[00:00:09] WOULD YOU PRAY WITH ME, LORD, ON THIS MENTORING MONTH? [CALL TO ORDER] AWARENESS. WE THANK YOU FOR ALL THE THE MENTORS IN OUR LIVES. WHETHER THEY WEAR THAT TITLE OR UNKNOWINGLY ARE MENTORS, WHETHER THEY'RE OLDER OR YOUNGER THAN US. HELP US TO APPRECIATE HOW IMPORTANT THAT ROLE IS IN OUR LIVES, BOTH AS THE MENTOR AND THE MENTEE. AS YOU WERE FOR US, ALLOW US TO BE THAT TO PEOPLE IN OUR INDUSTRY, IN OUR FAMILIES, AND ALSO JUST RANDOM PEOPLE IN OUR COMMUNITY KNOW THAT WE CAN HAVE AN IMPACT ON ON A PERSON'S LIFE JUST BY GIVING OUR OUR LIMITED WISDOM AND OUR INSIGHT AND BE THAT FRIENDLY SHOULDER THAT THEY CAN LEAN ON. IT'S AN IMPORTANT ROLE THAT SOMETIMES WE OVERLOOK. AND AGAIN, ESPECIALLY FOR THOSE THAT THAT WHERE THE THAT DON'T WEAR THE TITLE. HELP THEM APPRECIATE HOW IMPORTANT THAT IS IN IN EVERYONE'S LIFE. WE ALSO ASK THAT YOU BLESS AND WATCH OVER OUR AIRMEN HERE AND THROUGHOUT OUR COMMUNITY. WE'RE SO GRATEFUL FOR WHAT THEY DO FOR OUR FOR OUR CITY AND FOR OUR NATION. AND THEN FINALLY, WITH THE COLD WEATHER APPROACHING, LORD, WATCH OVER OUR OUR STAFF, ESPECIALLY OUR FIRST RESPONDERS AND OUR LINEMEN OUT THERE THAT WILL KEEP US SAFE AND WARM. FOR US, WE KNOW, YOU KNOW, SITTING IN OUR IN OUR OFFICES OR AT HOME, IT'S WARM. BUT FOR THOSE FIRST RESPONDERS OUT THERE AND THOSE LINEMEN, IT'S GOING TO BE COLD OUT THERE. AND SO WATCH OVER THEM, KEEP THEM SAFE AND LET THEM RETURN TO THEIR FAMILIES. IN YOUR NAME WE PRAY. AMEN. AMEN. THANK YOU. COUNCILMAN. TODAY I HAVE BLAIR. BLAIR AND SHE IS A FIFTH GRADER AT AL-QUAEDA. AND I HAVE ELIJAH. THERE YOU GO. AND HE'S A THIRD GRADER AT AUSTIN, AND THEY HAD A WHOLE SLEW OF SUPPORT RIGHT HERE ON THE FRONT. AND APPRECIATE YOU ALL BEING HERE. NOW, THESE ARE ALSO BOTH LITTLES FROM THE BIG BROTHERS BIG SISTERS PROGRAM HERE, AND WE'RE JUST SO EXCITED AND TRULY HONORED TO HAVE THEM WITH US TODAY. AND THEY'RE GOING TO LEAD US IN OUR PLEDGES. Y'ALL TURN AROUND YOU. 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. NOW THE TEXAS HONOR, THE TEXAS FLAG. I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THEE. TEXAS. ONE STATE UNDER GOD, ONE INDIVISIBLE. DO Y'ALL WANT TO COME UP AND GET A PIC? COME UP HERE AND GET A TICKET YOU WANT. TO COME BACK UP. HOW'S THAT? THANK YOU. WELL GOOD MORNING EVERYBODY. THE NEXT THING ON THE AGENDA IS SOME RECOGNITIONS. [PRESENTATIONS, RECOGNITIONS, PROCLAMATIONS AND ANNOUNCEMENTS] WE'RE GOING TO START OFF WITH SOME AIRMAN. THE FIRST ONE IS TECHNICAL SERGEANT VALERIE STABLER. SO IF HER SUPERVISOR SERGEANT MAJOR TIMOTHY TATE, PLEASE COME UP HERE AND DO THE HONORS. GREAT. GOOD MORNING. MR.. GOOD MORNING. GOOD MORNING. SO THIS IS TECH SERGEANT VALERIE STABLER. I WILL BE INTRODUCING TODAY. SHE PLAYED A PIVOTAL ROLE ESTABLISHING THE DEPARTMENT OF WAR AS INAUGURAL SPECIAL EXPERIENCE IDENTIFIER FOR TASK FORCE 99, SIGNIFICANTLY ENHANCING MISSION READINESS FOR OVER 25 PEOPLE, DEMONSTRATING EXCEPTIONAL LEADERSHIP WHILE COORDINATING THE SIX PERSON TEAM DURING OPERATION ROUGHRIDER, PRODUCING OVER 100 UNIQUE INTELLIGENCE PRODUCTS, AND BOLSTERED CENTCOM STRATEGIC POSITION. HER EXPERTISE WAS ALSO CRUCIAL IN MANAGING LOGISTICS FOR $16,000 WORTH OF EQUIPMENT TRANSFER, AND ORCHESTRATING A MULTINATIONAL OPERATION WITH 25 PLUS PERSONNEL FROM TWO ALLIED NATIONS, RESULTING IN OVER 300 SUCCESSFUL SORTIES. ALSO WITH TEXAN VALERIE STABLER, SHE JUST RETURNED FROM DEPLOYMENT. THAT DEPLOYMENT WAS A DIFFERENT ONE DUE TO THE FACT THAT SHE HAD TWO WEEKS OF NOTIFICATION. [00:05:01] SHE WAS NOTIFIED TO DEPLOY. SHE LEFT IN TWO WEEKS, WENT OUT FOR SIX MONTHS AND CAME BACK. SO THAT'S WHY SHE'S BEING RECOGNIZED TODAY. AWESOME. CONGRATULATIONS. TO ALL WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME. GREETINGS. AS MAYOR OF THE CITY, I'M PLEASED TO PRESENT THIS CERTIFICATE TO HONOR TECHNICAL SERGEANT VALERIE STABLER WITH THE DYESS AIR FORCE BASE EXCEPTIONAL PERFORMANCE AWARD AS MAYOR AND ON BEHALF OF THE ABILENE CITY COUNCIL, WE'RE HONORED TO RECOGNIZE THE OUTSTANDING AIRMAN AT DYESS AIR FORCE BASE AND THE UNWAVERING DEDICATION AND INVALUABLE CONTRIBUTIONS THEY MAKE TO ABILENE COMMUNITY. THANK YOU FOR YOUR EXCEPTIONAL SERVICE. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. AND THE NEXT RECIPIENT IS STAFF SERGEANT CAGE STONE. AND HOLD ON ONE SECOND. SHANE, CAN YOU DO THE PICTURE REAL QUICK? SORRY. AND SHE MAY WANT TO SAY SOMETHING IF SHE WANTS TO RECOGNIZE ANYBODY. THANK YOU. DOCTOR CRAVER ON HER SPOT. YEAH. YOU WANT TO SAY, ARE YOU TRYING TO ESCAPE? YOU'RE WELCOME TO. NO. I JUST REALLY APPRECIATE THIS OPPORTUNITY. THERE'S A LOT OF AMAZING AIRMEN WITHIN 317. SO THANK YOU, SENIOR TATE, FOR PUTTING ME UP FOR THIS. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, DOCTOR CRAVER. MAKE SURE I DO IT RIGHT. THE NEXT RECIPIENT IS STAFF SERGEANT CAGE STONE AND TECH SERGEANT LOWE. WILL IS THAT RIGHT? SO, SHIFTING GEARS FROM SENIOR CROSS. OKAY. HEY. GOOD MORNING. SO I'D LIKE TO RECOGNIZE STAFF SERGEANT K.J. STONE. HE'S THE EPITOME OF WHAT IT MEANS TO BE A NONCOMMISSIONED OFFICER IN A UNITED STATES AIR FORCE. SO, WITH LITTLE DIRECTION, IT WAS BASICALLY GIVEN THE TASK TO LEAD A TEAM OF FOLKS OUT TO PALMDALE, CALIFORNIA, PLANT 42 TO RECOVER FOR B-1 ENGINES FROM A DOWNED B-1 THAT HAD BEEN DOWN FOR ABOUT TWO AND A HALF YEARS. HE LED ALL ASPECTS OF THAT, GETTING ABOUT $500,000 WORTH OF EQUIPMENT OUT THERE, DROP THE ENGINES AND LED HIS TEAM BACK OUT THE ENGINES BACK HERE, SAVING ABOUT $4.4 MILLION LEADING THROUGH WORKING WITH AIR FORCE MATERIEL COMMAND, AIR FORCE LIFE CYCLE MANAGEMENT CENTER AT THE HIGHEST LEVELS, MAKING SURE THAT IT HAPPENED WITH FLAWLESS EXECUTION. AND SO WE HAVE THE ENGINES BACK HERE AND RETURN TO GETTING READY TO RETURN BACK TO SERVICE INTO OUR FLEET TO SUPPORT OUR B-1 ENTERPRISE. SO SERGEANT STONE IS AN OUTSTANDING LEADER, AND THAT'S WHY WE WANTED TO RECOGNIZE HIM. TO ALL WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME. GREETINGS. AS MAYOR OF THE CITY, I'M PLEASED TO PRESENT THIS CERTIFICATE TO HONOR STAFF SERGEANT CAGE STONE WITH THE DYESS AIR FORCE BASE EXCEPTIONAL PERFORMANCE AWARD. AS MAYOR AND ON BEHALF OF THE ABILENE CITY COUNCIL, WE ARE HONORED TO RECOGNIZE AN OUTSTANDING AIRMAN AT DYESS AIR FORCE BASE AND THE UNWAVERING DEDICATION AND INVALUABLE CONTRIBUTIONS THAT THEY MAKE TO THE ABILENE COMMUNITY. THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR EXCEPTIONAL SERVICE. I JUST LIKE TO THANK ALL THE CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS FOR LETTING THIS OPPORTUNITY HAPPEN. AND OBVIOUSLY, MY WONDERFUL LEADERSHIP TEAM AND ALL THE AIRMEN THAT I WORK WITH EVERY DAY. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. YOU CAN GO. LOOKING EVERYWHERE. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. AND THEN FINALLY, BIG BROTHERS. BIG SISTERS. AS WE JUST SAW, WE HAD SOME LITTLES UP FRONT. SO LET'S HAVE SOME PEOPLE FROM. ARE WE GOING TO JOIN YOU? YES. COME ON EVERYBODY. YOU WANT TO COME LATER? I'M GOOD. I DID MY PART. COME ON UP. SOME OF YOU ON THIS SIDE TOO. GREETINGS. KNOW THIS PROCLAMATION IS PRESENTED TO HONOR NATIONAL MENTORING MONTH. WHEREAS NATIONAL MENTORING MONTH, OBSERVED EACH JANUARY, RECOGNIZES AND CELEBRATES THE POWERFUL IMPACT OF MENTORING RELATIONSHIPS ON BOTH MENTORS AND MENTEES BY HELPING TO CREATE INVALUABLE SUPPORT NETWORKS. AND WHEREAS MENTORING PROVIDES YOUNG PEOPLE WITH POSITIVE ROLE MODELS, GUIDANCE AND ENCOURAGEMENT THAT HELPS SHAPE THEIR SELF-CONFIDENCE WHILE HELPING THEM SUCCEED IN SCHOOL, DEVELOP HEALTHY RELATIONSHIPS, AND BECOME PRODUCTIVE, ENGAGED MEMBERS OF SOCIETY. [00:10:03] AND WHEREAS STUDIES HAVE SHOWN THAT YOUNG PEOPLE WITH MENTORS ARE MORE LIKELY TO ENROLL IN COLLEGE, PARTICIPATE IN EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES AND VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES, AND TO HOLD LEADERSHIP POSITIONS IN CLUBS AND SPORTS TEAMS. AND WHEREAS BIG BROTHERS BIG SISTERS WEST, CENTRAL TEXAS HAS DEMONSTRATED A LONG STANDING COMMITMENT TO EMPOWERING CHILDREN THROUGH THESE PROFESSIONALLY SUPPORTED, 1 TO 1 MENTORING RELATIONSHIPS THAT ARE PROVEN TO HAVE A LASTING, POSITIVE IMPACT. AND WHEREAS THEIR DEDICATED VOLUNTEERS AND STAFF WORK TIRELESSLY TO FOSTER MEANINGFUL CONNECTIONS THAT INSPIRE CONFIDENCE, BUILD CHARACTER, AND IGNITE HOPE FOR A BRIGHTER FUTURE. NOW, THEREFORE, OUR COMMUNITY BENEFITS GREATLY WHEN WE ENSURE EVERY CHILD REACHES THEIR FULL POTENTIAL. SO AS MAYOR AND ON BEHALF OF THE CITY COUNCIL, I ENCOURAGE ALL RESIDENTS TO SUPPORT THE MISSION OF BIG BROTHERS BIG SISTERS. AND I'M PLEASED TO PROCLAIM THE MONTH OF JANUARY 2026, IN THE CITY OF ABILENE AS NATIONAL MENTORING MONTH, SIGNED BY THE MAYOR. THANK YOU. GOOD MORNING. I'M MALLORY WILCOX. I'M THE INTERIM MARKET PRESIDENT FOR BIG BROTHERS BIG SISTERS WEST CENTRAL TEXAS. AND IT'S AN HONOR TO RECEIVE THIS PROCLAMATION THIS MORNING IN HONOR OF NATIONAL MENTORING MONTH. THIS MONTH, OUR CAMPAIGN IS LIGHT THE WAY. AND THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO ACCOMPLISH FOR OUR LITTLES. WE HAVE 140 WAITING LITTLES ON OUR LIST, AND SO WE'RE ALWAYS LOOKING FOR THOSE MENTORS TO STEP INTO THEIR LIVES AND LOOK HOW ADORABLE THEY ARE. BLAIR AND ELIJAH, THEY ARE IN OUR HIGH SCHOOL BIGS PROGRAM. THEIR MENTORS ARE HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS AT COOPER AND ABILENE HIGH. AND SO WE'RE JUST REALLY EXCITED TO HAVE THEM JOIN US THIS MORNING. AND THANK YOU TO THE CITY OF ABILENE AND THE LARGER COMMUNITY FOR SUPPORTING THESE MATCHES AND CHILDREN. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. I JUST WANTED TO REAL QUICK PUBLICLY SAY TO MALLORY, NO ONE MORE DESERVING TO CONTINUE TO LEAD THE LEGACY THAT TALON AND MARK HAVE LEFT BEHIND. BIG BROTHERS. SO THANK YOU FOR YOUR WORK. YEAH. FOR SURE. WE MOVE TO CONSENT AGENDA. I'D LIKE TO LET EVERYONE KNOW THAT THROUGH TECHNICAL DIFFICULTIES, THE SIGN INTERPRETER IS NOT ON TODAY. WHEN I MOVE TO THE CONSENT AGENDA, WHICH CONSISTS OF ITEMS FOUR THROUGH 20. [CONSENT AGENDA AND PUBLIC COMMENTS] ALL ITEMS WILL BE CONSIDERED ONE MOTION AND THERE WILL BE NO SEPARATE DISCUSSION UNLESS A COUNCIL MEMBER REQUESTS SEPARATE DISCUSSION. ALSO, ITEM SIX IS NOT BEING CONSIDERED TODAY. DOES ANYONE ON COUNCIL WISH TO CONSIDER ANY ITEM INDIVIDUALLY? NUMBER TEN AND NUMBER 19 PLEASE. WE'LL NOW MOVE TO PUBLIC COMMENT. THERE WILL BE NO VOTES OR ANY FORMAL ACTION TAKEN ON SUBJECTS PRESENTED DURING PUBLIC COMMENT. THE PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD WILL ALLOW MEMBERS OF PUBLIC TO PRESENT IDEAS AND INFORMATION TO CITY OFFICIALS AND STAFF. PLEASE COME FORWARD AND STATE YOUR NAME AND CITY YOU RESIDE IN. THERE WILL BE A THREE MINUTE LIMIT THAT WE ASK YOU TO TO FOLLOW. AND WE'LL START WITH CARDS. I HAVE ONE CARD ON THE CONSENT AGENDA AND ONE ON THE REGULAR. THE CONSENT AGENDA IS ERIC JOHNSON TO SPEAK ON NUMBER 20. OH, THERE YOU GO. OKAY. I'M. I'M REPRESENTING THE THE BUYER ON THIS TRANSACTION. I JUST WANTED TO OFFER UP ONCE WE IF THERE'S ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT THAT ZONE CHANGE, WE HAD SOME TECHNICAL DIFFICULTIES. IT WASN'T ON THE AGENDA. BOTH ITEMS, THERE WERE TWO SEPARATE LOTS. ONE WAS, ONE WAS LISTED ON IT, AND ONE WAS NOT IN THE PLANNING AND ZONING. SO WE MOVED FORWARD WITH THAT. BUT AS AS THE CITY WILL EXPLAIN TO YOU WHAT HAPPENED WITH THAT MISHAP. I JUST WANTED TO OPEN UP AND LET YOU KNOW I'M HERE FOR ANY QUESTIONS YOU MIGHT HAVE, SO THANK YOU. THANK YOU. ERIC. MR. THOMPSON, YOU WANT TO TALK ON 22? THAT'S ON THE REGULAR AGENDA. THAT'LL BE CONSIDERED ON ITS OWN. CALL ON ME. NO, NO, NO, I'M JUST TELLING YOU. ITEM 22 WILL BE AN INDIVIDUAL ITEM, AND YOU'LL BE ABLE TO SPEAK AT THAT TIME. OKAY. GO AHEAD, MR. FOGEL. TAMMY FOGEL, RESIDENT OF ABILENE. [00:15:03] JUST WANTED TO ADDRESS A COUPLE OF THINGS. FIRST OF ALL, I HAVE TO GIVE A HUGE CONGRATULATIONS TO THE NEW GENERAL MANAGER, JOE FERNANDEZ OF THE CITYLINK SERVICES. I WATCHED HIS PRESENTATION DURING THE MAYOR'S THAT REALLY LONG TITLED ONE FOR DISABILITIES. THE PROGRAM BOARD. I CAN'T REMEMBER THE NAME OF IT. THE PEOPLE'S. BUT HE DID A GREAT JOB PRESENTING IT. I'M REALLY EXCITED. I MEAN, HE MAKES ME EXCITED TO WANT TO DO CITYLINK. LIKE, I JUST, I FEEL LIKE HIS ENERGY IS GOING TO BE A GREAT ADDITION TO OUR CITY. AND SO I'M EXCITED TO SEE THE GREAT THINGS HE'S, HE'S SHIFTING AND BRINGING TO THAT THAT, THAT GROUP OR THAT, THAT, THAT THAT ASPECT OF WHAT'S GOING ON IN TRANSPORTATION. I WILL LET YOU KNOW THAT WHEN I FIRST ATTENDED CITY MEETINGS, I JUST SHOWED UP AND I PRETENDED LIKE I KNEW WHAT WAS GOING ON. AND I READ THIS AGENDA LIKE I HAD A CLUE. AND WHAT I DIDN'T EVEN KNOW. WAS THERE A PACKET THAT EXPLAINED ALL THESE THINGS, WHICH MADE IT REALLY HELPFUL TO START TO BE ABLE TO ENGAGE IN THE CONVERSATION? AND SO I DIDN'T FEEL QUITE SO STUPID. BUT THE THING IS, IS THIS AGENDA PACKET IS OUR WINDOW INTO WHAT HAPPENS IN THE CITY BUDGET. SO I WOULD JUST ENCOURAGE YOU AS CITY COUNCIL TO MAKE SURE YOU'RE HELPING THE STAFF TO BE MORE TRANSPARENT AND THE DETAILS THAT THEY KNOW ABOUT CERTAIN PROJECTS, NOT THAT THEY'RE WITHHOLDING IT, BUT IT'S JUST HELPFUL TO KNOW, LIKE FOR EXAMPLE, JUST SOME OF THE THE PLACES WHERE MONEY IS BEING SPENT, JUST TO BE MORE SPECIFIC ON THOSE THINGS, BECAUSE AS SOON AS I ASK IT, YOU ALL HAVE THAT INFORMATION, THE STAFF HAS IT, THEY KNOW IT. WE JUST NEED TO ENCOURAGE THEM AS THE POLICY MAKERS, THAT THAT'S KIND OF WHAT WE WANT IS MORE TRANSPARENCY. I ALSO WANTED TO POINT OUT, LIKE I SAID, WITH THE AGENDA, I HAD NO IDEA. AND NOW I'M READING THIS AND MAKING NOTES LIKE I DO WITH A NORMAL NONFICTION BOOK. I WAS SHOCKED TO FIND THAT, YOU KNOW THE CITY BUDGET IS COMING UP. WE HAVE THE WORKSHOP HERE IN IN A FEW WEEKS, AND THEN IT'LL BE DECIDED IN JULY. AND I THOUGHT JULY WAS WHEN THE CITIZENS SHOULD HAVE INPUT, BUT ACTUALLY IT'S NOW. AND SO IF CITIZENS WANT TO KNOW WHAT THEY WANT TO SHARE, IF THEY HAVE DIRECTION ON WHAT THEY WANT TO BE FOCUSED ON THIS YEAR IN OUR BUDGET, IT'S THE TIME IS NOW. AND INTERESTINGLY ENOUGH, ON PAGE 50 I FOUND OUT THAT THE BUDGET IS COMPLETED IN A SERIES OF WORKSHOPS AND IN PUBLIC HEARINGS AT WHICH CITIZEN COMMENT IS INVITED. AND SO THIS IS WHERE IT'S TIME FOR US TO CITIZENS TO GIVE YOU FEEDBACK, BECAUSE I THINK YOU ALL HAVE BEEN WORKING WITH SOME FEEDBACK FROM PEOPLE WHO KNOW HOW TO CONTACT YOU AND CONNECT WITH YOU. BUT THIS PUBLIC COMMENT IS A GREAT TIME TO GIVE CITIZEN FEEDBACK. IT ALSO SAYS THE PUBLIC IS ENCOURAGED TO PARTICIPATE IN THE BUDGET PROCESS. NOW I HAVE FOUR CHILDREN AND I WILL SAY COOKING BY MYSELF IS WAY EASIER THAN INVITING THEM TO JOIN ME. IT'S A NIGHTMARE. SO I KNOW THE MORE PEOPLE IN THE KITCHEN CAN MAKE A BIG MESS. BUT THIS BUDGET PROCESS IS ENCOURAGED FOR US AS CITIZENS TO HELP NOT MAKE A MESS JUST FOR MESS SAKE, BUT TO WORK THROUGH AND FLESH OUT SOME OF THE THE HICCUPS AND HANGUPS. BECAUSE IT'S CRAZY HOW MANY PEOPLE STILL COME UP TO ME AND SAY, OH, I'M SO FRUSTRATED ABOUT THE STREETS. AND SO THEY NEED TO KNOW A DIRECTOR, A PLACE TO DIRECT THAT THOSE COMMENTS IN AND COMMUNICATE THEIR DESIRES WITH Y'ALL IN A BETTER WAY. AND PUBLIC MEETINGS ARE GREAT OR EMAILS. SO THANK YOU SO MUCH. TRAVIS CRAVER. STILL HAVEN'T SEEN THE LANSING STUFF ON THE WEBSITE, SO I'LL LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING THAT TO HELP CITIZENS BE ENCOURAGED. SO THANK YOU. THANK YOU. STILL IN THE PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD. WOULD ANYONE ELSE LIKE TO SPEAK AT THIS TIME? I'M JARED CROCKETT ABILENE RESIDENT. I ALSO AM THE ASSOCIATION PRESIDENT FOR THE FIRE DEPARTMENT AND OR THE LOCAL ASSOCIATION FOR THE FIREFIGHTERS. I JUST WANT TO TAKE THIS TIME TO BE ABLE TO APPROPRIATELY ADDRESS YOU ALL GIVEN YOU KNOW, WE'RE IN 143 CITY, AND WE ARE ABOUT TO START NEGOTIATIONS FOR THE NEW CONTRACT. I DIDN'T WANT TO ADDRESS Y'ALL IN A WAY THAT WAS UNPROFESSIONAL OR WENT AGAINST WHAT WE HAVE WITH 143 IN OUR CONTRACT, BUT I WANTED TO TAKE THIS TIME, THIS OPPORTUNITY TO BE ABLE TO ADDRESS YOU ALL BEFORE YOU ALL GO INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION FOR ONE OF THE ITEMS THAT Y'ALL ARE GOING TO TALK ABOUT WITH THE CHANGES OF THE TEN CITY SURVEY. I WANTED TO BE ABLE TO TELL YOU HOW IMPORTANT THAT SET OF CITIES IS TO OUR POLICE AND FIRE IN DETERMINING THEIR SALARIES, AND THAT, IF NOTHING ELSE, WE WOULD LIKE TO BE ABLE TO HAVE A SEAT AT THE TABLE TO BE ABLE TO DISCUSS THOSE BACK AND FORTH AND UNDERSTAND THE METRICS THAT ARE BEING USED TO SELECT THOSE CITIES, NOT ONLY WITH THAT, BUT ALSO BE ABLE TO UNDERSTAND AND MAKE SURE THAT THE CITIES THAT WE'RE ACTUALLY USING TO DETERMINE OUR PAY FOR THIS CONTRACT THAT WE'VE HAD LONG STANDING FOR CLOSE TO 20 YEARS NOW, WOULD BE SOMETHING THAT'S FAIR AND EQUITABLE TO BOTH SIDES. SO I APPRECIATE Y'ALL'S LEADERSHIP, AND I APPRECIATE THE COUNCIL FOR CONSIDERING THIS. I JUST WANTED TO BE ABLE TO MAKE THAT STATEMENT FOR MY MEMBERSHIP AND FOR POLICE AND FIRE, AND LET YOU ALL KNOW HOW IMPORTANT ALL OF THAT IS TO US. SO I APPRECIATE YOUR TIME. THANK YOU, THANK YOU. STILL IN THE PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD, WOULD ANYONE ELSE LIKE TO SPEAK? SEEING NONE, I WILL CLOSE THE PUBLIC COMMENT. THANK YOU. NOW MOVE TO ITEM TEN. AND COUNCILMAN PRICE, YOU'VE WANTED THIS ITEM. I JUST WANTED TO POINT OUT WE NEED TO VOTE ON THE CONSENT. EXCUSE ME, EXCUSE ME, EXCUSE ME. I WOULD NOW ASK FOR A MOTION FOR ITEMS FOUR THROUGH 20, WITH THE EXCEPTION OF SIX, [00:20:09] TEN AND 19. SO MOVED. THANK YOU. YES, SIR. MOTION BY COUNCILMAN CRAVER. SECOND. SECOND BY COUNCILMAN YATES. READY TO VOTE. IT'S NOT COMING UP. HE. TAKES A DELICATE TOUCH. ALL YESES. MOTION CARRIES. MOTION CARRIES. AND THANK YOU ALL FOR KEEPING ME STRAIGHT ON THAT. WE'LL NOW MOVE TO ITEM TEN. [10. Resolution: Receive a Report, Hold a Discussion and Take Action to Purchase One 2026 Ford F450 Regular Cab with Aerial F4G (VSW-25754) from Rockdale Country Ford, Rockdale, Texas for Facilities Maintenance (Don Green)] AND, COUNCILMAN PRICE, YOU HAD PULLED THIS ITEM JUST FOR CLARITY FOR THE PUBLIC, BECAUSE I, I HAD STRUGGLED BACK AND FORTH WITH STAFF AND THE CITY MANAGER ACTUALLY POINTED OUT TO ME THIS MORNING WHERE IT WAS IN THE EMBEDDED WITHIN THE DOCUMENT. BUT THE AMOUNT ON THE RESOLUTION IS DIFFERENT FROM THE AMOUNT ON THE CONTRACT, BUT THERE'S AN OPTIONAL ITEM THAT'S A TIRE CARRIER THAT JUST WITHIN THE DESCRIPTION OF THE TIRE CARRIER HAS A DOLLAR AMOUNT INSTEAD OF IT BEING IN THE COST COLUMN. AND SO THAT'S WHAT WAS THROWING ME OFF. AND AND EMILY SHOWED THAT TO ME THIS MORNING. SO JUST FOR THE BENEFIT OF THE PUBLIC, ANYONE LOOKING AT THAT GOING, HOW COME THE QUOTES FOR 190,000 AND WE'RE DOING 191,000. THERE'S ONE OTHER ITEM THAT'S EMBEDDED WITHIN THERE. SO THAT WAS JUST I WANT TO MAKE THAT CLEAR. ANYONE LOOKING AT THAT JUST THOSE TWO NUMBERS. OKAY. I WAS GETTING LOST AND NOT FINDING THAT ONE LITTLE EMBEDDED NUMBER. ALL RIGHT. THAT WAS MY ONLY POINT. THANK YOU. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OF DON? NO. OKAY. THANK YOU. DON. I'LL NOW OPEN UP THE PUBLIC HEARING. IS THERE ANYONE LIKE TO SPEAK EITHER FOR OR AGAINST ITEM TEN, PLEASE COME FORWARD AND GIVE YOUR NAME FOR THE RECORD. SEEING NO ONE, I WILL CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING. FURTHER DISCUSSION. IF NOT, I'LL ACCEPT A MOTION IN A SECOND. SO MOVED. I HAVE A MOTION BY COUNCILMAN PRICE. SECOND SECOND BY COUNCILMAN BEARD. FURTHER DISCUSSION. WE'RE READY TO VOTE. ALL YESES. MOTION CARRIES. MOTION CARRIES. WE'LL NOW MOVE TO ITEM 19. AND ONCE AGAIN, COUNCILMAN PRICE, YOU HAD PULLED THIS ITEM. [19. Ordinance (First Reading) Z-2026-03: Receive a Report, Hold a Discussion and Take Action on a Request from the Owner to Change the Zoning of Approximately 1.43 Acres from Residential Single Family (RS-6) to General Commercial (GC). Located at 2502 Minter Lane. (Tim Littlejohn)] THIS ONE I PULLED JUST I LIKE WHEN I HAVE CONCERNS ABOUT AN ITEM, EVEN THOUGH IT'S ON FIRST READING THAT I'D LET THE PROPONENT KNOW. IN THIS CASE, IT'S A REZONING FROM RS. SIX TO GENERAL COMMERCIAL FOR THE PURPOSE OF A CENTER BASED DAYCARE. IT'S EMBEDDED WITHIN A NEIGHBORHOOD, AND THERE ARE MULTIPLE ZONINGS THAT ALLOW FOR A CENTER BASED DAYCARE. BY RIGHT. AND GENERAL COMMERCIAL IS THE MOST INTENSIVE USE. AND SO JUST FOR THE THE NEXT MEETING, IF WE CAN HAVE A NEIGHBORHOOD RETAIL IN THE SLIDE PRESENTATION SO WE CAN SEE WHAT'S ALLOWED, THAT IS THE LEAST INTENSIVE I SEE THAT ALLOWS THE CENTER BASED DAYCARE BY RIGHT. BUT IF FOR SOME REASON THE DAYCARE DOESN'T HAPPEN TODAY, OR IF IT HAPPENS AND THEN CLOSES DOWN, I DON'T THINK GENERAL COMMERCIAL IS APPROPRIATE EMBEDDED IN THE MIDDLE OF THIS NEIGHBORHOOD. SO THAT THAT'S MY CONCERN. I JUST WANTED TO SHARE THAT NOW. SO THE PROPONENT HAS TIME BEFORE THE NEXT MEETING TO COME UP WITH ANY COMMENTS TO ADDRESS THAT CONCERN. BUT I JUST THAT'S WHY I WANTED TO PULL IT. YES, SIR. WE'LL HAVE THAT SLIDE IN THE PRESENTATION. THE SAME CONCERN THAT I HAD WAS WHAT OTHER OPTIONS ARE THERE? BECAUSE GENERAL COMMERCIAL, IN THE EVENT THAT THE DAYCARE CEASES TO OPERATE, IS NOT A REALLY GREAT FIT FOR THAT LOCATION WITH THE NEIGHBORHOOD. BUT IF THERE ARE OTHER CHOICES, WERE THOSE CONSIDERED AND ARE THOSE MORE APPROPRIATE? AND THAT'S. YEAH. AND COUNCILMEMBER PRICE IS CORRECT. NEIGHBORHOOD RETAIL WOULD BE THE LESS INTENSIVE DISTRICT THAT WHERE IT WOULD BE ALLOWED BY. RIGHT. YEAH. ANY FURTHER QUESTIONS OF QUESTIONS. THANK YOU FOR THIS TIME. I'LL OPEN UP THE PUBLIC HEARING. IS THERE ANYONE LIKE TO SPEAK FOR OR AGAINST ITEM 19? PLEASE COME FORWARD AND GIVE YOUR NAME FOR THE RECORD. SEEING NONE, I'LL CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING. ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? I THINK WE'VE GIVEN TIM DIRECTION ON THAT. I'LL ACCEPT A MOTION AND A SECOND. HAVE A MOTION BY COUNCILMAN BEARD. SECOND. SECOND BY COUNCILMAN PRICE. WE'RE READY TO VOTE. ALL YESES, MOTION CARRIES. MOTION CARRIES. WE'LL NOW MOVE TO ITEM 21, AND I'LL ASK MARJORIE KNIGHT, [21. Resolution: Receive a Report, Hold a Discussion and Public Hearing, and Take Action to Consider and Adopt a Resolution Directing Publication of Notice of Intention to Issue Combination Tax and Surplus Revenue Certificates of Obligation for Waterworks and Sewer Improvements (Marjorie Knight)] [00:25:01] FINANCE DIRECTOR, TO PRESENT THIS ITEM. GOOD MORNING. MARJORIE KNIGHT, DIRECTOR OF FINANCE. BEFORE YOU TODAY IS A NOTICE OF INTENT TO ISSUE CERTIFICATES OF OBLIGATIONS FOR OUR WATER SYSTEM. BACK IN DECEMBER OF 2020 FOR OUR WATER DEPARTMENT PRESENTED A AN APPLICATION FOR FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE THAT WAS APPROVED BY CITY COUNCIL TO THE TEXAS WATER DEVELOPMENT BOARD FOR $49 MILLION IN REHAB AND EXPANSION FOR THE NORTHEAST TREATMENT PLANT. ONE OF THE BENEFITS OR SOME OF THE BENEFITS OF THE WATER DEVELOPMENT BOARD FINANCING INCLUDE ZERO OR LOWER INTEREST RATE LOANS. BACK IN DECEMBER, WE RECEIVED NOTIFICATION THAT THE WATER DEVELOPMENT BOARD DID APPROVE THE $49 MILLION IN FINANCING THROUGH CERTIFICATES OF OBLIGATION. WE ARE PROPOSING THAT WE ISSUE THE CEOS IN AN AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED $49 MILLION. THE CERTIFICATES WILL BE SPLIT INTO TWO SERIES, THE FIRST OF WHICH IS 48,895,000, WHICH WILL BE SERIES 2026 A. IT WILL BE ISSUED AT A 35% REDUCTION FROM CURRENT MARKET INTEREST RATES. SO ABOUT A 2.33% RATE, WHICH IS MUCH BETTER THAN WE WOULD GET THAN GOING TO MARKET. WE WERE ALSO ELIGIBLE FOR $105,000, WHICH WILL BE SERIES 2026 B, WHICH WAS ELIGIBLE FOR 0% FINANCING, AND THAT CAN ONLY BE USED FOR DEVELOPMENT OF AN ASSET MANAGEMENT PLAN. STATE LAW REQUIRES, WE KNOW WE PUBLISH A NOTICE OF INTENT AT LEAST 45 DAYS PRIOR TO APPROVING THE BOND ISSUE. SO THIS IS OUR FIRST STEP IN A TWO STEP PROCESS WITH THE COUNCIL. THE FINAL APPROVAL OF THE BONDS WILL BE SCHEDULED FOR THE MARCH 20TH, I BELIEVE, 26 2026 COUNCIL MEETING. DOES COUNCIL HAVE ANY QUESTIONS? QUESTIONS OF MARJORIE. THANK YOU SO MUCH, MARJORIE. I'M SORRY. GO AHEAD. JUST TO CLARIFY, THE THE CEOS, ONCE THEY'RE ISSUED FOR THE BONDS THE PAYMENTS ON THOSE WILL BE GENERATED THROUGH THE RATES FOR FOR THE WATER BILLS, NOT PROPERTY TAXES. THAT IS CORRECT. YES. THAT WAS OKAY, MARK. I JUST WANTED TO SAY IT. YEAH. MARJORIE. AND THIS MAY BE A MATTHEW QUESTION. WHEREVER HE IS, IS CAN YOU. I'VE GOT SOME QUESTIONS REGARDING THIS FROM FROM THE PUBLIC. CAN YOU JUST KIND OF SPEAK TO I KNOW WE HAVE INCREASED RATES, WATER RATES HAPPENING. CAN YOU JUST KIND OF SPEAK TO THE NEED FOR THIS ISSUANCE OF DEBT? AND IT MAY BE MORE OF A MATTHEW QUESTION. THAT'S A MATTHEW QUESTION. MORNING COUNCIL. MATTHEW, WATER UTILITY DIRECTOR. IN TERMS OF NEED, WE CAN KIND OF PULL THE LENS BACK A LITTLE BIT IS JUST A REMINDER. OVER THE LAST I GUESS PROBABLY EIGHT YEARS AGO NOW, WE PUT TOGETHER MASTER PLANS THAT DEALT WITH SOME BIG TREATMENT PLANT PROJECTS, AND WE BROKE THOSE UP INTO A FEW PIECES. AND THIS REPRESENTS THE FIRST OF THOSE BIG TREATMENT PLANT PROJECTS, WHICH IS A REHABILITATION OF THE NORTHEAST WATER TREATMENT PLANT ONE ON THE ON THE NORTH SIDE UP THERE ON EAST LAKE ROAD. TO FOLLOW THAT IS GOING TO BE AN EXPANSION OF THAT PLANT. AND THEN THE THIRD BIG PROJECT IS AN EXPANSION OF OUR HARGESHEIMER PLANT ON THE SOUTH SIDE THAT WOULD ALLOW US TO DECOMMISSION THE GRIMES WATER PLANT AND HAVE FULL CAPACITY FROM A TWO PLANT SYSTEM. IN TERMS OF THIS PROJECT, SOME OF OUR BIG ITEMS IN HERE, WE HAVE WHAT WE CALL SUPER PULSATORS, WHICH IS, IS KIND OF A CLARIFYING UNITS THAT HAVE SOME REHAB ASSOCIATED WITH THEM. WE HAVE A LOT OF ELECTRICAL WORK THAT'S TIED TO THIS. AS A SIDE NOTE, WE'RE ALSO PAIRING THIS WITH THE SCHNEIDER CONTRACT, WHERE WE'LL HAVE POWER GENERATION, BACKUP POWER GENERATION. AND SO THIS PROJECT IS ALSO COORDINATING SOME OF THE ELECTRICAL IMPROVEMENTS TO ACCOUNT FOR THAT GENERATOR TO COME ONLINE. WE'VE GOT SOME DEWATERING IMPROVEMENTS TO HAPPEN OUT THERE RIGHT NOW. WE'RE ON A LAGOON SYSTEM, AND SOME OF THAT WILL BE IMPROVED. SO THIS IS NOT CHANGING PLANT CAPACITY, BUT IT IS DOING ALL THE REHAB OF THE EXISTING FACILITIES TO BRING THEM UP AND KIND OF GET US READY FOR THE EXPANSION. ONE OTHER NOTE WE'VE TALKED ABOUT QUITE A BIT IN THE PAST IS THE NEWLY KIND OF UNFUNDED MANDATE OF PFAS AND HOW I HAVE TO DEAL WITH THAT. IT'S AN UPDATE. THAT COMPLIANCE TIMELINE HAS BEEN PUSHED BACK TO 2031. SO IT'S GIVEN US A COUPLE MORE YEARS TO FIGURE OUT BEST APPROACH TO MAKE THAT HAPPEN. FOR THE MOST PART, WE'RE NOT DOING ANY PFAS RELATED IMPROVEMENTS IN THE REHAB. WE ARE DOING THE IMPROVEMENTS DESIGNING THE IMPROVEMENTS WITH KIND OF AN EYE TO LOOKING FORWARD TO SAY IF THERE'S ANY SORT OF COST SAVINGS OR OPPORTUNITIES TO PREPARE US FOR ANTICIPATED IMPROVEMENTS. AND AND THEN IT WILL BE IN THE EXPANSION PROJECT WHERE WE MAKE THOSE. [00:30:03] SO THAT'S KIND OF THE TECHNICAL OVERVIEW OF THE WHY FOR THE DOLLARS THEMSELVES. DOES THAT GET TO THE HEART? AND I WANT TO SAY IT WAS LAST WORKSHOP, MAYBE ABOUT A YEAR AGO, THAT YOU GUYS DID THE GREAT PRESENTATION FOR THE NEXT FIVE, TEN YEARS OF WHAT THE WATER PICTURE LOOKS LIKE AND THE FUNDING AND THE RATES AND ALL THAT GOOD STUFF. THIS WAS PART OF THAT. SO THIS IS NOT A OH OUT OF LEFT FIELD. WE DIDN'T KNOW THIS WAS GOING TO HAPPEN. THIS IS PART OF THAT PLAN. YES INCREASED RATES. BUT ALSO WE'RE GOING TO ISSUE CERTAIN TYPES OF BONDS ALONG THE PATH TO TO TO DO THIS TYPE OF WORK. RIGHT. THAT'S RIGHT. YEAH. THIS IS YOU KNOW, IT CAN SEEM THAT WAY BECAUSE WE'VE KIND OF BEEN QUIET FOR A WHILE AS WE'VE GONE THROUGH THE WATER DEVELOPMENT BOARD'S PROCESS TO GET IT READY, BUT THIS IS THE SAME DOLLAR AMOUNT WE COMMITTED TO BACK IN THAT PRESENTATION FOR THIS REHAB. AND WE'RE GOING TO HOLD THE LINE ON THAT BECAUSE WE ALSO DISCUSSED EXPLORING OTHER FUNDING OPTIONS TO GIVE US GREAT FLEXIBILITY IN THE FUTURE WITH WIFIA. AND SO THAT PROCESS IS ALSO UNDERWAY. THEY ACCEPTED US INTO THE PROGRAM, BUT THAT'S NOT APPROVING ANYTHING. THEY'VE JUST SAID, YES, YOU MEET ALL THE QUALIFICATIONS. NOW YOU CAN START THE PROCESS OF APPLYING FOR FUNDING. SO WE'VE COMMITTED THE 49 MILLION FOR THE REHAB PROJECT. EVEN IF IF THERE WAS ANY, YOU KNOW, NEEDS OR ANYTHING THAT AROSE IN TERMS OF THE PROJECT ITSELF, WE WOULD LIKELY SHIFT THOSE TO THE EXPANSION PHASE SO THAT WE CAN HOLD THE LINE ON THIS PROJECT COST AT THE REHAB PHASE, AND LOOK AT WHAT THE OVERALL KIND OF PRODUCT IS GOING TO NEED TO BE WHEN WE GET FURTHER DOWN THE ROAD AND AS WE CONSIDER THIS STEP. HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT THE PLAN AS PRESENTED FROM A YEAR AGO? THINGS STILL GOING WELL? OH, WE'VE WE'RE GOING TO BE TAKING A LITTLE BIT OF A DETOUR. HOW ARE YOU FEELING ABOUT THE PLAN AS PRESENTED LAST YEAR WHERE WE ARE NOW? WELL, SPECIFIC DIFFERENCES FROM WHAT WE DISCUSSED LAST TIME. ONE IS THE DELAY IN THE TIME, YOU KNOW, IT MADE THAT SUCH A CHALLENGING THING FROM A DESIGN PERSPECTIVE IS CRAMMING IT ALL INTO THE 2029. YOU KNOW, SUDDENLY HAD TO DO ALL THOSE PROJECTS, RIGHT. AND AT THE TIME WE DISCUSSED VERY PRELIMINARY NUMBERS OF, YOU KNOW, OVER $300 MILLION OF PLANT PROJECTS THAT NOW GOT KIND OF LUMPED INTO THAT. SO YOU GET TWO YEARS OF BREATHING ROOM THAT GIVES YOU A LITTLE BIT OF OF WIGGLE SPACE. PART OF OUR GOAL IN THE RACE IS TO MAKE THEM AS PREDICTABLE AND SMOOTH AS POSSIBLE. TRY NOT TO SHOCK THE SYSTEM. AND SO THAT MEANS WE'VE GOT TO REALLY PLAN AHEAD SO THAT TWO YEARS REALLY DOES HELP. IN TERMS OF THE POLITICAL CLIMATE AROUND PFAS, YOU KNOW, THERE WERE SOME MAYBE, MAYBE HOPES THAT THINGS WOULD LOOSEN OR CHANGE. I'M NOT SEEING A WHOLE LOT THAT WOULD INDICATE THAT THEY WILL ROLL BACK THE LIMITS THEY'VE SET. THEY'VE OBVIOUSLY GIVEN SOME, SOME BREATHING ROOM ON TIMELINES, BUT NOTHING THAT'S COME ACROSS MY DESK HAS GIVEN ME A SENSE THAT MAYBE SOMETHING WILL BE LOOSENED. SO OTHER THAN PUSHING THE TIMELINE BACK, I WOULD SAY EVERYTHING IS ON COURSE WITH WHAT WE TALKED ABOUT BEFORE. AND THEN ONE OTHER SIDE NOTE, YOU KNOW, WE'VE WE'VE WE'VE TOUCHED ON BUDGETING WORKSHOPS. AND SO PART OF WHAT WE'VE ALSO BEEN DOING BEHIND THE SCENES IS GETTING OUR RATE MODEL UP TO DATE IN A NEW SOFTWARE. A WHILE BACK Y'ALL APPROVED PART OF GOING TO AN LIO RATE MODEL SOFTWARE SO THAT WE CAN TALK ABOUT WHAT THE NEXT FIVE YEAR RATE PLAN IS GOING TO LOOK LIKE. AND THAT'S REALLY FROM A DOLLARS PERSPECTIVE. THAT'S WHERE WE'LL GET TO HAVE A GOOD KIND OF MEAT AND POTATOES CONVERSATION OF WHAT ARE WE REALLY LOOKING AT? IS WHAT IS IT REALLY GOING TO TAKE? AND SO THAT'S COMING IN THE NEAR FUTURE. AND ON THE FIVES IS THAT WAS THAT WORKED INTO THE MODEL THAT WE DISCUSSED A YEAR AGO, OR THAT'S GOING TO BE SOMETHING IN ADDITION, DOWN THE ROAD IT IS. I JUST COULDN'T PUT A BIG ENOUGH ASTERISK ON THE SLIDE TO SAY, YEAH, YOU KNOW. YEAH, HERE I AM TAKING MY CRYSTAL BALL AND WE KIND OF DID OUR BEST. WE CONSULTANTS SORT OF HELPED US GET A ROUGH IDEA OF WHAT THESE NEW PROCESSES MIGHT BE LIKE. AND SO IT WAS PRETTY PRELIMINARY, BUT WE DID WE TRIED TO ACCOUNT FOR EVERYTHING THAT WE COULD SO THAT WE COULD GET A REALISTIC LOOK OF WHERE WE THINK RATES WOULD HAVE TO GO TO TO FUND THAT, AND WHAT DIFFERENT TOOLS, FUNDING MECHANISMS WE MIGHT BE ABLE TO USE TO HELP RELIEVE THAT PRESSURE OR SMOOTH IT OUT. SOME YEAH. PEOPLE MAY HEAR THE TERM UNFUNDED MANDATE. AND I FEEL LIKE THIS IS A GREAT EXAMPLE. IF YOU WANT TO KNOW WHAT AN UNFUNDED MANDATE IS, THIS IS IT. SO THANK YOU FOR THAT EXPLANATION. YES, SIR. 100% AGREE ON THAT. COUNCILMAN YOU MENTIONED WITH WHAT IS WITH YOU. SO YOU CAUGHT ME ON THE SPOT THERE. I'M NOT SURE I CAN DO THE ACRONYM WATER INFRASTRUCTURE, FINANCE SOMETHING OR ANOTHER AN ACT. BUT IT IS A FEDERAL. IT'S A FEDERAL LEVEL. I BELIEVE IT COMES THROUGH THE EPA. AND IT'S JUST ANOTHER ONE OF THESE BODIES THAT HELPS DO INFRASTRUCTURE FINANCING. WHAT'S UNIQUE ABOUT THEM IS SO A FEW OF THEIR TRAITS IS THEY'LL ONLY DEBT FUND HALF OF YOUR PROJECT. SO ONE OF YOUR CHALLENGES, YOU STILL GOT TO FIGURE OUT FUNDING FOR THE REST. FOR US, WE HAVE THE TEXAS WATER DEVELOPMENT BOARD. SO THAT'S AN OPPORTUNITY TO PAIR THOSE TWO. AND THEN THE OTHER THING IS THEY ALLOW DEFERRING PAYMENTS QUITE A BIT IN SOME CASES UP TO FIVE [00:35:07] YEARS. AND SO I'M STILL WRESTLING WITH MINIMIZING THE AMOUNT OF DEBT WE HAVE TO UTILIZE TO ACCOMPLISH OUR INFRASTRUCTURE PLANS. AND SO WE WERE ON THIS SORT OF CASH BUILDING METHODOLOGY. AND SO THE HOPE IS THAT BY UTILIZING WIFIA AND DEFERRING PAYMENTS, WHAT WE WOULD ACTUALLY BE DOING IS SAVING UP CASH TO PAY DOWN PRINCIPAL SO THAT THE OVERALL INTEREST IN THE END IS KNOCKED BACK. SO WHEN WE GET THIS RATE SOFTWARE BUILT, WE'LL BE ABLE TO PLUG IN WIFIA AND KIND OF TURN ALL THE KNOBS AND SEE WHAT'S GOING TO BE THE BEST FOR THE PERSON WHO'S ABLE TO ACTUALLY PAY THE BILL. THANK YOU. ARE THERE ANY STATUTORY REQUIREMENTS IN TERMS OF POSTING OR NOTICE FOR THE PUBLIC, SINCE THERE ARE TWO CERTIFICATES BEING ISSUED, LIKE WHAT IS YOUR PLAN IN TERMS OF COMMUNICATION IN THE IN THE INTERIM TIME IN BETWEEN THOSE FOR THE PUBLIC? I SHOULD KNOW THAT I'M GOING TO KIND OF PEEK OVER HERE AT MARJORIE TO KNOW. YEAH. ABOUT THE NOTIFICATION IN TERMS OF THIS. YEAH. 49 MILLION PACKAGE SPECIFICALLY? WELL, THIS IS THE FIRST STEP. SO THIS IS PART ONE OF OF GETTING THIS PUBLISHED IN THE NEWSPAPER TO LET EVERYONE KNOW THAT IT'S COMING. AND THEN STEP TWO WILL BE THE ACTUAL AUTHORIZATION TO ISSUE THE BONDS THAT'S COMING IN MARCH. GOTCHA. OKAY. YES. ANYONE ELSE? THANK YOU. THIS TIME, I'LL OPEN UP THE PUBLIC HEARING. IS THERE ANYONE WHO WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK EITHER FOR OR AGAINST ITEM 21, PLEASE COME FORWARD AND GIVE YOUR NAME FOR THE RECORD. SEEING NO ONE, I WILL CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING. ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? IF NOT, I'LL ACCEPT A MOTION IN A SECOND. SO MOVED. I HAVE A MOTION BY COUNCILMAN REGAN. SECOND. SECOND BY COUNCILMAN YATES. ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? WE'RE READY TO VOTE. ALL YESES, MOTION CARRIES. MOTION CARRIES. WE'LL NOW MOVE TO ITEM 22, AND I'LL ASK LESLIE ANDREWS, DIRECTOR OF PARKS AND RECREATION, [22. Resolution: Receive a Report, Hold a Discussion and Public Hearing, and Take Action on Awarding Bid #CB-2613 to Justice Construction for the Brush Center Building Project (Lesli Andrews)] TO PRESENT THIS ITEM. GOOD MORNING. LESLIE ANDREWS, DIRECTOR OF PARKS AND RECREATION. BEFORE YOU TODAY IS A CONTRACT TO BUILD A BRUSH CENTER BUILDING AT AT THE BRUSH CENTER. RIGHT NOW STAFF HAS WORKING OUT OF SHEDS AND A PORTA POTTY. WE DID DESIGN THIS. IT'S AN 800 SQUARE FOOT BUILDING. IT WOULD BE A PERMANENT LOCATION FOR STAFF TO OFFICE OUT OF. AND WE DID GO OUT TO BID. WE RECEIVED FIVE BIDS. THEY CAME IN ON DECEMBER 4TH. THE LOWEST BID AND BEST VALUE WAS $472,000. CITY COUNCIL DID APPROVE $300,000 AS PART OF THE FY 26 BUDGET PROCESS. IN THE FY 25 REVISED BUDGET THE BIDS DID COME IN ABOVE THAT. SO WE ARE REQUESTING THE ADDITIONAL FUNDS IN THE FY 26 BUDGET. IT WILL BE COMING FROM THE SOLID WASTE FUND. HERE IS A DESIGN OF THE BUILDING. IT GIVES A AN OFFICE, A BREAK ROOM A PUBLIC RESTROOM, STAFF RESTROOM, STORAGE AREA AND LOBBY. ONE OF THE THINGS THAT'S HAPPENING RIGHT NOW IS WHAT STAFF IS DOING, WORKING OUT OF THE SHED. ALL FINANCIAL TRANSACTIONS ARE HAVING TO HAPPEN OUTSIDE AND IN THE PUBLIC, WHICH THIS GIVES US A LOBBY LOCATION FOR THE FINANCIAL TRANSACTIONS. THE SHEDS THAT ARE THERE CURRENTLY BEING USED ARE PLANNED ON BEING REPURPOSED BY THE PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT. AND MOST IMPORTANTLY I KNOW IT'S A SMALL THING, BUT IT GIVES A GOOD PLACE FOR THE CITIZENS TO BE ABLE TO GO TO THE RESTROOM AS WELL AS WASH THEIR HANDS, BECAUSE CURRENTLY, RIGHT NOW, IF YOU HAVE DEALT WITH A LOT OF THIS MULCH, WHETHER YOU'RE LOADING OR UNLOADING YOUR TRUCK, THERE IS NO PLACE TO GO WASH YOUR HANDS IF YOU GET ANYTHING ON YOU. SO WHILE THAT'S A SMALL THING, IT'S VERY IMPORTANT TO THE CITIZENS IN ONE OF OUR MOST REQUESTED ITEMS OUT AT THE BRUSH CENTER, AND I AM HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS. QUESTIONS FOR LESLIE. I'VE GOT SEVERAL. JUST TO BE BLUNT, I'M NOT TRYING TO BE CONFRONTATIONAL, BUT THE THE COST OF THIS IS ASTRONOMICAL. IF MY MATH IS RIGHT, WERE WHAT'S BEING PROPOSED IS FOR US TO APPROVE THIS AT $585 A SQUARE FOOT CONSTRUCTION COST. WE APPROVE 300. AND THAT STILL PUTS THE SQUARE FOOT CONSTRUCTION COST AT $374. WHEN THE COMMERCIAL CONSTRUCTION SQUARE FOOTAGE RATE RIGHT NOW IS ABOUT SOMEWHERE BETWEEN 200 AND 250. AND SO HOW DID WE GET HERE? I DON'T I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY THIS IS SO EXPENSIVE. I'M ALL FOR THEM. THE FACILITIES THEY HAVE NOW, THEY NEED SOMETHING BETTER. [00:40:01] THERE'S NO QUESTION ABOUT THAT. I HAVE NO PROBLEM WITH ANY OF THAT, BUT THE COST OF THIS I WAS JUST I WAS SHOCKED WHEN I SAW IT. I WAS LIKE, HOW DID WE GET TO THIS PLACE WHERE THIS IS SO HIGH? I WILL HONESTLY ANSWER. STAFF WAS JUST AS SHOCKED AS YOU ARE. SO BEFORE WE EVEN BROUGHT THIS TO COUNCIL WE SAT DOWN OR ACTUALLY JACOB AND MARTIN, WHO DESIGNED THIS, SAT DOWN WITH JUSTICE CONSTRUCTION AND WENT LINE BY LINE THROUGH THE BUDGET TO MAKE SURE THAT THERE WAS NOTHING IN THERE THAT WAS A SURPRISE OR OVER CONSTRUCTED OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT. ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE DO RUN INTO IS THIS IS CONSIDERED A SMALL PROJECT. SO WHEN THERE ARE SO MANY LARGE PROJECTS HAPPENING IN THE CITY THEY PEOPLE CHARGE MORE FOR THE SMALL PROJECTS BECAUSE THEY'RE HAVING TO BREAK AWAY FROM LARGE PROJECTS TO GO TO SMALLER, SMALL PROJECTS. SO PART OF THIS IS THE JUST WHERE WE ARE IN ABILENE ON CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS. WE DO HAVE A COUPLE OF ALLOWANCES AND A CONTINGENCY IN THIS, BECAUSE IT IS A NEW BUILD ON THIS LOCATION. THERE MAY BE SOME THINGS THAT WE MAY NOT ANTICIPATE. SO IF THE, IF THE CONTINGENCY IS NOT NEEDED, THAT WOULD GO BACK TO THE SOLID WASTE FUND. THAT IS A SET AMOUNT WHEN WE GO OUT TO BID. SO EVERY SINGLE BIDDER PUT THAT INTO THEIR BID. THAT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT VARIES FROM BID TO BID TO BID. ALSO IN THIS WHILE WE'RE WHILE WE ARE APPROVING THE BUILDING, THERE IS ALSO SITE WORK IMPROVEMENTS THAT ARE HAPPENING RIGHT NOW. THERE IS ONLY ONE WAY IN AND ONE WAY OUT. SO STAFF IS ACTUALLY STANDING OUT THERE IN THE WHILE THEY'RE DOING THIS MONEY EXCHANGE. THEY'RE ALSO STANDING THERE AND VERIFYING THAT THEY ARE ABILENE RESIDENTS. THEY ARE STANDING OUT THERE IN THE MIDDLE OF TRAFFIC. PEOPLE TRYING TO GET IN, TRY TO GET OUT. THIS WOULD GIVE AN IN AND OUT EXIT AND IMPROVE THAT. SO WE DON'T HAVE STAFF STANDING OUT THERE IN THE WAY OF VEHICLES TRYING TO GET IN AND OUT OF THE LOCATION. SO IT'S NOT JUST THE BUILDING, THERE IS SOME SITE WORK, INFANTS WORK THAT IS ALSO A PART OF THIS. I GET ALL THAT, BUT AS AN EXAMPLE, MY COMPANY IS BUILDING A BUILDING RIGHT NOW IN THE CITY LIMITS FOR $200 A SQUARE FOOT. A 4000 SQUARE FOOT BUILDING. AND SO AND I'M NOT BLAMING YOU FOR THIS, I WANT YOU TO HEAR THAT. BUT I THINK THE PROBLEM HERE, I MEAN, THE ARCHITECT HAS CHOSEN SOME OF THE MOST EXPENSIVE BUILDING MATERIALS AVAILABLE, 16 INCH ROOF SHEETS INSTEAD OF 36, WHICH IT TAKES THE SAME LABOR TO PUT A 16 INCH SHEET ON AS IT DOES A 36 INCH SHEET. AND YOU COVER THE GROUND FASTER, AND IT LOWERS THE LABOR COST AND LOWERS THE MATERIAL COST. AND SO THERE ARE SEVERAL THINGS IN THE PLANS FOR THIS THAT ARE REALLY HIGH PRICED ITEMS THAT JUST DON'T NEED TO BE THERE. I DON'T IT JUST KIND OF FRANKLY, IT JUST KIND OF DEFIES BELIEF THAT THIS EVEN MADE IT. AND SO I'M I'M WHOLLY OPPOSED TO THIS IN ITS CURRENT FORM. WE'VE GOT TO GET THE PRICE DOWN TO SOMETHING REASONABLE IN MY OPINION. LESLIE, CAN YOU SPEAK? HOW MANY? HOW MANY STAFF MEMBERS DO WE HAVE OUT THERE? IS IT ONE? TWO? 4 TO 5. 4 TO 5 AT A TIME. ON ONE SHIFT IS 4 TO 5. AND SO IS THIS. IS IT ALREADY PLUMBED? NO, SIR. SO THIS THIS PRICE INCLUDES, I GUESS, RUNNING LINES OUT THERE. POWER AND WATER OR. HOW IS IT? SOME OF IT IS IS IN THIS BID. SOME OF IT IS IS IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE WATER DEPARTMENT TO GET CERTAIN LINES TO THE SITE. AND THEN IN THE BID IS TAKING IT FROM WHERE, HOW FAR THE WATER DEPARTMENT CAN GO. TO THE BUILDING. OKAY. BECAUSE RIGHT NOW IT'S, IT'S PORTABLE BUILDINGS OUT THERE. IS THAT RIGHT? YES. OKAY. BUT THEY'RE NOT CONNECTED TO TO WATER OR POWER OR MAYBE JUST POWER. JUST POWER, NOT WATER. OKAY. HOW LONG HAVE WE HAD THIS SET UP? DO YOU KNOW? IS IT FOREVER SINCE WE MOVED THERE, I SAY, I DON'T KNOW HOW MANY YEARS AGO THAT WAS. YEAH. OKAY. YEAH. I MEAN, I'M I'M WITH LIN. I'M REALLY STRUGGLING WITH THIS. AND, YOU KNOW, WE'RE WE'RE KIND OF BEHOLDEN TO THE MARKET SOMEWHAT. BUT, YOU KNOW, FOR THIS PRICE, WE COULD BUILD TWO, REBUILD ABBEY HOMES MAYBE EVEN MORE. AND SO IT'S JUST KIND OF STAGGERING THE PRICE TAG HERE. I'M. I'M STRUGGLING, SAME AS LIN. BUT I'D LIKE TO HEAR IF ANY OF THE OTHER COUNCIL MEMBERS HAVE THOUGHTS. SO IF WE DON'T MOVE FORWARD WITH THIS, WHAT'S THE. OBVIOUSLY, WE NEED A BUILDING HERE. WHAT'S THE PROCESS FOR US TO GO BACK TO THE DRAWING BOARD AND THEN COME BACK WITH MAYBE SOMETHING A LITTLE CHEAPER? I'M NOT SURE WE CAN GET IT CHEAPER, TO BE HONEST WITH YOU, TO TO HAVE A LOCATION WITH TWO RESTROOMS AND AN OFFICE IN A LOBBY WE WOULD STILL BE WORKING OUT OF A SHED IN A IN A PORTA POTTY FOR PROBABLY AT LEAST A YEAR. TAKE. TAKING OUT WALLS IS NOT GOING TO REDUCE THE PRICE. [00:45:04] WE DID LOOK AT THE ROOFING. CHANGING THE ROOFING WAS ONLY GOING TO SAVE $1,100 OUT OF 472,000. SO? SO THAT WASN'T MUCH OF AN EXCHANGE. WE DID LOOK INTO THAT CHANGING THE LAYOUT. NOT HAVING DOING AS MUCH FENCING. EVEN THEN IT WAS IN THE $20,000 RANGE TO MAKE THOSE ADJUSTMENTS GOING OUT TO BID I WOULD SAY POTENTIALLY IS GOING TO MAKE IT HIGHER. BECAUSE WE DID SEE PRICE INCREASES IN A LOT OF AREAS COME JANUARY 1ST. I CAN'T SAY THAT IT MAY GO DOWN. I MEAN, YOU NEVER KNOW THE MARKET. THERE'S JUST A LOT OF BIG PROJECTS. AND ONE OF THE THINGS YOU ALSO RUN INTO WITH YOUR BUILDING AN 800 SQUARE FOOT BUILDING OR A 2000 SQUARE FOOT BUILDING, SOME FEES ARE THE SAME. AND SO WHEN IT'S AN 800 SQUARE FOOT BUILDING, IT'S MORE PER FOOT. BUT THERE'S NOT A WHOLE LOT WE CAN DO ABOUT THAT. SO I JUST WANT TO OFFER A THOUGHT ABOUT THAT. WHAT I'M TELLING YOU IS, IS I'M RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF A CONSTRUCTION PROJECT, OR. AND SHE'S RIGHT. SHE'S 100% RIGHT ABOUT THE SMALLER BUILDINGS. RIGHT. BECAUSE YOU GOT TO MOBILIZE THE SAME CREW AND BRING THE SAME EQUIPMENT AND GET THE SAME FEES AND PERMITS AND ALL THOSE KIND OF THINGS. BUT THIS IS TWO AND A HALF TIMES THE COMMERCIAL CONSTRUCTION RATE RIGHT NOW, AND I DON'T SEE THE CORRELATION THERE. I MEAN, WE'RE BUILDING A BUILDING WITH BATHROOMS, WASHER AND DRYER, SHOWER LOBBY, OFFICES, ALL OF THOSE THINGS, AND WE'RE JUST OVER $200 A SQUARE FOOT. AND IT'S VERY SIMILAR TO A REMOTE AREA. THERE'S NO UTILITIES AROUND IT. WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO MAKE CONNECTIONS AND DO ALL THOSE THINGS. AND THIS IS THIS PRICE POINT IS JUST WAY OVER THE TOP. AND IT'S IT'S NOT I'M NOT BLAMING STAFF. IT'S THE DESIGN THAT HAS ALL THESE EXPENSIVE MATERIALS IN IT THAT JUST DON'T HAVE TO BE THERE TO STILL HAVE A NICE FACILITY, WHICH I DO AGREE THAT STAFF NEEDS, AND I THINK WE CAN GET IT CHEAPER. YOU KNOW, WE DID HAVE FIVE BIDS. THEY WERE ALL HIGH. BUT I CAN'T WRAP MY MIND AROUND THIS. I MEAN, I'VE LOOKED AT IT AND I'VE LOOKED AT IT AND I'VE LOOKED AT IT AND I JUST CAN'T WRAP MY MIND AROUND IT THAT IT'S THIS EXPENSIVE. AND DO ARE, ARE THESE CONTRACTORS NOW GOING OUT BECAUSE WE ARE A CITY AND MUNICIPALITY AND TAKING ADVANTAGE OF THAT AND BIDDING HIGH? I MEAN, THAT'S WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE TO ME. I MEAN, THIS JUST LOOKS RIDICULOUSLY HIGH. I'M NOT AND I'VE NOTHING TO DO WITH YOU. I HAD JUST AS MUCH STICKER SHOCK AS Y'ALL DID WHEN THE BIDS CAME IN. ANY MORE COMMENTS? I GUESS JUST, YOU KNOW, IF YOU WERE TO THINK OF SOME POTENTIAL MODIFICATIONS IN TERMS OF TWO RESTROOMS, ONE RESTROOM, IF YOU WENT THROUGH WORST CASE SCENARIO OF WHAT YOU WOULD NEED TO SCALE BACK, DID YOU LOOK AT IF WE HAD TO MODIFY, WHAT WOULD THAT PRICE POTENTIALLY BE IN COMPARISON TO, YOU KNOW, EVERYTHING THAT YOU'RE ASKING FOR IN THIS THIS BID? WE DID LOOK AT THAT SOME. THERE IS A BIT OF REDUCTION IF YOU JUST MAKE IT FOUR WALLS WITH NOTHING ON THE INSIDE. WITH ONE RESTROOM, IS IT GOING TO BRING IT DOWN TO THE $300,000? NO. WE WILL STILL BE MORE THAN THE THREE HOUSES. WILL WE BE AT 472 IF WE COMPLETELY TAKE THAT? IF WE TAKE THE FENCE OUT, IF WE TAKE THE IN AND OUT OUT IF WE TAKE ALL OF THAT OUT AND, YOU KNOW, I MIGHT GET BACK OVER THERE AND CERTAIN PEOPLE GO, LESLIE, STOP TALKING. YEAH. BUT IT'S STILL GOING TO BE MORE THAN 300,000. IT AT THE TIME WE WENT TO BID ON THIS. THIS IS THIS IS THE MARKET. WE SCRUB TO THESE NUMBERS. I DON'T DOUBT IT. YEAH. SO YEAH, BECAUSE BEFORE WE WERE EVEN WILLING TO BRING IT TO Y'ALL, WE WE WENT THROUGH THIS PROCESS. DO WE NEED TO TALK TO LENS PEOPLE LIKE CAN WE BRING THEM. WELL WHAT I'M TELLING YOU IS, IS SHE'S KIND OF MAKING THE MAYOR'S POINT. THERE'S NOT TWO DIFFERENT MARKETS, RIGHT? AND AND WE'RE BUILDING AN EXPENSIVE FACILITY. RIGHT. AND FOR THIS TO BE TWO AND A HALF TIMES THE COMMERCIAL CONSTRUCTION RATE, EVEN IN THE CURRENT BUILDING MARKET. SOMETHING'S WRONG. SURE. YOU KNOW, AND WE NEED TO FIGURE OUT WHAT IT IS. THERE'S A WHOLE LIST OF REBUILD ABI BUILDERS THAT ARE BUILDING 12 TO 1400 SQUARE FOOT HOUSES THAT HAVE A GARAGE THAT THEY'RE PUTTING UP FOR 160 TO 180,000 COST TO, TO THEM. AND THEN WE'RE TOSSING IN ANOTHER 30,000 ON AVERAGE. AND THE TOTAL COST IS $203,000. THAT'S THE LIMIT. THAT'S ONE AND A HALF TIMES AS BIG AS THIS. I DON'T KNOW THAT THERE'S, LIKE, SPECIAL MATERIAL THAT NEEDS TO GO INTO A COMMERCIAL BUILDING AT A BRUSH CENTER. I THINK IF YOU PUT UP A HOUSE, IT'D BE JUST FINE. [00:50:03] WE COULD BUILD A HOUSE AT THE BRUSH CENTER FOR THIS. THAT'S WHAT I'M SAYING. AND THEN SOMEBODY COULD SPIN THIS ONE IF THEY REALLY NICE ONE, YOU KNOW, IT'D BE GREAT. SO I THINK THERE ARE OTHER ALTERNATIVES I DO HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT AND THIS IS A STANLEY QUESTION, IF WE OPEN THIS AND AND HYPOTHETICALLY ALL VOTE NO, DOES THAT LIMIT OUR FUTURE OPTIONS OR MAKE IT TO WHERE LESLIE CAN'T PURSUE OTHER ALTERNATIVES, OR IS THAT JUST THIS PARTICULAR PROPOSAL IS YOU WOULD JUST YOU'RE JUST VOTING ON THIS PARTICULAR PROPOSAL? WE WOULD BE STARTING OVER, RIGHT? YEAH, WE WOULD JUST GO BACK TO THE DRAWING BOARD AND COMPLETELY START OVER AND BE ABOUT A YEAR DELAYED. TIM LITTLEJOHN KNOWS A FEW PEOPLE. LESLIE, CAN YOU. IF YOU DON'T KNOW THIS, THAT'S FINE. CAN YOU BREAK OUT? HOW MUCH ARE WE PAYING AS PART OF THIS PROJECT TOWARDS THE PLUMBING VERSUS JUST THE ACTUAL STRUCTURE? I DO NOT HAVE THAT OKAY AVAILABLE TO ME TODAY. I THINK WE'RE IN AGREEMENT. WE NEED A FACILITY OUT THERE, BUT I'M JUST HAVING A REAL HARD TIME WITH THIS. ANY FURTHER QUESTIONS OF LESLIE? THANK YOU. LESLIE. AT THIS TIME, I'LL OPEN UP THE PUBLIC HEARING. IS THERE ANYONE WHO WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK EITHER FOR OR AGAINST? ITEM 22, PLEASE COME FORWARD. GIVE YOUR NAME FOR THE RECORD. AND I THINK WE HAVE A CARD FIRST. MIKE THOMPSON. SORRY, MR. BENSON. GOOD MORNING. MY NAME IS MIKE THOMPSON. I'VE BEEN A RESIDENT OF ABILENE SINCE 1987, A BUSINESS OWNER FOR 26 YEARS IN ABILENE HAVE SUBMITTED BIDS TO THE CITY AND TO THE SCHOOL BOARD FOR MY PRODUCTS AND HAVE IT HAD TO BE VERY COMPETITIVE. WHEN I PUT THOSE BIDS OUT, AND MANY TIMES IT DIDN'T WIN THE BIDS BECAUSE I WAS UNDERBID BY SOMEONE WHO WANTED THE BUSINESS MORE THAN I COULD AFFORD. WHAT HAPPENED ON CONSTRUCTION BIDS IN ABILENE? WE SEE MY SENTIMENTS WITH. YOU'VE DONE MOST OF MY WORK. THE COUNCIL HAS ALREADY DONE MOST OF MY WORK UP HERE SAYING, WHY ARE WE SPENDING THIS KIND OF MONEY ON CONSTRUCTION? AND I GO BACK TO THE DOG PARK, THE DOG PARK AND THE FACILITY THERE THAT I SERVED THAT I ACTUALLY VISITED YESTERDAY JUST TO SEE WHAT $480,000 WOULD BUY. AND IT WAS EXCELLENT. IT WAS A BEAUTIFUL FACILITY. BUT WHAT DID IT? IT DIDN'T COST $480,000 TO BUILD. I'M SORRY, I WASN'T BORN YESTERDAY. THERE WAS TOO MUCH SPENT FOR THAT. AND WHY DID WE DO IT IS MY QUESTION. AND WHY ARE WE GOING TO CONTINUE TO DO THAT? IT'S TIME TO STOP AND BE FISCALLY CONSERVATIVE BECAUSE WE'RE A HALF A BILLION IN DEBT IN THE CITY RIGHT NOW. MY PROPERTY TAXES KEEP INCREASING. I OWN SIX RENTAL PROPERTIES IN THIS TOWN, AND I'M WONDERING IF I'M GOING TO BE ABLE TO STAY IN BUSINESS WITH THOSE BECAUSE MY PROPERTY TAXES AND ALSO PEOPLE ARE LOSING THEIR HOMES BECAUSE OF THE PROPERTY TAXES THAT WE'RE PAYING IN THE CITY. AS LONG AS THE SCHOOL AS WELL AS SCHOOL TAXES, WHICH ARE EXORBITANT TOO. I'M JUST SAYING, WHEN ARE WE GOING TO COME DOWN AND SAY WE'RE NOT PAYING IT? CONSTRUCTION COMPANIES WE'RE GOING TO DO WHAT'S BEST FOR WE, THE PEOPLE WHO ARE PAYING THE TAXES AND BE RESPONSIBLE, JUST LIKE COUNCILMAN BEARD IS STATING HOW HOW REALISTIC, HOW UNREALISTIC ARE WE SITTING DUCKS? DO WE JUST HAVE TO TAKE ANYTHING THEY COME ALONG WITH? I'VE NEVER EXPERIENCED THAT IN BUSINESS. THEY ALWAYS WENT FOR THE BEST DEAL. AND THEY HELD OUT UNTIL THEY GOT THE BEST DEAL. AND IF YOU DIDN'T HAVE THE BEST DEAL, YOU DIDN'T WIN THE BID. WHY IS IT DIFFERENT WITH THE CITY? WE HOLD THE PURSE STRINGS, DON'T WE? I PAY, I PAY THE TAXES. I'M PAYING FOR THIS, AND I'M INTERESTED IN IT BEING HANDLED PROPERLY, NOT JUST HANDED OVER BECAUSE SOMEBODY HOLDS US TO THE FIRE. SO THAT'S MY MY TAKE IN THAT WHY DID WE SPEND THAT KIND OF MONEY ON THAT, ON THAT INFAMOUS DOG PARK RESTROOM? HOW COULD YOU GUYS DO THAT? I KNOW THERE WAS ONE DISSENTER, BLAISE REGAN THAT WOULD SPEAK WISDOM INTO THAT, BUT WE WENT AHEAD AND BENT OVER AND TOOK IT AND PAID THAT AND PAID EXORBITANT AMOUNT OF MONEY FOR THAT TWO BEDROOM, TWO BATHROOMS THAT I LOOKED AT YESTERDAY. EXCELLENTLY DONE. BUT IT WAS TWO BATHROOMS, $480,000 FOR TWO BATHROOMS AND TWO WATER FOUNTAINS AND A CHANGING TABLE. AND IT'S RIDICULOUS. I'M OUTRAGED. AND MY TAXES ARE TOO HIGH. AND THIS IS ONE REASON WE DON'T. WE DON'T TAKE CARE OF BUSINESS. THANK YOU. STILL ON THE PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD ON ITEM 22. JOE BING'S RESIDENT OF ABILENE. AND THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR SPEAKING UP AND SAYING THAT THIS WAS TOO MUCH. AND THE LAST GENTLEMAN JUST BROUGHT UP THE DOG PARK. [00:55:01] OKAY. WHEN MAYOR HURT SAID, IS IT. IT SEEMS LIKE THEY'RE TRYING TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF US. WELL, WHEN WE HAVE A DOG PARK THAT COSTS THAT MUCH BECAUSE WE ALREADY OWNED THE LAND AND Y'ALL INSISTED THAT THERE WAS A BATHROOM THERE. AND I REMEMBER MY HUSBAND SAYING, YOU KNOW, I CAN GO TO THE BATHROOM BEFORE I TAKE MY DOG THERE. I'M REALLY NOT SURPRISED THAT WE GET BIDS LIKE THIS WHEN WE PUT IN DOG PARKS THAT ARE THAT MUCH. I MEAN, I'M I'M STILL BLOWN AWAY BY THE DOG PARK. AND OF COURSE, THIS JUST REALLY SURPRISED ME AS IT SURPRISED YOU BECAUSE OF SOME OF THE THINGS THAT YOU SAID. IT'S IT CAN BE DONE SO MUCH CHEAPER. SO MY POINT IS, AGAIN, WHEN WE SPEND LOTS OF MONEY ON OTHER THINGS, THEN THE BUILDERS LOOK AT Y'ALL, LOOK AT OUR CITY AND THINK, MAN, A CASH COW. WE CAN JUST ASK A LOT OF MONEY AND THEY'RE GOING TO SAY YES. AND SO THANK YOU FOR SAYING THAT. THIS SEEMED TOO HIGH. THIS REALLY GIVES ME HOPE BECAUSE NOW MAYBE YOU WILL LOOK AT SOME OTHER THINGS AND THINK IT'S TOO HIGH TOO. SO I JUST WANTED TO THANK YOU FOR THAT. THANK YOU. MISS BANKS. STILL IN THE PUBLIC HEARING ON ITEM 22. GOOD MORNING. MAYOR, CITY COUNCIL. MY NAME IS ERIC BINGS. I'M A ABILENE RESIDENT. I'M ALSO A FREQUENT USER OF THE BRUSH CENTER. I GO OUT THERE TO GET MULCH. I PICK UP FIREWOOD, I HAUL STUFF OUT THERE. SO I'M. I'M FAMILIAR WITH THE PLACE. I'M FAMILIAR WITH WITH WHAT HAPPENS OUT THERE. AND I THINK IT'S A REAL ASSET TO THE CITY TO THE CITIZENS HERE. AND I'M, I COMMEND THE, THE CITY FOR AT LEAST LOOKING AT TRYING TO HELP THE EMPLOYEES OUT BACK THERE, BECAUSE I DON'T KNOW IF YOU'VE EVER HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO BE IN A PORTA POTTY AT 110 DEGREES OR 20 DEGREES. I'LL LEAVE IT AT THAT. THE AGENDA PACKET THIS MORNING GAVE FLOOR PLANS FOR THE PROPOSED BUILDING WITH AN OUTSIDE DIMENSION OF 27 FOOT BY 29 FOOT NINE INCHES, APPROXIMATELY 800FT², AT A COST OF $472,000, AND THAT COMES OUT TO ROUGHLY 590FT, A SQUARE FOOT. YOU HAD AT FIVE, FIVE, 85. PRETTY CLOSE ONE OF THOSE NUMBERS. SO TWO WEEKS AGO, A LOCAL BUILDER WAS GIVEN THE OKAY BY CITY COUNCIL TO BUILD MULTIPLE THREE BEDROOM, TWO BATH, ONE CAR GARAGE HOMES AT A PRICE POINT OF NOT MORE THAN $200 $3,000. THAT COMES OUT TO ABOUT $113 A SQUARE FOOT. AVERAGE BUILDING COSTS IN ABILENE 180 SQUARE FOOT. $180 A SQUARE FOOT. $280 A SQUARE FOOT. FOR A HOME UP TO 500 SQUARE, YOU KNOW, DOLLARS A SQUARE FOOT IF YOU WANT TO GO. LUXURY. SO MY I JUST HAVE QUESTIONS AND I'M MAN, I'M THRILLED THAT YOU GUYS ARE LOOKING AT THIS THING GOING, THAT'S CRAZY NUMBERS. BECAUSE WHY ARE WE GOING TO SPEND ALMOST, ALMOST A HALF $1 MILLION ON AN 800 SQUARE FOOT BUILDING THAT THAT MAKES ZERO SENSE. THANK YOU FOR FOR BRINGING THAT UP AND JUST SAYING THAT THIS NUMBER IS JUST NUTS. I MEAN, IT DOESN'T IT DOESN'T LOOK LIKE ON WHAT WAS AVAILABLE TO BE SEEN THIS MORNING. IT DIDN'T SAY ANYTHING ABOUT A PARKING LOT. DIDN'T SAY ANYTHING ABOUT SEWER CONNECTIONS. WATER CONNECTIONS. IT'S JUST A BUILDING. AND SO I'M I'M APPRECIATIVE TO THE CITY COUNCIL TO TO BE LOOKING AT THAT AND GOING, NO, THAT'S JUST TOO HIGH. YOU KNOW, I'M A TAXPAYER AS WELL. I HAVE MULTIPLE PROPERTIES IN TOWN. IT IS EATING ME UP. LAND TAX, SCHOOL TAX, CITY, ALL OF THOSE THINGS. AND SO CAN WE JUST PUT A HIATUS ON IT AND JUST SAY, LET'S BACK OFF AND LOOK AND LET'S SEE IF WE CAN FIND ANOTHER PLAN. THANK YOU. YOU'RE ALL SO SMART FOR LETTING HER GO FIRST. WE'RE STILL ON ITEM 22. PUBLIC HEARING. WOULD ANYONE ELSE LIKE TO SPEAK? SEEING NO ONE, I WILL CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING. THANK YOU FOR YOUR COMMENTS. IS THERE ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION BY COUNCIL? NOT ACCEPT A MOTION AND A SECOND. MOVE TO DENY. STANLEY, DO WE NEED TO OR DO I NEED TO MOVE TO DENY? OR DO WE JUST NEED TO LET IT DIE FOR LACK OF EMOTION? EITHER WAY WORKS. ALL RIGHT, WELL, THEN I'M GOING TO MOVE TO DENY, WHICH IS NOT WHAT THIS SAYS. I'LL SECOND THE MOVE TO. I HAVE A MOTION TO DENY. [01:00:01] ITEM 22 BY COUNCILMAN BEARD AND A SECOND BY COUNCILMAN REAGAN. DRIVING ME NUTS. CAITLIN, YOU STILL WANT ME TO VOTE? WE'RE VOTING YES TO VOTE NO. YES. THAT'S CORRECT. YES. TO VOTE NO. OKAY. NO. SO THIS IS TO DENY THIS IS YES TO VOTE NO. OKAY. OKAY. READY TO VOTE? ALL YESES. SO MOTION TO DENY CARRIES. OKAY. NOW MOVE TO ITEM 23. AND I'LL ASK MAX JOHNSON, DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC WORKS, [23. Resolution: Receive a Report, Hold a Discussion and Public Hearing, and Take Action on Authorizing the Initiation of Condemnation Proceedings Necessary to Complete Public Right-of-Way and Drainage Improvements along Maple Street, to Include Portions of Property Located on Maple Street, Hollywood Drive, and South 14th Street (Max Johnson)] TO PRESENT THIS ITEM. GOOD MORNING, MR. MAYOR. COUNCIL. UP BEFORE YOU TODAY IS A APPROVAL TO MOVE FORWARD WITH SOME CONDEMNATION PROCEEDINGS. THESE ARE FOR DRAINAGE EASEMENTS ALONG THE MAPLE STREET PROJECT. THE NEXT PHASE OF THE MAPLE STREET PROJECT. THERE ARE 14 EASEMENTS. AND THE REASON FOR PROCEEDING FORWARD IS EITHER NO CONTACT FROM THE PROPERTY OWNERS OR WE WERE NOT ABLE TO RESOLVE COMPENSATION FOR THIS DRAINAGE EASEMENT. WE HAVE RECEIVED 25 APPROXIMATELY 25 OTHER EASEMENTS FOR THIS PROJECT. THESE ARE THE ONES WE HAVE NOT HAD CONTACT WITH AS OF YET. AND HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS YOU MAY HAVE. QUESTIONS, MAX. THANK YOU, THANK YOU. YES, SIR. JUST TO CLARIFY, LOOKING AT THE THE VARIETY OF CONDEMNATIONS WE'RE TALKING ABOUT BETWEEN 5 AND 15FT, DEPENDING ON THE. THESE ARE VERY SMALL STRIPS THAT ARE RIGHT ALONG MAPLE THAT ALLOW MOSTLY IS A BAR DITCH CORRECT? YES, SIR. GOT IT. YES, SIR. ANYONE ELSE? THANK YOU. AT THIS TIME, I'LL OPEN UP THE PUBLIC HEARING. IS THERE ANYONE WHO WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK EITHER FOR OR AGAINST? ITEM 23, PLEASE COME FORWARD AND GIVE YOUR NAME FOR THE RECORD. TAMMY FOGLE, RESIDENT. JUST A QUICK QUESTION. HE SAID THAT THERE WERE 25 EASEMENTS AND MOST OF THEM HAVE RESPONDED. I'M JUST CURIOUS IF WE COULD GET THE EXACT NUMBER OF HOW MANY OF THESE WERE DOING THE EMINENT DOMAIN ON. DO YOU KNOW IT'S 14? IT'S 14 TOTAL OUT OF THE 25. WE'VE ALREADY RECEIVED 25. AND THERE'S AN ADDITIONAL 14. THAT OKAY. YES. SORRY, I WAS TRYING TO WRITE IT DOWN. AND THANK YOU. STILL IN THE PUBLIC HEARING ON ITEM 23. SEEING NONE, I WILL CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING. IS THERE ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? IF NOT, I'LL ACCEPT A MOTION IN A SECOND. SO MOVED. HAVE A MOTION BY COUNCILMAN YATES. SECOND. SECOND BY COUNCILMAN CRAVER. ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? WE'RE READY TO VOTE. ALL YESES, MOTION CARRIES. MOTION CARRIES. IT IS NOW 9:32 A.M., AND WE RECESS INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION PURSUANT TO THE OPEN MEETINGS ACT, [EXECUTIVE SESSION] SECTION 551.071 CONSULTATION WITH ATTORNEY. SECTION 551.072 DELIBERATIONS ABOUT REAL PROPERTY. SECTION 551.073 DELIBERATIONS ABOUT GIFTS AND DONATIONS. SECTION 551.074 PERSONNEL MATTERS. SECTION 551.076 DELIBERATIONS ABOUT SECURITY DEVICES. SECTION 551.087 DELIBERATIONS ABOUT BUSINESS PROSPECTS AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT. WE'LL BE BACK. IT IS NOW 10:34 A.M. AND WE RECONVENE TO OPEN SESSION. [RECONVENE] NO VOTES OR ACTIONS WERE TAKEN DURING EXECUTIVE SESSION. WE NOW MOVE TO ITEM 25, WHICH IS THE APPOINTMENT AND REAPPOINTMENT OF VARIOUS BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS. [25. Resolution: Receive a Report, Hold a Discussion and Take Action on Appointing Members to Various Boards and Commissions per the City Charter (Shawna Atkinson)] ABILENE TAYLOR COUNTY EVENTS. VENUE. DISTRICT BOARD CARL MCALISTER. NEW BOARD OF BUILDING STANDARDS. CACHE. TANKERSLEY. NEW CIVIL SERVICE COMMISSION TAMMY KEISTER, NEW. AT THIS TIME. I'LL OPEN UP THE PUBLIC HEARING. IS THERE ANYONE WHO WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK EITHER FOR OR AGAINST? ITEM 25? PLEASE COME FORWARD AND GIVE YOUR NAME FOR THE RECORD. SEEING NONE, I'LL CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING. IS THERE ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? IF NOT, I'LL ACCEPT A MOTION AND A SECOND. MOTION. SO MOVED. HAVE A MOTION BY COUNCILMAN CRAVER. SECOND. SECOND BY COUNCILMAN ESPINOSA. FURTHER DISCUSSION. WE'RE READY TO VOTE. ALL YESES. MOTION CARRIES. MOTION CARRIES. NOW, MOVE TO ITEM 26, AND I'LL ASK LESLIE ANDREWS, DIRECTOR OF PARKS, TO PRESENT THIS ITEM. [26. Resolution: Receive a Report, Hold a Discussion and Public Hearing, and Take Action on Authorizing the City Manager to Enter Into a Facilities Management and Operation Agreement with Lone Star Golf Course Management, LLC., for Maxwell Golf Course (Lesli Andrews)] LESLIE ANDREWS, DIRECTOR OF PARKS AND RECREATION. THANK YOU AGAIN FOR HAVING THIS CONVERSATION. THE ITEM THAT I BRING BEFORE YOU TODAY IS THE APPROVAL OF THE CONTRACT WITH LONE STAR GOLF COURSE MANAGEMENT, LLC. AS COUNCIL IS AWARE WE WENT OUT FOR AN RFP FOR MANAGEMENT OF THE GOLF COURSE SALE OF THE GOLF COURSE. DENIED BOTH OF THOSE REQUESTS. WENT OUT A SECOND TIME FOR MANAGEMENT OF THE GOLF COURSE. [01:05:04] RECEIVED THREE RESPONSES TO THAT ON NOVEMBER 13TH, 2025. THROUGH THE EVALUATION AND SELECTION COMMITTEE. AND THE COMMITTEE WOULD LIKE TO RECOMMEND LONE STAR GOLF COURSE MANAGEMENT, LLC IS TO BE THE MANAGING OPERATOR FOR MAXWELL GOLF COURSE. ALSO PART OF THE REQUEST THAT WE HAVE BEFORE COUNCIL TODAY IS A NOT TO EXCEED AMOUNT OF $300,000 TO MAKE SOME IMPROVEMENTS TO MAXWELL TO HELP GET THEM UP AND RUNNING IN THIS FIRST YEAR. SOME OF THOSE ITEMS THAT WE ARE LOOKING AT IS REPLACING THE ROOF ON THE PRO SHOP AND THE MAINTENANCE BUILDING REPLACING CEILING TILES. THE ROOF OVER THE PRO SHOP IS 40 PLUS YEARS OLD AND IS LEAKING PRETTY SEVERELY. SO ONCE WE REPLACE THE ROOF ALSO REPLACING THE CEILING TILES, REPLACING THE FLOORING RIGHT NOW IN, IN THE PRO SHOP AND, AND THAT MAIN BUILDING, IT'S CARPET. IT'S VERY OLD, WELL-USED CARPET. SO WE ARE GOING TO GO BACK WITH LVT, A COMMERCIAL GRADE LVT. SO IT WOULD BE MUCH MORE DURABLE, EASIER TO MANAGE AND AND CLEAN. BOTH HOT WATER HEATERS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED AND BROUGHT UP TO CODE. SO IN THE PROCESS OF DOING THAT AS WELL THE CARBON CARBON NEEDS SOME MINOR REPAIRS TO LIGHTS, ELECTRICAL OVERHEAD DOOR SUPPORTS INSULATING THE WATER LINES. MANY OF THESE THINGS ARE ARE ZERO COST BECAUSE OUR FACILITIES EMPLOYEES CAN DO IT. SOME OF THEM DO REQUIRE A LITTLE BIT OF MONEY. THE MOST EXPENSIVE IN ALL OF THIS LIST IS GOING TO BE THE ROOF TO THE PRO SHOP. WE ARE ANTICIPATING IT BEING SOMEWHERE BETWEEN 90,000 AND 120,000. THAT WILL REQUIRE US GOING OUT TO BID AND COMING BEFORE COUNCIL TO APPROVE THAT. AT THAT TIME IF YOU DRIVE DOWN INDUSTRIAL, YOU'LL NOTICE THAT THE FENCE HAS FAILED. THE MAXWELL FENCE ON A GESTURE HAS FAILED. SO WE'RE ALSO IN THE PROCESS OF GETTING QUOTES FOR THAT. IT WILL BE LESS THAN $100,000 STRIPING THE PARKING LOT, PUTTING IN A FIRE LANE LINE AND THEN REPLACING THE VFD AT THE PUMP HOUSE. ALL OF THIS, AT LEAST THROUGH INITIAL COST ESTIMATES, ARE VERY EARLY BID AMOUNTS. WE SHOULD STAY UNDER THE $300,000. SO WHAT WE'RE REQUESTING IS THREE NOT TO EXCEED $300,000 TO SPEND ON THESE IMPROVEMENTS. BETWEEN NOW AND SEPTEMBER 30TH OF 2025, SOME OF A FEW OF THESE ITEMS WILL BE REQUIRED TO BE DONE BEFORE THEY WILL BE ABLE TO GET THEIR COE AND OPEN THE WATER HEATERS, THE FIRE LANE THE ROOF WILL NOT BE DONE BY THE TIME THAT THEY OPEN. THE FLOORING WILL BE DONE. PAINTING THE INTERIOR WALLS WILL BE DONE. THEY ARE. THE LONE STAR IS HANDLING PAINTING THE WALLS. THEY'RE DOING THAT ON AT THEIR OWN EXPENSE IN THEIR OWN TIME. BUT THE ROOFING IS GOING TO TAKE A LITTLE BIT LONGER. AND SO WE'RE WORKING VERY CLOSELY WITH LONE STAR AND THEIR PEOPLE TO MAKE SURE THAT EVERYTHING THAT HAS TO BE DONE BY THE DATE THEY WANT TO OPEN WILL BE DONE. FROM ALL INDICATIONS, THAT SHOULD NOT BE AN ISSUE AT ALL WITH KNOWING THAT SOME OF THESE OTHER THINGS WILL BE HAPPENING BETWEEN NOW AND OVER THE NEXT COUPLE OF MONTHS, AND I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS. LESLIE, I APPRECIATE YOU AND MICHAEL RICE. I WANTED TO MENTION MICHAEL RICE FOR WORKING WITH THIS GROUP TO COME TO THIS AGREEMENT. I APPRECIATE ALL YOUR HARD WORK AND TIME QUESTIONS. LESLIE I WANT TO ECHO THE MAYOR, Y'ALL. THIS WAS A LOT TO FIGURE OUT. AND AND THERE WAS A LOT OF REACTION TO IT. AND I APPRECIATE ALL YOU'VE DONE. SOMETHING YOU JUST SAID RAISED A CONCERN IN MY MIND ABOUT. IF I HEARD YOU RIGHT, WE'RE GOING TO DO THE FLOORING, BUT THE ROOF LATER. IS THAT A PROBLEM? THE ROOF IS. THE ROOF IS IN THE DESIGN PHASE. NO, I'M TALKING ABOUT REPLACING THE FLOORING AND STILL HAVING A LEAKING ROOF OVER THE TOP OF IT. DID I MISS. I HEAR THAT YOU DID NOT MISHEAR THAT THEY ARE REQUESTING THE ROOF TO BE. I MEAN, THE FLOORING TO BE DONE IS AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. GETTING THAT CARPET OUT THERE WITH GOING IN WITH THE LRV. IT WILL BE ABLE TO HANDLE ANY DRIPS OR OR ANYTHING. OKAY, THAT MAKES SENSE. FROM THE ROOF, ALL THE CARPET WILL BE GONE. GOTCHA, GOTCHA. THANK YOU. ONE THING THAT YOU DID NOT MENTION, THAT I'M SURE PEOPLE WILL BE LOOKING FORWARD TO IS THE DATE FOR OPENING. YES. OUR TARGET DATE FOR OPENING IS FEBRUARY 28TH. IT IS VERY MUCH THEIR GOAL TO BE OPEN AND OPERATIONAL IN TIME FOR ALL OF THE SPRING TOURNAMENTS, SPRING LEAGUE'S SPRING SEASON. THEY'RE ALREADY HAVING THOSE CONVERSATIONS WITH ALL OF THE ISD'S AND COLLEGES THAT USED TO USE [01:10:02] MAXWELL. EVERYBODY IS VERY MUCH AWARE. I BELIEVE THEY'VE EVEN STARTED, YOU KNOW, KIND OF POSTING HOURS AND STUFF. WE DO THINK EVERYTHING THAT NEEDS TO BE DONE, WE CAN DO BY FEBRUARY 28TH. THEY HAVE BEEN VERY BUSY SINCE YOU ALL APPROVED THEM IN DECEMBER UNTIL WE COULD GET TO THIS FINAL CONTRACT IN IN JANUARY. SO I DO NOT ANTICIPATE THERE'S ALWAYS A CHANCE FOR HICCUP, BUT I DON'T ANTICIPATE ANY PROBLEMS WITH BEING OPEN FEBRUARY 28TH. I ALSO APPRECIATE ALL THE WORK THAT YOU'VE DONE, AND I'M EXCITED ABOUT LONE STAR COMING IN FOR SURE. I HAVE HAD SO MANY PEOPLE ASK ME, WHEN ARE WE GOING TO HAVE MAXWELL OPEN AGAIN? AND YEAH, LOOKING FORWARD TO HAVING OPEN AND Y'ALL TAKING OVER AND IS A GREAT DAY TO BE ABLE TO APPROVE THAT. NEVER THOUGHT I'D SEE SOMETHING WITH MORE COMPLAINTS THAN POTHOLES. MAXWELL, I'M TELLING YOU. YEAH, WELL, WE GOT THE CHICK FIL A DONE. THAT IS TRUE. LESLIE, YOU GUYS HAVE DONE A GREAT JOB ON THIS OVER THE LAST YEAR OR SO, WORKING THROUGH YOU AND MICHAEL. SO THANK YOU FOR ALL THAT. I KNOW YOU GUYS YOU KNOW, GENERALLY WHEN THINGS ARE OVER BUDGET, YOU, YOU KNOW, THE PUBLIC AND YOU GUYS FEEL THE HEAT ABOUT IT. AND I THINK OFTENTIMES, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE AREN'T AWARE. MAYBE IT'S IN THE CONSENT AGENDA IN THIS MEETING. AND IN THE PREVIOUS ONE, THERE WERE SEVERAL ITEMS THAT WERE UNDER BUDGET. AND THOSE UNFORTUNATELY, YOU KNOW, WE JUST APPROVED DURING THE CONSENT. AND SO YOU THE PUBLIC GENERALLY DOESN'T HEAR ABOUT WHEN WE'RE UNDER BUDGET. BUT THAT HAPPENS OFTEN, AND THAT'S BECAUSE OF THE DILIGENCE OF STAFF. SO I DO APPRECIATE YOU GUYS WORKING THROUGH THESE ISSUES, EVEN IF THE PUBLIC OR THE NEWS DOESN'T PICK UP WHEN THINGS ARE UNDER BUDGET. JUST KNOW THAT THE COUNCIL MEMBERS UP HERE ARE APPRECIATIVE IN READING THAT AND GOING, OH, THANK GOODNESS YOU GUYS ARE 80,000 UNDER BUDGET HERE. THAT'S BECAUSE OF YOU GUYS DOING A GREAT JOB. SO THANK YOU FOR THAT. THE WORK ON THIS HAS BEEN HAS BEEN GREAT. I'VE REALLY ENJOYED THE PROCESS OVER THE LAST YEAR. I HAD A FEW QUESTIONS THAT I, THAT I TYPICALLY GET FROM FROM THE PUBLIC ABOUT THIS. THE ROAD LEADING TO MAXWELL FROM TREADWAY TO MAXWELL IS THAT I KNOW THAT WOULD PROBABLY GO BEFORE THE THE STREET MAINTENANCE ADVISORY BOARD, BUT IS THAT IN THE WORKS? THAT'S A PRETTY ROUGH ROAD. AND IF WE'RE, YOU KNOW, REOPENING THIS WITH IMPROVEMENTS, IS THAT ON THE AGENDA DOWN THE ROAD? I DID SEND AN EMAIL TO THE PUBLIC WORKS DIRECTOR SAYING, CAN YOU LOOK AT THIS AT SOME POINT IN THE FUTURE AND GETTING THIS RESOLVED, I WOULD HAVE TO DEFER TO THE DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC WORKS AS TO WHERE THAT IS IN THE PROCESS. OKAY. AND THEN THE OTHER TWO QUESTIONS THAT I TYPICALLY GET THE BATHROOMS ON THE ACTUAL COURSE, NOT AT THE PRO SHOP, BUT OUT IN THE OUT ON THE COURSE. ONE ARE THEY USABLE CURRENTLY? DO WE HAVE PLANS NOW OR IN THE FUTURE TO TO RENOVATE THOSE? WHAT'S THE STATUS ON THOSE? THEY ARE CURRENTLY USABLE. THEY DO NEED SOME SOME LOVE AND TLC. AND THAT IS ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE'RE HOPING TO DO OVER THE NEXT MONTH. PART OF THIS CONTRACT. IT IS A TEN YEAR CONTRACT. WE HAVE ALREADY BEEN IN DISCUSSIONS OF CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT. AND HOW THAT WOULD LOOK OVER THE NEXT COUPLE OF YEARS. THAT'S WHY WE'RE ONLY ASKING FOR THE 300,000 IN YEAR ONE, AND THEN WE'D BE COMING BACK IF IT DID NEED A MAJOR REHAUL, OR IF IT DID NEED ANYTHING MAJOR THAT WOULD COME BEFORE COUNCIL AT THAT TIME. BUT IT IT WASN'T SOMETHING WE PUT ON THE LIST TO BE OPEN ON FEBRUARY 28TH, EXCEPT FOR GETTING IT CLEANED, BUT IT IS ON THE LIST FOR IMPROVEMENTS IN THE NEAR FUTURE. OKAY. AND THEN FINALLY, THE QUESTION THAT I GET OFTEN IS ON THE GOLF CARTS. WELL, WHY WAS THE PREVIOUS OPERATOR ABLE TO SELL CITY GOLF CARTS? AND THAT'S NOT THE CASE. COULD YOU EXPLAIN THAT? AND THEN MOVING FORWARD, HOW WE'RE APPROACHING GOLF CARTS UNDER THE UNDER THIS PROPOSED AGREEMENT? YES. THE PAST MANAGEMENT COMPANY OWNED OR LEASED THOSE GOLF CARTS. THEY WERE NOT CITY OWNED. THEY WERE 100% OWNED BY THE MANAGEMENT COMPANY. UNDER THIS NEW LEASE WITH LONE STAR, IT IS THE SAME WAY THEY WILL BE 100% OWNED. WHETHER THEY CHOOSE TO PURCHASE OR LEASE WILL BE UP TO THEM, BUT IT WILL BE 100% OWNED AND MANAGED BY LONE STAR. THEY WILL NOT BE CITY PROPERTY. THE CITY WILL ONLY HAVE THE LAND AND THE PERMANENT STRUCTURES. VERY GOOD. THANK YOU. I ECHO THE THE PRAISE. THIS THIS WAS A HARD PROBLEM TO SOLVE. AND I THINK WE'VE COME TO AN ELEGANT AND SATISFACTORY SOLUTION, SO GOOD JOB. THANK YOU. IT WAS A LOT OF WORK. THE ONE QUESTION THAT I'VE GOT, AND MAYBE MORE FOR EMILY, IS THE RESOLUTION AUTHORIZES THE CITY MANAGER TO ENTER INTO THE CONTRACT, BUT IT DOESN'T NECESSARILY AUTHORIZE THE 300,000 FROM THE MIP. DO YOU NEED THAT AS WELL THAT WE VOTED ON THAT, OR IS THAT WITHIN YOUR AUTHORITY AS CITY MANAGER TO TO SPEND? WELL, INTERESTINGLY, THAT WAS A DISCUSSION WE HAD WITHIN STAFF AS WELL. [01:15:03] OUR, OUR INTERPRETATION WAS US BRINGING IT TO YOU TODAY AND HAVING IT IN THE DISCUSSION. AND AS PART OF THE COMMITMENT THAT WE ARE MAKING THESE SO WE DO NOT HAVE IT AS A SEPARATE MOTION. AND CERTAINLY IF THAT'S WHAT WE NEED TO DO, WE CAN COME BACK AND HAVE THAT AS A SEPARATE MOTION. BUT HAVING THE FULL DISCLOSURE OF TELLING YOU WHAT WE WERE GOING TO DO BEFORE WE OPENED WAS, WAS WHAT WE WERE PLANNING ON. I HAVE NO PROBLEM. I JUST DON'T WANT TO CREATE A PROBLEM BY NOT ADDRESSING THAT NOW. AND THE ROOF WOULD PROBABLY HAVE TO BE APPROVED ANYWAY IN THE GROUP TO BE APPROVED. SO INTERNALLY, I BELIEVE THAT THIS ACTION IS ENOUGH FOR US TO GET TO FINANCE, FOR FINANCE, TO SHOW THAT IT WAS ADDRESSED IN COUNCIL AND THIS WAS APPROVED. SO AS FAR AS ADMINISTRATIVELY, WE'RE GOOD WITH THIS. CERTAINLY. STANLEY, IF YOU THINK WE NEED TO DO IT DIFFERENTLY, WE WILL. NO, I MEAN, I THINK THE DIRECTION FROM COUNCIL TO THE TO ADMINISTRATION IS GOOD ENOUGH. THANK YOU. THANKS, LISA. LESLIE, COULD YOU CLARIFY ONE POINT? I ASSUME I'LL BE ASKED ABOUT THIS ON THE ON THE ACTUAL RESOLUTION DOWN ON FUNDING, FISCAL IMPACT. WE HAVE THE 300,000. AND THEN THAT LAST SENTENCE. THE COST OF THE ROOF REPLACEMENT IS EXPECTED TO BE OVER 100,000, WILL REQUIRE SEPARATE CITY COUNCIL APPROVAL. YOU TOUCHED ON IT A LITTLE BIT, BUT JUST TO MAKE SURE WE'RE ALL ON THE SAME PAGE, THAT 100,000 FOR THE ROOF IS INCLUDED IN THE BUDGETED 300,000. CORRECT? YES, SIR. IT WILL COME SEPARATELY TO US, BUT IT'S ALREADY INCLUDED IN THE 300, CORRECT? OKAY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU FOR MAKING THAT CLEAR. ANYONE ELSE? THANK YOU. LESLIE. THANK YOU. AT THIS TIME, I'LL OPEN UP THE PUBLIC HEARING. IS THERE ANYONE WHO WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK EITHER FOR OR AGAINST? ITEM 26. PLEASE COME FORWARD AND GIVE YOUR NAME FOR THE RECORD. I'M KYLE KING, I'M WITH LONE STAR GOLF COURSE MANAGEMENT. WE'RE ALL LONG TERM, LIFETIME ABILENE PEOPLE, SO WE'RE JUST EXCITED TO BE A PART OF THIS AND THAT. Y'ALL ACCEPTED OUR RFP, AND I'M HERE TO ANSWER ANY OTHER QUESTIONS YOU MIGHT HAVE ABOUT IT. OKAY, I KNOW THAT WE ARE ALL EXCITED ABOUT THIS AND HAVING IT LOCAL. YOU KNOW WHAT MAXWELL MEANS TO ABILENE. AND I THINK THAT REALLY MEANS A LOT TO US. SO IT'S NOT OUTSOURCED. SOMEONE OUTSIDE, SOMEONE THAT'S GOING TO TAKE CARE OF IT, BRING IT BACK UP TO A PUBLIC GOLF COURSE THAT ABILENE DESERVES. AND I'M VERY EXCITED ABOUT HAVING YOU AND YOUR ENTIRE GROUP. THANK YOU. ANYONE ELSE? I THINK ANYONE THAT HAS KNOWS A LITTLE BIT ABOUT, YOU KNOW, YOU AND YOUR TEAM HAVE DONE INCREDIBLE WORK IN THE CITY AND YOUR ENTREPRENEURS AND RUN BUSINESS TO QUALITY THAT MOST OF ABILENE CAN TAKE NOTICE OF. AND SO EXCITED TO KNOW THAT A LOT OF YOU GUYS ARE ABILENE AND THROUGH AND THROUGH. AND THAT MEANT A LOT TO US. BUT I WILL PERSONALLY SAY, AS WE OFTEN GET STOPPED IN OUR RESPECTIVE COMMUNITIES THE COMMITMENT THAT YOU'RE CONTINUING TO HAVE ALONGSIDE THESE YOUTH AND THESE DIFFERENT EDUCATION SECTORS MEANS A LOT TO ME PERSONALLY. IT MEANS A LOT TO THE FAMILIES THAT REALLY CARE ABOUT MAXWELL. SO I'M GRATEFUL THAT YOU'RE NOT JUST MANAGING IT FOR MANAGING SAKE, BUT YOU'RE REALLY SEEING HOW THE ETHOS OF ABILENE MEANS A LOT TO THESE CITIES AND A LOT TO THESE PEOPLE. SO THANK YOU GUYS FOR PARTNERING WITH A LOT OF THESE, THESE YOUTH AND THEIR DEVELOPMENT AS WELL. WE'RE GOING TO CONTINUE TO OUR MAIN GOAL IS YOUTH GOLF. AND WE WE DO IT AT OUR PLACES. WE'LL DO IT AT MAXWELL EVEN MORE SO. SURE IT CAN ONLY GROW FROM HERE. YEAH FOR SURE. THANKS FOR BEING WILLING TO TAKE IT ON. YEAH, YEAH. Y'ALL DON'T LOOK TIRED AT ALL. YOU DON'T LOOK TIRED AT ALL. THANK YOU. CARL. THANK YOU. STILL IN THE PUBLIC HEARING, WOULD ANYONE ELSE LIKE TO SPEAK AT THIS TIME ON ITEM 26? TAMMY FOGLE, RESIDENT OF ABILENE. I WILL SAY ONE OF THE UNEXPECTED PERKS OF GETTING TO COME TO CITY COUNCIL IS YOU GET TO MEET BUSINESS OWNERS LIKE THIS AND GET TO TALK TO THEM AND GET TO FIND OUT ABOUT THEM. I'VE MET MANY PEOPLE WHO'VE COME THROUGH HERE, AND I'M JUST I'M I THINK IT'S KIND OF FUN. WHILE Y'ALL ARE IN THERE DOING BUSINESS. WE GET TO HAVE SOME COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS AND I'M GRATEFUL FOR THAT. SO I'M REALLY EXCITED FOR WHAT THIS POTENTIAL THIS BRINGS. AND AND AGAIN, I'M A LITTLE NEW TO THIS, SO I'M NOT ADDRESSING NECESSARILY THE COMPANY ITSELF, BUT I WAS JUST CURIOUS, AS WAS IN THE PRIOR ARRANGEMENTS WITH THE GOLF COURSE, DID WE ALSO CONTRIBUTE THE 40,000 UNITS OF WATER? I CAN'T EVEN THINK HOW TO SAY THAT RIGHT NOW. EFFLUENT WATER, THE EFFLUENT THAT WAS PART OF THE. SO THAT'S JUST KIND OF STANDARD. SO THOSE ARE THINGS THAT JUST THANK YOU FOR RESPONDING TO THAT. AND THEN NOW IT SOUNDS LIKE WE WERE GOING TO POSSIBLY BE DOING MORE REPAIRS EACH YEAR AS NEEDED. AND AGAIN, I'M TRYING TO UNDERSTAND WHERE THAT LINE IS OF USING OUR REVENUE TO KEEP THAT GOING AND WHAT PURPOSE THAT SERVES. SO IT SAID SOMETHING ABOUT THE GOLF COURSE FUND, I THINK IS WHAT WAS CALLED. AND SO THAT'S WHERE THE REVENUE THAT COMES IN GOES INTO THAT, SO THAT WE CAN BE APPROVING. AND HOW WILL CITIZENS BE ABLE TO TRACK THAT. IS THAT GOING TO BE LUMPED INTO ANOTHER FUND, OR ARE WE GOING TO BE ADDRESSING THAT, LIKE IS THERE A WAY WITHOUT ME HAVING TO PR WHICH I DON'T HAVE TO PR BUT ASKING QUESTIONS LIKE JUST SO THAT WE CAN KEEP TRACK OF THESE THINGS LIKE ADVENTURE COVE AND THE CONVENTION CENTER, THESE THINGS. IT MATTERS WHERE OUR FUNDING IS GOING, WHERE OUR REVENUES ARE GOING. [01:20:04] AND I THINK WHILE THIS IS GREAT FOR OUR COMMUNITY, I JUST FEEL LIKE THERE'S NOT AS MUCH TRANSPARENCY ON WHEN WE GIVE AWAY THE ABILITY TO HAVE A SAY AS PUBLIC IN THESE PUBLIC PRIVATE PARTNERSHIPS. JUST MORE INFORMATION WOULD BE HELPFUL SO THAT WE CAN BUILD THAT TRUST AND GO, OKAY, LOOK, THIS IS WHAT OUR THE REVENUES DID IS AND THIS IS WHAT'S IMPROVING. SO I JUST SAW THAT AND WOULD REQUEST THAT MAYBE WE COULD HAVE A LITTLE BIT MORE INFORMATION TO FOLLOW UP WITH THAT SO THAT WE CAN CELEBRATE, CONTINUE CELEBRATING, AND MAKING SURE THAT WE GET TO SEE THE BENEFITS OF WHERE THE TAX DOLLARS OR THE REVENUE IS GOING. IT'S NOT TAX DOLLARS. THE REVENUE IS GOING BECAUSE I KNOW THAT IN THIS BUDGET IT TALKS ABOUT USING, TRYING TO FIND SOURCES THAT ARE NOT BASED ON THE AD VALOREM TAX. AND THIS SEEMS LIKE ONE OF THOSE SOLUTIONS. AND SO I THINK THAT IS A WIN FOR ABILENE. SO LOOKING FORWARD TO SEEING THE IMPROVEMENTS AND AND GETTING TO RESTORE THIS TREASURE BACK IN OUR COMMUNITY LIKE IT SHOULD BE. SO THANK YOU. THANK YOU MISS. AND JUST REAL QUICK, THE THE GOAL ON THIS IS FOR THE INCOME PART THAT THE CITY DOES IS TO PAY FOR THESE IMPROVEMENTS, BUT WE WILL DEFINITELY HAVE TO TRACK THAT, LIKE YOU'RE SAYING. AND THERE'S QUARTERLY MEETINGS, ANNUAL AUDITS. BUT BUT THE GOAL IS THAT SO IT DOESN'T COST THE CITY, BUT ALL THE MONEY THE CITY MAKES GOES BACK INTO IMPROVEMENTS FOR THE COURSE. STILL IN THE PUBLIC HEARING ON ITEM 26. WOULD ANYONE ELSE LIKE TO SPEAK AT THIS TIME? SEEING NO ONE, I WILL CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION. IF NOT, I'LL ACCEPT A MOTION IN A SECOND. GLADLY. SO MOVED. I HAVE A MOTION BY COUNCILMAN REAGAN. SECOND. SECOND BY COUNCILMAN CRAVER. FURTHER DISCUSSION. READY TO VOTE. ALL YESES. MOTION CARRIES. I'M VERY EXCITED TO SAY THAT THE MOTION CARRIES. YEEHAW! IT IS NOW 10:52 A.M., AND THIS MEETING OF THE ABILENE CITY COUNCIL IS ADJOURNED. * This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.