Oct 15, 2026 City Council Regular Meeting

[1. Open Meeting.]

[00:00:03]

LOOKING AT IT? YOU'RE AN EXPERT. TODAY IS THURSDAY, OCTOBER 15TH, 2026, AND THE TIME IS 6 P.M.

AND THIS IS THE BRIEFING WORKSHOP OF THE LEANDER CITY COUNCIL. CITY SECRETARY CRABTREE, WILL YOU PLEASE CALL ROLL? COUNCIL MEMBER STEPHEN J. PRESENT COUNCIL MEMBER MICHAEL HERRERA HERE. COUNCIL MEMBER. BLAIR. PRESENT. COUNCIL MEMBER ANNETTE SPONSELLER. PRESENT COUNCIL MEMBER ANDREW NODDING HERE. MAYOR PRO TEM BECKY ROSS HERE. MAYOR NICOLE THOMPSON PRESENT. THE QUORUM IS PRESENT AND THE COUNCIL IS ELIGIBLE TO DO BUSINESS. ITEM THREE IS OUR

[3. Board and commission Meet and Greet reception.]

I'M NOT SURE HOW IT WORKS. YEAH. WELL, WE'RE SUPPOSED TO TALK IN ONE AT A TIME. AND I APPRECIATE ALL YOUR WORK ON. HISTORICAL BOUNDARIES. OH, YEAH. SO EXCITED ABOUT IT. SO YEAH, VANESSA, SHE'S MY CAREER PATH GOING. YOU'RE APPLYING FOR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, RIGHT? YOU'RE NOT RELATED TO CLAIRE, ARE YOU? BECAUSE I SAW YOUR NAME AND I'M LIKE, NO. I, I THOUGHT THE SAME UNTIL I REALIZED I.

BUT AT THE SAME TIME. HOW ARE YOU? OH, I WAS LIKE. I WOULD SAY. BASICALLY.

NOW THAT. YEAH, IT'S KIND OF A LOT MORE. NATIONAL PARKS. YEAH. I KIND OF PUT THAT FLAG UP. HOW

[00:05:17]

TO.

YOU KNOW, IS THERE ANYTHING YOU WANT TO KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT THIS? THAT. WE HAD A GREAT DEBATE ABOUT? THAT. SO. I KNOW, YOU KNOW. THAT THAT EVERYTHING WAS GOING TO. RIGHT NOW IT'S. THAT THEY HAD A BECAUSE THEY HAD THIS ABILITY TO ENGINEER. YEAH, BUT I'M JUST

[00:10:01]

A. OKAY. NO. BECAUSE WE'RE USING IT'S A WEIRD. YEAH. THAT WAS.

MY FAVORITE NIGHT. VERY NICE. ANYTHING THAT.

IT'S LIKE A.

[00:15:10]

YEAH. I DIDN'T REALIZE. HOW OLD WERE YOU THEN. YOUR MOTHER, I'M SURE.

YOUR HANDS. OKAY. HOW ARE YOU? 100%. YEAH. YOU WANT TO MAKE SURE HE GETS.

YEAH. I KNOW HOW ARE YOU? GOOD, GOOD. YEAH. NICE TO MEET YOU. HELLO, I KNOW YOU. I KNOW, IT'S LIKE. I KIND OF KNOW I HAVE MORE OF. SO ARE YOU. YEAH. OKAY. SO WHY ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT? SO I THINK THAT YOU UNDERSTAND. THE BALANCE OF THE TAX CODE AND THE RESTAURANTS. COMMERCIAL TAX BASE. SO THAT'S THE FIRST THING THAT I WAS THINKING ABOUT THIS DIRECTION. LIKE THIS IS THE CASE ALL OF THE CITY TO ATTRACT BUSINESSES WITH THEIR SMALL BUSINESSES. AND AND THEN GUIDING THE OTHER DISPLAYS OF THE FUTURE FOR THOSE PATIENTS. SO YOU, YOU MENTIONED LIKE THAT.

OKAY, WELL, YOU HAVE TO SHOW THE. SPACE. THE COMPANY IS COMING IN. THAT'S GOING TO BE THE BIGGEST. ONE. AND THE OTHER THING IS LIKE, THE THING IS ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE ARE SEEING. SO WE JUST HAVE TO EVOLVE. YEAH. BUT AGAIN, LIKE AFTER BASTROP AND THEN LIKE WHAT WE SEE. ALL RIGHT. YEAH. YEAH. AND THEN CONTINUING THE LEGACY OF. THE BIG BOXES, WHICH SAID, YEAH, I'M JUST REALLY CURIOUS, LIKE REALLY DEEPLY CARE AND. WHICH IS WHY I KIND OF AGREE WITH YOU. SO I FEEL LIKE THE. GATEWAY IS MORE CONFERENCES. THAT TALKS ABOUT LIKE TECHNOLOGY. RIGHT? SO I. AGAIN, LIKE. THE TRAINING, LIKE YOU DON'T HAVE TO SORT IT OUT.

[00:20:18]

WHOLE.

HAVE YOU THOUGHT ABOUT HOW.

WELL, I KIND OF LIKE. YEAH. I WOULD LOVE TO WORK THERE. YEAH. YEAH, I SEE IT EVERY TIME THE OLD MAYOR I THINK OF. IT WAS A WOMAN. I HEARD THAT SHE JUST MOVED TO A DIFFERENT CITY, BUT I'VE HEARD SOME OTHER PEOPLE SAY THAT, OKAY, OKAY. DO THAT. ALL RIGHT. SO YEAH, KNOW THAT.

[00:25:06]

AND SO WHAT BROUGHT YOU TO WANTING TO DEVELOP? WELL, FIRST AND FOREMOST, I'VE HAD A DESIRE TO SERVE THE CITY FOR A WHILE. OKAY? IT SEEMED LIKE A GREAT OPPORTUNITY. I HAVE A BACKGROUND IN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT FOR THE OFFICE OF THE GOVERNOR I WORKED UNDER THE INTERNET. CONSULTANT, BUSINESS. AND SO I REMEMBER YOU WERE JUST WALKING. AROUND THE CITY MANAGER'S. HEARING ALL ABOUT THE GROWTH AND EVERYTHING. AND I THOUGHT, WELL, I SHOULDN'T.

AND WE GET DATA FROM. THOSE. OKAY, OKAY, PERFECT, PERFECT. AND SO I KNOW YOU HAVE. HAVE YOU HAD A CHANCE TO KIND OF, YOU KNOW. WHAT DO YOU THINK THAT OUTSIDE OF EXPERIENCE.

BRING TO THIS? WELL, YEAH. NO THAT'S FINE. WELL, I HAVE A DEEP UNDERSTANDING OF HOW ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT WORKS, HOW IT WORKS. AND I THINK. IF I CAN LAND ANY CONNECTIONS I HAVE, IF I CAN HELP IN ANY EXPERIENCE, AND I KNOW IT'S STRICTLY ADVISORY ANALYSIS AND THAT KIND OF STUFF, I'M HAPPY TO DO THAT. HAPPY TO MEET WITH PEOPLE OUT THERE, I SAID. STEVEN SAID ABOUT NASA, I DON'T HAVE ANY OF IT. SO THEY DIDN'T LIKE TO IMPLEMENT STUFF. AND THERE'S LIKE THIS. SO I DON'T HAVE SPECIFIC PROJECTS TO TELL YOU THAT I THINK THERE'S GREAT OR NOT GREAT AT THIS MOMENT ABOUT THAT. BUT WHAT I DO THINK IS THAT LEANDER HAS PLENTY OF SPACE AS WELL. I KNOW THAT LEANDER IS GOING TO. IT HAS THE POTENTIAL TO DOUBLE THE VISIBLE SIZE AND POPULATION. YOU SEE THE PARK AND BECAUSE I SIT IN MEETINGS ALMOST ON A DAILY BASIS WITH EVERY OTHER AGENCY DIRECTOR, I GET TO HEAR ALL THEIR PROBLEMS AND ALL THE THINGS THAT THEY'RE ATTRACTING. AND IN MANY WAYS, THERE'S A FEW CAVEATS, BUT IN MANY WAYS, LEANDER'S MORE SITUATED THAN MOST OF THE ARE THE RIGHT KIND OF GROWTH. I DON'T NECESSARILY THINK THAT WE SHOULD TAKE ON EVERY SINGLE PROJECT THAT WE CAN, BUT THINGS THAT ARE THE RIGHT FIT FOR THE COMMUNITY AND IN YOUR OPINION, WHAT IS WHAT IS THE RIGHT, THE RIGHT? WHAT DOES THAT LOOK LIKE? WELL, I THINK THERE HAS TO BE SOME LEVEL OF, OKAY, THIS IS GOING TO BE A MORE GENERAL TERM. IF I SAY EQUITY, I DON'T WANT IT TO SOUND BUZZWORD. IT HAS TO BENEFIT. WELL, IT HAS TO BENEFIT THE COMMUNITY, CREATE JOBS. YOU KNOW, FOR EXAMPLE, THERE'S A LOT OF CONTROVERSY, I THINK, OVER DATA CENTERS AS AN EXAMPLE. YEAH, DATA CENTERS ARE NOT A GOOD FIT FOR, FOR THE AND NOT ONLY BECAUSE OF THE PUBLIC BACKLASH, BUT THE WATER CONSUMPTION, THEY DON'T CREATE A LOT OF EMPLOYMENT AND THEY SUCK UP A LOT OF ENERGY. SO THAT'S, THAT'S AN EXAMPLE OF ONE OF THOSE THINGS THAT SOME PEOPLE MIGHT LATCH ON TO IS A, IS A BIG PROJECT, BUT THAT PROJECT DOESN'T ACTUALLY FULFILL A NEED FOR THE COMMUNITY, RIGHT? LIKE THE MAJORITY OF THE JOBS ARE USUALLY SHUT DOWN AND THEN YOU HAVE THOSE THAT IS ALSO LOOKING AT OUR LANDMASS. YOU KNOW, WE DON'T WANT THIS TOO CLOSE TO RESIDENTIAL OR NOT. IT'S NOT, IT'S NOT A GOOD FIT. IT'S REALLY NOT A GOOD FIT. I REALLY LIKE WHAT YOU GUYS ARE DOING FOR THE NORTHLINE SITE. I THINK MORE OF THAT IS GOOD. YOU KNOW, MAKING LEANDER WOULD BE A REALLY GREAT. GEORGETOWN DOES THIS FAIRLY WELL. THEY'VE BECOME KIND OF A REGIONAL VISITATION SPOT. CEDAR PARK HAS BECOME A HUB FOR A LOT OF MANUFACTURING, A LOT OF SPACE TECH. I DON'T KNOW THAT THE SPACE TECH IS NECESSARILY A

[00:30:04]

I'M IN THE CONGRESSIONAL. BUT I. SAT IN A FEW OF THEM. I THINK AS SPACE INTENSIVE AND LIKE IT IS. AND I'M LIKE. NOT NECESSARILY EVERYTHING, BUT FOR EXAMPLE, DO WE HAVE A TRAINING OR TRADE WITH TEXAS? YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN? WITH JOBS AND ECONOMIC PRESERVATION IN THAT AREA, ALL THOSE ALL THOSE OTHER THINGS. YEAH. IF YOU COULD GET A LARGE ENOUGH, YOU KNOW, SPACE INDUSTRY, EITHER MANUFACTURING SITE, THAT'S GOOD BECAUSE THAT BRINGS IN A WIDE PLURALITY OF JOBS. AND THAT'S A WONDERFUL FIT. IF YOU GET SORT OF AN ADMINISTRATIVE KIND OF HEADQUARTERS TYPE TYPE PLACE, I DON'T KNOW THAT THAT'S GREAT BECAUSE THAT'S A LIMITED NUMBER OF JOBS AND ALL OF THE OTHER FUNCTIONS ARE ARE HANDLED ELSEWHERE. BUT YOU GUYS DO BENEFIT BECAUSE I DON'T THINK I'M SHARING INSIDE INFORMATION, BUT CEDAR PARK IS BECOMING ALMOST ENTIRELY OUT OF OPTIONS. YEAH. AND YOU GUYS ARE RIGHT NEXT TO HIM. AND SO EVERYONE THAT WANTS TO MOVE IN THERE, THEY'RE MACHINING AND SPACE INDUSTRY. I THINK YOU ARE A LOGICAL FIT. AND I TOLD HER I JUST DON'T KNOW IF I GUESS MY GENERAL ANSWER IS ANY ONE INDUSTRY BECOMING LIKE A CENTER FOR THAT IS INCREASINGLY CHALLENGING. AND I THINK DIVERSIFYING SO THAT YOU HAVE RETAIL SPACE FOR VISITATION, YOU HAVE ENOUGH ATTRACTION SPACE FOR PEOPLE TO COME AND YOU HAVE ENOUGH EMPLOYMENT ACROSS THE. YEAH, I THINK IT'S PROBABLY THE BEST AVENUE TO REALLY CREATE A LONG LASTING LEGACY AND NOT JUST A KIND OF BOOM AND BUST CYCLE. SORRY. NO, THAT'S INTRIGUED HOW YOU THINK ABOUT I MEAN, THAT'S, THAT'S WHAT I'M APPLYING FOR. SO YEAH. OKAY. SO I'M VERY HAPPY. IT'S VERY NICE TO MEET YOU. NO PROBLEM. PLEASURE IS ALL MINE. YEAH. VERY NICE TO MEET YOU. LIKEWISE. LIKEWISE. SHE LOVES YOUR DRESS. I KNOW, I FEEL LIKE IT'S A LITTLE SPACEY, HONESTLY, BUT. OKAY, I SEE WHAT YOU'RE SAYING NOW. OKAY. THANK YOU. DID NOT HATE THAT AT ALL. OKAY. THANK YOU. I LOVE, I LOVE IT, I.

BUT HOW ARE YOU? I KIND OF WANTED TO GO THROUGH IT AND MAKE SURE. SO. HELLO. WE'RE AT 5:00. I WAS HERE AT 5:00. WELL. AND I'M LIKE. YEAH. GRAB MY. GRAB MY STUFF AND HEAD OUT.

YEAH. SO I WENT HOME AND MY STUFF CAME BACK AND. I KNOW WHAT YOU'RE WHERE YOU WORK IN.

I KNOW HOW YOU SERVED THE CITY, YOU KNOW, SO WHY IS THE IN THERE? THAT'S WHY. MY LETTERS.

SO THAT'S LIKE, YEAH, I DO LIKE YEAH. SO WHY THIS? WHY THIS? THIS? WELL, IT'S PART OF TWO THINGS THAT I REALLY WANTED TO BE INVOLVED IN. SO I HAVE ALREADY BEEN KIND OF A PRESERVATION COMMISSION. SO I GOT A TASTE OF THAT. AND I ENJOY THE HISTORY AND PRESERVING IT. SO GOING FROM THAT, I WAS THINKING MAYBE NEXT TIME WHEN MY TERM IS OVER, I'LL APPLY FOR LPAC IF IT'S AVAILABLE, BECAUSE I WANTED TO BE PART OF THE ARTS CULTURE AS WELL. SO I WANT TO GET A TASTE OF IT ALL AND THEN CONTINUING TO FIND, YEAH, IT'S GREAT BECAUSE I DON'T WANT TO BE A PART OF EVERYTHING. I KNOW THERE'LL BE SUBCOMMITTEES AND

[00:35:05]

YES. AND NOW IT'S LIKE THEY'RE PAST THAT AGE. WE'RE LIKE. SO IT'S LIKE, WHERE ELSE CAN WE DO IT? IT'S OUTSIDE, RIGHT OUTSIDE THE END OF WATER. I KNOW, I DON'T MEAN TO MIND. SO WE CAME HERE. AND NOW THEY'RE SEEING EVERYTHING IN THIS CITY AND. RIGHT. OH, YEAH. ONE LEFT IN ELEMENTARY. AND IT'S LIKE THEY WANT TO DO LIKE AN ARCADE. THEY WANT LIKE KIND OF LIKE THE MAIN JUMPING PLACES. AND THEY'RE LIKE, I DON'T STILL LIKE EVEN THE COMMUTE ON THE POLE, YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN? I DON'T LIKE PARTIES. THEY. ANDERS DISMISSING THAT SMALL PART FOR THE GROWING FAMILIES THAT ARE HERE. AND I THINK A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT ARE MOVING HERE DON'T START OFF WITH A FAMILY, BUT THEN HAVE FAMILY AND FIGURE OUT. THAT. YEAH, YEAH. BUT THIS I REALLY LOVE THIS ONE. OH, I HAVE SO YEAH, I MEAN, SO WHAT KIND OF LIKE A BEAUTIFUL. IT IS.

SO WE JUST IT'S LIKE A HIDDEN GEM AND I WISH I WAS LIKE, WHERE IS EVERYBODY? AND BECAUSE WE STILL LOVE THAT SO. THANK YOU. THANK YOU FOR THAT CAMERA. THAT'S USUALLY RIGHT THERE.

WELL, IT'S IT'S USUALLY RIGHT HERE. LIKE I SIT THERE, I KIND OF KNOW I'M BEHIND THERE AND.

I'LL HAVE. I'LL, I'LL GET, YOU KNOW, I'LL BE SITTING THERE SOMETIMES AND I'LL GET TEXTS AND THEY'LL BE LIKE, THEY'RE LIKE, YOU'RE NOT PAYING ATTENTION. SOMEONE'S WATCHING A LIVE STREAM AND YOU'RE. GET OFF YOUR PHONE. EXACTLY. THAT'S PRETTY FUNNY. SO YEAH. AND YOU KNOW, SOMETIMES I'LL COME IN AND LIKE IT WHEN IT'S BUSY. THE THEY WON'T HAVE A SPOT THERE.

SOMEONE WILL BE IN MY CHAIR. AND EVERY ONCE IN A WHILE I'M LIKE, YOU KNOW, YOU SEE THAT CAMERA RIGHT THERE? YOU'RE GOING TO BE ON THE CAMERA THE WHOLE TIME. UP THEY GO. YEAH,

[00:40:05]

YEAH, YEAH. WHAT IS THAT? IT'S A, IT'S A CRIME. CHAMBER. THAT'S THAT'S PRETTY COOL.

CHECK THIS OUT. IT WAS ON SCRIBE. SO SO. MESSING WITH THE MICROPHONE. FOR. YEAH, YEAH. SO YOU NEED TO KNOW ANYTHING ELSE ABOUT ME. WHY DO YOU WANT TO WHY DOES HERITAGE MEAN SOMETHING TO TELL YOU WHAT SHE SHE GETS ON TALKING ABOUT. I THINK I TALKED TO. THIS GUY, HE'S SO GOOD ABOUT THAT STUFF. WELL, WHAT ABOUT GOING AROUND AND MEETING AND GREETING AND ALL THAT? OH. THANK YOU. SPEAKING OF MEETING, THANK YOU FOR ON HALLOWEEN FOR COMING UP.

SO YOU SAID YOU WOULD DO IT 9 A.M. SHE DANCED THIS WEEKEND. IS THAT DAUGHTERS THAT ARE PROUD LIKE A TEXAS DAUGHTERS OF THE REPUBLIC OF TEXAS. YOU MIGHT HAVE. YES. AND SHE DANCED.

SHE'S SLEEPING. AND THE FASHION SHOW. DID YOU REALLY? BECAUSE WE HAVE. WHEN I LOOKED AT HER FIRST, I DIDN'T RECOGNIZE HER. LIKE THAT'S THE SECOND TIME I LOOK LIKE I DON'T THINK. WELL, HERE IT IS. I CAN DESCRIBE. IT'S PRETTY COOL. OH, IT'S A KINDLE READER TOO. OKAY. YEAH.

WHAT WAS THIS FOR? SHE HAD A SHE HAD A JEWEL. SHE LET US SAY DEFINITELY IS LOOKING AT ME AND OLIVIA. DID YOU GET TO KEEP THAT BINDI? THERE'S A WHOLE BUNCH OF BINDI. DO YOU. THAT'S COOL. THAT'S SUPER FUN. OH, WOW. WHAT WAS THAT WORD? ART. THAT'S A YELLOW PACKAGE. BEEN DOING IT FOR YEARS. SO I DON'T KNOW HOW THIS IS GOING TO WORK OUT. OH, I DON'T EITHER. THAT'S I'M, I'M LIKE, I'M ALREADY VOLUNTEERING IN HELPING THE CITY STAFF. OH. DO YOU NEED ROOM FOR HOME FOR HOLIDAYS? OH, YES. YES YES, PLEASE. SORRY. YES. ESPECIALLY THE, THE ORANGES. YOU KNOW, THOSE ORANGES MADE THE WHOLE HOUSE SMELL GOOD. WELL, ESPECIALLY BECAUSE THEY, WHEN THEY DECORATED THEM THEY PUT CLOTHES AND CINNAMON STICKS. SO IT'S LIKE ALL THE THINGS YOU WALK INTO THAT BEFORE ALL THE PEOPLE CAME IN AND ALL THOSE OVERNIGHT. YES. YOU WALK IN THAT ROOM AND IT JUST LIKE HITS YOU. IT'S LIKE CHRISTMAS. YEAH. LIKE I'LL GET THAT ON THE LIST.

YES, PLEASE EXIT. BUT THOSE CINNAMON THINGS LIKE YOU PUT IN THE HOUSE DURING CHRISTMAS. I CAME HOME ONE DAY. I'M LIKE. YOU LIKE THIS. AND THEN MY EYES WERE CRYING AND I'M LIKE. I WOULD LIKE IT IN CHICKEN AND APPLE PIE OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT. YEAH. NO, THE CINNAMON. I CAN'T IT'S TOO MUCH. AND, YOU KNOW, I WALK BY HIM IN THE GROCERY STORE AND HE LIKE IS A MAGNET TO MY. NO, I'M WITH YOU. IT MAKES MY FACE. OKAY. I. ALMOST. I KNOW. OKAY, OKAY. I WANTED TO TALK ABOUT. ARE YOU. TALKING? ARE YOU GUYS. YEAH. ALL RIGHT, LET'S GO. WE GOT THINGS TO DO. DID YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS FOR ME? REALLY? I MEAN, I'M PRETTY MUCH. I KNOW, I MEAN, I THINK, YOU KNOW, WE SERVED FOR WHILE HISTORIC PRESERVATION, YOU KNOW, WHAT

[00:45:08]

YEAH, YEAH. THAT WAS MY MAIN CONCERN FOR ANYTHING BECAUSE I SAID SO I GUESS, LIKE I SAID, WE'LL HAVE HER INPUT ON THAT. I THINK THAT WOULD BE KIND OF NEAT AS A HISTORICAL LITTLE SCULPTURE, THINGS LIKE. THAT. OR SCULPTURE OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT, I DON'T KNOW. OH, NO. I LIKE, YOU KNOW, I THINK I'VE TOLD EVERYBODY, EVEN IF I'M NOT, I'M NOT CHOSEN, I STILL VOLUNTEER AND I LIKE THE ARTS. THIS IS WHAT I DID IN SANTA CLARA, YOU KNOW? YEAH. SO, BUT YEAH, SO YEAH, YOU MENTIONED AND I'M STILL ON THE ETHICS BOARD. I'VE BEEN THERE LIKE A LONG TIME. NO, NO.

I'M DOING. ALL. YEAH, VERY MUCH. AND I KNOW, I KNOW. BUT.

YOU. THE OTHER ONE AS WELL. YEAH. RIGHT. AND. YEAH. I WAS JUST LIKE.

HERE. BUT I MEAN, I WAS LIKE. GOING ON THIS. YEAH. YOU KNOW. LIKE. OKAY, SO I CAME AND I,

[00:50:36]

NICE TO MEET YOU. I DON'T THINK WE'VE MET. RIGHT. OKAY. THAT'S VERY INTERESTING. I WAS ON ONE OF THE COMMITTEES FOR BECAUSE I DON'T LIVE HERE. YOU TOOK CHARGE? YEAH. THEY THE TABLE HERE. SORRY. MY HEAD FELL OFF. I WAS LIKE, I'M JUST GOING TO STICK IT TO THIS HAND AND JUST BE LIKE, HERE YOU IS UNNERVING. SO I WAS LIKE. YEAH, NO, I CAN'T. AND THEN YEAH, AND THEN IT GETS STUCK IN MY HAIR. YEAH. WE HAVE. NICE TO MEET YOU. I DID EVERYTHING. FOR TEN YEARS.

OKAY. I READ BOOKS. I MEAN, LIKE I WANTED TO LIKE, ARE YOU DOING. INTERESTING IS WHERE SHE REALLY NEEDED. SHE RECOMMENDED THAT I AND THEN LIKE AND. SO YOU. SO. YOU DIDN'T WANT TO HANG OUT. I KNOW I LOOK AT THE TIME AND I'M JUST LIKE, I'M GETTING READY FOR THIS. I'M SURE. YOU LIKE. OKAY, SO I'VE LIVED IN MY HUSBAND AND. SO WHAT DRAWS HIM TO. AND OH, IT'S.

REALLY LIKE LOVE. OKAY. SO. I DIDN'T SHOW UP IN. THIS YEAR. LIKE THAT'S WHAT I TELL HIM.

LIKE, DON'T GET INTO IT. LIKE, OKAY, LIKE I. SHOW UP EVERY DAY AND AGAIN. YEAH. OKAY, GOOD. SO IT'LL BE GOOD. SO YEAH. I KNOW, SO WITH THE, FROM WHAT I UNDERSTAND, THE ECONOMIC WORD, RIGHT? THAT IS. IT'S LIKE TRYING TO GET. OVERSEAS. AND ONE, I MEAN, IT'S ONLY SERVING.

I LOVE LEANDER OF. AND I THINK THE HRC BOARD IS REALLY GOING TO BE SOMETHING THAT BRINGS LIFE TO THE COMMUNITY A LITTLE BIT. AND SO I KNOW THAT I JUST WANT TO GIVE YOU A WARNING. WE HAVE ABOUT FIVE MORE MINUTES BEFORE WE START OUR MEETING. I KNOW THAT THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF.

SO A LOT OF GROWTH. AND THIS EXECUTIVE ORDER, I THINK WE'VE DONE AN EXCELLENT JOB. AND ADVOCATE WELL, NOT REALLY ADVOCATE, YES. ADVOCATING, BUT MARKETING TO RESIDENTS. WE'VE OBVIOUSLY HAD A POPULATION. THAT WE NOW NEED TO SERVE THIS COMMUNITY. AND LIKE IT DOESN'T MATTER WHAT IS IT REALLY DOESN'T MATTER WHAT THEY ARE. TO MY UNDERSTANDING, WE JUST

[00:55:05]

THAT'S FINE. ALL RIGHT. THE TIME IS 657, AND WE ARE GOING TO ADJOURN OUR WORKSHOP, AND WE WILL START OUR MEETING AT 701. SO PLEASE BE EVERYBODY HEAR? TOY IS THURSDAY, OCTOBER 15TH, 2026

[4. Open Meeting, Invocation and Pledges of Allegiance.]

COUNCIL MEMBER STEPHEN CHANG WILL PROVIDE OUR INVOCATION TONIGHT. PLEASE REMAIN STANDING FOLLOWING THE INVOCATION FOR THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE. THANK YOU. MAYOR, PLEASE JOIN ME IN PRAYER. LORD, WE THANK YOU FOR THIS DAY THAT YOU'VE GIVEN US. WE THANK YOU FOR THE BLESSING OF BEING ABLE TO GATHER HERE TODAY IN THE CITY OF LEANDER. WE'RE DEEPLY GRATEFUL FOR THE PRIVILEGE OF OUR DEMOCRATIC PROCESS, A SYSTEM THAT ALLOWS OUR VOICES TO BE HEARD, AND FOR OUR COMMUNITY TO BE SHAPED BY THE PEOPLE WHO CALL IT HOME. WE LIFT UP AND THANK OUR ELECTED OFFICIALS FOR THEIR WILLINGNESS TO SERVE AND LEAD. WE ALSO EXPRESS OUR PROFOUND GRATITUDE FOR THE DEDICATED CITY STAFF, WHO WORK TIRELESSLY EVERY DAY TO KEEP OUR CITY RUNNING SMOOTHLY AND SAFELY, THE FIRST RESPONDERS WHO KEEP US SAFE, AND FOR THE ENGAGED CITIZENS WHO CARE SO PASSIONATELY ABOUT OUR SHARED FUTURE. AS COUNCIL BEGINS ITS WORK TONIGHT, WE ASK THAT YOU GRANT US CLARITY, PATIENCE AND A SPIRIT OF COLLABORATION. GRANT US THE WISDOM TO MAKE GOOD, SOUND DECISIONS THAT REPRESENT THE BEST INTERESTS OF OUR RESIDENTS.

GUIDE OUR DISCUSSIONS SO THAT OUR ACTIONS MAY CONTINUE TO KEEP LEANDER A VIBRANT, UNITED AND PROSPEROUS COMMUNITY FOR GENERATIONS TO COME. AMEN. I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE 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. HONOR THE TEXAS FLAG. I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THEE. TEXAS, ONE STATE UNDER GOD, ONE INDIVISIBLE. THANK YOU. YOU MAY HAVE YOUR SEAT. CITY SECRETARY CRABTREE, WILL YOU PLEASE CALL THE ROLL COUNCIL MEMBER STEVEN CHANG, PRESENT COUNCIL MEMBER MICHAEL HERRERA HERE. COUNCIL MEMBER TONY BLAIR PRESENT. I'M SORRY. COUNCIL MEMBER. ANNETTE. SPONSOR PRESENT. COUNCIL MEMBER ANDREW HERE. MAYOR PRO TEM BECKY ROSS HERE. MAYOR NICOLE THOMPSON PRESENT QUORUM IS PRESENT AND THE CITY COUNCIL IS ELIGIBLE TO

[6. Welcome Special Guests and Visitors.]

ANY COMMENTS HAVE ALREADY BEEN SHARED WITH COUNCIL AND WILL BE MADE A PART OF THE OFFICIAL RECORD. DO I HAVE ANY FOR FOR THIS ONE? OKAY, WE DON'T HAVE ANY FOR THIS ONE AND WE ARE

[ CONSENT AGENDA: ACTION]

[01:00:02]

THANK YOU. WE. YEAH. YES. AND NOW WE'LL MOVE TO ITEM NINE. APPROVAL OF AN AMENDMENT TO

[9. Approval of an amendment to Ordinance No. 26-052-00 granting a variance to the prohibition against the sale of alcoholic beverages within 300 feet of a church, public or private school, or a public hospital for Zeytun Mediterranean Grill located at 11880 Hero Way W, Suite, 201, Leander, TX removing the condition prohibiting outdoor signage advertising sale of alcohol; providing for open meetings and effective date clauses; and providing for related matter.]

AND THIS IS SOMETHING WHERE I FELT VERY STRONGLY AFTER IT WAS POINTED OUT TO US THAT WE DIDN'T HAVE THE DISCUSSION, I THINK THAT WE SHOULD HAVE HAD RELATIVE TO PREVIOUS VARIANCES THAT WE GRANTED. AND SO I WANTED COUNCIL TO HAVE THE ABILITY TO BRING THIS BACK UP.

I'M IN FAVOR OF REMOVING THAT PROHIBITION, BUT I ALSO JUST WANTED TO HEAR FROM CITY STAFF ON THE OVERALL PROCESS. I THINK THERE'S SOME QUESTIONS THAT FOLKS HAVE HAD ABOUT THE TABKE PROCESS. THE METRICS BY WHICH, YOU KNOW, THE TABKE STANDARDS WERE ENACTED BY THE STATE LEGISLATURE AND WHETHER OR NOT THERE'S THE ABILITY TO TRANSFER VARIANCES OWNER TO OWNER INTO THE FUTURE. IS THERE SOMETHING SPECIFIC THAT YOU WANT TO OUTLINE THAT WASN'T DISCUSSED THAT WE NEED TO DISCUSS FROM YOUR VIEWPOINT? LIKE, WHAT IS IT SPECIFICALLY THAT WE DIDN'T USE TO CONSIDER BEFORE WE MADE OUR DECISION? I MORE SO JUST WANT US TO HAVE AN OVERVIEW FROM THE CITY MANAGER. OKAY, THE HISTORY IN THE PROCESS. THANK YOU. SO THE, THE CITY'S ABILITY TO ESTABLISH SETBACKS FOR. ESTABLISHMENTS THAT SERVE ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES ARE BASED IN THE TEXAS ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGE CODE. AND THERE'S A SPECIFIC SECTION THAT AUTHORIZES CITIES TO, AGAIN, ESTABLISH THOSE SETBACKS. 300 FOOT SETBACKS ARE SPECIFIED FOR PUBLIC SCHOOLS AND CHURCHES. AND THEN THERE'S A METRIC BY WHICH YOU MAKE THOSE THOSE MEASUREMENTS. IT'S NOT A MANDATE THAT THE CITY HAS TO ABIDE BY THOSE SETBACKS. THOSE ARE DISCRETIONARY BY THE STATUTE THAT ALLOWS THE CITY TO ESTABLISH THOSE BY ORDINANCE. I BELIEVE LEANDER ESTABLISHED THE SETBACK OF 300FT IN 1987. I THINK THE ORDINANCE HAS BEEN ON THE BOOKS SINCE THAT TIME FRAME.

THE STATUTE ALLOWS CITIES, AND IT ALSO APPLIES TO COUNTIES AN OPPORTUNITY TO APPLY WAIVERS TO THE SETBACK REQUIREMENTS FOR PERMITTEES THAT ARE APPLYING FOR LICENSES OR PERMITS TO SELL ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES. AND THERE'S A DIFFERENT SERIES OF TYPES OF THOSE THAT ARE DEFINED BY THE STATUTE. THERE'S RESTAURANTS, THERE'S BARS, THERE'S RESTAURANT BARS, THERE'S A DIFFERENT NUMBER OF OF DIFFERENT TYPES OF PERMITS AND LICENSES THAT ARE ISSUED FOR DIFFERENT OPERATIONS. SO IN OUR CASE, IF TABC REQUIRES AN APPLICANT TO FILL OUT A FORM, THAT FORM FIRST GOES TO ALL THE OTHER LOCAL AGENCIES THAT MIGHT HAVE JURISDICTION OVER ALCOHOL SALES IN THE COMMUNITY, WHETHER IT'S ZONING, WHETHER IT'S SETBACKS, ALL THOSE DIFFERENT TYPES OF THINGS FOR THE CITY. IT GOES TO OUR CITY SECRETARY'S OFFICE. THEN THERE'S EVALUATION PROCESS TO DETERMINE WHETHER OR NOT THAT SITE IS LOCATED IN THE APPROPRIATE ZONING DISTRICT. IN ADDITION TO THAT, WHETHER OR NOT THERE ARE SCHOOLS, PUBLIC HOSPITALS, OR CHURCHES THAT ARE LOCATED WITHIN THE SPECIFIED DISTANCES FROM THAT FACILITY, IF IT IS WITHIN THE SETBACKS SPECIFIED BY OUR ORDINANCE, THEN THEY CAN REQUEST A WAIVER. THEY COME TO CITY COUNCIL, AND THEN CITY COUNCIL THEN WOULD CONSIDER THAT WAIVER. THE STATUTE HAS A BROAD RANGE OF OF THINGS AND FINDINGS THAT THE CITY COUNCIL CAN USE IN TERMS OF DETERMINING WHETHER OR NOT THAT WAIVER EXISTS OR NOT. SO CITY COUNCIL CHOOSES AND OUR OUR PROCESS IS BY ORDINANCE ON A CASE BY CASE BASIS TO ESTABLISH A WAIVER. AND THEN THERE'S CONDITIONS THAT THE

[01:05:04]

THERE'S A PROCESS IN THE STATUTE THAT ALLOWS THE, THE LICENSES AND PERMITS TO CARRY ON TO THE NEXT OWNERSHIP. AND IN OUR CASE, THAT WOULD THAT WOULD ALSO COVER THE WAIVERS THAT WERE GRANTED FOR THAT SPECIFIC BUSINESS. IF YOU LOOK AT CAN I ASK YOU SOMETHING? YES.

YOU MEAN IT WOULD COVER THIS VARIANCE. IT WOULD COVER IT WOULD COVER THIS WAIVER. IT WOULD. OKAY. SO THE VARIANCE TRANSFER WOULD IT WOULD TRANSFER. IT DOES. IT DOES BECAUSE THE THE TABC CODE THE ALCOHOL BEVERAGE CODE ALLOWS A A AN ESTABLISHMENT TO BE ABLE TO BE SOLD OR TRANSFERRED TO OTHERS. THERE'S A PROCESS BY WHICH YOU THAT, THAT THE LICENSE OR THE PERMIT IS TRANSFERRED TO THAT NEW OWNERSHIP. THERE'S A PROCESS TO DO THAT. AND THEN THERE'S A SPECIFIC PORTION OF THE STATUTE THAT SAYS THAT AS THOSE PERMITS ARE RENEWED OR EXTENDED, THAT ALL THE RIGHTS, ALL THE ORIGINAL SETBACK CONFIGURATIONS, ALL THOSE THINGS STILL REMAIN IN PLACE. SO, SO IF, IF THIS CAFE IN, YOU KNOW, I GOT MY PERMIT IN SIX MONTHS, I SELL THE BUSINESS. WHOMEVER ACQUIRES THIS BUSINESS THEN HAS A PROCESS BY WHICH MY LICENSE WILL TRANSFER TO TO ME, YOU KNOW, FROM THE ORIGINAL OWNER TO ME. IN THAT CASE, WHEN THAT HAPPENS, THEN THE WAIVER ALSO GOES WITH THAT. WE HAVE A PROVISION HERE WHERE IT SAYS THE VARIANCE ONLY APPLIES TO THE APPLICANT, AND THE RESTAURANT DOES NOT TRANSFER TO A SUBSEQUENT OWNER OR THE RESTAURANT LESSEE OR OWNER OF THE PROPERTY. WHAT THAT'S REFERRING TO IS IF ZAYTUN CAFE WERE TO CLOSE AND SELL, OR THAT PREMISES IS LEASED BY ANOTHER, THEN THAT WAIVER DOESN'T APPLY TO A NEW RESTAURANT OR TO A NEW ENTITY. BUT IF THEY IF THEY SELL IT TO SOMEBODY ELSE, IT WOULD TRANSFER THEM, IT WOULD TRANSFER IT TO THAT. AND THAT'S SPECIFIED IN THE VARIOUS COMPONENTS OF THE ALCOHOL BEVERAGE STATUTE. CLARIFICATION, BECAUSE I DON'T THINK THAT WAS CLEAR IN THE PAST. SO YEAH, APPRECIATE THAT PLACE TOO. SO SO I WOULD SAY IN OUR DOCUMENT HERE, IT SAYS THE VARIANCE ONLY APPLIES TO THE APPLICANT AND THE RESTAURANT AND DOES NOT TRANSFER TO A SUBSEQUENT OWNER OR THE RESTAURANT LESSEE OR OWNER OF THE PROPERTY. AND SO TO ME THAT READS HE CAN'T SELL IT WITH THE LIQUOR, HE CAN'T SELL IT WITH THE VARIANCE AND THAT HE WOULD, WHOEVER BOUGHT IT, THE RESTAURANT FROM HIM, IT WOULD HAVE TO GO AND GET IT. NOW, I UNDERSTAND THAT THE THAT WE HAVE A CHURCH, WE HAVE A A CHURCH THAT MOVED IN THERE. AND WITHIN THAT AREA WE HAVE 6 OR 7 PLACES THAT ARE SELLING ALCOHOL, I BELIEVE, WITHIN 300FT. AND NONE OF THEM HAVE TO PERFORM IN THIS WAY. AND SO I KIND OF I THINK THAT THE VARIANCE IS REALLY FOR THE PROPERTY, NOT THE PERSON. AND YEAH, THAT'S NOT TRUE BECAUSE, BECAUSE HERE'S WHAT IT SAYS SPECIFICALLY. SO THE VARIANCE ONLY APPLIES TO THE APPLICANT AND TO THE RESTAURANT. IT DOES NOT TRANSFER TO A SUBSEQUENT OWNER. SO IF THERE'S A SUBSEQUENT OWNER OR ENGLISH AIN'T MY THING. I'M SORRY I SAID ENGLISH ISN'T MY THING OF THE RESTAURANT. THERE'S A TYPO, A TYPO, THE LESSEE. SO IF IF THAT SITE IS LEASED TO ANOTHER PERSON, IF THAT. IF THAT RESTAURANT IS CONVERTED TO ANOTHER RESTAURANT, THEN IN THAT CASE THAT WAIVER ISN'T GOING TO CARRY FORWARD. BUT IF I'M SELLING OR TRANSFERRING THAT PARTICULAR. RESTAURANT OR PREMISES TO ANOTHER, THEN IT CARRIES IT CONTINUES TO CARRY. RIGHT. BUT BUT THE PURPOSE OF ALL THIS IS TO MAKE SURE THAT SOMEBODY WHO MOVES IN THERE STARTS SELLING ALCOHOL TO MINORS, STARTS DOING ALL KINDS OF STUFF THAT ISN'T WE DON'T WANT THERE. AND AS A CITY, WE WOULD HAVE A RIGHT TO GO TO THE ABC AND SAY, HEY, WE DON'T WANT THESE GUYS TO HAVE A LICENSE

[01:10:01]

SECOND, LET'S DEAL WITH THE ISSUE THAT'S IN FRONT OF US. AND THE ISSUE THAT'S IN FRONT OF US RIGHT NOW IS SIGNAGE. SO LET'S TALK ABOUT THAT IN THIS SPECIFIC REQUEST BY THE OWNER WAS TO CONSIDER REVISING THE WAIVER TO REMOVE THE RESTRICTION THAT THAT RELATED TO THE ADVERTISING OUTDOOR ADVERTISING. AND SO THAT'S REALLY WHAT THIS REQUEST IS.

AND WE HAVE VISITED WITH THEM AND, YOU KNOW, AND CONFIRMED THAT THIS WAS THE REQUEST THAT THEY HAD IN HAND. OKAY. COUNCIL MEMBER CHANG, DID YOU HAVE ANYTHING ELSE? WELL, I'M GOING TO START DOWN WITH PRO TEM PRO TEM. DO YOU HAVE ANYTHING. OH GO AHEAD PLEASE. FIVE GO AHEAD.

SO JUST POINT OF CLARIFICATION. THE ACTUAL SIGNAGE RESTRICTION WAS PART OF THE ORIGINAL MOTION TO APPROVE THE SALE OF ALCOHOL, CORRECT. THAT'S CORRECT. SO BY GOING BACK AND REMOVING THAT PARTICULAR RESTRICTION WE'RE NOT CHANGING ANYTHING WE DID THAT NIGHT. WE'RE JUST AMENDING THAT ONE PARTICULAR PIECE OF IT THAT WOULD STILL ALLOW FOR THE SALE OF ALCOHOL, BEER AND WINE.

THE TRANSFERENCE THING I THINK IS FAIRLY MUDDIED, BUT I GET IT. I THINK I BASICALLY IF IF ANOTHER COMPANY COMES IN AND BUYS THAT SAME SPACE AND DOES THE SAME THING, THEN IT TRANSFERS. IF SOMEONE COMES IN AND DOES SOMETHING DIFFERENT, IT DOESN'T. RIGHT? NO, NO, THAT'S NOT CORRECT. SO I DO NOT UNDERSTAND ANY OF THIS. OKAY. IF SOMEBODY CAME AND WERE TO ACQUIRE THE CAFE AND THEY GO THROUGH THE PROCESS AND TTA, B, C ALLOWS FOR THAT LICENSE TO BE TRANSFERRED, THEN IT CAN BE TRANSFERRED FOR THE BALANCE OF THE TERM OF THAT PERMIT. GOTCHA.

AND WITH THAT CONVEYANCE ALSO GOES WITH IT, THE WAIVER. AND THEN EVERY TIME THEREAFTER IT'S TIME TO RENEW THE LICENSE OR PERMIT. THAT WAIVER IS STILL IN STANDING IT. THEY NEVER LOSE THAT WAIVER. OKAY. IF THE PROPERTY IS SOLD OR THE CAFE LEAVES AND ANOTHER ENTITY. SO LET'S SAY IT BECOMES HERRERA'S BARBECUE AND IT'S ENTIRELY NEW GROUP. IT'S A TOTALLY NEW OPERATION. THEN THEY'RE GOING TO HAVE TO GO BACK THROUGH THE WAIVER PROCESS. OKAY, THAT'S THE DIFFERENCE. UNDERSTOOD. THANK YOU FOR THAT CLARIFICATION. OKAY. PLEASE.

SIX SO I FEEL LIKE I'M KIND OF BEEN ON TREND WITH SOME OF THESE THINGS LATELY, BUT I REALLY THINK THIS IS AN EVEN BIGGER ISSUE AND WE NEED TO TAKE A STEP BACK FROM THE SIGNAGE STANDPOINT. YOU KNOW, I DROVE THROUGH THAT COMPLEX AND THERE'S NOT A SINGLE BUSINESS IN THAT COMPLEX THAT HAS A WE SELL BEER SIGN UP. AND I THINK IF I WANT TO GO GET A BEER, I MAY EITHER KNOW THEY SELL BEER OR I'M GOING TO LOOK IT UP BEFOREHAND. SO I REALLY, TO ME, I'M LOOKING AT SORT OF LIKE HOW I FELT WITH THE SUPER FLAGS. I DON'T THINK EVERY BUSINESS NEEDS A SUPER FLAG. I DON'T THINK EVERYBODY NEEDS A SIGN THAT SAYS, I SELL BEER IN FRONT OF IT TO KNOW IF I'M GOING TO GO GET A BEER. SO I'M REALLY OKAY WITH LEAVING THAT THE WAY

[01:15:03]

THANK YOU. PLEASE, FOR. I THINK I'M GOING TO HAVE TO SAY I AGREE WITH COUNCIL MEMBER CHANG AND HERRERA. I DON'T THINK FIRST, I DON'T THINK THE SIGN'S GOING TO SAY WE HAVE BEER. YOU KNOW, I THEY'RE A RESTAURANT. THEY'RE GOING TO TRY TO HAVE SOME SIGNAGE THAT'S TASTEFUL THAT THEY CAN LET PEOPLE KNOW ABOUT. I THINK THERE'S A CLEAR LACK OF SIGNAGE IN OUR CITY, AS YOU'VE ALL HEARD ME TALK ABOUT BEFORE. SO I'M IN FAVOR, PLEASE. THREE I JUST HAVE ONE QUICK QUESTION FOR CITY MANAGER PARTON AS IT RELATES TO WHAT WE APPROVED, WAS IN THE CONVERSATIONS THAT YOU HAD WITH THE OWNER OF THE THE LOCATION, WAS THERE ANY CONCERN WITH WHAT WE APPROVED AT A PREVIOUS COUNCIL MEETING? I THINK I DON'T KNOW IF THERE WAS ANY SPECIFIC CONCERN, BUT, YOU KNOW, BUT THE THE REQUEST AND THEY DIDN'T EXPECT US TO COME BY.

IT'S LIKE WE'RE MEASURING WITH THE WHEEL. WE WERE OUT LOOKING AND TRYING TO RUN THE DATA HERE.

AND SO HE WAS OPEN. SO WE'RE LIKE, LET'S JUST GO IN AND SEE. LET'S ASK, YOU KNOW, IS THIS SOMETHING THAT THAT HE NEEDED OR HE WAS INTERESTED IN? SO WE JUST STOPPED BY AND WE ASKED, HEY, THIS CAME UP, SOMEBODY COMPLETELY UNRELATED TO YOU WHO CLEARLY SAID THAT HE HAD NO CLUE THAT THIS WAS EVEN BEING DISCUSSED OR BEING PRESENTED. AND WAS IT SOMETHING THAT THAT HE WAS CONCERNED ABOUT HER INTEREST? AND, AND OF COURSE, IT WAS LIKE, WELL, YEAH, I WOULD DEFINITELY APPRECIATE THE ABILITY TO BE ABLE TO DO THE ADVERTISEMENT. AND WHAT WAS EXPRESSED WAS, WASN'T A PLAN TO DO A WHOLE NEW SIGNAGE BECAUSE WE HAVE A WHOLE NOTHER SIGNAGE CODE STILL LIMITS ALL THOSE THINGS THAT HAVE TO KICK IN, BUT IT'S REALLY MORE, HEY, IF YOU'RE GOING TO BE ABLE TO HAVE A GLASS OF WINE, YOU KNOW, WITH A PLATE OF SPAGHETTI, IT'D BE NICE TO BE ABLE TO SHOW THAT OUTSIDE ON A SIDEWALK, MESSAGE BOARD, SANDWICH BOARD, THINGS LIKE THAT. AND SO THAT, THAT WAS A CONVERSATION THAT WE HAD. AND SO WE REACHED OUT TO HIM AND SAID, YOU KNOW, THIS CAME UP, IS THIS SOMETHING THAT THAT YOU NEED OR SOMETHING THAT YOU'RE WANTING COUNCIL TO, TO RECONSIDER? OKAY. SO THERE WAS AN AGREEMENT THAT THERE WAS A RECONSIDERATION ON THE TABLE. YES. I MEAN, I, I FEEL LIKE WE INITIALLY MADE A DECISION THAT THAT COMPLIED WITH WHAT THE OWNER OF THE PROPERTY WAS REQUESTING. AND, YOU KNOW, I ASKED A FEW QUESTIONS THAT EVENING TO REALLY CLARIFY SPECIFICALLY WHAT THEY NEEDED.

I DO UNDERSTAND THE VARIANCE TRANSFER, WHICH MAKES COMPLETE SENSE, PARTICULARLY SINCE THAT LOCATION HAS HAD SEVERAL RESTAURANTS IN THE PAST. I WHERE, YOU KNOW, I HAVE SOME CONCERN IS, YOU KNOW, DO WE WANT TO MAKE A FULL POLICY CHANGE OR DO WE WANT TO CONTINUE TO CONSIDER THAT LOCATION BASED ON ITS PROXIMITY TO A PLACE OF, OF WORSHIP, A, A, AN OPTIONAL SITUATION AND BRING IT UP AS SUCH? AND SO I'M LEANING MORE TOWARDS THIS IS NOT SOMETHING THAT NEEDS TO HAVE A FULL OVER ORDINANCE CHANGE THAT WE REALLY JUST NEED TO CONSIDER, YOU KNOW, IF THE, THE PROPERTY OWNER WANTS TO NOW HAVE SIGNAGE, IS THAT SIGNAGE IN COMPLIANCE WITH OUR SIGNAGE POLICY? AND IF IT'S NOT, THEN GO THROUGH PROPER CHANNELS TO MAKE THAT HAPPEN, BUT DON'T WANT TO MAKE A NON-ISSUE, AN ISSUE AHEAD OF SCHEDULE. I THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, THAT'S KIND OF THAT'S KIND OF WHERE I SIT IN TERMS OF THIS, THIS MATTER. CAN YOU RESTATE THAT FOR ME? SO ARE YOU SAYING THAT WITH THIS PARTICULAR ITEM, YOU

[01:20:04]

LOOK, I APPRECIATE EVERYONE'S INPUT AND I FEEL BAD GOING FOR THE MAYOR HERE, BUT I THINK MY INTENT WAS LIKE THREE THINGS COMING INTO TONIGHT, WHICH IS ONE, I DON'T THINK IT WAS MADE CLEAR TO US THAT THE THE OWNER WOULD HAVE PREFERRED THAT WE WE DIDN'T ASK. THAT'S WHAT I FEEL LIKE. WE COULD HAVE DONE A BETTER JOB OF ASKING IF THEY WOULD HAVE PREFERRED NOT HAVING THAT PROHIBITION. THEY'VE STATED THAT THEY WOULD PREFER THAT THEY DIDN'T HAVE THE PROHIBITION, BECAUSE IT WOULD BE HELPFUL FOR THE BUSINESS TO BE ABLE TO ADVERTISE THAT THEY HAVE BEER AND WINE TO SERVE ALONG WITH THEIR FOOD. I ALSO WANTED TO GET ON RECORD AND CLARIFY FOR THE RECORD THE TRANSFERENCE OF VARIANCE. AND THEN THIRD, I KNOW WE'VE HAD SOME PRETTY GOOD DISCUSSIONS ABOUT THE FACT THAT THERE IS A 300 OR 1000 FOOT RULE WITH REGARD TO CHURCHES, PUBLIC SCHOOLS, PRIVATE SCHOOLS, ETC. AND THAT'S SOMETHING THAT, YOU KNOW, FOLKS FEEL STRONGLY WE CAN TAKE UP MAYBE IN THE FUTURE THAT CAN BE A SEPARATE ITEM.

TONIGHT. ALL WE'RE CONSIDERING, OF COURSE, IS THE CHANGE OF THE VARIANCE TO REMOVE THE PROHIBITION ON BEER AND WINE. SO TO MY COLLEAGUES OF SIGNAGE, OF SIGNAGE, OF SIGNAGE, THIS WAS A VERY INVOLVED WEEK AND A HALF GOING BACK AND FORTH BETWEEN STAKEHOLDERS. SO NOW YOU'RE JUST AS EQUALLY AS CONFUSED AS I WAS AT TIMES. BUT I HOPE THAT I HELPED TO CLARIFY THAT FOR Y'ALL. THANK YOU. I WOULD GO AHEAD. OKAY. NOT YES, NOT EMOTION YET. THANK YOU. I HAVE A QUESTION FOR YOU, CITY MANAGER. PARDON. WHEN YOU LOOK AT WE HAVE THREE OF THESE VARIANCES IN THE CITY. WE HAVE ONE FOR TOPO OVER ON CRYSTAL FALLS. WE HAVE ONE FOR NYX OVER ON CRYSTAL FALLS AS WELL. AND THEN WE HAVE THIS ONE FOR ZAYTUN. HOW ARE THOSE DIFFERENT OR HOW ARE THEY THE SAME? SO THE THE NYX WAIVER, IF THIS ORDINANCE AMENDMENT GOES THROUGH TONIGHT, THE CONDITIONS FOR BOTH NYX AND FOR ZAYTUN WILL BE CONSISTENT. THEY'LL BE THE SAME. AND THE ONE EXCEPTION, THIS ONE IS WITHIN 180FT OR SO OF THE CHURCH. NYX IS WITHIN 300FT OF A CHARTER SCHOOL, WHICH IS KIND OF ACROSS THE STREET FROM CRYSTAL FALLS, BUT IT'S ALSO A RESTAURANT, AND IT'S FOR THE SALE OF OF ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES. IS IT BEER? I CAN'T REMEMBER IF IT'S BEER AND WINE. BEER, WINE. YEAH. SO THEY'RE BOTH BEER AND WINE. SO THEY'RE IN THAT IN THAT VEIN, THE OTHER PROJECT OFF OF CRYSTAL FALLS, THE QUOTE TOPO PROJECT IS A LARGER COMPLEX, AND THE USE FOR THAT PROJECT OR THE, THE WAIVER GRANTED FOR THAT ONE IS FOR A RESTAURANT WITH A BAR. AND SO WE HAD OR CITY COUNCIL HAD AUTHORIZED THAT WAIVER. WHEN THAT CAME FORWARD, THAT WAIVER WAS GRANTED. IT DIDN'T HAVE SOME OF THE LANGUAGE IN IT BECAUSE IT WAS BEING DEVELOPED. IT WAS A NEW PROJECT THAT WAS UNDERWAY.

AND SO COUNCIL WANTED TO GIVE SOME ABILITY AND LATITUDE FOR THAT ONE TO BE ABLE TO DEVELOP AND OCCUPY IN THAT PARTICULAR FACILITY. THAT'S A THAT'S SOUTH OF WILEY AND, AND ROSS HIGH SCHOOL PROPERTIES. SO IT'S DOWN. IT'S REALLY ON THE VERY FAR CORNER AND, AND TUCKED AWAY TO FURTHER TO THE EAST, RIGHT. THERE'S NO DIRECT RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE TRANSPORTATION INTO THE ENTRY OF THE SCHOOLS AND THEN THE ENTRY COMING INTO THAT SHOPPING CENTER. SO IF I RECALL, THOSE ARE THE TYPES OF THINGS THAT COUNCIL TALKED ABOUT WHEN THAT PROJECT WAS COMING FORWARD.

THAT PROJECT WAS BEING SOLD BY THE CHURCH, AS YOU KNOW, PART OF THIS DEVELOPMENT PROCESS. SO THEY WERE INVOLVED IN THAT CONVERSATION AND PART OF THAT WHOLE DEVELOPMENT PROCESS AND ENTITLEMENT PROCESS FROM THE VERY BEGINNING OF THAT ONE. SO I'M IN FAVOR OF MAKING IT CONSISTENT WITH WHAT WE DID FOR NYX. WHAT I WILL SAY, THOUGH, IS WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO SEE STAFF DO IS COME BACK SIMILAR TO WHAT PRO TEM SAID IS MAYBE WE NEED TO LOOK AT DO WE NEED TO EVEN BE DEALING WITH THIS AT ALL? IF YOU'RE A RESTAURANT IN THE CITY, YOU CAN OPEN, YOU CAN HAVE BEER, YOU CAN HAVE WINE. AND THEN OF COURSE, WE HAVE TO ADD SOME PROHIBITION. WE DON'T

[01:25:03]

IT'S BEEN A LOT OF DIFFERENT THINGS. SO ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE'LL NEED TO DOUBLE CHECK WITH LEGAL WOULD BE, OKAY, WHAT KIND OF ADDITIONAL DISCRETION DOES THE COUNCIL HAVE IN CONSIDERING THAT WAIVER? BECAUSE IT'S VERY SPECIFIC ABOUT YOU CAN ADOPT THESE THESE SEPARATION LIMITATIONS. YOU CAN GRANT WAIVERS TO THESE SPECIFIC LIMITATIONS. AND SO A COUPLE THINGS WOULD HAVE TO WORK THROUGH AND EVALUATE IS, OKAY, THE LIQUOR LICENSES AND PERMITS HAVE ANY NUMBER OF DIFFERENT TYPES OF THINGS. AND CAN WE STRATIFY THAT? CAN YOU AUTOMATICALLY BUILD AUTO WAIVERS INTO, YOU KNOW, SOME OF THOSE SPECIFIC THINGS? BUT I THINK ABOUT. TWO AND PART OF THE THINGS TO THINK ABOUT IS BACK IN JANUARY, YEAH, THERE'S A NEW LIQUOR STORE THAT OPENED UP, YOU KNOW, I GUESS OFF OF ITS OFF WEST STREET BY SIGNING IN. SUNNY. YEAH. SUNNY. YES. THERE. YES YES YES. AND SO WE HAD A LOT OF CONCERNS FROM RESIDENTS ABOUT THAT STORE OPENING UP. AND IT, IT MET ALL THE SETBACK CRITERIA. SO THERE'S DEFINITELY GOING TO BE SOME INTEREST IN, I THINK, A COMMUNITY INTEREST IN LOOKING VERY CAREFULLY AT WHAT WE MAY WANT TO GRANT THOSE BLANKET WAIVERS TO, BECAUSE BECAUSE WE HAVE ALSO SEEN THE OTHER SIDE OF THAT IN THIS LAST YEAR. I MEAN, I JUST I HEAR YOU AND I HEAR THAT. I JUST THINK BEING IN A CITY WHERE WE ARE PRO-BUSINESS, WE WE REALLY GOT TO LOOK AT HOW CAN WE MAKE THINGS A LOT EASIER FOR BUSINESS OWNERS TO NAVIGATE AND WHAT MAKES SENSE FOR THEIR BUSINESS. OF COURSE, WE'VE GOT TO TAKE INTO ACCOUNT WHAT MATTERS FOR OUR COMMUNITY AND OUR STUDENTS AND OUR CHILDREN. BUT WE'VE GOT TO LOOK AT THAT TOO. PLACE THREE HAD ANOTHER COMMENT. YEAH, I WAS, I WAS CONFERRING WITH WITH COUNCIL MEMBER CHANG THAT I REALLY THINK THAT THIS IS AN OPPORTUNITY, ESPECIALLY BASED OFF OF SOME OF THE INFORMATION WE HAD ABOUT THE IMPACTED, THE TOTAL THREE IMPACTED BUSINESSES.

IF WE DO MAKE THIS CHANGE THAT WE REALLY NEED TO CONSIDER MORE INFORMATION SO THAT WE DO LOOK AT HOLISTICALLY AS WE GROW. WE'RE NOT PUTTING THESE ONE OFF SITUATIONS IN FRONT OF COUNCIL WHEN WE JUST NEED TO MAKE A PROPER RULE CHANGE TO THE ORDINANCE. AND SO I WOULD LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION THAT WE TABLE THIS, THIS PARTICULAR AGENDA ITEM, UNTIL WE GET FURTHER INFORMATION FROM STAFF AND MOVE FORWARD WITH A COMPLETE ORDINANCE CHANGE. OKAY. CAN I CAN I INTERJECT FOR A SECOND? I'D ALSO LIKE TO ASK A QUESTION. WE HAVE A MOTION. WE NEED A SECOND SO THAT WE CAN HAVE COMMENT. SO ANYBODY IN A SECOND. I'LL SECOND. SO WE HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND AND THEN PLACE TWO. I SAW YOUR OR PLACE ONE COMMENT. YOU SAID YOU NEED TO HOLD. OKAY. PLACE TWO OKAY. SO IF YOU RECALL, WHEN WE HAD THE DISCUSSION ABOUT TOPO, THE WHOLE DISCUSSION WAS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A BAR AND A RESTAURANT, RIGHT. AND DEFINITION DIFFERENT THAN IT WAS HOW MUCH FOOD THEY SERVE AND EVERYTHING. SO I THINK IT'S PRETTY CLEAR THAT WE HAVE THE MECHANISMS IN ORDER, IN ORDER TO TRACK THIS. IT'S CLEAR THAT THIS PLACE IS NOT A BAR, IT'S A RESTAURANT. AND SO THE QUESTION IS, IS IF TOPO HAS A RESTAURANT, GO IN THERE AND A MONTH LATER SOMETHING HAPPENS. THEY HAVE TO SHUT DOWN. SOMEBODY ELSE COMES IN THERE. DO THEY HAVE TO COME BEFORE US AND DO THEY HAVE TO ASK FOR A SPECIAL USE THING? OR IS IT ALL UNDER TOPO THING? AND THEY CAN JUST PUT ANOTHER PERSON IN THERE? IN THAT CASE,

[01:30:04]

AND THEN IF YOU KNOW COUNCIL MEMBER BLAIR, IF WE WANT TO HAVE A FURTHER DISCUSSION TO DISCUSS ALL THE OTHER THINGS, I'M ALL FOR IT, BUT I'M ABSOLUTELY AMENABLE TO THAT. DO YOU WANT TO PULL THE TABLE OR HAVE A DISCUSSION ABOUT THE OTHER PART THEY'VE BEEN DISCUSSING THE WAIVERS THAT IS LISTED ON THE AGENDA. I'M WILLING TO RESCIND MY MOTION.

OKAY. MOTION RESCINDED. I'LL RESCIND MY SECOND, WHAT I ASK FOR IS DIRECTING STAFF TO TAKE A LOOK AT THE ORDINANCE, TO SEE WHAT WE NEED TO DO TO MAKE UPDATES TO IT. SO THAT'S WHAT I ASKED FOR. GOT IT. ALL RIGHT, ALL RIGHT. I'D LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION TO REMOVE THE PROHIBITION AND AMEND THE VARIANCE. I SECOND THE MOTION. OKAY. WE HAVE A MOTION IN A SECOND. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR? I CAN'T SEE, BUT DID IT CARRY EVERYBODY OKAY? IT CARRIES.

THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. WE GOOD ON THAT. AND NOW BEFORE I GO FORWARD I THINK I I MISSED SOMEBODY IN MY GREETING. I WANTED TO THANK THE LADIES OF DELTA SIGMA THETA SORORITY INCORPORATED FOR BEING HERE TONIGHT IN OUR MEETING. AND I MEANT TO THANK YOU ALL EARLIER.

[16. Conduct a Public Hearing regarding Special Use Case Z-26-0240 to consider action on the 75 Oaks Special Use Permit (SUP) to allow for the addition of the following accessory uses to the primary residential use: agricultural, educational, and neighborhood farm uses that include the sale of goods as part of a farm store on one (1) parcel of land 2.39 acres ± in size, more particularly described by Williamson Central Appraisal District Parcel R036588; and more commonly known as 1507 Horizon Park Boulevard, Leander, Williamson County, Texas.

• Discuss and consider action regarding Special Use Case Z-26-0240 as described above.

[01:35:04]

AND WE'RE NOT GOING TO REQUIRE A SITE PLAN WHERE THEY PROVIDE A SIDEWALK ALONG HORIZON PARK BOULEVARD. CURRENTLY, THAT IS AN OLDER ROAD THAT WILL MOST LIKELY BECOME A CIP PROJECT IN THE FUTURE, WHERE THE CITY WOULD IMPROVE THE ROAD AND BUILD THE SIDEWALKS. THIS CASE WAS REVIEWED BY THE PLANNING AND ZONING COMMISSION DURING THEIR MEETING IN SEPTEMBER, AND THEY UNANIMOUSLY RECOMMENDED APPROVAL OF THE REQUEST, AND THE APPLICANT IS HERE TODAY TO MAKE A PRESENTATION, AND I'LL BE GLAD TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS AFTER THE PRESENTATION. THANK YOU. THANK YOU.

GOOD EVENING, MADAM MAYOR AND COUNCIL MEMBERS. MY NAME IS LISA TIERNEY AND I'M ONE OF THE PROPERTY OWNERS AT 1507 HORIZON PARK BOULEVARD. MANY LAND USE DECISIONS RELY ON PROJECTIONS AND ASSUMPTIONS. TONIGHT YOU HAVE SOMETHING DIFFERENT. SIX YEARS OF HISTORY.

I WANT TO SHOW YOU WHY THE 75 OAKS WORKS, WHAT IT GIVES TO LEANDER, AND WHY THIS NEIGHBORHOOD FARM SHOULD REMAIN HERE. FIRST, I WANT TO BE CLEAR ABOUT WHAT WE ARE AND ARE NOT ASKING FOR. WE ARE NOT REQUESTING A ZONING CHANGE. OUR PROPERTY REMAINS SFUMH AND REMAINS OUR FAMILY'S PRIMARY RESIDENCE. THERE IS AN EXISTING AGRICULTURAL OPERATION ON THE PROPERTY. WE ARE NOT ASKING COUNCIL TO AUTHORIZE THAT USE THROUGH THIS SUP. IT IS PROTECTED UNDER STATE LAW, INCLUDING TEXAS AGRICULTURE CODE. CHAPTER 251. THE SUP IS FOCUSED ON TWO COMMUNITY FACING ACTIVITIES, FARM PROGRAMS AND FARM GOODS PICKUP. BEFORE WE LOOK AT THOSE ACTIVITIES, I WANT TO START WITH THE PROPERTY ITSELF, BECAUSE THIS IS NOT A TYPICAL RESIDENTIAL PARCEL. WE REVIEWED THE CITY'S GIS DATA. THERE ARE APPROXIMATELY 26,000 RESIDENTIAL PROPERTIES WITHIN CITY LIMITS. OF THOSE, 1300 ARE ON TWO ACRES OR MORE. OF THOSE LARGER LOTS, 96 TOUCH COMMERCIAL ZONING ON ONE SIDE AND 21 TOUCH COMMERCIAL ZONING ON TWO OR MORE SIDES. THAT MEANS FEWER THAN ONE TENTH OF 1% OF LEANDER'S RESIDENTIAL PROPERTIES SHARE THESE CHARACTERISTICS. OURS IS ONE OF THEM. SO WHEN I SAY THIS IS NOT A TYPICAL RESIDENTIAL PARCEL, THAT IS NOT SIMPLY MY CHARACTERIZATION. THE CITY'S OWN DATA SHOWS HOW UNUSUAL THIS COMBINATION IS. THIS IS THE CURRENT ZONING MAP FOR DIFFERENT ZONING DISTRICTS. COME TOGETHER HERE. HEAVY COMMERCIAL TO THE WEST, LOCAL COMMERCIAL TO THE SOUTH, SF, MH TO THE NORTH AND ACROSS HORIZON PARK BOULEVARD IS SINGLE FAMILY, URBAN. WHAT MATTERS IS NOT SIMPLY THE NUMBER OF ZONING DISTRICTS, IT'S THE GRADATION OF LAND USE INTENSITY BETWEEN THEM. THIS IS NOT A PARCEL SITTING IN THE MIDDLE OF A UNIFORM RESIDENTIAL NEIGHBORHOOD, OUR PROPERTY FUNCTIONS AT THE EDGE OF DIFFERENT LAND USE INTENSITIES. THAT SAME PATTERN IS REFLECTED IN THE FUTURE LAND USE MAP, WHICH DESIGNATES THIS AREA AS PROVIDING A TRANSITION BETWEEN LOWER DENSITY RESIDENTIAL AND MORE INTENSIVE NONRESIDENTIAL USES A FUNCTION OUR PROPERTY ALREADY SERVES. THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN ALSO SAYS LAND USE DECISIONS SHOULD CONSIDER SITE SPECIFICITY, LANDOWNER COMPATIBILITY, TIMING AND OTHER FACTORS. THAT LANGUAGE MATTERS BECAUSE THIS APPLICATION IS INHERENTLY SITE SPECIFIC. SO WITH THAT CONTEXT ESTABLISHED, THE NEXT QUESTION IS WHAT ACTUALLY HAPPENS ON THE PROPERTY? COMMUNITY ACCESS OCCURS FOR TWO PRIMARY REASONS.

THE FIRST IS FARM GOODS PICKUP. MOST GOODS ARE ORDERED IN ADVANCE AND FAMILIES COME DURING ESTABLISHED PICKUP WINDOWS TO COLLECT PRODUCTS FROM OUR FARM AND LOCAL FARM PARTNERS. OUR PARTNER FARMS BRING WHAT HAS ALREADY BEEN ORDERED, SO THIS IS NOT A CONVENTIONAL WALK IN RETAIL MODEL, WITH A FULL INVENTORY AVAILABLE THROUGHOUT THE DAY.

THE OPERATION IS BUILT AROUND ADVANCED ORDERS AND SCHEDULED PICKUP. THE SECOND IS FARM PROGRAMS. TO BE CLEAR, FARM PROGRAMS DO NOT INCLUDE OUR RECURRING SCHOOL AGE PROGRAMS. WE ARE NOT ASKING COUNCIL TO AUTHORIZE THOSE PROGRAMS THROUGH THIS SUP. THEY QUALIFY

[01:40:04]

THE NEXT QUESTION IS HOW THE PROPERTY PHYSICALLY ACCOMMODATES THAT ACCESS. THIS IS AN AERIAL VIEW OF THE PROPERTY. THE PURPLE ARROW SHOWS THE ONE WAY CIRCULATION PATTERN USED FOR FARM GOODS PICKUP. LET'S SEE. ALL RIGHT. VEHICLES ENTER FROM HORIZON PARK BOULEVARD. PULL THROUGH THE ATTACHED GARAGE FOR PICKUP. FOLLOW AROUND THE PROPERTY AND EXIT ALL TOGETHER. THAT ROUTE PROVIDES APPROXIMATELY 550FT OF INTERNAL CIRCULATION, GIVING VEHICLES ROOM TO MOVE AND QUEUE ON OUR PROPERTY RATHER THAN ON HORIZON PARK BOULEVARD. PICKUP IS DESIGNED FOR CONTINUOUS MOVEMENT. MOST ORDERS ARE READY WHEN CUSTOMERS ARRIVE, SO PICKUPS TAKE BETWEEN 30S TO A COUPLE MINUTES. WE ALSO HAVE EXISTING PAVED SPACE ON ONE.

THERE WE GO. OKAY, RIGHT THERE FOR WHEN SOMEONE DOES NEED TO STOP, FOR EXAMPLE, AN OVERSIZE VEHICLE OR A MOM WHO NEEDS EXTRA TIME WITHOUT RELYING ON THE STREET. FARM PROGRAMS OPERATE DIFFERENTLY. PARTICIPANTS ARRIVE AT A SCHEDULED TIME PARK ON SITE FOR THE DURATION OF THE PROGRAM AND LEAVE WHEN IT ENDS. AND IMPORTANTLY, THESE TWO PATTERNS OF ACTIVITIES ARE SCHEDULED SEPARATELY. THEY DO NOT OVERLAP. THIS BRINGS US TO WHAT THE PROPERTY LOOKS LIKE FROM THE STREET. THESE PHOTOS SHOW THE PROPERTY FROM HORIZON PARK BOULEVARD. THE TOP PHOTO FROM 2019. SHORTLY AFTER WE PURCHASED IT, AND THE BOTTOM PHOTO FROM EARLIER THIS SUMMER. OVER SIX YEARS. THE WAY THE COMMUNITY INTERACTS WITH OUR PROPERTY HAS EVOLVED, BUT ITS RESIDENTIAL CHARACTER HAS REMAINED CONSISTENT. IN FACT, ONE OF THE MOST COMMON THINGS PEOPLE SAY WHEN THEY COME FOR PICKUP FOR THE FIRST TIME IS I WASN'T SURE IF I SHOULD PULL IN. I THOUGHT THIS WAS SOMEONE'S HOME. AND IT IS. UP TO THIS POINT. WE'VE TALKED ABOUT IMPACT, THE WAY LAND USE DECISIONS USUALLY DO ZONING, CIRCULATION, COMPATIBILITY, CHARACTER. THOSE QUESTIONS MATTER. BUT IMPACT HAS ANOTHER SIDE. IMPACT ISN'T JUST THE BURDEN A USE CREATES, IT'S ALSO THE VALUE IT CREATES FOR ITS COMMUNITY. SO LET ME SHOW YOU THE OTHER SIDE OF IMPACT. WHAT THE 75 OAKS GIVES BACK TO LEANDER. THE FIRST IMPACT IS EDUCATION. AGRICULTURAL EDUCATION IS DIFFERENT WHEN IT HAPPENS ON A WORKING FARM, A CHILD CAN LEARN ABOUT POLLINATION, BUT ON OUR FARM THEY CAN DISTINGUISH NATIVE BEES FROM HONEYBEES IN OUR FIELDS. FOLLOW THEM FROM FLOWER TO FLOWER, SEE INSIDE A HIVE AND TASTE THE HONEY. A CHILD CAN LEARN ABOUT MONARCH MIGRATION, BUT ON OUR FARM THEY CAN SEARCH FOR CATERPILLARS IN THE GARDEN, IDENTIFY HOST PLANTS AND NECTAR SOURCES, AND WATCH MONARCHS LAND ON GREG'S MIST FLOWER TO FUEL THEIR JOURNEY TO MEXICO. THIS KIND OF HANDS ON LEARNING REACHES PEOPLE OF EVERY AGE, BUT IT REQUIRES ACCESS TO THE FARM. THE FARM IS NOT SIMPLY WHERE THE CLASS HAPPENS. THE FARM IS THE CLASSROOM. THE SECOND IMPACT IS FOOD ACCESS, BECAUSE LOCAL FOOD ONLY MATTERS IF FAMILIES CAN PUT IT ON THEIR TABLE. THE 75 OAKS GIVES LEANDER FAMILIES A CONVENIENT WAY TO ACCESS FOOD FROM OUR FARM AND OTHER LOCAL FARMS AND PRODUCERS. FARMERS MARKETS ARE AN IMPORTANT OUTLET, BUT ACCESS CAN BE AFFECTED BY HEAT, COLD, RAIN AND HOLIDAYS. EVEN IN PERFECT WEATHER. SATURDAYS ARE BUSY FOOTBALL GAMES, BIRTHDAY PARTIES, REAL LIFE. BUT COWS STILL MAKE MILK, CHICKENS STILL LAY EGGS, AND THE HARVEST DOESN'T WAIT FOR BETTER WEATHER.

FARMS NEED RELIABLE OUTLETS. FAMILIES NEED RELIABLE ACCESS. WE CONNECT THOSE TWO NEEDS. THE

[01:45:01]

EACH WEEK, THE 75 OAKS SEES MORE THAN 250 FAMILY VISITS FROM 14 CENTRAL TEXAS COMMUNITIES, NEARLY HALF FROM LEANDER. THAT MEANS WE SERVE LEANDER FAMILIES WHILE ALSO DRAWING PEOPLE INTO OUR CITY BECAUSE SOMETHING THEY VALUE EXISTS HERE. FOR CLASSES. THAT REACH EXTENDS EVEN FARTHER FROM SAN ANTONIO TO TEMPLE. LEANDER'S COMPREHENSIVE PLAN IDENTIFIES, QUOTE, DESTINATION EXPERIENCES AND AMENITIES, END QUOTE. AS PART OF THE COMMUNITY'S VISION FOR THE FUTURE, THE 75 OAKS CONTRIBUTES TO THAT ON A NEIGHBORHOOD SCALE AND BEYOND OUR REGIONAL DRAW, OUR FARM HAS DIRECT ECONOMIC IMPACT IN THIS COMMUNITY. EACH YEAR, THE 75 OAKS SPENDS NEARLY $40,000 WITH LOCALLY OWNED LEANDER BUSINESSES. THE FIFTH IMPACT IS LAND STEWARDSHIP. OUR STEWARDSHIP STARTED WITH THE OAK TREES. TODAY, OUR PROPERTY HAS 71 LIVE OAKS THAT MEET THE CITY OF LEANDER STANDARD FOR SIGNIFICANT TREES. OVER TIME, WE'VE CONVERTED WATER INTENSIVE TURF GRASS INTO PASTURE FULL OF NATIVE GRASSES AND WILDFLOWERS THAT PROVIDE FEED FOR OUR ANIMALS AND POLLINATORS. OUR PROPERTY IS CERTIFIED BOTH AS A MONARCH, WAYSTATION AND WILDLIFE HABITAT. THROUGH OUR PARTNERSHIP WITH THE NATIVE PLANT SOCIETY OF TEXAS, WE BECAME LEANDER'S FIRST AND ONLY NICE CERTIFIED NURSERY, HELPING MAKE NATIVE PLANTS MORE ACCESSIBLE FOR OUR COMMUNITY. MANY OF THE SAME PLANTS THE CITY ENCOURAGES FOR WATER WISE LANDSCAPES. EACH YEAR, WE DIVERT NEARLY 16,000 POUNDS OF PRODUCE FROM A LOCAL GROCERS WASTE STREAM AND COMPOST IT BACK INTO SOIL, THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN SAYS ADDITIONAL OPPORTUNITIES FOR OPEN SPACE WILL EMERGE THROUGH DEVELOPMENT AND LAND OWNER CONSIDERATIONS. THIS RESONATES WITH ME BECAUSE I BELIEVE THIS IS ONE EXAMPLE OF WHAT THAT CAN LOOK LIKE NOT IN THEORY, BUT IN PRACTICE. OUR LAND FEEDS PEOPLE.

IT TEACHES PEOPLE, IT SUPPORTS HABITAT. AND IN A RAPIDLY DEVELOPING CITY LIKE LEANDER, OPEN LAND IS EASY TO LOSE AND HARD TO REPLACE. AFTER LOOKING AT BOTH SIDES OF IMPACT, HOW THESE ACTIVITIES FIT THIS PROPERTY AND WHAT THEY GIVE BACK TO LEANDER. THIS REALLY COMES DOWN TO THREE THINGS. FIRST, IT WORKS. HERE. THE RESIDENTIAL CHARACTER REMAINS INTACT. COMMUNITY ACCESS IS SCHEDULED AND LIMITED ACTIVITY IS ACCOMMODATED ON SITE. SECOND, IT SERVES LEANDER. IT EXPANDS ACCESS TO LOCAL FOOD AND EDUCATION, SUPPORTS OTHER FARMS AND BUSINESSES, AND BRINGS PEOPLE INTO OUR CITY. AND FINALLY, IT CAN STAY HERE. THE FARM ITSELF CAN REMAIN. WHAT IS AT STAKE ARE THE COMMUNITY FACING PARTS OF THE FARM, THE PARTS THAT CONNECT PEOPLE WITH THEIR FOOD AND THE LAND. THE 75 OAKS DID NOT BEGIN WITH A BUSINESS PLAN THAT WE PUSHED ON TO THIS COMMUNITY. IT GREW BECAUSE PEOPLE KEPT ASKING FOR THINGS THAT DID NOT EXIST YET, AND THEN SHOWING UP WHEN WE FOUND A WAY TO BUILD THEM. THEY ASKED FOR LOCAL FOOD. WE LISTENED. THEY ASKED FOR AGRICULTURAL EDUCATION. WE LISTENED. ONE FAMILY, ONE CLASS, ONE PICKUP, ONE FARMER, ONE RELATIONSHIP AT A TIME. AND FOR SIX YEARS THEY'VE KEPT SHOWING UP. THAT IS HOW THIS NEIGHBORHOOD FARM WAS BUILT.

AND THE ACTIVITIES THAT CONNECT THIS FARM TO ITS COMMUNITY DESERVE TO CONTINUE FOR THEM.

SO I RESPECTFULLY ASK YOU TO APPROVE THE SPECIAL USE PERMIT FOR THE 75 OAKS AND ALLOW US TO

[01:50:02]

BONNIE FULLER FOR THIS ITEM. VICTORIA HILL FOR THIS ITEM. JAMES PRUITT FOR THIS ITEM.

COURTNEY PRUITT FOR THIS ITEM. MARCIA WIKI FOR T. SORRY IF I MISPRONOUNCED THAT FOR THIS ITEM. DAWN SMITH FOR THIS ITEM. JIMMY RIVIERA FOR THIS ITEM. FAITH ELLIS FOR THIS ITEM.

JESSICA RAMOS FOR THIS ITEM. NICOLE BRIGGS FOR THIS ITEM. KATIE ROBINSON FOR THIS ITEM.

[01:55:06]

MARGIE GOMMERMAN FOR THIS ITEM. AUSTIN GOMMERMAN FOR THIS ITEM. KIMBERLY GLOVER FOR THIS ITEM.

BLAIR BRADFORD FOR THIS ITEM. CRYSTAL SKU FOR THIS ITEM. EMILY DUGGER FOR THIS ITEM. KEN.

CASH FOR THIS ITEM. THERESA BAUER FOR THIS ITEM. DAVID WRIGHT FOR THIS ITEM. PATRICIA WRIGHT FOR THIS ITEM. MORGAN MEJIA FOR THIS ITEM. NICOLE BARANCZAK FOR THIS ITEM. CHERYL RICHER FOR THIS ITEM. ELIZABETH HOFFMEISTER FOR THIS ITEM. SHERRY GOOCH SIR FOR THIS ITEM.

LAURA BECKMANN FOR THIS ITEM. AARON WAGNER FOR THIS ITEM. LARRY BILHAM FOR THIS ITEM.

ASHLEY HALL FOR THIS ITEM. CURTIS CARTER FOR THIS ITEM. AND NOW WE'LL MOVE TO OUR SPEAKERS. OUR FIRST SPEAKER UP IS CINDY HULSE. THANK YOU. HOELSCHER COME FORWARD. SAY YOUR NAME. YOU'LL HAVE THREE MINUTES. AND YOUR ADDRESS. I'M SORRY. CINDY HOELSCHER 15104.

CHECK YOUR MIC, IS THERE MICHAEL? I'M SORRY. I COULDN'T HEAR VERY WELL. OH THAT'S BETTER. OKAY. YES, MA'AM. THANK YOU. DO YOU NEED ME TO REPEAT? NO. OKAY, I GOT IT. FOR YEARS, I HAVE BEEN LOOKING FOR SOURCES OF BETTER FOOD. REAL FOOD. THE KIND THAT'S DESIGNED TO HELP OUR BODIES THRIVE. WHEN I HEARD ABOUT 75 OAKS ABOUT THREE YEARS AGO, AND THAT IT WAS ONLY SIX MINUTES FROM OUR HOME, I WAS THRILLED. AND IT HAS BEEN ALL I HAD HOPED FOR AND SO VERY MUCH MORE. IT REMINDS ME OF THE LEANDER THAT WE MOVED TO 32 YEARS AGO FROM AUSTIN. BACK THEN, THIS AREA WAS MUCH MORE PEACEFUL, LESS CONGESTED, FRIENDLIER. NOW, EVERY WEEK WHEN I GET TO DRIVE THROUGH THE GATES INTO THE FARM, I CAN'T HELP BUT FEEL SOME OF THAT PEACE THAT THAT WE MISS. MOST OF THE TIME NOW, LIZA AND HER CREW COULDN'T BE ANY FRIENDLIER.

I DON'T KNOW HOW THEY DO IT, BUT THEY SERVE AN AMAZING NUMBER OF PEOPLE IN A WAY THAT IS SOMEHOW EVEN MORE EFFICIENT THAN A CHICK FIL A ORDER LINE. THEY MAKE ME FEEL REALLY WELCOME EVERY TIME. AND IT'S BEEN A PRIVILEGE AND A PLEASURE TO BECOME PART OF THEIR FARM COMMUNITY AT THIS FARM. THEY TRULY CARE ABOUT THEIR CUSTOMERS. A COUPLE OF TIMES RECENTLY, I'VE PLACED ODD ORDERS AND LIZA CONTACTED ME TO SEE IF THAT'S WHAT I HAD REALLY INTENDED TO ORDER. SHE COULD HAVE JUST RUN THE ORDERS THROUGH AND MADE MORE MONEY, BUT SHE CHECKED TO SEE IF THAT'S WHAT I REALLY WANTED AND IMMEDIATELY CORRECTED THE ORDERS FOR ME. YOU CANNOT BEAT THAT KIND OF HONEST AND CARING SERVICE. THE 75 OAKS IS AN OASIS OF NATURAL BEAUTY, FRIENDLY COMMUNITY AND SERENITY. IN THE MIDST OF THE DAILY HUSTLE AND CRAZINESS. IF YOU HAVEN'T ALREADY BECOME ACQUAINTED WITH THIS GEM OF A FARM, DO YOURSELF A FAVOR AND VISIT THEM. BOTTOM LINE, THEY DON'T JUST FEED THE BODY, THEY FEED THE SOUL. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. ERNEST RODRIGUEZ. ONE MORE TIME. IGNACIO RODRIGUEZ. OKAY.

THERE. THEY CAN HEAR THE ANNOUNCEMENT ON THE TV OUT THERE. YEAH, THEY SAID NO. OKAY.

EMMA MULLEN. SAY YOUR NAME, YOUR ADDRESS, AND YOU'LL HAVE THREE MINUTES. MY NAME IS EMMA

[02:00:06]

I FOUND FRIENDSHIPS AND AN OPPORTUNITY TO CONNECT DIRECTLY WITH THE PEOPLE WE WORK SO HARD TO FEED. SMALL FARMS AND RANCHES WORK INCREDIBLY HARD TO RAISE GOOD FOOD, BUT RAISING THE FOOD IS ONLY HALF THE BATTLE. WE ALSO HAVE TO FIND WAYS TO GET IT INTO THE HANDS OF THE PEOPLE WHO WANT TO BUY IT. FARMERS MARKETS ARE WONDERFUL AND I DO A LOT OF THOSE, BUT MANY ONLY HAPPEN ONCE A MONTH AND THEY CAN BE CANCELED BECAUSE OF WEATHER OR OTHER CIRCUMSTANCES. THAT MAKES IT DIFFICULT FOR SMALL PRODUCERS TO DEPEND ON THEM ALONE. AND PEOPLE DON'T EAT ONCE A MONTH. THEY EAT EVERY DAY. 75 OAKS GIVES LOCAL FARMERS AND RANCHERS A PLACE TO REACH CUSTOMERS EVERY WEEK. IT CREATES AN OPPORTUNITY. I JUST READ THAT OVER THE YEARS I HAVE WATCHED FAMILIES GROW. I'VE SEEN NEWBORNS COME THROUGH THE DRIVE THRU AND LATER WATCH THOSE SAME CHILDREN GROW INTO KINDERGARTNERS. WE RECEIVED DRAWINGS AND LITTLE TREATS FROM THE KIDS, CELEBRATED MILESTONES WITH CUSTOMERS, AND WE'VE EVEN SENT FLOWERS WHEN THEY'RE GOING THROUGH HARD TIMES. THESE ARE PEOPLE WHO STARTED AS CUSTOMERS BUT HAVE BECOME FRIENDS AND IN MANY WAYS, FAMILY. THAT'S WHAT MAKES 75 OAKS SO SPECIAL. IT'S A PLACE WHERE PEOPLE KNOW THEIR FARMERS, THEY KNOW WHERE THEIR FOOD COMES FROM, AND THEY KNOW THE PEOPLE WORKING HARD TO PROVIDE IT. THE CONVENIENCE MATTERS TO FAMILIES CAN DRIVE THROUGH THAT PICKUP. THEY CAN PICK UP FRESH, LOCAL FOOD AND BE GREETED WITH A SMILE WITHOUT EVER LEAVING THEIR CAR. IT MAKES SUPPORTING LOCAL FARMS EASIER AND MORE ACCESSIBLE FOR BUSY FAMILIES. THEY HAVE BECOME FAMILY TO ME AND I LOOK FORWARD TO BEING THERE EVERY SINGLE WEEK. LOSING THIS OPPORTUNITY WOULD HURT VETERANS LIBERTY RANCH, BUT IT ALSO WOULD MEAN

[02:05:02]

JULIE BEASLEY 418 MESA GRANDE. GOOD EVENING, MAYOR COUNCIL MEMBERS, THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK TONIGHT IN SUPPORT OF THE SPECIAL USE PERMIT FOR THE 75 OAKS. I'M ALSO ONE OF THE LOCAL PRODUCERS WITH A STRONG PRESENCE AT THE FARM STORE THROUGH THE 75 OAKS.

I CAN CONNECT DIRECTLY WITH OUR NEIGHBORS AND OFFER PRODUCTS FROM MY OWN FARM TO THE PEOPLE WHO LIVE RIGHT HERE IN LEANDER. THAT RELATIONSHIP MATTERS. IT'S PERSONAL, IT'S LOCAL, AND IT STRENGTHENS THE THE KIND OF COMMUNITY MANY OF US WANT TO SEE GROW HERE IN LEANDER. THIS IS THE KIND OF PRECEDENT WE SHOULD WANT TO SET HERE. TOO OFTEN, SETTING PRECEDENT IS TREATED AS A NEGATIVE, A REASON TO SAY NO. I APPRECIATE THE CONCERN. IF WE APPROVE SOMETHING TODAY, WE MAY HAVE TO APPROVE SOMETHING ELSE TOMORROW. BUT I ASK YOU TO CONSIDER A DIFFERENT QUESTION TONIGHT. WHAT IF THE PRECEDENT WE SET TODAY IS ACTUALLY A GOOD THING FOR OUR CITY? BY APPROVING THE 75 OAKS, IT DOES NOT MEAN APPROVING EVERY FUTURE REQUEST THAT COMES BEFORE THIS COUNCIL. EVERY PROPOSAL CAN BE EVALUATED ON ITS OWN MERITS. IT MEANS RECOGNIZING THAT WHEN A PROJECT BRINGS GENUINE VALUE TO OUR COMMUNITY AND MEETS THE APPROPRIATE REQUIREMENTS, WE'RE WILLING TO SAY YES. SO WHAT KIND OF PRECEDENT COULD THE 75 OAKS SET? IT COULD ESTABLISH THAT LEANDER VALUES LOCAL AGRICULTURE, EDUCATION AND SMALL COMMUNITY FOCUSED BUSINESSES. IT COULD DEMONSTRATE THAT A GROWING CITY CAN MAKE ROOM FOR MORE THAN APARTMENTS, ROADS AND COMMERCIAL STRIP CENTERS. WE CAN ALSO MAKE ROOM FOR PLACES THAT BRING PEOPLE TOGETHER, CONNECT FAMILIES TO THEIR FOOD, CREATE EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES, SUPPORT LOCAL PRODUCERS, AND GIVE OUR NEIGHBORS SOMETHING DISTINCTIVE TO CALL THEIR OWN. THE 75 OAKS CREATES THAT CONNECTION BETWEEN LOCAL FARMS AND LOCAL FAMILIES. IT GIVES SMALL PRODUCERS LIKE ME AN OPPORTUNITY TO SERVE OUR NEIGHBORS, AND IT GIVES THOSE NEIGHBORS A CHANCE TO SUPPORT THE PEOPLE WHO MAKE THEIR FOOD RIGHT HERE. MAKE AND GROW FOOD RIGHT HERE IN THEIR OWN COMMUNITY. THAT'S NOT A NEGATIVE PRECEDENT. THAT IS A POSITIVE EXAMPLE OF WHAT LOCAL BUSINESSES AND COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS CAN LOOK LIKE. AND YOU'RE GOING TO HEAR A LOT OF STORIES TONIGHT ABOUT THAT. I THINK WE'RE CONCERNED. IF WE ARE CONCERNED ABOUT SETTING A PRECEDENT, THEN LET US SET ONE THAT SAYS COMMUNITY BENEFIT MATTERS. LET US SHOW THAT RESPONSIBLE PROPOSALS DESERVE A FAIR EVALUATION, AND THAT GROWTH DOES NOT HAVE TO COME AT THE EXPENSE OF THE LOCAL CHARACTER. THAT MAKES PEOPLE PROUD TO CALL LEANDER HOME. THE QUESTION IS NOT WHETHER THIS DECISION WILL SET A PRECEDENT. THE QUESTION IS, WHAT KIND OF PRECEDENT DO WE WANT TO SET? I RESPECTFULLY ASK THAT YOU MAKE A POSITIVE CHOICE. APPROVE THE SPECIAL USE PERMIT FOR THE 75 OAKS. SET A PRECEDENT THAT ENCOURAGES LOCAL AGRICULTURE, SUPPORT SMALL PRODUCERS, AND CREATES MEANINGFUL CONNECTIONS WITH OUR COMMUNITY. LET THE 75 OAKS BE AN EXAMPLE OF WHAT LEANDER CHOOSES TO ENCOURAGE. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. RACHAEL DIXON. RACHAEL DIXON. WELL.

TATUM. COCHRAN. YOU ONLY HAVE TO STATE YOUR NAME. OKAY. MY NAME IS TATUM, AND I'M HERE TO ASK YOU SOMETHING REALLY IMPORTANT TO OUR COMMUNITY. PLEASE APPROVE THE 75 OAKS PERMIT. 75 OAKS ISN'T JUST A PLACE WE GO. IT'S A PLACE WHERE WE LEARN, GROW AND MAKE A DIFFERENCE. YEARS AGO, I LEARNED WITHOUT WATER. PLANTS DIE. WITHOUT FLOWERS. BEES DON'T CAN'T SURVIVE. AND WITHOUT PEOPLE WHO CARE. FARMS LIKE 75 OAKS CAN DISAPPEAR. OUR FARM ALSO HELPS OTHER SMALL FARMS LIKE ASH ACRES, WHERE MY FAMILY GETS FRESH MILK FROM MARBLE. THE COW. I USED TO TAKE CLASSES AT THE FARM. NOW I GET TO HELP TEACH THEM. THAT MAKES ME PROUD. FARMER LIZA HAS TAUGHT US THAT EVEN SMALL THINGS LIKE PLANTING FLOWERS FOR BEES CAN MAKE A BIG DIFFERENCE BECAUSE WE NEED NATURE. BUT NATURE NEEDS US TOO.

SOMEDAY WE'RE GOING TO BE THE GROWNUPS MAKING DECISIONS FOR OUR CITY. BUT RIGHT NOW, YOU'RE THE GROWNUPS MAKING THOSE DECISIONS. AND I'M ASKING YOU HERE, PLEASE APPROVE THE 75 OAKS PERMIT. PLEASE PROTECT THE PLACE THAT TEACHES US HOW TO PROTECT OUR WORLD. LEANDER,

[02:10:03]

MY NAME IS RHIANNON COCHRAN. I AM AT 1121 PLANO LANE, LEANDER, TEXAS 78641. AND THOSE ARE THREE OF MY FIVE KIDS. SO I JUST WANTED TO COME OUT. I YOU GUYS ARE HEARING EVERYTHING. SO I DON'T WANT TO REPEAT, BUT I WANT TO SAY LISA AND I WORK TOGETHER FOR CO OPS BECAUSE NOT ALL OF OUR KIDS LEARN IN A TRADITIONAL CLASSROOM. A LOT OF OUR KIDS SITTING INSIDE OF A CLASSROOM IS JUST NOT CONDUCIVE AND MAY BE LABELED AS SOMETHING THAT I WANT TO SAY. INSTEAD, WE GO HERE. WE HAVE HANDS ON LEARNING. I HAVE NEVER SEEN SO MANY KIDS SO EXCITED TO BE OUTSIDE DOING CHORES THAT YOU DON'T HAVE TO YELL AT THEM TO DO AND ASK THEM TO DO, BUT THEY'RE OUT THERE DIGGING AND THEY'RE MOVING STUFF, AND THEY'RE WORKING HARD AND THEY'RE CLEANING THE EGGS AND THEY'RE TAKING CARE OF IT AND PACKAGING ALL THE EGGS. SO EVERY WEEK PEOPLE HAVE THEIR EGGS. THESE ARE THE CLASSES THEY THRIVE TO GO TO. AND EVERY SINGLE WEEK THEY WANT TO GO YEAR AFTER YEAR. AND SO REALLY OUTSIDE OF THE AMAZING FOOD AND US KNOWING WHO OUR WHO'S PRODUCING OUR MILK, OUR KIDS ACTUALLY LOOK FORWARD TO DOING HARD WORK. AND SO THEY MAY NOT BE THE BEST KIDS INSIDE OF A TRADITIONAL CLASSROOM ENVIRONMENT, BUT THEY'RE GOING TO BE HARD WORKING CITIZENS WHEN THEY'RE DONE WITH THEIR EDUCATION. SO I WANT TO SAY THANK YOU AND PLEASE PASS THIS. THANK YOU. TANVI CHAKRA. JUST STATE YOUR NAME AND THEN YOU'LL HAVE THREE MINUTES. OKAY. HI, MY NAME IS TANVI SHAKA. SO GOOD EVENING, MAYOR AND COUNCIL MEMBERS. MY NAME IS TANVI SHARMA AND I'M THE FOUNDER OF BE A SAVIOR, A YOUTH LED NONPROFIT DEDICATED TO PROTECTING, DEDICATED TO PROTECTING POLLINATORS AND PROMOTING BIODIVERSITY. I'M HERE TODAY IN SUPPORT OF 75 OAKS AS A REQUEST TO ALLOW AGRICULTURAL, EDUCATIONAL AND NEIGHBORHOOD FARM USES, INCLUDING A FARM STORE AT ITS PROPERTY. THROUGH OUR PARTNERSHIP WITH 75 OAKS, I HAVE SEEN FIRSTHAND HOW THIS FARM CONTRIBUTES TO OUR COMMUNITY. 75 OAKS HAS SUPPORTED BEHAVIOR THROUGH PLANT DONATIONS FOR OUR POLLINATOR GARDEN, HELPING HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS GAIN HANDS ON EXPERIENCE WITH NATIVE PLANTS AND HABITAT RESTORATION. RIGHT HERE IN LEANDER, NATIVE PLANTS ARE ESSENTIAL TO SUPPORTING LOCAL POLLINATORS AND MAINTAINING BIODIVERSITY. HOWEVER, ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION MEANS LITTLE IF YOUNG PEOPLE NEVER HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO PUT WHAT THEY LEARN INTO PRACTICE BY PROVIDING PLANTS AND SUPPORTING OUR GARDEN, 75 OAKS HAS HELPED TURN THAT EDUCATION INTO

[02:15:01]

A NEIGHBORHOOD FARM HAS GIVEN RESIDENTS A CRUCIAL OPPORTUNITIES AS. AS YOU'VE SEEN IN THIS EVENING, TO LEARN ABOUT AGRICULTURE AND UNDERSTAND WHERE WHERE OUR FOOD COMES FROM AND ACTUALLY ENGAGE WITH THE NATURAL ENVIRONMENT. A FARM STORE HAS ALSO PROVIDED A WAY FOR THE COMMUNITY TO CONNECT DIRECTLY WITH LOCALLY PRODUCED GOODS. AS THE OWNER GROWS, WE HAVE TO CONSIDER HOW TO ACCOMMODATE COMMUNITY ORIENTED SPACES THAT THAT PRESERVE OPPORTUNITIES FOR AGRICULTURE, EDUCATION, ENVIRONMENTAL STEWARDSHIP AND LOCAL ENGAGEMENT. 75 OAKS DEMONSTRATES HOW A LOCAL PROPERTY CAN CONTRIBUTE TO THESE GOALS, WHILE SUPPORTING ORGANIZATIONS AND YOUNG PEOPLE WORKING TO IMPROVE OUR COMMUNITY. FROM MY EXPERIENCE WORKING WITH 75 OAKS, I CAN SPEAK DIRECTLY TO THE VALUE IN ITS COMMUNITY. PARTNERSHIPS AND EDUCATIONAL SUPPORT HAVE PROVIDED TO OUR STUDENTS AND POLLINATOR HABITAT EFFORTS, AS WELL AS THE ENTIRE COMMUNITY OF LEANDER AS A WHOLE. I RESPECTFULLY ASK THE CITY COUNCIL TO APPROVE THE REQUESTED SPECIAL USE PERMIT FOR THE 75 OAKS. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME AND CONSIDERATION. THANK YOU. HOW MANY MORE CHILDREN SPEAKERS DO WE HAVE? IF Y'ALL RAISE YOUR HAND, CAN Y'ALL COME STAND UP HERE AND TELL ME YOUR NAME SO I CAN CALL ON YOU SO YOU CAN SPEAK? YOU'RE THE FIRST TO THE PODIUM, MADAM.

WHAT'S YOUR NAME? MY NAME IS CHARLIZE SABELLA. LET ME FIND YOUR CARD. CHARLIZE? YES. OKAY.

CHARLIE SABELLA, WE GOT YOU HERE. GO AHEAD. YOU HAVE THREE MINUTES. MY NAME IS CHARLIE SABELLA, AND I DON'T WANT THE FARM TO STOP PROVIDING HEALTHY PRODUCE TO PEOPLE AND CREATING SPACE FOR KIDS AND ADULTS TO LEARN. THE 75 OAKS IS AN IMPORTANT PART OF OUR COMMUNITY.

THEY ARE FAMILY OWNED AND OPERATED JUST LIKE MY PARENTS BUSINESS, AND EVERY DAY THEY HELP MEMBERS IN OUR COMMUNITY LEARN ABOUT WHERE THEIR FOOD COMES FROM, AND THEY SELL HEALTHY ITEMS IN THEIR FARM STORE. I MYSELF HAVE LEARNED A LOT AT FARM SCHOOL. I HAVE CLEANED AND PACKED SO MANY DOZENS OF EGGS. THIS HAS TAUGHT ME RESPONSIBILITY, HOW TO BE CAREFUL IN MY JOB AND TO TAKE PRIDE IN MY WORK. WHEN MY MOM PICKS UP EGGS FROM THE FARM STORE, I KNOW I HELPED PACK THOSE CARTONS. I ALSO HAVE LEARNED HOW MUCH WORK GOES INTO MAINTAINING A FARM. IF EGGS AREN'T COLLECTED, THEY CAN GET DIRTY OR BROKEN. IF WEEDS AREN'T PULLED, THEY TAKE NUTRIENTS AND WATER FROM THE PLANTS THAT NEED THEM. IF ANIMALS AREN'T PUT AWAY AT NIGHT, PREDATORS CAN GET TO THEM. I HAVE ALSO LEARNED HOW IMPORTANT POLLINATORS ARE, AND THAT WHEN WE TAKE AWAY TOO MANY FLOWERS AND GREEN SPACES, THEY LOSE SPACE, PLACES TO FIND FOOD AND LIVE. POLLINATORS HELP MANY PLANTS PRODUCE FRUITS AND SEEDS, INCLUDING SOME OF THE FOODS WE EAT. I THINK IT IS VERY IMPORTANT FOR CHILDREN AND ADULTS TO UNDERSTAND WHERE THEIR FOOD COMES FROM AND HOW MUCH WORK GOES INTO PRODUCING IT, PRODUCING IT. I'M ASKING THAT THE SPECIAL USE PERMIT BE PROVIDED BECAUSE THIS, THIS FARM, HAS HELPED ME LEARN AND GROW SO MUCH IN THE TWO YEARS THAT I HAVE BEEN A PART OF IT.

I WOULD LOVE TO KNOW THAT OTHER CHILDREN CAN HAVE THE SAME EXPERIENCE THAT I HAVE. THANK YOU. YOU DID IT. MAY I HAVE YOUR NAME? AVERY. AVERY. AVERY. VENT. GO AHEAD AND YOU'LL HAVE THREE MINUTES. AVERY, PLEASE LET THE 75 OAK FARM STAY OPEN. THEY BENEFIT OUR COMMUNITY BY ACTING AS AN OUTDOOR CLASSROOM TO TEACH CHILDREN IN THE COMMUNITY ABOUT NUTRIENTS, BIOLOGY, ANIMALS, AND FARMING. THE FARM ALSO OFFERS INNOVATIVE ENVIRONMENTAL BENEFITS. FOR EXAMPLE, PLANTS HELP FILTER POLLUTION AND CAPTURE CARBON DIOXIDE. THEY ALSO BRING FRESH FRUITS, MEATS, EGGS AND VEGETABLES STRAIGHT TO OUR COMMUNITY. OTHER FARMERS BRING IT TO 75 OAK, AND WE CAN PICK IT UP STRAIGHT FROM THERE WITHOUT DRIVING ALL OVER THE PLACE. ALSO, THE FARMER HELPS WHEN WE HAVE EMERGENCIES, LIKE WHEN THERE WAS NO EGGS AVAILABLE AT HEB BECAUSE OF THE BIRD FLU, WE COULD STILL GET THEM FRESH FROM FARMER LIZA OR WHEN THERE WERE PROBLEMS WITH THE BEEF AND LETTUCE RECENTLY ACROSS OUR AREA. WE DID NOT WANT TO GET THOSE FROM THE STORE BECAUSE THEY MAY HAVE HAD PROBLEMS WITH THEM. BUT WHEN WE GET THEM FROM FROM 75 OAKS, YOU KNOW IT IS FRESH AND LOCAL AND SAFE. THESE CONSIDERING ALLOWING 75 OAKS FARM TO REMAIN OPEN. THERE ARE ALSO MANY OTHER BENEFITS OTHER THAN THESE I LISTED. I HONESTLY CANNOT UNDERSTAND WHY CLOSING IS EVEN ON THE TABLE. IT HAS NOT CAUSED ANY HARM OR DISADVANTAGES TO OUR COMMUNITY. I HOPE YOU MAKE THE RIGHT POSITIVE DECISION.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. THANK YOU. ARE THERE ANY OTHER STUDENT SPEAKERS THAT WANT TO COME OUT OF ORDER? NO. ALL RIGHT. JENNIFER AUSTIN. STATE YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS AND

[02:20:06]

WE LIVE LESS THAN A MILE FROM 1775 OAKS FARM. FIRST OF ALL, I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME AND THE COMMITMENT TO LEANDER. I KNOW ALL OF YOU WORK REALLY HARD. APPRECIATE IT. I'M HERE TO ASK YOU TO APPROVE THE SPECIAL USE PERMIT FOR 75 OAKS FOR THE FULL TEN YEARS REQUESTED. IT'S BEEN SHOWN THAT THIS FARM HAS VALUE TO OUR CITY, SO I'M NOT GOING TO ADDRESS THAT. I'M GOING TO ADDRESS A WHOLE LARGER VISION FOR THAT. WHEN I LOOK AT A ZONING DECISION, I ASK ONE QUESTION IF NOT THIS, THEN WHAT? WHAT'S GOING TO GO IN THERE? DO WE WANT ANOTHER STREET OF FENCED IN SUBDIVISIONS OR DUPLEXES? I BELIEVE THAT 75 OAKS WILL SET THE TONE FOR HORIZON PARK BOULEVARD. MY MY STREET, HOPEFULLY INSPIRING NEIGHBORHOOD SCALE COMMERCE WITH HOME OCCUPATIONS AND LOCAL BUSINESSES ON A WALKABLE SCALE.

I BELIEVE WE HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO EMBRACE THE ENTREPRENEURSHIP SPIRIT THAT LEANDER ONCE HAD BY SUPPORTING A SMALL BUSINESS OF PRESERVING SOME OF THE GREEN SPACE. THOSE ARE THREE ACRE TRACTS ALONG THAT AREA. WE CAN PRESERVE THAT, AND WE CAN PRESERVE THE CHARACTER OF THIS UNIQUE AREA OF LEANDER. I'M GOING TO ADDRESS THE TRAFFIC CONCERNS BECAUSE I HEAR THAT ON FACEBOOK. A SMALL URBAN FARM IS NOT THE TRAFFIC PROBLEM, ONLY ON HORIZON PARK BOULEVARD. THE LARGER PROBLEM IS THAT APPROXIMATELY 500 NEW HOUSES ALONG HORIZON PARK BOULEVARD HAVE VERY LITTLE WALKABILITY FOR MANY RESIDENTS, EVEN GETTING A CUP OF COFFEE REQUIRES THEM GETTING INTO A CAR. AND THAT LACK OF CONNECTIVITY ALSO MEANS FEWER CHILDREN CAN SAFELY WALK OR RIDE THEIR BIKES TO PLEASANT HILL ELEMENTARY. IT ALSO ADDS TO THE CONGESTION ON CRYSTAL FALLS PARKWAY. I'M GOING TO QUOTE FROM AN ARTICLE IN COMMUNITY IMPACT FROM APRIL 9TH, 2020, REFERRING TO HORIZON PARK BOULEVARD. AS PART OF THE AGREEMENT, THE DEVELOPER WILL COMPLETE A TRAFFIC IMPACT ANALYSIS AND PAY A $600,000 ROADWAY ADVOCACY FEE TO THE CITY. ROADWAY IMPROVEMENTS WILL BE THE FIRST PHASE OF THE PROJECT. I'M STILL WAITING. FINALLY, THE SPECIAL USE PERMIT GIVES A GROWING CITY THE FLEXIBILITY TO PRESERVE THINGS THAT MAKE IT UNIQUE. LET'S PRESERVE THIS OPPORTUNITY FOR TEN YEARS AND LET'S SEE WHAT IT CAN CONTRIBUTE TO LEANDER. AND THEN LET'S CONTINUE THIS CONVERSATION. MODERNIZING, MODERNIZING OUR HOME OCCUPATION AND LOCAL COMMERCIAL CATEGORIES, AS WELL AS OUR ADUS AND OUR SHORT TERM RENTAL ORDINANCES SO THAT LARGE ACRE PROPERTIES CAN GO AHEAD AND HOLD OUR GREEN SPACE AND STILL SUPPORT RESPONSIBLE, SMALL SCALE, SMALL SCALE ECONOMIC ACTIVITIES. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME AND FOR YOUR SERVICE TO LEANDER. THANK YOU, JASON SMITH. MY NAME IS JASON SMITH. I LIVE AT 232 FABIAN DRIVE IN GEORGETOWN, TEXAS, JUST ACROSS THE COUNTY COUNTY LINE THERE. GOOD EVENING, MAYOR THOMPSON AND CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS. MY NAME IS JASON. I'M A CO-LEADER OF A CHAPTER IN LEANDER OF THE KIDS OUTDOOR ZONE. WE'RE A FAITH BASED ORGANIZATION THAT MENTORS YOUNG MEN, ESPECIALLY FATHERLESS YOUNG MEN, TO GET OUTSIDE, GET OFF THEIR SCREENS, LEARN REAL WORLD SKILLS, AND BUILD STRONG CHARACTER. NOT LONG AGO, OUR GROUP TOOK ABOUT 30 BOYS AND VOLUNTEERS AND WE VISITED THE FARM. LISA OPENED HER PROPERTY TO US AND WHAT OUR BOYS EXPERIENCED OUT THERE WAS INCREDIBLE. IN A WORLD WHERE KIDS SPEND HOURS A WEEK ON THEIR SCREENS, 75 OAKS GAVE THEM AN ENTIRE DAY TO GET DIRT UNDER THEIR FINGERNAILS, TO LEARN WHERE THEIR FOOD COMES FROM, AND TO OBSERVE HOW LOCAL BUSINESSES THRIVE. DURING OUR TIME AT THE FARM, OUR YOUTH WERE EDUCATED ON NATIVE TEXAS PLANTS, LEARNING NOT JUST WHAT THEY ARE, BUT HOW TO CARE FOR THEM. THEY PREPARED TREE BEDS DESIGNED TO FOSTER NATURAL SYMBIOTIC RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN TREES AND NATIVE FLORA. THEY ROLLED UP THEIR SLEEVES AND LEARNED HOW EGGS GET FROM THE COOP TO THE TABLE, SORTING CANDLING, WASHING AND PACKAGING CHICKEN EGGS. FOR DISTRIBUTION, THEY WERE INTRODUCED TO THE FOUNDATIONAL PRINCIPLES OF SUSTAINABLE AND REGENERATIVE FARMING, LEARNING HOW HEALTHY SOIL, PLANTS AND ANIMALS CREATE A THRIVING ECOSYSTEM. ON JUST A COUPLE OF ACRES, THEY GOT A HANDS ON LOOK AT WHAT IT MEANS TO CARE FOR SOIL, MANAGE ANIMALS RESPONSIBLY, AND BECOME GOOD STEWARDS OF THE LAND. I WANT TO ESPECIALLY THANK DANNY AND HER HUSBAND DAVID. I SEE YOU BACK THERE. THEY SPENT A LOT OF TIME TALKING TO OUR BOYS, INSTRUCTING THEM AND SHARING THEIR KNOWLEDGE WITH SO MUCH PASSION. THEY DIDN'T JUST TEACH THE STEPS OF FARMING. THEY TAUGHT THESE BOYS ABOUT RESPECT FOR THE LAND, WORK ETHIC, AND WHAT IT MEANS TO TAKE CARE OF WHAT WE'VE BEEN GIVEN. THAT'S WHAT 75 OAKS OAKS FARM IS DOING FOR OUR COMMUNITY. LIZA, DANNY AND DAVID AREN'T JUST RUNNING A

[02:25:03]

WE HAVE BEEN FARM STORE CUSTOMERS SINCE 2021, AND HAVE ALSO TAKEN SEVERAL ADULT CLASSES ON THE FARM OVER THE YEARS AS WELL. BEFORE TAKING THESE CLASSES, I DIDN'T REALIZE HOW MUCH THERE WAS TO LEARN ABOUT GROWING MUSHROOMS AND PRODUCING HONEY, AND CREATING A BACKYARD THAT SUPPORTS LOCAL WILDLIFE. I'VE COME AWAY WITH KNOWLEDGE AND I CAN ACTUALLY USE IN MY OWN LIFE. THAT IS THE BEAUTY OF WHAT THE 75 OAKS HAS TO OFFER REAL HANDS ON EDUCATION THAT MAKES A DIFFERENCE BEYOND THE CLASSROOM. A FARM LIKE THE 75 OAKS IS ABOUT SO MUCH MORE THAN GROWING FOOD. IT'S ABOUT UNDERSTANDING WHERE OUR FOOD COMES FROM, LEARNING HOW WE CAN GROW SOME OF OUR OWN, AND APPRECIATING POLLINATORS AND WILDLIFE, AND DISCOVERING HOW EVEN SMALL ACTIONS IN OUR BACKYARD CAN BENEFIT THE ENVIRONMENT AROUND US. THESE CLASSES HELP PEOPLE BUILD PRACTICAL SKILLS, BECOME MORE ENVIRONMENTALLY AWARE, AND DEVELOP A DEEPER CONNECTION TO THE LAND AND COMMUNITY WE CALL HOME. THEY BRING PEOPLE TOGETHER. THROUGH LEARNING AND GIVE CHILDREN AND ADULTS OPPORTUNITIES TO DISCOVER SOMETHING NEW AND TO CREATE A COMMUNITY RIGHT HERE IN OUR BACKYARD. I BELIEVE PLACES LIKE THE 75 OAKS ARE INCREASINGLY IMPORTANT. WE NEED OPPORTUNITIES TO LEARN PRACTICAL SKILLS, SUPPORT LOCAL AGRICULTURE, PROTECT OUR NATURAL ENVIRONMENT, AND PASS THIS KNOWLEDGE ON TO THE NEXT GENERATION. I UNDERSTAND THAT GRANTING A SPECIAL USE PERMIT IS AN IMPORTANT DECISION, AND I RESPECT THE COUNCIL'S RESPONSIBILITY TO CONSIDER THE NEEDS OF THE COMMUNITY. I SIMPLY ASK THAT YOU RECOGNIZE THE EDUCATIONAL AND VALUE AND POSITIVE IMPACT. THE 75 OAKS FAMILY FARM CAN PROVIDE. PLEASE GIVE THIS FARM THE OPPORTUNITY TO CONTINUE SHARING ITS KNOWLEDGE, GROWING ITS EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS AND SERVING ITS COMMUNITY. I RESPECTFULLY ASK THAT YOU APPROVE THE SPECIAL USE PERMIT FOR THE 75 OAKS. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME AND CONSIDERATION. THANK YOU. MONICA RIOS. MONICA RIOS. GANESH KUMAR, PAULA. SAMY. NO. DANIELLE. WILSON. CYNTHIA. NO! OH! YOU'RE COMING. OKAY.

YOU STATE YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS AND YOU'LL HAVE THREE MINUTES. MY NAME IS DANIELLE SENDAK. I GO BY DANNY I. MY ADDRESS IS ONE 805 MARISOL TRAIL. I DON'T HAVE ANYTHING PREPARED, BUT I'LL SPEAK FROM THE HEART. I'M ONE OF THE FARMERS AT 75 OAKS. I HELP GROW THE FRESH LOCAL PRODUCE. I ALSO STILL WORK AT THE NATIVE GARDENS THAT PROVIDE HABITAT FOR POLLINATORS BIG, SMALL, AND MICROSCOPIC. I HELP GROW THE FLOWERS THAT TURN INTO BOUQUETS, AND I ALSO HELP AS ONE OF THE INDIVIDUAL INDIVIDUALS WHO TEACH THE CHILDREN IN THE CLASSES. I'VE BEEN A FARMER FOR THE PAST SIX YEARS AND CENTRAL TEXAS. I'VE ALSO OWNED MY OWN FARM. AND I WILL SAY WHAT THE 75 OAKS HAS CREATED AND CULTIVATED IS HARD TO FIND. THEY HAVE ACTIVATED A LEVEL OF COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT THAT MANY FARMERS JUST DREAM OF HAVING, AND I THINK THE LOSS OF THE FARM WOULD BE MORE THAN LOSING A FARM, BUT LOSING ALL THE LITTLE MOMENTS THAT EVERYONE WHO PASSES THROUGH THOSE DOORS EXPERIENCE. I'VE SEEN CHILDREN'S EYES LIGHT UP AND TURN AS BIG AS GLOBES WHEN THEY LEARN THAT THIS FLOWER IS EDIBLE AND TASTES LIKE THE GRAPE. I PICKED A WATERMELON OFF OF A VINE AND WALKED IT TO A PERSON'S CAR, AND THEY GOT A WATERMELON THAT WAS JUST SECONDS FRESH. IT DOESN'T GET MORE LOCAL THAN THAT. YEAH, I

[02:30:02]

THANK YOU FOR HEARING OUR COMMENTS. THANK YOU. JAMIE MARTINEZ. JAMIE MARTINEZ. NO.

OKAY. OKAY. SHE'S MONICA RIOS. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. STATE YOUR NAME, ADDRESS AND YOU HAVE THREE MINUTES. THANK YOU. YES. MONICA RIOS, 20803 NATIONAL DRIVE, LEANDER, TEXAS. WE CAN BARELY HEAR YOU. SO, YEAH. THERE YOU GO. THERE YOU GO. MONICA RIOS 20803 NATIONAL DRIVE, LEANDER, TEXAS. THANK YOU, THANK YOU. I'M SORRY. I'M OUT OF BREATH. I RAN IN HERE.

OH, YOU'RE GOOD GUYS. ALL RIGHT. WELL. HELLO, EVERYBODY. I'M CURRENTLY PREGNANT FOR THE FIRST TIME. AND WHILE HEALTH AND DIET HAVE BEEN IMPORTANT TO ME FOR A LONG TIME, IT NOW MEANS BEING RESPONSIBLE FOR THE HEALTH OF A BRAND NEW LIFE. WE SHOULDN'T HAVE TO STRUGGLE TO FIND FRESH, HIGH QUALITY FOODS AND LOCALLY SOURCED PRODUCTS. THAT'S SO VALUABLE. AND IT'S WHY I APPRECIATE 75 OAKS SO MUCH. FOR ME, THIS FARM MEANS MORE THAN JUST GOOD FOOD. I GREW UP IN A SMALL TOWN WHERE MY FAMILY HAD FARMS, BEING AROUND ANIMALS, LEARNING WHERE OUR FOOD CAME FROM, AND UNDERSTANDING THE IMPORTANCE OF AGRICULTURE WAS A BIG PART OF MY CHILDHOOD. WHEN I MOVED TO THE AUSTIN AREA, IT WAS HARDER TO MAINTAIN THAT CONNECTION.

FINDING 75 OAKS HONESTLY FELT LIKE FINDING A LITTLE PIECE OF HOME AGAIN. NOW THAT I'M EXPECTING MY OWN CHILD, I LOVE KNOWING THAT PLACES LIKE THIS EXIST WHERE CHILDREN CAN LEARN ABOUT ANIMALS, AGRICULTURE, AND WHERE THEIR FOOD COMES FROM. THOSE ARE EXPERIENCES I HOPE TO SHARE WITH MY CHILD SOMEDAY. AND BEYOND THAT, 75 OAKS SUPPORTS OTHER LOCAL BUSINESSES AND BRINGS PEOPLE LIKE MYSELF WHO LIVE OUTSIDE OF CEDAR PARK INTO THE COMMUNITY. SO I REALLY HOPE THE COUNCIL RECOGNIZES THAT THIS FARM OFFERS SOMETHING MUCH BIGGER THAN A PLACE TO SHOP. IT OFFERS CONNECTION, EDUCATION, AND A SENSE OF COMMUNITY THAT'S BECOMING HARDER TO FIND. I RESPECTFULLY ASK THAT YOU APPROVE THE SPECIAL USE PERMIT. THANK YOU, THANK YOU AND CONGRATULATIONS. CAN LEE GANIM. GOTCHA. HEY. YEP. STATE YOUR NAME, ADDRESS AND YOU'LL HAVE THREE MINUTES. CAN 313 NORTHVIEW LANE, GEORGETOWN, TEXAS. THANK YOU. I HOPE I'M NOT YOUR FIRST BUZZER. OKAY. YOU'RE GOING TO HEAR FROM MY WIFE HERE IN A LITTLE BIT ABOUT LITTLE BOOTS BIG ROOTS. BUT TONIGHT I WANTED TO SPEAK TO YOU AS A AS A DAD. I UNFORTUNATELY DON'T GET TO ATTEND FARM DAYS WITH MY KIDS VERY OFTEN, BUT I GET TO SEE THE IMPACT THAT THE 75 OAKS HAS ON THEM. AS A FATHER, I'M ASKING YOU TO THINK ABOUT THE CHILDHOOD THAT WE WANT FOR THE NEXT GENERATION OF TEXANS. WHEN OUR CHILDREN KNOW THEIR NEIGHBORS, RESPECT THE LAND, UNDERSTAND THE FOOD ON THEIR TABLES, AND HAVE THE FREEDOM TO GET THEIR BOOTS DIRTY WHILE THEY LEARN. WHEN YOU WERE A KID, DID YOU GET TO EXPLORE A SPACE DESIGNED FOR LITTLE HANDS AND CURIOUS MINDS, SURROUNDED BY FARM ANIMALS, OR LEARN HOW TO FEED A GOAT SAFELY, OR HOW TO PROPERLY HOLD A CHICKEN? HAD YOU REACHED BENEATH A HEN TO COLLECT AND HANDLE EGGS AND TRACK THE GROWTH OF A DEVELOPING CHICK, MY KIDS LEARNED THAT ALL THIS AND MORE, AND THEY CAN CONFIDENTLY EXPLAIN IT TO OTHER PEOPLE TOO.

THAT'S WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU GIVE CHILDREN THE CHANCE TO EXPERIENCE THE WORLD INSTEAD OF JUST HEARING ABOUT IT. BECAUSE IT'S 75 OAKS, MY KIDS HAVE A CHANCE AT THE TEXAS CHILDHOOD.

I HAD THE FREEDOM TO SPEND HOURS OUTSIDE, COME HOME SWEATY, COVERED IN DIRT, AND EXCITED ABOUT WHAT THEY'RE LEARNING. I WANT MY KIDS TO KNOW THE PEOPLE BEHIND THE PRODUCTS WE BRING HOME. BECAUSE OF THE 75 OAKS. MY KIDS KNOW OUR FARMERS ARE RANCHERS AND THE NAMES OF THE CHICKENS WHO LAY THE EGGS. THEY GET TO EAT THE PRODUCE THAT'S GROWN RIGHT IN OUR OWN ZIP CODE.

THE PEOPLE WHO SUPPLY OUR GOODS AREN'T JUST ANOTHER COMPANY ON THE LIST. THEY'RE FAMILIAR FACES WHO ARE INVESTED IN US AS WE ARE IN THEM. THESE MIGHT SOUND LIKE LITTLE THINGS, BUT THEY'RE SHAPING MY CHILDREN TO BECOME CURIOUS, CONFIDENT, CAPABLE, AND CONNECTED TO THE WORLD AND ALL THE PEOPLE AROUND THEM. THIS PLACE HAS CHANGED MORE THAN JUST MY KIDS. MY WIFE'S BUSINESS, LITTLE BOOTS BIG ROOTS WOULD NOT EXIST WITHOUT THE 75 OAKS THEY'VE CREATED SOMETHING THAT SUPPORTS FAMILIES, BUILDS UP SMALL BUSINESSES, AND BRINGS PEOPLE TOGETHER. YOU CANNOT REPLICATE THAT BY FINDING ANOTHER PIECE OF LAND. THE LAND MATTERS, BUT

[02:35:03]

IF YOU LOOK AROUND THIS ROOM, COMMUNITIES DON'T SHOW UP LIKE THIS WITHOUT A REASON. FAMILIES DON'T KEEP COMING BACK IN. SMALL BUSINESSES DON'T GROW ALONGSIDE A PLACE UNLESS THAT PLACE IS GIVING SOMETHING MEANINGFUL BACK TO THE COMMUNITY. SO MY KIDS ARE GETTING AN EXPERIENCE. THE QUINTESSENTIAL TEXAS CHILDHOOD. THEY'RE GROWING UP KNOWING WHERE THEIR FOOD COMES FROM, HOW TO CARE FOR LIVING THINGS, AND WHAT IT FEELS LIKE TO BELONG TO A COMMUNITY THAT CARES ABOUT THEM. CLOSING THESE GATES WOULD TAKE AWAY OPPORTUNITIES THAT CANNOT SIMPLY BE RECREATED ELSEWHERE. BY APPROVING THE 75 OAKS SPECIAL USE PERMIT TODAY, YOU'RE GIVING THESE CHILDREN THE OPPORTUNITY TO GROW UP WITH CAPABLE HANDS, CURIOUS MINDS, AND DEEP TEXAS ROOTS. YOU MADE IT JUST IN TIME. THERE YOU GO.

HEY, THANK YOU ALL. ANDREA GANIM. YES, I SAW HER. STATE YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS AND YOU'LL HAVE THREE MINUTES. MY NAME IS ANDREA GANIM AND I LIVE AT 313 NORTHVIEW LANE, GEORGETOWN, TEXAS. AND AT THE 75 OAKS, I RUN LITTLE BOOTS BIG ROOTS, WHICH IS A PROGRAM SERVING CHILDREN AGES 1 TO 7 AND THEIR FAMILIES. WE OFFER PLAYGROUPS AND HOMESCHOOL ENRICHMENT WHERE KIDS CAN GET MESSY, EXPLORE NATURE, AND BE INTRODUCED TO FARMING AND AGRICULTURE FROM AN EARLY AGE, WITH HANDS ON EXPERIENCES THAT YOU CAN'T RECREATE AT HOME. OUR PROGRAM HAS BEEN THOUGHTFULLY DESIGNED IN EVERY ASPECT, WITH CARE AND INPUT FROM EVERYONE, FROM DOCTORS TO THE CHILDREN THEMSELVES. EVERYONE TELLS US THAT YOUNG CHILDREN BENEFIT FROM MEANINGFUL TIME IN NATURE. AND YET, FOUR YEARS AGO, I SEARCHED AND SEARCHED AND IT DIDN'T EXIST. SO I REACHED OUT TO LISA. SHE DIDN'T HAVE A PROGRAM FOR ME, BUT SHE IMMEDIATELY SAW THE NEED AND INVITED ME TO THE FARM. I HANDED HER A CHAOTIC NOTEBOOK FULL OF IDEAS AND SHE HANDED ME A BABY GOAT. AND IN THAT MOMENT, I KNEW THIS PROGRAM NEEDED TO EXIST. WHEN WE BEGAN IN MARCH OF 2023, WE HAD 40 SPOTS ENROLLED ACROSS TWO PROGRAMS. THIS YEAR, MORE THAN 250 SPOTS IN OUR FIVE PROGRAMS WILL BE USED. THAT GROWTH ISN'T JUST A STATISTIC. IT'S EVIDENCE OF A NEED IN OUR COMMUNITY, AND THAT WHAT THE 75 OAKS OFFERS IS SO SPECIAL. YOU CANNOT RECREATE THIS SOMEWHERE ELSE. IT DOESN'T JUST TAKE A PIECE OF LAND TO MAKE THESE THINGS HAPPEN. IT TAKES HEART, DEDICATION, PERSISTENCE, AND SO MUCH MORE THAT THE TYRANNIES PUT IN DAY AFTER DAY. THE RESEARCH INCREASINGLY SUPPORTS ACCESS TO SPACES AND PROGRAMS LIKE THIS. STUDIES ON EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION FOUND THAT NATURE RICH PROGRAMS WERE ASSOCIATED WITH POSITIVE OUTCOMES IN COGNITIVE, SOCIAL, EMOTIONAL AND PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT, ENVIRONMENTAL LITERACY, LANGUAGE AND LITERACY, SELF-REGULATION, SOCIAL SKILLS, NATURE CONNECTEDNESS, AND NUTRITION. THIS RESEARCH DOESN'T SIMPLY TELL US THAT NATURE IS GOOD FOR KIDS. IT SHOWS US WHY ACCESS MATTERS.

WHEN CHILDREN ARE GIVEN THE OPPORTUNITY TO DIG IN SOIL, CARE FOR ANIMALS, GROW FOOD, OBSERVE PLANTS AND WILDLIFE, ASK QUESTIONS, GET MESSY, AND LEARN THROUGH REAL EXPERIENCES.

THE 75 OAKS BECOMES MORE THAN A FARM. IT BECOMES A LIVING CLASSROOM WHERE CHILDREN CAN BUILD CURIOSITY, CONFIDENCE, RESPONSIBILITY, SOCIAL SKILLS, SCIENTIFIC UNDERSTANDING AND A LIFELONG CONNECTION TO THE NATURAL WORLD WITHOUT EVEN KNOWING THEY'RE DOING IT. I COULD TALK STATISTICS AND IMPACT ON CHILDREN FOR AGES BECAUSE OUR KIDS NEED THIS, BUT I CANNOT END WITHOUT ADDRESSING THAT. THE 75 OAKS IS WHAT EVERY BUSINESS SHOULD EMULATE THEMSELVES TO BE, AND LEANDER SHOULD BE PROUD TO HAVE THEM. THEY HAVE USED EVERY OUNCE OF SUCCESS THAT THEY HAVE HAD TO BUILD UP THEIR COMMUNITY AND OTHER SMALL BUSINESSES. IF THEY DIDN'T LOOK AROUND AND SAY, HOW CAN WE BE GOOD STEWARDS OF THIS PROPERTY? LIFE AS ME AND MY CHILDREN KNOW IT WOULDN'T EXIST. AND FOR SOME REASON YOU VOTE TO CLOSE THEIR GATES TONIGHT. IT WOULD BE AN IMMEASURABLE LOSS. FELT FAR BEYOND THE CONFINES OF LEANDER, NOT JUST FOR THE TYRANNIES OR SMALL BUSINESSES LIKE ME, BUT FOR CHILDREN AND THEIR FAMILIES. IT'LL BE A LOSS FELT IN THEIR HEARTS, IN THEIR COMMUNITIES AND THEIR EDUCATIONS, AND ON THEIR DINNER TABLES. I APPRECIATE YOUR TIME, AND I RESPECTFULLY ASK YOU TO SAVE THIS STAPLE IN YOUR OWN COMMUNITY EXACTLY HOW IT IS. THANK YOU. REGINA MARTINEZ. GOOD EVENING. I'M EXCITED TO BE HERE. I'VE NEVER BEEN TO A CITY COUNCIL MEETING. SO THIS IS KIND OF AN EXCITING EVENT. BUT I STATE YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS AND YOU HAVE MARTINA. SORRY, I AM EXCITED. OKAY. NO YOU'RE GOOD, YOU'RE GOOD. REGINA MARTINEZ 124 LEMON LANE, LIBERTY HILL, TEXAS. AND SO I'VE BEEN GOING TO THE FARM FOR ABOUT TWO YEARS. PERSONAL EXPERIENCE. I'M GOING THERE FOR RAW MILK AND FRESH EGGS, WHICH IS NOT ALWAYS EASY TO FIND IN THIS DAY AND AGE. OBVIOUSLY,

[02:40:05]

LEANDER IS ACTUALLY A VERY BEAUTIFUL CITY AND SAY MORE, SAY MORE. YEAH. AND I THINK THAT YOUR COUNCIL IS DOING A PHENOMENAL JOB. AND I'M I'M ACTUALLY QUITE SINCERE. I CAN TELL THAT EACH ONE OF YOU IS PASSIONATE ABOUT LEANDER. AND OBVIOUSLY BECAUSE OF THE AUSTIN SPRAWL, ALL OF THESE SUBURBS ARE GOING THROUGH INCREDIBLE GROWING PAINS AND JUST TRYING TO KEEP UP WITH. I'M SURE YOU HAVE SO MANY ISSUES THAT YOU HAVE TO DEAL WITH ON A DAILY BASIS, AND WE REALLY APPRECIATE IT. AND I DO WANT TO SPEAK MORE SPECIFICALLY TO 75 OAKS FARM, BECAUSE AS YOU CAN SEE, IT'S A VERY SPECIALIZED BUSINESS AND YOU'RE NOT GOING TO FIND IT ANYWHERE ELSE, PROBABLY NOT IN THE COUNTY, HONESTLY. AND I JUST WANT YOU TO REALLY CONSIDER THEM AS AN ASSET AND NOT A LIABILITY, BECAUSE THEY ARE CERTAINLY A BLESSING TO ME, MY FAMILY, AND TO ALL OF THESE FAMILIES AND MANY OTHER FAMILIES THAT AREN'T EVEN NOT REPRESENTED HERE. AND SO I'M HOPING THAT AT SOME POINT THEY'LL ALSO BE A BLESSING AND TO YOUR OWN FAMILIES. AND SO I JUST ASK THAT YOU PLEASE CONSIDER APPROVING THE SPECIAL USE PERMIT SO THEY CAN CONTINUE TO DO THE AMAZING JOB THEY'RE DOING FOR ALL OF US. THANK YOU.

THANK YOU. VANESSA MINTON. MY NAME IS VANESSA MINTON, AND I LIVE AT 506 LAFAYETTE SQUARE DRIVE, LEANDER, TEXAS. THANK YOU. GOOD EVENING, MAYOR AND COUNCIL MEMBERS. I'M HERE TONIGHT AS A RESIDENT OF THE NEIGHBORING COMMUNITY TO THE 75 OAKS FARM IN HORIZON PARK. I'M A CHEF, PUBLISHED AUTHOR AND ONLINE GARDENING EDUCATOR WHO ALSO TEACHES HANDS ON ADULT CLASSES AT 75 OAKS FARM. AND I'M SOMEONE WHO BELIEVES DEEPLY IN THE IMPORTANCE OF PRESERVING AGRICULTURE AND GREEN SPACES AS OUR CITY CONTINUES TO GROW. I'VE BEEN A RESIDENT OF LEANDER FOR 22 YEARS, AND I AM NO STRANGER TO LEANDER, CHANGING QUICKLY WITH MANY OBVIOUS SPEED BUMPS ALONG THE WAY. NEW NEIGHBORHOODS, BUSINESSES, AND DEVELOPMENTS ARE BECOMING PART OF OUR LANDSCAPE EVERY YEAR, AND I UNDERSTAND THAT THERE ARE A LOT OF MOVING PIECES WHEN IT COMES TO DRIVING THE DIRECTION OF GROWTH FOR OUR COMMUNITY WHILE TRYING TO PRESERVE THE CHARACTER OF OUR TOWN. BUT I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT AS WE GROW, WE ASK OURSELVES WHAT WE'RE MAKING ROOM FOR AND WHAT WE MIGHT BE LEAVING BEHIND. ONCE AGRICULTURAL SPACES DISAPPEAR FROM A COMMUNITY, THEY'RE INCREDIBLY DIFFICULT TO BRING BACK, AND THE 75 OAKS FARM HAS FIGURED OUT A WAY TO OFFER SOMETHING AMAZING TO OUR COMMUNITY, WHILE BEING ABLE TO KEEP THEIR OWN LIGHTS ON AS A SMALL FAMILY FARM. NOT A SMALL TASK BY ANY MEANS. IN A WORLD WHERE WE ARE LOSING THOUSANDS OF FAMILY FARMS EACH YEAR. AS MENTIONED IN THE PREVIOUS MEETING, THE OAK RIDGE RESIDENTS AND HOA PRESIDENT ANDY HOGUE THAT ARE LOCATED DIRECTLY ACROSS FROM THIS FARM STATE THAT THEY'VE BEEN THANKFUL TO SEE SOMEONE FINALLY MAKING USE OF THIS UNIQUE PROPERTY, AS IT HAD CHANGED HANDS OVER THE YEARS, A FEW TIMES BRINGING UP CONCERNS THAT THE NEXT TURNOVER WOULD POTENTIALLY BRING A REZONING OF LARGER MULTI-FAMILY HOUSING UNITS OR COMMERCIAL OVERHAUL TO THEIR QUIET NEIGHBORHOOD. THAT WAS AN INTERESTING STATEMENT FOR ME TO HEAR, CONSIDERING THAT I'M STANDING HERE RIGHT NOW, BECAUSE WE ARE ASKING YOU TO DECIDE IF THIS FARM NOT ONLY POSITIVELY AFFECTS THE COMMUNITY, BUT ALSO HAS ZERO NEGATIVE IMPACT ON ITS SURROUNDING PROPERTIES, INFRASTRUCTURE AND RESIDENTS. I SAT FOR OVER AN HOUR IN THE PLANNING AND DEVELOPING, PLANNING, ZONING, MEETING, LISTENING TO RESIDENT AFTER RESIDENT BASICALLY CORRESPONDING ABOUT DIFFERENT PROPERTIES THAT TOUCH THIS PROPERTY. HALF OF THEM SAID THEY DIDN'T EVEN REALLY KNOW IT EXISTED UNTIL THEY CAME UPON IT, AND THE OTHER HALF SAID HOW MUCH IT HAD CHANGED THEIR LIFE. I REACH AN AUDIENCE OF NEARLY 1 MILLION PEOPLE WEEKLY ONLINE, THROUGH EDUCATIONAL VIDEOS ON HOW TO GROW FOOD, SUPPORT POLLINATORS AND BE GOOD STEWARDS OF OUR OF OUR CONTINUOUSLY UNSTABLE ECOLOGICAL ENVIRONMENT. BUT I FEEL I MAKE THE MOST IMPACT WHEN I'M INVOLVED IN MY COMMUNITY, IN PERSON, TEACHING HANDS ON AT PLACES LIKE THE 75 OAKS FARM. ONE OF THE THINGS I SEE CONSISTENTLY IS PEOPLE BEING DISCONNECTED ON WHERE THEIR FOOD COMES FROM, BUT I ALSO SEE HOW EAGER THEY ARE TO LEARN. THEY WANT TO KNOW EVERYTHING ABOUT IT, AND THEY WANT THEIR KIDS TO KNOW THIS AS WELL. IN AN ENVIRONMENT THAT IS TANGIBLE, PLACES LIKE 75 OAKS FARM MAKE THOSE EXPERIENCES

[02:45:03]

I HEAR THE SAME THING WHEN I MEET PARENTS AT PARKS ALL THROUGHOUT NORTH AUSTIN, FAMILIES ARE LOOKING FOR MEANINGFUL WAYS TO CONNECT, AND I AM FORTUNATE TO BE ABLE TO SHARE THE 75 OAKS WITH THEM. THE 75 OAKS IS MORE THAN A FARM. IT'S AN EDUCATIONAL RESOURCE, A COMMUNITY GATHERING PLACE, A HOME FOR SMALL BUSINESSES THAT SERVE OUR FAMILIES. NOT TO MENTION AN ABSOLUTE ASSET TO THE CITY OF LEANDER. SO PLEASE LOOK AROUND THIS ROOM. LOOK AT ALL THE FAMILIES AND CHILDREN WHO SHOWED UP TONIGHT, WELL PAST THE BEDTIME ROUTINES, BECAUSE THIS PLACE MATTERS TO THEM. CONSIDER WHAT YOUR DECISION MEANS FOR THEIR FUTURES. I URGE YOU TO PROTECT THIS IRREPLACEABLE RESOURCE FOR OUR COMMUNITY AND THE GENERATION OF CHILDREN WHO DESERVE TO EXPERIENCE IT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MIKE, FOR. GOOD

[02:50:14]

THEY HAVE CREATED THIS INCREDIBLE ONE STOP SHOP THAT GIVES LEANDER FAMILIES CONVENIENT ACCESS TO HIGH QUALITY, LOCALLY PRODUCED GOODS AND PRODUCTS. BUT THEIR IMPACT ON MY LIFE PERSONALLY HAS GONE FAR BEYOND GROCERIES. BEAR WITH ME. I'M GOING TO GET A LITTLE EMOTIONAL. I DID IT FOR THE P AND Z COMMITTEE TOO. SO ABOUT A YEAR AND A HALF AGO, 75 OAKS HOSTED A FREE COMMUNITY WORKSHOP FEATURING A FUNCTIONAL NUTRITIONIST SPECIALIZING IN GUT HEALTH AND NERVOUS SYSTEM DISORDERS. I ATTENDED THAT WORKSHOP, IMMEDIATELY BECAME THAT PRACTITIONER'S CLIENT, AND THAT CONNECTION BECAME THE TURNING POINT IN RESOLVING A SEVERE, DEBILITATING CHRONIC PAIN DISORDER THAT I HAD SUFFERED WITH FOR OVER A DECADE.

I WENT FROM BEING IN PAIN EVERY SINGLE DAY OF MY LIFE THAT A SMALL ARMY OF HEALTH CARE PROVIDERS HAD NOT BEEN ABLE TO HELP ME WITH, TO FEELING LIKE I ACTUALLY GOT MY LIFE BACK AS A DIRECT RESULT OF A CONNECTION MADE RIGHT THERE IN THE DRIVE THROUGH GARAGE OF THE 75 OAKS.

THEY HAVE PROVEN THAT A SMALL URBAN FARM CAN COEXIST WITH ITS NEIGHBORS, EVEN ONE THAT'S 500FT AWAY, WHILE BRINGING SOMETHING QUITE LITERALLY LIFE CHANGING TO LEANDER, TO THE COMMUNITY. AND I CAN'T THINK OF ANYONE MORE DESERVING OF APPROVAL FOR THIS SPECIAL USE PERMIT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. SUZY HICKMAN. SUZY HICKMAN. CHRIS ABDOU. HELLO, I'M CHRIS

[02:55:02]

BUT THIS IS EXACTLY MY DREAM. AND TO SEE SOMEBODY WHO'S CREATED THEIR DREAM BETTER THAN H-E-B COULD, YOU KNOW, WE WANT H-E-B HERE IN THE SENSE THAT THEY SOLVE OUR PROBLEMS FOR US LOCALLY. THE MOST ORGANIC PLACE YOU CAN GET. IT'S JUST AMAZING. AND OF COURSE, I'M SPEAKING FROM A RURAL TOWN LITTLE LADY WHO IS DELIGHTED TO BE IN LEANDER. I LOVE LEANDER, THANK YOU ALL FOR MAKING IT SUCH A BEAUTIFUL PLACE, AND THANK YOU FOR EVEN ALLOWING IT TO BE AS LONG AS IT HAS BEEN, BUT WE WOULD LIKE IT TO CONTINUE AND AND I JUST STAND IN AWE OF HER BECAUSE WATCHING SOMEONE COMPLETE YOUR DREAM AND, YOU KNOW, LIKE ROUND ROCK, HONEY,

[03:00:02]

LISA'S DESIRE FOR THE MURAL WAS TO FOCUS ON POLLINATORS, AND I WAS EXCITED ABOUT PAINTING SOMETHING THAT HAD NATURE AND ITS IMPACT ON US AS A FOCUS. IF YOU REMEMBER THE LIVE LOVE LEANDER MURAL, IT HAD FLOWERS ON IT AND THE ONE I PAINTED ON THE SIDE OF THE BUILDING ALSO HAS FLOWERS. I TEND TO LIKE PAINTING FLOWERS, AND SO I WAS REALLY EXCITED ABOUT HER FOCUS ON POLLINATORS. AND I WAS ALSO REALLY EXCITED ABOUT THE FACT THAT LISA'S FARM WAS ALREADY MAKING AN IMPACT ON THE COMMUNITY. AND I KNEW THE WORK OF THE. MY STUDENTS IN MY CAMP WOULD HAVE AN IMPACT ON MANY HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE. AND ALSO, SIMPLY PUT, LISA'S DEMEANOR AND PASSION FOR COMMUNITY WAS JUST WHAT I WANTED AS A PRACTICE CLIENT. AS I TAUGHT MY STUDENTS HOW TO PRODUCE A COMMISSIONED WORK OF ART THAT NEEDED TO FIT A CLIENT'S CERTAIN STANDARD.

I'M AN ARTIST. I LOVE TO MAKE ART, BUT I ESPECIALLY LOVE TO MAKE ART THAT HAS AN IMPACT.

AND THE THING ABOUT LISA IS THAT SHE'S MAKING AN IMPACT. THE 75 OAKS HAS A TRACK RECORD OF IMPACTING FAMILIES ALREADY FOR SIX YEARS. LET'S MAKE SURE THAT THEY CAN DO IT FOR MANY MORE YEARS TO COME. THANK YOU. DANIELLE CUZZI. DANIELLE CUZZI. I LIVE AT 4104 ROCKAWAY DRIVE IN LAGO VISTA. I DIDN'T PREPARE ANYTHING BECAUSE I JUST WANT TO SPEAK FROM MY HEART. I ABOUT TEN YEARS AGO, I HAD MY SECOND CHILD AND I REALIZED BOTH OF MY KIDS WERE VERY SICK. AND THROUGH A LOT OF RESEARCH AND SLEEPLESS NIGHTS, I LEARNED THAT LIFESTYLE WAS THE REASON OUR FOOD WAS THE REASON. AND SO I BEGAN A LIFELONG JOURNEY OF LOOKING FOR GOOD, REAL, NOURISHING FOOD FOR MY KIDS. AND THAT TOOK ME ALL OVER. IT WAS HARDER THAN YOU WOULD THINK.

I HAVE DRIVEN TO FARMS ALL OVER THE TEXAS HILL COUNTRY. I'VE SPENT COUNTLESS HOURS FINDING RAW MILK, ORGANIC PRODUCE, PASTURE RAISED MEATS. AND THEN I DISCOVERED THAT 75 OAKS WAS 25 MINUTES FROM MY HOUSE. AND WHEN YOU LIVE IN LAGO VISTA, THAT'S RIGHT DOWN THE ROAD.

RIGHT. THE FIRST THING THAT I THOUGHT WHEN I GOT THERE WAS, THIS IS HERE. HOW IS THIS HERE? I HAD NO IDEA. IT'S BEAUTIFUL THE WAY THAT THEY HAVE IT SET UP. AND THE WAY THAT THE DRIVEWAY WORKS IS IMPECCABLE. I WATCH LISA CONDUCTING TRAFFIC FROM THE DRIVEWAY, MAKING SURE THAT THERE'S NOTHING IMPACTING THE STREET. IT'S DONE SO BEAUTIFULLY. SHE HAS AN OUTLET FOR ALL OF THE FARMS THAT I'VE BEEN DRIVING ALL OVER THE WORLD TO BUY FOOD FOR. IT FEELS FROM IT FEELS LIKE. AND SHE'S GOT IT ALL RIGHT THERE. IT'S DONE BEAUTIFULLY. I CAN'T SAY ENOUGH GOOD THINGS ABOUT IT, AND IT'S CLEAR THAT THERE'S AN OVERWHELMING AMOUNT OF SUPPORT IN THEIR COMMUNITY, AND I WILL CONTINUE TO DRIVE TO PICK UP MY FOOD FROM LISA AS LONG AS SHE

[03:05:03]

LIKE YOU'RE THE GUY THAT SHOOK UP THE MILK IN THE CAR. I'M LIKE, YEAH. SO IT'S PERSONALIZED, AND I JUST HOPE YOU ALL KEEP IT THE WAY IT IS. THAT'D BE FANTASTIC. THANK YOU.

AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE. THANK YOU ALL. DORIAN MENDEZ. I'M SORRY, WERE YOU SAYING THEY WERE COMING IN OR. OH, GOTCHA. THANK YOU. THAT'S OKAY. AND DID WE HAVE CASEY MIRANDA COME BACK IN? YES. COME ON UP. HELLO, MAYOR AND COUNCIL MEMBERS. I'M CASEY MIRANDA, AND I LIVE AT 328 ABBRUZZI STREET HERE IN LEANDER. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME AND YOUR PATIENCE. I'M HERE REPRESENTING MY HUSBAND, JOSH, MY TWO DAUGHTERS AND MY PARENTS, KEVIN AND LORI SCHULTZ.

WE ARE THREE GENERATIONS WORTH OF LEANDER RESIDENTS. AND FOR US, LEANDER IS THE 75 OAKS FARM,

[03:10:07]

IT GIVES OUR COMMUNITY AND THIS CITY NOT ONLY THE ABILITY TO ENJOY THE PHYSICAL LAND OF THE 75 OAKS, BUT IT WOULD GIVE THIS ENRICHING, WELCOMING AND POSITIVE COMMUNITY THE ABILITY TO TRULY THRIVE HERE IN LEANDER. TEN YEARS GIVES ME, JOSH AND MY PARENTS THE REASSURANCE TO KNOW WHERE OUR FOOD IS COMING FROM AND TO BE NOURISHED LOCALLY, WEAKLY. IT GIVES MY DAUGHTERS, MURPHY AND MAEVE, PROGRAMS IN WHICH THEY CAN THRIVE AND DEPEND ON AS THEY GROW UP HERE IN LEANDER, IT GIVES US REASON TO SETTLE INTO OUR HOME INDEFINITELY AND TO GET MORE INVOLVED IN ACTIVELY SUPPORTING THE LEANDER COMMUNITY. IT GIVES MY HUSBAND AND I AN OPPORTUNITY FOR ANOTHER FARM DATE NIGHT, AND WE NEED THAT TEN YEAR COMMITMENT BECAUSE OUR KIDS ARE AGE ZERO AND FOUR, AND THAT DATE COULD BE 8 TO 10 YEARS AWAY. TEN YEARS SECURES THIS PRECIOUS GIFT FOR OUR CITY. WE'RE ASKING THAT YOU, OUR CITY COUNCIL, SECURE THIS COMMUNITY, THIS IRREPLACEABLE TREASURE. THAT IS THE 75 OAKS FOR LEANDER. I RESPECTFULLY ASK YOU TO GIVE US THE TIME AND THE OPPORTUNITY TO PROVE YOU RIGHT IN INVESTING OUR FARM. I HOPE TO LOOK BACK IN TEN YEARS IN REVERENCE OF THE DECISION YOU MADE TO KEEP OUR FARM HERE. LEANDER. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, KELLY MENDEZ, KELLY MENDEZ. OKAY. ANDY HOGUE. WELL, GOOD EVENING, COUNCIL.

ANDY HOGUE, 1306 LAUREL GLEN BOULEVARD AND PRESIDENT OF THE OAK RIDGE HOA. YEAH, I'LL ACCEPT YOUR CONDOLENCES FOR THAT. I THINK EVERYTHING I NEEDED TO SAY WAS SAID BY MISS MINTON AND MISS IRVINE. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. I CAN PROBABLY JUST GO HOME TO GIVE A LITTLE BIT OF BACKGROUND. I THINK WHAT WAS SAID ABOUT THE NATURAL TRANSITION IS IMPORTANT. WE'RE GOING TO GET SOME DEVELOPMENT BETWEEN PLEASANT HILL ELEMENTARY SCHOOL AND OUR NEIGHBORHOOD, AND THERE'S A EMPTY LOT THERE RIGHT NOW. AND WHAT YOU DON'T WANT IS TO HAVE A HOUSE RIGHT NEXT TO THE ALLEYWAY BEHIND 711. YOU JUST DON'T WANT THAT. YOU WANT SOME KIND OF NATURAL GRADATION. WHAT THIS FARM PROVIDES IS THAT IT GIVES US A LITTLE BIT OF BREATHING GROUND BETWEEN BUSINESS AND RESIDENTIAL, WHICH IS WHAT WE NEEDED. WELL, IT WAS SAID ABOUT THERE BEING NO NEGATIVE COMMENTS IS ABSOLUTELY TRUE. AND I'VE MADE THE ROUNDS, NOT ONE. I MEAN, HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE. NOW, AT FIRST WE WERE A LITTLE CONFUSED. WE WERE THINKING, OKAY, DON'T THEY UNDERSTAND ZONING LAWS AND PERMITTING? WELL, MAYBE THOSE OF US HERE UNDERSTAND THOSE THINGS, BUT ONE THING THEY UNDERSTAND IS HOW TO DO A FARM.

THEY ALSO KNOW HOW TO TAKE CARE OF THE LITTLE ONES. THAT'S VERY IMPORTANT TO ME AND THE CITY.

IF WE SHOULD BE DOING ANYTHING, IT'S FACILITATING THAT ORGANIC GROWTH. SO I THINK WE NEED TO DO EVERYTHING IN OUR POWER TO MAKE SURE THIS FARM STAYS THERE. AND I'D LIKE TO ADD THIS TO AS WELL. THERE'S A LOT OF INTERESTING THINGS GOING DOWN HORIZON PARK BOULEVARD THAT WAS SAID TO EVERYBODY'S STEALING MY THUNDER. I GUESS THAT'S WHAT YOU GET. WE'RE GOING LAST, RIGHT? BUT WE GOT STARLIGHT VILLAGE. WE'VE GOT SOME OTHER DEVELOPMENTS ON THE HORIZON.

WE'VE GOT A NORTH LINE RIGHT DOWN THE ROAD. BY HAVING THIS FARM HERE, WE HAVE SOMETHING UNIQUE THAT ANCHORS THE DYNAMISM WE'RE GOING TO SEE FROM HERE TO NORTH LINE. SO I THINK WE NEED THIS. WE I'M ALSO EXCITED TO HEAR ABOUT A ZONING OVERLAY BEING DEVELOPED BY THE CITY TO ALLOW FOR FUTURE URBAN FARMS. THAT'S A WONDERFUL THING FOR OUR CITY. WE NEED A FAIR PROCESS TO EVALUATE WHAT'S AN URBAN FARM AND WHAT'S JUST A NUISANCE. SO I LOOK FORWARD TO THAT. BUT RIGHT NOW WE HAVE A PIONEER. WE HAVE A TEST BALLOON WE CAN LOOK AT. SO LET'S USE

[03:15:01]

MICHELLE BURGESS. OUTSIDE. OKAY. MICHELLE BURGESS. WHILE WE WAIT TO CHECK ON THAT. KAYLA FAIRHURST.

I THINK THEY ARE PROBABLY NOT HERE. SHE SHE WENT FAR OUT INTO THE PARKING LOT.

OH WELL, NEVER MIND. NO. OKAY. THANK YOU. SO THAT WAS OUR LAST SPEAKER. AND NOW COUNCIL. I'M SORRY. OUR PUBLIC HEARING IS NOW CLOSED AND WE WILL DISCUSS AND CONSIDER ACTION ON SPECIAL USE CASE Z-26-0240 AS DESCRIBED ABOVE. I HAVE A QUESTION FOR. I DON'T KNOW, CITY MANAGER PARDON OR ASSISTANT ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER RAVEL WOULD LIKE TO ANSWER. I'M NOT SURE. WHEN THIS ISSUE CAME UP. WE DISCUSSED THAT WE WERE GOING TO CREATE A SPECIAL CARVE OUT FOR URBAN FARMING IN THE CITY. CAN YOU TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT IF THAT CARVE OUT HAD BEEN CREATED TODAY WITH A SPECIAL USE PERMIT STILL BE NEEDED? FOR THEIR PARTICULAR FARM, OR WOULD IT BE ENCOMPASSED ALREADY? OR EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF DEVELOPMENT SERVICES? YES. SO WE'RE WE'RE CURRENTLY WORKING ON THE THE DRAFT OF THE ORDINANCE. AND ONE OF THE ELEMENTS ABOUT 75 OAKS THAT WOULD STILL CAUSE A SPECIAL USE PERMIT IS THE COMMERCIAL NATURE OF A FARM STORE. OKAY. THANK YOU. SO I JUST WANTED TO BE CLEAR. IF IF ONCE WE GET THAT APPROVED AND ON THE BOOKS, THERE WOULD BE THE ABILITY BY RIGHT TO HAVE THAT URBAN FARM IF YOU MEET CERTAIN REQUIREMENTS THAT ARE IN THAT ORDINANCE, BUT THEY WOULD STILL NEED A SPECIAL USE PERMIT. CORRECT. AND DO WE HAVE ANY CONSTERNATION ABOUT TEN YEARS ON A SPECIAL USE PERMIT BEING THAT WE KNOW WE'RE ABOUT WE'RE ALMOST DONE WRITING OUR ORDINANCE. THERE WOULDN'T BE ANY ISSUE WITH THAT ABOUT THAT. OKAY. THANK YOU. WHAT I'M GOING TO DO IS MAKE A MOTION TO APPROVE, AND THEN I'LL NEED A SECOND. AND THEN IF THERE'S ADDITIONAL COMMENTS BY EACH COUNCIL MEMBER, WE CAN TAKE THEM AT THAT TIME. I'LL SECOND.

ALL RIGHT. WE HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND. I'LL START WITH PRO TEM. DO YOU HAVE ANY COMMENTS BEFORE WE HAVE COMMENTS. OKAY. PLEASE. FIVE. I DO WANT TO THANK EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU, AS I HAVE DONE AT PREVIOUS MEETINGS, WHERE THE COMMUNITY COMES OUT AND ACTUALLY EXPRESSES EXACTLY HOW THEY FEEL, BECAUSE THAT TAKES COURAGE AND IT IS SOMETHING THAT EACH OF YOU DECIDED TO DO TO VOICE YOUR OPINION ON THIS PARTICULAR MATTER. SO THANK YOU FOR THAT.

AND I THINK IT'S VERY, VERY IMPORTANT THAT WE CONTINUE TO HAVE THAT OPEN AND HONEST DISCUSSION AS IT RELATES TO THESE TYPES OF MATTERS WITHIN OUR CITY, BECAUSE I THINK THAT'S HOW WE LEARN, AND THAT'S HOW WE CAN MOVE FORWARD TOGETHER IN A IN A MANNER THAT ACTUALLY ADDRESSES THE TYPES OF COMPLICATIONS AND ISSUES THAT, THAT, THAT ARE INVOLVED IN THIS TYPE OF CONVERSATION AND DECISION MAKING. THIS IS THE KIND OF SMALL LOCAL FAMILY BUSINESS THAT CAN WORK IN LEANDER. AND I WANT TO SEE THAT SUCCEED. OUR CODE HASN'T CAUGHT UP WITH THAT. RIGHT. SO THE FACT THAT WE'RE DOING THE URBAN FARMING OVERLAY, I THINK, STARTS TO GIVE US A LITTLE BIT OF DIRECTION FROM A MORE HOLISTIC PERSPECTIVE AND ALLOWS FOR THESE TYPES OF USES IN THE FUTURE TO BE A LITTLE BIT MORE CLEAR CUT AND BE ABLE TO

[03:20:01]

IT'S AFFECTING EVERYTHING ELSE THAT HAPPENS IN THE CITY. THE CITY HAS WORKED DILIGENTLY WITH THIS FARM FROM THE VERY, VERY ONSET THAT THIS ISSUE BECAME APPARENT TO US. WE HAVE WORKED, THE STAFF HAS WORKED CONSISTENTLY. I ASKED SEVERAL QUESTIONS ABOUT THAT PARTICULAR ISSUE, AND I WAS TOLD BY STAFF MULTIPLE TIMES THAT THE CITY WORKED WITH THE APPLICANT TO SUBMIT THE SPECIAL USE PERMIT, WHICH WAS COMPLETED IN JUNE OF 2026. NO FORMAL PENALTIES OR FINES WERE OR HAVE BEEN ASSESSED. THE APPLICANT MET THE CITY'S REQUIREMENTS BY SUBMITTING AN APPLICATION AND ACTIVELY PARTICIPATING IN THE PROCESS. WE WERE WORKING TOGETHER TO FIND THIS SOLUTION, AND I JUST WANT TO STATE THAT THE CITY HAS ALWAYS HAD INTENT TO WORK WITH 75 OAKS TO FIND A SOLUTION THAT WAS MUTUALLY BENEFICIAL. SO FOR ALL OF YOU WHO CAME FORTH TODAY AND TOLD YOU HOW YOU FELT ABOUT THIS FARM, WE UNDERSTOOD THAT FROM THE VERY BEGINNING. AND I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT BECAUSE MANY TIMES WHAT HAPPENS IS THAT THOSE OF US WHO ARE ON DAIS AND THE CITY, WHO SPEND THEIR TIME TRYING TO FIND THE BEST SOLUTIONS FOR THE FUTURE OF LEANDER, WE'RE PAINTED IN A BAD LIGHT, AND IT'S NOT FAIR.

AND WHEN WE'RE WORKING WITH PETITIONERS TO HELP FIND SOLUTIONS, I THINK THAT NEEDS TO BE PART OF THE COMMUNICATION TO THE COMMUNITY AS WELL. THOSE ARE MY COMMENTS, PLEASE, FOR SORRY. THANK YOU SO MUCH. TO THE WELL, OVER 200 PEOPLE WHO HAVE EMAILED ME, SUBMITTED ONLINE COMMENTS, SPOKE TONIGHT, SUBMITTED A CARD TONIGHT. OVER 230 OF THOSE AND NOT ONE OF THEM WAS AGAINST THE SPECIAL USE PERMIT. I'VE BEEN A 75 OAKS. IT IS A VERY, VERY SPECIAL PLACE. I DON'T BELIEVE THAT 75 OAKS EVER ACTED OUT OF MALICE. I BELIEVE THAT THEY WERE JUST IT IT IT KIND OF EXPLODED. IT. IT WAS ONE THING. AND THEN SOMEONE WOULD CALL AND BE LIKE, WELL, DO YOU HAVE CLASSES FOR KIDS? AND SHE'S LIKE, NO, BUT WE COULD PROBABLY DO IT. IT WASN'T. I'M GOING TO GET ONE OVER ON THE CITY AND I'M GOING TO TRY TO OPERATE OUTSIDE IT.

THE HOME OCCUPANCY, IT HOME OCCUPATION, IT CAN BE DIFFICULT. I'M THANKFUL THAT THE CITY DID WORK SO DILIGENTLY WITH 75 OAKS IN THE PAST. SOMETIMES THE CITY HAS NOT BEEN GREAT WITH INNOVATORS IN OUR CITY, PEOPLE BRINGING THINGS NEW THAT KIND OF DIDN'T FIT IN THE CURRENT

[03:25:02]

FIRST, I'M GOING TO TAKE A POINT OF PRIVILEGE. SO THANK YOU TO EVERYONE WHO CALLED, EMAILED, WROTE US, PUT A LOT OF INFORMATION OUT ON SOCIAL MEDIA. I HAPPEN TO AND I'LL TAKE A POINT OF PERSONAL PRIVILEGE. I HAPPEN TO HAVE MET THE ATTORNEYS BEFORE I WAS ON COUNCIL, AND SINCE THEN HAVE BOUGHT HONEY FROM 75 OAKS, AND I'VE BOUGHT WONDERFUL CUCUMBERS, WHICH WERE VERY DELICIOUS. I FEEL LIKE THE MILKMAN UP HERE, THEY WERE QUITE AMAZING. I EVEN, I'VE EVEN SEEN THE EXTENSION OF 75 OAKS TO THE COMMUNITY IN TERMS OF THE PARTNERSHIPS THAT WERE DONE AND PURCHASED A GIFT FOR MY HUSBAND IN TERMS OF COFFEE, COLD PRESS. SO WE HAVE THAT IN OUR HOUSE. AND I FOLLOW VANESSA MINTON BECAUSE I'M NOT A GOOD PERSON WITH MY GARDEN.

AND SO I'VE LEARNED A LOT. AND FOLLOW HER ON INSTAGRAM. SO PERSONALLY, THIS, THIS, THIS FARM HAS DEFINITELY IMPACTED MYSELF AND MY FAMILY. AND I KNOW THE VALUE THAT IT HAS TO THE COMMUNITY. AND AS YOU KNOW, WE WERE SITTING HERE, EVEN THE YOUNG PEOPLE, WHICH I ABSOLUTELY LOVE, THEY WERE WILLING TO, YOU KNOW, MAKE A PLEDGE FOR SOMETHING THAT REALLY IMPACTS THEIR DAY TO DAY LIVES AND THEIR FUTURE. AND SO THAT IS SOMETHING THAT WE HAVE TO TAKE IN CONSIDERATION. AND I ALSO ECHO THE COMMENTS OF OTHER COUNCIL MEMBERS IN TERMS OF, YOU KNOW, THIS IS ONE OF THOSE SPECIAL CASES WHERE WE WANT TO SEE WHAT DOES THE FUTURE LOOK LIKE FOR OUR COMMUNITY? AND WHEN WE HAVE THESE UNIQUE SPECIAL OPPORTUNITIES TO CARVE OUT AND LANDMARK SOMETHING THAT IS CULTURALLY COMPETENT TO HOW WE WANT TO LIVE, WE DEFINITELY WANT TO TAKE CLOSE CONSIDERATION WITH IT. SO I DO WANT TO THANK THE STAFF FOR THE DURATION OF TIME THAT THEY'VE PUT IN TO ENSURE THAT WE CAN LOOK LONG TERM AT ORDINANCES, AND SO THAT WE CAN SUPPORT OTHER FAMILIES AS WELL THAT DO SOME OF THE AMAZING THINGS THAT WE'VE SEEN. AND WE'VE HEARD TONIGHT WITH 75 OAKS FARM. SO I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO SUPPORTING THIS. AND THANK YOU FOR ALL THAT YOU'VE DONE. PLEASE TO. SO, LISA, I WANT TO I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR GOING THROUGH THIS. I WAS ON COUNCIL AND THIS ALL KIND OF HIT AND ALL THE EMAILS CAME ON THE SATURDAY INTO THE SUNDAY. I THINK I MET WITH YOU MONDAY OR TUESDAY. WE WALKED THROUGH AND LOOKED AT EVERYTHING. AND I THINK OVERALL, YOU KNOW, IT TOOK A WHILE TO GET HERE. THERE'S A LOT OF DISCUSSIONS ABOUT DIFFERENT THINGS, DIFFERENT WAYS TO CONDUCT THE BUSINESS WITH ORDER TO FALL AND EVERYTHING. AND I THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, I THINK WE GOT TO A GOOD SPOT. I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S EXACTLY WHERE YOU WANT TO BE.

AND I GUESS I DO HAVE THAT. ONE OF THE QUESTIONS, BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, SOME THERE'S BEEN SOME THINGS AS THIS IS WHERE WE'RE AT, IS THIS WHAT YOU ENVISION OR IS THERE SOMETHING MORE, YOU KNOW, IN THE FUTURE THAT YOU'D WANT TO COME BACK OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT? EXPAND WITH THE SPECIAL USE IS TALKING ABOUT HERE? YOU HAD HAD TO COME TO THE MIC. SO WE'RE LIVE STREAMING AND THEY CAN'T HEAR YOU. I THINK AS WE WORK THROUGH THIS PROCESS WITH THE CITY, THE SPECIAL USE PERMIT SEEMED LIKE THE BEST MECHANISM FOR US TO BE ABLE TO CONTINUE WHAT WE'RE DOING FOR THE COMMUNITY WITH LIKE WHAT IS AVAILABLE CURRENTLY. OKAY. SO I'M GLAD YOU STUCK THROUGH IT BECAUSE I KNOW, YOU KNOW, THERE'S A LOT OF THINGS THAT GO THROUGH YOUR MIND WHEN YOU'RE GOING THROUGH THESE THINGS. IS IT WORTH IT AND ALL THIS OTHER STUFF, BUT YOU HAVE A COMMUNITY BEHIND YOU. THEY SUPPORT YOU AND IT'S HARD TO LET PEOPLE DOWN THAT ARE RELYING ON YOU. SO I APPRECIATE YOU GOING THROUGH THIS, AND I KNOW THAT I KNOW ROBIN AND HER TEAM AND EDWIN, THEY WORKED REALLY HARD. I KNOW TODD TALKED TO YOU A BUNCH OF TIMES AND, AND THINGS AND SO GLAD YOU STUCK IT THROUGH. AND I THINK THAT I'M ENCOURAGED BY WHAT I'M HEARING UP HERE. SO THIS SHOULD BE GOOD PLACE ONE FIRST OFF, I JUST WANT TO THANK EVERYONE FOR COMING OUT. I FEEL LIKE IN THE LAST FEW MONTHS, WE'VE HAD A LARGE OUTPOURING OF FOLKS THAT ARE REALLY CONCERNED ABOUT CRITICAL ISSUES AND HAVE COME OUT TO, TO SPEAK TO CITY COUNCIL, AND THAT ALWAYS WARMS MY HEART. YOU KNOW, SITTING A LOT OF COMMITTEES IN THE STATE AND THE SENATE. YOU KNOW, THIS BRINGS ME BACK. I'M PLANNING ON SUPPORTING THE SPECIAL USE PERMIT. BUT I JUST I WANT TO TAKE A MOMENT, AND I DON'T USUALLY HEAR ANDREW GET REALLY

[03:30:05]

IT'S IMPORTANT TO UNDERSTAND THAT WHEN COUNCIL MAKES DECISIONS UP HERE, WE OFTEN HAVE TO WEIGH A VARIETY OF DIFFICULT FACTORS. I THINK THAT SOME OF THE FOLKS THAT SPOKE IN FRONT OF US AND TESTIFIED REALIZED THAT, AND SOMETHING THAT I WANT TO LEAVE FOR THE RECORD, IS THE FACT THAT OUR CITY STAFF, MULTIPLE COUNCIL MEMBERS, WENT OUT OF THEIR WAY TO MEET WITH FOLKS AND TO HEAR THEIR CONCERNS. AND I APPRECIATE EVERYONE THAT CAME OUT AND GAVE THEIR COMMENTS. I JUST WANT US TO BE MINDFUL OF THE FACT THAT WE SHOULD ENGAGE DIRECTLY, WELL AHEAD OF ISSUES. AND HONESTLY, THAT'S PRETTY MUCH ALL I WANTED TO SAY. I JUST I FEEL LIKE THERE WAS A MISREPRESENTATION IN TERMS OF HOW THE CITY AND COUNCIL WANTED TO WORK WITH FOLKS, AND THAT'S JUST REALLY NOT THE CASE. I REALLY THINK THAT WE DO WANT GOOD, STRONG BUSINESSES IN THIS CITY, BUT WE ALSO HAVE A DUE OBLIGATION TO ENSURE THAT WE REVIEW ORDINANCES, THAT WE REVIEW, USE AND THAT WE CHECK ALL THE BOXES. AND SO I JUST WANT TO PUT THAT ON RECORD. THANK YOU FOR PUTTING THAT ON THE RECORD. THANKS TO EVERYBODY THAT CAME OUT AND MADE THEIR COMMENTS TONIGHT. THANKS ESPECIALLY TO ALL THE STUDENTS AND CHILDREN THAT EXERCISE THEIR CIVIC DUTY. AND COMING UP HERE AND MAKING COMMENTS TONIGHT. WE APPRECIATE YOU ALL. AND THANK YOU TO STAFF FOR WORKING VERY HARD, NOT ONLY ON THIS PROJECT WHEN IT GOT BROUGHT TO OUR ATTENTION, BUT ON WHAT WE DO GOING FORWARD. WE ARE A BIG CITY. WELL, NOT A BIG CITY, BUT BECOMING A LARGER CITY. BUT SOME THINGS MAYBE HAVE GOTTEN MISSED ALONG THE WAY, AND WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT AS THESE THINGS COME UP, WE CAN CORRECT THEM FOR WHAT HAPPENS IN THE FUTURE. SO THANK YOU ALL FOR BEING PATIENT, WORKING THROUGH THIS PROCESS WITH US. WE HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND ON THE FLOOR. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF APPROVING THE PERMIT SPECIAL USE PERMIT. THANK YOU. THE MOTION CARRIES.

YEAH WE CAN. RIGHT NOW IT'S 944 AND WE ARE GOING TO TAKE A TEN MINUTE BATHROOM BREAK AND GIVE PEOPLE AN OPP QUESTION NOW. HE'S SILENCED. HIS MIC WILL BE OFF. IT'S OFF THE REST OF THE NIGHT. ALRIGHT, IT'S 952 AND WE WILL GET BACK TO OUR AGENDA. WE'RE MOVING ON

[17. Discuss and consider action on a Resolution approving a Resolution by the Board of Directors of the Brushy Creek Regional Utility Authority, Inc., authorizing the issuance of $36,240,000.00 Brushy Creek Regional Utility Authority, Inc., City of Leander, Texas Contract Revenue Bonds (Brushy Creek Regional Water Treatment and Distribution Project), Series 2026”; establishing procedures for selling and delivering the bonds and resolving other matters incident and relating to the issuance, payment, security, sale and delivery of such bonds.]

THIS EXPANSION ADDS TWO NEW TREATMENT TRAINS, A $6 MILLION TREATMENT, WATER STORAGE AND ESSENTIAL CHEMICAL AND PUMPING UPGRADES TO SECURE LEANDER'S LONG TERM WATER NEEDS.

FOLLOWING YOUR APPROVAL TONIGHT, THE BOARD IS SCHEDULED TO ADOPT MATCHING BOND RESOLUTION ON OCTOBER THE 19TH, WITH THE FINAL CLOSING ON THE FUNDS EXPECTED ON OR BEFORE NOVEMBER 16TH. STAFF RECOMMENDS APPROVAL OF THIS RESOLUTION. WE HAVE OUR BOND COUNSEL AND ALSO OUR FINANCIAL ADVISOR. SHOULD YOU HAVE QUESTIONS? THANK YOU. COUNSEL, ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS BEFORE WE GET STARTED? MAYOR MAYOR MAY, THERE WAS A CORRECTION TO THE DOCUMENTS

[03:35:02]

THESE HAPPENED OR CAME TO OUR ATTENTION, I SHOULD SAY, AFTER WE SUBMITTED THE RESOLUTION PACKAGE FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION, ONE CHANGE IS IN EXHIBIT B, WHICH IS THE PURCHASE PRICE MEMORANDUM. THE EARLY REDEMPTION DATE IS CORRECTLY FEBRUARY 1ST, 2037. IT WAS INCORRECTLY WRITTEN AS FEBRUARY 1ST, 2036. THAT'S THE EARLIEST DATE THAT YOU CAN REDEEM THE BONDS THE WATER BOARD HAS. ATYPICAL PROVISIONS FOR THAT. SO THAT'S HOW THAT HAPPENED.

AND THAT REVISION ALSO CARRIES OVER TO AN EXHIBIT, TWO YEAR EXHIBIT, WHICH IS THE BCR RESOLUTION. SO IT'S KIND OF MIRRORED THERE AS WELL. SO IT'S IN TWO PLACES IN YOUR PACKET.

ANOTHER SCRIVENER'S ERROR WAS NOTED WITH REGARDS TO THE IDENTIFICATION OF THE PAYING AGENT. IT WAS CORRECT EVERYWHERE ELSE EXCEPT FOR THERE AS A CARRYOVER. SO IT'S CORRECTLY STATED AS BANK OR BOKFNA IS THE CORRECT PAYING AGENT. SO THOSE ARE THE TWO UNFORTUNATE ERRORS THAT WE CAUGHT AFTER SUBMISSION. OKAY. THANK YOU. YEAH. SIX PLACE FIVE MATERIALLY. DO THOSE THOSE MISTAKES CHANGE ANYTHING. IT'S JUST REALLY THANKS FOR ASKING THAT. THAT'S THE MAIN POINT. NO. OKAY. AND THESE ARE THINGS THAT UNFORTUNATELY SOMETIMES GET THROUGH AND THEN THEY HAVE TO BE CORRECTED AT THE ATTORNEY GENERAL REVIEW LEVEL. BUT YOU GOT IT. NOTHING FATAL. NO MATERIAL CHANGES. ALL RIGHT. AND YOU CAUGHT IT BEFORE. AG NEEDS TO LOOK AT ANY OF THIS. YEAH. AND IT'S STILL UNFORTUNATE. BUT I'M GLAD WE CAUGHT IT NOW RATHER THAN OKAY. THANK YOU PLEASE FOR PLACE THREE. JUST ONE QUICK QUESTION.

SO APPROVAL OF THIS DECISION ESSENTIALLY ALLOWS THE BOND TO RESIDE WITH THE CITY SO THAT WE WOULD HAVE AUTONOMY OVER DECISIONS AS IT RELATES TO LIKE SELLING BOND OR PAY DEBT & AMORTIZATION. YEAH. AND SO LET ME SEE IF I ANSWER THIS CORRECTLY. AND IF NOT, ALSO THE FINANCIAL ADVISOR IS HERE TOO. SO THESE WILL BE BONDS SOLD. IT'S A REALLY UNUSUAL SITUATION.

BCR WILL BE SELLING THE BONDS. AND THE CITY OF LEANDER IS RESPONSIBLE FOR REPAYMENT OF THOSE WITH REVENUES FROM THE WATER SYSTEM. THE TERMS OF REPAYMENT AND AMORTIZATION, AND THE DEBT STRUCTURE IS MADE BY THE TEXAS WATER DEVELOPMENT BOARD THROUGH A PURCHASE AGREEMENT WITH BCR. SO THOSE HAVE ALREADY BEEN ESTABLISHED. BASICALLY, WE'VE ALREADY GOT THE INTEREST RATES LAST WEEK. SO THE PAYMENT SCHEDULE IS SET. OKAY, SO THAT'S MY QUESTION.

THANK YOU. YEAH. I'M SORRY, I CAN TALK. OKAY. I'LL STOP WHILE I'M AHEAD. YEAH. PLEASE. PLEASE TOO. I WAS JUST GOING TO ASK, ARE THE RATES LOCKED IN? BECAUSE I KNOW THE BONDS HAVE BEEN GOING CRAZY THIS WEEK. AND SO YEAH, THEY'RE LOCKED IN AND THEY'RE TIED TO THE BCR SELLING BONDS TO THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, WHICH IN TURN FLOW DOWN TO US. OKAY. THANK YOU. YES, PLEASE.

THANK YOU. OKAY. BUT I WOULD LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION. SURE. SECOND, WE HAVE A MOTION. AND SECOND, ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF APPROVAL. ALL RIGHT. MOTION CARRIES. THANK YOU. OKAY. THANK

[18. Discuss and consider action on the approval of the Oakwood Hills Phasing Plan associated with Subdivision Case CP-25-0051 which includes the development of 188 single-family lots in four (4) phases on seven (7) parcels of land 337.18 acres ± in size, more particularly described by Travis Central Appraisal District Parcels 353045, 353047, 353048, 353050, 353069, 353070, and 513816; generally located west of Nameless Road, approximately 1,050 feet north of Shady Mountain Road, Leander, Travis County, Texas.]

OKAY. PLACE FOUR WHAT IS THE ESTIMATED COMPLETION DATE ON THE ELEVATED STORAGE TANK? I

[03:40:10]

THIS IS THIS IS ONLY ABOUT THE PHASING OF THE CONCEPT PLAN. SO HOW MANY UNITS PER PHASE? OKAY.

AND THEN JUST FOR MY OWN CLARITY, I WAS LOOKING AT THE INFORMATION AROUND EMERGENCY SERVICES. SO THE CITY WOULD NOT BE COLLECTING TAXES THAT THEY WOULD NOT BE IN JURISDICTION.

CORRECT? CORRECT. YES. ALL RIGHT. THOSE ARE MY QUESTIONS. THANK YOU. PLEASE. TWO. SO I JUST I, I WAS WONDERING IF COUNCILWOMAN BLAIR'S QUESTION REALLY WAS, IS THIS GOING TO COME BEFORE US AGAIN? IT IS NOT UNLESS THEY HAVE A VARIANCE. OKAY. THANK YOU. PLEASE. ONE.

MIKE AND TELL ME ASK MY QUESTION. SO THANK YOU I APPRECIATE IT. OKAY. THIS IS AN ACTION ITEM. MAKE A MOTION TO APPROVE. I'LL SECOND. OKAY. WE HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR? POINT OF ORDER. I NEVER HAD MY COMMENTS. OH I'M SORRY. BEFORE WE TAKE OUR VOTE, GO AHEAD PLEASE. FIVE I DO WANT TO ASK A QUESTION AS IT RELATES TO THE FLOODPLAIN AND OUR RECENT EFFORTS TO THE THE MASTER PLAN FLOODPLAIN MASTER PLAN, WHEN THEY ACTUALLY GO THROUGH THAT PROCESS, IT WILL BE REFERRING TO THIS NEW DOCUMENT AND THIS NEW PROCESS THAT WE HAVE CREATED. CORRECT. AND THE APPLICANT IS AWARE OF THOSE CHANGES AT THIS TIME.

CORRECT? HE SHOULD BE. WE CAN MAKE SURE HE'S AWARE OF THE THE MASTER PLAN. CAN WE MAKE SURE THAT THE NEW THAT THE NEW THINGS ARE KNOWN SO THAT WE DON'T HAVE TO COME BACK AND HAVE ANY CONVERSATIONS ABOUT THAT IN THE LONG TERM, BECAUSE THOSE CHANGES ARE RECENT. I JUST WANT TO ENSURE THAT THAT IS ACTUALLY SOMETHING THAT THAT WE'VE COMMUNICATED CLEARLY. YES.

AND WITH THAT, OKAY. THANK YOU. ABSOLUTELY. MY APOLOGIES. SO WE HAVE. A MOTION AND A SECOND.

ALL THOSE IN FAVOR. ALL RIGHT. MOTION CARRIES. THANK YOU. WE'LL MOVE TO ITEM 19.

[19. Discuss and consider action on a Resolution authorizing the transfer of the ownership of funds from the City of Leander to the City of Leander Employee Benefits Trust for employee-related group benefits for the 2027 plan year.]

[03:45:03]

[20. Receive and accept the Leander, Texas Police Department Cultural Assessment prepared by the LION Organizational Development Institute, LLC, and provide direction to City staff.]

HIGHLY DEDICATED WORKFORCE THAT HAS THE STRONG SUPPORT FROM THE CITY COUNCIL. YOU GUYS HAVE BEEN SUPPORTING THEM WITH MEET AND CONFER, WITH AGREEMENTS WITH THE TRAINING RESOURCES THAT THEY NEED, WITH EQUIPMENT THAT THEY'VE NEEDED. YOU'VE DONE EVERYTHING YOU CAN TO HELP PROVIDE THE STAFFING RESOURCES THAT'S ALSO NEEDED TO HELP THEM CONTINUE TO CONTINUE AND GROW.

AND AS WE'VE TALKED ABOUT IN THE REPORT, YOU KNOW, SIX YEARS AGO, THE CITY WAS 58,000 PEOPLE.

IN TERMS OF OVERALL POPULATION. TODAY, WE'RE PUSHING 100,000. AND EVEN MORE THAN THAT, THERE'S BEEN A MASSIVE GROWTH IN THE NONRESIDENTIAL COMPONENT, WHICH IS A TOTAL IMPACT THAT'S DIFFERENT FROM REGULAR POLICING IN NEIGHBORHOODS AND NEIGHBORHOOD PATROL. SO OUR DEPARTMENT'S BEEN KEEPING UP WITH THAT AND ALL THE THINGS THAT GO WITH IT. THERE'S SOME UNFORTUNATE THINGS THAT HAVE COME WITH THAT GROWTH THAT REQUIRE POLICE AND PUBLIC SAFETY. AND AGAIN, THEY'VE THEY'VE STEPPED UP INTO THAT BREACH. THEY'VE TRIED TO ADDRESS THAT. ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE SEE IS THAT WE DO HAVE SOME IDENTIFIED ORGANIZATIONAL INCONSISTENCIES. SO THOSE COULD CUT ACROSS DIFFERENT SHIFTS. THEY CAN CUT ACROSS THE DIFFERENT PERSONALITIES AND INTERPRETATIONS AND MINDSETS OF DIFFERENT OFFICERS AND DIFFERENT LEADERSHIP POSITIONS THAT WE HAVE THROUGHOUT THE DEPARTMENT. AND AND THEN THERE'S SOME FOLLOW ON EFFECTS OF THAT. AND SO, ONE, SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WE HEARD WAS, WELL, THERE'S SOME INCONSISTENCY IN HOW THIS PERSON MAY HAVE BEEN TREATED IN A CASE WHERE WE HAVE ANOTHER SIMILAR SITUATION OVER HERE, OR THERE'S THERE'S EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATIONS COMING THROUGH THE DEPARTMENT, BUT MAYBE WE DIDN'T SEE CONSISTENT FOLLOW

[03:50:02]

RECRUITING IS ALWAYS BEEN THE BASIS OF WHAT TYPE OF PEOPLE CAN YOU BRING INTO THE BUILDING, INTO YOUR DEPARTMENT. THAT'S BEEN ONE OF THE FORE FRONT THINGS THAT WE PUT AHEAD BECAUSE GOOD, GOOD QUALITY OFFICERS ARE GOOD QUALITY PRODUCTS AND PROVIDING CUSTOMER SERVICE. BUT THE THING THAT I THINK THAT ALWAYS GETS FORGOTTEN, WHICH I HAVEN'T FORGOTTEN ABOUT, IS RETENTION. RETENTION IS EQUALLY AS IMPORTANT BECAUSE WHEN YOU GET PEOPLE HERE AND THEY'RE GOOD PEOPLE AND GOOD OFFICERS, GOOD STAFF, YOU WANT TO KEEP THEM, YOU WANT TO KEEP THEM HERE FOR A LONG TIME, ESPECIALLY AS MUCH AS YOU'VE INVESTED INTO THEM, BECAUSE WE ALL KNOW THAT IF YOU OWN A BUSINESS, HOW MUCH IT COSTS TO KIND OF BRING PEOPLE IN AND HOW IT ROTATES OUT. SO WITH THAT, YOU KNOW, THE THE LIONS INSTITUTE WAS A WELCOMING DOCUMENT OR GROUP TO COME IN BECAUSE FOR MYSELF AS CHIEF, I WANT TO SEE WHERE THE DEPARTMENT IS AND WHERE IT'S AT AND WHAT BLUEPRINTS DO WE NEED TO GET TO GET TO THE NEXT FIVE, TEN AND 15 YEARS? BECAUSE A LOT OF THE STAFF THAT WE HAVE TODAY HAVE 15 TO 20 YEARS ALREADY, AND WE KNOW THERE'S GOING TO BE A GROUP THAT'S LEAVING. AND I WANT TO MAKE SURE MYSELF, EVEN WHEN I'M IN THE OLD COPS RETIREMENT HOME, WHEN I'M LOOKING BACK TO SEE IF THIS AGENCY IS STILL THRIVING AND STILL PUSHING FORWARD THE SAME VALUES THAT WE'VE HAD HERE FOR THE LAST 30 YEARS THAT I'VE BEEN HERE. SO ONE OF THE THINGS WHEN WE LOOKED AT THE RECOMMENDATIONS, THERE'S QUITE A FEW IN THERE, BUT I THINK A LOT OF THEM, JUST SOME OF THEM WERE ALREADY DOING AND SOME OF THEM IN THERE, THEY JUST KIND OF GROUPED THEM TOGETHER AND KIND OF LOOKED AT WHAT I CALL THE THREE PILLARS OF WHAT I THINK ARE THE MOST IMPORTANT THINGS WAS OUR INTERNAL INTERNAL ACCOUNTABILITY SYSTEMS. WE TALKED A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THAT, ABOUT KIND OF AS, AS WE'VE GROWN LARGER AND KIND OF GOTTEN BIGGER, YOU KNOW, TRYING TO BRING THINGS INTO POLICY IN LINE AND MAKING SURE THAT EVERYTHING'S KIND OF THE SAME PROCESS ACROSS ALL THE DIVISIONS INTERNALLY, AND ALSO MAKING SURE THAT WHEN WE TALK ABOUT ACCOUNTABILITY, WE'RE NOT TALKING ABOUT BAD THINGS, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT MAKING SURE THAT WE'RE DOING WHAT WE SAY WE'RE DOING, WHICH IS STUFF LIKE THE PROGRAM THAT WE HAVE AND MAINTAINING THOSE THINGS TO MAKE SURE THAT OUR POLICIES ■ARE IN LINE OF WHAT THE THINGS WE'RE DOING. AND WE HAVE A THIRD PARTY THAT MAKES SURE THAT WE WE FOLLOW THOSE RULES.

MOST IMPORTANTLY, TOO, WAS SUPERVISORY DEVELOPMENT AND SUCCESSION PLANNING, BECAUSE I THINK THAT THIS IS WHERE WE GOT TO FOCUS ON TRAINING OUR FUTURE SUPERVISORS, MAKING SURE WE PROVIDE TRAINING TO OUR CURRENT SUPERVISORS, CONSISTENT TRAINING, AND ALSO IN SUCCESSION TO PLAN TO, TO TRAIN THOSE PARTICULAR SUPERVISORS TO TAKE OUR PLACE ONCE WE MOVE ON TO THE NEXT PART OF OUR RETIREMENTS, WHEN WE HAVE RETIREMENTS AND KEY POSITIONS TO HAVE PEOPLE PREPARED FOR THAT. AND LASTLY, THE EMPLOYMENT, WELLNESS AND RESILIENCY, BECAUSE WE KNOW THIS JOB IS STRESSFUL, WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE TAKING CARE OF PEOPLE'S MINDS AND ALSO THEIR BODIES AND, AND PHYSICAL FITNESS AND ALSO THE RESILIENCY OF JUST WORKING THROUGH, I THINK OVER THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS, WE'VE SEEN EVEN GOING FROM COVID, SOME OF THE THINGS THAT OCCURRED IN THE COMMUNITY THAT AREN'T NORMALLY THAT DON'T NORMALLY HAPPEN, WHETHER IT'S BEEN TRAGIC EVENTS, WHETHER IT'S BEEN WEATHER RELATED EVENTS, AND THAT TAKES A TOLL ON PEOPLE. AND WE'VE GOT TO MAKE SURE THAT WHEN WE GET PEOPLE THROUGH THIS PROFESSION, WHETHER AND HOPEFULLY THEY DO 20 YEARS OR 30 YEARS THAT WE DON'T, WE MAKE SURE THEY'RE NOT BROKEN WHEN WE LET THEM OUT, THAT WHEN THEY'RE AT THE END, THEY'RE, THEY'RE JUST AS HEALTHY SO THEY CAN GO BACK AND LIVE THE REST OF THEIR LIVES

[03:55:02]

SO WHAT WE'RE LOOKING TO DO IS TO MAKE UP THESE GROUPS MADE UP OF PERSONNEL WITH VARIOUS RANKS AND DIFFERENT DIVISIONS. BUT WE ALSO WANT TO INCLUDE BOTH OUR SWORN AND NON-SWORN, BECAUSE I THINK IT'S JUST AS IMPORTANT FOR OUR NON-SWORN STAFF TO HAVE INPUT INTO THE FUTURE OF THIS DEPARTMENT. WITH THAT, WITH EACH OF THESE GROUPS, THEY'LL BE TASKED WITH EXAMINING ONE OF THESE PARTICULAR FOCUS GROUPS. SO WE'RE GOING TO WORK TO SEE WHO CAN FIT THOSE PARTICULAR AREAS OF INTEREST IN THERE. AND THEN WE WANT TO HAVE THEM TAKE THE LIONS REPORT THAT YOU WERE GIVEN AND HAVE THEM GO THROUGH THAT ENTIRE REPORT. WE WANT THEM TO TAKE OUR POLICIES AS WELL AND LOOK IT THROUGH OUR POLICIES TO MAKE SURE OUR POLICIES ARE ALIGNING AS WELL WITH OUR PRACTICES, TO MAKE SURE YOU HAVE TO ALWAYS MAKE SURE YOUR POLICY AND YOUR PRACTICES ARE ALIGNED. BECAUSE IF YOU'RE DOING THE PRACTICE BUT YOU HAVE THIS POLICY, THEN YOU'RE NOT DOING THE POLICY, YOU'RE FOLLOWING THE PRACTICE, AND THAT NEEDS TO BLEND IN TO THAT PARTICULAR POLICY. WE WANT TO GET ALL. WELL, I'M EXCITED ABOUT IS GETTING THIS GOING.

AND AT THE END OF THE 90 DAYS, WE WANT TO GET THIS THE GROUPS TO PUT TOGETHER A MEMORANDUM AND PRESENT THAT TO MYSELF SO WE CAN SIT DOWN AND HAVE THESE CONVERSATIONS. AND THEN WE WANT TO SHARE THESE RECOMMENDATIONS WITH THE COMMAND STAFF SO WE CAN START MAKING SURE THAT WE GUIDE FUTURE POLICY DEVELOPMENT. SO I'M EXCITED ABOUT THIS BECAUSE I ALWAYS FEEL THAT WHEN YOU WORK ANYWHERE, YOU SHOULD HAVE INPUT. I TELL EVERYBODY THAT COMES IN, DOESN'T MATTER IF YOU'RE HERE DAY 1 OR 31 YEARS, YOU HAVE INPUT HERE. THIS IS YOUR HOME. WE WANT TO HEAR WHAT YOU HAVE TO SAY. AND THE OTHER BENEFIT WE'VE HAD, WHICH HAS BEEN EXCITING WAS THE THE LAST COUPLE OF PEOPLE THAT WE'VE HIRED HAVE COME FROM OTHER AGENCIES. SO THERE'S A LOT OF THINGS OVER THE LAST YEAR, YEAR AND A HALF THAT WE'VE ACTUALLY CHANGED BECAUSE WE'VE HAD OFFICERS COME FROM LARGER DEPARTMENTS AND WE'RE ABLE TO KIND OF LOOK THROUGH WHAT WHAT PRACTICES ARE WORKING BETTER. AND SOME OF THE POSITIONS Y'ALL RECENTLY APPROVED FOR OUR CID WITH THE ANALYST THAT'S COMING IN, THAT'S SOMETHING THEY HAVE AT EVERY OTHER CITY. WE'VE NEVER HAD ONE. AND WE KNOW THAT GETTING THAT'S GOING TO HELP OUT OUR INVESTIGATORS. AND SO THAT KIND OF HELPS WITH THAT RESILIENCY PIECE, BECAUSE NOW WE HAVE INVESTIGATORS WHO CAN DO DIFFERENT JOBS WHILE YOU'VE GOT ANALYSTS WHO ARE DOING DIFFERENT JOBS SO THEY CAN DO THEIR WORK. SO BUT YEAH, JUST KIND OF EXCITED ABOUT IT. I'M JUST HERE TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU GUYS MAY HAVE ON THAT. HOW, HOW SOON WOULD YOU IMPLEMENT THE, THE REVIEW, THE 60 DAY REVIEW? SO WE, WE WERE WE'D LIKE TO DO IT WITHIN 90 DAYS. OKAY. I KNOW WE GOT THE HOLIDAYS KIND OF COMING UP. WE WANT TO GET OUR GROUPS TOGETHER AND JUST KIND OF. AND THEN THAT WAY WE CAN LOOK AT ALL OF THE RECOMMENDATIONS THAT THEY MAY HAVE COME UP WITH AND IN THIS PARTICULAR AREAS, AND THEN JUST START VETTING THOSE THROUGH AND THEN START PUTTING THOSE THINGS OUT. SO, OKAY, HOPEFULLY BEFORE THE END OF THE, I MEAN, EARLY JANUARY 27TH, COMING UP IN JANUARY. YES, MA'AM. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU.

PLACE ONE, I JUST WANTED TO THANK YOU FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP AND ALSO FOR YOUR WORK, ALONG WITH CITY MANAGER AND CONDUCTING THIS REVIEW. YOU KNOW, I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE DO THIS SORT OF WORK TO, TO ENSURE THAT OUR OUR POLICE OFFICERS ARE BEING SUPPORTED AND JUST LOOK FORWARD TO HEARING WHAT YOU FIND. THANK YOU SIR. THANK YOU. PLEASE TO YEAH. SO I WAS JUST KIND OF WONDERING, SO HOW DOES THIS, THIS ASSESSMENT YOU'RE GOING TO GO THROUGH KIND OF ALIGN WITH THE CALEA PART? BECAUSE YOU DO HAVE BECAUSE YOU GUYS HAVE A SET OF. I THINK IT GOES BACK TO THE PRACTICE AND THE POLICY. YES, YES. I THINK MOST OF THE.

SO THERE'S ALWAYS GOING TO BE OUR BASE STANDARDS FOR EVERYTHING, FOR OUR BEST PRACTICES. TYPICALLY, THE STUFF YOU LOOK AT WHEN YOU'RE LOOKING AT SOME OF THE POLICIES INTERNALLY WHERE PEOPLE MAY THINK SOMETHING FEELS FAIR OR NOT, OR TYPICALLY DEALING WITH DISCIPLINARY ISSUES OR DEALING WITH PROMOTIONS OR THINGS LIKE THAT. SO I'LL JUST GIVE YOU AN EXAMPLE. SO LIKE DISCIPLINARY ISSUES, THERE'S TWO DIFFERENT PHILOSOPHIES. AND I'M NOT SAYING THIS GROUP IS GOING TO COME UP WITH THIS, BUT THERE'S BEEN SOME COMMENTS THAT HAVE COME UP THAT OTHER DEPARTMENTS HAVE WHAT'S CALLED A DISCIPLINARY MATRIX. SO WHAT THAT IS, IS, YOU KNOW, THAT IF YOU DO THIS THING THAT YOU'RE THIS IS PROBABLY WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN TO YOU. AUSTIN HAS THE CITY OF AUSTIN, SO YOU'RE NOT REALLY STRESSING OUT THAT YOU'RE GOING TO GET FIRED. YOU GET A BRAND NEW OFFICER WHO WRECKS A CAR FOR THE FIRST TIME, AND THE FIRST THING THEY THINK IS I'M GETTING FIRED, YOU KNOW, AND THEY'RE STRESSING ABOUT THAT. THEN THEY GO THROUGH THIS WHOLE PROCESS WE ALREADY KNOW BECAUSE WE'VE ALL WRECKED A FEW CARS OURSELVES, THAT NOW YOU'RE NOT GOING TO GET FIRED, EVERYTHING'S GOING TO BE OKAY.

BUT THEY'RE STRESSING OUT OVER THAT. SO A DISCIPLINARY MATRIX, FOR EXAMPLE, IF THIS IS SOMETHING THAT THE GROUP SAYS, HEY, THIS IS SOMETHING WE'RE KIND OF INTERESTED IN, BUT ALREADY TELL THEM THAT THEY MAY IF THEY JUST BUMPED INTO THIS, THEN THIS IS PROBABLY THEY MAY GET A WRITTEN REPRIMAND OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT. SO THEY ALREADY KIND OF KNOW GOING INTO THAT. SO THAT WOULDN'T REALLY AFFECT CALEA, BECAUSE CALEA JUST KIND OF HITS THE BIG POINTS OF LIKE PURSUIT POLICIES, MAKING SURE YOU DO SPECIFIC THINGS. THESE WOULD FOLLOW THE EVERYDAY KIND OF THINGS THAT WHICH WOULD BE MORE PROCEDURES THAN THEY WOULD BE A POLICY. A POLICY JUST KIND OF GIVES US THAT GUIDELINE. BUT THIS MATRIX WOULD BE AN EXAMPLE FOR THAT

[04:00:02]

YES. I'M NOT SURE THAT WOULD BE SINCE THIS ASSESSMENT WAS DONE FROM THE CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE.

I'M NOT SURE IF WE WOULD HAVE A REASSESSMENT, BUT WE WOULD DEFINITELY WOULD SAY WE WOULD REPORT OUR FINDINGS TO TO THE CITY MANAGER. YEAH. HOW YOU WOULD WANT TO DO THAT? YEAH. I THINK WE'LL KNOW AS WE GET TO THE PROCESS. WHEN WE GET TO OUR 90 DAY REVIEW, I THINK WE BEGIN TO LOOK AT THAT ALIGNMENT THAT'LL BEGIN TO POINT US TO WHETHER THERE'S AREAS THAT WE NEED TO CIRCLE BACK ON. I'M SURE THERE'S THINGS THAT WILL POP UP THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT.

SO I THINK I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO CHIEF WORKING WITH THE WITH THE TEAM, WITH HIS TEAM AND THE COMMAND STAFF TO, TO GO THROUGH THAT PROCESS. SO WE BEGIN TO TO PULL THAT OUT. IT'S KIND OF COOL BECAUSE I THINK AS WE GO THROUGH MORE CONVERSATION, WE BEGIN TO REALLY DIG INTO SOME OF THESE THINGS. WE'LL BEGIN. THINGS WILL KIND OF CRYSTALLIZE. AND THERE'S THINGS, I THINK UNEXPECTED THINGS THAT'LL POP UP PROBABLY, YOU KNOW, AND LOTS OF INTERESTING TWISTS AND TURNS AS WE GO DOWN THE TRAIL HERE. WONDERFUL, WONDERFUL. NO, I THINK THIS IS DEFINITELY IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION, ESPECIALLY AS WE'RE GROWING AS A FORCE AND JUST, YOU KNOW, THE REQUIREMENTS FOR TRANSFORMATIONAL LEADERSHIP, I THINK, YOU KNOW, NEEDS THAT ASSESSMENT. SO THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR DOING THIS. YES, MA'AM. APPRECIATE IT. THANKS FOR.

THANK YOU SO MUCH, CHIEF. SO HOW OFTEN WOULD THIS BE? WOULD THIS EVER BE REDONE OR IS THERE A CYCLE OR THERE'S NOT A SPECIFIC CYCLE FOR THIS? YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT, YOU KNOW, WE'LL BE LOOKING AT IS AS WE DO EVALUATIONS, YOU KNOW, DO WE REALLY BEGIN TO LOOK AT THREE 60S? ARE THERE ADDITIONAL THINGS THAT WE CAN THINK ABOUT AND LOOK AT WHAT CHIEF IS IMPLEMENTING HERE IS A PROGRAM AND A PROCESS THAT THAT WILL BE A. COMMUNICATION. YEAH, YEAH. SO WE'LL KIND OF GET THAT PROCESS. LIKE I SAID, I DON'T KNOW IF THIS IS THE EXACT PROCESS WE'LL GO THROUGH, BUT, YOU KNOW, WE'LL ALSO BEGIN TO LOOK AT OTHER DEPARTMENTS. SO WE'LL BE DOING ADDITIONAL ASSESSMENTS AS WE GO INTO OTHER ONES. AND SO I'VE GOT SOME SOME THOUGHTS IN TERMS OF OTHER DEPARTMENTS TO GO. WE WANT TO TRY PD FIRST BECAUSE IT'S A GOOD STRUCTURE DEPARTMENT. THERE'S A LOT OF GOOD BONES THERE. AND SO IT'S KIND OF LIKE, OKAY, IT'S KIND OF A FIRST FORAY GOING INTO IT. SO IT'S LIKE, OKAY, THIS IS OUR BASELINE, GOOD BASELINE STUDY. THEY SET A HIGH BAR FOR THIS. YEAH FOR SURE. THANK YOU. I TOTALLY THINK WE'RE MOVING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION. I KNOW NOBODY WANTS TO TALK ABOUT THE DAY THAT YOU LEAVE US, BUT SUCCESSION PLANNING IS AS WE GROW. SO, SO MUCH MORE IMPORTANT, NOT FOR THE CHIEF POSITION BECAUSE YOU'RE GOING TO BE CHIEF IN PERPETUITY. BUT IT'S SO IMPORTANT THAT WE HAVE THOSE KEY POSITIONS THAT WE START PLANNING AS SOON AS WE CAN. SO THANK YOU SO MUCH. YES, MA'AM. PLEASE. FIVE. CITY MANAGER PARDON. CHIEF MINTON, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR WORK ON THIS. I THINK IT'S A FANTASTIC APPROACH. AFTER READING INTO IT AND KIND OF UNDERSTANDING IT A LITTLE BIT BETTER, I'M I'M VERY MUCH ALIGNED WITH WHAT THE DIRECTION YOU'RE HEADED. THANK YOU. THE TRANSPARENCY OF YOUR DEPARTMENT HAS ALWAYS BEEN STRIKING TO ME, CHIEF. SO I COMMEND YOU ON THAT AND THE LEADERSHIP THAT YOU SHOW WITHIN YOUR DEPARTMENT. IT'S IT'S SOMETHING THAT'S PERVASIVE. I CAN TALK TO, YOU KNOW, THE THE BEAT COP AND I HEAR IT. SO IT'S AN ECHO AND IT'S AND IT'S REPRESENTATIVE OF YOUR LEADERSHIP. SO THANK YOU FOR THAT. I THINK THIS IS ABOUT CULTURE. AND I THINK THIS IS ABOUT CHANGE MANAGEMENT. AND I APPLAUD US AS A CITY TO ADDRESS THOSE TWO THINGS. I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING DEFINITELY THAT WE NEED TO BE DOING SPECIFICALLY, GIVEN THE GROWTH PATH THAT WE'RE ON AND THE CHANGES TO OUR, OUR, OUR CITY AND THE DEMOGRAPHICS AND THE PEOPLE WHO ARE HERE AND ALL THOSE THINGS. RIGHT. SO I THINK IT'S A FANTASTIC THING TO DO. I RECENTLY HAD AN OPPORTUNITY NOT TO MAKE THIS ABOUT MYSELF, BUT I RECENTLY HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO JOIN A GROUP THAT HAS CULTURE ALL THE WAY THROUGH IT. I CAN FEEL IT EVERY SINGLE DAY THAT I GO TO WORK, AND IT'S A JOY TO BE ABLE TO BE IN THAT TYPE OF ENVIRONMENT. AND I CERTAINLY HOPE THAT THIS IS REFLECTIVE OF THE JOY THAT YOUR OFFICERS HAVE BEING IN YOUR DEPARTMENT. SO THANK YOU, I APPRECIATE IT, PLEASE. SIX I'M NOT SURE HOW MUCH I COULD ADD TO EVERYTHING, BUT I DO APPRECIATE THE PROACTIVE NATURE OF GETTING THIS DONE AND MAKING THE CHANGES AHEAD OF TIME. THE DEPARTMENT'S AMAZING. AND SO I THINK JUST TIGHTEN IT UP AND PUTTING THE THINGS IN PLACE THAT YOU'RE LOOKING FORWARD TO ARE PERFECT. SO APPRECIATE EVERYTHING YOU'RE DOING. YES, MA'AM. WELL, THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR WORK ON THIS. AND I WILL

[04:05:02]

EXCELLENT. WELL, I GUESS WITH THAT. APPROVAL. OKAY, I'LL SECOND WE HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND. ALL THOSE IN. ACCEPT TO ACCEPT. I MOTION TO ACCEPT. THANK YOU. REPORT I SECOND AND ALL THOSE IN FAVOR. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. MOTION CARRIES. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. WE'LL

[21. Discuss and consider action on appointments to the following boards, commissions and committees: Board of Adjustment, Economic Development Advisory Committee, Heritage, Recreation and Culture Advisory Board (HRCA), Tax Increment Reinvestment Zone No.1(TIRZ) Board, and the Development Authority Board, if needed.]

OCTOBER 31ST. TERMS WILL EXPIRE ON BOA ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, TOURISM AND DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY BOARD. AND ADDITION TO THAT, THE NEWLY ESTABLISHED LANDER, HERITAGE, RECREATION AND CULTURAL ADVISORY BOARD OF THE MOUTHFUL. FOR ME IT IS A HANDFUL. I'M FROM ALABAMA. I DON'T TALK THAT FAST, JUST SAY HRC. THE HRC, HR, HRC, HRC WILL RECEIVE ITS INITIAL APPOINTMENTS OF NINE MEMBERS. MEMBERS WILL SERVE THREE YEAR TERMS, WITH THREE MEMBERS INITIALLY APPOINTED TO ONE YEAR TERMS, THREE MEMBERS TO TWO YEAR TERMS AND THREE MEMBERS TO THREE YEAR TERMS. FUTURE APPOINTMENTS TO THE BOARD WILL BE THREE YEAR TERMS. OKAY.

APPOINTMENTS WILL BE MADE BY BALLOT. THE BALLOT SYSTEM. YES, MA'AM. COUNCIL MEMBERS WILL RECEIVE ONE BALLOT FOR EACH BOARD. YOU'LL CIRCLE THE NUMBER OF AVAILABLE. BUT IF THERE'S ONLY ONE APPLICANT, YOU WON'T BE ABLE TO CIRCLE FIVE. SO JUST GIVING YOU A HEADS UP ON THE BOA. JUST A CLARIFICATION. SO I UNDERSTAND THE PROCESS HERE. WE'RE GOING TO GO THROUGH EACH BOARD. OKAY. THANK YOU. SO FOR EACH BOARD YOU'LL GET A BALLOT. ALL THE NAMES WILL BE THERE.

YOU'LL SELECT THE ONES FOR IF IT'S SEVEN POSITIONS OPEN YOU'LL SELECT THAT. IF IT'S NINE YOU'LL DO THAT. THANK YOU. AND THEN IF THERE ENDS UP BEING A TIE ANYWHERE, WE'LL GO BACK AND VOTE AGAIN UNTIL WE CAN BREAK THE TIE. MAYOR, JUST FOR CLARIFICATION FOR EVERYBODY.

YES, YOU HAVE AN APPLICANT THAT HAS APPLIED. JUST A MOMENT. YEAH. SHE'S SPEAKING TO GIVE US INSTRUCTIONS ON OUR BALLOT. GO AHEAD. YOU HAVE AN APPLICANT THAT IS APPLIED TO THE BOARD AS WELL AS THE BOA. THEY CANNOT SERVE ON BOTH BOARDS. THEY CAN ONLY SERVE ON ONE OF THE BOARDS.

THANK YOU DORA. SO IF THE PERSON WHO INDICATED THAT TOLD US THEY PREFERRED A DIFFERENT ONE, SHOULD WE NOT CIRCLE YOUR CHOICE? YOU MAY NOT CIRCLE. OKAY. THANK YOU. SO WHY DON'T YOU HAVE YOUR BALLOT? LET'S PASS IT DOWN AND WE CAN GET THEM TALLIED. THANK YOU. MAYOR.

YES. THANK YOU. HOLD ON. JUST ONE. YEAH. SO ON THE ON THE BOA BECAUSE YOU HANDED US EACH OTHER'S BALLOT, I THINK. BUT THEY THEY HAVE DIFFERENT NAMES. DIFFERENT. YOU DON'T HAVE THE RIGHT NAMES. OKAY. HOLD ON, HOLD ON, HOLD ON. LET ME. WHAT IS THIS? THIS IS STEPHEN. THIS IS YOURS. SO THIS IS NOT THE ONLY ONE. THERE'S ONLY ONE. THERE'S NO ONE ELSE HERE. OKAY.

ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU, THANK YOU. SO JUST WE'RE WAITING JUST TO MAKE SURE IT'S FIXED HIS BALLOT TO. THAT'S OKAY. THAT'S CORRECT. THAT'S FINE. THERE'S JUST NO. OKAY. SO NOW WE'RE JUST JUST

[04:10:05]

ALL RIGHT. SO THAT'S DONE. THE NEXT ONE IS TRES. YES. OKAY. AND YOU'LL CIRCLE ONE OF THESE.

I DIDN'T HEAR YOU. I'M SORRY. YOU'LL CIRCLE A NAME. OKAY, ON THIS ONE. AND I CHECKED, THEY'RE ALL THE SAME NAMES. OKAY. SO CIRCLE ONE NAME.

THE NEXT ONE IS ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT. YES. OKAY. AND WE NEED SEVEN. THERE ARE SEVEN VACANCIES. I'M SORRY. YES. AND SEVERAL PEOPLE APPLYING FOR REAPPOINTMENT. RIGHT. OKAY. OKAY.

HAS EVERYONE FINISHED? OKAY. I'M SORRY, I THOUGHT I WAS STILL WAITING. OUR HR ADVISORY COMMITTEE, THERE ARE NINE. THIS ONE? YES. TO CLARIFY ON THIS, ARE WE SELECTING THE ONE, TWO AND THREE YEARS ACCORDINGLY OR IS THIS JUST THE NINE? OKAY, OKAY. THANK YOU.

[04:18:18]

[04:20:41]

JACKETS ARE.

OKAY. THIS. IS.

SO.

SO.

[04:25:06]

OKAY. YES. ARE THERE.

ARE. AND THAT WOULD BE GOOD. YES. I'M BACK. WELCOME BACK. SO WE DO HAVE A RUNOFF. OKAY. AND THE THREE INDIVIDUALS THAT YOU WILL BE CHOOSING FOR ONE FROM THESE NAMES. OKAY. IT'S GOING TO BE PAUL PERALEZ FOR WHICH BOARD THIS IS ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT EDC OKAY. YEAH. SETH FRANCIS AND VANESSA MOLINA, WOULD YOU REPEAT THE NAMES? I'M SORRY, I COULD BARELY HEAR YOU. YES. PAUL. PAUL, I CAN'T PRONOUNCE IT. PERALES. SETH. FRANCIS. AND THEN VANESSA MOLINA. OKAY, OKAY. THANK YOU. JUST ONE.

LITTLE. YES. I JUST HAVE TO GO ON THE RECORD. I LOVE THESE PENS. THEY WRITE SO WELL. THANK YOU. YEAH. WHICH ONES? YEAH. THAT'S STILL. IS THAT. YEAH.

OH MY GOODNESS. THERE WAS ANOTHER TIME. WE'RE READY. FANTASTIC. SO EVERYBODY PUT A STAR BY THE NAME. THERE'S ANOTHER TIE FOR VANESSA. OKAY. SETH OR VANESSA ARE YOUR CHOICES STAR BY THE NAME?

[04:30:15]

YES.

DARREN'S GOING TO ANNOUNCE THE. OKAY. THANK YOU. AND WE ARE MAKING A MOTION FOR THE SLATE. ARE YOU GOING TO TELL US? YES, SHE'S GOING TO RIGHT NOW. OKAY. YOUR MICROPHONE. IS PRICEY, JASON. EVERYBODY. SIR, WOULD YOU HAVE. ALL THE WAY UP TO SEE IS SOMETHING SHOWING THE SHOW ONE OF THE FORMS. YES. ONE OF THE FORM AND THE POLICE AND I CHARGES AND OKAY. I MAKE A MOTION THAT WE APPROVE THE SLATE AS SPOKEN, PREPARED, VOTED ON. SECOND, ALL THE THINGS WE GOT A SECOND. OKAY. MOTION. AND SECOND, ALL THOSE IN FAVOR? ALL RIGHT. MOTION.

MOTION CARRIES. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. ITEM 22 HAS BEEN PULLED FROM THE AGENDA AND WILL BE

[23. Council Member Closing Statements.]

SO THANK YOU, DOMINO'S FOR COMING IN CLUTCH SO WE COULD ALL HAVE SOMETHING TO EAT TONIGHT. ALSO WANT TO SAY THANK YOU TO CHIEF W FOR HOLDING US DOWN AND MAKING SURE WE STAYED IN COMPLIANCE WITH ALL THE FOLKS THAT WE HAD IN THE GALLEY THIS EVENING, AND TO CARLOS FOR KEEPING US SAFE IN THE BACK WITH EVERYBODY THAT WAS HERE, AND ALSO TO STAFF. WE WE'VE HAD A LOT OF LONG NIGHTS OVER THE LAST 60 DAYS, SO I APPRECIATE ALL THE WORK THAT Y'ALL HAVE DONE TO HELP US MOVE THROUGH ALL OF THESE THINGS ON OUR AGENDA. I ALSO WANT TO SAY THAT WE HAD CERTIFICATES OF RECOGNITIONS OF RECOGNITION ISSUED TO CHRIS KING, BUT ALSO WE WERE NOTIFIED A FEW WEEKS AGO THAT MISS BLANCHE CORLEY HAD PASSED AWAY. AND WE ARE SO THANKFUL FOR HER LEGACY IN LEANDER AND ALL HER SERVICE TO OUR COMMUNITY. AND SO A CERTIFICATE OF RECOGNITION WAS ISSUED TO HER AS WELL. AND THE LAST THING I WILL SAY IS THERE IS A FALL MARKET AT GLEN HIGH SCHOOL THIS SATURDAY. SO ALONG WITH BLUEGRASS FESTIVAL ON FRIDAY AND SATURDAY, WE ALSO HAVE THAT MARKET. IF YOU WANT TO PARTICIPATE AND GO OUT THERE, IT'S FROM 10 TO 3 AT GLEN HIGH SCHOOL AND WE WILL START DOWN WITH MAYOR PRO TEM. GOOD NIGHT.

OH, QUICK. PLACE FIVE. I'M AWARE OF THE TIME. SO. OKAY, THAT WAS A LONG SILENCE, SIR.

SO ON TODAY'S DATE IN 1993, NELSON MANDELA AND SOUTH AFRICAN PRESIDENT F W DE KLERK WERE AWARDED THE NOBEL PRIZE FOR THEIR EFFORTS IN BRINGING AN END TO APARTHEID. AND ALSO IN 1977, DEBBY BOONE'S YOU LIGHT UP MY LIFE REACHED NUMBER ONE AND STAYED THERE FOR TEN WEEKS, WHICH WAS THE BANE OF MY EXISTENCE AT THE TIME. THOSE ITEMS I, I, I HAVE A LONGER THING, BUT I'M GOING TO SHORTEN IT. THAT COOPERATION AND HOPE WERE TWO MAIN IDEAS THAT I WAS TRYING TO FRAME, AND THEN THEY'RE RELEVANT TO THE CONVERSATION WE HAD TONIGHT ABOUT URBAN FARMING. YOU KNOW, THERE, THERE ARE WAYS TO STRENGTHEN OUR COMMUNITY RESILIENCE, IMPROVE FOOD SECURITY, AND PROMOTE ENVIRONMENTALISM, ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY. BUT AT THE SAME TIME, GOOD INTENTIONS MUST MUST BE MATCHED WITH THOUGHTFUL, COMMON SENSE SAFEGUARDS. SO I AM VERY EXCITED TO SEE WHERE WE COME WITH THIS URBAN PLANNING

[04:35:02]

SO. LET IT BE, LET IT BE KNOWN THAT CALLIE IS RECOGNIZED BY THE MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL OF LEANDER, TEXAS FOR EXTRAORDINARY LIFE, ENDURING LEGACY, AND SELFLESS SERVICE.

THROUGH HER DECADES OF CIVIC ENGAGEMENT, BLANCHE LEFT AN INDELIBLE MARK ON THE HEARTS OF OUR RESIDENTS AND THE FABRIC OF OUR CITY. WE EXTEND OUR DEEPEST GRATITUDE FOR HER LIFETIME OF DEDICATION AND OUR HEARTFELT CONDOLENCES TO HER FAMILY AND LOVED ONES. THE CERTIFICATE IS ISSUED IN RECOGNITION THEREOF ON THIS DAY, OCTOBER 9TH, 2026. THANK YOU, THANK YOU. PLACE THREE. JUST WANT TO SAY THANK YOU TO THE COMMUNITY AND EVERYONE WHO CAME OUT TO THE OCTOBER FESTIVAL AT LAKEWOOD PARK. THAT WAS A VERY BEAUTIFUL THING. WE ALSO WANT TO GIVE A SPECIAL THANK YOU TO THE LPAC, FORMER LPAC PARKS AND REC STAFF AND LEADERS, THE MUSICAL ARTIST PERFORMANCE THAT PARTICIPATED IN THE COMPETITIONS. IT WAS DEFINITELY A WONDERFUL TIME AND REALLY A PART OF THE FABRIC OF OUR COMMUNITY. I ALSO WANT YOU TO MARK YOUR CALENDARS TO THE TEXAS HUMANE HEROES IS GOING TO BE HAVING A CHILI COOK OFF. THAT'S GOING TO BE NOVEMBER 7TH FROM 1 P.M. TO 4 P.M. SO COME OUT, CONSIDER DONATING TO THE TEXAS HUMANE HEROES. THEY DO A LOT OF WONDERFUL THINGS TO PROTECT OUR FURRY FRIENDS, AND I WILL BE THE JUDGE OF THE CHILI COOK OFF. SO LOVE YOU TO COME OUT. GOOD NIGHT LEANDER, AND GOD BLESS. PLACE TWO I WANT TO ENCOURAGE EVERYBODY COME TO THE BLUE BLUE GRASS FESTIVAL AND ART FEST WAS A FUN TIME AND DIDN'T COME OUT. YOU MISSED SOMETHING. GOOD NIGHT. PLACE ONE. I JUST WANT TO THANK EVERYONE FOR COMING OUT TONIGHT. AS I MENTIONED, YOU KNOW, WE'VE HAD A FEW LATE MEETINGS, BUT ALWAYS JUST EXCITED TO SEE FOLKS COME OUT AND SHARE THEIR OPINIONS AND, AND REALLY ENGAGE WITH CITY COUNCIL BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT IT'S ALL ABOUT. YOU KNOW, THERE IS AN UPCOMING ELECTION. BUT, YOU KNOW, I'M PROUD TO SAY, AND I THINK EVERYONE ON DAIS CAN LAUGH ABOUT THIS A LITTLE BIT. IT DOES NOT INVOLVE US. SO SPECIAL ELECTIONS, NO REGULAR ELECTIONS.

YES. IT'S A FEDERAL ELECTION. SO EARLY VOTING WILL START ON MONDAY, OCTOBER 19TH AND RUN THROUGH OCTOBER 30TH. AND ELECTION DAY IS NOVEMBER 3RD. WHOEVER YOU CHOOSE TO SUPPORT, I JUST ENCOURAGE YOU TO GET OUT THERE. IT'S ONE OF THE GREAT PARTS OF OUR CONSTITUTIONAL REPUBLIC AND DEMOCRACY. AND SO PLEASE MAKE YOUR VOICES HEARD. ALSO, THANKS TO OUR POLICE AND FIRE DEPARTMENT AND ALSO OUR CITY STAFF, WE HAD A GREAT NATIONAL NIGHT OUT, REALLY GREAT TO SEE SOME NEIGHBORS AND REALLY APPRECIATE EVERYONE'S SERVICE AND WISH EVERYONE A GOOD NIGHT. THANK YOU, COUNCIL MEMBER CHANG FOR REMINDING US ABOUT EARLY VOTING AND MAKING

[24. Convene into Executive Session pursuant to:

1. Section 551.071 and Section 551.072 Texas Government Code, and Section 1.05 Texas Disciplinary Rules of Professional Conduct to consult with legal counsel regarding the acquisition of properties for public purposes and an option agreement for acquisition of real property; and
2. Section 551.071, Texas Government Code, and Section 1.05, Texas Disciplinary Rules of Professional Conduct, and Section 551.072, to consult with legal counsel regarding a lease agreement for City operations; and
3. Section 551.072 Texas Government Code, and Section 1.05 Texas Disciplinary Rules of Professional Conduct to consult with legal counsel regarding the acquisition of properties for public purposes.

[ Reconvene into open session to take action as deemed appropriate in the City Council's discretion regarding:

1. Acquisition of properties for public purposes and an option agreement for acquisition of real property; and
2. Lease agreement for City operations; and
3. Acquisition of properties for public purposes.

[04:40:03]

MOTION CARRIES. AND THREE, ACQUISITION OF PROPERTY FOR PUBLIC PURPOSES. MAYOR PRO TEM ROSS, DO YOU HAVE A MOTION? NO ACTION. ALRIGHT. THE TIME IS NOW 1109 AND WE

* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.