City of Sweetwater awarded 44th consecutive Certificate of Achievement for Excellence
The City Council of the City of Sweetwater, met in regular session on Tuesday at 9 a.m. in the City Council Chambers of the City Hall, 200 E. 4th Street, Sweetwater.
The minutes for meeting held on February 13, 2024 were approved.
Public Comments and Receipt of Petitions: [At this time, anyone will be allowed to speak on any matter, other than personnel matters or matters under litigation, for length of time not to exceed three minutes. No Council/ Board discussion or action may take place on a matter until such matter has been placed on an agenda and posted in accordance with law GC, 551.042.)
Presentation: City Council to receive presentation from
Texas Housing Foundation.
Ryan Garcia of JES Holdings gave a presentation on Sweetwater Station, a 52 unit development to be located at 1105 East Broadway. Housing tax credits were originally created during 1986 during the Reagan Administration. It is a capital raised to develop the affordable housing and uses the same quality as a market-based unit. They are designed to incentivize private developers to build affordable housing. It transfers the construction, guarantee risk and management over to the private market. There is no subsidy to the renters themselves. Everyone is paying their own rent and background checks will be done. Failure to pay rent will result in eviction.
The Council then went into Closed Session.
Closed Session: Called in accordance with Section 551.087 of the Texas Government Code,
Discussion Of Economic Negotiations; Closed Meeting. • Discussion of cooperation agreement possibilities regarding the Sweetwater Station project.
The meeting reconvened. Public Hearing: City Council to enter into a Public Hearing pursuant to Texas Government Code Section 2306.67071(b) to welcome comments and discussion related to tax credits referenced in a cooperation agreement between the City of Sweetwater and the Texas Housing Foundation. No one came forward and the Public Hearing portion was closed.
A resolution evidencing no objection to the Applicant’s Tax Credit Application; Authorizing the Texas Housing. Foundation to Exercise its Powers within the Territorial Boundaries of the City of Sweetwater, Texas; and Authorizing a Cooperation Agreement. This was approved and read into the record.
A Cooperation Agreement between the City of Sweetwater, Texas and Texas Housing Foundation was approved
A payment agreement between JES Holdings and City of Sweetwater as consideration for Cooperation Agreement was approved.
An Ordinance declaring unopposed candidates in the May 4, 2024 General Election was also approved..
The Annual Comprehensive Financial Report (Audit) for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2023. The City of Sweetwater has been awarded the Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting by the Government Finance Officers Association of the United States and Canada (GFOA). The Finance Department won the GFOA Award for the 44th consecutive year. The City received a clean opinion as a whole. Regarding auditing standards, internal control of financial reporting and compliance were clean, as well...