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[1. CALL TO ORDER – 6:00 PM]
EVERYONE.IT IS OFFICIALLY 6:00 PM ON NOVEMBER 18TH, 2025 TO THE REGULAR CITY COUNCIL MEETING FOR THE CITY OF BERNIE, TEXAS.
UM, IT'S MY PLEASURE TO INTRODUCE REVEREND KIM, KIMBERLY BURKE FROM FIRST UNITED METHODIST CHURCH, BERNIE, TO LEAD US OUR INVOCATION.
WOULD YOU GO TO THE LORD IN PRAYER WITH ME? GRACIOUS AND GUIDING GOD, WE PAUSE IN THIS MOMENT TO ACKNOWLEDGE YOUR PRESENCE AMONG US, AND TO GIVE THANKS FOR THE GIFT OF THIS COMMUNITY THAT WE CALL BERNIE.
WE ASK FOR YOUR WISDOM, LORD GRANT, CLARITY OF MINE AND CALMNESS OF SPIRIT AND COURAGE OF HEART TO OUR COUNCIL MEMBERS, CITY LEADERS, AND ALL WHO SERVE THIS COMMUNITY.
HELP THEM TO LISTEN WITH RESPECT AND SPEAK WITH INTEGRITY, AND MAKE DECISIONS THAT HONOR BOTH THE PRESENT NEEDS AND THE FUTURE WELLBEING OF ALL WHO CALL BERNIE HOME.
WE PRAY FOR UNITY IN OUR DIVERSITY.
THE DIFFERENCES OF OPINION WOULD LEAD NOT TO DIVISION, BUT TO A DEEPER UNDERSTANDING AND BETTER SOLUTIONS.
TEACH US TO SEEK THE COMMON GOOD, TO VALUE EVERY VOICE, AND TO WORK TOGETHER FOR SAFETY, SUSTAINABILITY, JUSTICE, AND COMPASSION.
BLESS OUR FIRST RESPONDERS, OUR EDUCATORS, OUR BUSINESS OWNERS, OUR FAMILIES, AND EVERY RESIDENT.
STRENGTHEN THOSE WHO STRUGGLE.
ENCOURAGE THOSE WHO SERVE QUIETLY AND INSPIRE US TO BE GOOD STEWARDS OF THE LAND, THE RESOURCES, AND THE PEOPLE ENTRUSTED TO OUR CARE.
MAY EVERYTHING WE DO IN THIS MEETING TONIGHT REFLECT HUMILITY, FAIRNESS, AND A GENUINE LOVE FOR OUR COMMUNITY.
AND YOUR SON'S PRECIOUS NAME, AMEN.
WOULD YOU PLEASE STAND AS YOU'RE ABLE AND JOIN ME IN THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE TO THE TEXAS FLAG? I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS, ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE, WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE.
I I PLEDGE THESE TO THE TEXAS ONE STATE UNDER GOD.
ALL RIGHT, COUNCIL MEMBERS, WE'RE GONNA MOVE ON TO AGENDA ITEM NUMBER TWO.
ARE THERE ANY CONFLICTS OF INTEREST THIS EVENING? NO.
[3. 2025-550 RECOGNIZE THE 2025 CITIZENS FIRE ACADEMY GRADUATES.]
THREE.RECOGNIZE THE 2025 CITIZENS FIRE ACADEMY GRADUATES, UH, PRESENTING, UH, LIEUTENANT TOBY NER.
OH, AND CHIEF, CHIEF PAUL, NOT HERE.
COUNCIL, FIRST OFF, I WANNA THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY AND FOR GIVING US THE TOOLS AND THE RESOURCES TO BE ABLE TO HAVE PROGRAMS LIKE THIS TO ENGAGE WITH THE COMMUNITY.
UH, I THINK ALL THE GRADUATES WOULD SAY THEY HAD A GREAT TIME DURING THIS ACADEMY, AND I'M HONORED HERE TO RECOGNIZE THEM TONIGHT.
TO HELP ME, I'M GONNA BRING UP LIEUTENANT NER, WHO SPENT A LOT OF TIME WITH THIS PROGRAM, AS HE DOES EVERY YEAR.
UH, THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING ME TO TALK ABOUT THE CITIZENS FIRE ACADEMY FOR A MINUTE.
I'M A LIEUTENANT AT THE BERNIE FIRE DEPARTMENT.
UH, THE CITIZENS FIRE ACADEMY WAS STARTED IN 2019.
IT'S A NINE WEEK COURSE, UH, WITH THE GOAL OF EDUCATING CITIZENS OF BERNIE ON THE FIRE DEPARTMENT THROUGH CLASSROOM AND HANDS-ON TRAINING.
SOME OF THIS TRAINING INCLUDES THE AERIAL CLIMB, FIRE BEHAVIOR, PPE TRAINING, SCBA TRAINING, PROPER USE OF A FIRE EXTINGUISHER USING OUR FIRE HOSES, UH, CLOSED BEFORE YOU DOZE TURN TOURNIQUET APPLICATION, RE RESCUING VICTIMS FROM A HOUSE, AND ALSO EVERYBODY'S FAVORITE, THE JAWS OF LIFE.
UH, THROUGH THIS TRAINING, WE HOPE TO HELP PEOPLE UNDERSTAND WHAT IT MEANS TO BE A FIREFIGHTER AND WHAT IT TAKES TO ACTUALLY DO OUR JOB.
UH, EACH CLASS WAS HAD A CATERED MEAL, AND THIS CREATED SOME GREAT DISCUSSION FOR OUR, OUR CANDIDATES.
SO, UM, IF ANYONE IS ATTENDING, UH, IS INTERESTED IN ATTENDING NEXT YEAR'S ACADEMY, THEY CAN GO TO THE CITY'S WEBSITE, UH, UNDER THE FIRE TAB, AND THEN UNDER CITIZENS FIRE ACADEMY, THEY CAN APPLY ONLINE.
AND WE TAKE THAT THROUGH NEXT JUNE OR JULY.
UM, IF ANYONE HAS ANY QUESTIONS, I CAN ANSWER 'EM OR WE CAN RECOGNIZE OUR GRADUATES.
ANY QUESTIONS FOR COUNCIL? I WAS JUST SAY COMMENT.
UM, TOBY, YOU KNOW, MY, MY WIFE WENT THROUGH THE ACADEMY, AND, UM, I ALWAYS APPRECIATE EVERYTHING YOU GUYS DO.
UM, EVERYONE THAT'S PART OF THE PROGRAM, I THINK IT HELPS THE COMMUNITY APPRECIATE EVERYTHING THAT YOU GUYS DO.
UM, AND THEN THEY TAKE THAT AND SPREAD THAT OUT, AND THAT KIND OF SNOWBALLS INTO THE COMMUNITY.
AND, UM, I THINK IT'S A GREAT, GREAT THING THAT YOU GUYS DO.
SO KUDOS TO YOU FOR MAKING THAT HAPPEN.
WELL, WE APPRECIATE ALL THE SUPPORT
I WAS JUST GONNA SAY, THIS IS ONE OF OUR POP MORE POPULAR COMMUNITY, UH, OUTREACH PROGRAMS THAT WE HAVE.
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OF OUR PROGRAMS ARE GREAT, BUT I HEAR NOTHING BUT AWESOME THINGS THAT FROM, FROM OUR FIRE GUYS, TENANT MCNAIR, AND WE HAVE SEVERAL EMPLOYEES THAT GO THROUGH THE PROGRAM OCCASIONALLY.THEY, THEY LOVE THAT THEIR PARTICIPATION AS WELL.
SO, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR DOING THIS.
AND AGAIN, ANYONE IN THE COMMUNITY WHO THINKS THEY MIGHT WANNA DO THIS, THIS IS AN AWESOME WAY TO GET AN UNDERSTANDING OF ALL THE, ALL THAT YOU GUYS DO.
YOUR, YOUR, YOUR TEAM BACK THERE, THE HIGH LEVEL OF, OF EXCELLENCE THAT YOU PURSUE IN YOUR JOBS DAY TO DAY.
WE HAD A LOT OF, A LOT OF CITY EMPLOYEES TAKE PART THIS YEAR.
THAT WAS ACTUALLY REALLY COOL.
THEY SAID THEY WERE THE MOST FUN CLASS THAT WE'VE EVER HAD.
I'LL, I'LL SAY THE, UM, THE MEALS BEING PROVIDED AT THE BEGINNING, THAT WAS THE KIND OF SET THE TONE ON THE VERY FIRST CLASS WAS THE FIREFIGHTERS SPENT A LOT OF TIME TOGETHER AND THEY SPENT A LOT OF TIME AROUND MEALS.
RIGHT? AND SO THAT WAS A WAY FOR US TO KIND OF CONNECT AND, UM, SHARE SOME EXPERIENCES.
SO THAT'S A GREAT WAY TO SET THE TONE.
UM, YOU KNOW, THE HEADLINES OF THE, THE JAWS AND PUTTING OUT FIRES AND STUFF LIKE THAT.
BUT I FOUND INTERESTING WAS FIREFIGHTERS HAVE A LOT OF CAMARADERIE IN THE FIREHOUSE, AND THEY HAVE DEBATES OVER THINGS LIKE, UH, FOG TIP OR SMOOTH, SMOOTH BORE FIRE HOSES.
SO IF YOU DON'T KNOW ABOUT THAT, UM, LOOK INTO IT.
IT'S, IT'S PRETTY INTERESTING STUFF.
WELL, WELL, THANK Y'ALL VERY MUCH.
UM, I'M GONNA CALL UP THE FOLKS THAT ARE HERE.
I'M GONNA CALL UP, UH, I'M GONNA GIVE EVERYBODY'S NAME.
IF THEY'RE HERE, THEY CAN COME UP AND GET, UM, THEIR LITTLE RECOGNITION AWARD, AND THEN WE'LL GO FROM THERE.
IF Y'ALL DON'T MIND TAKING A PICTURE.
HEY, BRIA, YOU'RE NOT WORKING RIGHT NOW.
THERE'S ALSO, UH, JAN COULDN'T MAKE IT.
YEAH, YOU SPENT LIKE A LOT OF TIME TOGETHER.
EVERYBODY READY? OH, MICROPHONE.
[4. PUBLIC COMMENTS: This is the opportunity for visitors and guests to address the City Council on any issue, in compliance with LGC Section 551.007. City Council may not discuss any presented issue, nor may any action be taken on any issue at this time. (Attorney General opinion – JC-0169)]
REST OF THE CONSENT, UH, AGENDA ITEM, START WITH AGENDA ITEM NUMBER FOUR, PUBLIC COMMENTS.UM, I'LL GIVE YOUR, I'LL CALL YOUR NAME FORWARD, PLEASE CON FORWARD TO THE PODIUM.
STATE YOUR NAME, ADDRESS, AND YOUR THREE MINUTES.
OUR FIRST SPEAKER TONIGHT IS DANA MATHIS.
DANA MATHIS, 1 6 4 CREEK SPRINGS.
UH, THANK YOU FOR THIS OPPORTUNITY TO ADDRESS THE COUNCIL.
UH, FIRST I'D LIKE TO PUBLICLY THANK EACH OF YOU FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP, WHICH CONTRIBUTED TO THE RENEGOTIATION OF THE BUCKY'S AGREEMENT.
THANK YOU FOR LISTENING CAREFULLY TO RESIDENT CONCERNS OVER THE PAST SEVERAL MONTHS.
THANK YOU FOR COURAGEOUSLY RENEGOTIATING THE BUCKY'S AGREEMENT AND ADDRESSING SEVERAL AREAS OF CONCERN.
SPECIAL THANKS GO TO MAYOR RICHIE, COUNCILMAN MACALUSO AND CITY MANAGER THATCHER, FOR TAKING TIME TO MEET MULTIPLE TIMES WITH MYSELF AND OTHERS IN RECENT MONTHS.
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I ALSO WISH TO THANK THE MANY CITIZENS THAT TOOK TIME TO SPEAK UP AND OFFER COMMENTS REGARDING THE BUCKY'S PROJECT.MUCK MUCH HAS BEEN ACCOMPLISHED WITH THE REVISED AGREEMENT FOR THE BUCKYS PROJECT, YET THERE'S SEVERAL IMPORTANT DETAILS TO BE FINALIZED.
TWO EXAMPLES ARE THE NATURE OF THE PROPOSED GREEN BELT AND THE TYPE OF BARRIER THAT WILL SEPARATE THE BUCKYS FACILITY IN THE MANGER SPRINGS SUBDIVISION.
SIMILARLY, CITY OFFICIALS HAVE PROMISED TO REVIEW HOLIDAY PEAK TRAFFIC LOADS AND CONGESTION ISSUES AT OTHER BUCKY'S LOCATIONS AS PART OF THE TRAFFIC IMPACT ASSESSMENT.
PLEASE MAKE SURE THESE ITEMS ARE FOLLOWED UP ON.
PLEASE ALSO ENSURE THAT GOING FORWARD EVERY I'S DOTTED AND EVERY T'S CROSSED.
THERE'S NO ROOM FOR WAIVERS OR MISREPRESENTATIONS OR MISTAKES IN THE EXECUTION OF THIS PROJECT, PLEASE WORK WITH THE CITY STAFF TO VERIFY THAT BUCKY'S MEETS ALL OF ITS COMMITMENTS AND COMPLIES WITH THE NEW AGREEMENT.
IF WE'RE GOING TO DO THIS PROJECT, LET'S DO IT WELL AND LET'S DO IT RIGHT.
THANK YOU AGAIN FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS PAULA RIKER.
WHILE PLEASE COME FORWARD AND YOU'LL HAVE THREE MINUTES.
DON'T YOU STATE YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS.
I'M PAULA RIEKER FROM 1 0 1 CREEK SPRINGS.
UM, I VERY MUCH ENDORSE WHAT DANA JUST SAID IN TERMS OF THE SPECIFIC THANKS TO THE COUNCIL AND TO STAFF.
UM, I WANTED TO JUST STATE A FEW THINGS, UH, THAT WHEN A DEVELOPMENT AS LARGE AS BUCKY'S COMES TO TOWN, IT'S BOUND TO STIR SOME THINGS UP AND, UM, PARTICULARLY AMONGST THOSE THAT ARE DIRECTLY AFFECTED.
SO, I DO THANK YOU FOR LISTENING TO THE LOCAL RESIDENTS AND MORE SPECIFICALLY FOR TAKING THE, OR AUTHORIZING THE ACTIONS THAT YOU HAVE AUTHORIZED TO BE TAKEN IN, UH, REDEFINING AND ADDING TO SOME ELEMENTS OF THE BUCKY'S AGREEMENT.
IT'S VERY, VERY, VERY MUCH APPRECIATIVE.
UM, AS WE'VE STATED, MANY TIMES, WE HAVE KNOWN THAT YOU ARE NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR THE ORIGINAL AGREEMENT.
UH, BUT WE DO APPRECIATE YOUR WILLINGNESS TO MAKE THESE RENEGOTIATIONS TO CERTAIN ELEMENTS OF THE AGREEMENT.
UM, YOU'RE NOW MOVING FORWARD TO, UM, PLACING LIMITS ON FUELING STATIONS AND THE SIZE OF THE STORE WHERE NO LIMITS EXISTED BEFORE.
UH, THAT WAS VERY IMPORTANT BECAUSE I THINK IT ADDED TO CONFUSION AND CONCERN THAT THERE WERE NOT SOME UPPER LIMITS ON THESE KEY ELEMENTS.
UH, AND TO RECAP, THE ORIGINAL AGREEMENT PROVIDED FOR, UH, AT LEAST 90 FUELING STATIONS.
AND WE NEVER REALLY KNEW HOW MANY FUELING STATIONS BECKY'S PLANNED, BUT LIKE ONE TRAFFIC STUDY SET UP TO 140.
SO IT JUST REMAINED A MYSTERY.
AND, UM, UNDER THE NEW TERMS, THE FACILITY WILL BE CAPPED AT 100 FUELING STATIONS PLUS THE 26 EV STATIONS.
THE ORIGINAL AGREEMENT ALSO PROVIDED FOR A RETAIL STORE OF AT LEAST 50,000 SQUARE FEET.
AND AGAIN, WE DON'T KNOW WHAT SIZE BUCKY'S TARGETED, BUT THE NEW BRAUNFELS STORE IS MUCH LARGER.
AND THE NEW, UH, TERMS CAPPED THE STORE AT 54,000 SQUARE FEET, I BELIEVE.
AND A NINE FOOT SECURITY FENCE IS ALSO INCLUDED FOR WHICH NEIGHBORS ARE VERY GRATEFUL.
UM, YOU'VE ALSO ADDED REQUIREMENTS THAT HAVE BEEN ON YOUR MIND FOR SOME TIME ON LIGHTING AND HVAC CONDENSATE RECAPTURE, WHICH WE HOPE WILL BECOME STANDARD EXPECTATIONS FOR BUCKY'S, PARTICULARLY IN OTHER SMALL TOWNS.
UM, AS YOU CONTINUE, AS YOU AND THE STAFF CONTINUE STRIVING TOWARDS BEST PRACTICES FOR THE CITY OF BERNIE, UM, PLEASE TAKE THE STEPS NECESSARY RATHER, IN WHETHER IT BE IN POLICY OR IN COUNCIL ACTIONS TO PREVENT FUTURE DEVELOPMENTS OF BUCK'S SCALE AND POTENTIALLY ADVERSE IMPACT FROM MOVING FORWARD WITHOUT STRONGER PROTECTIONS.
UH, SOME CITIES, UH, RESTRICT OR DEFINE WHAT KIND OF COMPANIES THEY WANT TO, UH, ENTICE INTO THE CITY THROUGH ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENTS, UH, SPECIFICALLY.
AND I MIGHT ALSO SUGGEST THAT WE CONSIDER TERMINATION DATES, UH, IN FUTURE CONTRACTS VERSUS THE EVERGREEN ROLLING NATURE OF THE BUCKY'S DEAL.
BUT IN CLOSING, I SINCERELY THANK YOU FOR THE STEPS THAT YOU'VE TAKEN, AND NOT ONLY TO PROTECT CITIZENS, BUT TO HELP BERNIE, UH, BE A BETTER CITIZEN IN BUCKY'S TO BE A BETTER CITIZEN IN BERNIE, AND CERTAINLY TO BE A BETTER NEIGHBOR.
OUR FINAL SPEAKER THIS EVENING IS CHRISTY ACKERMAN.
CHRISTY, PLEASE COME FORWARD AND STATE YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS AND YOUR THREE MINUTES, WE'LL BEGIN.
ALL RIGHT, MY NAME IS CHRISTIE ACKERMAN, 6 23 MANGER SPRINGS.
UM, I HOPE THAT AS YOU HEAR DIFFERENT PEOPLE SAYING THANK YOU, UM, LIKE PREVIOUS, WE DIDN'T NECESSARILY GET TOGETHER AND SAY, I'M GONNA, I'M GONNA COPY WHAT YOU SAY THAT WE, WE CAME UP AND SAID WHAT WE BELIEVED.
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TAKE IT AS INDIVIDUALS TRULY SAYING THANKS.SO TODAY I'VE BEEN VERY SPECIFIC IN SOME OF MY CONCERNS.
I'M GONNA BE VERY SPECIFIC IN MY THANKS.
UM, SO FIRST OF ALL, MR. MAYOR, I THANK YOU FOR ALWAYS HAVING SINCERE PRAYER BEFORE WE START OUR MEETINGS HERE, UM, TO THE CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS AND TO THE CITY STAFF, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR AMENDING THE BUCKY'S ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENT.
THERE WERE OPEN-ENDED STATEMENTS THAT DIDN'T SET WELL WITH THE COMMUNITY, AND SO NOW THERE'S LIMITS ON THEIR BUILDING.
SQUARE FOOTAGE, LIMITS ON THE NUMBER OF PUMPS, UM, DEFINITIVE TRAVELING.
UH, AND IT IS DEFINITIVE THAT TRAVELING SEMIS WON'T BE ALLOWED.
THANK YOU FOR HEARING MY CONCERN FOR A SECURITY FENCE AND GETTING SPECIFICALLY AN EIGHT FOOT SECURITY FENCE IN THE CONTRACT.
THIS PUTS A LAYER OF PROTECTION FOR AT LEAST OUR FAMILY FOR SURE.
AND I'M HOPING THAT THE WALL WILL BE CONCRETE, YOU KNOW, THAT, UM, THANK YOU FOR ASKING AGAIN AND AGAIN FOR A 40 FOOT SIGN SO THAT IT WOULD BE 60.
IT'S BETTER THAN WHAT IT STARTED AS.
UM, THANK YOU FOR PUSHING FOR DARK SKIES, INCLUDING DARK SKY COMPLIANT FIXTURES.
THANK YOU FOR ASKING FOR THEM TO BE CONTINUED TO BE FOR CONTINUED REVISIONS, UM, EVEN AS WE'RE PROBABLY SITTING HERE TODAY, AND THAT WE'LL SEE AT A LATER DATE.
THANK YOU FOR PUSHING THEM TO LOWER THEIR LIGHT POLES FOR PUSHING TO GET THEIR LUMENS PER ACRE DOWN TO CURRENT RECOMMENDED LEVELS.
THANK YOU FOR GETTING THEM TO USE AN HVAC, UH, CONDENSATION RECOVERY SYSTEM.
THANK YOU FOR TAKING NOTE OF OUR SPECIFIC CONCERNS ABOUT FORESEEABLE TRAFFIC PROBLEMS. I KNOW THAT YOU AND THE CITY STAFF ARE WORKING ON AND CONTINUE TO AMEND, UH, THE, THE TRAFFIC PLAN.
AND TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN, THANK YOU FOR EV ALL THE YEARS OF LANE, A STRONGER FOUNDATION FOR OUR CITY, KNOWING THAT YOU'VE PUSHED FOR STRONGER ORDINANCES FOR THE SIGHT SIGN LIMITS, DARK SKIES, AND AND MUCH, MUCH MORE.
AND YOU'VE HELPED TO PROTECT US FROM THINGS THAT MOST OF, MOST PEOPLE IN THIS CITY WILL NEVER EVEN KNOW WERE A PROBLEM.
THANK YOU FOR INTEGRITY, YOUR INTEGRITY, AND LISTENING TO THE CITIZENS.
UM, MANY OF YOU TAKE NOTES DURING OUR, OUR COMMENTS AND IT, WE SEE THAT.
WE SEE THAT YOU ARE, ARE CARING ABOUT WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT.
THANK YOU FOR HAVING MEETINGS WITH US OUTSIDE OF THIS CITY COUNCIL ROOM.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME SPENT NEGOTIATING WITH BUCKYS OVER AND OVER.
AND I KNOW THAT WHEN YOU CAME INTO OFFICE, YOU DID NOT HAVE A CLUE THE TIME THAT WOULD BE, UH, SPENT AND COMMITTED AND REQUIRED OF YOU FOR THIS PROJECT AS IT GOT CLOSER.
AND SO AS BASICALLY VOLUNTEERS OF OUR CITY, THANK YOU ALL.
ALRIGHT, THAT'S OUR LAST SPEAKER THAT HAS SIGNED UP.
BUT IF SOMEONE HAS COME IN LATE AND WOULD LIKE TO COME FORWARD AND, UH, HAVE SOMETHING TO SAY AND SEE ME, YOU CAN MAKE, COME FORWARD AND STEP FORWARD.
STATE YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS AND YOU'LL HAVE THREE MINUTES.
ALL RIGHT, WELL, NO TAKERS ON THAT.
[5. CONSENT AGENDA: All items listed below within the Consent Agenda are considered to be routine by the City Council and may be enacted with one motion. There will be no separate discussion of items unless a Council Member or citizen so requests, in which event the item may be moved to the general order of business and considered in its normal sequence.]
WILL MOVE ON TO AGENDA ITEM NUMBER FIVE, CONSENT AGENDA.UM, COUNCIL MEMBERS, DO WE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OR CONCERNS FOR YOUR CONSENT AND AGENDA? ITEM FIVE A THROUGH FIVE E MAYOR, I'D LIKE TO, UH, REMOVE ITEM FIVE D FROM THE CONSENT AGENDA FOR FURTHER DISCUSSION.
I HAVE A MOTION, UH, TO MOVE CONSENT ITEM FIVE D FROM CONSENT, WHETHER, BUT GO AHEAD AND APPROVE FIVE A, FIVE B AND FIVE C AND FIVE E AS IS PRESENTED.
COUNCILMAN WILSON, MAY I LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION THAT WE APPROVE THE CONSENT AGENDA WITH D UM, MOVED FOR FURTHER DISCUSSION.
SECOND FROM COUNCILMAN, UH, BUNKER, PLEASE VOTE.
[D. CONSIDER RESOLUTION NO. 2025-R84; A RESOLUTION DESIGNATING THE CITY’S ANNUAL COMMITMENT FOR WATER FROM THE GUADALUPE-BLANCO RIVER AUTHORITY AS PART OF THE WESTERN CANYON REGIONAL WATER SUPPLY PROJECT TO INCREASE THE ANNUAL COMMITMENT OF WATER FOR CALENDAR YEAR 2026 TO 2,165 ACRE-FEET. (Annual Commitment with GBRA)]
WE WILL NOW BRING FORTH AGENDA ITEM FIVE E TO THE TABLE.DDD SORRY, FIVE D UH, 2025 DASH 5 73.
CONSIDER RESOLUTION NUMBER 2025 DASH 84 RESOLUTION DESIGNATED THE CITY'S ANNUAL COMMITMENT FOR WATER FROM THE GUADALUPE BLANCA RIVER AUTHORITY AS PART OF THE WESTERN CANYON REGIONAL WATER SUPPLY PROJECT TO INCREASE THE ANNUAL COMMITMENT OF WATER FOR CALENDAR YEAR 2026 TO 2,165 ACRE FEET.
SO, UH, WHAT QUESTIONS DO YOU HAVE, SIR? UH, SO WHEN I WAS LOOKING AT THE BACKGROUND INFORMATION, UH, LOOKING AT THE, UH, PREVIOUS YEAR'S ALLOTMENTS AND, UH, SEEING THAT IN 2026, UH, IT WAS JUST GOING UP 40 ACRE FEET.
UM, AND FROM WHAT I UNDERSTAND, AND PLEASE CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG, UH, WE, WE
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PAY FOR WHATEVER WE'VE COMMITTED TO FOR THAT YEAR, CORRECT? THAT'S CORRECT.SO OUR CONTRACT WITH GBRA, WE ARE REQUIRED TO PAY FOR WHATEVER OUR ANNUAL COMMITMENT IS.
AND MORE IMPORTANTLY, AS IMPORTANTLY, IT COMES ON A CONSTANT FLOW BASIS EVERY DAY.
SO WE DON'T GET TO VARY THE FLOW EVERY DAY AND WE CAN RATCHET UP IN ANY ONE YEAR, BUT WE CAN NEVER RATCHET BACK DOWN.
UM, JUST LOOKING AT PREVIOUS YEARS, YOU KNOW, THEY'VE GONE UP, YOU KNOW, A FEW HUNDRED ACRE FEET EACH YEAR.
WHAT, UM, HOW DID YOU GUYS COME UP WITH THE 40 JUST FOR THIS YEAR? COMPLICATED SCIENCE.
UH, SO I'LL EXPLAIN JUST VERY BRIEFLY.
SO IF YOU LOOK AT OUR WATER, OUR WATER DEMAND CURVE FOR THE ENTIRE SYSTEM, IT'S LOWEST IN THE WINTERTIME, PEAKS IN THE MIDDLE OF THE SUMMER, AND THEN LOWER AGAIN IN THE NEXT WINTER, BUT A LITTLE BIT HIGHER BECAUSE OF, OF, UH, CUSTOMER GROWTH.
THAT CONSTANT AMOUNT THAT COMES EVERY DAY IS WHAT WE CALL OUR BASE FLOW.
IT'S, IT'S THE BASIC HUMAN NEEDS WATER, IT'S THE COMMERCIAL WATER, IT'S THE STUFF THAT, THAT HAPPENS EVERY DAY, EVEN WHEN IT'S NOT HOT AND DRY AND PEOPLE ARE WATERING THEIR YARDS.
SO THE BELL CURVE THAT GOES ON TOP OF THAT IS REALLY AN IRRIGATION PEAK.
AND SO BECAUSE WE GET OUR GBRA WATER ON A CONSTANT FLOW BASIS MM-HMM
UH, AND THAT WE HAVE TO PEAK OFF OF OUR OTHER SUPPLIES, WHICH IS GROUNDWATER, UM, CITY LAKE WATER AND RECLAIMED WATER.
AND I CAN GO INTO THOSE IN MORE DETAIL IF YOU'D LIKE.
BUT THE BOTTOM LINE IS WE HAVE SUFFICIENT SOURCES FOR PEAKING.
IF WE TAKE OUR BASE, UH, DEMAND FROM GBRA, SO WE KIND OF SET IT TO THAT AMOUNT.
RIGHT NOW, OUR, OUR WINTERTIME MINIMUM DEMAND OR OUR BASE IS SOMEWHERE AROUND 1.9 TO 2 MILLION GALLONS PER DAY.
AND THIS AMOUNT THAT WILL BE TAKEN HERE IS LIKE 1.93 OR 1.94.
I SAW THE OTHER MAGIC ABOUT THAT NUMBER IS IF GBRA GOES BACK INTO CURTAILMENT, IF THE DROUGHT CONTINUES AND THEY ADVANCE STAGES, AGAIN, THEY HAVE BACKED OFF A LITTLE, BUT IF THEY ADVANCE, AGAIN, WE ARE NOT TOUCHED BY THEIR CURTAILMENT, IF WE'RE NOT TAKING OVER 60%.
SO THEY, THEY COULD REDUCE OUR MAXIMUM DOWN TO 60% IF WE WERE TAKING OVER THAT.
IF WE'RE ONLY AT 60%, ANY CURTAILMENTS THAT THEY HAVE SHOULDN'T TOUCH US.
I WAS CURIOUS IF ANY, UH, OF THE ADVANCEMENTS WITH WATER RECYCLING OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT WAS ALSO, UM, APPLIED TO ONLY TAKING 40 ACRE FEET INSTEAD OF WELL, YEAH.
SO THERE'S REALLY NOT A WHOLE LOT OF MAGIC TO IT OTHER THAN LAST YEAR WE DIDN'T GO UP THE, THE YEAR BEFORE THAT WE WENT UP MM-HMM
A LOT BECAUSE THE SUMMER OF 23 WAS A REALLY HOT AND DRY YEAR.
AND EVEN WITH RESTRICTIONS, WE STRUGGLED IN THE MIDDLE OF THE SUMMER TO MEET CUSTOMER DEMAND.
SO WE, WE JUMPED UP A LOT IN 2024, ALMOST TOO MUCH BECAUSE THERE WAS A COUPLE OF DAYS WHERE WE HAD A LITTLE MORE WATER THAN WE COULD TAKE FROM THEM.
WE DIDN'T, DIDN'T GO UP THIS YEAR, WE WENT UP A MODEST AMOUNT.
ANY QUESTIONS, COMMENTS FROM COUNSEL? CAN I GET A MOTION TO APPROVE CON UH, ADDENDUM FIVE D MAYOR, I MAKE A MOTION TO APPROVE.
UH, AGENDA ITEM FIVE D UH, 2025 DASH 5 73.
UM, NO, I'M SORRY, 2025 DASH R 84 A RESOLUTION DESIGNATING THE CITY'S ANNUAL COMMITMENT FROM WATER FROM THE GUADALUPE BLANCO RIVER AUTHORITY AS PART OF THE WESTERN CANYON REGIONAL WATER SUPPLY PROJECT TO INCREASE THE ANNUAL COMMITMENT OF WATER FOR THE CALENDER 2026 TO 2,165 ACRE FEET.
COUNCILMAN BATEMAN, PLEASE VOTE.
ALRIGHT, WE WILL NOW MOVE INTO OUR
[A. RECEIVE FISCAL YEAR 2026 PATRICK HEATH PUBLIC LIBRARY MASTER PLAN.]
REGULAR CITY AGENDA.UH, ITEM SIX A 2025 DASH 5 39.
RECEIVE FISCAL YEAR 2026, PATRICK HEAT PUBLIC LIBRARY MASTER PLAN, UH, PRESENTING NATALIE SCHULTZ.
GOOD EVENING MAYOR COUNCIL, IT'S A MOUTHFUL.
I'M NOT GONNA REPEAT IT, BUT THAT IS WHY WE ARE HERE OR WHY I AM HERE.
YOU GUYS ARE HERE FOR A LOT MORE THAN THAT.
AND YOU STATED EARLIER TODAY THAT YOU WERE GONNA KNOCK OUR SOCKS OFF.
I KNOW I OVERCOMMITTED I'M GONNA TRY TO TALK SLOW ENOUGH THAT YOU CAN HEAR ME THROUGH MY EXCITEMENT.
ALRIGHT, SO WE'LL START WITH OUR STRATEGY MAP.
THAT IS OUR GUIDING COMPASS THAT WE USE TO NAVIGATE THROUGH ALL THINGS.
I CHOSE ALL OF THE CUSTOMER OBJECTIVES AND JUST A COUPLE IN THE OTHER FINANCIAL BUSINESS.
WE WERE TALKING ABOUT SURROGATES TO DO THE WHOLE BOX FOR BUDGET, WHICH IS FAIR.
UH, BUT I WAS INTENTIONAL AND DELIBERATE AND JOE CHOSE SOME OF THE OBJECTIVES.
OKAY, SO FOR THE TIMELINE ON THIS, THE REASON THAT WE NEED A NEW MASTER PLAN IS BECAUSE OF ACCREDITATION WITH THE STATE LIBRARY.
OUR LAST ONE WAS EXPIRING AT THE END OF FISCAL YEAR 25 GOING INTO FISCAL YEAR 26.
SO IN MARCH OF THIS YEAR, WE RETAINED THE SERVICES OF FAST
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FORWARD LIBRARIES.THEY HELPED US CONDUCT A SURVEY TO THE COMMUNITY MAY THROUGH JUNE.
YOU GUYS GOT THIS REALLY BRILLIANT 40 PAGE DOCUMENT OF DATA THAT I'M SURE YOU'RE GONNA FIND FASCINATING.
SO I'M NOT GONNA READ ALL OF IT TO YOU.
BUT WE HAD 280 RESPONSES AND OF THE RESPONDENTS 26.8% HAVE CHILDREN AT HOME OR REGULARLY CARE FOR CHILDREN.
AND 47% OF RESPONDENTS INDICATED THEY WERE RETIRED.
SO WE SURVEY A WIDE VARIETY OF PEOPLE AT THE LIBRARY OF THE RESPONDENTS, 87.5% INDICATED THEY ARE VERY SATISFIED OR SATISFIED WITH THE LIBRARY OVERALL.
10.3% WERE NEUTRAL AND JUST 2.2% WERE DISSATISFIED.
AGAIN, YOU COULD READ THE WHOLE 40 PAGE REPORT AT YOUR LEISURE, BUT THAT'S JUST THE DATA THAT THEY PULLED FROM.
THEY ALSO CAME IN JUNE AND THEY WERE ABLE TO MEET WITH A GROUP OF COMMUNITY LEADERS AND HOST SOME FOCUS GROUPS.
SO WE HOSTED SOME AT THE CENTER AT HILL COUNTRY FAMILY SERVICES.
WE DID A COUPLE AT THE LIBRARY.
MAYOR PRO TEM ELLISON WAS ABLE TO ATTEND ONE OF THOSE.
I KNOW THAT THEY GOT TO SPEAK WITH MAYOR RICHIE.
THEY GOT TO SPEAK WITH PEOPLE IN THE CITY ADMINISTRATION.
THEY GOTTA SPEAK WITH PEOPLE IN THE SCHOOL DISTRICT, PEOPLE WHO ARE EDUCATORS OUTSIDE OF THE SCHOOLS.
WE REALLY TRIED TO GET A LITTLE BIT OF EVERYBODY IN OUR COMMUNITY, RIGHT? SO THEY DID THAT.
AND THAT'S ALSO IN THIS LOVELY LEARN REPORT THAT YOU HAVE ACCESS TO.
UH, FROM THERE THEY PRESENTED THE REPORT AND PRESENTED THE RECOMMENDATIONS IN THE ACTION PLAN, THE MASTER PLAN THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT TONIGHT.
AND MANAGEMENT REVIEWED IT, REVIEWED THE RECOMMENDATIONS, DETERMINED FEASIBILITY RELEVANCE TO OUR COMMUNITY.
AND IN SEPTEMBER WE PRESENTED IT TO THE LIBRARY ADVISORY BOARD.
AND FROM THERE WE CREATED A STRATEGY MAP SPECIFIC TO THE LIBRARY AND ALIGNED IT WITH THE ACTION PLAN.
SO THAT'S WHAT I'M VERY EXCITED ABOUT.
TA OKAY, THIS IS THE MAGIC KEITH PUBLIC LIBRARY STRATEGY MAP.
UH, IT IS NOT IN PLACE OF THE CITY STRATEGY MAP.
IT'S IN ADDITION TO, AND YOU'LL SEE THAT IT'S ALIGNED WITH THE CITY'S STRATEGY MAP.
THERE'S THE CUSTOMER OBJECTIVES, THE FINANCIAL OBJECTIVES, BUSINESS AND LEARNING AND GROWTH.
IT'S JUST REALLY MAKING IT APPLICABLE TO LIBRARY LAND.
A LOT OF WHAT YOU'LL SEE IN THE MASTER LAND IS TRYING TO MAKE IT VERY SPECIFIC TO LIKE THE LIBRARY BASICS.
WHAT ARE OUR CORE OBJECTIVES AND MAKING SURE THAT WE DON'T LOSE FOCUS OF THOSE.
SO THAT'S OUR BEAUTIFUL DEPARTMENT STRATEGY MAP.
THERE ARE THREE DIFFERENT STRATEGIC DIRECTIONS THAT WE'RE TRYING TO FOCUS ON.
I ALREADY ALLUDED TO ONE OF THEM CONNECTING THE COMMUNITY TO THE CORE LIBRARY SERVICES.
UH, SO WE WILL DO THAT THROUGH STRENGTHENING COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT AND OUTREACH TO SERVE MORE PEOPLE, EXPANDING RESPONSIVE PROGRAMS, COLLECTIONS AND SERVICES, INCREASING LIBRARY VISIBILITY THROUGH CREATIVE COMMUNICATIONS AND MARKETING.
ABOUT THREE OR FOUR WEEKS AGO, HER ELEMENTARY THIRD GRADERS CAME AND DID A STORY TIME WITH MISS CONSTANCE.
UM, WE THOUGHT IT WAS A FUN PHOTO TO SHOW US CONNECTING TO THE COMMUNITY STRATEGIC DIRECTION.
TWO, UPDATING LIBRARY SPACES FOR COMFORT AND ACCESSIBILITY.
SO WE INCLUDED A PHOTO OF THE MELLON MEMORY LAB RIBBON CUTTING.
UH, BECAUSE HISTORICALLY THAT SPACE WAS MORE FOR INTERNAL USE AND IT WOULD BE OCCASIONALLY OPENED FOR THE PUBLIC.
BUT NOW WE HAVE PUBLIC HOURS THAT IT'S ACCESSIBLE IN THE EQUIPMENT THEY'RE WITHIN AND MAKING IT MORE RELEVANT TO THE NEEDS THAT WE HAVE NOW.
SO WE CAN DO A LOT OF THAT IN THE LIBRARY AND CONSIDERING ACCESSIBLE NEEDS THROUGHOUT THE LIBRARY IN THE GROUNDS.
WE RECENTLY HAD THE BERNIE BOOK FEST BACK AT THE LIBRARY CAMPUS.
IT'S THE FIRST TIME IT'S BEEN THERE IN THE LAST SEVEN YEARS.
UH, WE RECEIVED A LOT OF POSITIVE FEEDBACK ABOUT IT.
WE WERE REALLY EXCITED ABOUT IT, BUT WE ALSO LEARNED ABOUT A LOT OF OPPORTUNITIES TO CONTINUE TO MAKE MORE PROGRAMMING ACCESSIBLE ON THE GROUNDS.
IT'S A BEAUTIFUL CAMPUS, SO WE HOPE TO DO MORE OF THAT STRATEGIC DIRECTION.
THREE, ENSURING STAFF PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT TO COMPETENTLY RESPOND TO COMMUNITY NEEDS.
SO WE INCLUDED A PHOTO OF THE INAUGURAL LEAD CLASS LEADERSHIP EXCELLENCE AND DEVELOPMENT.
SHE'S OUR GENERAL SERVICES COORDINATOR AND SHE WAS VERY EXCITED TO GROW ALONG HER PEERS AND, AND DO TEAMWORK WITH OTHER DEPARTMENTS.
THESE ARE JUST SOME OF THE STRATEGIC INITIATIVES THAT YOU'LL SEE IN THAT MASTER PLAN ACTION PLAN THAT WE HAVE.
AND YOU'LL SEE THE OBJECTIVES CORRESPONDING TO THE LIBRARY STRATEGY MAP.
SO FOR ENGAGEMENT, EXPANDING MOBILE AND SENIOR OUTREACH PROGRAMS WITH THE NEW BOOK MOBILE, YAY
IF Y'ALL HAVE NOT SEEN IT, PLEASE COME BY.
UH, YOU'LL SEE MORE OF IT IN THE NEW YEAR AFTER ALL THE HOLIDAYS DIE DOWN.
BUT STAFF DID DO THEIR FIRST HOME BOUND DELIVERY THE OTHER DAY.
SO IF YOU'RE ON FACEBOOK, YOU CAN SEE A CUTE LITTLE VIDEO OF THEM DOING THAT.
WITH THE BOOKMOBILE, UH, DEVELOPING A PARTNERSHIP PLAN, WE HAVE A LOT OF OPPORTUNITIES TO PARTNER WITH A LOT OF ORGANIZATIONS.
WE JUST WANNA MAKE SURE WE'RE BEING PURPOSEFUL ABOUT IT AND THAT THE EXPECTATIONS ARE CLEAR ON THEIR SIDE AND OUR SIDE.
AND PROGRAMMING, ADDING NEW TIMES FOR WORKING PEOPLE AND FAMILIES TO ATTEND, THAT'S ALWAYS A GOOD THING.
UH, WE WE'RE ABLE TO GET A NEW CIRCULATION DESK AS PART OF THE MELLON FOUNDATION GRANT AND
[00:30:01]
BECAUSE IT CAME IN SO SUBSTANTIALLY UNDER BUDGET, WE WERE ALSO ABLE TO ASK FOR AN UPSTAIRS INFORMATION DESK OUT OF THAT SAME GRANT.SO WE WILL BE WORKING ON THAT.
THE OPPORTUNITY FOR THE LIBRARY KIOSK AT FIRE STATION TWO, WHERE MANNY GETS TO BE MY NEIGHBOR 'CAUSE I LIVE ON THAT SIDE OF TOWN AND WE GET TO MAKE SERVICES ACCESSIBLE TO THAT PART OF OUR SERVICE POPULATION.
AND THEN ADDING E-COMMERCE AT THE MOMENT, WE DON'T HAVE ANY MECHANISM FOR PEOPLE TO PAY ONLINE FEES AND FINES AT THE LIBRARY, WHICH, AS YOU CAN IMAGINE IS A PAIN POINT TO MAKE THEM COME INTO THE BUILDING TO DO SO.
SO WE'LL BE LOOKING AT ADDING THAT.
I WANNA THANK EVERYBODY IN THE COMMUNITY, ALL OF YOU FOR ALL THE HELP CRAFTING THIS AND OPEN IT UP TO ANY QUESTIONS.
ANY QUESTIONS? COUNCIL MEMBERS? MO MORE OF A COMMENT.
I LOVE HOW IT JIVES WITH HOW THE CITIES, I MEAN, IT'S REALLY COOL.
I MEAN, TO YOUR POINT, IT'S TAKES IT IN THE LIBRARY WORLD, BUT IT STILL FITS WITH WHAT YOU'VE, BEN HAS DONE WITH THE CITY.
WE'VE HAD THOSE CONVERSATIONS WITH ALL THE STAFF EARLY ON, BUT WE THOUGHT IT'S GET A LOT, SEVERAL YEARS OF TRACTION WITH THE STRATEGY MAP.
AND SO WE'LL BE EXPLORING THIS WITH THE OTHER DEPARTMENTS.
BUT NATALIE WAS QUICK TO WANT TO TRY THIS AND SO SHE DID A GREAT JOB WITH HER STAFF ON THAT.
I JUST READ THROUGH THE PRESENTATION.
MY MAIN QUESTION, AND IT'S AL THEY ALREADY KNOW WHAT I'M GONNA ASK.
YOUR ASPIRATIONAL GOALS ARE AMAZING, BUT THERE'S A LOT OF 'EM.
DO YOU HAVE ANY THOUGHTS ON FINANCIAL PLANS TO ACHIEVE THIS FOR THE CITY? 'CAUSE THERE'S A LOT OF, I SEE A LOT OF FREE THINGS ON THERE.
UHHUH,
RIGHT? I DID HAVE A PLAN FOR THE FINES AND THEN WE STOPPED OFFERING NOTARY SERVICES.
UM, AND SO THAT, THAT IS GONNA HAVE TO BE KIND OF RECAPTURED.
BUT WE DID PUT, WE WERE VERY MINDFUL OF THE LANGUAGE TO EXPLORE THE FEASIBILITY OF A LOT OF THESE THINGS, RIGHT? I WANNA DREAM BIG AND ALSO
AND SO A LOT OF THIS IS EXPLORE THE FEASIBILITY AND SEE WHAT IS WITHIN CAPACITY AND WHAT'S NOT.
SO COUNCIL MEMBER MLU, I'LL SAY I SHARED THAT SAME QUESTION, CONCERN WHEN SHE SAT DOWN WITH ME AND SHARED WHERE THEY'RE AT.
AND, AND YOU NEED TO BE, WE ALL NEED TO BE MINDFUL THAT THE LIBRARY INDUSTRY RIGHT, IS ALL ABOUT FREE SERVICES AND INFORMATION TO ALL.
AND, UM, SO WHILE WE WANNA HONOR THAT, WE ALSO KNOW WE HAVE SERVICES WE HAVE TO PROVIDE ACROSS THE WHOLE CITY.
AND SO SHE'S AWARE THAT WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO HAVE THAT BALANCE AND UNDERSTANDING OF HOW TO, TO ACCOMPLISH THINGS.
THEY DO A GREAT JOB OF GETTING OUTSIDE FUNDING AND GRANTS TO DO A LOT OF THINGS.
I'M JUST, I'M JUST THINKING ABOUT WHEN WE DID THE STORM WATER WHEN WE HAD 60 PROJECTS FOR 60, $80 MILLION, WE HADN'T CUT IT BACK TO LIKE 10.
SO I WANT YOU TO PRIORITIZE A HUNDRED PERCENT BECAUSE I, I, I WAS RECENTLY, UH, AS I'LL MENTION LATER AT THE WIMBERLEY LIBRARY, WHICH IS BEAUTIFUL.
IT'S GORGEOUS, BUT I DON'T THINK IT'S, IT'S PRETTY AS OURS.
I I THINK WE ARE IN A CLASS BY OURSELVES.
SO I, I I, I ADMIRE EVERYTHING YOU'VE DONE AND THIS IS AMAZINGLY GOOD REPORT.
I WAS JUST THINKING ABOUT OUR, UM, THE TALK WE WENT TO THIS MORNING TALKING ABOUT COMMUNITY AND LONELINESS AND YOUR, UH, POINT ABOUT THE BOOKMOBILE TO SENIORS AND JUST THE IMPORTANCE OF, UH, GETTING LITERATURE TO PEOPLE WHO AREN'T ABLE TO GET TO THE LIBRARY.
AND, UM, CREATING THAT SENSE OF COMMUNITY WITH THE PERSON DROPPING THE BOOK OFF AND HOW COOL THAT'S GONNA BE AND HOW GOOD THAT IS FOR A COMMUNITY.
UM, AND THAT'S MY POINT BEING IS THAT THAT'S SUCH A INEXPENSIVE TOOL THAT'S GONNA HAVE A HUGE IMPACT WITH C WE SHOULD, WE SHOULD GET WITH HER TO TALK ABOUT THAT THEN, BECAUSE THAT, THAT'S SOMETHING THAT DOESN'T REALLY COST A LOT OF MONEY TO CREATE MORE OF THIS, YOU KNOW, OPPORTUNITY FOR PEOPLE TO COME TOGETHER OVER COFFEE OR WHATEVER, JUST TALKING, CORRECT.
I THINK THERE'S SOME INEXPENSIVE WAYS TO EXPAND ON THAT IS WHERE I WAS GOING WITH THAT.
THERE ARE, THAT'S A GREAT CONNECTION.
I'LL SHARE THAT BOOK THAT HE'S AUTHORED THAT TEACHES THE CONCEPT.
I'M SURE SHE ALREADY HAS IT IN HER LIBRARY, SO CAN CONFIRM.
I MEAN, I JUST WANNA SAY ABSOLUTELY, GREAT JOB.
UM, AND I'M OKAY WITH WITH DREAMING BIG, RIGHT? BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, THIS IS A WONDERFUL COMMUNITY AND WE WANNA ALL MAKE SURE WE'RE ALWAYS DOING THE BEST FROM, FOR THIS COMMUNITY.
AND, AND HANDS DOWN, I THINK OUR LIBRARY IS ONE OF THE BEST ONES.
I KNOW MY GRANDDAUGHTERS, UH, MY DAUGHTER-IN-LAW, THEY SPEND HOURS AND HOURS OVER THERE.
I SEE ALL THE KIDS WALKING PAST CITY HALL AND ALL THE DIFFERENT ORGANIZATIONS.
AND THAT'S JUST, THAT'S WHAT THAT'S, THAT SPOT'S FOR, IS FOR COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT.
AND THE JOB THAT YOU GUYS ARE DOING OVER THERE IS, IS TREMENDOUS.
AND KEEP DREAMING BIG AND WE'LL FIGURE OUT WHERE THE MONEY COMES FROM.
COUNCIL MEMBERS, CAN I GET ANY MOTION? MAYOR, I'D LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION THAT WE RECEIVE THE FISCAL YEAR 2026, PATRICK HEATH PUBLIC LIBRARY MASTER PLAN.
UH, SECOND FROM COUNCIL MACALUSO, PLEASE VOTE.
[00:35:04]
MOTION PASSES.[B. RECEIVE THE FOURTH QUARTER FINANCIAL AND INVESTMENT REPORT FOR THE PERIOD ENDED SEPTEMBER 30, 2025.]
ITEM SIX B 2025 DASH 5 68.YOU SEE THE FOURTH QUARTER OF FINANCIAL AND INVESTMENT REPORT FOR THE PERIOD END SEPTEMBER 30TH, 2025 PRESENTING SARAH BUCKALEW.
SARAH, ARE YOU GONNA KNOCK OUR SOCKS OFF? WELL, I WAS JUST ABOUT TO SAY WHO CAN FOLLOW THAT
I WILL TRY TO KNOCK YOUR SOCKS OFF FINANCIALLY AND SEE WHO PUT, WHO PUT ME AFTER NATALIE
UM, THIS, UH, THIS FOURTH QUARTER FINANCIAL REPORT IS A LITTLE BEEFIER THAN OUR NORMAL QUARTERS.
THIS IS HOW THE ITEM ALIGNS WITH OUR STRATEGY MAP.
IT'S NOT CIRCLED THE WHOLE THING 'CAUSE IT'S NOT BUDGET TIME.
I GET TO, I GET SOME OF THE KEY IMPORTANT ONES,
THIS IS WHERE WE ARE IN OUR STRATEGIC ANNUAL MANAGEMENT, UM, BUDGET CYCLE.
SO ONE OF THE THINGS THAT BEEFS THIS PRESENTATION UP A LITTLE BIT MORE THAN OUR NORMAL QUARTER IS THAT OUR INVESTMENT POLICY, UH, REQUIRES ME WITHIN 60 DAYS OF THE FISCAL YEAR END CLOSE TO REVIEW, UM, YEAR TO DATE FINANCIAL INVESTMENT INFORMATION FOR YOU.
SO I'M GONNA START THERE BECAUSE THIS IS A NEW ADDITION THAN WHAT YOU'RE NOR NORMALLY USED TO HEARING.
UM, ADDITIONALLY, I'M SUPPOSED TO REVIEW OUR INVESTMENT PLAN FOR THE UPCOMING YEAR AND IF THERE'S ANY POLICY CHANGES THAT I'M RECOMMENDING AS PART OF OUR INVESTMENT POLICY, I'M SUPPOSED TO BRING 'EM FORWARD.
I ALREADY TOOK CARE OF THAT BACK IN SEPTEMBER, SO WE WON'T GO THROUGH THAT AGAIN.
SO TO START OFF OUR, UH, PORTFOLIO METRICS FOR THE YEAR, OUR QUARTER TO DATE RETURN WAS 4.24%.
THE YEAR TO DATE, WHICH IS THE, THE NEW METRIC TO SHOW YOU TONIGHT FOR THE WHOLE YEAR WAS 4.43%.
OUR WHOLE PORTFOLIO, UM, OUTPERFORMED OUR BUDGET ESTIMATE ESSENTIALLY BECAUSE OF OUR GREATER CASH HOLDINGS IN, IN OUR PORTFOLIO DURING THE YEAR.
AND WE DID ISSUE $4 MILLION, UM, OF THE BOND.
SO THAT'S PART OF OUR PORTFOLIO INTEREST REVENUE.
UH, WE'VE BEEN FOLLOWING THE FED FUNDS TARGET RATE ALL YEAR LONG, SO WE ENDED UP WITH THREE DECREASES DURING THE FISCAL YEAR, UH, TOTALING 75 BASIS POINTS.
UM, OUR BUDGET PROJECTED ONLY TWO DECREASES FOR 50% OR 50 BASIS POINTS.
OVERALL, GOVERNMENT EXCEEDED BUDGET INTEREST EARNINGS BY 750,000 AND UTILITIES EXCEEDED BUDGET BY 650,000.
MOVING ON TO TALKING ABOUT OUR STRATEGY, I WANTED TO TAKE A STEP BACK AND TAKE YOU THROUGH KIND OF WHAT MY DAY TO DAY IS, WHAT OUR DAY-TO-DAY IS ON, HOW WE DETERMINE WHAT OUR STRATEGY IS.
SO IT STARTS ON A DAILY BASIS WITH DETERMINING WHAT WE NEED.
WE LOOK AT OUR BANK ACCOUNT EVERY SINGLE DAY.
WE MANAGE OUR LIQUIDITY DAILY KNOWING THE CASH THAT WE'RE GONNA HAVE COMING IN AND COMING OUT.
SO, UM, MAINTAINING THAT LIQUIDITY IS THE NUMBER ONE PRIORITY.
SO THINGS THAT WE KNOW THAT WE NEED TO MAINTAIN IN OUR BANK ACCOUNT, WE KEEP IN OUR BANK ACCOUNT THE MINIMUM AMOUNT.
ANYTHING ELSE WE KNOW BECAUSE WE HAVE OUR BUDGET OF WHAT WE EXPECT TO SPEND IN THE NEXT 12 MONTHS.
WE GENERALLY KNOW WHEN WE'RE GONNA HAVE BIG CASH OUTLAYS.
THOSE WE KEEP IN THE POOLS, WHICH ARE ALSO LIQUID, UM, BALANCES GREATER THAN 12 MONTHS OR, UH, FUNDS THAT WE DON'T EXPECT TO ACCESS WITHIN 12 MONTHS.
THOSE ARE THE ONES THAT WE PUT IN THE PORTFOLIO WITH LONGER MATURITIES.
WE AREN'T GONNA NEED TO TOUCH THAT MONEY FOR THAT PERIOD.
LOOKING AT THE OUTLOOK FOR NEXT YEAR, UM, YOU CAN TELL WHAT THE MARKET IS THINKING JUST BASED ON HOW THEY, THEY PRICE CERTAIN INVESTMENTS.
AND SO LOOKING AT WHAT THE MARKET THINKS, UM, THEY ESSENTIALLY IS LEANING TOWARDS THE BELIEF THAT THERE'S GONNA GONNA BE A GRADUAL PATH TO LOWER FED FUND RATES, POTENTIALLY AS LOW AS 3% BY LATE 2026.
THAT'S OF COURSE, CONTINGENT ON POLITICS AND INFLATION AND ALL THOSE GOOD THINGS, BUT THAT'S THE, THE CAPTIVE IMAGINATION OF EVERYBODY IS THAT, UH, THAT'S WHERE WE'RE GONNA LAND.
SO, UM, AS WE'RE LOOKING AT TURNING OVER THE BONDS IN OUR LADDER PORTFOLIO THIS YEAR, WE'RE GONNA LOOK MORE TOWARDS THE ONE TO TWO YEAR TERMS BECAUSE, UM, IF WE CAN LOCK THEM IN AT THAT 3.5 OR 3.75 BEFORE THE MARKET TURNS TO THE 3% AND THEN HAVE IT FOR ONE TO TWO YEARS, THEN OF COURSE WE'LL OUTPERFORM.
SO, UM, KEY POINT THERE, WE JUST MANAGE LIQUIDITY, UH, WHILE STAYING NIMBLE DUE TO THE UNCERTAINTY IN THE FED FUND POLICY.
SO MOVING ON TO FINANCIAL RESULTS, UM, I ALMOST PUT THIS IN BIG RED LETTERS, JUST SO YOU KNOW.
UM, EVERYTHING IS PRELIMINARY AND UNAUDITED AT THIS POINT.
WE'RE ACTUALLY NOT DONE CLOSING THE BOOKS FOR THE FISCAL YEAR.
WE USUALLY AREN'T DONE UNTIL LATE NOVEMBER OR EARLY DECEMBER, BUT WE ARE TARGETING THE END OF NOVEMBER TO HAVE OUR BOOKS CLOSED.
SO EVERYTHING IS STILL IN FLUX AND ESTIMATES, BUT WE HAVE A PRETTY GOOD IDEA.
AND I DID WANNA GIVE YOU A SNEAK PEEK.
UM, THE FINANCIAL STATEMENT AUDIT HAS STARTED AND IT WILL CONTINUE UNTIL LATE FEBRUARY.
UM, BY LAW, BY POLICY, WE'LL BRING FORWARD THOSE AUDIT RESULTS TO YOU BEFORE THE END OF MARCH.
[00:40:01]
UM, WE HAD SOME NOTABLE TRANSACTIONS THIS YEAR, THE FIRST OF WHICH WAS OF COURSE, THE BOND ISSUANCE OF $4 MILLION.ONE OF THE THEMES THAT YOU'RE GONNA SEE AS WE GO THROUGH THE NEXT COUPLE SLIDES IS THAT THE, THE GROWTH AND THE VOLUME OF RESIDENTIAL HOUSING WAS, WAS REALLY GOOD THIS YEAR.
SO YOU'LL SEE THAT IMPACT, ESPECIALLY THE REVENUE SIDE.
UM, THIS YEAR, OF COURSE, BECAUSE OF THE JULY 4TH FLOODS, WE DID HAVE SIGNIFICANT FIRE DEPLOYMENTS.
WE ALSO HAD FIRE DEPLOYMENTS REGIONALLY AND UM, NATIONALLY.
UM, I DID WANNA POINT OUT THAT THE MONTH OF JULY WAS A LITTLE SLOWER, YOU MIGHT EXPECT BECAUSE A LOT OF OUR ATTENTION WAS DIVERTED ELSEWHERE.
SO, UM, SOME OF THE MONEY THAT WE WOULD'VE BEEN SPENDING DOING PROJECTS AND SUCH MAY HAVE BEEN DEFERRED A LITTLE BIT AS WE HAD TO SHIFT OUR FOCUS A LITTLE BIT.
UM, ADDITIONALLY WE'RE STARTING TO SEE THE FRUITS OF OUR LABOR ON SOME OF THOSE GRANTS, UM, THAT YOU HEAR US TALK ABOUT.
UH, WE DID HAVE SOME PERSONNEL SAVINGS THIS YEAR DUE TO STAFF VACANCIES AND OVERALL OPERATIONAL SAVINGS.
SO OVERALL, UM, EARLIER THIS YEAR WE TALKED THROUGH A RESOLUTION THAT ANY SURPLUSES, ANY ADDITIONAL MONEY THAT COMES IN GETS SWEPT TO CAPITAL TO FUND CAPITAL INFRASTRUCTURE.
SO THAT WAS ADOPTED WITH RESOLUTION 2025 R 73, AND WE THINK WE'LL HAVE ABOUT 5 MILLION TO CLOSE OUT TO INFRASTRUCTURE.
SO THE NEXT SLIDE HAS A LOT OF NUMBERS ON IT, A LOT OF COLORS.
UM, THE POINT IS NOT TO OVERWHELM, IT'S TO, TO SHOW THAT THERE'S A LOT OF REASONS WHY USUALLY YOU WANT ONE OR TWO REASONS TO POINT TO, UM, AS TO HAS WHAT HAS CAUSED A SURPLUS IN THE YEAR.
SO THIS IS MORE TO SHOW YOU, IT'S IT'S REALLY A BROAD REASON, NOT SO MUCH TARGETED TO ONE OR TWO.
UM, ON THE REVENUE SIDE, YOU'LL SEE THE, THE GREEN, THE TWO LIGHT GREEN NUMBERS THERE FOR THE MUNICIPAL FACILITY FEES AND PERMITS.
THOSE ARE DIRECTLY ATTRIBUTABLE TO THE VOLUME OF THE HOUSING MARKET.
SO OUR, OUR TWO BIGGEST SECTORS, UM, OVER BUDGET AND REVENUE ARE, ARE REALLY DUE TO THE RESIDENTIAL HOUSING.
UM, WE DID GET SIGNIFICANT FIRE DEPLOYMENT REIMBURSEMENTS, WHICH OF COURSE HAVE AN OFFSETTING EXPENSE.
SO IT LOOKS LIKE IT'S OVER BUDGET ON ONE SIDE, BUT IT'S ALSO OVER BUDGET ON THE OTHER SIDE.
AND THEN WE ALREADY TALKED THROUGH INTEREST.
UM, ON THE OTHER SIDE YOU'LL SEE IT'S MOSTLY PERSONAL AND, UH, PERSONNEL COSTS AND, UM, OPERATIONAL, UH, SAVINGS AT VALOREM TAX.
WE WERE RIGHT ON THE NOSE WITH OUR BUDGET, UM, EX EXACTLY WHERE WE EXPECTED TO BE.
THAT DOES INCLUDE CURRENT YEAR REVENUE AND DELINQUENT TAXES.
SO OUR, UM, COLLECTION ON CURRENT YEAR TAXES WAS EXACTLY 99%, WHICH IS WHAT WE EXPECTED.
SALES TAX, WE WERE RIGHT ON THE NOSE TOO.
SO, UH, 4.2% HIGHER THAN LAST YEAR.
WE'VE BEEN FOLLOWING THIS ALL YEAR LONG.
RETAIL HAS DONE REALLY WELL THIS YEAR IN THE CITY IT WAS UP 9% OVER LAST YEAR.
UM, THE WHOLESALE, OF COURSE, WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT ALMOST EVERY SINGLE QUARTER.
IT'S, IT'S NOT REALLY A, UH, THAT MUCH OF A DECREASE AS IT IS.
THAT LAST YEAR WAS JUST SO HIGH.
AND THEN THE FINANCIAL SERVICES THAT JUST POPPED UP THIS QUARTER, AND THAT USUALLY HAPPENS WHEN THERE'S MORE INSURANCE CLAIMS THAN, UM, THE INSURANCE COMPANIES IN TOWN, UM, HAD LAST YEAR.
SO THAT'S TYPICALLY WHAT GIVES RISE TO THAT PERMIT REVENUE.
THIS IS ONE OF THOSE, UM, PIE PIECES WE WERE TALKING ABOUT IS DIRECTLY ATTRIBUTABLE TO THE RESIDENTIAL HOUSING PERMITS.
SO REVENUE COLLECTED WAS 142% OF BUDGET, UM, STILL SLIGHTLY LOWER THAN LAST YEAR, IF YOU CAN BELIEVE IT.
SO WE'VE JUST BEEN BLOWING AND GOING IN THAT CATEGORY.
HOTEL MOTEL, WE WERE, WE WERE REALLY CROSSING OUR FINGERS.
WE THOUGHT, UH, WE HAD REALLY HIGH OCCUPANCY DURING JULY THAT THAT MIGHT TAKE US OVER THE EDGE.
UM, JUST SHY OF BUDGET AT 91%.
SO MOVING ON TO, UH, UTILITY SIDE, ELECTRIC REVENUES WERE 3% HIGHER THAN BUDGET.
UM, PRETTY MUCH IN LINE WITH THE INCREASE IN CONSUMPTION, UM, DURING THE YEAR.
THE NOTABLE TRANSACTION THAT WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT IS THAT WE ENTERED IN A, TO A SWAP ARRANGEMENT THAT NOT ONLY KEEPS THE RATE STUDY FOR OUR CUSTOMERS, BUT ALSO HELPS US MITIGATE CONGESTION COSTS ON THE ELECTRIC SIDE.
SO THIS YEAR IS SOMETHING NEW.
I'M GIVING YOU TWO NUMBERS ON THE UTILITY SIDE, AND THAT'S BECAUSE SOMETIMES DURING THE QUARTER, UM, BEFORE WE PRESENT THE AUDIT RESULTS, I'LL SAY ELECTRIC HAS $4.4 MILLION OF A SURPLUS, BUT THEN I BRING THE FINANCIAL RESULTS AND IT MAY SAY A MILLION AND YOU MAY SAY, WHAT HAPPENED? IT'S BECAUSE THEY'RE TWO DIFFERENT NUMBERS.
SO THE NUMBER THAT I HAVE RIGHT NOW IS, UH, $4.4 MILLION IS WHAT YOU THINK OF WHEN YOU THINK, WHAT ARE WE GONNA SWEEP OVER TO CAPITAL? WHAT'S THE CASH SURPLUS GAP OR GENERALLY ACCEPTED ACCOUNTING PRINCIPLES HAS ALL THE VOODOO ACCOUNTING OF DEPRECIATION AND THINGS THAT
[00:45:01]
MAKE THE NUMBERS DIFFERENT.SO FOR ELECTRIC, IT'S NOT THAT DIFFERENT.
UM, WHEN WE MOVE ON TO THE OTHER UTILITIES, I CAN EXPLAIN THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE NUMBERS.
SO YOU'RE NOT SURPRISED WHEN YOU SEE OUR FINANCIAL STATEMENTS.
SO WATER IS ONE OF COURSE THAT THE NUMBERS ARE GONNA LOOK DIFFERENT.
UM, WATER REVENUES WERE, UH, 8% HIGHER THAN BUDGET CONSUMPTION INCREASED BY 4%.
UH, WE HAD 354 NEW METERS THIS YEAR, WHICH IS ALSO 4% INCREASE.
SO WATER HAD A $1 MILLION CASH SURPLUS.
THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE $1 MILLION CASH SURPLUS AND THE GAP IS THAT GENERALLY ACCEPTED ACCOUNTING PRINCIPLES TREATS NON-CASH CONTRIBUTIONS BY, UH, DEVELOPERS.
SO IF THEY COME IN AND THEY CONTRIBUTE AN EASEMENT OR THEY, UH, CONTRIBUTE SAY WATER LINES THAT THEY PUT IN, BUT THEY'RE CONTRIBUTING TO THEM TO THE CITY, ACCOUNTING LAW TREATS THAT AS INCOME.
I KNOW, UM,
SO THAT'S WHY, UM, THE WATER REVENUES ARE GONNA LOOK A LOT HIGHER THAN THERE'S NOT REALLY $4.9 MILLION WORTH OF CASH THERE THAT WE MADE ON WATER ON WASTEWATER.
UM, IT FLOWS GENERALLY IN THE SAME HA HA, THAT WAS FUNNY.
SEE, IT FLOWS IN THE SAME DIRECTION AS WATER.
UH, OVER BUDGET WE HAD AN INCREASE OF 202 CUSTOMER, OR 202 CUSTOMERS FOR 3%.
WE HAD $1.8 MILLION OF A CASH SURPLUS.
AND YOU'LL SEE ON THE INCOME STATEMENTS ABOUT 2.9 OF GAP INCOME.
AND IT'S, UM, NON-CASH DEVELOPER CONTRIBUTIONS AS WELL.
GAS UTILITY, UM, 3% HIGHER THAN BUDGET, UH, SLIGHTLY HIGHER THAN LAST YEAR.
WE DO HAVE THAT HEDGE, THANKFULLY THAT KEEPS OUR, UH, GAS COST STEADY CONSUMPTION WAS RIGHT IN LINE WITH REVENUE.
AND THIS IS ONE ANOTHER ONE OF THOSE UTILITIES WHERE, UM, CASH AND GAP ARE DIFFERENT.
I KNOW THAT, THAT WE DID HAVE SOME CASH CONTRIBUTIONS FROM DEVELOPERS.
I WANTED TO MAKE SURE THERE WASN'T ELSE OR, UH, NON-CASH CONTRIBUTIONS.
STORM WATER REVENUES WAS BASICALLY RIGHT IN LINE WHERE WE BUDGETED.
UM, THIS OF COURSE IS A UTILITY THAT RIGHT NOW WE'RE CARVING ALL THE MONEY ASIDE FOR FUTURE INFRASTRUCTURE.
SO WE WERE ABLE TO PUT ABOUT $2.3 MILLION TOWARDS FUTURE PROJECTS.
ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS? COUNCIL MACUSA? DID I KNOCK YOUR SOCKS OFF? WELL, YOU'RE DOING A GREAT JOB.
I JUST WANTED TO SAY, AS YOU WELL KNOW, THE UH, MARKET DOES NOT EXACTLY REFLECT THE REALITY OF US ON THE GROUND YEAH.
BECAUSE OF THE TYPE OF TRADING THAT GOES ON.
SO, UM, THE OUTLOOK FINANCIALLY MAY LOOK A LITTLE ROSIER THAN PERHAPS IT IS OR MAYBE IT IS ROSY.
BUT I I APPRECIATE THAT YOU'RE TAKING A LOT OF CONTINGENCIES INTO ACCOUNT BECAUSE WE DON'T KNOW WHAT'S GONNA HAPPEN IN THE COMING YEAR FOR SURE.
INTEREST RATES SPECIFICALLY, WELL, INTEREST RATES IN PARTICULAR, AND THEN THE WHOLE, THE WHOLE LENDING MARKET, THE WHOLE BOND, I MEAN THE WHOLE BOND SITUATION, WE JUST DON'T KNOW THE ECONOMY IS, UH, IT LOOKS GOOD ON PAPER
SO ANYWAY, YOU'RE DOING A GREAT JOB.
WE, WE RUN, UM, VERY FISCALLY CONSERVATIVE.
UM, AND THAT'S PART OF WHY WE HAVE SUCH A HIGH CREDIT RATING.
THEY, THEY SEE HOW WE RUN, THEY SEE THAT WE'RE, OF COURSE, WE DON'T TAKE RISKS.
UM, WE'RE NOT ALLOWED TO LEGALLY, BUT WE, WE ALWAYS MAKE SURE THAT WE MAINTAIN LIQUIDITY.
IN YOUR OPERATING ACCOUNT, YOU DON'T GENERATE ANY INTEREST AT ALL? NO, GENERALLY NOT.
COUNCILMAN, ALSO, THE ONE QUESTION I HAD IS ON, I FEEL LIKE FOR SMALL RETAIL SHOPS, WE HEAR THAT THEY'RE ALL NOT DOING WELL.
SO I'M ASSUMING THAT THE RETAIL BEING HIGHER IS PROBABLY DRIVEN MORE BY LARGER RETAIL.
IS THAT PROBABLY CORRECT? THE BULK OF OUR SALES TAX COMES FROM, UM, LARGER, THE LARGER RETAILS.
UH, NUMBER TWO IS GENERALLY AMAZON.
ANY MONTH THEY'LL FLIP FLOP AND BACK AND FORTH.
BUT AMAZON, HEB, THE LARGE, THE LARGER RETAIL STORES ARE DEFINITELY THE ONES THAT GENERATE THE MOST.
SO THAT NUMBER BEING HIGHER IS PROBABLY DRIVEN MORE BY THAT THAN THANKS.
ANY CONSTABLE MEMBERS? CONSTABLE? NO, I'M, NO, NO, NO.
CAN I GET A MOTION PLEASE? YABU, WE RECEIVE AND APPROVE THE FOURTH QUARTER FINANCIAL AND INVESTMENT REPORT FOR FISCAL YEAR 2025, AND ITS SEPTEMBER 30TH, 2025.
SECOND FROM COUNCILMAN WILLISON, PLEASE VOTE.
[00:50:01]
[A. CONSIDER RESOLUTION NO. 2025-R86; A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF BOERNE, TEXAS, AMENDING COMPENSATION FOR THE MAYOR AND COUNCIL MEMBERS PURSUANT TO SECTION 3.05 OF THE BOERNE HOME RULE CHARTER. (Discussion and Action on Council Member and Mayor Stipends.)]
AGENDA ITEM NUMBER SEVEN.RESOLUTION 7 8 20 25 DASH 5 29.
CONSIDER RESOLUTION NUMBER 2025 DASH R 86, A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL FOR THE CITY OF BERNIE, TEXAS, AMENDING COMPENSATION FOR THE MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS PURSUANT TO SECTION 3.05 OF THE BURNING HOMEROOM CHARTER PRESENTING.
BEN, BEN, YES, MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL.
YOU MIGHT RECALL BACK IN, UH, LATE SEPTEMBER, WE HAD A CONVERSATION ABOUT, UH, THE COUNCIL STIPENDS.
UH, WE WERE DELAYED THAT FOR 30 DAYS.
YOU WANTED ME TO COME BACK WITH SOME MORE INFORMATION.
UM, AND SO I WAS UNABLE TO ATTEND THE LAST MEETING, SO WE'RE DOING IT TODAY.
YOU ALSO RECALL IN THE LAST, A YEAR AGO IN OUR CHARTER REVIEW COMMITTEE, WE CONSIDERED, UM, THE COUNCIL STIPENDS.
UH, WE ALL AGREED WHEN WE LOOKED AT THE CHARTER, YOU SEE ON THE RIGHT THE ACTUAL LANGUAGE ABOUT COMPENSATION FOR THE MARON COUNCIL.
IT SET STATES THAT THE MAR COUNCIL HAS THE AUTHORITY TO SET THAT.
AND SO WE DIDN'T NEED TO DO A CHARTER AMENDMENT, UH, FOR THAT.
HERE ON THE LEFT, YOU SEE THE HISTORY, THE CA CITY COUNCILS RECEIVED SOME SORT OF COMPENSATION SINCE 1925.
UM, ALL THE WAY UP TO 2004 WAS THE LAST, UH, TIME THAT WAS CHANGED AND MODIFIED.
WE'VE KEPT IT THE SAME SINCE 2004.
I WILL NOTE WE'VE MENTIONED THIS PREVIOUSLY, UH, THE, THE, THE VALUE OF $25 IN 1925 IS EQUIVALENT TO ABOUT $450 TO $500 TO IN TODAY'S DOLLARS.
THAT BEING SAID, I'VE, I'VE, CITY SECRETARY LORI CARROLL, HAS DONE A SURVEY THAT WAS PROVIDED IN YOUR PACKET OF WHAT MUNICIPALITIES IN OUR AREA DO.
UM, EVEN SMALLER CITIES THAN US DO WILL PROVIDE SOME SORT OF SALARY, SOMETIMES TO COUNCIL MEMBERS, JUST DEPENDS ON THEIR FORM OF GOVERNMENT AND THE STRUCTURE OF, OF STAFF CAPACITY AND EMPLOYEE COUNTS THAT THEY HAVE, UH, TO ALL KINDS OF OTHER BENEFITS AND WHATNOT.
AND SO IT'S HARD TO REALLY GET AN APPLES TO APPLES COMPARISON.
YOU SEE THAT, UM, UH, CITIES AROUND US DO A LITTLE BIT OF EVERYTHING, INCLUDING NOT HAVING ANYTHING AT ALL.
AND SO, UH, WE'VE HAD A LOT OF CONVERSATION.
UM, IF YOU'LL ADVANCE TO THE NEXT SLIDE.
AND BASICALLY WHERE WE LANDED, WHAT, WHAT I HEARD AT THE LAST COUNCIL MEETING WHEN WE DISCUSSED THIS IS MAYBE IT SEEMED LIKE A GENERAL FEELING THAT IF WE JUST DOUBLED OUR CURRENT RATES, CURRENT, UH, COMPENSATION STIPEND, THAT THAT MIGHT BE AN ACCEPTABLE, UH, UH, CONVERSATION POINT FOR YOU.
SO I'M BRINGING FORWARD AN ACTION ITEM TO, UH, DOUBLE THE MAYOR'S STIPEND FROM $200 TO $400 A MONTH, AND THE COUNCIL MEMBERS FROM 150 TO $300 A MONTH.
NOW, IF THIS GOES INTO EFFECT, IF YOU CHOOSE TO ACT ON THIS AND APPROVE THIS, THEN UM, THIS WILL IMPACT THOSE WHO ARE UP FOR ELECTION THIS NEXT YEAR OR NEXT CALENDAR YEAR, THIS FISCAL YEAR.
SO THERE'S TWO SPOTS, THAT'S DISTRICT THREE AND ONE AND THREE.
AND SO IF, UH, SO WHOEVER IS ELECTED IN THOSE SPOTS, THEN THAT'S WHEN WE WILL HAVE A FINANCIAL IMPACT.
IT'LL BE ABOUT $1,500 FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE YEAR, AND THEN WE'LL DO ANOTHER CATCH UP FOR THE, FOR THE FOLLOWING YEAR WITH WHOEVER, WHATEVER THOSE TWO SPOTS ARE UP FOR A REELECTION, I BELIEVE.
I THINK THAT MAY BE ALL I HAVE.
SO IF THERE'S ANY QUESTIONS, UM, WE CAN, WE CAN, I'LL DO MY BEST TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS OR YOU CAN ENTERTAIN JUST A CONVERSATION AMONGST YOURSELVES AND WHAT YOU WOULD LIKE TO DO.
NOW I WANNA THANK YOU FOR BRINGING THAT FORWARD MANDALORIAN FOR THE WORK AND THE RESEARCH AND THE SURVEY AND EVERYTHING LIKE THAT.
UM, I DON'T, I, I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO KNOW THAT, UH, LIKE FOR MYSELF, RIGHT? THIS ISN'T GOING TO COME INTO EFFECT FOR ME.
THIS ISN'T GONNA BENEFIT ME UNLESS I DECIDE TO RUN AGAIN IN ANOTHER TWO AND A HALF YEARS.
YOU KNOW? UM, I THINK PART OF THE CONVERSATION WE HAD BACK DURING THE CHARTER REVIEW WAS, UM, WE HEARD A LOT OF PEOPLE TALKING IN OUR COMMUNITY SAYING, WELL, I WOULDN'T DO THAT JOB FOR 150 BUCKS A MONTH.
YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN? UH, BUT THE FACT OF THE MATTER IS, I, FROM SITTING IN THIS SEAT, I RECOGNIZE THE AMOUNT OF HOURS THAT THE COUNCIL MEMBERS PUT IN WITH THEIR CONSTITUENTS, WHAT THEY PUT IN, UM, WITH CITY STAFF, AMOUNT OF TIME THEY PUT IN, UH, DEALING WITH JUST THE STUFF THAT THEY DO ON A DAILY BASIS, A WEEKLY BASIS.
AND, UH, I, IT'S MUCH APPRECIATED BY ME, BUT IT'S ALSO, I THINK IT WOULD BE APPRECIATED BY THE COMMUNITY.
AND I THINK IT'S WELL WORTH, UH, THE INCREASE.
AND THAT'S ONE OF THE REASONS WHY I WANTED TO BRING IT FORWARD.
I THINK IT'S WORTH, I THINK IT'S WORTH REITERATING RIGHT, THAT THE IMPACT OF THE FISCAL YEAR IS $1,500, RIGHT? SO THAT GOES INTO EFFECT WITH THE ELECTIONS IN MAY.
UM, AND THEN, I CAN'T REMEMBER THE EXACT NUMBER.
11,400 IS THE TOTAL EXPENSE AS IT IS NOW.
SO WHEN FULLY DEPLOYED DOWN THE ROAD, YOU KNOW, THAT WOULD BE 22,800 TOTAL EXPENSE.
UM, SO STILL NOT A SIGNIFICANT IMPACT TO THE OVERALL BUDGET OF THE CITY, CORRECT.
FOR THE SERVICES THAT WE PROVIDE.
AND IT DOESN'T, YOU KNOW, CHANGE ANY ANYBODY'S FINANCIAL STANDINGS WHATSOEVER.
UM, BUT IT DOES ALLOW YOU TO COVER GAS TO GO INTO SAN ANTONIO
[00:55:01]
BACK AND FORTH MULTIPLE TIMES OR, UH, A CUP OF COFFEE FOR, YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU'RE HAVING A MEETING WITH SOMEBODY.SO, UM, I, I DEFINITELY THINK THAT IT'S, YOU KNOW, WITHIN REASONABLE AMOUNT.
WELL, I, I'VE ALWAYS SAID IT'S JUST GAS AND COFFEE MONEY, AND I FIND I'M SPENDING MORE MONEY ON COFFEE LATELY.
BUT, BUT, UH, I WOULD ALSO COMMENT THAT EVEN AT ITS FULL, FIRST OF ALL, IT AFFECTS NOBODY ON THE DAIS, UH, UNLESS YOU'RE REELECTED OR RUN FOR OFFICE AGAIN.
SO NO ONE HERE IS GETTING A RAISE, UH, NEXT MONTH OF ANY KIND.
SECONDLY, UM, I WOULD REMIND THAT, UH, NOT, IT'S NOT APPLES TO APPLES, BUT IT IS WORTH NOTING THAT THE ENTIRE BUDGET, WHEN IT'S FULLY IMPLEMENTED OF 2020 2000, 22,000 IS A LITTLE OVER A ROUGHLY 20% OF WHAT ONE COUNTY COMMISSIONER GETS IN A YEAR.
SO THE ENTIRE MAYOR COUNCIL IS ONE FIFTH OF ONE OF THE FIVE COMMISSIONERS.
I'M NOT COMPARING 'EM EXACTLY, BUT JUST TO PUT IT IN PERSPECTIVE.
SO IT'S, IT'S STILL A PRETTY GOOD DEAL FOR THE COMMUNITY, I WOULD SAY.
AND TO YOUR POINT, NOBODY'S RUNNING FOR THIS OFFICE FOR 150 OR $300 A MONTH.
ANY QUESTIONS, COMMENTS FROM COUNSEL? CAN I GET A MOTION, MOTION FROM COUNCILMAN BATEMAN? I MAKE A MOTION TO APPROVE ITEM 2025 DASH 5 29, CONSIDER RESOLUTION NUMBER, UM, 2025 R 86, A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF BERNIE, TEXAS, AMENDING AND COMPENSATION FOR THE MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS PURSUANT TO SECTION 3.05 OF THE BERNIE HOME RULE CHARTER.
I SECOND FROM COUNCIL MACALUSO, PLEASE VOTE.
AND THAT MOTION PASSES FIVE ZERO.
WE BE NOT TO AGENDA ITEM SEVEN
[B. RECEIVE BIDS AND CONSIDER RESOLUTION NO. 2025-R87; A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF BOERNE, TEXAS, AWARDING THE CONTRACT FOR PLANT STREET PARKING LOT IMPROVEMENTS TO _______ FOR AN AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED $________; AND AUTHORIZING THE CITY MANAGER TO MANAGE AND EXECUTE THE RELATED CONTRACT.]
B 2025 DASH 5 37 RECEIVE BIDS AND CONSIDER RESOLUTION NUMBER 2025 RH SEVEN.A RESOLUTION FOR THE CITY OF COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF BERNIE, TEXAS.
AWARDING THE CONTRACT FOR PLANT STREET PARKING LOT IMPROVEMENTS TO, FOR AN AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED AND AUTHORIZING CITY MANAGEMENT TO MANAGE, EXECUTE THAT RELATED CONTRACT PRESENTING JEFF CARROLL JEFF EVENING, MAYOR AND COUNCIL.
I'M HERE TO TALK TO YOU ABOUT OUR PLANT STREET PARKING PROJECT.
UM, IT TIES TO OUR STRATEGY MAP BY OFFERING QUALITY CUSTOMER EXPERIENCES, INVESTING IN HIGH QUALITY ASSETS AND ADVANCING MASTER PLAN RECOMMENDATIONS.
UH, SO ANY OF YOU THAT HAVE BEEN TO THE PLANT STREET PARKING LOT OFF OF PLANT STREET, UM, IT'S A FORMER LOCATION OF THE PARKS MAINTENANCE OFFICE YEARS AGO, AND IT ACTUALLY WAS A-L-C-R-A SUBSTATION AT ONE POINT IN TIME.
UH, THE CITY HAD LEASED THE LCRA PORTION FOR MANY YEARS, AND BACK IN 21, THE CITY ACTUALLY PORT PURCHASED THE LCRA PART.
SO IT'S COM BEEN COMPLETELY OWNED BY THE CITY FOR SEVERAL YEARS NOW, FOR A LITTLE TIDBIT OF BERNIE HISTORY, UM, I FOUND THIS 1937 MAP OF BERNIE THAT SHOWS THE ICE HOUSE.
SO THE ICE HOUSE WAS ON THE CORNER OF, AT THE TIME IT WAS SLO AND MILL ROAD MILL ROADS.
AND SO THIS IS THE ICE HOUSE, NOT WHAT WE KIND OF THINK ICE HOUSE TODAY, BUT THIS BACK IN, UH,
AND SO THAT WAS A ICE HOUSE THERE AT THE CORNER.
AND INTERESTING TO ME THAT WHAT WE NOW KNOW AS RIVER IS MILL ROAD AND WHAT WE NOW KNOW AS PLANT WAS SLO ROAD.
AND WHAT I'VE HEARD OVER TIME IS BECAUSE OF THE ICE PLANT AND THE POWER PLANT IS HOW PLANT STREET GOT ITS NAME, UM, AND GOT CHANGED FROM CILO.
AND FOR THOSE OF YOU THAT DON'T KNOW, SLO IS THE NATIVE AMERICAN WORD AND THEN BECAME A SPANISH WORD FOR BUFFALO.
AND WE HAVE CILO CREEK AND CILO ALL SORTS OF THINGS AROUND TOWN.
BACK IN 2023, WE DID A CONCEPT PLAN FOR WHAT WE COULD DO WITH THIS PARKING LOT.
UM, REALLY ONE OF THE THINGS IS THERE'S A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT DON'T UNDERSTAND IT'S A PUBLIC PARKING LOT, THAT THEY THINK IT'S ONE OF THOSE ADJACENT BUSINESSES, PARKING LOTS.
UM, SO WHAT CAN WE DO TO HELP DEFINE THAT AS A PUBLIC FACILITY? UM, WE ACTUALLY DID THIS CONCEPT STUDY CONCURRENTLY WITH THE URBAN CORRIDOR DESIGN AND ENHANCEMENT GUIDE.
UM, WE WANTED TO REMOVE AND REPLACE THE ENTIRE PAVEMENT OF THE PARKING LOT.
IT'S ACTUALLY BECOME A MAINTENANCE ISSUE.
WE'RE OUT THERE REPAIRING THAT PRETTY FREQUENTLY.
WE WANTED TO USE NATIVE AND LOW MAINTENANCE PLANTS AND WE WANTED TO DEVELOP A TEMPLATE THAT COULD BE USED FOR FUTURE CITY PARKING LOTS AS WE EXPAND PARKING ACROSS THE CITY.
AND AS I MENTIONED, THE URBAN CORRIDOR DESIGN GUIDE.
THIS, OUR CONCEPT STUDY WAS DONE CONCURRENTLY AND ACTUALLY OUR CONCEPT STUDY WAS INCLUDED IN THE DESIGN GUIDE.
SO IF YOU LOOK AT THE DESIGN GUIDE, OUR AWARD WINNING DESIGN GUIDE FROM LAST MONTH, UM, IT HAS OUR SCHEMATIC DESIGNS, WHAT WE WANTED THIS PARKING LOT TO BE INCLUDED IN THE STUDY.
SO LAST YEAR, FISCAL YEAR 25, WE WERE BUSY DESIGNING THIS PARKING LOT.
SO WE ACTUALLY WENT AND DUG SOME, DRILLED SOME HOLES TO FIGURE OUT HOW, WHAT THAT NEW PAVEMENT SHOULD BE TO BE A GOOD MAINTENANCE FREE PAVEMENT.
UH, WE CAME UP WITH SOME DESIGNS FOR SOME DARK SKY COMPLIANT LIGHTS, A NEW IRRIGATION
[01:00:01]
SYSTEM FOR THE LANDSCAPING.AND WE'RE ACTUALLY GONNA PUT A NEW CONCRETE FENCE ON THE NORTH AND SOUTH SIDES OF THE PROPERTY AS WELL.
SO WE GOT THE PLANS ALL WRAPPED UP, AND SO IT'S NOW TIME TO FIND A CONTRACTOR.
UM, SO WE ADVERTISED IN THE BERNIE STAR ON THE FIRST AND EIGHTH AND ALSO PUT IT ON OUR ONLINE PORTAL, THE CITY PORTAL, AND OUR CIV CAST PORTAL THAT WE USE FOR ALL OUR BIDS.
WE OPENED BIDS ON OCTOBER 16TH HERE AT CITY HALL.
WE GOT FOUR BIDS AND THE LOW BID WAS ML CONTRACTING INC.
UH, AND THIS IS JUST A, ONE OF THE SIGNS THAT WILL BE AT THAT PARKING LOT, KIND OF HAS SOME OF THE INFO THAT I TOLD YOU GUYS TONIGHT.
THE SIBO NAME, THE EARLY ICE HOUSE, AND SOME OF THE KEY PARTS, UH, KIND OF WAY FINDING HERE IN THE CITY.
SO OUR BUDGET THIS YEAR WAS 400,000.
OUR LOW BID WAS FOUR HUNDRED AND NINETY SEVEN FIFTY ONE AND 50 CENTS WAS THE LOW BID WE RECEIVED.
AND WE'RE ASKING FOR AN ADDITIONAL 10% FOR ANY UNFORESEEN CONDITIONS.
WE, WE KNOW THIS IS A LITTLE OVER BUDGET AND SO WE'RE GONNA LOOK AND SEE IF WE CAN FIND SOME WAYS TO BORROW FROM SOME OTHER, OTHER CIP FUNDS OR POTENTIALLY IF WE NEED TO COME BACK, UM, FOR A BUDGET ADJUSTMENT AT A LATER DATE.
UM, AND THEN CONTINUING TO SHOW YOU SIGNS, THESE ARE SOME OF OUR SIGNAGE BOARDS THAT WILL BE OUT THERE FOR THE, THIS WILL BE NOW REFERRED TO AS THE SLO LOT PLANT AVENUE.
SO ANY QUESTIONS ON OUR PARKING LOT BID? YEAH.
UM, JUST BACK TO THE ISSUE OF THE BUDGET, IT APPEARS THAT I WOULD SAY THE BUDGET WAS UNDERESTIMATED BECAUSE EVERY BID IS SIGNIFICANTLY OVER THE BUDGET.
EVEN THE LOW BID IS OVER THE BUDGET.
SO I MEAN, THE OTHER QUESTION I'VE ASKED THIS MANY TIMES WHEN I LOOK AT THE BIDS, THE HIGH BID IS ALMOST DOUBLE THE LOW BID.
WHAT WERE THEY GONNA DO DIFFERENTLY? JUST
AND, UH, SOMETIMES THERE'S NO ONE ELSE THAT BIDS LOW AND THEY BECOME A WINNER.
I JUST WAS CURIOUS ABOUT THAT.
SO, UH, I DIDN'T, GOING, GOING BACK TO THAT PICTURE OF THE LOT ITSELF IS, IS ARE WE GAINING ANY SPOTS OR KEEPING THE SAME AMOUNT OF SPOTS? WHAT'S IT'S ACTUALLY STAYING STAYING ABOUT THE SAME AMOUNT OF SPOTS.
WE REALLY CAN'T FIT ANY MORE SPOTS IN THERE AND WITH, UH, WE'RE ADDING SOME ADDITIONAL LANDSCAPING AND WE'RE ACTUALLY, UH, OPENING IT UP DIRECTLY TO MESQUITE, UM, TO HELP IMPROVE SOME OF THE FLOW.
BUT IT'S BASICALLY STAYING THE SAME AMOUNT AND IT'S TRYING TO MAKE IT A LITTLE MORE FRIENDLY FOR THOSE OF US THAT DRIVE KIND OF BIGGER VEHICLES.
IT'S KIND OF A TOUGH PARKING LOT TODAY.
WELL, IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT THAT WE SET THE STANDARD FOR APPEARANCE.
SO I, THAT PART I'M ABSOLUTELY IN FAVOR OF.
OBVIOUSLY I KNOW THAT THE ENGINEERING PART IS VERY IMPORTANT, BUT I'M SAYING IN TERMS OF APPEARANCE, WE WANT IT TO LOOK LIKE IT'S SUPPOSED TO LOOK GOING FORWARD.
SO THAT PART I DON'T HAVE ANY PROBLEM WITH AT ALL.
AND IT'S GONNA BE ACCESSIBLE FROM BOTH SIDES, NOT JUST THE PLANT SIDE LIKE IT IS NOW.
I MEAN, YOU CAN GET TO IT THROUGH THE DUCK NOW, BUT, RIGHT.
I MEAN, I THINK PART OF THE THING WITH IT BEING OVER BUDGET IS, YOU KNOW, WE COME UP WITH, WE WANT IT TO LOOK PRETTY AND I THINK THE TRUTH IS THINGS JUST COST MORE AND WELL, THIS BEEN WE GUESSTIMATED YEAR PROJECT, HUH? WE GOT TWO YEARS AGO WE GOT THE BUDGET CORRECT IN THE BUDGET.
SO THAT'S, WELL, THAT'S IT, RIGHT? WE HEAR IT.
THE INFLATION, UH, TECH STACK GUY TALK, WHAT WAS THAT, TWO YEARS AGO? AND YOU WAIT TWO YEARS, IT'S GONNA GO UP.
IF WE WAIT ANOTHER TWO YEARS, IT'D PROBABLY BE 700.
UM, YOU KNOW, IT'S WHAT IT IS.
UM, I'M EXCITED TO HAVE THIS, I'M EXCITED TO SEE THE, I LOVE THE, UH, WAYFINDERS.
I'M EXCITED TO SEE THAT HERE, YOU KNOW, CONTINUATION OF THAT AROUND TOWN.
I THINK THE MORE PEOPLE SEE THAT AND, YOU KNOW, SOME PEOPLE WON'T LIKE IT, OF COURSE, BUT, UM, I THINK THE MORE PEOPLE SEE IT, THE MORE THEY'LL, UM, START TO LIKE IT AND APPRECIATE IT.
I'LL JUST ADD, YOU KNOW, WE ADDED SOME OF THESE ELEMENTS INTO THE RIVER ROAD PARK RENOVATION.
WHEN WE BUILD THE NORTH SIDE PARK, YOU'LL SEE THESE ELEMENTS IN THERE AS WELL.
SO YOU'RE GONNA SEE THAT MORE AND MORE AS WE DO MORE PUBLIC IMPROVEMENTS.
ALRIGHT, ANY OTHER QUESTIONS, COMMENTS? IF NOT, CAN I GET A MOTION? COUNSEL, MSO MAYOR, I MOVE APPROVAL OF RESOLUTION NUMBER 2025 DASH R 87, RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF BURN TEXAS, AWARDING THE CONTRACT FOR PLAN STREET PARKING LOT IMPROVEMENTS TO ML CONTRACT AND INCORPORATED FOR AN AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED $539,826 AND 65 CENTS IN AUTHORIZING THE CITY MANAGER TO MANAGE AND EXECUTE THE RELATED CONTRACT.
SECOND FROM COUNCILMAN WILSON, PLEASE VOTE.
ALL RIGHT, MOVING ON TO AGENDA
[A. DICKENS ON MAIN UPDATE.]
ONE, EIGHT A C MANAGE REPORT.I'M JUST GONNA TURN IT OVER TO LIZETTE FOR
[01:05:01]
THE UPDATE ON DICKENS ON MAIN.AND MAYOR, I AM NOT HERE TO KNOCK YOUR SOCKS OFF, BUT I, WELL, THE LAST THREE PEOPLE HERE, THE LAST THREE PEOPLE DID.
SO, BUT I HA I, BUT I AM HERE TO BRING YOU SNOW NEXT WEEK.
SO WE'RE GONNA, WE'RE GONNA, WE'RE GONNA END THE MEETING.
WE DON'T WANT SNOW, RIGHT? I THOUGHT IT WAS SOAP.
AH, HEY, DON'T RUIN THE DREAM.
JUST A, A, A RECAP ON DICKENS ON MAINE.
IT IS FRIDAY AND SATURDAY AFTER THANKSGIVING.
SO A FEW STATISTICS FROM LAST YEAR.
75% OF THEM WERE FROM THE OUTSIDE OF THE 7, 8, 0 0 6 ZIP CODE.
SO A LOT OF THEM COULD BE FIRST TIMERS.
AND WHAT AN INTRODUCTION TO BERNIE IF THAT IS YOUR FIRST TIME.
UM, OVER 10,000 VISITORS TRAVELED MORE THAN A HUNDRED MILES TO VISIT US, AND 5,800 VISITORS TRAVELED MORE THAN 250 MILES FOR DICKINS ON MAINE.
GREAT JOB TO ALL OF US AND THE COMMUNITY 'CAUSE THAT IS A FANTASTIC, UM, AGAIN, JUST FANTASTIC FOR A TWO DAY, TWO DAY EVENT.
I'M GONNA GO AHEAD AND TALK ABOUT SOME CHANGES THIS YEAR.
AS YOU KNOW, LAST YEAR WE, WE DID BRING IN TWO DIGITAL SCREENS TO SHOWCASE THE PERFORMANCES ON THE BIG STAGE AT MAIN PLAZA.
UM, WE RECEIVED SOME FEEDBACK THAT THE POSITION OF THE SCREEN THAT WAS ON MAIN STREET IN TYSON KIND OF BROUGHT A BARRIER TO SOME OF THOSE, UH, RETAILERS.
SO WE ARE PUSHING THE SCREEN FURTHER DOWN, SO IT WOULD ACTUALLY BE RIGHT BY HAMBY.
HAMBY HAS BEEN VERY GRACIOUS TO ALLOW US TO, UH, PARK THE SCREEN IN THEIR PARKING LOT.
IT IS A LOT OF LOGISTICS WITH THAT SCREEN, SO WE CAN'T TURN IT, IT HAS TO PARK AND WE HAVE TO JUST PULL IT STRAIGHT OUT.
UH, SO YOU CAN IMAGINE THERE ARE SOME LOGISTICS, UH, STRUGGLES WITH THAT.
BUT HAMBY WAS GRACIOUS AND HOPEFULLY THIS WILL HELP MOVE THAT FOOT TRAFFIC ALL THE WAY DOWN MAIN STREET.
DICKENS VILLAGE IS ALSO RELOCATING THIS YEAR.
PREVIOUSLY, DICKENS VILLAGE WAS LOCATED AT TUTU'S GARDEN, WHERE WE HAD A STAGE, UH, PERFORMANCES KIDS, KIDS AND ADULTS PERFORMANCES.
WE HAVE FOOD TRUCKS AND CRAFT VENDORS THAT WILL ALL BE LOCATED TO THE PARKING LOT NEXT TO THE RICHTER BUILDING.
UM, IN THAT LOCATION, SOMETHING NEW THAT WE, WE ARE ACTUALLY, IT'S NEW, BUT WE'RE ALSO BRINGING IT BACK IS THE ICE SLIDE.
SO NOT ONLY ARE WE BRINGING SNOW, BUT WE'RE ALSO BRINGING SOME ICE FOR THE KIDS.
AND IT IS A LITTLE DIFFERENT FROM PREVIOUS YEARS.
WE ARE PUTTING AN AGE RESTRICTION ON IT.
SO LITTLE ONES ALL THE WAY THROUGH MIDDLE SCHOOL CAN ENJOY THE FUN AND THE PARENTS CAN TAKE SOME, CAPTURE SOME PHOTOS OF THE KIDS GOING DOWN THE SLIDE.
IT'LL BE A GREAT TIME THAT I SLIDE WILL BE FREE.
UH, IT WILL START AT 5:00 PM UM, ONLY IN THE EVENINGS.
AND, UH, IT'LL BE LOCATED ON THE PARKING LOT AT THE KENNEL COUNTY COURTHOUSE.
THAT WHOLE SECTION OF THE COURTHOUSE IS DEDICATED TO YOUTH ACTIVITIES.
UM, THE OTHER GREAT ADDITION TO THIS YEAR'S DICKENS IS THE SELL ON WHEELS.
UH, THIS WAS A COLLABORATION BETWEEN OUR IT DEPARTMENT AND OUR POLICE DEPARTMENT BECAUSE AGAIN, SOME OF THE FEEDBACK WAS DICKENS IS CROWDED, THERE IS VERY, UH, LIMITED CELL SERVICE, BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY FOR OUR EMERGENCY ASPECT OF IT IN PUBLIC SAFETY, PEOPLE WEREN'T ABLE TO MAKE PHONE CALLS OUT.
UH, SO THE COW WILL PROVIDE A BOOST TO ANYBODY WHO HAS AT AND T OR FIRSTNET AND IT WOULD HELP, IT'S GONNA HELP OUR EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT TEAM AND ALSO IN GENERAL CUSTOMER SERVICE FOR EVERYBODY ON MAIN STREET AND FOR DICKENS.
BUT AGAIN, ONLY IF YOU HAVE AT AND T AND OR FIRSTNET.
AT AND T IS THE ONLY ONE THAT REALLY STEPPED UP AND PROVIDED THIS.
UH, NOW THE STREET CLOSURE INFORMATION, UM, I'M GONNA BRIEFLY TOUCH ON THE WHY NOTS PARADE, WHICH FOLLOW IS THE FOLLOWING WEEKEND OF DICKENS FIRST SATURDAY IN DECEMBER.
SO FOR DICKENS ON MAINE AND FOR THE WINE KNOTS PARADE STREET CLOSURE IS FROM 4:00 PM TO 10:00 PM.
HOWEVER, WE ARE ENCOURAGING THE PUBLIC TO VACATE MAIN STREET AT 3:00 PM SO YOU WILL SEE SIGNAGES ON THE SIDEWALK ON LIGHT POLES, AND THEN OF COURSE, DIGITAL, UM, MESSAGE BOARDS THROUGHOUT THE TOWN.
HOWEVER, AGAIN, WE ARE ENCOURAGING THE PUBLIC TO VACATE MAIN STREET AT 3:00 PM AND WE WILL SHUT EVERYTHING DOWN AT 4:00 PM COURTESY OF OUR BEAUTIFUL AND AND DEDICATED, UH, POLICE DEPARTMENT.
SPEAKING ON OUR POLICE DEPARTMENT BECAUSE WE HAVE A DEDICATED CHIEF, UM, WHO VERY MUCH SUPPORTED AND PUSHED FOR THIS.
WE DO HAVE SOME NEW BARRICADES COMING IN, UH, THERE FOR NOW.
WE HAVE THREE LOCATIONS THAT WE ARE GOING TO BRING IN.
UM, THEY'RE CALLED DROP AND STOP BARRICADES.
[01:10:01]
A THE COMPANY THAT WE ARE HIRING, THE BARRICADES ARE BRINGING THEM AND SETTING THEM UP FOR US.SO THEY WILL HELP WITH OUR POLICE DEPARTMENT BECAUSE THEY ALREADY HAVE A LOT TO DO THAT NIGHT.
UM, AND THEY WILL ALSO HELP, UH, REMOVE THEM IN SOME AREAS.
WE WILL HAVE BARRICADE GATES, WHICH ARE THESE RIGHT HERE.
ACTUALLY, I THINK RIGHT NOW THE ONLY LOCATION IS RIGHT HERE.
UH, AND THIS AGAIN, IT BACK TO PUBLIC SAFETY.
UM, IF IT WASN'T FOR OUR CHIEF ADVOCATING FOR THIS, UH, IT'S JUST NOTHING BUT GRATEFUL TO HIS DEDICATION ON, ON KEEPING OUR PUBLIC AND THE EVENT SAFE IN GENERAL.
UH, SO NEW BEAR CASE COMING OUT.
UM, AND THEN ON TOP OF THAT, WE ARE GONNA CHANGE THE DETOUR ROUTE FOR BOTH EVENTS.
DICKENS ON MAIN AND FOR THE Y KNOTS PARADE, WE HAVE SOME CONSTRUCTION ON ADLER.
SO IF YOU FOLLOW THE GREEN DOTTED LINE, THAT'S THE DETOUR.
SO RIGHT OVER HERE WHERE THERE IS NOT A GREEN DOTTED LINE IS WAS THE ORIGINAL DETOUR FROM PREVIOUS EVENTS.
THERE'S SOME CONSTRUCTION RIGHT HERE, VERY CLOSE TO MY OFFICE ON ADLER, THE PARKS AND RECREATION ADEN OFFICE.
SO TO AVOID THAT AND TO CAUSE MORE CLUSTER, WE ARE GONNA BE, OR PD WILL BE DETOURING EVERYBODY THROUGH PLANT STREET AND DOWN TO BLANCO OR ALL THE WAY DOWN RIVER ROAD, WHATEVER.
UM, QUESTION, YOU ARE CHIEF, WHAT ABOUT THAT INTERSECTION AT PLANT AND BLANCO WITH THAT MUCH TRAFFIC? YES, SIR.
SO THE DETOUR ROUTE, BECAUSE OF THE CONSTRUCTION, WOULD NORMALLY GO RIVER ESER ALL THE WAY AROUND.
RIGHT? BUT BECAUSE OF THAT, WE'RE GONNA RUN 'EM UP.
THEY'RE GONNA HAVE THE OPTION OF GOING UP NORTH ON PLANT OR SOUTH ON PLANT.
THEY CAN ALSO TURN ON BLANCO TO GET BACK ON MAIN TO, TO MOVE THEM THERE.
AND AT THAT POINT, BECAUSE IT'S NEW, WE'RE GONNA HAVE SOMEBODY THERE MONITORING THE TRAFFIC AND WE HAVE TO GET OUT AND ACTUALLY DIRECT TRAFFIC.
UM, BUT WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO WAIT AND SEE HOW THAT GOES WITH ALL THE TRAFFIC.
LOOK, THIS WILL BE OUT TO THE PUBLIC AS WELL.
OUR COMMUNICATIONS DEPARTMENT WILL BE PUSHING THIS A LOT BECAUSE IT WILL BE DIFFERENT THIS YEAR.
WHAT'S NOT CHANGING IS OUR TREE LIGHTING CEREMONY.
OUR TREE LIGHTING WILL BE FRIDAY AT 6:00 PM SEVERAL OF Y'ALL WILL BE THERE.
UH, IT'S REALLY A VERY UNIQUE EXPERIENCE FOR BERNIE AND HISTORICALLY, UH, BASED OFF OF DATA, IT IS ALSO PEAK TIME FOR TICKETS ON MAINE.
IT IS WHEN WE HAVE THE MOST VISITORS AT ONE TIME FOR TICKETS.
IT WAS QUITE AN IMPRESSIVE, UM, SUPPORT FROM THE COMMUNITY AND VISITORS.
UM, AS WELL AS MAJORITY OF THE ACTIVITIES FOR THE PUBLIC IS FREE.
EVERYTHING IN THE YOUTH SECTION IS FREE.
WE'RE EVEN GOING LITTLE STEP FURTHER AND PROVIDING FAMILIES PHOTOS PRINTED OUT.
WE'RE GOING BACK, WE'RE TAKING IT BACK TO FILM, RIGHT? WE'RE ACTUALLY, YOU TAKE A PHOTO WITH SANTA, YOU GET TO WALK AWAY WITH A PHOTO OF YOU AND SANTA RIGHT THERE.
SO, UM, THIS IS RARE WHEN YOU LOOK AT OTHER CITIES THAT OFFER A HOLIDAY EVENT SIMILAR TO THIS, IT IS NOT FREE.
UM, AND SO WE'RE VERY GRATEFUL THAT WE HAVE THE SUPPORT TO BE ABLE TO OFFER THIS TO OUR COMMUNITY AND TO OUR VISITORS.
UM, OBVIOUSLY FOOD, THERE IS COST OF FOOD, RIGHT? BUT OTHER THAN THAT, THE ACTIVITIES, WHAT WE'RE OFFERING, THE EXTRA ACTIVITIES IS OFFERING.
AGAIN, THAT'S ONLY BECAUSE WE HAVE THE SUPPORT FROM COUNCIL AND WE HAVE THE COMMUNITY THAT, UH, BACKS IT UP.
SO WE'RE VERY GRATEFUL FOR IT AND WE'RE EXCITED.
I CAN'T BELIEVE WE'RE ONLY A WEEK AWAY.
UH, ANY QUESTIONS? QUESTIONS? COUNCIL MEMBERS COMMENTS? JUST ONE QUESTION ON THE BARRICADES.
ARE THOSE THE METAL ONES? THEY'RE STEEL, IF I'M CORRECT.
AND THAT'S GONNA BE IN ALL THOSE LOCATIONS, JUST THE THREE, THERE MIGHT BE FOUR.
UM, OF THOSE CIRCLE LOCATIONS? YES, SIR.
THOSE, UH, EACH, YOU'LL SAW THE BARRICADES.
SO EACH ONE IS ABOUT 700 POUNDS.
IT'S, IT'S DESIGNED TO STOP MOST VEHICLES.
AND SO IN ALL THE YEARS PAST, WE'VE BEEN USING POLICE CARS, FIRE TRUCKS.
AND SO OF COURSE AFTER DID THE NEW ORLEANS INCIDENT, I WAS THINKING THAT YEAH.
OTHER, UH, INCIDENTS ACROSS THE COUNTRY.
UH, THIS IS ONE OF THE MAIN ONES THAT HAS BEING USED ACROSS THE COUNTRY FOR BIG EVENTS.
AND SO THAT'S WHERE I THOUGHT I RECOGNIZED THEM.
THEY WERE USING THEM AT THAT TIME TOO, BUT THE GUY WENT AROUND THEM ON THE SIDEWALK
I MEAN, THERE'S NOT A HUNDRED PERCENT PERFECT THING, BUT, UH, THE WAY WE'RE GONNA PUT IT, UH, THIS IS NEW FOR THIS, UH, EVENT, FOR ANY EVENT.
AND SO THIS WILL KIND OF BE, WE'LL SEE HOW THIS IS GONNA GO WITH THIS.
UH, FOR DICKENS, I'LL JUST ADD, WE'VE LOOKED AT THIS FOR THE POSSIBILITY OF PURCHASING THESE OURSELVES BECAUSE OF ALL THE STREET CLOSURES WE GET IN NEW EVENTS.
AND SO WE'RE EXPLORING THIS THIS YEAR AND IT WAS APPROVED IN THE BUDGET TO RENT THESE FOR THIS FIRST YEAR.
[01:15:01]
UM, WELL, THE REASON I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT IS THAT, UH, JUST LOOKING AT THE, THE HOTEL MOTEL TAX REPORT, TOURISM IS NOT AN UNIMPORTANT PART OF THE ECONOMY HERE.IT MAY NOT BE THE MAIN PART OF THE ECONOMY, BUT IT'S NOT UNIMPORTANT.
AND THE MORE WE CAN PROVIDE EVENTS THAT ARE EASILY MANAGED AND SAFE, THE MORE PEOPLE GONNA COME.
JUST, UH, HATS OFF TO YOU AND YOUR CREW AND THE ENTIRE STAFF THAT'S DOING THIS THING.
THIS IS THE BIGGEST EVENT THAT WE HAVE IN OUR COMMUNITY, AND IT'S A LOT OF WORK AND A LOT OF EFFORT.
AND YOU GUYS DO A TREMENDOUS, TREMENDOUS JOB PUTTING IT ON AND MAKING SURE IT'S, IT'S ONE OF THE BEST EVENTS IN, IN KENDALL COUNTY, IF NOT THE BEST EVENT.
SO THANK YOU GUYS FOR ALL YOUR HARD WORK AND YOUR EFFORTS GETTING THIS, GETTING THIS GOING.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR KIND WORDS, BUT IT IS NOT A ONE DEPARTMENT.
YEAH, IT'S, IT'S ALL THE DEPARTMENTS.
[B. WATER TREATMENT PLANT PILOT STUDY PRESENTATION]
TO CITY MANAGED PORT B 2025 DASH 5 41, WATER TREATMENT PILOT STUDY PRESENTATION.YEAH, I GET TO TALK ABOUT WATER.
COUNCIL, UH, I BELIEVE MOST OF YOU ARE AWARE THAT WE HAD A PILOT STUDY GOING ON FOR NEW WATER TREATMENT PLANT LA OVER THE LAST YEAR.
AND I'LL EXPLAIN TO THAT A LITTLE BIT AND WHAT THE PROCESS IS FOR AND, AND WHAT IT ENTAILED AND HOW WE GO FORWARD.
SO, LONG STORY SHORT, OUR CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS PLAN INCLUDES A NEW WATER PLANT.
UH, AND THAT NEW WATER PLANT, I'LL EXPLAIN THE PURPOSE OF IT IN A LITTLE WHILE, BUT IT'S REALLY NOT TO MAKE MORE WATER OR PRODUCE MORE WATER OUT OF THE LAKE.
THE AMOUNT THAT WE CAN ACTUALLY PRODUCE IS, IS, UH, SET BY THE STATE OF TEXAS.
WE WON'T BE ABLE TO DRAW MORE WATER OUT OF THE LAKE, HOWEVER, WE'LL WE BE ABLE TO PRODUCE MORE ON A PEAK DAY.
AND SO THAT'S THE WHOLE PURPOSE.
AND ALSO, UH, IT'LL BE A NEWER TECHNOLOGY AND I'LL TALK ABOUT THAT IN, UH, BRIEFLY.
SO THE ORIGINAL, UH, WATER TREATMENT PLANT WAS CONSTRUCTED AT THE LAKE IN 1978.
UH, BEFORE THAT TIME, THE CITY WAS WHOLLY SUPPLIED BY GROUNDWATER WELLS.
SO THE, THE NUMBER, YOU KNOW, THERE WAS ONLY A FEW THOUSAND, COUPLE THOUSAND PEOPLE HERE, BUT IT WAS A GROUNDWATER CITY.
ONLY 1978, THE BERNIE CITY LAKE WAS PUT IN FOR FLOOD CONTROL.
AND THE POWERS THAT BEE HAD THE FORESIGHT TO GET A WATER, UH, WITHDRAWAL RIGHT OUT OF IT, AND TO PRODUCE CLEAN DRINKING WATER CONSTRUCTED THE PLANT AND IT'S STILL IN OPERATION, DOES A GREAT JOB.
HOWEVER, UH, REGULATORY REQUIREMENTS HAVE CHANGED SINCE THAT TIME.
MOST NOTABLY, IN THE EARLY IN THE LATE NINETIES, EARLY TWO THOUSANDS, UH, THE T TCEQ STARTED REGULATING DISINFECTION BYPRODUCTS.
SO TRIHALOMETHANE AND HALO ACETIC ACIDS THAT COULD GO ON AND ON, BUT IT'S THAT THOSE COMPOUNDS THAT FORM WHEN CHLORINE COMES INTO CONTACT WITH MICROSCOPIC ORGANICS.
OUR PLANT WAS NOT DESIGNED SPECIFICALLY TO TREAT FOR THAT.
IT DOES, BUT, UH, IT NEEDS HELP.
AND SO ANOTHER THING THAT WE'VE, SOME OTHER CONDITIONS THAT WE'VE EXPERIENCED OVER THE YEARS SINCE THE ORIGINAL CONSTRUCTION IS WE'VE HAD A COUPLE OF MANGANESE EVENTS, PRIMARILY AFTER FLOODS, MANGANESE GET STIRRED UP IN THE WATER, PUT CHLORINE IN THAT FOR A DISINFECTANT THAT'S REQUIRED BY THE STATE.
IT TURNS THE WATER A GRAYISH COLOR, AND YOU'VE HEARD OF BLACK WATER.
IT'S, IT'S NOT, IT DOESN'T AFFECT THE TASTE, BUT IT DOES AFFECT THE, UH, APPEARANCE.
AND ACTUALLY IT'S REGULATED FROM A TURBIDITY OR CLAR, A CLARITY STANDPOINT.
SO CAUSED PROBLEMS A COUPLE OF TIMES.
WE ADDED A POTASSIUM PERMANGANATE FEED AFTER, AFTER THE 2002 FLOOD, AND THAT'S SOLVED THE PROBLEM.
UH, MORE RECENTLY, AND IT'S ACTUALLY BEEN HAPPENING FOR A WHILE, BUT, BUT WE HAD OUR MOST SIGNIFICANT GEOSMIN EVENT, UH, A COUPLE YEARS AGO, TWO YEARS AGO, I THINK IT WAS.
UH, IT'S THAT DIRT TASTE AND SMELL IN THE WATER.
UH, WE HAD A LITTLE BIT OF OF IT THIS YEAR.
MOST PEOPLE JUST DON'T NOTICE.
BUT GISIN UH, DOESN'T, THE WATER DIDN'T TASTE LIKE DIRT.
THAT IS THE SAME COMPOUND THAT MAKES DIRT SMELL LIKE DIRT.
SO SOME SOIL DOESN'T SMELL LIKE DIRT, AND SOME DOES THE SOIL THAT HAS GISIN IN IT SMELLS LIKE DIRT.
SO SAND AND TOP SOIL, FOR INSTANCE, SMELL DIFFERENT.
THAT SAME COMPOUND GOES INTO THE, INTO THE WATER WHEN WE HAVE BLUE-GREEN ALGAE.
AND THAT CAN CREATE THAT GISIN TASTE AND ODOR ISSUE.
UH, AND THEN AS I SPOKE ABOUT EARLIER, WE NEED ADDITIONAL PEAKING CAPABILITY.
SO I'M NOT GONNA TALK ABOUT THIS IN GREAT DETAIL.
I THINK SOME OF YOU HAVE SEEN THIS, BUT A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT.
EACH, EACH, UH, EACH SLICE OF THIS GRAPH IS A DAY.
AND SO HERE'S THE AMOUNT OF WATER THAT WE, THAT WE PRODUCE OUT OF GBRA.
THIS IS OUR GROUNDWATER WELLS, THE AMOUNT THAT WE PRODUCE OUT OF, UH, BURN CITY LAKE.
AND THEN THE PURPLE IS OUR RECLAIMED WATER.
[01:20:02]
WHAT WE DID WAS KIND OF CREATE A WATER MODEL.WHAT DO WE THINK OUR, OUR MODEL DEMAND WOULD BE WITH A POPULATION OF 50,000.
AND SO WE TOOK OUR 2023 CONSUMPTION AND WE MULTIPLIED IT BY A FACTOR TO EQUATE TO 50,000 PEOPLE.
WE TOOK, IT WAS ROUGHLY HALF OF THAT, UH, DOUBLED IT.
AND YOU GET THIS CURVE SOUP, UH, THIS, UH, THIS PATTERN.
AND THEN WE SUPERIMPOSED THIS BLACK LINE, AND THAT IS OUR DEMAND CURVE.
SO WHAT WE'RE ASSUMING WE NEED TO HAVE AVAILABLE IS THIS BLACK LINE.
UM, 2023, WE HAD A COUPLE OF, UH, ABNORMAL EVENTS.
WE WENT INTO RESTRICTIONS IN THIS AREA.
SO THERE'S AN ARTIFICIAL REDUCTION OF, OF, UH, DEMAND AND THEN A LITTLE BIT OF RAIN IN HERE.
BUT IN GENERAL, IT FOLLOWS THAT PATTERN.
AND THAT'S WHAT WE CALL OUR WATER AVAILABILITY OR, OR OUR WATER DEMAND IN A NORMAL YEAR.
SO, UM, MOVING ON FROM THAT, IF YOU TAKE THAT DEMAND CURVE AT THE TOP OF THAT, OF THIS GRAPH, WE'LL SEE THAT IN 2037, WE SHOULD HAVE A LITTLE BIT MORE GBRA WATER AVAILABLE.
AGAIN, IT COMES ON CONSTANT FLOW.
UH, WE'RE ONLY COUNTING ON 1434 OF OUR 1,850 ACRE FEET OF GROUNDWATER.
IT MAY BE TOO LOW, BUT IT'S A VERY VOLATILE SOURCE.
SO WE DON'T WANNA OVERCOMMIT AND THINK IT'S GONNA BE AVAILABLE IN ANY, ANY ONE YEAR.
THERE'S A LOT OF THINGS THAT CONTROL THAT AVAILABILITY.
SO FROM A PLANNING STANDPOINT, WE DON'T COUNT ON ALL OF IT RECLAIMED WATER, THIS ASSUMES THAT WE'RE GONNA BE IRRIGATING MORE NEIGHBORHOODS THAN WE ARE NOW.
MAYBE A COUPLE OF PARTS, SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
THE, THE, UH, AREAS THAT ARE EASY TO GET, EASIER TO GET PIPE TO AND, UH, AND OFFSET THAT POTABLE WATER DEMAND.
AND WHAT'S LEFT IS THE TOTAL PERMIT THAT WE HAVE TO WITHDRAW FROM BURN CITY LAKE AT 8 833 ACRE FEET.
BUT INSTEAD OF TAKING IT ALL YEAR LONG, WE WOULD TAKE IT ONLY OVER THE THREE OR FOUR MONTHS IN THE SUMMER WHEN WE NEED TO SERVE THAT PEAK.
SO RIGHT NOW, OUR PLANT CAN ONLY PRODUCE ABOUT 1.3 TO 1.5 MILLION GALLONS PER DAY.
WE NEED TO AUGMENT THAT, AND THAT'S WHAT THE SECOND PLANT IS FOR.
SO, WE'LL, OUR MODEL ASSUMES WE'RE GONNA NEED TO BE ABLE TO PRODUCE THREE, 3.1 MILLION GALLONS PER DAY.
SO WE WOULD HAVE TWO PLANTS IN THE NEAR TERM, THE EXISTING ONE, WHICH STILL WORKS.
AND THE NEW, UH, NEW ONE THAT'S EXPANDABLE.
AND I'LL TALK A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT THAT.
SO THE EXISTING WATER TREATMENT PLANT CONSISTS OF A RAW WATER INTAKE.
IT'S PUMPS DOWN HERE THAT, THAT, UH, ON THIS LITTLE MANMADE ISLAND THAT PUMP THE WATER OUT OF THE LAKE UP INTO THE PLANT BUILDING WHERE IT GOES THROUGH A CLARIFIER FILTERS, AND THEN INTO THE, INTO THE, UH, TANKS TO BE READY TO BE SENT TO TOWN, UH, PUMPED TO TOWN.
AND KIND OF A SCHEMATIC OF HOW IT WORKS IS THAT WE DRAW THE WATER OUT OF THE LAKE, WE PUT IT INTO A RAPID MIX.
WE ADD SOME CHEMICALS IN THAT, MAKE THE, THE, UH, ORGANIC STICK TOGETHER AND, AND SINK TO THE BOTTOM OF THE CLARIFIER.
UH, THEN WE SEND IT THROUGH A PRESSURE FILTER.
AND THAT'S THE 1978 TECHNOLOGY THAT I TALK ABOUT.
IT'S GOT THREE DIFFERENT SIZE MEDIA, BUT IT'S, IT'S A FILTER JUST LIKE YOU WOULD HAVE ON YOUR KITCHEN SINK OR SOMETHING WORKS.
IT STILL WORKS, BUT IT DOESN'T DO THE KIND OF JOB WE NEED WHEN WE HAVE HIGH B, HIGH DBP LEVELS OR GISIN.
UH, IT GOES TO A CLEAR, WELL, UH, WHERE IT GETS ITS CHLORINE CONTACT TIME.
AND THEN OF COURSE WE PUMP IT OUT TO THE SYSTEM WITH A LITTLE BLUE BOOST OF CHLORINE.
WHAT WE ARE ADDING RIGHT NOW IS GRANULAR ACTIVATED CARBON.
AND THAT WILL HELP US POLISH THE WATER THAT THAT PLANT MAKES FROM A DVP ANGIOS STANDPOINT, WELL, WE SHOULD, UH, CONSTRUCT THAT NEXT YEAR SHOULD BE ONLINE THUNDER DESIGN RIGHT NOW, AND WE SHOULD BID IT, UH, PROBABLY LATE SPRING, EARLY SUMMER.
SO NEW PLANT, WE ASKED OUR CONSULTANT WHO WE CHOSE BASED ON RE UH, BASED ON, UM, QUALIFICATIONS AND INTERVIEWS, HDR WAS OUR CONSULTANT.
THEY, THEY CAME IN AND PUT IN BASICALLY A SMALL PILOT PLANT OR A LITTLE MINI PLANT.
AND IT'S, IT TREATS EXACTLY THE SAME WAY THAT, THAT A THE FULL SCALE WAS JUST ON A MINIATURE VERSION.
AND THEY, AND IN A PILOT STUDY, WHAT THEY DO IS THEY ALTER SOME OF THE INPUT AND THE OUTPUT, AND THEY BASICALLY JUST CHANGE THINGS AROUND TO SEE WHAT WORKS THE BEST.
WHAT WE FOUND IS THE PROCESS THAT THEY WERE PROPOSING SHOULD WORK VERY, VERY WELL FOR US.
AND IF YOU LOOK AT THE SCHEMATIC OF THE PLANT, THE ONLY THING THAT REALLY CHANGES IS RIGHT IN HERE.
INSTEAD OF HAVING A MIXED METEOR FILTER AT THE NEWER PLANT, WE WOULD INFUSE SOME OZONE, WHICH IS O THREE INSTEAD OF O2.
UH, YOU CAN'T REALLY LET THAT STUFF OFF INTO THE, INTO THE ENVIRONMENT, BUT THERE'S A WAY TO HANDLE THAT.
[01:25:01]
MIXED MEDIA FILTER, IT WOULD BE A BIOLOGICALLY ACTIVE FILTER.AND IT JUST DOES A BETTER JOB OF, OF REMOVING THOSE THINGS THAT CAUSES PROBLEMS. SO THE, BETWEEN THOSE TWO THINGS AND A ADDITION OF A CALCIUM THI SULFATE, UH, CHEMICAL ADDITION, THAT WILL DO A BETTER JOB OF TREATING THE WATER.
WE WOULD USE THAT PLANT ALL YEAR LONG, OR IN THE END WE'LL ONLY BE USING IT IN THE SUMMER.
IN THE BEGINNING, WE WOULD BE USING IT ALL YEAR LONG OR AS LONG AS WE CAN.
AND WHEN WE NEED TO PEAK, WE WOULD RUN THE OLDER PLANT AGAIN WITH ITS GK FILTER STILL IN PLACE.
SO WHERE COULD IT ALL FIT, BASICALLY BESIDE THE OLD ONE? UH, WE'D BE RUNNING BOTH OF THEM.
WHAT WILL IT COST? UH, VERY, VERY CONSERVATIVELY, CONSERVATIVELY 24 MILLION, $200,000 TO DESIGN AND CONSTRUCT.
HOWEVER, IT'S STARTING TO LOOK LIKE WE MIGHT NOT NEED TO BUILD A SECOND, UH, INTAKE.
SO THERE COULD BE SOME SAVINGS ON THAT NUMBER.
AND OF COURSE, THAT'S WHAT WE'LL TRY TO DO IS MINIMIZE THAT NUMBER.
CAPITAL IMPACT, UH, PLAN DOES INCLUDE THIS PROJECT.
THE RATE, UH, WORK THAT WE DID DOES INCLUDE THIS COST, OR SOME OF THIS COST, AT LEAST WE DON'T KNOW IF IT'S GONNA BE 18 OR 24 MILLION, BUT WE TRY TO GUESS HIGH WHEN WE GUESS EASIER TO COME DOWN THAN GO UP.
PRODUCTION POTENTIAL WILL BE ABOUT 3 MILLION GALLONS PER DAY.
AGAIN, THAT'S KIND OF TARGETING THAT MODEL THAT WE, THAT WE LOOKED AT.
WE WOULD INCREASE OUR STORAGE BY ADDING A 2 MILLION GALLON CLEAR, WELL NEXT TO THE EXISTING TWO.
AND THE, AND THE ONE THAT GIVES US MORE WATER TO SEND OUT ON A PEAK DAY OR WHEN WE HAVE A PRODUCTION OUTAGE.
AND OUR PEAK DISCHARGE PUMPING WOULD BE 5 MILLION GALLONS PER DAY.
INSTEAD OF THE 3 MILLION GALLONS PER DAY.
THE PLANT CAN'T MAKE THREE, BUT WE HAVEN'T, BUT WE COULD SEND THREE.
UH, SO WE COULD SEND BULK OUT OF STORAGE IF WE HAVE A BIG FIRE OR WE HAVE A BIG MAIN BREAK OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT TO KEEP THE, THE SYSTEM FROM DEPRESSURIZING.
AND LAST BUT NOT LEAST, THIS PLANT WILL HAVE A LIFE.
IT WILL NOT WORK INDEFINITELY.
SO WE WOULD BUILD THIS ONE TO BE EXPANDABLE AND REPLACE ITS CAPACITY.
AND WHAT YOU'RE SEEING ON HERE IS THE PHASE ONE IS THE BLUE, AND PHASE TWO MIGHT BE THE, THE RED.
SO TRYING TO FUTURE PROOF THE BEST WE CAN.
UH, FROM A, FROM A PLANNING STANDPOINT, UH, WE HAVE FINISHED THE PILOT TESTING.
AND THE REASON THAT THAT'S NECESSARY IS REALLY IT COMES DOWN TO TCEQ RULES.
UH, THEY KINDA HAVE A ONE SIZE FITS ALL IN THEIR RULES.
THE, THE, THE BASE WATER QUALITY IN EVERY SOURCE IS DIFFERENT.
SO THEY REALLY CAN'T SAY, OH, THESE ARE THE THINGS YOU CAN CHOOSE FROM IN, IN THE, IN THE BASE RULES.
THEY BASICALLY TELL YOU YOU CAN USE A MIXED MEDIA FILTER AND IF YOU NEED TO DO ANYTHING ELSE THAN THAT, YOU GOTTA PILOT TEST IT AND ASK FOR AN EXEMPTION.
THAT'S WHAT WE'RE, WE'VE BEEN DOING.
SO WE KNEW WE NEEDED A LITTLE BIT MORE THAN OUR EXISTING PLANT.
WE'RE GONNA ASK FOR THE EXEMPTION, UH, WHERE WE SHOULD BE FILING THAT EXEMPTION REQUEST, UH, THIS COMING MONTH.
THE NEXT STEP WOULD, UH, WE'RE IN YEAR ONE RIGHT NOW.
NEXT STEP WOULD BE, UH, WOULD BE PICK CHOOSING A DESIGNER AND GOING INTO DESIGN.
THAT IS YEAR TWO WOULD BE 26, 27 CONSTRUCTION.
OH, I'M, I DID NOT AUGMENT MY SLIDE, BUT CONSTRUCTION SHOULD START SOMETIME, UH, AT THE END OF YEAR THREE, WHICH WOULD BE 27, 28.
AND WE SHOULD BE IN OPERATION WITH THAT NEW PLANT BY 2030.
BELIEVE IT OR NOT, THAT'S AN ACCELERATED SCHEDULE.
SO THIS IS THE RESULTS OF THE PILOT TESTING THAT WE, YOU HAVE BEEN HEARING ABOUT AND THAT YOU AUTHORIZED PAYMENT FOR.
AND A BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF OF WHY WE'RE DOING IT AND INVESTING IN THE FUTURE AND THE WATER SUPPLIES OF OUR, OF OUR UTILITIES.
I'D BE HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS.
COUNCILLOR OLSO, UM, YOU KNOW, FROM, UH, TML TALKING ABOUT THE, UH, TEXAS WATER BOARD AND OBVIOUSLY VOTERS APPROVED THE $1 BILLION GOING TOWARDS WATER PROJECTS.
UM, OBVIOUSLY THAT MONEY'S NOT FREE, BUT THERE'S GONNA BE MONEY AVAILABLE AND OR LOW INTEREST LOANS OR PAYBACK OR, SO I DEFINITELY THINK THERE'S GONNA BE GOOD OPPORTUNITIES FOR US TO DEFINITELY FOR A PROJECT LIKE THIS.
'CAUSE I FEEL LIKE WE ALWAYS DO SUCH A GOOD JOB WITH DUE DILIGENCE.
UM, AND I THINK WE REALLY NEED TO GO CHASE THAT.
UM, BECAUSE ONE OF THOSE WILL WORK FOR US.
I DON'T KNOW WHAT IT IS, BUT ONE OF THEM WILL I'M SURE.
AND, UM, SO I MEAN WE NEED TO DO THIS.
LOW INTEREST LOANS HAVE ALWAYS BEEN AVAILABLE TO US, BUT WE HAVE REALLY SUCH A GOOD BOND RATING THAT THE OPEN MARKET'S ALMOST THE SAME.
IT MAY NOT, IT COULD BE THAT THERE'S COST, I DON'T KNOW, COST SHARE.
WE'LL EXPLORE THE, THE REQUIREMENTS OF THE CURRENT T-W-D-T-W-D-B-D UH, PROGRAMS. AND SARAH AND OUR BOND CONSULTANT OR FINANCIAL ADVISOR WILL HELP US TO DECIDE WHAT'S THE RIGHT ROUTE TO GO SEE WHAT COMES, CAN GET FREE MONEY.
AND I THINK THERE'S GONNA BE MORE NOW THAT THERE'S MORE MONEY, I'M SURE THERE'LL BE MORE OPPORTUNITIES.
[01:30:01]
I MEAN, THE STATE'S GONNA HAVE TO DO MORE FOR WATER.SO I THINK THERE'LL BE EVEN MORE THINGS COMING.
AND TO YOUR POINT ABOUT THE RECLAIM WATER, 'CAUSE YOU EMPHASIZED THAT, I MEAN, THAT WOULD BE ANOTHER 'CAUSE THAT SAVES SOME POTABLE WATER.
UM, FIRST I'M HEARING ABOUT BIOLOGIC ACTIVE FILTERS.
UH, THEY REPLACE THE CARBON FILTER TOTALLY.
SO IT'S, IT DOES USE GRANULAR ACTIVATED CARBON, BUT IT USES IT DIFFERENTLY.
SO INSTEAD OF BEING A FILTER LIKE YOU WOULD HAVE IN YOUR REFRIGERATOR THAT WITHDRAWS THE, OR THAT ABSORBS THE THINGS THAT YOU DON'T WANT IN YOUR WATER.
IT'S A MEDIUM FOR BIO BIOLOGICAL ACTION.
SO BENEFICIAL BACTERIA GROWS ON IT AND THAT CONSUMES THE ORGANICS BEFORE.
WHERE ELSE ARE THEY USING THAT, UH, THAT COMMONLY IN USE? IT'S BECOMING MORE AND MORE COMMON, ESPECIALLY FOR DBP.
UH, DID WE HAVE CASE STUDIES FROM OTHER CITIES ON THAT? ANY ISSUES AT ALL WITH BIOLOGIC ACTIVE MEDIA? BE HAPPY TO GET YOU SOME INFORMATION ON THAT, BUT THE LONG STORY SHORT IS IT WORKS GREAT AND THERE ARE NO REAL ISSUES.
THE, UM, $24 MILLION ESTIMATE, UM, DOES THAT COVER THE BLUE AND THE RED? NO, IT COVER, IT COVERS FADE.
JUST THE INITIAL, NOT THE EXPANSION.
AND THEN WHAT WAS THE LIFESPAN OF THE CURRENT FACILITY, YOU SAID? UH, SO IT'S PROBABLY GOT ANOTHER 20, 25 YEARS IN IT.
MAYBE IF WE REALLY NURSE IT, YOU KNOW, IT REALLY BECOMES AN EFFICIENCY THING.
HOW OFTEN DO YOU HAVE TO REPLACE PUMPS? HOW OFTEN DO THINGS CORRODE WHEN IT GETS TO WHERE IT'S, IT'S COSTING MORE MONEY TO MAINTAIN THAN REPLACE? THAT'S WHEN WE WOULD, THAT'S WHEN WE WOULD.
SO JUST TO, FOR MY CLARIFICATION THEN, THE EXPANSION, THE NEW FACILITY WOULD BE 24 MILLION AND THEN THERE'D BE AN EXPANSION ON TOP OF THAT, THAT'D BE A DIFFERENT COST DOWN THE ROAD.
AND WHEN WOULD THAT BE? UH, PROJECTING ESTIMATE, BALLPARK, 10 YEARS, 30, 15 TO 20 YEARS.
MAYBE COULD BE AS, AS LOW AS 10, BUT I WOULD EXPECT 15 TO 20.
WHAT WAS THE FUNDING SOURCE AGAIN FOR THIS? RIGHT NOW IT'S IMPACT FEES AND BONDS.
SO REVENUE BONDS THAT, THAT THE UTILITY WOULD GO OUT AND GET.
AND, AND OF COURSE IMPACT FEES.
THIS PROJECT IS IN OUR IMPACT FEE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS PLAN.
WHICH MEANS WE ARE COLLECTING MONEY ON EVERY NEW WATER SERVICE TO HELP FUND THIS PROJECT BECAUSE IT PROVIDES FOR, FOR ADDITIONAL DEVELOPMENT.
SO WHATEVER THE, UH, IMPACT FEES AREN'T PAYING FOR THEN THE RATES THAT WE COLLECT OUT OF THIS UTILITY WILL HELP PAY THE DEBT, WHATEVER WE NEED TO GO ISSUE.
AND AGAIN, THERE MAY BE THE LOW INTEREST LOAN THAT HELPS US.
ANY QUESTIONS FROM COUNSEL? ALRIGHT.
YOU ALMOST KNOCKED OUR SOCKS OFF.
UM, MAYOR, CAN I JUST ADD ONE OTHER THING? YEAH, GO AHEAD.
SO, UH, YOU KNOW, IT'S BEEN QUITE A YEAR AND AGAIN, WE'RE GOING INTO THANKSGIVING NEXT WEEK GOING WISH EVERYONE, EACH OF YOU, MY TEAM, OUR COMMUNITY IS SAFE AND HAPPY THANKSGIVING.
IT'S GONNA BE A FABULOUS, UH, EVENT.
UM, I JUST AM REALLY GRATEFUL TO BE ASSOCIATED WITH THE COMMUNITY OF BERNIE, WITH THE CITY OF BERNIE.
UM, WE HAVE A VERY PASSIONATE, UH, DEDICATED, ENGAGING, UH, RESIDENCY COMMUNITY, OUR COMMUNITY PARTNERS.
I REALLY APPRECIATE WORKING AND MEETING WITH, WITH ANYBODY AND EVERYONE.
I'M REALLY GRATEFUL FOR EACH ONE OF YOU AND THE WAY YOU GUYS ENGAGE IN YOUR ROLE AND TAKE YOUR ROLES VERY SERIOUSLY IN, IN LISTENING TO, TO YOUR CONSTITUENTS, ENGAGING WITH OTHER COMMUNITY PARTNERS, OTHER GOVERNING ENTITIES AT A REGIONAL LEVEL, A STATE LEVEL.
UM, THREE OF YOU ATTENDED A, UH, BREAKFAST, A REGIONAL BREAKFAST.
THAT WAS AN IMPORTANT LEARNING OPPORTUNITY THIS MORNING IN SAN ANTONIO WHERE A LOT OF, UH, UH, OTHER GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS FROM ACROSS THE AREA WERE THERE.
AND SO I APPRECIATE YOU GUYS ENGAGING IN ESTABLISHING A GOVERNANCE CULTURE THAT OUR COMMUNITY SHOULD BE VERY PROUD OF.
AND YOU GUYS RESPECT ONE ANOTHER.
YOU RESPECT THE COMMUNITY, UH, YOU RESPECT THE TEAM.
AND I'M REALLY GRATEFUL FOR MY TEAM.
TONIGHT'S PRESENTATIONS WE'RE A GREAT REPRESENTATION OF HOW THEY, UH, EMBRACE THAT, THAT COMMITMENT OF, OF EXCELLENCE, THAT CORE VALUE THAT WE HAVE.
I COULD HAVE THROWN ANY OF THE OTHER DIRECTORS WHO DIDN'T PRESENT UP AND THEY COULD HAVE GIVEN YOU ANOTHER PRESENTATION OF HOW THEY'RE COMMITTED TO EXCELLENCE AS WELL.
SO I'M GRATEFUL FOR THEM FOR THE GREAT WORK WE DID THIS YEAR.
UM, AND, UH, LOOKING FORWARD TO A GREAT END OF THE YEAR.
AND THEN AS WE MOVE INTO 2026, HAPPY THANKSGIVING.
ON THAT NOTE, WE'LL MOVE INTO DINNER NUMBER
[9. COMMENTS FROM COUNCIL – No discussion or action may take place]
NINE, COMMENTS FROM COUNSEL.UH, WE'LL START WITH BACK CIO AND JUST WORK OUR WAY AROUND.
UM, OBVIOUSLY GRATEFUL FOR GREAT THANKSGIVING.
HOPE Y'ALL HAVE A WONDERFUL THANKSGIVING.
UH, THE DICKENS ON MAIN PRESENTATION WAS GREAT, AND I'M ADDING TO THAT THIS YEAR.
FOUR VISITORS FROM 1500 MILES AWAY, SO YOU HAVE TO ADJUST YOUR STATISTICS.
MY, MY DAUGHTER'S FAMILY FROM PENNSYLVANIA'S GONNA BE WITH US, SO THEY'RE GONNA BE THERE WITH US ON A FRIDAY.
UH, ONE THING I DID WANNA COMMENT, WE HAD THE ONE WATER CONFERENCE
[01:35:01]
IN, IN WIMBERLEY, UH, LAST FRIDAY.AND I WAS, BEN WASN'T ABLE TO MAKE IT, SO I REPRESENTED THE CITY THERE.
AND, UH, BERNIE WAS THE FIRST COMMUNITY IN THE HILL COUNTRY TO ADOPT A ONE WATER PHILOSOPHY.
AND WE WERE THE FIRST TO HOST THAT EVENT AND IT WAS AT THE WIMBERLEY LIBRARY, WHICH I MENTIONED THAT WAS JUST THAT.
AND, UH, IT WAS SO IMPRESSIVE.
WE PROBABLY HAD, I'M, I'M GONNA GUESS 60 PEOPLE YOU THINK, UH, I'D SAY AT LEAST 60 FROM ALL OVER THE REGION.
MAYORS AND COUNCIL MEMBERS AND COMMISSIONERS AND ALL KINDS OF FOLKS.
AND, UM, A LOT OF WATER FOLKS, PEOPLE FROM GBRA WERE THERE FROM ALL, ALL KIND OF PLACES.
UM, BERNIE IS ON THE MAP WHEN IT COMES TO WATER.
I KNOW WE HEAR A LOT ABOUT WATER, BUT EVERYBODY THERE KNOWS THAT BERNIE IS THE LEADER WHEN IT COMES TO WATER ISSUES.
AND BOTH, UH, DIRECTOR MANN AND DIRECTOR CARROLL WERE THERE.
UH, JEFF GAVE A PHENOMENAL, UH, REPORT ON, UH, STORMWATER ISSUES.
UH, JUST, JUST REALLY PHENOMENAL, WELL RECEIVED AND DID A FABULOUS JOB.
SO I JUST WANT TO, I WANT TO ECHO ABOUT, I'M SO PLEASED AFTER, I MEAN, I'VE BEEN HERE NOW SIX AND A HALF YEARS.
THE STAFF WE HAVE HERE IS JUST AMAZING AND, UM, I DON'T THINK THEY GET ENOUGH CREDIT.
I THINK SOMETIMES THEY GET A LITTLE GRIEF THAT THEY DON'T DESERVE.
SO MAYBE THEY DESERVE A LITTLE SOMETIMES, BUT NOT MUCH.
AND, UH, I JUST WANNA SAY WHAT A FABULOUS JOB IT WAS AND WAS SO PLEASANT TO BE THERE REPRESENTING THE CITY AND HAVE THOSE KIND OF FOLKS TO REPRESENT US WITH THE DETAILED PRESENTATIONS.
I JUST WANTED TO, UH, WISH LUCK TO THE BERNIE GREYHOUNDS.
WE'LL BE PLAYING THURSDAY NIGHT IN LAREDO AGAINST SHERRY LAND, ISD AT, UH, BILL JOHNSON STADIUM.
AND THEN FRIDAY THE CHAMPION CHARGERS ARE GOING TO LAREDO TO PLAY FAR SAN JUAN A ALABAMA NORTH.
SO GOOD LUCK TO BOTH OF THOSE TEAMS. AND THEN ALSO OUR BERNIE HIGH SCHOOL STARLET DANCE TEAM WILL BE IN THE MACY'S THANKSGIVING DAY PARADE ON THANKSGIVING MORNING.
SO KEEP YOUR EYE ON YOUR TELEVISION FOR THAT.
OR GO TO GO TO NEW YORK AND WATCH 'EM
UH, JUST APPRECIATE ALL THE PRESENTATIONS TONIGHT THAT'VE BEEN REALLY, UH, INSIGHTFUL AND, UH, GRATEFUL TO BE PART OF THIS COMMUNITY AND, AND ALL OF Y'ALL'S HARD WORK AND HELPING OUR COMMUNITY STAY ON THE, UM, AN EXCITING PLACE TO VISIT.
WELL, LAST YEAR I DID MY, UH, THANKSGIVING CHALLENGE FOR, UH, SOMEONE WHO ALWAYS POSTS NEGATIVE THINGS ON BURNING INFORMED CITIZENS AND HE NEVER DID IT.
SO THIS YEAR I'M GONNA DO JUST THREE THINGS THAT YOU'RE THANKFUL FOR.
SO I'LL DO THREE AND I'M CHALLENGING HIM AGAIN TO DO JUST THREE THINGS THAT HE'S THANKFUL FOR, BUT IT CAN'T BE YOUR OWN BUSINESS
I'M, UH, THANKFUL FOR ELECTED OFFICIALS AND APPOINTED OFFICIALS FOR STEPPING UP, UM, TO BE, UM, DOING THINGS BEYOND THEMSELVES.
IT'S SO IMPORTANT IN THIS WORLD TO JUST STEP UP AND BE PART OF YOUR COMMUNITY.
SO I'M THANKFUL FOR OBVIOUSLY EVERYONE HERE, BUT ALSO PEOPLE ON BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS, COMMISSIONERS, ET CETERA.
YOU KNOW, IT TAKES A LOT TO STEP UP TO DO THAT.
I'M THANKFUL FOR OUR DOWNTOWN COMMUNITY.
UM, I MET THIS GENTLEMAN WHO'D MOVED HERE FROM SEATTLE.
HIS PARENTS HAVE A RANCH IN KERRVILLE, BUT HE MOVED HERE FROM SEATTLE AND JUST, HE TALKED ABOUT JUST HOW HIS WIFE WAS DRIVING THROUGH DOWNTOWN BERNIE AND HOW THEY JUST KEPT STOPPING IN DOWNTOWN BERNIE AND HOW IT JUST TOOK THEM AWAY AND THEY MOVED HERE BECAUSE OF THAT.
SO I'M THANKFUL FOR OUR COMMUNITY HAVING SUCH A COOL DOWNTOWN THAT, UM, BRINGS PEOPLE HERE AND CONTINUES TO BE SUCH A HEART OF OUR COMMUNITY.
UM, AND THEN THANKFUL FOR STAFF.
UM, YOU KNOW, AS YOU GUYS ALL HEARD, WE'RE, YOU KNOW, YOU KEEP OUR CITY GOING AND THERE'S A REASON WE LOVE LIVING HERE AND WHETHER IT'S, UM, THE POLICE, THE FIRE, THE ELECTRIC, THE GAS, THE LIBRARY, UM, THE OTHER THINGS THAT PEOPLE DON'T THINK ABOUT FROM TAKING CARE OF STREETS TO MOWING THE GRASS OR WHATEVER IT IS.
SO, UM, OR FINANCES, THE REALLY FUN STUFF.
UM,
AND AGAIN, UM, I THINK THE PERSON WILL PROBABLY TAKE A SCREENSHOT OF THIS AND DO A FLYER OF ME IF I RUN AGAIN.
BUT, UM, AGAIN, THREE THINGS THAT YOU'RE, UH,
UH, YEAH, NO, I THINK ONE OF THE REASONS WE LEAD IN SO MANY AREAS, YOU KNOW, WHETHER IT'S WATER OR HOW WE OPERATE IN THE CITY IS BECAUSE FOR THE MOST PART, WHEN I TALK TO PEOPLE, WE ALL HAVE A VERY COMMON GOAL.
WE'RE MORE ALIKE THAN WE'RE NOT.
UM, AND SO WHATEVER SIDE OF THE ARGUMENT IN OUR COMMUNITY IS ON MOST OFTEN THE DESIRED OUTCOME IS VERY MUCH THE SAME.
SO I THINK WE'RE ALL KIND OF ROWING IN THE SAME DIRECTION, UM, WITH THE SCHOOLS, YOU KNOW, CONGRATULATIONS, THE FOOTBALL TEAMS AND TO THE STARLETS AND TO THE BAND AND TO THE COLOR GUARD AND EVERYBODY ELSE THAT GOES.
AND THE PARENTS THAT GO BEHIND THAT.
UM, THEY DID WIN THE FIRST ROUND AND THE REWARD WAS TO GO TO LAREDO
BUT JUST FOR PARENTS AND OTHERS THAT WANT
[01:40:01]
TO GO SUPPORT THE TEAM, THERE ARE A COUPLE OF BUSES THAT ARE GOING DOWN.SO IF YOU'RE NOT AWARE OF THAT, IT'S ON SOCIAL MEDIA.
UM, IF YOU DON'T WANNA MAKE THE DRIVE, YOU CAN BUY A TICKET AND SUPPORT THE TEAM ON THURSDAY.
I THINK THEY ADDED EXTRA BUSES FOR THE FRIDAY, UM, CHAMPION CREW.
SO IF YOU WANNA GO SUPPORT YOUR TEAM, YOU CAN DO THAT.
I'M JUST GONNA ECHO EVERYTHING THAT EVERYONE UP HERE ON THIS COUNCIL SAID.
UM, YOU KNOW, EVERY YEAR WE GET TO THIS TIME OF YEAR AND EVERYBODY BECOMES GRATEFUL, UH, BECAUSE IT'S THANKSGIVING.
BUT, UM, I'M GRATEFUL EVERY DAY FOR THE FACT THAT I GET TO LIVE IN THIS COMMUNITY.
UH, I'M GRATEFUL FOR THE FACT THAT THIS COMMUNITY THOUGHT I WAS, UH, WORTHY ENOUGH TO SERVE IN THIS CAPACITY FOR THIS COMMUNITY.
AND SO I THANK, UM, OUR COMMUNITY, OUR CONSTITUENTS, THE PEOPLE OF BERNIE.
UM, BUT REALLY IT'S, IT'S Y'ALL.
IT'S THE DEPARTMENTS, IT'S THE STAFF, LIKE EVERYONE SAID THAT MAKE BERNIE WONDERFUL.
UM, FROM THE WATER DEPARTMENT TO THE POLICE, TO THE FIRE TO THE STREETS DEPARTMENT.
I MEAN, I COULD GO ON AND ON ABOUT HOW GRATEFUL I'M FOR THIS COMMUNITY AND, AND WHAT IT MEANS TO ME AND MY FAMILY, BUT ALSO, UM, I'M GONNA GIVE A SHOUT OUT TO, UH, BERNIE MIDDLE SCHOOL NORTH, UH, GIRLS SEVENTH, EIGHTH GRADE, SOCCER TEAMS ARE UNDEFEATED.
UM, AND OUR SEVENTH GRADE GIRLS, UH, KNOCKED THEM OUT TO UN KNOCK BURG OUT TONIGHT IN A MERCY RULE.
UH, ONE MINUTE INTO THE SECOND HALF.
UM, YEAH, I'M NOT BIASED AT ALL 'CAUSE MY DAUGHTER'S THERE.
BUT ANYWAYS, YOU KNOW, UH, JUST THANKFUL FOR, FOR, FOR LIFE IN GENERAL AND, AND COMING UP FOR DICKENS ON MAIN.
UM, GET OUT THERE, GO SPEND SOME TIME.
UM, ENJOY YOUR COMMUNITY, BE THANKFUL WHERE YOU LIVE, UM, AND BE GRATEFUL FOR, FOR THE OPPORTUNITIES THAT WE HAVE EACH AND EVERY DAY BECAUSE LIFE IS PRECIOUS AND LET'S NOT TAKE IT FOR GRANTED.
[10. EXECUTIVE SESSION IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE TEXAS GOVERNMENT CODE:]
WE'RE GONNA MOVE INTO AN EXECUTIVE SESSION.UH, AGENDA ITEM NUMBER 10 TO DISCUSS AGENDA ITEMS 10 A 2025 DASH 5 92 SECTION 5 51 0 7 1.
CONSULTATION WITH ATTORNEY TO SEEK LEGAL ADVICE FROM THE CITY ATTORNEY REGARDING THE CITY'S AUTHORITY AND LEGAL OBLIGATIONS CONCERNING PROVISION OF WATER SERVICE TO DEVELOPMENTS OUTSIDE SYN AND RELATED ANNEXATION REQUIREMENTS.
AND THEN AGENDA ITEM 10 B 2025 DASH 5 9 1 6 5 51 0 7 4 PERSONAL MATTERS RELATED TO THE CITY MANAGER'S EVALUATION.
THAT BEING SAID, WE'LL OFFICIALLY ADJOURN THE EXECUTIVE SESSION AT 7:42 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 8:44 PM NOVEMBER 18TH, THE REGULAR CITY COUNCIL MEETING.BERNIE, IF NO OTHER DISCUSSION ITEMS TO BE MADE, UH, WE'LL OFFICIALLY ADJOURN AT 8:44 PM EVERYBODY HAVE A GREAT THANKSGIVING.