Oct 09, 2025 Board of Directors Meeting

JAMES VALADEZ: GOOD MORNING. I'D LIKE TO CALL THE TRAVIS CENTRAL

[00:00:06]

[1. Call to Order]

[2. Establishment of Quorum]

[3. Citizens Communication]

LEANA MANN: WE DO. MISS JUDY. GRACIE IS SIGNED UP.

JAMES VALADEZ: MISS GRACIE, HOW ARE YOU? TRAVIS COUNTY TAXPAYER: I'M GOOD. SO I'M BACK.

JAMES VALADEZ: YOU'LL HAVE THREE MINUTES.

TRAVIS COUNTY TAXPAYER: OKAY. MY NAME IS JUDY GRACIE, AND MY PROPERTY ID IS 169190, AND LAST TIME I WAS HERE, I WAS DISCUSSING, YOU KNOW, WHAT'S GONE ON OVER THE LAST COUPLE YEARS THAT MY LAKE LOT WAS REAPPRAISED USING A NEW FORMULA THAT BASICALLY DOESN'T ADDRESS ACREAGE AND DOESN'T AND IT'S NOT CONSISTENT IN THE MARKET AREAS. IF MY LOT WAS APPRAISED IN THE ADJOINING MARKET AREA FIVE MINUTES AWAY, IT WOULD HAVE BEEN 1.7 MILLION. MINE IS APPRAISED AT 4.4 MILLION, WHICH IS 3.2 POINT 7, MILLION MORE. SO I'VE BEEN TRYING TO GET THAT ADJUSTED. AND YOU KNOW, THROUGH THE FORMAL HEARING, THERE WAS THEY HAD NO AUTHORITY TO DO, YOU KNOW, REDUCE MY LOT VALUES. SO THAT WAS THAT LAST TIME I WAS AT YOUR BOARD MEETING AND HEARD THAT IT WAS ONLY THE DISTRICT COURT THAT I COULD GO TO. AND YOU KNOW, THAT DIDN'T SOUND BAD IN IN THE INFORMATION, I WOULD JUST GO AND FILE A PETITION IN THE DISTRICT COURT IN THE LANGUAGE THAT YOU HAVE, UNTIL I FOUND OUT, AFTER A FIGURING OUT WHERE THE DISTRICT COURT WAS, SPENT DAY DOING THAT AND THEN FINDING MORE INFORMATION THAT THAT IT'S A, IT'S CALLED A TCAD LAWSUIT. SO ANYWAY, BUT THIS MORNING, I WAS TALKING AND THANK YOU. AND SHE SAID, I BECAUSE IT IS MY HOMESTEAD, AND I'M, YOU KNOW, WITHIN, I GUESS THE VALUE, RIGHT, THAT I CAN GO TO ARBITRATION, BUT THIS WHOLE PROCESS IS SKEWED THAT FIVE MINUTES AWAY I MEAN, AND IT WAS BECAUSE OF THE REAPPRAISAL PROCESS THAT THE SURPLUS, THE SURPLUS ON MY 500 FEET OF LAKE FRONTAGE, WAS ONLY 10% WHEREAS AN AVERAGE TWO AND A HALF ACRE LOT IS, IN MY OPINION, 150 FEET. SO I HAVE 350 FEET OF SURPLUS.

SO I ONLY GOT CREDIT FOR 50 MY SURPLUS, THEY SAID, WAS 50.

ANYWAY, MY I'M NOT OUT OF TIME. I'VE GOT 50 SECONDS ANYWAY. THE OTHER THING IS, YOU KNOW, IN TALKING TO SOMEONE, YOU KNOW, THEN I WAS GOING TO HAVE REPRESENT ME. I MEAN, THEY SAID IN IN THE HEARING THAT HE CANNOT INFLUENCE THE APPRAISAL, JUST VALID VALUATION, MYTHOLOGY, MYTHOLOGY OR MARKET SEGMENTATION. I MEAN, I DON'T KNOW HOW I DO IT. IF I CAN'T GET A LOOK AT A PROPERTY THAT'S FIVE MINUTES AWAY FROM ME, THAT HAS THE EXACT CONFIGURATION OF MY LOT, THAT A LOT OF FRONTAGE, BUT A TWO AND A HALF ACRE LOT, THEN YOU KNOW, WHAT ARE YOU SUPPOSED TO USE? AND WHAT I WHAT I HAVE IS THE LARGER LOTS, EIGHT, NINE ACRES WITH MORE FRONTAGE, AND I'M RIGHT THERE PRICED WITH THEM ANYWAY. THAT'S WHY I'M AT I'LL LET YOU KNOW WHAT HAPPENS AT ARBITRATION.

JAMES VALADEZ: THANK YOU SO MUCH.

TRAVIS COUNTY TAXPAYER: I HOPE IT WORKS FOR ME.

JAMES VALADEZ: THANK YOU. DO WE HAVE ANYONE ELSE SIGNED UP TO SPEAK TODAY? THAT IS IT? OKAY? WE WILL MOVE ON TO OUR CONSENT AGENDA. THESE ITEMS MAY BE ACTED

[4. Consent Agenda]

AUGUST 14, 2025, REGULAR MEETING. AUGUST 21 2025, REGULAR MEETING. AUGUST I'M SORRY, AND SEPTEMBER 11, 2025, REGULAR MEETING. THAT'S FOR A FOR B WILL BE THE SECTION 2520 5B REPORT FOR C IS THE ACCOUNTING STATE. STATEMENTS FOR D IS THE BUDGET

[00:05:01]

WE HAVE A MOTION FROM MR. HAVENSTRITE AND QUESTION FROM MR. LAVINE DICK LAVINE: PERSONNEL REPORT, IF SOMEBODY COULD TELL ME WHAT PAGE IT'S ON.

LEANA MANN: IT IS ON PAGE 53.

DICK LAVINE: ACTUALLY, MY QUESTION IS MORE ABOUT THE CURRENT OPENINGS, WHETHER YOU'RE HAVING ANY TROUBLE HIRING, LEANA MANN: WE ARE NOT, BUT TO HAVE DISCUSSION, WE NEED TO PULL IT FROM CONSENT. AND THEN DISCUSS IT UNDER ITS SEPARATE ITEM.

JAMES VALADEZ: WOULD YOU LIKE TO DICK LAVINE: IT'LL TAKE ONE EXTRA MINUTE, SAME QUESTION JAMES VALADEZ: OKAY, I GUESS WE'LL TAKE A MOTION FOR THE BALANCE.

JOHN HAVENSTRITE: I MOTION THAT WE APPROVE THE CONSENT AGENDA, BUT FOR ITEM E, AS PRESENTED, DEBORAH CARTWRIGHT: I SECOND IT JAMES VALADEZ: MOVED BY MR. HAVENSTRITE, SECONDED BY MS CARTWRIGHT, ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION ON THAT ITEM? HEARING NONE. WE'LL TAKE A VOTE ALL THOSE IN FAVOR, ALL THOSE OPPOSED THAT PASSES UNANIMOUSLY, WE'LL NOW TAKE UP ITEM 4E PERSONNEL REPORT.

DICK LAVINE: QUESTION IS, I SEE WE HAVE OPENINGS FOR PARALEGAL, CUSTOMER SERVICE REP AND APPRAISAL SUPPORT CLERK, WHICH I GUESS, ARE ALL LOWER, AND OF COURSE, THE TAXPAYER LIAISON OFFICE, BUT THE OTHERS ARE PRETTY LOW LEVEL, ENTRY LEVEL THINGS. ARE WE HAVING ANY PROBLEM ATTRACTING PEOPLE? LEANA MANN: FOR THOSE, WE ARE NOT. SO WE FOR OUR CUSTOMER SERVICE REPS AND APPRAISAL SUPPORT CLERKS. WE TYPICALLY WORK WITH A STAFFING AGENCY THAT BRINGS US APPLICANTS. SO WE HAVE MORE TURNOVER IN THOSE TWO DEPARTMENTS, SO WE DO CONSISTENTLY HAVE AN OPENING OR TWO. THE PARALEGAL POSITION FOR LEGAL WAS ACTUALLY JUST POSTED THIS WEEK, SO IT HASN'T BEEN OPENED LONG, BUT WE'RE NOT WE'RE FINDING QUALIFIED APPLICANTS THAT ARE THAT ARE FILLING THE POSITIONS WHEN WE HAVE THEM OPEN.

DICK LAVINE: AND YOU'RE USING THE STAFFING SERVICE JUST TO LOCATE CANDIDATES, BUT ONCE YOU'RE HIRED, YOU'RE NOT PAYING AN EXTRA PERCENTAGE TO THE SERVICE, CORRECT? LEANA MANN: SO THEY STAY WITH THE STAFFING COMPANY FOR, I THINK IT'S 60 DAYS, MAYBE 90 DAYS. IT'S A SET, FINITE PERIOD, AND THEN THEY TURN OVER TO OUR EMPLOYEE, DICK LAVINE: OKAY, THANK YOU. THAT'S ALL.

JAMES VALADEZ: STILL NEED TO HAVE ACTION ON FOR EITHER. SO IF THERE'S NO FURTHER QUESTIONS, WE WOULD NEED A MOTION ON 4D.

DICK LAVINE: I'M SORRY, WE NEED TO APPROVE THAT REPORT. I SHALL MOVE OKAY, JAMES VALADEZ: IT'S BEEN MOVED BY MR. LAVINE, SECONDED BY MR. WANG, 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 OUR REGULAR AGENDA. FIRST ITEM

[5. Regular Agenda]

[a. Discussion and Possible Action on Appraisal Review Board Chairman Report]

BARRY MCBEE: THANK YOU, MR. CHAIRMAN, MEMBERS FIRST, LET ME THANK YOU. DIDN'T HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY AT THE LAST BOARD MEETING FOR YOUR APPROVAL OF THE SORT OF EARLY IMPLEMENTATION OF THE INCREASED PER DIEMS FOR NEXT YEAR. WE DO HAVE SOME HEARINGS ON THE FIFTH AND SIXTH OF NOVEMBER, AND THAT ADDITIONAL COMPENSATION WILL BE APPRECIATED BY THOSE WHO COME AND PARTICIPATE IN THE HEARINGS. I KNOW. LET ME ALSO THANK YOU FOR KIND OF AN EXTRAORDINARY UNBUDGETED CAPITAL EXPENDITURE YOU MIGHT OR MIGHT NOT HAVE NOTICED ON PAGE 47 OF THE REPORT, THE ICE MACHINE IN THE ARB BREAK ROOM BROKE THIS SUMMER, TO GREAT CONSTERNATION OF ALL THE MEMBERS. SO WE'RE VERY APPRECIATIVE OF MS MANN AND FOR YOU ALL FOR APPROVING THAT UNBUDGETED EXPENDITURE TO REPLACE THAT EVERYONE'S VERY, VERY HAPPY ABOUT THAT. WE ARE NOW KIND OF DEEPLY INTO THE SORT OF POSTSEASON PHASE OF ACTIVITIES. SO AS NOTED IN MY WRITTEN REPORT, WE'RE REVIEWING THE RESULTS OF THE SEASON INTERNALLY AND WITH WITH TCAD LEADERSHIP. WE HAD A VERY GOOD MEETING THIS WEEK WITH MR. MILLS, MR. LEDBETTER, TALKING ABOUT A NUMBER OF ISSUES THAT WE'LL CONTINUE TO WORK ON. A NUMBER OF THOSE LOOK AHEAD TO THE SCHEDULING OF THE ARB NEXT SEASON, AND HOW THE TCAD WOULD WANT TO WORK, PARTICULARLY WITH AGENTS, ON THAT SCHEDULING. THERE ARE A FEW LEGAL ISSUES.

WE'LL WORK MR. BANKS AS WELL ON THOSE, AND THEN JUST SOME TECHNICAL ASPECTS OF HOW THE PROTEST PROCESS WORKS AND EVEN

[00:10:03]

WE'VE ALSO JUST SHARED, GENERALLY WITH MR. MILLS, MR. LEDBETTER, JUST SOME OBSERVATIONS ABOUT THE COMMENTS OF THE COMMENTS THAT WE HEAR DURING THE COURSE OF THE SEASON FROM PROPERTY OWNERS ABOUT THEIR CHALLENGES IN DEALING WITH THE PROTEST PROCESS, RECOGNIZING THAT WE HEAR FROM PROBABLY DOZENS OF THE MANY 1000S OF PROPERTY OWNERS WHO ARE GOING THROUGH THAT PROCESS, BUT WE DO WANT TO REPORT WHAT WE HEAR SO THAT CAN BE AWARE OF THAT IF WE NEED TO COLLECTIVELY WORK ON ANY KIND OF CHANGES IN TERMS OF THE DAY TO DAY ACTIVITIES IN THE OFFICE NOW, WE JUST CONTINUE TO RESPOND ON A DAILY BASIS TO THE PROTESTS THAT CONTINUE TO COME IN FOR PROPERTY OWNERS AND FROM AGENTS, A LOT OF THOSE RELATE TO PARTICULARLY CLOSED BUSINESSES AND BUSINESS PERSONAL PROPERTY ASSESSMENTS. WE ARE ALSO LOOKING AT AND CLARIFYING SOME OF THE STANDARD COMMUNICATIONS THAT WE UTILIZE OVER THE COURSE OF THE SEASON. THAT'S AN EFFICIENT WAY FOR US TO RESPOND TO THE NUMBER OF EMAILS WE'LL GET ON ANY GIVEN DAY. SO WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THAT INFORMATION IS AS ACCURATE AND CLEAR AND HELPFUL AS POSSIBLE. SO WE INHERITED SORT OF A SERIES OF TEMPLATE RESPONSES. IT DID NOT HAVE AN BARRY MCBEE: THAT, OPPORTUNITY TO REVISE THOSE BEFORE LAST SEASON. WE'LL NOW SPEND SOME TIME THIS FALL REVISING THOSE BASED ON OUR EXPERIENCE. WE ARE ALSO, I KNOW YOU LOOKED AT MISS THOMPSON'S REPORT, WORKING WITH HER IN TERMS OF THE RECRUITING FOR THE ARB, PARTICULARLY ENCOURAGING OUR MEMBERS, WHO I THINK PROBABLY ARE THE BEST RECRUITERS IN THIS PROCESS, TO KIND OF MAKE AS MANY CONTACTS WITHIN THEIR RESPECTIVE SPHERES OF INFLUENCE.

ALSO WORKING WITH MS THOMPSON TO IDENTIFY ORGANIZATIONS AND PUBLICATIONS AND VENUES WHERE WE CAN LEAVE POSTCARDS OR SOME KIND OF ANNOUNCEMENT OF THE OPPORTUNITY TO SERVE ON THE ARB.

FINALLY, I WANT TO RESPOND MS CONLEY TO YOUR REQUEST AT OUR LAST MEETING ABOUT THE NUMBER OF SINGLE MEMBER PANELS THAT WE CONDUCTED OVER THE COURSE OF THE YEAR. THE MOST ACCESSIBLE DATA SET THAT WE WERE ABLE TO SORT OF QUICKLY TURN TO IS THE REQUEST FOR SINGLE MEMBER PANELS, AND THOSE ARE ALWAYS ACCOMMODATED.

WE HAD OVER 5100 REQUESTS FOR SINGLE MEMBER PANELS FROM AGENTS. WE ONLY HAD ABOUT 150 FROM INDIVIDUAL PROPERTY OWNERS.

AND I THINK THE HIGH NUMBER OF REQUESTS FOR SINGLE MEMBER PANELS FROM AGENTS, PROBABLY REFLECTS OWN WELLS WILLINGNESS TO USE THAT MECHANISM THIS SEASON. LAST SEASON, THEY'D ALWAYS WANTED THREE MEMBER PANELS. THEY WERE VERY SUPPORTIVE OF SINGLE MEMBER PANELS. SEEM TO BE SATISFIED WITH THAT THAT NUMBER, OR THOSE NUMBERS, THE 5100, AND THE 150 MAY NOT BE ACCURATE. MISS CONLEY, BECAUSE I THINK, UNWELL IN THE MIDST OF THE SEASON, ACCEPTED, ON A DAILY BASIS, SINGLE MEMBER PANELS. AND WE REGULARLY FACE A SITUATION WHERE AN INDIVIDUAL PROPERTY OWNER WILL BE OFFERED A SINGLE, SINGLE MEMBER PANEL, IF IT WILL KIND OF MOVE THEM THROUGH THE PROCESS MORE QUICKLY, AND THEY ARE OFTEN WILLING TO ACCEPT THAT TO KIND JETT HANNA: AND ALL OF THOSE KINDS OF SOCIAL GROUPS THAT ARE OF, TO GIVE YOU A MUCH MORE PRECISE NUMBER OF THE NUMBER OF SINGLE MEMBER PANELS, WE'D HAVE TO KIND OF DO A MANUAL PROCESS TO LOOK AT ANY GIVEN DAY THE NUMBER OF SINGLE MEMBER PANELS WE HAD, AND THEN TALLY UP THE NUMBER OF HEARINGS CONDUCTED BY THAT BY THOSE PANELS. WE'D BE HAPPY TO DO THAT IF THESE MORE GLOBAL OR GROSS NUMBERS ARE NOT GOING TO BE SATISFACTORY TO YOUR THE BOARD, AND WITH THAT, I'LL BE HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS.

[b. Discussion on Report from Appraisal Review Board Committee]

[00:15:40]

YEAH, AS FAR AS SPECIFICALLY TARGETING THOSE KIND OF CIVIC GROUPS. I'M NOT AWARE THAT WE HAVE DONE THAT FOR A RECRUITING PURPOSE. I KNOW I SPOKE TO ONE WHEN I WAS CAMPAIGNING A WHILE BACK DEBORAH CARTWRIGHT: HAD TALKED TO THE TLO ABOUT DOING THAT. I REALLY THINK IT'S A GOOD AVENUE THAT MAYBE HASN'T BEEN EXPLORED JETT HANNA: YEAH, WE HAVE TALKED ABOUT SOME, SOME OTHER GROUPS, PARTICULARLY, I THINK DICK HAD SOME, WEREN'T THERE SOME RETIRED UNION FOLKS AND SOME RETIREMENT ORGANIZATIONS THAT YOU HAD ON THEM? DICK LAVINE: THERE IS A UNION OF RETIRED STATE WORKERS THAT PUT IT IN THEIR NEWSLETTER. AND I KNOW WE'VE GOT AT LEAST ONE APPLICATION OUT OF THAT, BUT I THINK THAT'S A GOOD SUGGESTION FOR THE FRATERNAL GROUPS, WHICH TEND TO BE OLDER, IT'S A BETTER EFFECT.

LEANA MANN: MISS THOMPSON HAS ALSO ADVERTISED IN THE LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS AND LONGHORN VILLAGE, AND THEN SHE'S DOING A 50 PLUS COMMUNITY JOB FAIR WITH THE CITY OF AUSTIN.

DEBORAH CARTWRIGHT: AND THOSE ARE GREAT BUT I THINK EVERY ONE OF THE ORGANIZATIONS I MENTIONED, AND OTHERS THE ELKS, THEN OTHERS WOULD BE WILLING TO STEP UP AND AND USE THAT AS BECAUSE I BELIEVE THEY HAVE COMMUNITY SERVICE REQUIREMENTS AND THINGS THAT ESPECIALLY FOR NEW MEMBERS OF THE ORGANIZATIONS. AND THIS SEEMS TO ME TO BE A PERFECT WAY TO BRING IN PEOPLE WHO ARE CIVIC MINDED AND MIGHT ENJOY THE EXPERIENCE, EVEN THOUGH THEY'RE NOT GOING TO BE WORKING WITH MR. MAC DID MIGHT BE IT WOULD STILL BE WONDERFUL.

JAMES VALADEZ: ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? OKAY WITH THAT? WE WILL GO ON TO 5C OF OUR REGULAR AGENDA, WHICH IS DISCUSSION AND

[c. Discussion and Possible Action on Chief Appraiser's Report]

LEANA MANN: THANK YOU. OUR STAFF ARE OUT IN THE FIELD. THEY'VE STARTED THEIR FIELD WORK FOR THE 2026, TAX YEAR. SO WE FINISHED UP OUR PROTEST SEASON AND JUMPED RIGHT INTO THE NEXT SEASON THAT WE'RE WE'RE IN. SO AS A REMINDER, I'VE PROVIDED AN UPDATED 2026 REAPPRAISAL PLAN. THIS IS WHAT YOU ADOPTED IN SEPTEMBER OF 2024 AND WE HAVE NOT MADE ANY AMENDMENTS TO THE 2026 PLAN. WE HAVE. OUR CALENDAR HAS BEEN PROVIDED TO YOU AS WELL. SO WE HAVE ABOUT 100 DAYS WORK, DAYS BETWEEN SALES VERIFICATION AND PHYSICAL INSPECTION. AND SO I POINT THIS OUT BECAUSE WE HAVE A VERY LIMITED, FINITE NUMBER OF DAYS TO DO FIELD WORK. AND IN THE MIDST OF THAT, WE HAVE TO ALSO ADD IN OUR EDUCATION THAT WE'RE ALL REQUIRED TO DO THROUGH TDLR.

REALLY, THE FALL IS THE ONLY TIME OF THE YEAR WE HAVE TIME TO DO THAT, SO WE HAVE TWO WEEKS BUILT IN FOR JUST EDUCATION FOR APPRAISERS. OUR RESIDENTIAL APPRAISAL GROUP, THEY ARE ABOUT 24.3% COMPLETE WITH OUR FIELD WORK. THIS THE SCOPE OF WORK DOES SLIGHTLY CHANGE AS WE MOVE THROUGH THE LAST FEW MONTHS OF THE YEAR, BECAUSE WE'LL GET MORE DEED TRANSACTIONS AND SALES THAT WE NEED TO THEN VERIFY THE CHARACTERISTICS OF THAT SALE, NEW SUBDIVISIONS, NEW CONDOS, THOSE STILL GET FILED THROUGH THE REMAINDER OF THE YEAR, SO OUR SCOPE WILL SLIGHTLY INCREASE. BUT THEY ARE DOING FANTASTIC, AND AT ABOUT A QUARTER PERCENT DONE, COMMERCIAL IS AT 17.8% DONE. AND THERE'S A FULL LIST OF ALL OF THEIR REAPPRAISAL ACTIVITIES. AND THEN BPP WAS THE LAST DEPARTMENT TO GET OUT IN THE FIELD, BUT THEY ARE AT ABOUT SEVEN AND A HALF PERCENT COMPLETE. THIS ONE WILL ALSO THE SCOPE OF WORK INCREASE PRETTY SIGNIFICANTLY AS RENDITIONS ARE FILED. BECAUSE THEY DO FIELD CHECKS ON FILED

[00:20:01]

SHENGHAO WANG: CAN I ASK A QUICK QUESTION ABOUT THAT? SO TO WHAT EXTENT DOES THE DISTRICT HAVE DISCRETION ON THE THOSE LATE APPLICATIONS, AND HOW MUCH IS FORECLOSED BY STATE LAW? LEANA MANN: IT'S ALL STATE LAW. SO IT'S DICTATED IN THE TAX TAX CODE THAT WE CAN ONLY GO BACK TWO YEARS FROM THE DELINQUENCY DATE SHENGHAO WANG: SO THEY DON'T PAY, BUT THEN THEY CAN GO BACK AND CHANGE THE BILL, LEANA MANN: OR SO THE DELINQUENCY DATE IS THE CUT OFF FOR THE LATE APPLICATION. SO, YOU KNOW, JANUARY, WELL, FEBRUARY 1 OF EACH YEAR. BUT IF THEY'VE PAID THEIR TAX BILL, AND THEN THEY GET THAT LATE APPLICATION, AND IT'S GRANTED, THEY GET A REFUND. WE SEND THAT MONTHLY TO THE TAX OFFICE, AND THEN THEY PREPARE THOSE REFUND CHECKS.

SHENGHAO WANG: GOT IT. THANK YOU.

DICK LAVINE: WELL, ON THAT IF THEY PAID THROUGH TO THEIR MORTGAGE COMPANY, DOES THAT COMPLICATE GETTING THE REFUND? LEANA MANN: THAT WOULD BE A GREAT QUESTION FOR CELIA. WE DON'T DEAL WITH THE ACTUAL REFUND PROCESS. I CAN'T SPEAK TO THAT QUESTION.

DICK LAVINE: YES, IF, IF THEY PAY THEIR PROPERTY TAXES THROUGH

[00:25:02]

DICK LAVINE: THEY WRITE A CHECK. YEAH, CELIA ISRAEL: WE DO.

DICK LAVINE: YOU DO, YEAH, EVEN THOUGH IT WAS THIS WAY? CELIA ISRAEL: THE QUESTION IS, DOES THE REFUND GO TO THE MORTGAGE COMPANY OR TO THE INDIVIDUAL? DICK LAVINE: WELL, THE MORTGAGE COMPANIES HOLDING THE CASH RIGHT, JAMES VALADEZ: AT MINIMUM, AT THE END OF THE YEAR, THEY WOULD HAVE THE OPTION TO KEEP THAT CASH IN THE ACCOUNT SO LIKE IT WOULD BE RECONCILED AT THE END OF DICK LAVINE: RIGHT, CELIA ISRAEL: GO INTO ESCROWE DICK LAVINE: OVER TO THEIR ESCROW.

JAMES VALADEZ: YEAH, DICK LAVINE: SOMEBODY'S GOTTEN THAT 4% INTEREST, JAMES VALADEZ: SURE.

DICK LAVINE: OKAY, BUT I HAD SOME OTHER QUESTIONS ABOUT THE OUTREACH TO THE REALTORS IN THE TITLE COMPANIES. IS THERE ANY WAY YOU CAN ENCOURAGE THEM JUST TO PUT THE HOMESTEAD EXEMPTION IN THAT PILE OF PAPERS AT CLOSING.

LEANA MANN: SO WE'VE SPOKE TO A LOT OF TITLE COMPANIES ABOUT THAT, BECAUSE ON THE SURFACE, IT SEEMS LIKE A GREAT IDEA. THE PROBLEM THEY HAVE IS THAT THE PROPERTY OWNER HAS TO HAVE THAT ID OR DRIVER'S LICENSE WITH THE PROPERTY ADDRESS ON IT, SO AT CLOSING THEY DON'T HAVE THAT, AND SO THEN THE PAPER GETS LOST IN ALL OF THEIR PAPERWORK THEY'RE RECEIVING. SO IT WASN'T AS BENEFICIAL.

DICK LAVINE: CATCH 22 YOU CAN'T GET THE EXEMPTION TILL YOU HAVE THE HOUSE AND YOU CAN'T, ETC. AND THEN, TO BACK UP A LITTLE ON THE BUSINESS, PERSONAL PROPERTY, THE HUGE INCREASE IN THE EXEMPTIONS ON THE BALLOT IN NOVEMBER, RIGHT? HOW'S THAT GOING TO CHANGE YOUR WORK EITHER THIS YEAR, NEXT YEAR.

LEANA MANN: SO I THINK FOR THIS YEAR, IT'S NOT GOING TO CHANGE MUCH AT ALL. THERE'S GOING TO BE A LOT OF IMPLEMENTATION AND DATA CLEANUP THAT WE HAVE TO DO IN ORDER TO EFFECTIVELY IMPLEMENT HB NINE. I THINK IN FUTURE YEARS, IT COULD REDUCE THE WORKLOAD JUST BECAUSE OF THE AMOUNT OF PROTESTS THAT THEY'LL HAVE. WE'RE STILL GOING TO HAVE TO GO OUT AND DISCOVER PROPERTY, NEW BUSINESSES, CLOSED BUSINESSES, SO THAT WORKLOAD ISN'T GOING TO CHANGE. EVEN IF THEY GET AN EXEMPTION THAT EXEMPTS THE FULL PERSONAL PROPERTY OFF THE ROLL, WE STILL HAVE TO ADD IT TO THE ROLE. SO WHILE THERE MAY BE A REDUCTION IN FUTURE YEARS, IT WON'T BE MUCH, AND IT WILL DEFINITELY NOT BE IN THE FIRST YEAR WITH ALL THE CLEANUP WE NEED TO DO.

DICK LAVINE: SO NET TO THE TAXING UNITS, IT'S PROBABLY A THEY'RE SAVING IN THE ADMINISTRATIVE COST FOR YOU IS NOT GOING TO BE EQUAL TO THE COST IN THE LOWER VALUE.

LEANA MANN: OH, NO, NO. IT'LL BE BILLIONS IN VALUE THAT GETS TAKEN OFF THE ROLL, AND I CAN SHARE SOME STATEWIDE DATA THAT OUR LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEE OF TAAD PUT TOGETHER, IF YOU'D BE INTERESTED IN SEEING THAT.

DICK LAVINE: I JUST REMEMBER EARLIER CHANGES, WHICH WERE MUCH SMALLER. THE HOPE WAS THE ADMINISTRATIVE SAVINGS WAS GOING TO MAKE IT WORTHWHILE, BUT THIS IS SO MUCH BIGGER, LEANA MANN: YEAH, THE $2,500 EXEMPTION THAT'S CURRENTLY IN THE CODE RIGHT NOW, I DON'T THINK THERE'S MUCH INCENTIVE FOR JUST $2,500 IN VALUE FOR PEOPLE TO TRY AND GAME THE SYSTEM. I THINK THERE WILL BE A LOT OF MANEUVERS FROM BUSINESSES THAT TRY TO GROUP THINGS CERTAIN WAYS, BUSINESS, ENTERPRISE VERSUS I THINK THERE'S A LOT OF GRAY AREA IN THAT BILL, SO THERE'S GOING TO BE A LOT OF WORK WE NEED TO DO AND VERIFYING THAT THAT EXEMPTION IS BEING APPLIED PROPERLY.

SO THE SECOND GROUP IS THE UNRESPONSIVE PROPERTY OWNERS. IN 23 AND 2024 WE HAD ABOUT A 95% RESPONSE RATE WHEN WE WOULD ASK A PROPERTY OWNER FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION. A LOT OF TIMES THAT RESPONSE COMES ONCE THEY GET THEIR TAX BILL, WHICH IS WHAT WE'RE ANTICIPATING THIS YEAR AFTER OUR FIRST YEAR OF THE HOMESTEAD AUDIT. SO WE'VE REALLY TRIED TO MAKE MULTIPLE CONTACT POINTS WITH THEM, EVEN OUR OVER 60 FIVES THROUGH THIS PROCESS, WE WE GAVE A PHONE CALL TO THEM TO TRY AND REACH THEM AND GIVE THEM SOME INFORMATION OF WHAT WE NEEDED. AND AGAIN, STILL THE SAME LATE APPLICATION THAT WE CAN ACCEPT, AND THE THIRD GROUP WAS ASKED ABOUT IN OUR LAST BOARD MEETING, BUT THERE ARE PROPERTY OWNERS THAT ARE MISSING THOSE REQUIRED DOCUMENTS. THE REAL ID ACT DOES NOT ALLOW A PERSON WITH UNDOCUMENTED LEGAL STATUS TO BE ISSUED A DRIVER'S LICENSE. THERE'S ALSO A GROUP OF SENIORS WHO ARE 79 OR OLDER THAT HAVE TO GO IN PERSON TO APPLY FOR THEIR DRIVER'S LICENSE. SO SINCE THIS DATA ESTIMATES THERE, BUT THERE'S ABOUT 20,800 HOMEOWNERS IN TRAVIS COUNTY THAT ARE 75 YEARS OR OLDER. SO THAT'S A PRETTY LARGE GROUP OF THOSE, OVER 65 EXEMPTION INDIVIDUALS, AND THEN THE MIGRATION POLICY AND. TWO ESTIMATES THAT 20,000 HOMEOWNERS ARE UNDOCUMENTED IN

[00:30:02]

THEY DON'T UNDERSTAND THE DISASTER EXEMPTION, SO WE WANT TO MAKE SURE WE'RE MEETING THEM WHERE THEY'RE AT, HELPING THEM GET THROUGH THAT PROCESS AS BEST WE CAN.

JAMES VALADEZ: CELIA HAD A QUESTION REAL QUICK.

CELIA ISRAEL: THANK YOU, CHAIR. YOU GUYS DO A GREAT JOB WITH COMMUNITY OUTREACH, BUT I WANTED YOU TO ELABORATE ON WHAT CONNECT MEANS WHEN YOU SAY, CONNECT WITH PROPERTY OWNERS. AND I THINK YOUR INSTINCTS ARE RIGHT. YOU KNOW, LOTS OF FOLLOW UP, BUT I'M WONDERING WHAT THAT MEANS TO YOUR STAFF. IS THAT A FOLLOW UP POSTCARD AND A CALL? WHAT KIND OF CONNECTION CAN YOU REALISTICALLY DO WHILE YOU'RE ALSO BUSY DOING THE REST OF THE COUNTY? LEANA MANN: SO CONNECT TO ME MEANS A PERSONAL INTERACTION. SO WE ARE SITTING DOWN WITH THEM. WE'RE GIVING THEM INFORMATION SPECIFIC TO THEIR PROPERTY. NOW, OUTSIDE OF THAT, WE'RE ALSO SENDING LETTERS, POSTCARDS, TRYING TO MAKE PHONE CALLS. BUT I THINK IN THIS SITUATION, THERE'S A GROUP THAT FEELS LIKE THEY AREN'T BEING HEARD, AND SO US BEING IN THEIR COMMUNITY, AT THE EVENTS THAT THEY'RE AT, AND JUST LISTENING AND. HAS REALLY PROVEN BENEFICIAL. SO WHEN I SAY CONNECT, I WANT TO THAT'S THAT

[00:35:05]

CELIA ISRAEL: SO THAT MEANS MAKING SURE THAT YOU'RE ENGAGED WITH OTHER COMMUNITY EVENTS, SO THAT YOU'RE A PART OF THEIR AGENDA. HERE WE ARE JUST BEING PRESENT, LEANA MANN: CORRECT.

OKAY, YEAH. AND CYNTHIA, THIS IS CREDIT TO HER. SHE HAS SPENT HOURS AND HOURS TRYING TO CONNECT WITH COMMUNITY LEADERS IN THAT AREA, AND SHE'S BUILT, BUILT SOME REALLY GREAT CONNECTIONS, WHERE, IF THERE IS AN EVENT GOING ON, THEY'RE CALLING US, THEY'RE LETTING US KNOW THEY WANT US TO COME AND BE THERE. SO SHE'S DONE FANTASTIC JOB WITH ALL OF THIS.

CELIA ISRAEL: YEAH, THANK YOU.

LEANA MANN: SO JUST A SUMMARY, WE HAVE ABOUT 20 STAFF MEMBERS THAT HAVE SPENT SOME OF THEIR WORK TIME IN SANDY CREEK, MORE THAN 250 STAFF HOURS IN SEPTEMBER ALONE. SO WE ARE DEDICATING WE'RE MAKING THIS A PRIORITY TO TRY AND ASSIST THESE PROPERTY OWNERS. WE'VE ALSO COORDINATED TWO EXEMPTION EXEMPTION CLINICS AND ATTENDED ADDITIONAL OUTREACH EVENTS BY COORDINATED BY OTHER GROUPS. THANK YOU TO THE TAX OFFICE FOR DOING AND COORDINATING WITH US ON ONE OF THOSE EXEMPTION CLINICS THAT WAS VERY BENEFICIAL.

AND JUST AS A REMINDER, THE GOVERNOR HAS AMENDED THAT DECLARATION AGAIN, SO THE NEW DEADLINE TO FILE FOR THAT 2025 DISASTER EXEMPTION IS JANUARY 2. I OKAY, WE ALSO HAVE SOME OTHER COMMUNITY OUTREACH EVENTS IN THE REST OF THE COUNTY IN OCTOBER. SO WE'RE GOING TO BE DOING THE BRIDGE ASSISTANCE CLINIC WITH THE AMERICAN RED CROSS. I'M SORRY, WE DID THAT ON THE FIRST THEY DID THEIR MONTHLY BENEFITS CLINIC AT THE VA CLINIC ON THE EIGHTH, WE ARE DOING THAT NEW TCAD, 102 FOR REAL ESTATE PROFESSIONALS, WITH PATENT TITLE ON THE 15TH. BOO THE FLU IS GOING TO BE ON THE 18TH. WE ARE DOING THE APD COMMUNITY RESOURCE FAIR ON THE 20TH, THEN DOING WITH INDEPENDENCE TITLE, TCAD, 101 ON THE 22ND AND THEN A TRUNK OR TREAT EVENT ON THE 25TH WITH BROWN MOUNTAIN BAPTIST CHURCH.

AND BRIEFLY, THE CUSTOMER SERVICE GROUP IS CONTINUING TO DO AN EXCELLENT JOB. THEY'RE GETTING A 4.56 OUT OF FIVE ON OUR TAXPAYER EXPERIENCE SNAPSHOT. HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS YOU MIGHT HAVE.

JAMES VALADEZ: MR. WANG SHENGHAO WANG: SURE. FIRST, I WANT TO COMMEND YOU AND THE STAFF ON THE DISASTER RELIEF. I'M, YOU KNOW, I KNOW IT'S BEEN A BIG INVESTMENT OF YOUR TIME AND A LOT OF STAFF TIME, YOU KNOW, GOING OUT, MEETING PEOPLE, WHERE THEY ARE, RIGHT? YOU KNOW, MY WHEN, YOU KNOW, AS WE WENT THROUGH, I WAS LIKE MAILING THEM A POSTCARD. I DON'T KNOW IF THEY'RE GOING TO GET THAT. GOING TO GET THAT, BUT THEN THE FOLLOW UP, RIGHT, OF BEING WHERE THEY ARE, YOU KNOW, MAKING THAT HUMAN CONNECTION, I THINK, IS THE KIND OF SERVICE THAT PEOPLE WANT FROM THEIR GOVERNMENT, AND I THINK I'M SURE IT'S BEEN APPRECIATED BY THE RESIDENTS IN THAT THAT AREA AND AND ALSO BY ME AS A BOARD MEMBER. SO GREAT JOB ON THAT. ONE QUICK QUESTION. DID THAT HAVE ANY SINCE YOU ALL ARE PRESUMABLY SENDING THE FIELD STAFF OUT TO DO THAT KIND OF STUFF, WAS THAT RELATED AT ALL TO MAYBE BEING SLIGHTLY BEHIND ON YOUR FIELD WORK FOR THE UPCOMING TAX YEAR? LEANA MANN: IT COULD, WE CAN ACTUALLY WITH OUR REAPPRAISAL REQUIREMENTS, YOU'LL SEE IT NEXT MONTH ON OUR REPORT. WE'RE GOING TO ADD THOSE FIELD INSPECTIONS INTO OUR SCOPE OF WORK, BECAUSE WE DID RE INSPECT THEM, AND THEN WE'LL AMEND OUR 26 POLICY ONCE WE'RE DONE, OKAY? SHENGHAO WANG: AND THEN A QUICK THING, I'LL TALK WITH YOU SEPARATELY AFTER THERE ARE SEVERAL NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATIONS THAT HAVE REACHED OUT TO ME SAYING WE WOULD LIKE HAVE A TCAD REPRESENTATIVE AT OUR UPCOMING MEETING. AND I SAID, I'M PROBABLY NOT THE ONE YOU WANT TO HEAR FROM, BUT I WOULD PROMISE I WOULD GET THEM IN TOUCH WITH YOU. WONDERFUL.

LEANA MANN: YEAH, WE'RE GETTING A LOT OF INQUIRIES, SO CYNTHIA'S COORDINATING, BUT WE'RE HAPPY TO ATTEND THOSE EVENTS.

SHENGHAO WANG: I THINK THAT'S IT FOR ME. THANK YOU. OH, AND 4.4 AND 4.56 GREAT. AND FIVE, FIVE MINUTE CALL TIME. I THINK THAT'S THAT'S EXCELLENT AS WELL. THAT'S ALL JAMES VALADEZ: ANY OTHER QUESTIONS. OKAY, WE WILL MOVE ON TO ITEM 5D OF OUR REGULAR AGENDA, WHICH IS DISCUSSION AND

[d. Discussion and Possible Action on Purchasing Professional Services Specialized Tax Recovery for Aircraft Appraisal Services]

LEANA MANN: THANK YOU. SO I PUT TOGETHER JUST A SHORT PRESENTATION. I PULLED THIS DATA, THIS INFORMATION, FROM THE PRESENTATION I DID TO THE TAXING ENTITIES, WHICH I UNDERSTAND

[00:40:01]

THEY'LL BLOCK TAIL NUMBERS. THEY'LL FLY UNDER DIFFERENT CALL SIGNS. CLAIM PERSONAL USE ONLY, AND ALL OF THESE THINGS THEY DO TO TRY TO AVOID TAXATION, WE DON'T HAVE THE DATA SETS READILY ACCESSIBLE FOR US TO DEFEND, PUTTING THEM ON THE ROLL AND THEN DEFENDING IT AT THE ARB, AND THIS COMPANY PROVIDES THAT DATA. SO IN 2024 WE DID A PILOT PROGRAM. BECAUSE MY INITIAL THOUGHT WAS, THIS IS TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE. THERE'S NO WAY YOU'LL HAVE ALL THIS DATA, BECAUSE WE'VE SEARCHED. WE SPEND HOURS AND HOURS SEARCHING FOR THIS DATA. SO WE DID A PILOT PROGRAM.

THEY GAVE US SIX AIRCRAFT TO ADD TO THE ROLE FOR 2022, THROUGH 2024, AND THERE WAS A 1,755% RETURN ON INVESTMENT. SO WE PAID $20,000 AND THE TAXING UNITS PICKED UP 370 ALMOST 371,000 IN REVENUE. SO THERE ARE THREE ACCOUNTS THAT ARE STILL IN ACTIVE LITIGATION, SO WE'LL SEE HOW THAT PLAYS OUT. BUT THE RETURN ON INVESTMENT WAS GREAT FOR THE PILOT, SO WE ARE PROPOSING A COMPLIANCE PROGRAM, AND THIS IS GOING TO BE BROKEN INTO THE TWO GROUPS OF AIRPORTS. SO YOU'LL HAVE ONE AIRPORT GROUP AND TAXING ENTITIES THAT ARE FOR AUSTIN EXECUTIVE AIRPORT, AND THEN A SECOND GROUP FOR MILLIONAIRE SIGNATURE AND A BIA THAT'S IN A SECOND GROUP OF TAXING UNITS, AND WE'RE SEPARATING THEM BECAUSE DIFFERENT TAXING UNITS ARE GOING TO BENEFIT, AND SO WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THE PEOPLE BENEFITING ARE PAYING FOR THE SERVICE. SO WE'RE CALLING THIS A COMPLIANCE PROGRAM FOR AUSTIN EXECUTIVE THERE ARE BETWEEN 21 AND 26 AIRCRAFT THAT THIS COMPANY HAS IDENTIFIED SHOULD BE ON THE APPRAISAL ROLL, BUT ARE NOT, AND THAT VARIES BY TAX YEAR, AND THE POTENTIAL REVENUE TO THE TAXING UNITS IS ABOUT 7.8 MILLION.

THERE'S A BREAKDOWN THERE FOR THE ESTIMATED REVENUE BY ENTITY, AND THEN FOR THE OTHER AIRPORTS IN TRAVIS COUNTY, LIKE SIGNATURE ATLANTIC MILLIONAIRE AND A BIA, THERE ARE BETWEEN 17 AND 23 AIRCRAFT THAT THE VENDOR HAS IDENTIFIED WITH A POTENTIAL REVENUE TO THE TAXING UNITS OF 8.9 MILLION. NOW WHAT IS REALLY UNIQUE ABOUT THIS VENDOR, IT IS A VERY EXPENSIVE CONTRACT.

HOWEVER, THEY GUARANTEE THAT THE FEES YOU PAY, THE AUDIT FEES THAT THEY WILL THE TAXING UNITS WILL PICK UP THAT IN REVENUE OR YOU DON'T PAY THE FEE, SO THERE'S A GUARANTEE THAT THEY'LL GET MORE REVENUE THAN THE FEE. WE HAVE ALSO MET WITH ALL OF THE IMPACTED TAXING UNITS. THEY'RE ALL INTERESTED, AND WE WOULD SET UP A REIMBURSEMENT AGREEMENT WHERE WE INITIALLY PAY FOR THE AUDIT FEE, BUT THEN, ONCE THEY OBTAIN THEIR REVENUE FROM THOSE AIRCRAFT, THEY REIMBURSE THE CAD FOR THE COST OF THE PROJECT. SO THE TOTAL COST HAS A NOT TO EXCEED AMOUNT OF 1.3 TO 6 MILLION. IT IS A NOT TO EXCEED AMOUNT BECAUSE ONCE YOU GET INTO THE AUDIT, IT IS A PER PLANE FEE. AND SO IT COULD BE LESS THAN THAT, BUT WE WOULD NOT EXCEED THAT COST WITHOUT COMING BACK TO THE BOARD FOR ADDITIONAL APPROVAL, AND THE TOTAL POTENTIAL REVENUE IS ABOUT 15 POINT 6 MILLION THAT THEY'RE ESTIMATING. ANY QUESTIONS? JAMES VALADEZ: MR. WANG SHENGHAO WANG: THAT SEEMS PRETTY GREAT.

LEANA MANN: YOU HAD THE SAME REACTION I DID. IT SOUNDS TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE, SHENGHAO WANG: ESPECIALLY THEIR PATIENCE THROUGH THE LITIGATION, RIGHT? I MEAN, THAT MIGHT BE YEARS LEANA MANN: COULD BE AND THEY WOULD NOT BILL UNTIL LITIGATION IS OVER.

SHENGHAO WANG: AND THIS MIGHT BE TOO NITTY GRITTY, BUT IS THERE ANY KIND OF ADJUSTMENT FOR INTEREST OR WHATEVER IN THAT CONTRACT FOR, AGAIN, A LITTLE TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE, BUT YOU KNOW, YOU'VE DONE THE PILOT, AND THESE PEOPLE ARE FOR REAL. I MEAN, I THINK WE SHOULD DO IT.

LEANA MANN: AND ALL OF THE TAXING UNITS THAT WE HAVE MET

[00:45:02]

SHENGHAO WANG: AND SO THIS IS SEPARATE FROM THE BUDGET THE NORMAL BUDGETING PROCESS.

LEANA MANN: IT WOULD BE SEPARATE BECAUSE SINCE THE AIRPORTS ARE IN SPECIFIC TAXING JURISDICTIONS. I DIDN'T FEEL IT WAS FAIR. FOR EXAMPLE, AUSTIN ISD TO PAY FOR A SERVICE THAT THEY'RE NOT PICKING UP REVENUE FOR.

SHENGHAO WANG: THAT'S FAIR. YEAH, I'M SURE THAT CREATES MORE WORK FOR YOU, BUT I THINK, I THINK THAT WAS THE RIGHT, RIGHT PATH TO GO DOWN NOTHING FURTHER. I JAMES VALADEZ: MR. LAVINE DICK LAVINE: SO THESE ARE ALL BUSINESS OWNED. IS THAT RIGHT? LEANA MANN: YES, DICK LAVINE: YOU SAID IF IT'S A PERSONAL PLANE, THEY'RE NOT TAXABLE, LEANA MANN: CORRECT. THESE ARE COMMERCIAL PLANES THAT WOULD SHOULD BE TAXED ON THE APPRAISAL RULE.

DICK LAVINE: DOES IT INCLUDE HELICOPTERS? LEANA MANN: THAT'S A GOOD QUESTION. I CAN GET BACK WITH YOU ON THAT.

DICK LAVINE: I SIT IN MY BACKYARD, I SEE THE HELICOPTER FLY OVER AND TRY TO GUESS WHERE IT'S GOING.

JAMES VALADEZ: MR. HAVENSTRITE JOHN HAVENSTRITE: HOW DO YOU VERIFY COLLECTIONS WITH THE TAX OFFICE? LEANA MANN: WE'LL KEEP VERY CLOSE TRACK OF THE BECAUSE THESE WILL ALL BE NEW ACCOUNTS, SO IT'LL BE VERY CLEAR THAT IT WAS FROM THE AUDIT PROGRAM. AND THEN WE'LL WORK WITH THE STAFF AT SULLY'S OFFICE TO ONCE THEY SEND THE BILL AND THEY COLLECT IT, THEN WE'LL LET THE VENDOR KNOW.

CELIA ISRAEL: QUESTION THE TIMING OF IT, DOES IT? DOES IT MESH IN WITH YOUR APPRAISAL PROCESS IN TERMS OF THE CALENDAR? LEANA MANN: SO WHAT'S NICE ABOUT THIS VENDOR IS WE HAVE TO DO MUCH. SO THEY COME TO THE ARB HEARINGS. THEY DEFEND AN ARB HEARING, IF THERE'S LITIGATION. THEY CAN, IF WE CHOOSE, SERVE AS AN EXPERT, SO THERE'S NO STAFF INTERACTION BEYOND JUST ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANCE THAT WE MIGHT NEED TO HELP WITH.

OKAY, COOL. WE'VE HAD A CONTRACT WITH THIS COMPANY FOR FULL DISCLOSURE. WE'VE HAD A CONTRACT WHERE THEY DO OUR CURRENT AIRCRAFT ON OUR ROLE, AND DO THAT APPRAISAL WORK, THE ARB PROCESS, AND IT'S BEEN VERY WELL. THEY'RE THEY'RE GOOD, THEY'RE STAFFED WELL. THEY'VE GOT A GOOD GROUP OF RPA, SO WE'VE BEEN SATISFIED.

CELIA ISRAEL: OKAY, THANK YOU.

JAMES VALADEZ: ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? OKAY, WE WILL NEED IT DUSTY. YOU GOT ANYTHING? WE WILL NEED ACTION ON THIS ITEM TODAY, SHENGHAO WANG: I MOVE TO APPROVE. WELL, LET ME MAKE SURE I READ THE LANGUAGE, READ THE LANGUAGE CORRECTLY. I MOVE TO AUTHORIZE THE PURCHASE OF PROFESSIONAL APPRAISAL SERVICES WITH SPECIALIZED TAX RECOVERY FOR AIRCRAFT APPRAISAL SERVICES AND FOR THE COST OF THOSE SERVICES TO BE PASSED ON TO THE ENTITIES AFFECTED, THE TOTAL COST OF THE PROJECT SHALL NOT EXCEED $1.4 MILLION JAMES VALADEZ: IT'S BEEN MOVED SECONDED BY MISS ISRAEL. ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION HEARING NONE. WE'LL TAKE A VOTE ALL THOSE IN FAVOR, AYE, ALL THOSE OPPOSED THAT PASSES UNANIMOUSLY, WE WILL NOW MOVE ON. THANK YOU FOR THAT. BY THE WAY. WE WILL NOW MOVE ON

[e. Discussion and Possible Action on Litigation and Appeals Related to Pending and Anticipated Lawsuits]

[6. Adjournment]