Mayor Casillas addressed concerns raised at a prior meeting about proposed amortization policy for 6th Street, saying the purpose of previously tabling the discussion was to slow the process and increase outreach. She asked staff to immediately begin stakeholder convenings that include Sixth Street businesses, the Chamber and community partners, and to exclude amortization from early engagement unless stakeholders request it.

Public commenters earlier in the meeting had criticized the city’s outreach and the perceived threat to downtown businesses. Joe Morgan called the outreach pattern “disrespectful” and criticized prior council discussions for creating fear among business owners. Council members responded that convening and listening to businesses now should proceed and that ad hoc or staff engagement is already happening in some cases.

Vice Mayor Speak and other council members said they wanted the process to be collaborative, while several council members noted they had already engaged businesses informally. The mayor said she had received direction from legal and the city manager that the matter needed to come back on a future agenda with clear direction to staff for stakeholder convenings.

Next steps: The mayor directed staff to begin stakeholder engagement immediately and return the item to a future agenda with a report on outreach and recommendations; amortization will not be part of early convenings unless community members bring it forward.