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[1. CALL TO ORDER – 6:00 PM]
IS OFFICIALLY 6:00 PM ON AUGUST 11TH, 2026 AT THE REGULAR CITY COUNCIL MEETING FOR THE CITY OF BERNIE, TEXAS.WOULD YOU PLEASE, UH, JOIN ME IN PRAYER THIS EVENING? GRACIOUS AND LOVING GOD, WE'LL GIVE YOU THANKS FOR YOUR GLORIOUS SON, JESUS CHRIST, AND WE'LL GIVE YOU THANKS FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE HERE AND BE IN SERVICE TO OUR COMMUNITY.
LORD, OPEN OUR HEARTS, GUIDE OUR CONVERSATIONS, UH, GUIDE OUR THOUGHT PROCESS, AND AS WE DISCUSSED THE THIS YEAR'S BUDGET FOR THIS COMMUNITY.
AS WE GO THROUGH THE REST OF THE AGENDA, LORD, JUST THAT WE MAKE DECISIONS THAT ARE MINDFUL OF OUR COMMUNITY, UH, OUR RESIDENTS AND, AND FOR THE FUTURE OF BERNIE LORD, WE ALSO ASK THAT YOU WOULD, UH, POUR A BLESSED SPECIAL BLESSING UPON THE BERNIE LITTLE LEAGUE AS TO GET READY TO TRAVEL, TO GO TO WILLIAMSPORT LORD, AND THEN ALSO JUST BE WITH ALL, EVERY ONE OF THE PARENTS IN OUR COMMUNITY AND THE CHILDREN TODAY AS THEY STARTED OUR FIRST DAY BACK TO SCHOOL.
WE ASK FOR PEACE AND PATIENCE FOR, FOR ALL THOSE THAT ARE DRIVING THROUGH OUR COMMUNITY THIS WEEK, LORD, AS THEY GET BACK INTO THE SCHEDULE AND INTO THE NEW ROUTINE.
BUT JUST CONTINUE TO GUIDE ALL THOSE HERE IN LEADERSHIP, LORD, THAT WE MAKE DECISIONS THAT HONOR YOU, BUT ALSO HONOR THIS COMMUNITY.
IN PRECIOUS NAME WE PRAY, AMEN.
WOULD YOU JOIN ME TO PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE AND THEN TO THE TEXAS FLAG? I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG FROM THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS, ONE, ONE NATION UNDER GOD, THE INDIVISIBLE WITH THE LIBERTY OF JUSTICE.
FROM HONOR, THE TEXAS FLAG PLEDGE LEADS TO SEE TEXAS ONE, ONE STATE UNDER GOD ONE, ONE AND INDIVISIBLE.
[2. CONFLICTS OF INTEREST]
TO DEN NUMBER TWO, CONFLICTS OF INTEREST.DO WE HAVE ANY CONFLICTS OF INTEREST THIS EVENING? NO CONFLICTS OF INTEREST.
THEN WE'RE GONNA SKIP AGENDA ITEM NUMBER THREE AND JUST MOVE ON TO NUMBER FOUR.
I'M JUST KIDDING, M**K, WE'RE GONNA GO TO AGENDA ITEM
[3.A. 2026-346 RECOGNITION OF WILLIAM M. "MICK" MCKAMIE, CITY ATTORNEY FOR THE CITY OF BOERNE, FOR RECEIVING THE 2026 OUTSTANDING GOVERNMENT LAWYER AWARD FROM THE GOVERNMENT LAW SECTION OF THE STATE BAR OF TEXAS.]
NUMBER FOUR, A 20 26, 3 4 RECOGNITION OF M**K MIMA OF THE CITY.UH, IT'S MY PRIVILEGE TONIGHT TO, UH, ACKNOWLEDGE, UH, A NEAT PROFESSIONAL RECOGNITION FROM M**K.
M**K HAS BEEN OUR CITY ATTORNEY, UM, WELL, THE CITY'S ATTORNEY MULTIPLE TIMES OVER THE COURSE OF HIS CAREER.
HE IS REPRESENTED MULTIPLE CITIES.
AND I JUST WANNA PUT INTO CONTEXT WHAT THIS, UH, RECOGNITION IN THIS AWARD MEANS.
UM, THE GOVERNMENT LAW SECTION CREATED THIS AWARD TO RECOGNIZE ATTORNEYS WHO DEMONSTRATE EXCELLENCE, DEDICATION TO PUBLIC SERVICE, PROFESSIONALISM AND ETHICS, AND WHO TAKE ON DIFFICULT PUBLIC ISSUES, AND THEN WHO ALSO SERVE AS ROLE MODELS AND MENTORS TO OTHERS IN THE PROFESSION.
THIS ISN'T JUST, UH, RECOGNIZING MUNICIPAL ATTORNEYS.
THIS IS THE STATE BAR RECOGNIZING ALL ATTORNEYS IN THE GOVERNMENT, UH, SECTOR OF, OF LAW HERE IN TEXAS.
AND SO THIS IS A GREATER HONOR, UM, EXTENDED THROUGH A LOT OF DIFFERENT, UM, SECTORS WITHIN THE STATE.
I JUST WANNA SAY, UH, I'VE KNOWN M**K A LONG TIME IN MY OWN CAREER.
UH, M**K CHECKS EVERY ONE OF THOSE BOXES.
UM, HE'S HAD AN EXTRAORDINARY MUNICIPAL CAREER REPRESENTING A LOT OF CITIES.
HE, UM, ACROSS TEXAS, HE'S ARGUED SIGNIFICANT CASES BOTH IN STATE SUPREME COURT, FEDERAL, UH, CASES, AND HAS BEEN RECOGNIZED NATIONALLY FOR HIS CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE PRACTICE OF MUNICIPAL LAW.
UM, HE IN FACT, WAS THE FIRST ATTORNEY EVER ELECTED TWICE TO CHAIR THE GOVERNMENT LAW SECTION THAT IS NOW RECOGNIZING HIM FOR THIS AWARD.
THE THING ABOUT M**K THAT YOU WON'T SEE ON HIS RESUME IS THAT FROM A CITY MANAGER PERSPECTIVE, YOU WANT A CITY ATTORNEY WHO UNDERSTANDS THAT OUR JOB IS NOT JUST SIMPLY TO AVOID RISK.
I APPRECIATE M**K GREATLY FOR HELPING US DO THAT.
UH, BUT, UH, WE ALSO NEED SOMEONE TO HELP US SERVE OUR COMMUNITY, UNDERSTAND, UM, WHAT ARE THE OPPORTUNITIES TO DO THINGS IN ACCORDANCE WITH LAW, UM, THAT HELP US, UH, BE SOLUTION ORIENTED.
AND M**K DOES THAT WHEN IN FACT, HE WAS JUST DOING THAT.
HE WAS HERE EARLIER TODAY WITH CHRISTIE TRYING TO HELP RESOLVE, UH, UH, AN ISSUE THAT WE'RE HAVING WITH, WITH THIS SITUATION.
SO HE UNDERSTANDS THAT DI DISTINCTION BETWEEN THE NEED TO SOLVE PROBLEMS, BUT ALSO BE, UM, A RISK ASSESSOR.
AND, AND SO, UH, HE'S HELPED US VERY WELL IN THAT AREA.
HE HELPS US WORK THROUGH SOME OF THE MORE INCREDIBLY COMPLICATED ISSUES, AND HE UNDERSTANDS THAT ULTIMATELY OUR RESPONSIBILITY TO PROTECT THE INTERESTS OF THE PUBLIC OF IN THIS COMMUNITY, AND THAT ULTIMATELY THE PUBLIC TRUST THAT'S BEEN, UH, GIVEN TO EACH AND EVERY ONE OF US.
UM, SO M**K, ON BEHALF OF OUR ORGANIZATION AND TEAM BERNIE, WE ARE, WE'RE PROUD OF YOU.
WE, UM, CONGRATULATE YOU AND, UH, WE'RE JUST REALLY GLAD TO HAVE YOU SIT HERE NEXT TO US HERE AT THE DAAS.
SO, WITH THAT, M**K, I'M GONNA LET YOU SPEAK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT KIND OF YOUR HISTORY WITH BERNIE AND, AND THIS AWARD.
AND, AND THEN WE'LL HAVE A PICTURE.
UH, FIRST THING I'M GONNA DO IS HIRE BEN TO WRITE MY RESUME FOR ME.
UH, THIS IS, WAS QUITE UNEXPECTED HONOR THAT I RECEIVED
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FROM MY PEERS THAT I, I, UM, AM STILL, UM, QUITE HUMBLED BY IT RECEIVING THIS AWARD.AS BEN SAID, IT'S MADE UP OF A FEW THOUSAND LAWYERS IN TEXAS WHO REPRESENT THE STATE OF TEXAS, UH, COUNTIES, UH, SPECIAL DISTRICTS, CITIES, SCHOOL DISTRICTS.
SO, UH, IT'S ALL THE GOVERNMENT EMPLOYED LAWYERS AND PEOPLE LIKE ME WHO ARE PRIVATE LAWYERS WHO WORK FOR THE, THOSE AREAS OF GOVERNMENT.
UM, SO IT'S EXTREMELY HUMBLING TO BE RECOGNIZED IN THIS WAY BY THAT GROUP.
I WILL SAY, UM, THAT BERNIE HAS, I'VE REPRESENTED A LOT OF TEXAS CITIES, AND I REPRESENTED MAINLY AS A LITIGATOR, AS YOU KNOW, UH, DEFENSE, UH, OF CITIES.
UM, BUT I REPRESENTED A LOT AS CITY ATTORNEY AS WELL.
I'M ONE, I THINK ONE OF THE FEW PRACTITIONERS THAT DOES BOTH OF THOSE JOBS.
UM, SOME SMALL, VERY SMALL CITIES LIKE FERRIS AND SOME LARGE CITIES LIKE AMARILLO.
BUT ONE OF, ONE OF THE HIGHLIGHTS OF MY CAREER, AS I LOOK BACK ON IT, WAS IN 1992 WHEN THEN CITY ATTORNEY GORDON HALL HOLLAND CALLED ME AT MY OFFICE IN THE TOWER LIFE BUILDING IN SAN ANTONIO AND SAID, M**K, HOW WOULD YOU LIKE TO REPRESENT THE CITY OF BERNIE, UM, TO PRESERVE ITS HISTORIC DISTRICT? AND I SAID, WELL, SURE, GORDON, EVEN THOUGH YOU'RE A BAYLOR LAWYER, I'D BE HAPPY TO COME OUT THERE AND MEET WITH YOU
AND THAT WAS THE START OF FLORES V, CITY OF BERNIE, WHICH WENT TO THE US SUPREME COURT.
AND, AND THEN 2002, WHEN PATRICK HEATH ASKED ME TO CONSIDER BEING CITY ATTORNEY, WHICH WAS MY GREAT PLEASURE TO DO UNTIL KIRSTEN WAS HIRED IN TWO, IN 2010.
SO, UM, IT'S BEEN A GREAT HONOR AND A GREAT PRIVILEGE AND, UH, TO REPRESENT BERNIE TO DATE.
AND I APPRECIATE EVERYBODY'S, UH, SUPPORT OF MY CAREER, BECAUSE I WILL TELL YOU THAT WHEN I'M GIVING A PRESENTATION OR A TALK AT A CITY ATTORNEY'S GROUP OR AN INTERNATIONAL MUNICIPAL LAWYERS GROUP, EVERYBODY WANTS TO KNOW MORE ABOUT BERNIE.
AND THAT'S NOT A, THAT'S SERIOUS.
I MEAN, THAT, UH, IT'S KIND OF A JEWEL AMONG PEOPLE IN MUNICIPAL LAW PRACTICE.
SO I'M VERY LUCKY AND FORTUNATE, AND I WANT TO THANK EVERYBODY FOR KEEPING ME INVOLVED IN THIS.
UM, I HAVE NO BEEN FOR A LONG TIME WHEN HE WAS A BOY,
UM, AND I REALLY ENJOYED WORKING WITH HIM AS A PROFESSIONAL CITY MANAGER.
AND I, AND, UH, WE TALK ABOUT THIS IN, AT TAYLOR OLSON, WE'RE CITY ATTORNEYS FOR 35 CITIES, I THINK ALL OVER TEXAS.
AND, UM, WE TALK ABOUT HOW GREAT THE CITY OF BERNIE'S STAFF IS.
THE SENIOR STAFF HERE COMPARES TO VIRTUALLY ANY CITY OF ANY SIZE.
SO, AND I MEAN THAT, SO WE'RE, ALL OF US ARE EXTRAORDINARILY FORTUNATE TO BE INVOLVED WITH THIS GREAT TOWN.
WELL, THANK YOU, M**K, UM, MAYOR, COUNCIL, DO YOU HAVE ANYTHING YOU WANNA SHARE? TY? I'VE BEEN, I THINK THREE DIFFERENT CITY ATTORNEYS, JOE, SINCE WE'VE BEEN ON, UM, YOU KNOW, M**K, I'D SAY HANDS DOWN, YOU KNOW, YOU ARE DEFINITELY MY FAVORITE.
NOT THAT THE OTHERS WEREN'T JUST, I SAY FROM A CITY COUNCIL PERSPECTIVE, HAVING SOMEONE WHO CAN GIVE MYSELF A DIRECT ANSWER AND KIND OF WITHOUT THINKING MEANS A LOT FOR ME.
YOU KNOW? 'CAUSE IF SOMEONE GIVES YOU AN ANSWER WHERE YOU DON'T FEEL COMFORTABLE, OBVIOUSLY THAT'S NOT ALWAYS THE BEST THING
UM, SO I'VE ALWAYS APPRECIATED YOUR WILLINGNESS TO GIVE AN ANSWER OR GIVE TWO POSSIBLE ANSWERS OR THREE POSSIBLE ANSWERS.
AND, UM, I MEAN, YEAH, I FEEL LIKE YOU'RE THE ROCKSTAR OF THE MUNICIPAL, UM, LAWYER WORLD, AND OBVIOUSLY OTHERS DO AS WELL.
UM, SO YEAH, I'M FEEL LUCKY ENOUGH TO BEEN HERE SEVEN YEARS AND TO HAVE YOU FOR, YOU KNOW, MOST OF THAT HAS BEEN, BEEN AWESOME.
I JUST WANNA EMPHASIZE SOMETHING BEN SAID.
UM, AND BEN, YOU'LL APPRECIATE THIS.
WHEN I SAY IT, UM, I, I, I'M VERY MUCH A STICKLER FOR FOLLOWING THE LAW, AND I KNOW THAT A LOT OF TIMES THE PUBLIC GETS TIRED OF HEARING AND SAY, WELL, IT'S AGAINST THE LAW.
BUT TO YOUR POINT, YOU MADE ABOUT CREATIVE, WHAT I
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CALL CREATIVE LEGAL, LEGAL THINKING, WHERE IT'S LIKE, OKAY, WE KNOW WE CAN'T DO THAT.WHAT CAN WE DO? AND VERY OFTEN YOU DON'T GET, WHAT CAN WE DO FROM AN ATTORNEY? WE JUST CAN'T DO THAT.
AND I'VE BEEN VERY MUCH APPRECIATIVE THAT THAT'S SOMETHING THAT YOU'VE BEEN VERY HELPFUL WITH, IS LIKE, WELL, IF YOU DO IT THIS WAY, IT'S LEGAL.
IF YOU DO IT THAT WAY, IT'S ILLEGAL.
MS. WE WOULD LIKE TO TAKE A PICTURE.
WE'LL DO THAT IF COUNSEL, IF YOU'LL STAND LATE UP HERE LIKE WE ALWAYS DO.
I, I, I WANT TO SAY ONE THING IN RESPONSE TO, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER WILLISON ABOUT GIVING ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS WITHOUT THINKING, BECAUSE I DO THAT A LOT,
NOW ON SECOND THOUGHT, MY TOP ROW SHIMMY THIS WAY.
WELL, THAT'S PRETTY DARN GOOD.
JUST SHIMMY BACK AND THEN MY FRONT ROW, TAKE A BIG STEP FORWARD.
WE BE ON TO AGENDA ITEM NUMBER FOUR, PUBLIC COMMENTS.
I BELIEVE NOBODY DID SIGN UP TO SPEAK, BUT IF SOMEONE MAY COME IN LATE, I'D LIKE TO GIVE THEM THE OPPORTUNITY TO COME FORWARD AND HAVE THEIR THREE MINUTES AT THE PODIUM.
[5. CONSENT AGENDA]
NUMBER FIVE, CONSENT AGENDA.COUNCIL MEMBERS, DO YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OR CONCERNS FOR CONSENT? ADDENDUM ITEMS NUMBER FIVE, A THROUGH FIVE C.
IF NOT, CAN I GET A MOTION FROM COUNCILMAN BUNKER? YEAH, MOVE.
AGENDA I FIVE A THROUGH C AS, UH, PRESENTED SECOND FROM COUNCILMAN MACALUSO, PLEASE VOTE.
[6.A. 2026-340 CONSIDER RESOLUTION NO. 2026-R44; A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY OF BOERNE, TEXAS, FORMALLY ENDORSING ALTERNATIVE 1 AS THE CITY'S PREFERRED ALTERNATIVE FOR THE TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION'S PROPOSED INTERSECTION IMPROVEMENTS (TURN-LANE ADDITIONS) AT STATE HIGHWAY 46 (RIVER ROAD) AND HERFF ROAD/ESSER ROAD, SUBMITTED TO THE ALAMO AREA METROPOLITAN PLANNING ORGANIZATION (AAMPO) CALL FOR PROJECTS.]
ITEM SIX A FOR THE REGULAR CITY AGENDA, 2026 DASH THREE 40, CONSIDER RESOLUTION NUMBER 22 20 26 R 44, RESOLUTION OF THE CITY OF BERNIE, TEXAS.FORMALLY ENDORSING ALTERNATIVE ONE IS THE CITY'S PREFERRED ALTERNATIVE FOR THE TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION.
PROPOSED INTERSECTION IMPROVEMENTS.
TURN LANE ADDITIONS AT STATE HIGHWAY 46 RIVER ROAD PER ROAD REST ROAD, SUBMITTED TO THE ALAMO AREA METROPOLITAN PLANNING ORGANIZATION, CALL FOR PROJECTS PRESENTING.
JEFF CAROL, JEFF EVENING MAYOR AND COUNSEL.
I'M HERE TALKING TO YOU ABOUT TDOT'S PLAN TO IMPROVE RIVER HF, UH, TIES TO OUR STRATEGY MAP IN MANY AREAS, AS YOU CAN SEE.
UM, SO WE ALL KNOW WHAT INTERSECTION I'M TALKING ABOUT.
UM, KENDALL COUNTY TRANSPORTATION COMMITTEE CALLED IT THE WORST INTERSECTION IN THE COUNTY.
UH, BACK WHEN WE DID OUR MOBILITY PLAN, WE CHECKED MANY OF OUR INTERSECTIONS IN TOWN AND WE, WE GAVE IT AN F AS WELL LEVEL OF SERVICE F IN OUR MOBILITY PLAN.
BUT THE THING TO REMEMBER HERE, FOR A LOT OF PEOPLE DON'T SEEM TO GRASP IS RIVER ROAD IS TECHNICALLY STATE HIGHWAY 46 AND ANYTHING AND EVERYTHING TO DO WITH STATE HIGHWAY 46 AS WELL AS MAIN STREET AND WEST BENDERA, UM, AND BLANCO ARE TXDOT.
UM, SO WE HAVE TO DEAL WITH TDOT, THEIR, THEIR JURISDICTION.
UM, AND SO WE HAVE A LOT OF COORDINATION THAT WE DEAL WITH THEM.
UM, CITY STAFF HAS BEEN STUDYING THIS INTERSECTION FOR SEVERAL YEARS, AND WE'VE HAD SEVERAL SCHEMATICS AND THINGS THAT WE'VE PUT TOGETHER AND WORKED.
AND WITH TDOT ON AND TXDOT IN THE RECENT MPOS RECENT CALL FOR PROJECTS SUBMITTED A, A PROJECT HERE TO DO SOME TURN LANE IMPROVEMENTS.
UM, AND THE PROJECT WAS ACTUALLY SELECTED AT THE BEGINNING OF THIS YEAR, WHICH ALLOWED TXDOT TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THE ACTUAL DESIGN.
SO IN THE CALL FOR PROJECTS, YOU REALLY JUST DO KIND OF A SCHEMATIC DESIGN.
UM, AND SO NOW THAT THEY'VE BEEN SELECTED, THEY'VE KIND OF BEEN GUARANTEED POTENTIAL FEDERAL FUNDS.
SO NOW THEY'RE ACTUALLY STARTING TO DESIGN THE PROJECT.
UM, WE HAD A MEETING, UM, WITH TXDOT LAST MONTH, AND THEY'VE COME UP WITH TWO SCHEMATICS, UM, FOR THE INTERSECTION THAT ADDS TURN LANES TWO DUAL LEFT TURN LANES FROM RIVER TWO HERF, AS WELL AS MAKING A FREE FLOW RIGHT TURN.
UM, ALTERNATE ONE REQUIRES A EASEMENT OR RIGHT AWAY FROM THE ADJACENT PROPERTY FOR THEM TO BUILD A PEDESTRIAN BRIDGE TO BUILD A SHARED USE PATH.
AGAIN, THIS IS USING FEDERAL FUNDS.
SO ONE OF THE THINGS YOU HAVE TO DO IS EVERYTHING HAS TO MEET FEDERAL STANDARDS, SO NOT JUST FIVE FOOT SIDEWALKS ANYMORE.
NOW WE'RE DOING EIGHT FOOT 10 FOOT SHARED USE PATHS FOR AS PART OF THE PROJECT.
UM, BUT ALTERNATE ONE ALSO ALLOWS US TO SAVE SOME TREES AND THEN AVOID SOME TIMELY ROADWAY BRIDGE MODIFICATIONS.
ALTERNATE TWO BASICALLY TAKES THE TWO BRIDGES THAT ARE THERE AND WIDENS THEM INWARDS.
UM, WHAT THAT DOES THOUGH IS THAT REMOVES ALL OF THOSE LARGE TREES FROM INSIDE THAT ISLAND THERE.
UM, AND IT'S GONNA BE A LONGER
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AND MORE EXPENSIVE CONSTRUCTION TIME BECAUSE OF DOING ALL THE BRIDGE WORK.AND AS PART OF THAT WORK THEN TOO, THEY'RE GOING TO CLOSE LANES TO BE ABLE TO DO THAT BRIDGE WORK.
UM, SO WE KIND OF LIKE ALTERNATIVE ONE.
UM, OBVIOUSLY THAT ACQUIRING LAND FROM ONE OF THE ADJACENT PROPERTY OWNERS HAS A LITTLE BIT OF CONCERN.
UM, SO HERE'S THE TWO CONCEPTS THAT TECH STOP PROVIDED.
UM, ALTERNATE ONE, ALTERNATE TWO, AGAIN, THEY'RE VERY SIMILAR LOOKING.
UM, THE, YOU CAN SEE KIND OF IN THE ORANGE IS THE DUAL LEFT FROM RIVER ROAD TO MAKE THE LEFT ONTO HERF.
UM, BUT THEN THE OTHER KEY PART IS HERF ROAD ITSELF.
WHAT THEY'RE DOING IS KIND OF REALLOCATING THE BRIDGE.
WHAT IS THE SIDEWALK ON THE BRIDGE NOW WILL BASICALLY TURN INTO THAT EXTRA RIGHT LANE AND ALLOW THEM MORE ROOM TO MAKE THAT FREE FLOW RIGHT TURN.
SO FREE FLOW, RIGHT TURN, YOU BASICALLY HAVE A CONTINUOUS GREEN AT ALL TIMES.
THEY WON'T, YOU WON'T HAVE TO STOP FOR A LIGHT, YOU CAN JUST GO AND MAKE A RIGHT TURN AT ALL TIMES.
UM, SO AS I MENTIONED, WE PREFER ALTERNATE ONE FOR SEVERAL REASONS.
UM, AND THAT LANDOWNER IS THE S BELOW CENTER FOR CONSERVATION.
UM, SO WE WENT AND HAD MEETINGS WITH THEM.
WE'VE HAD SEVERAL CONVERSATIONS WITH THEM, UM, TO TALK THROUGH THIS CONCEPT AND TALK THROUGH THE TWO ALTERNATIVES.
UM, AND THE LANDOWNER AXLE LIKED ALTERNATIVE ONE, AND SO THEY, UM, THEY PASSED A RESOLUTION RECENTLY THAT WAS IN YOUR PACKET WHERE THEY SUPPORT ALTERNATE ONE.
AND THEY BASICALLY GRANTED, UM, THAT THEY'RE GONNA MOVE FORWARD WITH ALLOWING TO DO AN EASEMENT ON THE PROPERTY.
AND FOR THOSE OF YOU KIND OF ON THIS RIGHT HAND SIDE HERE, WHERE THERE'S A, THERE'S ALREADY A PEDESTRIAN BRIDGE IF YOU LEAVE RIVER ROAD AND KIND OF GO BACK INTO THE PARK.
UM, AND THEN THE NATURE CENTER REPRESENTATIVES, THEY REALLY LIKE KIND OF REPEATING THAT CONCEPT OF HAVING A PEDESTRIAN BRIDGE KIND OF GOING THROUGH THE TREES IN NATURE.
UM, AND SO THEY LIKED THAT IDEA, THE, THEY SUPPORTED THAT IN THEIR ALTERNATIVE.
UM, SO THEY GAVE US A RESOLUTION OF SUPPORT FROM THEIR BOARD OF DIRECTORS, UM, AND WE'VE SENT THAT FROM TXDOT.
AND SO TDOT HAS ASKED A RESOLUTION OF SUPPORT FROM BOTH THE CITY AND THE COUNTY, UM, FOR THE ALTERNATIVE ONE BEFORE THEY GO PUT A LOT OF EFFORT INTO DESIGNING THIS.
SO WE ARE HERE TONIGHT ASKING FOR THE RESOLUTION FROM THE CITY, AND THEN THE COUNTY WILL BE ON THEIR NEXT, UH, COMMISSIONER'S COURT IN TWO WEEKS FROM NOW FOR THEIR ALTERNATIVE ONE SUPPORT AS WELL.
ANY QUESTIONS? ANY QUESTIONS FOR COUNSEL? CAN I GET A MOTION? MAYOR? I MOVE THAT WE APPROVE RESOLUTION NUMBER 2026 DASH R 44, A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY OF BURN TEXAS, FORMERLY ENDORSING ALTERNATIVE ONE AS THE CITY'S PREFERRED ALTERNATIVE FOR THE TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION'S.
PROPOSED INTERSECTION IMPROVEMENTS, TURN LANE ADDITIONS AT STATE HIGHWAY 46 RIVER ROAD AND HERF ROAD.
ESSER ROAD IS SUBMITTED TO THE ALAMO AREA METROPOLITAN PLANNING ORGANIZATION.
AM O CALL FOR PROJECTS SECOND FROM COUNCILMAN BATEMAN, PLEASE VOTE.
ALRIGHT, MOVING ON TO AGENDA ITEMS NUMBER
[7.A.2026-316 RECEIVE THE THIRD QUARTER FINANCIAL AND INVESTMENT REPORT FOR THE PERIOD ENDED JUNE 30, 2026]
SEVEN SEVEN A THROUGH SEVEN F.WE'RE GONNA START THE SARAH BUCKALEW SHOW.
WE'RE GONNA GO AHEAD AND DO, UH, SEVEN A BY ITSELF, SARAH, AND THEN YOU CAN PRESENT SEVEN B THROUGH SEVEN F TOGETHER, AND THEN WE'LL GO BACK AND, AND MAKE THE PROPER MOTIONS AFTER THAT.
SO AGENDA ITEM SEVEN A 20 26, 3 1 6 RECEIVE THE THIRD QUARTER FINANCIAL AND INVESTMENT REPORT FOR THE PERIOD END OF JUNE 30TH, 2026.
THIS FIRST AGENDA ITEM IS FOR THE RECEIPT OF OUR THIRD QUARTER, UH, FINANCIAL AND INVESTMENT REPORT FOR THE PERIOD ENDED JUNE 30TH, 2026.
THIS IS HOW OUR ITEM ALIGNS WITH THE STRATEGY MAP, AND THIS IS OUR STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT AND BUDGET CYCLE.
AND YOU CAN SEE WE'RE ROUNDING THAT, UM, THE THIRD BASE, AS I LIKE TO CALL IT.
UM, HOME STRETCH HERE, REVIEWING OUR EXPENDITURES FOR THE THIRD QUARTER OF THE FISCAL YEAR.
UM, I'D LIKE TO START WITH REVENUES FIRST.
MOST OF OUR REVENUES ARE ON TRACK AND LOOK GOOD.
THERE ARE SOME CATEGORIES OF REVENUE THAT WE'RE GONNA SPEND A LITTLE TIME TALKING OVER AS THE, THE LOCAL ECONOMY AND BROADER ECONOMY HAVE STARTED A MODERATION.
UM, GOOD NEWS IS OUR EXPENSES.
WE'VE KEPT THOSE IN LINE ALL YEAR LONG OVERALL, EVEN THOUGH THERE ARE A COUPLE CATEGORIES OF REVENUE THAT WE'RE WATCHING CLOSELY, THERE'S OTHER CATEGORIES OF REVENUE THAT ARE EXCEEDING BUDGET.
AND BECAUSE WE'VE BEEN SO DILIGENT IN OUR EXPENSE TRACKING, UM, WE ARE STILL PROJECTING A VERY MODERATE SURPLUS AT THE END OF THE YEAR THAT WE WOULD, UH, TRANSFER OVER TO OUR CAPITAL FUNDS.
SO THERE'S NO BUDGET AMENDMENTS THAT ARE NECESSARY AT THIS TIME.
WE ARE MANAGING, UM, OPERATIONS JUST FINE, BUT I STILL WANNA TAKE YOU THROUGH THOSE REVENUE CATEGORIES.
FIRST OFF IS INTEREST REVENUE, WHICH IS ONE OF THE GOOD CATEGORIES.
UM, WE HAVE SEEN THREE, UH, FED FUND RATE DECREASES THIS YEAR.
WE DID ANTICIPATE THAT AT THE BUDGET TIME, SO THERE WAS A 3% DECREASE IN INTEREST REVENUE, UH, PROJECTED IN OUR BUDGET ALREADY.
UM, THAT BEING SAID, THERE ARE SOME FUNDS THAT ARE EXCEEDING,
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UH, BUDGET BECAUSE THEY HAVE LARGER BALANCES.SO THINK ABOUT THE CAPITAL INFRASTRUCTURE PRO PROJECT FUNDS, THOSE HAVE LARGER BALANCES, THEY'RE ACCUMULATING MORE INTEREST.
SO OVERALL, OUR WHOLE, OUR WHOLE PORTFOLIO IS, UM, SLIGHTLY EXCEEDING BUDGET.
A VALOREM TAX IS ANOTHER SOLID CATEGORY.
UM, AT THIS POINT IN THE BUDGET PROCESS, WE HAVE COLLECTED 102% OF OUR BUDGET.
UH, THE REASON IT'S OVER A HUNDRED PERCENT IS BECAUSE IT DOES INCLUDE CURRENT YEAR REVENUE AS WELL AS DELINQUENT TAX REVENUE FROM PRIOR PERIODS.
SO LOOKING JUST AT THE CURRENT YEAR TAX REVENUE, WE'RE AT A 98% COLLECTION, WHICH IS WHERE WE EXPECT TO BE RIGHT ABOUT NOW.
UH, WE HAVE 62% COLLECTIONS THROUGH JUNE, WHICH ARE APRIL SALES.
SO THE SALES THAT WERE MADE IN APRIL, WE RECEIVED THE MONEY AS A CITY IN JUNE.
OUR BUDGET HAD PROJECTED A GROWTH RATE OF 6% YEAR OVER YEAR.
THAT WAS IN LINE WITH HISTORICAL INCREASES THAT WE HAD SEEN.
OUR BUDGET RIGHT NOW LOOKS LIKE WE'RE GONNA BE TRENDING FLAT WITH ACTUAL RECEIPTS FROM LAST YEAR, UM, THIS FAR.
AND THAT'S WHAT WE'RE PROJECTING.
SO AS, AS A RESULT OF THAT, AS WE'RE LOOKING FORWARD TO OUR BUDGET AND FISCAL YEAR 27, WE'VE ALREADY CONSERVATIVELY BUDGETED REVENUE BACK, UM, ALONG THOSE TRENDS TO JUST ASSUME THAT THAT TREND WILL CONTINUE NEXT YEAR.
THIS IS ONE THAT WE'RE GONNA GO A COUPLE LEVELS DEEPER TO LOOK AT.
SO WE DO HAVE SOME MORE ADVANCED INFORMATION.
WE HAVE SINCE, SINCE JUNE CLOSED, RECEIVED OUR MAY SALES JULY REPORT.
SO I WANTED TO GIVE YOU A LITTLE BIT OF A, A PREVIEW WITH THE LATEST AND GREATEST NUMBERS.
UH, THE GOOD NEWS IS THAT THE MONTH OF MAY WAS POSITIVE GROWTH 1.3% OVER LAST MAY.
UM, WHAT'S, WHAT'S REALLY HELPFUL IN TELLING IS THAT BOTTOM GRAPH RIGHT THERE, WHICH SHOWS OUR YEAR TO DATE RECEIPTS BY TAXPAYER GROUP.
SO WHAT YOU'LL NOTICE IS THE TOP 10 TAXPAYERS, THOSE ARE OUR LARGEST SALES TAX PAYERS IN THE CITY.
THOSE ARE THE ONES THAT, UM, THEY'RE THE ONES THAT ARE HAVING A LITTLE BIT MORE STRUGGLE WITH THE GROWTH.
THEY'VE HAD A PERCENT LOSS IN GROWTH, UH, YEAR OVER YEAR, AND THAT'S THE BIGGEST TAX PAYERS THAT HAS THE BIGGEST BOTTOM LINE DOLLAR IMPACT TO US.
BUT THE GOOD NEWS IS, IF YOU LOOK AT OUR MEDIUM AND SMALL, SMALL TAXPAYERS, WE'VE GOT, WE'VE GOT HEALTHY TAXPAYER GROWTH THERE.
SO THAT JUST REFLECTS A STRENGTH AMONG THOSE STRONG AND MID-SIZED BUSINESSES IN OUR CITY, AND THEY'RE, THEY'RE HELPING PROP US UP.
UM, COMBINED WITH THAT, OUR AUDIT COLLECTIONS, WHICH ARE TYPICALLY ONE TIME, THEY'RE, THEY'RE, WHEN AUDITORS GO OUT AND FIND BACK PAC TAXES THAT NEED TO BE PAID, THOSE HAVE DI DECREASED YEAR OVER YEAR BY ABOUT 291,000.
SO THOSE TWO FACTORS COMBINED IS WHAT'S GIVING US KIND OF OUR FLAT GROWTH RATE YEAR OVER YEAR.
THE NEXT CATEGORY THAT WE'LL TALK THROUGH IS PERMIT AND PLANNING REVENUE.
THIS ONE'S A LITTLE BIT TRICKY OF A CATEGORY BECAUSE PERMIT REVENUE, AS Y'ALL KNOW, IS IT'S JUST HIGHLY DEPENDENT ON THE TIMING OF DEVELOPMENT.
IT'S HIGHLY DEPENDENT ON THE TIMING OF AVAILABLE SINGLE FAMILY HOUSING AND THE EBBS AND FLOWS OF, OF THE DEVELOPMENT IN THE CITY.
SO, UM, WE HAD PROJECTED PERMIT REVENUE, UM, AT THE END OF THIS YEAR SHOULD BE APPROXIMATELY 1 MILLION, WHICH WILL BE ABOUT HALF A MILLION DOLLARS UNDER BUDGET.
BUT ON THE OTHER SIDE, THE OTHER KIND OF THE OTHER SIDE OF THE HOUSE IS OUR PLANNING REVENUE, AND THAT'S ACTUALLY GONNA BE, UM, EXCEEDING BUDGET BY ABOUT 170,000.
SO WHILE ONE SIDE OF THE HOUSE, UM, IS A LITTLE BIT LESS IN TERMS OF VOLUME, WE HAVE MORE VOLUME ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE HOUSE TO OFFSET.
UM, BECAUSE OF THIS, OF COURSE, LOOKING FORWARD TO FISCAL YEAR 27, WE'VE DIALED BACK OUR BUDGET EXPECTATIONS TO BE A LITTLE BIT MORE CONSERVATIVE.
SO, UM, THANK YOU TO DIRECTOR CRANE AND TEAM.
THEY WERE ABLE TO PUT TOGETHER SOME VOLUME INFORMATION FOR US THAT HELPED US DIG A LITTLE DEEPER AND MAKE SENSE OF THE NUMBERS.
UM, IF YOU JUST LOOK AT THE SINGLE FAMILY VOLUME OF PERMITS OVER THE LAST COUPLE YEARS, UM, WE'VE JUST, WE'VE JUST HAD A HIGHER LEVEL OF INVENTORY, UM, IN YEARS 24 AND 25, UM, THAN 20, UH, SIX THAT WE'RE SEEING SO FAR.
WE DID SEE THAT BIG SPIKE BACK IN OCTOBER OF, UM, 2025.
AND THAT WAS DUE TO SHORELINE COMING ONLINE.
SO YOU CAN, IT'S, IT'S NEAT TO SEE IT IN THE GRAPH, BUT THIS, THIS ONE, UM, IS DIRECTLY CORRELATED WITH THE AMOUNT OF INVENTORY THAT'S AVAILABLE IN, IN THE MARKET AT ANY GIVEN TIME.
THE OTHER SIDE IS COMMERCIAL AND IN TERMS OF DOLLARS, IF YOU LOOK AT THE, UM, THE VERTICAL AXIS, YOU'LL SEE, YOU KNOW, WE'RE LOOKING AT LESS THAN 10 PERMITS TYPICALLY PER MONTH.
UM, MARCH OF, UH, 2026, YOU'LL SEE THAT THAT WAS OUR BERNIE TOWN CENTER.
SO WHEN YOU THINK OF, UH, CHICKEN SALAD CHICK AND CHICK-FIL-A, OR NOT CHICK-FIL-A, SORRY, UM, DON'T
[00:25:01]
START A RUMOR.I'M GONNA BE ALL OVER FACEBOOK TONIGHT FOR THAT.
WE ARE NOT TALKING TO CHICK-FIL-A, WE'RE NOT REACHING OUT TO MY, YOU KNOW, IT'S MY WISH MAYBE IS CHICK-FIL-A, BUT, UM, THAT WAS, THAT WAS MARCH OF THIS PAST YEAR, SO YOU'LL SEE THAT SPIKE THERE.
BUT COMMERCIAL, COMMERCIAL LOOKS GOOD IN TERMS OF VOLUME.
MOVING ON TO HOTEL MOTEL TAX, UM, THE GOOD NEWS IS IF YOU LOOK AT THE GRAPH, WE ARE IN LINE WITH PRIOR YEARS OF WHERE WE WOULD EXPECT TO BE.
RIGHT NOW WE ARE 58% OF BUDGET.
UM, WE'RE JUST NOT QUITE KEEPING STEADY WITH WHERE WE THOUGHT WE WERE GONNA BE AT BUDGET TIME.
SO THE BUDGET, UM, IT, IT WAS REALLY HOPEFUL AT A LITTLE OVER 1.2 MILLION.
UH, WE'RE PROBABLY, WE'RE LOOKING TO BE ABOUT FLAT WITH LAST YEAR, THAT KIND OF TRENDS WITH OUR SALES TAX.
SO WE DID, UH, WE DID PROJECT LESS REVENUE COMING IN FOR FISCAL YEAR 27, AND WE HAVE BEEN ACTIVELY MANAGING THE EXPENDITURES IN THAT FUND THROUGHOUT THE YEAR, UM, TO ALIGN WITH OUR REVISED REVENUE OUTLOOK.
MOVING ON TO UTILITIES, ELECTRIC, UM, IS DOING JUST FINE.
UH, REVENUE HAS DECREASED BY 5% JUST BECAUSE CONSUMPTION HAS DECREASED BY 3%.
UM, EVEN KEEPING THAT IN MIND, ELECTRIC LOOKS GOOD ON THE BOTTOM LINE, AND WE DO HAVE THAT HEDGE IN PLACE ON OUR ELECTRIC SUPPLY THAT KEEPS OUR, UH, COST OF ELECTRICITY STABLE FOR OUR CUSTOMERS.
UH, WATER REVENUE, SURPRISINGLY, CONSUMPTION HAS INCREASED 3%.
I WAS SURPRISED WHEN I PULLED THE NUMBERS ON THAT, GIVEN ALL OUR RAIN, UM, REVENUES COLLECTED AT 74% OF BUDGET VERSUS 65% FOR THE SAME PERIOD LAST YEAR.
AND WASTEWATER TRENDS WITH WATER REVENUE COLLECTED IS 73% OF BUDGET, WHICH IS RIGHT ON TRACK.
AND CONSUMPTION HAS ALSO INCREASED SAME AS WATER, ABOUT 6% GAS UTILITY LOOKS GOOD.
CONSUMPTION IN REVENUE, UM, HAVE DECREASED SLIGHTLY.
AGAIN, UM, MILD SUMMER, UH, LESS CONSUMPTION, BUT REVENUE STILL IS 76% OF BUDGET, WHICH, UM, IS, IS A GOOD TREND.
STORM WATER IS STABLE, 67% OF BUDGET IS EXACTLY WHERE WE EXPECT TO BE.
ANY QUESTIONS? QUESTIONS, COUNSEL? UM, JUST A COMMENT.
UM, SO THANK YOU FOR THE YEAR OVER YEAR COMPARISONS FOR ME THAT THAT IS HELPFUL.
UM, ON THE SALES TAX DECLINE, UM, A LOT OF THAT WAS ATTRIBUTED TO THE TOP 10, RIGHT? IS WITHIN THAT, WITHOUT SHARING DETAILS THAT WE CAN'T SHARE MAYBE, BUT WITHIN THAT 10, IS THERE ONE PERSON OR ONE ENTITY INSIDE THAT 10 THAT WAS A BIG PART OF THAT 230 K YEAR OVER YEAR DECLINE? OR WAS IT HALF OF 'EM THAT WAS A BIG PART OF THAT? LIKE, IS THERE ANY DATA THAT YOU KNOW OFF HAND THAT YOU COULD SPEAK TO ON THAT? THEY'RE ALL TRENDING IN THE SAME WAY? UM, THE, THE BIGGEST ONE THAT WE'RE SEEING WITHOUT NAMING ANY NAMES, IS A BIG HOME IMPROVEMENT ESTABLISHMENT WITH THE COLOR ORANGE.
A LOT PEOPLE ARE NOT NECESSARILY DOING AS MUCH IN HOME IMPROVEMENTS.
UM, MAKES SENSE ON THE PERMITTING SIDE, IF THEY'RE NOT PUTTING IN POOLS AND HOME IMPROVEMENTS, YOU MIGHT SEE SOME LESS PERMITS THERE.
SO WE'RE SEEING IT, WE'RE SEEING IT IN THAT, UM, THAT SECTOR.
SO EVEN WITHIN THAT 10, IT WOULD, IS IT FAIR TO SAY THE MAJORITY OF THAT 240 K DIFFERENCE IS THE TOP TWO OR THREE? I'D SAY IT'S THE TOP FIVE OR SIX.
FOUR MAJOR RETAIL ESTABLISHMENTS.
AND THEN THE FINAL COMMENT ON THAT IS IT IS ENCOURAGING TO SEE EVERYTHING ELSE BEYOND THAT MAKE UP THAT GAP FOR A COLLECTIVE TOTAL NET OF 10% GAIN YEAR OVER YEAR.
SO THAT'S A TESTAMENT TO THE SMALL BUSINESS AND MEDIUM BUSINESS STRENGTH OF BERNIE.
SO THANK YOU FOR SHARING THAT DATA.
YEAH, IT'S REALLY COOL TO SEE.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS I CAN MOTION FROM COUNCILMAN BUNKER? YEAH, I MOVE.
WE, UH, RECEIVE AND APPROVE THE THIRD QUARTER FINANCIAL INVESTMENT REPORT FOR THE PERIOD ENDING JUNE 30TH, 2026.
SECOND FROM COUNCILMAN MACALUSO, PLEASE VOTE.
ALL RIGHT, WE'RE GONNA MOVE ON TO AGENDA ITEM SEVEN
[Items 7.B -7.F.]
B THROUGH SEVEN F UH, 20 26, 2 DASH 2 33, PRESENTATION OF GOVERNMENT FUNDS BUDGET AND GOVERNMENT CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PLAN ALONG WITH EVERYTHING ELSE.AND THEN WE'LL COME BACK AND MAKE OUR MOTIONS AS AS NEEDED.
SO, SARAH, MS. SARAH, MAYOR, DIRECTOR BUCKLE.
CAN I JUST ADD A FEW COMMENTS FIRST BEFORE DIRECTOR BUCKLE WHO GETS INTO HER PRESENTATION? YOU GUYS HAVE SEEN THE TRANSMITTAL LETTER I I PROVIDED YOU LAST FRIDAY.
I WANNA LET YOU KNOW JUST BEFORE SARAH GETS INTO THE PRESENTATION, HOW PROUD I AM OF THIS BUDGET.
THIS IS A VERY DIFFERENT UNIQUE YEAR COMPARED TO THE LAST SIX I'VE HAD.
[00:30:01]
A, A VERY, UM, ROBUST ECONOMY THESE LAST SIX YEARS THAT ALLOWED US TO STILL INVEST IN THE GROWING INFRASTRUCTURE, STILL TAKE ON THE ADDED SERVICES AS WE'VE GROWN NEW RESIDENTS, UH, COMING INTO TOWN.UH, THAT WAS NOT THE CASE THIS YEAR AS DIRECTOR BUCKLEY WILL GET INTO IN SOME DESCRIPTION HERE.
YOU'LL SEE NOT ONLY JUST IN THE LAST THIRD QUARTER REPORT, BUT IN MORE DETAIL IN THE BUDGET, HOW SOME OF THOSE REVENUES THAT WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO ACCOUNT FOR LEAN ON ARE NOT, THAT'S NOT GONNA BE THE CASE THIS YEAR.
AND SO WE REALLY HAD TO, UM, DO A LOT OF DUE DILIGENCE AND, AND SCRUBBING AND CHALLENGING MY LEADERSHIP TEAM OUT OVER HERE BEFORE WE EVEN ADDED ANYTHING.
WE REALLY NEEDED TO GO MAKE SURE WE HAD SCRUBBED TO THE POINT WHERE WE WEREN'T REALLY NEGATIVELY IMPACTING SERVICES SO THAT WE COULD STILL ADD NEW SERVICES.
BECAUSE WE ARE GROWING, WE STILL NEED TO HAVE SOME PUBLIC SAFETY NEEDS.
WE STILL NEED TO ADD SOME EQUIPMENT FOR FIRE.
WE HAVE A NEW PREMIER PARK THAT WE'RE GONNA ADD HERE IN THE END OF THE YEAR, BEGINNING OF NEXT YEAR, 39 ACRES WITH VOL PARK NEED TO PROVIDE THE STAFFING TO SUPPORT THAT.
AND OF COURSE, WE HAVE A GREAT ORGANIZATION TEAM BURNING OF 320 EMPLOYEES, AND SO WE WANNA MAKE SURE WE'RE DOING RIGHT BY THEM, UH, PROVIDING THAT WE HAVE SOME STEEP INSURANCE, UH, UH, INCREASES WITH OUR HEALTH INSURANCE.
AND SO WE NEEDED TO BALANCE THAT OUT, MAKE SURE WE'RE TAKING CARE OF OUR EMPLOYEES MERITS, ALL OF THAT.
SO I THINK WE HAVE A GOOD STORY TO TELL.
I THINK WE BALANCED IT REALLY, REALLY WELL BY ADDING, UM, UH, SERVICES, ADDING, UH, RESOURCES, BUT NOT DOING IT JUST ON THE BACKS OF WHAT WE DID LAST YEAR TOO.
AND SO I'M GONNA TURN THIS OVER TO DIRECTOR
TONIGHT WE'RE GONNA FOCUS ON THE GOVERNMENTAL OPERATIONAL AND CIP BUDGETS.
YOU MIGHT REMEMBER THAT LAST COUNCIL MEETING.
THIS IS HOW THE ITEM ALIGNS WITH OUR STRATEGY MAP.
JUST TO PAUSE REAL QUICK, FOR ANYBODY THAT'S LISTENING ONLINE OR MAYBE IN THE AUDIENCE THAT'S WONDERING HOW THEY CAN ACCESS OUR BUDGET OR ANY OF THE BUDGET INFORMATION, WE HAVE A LINK ON THE VERY FRONT HOMEPAGE OF OUR WEBSITE THAT TAKES YOU DIRECTLY TO THE INTERACTIVE BUDGET WEBPAGE.
AND THEN ADDITIONALLY, IF YOU NAVIGATE TO THE FINANCE DEPARTMENT WEBPAGE, THERE'S A WHOLE, UM, PAGE THAT'S DEDICATED TO EVERY SINGLE MEETING THAT WE'VE HAD ABOUT THE BUDGET.
IT HAS LINKS TO THE DOCUMENTS THAT WERE DISCUSSED AS WELL AS THE PRESENTATION.
AND WE'VE BEEN WORKING ON THIS SEVERAL MONTHS.
UM, AFTER THIS, WE HAVE TWO MORE MEETINGS.
UM, A LOT OF DISCUSSION HAS BEEN HAD, AS I MENTIONED TONIGHT, WE'RE HAVING OUR GOVERNMENTAL WORKSHOP AND THERE'S A, UM, QUITE A FEW, SEVERAL ITEMS OF LEGISLATIVE ACTIONS THAT KICK OFF THAT LEGAL STEP OF THE BUDGET ADOPTION PROCESS.
WE HAVE, UM, PUBLIC HEARINGS TO PUBLIC HEARINGS, AND THE SECOND OF WHICH, UM, CONCLUDES IN THE ADOPTION OF THE PROPOSED BUDGET.
SO MOVING ON FIRST TO THE GOVERNMENTAL OPERATIONAL BUDGET.
THESE, OF COURSE, ARE OUR GUIDING PRINCIPLES.
WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THEM A FEW TIMES.
WE WON'T GO INTO DETAIL AGAIN ABOUT THESE NINE PRINCIPLES, BUT YOU MIGHT SEE THEM THROUGHOUT THE PRESENTATION IN THE TOP RIGHT HAND CORNER SO THAT IT CAN JUST SHOW HOW THESE CORE PRINCIPLES ARE TIED TO OUR OVERALL STRATEGY.
THESE WERE OUR BUDGET PRIORITIES GOING INTO FISCAL YEAR 2027 AT THE VERY TOP AS, UM, AS BEN MENTIONED, THIS YEAR WAS A DIFFERENT YEAR.
IT, IT WAS, IT HAD A DIFFERENT LOOK, IT HAD A DIFFERENT FEEL, IT HAD A DIFFERENT, UM, DEVELOPMENT PROCESS.
WE REALLY HAD TO BALANCE, UM, HOW WE WERE GONNA PAY FOR THESE NEW SERVICES WITH THE MODERATING REVENUE ENVIRONMENT AND STILL ACHIEVE ALL THESE OTHER PRIORITIES, STRENGTHEN THOSE SERVICE OFFERINGS FOR THE THE NEW THINGS THE PARK COMING ONLINE, MAINTAINING OUR EMPLOYER OF CHOICE STATUS, AND ADVANCING ALL OF OUR CAPITAL INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS.
IF YOU'RE GONNA START AT THE END WITH THE ANSWER, THIS IS THE BUDGET INFOGRAPHIC THAT TELLS YOU THE HIGH LEVEL NUMBER.
SO HIGH LEVEL TOTAL CITY BUDGET, ALL IN GOVERNMENTAL UTILITIES.
EVERYTHING IS 163.9 MILLION, WHICH IS A 7.7% DECREASE OVER LAST YEAR.
THE TAX RATE IS BEING PROPOSED AT 0.479, WHICH IS, UM, LE A LITTLE LESS THAN OF A PENNY PROPOSED INCREASE.
UH, 0.74 OF A CENT OF A PENNY.
THOSE FOUR OTHER BOXES, WE'RE GONNA WALK THROUGH THOSE TOGETHER.
BUT THAT'S HOW WE'VE, UH, GROUPED THE FUNDS TOGETHER IN A WAY THAT MAKES SENSE FOR US TO LOOK AND ANALYZE YEAR OVER YEAR CHANGES.
SO FIRST WE'RE GONNA ORIENT OURSELVES WITH THE FUND MAP AND TAKE A MOMENT AND GO THROUGH ALL THESE DIFFERENT FUNDS AND HOW THEY'RE GROUPED AND HOW THEY'RE THEY'RE FUNDED.
SO FIRST OFF, WHEN WE TALK ABOUT OUR 163.9 OR $164 MILLION BUDGET, IT'S, IT'S THESE FOUR THAT
[00:35:01]
WE'RE TALKING ABOUT.SO THERE'S THE GENERAL FUNDS, THE DEBT SERVICE FUND, SPECIAL REVENUE FUNDS, AND THE UTILITY FUNDS.
THE GENERAL FUNDS ARE MADE UP OF WHAT WE CALL THE GENERAL FUND, THE LIBRARY FUND AND THE PARKS FUND.
THESE ARE THE PRIMARY OPERATING, UM, DEPARTMENTS OF THE CITY.
AND THESE ARE THE ONES THAT ARE PRIMARILY FUNDED WITH M AND O TAXES.
IT DOESN'T MEAN THAT THEY DON'T HAVE OTHER REVENUE SOURCES.
IT JUST MEANS WHEN WE HAVE AN M AND O TAX, THE THE MONEY GOES HERE.
THAT'S THE OTHER PORTION OF THE TAX RATE THAT IS OUR DEBT SERVICE.
AND THAT IS COMPLETELY DEDICATED TO THE NEXT YEAR'S UPCOMING DEBT PAYMENTS.
DEBT SERVICE IS ACTUALLY ALSO A SPECIAL REVENUES FUND.
SO SOMETIMES IT'S GROUPED IN THE TOTAL SPECIAL REVENUE, BUT WE LIKE TO SHOW IT ON THE INFOGRAPHIC IS SEPARATE 'CAUSE WE LIKE TO BE ABLE TO SHOW THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE MAINTENANCE AND OPERATION RATE AND THE INS RATE AND WHICH FUND IT ACTUALLY SUPPORTS.
THE REST OF THE SPECIAL REVENUE FUNDS, ASIDE FROM DEBT SERVICE, ARE THESE FUNDS THAT ARE FUNDED BY RESTRICTED REVENUES THAT CAN ONLY BE USED FOR THAT SOURCE.
OR IN THE CASE OF THE DISPATCH FUND, WE'VE GOT THREE DIFFERENT, UH, JURISDICTIONS THAT FUND THAT AND WANNA KEEP TRACK OF THAT FUND BALANCE SEPARATELY.
UM, THEIR TOTAL IS ABOUT $31.2 MILLION.
AND THESE DO THE SPECIAL REVENUE FUND ACTUALLY DO INCLUDE ALSO THE, UH, CONSTRUCTION FUNDS.
SO WHEN WE PULL CAPITAL OUT, WE'RE PULLING IT OUT OF THIS TOTAL WHENEVER WE'RE LOOKING AT IT.
AND LASTLY, WE TALKED ABOUT THIS IN THE LAST COUNCIL MEETING, BUT HERE'S THE UTILITY FUNDS.
ALL THE MAJOR UTILITIES ARE THERE.
AND AGAIN, THESE ARE THE ONES THAT ARE NOT FUNDED WITH PROPERTY TAXES.
THEY ARE FUNDED WITH USER-BASED SERVICE FEES.
SO HOW DOES THIS COMPARE HIGH LEVEL TO LAST YEAR? THIS IS WHERE WE START TO GROUP THESE IN MEANINGFUL GROUPS.
THE TOP LINE, THE WHITE LINE THAT SAYS TOTAL BUDGET, YOU'LL SEE THAT IS THE 177 OF LAST YEAR VERSUS 163.9 THIS YEAR IS A TOTAL DECREASE OF $13.7 MILLION OR 7.7%, WHICH YOU SAW ON THAT OVERALL BUDGET INFOGRAPHIC UNDERNEATH THAT IS FOUR CATEGORIES.
SO THOSE FOUR NEXT FOUR LINES ARE WHAT TOTAL, THE TOTAL BUDGET.
THE FIRST CATEGORY THAT WE'LL GO THROUGH IS THE GENERAL FUND OPERATIONS AND CAPITAL PROJECTS.
SO IN THIS CASE, I'M PULLING THOSE GOVERNMENTAL CAPITAL PROJECTS OUT OF THAT SPECIAL SERVICE REVENUE FUND.
AND I'M GROUPING IT UP THERE IN THE OPERATIONS BECAUSE THESE ARE THE FUNDS THAT ACTUALLY ARE MEANINGFUL.
WHEN YOU'RE LOOKING AT YEAR OVER YEAR VARIANCES.
YOU WANNA KNOW HOW YOUR GOVERNMENTAL FUNDS DID YOU WANNA PUT THESE TOGETHER? AND THIS IS WHAT YOU LOOK AT.
UTILITY FUND OPERATIONS, SAME THING.
WE'RE LOOKING AT OPERATIONS AND WE'RE LOOKING AT CAPITAL TOGETHER.
SPECIAL REVENUE FUNDS, THAT'S EVERYTHING ELSE THAT DIDN'T FALL AS PART OF GOVERNMENTAL OPERATIONS OR CAPITAL.
SO THINGS LIKE YOUR HOTEL, MOTEL TAX FUND, UM, YOUR CEMETERY WITH CEMETERY ENDOWMENTS.
THOSE, THOSE FALL ON THAT LINE.
NOW THE BOTTOM LINE, THIS IS NON-OPERATIONAL COST.
EVERY FUND HAS SOME NON-OPERATIONAL COSTS.
AND YOU ALL MAY REMEMBER LAST YEAR BUDGET TIME WE HAD A SLIDE AND WE TALKED ABOUT THOSE TRANSFERS, THOSE TRANSFERS THAT DIDN'T MAKE SENSE TO ANYBODY.
THEY KIND OF CAUSE YOUR BUDGET TO GO OUTTA WHACK WHEN YOU'RE LOOKING AT VARIANCES YEAR OVER YEAR, BECAUSE WHEN YOU TRANSFER MONEY FROM ONE FUND TO THE OTHER FUND, IT INCREASES EXPENSE ON BOTH SIDES AND IT JUST, IT THROWS YOUR VARIANCES OUT OF WHACK.
THESE ARE THINGS THAT DEPARTMENTS DON'T HAVE CONTROL OVER.
THEY'RE WHAT WE'RE LEGALLY REQUIRED TO DO IF WE'RE NEEDING TO MOVE MONEY FROM ONE FUND TO THE OTHER.
SO AN EXAMPLE OF THAT IS YOUR IMPACT FEES.
YOUR IMPACT FEES ARE IN YOUR CAPITAL RECOVERY FUND AND THEY SIT THERE UNTIL WATER OR SEWER NEEDS 'EM AND YOU HAVE TO TRANSFER 'EM.
THAT TRANSFER HAS NOTHING REALLY TO DO WITH OPERATIONS, IT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH AN INCREASE IN SERVICES THAT WE'RE PROVIDING.
SO WE, WE DROP THOSE TO THE BOTTOM LINE SO THAT THEY DON'T INTERFERE WITH BEING ABLE TO SEE WHAT'S ACTUALLY GOING ON WITH THE SPEND OPERATIONALLY IN CAPITAL.
WE HOPE THAT THIS, THIS BREAKOUT IS HELPFUL TO YOU, BUT WE CAN ALSO, UM, CHANGE IT IN THE FUTURE.
SO WE'D LIKE TO HEAR YOUR, YOUR FEEDBACK ON THAT.
NOW, TAKING IT A STEP LOWER BECAUSE WE HAD A REQUEST TO LOOK AT IT EVEN AT A DEPARTMENTAL LEVEL.
SO WE'LL LOOK AT EACH ONE OF THESE FOUR GROUPINGS, EVEN AT A DEPARTMENTAL LEVEL, STARTING WITH THE GENERAL FUNDS AND GOVERNMENTAL CIP.
SO THE BOTTOM LINE, UM, 75.3, 68.2, CHANGE OF 7.1, 9.4, THAT'S WHAT TIES BACK HERE.
SO WANTED TO MAKE SURE THERE WAS CONTINUITY SO YOU KNOW WHERE ALL THE NUMBERS ARE COMING FROM.
OF COURSE, YOU'LL HAVE THIS FOR SOME TIME IF THERE'S ANY, UH, SPECIFIC VARIANCES THAT YOU WANNA TALK ABOUT.
BUT OVERALL, WE'RE STARTING OUT WITH ALL THE GENERAL FUND DEPARTMENTS.
SO WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT GENERAL FUNDS AND GOVERNMENTAL, UM, FUNCTIONS, THESE ARE THE FUNCTIONS THAT MAKE THAT,
[00:40:01]
THAT UP UNDERNEATH THAT ARE ALL THE CONSTRUCTION FUNDS, AS I MENTIONED.AND SO THOSE TWO TOTAL TOGETHER IS WHAT MAKES OUR GENERAL FUND AND GOVERNMENT CIP TOTAL.
THE NEXT GROUP IS OUR OTHER SPECIAL REVENUE FUNDS.
SO AS I MENTIONED, THESE ARE THE ONES THAT ARE FUNDED TYPICALLY WITH RESTRICTED REVENUE OF SOME SORT, UM, AND ARE NOT PART OF OUR GENERAL FUNCTIONS.
AND YOU'LL SEE IN ALL OF THOSE THAT I HAVE THE REMOVAL OF THE NON-OPERATING, SO THAT YOU CAN SEE HOW THAT BREAKS OUT BY, BY GROUPING.
LASTLY, I KNOW WE'RE NOT TALKING ABOUT UTILITY IN DETAIL TONIGHT, BUT I WANTED TO AT LEAST PROVIDE IT IN THE SAME, UM, THE SAME FORMAT FOR CONTINUITY.
SO YOU COULD ALSO TIE IT BACK TO THE MAIN NUMBERS AND KNOW WHERE EVERYTHING COMES FROM.
SO THESE ARE THE BOTTOM LINES THAT WE TALKED ABOUT.
THE 58.4, 60.6 THIS YEAR INCREASE OVERALL OF ABOUT 3.9%.
OKAY, SO WITH, WITH ALL THAT WE WERE DOING THIS YEAR, HOW, HOW ARE WE PAYING FOR IT? AND I'M GLAD THAT WE ACTUALLY HAD OUR QUARTERLY BEFORE THIS BECAUSE IT GIVES REALLY GOOD CONTEXT AS WE TALK ABOUT HOW WE MODERATED OUR BUDGET PROJECTIONS THIS UPCOMING YEAR WITH ESTIMATED DECREASES.
SO WE DIDN'T GO INTO THIS BUDGET TRYING TO SHOOT FOR THE MOON OF WHAT WE MAY THINK WE RECEIVED.
WE TOOK A CONSERVATIVE APPROACH WHERE WE SAID, WHAT DO WE THINK WE WERE ACTUALLY GONNA RECEIVE? AND LET'S, LET'S STAY WITHIN THOSE MEANS.
SO BETWEEN SALES TAX PERMIT AND INTEREST REVENUES NEXT YEAR, WE HAVE A TOTAL ESTIMATED DECREASE IN THOSE CATEGORIES OF ABOUT 1.2 MILLION ON THE OTHER SIDE.
UM, BEN HAD MENTIONED THAT WE WENT THROUGH SEVERAL ROUNDS OF REALLY LOOKING HARD AT OUR EXPENSES.
SO WHEN THE BASELINE BUDGETS WERE ORIGINALLY SUBMITTED, WE CHALLENGED ALL THE DEPARTMENTS TO REALLY LOOK HARD AT THEIR BUDGETS, LOOK AT EACH LINE, SEE THE HISTORY.
HAVE YOU NOT BEEN SPENDING THIS, THIS ITEM YEAR OVER YEAR, OVER YEAR? MAYBE THERE'S CAPACITY THERE.
AND THEY DID A PHENOMENAL JOB.
THEY, THEY CUT QUITE A BIT JUST RIGHT OFF THE BAT.
UM, WE THEN WENT THROUGH AND WE SCOOPED OUT ANY ONE TIME EXPENSES FROM LAST YEAR.
SO IF IT WAS A PIECE OF EQUIPMENT THAT WE PURCHASED LAST YEAR THAT WE KNOW WE'RE NOT GONNA PURCHASE AGAIN, WE DIDN'T JUST GIVE THAT BUDGET BACK, WE TOOK IT OUT.
AND THEN WHEN ALL SETTLED AT THE, AT THE BOTTOM LINE AND WE SAW WHERE REVENUES WERE COMING IN, WE WENT BACK TO DEPARTMENTS AND WE SAID, YOU KNOW WHAT? THERE'S SOME PRETTY BIG PRIORITIES WE'VE GOTTA FUND THIS YEAR.
THAT'S WHAT WE, WE ASKED EVERYBODY TO LOOK FOR.
I WAS, I WAS REALLY PROUD TO BE PART OF TEAM BIRDIE AS A FINANCE PERSON AT THAT POINT.
THEY CAME BACK AND THEY CUT THEIR BUDGETS EVEN FURTHER FOR TOTAL OF 2.16 MILLION.
SO WITH THAT, WE WERE ABLE TO FUND SOME OF THE THINGS WE WANT WITHOUT QUITE AS MUCH OF A TAX IMPACT AS WOULD OTHERWISE HAVE.
SO STARTING WITH EMPLOYER OF CHOICE, UM, WE TALK REPEATEDLY ABOUT OUR DESIRE TO RE REMAIN, UM, AN EMPLOYER OF CHOICE.
SO THIS UPCOMING YEAR WE'LL ARE PROPOSING, UM, OUR COLA TO REMAIN.
THAT'S TYPICALLY SET BY POLICY BASED ON THE, UM, EMPLOYMENT, UH, ONE YEAR INDEX FROM THE BUREAU OF LABOR.
AS OF JUNE 30TH, IT WAS ACTUALLY 3.4%, BUT WE'RE SETTING IT AT THREE.
UH, WE'RE ALSO CONTINUING WITH OUR MERIT PROGRAM, WHICH IS 0 3, 0 TO 3% DEPENDING ON PERFORMANCE.
ADDITIONALLY, UM, AS WAS MENTIONED, OUR UM, BENEFIT OFFERINGS, DIRECTOR FINCH AND TEAM DID A GREAT JOB OF BRINGING THIS DOWN.
IT WAS MUCH HIGHER INITIALLY TO 9.2% OF AN INCREASE OVER LAST YEAR.
AND WE ACTUALLY, UM, THEY FOUND A WAY TO, UM, BE ABLE TO OFFER A NEW DEPENDENT CARE OFFSET THAT HELPS OUR, OUR WORKING FAMILIES THAT ARE PART OF OUR EMPLOYMENT TO HELP WITH THE INCREASED COST OFFSET.
SO THE NEW SERVICE OFFERINGS THAT WE TALKED ABOUT ON THE PUBLIC SAFETY SIDE, WE'RE PROPOSING ADDING A NEW PATROL OFFICER TO THE, UM, POLICE FORCE.
ADDITIONALLY, WE'RE VERY EXCITED ON THE GROUNDBREAKING OF FIRE STATION.
NUMBER TWO, WE'LL BE ISSUING $20 MILLION WORTH OF DEBT AND HAPPILY THAT DOES NOT HAVE AN IMPACT ON OUR DEBT RATE.
SO NO TAX INCREASE BECAUSE OF THAT BY THE WAY THAT WE'VE, UM, MANAGED OUR, OUR DEBT SERVICE.
ADDITIONALLY, WE'RE EXCITED TO HAVE THE GROUNDBREAKING AND OPENING OF BERNIE HERITAGE BULLS PARK AND IN THIS BUDGET WE HAD TO, UM, CONSIDER THE OPERATIONAL COST OF THAT BUDGET, UM, OPENING THAT PARK, THAT NEW PARK BUDGET OPENING.
SO, UH, FOUR AND A HALF PARK STAFF IS THREE FULL-TIME PARK SERVICE ATTENDANTS, UH, SERVICE WORKERS AS WELL AS THREE PART-TIME SERVICE WORKERS.
SO THE PART-TIMERS ARE HALF A FTE EACH.
ADDITIONALLY, WE HAVE EQUIPMENT
[00:45:01]
AND, UM, OTHER MAINTENANCE COSTS.SO BREAKING IT DOWN 'CAUSE IT'S HELPFUL TO KNOW WHAT DOES IT, WHAT DOES IT ACTUALLY COST OPERATING A NEW, A NEW PARK.
THE PERSONNEL COST THAT WE TALKED THROUGH, THE 4.5 PARK STAFF ALL IN THE PERSONNEL COST IS ABOUT 320,000 MAINTENANCE COST.
UM, FOR INSTANCE, UM, FOR OUR SPLASH PAD CHEMICALS, GROUND MAINTENANCE IS ABOUT 145,000.
EQUIPMENT IS A ONE-TIME PURCHASE.
SO THAT WON'T CONTINUE NEXT YEAR OF 255,000 ALL IN IS ABOUT 720,000.
SO IN TERMS OF TAX RATE, THAT'S ABOUT TWO AND A HALF CENTS ON THE TAX RATE.
A PATROL OFFICER OR PERSONNEL COST OR APPROXIMATELY 140,000 EQUIPMENT IS UM, 36,001 TIME AND VEHICLE IS 45,000 FOR A TOTAL OF 221,000.
AND THAT WOULD BE 0.70 CENTS ON THE TAX RATE.
SO COMBINED, THAT'S THREE PENNIES ON THE TAX RATE, WHICH IS MUCH LESS THAN THE 0.74 THAT'S BEING RECOMMENDED.
SO THE CAPACITY THAT WE WERE ABLE TO GET HELPS US REDUCE THE ADDITIONAL SERVICE COSTS THAT WE'RE BRINGING ONLINE.
SO SINCE WE'RE TALKING ABOUT TAX RATES, I WANTED TO SWING INTO TAKING A LOOK AT HOW OUR APPRAISALS CAME IN.
THAT IS, THAT'S WHAT THE APPRAISAL DISTRICT SAYS THAT YOUR HOUSE IS WORTH IF YOU WERE GONNA GO TRY TO SELL YOUR HOUSE, THAT'S WHAT THE MARKET VALUE IS.
THE MARKET VALUE OF ALL THE PROPERTIES IN THE CITY INCREASED BY ABOUT 3.4%.
THAT'S GOOD COMPARED TO WHAT WE'RE SEEING STATEWIDE.
IT'S UM, JUST NOT AS HIGH AS WE'VE SEEN OVER THE PRIOR YEARS.
BUT WE ARE VERY FORTUNATE IN THE VALUES OF OUR HOMES, UM, THAT THEY'VE MAINTAINED THEIR VALUE COMPARATIVELY TO OTHER CITIES.
OUR EXEMPTIONS INCREASED QUITE A BIT THIS YEAR, UM, WHEN EXEMPTIONS INCREASED.
SO 3.8% INCREASE, THAT ACTUALLY MEANS OUR TAXABLE VALUE GOES DOWN.
'CAUSE YOU'RE GETTING AN EXEMPTION ON YOUR PROPERTY, IT BRINGS YOUR VALUE DOWN.
THAT MEANS TAX REVENUE IS LESS TO US.
SO THE REASON IT WAS SO HIGH THIS YEAR IS THERE WAS A NEW TANGIBLE PERSONAL PROPERTY EXEMPTION THAT CAME ONLINE THAT, UM, REDUCED OUR VALUE BY ABOUT 46 MILLION OF OUR TAXABLE VALUE.
SO THAT WAS BRAND NEW, A BRAND NEW LAW THAT CAME INTO EFFECT FROZEN VALUES.
THOSE ARE, UM, HOMES WHERE THE OWNER AS OF NOW AGE IN CIRCUMSTANCE THAT THEY QUALIFY FOR THE FROZEN VALUE.
OUR CITY DOES PROVIDE THE FROZEN VALUE.
UM, WE HAD A 7.7% INCREASE, SO A LOT MORE PROPERTY OWNERS ARE NOW QUALIFYING FOR THAT FREEZE.
SO ALL IN ALL, AFTER YOU TAKE THOSE INTO EFFECT, OUR TAXABLE VALUES INCREASED 2.4%.
OH, I DIDN'T MEAN TO MENTION THAT.
NEW PROPERTIES THAT CAME ONLINE MADE UP 61% IN EXISTING PROPERTIES ARE 39.
SO HOW DOES THAT HIT THE BOTTOM LINE IN REVENUE YEAR OVER YEAR REVENUE WILL, UM, PROJECT TO RECEIVE 860,000 ISH DOLLARS MORE THAN OUR LEVY FROM LAST YEAR.
AND IT'S BROKEN OUT, UH, PRIMARILY NEW PROPERTIES COMING ON ON THE ROLLS AS THE MAJORITY OF IT EXISTING PROPERTIES ARE BRINGING IN.
UM, ABOUT 343,000 TAXES ON FROZEN PROPERTIES ARE UP.
WE HAVE MORE PROPERTIES THAT ARE NOW IN THOSE ROLLS, EVEN THOUGH THEIR VALUES ARE FROZEN.
AND, UM, THE EXEMPTIONS, WE'VE LOST ABOUT $205,000 WORTH OF REVENUE FROM THOSE INCREASED EXEMPTIONS.
INTERESTINGLY ENOUGH IS THAT THE AVERAGE VALUED HOME WENT DOWN.
THIS WAS THE FIRST TIME SINCE I'VE BEEN A FINANCE DIRECTOR THAT THAT'S HAPPENED IN THIS AREA.
SO THE AVERAGE VALUE HOME WENT FROM 485,000 TO 456.
AND BECAUSE OF THAT, EVEN WITH, UM, A SMALL TAX INCREASE, THE AVERAGE HOMEOWNER IS GONNA SEE A REDUCTION IN THEIR BILL FROM 2,289 TO 2,186, WHICH IS ABOUT $103.
ALL RIGHT, THIS IS, THIS IS A HEAVY SLIDE
WE'RE GONNA, WE'RE GONNA TAKE A LITTLE BIT OF A TIMEOUT FOR SOME LEGAL, LEGAL JARGON, UM, TO TALK THROUGH WHAT ALL THESE TAX RATES ARE BECAUSE FROM HERE ON OUT WE'LL BE TALKING ABOUT SOME OF THESE TAX RATES AND WHAT THEIR DEFINITIONS ARE.
SO I'M GONNA TAKE A MOMENT AND GO THROUGH WHAT, WHAT THEY ALL MEAN.
UM, FIRST OFF, UH, THE TOTAL TAX RATE, AS WE MENTIONED, IS MADE UP OF TWO COMPONENTS, YOUR MAINTENANCE AND OPERATIONS TAX RATE AND YOUR INTEREST IN SYNCING TAX RATE, WHICH IS YOUR DEBT RATE.
SO MAINTENANCE OPERATIONS, FUNDS, MAINTENANCE AND OPERATION INTEREST IN SYNCING FUNDS, YOUR DEBT SERVICE.
SO THAT'S HOW YOU COME UP WITH YOUR TOTAL PROPOSED TAX RATE.
LAST YEAR'S TOTAL PROPOSED TAX RATE WAS, UM, 47.16 CENTS.
UH, FISCAL YEAR 27 WE'RE PROPOSING 47.90 CENTS.
SO THESE RATES UNDER HERE, WHAT WE ARE REQUIRED LEGALLY TO CALCULATE, AND THE WHOLE PURPOSE OF THESE IS TO HELP
[00:50:01]
ORIENT A NORMAL CITIZEN, A NORMAL PERSON TO BE ABLE TO UNDERSTAND WHAT DO THESE TAX RATES MEAN? WHAT DOES A 0.479 VERSUS A 0.4716 MEAN? IS THAT GOOD? IS THAT BAD? SO THAT'S, THAT'S WHAT WE ARE CALCULATING HERE.STARTING WITH THE NO NEW REVENUE TAX RATE, THIS IS SUPPOSED TO BE COMPARED TO YOUR TOTAL TAX RATE.
SO THE NO NEW REVENUE RATE THIS YEAR OF 46.72 CENTS IS SUPPOSED TO BE COMPARED TO OUR TOTAL TAX RATE, 4, 7, 9 OH.
AND WHAT THAT'S TELLING THE AVERAGE HOMEOWNER WHEN THEY'RE LOOKING AT THE TAX RATE IS IF YOU HAD THE SAME PROPERTIES ON THE TAX ROLL LAST YEAR AS YOU DID THIS YEAR, AND YOU ONLY ACCOUNTED FOR THE VALUE INCREASE OF THOSE PROPERTIES, EVERYTHING ELSE EQUAL WITH ABOUT 5,000 OTHER THINGS THAT THEY MAKE ME DO IN THE CALCULATION, WHAT'S THE TAX RATE YOU WOULD HAVE TO SET IN ORDER TO GENERATE THE SAME AMOUNT OF MONEY? SO THEY'RE SAYING WHAT'S THE TAX RATE FOR NO NEW REVENUE ON THE SAME PROPERTY? THAT'S 46.72 CENTS.
THE M AND O NO NEW REVENUE RATE IS ITS COUNTERPART LOOKING AT THE M AND O RATE ONLY.
SO THAT'S SUPPOSED TO BE COMPARED TO YOUR M AND O RATE.
SO POINT OR 35.59 CENTS IS COMPARED TO OUR PROPOSED 36.06 CENTS.
SO THAT'S SAYING M AND O REVENUE, SAME PROPERTIES BOTH YEARS.
WHAT'S THE RATE YOU NEED TO ADOPT IN ORDER TO GET NO NEW REVENUE IS 35.59 CENTS.
AND THE REALLY INTERESTING THING THIS YEAR THAT I, I REALIZED, AND AGAIN, I THINK THIS IS THE FIRST TIME SINCE I'VE BEEN A FINANCE DIRECTOR THAT THIS HAS HAPPENED IS IF YOU NOTICE THE M AND O TAX RATE FROM LAST YEAR, 35.32 CENTS, THAT'S LESS THAN OUR M AND O NO NEW REVENUE RATE, WHICH MEANS IF WE HAD KEPT THE M AND O RATE THE SAME, WE WOULD BE GENERATING LESS M AND O REVENUE FOR SURE.
SO THAT ALSO IS PARTIALLY WHAT'S CONTRIBUTING TO OUR PROPOSED TAX RATE INCREASE.
THE OTHER UH, THE LAST TAX RATE IS THE VOTER APPROVAL RATE.
AND THIS IS JUST THE, THE HIGHEST RATE THAT A CITY CAN ADOPT WITHOUT TRIGGERING A REQUIRED ELECTION BY THE CITIZENS.
AND THAT IS 52.43 CENTS AND WE'RE WELL BELOW THAT.
UM, IT'S HELPFUL TO KNOW THAT THERE'S ALSO ANOTHER PART OF THE LAW.
IT'S CALLED THE UNUSED INCREMENT TAX RATE.
THAT'S JUST, IT'S AN INCENTIVE TO CITIES TO NOT ADOPT UP TO THE HIGHEST TO YOUR VOTER APPROVAL EVERY, EVERY YEAR.
IT ALLOWS YOU TO BANK THAT UNUSED TAX RATE.
IF YOU ADOPT ANYTHING LOWER THAN THE VOTER APPROVAL RATE, YOU CAN BANK THAT DIFFERENCE FOR THREE YEARS AND YOU CAN USE IT ANYTIME.
SO WE'VE GOT 2.90 CENTS OF BANKED UNUSED INCREMENT RATE, AND THAT'S PART OF THAT VOTER APPROVAL RATE.
SO THAT JUST SHOWS WE HAVEN'T BEEN INCREASING THE TAX RATE AND SO WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO BANK THIS.
OKAY, HOPEFULLY, HOPEFULLY THAT GIVES Y'ALL A GOOD BASIS WITHOUT PUTTING Y'ALL TO SLEEP TOO MUCH.
I SEE EVERYONE'S, EVERYONE'S STILL WITH ME, SO THAT'S GOOD.
WE, UM, WE DID A GOOD LARGE REDUCTION ON OUR M AND O SIDE OF 2.10 CENTS.
AND SO THAT BROUGHT OUR TAX RATE WAY DOWN.
IN 2024, WE ISSUED OUR FIRST TRANCHE OF DEBT FOR THE VOTER APPROVED 2022 BOND, AND THAT'S WHEN WE GOT BACK UP TO 4 7, 6 6.
SINCE THEN WE'VE UM, WORKED HARD TO SHAVE A LITTLE BIT MORE OFF THE M AND O.
SO THAT'S HOW WE GOT FROM THE POINT OF THE 47.20 CENTS TO THE 47.9 WE ARE NOW.
AND UM, WHAT'S REALLY GOOD JUST SHOWS OUR DISCIPLINE, OUR FINANCIAL DISCIPLINE IS WHEN WE WENT OUT TO THE VOTERS IN 2022 AND WE WERE TELLING THEM WHAT THE IMPACT OF THIS POTENTIAL BOND WOULD BE, IT WAS 6 CENTS.
SO, UM, SO FAR WITH THE INITIAL ISSUANCE AND THE 0.7 WHERE LITTLE OVER THREE PENNIES ON HOW MUCH WE HAVE OF THAT 6 CENTS NOT TAKING INTO ACCOUNT THE M AND O REDUCTIONS.
SO FOR JUST THE BOND ITSELF, WE'RE WELL BELOW WHAT WE SAID.
WE THOUGHT WE MIGHT END UP PAYING ONE MORE.
LOOK AT THE AVERAGE HOME BREAKDOWN IS JUST THE BREAKDOWN BETWEEN DEBT AND OPERATIONS.
SOMETIMES THIS IS HELPFUL TO KNOW THE $2,186 IS MADE UP OF A DEBT COMPONENT AND AN OPERATIONS COMPONENT.
UM, THIS IS PROBABLY OUR FAVORITE SLIDE.
IT, UM, IT SHOWS WHAT THE AVERAGE RESIDENT WOULD PAY PER DAY FOR ALL THE SERVICES AND WHAT, WHAT THAT COVERS, WHAT IT SUPPORTS.
AND SO BETWEEN, BETWEEN OUR ROADS, ROAD MAINTENANCE, UM, ALL OF OUR PARKS PARK, LAND ANIMAL SHELTER, OUR FANTASTIC LIBRARY AND OUR FIRST RESPONDERS, UM, $5 AND 98 CENTS PER DAY COVERS ALL THE SERVICES AND IT'S ACTUALLY LOWER FROM LAST YEAR.
[00:55:01]
THAN WHAT IT WOULD COST LAST YEAR.ANY QUESTIONS BEFORE WE MOVE ON TO INFRASTRUCTURE? CAN YOU GO BACK TO THE NO NEW REVENUE TAX SLIDE? SURE.
UM, FIRST OF ALL, I KNOW THE VERY FIRST SLIDE YOU PUT UP WITH KIND OF DRILLING IT DOWN WAS VERY HELPFUL TO UNDERSTAND THAT ALL THE DIFFERENT PARTS AND IT'S A LOT OF MOVING PARTS.
SO THANK YOU FOR TRYING TO MAKE THAT DIGESTIBLE FROM, UM, COUNSEL AND FOR THE PEOPLE WATCHING ONLINE.
UM, BUT WHEN I LOOK AT NO NEW REVENUE TAX RATE, HELP ME UNDERSTAND IT.
IF I PLAY IT BACK TO YOU THAT I'M PLAYING IT BACK ACCURATELY.
SO WHEN YOU'RE IN A COMMUNITY THAT'S GROWING AND IN AND HAVING INCREASED REVENUES, IT'S A GOOD THING, RIGHT? AND, UM, BECAUSE OF THAT, IF YOU LOOK AT EVERYTHING THE WAY IT WAS LAST YEAR TO THIS YEAR, YOU HAVE NEW ENTITIES CONTRIBUTING, RIGHT? SO YOU HAVE NEW REVENUES COMING INTO THE CITY AND UM, TO PROVIDE THOSE SAME SERVICES OF THE NEW YEAR, YOU THAT INCREASE OF MONEY, YOU WOULDN'T HAVE TO INCREASE THE TAXES TO COVER THAT.
IS THAT, I THINK, I THINK THAT'S A GOOD WAY TO THINK ABOUT IT, RIGHT? SO LIKE, BECAUSE IT DOESN'T, SO YOU COULD OPERATE THE SAME BECAUSE OF THE INCREASED REVENUES.
YOU COULD OPERATE YOUR CITY IN 2027 THE SAME WAY YOU DID IN 2026 BECAUSE OF THE INFLUX OF REVENUES FROM THE NEW ENTITIES THAT HAVE COME IN ON SERVICES.
SO NO NEW REVENUE TAX RATE, YOU WOULD ALL ELSE WOULD BE EQUAL, RIGHT? IT IT WITHOUT HAVING TO INCREASE TAXES.
AND THAT'S WHY THE STATE MAKES YOU REQUIRED AT THE COUNTY LEVEL AND THE CITY LEVEL COMMUNICATE TO THE, TO THE COMMUNITY THAT YOU COULD ALL ELSE EQUAL NOT CHANGE ANYTHING.
AND THAT IS WHAT NO NEW REVENUE TAX RATE SHOULD BE OR WOULD BE.
CITIES HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO INCREASE THAT WITHIN LIMITS.
AND THERE'S TRIGGERING MECHANISMS THAT WILL SAY, IF YOU GO BEYOND THAT, YOU HAVE TO GET A TAX APPROVED VOTE.
BUT IT IS TO SAY THAT, AND I'LL MAKE UP NUMBERS FOR THE SAKE OF SIMPLICITY, IF YOU HAD 5% YEAR OVER YEAR GROWTH AND YOU SAID, WELL, WE'RE ONLY GONNA INCREASE THE TAXES 3%.
A LOT OF TIMES I'VE SEEN PEOPLE SAY, WELL, WE ONLY, WE DECREASED IT BY 2%.
YOU'RE GONNA PAY LESS TAXES THIS YEAR.
WHEN REALLY IT'S BECAUSE OF THE INFLUX OF THE NEW TAX REVENUE THAT YOU GET TO ENJOY THAT, UM, RELAXATION OF THE INCREASE BECAUSE YOUR COMMUNITY'S GROWING.
COMMUNITIES THAT ARE NOT GROWING DON'T HAVE THAT SAME LUXURY.
THE OTHER THING I WOULD SAY IS, UM, FACING THE HEADWINDS AND KIND OF OUR JOB TO LOOK FORWARD IS I DON'T SEE THE PRESSURES THAT WE SEE IN PROPERTY TAX DECLINING, UH, DECLINING REVENUES CHANGING EITHER.
SO THOSE WILL CONTINUE TO BE HEADWINDS THAT WE NEED TO LOOK AT WHEN WE LOOK AT THIS.
BUT I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE I UNDERSTOOD IN LAYMAN TERMS, IF I EXPLAINED IT CORRECTLY, MY UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT NO NEW REVENUE TAX MEANS AND WHY WE, WHY IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE UNDERSTAND THAT.
AND WE'RE IN A VERY ADVANTAGEOUS PLACE TO BE IN A COMMUNITY THAT'S GROWING.
I WOULD ALSO SAY COUNCIL MEMBER BATEMAN, THAT NO NEW REVENUE RATE, WHILE IT DOES EXACTLY WHAT YOU JUST DESCRIBED, IT DOESN'T REALLY LEND ITSELF TO, IF YOU'RE ADDING NEW OTHER REVENUES, IT'S PROBABLY 'CAUSE THERE'S GROWTH AND NEW SERVICE DEMANDS AND INFRASTRUCTURE THAT COME ALONG WITH THAT.
IE PARK FIRST RESPONDERS, STAFFING, ALL THAT, RIGHT? AND THEN, THEN THERE'S A PROCESS.
AND SO THAT'S THAT OTHER END OF THE FRICTION THAT WE'RE FEELING, THAT WE FEEL.
AND, UH, I KNOW YOU'RE NOT ARGUING WITHOUT JUST SAYING THAT'S, THAT'S THE DOWNSIDE WITH HOW THAT THE STATE LAW AND ALL I AM TRYING TO DO IS JUST FOR THE TRANSPARENCY SAKE, MAKE IT SIMPLE TO UNDERSTAND, BECAUSE YOU'RE RIGHT, THESE KIND OF SLIDES DO GET VERY DIFFICULT TO, TO KIND OF COMPREHEND ON A, ON A BASIC, JUST GIVE ME THE BASICS.
AND SO I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE I UNDERSTOOD THAT CORRECTLY.
CAN I ASK YOU TO GO BACK TO THE SLIDE WITH THE 2013, YOU KNOW, THE TIMELINE, UM, JUST FOR GIGGLES, IF YOU INFLATE FROM 2013 BY THE CPI, I'M GOING BY THE JULY 14TH FIGURES OF 2026 FROM THE US GOVERNMENT.
THAT 0.472 TODAY SHOULD BE 0.67.
SO WE ARE ESSENTIALLY RUNNING THIS CITY ON WHAT AMOUNTS TO THE SAME TAX RATE WITH NO ACCOUNT FOR MAJOR INFLATION OVER THE LAST 15 YEARS.
I THINK THAT PUTS IT EVEN IN MORE PERSPECTIVE.
SO WE SHOULD BE CHARGING 0.67 JUST TO KEEP UP WITH INFLATION IF EVERYTHING WAS THE SAME.
NOW BECAUSE WE'VE GROWN, THAT'S WHAT'S KEPT THE BALANCE DOWN.
BUT I THINK THE PUBLIC NEEDS TO REALIZE THAT WHEN YOU LOOK AT THESE RATES, WE'VE SUFFERED FROM INFLATION AT THE CITY JUST LIKE EVERYBODY ELSE DOES.
I KNOW WE ALL FEEL IT AS IN OUR INDIVIDUAL HOMES, THE GROCERY, EVERYTHING, BUT WE ARE REALLY DOING A HECK OF A JOB.
IF YOU THINK THIS DOESN'T, THIS, TO ME, THIS TELLS EVERYTHING.
I MEAN, INFLATION ALONE SHOULD MAKE THIS 0.67 JUST SINCE 2013.
AND I DON'T WANT TO BE MISUNDERSTOOD TOO.
THE EFFORTS THAT THE CITY WENT THROUGH BY DEPARTMENT TO GO BACK TO THE DRAWING BOARD AND LOOK WHERE THEY COULD TRIM THEIR BUDGETS IS NOT MISSED ON ME EITHER.
I THINK IT'S INCREDIBLE, UM, THE EFFORTS THAT WE'VE MADE TO STAY STABLE.
BUT, BUT WHAT I WANT TO POINT OUT THOUGH IS THAT I KNOW THERE'S A LOT OF DEBATE ABOUT GROWTH, HOW WE GROW, HOW FAST WE GROW, THE KIND OF GROWTH.
I GET ALL THAT, BUT WITHOUT THE GROWTH, IF PEOPLE WANT TO MAINTAIN THE SERVICES WE HAD IN 2013, THIS
[01:00:01]
TAX RATE SHOULD BE A LOT HIGHER.JUST TO MAINTAIN WHAT WE HAD 15 YEARS AGO.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? OKAY.
WE'LL MOVE ON TO CAPITAL THIS YEAR.
WE'VE, WE'VE TALKED, UM, SEVERAL TIMES ALREADY ABOUT, WE'RE EXCITED TO OPEN THE HERITAGE BULK PARK.
WE'RE LOOKING FORWARD TO ITS COMPLETION.
WE'RE ALSO LOOKING FORWARD TO KICKING OFF CONSTRUCTION OF FIRE STATION NUMBER TWO.
UH, WE ALSO HAVE SOME OTHER KEY INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS PLANNED FOR 2027.
WE HAVE AN OLD NUMBER NINE BRIDGE REPLACEMENT THAT'S PARTIALLY GRANT FUNDED THAT WE'LL BE STARTING AS WELL AS A RATHER LARGE CITYWIDE SIDEWALK PROJECT.
UH, WE'RE LOOKING AT COMPLETING OUR ADLER CULVERTS RECONSTRUCTION PROJECT AND KICKING OFF DESIGN WORK FOR WATERWORKS TERRACE.
UM, THIS IS THE COMPLETE LISTING.
SOMETHING THAT I ADDED ON HERE THAT I THOUGHT WAS JUST REALLY HELPFUL, UM, TO SEE, BECAUSE I KNOW COUNCIL HAS SEEN US COME FORWARD WITH GRANT SUBMISSIONS AND THE, THE NEWS OF GRANT AWARDS AND IT'S REALLY STARTING TO TURN A CORNER AND WE'RE STARTING TO SEE THE FRUITS OF OUR LABOR COME FORTH.
SO HOW IT WORKS WITH THE GRANTS IS MOST OF THEM ARE REIMBURSEMENT.
SO WE HAVE TO FRONT IT, WE HAVE TO PAY FOR IT UP FRONT.
SO IT MAY NOT BE FULLY APPARENT IN OUR CIP BECAUSE THESE PROJECTS ARE BEING FUNDED FROM OUR CAPITAL RESERVES NOW, BUT THEN WE'RE GETTING REIMBURSED, THE AMOUNTS THAT ARE OFF, UM, OFF TO THE RIGHT, THE FUNDING REIMBURSEMENT FOR THE GRANT THAT THEN GETS CYCLED BACK INTO OUR CIP AND MAKES FUTURE PROJECTS POSSIBLE.
SO, UM, THIS SLIDE ALSO JUST REALLY HIGHLIGHTS THAT WE TOOK A HARD LOOK AT OUR CIP THIS YEAR AS WELL, AND WE'RE FOCUSING ON THOSE, THOSE PROJECTS THAT DO HAVE EXTERNAL FUNDING THAT, UM, DO HAVE THE POSSIBILITY FOR FUTURE GRANTS.
SO ALL IN ALL, 8.7 MILLION OF, UM, EXTERNAL FUNDING IS, IS GREAT ON OUR, UH, TOTAL FISCAL YEAR 27 CIP BUDGET OF 25.3.
SO JUST TO RECAP, UM, WE HAVE A LOT OF BIG ACCOMPLISHMENTS FOR A CHALLENGING YEAR AND WE, I'D SAY WE ROSE TO THAT CHALLENGE, UM, WITH MITIGATING THE COST AND STILL BEING ABLE TO ACHIEVE ALL THESE PRIORITIES.
SO FROM HERE, AS I MENTIONED, UH, FIRST MEETING IS OUR FIRST PUBLIC HEARING ON THE BUDGET AND THE TAX RATE.
ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS BEFORE WE START MOVING ON TO THE LEGAL SIDE? ANY QUESTIONS? NO, I THINK SO.
CAN I ASK MAYOR, COUNSEL, IS THERE ANYTHING ADDITIONAL YOU DON'T HAVE TO ANSWER NOW? YOU CAN LET ME KNOW BETWEEN NOW AND THE NEXT COUNCIL MEETING THAT YOU WOULD LIKE TO SEE ON THIS BUDGET, AND WE CAN ACTUALLY SEND THIS PRESENTATION TO YOU SO YOU CAN HAVE THOSE OTHER COMPARISONS, UH, AVAILABLE TO YOU.
OKAY, SO THIS IS, UM, JUST A SUMMARY PAGE OF WHERE WE'RE HEADED NOW.
IT'S A REMINDER OF TOTAL PROPOSED TAX RATE, THE NO NEW REVENUE RATE AND THE VOTER APPROVAL RATE.
THE ACTIONS WE'RE GONNA TAKE WILL RECEIVE THE CERTIFIED VALUE.
SO THE CERTIFIED ROLES, YOU ALL WILL RECEIVE THOSE FORMALLY AS WELL AS THE TAX CALCULATION THAT WE PREPARED AND YOU'LL BE CERTIFYING.
THE, THE ANTICIPATED COLLECTION RATE IS NOT SOMETHING I CALCULATE.
IT COMES DIRECTLY FROM THE APPRAISAL DISTRICT AND AS WELL AS EXCESS DEBT COLLECTIONS, THAT AS WELL COMES DIRECTLY FROM THE APPRAISAL DISTRICT.
SO WE JUST, WE CERTIFY THAT WE'VE GOTTEN THOSE AND THAT'S WHAT WE USED IN OUR CALCULATION.
SO FIRST IS, UH, THE RECEIPT OF THE CERTIFIED RULES AND TAX INFORMATION.
SO 2026 DASH 2 3 4, SEE THE CITY'S BURNING 2026 CERTIFIED APPRAISAL TAX ROLL VALUES, TAX RATE CALCULATIONS, CERTIFIED ANTICIPATED COLLECTION RATE IN EXCESS DEBT COLLECTIONS.
CAN I GET A MOTION OR YOU GOING? YOU GONNA GO AHEAD AND GO FIRST? MAYOR, I MOVE TO RECEIVE THE CITY OF BERNIE'S 2026 CERTIFIED APPRAISAL ROLL VALUES TAX RATE CALCULATION AND CERTIFY ANTICIPATED COLLECTION RATE AND EXCESS DEBT COLLECTIONS.
SECOND FROM COUNCILMAN BUNKER, PLEASE VOTE.
MOVING ON TO SEVEN D 20 26 2 DASH 2 37, RECEIVED THE PROPOSED BUDGET FOR FISCAL YEAR 20 26, 27, AND CONFIRM THE PROPOSED TAX RATE OF 0.4790 PER $100 EVALUATION.
SO IN THIS ONE, YOU'RE, WE ARE NOT ADOPTING THE TAX RATE BY ANY MEANS.
ALL THIS DOES IS SAY THAT YOU ARE RECEIVING THE PROPOSED BUDGET AND YOU'RE CONFIRMING THE TAX RATE THAT YOU ARE WANTING ME TO GO AND PUT ON ALL THE NOTIFICATIONS I HAVE TO GO PUT IN THE NEWSPAPER AND EVERYWHERE ELSE.
SO THIS IS NOT ADOPTING THE TAX RATE.
[01:05:01]
MOVE TO RECEIVE THE PROPOSED BUDGET FOR FISCAL YEAR 20 26, 20 27 AND CONFIRM THE PROPOSED TAX RATE OF 0.4790 PER A HUNDRED DOLLARS VALUATION.SECOND FROM COUNCILMAN WILLISON, PLEASE VOTE.
MOVING ON TO SEVEN E 2026 DASH TWO THIRTY FIVE.
CALL FOR AND SET THE FIRST PUBLIC HEARING ON PROPOSED BUDGET FOR FISCAL YEAR 20 26, 27 FOR AUGUST 25TH, 2026 AT 6:00 PM AND THE SECOND PUBLIC HEARING ON PROPOSED BUDGET FOR FISCAL YEAR 20 26, 27 FOR SEPTEMBER EIGHT AT 6:00 PM YOU SAID IT
ALL, ALL YOU ARE IS SETTING THE DATE AND TIME FOR THE PUBLIC HEARINGS.
MOTION FROM COUNCILMAN WILLISON.
SO MOVED SECOND FROM COUNCILMAN MICKELSON.
NOW WE'RE GOING TO THE FINAL ONE, SEVEN, UH, SEVEN F 2026 DASH TWO THREE SIX.
CALL FOR AND SET THE FIRST PUBLIC HEARING ON A PROPOSED TAX RATE OF POINT OR 0.4790 PER A HUNDRED DOLLARS VALUATION FISCAL YEAR 26 27 FOR AUGUST 25TH, 26 AT 6:00 PM AND THE SECOND PUBLIC HEARING ON A PROPOSED TAX RATE OF 0.4790 PER HUNDRED.
VALUATION FOR FISCAL YEAR 20 26, 27 FOR SEPTEMBER 8TH AT 2026 AT 6:00 PM WE GOT A MOTION FROM COUNCIL WILSON.
SECOND FROM COUNCILMAN BUNKER, OR I'M SORRY, COUNCILMAN BATEMAN
[8.A.2026-341 WATERWORKS TERRACE SUBCOMMITTEE UPDATE.]
REPORT AGENDA ITEM 8 8 1 26 3 41.WALLWORK TERRA SUBCOMMITTEE UPDATE.
BEN? YES, MAYOR, UH, AND COUNCIL, UH, YOU'LL, YOU'LL KNOW THAT ALL MY MONTHLY PROJECT REPORTS THAT I GIVE, WE'VE HAD THREE SLIDES THAT TALK ABOUT THESE THREE SUBCOMMITTEE, COUNCIL, SUBCOMMITTEE, UH, INITIATIVES GOING ON.
AND I THOUGHT IT'D BE TODAY WOULD BE A GOOD TIME BASED ON THE AGENDA WORKLOAD FOR TODAY.
IN THE NEXT MEETING, THAT TO ACTUALLY HAVE EACH OF THOSE SUBCOMMITTEE LIAISONS IN MY OFFICE GIVE AN UPDATE.
AND THEN THE TWO COUNCIL MEMBERS WHO ARE ASSIGNED TO EACH CAN THEN, UM, UH, WEIGH IN AND, AND PROVIDE YOUR OWN OTHER PERSPECTIVE JUST TO GIVE THE COLLECTIVE CITY COUNCIL AN UPDATE ON HOW THE WORK OF EACH OF THOSE SUBCOMMITTEES.
SO WE'LL START WITH ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER STARK TO TALK ABOUT THE WATERWORKS TERRACE SUBCOMMITTEE.
UM, SO OF COURSE, YOU KNOW, I I DO THINK THAT, THAT THIS IS THE BEST COMMITTEE, BUT, UH, JUST MY PERSONAL OPINION FOR SURE.
UM, SO THIS IS HOW, UH, THIS ITEM MEETS WITH OUR STRATEGY MAP.
HEY, CHRISTIE, CAN YOU MOVE THAT MICROPHONE MORE TO YOUR, YOU'RE ABLE TO, THERE YOU GO.
SO, I WANTED TO INCLUDE, THIS IS ONE OF THE PICTURES THAT, UH, OUR INTERN WHO HELPED US WITH THIS COMMITTEE, UH, HAD FOUND ON, ON OUR, UM, IN OUR PICTURE, UM, LIBRARY.
AND IT JUST GIVES YOU A GOOD LOOK OF EXACTLY WHAT WA WATERWORKS TERRACE IS.
SO THIS IS THE AREA THAT, UM, IS AT THE END OF MAIN PLAZA, A BEAUTIFUL AREA, LOTS OF TREES, UM, AND ACTUALLY WHERE THE, UH, OLD CITY POOL USED TO BE.
AND ALSO THERE WERE MANY THINGS.
UM, WE ACTUALLY HAVE SOME WELLS RIGHT NOW THAT ARE IN ONE OF THE BUILDINGS.
THERE'S SOME RESTROOMS AND THEN ALSO SOME PARKING AREAS.
UM, THIS SUBCOMMITTEE, UM, THERE HAD BEEN A LOT OF WORK THAT HAD BEEN DONE ON THIS PROJECT PRIOR, AND A LOT OF WORK WITHIN THE COMMUNITY.
UH, I BELIEVE, UH, MAYOR PRO TEM WILSON HAD BEEN ON THE COMMITTEE THAT HAD WORKED ON THIS EARLIER.
UM, BUT WE PUT A NEW GROUP TOGETHER.
UM, SO IT WAS, UH, MAYOR PRO, TIM WILLISON, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER MICKELSON, AND WERE OUR TWO COUNCIL, UH, MEMBERS ON THE COMMITTEE.
AND WE HAVE HELD THREE, THREE MEETINGS.
WE HELD ONE IN FEBRUARY AND APRIL AND IN JULY.
AND I THINK ONE OF THE UNIQUE THINGS ABOUT THIS COMMITTEE IS THAT WE WERE ABLE TO INCLUDE SOME STAKEHOLDERS.
AND SINCE THIS PROJECT IS LOCATED, THIS PIECE OF PROPERTY IS LOCATED IN A VERY VISIBLE AREA, UH, DOWNTOWN.
UH, WE REACHED OUT TO NUMEROUS PROPERTY OWNERS, UH, BUSINESS OWNERS IN THE AREA, AND THEN ALSO JUST SOME INDIVIDUALS, UM, WHO, WHO OWN PROPERTY.
AND SO WE WERE ABLE TO HAVE SOME INTERACTION AND SOME INPUT FROM THOSE COMMUNITY MEMBERS, AND WHO I THINK REALLY APPRECIATED BEING ASKED TO COME BACK IN.
AND, UH, THEY DID A GREAT JOB.
THEY, UH, BOTH THE MEETINGS THAT WE HAD, AND, UH, WE DID A SITE VISIT, UH, WHERE WE ACTUALLY WENT OUT AND WALKED THE SITE AND TALKED ABOUT WHAT COULD HAPPEN.
WE LOOKED AT RENDERINGS AND PICTURES THAT HAD BEEN DONE PRIOR, TALKED THROUGH THOSE.
UH, ONE UNIQUE PART OF THIS WAS THAT WE HAD RECENTLY DONE THE, THE PARK SURVEY TO THE COMMUNITY.
AND SO WE WERE ABLE TO GLEAN A LOT OF, UH, REALLY VALUABLE, UH, INFORMATION
[01:10:01]
FROM OUR COMMUNITY FROM THAT, UH, SURVEY.SO NOT ONLY, UH, TO DO WITH WATERWORKS PARK, WATERWORKS TERRACE, BUT ALSO JUST WHAT PEOPLE THOUGHT ABOUT THE MAIN PLAZA AREA.
AND THEN WE ALSO COMPLETED A VISIONING EXERCISE AND DISCUSSED DESIGN IDEAS.
UM, I WILL SAY THAT ONE ADVANTAGE TO HAVING ONE OF THE GENTLEMEN WHO WAS ON OUR COMMITTEE, UM, YOU MAY KNOW ROBERT THORNTON ACTUALLY PUT SOME SKETCHES TOGETHER FOR US TO LOOK AT, WHICH WAS VERY, UM, PARTICULARLY AFTER WE KIND OF TALKED THROUGH THINGS, THOUGHT IT WAS, IT WAS A, GAVE A REALLY GOOD PERSPECTIVE OF, UM, YOU KNOW, WHAT SOMEONE RIGHT THERE ON THE GROUND, UM, MIGHT BE ABLE TO, TO DO AND, AND THINK ABOUT HAPPENING AT THE SPACE.
SO AS YOU ALSO SEE THE, UH, EXCUSE ME, THE PICTURE, THE RENDERING THAT'S ON HERE, THIS WAS THE BACK IN 2023, LUCK DESIGN, BRENT LUCK, WHO ACTUALLY DESIGNED OUR VS.
PARK, UH, DID THESE RENDERINGS TO, FOR AN UPDATE TO OUR PARKS MASTER PLAN.
THIS WAS PROBABLY THE, YOU KNOW, WHAT COULD YOU IMAGINE WHAT COULD POSSIBLY HAPPEN IN THAT, IN THAT AREA.
UH, WE KNOW THAT THIS IS A LOT OF ACTIVITY FOR A SMALL SPACE, BUT, UM, IT WAS GOOD TO BE ABLE TO SEE THIS AND THEN TAKE THE INFORMATION FROM THE, THE PARK SURVEY AND WHAT PEOPLE REALLY WOULD LIKE TO SEE IN THAT AREA.
AND I'LL LET THE COUNCIL MEMBERS TALK ABOUT THAT SOME MORE.
UM, AND THEN THINK ABOUT, WELL, MAYBE THIS IS, THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WAS REALLY A GREAT PICTURE TO LOOK AT AND WORKED AT THE TIME, BUT WE MAY, WE ARE GONNA WANNA REFINE THAT A LITTLE BIT MORE AND MAKE IT MORE BURNY AND MAKE IT MORE, UM, LISTEN TO THE RESULTS AND WHAT PEOPLE WANNA SEE IS THAT SHADE, IS THAT PICNIC AREAS, UM, MAYBE SOMETHING A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT THAN THIS.
SO HOW WE'RE GONNA MOVE FORWARD IS WE DID, UH, AS, UH, DIRECTOR BUCKALEW, UH, SHOWED YOU IN THE BUDGET.
WE HAVE INCLUDED DESIGN FUNDS IN OUR CURRENT FY 27 BUDGET.
UM, AND IF THOSE ARE APPROVED AS WE MOVE ON, WE'LL DEFINITELY WANT TO LOOK AT PUTTING, UH, REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS TOGETHER.
UH, LOOK AT CHOOSING A DESIGN FIRM TO NOT ONLY REFINE A TIMELINE, BUT ALSO TO GIVE US A BETTER COST PROJECTION ON WHAT THE PROJECT WOULD COST, WHICH IS REALLY IMPORTANT AS WE, UH, LOOK AT FUNDING SOURCES TO INCLUDE, YOU KNOW, OF COURSE OUR CAPITAL BUDGET, BUT THEN ALSO HOPEFULLY GRANT FUNDS.
AND THIS IS ALSO A PROJECT THAT HAD POTENTIALLY BEEN IDENTIFIED AS, UH, SOME PRIVATE DIFFERENT GROUPS WITHIN TOWN MAY WANT TO, UH, PARTICIPATE.
SO WE HOPE THAT THAT WOULD HAPPEN LATER ON.
AND THEN I'LL TURN IT OVER TO YOU ALL FOR COMMENTS OR ANYTHING THAT YOU'D LIKE TO SHARE FIRST.
UM, I THOUGHT THE EXERCISE, WELL, FIRST OFF, ALL OF THE MEETINGS THAT WE'VE HAD WITH, UH, YOU KNOW, WITH, WITH OUR CITY REPRESENTATIVES AND, AND, UM, CITIZENS STAKEHOLDERS HAVE BEEN AWESOME.
I THOUGHT THE, THE DESIGN SESSION, UH, BRAINSTORM THAT WE HAD A COUPLE WEEKS AGO, YEAH, UHHUH WAS EXCELLENT.
UM, I SO REALLY APPRECIATE THE EFFORT THAT WENT INTO PUTTING THOSE, UM, DIFFERENT PARK ELEMENTS FROM AROUND, I'M ASSUMING TEXAS OR MAYBE JUST AROUND THE NATION.
I DON'T KNOW WHERE THOSE PICTURES CAME FROM, BUT, UM, IT WAS A GREAT EXERCISE.
I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO HOW WE, UH, PROCEED WITH THIS PROJECT.
UM, YOU KNOW, INTERESTINGLY THIS PROJECT GOES BACK TO BRIAN FOWLER, UM, WANTING TO CREATE SOMETHING IN A SPACE THAT WASN'T GETTING UTILIZED TO A POINT THAT IT COULD.
SO FROM BRIAN, IT KIND OF WENT ON TO QUENTIN, WHO, THIS WAS HIS DISTRICT, AND HERE WE ARE FOR THIS.
SO, YOU KNOW, I'VE BEEN THROUGH THIS PROCESS, SO OBVIOUSLY FOR ME IT'S IMPORTANT TO KIND OF SEE IT THROUGH.
AND I THINK THE GROUP WE HAVE HAS BROUGHT SOME, I THINK, GOOD PERSPECTIVES THAT I DIDN'T NECESSARILY SEE.
AND OBVIOUSLY I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT THE, YOU KNOW, ROBERT AND TRAVIS LIVE AND LOOK AT THIS DIRECTLY, AS DOES THE OTHER WOMAN, I, WHAT'S HER NAME, I FORGET, SARAH.
SARAH, THAT LIVES DIRECTLY ACROSS FROM THIS.
UM, SO OBVIOUSLY HAVING PEOPLE THAT ARE DIRECTLY IMPACTED FROM IT AND THEN COINCIDENTALLY ALSO ARE IN THE CONSTRUCTION BUSINESS, OR ARCHITECTS, SAI ARCHITECTS, OSO WAS PRETTY, UM, GREAT.
UM, TO YOUR POINT, UM, THE, YOU KNOW, THIS I, THIS, WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT, I THINK WAS KIND OF, IF WE COULD GET EVERYTHING WE WANTED AND SHOVE IT IN THERE, THAT WAS KIND OF WHAT WE HAD.
UM, AND I THINK WE KNEW THAT AT THE TIME THAT IT WAS, THIS WAS AN AMBITIOUS PLAN AND I THINK ROBERT KIND OF GAVE US A ANOTHER IDEA THAT'S, TO YOUR POINT, MAYBE A LITTLE BIT MORE BERNIE, MAYBE HE'S NOT THE PERFECT PLAN.
YOU KNOW, WE TALKED ABOUT HOW WE PROBABLY WANT A LITTLE BIT MORE, UM, KID SPACE PER, I MEAN, WE READ ALL SAW THAT IN THE PARKS MASTER PLAN HOW, UM, OR THE PARKS, UH, SURVEY THAT PEOPLE DO WANT SOME, A USABLE SPACE FOR KIDS AT THAT PLACE.
UM, SO YEAH, I THINK WE'RE ON THE RIGHT DIRECTION.
I THINK I REALLY DO THINK THIS WOULD BRING A LOT OF PEOPLE TO
[01:15:01]
DOWNTOWN, WHICH WOULD THEN HOPEFULLY GET EVEN MORE BUSINESS FOR OUR, YOU KNOW, SMALL AND MEDIUM BUSINESSES THAT ARE DOWN THERE.I THINK THERE'S SOME CREATIVE WAYS THAT THE BUSINESSES ON THAT PART OF MAIN STREET COULD THEN EVEN GET MORE, MORE BUSINESS.
UM, YEAH, I'M DEFINITELY ENCOURAGED BY THE DIRECTION WE'RE AT.
AND, UM, I THINK, AGAIN, I THINK ROBERT HAD SOME INTERESTING IDEAS.
AGAIN, I KNOW WE HAVE TO TALK THE UTILITY DEPARTMENT ABOUT SOME OF THOSE IDEAS, BUT, UM, YEAH, I THINK WE'RE HEADED IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION AND EX EXCITED TO SEE WHERE WE GO.
ANY QUESTIONS FROM COUNSEL OF THE SUBCOMMITTEE? JUST TO COMMENT? I KNOW THESE THINGS TAKE TIME AND IT'S BEEN A LONG, LIKE YOU JUST POINTED OUT THE TIMELINE.
UM, I, I WOULD AGREE AND JUST ADD THAT I THINK IT'S A, A VERY UNDERUTILIZED PART OF OUR TOWN, WHICH IS IN THE CENTER FOCAL AREA OF TOWN.
SO ANY KIND OF EFFORTS TOWARDS LIKE MAKING THAT MORE USABLE I THINK WOULD BE WELL RECEIVED BY EVERYBODY.
SO, UM, YOU KNOW, IT'S, UH, I'VE TALKED TO PEOPLE ABOUT, WELL, MAIN STREET AND THEN THE, THE SQUARE AND WHAT WE DO WITH IT.
'CAUSE I THINK IT'S A BIG ATTRACTION FOR OR BIG, UM, PLUS FOR BERNIE THAT WE DO EVENTS AND STUFF LIKE THAT THERE.
AND PEOPLE WILL TELL ME, LIKE, THE OLD TIMERS WILL TELL ME, OH, I REMEMBER WHEN THAT USED TO BE A SWIMMING POOL, RIGHT? AND THEY JUST FILLED IT IN.
SO I THINK, YOU KNOW, SOME SORT OF, WHETHER IT'S PEOPLE THAT ARE THE, YOU KNOW, LEGACY BERNIE BEEN HERE FOR A LONG TIME, FOLKS, OR PEOPLE THAT ARE COMING IN LOOKING FOR NEW AMENITIES FOR THEIR KIDS OR, OR WHATEVER, I THINK IT, IT FITS A LOT.
IT CHECKS A LOT OF BOXES, SO PRETTY EXCITED.
I ALSO LIKE, YOU KNOW, I THINK A LOT OF PEOPLE DON'T REALIZE THE RIVER WALK IN OR COMES, CONNECTS RIGHT THERE AT WATER TERRACE PARK.
THEY KNOW, THEY KNOW ALONG THE RIVER AND THEY KNOW MAYBE THAT RIGHT ACROSS THE BRIDGE, BUT IF YOU HAVEN'T WALKED THE WHOLE WAY, UH, IT'S NOT READILY APPARENT THAT THERE'S A WALK SIDEWALK DOWN THERE TO THE RIVERWALK.
I THINK THIS PARK WILL HELP UTILIZE THAT MORE AND, AND THAT THE PARK SPACE WE ALREADY HAVE, I FEEL LIKE IT'LL OPEN YOU AN OPEN GATEWAY TO THAT TYPE OF, OF RESOURCES FOR THE CITY.
WE TALKED A LOT ABOUT HOW SO MANY PEOPLE USE THAT OTHER SECTION THAT'S NOT AN ACTUAL SIDEWALK, RIGHT.
BECAUSE IT'S NOT, NOT A, TO YOUR POINT, THAT AREA ISN'T A FOCAL POINT, RIGHT? PEOPLE TEND TO USE THE DIRT PATH RIGHT.
AND CUT THROUGH INSTEAD OF GOING CORRECT.
YOU KNOW, YOU LOOK LIKE YOU'RE GOING INTO THE KINDLE.
UM, IF YOU'RE TO YOUR POINT, OBVIOUSLY I'VE BEEN THERE TOO FOR THE, THE HISTORY OF THIS.
AT ONE POINT WE WERE FOCUSED ON JUST THE POOL AREA AND I BROUGHT UP THE IDEA THAT I WAS MORE INTERESTED IN A HOLISTIC RE-IMAGINING OF THE SQUARE.
DO WE STILL HAVE A LOT OF COMPONENTS OF THE SQUARE AND THE WHOLE AREA TOGETHER WITH THIS? AND WE'RE LOOKING AT IT JUST, HAS IT BEEN HONED DOWN TO JUST THE, UH, SO YOU KNOW, OUR KIND OF SCOPE IS THE OLD POOL AND THE BATHROOM AREA, BUT YOU KNOW, WE ENTERED THIS GRANT FOR THE SAFE STREETS, WHICH A PART OF THAT WOULD BE FOR THE SQUARE.
SO, YOU KNOW, IN THE PERFECT WORLD IS WE GET SAFE STREETS AND WE GET, YOU KNOW, WE PASS THE BUDGET, WE GET THE FUNDING FOR THIS AND ALL THESE THINGS HAPPEN SIMULTANEOUSLY, THEN THAT'D BE THE PERFECT WORLD.
IS THAT, BUT I MEAN, YOU'RE STILL TRYING TO LOOK AT THE WHOLE THING.
I REALIZE IT MADE IT HAPPEN ALL AT THE SAME TIME.
NO, WHEN WE'VE BEEN SHOWING THESE SCHEMATICS, THEN WE ALSO ARE LOOKING AT THE HYPOTHETICAL NEW SCHEMATICS FOR THE SQUARE AND MAKING SURE THAT THIS IS PART OF IT AS WE'RE LOOKING AT IT, YOU KNOW, IT'S GOT THE ROUNDABOUT, THE NEW ONE WAY AND ALL THAT.
AND THAT, I THINK THAT WAS A LOT OF THOSE WERE, A LOT OF THE COMMENTS THAT WE RECEIVED ON THE, FROM THE PARK SURVEY WAS THAT PEOPLE WANTED, YOU KNOW, TO, TO ACTIVATE THAT WHOLE AREA AND UTILIZE THE BIG TREES THAT WE HAVE THAT ARE, THAT ARE ON THE, YOU KNOW, THAT ARE, THAT ARE THERE AT THE PLAZA.
SO WE DO HAVE SOME OPPORTUNITY, I THINK, AND TO DO THINGS THAT MAYBE AREN'T SO, UM, YOU KNOW, LIKE YOU'RE NOT BRINGING IN, UM, I DON'T KNOW, THINGS THAT LIKE TONS OF COLOR, BUT MAYBE IT'S PICNIC TABLES, MAYBE IT'S PATHS, MAYBE IT'S THINGS THAT PEOPLE JUST WANT TO BE ABLE TO BRING THEIR FAMILY AND USE, UM, WHICH I THOUGHT WAS REALLY INTERESTING.
UM, WE HAD LOTS AND LOTS OF COMMENTS ABOUT THAT.
ALRIGHT, MAYOR, I'LL, I'LL MOVE ON TO THE ANIMAL SHELTER.
[8.B.2026-342 ANIMAL SHELTER SUBCOMMITTEE UPDATE.]
IS ACTUALLY THE ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER, DANNY ZINC'S SUBCOMMITTEE WORKS WITH YOU AND, UH, COUNCILMAN BATEMAN ON THIS IS PROBABLY THE MOST CON CONCRETE INITIATIVE OUT OF ALL OF THE, THE ONES, I MEAN, IT'S VERY, UH, DID I SAY COUNCILMAN BATEMAN MEANT BUNKER? I'M SORRY.SO, UH, AGAIN, THIS IS THE SUBCOMMITTEE WITH THE MO MOST CONCRETE DIRECTION, RIGHT? WE KNOW WE HAVE A, A HUGE NEED AT THE, UM, ANIMAL SHELTER.
IF YOU HAVEN'T BEEN THERE, LET US KNOW WHEN YOU'RE AVAILABLE.
YOU CAN SEE HOW CONGESTED IT IS.
YOU CAN SEE THE VOLUMES, THE, THE, THEY PROVIDE A GREAT SERVICE THERE.
SO I THINK THE TASK, IF YOU'LL ADVANCE
[01:20:01]
TO THE NEXT SLIDE, THE TASK WAS TO, UM, GET WITH THE POLICE DEPARTMENT, GET WITH STEPHANIE AND THE ANIMAL SHELTER TO TALK ABOUT WHAT ARE THE DEFICIENCIES IN THE CURRENT, UH, FACILITY, WHAT ARE THE NEEDS? THEN GO TOUR SOME OTHER SITES.I DON'T KNOW IF SOME OF YOU WERE ABLE TO GO STAFF MAYBE DID A LOT OF THAT, BUT THEN WE ACTUALLY HAD AN ARCHITECT THAT YOU GUYS APPROVED, UH, NEEDS ASSESSMENT, UH, SCOPE OF SERVICES FOR OUR POLICE DEPARTMENT, ANIMAL SHELTER.
HE'S, HE WORKED WITH YOU GUYS TO DO SOME ENVISIONING SIMILAR RED.GREEN, YOU KNOW, RED.GREEN DOT EXERCISES ABOUT WHAT ARE THE POSSIBILITIES.
AND SO I DO THINK A LOT OF THIS WAS, UH, STAFF, A LOT OF HEAVY STAFF FEEDBACK WHO UTILIZE THE FACILITY, WHAT WOULD, WHAT WOULD WE'D LOVE TO HAVE, OR THIS IS THE BEST PRACTICE OVER AT THIS FACILITY IN ANOTHER COUNTY OR ANOTHER CITY THAT WE KNOW ABOUT.
AND THEN YOU GUYS WORKED WITH THE ARCHITECT TO COME UP WITH, UM, SOME CONCEPTS.
UM, AGAIN, YOU, IT LOOKS LIKE YOU'VE MET ABOUT FOUR TIMES.
THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF OTHER STAFF RELATED MEETINGS.
AGAIN, UH, A LOT OF MORE CONCRETE DIRECTION WITH STAFF, UH, ON THIS.
AND SO THE, THE OBJECTIVE TOO WAS TO, OKAY, IF WE KNOW WHAT TYPE OF FACILITY AND THE SIZE OF THAT FACILITY WE WANT, OKAY, WHERE'S THE IDEAL LOCATION? WE HAVE SEVERAL PIECES OF LAND THAT IT MIGHT FIT, IT MIGHT NOT FIT RIGHT? WE NEED TO ASSESS THAT.
AND I DON'T THINK YOU GUYS HAVE QUITE GOTTEN INTO THAT AREA.
MAYBE YOU'VE LOOKED AT A COUPLE SITES.
I KNOW YOU'VE LANDED ON ONE CONCEPTUALLY, BUT, UM, ANYWAY, SO YOU GUYS HAVE ALREADY DONE A LOT OF GREAT WORK.
IF YOU'LL ADVANCE TO THE NEXT SLIDE, UH, YEAH, THEY WENT BY AND LOOKED AT THE, THE GAPS OF EVERY ROOM OF THE CURRENT FACILITY.
UH, TRIED TO TARGET SOME SQUARE FOOTAGE AND, AND TRY TO COME UP WITH A CONCEPT THAT HAS THE BEST FLOW AND FUNCTIONALITY, UH, FOR FUTURE POTENTIAL GROWTH OF, OF, OF THAT FACILITY.
AGAIN, UH, THERE'S A LOT OF THOUGHTS.
THERE'S A LOT OF DIFFERENT ANIMALS THEY COLLECT TOO.
THERE'S A LOT OF DIFFERENT NEEDS ASSOCIATED WITH TAKING CARE OF THOSE ANIMALS THAT WE GET 'EM THAT, THAT COME INTO OUR FACILITY.
SO IT LOOKS LIKE THE NEXT STEP IS TO CREATE A CONCEPTUAL DESIGN.
WE ACTUALLY THINK, WE FEEL STRONGLY THAT IF WE HAVE A GOOD STRONG CONCEPTUAL DESIGN HERE AND A GOOD PLAN FOR WHERE WE THINK THIS WILL FIT, THERE'S A LOT OF GREAT, UH, OPPORTUNITIES TO PARTNER WITH THE COMMUNITY AND FUNDRAISE.
WE'VE HAD A LOT OF ORGANIZATIONS REACH OUT, SAY, HEY, LET US KNOW WHEN YOU'RE READY TO DO THIS AND WE'LL HELP, YOU KNOW, UH, PARTNER WITH YOU.
AND SO I THINK THERE'S AN OPPORTUNITY TO MATCH WHATEVER THE COMMUNITY CAN RAISE FOR A, FOR A, A SERVICE THAT WE OFFER THAT'S HIGHLY POPULAR, WELL RECEIVED.
SO THERE'S A LOT OF NEAT OPPORTUNITIES THERE.
NEXT, MAYBE THAT'S THE LAST ONE.
IF YOU'LL GO BACK ONE SLIDE, MAYOR AND COUNCILMAN BUNKER.
I'LL LET YOU, UM, WEIGH IN WITH ANY ADDITIONAL FEEDBACK.
YEAH, AS IF YOU HAVEN'T TURNED THE FACILITY.
IT'S VERY BAD SHAPE AND IT'S, YOU KNOW, I I REALLY APPLAUD THE STAFF THERE.
THEY ARE SEEM TO BE MASTERS AT THE LITTLE AGGIE ENGINEERING AND MAKING STUFF WORK AND FINDING SOLUTIONS FOR THOSE PETS TO TAKE CARE OF THEM.
UH, AND I THINK THEY GO ABOVE AND BEYOND 'CAUSE THEY DON'T HAVE THE RESOURCES THEY NEED TO DO EVEN THE MINIMAL JOB, HARDLY.
IT'S, UH, IT'S, IT'S REALLY EYEOPENING TO KIND OF GET A TOUR OF THOSE FACILITIES AND WHAT THEY HAVE TO DO TO, TO MAKE IT WORK.
UM, SO I THINK THIS IS SOMETHING THAT IS PRETTY IMPORTANT FOR OUR COMMUNITY.
I THINK OUR COMMUNITY CARES ABOUT THE PETS AND OR THE ANIMALS OUT THERE.
AND I THINK IT'S, THEY DO A GREAT JOB.
I, YOU KNOW, I REALLY WANNA RECOGNIZE THE WORK THEY HAVE DONE.
THEY'RE NOT ASKING FOR THE MOON, THE STAR, THEY JUST WANT THE MINIMUM ACCEPTABLE, OR MAYBE NOT MINIMUM, BUT THEY NEED A GOOD WORKING ENVIRONMENT, RIGHT? THEY NEED A, THAT'S GOOD FOR THEM, BUT ALSO THE ANIMALS SAFE FOR THE ANIMALS, SAFE FOR VISITORS WHO COME.
UM, WE PARTNER WITH THE CITY OF FAIR OAKS.
UM, SO, UH, THERE'S AN OPPORTUNITY TO FURTHER HAVE CONVERSATION WITH THEM ABOUT THEIR PARTNERSHIP IN THE FUTURE OF THIS.
AGAIN, A LOT OF NONPROFIT GROUPS THAT SUPPORT US AND DONATE TO US.
SO WE THINK THAT THERE'S AN OPPORTUNITY TO GET THIS OFF THE GROUND HERE SOON.
SO AS YOU SEE, THE NEXT STEP IS THE VIRTUAL DESIGN AND TRY TO GET SOME ESTIMATED COSTS.
WE'LL BRING THAT BACK TO CITY COUNCIL AND SEE WHERE WE WANT TO GO WITH THAT.
YEAH, TO ECHO WHAT BRETT SAYS, AND WITH CHIEF PEREZ AND, AND HIS OFFICERS AND ANIMAL CONTROL AND WHAT STEPHANIE DOES OVER THERE, UM, WITH, WITH THE RESOURCES THAT THEY HAVE IS, IS TRULY AMAZING FOR SOMETHING THAT'S VERY, UH, IMPORTANT TO THIS COMMUNITY.
SO, UH, NO OFFENSE CHRISTY, BUT THIS ISN'T THE BEST COMMITTEE.
OKAY? THIS IS THE BEST COMMUNITY BELLA WOULD ARGUE WITH THAT.
THAT'S A, THAT'S A, THAT'S A DREAM.
IT WOULD BE GREAT FOR THIS COMMUNITY.
SAME THING WITH THE GATEWAY, URBAN DESIGN,
THIS ISN'T A WANT, THIS IS A NEED.
UM, AND THE, THE WAY STEPHANIE AND HER STAFF AND STEVE PEREZ HAVE BEEN ENGAGED AND VERY, UM, TECHNICAL
[01:25:01]
AND VERY THOUGHTFUL ABOUT WHAT IT NEEDS TO LOOK LIKE, GOING TOWARD IT AS OTHER FACILITY, SEEING WHAT WORKS, WHAT DOESN'T NEED, WHAT'S EXCESSIVE, WHAT'S, WHAT'S A NECESSITY, UM, AND THEN COMING BACK TOGETHER AND SITTING DOWN AND BEING VERY THOUGHTFUL ABOUT WHAT'S GONNA FLOW, WHAT'S GONNA WORK.THESE HAVE BEEN SOME VERY ENGAGING MEETINGS WHERE WE'RE, WE'RE THINKING OF NOT JUST NOW, BUT FOR THE FUTURE, RIGHT? IT'D BE GREAT IF WE COULD BUILD A, YOU KNOW, WHATEVER SIZE FACILITY THE FITTER NEEDS NOW.
BUT THE REALITY IS WE NEED TO THINK BIG TERM AND, AND BIG PICTURE.
AND THEY'VE BEEN VERY, UM, VERY INTENTIONAL ABOUT THAT BIG PICTURE THOUGHT PROCESSES AND HOW THINGS FLOW IN EFFICIENCY, ESPECIALLY WHAT MAKES SENSE FOR A BUILDING TO GO HERE AND WHERE THE DOGS GO HERE AND THE CATS HERE AND THE MEDICAL, I MEAN, JUST VERY INTENTIONAL ABOUT THE DESIGN AND THE IDEA.
AND SO I'M EXCITED WHERE THIS PROJECT IS GOING.
UM, LIKE I SAID, THIS IS, THIS IS A NEED, NOT A WANT FOR OUR COMMUNITY.
UM, AND SO I'M EXCITED FOR THE NEXT STEPS AND AS WE KEEP MOVING FORWARD WITH THIS, THIS IS GONNA BE A WONDERFUL ADDITION TO OUR COMMUNITY.
WHEN IT GETS DONE, I'LL ADD THAT ALL THREE OF THESE SUBCOMMITTEES HAVE A LITTLE BIT OF SEED MONEY ASSOCIATED WITH EACH ONE OF 'EM.
AND SO THERE'S AN OPPORTUNITY TO GET LAUNCHED AND, AND WE ARE, UH, THAT BASED ON WHERE WE WANNA LAND AND HOW WE WANTED TO IMPLEMENT THESE PROJECTS, WE'LL BE ABLE TO GET GOING HERE SOON.
ALRIGHT, THE LAST SUBCOMMITTEE I'LL ASK DIRECTOR TALK TO COME UP.
WE'RE GONNA TALK ABOUT THE GATEWAY URBAN DESIGN FEATURE SUBCOMMITTEES KIND OF SOME BEAUTIFICATION ELEMENTS BASED ON, UM, SOME FUNDING WE'VE BEEN PUTTING ASIDE LITTLE BY LITTLE OVER THE LAST SEVERAL FISCAL YEARS.
NICK, GOOD EVENING FOR OUR FINAL AND MOST
[8.C.2026-343 GATEWAY/URBAN DESIGN FEATURE SUBCOMMITTEE UPDATE]
AWESOME SUBCOMMITTEE,WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THIS, REALLY WE'RE CENTERING ON THESE TWO TENANTS ON THE STRATEGY MAP, PARTICULARLY WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT INVESTING IN HIGH QUALITY INFRASTRUCTURE POTENTIALLY.
SO THIS COMMITTEE WAS A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT THAN THE OTHER TWO AND A LITTLE BIT MORE NEBULOUS TO BEGIN WITH.
SO WHAT WE DECIDED ON EARLY WAS REALLY TRYING TO IDENTIFY WHAT THE OBJECTIVES FOR THE COMMITTEE SHOULD BE.
UH, WE WENT THROUGH AND TALKED ABOUT THE RECENT HISTORY OF WHAT THE GATEWAY URBAN DESIGN PLANNING, AS WELL AS SOME OF THE OLD 2018 MASTER PLAN RECOMMENDATIONS THAT TIED INTO WHAT POTENTIALLY WE COULD BE DOING.
UH, WE LOOKED TO TRY AND IDENTIFY SOME SHORT AND MEDIUM TERM GOALS AND POTENTIALLY SOME LONG-TERM GOALS IN THERE TOO, WHICH WE MAY TALK ABOUT HERE IN A FEW MINUTES.
UM, WE REALLY WANTED TO COME BACK FOR THIS FIRST MEETING AND HAVE SOMETHING TO REPORT BACK TO COUNCIL AS FAR AS WHAT WE'RE INITIALLY THINKING, GET A LITTLE BIT OF FEEDBACK AND FIND OUT WHERE TO GO FROM HERE.
AND OF COURSE, AS BEN TALKED ABOUT, WE HAVE SOME MONIES IN THERE.
SO WE'VE IDENTIFIED SOME BUDGET.
UM, OBVIOUSLY WE'RE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE BUDGET SEASON, SO THERE ARE DEADLINES AND WE DO HAVE FUNDS.
SO WE MET SLIDING RIGHT INTO THAT FINISH LINE THIRD TIME TODAY, TWO HOURS AGO ABOUT.
AND THE TWO THINGS WE'VE REALLY IDENTIFIED IN OUR CONVERSATIONS ARE TALKING ABOUT MONUMENT SIGNAGE AT OUR MAJOR ENTRY POINTS.
UM, PARTICULARLY THE BUSINESS 87 SOUTH AT I 10, AND THE HIGHWAY 46 AT I 10.
AND THAT GATEWAY AND URBAN DESIGN, UM, PLAN THAT BERNIE 1940 AT THE BOTTOM RIGHT CORNER THERE, THAT IS, FROM THAT, THAT IS SOMETHING WE'VE LOOKED AT.
AS WELL AS WAY FINDING SIGNAGE, WAY FINDING SIGNAGE WAS A BIT OF AN INTERESTING CONVERSATION.
YOU'LL SEE THAT MCKENNEY SIGN UP THERE RIGHT ABOVE THAT BERNIE SIGN, WE LOOKED TO KIND OF POTENTIALLY MELD THAT WITH AN OBELISK IDEA THAT CAME OUTTA THAT URBAN CORRIDOR DESIGN ENHANCEMENT GUIDE.
UH, WE ALSO TALKED BRIEFLY ABOUT, AND THIS IS MORE FOR OUR LONG TERM FEATURES IN ROUNDABOUTS THAT WE COULD POTENTIALLY LOOK AT.
WHERE WE LANDED OBVIOUSLY, IS LOOKING AT REALLY THE ENTRY, UH, MONUMENT SIGNAGE AND WAY FINDING SIGNAGE.
AND WITH THAT NOTE TO ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS.
SO, UM, THIS HAS BEEN A FUN PROCESS FOR ME.
SO, UH, WHEN I FIRST WAS ASKED TO BE PART OF THIS COMMITTEE, MY THOUGHT ON IT WAS, THIS IS A, AN OPPORTUNITY TO BE A PART OF A CONVERSATION THAT'S GONNA HELP IDENTIFY BERNIE.
AND SO WHEN PEOPLE DRIVE INTO BERNIE, YOU'VE DRIVEN INTO TOWNS ACROSS TEXAS, ACROSS THE US AND SOMETIMES YOU DRIVE INTO A CITY AND IT LEAVES A LASTING IMPRESSION.
IT'S A POSTCARD IMAGE THAT LASTS IN YOUR MIND.
AND I THINK WHEN YOU GET INTO DOWNTOWN BERNIE AND THE HISTORIC DISTRICT, YOU GET A LITTLE BIT OF THAT.
BUT WHEN YOU COME INTO BERNIE, YOU DON'T GET THAT AS MUCH.
AND SO, UM, I THINK UP UNTIL THIS COMMITTEE COMING TOGETHER IN THE FIRST CONVERSATIONS, THEY WERE MOSTLY CENTERED AROUND SOME OF THESE OPPORTUNITIES THAT YOU SEE HERE AROUND WAYPOINT SIGNS AND, UM, OBS AND SOME OF THOSE THINGS FITTING IN LINE WITH, UM, WOULD'VE BEEN PRESENTED AS FAR AS THE THEME GOES THROUGHOUT BERNIE.
UM, AND I MAY HAVE MUDDIED THE WATERS A LITTLE BIT WHEN I CAME IN TO THE COMMITTEE BECAUSE I, I THOUGHT, WELL, WHAT ABOUT, WHAT CAN WE DO ON MAIN STREET? I KNOW IT'S A TDOT ROAD, BUT IS THERE ANY KIND OF LIKE MEDIAN DIVIDER? AND INITIALLY I WAS UNDER THE IMPRESSION THERE WAS NOTHING WE COULD DO ALONG MAIN STREET, RIGHT? UM, WITH MEDIAS AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
UM, A COUPLE MEETINGS INTO IT THOUGH, I THINK THERE'S AN OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE DISCUSSIONS AROUND OTHER PROJECTS THAT WOULD REINFORCE WHAT, UM, I THINK PEOPLE IN BERNIE WANT TO DO, WHICH IS TO
[01:30:01]
PROMOTE THE, THE SMALL TOWN HISTORIC NATURE OF BERNIE AND, AND PROTECT SOME OF THE HISTORIC THINGS THAT WE, UM, ALL CLAIM TO LOVE.AND PART OF THIS PROCESS, I HAD A CONVERSATION WITH SOME FOLKS IN THE FLATS THAT WERE LIKE, HEY, WE'RE THE MOST HISTORIC OLD COMMUNITY NEIGHBORHOOD IN BERNIE.
WHAT ARE WE DOING TO HELP DRIVE AWARENESS AT THE CITY LEVEL? SO THAT, AGAIN, MUDDIED THE WATERS FURTHER.
I CAME TO THE COMMITTEE MEETING, I WAS LIKE, WELL, IS THERE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO DO SOMETHING ALONG THOSE LINES? WHICH DOVETAILED NICELY INTO WHAT STARTED IN THE CONVERSATION, AND I'LL WRAP IT UP HERE, WHICH IS, YOU KNOW, IS THERE AN OPPORTUNITY WITH WAYPOINT SIGNS AND OLIS AND THINGS LIKE THAT WHERE, UM, IT IS A VIABLE PROJECT THAT CAN BE LAUNCHED TO START THIS PROCESS, BUT THEN DOVETAILING SOME THINGS LIKE, HEY, THERE'S SOME INTERESTING PARTS OF OUR COMMUNITY IN THIS NEIGHBORHOOD, OR THAT NEIGHBORHOOD AND, AND POINTING PEOPLE IN THOSE DIRECTIONS.
SO THAT WAS ONE IDEA, BUT I THINK WHERE WE ARE AND WHAT I WOULD LIKE, UH, COUNCIL TO GIVE FEEDBACK ON IS ARE THERE ANY BLIND SPOTS THAT WE'RE MISSING, RIGHT? ARE THERE ANY OTHER PROJECTS? BECAUSE WE ARE, I THINK IN, IN THE THREE COMMITTEES, PROBABLY THE LEAST FAR ALONG AS FAR AS A DEVELOPED PLAN WITH CONCRETE, LIKE, HERE'S WHAT WE CAN GO DO.
UM, IT IS, YOU KNOW, NOT A NEED NECESSARILY LIKE THE ANIMAL SHELTER.
UM, BUT IT IS SOMETHING I THINK, UH, IT DOES IDENTIFY BERNIE AND IT'S VERY IMPORTANT THAT WE'RE DELIBERATE ABOUT IT.
AND THAT'S WHERE I WANT FEEDBACK.
AND I KNOW M UH, COUNCILMAN MOSA HAS SOME OPINIONS ON THIS AS WELL, AND I'LL GIVE HIM AN OPPORTUNITY TO, TO SHARE.
BUT THEN I, I, I DO WANT TO HEAR WHAT THE REST OF THE COUNCIL THINKS ABOUT THIS URBANIZATION EFFORT.
WELL, MAYOR, I ACTUALLY DISAGREE.
I THINK THIS IS A NEED
I, I FIGURED YOU WOULD, JOE, BECAUSE FROM DAY, FROM DAY ONE, I DID NOT WANT THE ENTRANCE TO BERNIE TO BE BUCKY'S.
AND I'VE BEEN DEALING WITH BUCKY'S FOR EIGHT YEARS, YOU KNOW, THAT.
SO MY WHOLE GOAL WAS I'M A PROCESS PERSON.
FIRST YEAR IN THE COUNCIL, EIGHT YEARS AGO, WHAT DID I DO? I WENT TO THE THEN CITY MANAGER.
I SAID, I WANT SIX FIGURES EVERY YEAR IN THE BUDGET FOR A FUND FOR THIS PURPOSE.
KNOWING THAT IT DOESN'T HAPPEN OVERNIGHT.
YOU, YOU HAVE TO HAVE, AND AND TO YOUR POINT, SERIOUSLY, I MEAN OBVIOUSLY ANIMAL SHELTERS ARE CRITICALLY MORE IMPORTANT THAN A SIGNAGE AREA, BUT THE SENSE OF A, OF A COMMUNITY DEPENDS ON HOW IT LOOKS.
AND, AND IF, IF WE ARE GONNA REALIZE THAT I 10 IS WHAT IT IS AND WE'RE DOING WHAT WE CAN WITH I 10, BUT THAT IS THE ENTRANCE WAY TO BURNING FOR MOST PEOPLE.
25 MILLION CARS A YEAR, TRAVERSE THE I 10 THAT GOES THROUGH BERNIE, 25 MILLION VEHICLES A YEAR.
NOW I REALIZE A LOT OF 'EM ARE JUST GOING FROM CALIFORNIA TO FLORIDA, WHEREVER I GET THAT.
BUT A SIGNIFICANT NUMBER OF THEM ARE GONNA STOP IN BERNIE AND I WANT GIVE 'EM A REASON TO STOP OTHER THAN BUCKY'S.
AND I'M NOT PICKING ON BUCKY'S, BUT THAT'S JUST THE REALITY.
AND WE NOW HAVE A SUBSTANTIAL AMOUNT OF FUNDS IN THAT, IN THAT BUDGET THAT WE CAN PROBABLY DO AT LEAST TWO PROJECTS.
AND WE ARE GONNA BE GOING OUT TO GET SOME FINANCIAL ESTIMATES ON SOMETHING FOR RIVER ROAD AND MAIN STREET, UH, IN TERMS OF A, A OBS, WAYFINDING SIGN, WHATEVER YOU WANNA CALL IT.
AND THEN LOOKING AT THE TWO MOST PROMINENT INTERSECTIONS AT 87.
UH, AT 87 AND, UH, I 10, WHICH WOULD BE THE CITY SIDE, IF YOU WILL, OR THE DOWNTOWN SIDE OF I 10.
AND THE ADVANTAGE OF THOSE ARE THAT WE HAVE LAND AREAS THERE THAT ARE TXDOT CONTROL, BUT ARE NOT GONNA BE USED FOR ANYTHING.
AND WE ALREADY KNOW THAT TDOT WOULD BE PERHAPS AMENABLE LETTING US DO STUFF THERE, BUT THEY WANNA PLAN.
THAT'S WHAT THEY MAINLY WANNA SEE.
AND WE CAN'T OBSTRUCT THE VIEW AND ALL THAT KIND OF STUFF.
SO I THINK THIS HAS COME A LONG WAY.
THE OTHER THING I WOULD ADD TO THIS IS THAT IT DOESN'T LOOK LIKE A LOT'S HAPPENED, BUT THE URBAN DESIGN MANUAL THAT TOOK US OVER A YEAR AND A HALF TO WRITE HAS BEEN A KEY PART OF THIS.
'CAUSE IT'S LAID OUT A, A TEMPLATE, IF YOU WILL, NOT ONLY FOR THE CITY, BUT ALSO FOR PRIVATE DEVELOPERS TO SAY, LOOK, THIS IS THE KIND OF STUFF WE'RE LOOKING FOR AS WE DEVELOP, WHETHER IT'S IN TERMS OF, UH, CORRIDOR ENHANCEMENTS OR LANDSCAPING, WHATEVER.
SO IT'S ACTUALLY BEEN A VALUABLE ADJUNCT TO OUR DEVELOPMENT AND PLANNING PROCESS OVERALL.
SO I THINK THEY'RE ALL IMPORTANT, BUT
'CAUSE THERE ARE ONLY A COUPLE OF THINGS WE CAN PROBABLY ACCOMPLISH RIGHT NOW.
BUT FOR EXAMPLE, THE ROUNDABOUTS, THERE'S GREAT OPPORTUNITY, BUT WE HAVE TO HAVE A ROUNDABOUT THAT, SO THAT GETS INTO ROADS TO, TO, UH, COUNCILMAN BATEMAN'S POINT.
THERE ARE OTHER THINGS, BUT THERE'S GONNA BE BUDGETARY ISSUES THAT KIND OF OVERLAY IN OTHER AREAS WHERE WE REALLY DON'T HAVE THE RESOURCES TO DO THAT.
WE CAN ENHANCE IT, BUT WE CAN'T CHANGE A ROAD.
I MEAN, THE ROAD'S GONNA HAVE TO BE THERE FOR ENHANCEMENT TO OCCUR.
SO THAT'S A WHOLE DIFFERENT BUDGET ISSUE.
[01:35:01]
I'M, I'M PLEASED.AND IN THIS COMMITTEE DISCUSSION, WE WERE PRETTY DELIBERATE ABOUT, UM, TALKING THROUGH SOME OF THE IDEAS OF THE PROJECTS OF WHAT THE COST WOULD BE TO MAINTAIN, RIGHT? LIKE, SO THERE'S LANDSCAPING COSTS, IRRIGATION COSTS, THINGS LIKE THAT.
SO WHEN WE'RE TALKING THROUGH IT, WE'RE TRYING TO IDENTIFY PROJECTS THAT WILL HAVE THE LEAST IMPACT IN THOSE AREAS AS WELL SO THAT WE CAN KEEP IT LOOKING GOOD WITHOUT HAVING TO SPEND A, A BIG BUDGET ON MAINTAINING IT.
SO THAT'S ANOTHER AREA THAT WE LOOK AT IN THESE DISCUSSIONS.
WHEN WE DID THE DESIGN REVIEW, DIDN'T THE MANUAL, DIDN'T WE PINPOINT AREAS? YEAH.
SO I ASSUME Y'ALL ARE WORKING.
YEAH, I MEAN THAT'S BA BASICALLY A LOT OF THIS STUFF, I MEAN, OF COURSE THIS IS JUST SNIPPETS, BUT A LOT OF THE STUFF COMES FROM THE, THE DESIGN AND CORRIDOR GUIDELINES AND THE MANUAL THAT WAS CREATED.
AND AGAIN, THEY'RE ALL, THEY'RE ALL, UM, SCHEMATICS.
UH, SO IT'S, IT'S, BUT ONE THING I DO THINK WE WANT TO EMPHASIZE IS THERE'S AN OPPORTUNITY TO NOT ONLY DO STONE WORK, WHICH OBVIOUSLY FITS IN WITH THE WHOLE COUNTRY, BUT THERE'S REALLY AN OPPORTUNITY TO DO SOME METAL RELIEF WORK, KIND OF TELL THE STORY OF BERNIE BOTH IN A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT WAYS ATTACHED TO THOSE KIND OF SIGNS.
AND THAT REQUIRES MINIMAL MAINTENANCE AS WELL, IF IT'S PROPERLY DONE.
WELL, TO YOUR POINT, JOE, I MEAN THIS, I THINK THIS IS IMPORTANT.
THEY'RE ALL IMPORTANT, RIGHT? BUT ABSOLUTELY.
BUT, UH, I CAN TELL YOU THREE YEARS AGO WHEN I FIRST GOT IN COUNSEL, I HAD SEVERAL RESIDENTS SAYING, CAN WE GET A SIGN THAT SAYS, WELCOME TO BERNIE, RIGHT? AND WE GOT THE, THE BROWN SIGNS UP ON, ON ON 46 AND ON BUSINESS 87, ALL THAT KIND OF STUFF.
UH, AND I STILL HEAR FROM, FROM RESIDENTS BECAUSE I LOVE THE SCIENCE, BUT CAN WE GET BIGGER ONES? CAN WE GET SOMETHING THAT SAYS, HEY, WELCOME TO BURN TO THIS HILL COUNTRY, THIS WONDERFUL PLACE OF TOWN.
AND SO, UM, SO I THINK IT, IT, THERE, THERE'S DEFINITELY SOME, SOME COMMUNITY OUTPUT OUT THERE OR OUTCRY OUT THERE FOR THAT.
BUT ALSO TO YOUR POINT ON THE METAL, UM, WE HAVE A WONDERFUL METAL SHOP AT BERNIE CHAMPION HIGH SCHOOL, AND I THINK WE COULD PROBABLY RESOURCE SOME OF THOSE YOUNGSTERS OUT THERE TO GET TO WORK AND MAKE US SOME NICE SIGNS.
DID THEY HAVE A PLASMA TORCH? IF NOT, I CAN, THEY CAN HAVE 'EM ON
UM, SO IT'S YOUR QUESTION AS YOU ASKED.
I MEAN, I THINK, YOU KNOW, ASSUMING WE'RE FOLLOWING A GUIDE THAT WE'VE ALREADY DONE, RIGHT? SO WE SPENT A YEAR DOING A GUIDE THAT, YOU KNOW, PEN USING METHODS TO PINPOINT WHERE WE THOUGHT THE BEST PLACES ARE, WHICH Y'ALL ARE CONTINUING, THEN I THINK THEN YOU ARE ON THE RIGHT PATH.
'CAUSE I, YOU KNOW, ONE THING YOU DON'T WANT TO DO IS WE SPEND A YEAR BUILDING A GUIDE THAT PINPOINTED AN AREA JUST TO PUT THAT ON A SHELF AND NOT USE IT.
RIGHT? SO I, I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO MAKE SURE YOU DON'T DO THAT, WHICH I DON'T THINK Y'ALL ARE, SOUNDS LIKE YOU.
WELL, I MAY HAVE BEEN A LITTLE GUILTY OF THAT, SO, NO, I DON'T THINK SO.
NOTHING YOU'VE NAMED, I MEAN, WE TALKED ABOUT THE FLATS BECAUSE ROBERT AND TRAVIS HAVE BEEN WENT AND PUT UP THEIR OWN FLAT SIGN, WHICH, UM, YOU KNOW, WE WEREN'T SUPPOSED TO DO, BUT IT LOOKS GREAT, UM,
UM, BUT I, YOU KNOW, WE'VE TALKED, WE TALKED ABOUT, YOU KNOW, THAT'S WHY WE DID ALL THESE SIGNS THAT HAVE THE BERNIE ON THERE THAT, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE THOUGHT WAS A WASTE OF MONEY, BUT IT LOOKS GREAT.
UM, AND YOU KNOW, THESE WAY POINT THINGS ARE IMPORTANT, YOU KNOW, THESE, SO I DON'T THINK ANYTHING YOU'VE SAID IS, UM, PUTTING
NOT THE WHOLE WHOLE STREET, BUT, UM, PORTIONS OF THAT BECAUSE WHEN YOU TAKE AWAY LEFT HAND TURNS MM-HMM
PART OF THAT IS BUILDING A, SOME PORTION OF A MEDIAN TO TAKE AWAY THE LEFT HAND TURN, WHICH ALSO, WELL, I FEEL MUCH BETTER.
SO YOU'RE, I DON'T THINK THAT'S WHAT I'M SAYING.
I DON'T THINK ANYTHING YOU'RE SAYING IS THAT, THAT FAR.
MIGHT NOT BE THE WHOLE PORTION OF MAIN STREET, BUT PIECES OF, BUT IN THE SPIRIT OF YEAH.
PREVIOUS CONVERSATIONS IN ALIGNS.
I JUST THINK IT'S IMPORTANT NOT TO CONFLATE TWO THINGS.
I MEAN, I, I, THE DESIGN PART IS IMPORTANT, BUT, AND THE ROAD PART IS IMPORTANT, BUT THEY, THEY KIND OF COME FROM DIFFERENT CHANNELS.
WELL THAT'S WHAT, YES, I AGREE.
ESPECIALLY TO YOUR POINT ABOUT MAIN STREET, THAT'S TDOT.
SO IN ANYTHING WE DO THERE, WHEN YOU START PUTTING IN MEDIANS OR LEFT TURN LANES AND ALL THAT, IT'S, BUT, SO I WOULD SAY TO THAT POINT, I THINK THE SAFE STREETS GRANT IS SEPARATE THAN THIS.
SO I THINK TO YOUR POINT, I WOULD, FOR YOUR COMMITTEE, I DON'T THINK YOU NEED TO WORRY ABOUT THE MEDIAN FOR THIS FUNDS.
AND AGAIN, WE, WE WE'RE STRUGGLING WITH PRIORITIZING THE HANDFUL OF PROJECTS, YOU KNOW, LESS THAN HALF A DOZEN, BUT STILL PRIORITIZING.
WE KNOW PRETTY MUCH WHAT WE THINK IS ONE OR TWO.
BUT THEN BEYOND THAT, WHAT DO THOSE LOOK LIKE? AND WHEN, WHEN I TALK ABOUT MEDIAS, IT'S NOT SO MUCH IN THE, UM, UH, CONTROLLING LEFT TURNS AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
WHEN YOU GO INTO SOME TOWNS THAT HAVE SIMILAR TYPE OF TWO-WAY TRAFFIC CONCERNS WITH JAYWALKING AND THINGS OF THAT NATURE, YOU'LL SEE LIKE IRON WORK DESIGN AS A MEDIAN THING.
AND YOU COULD TELL THE STORY OF BERNIE IN CUTOUTS OF IRON WORK, RIGHT? AND SO IT'S A DECORATIVE PIECE, BUT IT ALSO SERVES A FUNCTIONAL PIECE, KEEPING THE TRAFFIC SEPARATED FROM ONE ANOTHER WITHOUT BLOCKING LINE OF SIGHT.
AND IT ALSO KEEPS THE FOOT TRAFFIC
[01:40:01]
FROM CROSSING THE PLACES THEY SHOULDN'T CROSS.THAT'S AN EXAMPLE, RIGHT? NOT, BUT MY INITIAL WALKING INTO THIS COMMITTEE WAS, WELL, THAT'S A NO-GO CONVERSATION 'CAUSE IT'S TEXDOT ROAD.
COME TO FIND OUT THAT'S NOT A NO-GO CONVERSATION.
THEY'RE OPEN TO THAT SUGGESTION AGAIN, YOU HAVE TO BRING A PLAN AND, AND THOSE KIND OF THINGS AND LOTS OF CONVERSATIONS BEHIND THAT.
THE VIABILITY OF THAT PROJECT THAT'S RIGHT FOR BERNIE.
IT WAS JUST A, A WALKING INTO THE COMMITTEE, SOMETHING THAT I THOUGHT, WELL, IF WE'RE HAVING THE CONVERSATIONS OF WHAT MAKES BERNIE UNIQUE, WHAT, YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU DRIVE AWAY FROM BERNIE, YOU'RE LIKE, MAN, THAT TOWN WAS DIFFERENT THAN THE LAST TOWN I WAS IN.
AS YOU DRIVE INTO BERNIE, OFF OF I 10, CERTAINLY FIRST IMPRESSIONS MAKE A DIFFERENCE, BUT DRIVING THROUGH HISTORICAL PART OF DOWNTOWN BURNING ALSO MAKES AN IMPRESSION.
SO THAT WAS JUST PART OF IN THE SPIRIT OF, WELL, WHAT'S POSSIBLE IF WE TALKED ABOUT THIS, I FELT LIKE I MUDDIED THE WATERS UP, BUT IF I DIDN'T, THEN GREAT.
I DON'T THINK ANY IDEA'S NOT A BAD IDEA.
I THINK IN, YOU KNOW, THE SAFE STREET GRANTS HAPPEN AND WE ARE ABLE TO RECONFIGURE MAIN STREET AND THEN ALL OF A SUDDEN WE HAVE A MEDIAN THEN THREE YEARS FROM NOW, THEN WE SAY, HEY, IS THERE A WAY WE CAN BEAUTIFY THAT MEDIAN, RIGHT.
BECAUSE NOW WE HAVE IT VERSUS WE DON'T EVEN HAVE THAT RIGHT NOW DOESN'T EXIST.
AND AGAIN, THAT'S ITEM DOWN THE LIST ON THIS COMMITTEE'S DISCUSSIONS, BUT IT WAS ON THAT.
BUT I THINK, UM, OTHERWISE THE TWO SIGNS ON I 10 AND THE, YOU KNOW, RIVER RIVER, MAINE, WE'VE ALWAYS TALKED ABOUT HAVING SOME SORT OF, YOU KNOW, WHATEVER THAT IS.
I KNOW IN OUR PREVIOUS COMMITTEE WE TALKED ABOUT THE OSC.
SO, UM, AND, AND THE CONCEPT WE'RE LOOKING AT WOULD BE DOWN LIT, DARK SKIES, SOLAR POWERED.
IT'S NOT GONNA BE NO, NO, IT'S NOT SHINING ON BIG POLE SIGN RIGHT THERE AT RIVER ROAD.
NO MATTER, NO MATTER I TOLD COUNCILMAN BATEMAN, NO MATTER WHAT WE COME UP WITH WHATEVER THIS COUNCIL APPROVES, COLLECTIVELY SOMEONE WILL NOT LIKE, IT DOESN'T MATTER WHAT IT IS.
AND SOMEBODY WILL SAY, WHY ARE YOU DOING ANYTHING AT ALL? YEAH.
YOU KNOW, I UNDERSTAND THAT, BUT I MEAN, I JUST STRONGLY FEEL WITH THE GROWTH THAT WE HAVE, UH, THESE THINGS ARE GONNA BE REQUIRED IN ORDER TO MAINTAIN WHAT PEOPLE SAY THEY WANNA MAINTAIN, WHICH IS THE FEEL.
IT'S LIKE A BODY, A 10-YEAR-OLD BODY IS NOT A 50-YEAR-OLD BODY OR A 70-YEAR-OLD BODY, BUT IT, THE FEEL SHOULD BE THE SAME, EVEN IF THE PERSON IS NOT THE SAME, EVEN IF THE CITY'S NOT THE SAME.
AND WE CAN, WE CAN MAINTAIN THAT WITH SOME EFFORT.
I WANNA THANK MY LIAISONS ON THESE SUBCOMMITTEES.
I WANNA THANK DIRECTOR BUCKALEW AND HER TEAM WITH THE BUDGET, ALL THE LEADERSHIP TEAM FOR HELPING US PUT THAT BUDGET TOGETHER.
ALSO REALLY QUICKLY TODAY, FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL, UM, YOU KNOW, THERE WAS A LOT, THERE'S SOME FRICTION AND FRUSTRATION.
WE KNEW THAT GOING IN BECAUSE OF THE, UH, TRAFFIC.
CHIEF PEREZ AND DIRECTOR CAROL HAVE ALREADY TALKED ABOUT, HEY, WE NEED TO NOTIFY TEXTILE ABOUT THIS INTERSECTION, THE SIGNAL WE'RE, WE'RE WORKING ON, ON THAT.
SO THEY'LL BE MONITORING IT THE REST OF THE WEEK.
UM, BUT NO MAJOR ISSUES THAT WE'RE AWARE OF THAT I NEED TO REPORT TO YOU.
UH, ALSO A, A BASEBALL GUY, BERNIE LITTLE LEAGUE.
THERE'S ALREADY GOOD CONVERSATIONS BETWEEN THE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE, THE DOWNTOWN BUSINESSES, THE, THE LEAGUE, THE CITY, UH, POLICE DEPARTMENT.
WHENEVER THEY LEAVE, WE'LL HAVE A COMMUNITY SEND OFF.
I AM, I'M HEARING OF A BUNCH OF WATCH PARTIES THAT THE CHAMBER'S ORGANIZING.
I'M SURE DIRECTOR SHADROCK WILL BE A PART OF THAT.
OTHER THAN THAT, THANK YOU FOR YOUR, UH, PARTICIPATION AND ENGAGEMENT TONIGHT.
MOVING ON TO GENTLEMAN ADDENDUM,
[9. COMMENTS FROM COUNCIL]
ITEM NINE, COMMENTS FROM COUNSEL.ANY COMMENTS FROM COUNSEL TONIGHT? WE'LL START WITH YOU, DR.
I WANT TO, UH, UM, WISH, UH, A SPECIAL GREETING TO THE MOST LOYAL PERSON AND DEDICATED PERSON IN THE CITY OF BERNIE, MY WIFE, BECAUSE TODAY IS OUR ANNIVERSARY AND I AM HERE WITH HER SUPPORT AND IT'S ONLY, IT'S ONLY OUR 53RD ANNIVERSARY.
ANNIVERSARY OFFICER LOKER, I JUST WANTED TO, UH, RECOGNIZE THE BERNIE ID SAFETY AND SECURITY WAS NAMED THE AGENCY OF THE YEAR BY THE TEXAS ASSOCIATION OF SCHOOL RESOURCE OFFICERS.
AND NO, THAT A BIG PART OF THAT PROGRAM, IN FACT, NINE OF THE 14 OFFICERS ARE BERNIE POLICE OFFICERS.
AND I THINK THEY DO IT A PHENOMENAL JOB IN OUR SCHOOLS.
YOU KNOW, CREATING A GREAT RELATIONSHIP WITH STUDENTS, UH, A POSITIVE POLICE COMMUNITY RELATIONSHIP WITH THE STUDENTS AT A YOUNG AGE AND AT ALL AGES.
UH, AND I THINK CHIEF PEREZ AND, AND THE RESOURCE OFFICERS OR SROS DO AN AMAZING JOB WITH THAT.
AND I JUST THINK THEY NEED TO BE RECOGNIZED.
UM, IT'S HARD TO BELIEVE THAT IT'S, IT'S BEEN ABOUT A MONTH OR FOUR WEEKS SINCE OUR LAST, UH, BIG RAIN EVENT, UH, FLOOD AND JUST, I NOTICED THE PARKS, FOLKS CLEARING
[01:45:01]
BRUSH AND, UH, THINGS LIKE THAT THIS MORNING.UH, SO JUST APPRECIATE THEM AND, AND STICK 'EM WITH US.
THAT'S, THAT'S NOT FUN WORK TO DO.
YEAH, THEY'RE JUST GONNA ECHO EVERYTHING THAT EVERYBODY SAID HERE AGAIN, UH, BRANDON LITTLE LEAGUE, YOU KNOW, TWO YEARS LATER, HERE WE ARE AGAIN.
GIVE IT A COUPLE WEEKS, IT'LL, IT'LL DIE DOWN.
SAY IT, SAY A PRAYER, TURN ON SOME MUSIC, SIT THE LIGHT, YOU'RE GOOD.
UH, IT'S NOT THE END OF THE WORLD.
UM, BUT THEN, UH, I JUST WANNA GIVE A SHOUT OUT TO THE STAFF.
UH, BEN AND I HAVE BEEN TALKING ABOUT THIS BUDGET FOR MONTHS AND AS IT GOT CLOSER AND CLOSER, AND WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO MAKE SOME CHANGES AND, AND DO SOME CUTBACKS, UM, TO BRING ALL THE SERVICES IN.
LIZETTE, I DON'T KNOW HOW YOU GUYS ARE GONNA DO THIS OTHER PARK, BUT YOU GOT SOME MORE HELP COMING.
UH, BUT JUST, UH, TO GO BACK AND DO THAT AND, AND WORK DOWN YOUR BUDGET AND THEN SAY, HEY, WE'RE STILL GONNA PROVIDE QUALITY SERVICES, UM, TOP OF THE LINE SERVICE TO OUR COMMUNITY RESIDENTS.
WE WANNA MAKE SURE THEY HAVE THE BEST EXPERIENCES IN THIS COMMUNITY, UH, TO DO THAT.
FIRST RESPONDERS CHIEF, YOUR, YOUR GUYS AND THE FIREFIGHTERS OF THE CUP BUDGETS, BUT STILL HOLD YOUR HEADS HIGH WITH WHAT YOU GUYS WERE DOING WITH THIS COMMUNITY.
I KNOW IT'S NOT EASY, IT'S STRESSFUL.
UM, IT'S, IT, YEAH, IT'S STRESSFUL DOING A BUDGET LIKE THAT.
AND SO AGAIN, THANK YOU GUYS FOR YOUR EFFORTS AND YOUR WILLINGNESS TO, TO, TO MAKE BERNIE THE BEST CITY THAT IT IS, BUT TO DO IT IN A WAY THAT, UM, IS ALSO, UM, TAKES CARE OF OUR RESIDENTS ON THE TAX SIDE.
SO, UH, JUST GREAT JOB EVERYBODY AND WE'RE GOING TO, IF THAT, THAT'S IT.
[10. EXECUTIVE SESSION IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE TEXAS GOVERNMENT CODE]
TO EXECUTIVE SESSION TO UH, DISCUSS ITEMS 10 A 2026 DASH 3 39 SECTION 5 1 5 5 1 0 7 1 CONSULTATION WITH CITY ATTORNEY TO DISCUSS SB 2038 PROCESS PETITIONS FOR RELEASE FROM CITY'S EX EXTRATERRITORIAL JURISDICTION, UH, 10 B 2026 DASH 3 44, SECTION 5 51 0.072 DELIBERATION REGARDING REAL PROPERTY DELIBERATE TO PURCHASE, EXCHANGE, LEASE AND VALUE OF REAL PROPERTY, A 1 0 1 66 SURVEY 1 7 4 NORTH FLORES 21.171 ACRES HERFORD EDITION LOT NINE PT 11 0.2697 ACRES AND WINDOWS EDITION LOT IS EIGHT 0.375 ACRES.AND THEN AGENDA ITEM 10 C 20 26 3 4 5 SECTION 5 5 1 0 87 DELIBERATION REGARDING ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT NEGOTIATIONS, CONSIDERATION OF OFFER OF FINANCIAL INCENTIVES TO A COMMERCIAL ENTITY CONSIDERING DEVELOPMENT WITHIN THE CITY LIMITS AND OR ETJI 10 FRONTAGE.
WE WILL OFFICIALLY ADJOURN THE EXECUTIVE SESSION AT 7:47 PM THANK YOU EVERYONE.
[11. RECONVENE INTO OPEN SESSION AND TAKE ANY NECESSARY ACTION RELATING TO THE EXECUTIVE SESSION AS DESCRIBED ABOVE.]
RECONVENE AN OPEN SESSION AT 8:29 PM WITH NOTHING ELSE TO DO ON AN AGENDA.NO ACTION TO BE TAKEN FROM, UH, EXECUTIVE SESSION.
WE WILL OFFICIALLY ADJOURN AT 8:29 PM THANK YOU EVERYONE.