Good afternoon. Call the Tarant County Housing Finance Corporation to have a quorum present. I believe our [snorts] fifth member will be joined shortly. Do we have a motion to approve the minutes October?
>> Move approval. >> Second. >> We have a motion and a second to approve the minutes. Any discussion? All right. All in favor, please raise your hand. Minutes passes unanimously. Item three, consider authorizing the
Taran County Finance Corporation to donate funds to cover eligible expenses incurred under the CDBG program. Do we have a motion to approve that? >> What is that? >> James, why don't you tell us what that is?
>> Well, audit actually. [laughter] >> So, um, many moons ago before James and myself and Wanita and Armando, uh, the federal government changed the accounting on how grants should be handled. the community development
department didn't transition at that time and so we had some reconciling items that we had to go through and what I would like to acknowledge she's the grant manager and Armando he works for community development they
had to spend they spent quite a bit of time reconciling and to determine where the shortfall lied and so we're asking HFC because it is community development projects and they are eligible expens expenses to donate to cover these costs.
And if you [snorts] have specific questions about how we went through it, oneita can answer those for us. Any other questions? >> No. >> Anybody else have any question on that? >> No. >> All right. Did we have a motion on it?
>> I don't think we did. >> Okay. All right. We have a motion to approve. We have a second. >> Any further discussion here? All right. All in favor, please raise your hand. Passes unanimously. >> Uh what I will say is in December, I'll
bring an action to commissioner's court to accept. >> Okay. >> So, you'll be seeing that. >> All right. Now, we move to item four, which is to consider a resolution authorizing grants in support of local nonprofits from housing finance
corporation accounts. So, let me start by saying this. Um, Commissioner Miles essentially reached out to my office about about this whether it came from the county or it came from the House of Finance Corporation and you know we said
there's significant amount of money in these funds here that can be used for such. So, uh, I believe in our account we have around $5 million in what we would call the I don't know what we call the account, but let's say the HFC
account or accounts all all total. And the uh [snorts] what spurred this was the government shutdown and the potential for no SNAP benefits and for food banks to be able
to feed people. But then additionally, what has been done around here traditionally has just been a kind of loosey goosey um hey here's somebody we could help. Hey, here's somebody we could help with no formal policies, procedures,
or any way that really we go about doing it. It was kind of like when we also when the three of us got here before y'all, there was no sound investment policy in this whole thing. We put together a thing that I think I think we
may have started earning 15 times more interest the way we changed it than we were earning before. And all of this to say our advisor for this, Hilltop Securities and I and Ruth, I think it was just us
three, got a phone [clears throat] call last week to say, "What can you use this money for? What is permissible?" And without paraphrasing or quoting her paraphrasing, you can use this money for just about anything
related to the general health and welfare of the community, including transferring money from this account into the general fund to cover any number of initiatives or things that we do, mental health related issues
included. So brings us that's basically the what what this is why this is on the agenda and I don't know if you have anything to add in terms of what is a permissible use or isn't but if so please do yes
judge judge commissioners thank you for your time Jonathan CR from Kelly Hart I worked with the office to draft this there's a couple of things I would note judge you're correct in the past there's it's uh giving first of all there's a long history of making grants and we know that that's permissible and that's
that's fantastic. It's been a little uh more informal and part of the purpose of this is to bring some formality into that and allow policies and procedures. Second of all, I I I would be maybe a tad bit more conservative in uh in the
purpose of the spending. You're well you're you're absolutely right and if you look in chapter 394 which is your governing statute, it provides the ability to make grants for the the public good. However, it is a 394 entity which is housing finance entity. So, generally speaking, the you there should
be some slight nexus, however slight to affordability of housing and food security. Obviously, one of those mental health another's there's a very broad breath over there, but you should always, you know, have a plausible reason to tie that back. Uh
that said, there's uh there's we're asking you to approve the resolution and we're asking you to approve the uh resolution with direction for us to complete two blanks. The first blank here, this is granting staff the author the authority to make some of these grants so that you don't have to take
action every single time you have to do that. For reasons of good governance, we're recommending that you establish a not to exceed amount that you are granting staff the authority to do. Of course, this document can serve as a template for further action. So, whenever you need to re-up that amount,
whenever you've reached that, just once readopt another resolution with a new amount. The second thing that I'm recommending that this body do is that they put a timeline on the discretion. So, in other words, you're going to be saying staff, uh, you have discretion to
grant x,000 for these types of programs, and this discretion lasts for x months. At the end of that time, you'll need to come back for us and come back to us and reup. So those two blanks. [clears throat] >> Okay. So the first thing that you said
was we are recommending. Who is the we that's doing this recommending? >> You as as the body in adopting this oh sorry >> the HFC >> sorry the as as council to the HFC I'm recommending you put these limitations in place.
>> Okay. >> So limitations is one thing. I doubt very seriously there are three people up here. I I doubt very seriously there's five people up here that want to just say staff, you can give x amount of dollars however you want to with pay
take your pick, run with it. >> I doubt you'll get uh a single person up here that says we want to do that. >> Correct. So, um, let me throw something out and then don't mean to hijack what you asked for on the agenda, but
when we first got here and we saw the way the finances were handled and we were earning 0.25% interest through CDs all across this county, literally giving away hundreds of thousand dollars annually. We worked with staff, Hilltop,
the auditor's office to say we have to put together a different policy here. We put together a different policy that has returned uh considerable money the way we've done it into these accounts compared to what it would have been. And so what I would
like to see regardless of what we may or may not do today regarding a food bank, what I would like to do with of course the members approval uh is direct our staff to come up with
policies, procedures, and plans for how we go about evaluating who gets this money. um when like a schedule for when they apply for what it can go to to make sure we comply with all applicable laws,
but it was kind of like when if the members of the court, Matt and Rodick, you may not have been privy to this, but we had something like $29 million in an account related to HIV medicine returns
that just sat there. Um, and you there was very little you could do with it. But instead of it just sitting there and it just sitting there uh and we don't do anything with it or we pass out here's $75,000 annually and then it just keeps growing and sits there for nothing to come up with some
program plan procedures policies where we can actually look at this, evaluate it and make good sound business decisions to get the biggest return on the money. And that could be funding nonprofits. That could be transferring money to the general fund.
That could be any combination of any of those things that are legal instead of this phrase I use, loosey goosey way of just, hey, how about this one? How about this one? How about this one? Okay. Okay. Okay. We're good. Half the county,
98% of the county doesn't know we do it. Uh doesn't even know it's there. And instead of just the ones who've gotten it before or the ones that we call and say, "Hey, did you know you can get this? Oh, that's how it happens." Come up with a better way, a more transparent and public way to disperse some of this
money. So that's going to require agreement up here, but that's what I would request. So what do you got? >> So my request is more immediate. It is
focused around the uh shutdown, the government shutdown and SNAP benefits being suspended. Making sure that we are providing uh resources to our food banks so that they are able to meet the increased demand that they have seen as
a result of the government shutdown and SNAP benefits being suspended or reduced. [clears throat] My proposal is that we do $200,000. $100,000 goes to the Taran area food bank and then the other $100,000 is distributed equally amongst all of our
precincts to local area food banks. Do now that the government shutdown for all intents and purposes seem like it's over. Do we still think that need's going to be there? Um, and have you talked with Taran Area Food Bank or others saying there already is that need
and regardless of now that this is restarting, >> we're still at a deficit and we need >> I have and and out to that point. Uh, Taran Area Food Bank shared with me that they've doubled its operations to meet the additional need from Taran County residents directly affected by the
government shutdown. The $100,000 will be restricted to emergency food purchases will be spent to immediately provide an additional 500,000 meals. Food will be distributed based on need through Taran Area Food Bank's 300 partner agencies in the county.
>> So the the thing that I stated, I don't think what I'm stating is in opposition to that. It's not in opposition. I think that's do that or something whatever like it that we come to an agreement on is doable as is the other one. >> Absolutely. >> Well, I think one's immediate and one's
looking forward. I think you I mean we don't have any parameters on it now. I don't see anything that keeps us from doing that. Jonathan agreed that this I think meets the definition of it. Um so I'd be okay with that. But I do I for me to feel comfortable I would want to do that knowing going forward we're going
to put some kind of parameters on it because you know we talk in Austin with the rainy day fund. Should we have one? How much should it be? Is there a certain level? I mean, if this fund gets to five million, do we say anything up and above that ought to go to this fund automatically or we don't want to just
keep hoarding that money if we can. So, I think we do need to have that conversation that the judge was talking about about how we're going to use this money, but it seems ridiculous just to keep it over there and never touch it when we have needs in front of us. I completely agree and I think to judge's
point, we um released the staff to come up with parameters and a policy around how we distribute those funds going forward that we can review and we can have dialogue around and come to consensus. >> So I think what could happen now is you can
make a motion but you had mentioned $100,000 for Tarant area food bank and then 100,000 for other food banks. Yeah, within uh within the county and the other precincts because each one of you know the the local food banks that are in
your precinct that need these resources and we just divide it evenly if we if you will. >> So I know of th I don't there could be 27 food banks for all I know. I know of three others. Cindy Ramsey Resource
Center, something called HIMYM in Mansfield, and something called Grace. >> What? >> So, do they do a foot? >> That's okay. Okay. So, I know four others.
>> So, I've got him. Uh, Seasons of Change Arlington Charities. >> We got Community. >> Then we probably have uh I forgot about Mission Arlington. Say Mission Arlington >> and Community Food Bank. And so brings me kind of back to the first point I made. >> Sure.
>> Which is okay. 10,000 here, 15,000 here, 7,000 here. Which who needs it? How are we doing it? How are we deciding it? Is it Are we just going to sit up here this afternoon and decide? Well, let's see. $100,000. How about 10 to yours, seven to yours, five to yours, 19 to yours? I
mean, >> I think I'd like to have some kind of criteria or something to go by. Certainly in the future for today, if we're going to give out $200,000 in grants, I I can I can support it. >> Okay. >> But okay. Now, how who gets the other
hundred? So, what 20 20 20 and each one of us gives it however we see fit. >> Okay. >> I think that's what your proposal was. >> Correct. >> Oh, is that what it was? Yeah. Okay. Yeah. >> 100,000 to the Taran area food bank and then 100,000 >> divided
>> amongst us. Correct. So, make your motion. >> I move that we, >> if I may, sir. >> Yes. >> Uh, Commissioner Miles, what I would suggest is that uh this this resolution that we prepared would be a good vehicle for that. What I would suggest is that we make a motion to approve this resolution subject to setting the amount
at 200,000 and setting uh and and limiting the the the period in which the discretion is authorized. We'll just we'll say six months. >> Well, hang on. We're we're I don't think we're going to allow staff to make the decisions on where it goes. We well I what I we can specify uh what we can do
is we could specify that it'll be 100,000 to the Terran area food bank and we'll specify the 20,000 per precinct report uh per member of the court uh as discretionary for food banks in their areas. >> So what you're trying to get to is
not to exceed >> well and and a timeline. But if if y'all just want to make the motion as is and we can worry about paperwork that that would not be you would be just fine if you wanted to
make a motion and we can dispense with the paperwork for now. We'll concentrate with your staff on policies and procedures for the future. But if you just want to make a motion and again we'll we'll bring the resolution into it next time. I'm fine with that. Also, >> I I think the judge's contention I I agree with it was that language where it
says to one or more qualified organizations to be identified by the corporation staff. Is that right? That's kind of where the sticking point was. If you just took that out and kept the aggregate number in there and the time period, then that would solve that
issue. >> Yeah, I'll throw Let me throw this out. Your motion is to give $100,000 of >> HFC funds to Taran Area Food Bank. >> Correct. >> And for each commissioner
>> and judge court member, that's the word to give out 20,000 to the place of their to the place or places of their choosing. But this is all related to >> benefits. Uh this is not $20,000 to go give to whatever. No, this is all about
food. >> Youth football program you want? >> No, this is food >> directly specifically focused on food. >> Okay. [laughter] And >> it probably makes sense that he doesn't give his 20 to the same place I give my
20. >> Although I guess theoretically you could, but if we're trying to spread it out, >> you know what? I'll just since I live there, I'll talk to him and we'll make sure we don't give the same ones. >> Okay. the uh are y'all okay with
him reddrafting this >> to incorporate everything up here we just said and then >> I will look at it and sign it so we don't have to have another meeting to do it >> I am >> okay >> all right so I'm going to make a motion after this motion vote that's your
motion >> yes >> do we have a second >> second [snorts] >> all right any further discussion on this okay so so you got that part where part as part of his motion it's you're going to go back and reddraft this and I will
sign whatever it is that incorporates what we just said. >> Sounds great. >> Okay. >> Thank you. I appreciate your time. >> All right. So, so we had a motion. We have a second. No discussion. All in favor raise your hand. >> Okay. Passes unanimously. >> Uh >> thank you so much court members. I really appreciate it.
>> So, first of all, Rodri, I will say Commissioner Miles, thank you for your leadership on this issue and bringing it My my question was um the same as as Commissioner Krauss is is this still necessary with the government reopening? I knew it was necessary a week ago. >> Yeah,
>> I knew it was necessary a month ago when this started and SNAP was in in in danger. Um but hearing what you said about Tinary Food Bank still having that need and having doubled over the last couple of weeks because things have been slowed down. It's going to take a little while to unwind. >> Exactly.
>> So, so there is a need there and I appreciate you bringing it up to the school. >> Thank you, sir. and thank you for working with my office on how to bring it in a way that was the most cost effective. >> And and and I would say like to say this, I would like to take my hat off to
all of the court members, chiefs of staff and their office staff. My Jamal reached out to everybody and you guys coordinated and worked together beautifully. Well, I think it was mainly uh Ruth and Jamal, but you guys worked
together beautifully. And I just want to say publicly, thank you for being willing to work together to come up with a resolution that benefits everybody. I'm so grateful for all of you. >> Okay. Thank you, sir. Now, I will make a motion to direct our staff to come up
with a a set of thorough policies, procedures, and guidelines on how to take in grant requests and distribute grant dollars for us to review. um at a future HFC meeting.
>> Okay, so I have a motion to second on that. Any discussion there? >> No, it's a great idea. >> All in favor, raise your hand. Okay, passes unanimously. And now we come to public comments, of which we have none. Uh is there anybody here that wants to
say anything? Teresa, quiet. All right. Um [laughter] >> beautiful. Yeah, thank you. That's all the time we have. [laughter] Uh, all right. Do we have any announcements or comments from up here? >> Happy Thanksgiving to the court.
>> Thanksgiving. >> All right. We are officially adjourned.