03/13/2025 MinutesMINUTES OF THE R14EGULAR MEETING FOR
TAX INCREMENT REINVESTMENT ZONE-fTIRZ," BOARD
PARIS , TEXAS
CITY COUNCIL CHAMBER 107 E. KAUFMAN ST., PAWS TEXAS
THURSDAY MARCH 13 2025
4:00 O'CLOCK P.M.
Members present. Cody Head, Chairman, Miles Mathieu, Vice- Chain-nan; Thomas
McMonigle, Secretary; Maureen Hammond, Reeves Hayter, Pam
Norwood, and Dillon Cecil
City Staff: Rose Beverly, City Manager; Rob Vine, Deputy City Manager.; Osei
Arno-Mensah, Director of Planning and Community Development;
Stephanie Harris, City Attorney; Skylar Unger, Deputy City Clerk;
and Cheri Bedford, Main Street Coordinator
1. Call meeting to order.
Chairman Head called the meeting to order at 4:02 P1,Fk
2. Citizens' input.
No one came forward during citizens' input.
3. Approve minutes from the Special meeting on February 12, 2025.
A Motion to approve the minutes as presented was made by Mr. Mathieu and seconded by Mr.
McMonigle. Motion carried 7 ayes — 0 nays.
4. Approval and Ratification of 2022 Lionshead Paris, LLC Tax Abatement and 2024 Amendment thereto.
Ms. Hammond stated that due to her position and employment with the PEDC, she would be abstaining
from voting on this item.
City Attorney Stephanie Harris explained that The City Council created Tax Increment Reinvestment
Zone Number One (TIRZ, No. 1) to benefit development in the downtown area of the city. Texas Tax
Code Section 311.0125 requires that any tax abatement agreement granted within the Zone must be
approved by both the governing body and the TIRE board of directors. Ms. Harris also stated that in 2022,
the City Council granted Lionshead Paris, LLC a tax abatement agreement for the construction of its new
wheel and tire assembly plant. In September of 2024, the City Council granted Lionshead an amendment
which moved the start date of the abatement period forward due to construction delays caused by the
Covid- 19 pandemic and related supply chain issues. Neither the original agreement nor the amendment
was brought before the TIRZ board for approval. She explained that it is advisable that the board do so
now to complete the approval process required by statute.
Mr. Hayter asked for clarification on when the first year of collection would be on the abatement with the
amendment. Ms. Harris stated that year one would start in January 1, 2025 if construction was completed
in 2024.
A Motion to Approve and Ratify the 2022 Lionshead Paris, LLC Tax Abatement and the 2024 Amendment
thereto was made by Mr. Hayter and seconded by Mr. Mathieu. Motion carried 6 ayes — 0 nays with Ms.
Hammond abstaining.
5. Discuss and approve the FY 2023-2024 Annual Report for TIRZ o.1.
Ms. Harris stated that Texas Tax Code Section 311.016 requires that the governing body of a taxing entity
creating or participating in a TIRZ must file an annual report with the Texas Comptroller's office. She
said the attached report reflects revenues in the fiend as of September 30, 2024, and it is her understanding
that the fund has received its tax revenues for 2024/2025, but those are not reflected in this report as they
were received after the end of the fiscal year. Should the board approve the annual report, Ms. Harris will
submit it to the City Council for approval, and once approved by City Council, she will submit it to the
Comptroller's Office through the online reporting portal.
Chairman Head inquired whether the report had been filed previously, and Ms. Harris confirmed that it
had. Ms. Norwood raised a question regarding a numerical discrepancy in the fiscal year portion of the
introductory paragraph. Ms. Harris acknowledged the error and stated she would correct it to read "ending
September 30, 2024." Mr. Mathieu also identified an extra zero in a figure, and Ms. Harris confirmed she
would make the necessary correction. Mr. Hayter requested clarification on the phrase, "the captured
appraised value shared by the municipality and other taxing units." Ms. Harris responded that she would
verify the amounts with Finance Director Gene Anderson and stated that if the board preferred to wait
until all corrections were made before approving the report, she had no objections.
Following further discussion, a Motion to approve the FY 2023-2024 Annual Report for TI RZ No.1
subject to the amendments mentioned was made 'by Ms. Hammond and seconded by Ms. Norwood.
Motion carried 7 ayes — 0 nays.
6. Discuss the current Finance Plan.
Director of Planning and Community Development, Osei Amo-Mensah, requested that the board review
the current Finance Plan and notify staff of any revisions or updates they would like to see. Chairman
Head noted that under Item 6, "Total Project Cost," the figure listed is based on 2020 data and may need
to be updated. Ms. Hammond asked for clarification regarding what action was being requested of the
board. In response, Ms. Harris explained that the purpose of the discussion was to gauge the board's
direction in preparation for future revisions. Ms. Hammond also inquired whether the "Downtown Plan"
and the "Toole Plan" were the same. Ms. Harris clarified that while the City has adopted the Toole Plan,
funds used for projects so far have not come from the TIRZ fund. Ms. Harris added that staff is prepared
to provide an update on the Downtown Plan, including what has already been accomplished. This will
give the board a clearer understanding of the remaining priorities, which can help guide decisions when
revising the project plan and determining which items to set aside. Following further discussion, Chairman
Head moved on to the next item.
7. Discuss the current Project Plan.
Main Street Coordinator Cheri Bedford provided a comprehensive update on current and completed
downtown development projects. She began by listing several partially completed initiatives, including
the Plaza expansion, improvements to parking facilities, enhancements to the Farmers Market, and
various traffic modifications and transit improvements. Ms. Bedford then provided background on the
Toole Design Group plan, originally adopted by City Council in the 2018 Comprehensive Plan update.
She noted that while some elements have been fully implemented, others remain in progress or under
evaluation. The First Street Renovation Project is one such active project. It is moving forward with
funding support from a Texas Capital Fund grant in the amount of $500,000, along with a $75,000 city
match. Ms. Bedford acknowledged that while the project has faced some challenges, it is scheduled to
begin by the end of the summer.
She then discussed further details of the Plaza Expansion, which included ADA compliance upgrades,
installation of flush streets, brick pavers, a terrace around the fountain, and traffic revisions such as
bump -outs and the reversion to two-way traffic with stop signs. Ms. Bedford mentioned that although a
stop sign study was conducted, it was not done correctly. Additionally, approximately half an acre of
grass was added to the area surrounding the fountain to improve aesthetics and accessibility in alignment
with the Toole Plan goals.
Moving to the Farmers Market redevelopment and expansion, Ms. Bedford highlighted the city's
intention to better integrate the space with Bywaters Park and the Paris Public Library, creating a natural
and accessible "flow" between the three locations. This is aimed at accommodating larger events and
improving the overall layout. She noted consistent growth in market attendance and vendor
participation, making the need for expansion increasingly necessary. Recent improvements to the site
include the addition of public restrooms and a pavilion, the latter partially funded through a private
donation.
Ms. Norwood inquired about the location of the skate park. Ms. Bedford responded that the city has
discussed removing the current facility or relocating it to the Sports Complex, now that a pump track has
been installed at the Civic Center. Mr. Hayer asked whether the Toole Design Plan included parking lot
provisions. Ms. Bedford clarified that it did not, but the city is currently evaluating potential solutions to
increase parking availability. Ms. Hammond thanked Ms. Bedford for her presentation and requested a
list of outstanding items under each of the main catalyst projects. Mr. Amo-Mensah confirmed that staff
would provide that information.
Following further discussion, Chairman Head concluded the agenda item by thanking Ms. Bedford for
her thorough presentation and updates.
8. Discuss process for reviewing and possible revision of Project and Finance Plans.
Chain-nan Head emphasized the importance of obtaining stakeholder input before the board proceeds too
far with revisions. To ensure full transparency, the board decided to wait for more detailed financial
projections from city staff before holding any meetings with stakeholders.
9. Request future agenda items.
Chairman Head stated the next meeting would be for training on the financial projection tool and suggested
to wait until the May meeting to receive the updated financial projections.
Mr. Amo-Mensah stated that Deputy City Manager, Rob Vine, would be taking his place as the TIRZ
board liaison. Chairman Head thanked Mr. Amo -Mensal for his support and assistance to the board during
his time.
10. Adj ourm-nent.
There being no further business, a Motion to adjourn was made by Mr. MeMonigle and seconded by Ms.
Norwood. Motion carried, 7 ayes — 0 nays. Chairman Head adjourned the meeting at 5:31 P.M.
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