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[1. CALL TO ORDER – 6:00 PM]
WELCOME EVERYONE.IT IS OFFICIALLY 6:00 PM ON TUESDAY, OCTOBER 14TH TO THE CITY COUNCIL MEETING FOR THE CITY OF BERNIE, TEXAS.
AT THIS TIME, I'D LIKE TO INVITE ELDER JEFF MORRIS FROM THE BERNIE BIBLE CHURCH.
COME FORWARD AND LEAVE US IN INVOCATION.
FATHER GOD, WE THANK YOU FOR, UM, THIS TIME, FOR THIS EVENING.
I THANK YOU FOR EACH ONE OF THESE COUNCIL MEMBERS AND FOR THE MAYOR, AND FOR EACH OF THE INDIVIDUALS HERE WHO IS HERE TO PARTICIPATE.
LORD, UH, I JUST PRAY THAT YOU'D BLESS THIS MEETING, PRAY FOR YOUR PROTECTION OVER THIS MEETING, UM, AND, UH, THAT THERE WOULD JUST BE CLARITY OF THOSE WHO ARE COMING TO SPEAK, LORD, THAT THEY WOULD, UM, JUST EXPRESS THEIR VIEWS.
UM, CLEARLY, LORD, WE PRAY FOR THE ITEMS ON THE AGENDA THAT THEY WOULD BE, UM, DEALT WITH QUICKLY AND AND EFFECTIVELY WE PRAY FOR THOSE.
UH, ALTHOUGH SPEAKING THAT THERE WOULD BE NO PERSONAL AGENDAS, THAT THE GOAL OF, UH, THE, THE GOAL WOULD BE FOR THE GOOD OF THE PEOPLE OF THE CITY, OF BERNIE LORD.
AND, UM, PRAY FOR, UH, THIS MEETING TO BE QUICK, EFFECTIVE, AND BENEFICIAL.
AND, UM, LORD, JUST PRAY THAT, UH, YOU WOULD BE GLORIFIED BY WHAT TAKES PLACE.
PRAY THAT YOU'D BE PLEASED BY THE WAY THAT THIS MEETING GOES.
AND, UM, WE JUST THANK YOU FOR THIS TIME.
WE THANK YOU FOR JESUS CHRIST.
WOULD YOU JOIN ME IN THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE AND THE PLEDGE OF THE TEXAS FLAG, OUR PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH STATES ONE NATION UNDER GOD, GOD, INDI, LIBERTY, JUSTICE FOR ALL, HONOR THE TEXAS FLAG.
I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE TEXAS ONE STATE UNDER GOD, ONE INDIVIDUAL.
YOU MAY BE SEATED, JUST SO I WOULD MAKE AN ANNOUNCEMENT.
THE SEATING THAT COUNCIL MACALUSO IS ATTENDING US VIRTUAL FROM OUT STATE.
BUT ALL MOTIONS AND VOTES WILL BE VERBAL THIS EVENING.
[2. CONFLICTS OF INTEREST]
MOVE ON TO AGENDA ITEM NUMBER TWO, CONFLICTS OF INTEREST.COUNCIL MEMBERS, DO WE HAVE ANY CONFLICTS OF INTEREST THIS EVENING? NO, SIR.
[3. PUBLIC COMMENTS: This is the opportunity for visitors and guests to address the City Council on any issue, in compliance with LGC Section 551.007. City Council may not discuss any presented issue, nor may any action be taken on any issue at this time. (Attorney General opinion – JC-0169)]
TO AGENDA ITEM NUMBER THREE, PUBLIC COMMENTS.THIS OPPORTUNITY AS I CALL YOUR NAME, YOU'LL COME FORWARD.
YOU'LL HAVE THREE MINUTES TO SPEAK, UH, AFTER YOU GIVE YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS.
UH, YOUR THREE MINUTES WILL BEGIN.
OUR FIRST SPEAKER THIS EVENING IS ANNA NUNEZ.
HELLO, UM, MY NAME IS ANNA NUNEZ.
I AM A PUBLIC AFFAIRS SPECIALIST WITH THE US SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION'S OFFICE OF DISASTER RECOVERY AND RESILIENCE.
UM, THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING ME TO SHARE THE, UM, INFORMATION ABOUT A NEW RURAL DECLARATION FOR KENDALL COUNTY.
UM, THIS IS REGARDING THE FLOODS THAT OCCURRED FROM JULY 2ND THROUGH THE 18TH, 2025.
UH, GOVERNOR ABBOTT MADE A SPECIAL REQUEST AND KENDALL COUNTY WAS INCLUDED IN A NEW DECLARATION WHERE NOW KENDALL COUNTY, WHERE THE CITY OF, UH, BERNIE IS INCLUDED, IS NOW QUALIFIES FOR ALL OF THE SAME BENEFITS THAT OCCUR COUNTIES AND OTHER PRIMARY COUNTIES DID.
UM, SO KENDALL COUNTY WAS DECLARED A PRIMARY COUNTY AND, UM, THAT IS UNDER DISASTER DECLARATION 2 1 2 9 2, AND IS ELIGIBLE FOR BOTH PHYSICAL AND ECONOMIC INJURY DISASTER, UH, INJURY DISASTER LOANS FROM THE SBA.
SO KENDALL COUNTY RESIDENTS CAN APPLY FOR THREE TYPES OF SBA DISASTER LOANS, PHYSICAL BUSINESS, PHYSICAL DAMAGE, LOANS FOR UP TO 2 MILLION TO COVER PHYSICAL DAMAGE AND FINANCIAL LOSSES.
UM, HOME DISASTER LOANS FOR UP TO 500,000 TO COVER DAMAGE TO PRIMARY RESIDENCES AND UP TO A HUNDRED THOUSAND FOR HOMEOWNERS AND RENTERS TO REPAIR OR RE OR REPLACE DISASTER DAMAGE PERSONAL PROPERTY SUCH AS CLOTHING, FURNITURE, APPLIANCES, AND VEHICLES.
UM, SO THE SBAS DISASTER LOANS ARE AVAILABLE TO HELP BUSINESSES, NONPROFITS, HOMEOWNERS, AND RENTERS RECOVER FROM DECLARED DISASTERS.
THESE LONG-TERM LOW INTEREST RATE LOANS HELPED DISASTER SURVIVORS REBUILD, GET BACK TO BUSINESS AND MAKE IMPROVEMENTS, MITIGATION TO HELP ELIMINATE FUTURE DAMAGE AND SAVE LIVES.
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ECONOMIC INJURY DISASTER LOAN FOR UP TO 2 MILLION TO HELP SMALL BUSINESSES, NON-PROFITS, FAITH-BASED ORGANIZATIONS WITH THEIR WORKING CAPITAL NEEDS.UM, THESE LOANS ARE FOR NO PHYSICAL DAMAGE.
SO AGAIN, UM, THERE'S NO FEE TO APPLY FOR THE SBA LOW FIXED INTEREST RATES.
THERE'S NO PAYMENT, NO INTEREST FOR THE FIRST 12 MONTHS.
UM, I WILL FOLLOW UP IN WRITING TO EACH OF YOU AND INCLUDE ALL OF THIS INFORMATION.
THE APPLICATION FILING DEADLINE FOR PHYSICAL DAMAGE LOANS IS NOVEMBER THE 14TH, 2025 BUSINESSES, NONPROFITS, FAITH ORGANIZATIONS THAT ARE GOING TO APPLY.
ALRIGHT, I I, I'LL WRAP IT UP.
FOR ECONOMIC INJURY DISASTER LOANS, THAT DEADLINE IS NOT UNTIL JUNE 15TH, 2026.
SO APPLYING CAN BE EASILY DONE BY GOING TO SBA.GOV/DISASTER OR CALLING 1 806 5 9 2 9 5 5.
WE HAVE SBA CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVES THAT WILL HANDHOLD FOLKS HELP YOU APPLY.
IF PEOPLE GET REJECTED FOR WHATEVER REASON, WE WILL HELP YOU DOT THAT I CROSS YOUR T AND BRING YOU ACROSS THE FINISH LINE.
SO OUR ASK IS THAT WE ASK YOU TO PLEASE SHARE THIS INFORMATION WITH YOUR CONSTITUENTS ON YOUR WEBSITE, UM, THROUGH YOUR NEWSLETTER AND ON SOCIAL MEDIA.
I ACTUALLY AM RESPONSIBLE FOR EIGHT COUNTIES, BUT I DO RESIDE IN BERNIE AND I'M ALSO A FELLOW TEXAN, UH, WHO'S ENDURED HER SHARE OF HURRICANES AND NATURAL DISASTERS FROM HOUSTON.
SO, PLEASE KNOW I AM PERSONALLY COMMITTED TO HELPING YOU AND SUPPORTING YOU, AND THANK YOU FOR THIS OPPORTUNITY.
OUR SECOND SPEAKER THIS EVENING IS JAY PENNINGTON.
JAY, PLEASE COME FORWARD AND STATE YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS AND YOUR THREE MINUTES WE'LL BEGIN.
UH, JAY PENNINGTON, 3 0 4 HORSESHOE BEND.
UM, I HAD SEVERAL PEOPLE CALL ME, UH, IN THIS LAST WEEK TO SAY, PLEASE COME TO THIS MEETING AND JUST GIVE YOUR OPINION ABOUT BUCKY'S.
SO, UM, LIKE SAY, A SIMPLE IDEA MAY SOUND GOOD ON THE SURFACE, BUT SOMETIMES WHEN IT'S CARRIED OUT, IT CAN HAVE, UH, A RIPPLE EFFECT OF PERMANENT DAMAGE.
AND LEMME GIVE YOU AN EXAMPLE.
UH, IF YOU WERE HERE 20 YEARS AGO, LIKE I WAS, THERE WAS, UH, BERNIE HIGH SCHOOL AND NO CHAMPION HIGH SCHOOL.
AND, UH, BERNIE WAS GETTING FULL.
AND SO THE SIMPLE IDEA WAS, WELL, WE SHOULD BUILD A SECOND HIGH SCHOOL.
THAT SOUNDED LIKE A GOOD IDEA, BUT AT THAT TIME, THE EDGE OF TOWN WAS THE FAIRGROUNDS.
AND WHEN THEY BUILT CHAMPION, THEY BUILT ALL THESE SUBDIVISIONS AROUND, UH, CHAMPION HIGH SCHOOL.
WE'VE, I DUNNO IF WE DOUBLED THE POPULATION, BUT THE RESULT WAS ONE OF THE BAD RESULTS WAS THAT, UH, THAT INTERSECTION AT, UH, RIO ROAD AND HERFF ROAD IS A REAL DISASTER FOR BOTH DIRECTIONS TRYING TO GO BACK OUT TOWARDS ESP BROWNS IN THE HIGH SCHOOL.
UH, ABOUT 10 YEARS AGO, UH, I WAS AT A MEETING WITH HIS ASSEMBLY OF RESIDENTS, UH, OVER AT KOWSKI.
AND SOME OF THE PEOPLE RUNNING FOR OFFICES WERE THERE TO ANSWER QUESTIONS.
AND THE TWO MAIN CONCERNS THAT THE PUBLIC HAD THAT WERE THERE WERE THE LOOP AND THE BUCKYS.
AND I SPOKE UP ABOUT THE LOOP.
I SAID, WELL, YOU KNOW, THEY SAY THE LOOP IS A SIMPLE IDEA, IT'LL REDUCE TRAFFIC, BUT ACTUALLY, IF YOU BUILD A LOOP AROUND THE CITY, THEN YOU'RE GONNA BUILD SUBDIVISIONS INSIDE THE LOOP AND OUTSIDE THE LOOP, AND YOU'RE GONNA BE DOUBLING THE, DOUBLING THE TRAFFIC AND ALL THAT.
JUST LIKE THE HIGH SCHOOL HAD THE RESULT OF THAT.
AND BUCKY'S, THEY WERE ALL LIKE, WE DON'T WANT A BUCKY'S.
AND THE PEOPLE RUNNING FOR OFFICES ARE LIKE, WELL, WE DON'T REALLY KNOW ABOUT BUCKY'S AT THIS POINT.
UM, BUT AS FAR AS PEOPLE THAT WANT BUCKY'S, IT SEEMS LIKE THERE'S THOSE THAT WANT TO GET THEIR NUGGETS EASILY, BUT THEY REALLY HAVEN'T THOUGHT THROUGH THE EFFECTS OF HAVING A BUCKY'S HERE.
AND IT SEEMS THE CITY AND THE COUNTY KEEP TRYING TO BRING IT FORWARD.
UM, I'M NOT SURE THEY'RE, UH, DRIVING FORCE IN THAT, BUT WE ALREADY HAVE GAS STATIONS IN BURNING.
WE HAVE CLEAN BATHROOMS HERE AND THERE IN IN BERNIE.
UM, AS FAR AS THE CONS, UM, A A BUCKY'S IS GONNA KILL THE NIGHT SKY IN THAT AREA.
IT'S GONNA USE A LOT OF WATER.
UH, IT'S A HUGE UGLY FOOTPRINT THAT'S GONNA BE THERE GREETING PEOPLE AS THEY APPROACH BERNIE FROM SAN ANTONIO.
HERE'S YOUR GIANT BUCKY'S, UH, THE TRAFFIC THAT'S GONNA BE INVOLVED WITH THAT.
AND THEN THE TRAVELERS THAT GO
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THROUGH BERNIE, UM, THEY'RE NOT GONNA STOP IN BERNIE.THEY'RE GONNA STOP AT BUCKY'S AND THEY'RE GONNA GET THEIR GO TO THE BATHROOM AND GET THE GAS AND GET THEIR NUGGETS, AND THEY'RE GONNA KEEP GOING.
SO THEY'RE NOT GONNA GO INTO BERNIE, THEY'RE NOT GONNA SUPPORT MOM AND POP BUSINESSES IF YOU PUT A BUCKY'S RIGHT THERE.
UM, AND ANOTHER THING THAT I'VE NOTICED IN BUCKY'S THAT ARE OUT THERE IS THAT THEY, THEY PUT A LOT OF BILLBOARDS, A LOT OF GIANT BILLBOARDS.
AS YOU GET CLOSER TO BUCKY'S, THEY PUT MORE, THEY IN THE EARLIER, IT'S LIKE EVERY TWO MILES AND IT'S EVERY ONE MILE AND IT'S EVERY HALF MILE.
AND THEY HAVE A BUCKY'S BILLBOARD THAT SAYS, WE DON'T LITTER.
AND, AND YOU'RE GONNA SEE A LOT OF BILLBOARDS.
NOW MY FINAL STATEMENT, I'LL, I'LL WRAP UP.
IN EARLIER DAYS, EACH TOWN IN THE HILL COUNTRY HAD ITS OWN PERSONALITY, ITS OWN LOOK AT QUAINT LITTLE TOWNS.
AND AS YOU KEEP ADDING COMMERCIAL BUSINESSES THAT MAKE EACH TOWN LOOK EXACTLY LIKE THE NEXT TOWN, SO THEY JUST BECOME A SUBDIVISION OF SAN ANTONIO, THEN HUGE AREAS OF BERNIE HAVE BEEN, HAVE HAD BEAUTIFUL GROVES OF LIVE OAK MODE DOWN TO BUILD UP UGLY BUILDINGS FOR NATIONAL FAST FOOD PLACES THAT HAVE BECOME AN EYESORE AND STILL STAND VACANT.
SO MOST BERNIE AND KENDALL COUNTY RESIDENTS DO NOT WANT A BUCKY'S IN OUR TOWN.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER THIS EVENING IS RUTH BIBB.
RUTH, PLEASE COME FORWARD, STATE YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS AND YOU'LL HAVE YOUR THREE MINUTES.
MY NAME IS RUTH BIBB AND I RESIDE AT ONE 40 CREEK SPRINGS HERE IN BURNEY.
AND I'M REALLY DOING A FAVOR TO A FRIEND OF MINE, PAULA.
SHE, SHE HAS DONE A LOT OF THE RESEARCH ON THIS, BUT I'M DELIVERING IT BECAUSE WE DIDN'T KNOW IF SHE WOULD GET HERE TONIGHT.
FOR YEARS, THE BUCKY'S DEAL HAS BEEN RIDDLED WITH RED FLAGS OF PROCEDURAL FAILURES.
AS CITY COUNCIL, YOU KNOW, BOTH THE, UH, YOU HAVE BOTH THE AUTHORITY AND THE DUTY TO CORRECT THE FAILURES, WHICH INCLUDE INTERNAL EMAILS THAT SHOW VESTED RIGHTS.
DATES SHIFTED AS IF THE DATE WAS A NEGOTIATION TO PLEASE BUCKY'S RATHER THAN A LEGAL DETERMINATION.
A 75 FOOT BUCKY SIGN WAS APPROVED WITHOUT PROPER DOCUMENTATION.
AFTER A SIGN JUST TWO FEET HIGHER WAS DENIED BY CITY COUNCIL.
BUCKY'S ELIMINATED FOUR RETAIL BUSINESS PLAT AND THE ASSOCIATED TAX REVENUE TO THE CITY SIG SIGNIFICANTLY CHANGING THE SCOPE OF THE PROJECT.
A VERY SIGNIFICANT FAILURE ALSO OCCURRED BACK IN AUGUST.
ON AUGUST THE NINTH OF 2016, WHEN THE CITY APPROVED THE BUCKY'S AGREEMENT, THE CITY INTENTIONALLY WITHHELD THE NAME OF BUCKY'S FROM THE PUBLIC, THUS VIOLATING THE TEXAS OPEN MEETINGS ACT.
BUCKY'S NAME WAS LITERALLY AN OPEN BLANK ON ALL THE APPROVAL DOCUMENTS.
THE CITY COUNCIL NOTICE THE AGENDA AND THE RESOLUTION TO APPROVE BUCKY'S NAME WAS NOT ANNOUNCED WHEN THE APPROVAL VOTE TOOK PLACE.
LATER THE MEETINGS MINUTES WERE WRITTEN AS IF THE NAME BUCKY'S HAD APPEARED ON THE DOCUMENTS.
WITHOUT ACKNOWLEDGING THAT ACT, THE ACTUAL NAME OF BUCKY'S DID NOT APPEAR.
AND THE POSTED VIDEO OF THE APPROVAL OF THAT MEETING, THERE IS NO AUDIO.
SOMETHING CURRENT STAFF SAID WAS A TECHNICAL GLITCH BY STATUTE VIOLATIONS OF THE TEXAS OPEN MEETING ACT RENDER THE AGREEMENT NULL AND VOID COUNCIL MEMBERS, YOU KNOW, ALL OF THESE FAILURES AND MORE YOU DID NOT PIN THE AGREEMENT, BUT NOW YOU OWN IT.
YOU HAVE BOTH THE POWER AND THE DUTY TO MAKE IT RIGHT.
DEMAND BUCKY'S FULLY MITIGATE THE TRAFFIC PERILS FACTOR IN THE NEW BAPTIST HOSPITAL AND OTHER I 10 DEVELOPMENTS CURRENTLY OMITTED FROM THE ANALYSIS TO DO ANYTHING ELSE IS NEGLIGENT VOID.
THE 75 FOOT SIGN MAKE NO EXCEPTIONS TO BERNIE'S CURRENT DARK SKY RULES SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCE THE NUMBER OF FUEL PUMPS.
ANYTHING MORE THAN THAT IS INSANE.
ADDRESS, ADDRESS ENVIRONMENTAL RISKS, PROTECT NEARBY COMMUNITIES.
AND IF BUCKY'S WON'T AGREE, IT'S SIMPLE, LET THEM GO.
ANOTHER COMPANY WILL COME ALONG.
AND WE WANT ONE THAT RESPECTS OUR LAWS AND VALUES OUR COMMUNITY.
DO NOT HIDE BEHIND MISTAKES OF THE PAST,
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INSTEAD CORRECT MANY FAILURES.IT'S NEVER TOO LATE TO DO THE RIGHT THING.
THE NEXT SPEAKER IS DANA MATHIS, I BELIEVE.
PLEASE CAN FORWARD STATE YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS AND YOU'LL HAVE THREE MINUTES.
DANA MATHIS, 1 6 4 CREEK SPRINGS.
THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO ADDRESS THE COUNCIL.
UH, LAST MONTH, MRS. KELLY KOOL SUBMITTED A LETTER TO MR. THATCHER, OUR CITY MANAGER, WHICH WAS COPIED TO EACH OF YOU.
THAT LETTER REQUESTED A REVIEW OF THE VALIDITY OF THE 2018 BUCKY'S 75 FOOT SIGN PERMIT.
THE CITY'S DOCUMENTATION REVEALS THAT THE ILLEGITIMATE SIGN PERMIT, WHICH OVERRODE TWO VOTES OF THIS COUNCIL, WAS ISSUED BEFORE THE PRESCRIBED REVIEW COMMITTEE EVEN MET.
MR. THATCHER DISMISSED THE LETTER BY SAYING THAT THE CITY DOES NOT HAVE A PROCESS TO REVIEW A PERMIT THAT'S ALREADY ISSUED.
HOWEVER, MR. THATCHER DOES INDEED HAVE A PROCEDURE TO REVIEW THIS PERMIT UNDER THE UNIFIED DEVELOPMENT CODE SECTION TWO DASH FOUR L TWO FOR DORMANT PROJECTS.
BASED ON THE, WHICH GIVES US BUCKY'S, UH, GAVE HIM TWO YEARS AFTER THE UDC WAS PUT IN PLACE TO, UH, DO THE SIGN BASED ON THE CITY'S OWN DOCUMENTS.
BUCKY'S DID NOT PROVIDE SUFFICIENT EVIDENCE TO SHOW PROGRESS TOWARD THE COMPLETION OF THE SIGN IN THE TWO YEARS AFTER THE JULY, 2021 ADOPTION OF THE UDC.
FOUR YEARS LATER, THERE IS STILL NO SIGN OF A SIGN, THEREFORE, THE 75 FOOT SIGN PERMIT HAS EXPIRED.
RECENTLY, OUR PLANNING AND ZONING COMMISSIONERS REFERRED TO THE BUCKY'S PROJECT AS A BLACK EYE FOR BERNIE DISMISSING.
MRS. KOOLS REQUEST WAS YET ANOTHER BLACK EYE FOR THE CITY AND THE BUCKY'S PROJECT, BUT IT IS NEVER TOO LATE TO DO THE RIGHT THING.
REVIEWING THE VALIDITY OF THE BUCKY'S SIGN PERMIT IS AN OPPORTUNITY TO RIGHT A WRONG AND BEGIN TO CLEAN UP THE BUCKY'S MESS.
IF WE'RE GOING TO DO THIS PROJECT, THEN LET'S DO IT RIGHT AND LET'S DO IT.
WELL, SINCE 2016, THE PROJECT'S SCOPE AND FINANCIALS HAVE DRAG CHANGED DRAMATICALLY.
THE LATEST DRAFT TRAFFIC IMPACT ASSESSMENT IS BASED ON 140 GAS PUMPS VERSUS THE ORIGINAL DEALS 90, THAT'S A 55% INCREASE.
LIKEWISE, THERE'S NOW AN ADDITIONAL FIVE ACRE PARKING LOT AND NOTEPAD SITES.
MOREOVER, WE HAVE A LIST AND AN EMAIL LIST OF VARIOUS CHANGES FROM BUCKY'S BASED ON VERBAL DISCUSSIONS.
OUR UDC CODE, SECTION TWO DASH FOUR A FIVE B CLEARLY STATES THAT THE 2019 VESTED RIGHTS NO LONGER APPLY BECAUSE OF ALL THESE SCOPE CHANGES.
FINALLY, NUMEROUS CONCERNS RAISED BY RESIDENTS REMAIN UNRESOLVED.
SO WHY WOULD YOU ACCEPT SUCH A MESSY DEAL FOR BERNIE ON YOUR TERM? THE CITY MUST RENEGOTIATE THE FINANCIAL DEAL.
AND IN THAT RENEGOTIATION, ENFORCE OUR CURRENT DEVELOPMENT CODES TO ADDRESS THE MANY ISSUES RAISED BY THE COMMUNITY, INCLUDING THE SIGN HEIGHT.
PLEASE ACT ON THE BERNIE ON THE BUCKY'S PROJECT.
IT'S NEVER TOO LATE TO DO THE RIGHT THING.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS MARK SIERRA.
MARK, PLEASE COME FORWARD AND YOU'LL HAVE THREE MINUTES AFTER YOU STATE YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS.
I'M THE OWNER OF COMPADRES AND THE PRESIDENT OF THE PURPLE HEART PROJECT HERE IN BERNIE.
UH, I'M ONLY HERE AS A FAVOR ON THIS WHOLE BUCKY'S UH, SITUATION, BUT I'M, I'M COMING TO YOU AS A BUSINESS OWNER, SMALL BUSINESS OWNER.
UH, YOU KNOW, I, I HEARD MR. PENNINGTON TALK ABOUT A LITTLE BIT ABOUT, UH, WHAT IT WOULD DO, UH, HAVING A BUCKY'S OUT ON THE FREEWAY THAT IT WILL TAKE AWAY FROM WHAT MAKES BERNIE, BERNIE, WHICH IS A SMALL BUSINESSES.
THAT'S EXACTLY WHY WE OPENED UP OUR PLACE IN THIS TOWN.
UH, I KNOW THAT ME AND MY FAMILY, WE LOVE BUCKY'S.
I MEAN, ON WEEKENDS THERE'S ONE IN NEW BRAUNFELS, HELL WE'LL DRIVE FROM HERE JUST TO GO MAKE IT A DAY TO GO SHOPPING INSTEAD OF GOING TO, YOU KNOW, UH, I DUNNO, IKEA OR OTHER PLACES, YOU KNOW, JUST RANDOM PLACES.
BUT IT'S ONE OF THOSE THINGS I'VE HEARD THE ARGUMENT OF PEOPLE SAYING THAT IF THERE WAS A BUCKY'S HERE, IT'S GONNA DRIVE MORE PEOPLE INTO OUR TOWN.
WELL, FIRSTHAND EXPERIENCE, WHENEVER I DRIVE TO BUCKY'S, WHY THE HELL AM I GONNA GO TO ANY OTHER PLACE AROUND THE TOWN IF I CAN GET IT ALL IN ONE, ONE STOP SHOP, SECOND LABOR, RIGHT? UH, THE WORKFORCE, RIGHT? WE'RE,
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WE'RE LIMITED WITH WORKFORCE HERE IN THIS TOWN.SO I'VE BEEN BLESSED THAT MY BUSINESS WE'RE, WE, WE DON'T STRUGGLE WITH THAT.
I MEAN, OUR BUSINESS, WE'RE CONSIDERED A DESTINATION PLACE.
SO WE, WE ALWAYS HAVE THE, THE TRAFFIC COMING IN FROM ALL PARTS OF TEXAS, SOUTH TEXAS, DALLAS, FORT WORTH AREA, EVERYWHERE.
BUT THERE I SEE A LOT OF BUSINESSES AROUND HERE THAT ARE STRUGGLING TO FIND EMPLOYEES.
UH, AND A LOT OF PEOPLE SAY, WELL, MAYBE THEY SHOULD OFFER LIV, UH, YOU KNOW, A LIVABLE WAGE, RIGHT? BUT THAT'S NOT ALWAYS, THAT'S NOT ALWAYS THE CASE.
NOW YOU'RE GONNA GET BUCKY'S THAT'S GONNA COME IN.
AND BELIEVE IT OR NOT, I MEAN, WHATEVER WORKFORCE IS AROUND HERE, THEY'RE GONNA, OH, OKAY, GET PAID 12 AN HOUR HERE AT THIS LITTLE, YOU KNOW, BOUTIQUE OR LITTLE, YOU KNOW, RESTAURANT OR WHATEVER WHEN THEY CAN GO OVER THERE AND MAKE, F**K, OH, SORRY, MAKE 24 AN HOUR.
IT'S, BUT YOU KNOW, THAT'S JUST ONE OF THOSE THINGS.
AND I SEE THAT A LOT AND I HEAR THAT A LOT.
AND I STAND UP FOR A LOT OF THESE SMALL BUSINESSES BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT I DO.
I'M A SMALL BUSINESS OWNER, THE COMMUNITIES WHO HELPED ME DURING COVID AND, AND GOT ME TO WHERE WE'RE AT, AND ALL I DO IS PAY IT FORWARD.
I USE MY PLATFORM, WHETHER IT BE SOCIAL MEDIA, INSTAGRAM, FACEBOOK, TIKTOK, WHATEVER.
AND I HELP A LOT OF THESE OTHER SMALL BUSINESSES BY GOING TO THEM AND HELPING THEM AS MUCH AS I CAN.
BUT IF I'M HERE, HONESTLY, I'M HERE HONESTLY, TO SPEAK ON THE BEHALF OF OTHER SMALL BUSINESSES THAT ARE NOT AS FORTUNATE AS ME, BECAUSE THEY WILL BE AFFECTED.
BELIEVE IT OR NOT, THEY WILL BE AFFECTED ONLY BECAUSE PEOPLE LIKE MYSELF.
AGAIN, WHENEVER I LEAVE BERNIE AND I GO TO STOP OUTTA BUCKY'S, I'M NOT GONNA GO AROUND SNOOPING THAT LITTLE TOWN WHEN I CAN GET IT ALL IN ONE SHOP.
ALRIGHT, OUR OUR FINAL SPEAKER THIS EVENING IS, UH, DR.
RUDD, PLEASE CAN FORWARD STATE YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS AND YOU'LL HAVE YOUR THREE MINUTES.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME TONIGHT.
ALEX RED, UH, BURG ROAD AT KENDALL COUNTY.
I WANT TO JUST GIVE A QUICK UPDATE AS I CONTINUE MY ONGOING RESEARCH WITH THE COST AND HEALTH AND ENVIRONMENT TO OUR COMMUNITY.
THESE IMPACTS WILL BE PROFOUND IN MY OPINION.
THERE'S A REASON ACROSS THE NATION WHY THERE ARE SETBACKS ESTABLISHED, UH, BETWEEN GAS STATIONS AND RESIDENTIAL HOMES.
AND THAT IS BECAUSE OF AIR QUALITY CONCERNS, PARTICULARLY WITH BENZENE AND OTHER VOLATILE COMPOUNDS.
THESE ARE PROVEN TO BE A RISK FOR LEUKEMIA, LYMPHOMAS, AND OTHER CANCERS GENERALLY.
UH, SO FAR I FOUND THAT BURNING DOES NOT HAVE A SETBACK ESTABLISHED.
THIS WAS ONE OF THE MANY THINGS THAT DID NOT OCCUR TO THE PEOPLE WHO WERE IN OFFICE 10 YEARS AGO.
I'M FINDING MORE AND MORE EVIDENCE THAT MORE RESEARCH IS NEEDED.
AND IN PARTICULAR, THERE ARE TWO STUDIES SHOWING THAT EVEN A 1000 METER BUFFER IS INADEQUATE.
THEY'VE SHOWN UP TO A FOUR TIMES INCREASE IN PEDIATRIC LEUKEMIA NEAR A CLUSTER OF GAS STATIONS THAT'S CONSIDERED THREE TO FOUR STATIONS SEPARATED.
THIS BUCKY'S WILL BE THE EQUIVALENT OF 15 TO 20 GAS STATIONS.
I SPOKE WITH AN ENVIRONMENTAL CONSULTANT THIS MORNING.
I WAITED OVER A WEEK FOR HIM TO CALL ME BACK.
WE TALKED ABOUT BUCKY'S, AND IN HIS WORDS, HE SAID, YOU COULDN'T PAY ME TO LIVE THERE FOR FREE WITH MY FAMILY AND MY CHILDREN.
TCEQ WILL NOT DO ANY AIR QUALITY MONITORING HERE.
THEY GENERALLY DON'T MONITOR AIR QUALITY AT GAS STATIONS.
ANOTHER IMPORTANT ISSUE IS WATER QUALITY.
VENNY IS A WORLD RENOWNED HYDROGEOLOGIST.
HE HAS RECOGNIZED THAT THE RECHARGE ZONE FOR THE EDWARDS AQUIFER SHOULD BE REEVALUATED.
AND THIS IS A PAPER THAT'S MORE THAN 10 YEARS OLD.
HE DID HIS OWN RESEARCH, HIS OWN STUDIES, AND THERE'S EVIDENCE SHOWING THAT THERE'S CAST FEATURES AND HYDROGEOLOGIC GEOLOGICAL CONNECTIONS BETWEEN THE UPPER LOWER GLEN ROSE AND THE EDWARDS RECHARGE ZONE.
EVEN THOUGH THE BUCKY'S IS NOT LOCATED IN THE, UM, RECHARGE ZONE ITSELF, IT COULD STILL BE IMPACTING THE EDWARDS AS WELL AS AROUND WATER SUPPLY.
IT'S WITHIN FIVE MILES OF THE SLO CREEK.
ANY CONTAMINATED RUNOFF CAN REACH SLO CREEK.
SLO CREEK HAS DIRECT CAST CONNECTIONS, NOT ONLY TO THE TRINITY, BUT TO THE EDWARDS.
I'M GONNA QUICKLY POINT OUT THAT THIS FACILITY WILL BE EXTREMELY BUSY.
THE TRAFFIC STUDIES SHOW ANYWHERE FROM 10 TO 20,000 VEHICLES ON BUSY DAYS.
THE AMOUNT OF SLUDGE AND BUILDUP FROM NOT ONLY FUEL SPILLS, BUT AUTOMOTIVE FLUIDS WILL BE TREMENDOUS.
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FLOODING RAINS, A LOT OF THIS FILTH COULD BE WASHED INTO OUR WATER SUPPLY.IT ALSO SOAKS THROUGH CONCRETE.
SO EVEN OUR MITIGATION METHODS MAY NOT BE FOOLPROOF.
IF YOU EVER HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO TELL BUCKYS TO MOVE ON, I RECOMMEND IT.
THAT'S THE LAST PERSON THAT HAS SIGNED UP TO SPEAK THIS EVENING.
IF SOMEONE'S COME IN LATE, I'D LIKE TO GIVE YOU THE OPPORTUNITY TO COME FORWARD AND SPEAK NOW.
UH, YOU CAN COME FORWARD TO THE PODIUM.
YOU HAVE THREE MINUTES, LANCE KYLE, 2, 2 6, CASCADE CAVERNS ROAD.
I JUST WANNA SAY AGAIN, AND YOU'VE, YOU'VE HEARD THIS POP UP A FEW TIMES SINCE WE'VE BEEN APPEARING HERE.
THE LAST COUPLE OF, UH, COUNCIL MEETINGS, UM, THE, UH, PUBLIC REALLY GOT A RAW DEAL ON THIS, AND IT'S BECOMING CLEARER AND CLEAR, UH, THAT, UH, IT WAS HIDDEN FROM THE PUBLIC.
UH, EVEN THE BERNIE BRIEFING, UH, THAT CAME OUT IN AUGUST, ISSUED BY THE CITY, UH, HINTS, UH, THAT, UH, THAT, UM, I MEAN, IT, IT, IT MENTIONS THE AUGUST 8TH, UM, UH, PRESS CONFERENCE, BUT IT DOESN'T MENTION THAT IT WAS NOT ANNOUNCED TO THE PUBLIC.
THIS AUGUST 8TH, UH, PRESS CONFERENCE, IT LOOKS LIKE ONLY TWO REPORTERS SHOWED UP.
IT LOOKS LIKE IT WAS AT THE EDC OFFICES.
IT WAS NOT AT CITY HALL, IT WAS NOT AT THE, UH, COUNTY COURTHOUSE.
UM, THEN ON AUGUST 9TH, THERE WAS A CITY COUNCIL MEETING WHERE THIS HAS BEEN ALLUDED TO BEFORE.
THE, UM, COUNCIL CAME OUT OF EXECUTIVE SESSION AND VOTED ON A, UH, AN UNNAMED PROJECT, AN UNNAMED, UH, UH, TAX INCENTIVE PACKAGE.
WE, WE FOUND OUT LATER THAT WAS BUCKY'S.
UM, IF YOU GO THROUGH THE THIS, AND I WENT TO THE MEETING ON SEPTEMBER 8TH, THE P AND Z MEETING, AND I ALSO READ THROUGH THAT ENTIRE 24 PAGE BERNIE BRIEFING DOCUMENT.
IT, IT'S PEPPERED WITH A LOT OF EXPRESSIONS.
LIKE, UH, GLEEFULLY, UH, UH, UH, THE PUBLIC DIDN'T SHOW UP.
WELL, WE DIDN'T SHOW UP ON THE EIGHTH AND NINTH IN AUGUST OF 2016 BECAUSE THERE WAS NO ADVER ADVERTISEMENTS FOR THIS, UH, YOU KNOW, FOR THIS DEAL.
AND, UH, IF YOU READ FURTHER THROUGH THE TIMELINE, JUNE OF 2020, WELL, UH, GLEEFULLY, THEY'RE SAYING, OH, WELL, NOBODY FROM THE PUBLIC SHOWED UP AT THAT CITY COUNCIL MEETING WHERE WE CHANGED THE ZONING FOR THE PRIMARY PROPERTY THAT BUCKY'S IS GONNA BE, UH, LOCATED ON, WHICH I GUESS, I DON'T KNOW, WHAT IS IT? 25 ACRES, 35 ACRES, UH, THAT THE REASON WE DIDN'T SHOW UP WAS 'CAUSE COVID WAS IN FULL, YOU KNOW, FULL BLAST.
AND I'M SURE IF YOU LOOKED AT THAT MEETING BACK IN JUNE OF 2020, YOU WOULDN'T FIND ANYBODY IN THE AUDIENCE.
SO, AGAIN, YOU KNOW, WE WERE, I DON'T KNOW IF THAT WAS STRATEGIC.
I'M NOT ONE OF THESE CONSPIRACY TYPE PEOPLE, BUT, UH, WE DIDN'T GET AN O OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK AGAIN.
AND, YOU KNOW, IF YOU LOOK FURTHER THROUGH THIS BERNIE, UH, BRIEFING THE TIMELINE, UM, I'M NOT REALLY SEEING A LOT OF PROGRESS.
AND THE, UH, THE DEVELOPMENT, UH, OFFICE, UH, GENTLEMAN, UH, THAT, THAT WAS AT THE P AND Z ON SEPTEMBER 9TH, UH, HE WAS SITTING IN THE AUDIENCE RIGHT NOW.
UH, HE MENTIONED HOW ERRATIC THEIR RESPONSES HAVE BEEN OVER THE LAST NINE YEARS TO REQUESTS FOR, FOR VARIOUS ITEMS. I DON'T KNOW HOW FAR ALONG WE ARE IN THE PROCESS WITH APPROVING THIS THING, ACTUALLY APPROVING IT.
WHAT HAPPENED IN 2016 REALLY WASN'T AN APPROVAL.
IT WAS JUST A 3, 3 80 AGREEMENT THERE.
THERE'S A LOT OF HURDLES LEFT HERE.
I MEAN, I DON'T KNOW IF WE'RE 30% ALONG 40% ALONG WITH A, YOU KNOW, ACTUALLY APPROVING THIS THING, BUT WE STILL GOT PLATTING TO GO.
THE DRAINAGE STUDY'S NOT FINALIZED.
THE, UH, ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT IS NOT IN THE FILE FOR SOME REASON, EVEN THOUGH AN INSIDER TOLD ME THAT THE TWO OF THEM WERE DONE, AND, UH, THE FIRST ONE THEY, THEY, THEY, THEY TOSSED AWAY.
'CAUSE THE UTSA GUY, YOU KNOW, NOTICED SOME BIOLOGICAL WILDLIFE THERE ON THE PROPERTY.
AND THEY, THEY DROPPED THAT ONE AND THEY WENT TO A SECOND ONE WITH ANOTHER CONSULTANT, ANOTHER ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT.
IT'S APPARENTLY NOT IN THE FILE HERE IN THE CITY.
UM, LET ME, LET ME CLOSE BY JUST SAYING, HEY GUYS, LET'S HOLD THESE PEOPLE'S FEET TO THE FIRE.
LET'S NOT PRETEND LIKE THIS IS NOT OUR, THIS IS NOT OURS.
AND YOU COULD, YOU COULD, YOU COULD TELL BY THE, AT THE P AND Z MEETING THAT THE PLANNING AND ZONING GUY, NATHAN CRANE, DID NOT LIKE OWNING THIS BURNING TIRE NECKLACE.
I MEAN, YOU KNOW, SOMEBODY ON THE COUNCIL OR THE CITY MANAGER NEEDS TO OWN THIS, NEEDS TO OWN THIS.
AND BECAUSE IT WAS DONE, IT WAS DONE VERY SHABBILY.
AND YOU, YOU KNOW, IT, I DON'T THINK ANYBODY ON THIS DAY HAS LIKES THIS, THIS DEAL, BUT SOMEBODY'S GOTTA STEP UP.
WE DO HAVE A MEMBER ON THE COUNCIL, I'M NOT GONNA NAME HIM, BUT HE'S GOT CROSS RELATIONSHIPS WITH THE EDC AND BUCKY'S, AND WE NEED HIM TO STEP UP AND HOLD THEIR FEET TO THE FIRE.
[00:30:07]
HI, AMELIA ANDREWS.I WAS NOT PLANNING ON SPEAKING, SO I'M GONNA GO OFF THE CUFF HERE.
UM, 1 0 8 KINGSTON, YOU GUYS, I'M LIKE EVERYONE HERE.
I'M HERE TO SPEAK ABOUT BUCKY'S.
AND CANDIDLY, YOU GUYS WERE GIVEN A REAL CRAP HAND.
UM, YOU WEREN'T PART OF THE COUNCIL BEFORE, BUT YOU ARE TRYING TO PLAY THOSE HANDS NOW.
I AGREE WITH MARK WHO DROPPED HIS MIC AND LEFT, AND I APPRECIATE HIM VERY MUCH.
BUT THE CO-TENANCY THAT THEY'VE CHANGED WITH WHAT IS ORIGINALLY PAD SITES AND NOT HAVING THOSE PAD SITES, YOU'RE NOT GONNA HAVE THE CO-TENANCY ANYMORE.
THE DEAL HAS CHANGED FROM WHAT IT WAS ORIGINALLY 10 YEARS AGO.
UM, I ASK YOU TO, IF OUR, UM, ATTORNEY FOR THE CITY CANNOT LOOK AT THIS AGREEMENT AND TELL YOU WHAT IT ACTUALLY READS, NOW WITH THE RET TRADES ON WHAT HAS HAPPENED, HIRE ANOTHER ONE.
STOP DOING THE WORK AT THE INTERWAY TO OUR CITY.
BECAUSE WHAT HAPPENS WHEN ALL OF THESE THINGS THAT WE HAVE LAID OUT, EVERYONE HERE HAS BEAUTIFULLY LAID OUT THAT AREN'T DONE, THAT HAVEN'T BEEN APPROVED, AND YET WE ARE DOING SITE WORK.
WHY ARE WE PAYING FOR SITE WORK IF THESE THINGS ARE NOT COMPLETED? AND IF THEY HAVEN'T EVEN GIVEN US A TRAFFIC STUDY, WE KNOW THE TRAFFIC THERE SUCKS.
THEY AREN'T HERE, THEY HAVEN'T BEEN HERE, THEY HAVEN'T SHOWN UP.
PAUSE, DRAW A LINE IN THE SAND AND PAUSE WHAT YOU'RE DOING RIGHT NOW UNTIL YOU CAN SAY, YOU KNOW WHAT? WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT ALL OF OUR DUCKS ARE IN A ROW SO WE CAN MOVE FORWARD WITH THIS, WITH THE INTELLIGENCE AND THE WISDOM AND EVERYTHING THAT'S NEEDED TO GET THIS RIGHT.
AND THE REASON I'M HERE IS BECAUSE I LIVE IN RE PARK.
ME AND A LOT OF THE PEOPLE HERE FROM MANGO SPRINGS, THIS BACKS UP TO OUR NEIGHBORHOOD.
THERE ARE 54 LARGE BUCKYS IN THE STATE OF TEXAS.
THIS IS THE ONLY ONE THAT POTENTIALLY BACK UP TO NEIGHBORHOODS VERSUS OTHER COMMERCIAL BUSINESSES.
AND IF THEY CAN'T GIVE US THINGS THAT ARE GONNA PASS THROUGH ALL OF THE STANDARDS THAT WE HAVE TODAY, THAT'S A PROBLEM.
AND YOU NEED TO BE ABLE TO LOOK AT THAT AND PAUSE THAT, BECAUSE THAT CAN REALLY, REALLY CREATE SOME ISSUES FOR ALL OF THE FUMES AND ALL OF THE STUFF THAT'S GONNA DO TO THE AREA OVER THERE.
PEOPLE ARE NOT GONNA LEAVE IF BUCKY'S COMES.
THEY'RE NOT GONNA COME INTO TOWN.
OUR TOURISTS MONEY THAT COMES INTO ALL THOSE BUSINESSES THAT THEY EXPECT ARE JUST GONNA DWINDLE AND IT'S GONNA BE SAD.
I'M GONNA GIVE YOU A FOR INSTANCE.
I WAS AT CHILI'S A COUPLE WEEKS AGO WITH MY HUSBAND, AND THERE WERE PEOPLE THERE FROM OUT OF TOWN, AND THEY WERE ASKING HOW TO GET DOWNTOWN.
THE SERVERS DIDN'T KNOW, THEY DIDN'T KNOW WHAT WAS DOWNTOWN, HOW TO GET DOWNTOWN OR WHAT WAS EVEN IN DOWNTOWN BERNIE.
AND THEY SAID, YOU KNOW, WE WANT ANOTHER, WE WANNA GET A BEER.
AND THEY DIDN'T KNOW WHERE TO GO.
THAT'S BECAUSE THESE PEOPLE ARE NOT, NOT FROM BERNIE.
AND THAT'S WHO'S COMING IN AS OUR WORKFORCE.
AND THOSE ARE PEOPLE WHO COULD HAVE SPENT MONEY DOWNTOWN.
MY HUSBAND AND I STEPPED IN AND TOLD THEM.
BUT WE WANT PEOPLE TO LIKE IT, TO WANNA WORK THERE.
AND PEOPLE AREN'T GONNA BE THERE.
THEY'RE, THEY'RE NOT GONNA SAY, HEY, GO DOWN TO THIS CUTE LITTLE PUB DOWNTOWN.
YOU KNOW, THEY'RE NOT GONNA DO THAT BECAUSE THEY'RE NOT GONNA KNOW THEY'RE NOT GONNA BE FROM HERE.
SO I ASK YOU AND URGE YOU TO PUMP THE BRAKES WHEREVER YOU CAN WITHIN THE LAW.
ASK AN OUTSIDE PERSON TO COME IN, REVIEW THE CONTRACT, INSTALL WHERE YOU CAN UNTIL YOU GET ALL YOUR DUCKS IN A ROW.
GOOD EVENING, MAYOR AND COUNCIL MEMBERS.
I LIVE AT 3 7 3 MINGER SPRINGS, AND I WANNA SAY OUR RES SUPPORT RESPONSIBLE GROWTH.
BUT I HAVE SOME SERIOUS CONCERNS ABOUT THE BUCKY'S PROJECT'S IMPACT ON OUR TRAFFIC AND OUR SAFETY.
THE DEVELOPER'S OWN TRAFFIC IMPACT ANALYSIS, WHICH WAS PREPARED BY AC GROUP LLC AND UPDATED THIS SEPTEMBER, SHOWS THAT THE PROJECT WILL ADD ABOUT 15,000 ADDITIONAL VEHICLE TRIPS PER DAY TO THE CORRIDOR.
IT ALSO PREDICTS THAT THE I 10 WESTBOUND FRONTAGE ROAD AND BUSINESS 87 INTERSECTION WILL DROP TO A LEVEL OF SERVICE E IN THE MORNING AND A LEVEL OF SERVICE F IN THE EVENING, MEANING THAT THE TRAFFIC DEMAND WILL EXCEED THE ROADWAY'S CAPACITY.
EVEN WITH THE PROPOSED MITIGATIONS OF THE TIA SUCH AS REOPENING A THIRD SOUTHBOUND LANE ON BUSINESS 87, OR ADDING DUAL LEFT TURN LANES.
THE ANALYSIS ONLY RECOVERS OPERATIONS TO A MARGINAL LEVEL OF SERVICE.
D EVEN THE CITY OF BERNIE HAS SET THE STANDARD MINIMUM STANDARD AT AN OPERATING LEVEL OF C.
SO EVEN WITH MITIGATIONS, WE ARE STILL GONNA BE OPERATING AT NEAR FAILING CONDITIONS.
AND MOST CONCERNING DRIVEWAY FIVE ON THE EASTBOUND FRONTAGE ROAD IS PROJECTED TO EXPERIENCE EXTREME DELAYS OVER
[00:35:01]
300 SECONDS PER VEHICLE WITH NO FEASIBLE MITIGATION OFFERED.SO WHAT DOES THIS MEAN FOR OUR COMMUNITY AND OUR SAFETY? IT MEANS WE CAN EXPECT SIGNIFICANT QUEUING ON THE FEEDER ROADS, ESPECIALLY IN THE EVENINGS AND ON THE WEEKENDS.
POTENTIAL SPILL BACK INTO I 10 MAIN LANES AND INCREASED CRASH RISKS.
RISKS WHERE TURNING TRAFFIC MEETS HIGH SPEED THROUGH TRAFFIC.
THE REPORT ASSUMES THAT MANY OF THESE TRIPS ARE PASS BY VEHICLES ALREADY TRAVELING ON I 10, BUT THAT IS VERY QUESTIONABLE.
AND THE STUDY FURTHER READING OF THE STUDY SHOWS THAT THE CONGESTION COULD BE SIGNIFICANTLY HIGHER.
BUCKY'S WILL BE A DESTINATION ATTRACTING NEW TRAFFIC FROM OUTSIDE BERNIE.
AND THIS WILL IMPACT NOT JUST, UH, VISITORS, BUT OUR RESIDENTS, OUR LOCAL COMMUNITIES, AND OUR EMERGENCY ACCESS PERSONNEL.
SO I WOULD LIKE TO RESPECTFULLY REQUEST OF THE CITY TO ONE, REQUIRE AN INDEPENDENT PEER REVIEW OF THE TRAFFIC STUDY ASSUMPTIONS AND RESULTS TO REEVALUATE DRIVEWAY FIVE, SINCE THE A**L ANALYSIS ADMITS THAT IT WILL FAIL WITHOUT ANY ADDITIONAL MITIGATION, AND TO COORDINATE WITH TXDOT TO ENSURE THAT THE FEEDER ROAD AND THE INTERSECTION IMPROVEMENTS ARE COMPLETED BEFORE THE SITE WOULD BE OPEN, I HOPE THAT WE ARE CONCERNED WITH NOT JUST CHECKING THE BOXES FOR THE UDC STATE REQUIREMENTS.
I HOPE WE ARE WILLING TO EVALUATE AND CARE WHAT THE CONTENTS OF THESE STUDIES SAY, BECAUSE BERNIE DESERVES GROWTH THAT STRENGTHENS OUR COMMUNITY WITHOUT COMPROMISING SAFETY OR MORE OUR MOBILITY.
WE ASK YOU TO HOLD THIS PROJECT TO THE SAME STANDARDS OF PLANNING AND TRANSPARENCY THAT OUR RESIDENTS EXPECT AND DESERVE.
YOU HAVE THE POWER TO INTERVENE, AND I'M ASKING THAT YOU PLEASE DO SO.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME AND FOR CONSIDERING THESE CONCERNS.
MAYOR, MY NAME IS BRAD BROOKE MILLER.
I WANT TO CONTINUE WITH THE TRAFFIC CONCERNS.
UM, EVEN THOUGH THE ORIGINAL TRAFFIC STUDY HAS BEEN UPDATED, UH, MANY OF THE ANALYSIS CONCLUSIONS ARE BASED ON DATA FROM THE MUCH SMALLER BAYTOWN BUCKY'S FACILITY.
UM, IT HAS 84 PUMPS VERSUS THE ONE 40.
THAT'S 50% INCREASE, BY THE WAY.
AND, UM, ALL THE DATA USED FROM THAT FACILITY WAS FOR A SINGLE WEEK IN DECEMBER OF THAT YEAR.
NOT SURE WHEN THAT YEAR WAS, BUT IT WAS BACK AWAYS.
UM, ALSO SOME ADDITIONAL POINTS.
THERE'S NO CONSIDERATION GIVEN FOR HOLIDAY PEAK TRAFFIC IN THIS STUDY.
UH, THERE'S NO CONSIDERATION GIVEN FOR TRAFFIC THAT WILL BE GENERATED WITH THE NEW BAPTIST HOSPITAL AT 46.
UM, ALL THE TRAFFIC HAS TO GO EASTBOUND ALONG THAT FEEDER ALL THE WAY TO 87 BUSINESS.
UM, AND THEN ALSO THERE'S NO CONSIDERATION, UH, GIVEN TO THE, UM, THE MINGLE SPRINGS, UM, MORNINGSIDE, THE NEW VISTA DEVELOPMENT OVER THERE, WHICH IS ADDING QUITE A FEW MORE RESIDENTS OVER THERE.
AND ALL THE FAST FOOD DEVELOPMENT GOING ALONG I 10 CORRIDOR THERE.
UM, IN FACT, THERE'S NO CONSIDERATION AT ALL GIVEN FOR FUTURE GROWTH.
UM, ALSO THE, UH, TIA, UM, WAS ONLY ONLY FACTOR TO GROWTH OF 4.5% TRAFFIC GROWTH.
WHEREAS, YOU KNOW, THE CITY OF BURNING FORECAST 8% GROWTH AND THAT'S 8% EVERY YEAR GOING FORWARD.
JUST COMPOUNDS JUST LIKE COMPOUNDED INTEREST.
SO, UM, WITH THAT, THE, UH, PLANNING AND ZONING MEETING ON THE EIGHTH, THE CITY ENGINEER INDICATED THAT THE TIA BACK, BACK AND FORTH WITH BUCKY'S COULD BE WRAPPED UP FAIRLY QUICKLY, UM, I BELIEVE HE SAID IN A COUPLE WEEKS.
SO THE QUESTION IS THAT THE CITY NOW HAVE AN APPROVED TRAFFIC STUDY, AND IF NOT, I'D LIKE TO REITERATE THAT NO CONSTRUCTION PERMITS SHOULD BE ISSUED UNTIL THAT HAPPENS.
UH, AS MY WIFE STATED, I THINK THERE SHOULD BE AN INDEPENDENT PEER REVIEW OF THE TRAFFIC STUDY BECAUSE THIS THING'S FULL OF HOLES.
[00:40:12]
UH, GOOD EVENING COUNCIL MEMBERS.UH, MY NAME IS TREY ACKERMAN AND I LIVE OVER AT 1 0 9 ABERDEEN, BERNIE, TEXAS.
UH, I CARE DEEPLY ABOUT BERNIE'S INTEGRITY AND FAIRNESS.
UH, AND BUCKY'S IS ALREADY HERE.
UH, THEY OWN THEIR PROPERTY AND THEY HAVE THE RIGHT TO BUILD ON IT.
UH, SO MY PART ISN'T ABOUT OPPOSING GROWTH.
IT'S ABOUT MAKING SURE THAT ALL THE BUSINESSES BIG OR SMALL FOLLOW THE SAME RULES.
SO THE BUCKY'S PROJECT TODAY IS NOT THE ONE APPROVED IN 2016.
AND SO THE AGREEMENT PROMISED A FUELING STATION AND FOUR RETAIL PAD SITES THAT WOULD GENERATE SALES TAX FOR BERNIE.
THOSE SITES ARE GONE, UH, REPLACED BY A PARKING LOT THAT BRINGS ZERO SALES TAX REVENUE.
IF BUCKY'S ISN'T DELIVERING THE REVENUE IT PROMISED, IT SHOULD NOT RECEIVE THE CITY'S SALES TAX REFUND OFFERED IN THE ECONOMIC INCENTIVE.
UH, OUR CODE AND STATE LAW BOTH SAY THAT WHEN A PROJECT CHANGES VESTED RIGHTS NO LONGER APPLY.
AND THIS IS A CHANGED PROJECT AND THE DEAL MUST BE RENEGOTIATED.
UH, SMALL BUSINESSES ACROSS BERNIE ARE WORRIED THEY CAN'T UNDERSTAND WHY OUR CITY WOULD SUBSIDIZE A NATIONAL CORPORATION THAT WILL PULL CUSTOMERS FROM SHOPS AND HAVE THAT HAVE SERVED THIS COMMUNITY FOR YEARS.
BUCKY'S IS PAYING ITS EMPLOYEES WELL AND THAT'S GREAT, BUT BERNIE TAXPAYERS SHOULDN'T BE FUNDING THE SUBSIDIZATION FOR THEM TO BE PAID SO WELL WITH THAT ECONOMIC INCENTIVE.
UH, THESE INCENTIVES SHOULD BE TO STRENGTHEN OUR LOCAL ECONOMY, NOT UNDERMINE IT.
BUCKY'S BROUGHT THIS, BOUGHT THIS PROPERTY KNOWING THAT TEXDOT WAS REDEVELOPING I 10 DECADE AGO.
THEY KNEW ABOUT THE ELEVATION AND VISIBILITY CHANGES, AND NOW THEY'RE ASKING FOR THE HARDSHIP TO BUILD A 75 FOOT SIGN WELL ABOVE THE ORDINANCE.
THAT'S NOT A HARDSHIP, IT'S A BUSINESS GAMBLE.
UH, AND THEY COUNTED ON BERNIE TO ROLL OVER.
I ASK YOU TO HOLD THEM TO THE SAME STANDARD EVERY OTHER BUSINESS FOLLOWS.
IN PRIOR MEETINGS, BUCKY SAID THEY WOULD DO THEIR BEST TO MEET OUR DARK SKIES ORDINANCE, BUT IT WAS IMPOSSIBLE.
UH, IF IT'S IMPOSSIBLE, THEN THE PROJECT SHOULD BE LIMITED JUST LIKE ANY OTHER BUSINESS WOULD BE.
BERNIE HAS FOUGHT TO PRESERVE OUR NIGHT SKY, AND BUCKY SHOULDN'T BE ALLOWED TO BREAK THAT ORDINANCE FOR CONVENIENCE.
THEIR TRAFFIC STUDY IS NEARLY A DECADE OLD, AND BERNIE IS NO LONGER THE SMALL TOWN.
IT WAS IN 2016 WITH A NEW HOSPITAL AND ER NEARBY THOUSANDS MORE CARS A DAY CREATE A REAL SAFETY RISK.
A MODERN APPROVED TRAFFIC STUDY MUST BE CO MUST COME BEFORE ANYTHING ELSE.
AND BEYOND TRAFFIC AND LIGHTING, WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT SAFETY.
THE SITE WILL DRAW CONSTANT HIGH VOLUME TRAFFIC AT ALL HOURS.
WITH THAT COMES INCREASED RISK OF VAGRANCY, LOITERING, AND PREDATORY BEHAVIOR, ESPECIALLY NEARBY NEIGHBORHOODS AND SCHOOLS RIGHT NEXT TO THIS SITE.
BERNIE FAMILY SHOULD NOT BEAR THAT RISK.
WE'RE REQUESTING THAT BUCKY SHOULD BE REQUIRED TO INSTALL AN EIGHT FOOT CONCRETE WALL, PROVIDE 24 7 ON SITE SECURITY AND MAINTAIN HIGH QUALITY CAMERA SURVEILLANCE.
AND THIS ENSURES FULL VISIBILITY AND COOPERATION AT ALL TIMES.
UH, IF THEY WANT TO OPERATE ON THE SCALE IN OUR COMMUNITY, THEY MUST ALSO TAKE FULL RESPONSIBILITY FOR PROTECTING THE SAFETY OF OUR RESIDENTS AND THE CHILDREN AROUND IT.
UH, SO COUNCIL MEMBERS REOPEN THIS AGREEMENT WITH NO ECONOMIC INCENTIVE.
DENY THE OVERSIZED SIGN AND ENFORCE DARK SKY COMPLIANCE AND REQUIRE A NEW TRAFFIC STUDY.
BERNIE'S LAW SHOULD APPLY EQUALLY AND NO EXCEPTIONS.
LET BUCKY'S FIND A WAY TO COMPLY WITH THE CITY STANDARDS OR LET THEM MOVE ON AND FIND A LOCATION STILL IN BERNIE OR ELSEWHERE.
REMEMBER THAT IT WOULD BE BUCKY'S PRIVILEGE TO BE IN BERNIE, NOT FOR BERNIE TO HAVE A BUCKY'S.
ALRIGHT, GUYS, PLEASE DO THE RIGHT THING FOR FAIRNESS AND FOR THE FUTURE OF BERNIE.
ALL RIGHT, THANK YOU EVERYONE.
AT THIS TIME WE'LL CLOSE PUBLIC COMMENTS AND WE'LL MOVE INTO CONSENT
[4. CONSENT AGENDA: All items listed below within the Consent Agenda are considered to be routine by the City Council and may be enacted with one motion. There will be no separate discussion of items unless a Council Member or citizen so requests, in which event the item may be moved to the general order of business and considered in its normal sequence.]
AND AGENDA.COUNCIL MEMBERS REMIND YOU THAT DR.
SO WE WILL DO ALL, UH, MOTIONS AND APPROVALS THROUGH A VERBAL VOTE.
UH, DO WE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OR CONCERNS OR CONSENT AGENDA? DO YOU ENTERTAIN A MOTION MAYOR? SURE.
COUNCIL OR COUNCILMAN OLSON MAKE A MOTION THAT WE APPROVE THE CONSENT AGENDA AS PRESENTED.
[A. PUBLIC HEARING AND CONSIDER RESOLUTION NO. 2025-R75; A RESOLUTION OF NO OBJECTION BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF BOERNE, TEXAS SUPPORTING EC TERRACES AT CIBOLO, LLC'S HOUSING TAX CREDIT APPLICATION TO THE TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND COMMUNITY AFFAIRS. (Proposed construction or rehabilitation of a 150 unit complex located at 518 Fabra Street.)]
AGENDA ITEM FIVE A 2025 DASH 5 26 PUBLIC HEARING.CONSIDER RESOLUTION 2025 R 7 75, RESOLUTION OF NO OBJECTION BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF BERNIE, TEXAS, SUPPORTING OF TERRACE CILLO LLCS, PUBLIC HOUSING CREDIT APPLICATION TO THE TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND COMMUNITY AFFAIRS.
I'M GONNA TURN THIS OVER TO CITY MANAGER BEN THATCHER TO DISCUSS FIVE A AND FIVE B.
YES, MAYOR, UH, MEMBERS OF THE COUNCIL, I'LL DO BOTH ITEMS TOGETHER.
THEY'RE, THEY'RE SAME PROJECT.
I DO NOT KNOW IF THERE'S ANYONE FROM THE APPLICANT INVOLVED COMMUNITIES, LLC HERE IN THE AUDIENCE.
UH, BUT THEY HAVE REQUESTED, UH, CONSIDERATION OF THIS, UH,
[00:45:01]
PROJECT.THIS IS SIMILAR TO OUR PROJECT THEY DID IN 2023 WITH THE APARTMENTS ON RIVER ROAD.
THIS, THIS PROJECT IS THE TERRACE IS AT OW IN IN, UH, MAYOR PRO TIM WILLIS'S DISTRICT.
UH, IN YOUR PACKET YOU'LL SEE THEIR LETTER, THEIR OFFICIAL REQUEST THAT WE, UH, PASS A RESOLUTION SUPPORTING THEIR APPLICATION TO THE TEXAS HOUSING, UH, DEPARTMENT.
UH, WHAT THIS IS IS NOT ADDING ANY NEW UNITS TO THE, UH, TO THE APARTMENT COMPLEX.
IT'S TAKING EXISTING UNITS AND REMODELING THEM, UPGRADING THEM, PUTTING NEW ROOFS ON THE, UM, ON THE BUILDING, NEW COUNTERTOPS, NEW APPLIANCES, PAINTING, UH, JUST UPGRADING THE, UH, FACILITY ALTOGETHER.
UH, IT DOES REQUIRE A PUBLIC HEARING PER STATE LAW.
UH, SO WE DO NEED TO HAVE FIVE A, A PUBLIC HEARING, UH, UH, TO, FOR, FOR THE COMMUNITY.
THEN YOU PASS THAT RESOLUTION OF NO OBJECTION IF YOU SO CHOOSE.
AND THEN FIVE B IS ANOTHER, UH, SUPPORTING RESOLUTION OF THEIR ACTUAL APPLICATION.
I WILL LET YOU KNOW THAT THERE'S NO INCENTIVES FROM THE CITY.
WE ARE NOT PARTICIPATING IN ANY OF THIS FINANCING.
THIS IS ALL SEPARATE WITH THE, THE STATE HOUSING DEPARTMENT, UH, WITH THAT PROGRAM THEY HAVE SET UP.
UM, AND I WILL LET YOU KNOW, I DID FOLLOW UP WITH, UH, HILL COUNTRY FAMILY SERVICES, UH, BASED ON THE PROJECT THAT THIS COMPANY DID IN 2023 ON RIVER ROAD.
AND, AND, AND HE, FORMER COUNCIL MEMBER, BODE ASSURED ME THERE WAS NO ISSUES WITH THAT, HOW THAT REMODELING PROJECT TOOK PLACE AND THAT THERE WAS A, A LOT OF SATISFACTION FROM THE RESIDENTS AT THAT COMPLEX.
WITH THAT, I'LL TURN IT OVER TO MAYOR PRO TIMM WILSON, IF HE HAS ANY OTHER THOUGHTS.
YEAH, I WAS JUST GONNA ADD A FEW THINGS.
MACALUSO AND I, UM, DEALT WITH THE PREVIOUS ONE, WHICH IS THE APARTMENTS ON RIVER ROAD.
UM, AT THE TIME, COUNCILMAN BODE HAD SOME CONCERNS WITH HOW, UM, TENANTS, HOW THEY'D BE HANDLED, WHAT, WHAT THEY WERE GONNA DO.
UM, FLASH FORWARD, HE'S NOW OBVIOUSLY IN CHARGE OF HILL COUNTRY FAMILY SERVICES AND HE WAS VERY HAPPY.
ALL OF THE PEOPLE THAT THEY WORK WITH WEREN'T, WEREN'T DISPLACED.
THEY'RE VERY HAPPY WITH HOW THE APARTMENTS WERE REMODELED.
UM, YOU KNOW, THESE PARTICULAR APARTMENTS I THINK ARE DUE, I'VE DONE, UM, MEALS ON WHEELS AT, AT SEVERAL OF THESE APARTMENTS AND I THINK THEY'RE DUE FOR A REFRESH.
AGAIN, THERE'S NO LIABILITY TOWARDS THIS CITY.
PART OF THIS PROCESS IS THEY JUST NEED A, AN ELECTED BODY TO BASICALLY APPROVE A RESOLUTION AND THEN THEY TAKE THAT TO THE HOUSING AUTHORITY AND THAT ALLOWS THEM TO GET THE MONEY THEY NEED.
UM, AGAIN, BRYCE ON THE BEHALF OF HILL COUNTRY FAMILY SERVICES FELT LIKE IT WAS A GREAT IDEA.
I'LL ALSO ADD, IF YOU'LL ADVANCE TO THE NEXT SLIDE, CHAZ, GO TO THE NEXT ONE.
UM, THERE'S ABOUT 150 UNITS THAT'LL BE IMPACTED PER THE ACTUAL APPLICATION WITH THE STATE.
THEY NEED TO INVEST AT LEAST 30,000 PER UNIT.
THEY'RE GOING ABOVE THAT HERE WITH, UH, WITH THE IMPROVEMENTS THAT THEY'RE PROPOSING.
AND IF THIS IS APPROVED AND THEY GET THEIR FINANCING, THEY, THEY EXPECT TO, UH, MAKE THE IMPROVEMENTS IN AROUND THE Q2 OF NEXT YEAR, SECOND QUARTER.
ANY QUESTIONS? ANY QUESTIONS FROM COUNCIL? NO.
AND THIS IS JUST A LETTER OF RECOMMENDATION FOR THEM SO THEY CAN GET THEIR FINANCING.
THIS ISN'T THE CITY OF TAX BREAK OR NOTHING LIKE THAT, CORRECT? CORRECT.
NO QUESTION WITH COUNSEL, WE WILL, WE WILL GO OUT OF A REGULAR SESSION AND GO INTO OPEN PUBLIC HEARING AT 6:48 PM IF ANYONE WOULD LIKE TO COME FORWARD AND SPEAK ON THIS MATTER.
STATE YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS AND YOU HAVE THREE MINUTES TO SPEAK ON THIS AGENDA ITEM.
WE'LL CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING AT 6:48 PM AND THEN I'M GONNA ASK FOR A MOTION ON, ON AGENDA ITEM FIVE A 2025 DASH 5 26.
COUNCILMAN WILLISON MAYOR, UH, LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION TO APPROVE RESOLUTION NUMBER 2025 DASH R 75, A RESOLUTION OF NO OBJECTION BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF BERNIE, TEXAS SUPPORTING EC TERRACES AT CIBIL O LLCS HOUSING TAX CREDIT APPLICATION TO THE TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND COMMUNITY AFFAIRS.
CAN I GET A SECOND? SECOND FROM COUNCILMAN BUNKER? UH, PLEASE VOTE.
[B. CONSIDER RESOLUTION NO. 2025-R76; A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF BOERNE, TEXAS SUPPORTING EC TERRRACES AT CIBOLO, LLC'S HOUSING TAX CREDIT APPLICATION TO THE TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND COMMUNITY AFFAIRS AND ACKNOWLEDGING MORE THAN TWICE THE STATE AVERAGE PER CAPITA SUPPORTED BY HOUSING TAX CREDITS OR PRIVATE ACTIVITY BONDS. (Proposed construction or rehabilitation of 150-unit complex located at 518 Fabra Street)]
FIVE BI.CAN I GET A MOTION FOR 2025 DASH 5 27? COUNCILMAN WILLISON, PLEASE.
MAYOR, I'D LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION THAT WE APPROVE RESOLUTION NUMBER 2025 DASH R 76, A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF BERNIE, TEXAS SUPPORTING EC TERRACES AT CILO LLCS HOUSING TAX CREDIT APPLICATION TO THE TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND COMMUNITY AFFAIRS IN ACKNOWLEDGING MORE THAN TWICE THE STATE AVERAGE PER CAPITA SUPPORTED BY HOUSING TAX CREDITS OR PRIVATE ACTIVITY BONDS.
SECOND FROM COUNCILMAN BUNKER.
ALL ALL IN FAVOR, PLEASE VOTE.
[C. CONSIDER RESOLUTION NO. 2025-R77; A RESOLUTION APPROVING THE TAX LEVY ROLL OF THE CITY OF BOERNE, TEXAS FOR THE TAX YEAR 2025 (FISCAL YEAR 2025-26).]
ON TO AGENDA ITEM FIVE C 2025 DASH 5 37, CONSIDER RESOLUTION[00:50:01]
NUMBER 2025 DASH R 77 AND RESOLUTION APPROVING THE TAX LEVY ROLE FOR THE CITY OF BERNIE, TEXAS FOR THE TAX YEAR 2025 FISCAL YEAR 2025 DASH 2026.BEN? YES, MAYOR, I'LL TAKE THIS ITEM.
DIRECTOR BUCKALEW IS NOT FEELING WELL TODAY.
THIS IS A OBLI OBLIGATORY ITEM PER STATE LAW.
UH, AT THE END OF, UH, AT THE BEGINNING OF EVERY FISCAL YEAR, ONCE WE'VE ADOPTED A BUDGET, ADOPTED A TAX RATE, WE THEN HAVE TO TAKE THE APPRAISAL ROLE.
THEY APPLY THE TAX LEVY PER THE RATE THAT WE APPROVED, THAT YOU GUYS APPROVED, AND THEN THAT BECOMES A TAX LEVY, UM, ROLE.
AND THEN WE GOTTA ADOPT THAT BY RESOLUTION.
UM, AND SO IF YOU'LL ADVANCE CHAS ADVANCE, ADVANCE IT ONE MORE TIME.
AGAIN, THIS IS JUST PER THE TAX CODE SECTION 5.091 THAT, UH, REQUIRES US TO DO THIS EVERY YEAR.
SO IT TAKES THE APPRAISAL ROLE, WHICH MOVED FORWARD AND, AND, AND WAS THE FOUNDATION OF OUR BUDGET.
ONCE YOU APPLY, APPROVE THE TAX RATE, THEN WE GOTTA APPLY THAT TO THE APPRAISAL ROLE.
SO THAT IS THE OFFICIAL TAX LEVY THAT THEN GOES THROUGH THE, THE APPRAISAL DISTRICT'S, UM, TAXATION PROCESS.
ANY QUESTIONS FROM COUNSEL? NOPE.
I MOVE THAT WE APPROVE RESOLUTION NUMBER 2025 R 77 A RESOLUTION APPROVING THE TAX LEVY ROLE OF THE CITY OF BERNIE, TEXAS FOR THE TAX YEAR 2025 FISCAL YEAR 25 26.
SECOND SECOND FROM COUNCILMAN BATEMAN.
[A. DISCUSSION ON STORMWATER UTILITY AND RATE STRUCTURE.]
AGENDA ITEM 6 8 20 25 DASH 4 88, DISCUSSION ON STORMWATER UTILITY AND RATE STRUCTURE.JEFF EVENING MAYOR AND COUNCIL, UH, HERE TO TALK TO YOU ABOUT THE STORMWATER UTILITY.
UH, THIS TIES TO OUR STRATEGY MAP BY IT'S BEING AN ENVIRONMENTAL RESPONSIBILITY.
IT'S INVESTING IN MAINTAINING OUR HIGH QUALITY INFRASTRUCTURE SYSTEMS. IT UTILIZES DATA TO DRIVE START SMART DECISIONS.
IT, IT ADVANCES OUR MASTER PLAN DECISIONS.
SO JUST SOME QUICK HISTORY FOR EVERYONE.
UH, THE STORMWATER WATER UTILITY IS A KIND OF ITS OWN SEPARATE BANK ACCOUNT AND IT'S KINDA RESPONSIBLE FOR DRAINAGE MAINTENANCE AS WELL AS FUNDING FUTURE DRAINAGE IMPROVEMENTS.
COUNCIL APPROVED THE CREATION OF THE STORMWATER UTILITY BACKED BY ORDINANCE IN 2019, UH, WITH COVID AND A COUPLE OTHER KIND OF TOOK SOME DELAYS AND IT WASN'T UNTIL JANUARY OF 2021, UM, THAT WE ACTUALLY STARTED, UH, UH, COLLECTING FEES FOR THE STORMWATER UTILITY.
AND ALSO WANTED TO REMIND, ONE OF THE BIG THINGS AS WE GO THROUGH, AND WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THIS SEVERAL TIMES, IS THE CITY IS NOT YET A REGULATED MS FOUR, WE ACTUALLY ARE REALLY CLOSE.
WE GOT SOME SCARY EMAILS IN DECEMBER THIS LAST YEAR.
BUT BECAUSE BERNIE AND FAIR OAKS DON'T YET TECHNICALLY TOUCH, WE WERE GUARANTEED ANOTHER THREE YEAR CYCLE.
BUT ONCE THAT MS FOUR REGULATIONS COME IN, IT'S GONNA CREATE A LOT OF ADDITIONAL PAPERWORK AND REQUIREMENTS THAT WE HAVE TO FOLLOW.
UM, SO THE UTILITY HAS, AS OF LAST WEEK HAD 6,774 CUSTOMERS.
UM, BILL, THIS IS ACTUALLY MY BILL, BILL FROM LAST MONTH.
UM, OF THAT, THERE'S 6,112 RESIDENTIAL, UH, 662 COMMERCIAL.
SO YOU CAN SEE, YOU GET YOUR UTILITY BILL HAS ALL YOUR LINE ITEMS. THEN THERE AT THE VERY BOTTOM $4 FOR ME IS THE STORMWATER FEE THAT YOU PAY.
UM, SO IT COMES ON YOUR EVERY BILL, ALL OF THESE BILLS, ALL THESE CUSTOMERS ADDED UP.
WE GET ABOUT $650,000 A YEAR, UM, AS PART OF THE STORMWATER UTILITY WHEN BACK IN 2018, WE HAD A IMPACT STUDY THAT KIND OF FIGURED OUT HOW WE ANALYZED AND HOW WE C CREATED THE FEE.
WE HAD SOME EXISTING PROJECTS AT THE TIME FROM A PREVIOUS DRAINAGE STUDY.
UM, BUT WE ACTUALLY WENT THROUGH AND WE DID A AERIAL PHOTO.
THIS IS A SNIP OF THE AERIAL PHOTO.
UM, SO WE DID AERIAL PHOTO OF ALL OF TOWN.
WE WENT AND ANALYZED EVERY PARCEL IN TOWN AND CAME UP WITH AN AVERAGE AMOUNT OF IMPERVIOUS COVER FOR A SINGLE FAMILY RESIDENT.
AND WE ACTUALLY, WE CALCULATED ON EVERY PARCEL IN TOWN HOW MUCH SINGLE FAMILY WITH A SINGLE FAMILY OR COMMERCIAL, HOW MUCH IMPERVIOUS COVER THEY HAD.
AS PART OF ALL THAT ANALYSIS, WE'VE DETERMINED THAT 4,700 SQUARE FEET WAS THE AVERAGE IMPERVIOUS COVER FOR OUR SINGLE FAMILY HOUSES.
AND THAT'S WHAT WE ESTABLISHED AS AN EQUIVALENT RESIDENTIAL UNIT.
SO HOW WE MOVE FORWARD WITH, UH, CHARGING THESE FEES.
AND SO WE USE THAT KIND OF FLASH POINT OR A SNAPSHOT IN TIME FOR HOW MUCH IMPERVIOUS COVER EVER PARCEL HAS.
BUT ALSO AT THE SAME TIME AS YOU MOVE FORWARD, IF YOU GET A, A NEW SHED OR A NEW POOL OR FLAT WORK IN YOUR YARD AS PART OF THE PERMITTING PROCESS, YOU ADD HOW MUCH IMPERVIOUS COVER YOUR PROJECT IS AND IT SLOWLY WORKS ITS WAY INTO THE SYSTEM.
UM, AND THEN THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WE'RE TRACKING.
IN ANOTHER HANDFUL OF FISCAL YEARS, WE'LL PROBABLY REDO A NEW AERIAL PHOTO AND KIND OF REFRESH ALL OF THE IMPERVIOUS COVER AMOUNTS.
SO IN GENERAL, THAT ORIGINAL ORDINANCE ESTABLISHED THE $4 PER MONTH FOR, UH, RESIDENTIAL UNIT AND EQUIVALENT RESIDENTIAL UNIT.
UM, COUNSEL AT THE TIME DECIDED TO COME UP WITH A FOUR TIER SYSTEM ON THE RESIDENTIAL SIDE.
[00:55:01]
UM, SO FOR EXAMPLE, MY BILL THAT YOU SAW PREVIOUSLY, IT WAS THE, THE $4.THAT MEANS MY IMPERVIOUS COVER ON MY HOUSE IS BETWEEN THIRTY ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTY FOUR HUNDRED SQUARE FEET.
SO I FALL UNDER TIER TWO, WHICH IS CHARGED ME $4 A MONTH.
UM, IF YOU CAN SEE ON THE NUMBER OF PARCELS ON THE COLUMN ON THE RIGHT, THE VAST MAJORITY OF OUR CITIZENS, UM, PAY THE TIER ONE OR THE TIER TWO FEES.
AND THEN AS YOU GET HOUSES THAT HAVE MORE AND MORE IMPERVIOUS COVER, YOU GO INTO THE TIER THREE AND TIER FOUR, YOU CAN SEE THOSE NUMBERS REALLY DROP OFF.
HOWEVER, THE MONTHLY COST FOR THOSE FEES GOES UP SIGNIFICANTLY AND IT'S ALL BASED ON A KIND OF FAIR, FAIR AND EQUITABLE WAY.
OBVIOUSLY THE, THE HOUSE THAT HAS MORE IMPERVIOUS COVER OR COMMERCIAL PROPERTY THAT HAS MORE IMPERVIOUS COVER CREATES MORE STORMWATER RUNOFF.
SO THE MORE IMPERVIOUS COVER, BASICALLY THE MORE YOU END UP PAYING IN THE PROCESS.
SO THESE ARE THE FOUR RESIDENTIAL TIERS.
THE A COMMERCIAL USER, THE CAR DEALERS OR THE OTHER COMMERCIAL DEALERS, THEY BASICALLY PAY ON A STRAIGHT PERCENT NUMBER OF EQUIVALENT RESIDENTIAL UNITS.
UM, SO SOME OF THEM MIGHT BE 10 OR 20 DEPENDING ON THE SIZE.
UM, SO THEY PAY HOW MUCH IMPERVIOUS COVER DIVIDED BY THE 4,700 SQUARE FEET TIMES $4 A MONTH.
UM, SO SOME OF THOSE NUMBERS ARE SMALL, SOME OF THOSE ARE PRETTY BIG.
AGAIN, IT'S A FAIR AND EQUITABLE WAY TO CHARGE BASED ON THE EXACT, UM, AMOUNT OF IMPERVIOUS COVER.
AS I MENTIONED, WE HAD A CERTAIN NUMBER OF DRAINAGE PROJECTS, UH, KIND OF KEYED IN WHEN WE DID THAT STUDY.
AND THAT'S HOW WE, THE RATE STUDY TO FIGURE OUT THOSE $4 AND $2.
UM, SINCE THAT TIME IN 2022, IF YOU RECALL, WE UPDATED OUR DRAINAGE MASTER PLAN.
UH, WE HAD SOME PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT ACTIVITIES AND WE TOOK A BUNCH OF STAFF RECOMMENDATIONS.
WE IDENTIFIED 16 PROJECTS AND THAT DRAINAGE MASTER PLAN IS, UH, $60.5 MILLION WORTH OF PROJECTS.
AND THAT'S, I'M GONNA POINT OUT THAT'S 2020 $2 WE HAVE.
WE HAVE THAT IN OUR CIP AND WE'RE UPDATING THAT ANNUALLY, BUT I WON'T, BEFORE I THROW THAT NUMBER OUT, I WANTED TO MENTION THAT'S A LITTLE BIT HIGHER TODAY AS WE GO UP EVERY YEAR.
ONE OF THE PROJECTS THAT WE'VE TALKED ABOUT QUITE A BIT IS, UH, THE MANGER CREEK BRIDGE.
UM, THAT PROJECT WAS ONE OF THE PRIORITY ONES THAT WE IDENTIFIED.
WE'RE ACTUALLY IN PROCESS OF DESIGNING THAT NOW, UM, FOR MOBILITY PURPOSES, FOR DRAINAGE PURPOSES.
AND THAT'S ACTUALLY ONE OF OUR LOCATIONS THAT WE ACTUALLY HAD A, A FATALITY IN THE PAST NEAR THAT LOCATION.
UM, SO IT'S ONE OF OUR PRIORITY DRAINAGE AREAS THAT WE WANT TO WORK AT.
UM, WE'VE BEEN DESIGNING, WE GOT FUNDS ALLOCATED TO DESIGN THAT PROJECT.
AND SO THAT'S TAKING THE LOW WATER CROSSING THAT'S THERE IN THE PICTURE TO REPLACE THAT WITH A FULL BRIDGE THAT COMPLETELY GETS THAT CROSSING OUT OF THE A HUNDRED YEAR FLOODPLAIN.
UM, THAT CROSSING THERE IS ONE THAT FREQUENTLY IS CLOSED DUE TO, UH, WATER CONDITIONS.
OUR CURRENT ESTIMATE FOR THAT PROJECT IS 11.8 MILLION FOR THE ROAD DRAINAGE AND UTILITY CONSTRUCTION.
UM, THERE ARE A COUPLE SLIVERS OF LAND THAT WE'D ALSO HAVE TO ACQUIRE AS WELL IN ADDITION TO THAT.
SO AS OF RIGHT NOW, IT'S IN OUR CIP, IT'S IN OUR 10 YEAR CIP, BUT WE DON'T HAVE ANY FUNDS ALLOCATED TO START CONSTRUCTION ON THAT PROJECT.
JEFF, WHAT WAS THE AMOUNT IN 2022 FOR THAT? SO JUST GIVE AN IDEA.
SO WE KNOW IT WAS LESS, BUT AS WE WENT THROUGH THE DESIGN PROJECT, THERE WERE SEVERAL KIND OF DECISIONS THAT WERE MADE.
I BROUGHT MY STUFF IN CASE I GOT A QUESTION.
SO THE ORIGINAL DESIGN, OLD SAN ANTONIO STREET IN MANGER CREEK, UM, THE ORIGINAL DESIGN WAS ACTUALLY IN THE SCHEMATIC OF THE, AGAIN, THIS WAS A SCHEMATIC DESIGN, WE'RE ALL THE WAY THROUGH DESIGN.
A LOT OF THOSE BIG CHANGES HAVE TO DO WITH DECISIONS WE MADE ON CHANGING IT FROM A CULVERT TO A BRIDGE AND ALSO SOME ADDITIONAL UTILITY RELOCATES THAT HAD TO BE DONE AS PART OF THE DESIGN.
UM, SO AS ONCE WE WENT FROM KIND OF A SCHEMATIC CONCEPT TO ACTUALLY DOING A DESIGN, UH, BUT THE OTHER PART OF THAT THAT WENT INTO IS WHAT, IF YOU REMEMBER SEPARATELY WE DID OUR MOBILITY MASTER PLAN AND THE INTERSECTION OF HERF AND OLD SAN ANTONIO HAD SOME IMPROVEMENTS THAT WERE IDENTIFIED FOR THAT INTERSECTION ITSELF.
AND SO WE, AS PART OF THIS DESIGN, WE ACTUALLY INCORPORATED THOSE IMPROVEMENTS AT THE INTERSECTION.
'CAUSE WE DIDN'T WANT TO REDO A PORTION OF THE INTERSECTION JUST TO DO THIS BRIDGE AND THEN HAVE TO REDO THE INTERSECTION AGAIN AT A LATER DATE TO DO THE MOBILITY MASTER PLAN IMPROVEMENT.
SO WE KIND OF COMBINED MULTIPLE MASTER PLANS FOR THIS GENERAL AREA.
SO THE PROJECT DID GROW FROM THE INITIAL THAT DAY.
YEAH, IT'S GOOD TO POINT OUT THOUGH, IF YOU'RE THINKING FOR FUTURE NEEDS THOUGH, IT'S, AND THAT 11.8, IF WE WAIT TWO MORE YEARS, THAT'S 14 MILLION.
SO AGAIN, SO AS RIGHT NOW WE DON'T HAVE ANY FUNDS ALLOCATED FOR, THIS IS ONE THAT WE'VE, UH, WE SUBMITTED THIS AS A MPO PROJECT.
WE'VE TRIED TO SUBMIT IT FOR GRANTS.
THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WE'RE, WE AS
[01:00:01]
STAFF ARE TRYING TO FIND FUNDS FOR THIS AS WELL.JUST IN GENERAL WANTED TO THROW OUT SOME OTHER CITIES, STORMWATER UTILITY FEES.
THERE'S ACTUALLY A, A COLLEGE OUT THERE THAT STUDIES STORMWATER UTILITIES AND EVERY YEAR POSTS, UM, AN UPDATED LIST OF EVERY CITY IN THE NATION.
WHAT THEIR, WHAT THEIR STORMWATER UTILITY FEES.
HERE'S SOME THAT ARE JUST THE REGIONAL AREA.
UM, IN GENERAL, YOU CAN SEE SOME FEES ARE SMALLER.
EVEN IF YOU GO STATEWIDE, ONE OF THE, THE HIGHEST FEE IN THE STATE IS ABOUT $32.
THE LOWEST FEE IN THE STATE IS ABOUT ONE.
IF YOU LOOK AT OUR KINDA REGIONAL AVERAGE, IT'S KIND OF BETWEEN SEVEN AND EIGHT.
UM, BUT THE OTHER PART IS WE LOOK AT THE POPULATION.
OBVIOUSLY SOME CITIES ARE BIGGER THAN OTHERS.
AND THE OTHER ONE THAT I THOUGHT WAS INTERESTING TO GO INTO IT IS, UM, OBVIOUSLY OUR EQUIVALENT RESIDENTIAL UNIT FOR BERNIE IS MUCH HIGHER IF YOU LOOK AT THE TABLE THAN ALL OF THE OTHER CITIES IN OUR REGION.
UM, SO AS YOU DO THE MATH ON WHAT AN EQUIVALENT RESIDENTIAL AREA, UM, IF YOU DO THE MATH, IT'S JUST $4 TIMES.
THIS OF OUR LOTS ARE MORE IMPERVIOUS COVER.
UH, IN THEORY THE OTHER PEOPLE ARE CHARGING LESS OR FOR THE SAME GENERAL AREA.
UM, SO IT GETS INTO THE MATH OF IT ON HOW WE DO THE MATH.
SO IN GENERAL, JUST WANTED TO WRAP UP AND SEE, KIND OF GIVE THE UPDATE OF THE STORMWATER UTILITY.
UM, IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE AGAIN WENT THROUGH IN 2019 AND WE'RE HERE TODAY, UH, JUST TO SEE IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OR UP ON THE UTILITY.
WELL, I'LL ALSO ADD, AND I APPRECIATE THE PRESENTATION DIRECTOR CAROL, WE HAD A CONVERSATION BACK IN MAY ABOUT, SHOULD WE LOOK AT THIS? SHOULD WE UPDATE THE FEE? 'CAUSE AGAIN, ORIGINALLY WE THOUGHT WE WOULD HAVE A HIGHER FEE.
WE STARTED WITH A SMALLER FEE TO GET US USED TO IT.
AND SO THAT'S WHERE WE'RE AT TODAY IS, UH, WITH SOME OTHER PROJECTS ON ON OUR TENURE.
IP WOULD WE LIKE TO RAISE THAT SO WE CAN GET SOME OF THOSE PROJECTS DONE? YEAH, I MEAN, HOW DO WE, I GUESS STAFF, HOW DOES STAFF FEEL ABOUT, YOU KNOW, LONG TERM CALL, 10 YEARS, A 10 YEAR PICTURE OF PROJECTS THAT WE FEEL LIKE WOULD MAKE BERNIE SAFER FROM A STORMWATER PERSPECTIVE AND LIKE, WHAT DO WE NEED? SO, YOU KNOW, THAT'S, UH, A GOOD QUESTION BECAUSE WE HAVE A LOT OF NEEDS ALL OVER THE PLACE AND THERE'S, WE NEVER HAVE ENOUGH MONEY TO ACCOMPLISH WHAT WE PER OUR MASTER PLANS.
IF WE WERE TO EVEN DOUBLE THE RATE TO GET TO THE $8 KIND OF AVERAGE, UM, WHICH SOME OF OUR KIND OF REGIONAL PEER CITIES ARE, ARE AT, UH, WE COULD PROBABLY HAVE ENOUGH MONEY TO TAKE CARE OF MEMBER CREEK OVER A, WITH A 20 YEAR DEBT ISSUANCE AND BE ABLE TO PAY THAT THROUGH THE STORMWATER RATE.
STILL HAVE SOME MONEY LEFT ASIDE WHEN WE HIT THAT MS FOUR DESIGNATION TO TAKE ON OTHER MAINTENANCE OBLIGATIONS THAT ARE, THAT COME WITH THAT ONE WITH OTHER, UH, REGULATORY REQUIREMENTS.
SO DIRECTOR BUCKLEY'S NOT HERE, SHE WAS GONNA LOOK AT THAT TO TELL US WHAT WE COULD GET WITH A, A DEBT ISSUANCE.
I MEAN, YOU COULD PROBABLY DO ABOUT 12, $13 MILLION.
SO, I MEAN, SO THERE'S THAT IMPORTANCE.
AND THEN JUST THE FACT THAT WE'RE GONNA HAVE OBLIGATIONS BASED ON US BECOMING A BIGGER COMMUNITY, WE'RE GONNA NEED THOSE FUNDS JUST FOR THE OBLIGATIONS OF US BEING A BIGGER COMMUNITY.
JUST PURE MAINTENANCE RESPONSIBILITIES THAT OUR GUY, THAT OUR TEAM, JEFF'S CREWS ARE DOING NOW WILL HAVE TO DO EVEN MORE, UH, GOING FORWARD.
ONE OTHER QUICK THOUGHT IS ALSO, YOU KNOW, IF WE ARE GOING THAT I THINK, YOU KNOW, I TALKED ABOUT THIS BEFORE IS IF WE DO CREATE A HIGHER STRUCTURE, THINKING ABOUT A WAY TO THINK ABOUT PEOPLE WHO ARE ON A FIXED INCOME, LIKE KEEPING THEM IN MIND.
SO EVEN IF WE DO DOUBLE, I REALIZE IT'S FOUR BUCKS, BUT THERE'S STILL SOME PEOPLE WHERE THAT'S IMPORTANT.
SO JUST THINKING THROUGH THAT.
SO IF WE DO DOUBLE IT, IS THERE PEOPLE 70 AND UP OR WHATEVER THAT IS, YOU KNOW, WE'VE DONE THAT FOR OTHER THINGS.
SO JUST THINKING THROUGH THAT I THINK WOULD BE IMPORTANT.
YEAH, I MEAN OBVIOUSLY OUR NUMBER ONE CONCERN IS PUBLIC SAFETY, YOU KNOW, AND THERE'S LOW WATER CROSSINGS AND STORM WATER DRAINS.
I MEAN, IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE, WE CAN'T IGNORE, YOU KNOW, FOR A FACT.
I MEAN, I WAS IN CALIFORNIA THE SUMMER DURING A MISSION TRIP BECAUSE THE CITY IGNORED STORM WATER DRAINS AND THEY BACKED UP AND THEY FLOODED AN ENTIRE NEIGHBORHOOD.
AND SO, UM, WE DON'T WANT THAT TO BE US FOR SURE.
YOU KNOW, SO IT'S DEFINITELY SOMETHING WE WANT TO LOOK AT.
HAVE STAFF LOOK AT, LOOK RUN THE NUMBERS ALSO TAKE EFFECT OF FIXED INCOMES, RESIDENTIALS, THAT TYPE OF STUFF.
BUT IT'S SOMETHING I THINK WE NEED TO MAKE AN CHANGE.
I THINK WE HAVE THE, I THINK LOOKING DEEPER AT THE DETAILS WILL MAKE A, A DIFFERENCE, RIGHT? JUST TO SIMPLY SAY DOUBLING IT, YOU KNOW, IT'S AN EASY WAY TO, TO MAKE A NUMBER UP, BUT IT ACCOMPLISHES MAYBE ONE PROJECT, RIGHT? AND THERE'S A LIST OF PROJECTS THAT NEED TO BE CON UM, TAKEN INTO CONSIDERATION FOR SAFETY.
SO I WOULD GO BACK TO THE BASELINE OF HOW WE ESTABLISH THAT ERU.
LIKE HOW DO OTHER CITIES ESTABLISH THEIR RATE FROM THE, FROM THE BEGINNING? DO WE, UM, YOU KNOW, YOU HAD A METHODOLOGY WITH AN AERIAL PHOTO.
IS THAT THE WAY OTHER COMMUNITIES SET THEIR BASELINE? UH, YES.
KIND OF THE, THE GOING STANDARD AMONGST THE STATE IS THAT RESIDENTIAL EQUIVALENT
[01:05:01]
UNIT.AND SO AGAIN, EVERY CITY IS SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT 'CAUSE SOME CITIES HOUSES ARE BIGGER THAN OTHERS.
UM, SO THAT'S KIND OF A MUNICIPAL STANDARD ACROSS THE STATE.
UM, THE $4 A MONTH, KIND OF THE STANDARD ERU RATE WAS BASED ON THE DRAINAGE PROJECTS THAT WERE IDENTIFIED AT THE TIME BEFORE WE DID OUR DRAINAGE MASTER PLAN.
UM, SO THERE WAS A RATE STUDY THAT WAS DONE AT THE TIME OF THOSE DRAINAGE PROJECTS, WHICH THOSE DID ALSO GET INCLUDED IN OUR UPDATED DRAINAGE MASTER PLAN AS WELL.
BUT WE WENT FROM A SMALLER LIST OF PROJECTS TO A MUCH LARGER LIST OF PROJECTS.
AND SO, SO OTHER COMMUNITIES DO THE SAME KIND OF EXERCISE FROM THAT BASELINE.
HOW DO, HOW DO THEY GO FROM $4 TO $30 $28? AND SOME OF THE OTHER EXTREME EXAMPLES, EVERY, EVERY CITY HAS A DIFFERENT NEEDS OF THE AMOUNT OF DRAINAGE PROJECTS THEY NEED AS WELL.
SO AGAIN, IT'S PART OF COMING UP WITH THE PROJECTS YOU NEED TO DO AND THEN KIND OF DOING MATH AND THEN DOING THE MATH BACKWARDS.
SO THAT'S WHERE I GO BACK TO WHY IF WE HAVE A LIST OF PROJECTS AND WE'RE TRYING TO COME UP WITH A NUMBER AND WE JUST DOUBLE IT TO ACCOMPLISH ONE PROJECT, THAT DOESN'T REALLY TACKLE THE BIGGER PICTURE.
SO I JUST THINK WORKING THROUGH THE, THE BIG PICTURE IS, IS NECESSARY TO UNDERSTAND, FOR ME ANYWAY.
MAC, I JUST WANTED TO ADD TO COUNCILMAN WILSON, 'CAUSE HE AND I WORKED ON THE STORMWATER COMMITTEE FOR QUITE A WHILE TO GET THOSE ORDINANCES DONE.
UM, THE, THE PROBLEM THAT WE HAVE IS PRETTY MUCH BEEN, HAD AN EXCLAMATION POINT PUT ON IT BY THE EVENTS OF JULY 4TH, UH, UP THE ROAD FROM US IN KERRVILLE AND HUNT IN INGRAM.
UM, THE STORMWATER ISSUES ARE OF NO IMPORTANCE UNTIL THEY'RE IMPORTANT, UH, ESPECIALLY IN THE AREA THAT IS PRIMARILY CONCERNED WITH DROUGHT AND LACK OF WATER.
THE DIFFICULTY, AS THE MAYOR SAID IS, IS PUBLIC SAFETY HAS TO COME FIRST.
SO TO YOUR POINT, I DON'T THINK THAT DOUBLING THE RATE WAS NECESSARILY THE, THE SUGGESTION.
IT'S JUST LOOKING AT THE REALITY IS THAT EVEN WITH THE DOUBLING OF RATES, UH, TO THE POINT THAT COUNCILMAN BATEMAN MADE AND TO, AND TO, AND, UH, CITY MANAGER, UH, THATCHER, WE COULD MAYBE DO ONE PROJECT.
AND WHEN COUNCILMAN WILSON AND I WORKED ON THAT, THAT LIST WAS ACTUALLY ABOUT 60 PROJECTS LONG.
WE NARROWED IT DOWN TO ABOUT 15 OR 16 THAT WE THOUGHT WERE PRIORITY PROJECTS.
AND THOSE PRIORITY PROJECTS WERE STILL AT THAT TIME OVER $60 MILLION.
SO BY NOW THEY'RE PROBABLY 70 OR $80 MILLION.
SO THERE'S NO WAY WE'RE GONNA CATCH UP JUST WITH STORMWATER FEES, UH, IS SIMPLY NOT POSSIBLE.
SO WE ARE GONNA HAVE TO PRIORITIZE WHAT ARE THE HIGHEST RISK AREAS FOR PUBLIC SAFETY.
UM, ADJUST FEES AS APPROPRIATE BASED ON RESEARCH.
AND THEN WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO ISSUE SOME DEBT.
THERE'S GONNA HAVE TO BE SOME UTILITY DEBT TO POSSIBLY DO SOME OF THESE PROJECTS.
'CAUSE AS CITY MANAGER SAID, THERE'S NO WAY WE CAN MAXIMIZE FEES TO PAY FOR THESE PROJECTS.
IT'S SIMPLY FINANCIALLY UNFEASIBLE.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS, COMMENTS FROM COUNCIL? ALL THANKS JEFF.
SO, SO CAN I JUST ASK, UH, FOR FEEDBACK HERE, WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE US TO DO NEXT STEPS? WE, YOU KNOW, WE CAN STILL HAVE MULTIPLE WORK SESSIONS ON THIS.
UM, WE DON'T NEED TO HAVE A DEFINITIVE, HEY, DO THIS TONIGHT, BUT, BUT ANY OTHER FEEDBACK WILL HELP US OUT.
I, I MEAN, FOR ME, I THINK COMING BACK TO US WITH WHAT YOU THINK IS A, A REASONABLE FEE, FEE STRUCTURE FOR, I MEAN WITH WHAT YOU THINK ARE SOME, IF WE NEED TO ATTACK SOME HIGH LEVEL PUBLIC SAFETY, ASK, THEN TELL US.
SO WE KNOW THIS IS THE RATE WE WE'RE GONNA GO AFTER.
AND THEN IS THERE A REASONABLE SOMEWHERE WHERE WE CAN HELP PEOPLE WHO ARE ON FIXED, FIXED INCOME SO WE'RE NOT IMPACTING THEM? AND THAT'S, THAT WOULD FOR ME.
[A. BOERNE LISTENS - A COMMUNITY SURVEY FOLLOW-UP ON COMMUNICATIONS.]
ON TO AGENDA ITEM NUMBER SEVEN, CITY MANAGED REPORT.I'LL JUST TURN IT OVER TO BEN.
YES, MAYOR, I, I GOT ONE OFFICIAL ITEM AND I GOT TWO KIND OF QUICK ANNOUNCEMENTS.
I'M GONNA ASK DIRECTOR SHADROCK TO COME UP.
WE'RE GONNA DO ANOTHER BERNIE LISTENS, UH, CITIZEN SURVEY, FOLLOW UP PRESENTATION.
UM, IT'S BEEN ALMOST A YEAR AGO WHEN WE ISSUED THE SURVEY OR ASK FOR PARTICIPANT PARTICIPATION FROM THE COMMUNITY.
AND SO TONIGHT WE'RE GONNA TALK ABOUT, UH, COMMUNICATIONS, UH, IF WE'LL GO NEXT.
UH, AS YOU GUYS ARE AWARE, LAST, UH, DECEMBER, UH, WE GOT ABOUT JUST UNDER 1600 COMPLETED SURVEYS.
75% OF THOSE WERE CITY RE RESIDENTS WITH ANOTHER 25% FROM THE GREATER BURNING COMMUNITY.
THEY LOOKED AT ALL KINDS OF THINGS FROM CITY FACILITIES, CITY SERVICES, SAFETY AND SECURITY, MOBILITY AND INFRASTRUCTURE AND AND SO FORTH.
IF YOU GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE, AND THIS IS WHERE I'M GONNA TURN IT OVER TO DIRECTOR SHADROCK WHO'S GONNA REALLY TALK ABOUT THE COMMUNICATION AND THE EVENTS PIECE OF THE SURVEY.
YOU'VE HEARD A DIFFERENT PRESENTATION EARLIER IN THE YEAR, I THINK OVER THE SUMMERTIME.
MIGHT'VE BEEN, UH, DANNY, WHO DID THE PRESENTATION ABOUT SOME COMMUNITY EVENTS.
THERE'S GONNA BE SOME CROSSOVER TONIGHT TOO, UH, JUST THE WAY THESE THINGS WERE, UH, ASKED
[01:10:01]
QUESTIONS ABOUT.SO I'LL TURN IT OVER TO DIRECTOR SHADROCK.
ALL RIGHTY, GOOD EVENING, UH, MAYOR AND COUNCIL.
SO, UM, LIKE THE, UH, CITY MANAGER SAID, UH, MR. THATCHER, SO JUST KIND OF GOING OVER SOME OF WHAT, UH, WAS IN THOSE PAST, UH, SURVEY FROM LAST, UH, WINTER, UM, WHAT'S HAPPENING EVENTS, GENERAL CITY NEWS, UM, INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS.
SO THESE WERE A LOT OF THE THINGS THAT FOLKS WANTED TO HEAR ABOUT AND THINGS THAT WE WERE DOING.
AND THEN OF COURSE, HOW THEY WANT TO BE REACHED, WHICH IS EMAIL AND TEXT ALERTS.
THEN IT KIND OF GOES TO SOCIAL MEDIA AND OTHER MEANS OF OUTREACH IN TERMS OF DESIRED COMMUNICATION.
UM, WE ALSO DID ASK, WE HAD JUST LAUNCHED MY BURNING NEWS.
UH, OBVIOUSLY A LOT OF FOLKS HADN'T HEARD OF IT YET.
UH, CONTINUING TO CHIP AWAY AT THAT HOPEFULLY.
AND, UM, SO HERE WERE KIND OF SOME OF THE CONVERSATIONS.
LIKE I SAID, THIS IS GONNA BE A LITTLE DIFFERENT.
UH, 'CAUSE THERE WEREN'T TOO MANY COMMENTS THAT EXPLICITLY SAID, I NEED THE COMMUNICATIONS DEPARTMENT TO DO THIS OR I NEED THAT FIX.
UM, BUT YOU CAN KIND OF READ BETWEEN SOME OF THE LINES WHERE IT'S LIKE, OH, THAT'S, THAT'S AN AREA I CAN, WE CAN HELP ASSIST WITH THAT.
SO IN DISTRICT ONE, THERE SHOULD BE MORE ACTIVITIES IN THE EVENING, THE CITY SHOULD SUPPORT THIS.
UM, DISTRICT TWO, I'D LIKE TO SEE MORE YOUTH PROGRAMS, SPECIFICALLY UPPER ELEMENTARY AND MIDDLE SCHOOLS.
THE TWEENS WHO ARE BEYOND THE BASIC STORY TIME AND SIMPLE CRAFTS, BUT NOT QUITE READY FOR KILLER CRAFTS, TRUE CRIME STORIES.
UH, DISTRICT THREE, LET'S MOVE THE CITY'S WEBSITE INTO 2025.
DISTRICT FOUR, EVERYTHING CLOSES TWO EARLY IN THIS TOWN.
WE ARE FORCED TO DRIVE TO SAN ANTONIO FOR EVERYTHING
WE NEED MORE COMMUNICATION ABOUT WHAT'S GOING ON.
AND THEN OUTSIDE THE CITY, WE KNOW THERE HAS BEEN TREMENDOUS GROWTH THE LAST FEW YEARS.
WE WOULD LIKE, AS BEST AS POSSIBLE TO KEEP THE SMALL TOWN FEEL, BUT INCREASE THE NUMBER OF FAMILY EVENTS DOWNTOWN.
UM, SO THIS KIND OF GETS INTO WHAT ARE WE DOING? AND YOU KNOW, WHEN I SPOKE TO Y'ALL EARLIER, UH, THIS YEAR ABOUT COMMUNICATIONS, I TALKED ABOUT WHAT I'D INITIALLY INHERITED AND WHERE WE WERE AT TODAY AND KIND OF SOME OF THE STEPS THAT WE WERE TAKING GOING FORWARD.
AND A LOT OF THAT WAS A LITTLE INTROSPECTIVE.
AND WHAT ARE WE AS A COMMUNICATIONS DEPARTMENT AND HOW DO WE SERVE THE RESIDENTS, THE VISITORS, AND THE CUSTOMERS HERE IN OUR COMMUNITY.
AND SO WITH THAT, THE COMMUNICATIONS DEPARTMENT IS THE STORYTELLER.
WE'RE ALSO AN EDUCATOR AND A CONNECTOR TO EVERYONE IN OUR COMMUNITY.
AND THE WAYS THAT WE DO THAT, WE ASSIST IN THE PROMOTION OF EVENTS, ACTIVITIES, NEWS AND INFORMATION.
WE LEAD SOCIAL MEDIA OUTREACH JUST WITH OUR DEPARTMENT, BUT THEN WE ALSO WORK WITH PARKS AND RECREATION LIBRARY, POLICE, UH, FIRE DEPARTMENT WITH THEIR SOCIAL MEDIA LIAISONS TO CRAFT GOOD CONTENT.
WE MAINTAIN AND UPDATE THE CITY'S WEBSITE.
WE SEND OUT ALERTS AND NOTICES TO RESIDENTS, AND THEN WE SERVE AS THE MEDIA LIAISON AND AS A WHOLE, ALL OF THESE FUNCTIONS WORK TO PROVIDE ACCURATE AND TIMELY INFORMATION TO THE FOLKS HERE IN BERNIE.
AND THE FIRST THING WE'LL KIND OF DELVE INTO GOES BACK TO THAT, LET'S BRING THE CITY'S WEBSITE INTO 2025.
I WAS HOPING THAT MAYBE THEY WERE LOOKING AT SOME OTHER WEBSITE WHEN THEY FILLED THAT OUT.
BUT, UM, 'CAUSE WE DID DO A MASSIVE OVERHAUL IN SPRING OF 2023, AND THIS IS THE NUMBER EVERY YEAR WHEN WE GET IT 1.8 MILLION PAGE VIEWS.
LAST YEAR FROM OCTOBER ONE OF 24 TO OCTOBER ONE OF THIS YEAR, WE HAD 560,000 VISITORS VISIT 1.8 MILLION PAGES ON OUR WEBSITE.
UM, AND JUST KIND OF BREAKING THAT DOWN BETWEEN SOME OF THE DEPARTMENTS, UM, THE VISITOR CENTER BY FAR IS THE WINNER.
UH, WITH NEARLY 700,000 VIEWS.
YOU'VE GOT PARKS AT JUST UNDER A QUARTER MILLION LIBRARY AT A HUNDRED THOUSAND IN UTILITIES AT ABOUT 43,000.
SO THEY ARE ALL OVER THE PLACE.
BUT, UH, WE DEFINITELY HAVE A LOT OF TRACTION ON VARIOUS PORTIONS OF OUR WEBSITE.
AND THEN WITH THAT, WE ALSO, LIKE I SAID, WE LAUNCHED, UH, MY BURNING NEWS AND WE'RE KIND OF NOW GETTING TO THAT POINT WHERE WE CAN START LOOKING AT THE YEAR TO YEAR DATA TO SEE WHAT WE'RE, WHAT WE'RE DOING IS, AND IF WHAT WE'RE DOING IS ACTUALLY WORKING.
SO WE HAD 79,000 PAGE VIEWS, AND THIS IS SEPARATE FROM THE 1.8 MILLION, UM, WITH 56,000 TOTAL VISITORS AND 125 STORIES WRITTEN ON OUR WEBSITE.
UM, WITH THAT, UH, WE ALSO PULLED SOME OTHER DATA TODAY AND IT STILL EBBS AND FLOWS MONTH TO MONTH.
SO JULY OF 24, WE HAD ABOUT 3,400 PAGE VIEWS.
UH, JULY OF THIS YEAR, WE HAD ABOUT 8,000, OBVIOUSLY EARLIER IN JULY, WE HAD A LOT OF INFORMATION ABOUT FLOOD RESOURCES AVAILABLE IN OUR COMMUNITY.
IF YOU GO BACK TO AUGUST OF 24, LAST YEAR WE HAD, UH, 7,100 WITH, UM, THE LITTLE LEAGUE WORLD SERIES.
A LOT OF INFORMATION ABOUT THAT PEOPLE WERE CLICKING AND SHARING THAT INFORMATION.
THIS YEAR, THE NUMBER, UH, IN AUGUST WAS ABOUT 4,600.
SO IT'S KIND OF EBBING AND FLOWING, BUT OVERALL, WE ARE SEEING EVEN ON THE SLOW MONTHS, THE NUMBERS MOVING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION.
WE'RE ALSO STARTING TO CON CONSOLIDATE ALL OF OUR EXTERNAL MESSAGES AS JUST PART OF MY BURNING NEWS.
AND YOU'LL SEE AN EXAMPLE OF THAT COMING UP, BUT THAT WAY IT JUST STARTS BUILDING IN THAT LEXICON OF FOLKS OF WHAT IS THE INFORMATION THAT'S
[01:15:01]
COMING FROM THE CITY.IT IT'S YOUR BURNING NEWS, AND THIS IS GONNA BE A BIG ONE THAT WE ARE UNDERTAKING, UM, A DA IMPROVEMENTS.
SO NEW FEDERAL REGULATIONS ARE COMING INTO EFFECT FOR US IN THE SPRING OF 2025.
IF YOU'RE A LARGER COMMUNITY IN A LARGER COUNTY ACROSS THE COUNTRY, YOU'VE GOT ABOUT FOUR MORE MONTHS TO MAKE, UH, SIX MORE MONTHS TO MAKE ALL OF YOUR IMPROVEMENTS.
SO WE HAVE A LITTLE MORE TIME.
UH, THE BIG THING THAT THEY'RE REALLY GONNA BE FOCUSING ON THAT WE'RE GETTING CORRESPONDENCE FROM OUR AFFILIATE PARTNERS, UM, T-M-L-T-O, IS THAT IT'S GONNA BE PDFS.
SO ALL OF THOSE DOCUMENTS ON OUR WEBSITE THAT ARE NOT A DA COMPLIANT, UM, IS REALLY GONNA BE THE BIG THING THAT THEY'RE GONNA TACKLE FIRST.
SO ONE OF THE WAYS THAT WE'VE KIND OF STARTED TO ADDRESS THAT ISSUE IS WE LAUNCHED RECITE ME EARLIER THIS YEAR, AND IN JULY OF THIS SUMMER, WE HAD ABOUT 300 CLICKS ON JUST THAT SPECIFIC PLATFORM.
AND THE FOLKS WERE UTILIZING A SCREEN READER OR STYLE, UH, TOOL.
AND WHAT THE STYLE TOOL DOES IS THAT LETS YOU CHANGE THE CONTRAST.
IT LETS YOU CHANGE THE IMAGE SIZES, YOU CAN REMOVE IMAGES, UM, YOU CAN DO BLACK AND WHITE, RED AND YELLOW, WHATEVER KIND OF COLOR YOU NEED TO REALLY SEE WHAT IS ON THE SCREEN FOR THE BEST USER EXPERIENCE IS WHAT THAT MAKES AVAILABLE FOR FOLKS.
UM, YOU CAN HAVE AN AUDIO TOOL IF, UH, YOU WANT TO JUST HOVER OVER SOMETHING AND IT'LL READ THE WORDS.
IF YOU HOVER OVER A PICTURE, IT'LL SAY A PICTURE OF AND DESCRIBE IT FOR YOU.
SO IT HAS SOME OF THESE FEATURES AVAILABLE THERE FOR FOLKS THAT ARE, UM, IN NEED OF SOME OF THOSE A DA, UH, NECESSITIES.
AND THEN THE FORM DIGITIZATION, LIKE I SAID.
SO ALL, ALL OF OUR FORMS, A LOT OF OUR FORMS RIGHT NOW ARE PDFS, SO THEY'RE NOT PRETTY AND THEY'RE ABOUT TO NOT BE AADA A COMPLIANT.
SO THAT'S BEEN ONE OF THE BIG THINGS THAT WE'VE WORKED ON.
I KNOW I MENTIONED EARLIER THIS YEAR, THE FIRST ONE THAT WE'RE GONNA LAUNCH IS THE NEW UTILITY CUSTOMER SIGN UP THROUGH CUSTOMER CARE AND BILLING.
UH, WE'VE BEEN WORKING WITH UCCB MIKE'S TEAM AT IT.
THE FORM ITSELF IS ABOUT 95% COMPLETE.
THE NEXT PHASE OF THIS IS ACTUALLY GONNA BE ON THE BACKEND WORKING WITH TYLER, UH, THE SOFTWARE DEVELOPER TO ACTUALLY MAKE SURE THAT WHEN SOMEBODY FILLS IT ALL OUT, WE HAVE THE ROUTE THAT IT NEEDS TO GO.
AND WHAT THAT SHOULD BE ABLE TO DO, AND MIKE, CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG, YOU SUBMIT ALL OF THIS, YOU HIT SUBMIT, AND IT WILL BASICALLY PUT THE INFORMATION IN THE SYSTEM FOR CUSTOMER CARE AND BILLING.
RIGHT NOW, WHAT THEY HAVE TO DO IS EITHER YOU PRINT OUT THE PDF OR YOU EMAIL IT AND THE CUSTOMER CARE REPRESENTATIVE HAS TO GO MANUALLY FILL OUT ALL OF THAT INFORMATION.
SO THAT'S GONNA REMOVE POTENTIAL INACCURACIES.
DID I, YOU KNOW, EXACTLY HOW DID YOU SPELL THAT LAST NAME? IS THAT A ZERO OR AN O? THOSE TYPES OF THINGS.
SO IT'S GONNA REMOVE SOME OF THOSE, UM, COMMON ISSUES THAT MIGHT OCCUR, BUT ALSO MAKE IT A DA COMPLIANT, UM, SOME ADDITIONAL ENHANCEMENTS THAT WE'VE TAKEN ON IN THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS.
SO WE'RE ALWAYS STRIVING TO SERVE THE COMMUNITY BEYOND SOME OF OUR MORE TRADITIONAL WAYS.
UM, YOU KNOW, SIX YEARS AGO WHEN I GOT HERE, COMMUNICATIONS WAS VERY OUTBOUND.
HERE'S JUST WHAT'S GOING ON, OR HERE'S WHAT'S HAPPENING, HERE'S WHAT WE'RE DOING.
AND IT WASN'T A LOT OF THE COMING BACK COMPONENT.
SO, UM, WHEN WE STARTED DOING THAT, WE GOT SOME REALLY GOOD IDEAS AND FEEDBACK FROM FOLKS.
SO THE FIRST ONE WAS THE COMMUNITY EVENTS CALENDAR, AND THAT HIGHLIGHTS ACTIVITIES IN BERNIE AND THE GENERAL VICINITY, BUT PRIMARILY IN BERNIE, UM, AND THINGS THAT ARE OF INTEREST TO RESIDENTS.
SO A LOT OF THOSE COMMENTS THAT YOU HEARD OF, WE WISH THERE WERE MORE THINGS TO DO.
THIS IS ONE OF THOSE TOOLS, ESPECIALLY, I'M GONNA USE TY AS AN EXAMPLE, AS A BUSINESS OWNER.
UM, I KNOW THEY HAVE THE LIVE MUSIC ON THERE.
THEY HAVE SPECIAL EVENTS THAT ARE HAPPENING, YOU CAN SUBMIT TO THE CALENDAR AND UM, IT'LL BE LISTED RIGHT THERE.
HILL COUNTRY MILE ROD RUN THIS WEEKEND.
I THINK WE HAD 8,500 PARTICIPANTS THIS WEEKEND.
SO ONE OF THE TOOLS IN WHICH TO GET FOLKS OUT THERE, THE THOUGHT WHEN WE LAUNCHED IT WAS IF SOMEBODY WAS MAYBE DRIVING DOWN ON A SATURDAY OR SUNDAY OR EVEN ON A WEEKNIGHT AND THEY SAW A CROWD, THEY MIGHT'VE BEEN LIKE, WELL, WHAT'S GOING ON THERE? THIS WOULD DRIVE THAT TOOL.
SO WHAT IS THE NEXT STEP? SO INSTEAD OF MAYBE HAVING, UM, BIE OR OW SUBMIT AN EVENT FROM MONDAY, TUESDAY, WEDNESDAY, THURSDAY, WE'RE GONNA START TALKING TO OUR RESTAURANTS AND OUR RETAILERS AND SAY, IF YOU HAVE SEVERAL EVENTS HAPPENING THIS WEEK, THIS WEEK AT YOUR ESTABLISHMENT, AND THEN IT'S A LIST.
SO THAT WAY IF YOU ARE BUSY ON MONDAY NIGHT, BUT YOU SEE SOMETHING ON WEDNESDAY THAT MIGHT INTEREST YOU, THAT'S A A WAY TO KIND OF ENGAGE WITH THE COMMUNITY, ENGAGE WITH OUR BUSINESSES HERE IN BERNIE.
UM, AGAIN, WE'RE CONTINUING ALL OF OUR BUSINESSES.
WHAT MAKES IT EASY IS ONCE YOU CREATE YOUR ACCOUNT AND YOU SIGN UP, UM, YOUR, YOUR LOGIN IS THERE.
SO IT, IT'S EASY TO REMEMBER AND YOU CAN JUST LOG IN AND SUBMIT EVENTS AS THEY START TO COME UP.
AND THEN THE OTHER TOOL THAT WE'VE LAUNCHED RECENTLY WAS THE BURNING Q AND A.
UM, ALL THAT DOES IS THAT SCROLLS JUST OUR WEBSITE, UH, FOR INFORMATION, LIKE I SAID, WITH 1.8 MILLION
[01:20:01]
VIEWERS, UH, CLICKS AND, YOU KNOW, 500,000 PLUS VISITORS, WE KNOW THAT THEY'RE NOT JUST VISITING FROM 8:00 AM TO 5:00 PM THEY'RE VISITING AT ALL HOURS OF THE DAY, ALL HOURS OF THE NIGHT.THEY MIGHT BE LOOKING FOR WHEN THEIR TRASH AND RECYCLE IS.
THEY MIGHT BE LOOKING FOR RULES, UM, TO BURN CITY LAKE.
THAT'S A BIG, THAT'S A BIG ONE.
SO WHAT THAT ALLOWS IS FOR FOLKS TO NOT HAVE TO DIG THROUGH OUR WEBSITE TO TRY TO HUNT DOWN AND FIND INFORMATION.
IT JUST PROVIDES QUICK, ACCURATE INFORMATION THAT'S MAYBE ONE LESS EMAIL, ONE LESS PHONE CALL TO A STAFF MEMBER, UH, IN RETURN BECAUSE THAT INFORMATION'S ALREADY ON THE WEBSITE AND IT JUST SUPPLIES IT TO THEM.
AND WE'RE ALSO GONNA START MEETING PEOPLE WHERE THEY ARE.
THAT'S A BIG THING THAT WE HEAR A LOT.
AND SO WE INITIALLY LAUNCHED THAT LAST YEAR WITH OUR HOA MEETINGS.
WE'VE HAD TWO OF THEM SO FAR, AND THEY'VE BEEN REALLY SUCCESSFUL.
I THINK WE'VE HAD ABOUT 15 DIFFERENT NEIGHBORHOODS, DIFFERENT HOAS COME AND PARTICIPATE.
WELL, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE'RE STARTING TO DO THIS YEAR IS I'M GONNA START GOING TO THEM AND IN NOVEMBER I'M GONNA GO TO THE WOODS OF FREDERICK CREEK AND PRESENT WITH THEM.
AND THEN IN DECEMBER, I'M WORKING WITH COUNCILMAN BUNKER TO HAVE A MEETING IN TRAILS OF PERF RANCH FOR SOME OF THE CHANGES THAT ARE COMING UP TO TRASH AND RECYCLE IN THAT COMMUNITY.
BUT ALSO THEN JUST PROVIDE ANOTHER COMMUNITY UPDATE.
SO IT'S BEING ABLE TO GO WHERE FOLKS ARE, BECAUSE THE REALITY IS USUALLY AT SIX OR SEVEN O'CLOCK ON A TUESDAY OR AT NOON ON A TUESDAY, FOLKS ARE BUSY.
THEY'VE GOT KIDS, THEY'VE GOT WORK, THEY HAVE OTHER THINGS.
SO HOW CAN WE MAKE IT EASIER FOR THEM TO GET INFORMATION FROM US? AND THAT REQUIRES US TO BE A LITTLE MORE FLEXIBLE AND WE'RE COOL WITH THAT.
UM, AND ADDITION TO THAT, WE ALSO HAVE OUR KIND OF ANNUAL ROTARY MEETINGS, CIVIC MEETINGS ALL THROUGHOUT THE YEAR.
ON THURSDAY, I'LL BE MEETING WITH NOONTIME ROTARY, UM, AND KIND OF AGAIN, JUST PRESENTING AN ANNUAL UPDATE OF EVERYTHING HAPPENING HERE IN THE CITY.
UM, ANOTHER KIND OF TOOL THAT AGAIN WE SAW WAS HIGHLIGHTING THE EVENTS THAT ARE HAPPENING.
SO PARKS AND RECREATION AND OUR LIBRARY OFFER THE MOST BY FAR FREE AND LOW COST EVENTS IN OUR COMMUNITY.
COMBINED, THERE ARE 700 ACTIVITIES EVERY SINGLE YEAR.
SO I MEAN, YOU SHOULDN'T BE BORED.
UH, IF YOU'RE BORED IN THE MIDDLE OF THE DAY, WE'VE, WE'VE GOT STUFF FOR YOU TO DO.
WE'VE GOT STUFF FOR YOU TO DO ON THE WEEKEND.
UM, YOU KNOW, THIS TWO WEEKENDS AGO WE HAD THE, UH, CAMP OUT AT THE LAKE THAT WAS 400 PEOPLE ENJOYED THAT.
COMPLETELY FREE AND AVAILABLE TO THEM.
SO WE DO OFFER THESE GREAT THINGS FOR PEOPLE OF ALL AGES.
UH, I KNOW THE LIBRARY DOES TIE CHAI YOGA, UM, THEY DO THE KILLER CRAFTS THAT YOU SAW.
THEY DO ALL THESE DIFFERENT FUN THINGS.
AND IT'S FOR VARIOUS AGES ALL ACROSS, UM, OUR CITY.
SO THERE'S A LITTLE SOMETHING FOR EVERYBODY.
SO REALLY BEING ABLE TO GET THAT IN FRONT OF FOLKS.
I THINK SOME, SOMETIMES WHAT I ALWAYS DO, AND IT'S, I ALWAYS HAVE TO REMIND MYSELF, I TEND TO KNOW A LOT OF WHAT'S HAPPENING.
I'M LIKE, OH YEAH, THAT'S HAPPENING, BUT SOMEBODY ELSE MIGHT NOT.
SO I HAVE TO ALWAYS REMIND MYSELF, YOU KNOW, MY NEIGHBOR MIGHT NOT KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON.
AND SO ALWAYS REMINDING THEM OF WHAT'S HAPPENING, AND MAYBE I POSTED IT ABOUT IT SIX MONTHS AGO ON FACEBOOK, THAT DOESN'T MEAN THE ALGORITHM SHOWED IT TO THEM AND DOESN'T MEAN THAT THEY KNEW IT EXISTED.
SO, UM, WE'RE CONTINUING TO COLLABORATE WITH OUR PARTNERS DEPARTMENTALLY.
SO TWO OF THE EVENTS THAT WE'VE REALLY STARTED TO HONE IN ON FOR PARKS IS KITE DAY AND CHALK WALK.
AND THEN FOR THE LIBRARY, IT'S KIND OF SOME OF THOSE EVENING AND AFTER SCHOOL EVENTS THAT ARE OCCURRING.
UM, IF YOU'VE BEEN HERE AT FOUR O'CLOCK AND YOU'VE SEEN THE WAVE OF KIDS COME ACROSS FROM MIDDLE SCHOOL NORTH, UM, IT SEEMS LIKE IT WAS MORE THAN LAST YEAR, BUT I'M, EVERY TIME I SEE IT, I'M JUST LIKE, IT'S JUST A WAVE OF KIDS.
AND THEN YOU GO IN THERE AND THEY'RE JUST HAVING THE TIME OF THEIR LIFE.
UM, ONE OF THE NEW THINGS THAT WE'VE ALSO STARTED TO DO AGAIN IN KIND OF GETTING INFORMATION AND NEWS OUT IN FRONT OF FOLKS IS WE'VE PARTNERED WITH, UH, SOME PEOPLE HERE IN THE COMMUNITY, UH, THE BURNING LIFE BEING ONE THAT WE'VE HAD SOME REALLY GOOD SUCCESS WITH.
SO EARLIER THIS YEAR WE HAD TWO INITIATIVES THAT WE UNDERTOOK WITH THEM.
WE DID A THREE MONTH KIND OF TRIAL RUN TO SEE WHAT THE SUCCESS WOULD BE.
UM, AND THE BIG ONE THAT WE DID WAS LIVE AT THE LIBRARY.
THAT WAS THE PRIMARY EVENT THAT WAS PROMOTED.
AND HERE ARE JUST SOME OF THE NUMBERS.
WE STARTED IN APRIL WITH THE PAID PROMOTIONS.
WE HAD A LITTLE DABBLE IN MARCH, BUT AS YOU CAN SEE, EACH MONTH THAT IT GOT PROMOTED, IT BEAT OUT LAST YEAR BY AND FAR.
AND SO, UM, AND ALSO SPEAKING TO STAFF THAT ORGANIZES IT, UH, KAREN CREECH MULTIPLE MONTHS, SHE WAS LIKE, THERE ARE A LOT OF PEOPLE I HAVE NOT SEEN BEFORE.
SO WE KNOW THAT THIS IS GETTING OUT IN FRONT OF PEOPLE WHO MIGHT NOT HAVE OTHERWISE KNOWN ABOUT IT.
UM, AND AGAIN, THAT'S JUST ANOTHER AVENUE AND ANOTHER TOOL THAT HAS SHOWN THAT PEOPLE IN THE COMMUNITY ARE ENGAGING WITH.
SO LET'S MEET THEM AGAIN WHERE THEY'RE AT.
ONE OF THE OTHER, UM, COLLABORATIONS THAT WE TRIED THIS YEAR WAS PET ADOPTION AT ANIMAL CARE.
THAT WAS A LITTLE BIT OF A DUD,
[01:25:01]
SO WE KIND OF WERE ABLE TO PIVOT A LITTLE BIT AND SAY, OKAY, LET'S FOCUS ON THIS.CLEARLY IS IT'S GONNA BE THE EVENTS, THINGS TO DO, ESPECIALLY IN THE EVENINGS, UM, AND THINGS FOR FAMILIES TO DO.
SO, UH, WE KIND OF WERE ABLE TO HONE IN ON SOME OF THOSE THINGS WITH THEM.
UM, ADDITIONALLY WE HAVE COMMUNITY IMPACT IN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD NOW.
UM, IT'S A NEW PARTNERSHIP THAT WE HAVE.
SO THE DIGITAL CORRESPONDENCE, UH, AND THE EMAILS STARTED IN FEBRUARY WHERE YOU COULD SIGN UP EVERY MORNING AND GET A NEWSLETTER SENT TO YOUR EMAIL INBOX AT 6:00 AM UH, THE PRINT STARTED IN, UH, MAY AND IT GOES TO 7 8 0 0 6 AND 7 8 0 1 5, WHICH IS, AS Y'ALL KIND OF KNOW IN YOUR TIME ON CITY COUNCIL OR LIVING IN THIS COMMUNITY, A LOT OF FOLKS, WHETHER THEY LIVE IN BERNIE PROPER OR NOT, THEY HAVE A TIE TO BERNIE.
THIS IS THE, THEIR KIDS GO TO SCHOOL HERE, THEY WORK HERE, THEY SHOP HERE, THEY DINE HERE, THIS IS THEIR HUB.
SO THEY HAVE THAT CONNECTION TO WHAT'S GOING ON.
THEY FEEL A STRONGER TIE TO BERNIE THAN MAYBE THEY WOULD SOMEWHERE ELSE.
AND SO WE'RE ABLE TO REACH THE 9,000 HOUSEHOLDS AND 45,000 READERS EVERY MONTH.
IT'S THE BACK PAGE OF THAT LETTER OF THEIR MONTHLY, UM, NEWSLETTER THAT COMES OUT AND IT'S GOT INFORMATION.
SO THIS ONE WAS HIGHLIGHTING THE CITY BUDGET.
WE'VE DONE EVENTS, WE'VE DONE PARKS AND RECREATION, THE LIBRARY, I KNOW WE'RE WORKING ON ONE.
THE OCTOBER ONE WAS FALL EVENTS.
DOWNTOWN NOVEMBER'S OBVIOUSLY GOING TO BE DICKENS ON MAINE, VOX PARADE AND ALL THE OTHER FUN STUFF.
SO WORKING TOWARDS JUST HIGHLIGHTING ALL THE THINGS THAT ARE HAPPENING HERE IN THE COMMUNITY.
UH, ONE OF THE CONVERSATIONS I KNOW WE HAD FOR NEXT YEAR, THERE'S A COUPLE MONTHS IN, IN OUR PLANNING MEETING EARLIER WHERE WE HAD A COUPLE BLANK MONTHS AND I SAID, YOU KNOW, THAT'S PROBABLY A GREAT TIME TO TALK ABOUT THE ENHANCEMENTS AND THE THINGS THAT WE'VE DONE OVER THE LAST SEVERAL YEARS FOR ENGINEERING AND MOBILITY, OUR STREETS DEPARTMENT.
AGAIN, LETTING FOLKS KNOW THAT IT SOMETIMES DOES FEEL LIKE IT'S TAKING A REALLY LONG TIME, BUT WE ARE ACTUALLY CHIPPING AWAY AT SOME OF THE CONCERNS THAT THEY HAVE ADDRESSED.
AND THEN OUR 26 GOALS FOR THIS YEAR.
SO, LIKE I SAID, I, I LOVE MEETINGS.
I'M PROBABLY UNIQUE IN THAT WAY.
UM, AND I LOVE BIG WHITE PIECES OF PAPER WHERE I CAN GO WRITE THINGS OUT.
IF YOU'VE EVER BEEN IN MY OFFICE, THERE'S USUALLY ONE ACROSS THE DESK FOR ME AND I JUST STARE AT THAT AND IT'S MY FAVORITE THING TO STARE AT.
UH, 'CAUSE IT KEEPS ME ACCOUNTABLE TO WHAT I WANNA DO.
SO THIS IS WHAT I HAVE FOR NEXT YEAR AND, UM, FOR THIS UPCOMING YEAR, I SHOULD SAY.
SO, UM, A FULLY ESTABLISHED SOCIAL MEDIA CALENDAR AND STYLE GUIDE.
SO BASICALLY I'VE ACCUMULATED A LOT OF THESE THINGS IN DIFFERENT PLACES.
UH, WITH BRIA COMING ON BOARD, IT'S TIME TO KIND OF CONSOLIDATE.
SO IF I GET HIT BY A BUS TOMORROW OR I WIN THE LOTTERY, UM, WE HAVE A CENTRAL PLACE, UH, FOR ALL OF THAT INFORMATION.
UM, CONTINUED EFFORTS TO BRING THE A DA COMPLIANCE THAT IS, IT REALLY IS A VERY HEAVY, HEAVY LIFT.
AND, UH, ROBERT TAYLOR IN OUR OFFICE IS, YOU KNOW, LEADING THAT EFFORT.
SO PARTNERING WITH CITY DEPARTMENTS ON STRATEGIC INITIATIVES, UM, SOME OF THE THINGS THAT I KNOW THE PARKS DEPARTMENT IS WORKING ON IS SOME NEW SOFTWARE, UH, FOR EVENT REGISTRATION, UH, THAT WE'RE DOING SOME, SOME GREAT THINGS AT THE CEMETERY.
UM, LIKE I SAID, CUSTOMER CARE AND BILLING.
WE'RE GONNA WORK WITH HR IN OUR ONBOARDING PROCESS FOR NEW EMPLOYEES.
SO ALL OF THESE DIFFERENT THINGS WHERE, AGAIN, IT MIGHT NOT NECESSARILY BE THE COMMUNICATIONS DEPARTMENT IS THE PRIMARY LEAD FOR IT, BUT WE CAN REALLY ASSIST IN HEALTH AND ELEVATE IT BEYOND JUST A TRADITIONAL, OH, HERE'S A FLYER, OR HERE'S A A, A NEW WEBSITE THAT WE HAVE A NEW DEPARTMENTAL NAME.
SO WE'VE BEEN COMMUNICATIONS DEPARTMENT.
IF YOU'VE BEEN IN THE MUNICIPAL COMMUNICATIONS SIDE OF THINGS FOR A REALLY LONG TIME PRE COMMS DEPARTMENT, YOU WOULD'VE ACTUALLY THOUGHT WE WERE MORE DISPATCH.
UM, AND I'VE GOTTEN EMAILS FROM OTHER PUBLIC SAFETY AGENCIES AROUND THE AREA JUST BECAUSE I WAS THE COMMS DIRECTOR.
THEY THOUGHT I HANDLED 9 1 1 AND THEY WOULD SEND ME THINGS AND I WAS LIKE, WELL, THAT'S NOT ME.
UM, SO, UM, JUST KIND OF, AGAIN, A NEW DEPARTMENT NAME TO KIND OF ENCAPSULATE ALL THAT WE'RE NOW DOING.
AND THEN ALSO JUST INCREASING SHORT FORM AND BROADCAST VIDEOS.
SO THE REALITY IS PEOPLE ARE NOT GONNA READ A WHOLE PARAGRAPH ON A SOCIAL MEDIA POST.
SO HOW CAN WE GET TO THEM IN THE FIVE TO EIGHT SECONDS THAT I HAVE TO KEEP YOUR ATTENTION, THAT HOPEFULLY YOU WILL STOP SCROLLING, WATCH WHAT WE'VE PUT OUT THERE AND YOU KNOW, MAYBE PUT A LITTLE PIECE OF INFORMATION IN FRONT OF YOU.
OR AT THE VERY LEAST, EVEN IF YOU STOPPED FOR THREE SECONDS, THE ALGORITHM WILL SAY, OKAY, THAT'S SOMETHING YOU ENGAGED WITH.
LET ME PUMP MORE OF THAT TO YOUR FEET.
SO WITH ALL OF THAT, I WILL NOW OPEN IT UP TO ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? QUESTIONS? ANY COMMENTS, COMMENT? UM, I MEAN, SINCE I'VE BEEN ON COUNCIL, UM, MY LONG TENURE SHIFT HERE, UM, DEFINITELY SEEING SUCH A GROWTH IN OUR COMMUNICATION.
I MEAN, WE'VE SEE, YOU KNOW, HAD MANY PEOPLE TALK ABOUT THEIR FRUSTRATIONS WITH THE
[01:30:01]
LACK OF COMMUNICATION AND I THINK, UM, CITY MANAGER'S, OFFICE COUNCIL, COMMUNICATIONS DEPARTMENT, WE'VE DONE SUCH A GOOD JOB.AND I THINK THE MENTALITY OF WHAT WE ALL DESIRE IN OUR DESIRE TO COMMUNICATE AND MAKE SURE THAT THE COMMUNITY GETS TO BE PART OF THE PROCESS, THE BEST OF OUR LEGAL ABILITY.
UM, I KNOW THAT'S SOMETHING WE ALL WANT TO DO.
AND, UM, CHRIS, I THINK YOU, YOUR DEPARTMENT'S DONE A GREAT JOB IN THAT AND I KNOW YOU'LL CONTINUE TO DO A GREAT JOB.
SO I'VE LOVED TO SEE IT'S BEEN COOL TO BE A PART OF THAT GROWTH.
UM, AND I'M LOOK FORWARD TO CONTINUE TO SEE THAT GROWTH.
YEAH, I JUST WANNA SAY I THINK THE COMMUNICATION IS, IS, IS HAS TAILS, JUST THE THREE YEARS THAT I'VE BEEN HERE ON, ON COUNCIL IS, IS GROWN TREMENDOUSLY.
UM, I MEAN I USE THE WEBSITE A LOT JUST FOR INFORMATION.
THERE'S ANYTHING THAT THE CITY'S DOING.
I GET QUESTIONS ALL THE TIME ABOUT THE BUDGET.
I'M LIKE, WELL, WHY DON'T YOU GO TO THE WEBSITE? OH, THE BUDGET'S ON THE WEBSITE.
YEAH, EVERYTHING WE DO IS ON THE WEBSITE.
YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU WANNA TALK ABOUT FIRE, POLICE, COMMUNITY PARKS.
UM, BUT I MEAN, SOME OF, SOME OF THE INTERESTING COMMENTS I GET ARE, THERE'S NOT ENOUGH INFORMATION.
WELL, UM, WE CAN'T SPOONFEED EVERYTHING THAT'S GOING ON INSIDE THE CITY TO EVERYONE.
SOME OF IT'S A MATTER OF GETTING ON A WEBSITE, CLICKING, LINKING, GOING TO SOCIAL MEDIA, THAT TYPE OF STUFF.
I MEAN, BUT I THINK YOU GUYS ARE DOING AN AMAZING JOB.
I MEAN, IF ANYTIME I LOOK UP FOR SOMETHING OR EVERY QUESTION'S GOING ON THE COMMUNITY, I MEAN, IT'S READILY AVAILABLE.
SO I JUST WANTED THIS CUTES TO YOUR DEPARTMENT.
CAN I SHARE SOMETHING? SO JUST, UM, A, A EXACTLY A MONTH AGO I HELPED TWO OF MY DAUGHTERS MOVE INTO A RENTAL HOME AND, AND YOU KNOW, TRYING TO HELP 'EM ADULT, UH, YOU KNOW, TOLD MY DAUGHTER TO JUST GO TO THE WEBSITE AND, YOU KNOW, GET ON BERNIE, BERNIE UTILITIES.
AND I WAS SURPRISED THAT THE UTILITY TO SIGN UP FOR UTILITIES, YOU HAVE TO PRINT OUT THE FORM, FILL IT OUT, AND SCAN IT AND SEND IT IN.
I WAS, I WAS SURPRISED BY THAT.
SO I'M, I'M EXCITED FOR THOSE CHANGES COMING BECAUSE YES, THAT WAS, YES, THAT WAS SURPRISING.
I WAS LIKE, REALLY? THAT'S WHERE WE ARE STILL.
YEAH, APRIL 27TH, 2027, ALL OF THAT SHOULD BE A THING OF THE PAST.
SO IT'S, IT'S A BIT BY BIT, BUT YEAH.
THANK YOU DIRECTOR SHADOW ROCK.
UH, MAYOR COUNCIL, JUST TWO MORE THINGS.
UH, DIRECTOR SHADROCK MENTIONED THE ROD RUN.
WE HAD A GREAT EVENT SATURDAY, GOOD WEATHER.
UM, NO PUBLIC SAFETY INCIDENTS THAT HAVE BEEN REPORTED TO ME.
I WILL LET YOU KNOW, 8,500 VISITORS SHOWED UP THAT DAY.
THAT'S ABOUT 600 MORE THAN LAST YEAR.
UM, THE PEAK WAS BETWEEN NOON AND TWO WITH ABOUT 3000 VISITORS IN THAT DOWNTOWN ENVIRONMENT.
AT THE SAME TIME, 60% OF THOSE VISITORS ORIGINATED OUTSIDE OF THE 7, 8, 0 0 6 AND 7 8 0 1 5 ZIP CODES WITH 16% OF THOSE VISITORS COMING FROM MORE THAN A HUNDRED MILES AWAY FOR THE, FOR THAT SHOW.
AND THEN LASTLY, JUST A REMINDER THAT OUR NEXT COUNCIL MEETING IS BEING RESCHEDULED TO THE MONDAY BEFORE, NOT ON, IT WON'T BE ON TUESDAY THE 28TH.
ALRIGHT, WE'LL MOVE ON TO AGENDA ONE.
NUMBER EIGHT, COMMENTS FROM COUNCIL.
WE HAVE ANY COMMENTS FROM COUNCIL MEMBERS THIS EVENING BEFORE WE GO IN THE EXECUTIVE SESSION? NO.
[9. EXECUTIVE SESSION IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE TEXAS GOVERNMENT CODE:]
INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION.UH, I'M, WE'RE NOT GOING TO DISCUSS AGENDA ITEM NINE, A 2025 DASH 5 36 CONSULTATION WITH THE ATTORNEY PER STATE LAW.
THE ATTORNEY IS NOT HERE, SO WE WILL NOT HAVE A DISCUSSION ON THAT MATTER.
WE WILL GO INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION TO DISCUSS NINE B 2025 DASH FIVE 40 AND THAT ONLY IN THAT SECTION 5 51 0 7 2 DELIBERATION REGARDING REAL PROPERTY, DELIBERATE THE PURCHASE EXCHANGE, LEASE OR VALUE OF REAL PROPERTY PER FOR EDITION LOT THREE AND 0.4 OF 2 3 7, 3 ACRES.
ON THAT NOTE, WE WILL ADJOURN TO EXECUTIVE SESSION.
[10. RECONVENE INTO OPEN SESSION AND TAKE ANY NECESSARY ACTION RELATING TO THE EXECUTIVE SESSION AS DESCRIBED ABOVE.]
WE ARE OFFICIALLY RECONVENE IN OPEN SESSION AT, I GOTTA BUY A WATCH.
WITH NO FURTHER DISCUSSION, WE WILL NOW END, UH, THE REGULAR CITY COUNCIL MEETING AT 7:45 PM THANK YOU EVERYONE.