[17. Ordinance (First Reading) CUP-2026-09: Receive a Report, Hold a Discussion and Take Action on a Request from The Owner To Apply a Conditional Use Permit to Approximately 41.188 Acres Zoned Agricultural Open (AO) To Allow for A Recreational Vehicle Park. Located at 6702 East Lake Road. (Tim Littlejohn)]

AND DID YOU WANT THE PRESENTATION, COUNCILMAN PRICE? NO, SIR. I JUST I HAD SOME CONCERNS ABOUT THE THE PACKET.

I HAVE PERSONAL CONCERNS THAT I'LL BRING UP IN THE SECOND READING ABOUT THE APPROPRIATENESS OF THIS IN THIS AREA, BUT I HAD SOME TECHNICAL ISSUES AND IT'S YOU'RE WELCOME TO STAND UP THERE, BUT I THINK IT'S MORE FOR THE PROPONENT JUST SO THAT HE IS AWARE OF THESE, AND HOPEFULLY HE CAN WORK WITH YOU TO ADDRESS THEM AND HAVE THEM PRESENTED AT THE SECOND MEETING.

THE, THE PLAN OF OPERATIONS STATE THAT THEY'RE GOING TO PROVIDE ELECTRICAL AND SEWER CONNECTIONS FOR THE RVS.

AND IF YOU LOOK AT THE GIS MAP, THERE'S NOT A SEWER LINE ANYWHERE CLOSE TO THAT PROPERTY.

THE CLOSEST ONE IS OVER 9000FT AWAY. IF YOU GO DOWN EAST LAKE ROAD AND IT'S UPHILL.

AND SO IT WOULD TAKE A LIFT STATION TO BE A LOT OF WORK.

THE, AND AS I, I STATE OUTRIGHT, THIS IS NOT MY AREA OF EXPERTISE.

AND FORMER COUNCIL MEMBER STEVE SAVAGE ACTUALLY REACHED OUT TO ME AND POINTED ME IN THE DIRECTION OF SOME OF THESE CONCERNS.

SO I WANT TO GIVE A SHOUT OUT TO HIM AND ACKNOWLEDGE HIS HIM POINTING THAT OUT.

BUT AS I DUG INTO THAT IN RESPONSE TO THE QUESTIONS HE RAISED RV HOOKUPS ARE CONSIDERED MOBILE STRUCTURES, AND T CEQA REQUIRES THEM TO FACTOR IN THE 100 YEAR FLOODPLAIN WHEN THEY ARE INSTALLED.

NON PERMANENT NON WATER AND INFRASTRUCTURE LIKE ELECTRICAL HOOKUPS, WASTEWATER CONNECTIONS CAN RISK BEING INUNDATED WHEN THE LAKE RISES ABOVE THE SPILLWAY DURING A MAJOR FLOOD EVENT. AND IN THE PACKET THERE'S THE FLOODWAY MAP AND THE CONCEPT PLAN.

AND THE CONCEPT PLAN LOOKS LIKE IT'S PUTTING RV HOOKUP SPOTS WITHIN THE FLOODWAY, WHICH DOESN'T ALLOW SINCE THERE'S NOT A SEWER HOOKUP, I ASSUME THAT A SEWER, A SEPTIC SYSTEM IS GOING TO HAVE TO BE INSTALLED AND T CEQA ATTACK.

CHAPTER 285 HAS A MINIMUM BASELINE FLOW OF 50 GALLONS PER DAY PER RV SPOT, AND 149 RV SPOTS IS 74 7450 GALLONS PER DAY AND WASTEWATER, ACCORDING TO THEIR CALCULATIONS.

AND IF YOU GO ABOVE 5000 GALLONS PER DAY, YOU CAN'T GET A STANDARD SEPTIC PERMIT.

YOU HAVE TO GET A TEXAS POLLUTANT DISCHARGE ELIMINATION SYSTEM PERMIT FROM T-C-E-Q DIRECTLY, AND IT BYPASSES ALL LIKE COUNTY REGULATIONS, WHATEVER.

YOU HAVE TO GO DIRECTLY TO THE STATE. I USE GEMINI AI AND JUST SAID ESTIMATE BASED ON THE SOIL OUT THERE, HOW MUCH SPACE IS NEEDED FOR A SEPTIC SYSTEM TO HANDLE THAT MUCH.

AND IT ESTIMATES THREE AND A HALF ACRES IS NEEDED FOR THAT.

AND IT WOULD HAVE TO BE DOWNHILL FROM THE THE PLACES WHERE THE RVS ARE.

SO BETWEEN THEM AND THE WATER. AND SO THERE'S A SEPARATION BETWEEN THE SEPTIC AND THE WATER.

SO THAT PUSHES THEM BACK EVEN FURTHER. AND SO MY CONCERN IS I DON'T KNOW HOW VIABLE THE PROJECT IS AS IT WAS PRESENTED TO PLANNING AND ZONING AND NOW AND THE, THE APPEAL TO US. AND SO I JUST I'M ENCOURAGING THE PROPONENT TO WORK WITH YOU TO MAKE SURE THESE THINGS ARE ADDRESSED EFFECTIVELY AND WITHIN THE REQUIREMENTS OF STATE LAW.

[00:30:01]

BEFORE WE COME TO THE SECOND READING. YES, SIR. AND MOST OF THAT'S GOING TO BE WORKED OUT DURING THE SITE PLAN.

IF THE USE IS ALLOWED, THAT'S WHEN THE DEVELOPER WILL SPEND THE MONEY TO DO THE FURTHER RESEARCH INTO THE SEPTIC SYSTEMS AND THE ELECTRICAL.

I KNOW THERE'S BEEN SOME PRELIMINARY DISCUSSIONS ALREADY WITH OUR FLOODPLAIN ADMINISTRATOR ABOUT THOSE RV SPOTS.

I DON'T KNOW HOW FAR THAT'S GOTTEN, BUT BEFORE THEY SPEND A TON OF MONEY ON THE SITE PLAN AND THE ENGINEERING, THEY TYPICALLY WANT TO MAKE SURE THE USE IS ALLOWED.

BUT YES, WE'LL DEFINITELY HAVE THOSE CONVERSATIONS.

AND THEN AND TRY TO DICTATE ABOUT WHERE THAT SEPTIC SYSTEM WOULD BE.

I DON'T EVEN KNOW IF THEY KNOW YET. THEY'LL PROBABLY HAVE TO WORK WITH TCEQ.

BUT WE'LL DEFINITELY TRY TO NOTATE THE AREA SO THAT Y'ALL, Y'ALL HAVE SOME COMFORT LEVEL OF WHERE THAT'S GOING TO BE.

AND THEN ALSO ADDRESS YOUR CONCERNS OF THE 100 YEAR FLOOD.

OKAY. AND, AND WITH JUST A FLAT ZONE CHANGE THAT WOULDN'T COME INTO PLAY BECAUSE IT'S NOT REALLY A ZONING QUESTION, BUT IN THIS CASE, IT'S A CONDITIONAL USE PERMIT.

YES, SIR. WHICH HAS A SITE PLAN THAT'S REQUIRED AS PART OF THE PERMIT PROCESS.

AND THE SITE PLAN DOESN'T SEEM LIKE IT COMPLIES WITH STATE LAW.

AND SO THAT'S THE REASON I'M BRINGING THIS UP DURING FIRST READING.

SO THERE'S AN OPPORTUNITY TO ADDRESS THAT. RIGHT.

SO THAT WE KNOW IF THIS IS SOMETHING THAT CAN EVEN MOVE FORWARD AS PRESENTED TO US.

YES, SIR. THANK YOU. OF COURSE. ANY MORE QUESTIONS? THANK YOU. TIM. JUST FIRST, I'D LIKE TO SAY THAT THIS IS THE FIRST READING BEFORE I HAVE THE PUBLIC HEARING THAT WE WILL ACTUALLY, THE FINAL VOTE WILL BE ON AUGUST THE 13TH. SO TODAY IS JUST THE FIRST READING, BUT WE DO APPRECIATE YOUR INPUT.

I WILL NOW OPEN UP THE PUBLIC HEARING. IS THERE ANYONE WHO WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK EITHER FOR OR AGAINST ITEM 17? PLEASE COME FORWARD. GIVE YOUR NAME FOR THE RECORD AND WE WILL START WITH CARDS FROM COUNCILMAN BEARD FAITH GAGE.

REALLY GLAD YOU HAVE A TABLE HERE. I'M NOT GOING TO READ EVERYTHING IN HERE, BUT THIS IS FOR.

AN IMPACT. GOOD MORNING. THANK YOU FOR GIVING US THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK ON THIS PROPOSAL HERE. MY NAME IS FAITH GAGE.

I'VE LIVED AT LAKE FORT PHANTOM HILL SINCE 1981.

45 YEARS. AND I'VE ALSO BEEN A MEMBER OF THE LAKE FORT PHANTOM HILL LAKE ASSOCIATION FOR ALMOST AS LONG.

MY HUSBAND AND I HAVE BOTH SERVED IN EXECUTIVE POSITIONS AND ARE BOTH PAST PRESIDENTS OF THE ASSOCIATION.

THE CITY OF ABILENE HAS HAD A LONG STANDING RELATIONSHIP WITH THE LAKE AND THE ASSOCIATION, AND NUMEROUS TIMES THE CITY HAS CALLED ON THE ASSOCIATION AND THE RESIDENTS OF THE LAKE FOR INSIGHT AND A PERSPECTIVE ON OUR NEIGHBORHOOD GOALS.

IN 2005, THE CITY OF ABILENE PASSED A COMPREHENSIVE PLAN FOR THE DEVELOPMENT FROM NORTH FIRST THROUGH I-20 ALL THE WAY PAST LAKE, ENCOMPASSING EVERYTHING WITHIN THE CITY LIMITS.

THE CITY OF ABILENE DESIGNATED THE LAKE AREA AS A SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD, SENT ALL OF US A SURVEY, ASKED US TO FILL IT OUT, AND ASKED US FOR WHAT WE WANTED TO SEE FOR GOALS IN THE LAKE AREA.

WE SPENT 18 MONTHS AFTER WE FILLED OUT THAT SURVEY AND DEVELOPED A NEIGHBORHOOD PLAN, AND YOU CAN SEE THAT IT'S QUITE EXTENSIVE AND THERE'S A NUMBER OF THINGS FROM UTILITIES TO SERVICES TO CONSTRUCTION TO DEVELOPMENT.

JUST EVERYTHING WITHIN THE COMPREHENSIVE, I MEAN, THE NEIGHBORHOOD PLAN, THAT'S 2005.

IN 2005, WE TOOK THAT INFORMATION THAT WE HAD GATHERED AND RECOGNIZED THAT THERE WERE SOME THINGS THAT NEEDED TO BE DONE IN THE LAKE AREA.

AND WE ACTUALLY APPROACHED THE BOND COMMITTEE AND ASKED FOR 1,000,001 IN PARK IMPROVEMENTS.

IT TURNED OUT WITH THE HELP FROM TONY NEISLER, THAT THAT $1.1 MILLION PROJECT CAME UP WITH 2.2 MILLION AND WITH MIKE HALL, THE COMMUNITY DIRECTOR OF SERVICE, I MEAN, THE DIRECTOR OF COMMUNITY SERVICE AND TONY'S HELP AND THEIR EXPERTISE IN HOW TO MANAGE BOND MONEY WITH STATE FUNDS AND FEDERAL FUNDS, IT BECAME 2.2 MILLION. THAT ALL DOESN'T REALLY COME ABOUT TILL 2009, BUT THE PARK IMPROVEMENTS THAT YOU SEE AT THE LAKE WERE STARTED BY THE LAKE ASSOCIATION. SO, YES, WE'VE HAD AN INVESTMENT FOR A VERY LONG TIME.

IN 2007 THERE'S A CARTER BURGESS STUDY THAT WAS DONE ON DEVELOPMENT IN THE LAKE AREA.

[00:35:11]

I'M DOWN TO HOW MANY MINUTES YOUR YOUR TIME IS UP, MA'AM.

WELL, I JUST WANTED TO SHOW THAT THE CITY HAS BEEN WORKING WITH THE LAKE ASSOCIATION AND WITH THE LAKE IN DEVELOPING PLANS, LAND USE STUDIES, HOW TO MANAGE ALL THE DEVELOPMENT WITHIN THE LAKE.

I CAN KEEP GOING ALL THE WAY UP TO 2015 ON EVERY BIT OF THIS.

AND EVEN EDITOR MCROY PAST ASSISTANT PLANNING DIRECTOR, YOU'VE GOT ALL THESE DOCUMENTS IN THERE AND THERE IS A, AN ACCEPTED PLAN BY THE CITY COUNCIL IN 2009 TO ADOPT THE LAND USE AND THE DEVELOPMENT PLAN FOR THE CITY OF.

FOR THE LATEST. MA'AM, I NEED YOU TO WRAP IT UP, PLEASE.

OKAY. SIX YEARS WE WORKED WITH MA'AM CITY FOR.

DO YOU DO YOU HAVE AN OPINION ON ITEM 17, MA'AM? I DO, OKAY. THE CITY COUNCIL APPROVED EVERY BIT OF THIS PLAN ON HOW TO DEVELOP THE LAKE AND LOOKING AT RECREATIONAL. COMMERCIAL AND RESIDENTIAL.

AND NOWHERE IN THIS PLAN DOES IT HAVE A SETUP FOR 149 RVS AND A 41 ACRE LOCATION. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. I WILL ASK EVERYONE TO RESPECT THE THREE MINUTE, PLEASE.

AARON YOUNG. THAT WAS QUICK.

GOOD MORNING, MAYOR COUNCIL MEMBERS. MY NAME IS AARON YOUNG. I LIVE IN CLYDE, TEXAS.

THANK YOU AGAIN FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK TODAY. OVER THE PAST SEVERAL WEEKS, I'VE TAKEN TIME TO REVIEW THE CITY'S ADOPTED PLANNING DOCUMENTS RELATED TO THE LAKE FORT PHANTOM HILL, INCLUDING THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN, THE FUTURE LAND USE MAP, AND THE LAKE FORT PHANTOM HILL PLAN.

THESE DOCUMENTS ARE PUBLICLY AVAILABLE ON THE CITY'S WEBSITE, AND I ENCOURAGE ANYONE INTERESTED IN THIS ITEM TO REVIEW THEM.

MY PURPOSE TODAY IS NOT TO OPPOSE THE DEVELOPMENT NOR OPPOSE PRIVATE PROPERTY RIGHTS.

RATHER, IT ASKS WHETHER THIS PARTICULAR PROPOSAL IS CONSISTENT WITH THE LONG TERM VISION THE CITY HAS ESTABLISHED FOR THE LAKE FORT PHANTOM HILL AREA.

ABILENE IS EXPERIENCING TREMENDOUS GROWTH. WE ALL RECOGNIZE THE HOUSING PRESSURES OUR COMMUNITY IS FACING.

COMPREHENSIVE PLANS EXIST TO PROVIDE PREDICTABILITY.

THEY HELP PROPERTY OWNERS, DEVELOPERS AND RESIDENTS UNDERSTAND NOT ONLY THAT GROWTH WILL OCCUR, BUT WHAT KIND OF GROWTH IS ANTICIPATED IN DIFFERENT PARTS OF THE COMMUNITY? NOT ONE PROJECT AT A TIME. FROM MY REVIEW, THE PLANNING DOCUMENTS CONSISTENTLY ENVISION THE AREA SURROUNDING THIS PROPERTY AS A LOWER DENSITY ENVIRONMENT WHILE IDENTIFYING THE LAND IMMEDIATELY WEST FOR NATURE PRESERVATION.

THAT VISION REFLECTS THE BALANCE BETWEEN DEVELOPMENT, THE RURAL CHARACTER OF THE LAKE, AND PROTECTION OF ONE OF OUR COMMUNITY'S NATURAL RESOURCES. THE PROPOSAL BEFORE YOU IS 140 PLUS SITE RV COMMUNITY, INTENDED TO ACCOMMODATE BOTH RECREATIONAL VISITORS AND LONG TERM RESIDENTS, IMMEDIATELY ADJACENT TO AN ESTABLISHED NEIGHBORHOOD OF LARGE LOT HOMES.

I RESPECTFULLY ASK THE COUNCIL TO CONSIDER WHETHER THAT DEVELOPMENT LEVEL OF DEVELOPMENT INTENSITY IS COMPATIBLE WITH THE LONG TERM VISION EXPRESSED IN THE CITY'S ADOPTED PLANS.

I ALSO ASK YOU TO CONSIDER THE NATURE PRESERVATION AREA IMMEDIATELY ADJACENT TO THE PROPERTY.

DEVELOPMENT NEXT TO THE PROTECTED NATURAL AREAS SHOULD MINIMIZE IMPACTS FROM LIGHT POLLUTION, NOISE AND STORMWATER RUNOFF. THESE ARE NOT SIMPLY ENGINEERING DETAILS.

THEY DIRECTLY AFFECT THE ENVIRONMENTAL CHARACTER OF THE AREA AND THE QUALITY OF LIFE FOR NEARBY RESIDENTS.

ONE OBSERVATION FROM THE PLANNING AND ZONING MEETING STOOD OUT TO ME.

THERE APPEAR TO BE UNCERTAINTY REGARDING THE APPLICABILITY OF VARIOUS PLANNING DOCUMENTS FOR THIS AREA.

AS YOU CONSIDER THIS APPEAL, I ENCOURAGE THE COUNCIL TO CLEARLY IDENTIFY HOW THESE ADOPTED PLANS SUPPORT YOUR DECISION, WHATEVER THAT DECISION MAY BE. TRANSPARENCY IN HOW THESE PLANS ARE APPLIED BENEFITS PROPERTY OWNERS, DEVELOPERS AND RESIDENTS ALIKE. I RESPECT THE APPLICANT'S RIGHT TO SEEK REASONABLE USE OF THEIR PROPERTY.

AT THE SAME TIME, NEIGHBORING PROPERTY OWNERS ALSO RELIED ON THE CITY'S ADOPTED PLANS WHILE DECIDING WHERE TO LIVE AND INVEST.

THOSE PLANS CREATE EXPECTATIONS ABOUT THE FUTURE CHARACTER OF A COMMUNITY.

GROWTH WILL CONTINUE, AND THAT'S A GOOD THING.

BUT IF THE ADOPTED PLANS NO LONGER REFLECT THE CITY'S VISION THAN PERHAPS THEY SHOULD BE UPDATED THROUGH A PUBLIC PLANNING PROCESS, NOT ONE CONDITIONAL USE PERMIT AT A TIME. I RESPECTFULLY ASK THAT YOU UPHOLD THE LONG TERM PLANNING VISION FOR THE FORT PHANTOM HILL LAKE AREA AND DENY THIS CONDITIONAL USE PERMIT.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME, YOUR SERVICE, AND YOUR CONSIDERATION.

THANK YOU. DAN CHOATE. MY NAME IS DAN

[00:40:07]

CHOATE. I LIVE AT TWO 60 BYRD BOULEVARD, WHICH IS ON THE EAST SIDE OF LAKE FORT PHANTOM.

I'VE LIVED THERE FOR 30 YEARS. I'M A RETIRED GEOSCIENTIST WITH A LEADING CIVIL AND ENVIRONMENTAL FIRM HERE IN ABILENE.

I WAS ALSO A MEMBER OF THE LAKE ASSOCIATION FOR MANY YEARS.

I WOULD LIKE TO ECHO EVERYTHING THAT MISS GAGE SAID.

WE PUT A LOT OF TIME AND EFFORT, AND WITH THE COOPERATION OF THE CITY TO GET THE LAKE TO A POSITION WHERE IT CAN BE DEVELOPED IN AN ORGANIZED FASHION. SO I'M HERE TO OPPOSE THIS BECAUSE IT GOES CONTRARY TO ALL THAT WE HAVE PLANNED. THE CARTER BURGESS STUDY.

I WAS A MEMBER OF THE COMMITTEE, AT LEAST TWO COMMITTEES, POSSIBLY THREE ON THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE LAKE.

AND THIS DOES NOT FALL WITHIN THE PLANNING GUIDELINES.

I WOULD PERSONALLY LIKE TO SEE WAY MORE PLANNING AND A LOT LESS REZONING, ESPECIALLY WHEN IT COMES TO ALL OF THIS NEW DEVELOPMENT THAT WE ARE HAVING TO PUT UP WITH HERE IN ABILENE.

IT'S GOING TO STRESS YOUR PUBLIC SERVICES AS WELL AS THE HIGHWAYS.

AND IF YOU KNOW HOW BAD OUR HIGHWAYS ARE. SO I'M AGAINST IT 100%.

THANK YOU. THANK YOU. VICKY REYNOLDS. HI, I'M VICKY REYNOLDS.

I LIVE ON THE EAST SIDE OF LAKE FORT PHANTOM.

I'M ALSO OPPOSED TO THIS REZONING. TO QUOTE FOR THE FORT QUOTE FROM THE FORT PHANTOM HILL LAND USE PLANS OF THE 2009.

IT IS VITALLY IMPORTANT TO ENSURE THAT ORDERLY, LONG TERM DEVELOPMENT OF THE PROPERTY AROUND THE LAKE.

IT IS A GUIDE TO HELP LIMIT INCOMPATIBLE LAND USES, ENSURE ADEQUATE AREAS AVAILABLE FOR DESIRED LAND USES, AND PROVIDES A VISION FOR THE LAKE AREA THAT CURRENT AND FUTURE RESIDENT AND CITY AND COMMUNITY LEADERS CAN USE TO EVALUATE THEIR INVESTMENT GOALS.

IN THIS PLAN, MUCH OF THE PROPERTY NEAREST TO THE LAKE ALL AROUND WAS DESIGNATED AS EITHER LAKE OR RURAL RESIDENTIAL.

THEN, IN 2023, THE CITY COMMISSIONED ANOTHER STUDY, WHICH INCLUDED A COMMUNITY SURVEY.

A STAKEHOLDERS MEETING CONDUCTED A LAKE, FORT, PHANTOM ASSOCIATION WORKSHOP, PUBLIC DESIGN STUDIO, PUBLIC OPEN HOUSE. ALL THIS INPUT AND INFORMATION WAS GATHERED AND USED TO DEVELOP A LAKE FORT PHANTOM HILL MASTER PLAN, WHICH WAS ADOPTED BY THE CITY COUNCIL IN THE SEPTEMBER 12TH, 2024 MEETING.

IN THIS PLAN, THERE IS A DESIGNATED AREA CALLED BOULDER BAY TO WHICH IS FOR RV CAMPING.

IT'S A 47 ACRE TRACT NORTHEAST OF THE. ON THE NORTHEAST CORNER OF THE LAKE AND IMMEDIATELY EAST OF THE OLD DAM ROAD.

ONE OF THE BEAUTIES OF STAYING WITH THE 24 PLAN IS THAT WHEN MASSIVE, IMMEDIATE HOUSING IS NO LONGER NEEDED, SPECIFICALLY RV RESIDENTS IN THE ABILENE AREA, THEN BOULDER BAY CAN CONTINUE TO BE USED FOR LAKE GOERS, AND WE WON'T HAVE THE UNSIGHTLY 40 ACRE PARKING LOT WITH ELECTRICAL AND WATER HOOKUPS STICKING UP OUT OF THE GROUND.

THAT WOULD BE UNUSABLE FOR MUCH OF ANYTHING ELSE.

I ASK YOU TO DENY THIS ZONING REQUEST. LEAVE THE PROPERTY IN ITS CURRENT STATE OF WHAT I WOULD CALL RURAL RESIDENTIAL.

WITH ALL THE PUBLIC INPUT FOR THE 2024 MASTER PLAN.

THE PUBLIC HAS ALREADY SPOKEN ABOUT THE DESIRE FOR THE FUTURE DEVELOPMENT OF THE LAKE AREA.

THANK YOU. OKAY. JIM BAILEY. GOOD MORNING. MY NAME IS JIM BAILEY.

NO CONNECTION OR RELATION TO COUNCILMAN BAILEY.

I RESIDE ON COVE ROAD AT FORT PHANTOM HILL LAKE.

PAST PRESIDENT AND CURRENT BOARD MEMBER OF THE FORT PHANTOM HILL LAKE ASSOCIATION.

I'M HERE THIS MORNING TO SPEAK IN TWO CAPACITIES.

FIRST, I'M SPEAKING AS A RESIDENT OF FORT PHANTOM HILL LAKE, WHO SHARES IN THE OPPOSITION OF THE REQUEST FOR A CONDITIONAL USE PERMIT FOR RECREATIONAL VEHICLE PARK. I OPPOSE THIS REQUEST, MUCH LIKE THE MANY OTHERS, BECAUSE IT'S NOTHING MORE THAN A MOBILE HOUSING COMPLEX AND HOUSING SHORTAGE STOPGAP MEASURE FOR THE INFLUX OF WORKERS DISGUISED AS A RECREATIONAL VEHICLE PARK.

SECOND, I'M ALSO HERE SPEAKING AS SOMEONE WHO HAS BEEN INVOLVED IN WORKING WITH THE CITY LEADERSHIP IN YEARS PAST, SPECIFICALLY LOOKING TO CREATE AND EXPAND RESIDENTIAL, COMMERCIAL AND RECREATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES AROUND FORT PHANTOM HILL LAKE.

IN FACT, IN JUNE 24TH, 2021, I PERSONALLY ADDRESSED THE CITY COUNCIL REQUESTING YOUR SUPPORT AND CONSIDERATION FOR A FUTURE AGENDA ITEM TO EXPLORE INITIATIVES AND OPTIONS TO UNLOCK THE FULL POTENTIAL OF FORT PHANTOM HILL LAKE IN CREATING VIABLE ECONOMIC RESOURCE FOR ALL OF ABILENE.

[00:45:09]

AND THANKFULLY, YOU HAVE. WITH THE FORT PHANTOM HILL LAKE MASTER PLAN APPROVED IN SEPTEMBER 2024, WHAT IS BEING PROPOSED BY DOBBS HOLDING LLC CONTRADICT CONTRADICTS THE COLLECTIVE VISION OF FORT PHANTOM HILL LAKE.

ALTHOUGH THE DEVELOPMENT OF THAT VISION PREDATES MY TIME HERE IN ABILENE.

IT WASN'T DONE IN A VACUUM. IT SERVED AS A FOUNDATION FOR SEVERAL LAKE PLANNING EFFORTS, RANGING FROM THE CARTER AND BURGESS LAND USE PLAN.

IN 2009, FORT PHANTOM HILL, LAKE DISTRICT OVERLAY AND NEIGHBORHOOD PLAN INITIATIVE, AND THE RECENTLY APPROVED FORT PHANTOM HILL LAKE MASTER PLAN.

THAT VISION IS TO DEVELOP THE LAKE INTO A SAFE, CLEAN, WHOLESOME MODEL COMMUNITY WITH RECREATIONAL AND ECONOMIC ENHANCEMENTS THAT PRESERVES AND PROMOTES THE LAKE'S NATURAL RESOURCES AND ENCOURAGES GROWTH, TOURISM, RECREATION, AND QUALITY OF LIFE COMMENSURATE WITH THE PRIDE OF THE OUTDOOR SPIRIT AND PRIDE OF WEST TEXANS.

PLEASE UNDERSTAND OPPORTUNITIES FOR RESIDENTIAL, COMMERCIAL AND RECREATIONAL DEVELOPMENT AT FORT PHANTOM HILL.

LAKE IS A WELCOMING ENDEAVOR, BUT BELIEVE ME, IT MUST BE DONE IN COLLABORATION WITH THE CITY IN THE APPROPRIATE LOCATIONS AND IN ACCORDANCE WITH APPROVED PLANS AND ZONING LAWS OF WHICH THIS PROPOSED RV PARK IS NOT.

AGAIN, THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME TODAY AND YOUR CONSIDERATION TO DENY THE REQUEST FOR RECREATIONAL VEHICLE PARK CONDITIONAL USE PERMIT AT 6702 EAST LAKE ROAD. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MR. BAILEY. PAUL WALKER.

GIVE ME A SECOND. SORRY. YOU'RE FINE. I'LL LEAVE THESE DOCUMENTS TO DISTRIBUTE.

MY NAME IS PAUL WALKER. I LIVE AT 1822 ACES TRAIL, WHICH IS ON THE EAST SIDE OF THE LAKE.

AND I REPRESENT THE LAKE ROCK TRAILS HOA, WHICH IS IMMEDIATELY ADJACENT TO THE PROPERTY IN QUESTION.

AND I WOULD LIKE TO POINT OUT THAT I DO HAVE A, 650 SIGNATURE PETITION THAT WE HAVE PLUS THAT WE HAVE SUBMITTED HERE TODAY. AND THAT'S PART OF WHAT YOU'RE GETTING IN THE HANDOUTS THAT I HAVE FOR YOU TODAY.

THE RESIDENTS OF LAKE ROCK TRAILS AND MEMBERS OF FORT PHANTOM LAKE ASSOCIATION, ALONG WITH 650 PETITIONERS, RESPECTFULLY REQUEST THAT THE CITY COUNCIL DENY THE REQUESTED CONDITIONAL USE PERMIT.

UNDER ABILENE MUNICIPAL CODE. A CONDITIONAL USE MUST PROVE COMPATIBILITY WITH NEIGHBORING PROPERTIES AND PLACE NO UNDUE BURDEN ON PUBLIC SAFETY OR INFRASTRUCTURE.

THIS HIGH DENSITY, TRANSIENT COMMERCIAL FOOTPRINT FAILS TO MEET THOSE STANDARDS.

ON JULY 13TH, MYSELF AND MEMBERS OF THE LAKE ROCK TRAILS HOA RANDY DE LA ROSA, THE PROPERTY OWNER AT 6834 EAST LAKE ROAD, AND JIM BAILEY, THEN FORT PHANTOM LAKE ASSOCIATION PRESIDENT, MET WITH WILL RATLIFF OF CADCO ENGINEERING TO DISCUSS THE PROPOSED PLANS GIVEN AT THAT TIME. WE WANT TO MAKE CLEAR THAT NO MEMBER OF DOB'S HOLDING LLC CHOSE TO ATTEND THE MEETING AFTER VIEWING THE SITE PLAN PRESENTED BY MR. RATLIFF, WE AGAIN RESPECTFULLY REQUEST DENIAL OF THE CONDITIONAL USE PERMIT FOR THESE REASONS.

THE CITY'S MASTER PLAN EXPLICITLY DESIGNATES THIS LAKESIDE AREA FOR LOW DENSITY PERMANENT RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENT.

149 UNIT TRANSIENT RV PARK OPERATES 24 OVER SEVEN AS A COMMERCIAL ENTERPRISE.

IT INTRODUCES HIGH TURNOVER LODGING DIRECTLY AGAINST THE PROPERTY LINES OF QUIET, SINGLE FAMILY HOMES.

PER THE PRESENTED PLANS, THERE IS NO FENCE, NO NOISE, BUFFER OR ANY OTHER DETAILED PHYSICAL BARRIER BETWEEN THE HOA OR BETWEEN THE DE LA ROSA PROPERTY AND THE. AND THE RV PARK. HORIZONTAL SETBACKS CANNOT SUPPRESS THE COLLECTIVE AMBIENT NOISE OF DOZENS OF EXTERNAL COMMERCIAL UTILITY UNITS OR SCREEN HIGH INTENSITY COMMERCIAL SECURITY LIGHTING.

IN ADDITION, THE SITE PLAN SHOWS WALKING TRAILS INSIDE THE 300 FOOT BUFFER, FORCING SLOW MULTI TON 40 FOOT RECREATIONAL RIGS TO SHARE.

A TWO LANE COMMUTER ROUTE INTRODUCES SEVERE REAR END AND MERGING COLLISION HAZARDS, IN OUR OPINION.

THE DEVELOPERS PLAN FEATURES NO DEDICATED DECELERATION OR ACCELERATION LANES ON EAST LAKE ROAD.

RIGS BRAKING TO TURN WILL CONSISTENTLY BOTTLENECK TRAFFIC DAILY RESIDENTIAL TRAFFIC IN BOTH DIRECTIONS.

WE HAVE SEPTIC CONCERNS. YOU'VE HEARD ABOUT THOSE.

I WON'T GO INTO THE DETAIL ABOUT THOSE, BUT WE HAVE DONE OUR RESEARCH ABOUT EXACTLY WHAT COUNCILMAN PRICE WAS MENTIONING AND TALKING ABOUT.

WE ARE CONCERNED ABOUT STORMWATER RUNOFF AS WELL.

WE BELIEVE THAT, WELL, THIS COUNCIL HAS ALREADY SUCCESSFULLY AND RESPONSIBLY ALLOCATED THOUSANDS OF DEDICATED WORKFORCE AND RECREATIONAL SPACES ALONG APPROPRIATE HIGHWAY AND

[00:50:03]

INDUSTRIAL CORRIDORS. ABILENE WILL SOON HAVE OVER 5000 OF THESE SPACES NEARBY.

IN CONCLUSION, THE LAKE ROCK TRAILS COMMUNITY SUPPORTS ABILENE'S ECONOMIC GROWTH, BUT GROWTH MUST BE PROPERLY PLACED.

WE URGE THE CITY TO PROTECT LOCAL FAMILIES, PRESERVE THE INTEGRITY OF OUR ZONING LAWS AND AND DENY THIS CONDITIONAL USE PERMIT.

THANK YOU. THANK YOU. JOHN RAY.

GOOD MORNING, MAYOR AND MEMBERS OF THE ABILENE CITY COUNCIL.

MY NAME IS JOHN CHAD RAY. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME TODAY AND YOUR SERVICE IN THE COMMUNITY.

I APPRECIATE ALL THAT YOU DO. I'M HERE TO SPEAK IN STRONG, UNWAVERING OPPOSITION TO THE PROPOSED RV PARK.

OUR NEIGHBORHOOD IS A QUIET, TIGHT KNIT LAKEFRONT COMMUNITY OF JUST NINE HOMES.

WE ARE COMPLETELY UNITED IN OUR OPPOSITION. TWO MONTHS AGO, MY FAMILY PURCHASED OUR FOREVER HOME.

WE PAID AN EXTREME PREMIUM SPECIFICALLY FOR THE PEACE, PRIVACY AND THE ESTABLISHED CHARACTER OF THIS SMALL LAKE NEIGHBORHOOD.

HAD THERE BEEN ANY INDICATION OF A HIGH TRAFFIC TRANSIENT COMMERCIAL DEVELOPMENT LIKE AN RV PARK? THAT COULD BE DROPPED RIGHT NEXT DOOR, LITERALLY BEHIND MY HOME? WE ABSOLUTELY WOULD NOT HAVE INVESTED IN THIS PROPERTY.

THE, THIS DEVELOPMENT IS FUNDAMENTALLY INCOMPATIBLE WITH A HIGH VALUE RESIDENTIAL NEIGHBORHOOD.

AND I RESPECTFULLY URGE THIS COUNCIL TO OPPOSE THIS REQUEST.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. THANK YOU, ROBERT KERN.

GOOD MORNING. I'M ROBERT KERN. I RESIDE IN ABILENE, ABOUT THREE MILES SOUTH OF THE PROPOSED RV SITE.

THE IMPACT OF THIS RV PARK WOULD PROBABLY BE HAVE MINIMAL IMPACT ON MY DAILY ROUTINE.

OTHER THAN ADDITIONAL VEHICLES TRAVELING EAST LAKE ROAD.

BUT I WAS COMPELLED TO ATTEND AND SPEAK THIS MORNING OUT OF CONCERN FOR THE HOMEOWNERS IN THE ADJACENT NEIGHBORHOOD.

I DO NOT BELIEVE THAT I KNOW ANYONE THAT LIVES IN THAT DEVELOPMENT, BUT I DO UNDERSTAND WHY THEY CHOSE TO BUILD A HOME THERE.

IT HAS THE FEEL OF BEING RURAL, BUT IN CONVENIENCE AND BEING NEAR TOWN, IT IS AWAY FROM THE CONSTANT HUM OF TRAFFIC, AND EACH OF THE HOMEOWNERS FOUND A SITE FAVORABLE FOR THEIR INDIVIDUAL DESIRES.

EACH OF THEM HAS A REASONABLE EXPECTATION OF ADDITIONAL PERMANENT SINGLE FAMILY HOMES BEING CONSTRUCTED NEAR THEM AT SOME POINT, BUT NOW THEY ARE THREATENED WITH A MAN CAMP OF TRANSIENT WORKERS.

THE MAJORITY OF WHICH WILL BE TEMPORARILY EMPLOYED AT THE AI CENTERS OR THE SOLAR FARMS. NOW, THOSE INDIVIDUALS HAVE NO OWNERSHIP IN OUR COMMUNITY.

MORE OFTEN THAN NOT, THEY HAVE NO RESPECT FOR IT OR THE PEOPLE THAT HAVE MADE IT THEIR HOME.

NOW, I DO NOT HAVE AN RV PARK NEXT TO MY HOME, BUT THE HOUSE DIRECTLY ACROSS THE STREET FROM ME NOW HOUSES 5 TO 7 MEN THAT WORK IN THE DATA CENTERS. THEY PARK IN THE YARD. THEY FILL THE NEIGHBOR'S TRASH, DUMPSTERS AND MINE EACH WEEK.

IF THE DUMPSTERS ARE FULL, THE TRASH IS PILED BY THE STREET.

WEEKENDS ARE KIND OF HIT OR MISS. THEY EITHER ARE ALL GONE OR ALL THE WIVES SLASH GIRLFRIENDS SHOW UP AND THE NUMBER OF CARS IN THE YARD DOUBLES.

THE CONSTANT FLOW OF TRAFFIC FROM THIS ONE HOUSE HAS INTERRUPTED THE PEACE THAT MY NEIGHBORS AND I HAVE ENJOYED WHEN WE BUILT OUR HOMES JUST A FEW YEARS AGO.

I CAN'T IMAGINE WHAT IT'D BE LIKE FOR AN RV PARK OUT MY BACK DOOR.

THE ZONING DOES NOT CURRENTLY ALLOW FOR THE RV PARK, AND I UNDERSTAND THE THE DEVELOPER'S DESIRE TO REAP A FINANCIAL GAIN ON THE PROPERTY, BUT THE CITIZENS IN THAT NEIGHBORHOOD ARE LOOKING FOR YOU TO PROTECT THEM, THEIR INVESTMENT, THEIR HOME, AND THEIR FUTURE. I WOULD ENCOURAGE THIS COUNCIL TO LOOK AT THE FAMILY, LOOK OUT FOR THE FAMILIES THAT HAVE CHOSEN TO MAKE ABILENE THEIR HOME, SEND THEIR CHILDREN TO OUR SCHOOLS AND BE INVOLVED IN OUR COMMUNITY, AS WELL AS VOTE IN OUR LOCAL ELECTIONS.

THEY WILL BE HERE LONG AFTER THE CONSTRUCTION STOPS.

THE FAST DOLLAR'S GONE, AND THE TRANSIENT WORKERS LEAVE A CITY THAT HAS ENDURED THEIR STAY.

[00:55:06]

THANK YOU. THAT'S ALL THE CARDS ON 17 MAYOR. WE'RE STILL IN THE PUBLIC HEARING ON ITEM 17.

WOULD ANYONE ELSE LIKE TO SPEAK AT THIS TIME? PLEASE COME FORWARD. MY NAME IS JODY TEAM. I WAS THE DEVELOPER OF THE LAKE TRAIL SUBDIVISION.

I JUST WANTED TO SHARE A FEW WORDS. FIRST OF ALL, I APPRECIATE ALL OF YOU THAT ARE SERVING.

THANK YOU MAYOR COUNCIL FOR FOR HEARING US OUT TODAY.

I ALSO WANT TO APPRECIATE THE PEOPLE THAT HAVE COME AND SUPPORTED WHAT, WHAT WE'RE DOING HERE TODAY, THE DIFFERENT PEOPLE THAT HAVE SPOKE AND WE DON'T HAVE A HUGE NEIGHBORHOOD.

WE HAVE LIKE NINE HOMES. BUT I WANTED TO SPEAK BECAUSE I THINK THERE'S SOMETHING GOING ON.

SO ON FACEBOOK, THERE'S A PAGE CALLED ABILENE IS GETTING BETTER.

MAYBE SOME OF YOU HAVE SEEN THAT. AND I THINK THERE'S KIND OF A POSITIVE THING THAT YOU'RE HEARING THESE MASTER PLANS THAT HAVE BEEN DONE FOR LAKE FOR PHANTOM OVER THE YEARS. WHENEVER I BOUGHT THAT LAND AND DECIDED ON THIS DEVELOPMENT, WE LOOKED AT THAT PHANTOM MASTER PLAN.

I SAT DOWN WITH ZACH RAMBO AND WE DID THE PLANNING TO TO MEET THIS RURAL RESIDENTIAL ONE ZONING, WHICH IS ONE HOUSE ON NOT LESS THAN ONE ACRE.

AND SO I WENT THROUGH A LOT TO GET THAT NEIGHBORHOOD DEVELOPED AND INTO WHAT IT IS TODAY.

AND I THINK IT'S PART OF LAKE FORT PHANTOM. IT'S GETTING BETTER.

AND I THINK I SEE IT AS A HIDDEN GEM. I DID THEN AND I STILL DO.

I, I OPPOSE THE RV PARK, OBVIOUSLY. BECAUSE I THINK IT'S A STEP BACK.

I MEAN, THERE'S ALL THE REASONS THAT OUR NEIGHBORHOOD DOESN'T WANT IT RIGHT NEXT DOOR TO US, BUT JUST AS THE CITY GOES AND AS THE LAKE GOES, IT IS GETTING BETTER. IF A NEIGHBORHOOD CAME IN RIGHT NEXT TO US THAT HAS RURAL RESIDENTIAL, RESIDENTIAL, ONE ZONING, THEN I SEE THAT AS CONTINUED IMPROVEMENT.

IF THE PHANTOM MASTER PLANS WERE FOLLOWED AND DEVELOPED OUT, THEN THAT'S CONTINUAL IMPROVEMENT AND WE'RE CONTINUING TO GET BETTER.

IT MAY TAKE A LONG TIME TO DO THAT, BUT I JUST WANTED TO TO SAY WE WENT THROUGH A LOT TO TO BUILD THE NEIGHBORHOOD AS WE DID.

WE'VE GOT A GREAT NEIGHBORHOOD, A GREAT COMMUNITY.

KIDS ARE ABLE TO GO RUN AROUND ON, ON OUR TRAILS.

THERE'S, THERE ISN'T ANY FENCE OR ANYTHING. IT IS.

WE DESIGN THE COMMUNITY TO BE PART RESIDENTIAL, PART NATURE.

AND IF YOU DRIVE OUT THERE AND DRIVE THROUGH IT, THERE'S, THERE'S HOUSES AND THEN THERE'S, YOU KNOW, MESQUITE AND BRUSH AND THERE'S DEER THAT RUN THROUGH AND, AND TURKEY AND EVERYTHING ELSE.

AND SO IT'S, IT'S A WONDERFUL PLACE FOR US TO LIVE.

WE DON'T THINK THE ZONING THAT IS BEING BASICALLY APPROVED WOULD BE APPROVED THROUGH THIS CONDITIONAL USE PERMIT MATCHES IT AT ALL AND IT REALLY WOULD BE A NUISANCE TO THE NEIGHBORHOOD, BUT ALSO JUST A BACKWARD STEP IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF OF LAKE FORT PHANTOM.

SO I APPRECIATE YOUR TIME. THANK YOU. STILL IN THE PUBLIC HEARING ON ITEM 17.

WOULD ANYONE ELSE LIKE TO SPEAK? HELLO. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME TODAY.

MY NAME IS COLIN BONNET. ON A FEW BUSINESSES HERE IN TOWN.

WE DO DEVELOPMENT OUTSIDE OF ABILENE AS WELL AS INSIDE OF ABILENE.

BUILD HOMES, NEW CONSTRUCTION, STUFF LIKE THAT.

SO WE ARE TRYING TO HELP WITH, YOU KNOW, THE HOUSING CRISIS AND STUFF AND GET SOME OF THESE PROJECTS OFF THE GROUND.

WE WILL PRODUCE PROBABLY CLOSE TO 80 HOMES THIS YEAR ALONE WITH MY COMPANY.

WE ARE IN THE, WE PURCHASED A DEVELOPMENT FROM A LOCAL BUILDER HERE IN TOWN, KYLE PAUL RIGHT OFF OF I 20 NEXT TO A CURRENT RV PARK THAT IS THERE.

SOLD THAT TO ME SO THAT HE COULD BUILD THE RV PARK THAT HE HAS OVER OFF CLOSE TO DYESS AIR FORCE BASE.

IN TALKING WITH SOME OF THE PEOPLE THAT ARE PUTTING IN THESE RV PARKS, THEY ARE IN, THEY ARE OPERATING.

THEY ARE NOT CURRENTLY ON A WAITING LIST. OKAY.

SO IF THE PURPOSE OF THE RV PARK IS TO HELP WITH THE GROWTH OF ABILENE, IS IT GROWTH OR IS IT TEMPORARY? AND WHAT ARE WE GOING TO BE LEFT WITH IN THE END? BECAUSE I HAVE BUILT SINCE WE ARE HAVE BEEN ABLE TO SELL THE LAND AROUND THE LAKE.

PEOPLE ARE PUTTING MONEY INTO THEIR HOMES. THEY ARE BUILDING NEW HOMES.

I JUST FINISHED A NEW HOME FOR A GOOD FRIEND OF MINE WHOSE GRANDMOTHER OWNED THE LAND FOR 60 YEARS.

SHE BOUGHT IT FROM THE GRANDMA. SHE BUILT A $450,000 HOME ON THAT PROPERTY.

I'M THE ONE THAT CONSTRUCTED IT. I'VE BUILT HOMES IN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD.

I BUILT MY OWN HOME IN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD, AND I'M GETTING CALLS EVERY DAY TO LOOK AT SITES OUT THERE THAT CURRENTLY HAVE HOMES THAT ARE BEING BOUGHT FOR A LOT OF

[01:00:01]

MONEY, AND THEN WE ARE PUTTING IN STUFF TO DEMO THESE HOUSES AND BUILD NEW CONSTRUCTION.

THE LAKE IS GETTING BETTER. IN TEN YEARS, IT'LL LOOK COMPLETELY DIFFERENT.

PUT THE STUFF THAT IS NEEDED FOR THAT IN THE APPROPRIATE PLACES AROUND THE LAKE.

THIS IS TEMPORARY. THE AI CENTERS ARE TEMPORARY.

THE WORKERS ARE TEMPORARY. THE GROWTH IS STILL GOING TO BE HERE.

DYESS IS STILL GOING TO GROW. THERE IS. I DO NOT SELL TO INVESTORS.

I HAVE SOLD EVERY HOME THAT I HAVE CURRENTLY HAD.

THE LAST 25 HOMES WE HAVE SOLD HAS BEEN TO A DYESS AIR FORCE MEMBER.

I HAVE NOT SOLD ONE HOME TO A DATA CENTER INDIVIDUAL, NOT ONE HOME.

I HAVE NOT HAD ONE PHONE CALL FROM A DATA CENTER REPRESENTATIVE TO PURCHASE ONE OF MY HOUSES.

IT HAS BEEN DAIS. THIS COMMUNITY THAT WE HAVE HAS BEEN HERE BECAUSE OF DYESS AIR FORCE BASE.

THAT IS WHO WE ARE GROWING FOR. WE ARE NOT GROWING FOR THE DATA CENTERS.

THIS IS A RV PARK FOR DATA. THEY WOULD NOT BE HERE.

THEY WOULD NOT COME FROM ODESSA TO DO THIS WITHOUT THESE DATA CENTERS.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. THANK YOU. WE'RE STILL IN THE PUBLIC HEARING ON ITEM 17.

WOULD ANYONE ELSE LIKE TO SPEAK? YES, MA'AM. MY NAME IS AMANDA BARTON AND I RESIDE ON THREE, TWO, SIX MOHAWK, WHICH IS AT THE 6702 EAST LAKE ROAD.

AND THEN YOU HAVE ACES TRAIL, THEN YOU HAVE SEMINOLE AND THEN YOU HAVE MOHAWK. SO I'M VERY NEARBY AND I UNDERSTAND THE TRAFFIC.

I DIDN'T GET UP HERE. I DIDN'T COME IN THINKING I WOULD TALK TODAY, BUT I DO JUST WANT TO ADD TO THE LEVEL OF SAFETY AND THE TURNING RADIUS OF THE RVS.

I HAVE A LITTLE BOY WHO WE GO ON LOTS OF BIKE RIDES AND THE PEOPLE THAT GO ON BIKE RIDES AND RUNS ON EAST LAKE ROAD ARE PROBABLY NOT HERE TODAY AND PROBABLY DON'T KNOW ABOUT IT BECAUSE THEY LIVE FAR AWAY BIKE RIDING. YOU HAVE TO GO A LOT OF MILES.

AND SO I JUST WANT TO SAY THAT THE LEVEL OF SAFETY FOR THAT ROAD WOULD BE A CONCERN OF MINE.

SO IF MY LITTLE BOY IS 6 OR 7 AND WANTS TO GO ON A BIKE RIDE, I DON'T HAVE TO BE WORRIED.

AND I ALSO WANT TO PULL A RANDOM NOTE THAT THE RV PARK ON BOULDER THAT WAS, THAT WAS KIND OF MENTIONED ON THE NORTHEAST SIDE WHERE THE OLD DAM ROAD IS WOULD BE AN EXCELLENT PLACE BECAUSE THE OLD DAM ROAD ACTUALLY GOES STRAIGHT INTO IT.

THERE IS NO HARD TURN, AND I DON'T KNOW IF THAT IS EVEN FEASIBLE FOR THEIR PLANS, BUT IT WOULD BE A REALLY GREAT IDEA.

AND SPEAKING TO THE INVESTMENT OF ABILENE WITH THE DYESS AND THESE AI WORKERS, I PERSONALLY AM A REALTOR, AND I HAD A CLIENT FROM THE AI DATA CENTER WHO WANTED TO BUY A HOME.

WE WERE WE'RE UNDER CONTRACT AND HE HAD TO CANCEL IT BECAUSE HIS PER DIEM WILL NOT LET HIM PURCHASE.

SO YOU NEED TO KNOW THAT THEY ARE NOT INVESTING IN YOUR TOWN.

YES, THEY ARE BY RENT. AND THOSE OWNERS DO OWN HOMES HERE, BUT THEY ARE TRANSIENT AND THEY'RE NOT PERMANENT.

AND SO I JUST WANTED TO MAKE THAT NOTE THAT MY CLIENT, WHO LOVES ABILENE, WAS DISAPPOINTED THAT HE COULDN'T BUY BECAUSE THEN HIS PER DIEM WOULD GO AWAY. SO THANK YOU. THANK YOU. STILL IN THE PUBLIC HEARING? WOULD ANYONE ELSE LIKE TO SPEAK? HI, I'M WILL RATLIFF. I'M THE OWNER'S AGENT. JUST WANT TO QUICKLY GO OVER A FEW OF THE COMMENTS.

SEWER FOR SHANE. IT IS SEPTIC. I THINK WHAT HE WAS INTENDING WAS SAYING SEWER AS PART OF THE RV HOOKUP.

AS IN IT GOES TO SEPTIC THREE AND A HALF ACRES.

NOT AN ISSUE. WE HAVE MORE THAN ENOUGH LAND TO ACCOMMODATE THE SEPTIC SYSTEM.

IT IS NOT A FLOODWAY ON THAT PROPERTY. IT IS FLOODPLAIN, WHICH MEANS THAT YOU NEED TO ELEVATE THE HOOKUPS OUT OF THE FLOOD LEVEL JUST TO ADDRESS YOUR THREE COMMENTS. A LOT OF LAKE FORT PHANTOM MASTER PLANS WERE MENTIONED.

THEY ARE NOT IN MY READING OPPOSED TO RV. THEY ACTUALLY PROVIDE FOUR LOCATIONS FOR RV SPOTS AROUND THE LAKE.

ONE LOCATION, OF COURSE, IS THE RV PARK THAT ALREADY EXISTS.

ANOTHER LOCATION IS RIGHT NEXT TO THE ONE THAT YOU ALL JUST APPROVED, I THINK THE BUTTERFLY SOMETHING PARK.

AND THEN THE TWO OTHERS ARE ON THE SHALLOW SIDE OF THE LAKE. I DON'T THINK THOSE TWO ARE FEASIBLE TO BUILD.

ONE IS ACTUALLY WITHIN THE BOUNDS OF THE LAKE.

SO I DON'T KNOW HOW YOU BUILD AN UNDERWATER ONE AND THE OTHER ONE IS DIRECTLY AT THE END OF SEABEE PARK.

IF YOU WERE TO BUILD AN RV PARK, IT WOULD BE ENTIRELY IN FLOODPLAIN THERE, AND THE ONLY EXIT, IF IT WERE TO FLOOD, WOULD BE FOUR FEET UNDERWATER, WHICH I FIND TO BE A MAJOR SAFETY CONCERN ON MY END.

[01:05:03]

I THINK THE LAKE DOES NEED RECREATION AROUND IT.

AND IF NOT HERE, I GUESS I WOULD ASK, WHERE WOULD YOU WANT IT? BEYOND THAT, OTHER COMMENTS THAT WERE MENTIONED STORMWATER RUNOFF.

WE WILL, OF COURSE, COMPLY WITH CITY REQUIREMENTS FOR DRAINAGE CONCERNS WITH THE TRAIL.

IF IT IS NOT DESIRED, WE CAN CHANGE THE AMENITIES.

THAT WAS AN AMENITY THAT WAS REQUESTED BY THE CITY.

THE TWO 2023 PARKS MASTER PLAN FOR LAKE FORT PHANTOM ALSO DOES NOT OPPOSE RV IN ANY OF MY READING.

I MEAN, I'M WILLING TO ADDRESS ANY CONCERNS THAT Y'ALL HAVE.

EVERYTHING THAT WAS DESIGNED WAS TO THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN AND TO YOUR ORDINANCE THAT Y'ALL APPROVED DECEMBER OF LAST YEAR, SPECIFICALLY CALLING OUT VACATION RV TRAVEL PARKS.

THAT WAS ORDINANCE NUMBER ONE OF 2026. AND THAT IS Y'ALL'S ORDINANCE FOR VACATION RV PARKS AND WHAT Y'ALL WANT. AND THE BIG WANT THAT Y'ALL HAD IS A 300 FOOT BUFFER BETWEEN THE RV AND RESIDENTIAL, WHICH SHOULD BE ALLEVIATING A LOT OF THE PRESSURE OF BEING NEXT TO RESIDENTIAL.

I MEAN, IF THERE'S SOMETHING ELSE WE'RE HAPPY TO ACCOMMODATE.

THANK YOU, MR. BRADLEY. STILL IN THE PUBLIC HEARING ON ITEM 17.

WOULD ANYONE ELSE LIKE TO SPEAK? ON IT. PRICE IS RIGHT.

GOOD MORNING. SAMANTHA ADKINS, I LIVE IN ACES TRAIL.

WELL, I WASN'T PLANNING TO SAY ANYTHING, BUT THIS COMMUNITY FIRST.

WHEN WE FIRST MOVED TO ABILENE ALMOST 30 YEARS AGO.

NEVER ANTICIPATED STAYING. AND WE HAVE BEEN WELCOMED AND LOVED AND CONTINUED TO BE FLOURISHED BECAUSE OF THE THINGS THAT THE CITY HAS CHOSEN TO DO.

WHEN MY HUSBAND AND I DECIDED TO BUILD OUR HOME OUT IN ACES TRAIL, WE WERE SO EXCITED ABOUT LIVING GOOD TEN MINUTES FROM MY WORK.

BUT STILL LIVING IN THE COUNTRY. WHAT WE DIDN'T REALIZE WHEN WE MOVED OUT THERE WAS THE UNIQUENESS OF THAT COMMUNITY BEING IN JONES COUNTY, CITY OF ABILENE AND CLYDE SCHOOL DISTRICT. SO IT'S, IT'S MADE FOR SOME INTERESTING MANEUVERS THAT WE'VE HAD TO DEAL WITH.

AND ONE OF WHICH IS 911 AND FIRE. WE DON'T GET IMMEDIATE RESPONSE WHEN WE GET A CALL FOR THOSE THINGS BECAUSE OF THE AWKWARD COMMUNITY SPACE.

ADDING 149 MORE VEHICLES OUT THERE THAT HAVE 1 TO 3 PEOPLE LIVING IN THEM IS JUST ANOTHER ADDITION TO THAT PROBLEM.

THE PLANNING AND ZONING HAS ALREADY SAID THAT THIS IS NOT THE BEST USE OF THIS LAND, AND I WOULD REALLY HIGHLY ENCOURAGE YOU TO CONSIDER THE FAMILIES THAT HAVE LIVED OUT THERE, THE COMMUNITY AT THE LAKE ASSOCIATION THAT HAS SPENT YEARS PREPARING AND WORKING WITH THE CITY TO MAKE IT A PLACE FOR DESTINATION, NOT A MAN CAMP. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. ON THE PUBLIC HEARING.

WOULD ANYONE ELSE LIKE TO SPEAK? SEEING NO ONE, I WILL CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING.

IS THERE ANY FURTHER COMMENTS BY COUNCIL? I JUST, YOU KNOW, WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THE MASTER PLAN.

THE MASTER PLAN IS A VISION. AND, YOU KNOW, I'VE LOOKED AT THAT VISION AND AND, YOU KNOW, THE LAKE IS FOR RECREATION AND WE DO NEED RECREATIONAL AREAS THAT ARE LAKE.

BUT I DON'T BELIEVE THAT THIS RV PARK FITS THE MASTER PLAN VISION.

THAT'S MY PERSONAL OPINION. I JUST DOESN'T I DON'T THINK THAT IS A PROPER LOCATION FOR AN RV PARK.

I AGREE. I AGREE. I AGREE. I AGREE. SO TODAY THIS WILL BE A VOTE OR NOT VOTE TO MOVE THIS ON.

CORRECT. WE CAN MOVE IT ON OR OR DENY OR DENY IT.

I'LL TAKE A MOTION TO MOVE IT ON OR DENY IT. I, I LISTED TECHNICAL CONCERNS THAT I HAD, BUT I, I AGREE WITH YOU MAYOR. I, I DON'T FEEL LIKE THIS IS THE APPROPRIATE PLACE TO PUT 149 RV UNITS.

AND SO I'LL MAKE A MOTION TO DENY. I HAVE A MOTION BY COUNCILMAN PRICE, A SECOND.

SECOND BY COUNCILMAN BAILEY TO DENY TO DENY VOTING YES.

TO DENY. YES. YES TO DENY. ALL YESES. SO MOTION TO DENY CARRIES MOTION 17. THAT IS DENIED. WE NOW MOVE TO THE REGULAR AGENDA.

[18. Resolution: Receive a Report, Hold a Discussion and Public Hearing, and Take Action on Ordering a City of Abilene Special Election to be Held on Tuesday, November 3, 2026, for the Purpose of a Citizen Petition to Adopt Collective Bargaining for the Abilene Fire Department, In Accordance with Local Government Code 174.051(c) (Shawna Atkinson)]

MOVE TO ITEM 18. AND I ASK EMILY CRAWFORD, CITY MANAGER, TO PRESENT THIS ITEM.

[01:10:12]

MAYOR AND COUNCIL, I AM GOING TO START OFF WITH ITEM 18 TO GIVE SOME GENERAL INFORMATION ABOUT COLLECTIVE BARGAINING AND BINDING ARBITRATION FOR PUBLIC INFORMATION AND FOR THE COUNCIL'S BENEFIT.

AND THEN OUR CITY SECRETARY, SHAUNA ADKINS, WILL COME AND SHE WILL PRESENT THE ACTUAL PETITION AND BALLOT INFORMATION.

SO WE WILL TAG TEAM THIS. SO THE ABILENE PROFESSIONAL FIREFIGHTERS ASSOCIATION HAVE GONE OUT FOR SIGNATURES FOR PETITIONS. AND THEY HAVE ACHIEVED THE REQUIRED AMOUNT OF SIGNATURES TO PETITION TO ADOPT THE FIRE AND POLICE EMPLOYEE RELATIONS ACT TO BE PUT ON THE NOVEMBER BALLOT. JUST WANT TO CLARIFY, THIS IS THE TECHNICAL NAME, BUT WANT TO CLARIFY THAT POLICE IS NOT A PART OF THIS BALLOT INITIATIVE CURRENTLY. SO THIS FIRE AND POLICE EMPLOYEE RELATIONS ACT REQUIRES THE CITY TO PROVIDE COMPENSATION AND CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT. ACCORDING TO CHAPTER ONE, 74 OF THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT CODE, THAT LOCAL GOVERNMENT CODE ARTICULATES THAT PAY MUST BE COMPARABLE TO THE PRIVATE SECTOR AND DOES PRESCRIBE A VERY FORMAL BARGAINING FRAMEWORK.

IT IS HIGHLY SCRIPTED FOR BOTH PARTIES THAT WE MUST UTILIZE THE FIREFIGHTERS RECEIVE PAY AND BENEFITS IN.

IN THE PAST HISTORY. UP UNTIL THIS POINT, THE FIREFIGHTERS HAVE RECEIVED PAY AND BENEFITS PURSUANT TO CHAPTER 142 AND 143 THAT WE HAVE ACHIEVED THROUGH THE MEET AND CONFER PROCESS. THAT PARTICULAR PROCESS WAS ALL BASED ON LOCAL CONTROL AND MUTUAL AGREEMENT, AND DID NOT HAVE ANY IMPOSITION OF PRIVATE SECTOR REQUIREMENTS.

THE PETITIONS THAT ARE GOING TO BE PRESENTED CALL THAT THEY ARE A VOTER DECISION.

SO THIS IS NOT SOMETHING THAT CITY COUNCIL HAS THE DISCRETION TO ADOPT OR REJECT.

THIS IS UP TO THE VOTERS OF THE CITY OF ABILENE.

THIS IS A A BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN MEET AND CONFER, WHICH WE HAVE PREVIOUSLY HAD LABOR NEGOTIATIONS THROUGH, VERSUS COLLECTIVE BARGAINING, WHICH IS CHAPTER 174 AND WHAT WILL BE ON THE BALLOT FOR NOVEMBER IN MEET AND CONFER.

THE NEGOTIATION IS MUTUALLY AGREED UPON. IT IS VOLUNTARY.

THERE IS NO MANDATE TO REACH AGREEMENT UNDER COLLECTIVE BARGAINING.

THERE IS A REQUIREMENT TO REACH TO REACH AGREEMENT.

THE ASSOCIATION CAN SEEK AN AGREEMENT THROUGH ARBITRATION OR JUDICIAL REVIEW.

IF BOTH PARTIES ARE NOT AMICABLE TO THE AGREEMENT.

PAY AND UNDER PAY AND BENEFIT DECISIONS UNDER MEET AND CONFER.

AGAIN, WE'RE ALL LOCALLY DRIVEN. THOSE WERE THROUGH THE CITY'S LOCAL BUDGET CAPACITY.

UNDER COLLECTIVE BARGAINING, THERE IS MORE OF A REQUIREMENT, AGAIN, THAT PAY IS COMPARABLE TO PRIVATE SECTOR EMPLOYMENT.

AND IT IS COMMON FOR ASSOCIATIONS TO USE MARKET COMPARABLE WAGES AS WELL.

IF AN AGREEMENT IS NOT REACHED UNDER, UNDER MEET AND CONFER AS WHAT WE HAVE JUST EXPERIENCED, THEN THE FIRE DEPARTMENT IS OPERATED AND GOVERNED BY CHAPTER 143 AND 142, AND PAY AND BENEFITS ARE STILL SET THROUGH THE ANNUAL BUDGET UNDER COLLECTIVE BARGAINING. IF AN AGREEMENT IS NOT REACHED, THEN THERE IS THAT OUTSIDE DETERMINATION.

THE ASSOCIATION CAN SEEK ENFORCEMENT THROUGH ARBITRATION OR A STATE COURT.

THE ARBITRATION AND THE JUDGE'S DECISION IS BINDING, AND IT MUST BE FOLLOWED BY BOTH THE ASSOCIATION AND THE CITY.

I JUST WILL NOTE THAT THIS IS THE ONE POINT THAT IF THERE IS A DECISION THAT IS BINDING, THIS IS WHERE A POTENTIAL TAX RATE INCREASE COULD COME INTO EFFECT. DEPENDING ON THE OUTCOME OF THAT REQUIREMENT, NEITHER MEET AND CONFER NOR COLLECTIVE BARGAINING ARE THERE ALLOWED ANY TYPE OF STRIKES. SO THERE IS NO CONCERN ABOUT THE PUBLIC NOT RECEIVING SERVICES.

SO TO TO SUMMARIZE THIS UNDER MEET AND CONFER, THE CITY COUNCIL DOES RETAIN THE ULTIMATE CONTROL OVER THE LOCAL BUDGET.

IF THE CITY CANNOT AFFORD OR CANNOT COME TO AGREEMENT WITH THE FIREFIGHTERS REQUEST, THEN THE CITY IS NOT MANDATED TO AGREE AGAIN.

MEET AND CONFER IS VOLUNTARY ON BOTH PARTIES.

IF THAT HAPPENS, PAY AND BENEFITS ARE THEN DETERMINED THROUGH THE COUNCIL'S ANNUAL BUDGET,

[01:15:01]

LIKE WE DO FOR NON CIVIL SERVICE EMPLOYEES UNDER COLLECTIVE BARGAINING.

AGAIN, MORE STRUCTURED. IF THE CITY AND THE FIREFIGHTERS ASSOCIATION DO NOT REACH AGREEMENT WITHIN 60 DAYS OF THE BARGAINING BEGINNING, THEN THE ASSOCIATION MAY REQUEST ARBITRATION.

IN THAT INSTANCE, IF THE CITY DECLINES TO ALSO ENTER INTO ARBITRATION, THEN THE ASSOCIATION IS ENTITLED TO SEEK A JUDICIAL DETERMINATION IN STATE COURT. THERE IS AN OBLIGATION OF THE CITY TO COMPLY WITH THE OUTCOME OF ARBITRATION AND JUDICIAL ENFORCEMENT.

REGARDLESS OF WHAT THAT DETERMINATION IS, THERE IS NO APPEAL UNDER BINDING ARBITRATION.

SO AT THIS POINT, I'LL PAUSE. AND IF THERE'S ANY QUESTIONS FOR ME ABOUT 174, I WILL ADDRESS THOSE TO THE BEST OF MY ABILITY.

QUESTIONS, EMILY. THANK YOU. OKAY. SO I WILL PASS THIS OFF TO CITY SECRETARY REGARDING THE ACTUAL ELECTION.

GOOD MORNING, MAYOR AND COUNCIL. SHAWNA ATKINSON, CITY SECRETARY.

SO NUMBER 18 TODAY IS FOR THE FIRST PETITION THAT THE CITY SECRETARY'S OFFICE RECEIVED, WHICH WAS FOR THE COLLECTIVE BARGAINING.

SO YOU'LL SEE HERE THE BALLOT LANGUAGE WILL BE ADOPTION OF THE FIRE AND POLICE EMPLOYEE RELATIONS ACT FOR FIREFIGHTERS EMPLOYED BY THE CITY OF ABILENE, WHICH WILL REQUIRE COLLECTIVE BARGAINING TO DETERMINE COMPENSATION AND CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT AND ALLOWS FOR ENFORCEMENT THROUGH ARBITRATION OR DISTRICT COURT IF THE PARTIES CANNOT REACH AGREEMENT. SO WE CERTIFIED THOSE SIGNATURES.

THEY MET THE REQUIRED NUMBER, WHICH WAS 5% OF THE PEOPLE THAT VOTED IN THE LAST STATE AND COUNTY ELECTION, WHICH WAS NOVEMBER 2024. THEY MET THE REQUIRED NUMBER OF SIGNATURES.

AND WE ARE CALLING AN ELECTION TODAY SHOULD YOU CHOOSE FOR NOVEMBER 3RD, 2026, WHICH IS THE NEXT GENERAL ELECTION DATE? I DON'T HAVE AN ESTIMATED COST FOR THIS ELECTION YET.

THE COUNTY IS STILL WORKING ON THOSE NUMBERS. THEY DON'T KNOW HOW MANY PEOPLE WILL BE HAVING AN ELECTION AT THIS TIME, BUT WE WILL HAVE THAT AT A LATER DATE FOR YOU.

I'LL BE HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS. QUESTIONS, SHAWNA. THANK YOU, THANK YOU.

ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS BEFORE PUBLIC HEARING? I'VE GOT SOME COMMENTS I'LL JUST GO AHEAD AND MAKE BEFORE PUBLIC COMMENT.

AS I, I LOOKED FOR EXAMPLES OF COMMUNITIES THAT HAVE GONE THROUGH THE PROCESS OF ADOPTING COLLECTIVE BARGAINING.

AND IT, IT WAS IT WAS FRUSTRATING TO READ AS A CITIZEN SOME OF THE DIFFICULTIES THAT FIREFIGHTERS WERE FACING IN SOME OF THESE COMMUNITIES. THERE WERE CITIES WHERE THEY REFUSED TO NEGOTIATE WITH FIREFIGHTERS FOR YEARS AND REFUSED TO GIVE ANY PAY INCREASES FOR YEARS. HOUSTON FIREFIGHTERS DIDN'T HAVE AIR CONDITIONING IN THEIR FIRE TRUCKS.

THEIR FIRE TRUCKS WOULD BREAK DOWN WHEN THEY WERE RESPONDING TO CALLS. THERE WERE OTHER COMMUNITIES THAT THEY WERE PAYING FIREFIGHTERS SIGNIFICANTLY LESS THAN NEIGHBORING FIREFIGHTERS OR FIRE COMMUNITIES. AND SO THEY WOULD TRAIN FIREFIGHTERS.

AND THEN ONCE THEY GOT TRAINED, THEN THEY WOULD MOVE TO ANOTHER COMMUNITY, WHICH SEEMS SHORT SIGHTED TO ME.

ON BEHALF OF THE TAXPAYERS OF THOSE COMMUNITIES TO TO EVEN.

TO NOT ADDRESS THAT. BUT THERE'S THIS FOUR MAN STAFFING HAS BEEN AN ISSUE THAT WAS BROUGHT UP IN MANY OF THE CITIES.

AND SO THERE'S THERE WERE CONCERNS THAT I SAW THAT NEEDED TO BE ADDRESSED IN THESE COMMUNITIES, BUT WHAT I DIDN'T SEE ARE, WERE THINGS THAT THE THINGS THAT I SAW IN THESE OTHER COMMUNITIES, WE HAVE BEEN INTENTIONAL IN MAKING SURE WE PROPERLY ADDRESS THAT.

WE WHEN I WAS FIRST ELECTED IN 2009 TO THE CITY COUNCIL, WE HAD HAD FOUR MEN STAFFING FOR A LONG TIME, AND I DON'T KNOW WHEN WE ACTUALLY ADOPTED THAT, BUT THERE'S NEVER BEEN ANY DISCUSSION OR HINT OF DISSATISFACTION FROM COUNCIL MEMBERS OR STAFF, WITH HAVING FOUR MAN STAFFING OR DESIRE TO CHANGE THAT.

THAT'S A SAFETY CONCERN THAT I HAVE SUPPORTED SINCE I FIRST RAN AND CONTINUED TO SUPPORT.

THERE'S ANOTHER ITEM THAT CAME UP WITH ONE OF THE COMMUNITIES WAS MEDICAL SCREENING NOT PROVIDING MEDICAL SCREENING.

AND NFPA ADOPTED STANDARDS BACK IN THE 90S AND HAVE MADE SEVERAL CHANGES OVER THE YEARS AS MEDICAL TECHNOLOGY AND, AND RESEARCH HAS IMPROVED AND ADDING ADDITIONAL SCREENS.

THERE'S DIFFERENT CANCERS THAT FIREFIGHTERS ARE EXPOSED TO BECAUSE OF THE CONDITIONS THEY GO INTO.

[01:20:02]

THERE'S CONCERNS BECAUSE OF THE, YOU KNOW, THE WAY THEY'RE LIFTING AND MOVING AND DOING THINGS.

AND SO WE HAVE CONSISTENTLY PROVIDED THAT SCREENING ON AN ANNUAL BASIS.

THAT THE PHYSICALS, THE SCREENINGS, AND I'VE NEVER HAD FIREFIGHTERS COME TO ME AND SAY, WHY AREN'T WE DOING THIS OR THAT WITH REGARD TO THE SCREENING? AND SO I, THAT, THAT, THAT ISSUE THAT WAS IN OTHER CITIES, I DON'T SEE HERE WITH REGARD TO THE FIRE TRUCKS IN HOUSTON BREAKING DOWN, NOT HAVING AIR CONDITIONING, WE IN 2011, WE ESTABLISHED A FIRE APPARATUS FUND.

WE HAVE BEEN CONSISTENTLY EVERY BUDGET CYCLE, PUTTING MONEY INTO THAT WITH A PLAN SET UP BY THE FIRE CHIEF THAT SAYS, OKAY, THIS IS WHAT WE NEED TO EXPECT TO SPEND MONEY ON IN REPLACING OUR FIRE ENGINES, REPLACING OUR FIRE TRUCKS, REPLACING OUR BUNKER GEAR TAKING CARE OF THE SAFETY EQUIPMENT THAT'S NEEDED BY OUR FIREFIGHTERS THAN THEIR DUTIES.

AND AND WE HAVE THAT PROJECTED OUT. WE HAVE THE MONEY SET ASIDE.

WE JUST LAST MONTH IN JUNE, WE TOOK FOUR BRAND NEW FIRE ENGINES IN.

AND SO WE, WE HAVE BEEN CONSISTENT IN ADDRESSING THE EQUIPMENT NEEDS.

THERE WERE SOME THAT NEEDED NEW FIRE STATIONS BECAUSE THEIR FIRE STATIONS WERE OLD, THEY WERE FALLING APART.

THEY WERE GROWING AND NOT ADDRESSING THE GROWTH.

AND AND WE'VE APPROVED THE VOTERS APPROVED BONDS TO REPLACE THREE FIRE STATIONS BACK IN 2015.

WE BOUGHT IT OR PAID FOR NEW FIRE TRAINING FACILITY, A NEW FIRE MAINTENANCE FACILITY.

AND THEN MOST RECENTLY, WE EARLIER THIS YEAR, DID THE HOSE UNCOUPLING AT FIRE STATION NINE TO ADDRESS THE NEEDS IN SOUTH ABILENE, WHERE THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF GROWTH IN RECENT YEARS AND ALL THOSE APPROVED BY BY THE VOTERS.

AND WHEN WE REACHED AN IMPASSE ON MEET AND CONFER EARLIER THIS YEAR, WE GAVE EXPLICIT DIRECTION TO STAFF THAT REGARDLESS OF NOT HAVING AN AGREEMENT, WE WANT TO SEE A PAY INCREASE IN THE BUDGET.

THAT'S BROUGHT TO US THAT WE'LL ADDRESS IN AUGUST.

AND SO. WE HAVE HAD A LONG HISTORY OF SUCCESSFUL, BENEFICIAL GROWTH WITH POLICE AND FIRE FOR 20 PLUS YEARS THROUGH THE MEET AND CONFER PROCESS.

THERE ARE ASPECTS OF THE WAY THAT THE CHARTER AMENDMENT IS WRITTEN THAT I HAVE CONCERNS ABOUT.

THE CHAPTER 174, IT TALKS ABOUT SPECIFIC LIMITATIONS ON WHAT CAN BE CONSIDERED HAZARDS TO EMPLOYMENT, PHYSICAL, EDUCATIONAL, MENTAL QUALIFICATIONS, JOB TRAINING SKILLS, AND STATE LAW INTENTIONALLY OMITS THE MUNICIPALITIES, QUOTE, ABILITY TO PAY OR MUNICIPAL REVENUES OR THE CONSUMER PRICE INDEX.

HOWEVER, THE CHARTER AMENDMENT THAT WAS ON THE PETITION EXPLICITLY DIRECTS ARBITRATION BOARD TO CONSIDER THE COST OF LIVING, COST OF CONSUMER PRICE INDEX AND, QUOTE, THE REVENUES AVAILABLE TO THE CITY AND THE IMPACT ANY ARBITRATION RULING HAS ON THE TAXPAYERS OF THE CITY.

SO IT, IT GOES BEYOND WHAT 174 WAS WRITTEN AND DESIGNED AROUND.

AND IT, IT PUTS THE, THE FIRE DEPARTMENT IS ONE OF THE, IS THE LARGEST CHUNK OF THE BUDGET.

IT IS WHERE WE DEVOTE A LOT OF THE FUNDS OF THE TAXPAYERS.

AND IT PUTS THE DECISION ON FUNDING FOR THAT AREA OF THE BUDGET, OUTSIDE OF THE SCOPE OF THE ELECTED OFFICIALS AND INTO THE HANDS OF A THIRD PARTY ARBITRATOR. AND IF WE DON'T REACH AN AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE CITY AND THE ASSOCIATION BECAUSE OF CONCERNS OVER BUDGETARY CONSTRAINTS. THEN IT'S TAKEN OUT OF OUR HANDS, AND THE TAXPAYERS DECISION IS PUT IN THE HANDS OF A ARBITRATOR THAT MAY OR MAY NOT LIVE IN ABILENE. AND AND THE VOTERS HAVE NO SAY OVER WHO THAT IS OR ABILITY TO REPLACE LIKE THEY DO WITH THE ELECTED MEMBERS OF THE CITY COUNCIL AND THE MAYOR.

AND SO I'VE BEEN PRIVILEGED TO SEE OVER MY TIME ON THE CITY COUNCIL THE SUCCESSFUL AND HEALTHY GROWTH OF BOTH THE FIRE AND POLICE DEPARTMENTS THROUGH THE MEET AND CONFER PROCESS.

THERE HAVE BEEN A LOT OF IMPROVEMENTS MADE. AND I WANT TO SEE THAT CONTINUE.

I HOPE IT CONTINUES UNDER MEET AND CONFER. I, I, THE PROCESS WAS FOLLOWED ACCORDING TO THE CHARTER TO PUT THIS ON THE ON THE BALLOT,

[01:25:07]

AND I WILL BE VOTING TO PUT IT ON THE BALLOT TODAY.

BUT WHEN WE GET TO NOVEMBER, I WILL NOT BE VOTING YES ON EITHER ONE OF THESE THINGS.

I'M UNCOMFORTABLE WITH THE WAY IT'S WORDED AND THE AND THE THE WAY THAT IT COULD POTENTIALLY IMPACT THE TAXPAYERS OF ABILENE.

THANK YOU. MAYOR. ANYONE ELSE? WELL, I'LL ADD A COUPLE OF THINGS BRIEFLY.

I DON'T WANT TO BELABOR POINTS, BUT I THINK EVERYBODY NEEDS TO UNDERSTAND, AND I HOPE THEY DO AND DO THEIR OWN RESEARCH.

YOU KNOW, I AGREE WITH SHAYNE. I'LL BE VOTING TO PUT THIS FORWARD TO THE BALLOT.

THE FIRE ASSOCIATION HAS DONE EVERYTHING THAT IS REQUIRED OF THEM TO GET THIS DONE.

AND SO IT DESERVES A, YOU KNOW, IT DESERVES TO BE ON THE BALLOT.

THAT'S OUR SYSTEM. AND IF THE CITIZENS VOTE FOR THIS, THEN THAT'S THE SYSTEM WE WILL ADOPT BECAUSE THAT'S THE WAY THE SYSTEM IS SUPPOSED TO WORK. BUT I DO WANT TO JUST POINT OUT A COUPLE OF THINGS.

I ECHO SHANE'S COMMENT ABOUT OUR HISTORY. I WAS A BENEFICIARY OF THE MEET AND CONFER PROCESS FOR 20 YEARS WHEN I WAS ON THE POLICE DEPARTMENT.

WE DIDN'T HAVE MEET AND CONFER WHEN I STARTED ON EITHER SIDE, EITHER POLICE OR FIRE.

AND A LOT OF REALLY GREAT THINGS CAME FROM THAT PROCESS FOR A LONG PERIOD OF TIME.

IT, I HAVE VOICED MY DISPLEASURE OR WHATEVER WORD YOU WANT TO CHOOSE WITH HOW THINGS ENDED HERE AND HOW THE PROCESS WENT.

THERE ARE THINGS I WISH BOTH SIDES HAD DONE DIFFERENTLY, BUT THAT'S NEITHER HERE NOR THERE AT THIS POINT.

WE'RE NOW AT THE POINT WHERE IT GOES TO THE BALLOT AND GOES TO THE CITIZENS TO DECIDE.

BUT I WANT TO BE VERY CLEAR ABOUT SOMETHING, AND BECAUSE I'M ALREADY HEARING IT, I'M ALREADY HEARING THAT THE THE COMMUNICATION ABOUT COLLECTIVE BARGAINING WILL NOT RAISE YOUR TAXES.

THAT IS NOT A TRUE STATEMENT. IT MIGHT BE A TRUE STATEMENT, BUT IT MIGHT NOT BE.

IT DEPENDS ON WHAT THE DECISION OF ARBITRATORS ARE, OR A STATE JUDGE AS TO WHAT THE BENEFITS WOULD BE.

AND THE PEOPLE THAT YOU HAVE ELECTED TO MAKE THOSE DECISIONS NOW HAVE NO AUTHORITY TO SET THOSE PAY RATES AND SET THE SET THE BUDGET FOR PAYROLL AND ALL THE YOU KNOW, AND YOU CAN ASK FOR ANYTHING UNDER COLLECTIVE BARGAINING IF YOU DO RESEARCH.

THERE'S ALL KINDS OF THINGS THAT GET THAT GET NEGOTIATED IN THAT PROCESS.

AND SO IT'S NOT JUST ABOUT PAY. AND SO I JUST WANT EVERYBODY TO UNDERSTAND THAT THAT, THAT STATEMENT IS JUST SIMPLY, YOU CAN'T MAKE THAT STATEMENT DEFINITIVELY RIGHT NOW BECAUSE NO ONE KNOWS.

AND EVERYBODY NEEDS TO UNDERSTAND THAT THAT IF AN ARBITRATION PANEL OF ARBITRATORS DECIDES THAT IF THERE'S A CONTRACT DISPUTE AND THERE'S A SIGNIFICANT AND IT'S A DISPUTE OVER A LARGE AMOUNT OF PAY OR STAFFING OR, YOU KNOW, WHATEVER THE CASE MAY BE, AND THERE'S A SIGNIFICANT FISCAL IMPACT TO THE CITY, AND THE ARBITRATOR DECIDES WE HAVE TO DO THAT.

THEN WE HAVE TO DO IT. THE PEOPLE THAT YOU'VE ELECTED TO MAKE THOSE DECISIONS NO LONGER HAVE ANY CHOICE.

AND THAT'S WHERE MY ISSUE IS WITH COLLECTIVE BARGAINING.

I THINK AS SHANE TALKED ABOUT REMOVING US, IF YOU DON'T LIKE THE DECISIONS WE MAKE, YOU CAN VOTE US OUT OF OFFICE AND VOTE SOMEONE IN THIS REMOVES OUR ABILITY TO MAKE THOSE DECISIONS. AND WE HAVE TO DO WHAT A JUDGE TELLS US.

OR A PANEL OF ARBITRATORS TELL US. NO ONE KNOWS WHO THOSE ARBITRATORS MAY OR MAY NOT BE.

AND THIS IS COMING ON THE HEELS OF 20 OR 25 YEARS OF VERY SUCCESSFUL MEET AND CONFER PROCESSES FOR A LONG PERIOD OF TIME.

AND I AGREE WITH SHANE, YOU KNOW, I'M GOING TO VOTE TO PUT THIS ON THE BALLOT, BUT I WILL NOT BE VOTING FOR THIS IN NOVEMBER.

I WOULD JUST STRONGLY EVERYBODY'S GOT, OF COURSE, THE RIGHT.

AND I SUPPORT THE RIGHT. EVERYONE'S RIGHT TO MAKE THEIR OWN DECISION. BUT PLEASE MAKE SURE YOU'RE DOING YOUR RESEARCH ABOUT WHAT THIS REALLY MEANS FOR OUR CITY.

THERE'S MAYBE CITIES WHERE IT DIDN'T AFFECT TAXES.

I MEAN, THERE'S SO MANY VARIABLES IN THIS ABOUT WHAT BENEFITS ARE ASKED FOR AND WHAT EQUIPMENT'S ASKED FOR AND WHAT STAFFING IS ASKED FOR.

THERE'S ALL KINDS OF THINGS THAT PEOPLE ARE ASKING OR DEPARTMENTS AROUND THE STATE ARE ASKING FOR.

BUT RIGHT NOW, THE THE INCREASE TO THE FIRE DEPARTMENT PAYROLL EVERY YEAR IS CONSUMING ABOUT 50% OF OUR PROPERTY TAX APPRECIATION EVERY BUDGET CYCLE.

WHICH LEAVES 50% FOR EVERYONE ELSE IN THE ORGANIZATION.

AND THIS IS COMING ON THE HEELS OF 6% RAISES YEAR OVER YEAR OVER YEAR, 36% IN SIX YEARS.

ADDITIONAL STAFFING, NEW STATIONS. A LOT OF THE THINGS THAT SHANE MENTIONED HAVE ALL HAPPENED.

THAT I'M PROUD TO HAVE BEEN SOME PART OF FOR THE LAST FIVE YEARS.

NOBODY WANTS A BETTER EQUIPPED AND COMPENSATED FIRE DEPARTMENT THAN I DO.

BUT THIS IS BRINGING IN UNION TACTICS TO WEST TEXAS.

THAT'S WHAT THIS IS. THE IAFF IS AN AFFILIATE OF THE AFL-CIO.

[01:30:04]

THIS IS NATIONAL LABOR TACTICS COMING TO ABILENE AND NATIONAL UNION TACTICS COMING TO ABILENE.

AND I DO NOT WANT THAT IN THIS CITY. WE HAVE A VERY, VERY STRONG TRACK RECORD OF DOING THE RIGHT THING BY OUR PUBLIC SERVANTS.

AND I JUST THINK IT'S NOT NECESSARY. THAT'S ALL.

ANYONE ELSE? YEAH. I'LL SAY SOMETHING REALLY, REALLY FAST FIRST.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE. A LOT OF YOU GUYS DO A LOT FOR US.

AND I THINK I'D BE REMISS TO NOT JUST ACKNOWLEDGE THE FACT THAT WE APPRECIATE YOU.

I HATE WE'RE HERE. I MEAN, I THINK MOST OF US HAVE ECHOED THAT SENTIMENT.

THANK YOU, SHANE, FOR BEAUTIFULLY POINTING OUT THE HISTORY AND THE CONTEXT THAT GOES THERE.

I'VE BEEN HERE FOR SIX PLUS YEARS AND JUST LIKE LYNN, HAVE BEEN THE RECIPIENT OF A LOT OF FORESIGHT THAT OTHER COUNCIL MEMBERS HAVE HAD IN TERMS OF FIRE AND POLICE AND TRYING TO RIGHT THE SHIP THAT HISTORICALLY WASN'T RIGHT IN TERMS OF PAY AND ACKNOWLEDGING THE WORK THAT YOU GUYS HAVE DONE FOR A LONG TIME.

AND SO I ECHO THAT. I THINK HAVING A FULLY SUPPORTED FIRE AND POLICE IS SOMETHING I DON'T WANT TO SPEAK FOR EVERYONE.

I, I KNOW WE ALL FEEL THE SAME WAY, BUT I'LL SAY FOR MYSELF, IT MEANS THE WORLD.

I THINK I WILL VOTE IT FORWARD. I THINK THEY'VE DONE THE HARD WORK AND DID EVERYTHING THAT YOU NEEDED TO DO TO PLACE IT ON THE BALLOT, AND I FULLY BELIEVE THAT NOW THE CITIZENS DESERVE THE RIGHT TO SPEAK INTO IT.

SO I AGREE WITH THAT. I DO HAVE MAJOR CONCERNS IN TERMS OF HOW IT'S WRITTEN.

I'LL LET EVERYONE ELSE DO THE THE NECESSARY WORK FOR HOW THEY INDIVIDUALLY FEEL.

IT LANDS FOR THEM. MY JOY IN THE MEET AND CONFER WAS THAT IT GAVE MORE LOCAL CONTROL.

MY CONCERNS IS THAT THE CHAPTER 174 NARROWS THAT FLEXIBILITY.

AND I THINK THERE'S OBLIGATIONS THAT CAN LIMIT THAT FLEXIBILITY AND FRAMEWORK THAT HISTORICALLY HAS GIVEN US AS, AS YOUR ELECTED OFFICIALS TO, TO BE ABLE TO MOVE IN A MORE PROGRESSIVE AND AMENABLE DIRECTION.

BUT WITH THAT BEING SAID, YOU'VE DONE THE WORK AND, AND I THINK IT'S THE ONLY APPROPRIATE RESPONSE IS TO GIVE IT TO OUR CITIZENS SO THAT THEY CAN DO THE WORK TO UNDERSTAND WHAT THEY'RE VOTING YES OR NO FOR.

I PERSONALLY DON'T FEEL COMFORTABLE WITH THE LANGUAGE THAT'S WRITTEN.

BUT IT DOESN'T CHANGE THE FACT THAT WE ARE SO GRATEFUL FOR THE HARD SERVICE AND WORK THAT YOU GUYS DO CONSISTENTLY EVERY DAY AND WILL CONTINUE TO MAKE SURE THAT WE, THERE'S NO LAPSES OR NO SUPPORT IN TERMS OF PAY AND WHAT WE'VE ALWAYS HISTORICALLY DONE RIGHT BY IN TERMS OF OUR FIRE DEPARTMENT.

SO THAT'S ALL I HAVE FOR THAT. 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 18? PLEASE COME FORWARD AND GIVE YOUR NAME FOR THE RECORD.

TAMMY FOGLE, RESIDENT OF ABILENE. I'M NOT SURE HOW YOU CAN SIT WITH A STRAIGHT FACE AND SAY THAT YOU HATE.

YOU'RE IN THE POSITION YOU'RE IN WHEN YOU 100% PUT US IN THIS POSITION.

I'M A CITIZEN SPEAKING FOR MYSELF. I'M NOT SPEAKING FOR THE FIREFIGHTERS.

I'M NOT SPEAKING FOR ANYONE ELSE. I'M SPEAKING FOR MYSELF BECAUSE I SAT IN THERE AND WATCHED OUR CITY MANAGER SAY, WHAT DO YOU WANT FOR THIS AGREEMENT? AND THEY TOLD YOU WHAT THEY WANTED, AND THEY COLLABORATED OR CAUCUSED AND CAME BACK AND CAUCUSED AND CAME BACK AND THEY AGREED UPON IT. SOMEONE INSTRUCTED HER TO MAKE THAT AGREEMENT AND AGREE TO THAT.

AND THEN THE NEXT MEETING WE CAME IN AND EVERY SINGLE ONE OF YOU CAME IN AS A UNANIMOUS VOTE AND DISPARAGED OUR FIREFIGHTERS FOR HAVING ILL INTENT AND IMPUGN THEIR MOTIVES AND REJECTED THE AGREEMENT. NOW, WHAT WOULD HAVE BEEN RESPECTABLE AS A CITIZEN WAS FOR HER TO NOT AGREE TO IT IN THE FIRST PLACE.

BUT YOU BLINDSIDED THEM. YOU SAID YOU AGREED TO IT, AND THEN YOU TURNED AROUND AND CAME IN AND SAID, NOPE, NOT DOING IT. NOT ONLY THAT, YOU INSULTED THEM BY BLAMING THEM FOR THE UNDERFUNDING OF THE PENSION AND COMPLAINING ABOUT HAVING TO PAY THEM OVERTIME, AND AMONGST OTHER THINGS. THIS IS AN IMPASSE FOR A REASON.

IT'S BECAUSE YOU ALL CHOSE TO REJECT THE AGREEMENT THAT YOU ALLOWED THE CITY MANAGER TO MAKE WITH THEM AT THE LAST MINUTE.

WE'RE INVESTING IN OUR FIREFIGHTERS, AND THE TRAINING WE'RE INVESTING IS NOW GOING ELSEWHERE BECAUSE YOU'VE CHOSEN NOT TO PAY COMPETITIVELY.

THE ONLY TAX RATE THAT HAPPENS, THE ONLY TAX RATE INCREASES, IS IF YOU NEED MORE MONEY FOR THE BUDGET.

I'VE NOT HEARD ONE PERSON MENTION THAT YOU CAN ACTUALLY CUT THINGS OUT OF THE BUDGET TO NOT RAISE OUR TAXES TO NOT CONTINUALLY TAKE MORE MONEY FROM THE CITIZENS AS OUR PROPERTY VALUES GO UP. SO YES, IT COULD GO UP, BUT IT COULD GO DOWN AND THAT'S AT 100% AT Y'ALL'S Y'ALL'S ABILITY TO DO THAT.

I HAVEN'T SEEN YOU DO IT EVER. I HAVEN'T EVEN SEEN YOU ACT LIKE IT'S SOMETHING THAT THE CITIZENS DESERVE TO GET THEIR MONEY BACK. BUT THAT IS NOT SOMETHING THAT IS A VALID

[01:35:09]

TALKING POINT, IN MY OPINION. COST IT SAYS NONE.

ONLY FOR THE CONTRACT. THAT IS FALSE. THERE IS A COST.

WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO PAY MONEY TO PUT THIS ON THE BALLOT, BECAUSE YOU CHOSE TO REJECT THE AGREEMENT AND, AND DO AN UNDERHANDED THING TO THESE FIREFIGHTERS AND TO SAY THAT WE HAVE BECAUSE OF THIS ARBITRATION, WE'D HAVE TO RAISE OUR TAXES. THAT'S ASSUMING THAT THE FIREFIGHTERS ARE GOING TO BE UNREASONABLE. THEY'VE BEEN NOTHING BUT REASONABLE.

AND I'M THE ONE CITIZEN THAT HAS BEEN PAYING ATTENTION TO THIS FOR OVER A YEAR NOW, TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHAT THE HECK IS GOING ON.

SO I'M VERY FRUSTRATED TO HEAR YOU SAY THAT THIS IS NOT SOMETHING YOU WANT THE CITIZENS TO VOTE FOR BECAUSE THE UNION.

WE DON'T WANT TO BRING UNIONS TO WEST TEXAS. YOU PURPOSELY DID IT WHEN YOU REJECTED THEIR CONTRACT AGREEMENT.

SO ANYONE HAS TO BLAME. I'M NOT A UNION PERSON.

I'M TOTALLY AGAINST IT. BUT I SAW IN REAL TIME WHAT Y'ALL DID TO OUR FIREFIGHTERS.

AND I'M TELLING THE CITIZENS THAT WE NEED TO SUPPORT THIS BECAUSE YOU BROKE TRUST WITH THEM.

AND I HOPE THAT THIS IS A LESSON THAT YOU'LL LEARN AND DO DIFFERENTLY BECAUSE THIS IS UNACCEPTABLE. THANK YOU.

JIM, THE PUBLIC HEARING ON ITEM 18. WOULD ANYONE ELSE LIKE TO SPEAK? THANK YOU. MAYOR. MEMBERS OF THE COUNCIL, CITY MANAGER.

MY NAME IS SETH WESTIN. I'M A PROUD RESIDENT OF THE CITY OF ABILENE AND A MEMBER OF THE ABILENE FIRE DEPARTMENT.

WE'RE HERE FOR REASONS WE'RE HERE. WE'RE FOR ALL THE STUFF THAT'S HAPPENED.

WE'RE HAPPY TO BE PUTTING THAT BEHIND US. AND I JUST WANT TO SAY FROM WHERE WE'RE AT NOW.

I WANT TO EXPRESS MY SINCERE GRATITUDE TO THE MAYOR AND TO THOSE MEMBERS OF THE COUNCIL WHO HAVE SIGNED OUR PETITION DEMONSTRATING YOUR SUPPORT FOR ALLOWING THE CITIZENS OF ABILENE TO DECIDE WHETHER COLLECTIVE BARGAINING AND BINDING ARBITRATION SHOULD BECOME THE FOUNDATION FOR FUTURE AGREEMENTS BETWEEN THE ABILENE PROFESSIONAL FIREARMS ASSOCIATION AND THE CITY OF ABILENE.

MORE IMPORTANTLY, WE WOULD NOT BE HERE TODAY WITHOUT THE OVERWHELMING SUPPORT OF THE PEOPLE OF ABILENE.

ON BEHALF OF YOUR FIREMEN. THANK YOU. YOUR SIGNATURES, YOUR ENCOURAGEMENT, AND YOUR BELIEF IN THE EFFORT HAS BROUGHT US TO THIS IMPORTANT MILESTONE. WHILE TODAY IS A SIGNIFICANT STEP FORWARD, IT IS NOT THE FINISH LINE.

TODAY'S ACTION SIMPLY PAVES THE WAY TO THE NOVEMBER ELECTION, WHERE THE CITIZENS OF ABILENE WILL HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE THEIR VOICES HEARD.

TO EVERYONE WHO HAS STOOD WITH US AS WE'VE WORKED TO REACH THIS POINT.

THANK YOU. WE ASK THAT YOU CONTINUE WALKING ALONGSIDE US THROUGH NOVEMBER WITH YOUR CONTINUED SUPPORT.

WE HOPE TO ESTABLISH A FAIR AND LASTING FRAMEWORK THAT ALLOWS THE CITY OF ABILENE AND ITS FIREFIGHTERS TO WORK IN GOOD FAITH, STRENGTHENING NOT ONLY OUR DEPARTMENT, BUT THE COMMUNITY IN WHICH WE'RE HONORED TO SERVE.

THANK YOU. SISTER, I JUST WANT TO COMMEND YOU AND THE ASSOCIATION ON Y'ALL'S DUE DILIGENCE AND GETTING YOUR SIGNATURES.

I JUST WANT TO CONGRATULATE YOU ON THAT. THANK YOU. IT'S ON THE PUBLIC HEARING ON ITEM 18.

WOULD ANYONE ELSE LIKE TO SPEAK AT THIS TIME? SEEING NONE, I'LL CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING.

ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION OF COUNCIL? IF NOT, I'LL ACCEPT A MOTION AND A SECOND.

SO MOVED. SECOND. I HAVE A MOTION BY COUNCILMAN PATTERSON AND A SECOND BY COUNCILMAN PRICE.

DISCUSSION. READY TO VOTE. ALL YESES. MOTION CARRIES.

NOW MOVE TO ITEM 19 AND SHAUN ATKINSON WILL PRESENT THIS ITEM.

[19. Resolution: Receive a Report, Hold a Discussion and Public Hearing, and Take Action on Ordering a City of Abilene Special Election to be Held on Tuesday, November 3, 2026, for the Purpose of a Citizen Petition to Amend the Abilene City Charter to Add a New Section 145 for Collective Bargaining Impasse (Shawna Atkinson)]

HELLO AGAIN. OKAY, SO THE SECOND ITEM FOR YOU TODAY, EXCUSE ME, IS FOR THE SECOND PETITION THAT CAME IN.

THAT IS FOR A CHARTER AMENDMENT. I'M NOT GOING TO READ THE WHOLE THING TO YOU BECAUSE IT'S VERY LENGTHY, BUT IT IS ADDING A NEW SECTION TO THE END OF THE CITY CHARTER.

145 FOR COLLECTIVE BARGAINING IMPASSE. WHICH IS BINDING ARBITRATION.

EXCUSE ME. I WILL POINT OUT THAT THERE IS NO COST FOR THIS ITEM RIGHT NOW.

HOWEVER, THERE WILL BE A CONTRACT WITH THE COUNTY LATER ON THAT WILL INCUR.

I JUST DON'T KNOW HOW MUCH THAT IS AT THIS MOMENT.

SO AGAIN, THIS WILL BE NOVEMBER 3RD, 2026. THE PETITION MET THE REQUIRED NUMBER OF SIGNATURES AND I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS YOU MAY HAVE QUESTIONS OF SHAUN.

JUST WHEN WE HAD THE SANCTUARY CITY ITEM THAT HAD TO BE READ.

SO THIS DOESN'T HAVE TO BE READ. NO, THAT ONE WAS AN ORDINANCE SPECIFICALLY.

SO THE ORDINANCE REQUIRED THE READING OF THE ENTIRE THING.

SO SINCE THIS IS JUST A CHARTER AMENDMENT ELECTION, IT'S NOT THE SAME THING.

DOUBLE CHECK. YES. THANK YOU FOR THAT CLARIFICATION.

ANY FURTHER QUESTIONS? THANK YOU. SHAUN. AT THIS TIME, I'LL OPEN UP THE PUBLIC HEARING.

[01:40:02]

IS THERE ANYONE WHO WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK EITHER FOR OR AGAINST ITEM 19? PLEASE COME FORWARD AND GIVE YOUR NAME FOR THE RECORD. SEEING NO ONE, I'LL CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION.

IF NOT, I'LL ACCEPT A MOTION AND A SECOND. MOVE FOR APPROVAL.

I HAVE A MOTION BY COUNCILMAN BEARD. SECOND. SECOND BY COUNCILMAN BAILEY.

WE'RE READY TO VOTE. I WILL POINT OUT THAT THE SECOND ACTUALLY WENT TO COUNCIL MEMBER PATTERSON.

NOT ONLY DID HE BEAT ME TO IT. YES, BUT ALL YESES MOTION CARRIES.

SO WE GOT IT STRAIGHT. SO THE SECOND WAS BY COUNCILMAN PATTERSON.

OKAY. MOTION CARRIES. NOW MOVE TO ITEM 20 AND I'LL ASK DON GREEN, DIRECTOR OF TRANSPORTATION,

[20. Resolution: Receive a Report, Hold a Discussion and Public Hearing, and Take Action to Approve the Guaranteed Maximum Price for the Terminal Expansion and Improvements Construction Phase 1 with Linbeck (Don Green)]

TO PRESENT THIS ITEM. GOOD MORNING, MAYOR COUNCIL DON GREEN, DIRECTOR OF TRANSPORTATION SERVICES. SO WE HAVE FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION IN ACTION THIS MORNING THE AWARD OF THE GUARANTEED MAXIMUM PRICE FOR TERMINAL EXPANSION AND IMPROVEMENT PROJECT PHASE ONE.

THAT IS TO START THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE BOARDING AREA EXPANSION.

THAT'S WHERE THE PASSENGERS SIT AND WAIT TO BOARD THE JET BRIDGES TO GET ON THE AIRCRAFT.

AND THEY ALSO DEPART THROUGH THAT SAME AREA. THIS IS AN AREA THAT IS EXTREMELY CROWDED NOW AND WAS PRIOR TO EVEN OUR UNITED AIRLINES SERVICE START IN MARCH. WE SEAT ABOUT 60 PEOPLE IN THAT AREA NOW, WHERE WE'VE GOT 76 SEAT AIRCRAFT PROVIDED BY AMERICAN AIRLINES TO DALLAS AND TO PHOENIX NOW, AS WELL AS THE 50 SEAT AIRCRAFT FOR UNITED WITH SERVICE TO DENVER AND HOUSTON.

SO THIS PROJECT HAS BEEN CONTEMPLATED AND PLANNED FOR ABOUT FOUR YEARS NOW.

AND WE'VE BEEN WORKING ON GETTING TO THIS POINT WHERE WE ISSUE PHASE ONE FOR CONSTRUCTION.

THERE WILL BE THREE PHASES AS WE LOOK AT IT RIGHT NOW.

THIS BEING LIKE THE SECOND LARGEST OF THOSE THREE PHASES.

SO IN NOVEMBER OF LAST YEAR, COUNCIL AWARDED A CONSTRUCTION MANAGER AT RISK CONTRACT TO LYNN BECK.

LYNN BECK HAS PARTICIPATED SINCE THAT TIME WITH PARKHILL, OUR ARCHITECT AS WELL AS CITY STAFF AND IN THE DESIGN PROCESS, THE REMAINING DESIGN PROCESS FOR PHASES ONE, TWO AND THREE.

AND THEN IN JUNE, THEY WERE PREPARED TO GO OUT AND GET BIDS FROM SUBCONTRACTORS AND SUPPLIERS TO COME UP WITH A HARD COST TO CONSTRUCT PHASE ONE. THAT ORIGINAL COST CAME IN AT JUST SHY OF $25 MILLION. WE WERE ESTIMATING A COST OF ABOUT 1906 AT THAT 19,600,000.

AT THAT POINT. SO WE HAD WORK TO DO. AND FORTUNATELY, BECAUSE OF THE THE CMR CONSTRUCTION MANAGER AT RISK PROCESS, WE WERE ABLE TO SIT WITH WITH LYNN BECK AND THE ARCHITECT AND THE ARCHITECTS TEAM AS WELL AS CITY STAFF TO GET THAT COST DOWN THROUGH VALUE ENGINEERING AND STILL TRY TO PRESERVE THE INTENT, THE DESIGN INTENT OF THIS PROCESS.

THE PROJECT. SO WITH THAT, WE WERE ABLE TO GET ABOUT $4 MILLION IN SAVINGS.

AND NOW WE ARE READY TO ASK YOU GUYS TO CONSIDER AN AWARD TO.

GLENN BECK FOR $20,710,569. AGAIN, THIS IS ABOUT $1 MILLION OVER WHAT THE ORIGINAL ESTIMATE WAS MUCH EARLIER IN THIS YEAR, LIKE THE JANUARY FEBRUARY TIME FRAME OF WHAT WE WERE HOPING WE WOULD BE AT.

BUT WE BELIEVE THAT WE ARE NOW AT A POINT WHERE THIS PROJECT CAN CONTINUE.

THIS THIS 20,000,710 569 IS FUNDED. WE HAVE THE FUNDING AVAILABLE THROUGH THE BOND FUNDS AS WELL AS GRANT FUNDS FROM THE FAA. SO IT WE WE BELIEVE THIS IS THE BEST WE CAN DO WITH PHASE ONE.

YOU KNOW, WE, WE WOULD LOVE TO HAVE HAVE IT BE LOWER, BUT WE CAN'T ACHIEVE THAT WITH THE CONSTRUCTION COSTS THAT WE HAVE CURRENTLY IN OUR AREA.

SO WE BELIEVE THIS IS THE BEST VALUE FOR THIS PROJECT AT THIS TIME.

SO WITH IF THIS PROJECT IS, IS APPROVED TO MOVE ON TODAY, THEN WE WILL ISSUE THE NOTICE TO PROCEED AND EXPECT THAT TO BE EFFECTIVE AUGUST 3RD. LYNN BECK WILL THEN START MOBILIZING.

[01:45:03]

AND WE THINK THAT THIS PHASE WILL TAKE ABOUT 16 MONTHS TO COMPLETE AND WE CONTINUE TO WORK ON PHASE TWO AND THREE. THE DESIGNS ARE ALMOST COMPLETED FOR THAT.

AND AS WE DEVELOP MORE FUNDING AND WE'RE STILL WORKING ON FUNDING FOR PHASES TWO AND THREE.

THEN WE WILL BRING THAT TO YOU WHEN WHEN IT'S APPROPRIATE.

SO HERE ARE HERE. HERE'S WHAT THAT BOARDING AREA LOOKED LIKE AT A TYPICAL FLIGHT JUST TWO WEEKS AGO.

IT IS A VERY CROWDED AREA AND WE HAVE PEOPLE SITTING YOU KNOW, BUT AGAIN, WE'RE, WE ARE ONLY SEATING 60 PEOPLE IN THERE, BUT YOU SEE A LOT OF PEOPLE STANDING.

THIS IS A CONCEPT OF WHAT THE BOARDING AREA WOULD LOOK LIKE.

THAT'S FROM THE ORIGINAL DESIGN. UNFORTUNATELY, WE HAD TO PULL OUT THE FIREPLACES DUE TO COST.

BUT BUT I KNOW THAT WAS A LITTLE BIT OF A FEATURE THAT CAUSED SOME EYEBROWS TO RAISE, BUT YOU KNOW, PLEASE UNDERSTAND WHAT RENDERINGS ARE, PLEASE.

JUST IDEAS. YEAH. BUT THAT WAS PART OF THE WORK OF GOING THROUGH THIS.

BUT AGAIN, THE, THE DESIGN INTENT OF THIS, THE, THE, THE ADDITIONAL 4700FT² THAT WE ARE ADDING TO THAT BOARDING AREA TO GET US THE CAPACITY TO HAVE SEATING FOR 200 PEOPLE IN THE BOARDING AREA.

THAT REMAINS THE SAME. BUT, YOU KNOW, WE WE DID HAVE TO TAKE OUT OUR FIREPLACE AS MUCH TO, TO SOME OF OUR DISAPPOINTMENT. THIS IS A LOOK AT THE OUTSIDE OF THE BOARDING AREA, THE EXPANDED BOARDING AREA, FROM WHAT PASSENGERS WOULD SEE AS THEY PULL UP IN THE AIRCRAFT.

BUT THE BOTH OF THE OVERHANGS THAT YOU SEE, THAT IS THE NEW AREA.

THAT'S THE EXPANDED AREA. AND THEN THERE IS A BALCONY WITH, YOU KNOW, ON THERE, IN THERE IN THE CENTER THAT WILL ALLOW PEOPLE TO GO OUTSIDE, EXPERIENCE SOME OUTSIDE AIR. IT IS GLASSED OFF SO NOBODY CAN JUMP OVER OR INTO WHAT WE CALL THE SECURITY AREA OF THE AIRPORT.

SO IT IS PROTECTED, BUT IT GIVES PEOPLE AN ABILITY WHO ARE SITTING THERE FOR A WHILE, THE ABILITY TO BREATHE SOME FRESH AIR AND LOOK OFF TO THE CALLAHAN. CALLAHAN DIVIDE AS WELL. SO THIS IS A SCHEMATIC OF THE FIRST FLOOR COMPLETED FIRST FLOOR, EXPANDED FIRST FLOOR, I GUESS YOU COULD SAY OF THE BOARDING AREA BUILDING.

BUT THIS IS ALL NONPUBLIC AREA EXCEPT FOR THE STAIRWELL THAT YOU SEE WHICH IS SEPARATED.

BUT THAT'S WHAT WE CALL THE BASEMENT OF THIS BUILDING.

BUT IT'S WHERE OUR MECHANICAL EQUIPMENT IS. THERE'S STORAGE CUSTODIAL SPACE WITHIN THAT AREA.

BUT MOST OF THAT IS NONPUBLIC. THEN THIS IS THE EXPANDED SECOND FLOOR.

AND ALMOST ALL OF THAT IS PUBLIC AREA. THAT INCLUDES AGAIN, ENOUGH ROOM FOR SEATING FOR 200.

THE SEATING CONFIGURATION YOU SEE THERE DOES NOT REPRESENT 200 SEATS, BUT IT'S JUST THEREFORE YOU KNOW, SITUATIONAL PURPOSES, BUT WE WILL HAVE EXPANDED RESTROOMS IN THIS AREA AS WELL AS AN ASSISTED RESTROOM LIKE WE HAVE IN THE LOWER LEVEL OF THE, THE MAIN TERMINAL BUILDING.

WE'LL HAVE A DEDICATED VENDING SPACE IN THAT AREA AND A A CHILDREN'S OR FAMILY ROOM THAT WE CAN, YOU KNOW, SOMEBODY CAN BRING THEIR, THEIR KIDS. WE'RE GOING TO SEE HOW THAT GOES OVER AND, YOU KNOW, HAVE A PLACE FOR THE KIDS TO PLAY OR KIND OF BE SEPARATED.

ANYWAY THAT'S, THAT'S WHAT WE HAVE VISION SO FAR.

AND AGAIN, THIS IS WHAT THE FRONT OF THE TERMINAL WILL LOOK LIKE, BUT THAT IS A PHASE TWO.

BUT THAT WE'VE JUST KIND OF USED THAT TO REPRESENT THE OVERALL PROJECT.

BUT ANY QUESTIONS? QUESTIONS, DON. THANK YOU DON.

APPRECIATE THE PRESENTATION AND UPDATE. YOU HAVE YOUR OWN DEDICATED WEBSITE, PHILIP.COM.

IS IS THAT THE BEST PLACE FOR PEOPLE TO GO IF THEY'RE GOING TO BE FLYING? IF THEY HAVE QUESTIONS ABOUT ARE THERE CHANGES I NEED TO BE PREPARED FOR WITH REGARD TO LIKE WHERE TO PARK OR WHERE TO GO IN OR HOW TO GET THROUGH SECURITY OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT? YES. AND THANK YOU FOR BRINGING THAT UP.

SO WE, WE WILL TRY TO KEEP PEOPLE IN VERY MUCH INFORMED OF WHAT'S HAPPENING, THE PROGRESS OF THE PROJECT, ANY CHANGES TO ROUTINES AS YOU BOARD OR DEPLANE.

SO WE, WE WANT TO KEEP PEOPLE INFORMED. OUR WEBSITE IS GOING TO BE ONE, ONE WAY TO DO THAT, BUT THROUGH OUR COMMUNICATIONS TEAM WITH THE CITY WE WILL BE COMMUNICATING THROUGH SOCIAL MEDIA AS WELL,

[01:50:07]

PARTICULARLY FOR THOSE FAST CHANGING CHANGE, FAST CHANGING SITUATIONS.

SO BUT BUT THE WEBSITE WILL HAVE ALL OF THAT INFORMATION, PLUS MAYBE A LITTLE BIT MORE IN DEPTH THAN WHAT WE PROVIDE ON SOCIAL MEDIA AS WELL.

THANKS, TOM. ANYONE ELSE? THANK YOU TOM. ALL RIGHT.

THIS TIME I'LL OPEN UP THE PUBLIC HEARING. IS THERE ANYONE WHO WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK EITHER FOR OR AGAINST ITEM 20? PLEASE COME FORWARD AND GIVE YOUR NAME FOR THE RECORD. SEEING NO ONE, I WILL CLOSE PUBLIC HEARING.

ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? IF NOT, I'LL ACCEPT A MOTION AND A SECOND. SO MOVED.

HAVE A MOTION BY COUNCILMAN CRAVER. SECOND. SECOND BY COUNCILMAN PATTERSON.

ARE YOU ALL FIGHTING OVER IT? READY TO VOTE? WHO'S NOT WORKING? REALLY GOOD. ALL YESES. MOTION CARRIES. MOTION CARRIES.

GOING TO TAKE A TEN MINUTE BREAK, PLEASE. ARE YOU READY? WE'LL NOW MOVE TO ITEM 21. AND I'LL AGAIN ASK DON GREEN TO PRESENT THIS ITEM.

[21. Resolution: Receive a Report, Hold a Discussion and Public Hearing, and Take Action to Approve Task Order 4 with Kutchins & Groh for Capital Improvement Implementation Consulting on Terminal Expansion and Improvements Phase 1 (Don Green)]

OKAY. WELL ITEM 21 IS TASK ORDER FOR WITH COUSINS AND GROW UP.

TASK ORDER FOUR IS UNDER OUR CAPITAL IMPLEMENTATION CONSULTING AGREEMENT WITH HUTCHINSON GROWN.

HUTCHINSON GROW HAS BEEN. I DON'T THINK I CAN EVEN STRESS IT ENOUGH HOW IMPORTANT THEY HAVE BEEN THROUGH THE PROCESS OF GETTING HELPING US GET THE FUNDING THAT WE'VE RECEIVED SO FAR FOR OUR TERMINAL PROJECT.

AND THEY CONTINUE TO WORK ON US AND WORK WITH US AS WE HAVE.

TRIED SEND IN APPLICATIONS AND HAVE HAD CONVERSATIONS WITH THE FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION FOR THE GRANTS THAT WE'VE RECEIVED, THE DISCRETIONARY GRANTS THAT WE RECEIVED, AND THOSE THAT WE HAVE APPLIED FOR AND HAVE NOT GOTTEN A DETERMINATION YET ON.

THEY HAVE JUST BEEN INSTRUMENTAL IN THAT. AND SO TASK ORDER FOUR IS FOR US 50,000. I'M SORRY. LET ME FIND THE. 33 AND $0.04.

YES, I'M. I JUST LOST IT IN HERE, BUT. SO THIS IS FOR THEM TO CONTINUE THAT WORK WITH US THROUGH PHASE TWO AND PHASES TWO AND THREE. AND IT'S NECESSARY BECAUSE WE JUST HAVE NOT HAD ALL OF OUR FUNDING COME TOGETHER YET.

SO WE EXPECT MORE WORK TO BE DONE. THEY ALSO DO THE IN THE INDEPENDENT FEE ESTIMATES FOR PROFESSIONAL SERVICES THAT SUPPORT THIS PROGRAM. THAT IS A REQUIREMENT FOR THE FAA.

SO THEY WILL REVIEW JUST LIKE THEY REVIEWED PARK HILLS TASK ORDER FOR CONSTRUCTION MANAGEMENT, WHICH COUNCIL WILL SEE AUGUST 13TH. BUT THIS AND THIS CONTRACT IS ELIGIBLE FOR FUNDING BY THE FAA GRANT. SO IT WILL BE 90% FUNDED BECAUSE FY 27 GRANTS WILL BE AT 9010, RATHER THAN THE 955 THAT WE'VE HAD FOR THE LAST SIX YEARS.

BUT IT IS ELIGIBLE FOR TO BE 90% FUNDED BY THE FAA GRANTS.

AND AS PART OF OUR PROGRAM BUDGET FOR THIS PROJECT.

AND SO, YEAH, THE GRANTS WILL SUPPORT $135,209 OF THIS $150 0023304 COST. ANY QUESTIONS, QUESTIONS OR DON.

DONNA, I JUST WANT TO COMPLIMENT YOU ON, I KNOW THESE GRANTS AND ALL THE ACRONYMS, YOU KNOW, AND WHAT EVERYTHING'S CALLED AND EVERYTHING THAT YOU DO BEHIND THE SCENES, BUT YOU'RE PRETTY INSPIRATIONAL ON GETTING THESE GRANTS AND LOOKING FOR NEW GRANTS, AND YOU HAVE A GOOD TEAM THAT YOU WORK WITH.

HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO GO WITH DON, TO WASHINGTON TO TALK TO OUR LEGISLATORS.

AND WHAT DON DOES BEHIND THE SCENES, NO ONE SEES.

BUT THIS IS FEDERAL MONEY. IT IS TAX MONEY, BUT IT.

BUT IT DOES HELP US TO MAINTAIN OUR AIRPORT, TO GROW OUR AIRPORT WITH OUR GROWTH.

AND I JUST APPRECIATE EVERYTHING THAT YOU'RE DOING.

THANK YOU. MAYOR. THAT'S THAT MEANS A LOT. AND YOUR SUPPORT AND THE SUPPORT OF COUNCIL THROUGHOUT THIS PROCESS HAS BEEN.

IT WOULDN'T WE WOULDN'T BE HERE IF IT WEREN'T FOR THAT. SO THANK YOU.

AND IT IS EXCEPTIONAL. THE, THE SMALL AREA LETTER OF INTENT WAS OPEN TO ANYBODY.

AND WE WERE THE ONLY ONES THAT APPLIED BECAUSE OF YOUR DILIGENCE.

AND SO THAT THAT'S AN EXAMPLE TO ME OF HOW DEDICATED YOU ARE TO THE AIRPORT CITY OF ABILENE AND, AND LOOKING OUT FOR THE BEST INTERESTS OF THE TAXPAYERS.

[01:55:02]

AND CUTCHINS AND GRO DID THAT APPLICATION FOR US.

AND SO THEY LIKE I SAID, THEY'VE BEEN INSTRUMENTAL IN THIS PROCESS.

THANK YOU DONNA. ALL RIGHT. 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 21? PLEASE COME FORWARD AND GIVE YOUR NAME FOR THE RECORD. SEEING NO ONE, I WILL CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING.

ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION BY COUNCIL? IF NOT, I'LL ACCEPT A MOTION AND A SECOND. SO MOVED.

HAVE A MOTION BY COUNCILMAN CRAVER. SECOND. SECOND BY COUNCILMAN ESPINOZA.

DISCUSSION. WE'RE READY TO VOTE. ALL YESES. MOTION CARRIES.

MOTION CARRIES. NOW MOVE TO ITEM 22. AND TIM LITTLEJOHN, DIRECTOR OF PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT,

[22. Ordinance (Final Reading) CUP-2026-10: Receive a Report, Hold a Discussion and Public Hearing, and Take Action on a Request from the Owner to Apply a Conditional Use Permit to Allow a Daycare Operation – Center-Based within Multi-Family (MF). Located at 3050 Old Anson Road. (Tim Littlejohn)]

TO PRESENT THIS ITEM. THANK YOU, MAYOR COUNCIL, FOR CONSIDERATION IS CONDITIONAL USE PERMIT 2026-10.

THE OWNER IS ANSON PARK APARTMENTS LLC. THE REQUEST FOR YOU TO CONSIDER IS TO ALLOW A DAYCARE OPERATION CENTER BASED WITHIN MULTIFAMILY, LOCATED AT 3050 OLD ANSON ROAD. HERE'S THE LOCATION MAP.

HERE'S THE CURRENT ZONING. HERE'S THE SUBJECT PROPERTY.

THERE WAS AN ACTIVE DAYCARE OPERATION HERE PREVIOUSLY IN 2019.

IT DID HAVE TO CLOSE BECAUSE OF A FLOOD DUE TO THE FIRE SUPPRESSION SYSTEM.

NOW, THE OWNER OF THE THE APARTMENT COMPLEX WOULD LIKE TO REOPEN THIS.

HERE'S THE PROPOSED USE. 5 A.M. TO 7 P.M. MONDAY THROUGH FRIDAY.

NOTIFICATIONS WERE SENT OUT. WE DIDN'T RECEIVE ANY IN RETURN.

IT MEETS ALL THE CRITERIA FOR APPROVAL WITHIN THE LAND DEVELOPMENT CODE. PNC DID HEAR THIS, AND THEY ARE RECOMMENDING TO YOU APPROVAL SUBJECT TO THE PLAN OF OPERATION.

I'D BE HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS. QUESTIONS FOR TIM.

TIM. 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 AND GIVE YOUR NAME FOR THE RECORD. I THINK NO ONE.

I WILL CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING. IS THERE ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? IF NOT, I'LL ACCEPT A MOTION AND A SECOND. SO MOVED.

HAVE A MOTION BY COUNCILMAN PRICE. SECOND. SECOND BY COUNCILMAN BAILEY.

FURTHER DISCUSSION? WE'RE READY TO VOTE. ALL YESES.

MOTION CARRIES. MOTION CARRIES. WE'LL NOW MOVE TO ITEM 23.

[23. Ordinance (Final Reading) Z-2026-35: Receive a Report, Hold a Discussion and Public Hearing, and Take Action on a Request from the Owner to Change the Zoning of Approximately 24.48 Acres from Agricultural Open (AO) to Multi-Family (MF). Located at the north-east intersection of East Lake Road and Musgrave Boulevard. (Tim Littlejohn)]

AND ONCE AGAIN, TIM LITTLEJOHN WILL PRESENT THIS ITEM. THANK YOU, MAYOR COUNCIL, FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION.

THIS CASE 2026-35. THE OWNER IS HORN RE ABILENE FLAT CREEK BUILDERS IS THE APPLICANT.

THEY'RE WANTING TO CHANGE THE ZONING OF APPROXIMATELY 24.48 ACRES FROM AGRICULTURAL OPEN SPACE TO MULTIFAMILY.

THIS IS LOCATED AT THE CORNER AT THE INTERSECTION OF EAST LAKE ROAD AND MUSGROVE BOULEVARD.

HERE'S THE LOCATION. HERE'S THE CURRENT ZONING.

HERE'S SOME PROPERTY VIEWS. HERE'S THE CURRENT ALLOWABLE USES.

AND THE PROPOSED USE MULTIFAMILY NOTIFICATIONS WERE SENT OUT.

WE DIDN'T RECEIVE ANY IN RETURN. THIS MEETS ALL THE CRITERIA FOR APPROVAL WITHIN THE LAND DEVELOPMENT CODE.

P AND Z DID HEAR THIS CASE. THEY DO RECOMMEND TO YOU APPROVAL.

BE HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS. QUESTIONS FOR TIM.

THANK YOU TIM. 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. SEEING NONE, I'LL CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION.

IF NOT, I'LL ACCEPT THE MOTION IN A SECOND. SO MOVED.

I HAVE A MOTION BY COUNCILMAN ESPINOZA. SECOND.

SECOND BY COUNCILMAN CRAVER. ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION, WE'RE READY TO VOTE.

ALL YESES. MOTION CARRIES. MOTION CARRIES. I'LL MOVE ITEM 24, AND TIM LITTLEJOHN WILL PRESENT THIS ITEM.

[24. Ordinance (Final Reading) Z-2026-37: Receive a Report, Hold a Discussion and Public Hearing, and Take Action on a Request from the Owner to Change the Zoning of Approximately 6.97 Acres from General Retail (GR) to Multi-Family (MF). Located at 2202 Union Lane. (Tim Littlejohn)]

THANK YOU, MAYOR, FOR CONSIDERATION. IS ZONING CASE 2026-37.

THE OWNERS, GARY MUSGRAVE, THE THE APPLICANT IS JACOB MARTIN.

THE REQUEST FOR YOU TO CONSIDER IS TO CHANGE THE ZONING OF APPROXIMATELY 6.97 ACRES TO.

FROM GENERAL RETAIL TO MULTIFAMILY, LOCATED AT THE INTERSECTION OF EAST LAKE ROAD AND UNION LANE.

HERE'S THE LOCATION. HERE'S THE CURRENT ZONING.

HERE'S THE SUBJECT PROPERTY. AS YOU CAN SEE, THERE'S MULTIFAMILY IN THE AREA.

HERE ARE THE ALLOWABLE USES WITHIN GENERAL RETAIL.

AS YOU CAN SEE, MULTIFAMILY IS ALLOWED WITHIN GENERAL RETAIL, BUT IT REQUIRES A CONDITIONAL USE, BUT THE. THE APPLICANT DECIDED TO JUST GO AHEAD AND CLEAN IT UP AND JUST DO A STRAIGHT ZONE.

[02:00:01]

THERE'S ALLOWABLE USES WITHIN MULTIFAMILY. NOTIFICATIONS WERE SENT OUT.

WE DIDN'T RECEIVE ANY IN RETURN. THIS MEETS ALL THE CRITERIA FOR APPROVAL WITHIN THE LAND DEVELOPMENT CODE P AND Z.

DID HEAR THIS CASE. THEY DO RECOMMEND TO YOU APPROVAL THIS MORNING.

I'D BE HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS. QUESTIONS FOR TIM.

THANK YOU TIM. THIS TIME I'LL OPEN UP THE PUBLIC HEARING.

IS THERE ANYONE WHO WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK EITHER FOR OR AGAINST ITEM 24? PLEASE COME FORWARD AND GIVE YOUR NAME FOR THE RECORD. GOOD MORNING.

TAL FILLINGIM, AGENT FOR THE PROPERTY OWNER. THIS OWNER REQUEST IS TO SUPPORT A NEW MULTIFAMILY COMPLEX AT THIS LOCATION.

THE PROJECT'S GOING TO BE MORE AKIN TO A TOWNHOME FACILITY AS COMPARED TO A TRADITIONAL GARDEN STYLE APARTMENT COMPLEX.

BACK WHEN WE REZONE THIS PROPERTY ALMOST 20 YEARS AGO TO GENERAL RETAIL, IT WAS SOMEWHAT SPECULATIVE.

A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT USES WERE CONSIDERED. MULTIFAMILY WAS ONE.

AND AT THE TIME MULTIFAMILY WAS ALLOWED. IT WAS PERMITTED BY RIGHT IN GENERAL RETAIL IN 2019, OF COURSE, THAT WAS REMOVED TO A CONDITIONAL USE.

NOW THAT WE HAVE A VERY SPECIFIC PROJECT FOR MULTIFAMILY WE'VE JUST DECIDED TO GO AHEAD AND CHANGE AS OPPOSED TO COME TO YOU FOR CONDITIONAL USE, SAME PROCESS, SAME TIMELINE. WE JUST WANT TO GO AHEAD AND REZONE THE PROPERTY MULTIFAMILY GIVEN THE ZONING AND LAND USES ADJACENT TO US, MEDIUM DENSITY TO THE NORTH SELF STORAGE TO THE EAST AND MULTIFAMILY TO THE SOUTH.

WE ALSO BELIEVE THIS TO BE AN APPROPRIATE LAND USE AT THIS LOCATION AND ASK FOR YOUR SUPPORT.

I'D BE HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS YOU CAN. THANK YOU.

THANK Y'ALL. STILL IN THE PUBLIC HEARING ON ITEM 24.

WOULD ANYONE ELSE LIKE TO SPEAK? SEEING NONE, I'LL CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING.

ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? IF NOT, I'LL ACCEPT A MOTION IN A SECOND.

MOVE FOR APPROVAL. SECOND, HAVE A MOTION BY COUNCILMAN BEARD.

SECOND BY COUNCILMAN PRICE. DISCUSSION. BOUTTE.

YESES. MOTION CARRIES. MOTION CARRIES. IT IS NOW 10:40 A.M..

[ EXECUTIVE SESSION]

WE RECESS INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION PURSUANT TO THE OPEN MEETINGS ACT, SECTION 551.071 CONSULTATION WITH ATTORNEY.

SECTION FIVE FIVE. 1.072 DELIBERATIONS ABOUT REAL PROPERTY.

SECTION FIVE FIVE. 1.073 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 RIGHT BACK. IT IS NOW 10:50 A.M. WE RECONVENE TO

[ RECONVENE]

OPEN SESSION. NO VOTES OR ACTIONS WERE TAKEN DURING EXECUTIVE SESSION.

WE NOW MOVE TO ITEM 26, WHICH IS THE APPOINTMENT AND REAPPOINTMENT TO VARIOUS BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS.

[26.

Resolution: Receive a Report, Hold a Discussion and Public Hearing, and Take Action on Appointing Members to Various Boards and Commissions per the City Charter (Shawna Atkinson)