[1. CALL TO ORDER – 6:00 PM]
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WELL BEGINNING A REGULAR CITY COUNCIL MEETING FOR THE CITY OF BURN TEXAS.
IT IS MY, UH, PLEASURE TO, UH, ASK FATHER DAVID CHOCO, PLEASE COME FORWARD FROM ST.
PETER'S, A APOSTLE CATHOLIC CHURCH, PLEASE US IN INVOCATION.
FATHER, THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME THIS EVENING.
LOVING AND GRACIOUS, GOD, WE COME INTO YOUR PRESENCE TODAY WITH GRATITUDE.
WE THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO GATHER FOR THIS MEETING, TO WORK FOR THE GOOD OF THIS CITY, THIS COMMUNITY.
PRAY FOR ALL OF THE REPRESENTATIVES HERE AND ALL OF THE PEOPLE WHO HAVE GATHERED.
UM, WE KNOW YOU OWE GOD TO BE OUR PROVIDENT FATHER, HELP US TO TRUST IN YOUR PROVISION AND YOUR GRACE.
GIVE US WISDOM AND RIGHT JUDGMENT.
UM, TEACH US TO LISTEN, TO SHARE, AND TO SUPPORT EACH OTHER.
WE PRAY FOR YOUR PROTECTION AND GUIDANCE AND LOVE OVER ALL THOSE GOING BACK TO SCHOOL, UH, THE STUDENTS, THE TEACHERS, ALL THOSE WHO ARE WORKING IN DIFFERENT PROJECTS AROUND THE CITY OR IN BUSINESSES.
AND WE ASK YOU TO HELP US BE PRODUCTIVE AND ALLOW US TO SERVE THE COMMON GOOD.
WE ASK ALL THESE THINGS THROUGH JESUS CHRIST OUR LORD.
YEAH, YOU JOIN ME IN THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE, THEN TO THE TEXAS FLAG, PLEASE.
I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO FLAG FOR THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH SAINTS ONE NATION UNDER GOD, THE INDIVISIBLE WITH LIBERTY, JUSTICE FOR HONOR, THE TEXAS FLAG OF PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE, CITY AGAINST TEXAS.
MOVING ON TO AGENDA ITEM NUMBER
[2. CONFLICTS OF INTEREST]
TWO, CONFLICTS OF INTEREST.ARE THERE ANY CONFLICTS OF INTEREST ON TONIGHT'S AGENDA? NO CONFLICTS OF INTEREST.
[3. RECOGNITION OF NATURAL GAS UTILITY FOR AMERICAN PUBLIC GAS ASSOCIATION (APGA) SAFETY AWARD.]
ITEM NUMBER THREE, RECOGNITION 2025 DASH 4 24, RECOGNITION OF OUR NATURAL GAS UTILITY FOR AMERICAN PUBLIC GAS ASSOCIATION SAFETY AWARD.ANDREA OR MIKE, WHO'S GONNA PRESENT, OR BOTH OF YOU? ANDREA.
UH, GOOD EVENING, UH, MAYOR AND COUNCIL.
UH, TONIGHT I'M HAPPY TO PRESENT A GAS SAFETY AWARD THAT OUR GAS UTILITY RECEIVED FROM THE AMERICAN PUBLIC GAS ASSOCIATION, UH, FOR CALENDAR YEAR 2024.
THIS AWARD IS ALIGNED WITH THE CITY STRATEGY MAP WHERE WE ASPIRE TO BE AN EMPLOYER OF CHOICE, PROMOTING LEARNING AND GROWTH, FOSTERING A STRONG CULTURE OF EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT AND EMPHASIZING A VALUE CENTRIC WORK CULTURE.
A PGA AWARDS GAS SYSTEMS THAT HAVE THE LOWEST NUMBER OF RECORDABLE INJURIES AND THE PROVIDED MAN HOURS WORKED.
A PGA BREAKS THE WINNING SYSTEMS IN INTO GROUPS, GROUPS, A THROUGH E WITH GROUP A BEING LESS THAN 8,000 HOURS WORKED AND GROUP E BEING ANY SYSTEMS WITH OVER 70,000 HOURS WORKED.
THE CITY'S GAS UTILITY FALLS INTO GROUP D, WHICH REPRESENTS HOURS BETWEEN 38,000 TO 70,000 HOURS.
THE CITY REPORTED A TOTAL OF 58,240 HOURS, WORKED WITH ZERO REPORTABLE INJURIES.
THESE HOURS INCLUDE THE SUCCESSFUL EFFORTS OF ALL GAS UTILITY EMPLOYEES TO INCLUDE THOSE IN THE SUPPORTIVE ROLES SUCH AS ADMIN AND CUSTOMER CARE.
UH, IN 20 24 8, UTILITIES AND GROUP D WERE AWARDED NATIONALLY, AND THE CITY OF BERNIE WAS THE ONLY UTILITY FROM TEXAS.
THIS 2024 AWARD MARKS THE FIFTH CONSECUTIVE YEAR THAT WE HAVE EARNED THIS DISTINCTION, AND I'M PLEASED TO REPORT THAT IN THE PAST FIVE YEARS, WE HAVE BEEN THE ONLY GAS UTILITY FROM TEXAS TO HAVE EARNED IT.
AND STANDING UP HERE WITH ME TONIGHT ARE A FEW MEMBERS FROM OUR GAS UTILITY.
UH, WE HAVE MEMBERS FROM OPERATIONS AND ADMIN, AND WE HAVE, UM, WE HAVE MICHAEL SHARP, HE'S OUR GAS SUPERINTENDENT.
SHE'S OUR UTILITIES, UH, ADMIN COORDINATOR.
UH, WE HAVE KYLE IRMI GUEST, UH, SERVICE WORKER.
UH, SHE'S OUR UTILITIES, UH, ADMIN COORDINATOR.
DID I SAY YOUR TITLE WRONG? SHE'S NOT THE ADMIN COORDINATOR.
SHE'S OUR UTILITIES ADMIN FOR CONSTRUCTION.
TRYING TO KEEP YOU ALL STRAIGHT.
WE HAVE BRIAN RUSSELL, A SERVICE WORKER, AND WE HAVE CARLOS ANZEL, DUA, UH, ALSO OUR SERVICE WORKER.
THINK I GOT EVERYBODY GOT 'EM CORRECT.
UM, WITHOUT YOU THIS, UH, WORD WOULDN'T BE POSSIBLE.
UM, THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONTINUED, CONTINUED COMMITMENT TO SAFETY AND SETTING HIGH
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STANDARDS ACROSS THE NATURAL GAS INDUSTRY.MAYOR, LEMME JUST ADD, UH, ABOUT A MONTH AGO, I GOT TO GO HANG OUT WITH THEM ONE AFTERNOON.
THEY WERE SHOWING ME THE EQUIPMENT THEY USED.
THEY WERE WALKING ME THROUGH ALL THE, THE BASICALLY THEIR DAY TO DAY AND THE GAS UTILITY.
I'M GONNA TELL YOU, I WAS REALLY IMPRESSED WITH THE PRIDE THEY PUT IN THEIR JOB AND REALLY THE PRIORITY TO SAFETY.
THEY WERE FIRST AND FOREMOST SHOWING ME THAT IN EVERY FUNCTION THEY, THEY WERE, UH, TACKLING.
SO IF YOU DON'T MIND, WE'LL JOIN IN WITH A PICTURE WITH THEM.
YEAH, I JUST WANNA ECHO, UH, WHAT, UH, CITY MANAGER BEN WAS TALKING ABOUT.
UH, THANK YOU GUYS FOR YOUR HARD WORK, YOUR EFFORTS, AND THAT'S SOMETHING TO BE VERY PROUD ABOUT.
UM, I'M ALWAYS, UH, EXCITED WHEN WE GET THESE TYPE OF AWARDS.
'CAUSE I KNOW THESE GUYS TAKE A LOT OF PRIDE IN WHAT THEY DO AND IT SHOWS, UH, IN THEIR REFERENCE.
SO THANK YOU GUYS AGAIN AND THE BIGGEST CROWD WE'VE HAD HERE FOR THEM.
EVERYONE, THEY'RE ALL, THEY'RE ALL NERVOUS.
NORMALLY THERE'S NOBODY IN THE AUDIENCE WHENEVER THEY GET AWARDS.
[4. 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)]
TO AGENDA ITEM NUMBER FOUR, PUBLIC COMMENTS.I WILL, UH, CALL THE NAMES OFF THE SHEET.
YOU'LL BE ABLE TO COME FORWARD, UH, ONCE YOU STATE YOUR NAME AND YOUR ADDRESS, YOUR THREE MINUTES WILL BEGIN.
YOU'LL HAVE THREE MINUTES TO, UH, SAY WHAT'S ON YOUR MIND, AND THEN WE'LL MOVE ON TO THE NEXT SPEAKER.
SO OUR FIRST SPEAKER THIS EVENING SIGNED UP IS DANA MATHIS.
DANA, WOULD YOU COME FORWARD PLEASE? HI, MY NAME'S DANA MATHIS.
I'VE BEEN A BERNIE RESIDENT FOR 11 YEARS.
THANK YOU FOR THIS OPPORTUNITY TO ADDRESS THE COUNCIL.
I ALSO WISH TO THANK THE COUNCIL FOR ITS LEADERSHIP AND WORK OVER THE PAST YEARS TO DEVELOP THE UNIFIED DEVELOPMENT CODE FOR THE SENSIBLE DEVELOPMENT OF OUR CITY.
CONCERNING THAT DEVELOPMENT, I WOULD LIKE TO EXPRESS TWO CONCERNS RELATED TO THE BUCKY'S PROJECT.
FIRST, MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT THE CURRENT PLAN FOR THE BUCKY'S FACILITY DOES NOT MEET THE CITY'S REQUIREMENTS SPECIFICALLY FOR SIGNAGE AND DARK SKIES LIGHTING.
THE ORDINANCES THE CITY HAS PUT INTO PLACE ARE MEANT TO PROTECT THE QUAL OUR QUALITY OF LIFE.
YET THE BERNIE'S PRO, EXCUSE ME, THE BUCKY'S PROJECT WILL NOT COMPLY WITH HIM.
WHY DOES BUCKY'S GET A SPECIAL PASS? THIS PREFERENTIAL TREATMENT'S NOT FAIR TO THE CITIZENS OF BERNIE OR ITS OTHER BUSINESSES.
SECONDLY, THE ORIGINAL AGREEMENT WITH BUCKY'S PROVIDES FOR A MINIMUM OF 90 GAS PUMPS AND SETS NO MAXIMUM.
THE CURRENT PLAN INCLUDES AN INCREASE TO A HUNDRED PUMPS.
THIS AGREEMENT PUTS THE CITY OF BERNIE AND ITS TAXPAYERS IN A POSITION OF HAVING TO PROVIDE POLICE FIRE, EMT AND SANITATION SERVICES TO SUPPORT BUCKY'S UNLIMITED GROWTH.
OUR SERVICES ARE ALREADY STRETCHED THIN BY THE TREMENDOUS GROWTH OF OUR CITY.
THE AGREEMENT SHOULD BE AMENDED TO INCLUDE A CAP ON THE SIZE AND CAPACITY OF THE BUCKY'S FACILITIES PER PERHAPS AT THE A HUNDRED PUMPS.
FEW OF THE PEOPLE INVOLVED IN THE ORIGINAL BUCKY'S AGREEMENT REMAIN IN CITY GOVERNMENT.
REGARDLESS FOR THE SAKE OF OUR CURRENT AND FUTURE RESIDENTS, THE INCUMBENT COUNCIL AND CITY LEADERSHIP MUST TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE CONSISTENT IMPLEMENTATION OF ITS SENSIBLE AND WISE DEVELOPMENT REQUIREMENTS.
THEREFORE, I REQUEST THAT NO ADDITIONAL LAND BE ZONED FOR THE BUCKYS PROJECT AND THAT NO CONSTRUCTION BE ALLOWED TO PROCEED UNTIL THESE ISSUES ARE FULLY ADDRESSED.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER TO SIGN UP IS TANZI PATTON.
I DON'T THINK THERE'S ANYONE HERE SPEAKING TONIGHT WHO DOESN'T LOVE BUCKY'S.
WE'RE ALL PROUD OF TEXAS SUCCESS STORIES, AND BUCKY'S IS CERTAINLY ONE OF THOSE.
WE'RE HERE TONIGHT TO VOICE CONCERNS ABOUT THE IMPACT A MASSIVE 24 HOUR STORE WITH 100 GAS PUMPS WE'LL HAVE, NOT JUST ON THE TWO LARGE ADJOINING NEIGHBORHOODS, BUT ON BERNIE AS A WHOLE.
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A CITYWIDE ISSUE THAT IF NOT HEAVILY MONITORED, THREATENS THE INTEGRITY OF OUR HILL COUNTRY COMMUNITY.THE BERNIE BUCKEYS WILL SIT AT THE INTERSTATE GATEWAY ENTRANCE TO BERNIE.
THE INCREASED TRAFFIC, THE CONSTANT BRIGHTNESS OF A 24 HOUR LIT STORE AND THE LARGE ILLUMINATED PARKING AND GAS PUMP AREAS WILL AFFECT JUST ABOUT EVERYONE WHO LIVES HERE.
NOT TO MENTION OUR DARK SKIES AND SPECIAL ECOSYSTEM ENVIRONMENT, MANY OF US MOVED HERE FOR THE BEAUTY, THE QUIET AND THE DARK SKIES, QUALITIES YOU JUST DON'T SEE IN A BIG CITY.
AFTER REVIEWING NUMEROUS CITY OF BERNIE DOCUMENTS, ONE KEY POINT STANDS OUT.
THE BERNIE BUCKY'S DOES NOT APPEAR TO COMPLY WITH ALL OF THE CITY'S DARK SKY REQUIREMENTS.
AND BERNIE OFFICIALS SO FAR HAVE BEEN WILLING TO OVERLOOK THAT BERNIE'S DARK SKY REGULATIONS AS PART OF THE UNIFIED DEVELOPMENT CODE STATE QUOTE, ALL PUBLIC AND PRIVATE OUTDOOR LIGHTING INSTALLED IN THE CITY OF BERNIE AFTER THE EFFECTIVE DATE OF THE ORDINANCE, WHICH IS A RECENT ORDINANCE, SHALL CONFORM TO THE REQUIREMENTS.
THE LANGUAGE CLEARLY APPLIES TO ALL NEW LIGHTING YET TO BE BUILT.
THERE DOESN'T APPEAR TO BE A GRANDFATHER CLAUSE.
AND EVEN IF THERE WERE, IT WOULDN'T CHANGE THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THIS LEVEL OF DARK SKY ENCROACHMENT.
WHAT'S MORE TROUBLING IS THAT CITY LEADERS APPARENTLY KNEW BUCKY'S COULD NOT COMPLY.
AT A BERNIE DESIGN REVIEW COMMISSION MEETING IN DECEMBER OF 2021, BUCKY'S DIRECTOR OF REAL ESTATE STATED TWICE THAT BUCKY'S COULD NOT COMPLY WITH ALL DARK SKY REGULATIONS.
WHEN ASKED DIRECTLY IF THEY WOULD COMPLY, HE SAID, WE GET AS DARK AS CLOSE TO DARK SKIES AS WE CAN WITHOUT GETTING THERE BECAUSE OF OPERATIONS.
AGAIN, HE SAID, WE CANNOT GET TO DARK SKY.
AT THAT SAME MEETING, HE ALSO ESTIMATED 75% OF BUCKY'S LIGHTING IS BELOW CANOPY, NOT 100%.
THAT MEANS AT LEAST 25% OF BUCKY'S LIGHTING WOULD BE ABOVE THE CANOPY SPILLING INTO BERNIE'S NIGHT SKY.
ACCORDING TO DARK SKY INTERNATIONAL, A 75% COMPLIANCE RATE CAN STILL CAUSE SIGNIFICANT SKY GLOW, DISRUPT WILDLIFE PATTERNS, AND IN MANY JURISDICTIONS, TRIGGER VIOLATION NOTICES.
BY THE WAY, BERNIE IS A MAJOR BIRD MIGRATION REGION WHERE ANY ENVIRONMENTAL STUDY'S DONE.
THE BERNIE BUCKY'S MAY BE A DONE DEAL ON PAPER, BUT IT CERTAINLY LEAVES A LOT OF IMPORTANT ISSUES DANGLING, AND A LOT OF BERNIE RESIDENTS LEFT TO DEAL WITH THE RAMIFICATIONS OF AN APPARENT LACK OF OVERSIGHT AND INCONSISTENCY BY CITY LEADERS.
YES, YOU ALL WERE NOT SERVING WHEN THIS BUCKY'S CONTRACT WAS SIGNED.
WE KNOW THAT, BUT RIGHT, RIGHT NOW, FROM THIS DAY FORWARD, THIS BERNIE BUCKY'S CONTRACT, IT'S YOUR RESPONSIBILITY, IT'S YOUR LEGACY.
ALL WE'RE ASKING FOR IS SENSIBLE DEVELOPMENT THAT IS COMPLIANT WITH CITY ORDINANCES.
CITY LAWS SHOULD APPLY EQUALLY TO EVERYONE.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS CHRISTIE ACKERMAN, AND LEMME REMIND MS. ACKERMAN, YOU COME FORWARD.
PLEASE STATE YOUR NAME AND YOUR ADDRESS BEFORE YOU BEGIN SPEAKING.
UH, MY NAME IS KRISTY ACKERMAN AND I'M CHOOSING TO KEEP MY ADDRESS PRIVATE.
I'VE, I'VE GIVEN THE ADDRESS TO THE SECRETARY.
UM, I'M HERE TODAY TO VOICE MY CON CONCERNS ABOUT PUBLIC SAFETY.
I'M VERY PASSIONATE ABOUT SAFETY BECAUSE I'VE EXPERIENCED PUBLIC UNSAFETY.
WHEN I WAS A CHILD, I WAS WALKING HOME AND AN UNSAVORY MAN PULLED INTO A DRIVEWAY NEXT TO ME AND CALLED OUT MY NAME BECAUSE I WAS WEARING A SCHOOL NAME TAG.
HE TOLD ME THAT HE COULD GIVE ME A RIDE HOME.
THANK GOD I WAS NEXT TO MY HOUSE AND WAS SAFE.
THREE YEARS LATER, AGAIN, I WAS WALKING HOME AND A MAN ASKED ME FOR DIRECTIONS FROM A 9-YEAR-OLD CHILD.
WHEN I REALIZED THAT HE WAS ONLY WEARING A SHIRT, I SCREAMED AT THE TOP OF MY LUNGS AND A NEIGHBOR RAN OUT AND RESCUED ME.
HE WAS ARRESTED IN KENTUCKY FOR SIMILAR THINGS.
FAST FORWARD TO SEPTEMBER 2ND, 2023, WHICH IS JUST A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO.
OUR CAR WAS STOLEN ALONG WITH FOUR OTHER NEIGHBOR'S CARS FROM OUR DRIVEWAY IN FAIR OAKS RANCH, AND ONE MONTH AGO, OUR CAR WAS STOLEN FROM SUN AUTO IN LEON SPRINGS, SAFETY IS A BIG CONCERN.
TRANSIENTS AND VAGRANTS ARE DRAWN TO PLACES LIKE BUCKY'S WHERE THEY TAKE ADVANTAGE OF FREE BATHROOMS, AND THIS OPENS THE OPPORTUNITY FOR THEM TO HANG AROUND AND FIND A SPOT BEHIND THE BUCKYS IN THE GREEN BELT.
THIS IS IS ALSO SEEN AT THE PLANET FITNESS, WHERE A WOMAN HAS
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STAYED MANY WEEKS, IF NOT MONTHS IN FRONT OF THERE AND NOT ASKED TO LEAVE.THIS IS ALL UNSAFE FOR OUR NEIGHBORS.
UNSAVORY PEOPLE SEE NEIGHBORHOODS NEARBY AND MAKE PLANS TO STEAL FROM THEM.
MY REQUEST IS THAT BUCKY'S WOULD BUILD A WALL SEPARATING BUCKY'S FROM MANGER SPRINGS NEIGHBORHOOD WITH A GREEN BELT ON THE OUTSIDE OF THE WALL.
BERNIE, HEB HAS AN EIGHT FOOT THREE INCH CONCRETE WALL SEPARATING THEM FROM THEIR NEARBY NEIGHBORS.
I ALSO REQUEST THAT EXCESSIVE SIGNAGE SIMILAR TO THE ONES AT WALMART THAT SAY CAMERAS IN USE WOULD BE INSTALLED ALL AROUND THE WALL, ASSUMING THAT THERE WOULD BE VIDEO SECURITY BACKING UP THESE SIGNS, I REQUEST THAT EXTRA SECURITY AND POLICE WOULD BE VISIBLE SO THAT IT CAUSES UNSAVORY PEOPLE TO MOVE ON.
ANOTHER SAFETY CONCERN IS THE ACCESS TO THE METHODIST BERNIE, ER, AND MEDICAL CENTER AND THE METHODIST SURGERY CENTER.
THERE IS ONLY ONE STREET THAT LEADS TO THESE TWO MAJOR, UM, MEDICAL AREAS.
THIS IS ONE ENTER IN ONE STREET, I APOLOGIZE TO THE MEDICAL AREA.
AND THEN THERE IS ONLY ONE POINT OF ENTRY TO THE HOSPITAL AND ONE POINT TO THE SURGERY CENTER.
AS I LOOKED ACROSS OUR CITY, I NOTICED THAT WALMART, HEB, AND SOME OTHER VERY HIGH IMPACT PLACES HAVE AT LEAST FOUR PLACES OF IN ENTRY, AND THEN TO THE PLACE THAT WE ALL NEED THE MOST HELP.
THERE'S ONE STREET AND ONE DRIVEWAY.
OUR NEIGHBORS IN KERRVILLE EXPERIENCED AN AN, AN EXCEPTIONAL FLOOD.
FREDERICKSBURG EXPERIENCED A WILDFIRE AND A GUNMAN ATTACKED A UVALDE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL.
WE HAVE TO BE PREPARED FOR ANY MAJOR CRISIS, AND ONE POINT OF ENTRY IS NOT ENOUGH.
I REQUEST THAT AN EMERGENCY LANE OR LONG-TERM LANE BE BUILT ON THE ACCESS ROAD AS CLOSE TO THE LIGHT AT WEST BANDERA ROAD UP TO MANGER SPRINGS, SO THAT WHETHER AN EMERGENCY VEHICLE OR A PRIVATE CITIZEN IS RUSHING THEIR LOVED ONES TO THE ER, THERE IS ACCESS IF TRAFFIC TRAFFIC IS BACKED UP.
MANY OF US HAVE SEEN THE BACKUP CAUSED BY BUCKY'S TRAFFIC IN BASTROP.
THERE ARE TWO LONG LANES THAT YOU DON'T EVER MAKE THE LIGHT UNLESS IT'S ONCE YOU SIT THROUGH THE LIGHT ONCE OR TWICE, OR TRAFFIC BEING STOPPED UP ON THE FREEWAY, ACTUALLY ON THE FREEWAY IN YEARS PAST AT THE LULING.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS PAULA RIKER.
MY NAME IS PAULA REER AND I HAVE GIVEN MY ADDRESS TO THE CITY SECRETARY.
THANK YOU FOR THIS OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK WITH YOU THIS EVENING.
I'M HERE TO ASK THE CITY OF BERNIE TO PRUDENTLY PLAN FOR THE MASSIVE INCREASE IN TRAFFIC THAT COMES ALONG WITH THE LARGE TRAVEL CENTER CARRYING THE NAME OF BUCKY'S.
LULING A RURAL SETTING AND NEW BRAUNFELS AND URBAN SETTING.
DOZENS OF CARS ROUTINELY BACK UP ON THE FRONTAGE ROAD AND FREEWAY CARS OFTEN ABANDON THE FREEWAY AND CROSS GRASS DIVIDES.
TO GET TO BUCKY'S, CARS ARE REQUIRED TO WAIT FOR MULTIPLE STOPLIGHTS TO GET THROUGH NEARBY INTERSECTIONS, AND THIS PHENOMENA IS COMMON TO BUCKY'S ACROSS THE COUNTRY.
HOW MANY CARS ARE WE TALKING ABOUT? SOME LOCATIONS EXCEED 13,000 CARS DAILY.
THAT IS JUST UNDER 5 MILLION CARS ANNUALLY DURING PEAK TIMES.
PRIME LOCATIONS EXPERIENCE OVER 2000 CARS PER HOUR.
SO LET'S BRING THIS CLOSER TO HOME.
CLOSE YOUR EYES AND IMAGINE THE LINES OF CARS ON WEEKENDS AND HOLIDAYS AT THE INTERSECTION COMPLEX.
AT I 10 AND SOUTH MAIN STREET IN BERNIE, MANY BERNIE CITIZENS WILL BE IMPACTED BY THIS INCREASED TRAFFIC WITH THEIR EXPANSION.
MORNINGSIDE SENIOR LIVING WILL SOON HOUSE 400 SENIOR CITIZENS, MANY OF WHOM DRIVE OR RIDE WITH CAREGIVERS.
EMERGENCY VEHICLES ROOM ROUTINELY COME IN AND OUT OF THE FACILITY.
IN ADDITION, SEVERAL HUNDRED MINGER SPRINGS RESIDENTS ROUTINELY USE THE SAME I 10 FRONTAGE ROAD WEST OF THE PLANNED TRAVEL CENTER.
THESE RESIDENTS HAVE ONLY 600 FEET PLUS OR MINUS TO CROSS LANES OF TRAFFIC AND ENTER THE I 10
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EASTBOUND RAMP WITH TRAVEL CENTER TRAFFIC.BOTH MORNINGSIDE SENIOR LIVING AND MANGER SPRINGS RESIDENCE WILL BE PUSHED TO USE UPPER BALCONES ROAD, WHERE UPPER BALCONES INTERSECTS.
THE FRONTAGE ROAD IS ALREADY A DANGEROUS INTERSECTION TO BE AVOIDED AS CARS QUICKLY LOOP OFF THE FRONTAGE ROAD AND MAINTAIN THEIR RIGHT OF WAY.
PERHAPS MOST IMPORTANTLY, OUR METHODIST ER RELIES ON CRITICAL UNFETTERED ACCESS TO THE I 10 FRONTAGE ROAD WEST OF BUCKYS TO RUSH PATIENTS TO AREA HOSPITALS.
THEY HAVE THE VERY SAME LIMITED 600 FEET TO CROSS LANES OF TRAFFIC AND ENTER THE I 10 ENTRANCE RAMP.
AND THIS IS THE SAME LANES WHERE THE CARS THAT ARE EXITING I 10 WILL BE LEAVING, COMING TO ENTER INTO THE BUCKY'S AREA.
TIME DOES NOT PERMIT ME TO DETAIL HOW BUCKY'S TRAFFIC WILL ADVERSELY IMPACT THE SUBDIVISION OF REGENT PARK.
BUT IN CLOSING, LET ME EMPHASIZE THAT THE BERNIE OF 2025 IS NOT THE BERNIE OF 2016.
WHEN THE BERNIE'S DEAL WAS SIGNED BY THE CITY IN 2016, BERNIE'S POPULATION WAS ROUGHLY 14,000.
TRAFFIC PLANS MUST BE UPDATED PRIOR TO THIS COUNCIL.
TAKING ANY FURTHER ACTION TO MOVE THE BUCKY'S DEAL FORWARD FURTHER, ANY NECESSARY MODIFICATIONS TO ROADWAYS OR TRAFFIC FLOWS MUST BE IMPLEMENTED PRIOR TO BUCKY'S CONSTRUCTION.
ALL RIGHT, BRAD, THREE MINUTES.
START WHEN YOU GIVE YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS.
UM, I'M A RESIDENT HERE IN BERNIE.
AND, UM, I WOULD LIKE TO RELINQUISH MY TIME TO MY WIFE, DENISE.
I'M DENISE BRICKMILL, THINKING I MIGHT NEED A LITTLE MORE THAN THREE MINUTES, BUT, UM, I'M NOT JUST SPEAKING ON THE BEHALF OF MYSELF AND BRAD OR EVEN THE PEOPLE IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD, BUT FOR ALL THE RESIDENTS OF BERNIE, UH, WHO HAVE PUT THEIR FAITH AND TRUST IN CITY GOVERNMENT TO REPRESENT THEM WELL.
UH, REGARDING THE BUCKY'S DEVELOPMENT, I HAVE TWO ISSUES THAT I WANT TO ADDRESS.
THE FIRST IS THE BUCKY'S SIGN.
UM, I WAS, UM, GIVEN A SUMMARY OF THE, UH, AGENDA ITEM ON OCTOBER 24TH, 2017, IN WHICH THERE WAS A VOTE TAKEN, UH, ON A VARIANCE REQUESTED BY BUCKY'S FOR SIGNAGE.
AND IF I COULD GIVE THOSE TO SOMEONE TO PASS AROUND.
UM, THE FIRST ONE IS A SUMMARY OF MORE THAN THE ACTIVITY THAT OCCURRED IN THE PUBLIC RECORD ON THAT DATE.
THE, UM, THE ACTUAL MEETING MINUTES, WHICH I HAVE REVIEWED, UH, TWO, TWO VOTES.
UM, ONE FOR A HUNDRED FOOT SIGN, WHICH WAS, UH, DECLINED BY THE COUNCIL, AND ANOTHER ONE FOR A 77 FOOT SIGN AS AN ALTERNATIVE.
AND THAT WAS ALSO DECLINED, UH, EFFECTIVELY.
UM, SO BOTH OF THOSE REQUESTS WERE DENIED.
AND SO AT THAT POINT, I ASSUME THAT THE SIGNAGE REQUIREMENT REMAINED, UM, WITH THE CITY ORDINANCE, WHICH WAS AT 40 FEET FOR SIGNS ALONG IH 10.
UM, BUT SUBSEQUENT TO THAT, I HAVE FOUND THAT, UH, I WAS REFERRED TO ANOTHER MEETING DATE IN ON APRIL 18TH, 2018, IN WHICH, UM, A MEETING APPARENTLY TOOK PLACE, UM, TO VOTE FOR APPROVING A 75 FOOT SIGN.
UH, IT WAS AN INTERNALLY APPOINTED SIGN COMMITTEE CONSISTING OF THE MAYOR, CITY MANAGER, CITY ATTORNEY AND DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR.
AND THAT GROUP APPROVED A 75 FOOT SIGN FOR BUCKY'S IN VIOLATION.
IT SEEMS TO ME OF THE CITY'S OPEN MEETING ACT, UM, GOING OUTSIDE OF THOSE RULES AND REGULATIONS OF THE CITY, AND CERTAINLY IT FEELS LIKE GOING OUTSIDE OF THE REPRESENTATION OF THE CITY CITIZENS OF BERNIE.
SO MY QUESTION IS, HOW CAN THIS OCCUR? AND I RESPECTFULLY REQUEST AN ANSWER.
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WITH REGARD TO THE TRAFFIC STUDY, WHICH IS MY SECOND ITEM.UM, I HAVE ENDEAVORED TO COLLECT THE RECORDS, UH, FROM THE CITY OVER THE HISTORY OF THIS PROJECT SO THAT I COULD HAVE ACCURATE INFORMATION AND BE INFORMED, UH, ABOUT THE THINGS THAT HAD BEEN DONE.
WHEN I SPOKE AT THE PLANNING AND ZONING MEETING ON AUGUST 4TH, UM, I FOUND OUT THAT, UM, I WAS, WE WERE TOLD THAT THERE WAS A TRAFFIC STUDY AND I HAVE RECENTLY LEARNED THAT THAT TRAFFIC STUDY HAS NOT BEEN APPROVED.
I WAS TOLD WITHOUT APPROVAL, UH, THAT IS VIOLATING A CITY CODE, AND I WOULD LIKE TO HAVE THAT SITUATION ADDRESSED BY THE COUNCIL.
THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING ME TO SPEAK.
ALRIGHT, NO ONE ELSE HAS SIGNED UP TO SPEAK.
IF ANYONE HAS COME IN LATE TO THE MEETING, WOULD LIKE TO COME FORWARD AND SPEAK, UH, ON THE, ON THE, AN ISSUE FOR PUBLIC COMMENTS.
I DID I GET SIX MINUTES? NO, THAT WAS JUST HER HUSBAND'S MINUTES.
DO I GET MY THREE? YEAH, GO AHEAD.
I FELT LIKE THAT WAS REALLY FAST.
UM, YOU HAD TWO ISSUES AND, AND YOU TALKED ABOUT BOTH OF 'EM, SO I JUST THOUGHT YOU WERE DONE.
WELL, I SAW THE TIMER AND FORGOT THAT I HAD ADDITIONAL TIME, SO I'M GONNA, YOU AND ME BOTH.
SO I'M GOING TO, UM, GIVE SOME CONCLUDING REMARKS, IF I MAY.
UM, SO WITH REGARD TO THAT TRAFFIC STUDY, UM, I WAS TOLD THAT IT WAS PART OF THE STATE CODE THAT HAS TO BE COMPLIED WITH FOR ANY DEVELOPER.
UM, I THINK THAT AFFECTS THE TRAFFIC STUDY AND THAT HAS NOT BEEN APPROVED.
OUR CITY ENGINEER, JEFF CARROLL, UM, SENT COMMENTS BACK TO VOICE SOME CONCERNS RELATED TO THAT TRAFFIC STUDY, AND I HAVE BEEN TOLD THAT THE ANSWER HAS NOT COME BACK FROM BUCKY'S, AND THOSE ANSWERS HAVE NOT BEEN RECEIVED.
SO MY QUESTIONS RELATED TO THE TRAFFIC STUDY ARE, UM, WHY HASN'T THE CITY, UM, OR PERHAPS THEY HAVE, WHAT IS THE STATUS WITH THE CITY IN REQUESTING THE COMPLETION AND THE ADDRESSING OF THOSE CONCERNS? AND, UM, IF THERE ISN'T AN APPROVED TRAFFIC, UM, PLAN THERE, I'M TOLD THERE CAN'T BE A PERMIT, I MAY NOT UNDERSTAND ALL THE PERMITTING, BUT IT RAISES THE QUESTION, HOW IS THE WORK AT THE SITE, UM, BEING PERMITTED AND TAKING PLACE WITHOUT AN APPROVED TRAFFIC STUDY IN PLACE? UM, I, UM, WOULD LIKE TO REQUEST THAT THE TRAFFIC STUDY BE COMPLETED AND APPROVED, BE AVAILABLE FOR CITIZENS TO LOOK AT IT, AND ALSO THAT AN UPDATE TO THAT TRAFFIC STUDY BE PROVIDED BECAUSE IN NINE YEARS, UH, A LOT HAS CHANGED AND THE POPULATION HAS CHANGED.
UM, IN CONCLUSION, UM, WE WANT OUR CITY OFFICIALS TO REPRESENT US IN ALL ASPECTS, AND I RECOGNIZE THAT DEVELOPMENT IS ONE OF THOSE ASPECTS AND THAT IS A JOB THAT YOU HAVE TO DO.
BUT I WOULD, UM, RESPECTFULLY REQUEST THAT YOU CONSIDER OTHER ASPECTS, UM, ALONG WITH SENSIBLE, SENSIBLE DEVELOPMENT.
UM, ALSO SORT OF THE QUALITY OF OUR COMMUNITY LIFE AND THE SAFETY AND ACCESS TO OUR PUBLIC SERVICES, UH, AS WELL, THIS PROJECT HAS ENCOMPASSED A LOT OF YEARS IN LEADERSHIP, SO RECOLLECTIONS CAN BE VARIED, BUT OUR DESIRE IS FOR THE TRUTH, WHICH SHOULD EXIST IN OUR OFFICIAL RECORDS.
UM, SO I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO GETTING THOSE ANSWERS.
ALL RIGHT, THAT CONCLUDES EVERYONE THAT HAS SIGNED UP ON THE SPEAKER'S LIST.
IF SOMEONE HAS COME IN LATE, WOULD LIKE TO COME FORWARD AND STATE THEIR NAME AND ADDRESS AND SPEAK, UH, FOR PUBLIC COMMENTS, YOU MAY COME FORWARD NOW.
UH, I'M GONNA KEEP MY ADDRESS CONFIDENTIAL.
SO I DO AGREE THAT 2016 IS NOT 2025.
THERE'S BEEN QUITE A BIT OF DEVELOPMENT OUTSIDE OF SAN ANTONIO ALL THE WAY INTO BERNIE AND BEYOND.
OUR NUMBER OF CALLS THAT OUR FIRST RESPONDERS MAKE HAS INCREASED
[00:30:01]
DRAMATICALLY IN VOLUME YEAR TO YEAR.I TAKE A LOOK AT LITTLE LEAGUE, YOU KNOW, I WAS A COACH FOR A WHILE AND, UH, WE HAD TO TURN AWAY KIDS BECAUSE OF THE POPULATION GROWTH.
UH, I THINK AT ONE POINT WE HAD 900 ENROLLED OVER IN LITTLE LEAGUE.
SO JUST A COUPLE LITTLE DATA POINTS.
YOU KNOW, THAT MAY HIT HOME FOR SOME OF YOU, SINCE YOU'RE ALL INVOLVED IN THIS COMMUNITY AND SERVING IN THE COMMUNITY.
UM, WHEN WE THINK ABOUT 2016 BERNIE AND A SIGNED ASSIGNED CONTRACT, THAT WAS A LONG TIME AGO.
NINE YEARS, A LOT OF THINGS HAPPENED.
AND WHILE I WASN'T HERE AND I WASN'T A RESIDENT IN 2016, I'VE BEEN A PROUD RESIDENT SINCE 2021, SERVED IN THE COMMUNITY.
AND I I DO WANT TO HAVE A, A POSITIVE REMARK ON BUCKY'S.
UM, THEY'RE OBVIOUSLY VERY GIVING.
THEY GAVE $50 MILLION TO TEXAS A AND M $1 MILLION TO THE FLOOD RELIEF.
UH, I THINK THEY CAN BE A REALLY GOOD COMMUNITY PARTNER, AND THAT'S KIND OF THE POINT OF MY MESSAGE IS THAT YES, IT IS DIFFERENT NOW THAN IT WAS IN 2016.
THEY'RE ALSO GIVING QUITE A BIT OF MONEY IN THE COMMUNITY.
SO I THINK THE REASONABLE, THE KIND OF THE REASONABLE ANSWER IN MY MIND IS TO GET BUCKY'S TO THE TABLE TO TALK ABOUT HOW 2016 IS A LOT DIFFERENT THAN 2025.
I MEAN, WE CAN HAVE ALL THE OPEN RECORDS REQUESTS WE WANT.
WE CAN GO THROUGH ALL THESE STUDIES, WE CAN LOOK AT IT.
BUT JUST A SENSIBLE CONVERSATION ABOUT THE SIZE OF THIS TRAVEL CENTER.
WHAT I WORRY ABOUT IS THE SHEER SIZE OF IT.
UM, WE ALREADY HAVE ISSUES WITH TRAFFIC.
WE ALREADY HAVE INCREDIBLE CALL VOLUME FOR OUR FIRST RESPONDERS.
YOU KNOW, WE, WE CAN'T STOP DEVELOPMENT.
WE CAN'T STOP ECONOMIC GROWTH AND I'M A CAPITALIST.
UH, YOU KNOW, I THINK IT'S A GREAT THING, BUT I THINK WHAT WE CAN DO IS JUST HAVE A CONVERSATION THAT'S SENSIBLE FROM OUR CITY LEADERS ABOUT WHAT THE PUBLIC WANTS AND WHAT THE CITIZENS WANT.
SO YES, WE CAN GO DOWN ALL THESE, THESE OTHER PATHS, WHICH I THINK ARE VERY VALID AND SOME REALLY GREAT COMMENTS FROM SOME OF THE SPEAKERS.
NOT TO TAKE ANYTHING AWAY FROM WHAT WAS SAID, BUT JUST AN OPEN FORUM WITH THE COMMUNITY.
I MEAN, IF THEY'RE GIVING $50 MILLION TO TEXAS A AND M AND 1 MILLION OF FLOOD RELIEF, WHO KNOWS? MAYBE THEY'D BE WILLING TO LISTEN TO US.
ANY OTHER SPEAKERS LIKE TO COME FORWARD? ALL RIGHT, THANK YOU EVERYONE.
MOVING ON TO AGENDA ITEM NUMBER
[5. 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.]
FIVE, UH, CONSENT AGENDA.COUNCIL MEMBERS, ANY QUESTIONS ON CONSENT AGENDA AND OH MY GOD, CONSENT AGENDA ITEMS FIVE A THROUGH FIVE C, NO QUESTIONS OR CONCERNS.
CAN I GET A MOTION FROM COUNCIL MACALUSO? MAY I MOVE TO APPROVE THE CONSENT AGENDA AS LISTED? SECOND? SECOND FROM SECOND? COUNCILMAN BUNKER, PLEASE VOTE.
[A. CONSIDER ON FIRST READING ORDINANCE NO. 2025-09; AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY OF BOERNE TEXAS, AMENDING THE CODE OF ORDINANCES OF THE CITY OF BOERNE, TEXAS, CHAPTER 2. ARTICLE V. ETHICS, SEC. 2-123 ETHICS REVIEW COMMISSION, E.3. RULES OF PROCEDURE; TO COMPLY WITH HOUSE BILL 1522, ENACTED BY THE 89TH TEXAS LEGISLATURE, RELATING TO PUBLIC NOTICE REQUIREMENTS UNDER SECTION 551.043 OF THE TEXAS GOVERNMENT CODE; PROVIDING FOR SEVERABILITY; PROVIDING FOR AN EFFECTIVE DATE]
THE REGULAR CITY AGENDA ITEMS NUMBER, STARTING WITH SIX A 2025 DASH FOUR 18, CONSIDERING FIRST READING ORDINANCE NUMBER 2025 DASH ZERO NINE, ORDINANCE OF THE CITY OF BURNING TEXAS, AMENDING THE SIT CODE OF ORDINANCES ON THE CITY OF BERNIE, TEXAS.CHAPTER TWO, ARTICLE FIVE, ETHICS SECTION TWO DASH 1 23, ETHICS REVIEW, COMMISSION RULES AND PROCEDURE TO COMPLY WITH THE HOUSE BILL 1522, ENACTED BY THE 89TH TEXAS LEGISLATURE RELATING TO PUBLIC NOTICE REQUIREMENTS UNDER SECTION 5 51 0 4 3 OF THE TEXAS STATE GOVERNMENT CODE PROVIDING FOR THE ACCEPTABILITY, PROVIDING FOR AN EFFECTIVE DATE PRESENTING THE CITY'S SECRETARY, LORI CARROLL.
UM, WITH THE RECENT LEGISLATIVE CHANGES, HOUSE BILL 1522 REQUIRES NOTICES OF PUBLIC MEETINGS TO BE POSTED AT LEAST THREE BUSINESS DAYS IN ADVANCE OF A MEETING INSTEAD OF THE CURRENT 72 HOURS.
THIS GOES INTO EFFECT SEPTEMBER 1ST.
SO FOR EXAMPLE, ON A COUNCIL MEETING, WHICH IS A TUESDAY, OUR AGENDAS WOULD HAVE TO BE POSTED THE WEDNESDAY BEFORE THE MEETING.
UM, IF THERE'S A HOLIDAY ON A FRIDAY OR A MONDAY, THEN WE WOULD HAVE TO POST ON TUESDAY.
UM, FORTUNATELY THERE'S NO REQUIREMENT FOR THE FULL PACKET TO BE POSTED EARLY, UM, OR EVEN POSTED AT ALL.
[00:35:01]
BUT, UH, FOR TRANSPARENCY, WE DO POST AND WE DO PLAN TO KEEP WITH THE FRIDAY, UM, SCHEDULE OF POSTING AGENDA UNLESS WE CAN GET IT OUT EARLIER.BUT, UM, IT IS A TIGHT SCHEDULE TO TRY TO MEET A WEDNESDAY DEADLINE.
SO BEFORE YOU, IS THE ORDINANCE THAT AMENDS THE CODE OF ORDINANCES TO ALIGN WITH THE CHANGES OF THE OPEN MEETINGS ACT.
SO JUST ASK THAT, UM, THE AGENDA BE APPROVED ON FIRST READING, AMENDING THE CODE.
CHAPTER TWO, ARTICLE FIVE, ETHICS TWO DASH 1 23 TO COMPLY WITH THE HOUSE BILL 1522 RELATING TO PUBLIC NOTICE REQUIREMENTS.
ALRIGHT, GET A MOTION FROM COUNCIL MSO.
MAY I MOVE TO APPROVE ON FIRST READING ORDINANCE NUMBER 2025 DASH NINE AMENDING THE CODE OF ORDINANCES, CHAPTER TWO, ARTICLE FIVE, ETHICS SECTION TWO DASH 23 TO COMPLY WITH HOUSE BILL 1522 RELATING TO PUBLIC NOTICE REQUIREMENTS.
A SECOND FROM COUNCILMAN WILL PLEASE VOTE.
[A. CONSIDER RESOLUTION NO. 2025-R52; A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE CITY MANAGER TO EXECUTE AMENDMENT ONE TO THE CONSTRUCTION CONTRACT BETWEEN THE CITY OF BOERNE AND WATERMAN CONSTRUCTION, LLC, ESTABLISHING A GUARANTEED MAXIMUM COST (GMC) FOR NORTHSIDE COMMUNITY PARK PHASE 1 IN AN AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED $16,500,000.]
TO AGENDA LADIES NUMBER SEVEN A 2025 DASH 4 1 7.CONSIDER RESOLUTION NUMBER 2025 DASH R 52.
THE RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE CITY MANAGER TO EXECUTE AMENDMENT ONE TO THE CON CONSTRUCTION CONTRACT BETWEEN THE CITY OF BURN AND WATERMAN CONSTRUCTION, LLC ESTABLISHING GUARANTEED MAXIMUM COST FOR NORTHSIDE COMMUNITY PARK, PHASE ONE AND THE AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED $16,500,000.
GOOD EVENING COUNCIL AND MAYOR.
OKAY, NOW IT'S THE, UH, JIMENEZ AND BUCKALOO SHOW NOW.
I DO HAVE THREE ITEMS TO DISCUSS THAT SPECIFICALLY RELATE TO NORTHSIDE COMMUNITY PARK.
ALL ITEMS WILL, WILL PROVIDE, UH, FINANCIAL STEWARDSHIP AS WELL AS BEST IN CLASS STATUS.
FIRST ITEM, UH, IS SPECIFICALLY WITH WATERMAN CONSTRUCTION.
WOULD LIKE TO REMIND YOU THAT BACK IN JANUARY, I STOOD HERE EIGHT MONTHS AGO, UH, ASKING FOR YOUR APPROVAL TO ENTER INTO AN AGREEMENT WITH WATERMAN CONSTRUCTION.
UM, SO BETWEEN THE CITY OF BERNIE AND WATERMAN CONSTRUCTION, UM, THAT AGREEMENT WOULD MEAN THAT WATERMAN CONSTRUCTION WILL SERVE AS A CONSTRUCTION MANAGER AT RISK SMAR, AND SINCE THEN, SMAR WOULD, WOULD AND HAS HELPED PROVIDE A SCHEDULE, UM, CONSTRUCTABILITY AND MOST IMPORTANTLY, THE GUARANTEED MAXIMUM COST.
JANUARY'S BEEN A LONG TIME AND WE'VE BEEN BUSY SINCE THEN.
CITY STAFF AND THE DESIGN AND PROJECT MANAGEMENT TEAM HAVE ESTABLISHED THE FINAL DESIGN ENGINEERING AND AGAIN, PRICING.
THE IMAGE THAT YOU SEE HERE ON THE SLIDE IS ALSO AVAILABLE IN YOUR PACKET.
IF YOU WANNA TAKE A BETTER LOOK AT THE BREAKDOWN ON THE COST.
SO THE AMENDMENT ONE, UM, ESTABLISHES THAT THE GMC, WHICH THAT THE GMC WILL NOT EXCEED MORE THAN 16.5 MILLION.
ANY QUESTIONS? COUNCIL MEMBER, YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ON HER? WHAT'S THAT? NO QUESTIONS.
JUST TO CLARIFY, THE BOND ISSUE FOR THE PARK WAS HOW MUCH SPECIFICALLY? I I DON'T REMEMBER THE PARK.
IT WAS $13 MILLION AND WE'RE AT 16 MILLION.
THAT'S FOR THE CONSTRUCTION? YES SIR.
SO WHAT'S, WHAT'S, WHERE'S THE OVERAGE GOING COMING FROM? SO IT'LL BE A COMBINATION OF SOME GRANT MONEY WE'RE RECEIVING PLUS SOME CASH THAT WE HAVE IN OUR CIP P FUNDS FROM CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT CAPITAL.
AND OF COURSE THAT BOND WAS PUT TOGETHER WHAT? 20? IT WAS IN 20, WELL, 2022.
AND IT WAS JUST FOR, IT WAS CONCEPTUAL.
IT DIDN'T, IT WASN'T BASED ON ANY KIND OF ENGINEERING.
I ALSO HAVE THAT THE CONCEPTUAL ESTIMATE WAS FOR THE FULL DEVELOPMENT OF THE PARK.
WE'RE ONLY DOING TWO THIRDS OF THE PARK RIGHT AT 16 MILLION INFLATION.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? CAN I GET A MOTION FROM COUNCILMAN HOLON? MAY I MOVE THAT WE APPROVE RESOLUTION NUMBER 2025 DASH R 52 A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE CITY MANAGER TO EXECUTE AMENDMENT ONE TO THE CONSTRUCTION CONTRACT BETWEEN THE CITY OF BERNIE AND WATERMAN CONSTRUCTION LLC ESTABLISHING A GUARANTEED MAXIMUM COST GMC FOR NORTHSIDE COMMUNITY PARK PHASE ONE, AN AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED 16,500,000.
SECOND FROM COUNCILMAN SCOTT, PLEASE VOTE.
AND A MOTION PASSES FIVE ZERO.
[B. CONSIDER RESOLUTION NO. 2025-R53; A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE CITY MANAGER TO ENTER INTO AND MANAGE AN AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE CITY OF BOERNE AND RABA KISTNER, INC. FOR CONSTRUCTION MATERIALS OBSERVATION AND TESTING SERVICES FOR NORTHSIDE COMMUNITY PARK FOR AN AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED $115,000.]
SEVEN B 2025 DASH FOUR 16,[00:40:01]
CONSIDER RESOLUTION NUMBER 2025 DASH R FIVE THREE A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZED AND THE CITY MANAGER TO ENTER INTO AND MANAGE AN AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE CITY OF BURN AND ROBERT KISSNER INCORPORATED FOR CONSTRUCTION MATERIALS, OBSERVATION AND TESTING SERVICES FOR NORTHSIDE COMMUNITY PARK FOR AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED 115,000.PRESENTING AGAIN, LIZETTE? YES SIR.
SO ITEM NUMBER TWO AGAIN, UM, JUST GONNA BASICALLY REPEAT WHAT THE MAYOR SAID.
UH, ITEM NUMBER TWO IS ENTER INTO AN AGREEMENT WITH ROBBA.
LIKE MOST CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS, WE NEED TO TEST MATERIALS.
UH, AND THIS IS WHAT THEY'RE HERE TO DO.
THEY WILL TEST MORE THAN A DOZEN TESTS, UH, AND THIS WILL NOT, THEY WILL NOT EXCEED $115,000.
WHAT SPECIFICALLY ARE THEY TESTING FOR THE THAT? OH, OKAY, SO THEY ARE
UH, THEY ARE SPECIFICALLY TESTING FOR THE SOIL.
SO FOR INSTANCE, LEMME BREAK IT, I'LL BREAK IT DOWN.
FOR INSTANCE, THE ATHLETIC FIELDS, THE TWO MULTI-USE FIELDS, WE DON'T KNOW WHAT IS BENEATH THE SOIL BECAUSE WE'VE NEVER HAD TO KNOW WHAT'S BENEATH THE SOIL.
SO IN ORDER FOR US TO KNOW WHAT KIND OF SOIL WE'RE DEALING WITH, THAT WILL DETERMINE HOW DEEP WE NEED TO DIG TO BE ABLE TO PROVIDE A ATHLETIC FIELD.
SO THAT'S JUST ONE EXAMPLE OF WHAT THEY'RE TESTING FOR.
UM, I GUESS IT'S A ALMOST A 40 ACRE PROPERTY.
SO IN ORDER TO MEET OUR STANDARDS, AGAIN, WE, WE NEED TO KNOW WHAT WE'RE, WHAT WE'RE BUILDING ON.
DID THEY, I MEAN I KNOW THIS IS NOT SPECIFICALLY IN AN AREA THAT'S PRONE TO CAR DEVELOPMENT AND ALL, BUT DID THEY DO SONAR OR SOME TYPE OF ULTRASOUND DETERMINATION IF THERE ARE ANY CAVITIES OR CAVES OR OTHER THINGS BELOW THE SURFACE BEYOND JUST THE SOIL COMPACTION? I DON'T RECALL THAT THEY DID, BUT I WILL FIND OUT FOR SURE ON THAT MA'AM.
I'M JUST SAYING I DON'T THINK IT'S IN THE AREA THAT'S PRONE TO THAT, BUT IN THIS DAY AND AGE, IF THEY CAN DO IT, THEY SHOULD IN MY OPINION IN THIS AREA.
ANY QUESTIONS? A MOTION FROM COUNCILMAN SCOTT PLEASE.
I'D LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION THAT WE APPROVE RESOLUTION 2025 R 53 RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE CITY MANAGER AT ENTER AND MANAGE AN AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE CITY OF BERNIE AND RGO KISSNER INC.
FOR CONSTRUCTION MATERIALS, OBSERVATION AND TESTING SERVICES FOR NORTHSIDE COMMUNITY PARK FOR AN AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED $115,000.
SECOND FROM COUNCILMAN BATEMAN, PLEASE VOTE AND THAT MOTION PASSES.
[C. CONSIDER RESOLUTION NO. 2025-R54; A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE CITY MANAGER TO ENTER INTO AND MANAGE AN AMENDMENT TO THE AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE CITY OF BOERNE AND LUCK DESIGN TEAM FOR NORTHSIDE COMMUNITY PARK ADDITIONAL DESIGN SERVICES FOR AN ADDED AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED $160,000.]
C 2025 DASH FOUR 15, CONSIDER RESOLUTION NUMBER 2025 DASH R 54 RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE CITY MANAGEMENT UNDER IN INTO MANAGEMENT AMENDMENT TO THE AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE CITY OF BURN AND LOCK DESIGN TEAM FOR NORTHSIDE COMMUNITY PARK.ADDITIONAL DESIGN SERVICES FOR AN ADDED AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED $160,000.
SIMILAR TO WATERMAN CONSTRUCTION, A LOT HAS HAPPENED SINCE JANUARY INCLUDING THE SCOPE OF SERVICE, ESPECIALLY TO MEET OUR OWN CITY STANDARDS.
UM, SO SOME OF THOSE ADDITIONAL SERVICES ARE THE ENGINEERING DESIGN PARK IMPROVEMENTS AND INFRASTRUCTURE LAYOUT, THE FAMILY RESTROOM DESIGN, UM, THE ADDITIONAL PICKLEBALL COURTS THAT WE'RE REQUESTING THE LID DESIGN AND THE STORM WATER TREATMENT IMPROVEMENTS WITHIN THE LCRA EASEMENT AND PHOTOMETRIC STUDIES.
UH, OVERALL THOSE ADDITIONAL SERVICES AND I WOULD LIKE TO NOTE THE FINAL TOTAL DESIGN SERVICES IS 160,000.
AND TO BE CLEAR, THAT IS 160,000 ON TOP OF THE EXISTING CONTRACT WITH LUCK DESIGN.
AND AGAIN, IF YOU WANNA SEE SOME OF THE BREAKDOWNS ON THIS, ESPECIALLY THE LID OR PICKLE BALL, UM, YOU CAN LOOK AT THE PACKET WITH WATER CONSTRUCTION AND IT BREAKS DOWN EVERY ITEM AND WHAT IT COSTS.
THANK ANY QUESTIONS? IS THAT
UM, HOW MUCH COVERED SPACE DO WE HAVE? I KNOW WE HAVE A COVERED BASKETBALL COURT.
IS THERE ANY OTHER COVERED SPACE? NO, NOT TO THAT EXTENT.
SO FOR INSTANCE, LIKE THE UH, THE PLAYGROUND, THOSE PLAYGROUND WILL HAVE SHADE.
IS THERE, IS THERE ANY AIR CONDITIONED SPACE ANYWHERE? ONLY IN THE FAMILY RESTROOMS. THE REASON I'M ASKING ABOUT THE COVERED SPACE IS, I MEAN OBVIOUSLY THERE'S A LOT OF GREEN SPACE THERE.
ARE WE GONNA DO RAINWATER CATCHMENT ON THAT BASKETBALL COVERAGE? YES, WE ARE.
YES, AND THAT ALSO WILL MEET OUR, UH, STANDARDS WITH TEXAS PARKS AND WILDLIFE AS WELL WITH THE GRANT THAT WE RECEIVED.
SO YES, SO, AND WITH TIME OF COURSE WITHIN OUR FINANCIAL MEANS, WELL WE WILL CONTINUE TO ADD ADDITIONAL SHADE STRUCTURE.
AT LEAST THAT'S, THAT'S MY HOPE.
BUT YES, AND THE GOOD THING IS THAT WE'RE KEEPING A LOT OF THE TREES.
THAT WAS A BIG PUSH FOR US THAT THAT ALONE WILL PROVIDE A LOT OF SHADE, ESPECIALLY IN THE PLAYGROUND AREA AND THE PICKLE BALL, I'M SORRY, THE UH, DOG PARK WILL HAVE PLENTY OF SHADE AS WELL.
AGAIN, WE'RE KEEPING THOSE NATURAL TREES, UM, WHICH WE SHOULD BE VERY PROUD OF.
ALRIGHT, ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? CAN I GET A
[00:45:01]
MOTION FROM COUNCILMAN BUNKER? I MOVE.WE APPROVE RESOLUTION NUMBER 2025 R 54 RESOLUTION, AUTHORIZES CITY MANAGER TO ENTER INTO AND MANAGE AN AMENDMENT TO THE AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE CITY OF BERNIE AND LUCK DESIGN TEAM FOR NORTHSIDE COMMUNITY PARK, ADDITIONAL DESIGN SERVICES FOR AN ADDITIONAL ADDED AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED $160,000.
SECOND FROM COUNCIL MACALUSO, PLEASE VOTE AND MOTION PASSES.
[D. CONSIDER RESOLUTION NO. 2025-R55; A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE CITY MANAGER TO EXECUTE AND MANAGE AN AGREEMENT WITH THE BRANDT COMPANIES, LLC FOR THE REPLACEMENT OF TWO (2) EXISTING DAIKIN VRV-3 CONDENSING UNITS WITH TWO (2) NEW DAIKIN VRV-4 CONDENSING UNITS AT THE BOERNE POLICE DEPARTMENT, UTILIZING BUYBOARD CONTRACT #720-23, IN AN AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED $162,802.]
AGENDA ITEM SEVEN D 2025 DASH 4 25, CONSIDER RESOLUTION NUMBER 2025 DASH R 55 A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZED IN THE CITY MANAGER TO EXECUTE AND MANAGE AN AGREEMENT WITH THE BRAND COMPANIES LLC FOR YOUR PLACEMENT OF TWO EXISTING DAIKIN, BRV THREE CONDENSING UNITS AND TWO NEW DAIKIN BRV FOUR CONDENSING UNITS AT THE BURNING POLICE DEPARTMENT UTILIZING BY BOARD CONTRACT NUMBER SEVEN 20 DASH 23 IN THE AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED $162,002.OKAY, PUTTING ON THE FACILITIES CAP, UH, REPLACING THESE TWO CONDENSING UNITS WILL ALIGN WITH OUR SAFETY AND SECURITY, OUR CUSTOMER SERVICE, OUR FINANCIAL STEWARDSHIP, AND AGAIN, BEST IN CLASS STATUS.
CURRENTLY BERNIE PD HAS TWO UNITS THAT ARE COMPLETELY OUTTA SERVICE AND WE ARE NOT COMING BACK.
THESE PARTICULAR UNITS DO SERVE THE DISPATCH, WHICH IS TO REMIND EVERYBODY THAT IS A 24 HOUR SERVICE.
UM, THE TRAINING ROOM, THE FOYER OR THE RECORDS ROOM.
SO THESE TWO SPECIFIC UNITS WERE RATED FOURTH AND FIFTH ON OUR LOWEST PERFORMING UNITS.
AS A REMINDER, THE BERNIE POLICE DEPARTMENT HAS BEEN THERE FOR QUITE SOME TIME, MORE THAN 10 YEARS.
SO THEY HAVE HIT THEIR LIFE EXPECTANCY, ESPECIALLY WITH THE BUILDING THAT RUNS 24 7.
UH, SO TO REPLACE THE TWO CONDENSING UNITS AND, AND MIND MIND YOU I AM ROUNDING HERE IS IT IS 162,000.
UM, AND THESE, UH, FUNDS ARE ALLOCATED IN OUR HVAC CAPITAL FUNDS, WHICH WE HAVE STARTED TO PLAN FOR OUR 10 YEAR HVAC REPLACEMENT.
ALRIGHT, ANY QUESTIONS FOR LIZETTE ON THIS? YES.
NOT REALLY A QUESTION, BUT ARE WE CONSIDERING AS WE DO THESE KINDS OF PROJECTS, I MEAN THIS IS A FACILITY THAT'S AIR CONDITIONED HEATED 24 HOURS A DAY, 365 DAYS A YEAR.
I MEAN, I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S APPLICABLE IN THIS PROJECT, BUT HVAC RECAPTURE, WHICH WE'VE BEEN PUSHING VERY HARD 'CAUSE IT GENERATES A LOT OF WATER.
UH, I DON'T KNOW IF IT MEANS MAKES A DIFFERENCE HERE IN THIS LOCATION, BUT I'M JUST SAYING IS THAT SOMETHING WE'RE LOOKING AT AS WE GO FORWARD AND PROJECTS LIKE THIS? SO THIS WAS SO, WELL, I'LL HAVE TO LET LISETTE ANSWER.
I DON'T THINK WE DID LOOK INTO THIS ONE THERE.
THE UNITS, ONE OF THE UNITS I BELIEVE QUIT WORKING.
WE GOT PORTABLE UNITS IN THERE.
I'M JUST SAYING AS WE, AS WE DO THAT, IS THAT SOMETHING WE'RE CONSIDERING AS WE EVALUATE REPLACING THESE UNITS WITH NEW UNITS? THAT'S ALL I'M ASKING.
YEAH, YEAH, WE CAN, WE DEFINITELY CONSIDER THAT, ESPECIALLY AS LISETTE MENTIONED, THE REPLACEMENT HVAC REPLACEMENT FUND.
WE CAN MAKE SURE THAT'S A PART OF A COURSE.
NEW FACILITIES THAT WAS ALREADY ON OUR RADAR AND WE ARE IMPLEMENTING THAT.
OKAY, ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? ANY MOTION FROM COUNCILMAN WILLMAN? MAY I MOVE? WE APPROVE RESOLUTION NUMBER 2025 DASH R 55 A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE CITY MANAGER TO EXECUTE AND MANAGE AN AGREEMENT WITH THE BRANDED COMPANY'S LLC FOR THE REPLACEMENT OF TWO EXISTING D DAIKIN VRV THREE CONDENSING UNITS WITH TWO NEW DAIKIN VRV FOUR CONDENSING UNITS AT THE BERNIE POLICE DEPARTMENT, UTILIZING BY BOARD CONTRACT NUMBER SEVEN 20 DASH 23 AN AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED 162,802 SECOND FROM COUNCIL MACALUSO, PLEASE VOTE AND THAT MOTION PASSES FIVE ZERO.
[E. CONSIDER RESOLUTION NO. 2025-R56; A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE CITY MANAGER TO EXPEND ADDITIONAL FUNDS FOR THE PURCHASE OF A BUCKET TRUCK FOR THE ELECTRIC UTILITY UNDER THE SOURCEWELL COOPERATIVE PURCHASING CONTRACT A TOTAL AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED $15,195.]
AGENDA ITEM SEVEN E 2025 DASH 3 54, CONSIDER RESOLUTION NUMBER 2025 R 56 A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZED IN THE CITY MANAGER TO EXPAND ADDITIONAL FUNDS FOR THE PURCHASE OF A BUCKET TRUCK FOR THE ELECTRIC UTILITY UNDER THE SOURCE WELL COOPERATIVE PURCHASING CONTRACTOR.TOTAL AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED $15,195.
PRESENTING, UH, TERRY, TERRY EVENING MAYOR COUNSEL.
SO WE ARE HERE TONIGHT TO, UH, REQUEST ADDITIONAL FUNDS FOR THE BUCKET TRUCK FOR THE ELECTRIC UTILITY.
UH, WE HAVE IDENTIFIED THAT UH, THIS ADDITIONAL REQUEST, UH, IS IN AN ALIGNMENT WITH OUR BERNA BERNIE STRATEGY MAP, UM, TARGETING THE AREAS OF SEEKING CUSTOMER DRIVEN FEEDBACK, INVESTING IN AND MAINTAINING HIGH QUALITY INFRASTRUCTURE SYSTEMS AND PUBLIC ASSETS AND ADVANCING MASTER PLAN RECOMMENDATIONS.
IN NOVEMBER OF 2022, COUNSEL HAD APPROVED THE PURCHASE OF THIS
[00:50:01]
BUCKET TRUCK, UH, DUE TO, UH, MANUFACTURER DELAYS.UM, IT WAS MAY OF 2025 BEFORE WE RECEIVED NOTIFICATION THAT THIS UNIT WOULD BE READY FOR DELIVERY.
UH, THIS COST OR THIS UNIT WAS GONNA COME WITH A OR DOES COME WITH A CAB AND CHASSIS PRICE INCREASE.
UM, AND UH, WAS ALSO NOTED THAT UH, WITH THE PURCHASING OF THIS TRUCK, IT IS NOW HAS THE ABILITIES TO, UH, BE OUTFITTED WITH A TWO MAN BUCKET.
UH, THE DESIRE OF THAT IS TO BE ABLE TO ALLOW TWO STAFF MEMBERS IF NEED BE TO WORK SIDE BY SIDE OUT THAT BUCKET.
AT THE SAME TIME, WE HAVE NEGOTIATED, UH, THE TWO ADDITIONAL COSTS WITH OUR VENDOR AND WE ARE ASKING COUNSEL TONIGHT TO, UH, APPROVE ADDITIONAL FUNDS OF $15,195 FOR THE PURCHASE OF THIS TRUCK.
ANY QUESTIONS? ALRIGHT, THANK YOU TERRY.
ANY QUESTIONS? COUNCIL LUC? I DON'T HAVE A QUESTION.
I HAVE A COMMENT I DO WANNA MAKE.
THIS IS THE SUCCESSION OF APPROVALS, MANY OF WHICH IN INVOLVE INCREASES IN ALLOCATION OF FUNDS BECAUSE OF INFLATION DELAYS IN PROCESS.
AND THE REASON I'M SAYING THIS IS I KNOW THERE ARE MANY PEOPLE THAT WE'RE HERE TONIGHT THAT ARE WORRIED ABOUT TRANSPARENCY AND CIVIC GOVERNMENT, BUT THEY DON'T UNDERSTAND THAT WE CAN ONLY ESTIMATE COSTS.
WE DO NOT CONTROL TIMELINES, WE DO NOT CONTROL PRODUCTION, WE DO NOT CONTROL DELIVERY.
SO WHEN WE ESTIMATE A COST, JUST AS WE TALKED ABOUT WITH THE NORTHSIDE PARK THAT'S BASED ON THE BEST INFORMATION EXISTED THREE OR FOUR YEARS AGO, NOT BASED ON WHAT EXISTS TODAY.
SO THIS IS SOMETHING WE DEAL WITH ALL THE TIME.
IT'S NOT ABOUT HYPER INFLATING ANYTHING OR PADDING THE COST.
AND I JUST WANNA MAKE THAT ON A RECORD BECAUSE I KIND OF HEAR THIS FROM A LOT OF PEOPLE AND IT'S SOMETHING WE LIVE WITH EVERY DAY.
ALRIGHT, I GOT A MOTION FOR COUNCILMAN LEWISON.
MAY I MOVE THAT WE APPROVE RESOLUTION NUMBER 2025 DASH R 56, A RE RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE CITY MANAGER TO EX EXPEND ADDITIONAL FUNDS FOR THE PURCHASE OF A BUCKET TRUCK FOR THE ELECTRIC UTILITY UNDER THE SOURCE WALL COOPERATIVE PURCHASING CONTRACT.
A TOTAL AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED 15,195.
SECOND FROM COUNCILMAN BUNKER.
PLEASE VOTE AND THAT MOTION PASSES FIVE ZERO.
[A. RECEIVE THE THIRD QUARTER FINANCIAL AND INVESTMENT REPORT FOR THE PERIOD ENDED JUNE 30, 2025.]
ITEM NUMBER EIGHT A 2025 DASH 3 73.WE SEE THE THIRD QUARTER FINANCIAL AND INVESTMENT REPORT FOR THE PERIOD END OF JUNE 30TH, 2025.
THIS ITEM ALIGNS WITH OUR STRATEGY MAP THROUGH FISCAL EXCELLENCE AND COMMITTING TO STRATEGIC RESPONSIBLE AND CONSERVATIVE FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT.
WE ARE IN THE FINAL QUARTER OF OUR FISCAL YEAR AND THIS IS OUR QUARTERLY FINANCIAL REPORT OF COURSE, FOR THE PERIOD ENDED JUNE OF THIS YEAR.
UM, WE ARE ON THE SAME TRACK AS WE HAVE BEEN ALL YEAR.
UH, REVENUES ARE ON TRACK WITH BUDGET, UM, AT VALOREM.
SALES TAX AND INTEREST ARE RIGHT ALONG WITH BUDGET AND OTHER GOVERNMENTAL REVENUES AND UTILITY REVENUES AND EXPENSES ARE ALL IN CHECK.
STARTING OUT WITH INTEREST REVENUE.
UM, IT IS THE, THE SAME TRACK THAT WE HAVE HAD ALL YEAR LONG.
THERE HAVE BEEN THREE UH, DECREASES IN THE FED FUNDS TARGET RATE TOTALING A HUNDRED BASIS POINTS.
THE BUDGET PROJECTED TWO DECREASES.
UM, DESPITE THAT WE ARE, UM, RIGHT ON TRACK WITH OUR INTEREST REVENUE AS OF THIS POINT.
UM, AND WE DO PROJECT THAT INTEREST RATES WILL JUST CONTINUE TO DECREASE OVERALL PORTFOLIO METRICS.
OUR RATE OF RETURN IS ABOUT 4.28% YEAR TO DATE AND YOU CAN SEE OUR PORTFOLIO DIVERSIFICATION.
UH, WE ARE, UM, INVESTING MORE IN OUR LADDERED SECURITY PORTFOLIO IN ORDER TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF UM, LOCKING IN RATES BEFORE THEY DECREASE.
LOOKING AT AVALOR TAXES, WE'RE AT 103% OF BUDGET, WHICH IS TYPICAL.
AND THE REASON IT'S ABOVE A HUNDRED PERCENT IS BECAUSE IT DOES INCLUDE PRIOR YEAR COLLECTIONS DELINQUENT TAXES THAT ARE RECEIVED THIS YEAR.
SO JUST LOOKING AT CURRENT YEAR REVENUE, WE'RE AT 99%.
THIS IS IN LINE WITH WHAT WE HAVE, UM, EXPERIENCED HISTORICALLY AT THIS POINT IN THE YEAR.
SALES TAX REVENUE IS ALSO ON TRACK.
UM, IT'S LESS THAN 1% HIGHER THAN BUDGET, WHICH IS DARN AS CLOSE AS WE CAN POSSIBLY GET.
UH, WE'RE AT 6.1% YEAR OVER YEAR GROWTH IN SALES TAX.
THIS IS JUST OUR, UH, PORTFOLIO.
ALL THE SECTORS LOOK LIKE THEY'RE PERFORMING WELL, THAT A LARGE DECREASE IS NOT BECAUSE WE'RE PERFORMING POORLY.
[00:55:01]
TO AN ABNORMALLY HIGH PAYMENT THAT WE RECEIVED AT THE END OF LAST YEAR THAT SKEWS THE NUMBERS A LITTLE BIT, BUT OVERALL STILL AT THAT 6.1% GROWTH YEAR OVER YEAR PERMIT REVENUE.UM, AS WE'VE DISCUSSED, ACTIVITY IS UP, WE'RE AT 117% OF BUDGET AND THIS IS PARTICULARLY DUE TO A STRONG SECOND QUARTER.
HOTEL MOTEL IS AT 55% OF BUDGET, WHICH MAY LOOK A LITTLE STRANGE, BUT THERE IS A LAG WHEN WE RECEIVE OUR REVENUE.
SO AS YOU CAN SEE, FOURTH QUARTER IS GENERALLY OUR STRONGEST QUARTER.
THAT COMBINED WITH, UM, THE RECENT FLOODING EVENT.
WE WERE VERY HIGHLY OCCUPIED DURING THOSE WEEKS.
SO WE, UH, WE DO OR WE ARE HOPEFUL THAT WE WILL MEET BUDGET IN HOTEL MOTEL FOR ALL THE UTILITIES.
STARTING OUT WITH ELECTRIC REVENUE IS WHERE WE EXPECT IT TO BE THIS TIME OF YEAR AT 67% OF BUDGET.
AGAIN, FOURTH QUARTER IS GENERALLY OUR HIGHEST QUARTER OF THE YEAR.
AND AS WE HAVE DISCUSSED, WE DID RECENTLY ENTER INTO A SWAP ARRANGEMENT THAT DOES HELP HEDGE THE RISK OF OUR HIGHEST, UM, RISKIEST PART OF OUR RATE, WHICH IS THE CONGESTION COST.
SO THAT'S GONNA HELP IN THE FUTURE TO KEEP RATE STEADY FOR OUR CUSTOMERS.
WATER REVENUES ARE AT 74% OF BUDGET CONSUMPTION IS REALLY ONLY SLIGHTLY ABOVE FROM PRIOR YEARS.
WE'VE HAD QUITE A WET SUMMER, THANKFULLY.
WASTEWATER REVENUES CONSUMPTION GENERALLY TRENDS WITH WATER.
SO REVENUE IS AT ABOUT 79% OF BUDGET, WHICH IS ABOUT WHAT WE EXPECT.
GAS REVENUE IS ALSO ON TREND, UM, ONLY A SLIGHT INCREASE FROM THE PRIOR YEAR, THE SAME QUARTER.
AND AS WE TALK ABOUT, THERE ALSO IS A HEDGE THAT WE HAVE IN PLACE ON OUR GAS SUPPLY THAT HELPS KEEP THE RATE STEADY FOR CUSTOMERS STORMWATER REVENUE.
WE'RE ALSO ON TRACK AT 66% OF BUDGET.
ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS? ANY QUESTIONS MS. SARAH FOR THIS QUARTERS? NO.
CAN I GET A MOTION, MOTION FROM COUNCILMAN BUNKER PLEASE? YEAH, I MOVE.
WE RECEIVED THIRD QUARTER FINANCIAL AND INVESTMENT REPORT FOR THE PERIOD ENDING JUNE 30TH, 2025.
SECOND FROM COUNCILMAN SCOTT, PLEASE VOTE.
[B. OPERATIONAL BUDGET PRESENTATION.]
ADDENDUM I EIGHT B 2025 DASH 4 28.OPERATIONAL BUDGET PRESENTATION, SARAH.
ALRIGHT, SO AS WITH EVERY BUDGET WE START HERE, OUR STRATEGY MAP, EVERY DECISION IN THIS BUDGET TIES DIRECTLY BACK TO THE STRATEGIC PRIORITIES ON THIS MAP, AND THAT'S HOW WE ENSURE THAT EACH DOLLAR SUPPORTS OUR COMMUNITY'S LONG-TERM GOALS.
HERE'S THE ROADMAP FOR TONIGHT.
WE'RE GONNA START OUT WITH A PRESENTATION.
UM, THIS IS THE LAST OF OUR SUMMER SERIES OF WORKSHOPS AROUND OUR OPERATIONAL BUDGET.
THEN WE'RE GONNA MOVE INTO SOME LEGALLY REQUIRED ACTION ITEMS THAT KICK OFF THE BUDGET ADOPTION PROCESS.
SO PART OF THOSE, THERE'S A HANDFUL OF ITEMS THAT WERE INCLUDED IN THE AGENDA PACKET, THE CERTIFIED APPRAISAL RULES, THE TAX RULE CALCULATION, AND SEVERAL OTHER, UM, NUMBERS THAT ARE PART OF THE TAX CALCULATION PROCESS.
THEN WE'LL, UH, RECEIVE AND THE PROPOSED BUDGET AND CON CONFIRM THE PROPOSED TAX RATE AS WELL AS SET PUBLIC HEARINGS ON THE BUDGET IN THE TAX RATE FOR ANYBODY FOLLOWING ALONG.
UH, OUR BUDGET CAN BE FOUND ONLINE ON OUR CITY'S MAIN WEBPAGE.
THERE'S A LINK DIRECTLY TO OUR BUDGET.
AND THEN FURTHER DOWN THE PAGE, THERE'S A LINK TO OUR OVERALL BUDGET PAGE, WHICH HAS LINKS TO EVERY SINGLE PRESENTATION THAT WE'VE HAD THIS PAST YEAR OVER OUR BUDGET PROCESS IN EVERY SINGLE WORKSHOP.
MOVING ON TO THE OPERATIONAL BUDGET PRESENTATION, WE LIKE TO START OUT FOR ANYONE THAT'S JOINING US, UM, JUST AS A REMINDER OF WHERE WE'VE BEEN.
SO, UM, WE START EARLY, ALMOST ALMOST AS SOON AS WE ADOPT ONE BUDGET, WE ROLL RIGHT INTO THE NEXT.
SO WE HAVE BEEN TALKING BUDGET SINCE NOVEMBER OF LAST YEAR.
BUDGETS COME IN ABOUT APRIL AND THAT'S WHERE WE REFINE AND WE RANK PRIORITIES AND WE MEET WITH COUNCIL AND WE HOLD OUR SUMMER WORKSHOPS.
SO BY THE TIME WE REACH THIS PHASE IN AUGUST, THE BUDGET HAS BEEN THROUGH MULTIPLE ROUNDS OF REVIEW.
TONIGHT'S WORKSHOP FOLLOWED BY PUBLIC HEARINGS ONE LATER THIS MONTH AND THE FINAL ONE WITH ADOPTION ON SEPTEMBER 9TH.
AS ALWAYS, THESE ARE OUR NINE BUDGET GUIDING PRINCIPLES THAT HAVE SERVED US VERY WELL IN DEVELOPING THE BUDGET IN THE PAST.
THEY KEEP US FOCUSED ON LONG-TERM PLANNING, MAINTAINING SERVICE LEVELS, AND PROTECTING OUR FINANCIAL HEALTH.
THE PRESENTATION TONIGHT WILL BE FOCUSED AROUND THESE PRINCIPLES AND SPECIFICALLY HOW THEY APPLY TO THE FISCAL YEAR 26TH BUDGET.
[01:00:01]
TOGETHER OUR BUDGET.WE MAKE SURE THAT EVERY PART OF OUR BUDGET ALIGNS WITH OUR STRATEGIC GOALS AND LEGAL REQUIREMENTS AND TRANSPARENCY IS KEY BETWEEN RESIDENTS COUNSEL AND WE MAKE SURE THAT THE PUBLIC CAN SEE EXACTLY HOW THE BUDGET PIECES COME TOGETHER.
SO HIGH LEVEL, OUR BUDGET IS A TOTAL OF $181 MILLION OF WHICH 57 MILLION IS CAPITAL INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS.
43 MILLION ARE GENERAL FUNDS AND 88 MILLION ARE UTILITY FUNDS.
THE KEY, UM, IN FOCUS THAT YOU'LL HEAR REITERATED THROUGHOUT THIS PRESENTATION IS THAT CAPITAL IS A MAIN DRIVER OF THE BUDGET.
THIS YEAR, 32% OF OUR OVERALL BUDGET IS CIP AND 39% OF OUR CIP BUDGET IS SPECIFIC TO OUR 2022 VOTER APPROVED BOND PROJECTS.
THERE'S A LOT GOING ON ON THIS SLIDE.
LOTS OF BOXES, LOTS OF NUMBERS, BUT IT'S A REALLY GOOD REPRESENTATION OF THE DIFFERENT PIECES OF OUR BUDGET AND I WANNA WALK THROUGH 'EM.
SO OUR, OUR BUDGET IS MADE UP OF 19 FUNDS, 12 OF WHICH ARE GOVERNMENTAL, WHICH MEANS THAT THEY CAN BE SUPPORTED BY PROPERTY TAXES AND SEVEN OF WHICH ARE UTILITY FUNDS, WHICH MEANS THEY'RE NOT SUPPORTED BY PROPERTY TAXES.
THEY'RE SUPPORTED BY SERVICE, UM, SERVICES, CHARGES TO USERS.
THE LIGHT GREEN BOXES AT THE TOP, THOSE ARE THE FUNDS THAT ARE GENERALLY, UH, SUPPORTED BY PROPERTY TAXES.
THE GENERAL FUND, LIBRARY FUND AND PARKS FUND ARE WHAT WE COLLECTIVELY REFER TO AS THE GENERAL FUNDS.
AND WHEN WE TALK ABOUT M AND O TAX TAXES OR MAINTENANCE AND OPERATIONS TAXES, THIS IS THOSE FUNDS THAT ARE DIRECTLY SUPPORTED SPECIFICALLY BY MAINTENANCE AND OPERATIONS TAXES, WHICH IS ONE COMPONENT OF OUR OVERALL TAX RATE.
THE DEBT SERVICE FUND IS SUPPORTED BY INS TAXES, WHICH ARE INTEREST IN SINKING TAXES OR OUR DEBT RATE ESSENTIALLY.
SO THOSE TWO COMPONENTS OF THE RATE MAKE UP OUR OVERALL TAX RATE AND THAT MAKES UP OUR $181 MILLION BUDGET.
SO I MENTIONED THAT THIS YEAR CAPITAL IS THE, THE NAME OF THE GAME FOR $181 MILLION BUDGET.
WE HAD A $40 MILLION INCREASE IN CIP RELATED SPENDING SPECIFICALLY FOR THESE FUNDS THAT HAVE STARS ON THEM.
AND SO WHAT THAT MEANS IS, UM, WE HAVE SEVERAL CIP RELATED FUNDS, WE HAVE CONSTRUCTION FUNDS AND THOSE ARE THE FUNDS THAT THE EXPENDITURES OF THE PROJECTS ACTUALLY SIT IN.
AND THEN WE HAVE THE FUNDS SUCH AS THE CAPITAL RECOVERY FUND, WHICH IS THE BOTTOM RIGHT HAND CORNER OF YOUR SCREEN THAT HOLDS ALL OUR IMPACT FEES.
SO WHENEVER WE HAVE AN IMPACT FEE RELATED PROJECT THAT WE WANNA FUND WITH IMPACT FEES, IT WOULD NEED TO TRANSFER THAT MONEY TO SAY THE WATER FUND IN ORDER TO FUND THAT PROJECT.
SO THAT'S AN EXPENDITURE OUT OF THE CAPITAL RECOVERY FEE THAT ADDS TO THAT OVERALL INCREASE IN THE BUDGET.
SO WHEN YOU SEE THE $43 MILLION INCREASE YEAR OVER YEAR, IT'S IN, IT'S VERY IMPORTANT TO UNDERSTAND THAT 40.3 MILLION OF THAT 43 IS CIP RELATED.
SPECIFICALLY, LAST YEAR OUR BUDGET WAS 1 38 AND THIS YEAR IT IS INCREASING TO 180 1.
COUNSEL IS ALSO AWARE OF OUR SUPPLEMENTAL, UH, SUPPLEMENTAL REQUESTS, UM, PROCESS.
UH, $1.2 MILLION OF THE INCREASE IS ATTRIBUTABLE TO THOSE ITEMS. AND THEN OVERALL, UM, AMONGST ALL THE FUNDS, OUR OPERATIONAL INCREASE WAS ONLY 1.7% OR $1.5 MILLION, WHICH IS MODEST WHEN YOU COMPARE IT TO CPI OVERALL OF 2.7%.
WHEN YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT ALL THESE CAPITAL PROJECTS, IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT TO REMEMBER THAT OUR, UM, OUR PRIORITIES ARE STRATEGICALLY ALIGNED WITH MASTER PLANS.
WITH OUR ROLLING TENURE PLAN AND ESPECIALLY KEEPING IN MIND OUR CITIZEN SURVEYS THAT WE HAVE RECENTLY HAD.
WE ALSO HAVE THE PRINCIPLES OF MANAGED GROWTH, TAX RATE MANAGEMENT, AND MULTI-YEAR CONSIDERATIONS.
UM, WHEN WE'RE, OUR FOCUS WILL ALWAYS REMAIN ON DELIVERING HIGH VALUE SERVICES AND PLANNING FOR FUTURE WITH A FISCALLY CONSERVATIVE TAX RATE MANAGEMENT OUTLOOK.
SO AS WE'RE CONSIDERING OUR PROPERTY TAX RATE STRATEGY FOR THIS YEAR, OUR RECOMMENDATION IS NO INCREASE TO THE TAX RATE.
HOWEVER, WE ARE STILL INCREASING INFRASTRUCTURE INVESTMENT AND SERVICE DELIVERY.
I DO WANNA WALK THROUGH THE CALCULATED TAX RATE.
THE TAX RATE CALCULATIONS WERE INCLUDED IN THE AGENDA PACKET, BUT I WANTED TO TAKE A MINUTE AND GO THROUGH THOSE TAX RATES WITH YOU.
AS I MENTIONED, THE TWO COMPONENTS OF THE OVERALL TAX RATE ARE THE MAINTENANCE AND OPERATIONS TAX RATE, WHICH IS BEING PROPOSED AT 35.32 CENTS.
THE INTEREST IN SINKING OR DEBT RATE TAX, THE DEBT TAX RATE IS 11.84 CENTS FOR A TOTAL OF 47 POINT 16.
THE NO NEW REVENUE TAX RATE, WHICH IS THE RATE THAT WOULD GENERATE APPROXIMATELY THE SAME REVENUE ON THE SAME PROPERTIES IN BOTH YEARS.
SO IT DOESN'T INCLUDE NEW PROPERTIES.
[01:05:01]
46.15 CENTS AND THE VOTER APPROVAL TAX RATE, WHICH IS THE RATE ABOVE WHICH AN ELECTION WOULD BE REQUIRED, IS 48.65.OVERALL, WE HAD $111 MILLION IN NEW CONSTRUCTION VALUE ADDED TO THE ROLES THIS YEAR, AND IT'S PRIMARILY DUE TO THAT NEW CONSTRUCTION VALUE THAT THE AVERAGE VALUE HOME INCREASED FROM 460,000 TO 485.
BREAKING THAT DOWN ANOTHER WAY, OUR APPRAISED VALUES INCREASED 2.9% OF WHICH 2.3% WAS ATTRIBUTABLE TO NEW CONSTRUCTION.
AND LESS THAN 1% OR 0.6% IS ATTRIBUTABLE TO EXISTING PROPERTIES.
A TAX BILL ON THAT AVERAGE VALUE HOME IS ABOUT $2,287.
SO IF YOUR HOME IS VALUED AT MORE, YOUR TAX BILL WOULD BE A LITTLE MORE.
IF YOUR HOME IS VALUED LESS, THEN YOUR TAX BILL WOULD BE A LITTLE LESS.
SO LOOKING AT IT ANOTHER WAY FOR $6 AND 40 CENTS A DAY, THE CITY PROVIDES GREAT SERVICE ACROSS MANY CATEGORIES.
IT ALSO PROVIDES GREAT VALUE WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT WHAT RESIDENTS GET FOR THEIR TAX DOLLARS BETWEEN PUBLIC SAFETY PARKS, THE LIBRARY AND ROADS.
ALSO LOOKING AT IT FROM ANOTHER PERSPECTIVE, IS HOW MUCH THE CITY INTENDS TO COLLECT.
SO THIS YEAR, UH, THE BUDGET PROJECTS THAT WE WOULD COLLECT A LITTLE OVER A MILLION DOLLARS MORE IN PROPERTY TAX REVENUE.
UM, THE MOST OF THAT COMES FROM DECREASE IN EXEMPTIONS, WHICH IS PRIMARILY FROM A DECREASE IN THE HOMESTEAD CAP EXEMPTION, WHICH IS THE CAP IT CAPTURE HOUSE AT 10% INCREASE OR YOUR HOMESTEAD AT 10% INCREASE.
NEW CONSTRUCTION, UM, PROVIDES ABOUT $266,000 OF THAT NEW INCREASE.
AND THEN ABOUT 191,000 OF PROPERTIES ENTERED INTO THE FREEZE ROLLS THIS YEAR.
INCREASES ON EXISTING PROPERTIES, UH, SPECIFICALLY WAS ABOUT 71,000.
SO HOW DO WE DO ALL THAT AND NOT INCREASE THE TAX RATE? WELL, A LOT OF IT HAS TO DO WITH STRUCTURAL BALANCE.
WE, UH, WE HAVE A BALANCED BUDGET, UNLIKE THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, UNLIKE THE STATE GOVERNMENT, WE DON'T USE RESERVES TO FUND OUR OPERATIONS.
AND WE ALSO, UM, OPERATE UNDER AN OPTIMUM FUND BALANCE PROCESS, WHICH MEANS THAT WE KEEP ABOUT SIX MONTHS OF OPERATING RESERVES FOR OUR GENERAL FUND AND THREE MONTHS OF OPERATING RESERVE FOR OUR SPECIAL REVENUE FUNDS.
AND THAT'S THAT LIGHT GREEN ON THE BOTTOM.
SO THAT'S THE LINE UNDER WHICH THAT WE MAINTAIN.
THE MEDIUM COLORED GREEN IS OUR ASSIGNED FUND BALANCE FOR CAPITAL PROJECTS.
SO THIS IS HOW WE'RE ABLE TO CASH FUND SO MUCH OF OUR INFRASTRUCTURE WITHOUT ISSUING DEBT.
SO YOU'LL SEE IN THIS GRAPH, WE STRATEGICALLY SAVED UP AND NOW WE'RE SPENDING DOWN ON THE CAPITAL RESERVES TO FUND THIS CAPITAL.
AND BECAUSE OF THIS ALSO, WE'RE WELL BELOW THE LEGAL DEBT LIMIT.
SO YOU'LL SEE THAT BRIGHT RED DASH LINE AT THE TOP, THAT'S THE 5% LEGAL DEBT LIMIT.
AND, UM, WE'RE VERY FISCALLY CONSERVATIVE IN THIS REALM OVERALL.
IF YOU LOOK HISTORICALLY AT OUR, UM, AVALOR TAX REVENUES, WE'VE MAINTAINED A STEADY TAX RATE, BUT YOU'LL SEE THAT, UM, THEY HAVE GROWN ALONG, UM, THE SAME TREND WITH OUR POPULATION, WHICH WOULD BE EXPECTED SALES TAX REVENUE ARE ALSO A, UM, A STRONG PERFORMER FOR THE CITY OF BERNIE.
AND WE PROJECT THESE TO CONTINUE IN LINE WITH HISTORICAL TRENDS REFLECTING OUR DIVERSIFIED E ECONOMIC BASE.
ON THE OPERATIONAL SIDE, UH, WE WERE EXCITED TO BE ABLE TO FUND, UM, SEVERAL OF THE SUPPLEMENTAL REQUESTS.
THESE ARE JUST SOME OF, MANY OF THE THINGS THAT WE WERE ABLE TO FUND.
UM, WE HAD SOME LEGALLY MANDATED ITEMS FOR POLICE CAMERAS AND OTHER, UM, POLICE ITEMS OF ABOUT 316,000.
WE ARE FUNDING A BUCKET LIFT FOR OUR ELECTRIC DEPARTMENT.
WE HAVE A REALLY EXCITING PROJECT TO, UM, LEVEL SOME HEADSTONES AT THE CEMETERY AND ARE, UH, MUCH ANTICIPATED.
AND WE ARE VERY EXCITED ABOUT OUR LIBRARY BOOKMOBILE THAT WILL BE COMING.
ADDITIONALLY, WE'VE, WE'VE MADE, UM, A VERY PUR PURPOSEFUL DECISION EVERY SINGLE YEAR TO INCREASE OUR BUDGET TOWARDS STREET MAINTENANCE AND PRESERVATION.
STREET WORK REMAINS A MAJOR FOCUS HERE BECAUSE INVESTING NOW IN OUR MAINTENANCE DEFINITELY PREVENTS HIGHER COSTS LATER OF FULL RECONSTRUCTION.
SO THIS GRAPH SHOWS, UM, THAT THE ANNUAL BUDGET FOR STREET MAINTENANCE WAS RELATIVELY FLAT FOR MANY YEARS WHILE THE LANE MILES WAS INCREASING.
BUT NOW WE'RE, WE'RE, UH, PURPOSEFULLY INVESTING MORE IN THIS AREA.
[01:10:01]
ONE OF OUR GUIDING PRINCIPLES IS TO BE AN EMPLOYER CHOICE.WE ARE A HIGH PERFORMANCE SERVICE ORGANIZATION, AND WE RELY HEAVILY ON A TEAM OF VERY DEDICATED SKILLED WORKERS TO COME TO WORK EVERY DAY TO PROVIDE THE BEST VALUE SERVICES TO OUR CITIZENS UNDER THIS UMBRELLA.
UM, THIS YEAR WE COMPLETED OUR SCHEDULED MARKET STUDY, WHICH THE CITY DOES EVERY FOUR TO FIVE YEARS.
AND WITH COUNCIL'S CONSENSUS, THE BUDGET INCLUDES AN ADJUSTMENT TO BRING PAY TO THE 70TH PERCENTILE OF THAT STUDY.
AND THE COST ACROSS, UM, ALL FUNDS FOR THE WHOLE CITY FOR THAT IS 396,928.
ADDITIONALLY, WE HAVE OUR, UH, COLA POLICY, WHICH BY POLICY IS SET, UH, FOR THE EMPLOYER COST INDEX ONE YEAR AS OF JUNE EACH YEAR.
UM, THAT INDEX WAS 3.6% THIS YEAR.
SO, UM, OUR COLA THIS YEAR WILL BE 3.5.
AND THEN WE ALSO HAVE AN ADDITIONAL, UM, MERIT THAT IS BASED ON PERFORMANCE.
ADDITIONALLY, UM, WE HAVE, UH, AN INCREASE OF 14% IN OUR OVERALL BENEFITS INSURANCE PACKAGES.
THE GOOD NEWS THERE IS THAT, UM, DIRECTOR FINCH AND TEAM WORKED HARD AND NEGOTIATED THAT DOWN FROM, FROM AN INITIAL 25.
SO 14 LOOKS A LOT BETTER THAN 25, AND WE'RE VERY, VERY GRATEFUL FOR HER HARD WORK ON THAT.
ADDITIONALLY, WE HAVE SOME SERVICE ENHANCEMENTS.
UM, THESE ARE SPECIFICALLY TARGETED TO MEET THE GROWING NEEDS OF OUR COMMUNITY.
UM, SPECIFICALLY IN THE PUBLIC SAFETY SECTOR WITH THREE FIREFIGHTERS THAT ARE GRANT FUNDED, UH, IN, IN ANTICIPATION OF OUR NEW FIRE DEPARTMENT, WE HAVE AN EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT COORDINATOR THAT WE ARE SCHEDULED TO BRING ON MARCH 1ST.
WE HAVE A, UH, POLICE OFFICER PATROL, UH, POSITION THAT WOULD COME ON JANUARY 1ST, AND THIS WOULD BE OUR FIRST PATROL POSITION BROUGHT ON IN THE LAST 13 YEARS.
UH, WE ALSO HAVE A PERMIT TECHNICIAN THAT WE ARE SCHEDULING TO BRING ON JANUARY 1ST.
AND AS YOU MAY RECALL, WE'VE BEEN TALKING, UM, QUITE OFTEN ABOUT HOW PERMIT ACTIVITY HAS INCREASED, UH, 50% IN THE LAST THREE YEARS AND 68% OVER THE LAST FIVE YEARS.
SO THIS POSITION IS REALLY NEEDED WITH THAT GROWTH.
ADDITIONALLY, WE HAVE A PARKS CREW LEADER THAT WE'RE BRINGING ON IN ANTICIPATION OF THAT NEW PARK.
LASTLY, UH, FOR MASTER PLAN IMPLEMENTATION, UH, WE HAVE TALKED ABOUT OUR CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS IN PAST SESSIONS.
I DID WANNA BRIEF YOU THROUGH THOSE.
UM, THESE PRIORITY PROJECTS ARE OF COURSE, WITHIN OUR MASTER PLANS AND STRATEGICALLY ALIGNED.
WE HAVE SEVERAL IMPORTANT PROJECTS COMING UP, INCLUDING THE ABER, COLBERTS FIRE STATION, NUMBER TWO ADLER ROAD RECONSTRUCTION, PLANT STREET PARKING LOT, NORTHSIDE COMMUNITY PARK, AND, UM, SOME MORE MONEY BEING PUT ASIDE FOR WATERWORKS TERRACE.
$34.4 MILLION OF GOVERNMENTAL PROJECTS IS SCHEDULED FOR THIS YEAR, OF WHICH, UM, $4 MILLION WILL BE, UH, DEBT.
AND ANOTHER ISSUANCE OF OUR 2022 VOTER APPROVED BOND TOWARDS NORTHSIDE COMMUNITY PARK.
WE ALSO RECEIVE $750,000 OF GRANTS TOWARDS THAT PARK.
AND, UH, A LITTLE OVER $12 MILLION WILL BE FROM CAPITAL RESERVES FROM PREVIOUSLY ISSUED DEBT.
ON THE UTILITIES FRONT, WE HAVE $23 MILLION TOTAL OF CAPITAL.
THAT 15 MILLION THAT I HAD POINTED OUT IN THAT GRAPH EARLIER, THAT'S, UH, THE IMPACT FEES THAT ARE COMING IN TO HELP PAY FOR SOME OF OUR WATER AND RECLAIMED PROJECTS.
WE ALSO HAVE $650,000 WORTH OF DEVELOPER FUNDS TO GO TOWARDS THOSE, UH, THOSE UTILITY PROJECTS.
ON THE GAS SIDE AND STORMWATER SIDE, WE HAVE $1.4 MILLION ALL PAID FOR WITH FUND BALANCE AND THE ADLER ROAD CULVERTS AND THE STORMWATER UTILITY.
SO, JUST AS A RECAP, UM, WE UTILIZE THESE GUIDING PRINCIPLES, UM, TO FURTHER SUPPORT OUR FISCAL CONSERV CONSERVATISM WHEN WE ADOPT OUR BUDGET.
OUR NEXT, THE NEXT TIME WE'RE GONNA MEET IS OUR FIRST PUBLIC HEARING ON OUR BUDGET AND TAX RATE ON AUGUST 26TH.
AND BEFORE I MOVE ON TO THE LEGALLY REQUIRED ITEMS, I JUST WANTED TO PAUSE AND SEE IF WE HAD ANY QUESTIONS YOU'VE HEARD ABOUT BUDGET FOR MONTHS NOW.
YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT THE CPI, YOU SAID IT CAME IN AT 3.6, BUT THEN WE WERE ONLY DOING AN ADJUSTMENT OF 3.5.
IT'S, IT'S BASED ON A BENCHMARK.
WE DON'T, OR SO I'LL TELL YOU.
AND WE ORIGINALLY HAD BUDGETED, WE HAD SLOTTED IN 4% WAITING FOR THAT INDICATOR TO COME OUT.
UH, JUST TRYING TO BALANCE ALL THE THINGS UP THERE.
[01:15:01]
WE'RE CLOSE.WE'RE NOT AT THE POLICY AT 3.6, 3.5 IS JUST UNDER IT.
BETWEEN, BUT WE, WE FEEL GOOD BETWEEN THE MARKET ADJUSTMENTS THAT YOU GUYS ARE, UH, HOPEFULLY GETTING SUPPORT THE MAYOR AND NICOLE, IT IT, IT'LL MAKE UP FOR YEAH.
CAN I MAKE A COMMENT? I WANT YOU TO GO OVER THIS AGAIN 'CAUSE I KNOW NOBODY WILL HEAR IT, BUT WE ALWAYS HEAR ABOUT THE CITY OF BERNIE'S BUDGET IS SO HIGH.
THE CITY OF BERNIE'S BUDGET IS ONLY 1.17% HIGHER THAN IT WAS LAST YEAR AND OF 181 MILLION, THE ACTUAL SERVICES OF THE CITY ARE 41 MILLION.
AM I SAYING THAT CORRECTLY? I COULD GO BACK TO THAT SLIDE.
SO, I MEAN, BASICALLY IN THIS BUDGET, THE VAST MAJORITY IS EITHER UTILITIES, WHICH ARE PAID FOR BY RATE PAYERS, NOT BY PROPERTY OWNERS AND CAPITAL PROJECTS, WHICH ARE PAID FOR BY MONIES THAT THE CITY HAS SET ASIDE BY BOND MONEY.
AND IN THE CASE OF THE UTILITY PROJECTS, 15 MILLION OF IT COMES FROM DEVELOPERS, NOT FROM TAXPAYERS OR RATE PAYERS AT ALL.
I JUST WANNA REEMPHASIZE THAT.
'CAUSE I ALWAYS HEAR THAT THE CITY OF BURNING BUDGET IS SO HIGH, BUT I THINK PEOPLE KINDA LOOK AT THE TOTAL NUMBER AND THEY DON'T REALLY LOOK AT THE, THE WHAT MAKES IT UP, RIGHT? IT, IT, IT'S, IT'S A COMPLEX BUDGET WHERE WE'RE VERY UNIQUE.
VERY FEW CITIES OUR SIZE HAVE SEVEN UTILITIES.
UM, THAT, THAT'S A LOT FOR A CITY OUR SIZE.
UM, BUT WHEN YOU DO LOOK AT OUR ACTUAL GENERAL FUNDS UP AT THE TOP, THAT'S 42.6 OF OUR HUNDRED 81 MILLION AND THE UTILITY FUNDS ARE 88.
IT'S A LOT, ONLY BECAUSE IN COMPARISON TO CITIES OF 24,000, IT'S NOT A LOT AS IT'S TOO MUCH.
I'M GLAD WE HAVE A UTILITY THAT'S PUBLIC AND, AND MUNICIPALLY OWNED.
ALRIGHT, ANY OTHER QUESTIONS WE MOVE ON
[C. RECEIVE THE CITY OF BOERNE’S 2025 CERTIFIED APPRAISAL TAX ROLL VALUES, TAX RATE CALCULATION, CERTIFICATION OF ADDITIONAL SALES TAX FORM, AND CERTIFY ANTICIPATED COLLECTION RATE AND EXCESS DEBT COLLECTIONS.]
TO AGENDA ITEM EIGHT C 2025 DASH 3 7 2 3 75.RECEIVE THE CITY OF BERNIE'S 2025 CERTIFIED APPRAISAL TAX ROLL VALUES, TAX RATE CALCULATION CERTIFICATION OF ADDITIONAL TAX FORM SALES TAX FORM, AND CERTIFY ANTICIPATED COLLECTION RATE AND EXCESS DEBT COLLECTIONS PRESENTING SARAH.
SO THIS IS THE FIRST OF SEVERAL OF THOSE LEGALLY REQUIRED, UM, ACTION ITEMS. AND SO I WANTED TO PUT THE NUMBERS UP THERE FOR YOU ONE LAST TIME BEFORE YOU MAKE THE MOTION.
UM, THE TAX RATES WE WENT OVER EARLIER, OF COURSE, WE'RE PROPOSING TO KEEP THE TAX RATES STEADY AT 47 POINT 16 CENTS.
THE, UH, ESTIMATED CERTIFIED TAX RULES, THE TAX CALC, UM, THE CERTIFICATION OF SALES TAX, WERE ALL IN THE AGENDA PACKET.
THOSE LAST TWO ITEMS THAT YOU'RE CERTIFIED CERTIFYING ACTUALLY COME FROM THE APPRAISAL DISTRICT.
THEY'RE NOT SOMETHING THAT WE CALCULATE, SO WE, WE DON'T HAVE A CHOICE.
WE HAVE TO GO WITH THEM ANYWAY, SO IT'S BEST TO CERTIFY ANY QUESTIONS? WE GOT A MOTION FROM COUNCILOR BUNKER.
I MOVE THAT WE RECEIVE THE CITY OF BERNIE'S 2025 CERTIFIED APPRAISAL TAX RULES, UH, VALUES, TAX RATE CALCULATIONS, CERTIFICATION OF ADDITIONAL SALES TAX FORM, AND CERTIFIED ANTICIPATED COLLECTION OF RATES AND EXCESS DEBT COLLECTIONS.
COUNCILMAN WILSON, PLEASE VOTE.
[D. RECEIVE THE PROPOSED BUDGET FOR FISCAL YEAR 2025-2026 AND CONFIRM THE PROPOSED TAX RATE OF $0.4716/ $100 VALUATION.]
D 2025 DASH 3 7 6 RECEIPT, A PROPOSED BUDGET FOR FISCAL YEAR 2025 DASH 2026 AND CON CONFIRM, CONFIRM THE PROPOSED TAX RATE OF 0.4716 PER HUNDRED DOLLARS EVALUATION PRESENTING TO SARAH BALU.THE, UH, THE BUDGET WAS FILED WITH COUNSEL AND PUBLICLY ON AUGUST 8TH, AND AS WE'VE DISCUSSED, THE PROPOSED TAX RATE IS 47.60 CENTS.
THIS IS NOT ADOPTING THE TAX RATE.
TO BE CLEAR, THIS IS, UM, CONFIRMING THE TAX RATE THAT I WOULD USE IN ALL THE NOTICES THAT THE LEGALLY REQUIRED NOTICES.
OKAY, I GET A MOTION FROM COUNCILMAN OLSON.
MAY I MOVE THAT WE RECEIVE THE PROPOSED BUDGET FOR FISCAL YEAR 2025 DASH 2026 AND CONFIRMED THE PROPOSED TAX RATE OF 47 1 6 CENTS OVER $100 VALUATION.
SECOND FROM COUNCIL ABATEMENT, PLEASE VOTE SOMEBODY DIDN'T HIT YOUR SCREEN.
[E. CALL FOR AND SET THE FIRST PUBLIC HEARING ON THE PROPOSED BUDGET FOR FISCAL YEAR 2025-2026 FOR AUGUST 26, 2025 AT 6:00 P.M., AND THE SECOND PUBLIC HEARING ON THE PROPOSED BUDGET FOR FISCAL YEAR 2025-2026 FOR SEPTEMBER 9, 2025 AT 6:00 P.M.]
EIGHT E 2025 DASH THREE SEVEN SEVEN, CALL FOUR AND SET THE FIRST PUBLIC HEARING ON THE PROPOSED BUDGET FOR FISCAL YEAR 20 25, 26 FOR AUGUST 26TH, 2025 AT 6:00 PM AND THE SECOND PUBLIC HEARING ON THE PROPOSED BUDGET FOR THE FISCAL YEAR 20 25 6.FIRST SEPTEMBER 9TH, 2025 AT 6:00 PM SARAH, THESE NEXT TWO ITEMS, YOU ALL, UM, CAN GO AHEAD AND TAKE THE ACTION ON.
THEY'RE, THEY'RE SIMPLY SETTING THE TIME AND THE PLACE FOR THE FIRST PUBLIC HEARINGS, AND THEN WE'LL
[01:20:01]
GO FORWARD AND PUBLISH THEM ACCORDING TO THE LAW IN THE NEWSPAPER AND ON OUR WEBSITE.MOTION FROM COUNCILMAN BUNKER.
WE CALL FOR AND SET THE FIRST PUBLIC HEARING ON THE PROPOSED BUDGET FOR FISCAL YEAR 20 25, 20 26 FOR AUGUST 26TH, 2025 AT 6:00 PM AND THE SECOND PUBLIC HEARING FOR THE PROPOSED BUDGET FOR FISCAL YEAR 20 25, 20 26 FOR SEPTEMBER 9TH, 2025 AT 6:00 PM SECOND FROM COUNCILMAN MACALUSO, PLEASE VOTE.
[F. CALL FOR AND SET THE FIRST PUBLIC HEARING ON THE PROPOSED TAX RATE OF $0.4716/$100 VALUATION FOR FISCAL YEAR 2025-2026 FOR AUGUST 26, 2025 AT 6:00 P.M., AND THE SECOND PUBLIC HEARING ON THE PROPOSED TAX RATE OF $0.4716/$100 VALUATION FOR FISCAL YEAR 2025-2026 FOR SEPTEMBER 9, 2025 AT 6:00 P.M.]
ON TO EIGHT F 2025 DASH FOUR TWENTY NINE.CALL FOUR AND SET THE FIRST PUBLIC HEARING ON A PROPOSED TAX RATE OF 0.4716 PER A HUNDRED DOLLARS.
EVALUATION FOR FISCAL YEAR 20 25, 20 26 FOR AUGUST 26TH, 2025 AT 6:00 PM THE SECOND PUBLIC HEARING ON A PROPOSED TAX RATE OF 0.4716 PER HUNDRED DOLLARS.
EVALUATION FOR FISCAL YEAR 20 25, 26 FOR SEPTEMBER 9TH, 2025 AT 6:00 PM CAN I GET A MOTION ON THIS ONE? SO MOVED.
CAN I DO THAT MOTION FROM COUNCILMAN WILLISON? SO MOVED.
SECOND FROM COUNCILMAN BUNKER.
YOU DID ALL THE READING FOR ME.
[G. PRESENTATION AND CONSIDERATION OF THE PROPOSED PLAN OF FINANCE FOR 2022 VOTER-APPROVED GENERAL OBLIGATION BONDS, SERIES 2025.]
TO EIGHT G 2025 DASH 3 74, PRESENTATION AND CONSIDERATION OF PROPOSED PLAN OF FINANCE FOR 2022 VOTER APPROVED GENERAL OBLIGATION BOND SERIES 2025.SARAH? YES, COUNSEL IS AWARE THAT WE RECENTLY TRANSITIONED TO HILLTOP SECURITIES FOR FINANCIAL ADVISORY SERVICES AND WE HAVE JAMES SABONI, WHO IS THE MANAGING DIRECTOR OF HILLTOPS SECURITIES, WHO IS HERE.
HE AND HIS TEAM ARE ADVISING US ON THIS TRANSACTION.
HE HAS SEVERAL DECADES OF PUBLIC FINANCE EXPERIENCE, SPECIFICALLY ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, PUBLIC PRIVATE PARTNERSHIPS, AND PUBLIC FINANCE.
SO WE ARE THRILLED TO HAVE HIM AND HIS TEAM ON BOARD AND HE WILL BE MAKING THE PRESENTATION.
MY NAME IS JIM S AS SARAH INDICATED, I, I'M A MANAGING DIRECTOR AT HILLTOP.
I WORK IN, UH, WITH A TEAM OF PROFESSIONALS THAT HAVE RECENTLY BEEN ENGAGED TO BE THE FINANCIAL ADVISOR TO THE CITY.
WE'RE HONORED AND LOOKING FORWARD TO IT.
UM, I THINK, UH, UH, SO THIS IS OUR FIRST WORK WITH THE CITY.
WE'VE DONE OVER THE LAST COUPLE MONTHS, SOME EXTENSIVE MULTI-YEAR FINANCIAL PLANNING WITH THE STAFF.
UM, AND IN SUMMARY, BEFORE GOING INTO THE PRESENTATION, CITY'S NEVER BEEN IN A, IN A STRONGER FINANCIAL POSITION.
YOUR TRAJECTORY IS, UH, SIGNIFICANTLY POSITIVE.
AND, UH, WE'RE LOOKING FORWARD TO, UM, TOMORROW WE'RE HAVING A, A REVIEW FOR PREPARING FOR OUR RATING CONFERENCE CALL, WHICH WILL TAKE PLACE LATER THIS WEEK.
UM, SO WITH THIS, UM, THE CITY ACTUALLY HAD VOTED IN IN, UM, NOVEMBER OF 2022.
UM, IT VOTED, UH, $23 MILLION OF MOBILITY BONDS AND $13 MILLION OF PARKS AND RECREATION BONDS.
YOU'VE ISSUED 9 MILLION OF MOBILITY BONDS AND 9 MILLION OF THE PARKS AND RECREATION BONDS LEAVING $4 MILLION OF PARKS AND RECREATION BONDS.
OUTSTANDING, I MEAN, AUTHORIZED AND OUTSTANDING TO BE ISSUED.
THAT'S WHAT WE'RE ACTUALLY GONNA BE GOING FORWARD.
WE'RE GONNA BE ISSUING THE $4 MILLION OF THE, UH, AUTHORIZED GENERAL OBLIGATION BONDS.
IT'S A STANDARD, UH, DEBT INSTRUMENT AUTHORIZED BY OUR TEXAS LEGISLATION.
UM, IT ALLOWS YOU TO PLEDGE YOUR INS ADOR TAX, UH, FOR REPAYMENT OF DEBT.
UM, RIGHT NOW THE CITY IS RATED, UH, AA TWO BY MOODY'S AA PLUS BY FITCH, UM, AND RECEIVED THE RATING AT LAST IN 2023 WHEN IT ISSUED LAST ISSUED DEBT WAS CONFIRMED IN AUGUST OF THIS YEAR.
UM, WE EXPECT AT MINIMUM A CONFIRMATION OF YOUR MOODY'S RATING.
WE'RE APPLYING JUST FOR ONE RATING BASED ON THE SIZE OF THIS ISSUE.
AND, AND, UH, WE'RE PREPARING A STRONG CASE TO BE UPGRADED TO A HIGHER RATING THAT WE INTEND TO PRESENT.
UM, THIS IS AGAIN, FOR PARPS, OUR ANALYSIS THAT WE'RE GOING, THAT WE'VE DONE ON THIS SHOWS NO GROWTH AND TAX ASSESSED VALUE.
IN FACT, UM, THE, UH, THE CITY HAS FRONT LOADED SOME OF THE DEBT TO MAINTAIN YOUR CURRENT INS TAX RATE AND THEN TO PROVIDE CAPACITY FOR FUTURE ISSUES.
SOME OF THE THINGS YOU HAVE IN MIND, THE PLAN IS TO, UM, GO FORWARD, UH, APPLY FOR A RATING, UH, HAVE OUR RATINGS CONFIRMED, UH, AND, AND COMPETITIVELY BID THESE OUT ON, UH, TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 9TH THAT MORNING.
PRESENT THE RESULTS TO YOUR STAFF, UM, UH, AND IF, UH, APPROPRIATE, THEN DOCUMENT THEM AND PRESENT 'EM TO, TO YOU FOR THAT EVENING.
IN THE STATE OF TEXAS ATTORNEY GENERAL'S MUNICIPAL BOND DEPARTMENT REVIEWS ALL BOND ISSUANCE TO MAKE SURE THAT, UM, ALL PROCEDURES AND RE REQUIREMENTS, UH, TO ISSUE THE DEBT WERE DONE APPROPRIATELY.
[01:25:01]
UM, IT TAKES 15 WORKING DAYS AT MINIMUM TO DO THAT.SO WE WILL ACTUALLY RECEIVE, UM, THE FUNDS ESTIMATED, UH, ON SEPTEMBER 25TH.
UM, WE INTEND TO ISSUE $4 MILLION OF REMAINING AUTHORIZATION.
RIGHT NOW, BONDS ARE BEING PRICED AT A PREMIUM.
UM, AND, AND WE'RE GONNA USE THAT PREMIUM, UM, UH, AS AUTHORIZED BY OUR STATE STATUTE TO FUND OUR COST OF ISSUANCE AND UNDERWRITERS DISCOUNT.
SO OUR EXPECTATION IS THAT, UM, THAT WE WILL ACTUALLY ISSUE ISSUE $4 MILLION.
OUR INVESTORS WILL PAY, UH, 157 MILLION ABOVE 157,000 PREMIUM.
UM, AND AT THE END OF THE, WHEN WE CLOSE THIS, YOU'LL ACTUALLY HAVE A FULL $4 MILLION, UH, IN, IN DEPOSITED INTO YOUR CONSTRUCTION FUND.
WE'RE AMORTIZED IN THESE FOR 20 YEARS.
UM, OUR EXPECTED ALL IN TRUE INTEREST COST IS A 5.25.
YESTERDAY WE SOLD THREE DIFFERENT, UH, TRANSACTIONS FOR SIMILARLY RATED COMMUNITIES.
UM, AND WE ACTUALLY HAVE THIS BUFFERED AT 25 BASIS POINTS.
BUT SOME OF THE TRANSACTIONS THAT WERE SIMILAR RATED AND SIMILAR STRUCTURE, THEY CAME IN AT ABOUT 4 85.
AND SO, AND THE REASON BEING IS THAT, YOU KNOW, TEXAS, WE HAVE A VERY POSITIVE ECONOMY.
UH, YOUR COMMUNITY HAS A VERY POSITIVE ECONOMY.
INVESTORS, YOU KNOW, ARE DOUBLE A RATED.
BONDS ARE PRICED BETTER THAN NATIONAL AVERAGES.
AND SO I WOULD EXPECT THAT, YOU KNOW, WE, IF WE HAD SOLD THIS BOND ISSUE TODAY, WE WOULD'VE BEEN SOMEWHERE IN THE 4 85, UH, INTEREST RATE.
UM, BUT THE NATURAL BENEFIT THAT WE HAVE BEING A TEXAS ISSUER AND, UH, UH, GIVES US A LITTLE BETTER THAN THE NATIONAL AVERAGE.
JUST, WE WANNA MAKE SURE WE PERFORMED TOTAL PRINCIPLE AND INTEREST IN THIS WOULD BE ABOUT 5.4 MILLION, ABOUT 270,000.
NOW, THE KEY POINT I WANNA MENTION IS THERE'S NO IMPACT ON YOUR INS RATE.
AND IN FACT, WE FRONT LOAD THE DEBT ON YOUR I ON THE IIS TO MAINTAIN YOUR, YOUR, YOUR OVERALL TAX RATE.
UM, 'CAUSE WE HAVE SOME FUTURE ISSUES THAT YOU HAVE PLANNED GOING FORWARD.
YOU KNOW, THE CITY ACTUALLY IS, AS I INDICATED, IT'S DOUBLE A TWO RATED.
AND, UM, WE ARE, UM, PREPARING FOR THE RATINGS AND I THINK WE HAVE A STRONG, UH, UH, POSSIBILITY OF UPGRADE.
BUT THE CITY'S NEVER BEEN IN A STRONGER POSITION.
UH, IN 23 WHEN YOU ISSUED THE BONDS, IT WAS AN INTERESTING YEAR.
WHEN I LOOK BACK HISTORICALLY, YOU LOOK AT YOUR GENERAL FUND BALANCE AND AT THE, UH, END OF YEAR, UH, 2021, YOU HAD 16 MILLION IN YOUR FUND BALANCE.
YOU ACTUALLY DROPPED DOWN IN 22, THE THE LAST AUDIT BEFORE YOUR, YOUR LAST ISSUANCE TO 13.8 MILLION.
BUT WHEN YOU LOOK AT WHERE WE ARE NOW, TALK ABOUT HOW STRONG YOU ARE.
WE HAVE NOW, UM, 22.3 MILLION IN, UH, UNRESTRICTED GENERAL FUND AS OF 24.
MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT OUR CURRENT BUDGET'S A VERY POSITIVE CASH FLOW YEAR, AND YOU'LL END UP WITH MORE.
UM, AND IN FACT, WHEN, WHEN THE, WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE, UH, LAST RATING REPORTS, THE RATING C SAID THREE THINGS THAT, UH, MOODY'S INDICATED THAT COULD LEAD TO AN UPGRADE, CONTINUE FAVORABLE OPERATIONS AND, AND MAINTENANCE OF STRONG RESERVE LEVELS, MODERATION OF DEBT AND FIXED COSTS, AND IMPROVEMENT IN, IN RESIDENTIAL INCOME AND PER CAPITA LEVELS.
AND, AND THE SAP HAS UPGRADED, REVISED THEIR CRITERIA.
AND SO WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE THREE, THREE THINGS I LOOK AT, I THINK THEY'RE IMPORTANT IN THE RATING.
IT'S, IT'S MAINTAINING CASH BALANCES CONSISTENTLY OPERATING WITH CONSERVATIVELY WHERE YOU GENERATE CASH AND, UM, AND, AND, UH, YOUR ABILITY, UM, JUST TO, UH, OVERALL POSITIVE ECONOMY.
AND AS I INDICATED, UM, WHEN WE DID THAT LAST, WHEN YOU DID YOUR LAST RATING, YOU'D COME OFF A DIFFICULT FINANCIAL YEAR.
IT'S BEEN UPWARD TRAJECTORY FROM THEN, FROM 22 TO 23, YOU KNOW, YOUR, YOUR VALUE HAS INCREASED TREMENDOUSLY.
UH, YOU WERE ABOUT 2.3 MILLION.
I THINK WE'VE ACTUALLY ADDED ABOUT, EXCUSE ME, 2.3 BILLION.
WE'VE ADDED ABOUT 1.2 BILLION IN VALUE IN THE LAST FOUR YEARS.
I LOOKED AT YOUR PER CAPITA INCOME.
WHEN THEY TALK ABOUT INCOME, YOU, YOU, YOUR, YOUR PER CAPITA TAXABLE ASSESSED VALUE 22 IS 112,000.
AND WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE DEBT THAT YOU HAVE, UM, WE'VE ACTUALLY DE UH, LEVERAGED THE CITY SIGNIFICANTLY IN 2022.
UM, WHEN THEY DID THAT RATING, IF YOU LOOKED AT THE AMOUNT OF GENERAL OBLIGATION DEBT OUTSTANDING, IT WAS AT 2.6%.
AND AFTER THE ISSUANCE OF THIS DEBT, IT'LL BE 1.6%.
AND WE'RE, AS WE'RE ISSUING $4 MILLION NEXT YEAR, WE'RE ACTUALLY AMORTIZING JUST SLIGHTLY OVER $4 MILLION IN PRINCIPLE, AT THE END OF THE YEAR, YOU'LL HAVE LESS DEBT THAN ISSUED IN THAT PROCESS.
SO I THINK YOU, WHEN YOU LOOK AT ALL THOSE THREE ITEMS, UH, AGAIN, TALKING TO BEN AND SARAH, THIS CITY'S DONE EVERYTHING IT CAN DO TO ACHIEVE A HIGHER RATING OR THE HIGHEST RATING POSSIBLE.
THE QUESTION IS, CAN WE CONVINCE THEM OF THAT PROCESS? BUT IT'S A VERY POSITIVE TRAJECTORY.
[01:30:01]
MOST IMPORTANTLY, I WOULD SAY, WORKING WITH, UM, UM, COMMUNITIES, MY PORTFOLIO IS MADE OF ABOUT 40 TEXAS CITIES AND A FEW, FEW COUNTIES, AND A LOT OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT.YOU KNOW, THIS IS A GREAT RATING, UM, FOR, FOR YEAR COMMUNITY AND, AND REASON WE LOOK AT THIS RATING.
ULTIMATELY, IT GIVES US THE LOWEST INTEREST RATE AND IT REDUCES OUR COSTS TO OUR TAXPAYERS.
BUT, BUT AGAIN, UH, IT, IT WAS, UM, PREPARING FOR THIS.
SO ONE THING I'M GONNA STRESS THAT I THINK THE CITY'S WELL PREPARED TO GO FORWARD WITH THIS ISSUE.
UM, THE TIMEFRAME IS THAT, UM, WITH, UH, YOUR DIRECTION TONIGHT, UM, AGAIN, WE'VE ALREADY STARTED, BUT WE WILL FINISH PREPARING AN OFFERING MEMORANDUM.
THE OFFERING MEMORANDUM HAS THREE PURPOSES.
WE SUBMIT IT ALONG WITH, UH, FINANCIAL INFORMATION, UH, TO THE, TO, UH, MOODY'S FOR OUR RATING.
WE'LL ALSO SUBMIT TO THE BOND INSURERS.
THE BOND INSURERS ARE ONLY DOUBLE A RATED, BUT SOMETIMES, UH, WE, WE TRY TO GIVE A MUCH FLEXIBILITY, UH, TO GET THE LOWEST COST AVAILABLE.
AND WE'VE ACTUALLY HAD SOME CASES WHERE, UM, SOME OF THE LARGE FUNDS WILL ACTUALLY PURCHASE ON THEIR OWN, UM, BOND INSURANCE.
UM, BECAUSE AS YOU BECOME A DOUBLE A RATED CREDIT, YOU KNOW, THEY CAN PURCHASE FOR MINIMUM COSTS AND IT IN SOME WAYS HELPS THEIR, THEIR, THEIR INVESTORS.
AND, AND THEN LASTLY, UM, IT'S, IT'S ACTUALLY, UM, PUT ON, UM, OUR INDUSTRY WEBSITES, UH, SO PEOPLE CAN LOOK AT IT.
AND YESTERDAY, AGAIN, HAVING SOME SALES AND REVIEWING THEM, YOU KNOW, WE HAD, UH, SOME SIMILAR QUALITY CITIES TO YOURS, VERY HIGH DEMOGRAPHICS AND, UH, HIGH RATINGS.
AND GIVE YOU A FEEL THAT WHEN WE PUBLISHED IT ON THE WEBSITES, WE HAD ABOUT A 220 OR SO, UM, INDIVIDUAL FUNDS.
WE HAD 11 BIDS ON ONE, EIGHT BIDS ON ANOTHER.
WE EXPECT SOME SOMEWHERE IN THAT SAME RESULTS FOR, FROM THAT PROCESS.
AND SO WITH THAT BID, WE SUBMIT THE EXECUTED DOCUMENT, ATTORNEY GENERAL, AND WE CLOSE THE TRANSACTION.
UM, AND, AND IN SUMMARY, I THINK WE'RE LOOKING FORWARD TO, UM, A SUCCESSFUL SALE.
UM, UH, THE, UH, MARKET IS VERY LIQUID.
UM, INTEREST RATES IN OUR CYCLE.
WERE NEAR THE HIGH END OF INTEREST RATES IN THE CYCLE.
UH, BUT, UH, AT THE SAME TIME IN MY ENTIRE CAREER, THREE, THREE YEARS OF WORKING IN THIS BUSINESS, THERE'S, I'VE NEVER SEEN MORE MONEY COMING TO TEXAS.
AND IT MAKES SENSE, YOU KNOW, IF YOU'RE AN INVESTOR ANYWHERE IN THE COUNTRY NOWADAYS, AND YOU'RE SAYING, WOULD I RATHER OWN, UH, CALIFORNIA CITY BOND OR A, YOU KNOW, UM, A ILLINOIS CITY BOND? AND WHEN I'M LOOKING SOMEONE AND WE'RE FOR US, UH, I LEARNED EARLY IN MY CAREER WHEN, WHEN YOU HAVE HIGH INTEREST RATES OR POTENTIAL INTEREST RATE RISK, YOU LOOK FOR CREDIT QUALITY.
AND SO AGAIN, WE HAD, UM, 11 BIDS ON TRANSACTION YESTERDAY, EIGHT ON, ON ANOTHER TRANSACTION YESTERDAY.
UM, AND, AND IT'S NOT A MONTH THAT DOESN'T COME UP WHERE I FIND, UM, THERE'S A FIRM, I'VE NEVER HEARD ABOUT THIS BIDDING ON OUR BONDS.
AND SO THE VERY LIQUID AND COMPETITIVE, UM, SALES, THE SALES THAT WE HAD YESTERDAY, THE COVER BID WAS LESS THAN, UH, 1000 A PERCENT INTEREST RATE, UH, FROM THE LOW BID.
AND THERE WERE SIX WITHIN, UM, UH, FIVE THOUSANDTHS OF A PERCENT.
UM, YOUR STAFF IS PREPARED FOR THIS, AND THIS IS, IT BE, SHOULD BE A VERY SUCCESSFUL PROCESS.
THAT CONCLUDES MY COMMENTS AND ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS, UH, PROVIDE ANY OTHER INFORMATION I CAN AT THIS TIME.
DO YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, COMMENTS? NO.
UH, CAN I GET A MOTION? MAYOR, I MOVE TO APPROVE THE PROPOSED PAY AND A PLAN OF FINANCE FOR THE 2022 VOTER APPROVED GENERAL OBLIGATION BOND SERIES 20 20 25 AS PRESENTED SECOND FROM COUNCIL BUNKER, PLEASE VOTE.
[A. NEW SOFTWARE UPDATE FOR MYGOV ONLINE.]
ITEM NINE, A 26 5 DASH FOUR THREE NEW SOFTWARE UPDATE FOR MYGOV ON MY GOV MYGOV ONLINE.I GOT TWO ITEMS ON THE CITY MANAGER'S REPORT.
THE FIRST I'M GONNA ASK, UH, DIRECTOR CRANE AND TYLER TO COME ON UP TO TALK ABOUT OUR NEW ONLINE SOFTWARE PORTAL.
WE, YOU, SOME OF YOU MIGHT RECALL, DURING THE PANDEMIC, WE ADDED AN ONLINE CAPABILITY.
IT, UH, PROVIDED THAT OPTION, BUT NOT AS SEAMLESSLY FROM A CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE THAT WE WOULD'VE LIKED AND HOPED.
WE, WE'VE RECEIVED A LOT OF FEEDBACK FROM VENDORS AND I, I THOUGHT WE'D ASK DIRECTOR CRANE AND TYLER, JUST TO SHOW YOU HOW THAT WORKS.
MEMBERS OF THE COUNCIL, HAPPY TO BE HERE WITH YOU TONIGHT.
UH, AND WANT TO DISCUSS OUR, UH, RECENT IMPLEMENTATION OF MY GOVERNMENT ONLINE.
UH, WE REALLY TRY TO FOCUS OUR PERMITTING SOFTWARE ON MEETING OUR CUSTOMER NEEDS, UH, IN ALIGNMENT WITH OUR STRATEGY MAP.
IF YOU RECALL, OUR RA, OUR SOFTWARE, UH, OR AS, UH, ONE STAFF MEMBER SAYS
[01:35:01]
OUR LEGACY SOFTWARE IS CALLED, UH, SMART GOV.UH, AND WE HAD MANY COMPLAINTS, UH, WITH THAT SMART GOV FROM, UH, DEVELOPERS, UH, INTERNALLY AND RESIDENTS TRYING TO USE THAT.
UH, ONE OF THE THING, ONE OF THE BIGGEST ISSUES THAT WE HAD, UH, THAT WE RAN INTO IS THAT IT WAS INTENDED TO IMPROVE, UH, THE PROCESS AND THE PROCESSING OF APPLICATIONS AND THE COMMUNICATION AND MAKE IT SIMPLER.
UH, UNFORTUNATELY, UH, IT'S, IT'S RESULTED IN JUST THE OPPOSITE.
IT REQUIRES ADDITIONAL COMMUNICATION.
IT REQUIRES ADDITIONAL COORDINATION AND ADDITIONAL STAFF TIME AND RESOURCES TO, UH, PROCESS THINGS THAT SHOULD BE FAIRLY SIMPLE TO DO.
UM, UH, THE OTHER THING WE FOUND IT, IT WASN'T USER, UH, IT WASN'T INTUITIVE FOR THE USERS.
AND SO YOU WOULD GET ON THERE AND PEOPLE WOULD BE LOST.
SO WE'D GET A LOT OF CALLS ON HOW DO I DO THIS? HOW DO I DO THAT? HOW DO I FILL OUT A PERMIT AND SO FORTH.
SO WE DID THIS FATAL FLAW ANALYSIS IN MARCH OF, UH, 2024.
AND THEN IN SEPTEMBER AFTER, UH, AN EXHAUSTIVE SEARCH ON LOOKING AT DIFFERENT, UH, PRODUCTS.
UH, WE CAME TO YOU WITH A RECOMMENDATION FOR MY GOVERNMENT ONLINE, UM, WHICH YOU GUYS, UH, APPROVE THE INTERLOCAL AGREEMENT FOR, UH, THE SUITE INCLUDES, UH, FIVE DIFFERENT, UH, MODULES THAT WE ARE GOING TO IMPLEMENT.
WE HAVE IMPLEMENTED THE FIRST MODULE, WHICH IS OUR PERMITTING AND LICENSING, UH, MODULE.
UH, WE'RE CAN, WE'RE WORKING ON OUR WORKFLOWS.
HOW A PERMIT IS PROCESSED, UH, FOR THE REMAINING, UM, FOR THOSE REMAINING ITEMS. CODE ENFORCEMENTS, SPECIAL EVENTS, PLANNING, ENGINEERING, AND FIRE PREVENTION.
UH, ONE OF THE, ONE OF THE GOOD THINGS ABOUT THIS IS IT REALLY ALLOWS US TO, UH, PUSH, UH, ONLINE PAYMENTS WITH ECHECK.
SO THAT'S, THAT'S AN EXCITING CHANGE FOR US.
UM, THE OTHER, UH, EXCITING IS OUR INTEGRATION, UH, THAT WE'RE DOING WITH GIS AND BEING ABLE TO PULL THINGS UP AS A PERMIT COMES IN AND PULL UP FLOOD PLAIN MAPS, DPZ MAPS, THINGS LIKE THAT.
UH, I WOULD BE REMISS WITHOUT, UH, GIVING A SHOUT OUT TO OUR, UH, MGO TEAM IN OUR DEPARTMENT.
YOU HAVE, UH, LIZ VALLA ON THE LEFT, AND ERIC ADAMS AND TYLER HOLYOKE, WHO'S YOU'LL HEAR FROM IN A MINUTE.
THEY DID A GREAT JOB, UH, IN PREPARING AND, AND GETTING THIS READY TO LAUNCH.
THEY PUT A LOT OF TIME AND EFFORT INTO IT, AND IT'S GREATLY APPRECIATED.
WE DID LAUNCH ON, UH, JULY 14TH, AND WE WERE VERY STRATEGIC ABOUT, UH, WHAT WE DID.
WE WANTED TO DO A LOT OF, UH, COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT.
WE HAD A CONTRACTORS MEETING THAT SAME DAY WHERE THEY CAME IN IN A ROOM AND WE HAD, UH, LAPTOPS FOR THEM.
AND WE COULD WALK 'EM THROUGH A PERMIT, WE COULD WALK 'EM THROUGH REGISTRATION, WE COULD WALK 'EM THROUGH, UH, ANY QUESTIONS THEY HAVE.
WE'RE PLANNING ON DOING A SIMILAR ONE WITH RESIDENTS ON AUGUST 25TH.
WE'RE ALSO MAKING SURE THAT WE HAVE, UH, A NUMBER OF EASILY ACCESSIBLE HELP RESOURCES THAT INCLUDES, UH, VIDEOS ON HOW TO DO A PERMIT.
YOU CAN ACTUALLY WATCH A ZOOM VIDEO.
AND A LIBRARY OF SIMPLE TO READ, UH, WITH PDFS THAT SHOW EACH CLICK YOU MAKE TO DO A NUMBER OF THINGS.
SO WITH THAT, UH, I'LL TURN SOME TIME OVER TO TYLER.
SHE'S GONNA SHOW YOU A QUICK SHORT DEMO ON WHAT IT CAN DO.
UM, MAYOR COUNCIL MEMBERS, IT'S A PLEASURE TO BE BEFORE YOU THIS EVENING.
JUST WANTED TO INTRODUCE YOU TO SOME OF THE WONDERFUL FEATURES AND FUNCTIONALITY THAT ARE EMBEDDED WITHIN OUR NEW MGO ENVIRONMENT.
UM, SO I WANNA POINT OUT REALLY QUICKLY, OTHER THAN THE OBVIOUS PART OF BEING LOGGED INTO THE CURRENT JURISDICTION OF THE CITY OF BERNIE, THAT'S PARTICULARLY IMPORTANT BECAUSE THERE ARE OVER 400 PUBLIC JURISDICTIONS THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE UNITED STATES THAT UTILIZE MGO, AND 97 OF THEM ARE WITHIN THE STATE OF TEXAS, INCLUDING SOME OF OUR PEER JURISDICTIONS IN THE AREA.
UM, THAT'S A GREAT WAY FOR US TO LEVERAGE LESSONS LEARNED FROM THEIR IMPLEMENTATIONS AND ALSO TO MAKE THINGS EASIER, NOT ONLY FOR US INTERNALLY AND OUR PROCESSES, BUT ALSO TO MAKE THINGS EASIER FOR THE CUSTOMER AS WELL.
ANOTHER FEATURE I WANTED TO INTRODUCE YOU TO WAS A SEARCH PERMITS FUNCTION.
YOU'LL SEE HERE THAT THERE ARE TWO TABS AT THE TOP, UM, PERMITS, WHICH WOULD ALLOW YOU TO SEE ALL OF THE APPROVED PERMITS THAT THE CITY OF BERNIE HAS ISSUED.
UM, SO THERE'S JUST A QUICK GLANCE OF
[01:40:01]
SOME OF THE RESIDENTIAL ONES THAT WE'VE RECENTLY ISSUED.AND SIMILARLY, THERE'S ALSO A TAB FOR APPLICATION.
SO IN CASE YOU'RE INTERESTED IN SEEING ANY OF THE APPLICATIONS THAT HAVE BEEN SUBMITTED TO THE CITY OF BERNIE AND ARE CURRENTLY UNDER REVIEW, YOU CAN DO THAT AS WELL THROUGH THE SAME FUNCTION.
THERE'S A QUICK OVERVIEW THERE.
I WANNA POINT OUT, UH, ON, ON THIS TABLE THAT IT GENERATED THAT ALL OF THE APPLICANT'S INFORMATION IS STILL PERSONAL.
IT'S STILL KEPT PRIVATE BY THE CITY, BUT IT DOES INCREASE TRANSPARENCY IN THAT ANYONE FROM ANYWHERE CAN LOOK AT THE APPLICATIONS THAT HAVE BEEN SUBMITTED TO THE CITY AS WELL AS THE PERMITS THAT HAVE BEEN APPROVED.
RETURNING NOW TO THE HOME SCREEN, I WANTED TO ALSO QUICKLY SHOW YOU TWO BUTTONS THAT ARE AVAILABLE TO US ON THE TOP, WHICH SOUND VERY SIMILAR, SUPPORT AND HELP, BUT ACTUALLY SERVE DISTINCT FUNCTIONS.
SO THE SUPPORT TAB GRANTS US ACCESS TO AN ENTIRE TEAM OF PROFESSIONALS, SUBJECT MATTER EXPERTS ON THE MGO SIDE.
SO IF FOR WHATEVER REASON, CITY STAFF CANNOT PERSONALLY HELP, UH, A CUSTOMER TROUBLESHOOT THE ISSUE THEY'RE EXPERIENCING, WE CAN CALL UPON THE MGO SUPPORT DESK FOR, FOR THEIR EXPERTISE.
AND THAT IS A RESOURCE THAT'S AVAILABLE TO US.
AND FOR FOLKS THAT ARE FEELING A LITTLE BIT MORE ADVENTUROUS AND SELF-SUFFICIENT, THERE'S ALSO THE HELP BUTTON, WHICH IS AN ENTIRE REPOSITORY OF HELP ARTICLES FOR VERY SPECIFIC TOPICS.
SO IF FOLKS JUST WANTED TO UNDERSTAND HOW TO CREATE A NEW USER ACCOUNT OR THEY JUST WANTED TO UNDERSTAND HOW TO REQUEST AN INSPECTION, THERE ARE TOPICS AVAILABLE FOR 'EM TO, TO DO THAT.
AND NOW, UH, I WON'T GO THROUGH THE ENTIRE PROCESS OF APPLYING FOR A PERMIT, BUT I DID WANT TO SHOW YOU HOW INTUITIVE THE USER INTERFACE IS.
AND SO I WILL SHOW YOU A REALLY QUICK PER OOPS, PARDON ME, OF A RESIDENTIAL ACCESSORY STRUCTURE WITH UTILITIES.
SO SAY FOR EXAMPLE, THIS IS A DETACHED GARAGE APARTMENT, UM, OR A MAN CAVE, OR A SHE SHED, WHATEVER YOUR STORY IS, UM, ALL OF THE PERMITS THAT WE HAVE AVAILABLE TO APPLY FOR ONLINE HAVE AN APPLICATION PREVIEW FUNCTION, WHICH WILL ALLOW THE APPLICANT TO SEE ALL OF THE INFORMATION THAT THIS SPECIFIC PERMIT IS GOING TO REQUEST OF THEM BEFORE THEY CAN SUBMIT IT AND IT'S DEEMED COMPLETE.
UM, SO IF I WERE TO CLICK INTO IT, I HAVE ALL THE INFORMATION I NEED AND I'M READY TO APPLY, I WOULD CLICK OPEN.
UH, CITY HALL IS GOING TO GET A MAN CAVE.
FOR THE SAKE OF THIS DEMONSTRATION, PARDON MY ARBITRARY CAPITALIZATIONS, IT'S ON CAPS LOCK.
AND I WILL PUT, SORRY, CAPS LOCK DOES REQUIRE UTILITIES.
LET'S SAY IT'S ONLY 300 SQUARE FEET.
1500 SQUARE FEET OF EXISTING IMPERVIOUS COVER OR ANYTHING THAT'S PROHIBITING GROUNDWATER REQUIRED ME RAINWATER INFILTRATION INTO THE GROUND, UM, FOR A GRAND TOTAL OF 1800 SQUARE FEET.
AND I ESTIMATE IT'S ONLY GONNA COST ME $2,000.
I WILL PUT MY INITIALS THERE AND PRESS NEXT.
AT WHICH POINT IT WILL TELL ME I NEED TO UPLOAD A VARIETY OF ATTACHMENTS IN ORDER FOR THIS APPLICATION TO BE DEEMED COMPLETE.
UH, I WON'T GO ALL THE WAY THROUGH THE PROCESS, BUT WHAT I DID WANNA SHOW YOU IS THAT I CAN PRESS SAVE AND IT WILL ALERT THE CUSTOMER THAT THIS, THIS PERMIT HAS NOT YET BEEN, THIS APPLICATION HAS NOT YET BEEN SUBMITTED, BUT YOU CAN STILL VIEW IT AND YOUR CURRENT PRO YOUR CURRENT PROGRESS IN YOUR PERSONAL DASHBOARD.
SO THIS WILL APPEAR RIGHT HERE, PARTICULARLY HELPFUL FOR CONTRACTORS SO THEY CAN MANAGE ALL OF THEIR VARIOUS PROJECTS AND THE PERMITS ASSOCIATED WITH THOSE PROJECTS.
UM, ONCE I HAVE ALL THE INFORMATION I NEED TO SUBMIT THE A APPLICATION, THEN THE APPLICANT WILL BE ABLE TO SEE THE WORKFLOWS OR ALL THE STEPS IN THE PROCESS THAT ARE INVOLVED FROM BEGINNING TO END, UH, OF THE VERY END OF PERMIT ISSUANCE.
SO ALL THE STEPS THAT THEY'RE REQUIRED TO, TO PERFORM AND ALL THE STEPS THAT THE, THE CITY IS REQUIRED TO PERFORM AS WELL.
AND LAST BUT NOT LEAST, I DID WANNA QUICKLY HIGHLIGHT THE LICENSES TAB AS WELL, PARTICULARLY HELPFUL FOR REGISTERED CONTRACTORS BECAUSE IT DOES CONSOLIDATE ALL OF THEIR ACTIVE LICENSES IN ONE PLACE THROUGH THIS INTERFACE.
SO WITH THAT, I WILL TURN IT BACK OVER TO MY FEARLESS LEADER KILLING MS. SMALL.
UH, SO WITH THAT, I THINK I JUST WANNA FOLLOW UP.
I THINK, YOU KNOW, SO FAR, UH, THE PROOF'S KIND OF IN THE PUDDING IN THAT THE NUMBER OF CALLS JUST WE, THAT WE GET FOR ASSISTANCE
[01:45:01]
IN JUST APPLYING FOR PERMITS HAS, HAS DROPPED DRASTICALLY.SO, UH, I THINK THIS HAS BEEN A GOOD MOVE.
WE'RE EXCITED FOR THE, UH, NEXT MODULES TO BE IMPLEMENTED.
UH, ONE OF THE GREAT THINGS, UH, I THINK WILL COME OUT OF THIS ALSO IS ABILITY TO PROVIDE, UH, KPIS AND DASHBOARD INFORMATION FOR FOLKS AND INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL USE.
SO WITH THAT, IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, BE HAPPY TO ANSWER THOSE.
UH, HYPOTHETICAL OLDER SCHOOL CONTRACTOR WHO'S NOT SAVVY ON INTERNET PER SE, WHAT'S THEIR PATH FOR? THEIR PATH IS OUR STAFF IS VERY GOOD AT PROVIDING ASSISTANCE FOR THOSE FOLKS.
SO WE HAVE A KIOSK IN THE LOBBY, UH, THAT WE CAN GO UP AND WE CAN ACTUALLY WALK THEM THROUGH HOW TO DO IT.
AND, AND WE'VE EVEN HAD, UH, CUSTOMERS WHERE THAT'S TOO MUCH.
AND SO WE HELP THEM, UH, ASSIST THEM BY THEM WITH US AND FILLING IT IN WITH THEM AND UPLOADING AND, AND DOING THE THINGS THAT WE NEED THEY NEED TO DO.
SO WE'RE COGNIZANT OF THAT AND REACT ACCORDINGLY.
WHAT HAS BEEN THE RESPONSE SO FAR FROM RESIDENTS? IT'S BEEN PRETTY POSITIVE.
I MEAN, WE, LIKE, LIKE I SAID, WE HAVEN'T, UH, MOST OF THE ISSUES THAT I'VE SEEN COME ACROSS MY DESK STILL HAVE TO DEAL WITH THE OLD SYSTEM AND NOT, UH, THE CURRENT ONE.
WE HAVEN'T DONE ANY MAJOR COMMERCIAL YET 'CAUSE THEY HAVEN'T COME IN ON THAT.
UH, BUT OUR RESIDENTIAL SEEMS TO BE RUNNING PRETTY SMOOTH.
HOW DOES THIS CHANGE THE TIMELINE? BECAUSE THE BIGGEST, ONE OF THE BIGGEST COMPLAINTS I GET IS MAYOR, I FILED A PERMIT AND IT'S BEEN A MONTH AND I HAVEN'T HEARD ANYTHING.
THIS CHANGED THE, THE SPEED OF THAT AT ALL.
ONE OF THE, UH, BIG ISSUES IS STAFF HERE WILL KIND OF NOD IS THAT, UM, WE ACTUALLY KNOW NOW WHEN THINGS ARE COMING IN, UH, WHICH IS WHAT WE DIDN'T KNOW BEFORE, ESPECIALLY RESUBMITTAL, SOMEBODY COULD GO IN AND THEY COULD UPLOAD FOUR DOCUMENTS AND THEY DIDN'T TELL US, YOU KNOW, WE'D BE SEARCHING, YOU KNOW, 200 PERMITS TO FIGURE OUT IF THEY DID OR NOT.
SO THAT IS A BIG, UH, CHANGE FOR US.
UH, IT ALSO, UH, SO THE NOTIFICATION SYSTEM IS BETTER, UH, WITHOUT BECOMING BEARING, UH, BECAUSE IT, IN A PREVIOUS SYSTEM YOU WOULD GET ENOUGH NOTIFICATIONS, YOU KIND OF TUNE 'EM OUT OVER TIME.
UM, BUT YEAH, WE'RE, WE HOPE THAT, AND WE'VE IMPLEMENTED SOME NEW REVIEW TIMES THAT WE'RE ANALYZING RIGHT NOW, UH, TO TRY TO DO THAT.
SO, UH, THE COMBINATION OF THE TWO I THINK WILL BE, UH, BENEFICIAL.
ONE, ONE THING IS THAT YOU'VE, IT LOOKS LIKE A FABULOUS PROGRAM.
YOU'VE INCREASED THE ABILITY FOR INPUT YES.
AND YOU THEN HAVE TO HAVE THE BANDWIDTH TO MAINTAIN THAT SPEED ON THE, ON THE THROUGHPUT, RIGHT? SO I MEAN, THAT'S SOMETHING THAT'S A STAFFING ISSUE AND, AND YOU STILL HAVE TO PUT EYES ON THAT STUFF.
I DO WANNA MAKE A GENERAL COMMENT.
I SEE THEIR MAIN OFFICE IS HOME OF LOUISIANA
OH, I'M VERY FAMILIAR WITH FROM MANY YEARS AGO.
THEY WERE ACTUALLY, THIS ACTUALLY CAME, BECAME A PROGRAM DUE TO HURRICANE BECAUSE THEY NEEDED SOME COORDINATION, A WAY TO TRACK THIS.
AND SO THEY, UH, REMEMBER THAT.
SO THEY, UH, WHICH IS GREAT BECAUSE THEY, INSTEAD OF A, YOU KNOW, ONE SIZE FITS ALL, IT'S KIND OF A, A ONE THAT, WHERE YOU HAVE A LOCAL GOVERNMENT UNDERSTANDING WHAT LOCAL GOVERNMENT NEEDS.
UH, YOU MENTIONED THAT THERE'S ONE TRAINING FOR RESIDENTS COMING UP BETWEEN NOW AND THE 25TH, IS THAT RIGHT? YES, ON THE 25TH.
UM, WILL THAT, UH, TRAINING BE RECORDED AND ARCHIVED AND AVAILABLE TO FOLKS? BECAUSE I THINK THE POINT OF, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE NOT KNOWING HOW TO USE THIS AS INTUITIVE AS IT LOOKS, UM, I THINK WOULD BE USEFUL TO HAVE IT ARCHIVED.
I THINK THE OTHER THING, TO YOUR POINT ON THE EXPECTATIONS OF SUBMITTING A PERMIT AND WHEN WILL YOU GET AN ANSWER? UM, THAT TRANSPARENCY, I THINK I REMEMBER READING SOMEWHERE MM-HMM
ALONG THE LINE, THERE'S GONNA BE PROTOCOLS ON CERTAIN TYPES OF PERMITS, EXPECTATIONS ON WHEN TO GET A RESPONSE BACK.
SO I THINK THAT'LL BE, UM, REALLY GOOD FOR PEOPLE TO BE ABLE TO SEE.
AND WE, WE HAVE THAT POSTED NOW.
UM, TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTION, UH, WE ARE, WE'RE SETTING UP LIKE WE DID WITH A CONTRACTOR, SO A BIG SQUARE WITH 20 PLUS COMPUTERS, UH, IN THE TRAINING ROOM.
SO IT'S A DIFFICULT TO, UM, RECORD.
HOWEVER, WHAT WE DID DO IS WHEN OUR MGO REPRESENTATIVE WAS HERE, UH, WE ACTUALLY HELD A ZOOM CALL INTERNAL WHERE HE WALKED THROUGH THAT PROCESS.
AND SO ANYBODY CAN ACCESS THAT, UH, ONLINE.
AND REAL QUICK, OUR LEGACY SYSTEM MM-HMM
IS THAT GOING TO BE RETIRED OR TRANSITIONED? SO IT WILL BE, UH, EVENTUALLY RETIRED.
UH, WHAT WE NEED TO DO IS WE NEED TO DO, WE NEED TO GET ALL OUR MODULES SET UP, AND THEN WE NEED TO DO OUR DATA MIGRATION FROM, UH, THE LEGACY SYSTEM TO THIS SYSTEM.
AND ONCE THAT'S DONE, UH, IT'LL
[01:50:01]
BE DONE.AND IT SHOULD ADD, WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT THE PROJECTS THAT ARE IN THAT SYSTEM ARE ACTUALLY COMPLETED.
UH, CERTIFICATE OCCUPANCIES ISSUED BEFORE WE CAN MAKE THAT MIGRATION FOR EVERYTHING.
THEY WILL ASSIST WITH MIGRATION.
HAVE THEY, HAVE THEY MIGRATED FROM THE LEGACY SYSTEM? WE HAVE TO THIS.
THEY HAVE, THEY HAVE, UH, IT CAN BE A CHALLENGE.
I WAS GONNA SAY, MY EXPERIENCE WITH MIGRATION IN THE HEALTHCARE INDUSTRY WAS TERRIBLE.
EVERY MIGRATION WAS A NIGHTMARE.
I CAN'T, HOPEFULLY YOURS WON'T BE.
I'M JUST SAYING IT ALWAYS WON.
NO, WE, WE EXPECT IT TO BE, WE EXPECT IT TO BE A CHALLENGE.
ANY QUESTIONS FOR COUNCIL? NO.
WE HAVE, UH, AS THEY DID, THEY WORKED WITH SOME BUSINESSES.
THEY WORKED WITH THE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE.
OTHER FOLKS HAVE ALREADY GIVEN ME, UH, GREAT FEEDBACK ALREADY, SO THEY'RE EXCITED.
[B. BOERNE LISTENS - A COMMUNITY SURVEY FOLLOW-UP ON ENVIRONMENTAL RESPONSIBILITY.]
UH, BA OUR ENVIRONMENTAL, UM, PLANNER COORDINATOR TO COME UP AND HELP US WITH OUR NEXT CITY MANAGERS.UH, BERNIE LISTENS, UH, CITIZEN SURVEY PRESENTATION.
UH, THERE WASN'T A SPECIFIC, UH, LOOK IN THE SURVEY ABOUT ENVIRONMENTAL RESPONSIBILITY OR ENVIRONMENTAL CONSERVATION.
THERE WAS SEVERAL DIFFERENT ASPECTS THROUGHOUT THE SURVEY THAT TOUCHED ON IT.
AND BECAUSE UNDER OUR STRATEGY MAP, THERE IS AN ENVIRONMENTAL RESPONSIBILITY COMPONENT, RIGHT UNDER OUR MISSION STATEMENT, I THOUGHT IT WAS IMPORTANT TO HIGHLIGHT THIS ASPECT OF THE SURVEY BECAUSE WE DID RECEIVE A LOT OF COMMENTS, UH, FROM OUR RESIDENTS, UH, ABOUT THAT.
AND SO, UM, AS YOU KNOW, WE'LL GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE.
UH, WE DID THE SURVEY AT THE END OF 2024.
WE HAD 75 CITY RESIDENT RESPONSES OUT OF THAT 16, JUST UNDER 1600 SURVEYS.
YOU KNOW, THE 25% IN THE RESIDENT OR IN THE NON-RESIDENT COUNTY, UH, AREA SURVEYED ALL KINDS OF THINGS THAT HAD TO DO WITH DEVELOPMENT, GROWTH, CITY AMENITIES, BENEFITS, SAFETY, SECURITY, MOBILITY AND, AND SO FORTH.
NEXT, HERE ARE JUST SOME OF THE SLIDES, LIKE FOR EXAMPLE, UNDER THE GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT PERSPECTIVE, THERE'S TWO AREAS THAT KIND OF, UM, GOT AROUND THE CONSERVATION OR ENVIRONMENTAL ASPECT.
HAVING TO, YOU KNOW, HOW ARE WE DOING WITH INCORPORATING, UH, CONSERVATION MINDED PRINCIPLES INTO OUR BUILDING STANDARDS? YOU'LL SEE THROUGH A LOT OF THESE SLIDES THAT I'LL SHOW YOU WHERE THE, THE SATISFACTION IS VERY POOR.
UM, THEY'LL SHOW IT AS IMPORTANT OR IN THE MIDDLE, MID RANGE.
UM, I WILL TELL YOU, THEY'RE JUST PROBABLY NOT AWARE OF THE GOOD THINGS WE DO HAVE IN PLACE THAT WE'VE PUT IN PLACE IN THE LAST SEVERAL YEARS WITH THE UDC, WITH RYAN'S FOCUS ON SOME, UM, CONSERVATION PROGRAMS, REBATE PROGRAMS, THINGS OF THAT NATURE.
SO I'M VERY HOPEFUL THAT TONIGHT'S PRESENTATION, UH, WILL CONTINUE THE GOOD COMMUNICATION PRESENTATION OUTREACH THAT HE'S BEEN DOING.
NEXT, HE SEES MORE ABOUT MANAGING THE CITY'S WATER RESOURCES.
OF COURSE, DIRECTOR MANN HAS GIVEN US A GOOD PRESENTATION ON THAT, UM, CONSERVATION EFFORTS AND, AND PROGRAMS NEXT.
UH, EVEN WHEN WE ASKED WHAT CAN WE DO TO IMPROVE MOBILITY IN THE COMMUNITY, WE STILL HAD A LOT OF STUFF ABOUT WATER RESOURCE MANAGEMENT AND ENVIRONMENTAL CONSERVATION POP UP ON UNDER THE SURVEY RESPONSES.
NEXT, UH, THE ONE HIGHLIGHT HERE I'D LIKE TO POINT OUT IS, AND WE'VE HEARD THIS A LOT, DIRECTOR WOODS AND THEIR VISITOR CENTER WILL TELL US ALL THE TIME VISITORS WHO COME HERE REMARK ABOUT HOW CLEAN DOWNTOWN IS, HOW CLEAN AROUND OUR TRAILS AND PARKS THEY ARE.
AND SO EVEN OUR, OUR RESIDENTS HAVE, UH, HAVE, HAVE GIVEN US A VERY HIGH SATISFACTION MARK, UH, MARK THERE NEXT, UH, THERE'S A LOT.
THERE'S A LOT OF, UM, DESIRE FOR MORE OPEN SPACE PRESERVATION.
WE WOULD LIKE TO BUY MORE LAND TO DO THAT.
YOU KNOW, WE WE'RE IN THE MIDDLE OF A LOT OF INFRASTRUCTURE EXPANSION IN THE PARK RANGE AND, AND WE HAVE OTHER PARK ACREAGE THAT WE OWN THAT WE'D LIKE TO DEVELOP DOWN THE ROAD OR PRESERVE AS WELL.
ALRIGHT, WITH THAT, I THINK NEXT WE'LL GET INTO THE, UH, THE DISTRICT COMMENTS.
SO WE'LL START OFF WITH MERE PRO TIM WILLISON.
I WOULD LIKE TO SEE BERNIE REQUIRE MORE FROM DEVELOPERS IN THE WAY OF CONSERVATION PRACTICES.
FOR EXAMPLE, RAINWATER CAPTURE AND USE OF AT LEAST 60% NATIVE PLANTS IN THEIR LANDSCAPING.
AND WE NEED TO SUPPORT SOLAR RESIDENTIAL INSTALLATIONS.
COUNCIL MEMBER BATEMAN, SAVE THE TREES.
INSTEAD OF BUILDING DESIGNS THAT INCORPORATE THE TREES, WE NEED TO MANAGE NATURAL RESOURCES.
CODES FOR LESS CONCRETE AND MORE PROTECTIONS FOR GROUNDWATER RETENTION AND PURITY ARE IMPORTANT.
UH, COUNCIL MEMBER SCOTT, THE DESTRUCTION OF A FEW NATURAL SPACES WE HAVE SEEMS LIKE A CASH GRAB IN A DISREGARD FOR THE LOCAL POPULATION AS A WHOLE.
AND WATER IS A PRECIOUS RESOURCE AND IS CONTINUING TO DWINDLE IS IMPORTANT TO BE CREATIVE AND FIND OTHER SOLUTIONS NOT TO OVERUSE.
[01:55:02]
COUNCIL MEMBER BUNKER.SEEING A BEAUTIFUL GROVE OF TREES WATCHING WILDLIFE THAT HAS SURVIVED CAN BE A TIME TO REFLECT BALANCE OF PRESERVING GREEN SPACE AND WILDLIFE WITHIN THE CITY.
MY HOUSE WAS SURROUNDED BY FOREST FOR DECADES, BUT THAT'S ALL BEEN PLOWED DOWN FOR APARTMENTS AND TRACK HOMES.
COUNCIL MEMBER MACALUSO UTILIZE MORE SPACES FOR MORE FIELDS.
KEEP THE TREES, PLEASE KEEP THE HILL COUNTRY FEEL OF BURNING LIMIT, KNOCKING DOWN TREES, PROMOTE PARKS, OPEN SPACES, HIKING TRAILS.
AND MAYOR RICHIE, EMBRACE THE TEXAS HILL COUNTRY BY SHOWCASING THE ACTUAL OUTDOOR SPACE.
I DON'T BELIEVE THAT CONTINUED GROWTH IS NECESSARILY A GOOD THING FOR BURNING, ESPECIALLY GIVEN THE SCARCITY OF WATER AND LACK OF RAINFALL.
BUT I'M ALSO NOT CERTAIN THAT YOU HAVE MUCH ABILITY TO CONTROL THE GROWTH.
ALRIGHT, WITH THAT, I'M GONNA TURN IT OVER TO RYAN TO TALK ABOUT WHAT WE ARE DOING, WHAT WE CAN DO, AND ACTUALLY WHAT WE AREN'T ALLOWED TO DO.
UM, COUNCIL, MAYOR, APPRECIATE YOU HAVING ME TONIGHT.
UM, I THINK WE ALL SEE A THEME THERE IN THE COMMENTS ON THE CITIZEN SURVEY.
AND IT IS, UM, THE DISPLEASURE, WE'RE SEEING TREES REMOVED, ESPECIALLY ON LARGE SCALE AND IT'S WATER CONSERVATION EFFORTS.
SO I WANTED TO JUST TO START OUT JUST BY PROMOTING LIKE WHAT ARE THE DESIRED OUTCOMES OF OUR CONSERVATION, UH, PROGRAMS. THAT IS TO PROMOTE TREE PRESERVATION WHERE WE CAN ON DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS AND TO PROMOTE TREE HEALTH AND TO WORK TO MAINTAIN HEALTHY TREES WITHIN THE COMMUNITY.
UH, AGAIN, WATER CONSERVATION AND WATERSHED PROTECTION EFFORTS.
UH, WE ARE REALLY ROLLED OUT PROGRAMS THAT ARE, ARE EMPHASIZING AND HELP MANAGE THOSE, THOSE TWO, UH, TENANTS UNDERNEATH OUR, OUR, UH, ENVIRONMENTAL RESPONSIBILITY SECTION OF THE STRATEGY MAP.
AND THEN PROTECTING GROUNDWATER RECHARGE AND PRESERVING OUR NIGHT SKIES, OUR DARK SKIES.
WE, WE HEARD A LOT ABOUT DARK SKIES TONIGHT.
I THINK THAT, UH, MAYBE THIS, THIS PRESENTATION TONIGHT WILL SHED A LITTLE BIT OF LIGHT ON THE THINGS THAT WE'RE DOING TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ENFORCE DARK SKY REGULATIONS AND, AND TRY TO PRESERVE OUR, OUR GOOD HILL COUNTRY DARK SKIES.
UH, SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WE DO INITIALLY IN THE DEVELOPMENT PHASE IS ASK FOR A LAND STUDY.
THIS, THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WASN'T, UH, HISTORICALLY ALLOWED DURING, UH, THE PLATTING PHASE, BUT A HOUSE BILL THAT PASSED OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS PROHIBITS US NOW FROM GATHERING THIS TYPE OF INFORMATION DURING PLATTING.
THE REASON THAT IT'S IMPORTANT DURING THAT PHASE BEFORE WE ESTABLISHED LOT LINES, EASEMENT BOUNDARIES, DRAINAGE WAYS, IS THAT IF WE KNOW WE HAVE ENVIRONMENTALLY SENSITIVE FEATURES ON A PROPERTY, WE CAN THEN WORK AROUND THOSE THINGS TO HELP PRESERVE THOSE THINGS.
THOSE AREN'T DEAL KILLERS, THOSE AREN'T PROJECT KILLERS.
THOSE ARE JUST WAYS THAT WE CAN USE TOOLS TO HELP TRY TO PRESERVE, UH, SOME OF THOSE SENSITIVE FEATURES.
UH, NAMELY WHEN IT COMES TO GROUNDWATER PROTECTIONS.
SO WE, WE REQUIRE, UM, DURING THE DEVELOPMENT PROCESS, A TREE INVENTORY THAT WE FIELD CHECK AND VERIFY FOR ITS ACCURACY.
WE ASK FOR AN INVENTORY AND NATURAL FEATURES MEMO.
THAT'S TO GIVE US A BETTER IDEA OF ANY REALLY SIGNIFICANT SPECIAL FEATURES THAT ARE ON THE PROPERTY THAT YOU CAN'T SEE FROM AN AERIAL IMAGE OR JUST A TREE SURVEY.
IF WE HAVE PROPERTIES THAT FALL WITHIN OUR LOWER GLEN ROSE PROTECTION ZONE, WE REQUIRE A GEOLOGIC SURVEY TO BE PROVIDED.
AND THIS IS WHERE WE START LOOKING AT GROUNDWATER PRESERVATION.
WE'RE TRYING TO IDENTIFY, YOU KNOW, MAYBE CAVES OR CARS FEATURES THAT, UH, FACILITATE THE TRANSFER OF SERVICE WATER TO GROUNDWATER, TO, TO REPLENISH OUR AQUIFERS.
UH, WE WANNA BE SURE THAT WE ARE NOT CONTAMINATING AQUIFERS.
WE WANT TO PROMOTE GROUNDWATER RECHARGE WHERE WE CAN TO, YOU KNOW, HELP, UH, ENSURE THAT WE DO, DO NOT, UH, SEE LARGE SCALE DEPLETIONS IN OUR WATER TABLES.
UH, AND WE CAN DO, UH, TRIGGER SOME PROTECTIVE MEASURES.
MA MAINLY LOOKING AT WHAT THE EDWARDS AQUIFER AUTHORITY DOES WHEN THEY RUN ACROSS A SENSITIVE RECHARGE FEATURE.
WE WOULD TRIGGER THOSE TYPES OF PROTECTIONS ON A PROPERTY AND THEN HABITAT ASSESSMENT.
SO IF WE HAVE A NEW DEVELOPMENT OVER 10 ACRES IN SIZE, WE ASKED FOR A HABITAT ASSESSMENT TO LOOK AT, UH, HABITAT COMPLIANCE FOR THREATENED ENDANGERED SPECIES.
AND SO, UM, WE HAVEN'T HAD TOO MANY PROJECTS THAT TRIGGERED, UH, THE HABITAT ASSESSMENT REQUIREMENT, BUT IT IS THERE.
AND I THINK THAT'S A VALUABLE TOOL IN OUR TOOLKIT WHEN IT COMES TO OUR ENVIRONMENTAL RESPONSIBILITY.
SO, AGAIN, TREES BEING THE TOP CON YOU KNOW, TOP UH, POINT, UH, TO MENTION IN OUR SURVEY, WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT OUR URBAN AND COMMUNITY FORESTRY PROGRAM.
IT COINCIDED VERY NICELY WITH THE UNIFIED DEVELOPMENT CODE.
GAVE US A GREAT OPPORTUNITY TO REALLY BEEF UP OUR TREE PRESERVATION REQUIREMENTS.
THIS IS WHERE WE INCREASED OUR PRESERVATION RATES ON THE PROPERTY.
WE INCREASED OUR PLANTING RATIOS TO OFFSET FOR TREE LAWS, AND WE INCREASED THE FEE IN LIEU OF AMOUNTS, UH, FOR OP UH, OPTIONS TO WHERE PEOPLE HAVE TO PAY.
IF THEY CAN'T PRESERVE, THEY CAN'T PLANT TO OFFSET TREE LAWS, THEN THERE'S A, A WAY THEY CAN PAY INTO OUR TREE RESTORATION FUND.
IT'S REALLY VALUABLE THAT THIS PROGRAM'S LOCATED IN OUR PLANNING DEPARTMENT BECAUSE WE GET TO HAVE CONVERSATIONS ON TREE PRESERVATIONS FROM DAY ONE ON A PROJECT.
SO IF WE IDENTIFY LARGE TREES, ESPECIALLY OUR HERITAGE TREES, WE'RE WORKING WITH THE DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY, THE DEVELOPERS, UH, AND THE ENGINEERS TO MAYBE LOOK AT SITE PLANT ADJUSTMENTS TO HELP, UH, PRESERVE SOME OF THESE TREES ON SITE.
THE ONE THING THAT, UH, EVERYONE IS PROBABLY NOT AWARE OF IS THAT WITHIN THE
[02:00:01]
STATE OF TEXAS, UH, THE COMMUNITY NOT BEING AWARE OF IS THAT IN THE STATE OF TEXAS, UH, BY STATE LAW, WE CANNOT DENY SOMEONE TO THE RIGHT TO REMOVE A TREE FROM THEIR PROPERTY.WHAT A MUNICIPALITY CAN DO THOUGH IS HAVE A TREE PRESERVATION ORDINANCE AND ENFORCE MITIGATION FOR TREE LOSS.
SO PROPERTIES WITHIN THE ETJ PROPERTIES IN THE COUNTY PROPER, THERE ARE NO TREE PRESERVATION REQUIREMENTS.
ALL TREES ON SITE CAN BE REMOVED.
UH, YOU KNOW, RECENTLY HAD A PROJECT THIS WEEK THAT I THINK CAUGHT A LOT OF PEOPLE OFF GUARD WITH SOME LARGE SCALE TREE REMOVAL.
IT CAUGHT ME OFF GUARD WHEN I SAW IT.
UM, I THOUGHT WE MIGHT HAVE HAD AN UNAUTHORIZED TREE REMOVAL ON, ON OUR HANDS.
AND SO IMMEDIATELY PULLED UP OUR INTERACTIVE MAPS, SAW THAT IT WAS OUTSIDE THE CITY LIMITS, THEREFORE THERE WAS NOTHING THAT THE CITY, NO AUTHORITY, THE CITY HAD TO ENFORCE PRESERVATION REQUIREMENTS ON A PROJECT LIKE THAT.
SO, UM, WHAT WE DO HAVE THE ABILITY TO ENFORCE MITIGATION, AND WE LOOK AT OUR PRESERVATION RATES AND WE LOOK AT REPLANTING RATIOS AND EVEN THE DOLLAR AMOUNT, TYPICALLY TRIGGER SITE PLAN REVISIONS.
WE SAW A GREAT EXAMPLE OF THIS WITH THE HONDA PROJECT, WHERE WE DRASTICALLY IMPROVED THE TREE PRESERVATION, UH, ON SITE THAT ELIMINATED ANY NEED FOR THEM TO PLANT ADDITIONAL TREES OR PAY INTO OUR TREE RESTORATION FUND.
BUT IN OPPORTUNITY, IN OPTIONS WHERE WE DO HAVE PAYMENTS GOING TO THE FUND.
AND I LIKE TO HIGHLIGHT WHAT THAT FUND DOES AND WHAT THAT MONEY SUPPORTS.
AND THAT MONEY GOES RIGHT BACK INTO THE COMMUNITY TO SUPPORT TREE HEALTH TREE CANOPY PRESERVATION.
AND THE MOST IMPORTANT THING IT PROBABLY DOES IS HELP SUPPORT OUR OAKWOOD MANAGEMENT PROGRAMS. AND THAT'S WHERE WE CAN PROVIDE FINANCIAL REIMBURSEMENTS TO PEOPLE WHO PROACTIVELY TREAT TREES THAT ARE PRONE TO OAK WILL, THEY'RE FIGHTING ACTIVE OAK WILL INJECT, UH, INFECTIONS, OR THEY CAN RE, UH, REMOVE TREES ON THEIR PROPERTY THAT HAVE JUST BEEN KILLED BY OAK WELD, ESPECIALLY INFECTED RED OAKS.
WE WANNA HAVE THOSE RED OAKS OFF THE LANDSCAPE IMMEDIATELY.
AND WE ALMOST PAY FOR THE FULL TREE REMOVAL OF AN INFECTED RED OAK, UH, FOR, UH, THAT HAS COME DOWN WITH OAK WELD.
UH, WE'VE USED OUR TREE RESTORATION DOLLARS OVER THE LAST TWO YEARS TO SUPPORT SOME RIPARIAN RESTORATION PROJECTS GOING IN.
AND, UM, BEHIND SOME CONSTRUCTIONS, UH, PROJECTS WHERE WE'VE SEEN TREE LOSS ALONG OUR URBAN STREAM CORRIDORS.
AND WE'VE GONE IN AND PLANTED, YOU KNOW, CYPRUS, UH, UH, PECANS, SYCAMORES, RIPARIAN SPECIES THAT AGAIN, YOU KNOW, PLAY A ROLE IN BIG PICTURE ITEMS OF WATER QUALITY, AQUATIC LIFE USE AND, UH, FLOOD MITIGATION STRATEGIES.
WE HOSTED A BIG TREE GIVEAWAY EVENT LAST YEAR, REALLY SUCCESSFUL.
WE'RE HOPING TO DO THE SAME THIS YEAR.
WE APPLIED FOR THE SAME APACHE GRANT, ASKED FOR 300 TREES THIS YEAR FOR THE GIVEAWAY EVENT.
SO WE SHOULD KNOW IF WE GET AWARDED FOR THAT GRANT HERE THE NEXT, UH, MONTH OR SO.
AND THEN WE'RE ABLE TO USE THAT MONEY TO, TO MAINTAIN TREES ON CITY PROPERTY.
WE, WE'VE GOT SOME SIGNIFICANT OAK WILL MORTALITY IN OUR CEMETERY THAT WE'RE ACT WE'RE, WE'RE ABOUT TO INITIATE A PROJECT TO REMOVE THOSE TREES, ESPECIALLY AS THEY BECOME HAZARDS, UH, TO VISITORS TO THE CEMETERY.
UH, WE USE THAT MONEY ON THE RIVER OAK PARK PROJECT.
WE'VE DONE HAZARD TREE REMOVALS.
SO, UH, IT'S A, IT IS A VALUABLE RESOURCE TO HA US TO HAVE TO WORK ON THE PRESERVATION AND THE HEALTH AND MAINTENANCE OF OUR URBAN FOREST CANOPY AND SHIFT TO WATER CONSERVATION.
THAT'S PROBABLY THE NUMBER TWO, UH, ITEM THAT WE SEE.
UH, THEY MAY BE ONE A, ONE B, BUT WATER CONSERVATION IS, IS HIGHLY IMPORTANT, UH, IN OUR COMMUNITY.
UH, ONE THING THAT PEOPLE, UH, THAT WE'VE BEEN RECEIVED A LOT OF PRAISE FOR FROM OUR ENVIRONMENTAL PROGRAMS IS THE ONE WATER INITIATIVE.
IT'S, IT'S HOW ALL OF OUR WATER IS CONNECTED, HOW OUR, UH, WATER, UM, WE GO FROM SURFACE WATER TO WATER TREATMENT, TO WATER DISTRIBUTION, TO WASTEWATER TREATMENT, TO EFFLUENT DISCHARGE, TO OUR RECLAIMED SYSTEM WITH OUR PURPLE PIPE SYSTEM.
AND THE PHILOSOPHY THAT, THAT WATER IS ALL INTERCONNECTED.
AND SO, UM, ONE WATER THROUGHOUT THE HILL COUNTRY IS IMPORTANT.
AND I THINK WE'RE A LEADER IN THE ONE WATER, UH, IN THE ONE WATER PHILOSOPHY.
UH, AGAIN MENTIONED OUR RECLAIMED WATER UTILITY, VITAL TO THAT AND, UM, OUR TARGETED OUTREACH AND EDUCATION EVENTS.
WE'VE HO HOSTED MULTIPLE EVENTS OVER THE LAST COUPLE YEARS, SPECIFICALLY LOOKING AT WATER CONSERVATION STRATEGIES FROM RAINWATER HARVESTING TO NATIVE LANDSCAPING, AND, UH, EVEN TOUCHING ON LOW PAD DEVELOPMENT DESIGN.
WE ROLLED OUT OUR WATER CONSERVATION REBATES, OFFERING OUR RAINWATER HARVESTING, OUR IRRIGATION SYSTEM CONSULTATIONS, RAIN FREE SENSOR, AND THE NEW TURF GRASS REPLACEMENT REBATE.
I KNOW I'VE MENTIONED TO, TO YOU GUYS IN, UH, PAST PRESENTATIONS.
THE IRRIGATION SYSTEM CONSULTATION IS PROBABLY THE BEST ROI ON THIS, WE SEE THE MOST PARTICIPANTS IN THAT, AND WE'RE SEEING THE MOST REPAIRS TO, TO HOMEOWNER RESIDENTIAL IRRIGATION SYSTEMS BASED ON THIS, UH, CONSERVATION REBATE OPPORTUNITY.
I WANTED TO TOUCH ON RESIDENTIAL, RESIDENTIAL AND COMMERCIAL LANDSCAPING, BECAUSE IT DOES PLAY AN IMPORTANT ROLE IN OUR ENVIRONMENTAL RESPONSIBILITY.
THIS IS WHERE WE DICTATE BASED ON YOUR LOT FRONTAGE AT THE SETBACK, THE NUMBER OF TREES YOU'RE REQUIRED TO PLAN ON A NEW PROPERTY.
UH, WE, WE HAVE SOME TURF GRASS RESTRICTIONS WHERE WE PROHIBIT THE INSTALLATION OF, UH, SAN AUGUSTINE.
WE, UH, HAVE GUIDELINES AND GUIDANCE ON HOW FAR AWAY FROM YOUR PRIMARY RESIDENTIAL STRUCTURE YOU CAN PLANT TURF GRASS TO TRY TO KIND OF LIMIT YOUR IRRIGATED AREA.
UH, A REALLY SIGNIFICANT WATER CONSERVATION STRATEGY FOR SOME OF OUR LARGER LOTS.
WE HAD THIS RECOMMENDED PLANTING LIST.
ONE OF THE COMMENTS WAS PROMOTING NATIVE PLANT USE IN OUR
[02:05:01]
LANDSCAPE DESIGNS.UH, WE HAD THE RECOMMENDED PLANT LIST IN THE UDC THAT WE CONSTANTLY REFER PEOPLE TO, AND IT'S A GREAT VETTED LIST, UH, DEVELOPED BY A, A WHOLE TEAM OF PEOPLE IN THE COMMUNITY, IN OUR LOCAL NONPROFITS NATIVE PLANT SOCIETY THAT, UH, WE CONSTANTLY SEND PEOPLE TO.
WE HAVE LONG FERTILIZATION GUIDELINES THAT PLAY A ROLE IN OUR WATER, IN OUR WATERSHED PROTECTION EFFORTS AS, LOOK, IF WE LOOK AT NUTRIENTS THAT LEAVE THE SITE, THIS DICTATES THE TIMING AND QUANTITY OF, UH, NITROGEN FERTILIZATION ON TURF GRASS.
XSCAPE IS A BIG TOPIC OF CONVERSATION RIGHT NOW AS PEOPLE DO LOOK TO SHRINK THEIR, THEIR TURF GRASS AND THEY WANT TO INSTALL MORE DROUGHT TOLERANT LANDSCAPES.
XEROSCAPE GUIDELINES IN OUR UDC TOSS ABOUT AN 80 20 RATIO OF PLANTS VERSUS NON VEGETATIVE MATERIAL, ALL DROUGHT TOLERANT NATIVE LOCAL, UH, PLANTS.
AND SO WE HAVE THAT ALREADY IN OUR GUIDANCE.
AND, UH, ONE THING THAT IS SOMETIMES A, A FUNNY THING TO LOOK AT IS NATIVE LANDSCAPING IS ALLOWED WITH INTENT.
SO SOMETIMES THERE IS A FINE LINE BETWEEN WHAT IS A NUISANCE LANDSCAPE AND WHAT IS A, IS A, UH, A VERY DESIGNATED AND INTENTIONAL NATIVE LANDSCAPE.
AND SO OUR CODE ENFORCEMENT SOMETIMES GETS CALLS ON THAT AND WE COME IN AND TALK WITH PEOPLE ABOUT NATIVE LANDSCAPING AND THEN OUR IRRIGATION SYSTEMS. WE'VE HAD, WE'VE HAD, UH, SOME GUIDANCE IN OUR UDC THAT RE THAT RELATES TO RAIN FREE SENSORS BEING MANDATORY FOR ALL NEW IRRIGATION SYSTEMS AND BACKFLOW PREVENTION ON THESE SYSTEMS ARE REQUIRED.
UH, SO THAT'S A, THESE ARE KEY ENVIRONMENTAL FEATURES THAT HAVE ALREADY BEEN AND LIVED WITHIN OUR, OUR DEVELOPMENT, UH, OUR UDC ORDINANCE, UH, WATERSHED PROTECTION.
I MEAN, THIS IS AN EFFORT THAT STARTED BACK IN 2009.
IT WAS MY FIRST JOB HERE AT THE CITY.
AND SO THE CITY HAS A LONG RUNNING STANDING RECORD OF, OF WORKING TO ADDRESS WATER QUALITY CONCERNS WITHIN THE COMMUNITY.
UH, 2018, KIND OF AS PART OF THAT EFFORT, WE ADOPTED THE, UH, LOW IMPACT DEVELOPMENT, TECHNICAL GUIDANCE MANUAL THAT OUR ENGINEERING MOBILITY TEAM, YOU KNOW, USE, UH, CONSTANTLY.
WE HAVE OUR LONG-TERM WATER QUALITY MONITORING PROGRAM OUT AT BENIA CITY LAKE.
WE'VE BEEN A LONGTIME SUPPORTER AND COORDINATOR WITH THE TCQ CLEAN RIVERS PROGRAM.
AGAIN, MORE OUT OUTREACH AND EDUCATION EVENTS ON HEALTHY LAWN MAINTENANCE AND THINGS THAT HOMEOWNERS CAN DO TO PROTECT WATER QUALITY, UH, IN OUR URBAN, UH, STREAMS. THE BIGGEST CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROJECT THAT WE'VE DONE DIRECTLY WITH ENVIRONMENTAL BENEFITS IS WAS THE RIVER ROW PARK BANK STABILIZATION PROJECT.
MASSIVE PROJECT THAT NOT ONLY, UM, REDUCED EROSION POTENTIAL, IT CREATED A BETTER VISITOR AND USER EXPERIENCE.
WE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO INITIATE, TO ADDRESS WATER QUALITY PROBLEMS THAT WERE LONGSTANDING WITH DISSOLVED OXYGEN CRASHES, AND A LACK OF INSTREAM FISH HABITAT.
SO BY INSTALLING THE VARIATION SYSTEM COMPONENT AND WORKING WITH BISD TO GET SOME FISH UH, STRUCTURES IN RIVER OAK PARK, IT WAS A, IT WAS A NICE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROJECT TO DIRECT DIRECTLY ADDRESS WATER QUALITY, UH, CONCERNS.
SO DARK SKIES, UH, WE HAD A DARK SKY ORDINANCE IN PLACE RIGHT PRIOR TO THE UDC.
WE ROLLED IT INTO THE UDC, AND IT IS SOMETHING THAT FOR EVERY COMMERCIAL PROJECT THAT COMES DOWN THE LINE RIGHT NOW, THAT IS AN APPLICANT WITHIN THE CITY HAS TO MEET OUR DARK SKY REQUIREMENTS.
SO, UH, THE PRIMARY GOALS OF THAT IS TO ENSURE THAT ALL LIGHTING ON SITE IS A DOWNLIGHT.
THERE'S NO UPLIGHTING, UH, ALLOWED ON ANY COMMERCIAL PROJECT OR ANY PROJECT WITHIN THE CITY.
WE DO NOT HAVE ANY OFFSITE LIGHT TRESPASS.
WE LOOK AT THE COLOR OF THE LIGHT TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU'RE ON THE WARMER SIDE AND NOT THE, THE EXTREMELY BRIGHT BLUE WHITE HARSH LIGHTS.
AND WE REQUIRE PHOTOMETRIC ANALYSIS.
SO, SO WE LOOK AT THE AVERAGE LIGHTING LOAD ACROSS THE ENTIRE PROJECT, AND THESE ARE BASED ON A RESIDENTIAL, COMMERCIAL OR INDUSTRIAL ZONING CLASSIFICATION.
UH, PEOPLE OFTEN ASK, UH, YOU KNOW, HOW DO EXISTING NON-COMPLIANT, UH, LIGHTS COME INTO COMPLIANCE? AND SO OUR REALLY ONLY OPPORTUNITY TO DO THAT IS WHEN SOMEONE APPLIES FOR A PERMIT.
SO IF A RESIDENTIAL PROJECT WANTS TO ADD ON, UM, UH, A MANCAVE, WE LOOK AT THEIR SITE, WE SEE THAT THEY HAVE SOME FLOODLIGHTS, THEY'RE, THEY'VE GOT OFFSITE LICENSE ISSUES.
UH, WE WORK WITH THEM AT THAT POINT TO BE SURE THAT THEY DO AN EXCHANGE OUT OF THOSE FIXTURES TO BE DARK SKY COMPLIANT.
WE DO HAVE HAD SOME, SOME PRETTY, UH, KIND OF A EGREGIOUS OFFSITE LIGHT WORK, YOU KNOW, BIG SQUARE HALOGEN LIGHTS SHINING OFF ONTO PEOPLE'S PROPERTIES.
AND CODE ENFORCEMENT WILL ENGAGE THEM, AND WE WILL TALK TO THEM ABOUT RETROFITS AT THAT POINT.
IF WE DO RECEIVE COMPLAINTS AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT, IT'S, UM, ONE THING I ALWAYS SAY ABOUT KIND OF ENVIRONMENTAL CONCERNS IS IT'S HARD FOR THE GOVERNMENT TO COME IN AND JUST FLIP A SWITCH.
IT'S VERY RARE THAT WE CAN COME IN AND SOLVE THE PROBLEM.
IT REQUIRES ACTIONS, UH, THROUGHOUT THE COMMUNITY.
SO WE TRY TO PROVIDE AS MANY OUTREACH AND EDUCATION OPPORTUNITIES AS WE CAN TO EDUCATE PEOPLE ON THE RIGHT AND WRONG WAYS TO DO THINGS.
SO THE HEALTHY LAWNS HEALTHY WATERS PROGRAM, WE'VE DONE THAT WITH TEXAS AND AGRILIFE EXTENSION FOR, FOR QUITE A FEW YEARS NOW.
WE JUST HOSTED A TEXAS WATERSHED STEWARDS WORKSHOP WITH AGRILIFE.
UH, THURSDAY WE'RE HOSTING A TEXAS WELL OWNERS NETWORK PROGRAM, AGAIN, WITH A AGRILIFE WHERE PEOPLE ON A WELL CAN BRING THEIR WATER SAMPLES OFF TOMORROW AND DROP OFF SAMPLES AT THE CAL CREEK GROUNDWATER CONSERVATION DISTRICT, OR AT THE KEN KENDALL COUNTY AG EXTENSION
[02:10:01]
OFFICE.UH, THEY'LL RUN TESTS OVERNIGHT AND TO COME TO THE WORKSHOP ON THURSDAY, IT'S A FOUR HOUR WORKSHOP.
TALK ABOUT WELLS, WELL, CONSTRUCTION AQUIFERS, AQUIFER PROTECTIONS, AND GET YOUR RESULTS FROM, UH, YOUR LAB SAMPLES.
AGAIN, HOSTING SOME DARK SKY OUTREACH EVENTS.
A REALLY SUCCESSFUL PROGRAM THAT WE'VE DONE WITH THE COMMUNICATIONS TEAM PUTS TOGETHER IS OUR HOA NEIGHBORHOOD MEETINGS, AND THAT GIVES EVERY DEPARTMENT AN OPPORTUNITY TO SIT DOWN IN FRONT OF HOA LEADERSHIP AND DO ESSENTIALLY AN UPDATE ON WHAT WE HAVE GOING ON THROUGHOUT THE COMMUNITY.
A LOT OF THAT Q AND A TURNS INTO TREES, LIGHTING AND WATER CONSERVATION.
SO IT'S ANOTHER OPPORTUNITY TO JUST GET INFORMATION TO OUR RESIDENTS.
OUR COMMUNICATION TEAM DOES A GREAT JOB IN ASSISTING US WITH SOCIAL MEDIA OUTREACH.
AND THEN WE'VE HAD A CHANCE TO LIKE GET ON BERNIE RADIO, DO THE CIVIL NATURE CENTER PODCAST, AND AGAIN, TALK ABOUT OUR ENVIRONMENTAL PROGRAMS AND, UH, CONCERNS IN THE COMMUNITY AND THE WAYS THAT WE'RE WORKING TO ADDRESS THOSE.
AND SO I HAVE TO MENTION OUR LOCAL AND REGIONAL NONPROFITS THAT WE WORK WITH, UH, ALL OF THESE, ALL OF THESE ORGANIZATIONS HERE HAVE AN ENVIRONMENTAL, UH, UH, AN ENVIRONMENTAL PROGRAM, UH, STRATEGY.
SO AGAIN, SOME OF OUR BIGGEST PARTNERS HERE ARE THE CIVIL CENTER FOR CONSERVATION IN THE HILL COUNTRY ALLIANCE NATIVE PLANT SOCIETY, AND THE TESTER MASTER NATURALISTS DO SOME AMAZING WORK WITH OUR DEMONSTRATION GARDENS AND SOME OF THE WORK ON OUR PUBLIC SPACES.
DARK SKY INTERNATIONAL HAS BEEN A GREAT RESOURCE WHEN WE'VE HAD CHALLENGING LIGHTING ISSUES, ESPECIALLY ON SOME CAR DEALERSHIPS OR SOME OF OUR LARGER COMMERCIAL PROJECTS.
THEY'RE REALLY GREAT, KIND OF A, ALMOST A FREE CONSULTATION SERVICE THAT THEY'RE ABLE TO LEAN ON.
AGAIN, YOU GET DOWN TO TREE CITY, USA, KEEP TEXAS BEAUTIFUL, GOES RIGHT IN HAND WITH OUR PARCEL AND RECREATION STREAM CORRIDOR CLEANUP EVENTS THAT WE DO.
AND AGAIN, THAT I THINK THAT GOES INTO WHY WE SEE SUCH A POSITIVE, UH, A POSITIVE REFLECTION ON, UH, HOW LITTER FREE OUR COMMUNITY IS.
AND THEN OPEN SPACE AND PARKLAND DEDICATION.
THAT'S ANOTHER THING THAT I THINK PEOPLE ALWAYS WANNA SEE.
WE WANNA SEE MORE OPEN SPACE AND WE WANNA SEE QUALITY PARKLAND.
UH, THE NORTHSIDE PARK PROJECT IS THE LASETTE MENTIONED NIGHT.
I MEAN, IT IS GONNA BE AN AMAZING PRODUCT AT THE END OF THE DAY, 97% TREE PRESERVATION RATES ON THAT PROJECT, ALL DARK SKY COMPLIANCE GONNA BE GREAT.
WE WERE ABLE TO GET TWO RECENT PARKLAND DEDICATIONS, UH, ON SOME STREAM CORRIDORS, ONE ON FREDERICK CREEK AS PART OF THE BLUFF VIEW PROJECT, AND ONE ON BROWN'S CREEK AS PART OF THE COLLECTION OF BURN PROJECT.
THESE ARE VITAL AS WE LIVE TO EXPAND TRAIL CORRIDORS AND MOBILITY ACCESS THROUGH THE COMMUNITY.
AND MOST OF THESE, UH, PARKLAND DEDICATIONS THEN ALLOW US TO PROTECT THOSE STRING CORRIDORS AND, AND MANAGE THOSE UNDER OUR, OUR OUR PARK MANAGEMENT PLANS.
AND THE, THE THING I WOULD LIKE TO END WITH TONIGHT IS, IS I HOPE PEOPLE ARE STARTING TO TAKE MORE AND MORE ADVANTAGE OF THE BERNIE CITY CAMPUS NATURAL AREA.
UH, WE HAVE 13 ACRES RIGHT BEHIND THE LIBRARY.
MASTER NATURALIST AND NATIVE PLANT SOCIETY HAS DONE A FANTASTIC JOB IN THEIR VOLUNTEER EFFORTS.
THEY'VE REMOVED A TON OF INVASIVE SPECIES.
WE'VE PLANTED OVER A HUNDRED TREES, AND THEY'VE CONSTRUCTED A HALF MILE MULCH TRAILS.
AND SO THERE'S A LOT OF, IT'S JUST A REALLY COOL LITTLE ESCAPE RIGHT HERE BEHIND OUR LIBRARY TO HELP PEOPLE TAKE ADVANTAGE OF AND KIND OF FIGURE OUT THAT THAT'S A, A NEW GREEN SPACE IN THE COMMUNITY THAT THEY CAN TAKE ADVANTAGE OF.
AND SO WITH THAT, FROM AN ENVIRONMENTAL PROGRAM STANDPOINT, UM, I'D HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS.
I KNOW, UH, DIRECTOR MANN HAS A, A COUPLE SLIDES HERE FOR, UH, SOME WATER.
MAYOR PROAM, I THOUGHT IF YOU COULD MAYBE JUST CONNECT SOME OF THESE QUESTIONS TO SOME OF THE QUESTIONS PEOPLE HAD EARLIER ON A PROJECT LIKE BUCKY'S THAT WAS, HAS A DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENT AND MIGHT NOT NECESSARILY HAVE TO FOLLOW CURRENT RULES AND LIKE HOW, JUST A SO, SO GOOD QUESTION.
SO I WILL TELL YOU, AND YOU GUYS KNOW THAT DEVELOPMENTS ARE COMING FORWARD WHEN THEY GET ENTITLEMENT, THEY, OR THEY'RE WORKING THROUGH THE PROCESS, THEY, THERE'S AN A VESTING POINT WHERE THEY ARE LOCKED INTO A CERTAIN CODE THAT'S AVAILABLE AT THAT TIME.
WE UPDATE OUR CODE, WE DID THE UDC, WE DID ZONING CATEGORY CHANGES, AND SO THAT ALL IMPACTS, UM, EACH PROJECT.
AND SO WHEN THEY ARE, WHEN A APPLICATION IS, IS SUBMITTED AND, AND ACCEPTED, THEN WE LOCK IN THAT SET OF CODE.
AND SO WE MAKE SURE EVERY PROJECT IS FOLLOWING THE CODE AT THAT TIME.
AND, UH, OF COURSE, AS YOU HEARD RYAN SAY, WE'VE HAD DARK SKY RULES FOR A WHILE.
WE'VE HAD ALL KINDS OF WATERSHED PROTECTION RULES.
UH, SOME OF HAVE GOTTEN A LOT STRONGER OVER THE LAST SEVERAL YEARS.
AND SO WE ADHERE, WE, WE HAVE DEVELOPMENTS AND PROJECTS APPLICATIONS ADHERE TO WHAT THE CODE WAS REQUIRED AT THE TIME THEY CAME FORWARD.
WE DON'T, UNDER STATE LAW, WE'RE NOT ALLOWED TO JUST, UH, PICK WHICH CODE FOLKS HAVE TO ABIDE BY.
THEY, IT'S GETS LOCKED IN WHEN THEY COME FORWARD TO THE CITY.
AND M**K, OUR CITY ATTORNEY, COULD PROBABLY ELABORATE ON THAT A LITTLE BIT MORE ON OTHER PROJECTS WHENEVER A DEVELOPMENT COMES FORWARD.
IF YOU HAVE LEGAL QUESTIONS ALONG THOSE LINES, YOU CAN ASK IT.
WELL, I WANTED TO SAY THAT THE, THE POINT YOU MADE EARLIER ABOUT STATE LAW AND TREE PRESERVATION IS POORLY UNDERSTOOD BY THE COMMUNITY.
UH, I'VE HAD TWO PROJECTS, ONE,
[02:15:01]
WHICH YOU'RE VERY FAMILIAR WITH, THE, THE DEVELOPMENT PROJECT ON THE WORST LANE WITH THE FAST FOOD ESTABLISHMENTS AND WHERE SPROUTS IS GOING AND ALL THAT.AND THEY PAID A FEE IN LIEU OF, AND JUST, I KNOW YOU MADE GREAT EFFORTS TO PRESERVE TREES OR HAVE MITIGATION, THEY HAVE A RIGHT TO DO THAT.
THE PROJECT YOU'RE ALLUDING TO, I'VE ALSO HEARD ABOUT, BECAUSE PEOPLE HAVE COMPLAINED THAT WHY DID THE CITY COUNCIL ALLOW ALL THOSE TREES TO BE CUT DOWN ACROSS FROM, UH, HOME DEPOT AND WHATABURGER, WHERE THE BAPTIST HOSPITAL'S GOING? WELL, IT'S NOT EVEN IN THE CITY.
IT'S NOT EVEN IN THE ETJ ANYMORE BECAUSE THEY OPTED OUT.
SO IF PEOPLE HAVE COMPLAINTS ISSUED RIGHT TO THE, THEIR STATE LEGISLATURE OR TO THE COUNTY COMMISSIONERS, WE HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH IT.
I, I AGREE IT'S A PROBLEM, BUT WE CAN'T ENFORCE ANY RULES.
BUT EVEN ON THAT, AT THE END OF THE DAY, WE STILL CAN'T PROHIBIT SOMEONE FROM REMOVING A TREE THEY CAN PAY.
EVEN IF IT WAS EXACTLY, EVEN IF IT WAS GOVERNED BY CITY, WE STILL COULDN'T PREVENT 'EM FROM REMOVING A TREE IF THEY CHOSE TO, BUT WE COULD ENFORCE FINANCIAL PENALTIES, ET CETERA.
BUT WE HAVE NO, NOTHING TO DO WHATSOEVER IN TERMS OF INPUT OVER THAT PROJECT ACROSS FROM HOME DEPOT.
I HAVE A QUESTION FOR YOU, MR. BASS.
UM, HAVE YOU BEEN WORKING WITH ENGINEERS AT ALL ON THE ADLER ROAD EXPANSION ON PRESERVATION OF TREES ALONG THAT, THAT ROAD, UH, EXPANSION? WE, WE DID, I DID TALK TO, UM, OUR CAPITAL, OUR ENGINEERING MOBILITY TEAM ON THAT.
I HAVEN'T WORKED DIRECTLY WITH, UH, CONSULTING ENGINEERS, BUT WE'D, SOME OF THE TREES THAT WERE IN CONFLICT WITH THE ROAD WIDENING AND THE RIGHT OF WAY WHIS THAT WERE NECESSARY FOR THEM TO COMPLETE THAT WORK AND ENSURE THAT DRAINAGE WAS GONNA BE, YOU KNOW, ADEQUATELY HANDLED ON THAT PROPERTY OR ON THAT, ON THAT PROJECT.
AND SOME OF THOSE TREES, EVEN THOUGH THEY'RE IN A PROTECTED CLASS, THEY, THEY ARE WITHIN, UM, THE RIGHT OF WAY LIST THAT WE NEED FOR THAT.
I, I HAVEN'T WORKED ON IT IN GREAT DETAIL.
UM, DR. CARROLL COULD GIVE US SOME MORE SPECIFICS ON IT, BUT WE DID GO OUT AND TAKE A LOOK AT SOME OF THOSE TREES TO SEE IF THERE IS ANYTHING WE COULD DO.
AND MOST OF THEM ARE, ARE JUST GONNA BE IN CONFLICT WITH THE PROJECT.
UNFORTUNATELY, THERE'S SOME THINGS WE CAN WORK AROUND SIDEWALKS.
WE HAVE A LOT MORE FLEXIBILITY IN WORKING AROUND TREES.
WE'VE DONE THAT ON SOME OF OUR, ON OUR SIDEWALK EXPANSION WORK.
UM, WORKING WITH THE PROPERTY OWNER TO GO BACK BEHIND THE TREE.
UH, WE'VE, UH, SHR IN THE ROAD A LITTLE BIT TO GET THE SIDEWALK ON THE STREET SIDE, BUT, UH, ROADWAY ALIGNMENTS SOMETIMES ARE A CHALLENGE MORE THAN LIKE A SIDEWALK PROJECT.
ARE WE ADHERING TO THE SAME STANDARDS OF TREE PRESERVATION? IF WE TAKE ONE DOWN, WE'RE GONNA GO PLANT SOME EQUAL EQUALLY, UM, UH, EQUAL AMOUNT OR COMPENSATE FOR OUR TAKING IT? YES, SIR.
I, I TRY TO PRIDE OURSELVES ON THE FACT THAT WE APPLY OUR RULES EQUALLY TO US, UM, WHEN IT COMES TO DARK SKIES, WHEN IT COMES TO TREE PRESERVATION, WE NEVER WANT THERE TO BE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR SOMEONE TO COME BACK AND SAY THAT THE CITY DOESN'T FOLLOW THEIR OWN RULES.
AND SO WE DO, UH, THROUGH TREE PLANTING, WE'RE FORTUNATE ENOUGH TO HAVE PROPERTY WITHIN THE CITY THAT WE CAN PLANT TO OFFSET.
A LOT OF PEOPLE DON'T, WHICH IS WHY THE FEE IN LIEU OF IS, IS IN PLACE.
THEY DON'T HAVE, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE SOME OF THE LARGE TREES THEY TAKE OFF ON SMALLER FISH PROPERTIES.
THEY JUST DON'T HAVE THE SPACE TO JUSTIFIABLY ECOLOGICALLY REPLANT, BLEACH, THE AMOUNT OF TREES REQUIRED.
SO WE DO WORK WITH OUR PARTS AND RECREATION DEPARTMENT TO GO BACK AND PLANT TREES ON OUR PROPERTY.
WOULD YOU PUBLICLY, UH, CLARIFY THE TREE FUND? BECAUSE PEOPLE ASK ME ALL THE TIME, I DON'T SEE ANY TREES BEING PLANTED.
I SAID, WELL, IT'S BEEN, THEY'RE BEING PLANTED, BUT WHERE ARE THEY PLANTED? UH, WE'VE BEEN FOCUSING ON, UH, SYBIL OAK CREEK AT NORTH PARK.
WE PLANTED TREES ON FREDERICK CREEK AND AN AGREEMENT WITH THE WOODS OR FREDERICK CREEK HOMEOWNERS ASSOCIATION BECAUSE IT WAS, UH, ECOLOGICALLY KIND OF SCORED HIGH TO TRY TO GO IN AND REESTABLISH, REMOVE SOME EXOTICS AND REESTABLISH THE CANOPY THERE.
THAT WAS AFTER A SEWER MAIN EXTENSION PROJECT.
AND THEN AT THE NORTHROP PARK PRO OR THE NORTHSIDE PARK PROJECT, WE'RE GONNA PLANT TON OF TREES ON THAT PROPERTY.
MY POINT BEING THAT YOU HAVE TO PLANT 'EM ON CITY PROPERTY OR ON PROPERTY THAT HAS BEEN COOPERATIVELY, UH, AGREED TO BE PLANTED.
WE CAN'T JUST PLANT TREES AT SOMEBODY'S YARD OR WHEREVER WE WANT.
WE, WE TRY TO PLANT TREES ONLY ON OUR PROPERTY.
WE DON'T WANT TO, YOU KNOW, PROVIDE, I MEAN, TREES ARE FINANCIAL ASSET.
I MEAN, THEY ARE SOMETHING THAT INCREASES PROPERTY VALUES THAT SHORTENS THE DURATION OF DAYS ON MARKET.
THERE'S A, THERE'S A HEALTH BENEFITS.
IT'S, IT'S A NICE, IT'S NICE TO HAVE TREES ON YOUR PROPERTY.
AND SO WE ONLY PLANT TREES ON PROPERTY UNDER CONTROL BY THE CITY.
AND WE'VE, UM, THE TREES THAT HAVE BEEN ALL PLANTED BACK HERE ON THIS 13 ACRES, ALMOST ALL THOSE TREES WERE DEDICATED THROUGH OUR URBAN FOREST PROGRAM AND OUR, UH, THE APACHE GRANT THAT WE WERE ABLE TO GET.
IF THERE'S NO OTHER QUESTIONS FOR RYAN, I'M GONNA ASK DIRECTOR MANN TO COME UP.
I, I DID WANT HIM TO SPEAK TO SOME OF THE WATER QUALITY YOU'VE HEARD IS WATER, WATER, IT'S GREAT WATER, COMPREHENSIVE WATER PRESENTATIONS.
BUT WE DO HAVE ADDED SOME COMMENTS ABOUT WATER, TASTE AND SMELL LATELY.
WE'VE HAD THAT MULTIPLE TIMES THE LAST SEVERAL YEARS ABOUT THE GEOSMIN.
SO I'M GONNA ASK DIRECTOR MAN TO SPEAK TO THAT.
SO YOU'VE, SOME OF YOU HAVE HEARD THIS STUFF FROM ME BEFORE, UH, AND SOME OF YOU HAVEN'T, AND I'LL BE BRIEF, AS BRIEF AS YOU WANT ME TO BE.
UH, BUT THERE ARE A COUPLE OF FACTS TO GET OUT.
WE ARE DEALING WITH TWO TYPE OF MIND ISSUES RIGHT NOW.
FIRST, YOU KNOW THAT WE HAVE SENT OUT NOTICES OF, UH, DBP OR DBPS THAT WERE BEYOND CONCENTRATION LEVELS.
[02:20:01]
HAPPEN WHEN CHLORINE INTERACTS WITH THE CHLORINE DISINFECTANT INTERACTS WITH MICROSCOPIC ORGANICS.THAT'S BEEN AN ISSUE FOR THE CITY OF BURN SINCE WE'VE BEEN USING A LAKE.
UH, BUT AS OUR GROUNDWATER PERCENTAGE HAS DECREASED, THE CONCENTRATION HAS INVERSELY GONE UP.
LAST JULY, WE TRIED TO SAVE TOO MUCH GROUNDWATER AND WE DIDN'T PUT ENOUGH IN, AND WE GOT SOME ABNORMALLY HIGH NUMBERS FOR THAT QUARTER OF TESTING.
UNFORTUNATELY, THE WAY THE STATE CALCULATES THE, UH, THE AVERAGE, THAT NUMBER HAS AFFECTED US THREE OUT OF THE LAST FOUR QUARTERS.
NOW, JULY OF THIS YEAR, THAT THAT NUMBER WILL DROP OFF.
AND WE HAVE BEEN TREATING TO STANDARDS EVER SINCE.
UH, WE HAVE MADE CORRECTIONS, UH, WE HAVE BEEN USING AS NOT AS MUCH GROUNDWATER AS WE CAN, BUT ENOUGH.
AND SO WE'RE GONNA, WE'RE GONNA, UH, HANDLE THAT ISSUE.
POTATO IS AT GEOSMIN OR GISIN TODAY.
UH, BUT AS THOSE THINGS, HOW DO THOSE THINGS, UH, INTERACT? SO THEY'RE REALLY UNRELATED, BUT SURFACE WATER IS THE MAIN PROBLEM FOR BOTH OF THEM.
GROUNDWATER TREATMENT REALLY, UM, IN, IN OUR AREA, GROUNDWATER DOESN'T REQUIRE ADDITIONAL TREATMENT.
WE JUST INJECT CHLORINE INTO IT TO KEEP, UH, THE CHLORINE RESIDUAL IN THE SYSTEM UP AS REQUIRED BY D-T-C-E-Q IN CASE SOMETHING HAPPENS TO CONTAMINATE THE SYSTEM.
AND IT'S JUST TO HELP KEEP THE WATER CLEAN.
WE DON'T HAVE TO CLEAN THAT WATER ANYMORE.
ANY SURFACE WATER OR GROUNDWATER UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF SURFACE WATER MUST BE TREATED.
WE DON'T HAVE ANY GROUNDWATER UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF SURFACE WATER, BUT WE DO HAVE A LAKE.
GBRA HAS A LAKE THAT SURFACE WATER HAS TO GO THROUGH A TREATMENT PROCESS TO REMOVE POLLUTANTS.
AND, UH, AGAIN, MOTHER NATURE DOES A GREAT JOB, A BETTER JOB OF REMOVING ORGANICS THAN THE TREATMENT PROCESS TYPICALLY FOR THOSE, UH, FOR THOSE WATERS, GETS IT TO SAVE DRINKING WATER STANDARDS.
BUT THERE ARE STILL SOME MICROSCOPIC ORGANICS.
WHEN WE CHLORINATE SURFACE WATER, WE START TO FORM DPPS.
WHEN WE CHLORINATE GROUNDWATER, WE DO NOT.
SO KEEPING THAT, UH, CONCENTRATION AT THE RIGHT LEVEL AND KEEPING THAT GROUNDWATER MIXED, WHICH IS NOT UNIFORM IN THE SYSTEM, IS IMPORTANT.
THAT'S WHY WE HAVE TO DO FLUSHING.
UH, WE HAVE REDUCED GROUNDWATER IN THE MIX.
I THINK I READ TODAY THAT COW CREEK REDUCED THEIR RESTRICTIONS, BUT AGAIN, OVER TIME, OUR PERCENTAGE OF GROUNDWATER WILL GO DOWN.
AS WE'RE BUYING MORE WATER FROM GBRA, THAT PERCENTAGE WILL CONTINUE TO GO DOWN.
UH, AND SO WHAT ARE WE DOING? UM, THE NEW PLANT? WE ARE, WE ARE JUST ABOUT DONE WITH SAMPLING.
WE ARE DONE WITH SAMPLING FOR THE PILOT STUDY.
SO IN OTHER WORDS, THE NEXT THING TO HAPPEN IS TO LOOK AT THE RESULTS OF THAT PILOT STUDY AND CHOOSE THE TREATMENT PROCESS.
I WILL TELL YOU PRELIMINARY RESULTS ARE THAT THE PROCESS THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT USING FOR THIS NEWER PLANT, WHICH IS OZONE AND CARBON FILTRATION, UH, WILL INHERENTLY DECREASE DBPS AND THE FORMATION OF GISIN.
THERE WAS NO GISIN OUTBREAK WHILE WE WERE, OR GISIN NOTICEABLE, UH, WHILE WE WERE SAMPLING.
BUT AGAIN, WE KNOW IT HAPPENS FROM TIME TO TIME.
I'VE SEEN IT HAPPEN PROBABLY 10 TIMES.
MOST PEOPLE DIDN'T, DIDN'T REALIZE I'M VERY SENSITIVE TO IT.
UH, THIS CURRENT ISSUE THAT WE'RE DEALING WITH, WITH GISIN, I NOTICED ABOUT TWO WEEKS AGO, UH, WHEN I WAS BRUSHING MY TEETH, THE WATER WE DRINK GOES THROUGH A REFRIGERATED CARBON FILTER.
SO I DON'T NOTICE IT WHEN I DRINK IT, BUT I DO WHEN I BRUSH MY TEETH.
NOTICE IT WHEN I SMELL IN THE SHOWER.
I THINK WE'VE BEEN AT IT FOR ABOUT TWO WEEKS.
UH, AND, AND HOPEFULLY IT WON'T LAST MUCH LONGER, BUT AGAIN, THE NEW PLANT WILL HAVE BETTER ORGANICS REMOVAL THAT WILL HELP WITH DBPS, THAT WILL HELP WITH, UH, GI OSMOND FORMATION.
WE ARE, UH, IT'LL BE ABOUT FOUR YEARS BEFORE IT'S ONLINE.
SO WHAT DO WE PLAN TO DO, UH, IN THE MEANTIME? WELL, FIRST OF ALL, WHEN THE NEW PLANT IS ONLINE, WE, WE STILL PLAN TO USE OUR OLD PLANT.
WE JUST GOTTA KEEP THOSE CONCENTRATIONS DOWN FOR THE, FOR THE THINGS WE BECOME SENSITIVE TO.
WHEN WE MIX THE WATER BETWEEN THE TWO PLANTS, WE'LL BE INHERENTLY BETTER, CLOSER TO A GROUNDWATER TREATMENT LEVEL AT THE NEW PLANT FROM A DBP AND GISIN, UH, FORMATION.
BUT AT THE EXISTING PLANT IN THE NEAR TERM, AND FOR THE LONG TERM, WE ARE UNDER DESIGN, AS YOU KNOW, FOR A GRANULAR ACTIVATED CARBON FILTER.
UH, IT'S GONNA TAKE AT LEAST A YEAR TO GET IT DESIGNED AND INSTALLED.
UH, THAT WILL ALLOW US TO TREAT AS MUCH OF, UH, A SIGNIFICANT PORTION OF THE WATER THAT GOES OUT OF THE PLANT AND THEREFORE REDUCE THOSE CONCENTRATIONS TO HOPEFULLY, UH, BELOW NOTICEABLE LEVELS.
SO SOME PEOPLE, ESPECIALLY WITH GISIN, ARE, ARE VERY, VERY SENSITIVE.
UH, MOST OF US THAT ARE AVERAGE, WHAT I WOULD CALL CAN NOTICE IT RIGHT NOW, AND HOPEFULLY AGAIN, THAT WILL BE OVER WITH QUICKLY.
WE'RE JUST GONNA HAVE TO MANAGE BECAUSE WE ARE A SURFACE WATER CITY FROM NOW UNTIL FOREVER,
[02:25:01]
UNTIL TCEQ DECIDES THAT IT'S NOT IMPORTANT ANYMORE, WHICH IS UNLIKELY.SO THAT WAS NOT A REGULATED CONTAMINANT, UH, COMPONENT BACK IN THE SEVENTIES AND EIGHT, UH, SEVENTIES WHEN OUR PLANT WAS DESIGNED.
IT BECAME REGULATED IN THE EARLY TWO THOUSANDS.
SO THAT'S WHY THE PLANT WASN'T DESIGNED TO TREAT IT.
IT DOES TREAT SOME JUST NOT ENOUGH, AND THE GAG WILL HELP.
SO THOSE ARE A FEW FACTS THAT ARE PERTINENT TO THE TWO ISSUES THAT ARE TOP OF MIND RIGHT NOW, AND I'D BE HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS.
MAYOR AND COUNCIL, THAT'S THE, THAT'S IT FOR MY REPORT.
I, UH, APPRECIATE YOUR, UH, YOUR ATTENTION TONIGHT.
WE HAD A LOT OF THOROUGH PRESENTATIONS.
I WANNA THANK MY STAFF FOR THEIR COOPERATION, PARTICIPATION IN THE BUDGET.
UM, MANY MONTHS GONE, HAS GONE INTO THAT.
OF COURSE, WE'RE ALL AVAILABLE OVER THE COURSE OF THE NEXT TWO WEEKS, THE NEXT MONTH, AS Y'ALL CONSIDER THAT.
IF YOU HAVE ANY SPECIFIC, UH, QUESTIONS ABOUT ANY OF THAT, PLEASE REACH OUT TO, TO ANY ONE OF US.
[10. COMMENTS FROM COUNCIL – No discussion or action may take place.]
ITEM 10, COMMENTS AND COUNCIL, WE'LL START OVER HERE.UH, COUNCILMAN BAY? NO, NOTHING TONIGHT.
COUNCIL
UH, I STARTED THIS MORNING AT, UH, CIVIL OAK CREEK ELEMENTARY AND THEN WENT OVER TO CHAMPION THIS MORNING.
SO BOTH THE SCHOOLS IN MY DISTRICT I HIT AND I THOUGHT DROP OFF WENT VERY WELL.
SEEMED LIKE THE PARENTS IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD WALK A LOT TO SCHOOL, WHICH I APPRECIATE TO SEE.
UM, I ALSO WANTED TO GET GOOD LUCK TO CHAMPION WITH THE, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE FINALLY STARTING WITH I THINK A VERY STRONG ADMIN TEAM THAT'S IN PLACE.
AND SO I REALLY THINK GREAT THINGS FOR OUR SCHOOLS.
UM, JUST WELCOME BACK FOR ALL OF THEM.
ALRIGHT, COUNCIL MACALUSO ONLY COMMENT I HAVE IS ONE THAT I REALLY CAN'T MAKE, BUT I'LL SAY IT AS MUCH AS I CAN.
UM, I THINK THE PUBLIC IN GENERAL DOESN'T UNDERSTAND THAT WHEN THERE'S EXTENSIVE PUBLIC COMMENTS AS THERE WERE TONIGHT, IF IT'S NOT ON THE AGENDA, WE KIND OF HAVE TO SIT HERE CLOSED LIPPED BECAUSE UNDER TEXAS LAW AND ATTORNEY GENERAL VIEW, WE CAN'T SAY ANYTHING WHICH WE CAN.
SO I WON'T, THE ONLY THING I WILL SAY IS LONG BEFORE ALL THIS HAPPENED, I'VE TALKED TO OUR CITY MANAGER, PLAYING DIRECTOR ABOUT PUTTING TOGETHER A TIMELINE, A GENERAL OUTLINE OF THE HISTORY OF THAT PROJECT, WHICH IS GOING ON FOR ALMOST A DECADE.
UH, AND WHICH WITH, I'M VERY FAMILIAR BECAUSE I LIVE THERE AND BECAUSE I'M ON THIS COUNCIL, BECAUSE I GOT UP THERE AND SPOKE ABOUT THAT ISSUE BACK IN 2016 AND 17.
SO, UM, THAT'S ABOUT ALL I CAN SAY ABOUT IT EXCEPT THAT WE'RE AWARE OF IT AND WE'RE WORKING ON IT AND IT'LL BE DISCUSSABLE WHEN IT'S ACTUALLY ON THE AGENDA IN SEPTEMBER.
ALRIGHT, THANK YOU COUNCIL AL.
[11. EXECUTIVE SESSION IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE TEXAS GOVERNMENT CODE:]
ALL RIGHT, WE WILL MOVE ON TO AGENDA ITEM 11, A EXECUTIVE SESSION 2025 DASH 4 26, SECTION 5 51 0.074 PERSONAL MATTERS REGARDING THE APPOINTMENT, EMPLOYMENT EVALUATION OF THE CITY MANAGER.AND WE ARE OFFICIALLY ADJOURNED OUT OF OPEN SESSION AT 8:33 PM HERE, WE'LL OFFICIALLY
[12. RECONVENE INTO OPEN SESSION AND TAKE ANY NECESSARY ACTION RELATING TO THE EXECUTIVE SESSION AS DESCRIBED ABOVE.]
RECONVENE IN OPEN SESSION AT 8:57 PM IF THERE IS NOTHING ELSE, THEN WE WILL OFFICIALLY ADJOURN THE REGULAR CITY BERNIE COUNCIL MEETING AT 8:57 PM THANK YOU EVERYONE.