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San Angelo Tiers board weighs special aid and an application window after July 4 flooding
Summary
Board members heard that 40–50 commercial properties in the Tiers District may have been affected by July 4 flooding, directed staff to prepare background information by Aug. 1 and discussed opening a fast-tracked application window or a special August meeting to consider aid.
SAN ANGELO — The San Angelo Tiers Board discussed whether to speed assistance to downtown businesses hit in the July 4 flooding and recommended staff prepare background information so the board can consider a special meeting in early August.
Aaron Vannoy, director of planning and development services, told the board that preliminary damage-assessment maps show "between 40 and 50 properties that are along Chadbourne on the east side" of the Tiers District may have been affected. He outlined potential Tiers-eligible uses under current policies — façade improvements, paving repairs, certain safety improvements and asbestos abatement if required — while cautioning the fund is structured to support commercial activities only.
The board heard from Downtown San Angelo advocate Monica Ramos, who urged the Tiers Board to reopen an application window for ready projects: "So I'm proposing that the Tiers Board consider opening up a window in the fall," she said. Ramos told the board she has spoken with property owners preparing applications and asked the board to consider scheduling to let those projects advance.
Board members pressed staff for more detailed numbers and for criteria if the board were to make an exception to the program's normal match requirements. One member asked whether aid could be fast-tracked "if they're really hurting today," and several members said any exception should include clear eligibility limits and contribution expectations. Aboard member also raised practical concerns about how many impacted properties are occupied versus vacant and how to prioritize limited dollars.
Vannoy committed to assembling background materials and maps and said staff "can get you the background information by August 1" so the board could consider a special meeting the week of Aug. 4 to Aug. 9 and, if appropriate, forward recommendations to the city council. Legal counsel advised caution about declaring an emergency meeting and noted the best practice is to meet the 72-hour public-notice requirement unless an emergency clearly applies.
Vannoy also reviewed fund balances during the meeting: he reported $408,150 currently available in the South Tiers fund for assignment through the fiscal year and about "2.526" available in the North (figures reported by finance), and he agreed to investigate disparities in interest income and provide more precise unencumbered balances.
Next steps: staff will prepare maps and background figures and return to the board in August; the board's next regular meeting was announced as Aug. 26 at 2 p.m. If the board decides to move quickly, it may call a special meeting with appropriate notice to consider program criteria and possible awards.
(Reporting: statements and figures in this article are drawn from the board's public meeting transcript; no formal allocation for flood recovery was adopted during this session.)
