Council approves $5.4 million allocation of American Rescue Plan funding

The San Marcos City Council approved the allocation of $5.4 million in funding from the American Rescue Plan.

San Marcos received an allocation of $18,101,483 from the U.S. Treasury’s Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Fund approved through the American Rescue Plan. The city received half of the funds in June 2021 and the remaining funds in June 2022. City staff recommended $5,401,600 be allocated and the remaining funds would be allocated based on a process developed after community survey results are received.

The city council approved the funding allocation but not before Mayor Jane Hughson made an amendment to lower funding for an Equity Program Coordinator from four years to two years and decrease funds from $400,000 to $200,000.

“I want to get the two years but I think after two years if this is something we need to continue. And if we do, if we’re going to institutionalize it then we need to figure out how to pay for it,” Hughson said.

Councilmembers Maxfield Baker and Alyssa Garza both opposed Hughson’s amendment.

“Mayor, you were there when you heard all these high-level government officials tell us that equity is the key to free money,” Baker said. “I just don’t understand where your logic is coming from there … You have consistently questioned the need for an equity person in town.”

Hughson refuted Baker’s claim that she’d been against hiring an equity coordinator.

“I don’t believe you heard what I said when I made the motion,” Hughson said. “I said after two years if this is going to be something we institutionalized and something we do throughout then I think we need to consider paying this out of regular funds and not out of temporary funds.”

Baker then questioned the mayor’s intent on slashing the funding from four years to two. Hughson stated that she gets frustrated regarding the discussion about the equity, “as if we have never done it.”

“I have been going through my old files in the attic from when I was on council in the 90s and I see over and over again things that we did,” Hughson said. “It was piecemeal. It wasn’t an entire program like this, which I am not against but to act like we have never ever done anything with equity really irritates me because councils that I have been on have really tried to do the right thing, the equitable thing for many, many, many years.”

Baker then questioned if the city has ever done enough to address inequity.

“I hear what you’re saying mayor and just to add some context to it. Typically, when white people are addressed about equity, our privilege as white people and our positionality as white people makes us blind to the ways we have perpetuated a system of inequality,” Baker said. “When we hear that, typically, white folks say, ‘Woah, woah, woah, we’ve done an equity before. Don’t say I’ve never tried.’ And you get defensive about it, white people get defensive about it.”

Baker said he would vote no against Hughson’s amendment, saying that the mayor and his fellow councilmembers were flawed in their thinking behind an equity program or equity coordinator.

Garza said she believes equity should be prioritized and the position would help the city in that effort.

“I don’t want to not validate your feelings and your frustrations but a huge part of equity work is decentering ourselves,” Garza said. “So, centering is a clear indication that we’re not listening to understand but rather listening to reply. I see that in all of us, it speaks to our privilege because each of us has privilege in one form or another. Equity work means we’re doing things for the community, it’s not to be validated. The community doesn’t owe us their gratitude for doing what is just or acknowledgement.”

Hughson’s amendment ultimately passed, 4-2. The $5.4 million in funding was also passed, 5-1, with Garza as the lone no vote.

Funding allocated will be used for the following items:

• Cyber Security-Intrusion Prevention System, $195,000

• Fire/Police/EMS Dispatch Consoles, $185,000

• Dunbar Park Public Restroom Facilities (new building), $150,000

• Recruitment incentives/internal compensation adjustments (if needed), $300,000

• Police Headquarters Radio Reception, $50,000

•Police/Fire/EMS Dispatch historical data conversion, $90,000

•Youth Activity Scholarships (funding for 5 years), $205,000

•Network Specialist (funded for 5 years), $415,000

•Mental Health Clinician Collaboration (MHCC) (funding for 5 years), $425,000

•Antivirus Technology Software, $140,000

• Arizona Senior Center Renovations, $40,000

•Price Senior Center Improvements, $150,000

• Family Planning Center Renovation, $90,000

•East Side Workforce Training Center Renovations -Phase 1 (former SMEU facility), $240,000

•Quail Creek/Eastside Regional Park Acquisition, $700,000

•Video Conferencing resources for city facilities, $400,000

•Home Repair and Rehabilitation $800,000

Mobile message signs (trailers), $96,000

•Permanent LED message signs (locations to be determined), $75,000

•Neighborhood signage (temporary notification signs), $600

•Homelessness: Camp clean ups (funding for 2 years), $10,000

• Tree Removal Program for private property owners $135,000

• ARP Grant Consultant (2 years) $110,000

• Equity Program Coordinator (temporary for 2 years) $200,000

In other business, the council approved a construction contract with Tegrity Contractors, Inc. for construction of a new fire training facility authorized by the city’s voters during the 2017 bond election in the amount of $2.7 million.

The city council also approved an agreement for election services with the Hays County Elections Administrator and a joint election on Nov. 8 between the city and Hays County. Residents will vote for mayor, city council place 1 and city council place 2 in November.