AMARILLO, Texas (KAMR/KCIT) – The Amarillo City Council published the agenda for its meeting scheduled for Tuesday at 3 p.m., which included discussion items such as efforts to address illegal dumping, recruiting candidates for the Amarillo City Manager position, an ordinance repealing paid parking downtown, and an ordinance related to a cost-of-living adjustment for retired Amarillo city employees.

The published agenda noted that the city council will receive reports on topics including the Amarillo Police Department procedures for responding to traffic accidents, a new trash initiative and previous programs focused on addressing illegal dumping, and the city manager recruitment process. Previously, illegal dumping in the Amarillo area was subject to a project from the Bloomberg Harvard City Leadership Initiative in 2022, and the city manager search began after former Amarillo City Manager Jared Miller was fired in August.

Among the consent items listed in the agenda is the second and final reading of an ordinance that would repeal Chapter 16-5 of the Municipal Code, which relates to paid parking areas around Downtown Amarillo and the related fees and processes.

Further, there will also be the second and final reading of an ordinance regarding Amarillo’s Texas Municipal Retirement System benefits. As noted in previous reports on MyHighPlains.com, the ordinance would adopt a non-retroactive repeating Cost of Living Adjustments for retirees and their beneficiaries under the TMRS Act.

As discussed in August during the Amarillo city budget workshops, police officers and other city employees who have retired have not seen a COLA increase since 2011. Under the TMRS Act, which was in part the result of local efforts at a state level, Amarillo has three options for increasing COLA for its retirees while avoiding backpay requirements: Going into a fully-funded 70% COLA in 2024, building from 50% to 70% across 2024 and 2025, or building from 30% to 50% to 70% across 2024 through 2026.

The agenda also noted that among non-consent items, the city council will discuss appointments for numerous public boards, ranging from the Amarillo Economic Development Corporation to Amarillo Health Facilities Corporation, Amarillo Parks and Recreation, Community Development, and Library Advisory boards, among others.

The full meeting agenda can be viewed below, with the full agenda packet available here.