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[1. CALL TO ORDER – 6:00 PM]
THIS IS OFFICIALLY 6:00 PM ON JULY 8TH, 2025 FOR THE REGULAR CITY COUNCILMAN FOR THE CITY OF BURN TEXAS.IT'S MY PLEASURE TO INTRODUCE, UH, PASTOR ANNMARIE FROM ST.
MARK'S PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH TO LEAD US IN INVOCATION.
HOLY GOD, WE GATHER THIS EVENING WITH HEARTS THAT ARE HEAVY.
WE ARE OVERWHELMED WITH THE LOSS AND SUFFERING OUR COMMUNITIES HAVE EXPERIENCED.
WE LIFT UP TO YOU ALL THOSE WHO HAVE LOST LOVED ONES, AND THOSE WAITING.
WE LIFT UP ALL WHO HAVE BORN WITNESS TO THESE TRAGEDIES AND THOSE WHO GAVE SELFLESSLY TRYING TO HELP GOD OF MERCY.
MAY YOUR SPIRIT POUR OUT COMFORT AND MAY YOU CARRY MOMENT BY MOMENT, ALL THOSE WHO HAVE FALLEN EXHAUSTED.
GOD, WE GIVE YOU THANKS FOR ALL THOSE WHO RUSH TOWARD DANGER FOR FIRST RESPONDERS AND SEARCH AND RESCUE CREWS.
GRANT THEM WISDOM, SAFETY, AND STRENGTH AS THEY CONTINUE TO FIGHT THE GOOD FIGHT.
WE KNOW THERE IS A LONG JOURNEY OF RECOVERY AHEAD OF US.
GRANT US PATIENCE, WISDOM, AND UNITY.
MIGHTY GOD, WE GIVE YOU THANKS FOR THE GIFT OF BEING PART OF THIS COMMUNITY, FOR THE BEAUTY THAT SURROUNDS US, THE PEOPLE WHO INSPIRE US, THE BUSINESSES THAT PROVIDE FOR US, THE FAITH COMMUNITIES THAT SUSTAIN US.
AND I ASK YOUR BLESSINGS ON ALL THOSE HERE TONIGHT, SEEKING TO SERVE AND TO LEAD OUR COMMUNITY.
MAY YOU GUIDE THEIR DISCUSSIONS AND DECISIONS THAT WE MAY ALL LIVE INTO YOUR WILL.
WE GIVE YOU THANKS, AND WE GIVE YOU PRAISE.
AND ALL GOD'S CHILDREN SAID, AMEN.
WOULD YOU JOIN ME IN THE PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE AND THEN THE, THE PLEDGE OF THE TEXAS FLAG? I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND TO OUR FOR WHICH WAS TAKEN ONE NATION UNDER GOD.
LIBERTY, JUSTICE FOR HONOR, PART HONOR, TEXAS.
PLEASURE, PLEASURE, GOD, INDIVISIBLE.
[2. CONFLICTS OF INTEREST]
TO CONFLICTS OF INTEREST.ANY CONFLICTS OF INTEREST, COUNCIL MEMBERS? NO CONFLICTS OF INTEREST.
[3. PUBLIC COMMENTS: This is the opportunity for visitors and guests to address the City Council on any issue, in compliance with LGC Section 551.007. City Council may not discuss any presented issue, nor may any action be taken on any issue at this time. (Attorney General opinion – JC-0169)]
PUBLIC COMMENTS.NO ONE HAS SIGNED UP TO LIST OR TO SPEAK, BUT IF SOMEONE CAME IN LATE AND WOULD LIKE TO COME FORWARD TO THE PODIUM, STATE YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS.
YOU'LL HAVE YOUR THREE MINUTES WHEN YOU COME FORWARD.
[4. CONSENT AGENDA: All items listed below within the Consent Agenda are considered to be routine by the City Council and may be enacted with one motion. There will be no separate discussion of items unless a Council Member or citizen so requests, in which event the item may be moved to the general order of business and considered in its normal sequence.]
ITEM NUMBER FOUR, COUNCIL MEMBERS, DO WE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OR CONCERNS? COMMENTS ABOUT CONSENT, AGENDA, ITEMS A THROUGH E IF NO QUESTIONS OR CONCERNS, CAN I GET A MOTION AND A SECOND? A MOTION FROM COUNCILMAN WILLISTON? MAY I MOVE THAT WE APPROVE THE CONSENT AGENDA AS PRESENTED SECOND FROM COUNCILMAN BATEMAN.SOMEONE HASN'T HIT YEAH, RIGHT? I DON'T SHOW YOUR ADDRESS.
MAYOR, MAY, MAY I ASK ONE, JUST BEN, JUST A QUESTION.
SOMEONE HAD COMMENTED ABOUT TREE CUTTING BY A PRIVATE FIRM.
ARE WE MAKING SURE THAT THESE CONTRACTORS ARE DOING OAK WILT MITIGATION ON THEIR EQUIPMENT BEFORE THEY CUT AND DOING PROPER TREE PRUNING PAINTING? CAN YOU SAY IT'S DIRECTOR CRANE? DIRECTOR CRANE COME UP AND ANSWER THAT? UH, I IMAGINE.
WE ARE, I KNOW THAT THERE'S BEEN FIRMS THAT HAVE BEEN DOING SOME RIGHT AWAY, UH, WITH SOME OF THESE TELECOMS, UH, THAT RYAN BASS HAS FOLLOWED UP WITH THEM AFTERWARDS, WHAT THEY'RE SUPPOSED TO BE DOING POST, UH, TRIMMING.
NATHAN, DID YOU HEAR THE QUESTION? YES.
WHAT IS THE PROTOCOL FOR THE PRIVATE, UH, TRIMMING? SO, UH, TYPICALLY IF, IF THEY'RE CONTRACT BY US, WE DO MAKE SURE THAT THAT HAPPENS A LOT OF TIMES.
UM, IN A COUPLE INSTANCES THAT HAVE HAPPENED RECENTLY, WE'RE UNAWARE UNTIL WE HEREAFTER.
UH, SO WE TRY TO FOLLOW UP WITH THE CONTRACTORS AT THAT TIME.
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THANK YOU NATHAN.[A. PRESENTATION FROM KENDALL APPRAISAL DISTRICT’S CHIEF APPRAISER NELIA MCNEAL AND THE CITY’S REPRESENTATIVE JOHN WOOLARD.]
REGULAR AGENDA ITEM NUMBER FIVE, A 2025 DASH 2 86 PRESENTATION WITH KEN COUNTY APPRAISER, DISTRICT'S CHIEF APPRAISER NEIL MCNEIL AND CITY REPRESENTATIVE JOHN WOOLARD.UH, SARAH, YOU'RE GONNA INTRODUCE, OR NO,
UM, CITY COUNCIL MAYOR, UH, UH, RICHIE, UM, ALL THE REST OF THE CITY STAFF.
SO WE APPRECIATE THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE HERE.
UM, AGAIN, MY NAME'S JOHN WILLARD.
I'M THE CITY'S REP ON THE, UM, KENNEL COUNTY BOARD, OR KEN COUNTY APPRAISAL DISTRICT BOARD.
UM, AND, UM, WITH ME IS ALIA MCNEIL AND, UH, WHO'S OUR CHIEF APPRAISER AND CHRIS GODSEY, WHO'S OUR, UH, UM, BOARD OF DIRECTORS CHAIRPERSON.
SO I'M GONNA GIVE JUST A LITTLE, UH, BRIEF INFORMATION.
A IS GONNA GIVE A SUMMARY OF OPERATIONS AND, UH, CHRIS WILL PROVIDE AN OVERVIEW OF, OF, UM, OUR PROPOSED EXPANSION PLANS.
SO I HANDED OUT SOME CHARTS THERE, WHICH, UM, UH, WELL, YOU GUYS MIGHT FIND, UH, INTERESTING.
SO THE, THE, UH, CITY OF BERNIE TAX LEVIES INCREASED 369% SINCE 2010, UM, GOING FROM 4.796 MILLION TO 17.7 MILLION.
AND THE, UH, C CITY OF BERNIE'S COST HAS DECLINED, UH, 37.19 UH, PERCENT FROM A 1.64 CENTS PER EACH DOLLAR LEVEE TO 1.03 CENTS FOR EACH DOLLAR A LEVEE.
SO, UM, I DON'T KNOW IF I CALCULATED IT CORRECTLY, BUT IF I DID, THAT YIELDS A RETURN ON INVESTMENT OF 9590%.
UM, WITH REGARD TO SOME OF THE RECENT LEGISLATIVE CHANGES, THE ONE INSPECTING THE CITY OF BURN THE MOST ARE, ARE WHAT'S COMMONLY REFERRED TO AS A CIRCUIT BREAKER.
UM, CIRCUIT BREAKER LIMITS THE VALUE ON NON HOMESTEAD PROPERTIES THAT ARE ASSESSED LESS THAN $5 MILLION, UM, TO A 20% MAXIMUM INCREASE FOR 2025 AND 2026, AND THEN IT FALLS OFF UNLESS THE LEGISLATURE DECIDES TO EXTEND IT.
THE ONE THAT'S PROBABLY GONNA ACCEPT, UH, AFFECT THE CITY THE MOST IS, IS, UH, AN INCREASE IN THE BUSINESS PERSONAL PROPERTY EXEMPTION, WHICH CURRENTLY STANDS AT 2,500 BUCKS.
UM, THAT WILL INCREASE TO $125,000.
UM, SO THAT'S GONNA REQUIRE VOTER APPROVAL IN NOVEMBER, AND THEN WE'LL GO INTO EFFECT JANUARY 1ST, 2026, UH, EFFECTIVE FOR THE 2026, UH, PROPERTY TAX YEAR.
UM, AS YOU GUYS KNOW, THE TEXAS COMPTROLLER'S PROPERTY TAX DIVISION, UH, PROVIDES OVERSIGHT TO THE APPRAISAL DISTRICT.
THEY CONDUCT A SEMI-ANNUAL, UM, REVIEW OR AUDIT, COMMONLY REFERRED TO AS A MAP REVIEW METHODS AND, AND, UH, UM, OPERATIONS REVIEW.
UM, THE MOST RECENT REVIEW WAS IN 2023.
UM, THE KENDALL APPRAISAL DISTRICT STAFF'S CURRENTLY WORKING WITH THE COMPTROLLER ON THE 2025 REVIEW.
UM, ADDITIONALLY, UH, THE COMPTROLLER AUDITS, THE, UH, KENDALL APPRAISAL DISTRICT'S VALUE THROUGH A PROPERTY TAX RATIO STUDY, UH, WHICH PRIMARILY AFFECTS SCHOOL FUNDING FORMULA DOESN'T REALLY, UH, AFFECT THE CITY.
SO, UH, UNDER PLEASED TO REPORT THAT UNDER NA'S LEADERSHIP AND DIRECTION, WE'VE PASSED BOTH THE REVIEWS WITH FLYING COLORS.
AND ADDITIONALLY, WE, UM, JUST, UH, RECENTLY COMPLETED OUR ANNUAL FINANCIAL AUDIT.
UM, OUR CPA FIRM COMPLETED OUR FINANCIAL AUDIT AND, UM, INDICATED, REFLECTED THAT OUR BOOKS, RECORDS, COMPLIANCE AND ALL OF OUR INTERNAL CONTROLS ARE IN, IN A GREAT SHAPE.
SO WITH THAT, I'LL TURN THAT OVER TO NEA AND, UM, SHE'LL VISIT WITH YOU GUYS A LITTLE BIT ABOUT, UH, ABOUT OPERATIONS.
GOOD EVENING YOU FOR HAVING US.
SO, UM, OUR BUDGET IS BRIGHT BEING BROUGHT TO YOU THIS EVENING WITH A 7.8% INCREASE FROM LAST YEAR.
THIS INCREASE INCLUDES A NEW LINE ITEM, UH, FOR THE BEGINNING OF A CONSTRUCTION AND REMODEL TO OUR, OUR EXISTING BUILDING.
WE'RE, UH, POSSIBLY LOOKING TO ADD ABOUT 2,500 OR SO SQUARE FEET TO OUR, UM, EXISTING BUILDING BECAUSE WE ARE RUNNING OUT OF SPACE.
WE'RE, UM, WE'RE NEEDING ADDITIONAL OFFICES,
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UM, TO ACCOMMODATE OUR, OUR APPRAISERS AND OUR, UH, THE ADDITIONAL STAFF.UM, THE BUDGET ALSO INCLUDES TWO NEW EMPLOYEE POSITIONS, UH, WHICH WE'RE NEEDING AS, AS WE SEE THE CITY AND THE COUNTY AND GROWING, GROWING, UM, TREMENDOUSLY AND QUITE FAST.
UM, WE CURRENTLY HAVE ONE COMMERCIAL APPRAISER, TWO AG APPRAISERS, A BUSINESS PERSONAL PROPERTY APPRAISER, TWO RESIDENTIAL APPRAISERS AND ONE CONTRACTOR.
THE CONTRACTORS, UM, CONSTANTLY WORKS WHETHER WE'RE, RIGHT NOW WE'RE IN THE, UH, PROTEST SEASON, OUR APPRAISERS ARE IN OFFICE, SO THEY'RE NOT ABLE TO GO OUT AND, AND CONTINUE THE, UH, THE, THE NEW CONSTRUCTION OR ADDITIONS WHILE OUR CONTRACTOR DOES.
THAT'S WHAT HE DOES, UM, ALL THE TIME, EVEN, EVEN NOW.
UM, AND WE'RE HOPING TO ADD AT LEAST ONE MORE RESIDENTIAL APPRAISER FOR 2026.
WE ARE CURRENTLY IN OUR PROTEST AND A RB, THE END OF OUR PROTEST, AND A RB HEARINGS, WHICH MEANS WE'LL BE CERTIFYING VALUES TO THE ENTITIES, UH, ON TIME GETTING THE VALUES THAT YOU WILL NEED.
WE CONTINUE TO WORK WITH THE STATE APPRAISERS FOR OUR SCHOOL DISTRICT PROPERTY, PROPERTY VALUE STUDY, AND OUR MAPS REVIEW AND SUBMITTING INFORMATION THAT AS IT IS BEING REQUESTED FROM THE STATE APPRAISERS.
UM, I HAVE ALSO SENT IN, UM, A NEW BUDGET TO Y'ALL.
I BELIEVE IT'S BEEN GIVEN TO Y'ALL, UH, FOR THE PARCEL COUNT.
WHEN I SUBMITTED THE INITIAL ONE, THE PARCEL COUNT WAS INCORRECT.
IT WAS FROM LAST YEAR'S PARCEL COUNT.
SO WHAT YOU HAVE IS, IS CURRENT AND I NOW HAS TURNED THIS OVER TO CHRIS
SHE'S OUR CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD.
SHE REPRESENTS BERNIE ISD, BUT, UM, SHE'S ALSO IN CHARGE OF OUR, SOME OF OUR, UM, CONSTRUCTION NEW ADDITION TO OUR BUILDING.
OKAY, SO JUST AN, AN OVERVIEW WOULD BE, OUR CURRENT BUILDING IS 5,000 SQUARE FEET.
IT HAS 11 OFFICES AND WE'RE LOOKING TO EXPAND BY 2,500 SQUARE FEET, ADDING AN ADDITIONAL SIX OFFICES IN THE NEW SPACE, A CONFERENCE ROOM THAT WOULD BE REALLY PERFECT WITH ITS OWN ENTRANCE FOR ARBS.
AND THEN ALSO A SMALL CONFERENCE ROOM FOR SINGLE PERSON ARBS.
SO I DON'T KNOW IF Y'ALL REALIZE THAT YOU CAN CHOOSE SINGLE PERSON OR BEFORE THREE PERSON PANEL, BUT AT SOME POINT WE'LL BE REQUIRED TO DO THAT.
RIGHT NOW WE DO IT AS AN OPTION AND IT'S IMPORTANT TO ME AND THE REST OF THE BOARD THAT OUR BUILDING BE RECONFIGURED IN A WAY THAT PROVIDES, UH, THE PUBLIC ACCESS WITHOUT EMPLOYEES AND THE PUBLIC NECESSARILY BEING IN THE SAME PART OF THE SAME OF THE BUILDING.
AND CURRENTLY RIGHT NOW PEOPLE COME IN TO PROTEST AND THEY'RE IN THE SAME, THEY CAN GO THROUGHOUT THE WHOLE BUILDING AND I DON'T THINK THAT'S APPROPRIATE ANYMORE IN, IN OUR CURRENT CLIMATE.
SO OUR NEW ADDITION WILL ALLOW FOR A RB ENTRANCE ON ITS OWN.
FORTUNATELY WE ALREADY HAVE OUR TAX PAYER, UH, PORTION WHERE YOU CAN ENTER THAT AND, AND THAT HAS ITS OWN ENTRANCE AND KEEPS EVERYBODY SEPARATE.
SO, UM, WE'LL BE GETTING BACK TO YOU LATER THIS YEAR WITH PLANS.
SO YOU CAN SEE HOW THAT'S GONNA BE ADDED ON TO.
BUT WE'RE PROPOSING, UM, THAT THIS WOULD PROBABLY COST THE APPRAISAL DISTRICT 800 TO A MILLION DOLLARS.
WE HAD LEGISLATION JUST PASS THAT WILL ALLOW US TO GET A FINANCING FOR THIS.
AND, UH, SO WE WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO COME AND ASK YOU FOR YOUR PORTION OF A MILLION DOLLARS IN ONE YEAR.
SO THIS IS GREAT NEWS THAT WE CAN SPREAD THIS OVER 15 YEARS.
SO, YOU KNOW, THIS IS REALLY WONDERFUL, I THINK, I DON'T THINK YOU'LL FEEL IT.
I THINK THE INCREASED NUMBER OF STAFF THAT WE'LL BE ABLE TO HAVE IN KEEPING UP WITH OUR 24% GROWTH THAT'S PROJECTED, UH, IN OUR COUNTY IS GOING TO, YOU KNOW, OFFSET ANY COST INCURRED IN THIS BUILDING BY THE ADDITIONAL REVENUE THAT WE'LL BE ABLE TO GENERATE BY KEEPING UP WITH OUR APPRAISALS.
DO YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT WHAT WE WANNA DO? JUST CLARIFY, I KNOW THE ANSWER, BUT JUST FOR THE PUBLIC OF THE MILLION, WHAT PERCENTAGE IS THE CITY A PART OF WHAT, YOU KNOW, COMPARED TO THE OTHER TAX ENTITIES? I THINK 8.7%, BUT NELLY JUST SAID THAT, UM, THE PARCELS CHANGED A LITTLE BIT.
SO IT MIGHT BE NINE, THE ALLOCATION MIGHT BE 9%, CLOSE TO 9%,
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10%.I KNOW I REPRESENT THE SCHOOL DISTRICT AS MY POSITION AND I KNOW IT'S CLOSER TO 55, UH, TO 59%.
IT GOES, IT FLUCTUATES IN THAT FROM YEAR TO YEAR, BETWEEN 55 AND 59%.
THEY OBVIOUSLY WERE REALLY, UM, PRO FINANCING.
SO
THAT'S WHY THAT, THAT'S THE EXTRA NOTE.
ARE WE HAVE NO, UH, FINANCING? I MEAN WE, WE ARE TOTALLY CASH.
EVERYTHING IN OUR, IN OUR BUILDING IS PAID FOR.
EVERYTHING UNDER OUR BUILDING IS PAID FOR.
SO THIS WILL BE OUR FIRST ONE.
ALRIGHT, ANY, ANY QUESTIONS FOR COUNCIL MEMBERS? NO.
[A. CONSIDER RESOLUTION NO. 2025-R44; A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE CITY MANAGER TO APPROVE THE KENDALL APPRAISAL DISTRICT’S PROPOSED FISCAL YEAR 2026 APPRAISAL AND COLLECTIONS BUDGETS.]
NEXT ITEM, THERE'S A ITEM APPROVAL SIX A 2025 DASH 2 87.CONSIDER RESOLUTION NUMBER 2025 R 44 RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING CITY MANAGER TO APPROVE THE KENDALL COUNTY APPRAISERS.
PROPOSED FISCAL YEAR 2026 APPRAISAL AND COLLECTIONS BUDGET PRESENTING.
SARAH, SARAH, THIS IS JUST A FOLLOW UP TO THEIR PRESENTATION.
IF YOU AUTHORIZE THE CITY MANAGER TO, UM, APPROVE THEIR PROPOSED FISCAL YEAR BUDGET THAT THEY JUST PRESENTED TO US.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? NO QUESTIONS.
COUNCILOR WILLISON, MAY I MOVE THAT WE APPROVE RESOLUTION NUMBER 2025 DASH R 44 A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE CITY MANAGER TO APPROVE THE KINDLE APPRAISAL DISTRICT'S PROPOSED FISCAL YEAR 2026 APPRAISAL AND COLLECTIONS BUDGETS.
SECOND FROM COUNCILMAN BUNKER, PLEASE VOTE.
[B. RECEIVE BIDS AND CONSIDER RESOLUTION NO 2025-R45; A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY OF BOERNE, TEXAS, AWARDING THE CONTRACT FOR CITY OF BOERNE FISCAL YEAR 2025 STRIPING TO _________ FOR AN AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED $_______; AND AUTHORIZING THE CITY MANAGER TO MANAGE AND EXECUTE THE RELATED CONTRACT.]
SIX BI THINK, IS IT SIX B OR FIVE? I'M SORRY.FIVE B SIX BI WAS RIGHT THE FIRST TIME.
SEE BIDS TO CONSIDER RESOLUTION NUMBER 2025 DASH R 45, RESOLUTION OF THE CITY OF BURNING TEXAS AWARD, THE CONTRACT FOR CITY OF BURN, NEW FISCAL YEAR 2025, STRIPING TWO IN FLORIDA MOUNTAIN OFF TO EXCEED AUTHORIZING THE CITY MANAGER TO MANAGE AND EXECUTE THE CITY RELATED CONTRACT.
SO AS MENTIONED, WE'RE LOOKING AT STRIPING BIDS TONIGHT AND IN OUR STRATEGY MAP THIS ALIGNS WITH F TWO, WHICH IS INVESTING IN AND MAINTAINING HIGH QUALITY INFRASTRUCTURE SYSTEMS AND PUBLIC ASSETS.
SO THIS IS AN ANNUAL ITEM THAT WE BRING TO YOU GUYS AND HAVE FOR A COUPLE YEARS AS THE ANNUAL STRIPING AND MAINTENANCE PROGRAM.
SO THIS YEAR WE BUDGETED FOR ABOUT A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS IN 7.5 MILES OF ROADWAY IN THE CITY.
SINCE THIS IS A PROJECT OVER $50,000, WE DID PUBLICLY BID THE PROJECT AND RECEIVED THREE BIDS.
THE LOW BID WAS SUBMITTED BY STRIPE IT UP LLC AND THE AMOUNT OF $77,676 AND 40 CENTS.
AND SO SINCE WE BUDGETED A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS AND WE RECEIVED GREAT PRICES, WE, UM, I WILL SAY WE HAVE NOT WORKED WITH STRIPE IT UP BEFORE.
UM, BUT WE DID CHECK REFERENCES AND WE RECEIVED GOOD REFERENCES FROM THOSE THAT WE CHECKED WITH.
SO WITH THAT SAID, RECEIVING A GOOD PRICE, UM, IF THE COUNCIL DESIRES, WE CAN GO AHEAD AND INCREASE, INCREASE THE AMOUNT AND HAVE A CHANGE ORDER TO, TO TAKE THE ADDITIONAL AMOUNT TO $97,095, WHICH IS A 25% INCREASE.
UM, SO WE WE'D NEGOTIATE WITH THE CONTRACTOR FOR A 20% INCREASE AND LEAVE A LITTLE BIT OF A BUFFER FOR ANY UNFORESEEN CHANGES.
UM, BUT THIS WOULD ALLOW US TO NEGOTIATE WITH THAT CONTRACTOR IF THE COUNCIL DESIRES AND STRIKE MORE ROWS IN TOWN AS PART OF OUR MAINTENANCE PROGRAM.
ANY QUESTIONS?
UM, I THINK IT'S BE NINE AND FIVE, NOT NECESSARILY PLANT, BUT I'M JUST CURIOUS IF WE'RE PAYING TO STRIFE SOMETHING, WE'RE GONNA TEAR UP VERY SOON FOR THE RECONSTRUCTION PROJECT.
CAN YOU ELABORATE ON THAT? YES, GOOD QUESTION.
SO THIS IS, THIS IS FOR CROSSWALKS OR UM, ADJACENT TO THE SCHOOL.
AND SO IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE INCLUDED WITH THE STREET DEPARTMENT.
THEY USE PAINT INSTEAD OF THERMOPLASTIC AND WITH THE PAINT THEY'RE HAVING TO GO TWICE A YEAR TO, TO STRIPE THIS.
UM, SO WITH THAT BEING SAID, BEFORE WE START THE PROJECT, WE DON'T KNOW WHEN THE PROJECT WILL START, BUT THEY WOULD HAVE TO STRIPE, LIKELY STRIPE THIS AREA THREE OR FOUR MORE TIMES WITH PAINT VERSUS THERMOPLASTIC THAT WOULD LAST.
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SOMETHING THAT WE PUT INTO THE CONTRACT.IF, IF YOU THINK THAT THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE SHOULD ALLOCATE ELSEWHERE, MAYBE JUST LEAN TOWARD SENIOR STAFF, YOU KNOW, I GUESS MAKING THAT CALL.
I MEAN, IF WE THINK THE PROJECT'S GONNA BE IN SIX MONTHS, THEN WE PROBABLY DON'T WANNA SPEND THE MONEY.
SO IF YOU RECALL, WE'RE GONNA, THIS WILL BE PHASE THAT RECONSTRUCTION PROJECT.
SO I IMAGINE THEY'LL BE DOING THE EASTERN PART OF PLANT FIRST TO ESSER AND UH, BUT YEAH, WE CAN HAVE THAT CONVERSATION MORE WITH JEFF WHEN HE GETS BACK.
MAY I GET THE LONGEVITY OF USING A MORE PERMANENT SOURCE? MM-HMM
JUST WANNA MAKE SURE WE'RE SPENDING TAX DOLLARS PROPERLY.
I MEAN, I KNOW WE HAVE A FORMULA FOR ROADS, YOU KNOW, THE SCORING SYSTEM.
HOW DO WE SCORE STRIPING? LIKE HOW DO WE DETERMINE, JUST SAY, OH THAT LOOKS BAD, WE'VE GOTTA ADD SOME STRIPING HERE.
HOW DO WE DETERMINE THAT? YES.
SO WE'VE, WE'VE WORKED ON, AND WE HAVEN'T QUITE FINALIZED IT, BUT A, A FULL STRIPING PLAN THAT WOULD BE PART OF THE 10 YEAR PLAN THAT WE'VE PUT TOGETHER FOR, FOR STREET RECONSTRUCTION OR PATCHING.
UM, SO WE, WE'VE OVER TIME COLLECTED OUR GIS DATA IN ORDER TO ANALYZE THIS, BUT BASICALLY EVERY TWO TO THREE YEARS WE HAVE TO RES STRIPE, PERF, UM, SO IS THAT WITH THERMOPLASTIC OR JUST WITH PAINT THERMOPLASTIC? YES.
SO THAT IS ONE THAT WAS ONE OF OUR GOALS THIS YEAR.
UM, WAS PUTTING TOGETHER A, A 10 YEAR PLAN.
WE HAVEN'T QUITE GOTTEN TO THAT FULL TRANSPARENCY.
UM, BUT YES, THIS WAS DECIDED BASED ON, BASED ON ANY COMMUNITY INPUT.
UM, BUT OF COURSE TAKING A LOOK AROUND TOWN AND SEEING WHERE WE NEED TO TO RETRIP, BUT ALSO AS WE'RE PART OF OUR CHIP SEAL PROGRAM AND OUR SL SEAL PROGRAM, ANYWHERE WHERE WE'RE REMOVING THE STRIPING OR COVERING OVER THE STRIPING.
SO SCHOOL STREET BEING THE HIGH PROFILE ONE RIGHT NOW AS WE'RE WORKING ON SCHOOL STREET WITH OUR CHIP SEAL PROGRAM, SCHOOL STREET'S INCLUDED IN THIS, IN THIS SCOPE, IN ORDER TO RESPE, WE MOVING AWAY FROM THE PAINT EXCLUSIVELY THE THERMOPLASTIC OR ARE WE STILL STICKING WITH PAINT BECAUSE OF COST OR JUST THE GOAL IS TO MOVE OVER TO THERMOPLASTIC? UM, THERE WILL BE TIMES HERE AND THERE THAT WE'LL STILL PAINT HIS TOUCHUP, BUT THE GOAL IS TO MOVE TO THERMOPLASTIC.
SO THIS IS, CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG, CHERYL, THIS IS OUR THIRD YEAR WITH THE THERMOPLASTIC.
IT'S ONE OF THE THINGS WHEN I FIRST GOT HERE, I WAS TALKING TO JEFF ABOUT MOVING TOWARDS AND WE'VE BEEN BUMPING THAT BUDGET UP EACH YEAR AND OF COURSE WE WANNA DO MORE AND IT'S GREAT THAT WE'VE GOT GREAT PRICING ON THIS ONE.
SO WE CAN DO MORE LANES, LANE LENGTH, UH, UH, FOR THE, UH, COST OF PRICE.
DO WE ALREADY HAVE THOSE ADDITIONAL WITH THE ADDITIONAL COST THAT WE'RE GONNA ADD BECAUSE OF THE PRICING? WE ALREADY HAVE THOSE TREATS LAID OUT.
ARE THEY ALREADY ON THIS MAP? THEY ARE NOT.
UH, WE RECEIVED BIDS ON TUESDAY AND SO WHENEVER DIRECTOR CAROL GETS BACK, WANTED TO WALK THROUGH THE IDEAS THAT WE HAVE OR WE'RE CONSIDERING, UM, LOOKING AT NORTH SCHOOL STREET, 'CAUSE THAT'S NOT QUITE ON THERE.
UM, THERE'S CITY PARK ROAD, THERE'S A COUPLE OTHER PLACES THAT I HAVE IDEAS FOR THAT I WAS GONNA WALK THROUGH WITH HIM.
ANY QUESTIONS FOR COUNSEL? CAN I GET A MOTION FROM COUNCILMAN BUNKER? YEAH, I, UH, I HAVE MOTION THAT WE APPROVE RESOLUTION NUMBER 2025 R 45 RESOLUTION, UH, OF THE CITY OF BERNIE, TEXAS, AWARDING THE CONTRACT FOR THE CITY OF BERNIE FISCAL YEAR 2025 STRIPING TO STRIPE IT UP.
LLC RUN AN OUT AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED $97,095 AND 50 CENTS AND AUTHORIZE THE CITY MANAGER TO MANAGE AND EXECUTE THE RELATED CONTRACT.
SECOND FROM COUNCILMAN MACALUSO, PLEASE VOTE.
[C. CONSIDER RESOLUTION NO. 2025-R46; A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY OF BOERNE, TEXAS, AUTHORIZING THE CITY MANAGER TO ENTER INTO AND MANAGE A PROFESSIONAL SERVICES AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE CITY OF BOERNE AND HDR ENGINEERING, INC. FOR DESIGN OF A NEW GRANULAR ACTIVATED CARBON (GAC) TREATMENT SYSTEM AT THE WATER TREATMENT PLANT FOR AN AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED $350,000.]
C.AGENDA ITEM 2025 DASH 2 31, CONSIDER RESOLUTION NUMBER 2025 DASH R 46, A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY OF BERNIE, TEXAS, AUTHORIZING CITY MANAGER TO ENTER INTO AND MANAGE A PROFESSIONAL SERVICES AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE CITY OF BURN AND HDR ENGINEERING INCORPORATED FOR DESIGN OF A NEW GRANULAR ACTIVATED CARBON TREATMENT SYSTEM AT THE WATER TREATMENT PLANT FOR THE AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED 350,000.
MIKE, THANK YOU MAYOR COUNCIL.
UH, I THINK THAT YOU'RE AWARE THAT WE'VE HAD THIS PROJECT ON OUR CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS PLAN FOR A WHILE AND WE'RE FINALLY GETTING TO IT.
UH, THIS, THIS PROJECT ALIGNS WITH OUR STRATEGY MAP IN THE, IN THE FORM OF INVESTING AND MAINTAINING HIGH QUALITY INFRASTRUCTURE SYSTEMS, UTILIZING DATA TO DRIVE SMART DECISION MAKING AND ADVANCING MASTER PLAN RECOMMENDATIONS AS MOST UTILITY PROJECTS DO.
AS I SAID, WE'VE HAD THIS ON OUR PLANS FOR A WHILE, BUT WE HAVE, WE'RE A LITTLE BEHIND THIS FISCAL YEAR IN STARTING, BUT WE HAVEN'T, UH, BUT WE'VE BEEN WORKING ON IT.
AND WHAT WE'VE BEEN DOING IS ESTABLISHING A REALISTIC SCOPE GIVEN OUR PLANT CAPACITIES AND JUST BASICALLY TRYING TO DECIDE WITH THE HELP OF OUR CONSULTANT, UM, THE RIGHT SCOPE AND THE RIGHT FEES FOR THIS WORK, THE RIGHT SYSTEM TO EMPLOY WHAT'S GONNA GIVE US THE BEST BANG FOR OUR BUCK AS WE'VE GONE INTO USING MORE HEAVILY WEIGHTED SURFACE WATER
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MIX WITH GROUNDWATER AS WE'VE REDUCED GROUNDWATER USAGE.WE'VE SEEN THE NEED FOR THIS REALLY INTENSIFY AND THEREFORE WE'RE BRINGING IT FOR YOU TONIGHT.
SO THIS, THIS, UH, BEFORE I FORGET, ALBERT RODRIGUEZ WITH HDR IS HERE AND, UH, IN CASE YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS FOR HDR, BUT THIS FILTER, THIS GRANULAR ACTIVATED CARBON FILTER, WHAT WE ALSO CALL GAC, IS GOING TO BE INSTALLED AT THE BERNIE CITY LAKE WATER TREATMENT PLANT.
ITS JOB IS TO REMOVE ORGANICS FROM THE WATER AND THEREFORE PREVENT THE, THE FORMATION OF DISINFECTANT BYPRODUCTS.
I, WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THOSE BEFORE.
I WON'T GET TOO DEEP INTO THE SCIENCE, BUT IT'S TO REMOVE ORGANICS BEFORE THEY COME INTO CONTACT WITH CHLORINE AND THEREFORE DON'T FORM THOSE PRODUCTS.
ALSO, WE HAVE ON OCCASION, UH, EVERY THREE YEARS OR SO, MAYBE MORE OFTEN, MAYBE LESS, HAD A PROBLEM WITH, UH, EARTHY TASTE AND SMELL IN THE WATER.
AND IT COMES FROM POTENTIAL ALGAL BLOOMS AND SURFACE WATER WHEN WEATHER CONDITIONS ARE RIGHT.
AND THIS FILTER WILL HELP IN THOSE CONDITIONS.
IT DOES REMOVE GEOSMIN, UH, SO WE COULD USE IT FOR THAT ALSO WHEN NEEDED, EVEN IF WE'RE NOT HAVING TO CONTROL DVPS AT THAT TIME.
SO WE, WE HAVE COME UP WITH THE RIGHT PRODUCT THAT WE THINK AND, UH, WE'VE NEGOTIATED A CONTRACT.
THE SCOPE OF SERVICES WITH HDR FOR DESIGN, IT'LL BE A SKID BASED, UH, FILTRATION SYSTEM.
THEIR SERVICES WILL INCLUDE A SITE SURVEY TO PROPERLY LOCATED ON THE SITE, GEOTECHNICAL TESTING FOR FOUNDATION, A HYDRAULIC ANALYSIS TO DECIDE WHETHER OR NOT THE EXISTING PUMPS NEED TO BE ENHANCED.
UH, AND THEN, UH, PREPARATION OF BID DOCUMENTS AND BID SERVICES.
THEIR TOTAL PROPOSED PROFESSIONAL SERVICES FOR THIS WORK IS $329,900.
THAT AMOUNT IS INCLUDED IN THIS CURRENT YEAR'S FISCAL YEAR'S BUDGET.
WE THOUGHT IT WAS GONNA BE MOSTLY FOR CONSTRUCTION, BUT IT WILL BE FOR DESIGN.
UH, THE EVENTUAL CONSTRUCTION WE'VE ASKED FOR IN THE PROPOSED FISCAL YEAR 26 BUDGET.
AND WITH THAT, UH, STAFF RECOMMENDS AND REQUESTS THAT COUNCIL APPROVE A RESOLUTION, UH, ALLOWING THE CITY MANAGER TO HIRE HDR.
IT COSTS NOT TO EXCEED 350,000 BUCKS.
QUESTION, HOW LONG IS IT GONNA TAKE THEM TO DESIGN THIS? UH, IT'S, IT'S A 195 CALENDAR DAYS.
SO HAVE THEY EVER DONE THIS BEFORE? ALBERT, DO YOU WANT TO ANSWER THAT? I MEAN, IT SEEMS LIKE A VERY ANSWER IS YES.
ALBERT AND I HAD THIS, THAT SAME CONVERSATION THIS WEEK, SO I KNOW IT'S GONNA BE FRESH ON HIS MIND.
YEAH, I'D LIKE TO KNOW WHY IT TAKES SIX MONTHS TO DESIGN SOMETHING IF YOU'VE DONE THIS BEFORE.
I REALIZE SITE PLANNING MAY BE DIFFERENT, BUT THE ACTUAL DESIGN OF THE PRODUCT, I MEAN, YES SIR.
IT, IT'S, WE HAVE DESIGNED THESE BEFORE.
UH, IT'S TYPICALLY NOT A CUT AND PASTE TYPE OF JOB.
WE JUST CAN'T PICK A, A PROCESS THAT WE'VE USED BEFORE IN ANOTHER FACILITY AND DROP IT IN AND BUILD DRAWINGS AROUND IT.
IT'S SITE SPECIFIC AND SO IT TAKES US TIME TO, TO PUT THOSE PLANS TOGETHER, GET IT SURVEYED, GET THE, UH, UNDERGROUND UTILITIES IDENTIFIED SO WE CAN DO ALL THE CONNECTIONS AND THEN TO DO THE GEOTECHNICAL INVESTIGATIONS TO MAKE SURE WE'RE DESIGNING THE SLABS CORRECTLY.
IS THIS GONNA BE UNDERCOVER OR OUTDOOR? IT'LL BE OUTDOOR, UH, UH, NO COVERS REQUIRED ON IT.
I MEAN, ONE COULD BE ADDED IF YOU WANNA PROTECT IT, BUT IT'S, IT'S NOT REQUIRED.
IF YOU WANNA SEE AN EXAMPLE OF ONE.
UM, SAUL'S HAS ONE AT THEIR WINDWOOD TANK OFF I 10.
IN THE FAIR OAKS AREA, THAT'S KIND OF SOME BLUE VESSELS.
WHAT ARE WE ESTIMATING THE COST TO ACTUALLY DO IT? I MEAN, I REALIZE IT'S 1.2 MILLION, I BELIEVE.
AND WHAT'S THE TIMELINE ONCE YOU'VE DONE THE SIX MONTH STUDY? THE TIMELINE ACTUALLY DO IT.
WE THINK IT'LL GO FAIRLY QUICKLY, UH, ON, UH, CONSTRUCTION, MAYBE ANOTHER SIX MONTHS BECAUSE WE'RE TRYING TO DO, WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO IS PLUG AND PLAY, GET THE FACILITIES, 'CAUSE THE, THE LONG LEAD TIME IS THE EQUIPMENT.
UH, IT CAN TAKE UP TO SEVERAL MONTHS FOR THAT.
UH, IF WE WANTED TO CUT THE TIME DOWN DURING CONSTRUCTION, WHAT WE COULD DO IS PREPARE A, UH, UH, PRE-PURCHASE SPECIFICATION WHERE YOU CAN GO OUT FOR BIDS AND HAVE THAT WAITING FOR THE CONTRACTOR.
UH, SO ALL THEY HAVE TO DO IS COME IN, DO THE SLAB, DO THE ELECTRICAL, DO ALL THE PIPE CONNECTIONS, SO WE COULD CUT DOWN CONSTRUCTION TIME IF WE DID A PRE-PURCHASE JUST ON THE EQUIP.
I'M JUST ASKING 'CAUSE THIS HAS BEEN DISCUSSED FOR A LONG TIME AND JUST SEEMED LIKE A LONG TIME TO JUST UNDERSTAND.
THE SAME ONES THAT, AS I SAID WE'VE BEEN DISCUSSING FOR A WHILE, UH, I WILL TELL YOU THAT THE, THE SCOPE HAS BEEN SHRUNK AND THE TIMELINE, UH, LESSENED.
WE TALKED ABOUT HOW TO SPEED THINGS UP AND HDR WAS ACCOMMODATING ON THAT.
SO WHEN YOU SAY THE SCOPE HAS BEEN ORIGINALLY, THE, THE SCOPE INCLUDED A MUCH BIGGER FILTER AND A MUCH MORE COSTLY FILTER AND WAS PROBABLY OVERKILL.
AND SO, UH, INSTEAD OF A CUSTOM DESIGN ONE, WE DECIDED TO GO WITH A SKID MOUNTED ONE.
BUT THERE IS STILL A LOT OF SITE SPECIFIC INSTRUCTION THAT NEEDS TO HAPPEN MAINLY IN THE, IN THE, IN THE, UH, FORM OF PIPE.
IS THAT GONNA IMPACT THE AMOUNT OF WATER YOU CAN TREAT PER DAY? IT DOES, IT DOES, BUT WE FEEL LIKE
[00:30:01]
THAT THE AMOUNT THAT THE SKID MOUNTED UNIT THAT WE'RE GETTING IS APPROPRIATE FOR OUR NEEDS.I SPENT A LOT OF, WHAT WE HAVE SPENT TIME ON IS MAKING SURE THIS IS RIGHT.
SO ALL OF THE CITY WATER BE CARBON FILTERED? NO.
WE WILL, WE WILL FILTER AS NEEDED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE STAY IN COMPLIANCE WITH TCEQ REGULATIONS.
THERE IS A, THERE IS A COST TO REPLACING THAT, THAT, UH, MEDIA AND SO WE'LL MINIMIZE ITS USE WHEN WE NEED TO.
COUNCILOR OL, CAN YOU JUST REMIND US IN THE PUBLIC HOW THIS WILL BE FUNDED? IT'S FUNDED THROUGH, UH, OPERATIONAL FEES, SO THROUGH RATES.
THIS IS A MAINTENANCE, UM, ITEM OR IT DOES NOT ALLOW FOR ADDITIONAL EXPANSION TO SERVE ADDITIONAL CUSTOMERS.
SO IT CANNOT BE IMPACT FEE FUNDED.
ANY QUESTIONS FROM COUNSEL? OKAY.
CAN I GET A MOTION, MOTION FROM COUNCILMAN BUNKER? UM, I MOVE THAT WE APPROVE RESOLUTION NUMBER 2025 R 46 RESOLUTION TO THE CITY OF BURN TEXAS AUTHORIZES CITY MANAGEMENT TO ENTER INTO AND MANAGE A PROFESSIONAL SERVICE AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE CITY OF BURN AND HDR ENGINEERING, INCORPORATED FOR THE DESIGN OF A NEW GRANULAR, GRANULAR ACTIVATED CARBON OR GAC TREATMENT SYSTEM AT THE WATER TREATMENT PLANT FOR AN AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED $350,000.
SECOND FROM COUNCILMAN WILSON, PLEASE VOTE.
[D. CONSIDER RESOLUTION NO. 2025-R47; A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY OF BOERNE AUTHORIZNG THE CITY MANAGER TO ENTER INTO AND MANAGE A CONTRACT WITH KIMLEY-HORN AND ASSOCIATES, INC. FOR CONSTRUCTION CONTRACT ADMINISTRATION SERVICES FOR THE AMMANN ROAD GROUND STORAGE TANK AND PUMP STATION PROJECT FOR AN AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED $145,000.]
ON TO AGENDA ITEM SIX D 2025 DASH 29 7, CONSIDER RESOLUTION NUMBER 2025 DASH R 47, RESOLUTION OF THE CITY OF BERNIE AUTHORIZED CITY MANAGER TO ENTER INTO AND MANAGE A CONTRACT WITH KIMBERLY HORN AND ASSOCIATES INCORPORATED FOR CONSTRUCTION CONTRACT ADMINISTRATION SERVICES FOR THE AMMOND ROAD GROUND STORAGE TANK AND PUMP STATION PROJECT FOR AN AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED $145,000 PRESENTING.GOOD EVENING, MAYOR AND COUNCIL.
SO AS MENTIONED, THIS IS FOR THE KIMLEY-HORN CONSTRUCTION PHASE SERVICE CONTRACT FOR THE EMON ROAD TANK AND PUMP STATION PROJECT.
AND THIS ALIGNS WITH THE BERNIE STRATEGY MAP AS SHOWN WITH INVESTING IN MAINTAINING HIGH QUALITY INFRASTRUCTURE SYSTEMS AND ADVANCING THE MASTER PLAN.
RECOMMENDATIONS JUST BRIEFLY, THIS IS A LOCATION MAP OF THE PROJECT SITE OFF AMMOND ROAD NORTHWEST OF FAIR OAKS RANCH.
UM, FOR THOSE OF YOU FAMILIAR WITH AMMOND ROAD, IT'S ON THE FIRST 90 DEGREE CURVE ON THE SOUTHWEST CORNER.
A QUICK OVERVIEW OF THE AMMOND ROAD TANK AND PUMP STATION PROJECT.
UH, IT INCLUDES A 1 MILLION GALLON STORAGE TANK RIGHT HERE, A UH, 3,600 PLUS GPM PUMP STATION, MAINLY FOR FIRE DEMAND.
AND THAT'S LOCATED WITHIN THE PUMP STATION BUILDING LOCATED HERE.
AND WITHIN THAT PUMP STATION BUILDING INCLUDES AN ELECTRICAL ROOM, WHICH INCLUDES ALL THE MOTOR CONTROL CENTERS IN INSTRUMENTATION AND CONTROLS FOR THE PUMP STATION ITSELF.
UM, IN ADDITION, THERE'S THE, UH, STORM SEWER INFRASTRUCTURE WITH A TENSION POND LOCATED ON THE SOUTHEAST CORNER OF THE SITE, AS WELL AS SOME SITE IMPROVEMENTS INCLUDING AN ONSITE, UM, TURNAROUND DRIVEWAY AND SOME FENCING FOR THE CONSTRUCTION PHASE.
UM, UH, IT'S APPROXIMATELY 600 CALENDAR DAYS.
IT WILL START THIS MONTH AND, UH, GO THROUGH MARCH, 2027.
UH, THE AWARDED CONTRACTOR, WHICH WAS AWARDED AT THE PREVIOUS COUNCIL MEETING WAS PODO CONSTRUCTION AND WE'RE CURRENTLY COORDINATING WITH THEM NOW FOR THE SETUP OF THE PRE-CONSTRUCTION MEETING AND THE NOTICE TO PROCEED FOR THE PROJECT, WHICH IS ANTICIPATED THIS MONTH.
THE DESIGN AND BID PHASE SERVICES, UH, WERE PROVIDED BY KIMLEY HORN AND AT THE TIME WE NEGOTIATED THE DESIGN CONTRACT WITH THEM.
WE WEREN'T SURE OF THE TIMING OF THE CONSTRUCTION FOR THIS PROJECT, SO WE UM, DIDN'T INCLUDE IT AT THAT TIME, BUT THAT'S WHY WE'RE HERE TODAY TO REQUEST, UH, THEIR CONSTRUCTION PHASE SERVICES.
AND WITH THAT, THEY, UM, THEY INCLUDED SOME SPECIAL INSPECTION, UM, ASSISTANCE, BUT AS PART OF THE PROJECT, THERE IS A GROUND STORAGE TANK FOUNDATION THAT REQUIRES, UH, SPECIAL INSPECTIONS TO MEET THE INTERNATIONAL, UH, BUILDING CODE OR IBC.
SO THEY'LL BE, UH, REVIEWING THOSE INSPECTION REPORTS, ENSURING THAT IT'S IN COMPLIANCE AS WELL AS OTHER PROFESSIONAL SERVICES FOR REVIEW OF, UH, REQUEST FOR INFORMATION, ANY, UM, CLARIFICATION THE CONTRACTOR REQUIRES.
UM, UM, AS WELL AS REVIEW SUBMITTALS OF TECHNICAL NATURE.
THEY'LL ALSO BE ASSISTING US WITH PROJECT CLOSEOUT, PROVIDING THE FINAL RECORD DRAWINGS FOR THE PROJECT AT THE TIME OF COMPLETION AND WALKING THROUGH THE SITE AND MAKING SURE IT'S ALL IN COMPLIANCE WITH THE CONSTRUCTION CONTRACT DOCUMENTS.
SO AS MENTIONED, UH, STAFF RECOMMENDS RES UH, APPROVAL OF THIS RESOLUTION TO, FOR KIMLEY HORN TO PROVIDE THESE SERVICES FOR US, UM, NOT TO EXCEED AMOUNT OF 145,000.
UM, THE CONTRACT ITSELF IS ACTUALLY A HUNDRED THIRTY FOUR NINE FORTY.
UH, THERE'S AN ADDITIONAL AMOUNT IN THERE IN CASE ANY ADDITIONAL SERVICES ARE NEEDED DURING CONSTRUCTION, BUT WE DO NOT INTEND TO USE IT UNLESS IF IT'S NEEDED.
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NO.CAN I GET A MOTION MOTION FROM COUNCILMAN BATEMAN? I MAKE A MOTION TO APPROVE RESOLUTION NUMBER 2 0 2 5 DASH FOUR SEVEN, A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY OF BURN AUTHORIZING THE CITY MANAGER TO ENTER INTO AND MANAGE A CONTRACT WITH KIMLEY HORN ASSOCIATES, INCORPORATED FOR CONSTRUCTION AND CONTRACT ADMINISTRATION SERVICES FOR THE AMMAN ROAD GROUND STORAGE TANK AND PUMP STATION PROJECT FOR AN AMOUNT TO NOT EXCEED 145,000.
SECOND FROM COUNCILMAN WILLISON, PLEASE VOTE.
[A. CONSIDER MAYORAL APPOINTMENT TO THE ETHICS REVIEW COMMISSION.]
WE GO TO AGENDA ITEMS NUMBER SEVEN A 2025 DASH THREE THREE, CONSIDER MAYORAL APPOINTMENT TO ETHICS REVIEW COMMISSION.UH, WE HAD SOMEONE STEP OFF FROM THE ETHICS REVIEW COMMISSION AND WE HAVE KYLE MCKESON, WHO WAS AN ALTERNATE, UH, HAS AGREED TO STEP UP IN THAT POSITION.
SO WE NEED TO APPROVE, UH, KYLE'S APPOINTMENT.
CAN I GET A MOTION? MAYOR? I MOVE THAT WE APPROVE MAYORAL APPOINTMENT TO ETHICS REVIEW COMMISSION SECOND FROM COUNCILMAN BUNKER.
AND THAT MOTION PASSES FIVE ZERO.
[B. GBRA WATER SECURE DISCUSSION.]
ON TO SEVEN B 2025 DASH 314, THE GBR WATER SECURITY DISCUSSION, UH, REPRESENTATIVE MIKE MANN.UM, AGAIN, ALIGNING WITH OUR STRATEGY MAP, UH, COMMITTING TO STRATEGIC AND RESPONSIBLE CONSERVATIVE, UH, FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT AND UTILIZING DATA TO DRIVE SMART DECISION MAKING.
SO WE FIND OURSELVES IN A CONUNDRUM AND IT'S, UH, IT'S ONE THAT, DEPENDING ON HOW YOU LOOK AT IT, IT'S FORTUNATE OR UNFORTUNATE.
BUT I'LL EXPLAIN, AND I DON'T WANT TO GET TOO HUNG UP ON THE NUMBERS TONIGHT BECAUSE THEY WILL GET CONFUSING.
REALLY, IT'S ABOUT THE FACT THAT WE NEED TO MAKE A POLICY DECISION AND A VERY IMPORTANT ONE THAT WILL HAVE LONG LASTING EFFECTS AND WE NEED YOUR INPUT ON IT.
AND SO I'M GONNA TRY TO EXPLAIN AT A HIGH LEVEL, I KNOW THE CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE HAS SENT YOU INDIVIDUALLY SOME INFORMATION, UH, TO KIND OF, UH, EXPLAIN THIS AND, AND A HIGH LEVEL, BUT WE'LL GO THROUGH IT A LITTLE BIT MORE TONIGHT.
UH, IN CASE YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS.
SO, PRIOR WATER PLANNING IN, IN 2015, OUR MOST RECENT WATER PLANNING, WHAT WE DID WAS WE CAME UP WITH SOME, SOME, WE KNOW WE HAVE WATER FOR X AMOUNT OF POPULATION.
AND AGAIN, I'M NOT GONNA TRY TO THROW OUT TOO MANY NUMBERS RIGHT NOW, BUT WHAT DO WE DO BEYOND THAT TIME? UH, HOW DO WE PLAN BEYOND THAT TIME? THE COUNCIL AT THAT TIME WANTED US TO LOOK INTO THAT AND WE CAME UP WITH SEVERAL PROJECTS THAT WE COULD CONTROL OURSELVES LOCALLY.
AND THEN OF COURSE, SOME REGIONAL SUPPLY PROJECTS THAT, YOU KNOW, IT WOULD BE SILLY FOR US TO NOT LOOK INTO REGIONAL SUPPLY PROJECTS THAT COME UP.
AND ONE THAT WE HAVE, UH, FIRMED UP, NOT COMPLETELY, BUT THAT WE FEEL REALLY GOOD ABOUT IS WE, WE SHOULD BE GETTING MORE, UH, MORE WATER FROM GBR A'S, UH, WESTERN CANYON PROJECT IN THE MID 2030S WHEN IN-DISTRICT FLOW COMES BACK.
SO WE'RE PLANNING ON THAT ON OUR, IN OUR WATER PLANNING.
THE NEXT, UH, AMOUNT OF WATER IS THE NEXT PROJECT IS ANOTHER GBA REGIONAL PROJECT, BUT IT'S HUGE.
AND, UH, AND THAT'S WHAT WE'RE HERE TO TALK ABOUT TONIGHT.
SO, UH, IN 20, IN EARLY 2024, GBRA STAFF CAME TO US AND TOLD US THAT THEY HAD BEEN TASKED, UH, FROM AUSTIN BY COMING UP WITH A, A LARGE PROJECT THAT WOULD SUPPLY WATER TO THE CENTRAL TEXAS, THE FASTEST GROWING PART OF TEXAS.
AND IN DOING SO, THEY COULD FREE UP SOME WATER THAT'S CURRENTLY IN USE AND SEND IT OVER TO OUR DIRECTION.
AND, UH, SO THEY ULTIMATELY CAME TO US AND GAVE US A PRESENTATION IN JULY OF 24.
OCTOBER 24, UH, WE AGREED TO SOME PRELIMINARY NEEDS AND, AND EXPRESSED CONTINUED INTEREST.
I THINK WE HAD A SHORT COUNCIL BRIEFING ON THAT.
I WANT TO ADD THAT THIS PROJECT IS SO BIG AND, AND IS IMPORTANT, SO IMPORTANT TO MANY ENTITIES THAT IT'S INCLUDED IN THE REGIONAL PLAN.
IN FACT, WE WERE ASKED BY ELLE IF WE WANTED TO SHOW THAT AS A FUTURE WATER SUPPLY BECAUSE AGAIN, I THINK I'VE EXPRESSED TO YOU THAT, THAT THE STATE DEMOGRAPHER SHOWS THAT THERE WILL BE 80,000 PEOPLE IN BURNIE BY 2070 AND, UH, THEIR PLAN ASSUMES THAT OUR UTILITY WILL SERVE ALL OF THOSE PEOPLE.
I'VE TRIED TO GET ACROSS TO THEM THAT THAT'S NOT NECESSARILY TRUE.
WE CONTROL THAT AND THAT'S WHY WE'RE HERE TO TALK TONIGHT.
BUT IT, UH, IT'S, UH, IT'S WORTH MENTIONING THAT THIS IS BIG ENOUGH TO ALREADY BE INCLUDED IN THE REGION L PLAN.
I DO BELIEVE THE PROJECT WILL GO FORWARD.
THE, THE QUESTION IS, DO WE WANNA PARTICIPATE IN APRIL, 2025, WE GOT A FINAL STAFF PRESENTATION FROM GBRA STAFF, UH, CITY MANAGER THATCHER AND I ATTENDED A, A MEETING IN NEW BRAUNFELS WHERE THEY PRESENTED THAT TO US.
AND IN MAY OF 25, THEY SENT US A MEMO OF UNDERSTANDING AND ASKED IF WE WANTED TO SIGN, DO WE WANNA PARTICIPATE OR NOT? AND THAT'S CLEARLY A POLICY DECISION.
I WILL TELL YOU THAT THERE, AND THEY EXPRESSED TO US THAT THERE ARE OTHER PROJECT PARTICIPANTS, INCLUDING SOME THAT SERVE AROUND US THAT WILL TAKE EVERY BIT OF THE WATER, UH, IF
[00:40:01]
THEY CAN GET IT, BUT THEY OFFERED SOME TO US BECAUSE WE ARE ALREADY A CUSTOMER.SO JUST A VERY BRIEF EXPLANATION OF, OF THE SCOPE OF THIS PROJECT.
IT INCLUDES 101 HUNDRED AND 60 MILLION GALLON PER DAY, UH, RIVER INTAKE AND PUMP STATION FROM THE GUADALUPE DOWN IN THE VICTORIA AREA OR SOUTHEAST OF VICTORIA.
SO WE USE A PEAK DAY FOR US AS 5 MILLION GALLONS.
THIS PART OF THE PROJECT WOULD BE 160 MILLION GALLONS A DAY.
THAT'S THE SCOPE OF THIS PROJECT IN THE, IN THE MIDDLE UPPER BASIN.
THERE'S A 90 MILLION GALLONS PER DAY RIVER INTAKE AND PUMP STATION WITH AQUIFER STORAGE AND RECOVERY.
YOU MIGHT'VE HEARD IT CALLED A SRI WANNA GET TWO CAUGHT UP INTO THE SPECIFICS IN THE TECHNICAL DETAILS OF THIS.
BUT OTHER THAN TO SAY IT'S, IT'S HUGE IN SCOPE AND WITH BEING THAT HUGE AND THE AMOUNT OF RIGHT OF WAY, IT'S HUGE IN COST.
AND SO TO PUT THINGS IN PERSPECTIVE, THIS PROJECT IS, UH, WOULD BE AN ANNUALLY ABOUT 457,000 ACRE FEET.
OUR, OUR CURRENT SUPPLY FROM GBRA IS 3000 ACRE FEET.
SO THAT'S THE SCOPE OF WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT HERE.
BUT MOST IMPORTANTLY ON THIS CHART IS THE CAPITAL COST.
IT'S FIVE 5.9, $5.878 BILLION, AND THE COST PER ACRE FOOT IS $62,896.
IS THAT A LOT? OR, OR NOT, OR NOT TO PUT IT IN PERSPECTIVE, WESTERN CANYON, WHICH IS OUR WATER FROM CANYON LAKE, NOT REALLY IMPORTANT HOW MUCH IT SUPPLIES, BUT WHAT IS IMPORTANT IS IT'S $12,000 AN ACRE FOOT OF CAPITAL COST AS OPPOSED TO $62,000 AN ACRE FOOT OF CAPITAL COST.
AND SO AS A PROJECT PARTICIPANT, WE WOULD BE ASKED TO FUND PART OF THAT CAPITAL IF WE WANT TO RESERVE WATER UNDER THAT PROGRAM.
THIS SLIDE REALLY IS JUST A SUMMARY OF THE DEBT SERVICE AND THE WAY THEY, THEY CAME UP WITH AT LEAST FOUR FUND FOUR WAYS TO FUND, WHETHER IT'S A 30 YEAR OR A 40 YEAR.
UH, IT'S IMPORTANT TO REMEMBER THOUGH, IS DON'T GET CAUGHT TOO CAUGHT UP IN THESE NUMBERS, BUT IT DOES NOT INCLUDE THE COST TO GET THE ADDITIONAL WATER FROM THE I 35 COURT OR OVER TO BERNIE.
SO THAT WOULD BE AN ADDITIONAL CAPITAL COST.
IF WE LOOK AT, SO, SO AS WE'VE HAD DISCUSSIONS WITH GBRA STAFF, WE SAID, WHAT'S THE RIGHT AMOUNT FOR US? YOU KNOW, PICK SOMETHING OUT OF THE AIR, WHAT WOULD BE BENEFICIAL? THE AMOUNT OF WATER THAT WE ARE POTABLE WATER THAT WE'RE USING RIGHT NOW, AVERAGE IS ABOUT 3 MILLION GALLONS A DAY.
AND SO WE SAID, OKAY, LET'S START AT 3 MILLION GALLONS A DAY.
WHAT WILL THAT AND KIND OF DOUBLE THE AMOUNT THAT WE'RE USING RIGHT NOW, WHAT WILL THAT COST US? AND SO THE BOTTOM LINE IS THAT IT DEPENDS ON HOW THEY, UH, FUND STRUCTURE THE FUNDING, FUNDING 30 OR 40 YEARS WHEN IT STARTS, DO THEY RAMP UP? DO THEY START IMMEDIATELY? BUT WE'RE LOOKING AT 30 TO 40 YEARS OF MULTIMILLION DOLLAR PAYMENTS IF WE PARTICIPATE.
AND THIS IS FOR OUR 3M GD, NOT THE ENTIRE PROJECT.
SO WE WOULD, WE WOULD NEED TO PAY SOMEWHERE NORTH HIGHER THAN $12 MILLION A YEAR, MAYBE A LITTLE LESS THAN $18 MILLION A YEAR OVER A SHORTER PERIOD OF TIME, DEPENDING ON HOW THEY FINANCE IT.
AND JUST TO PUT THAT INTO PERSPECTIVE, WE'RE TALKING ONE OF THE LARGEST EXPENSES OUR WATER UTILITIES EVER HAD IS THE, OR CONTEMPLATED IS THE NEW WATER TREATMENT PLANT THAT WE ARE DESIGNING OR A PILOTING RIGHT NOW.
AND THAT'S A ONE TIME COST OF $20 MILLION.
WE'RE TALKING ABOUT 13 TO $18 MILLION FOR 30 YEARS TO BE INVOLVED IN THIS PROJECT.
SO, UH, WHAT DID, WHAT WOULD THE END RESULT BE? THERE WOULD BE THE WATER SECURE CAPITAL COST.
THERE WOULD BE COST TO UPGRADE THE WESTERN CANYON PROJECT TO GET THE WATER OVER HERE.
UH, AND THEN I'M SURE THERE WOULD BE AN OPERATIONS COST.
RIGHT NOW WE PAY NOT JUST DEBT SERVICE ON OUR, OUR CANYON LAKE, UH, PROJECT, OUR PART OF THE DEBT SERVICE, BUT WE ALSO PAY AN OPERATIONS COMPONENT AND A RAW WATER COMPONENT.
THERE WOULD PROBABLY BE THOSE TWO.
WHAT WE HAVE BEEN TOLD, OR WHAT WE UNDERSTAND IS THAT INSTEAD OF $3 A THOUSAND, WHICH IS ABOUT WHAT WE PAY GBRA, NOW IT WOULD BE IN THE RANGE OF 12 TO $15 A THOUSAND.
THE BIG ISSUE IS WE WOULD HAVE TO BE PAYING NOT WHEN WE'RE NEEDING THE WATER, BUT WAY BEFORE WE DO.
AND THESE ARE, THESE ARE THINGS THAT IS, WOULD BE EASY TO GET LOST IN, BUT THIS IS, THIS CAME FROM OUR MOST RECENT WATER PRESENTATION.
THE THING TO TAKE FROM IT IS THAT OUR CURRENT WATER SUPPLIES CAN GET US $50,000, 50,000 POPULATION PLUS AND SUSTAIN IT, BUT WE COULD GROW UP TO 50,000 PLUS AND SUSTAIN THAT.
UH, DEPENDING ON HOW FAST WE GROW AND, AND UH, AND HOW MUCH WATER PER PERSON WE USE, HOW MUCH WE CAN SERVE OR DON'T.
WOULD THAT WOULD, THAT WOULD TELL, THAT WOULD DICTATE HOW SOON WE WOULD, UH, QUOTE UNQUOTE RUN OUT OR RUN OUT OF ADDITIONAL CAPACITY.
SO WE HAVE CAPACITY FOR, I DON'T KNOW, MAYBE ALMOST DOUBLE THE POPULATION WE HAVE RIGHT NOW THAT WE'RE SERVING RIGHT NOW.
THE QUESTION IS DO WE WANT POP, DO WE WANT CAPACITY AFTER THAT?
[00:45:01]
WHAT IS IMPORTANT TO NOTICE? LET ME GO BACK ONE SLIDE OR TWO SLIDES AND SEE THAT THIS DEBT SERVICE WOULD NEED TO BE PAID AT LEAST BETWEEN 2034 AND 2072, POSSIBLY UP TO 2062.AND THIS GRAPH BASICALLY SHOWS US THAT WE HAVE SUFFICIENT WATER, WE BELIEVE, ALL THE WAY UP TO 2070.
SO WE WOULD BE PAYING THOSE DEBT SERVICE PAYMENTS WHEN WE HAVE WATER, ADDITIONAL WATER THAT IS MUCH CHEAPER AND AT IT WILL BE AT A COST TO US, BUT IT'S A COST THAT WE ALREADY HAVE PROGRAMMED INTO OUR RATES.
SO, UH, THE, THE WAY THAT, THE WAY THAT WE NEED TO LOOK AT THIS IS, NUMBER ONE, DO WE WANNA BE, DO WE WANT TO PARTICIPATE? IT, IT SEEMS FOOLISH TO HAVE A REGIONAL PROJECT, UH, THAT WE DON'T PARTICIPATE IN BECAUSE WATER, YOU KNOW, HAVING WATER SUPPLIES, THAT'S WHAT THIS CITY HAS TYPICALLY DONE, IS PLANNED FOR WATER.
THAT'S WHY WE ARE IN THE UNIQUE POSITION OF HAVING MORE WATER AVAILABLE TO US THAN WE'RE USING RIGHT NOW.
WHEREAS MOST OF OUR NEIGHBORS DO NOT.
AND, AND MOST OF OUR NEIGHBORS ARE CLAMORING FOR THIS PROJECT AND, AND WANT TO HAVE AS BIG A PART OF IT AS THEY CAN GET.
THE QUESTION IS, DO WE, SO OUR, UH, CURRENT CITY LIMITS AND OTHER AREAS THAT WE'RE SERVING THE TWO WATER CONTROL IMPROVEMENT DISTRICTS, UM, WE, WE ARE, WE ARE COMMITTED TO SERVE UP TO A POPULATION.
RIGHT NOW, WHAT WE KNOW IS IN DEVELOPMENT OF UP TO 37,000 PEOPLE OVER THE NEXT 30 YEARS AS IT GROWS OUT, OR 20 YEARS AS IT, AS THOSE AREAS GROW OUT AND THERE'S ANOTHER THOUSAND UNDEVELOPED ACRES IN TOWN, PLUS OR MINUS, UH, YOU KNOW, X NUMBER OF POPULATION PER ACRE.
WE BELIEVE THAT WE HAVE THAT, THAT WE COULD CON UH, CONCEIVABLY BUILD OUT TO THAT 50 TO 60,000 POPULATION IN OUR CURRENT CITY LIMITS, IN OUR CURRENT SERVICE TERRITORY.
AND THEN WE COULD STOP, WE COULD STOP GROWING AND LET OTHERS SERVE AROUND US, OR WE CAN DECIDE WE NEED MORE WATER SUPPLY AND WE WANT TO GROW.
THE QUESTION IS, ARE WE GOING TO PARTICIPATE IN A REGIONAL PROJECT OR DO WE WANNA TRY TO DEVELOP ONE OF THOSE LOCALLY AVAILABLE A SR UM, RECLAIM POTABLE, RECLAIM NON-POTABLE, UH, RECLAIMED IRRIGATION, THINGS THAT WE CAN CONTROL LOCALLY, MUCH MORE AFFORDABLE.
AND I CAN GIVE YOU MORE NUMBERS ON THAT IF YOU WOULD LIKE, BUT THIS, THIS WHOLE SITUATION AGAIN, BRINGS UP THE CONUNDRUM OF DO WE WANT TO PARTICIPATE IN A PROJECT THAT MOST PEOPLE ARE EAGER TO PARTICIPATE IN, BUT WE'RE IN A UNIQUE SITUATION TO WHERE IF WE DO, IT'S GOING TO COST A LOT OF MONEY AND THEREFORE OUR RATE PAYERS A LOT OF MONEY.
I THINK THE, THE BEN CORRECT ME IF I'M CITY MANAGER OF THATCHER AT, PLEASE CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG, WE RAN SOME HIGH LEVEL NUMBERS AND FOUND THAT OUR RATES MIGHT HAVE TO DOUBLE IN 10 YEARS.
YEAH, AT A MINIMUM THEY DOUBLE.
THERE'S ONE SCENARIO WHERE IT WOULD BE EVEN BEYOND THAT.
SO I MEAN, THAT WAS DIRECTOR
SO IN, IN EVERY MESSAGE, AND MAYOR PROTO, YOU REMEMBER AT OUR LAST TML CONFERENCE, YOU WENT TO A WATER PRESENTATION WHEN THEY'RE SAYING, HEY, THE COST OF WATER IS ONLY GONNA GET MORE AND MORE EXPENSIVE, UH, AS NEW SOURCES ARE CREATED OR, OR DISCOVERED OR PROJECTS CREATED TO BRING THEM IN.
SO IF, IF WE CAN SERVE OUR CURRENT CITY LIMITS CURRENT SERVICE AREA WITH OUR WATER THAT WE ALREADY HAVE AVAILABLE, DO WE WANT TO GO OUT AND GET MORE TO GROW THAT AREA? OR DO WE WANT TO PULL BACK INSIDE THE WALLS AND SERVE OUR CITY POPULATION PLUS THE TWO DISTRICTS WE SERVE AND KEEP THOSE RATES AS AFFORDABLE AS HA AS POSSIBLE KNOWING THAT AROUND US RATES WILL PROBABLY BE GOING UP.
THAT'S THE POLICY DECISION HERE.
AND UNFORTUNATELY BECAUSE OF OUR GOOD PLANNING, WE WOULD BE SPENDING A LOT OF MONEY WHEN WE DON'T NEED WATER PHYSICALLY.
AND SO IT ALMOST DRIVES A NEED TO GROW SO THAT YOU CAN SPREAD THAT ADDITIONAL COST OVER MORE PEOPLE AND KEEP IT MORE AFFORDABLE TO THE INDIVIDUAL.
SO IT'S A, IT'S A WEIRD PLACE TO BE, BUT AT LEAST WE HAVE A CHOICE.
UM, I THINK WE'VE HIT ON EVERY BULLET POINT HERE.
DO YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS FOR ME? I'M NOT GONNA ASK.
I DON'T, I DON'T THINK WE'RE GONNA ASK YOU TO MAKE A DECISION TONIGHT.
WE HAVE UNTIL THE END OF JULY TO DECIDE ON WHETHER OR NOT WE WANT YEAH, THERE'S NO FORMAL ACTION TONIGHT, BUT IF YOU HAVE CONVERSATION, WE WOULD LOVE YOUR FEEDBACK AND IT HELP US KNOW WE NEED TO GO.
WELL, I THINK FOR ME, RIGHT, WE WANT TO THINK LONGEVITY FUTURE, BERNIE, RIGHT? WE ALSO KNOW THAT WE'RE, WE'RE, WE'RE TRYING TO SLOW THE GROWTH, RIGHT? UM, I'M NOT SO MUCH CONCERNED AS WHAT'S OUTSIDE OF, YOU KNOW, WE ALL KNOW THAT WE'RE GOING TO GROW, BUT OUTSIDE OF OUR SAND LIMITS, I THINK OUR, OUR RESPONSIBILITY IS TO THE CITY OF BURNING AND, AND THE PEOPLE THAT ARE LIVING HERE NOW, BUT ALSO TO THINK FORWARD.
AND WE STARTED ADDING UP ALL THOSE NUMBERS, THOSE, YOU KNOW, 12, 13, $18 MILLION A YEAR FOR THE NEXT 20, 30 YEARS.
I THINK WE'RE BETTER OFF CONSERVING OUR RESOURCES AND, AND PUSHING OUR PURPLE PIPE AND OUR RECLAIMED WATER AND, AND, AND, YOU KNOW, STARTING INVESTING IN THE THINGS THAT WE KNOW WORK AND, AND OUR WATER CONSERVATION THAT MEASURES THAT WE'RE ALREADY USING COMPARED TO THINKING, HEY, YOU KNOW, IN
[00:50:01]
60 YEARS OR 30 YEARS DOWN THE ROAD, WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO SPEND ALL THIS MONEY NOW WHEN WE MAY OR MAY NOT NEED IT.I MEAN, THE REALITY IS EVERYWHERE OUTSIDE OF US THAT THEY'RE GONNA TEXAS WATER, THEY'RE, I MEAN SAWS, THEY'RE GONNA GO, THEY'RE GONNA JUMP IN, THEY'RE GONNA GRAB THAT WATER NO MATTER WHAT.
RIGHT? I THINK OUR FOCUS AND RESPONSIBILITY NEEDS TO BE TO OUR RESIDENTS NOW HERE TODAY, BUT ALSO THINK LONG TERM WHERE WE GO WITH OUR ONE ONE WATER INITIATIVE AND ALSO RECLAMATION WATER.
I THINK THAT'S A MUCH MORE MONEY, MUCH MORE BETTER SPENDING OUR MONEY IN THE LONG TERM.
I AGREE WITH YOU AND I, I BELIEVE THAT CITY MANAGER THATCHER AND I HAVE COME TO THE SAME CONCLUSION AND THAT WOULD BE OUR RECOMMENDATION IS THAT WE DO NOT PARTICIPATE BECAUSE WE ARE IN A POSITION WHERE WE DON'T HAVE TO AND IT'S JUST TOO EXPENSIVE, BUT CONTINUE THINKING LONG TERM DOWN THE ROAD.
IF WE'RE GONNA SPEND, YOU KNOW, YOU SAID $20 MILLION FOR ANOTHER RECLAMATION PLANT.
OH, $20 MILLION FOR A NEW WATER PLANT AS OPPOSED TO, RIGHT.
WE, WE, WE COULD, WE COULD FUND THAT OVER THE NEXT 10 YEARS AND, AND HAVE THAT BUILT WITHIN THREE TO FOUR YEARS, THEN STILL DOUBLE DOUBLE OUR INCREASE OF WATER WHAT WE NEED.
AND NOW WE NEED TO DO THAT ANYWAY.
SO WE ARE GONNA SPEND THAT 20 MILLION.
THAT'S, THAT'S WHAT I'M SAYING.
SO CAN I ALSO ADD A POINT WHEN WE STARTED ENGAGING WITH GBRA ON THESE CONVERSATIONS, WE HAD TO PUT A PLACEHOLDER WHEN WE PUT THAT, I THINK IT WAS 3,300 ACRE FEET OR 3,600 ACRE FEET OR SOMETHING.
AND SO ALL THESE NUMBERS THAT THE DEBT, OUR PORTION OF THE DEBT OF THAT PROJECT IS BASED ON 3,300 ACRE FEE.
IF YOU CHOOSE TO WANT TO HAVE A, A DIFFERENT MIDDLE POSITION WHERE WE STILL HAVE RESERVE SOMETHING, I MEAN, WE COULD COME BACK TO YOU AT WHAT THOSE COSTS WOULD BE AND, AND WHAT OUR RATE STRUCTURE WOULD BE.
IT'D STILL BE FINANCED OVER 30 TO 40 YEARS IF YOU WANTED A LESSER TAKE.
UM, AGAIN, WE DON'T FEEL LIKE WE NEED IT.
UM, WE THINK WE CAN MANAGE OUR GROWTH MODERATELY THROUGH 2060 THROUGH 2070, JUST FINE.
BUT AGAIN, WE'RE JUST IN FULL TRANSPARENCY.
IF YOU WANT TO LOOK AT ANOTHER SCENARIO, WE CAN DEFINITELY BRING THAT TO YOU.
YEAH, THAT'S A VERY VALID POINT.
IF, UH, IF IF WE WANTED TO GET 1 MILLION GALLONS A DAY AND COMMITTED TO THE PROJECT, THEN OUR COST WOULD BE A THIRD OF THIS ONE OUT OF THREE.
RIGHT? ONE A THIRD OF THE COSTS THAT HAVE BEEN PRE PRESENTED TONIGHT.
THE ISSUE THOUGH IS HOW MUCH DO WE REALLY NEED TO DO ANY GOOD CONSIDERING THAT OUR BASE FLOW IN THE, IN THE WINTERTIME RIGHT NOW IS 2 MILLION GALLONS A DAY? 1 MILLION IS JUST NOT THAT MUCH CONSIDERING WHAT THE COST IS.
IT'S SOMETHING, ONE OF THE ISSUES, SEVERAL ISSUES.
ONE OF THE ISSUES IS THAT THIS, THIS PROJECT THAT THE STATE OF TEXAS IS PUSHING THROUGH WITH GB R'S ASSISTANCE IS NOT JUST ABOUT GROWING POPULATION, IT'S ABOUT WATER NEEDS FOR MAJOR PROJECTS.
BEYOND THAT, IT'S THE SAME REASON WE HAVE THE ISSUE WITH THE, UH, THE BEST PLANTS IN, UH, IN COMFORT IS THAT THE STATE OF TEXAS NEEDS ENERGY AND NEEDS WATER BECAUSE THEY'RE GONNA GROW DATA MINING CENTERS, AI CENTERS, BITCOIN CENTERS, ALL OF THESE THINGS, EAT WATER AND EAT ELECTRICITY.
THE, THE, THE OTHER POINT IS THAT I AGREE WITH EVERYTHING THAT THE MAYOR SAID.
UNFORTUNATELY, IT IS TRUE THAT THE PRIVATE WATER PURVEYORS, THEY'RE READY TO JUMP ON BOARD.
THEY DON'T CARE ABOUT THE COST BECAUSE THEY WILL PASS THE COST ON.
THE NEGATIVE FOR US IS, I JUST HAD A CONVERSATION TODAY WITH SOMEONE LOOKING TO DO A PROJECT IN OUR STILL EXISTING ETJ, AND THE ONLY LEVERAGE WE WOULD HAVE IS, IS OUR UTILITY, OUR MAIN LEVERAGE IN TERMS OF CONTROLLING DENSITY.
IF YOU WE GIVE THAT AWAY TO TEXAS WATER OR ANY OTHER PRIVATE PURVEYOR, THEY'RE NOT GONNA CARE ABOUT THAT BECAUSE THE, UNLESS THE LAWS CHANGE, WHICH THEY COULD, THE COUNTY HAS NO CONTROL.
ONCE THEY HAVE WATER, THE COUNTY'S IN A MUCH DIFFERENT POSITION THAN THEIR 10 ACRES IN A WELL POSITION.
AND I'M, I'M, I'M NOT SAYING THAT WITH ANY GLEE, IT'S JUST, IT'S THE FACT.
SO IN THE PAST WE'VE USED THE UTILITY AS LEVERAGE TO TRY TO INFLUENCE GROWTH.
UM, WE WILL LOSE THAT ABILITY BY DOING THIS, THIS WAY.
SO WE HAVE TO UNDERSTAND THAT BECAUSE THAT WILL IMPACT A LOT OF THINGS.
UM, IN TERMS OF ROADS, UH, WE WON'T HAVE THE LEVERAGE TO GET ROADS BUILT.
WE WON'T HAVE A LOT OF, I'M NOT SAYING I DISAGREE WITH ANYTHING.
I'M JUST SAYING THESE ARE FACTS THAT THE COMMUNITY NEEDS TO UNDERSTAND.
AND I AGREE WITH YOU FOR $500 MILLION, I MEAN, WE COULD PUT WATER CATCHMENT, UH, HVAC RECAPTURE ON EVERY BUILDING IN TOWN AND WE'D BE BETTER OFF AND EXPAND PURPLE PIPE.
BUT IT IS ALSO MEANS SEEDING THE GROWTH TO PRIVATE ENTERPRISES THAT MAY NOT HAVE THE SAME CONCERNS FOR THE WHOLE COUNTRY THAT WE DO.
AND SO AS A, AS A CITY GOVERNMENT, WHAT DO WE WANT OUR CONTROL TO BE? THAT'S THE POLICY DECISION.
I, YOU KNOW, WHEN I, WHEN I WAS HAVING THESE DISCUSSIONS WITH THE TEXAS WATER DEVELOPMENT BOARD, I SAID, YOU KNOW, FROM MY PER, FROM MY PERSPECTIVE, WE MAY BE 80,000 PEOPLE AROUND BERNIE, IMMEDIATELY AROUND BERNIE BY 2070, BUT THAT DOESN'T MEAN THE CITY OF BERNIE UTILITY WILL SERVE THEM ALL.
I SUSPECT SOMEBODY ELSE COULD GO GET THIS OR THIS, UH, WATER, SECURE WATER AND SERVE THAT GROWTH.
AND IT COULD BE JUST AS DENSE AS THE CITY LIMITS.
WE WOULD LOSE THE, THE ABILITY TO CONTROL IT.
THE QUESTION IS DO HOW MUCH DO WE WANNA PAY FOR THAT CONTROLS WHEN IT COMES DOWN TO
[00:55:01]
UM, TEXAS WATER WILL DEVELOP WHATEVER THEY CAN AT WHATEVER CAPACITY THEY CAN.
NOW, WHAT WILL THE WORLD BE IN, IN 40 YEARS, 50 YEARS? WE DON'T KNOW.
RIGHT? SO THAT'S, I THINK IT'S NOT FAIR FOR US TO PUT THE BURDEN ON HAVING THAT CONTROL ON TAXPAYERS, ASSUMING THAT MIGHT BE THE CASE, IS JUST SO MANY DIFFERENT VARIABLES THAT'LL HAPPEN.
I THINK THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, WITH, YOU KNOW, NATURAL DISASTERS AND SUCH, I THINK WE WILL START TO SEE SOME CHANGES ALLOWANCE AT THE COUNTY LEVEL.
WE'LL HAVE A LITTLE BIT MORE SAY CERTAINLY WITH WHAT JUST HAPPENED, UM, LAST WEEKEND.
UM, I DO THINK IT'S IMPORTANT FROM, YOU KNOW, POLICY STAFF TO START THINKING ABOUT WHAT ARE, WHAT ARE THE NEW WAYS THAT WE CAN MAKE SURE THAT WE TAKE CARE OF THE PEOPLE THAT ARE HERE.
LIKE WHETHER IT'S HVAC EXPANSION OF PURPLE PIPE AGAIN, I MEAN, YOU KNOW, WITH 500 MILLION THAT'S, I MEAN, IF ASSUMING WE HAD THE SEWAGE CAPACITY, I'M ASSUMING WE COULD DO A LOT OF PURPLE PIPE WITH $500 MILLION.
UM, I THINK TO YOUR POINT, MIKE, YOU MADE SOME GREAT POINTS.
WE ARE IN A REALLY UNIQUE POSITION WHERE PREVIOUS POLICY HAS PUT US IN A REALLY GOOD POSITION, AND I HAVE TO THINK THAT INNOVATION AS IT COMES, AS A POLICY WILL GRAB ONTO THAT NEW INNOVATION AND MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE TAKING CARE OF OUR CITIZENS.
SO, UM, YEAH, I, I, I KNOW GVRA WANTS US TO BE A PART OF THIS.
UM, YOU KNOW, TALKING TO PATRICK LAGOON, HE'S, YOU KNOW, PUSHING HARD, BUT I JUST, I DON'T THINK IT IS RIGHT FOR BERNIE.
UM, I THINK, I THINK WE CAN DO BETTER WITH OTHER RESOURCES, UM, AND I, AND I KNOW WE WILL, PRIOR COUNSELS HAVE PUT US IN A REALLY GOOD POSITION.
AND YOU'RE CONTINUING THAT THOUGHT PROCESS.
YOU KNOW, YOUR, YOUR POINTS ARE, ARE, ARE WELL TAKEN.
UH, COUNCILMAN, IF YOU LOOK AT THE FOUR, IF YOU REMEMBER THIS GRAPH, THE FOUR LINES ON IT ARE, THIS IS GROWING AT A VERY FAST RATE AND KEEPING OUR CURRENT WATER USAGE AT, YOU KNOW, 150 GALLONS PER CAPITA OR 130, WHATEVER IT IS.
UH, THIS ONE IS GROWING AT A SLOWER RATE, BUT THE SAME WATER USAGE.
THIS ONE IS A FAST RATE, BUT CONSERVING X PERCENT PER YEAR.
AND THIS ONE IS A SLOW RATE CONSERVING.
AND YOU CAN SEE THE BETTER WE CAN DO MANAGING OUR GROWTH AND MANAGING THE AMOUNT OF WATER WE USE PER PERSON, THE LONGER OUR EXISTING SUPPLIES LAST ALLOW US TO MANAGE COUNCILMAN SCOTT.
I'D JUST SAY BROKEN DOWN INTO DOLLARS AND CENTS.
WE, WE'LL PROBABLY LOOK BACK AND OR FUTURE COUNCIL WILL LOOK BACK AND SAY, ONLY $15.
UM, IT'S, YOU KNOW, WE DON'T KNOW WHAT, UH, INFLATION'S GONNA RUN.
WE DON'T, THIS IS EXPENSIVE WATER.
UM, BUT WE, WE CAN'T STOP LOOKING FOR OPPORTUNITIES LIKE THIS.
UM, IT, IT CAN'T BE THE ONLY THING OUT THERE, THERE, THERE, THERE ARE GOING TO BE OTHER INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS OUT THERE.
AND AS THEY, AS SUPPLY IS GENERATED AND IT'S SOAKED UP BY OTHER, OTHER UTILITIES, UM, THERE MAY BE RELIEF OF, OF OTHER, OTHER WATER SUPPLIES THAT, THAT COME DOWN THE ROAD.
I THINK WE JUST NEED TO BE OPEN TO OPPORTUNITIES.
WE CAN'T MISS OUT ON ANOTHER GOOD DEAL THAT, UH, PRIOR COUNCILS THAT DID, YOU KNOW, THEY CREATED A GOOD SITUATION FOR US.
WE JUST GOTTA BE OPEN TO THE OPPORTUNITIES WHEN THEY COME ON.
THEY'RE STILL PROBABLY GONNA BE EXPENSIVE.
UM, BUT, UM, I, I THINK OTHER UTILITIES THAT ARE SERVICING THE AREA ARE IN A MORE ADVANTAGEOUS POSITION TO TAKE THOSE ON.
JUST 'CAUSE THEY'RE PRIVATE, THEY CAN PASS THOSE STRAIGHT ON.
I, I JUST, I HESITATE TO SEE THE CONDITION, YOU KNOW, IN 20 YEARS WHERE, YOU KNOW, CITY OF BERNIE WE'RE PAYING, I'M JUST GONNA THROW A NUMBER OUT, YOU KNOW, FIVE THOU, $5 FOR A THOUSAND GALLONS AND YOU KNOW, IF YOU LIVE OUTSIDE YOU'RE PAYING $25 OR $30.
YOU KNOW, WHAT, WHAT BENEFIT IS THAT? UH, TO, I MEAN, I GUESS THAT'S, WE'RE GONNA BE, WE'RE GONNA BE REAPING THE REWARDS OF, YOU KNOW, THE PURPLE PIPE AND ALL THE OTHER THINGS.
AS LONG AS WE CAN PUT THOSE, ALL THOSE INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS IN PLACE.
YOU KNOW, WE, WE'VE TALKED ABOUT WE COULD EXPAND NOW WE COULD USE THE PURPLE PIPE WATER.
WE JUST DON'T HAVE THE PLANT TO DO IT.
WE DON'T HAVE CAPACITY ALONG THE WAY.
SO I, WE JUST NEED TO BE MAKING ADDITIONAL INFRASTRUCTURE IMPROVEMENTS ON OURSELVES, ON OUR OWN.
BUT, UH, JUST LOOK FOR, WE JUST GOTTA BE OPEN TO OTHER PROJECTS.
I, I'VE HEARD ABOUT OTHER PROJECTS OUT THERE AND THEY'RE, THEY'RE HUGE DOLLARS, BUT MAYBE ONE WILL COME ALONG THAT'S JUST MORE AFFORDABLE TO US.
AND I HAD A QUICK QUESTION ON OUR EXISTING GBR TAKE.
IF WE WANTED ALL OF THAT GBRA WATER THAT WE'VE COULD TAKE, IS THE INFRASTRUCTURE IN PLACE IS HAVE THE CAPACITY TO TAKE IT AND DELIVER
[01:00:01]
IT RIGHT NOW? NO.OH, WE STILL DON'T HAVE THAT CAPACITY YET.
WE, WE'VE BUILT OUR BUCKSKIN SITE.
THAT WAS FOR THE FIRST PORTION.
NOW WE'RE BUILDING OUR AMMOND SITE, AS YOU HEARD TONIGHT, WHICH IS THE NEXT PORTION.
WE WILL NEED TO INCREASE PUMPS AND TANKS AND TANKS OVER TIME TO, UH, TO BE ABLE TO RECEIVE AND DELIVER THAT WATER.
SO WE STILL HAVE INFRASTRUCTURE IMPROVEMENTS TO BE MADE.
WE DO, TO TAKE OUR EXISTING WATER TO ALLOCATION FROM GBRA.
I HAVE ONE, JUST ONE MORE QUESTION TO UNDERSTAND SOMETHING, 'CAUSE IT KIND OF PLAYS INTO THIS, IT MAY BE SOMETHING SARAH WILL HAVE TO ANSWER.
WHEN YOU RAN THE NUMBERS, HOW DOES THIS IMPACT OUR, OUR DEBT? I MEAN, 'CAUSE I'M, I'M ASSUMING GBRA IS NOT FUNDING THIS THEMSELVES.
SO IT'S ALL THE PARTICIPANTS ARE FUNDING THIS, RIGHT? WELL, THE GBRA WOULD FUND IT AND THEN WE WOULD HAVE TO, OH, I MEAN, BUT I KNOW, BUT WE'RE PAYING THEM THE FUND.
SO IT'S EITHER PRIVATE COMPANIES PAYING CASH OR WHATEVER THEY'RE DOING.
BUT WE WOULD HAVE TO HAVE BONDED DEBT.
MY QUESTION IS, HOW DOES THAT FACTOR OVER THE NEXT 30 OR 40 YEARS, REGARDLESS, BECAUSE LET'S SAY WE WANNA DO A HUNDRED MILLION DOLLARS, $200 MILLION OF WATER PROJECTS ON OUR OWN INDEPENDENT OF THIS.
HOW DOES THIS ALL PLAY? SO AGAIN, IT WOULD BE FINANCED BY GBRA.
THEY WOULD TELL US WHAT OUR PORTION IS.
WE WOULD HAVE TO ADJUST OUR RATES TO AC COME.
THAT'S WHERE WE, YOU KNOW, DOUBLE, IT MIGHT EVEN GO 186% OF WHAT IT IS NOW, JUST TO COVER THAT DEBT PORTION, OUR PORTION OF IT.
AND THAT DEBT WOULD BE RAISED HOW? BY BONDS? GBRA BONDS? NO, WE'D BE PAYING OR WHATEVER THROUGH THE SARAH, I'LL HAVE YOU COME UP AND PRESUMABLY THAT'S WHY WE, I'M JUST TRYING TO UNDERSTAND THE PROCESS HERE.
PAY THAT DEBT INDEPENDENT OF WHAT WE DO.
I JUST, IT WOULDN'T IMPACT OUR DEBT CAPACITY.
AND SO IT WOULD JUST BE ANOTHER LINE ITEM ON THEIR BILL TO US.
SO WE WOULD, IT WOULD FORCE US TO HAVE TO RAISE, RAISE THE RATES RAISE TO BE ABLE TO COVER OUR OBLIGATION.
WE WOULD NEED TO BE ABLE TO RECOVER THAT CASH TO PAY GBRA AND WE WOULD HAVE TO.
BUT THE OTHER SIDE OF THE COIN IS IF THESE PROJECTS WE'RE TALKING ABOUT WILL REQUIRE BONDED DEBT, JUST SAYING TO, TO EXPAND THE YEAH.
WE, WE'LL EXPAND THE WATER RE TREATMENT, WE'LL ISSUE THAT DEBT, BUT WE WOULD STILL DO THE SAME THING.
ADJUST OUR RATES TO COVER THAT OBLIGATION.
BUT WE ALSO STILL HAVE TO EXPAND OUR DEBT TO BRING THE WATER FROM 35 TO BURN.
THAT, THAT, THAT, THAT FACTOR THAT'S NOT SCENARIOS ARE EVEN IN THAT.
BUT WE'RE STILL EXPANDING MILLIONS OF DOLLARS OF DEBT JUST TO GET THE WATER THAT WE'RE PAYING FOR.
'CAUSE THEY'RE NOT GONNA BRING IT PAST 35, I THINK.
I THINK IT'S A VERY, IT'S A VERY GOOD PROJECT.
I DON'T WANNA SPEAK BAD ABOUT THE PROJECT OR EVEN WHAT IT COSTS.
IT DOES, IT COSTS WHAT IT COSTS.
THE QUESTION IS WHO NEEDS TO BE INVOLVED? YEAH.
NO, I THINK THE, THE, THE CHALLENGE IS IT'S A 50 YEAR SCOPE OF WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT, RIGHT? WE'RE TRYING TO TALK ABOUT RETURN ON INVESTMENT FOR A LONG TERM OR SHORT TERM.
AND SO SOME OF THE THINGS WE HAVE MORE CONTROL OVER ON SHORT TERM RETURN ON INVESTMENT MAKE MORE SENSE.
I THINK WHEN I LOOK AT WHAT I KNOW ABOUT BERNIE, HISTORICALLY, IT'S BEEN A SLOW GROWTH MODEL, RIGHT? SO THIS WOULD NOT CONTRIBUTE TO THAT.
IF WE WERE TO APPROVE THIS, IT WOULD CONTRIBUTE TO MORE HYPERGROWTH, I THINK.
WELL, BUT, BUT JUST TO UNDERSTAND IT'S GONNA HAPPEN WHETHER WE'RE INVOLVED OR NOT, THAT'S NOT THE ISSUE.
IT'S GONNA HAPPEN AND THE GROWTH IS GONNA HAPPEN.
TO MY EARLIER POINT, JUST WANT PUBLIC TO UNDERSTAND, WE WILL NOT HAVE THE ABILITY TO LEVERAGE ANYTHING IN TERMS OF ROAD CONSTRUCTION OR ANYTHING ELSE.
SO TRAFFIC, UH, DEMANDS ON THE SCHOOL DISTRICT, THOSE ARE ALL GONNA GO UP REGARDLESS OF OUR PARTICIPATION.
WHEN IS, THAT'S NOT GONNA HAVE IMPACTED, I UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU'RE SAYING, BUT THAT'S NOT GONNA BE SOMETHING THAT WE'RE GONNA DO.
WHEN, WHEN WAS THIS PROJECT GONNA BE COMPLETED WHERE IT HAVE WATER TO 35 AND SOMEONE LIKE TEXAS WATER WOULD BE ABLE TO ACCESS THIS WATER? THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION.
I'M, I'M SURE WE HEARD THAT AT SOME POINT.
I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE ANSWER IS RIGHT NOW.
I'LL RESEARCH THAT AND FIND OUT, BECAUSE I WOULD SAY, I MEAN, IF IT'S THE 10 YEARS OUT BEFORE THAT WATER EVEN CAN GET HERE, THAT'S A LONG TIME TO START TRYING TO PREEMPTIVELY STOP.
'CAUSE WELL, WE'RE SAYING WE MAY NOT EVEN NEED IT RIGHT.
SO WE WOULD BE PAYING FOR SOME WATER JUST TO HAVE AND RIGHT.
BUT MY POINT IS, YOU KNOW, IN ORDER TO PAY FOR THAT WATER, WE WOULD HAVE TO START ENCOURAGING GROWTH TODAY.
AND OUR, NOW OUR TWO BIGGEST ISSUES ARE ALWAYS WITH OUR, WITH OUR CONSTITUENTS IS WATER AND TRAFFIC.
WE'RE GONNA IMMEDIATELY START MAKING TRAFFIC MUCH WORSE TO SOLVE A WATER ISSUE THAT'S 30 YEARS DOWN THE ROAD.
UM, YOU KNOW, I THINK THAT, I, I THINK THAT THAT'S NOT REALLY BEING RESPONSIBLE TO OUR, OUR CITIZENS AND WHAT THEIR CONCERN, IT'S REALLY EASY TO GET LOST IN THIS BECAUSE THE, TO MA TO COUNCILMAN ALTO'S POINT, THE GROWTH MAY COME AROUND US.
THE QUESTION IS, WILL WE BE SERVING IT AND WILL WE BE HAVING TO FUND IT? AND THEN WILL WE BE HAVING TO COLLECT THOSE RATES FROM OUR RATE PAYERS? WE ARE A MUNICIPALLY OWNED UTILITY.
AND, AND YOU KNOW, IN THAT OUR PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITY IS TO OUR CITIZENS AND, AND THOSE IN OUR CCN.
SO WHAT IS OUR BEST OPTION FOR SERVING THEM, REGARDLESS OF WHAT HAPPENS TO THOSE AROUND US? I'M NOT SAYING WE DON'T CARE,
[01:05:01]
I'M JUST SAYING OUR PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITY IS OUR, IS OUR RESIDENCE.I IF YOU GO BY THE WAY, THE, THE LEGISLATION IS LOOKING RIGHT NOW, WANTING TO HAVE A LEGISLATION UPDATE HERE SOON.
BUT, UM, AS IT'S GOING, GOING, THE TREND RIGHT NOW IS THE FACT THAT THERE'S LESS AND LESS REPO.
WE'RE GONNA HAVE LESS AND LESS CONTROL NO MATTER WHAT.
EVEN IF IT DOES COME OUTSIDE OUR CINEMA CENTER, ETJI MEAN, EVEN IF WE HAVE AN ETJ IN THREE OR FOUR YEARS.
YOU KNOW, WE'RE, WE'RE, WE'RE, WE'RE PROSPECTING GROWTH THAT WE PROBABLY WON'T EVEN, EVEN IF WE HAVE, HEY, WE'RE GONNA CONTROL THE WATER, WE'RE GONNA SAY, YOU'RE GONNA DO THIS, YOU'RE GONNA DO THIS.
WELL, YOU KNOW WHAT, WE'RE JUST GONNA OPT OUT OF ETJ AND WE'RE JUST GONNA DO WHAT WE WANT TO DO.
YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN? SO IT'S JUST A MATTER OF WHAT'S BEST, I THINK WHAT'S BEST FOR OUR CONSTITUENTS WHERE WE PUT OUR FOCUS, LOOKING AT FUTURE WATER SERVICES THAT WE CAN, WE CAN GENERATE OURSELVES, BUT ALSO, UM, WHO KNOWS WHAT'S GONNA BE AVAILABLE 20 YEARS DOWN THE ROAD.
LIKE QUENTIN WAS SAYING, HISTORICALLY, PEOPLE HAVE COME INTO THE CITY LIMITS BECAUSE THEY WANT OUR WATER.
WE WERE THE ONLY WATER PURVEYOR IN TOWN FOR A WHILE.
LITERALLY, UH, SEE WHAT I DID THERE, BUT
AND THAT GROWTH WILL COME, IT WILL HAPPEN.
WE WILL DEAL WITH THE TRAFFIC BECAUSE WE ARE THE CENTER OF, OF THE ROAD NETWORK.
AND SO IT REALLY GETS DOWN TO HOW WE WANT TO INFLUENCE IT AND WHAT WE'RE GOING TO EXPECT OUR RATE PAYERS TO PAY FOR.
BUT THERE'S ONE OTHER THING, TO YOUR POINT ABOUT TIMELINE.
HAVE, HAVE THEY GIVEN YOU A TIMELINE? THE REASON I'M SAYING THAT IS THESE PIPELINES WE'RE TALKING ABOUT RIGHTS OF WAY, POTENTIAL IMMINENT DOMAIN.
WE TALKING ABOUT A LOT OF ISSUES TO MAKE THIS HAPPEN.
IT'S NOT JUST LIKE, OH, WE'RE GONNA PUT THIS HERE AND RUN A PIPELINE.
I'M PRETTY SURE LEGAL CHALLENGES AND EVERYTHING ELSE.
I'M PRETTY SURE THAT, UH, THAT THAT'S WHY THEY'RE STARTING THAT THIS DEBT SERVICE IN 2034 IS BECAUSE THEY, IT WILL TAKE THEM THAT LONG TO, TO GET READY AND START CONSTRUCTION AND THEY'LL ISSUE DEBT TO START THAT CONSTRUCTION.
SO THEY START CONSTRUCTION IN 2034.
YOU'RE STILL TALKING FOUR OR FIVE YEARS, FIVE YEARS.
WHAT GETS TO US? WELL, A PROJECT THIS MASSIVE, YOU KNOW, YOU JUST NEVER KNOW.
IT COULD BE 15 YEARS, IT COULD BE 10.
UH, THEY, THEY PROBABLY HAVE A PROJECTION.
I CAN GET THAT INFORMATION FOR YOU FOR $500 MILLION.
WE CAN MAKE THIS THE SHINING GEM OF THE HILL COUNTRY AND NOT WORRY ABOUT THEM.
SO THAT WOULD HELP WITH SOME DEVELOPMENT OUT OUTSIDE THE CITY.
SO DEVELOPERS WOULD STILL HAVE SOME, WELL, I THINK DEVELOPERS ALSO HAVE AN INTEREST IN ADHERING TO OUR MOBILITY MASTER PLAN JUST TO SATISFY THEIR CUSTOMERS MOVING IN.
THAT PEOPLE MOVING INTO BERNIE DON'T WANT BAD TRAFFIC EITHER.
I MEAN, THERE'S, THEY, THEY'RE, THEY'RE TRYING TO SELL HOUSES TO PEOPLE THAT DON'T WANNA BE STUCK IN THE SAME INTERSECTION WHEN THEY'RE TRYING TO SHOW OFF THEIR HOUSES.
SO THAT'S VERY OPTIMISTIC OF YOU.
THEY, THEY WANT TO DO IT AS AFFORDABLE AS POSSIBLE.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? THANKS, MIKE.
[C. FISCAL YEAR 2026 BUDGET DISCUSSION.]
RIGHT, MOVING ON TO AGENDA ITEM SEVEN C 2025 DASH THREE 12 FISCAL YEAR 2026.BEN? YES, MAYOR, I'M GONNA HAVE, UH, MY TAG TEAM WITH DIRECTOR BUCK.
WE, SHE GAVE A PRESENTATION UPDATE LAST MONTH.
WE GOT SOME THINGS, UH, I'M GONNA ASK HER TO GIVE YOU THE LATEST UPDATE FROM THE LAST MONTH, BUT THERE ARE SOME THINGS I WANNA TALK TO YOU ABOUT TO GET FEEDBACK ON AS WE, YOU KNOW, AS WE GET A LITTLE CLOSER TO WHERE I'M GONNA BE PROPOSING OR SUBMITTING A BUDGET TO YOU FOR CONSIDERATION IN ABOUT A MONTH FROM NOW.
SO ALL THAT DIRECTOR BUCK WILL KICK IT OFF.
AS ALWAYS, THIS IS HOW THIS ITEM ALIGNS WITH OUR STRATEGY MAP.
I'LL START FIRST WITH, UH, BRIEF BUDGET UPDATES SINCE WE LAST TALKED LAST MONTH.
JUST HIGH LEVEL, UM, RATES AND THINGS THAT HAVE COME IN.
FINCH HAD WORKED REALLY HARD, UM, WITH OUR INSURANCE COMPANY TO RENEW OUR POLICIES.
AND THEIR FIRST PROPOSAL TO US WAS AN INCREASE OF 24.9%.
OF COURSE, THAT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT WE ARE EXCITED ABOUT.
SHE IS WORKING VERY HARD WITH CONSULTANTS TO LOOK AT OTHER ALTERNATIVE OPTIONS TO BRING, UM, OUR COST FOR HEALTH INSURANCE DOWN FOR NEXT YEAR.
UM, WE DON'T, WE DON'T PLAN ON BRINGING A 24.9% INCREASE TO YOU AS PART OF THE BUDGET.
OUR COST OF LIVING INDICATOR, WHICH OF COURSE, UM, IMPACTS OUR COLA, UH, ISN'T AVAILABLE UNTIL JULY 31ST.
SO WE'RE STILL SITTING WITH THE CURRENT ESTIMATE.
OUR LAST INDICATOR CAME OUT IN MARCH OF 3.6%.
THE MAIN PRIORITY RIGHT NOW THAT WE'RE WORKING ON IS OUR CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PLAN FOR THE NEXT FIVE YEARS, SOLIDIFYING THAT FUNDING PLANS.
[01:10:02]
AND SO AS PART OF THAT PROCESS, WE ALSO LOOK AT OUR, UH, FINANCING THAT WE WILL NEED THIS NEXT YEAR.SO AS OF RIGHT NOW, WE'RE LOOKING AT WANTING TO ISSUE SOME ADDITIONAL DEBT FROM THE APPROVED VOTER BOND 2022.
SO, UM, THIS WOULD NOT HAVE AN IMPACT ON THE INS TAX RATE.
AS, AS YOU ALL KNOW, WE HAVE MANAGED OUR TAX RATE VERY DELIBERATELY, CONSERVATIVELY, SO THAT AS WE ISSUE THE REMAINING THE REMAINDER OF THIS BOND, THERE WOULDN'T BE A PROPERTY TAX IMPACT.
WE WILL BE BRINGING FORWARD BOND PROJECT UPDATES.
SO YOU CAN SEE THE STATUS OF ALL THESE PROJECTS ON JULY 22ND.
BUT I WANTED TO TAKE A MINUTE FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO THIS MAY BE YOUR FIRST, UM, DEBT ISSUANCE, JUST TO GIVE YOU A HEADS UP ON WHAT TO EXPECT OVER THE NEXT FEW WEEKS, BECAUSE THIS DOES, DOES COINCIDE WITH OUR BUDGET PROCESS.
SO, HIGH LEVEL AS A REMINDER, UM, 2022, WE HAD A SUCCESSFUL BOND ELECTION FOR 36 MILLION.
UM, IN 2023, WE ISSUED HALF OF THAT.
SO WE'VE, UM, TAKEN DOWN 18 MILLION OF THE 36 MILLION TOWARDS THE PROJECTS THAT WERE AUTHORIZED.
WHAT WE'RE, UM, PROPOSING FOR THIS YEAR'S BUDGET, AS PART OF THE BUDGET PROCESS IS TO ISSUE AN ADDITIONAL 6.5 MILLION WITH THE REMAINDER.
UM, 11.5 BEING ISSUED IN 2027.
AND AGAIN, NONE OF THESE SUBSEQUENT ISSUES WILL HAVE AN IMPACT ON THE TAX RATE.
WE'VE DELIBERATELY PLANNED FOR THAT.
THE FONT ON THIS IS A LITTLE SMALL, BUT I JUST WANTED TO, UM, PROVIDE SOME ADVANCED NOTICE OF THE COUNCIL AGENDA ITEMS THAT YOU'LL SEE RELATED TO THIS.
UM, FIRST OFF, OUR TAXABLE VALUE BECOMES CERTIFIED JULY 25TH, AND THAT'S WHEN WE'RE ABLE TO START FINALIZING OUR TAX RATE CALCULATIONS.
WE WILL BRING ALL THIS INFORMATION TO YOU AGAIN ON AUGUST 12TH.
THAT'S WHEN WE'LL, WE'LL GO THROUGH ANY OTHER DETAILS THAT WE HAVE, UM, RELATED TO THIS DEBT ISSUANCE.
AND ASK YOU FORMALLY FOR YOUR, UM, YOUR APPROVAL TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THE DEBT ISSUANCE.
THEN ON, UM, THURSDAY, UM, AUGUST 14TH, IF WE MOVE FORWARD, THAT'S WHEN WE HAVE A CALL WITH THE BOND RATING AGENCIES.
WE, UM, TELL THEM ALL THE GREAT REASONS THAT BERNIE IS A VERY HIGHLY RATED CITY FOR CREDIT RATINGS.
AND THEN WE'LL RECEIVE OUR CREDIT RATING.
THEN ON THE 28TH, THE NINTH IS ALSO THE DAY THAT WE'RE GOING TO BE ADOPTING THE BUDGET.
THAT'S THE DAY THAT WE WOULD ACTUALLY SELL THE DEBT.
AND SO I WOULD COME TO YOU AND TELL YOU THESE ARE, UM, ALL THE INSTITUTIONS THAT BID ON OUR DEBT.
THIS IS THE MOST ADVANTAGEOUS RATE.
THIS IS THE ONE THAT WE, UM, WE PROPOSE THAT WE GO WITH.
AND SO COUNSEL WOULD APPROVE, UM, THE SELL OF THAT DEBT AND THEN WE WOULD PLAN ON RECEIVING THE FUNDS SEPTEMBER 25TH.
SO JUST TO HIGHLIGHT, JUST A FOREWARNING, AGAIN, WE'LL GO THROUGH ALL OF THIS AGAIN, HIGH LEVEL ON AUGUST 12TH.
BUT ANY QUESTIONS? THE BONDS WE ISSUED LAST YEAR, WHAT WERE THEY RATED BY THE RATING AGENCIES? OH, OUR, OUR CREDIT RATING WAS MAINTAINED.
I THINK WE WERE, WE WERE RAISED TO DOUBLE A PLUS AT THE END OF LAST YEAR.
WE SAW THE DEBT, THEY WERE DOUBLE A, SO THESE SHOULD BE DOUBLE A PLUS.
WHEN THEY GO OUT, WE HOLD, ASSUME.
I MEAN, ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? ALRIGHT, SARAH, IF YOU'LL ADVANCE.
THERE'S THREE THINGS I WANNA TALK TO YOU ABOUT AND GET YOUR FEEDBACK ON.
UH, MAYOR AND COUNCIL AND I'VE, I'VE TALKED TO YOU INDIVIDUALLY ABOUT THESE.
YOU GUYS ARE AWARE UNDER OUR COMPENSATION STRATEGY, UM, IF YOU'LL ADVANCE, WE, WE DO A COMP, A MARKET STUDY, A COMPENSATION MARKET STUDY EVERY THREE TO FOUR YEARS.
UM, WE, WE'VE CONDUCTED ONE THIS LAST YEAR.
WE HAVE A STRATEGY TO MAINTAIN A MINIMUM POSITION OF THE BEING IN THE 60TH PERCENTILE OF OUR PEER CITIES.
PURE CITIES, SIMILAR IN GEOGRA GEOGRAPHY OF WHERE WE'RE AT LOCATED SIMILAR IN SIZE, SIMILAR IN IN CITY SERVICE STRUCTURES.
NOT EVERYONE HAS THE UTILITY SET UP THAT WE DO.
AND SO WE LOOK AT A LOT OF VARYING FACTORS.
WHY IS IT IMPORTANT TO HAVE THIS, UH, TYPE OF, UH, STUDY DONE? I'M, AS YOU KNOW, I'M ONE THAT WANTS TO BE VERY DELIBERATE AND INTENTIONAL AND PLANNING THOUGHTFUL.
THIS IS A TOOL THAT'S HELPFUL IN RECRUITING WHEN THEY KNOW THAT WE HAVE A STRUCTURE IN PLACE THAT THEY CAN COUNT ON AND RELY ON.
AND SO WE, UH, WHEN WE'RE NOT DOING A MARKET STUDY, GOING OUT AND DOING A TEMPERATURE CHECK OF WHAT OUR PURE CITIES ARE DOING, WE HAVE A SYSTEM IN PLACE WHERE WE PAY A COLA, WE DO A COLA INCREASE BASED ON THE CPI INDICATOR.
IT'S NOT SOMETHING I, I JUST, YOU KNOW, DECIDE OF WHAT I FEEL LIKE EACH YEAR.
IT'S VERY INTENTIONAL WHAT'S HAPPENING IN THE, IN THE MARKET.
AND THEN WE DO A PAY FOR PERFORMANCE MERIT INCREASE BASED ON THEIR MEETING, THEIR, UH, PERSONAL OBJECTIVES ON THEIR PLANS AND THEIR GOALS.
IT'S A, IT'S A BUILDS TRUST AND TRANSPARENCY WITH EMPLOYEES.
UM, IT JUST IS HELPS US TO BE COMPETITIVE,
[01:15:01]
UH, WITH OUR CURRENT TALENT THAT WE HAVE AND TRYING TO RECRUIT PEOPLE AS WELL.NEXT, AS YOU CAN SEE, THEY DID ONE IN 2019, UH, I, I'VE, WHERE THE, WHERE THE MINIMUM POSITION WAS 65TH PERCENTILE.
I LOOKED AT IT A LITTLE MORE COMPREHENSIVELY WITH A DIFFERENT CONSULTANT.
WE WENT IN 2021 AND WE WENT TO A 60TH PERCENTILE.
WHEN WE IMPLEMENTED THAT, UH, MARKET STUDY, IT WAS ALMOST 1.5, $1.6 MILLION, I THINK TO IMPLEMENT WHATEVER WE NEEDED TO DO TO GET UP TO DATE.
NOW, AGAIN, A LOT OF THINGS WERE IMPACTED WITH THE PANDEMIC.
THERE WAS A LOT OF RIGHT SIZING THAT NEEDED TO BE DONE.
AND SO, SO HERE WE ARE FOUR YEARS LATER, WE, WE WERE ABLE TO STRETCH IT OUT A LITTLE LONGER 'CAUSE WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO BE COMPETITIVE.
AND, AND AGAIN, BECAUSE WE'VE BEEN DELIBERATE AND INTENTIONAL WITH THE HOW WE HANDLE THE COLAS AND THE MERIT PAGE, WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO, WHAT YOU'LL SEE IS, UH, WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO MAINTAIN A GOOD POSITION, UH, IN THE LAST FOUR YEARS.
SO WHAT, WHAT ARE THE STUDY, UH, JUST FINALIZED? DIRECTOR FINCH, UH, OVERSAW THAT WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO MAINTAIN ACTUAL PAY FOR OUR EMPLOYEES IN AROUND THAT 60TH PERCENTILE MARKET.
THERE'S A FEW THINGS, AREAS WE DO NEED TO MAKE SOME IMPROVEMENTS TO MAINTAIN THAT 60TH PERCENTILE AND, AND A COUPLE AREAS MAINLY WITH OUR FIRST RESPONDER, BOTH POLICE AND FIRE AND SOME OTHER AREAS IN, IN THE CITY.
UM, AND, AND I'LL JUST LET YOU KNOW THAT, TO MAINTAIN THAT MINIMUM 60TH PERCENTILE STANDARD, THAT'S ABOUT $680,000.
SO AGAIN, FOUR YEARS AGO WE HAD TO DO 1.6, 1.78.
I CAN'T REMEMBER WHAT IT WAS EXACTLY.
AND WE, WE BROKE THAT UP OVER THE COURSE OF TWO FISCAL YEARS.
WE DIDN'T EVEN, WE COULDN'T EVEN AFFORD TO DO IT ALL AT ONCE.
SO THAT TELLS YOU WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO MANAGE THIS FAIRLY WELL IF WE WANTED TO MOVE THAT BACK UP TO THE 65TH PERCENTILE, OR EVEN GO TO THE 70TH PERCENTILE TO BE A LITTLE MORE COMPETITIVE.
'CAUSE WE DO HAVE SOME POSITIONS THAT WE'RE, WE'RE, WE'RE LOSING GROUND ON, WE'RE NOT ABLE TO KEEP UP THE PACE OF, OF MAINTAINING, UM, THOSE POSITIONS FILLED.
UH, THEN IT WOULD GO UP TO AS HIGH AS $878,000.
AND SO JUST WANNA LET YOU KNOW, UM, BASED ON, UH, AGAIN, WE WE'RE TRYING TO NEGOTIATE A, A BETTER HEALTH INSURANCE PROGRAM AND, UH, DIRECTOR FINCH IS GOING OUT FOR BID WITH OTHER PROVIDERS AND WE'LL SEE WHERE THAT IS.
AND SO DEPENDING ON WHAT THAT'S GONNA COST US, THEY DON'T WANNA LOSE ANY GROUND ON THE INVESTMENT WE'VE MADE IN OUR, OUR OUR BENEFIT PACKAGES.
AND SO HEALTH INSURANCE, UM, BENEFITS.
AND SO, UH, I, I'LL BE MAKING SOME SORT OF RECOMMENDATION THE BUDGET BETWEEN THE 60TH AND 17TH PERCENTILE AND WHAT WE CAN AFFORD.
ANY QUESTIONS ON THE MARKET ADJUSTMENT OR THE COMP STUDY COMMENT? I MEAN, I THINK CERTAINLY FOR FIRST RESPONDERS AND TO ME IT'S A NO-BRAINER.
WE NEED TO DO WHAT WE NEED TO DO TO MAINTAIN THE BEST.
THEY'RE ALREADY GOOD, BUT WE WANT KEEP 'EM HAPPY.
RIGHT? AND I SAW WITH A NEW STATION COMING ON BOARD WITH THE FIRE, MAKING SURE THAT THAT'S, UM, HAS THE, THE FOLKS THEY NEED.
UM, AND I THINK ALSO JUST KEEPING UP WHAT IS BERNIE, RIGHT? WE WANNA, PER YOUR STAFF, YOU WANNA MAINTAIN THE BEST WE CAN.
PAYING OFF THE WORTH FOR SURE.
JUST FOR CLARIFICATION, THE NUMBERS HERE, THE 6 79 AND THE 8 78, DOES THAT INCLUDE THE HEALTHCARE PROPOSAL OF 24.9%? NO, NO.
ONE THING YOU SHOULD KEEP IN MIND IS THAT THE HEALTH BENEFIT AND OTHER BENEFITS, UM, I KNOW SOMETIMES, ESPECIALLY FOR NEW EMPLOYEES, THEY LOOK AT THE SALARY.
YOU, YOU TOUT THE BENEFITS AND IT'S LIKE, WELL, AM I, HOW MUCH AM I GONNA MAKE? BUT IN REALITY, FOR RETENTION OF QUALITY PEOPLE, THE BENEFIT PACKAGE BECOMES INCREASINGLY IMPORTANT.
SO I WOULD URGE US TO NOT BE TOO SKIMPY WITH IT.
I KNOW THE HEALTH THING IS A PROBLEM, BUT AS PEOPLE GET OLDER, THOSE HEALTH BENEFITS MAKE A BIG DIFFERENCE.
AND DIRECTOR FINCH DOES A GOOD JOB OF THAT.
WE ARE, WHEN WE DO OFFERS AND WE DO JOB, UH, POSTINGS AND STUFF, WE TALK ABOUT THE TOTAL EXPERIENCE AND WHAT YOU'RE GETTING, WHAT YOU MIGHT NOT GET IN, IN, IN OTHER SECTORS.
THAT'S SOMETHING WE TALK ABOUT.
I, I AGREE WITH COUNCILMAN WILLISON.
I MEAN, I, I THINK THE STAFF OF THE CITY, THIS IS YOUR TEAM.
YOU KNOW, IF IT'S THE NFL OR COLLEGE NOW, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE GONNA TRY TO GET THE BEST TEAM YOU CAN BUY.
AND I MEAN, YOU CERTAINLY WANT TO HAVE QUALITY PEOPLE WHO ARE INCENTIVIZED TO STAY AND NOT LEAVE.
AND YOU, AND YOU'VE SEEN IN THE LAST FIVE YEARS WITH THOSE EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT SURVEYS, WE'VE DONE THREE OF THEM AND THE ENGAGEMENT HAS CONSISTENTLY GONE UP AND WE'VE HAD IMPROVEMENTS AND WE STILL GOT ROOM TO, YOU KNOW, TO GROW IN THAT AREA.
BUT I'M REALLY PROUD OF THE ACCOMPLISHMENTS AND I, I CALL US A HIGH PERFORMING ORGANIZATION.
UH, THEY, THEY ENJOY THEIR JOB ENGAGEMENT'S HIGH.
AND SO I, I DEFINITELY WANNA MAKE SURE WE'RE DOING ALL WE CAN TO, TO REWARD THEM.
ALRIGHT, THE NEXT AREA I NEED SOME FEEDBACK ON IS THE PFC, OUR PUBLIC FACILITIES CORPORATION, UH, FUND USAGE.
I'VE HAD A LOT OF QUESTIONS, UM, FROM ALMOST AT EACH ONE OF YOU ON, WHAT ARE WE GONNA DO WITH THOSE FUNDS?
[01:20:01]
WE HAVE TWO PROJECTS HERE.YOU GUYS KNOW, WE, WE HAVE AT LEAST ONE TO TWO PFC BOARD MEETINGS, UH, A YEAR.
WE HAVE THE LIVE BURNING, WE HAVE THE, UH, ESTRAYA APARTMENTS.
THOSE WERE CREATED TO HAVE SOME SORT OF AFFORDABLE PRODUCT OF SOME SORTS.
WHEN YOU CONSIDER WHAT THE MARKET IS, THEY'RE NOT NECESSARILY, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, AFFORDABILITIES IN THE EYE OF THE BEHOLDER TWO.
BUT, YOU KNOW, THERE IS AN OFFSET PER, PER THE MARKET OF OUR AREA IN BERNIE.
UH, NEXT, UH, WE HAVE ABOUT $3.5 MILLION SITTING IN THESE PFC FUNDS.
AND THERE'S VERY SPECIFIC, UM, USES OR RESTRICTIONS ON WHAT, HOW WE CAN USE THOSE FUNDS.
WE CAN USE THOSE FOR INFRASTRUCTURE IMPROVEMENTS OR OUR FACILITY IMPROVEMENTS THAT BENEFIT THE COMMUNITY.
AND, UM, AND, AND THEY NEED TO BE CLOSELY TIED TO A, A, A VICINITY OF THESE PROJECTS THAT, THAT WERE BUILT THESE PFC PROJECTS.
AND SO WHAT I'D LIKE TO ASK IS YOUR THOUGHTS, IF YOU'LL ADVANCE THE NEXT SLIDE IS DO WE WANT TO EXPEND THESE FUNDS IN NEXT YEAR'S BUDGET? AND IF WE DO, I'M GONNA RECOMMEND, LET'S JUST DO 3 MILLION, LET'S KEEP HALF A MILLION IN THE, THE PFC FUND.
AND, AND IF WE, IF YOU'RE AMENABLE TO THAT, THEN WE WOULDN'T, YOU KNOW, AT THE NEXT PFC BOARD MEETING, WE WOULD HAVE TO TAKE ACTION AS A PFC BOARD TO TRANSFER $3 MILLION TO THE CITY'S CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROJECT FUND.
AND IF YOU'RE OPEN TO THAT, THEN I WANT TO ASK, YOU KNOW, IF WE HAVE TO, YOU KNOW, KNOWING WHERE LIVE BERNIE IS AND ASTRAY IS MAYBE THE DOWNTOWN AREA MAKES SENSE TO DO SOME COMMUNITY TYPE PROJECTS LIKE DOWNTOWN PUBLIC PARKING, WATERWORKS, TERRACE PARK, WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT, WE'VE BEEN PUTTING MONEY ASIDE FOR OLD NUMBER NINE, TRAIL EXTENSION.
PROBABLY MAKES A LOT OF SENSE, UH, FOR THE, FOR THE BETTERMENT OR THE, UH, UH, THE BENEFIT OF, OF THE WHOLE BURNING COMMUNITY.
SO JUST, UH, WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ON, IN DOING THAT? WE CAN ALL DEFINITELY HOLD AND DO THIS THE FOLLOWING YEAR.
WE CAN LOOK AT OTHER COMMUNITY BENEFIT PROJECTS.
DO WE KNOW THE STATUS OF THE COUNTY'S POSITION YET ON THE PARKING LOT? IS THAT JUST, I KNOW IT'S BEEN PUT ON HOLD, SO IT'S NOT QUITE BEEN PUT ON HOLD THERE.
THE COUNTY'S, UH, CONDUCTING A STUDY, WE'RE PARTICIPATING IN THAT.
UM, DIDN'T WE FUND PART OF THE STUDY FROM THE PFC? WE FUND ABOUT $25,000 OF A, OF A $50,000 STUDY, I BELIEVE.
I I DON'T PERSONALLY, JOE, I JUST DON'T THINK WE NEED, WE WANT TO TAG THESE FUNDS IN WITH, WITH THE COUNTY ON THAT.
I THINK THIS IS SOMETHING MORE THEY, I KNOW THAT WE, WE, THERE'S SOME CONNECTION THERE, BUT I'M THINKING MORE OF WHAT'S FOR THE CITY.
YOU KNOW, PUBLIC PARKING, OBVIOUSLY DOWNTOWN WATERWORKS TERRACE OR EVERY ONE OF THOSE THREE.
I, I'M OKAY WITH IT, IF NOT ALL, OR A LITTLE BIT TOWARDS ALL THREE.
WELL, I'M OKAY WITH THE WATERWORKS TERRACE AS LONG AS IT'S THE, THE COMPREHENSIVE APPROACH, NOT JUST THE WATERWORKS TERRACE WHERE THE OLD SWIMMING POOL WAS.
I MEAN, IT HAS TO ENCOMPASS THE HOLISTIC REIMAGINATION OF THE TOWN SQUARE.
NOT CHANGING IT, BUT ALL LINKING IT TOGETHER.
I CAN'T REMEMBER HOW MUCH DIRECTOR BUCKLEY, DO YOU REMEMBER HOW MUCH WE HAVE IN THE WATERWORKS TERRORIST CIP FUND? IT'S HALF A MILLION.
IT'S AROUND HALF A, I WANNA SAY IT'S BETWEEN HALF 1,000,700 AFTER THIS YEAR.
AND AGAIN, YOU KNOW, THE CONVERSATIONS AROUND THAT WHERE WE'RE GONNA HAVE SOME PUBLIC PARTICIPATION AND, AND, AND WE NEED TO GO BACK AND RE-LOOK AT THE COST OF THIS.
AND THE LAST TIME WE LOOKED AT IT, I THINK WE FELT LIKE WE COULD DO IT FOR 1.5 MILLION OR 2 MILLION.
AND WHAT ABOUT PROJECTS RELATED TO THE, UH, TO THE THOROUGHFARE ENHANCEMENT THAT WERE SPENT THAT TIME AND CREATED THAT BEAUTIFUL BOOK.
IS THERE ANYTHING THAT, IS THAT TIED STRICTLY TO THE ROADWAYS? I MEAN, WE TALKED ABOUT SOMETHING AT THE ROUNDABOUT DOWN IN OLD CASCADE IN OLD SAN ANTONIO, IF, IF IT EVER GETS FUNDED.
SO WE HAVE, SO YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT THE URBAN DESIGN RIGHT PIECE THAT THERE'S STILL MONEY THERE TO DO SOMETHING AND WE NEED TO TALK.
IT SHOULD BE WHAT, A HALF MILLION DOLLARS THERE LEASE? YEAH.
HALF A MILLION DOLLARS IN THAT, IN THAT PROJECT FUND.
MY THINKING WAS, HEY, WE HAVE SOME VACANT LAND DOWNTOWN OFF OF TYSON, ABOUT AN ACRE, UH, AROUND OLD NUMBER NINE OR THE TRAIL THERE THAT MAYBE WE COULD DEVELOP INTO A PARK THAT COULD, OR A PARKING LOT THAT COULD DO 30 SPACES OR SO.
WE'D HAVE TO STUDY THAT A LITTLE BIT MORE.
AND MAYBE WE COULD, AND MAYBE THAT'S NOT THE ULTIMATE SITE WHERE WE DO, BUT WE DO HAVE A NEED FOR DOWNTOWN PARKING.
WE'D LIKE TO COLLABORATE THAT, WHETHER IT'S WITH THE COUNTY OR IF IT'S ON A PARCEL WE OWN.
OR IF WE WERE ABLE TO ACQUIRE ANOTHER ACRE OR TWO SOMEWHERE AND MAYBE WE WERE ABLE TO DO SOMETHING.
SO, UM, I, YOU KNOW, MY THOUGHT WAS WE COULD DIVVY UP THAT 3 MILLION.
A MILLION MILLION, BUT WE COULD DO SOMETHING.
AND I CAN WE, IF YOU'RE OPEN TO THAT, I WOULD BRING THAT FORWARD AND, AND NEXT MEETINGS PRESENTATION WHEN WE DO OUR CIP UPDATE AND SHOW YOU KIND OF WHAT WE'RE THINKING.
I, I MEAN, OBVIOUSLY SOME SOMEWHAT BIASED, 'CAUSE I WAS ON THE COMMITTEE THAT WORKED ON THE WATERWORKS TERRACE, BUT I ALSO THINK IT WOULD BE HUGE FOR THE DOWNTOWN COMMUNITY, UM, UM, WOULD INCREASE SALES TAX REVENUE JUST BY HAVING MORE PEOPLE THERE.
LIKE THAT WHOLE DESIGN, UM, MORE, UH, PUBLIC SAFETY FOR PEDESTRIANS.
[01:25:02]
UM, JUST HAVING A OLD SPACE THAT'S NOW UTILIZED, UM, I THINK WOULD BE HUGE AND I THINK WOULD GO TOWARDS WHAT THESE FUNDS ARE FOR, WOULD HELP SUPPORT, UM, OBVIOUSLY YOUNGER PEOPLE, BUT ALSO OLDER PEOPLE HAVING A PLACE TO GO DOWNTOWN.UM, THAT WOULD CERTAINLY BE MY NUMBER ONE.
I THINK TO YOUR POINT, BEN, I THINK YOU COULD TAKE A PORTION OF THOSE FUNDS TO, UM, HELP, HELP WITH THE OTHER TWO.
MAYBE IT'S NOT FULLY FUNDING 'EM, BUT IT GETS US TO MAYBE WHERE, WHERE WE NEED TO BE OR FOR A TRAIL EXTENSION GETS US.
WELL, I'LL TELL YOU, EVEN ON THE OLD NUMBER NINE TRAILS EXTENSION WHERE IT STOPS GOING NORTH, I MEAN, WE HAVE A HUGE DRAINAGE DILEMMA WE GOTTA FIGURE OUT.
AND MAYBE IT'S A POR SMALL PORTION OF FUNDS JUST TO STUDY HOW TO MOVE THAT WATER.
AND THEN WE CAN, ONCE WE, WE'VE DONE THAT, WE CAN APPLY FOR SOME GRANT FUNDING TO CONTINUE, UH, THE, THE TRAIL UP TOWARDS, UH, UP TOWARDS ADLER AND IN MAINE.
I MEAN, THERE'S STILL RIGHT, THE UNKNOWN OF THAT PROPERTY IF, IF AND WHEN IT EVER SELLS, DO WE HAVE IT THEN A PRIVATE PARTNER MM-HMM
BUT TO YOUR POINT, IF WE HAVE THE DESIGN FOR DRAINAGE, ET CETERA, AND THEN WE'RE READY TO GO, THAT JUST GETS US FURTHER INTO IT.
YEAH, I, I'M A BIG FAN OF THE WATERWORKS TERRACE PROJECT AS WELL.
I THINK THAT, I THINK IT'LL DRIVE MORE, MORE USE TO OUR DOWNTOWN AREA, BUT I ALSO THINK IT WILL OPEN UP THE RIVER WALK A LITTLE BIT MORE.
I THINK PEOPLE DON'T SEE IT FROM DOWNTOWN SQUARE AND DON'T REALIZE THAT IT'S THERE FOR A LOT.
ESPECIALLY OUR VISITORS FROM OUT OF TOWN.
I THINK THAT WOULD HAVE, BRINGING THEM TO THAT EDGE WHERE THEY SEE THAT, I THINK WILL INCREASE THE USE THERE.
UM, SO I THINK THE WATERWORKS TARIFF PROJECT IS A REALLY GOOD PROJECT THAT WE SHOULD REALLY THINK HARD ABOUT MOVING FORWARD.
UM, I'M ALSO A BIG FAN OF OLD NUMBER NINE, TRAIL EXTENSION.
'CAUSE I'M ON THE OLD NUMBER NINE TRAIL.
IT'S LIKE A BLOCK AND A HALF FROM MY HOUSE, SO
UM, BUT YOU KNOW, IT'S, I I THINK ALL THESE ARE ARE GREAT.
PARKING IS ALWAYS AN ISSUE DOWNTOWN TOO, SO.
AND I THINK WE, AS IF WE CONTINUE TO PROGRESS WE'VE BEEN MAKING ON THE, ON THE WATERWORKS TERRACE, I THINK IT'S ONLY GONNA CAUSE MORE TRAFFIC DOWNTOWN.
I THINK MORE WALKABILITY, IT'S WALKABLE TRAFFIC BY TRAFFIC OR MORE PEOPLE USING OUR TRAILS THAT'LL IMPACT, YOU KNOW, THE TRAIL HEADS AND PARKING SPACES ALONG THERE.
SO I THINK WATER WATERWORKS TERRACE AND PUBLIC PARKING, I KIND OF GO HAND IN HAND.
ANYTHING WE COULD DO TO BRING MORE PEOPLE AND HAVE ACCESS TO PUT, YOU KNOW, PUT PLACES PARK WOULD BE, UH, IMPORTANT.
THE WHOLE NUMBER NINE TRAIL EXTENSION, THAT THAT'S A, I MEAN, IT SOUNDS LIKE A LOT OF WORK, BUT MAYBE WE COULD GET SOME GRANT FUNDING TO GO DOWN THE ROAD DOWN, DOWN THERE.
BUT, UH, ANYTHING WE COULD DO TO, TO IMPROVE, YOU KNOW, WALKABILITY, PARKING, YOU KNOW, RELIEVE SOME OF THE, WE KNOW WE GOT PROBLEMS. ANYTHING WE CAN DO TO RELIEVE SOME OF THAT AND, AND UTILIZE THE LAND THAT WE HAVE TO, TO FOR THE BETTERMENT OF EVERYBODY.
YOU KNOW, I, I THINK WE'VE SEEN THE DRAWINGS.
I MEAN WE'VE SEEN THE DRAWINGS.
I THINK THEY'RE COMPREHENSIVE DRAWINGS, YOU KNOW, VISION THAT WE'VE GOT, YOU KNOW, UH, I MEAN, I'D LOVE TO SEE SOME OF THAT STUFF.
WE'VE BEEN LOOKING AT THAT FOR YEARS.
WELL, THE OTHER THING IS THAT BY DOING THAT, I THINK YOU, YOU TAKE THE TOWN SQUARE, I MEAN, IT'S USED, BUT IT'S PRIMARILY AN EVENT PLACE.
BUT I MEAN, AS FAR AS ATTRACTING PEOPLE, IT'S AN EVENT SPACE.
THIS WOULD MAKE IT MORE OF A DAY-TO-DAY EVENT SPACE INDEPENDENT OF JUST SPECIAL EVENTS.
AND I THINK IT WOULD BE A BIG PLUS FOR THE, BUT THE PARKING, YES, YOU'RE RIGHT.
YEAH, I CAN, I CAN ENVISION THIS RIGHT NOW.
SIX O'CLOCK KIND OF GOES GHOST TOWN.
THAT WOULD BE PROBABLY A REALLY BIG PICKUP TIME.
YOU KNOW, PEOPLE COMING DOWN, WALKING AND VISITING THE WATERWORKS TERRACE.
SO ANYWAY, EXPANDING ITS, ITS UTILIZE UTILIZATION, YOU KNOW, AND HOURS OF USE AND MAYBE, MAYBE BUSINESS MIGHT STAY OPEN A LITTLE BIT LONGER AND MORE STUFF FOR KIDS IS THE DISCUSSION TONIGHT WHETHER WE APPROVE MOVING $3 MILLION OVER AND PRESENTING.
IF YOU'RE COMFORTABLE WITH THIS, THEN I WILL DEVELOPING THE CONVERSATION OF WHERE THE MONEY GOES AND HOW IT'S ALLOCATED AND WHETHER IT'S THESE THREE PROJECTS.
WHAT I'LL DO IS 'CAUSE THE NEXT BUDGET MEETING, NEXT COUNCIL MEETING WILL HAVE A, A CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROJECT.
WE'LL GET SPECIFIC ON PROJECT, WE'LL TALK ABOUT FUNDING AND THAT'S WHERE I'LL, I'LL GET WITH MY STAFF AND SEE, OKAY, WHAT IS THE ART OF THE POSSIBLE AND WHAT, HOW MUCH WOULD, WHAT COST FOR US TO GET GOING? AND THEN IF YOU WANTED TO MOVE SOME STUFF LATER, BUT EVENTUALLY IN AUGUST, WE'LL HAVE TO HAVE A PFC MEETING.
IF WE, IF, IF YOU'RE REALLY COMFORTABLE WITH THIS, TO ACTUALLY TRANSFER THAT MONEY OVER TO THE CITY.
I WOULD LIKE US TO, YOU KNOW, IF ASSUMING COUNCIL DECIDES TO MOVE THIS WAY IS RECONNECT WITH THAT PRIVATE ORGAN, THAT GROUP MM-HMM
THAT HELPED WITH THE PARK AT, UM, CITY PARK AND BE LIKE, HEY, WE, WE HAVE WHATEVER WE DECIDE THAT MONEY IS.
AND LIKE, CAN Y'ALL HELP? 'CAUSE EVEN IF IT'S, I MEAN, WHATEVER, 200,000, THAT'S 200,000 LESS THAN WE HAD TO.
SO, UM, I THINK THAT'LL BE REALLY IMPORTANT.
UH, ONE LAST ITEM, UH, TALK ABOUT SHARED SERVICES AGREEMENT WITH THE CENTER.
UH, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE SEVERAL, SEVERAL SHARED SERVICES AGREEMENTS WITH SOME NON-PROFITS THAT HELP US, UH, ACCESS EXTENSION OF SERVICES THAT THEY PROVIDE THAT WE DON'T NECESSARILY NEED TO, BUT WE SHOULD OR WHATNOT.
[01:30:01]
RIGHT NOW WE GIVE THE CENTER $15,000.AND IN THAT SHARED SERVICES AGREEMENT, IT SAYS, CITY COUNCIL HAS FOUND AND DETERMINED THAT THE PROGRAM SERVICES, MISSIONS AND FUNCTIONS OF THE CENTER ACCOMPLISH A VALUABLE AND IMPORTANT PUBLIC PURPOSE FOR THE CITIZENS OF BERNIE.
I'LL TELL YOU, SEVERAL MUNICIPALITIES PROVIDE SENIOR RECREATIONS CENTER PROGRAMMING AND SERVICES KIND OF WITHIN THEIR PARKS AND REC DEPARTMENTS.
MY LAST CITY I CAME FROM, WE HAD A WHOLE DEDICATED SENIOR, UH, DEPARTMENT CENTER DEPARTMENT.
AND IN LATE APRIL, I MET, UH, WITH, UH, WITH OLIVIA AT THE CENTER AND, AND BILL BYRD, UH, WHO'S ON THEIR BOARD.
AND THEY MADE A FORMAL REQUEST THAT WE CONSIDER UPPING OUR CONTRIBUTION.
UM, I'VE BEEN WORKING WITH OLIVIA TO UNDERSTAND HOW MANY OF THEIR MEMBERS, THEY HAVE ABOUT 1900 MEMBERS THAT, THAT GO TO THE CENTER.
OF COURSE, THEY SERVE THE WHOLE GREATER BERNIE COMMUNITY.
IT LOOKS LIKE MAYBE 30% OF THAT MEMBERSHIP IS BERNIE CITIZENS, BERNIE RESIDENTS.
UM, AND SO I NEED TO, UH, SEEK MORE, UH, UH, UNDERSTANDING OF THEIR BUDGET, WHAT THE MAKEUP OF IT AND WHATNOT.
AND, BUT I WOULD JUST WANTED TO GET GEORGE FEEL.
DO YOU THINK THIS IS AN APPROPRIATE, UM, REQUEST TO CONSIDER? DO YOU WANT ME TO, TO WEAVE THIS INTO THE BUDGET, UH, THAT I SUBMIT HERE IN THE NEXT MONTH? DOES THE COUNTY GIVE ANY THEM ANYTHING? UH, I DON'T KNOW.
I'LL HAVE TO, I CAN FOLLOW UP ON THAT.
CURIOUS ABOUT THAT, JUST BASED ON THOSE PERCENTAGES.
I WOULD HOPE PROBABLY NOT, BUT, UH, HOPEFULLY THAT I'M WRONG.
BUT THAT THEY ARE, I, I DO CON HAVE CONCERNS ABOUT SENIOR CITIZENS WITH THE NEW BUDGET, UM, THAT JUST GOT PASSED AT CONGRESS AT THE FEDERAL LEVEL.
UM, AND I THINK WE DO NEED TO BE COGNIZANT OF THAT AND HOW PEOPLE THAT ARE IN NEED MIGHT BE IMPACTED.
I THINK IT'S FAIR TO UNDERSTAND THE BUDGET, LIKE THAT'S JUST DOING YOUR D DUE DUE DILIGENCE.
BUT I DO THINK, UM, THIS PLACE DOES SERVE A VERY IMPORTANT ROLE FOR THE COMMUNITY.
UM, I MEAN, KNOWING, YOU KNOW, I'VE GONE THERE SEVERAL TIMES FOR COFFEE AND JUST SEEING HOW VALUABLE IT IS, JUST HAVING A PLACE FOR THEM TO SIT AND HAVE COFFEE, UM, OR PLAY PUTT PUTT OR WHATEVER OTHER SERVICES THEY HAVE.
SO, UM, FOR ME, I ASSUMING YOU WERE COMFORTABLE WITH IT, I WOULD CERTAINLY BE OKAY.
I THINK IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT.
I MEAN, IT, WE DON'T, AS YOU POINTED OUT, WE DON'T HAVE ANY FORMAL MECHANISM TO PROVIDE THESE SERVICES.
AND I'M A BIG FAN OF PRIVATE PUBLIC PARTNERSHIPS ANYWAY.
AND ESSENTIALLY THEY'VE GOT A FIRST CLASS OPERATION.
I MEAN, UH, WE'VE ALL DONE MEALS ON WHEELS AND I MEAN THAT ALONE.
NOW GRANTED, IT DOESN'T SERVE ONLY BERNIE CITIZENS, BERNIE AREA CITIZENS, BUT, UM, CERTAINLY I THINK WE SHOULD LOOK AT INCREASING THE FUNDING.
I MEAN, THIS IS A, TO ME, THIS IS A FUNCTION THAT THE CITY WOULD OTHERWISE CONSIDER HAVING THAT MANY PEOPLE WOULD SAY, WELL, WAIT, THAT'S MORE OF A, A WELFARE RELATED, YOU KNOW, PUBLIC WELFARE RELATED THING.
WHY ARE YOU SPENDING TAX MONEY ON THAT? WE'RE NOT.
WE'RE JUST SUPPLEMENTING AN ENTERPRISE THAT'S ALREADY THERE DOING A FIRST CLASS JOB.
WE DON'T HAVE TO RECREATE THE WHEEL.
SO I WOULD BE IN FAVOR OF SUPPORTING.
I I THINK IT'S A GREAT PROGRAM TOO.
I KNOW FOR MYSELF, LIKE WHEN MY MOM COMES AND VISITS, SHE GOES THERE.
SO SHE'S ONE OF THE 70% THAT'S NOT A RESIDENT, BUT SHE MAKES USE OF IT AND I WANT HER TO KEEP COMING IN AND VISITING.
SO I THINK IT'S GREAT WE OFFER THAT.
I THINK WHEN YOU LOOK AT $15,000 COMPARED TO OUR CITY BUDGET, I MEAN, IT'S NOT THAT MUCH TO REALLY CONSIDER, UM, LOOKING AT THAT.
THAT SAID, I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO WORK WITH THEM TO HOLD THEM ACCOUNTABLE ON WHAT WE'RE GETTING FOR THAT INVESTMENT, RIGHT? SO WHEN WE ASK THEM FOR NUMBERS OR DOCUMENTATION OF WHAT SERVICES THEY'RE PROVIDING, AND THEY DO PROVIDE INCREDIBLE SERVICES, MUL ON WHEELS, ET CETERA, THEY SHOULD BE ABLE TO PRODUCE THAT FOR US.
AND SO I THINK THAT'S A FAIR ASK FOR THE MONEY.
UM, BUT I DO SUPPORT, YOU KNOW, THIS SERVICE.
BUT TO COUNCILMAN OLSON'S POINT, WE SHOULD CHALLENGE THEM TO APPROACH THE COUNTY.
THE COUNTY SHOULD BE, IN MY VIEW.
I KNOW WHEN THEY, WHEN THEY MET WITH ME ON APRIL 29TH, RIGHT AFTERWARDS, THEY WERE ON THEIR WAY TO GO TALK TO THE COUNTY.
I JUST HAVEN'T HEARD WHAT CAME OUT OF THAT CONVERSATION.
I WOULD JUST ADD THAT WE, AT ONE TIME WE HAD A COMMUNITY SITTER.
WERE YOU, WERE YOU INVOLVED WITH THE COMMUNITY CENTER? I'M, I'M SURE IT WAS A COST TO THAT AND I'M SURE IT WASN'T $15,000 OR TWICE THAT, OR THREE TIMES THAT.
SO, UH, I KNOW WE'VE DABBLED IN PROGRAMMING AND, AND HAVING A SPACE AND, UH, I'M SURE IT WAS QUITE EXPENSIVE.
AND SO I, I THINK DID THEY GIVE YOU ANY INDICATION WHAT THEY WERE KIND OF LOOKING FOR? UH, THEY HAVE NOT, UH, I DO KNOW, I THINK THEIR TOTAL BUDGET IS ALMOST 2 MILLION.
I ASKED FOR SOME BREAKDOWN OF HOW, WHAT GOES TO NUTRITION, WHAT GOES TO PROGRAMMING, WHAT GOES TO PERSONNEL.
I'M TRYING TO UNDERSTAND ALL ALL OF THAT AND FIGURE OUT, AGAIN, AS YOU SEE TONIGHT, AND WE'VE HAD OTHER CONVERSATIONS.
I GOT A LOT OF PUZZLE PIECES TO PUT TOGETHER BEFORE I SUBMIT SOMETHING TO YOU IN A MONTH.
AND, AND, UH, STILL GOT A FEW UNKNOWNS.
WE'RE STILL WAITING FOR OUR FINAL APPRAISAL ROLES FROM THE APPRAISAL DISTRICT.
UM, STILL WAITING ON SOME OTHER INDICATORS.
SO WE GOT A LOT TO ROLL UP OUR SLEEVES ON FOR THE NEXT MONTH.
WELL, IT'S, IT'S SERVICES LIKE THAT, THAT OFFER GENUINE SERVICES AND, AND BENEFIT.
SAME, SAME THING WITH HILL COUNTRY FAMILY SERVICES.
THEY OFTEN OFFER GENUINE SERVICES TO THE COMMUNITY.
[01:35:01]
THINK WE SHOULD BE LOOKING AT TAKING OPPORTUNITIES TO ENHANCE ANY OF THOSE TYPES OF SERVICES.I'D BE INTERESTED TO SEE WHAT THEY COME BACK WITH THOUGH WHEN THEY, WHEN THEY DO.
JUST ECHO WHAT EVERYBODY ELSE SAY.
'CAUSE I THINK THEY DO PROVIDE A GREAT SERVICE TO THE COMMUNITY.
AND I DO REMEMBER THE OLD BERNIE COMMUNITY CENTER LIKE MANY, MANY YEARS AGO.
AND YEAH, WE CAN'T, THE SERVICES THEY'RE PROVIDING IS NOTHING WE CAN GET THAT WE COULD PROVIDE WITHOUT A HUGE, HUGE INVESTMENT.
SO I THINK, WELL, AND THEY DO A GREAT JOB OF ACCESSING A PRIVATE DOLLARS FOUNDATION DOLLARS.
THEY DO, THEY DO, I THINK USE VERY EFFICIENTLY AND EFFECTIVELY THE, THE DOLLARS THAT THEY GET.
BUT THEY HAVE HAD A, A, A LOSS OF FUNDS FROM FEDERAL GRANTS AND SO FORTH, AND SO THEY ARE ASKING US TO, UH, PARTICIPATE A LITTLE BIT MORE.
THE, THE CALENDAR THAT WE GO THROUGH EVERY TIME THAT WE REVIEW THE BUDGET PROCESS, UM, THIS OF COURSE IS THE LISTING OF ALL THE UPCOMING AGENDA ITEMS THAT YOU CAN EXPECT BETWEEN NOW AND SEPTEMBER 9TH.
I HAVE ADDED TO THIS CALENDAR, UM, THE, THE DEBT ITEMS. SO THERE ARE A FEW MORE THAN THERE WERE THE LAST TIME WE MET.
OUR NEXT DISCUSSION WILL BE JULY 22ND, WE'LL HAVE A COMBINED, UM, CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROJECT AND UTILITIES WORKSHOP.
ALRIGHT, MAYOR, COUNSEL, THANK
[A. WRAP-UP ON THE 89th LEGISLATIVE SESSION.]
YOU VERY MUCH.WE'LL GO RIGHT INTO THE REPORT REALLY QUICKLY.
I'M GONNA ASK, UH, CHRISTIE STARK, ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER TO GIVE US, UH, HOPEFULLY OUR LAST LEGISLATIVE UPDATE FOR THIS YEAR.
WE CAN ONLY HOPE, UH, GOOD EVENING COUNCIL.
UM, I THINK I CAN SAY, UM, COLLECTIVELY AS CITIES ACROSS TEXAS, WHEN, UH, LEGISLATIVE SESSIONS END, WE ALL BREATHE A, YOU KNOW, A SIGH OF RELIEF, UM, AS WE, UH, SEE WHAT HAS PASSED, WHAT DID NOT PASS, AND THEN HOW THAT'S GONNA ACTUALLY AFFECT US, UM, IN THE WORK THAT WE DO EVERY DAY.
SO AS WE'VE LOOKED AT BEFORE, UM, AND I DO WANNA THANK, UM, UH, OUR INTERN, I BELIEVE IS CHARLIE STILL HERE? YES.
UM, SO OUR INTERN IN THE CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE, UH, CHARLIE GROVER, SHE HELPED, UH, PUT THIS PRESENTATION TOGETHER.
SHE AND SYRIA, AND I'M VERY THANKFUL FOR THE WORK THEY DID.
YOU KNOW, SHE'S ON HER, I THINK SECOND WEEK, SO, UM, AND ALREADY JUMPED IN AND DID THIS.
SO WE ARE VERY EXCITED TO HAVE HER AS PART OF OUR TEAM.
UM, YOU ALL KNOW THAT, THAT, UH, JUNE WAS THE END OF THE REGULAR SESSION.
UH, THE GOVERNOR HAD UNTIL THE 22ND TO VETO ANY BILLS.
THERE WERE SOME, A FEW THAT WERE VETOED, AND THEN HE CALLED A SPECIAL SESSION THAT WILL BEGIN JULY 21ST.
UM, THERE ARE A FEW THINGS THAT, UH, YOU CAN SEE HERE, UH, FOUR DIFFERENT SPECIAL SESSION KEY TOPICS.
THERE WILL BE MORE HE'LL ADD TO THAT.
UM, AND WE'LL, WE'LL GET TO HEAR, UM, YOU KNOW, EXACTLY WHAT ALL IS GONNA BE TALKED ABOUT.
BUT IN THIS LAST SESSION, THERE WERE OVER 9,000 BILLS THAT WERE, UH, FILED.
OVER 2000 OF THOSE WERE TRACKED BY TML THAT COULD POTENTIALLY AFFECT CITIES.
AND ABOUT 262 OF THOSE BILLS PASSED.
SO MANY OF THE BILLS THAT WE WENT THROUGH, UM, AND KIND OF BRIEFED ON EACH TIME THAT WE SPOKE ABOUT DID A LEGISLATIVE UPDATE.
UH, QUITE A FEW OF THOSE BILLS FAILED OR STALLED.
AND, AND THAT'S NOT, NOT A BAD THING.
UH, WE HAD A LOT OF INTEREST AND A LOT OF PARTICIPATION FROM CITIES ACROSS THE STATE, YOU KNOW, THAT REALLY TALKED TO THEIR LEGISLATORS THAT WENT AND SPOKE.
AND SO WORKED REALLY HARD ON SOME OF THE ONES THAT, THAT COULD HAVE BEEN VERY DETRIMENTAL TO CITIES.
UH, SEVERAL OF THE PROPERTIES AND SALES TAX, UH, BILLS FAILED.
THAT WOULD'VE AFFECTED, YOU KNOW, THE WAY THAT WE'RE ABLE TO, UH, DO OUR TAX RATES, OUR BUDGETS EVERY YEAR, UM, AS WELL AS, UH, EXPENDITURE CAPS, DEBT LIMITATIONS, AND THEN ALSO DIFFERENT THREE 80 AGREEMENT CHANGES.
SO ALL OF THOSE, UH, DID NOT MAKE IT THROUGH.
AGAIN, THE ETJ ELIMINATION BILL DID NOT PASS, UH, THIRD PARTY REVIEW FOR DIFFERENT DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS.
UH, THAT ONE DID NOT PASS, UM, ALLOWING ACCESSORY DWELLING UNITS BY RIGHT.
AND, UH, THEN ALSO, UH, WE HAD TALKED ABOUT RESIDENTIAL USES BEING ALLOWED ON RELIGIOUSLY OWNED LAND, AND THAT DID NOT MAKE IT THROUGH ONE THING THAT WE REALLY WOULD'VE LIKED TO HAVE HAPPENED.
I KNOW THAT, UM, LORI AND HER TEAM, UH, THE ONLINE PUBLIC NOTICES, WE WOULD'VE BEEN ABLE TO USE THAT, UH, RATHER THAN HAVING TO USE PRINTED, UH, NEWSPAPER.
AND SO UNFORTUNATELY THAT ONE DIDN'T, DIDN'T MAKE IT THROUGH.
AND THEN ALSO, UM, THE MOVING THE ELECTIONS TO NOVEMBER, WE THOUGHT THAT THAT MIGHT BE SOMETHING THAT WE WERE REQUIRED TO DO AND THAT DID NOT PASS.
AND THEN OF COURSE, WE'RE ALWAYS HAPPY WHEN WE DON'T HAVE TO BE, UH, RESPONSIBLE FOR DIFFERENT COSTS.
AND, UH, THE UTILITY RELOCATION COST BILL DID NOT PASS.
SO WHAT, WHAT DID PASS? AND, AND JUST SO YOU KNOW, UH, WE HAVE ALREADY BEGUN TALKING AS A, AS A STAFF TEAM, OUR LEADERSHIP TEAM GOING THROUGH HOW THESE ARE GONNA AFFECT EACH OF OUR DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS.
[01:40:01]
MORE OF THAT.UM, THERE, TML PUT OUT SOME GREAT INFORMATION FOR US.
AND SO WE'RE GONNA HA WE WILL HAVE OUR, OUR DIRECTORS LOOK AND SEE WHICH ONE OF THOSE AFFECT THEM.
ARE THERE SOME THINGS THAT WE NEED TO CHANGE, UH, THAT WE NEED TO, UM, UH, YOU KNOW, TO BE ABLE TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE IN COMPLIANCE WITH THESE DIFFERENT, WITH THESE DIFFERENT BILLS.
WE'RE JUST GONNA GO THROUGH A FEW OF THEM THAT BECAME LAW.
UM, AND IF YOU ALL HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, PLEASE LET ME KNOW.
I'LL TRY TO GO THROUGH THESE QUICKLY.
UM, IF YOU CAN BELIEVE IT, UH, SOME CITIES, UH, DO NOT DO AN AUDIT EVERY YEAR.
AND SO THANKFULLY THAT IS NOT THE CASE IN BERNIE.
UM, OUR FINANCE TEAM IS ON TOP OF THAT AND WE HAVE A AUDIT, SO THIS ONE WILL NOT AFFECT US REALLY.
UM, THERE WERE ALSO A FEW, UH, BILLS RELATED TO PUBLIC SAFETY AND CODE ENFORCEMENT, UH, THAT TALKS ABOUT DIFFERENT LICENSING REQUIREMENTS, UH, AS WELL AS SOME TRAINING REQUIREMENTS.
AND THEN, UH, THIS IS A GOOD ONE.
IT ALLOWS, UH, THE, UH, CODE ENFORCEMENT EFFORTS, ANY CITATIONS TO ACTUALLY GO THROUGH YOUR, YOUR MUNICIPAL COURT JURISDICTION AND SYSTEM.
SO THAT'S REALLY GOOD, RATHER THAN HAVING TO GO TO A DISTRICT COURT OR SOME OTHER COURT LAND USE.
UM, THERE WERE SEVERAL BILLS AND AND MOST OF THESE ARE EFFECTIVE SEPTEMBER 1ST, OR I'LL TELL YOU IF, IF THEY WERE EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY, OR, OR A FEW OF THEM REQUIRE AN ELECTION, UH, THEY'LL GO THROUGH IN NOVEMBER.
THEY'LL ACTUALLY BE ON OUR, OUR STATE BALLOT.
SO, UH, CONVERTING OFFICES TO MIXED USE OR MULTI-FAMILY RESIDENTIAL BUILDINGS THAT WOULD'VE BEEN ALLOWED BY WRIGHT.
IT DID PASS, BUT IT'S ONLY FOR LARGER CITIES, OVER 150,000.
UH, THIS NEXT ONE IS INTERESTING.
YOU KNOW, YOU, YOU KIND OF LOOK AT IT AND IT'S A LITTLE BIT FRIGHTENING AT FIRST, UM, ALLOWING A SINGLE STAIRCASE, UH, MULTI-STORY RESIDENTIAL BUILDING.
SO USUALLY IN A, IN A RESIDENTIAL BUILDING, YOU HAVE TO HAVE MORE THAN ONE, UH, STAIRCASE IS AN EXIT.
BUT WHEN YOU READ THE BILL, IT'S ACTUALLY JUST DESIGNED FOR VERY SMALL MULTI-STORY.
UM, LIKE YOU CAN ONLY HAVE FOUR UNITS PER FLOOR AND, UH, I THINK IT'S A MAX OF SIX FLOORS, ONLY FOUR UNITS PER FLOOR.
SO THIS IS A, A VERY SMALL MULTI-UNIT PROJECT.
AND OF COURSE, IT HAS TO BE SPRINKLED IN THE WHOLE, UH, THING TO ALLOW FOR ADDITIONAL SAFETY.
UH, THEY DID INCREASE THE, UH, DEVELOPMENT MOR MORATORIUM LIMITATIONS, WHICH THAT'S, YOU KNOW, UM, THAT'S REALLY NOT SOMETHING THAT'S GONNA APPLY IN BERNIE.
UH, BUT THEY HAVE MADE IT HARDER FOR CITIES TO DECLARE MORATORIUMS. AND THEN ALSO THE IMPACT FEE LIMITATIONS.
SO WE'RE GONNA BE LIMITED AS CITIES ARE LIMITED NOW ON HOW OFTEN THAT THEY CAN UPDATE THEIR IMPACT FEES.
AND SO YOU CAN'T, UH, UPDATE THOSE, UM, MORE THAN ONE TIME EVERY THREE YEARS.
AND THERE'S ALSO SOME OTHER, YOU ALL WOULD HAVE TO, UM, IT'D HAVE TO BE A SUPER MAJORITY, UH, VOTE, UH, FOR THOSE TO BE CHANGED.
SO IT'S GONNA REALLY MAKE IT, THE IMPACT FEE PROCESS WAS ALREADY INTRICATE, AND THIS HAS JUST MADE IT, UH, EVEN MORE DIFFICULT.
SO IT'LL BE INTERESTING TO SEE HOW THIS AFFECTS CITIES.
UM, THERE IS A, THERE IS A, THE BUILDUP PASSED THAT WOULD ALLOW DIS ANNEXATION OF CERTAIN AREAS, UH, FOR LACK OF CITY WATER AND SEWER SERVICE.
YOU KNOW, THERE'S GONNA BE MORE, UH, STUDY AND REVIEW ON THIS ONE.
UH, IF, IF AN AREA HAD A SERVICE PLAN THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, STATED WHO THEIR WATER OR SEWER PROVIDER WAS, UM, IT SEEMS THAT THOSE WOULD NOT BE ELIGIBLE FOR, FOR, UH, DES ANNEXATION, BUT WE'LL LEARN MORE ABOUT THAT AS THIS GOES ALONG.
OR IF THEY HAD A DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENT, UH, SOMETHING THAT WAS WRITTEN.
AND THEN THE ZONING PROTEST REFORM.
THIS JUST MAKES IT, UM, HARDER FOR, UH, IT REQUIRES A HIGHER PERCENTAGE OF PROPERTY OWNERS TO COME FORWARD TO PROTEST THE ZONING CHANGE.
AND, UH, SO WE'LL MAKE SURE THAT OUR, OUR PLANNING FOLKS, UM, ARE UP TO DATE ON THAT INFORMATION.
AND WE'LL PROBABLY HAVE TO CHANGE OUR CODE, UH, BASED ON SOME OF THESE, UH, NEW LAWS.
SO THIS, THIS HB 1522 A DOOZY.
UM, THIS ONE IS EFFECTIVE SEPTEMBER 1ST.
SO IT COMPLETELY CHANGES OUR PUBLIC NOTICE REQUIREMENTS.
AND, UH, YOU KNOW, WHAT WE HAVE TO DO, NOT ONLY FOR CITY COUNCIL MEETINGS, BUT ALSO OUR OTHER BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS THAT ARE SUBJECT TO OPEN MEETING RULES.
AND, UH, IT MAKES US HAVE TO A CITY HAVE TO POST OUR AGENDA, UH, MUCH EARLIER.
SO WHERE WE ARE, WE HAVE BEEN ABLE TO POST AN AGENDA, UH, FOR COUNCIL ON A FRIDAY EVENING, UH, WITH THE MEETING ON TUESDAY.
THIS WILL REQUIRE THREE BUSINESS DAYS PRIOR TO THE DATE OF THE MEETING.
SO, UH, IN THIS CASE, WE WOULD HAVE TO POST THE AGENDA ON, UH, WEDNESDAY EVENING AND THEN THURSDAY, FRIDAY, AND MONDAY WOULD COUNT AS THE THREE DAYS PRIOR.
BUT IF YOU THROW A HOLIDAY IN THERE, UH, THAT TAKES A DAY AWAY.
SO IT'S GONNA BE, YOU KNOW, WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO PUT CALENDARS OUT AND, AND FIGURE THAT OUT.
THE GOOD THING IS THAT YOU DON'T HAVE TO HAVE THE WHOLE PACKET, UH, AVAILABLE ON THAT DAY.
SO, YOU KNOW, IF WE DECIDE TO DO THAT A DAY LATER, THAT WOULD GIVE, YOU KNOW, OUR STAFF A LITTLE BIT MORE TIME TO MAKE SURE THAT EVERYTHING IS DONE CORRECTLY AND, AND IS THE WAY WE WANT IT, UH, PRIOR TO THE MEETING.
UM, LOTS OF STUFF ON CYBERSECURITY.
THIS ONE IS JUST A CONFIDENTIALITY OF CYBERSECURITY,
[01:45:01]
WHICH, UM, YOU KNOW, SEEMS LIKE A NO-BRAINER.UM, JUST MEANS THAT WE'RE ABLE TO KEEP SPECIFIC CONVERSATIONS, UH, CONFIDENTIAL AND THEY'RE NOT, THEY'RE NOT, UH, SUBJECT TO, UH, PUBLIC RECORDS AND, AND PUBLIC NOTIFICATION.
UM, YOU ALL NOW HAVE THE RIGHT OF ACCESS TO PUBLIC INFORMATION.
SO, UM, THE REQUEST THAT THAT COUNCIL MEMBERS WOULD MAKE, AND I THINK THIS WAS PUT IN PLACE AS A RESULT OF SOMETHING THAT HAPPENED IN A, IN A CITY IN TEXAS, UH, JUST TO MAKE SURE THAT THAT, UH, ELECTED OFFICIALS HAVE THE RIGHT TO GAIN TO ACCESS PUBLIC INFORMATION.
AND THEN I'LL JUST ADD, COUNCIL MEMBERS ALWAYS HAD RIGHTS TO IT.
THERE WAS A VERY PARTICULAR SITUATION WHERE A COUNCIL MEMBER WANTED INFORMATION, BUT AS THEY WENT THROUGH THE OPEN RECORDS LAW, 'CAUSE YOU KNOW, WE'RE GONNA BE VERY STICKLER ON OBEYING THE LAW, THE ATTORNEY GENERAL ACTUALLY WEIGH AND SAID, NO, THEY CAN'T HAVE ACCESS TO THAT.
AND SO THIS KIND OF CLARIFIED A REALLY ODD OFF THE WALL SITUATION, YOU KNOW, AND YOU SEE A LOT OF LEGISLATION THAT COMES OUT OF THINGS LIKE THAT.
AND THIS IS ONE OF THOSE INSTANCES, UM, AGAIN, BALLOT LANGUAGE.
IF YOU HAVE, UH, SOMETHING ON THE BALLOT SUCH AS A GENERAL OBLIGATION, UH, BOND ELECTION, YOU HAVE TO PUT WORDING THAT SAYS THIS IS A TAX INCREASE, WHICH WE WOULD, YOU KNOW, OF COURSE, UM, ALWAYS DO.
SO, UM, AND THEN, OH, TEXAS WATER FUND.
THIS IS A, THIS ONE WILL BE ON THE BALLOT IN NOVEMBER.
SO FROM THE CONVERSATIONS THAT WE JUST HAD TONIGHT THAT, THAT, UH, MR. MANN WENT OVER WITH, UH, THE AMOUNT OF MONEY THAT IT WOULD COST FOR US TO PARTICIPATE IN THE GBRA, UH, WATER, UM, IF WE WANTED TO DO THAT, AND THEN ALSO PUT IN THE INFRASTRUCTURE.
SO, UH, WHAT THIS BILL DOES, UH, THERE WAS A BILL IN THE HOUSE AND THE SENATE THAT, UM, $1 BILLION WOULD BE PUT, UM, FOR 20 YEARS WOULD BE SET ASIDE FOR DIFFERENT WATER PROJECTS SO AT THE END OF THE 20 YEARS, YOU WOULD HAVE $20 BILLION.
HOWEVER, IF YOU REALIZE THAT WHAT WE WERE TALKING ABOUT WAS HALF A BILLION DOLLARS JUST FOR WHAT WE WERE, UH, WOULD HAVE TO DO, AND THAT DOESN'T COVER EVERYTHING.
YOU SEE THAT THIS IS NOT GONNA BE NEARLY ENOUGH MONEY WHAT FOR, FOR THE NEEDS THAT ARE IN TEXAS, BUT, YOU KNOW, AT LEAST IT IS A START.
AND THAT WILL BE ON THE BALLOT FOR US TO VOTE FOR, VOTE ON IN NOVEMBER.
UH, CITY ADMINISTRATION, THERE'S NUMEROUS, UM, NEW LAWS ON AI AND DISCLOSURES THAT CITIES HAVE TO MAKE, AS WELL AS THE TRAINING THAT HAS TO BE DONE WITH CITY STAFF.
AND WE WILL, OF COURSE, BE COMPLYING WITH THOSE.
UM, WE'VE DECIDED WE MAY JUST HAVE TO DO A FULL DAY OF TRAINING, UH, WITH ALL THE DIFFERENT REQUIREMENTS THAT WE HAVE FROM, FROM THE STATE.
UH, AGAIN, COMPETITIVE BIDDING FOR LOBBYING OVER $100,000.
UH, THIS ACTUALLY WOULD APPLY, UH, TO OUR CONTRACT WITH THE NORMANDY GROUP WHO HELPS US WITH OUR, UH, GRANT FUNDING SINCE THEY ARE A REGISTERED LOBBYIST.
HOWEVER, AS LONG AS WE KEEP THEIR CONTRACT UNDER A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS A YEAR, THEN UM, WE WOULD NOT HAVE TO TAKE THIS OUT.
UM, WE WOULD NOT HAVE TO DO COMPETITIVE BIDDING EVERY YEAR.
IF WE DECIDE WE WANT TO DO THAT, THAT'S ABSOLUTELY OUR OPTION.
BUT, UH, IF THE CONTRACT EVER GOES OVER A HUNDRED THOUSAND, YOU'RE REQUIRED TO DO THAT.
AND THEN, OF COURSE, SB 1173 THAT WE'RE ALL, WE ARE ALL HAPPY TO SEE, UH, THAT THAT RAISES THE COMPETITIVE BIDDING THREAT THRESHOLD, UH, TO $100,000.
SO THAT ALLOWS US JUST TO BE ABLE TO BE MORE EFFICIENT IN, UH, IN WORKING WITH OUR OUTSIDE CONTRACTORS AS WELL AS THE CONTRACTS THAT WE HAVE.
UH, WE DO HAVE TO DO SOME POSTING FOR, UH, OUR SOLID WASTE FRANCHISE AGREEMENT, AND NICK GNA WILL BE TAKING CARE OF THAT.
UH, HE IS, HE IS LOOKING AT THIS TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE IN COMPLIANCE.
AND THEN THERE WERE NUMEROUS, UH, LAWS THAT WERE PASSED IN RELATION TO, UM, FOOD ESTABLISHMENTS, FOOD TRUCKS.
AND SO WE'RE GONNA MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE IN COMPLIANCE WITH THOSE.
UH, IT REGULATES, UH, HOW FEES ARE CHARGED, WHO IS RESPONSIBLE FOR ACTUALLY DOING PERMITS AND LICENSES FOR THOSE.
AND IT'S KIND OF MOVING A LOT OF THAT STUFF TO THE STATE AND TAKING IT AWAY FROM CITIES AND COUNTIES.
SO WE'LL MAKE SURE THAT, THAT OUR, UM, NOT ONLY THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT, BUT ALSO, UH, CODE ENFORCEMENT IS IN, IS IN, UH, STEP WITH, WITH THESE NEW LAWS.
AND EVEN THOUGH THERE WERE MORE, THERE'S ABOUT 200 MORE, UH, I'M PRETTY SURE YOU GUYS ARE HAPPY TO NOT HEAR THOSE.
UM, ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS THAT I COULD ANSWER FOR YOU? ONE QUESTION ON THE IMPACT FEES.
UM, YOU SAID EVERY THREE YEARS MM-HMM
SO THEN, UM, A STAFF'S THOUGHT PROCESS, OBVIOUSLY, LIKE NEXT TIME WE'RE LOOKING AT IT, THEN WE'LL HAVE TO BE A PRETTY LONG, LONG-TERM STUDY, RIGHT? WHICH IS COMPLICATED.
AND YOU KNOW, WHAT IT, WHAT IT ACT, AND OF COURSE, YOU KNOW, UM, DIRECTOR MANN IS THE EXPERT ON THIS, BUT YOU KNOW, YOU BASE YOUR, YOUR IMPACT FEES ON YOUR ASSETS.
AND SO YOU'RE, WE'RE REALLY GONNA HAVE TO BE STRATEGIC IN LOOKING AT, OKAY, WE HAVE THESE NEW PROJECTS LIKE, LIKE OUR WASTEWATER, OUR WATER PLANT, YOU KNOW, AND IF THAT'S GOING TO GIVE US ADDITIONAL SERVICE CAPACITY, YOU KNOW, MAYBE PART OF THOSE PROJECTS WILL BE ABLE TO BE INCLUDED IN OUR, IN OUR IMPACT
[01:50:01]
FEES.UM, SO WE'RE REALLY GONNA HAVE TO BE STRATEGIC AND GET READY AND KNOW, HEY, YOU KNOW, WE CAN ONLY DO IT THIS, THIS MANY TIMES AND SAY 15 YEARS.
SO WE NEED TO, WE NEED TO REALLY BE DILIGENT AND IF WE, WE NEED TO KNOW WHEN THAT THREE YEAR TRIGGER IS AND BE READY TO GO AND, UH, AND, YOU KNOW, ADJUST THOSE IF NEEDED.
[B. BOERNE LISTENS - A COMMUNITY SURVEY FOLLOW-UP REGARDING UNIQUE COMMUNITY CHARM.]
WE'RE GONNA DO A, UH, KIND OF ONE MORE UPDATE ON OUR CITIZEN SURVEY.WE WANNA TALK ABOUT UNIQUE COMMUNITY CHARM, AND I'VE ASKED DANNY TO KIND OF LEAVE THAT CONVERSATION TONIGHT.
MAYOR, COUNCIL, FIRST OF ALL, I JUST WANNA SAY, CHRISTIE, THANK YOU SO MUCH.
UH, AFTER SPENDING SIX HOURS IN THE LAST ONE OF THOSE LEGISLATIVE UPDATES THAT WE DID, UH, I'M REAL, REALLY EXCITED TO GET THAT OVER A LOT MORE SUCCINCTLY, SO YOU'RE VERY WELCOME, MAYOR.
AS, AS BEN SAID, WE'RE GONNA HAVE ANOTHER INSTALLMENT OF OUR BERNIE LISTENS, AND TONIGHT WE'RE GONNA TALK ABOUT, UH, UNIQUE COMMUNITY CHARM.
UH, BEFORE WE DO THAT, I JUST WANNA REMIND YOU, UH, THIS IS A BIANNUAL SURVEY, THE LAST ONE CONDUCTED IN DECEMBER.
UM, AND WE HAD ABOUT 1600 COMPLETED SURVEYS.
ABOUT 75% OF THOSE ARE CITY RESIDENTS.
AND THE SURVEY MEASURED CITY FACILITIES, CITY, UH, QUALITIES AND BENEFITS, DEVELOPMENT AND GROWTH, SAFETY AND SECURITY, AND MOBILITY AND INFRASTRUCTURE.
SO WE'LL GO AHEAD AND START WITH DISTRICT ONE.
BERNIE NEEDS MORE OPEN SPACE AND PLACES FOR CHILDREN TO PLAY AND ENGAGE IN OUTDOOR SPORTS.
I SEE KIDS PLAYING IN THE STREETS ALL THE TIME, OR IN TINY FRONT YARDS.
I'M HAPPY THAT THEY'RE OUTSIDE, BUT, UM, PLEASE WORK ON WIDENING SIDEWALKS AND REMOVING MAILBOXES FROM THEM.
BERNIE COULD BE A GREAT PLACE TO WALK AND BIKE, BUT IS SO VERY DANGEROUS RIGHT NOW.
SINCE THE TRAILS ARE NOT CONNECTED, UH, CONTINUE ATTRACTING BUSINESSES TO MAIN STREET, PLEASE.
WE LOVE BERNIE AND WANT MAIN STREET TO CONTINUE TO GROW AND BE AN ATTRACTIVE DOWNTOWN DESTINATION FOR VISITORS AND RESIDENTS.
ALSO, MORE FREE PARKING IS NEEDED.
BERNIE NEEDS A DOG PARK, AND WE NEED DESIGNATED PICKLEBALL COURTS WITH PAINTED LINES.
I NEED A WALKING BIKE TRAIL BETWEEN BENWOOD AND ESPERANZA FOR SAFETY OF CHILDREN WALKING AND RIDING BIKES ON HER TO HERFF ELEMENTARY, BERNIE HIGH SCHOOL AND CHAMPION HIGH SCHOOL.
AND WE NEED A PLAYGROUND APPROPRIATE FOR TODDLERS.
THAT PLAYGROUND NEEDS TO BE ON NORTH MAIN, ON THE NORTH MAIN AREA.
WE LOVE GOING TO THE LIBRARY AND WALKING ON THE TRAILS.
EVERYONE I MET IN THE LIBRARY AND AT THE PARK EVENT WAS SUPER NICE AND HELPFUL.
PLEASE CONTINUE TO MAKE SURE THESE AREAS STAY FIRST, RATE, KEEP AND IMPROVE THE WALKABILITY OF THE CITY BALANCE, PRESERVATION OF HISTORIC SPACES WITH INNOVATION AND AREAS NEEDED TO NEEDING A BOOST.
INVEST IN PREVENTATIVE MEASURES TO IMPROVE QUALITY OF LIFE, HOWEVER THAT LOOKS.
KEEPING BERNIE AS A QUIET, QUAINT FAMILY COMMUNITY WITH A SMALL SENSE OF SMALL TOWN SENSE IS IMPORTANT.
WHY ARE THERE NEVER ANY RECREATIONAL IMPROVEMENTS SOUTH OF RIVER ROAD? NO PARKS OF THE, LIKE, WHY IS THERE ONLY ONE PARK LIKE KINDER PARK? I DON'T KNOW THE PARKING LOT AT BERNIE CITY LAKE IS TOO SMALL, OR BERNIE CITY PARK IS TOO SMALL.
PLEASE MAKE SURE WE KEEP THE AUTHENTIC HILL COUNTRY, SMALL GERMAN TOWN.
FEEL THE EVENTS PRESERVATION AND NATURAL BEAUTY ARE EXTREMELY IMPORTANT.
SO, AS WE SAID, WE'VE HAD, UH, SEVERAL OF THESE CONVERSATIONS.
THIS ONE IS A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT.
AND I'LL TELL YOU, UH, IN THE 14 PLUS YEARS THAT I'VE BEEN HERE AND I'VE SAT THROUGH COMP PLAN MEETINGS AND WE'VE SAT THROUGH MASTER PLAN MEETINGS AND WE'VE SAT THROUGH, UH, CONVERSATIONS WITH THE PUBLIC COMMUNITY, CHARM IS ALWAYS KIND OF THE CENTER OF THAT DISCUSSION.
WHEN WE START TALKING ABOUT WHAT WE WANNA MAKE SURE, UH, THAT WE PRESERVE IN BERNIE, WHAT WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE KEEP BERNIE BEING THE TOUGH THING ABOUT, IT'S, IT'S ALWAYS BEEN THE HARDEST TO DEFINE.
WE HAVE A LOT OF CONVERSATIONS ABOUT A LOT OF DIFFERENT THINGS, BUT COMMUNITY CHARM IS KIND OF WHEN IT'S DIFFERENT FOR EVERYBODY.
AND SO I THOUGHT THIS WAS A REALLY GOOD KIND OF STATEMENT.
COMMUNITY CHARM ISN'T JUST ONE THING, IT'S EVERYTHING THAT WE VALUE AND IT'S ALL PUT TOGETHER.
AND SO AS WE START KIND OF LOOKING AT THAT, UM, WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THESE FIRST THREE MOBILITY AND TRAFFIC, SMART GROWTH AND PUBLIC SAFETY IN PREVIOUS CONVERSATIONS.
AND I REALLY WANNA FOCUS ON SOME OF THESE OTHER AREAS TODAY.
BEAUTIFICATION, COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT, UH, HISTORY, TRADI TRADITION, HERITAGE ARTS AND CULTURE AND PARKS AND OPEN SPACES, AND THE ROLE THAT THEY PLAY, UH, IN US CREATING COMMUNITY CHARM, UH, HERE IN BERNIE.
SO TO START WITH THAT, I JUST WANNA TALK ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF THE TOOLS THAT WE HAVE FOR
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US TO PRESERVE THAT COMMUNITY CHARM AS WE'RE WORKING THROUGH DEVELOPMENT, AS WE'RE WORKING THROUGH, UH, THE PROJECTS THAT WE PUT IN PLACE, AND IT'S, UH, VERY VISIBLE IN OUR STRATEGY MAP.WE HAVE FOUR PILLARS, AND ONE OF THOSE IS COMMUNITY CHARM.
AND SO WE SH WE RIGHT OFF THE BAT REMIND PEOPLE HOW IMPORTANT THAT IS, UH, BASED ON ALL OF THOSE CONVERSATIONS THAT WE HAVE.
WE HAVE A 10 YEAR ROLLING PLAN THAT CONSISTS OF OUR COMPREHENSIVE MASTER PLAN, PARKS PLAN, LIBRARY, MASTER PLAN, MOBILITY, MASTER PLAN, ARTS AND CULTURE MASTER PLAN.
ALL OF THOSE THINGS ARE THE TOOLS THAT WE UTILIZE, UM, ON A DAY-TO-DAY BASIS TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE PRESERVING OUR SMALL COMMUNITY CHARM.
WE ADDED QUESTIONS IN THERE AND WE HAD COMMENTS IN THERE ABOUT WHERE DO PARKS GO? WHERE DO WE CONNECT TRAILS? HOW DO WE CONNECT TRAILS? THESE PLANS ARE HOW WE DESIGNATE THOSE.
THESE PLANS ARE HOW WE STUDY WHERE THE NEXT PARK NEEDS TO BE, WHERE THE NEED NEEDS TO BE, WHERE, UH, THE NEXT FIRE STATION NEEDS TO BE.
ALL OF THOSE THINGS AS WE'RE LOOKING AT IT, THESE PLANS ARE OUR GUIDE.
THEY'RE ALSO, THE MOBILITY MASTER PLAN ISN'T JUST WHERE THE ROADS NEED TO GO, IT'S ALSO OUR PEDESTRIAN MA UH, MASTER PLAN.
AND SO WHEN WE'RE LOOKING AT, UH, WHERE THOSE ROADS NEED TO GO, AS THINGS START TO DEVELOP, IF YOU LOOK ON THAT MAP, IT ALSO SHOWS, UH, EXISTING AND FUTURE AND PROPOSED TRAIL SYSTEMS INSIDE THOSE, UH, UH, PROPERTIES AS WELL.
AND SO AS THOSE START TO DEVELOP, WE GET THOSE CONNECTIONS THAT WE KNOW THAT WE WANT TO GET, UM, WITH THOSE DEVELOPMENTS AS WELL.
AND THEN, IF YOU'LL REMEMBER, THE URBAN CORRIDOR DESIGN GUIDE THAT WE PUT TOGETHER, UH, NOT ONLY DOES THAT ACT AS A GUIDE FOR US AS WE START TO PUT TOGETHER ROUNDABOUTS AS WE PUT TOGETHER TRAIL HEADS AND PARK CONNECTIONS, BUT IT ALSO ALLOWS US TO PROVIDE THAT, THAT, THAT TO OUR DEVELOPERS AS WE COME IN TO, SO THAT THEY CAN SEE WHAT THOSE THINGS THAT ARE IMPORTANT, UH, THAT WE WANNA SEE THOSE MATERIALS, THAT WE WANNA SEE THOSE SAME CONCEPTS CARRIED FAR FURTHER IN THEIR DEVELOPMENT SO THAT WE GET THIS CONSISTENT LOOK AND FEEL, UH, THAT CREATES THAT CHARM.
AND THEN, OF COURSE, OUR UNIFIED DEVELOPMENT CODE, WHICH HAS TOOLS INSIDE IT.
MOST IMPORTANTLY, UM, IT WAS PARKLAND DEDICATION.
UM, THIS WAS A NEW, UH, INSTALLATION IN WHEN WE PUT THE UNIFIED DEVELOPMENT CODE THAT SAYS, HEY, IF YOU'RE GONNA DEVELOP, YOU'RE GONNA HAVE AN IMPACT ON OUR PARK SYSTEM, AND YOU'RE GONNA HAVE TO PROVIDE FOR THAT PARK SYSTEM, EITHER BY PROVIDING PARK OR PROVIDING FEE IN LIEU OF, UH, ON THE IMPACT OF THAT SYSTEM.
SO, UM, BUT OF COURSE THE TREE MITIGATION IS A BIG PART OF THAT AND THE LID REQUIREMENTS THAT ARE LOCATED INSIDE THAT UNIFIED DEVELOPMENT CODE.
SO LET'S LOOK A LITTLE BIT MORE INTO HOW THOSE PLANS HELP US, UM, AND HOW WE UTILIZE THOSE.
SO THESE PLANS KEEP US ALIGNED WITH OUR MISSION, OUR VI VISION, AND OUR COMMUNITY VALUES.
THEY KEEP US FOCUSED ON THE PRIORITIES THAT WE'VE SET AMONG THOSE PLANS SO THAT WE, WE DON'T GET SHINY ITEM SYNDROME.
WE DON'T SAY, OH, THAT'S A A NEAT LITTLE THING THAT WE NEED TO GO DO.
IT'S JUST CAME UP AND WE GO DO IT WHEN WE HAVE A LOT OF OTHER PRIORITIES THAT HAVE ALREADY BEEN IDENTIFIED.
IF EVERYTHING'S A PRIORITY, THEN NOTHING'S A PRIORITY.
THOSE THINGS THAT WE'VE IDENTIFIED AS KEY PROJECTS AND, AND UH, INITIATIVES, UH, THESE PLANS KEEP US PREPARED.
UH, THEY KEEP US, UH, IN LINE WITH OUR PREPARING OUR FUTURE BUDGETS AND RESOURCE ALLOCATION.
UH, THESE PLANS KEEP US TRANSPARENT AND ACCOUNTABLE.
THEY'RE THE PREP, THE PLAYBOOK, THE RESIDENTS HAVE IT, THEY'RE ON OUR WEBSITE.
THEY'RE UPDATED EVERY YEAR IN THAT 10 YEAR ROLLING PLAN.
THEY KNOW WHAT THOSE PRIORITIES THAT HAVE BEEN IDENTIFIED IS, AND THOSE PROJECTS AND THOSE INITIATIVES, AND THEY'RE UPDATED EVERY YEAR.
AND THESE PLANS KEEP US COORDINATED ACROSS DEPARTMENTS, ACROSS PROJECTS.
UH, GOOD GOOD EXAMPLE OF THAT IS THE ADLER ROAD PROJECT AND THE PARK PROJECT.
ANY PROJECT THAT WE DO HERE INSIDE THE CITY, UM, IS NOT EVER JUST GONNA INVOLVE ONE DEPARTMENT.
THERE'S ALWAYS GONNA BE MULTIPLE DEPARTMENTS INVOLVED IN THOSE PROJECTS.
AND THIS HELPS US KEEP COORDINATED.
AND THESE PLANS HELP US BE ACTIVATED, TURNING THIS COMMUNITY FEEDBACK.
EVERY ONE OF THESE PLANS ARE COMMUNITY FEEDBACK, COUNCIL FEEDBACK, STAFF FEEDBACK PUT INTO ACTION.
AND SO THESE PLANS HELP US STAY ACTIVATED.
SO LET'S TALK ABOUT SOME OF THE OTHER WAYS THAT WE DIRECTLY AFFECT THE COMMUNITY CULTURE.
AND WE HAVE A COUPLE OF DEPARTMENTS THAT ARE VERY UPFRONT AND, UH, UPFRONT AND CENTER IN PROVIDING THIS.
PARKS AND RECREATION DEPARTMENT IS ONE OF THOSE DEPARTMENTS.
I MAY BE A LITTLE BIT BIASED THERE, UH, BUT I THINK THEY DO AN AMAZING JOB ON THE RIGHT SIDE.
YOU SEE, UH, THE COVER OF THIS YEAR'S 2025 RECREATION PARKS AND RECREATION GUIDEBOOK FROM THE FRONT COVER TO THE BACK COVER IS FULL OF INFORMATION.
IT'S FULL OF ALL OF THE PROGRAMS, THE COMMUNITY EVENTS, ALL OF THE OFFERINGS THAT BOTH US AND OUR COMMUNITY PARTNERS HAVE.
SO WHEN SOMEONE MOVES TO TOWN, UM, THEY HAVE THAT GUIDEBOOK THAT SAYS, HOW CAN I GET CONNECTED TO THE COMMUNITY? HOW CAN I SEE WHAT'S GOING ON AND WHAT'S AVAILABLE OUT THERE FOR ME TO GET INVOLVED IN? UH, THE OTHER TWO PICTURES ARE GREAT EXAMPLES OF PROJECTS THAT THE PARKS, PARKS DEPARTMENT'S BEEN INVOLVED IN WITH COMMUNITY PARTNERS.
THE CENTER PICTURE, THERE IS AMY'S PLAYGROUND, UH, THAT WE JUST DEDICATED RECENTLY.
THERE WAS A RESULT OF PARKS FOUNDATION, A PRIVATE
[02:00:01]
DONOR, UH, AND THE PARKS DEPARTMENT ALL WORKING TOGETHER TO GIVE SOMETHING THAT OUR CITIZENS HAVE BEEN ASKING FOR.ENHANCED PLAYGROUND FEATURES, UM, AND, AND A AN ACCESSIBLE PLAYGROUND FEATURE.
AND THEN OF COURSE, OUR ARBOR DAY CELEBRATION ON THE LEFT.
GREAT PARTNERS IN THE ROTARY CLUB, BERNIE ROTARY CLUB, UM, BURETT ARBOR CARE, UM, AS A, AS A SMALL PART ONCE A YEAR.
BUT OVERALL, OUR TREE CITY USA PROGRAM, UM, LIKE I SAY IN THE 14 PLUS YEARS THAT I'VE BEEN HERE, IS PLANTED THOUSANDS OF TREES.
AND TREE CITY USA, A LOT OF CONFUSION ON IT.
PEOPLE, UH, ASK ABOUT IT, BUT IT IS ABOUT THE TREES AND THE PROTECTION OF THE TREES THAT ARE ON OUR PUBLIC PROPERTY THAT WE MAINTAIN AS THE CITY OF BURN.
SO THAT'S, THAT'S THOUSANDS OF TREES THAT HAVE BEEN PLANTED THROUGH THAT PROGRAM ON CITY PROPERTY, ON PUBLIC PROPERTY THAT PEOPLE HAVE ACCESS TO, TO ENJOY.
WE, WE HAD A LOT OF THOSE COMMENTS THAT, THAT TALKED ABOUT.
WE NEED OPEN SPACE, WE NEED TRAILS, WE NEED PLAYGROUND SPACES.
REALLY EXCITED ABOUT THIS PROJECT IS A VOTER APPROVED PROJECT.
YOU GUYS GOT A A A GOOD UPDATE ON THIS PROJECT, BUT I JUST WANNA EMPHASIZE HOW EXCITED WE ARE TO HIT SO MANY OF THOSE, UH, REQUESTS AND NEEDS THAT THE COMMUNITY HAS MADE PRE UH, MADE APPARENT TO US.
UH, SO REALLY EXCITED ABOUT THIS.
HOPE TO, UH, GET THIS UNDERWAY AFTER THE FIRST OF THE YEAR.
AND THEN SOME OF THESE, THESE OTHER THINGS THAT WE WANNA TALK ABOUT, UH, THE ABILITY FOR US TO PUT ON THESE LARGE COMMUNITY EVENTS, THE TWO TOP PICTURES THERE, THE MOVING THE PARK, THIS IS A FREE EVENT, BRINGS COMMUNITY TOGETHER.
IT GIVES YOU A CHANCE TO SIT DOWN WITH YOUR NEIGHBORS.
UM, WE HAVE COMMUNITY PARTNERS THAT ARE A PART OF THESE, UH, EVENTS AS WELL, PROVIDING PREMO ACTIVITIES.
UM, AND THEN OF COURSE, UH, THE DISCUSSION ABOUT OUR GERMAN HERITAGE AND, AND, UH, THE, UH, VERDE VILLAGE BAND AS WELL AS THE CONCERT BAND.
THE PARKS, UH, SPONSOR SEVERAL OF THESE, UH, THROUGHOUT THE SUMMER THAT ALLOW PEOPLE, AGAIN, TO COME TO THE PARK FOR FREE, MEET WITH THEIR NEIGHBORS AND THEIR COMMUNITY, AND BE A PART OF THESE, THESE, UH, GREAT PROJECTS.
ON THE BOTTOM LEFT, OF COURSE, THE UPDATE TO OUR RIVER ROAD PROJECT.
AND THEN ON THE RIGHT, PROBABLY ONE OF OUR MOST, UH, REQUESTED OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS WAS TO ADD RESTROOMS AND WATER FOUNTAINS TO KINDER PARK.
KINDER PARK WAS SUCH A, A GREAT PROJECT, UM, BUT IT WAS A SMALL PROJECT, AND IT DIDN'T, IT DIDN'T INCLUDE AT THAT TIME THE RESTROOM AND, AND, UH, WATER FOUNTAIN.
AND SO GETTING THESE ADDITIONS INTO THAT PARK HAVE BEEN A TREMENDOUS ASSET.
THE OTHER DEPARTMENT THAT HAS A REALLY BIG UPFRONT ROLE IN PROVIDING, UH, THIS, THIS SENSE OF COMMUNITY CHARM IS OUR LIBRARY, UH, PETRO CHIEF PUBLIC LIBRARY DEPARTMENT.
AND AS YOU CAN SEE UP ON THE TOP LEFT, THIS IS, UH, JUST A FEW WEEKS AGO HERE, UH, DURING THE SUMMER, THEY BRING ANIMALS IN EACH WEEK FOR THE KIDDOS TO BE AROUND.
I, I'M REALLY, UH, IMPRESSED BY HOW BRAVE THOSE LITTLE ONES ARE.
UH, THAT SNAKES LOOKS LIKE THEY COULD EAT EVERY ONE OF THEM AT ONE TIME.
UH, BUT IF YOU'VE EVER BEEN HERE WHEN THIS IS GOING ON, YOU DON'T LEAVE CITY HALL DURING THIS EVENT BECAUSE YOUR PARKING SPACE WILL BE TAKEN AND YOU WON'T GET IT BACK.
YOU'LL HAVE TO WAIT UNTIL AFTER LUNCH TO COME BACK AND, AND PARK AT CITY HALL.
UH, TREMENDOUS SUPPORT OF THAT PROGRAM.
ON THE BOTTOM LEFT, YOU SEE OUR BOOK FESTIVAL THIS YEAR THAT WAS HELD ON, ON, UH, MAIN PLAZA, UM, WHERE IT GAVE US, GAVE THE OPPORTUNITY FOR FOLKS TO IN, UH, INTERACT WITH OUR, OUR, UH, LIBRARY FOUNDATION AND OUR PATRICK KEITH PUBLIC LIBRARY, OUR LOCAL AUTHORS, UM, AND GET A CHANCE TO HEAR AND TALK TO THEM DIRECTLY.
AND THEN PROBABLY THE THING THAT WE'RE MOST EXCITED ABOUT, UM, IS OUR BOOKMOBILE, UH, THAT WE'RE WORKING ON NOW, IT'S BEING BUILT RIGHT NOW, ALLOW US TO EXTEND SERVICES AND MEET PEOPLE WHERE THEY'RE AT, UM, AND DO THINGS THAT WE HAVEN'T BEEN ABLE TO DO IN THE PAST.
WE'RE REALLY EXCITED ABOUT THE POTENTIAL, UH, OF THE EXPANSION OF THE LIBRARY SERVICES WITH THAT BOOK MOBILE.
AND, UM, I'LL TELL YOU, AS AS I STARTED PUTTING THIS TOGETHER, AND I, I TALKED TO BEN ABOUT THIS, UM, ESPECIALLY WITH IN LIGHT OF EVERYTHING THAT'S GOING ON, UM, I, I COULDN'T PUT TOGETHER A PRESENTATION ON COMMUNITY CHARM WITHOUT REMEMBERING AND TALKING ABOUT, UM, ALL THE INCREDIBLE COMMUNITY PARTNERS, UH, AND PROJECTS THAT WE HAVE, UH, WITH NONPROFITS, UH, IN OUR COMMUNITY.
SO I REALLY WANTED TO TALK ABOUT, UM, THE POWER OF US LE LEVERAGING THOSE COMMUNITY PARTNERS AND HOW MUCH THAT LENDS TO, UH, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT COMMUNITY CHARM.
WE'RE NOT TALKING ABOUT CITY OF BERNIE STAFF CHARM.
UH, THIS IS SOMETHING THAT, UM, WE'RE ABLE TO LEVERAGE OUR SERVICES WITH THESE GROUPS TO MAKE SURE THAT, UM, THEY'RE SUCCESSFUL IN THESE PROJECTS.
AND SO, ON THE TOP RIGHT, YOU SEE A PROJECT THAT WAS DONE, DONE WITH THE BERNIE ISD, UH, WELDING TEAM, UH, TO BUILD AN ARCHWAY AT THE CEMETERY.
THE NEXT TWO PITCHERS, YOU SEE THERE ARE BOTH ON CITY PARK PROPERTY, THE, THE SLO CENTER FOR CONSERVANCY, UH, AND THE AGRICULTURAL, BOTH OPERATE ON CITY
[02:05:01]
PARK PROPERTY, BUT PROVIDE SERVICES THAT WE COULDN'T PROVIDE AT, AT A LEVEL AND WITH A PASSION THAT WE, THAT WE WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO DO.UM, AND THOSE, THOSE REALLY SPEAK TO, UH, GROUNDING PEOPLE TO NATURE, EDUCATING FOLKS, STEWARDSHIP.
AND THEN OF COURSE, OUR TRADITIONAL, UH, HERITAGE OF BEING A SMALL, UH, RURAL FARMING COMMUNITY.
UM, AND IF YOU'VE GONE TO SOME OF THOSE EVENTS OUT THERE, UH, THE ANTIQUE TRACTOR POOL, UM, MOONDANCE, A LOT OF GREAT OPPORTUNITIES FOR COMMUNITY TO COME OUT AND BE A PART OF THOSE.
AND THEN, OF COURSE, JUST A FEW WEEKS AGO, UM, THE REVIVAL OF A TRADITIONAL FATHER'S DAY GERMAN HERITAGE FESTIVAL, UH, WITH DOSS FESTIVAL, UH, A LOT OF FOLKS HERE IN BERNIE PUT A LOT OF PASSION AND A LOT OF SKILLS AND EFFORT INTO MAKING SURE THAT THAT, UH, CAME TOGETHER.
THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE WON THE PLAZA, GOT TO ENJOY THAT.
SO, ANOTHER GREAT COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIP.
AND THEN I OBVIOUSLY CAN'T GO THROUGH ALL OF 'EM.
I JUST THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE TALK ABOUT A FEW OF THESE.
UH, BUT ON THE BOTTOM RIGHT THERE, UH, IS THE PLANTER AT VETERANS PLAZA.
UH, THE NATIVE PLANT SOCIETY MAINTAINS, MAINTAINS THAT PLANTER.
THEY MAINTAIN THE CVB AREA PLANTER.
THEY MAINTAIN NOW MAINE PLAZA, UH, FLOWER, FLOWER BEDS.
NOT ONLY JUST SUBSIDIZING THAT WORK, BUT BEING ABLE TO BRING THAT COLOR AND BE A PART OF THAT AND THAT EDUCATION OF THE NATIVE PLANT SOCIETY.
UH, WE'VE ALREADY TALKED ABOUT THE CENTER TONIGHT AND THE, AND THE, UH, TREMENDOUS THINGS THAT THEY PROVIDE TO OUR SENIOR COMMUNITY.
BUT THIS WAS A GREAT PROJECT, UH, AND PARTNERSHIP WITH THEM TO PROVIDE, UH, A PUTTING AND CHIPPING GREEN AT THE CENTER THAT'S OPEN TO THE PUBLIC IF YOU WANNA GO OUT THERE AND ENJOY THAT.
SO, UH, ANOTHER GREAT PARTNERSHIP OPPORTUNITY.
UH, AND THEN OF COURSE, OUR CHAMBER AND DOWNTOWN MERCHANTS AND RESTAURANTS ASSOCIATION, UM, THE DIVA KNIGHTS, IF YOU'VE BEEN DOWNTOWN DURING ONE OF THESE THINGS, WATCH OUT.
UH, IT GETS A LITTLE CRAZY, BUT IT'S, IT'S A GREAT, YOU WANNA TALK ABOUT COMMUNITY CHARM? GO OUT AND SEE OUR POLICE OFFICERS WITH PINK BOWES ON, UH, ENJOYING THE COMMUNITY, UH, BEING A PART OF THAT.
IT'S SUCH, SUCH A GREAT, UM, ASSET TO HAVE BOTH OF THOSE GROUPS, UH, WORKING IN OUR DOWNTOWN.
AND THEN I WANTED TO TOUCH A LITTLE BIT ON DICKENS, UM, WINE NIGHTS PARADE AND CHRISTMAS DECORATIONS IN GENERAL.
UM, AND THIS IS, AGAIN, INSIDE THAT PARTNERSHIP.
OBVIOUSLY, DICKENS AND THE PARADE, UM, ARE PUT TOGETHER BY CITY STAFF, BUT THEY ALSO INVOLVE ALL THE MERCHANTS DOWNTOWN AND THE MERCHANT ASSOCIATION IN THE CHAMBER THAT GO TWO MORE WEEKENDS PAST DICKENS AND WINE KNIGHTS TO, TO PLAN EVENTS, WORK WITH THEM ON THAT.
UH, AND WE GAVE ADDITIONAL, UH, EFFORT TOWARDS DECORATION, UM, BOTH AT THE PLAZA AND DOWNTOWN AND LIGHTING.
AND WE GOT TREMENDOUS RESPONSE FROM THAT.
BUT IT'S ALSO ALL OF THE BUSINESSES MAKING SURE THAT THEY DO THE SAME THING THAT THEY, UH, DECORATE THEIR BUSINESSES.
UH, AND THEN THAT CREATES THIS JUST MAGICAL, UH, DRIVE THROUGH TOWN DURING THE HOLIDAYS.
UH, THAT REALLY IS UNIQUELY BERNIE.
UH, AND WE'RE VERY PROUD OF, UH, LOTS OF PICTURES.
I THINK THE PICTURES, JUST SAY IT ALL.
UH, I DON'T THINK YOU CAN LOOK AT THIS AND SAY THAT BERNIE'S GONE, THAT THERE IS NO COMMUNITY CHARM IN BERNIE.
UM, I THINK THAT THERE ARE SO MANY WONDERFUL THINGS AND SO MANY WONDERFUL PEOPLE IN THIS COMMUNITY THAT IS THE COMMUNITY CHARM OF BERNIE.
IT'S NOT JUST THE THINGS THAT WE HAVE AND THE THINGS THAT WE DO.
IT'S ALL OF THE FOLKS THAT, THAT PUT THAT TOGETHER TO MAKE IT SO HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS OR, UH, ANY OTHER DISCUSSION.
YOU KNOW, MAYOR, UH, QUAL COMMUNITY CHARM, UNIQUE COMMUNITY CHARM IS ALMOST, IT'S IN THE EYE OF THE BEHOLDER.
WE ALL HAVE OUR OWN DEFINITION.
AND SO, BUT WHEN WE START BRAINSTORM, THERE'S JUST A LOT, THERE'S A LOT OF LITTLE THINGS THAT ARE DONE REALLY, REALLY WELL HERE, AND WE'RE PROUD OF OUR TEAM FOR SUPPORTING THAT.
UH, WE TRY TO EMBRACE IT AND TRY TO UNDERSTAND AND DEFINE THAT AS NEW RESIDENTS COME IN, AS OLD RESIDENTS CONTINUE TO STAY HERE.
AND SO, UH, MAYOR, IF YOU DON'T MIND, I DON'T WANNA TAKE A COUPLE MORE MINUTES.
I KNOW WE'VE HAD A LONG MEETING.
IT'S BEEN A GOOD ENGAGING MEETING.
I APPRECIATE ALL YOUR FEEDBACK AND, AND IT'S HELPING US WITH OUR BUDGET AND A LOT OF OTHER KEY PROJECTS.
BUT, UH, I, I, I THINK I NEED TO JUST MAKE A PUBLIC STATEMENT ABOUT THE EVENTS OF THIS LAST WEEKEND AND WHERE CITY STAFF IS TODAY.
UM, I'VE KEPT YOU INFORMED AS, AS BEST I COULD THROUGHOUT, UH, SINCE EARLY MORNING FRIDAY.
AND, UH, AND WE ARE ALL WATCHING, UH, WHAT'S HAPPENING IN OUR BACKYARD IN NORTHERN KENDALL COUNTY AND KER COUNTY AND KERRVILLE.
AND THEN OUR HEARTS ARE BROKEN.
WE ALL KNOW SOMEONE PROBABLY THAT'S BEEN IMPACTED IN, IN, IN VARIOUS WAYS.
UH, I'M PROUD TO TO SAY THAT, UH, FROM AN EMPLOYEE STANDPOINT, UH, NONE OF OUR EMPLOYEES HAVE SUFFERED MIGHTILY.
WE HAVE HAD EMPLOYEES HAVE HAD SOME PROPERTY DAMAGE, BUT WE HAVEN'T LOST ANY EMPLOYEES OR, OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT.
BUT I JUST WANT THE GENERAL PUBLIC TO KNOW THAT WHAT YOU ALREADY KNOW AND THAT I'VE SHARED WITH YOU IS EARLY MORNING, FRIDAY MORNING, AS SOON AS THE, UH, COUNTY JUDGE, UH,
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DECIDED TO OPEN THE, THE EMERGENCY OPERATIONS CENTER, WE WERE RIGHT THERE WITH THEM, WITH OUR, UH, CHIEF PEREZ, CHIEF BALL CHIEF, UH, CASAREZ, DANNY, UH, MIKE ROWDY, UH, DIRECTOR SHADROCK.WE WERE THERE IN SUPPORT, EVEN THOUGH BERNIE WASN'T IMPACTED.
UH, THESE ARE OUR COMMUNITY PARTNERS.
WE, WE WORK, WE PROVIDE FIRE SERVICE OUT FOR MOST OF THE COUNTY.
SO WE WERE THERE, UH, TO, TO WORK HAND IN HAND WITH THEM.
AND, UM, AND WE'VE BEEN THERE EVER SINCE.
AND, AND, AND I'VE SHARED WITH YOU THAT, UH, EVEN CHIEF CASSEZ AND DIRECTOR SHADROCK HAVE BEEN DEPLOYED TO THE KERR COUNTY EOC, WORKING WITH THE CITY OF KERRVILLE OFFICIALS IN KERR COUNTY AND STATE OFFICIALS UNDER THE TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT.
THEY'VE DONE A THREE DAY SHIFT.
UH, CHIEF BALLS GOING BACK OUT TO BE IN, IN THAT EOC.
BUT THE WHOLE TIME, UH, SINCE, UH, UH, THIS WEEK WE'VE HAD THE KENDALL COUNTY EOC STILL OPERATING AND WORKING WITH JUDGE STEL AND THE EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT COORDINATOR, UH, GREAT CONSTANTINE, AND, AND THE JUDGE, UH, THE SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT, OUR, OUR FOLKS HAVE BEEN THERE.
AND, UM, AND IT'S, IT'S EASY TO SAY, WELL, WE'RE OKAY.
BERNIE'S OKAY, AND BUSINESS GOES ON LIKE NORMAL.
BUT, BUT OUR TEAM IS OUT THERE HELPING, PROVIDING ADVICE AND SUPPORT, AND I CAN'T BE MORE PROUD THAN EVER IN MY FIVE YEARS OF WHAT I'VE SEEN WITH THEM.
THEY'RE REPRESENTING, UH, THE CITY.
WELL, THEY'RE REPRESENTING YOU GUYS VERY, VERY WELL.
WE'RE STARTING TO HEAR STORIES OF HOW THESE FIRST RESPONDERS ARE, ARE, ARE JUST GETTING WORN OUT.
AND, UM, AND, AND SO I'M, I'M EVEN MORE PROUD BECAUSE IF, IF CHIEF UH, CASRE IS IN KE COUNTY AND, AND CHIEF BALL IS IN KENDALL COUNTY, EOC, THAT MEANS CAPTAINS ARE HAVING TO STEP UP AND, AND, AND TAKE ON ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES THAT MAYBE THEY DON'T NORMALLY HAVE.
SAME THING IN THE POLICE RANKS, AND SAME THING IN THE COMMUNICATION RANKS, AND IT RANKS.
AND, UH, I THINK IT'S JUST AN IMPORTANT, UM, UH, STATEMENT TO BE MADE, UH, FOR OUR GENERAL VIEWING PUBLIC AND FOR OUR RESIDENTS TO KNOW THAT, UH, WE HAVE SOME OF THE BEST WITH GREAT HEARTS, UH, RESPECTING OUR NEIGHBORS, LOVING OUR NEIGHBORS, AND, UM, AND JUST REPRESENTING WELL, AND I'M JUST REALLY PROUD OF THEM AND APPRECIATE YOUR SUPPORT AND SERVICE.
YOU GUYS HAVE EXPRESSED A LOT OF CONCERN FOR 'EM AND CARE, AND, UH, THIS IS A LONG, DRAWN OUT THING.
WHO KNOWS HOW LONG WE'LL BE INVOLVED IN THIS.
UM, AND WE'LL CONTINUE TO KEEP YOU GUYS INFORMED.
[9. COMMENTS FROM COUNCIL – No discussion or action may take place.]
RIGHT, MOVING ON TO AGENDA NUMBER NINE, COMMENTS FROM COUNCIL.UM, ANYONE WANT TO GO FIRST? COUNCILMAN MC LUSO.
UM, I, TO PIGGYBACK ON, WANNA PIGGYBACK ON WHAT BEN SAID.
UH, I HAVE TO SAY ON A PERSONAL NOTE, FOR ME AND MY WIFE, UH, KEEPING UP WITH ALL THE HORRIFIC EVENTS, IT BROUGHT BACK A LITTLE, UM, I DON'T WANNA SAY PTSD, BUT HAVING GONE THROUGH HURRICANE KATRINA THE WAY WE DID, HAVING HAD FRIENDS AND COLLEAGUES LOST, I DIDN'T LOSE ANY FAMILY.
BUT HAVING SEEN MASSIVE DESTRUCTION, I HAVE A PERSONAL UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT PEOPLE ARE GOING THROUGH.
UH, GRANTED, I DID NOT LOSE ANY FAMILY, SO I DON'T HAVE THAT PERSPECTIVE, BUT IT IS A DEVASTATING THING THAT'S HAPPENED.
AND I WANNA PIGGYBACK ON THAT BY SAYING WE WERE FORTUNATE THIS RAINSTORM, THIS, UH, MESO CYCLONE OR WHATEVER THEY WANNA CALL IT, IT REALLY AFFECTED THE WATERSHEDS OF THE GUADALUPE, THE ANO, THE PERLES, THE COLORADO.
TO SOME DEGREE, IT DIDN'T AFFECT THE WATERSHED AS MUCH FOR THE SLO IN SAN ANTONIO.
IT COULD HAVE, AND IF IT HAD, IT COULD HAVE BEEN QUITE A DIFFERENT SCENARIO HERE IN BERNIE AND IN, IN LOWER KENDALL COUNTY.
AND THAT BRINGS ME TO ONE OTHER POINT, COUNCILMAN WILLIS AND I, ALONG WITH MANY OTHER PEOPLE, WORK VERY HARD ON THE STORMWATER ORDINANCE.
WHAT WAS, THAT'S CONSIDERED THE MODEL FOR THE STATE OF TEXAS IN MANY CASES.
AND NOT SURPRISINGLY, THERE WAS SOME PUSHBACK BY SOME PEOPLE WHO WERE VERY ANGRY ABOUT VARIOUS ASPECTS OF IT.
BUT IT ISN'T UNTIL YOU SEE AN EVENT LIKE THIS THAT YOU UNDERSTAND WHY, AND CERTAINLY, YOU KNOW, I DID THE PARAMOUNT THING IS SAFETY.
AND I UNDERSTAND THE PROPERTY RIGHTS ISSUE.
I UNDERSTAND PROPERTY VALUE ISSUES, BUT YOU CAN'T REPLACE YOUR PROPERTY VALUE WHEN YOU'RE DEAD.
AND SO OUR RESPONSIBILITY IN MY VIEW, IS TO THE PUBLIC SAFETY.
AND SO I'M VERY PROUD OF THAT ORDINANCE.
I AM CONCERNED ABOUT ANY VARIANCES THAT OCCUR ON IT BECAUSE OF THIS EXACT REASON.
WE WERE LUCKY THIS TIME, A YEAR FROM NOW, TWO YEARS FROM NOW, IT MIGHT BE THE SY OF WATERSHED, THINK IT'S 12 INCHES OF RAIN AN HOUR.
SO I JUST WANNA ALSO COMPLIMENT OUR STAFF, OUR POLICE, OUR FIRE.
UM, AND YOU GUYS, I MEAN, YOU WERE WORKING 24, OR YOU WERE CALLING THIS I WAS, I WAS TEXTING YOU.
I MEAN, PEOPLE WERE TEXTING ALL OF YOU AND, UH, YOU GUYS DID A GREAT JOB.
UM, UH, CERTAINLY WOULD PIGGYBACK ON ALL THE APPRECIATION OF, UH,
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THE WORK THAT WAS DONE OVER THIS LAST WEEK.UH, IT'S BEEN A MOMENT FOR, FOR A LOT OF PEOPLE AND TOUCHED BY SOME COWORKERS AND, AND ANYWAY, IT'S, IT'S BEEN A, IT'S BEEN A TOUGH BUT, UH, UM, TOUGH MOMENT FOR, FOR, FOR SOME, UH, BUT, UH, ON A PERSONAL NOTE, UM, I HAVE, UH, I JUST WANTED TO LET EVERYONE KNOW THAT, YOU KNOW, IT'S NOT, IT'S PROBABLY BEEN THE WORST KEPT SECRET THAT I'VE BEEN, UH, I HAD BEEN BUILDING A HOUSE, AND I THINK THERE'S SOME CONSPIRACY TO GET ME OFF OF COUNCIL SOONER RATHER THAN LATER.
MY BUILDER GOT THE HOUSE DONE FASTER THAN POSSIBLE.
I NEVER EVEN GOT THE HOUSE ON THE MARKET.
WE, WE GOT PEOPLE WANTING TO BUY IT, UH, THE HOUSE HERE, HERE IN TOWN.
AND, AND SO, YOU KNOW, I SUBMITTED MY RESIGNATION, UH, TO THE, TO THE MAYOR AND TO, UH, TO, UH, BEN THATCHER AND LORI.
AND, UH, SO I, I'M HERE, UH, YOU KNOW, AS I, UH, KIND OF FINISHED SUNSET MY, UH, TENURE ON COUNCIL, I, I KIND OF LOOK BACK ON DANNY.
A LOT OF THOSE THINGS, UH, THAT, UH, YOU TALKED ABOUT IN YOUR PRESENTATION ARE, ARE, I WAS OVER AT THE SENIOR CENTER, UM, UH, YOU KNOW, PUTTING IN THAT, UH, OR, UH, PARTICIPATING IN THE RIBBON CUTTING CEREMONY FOR THE LITTLE PUTT PUTT, UM, CHIPPING GREEN, UM, UH, ONLY OTHER THING I PARTICIPATED IN, WE DIDN'T GET A PICTURE OF IT.
IT WAS THE, UH, THE SIDEWALK PROJECT, UH, OVER ON OAK PARK, ANOTHER BIG PROJECT THAT WE DID, PUT A LOT OF EFFORT INTO THAT.
UM, ANYWAY, SO I'M REAL PROUD OF THE, THE, THE WORK THAT I, I'VE DONE.
AND, UH, I'M MOST PROUD OF THE, UH, THE TWO VOTING MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC THAT, THAT WAS, UH, TWO VOTE TOTAL THAT, UH, PUSHED ME OVER THE TOP THIS, UH, LAST ELECTION.
UM, AND I THINK IT WAS THE FOURTH OR FIFTH ELECTION THAT I HAD DONE.
AND SO, UM, ANYWAY, I'VE BEEN HAPPY TO SERVE, BUT, UH, THOSE DAYS ARE, ARE KIND OF COMING BEHIND ME.
SO, UH, I APPRECIATIVE TO ALL THE MEMBERS OF THE COUNCIL THAT I'VE SERVED WITH, THOSE THAT ARE HERE, UH, THOSE WHO HAVE COME AND GONE, UM, I'VE BEEN HAPPY TO SERVE WITH ALL OF YOU.
SO, UM, JUST LOOK FORWARD TO, TO THE FUTURE.
UM, I'M SURE WE'LL FIND A GOOD REPLACEMENT FOR ME.
UM, HOPEFULLY THERE'S, UH, THERE'S NEVER BEEN A, THERE'S NEVER BEEN A ELECTION CYCLE THAT, UH, HASN'T HAD A LITTLE BIT OF FOLKS THAT WERE INTERESTED, AT LEAST IN MY DISTRICT.
IT'S ALWAYS BEEN, UH, CONTESTED IN SOME WAY.
SO I LOOK FORWARD TO, UH, SEEING WHO YOU GUYS WILL REPLACE ME WITH AND, UH, HAPPY TO HELP IN THE INTERIM, UM, AS WE GO OUT THERE AND LOOK FOR REPLACEMENT, IF THAT'S WHAT WE'RE GONNA DO.
YEAH, I JUST WANNA MAKE, UH, UH, THANK YOU FOR YOUR, UH, FOR SAYING THAT QUENTIN, BUT ALSO LET EVERYONE KNOW THAT NEXT COUNCIL MEETING, WE WILL HAVE TO HAVE A LINE ITEM WHERE WE ACCEPT HIS RESIGNATION, UM, AND THEN TO THE PUBLIC AT SOME POINT IN ANOTHER WEEK OR TWO AFTER THAT, WE WILL POST, UH, PER OUR CHARTER, UH, THOSE, UH, PERSPECTIVE, FUTURE COUNCIL MEMBERS WOULD COME IN AND APPLY.
WE'LL HAVE SEVERAL WEEKS OF, OF AVAILABILITY FOR THEM TO COME IN AND, AND FILL THOSE SHOES.
THEN WE'LL DO THE INTERVIEW PROCESS.
AND SO YOU'LL BE HERE FOR A LITTLE BIT LONGER.
I WONDER IF DANIEL WEISS MOVED BACK FROM NORTH CAROLINA NOW.
WELL, UM, YOU KNOW, I THINK THE CITY MANAGER GAVE ALL THE KEY POINTS ON OBVIOUSLY THIS PAST WEEKEND AS A DAD WITH A YOUNG, MY YOUNGER DAUGHTER IS THE SAME AGE OF MOST OF THOSE GIRLS THAT, YOU KNOW, ARE, ARE GONE.
DEFINITELY HIT HOME HARD FRIDAY, SATURDAY, STILL, STILL DOES SEEING PICTURES.
UM, YOU KNOW, I ALL DUE RESPECT TO THE FIRST RESPONDERS WHO WERE OUT THERE EVERY DAY, UM, VOLUNTEERS WHO WERE OUT THERE, MY BROTHER-IN-LAW AND SISTER-IN-LAW WENT OUT WITH THE CENTER POINT, UM, VOLUNTEER FIRE DEPARTMENT A COUPLE DAYS AGO, FOUND A BODY.
UM, YOU KNOW, I CAN ONLY IMAGINE, OBVIOUSLY, AS THE GOVERNOR POINTED OUT TODAY, THERE'S STILL 161 MISSING PEOPLE IN KE COUNTY, WHICH IS UNBELIEVABLE.
UM, SO YEAH, WE GOT A LOT OF, A LOT OF GRIEF AND A LOT OF CLEANUP TO DO.
UM, I KNOW, YOU KNOW, BERNIE'S A STRONG COMMUNITY.
I KNOW EVERYONE HERE WILL HELP IN DIFFERENT FACETS AS NEEDED.
UM, JUST A COUPLE SHOUT OUTS, I WANT TO, UM, BUNKER BRANDING.
JEN AND CLINT SANDERS PUT TOGETHER A RELIEF, UM, POINT FOR DONATIONS AND THEY'VE KIND OF BEEN UPDATING THEIR LIST BASED ON THEIR, UM, COMMUNICATION WITH PEOPLE AND THE AFFECTED AREAS.
BOTH OF THEM ARE FROM KERRVILLE, CENTERPOINT AREA, SO THEY HAVE DEEP ROOTS IN THAT AREA.
SO I'D ENCOURAGE PEOPLE, YOU KNOW, IF THEY, IF THEY NEED A PLACE TO LOOK FOR A DONATION DROP, UM, I WOULD ENCOURAGE YOU TO LOOK, LOOK, LOOK TO THEM.
AND THEN ALSO, UM, RABBI YOSSI WITH THE JEWISH BERNIE, UM, IT'S INTERESTING HOW YOU JUST, YOU KNOW, GET CONNECTED WITH DIFFERENT PEOPLE.
YOSSI KNEW ME, CALLED ME AND WAS LIKE, HEY, I GOT PEOPLE IN NEW YORK THAT ARE PART OF THE SHABAB JEWISH COMMUNITY
[02:20:01]
WHO WANT TO GIVE MONEY.LIKE, WHAT DO I DO? SO, UM, CONNECTED HIM WITH THE BUNKER BRANDING FOLKS.
UM, HE'S GONE AND DONE SOME CHAPLAIN WORK AND, UM, KIRK COUNTY AS WELL.
UM, YOU KNOW, WE WILL GET THROUGH THIS.
I'VE AGAIN, UH, IT IT'LL BE, IT'LL BE A ROUGH, ROUGH TIME, BUT, UM, YOU KNOW, WE'LL, WE'LL GET THROUGH.
IT COMES, UH, I MEANT JUST REITERATE WHAT EVERYBODY SAID.
I THINK, YOU KNOW, WHEN I WENT OUT ON SUNDAY, WHAT WAS REMARKABLE TO ME WAS JUST ALL THE DIFFERENT GROUPS THAT VOLUNTEERED RIGHT FROM EVERY SMALL VOLUNTEER FIRE DEPARTMENT TO, UM, THERE WAS A, A CRIME SCENE AND INVESTIGATOR FROM BLANCO COUNTY THAT CAME AND VOLUNTEERED.
SO JUST THE COORDINATION OF SO MANY DIFFERENT GROUPS TRYING TO YOU HELP THEIR COMMUNITY, I THOUGHT WAS IMPRESSIVE.
SO, YEAH, I JUST, I THOUGHT EVERYTHING ELSE EVERYBODY SAID WAS WELL SAID.
ALRIGHT, UH, YEAH, I'M JUST NOT GONNA ECHO EVERYTHING.
WHEN EVERYBODY ELSE WAS ALREADY SAID, UH, YOU BEN WAS, DID A GREAT JOB KEEPING EVERYBODY INFORMED OVER THE WEEKENDS, EVENTS AND EVERYTHING.
UH, JUST HATS OFF TO OUR FIRST RESPONDERS THAT ARE UP THERE.
UM, WHAT I LOVE ABOUT BERNIE IS IT, WE WEREN'T DIRECTLY AFFECTED BY THE FLOOD, UH, BUT THE OUTPOURING OF SUPPORT FROM THIS COMMUNITY FOR OUR BROTHERS AND SISTERS IN KERRVILLE AND IN COMFORT, MOST IMPORTANTLY, COMFORT, WHICH IS RIGHT UP THE STREET FROM US.
UH, WE ARE, UH, TEXANS, WE ARE PROUD TEXANS, AND WE WILL REBUILD AND WE'LL TAKE CARE OF ONE ANOTHER, BUT ALSO KNOW THAT, UM, WE WILL COME TOGETHER AND CONTINUE TO SUPPORT ONE ANOTHER, NOT JUST NOW.
I MEAN, IT'S, EVERYBODY'S ON BOARD RIGHT NOW.
I ENCOURAGE EVERYONE TO STAY ON BOARD A MONTH FROM NOW, UH, FIVE MONTHS FROM NOW BECAUSE THAT'S WHEN IT'S STILL, WE'RE STILL GONNA NEED TO BE, UH, BOOTS ON THE GROUND.
SO, UH, JUST THANKFUL FOR WHERE WE LIVE, THANKFUL FOR THE COMMUNITY THAT WE LIVE IN, UM, AND ALL OUR FIRST RESPONDERS AND EVERYONE IN OUR COMMUNITY THAT STEPPED UP TO, TO GIVE TO THEMSELVES.
NO RESOURCES FOR OUR BROTHERS AND SISTERS OUT THERE.
SO, UH, THANK YOU BERNIE FOR WHO YOU ARE.
[10. EXECUTIVE SESSION IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE TEXAS GOVERNMENT CODE:]
AND SO WITH THAT, WE WILL HEAD TO EXECUTIVE SESSION.TO ADDRESS AGENDA ITEM 10 A 2025 DASH 2 85, SECTION 5 51 0.0 87 DELIBERATION REGARDING ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT NEGOTIATIONS, CONSIDERATION OF OFFER OF FINANCIAL INCENTIVES TO A COMMUNITY ENTITY CONSIDERING DEVELOPMENT WITHIN THE STATE LIMITS AND OR ETJ.
UH, WE WILL OFFICIALLY ADJOURN TO EXECUTIVE SESSION AT 8:22 PM THANK YOU EVERYONE.
[11. RECONVENE INTO OPEN SESSION AND TAKE ANY NECESSARY ACTION RELATING TO THE EXECUTIVE SESSION AS DESCRIBED ABOVE.]
RECONVENE AN OPEN SESSION AT 9:34 PM ON TUESDAY, JULY 8TH.AND NO, NO ITEMS COMING OUT OF HIS EXTRA SESSION.
SO WE WILL OFFICIALLY ADJOURN.
IF THERE'S ANOTHER COMMENTS FROM COUNSEL, THEN WE ARE OFFICIALLY ADJOURNED AT 9:34 PM THANK YOU EVERYONE.