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WELL, GO AHEAD AND GET STARTED.
[1. Call to Order, Roll Call, and Establishment of Quorum.]
OH. EXCUSE ME.ALL OF OUR GUESTS OUT THERE TONIGHT.
THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF ANNA WILL MEET ON NINE THREE, 2024, AT 6 P.M.
AND THE ANNA MUNICIPAL COMPLEX COUNCIL CHAMBERS, LOCATED AT 120 WEST SEVENTH STREET, TO CONSIDER THE FOLLOWING ITEMS. WELCOME TO THE CITY COUNCIL MEETING.
FIRST AGENDA ITEM CALLED TO ORDER, ROLL CALL AND ESTABLISH A QUORUM.
FOR THE RECORD, WE DO HAVE A QUORUM.
COUNCIL MEMBERS TOTEN AND CARVER ARE ABSENT THIS EVENING.
NEXT UP, COUNCILMAN BILLS, WOULD YOU MIND DOING OUR INVOCATION AND PLEDGE FOR US, PLEASE, SIR? BOW YOUR HEAD. HEAVENLY FATHER, WE COME BEFORE YOU TONIGHT.
WE WANT TO LIFT OUR PRAYERS UP TO YOU.
WE HAD FOUR INDIVIDUALS THAT LOST THEIR LIVES LAST WEEK.
WE WANT TO LIFT ALL OF THEIR FAMILY MEMBERS UP.
ALL THE FIRE RESCUE POLICE IN THE CITY, STAFF THAT FLEXED TO THAT EVENT.
WE JUST WE HOLD ALL THEM DEAR.
AND WE JUST WANT TO WE JUST WANT TO PRAY FOR THEM TONIGHT, IN THE WEEKS AND MONTHS TO FOLLOW.
LORD, WE JUST ASK THAT YOUR HAND BE ON THIS MEETING TONIGHT AS WE MAKE VERY DIFFICULT DECISIONS.
FOR THE PEOPLE IN AND IN ANNA AND THE SURROUNDING AREA.
AND WE ASK ALL THIS IN JESUS PRECIOUS NAME.
ALL RIGHT. AGENDA ITEM NUMBER THREE.
NEIGHBORS. COMMENTS. CARRIE, DID WE HAVE ANY CARDS? NO, SIR. WE HAVE NO CARDS.
[4. Reports.]
ITEM NUMBER FOUR. REPORTS.RECEIVE REPORTS FROM STAFF OR CITY COUNCIL ABOUT ITEMS OF COMMUNITY INTEREST.
ANYBODY ON THE COUNCIL HAVE ANYTHING? STAFF REPORT AND ROLLING AGENDA.
[5. Work Session.]
ITEM NUMBER FIVE. WORK SESSION ITEM A DISCUSSION ON CREATION OF A TASK FORCE FOR THE UPDATED COMPREHENSIVE PLAN.THANK YOU. MAYOR, MAYOR AND COUNCIL.
I WANTED TO JUST QUICKLY BRING THIS ITEM TO YOUR ATTENTION AND GET SOME FEEDBACK FROM ALL OF YOU.
I DID RECEIVE SOME FEEDBACK FROM COUNCILMAN, TOTEN AND CARVER, AND I'LL SHARE THAT AS WELL.
ON AUGUST 8TH, THE CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE ISSUED A MEMORANDUM REGARDING UPDATES TO THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN AND BASED OFF THE WORK SESSION THAT WE HAD ON JULY 30TH. NEXT STEPS TO REDOING THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN.
PART OF THAT MEMO TALKED ABOUT THE CREATION OF A TASK FORCE BACK IN 2021.
WE HAD A TASK FORCE WHEN WE DID OUR COMPREHENSIVE PLAN.
SO NATURALLY WE THOUGHT WE WOULD DO IT AGAIN, ALBEIT ON A SMALLER SCALE.
I WANTED TO SHARE WITH YOU THAT THEY HAVE ACTUALLY IN THEIR PROPOSAL, THEY HAVE BUILT IN TWO ITEMS. THEY BUILT IN ITEMS FOR COMMUNITY FEEDBACK, STAKEHOLDER INPUT.
THAT WOULD MEAN A COMMUNITY OPEN HOUSE FOR COMMUNITY MEMBERS TO COME IN AND TO PROVIDE FEEDBACK ON THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN SIMILAR TO WHAT WE'VE DONE IN 2021 OR WHAT WE DID IN 2021? WE WOULD ALSO CONDUCT AN ONLINE SURVEY.
AND WE WOULD ALSO MEET WITH SOME STAKEHOLDERS AND RECEIVE SOME INPUT FROM THEM.
WITH THAT AS PART OF THIS PROPOSAL.
I DON'T BELIEVE THAT IT ACTUALLY WOULD BE NECESSARY TO HAVE A TASK FORCE.
AND MY RECOMMENDATION TONIGHT IS THAT WHEN WE BRING THE PROPOSAL THAT WE REMOVE THE NECESSITY OF A TASK FORCE AS PART OF THAT AND JUST HAVE THIS COUNCIL WORK WITH THE P AND Z BOARD IN JOINT WORK SESSIONS, WHICH IS BUILT INTO THE PROPOSAL TO MEET AND TO GO OVER THE RESULTS OF WHAT THE STAKEHOLDERS AND WHAT THE COMMUNITY PROVIDED, ALONG WITH WHAT STAFF IS PROVIDING.
SO YOU WOULD ELIMINATE THE TASK FORCE.
I THINK IT WOULD OSTENSIBLY SPEED UP THE PROCESS, ALSO REDUCE THE AMOUNT THAT WE'D BE PAYING.
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ON IT TO REALLY WORK TOGETHER AND TO GET THIS TO WHERE YOU WANT IT TO BE.COUNCILMAN CARVER SEEMED TO INDICATE THAT HE WAS FINE WITH NOT USING A TASK FORCE, BUT HE DID WANT CURRENT STAKEHOLDERS INVOLVED IN SOME WAY IN THIS PROCESS, WHICH I THINK THAT THAT PART OF THE PROPOSAL WOULD ALLOW FOR.
SO AND THE REASON WHY I'M JUST WANTING TO GET DIRECTION ON THIS IS WE ARE ANTICIPATING BRINGING THIS PROPOSAL TO COUNCIL NEXT WEEK AS PART OF THE COUNCIL MEETING. SO WE JUST WANT TO BUTTON THIS UP AND GET IT READY FOR APPROVAL.
THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MR. HENDERSON. COUNCIL, ANYBODY HAVE ANYTHING THEY'D LIKE TO SAY? NO. IT SOUNDS LIKE A REALLY GOOD IDEA.
WELL THOUGHT OUT. AND IT SOLVES SOME OF THE MISTAKES I THINK WE MADE THE FIRST TIME.
SO YEAH I'M ON BOARD WITH THAT AS WELL.
SO KIMLEY-HORN WHAT IS THEIR WHAT'S THEIR BACKGROUND? KIMLEY-HORN THEY'RE A CONSULTANT CONTRACTOR.
THEY DO A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT TYPES OF WORK ENGINEERING SERVICES, BUT THEY ALSO DO THIS TYPE OF WORK COMP, COMPREHENSIVE PLANNING UPDATES, COMP, COMPREHENSIVE PLANNING CREATION.
THEY WORK WITH CITIES THROUGHOUT THE METROPLEX.
THEY WORK WITH US BACK IN 2021.
SO WE'RE QUITE FAMILIAR WITH THEM AND FELT THAT BRINGING THEM IN WOULD BE ABLE TO STREAMLINE THIS AND MOVE THIS QUICKLY BECAUSE THEY HAVE FAMILIARITY WITH OUR COMPREHENSIVE PLAN. OKAY.
THE ONLY QUESTION THAT I WOULD ASK, IS THERE A WAY.
RIGHT. I FEEL LIKE WE'RE KIND OF AT THAT TIPPING POINT WHERE WE'RE AT, LIKE THE 30 SOMETHING THOUSAND, AND I REALLY FEEL LIKE WE'RE GOING TO GO FROM THE 30 SOMETHING TO THE 50 SOMETHING, AND WE'RE GOING TO DO IT VERY QUICKLY.
I MEAN, JUST WHEN THE APARTMENTS GET DONE RIGHT.
AND LET'S SAY THAT THEY'RE FILLED UP AT A 60% CAPACITY, I THINK WILL BE FAIRLY.
AND WHEN I SAY 50, I'M TALKING ABOUT THE WHOLE ETJ AND EVERYTHING.
I'M NOT TALKING ABOUT JUST THE CITY.
SO IS THERE A WAY THAT WE CAN GET SOMEONE THAT WOULD BE ABLE TO PROVIDE SOME SORT OF FEEDBACK? AND MAYBE IT'S SOMEONE OUTSIDE OF KIMLEY-HORN, OR MAYBE IT'S KIMBERLY HORN.
I DON'T KNOW. THAT WOULD GIVE US FEEDBACK ON WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE TO GO FROM THAT 40 TO 50 TO 60.
AND WE'RE SAYING THAT, YOU KNOW, PROPERTY ALONG 121 SHOULD BE LIKE AGRICULTURE.
YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN? UNDERSTOOD.
BUT THEY HAVE THE PROJECT BROKEN INTO DIFFERENT PHASES WITH DIFFERENT TASKS.
ONE OF THOSE PHASES IS DATA COLLECTION ANALYSIS, STRATEGIC DIRECTION.
SO ALL OF THAT MEANS THAT THEY WILL BE MAPPING OUT THAT AND PROJECTING NUMBERS.
AND THEN THAT'LL ALL GO INTO THIS PROCESS.
SO OKAY THEN IN THAT CASE, I'M GOOD TO GO WITH WHAT YOU'VE SAID AS FAR AS, LIKE ELIMINATING TASK FORCE STAKEHOLDERS AND THEN IT JUST BEING US AND THE P&Z, AND I'M SORRY I SAID THEIR NAME WRONG.
ANYBODY ELSE? ALL RIGHT. WE'LL MOVE ON TO AGENDA ITEM NUMBER SIX.
[6. Items For Individual Consideration.]
ITEMS FOR INDIVIDUAL CONSIDERATION.CONDUCT A PUBLIC HEARING ON THE PROPOSED FISCAL YEAR 2025 BUDGET.
GOOD EVENING. I AM TERRY DOBIE, THE BUDGET MANAGER.
WE HAVE TO HAVE A PUBLIC HEARING.
ACCORDING TO TEXAS LOCAL GOVERNMENT CODE 102.006 THAT WE HAVE THE PROPOSED BUDGET, HAVE A PUBLIC HEARING NO SOONER THAN THE 15TH DAY AFTER THE PROPOSED BUDGET IS FILED, BUT BEFORE THE DATE OF THE TAX LEVY, AS WE INTRODUCED TO YOU WHEN WE PROPOSED THE BUDGET. THIS IS OUR THEME TURNING VISIONS INTO REALITY.
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DIFFERENT TYPES OF BUSINESSES AND ACTUALLY DO THEM WITH DIFFERENT TYPES OF ACCOUNTING.THE GENERAL FUND IS OUR MAIN FUND.
IT'S WHAT YOU THINK OF PROVIDES ALL OF YOUR LOCAL OR YOUR CORE GOVERNMENT SERVICES.
AND OUR SECOND LARGEST REVENUE SOURCE IS SALES TAX.
AND WE HAVE A BALANCED BUDGET HERE IN LOCAL GOVERNMENT.
WE DON'T HAVE THE ABILITY TO PRINT MONEY, SO OUR EXPENSES ARE BUDGETED AT 26.2 MILLION.
AND AND AS I SAID, A FOCUS ON RECRUITMENT AND RETENTION.
ALSO IN OUR BUDGET WE HAVE OUR UTILITY FUND.
HOWEVER MUCH WATER YOU USE, HOWEVER MUCH YOU MAKE, GO AWAY.
THAT'S THAT'S HOW WE WE CHARGE THE UTILITY FUND.
WE HAVE A UTILITY FUND OF 26.6 MILLION.
THE BIGGEST SOURCE IS GOING TO BE FOR WATER.
THEN COMES WASTEWATER AND SOLID WASTE.
AND ONCE AGAIN, OUR PROPOSED EXPENSES ARE BALANCED TO THAT AT 26.6 MILLION.
IT'S NOT OUR INTENT TO MAKE A PROFIT WITH OUR UTILITY FUND.
WE'RE ALSO WE ALSO HAVE A VERY ROBUST CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM BEHIND US.
YOU CAN SEE UNDER CONSTRUCTION A $22 MILLION LIBRARY WITH A $3.5 MILLION MUNICIPAL COMPLEX ATTACHED.
WE'RE ALSO INVESTING IN OUR INFRASTRUCTURE, $65 MILLION FOR THE HURRICANE CREEK WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANT, $12 MILLION FOR AN INTERCEPTOR LINE TO HELP US FULLY UTILIZE THE HURRICANE CREEK WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANT, AND ALSO INCREASING OUR WATER STORAGE CAPACITY. WE ARE ADDING TWO NEW POLICE OFFICERS, A POLICE RECORDS CLERK, A WARRANT OFFICER, PART TIME, A COMMUNICATIONS COORDINATOR, TWO PARKS MAINTENANCE WORKERS AND FOUR FULL TIME EQUIVALENTS FOR THE LIBRARY TO GET IT OPENED AND OPERATING.
WE'RE ALSO INVESTING IN AS MUCH TECHNOLOGY AS WE CAN FOR WELLNESS PROGRAM FOR POLICE SOFTWARE, TOOLS FOR HUMAN RESOURCES, INFOTECH AND FINANCE, AND ALL TERRAIN VEHICLE FOR EMS AND FIRE RESCUE.
AND WE'RE GOING TO ADD SOME ADDITIONAL EQUIPMENT FOR PUBLIC WORKS TO HELP THEM BE MORE EFFICIENT.
AND WITH THAT, I CAN ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS YOU MAY HAVE.
BEFORE WE OPEN THE PUBLIC HEARING.
COUNCIL, I'LL GO BACK TO THAT.
POINT FIVE FOR A WARRANT OFFICER.
IS THAT FOR THE POLICE DEPARTMENT? HE WILL WORK FOR THE MUNICIPAL COURT DEPARTMENT.
BE IN HERE DURING COURT SESSIONS, WHICH OBVIOUSLY ONLY HAPPEN, I THINK, TWICE A MONTH.
YEAH. COUNCILMAN. SO THAT WILL ACTUALLY REPORT OUT OF THE FINANCE DEPARTMENT.
WHERE OUR WHERE OUR COURT CLERKS REPORT OUT OF.
AND THE IDEA BEHIND THIS IS THAT WE HAVE TO HOLD BACK DURING COURT.
WE HAVE TO HOLD BACK AN OFFICER THAT WOULD NORMALLY BE OUT ON PATROL.
SO THIS FREES THAT OFFICER UP TO GO BACK ON PATROL.
AND AGAIN, IT WOULD JUST BE A PART-TIME JOB.
WOULD THAT BE LIKE AN LLC? THAT WOULD BE DOING THAT AS A PART TIME EXTRA SHIFT OR SOMETHING LIKED IT OR.
MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT USUALLY IT'S A RETIRED OFFICER THAT JUST WANTS TO PICK UP SOME HOURS, SOME WORK, AND THAT'S GENERALLY WHO GETS HIRED FOR THAT POSITION. THANK YOU.
ANYBODY ELSE? ALL RIGHT. THEN I'M GOING TO GO AHEAD AND OPEN UP THE PUBLIC HEARING AT 6:15 P.M.
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WE DON'T HAVE ANY SPEAKER CARDS FOR THIS EITHER.SO, I GUESS I'LL CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING AT 6:15 P.M.
OUR NEXT ITEM IS TO HAVE A PUBLIC HEARING ON THE TAX RATE.
OUR LARGEST REVENUE SOURCE IS PROPERTY TAX AND THE TEXAS PROPERTY TAX CODE.
CHAPTER 26.05 REQUIRES THAT THE GOVERNING BODY OF A TAXING UNIT MAY NOT ADOPT A TAX RATE THAT EXCEEDS THE VOTER APPROVAL RATE UNTIL THE GOVERNING BODY HAS HELD A PUBLIC HEARING ON THE PROPOSED TAX RATE.
OUR PROPOSED TAX RATE THIS YEAR IS 0.50720.
THAT IS EQUAL TO WHAT IS KNOWN AS THE DE MINIMIS RATE.
THE DE MINIMIS RATE IS AN EXCEPTION IN THE PROPERTY TAX CODE FOR CITIES UNDER 30,000, ESPECIALLY THOSE THAT ARE FAST GROWING LIKE WE ARE, AND TO HELP US ACCOMMODATE BIG PURCHASES THAT MAY NOT FIT WITHIN THE CURRENT RULES FOR THE NO NEW REVENUE TAX RATE OR THE VOTER APPROVAL RATE.
AS YOU CAN SEE UP THERE, WE I DO HAVE BOTH OF THOSE RATES UP THERE.
THEY ARE REQUIRED BY THE STATE TO BE CALCULATED.
OUR PROPERTY TAX RATE, AS I SAID, IS SPLIT BETWEEN THE O&M AT ABOUT $0.15 AND OR, EXCUSE ME, THE O&M AT $0.36 AND THE DEBT SERVICE RATE AT $0.15.
IF YOU COMPARE WHAT'S THE MATH FOR PROPERTY TAX DOESN'T IS NOT ALWAYS INTUITIVE.
I WILL JUST SAY THAT IT'S NOT AS STRAIGHTFORWARD AS YOU WOULD THINK IT SHOULD BE.
BUT HERE'S A COMPARISON THAT SHOWS THE IMPACT ON THE AVERAGE HOMEOWNER OF WHAT OUR THIS YEAR'S PROPERTY TAX RATE WILL LIKELY MEAN ON THEIR CITY TAX BILL.
IN FY 24, THE AVERAGE HOME VALUE WAS $378,000.
THIS YEAR, IT'S DROPPED A LITTLE BIT.
BUT THE TAXABLE VALUE, MOST LIKELY BECAUSE OF THE 10% APPRAISAL CAP, HAS ACTUALLY GONE UP, EVEN THOUGH THE MARKET VALUE HAS GONE DOWN FOR THE AVERAGE HOMEOWNER.
LAST YEAR'S TAX RATE WAS $0.51 WITH A 0.0717.
THIS YEAR'S TAX RATE IS $0.50 0.72, WHICH IS A DECREASE.
BUT BECAUSE THE TAXABLE VALUE IS A LITTLE HIGHER ON THE AVERAGE HOME, THE TAX BILL FOR YOUR AVERAGE HOMEOWNER IS ABOUT $140 MORE FOR CITY TAXES ONLY.
I DON'T SPEAK TO SCHOOL DISTRICT TAXES OR ANY OF THE OTHER ITEMS THAT WILL BE ON YOUR TAX BILL.
AND OF COURSE, NO ONE IS AVERAGE, RIGHT? EVERYONE IS GOING TO HAVE A DIFFERENT SITUATION.
AND WITH THAT, I WILL ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS, ANYTHING.
I'LL OPEN UP A PUBLIC HEARING AT 6:18 P.M.
ANY SPEAKER CARDS ON THIS ONE? NO SPEAKER CARDS ON THIS ONE.
ANYBODY WANT TO SAY ANYTHING? LAST CALL.
I WILL CLOSE THIS PUBLIC HEARING AT 6:18 P.M.
ALL RIGHT. WAS THERE ANY ACTION? WE DON'T DO ANY ACTION ON THAT TONIGHT.
I DON'T HAVE ANYTHING FOR CLOSED SESSION, SO UNLESS ANYBODY ELSE HAVE ANYTHING.
AND SEEING NO OBJECTION, WE'RE ADJOURNED.
* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.