Harris Central Appraisal District Board of Directors met Dec. 13

Harris Central Appraisal District Board of Directors met Dec. 13.

Here are the minutes provided by the board:

A meeting of the Harris Central Board of Directors was held Wednesday, December 13th, 2023, at 9:30 a.m. at the HCAD offices.

Chairman Martina Lemond Dixon called the meeting to order at 9:32 a.m. and led those in attendance in the Pledge of Allegiance and the Salute to the Texas Flag.

Roll Call. The presence of a quorum was established. Chairman Martina Lemond Dixon, Cassandra Auzenne Bandy, Jonathan Cowen, Al Odom, and Jim Robinson were present. Mike Sullivan and Ann Harris Bennett were absent.

Chief Appraiser Roland Altinger and Todd Stewart of Olson and Olson, legal counsel, also were in attendance.

The HCAD Choir performed at the board meeting and were introduced to the board of directors.

Recognition of outgoing Board Member. Chief Appraiser Altinger presented a plaque to outgoing board member Al Odom for his service on the board of directors.

Recognition of Service Awards and Employees of the Month. Chief Appraiser Altinger and Board member Al Odom presented 10-year service awards to Marbella Bermudez of the Budget and Finance Division and Frances Scott of the Residential Property Division.

A 15-year service award was presented to Elisa Villagran of the Information & Assistance Division.

Employees of the Month. Chief Appraiser Roland Altinger and Board member Al Odom presented employee of the month plaques to Teri Carmouche of the Information & Assistance Division, Francisco Flores of the Residential Property Division, Nick Spedale of the Commercial Property Division, and Anish Thankachan of the Business & Industrial Property Division.

Comments from Members of the Public. There were none.

Consent Agenda

“All matters listed under consent agenda are considered to be routine and will be enacted by one motion, there will not be separate discussion of these items. If discussion is desired, that item will be removed from the consent agenda and considered separately.”

Mr. Cowen, seconded by Ms. Auzenne Bandy, moved to approve the consent agenda. The motion carried unanimously.

a. Approval of Minutes. Reviewing and approving the minutes of the regular meeting of November 15, 2023.

b. Accudata Systems Storage Renewal. Approving one-year renewal of contract with Accudata Systems for HCAD network storage maintenance and support in the amount of $108,000.

c. CoStar Contract Renewal. Approving one-year renewal of contract with CoStar Realty Information, Inc. for software and database of sales, and income and expense information regarding industrial and office properties in Harris County in the amount of $217,017.

d. Cornerstone Contract Renewal. Approving one-year renewal of contract with Cornerstone for performance and learning management system in the amount of $86,458.

e. Financial Reports. Receiving the district’s monthly financial reports.

f. Bills and Payroll. Authorizing payment of bills and payroll in amount of $5,913,951.55 and a transfer of funds for $1,750,000 as submitted.

Development Dimensions International Contract. Mr. Cowen, seconded by Mr. Robinson, moved to approve the first year of a three-year contract with Development Dimensions International for a subscription to the proprietary Multi-level Enterprise Solution material for career development in the amount of $84,000 per year. The motion carried unanimously.

AG Advisory Board Reappointments. Mr. Robinson, seconded by Mr. Odom, moved to approve the reappointment of R. D. Burnside and Barbara Heiden Seber to the Agricultural Appraisal Advisory Board for two-year terms beginning January 1, 2024. The motion carried unanimously.

Employee Handbook Changes. Mr. Cowen, seconded by Mr. Odom, moved to approve the revisions to the Employee Handbook as presented by the committee. The motion carried unanimously.

2023 Excess Funds. Mr. Cowen, seconded by Mr. Robinson, moved to approve transfer of 2023 unrestricted excess funds to the Restricted Operating Reserve. The motion carried unanimously.

May 2024 Election of Board Members. Board member Jim Robinson and Legal Counsel Todd Stewart provided the board with an overview of the current situation and the options currently available in moving forward with the election of the three new board members to the district. After discussions by all board members, Mr. Robinson, seconded by Mr. Cowen, moved to approve and direct counsel and the chief appraiser to deliver to the County Judge a courtesy draft of the Notice of Candidate Filing Deadline and continue developing the options for the board to consider regarding its conduct of the May 2024 board of directors’ election, including but not limited to possible Election Service Agreements with area jurisdictions, retention of consultants and/or vendors to provide some or all of said election services, and consultation with Secretary of State. The motion carried unanimously.

HB 1285. Chief Legal Officer, Kevin McCormack, provided an update of the district’s implementation of HB 1285, which goes into effect January 1 and relates to the functions of a taxpayer liaison officer appointed for an appraisal district with a population of more than 120,000.

HCAD Boardroom Remodel. Chief Financial Officer, Theresa Paul, reported on the remodel of the HCAD Boardroom. A slide presentation was provided to the board.

Taxpayer Liaison Officer Report. Teresa Terry, Taxpayer Liaison Officer, provided a verbal report to the board. A written report was also provided in the board packet.

Appraisal Review Board Report. ARB Secretary, Danielle Kirkland, reported on the progress of hearings, attendance by members of the appraisal review board at hearings, and activities of the executive staff and the board’s attorney.

Appraisal Matters. There were none.

Executive Session. Chairman Lemond Dixon called the board into executive session at 11:04 a.m. for the purpose of: (a) private consultation with the board’s attorney regarding (i) pending and potential litigation, (ii) settlement of pending appeals to the State Office of Administrative Hearings, (iii) settlement of pending arbitrations under Texas Tax Code Chapter 41A, and (iv) settlement of pending litigation under Texas Tax Code Chapter 42; (b) considering the appointment, employment, evaluation, reassignment, duties, discipline, or dismissal of a public officer, or employee, including the duties and appointment of the chief appraiser; (c) considering the deployment, or specific occasions for implementation of security personnel or devices; (d) deliberating the purchase, exchange, lease or value of real property if deliberation in an open meeting would have a detrimental effect on the position of the governmental body in negotiations with a third person, as permitted by the Open Meetings Act, Chap. 551, Government Code.

Chairman Lemond Dixon opened the meeting at 12:09 p.m.

Roll Call. Board members Jim Robinson, Cassandra Auzenne Bandy, Al Odom, and Jonathan Cowen were present. Ann Harris Bennett and Mike Sullivan were absent.

Pending Litigation. Mr. Robinson, seconded by Mr. Cowen, moved to approve settlement of pending litigation, arbitrations, and SOAH appeals as submitted by staff. The motion carried unanimously. A list is attached.

Appeals Under Sec. 42.02 Tax Code. There were none.

Performance Review of Chief Appraiser. Mr. Odom, seconded by Mr. Robinson, moved to accept the performance review as presented in Executive session and to approve a 3% contribution of the base salary to the Chief Appraiser’s deferred compensation plan. A copy of the review was provided to the board.

Adjournment. Upon motion duly made and seconded, the meeting adjourned at 12:11 p.m.

https://hcad.org/assets/uploads/pdf/resources/2024/Boardbook-January-17-2024-Meeting.pdf