[1. CALL TO ORDER.]
[00:00:22]
>>> CITY COUNCIL MEETING FOR SEPTEMBER THE THIRD, 2024, BEFORE WE GET STARTED, I APPRECIATE YOUR PATIENCE. WE ARE HAVING SOME TECHNOLOGICAL CHALLENGES RIGHT NOW. WE WILL
[2. MINUTES.]
MOVE THROUGH THE COMMITTEE OF A WHOLE, AND TAKE TIME OUT BEFORE GOING STRAIGHT INTO OUR AGENDA, OUR SCHEDULED MEETING, TO SEE WHERE WE ARE WITH TECHNOLOGY. I APPRECIATE EVERYBODY'S PATIENCE AND UNDERSTANDING. THE COUNCIL SHOULD HAVE THE MEETING MINUTES FROM THE MEETING OF THE WHOLE. IS THERE MOTION TO[3. RECENT LEGISLATION DISCUSSION.]
>> ALL IN FAVOR SAY I? ANY OPPOSED? THE MINUTES FROM AUGUST THE 20TH CAME FORTH. LEGISLATIVE DISCUSSION,
COUNCILMEMBER GRISWOLD? >> THANK YOU, MR. MAYOR. AS WE DISCUSSED LAST TIME, THE STATE HAS SEEN FIT TO EXEMPT THREE CATEGORIES OF PRODUCTS FROM INCOME TAX, EXCUSE ME, SALES TAX. AND THE THREE CATEGORIES WERE HEARING DEVICES, AGRICULTURAL FENCING, AND HONEYBEE BYPRODUCTS. AND I WAS JUST CURIOUS. AT THE TIME, IF THE CITY WAS GENERALLY FOLLOWING THE STATES LEAD ON EXEMPTING VARIOUS CATEGORIES.
AND WE LEARNED AT THE LAST MEETING THAT THERE WERE NUMEROUS CATEGORIES THE STATE HAS EXEMPTED THAT WE HAVE NOT FOLLOWED SUIT. SO, I ASKED THE CITY MANAGER TODAY IF SHE COULD GIVE US AN OVERVIEW OF WHAT TYPES OF THINGS THE STATE HAS EXEMPTED AND WHERE WE HAVE NOT FALLEN IN LINE WITH THEIR POLICIES. I KNOW IT'S IN GENERAL.
>> SO, I BELIEVE THE ANSWER TO THAT IS WE -- THE CITY OF AUBURN HAS NEVER TAKEN ON , YOU KNOW, NOT COLLECTING SALES TAXES ON AN ITEM THE STATE HAS DONE. IS THAT CORRECT?
>> OTHER THAN THE SALES TAX HOLIDAYS, BASIC WEATHER PREPAREDNESS, AND BACK TO SCHOOL. AND SO, COUNCILMEMBER GRISWOLD, EVERYBODY WILL RECALL, HE REACHED OUT OVER THE WEEKEND. YOU HAD NOT ASKED COLLECTIVELY AS A BODY THAT WE DO FURTHER RESEARCH ON THIS. THERE WAS GOING TO BE A GENERAL DISCUSSION. HE AND I HAD SOME EMAIL -- I CAN SPEAK TO 55 OF THESE THAT ARE IN STATE CODE. THEY RUN FROM SAWDUST TO THINGS LIKE YOU SEE HERE, HONEYBEE BYPRODUCTS AND SO ON TEND TO BE VERY SPECIFIC. WE WERE NOT PREPARED TO DISCUSS THOSE WITH YOU. YOU CERTAINLY WEREN'T ASKING. WE NEED A GENERAL IDEA.
THEY GET VERY SPECIFIC. MOST OF THESE HAVE A FEW THINGS IN COMMON. SOME ARE IN PERPETUITY, BUT A NUMBER OF THE ONES THAT ARE JUST UP FOR GENERAL DISCUSSION TONIGHT HAVE SOME SORT OF SUNSET PROVISION ON THEM. AND THAT HAS BEEN A COMMON KIND OF DENOMINATOR OF THE LEGISLATURE LATELY. IS THEY WILL DO SOMETHING IT WILL BE FOR A LIMITED AMOUNT OF YEARS, AND IT COULD BE UPPER NEXT SESSION. ANOTHER COMMONALITY YOU SEE AS THERE HAS BEEN MULTIPLE ATTEMPTS OF A BILL TO EXEMPT FEMININE PRODUCTS, DIAPERS, OTHER TYPES OF THINGS FROM SALES TAXES. THAT BILL DID NOT PASS LAST SESSION, BUT IT'S VERY LIKELY TO COME UP THIS SESSION. WE HAVE SEEN A LIGHT PATTERN WHEN THESE THINGS GET PROPOSED EVENTUALLY, AND AFTER MUCH KIND OF CHANGE SOMETIMES IN A BILL, THEY EVENTUALLY DO GET ADOPTED FOR A PERIOD OF TIME BY THE LEGISLATURE. I THINK ALSO SINCE OUR LAST MEETING, IT'S IMPORTANT TO NOTE ON THE HEARING AIDS, MADISON HAD EXEMPTED, MADISON ALABAMA, THE CITY MEETING THEY WERE HAVING A DISCUSSION ABOUT THIS TOPIC TONIGHT, SO THEY DID ADOPT THAT EXEMPTION. ONE OTHER IMPORTANT THING OF NOTE IS, WHEN WE DO COMMERCIAL DEVELOPMENT INCENTIVES, WE NEVER SHARE SALES TAXES THAT WE ALLOCATE TO AUBURN CITY SCHOOLS OUT OF OUR 4%, 1.25% IS RESERVED FOR AUBURN CITY SCHOOLS. WE DON'T HAVE THE ABILITY ON ANY OF THESE BILLS TO DO THAT. IT IS AN ALL OR NOTHING SITUATION.
AND ALSO, STATE SALES TAX AT 4% IS EXEMPTED, BUT THERE IS A 1% COUNTY TAX THAT IS NOT EXEMPTED ALSO AS PART OF THAT, JUST -- JUST FOR YOUR REFERENCE AND GENERAL INFORMATION, BROADLY
SPEAKING. >> GOOD. THANK YOU FOR THAT
INFORMATION. >> THANK YOU. I WASN'T ADVOCATING ONE WAY OR ANOTHER ABOUT THIS. I WAS ESPECIALLY CURIOUS ABOUT MEDICAL DEVICES. YOU HAVE ANSWERED THE QUESTION IN TERMS OF WHAT OUR SISTER CITY DOES, WHAT MADISON DOES. I DON'T SEE ANY REASON FOR US TO FURTHER PURSUE THIS FOR UPCOMING DISCUSSIONS UNLESS THERE'S ANYBODY WHO FEELS REALLY STRONGLY ABOUT TRYING TO FOLLOW THE STATES LEAD. ANYONE
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ON THE COUNCIL LIKE TO RESPOND OR HAVE A COMMENT?>> YEAH, I JUST WANT TO SAY I FEEL LIKE ON HEARING DEVICES, I DON'T THINK THAT AMOUNT OF TAX IS GOING TO HURT THE CITY THAT MUCH. IT WOULD MEAN A LOT TO THE PERSON WITH HEARING PROBLEMS TO NOT PAY TAX ON IT. THAT'S HOW I FEEL ABOUT IT. AS WELL AS THE AGRICULTURAL AND HONEYBEE STUFF, I FEEL LIKE WE DON'T SELL MUCH OF THAT IN AUBURN AT ALL. AND I DON'T THINK IT WOULD HURT -- I THINK IT WOULD DO THE PERSON -- THE CITIZEN A LOT OF GOOD TO NOT HAVE TO PAY TAXES ON IT.
BECAUSE ESPECIALLY WITH TODAY'S ECONOMY LIKE IT IS, INFLATION IS KILLING US. I WANT TO FOLLOW ALONG WITH THE STATE.
I CAN SEE YOUR ARGUMENT ON NOT TO, BUT I JUST FEEL LIKE WE CHOOSE TO HELP SOME OF THE FOLKS, ESPECIALLY THE HEARING
DEVICES. >> ANYONE ELSE HAVE A COMMENT OR RESPONSE? PAUL? NO? YOU KNOW, I WILL REITERATE WHAT I SAID LAST TIME. I APPRECIATE KAYLEE BRINGING THIS FORWARD. I ASKED MY CONSTITUENT. YOU KNOW? IN OUR STUDY, WE MADE A FUNDAMENTAL DECISION, I BELIEVE, AS A STATE, THAT WE WANT OUR MUNICIPAL GOVERNMENTS TO BE SUPPORTED AND RUNOFF SALES TAX. IN MY LIFETIME, I HAVE SEEN THAT DECISION MADE IN AUBURN, I THINK AT LEAST THREE TIMES WHERE THE CITIZENS HAVE NOT VOTED FOR A PROPERTY TAX. AND SO, THAT IS WHAT IT IS. SO, SALES TAX IS WHAT SUPPORTS OUR GOVERNMENT. YOU WILL SEE TONIGHT IT SUPPORTS 50% OF OUR GENERAL FUND, RIGHT? 50% IS SALES TAXES. HEARING DEVICES, BEEKEEPING PRODUCTS AS CHIEF DAWSON SAID, NONE OF THOSE ARE GOING TO REALLY REGISTER PROBABLY A GREAT DEAL AS FAR AS AFFECTING OUR SALES TAXES, AFFECTING OUR BUDGET. THE CONCERN I HAVE IS WHAT'S NEXT, HOW DO WE PICK WINNERS AND LOSERS IN THIS AS WE MOVE FORWARD? I AM CERTAINLY OPENING -- OPENING TO CONTINUING THIS DISCUSSION. IT'S A SLIPPERY SLOPE IF WE ARE NOT CAREFUL.
AND I CERTAINLY -- NONE OF US KNEW THE STATE LEGISLATURE WAS CONSIDERING THIS THIS PAST YEAR. AND WHO KNOWS WHAT THEY WILL BE CONSIDERING IN YEARS TO COME? SO, JUST -- THOSE ARE MY GENERAL THOUGHTS I HAVE. SO, WITH NO FURTHER COMMENT, THE DECISION POINT FOR US TONIGHT, IS, I THINK WE CAN DO A COUPLE THINGS. WE CAN JUST LET THIS GO IF THERE IS NOT SUPPORT FOR IT.
WE CAN CERTAINLY BRING IT UP AGAIN IN THE FUTURE, OR WE COULD MAYBE ASK THE STAFF FOR SOME MORE RE-CHURCH IF THEY HAVE MORE TIME TO BRING BACK WHAT OTHER ITEMS HAVE BEEN, THEY ARE NOT COLLECTING SALES TAX, AND THE MUNICIPALITIES HAVE CONSIDERED THAT. OR WE COULD -- WE COULD LOOK AT SOMETHING SPECIFIC, CHIEF DAWSON MENTIONED HEARING AIDS.
WE ARE ASKING THE STAFF TOGETHER SOME KIND OF RESOLUTION ORDINANCE ABOUT HEARING AIDS. THAT'S -- THOSE ARE OUR DECISION POINTS. ANYBODY HAVE THOUGHTS ON THAT?
>> MAYOR, I FEEL LIKE IF WE WERE TO CONSIDER MOVING FORWARD WITH A DECISION ON THIS, I, PERSONALLY, WOULD NEED MORE INFORMATION ON WHAT IS ALREADY EXEMPTED TO MAKE SURE THAT ANY DECISION WE MAKE WAS CONSISTENT ACROSS THE BOARD. IF THERE ARE OTHER, YOU SAID, 50 SOME ODD STATE EXEMPTIONS. IF WE WERE TO EXEMPT HEARING AIDS IN THIS INSTANCE, AND THERE ARE OTHER MEDICAL DEVICES THE STATE HAS ALREADY EXEMPTED, I FEEL LIKE WE WOULD BE COMPELLED TO ALSO CONSIDER EXEMPTING THOSE AS WELL. I WANT TO HAVE THAT INFORMATION BEFORE WE MAKE A
DECISION. >> QUESTION TO CLARIFY SOMETHING I JUST HEARD. ARE THERE FIFTYSOMETHING THAT THE STATE IS EXEMPTING, AND WE ARE ONLY LOOKING AT THREE? OR ARE THERE JUST THREE AT THE STATE LEVEL?
>> OVER THE YEARS, IMPLEMENTING IN A CERTAIN SECTION OF THE DATE CODE, THERE ARE 55. -- SUCH ITEMS. AND I THINK --
>> THEY CONTINUE ON YEAR-TO-YEAR?
>> YEAH. ALSO JUST IN THIS DECADE, THERE HAS BEEN CONSIDERATION OF APPROXIMATELY 28 SIMILAR SALES TAX EXEMPTION BILLS WITH NINE OF THEM SEEING SUCCESS. SO, IT IS A CONSTANT LEGISLATIVE INFLUX. THEY ARE SOMETIMES VERY, VERY MINUTE. IF YOU LOOK AT THE LEGISLATION ABOUT HONEYBEE BYPRODUCTS, IT'S A VERY, VERY SPECIFIC, NARROW FOCUS. SOME OF THE VERY LIGHT RESEARCH WE HAVE DONE HAS DONE WITH ORDER CITIES LIKE THE HEARING AID BILL CAME UP IN PART BECAUSE BORDER CITIES WERE
[00:10:01]
SAYING, WELL, IT'S EXEMPTED IN ADJACENT STATES. SO, THAT'S WHY THE LEGISLATOR BROUGHT IT UP. AND THEY ARE SAYING THAT BECAUSE WE ARE LOSING SALES. SO IT REALLY JUST KIND OF DEPENDS ON WHAT YOU WANT TO DO. BUT A LOT OF THEM ARE AGRICULTURAL FOCUSED. THAT IS VERY COMMON. BUT AS I SAID, THERE IS A THING. IT'S FROM FEMININE PRODUCTS TO DIAPERS TO OTHER -- YOU KNOW, OTHER ITEMS ALONG THAT REALM THAT KEEPS COMING UP AND MAY EVENTUALLY PASS. TO REMIND YOU, I MEAN, STATE LEGISLATURE PASSES THESE. THAT'S THE 4% SALES TAX IS AUTOMATICALLY REMOVED AT THE IMPLEMENTATION DATE. IN ALL THESE CURRENT THREE BILLS HAVE 2029 SUNSET DATE ANYWAY, UNLESS LEGISLATURE DOES SOMETHING ELSE.>> ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? OKAY. WELL, TYLER OFFERED A COMMENT OF WANTING TO HAVE SOME FURTHER RESEARCH DONE TO UNDERSTAND SOME OF THESE OTHER 50 ODD ITEMS THAT WE HAVE REFERRED TO TONIGHT. THAT IS SOMETHING WE COULD ASK THE STAFF TO DO AND BRING THIS BACK MAYBE IN A MONTH. -- AND HAVE ANOTHER DISCUSSION IF THAT'S WHAT THE COUNCIL'S WISHES ARE. WE CAN LET THIS GO AND MOVE ON. SO, WHAT WOULD BE -- ANYBODY HAVE A
[4. QUESTIONS ON THE AGENDA.]
THOUGHT? >> I THINK IT'S TIME TO MOVE ON. I DON'T THINK THERE'S MUCH SUPPORT FOR IT. WE NEED TO MOVE ON, NOT BURDEN STAFF OR ANYTHING.
>> ANY OTHER THOUGHTS ON THAT?
>> AGREE. >> ALL RIGHT. OKAY. ALL RIGHT.
WE WILL MOVE AHEAD THEN. ALL RIGHT. ANY QUESTIONS ON TONIGHT'S AGENDA FOR THE CITY MANAGER? OKAY, CITY MANAGER,
ANYTHING FOR US? >> JUST A REPORT THAT THERE IS A WIDESPREAD ISSUE. A LITTLE BIT WITH THIS, WE ARE RECORDING, BUT WE WILL NOT BE ABLE TO BROADCAST LIVE. WE WILL POST BOTH MEETINGS LATER WHEN WE ARE ABLE TO POST THEM.
CORRECT, CYNTHIA. DO WE ANTICIPATE THAT IMMEDIATE, OR COULD IT TAKE A LITTLE BIT OF TIME? IT COULD TAKE A LITTLE BIT OF TIME. SO, WE WILL POST THIS. BUT FOLKS WHO AREN'T HERE, CAN'T HEAR THIS, WE WILL GET STUFF OUT ON SOCIAL MEDIA.
THAT MEANS THE BROADCAST AND EVERYTHING WILL NOT BE LIVE.
>> ALL RIGHT. SO, JUST A SECOND WHEN WE ADJOURN, DO WE NEED TO NOT ROLL INTO OUR REGULAR MEETING?
>> WHEN THEY DON'T ANTICIPATE THIS ISSUE BEING CORRECTED ANYTIME SOON, BUT I WANT TO GIVE YOU COMFORT THAT THESE ARE BEING RECORDED, VIDEO, AUDIO, EVERYTHING, AND THEY WILL BE AVAILABLE ON OUR WEBSITE AS SOON AS WE CAN GET THEM POSTED, BUT I DON'T HAVE A TIME FOR THAT RIGHT NOW.
>> AGAIN, WE ARE CERTAINLY SORRY TO THOSE PEOPLE WHO COUNT ON THAT TECHNOLOGY TO KEEP UP WITH WHAT IS GOING ON IN THE COUNCIL
* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.