MORNING. I'D LIKE TO CALL THE PUBLIC HEARING [1. Call to Order] OF THE TRAVIS CENTRAL APPRAISAL DISTRICT BOARD OF DIRECTORS TO ORDER THE TIME IS 11:32 ON THURSDAY, AUGUST 24 2023 WE'RE [2. Establishment of Quorum] CONDUCTING THIS MEETING AT TCAD HEADQUARTERS, LOCATED AT 850 EAST ANDERSON LANE IN AUSTIN, TEXAS, AND A QUORUM IS PRESENT. WE'RE ALSO CONTINUING TO PROVIDE THIS MEETING THROUGH ONLINE BROADCAST AS A COURTESY. THE FIRST ITEM ON OUR AGENDA IS [3. Citizens Communication] CITIZENS COMMUNICATION. DO WE HAVE ANYBODY SIGNED UP? WE WILL MOVE ON TO ITEM FOUR, WHICH IS THE PUBLIC HEARING ON THE PROPOSED 2024 TRAVIS CENTRAL [4. Public Hearing on Proposed 2024 Travis Central Appraisal District Budget] APPRAISAL DISTRICT BUDGET TO INCLUDE THE OPEN PUBLIC HEARING RECEIVE PUBLIC COMMENT ON THE 2024 PROPOSED BUDGET, AND TO CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING. OKAY, WE'LL MOVE ON TO ITEM FIVE, [5. Public Hearing on Proposed 2023/2024 Travis Central Appraisal District Reappraisal Plan Amendments] PUBLIC HEARING ON THE PROPOSED 2023 2024 TRAVIS CENTRAL APPRAISAL DISTRICT APPRAISAL DISTRICT, REAPPRAISAL PLAN AMENDMENTS. WE WILL OPEN THE PUBLIC HEARING RECEIVE PUBLIC COMMENT ON THE PROPOSED 2023 2024 REAPPRAISAL PLAN AMENDMENTS, AND CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING. ABSOLUTELY. AND THOSE WERE UPLOADED EARLIER IN THE EARLIER IN THE WEEK AS WELL TO THE WEBSITE. DEBORAH CARTWRIGHT: THANK YOU. JAMES VALADEZ: AND THEN WE WILL ADJOURN THE PUBLIC HEARING. SO [6. Adjournment] NOW THE TIME WE WILL WAIT FOR 11:35 FOR THE START OF THE REGULAR AGENDA. [Regular Meeting] [00:05:02] GOOD MORNING. I'D LIKE TO CALL THE REGULAR MEETING OF THE [1. Call to Order] TRAVIS CENTRAL APPRAISAL DISTRICT BOARD OF DIRECTORS TO ORDER THE TIME IS 11:35 ON THURSDAY, AUGUST 24, 2023 WE'RE [2. Establishment of Quorum] CONDUCTING THIS MEETING AT TCAD HEADQUARTERS, LOCATED AT 850 ANDERSON LANE IN AUSTIN, TEXAS, AND A QUORUM IS PRESENT. WE'RE ALSO CONTINUING TO PROVIDE THIS MEETING AS A COURTESY THROUGH ONLINE BROADCAST. THE FIRST ITEM ON OUR AGENDA, CITIZENS [3. Citizens Communication] COMMUNICATION, DO WE HAVE ANYONE SIGNED UP FOR CITIZENS COMMUNICATION ON OUR REGULAR AGENDA. WE WILL MOVE ON TO ITEM [4. Consent Agenda] FOUR, WHICH IS THE CONSENT AGENDA. THESE ITEMS MAY BE ACTED UPON BY ONE MOTION, A SEPARATE DISCUSSION OR VOTE ON ANY ITEMS WILL BE HAD, UNLESS REQUESTED BY A BOARD MEMBER. THE CONSENT AGENDA INCLUDES THE APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES OF THE JUNE 12, 2023 MEETING, SECTION 25.25B REPORT, THE ACCOUNTING STATEMENTS, BUDGET LINE ITEM TRANSFERS AND PERSONNEL REPORT. I'LL GIVE THE BOARD MEMBERS SOME TIME TO REVIEW THOSE ITEMS, AND IF ANYONE WOULD LIKE ANY OF THOSE ITEMS PULLED FOR FURTHER DISCUSSION, WE CAN PULL IT AT THE TIME AND THEN ENTERTAIN A MOTION FOR THE BALANCE. TOM BUCKLE: I MOTION TO APPROVE. OSEZUA EHIYAMEN: I MOVE DR. OSEZUA. I MOVE THE MOTION. JAMES VALADEZ: OKAY. IT'S BEEN MOVED BY MR. BUCKLE AND SECONDED BY DR O. IS THERE ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? BLANCA ZAMORA GARCIA: ON THE, ON THE IT WAS CONCERNING THE PAYMENT OF THE $5,000 I THINK, DIDN'T YOU ALSO SAY THAT WE WERE TO THEN ASK OUR ATTORNEYS TO ASK SO THE OTHER ATTORNEYS TO PAY THAT BACK. MARYA CRIGLER: WE'VE GOT THAT ON. WE'LL PICK THAT UP IN OUR DISCUSSION AND POSSIBLE ACTION ON LITIGATION AND APPEALS. BLANCA ZAMORA GARCIA: OKAY, BECAUSE I DIDN'T SEE IT IN JAMES VALADEZ: ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION ON THE CONSENT AGENDA. OKAY, WE WILL TAKE A VOTE. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR, ALL THOSE OPPOSED. THAT PASSES UNANIMOUSLY. WE WILL MOVE ON TO [5. Regular Agenda] ITEM FIVE OF OUR REGULAR AGENDA, FIVE A DISCUSSION AND POSSIBLE [a. Discussion and Possible Action on Taxpayer Liaison Report] ACTION ON THE TAXPAYER LIAISON REPORT. BETTY THOMPSON, TAXPAYER LIAISON: I'VE INCLUDED IN YOUR PACKET THE ACTIVITY LOG THAT IS IN A CONTINUATION OF WHAT YOU HAD SEEN LAST MONTH. I DO WANT TO POINT OUT THAT IN APRIL, THE NUMBER OF CONTACTS THAT I HAD PEAKED, AND THEY'VE BEEN FALLING EVER SINCE TO THE MOST RECENTLY COMPLETED MONTH IN JULY, WHICH WAS ONLY 50% OF THE VOLUME OR ACTIVITY THAT I HAD EXPERIENCED. I THINK SOME OF THAT IS DUE BECAUSE ON THE WEBSITE, WE HAVE PUT INFORMATIONAL GROUP, NINE MODULES THAT ARE MANAGING YOUR PROTEST ONLINE. AND I THINK THE PROPERTY OWNERS HAVE TAKEN ADVANTAGE OF THAT, AND THEY NO LONGER ASK ME THE HOW TO QUESTIONS, BECAUSE THEY'RE RIGHT THERE ON THE WEBSITE FOR THEM. BUT I EXPECT THE ACTIVITY WILL PICK UP, BECAUSE IN THE COMING MONTHS, THE HOMEOWNERS, THE INDIVIDUAL HOMEOWNERS, ARE SCHEDULED FOR THEIR ARB HEARINGS, AND AS WE KNOW FROM EXPERIENCE, THEY'RE LOOKING FOR SOMEONE TO ADVOCATE FOR THEIR OPINION, AND SO THEY CONTACT THE TAXPAYER LIAISON. SO DURING THIS LAST PERIOD OF TIME, I HAVE SEEN THE QUESTIONS REGARDING EXEMPTIONS FALL BACK IN VOLUME, AND THERE ARE MORE GENERAL QUESTIONS ABOUT THE HOW TOS. I DON'T REALLY CONSIDER THOSE COMPLAINTS, BUT I DO FIND THAT IT'S AN INCREASING NUMBER OF 2022 INQUIRIES PEOPLE ARE GETTING THEIR 2023 PROTESTS RESOLVED. AND THEY THINK, WELL, I SHOULD HAVE DONE THAT IN 2022 SO THEY SEND ME AN EMAIL WANTING TO KNOW, WHAT CAN I DO ABOUT 2022 SO I AM BEGINNING TO DIRECT PROPERTY OWNERS TO THE TRACKS, TAX TRANSPARENCY LINK, AND SO THAT THEY CAN GET AN IDEA, IF THEIR TAXING ENTITY HAS REPORTED THEIR RATES, WHAT THEIR TAXES IN 2023 WILL BE. SO THEN THE OTHER THING THAT I'VE PROVIDED YOU IS THE COMPLETE LOG BY ZIP CODE. THIS TIME, I INCLUDED THE SCHOOL DISTRICTS, BECAUSE I IDENTIFY AREAS BY SCHOOL DISTRICTS MUCH BETTER THAN I DO ZIP CODES. SO PFLUGERVILLE IS STILL AN AREA THAT SEEMS TO NEED EDUCATION, AND I KNOW MISS MARTINEZ IS WORKING ON SCHEDULING ADDITIONAL TOWN HOME MEETINGS OUT IN THE PFLUGERVILLE MANOR AREA. YOU, BUT I'VE LISTED THE TOP ONES THAT HAVE SENT ME INFORMATION. SO SINCE OUR LAST MEETING, WE TALKED ABOUT CONTACTING THE ADMINISTRATIVE JUDGE, THE LOCAL ADMINISTRATIVE JUDGE, TO FULFILL YOUR APPROVED LEVEL OF 74 ARB MEMBERS. I DID THAT. SHE HAD APPLICATIONS ON FILE. SHE WENT AHEAD AND INTERVIEWED THOSE APPLICANTS AND APPOINTED NINE NEW MEMBERS TO THE BOARD, AND THAT MADE RAISE THEM TO A LEVEL OF 72 SO WE NEVER REACHED THE FULL COMPLEMENT OF 74 AND THEN MY FINAL PAGE IN YOUR REPORT IS THE LEGISLATION THAT IMPACTS THE TLO HOUSE BILL, 1285, I JUST HIGHLIGHTED A COUPLE OF THINGS, AND I THINK YOU'LL HEAR MORE ABOUT THIS LATER IN YOUR MEETING. SO I WON'T GO INTO ANY DETAIL. THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS WILL BE REQUIRED TO EVALUATE THE TLO. I THINK THAT IS BECAUSE WE ARE GOING TO BE GIVEN A 90 DAY PERIOD TO INVESTIGATE AND RESPOND TO ANY TYPE OF INQUIRY THAT WE MIGHT HAVE. THEN THE COMPTROLLER IS GOING TO BE REQUIRED TO CREATE A TRAINING SESSION OF NO LESS THAN TWO HOURS FOR THE TLOS ACROSS ACROSS THE STATE. SO DURING 2024 EACH TLO WILL HAVE TO TAKE THAT TRAINING. SO THERE ARE A COUPLE OF NEW THINGS THAT I'M WAITING TO HEAR MORE ABOUT. ONE IS THAT THE TLO SEEMS TO BE REQUIRED IN THE FUTURE TO PROVIDE INFORMATION TO THE PROPERTY OWNER IN PREPARING AND FILING FOR LIMITED BINDING ARBITRATION. THEN THE OTHER THING IS THAT WE'RE TO HELP THE PROPERTY OWNER IN FILING A REQUEST OR WITH THEIR EVIDENCE FOR THEIR PROTEST HEARING. SO I DON'T I'M NOT ABSOLUTELY SURE AT THIS POINT. THOSE ARE TWO THINGS THAT I'LL WANT TO KNOW MORE ABOUT. AND SO THAT CONCLUDES, IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT MY ACTIVITY LOG OR ANYTHING THAT I'M DOING. [00:10:51] JAMES VALADEZ: MISS CARTWRIGHT DEBORAH CARTWRIGHT: I DON'T SEE IT. THERE WE GO. I WANT TO COMMEND YOU FOR YOUR WAY THAT YOU'RE HANDLING THE COMMENTS AND COMPLAINTS FROM TAXPAYERS, I NOTED THAT YOU'RE REFERRING A LOT OF PEOPLE TO THE COMPTROLLER'S WEBSITE FOR HOW TO PROTEST, AND I THINK THAT IS REALLY A GOOD PRACTICE TO JUST MOVE IT ON AND NOT SPEND ALL YOUR TIME HAVING TO DEAL WITH THAT. I TOO, AM CONCERNED ABOUT THE NEW LEGISLATION, AND LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING WITH YOU FROM THE BOARD'S PERSPECTIVE ON HOW TO DEAL WITH THESE NEW REQUIREMENTS. BUT ONE THING I WANTED TO MENTION, AND I THINK WE TALKED TO YOU ABOUT THIS WHEN WE'RE DOING OUR INTERVIEWS, IS THAT THERE'S A PROVISION IN THE TAX CODE THAT SAYS THAT THE TECH, THE TAXPAYER LIAISON OFFICER, SHALL ADMINISTER THE PUBLIC ACCESS FUNCTIONS OF 6.0, 4D, AND F IN THE TAX CODE, AND SPECIFICALLY UNDER F, IT SAYS THAT THE BOARD SHALL PREPARE INFORMATION. I WROTE IT DOWN FOR MYSELF A PUBLIC INTEREST DESCRIBING THE FUNCTIONS OF THE BOARD AND THE BOARD'S PROCEDURES BY WHICH COMPLAINTS ARE FILED AND RESOLVED BY THE BOARD, THE BOARD SHALL MAKE OF THE INFORMATION AVAILABLE TO THE PUBLIC AND THE APPROPRIATE TAXING JURISDICTIONS. I HOPE, ONCE THIS ARB SEASON IS OVER, THAT WE CAN WORK WITH YOU ON HOW WE CAN FACILITATE THAT AND MAKE SURE THAT OUR PROCEDURES FOR PUBLIC ACCESS ARE UP TO DATE, AND THEN DETERMINE HOW YOU BEST CAN HELP US GET THAT INFORMATION OUT IN THE PUBLIC, WHETHER IT'S A WEBINAR, A BROCHURE OR WHATEVER WE THINK WE MIGHT BE ABLE TO DO. AND I JUST WANTED TO ALERT YOU THAT THIS IS SOMETHING THAT I FEEL VERY STRONGLY WE NEED TO WORK TOGETHER TO MAKE TO MAKE IT WORK. AND THAT'S THE SECTION TAX CODE THAT WE HAVEN'T DONE MUCH WITH. AND I WOULD LIKE TO START BE MORE PROACTIVE. SO BE THINKING ABOUT THAT FOR THE FALL. BETTY THOMPSON, TAXPAYER LIAISON: I'M ALSO THINKING ABOUT YOUR GENERAL INQUIRY CATEGORIES. YES, IT'S NOW REACHED 50% AND THAT'S BECAUSE THESE INQUIRIES THAT I RECEIVED DON'T FIT IN THOSE OTHER CATEGORIES, AND THESE CATEGORIES WERE CARRIED FORWARD FROM A PRIOR YEAR. SO IN THE COMING MONTHS, I'M GOING TO TRY TO GIVE YOU MORE DEFINITION OF WHAT IS IN THAT GENERAL INQUIRY CATEGORY. ARE THEY ASKING ME WEB QUESTIONS, HOW TO PREPARE FOR THEIR ARB HEARING, WHAT ARE THOSE THINGS THAT ARE FALLING INTO JUST A GENERAL CATEGORY? DEBORAH CARTWRIGHT: YEAH AND TO THE EXTENT THAT YOU CAN REFER THEM TO STAFF, APPRAISAL DISTRICT STAFF, THAT'S ALSO IMPORTANT TO TO FIGURE OUT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MR. CHAIRMAN. [00:15:02] JAMES VALADEZ: THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE REPORT. WE'LL MOVE ON TO 5B DISCUSSION AND POSSIBLE ACTION ON APPRAISAL REVIEW BOARD [b. Discussion and Possible Action on Appraisal Review Board Chairman Report] CHAIRMAN REPORT. CRAIG PHIFER, ARB CHAIR: GOOD MORNING. THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY. I THINK OCTOBER WAS THE LAST TIME I WAS HERE, WHEN I WAS HERE IN OCTOBER. SO TO PIGGYBACK ON A SUBJECT FROM THE JUDGE'S OFFICE, SO WHEN WE LAST LEFT, WHEN I WAS LEFT LAST YEAR, WE LEFT WITH THE THE ARMSTRONGS ARE REPRESENTED, OUR LEGAL REPRESENTATION FOR THE ARB, WE'RE TASKED WITH INVESTIGATING AND BRINGING A OPINION TO THE JUDGE ON WHAT HER RESPONSIBILITIES ARE. THAT WAS ACHIEVED ABOUT NOVEMBER, AND DIDN'T GET A CHANCE TO REPORT THAT TO Y'ALL. BUT THE FINDINGS WERE THAT THERE WAS NO JUST THERE WAS NO ACTION TAKEN BY THE CHAIR OF THE ARB THAT WAS A REMOVABLE OFFENSE. THERE WAS ALLEGATION OF COLLUSION BETWEEN THE CHAIR AND THE TCAD, WHICH THE JUDGE FOUND MEAN THE ARMSTRONG'S FOUND NO ACTIVITY OF SUCH THERE WAS A MISUNDERSTANDING IN THE JUDGES, WITHIN THE JUDGE'S OFFICE, AND WHAT WE FOUND, WHAT THE ARMSTRONG FOUND, WAS AN EX PARTE COMMUNICATIONS TAKING PLACE WITHIN THE JUDGE'S OFFICE, SO THE ACTUAL OFFENDING PARTY WERE INSIDE THE JUDGE'S OFFICE, AND THE JUDGE HAS TAKEN SOME APPROPRIATE ACTIONS TO FIX THAT. SO WHERE DOES THAT LEAVE US? THAT LEFT US WITH A COUPLE MEETINGS WITH THE JUDGE HERSELF, WITH THE ARMSTRONGS, JULIA ARMSTRONG AND MYSELF, SPEAKING WITH THE JUDGE TO UNDERSTAND HER ROLE IN THE ARB. THERE WAS A MISUNDERSTANDING THAT THEY HAD THE RESPONSIBILITIES FOR THE ARB OUTSIDE OF APPOINTING AND REMOVING MEMBERS. SO THEY WERE THE JUDGE WAS MADE AWARE THAT THAT WAS HER ROLE, AND NOW SHE UNDERSTANDS THAT BETTER. THAT'S THE THAT'S THE LA DJ. SO WE HAD AN ADDITIONAL MEETING IN ORDER TO GET WE WERE MANDATED TO 74 IN ORDER TO GET THAT NUMBER, WE WERE CARRYING ON OUR ROLE OF 76 IN ORDER TO GET THAT NUMBER TO THE DOWN TO 74 AND TO HAVE PEOPLE REPLACED WHO ARE PARTICIPATING, WE ASKED THE JUDGE TO REMOVE OR RESCIND SOME OF HER APPOINTMENTS. SHE WAS RELUCTANT TO DO SO, NOT UNDERSTANDING HER ROLE, AND AFTER CONVERSATIONS, SHE WAS BROUGHT TO UNDERSTAND THAT THE IMPORTANCE OF REMOVING THEM WAS SO THAT WE COULD VACATE A POSITION TO PUT PEOPLE IN WHO WERE WILLING TO WORK AND SHOW UP. ONCE SHE UNDERSTAND THAT, UNDERSTOOD THAT IT WAS, IT WAS LIKE A LIGHT GOING OFF FOR HER. IT WAS AN AHA MOMENT, AND THAT WAS GOOD. AND SO SHE REALIZED THE IMPORTANCE. SHE HAS SINCE MADE NINE APPOINTMENTS FROM PEOPLE WHO HAD APPLIED EARLIER AND HAD BECAUSE SHE HAD NOT MADE ANY APPOINTMENTS LAST YEAR FOR 2022 SHE WAS ABLE TO DRAW FROM THAT POOL REAL QUICKLY, GET US NINE APPOINTMENTS, SEVEN OF WHICH ARE WORKING, TWO OF WHICH RESPONDED. SO WE'RE STILL BACK IN THAT SITUATION, BUT WE'RE AT 73 APPOINTEES RIGHT NOW. SO AS OF LAST WEEK, WITH THAT 73 WE HAVE 49 FULL TIME EQUIVALENTS WORKING LAST WEEK. THAT MEANS WE HAVE 14 PEOPLE TAKING OFF. WE HAVE A LITTLE BIT OF COVID SITUATION RUNNING THROUGH THE ROOM, BUT WE'RE DEALING WITH IT, AND WE'RE WE'RE COVID, WE'RE MAKING IT HAPPEN. WE'RE USING SINGLE MEMBER PANELS. WHEN WE CAN, ANYBODY WILL AGREE TO IT, AND LOT OF PEOPLE WILL. THE CAD STAFF IS WORKING DILIGENTLY, ASSISTING US WITH THAT. IT JUST, IT'S A GOOD WORKING ENVIRONMENT RIGHT NOW. WE'RE JUST TRYING TO GET THROUGH THIS AS BEST WE CAN. WE DO HAVE A HIGHLY AS OF WEEKENDING 818, WE HAD 85 POINT 48% NO SHOW RATE. BUT THAT NO SHOW RATE WILL BE IT'S ALREADY GETTING ERODED, AND PEOPLE ARE SENDING US EMAILS CONSTANTLY. I MISSED MY HEARING. I WOULD LIKE, I DON'T KNOW WHAT HAPPENED. JAMES VALADEZ: I'M SORRY, DID YOU SAY 85%? CRAIG PHIFER, ARB CHAIR: YES SIR, I DID NOW AND THOSE NUMBERS THE EXECUTIVE STAFF FOR TCAD WAS. WE'RE KIND ENOUGH TO PROVIDE THAT INFORMATION. SO, YES, 85 I THINK WE'RE STILL [00:20:06] HITTING ABOUT 81 THIS WEEK. IF YOU WALK INTO THE ROOM, IT LOOKS PRETTY FULL RIGHT NOW, SO PEOPLE ARE STARTING TO SHOW UP, BUT WE'LL SEE, AND WE'LL, YOU KNOW, WE'LL PUSH BACK ON, YOU KNOW, IF THEY DON'T SHOW UP, THEY HAVE REMEDIES, AND AS LONG AS THEY AS LONG AS THEY EXERCISE THEIR REMEDIES, WILL APPLY THE STATUTES APPROPRIATELY. COST PER HEARING OR EFFICIENCY. EFFICIENCY RATE GOT EXCELLENT, REALLY HIGH. I THINK DURING THIS EARLY PART OF THE SUMMER, A LOT OF IS ATTRIBUTED TO THE TCAD STAFF AND THE AGENTS WORKING TOGETHER IN THE PANEL ROOMS, BUT NOT AS CONTENTIOUS AS IT'S BEEN IN THE PAST, AND OUR OUR PANELS, RECOGNIZING THAT AND WORKING WITH IT THEMSELVES. SO WE WERE AT A WE GOT OUR COST DOWN TO 33 POINT 63 PER HEARING, WHICH IS NOT AS LOW AS I THINK 2019 WAS THE LOWEST, BUT IT'S BETTER THAN THE PRIOR THREE YEARS. AND WITH THAT, WE ALL ARE CLOSE. THAT'S ALL I GOT. APPRECIATE IT. JAMES VALADEZ: THANK YOU SO MUCH. I APPRECIATE YOUR WORK TOWARDS KEEPING THAT COST, FOR HEARING DOWN AND BEING COGNIZANT OF THAT EXPENSE. CRAIG PHIFER, ARB CHAIR: SURE. THANK YOU. YES, MA'AM, BLANCA ZAMORA GARCIA: BECAUSE YOU DIDN'T HAVE ENOUGH STAFF SO CRAIG PHIFER, ARB CHAIR: THERE'S NO SHOW RATE OF 85% HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH THE AVAILABILITY OF THE MEMBERS. IT'S MERELY THEY DON'T SHOW UP. BLANCA ZAMORA GARCIA: YEAH, SO YOU DON'T NEED THAT HEARING. CRAIG PHIFER, ARB CHAIR: IT'S A IT'S A STAT, IT'S A STATUTORY REQUIREMENT THAT THAT IS SHOULD BE DONE. BUT THERE'S NO THERE'S NO TEETH IN IT, THAT IT'S MANDATORY. THERE'S NO REPERCUSSIONS IF IT'S NOT DONE. I BELIEVE I WOULD HAVE TO DEFER, IF YOU DON'T MIND. MR. CRIGLER ON THE OPERATIONS OF THE REMINDERS AND TCAD. MARYA CRIGLER: SO IF THEY SUBMIT THEIR THEIR PROTEST BY THE PORTAL, WE PUT ALL THAT INFORMATION AVAILABLE TO THEM IN THEIR PORTAL. THEY GET THE EMAIL OF THEIR HEARING. IF THEY REQUEST A REMINDER, WE'LL SEND A REMINDER, BUT WE DON'T HAVE VERY MANY PEOPLE THAT ARE REQUESTING IT. WE ALSO POST THE HEARING DATE OUTSIDE OF THE PORTAL ON OUR REGULAR PROPERTY SEARCH, SO PROPERTY OWNERS AT ANY TIME CAN GO TO OUR WEBSITE AND GET A REMINDER AND SEE WHEN THEIR HEARING IS ACTUALLY SCHEDULED. TOM BUCKLE: BECAUSE I'VE NOTICED A REMINDER CERTAINLY HELPS. AND YOU KNOW, ANY DOCTOR APPOINTMENT, YOU GET A REMINDER. JAMES VALADEZ: MR. ELFANT. CRAIG PHIFER, ARB CHAIR: ANYTHING ELSE? BRUCE ELFANT: COULD WE DO AN AUTOMATIC REMINDER IF WE'RE GOING TO 81% NO SHOW RATE? SEEMS LIKE MAYBE WE OUGHT TO LOOK AT DOING AUTOMATIC REMINDERS, MAYBE WITH SOME LANGUAGE IN THERE ABOUT, YOU KNOW, IF YOU DON'T SHOW WE WILL RESCHEDULE YOU ACCORDING TO STATUTE, BUT IT'S GOING TO BE A WHILE. MARYA CRIGLER: WE ALWAYS HAVE A HIGH NO SHOW RATE. A LOT OF TIMES, THE PROTESTS THAT WE GET ARE PEOPLE THAT ARE FOLLOWING THE PROTEST JUST BECAUSE THEY WANT TO SEE THE EVIDENCE, AND SO THEY GET THE EVIDENCE. THEY'RE SATISFIED. THEY FORGET TO WITHDRAW THEIR PROTEST. WE STILL CARRY IT ON THE BOOKS BECAUSE IT HASN'T BEEN OFFICIALLY WITHDRAWN, BUT THEY'VE GOTTEN WHAT THEY'VE NEEDED, AND THEY DON'T INTEND TO SHOW UP TO THE TO THE FORMAL HEARING, BECAUSE IT WAS, AGAIN, THAT'S THE ONLY MECHANISM THAT THEY HAVE TO SEE THE EVIDENCE, BECAUSE THAT SALES INFORMATION IS CONFIDENTIAL, AND WE CAN ONLY RELEASE IT IF THERE IS A PROTEST, CANCEL A HEARING. YES, WE HAVE AN ONLINE OPPORTUNITY FOR THEM TO GO ONLINE, AND THEY CAN WITHDRAW THEIR PROTEST ONLINE. THEY CAN MAKE A REQUEST FOR RESCHEDULE ONLINE. SO WE HAVE AUTOMATED A LOT OF THE PROCESSES FOR PROPERTY OWNERS. CRAIG PHIFER, ARB CHAIR: WHAT ONE COMPONENT INTO THE NO SHOW RATE, I THINK THAT WE FORGET WE'RE NOT TALKING ABOUT IN THIS ROOM, IS THAT THE LEGISLATORS MET THIS THIS YEAR. THERE'S A LOT OF CONVERSATION, AS YOU ALL, I'M SURE, EXTREMELY AWARE ABOUT TAX RATES AND SUBSIDIES FOR PROPERTY OWNERS TO REDUCE THEIR TAXES. SO THAT HAS PLAYED MOST PEOPLE DON'T CALL US ABOUT THEIR MARKET VALUE. THEY CALL US BECAUSE THEY'RE UPSET, OR THEY SEND AN EMAIL BECAUSE THEY'RE UPSET ABOUT THEIR TAXES. THEY DON'T TALK ABOUT THEIR VALUE SO MUCH, I THINK ONCE THEY HAD SOME OF THAT ALLEVIATED, AND THEY'RE NOT AS CONCERNED AS THEY WERE ANYWAY, ALL RIGHT, DEBORAH CARTWRIGHT: ADDRESSES SO THERE'S NO WAY TO DO A REMINDER [00:25:01] LIKE YOU DO IN YOUR DOCTOR'S OFFICE, BECAUSE THAT INFORMATION ISN'T AVAILABLE TO THE APPRAISAL DISTRICT. JAMES VALADEZ: ANY OTHER COMMENTS? THANK YOU SO MUCH. CRAIG PHIFER, ARB CHAIR: THANK YOU ALL FOR HAVING ME. JAMES VALADEZ: WE WILL MOVE ON TO ITEM 5C DISCUSSION AND POSSIBLE ACTION TO INCLUDE ADOPTION OF THE 2024 PROPOSED BUDGET. MARYA CRIGLER: AND I WILL LET LEANA START THE PRESENTATION ON THE BUDGET. LEANA MANN: SO OUR 2024 PROPOSED BUDGET TOTALS, $29,884,516 THAT'S A 16.36% INCREASE OVER THE 2023 BUDGET. THE ONLY CHANGE FROM OUR JUNE PROPOSED BUDGET WAS THE EXTRA COST FOR SB2 IMPLEMENTATION, SPECIFICALLY THE ELECTION OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS. WE'RE ESTIMATING THAT'LL COST ABOUT $2 MILLION SO OUR OUR ACTUAL INCREASE FROM JUNE IS A DIFFERENCE OF 1.7 4 MILLION. WE WERE ABLE TO CUT BACK ON SOME COSTS. SO OUR INCREASE IN EXPENDITURES OUTSIDE OF THE UNFUNDED MANDATES IS SIX AND A HALF PERCENT. MARYA CRIGLER: SO SB2 REQUIRES THAT WE HAVE THREE ELECTED MEMBERS OF OUR BOARD OF DIRECTORS. SORRY. SB TWO IS REQUIRING THAT WE HAVE WE ADD THREE ELECTED BOARD OF DIRECTOR MEMBERS, AND THAT FIRST ELECTION HAS TO HAPPEN IN MAY OF 2024 AND THAT BILL GOT PASSED IN JULY, WHICH WAS AFTER OUR JUNE MEETING, BUT WE FOUND OUT THAT WE ARE GOING TO BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE COST OF THAT ELECTION, SO WE HAD TO MAKE AN AMENDMENT TO OUR BUDGET TO COVER THE COST OF THE ELECTION. WE TALKED TO OUR LOCAL TRAVIS COUNTY ELECTIONS ADMINISTRATOR, AND THE MOST RECENT COUNTY WIDE ELECTION THAT THEY HAD TO USE AS AN EXAMPLE WAS IN 2022 WHERE THEY HAD A COUNTY WIDE ELECTION, AND THEY GAVE US THE COST FOR TRAVIS COUNTY, WHICH WAS $563,000 FOR THEIR COST. BUT 2022 WAS ALSO A YEAR THAT A LOT OF TAXING ENTITIES ALSO WENT OUT FOR ELECTIONS, AND SO THAT COST GETS SHARED AMONGST ALL THE TAXING ENTITIES THAT ARE PARTICIPATING. WE DON'T KNOW IN MAY OF 2024 HOW MANY TAXING ENTITIES MAY PARTICIPATE, LOOKING AT SOME OF THE PRIOR YEARS, LOOKING AT 2021, AND 2020, AND 2019, IN 2020, I LOOKED AT THE ELECTION RESULTS. ELECTION RESULTS, AND I COULDN'T FIND ANY FOR MAY. SO I DON'T THINK WE HAD A MAY ELECTION, WHICH MEANS THAT WE WOULD HAVE TO BEAR THE ENTIRE COST OF THAT ELECTION. AND THEN LOOKING AT THE OTHER YEARS, BASED ON OUR PARCEL PERCENTAGE, WE WOULD STILL HAVE TO BEAR 80 TO 85% OF THE COST. AND SO THE TOTAL COST OF THE ELECTION, WHEN WE TALKED TO THE ELECTION ADMINISTRATOR WAS $1.2 MILLION AND SO WE ALLOCATED 80% OF THAT NUMBER WOULD BE OUR COST, WHICH WAS A MILLION DOLLARS. BUT THEN WE ALSO HAVE TO THINK AND PLAN FOR IF THERE IS A TIE, AND RIGHT NOW WE DON'T HAVE MUCH DIRECTION FROM EITHER THE LEGISLATURE OR THE SECRETARY OF STATE, BUT IF THERE'S A TIE, USUALLY YOU HAVE TO HAVE A RUNOFF ELECTION, AND THAT WOULD BE YET ANOTHER COUNTY WIDE ELECTION THAT WE WOULD HAVE TO FUND TO COVER FOR THE FOR THE RUNOFF. SO WE ESTIMATED A TOTAL OF $1.7 MILLION TOTAL COST TO DO ALL OF THOSE ELECTIONS. I WOULD RECOMMEND MOVING FORWARD THAT IF THERE ARE OTHER ENTITIES, AND WE HOPE THAT THERE'S OTHER BIG ENTITIES, LIKE AUSTIN ISD, OR THE CITY OF AUSTIN THAT WOULD SHARE THE COST OF THOSE ELECTIONS WITH US, THEN WE CAN LOOK AT DOING AN EARLY CREDIT AGAINST THEIR PAYMENTS IN THIRD OR FOURTH QUARTER IF WE WIND UP NOT NEEDING AS MUCH MONEY AS WE HAVE BUDGETED. BUT AT THIS POINT, IT IS SO UNKNOWN WE CAN ONLY PLAN FOR MAKING SURE THAT WE'VE GOT ENOUGH MONEY TO COVER WHAT WE'RE GOING TO BE REQUIRED TO DO. JAMES VALADEZ: SO JUST SO WE'RE CLEAR, WE'RE WE'RE BUDGETING NOT ONLY FOR THE GENERAL BUT ALSO THE POTENTIAL FOR A RUNOFF, JUST TO SHOW THAT WE'RE BAKING IN BOTH OF THOSE COSTS CORRECT? MARYA CRIGLER: JUST IN CASE, BECAUSE WE DON'T KNOW. AND SO I THINK WE SHOULD PLAN FOR ANY OCCASION, AND IF WE DON'T NEED IT, THEN WE CAN CREDIT THAT BACK AND NOT SPEND IT. BUT I WOULD RATHER HAVE THE PLAN IN PLACE TO TO DO WHAT WE WERE REQUIRED TO DO. OSEZUA EHIYAMEN: SO WHY IS THE BUDGET NOW THE 1,000,00 1.7 MILLION MARYA CRIGLER: OUR TOTAL PROPOSED BUDGET IS 29,884,005 OSEZUA EHIYAMEN: NO, I'M TALKING ON THE ELECTION. MARYA CRIGLER: OH, FOR THE ELECTION, THE LAST ELECTION COST TOTAL FOR THE ELECTION ADMINISTRATOR, THEY SAID IT WAS A TOTAL COST OF $1.23 MILLION WE'RE GOING TO PLAN FOR 1.7 ASSUMING THAT THERE'S GOING TO BE SOME OTHERS THAT WILL SHARE IN THE COST. AND THEN ALSO HAVE MONEY AS A CONTINGENCY TO COVER IN CASE WE HAVE TO DO A RUNOFF. JAMES VALADEZ: ANY OTHER COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS ON DEBORAH CARTWRIGHT: YOU HAD INDICATED EARLIER THIS WEEK WHEN WE VISITED THAT THERE MAY BE SOME MOVEMENT TOWARDS SOME. IN A SPECIAL SESSION, MOVING THAT ELECTION FROM MAY TO NOVEMBER. [00:30:04] MARYA CRIGLER: YES, SO THERE IS, IT'S AN UNFUNDED MANDATE, AND IT WAS REALLY UNKNOWN. NOW THAT THE COSTS ARE COMING IN FROM ALL THE APPRAISAL DISTRICTS STATEWIDE AND THE BUDGET IMPACT, THERE MAY BE SOME CONSIDERATION WE DON'T KNOW, BUT THERE MAY BE SOME CONSIDERATION OF MAYBE DELAYING THAT AGAIN, WE DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S GOING TO BE THE CASE. WE'RE GOING TO PLAN FOR THE MAY ELECTION AS THE LAW IS CURRENTLY WRITTEN, BUT IF THAT IS THE CASE, I ASKED OUR ELECTION ADMINISTRATOR, WHAT WAS THE COST OF THE NOVEMBER ELECTION? AND THEY TOLD ME THE COST OF THE NOVEMBER ELECTION WAS 2.3 SO FOR US, IT'S REALLY ACTUALLY BETTER TO HAVE THE MAY ELECTION. JAMES VALADEZ: NICOLE, DID YOU HAVE SOMETHING? NICOLE CONLEY: YES, GOOD MORNING. MY REGRETS FOR NOT BEING ABLE TO BE THERE IN PERSON AND BUT JUST TO SORT OF WEIGH IN ON THE BUDGET, AS WELL AS SOME OF THE COMMENTS MADE BY THE CHIEF APPRAISER, YOU KNOW, I COMMEND YOU KNOW YOU AND YOU KNOW THE STAFF ARE SORT OF PRESENTING A FAIR AND REASONABLE BUDGET, EVEN TAKING INTO ACCOUNT THESE UNFUNDED MANDATES, I FEEL LIKE THE BUDGET ITSELF IS TAKES INTO ACCOUNT SOME OF OUR STRATEGIC SORT OF DIRECTION THAT THE BOARD HAS BEEN SORT OF SUGGESTING, HAVE BEEN RECOMMENDING TO STAFF AS WELL AS, YOU KNOW, THE SIX AND A HALF PERCENT IS IN LINE WITH WHAT I'M SEEING WITH OTHER ENTITIES THAT ARE SORT OF, YOU KNOW, ABSORBING, SORT OF THE PLANNING FOR, YOU KNOW, THE INCLUSION OF THE ECONOMIC COSTS AND LABOR INCREASES AND LABOR COSTS AND INFLATION. SO IN THAT REGARDS, I FEEL LIKE IT'S A REASONABLE BUDGET. I ALSO LIKE THE FACT THAT IT'S FAIRLY EFFICIENT WHEN COMPARED TO, SORT OF COMPARABLE TO, YOU KNOW, APPRAISAL DISTRICTS. WE IN THE BUDGET TYPICALLY OUTPERFORMS DURING THE YEAR WE, YOU KNOW, END WITH SORT OF SURPLUS BALANCES. SO I KNOW THAT STAFF HAS SORT OF PRESENTED A BUDGET FOR THE BOARD'S APPROVAL THAT IS REASONABLE AND FAIR AND STILL CONSERVATIVE, BUT A COMPETITIVE BUDGET. AND WE CAN SORT OF MONITOR THE BUDGET, YOU KNOW, PERIODICALLY TO MAKE SURE IT PERFORMS AND IT CONTINUES THAT, YOU KNOW, THE APPRAISAL DISTRICT CONTINUES TO WIN ACCOLADES AND AWARDS FOR ITS BUDGET AND FINANCIAL REPORTING, SO ALL OF WHICH I THINK THE BUDGET IS A STRONG, YOU KNOW, AND FAIRLY PRESENTED BUDGET OUTSIDE OF THE UNFUNDED MANDATES, WHICH ARE SORT OF BEYOND OUR CONTROL. AND SO THAT WOULD BE MY ONLY COMMENTS, AND THANKS TO STAFF FOR DOING THAT AND PUTTING THE TIME IN THE WORK AND TAKING INTO ACCOUNT THE BOARD'S DIRECTION. THANK YOU. JAMES VALADEZ: ANY OTHER COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS? OKAY? MOTION FROM ANYONE. IT'S BEEN MOVED BY VIVEK AND SECONDED BY DEBBIE. ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? HEARING NONE. WE'LL TAKE A VOTE. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR, ALL THOSE OPPOSED. THAT PASSES UNANIMOUSLY. WE WILL MOVE ON TO ITEM 5D DISCUSSION AND POSSIBLE ACTION ON AMENDMENTS TO THE 2023 2024 REAPPRAISAL PLAN. MARYA CRIGLER: AND WE HAVE THAT IN YOUR BOARD PACKET AS WELL. LEANA, CAN YOU GO OVER SOME OF THE SUMMARY? LEANA MANN: SO WE REVIEWED WHAT WE PLANNED TWO YEARS AGO IN 2022 AND WE DEVELOPED OUR REAPPRAREAPPRAISAL PLAN FOR WHAT WE WOULD BE DOING IN 2024 AND THE DEPARTMENT DIRECTORS ALL DISCUSS WHAT WAS FEASIBLE AND WHAT ARE SOME PROJECTS THAT WE REALLY WANTED TO FOCUS ON. AND SO THE MAJOR CHANGES FOR 2024 WE WANT TO UNDERTAKE A PROJECT TO UPDATE ALL OF THE MAIN IMAGES FOR THE RESIDENTIAL PROPERTIES. WE'RE GOING TO IMPLEMENT TABLES SPECIFICALLY FOR LAND SIZE TO ENSURE ACCURATE AND EQUITABLE VALUATION AMONG GEOGRAPHIC AREAS. AND THEN IN OUR COMMERCIAL DEPARTMENT, WE'RE GOING TO REVIEW OUR COMMERCIAL EQUITY GRIDS FOR BETTER COMPARABLE SELECTION AND ACCURATE ADJUSTMENTS, IMPLEMENT SALE ANALYSIS WITH CAMP AND WITHIN OUR CAMERA SYSTEM TO BRING VALUATION TO AN INTERNAL DATABASE AND TRANSITION OF REMAINING INCOME PORTFOLIO INTO OUR CAMERA SYSTEM. ALL OF OUR INCOME PROPERTIES ARE BEING BEING DONE OUTSIDE OF OUR SYSTEM RIGHT NOW, SO THAT'LL BE A BIG PROJECT TO UNDERTAKE. WE'RE GOING TO REVIEW ALL OF OUR COMMERCIAL COST TABLES, IMPLEMENT ENHANCEMENTS AND GPR INTO OUR INCOME MODULE, AND THEN REVIEW PARKING GARAGES AND EFFORTS TO CREATE EQUITY AMONG THOSE. AND THEN OUR BPP DIVISION IS GOING TO DRIVE ALL REGIONS FOR NEW, EXISTING, MOVED AND OR CLOSED ACCOUNTS. THEY'LL DO ON SITE INSPECTIONS OF NON RENDERED ACCOUNTS THAT HAVE BEEN RENDERED IN THE LAST TWO YEARS. AND THEN WE'RE GOING TO REASSIGN OUR REGIONS AMONGST OUR APPRAISERS TO MAXIMIZE PRODUCTIVITY AND HOPEFULLY IMPLEMENT A FIELD DEVICE TO COMPLETE FIELD WORK FOR BBP DEPARTMENT. THOSE WERE THE MAJOR CHANGES. IF YOU HAVE ANY SPECIFIC QUESTIONS, WE CAN ANSWER THOSE. DEBORAH CARTWRIGHT: I BELIEVE YOU OMITTED A COUPLE OF THINGS THAT WAS IN THE PREVIOUS PLAN. AND IF YOU'LL GO THROUGH THOSE, AND ONE OF THEM IN PARTICULAR WAS A PILOT PROGRAM. AND I JUST WONDERED IF THE REASON IT WAS OMITTED WAS. BECAUSE YOU DETERMINED THAT IT WASN'T NEEDED ANYMORE, OR WAS THERE A COST [00:35:04] PROBLEM? OR COULD YOU DESCRIBE THOSE? AND IS IT JUST BECAUSE YOU THOUGHT IT WASN'T A PRIORITY LEANA MANN: YES. SO FOR OUR RESIDENTIAL DEPARTMENT, WE'RE THAT YOU DECIDED TO MOVE IT? GOING TO REMOVE THE CAPTURE OF RELEVANT DATA IN A TIMELY MANNER BY CREATING FILLABLE ONLINE FORMS SUCH AS AG APPLICATIONS, CHARACTERISTIC REVIEWS AND RESIDENTIAL RENDITIONS. WE'VE IMPLEMENTED MANY ONLINE FORMS. THESE SPECIFICALLY WILL HAVE TO GO THROUGH OUR VENDOR AND WE ARE WORKING ON THOSE THIS CURRENT YEAR, SO WE'RE REMOVING THEM FOR 2024 CONDUCT A PILOT STUDY LAND TO BUILDING RATIO WHERE MINIMAL VACANT LAND SALES EXIST. WE WE HAD SUCCESS IN THE PFLUGERVILLE AREA WITH OUR PILOT LOOKED AT THAT THIS YEAR, BUT WE'VE WE ALSO IMPLEMENTED A PILOT PROGRAM IN THE PFLUGERVILLE AREA THAT WE'RE GOING TO EXPAND ON FURTHER, SO WE'RE GOING TO MAKE THAT A FOCUS FOR 2024 AND PROBABLY REVISIT THIS IN THE FUTURE. PROGRAM. IT, I THINK, REDUCED PROTESTS AND QUESTIONS FROM PROPERTY OWNERS. SO WE'RE HOPING TO EXPAND THAT MORE, WHICH WILL TAKE UP MORE TIME, AND I THINK WE'LL GET IT'S MORE VALUE ADD FOR OUR DEPARTMENTS, DEBORAH CARTWRIGHT: ESPECIALLY IN VIEW OF WHAT MISS THOMPSON REPORTED ABOUT. SO MANY CALLS ARE COMING FROM THE PFLUGERVILLE AREA. I THINK THAT TRYING TO FOCUS ON THAT'S A GOOD IDEA. I'M SORRY. GO AHEAD. LEANA MANN: AND THEN FOR OUR COMMERCIAL, WE'RE GOING TO REMOVE THE PROPERTY IMAGERY PROJECT. WE WERE ABLE TO TAKE CARE OF THIS IN 2023 WITH OUR CYCLOMEDIA PURCHASE, AND THEN REVIEW ALL EXISTING IMPROVEMENT ADJUSTMENTS TO DETERMINE VALIDITY, VALIDITY AND CHARACTERISTIC REPRESENTATION. WE ALSO DID THAT WHEN WE MOVED INTO OUR CAMERA SYSTEM. DEBORAH CARTWRIGHT: SO ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I RECALL FROM THE REAPPRAISAL PLAN, WHEN WE ADOPTED IT, WAS A FOCUS ON NOT REAPPRAISING EVERYTHING EVERY YEAR, BUT INSTEAD FOCUSING ON AREAS THAT PROVE THERE'S BEEN A STATISTICAL CHANGE OF SOME KIND OR SOMETHING THAT REALLY TRIGGERS A REAPPRAISAL. IS THAT GOING TO CONTINUE TO BE THE CASE FOR 2024? MARYA CRIGLER: YEAH, I THINK THAT IT WILL BE IMPORTANT FOR THE APPRAISAL DISTRICT TO REVIEW ALL AREAS IN 2024 IN LIGHT OF WHAT WE SEE AS A CONTINUING DECLINE IN THE HOUSING MARKET. YOU KNOW, WE USUALLY REAPPRAISE BECAUSE VALUES HAVE GONE UP, BUT NOW WE'RE SEEING RESIDENTIAL VALUES TEND TO TREND DOWN, AND WE WANT TO FOLLOW THAT DOWN, SO I WOULD RECOMMEND THAT WE LOOK AT A FULL REAPPRAISAL IN 2024 FOR AREAS, TO SEE IF THERE'S ADDITIONAL REDUCTIONS THAT WE NEED TO MAKE. I DON'T THINK THAT WE WILL SEE, YOU KNOW, WIDESPREAD INCREASES, UNLESS THE MARKET TURNS AROUND. BUT WE DO WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE BEING REFLECTIVE OF THE DOWNTURN IN THE MARKET. DEBORAH CARTWRIGHT: THANK YOU. BLANCA ZAMORA GARCIA: SEEING WHAT THE APPRAISALS ARE AND WHAT THE ESPECIALLY SQUARE FOOTAGE ON NEW NEW SUBDIVISIONS, WE SEEM TO HAVE IT WRONG. THERE'S A LOT OF DISCREPANCIES ON SQUARE FOOTAGE, AND YOU MIGHT HAVE IDENTICAL TO HOMES, AND ONE IS 804 SQUARE FEET, AND THE OTHER ONE IS 1200 SQUARE FEET, AND THEY'RE IDENTICAL. SO I DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU GUYS CAN DO. THAT IS EASTERN PARK IS ONE. PARK. EASTERN PARK, GOOD NIGHT RANCH IS ANOTHER ONE, BUT THERE'S OTHERS THAT I KNOW THAT'S HAPPENING THERE. IT'S HAPPENING EVERYWHERE ELSE. DEBORAH CARTWRIGHT: HOPEFULLY THE REAPPRAISAL NEXT YEAR WILL PICK UP THOSE SIZE CHANGES. MAYBE THEY'LL DO A LITTLE BIT OF MEASURING, MARYA CRIGLER: YEAH. AND WE CAN ALSO LOOK TO SEE IF THERE ARE SOME SOME DESKTOP TOOLS THAT WE MAY BE ABLE TO UTILIZE THAT WILL HELP US IDENTIFY THOSE. BECAUSE I KNOW YOU'VE DONE ANY FORM, YEAH, WE CAN DO A COMPARISON OF SKETCHES, BUT WE CAN ALSO DO AN OVERLAY OF THE SKETCH ON TOP OF THE AERIAL TO MAKE SURE THAT THAT MATCHES. AND TAKE A LOOK AT THAT TO SEE IF WE'VE GOT SOME INCONSISTENCIES IN THAT PART OF, PART OF THE WAY THAT WE GET OUR SQUARE FOOTAGE, PARTICULARLY IN NEWER SUBDIVISIONS, IS WE TAKE THE BUILDERS PLANS, AND WE USE THE BUILDERS PLANS TO PUT THE THAT SQUARE FOOTAGE ON. AND IF THE PROPERTY DEVIATES FROM THE BUILDERS PLANS, THEN WE MAY START SEEING DIFFERENCES BETWEEN, BETWEEN THAT WHAT WE'VE PUT ON THE SYSTEM STRAIGHT FROM THOSE PLANS, AND WHAT IS ACTUALLY BLANCA ZAMORA GARCIA: I KNOW THE, SHARE THOSE PLANS WITH YOU. MARYA CRIGLER: YEAH, YEAH, YEAH. WE'LL DOUBLE CHECK THAT. RUSSELL LEDBETTER, OUR DIRECTOR OF RESIDENTIAL, IS HERE, SO I KNOW HE'S MAKING A NOTE TO DOUBLE CHECK THOSE. I DON'T EVEN HAVE TO LOOK AT HIM. I KNOW HE'S LOOKING AT THAT. I KNOW HE'S GOING TO DO THAT. JAMES VALADEZ: ANY ANY FURTHER COMMENTS ON THE REAPPRAISAL PLAN? OKAY, MOTION FOR APPROVAL. DOCTOR O, SECONDED BY BLANCA. ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? HEARING NONE. WE'LL TAKE A VOTE ALL THOSE IN FAVOR, ALL THOSE OPPOSED. THAT PASSES UNANIMOUSLY. I. WE WILL MOVE ON TO ITEM 5E DISCUSSION AND [00:40:04] POSSIBLE ACTION ON SELECTION OF FINANCIAL DEPOSITORY. MARYA CRIGLER: I'LL LET LEANA, TELL YOU ABOUT ALL MATTERS FINANCIAL BLANCA ZAMORA GARCIA: YES. LEANA MANN: SO WE, EVERY FOUR YEARS, WERE REQUIRED TO GO OUT FOR OUR DEPOSITORY THROUGH AN RFP PROCESS. THIS YEAR, WE HAD ONLY ONE PERSON RESPOND. IT WAS WELLS FARGO. CEO AT WELLS FARGO, WHICH IS OUR CURRENT BANKING DEPOSITORY RIGHT NOW, WE'RE SATISFIED WITH THEM. THEY'RE GREAT TO WORK WITH. SO WE WOULD RECOMMEND APPROVING A CONTRACT WITH WELLS FARGO. TOM BUCKLE: DETERMINE THE CONTRACT IS THREE YEARS. LEANA MANN: IT'S TWO YEARS WITH THE OPTION TO RENEW FOR AN ADDITIONAL TWO BLANCA ZAMORA GARCIA: HOW LONG HAVE THEY BEEN DOING IT? LEANA MANN: WE'VE BEEN WITH THEM FOR FOUR YEARS NOW. TOM BUCKLE: I'LL MAKE A MOTION TO APPROVE. VIVEK KULKARNI: SECOND JAMES VALADEZ: MOVED BY MR. BUCKLE, SECONDED BY VIVEK. IS THERE ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION OR COMMENTS? OKAY, HEARING NONE. WE'LL TAKE A VOTE ALL THOSE IN FAVOR, ALL THOSE OPPOSED. THAT PASSES UNANIMOUSLY. WE WILL MOVE ON TO ITEM 5F DISCUSSION AND POSSIBLE ACTION TO INCLUDE ADOPTION OF THE PROPOSED PERSONNEL POLICY. MARYA CRIGLER: SO WE REGULARLY WILL GO THROUGH AND REVIEW OUR PERSONNEL POLICY, AND THERE ARE SOMETIMES SOME RECOMMENDATIONS AND CHANGES THAT WE NEED TO MAKE JUST FOR REGULATORY PURPOSES. WE HAD QUITE A FEW RECOMMENDATIONS THAT WE'RE MAKING FOR OUR OUR PERSONNEL POLICY THIS YEAR. THEY INCLUDE ADDING A STATEMENT REGARDING TCDR POLICIES REGARDING TO OTHER EMPLOYMENT, EXCUSE ME FOR DISCHARGE. WE ADDED A STATEMENT ABOUT THE INTERVIEW PROCEDURES AND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF THOSE PROCEDURES. FIRE SUPERVISOR, IT'LL CLEAR UP ITS SINUSES, ITS ALLERGIES, FOR SECTION FOUR, ONE, REVIEW APPRAISAL, REVIEW BOARD SEASONAL ATTIRE, WE CHANGED IT FROM BUSINESS PROFESSIONAL TO BUSINESS CASUAL. WELL, IN BUSINESS CASUAL, WE NOW PROVIDE UNIFORM SHIRTS FOR OUR STAFF THAT HAVE OUR LOGO ON THAT, AND IF THEY'RE WEARING THEIR UNIFORM SHIRT WITH THE LOGO, THEY CAN WEAR JEANS INSTEAD OF FORMAL PANTS. SO JUST MAKING THAT CHANGE BETWEEN THAT DEFINITION, JUST TO AGAIN, I THINK THAT IS SOMETHING THAT'S VERY MUCH APPRECIATED BY OUR STAFF. IS HAVING THE LUXURY TO WEAR THEIR THEIR UNIFORM. AND, YOU KNOW, I KNOW MY POLICY IS, IS, IF I HAVE TO IRON IT'S NOT CLOTHING FOR ME. AND OUR OUR POLO SHIRT, A NICE KNIT THAT YOU CAN WASH AND DRY AND YOU'RE READY TO GO WITHOUT HAVING TO DO ANY DRY CLEANING. SO IT HELPS THE PUBLIC TO IDENTIFY A STAFF MEMBER WITH IT DOES. IT'S VERY USEFUL IF THEY COME IN A VARIETY OF COLORS. SO YOU THE STAFF CAN CHOOSE THEM. WE'VE GOT PURPLE, WE'VE GOT NAVY BLUE. YEAH, THEY'RE VERY NICE, YES, YEAH. AND STAFF REALLY USES THEM AND WEARS THEM QUITE FREQUENTLY. YES, YEAH. WE ALSO UPDATED OUR MEAL EXPENSE SO THAT WE ARE JUST NOW TYING IT TO MATCH THE COMPTROLLER STANDARD PER DIEM. THAT WAY WE WON'T HAVE TO GO IN AND AMEND OUR OUR BUDGET OR PERSONNEL POLICY EVERY TIME THERE'S A CHANGE, WE'LL JUST FOLLOW THE COMPTROLLER STANDARD. WE USE THE TELECOMMUNICATIONS THAT WORK STATEMENT JUST TO ADD THAT IT IS AT THE DISCRETION OF THAT DEPARTMENT DIRECTOR AS TO WHETHER OR NOT TELECOMMUNIC IS AVAILABLE FOR REMOTE WORKERS. WE'VE ADDED THAT SECTION JUST TO ADDRESS OUR REMOTE REMOTE WORK POLICIES. ADDED A STATEMENT REGARDING HOW FULL TIME EXEMPT AND FULL TIME EMPLOYEES ARE TO USE THEIR TIME OFF TO MEET THEIR HOURLY REQUIREMENTS, IF NECESSARY, NEW STATUTORY REQUIREMENTS REGARDING LACTATION AND BREASTFEEDING, POLICY REPORTING ABSENCES FOR WORK, A CLARIFICATION ON WHAT ARE EXCUSED AND UNEXCUSED ABSENCES. AND THEN ALSO WE ADDED FOR NEW EMPLOYEES THE EVALUATION TIME FRAME FOR DIFFERENT GRADES. WE ARE NOW STANDARDIZING THAT SO THAT IT IS CONSISTENT ACROSS ALL GRADES FOR OUR PERFORMANCE EVALUATION AND SALARY ADJUSTMENTS. WE REVISED THAT WE USED TO DO ONE ANNUAL REVIEW OF STAFF ALL AT THE END OF THE YEAR. WE HAVE MOVED TO A MORE FREQUENT REVIEW POLICY FOR OUR STAFF. SO THERE, AS OUR SEASONS CHANGE, THEY ARE GETTING A TOUCH BACK FROM THEIR MANAGERS AND DIRECTORS ABOUT THEIR PERFORMANCE AS WE TRANSITION INTO THE NEXT SEASON. SO WE'RE DOING A MUCH MORE FREQUENTLY, RATHER THAN ONE MAJOR REVIEW AT YEAR END. AND SO WE JUST UPDATED THAT TO REFLECT THAT WE HAVE ADDED A NEW SECTION IN OUR POLICY TO BE MORE IN LINE WITH WHAT WE SEE OTHER CADS DOING, AND THAT IS THE INCLUSION OF A LONGEVITY PAY, PERFORMANCE PAY FOR STAFF BASED ON THEIR LONGEVITY AT THE APPRAISAL DISTRICT. AND THAT IS A NEW AD IN OUR SECTION. WE NO LONGER HAVE A SECTION 529 SAVINGS PLAN. SO THAT WAS REMOVED. AND THEN WE ALSO CHANGED OUR SICK LEAVE [00:45:03] POLICY. USED TO BE FOR NEW EMPLOYEES, THEY WOULD HAVE TO WAIT 90 DAYS. WE WERE REVISING THAT SO THAT THEY CAN USE THAT AFTER THE FIRST PAY PERIOD. AND THEN ADDED A TIME OFF FORM FOR REQUESTING TIME OFF FROM FROM EMPLOYEES TO USE WHEN THEY NEED TO REQUEST TIME OFF. AND THEN THE FINAL WAS JUST CLARIFY THE LOCATION OF OUR DISCRIMINATION AND HARASSMENT SECTION IN OUR POLICY. WE DID PUT IT OUT 30 DAYS IN ADVANCE FOR THE STAFF, AND WE DID RECEIVE A COUPLE COMMENTS BACK. OVERALL, THEY WERE VERY, VERY APPRECIATIVE OF THE FACT THAT WE WERE INCLUDING A LONGEVITY POLICY. ONE EMPLOYEE ASKED THAT IT BE BASED ON A SLIDING SCALE, SIMILAR TO THE VACATION POLICY, BUT THAT'S ALREADY DESIGNED TO BE ON A SLIDING SCALE, BASED ON YOUR YEARS, ON LONGEVITY. AND THEN THE OTHER COMMENT WE GOT FROM STAFF WAS, RATHER THAN HAVING TO CALL IN AND TALK TO A MEMBER OF MANAGEMENT, THEY MADE THE REQUEST THAT THEY WOULD LIKE TO BE ABLE TO SEND THEIR EMAIL, AN EMAIL TO THEIR DIRECT SUPERVISOR. BUT IN TALKING TO HR, WE STILL THINK THAT A CONTACT WITH THE SUPERVISOR IS MUCH MORE APPROPRIATE THAN JUST AN EMAIL. DEBORAH CARTWRIGHT: MS. CRIGLER, NEW THIS IS A COMPLETELY NEW POLICY THAT WE'RE ADDING ON. AS I READ IT, A PERSON IS PAID ANNUALLY ON THIS THIS LONGEVITY PAY BASED ON THE NUMBER OF YEARS IN WHICH THEY WORK OVER THREE. WHO IS THE LONGEST? I MEAN, WHICH EMPLOYEE HAS THE LONGEST TENURE? AND SINCE YOU'RE THE CHIEF APPRAISER, I DON'T THINK YOU SHOULD BE ENTITLED TO LONGEVITY PAY, AND I THINK WE NEED TO CLARIFY THAT IN THE POLICY, BECAUSE YOU WERE UNDER CONTRACT AND YOU ARE AN APPOINTEE OF THE BOARD, YOU'RE NOT A REGULAR EMPLOYEE. AND I KNOW IT SOUNDS A LITTLE HARSH, AS I SAID HERE, SAYING IT, BUT I REALLY THINK THAT THE CHIEF APPRAISER MUST BE EXCLUDED FROM THIS LONG LONGEVITY PAY PROVISION, AND I WOULD RECOMMEND THAT CHANGE TO THE TO THE POLICY, WHICH IS NOTHING TO DO WITH THANK YOU FOR WORKING 30 YEARS WITH THE APPRAISAL DISTRICT, BUT, BUT THIS HAS TO DO MORE WITH JUST THE FACT THAT YOU'RE AN APPOINTEE OF THE BOARD AND SERVE IT OUR PLEASURE AND SO, OTHER THAN YOU, WHO ELSE HAS THE HIGHEST TENURE? MARYA CRIGLER: I BELIEVE IT WOULD BE LUIS ESTEBAN, WHO'S BEEN WITH US LEANA MANN: 31 YEARS DEBORAH CARTWRIGHT: AND HE'S HERE, CONGRATULATIONS, YEAH, BUT I'M THIS IS GOING TO BE AN INTERESTING I MEAN, IT'S SO IT'S ALMOST LIKE AN INCENTIVE PAY ISSUE, I MEAN, TO KEEP PEOPLE WORKING FROM BEFORE, AND I THINK THAT'S A REALLY GOOD POLICY. I HAVE NOTHING TO SAY NEGATIVELY ABOUT A LONGEVITY PAY PROVISION, BUT I DO THINK THAT THE BOARD NEEDS TO BE AWARE THAT IT'S A, YOU KNOW, ANNUAL PAYMENT. IT'S NOT JUST PAID ON THE TIME THAT WHEN A PERSON LEAVES IS, YOU KNOW, POLICE WERE EMPLOYMENT. IT'S, IT'S AN ANNUAL BONUS THAT THAT EMPLOYEES RECEIVE FOR YEARS WORKED, AND WHICH IS, AGAIN, GOOD FOR LONGEVITY. BUT I HAVE EXPERIENCED IN THE PAST SOME EMPLOYEES, OR YOU GO, OH, REALLY, ARE WE REALLY DOING THIS. AND I JUST THINK WE MIGHT WANT TO REVISIT THE POLICY ONCE IT IS WORKED FOR A WHILE AND WE SEE IF IT'S WE'RE DOING, PROBABLY WOULD LIKE FOR IT TO DO, WHICH IS TO ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO STAY WITH THE DISTRICT, MARYA CRIGLER: YEAH. AND WE MODELED IT OFF OF THE TRAVIS COUNTY LONGEVITY, DEBORAH CARTWRIGHT: RIGHT. AND WE HAD IT AT THE STATE OF TEXAS. I'M VERY FAMILIAR WITH IT AND HOW IT WORKS, BUT THERE ARE TIMES WHEN YOU KIND OF GO, YEAH, DO WE REALLY WANT TO DO THIS? OR NOT? JAMES VALADEZ: I WAS ACTUALLY REALLY HAPPY TO SEE THAT INCLUDED, JUST BECAUSE I FEEL LIKE, OVER THE LAST COUPLE YEARS AS WE'VE BEEN STRUGGLING TO RETAIN THE TALENT THAT WE'VE, YOU KNOW, HAD WITHIN THE CONFINES OF OUR ORGANIZATION. I THINK THIS IS GOING TO DO A LOT TO ENSURE THAT WE HAVE THE ABILITY TO RETAIN OSEZUA EHIYAMEN: MR. CHAIRMAN. I'M SORRY, I THINK FROM THE PERSONAL POLICIES THEY PRESENT CHANGES, I THINK I WANT TO SINCERELY COMMEND THE MANAGEMENT IS HIGHLY COMMENDABLE AND WELL THOUGHT OUT, ESPECIALLY WITH BASED ON LENGTH OF SERVICE OF YOUR STAFF AND HONORING THEM, YEAH, WHICH IS VERY GOOD, AND I FEEL IT SHOULD CONTINUE, YOU KNOW, AND SHOULD BE WELL IMPLEMENTED. I DON'T SEEM TO AGREE THAT JUST ONLY THE APPRAISER, CHIEF APPRAISER. I THINK CHIEF APPRAISER HAS AN ASSISTANT CHIEF APPRAISER, YOU KNOW. I THINK I WOULD HAVE. SUGGESTED MANAGEMENT SHOULD NOT BE INVOLVED IN THIS LONG SERVICE [00:50:08] FINANCIAL AWARD, AS IT WERE. WE CALL IT LONGEVITY POLICY, YOU KNOW, SO THAT WE CAN BE NEUTRAL AND OBJECTIVE IN TERMS OF THIS KIND OF AWARD, AS IT WERE, SO THAT MANAGEMENT WILL BE THE UMPIRE, YOU KNOW, NOT JUST THE CHIEF APPRAISER BE EXEMPTED, EVEN THE STAND CHIEF APPRAISER SHOULD BE EXEMPTED, AND MEMBERS OF MANAGEMENT ALSO, SO THAT OTHERS COULD REALLY BENEFIT FAR THERE SHOULD BE LEVEL OF OBJECTIVITY FOR THE SAKE OF FUTURE. YOU KNOW, WELL, MARYA CRIGLER: I THINK FOR THE FOR THE LONGEVITY, THERE IS NOT GOING TO BE ANY SUBJECTIVE JUDGMENT THAT IS PLACED ON THAT, BECAUSE IT'S STRICTLY BASED ON YEARS OF SERVICE. AND I WOULD WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE ENCOURAGING ALL LEVELS OF STAFF TO INCLUDE MY MANAGEMENT, BECAUSE IF WE HAVE A LOT OF TURNOVER IN MANAGEMENT AND WE'RE NOT RETAINING THEM, WE LOSE A LOT OF INSTITUTIONAL KNOWLEDGE. SO I WOULD WANT TO REWARD MANAGEMENT. I DON'T HAVE ANY PROBLEM EXCLUDING THE CHIEF APPRAISER. WE'RE IN A SEPARATE CLASS, BUT I DO THINK THE OTHER MANAGERS, I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE DOING ENOUGH TO RECOGNIZE AND RETAIN THEM, BECAUSE THEIR CONTRIBUTION IS REALLY IMPORTANT AS WELL. JAMES VALADEZ: I THINK THE I THINK THE REAL DISTINCTION TO KEEP IN MIND HERE IS THAT IT'S A CONTRACT EMPLOYEE, AS THE CHIEF APPRAISER AND EVERYBODY ELSE IS NOT NON CONTRACT SO OSEZUA EHIYAMEN: OKAY, IF THAT BEING THE CASE, I WANT TO REALLY GIVE MY SUPPORT TO THIS NEW CHANGE OF POLICY IN TERMS OF THAT ASPECT, AND TO REALLY ALSO SAY THAT, YOU KNOW, AS A BOARD, WE SHOULD ENCOURAGE IT AND SAY IT, SAY TRUE. THANK YOU. TOM BUCKLE: PERCENTAGE OF YOUR SALARY, OR IS IT BASICALLY JUST A FLAT AMOUNT OF MONEY. MARYA CRIGLER: IT IS, I THINK. IS IT $5 LEANA MANN: $5 PER MONTH PAID ON YOUR ANNIVERSARY MONTH. TOM BUCKLE: WHEN DOES IT KICK IN TO START MARYA CRIGLER: THREE YEARS AFTER THREE YEARS OF SERVICE? TOM BUCKLE: 3,3 YEARS JAMES VALADEZ: CAN WE DO AN AMENDMENT TO INCLUDE THE LANGUAGE THAT YOU SPOKE TO WITH REGARD TO MOTION OR DEBORAH CARTWRIGHT: DO YOU WANT ME TO MAKE MOTION POLICIES AS AMENDED? WHICH WAY DO YOU WANT TO DO IT EITHER WAY? ALL RIGHT, WELL, I MOVE APPROVAL OF THE BOARD OF THE PERSONNEL POLICIES THAT HAVE BEEN PRESENTED TODAY, WITH THE EXCEPTION OF AN AMENDMENT TO THE LONGEVITY PAY PROVISION TO SPECIFICALLY EXCLUDE THE CHIEF APPRAISER FROM THAT PROVISION. JAMES VALADEZ: AND THE ONLY OTHER THING I THINK WE HAD TALKED ABOUT WOULD BE THE REVISITING COMPONENT OF IT. I THINK YOU WANTED TO REVISIT THE POLICY TO MAKE SURE IT WAS WORKING. OR YOU, DEBORAH CARTWRIGHT: I THINK WE CAN DO THAT. JAMES VALADEZ: WE'LL DO THAT NATURALLY. OKAY, MOVE BY MISS CARTWRIGHT, SAID, SECONDED BY DR. O. THERE ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION OR ANY OTHER ITEMS THAT PEOPLE WOULD LIKE TO OKAY, HEARING NONE. WE'LL TAKE A VOTE ALL THOSE IN FAVOR, AYE, ALL THOSE OPPOSED. THAT PASSES UNANIMOUSLY. WE WILL MOVE ON TO ITEM 5G DISCUSSION AND POSSIBLE ACTION ON THE CHIEF APPRAISERS REPORT TO INCLUDE THE 2023 CERTIFICATION STATUS, TAXPAYER OUTREACH PROGRAMS. MARYA CRIGLER: SO WE WE HAVE GONE PAST OUR BIGGEST HURDLE IN TERMS OF PROVIDING CERTIFIED INFORMATION TO OUR TAXING ENTITIES. WE DIDN'T REACH OUR 90% THRESHOLD, BUT WE DID SEND OUT CERTIFIED ESTIMATES THAT THEY COULD USE TO DO THEIR CALCULATION. SO ALL THAT HAS GONE OUT TO THE ENTITIES. THEY ARE CALCULATING THEIR THEIR BUDGETS, THEIR TAX RATES. WE DO ANTICIPATE THAT OUR ARB WILL REACH THE 95% THRESHOLD NEEDED TO PROVE THE RECORDS BY AUGUST 30. SO WE ARE STILL ON TRACK TO CERTIFY ON TIME, AS REQUIRED BY THE CODE AT 95% SO WE ARE, ARE GOING ALONG VERY QUICKLY. WE DID IN TERMS OF HOW WE SCHEDULED OUR OUR HEARINGS. WE DID DEAL WITH MOST OF OUR COMMERCIAL AND AGENT PROTEST UP FRONT. SCHEDULED THOSE THAT GOT THE BULK OF OUR PROTESTS COMPLETED, AND NOW WE'RE DEALING INDIVIDUAL HOMEOWNER PROTESTS ON THE BACK END. SO WE'RE SEEING MUCH MORE INDIVIDUAL TRAFFIC FOR HOMEOWNERS. BUT AGAIN, WE DO SEE A HIGHER NO SHOW RATE WHENEVER WE DO WITH HOMEOWNERS. TRADITIONALLY, OUR NO SHOW RATE AMONGST HOMEOWNERS IS ABOUT 80% 75 TO 80% SO THE FACT THAT WE'RE AT 85% IS NOT ABNORMAL FOR THE AMOUNT OF NO SHOW THAT WE'RE SEEING WITH PROP. THE OWNERS, [00:55:01] BUT WE DO HAVE THEM SCHEDULED THROUGH THE MONTH OF SEPTEMBER. OUR ARB WILL WILL TAKE A BRIEF HIATUS BREAK THE WEEK OF SEPTEMBER 5, WHICH IS THE LABOR DAY WEEK, AND THEN WE'LL COME BACK AND RESUME OUR HEARINGS AND GET THOSE COMPLETED BY THE END OF SEPTEMBER. SO WE SHOULD BE COMPLETELY FINISHED WITH OUR ALL PROTEST HEARINGS END OF SEPTEMBER, MAYBE THE FIRST WEEK IN OCTOBER. OTHER THAN THAT, WE ARE MOVING ALONG INTO OUR NEXT SESSION. WE'RE DOING A LOT OF RECENT PUBLIC OUTREACH AND A LOT OF EVENTS I'VE DONE LAST TIME, SINCE WE'VE TALKED, WE'VE DONE OUR REFRESHER FOR OUR TAXING UNITS ON HOW TO DO THE TRUTH AND TAXATION PORTAL SO PROPERTY OWNERS THAT GO TO TEXAS.GOV/PROPERTY TAXES CAN SEE THAT INFORMATION, AND WE GET GAVE OUR TAXING UNITS A REFRESHER ON HOW TO USE THAT PORTAL. I'VE DONE A CITY OF AUSTIN DISPLACEMENT AND PREVENTION NAVIGATOR EXEMPTION TRAINING FOR THEIR STAFF. WE'VE PRESENTED AT THE TAD LEGISLATIVE UPDATE, THE TAAO CONFERENCE, AND THEN UPCOMING WE HAVE A SEMINAR OR WEBINAR THAT WE'RE GOING TO BE DOING FOR OUR TAXING ENTITIES TO TALK ABOUT SENATE BILL TWO IMPLEMENTATION AND SOME OF THE WAYS THAT IT'S GOING TO AFFECT THEM. WE ARE A TAXING APPRAISAL DISTRICT THAT IS OPERATED UNDER THE THREE QUARTERS RULES, AND UNDER SENATE BILL TWO, THAT'S GOING TO GO AWAY. SO WE'RE GOING TO TALK TO OUR ENTITIES ABOUT HOW THAT WILL LOOK FOR THEM IN TERMS OF HOW OUR BOARD WILL GET APPOINTED. ALSO HAVE SOME DISCUSSIONS WITH THEM. WE SEE THAT WITH THE COMPRESSION OF THE SCHOOL DISTRICT TAX RATE, THAT'S GOING TO CAUSE A SHIFT IN THE ALLOCATION OF THE APPRAISAL DISTRICT BUDGET. SO JUST HAVE SOME DISCUSSIONS WITH THEM ABOUT THAT, TO GIVE THEM A HEADS UP AND AND SOME AWARENESS SO THAT THEY CAN SEE THAT COMING IN THE HORIZON. I'M ALSO GOING TO BE DOING THE AD VALOREM LEGAL SEMINAR SESSION ON CYBER SECURITY. WE'VE GOT A OUTREACH WITH THE AUSTIN PRIVATE WEALTH COMMUNITY OUTREACH IN SEPTEMBER. WE'RE ALSO GOING TO BE DOING THE CITY OF AUSTIN SENIOR AFFORDABILITY EVENT IN SEPTEMBER, AND THEN I'LL HAVE TWO MORE THAT WE'LL DO IN OCTOBER. ONE IS A CHIEF APPRAISER PANEL FOR THE TAP TAP, WHICH IS THE TAX AGENTS ASSOCIATION. AND THEN WE'LL ALSO BE DOING A TAP TALK WEBINAR ON CYBER SECURITY FOR ALL APPRAISAL DISTRICTS IN THE STATE OF TEXAS. SO WE'VE GOT A LOT OF UPCOMING EVENTS FOR US. DEBORAH CARTWRIGHT: ME TOO. I'VE GOT TO GET ON MY CALENDAR TO PARTICIPATE IN THIS WEBINAR ON AUGUST THE 30TH. THIS CHANGE IN BOARD COMPOSITION IS REALLY PRETTY SIGNIFICANT. AND I KNOW WE I HAVEN'T THOUGHT A LOT ABOUT IT, BUT I KNOW THAT IT'S GOING TO IMPACT ALL OF OUR TAXING JURISDICTIONS WHO HAVE WHICH HAVE APPOINTED IT'S GOING TO BE A COMPLETELY DIFFERENT SELECTION PROCESS. IT'S GOING TO BE A TYPICAL VOTING KIND OF THING WHERE YOU CAN THROW YOUR VOTES TO A CERTAIN CANDIDATE, YOU NO LONGER SELECT WHO YOU WANT TO BE YOUR REPRESENTATIVE ON THE BOARD, SO TO SPEAK. AND SO I THINK WE NEED TO BE AWARE OF THAT, BECAUSE IT'S GOING TO CHANGE HOW OUR SERVICE ON THIS BOARD PLUS OUR TERMS OF OFFICE ARE DIFFERENT. I MEAN, IT'S GOING TO BE VERY, VERY SIGNIFICANT, AND WE NEED TO BE AWARE OF THAT. AND I'M VERY FUZZY ON IT, AND SO I THINK THIS WEBINAR IS IMPORTANT FOR ALL OF US TO PARTICIPATE IN THAT AND BE AWARE OF HOW WE'RE GOING TO BE OPERATING DIFFERENTLY. NEXT YEAR, WE'RE GOING TO HAVE A DIFFERENT COMPOSITION. AND THEN THE OTHER THING IS, MADAM CHIEF APPRAISER. ONE THING THAT I NOTED FROM MISS THOMPSON'S REPORT WAS THAT THERE WAS SEEM TO BE A LOT OF QUESTIONS OR THINGS FROM THE PUBLIC ABOUT THE APPRAISAL PROCESS ITSELF. PEOPLE DON'T SEEM TO UNDERSTAND WHAT MASS APPRAISAL IS AND HOW THEIR PROPERTY IS APPRAISED, AND THAT'S SOMETHING THAT IS VERY AWKWARD FOR THE TAXPAYER LIAISON OFFICER TO TRY TO DISCUSS WITH THE PUBLIC WHEN THEY CALL IN. I'M WONDERING IF WE MIGHT NEED IN NOVEMBER OR DECEMBER, ANOTHER WEBINAR OR SOME EVENT WHERE WE DESCRIBE TO THE PUBLIC HOW MASS APPRAISAL WORKS IN VERY HIGH LEVEL TERMS THAT THAT THIS IS HOW THE MODELS ARE PUT TOGETHER, AND THESE ARE HOW APPRAISALS ARE REACHED FOR YOUR INDIVIDUAL PROPERTIES, WHETHER IT'S COMMERCIAL OR RESIDENTIAL, SO THAT THEY HAVE A LITTLE BIT BETTER UNDERSTANDING, AND THEN YOU THEY CAN REPLAY THE WEBINAR AT LATER TIMES. THAT WOULD BE AN ADVANTAGE FOR THE TAXPAYER LIAISON OFFICER TO BE ABLE TO SHARE THAT. SO IF YOU CAN CONSIDER THAT, MAYBE WORK WITH THE COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR ON SOMETHING LIKE MARYA CRIGLER: I WILL LOOK AT THAT. I THINK WE ALSO NEED TO LOOK AT WHAT WE'VE GOT POSTED AS VIDEOS, NOT NECESSARILY THE WEBINARS, BUT I THINK WE'VE GOT A COUPLE VIDEOS ABOUT OUR PROCESS. IS OKAY. IT MAY JUST BE THAT WE NEED TO ADVERTISE THOSE [01:00:02] A BIT MORE. DEBORAH CARTWRIGHT: I AGREE BECAUSE I DON'T THINK PEOPLE REALIZE THAT THEY'RE THERE. AND MAYBE WE NEED AN IN PERSON TOWN HALL OF SOME KIND THAT TO TRY TO GET REAL ESTATE AGENTS AND OTHER PEOPLE TO PARTICIPATE IN IT TOO, SO THAT THEY CAN ALL BE ON THE SAME PAGE WHEN TALKING ABOUT HOW, HOW, YOU KNOW, JUST LIKE BLANCA WAS MENTIONING ABOUT MEASURING BUILDINGS, AND HOW DO YOU COME UP WITH YOUR SCARE SQUARE FOOTAGE? HOW? HOW DOES THIS HAPPEN? AND IT MIGHT BE A WAY TO REALLY COMMUNICATE. ADD TO OUR COMMUNICATION TOOL BOX. THANK YOU, MR. CHAIRMAN. JAMES VALADEZ: DID THAT CONCLUDE ALL ELEMENTS OF THE CHIEF APPRAISERS REPORT MARK THAT IS, BELIEVE WE WILL GO INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION FOUR OR 5H, I, J AND K. IS THAT CORRECT? SO DO I HAVE A MOTION FROM A BOARD MEMBER TO GO INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION. DEBORAH CARTWRIGHT: I SO MOVE JAMES VALADEZ: OKAY, MOVED BY MISS CARTWRIGHT, SECONDED BY [01:14:58] BLANCA, ALL IN FAVOR OF GOING INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION TO [01:32:36] DISCUSS ITEMS 5H, I, J AND K, ALL THOSE OPPOSED. OKAY. THE [01:51:11] TIME IS 12:31 ON AUGUST 24 2023 THE TRAVIS CENTRAL BOARD [02:09:09] DIRECTORS WILL RECESS AND GO INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION TO [02:26:28] DISCUSS ITEMS, 5H, I, J AND K, CITING 551071, AND 551074, OF [02:45:41] THE TEXAS PROPERTY TAX CODE, TEXAS GOVERNMENTAL CODE, [03:02:42] POLITICS, THANK YOU. [03:09:03] THE TIME IS 2:39, ON AUGUST, 24 2023, AND THE TRAVIS CENTRAL [03:09:08] APPRAISAL DISTRICT BOARD OF DIRECTORS IS BACK FROM EXECUTIVE [03:09:13] SESSION. DURING EXECUTIVE SESSION, WE DID NOT DISCUSS 5J [03:09:18] WHICH IS DISCUSSED AN IMPOSSIBLE ACTION ON FORMATION OF BOARD OF [03:09:23] DIRECTORS SUBCOMMITTEES. WE'LL TAKE THAT MOMENTARILY IN OPEN [03:09:28] SESSION. WE NEED NO ACTION ON 5H CORRECT, CORRECT ON FIVE I [03:09:32] DISCUSSION AND POSSIBLE ACTION ON CHIEF APPRAISERS RETIREMENT [03:09:37] AND PROCESS FOR HIRING NEXT CHIEF APPRAISER. WE NEED NO WE [03:09:42] NEED ACTION ON A JOB DESCRIPTION. DOES ANYONE HAVE A [03:09:46] MOTION FOR THAT? [03:09:49] DEBORAH CARTWRIGHT: I MOVE APPROVAL OF JOB DESCRIPTION IS [03:09:52] LAID OUT THAT OUTLINES EACH STATUTORY PROVISION THAT DO. [03:09:57] DESCRIBES THE CHIEF APPRAISERS DUTIES, WITH THE EXCEPTION OF [03:10:02] ONE SECTION REGARDING BEING RESPONSIBLE FOR ESTABLISHING [03:10:06] PROCEDURES FOR EQUAL AND UNIFORM APPRAISAL, THE WORDS OF [03:10:11] INVENTORY MUST BE REMOVED SO THAT IT APPLIES TO ALL PROPERTY [03:10:16] IN THE DISTRICT [03:10:17] TOM BUCKLE: SECOND [03:10:18] JAMES VALADEZ: AND, WAS REAL QUICKLY AS THAT WAS MOVED BY MISS CARTWRIGHT, SECONDED BY MR. BUCKLE, FOLLOW UP QUESTION BY ME, WAS THERE THAT WAS FOR THE JOB DESCRIPTION? WAS THERE ALSO A MOTION IN THERE FOR THE APPLICATION ITSELF? OKAY, DID WE NEED APPROVAL OF THE APPLICATION? YES, WE DO. OKAY. SO FRIENDLY AMENDMENT FOR THAT WOULD BE TO INCLUDE BOTH THE JOB DESCRIPTION AND THE APPLICATION ITSELF. THAT'S FINE. OKAY? ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION, WE'LL TAKE A VOTE ALL THOSE IN FAVOR, ALL THOSE OPPOSED. THAT PASSES UNANIMOUSLY. WE WILL MOVE ON TO ITEM 5J WHICH IS DISCUSSION AND POSSIBLE ACTION ON FORMATION OF BOARD OF DIRECTORS SUBCOMMITTEES. WE HAVE THREE SEPARATE SUBCOMMITTEES THAT WE NEED TO FORM, AND THE TOPICS ASSOCIATED WITH THOSE THREE SUBCOMMITTEES ARE ONE THE SEARCH FOR THE CHIEF APPRAISER AND THE SECOND IS BOTH BYLAWS AND SB TWO IN CONJUNCTION WITH ONE ANOTHER WITH REGARD TO THE TRANSITION ASSOCIATED WITH THE BOARD. AND THEN THE FINAL SUBCOMMITTEE IS THE TLO REVIEW THAT IS NOW A REQUIREMENT OF THE BOARD MOVING FORWARD. I MOVING FORWARD, I HAVE A RECOMMENDATION FOR WHICH I WOULD LIKE TO SEE THE MAKEUP OF THE VARIOUS COMMITTEES AND ON THE CHIEF APPRAISER SEARCH AND THE SB TWO AND BYLAWS COMMITTEES. I'D LIKE TO SEE THE CHAIR, VICE CHAIR AND SECRETARY APPEAR ON BOTH OF THOSE TWO ON THE CHIEF APPRAISER SEARCH IN CONJUNCTION TO THE THREE LEADERSHIP POSITIONS ON THE BOARD. I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO SEE MR. BUCKLE AND MISS I'M SORRY, MR. ELFANT AND MISS MONTOYA SERVE ON THE SEARCH COMMITTEE WITH REGARD TO THE SB TWO AND BYLAWS COMMITTEE, IN ADDITION TO THE THREE LEADERSHIP POSITIONS, I WOULD LIKE TO SEE MISS GARCIA AND MISS CARTWRIGHT. AND WITH REGARD TO THE TL O SIR TLO REVIEW, I'D LIKE TO SEE MR. BUCKLE DOCTOR O AND VIVEK. AND SO, TO REITERATE MYSELF, MISS CONLEY ,TERESA. SO ON TO TLO REVIEW WOULD BE MR. BUCKLE, DR O, VIVEK. GOT IT ON SEARCH. MONTOYA, L FONT ON TRANSITION AND BYLAWS, CARTWRIGHT AND BLANCA. EVERYONE I AM, IS EVERYONE OKAY WITH THAT? DEBORAH CARTWRIGHT: I'M THRILLED TO SERVE ON THAT GROUP. JAMES VALADEZ: OKAY? I WILL MAKE THAT MOTION. DO I OKAY? MISS MONTOYA. SECONDS. ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? OKAY? HEARING NONE WE'LL TAKE A VOTE ALL THOSE IN FAVOR, ALL THOSE OPPOSED, THAT MOTION PASSES UNANIMOUSLY, DEBORAH CARTWRIGHT: AND THANK YOU FOR TAKING THAT LEADERSHIP POSITION SO WE DIDN'T HAVE TO VOLUNTEER. OSEZUA EHIYAMEN: THANK YOU ALREADY AGREED THAT FROM THE PRESENTATION THAT WHEN IT COMES TO ROUND TWO, IT HAS TO BE, SHOULD I CONTINUE? NO, NO CONTINUE. WHEN IT COMES TO RUN TWO, IT HAS TO BE FULL BOARD INVOLVEMENT. YES, PLEASE ABSOLUTELY. WE SHOULD BE VERY YEAH, THAT'S VERY IMPORTANT. OKAY, JAMES VALADEZ: SO THAT TAKES CARE OF 5J WILL MOVE ON TO 5K DISCUSSION AND POSSIBLE ACTION ON LITIGATIONS, APPEALS THAT'S ALREADY BEEN COVERED IN EXECUTIVE SESSION. WE WILL MOVE ON TO FIVE I, DISCUSSION AND POSSIBLE ACTION TO ADD ITEMS TO FUTURE AGENDAS. DOES ANYONE HAVE ANYTHING THAT THEY'D LIKE TO SEE APPEAR ON OUR NEXT REGULARLY SCHEDULED MEETING? OKAY? HEARING NONE. WE'LL MOVE ON TO SO MARYA CRIGLER: WHAT WE'LL DO FOR YOU GUYS IS WE'LL SEND OUT SOME SURVEYS TO THE VARIOUS COMMITTEES TO GET DATES THAT YOU GUYS CAN MEET, AND THEN THERE MAY BE SOME POSTINGS THAT WE NEED TO DO ASSOCIATED WITH THE SUBCOMMITTEE MEETINGS, BUT WE'LL WE'LL DO SURVEYS SINCE THERE'S MULTIPLES OF THEM, TO SEE WHAT [03:15:02] DATE WORKS BEST FOR ALL OF YOU. OKAY, JAMES VALADEZ: OKAY, THAT WAS ACTUALLY A GREAT RECOMMENDATION. MISS MONTOYA SUGGESTED FOR SUBSEQUENT MEETINGS, SUBCOMMITTEE UPDATES, ABSOLUTELY SO THAT, SINCE WE'RE GOING TO HAVE THREE DIFFERENT GROUPS FLOWING. I'D LIKE TO HAVE THE TRANSPARENCY TO BE ABLE TO LET PEOPLE KNOW WHERE WE'RE STANDING WITH THE THREE OF US. OKAY, ANYTHING ELSE ON FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS, UNTIL OSEZUA EHIYAMEN: FROM THE VARIOUS COMMITTEE, I'M SORRY, FROM VARIOUS COMMITTEES BEEN SET UP BY THE BOARD THROUGH THE CHAIRMAN, THROUGH THE POWERS OF THE CHAIRMAN, LET ME EXPLAIN THAT VERY WELL, THROUGH THE POWERS OF THE CHAIRMAN WHO HAS SET UP THESE COMMITTEES. CAN WE KNOW THE DUTIES OF THESE RESPECTIVE COMMITTEES? TERMS OF REFERENCE FOR THESE COMMITTEES? JAMES VALADEZ: WHAT ARE THE DUTIES OF THE COMMITTEES THAT WE OSEZUA EHIYAMEN: JUST YES, YES, BY THE POWERS OF THE CHAIRMAN. SO THE THE JAMES VALADEZ: TLO REVIEW WOULD BE TASKED WITH REVIEWING THE TLO ROLE, AND THAT'S NOW STATUTORILY MARYA CRIGLER: YEAH, I THINK FOR THE TLO COMMITTEE, WE WILL NEED TO TO FURTHER DEFINE WHAT YOU WANT THE JOB RESPONSIBILITIES AND DUTIES OF THE TLO TO BE PERFORM, OR AT LEAST CREATE THE EVALUATION QUESTIONS AND DOCUMENTS AND CRITERIA THAT YOU WANT TO EVALUATE THE TLO ON, I THINK YOU ALSO WILL NEED TO THE LAW PROVIDES FOR THE POSSIBILITY, OR THE POTENTIAL OF HAVING A DEPUTY TLO. AND I THINK THE COMMITTEE NEEDS TO EXPLORE WHETHER OR NOT THEY THINK A DEPUTY IS NECESSARY, AND IF SO, START THE SEARCH FOR THE CRITERIA THAT YOU WANT TO HAVE FOR THAT DEPUTY AND HOW WE WANT TO FILL THAT POSITION, AND MAYBE EVEN DOING A SUBCOMMITTEE OF THAT TO ACTUALLY INTERVIEW POTENTIAL NEW DEPUTY TLOS TO ASSIST ON THAT SO, DEBORAH CARTWRIGHT: PUBLIC INTEREST WEBINAR SOMETHING HAVING TO DO WITH BOARD FUNCTIONS, WHICH IS A STATUTORY REQUIREMENT. SO GIVING HER SOME GUIDANCE ON BUT THE BOARD EXPECTS THERE WOULD BE SOMETHING THAT THE SUBCOMMITTEE COULD HELP WITH. MARYA CRIGLER: YEAH, THIS TOM BUCKLE: PRESENTATION WE GOT ON THE NEW CHANGES TO THE BOARD COMPOSITION, IF THEY'RE GOING TO BE THREE ELECTED OFFICIALS, NO, NONE OF MY ENTITIES ARE THAT SIGNIFICANT IN SIZE TO EVER GET ONE OF THE FIVE POSITIONS THAT ARE APPOINTED. AND I'M SURE THAT'S ALSO TRUE WITH MS. MONTOYA AND WE ALL SHE AND I HAVE ALWAYS BEEN ELECTED BY THE ENTITIES, NOT BY THE PEOPLE. SO IT SEEMED TO ME THAT TWO OF THOSE THREE CAN JUST ELIMINATE THE WESTERN AND EASTERN TAXING DISTRICTS AND LEAVE THE FIVE TO THE BIG GUYS. MARYA CRIGLER: YEAH. I MEAN THE NEW COMPOSITION WITH THE FIVE MEMBERS APPOINTED BY ELECTION OF THE TAXING UNITS WILL BE BY LEVY. SO IT REALLY IS GOING TO BE ABOUT, YOU KNOW, WHAT PROPORTIONAL SHARE YOU HAVE OF THE LEVY. THERE'S A POTENTIAL THAT IF ALL THE EASTERN AND WESTERN ENTITIES GOT TOGETHER, THEY WOULD HAVE ENOUGH VOTES TO GET ONE, TO HAVE ONE, IF THEY CHOOSE TO. DEBORAH CARTWRIGHT: AIS COULD PART OF THEIR VOTES TO TO THE WESTERN SCHOOL. I MEAN, SCHOOLS, YEAH, IT'S ARE THE EASTERN SCHOOLS. MARYA CRIGLER: SO THE ENTITIES THAT ARE DEBORAH CARTWRIGHT: THEY CAN SPLIT UP THEIR VOTES, IS WHAT I'M SAYING. MARYA CRIGLER: YEAH, THE ENTITIES THAT WILL BE ENTITLED TO VOTE WILL BE THE CITIES, THE SCHOOL DISTRICTS, THE COUNTY, AND THE JUNIOR COLLEGE. SO THE MUDS AND THE OTHERS DON'T GET TO VOTE IN THE PROCESS. BUT IT WILL BE LIMITED TO THE CITIES, THE COUNTIES, THE SCHOOL DISTRICTS AND THE MUDS. TOM BUCKLE: I THINK SO. BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, FOR INSTANCE, I REPRESENT THE LAGO VISTA SCHOOL DISTRICT AND AND EVEN MARBLE FALLS, AND THAT'S THOSE ARE SO SMALL THAT THEY'LL NEVER GET YEAH, YOU'LL HAVE MARYA CRIGLER: YOU IN YOUR JURISDICTION, YOU'VE GOT LAGO VISTA, LAKE TRAVIS, YOU'VE GOT EANES, AND THEN YOU HAVE ALL THOSE CITIES, THE CITY OF LAGO VISTA, CITY TOM BUCKLE: OF LAKE WAYS, LAKEWAY, THAT'S PROBABLY THE ONLY ONE THAT, YEAH, THEY'LL ALL HAVE VOTES. OH, YEAH, OSEZUA EHIYAMEN: PLEASE. I THINK WE HAVE EXPLAINED TO YELLOW, WHO ARE THOSE IN THE SEARCH COMMITTEE, THAT IS THE INTERVIEW [6. Adjournment] COMMITTEE, WHO ARE THE MEMBERS? THEY JUST THE THREE. NO, I JUST WANT IT TO BE REITERATED, WHO ARE THE MEMBERS, PLEASE. JAMES VALADEZ: THE THREE LEADERSHIP ROLES, OSEZUA EHIYAMEN: OKAY, JAMES VALADEZ: AND THEN ON SEARCH, IT'S ALSO. SO MISS [03:20:01] MONTOYA AND MR. ELFANT DEBORAH CARTWRIGHT: SO THERE WILL BE FIVE AND EACH OF THE COMMITTEES JAMES VALADEZ: FIVE, FIVE AND THREE, RIGHT? OSEZUA EHIYAMEN: OKAY, JAMES VALADEZ: ANYTHING ELSE ON ANY OTHER FUTURE AGENDAS? LAST ITEM ON OUR AGENDA IS 5M. THINK IT'S MR. BUCKLE'S FAVORITE AGENDA ITEM. OKAY, WE HAVE A SECOND. OKAY. MOTION BY MR. BUCKLE, SECONDED BY DR O. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR, ALL THOSE OPPOSED, PASSES UNANIMOUSLY AT 250 ON AUGUST 24 2023 THE TRAVIS CENTRAL APPRAISAL DISTRICT BOARD OF DIRECTORS STANDS ADJOURNED. MARYA CRIGLER: THAN YOU GUYS FOR YOUR ENDURANCE. * This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.