[1. Open Meeting.]
[00:00:05]
TODAY IS THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 17TH, 2026 AND THE TIME IS NOW. 6:01 P.M. AND THIS IS THE BRIEFING WORKSHOP OF THE LEANDER CITY COUNCIL. CITY SECRETARY CRABTREE, WILL YOU PLEASE CALL THE ROLL? COUNCIL MEMBER STEPHEN J. PRESENT COUNCIL MEMBER MICHAEL HERRERA HERE. COUNCIL MEMBER NATALIE BLAIR, PRESENT COUNCIL MEMBER ANNETTE FUNICELLO, PRESENT COUNCIL MEMBER ANDREW NORDEEN HERE. MAYOR PRO TEM BECKY ROSS HERE. MAYOR NICOLE THOMPSON PRESENT QUORUM IS PRESENT AND THE CITY COUNCIL IS ELIGIBLE TO DO BUSINESS. ITEM THREE WE WILL
[3. Convene into Executive Session pursuant to:
Reconvene into open session to take action as deemed appropriate in the City Council's discretion regarding:
]
SECTION 551.072 TEXAS GOVERNMENT CODE IN SECTION 1.05 TEXAS DISCIPLINARY RULES OF PROFESSIONAL CONDUCT TO CONSULT WITH LEGAL COUNSEL REGARDING THE ACQUISITION OF PROPERTIES FOR PUBLIC
[4. Open Meeting, Invocation and Pledges of Allegiance.]
THE TIME IS 658, ANDE ARE GOING TO ADJOURN OUR BRIEFING WORKSHOP. WE DID NOT FINISH OUR EXECUTIVE SESSION, SO WE'LL GO BACK TO IT, BUT WE WILL START O ALL RIGHT. TODAY IS THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 17TH, 2026, AND THE TIME IS NOW 7:02 P.M.AND THIS IS THE REGULAR MEETING OF THE LEANDER CITY COUNCIL. PASTOR ANDREA MOORE FROM SUMMIT WORSHIP CENTER WILL PROVIDE OUR INVOCATION. PLEASE REMAIN STANDING FOLLOWING THE
[00:05:01]
INVOCATION FOR THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE. GOOD EVENING. WILL EVERYBODY BOW THEIR HEAD AND LET'S PRAY. FATHER, WE JUST THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR ABILITY TO BRING CLARITY, PEACE AND UNDERSTANDING. AND SO, LORD, WE JUST INVITE YOU HERE THANKING YOU, GOD, FOR GOING AHEAD OF US AND CONFIRMING THE DIRECTIONS IN WHICH WE SHOULD GO. LORD, WE CONTINUE TO HOLD UP THIS CITY AND ALL THE PEOPLE THAT LABOR IN SECRET AND IN PUBLIC FOR ITS GOOD. AND WE PRAY THAT AT THIS HOUR, GOD, YOU WILL CREATE A UNITY AND GIVE US A STRATEGY. AND MORE THAN ANYTHING, LORD, I PRAY THAT YOU'LL LEAD US FORWARD WITH YOUR SUPERNATURAL PEACE.WE LOVE YOU, LORD. HAVE YOUR WAY. BE GLORIFIED EVEN AS WE PROCEED FORWARD. IN JESUS NAME, AMEN. AMEN. TO THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS. ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE, WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL. I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE STATE. OF. THANK YOU. CITY SECRETARY CRABTREE, WILL YOU PLEASE CALL ROLL COUNCILMEMBER STEVEN CHANG PRESENT. COUNCILMEMBER MICHAEL HERRERA HERE. COUNCILMEMBER TONY BLAIR PRESENT. COUNCILMEMBER ANNETTE SPONSELLER PRESENT.
COUNCILMEMBER ANDREW NORTON HERE. MAYOR PRO TEM BECKY ROSS HERE. MAYOR NICOLE THOMPSON
[6. Welcome Special Guests and Visitors.]
PRESENT QUORUM IS PRESENT AND THE CITY COUNCIL IS ELIGIBLE TO DO BUSINESS. WE'LL MOVE TO ITEM SIX, WHICH IS A WELCOME TO ALL OUR SPECIAL GUESTS AND VISITORS, AND WE WANT TO THANK EVERYONE ATTENDING OUR MEETING TONIGHT. AND WE WANT TO EXTEND A SPECIAL, HEARTFELT THANK YOU. AND WELCOME TO OUR ACTIVE AND RETIRED MILITARY, ALL OF OUR EDUCATORS, CURRENT AND FORMER ELECTED OFFICIALS IN THE AREA, AND ALSO OUR PUBLIC SAFETY PROFESSIONALS IN THE AUDIENCE.THANK YOU FOR YOUR COMMITMENT TO LEANDER. WE APPRECIATE ALL THE WORK THAT YOU DO TO SERVE
[7. Public comments on items not listed in the agenda.
Public comments on items listed in the agenda will be heard at the time each item is discussed.
[All comments are limited to no more than 3 minutes (6 minutes if translation is needed) per individual.]]
IT WILL BE IN LAKEWOOD PARK OCTOBER 3RD. IT'S OUR THIRD YEAR PLANNING THIS EVENT. IT'S BEEN A BIG HIT THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS AND IT IS SO MUCH FUN. SO BRING THE WHOLE FAMILY.
LAKEWOOD PARK OCTOBER 3RD. IT'S 2 P.M. TO 6 P.M. THIS YEAR'S THEME IS DOWN THE RABBIT HOLE, SO BRING YOUR YOUR ALICE IN WONDERLAND VIBES. THE EVENT IS FREE. IT'S A REALLY FUN DAY.
IT'S EDUCATIONAL. IT'S A CELEBRATION OF LOCAL ART. WE'RE GOING TO HAVE LIVE MUSIC BY AUSTIN HAYES. WE'RE GOING TO HAVE A FASHION SHOW, LIVE ENTERTAINMENT, FOOD. FIFTH ELEMENT BREWING WILL BE SERVING UP THE BEER. THERE'S A BOUNCY HOUSE, A FAIRY HOUSES. THERE'S GOING TO BE A CHILDREN'S ART CONTEST, CHILDREN'S ENTREPRENEUR MARKET. AND THIS YEAR WE ARE BRINGING YOU A PETTING ZOO, WHICH I'M SUPER EXCITED ABOUT. WE KNOW THAT PARKING IS TIGHT, BUT WE WILL HAVE PARKING AT ROUSE OR WILEY ELEMENTARY SCHOOL. JUST FOLLOW THE SIGNS. YOU'LL FIND IT AND THE SHUTTLE SERVICE WILL BE FREE. AND SOME OF OUR CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS WILL BE JUDGES FOR SOME OF THE ART CONTESTS AT THE EVENT. SO FOR MORE INFORMATION, YOU CAN VISIT THE WEB PAGE. JUST GOOGLE LEANDER ART FEST AND YOU WILL FIND IT THERE. SO WE'LL SEE YOU ON OCTOBER 3RD. AND THEN AFTER THE EVENT'S OVER, DROP THE KIDS OFF WITH THE BABYSITTER BECAUSE HEAD OVER TO MASON HOUSE, BECAUSE BLUEGRASS FESTIVAL IS THAT EVENING TOO. SO THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT FOR LOCAL BUSINESSES AND LOCAL ART. THANK YOU, THANK YOU SAMMY. AND THAT'S A LOT GOING ON. HE'S LIKE, I'M OUT OF HERE. THE NEXT SPEAKER WE HAVE IS CJ GRISHAM. HELLO. WELCOME. JUST STATE YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS AND YOU'LL
[00:10:09]
HAVE THREE MINUTES. YES, SIR. MADAM MAYOR, MEMBERS OF THE COUNCIL. MY NAME IS CJ GRISHAM.I'M FROM TEMPLE, TEXAS. I'M A RETIRED ARMY FIRST SERGEANT AND COUNTERINTELLIGENCE AGENT. I'M A TEXAS ATTORNEY, A SENIOR PARTNER AT GFA LAW IN TEMPLE. AND I'M ALSO LEGAL AND LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL FOR TEXAS GUN RIGHTS. MOST PEOPLE KNOW ME AS THE TEXAS TWO WAY ATTORNEY.
I SUE CITIES FOR WHAT LEANDER IS DOING RIGHT NOW. ON APRIL 15TH OF THIS YEAR, YOUR CITY MANAGER AND EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR FOR ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES SIGNED A REVISED WEAPONS POLICY.
YOUR CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE SUPPOSEDLY REVIEWED IT, BUT I'M PRETTY SURE IT WASN'T REVIEWED BECAUSE IT WAS PASSED. IT VIOLATES THREE SEPARATE STATE STATUTES, ABOUT WHICH I'M GOING TO BE SPECIFIC, BECAUSE VAGUE COMPLAINTS ARE EASY TO IGNORE. FIRST, SECTION 411209 OF THE GOVERNMENT CODE SAYS THE CITY MAY NOT TAKE ANY ACTION THAT STATES OR IMPLIES A LICENSE HOLDERS PROHIBITED FROM CARRYING ON CITY PROPERTY UNLESS THE STATE LAW ALREADY PROHIBITS IT. THERE. YOUR POLICY SAYS, AND I'M QUOTING IT, QUOTE, A LICENSE TO CARRY A WEAPON DOES NOT SUPERSEDE CITY POLICY. YOU DIDN'T IMPLY IT, YOU TYPED IT AND YOU SIGNED IT.
THAT'S 1000 1500 TO $1500 FOR THE FIRST VIOLATION, $10,000 FOR EACH ONE. AFTER EVERY DAY COUNTS, IT STAYS ON THE BOOKS. SOVEREIGN IMMUNITY IS WAIVED BY STATUTE, AND YOU'VE BEEN IN VIOLATION SINCE APRIL 2ND. LOCAL GOVERNMENT CODE 229.001 SAYS ANY CITY POLICY REGULATING FIREARMS OR KNIVES IS VOID. THERE'S A NARROW EXCEPTION FOR EMPLOYEES, BUT ONLY IN THE COURSE OF THEIR OFFICIAL DUTIES. YOUR POLICY COVERS ALL EMPLOYEES EVERYWHERE, INCLUDING YOUR PARKS, YOUR POOLS, YOUR ACTIVITY CENTERS. SO A LEANDER UTILITY WORKER WHO TAKES HER KIDS TO ROBIN BLEDSOE POOL ON A SATURDAY OFF THE CLOCK AS A RESIDENT OF THE CITY, CAN BE FIRED FOR CARRYING LAWFULLY AND THAT EXCEPTION COVERS FIREARMS ONLY. IT DOES NOT MENTION KNIVES. YOUR 3.5IN BLADE RULE IS PREEMPTED OUTRIGHT, AND THE LEGISLATURE'S OWN NUMBER IS FIVE AND A HALF. THIRD LABOR CODE 52.061 PROTECTS AN EMPLOYEES LOCKED PERSONAL VEHICLE IN YOUR PARKING LOT, BUT YOU WROTE THAT YOU REQUIRE CONCEALMENT. THE STATUTE DOESN'T REQUIRE IT, AND YOU DRAFTED IT, SO THE ONLY LICENSE HOLDERS QUALIFY. CUTTING OUT EVERY TEXAN WHO CARRIES LAWFULLY WITHOUT A PERMIT. I DID GIVE YOU SOME PACKETS. THIS IS THE FORMAL NOTICE THAT YOU HAVE TO CORRECT YOUR POLICY. SECTION 411 209 GIVES YOU THREE BUSINESS DAYS FROM RECEIPT TO CURE. FIX IT YOURSELVES OR THE ATTORNEY GENERAL WILL FIX IT FOR YOU AND BUILD THE CITY FOR THE PRIVILEGE. DON'T LET ANYONE TELL YOU THIS IS A CLOSE CALL.
IT'S NOT JUST AS YOU EXPECT WE THE PEOPLE, TO FOLLOW THE LAW. WE EXPECT YOU AS GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS TO FOLLOW THE LAW, AND WE WILL HOLD YOU TO THE SAME STANDARD. PLEASE DON'T
[8. Staff Reports
]
WE'LL HAVE A QUARTERLY TRAFFIC SIGNAL UPDATE, INCLUDING OPERATIONS, MAINTENANCE AND UPCOMING IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS. DIRECTOR OF STREETS AND DRAINAGE MICHAEL RILEY AND GINA ELLISON, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR. HELLO. TAG TEAM. THIS ONE. SO. I'LL START REAL QUICK AND THEN I'LL PASS IT TO MIKE AS THE MICROPHONE. IS IT ON? THERE WE GO. YES. SO THIS IS A MAP SHOWING THE EXISTING SIGNALS WITHIN LEANDER CITY LIMITS. THERE ARE 39 SIGNALS. 33 OF THEM ARE MAINTAINED BY US FOUR ALONG. 183 A ARE MAINTAINED BY C A, AND THEN ONE FOR GEORGETOWN AND ONE FOR CEDAR PARK. SINCE WE UPDATED THREE MONTHS AGO, WE HAVE ADDED ONE SIGNAL TO OUR INVENTORY AND THAT WAS WITH THE BASIS SCHOOL DEVELOPMENT. THEY INSTALLED THAT TRAFFIC SIGNAL. SO NOW IT'S 40. NO IT'S NO, IT WAS 38 LAST TIME. YES. SO AND THEN I'M GOING TO PASS IT TO MIKE AND HE'S GOING TO GIVE YOU SOME OPERATIONAL UPDATES. THANK YOU.
LET ME SEE IF I CAN. GOOD EVENING MAYOR. COUNCIL CITY MANAGER. SO SORRY. AS YOU SEE WE WERE TOLD Y'ALL Y'ALL WERE ALTERNATING WHO WEARS TIES AND WHO DOESN'T. I DID SAY A LOT BECAUSE I'LL SAY IT. I WALKED IN AND KENLEY WAS CHANGED. I'M LIKE, SO YOU'RE WEARING A TIE AND THIS TIME I'M NOT. SO I'M SORRY. I DIDN'T MEAN TO. JUST MESSING WITH YOU. NO, I, I, I MET WITH HIM TOO. SO LAST TIME I THINK WE HAD 68 MAINTENANCE AND OPERATIONAL. SO IT'S ACTUALLY THIS LAST THREE MONTHS, 76. BUT HERE JUST LAST WEEK, IF WE HAD A FEW LITTLE OTHER INSTANCES, YOU KNOW, JUST MAINTENANCE OPERATION THINGS AND SOME OTHERS HITTING OUR LINES. SO BUT IT'S JUST SOME ONGOING ACTIVITIES SINCE LAST TIME WE JUST, JUST USING THE SOFTWARE THAT I WILL TALK MORE ABOUT LATER, THE TRAFFIC MODIFICATIONS. WE ACTUALLY HAVE THAT ON 183 RIGHT NOW IN RONALD REAGAN. SO THAT'S WHERE WE'RE KIND OF FOCUSING A LOT OF OUR ENERGY AND IMPROVEMENTS. THAT'S WHERE WE HAVE THE SOFTWARE. SO WE MADE SOME MORE A HERO WAY AND 183 BECAUSE TRAIN ACTIVITIES TO TRY TO HELP THE EFFICIENCY. SAME THING IN 183 AND 2023. HOPEFULLY WE'VE SEEN SOME IMPROVEMENT. IT SHOULD BE ACTUALLY KIND OF CORRECTED.
THAT LEFT TURN YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT LAST TIME. WE'RE ACTUALLY MAKING THE SIGNAL. GIVE IT A FORCE LEFT TURN. IN THOSE PERIODS WHERE WE HAVE MULTIPLE TRAIN MOVEMENTS. SO I'M HOPING THAT'S WE'RE SEEING SOME IMPROVEMENT WITH THAT. SO THAT'S ONE THING WITH THE SOFTWARE WE'RE ABLE TO LOOK INTO AND KIND OF MAKE AND DETERMINE. WE'RE CONTINUING
[00:15:04]
STILL WITH THE PUBLIC SAFETY WITH WILLIAMSON COUNTY, IT'S A DIFFERENT PROJECT. AND THEN WE IMPLEMENTED THE RED LIGHT RUNNING EXTENSION, WHICH WE'LL GO OVER HERE SHORTLY. IN A SECOND. LET ME SEE IF I GET THIS RIGHT. GINA. THERE WE GO. SO SOME THINGS A FEW MONTHS AGO, WE DID A CLASS WITH OUR STAFF. THE SIGNALS WE DO THIS PERIODICALLY JUST GO OVER THE OPERATIONS OF THE CONTROLLER, KEEP FAMILIAR WITH IT, LEARN SOME NEW THINGS THEY MAY NOT HAVE KNOWN. SO WE BRING IN THE VENDOR. THEY COME TO OUR FACILITY AND THEY SPEND A DAY WITH THEM AND GO OVER IT. THAT'S IN OUR TMC TMC ROOM RIGHT THERE, THE TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT CENTER WHERE YOU SEE THE MONITORS BACK THERE. TWO UPCOMING THINGS I'M EXCITED ABOUT, I'VE TALKED ABOUT SEVERAL TIMES, AND THANKS TO CITY MANAGER AND THE BUDGET TEAM FOR FINDING SOME ONE TIME FUNDING FOR THIS, WE'RE GOING TO ADVANTAGE LINK, THAT IS, TO UPGRADE OUR COMMUNICATIONS WITH THE TRAFFIC SIGNALS. RIGHT NOW, LIKE I SAID, WE WE HAVE RADIO COMMUNICATION, WHICH IS OKAY, BUT WE'RE GOING TO BE GOING CELL CLOUD DATA COMMUNICATION.SO IT MAKES THINGS MORE EFFICIENT LOGGING INTO THEM REMOTELY. THE TECHNICIANS DON'T HAVE TO GO ON THE FIELD AS MUCH BECAUSE WE ACTUALLY SIT IN THE ROOM AND SEE THIS, OR FROM A LAPTOP OR ANYWHERE, ALTHOUGH I SAID A LOT MORE ALERTS. SO WE KNOW WHEN WE'RE HAVING MORE ISSUES INSTEAD OF WAITING FOR THE POLICE DEPARTMENT OR A CITIZEN OR SOMEBODY ELSE CONTACT US. AND THEN THE CLEAR GUIDE SOFTWARE THAT'S UP THERE, THAT'S WHAT WE HAVE RIGHT NOW ON WAVE THREE AND RONALD REAGAN. WE WILL BE IMPLEMENTING THAT ON ALL OF OUR TRAFFIC SIGNALS IN THE CITY, WHICH I SAID WE'LL BE ABLE TO BRING THIS, DO MORE TECHNOLOGY WITH IT, BETTER TIMING. WE'RE ACTUALLY GOING TO LOOK INTO WE'LL USE THIS TO RETIME OUR CORRIDORS. SO ONCE IT'S IMPLEMENTED, PROBABLY ABOUT AND THEN SPRING, WE'RE GOING TO RESTART TIMING ALL OF OUR CORRIDORS TO HAVE BETTER COORDINATION, BETTER TRAFFIC FLOW, ETC. AND I SAID, THAT WILL SHOW US WHERE WE HAVE CONGESTION AND SEVERAL OTHER THINGS. SO THESE TWO ITEMS I'M VERY EXCITED ABOUT, SO IS THE TEAM. AND THEN RIGHT HERE, SORRY, WHICH ONE IS THE POINTER? THE TOP ONE. SO AS I SAY, THAT LITTLE RED DOT RIGHT THERE IS COUNCIL MEMBER HERRERA JUST MESSING WITH YOU, JUST MESSING WITH YOU. SO ANYWAYS, THIS IS A. RONALD REAGAN 2243 SIGNALS IS OVER A 24 HOUR PERIOD. OKAY, SO RIGHT THERE WITH THIS SOFTWARE, IT TELLS US OUR TRAFFIC VOLUME.
IT'S DETECTING. SO OVER 24 HOUR PERIOD, WE SAW AROUND 60,000 VEHICLES ENTER THAT INTERSECTION AT SOME TIME IN THAT PERIOD. IT'S TELLING YOU EVERY DIRECTION AND THE MOVEMENT. AND THEN RIGHT THERE IS OUR RED LIGHT EXTENSION. IT'S KIND OF HARD TO SEE THE INFORMATION UP THERE. I WAS HOPING TO BE A LITTLE BIGGER. SO LIKE I SAID, THIS IS OVER A 24 HOUR PERIOD. ALL THOSE RED TRIANGLES MEAN AT SOME TIME DURING THAT DAY AND CYCLE, THE SYSTEM WILL ACTUALLY SHOW YOU MORE INFORMATION. IT'S KIND OF HARD TO GET UP THERE IS WHEN IT DETECTED. SO I CAN'T REALLY SEE THE NUMBERS UP THERE. SO I'LL KIND OF GO OVER IT JUST ALSO, BECAUSE IT SHOWS, THAT DOESN'T MEAN SOMEBODY ACTUALLY RAN THE RED LIGHT. THERE'S SEVERAL FACTORS TO IT. LIKE IT SHOWS, LIKE I SAID, THE NUMBERS ARE VERY SMALL. THE PERCENTAGE OF THE EXTENDED RED LIGHT RUNNERS, WHICH IS THE RED LIGHT DILEMMA DISSECTION BOXES WE DO, WHICH HELP MR. HERRERA JUST MESSING WITH YOU. HELP GET THROUGH THE RED LIGHT SO IT DETERMINES IF A VEHICLE'S GOING TO MAKE IT OR NOT. AND IT CAN EXTEND THE RED LIGHT FOR A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME SO THEY CAN MAKE IT THROUGH THERE SAFELY. AND THEN WE HAVE THE RED LIGHT RUNNERS.
IT DOESN'T REALLY MEAN THEY RUN A RED LIGHT THEY JUST ENTERED IT INTO. THAT MEANS THEY CROSSED THE STOP BAR AS THE LIGHT WAS TURNING RED OR IN THE VERY END OF THE YELLOW FACE. SO IT DOESN'T MEAN THEY NECESSARILY RAN IT. AND THEN WE HAVE THE AFTER CLEARANCES WHEN A RED LIGHT, THEY TURN RED. IF YOU NOTICE, EVERYBODY JUST KIND OF SITS FOR A FEW SECONDS.
THAT'S THE WHOLE CLEARING OF THE FACE. AND THEN OBVIOUSLY WE HAVE DURING THE RED LIGHT CLEARANCE, I SAID THE INFORMATION IS KIND OF SMALL. THE PERCENTAGES, I THINK THROUGH A 24 HOUR PERIOD ALTOGETHER IN THERE IS LIKE 100 VEHICLES. BUT ONE GOOD THING IT SHOWS IS THERE'S NO THERE'S 0% CONFLICTS. SO THERE'S NO ISSUES. SO BASICALLY EVERYTHING WORKED LIKE IT SHOULD. NOBODY HAD ANY WRECKS. AND THAT'S THE MOST IMPORTANT THING IS THAT THERE WAS NO CONFLICTS OR I'M NOT SAYING THERE WAS CLOSE ACCIDENTS, BUT THERE'S NO CONFLICTS, WHICH IS GOOD. SO WE IMPLEMENT THIS. WE'RE GOING TO SEE THIS ON ALL THROUGHOUT THE CITY. YOU KNOW, WE CAN SHARE THIS INFORMATION WITH PD. BUT OBVIOUSLY THIS IS A 24 HOUR PERIOD. SO, YOU KNOW, YOU CAN SEE LIKE DURING THIS HOUR, THERE MAY BE A 20 PEOPLE. BUT AGAIN, YOU CAN'T REALLY IT'S HARD TO MONITOR. BUT NO, THIS IS GOOD INFORMATION. THIS IS PART OF WHAT THE SOFTWARE WILL SHOW US AND WILL PROVIDE WAYS BESIDES SIGNAL TIMING. I THINK THAT'S IT. AND THEN YES, I HAD A QUICK QUESTION. SO IS THIS. THE SOFTWARE WILL BE ON ALL THE LIGHTS, EVEN THOUGH THEY'RE THE ONES THAT LIKE THE ALL 39, RIGHT? YEAH. ALL THE CITY, ALL THE CITY MAINTAINS. SO, SO THE GEORGETOWN ONES. NO, THE JUST THE CITY MAINTAIN ALL THE ONES ON ONE, A THREE A, THE ONE AT 29 AND REAGAN. THAT'S THE ONLY ONES. YES. WE NOT HAVE THE SOFTWARE. SO ALL OF OUR CITY SIGNALS WILL HAVE THE SOFTWARE AND THE VANTAGE LINK CLOUD.
THANK YOU. WHAT ABOUT THE ONES THAT DEVELOPERS PUT IN. YES. SO I JUST WE CHANGED THE SPECIFICATIONS. WE'RE ALWAYS CHANGING THEM. SO I PUT IN THERE ACTUALLY. SO THE SOFTWARE
[00:20:04]
WE WILL DO OURSELVES IN THIS PACKAGE, I THINK IT'S THREE EXTRA LICENSES WE HAVE. SO EVERY YEAR WE'LL HAVE TO KEEP UP TO DATE AND BUDGET TO DO THIS. BUT FOR THE EVEN THE DEVELOPER ONES, I CHANGED IT WHERE ALL NEW SIGNALS COMING ONLINE, IT DOESN'T MATTER IF IT'S CITY OR DEVELOPER, THE VANTAGE LINK CLEAR GUIDE SYSTEM, IT'S PART OF IT. AND IT'S. SO WE DID A TEN YEAR PROGRAM, BUT WITH THIS, I'M DOING A FIVE YEAR. AND SO WE EVERY SOMEONE COMES ONLINE, WE'LL AUTOMATICALLY HAVE THE VANTAGE LINK FOR COMMUNICATION. AND THEN WE'LL ADD THE SOFTWARE ON OUR END. QUICK QUESTION. THIS, THIS DOES KIND OF TRACK A LOT OF DATA FOR YOU ALL. HOW WOULD LONG TERM THIS HELP US WITH OUR SIGNALING AS WE GROW AND DEVELOP AS A CITY? GOOD QUESTION. I MEAN, THAT'S GOING TO HELP US DAILY IF WE WANT TO.LIKE I SAID, INSTEAD OF CHANGING THE CORRIDOR TIMING, SAY, EVERY 2 OR 3 YEARS, WHICH WE NORMALLY DO AND KIND OF STANDARD, WE'RE OBVIOUSLY NOT GOING TO DO EVERY MONTH, BUT MAYBE YEARLY, OR IF A BIG DEVELOPMENT COMES IN, WE CAN LOOK AT IT RIGHT THEN AND SEE THE TRENDS THAT'S HAPPENING BECAUSE IT HAS ALL PAST HISTORY AND DATA, AND WE CAN PUT IN SOME TIMING CHANGES LIKE, OH YEAH, THIS IS NOT GOING TO WORK. THIS IS, YOU KNOW, NOT GOING TO LOOK GOOD. SO WE CAN CONSTANTLY LOOK AT AND EVALUATE. AND THAT'S WHAT WE, WE DO DAILY. WE LOOK AT IT ALSO SHOWS US IF THERE'S ANY ANOMALIES SHOWING THAT DETECTION IS NOT WORKING CORRECTLY OR SIMILAR. SO THAT'S GOING TO BE GREAT. WE ACTUALLY USE THIS AS A SIGNAL. WE LOOKED AT IT AND IT WAS STILL DETECTING VEHICLES. BUT ON THE GRAPH IT WAS JUST KIND OF SHOWING NO NOT MUCH INFORMATION. AND SO ONE, THIS IS ONE OF OUR MAIN THINGS WE DID. WE WENT OUT THERE, WE THOUGHT IT WAS THE CCU UNIT, CCU UNIT WHICH MONITOR CONTROLS THE DETECTION.
SO IT WASN'T THAT OKAY, MAYBE THE CAMERA IS BAD. IT'S ABOUT 5 OR 6 YEARS OLD. IT WASN'T THE CAMERA, IT TURNED OUT. SO WE GOT TO LOOK AT THE WIRING, I GUESS IN A RODENT OR RAT GOT INTO THE POLE AND CHEWED HIS SECTION OF THE WIRING. SO IT WAS STILL DETECTING, BUT IT WASN'T SHOWING US A PICTURE OR GIVING US ANY INFORMATION OFF OF IT. AND THAT'S PART OF THE SOFTWARE. WITHOUT THAT, IT KIND OF DOESN'T SHOW US OR KNOW MUCH WHAT'S GOING ON. SO IT JUST MAKES US MORE EFFICIENT, MORE EFFICIENT, BETTER TO RESPOND. YEAH, HISTORICAL. BUT ALSO INSTEAD OF WAITING FOR A PHONE CALL OR ANYTHING, WE KIND OF ALREADY CAN SEE WHAT'S GOING ON.
NOT SAYING WE'RE NOT GONNA GET PHONE CALLS, BUT WE CAN KIND OF SEE, WELL THANK YOU. YEAH. ONE LAST, IF YOU DON'T MIND. SO YOU'RE DEPLOYING THIS ACROSS ALL OF THE TRAFFIC SIGNALS WITHIN THE NEXT 2 TO 4 MONTHS, 2 TO 4 MONTHS. YES, SIR. WHEN THAT DEPLOYMENT IS COMPLETE, IS THERE PERHAPS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO I DON'T WANT TO SAY ALERT THE PUBLIC, BUT HELP THEM NOTICE THAT IT'S GOTTEN BETTER. YEAH. BECAUSE I WOULD LOVE TO KNOW, LIKE IF I KNEW, HEY, WE MADE WE'VE DONE THE CHANGE. THEN AS I DRIVE AROUND, DO I NOTICE IT? RIGHT? THAT'S KIND OF WHAT I'M SAYING. SO MAYBE THERE'S AN OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO SHOW THE EFFICIENCY, YOU KNOW, MAYBE A NICE LITTLE PSA. YEAH, WE GIVE IT TO THE PIO TEAM AND MAYBE THEY PUT SOME ON FACEBOOK AND AND WEBSITE YOU. YEAH, DEFINITELY DO SOMETHING. YEAH. NO, DEFINITELY. BECAUSE I MEAN, YEAH, EXACTLY. YEAH. WE ALWAYS GIVE OUT INFORMATION AND YEAH, I THINK, YEAH, I THINK FOR THE PUBLIC, HOPEFULLY WE DO GET A LOT OF COMPLIMENTS ABOUT OUR SIGNALS COMPARED TO OTHERS.
AND EVEN OUR NEIGHBORING, I WILL SAY, I EVEN HEARD SOMEBODY THE OTHER DAY SAY, ACTUALLY OUR SIGNALS ARE DOING VERY WELL AND EFFICIENT THAN OTHERS. SO LIKE I SAID, WE DID HAVE AN ISSUE WITH 183 NEAR AWAY, WHICH IS A DIFFERENT ISSUE, NOT OURS. IT'S CAPMETRO ISSUE. YEAH. SO ANYWAYS, IT DID. SO THE SIGNAL FLASH FOR AN HOUR BECAUSE IT TAKES OVER OUR SIGNAL LIKE I SAID LAST TIME. SO ANYWAYS, ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? I DON'T THINK SO. THANK YOU. APPRECIATE IT.
THANK YOU. I'M JUST GOING TO GIVE A FEW UPDATES ON SOME OF THE ONGOING PROJECTS THAT WE HAVE. SO THESE ARE KIND OF ALL THE LOCATIONS THAT ARE EITHER MONITORING UNDER CONSTRUCTION, UNDER DESIGN, OR PLANNED BY DEVELOPERS. SINCE OUR LAST PRESENTATION, WE DID ADD ONE MORE AT SUNNYBROOK AND HEREAWAY. SO THAT WAS WE KIND OF WENT THROUGH OUR PROCESS. WE RECEIVED AN INQUIRY FROM THE PUBLIC. OUR TRAFFIC ENGINEERS LOOKED AT IT, SAID, YEP, IT WOULD BE GOOD TO DO A WARRANT STUDY. WE DID A WARRANT STUDY. IT DOES WARRANT A SIGNAL. SO NOW IT'LL GO THROUGH THE PROCESS OF EVALUATION AND, YOU KNOW, MAKE ITS WAY INTO THE CAPITAL PROGRAM AS NEEDED. SO THE MONITORING LOCATION. SO THESE ARE WOULD BE TIA BASED, MAYBE A DEVELOPMENT WARRANTED. BUT DEVELOPMENT IS NOT THERE YET. THOSE THAT WE'VE IDENTIFIED WITH WARRANT STUDIES, BUT THEY'RE NOT FUNDED OR IN OUR CAPITAL PROGRAM YET.
BASICALLY NO PROJECT YET HAS BEEN PLANNED OR THEY THEY DIDN'T WARRANT. SO WE'RE GOING TO TAKE A LOOK AT THEM HERE IN ANOTHER COUPLE OF YEARS TO SEE IF THEY DO WARRANT. ON, EXCUSE ME, ON OUR CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS PROGRAM. SIGNALS ARE ONGOING DESIGNS FOR CRYSTAL FALLS AND GRAND LAKE. WE'RE WORKING ON THAT ONE. WE JUST COMPLETED THE REVIEW OF THE 60% FOR THE
[00:25:05]
TEMPORARY SIGNAL AND WE HAD NO COMMENT. SO THEY'RE MOVING FORWARD WITH THAT ONE. WE'RE STILL ANTICIPATING KIND OF THAT END OF MARCH FOR US TO START CONSTRUCTION ON THAT TEMPORARY SIGNAL. MARCH OF 27, MARCH OF 27. YES, MA'AM. AND AND THEN IT WOULD POTENTIALLY, YOU KNOW, WE'RE LOOKING AT COMPLETION IN OCTOBER, AND RIGHT BEHIND THAT, THE PERMANENT SIGNAL WOULD BE UNDER CONSTRUCTION. THE HERO WAY AND MAIN SIGNAL. WE HAVE THAT ON COUNCIL AGENDA NEXT MEETING. SO FOR THE DESIGN CONTRACT FOR THAT ONE. SO THAT ONE'S TRACKING THAT ONE ALSO HAS A TEMPORARY SIGNAL. YES, MA'AM. I WAS JUST GOING TO ASK THAT'S THE ONE THAT I ASKED ABOUT BY ACC CORRECT? YES. SO THAT ONE ALSO HAS A TEMPORARY SIGNAL COMPONENT. AND SO THAT TEMPORARY SIGNAL IS ANTICIPATED TO BE COMPLETE IN EARLY 2028. OKAY. WITH THE PERMANENT SIGNAL TIED TO WE HAVE GRANT FUNDING FOR BOTH OF THESE. SO IT DEPENDS ON WHEN THE GRANT IS AWARDED SO THAT THAT PERMANENT SIGNAL DOESN'T COME UNTIL 2029. BUT WE WILL HAVE THAT TEMPORARY SIGNAL IN PLACE SOONER. AND THEN BROAD STREET AND SAN GABRIEL. TONY, I SAID BROAD, BROAD. IT GIVES ME A HARD TIME. THOSE PROJECTS, THOSE TWO SIGNALS ARE IN WITH THE SAN GABRIEL WEST PROJECT. SO THEY WILL COME IN SO BROAD IN SAN GABRIEL AND HALCYON SAN GABRIEL.GOTCHA. YES. YOUR MIC IS ON. ON. WASN'T THE SAN GABRIEL HALSEY SUPPOSED TO BE A TEMPORARY LIGHT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE IN. HALSEY MONITORED. WE WERE MONITORING IT AFTER THE EARLY CHILDHOOD OPENED THE THE SIGNAL OR SORRY, THE FOUR WAY STOP IS OPERATING FAIRLY WELL. OUR ENGINEERS ARE WATCHING IT, SO WE HAVEN'T. FROM WHAT I HEARD, THAT TRAFFIC OVER THERE WAS LIKE 40 MINUTES TO GET DOWN THE ROAD. OKAY, WELL, WE CAN TAKE THAT BACK TO OUR. SO THERE IS NO TEMPORARY LIGHT PLAN FOR THERE. NOW, WE DO NOT HAVE A TEMPORARY PLAN FOR THAT. QUICK QUESTION. SO ON THAT, YOU KNOW, YOU SAID IT'S TIED INTO THE THE WEST. OH YES. SO WE'RE ACTUALLY GOING TO THAT'S GOING TO END UP BEING WHAT, FIVE LANES OVER THERE? IT WILL BE. I THINK IT'S FOUR OF AN ULTIMATE SIX. TONY'S NODDING HIS HEAD. AND THEN YOU'RE BASICALLY GOING TO BUILD OUT THE TIME FOR THAT. AND THAT'S WHY THE TEMPORARY SIGNAL BECAUSE IT WOULD ESSENTIALLY OPERATE AS A FOUR WAY STOP, BECAUSE YOU COULD ONLY ALLOW ONE TO GO AT A TIME JUST BECAUSE OF THE CONFIGURATION OF THE CURRENT ROADWAY. SO IT, THE TRAFFIC OR THE CONFIGURATION DOESN'T REALLY ALLOW FOR EASY INSTALLATION OF A TEMPORARY. BUT THE TEAM CAN STILL LOOK INTO IT. BUT YES, IT COMES IN WITH THE ROAD EXPANSION. SO WE GET TWO MORE LANES AND THE TRAFFIC SIGNAL TO ALLOW FOR THAT OPERATION. DID I ANSWER YOUR QUESTION? I'M SORRY. SORRY, I DIDN'T MEAN TO INTERRUPT. NO. YOU'RE FINE, YOU'RE FINE. WE HAVE A FEW OTHER UPCOMING DESIGNS THAT WE HAVE. WE'RE STILL WORKING ON SCOPING RONALD REAGAN AND SARITA, RONALD REAGAN AND GRAND LAKE PARKWAY, AND THEN CRYSTAL FALLS AND COUNTY ROAD 175. THAT ONE WILL COME WITH THE COUNTY OR SORRY, WITH THE CRYSTAL FALLS EXTENSION PROJECT. BIDDING AND CONSTRUCTION. WE ARE KICKING OFF OUR PALMYRA AND RONALD REAGAN. SOME UPDATES ON THAT ONE TOO. SO WE HAD AWARDED THAT ONE, I THINK IN WELL, IT SAYS IN JULY OF THIS YEAR. SO THEY HAVE SUBMITTED ALL THEIR SPECS, THEY'VE ORDERED THEIR EQUIPMENT AND THEY'RE EXPECTING THE EQUIPMENT TO GET HERE EARLY 2027. AND THEN ON THE SAN GABRIEL PARKWAY AND RONALD REAGAN, WE'RE WAITING ON PEAK POWER FOR THAT ONE. SO AS SOON AS THAT'S THERE, THE POLES AND MAST ARMS AND EVERYTHING ARE UP. AND THEN THIS IS JUST KIND OF A GENERAL TIMELINE OF THE MANY SIGNALS, EITHER DEVELOPER OR CITY CAPITAL PROJECTS, THAT WILL BE INSTALLED IN THE NEXT, SAY, FIVE YEARS, FOUR YEARS. BE HAPPY FOR YOU. QUESTIONS? ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? OH, I'M SORRY, I HAVE ONE MORE SLIDE. SORRY ABOUT THAT. WE DO HAVE OUR WEB PAGE UP THAT GUIDES KIND OF IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS, HOW TO, YOU KNOW, HOW ARE OUR SIGNALS WORK? HOW DO I REQUEST A TRAFFIC SIGNAL? HOW DO I, YOU KNOW, SPEED LIMITS AND TRAFFIC CALMING AND ALL OF THOSE THINGS.
SO HOW DO PEOPLE NAVIGATE THERE IT IS. I BELIEVE IT'S ON OUR PUBLIC WORKS AND ENGINEERING PAGE. SO YOU CAN GO TO EITHER ONE UNDER THE DEPARTMENTS. YOU CAN EITHER GO TO PUBLIC WORKS OR ENGINEERING STREETS. OKAY. THANK YOU, THANK YOU. THANK YOU MA'AM, THANK YOU. OH, WAIT, ONE MORE QUESTION. JUST A RELATED QUESTION. AND YOU MAY NOT BE ABLE TO ANSWER THIS, BUT IN GENERAL, THERE IS A SEARCH CAPACITY FOR THE CITY WEBSITE, RIGHT? SO IF SOMEBODY WENT AND
[00:30:03]
SEARCHED THERE FOR TRAFFIC, IT'S GOING TO TAKE THEM TO THIS WEBSITE. PERFECT. THANK YOU,[ CONSENT AGENDA: ACTION]
THANK YOU. AND WE WILL MOVE TO OUR CONSENT AGENDA. BUT BEFORE WE DO, WE HAVE TWO COMMENT CARDS FOR SPEAKERS WHO DO NOT WANT TO SPEAK. SO I'LL JUST READ THEIR COMMENTS IN FOR CATHERINE JOHNSON JOHNSTON. I'M SORRY. SHE IS AGAINST ITEM 17 ON CONSENT AND ANISE BACON. SHE IS ALSO AGAINST ITEM NUMBER 17. ALL RIGHT. SO WE WILL CONSIDER CONSENT ITEMS NINE THROUGH 17.AND THIS IS AN ACTION ITEM. I'LL MAKE A MOTION TO APPROVE. I'LL SECOND. SO WE HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR. ALL RIGHT. MOTION CARRIES. THANK YOU. AND NOW
[18. Conduct a Public Hearing for the City of Leander Fiscal Year 2027 Proposed Budget.
]
THAT'S ABOUT $1,100 MILLION INCREASE GOING FORWARD. NEXT SLIDE. THIS PARTICULAR SLIDE SHOWS YOU BY THE DIFFERENT FUNDS. AS YOU CAN SEE, THE GENERAL FUND REPRESENTS 57% OF THE TOTAL PIE. THE UTILITY FUND IS 38%. AND OF COURSE THE GOLF FUND IS 5%. THIS SLIDE INDICATES THE TOTAL BUDGET BY THE VARIOUS DEPARTMENTS. AND AS YOU CAN SEE FROM THIS SLIDE, OUR PUBLIC SAFETY DEPARTMENTS PRETTY MUCH CAPTURED THE MAJORITY OF THE BUDGET. POLICE IS AT 24% AND FIRES AT 22%. SOME OF OUR ONE TIME MAJOR EXPENDITURES, THE LARGEST PIECES UP THERE, WE HAVE A LADDER TRUCK FOR STATION NUMBER SIX AT $2.7 MILLION. AND THEN WE HAVE SOME INFRASTRUCTURE AND EQUIPMENT UPGRADES, AS WELL AS NEW COMPLIANCE WITH THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE INFORMATION POLICY OF $1.5 MILLION. SOME OF OUR REOCCURRING MAJOR EXPENDITURES GOING FORWARD. FOR PERSONNEL, THERE'S A TOTAL OF 456 FULL TIME EQUIVALENTS. THIS INCLUDES 21 NEW FTES, 18 POSITIONS FOR RECLASSIFICATION. WE ALSO HAVE THE POTENTIAL OF GETTING SOME GRANT FUNDING EARMARKED FOR FOUR NEW POLICE OFFICERS AND 15 NEW FTES FOR FIREFIGHTERS. IN OUR GOLF FUND BUDGET, THE BIGGEST MAJORITY HERE IS IN NON-DEPARTMENTAL, AND IF YOU RECALL, NON-DEPARTMENTAL PRETTY MUCH IS ANYTHING ACROSS THE CITY THAT DOESN'T HAVE A. IT'S AN ACCOUNT ACROSS THE CITY, PARTICULARLY FOR GOLF, THAT'S NOT REALLY ASSOCIATED WITH ANY PARTICULAR AREA. THE NEXT CLOSEST. COULD YOU GO BACK REAL QUICK? SO GROUND MAINTENANCE IS ANOTHER AREA OF OF IMPORTANCE. IT'S A $1.7 MILLION FOR GROUND MAINTENANCE FOR OUR FOR OUR GOLF COURSE. SOME OF THE MAJOR EXPENDITURES HERE, ONE TIME EXPENDITURES FOR CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS IS $3.5 MILLION IS EARMARKED FOR THE GOLF FUND
[00:35:01]
RESERVES. AND THEN WE'VE GOT SOME MAJOR EQUIPMENT TOTALING $82,000. THERE'S A TOTAL OF 29.75 FTES. INCLUDES THREE NEW FTES AND ONE POSITION FOR RECLASSIFICATION. AND OUR UTILITY FUND TOTALS $51.1 MILLION. THE BIGGEST MAJORITY OF THAT IS FOR WATER MAINTENANCE AT $15.2 MILLION. AND THEN, OF COURSE, WE HAVE AGAIN THE NON-DEPARTMENTAL AT 22.6 MILLION. UTILITY FUND, ONE TIME MAJOR EXPENDITURES. THE BIGGEST BUMP HERE IS TWO AND $2.9 MILLION FOR THE BRUSHY CREEK WASTEWATER CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS. AND THEN, OF COURSE, WE'VE GOT THE WATER MASTER PLAN AT $400,000. AND WE ALSO HAVE UTILITY COMPENSATION EARMARKED FOR UTILITY SYSTEM STAFFING NEEDS AT A HALF MILLION DOLLARS. SOME OF THE RECURRING MAJOR EXPENDITURES HERE, THERE'S A 71.25 FTE, 8.25, OR NEW FTES. TWO POSITIONS ARE FOR RECLASSIFICATIONS. AND THEN WE HAVE THE TRANSITION OF SIX FTES FROM THE SANDY CREEK WATER TREATMENT PLANT THAT WAS PREVIOUSLY OPERATED BY THE BRAZOS RIVER AUTHORITY. THE BIGGEST TAKEAWAY ON THIS SLIDE? I WANT TO EMPHASIZE THAT LAST YEAR, COUNCIL VOTED TO HAVE OUR TAX RATE AT APPROXIMATELY 41.7 CENTS. THIS YEAR, WE'RE ABLE TO MAINTAIN THAT SAME AMOUNT AT 41.7 CENT. THE MAINTENANCE AND OPERATIONS PROPOSED HAS INCREASED SLIGHTLY BECAUSE OF THE INCREASE IN SERVICES FOR NEXT YEAR'S BUDGET. IT ONLY INCREASED ABOUT 0.23%. THE SINKING FUND ACTUALLY DECREASED ABOUT 0.61%, AND THAT'S BECAUSE THERE'S BEEN A SAVINGS IN TERMS OF OUR DEBT SERVICE. RESPONSIBILITIES HERE. SO THOSE ARE THE BIGGEST TAKEAWAYS FROM IN TERMS OF OUR PROPERTY TAX RATE. AGAIN, I WANT TO EMPHASIZE THAT WE'RE NOT RAISING THE TAX RATE FOR FY 27. WE'RE GOING TO MAINTAIN THE SAME AS WE DID FOR FY 26. SO NEXT STEPS IN THIS PROCESS. WE'RE HERE TONIGHT TO HAVE COUNCIL ADOPT THE FY 2027 BUDGET. WE'RE ALSO GOING TO HAVE SHORTLY HERE THE READING OF THE TAX RATE FOR FY 27. AND THEN LATER ON, THE CITY MANAGER IS GOING TO HAVE A PRESENTATION ON THE RATIFICATION FOR APPOINTMENTS, EFFECTIVE TEN ONE. AND LAST BUT NOT LEAST, ON THIS NEXT TUESDAY ON THE 22ND, THE SECOND READING TO ADOPT THE TAX RATE WILL OCCUR THE NEXT TUESDAY. ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS THAT I CAN ANSWER? JUST ONE. CAN YOU CLARIFY IF THIS IS RATIFIED, WHY WE HAVE TO USE THE WORD WE RATIFY PROPERTY TAX INCREASE EVEN THOUGH WE'RE NOT INCREASING THE RATE. I'M NOT SURE ABOUT THAT. YEAH. THAT'S A MANDATORY LANGUAGE BY STATE LAW. SO WHAT IT'S SAYING IS WE'RE INCREASING THE LEVY IS WHAT IT'S SAYING. I JUST WANTED TO BE CLEAR THAT WE'RE NOT ACTUALLY INCREASING THE RATE, BUT WE'RE LEGALLY REQUIRED TO BE REQUIRED. THAT'S THE TRUTH. AND TAXATION, RIGHT? SO OUR LEVY OUR TAX LEVIES, INCREASING PROPERTY TAX RATE IS STAYING CONSISTENT. I WOULD SAY IT'S THE LEVY IS A LITTLE IT'S A IT'S A VAGUE TERM. IN A SENSE.IF I WAS A PERSON, I WOULDN'T UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT. SO BUT WHAT IT REALLY MEANS IS THAT IF I COLLECTED A DOLLAR LAST YEAR AND I COLLECT A DOLLAR AND A PENNY BECAUSE THE VALUE OF THE PROPERTIES WENT UP OR THESE OTHER THINGS, THAT'S CONSIDERED A TAX INCREASE, RIGHT? PER THE LANGUAGE, BECAUSE I GOT ONE PENNY MORE THAN I GOT LAST YEAR.
WELL, IN THIS CASE, A DOLLAR WE COLLECTED THIS LAST YEAR IS GOING TO BE $99 THIS YEAR, BECAUSE A V AVERAGE VALUE HAS DECREASED. AND SO THE AVERAGE PROPERTY WILL ACTUALLY HAVE A REDUCTION OF ABOUT $100 ON THEIR PROPERTY TAX BILL. SO SO AND REALLY WHAT IT'S TALKING ABOUT, THE LEVY, MEANING HOW MUCH MONEY WE'RE ACTUALLY BRINGING IN THROUGH AD VALOREM PROPERTY TAX REVENUE. AND SO THE AD VALOREM RATE RATE IS BRINGING IN A HIGHER AMOUNT OF PROPERTY TAX INCOME. AND THAT'S EVEN THOUGH WE HAVE HAD A REDUCTION OF AVERAGE VALUE, WE ARE SEEING MORE VALUE ADDED DUE TO NEW DEVELOPMENT THAT OCCURRED IN 2025. IS THAT CLEAR? THAT EXPLAINS AND THAT IS CLEAR. YES. THANK YOU SIR. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. I DON'T THINK
[00:40:05]
ANYBODY ELSE HAVE QUESTIONS BEFORE WE MOVE TO THE PUBLIC HEARING. OH OKAY. SO WE HAVE A PUBLIC HEARING IS NOW OPEN. AND I WOULD CALL ON SPEAKERS WHO SUBMITTED CARDS, BUT WE DIDN'T HAVE ANYBODY SUBMIT ANY CARDS. SO THE PUBLIC HEARING IS NOW CLOSED. AND WE'LL DISCUSS AND CONSIDER ACTION ON AN ORDINANCE ADOPTING THE BUDGET FOR FISCAL YEAR BEGINNING OCTOBER 1ST, 2026 AND ENDING SEPTEMBER 30TH, 2027, APPROPRIATING THE VARIOUS AMOUNTS THEREOF AND REPEALING ALL ORDINANCES OR PARTS OF ORDINANCES IN CONFLICT THEREWITH AND PROVIDING FOR AN EFFECTIVE DATE. AND THIS IS A ROLL CALL. IT'S A ROLL CALL. YES. SO I HAVE TO READ THIS LANGUAGE SPECIFICALLY, AS OUR STATE SAYS, I HAVE TO READ IT AND THEN WE'LL DO A ROLL CALL.SO WE'LL GO BY EACH PLACE AND GET YOUR VOTE AS WE GO DOWN. SO THE FIRST MOTION IS I MOVE TO RATIFY THE PROPERTY TAX INCREASE REFLECTED IN THE PROPOSED BUDGET. PLACE ONE. OH, WELL, I MAKE THE MOTION. I NEED A SECOND. I'LL SECOND THANK YOU FOR THE SECOND AND THEN PLACE ONE. YAY. PLACE TWO. YES. PLACE THREE. YAY! PLACE FOUR. YES. PLACE FIVE. YEP. PLACE SIX. YES.
AND I'M A YES AS WELL. SO THE MOTION CARRIES. AND THEN THE SECOND MOTION I MOVE TO APPROVE THE PROPOSED BUDGET FOR FY 2027. AND I NEED A SECOND. SECOND. ALL RIGHT. WE HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND PLACE. SIX. YES. PLACE FIVE. YES. PLACE FOUR. YES. PLACE THREE. YAY. PLACE TWO.
YES. PLACE ONE. YEAH. AND I'M A YES AS WELL. SO THE MOTION CARRIES BOTH WAYS. THANK YOU
[19. Conduct a Public Hearing on levying ad valorem taxes for the use and support of the municipal government of the City of Leander, Texas, for the Fiscal Year 2027; providing for and apportioning each levy for specific purposes; and providing when taxes shall become due and when the same shall become delinquent if not paid.
]
COUNCIL WAS FORMALLY ADOPTED. THE BUDGET PRIOR TO TAKING ACTION ON THE TAX RATE. THE SECOND READING FOR THE TAX RATE ORDINANCE IS SCHEDULED FOR A SPECIAL MEETING ON SEPTEMBER 22ND. STACK STAFF RECOMMENDS APPROVAL OF THIS TAX RATE AT 41%. ANY QUESTIONS? YOU GOOD? OKAY. WELL, WE'LL MOVE TO OUR PUBLIC HEARING. AND THE PUBLIC HEARING IS NOW OPEN. AND I WOULD CALL ON SPEAKERS THAT SUBMITTED CARDS, BUT WE DIDN'T HAVE ANYBODY SUBMIT ANY CARDS.
SO THE PUBLIC HEARING IS CLOSED. AND. COME ON UP. YEP. WE'LL DISCUSS AND CONSIDER ACTION ON THE FIRST READING OF AN ORDINANCE LEVELING AD VALOREM TAXES FOR THE USE AND SUPPORT OF MUNICIPAL GOVERNMENT FOR THE CITY OF LEANDER, TEXAS FOR FISCAL YEAR 2027 AS DESCRIBED ABOVE. ARE THERE IS THERE ANY QUESTIONS OR DISCUSSION ON IT? YOU HAVE A STATEMENT OR. YEAH.
SO I JUST WANT TO THANK THE CITY STAFF FOR PUTTING TOGETHER THE BUDGET. I ALSO WANT TO THANK THEM FOR, IN ESSENCE, MAINTAINING THE TAX RATE. IT'S SO EASY IN THESE DAYS FOR GOVERNMENTS JUST TO KEEP RAISING THE TAXES. AND AND I THINK YOU STATED THAT WE'RE ACTUALLY 10% BELOW WHAT WE COULD RAISE IT TO WITHOUT EVEN GOING BEFORE THE VOTERS. RIGHT.
AND SO THAT'S, THAT'S IMPRESSIVE. MOST CITIES ARE NOT IN IN THAT. AND THAT GOES TO YOUR GUYS'S HARD WORK. THE CITY MANAGER'S HARD WORK ON MANAGING THE BUDGET AND STAYING ON TOP OF IT. AND, AND I'M VERY PROUD OF WHAT YOU GUYS ARE DOING AND WHAT WE CONTINUE TO DO. I JUST WANT TO ECHO COUNCILMAN HERRERA'S REMARKS. I WANT TO THANK THE CITY STAFF FOR ALL THEIR HARD WORK. I FEEL LIKE THIS BUDGET PUTS US IN A GOOD PLACE TO CONTINUE TO IMPROVE
[00:45:04]
OUR CITY, MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE ESSENTIAL SERVICES, PROVIDE QUALITY SERVICES TO OUR CITIZENS. NOT ONLY THAT, COMMUNITY IMPACT RECENTLY DID A STUDY ON OUR BUDGET, AND IF APPROVED, THE AVERAGE LEANDER HOUSEHOLD SHOULD SEE A REDUCTION OF ABOUT 102 IN TERMS OF HOW MUCH THEY'LL PAY THIS YEAR, WHICH IS IMPORTANT AT A TIME IN WHICH MANY TAXING ENTITIES ARE RAISING TAXES. BUT LEANDER IS NOT SO LOOKING FORWARD TO SUPPORTING THIS.EXCELLENT. ANYTHING ELSE? ALL RIGHT. AND THIS WILL BE A ROLL CALL VOTE AS WELL. SO I MOVE THAT THE PROPERTY TAX RATE OF 0.41728 $0.02 PER 100 VALUATION BE ADOPTED, WHICH IS THE SAME TAX RATE AS LAST YEAR AND A 3.2% LOWER THAN THE NO NEW REVENUE RATE AND BRINGS IN 7.6 MORE TOTAL PROPERTY TAXES THAN LAST YEAR'S BUDGET DUE TO INCREASED PROPERTY VALUATIONS AND NEWLY IMPROVED PROPERTIES ADDED TO OUR TAX ROLL THIS YEAR. I NEED A SECOND. SECOND. ALL RIGHT, WE HAVE A MOTION SECOND PLACE ONE. YAY! PLACE TWO. YES. YAY! PLACE FOUR. YES.
PLACE FIVE. YAY! PLACE SIX. YES. I'M SORRY. I FEEL LIKE YOU WERE LIKE ON THE RADIO DOING LIKE, WHAT IS HAPPENING HERE? OKAY. I AM ALSO A YAY! SO THE MOTION CARRIES. THANK YOU. WE WILL
[20. Consider ratifying appointments related to the City Manager's updated Leadership Team organizational structure, including reclassification of 10 current employees to director positions to take effect on October 1, 2026, and as provided for in the Fiscal Year 2027 proposed budget.]
MOVE TO OUR REGULAR AGENDA TO ITEM 20. CONSIDER RATIFYING APPOINTMENTS RELATED TO THE CITY MANAGER'S UPDATED LEADERSHIP TEAM ORGANIZATION STRUCTURE, INCLUDING RECLASSIFICATION OF TEN CURRENT EMPLOYEES TO DIRECTOR POSITIONS TO TAKE EFFECT ON OCTOBER 1ST, 2026, AND AS PROVIDED FOR THE FISCAL YEAR 2027 PROPOSED BUDGET. CITY MANAGER TODD BARTON, THANK YOU. SO THANK YOU ALL FOR WORKING THROUGH AND SUPPORTING THE BUDGET AND THE REVENUE STREAMS THROUGH THE RATE AS PART OF THE BUDGET PROCESS. THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS, WE'VE GONE THROUGH A CONTINUAL EFFORT TO REVIEW OUR ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE, REVIEW OUR COMPENSATION LEVELS, AND LOOKED AT OUR DEPARTMENTAL STRUCTURES TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE, NUMBER ONE, PAYING EQUITABLY FOR THE POSITIONS THAT WE HAVE. NUMBER TWO, TO LOOK AT THE ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURES THAT WE NEED TO HELP CONTINUE TO MOVE THE ORGANIZATION FORWARD AND ACHIEVE THE THINGS WE'RE TALKING ABOUT IN OUR BUDGETS AND OUR STRATEGIC PLANS. AND THEN FINALLY LOOKING TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'VE GOT EQUITY AND WE'VE GOT. FAIR COMPENSATION BASED ON ORGANIZATIONAL AND DEPARTMENTAL OPERATIONS. AND SO WITH THAT FOR THIS YEAR, IN ADDITION TO THE POSITIONS WE ADDED WITH THE BUDGET WOULD BE THESE ADJUSTMENTS. NOW, A COUPLE OF THEM WERE ALREADY APPROVED POSITIONS WITH THE MID-YEAR BUDGET ADJUSTMENT FOR FISCAL YEAR 2026. AND WHEN WE LOOKED AT THAT STRUCTURE, WE HAD SOME POSITION VACANCIES FOR SOME OF THE MORE SENIOR POSITIONS, AND WE LOOKED AT A RESTRUCTURE COMPONENT THAT REALLY ALLOWED US TO BE ABLE TO TO CREATE THE BUDGET AND STRUCTURE IT SO THAT IT BETTER MEETS THE NEEDS AND KIND OF MEETS THE OPERATIONAL COMPONENTS OF WHERE WE'RE GOING. AND WITH THAT, WE HAD RECLASSED, THE BUDGET MANAGER TO THE DIRECTOR OF BUDGET AND STRATEGIC PLANNING, WHICH IS LOUISE MENDOZA'S. RATIFICATION.WE'RE REQUESTING FOR THAT ONE, THE RECLASS OF THE DEPUTY CFO TO DIRECTOR OF FINANCIAL SERVICES, WHICH IS CORETTA BRISCOE, AND THEN THROUGH OUR RESTRUCTURE IN THE CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE AND ADMINISTRATION, WAS THE RECLASSIFICATION OF THE ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER, INNOVATION COORDINATION INNOVATION COORDINATOR. IT'S A MOUTHFUL TO ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER, WHICH WOULD BE MR. KENT. SORRY. I SEE YOU DO. AND THEN IN LOOKING AT THE PARITY, LOOKING AT JOB DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES WAS THE RECLASSIFICATION OF SOME OF OUR OTHER POSITIONS. SO OUR BUILDING OFFICIAL TO CHIEF BUILDING OFFICIAL. AND REALLY THAT ALIGNS US WITH WHAT OUR POSITION DOES AND COMPARABLE WITH WHAT THAT POSITION IS IN OTHER CITIES OF OUR SIZE AND COMPLEXITY. SO THAT'S MR. CHRIS WHEAT, THE RECLASS OF OUR GOLF GENERAL MANAGER TO DIRECTOR POSITION, WHICH IS COMMENSURATE WITH HIS DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES AND CONSISTENT WITH THE TYPES OF THINGS HE DOES ACROSS OTHER DEPARTMENTS. LARRY WARNER, RECLASS OF OUR CIP PROGRAM MANAGER TO A DIRECTOR OF CIP, TONY BETTIS. AND AGAIN, WE'RE WE'RE RAPIDLY EXPANDING COMPLEXITY IN THE SIZE OF THE OPERATIONS AND THE CAPITAL PROJECT WORK THAT'S HAPPENING THERE. AND SO THAT'S GROWING RESPONSIBILITY LEVELS. WE HAVE THE RECLASS FOR THE DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC WORKS, THE DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC WORKS OF OPERATIONS, WHICH IS ROMAN DOLL. THAT POSITION IS IMPORTANT
[00:50:09]
BECAUSE IT IS THE NUMBER TWO POSITION TO THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR. IT'S ALSO ON PAR WITH THE TWO OTHER DIRECTORS WE HAVE IN PUBLIC WORKS, WHICH IS STREETS AND THEN WATER, WASTEWATER UTILITIES. RECLASS ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OF HR TO DIRECTOR OF HR, WHICH IS BELINDA MEDELLIN. AND AGAIN, BELINDA REALLY OPERATES AS OUR HR DIRECTOR, ESPECIALLY WITH OUR RECLASS AND THE RESTRUCTURE THAT WE DID, WHICH WAS TO BRING CHRIS UP TO AN EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR IN THIS LAST BUDGET CYCLE. AGAIN, SHE'S BEEN CRITICAL IN ALL OF OUR HR OPERATIONS, HAS BEEN FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS. AND SO SHE'S REALLY AT THAT DIRECTOR LEVEL POSITION. OUR COURT ADMINISTRATOR IS DIRECTOR OF MUNICIPAL COURT, KAREN SMITH.AGAIN, LOOKING AT A VERY CRITICAL CITY OPERATION, HIGHLY TECHNICAL, A LOT OF RESPONSIBILITIES AND ACCOUNTABILITY REQUIREMENTS WITH THAT PROJECT OR THAT DEPARTMENT. AND THEN OUR COMMUNICATIONS MANAGER IS THE DIRECTOR OF COMMUNICATIONS, TY MEEGAN. SO AGAIN, THAT ALIGNS WITH WHAT HE'S DOING, HIS ROLES, RESPONSIBILITIES, AND THE WORK HE'S BRINGING TO THE TABLE. SO THAT WAS MY REQUEST FOR RATIFICATION OF THOSE APPOINTMENTS. AGAIN, THOSE ARE REFLECTED IN THE FISCAL YEAR 2027 BUDGET. IF RATIFIED, THOSE POSITIONS ALL GO INTO PERMANENT EFFECT. AS OF OCTOBER 1ST OF THIS YEAR. SO, OKAY. THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION. ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS BY COUNCIL, PLEASE? SIX POINT OUT A QUESTION. I'M SORRY, MAYOR PRO TEM COMMENT. I DIDN'T EVEN HEAR WHAT YOU SAID. SORRY. I, I GUESS MY COMMENT HERE IS I'M THRILLED TO SEE THIS. OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS, I KNOW THAT THE TEAM HAS WORKED REALLY HARD TO BREAK DOWN SOME SILOS AND WORK TOGETHER AND, AND CREATE THE ABILITY TO BE ABLE TO GET PROJECTS DONE BIGGER, BETTER, FASTER. AND I THINK THIS REALIGNMENT, AND QUITE FRANKLY, THE PEOPLE THAT I THESE NAMES ON HERE TO, I JUST THINK IT MAKES THE CITY BIGGER AND BETTER AND ALLOWS US TO BE ABLE TO TAKE THE NEXT STEP. SO I'M THRILLED TO SEE Y'ALL ALL HERE. AND, AND I'M EXCITED TO SEE YOU JUST GET PAST. EXCELLENT.
ANYTHING ELSE? OKAY, I THAT IS YOUR MOTION. I WILL MAKE A MOTION. OKAY, I WILL SECOND. SO WE HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR. ALL RIGHT. MOTION CARRIES UNANIMOUSLY.
[21. Discuss and consider action regarding Comprehensive Plan Case CPA-26-0020 to adopt the Stormwater Master Plan to be included in the Comprehensive Plan, Leander, Williamson and Travis Counties, Texas. [At the request of City staff, this item has been moved to the October 1, 2026, regular meeting in order to allow the consultant time to incorporate final changes.]]
THANK YOU. ITEM 21 HAS BEEN MOVED TO OCTOBER 1ST, 2026 REGULAR MEETING IN ORDER TO ALLOW THE CONSULTANT MORE TIME TO INCORPORATE FINAL CHANGES. SO WE WILL MOVE TO ITEM 22[22. Discuss and consider action on Zoning Case Z-25-0197 to amend the current zoning of Interim SFS-2-B (Single-Family Suburban) to GC-3-A (General Commercial) on one (1) parcel of land 1.67 acres ± in size, more particularly described by Williamson Central Appraisal District Parcel R031577; and generally located northeast of the intersection of Ronald W. Reagan Boulevard and CR 177, Leander, Williamson County, Texas.]
DISCUSSING CONSIDER ACTION ON ZONING CASE Z-25-0197 TO AMEND THE CURRENT ZONING OF INTERIM SFS2-B SINGLE FAMILY SUBURBAN TO GC3-A GENERAL COMMERCIAL ON ONE PARCEL OF LAND 1.67 ACRES, PLUS OR MINUS IN SIZE AS STATED ON THE POSTED AGENDA. EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF DEVELOPMENT SERVICES ROBIN GRIFFIN. HELLO. GOOD EVENING. THIS IS THE SECOND READING OF THE ORDINANCE FOR THIS ZONING CASE. THIS WAS ON THE AGENDA FOR THE LAST MEETING, AND I BELIEVE Y'ALL WANTED TO WAIT TO HAVE A COMPLETE COUNCIL PRESENT TO MAKE A DECISION. THE STAFF IS RECOMMENDING THE GC TWO ZONING, AND THE APPLICANT HAD SUBMITTED A REQUEST FOR GC 3AI THINK IN THE PREVIOUS MEETING WE MENTIONED THE TYPE C COMPONENT. THAT IS A MORE RELAXED COMPONENT. SO WE'D HAVE TO GO BACK AND RE NOTIFY TO CONSIDER THAT IT'S A CHANGE IN ARCHITECTURAL FEATURES. AND I THINK IT'S LIKE IT'S TWO INSTEAD OF THREE. SO IT'S JUST TALKING ABOUT ROOF PITCH. IT'S A PRETTY MINOR ONE. WITH THAT I'LL BE GLAD TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS. THANK YOU. AND WE DON'T HAVE A PRESENTATION OR ANYTHING. RIGHT. HE'S NOT HERE.OKAY. OH HE'S HERE BUT NO PRESENTATION. DID YOU HAVE A PRESENTATION? OH, THEN YOU'RE OKAY. YOU DON'T HAVE TO COME UP. I THOUGHT WE ALREADY. YOU ALREADY APPROVED JOSEPH ZONING.
NO, THIS IS WHAT WE'RE DOING TONIGHT. WE'RE LOOKING AT IT TONIGHT. SO IF YOU DON'T HAVE A PRESENTATION, YOU'RE OKAY. YOU DON'T HAVE TO COME UP. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. COUNCIL QUESTIONS. SO I'M CONFUSED. SO SO IN OUR PREVIOUS MEETING, WE CHANGED IT FROM WHAT THE ORIGINAL REQUEST WAS AND WE CHANGED IT TO THIS IS WHERE IT GETS CONFUSING, RIGHT? THAT THERE WAS A RESTRICTION TO NOT HAVE A GAS STATION ON THERE AS ONE OF THE POSSIBILITIES. AND WE PASSED IT TO ADD THAT TO THE TO IT. RIGHT. SO THAT YOU DID NOT. YEAH. SO AT THE LAST MEETING, Y'ALL DIDN'T TAKE A ACTION THE PREVIOUS MEETING TO OKAY, THE PREVIOUS MEETING IS WE PASSED IT SO THAT WE WOULD PUT IT INTO THE ZONING CATEGORY TO ALLOW FOR A GAS STATION IN THE HIGHER USE TYPE THREE, TYPE THREE. OKAY. AND, AND SO ONE OF THE THINGS WE GOT IN OUR
[00:55:07]
QUESTIONS THAT WE SENT TO STAFF, WE GOT BACK KIND OF A LIST OF WHAT, WHAT THE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THE TWO. AND SO CAN YOU JUST GO OVER REAL QUICK, LIKE THERE WERE TWO, EVERYTHING'S PRETTY MUCH THE SAME, BUT THERE'S TWO THINGS THAT ARE A BIG DEAL ABOUT THIS AND WHAT AND THEN I'LL TALK TO THAT. YEAH. SO THE TYPE TWO DOES NOT ALLOW A GAS STATION OR CAR WASH OR OUTDOOR STORAGE AND DISPLAY. OKAY. AND THEN THERE'S ALSO SOMETHING ABOUT THE SIZE OF THE BUILDING. THERE IS A REGULATION ON THE SIZE. SO YOU CAN HAVE, I BELIEVE IT'S 2000 FOR A INDIVIDUAL USER. RIGHT. AND SO WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT NOW IS WITH UNDER THIS ZONING, IT COULD BE UP TO 4000. THE TYPE THREE DOESN'T HAVE A LIMIT. THERE'S NO LIMIT. RIGHT? CORRECT. SO THE ECONOMIC VALUE OF THAT PROPERTY IS SIGNIFICANTLY HIGHER. IF WE WERE TO GO WITH THE THREE A, RIGHT. I MEAN BECAUSE THE POSSIBILITIES THE POSSIBILITIES ARE MUCH BROADER. THEY'RE MORE VALUABLE GOING IN THERE VERSUS, LET'S SAY A VAPE SHOP OR A TOBACCO SHOP OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT. THERE'S A GIGANTIC DIFFERENCE IN ECONOMIC VALUE TO THE CITY AND EVERYTHING. AND SO IF WE GO AND WE SAY, HEY, YOU CAN'T DO CERTAIN THINGS ON THERE, THAT'S GOING TO LIMIT THE VALUE OF THIS PROPERTY. AND IT'S ON A MAJOR ROAD ON A CORNER, RIGHT? WHEN WE'RE CONSIDERING WHAT THE DEVELOPER, THE PERSON THE OWNER HAS SAID THEY WANTED TO PUT, THERE IS A FOOD TRUCK PARK, RIGHT? IT'S A FOOD TRUCK, NOT A COUNTY RIGHT NOW. SO WE'RE APPROVING THE ZONING, BUT THE ZONING IS SOMETHING THAT IF THEY WANTED TO COME BACK, THEY'D HAVE TO COME BACK AND DO IT AGAIN. BUT IF WE DO IT RIGHT THIS FIRST TIME, THE SPECIAL USE PERMIT WILL RUN OUT. BUT THAT THAT THAT STILL MEANS THAT PROPERTY COULD BE SOLD IN THE MEANTIME AND OTHER THINGS COULD BE DONE WITH IT. AND IF AND IF WE GO AND WE LIMIT WHAT CAN BE DONE THERE, THAT LIMITS THE VISION OF WHOEVER GOES ON THAT STREET.BECAUSE RONALD REAGAN, LAST TIME I CHECKED, THERE'S A LOT OF CARS ON THAT. AND THAT IS AN OPTIMAL PLACE TO BUILD SOMETHING OF VALUE. SO I JUST WANT TO I WANT TO REITERATE BECAUSE WE, WE KIND OF GOT TIED UP ON THIS LAST TIME AND WE HAD SOME PEOPLE CHANGE THEIR VOTES.
IF WE'RE JUST TALKING ABOUT THE SIZE OF THE BUILDING, WE DID ADOPT A CHANGE TO THE ORDINANCE.
SO THERE IS A MAXIMUM BUILDING SIZE OF 4000. AND THEN IT'S LIMITED TO 20,000 PER INDIVIDUAL USER. BUT IF YOU'RE NOT ADJACENT TO RESIDENTIAL, THAT LIMIT WAS ELIMINATED. SO IF IT'S NEXT TO A NEIGHBORHOOD THAT MAKES A DIFFERENCE, THE POINT IS TO AVOID A BIG BOX STORE. RIGHT. AND SO I JUST THE REASON I'M SAYING THIS IS I JUST WANT TO REITERATE THAT THAT PROPERTY IS A LOT MORE VALUABLE WITH THIS ZONING VERSUS THE ZONING THAT, THAT, THAT PLANNING AND ZONING APPROVED AND ALL THAT. AND I THINK THAT IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE THIS IS A, THIS IS AN INCREDIBLE PIECE OF LAND ON AN INCREDIBLE LITTLE BUSY THOROUGHFARE FOR SOMEBODY WHO WANTS TO DEVELOP A BUSINESS. I JUST AND THAT'S WHY I WANT TO SPEAK IN FAVOR OF THIS. BUT TO BE CLEAR ON THAT LAND, THE SPECIAL USE PERMIT THAT WAS SUBMITTED IS FOR A FOOD TRUCK PARK. IT IS NOT FOR SOMETHING BIGGER OR GREATER OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT. I THINK WE'RE VOTING ON TWO THINGS, AREN'T WE? THE FOOD TRUCK PARK WAS ALREADY.
YES, THAT'S WHAT I'M SAYING. THAT'S THAT'S ALREADY APPROVED. SO TALKING ABOUT THE POTENTIAL FOR IT TO BE THIS GREATER, BIGGER THING THAT THAT'S NOT WHAT'S IN FRONT OF US. SO, OKAY, I WOULD SAY THAT THE FOOD TRUCK, SHE, SHE HAD HER. IS IT POSSIBLE FOR ME TO ASK THE APPLICANT A QUESTION? THANK YOU. CAN YOU PLEASE CLARIFY FOR COUNCIL WHAT IS THE INTENDED USE FOR THE ORIGINAL ORIGINAL DESIGNATION ON YOUR PROPERTY? SO RIGHT NOW THERE'S NO SEWER TO THE PROPERTY, MA'AM. OKAY. SO THERE'S NOTHING I CAN DO THERE. NO DEVELOPMENT AT THIS POINT UNTIL I GET SEWER. SEWER IS ALMOST A MILE AWAY FROM MY PROPERTY. SO IN THE INTERIM, WE ARE PUTTING A FOOD TRUCK. WE ALREADY ARE APPLYING ALL THE CITY PERMITS, EVERYTHING. SO BUT THE FUTURE IS WE WANT TO MAKE IT LIKE A WALGREENS OR CVS. THAT'S A PRIME LOCATION. SO THAT'S OUR GOAL TO MAKE IT INTO A MAJOR RETAIL NATIONAL TENANT AT THAT LOCATION. OKAY. THANK YOU. ONE QUICK QUESTION FOR YOU, MISS GRIFFIN. SO IF WE WERE TO APPROVE, BASED ON THE CURRENT DESIGNATION THAT THE APPLICANT HAS STATED, CAN THE APPLICANT COME BACK AT A LATER DATE IF THEY WANT TO MAKE CHANGES? OKAY. THANK YOU. I'M SORRY. PLEASE FORWARD. I THINK THE POINT IS THAT THE SPECIAL USE PERMIT IS AN INTERIM USE. IT'S FOR TWO YEARS. SO AFTER TWO YEARS, HE SAID THE WATER IS NOT TO THE PROPERTY. THEY'RE WAITING UNTIL SOME OF THAT INFRASTRUCTURE GETS TO THAT PROPERTY SO THAT THEY CAN DEVELOP IT INTO WHAT THEY WANT. THIS IS AN INTERIM USE. I, I JUST DON'T SEE WHAT ALL THE FUSS IS ABOUT, FRANKLY. ANYBODY ELSE? ALL RIGHT. CAN SOMEONE CAN MAKE A MOTION, MAKE A MOTION IN FAVOR. I'LL SECOND. WE HAVE TO READ YOUR. OKAY. SO
[01:00:07]
I MAKE A MOTION THAT WE PASS IT FOR GC THREE, A GENERAL COMMERCIAL FOR THAT ZONING. SO WE HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND THOSE IN FAVOR. OKAY. AND THOSE AGAINST. ALL RIGHT. IT IS FOUR AGAINST THREE FOR THREE FOUR. YES MA'AM. SO THAT THAT MOTION FAILED. I'D LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION TO APPROVE AT GC TWO. OKAY. HOLD ON. POINT OF CLARIFICATION TWO. A. SORRY. MY APOLOGIES. IS THAT YOUR QUESTION? POINT OF CLARIFICATION. SINCE THE MOTION JUST FAILED, ARE WE ALLOWED TO TAKE A SECOND VOTE TO. OKAY. AND IF WE'RE GOING TO GO BACK THROUGH THE NOTIFICATION PROCESS FOR THIS. I THOUGHT THAT'S WHAT YOU SAID IN YOUR.IT WOULD HAVE TO FOR THE ONE YOU PROPOSED, BUT THAT WAS ABOUT THE ARCHITECTURAL COMPONENT, THE C. SO WE'RE NOT TALKING ABOUT THAT. OKAY. SO WE HAVE A MOTION BY COUNCIL MEMBER NORDIN AND SECOND. SORRY, I SECOND COUNCILWOMAN BLAIR SECONDED. SO WE HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR? ALL RIGHT. MOTION CARRIES. ALL RIGHT. WE'LL MOVE
[23. Discuss and consider action on an Ordinance regarding a request for a variance to allow the sale of alcoholic beverages to occur within 300 feet of a church, school, or hospital commonly addressed as 11880 Hero Way West, Suite 201, Leander, Williamson County, Texas.]
TO ITEM 23. DISCUSS AND CONSIDER ACTION ON AN ORDINANCE REGARDING A REQUEST FOR A VARIANCE TO ALLOW THE SALE OF ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES TO OCCUR WITHIN 300FT OF A CHURCH, SCHOOL OR HOSPITAL COMMONLY ADDRESSED AT 11880 HERO WAY WEST, SUITE 201. LEANDER, WILLIAMSON COUNTY, TEXAS. COUNTY. COUNTY CITY ATTORNEY. PAGE SIGNS. MAYOR. COUNCIL MEDITERRANEAN GRILL IS A FAMILY RUN RESTAURANT SPECIALIZING IN A BLEND OF PERSIAN, ITALIAN AND MEDITERRANEAN CUISINE. IT'S A. THEY ARE CURRENTLY OPEN MONDAY THROUGH SUNDAY FOR LUNCH AND DINNER. THE APPLICANT IS REQUESTING A VARIANCE TO SELL BEER AND WINE FOR ON PREMISE CONSUMPTION. THE REASON THAT THEY NEED THE VARIANCE IS BECAUSE THE CITY HAS AN ORDINANCE THAT PROHIBITS THE SALE OF ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES WITHIN 300FT OF A PUBLIC SCHOOL, CHURCH OR PUBLIC HOSPITAL. THEY ARE CURRENTLY LOCATED WITHIN 300FT OF THE. I'M SORRY.NOUVEAU CHURCH, AND IT'S. PART OF THIS IS. THE PRINT IS SMALL, SO. THAT. THAT IS THE REQUEST BEFORE THE COUNCIL. IN CONSIDERING THE APPLICATION, THE STAFF HAS A COUPLE OF RECOMMENDATIONS. AND THEN THERE ARE CERTAIN FINDINGS THAT COUNCIL HAS TO MAKE WHEN IT CONSIDERS A VARIANCE. UNDER THIS STATUTE AND ORDINANCE, THE RECOMMENDATION FROM THE STAFF IS THAT IF THE VARIANCE IS GRANTED, THAT THERE BE A COUPLE OF CONDITIONS IMPOSED, WHICH WOULD BE PROVIDING THAT THE VARIANCE IS ISSUED. ISSUED IS NONTRANSFERABLE SO THAT IN THE EVENT THAT THE THE THIS RESTAURANT CEASES TO OPERATE, THE VARIANCE WOULD EXPIRE AND ANY FUTURE APPLICANT WOULD HAVE TO GET A VARIANCE. ALSO THAT NO OUTDOOR SIGNAGE ADVERTISING ALCOHOL SHALL BE ALLOWED. IN ORDER TO APPROVE THE VARIANCE, THE COUNCIL HAS TO FIND THAT THE ENFORCEMENT OF THE DISTANCE REGULATIONS DOES. AT LEAST ONE OF THE FOLLOWING. THAT IS IN THE LIST OF THE EXECUTIVE SUMMARY THAT IT EITHER CONSTITUTES WASTE OR INEFFICIENT USE OF LAND, OR OTHER RESOURCES. THAT THE 300 FOOT DISTANCE REQUIREMENT CREATES AN UNDUE HARDSHIP ON THE APPLICANT. THAT IT DOES NOT SERVE, THAT THE REGULATION DOES NOT SERVE ITS INTENDED PURPOSE, THAT THE REGULATION IS NOT EFFECTIVE OR NECESSARY, OR FOR ANY OTHER REASON THAT THE COUNCIL, AFTER CONSIDERING HEALTH, SAFETY AND WELFARE OF THE PUBLIC AND EQUITY OF THE SITUATION, DETERMINES IS IN THE BEST INTEREST OF THE COMMUNITY, ANY ONE OF THOSE CAN SUPPORT A FINDING. IF YOU APPROVE THE VARIANCE, WE REQUEST THE ADDITION OF THE TWO CONDITIONS IN YOUR MOTION AND A CHOICE OF THE PARTICULAR FINDING, SO WE CAN ADD THAT TO THE ORDINANCE. IF THERE'S ANY QUESTIONS, I CAN ASSIST WITH LEGAL AND I BELIEVE WE HAVE OTHERS HERE FOR BACKGROUND FACTUAL BACKGROUND. THANK YOU. I DO HAVE A SPEAKER SIGNED UP TO SPEAK. ARASH SOFIAN. I DON'T KNOW IF I GOT THAT RIGHT, BUT I TRIED AND YOU CAN CORRECT ME. AND HE IS FOR THIS ITEM. I'M GOING TO GIVE SOME COMMENTARY. IF YOU COME UP, STATE YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS. YOU'LL HAVE THREE MINUTES. YES. ARASH SUFYANI, AND THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR HAVING US HERE AND BEING SUCH GREAT SERVANTS OF LEANDER. I KNOW FROM THE FIRST DAY MY FATHER AND I OPENED THE DOORS HERE, WE FELT LIKE THIS. THIS COMMUNITY IS VERY STRONG, SO WE APPRECIATE YOU BEING SERVANTS OF THAT. AND THEN ALSO JUST SOME BACKGROUND IS LIKE OUR CUISINE PAIRS VERY WELL WITH A GLASS OF WINE OR HAVING A BEER. AND WE WANT TO PROVIDE
[01:05:08]
THAT TO THE COMMUNITY. BUT AS WELL, WE WANT TO BE COMPETITIVE, OBVIOUSLY, WITH THE OTHER RESTAURANTS THAT ARE IN THE PLAZA. AND WE OFFER, YOU KNOW, REALLY DELICIOUS FOOD. AND SO IF WE WERE TO BE OFFERING BEVERAGES, ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES, BEER AND WINE, THEN, YOU KNOW, WE'LL BE ABLE TO CREATE MORE OPPORTUNITIES FOR EMPLOYEES AND MORE TAX REVENUE. OKAY. SO IF, IF YOU PLEASE CONSIDER THAT IT WOULD BE MUCH APPRECIATED. I KNOW ALSO, GIVEN OUR EXPERIENCE NOW IN THIS PUBLIC HEARING, MY WIFE AND I ARE VERY EXCITED TO BE MOVING TO LEANDER SOON. SO LOOKS LIKE YOU GUYS ARE DOING A GREAT JOB HERE. SO THANK YOU. I DO HAVE ONE QUESTION FOR YOU.CAN YOU SPEAK TO THE CHURCH AND THE OTHER BUSINESSES THAT ARE IN YOUR PLAZA ALREADY? YES. SO WE ACTUALLY WE REACHED OUT PREEMPTIVELY TO NUEVO NASSER AND WE GAVE THEM A LETTER. WE MET WITH THE PASTOR, AND THE PASTOR HAD NO QUALMS WITH US OFFERING ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES.
AND I THOUGHT THAT WAS REALLY NICE. NICE SHOW OF FAITH. SO THE OTHER BUSINESSES THAT ARE IN THAT PLAZA, SUCH AS THE NEANDERTHAL DISTILLING, GREAT PLACE, BLUE CORN HARVEST, THERE'S ALSO OBSIDIAN BREWING. SO THERE ARE MANY OTHER BUSINESSES THAT OFFER ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES IN THAT PLAZA CURRENTLY. SO WE WOULD JUST BE ONE ADDITIONAL ONE. VERY GOOD.
THANK YOU. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. OH, YOU HAVE A QUESTION. I'M SORRY. SHE HAS ONE MORE QUESTION. JUST A COUPLE QUESTIONS FOR YOU. YES. THE FIRST QUESTION IS RELATES TO THE PASTOR DID PROVIDE A LETTER WITH CONDITIONS BASED ON THE CONDITIONS THAT THE PASTOR PROVIDED. ARE YOU COMFORTABLE WITH WHAT HE REQUESTED? YEAH. WAS THE CONDITIONS WERE AFOREMENTIONED, RIGHT. WERE THE VARIANCE IS TO BE OR THE. YEAH. NONTRANSFERABLE. YEAH, YEAH, I GUESS THAT'S TOTALLY FINE. YEAH. OKAY. WE WOULD LOVE TO COMPLY. I WANT TO BE HERE A WHILE. OKAY.
WELL, WE APPRECIATE IT. AND THEN WOULD YOU SAY THAT YOUR, YOUR UNDUE HARDSHIP WOULD BE JUST AROUND BEING MARKET COMPETITIVE SINCE YOU HAVE SOME OTHER VARYING BUSINESSES IN THE AREA? YEAH, I GUESS IF YOU, IF YOU THE MARKET COMPETITIVENESS IS DEFINITELY A FACTOR IN THE SENSE THAT IF YOU DO WANT TO TAKE OUT YOUR FAMILY, TO TAKE YOUR FAMILY OUT TO EAT, AND WE ARE FAMILY ORIENTED, TWO MEMBERS OF A SIX PERSON FAMILY COULD MAKE A STINK. AND THEY'RE LIKE, OH, LET'S GET OUT OF HERE. LET'S GO TO THE BIG, BIG CHAIN RESTAURANT INSTEAD OF ENJOYING OUR FOOD. SO YEAH, OF COURSE. ABSOLUTELY. THANK YOU. YEAH. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. ANYBODY ELSE PLEASE. I WOULD JUST I'M REMINDED THAT IN A PREVIOUS VERSION OF THIS, THERE'S A VERY SPECIFIC WAY I HAVE TO SAY THIS, BUT I DO WANT TO SUPPORT THIS AND I WOULD LIKE TO MOTION THIS FORWARD. SO I WOULD LIKE TO ASK THE CITY ATTORNEY THE RIGHT LANGUAGE TO USE, BECAUSE I BELIEVE THERE WAS A CERTAIN WAY I HAD TO PHRASE THIS, RIGHT. IF NOT, I HAVE IT WRITTEN ON MY PAPER AND YOU CAN SECOND ME. CAN I DO THAT? ALL RIGHT, IF YOU WANT TO DO THAT. OKAY. SO I MAKE A MOTION THAT WE APPROVE THIS VARIANCE AND PROVIDE THAT THE VARIANCE ISSUED IS NONTRANSFERABLE AND THAT NO OUTDOOR SIGNAGE ADVERTISING ALCOHOL SALES SHALL BE ALLOWED.
AND WE APPROVE IT BASED ON THE UNDUE HARDSHIP. I SECOND OKAY. IS THAT GOOD? OKAY. SO WE HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR? OKAY. THE MOTION CARRIES UNANIMOUSLY.
YOU'RE WELCOME. AND NOW WE'LL MOVE TO ITEM 24. DISCUSSING. CONSIDER CASTING THE OFFICIAL
[24. Discuss and consider casting the official ballot for the election of Places 1 through 4 of the Board of Trustees for the Texas Municipal League Intergovernmental Risk Pool.]
BALLOT FOR THE ELECTION OF PLACES ONE THROUGH FOUR OF THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES FOR THE TEXAS MUNICIPAL LEAGUE. INTERGOVERNMENTAL POOL RISK POOL. CITY MANAGER TODD BARTON.YES, YOU HAVE REALLY BEFORE YOU A BALLOT THAT WE REALLY NEED TO GET CITY COUNCIL VOTES ON TONIGHT FOR MULTIPLE DIFFERENT POSITIONS FOR THIS BOARD. WE DO HAVE SOME BACKUP IN THE STAFF REPORT THAT KIND OF DESCRIBES WHAT THE BOARD DUTY POSITIONS, ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES ARE.
SO REALLY MARY, TURN IT BACK TO YOU GUYS. THERE ARE A SLATE OF CANDIDATES THAT YOU DO HAVE LISTED FOR EACH ONE OF THE PLACES. YOU DO HAVE AN OPTION TO WRITE IN A CANDIDATE SHOULD
[01:10:01]
YOU CHOOSE TO. IF THERE'S NOT SOMEBODY IN THESE PLACES THAT YOU WISH TO CAST A VOTE FOR. SO TURN IT BACK TO YOU AND COUNCIL. THANK YOU. IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION? OH YES. PLEASE. DO WE HAVE ARE WE JUST SOMEONE GOING TO LIKE, SAY, A SLATE AND THEN WE VOTE ON IT? OR IS HOW ARE WE. IT'LL BE THE MOTION. WHOEVER MAKES THE MOTION. THEN I'D LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION FOR PLACE ONE, NEIL JUNIOR FOR PLACE TWO DE FRANCISCUS, PLACE THREE. TOM. AND IT'S FRANSCISIS.WHO IS YOUR PLACE ONE I'M SORRY I MISSED THAT. NEIL NEAL JUNIOR. YOU'RE YOU'RE TALKING. YES, THAT'S WHAT I'M TRYING TO FIGURE OUT. WHAT? OH, I CAN CARRY NEIL JUNIOR. THANK YOU. I WAS LIKE ANTHONY DE FRANCIS. ALAN THOMAS FOR PLACE THREE AND FOR PLACE FOUR. AUSTIN. BLESS.
COUNTRY AND AUSTIN. BLESS FOR PLACE FOR OKAY. DO YOU DO WE WE CAN DO THAT. IS THERE A SECOND TO THAT MOTION? IF NOT, THE MOTION WILL FAIL. SO THAT'S WHY IF SOMEBODY WANTED TO I'D JUST LIKE TO MAKE A FRIENDLY AMENDMENT. I'M FINE WITH THREE THROUGH FOUR. I WOULD LIKE FALLEN IN ONE. IS THAT SOMETHING THAT YOU'RE AMENABLE TO OR DO WE NEED. I DIDN'T HEAR YOU. J.W. BUZZ FALLEN FOR PLACE ONE. YEAH. I'M SORRY. YES. IF THAT'S THE CASE, I SECOND. OKAY, SO WE HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND. BUT BEFORE WE TAKE THE VOTE, DO WE HAVE THE LIKE, CARDS THAT Y'ALL DO WHEN WE DO THE VOTE WITH THE NAMES LIKE WE DO FOR BOARD POSITION? OKAY.
GOT IT. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. SO THERE'S A MOTION AND A SECOND. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR? OKAY. ALL THOSE AGAINST. I HAVE TO. ALL RIGHT. MOTION CARRIES. THANK YOU. MX FIVE TWO. ALL
[25. Discuss and consider action on an Ordinance Article 1.04 Boards, Commissions, and Committees, repealing Division 4. Parks and Recreation Advisory Board and replacing with a new Division 4. Leander Heritage, Recreation, and Culture Advisory Board providing for membership composition, terms, duties, allowance for subcommittees, implementation and funding public art, and budget; repealing Division 5. Historic Preservation Commission; repealing Article 1.14 Public Art Program and Division 2. Public Arts and Culture Commission; providing a severability clause, effective date, and related matters.]
RIGHT. ITEM 25. DISCUSS AND CONSIDER ACTION ON ORDINANCE ARTICLE 1.04 BOARDS, COMMISSIONS AND COMMITTEES REPEALING DIVISION FOR PARKS AND RECREATION ADVISORY BOARD AND REPLACING WITH THE NEW DIVISION FOR LEANDER HERITAGE, RECREATION AND CULTURE ADVISORY BOARD. PROVIDING FOR MEMBERSHIP COMPOSITION DUTIES. TERMS ALLOWANCE FOR SUBCOMMITTEES.IMPLEMENTATION AND FUNDING FOR PUBLIC ART AND BUDGET. REPEALING DIVISION FIVE HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION. REPEALING ARTICLE 1.14 PUBLIC ART PROGRAM IN DIVISION TWO PUBLIC ARTS AND CULTURE COMMISSION PROVIDING FOR SEVERABILITY CLAUSE, EFFECTIVE DATE AND RELATED MATTERS. CITY ATTORNEY PAGE SIGNS MAYOR AND COUNCIL BOARD ORDINANCE TAKE TWO. THIS ORDINANCE, YOU BELIEVE, ACCOMPLISHES COUNCIL'S GOAL, WHICH WAS TO CONSOLIDATE THE BOARDS AND COMBINE THEM INTO ONE BOARD THAT CONSISTS OF NINE MEMBERS OF STAGGERED TERMS. AND SO THE ORDINANCE PROVIDES FOR THAT AND SETS OUT THE DUTIES OF THOSE THAT BOARD TO ENCOMPASS WHAT WAS FORMERLY PART OF THE PARKS HISTORIC COMMISSION AND THE ARTS PUBLIC ARTS BOARD. THOSE DUTIES ARE SET OUT IN THE ORDINANCE. THE PUBLIC ARTS PROGRAM. THAT PART OF THE ORDINANCE WAS NOT CHANGED. IT WAS JUST MOVED INTO THIS CHAPTER. WHEN YOU APPOINT MEMBERS OF THIS BOARD, THE INITIAL APPOINTMENTS, YOU WILL NEED TO DESIGNATE THREE POSITIONS TO HAVE ONE YEAR TERM, THREE POSITIONS TO HAVE A TWO YEAR TERM, AND THREE TO HAVE A THREE YEAR TERM. THEREAFTER, THEY'LL HAVE THREE YEAR TERMS AND THAT'LL MAKE THE STAGGERED CREATE A STAGGERED BOARD. YOU MEAN AS A PART OF THE MOTION? NOT TODAY. OKAY. JUST FOR IN THE FUTURE. JUST SO YOU'RE AWARE, THIS WOULD JUST CREATE THOSE BOARDS AND IT WOULD. REMOVE THOSE OTHER BOARDS AND COMBINE THEM INTO ONE. WHEN YOU DO APPOINTMENTS, YOU'LL HAVE TO MAKE THAT DECISION ABOUT WHICH POSITIONS HAVE THE SHORTER TERM.
INITIALLY. IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, I'M AVAILABLE FOR ANY QUESTIONS. THANK YOU.
COUNCIL. ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS? PLACEHOLDER. YES. OH NO. OKAY. PLEASE. TWO IF YOU DIDN'T HAVE ANY OKAY. I DON'T KNOW IF QUESTIONS OR. SO BASICALLY WHAT WE'RE DOING IS
[01:15:02]
WE'RE LOOKING AT AT VOTING ON THIS ORDINANCE OR SHAPING IT A LITTLE MORE WITH. SO ONE OF THE THINGS THAT YOU HAVE A COMPETITION COMPOSITION APPOINTMENT AND THE TERM OF MEMBERS. SO IN THERE, WE BREAK DOWN 12 DIFFERENT TYPES OF INDIVIDUALS THAT WE THINK WOULD BE GOOD IN THIS POSITION. AND, AND TO BE FAIR, I THINK THAT WE SHOULD HAVE A GOOD COMPOSITION OF PEOPLE ON THE BOARD. I THINK DESIGNATING CERTAIN TYPES OF PEOPLE. I THINK WHEN WE LOOK AT HOW OUR BOARDS ARE STRUCTURED AND WHO PARTICIPATES AND WHO DOES THINGS, I DON'T NECESSARILY THINK WE BECAUSE WE'VE TRIED THIS ON ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT. WE'VE TRIED IT ON DIFFERENT AREAS. THEY JUST IT DOESN'T APPEAR THAT THE PEOPLE WANT TO ENGAGE BASED ON THESE DIFFERENT CHARACTERISTICS. IT'S HARD TO GET AN LISD PERSON TO BASICALLY CARE ABOUT WHAT'S GOING ON IN THE CITY ON A REGULAR BASIS AND THINGS LIKE THAT. AND SO I WOULD LIKE TO SUGGEST THAT THE WAY WE STRUCTURE THIS BOARD IS THAT WE HAVE EACH COUNCIL MEMBER PICK AN APPOINTEE TO IT, AND THEN HAVE THE REMAINING TWO PEOPLE BE GO THROUGH A PROCESS OF AN INTERVIEW PROCESS WITH THE WHOLE THING, AND WE VOTE ON THE TWO PEOPLE. I THINK THAT WE AS COUNCIL MEMBERS REPRESENT A DIVERSE GROUP OF PEOPLE HERE. WE HAVE DIFFERENT PEOPLE THAT WOULD THAT WOULD WANT TO BE ON THESE BOARDS, AND WE CAN DETERMINE WHETHER THOSE PEOPLE ARE DEDICATED OR NOT TO DO THAT. I THINK THAT OUR PROCESS OF INTERVIEWING PEOPLE RANDOMLY AND HAVING THEM COME AND THEN PICKING THEM AND THROWING THEM ON A BOARD HASN'T HASN'T REALLY WORKED AS EFFECTIVELY AS WE'D LIKE. AND I THINK WE WOULD. AND I THINK THE PEOPLE ON THOSE BOARDS WOULD AGREE WITH THAT. SO I JUST, I WOULD LIKE TO SUGGEST THAT WE WE DON'T GO BACK TO THE SAME PROCESS WE HAD WHERE WE JUST BRING A BUNCH OF PEOPLE HERE, INTERVIEW THEM IN A ROOM, AND THEN END UP WITH WHAT WE END UP WITH. I'D LIKE US TO BE HAVE US AS COUNCIL MEMBERS, HAVE SOME SAY DIRECTLY ON THE COMPOSITION OF THAT BOARD. SO THAT'S WHAT I HAVE TO SAY. SO I WOULD SUGGEST, I WOULD LIKE TO SAY THAT WE, WE CHANGED THE THE WORDING RELATED TO HOW WE HOW WE COMPOSE THE BOARD. OKAY. ANYBODY ELSE HAVE COMMENTS? YEAH, I DO, I'M SORRY.GO AHEAD. I JUST THINK THE NAME IS REALLY LONG AND I KNOW IT'S HARD TO LIKE COMBINE THE THREE BOARDS LIKE, AND, YOU KNOW, COME UP WITH SOMETHING THAT IS COMPREHENSIVE, BUT I WOULD LOVE AND I COULDN'T, FRANKLY, LIKE I COULDN'T, CHATGPT COULDN'T, BUT I'M SURE LIKE WE COULD COME UP WITH SOMETHING THAT IS A LITTLE MORE ENCOMPASSING OF, OF, I MEAN, IT'S SO LONG, IT'S, I'M JUST IMAGINING ANY SIGN LIKE EVER WITH IT ON IT. SO THAT WOULD BE MY ONLY SUGGESTION IS MAYBE SOMETHING THAT IS ENCOMPASSING OF THOSE THREE BOARDS, BUT ISN'T BECAUSE BASICALLY IT MORE FEELS LIKE INSTEAD OF CREATING THIS OTHER BOARD, WE'VE SMUSHED THEM ALL TOGETHER. I THINK THE LAST MEETING, COUNCIL MEMBER NADINE SUGGESTED OR ASKED FOR SOME DIFFERENT NAMES TO BE GIVEN. THIS PARTICULAR NAME IS ONE THAT I SUGGESTED WITH THE THOUGHT THAT HOW WE DO LPAC. NOBODY USUALLY, SAYS LEANDER PUBLIC ARTS AND CULTURE COMMISSION. THEY SAY. LPAC. AND SO THIS WOULD BE HRC, I THINK. SO IF YOU'RE USING THE ABBREVIATED. THAT WAS MY THOUGHT THAT IT WOULD BE SHORTER, BUT I GET THAT IF IT'S SPELLED OUT, IT IS A LONG NAME, BUT I DON'T KNOW IF THERE WERE ADDITIONAL SUGGESTIONS THAT YOU HAVE. FIVE. I DO NOT I'M FRANKLY COMFORTABLE WITH THAT. I THINK IT REFLECTS WHAT IT IS WE'RE TRYING TO ACHIEVE WITH THAT. IN COMBINING THE RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE PRIOR BOARD CONSTRUCTION. AND THIS REFLECTS WHAT IT IS THAT THIS NEW BOARD WOULD HAVE UNDER ITS ADVISEMENT. SO LHCAD SEEMS OKAY TO ME. DIDN'T MEAN FOR THAT TO RHYME, BUT IT DID. SO I YOU KNOW, I THINK AT THIS POINT WE HAVE BEEN WORKING FOR SEVERAL MONTHS TO GET TO THIS VOTE. AND WHILE I UNDERSTAND COUNCILMAN HERRERA'S CONCERN, IN MY OPINION, TO OUTLINE SPECIFICALLY WHAT IT IS THAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR AND THE TYPE OF SUBJECT MATTER EXPERTISE THAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR IS PRUDENT. AND I WOULD RESPECTFULLY DISAGREE WITH HIS SUGGESTION. IN THAT SENSE, WE WOULD STILL HAVE PURVIEW OVER THIS. AND BY IDENTIFYING THE QUALIFICATIONS THAT PEOPLE SHOULD BRING WITH THEM, IT GIVES US A BETTER POOL OF OF
[01:20:07]
INDIVIDUALS TO CHOOSE FROM. AND THERE'S STILL AN OPPORTUNITY THERE TO FIND SOMEONE OF YOUR OWN CHOICE. SO I WOULD SAY AS WRITTEN AS AS SUGGESTED, I THINK WE SHOULD MOVE FORWARD IN THIS AND START TO WORK ON THE ACTUAL WORK OF GETTING THIS ACCOMPLISHED MOVING FORWARD.AND, AND HOPEFULLY THIS STRUCTURE WILL PROBABLY NOT VERY THAT MUCH FROM WHAT THEY'RE CURRENTLY DOING. IT'S JUST A PROCEDURAL AND EFFICIENCY PROCESS. AS I MENTIONED, I BELIEVE IN THE LAST MEETING. SO WITH THAT, I WOULD LIKE TO MOVE THAT WE APPROVE THIS. AS PREVIOUSLY STATED IN THE EXECUTIVE SUMMARY, I WILL SECOND, BUT PRO TEM, DO YOU HAVE ANY COMMENTS? I MEAN, NOT REALLY. I I'M NOT MARRIED TO THIS ONE WAY OR THE OTHER. I DO AGREE, I THINK THE NAME IS I DON'T LIKE IT, BUT I'M ALSO IT'S IT'S TOMATO TOMATO FOR ME.
AND AS FAR AS THE, THE HOW THE PEOPLE I THINK I, I LIKE PUTTING MAKING IT AT LARGE AND NOT A COUNCIL SELECTED THING BECAUSE I JUST THINK IT ALLOWS MORE PEOPLE TO BE INVOLVED THAN OUR TIGHT LITTLE CIRCLES. THE ONLY SUGGESTION, AND AGAIN, I'M NOT MARRIED TO IT ONE WAY OR THE OTHER, BUT TO NOT SAY THE SPECIFICS, BUT MORE ABOUT CHARACTERISTICS THAN SPECIFIC PEOPLE. BUT YOU KNOW, I'M NOT GOING TO ARGUE WITH THIS ONE WAY OR THE OTHER, QUITE FRANKLY.
OKAY. AND I'M SORRY. PLACE THREE. I JUST HAD A POINT OF CLARIFICATION BASED ON THE, THE, THE WAY THE THIS AGENDA ITEM IS WRITTEN, WE ARE JUST APPROVING THE ORDINANCE THAT FORMULATES THIS PARTICULAR BOARD. BUT WE ARE NOT WE ARE NOT APPROVING OR DENYING THE PROCESS BY WHICH THIS BOARD WOULD BE FORMULATED. IS THAT CORRECT? OKAY. I JUST WANTED TO CLARIFY THAT. AND WE BASICALLY WOULD DO THIS NEXT MONTH, RIGHT? YES. WELL, THIS. YEAH. NEXT MEETING PRETTY MUCH.
YEAH. YES, MA'AM. JUST SO YOU KNOW, THIS ORDINANCE IS EFFECTIVE TONIGHT. IF YOU NEED TO SET IN A FUTURE EFFECTIVE DATE TO ALLOW FOR TRANSITION, YOU CAN DO THAT IN THE MOTION AND MAKE THE ORDINANCE EFFECTIVE AS OF A DIFFERENT DATE IF NEEDED. OKAY. YEAH.
OKAY. ALL RIGHT. SO WE HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR? OKAY. SIX AND THOSE OPPOSED? OKAY. NO MOTION CARRIES SIX ONE. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. WELL, LOOK AT THAT. IT IS 8:20 P.M. AND WE HAVE MADE IT TO THE END OF OUR AGENDA. THIS IS THE FIRST TIME IN 30 DAYS. THIS IS I FEEL LIKE A HAND CLAP IS REQUIRED FOR THAT. SO WE WILL DO OUR COUNCIL
[26. Council Member Closing Statements.]
MEMBER CLOSING COMMENTS. BUT TONIGHT. DINNER WAS PROVIDED BY DOMINO'S PIZZA. SO WE WANT TO THANK THEM AND WE WANT TO ENCOURAGE YOU GUYS TO SHOP LOCAL, EAT LOCAL EVERY TIME THAT YOU CAN SPEND YOUR MONEY RIGHT HERE IN LEANDER. DO NOT TAKE IT NORTH OR SOUTH, PLEASE.EAST OR WEST. LEAVE IT RIGHT HERE. WE ALSO ISSUED A PROCLAMATION FOR CONSTITUTION WEEK, WHICH IS SEPTEMBER 17TH THROUGH THE 23RD, AND THAT WAS SENT OUT THIS WEEK. WE WILL START WITH PLACE ONE. I JUST WANT TO ECHO WHAT THE MAYOR SAID. YOU KNOW, IT'S 821. SO WITH THE EXECUTIVE SESSION, MAYBE WE'LL BE OUT OF HERE BY 9:00. SO WELCOME CHANGE. IN THE LAST TWO MEETINGS, IT WON'T BE NINE. LET'S SEE. WE'LL SEE WHAT HAPPENS. IT WON'T BE ONE. JUST WANTED TO TOUCH ON, YOU KNOW, NINE OVER 11, WHICH WAS LAST FRIDAY. IT'S CRAZY TO THINK IT'S BEEN 25 YEARS. IT'S JUST GREAT TO SEE SO MANY FOLKS COME OUT TO OUR CITY'S MEMORIAL SERVICE. AND I JUST WANTED TO REITERATE, REITERATE SOME OF THE WORDS THAT FIRE CHIEF TIM ZILLA NOTED. HIS BIGGEST TAKEAWAY CAME NOT FROM THE DAY ITSELF, BUT THE DAY AFTER WHEN HE SAW THE NATION PULL TOGETHER AND SET ASIDE PERSONAL AND POLITICAL DIFFERENCES TO SUPPORT EACH OTHER AS AMERICANS. IN TIM'S CLOSING REMARKS, HE CHALLENGED US TO NOT FORGET THE SPIRIT OF THAT UNITY. YOU KNOW, IN TIMES THAT ARE SOMETIMES ALL TOO DIVISIVE. I THINK THAT'S REALLY A SOBERING MOMENT THAT REMINDS US THAT WE SHOULDN'T ONLY STRIVE TO NOT FORGET. WE SHOULD TAKE ON THAT CHALLENGE, SPEAK TO OUR NEIGHBORS, SPEAK TO EACH OTHER, CARE FOR EACH OTHER, AND TAKE PRIDE IN BEING AN AMERICAN. I WAS ALSO REALLY HEARTENED THE DAY AFTER TO BE OUT AT SERVICE PROJECTS IN BENBROOK AND LAKEWOOD, AND TO SEE SO MANY FOLKS FROM AROUND OUR COMMUNITY COME OUT, SPEAK WITH THEIR NEIGHBORS, AND ROLL UP THEIR SLEEVES TO MAKE OUR CITY A BETTER PLACE. SO I JUST WANT TO THANK EVERYONE AND APPRECIATE YOU ALL. WE'VE ALL BEEN HERE FOR LIKE THE LAST TWO MEETINGS AND IT'S BEEN PRETTY LONG. SO I JUST WANT TO SAY I
[01:25:03]
APPRECIATE YOU ALL. GOOD NIGHT. THANK YOU. PLEASE, TOO. SO, YOU KNOW, NINE OVER 11 WAS A VERY SOBERING THING. AND I WAS OUT IN PENNSYLVANIA VISITING FAMILY AND VISITING MY COMPANY OUT THERE. AND IT WAS VERY INTERESTING BEING BACK IN THE PLACES WHERE I REMEMBER GETTING IN AND OUT OF MY CAR AND HEARING ON THE NEWS, DIFFERENT PLANES HITTING AND THINKING THEIR SMALL PLANES, AND THEN FINDING OUT THEIR BIG PLANES AND, AND, AND, AND THE THING IS THAT THESE ARE THINGS THAT WE NEED TO HOLD ON TO. THESE ARE OUR THIS IS OUR GENERATIONAL MEMORY. WE NEED TO REMEMBER THIS. THERE'LL BE FUTURE THINGS THAT WE NEED TO REMEMBER TOO. I WOULD LIKE TO ENCOURAGE EVERYBODY TO, BEFORE OUR NEXT MEETING, I GUESS WE'RE GOING TO HAVE A ART FEST AND WE'RE GOING TO HAVE THE BLUEGRASS FESTIVAL, AND I ENCOURAGE EVERYBODY TO COME OUT TO THOSE. THESE ARE GREAT CITY EVENTS. THERE ARE THINGS THAT LEANDER DOES VERY WELL. THE PARKS DEPARTMENT DOES AN EXCELLENT JOB OF PUTTING THINGS ON AND. AND WE'RE EXCITED ABOUT WHAT LPAC HAS DONE. SO IF YOU GO DOWN THE RABBIT HOLE, PLEASE, SIR. SO MY FELLOW COUNCIL MEMBERS HAVE HIGHLIGHTED SOME THINGS AND SENTIMENTS THAT I ALSO AGREE WITH IN TERMS OF, YOU KNOW, THE SPIRIT OF SEPTEMBER 12TH AND WHAT THAT REALLY MEANS TO US BEING A UNIFIED COUNTRY. I JUST WANT TO SAY HAPPY BELATED BIRTHDAY TO MY HUSBAND AND HAPPY UPCOMING WEDDING ANNIVERSARY. AND I WANTED TO SHARE A QUOTE THAT MEANS THAT COMMEMORATES WHAT YOU MEAN TO ME. SO I WOULD RATHER SHARE ONE LIFETIME WITH YOU THAN FACE ALL THE AGES OF THIS WORLD ALONE. SO HAPPY BIRTHDAY AND ALSO HAPPY WEDDING ANNIVERSARY. GOD BLESS AND GOOD NIGHT. LEANDER, PLEASE BOARD. OKAY, SO IT'S THE THIRD THURSDAY OF THE MONTH. SO THAT MEANS TOMORROW IS VFW STEAK NIGHT, $20. STEAK, BAKED POTATO, ALL THE FIXINGS. COME ON OUT THIS TIME. IF YOU DO HAVE MORE THAN SIX PEOPLE, LET THEM KNOW AHEAD OF TIME BECAUSE LAST YEAR THEY OR LAST MONTH THEY SOLD OUT TWICE THE 19TH. ON SATURDAY, THEY'RE GOING TO BE HAVING A CEREMONY REMEMBERING POWS AND THOSE MISSING IN ACTION. AND THEN BAGHDAD CEMETERY ASSOCIATION IS HAVING THEIR ANNUAL MEETING AND BARBECUE THIS SUNDAY. LUNCH IS AT 1:00 AND EVERYONE IS WELCOME. BARBECUE PLATES ARE $10. AND THEN BEFORE OUR NEXT MEETING, NEXT WEDNESDAY IS THE TASTE OF LEANDER. SO IF YOU'RE NOT SIGNED UP, GOT TICKETS FOR THAT? IT SHOULD BE A PRETTY GOOD TIME TO THANK YOU. PLEASE. FIVE OKAY, SO IT IS NATIONAL HISPANIC HERITAGE MONTH. AND IN THAT VEIN, ON SEPTEMBER 17TH, IN 1968, LYNDON B JOHNSON SIGNED PUBLIC LAW 9498, OFFICIALLY RECOGNIZING AND AUTHORIZING THE FIRST ANNUAL NATIONAL HISPANIC HERITAGE WEEK. THIS WAS ACTUALLY CHAMPIONED BY CALIFORNIA REPRESENTATIVE GEORGIE BROWN AND TEXAS'S OWN HENRY B GONZALEZ. EXACTLY 20 YEARS LATER, IN 1988, THIS WEEK WAS EXPANDED BY PRESIDENT REAGAN INTO THE 30 DAY NATIONAL HISPANIC HERITAGE MONTH THAT WE CELEBRATE TODAY FROM SEPTEMBER 15TH THROUGH OCTOBER 15TH. AND THE REASON FOR THAT TIME FRAME, IN CASE YOU DIDN'T KNOW, WAS THERE ARE SEVERAL HISTORIC INDEPENDENCE DAYS IN LATIN AMERICA THAT COINCIDE WITH THAT. SO ON SEPTEMBER 15TH, COSTA RICA, EL SALVADOR, GUATEMALA, HONDURAS, AND NICARAGUA ALL CELEBRATE THEIR INDEPENDENCE DAYS. SEPTEMBER 16TH, MEXICO CELEBRATES THEIR INDEPENDENCE DAY. AND IN CASE YOU SAW SOME THINGS ON TIKTOK AND YOUTUBE THIS WEEK WITH THE EL GRITO DE DOLORES, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU SAW THE PRESIDENT DO THAT, BUT THAT'S A REALLY EXCITING THING DOWN IN MEXICO. AND ON SEPTEMBER 18TH, CHILE MARKED THEIR INDEPENDENCE DAY. SO THERE IS SIGNIFICANCE TO THIS NATIONAL HISPANIC HERITAGE MONTH. AND I JUST DID WANT TO MAKE MENTION OF THAT NOW ON THE MUSIC BEND IN 1983, STAR SEARCH ACTUALLY DEBUTED HOSTED BY ED MCMAHON. IF YOU REMEMBER THAT GUY, AND YOU'LL NEVER BELIEVE HOW MANY MUSIC LEGENDS NOW WOULD BE CONSIDERED WHO WERE ACTUALLY ON STAR SEARCH TO INCLUDE JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE, BRITNEY SPEARS, ALANIS MORISSETTE, JESSICA SIMPSON, CHRISTINA AGUILERA, TIFFANY, LEANN RIMES, USHER, AALIYAH, AND DESTINY'S CHILD. SO IF YOU REMEMBER WATCHING THOSE SHOWS, YOU PROBABLY SAT THERE SAYING, OH, THEY'RE NOT GOING TO AMOUNT TO ANYTHING. THERE YOU GO. HAVE A WONDERFUL NIGHT. TAKE CARE OF YOUR MENTAL HEALTH. AND ANITA, THANK YOU. THIS IS REALLY NICE. PLEASE. SIX MAYOR PRO TEM GOOD NIGHT. ALL RIGHT. SO WE ARE[27. Convene back into Executive Session, if needed, pursuant to:
]
[01:30:07]
THE LAST FOUR. OKAY. FIVE OR TAKING CARE OF. 600. THANK YOU. SO ITEMS ONE THROUGH FIVE. YES.WE'RE ALREADY TAKEN CARE OF IN EXECUTIVE SESSION AND ITEMS SIX THROUGH EIGHT ARE WHAT WE WILL CONSIDER AND RECONVENE INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION. RECONVENING INTO OPEN SESSION
[ Reconvene into open session to take action as deemed appropriate in the City Council's discretion regarding:
]
OKAY. YEAH, YOU DO HAVE. I DO HAVE A MOTION. OKAY, SO PROJECT EDA 26-01-002 AND LETTER OF INTENT AND MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING. MAYOR PRO TEM ROSS, DO YOU HAVE A MOTION? YES.
TO APPROVE A LETTER OF INTENT. SETTING OUT THE BUSINESS TERMS FOR THE CONVEYANCE OF PROPERTY AT 204 HERITAGE GROVE ROAD, AS DISCUSSED IN EXECUTIVE SESSION, AND AUTHORIZE THE CITY MANAGER TO EXECUTE. I SECOND. ALL RIGHT. WE HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR? ALL RIGHT.
MOTION CARRIES. AND THEN UPPER BRUSHY CREEK WATER CONTROL AND IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT LOWER WATER LEVELS AT LAKEWOOD PARK. MAYOR PRO TEM ROSS, DO YOU HAVE A MOTION? NO ACTION. OKAY.
ACQUISITION OF PROPERTIES FOR A PUBLIC PURPOSE. MAYOR PRO TEM, DO YOU HAVE A MOTION? NO ACTION.
AND OUR TIME IS NOW 918
* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.