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[1. CALL TO ORDER – 6:00 PM]
GOOD EVENING.MY NAME IS LUCAS HYLER AND I AM THE VICE CHAIR OF THE PLANNING AND ZONING COMMISSION FILLING IN FOR CHAIRMAN TIM BA WOLF THIS EVENING.
UM, I'M A, A NOMINATED BY THE COMMISSION THAT'S UP HERE, UM, TO BE THE VICE CHAIR, AND HE'S OUTTA TOWN, SO I WILL BE, UH, FILLING IN FOR HIM.
I'LL CALL THIS MEETING TO ORDER AT SIX O'CLOCK ON AUGUST 4TH, 2025.
UM, STARTING OFF, UM, LET'S, AS WE ALWAYS DO, START WITH OUR PLEDGES OF ALLEGIANCE, P ALLEGIANCE, THE FLAG IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA NATION UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE, LIBERTY, JUSTICE, AND OUR TEXAS FLAG.
HONOR THE TEXAS FLAG, A PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE TEXAS ONE STATE UNDER GOD, ONE AND INDIVISIBLE.
AND IF YOU'LL PLEASE JOIN ME FOR A MOMENT OF SILENCE.
COUPLE OF, UH, ITEMS OF BUSINESS.
UM, REAL QUICK, ARE THERE ANY CONFLICTS OF INTEREST AMONGST THE COMMISSIONERS THIS EVENING WITH ANY AGENDA ITEMS? OKAY,
[3. PUBLIC COMMENTS: This is the opportunity for visitors and guests to address the Planning and Zoning Commission on any issue. The Planning and Zoning Commission may not discuss any presented issue, nor may any action be taken on any issue at this time. (Attorney General opinion – JC-0169)]
UM, MOVING FORWARD, WE HAVE A FEW FOLKS THAT ARE SIGNED UP FOR, UH, PUBLIC COMMENT.UM, THIS WILL BE YOUR MOMENT TO, UH, COME FORWARD AND, AND SPEAK ABOUT, UM, ANY ITEM THAT YOU WOULD LIKE TO, UM, WHETHER IT'S ON THE AGENDA OR NOT, OR WE COULD WAIT TILL YOUR AGENDA ITEM IF THERE IS A SPECIFIC AGENDA ITEM AS WELL.
SO, UM, IT LOOKS LIKE THE FIRST PERSON THAT WE HAVE HERE IS, UH, SAM MCGEE.
MR. MCGEE, WOULD YOU, UH, YOU HAVE AGENDA ITEM NUMBER THREE.
WOULD YOU LIKE TO COME FORWARD NOW OR WAIT UNTIL THAT ITEM GREAT.
UM, AS MENTIONED, MY NAME'S SAM MCGEE.
I'M A LOCAL BUSINESS OWNER AND RESIDENT.
UM, WE HAVE TWO KIDS, UH, BOTH IN THE BISD SYSTEM, UH, AND ABOUT TO START SCHOOL IN A WEEK.
WE'RE REALLY LOOKING FORWARD TO THAT.
THE, UM, THE REASON THAT, UH, I FELT COMPELLED TO SPEAK IS BECAUSE OF SOME OF THE DISCUSSION THAT WE'VE SEEN IN THE COMMUNITY ABOUT THE BUCKYS.
UM, OBVIOUSLY THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WAS INKED BACK IN 2016, LONG BEFORE I GOT HERE, BUT REALLY WANTED TO PROVIDE A LITTLE BIT OF, UM, PUBLIC COMMENT FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF SOMEONE WHO IS A BUSINESS OWNER, WHO'S A FATHER HERE, WHO'S A NEAR RESIDENT.
I'M WITHIN ABOUT A MILE AND A HALF OF THE PROPOSED BUCKY SITE.
UM, FIRST OFF, IT'S ALWAYS A BALANCED APPROACH TO EVERYTHING.
I THINK THAT'S SUPER IMPORTANT TO TAKE A BALANCED APPROACH.
DO I THINK THE, THE STORY OF BUCKY'S IS VERY COOL? ABSOLUTELY.
I THINK, UH, ENTREPRENEURSHIP IS AMAZING.
UH, I THINK IT'S, IT'S A VERY COOL STORY.
UM, I LOVE THEIR BEEF JERKY, I'M NOT GONNA LIE.
AND THEY DO HAVE CLEAN RESTROOMS. SO WITH THAT OUTTA THE WAY, I DO WANT TO TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE NEGATIVES OF A MEGA STORE, AND IF WE HAVE ANY ABILITY TO LIMIT THE EXPANSION OF THE SQUARE FOOTAGE OR ADDITIONAL GAS PUMPS OR, UM, ACREAGE.
I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT IF WE HAVE THAT ABILITY TO CONSIDER THAT.
AND THE REASON WHY I SAY THAT IS FOR A FEW REASONS, AND I'LL BE BRIEF FIRST, IF YOU TAKE A LOOK AT GOING BY LULING, ANYONE THAT TRAVELS PAST LULING, UM, HOLIDAYS, ANY FRIDAY, SOMETIMES JUST MIDDLE OF THE WEEK, AND I DO A LOT OF TRAVELING FOR WORK, I PASS THIS STORE AND THE TRAFFIC IS HORRENDOUS.
I'VE ACTUALLY BEEN GOING PAST LULING WHERE THE ENTIRE EXIT LANE IS COMPLETELY CONSUMED BY VEHICLES TO THE POINT THAT VEHICLES ARE GOING OFF INTO THE GRASS TO BE ABLE TO GET OFF THE FREEWAY.
UM, THIS IS SOMETHING THAT I THINK IS, UM, A DIRECT RESULT OF THE DEMAND AND THE SUCCESS OF THAT BUSINESS.
AND AGAIN, I THINK WE, WE LIVE IN A COUNTRY THAT PROMOTES CAPITALISM AND PROMOTES ENTREPRENEURIALISM, AND I THINK THAT'S WONDERFUL.
BUT FOR THIS COMMUNITY, WE'RE BERNIE, WE REALLY CARE ABOUT OUR, OUR HISTORY.
WE REALLY CARE ABOUT OUR HERITAGE,
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AND WE REALLY CARE ABOUT THE EFFECTS THAT COULD BE IRREVERSIBLE FROM HAVING SUCH A LARGE STORE HERE.UM, YOU'RE PROBABLY GONNA HEAR FROM, FROM OTHERS ABOUT THIS ON PUBLIC COMMENT, SO I'M ONLY GOING TO TALK VERY HIGH LEVEL ABOUT MY CONCERNS.
ONE OF THOSE IS THE DRAIN ON EMS, POLICE, FIRE, AND EVEN HAZMAT MUTUAL AID IN SAN ANTONIO.
I'VE BEEN DOING THAT SINCE 1998.
UM, I UNDERSTAND HOW MANY CALLS HAPPEN AT A POPULATION CENTER LIKE THAT.
SO ARE WE REALLY PREPARED FOR THE NUMBER OF CALLS THAT ARE GOING TO OCCUR? UM, SECOND, THE, ACTUALLY THE THIRD POINT IS THE PROPERTY VALUES CONCERN.
AND I THINK THIS ISN'T REALLY JUST SPECIFICALLY, UM, YOU KNOW, THE MANGER SPRING SUBDIVISION OR THE SURROUNDING AREAS RIGHT THERE.
IF YOU TAKE A LOOK AT THE AMOUNT OF TRAFFIC, NOISE, POLLUTION, POTENTIAL DISTURBANCES, THAT COULD REALLY BE AN ISSUE.
AND IF YOU THINK ABOUT IT FROM A PRAGMATIC STANDPOINT, IF WE HAVE A REDUCTION IN PROPERTY VALUES, THAT ACTUALLY HURTS THE CITY AND IT HURTS THE CITIZENS.
SO IF THERE'S ANY WAY TO LIMIT THE SCOPE OF THE EXPANSION OF THAT STORE INTO NOT BECOMING A MEGA STORE, I THINK THAT WOULD BE WISE.
I THINK THERE'S A HEALTHY, BALANCED COMPROMISE THAT CAN BE BE ACHIEVED.
UM, AND THAT REALLY JUST BRINGS ME TO MY LAST POINT.
AND IT'S, YOU KNOW, BERNIE HAS ALWAYS FOUND A GREAT WAY TO MANAGE THROUGH DEVELOPMENT.
IT'S HERE, YOU KNOW, WE'RE, WE'RE NOT GONNA PREVENT IT.
UM, WE ARE A CAPITALISTIC SOCIETY AND, UM, GROWTH IS, GROWTH IS HERE.
BUT WHEN WE HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE ABLE TO AFFECT WHAT THE CHARACTER OF THE TOWN WILL LOOK LIKE, WHAT THE RESOURCES ALLOCATED LOOK LIKE OVER THE COURSE OF THE NEXT 20 YEARS, I THINK WE NEED TO REALLY CLOSELY CONSIDER ANY DECISIONS THAT ARE MADE THAT COULD EXPAND SOMETHING THAT IS NOT REALLY REVERSIBLE.
YOU CAN'T PUT IT BACK IN THE BOX.
AND IN CLOSING, I WOULD SAY, I KNOW THAT YOU GUYS HAVE A HARD JOB.
I KNOW YOU CAN'T COMMENT ON ANY OF THIS.
THIS IS PUBLIC COMMENTS, BUT PLEASE TAKE IT, TAKE IT SERIOUSLY.
THINK ABOUT 20 YEARS FROM NOW, IF THERE ARE DECISIONS TO BE MADE THAT COULD LIMIT THE SCOPE AND KIND OF HAVE A WAIT AND SEE, UM, TO SEE WHAT KIND OF PARTNER WE HAVE IN THE LONG RUN.
UM, REAL QUICK, COULD YOU STATE YOUR ADDRESS FOR THE RECORD? MY APOLOGIES FOR THAT.
UM, BUSINESS ADDRESS 6 0 4 SOUTH MAINE PERSONAL ADDRESS, 1 3 3 FAIR SPRINGS.
NEXT ON THE PUBLIC COMMENT LIST IS, UH, CHRISTIE ACKERMAN.
PLEASE COME FORWARD, MS. ACKERMAN, AND STATE YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS FOR THE RECORD.
I LIVE AT 6 23 MANGER SPRINGS IN BURNEY.
AND TODAY I AM HERE TO ALSO VOICE CONCERNS ABOUT BUCKY'S.
I THINK THAT, UM, SOME SOCIAL MEDIA HAS GONE AROUND KIND OF EXPOSING SOME THINGS THAT ARE COMING THROUGH, AND SO WE'RE ALL A LITTLE, UM, DISTURBED ABOUT IT.
AND SO TO PREFACE MY CONCERNS, UM, I WOULD LIKE TO LOOK BACK ON THE BEST WESTERN BERNIE INN AND SUITES PROJECT.
IT IS A HOTEL THAT WAS ALLOWED BY THE CITY OF BERNIE TO NOT ONLY BUILD NEXT DOOR TO THE VILLAS AT HAMPTON PLACE NEIGHBORHOOD, BUT BERNIE ALLOWED THE HOTEL TO BE BUILT AS CLOSE TO THE HOMES ON HAMPTON, RUN AS POSSIBLE WITH THE WINDOWS LOOKING DOWN INTO A NUMBER OF HOMES.
AND SO I WAS ALARMED FOR THOSE PEOPLE, KNOWING THAT THOSE FAMILIES WOULD NEVER FEEL SAFE AGAIN, UH, TO LET THEIR THEIR CHILDREN GO OUTSIDE, PARENTS AFRAID TO LET THEM PLAY IN THE BACKYARD, RIDE THEIR BIKES WITHOUT 100% SUPERVISION, ALWAYS HAVING TO KEEP THEIR BACK WINDOWS COVERED SO THAT STRANGERS WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO SEE IN THEIR HOMES.
AND THEIR PROPERTY VALUE INDEED WENT DOWN IN AN INSTANT.
SO MY CONCERN WITH THE BUCKY'S PROJECT IS THAT THIS SAME DISREGARD MIGHT HAPPEN FOR MY CURRENT NEIGHBORHOOD.
AND SO MY CONCERNS ARE LIGHT POLLUTION, THE PRESENCE OF TRANSIENCE, WHICH WILL CAUSE OUR FAMILIES, AGAIN, TO HESITATE TO WALK IN THE EVENING OR TO LET OUR KIDS OR GRANDKIDS PLAY OUTSIDE WITHOUT 100% SUPERVISION.
AND THE CLOSE PROXIMITY TO OUR NEIGHBORHOOD WILL CAUSE OUR PROPERTY VALUES TO GO DOWN.
AS WAS SAID A MINUTE AGO, MY ASSUMPTION IS THAT THE CITY OF BERNIE WILL PROTECT ITS CITIZENS AND PROPERTY VALUES WITH CONSIDERATION THAT OUR NEIGHBORHOOD WAS THERE.
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MY REQUEST IS THAT BUCKY'S WOULD BUILD A BLOCK WALL SEPARATING BUCKY'S FROM THE NEIGHBORHOOD, AND THAT THEY WILL BE PLACED AS FAR AWAY FROM OUR NEIGHBORHOOD AS POSSIBLE.BUCKY'S, UM, IS ALWAYS KNOWN FOR HIS EXTREMELY LARGE FLOOR PLAN.
AND IN LULING, AS WAS MENTIONED BEFORE, A BIGGER AND BRIGHTER BUCKY'S WAS RECENTLY BUILT.
AND THAT'S SORT OF THEIR THING, IS TO BE THE BIGGEST AND BRIGHTEST.
THE FACT THAT MORE LAND IS BEING ASKED TO, OF, TO REZONE IS PROOF OF IT.
AND SO AS, AS MENTIONED BEFORE, OUR REQUEST IS JUST THAT YOU WOULD KEEP IT AS SMALL AS POSSIBLE.
SOME THINGS HAVE ALREADY BEEN SET IN STONE IN 2016, BUT MY REQUEST IS THAT YOU FIGHT TO MAKE SURE THAT THOSE THINGS ARE PROTECTED, THAT WERE PUT INTO PROTECT US WILL BE COMPLETED, AND THAT YOU WILL CONTINUE TO PROTECT US IN AREAS THAT ARE STILL TRYING TO BE ADDED OR CHANGED.
AND THANK YOU FOR TAKING THE TIME TO COME THIS EVENING.
SIGNED UP FOR PUBLIC COMMENT AS, UH, DENISE, UM, BROCK MILLER, MAYBE.
YEAH, IT'S SPELLED IT A LITTLE DIFFERENTLY THAN IT SOUNDS, BUT I AM DENISE BROOKMILL.
UM, I LIVE AT 3 7 3 MIN SPRINGS.
AND, UM, I HAVE SOME CONCERNS AS WELL ABOUT THE COMING OF THE BUCKYS, PRIMARILY THE TRAFFIC CONGESTION.
AS TRAFFIC COMES OFF OF, UM, SOUTHBOUND I 10, THEY'LL BE TAKING FIVE 40 EXIT, WHICH RUNS ALONG, UM, SOME NEIGHBORHOODS IN A SENIOR CENTER UP TO WHERE THEY WOULD ENTER THE BUCKYS.
AND I KNOW THIS, UM, PROJECT WAS CONTRACTED IN 2016, AND I'M JUST ONE OF MY REQUESTS.
UH, ONE OF THE THINGS I'M WONDERING IS WHAT THE TRAFFIC STUDIES HAVE BEEN, UH, SINCE THAT TIME, BECAUSE A LOT HAS CHANGED, UM, IN ALMOST A DECADE SINCE THAT TIME.
SO TRAFFIC CONGESTION IS A CONCERN OF MINE.
UM, LIGHT INTRUSION AND POLLUTION, UM, FOR MY NE MY NEIGHBORHOOD AND OTHERS NEARBY.
UM, AND ALSO, UH, PROPERTY VALUES, WHICH HAS BEEN MENTIONED BEFORE.
SO I'M ASKING, UM, FOR A REVIEW OF THE TRAFFIC SITUATION AND MAYBE SOME ANSWERS TO WHAT HAS HAPPENED SINCE 2016.
UM, ALSO WITH REGARD TO LIGHT, I KNOW WE'RE A DI DARK SKIES, UM, AREA, AND I DON'T KNOW HOW THAT'S MANAGED, BUT I KNOW THERE'S NOT A STATION ON THE SIDE WHERE BUCKY'S WILL BE.
UM, SO I DON'T KNOW IF THAT HAS BEEN CONSIDERED TO PUT ONE CLOSER TO WHERE THERE WILL BE SO MUCH LIGHT ILLUMINATION.
SO, AND I WOULD, UM, SECOND OR THIRD THE COMMENTS ABOUT KEEPING IT AS SMALL AS POSSIBLE.
I KNOW I READ THE CONTRACT AND I THINK IT'S A MINIMUM OF 90 GAS PUMPS, BUT I KNOW THAT CAN CON CAN GROW, AND I'VE SEEN MANY OF THE BUCKYS BE REMODELED TO BE ENLARGED AND PUMPS TO BE ADDED.
SO I WOULD REIT REITERATE THOSE COMMENTS.
AND, AND NEXT SIGNED UP IS, UH, DAVE MATHIS.
MR. MATHIS, COME FORWARD AND STATE YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS FOR THE RECORD, PLEASE.
I LIVE AT 1 6 4 CREEK SPRINGS IN BURNEY.
UM, I MOVED HERE 11 YEARS AGO, AND, UM, I GUESS I WANTED TO EXPRESS MY FIRST CONCERN THAT I THINK THIS WHOLE BUCKY'S PROJECT HAS LACKED TRANSPARENCY AND, UM, AND CLARITY FOR THE PUBLIC AND FOR THE RESIDENTS.
UM, I MOVED HERE IN 2014, AND AS I LEARNED LATER, THE CITY WAS IN NEGOTIATION WITH BUCKY'S AT THAT TIME, AND THERE WAS NO PUBLIC INFORMATION ABOUT THAT.
UM, UH, I ALSO WANTED TO RECOUNT THAT, UM, THE, UH, MANGER SPRINGS, HOA AND ENVI AND, AND ALSO RESIDENTS MET WITH A BUCKY'S RES, UH, REPRESENTATIVE ABOUT 2017 AFTER THE PROJECT WAS FINALLY ANNOUNCED IN 2016.
AND IN THAT MEETING, THE BUCKY'S REPRESENTATIVE, UM, MADE VERBAL COMMENTS THAT SEEMED TO PROMISE THAT THEY WERE GOING TO HAVE A SMALLER SIGN THAN WHAT THEY ORIGINALLY HAD, AND IT WOULD BE LOWER AND MINIMIZED.
THEY PROMISED THAT THERE WOULD BE WATER CONSERVATION MAJORS MEASURES TAKEN, AND THEY PROMISED THERE WOULD BE DARK SKIES COMPLIANCE.
AND TO MY KNOWLEDGE, NONE OF THAT WAS EVER VERIFIED OR CONFIRMED, UM, OR, OR EXPRESSED IN WRITING.
UM, I'M, AS THE OTHER PEOPLE MENTIONED, I HAVE SOME OF THE SAME CONCERNS.
I'M VERY CONCERNED ABOUT THE SIGNAGE,
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THE SIZE AND THE BRIGHTNESS OF THE SIGNAGE, AS WELL AS SOME OF THE MESSAGING ON THE SIGNAGE, UH, TO AND FROM.I'M VERY CONCERNED ABOUT THE LIGHTING.
I LIVED ABOUT A BLOCK AND A HALF FROM A BUCKY'S IN LAKE JACKSON, TEXAS PREVIOUSLY.
AND IT WAS, UM, IT WAS OVERWHELMING THE LIGHTING ALL, ALL NIGHT.
UH, AND YOU, IT WASN'T, IT WAS SOMETHING YOU COULD SEE FROM BLOCKS AWAY.
AND I'M VERY CONCERNED THAT WE'RE GONNA HAVE THAT SAME PROBLEM.
UH, WITH THIS ONE, I'M, I'M VERY CONCERNED ABOUT THE TRAFFIC, AND I KNOW THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF, UH, WORK DONE AND STUDIES AND ALL THIS THING, BUT I'M VERY CONCERNED THAT THE TRAFFIC'S GONNA BE, UM, INTOLERABLE FOR EVERYBODY INVOLVED.
AND I, I, I, I WANT TO AMPLIFY A POINT THAT WAS MADE YOU EARLIER.
I THINK THIS WHOLE PROJECT IS GONNA END UP, UH, GREATLY DEGRADING THE APPEARANCE AND THE CULTURE AND THE QUALITY OF LIFE IN BURNING.
AND I'M ALSO VERY CONCERNED ABOUT THE PROPERTY DAMAGE OR THE PROPERTY VALUE, UH, RISK INVOLVED WITH THIS PROJECT, PARTICULARLY BEING A NEIGHBORING PROPERTY.
SO I'M, I'M VERY CONCERNED THAT WE DO NOT EXPAND THE PROJECT AND THAT MY, I WOULD ASK YOU TO, UH, NOT APPROVE ADDITIONAL LAND FOR ZONING FOR THIS PROJECT AND TO MINIMIZE THE PROJECT.
AND IN GENERAL, I'M, I'M OPPOSED TO THIS PROJECT.
BEFORE I MAKE ANY COMMENTS, UM, THAT IS EVERYBODY THAT HAS SIGNED UP FOR PUBLIC COMMENT, WE DO APPRECIATE ALL OF YOU THAT HAVE COME HERE THIS EVENING AND TAKE IN YOUR PERSONAL TIME TO JOIN US.
UM, I WOULD ASK, I THINK THERE WERE A COUPLE OF FOLKS THAT CAME IN A LITTLE BIT AFTER WE HAD STARTED, OR IF THERE'S ANYBODY THAT DID NOT SIGN UP FOR PUBLIC COMMENT, WOULD YOU LIKE TO COME FORWARD AND ALLOW FOR, FOR, UH, YOUR VOICE TO BE HEARD? YES, MA'AM.
IF YOU WOULD, PLEASE STATE YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS FOR THE RECORD.
HELLO, MY NAME IS PAULA REER FROM 1 0 1 CREEK SPRINGS.
OBVIOUSLY, IT HAS BEEN STATED WITH THE CONSTRUCTION, THE PENDING CONSTRUCTION OF BUCKY'S.
AN ENORMOUS CHANGE IS ABOUT TO TAKE PLACE ON THE SOUTH SIDE OF BERNIE.
THAT'S GOING TO HAVE A TREMENDOUS IMPACT ON A FAIRLY LARGE AND GROWING POPULATION CENTER THAT OF REGENT PARK, MINGER SPRINGS, AND THE MORNINGSIDE AT MINGER SPRINGS, UH, ELDER CARE FACILITY.
UM, IN THE NINE YEARS SINCE THE 2016 EXECUTION OF THE ECONOMIC, UH, DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENT WITH BUCKY'S, THERE'S REALLY BEEN VERY LITTLE SPECIFIC INFORMATION SHARED WITH THE PUBLIC.
THOSE OF US WHO LIVE NEARBY AND OTHERS IN BERNIE REALLY DO NOT KNOW WHAT THE SPECIFIC SITE PLAN IS.
WE KNOW, UH, WHAT THE CONTRACT SAYS, BUT WE DON'T KNOW WHAT THE SITE PLAN IS.
AND ONE THING THAT IS CLEAR IS THAT THE BERNIE OF 2025 IS NOT THE SAME AS THE BERNIE OF 2016.
WE UNDERSTAND BEING BOUND BY THE 2016 AGREEMENT.
UH, BUT I ALSO KNOW FROM WATCHING THIS COMMISSION, UH, SPECIFICALLY AT THE JULY 7TH MEETING WHEN YOU CONSIDERED THE CITY STAFF RECOMMENDATION OF THE GOODWILL, UH, I KNOW THAT YOU ARE NOT ONE TO RUBBER STAMP.
UH, I HAVE BEEN TOLD BY CITY STAFF THAT THE, UH, THE UPCOMING VOTE ON THE ZONING OF THE ROUGHLY FOUR ACRES IS A TECHNICALITY.
ANOTHER PERSON SAID IT HAD BEEN AN INADVERTENT OVERSIGHT, UM, THAT MAKES IT SOUND LIKE IT'S ALMOST A RUBBER STAMP.
AND I UNDERSTAND THAT IT WAS PART OF THE TWO TH 2016 AGREEMENT.
AND I'M NOT ASKING YOU TO NOT CONSIDER IT, BUT I AM ASKING YOU TO CONSIDER WHETHER OR NOT THIS PRESENTS AN OPPORTUNITY TO LOOK AT SOME OF THE DETAILS ASSOCIATED WITH THE BUCKY'S, UH, TERMS AND AGREEMENT THAT MAY BE ON THE EDGES OF THE AGREEMENT.
MAYBE NOT SPECIFICALLY STATED IN THERE, BUT IN THE CURRENT DESIGN AND PUSH TO SHAPE THIS AGREEMENT SO THAT IT IS MORE IN KEEPING WITH THE 2025 BERNIE THAN THE 2016 BERNIE, WHICH REALLY TILTED HEAVILY IN FAVOR OF BUCKY'S.
UH, YOU CAN JUST TAKE A LOOK AT THE RECENT AGREEMENT WITH PALMER LAKE, COLORADO AND SEE THAT, WHEREAS IN BERNIE, THE STATE TAXPAYERS AND THE CITY TAXPAYERS ARE PAYING FOR THE BULK OF THE ROAD CONSTRUCTION.
AND IN PALMER LAKE, COLORADO, BUCKY'S IS PAYING FOR THE ROAD CONSTRUCTION, UH, IN SAN MARCOS IN THEIR, UH, STORE THAT THEY'RE CONSIDERING UP THERE.
UH, IT WAS NEGOTIATED FOR THERE TO BE A LARGE WATER CATCHMENT SYSTEM AT THE BUCKY'S FACILITY.
SO THERE ARE THINGS TO BE DONE
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THAT MAKE THE NEW BUCKY'S MORE IN KEEPING WITH SOMETHING PALATABLE FOR 2025 THAN, UM, YOU KNOW, IN 2016, I THINK BUCKY'S HAD ANNUAL REVENUES OF $15 MILLION, AND I BELIEVE THAT HAS INCREASED 50 FOLD ACCORDING TO RECORDS TO $275 BILLION.SO, UH, IT'S REALLY, UH, JUST, UH, I'M ASKING THE, WELL, I'M STATING WITH CONFIDENT THAT I KNOW THAT YOU ARE NOT A RUBBER STAMP COMMITTEE AND COMMISSION, AND I'M ASKING YOU TO USE THIS AS AN OPPORTUNITY TO SHAPE THE BUCKY'S AGREEMENT IN FAVOR OF THE LONG-TERM, UH, AND SHORT-TERM RESIDENTS OF BERNIE, UH, AND TO TILT THE FAVOR BACK TO THE LONG-TERM, UH, TAXPAYERS AND RESIDENTS OF.
AND I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO REEMPHASIZE THE REQUEST FOR A FULL TRAFFIC STUDY TO MAKE SURE THAT THE TRAFFIC THAT IS ANTICIPATED BY THE AVERAGE BUCKY'S CAN BE HANDLED SAFELY AND EFFICIENTLY WITHIN OUR SWEET TOWN.
I CAN TELL YOU, WE, WE ARE NOT A RUBBER STAMP.
UM, MYSELF AND FELLOW COMMISSIONERS DO A LOT OF WORK AHEAD OF TIME WITH THESE AGENDAS AND DOING OUR RESEARCH AND EVEN, UM, ATTENDING A SITE VISIT OR, UM, DOING A VISUAL OURSELVES TO UNDERSTAND THE DECISIONS THAT ARE BEFORE US.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR COMMENTS.
IS THERE ANYBODY ELSE THAT WOULD LIKE TO COME FORWARD? YES, MA'AM.
THANK YOU FOR HAVING US TODAY.
UH, MY NAME'S KRISTEN MCGEE, AND I LIVE AT 1 3 3 FAIR SPRINGS.
AND I'M JUST GONNA ECHO EVERYTHING THAT WAS SHARED.
I HAD ORIGINALLY ATTENDED FOR JUST KIND OF MY HUSBAND TO SHARE OUR THOUGHTS, BUT THE MORE I SIT HERE, THE MORE I THINK I NEED TO SPEAK UP AND ALSO SHARE THAT MY, MY PERSONAL, UM, THOUGHTS AND CONSIDERATIONS, WHICH IS KIND OF WHAT HAS BEEN SAID IN THAT 2016 AND 2025.
A LOT OF THINGS HAVE CHANGED, AND I ALSO THINK THAT INFORMATION WAS NOT AS READILY AVAILABLE TO THE PUBLIC IN 2016 AS IT IS TODAY.
AND I JUST WOULD LOVE THE OPPORTUNITY FOR THERE TO BE TRANSPARENCY FROM BUCKY'S AS TO WHAT THEIR INTENTIONS ARE AS TO WHAT HAS ALREADY BEEN SAID AS WELL.
UM, HOW DO THEY INTEND TO BE A PARTNER IN THE COMMUNITY? IT'S JUST LIKE WHAT WE SAID WITH GOODWILL.
HOW ARE THEY GONNA BE A PART OF OUR COMMUNITY? UM, JOBS THAT'S GREAT, BUT THAT'S ALSO PULLING FROM THE JOB, THE COMPANIES THAT HAVE ALREADY BEEN HERE FOR MANY YEARS, AND IN REALITY, THEY'RE GONNA BE PULLING A LOT FROM SAN ANTONIO.
UM, IN LOOKING AT THE LULING STORE OF BUCKY'S, IT'S NOT, UM, IN AN AREA WHERE IT'S A, I I REALIZE THAT MAIN STREET IS OUR HEART, BUT THE LULING STORE IS DIFFERENT THAN WHERE THIS IS PROPOSED AT I 10 AND MAIN IN, IN THE CITY OF BERNIE.
AND WHILE IT MAY NOT BE THE MAIN ENTRANCE, LIKE WE WERE TALKING ABOUT LAST MONTH FOR THE, FOR THE GOODWILL STORE, IT IS A BIG ENTRANCE TO THE CITY OF BURN AND TO THE HILL COUNTRY MILE.
AND I JUST DON'T THINK IT FITS OUR COMMUNITY THE WAY THEY'RE PROPOSING TO DO SO.
AND SPECIFICALLY WITH THIS PIECE OF LAND, IF THEY'RE WANTING TO USE IT TO MAKE, TO SUPPORT THEIR NEEDS, IT'S GETTING BIGGER AND GRANDER AND IT'S JUST MORE CONCRETE, MORE LIGHTS, MORE TRAFFIC, MORE SAFETY CONCERNS.
AND JUST AS WHAT HAS BEEN SHARED, PLEASE TAKE THE TIME TO LOOK AT ALL THAT AND WHAT IS THE NEED TODAY AND CAN WE MAKE SURE OUR COMMUNITY IS CARED FOR FROM ALL THOSE PERSPECTIVES, SAFETY, LIGHT POLLUTION, AIR POLLUTION, TRAFFIC, IT'S A LOT HAS CHANGED.
SO THAT WOULD BE MY MAIN, MY MAIN POINTS THAT I WOULD LIKE TO SHARE.
AND I JUST APPRECIATE THE TIME.
AND, UM, AN EXAMPLE I WANNA THINK OF IS LIGHTS.
I THINK THERE WAS, UM, A BUCKY'S RECENTLY WHERE THERE WAS A SHOOTING.
I DON'T KNOW ALL THE DETAILS, BUT I THINK I SAW THAT RECENTLY.
SO YOU THINK YOU WANT A PLACE TO BE LIT UP WELL SO THAT PEOPLE CAN SEE THEIR SURROUNDINGS, BUT THAT'S ALSO GOING AGAINST WHAT WE WANT HERE IN BERNIE.
SO AGAIN, THAT'S JUST WHERE I SAY THERE'S LIKE THIS CONTRADICTION OF YOU WANT SAFETY, BUT THEN THE FLIP SIDE IS WE'RE A DARK SKY, AND THAT'S IMPORTANT TO US HERE IN BERNIE'S DARK SKY.
SO SOMETHING OF THAT SIZE AND THAT AMOUNT OF LIGHTS IS JUST NOT THE RIGHT FIT.
IS THERE ANYBODY ELSE THAT'D LIKE TO COME FORWARD? OKAY.
I'LL CLOSE THE PUBLIC COMMENT FOR THIS MEETING.
WE WILL NOT BE MAKING ANY DECISIONS TODAY.
IT'S NOT AN AGENDA ITEM THAT WE HAVE REGARDING BUCKY'S, BUT ONE LAST CALL, IF THERE'S ANYBODY THAT'D LIKE TO SPEAK ON THE BUCKY'S TOPIC OR ANY OTHER TOPIC OR MORE THAN WELCOME TO COME FORWARD, I WILL ALSO
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ADD THAT DIRECTOR KA CRANE HAS OFFERED TO SPEAK TO ANYBODY OUT IN THE HALLWAY OR AFTER THIS MEETING, UM, REGARDING THIS, UH, BUCKY'S TOPIC.IF YOU'D LIKE TO ASK HIM ANY QUESTIONS, HE'D LOVE TO, TO VISIT WITH YOU.
ALL THAT CAME, UH, TO SPEND YOUR TIME, SPEND YOUR TIME HERE THIS EVENING AND PROVIDE ANY ADDITIONAL INFORMATION.
I DO UNDERSTAND THAT THIS ITEM WILL BE ON THE SEPTEMBER AGENDA, UM, AND, AND THERE WILL BE AN AGENDA ITEM BEFORE US TO POSSIBLY MAKE A DECISION.
UM, SO THANK YOU ALL FOR, FOR COMING, AND WE WILL CONTINUE WITH OUR, UH, OUR AGENDA ITEMS.
[4. CONSENT AGENDA: All items listed below within the consent agenda are considered routine by the Planning and Zoning Commission and may be enacted with one motion. There will be no separate discussion of items unless there is a Commission member or citizen request, in which event the item may be moved to the general order of business and considered in its normal sequence.]
MOVING TO AGENDA ITEM NUMBER FOUR, WE WILL, UM, MOVE TO APPROVE THE, UH, CONSENT AGENDA.DO I HAVE A MOTION TO APPROVE OR DO NOT? OKAY.
COMMISSIONER FRIAR, MAKE SOME, UH, A MOTION TO APPROVE CONSENT AGENDA, SECONDED BY COMMISSIONER SINO.
AND WE SHOULD SEE THOSE RESULTS AND IT PASSES UNANIMOUSLY.
[5. DISCUSSION ITEMS:]
MOVING FORWARD TO, UH, AGENDA NUMBER FIVE, DISCUSSION ITEMS. DIRECTOR CRANE, DID YOU WANNA COVER THESE? SURE.DISCUSSION ITEMS THIS EVENING.
YEAH, WE'LL JUST GO OVER THESE QUICKLY, UH, FOR YOU.
UH, THE FIRST ONE IS JUST A REMINDER, THE, UH, CYBERSECURITY TRAINING THAT IS, UH, REQUIRED BY STATE LAW.
SO IF, IF IT'S NOT COMPLETED BY THAT DATE AND YOU TRY TO ACCESS, UH, YOUR EMAILS AND THINGS ON AUGUST 9TH, THEN UH, YOU WON'T BE ABLE TO.
SO WE ENCOURAGE YOU TO DO THAT AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.
UH, ETHICS, UH, TRAINING DEADLINE IS ALSO DUE ON AUGUST 11TH, IF YOU CAN GET THAT CERTIFICATION, UH, TO LORI CARROLL OR, UH, KYLIE, AND WE CAN GET THAT WHERE IT NEEDS TO BE.
AND FINALLY, THE, UH, FOR ANYBODY THAT'S INTERESTED, UH, THE TEXAS A PA CONFERENCE IS OCTOBER 22ND THROUGH THE 24TH IN COLLEGE STATION.
UH, WE HAVE PROVIDED OPPORTUNITIES FOR THE COMMISSION TO ATTEND.
UH, PLEASE LET US KNOW AS SOON AS POSSIBLE SO WE CAN GET THOSE ARRANGEMENTS TAKEN CARE OF.
I BELIEVE I'VE COM UH, COMPLETED MY CYBER SECURITY AND ETHICS TRAINING.
OKAY, ANY OTHER COMMENTS FROM COMMISSION STAFF? WELL, IT MIGHT BE ONE OF THE SHORTEST MEETINGS WE'VE HAD ALL YEAR.
I'LL CALL THIS MEETING ADJOURN.