[00:00:02]
>> GOOD EVENING, FLOWER MOUND.
[CALL TO ORDER]
THE TIME IS NOW SIX O'CLOCK, AND I CALL OUR MEETING TO ORDER.[NOISE] PLEASE RISE FOR THE INVOCATION AND PLEDGES.
GOOD EVENING, HEAVENLY FATHER.
WE COME TO YOU AS A COMMUNITY.
WE COME TO YOU AS STAFF THANKING YOU FOR ALL THE OPPORTUNITIES, AND ALL THE WONDERFUL EVENTS WE WILL ABLE TO ATTEND LAST WEEK.
HEAVENLY FATHER, AS WE GO ABOUT OUR WORK SESSION MEETING TONIGHT, AS WE THINK ABOUT THE MONEY FROM THE TOWN, THE TAXPAYER MONEY, AND HOW WE'RE GOING TO SPEND IT.
LET US HAVE THE INTERESTS OF OUR RESIDENTS AT HEART, AND LET US GO FORTH AND DO THE RIGHT THING.
WE SAY THESE THINGS IN THE NAME OF THE SON JESUS CHRIST, AMEN.
>> THANK YOU. YOU MAY BE SEATED. [NOISE] WE WILL BE MOVING ON TO PUBLIC COMMENT.
[D. PUBLIC COMMENT]
I HAVE ONE COMMENT CARD FROM MR. JOE BERNARD.MR. BERNARD AS YOU'RE MAKING YOUR WAY UP TO THE PODIUM TONIGHT.
I HAVE A NOTE THAT MATT HIRST WOULD LIKE TO DONATE HIS MINUTES. THANK YOU, MATT.
MAKE SURE YOU PLEASE FILL OUT A COMMENT CARD AND PUT THAT YOU WANTED TO DONATE YOUR TIME SO THAT WE HAVE IT FOR THE RECORD.
PLEASE REMEMBER TO STATE YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS, AND YOU WILL HAVE SIX MINUTES.
>> JOE BERNARD, 10605 SUNRISE CIRCLE, FLOWER MOUND, TEXAS 76226.
I STAND IN FRONT OF YOU TONIGHT, TOWN COUNCIL.
AGAIN, RAISING CONCERNS OVER THE ONGOING WASTEWATER ISSUES WITHIN MY COMMUNITY.
IT HAS COME TO MY ATTENTION, THAT THE TOWN HAS DECIDED TO USE THE WORDS STATEMENT OF FACT, AFTER OUR COMMUNITY MEMBERS STATE WHAT THEY BELIEVE TO BE TRUE, WHAT ACTUALLY IS TRUE.
FURTHERMORE, THAT IS DIRECTED AT TOWN STAFF, AND TOWN STAFF HAS RESPONDED WITH FALSE STATEMENTS.
WE HAVE SENT EMAILS IN, YOU HAVE SEEN THEM YET.
A STATEMENT OF FACT, WE STAND ON THESE WORDS.
STATING FACTUAL THINGS WHENEVER LIES ARE TOLD TO OUR COMMUNITY, IT ONLY SERVES MORE DISTRUST.
JUNE 7TH, 1999 ABOUT 24 FLOWER MOUND TOWN MEETING.
JOHN TODD, 5600 WICHITA TRAIL, FLOWER MOUND.
MR. TODD STATES THAT THE ANNEXATION INCLUDES PART OF HIGHWAY 377 IN THE TOWN, WOULD INHERIT A DRUG PROBLEM AND SEWER PROBLEMS. HE ENCOURAGED THE TOWN COUNCIL TO INVESTIGATE THIS BEFORE ANNEXATION PROCEEDINGS WERE COMPLETED.
TOWN MANAGER JAMES RESPONDED, THAT THE ANNEXATION DID INCLUDE A PORTION OF THE MOBILE HOME PARK ON THE WEST SIDE OF 377, THAT IS THE MOBILE HOME PARK IN WHICH WE SPEAK OF TODAY. IT'S THE SAME ONE.
IT HASN'T GONE ANYWHERE. IT'S BEEN IN THE SAME PLACE SINCE 1999.
COUNCIL MEMBER HAWTHORNE ASKED FOR A BRIEF DESCRIPTION, OF WHAT WAS GOING ON IN THE MOBILE HOME PARK.
LARRY PARDON OUR GAL POLICE CHIEF.
CHIEF PARDON STATED THERE WAS A HIGH CAUSE FOR CONCERN IN THE AREA, AND HIS OFFICERS ARE AWARE OF WHAT IS GOING ON.
HE ALSO NOTED THAT THERE WERE VERY SERIOUS WASTEWATER PROBLEMS, THIS IS 1999.
THE TOWN OF FLOWER MOUND AND OUR STAFF, AND OUR COUNCIL MEMBERS HAVE BEEN AWARE OF WASTEWATER ISSUES IN THIS COMMUNITY SINCE 1999.
[NOISE] IN 2010, THE WATER FOR THIS COMMUNITY TESTED POSITIVE FOR TOTAL COLIFORM AS YOU CAN SEE.
IN 2011, IT TESTED POSITIVE FOR TOTAL COLIFORM AGAIN.
IN 2011, IT TESTED POSITIVE FOR TOTAL COLIFORM ONE MORE TIME.
IN 2014, IT TESTED POSITIVE FOR TOTAL COLIFORM AGAIN.
IN 2020, IT TESTED AGAIN POSITIVE FOR TOTAL COLIFORM.
IN 2020 FINALLY, IT TESTED POSITIVE FOR BOTH E. COLI AND TOTAL COLIFORM.
THE TOWN IS KNOWN OF THESE ISSUES SINCE 1999.
NOT ONLY TOWN COUNCIL MEMBERS AS STATED, COUNCIL MEMBER HAWTHORNE ASKING QUESTIONS, BUT TALENT STAFF AS WELL.
NOTHING HAS BEEN DONE IN 2004 DOLLARS WERE ALLOCATED BY CBDG, THEY WERE PULLED.
YOU PUT IN A ROADWAY BEFORE YOU PUT IN SEWAGE INFRASTRUCTURE, THAT IS ILLOGICAL.
SEWAGE INFRASTRUCTURE COSTS BELOW A ROADWAY.
WHY WOULD YOU DO THIS? WHY WOULD THAT HAPPEN? WHY? WE ARE HERE ASKING WHY?
[00:05:04]
2013, IT OCCURS AGAIN.YOU'VE ALREADY SEEN IT. I'VE SENT IT TO YOU NUMEROUS TIMES.
ONE OF THE GOALS FOR THE 2013 AGENDA IS TO PROVIDE ADEQUATE INFRASTRUCTURE, WATER, SEWAGE, STREETS, YET WE DON'T HAVE ADEQUATE INFRASTRUCTURE THAT'S PROVEN.
YOUR GOAL STATE THAT WE DESERVE IT.
YOU SHOULD HAVE IT, YET WE DON'T HAVE IT.
YOU'VE KNOWN THERE'S A PROBLEM SINCE 1999, WE WERE ANNEXED IN 24 YEARS AGO.
YOU CANNOT TREAT PEOPLE THIS WAY.
I STAND BEFORE YOU AGAIN WITH MY MAP.
THE BLUE DOT ON HERE REPRESENTS WHERE THESE PEOPLE GET THEIR WATER.
AND THE ORANGE RECTANGLES REPRESENT SEPTIC SYSTEM FAILURES, DOCUMENTED BY THE TOWN STAFF SINCE 2021.
WE'RE NOT TALKING SINCE 1999, WE'RE [NOISE] TALKING SINCE 2021 ONE OF THESE CONTINUES TO BE OPEN.
IT HAS BEEN OPEN NOW FOR OVER A YEAR, AND TOWN STAFF NOW STATES TO TCEQ.
THEY ARE GOING TO PLACE A LIEN ON THE PEOPLE'S PROPERTY POTENTIALLY TO FIX THE ISSUE.
THAT IS A BAND-AID THAT WILL NOT FIX THE ISSUE, OUR ISSUES RUN MUCH DEEPER.
YOU ARE THE PEOPLE THAT HAVE THE POWER TO FIX THEM.
I DON'T STAND HERE TO SCARE PEOPLE.
I DON'T STAND HERE TO SAY THAT THERE'S WATER, SEWAGE, AND OUR WATER TODAY.
I STAND HERE BECAUSE I'VE DUG DEEP INTO THIS ISSUE, AND I HAVE FIGURED OUT THAT THERE IS A PROBLEM, AND THERE HAS BEEN A PROBLEM, AND THERE WILL CONTINUE TO BE A PROBLEM UNTIL THIS IS HANDLED.
THE LAST TIME WE WERE HERE WAS FEBRUARY.
IT TOOK SIX MONTHS TO GET A NEIGHBORHOOD MEETING.
SIX MONTHS GUYS, WE DON'T HAVE ANOTHER SIX MONTHS.
I STAND HERE TONIGHT BECAUSE WE NEED ANOTHER NEIGHBORHOOD MEETING, AND WE NEED YOU THERE.
[NOISE] PLEASE DO WHAT IT TAKES TO HELP MY COMMUNITY.
THESE PEOPLE DON'T HAVE $37,000, TO CONNECT INTO SEWARD.
THESE PEOPLE DON'T HAVE $37 TO PAY FOR NETFLIX. THANK YOU.
>> THANK YOU, MR. BERNARD. TERESA, DO WE HAVE ANY MORE GREEN COMMENT CARDS? IS THERE ANYONE ELSE IN THE AUDIENCE THAT WISHES TO SPEAK DURING PUBLIC COMMENT? PLEASE STAND UP OR RAISE YOUR HAND.
SEEING AND HEARING NONE, WE'LL BE MOVING ON. [NOISE] WE'RE MOVING ON TO ITEM E1, WE'RE GOING TO BE HAVING A DISCUSSION AND PROVIDING DIRECTION REGARDING OUR 2023/2024 PROPOSED BUDGET.
WE HAVE ALL SORTS OF STAFF, THEY DON'T HAVE INDIVIDUAL MICROPHONES WHICH IS DISAPPOINTING, BECAUSE I WANTED EVERYBODY TO SPEND A FEW MINUTES INTRODUCING THEMSELVES, TALKING ABOUT THE TOWN.
JULIE, I'M JUST KIDDING, YOU'RE LOOKING REALLY WORRIED.
[LAUGHTER] BUT ANYWAY, SO WE'RE GOING TO KICK IT OVER TO JAMES, WE'RE GOING TO HAVE A DISCUSSION.
[E. WORK SESSION ITEM]
AS EVERYBODY KNOWS, THIS IS A WORK SESSION, SO WE'RE GOING TO RUN IT A LITTLE LOOSEY-GOOSEY, I WANT TO HAVE A CONVERSATION.THIS IS REALLY IMPORTANT THAT WE, ESPECIALLY ME, UNDERSTAND ALL THE FIGURES AND THE BUDGET AND EVERYTHING.
JAMES, I'LL TURN IT OVER TO YOU TO KICK IT OFF, AND THEN WE'RE LOOKING FORWARD TO, I'M SURE, HEARING FROM THE FINANCIAL STAFF.
>> THANK YOU, MAYOR, AND GOOD EVENING TO YOU AND THE REST OF THE TOWN COUNCIL.
[NOISE] EXCUSE ME. WE HAVE A LOT OF IMPORTANT MEETINGS DURING THE COURSE OF THE YEAR.
YOU CAN MAKE THE ARGUMENT, THIS IS PROBABLY THE MOST IMPORTANT BEING THAT WE HAVE, BECAUSE IT'S TALKING ABOUT OUR UPCOMING FISCAL YEAR BUDGET.
I THINK IT'S ALWAYS IMPORTANT BECAUSE YOU HAVE NEW PEOPLE WHO ARE INTRODUCED TO THIS PROCESS AND LEARNING ABOUT IT, AND THE BEST WAY TO DESCRIBE IT IS THAT ON JULY 30TH, THE PROPOSED BUDGET WAS PUT OUT THERE FOR THE PUBLIC AND FOR YOU THE COUNCIL TO TAKE A LOOK AT.
THAT'S MY BUDGET AS TOWN MANAGER, I PUT THAT TOGETHER BASED UPON THE PRIORITIES THAT YOU PROVIDED ME, WORKING WITH OUR GREAT STAFF AND FIGURING OUT WHAT THEIR PRIORITIES ARE, AND I BELIEVE THAT WHAT YOU HAVE BEFORE YOU IS THAT'S PUTTING OUR BEST FOOT FORWARD.
BROADLY, THE BUDGET IS NOT JUST ABOUT FIGURES, YES, IT HAS COMMAS, DOLLAR SIGNS, DECIMAL POINTS IN IT, BUT IT'S ALSO A POLICY DOCUMENT.
YOU SHOULD BE ABLE TO PICK UP YOUR BUDGET AND FIGURE OUT WHAT OUR PRIORITIES ARE, WHERE WE'RE TRYING TO GO AS A COMMUNITY, SO IT'S A VERY IMPORTANT DOCUMENT.
BUT THE IMPORTANT PART OF THIS PROCESS IS, IS THAT STARTING TONIGHT, WE TURN THAT PROPOSED BUDGET OVER TO YOU, AND THEN YOU START TWEAKING IT AND THEN MAKING IT YOUR BUDGET, THE ADOPTED BUDGET WHICH WE WILL UTILIZE GOING INTO NEXT FISCAL YEAR.
[00:10:01]
WHAT I WANTED TO DO BEFORE I TURN IT OVER TO STAFF IS JUST TALK ABOUT SOME OF THOSE CORE PRIORITIES THAT YOU PROVIDED US AS A STAFF.BACK ON MARCH THE 30TH, WE HAD A BUDGET WORK SESSION WHERE WE STARTED TO PUT SOME OF THESE BIG ROCK ISSUES IN FRONT OF YOU TO CONSIDER AS WE PUT THIS BUDGET TOGETHER, AND DURING THE COURSE OF THAT CONVERSATION TOWARDS THE END, YOU GAVE US SOME OF YOUR PRIORITIES THAT YOU WANT US TO LOOK INTO IN PUTTING A BUDGET TOGETHER.
THERE WAS A WIDE RANGE OF PARTIES THAT WERE THERE, SOME THAT ARE VERY SPECIFIC AND WE'RE CERTAINLY WORKING ON THOSE, BUT THERE WERE PRINCIPALLY THREE CORE PRIORITIES THAT YOU PROVIDED US AND I WANTED TO SHARE THOSE WITH YOU, AND JUST A REFRESHER FOR THE COMMUNITY THAT'S WATCHING.
THE FIRST OF WHICH IS THAT, PUT IN A PRIORITY ON STAFF, MAKING SURE THAT WE'RE ABLE TO RECRUIT THE BEST EMPLOYEES, BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY, WE'RE ABLE TO RETAIN THE GREAT EMPLOYEES THAT WE HAVE ON HAND.
YOU-ALL STARTED THAT PROCESS BY APPROVING THE CLASS AND COMP STUDY LAST YEAR FOR US.
THAT WAS THE CATALYST TO GETTING US IN A BETTER MARKET POSITION, THE RESULTS OF THAT STUDY INDICATED THAT 60% OF OUR ORGANIZATIONS WAS OUT OF MARKET, AND THERE WAS A BIG PRICE TAG ASSOCIATED WITH THAT, $2.5 MILLION.
WE APPRECIATE YOUR WILLINGNESS TO ALLOW US TO FUND IT THIS CURRENT FISCAL YEAR AND THAT'S PUT A JUMP ON US AND THAT'S PUTTING US IN A GOOD POSITION.
BUT IT'S IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT THAT 2.5 MILLION ACROSS ALL OUR FUNDS IS REFLECTED IN THIS PROPOSED BUDGET AS BEFORE YOU HERE TODAY, SO THAT'S A BIG LOOK THAT YOU CHECK THAT OFF IS THAT WE MADE SOME STRIVES TO MAKING SURE THAT WE'RE TAKING CARE OF OUR STAFF.
THE NEXT ONE IS FOCUSED ON THE CORE SERVICES THAT WE PROVIDE, THE MAIN THING BEING THE MAIN THING.
WE PROVIDE A WHOLE GAMUT OF SERVICES AS A MUNICIPALITY, BUT PRINCIPALLY, WE CAN ALL AGREE THE CORE SERVICES THAT WE PROVIDE IS PUBLIC SAFETY AND INFRASTRUCTURE.
IN THIS BUDGET, WE DO PUT THOSE RESOURCES BEHIND THOSE, PARTICULARLY YOU LOOK AT OUR POLICE DEPARTMENT, WE HAVE FOUR POSITIONS FOR POLICE RANGING FROM SROS TO KENNEL TECHS AND THINGS OF THAT NATURE.
IN OUR FIRE DEPARTMENT, WE ARE TAKING OUR QUARTERMASTER UP TO A FULL-TIME EMPLOYEE TO BETTER SUPPORT THAT GROUP AND PUTTING SOME RESOURCES BEHIND.
NOT ONLY SUPPRESSION OR TREATING FIRES, BUT ALSO ON THE PREVENTION AND ON THE FRONT END.
ADDITIONALLY, ON THE INFRASTRUCTURE SIDE, WE'RE PUTTING DOLLARS AGAIN FOR STREET MAINTENANCE, ADDITIONAL $200,000.
LAST MONTH AT OUR WORK SESSION, YOU'VE HEARD FROM CLAY HOW IT'S IMPORTANT AND WE'RE GETTING AT A CRITICAL JUNCTURE WHERE OUR INFRASTRUCTURE TO STAY ON TOP OF THAT IN ADDITION TO OTHER RESOURCES LIKE A CEMENT MIXER AND THINGS THAT HAVE PUT US IN A BETTER POSITION TO MAINTAIN AND EXTEND THE LIFE OF OUR ROADS.
ALSO ON THE PARKS AND REC SIDE, WE'VE DONE A GREAT JOB, HISTORICALLY, OF USING OUR 4B FUNDS TO REFRESH OUR PLAYGROUNDS, AND OUR PARKS, AND OUR TRAILS AND THINGS OF THAT NATURE AND THIS BUDGET KEEPS THAT GOING, SO YOU CHECK THAT OFF.
LAST BUT CERTAINLY NOT THE LEAST, AND IT'S PROBABLY THE MOST IMPORTANT FOR YOU ALL AS A COUNCIL AND ALSO OUR RESIDENTS IS LOOKING FOR AN OPPORTUNITY TO LOWER THE TAX RATE.
AS WE GO INTO LAST YEAR, OUR TAX RATE WAS 40.5 CENTS PER 100 EVALUATION, THE BUDGET BEFORE YOU HERE TODAY IS AT 38.7 CENTS PER 100.
THAT'S ALMOST A TWO CENTS LOWERING AT A TAX RATE, BUT THE IMPORTANT THING FOR CONTEXTS, AND I'VE SHARED THIS WITH SOME OF MY COUNTERPARTS AND THEY WERE BLOWN AWAY, IN OTHER CITIES IS THAT THAT'S ALSO A CONJUNCTION WITH A RAISING OF OUR HOMESTEAD EXEMPTION 10 TO 12.5%, AND ALSO OUR SENIOR AND DISABLED EXEMPTION UP TO $150,000.
WE WERE ABLE TO ACCOMPLISH ALL OF THIS, AND THAT'S WHY I'M VERY PROUD OF THE BUDGET THAT WE PUT TOGETHER HERE TODAY.
BUT WITH THAT BEING SAID, THIS IS YOUR OPPORTUNITY TO ASK YOUR QUESTIONS, MAKE THE TWEAKS AS YOU SEE FIT.
I THINK WE HAVE A GOOD PRESENTATION, THEY'RE GOING TO WALK YOU THROUGH EVERYTHING.
THE LAST THING I DO WANT TO SAY AND I WANT TO POINT OUT, WE CAN CERTAINLY TALK ABOUT IN A GREATER DETAIL, IS THAT ONE OF THE THINGS THAT THIS BUDGET HAS IS IT CONTINUED US HAVING A VERY HEALTHY GENERAL FUND BALANCE IN THERE.
IT WASN'T A LACK OF EFFORT FROM YOUR TOWN MANAGER AS YOU SAW ON APPROVED, WE USED OUR FUND BALANCE TO TAKE CARE OF SOME CRITICAL NEEDS, POLICE, AND FIRE RADIOS, SCBAS, WE ACQUIRED LAND FOR FIRE STATION, SO WE ACTIVELY WORK TOWARDS STRATEGICALLY USING THOSE FUNDS.
AS WE GO INTO OUR NEXT FISCAL YEAR, WE RECOGNIZE THAT WE WANT TO CONTINUE TO LEVERAGE THOSE FUNDS AND WE'VE IDENTIFIED SOME THINGS THAT WE CAN USE THOSE FUNDS FOR, BUT IT DOES STICK OUT AND I JUST WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT RIGHT OFF THE BAT, AND WE CAN CERTAINLY GO INTO THAT IN A GREATER DETAIL IF YOU CHOOSE TO DO SO.
I WANT TO JUST THANK OUR FINANCIAL SERVICES STAFF ACROSS THE BOARD, OUR CFO TAMMY WILSON, OUR BUDGET DIRECTOR KAY WILKINSON, FOR THEIR WORK WITH THIS, OUR DIRECTORS WHO HAD DONE A GOOD JOB, AND SO JUST WANTED TO SET THE TABLE WITH THAT.
WITH THAT, I'M GOING TO TURN IT OVER TO THE VERY CAPABLE KAY WILKINSON TO WALK YOU THROUGH OUR PRESENTATION.
>> JAMES, DID MR. WATSON AND MR. JENNINGS HAVE A MEETING WHERE THEY GOT IN TROUBLE EARLIER THEY'RE SITTING IN THE BACK, OR ARE THEY IN TIMEOUT?
>> I DID NOT SEE THE SEATS, MAYOR. I GUESS
[00:15:02]
IT'S LIKE TO REASSURE, THEY'RE JUST SITTING IN THE BACK.>> SOMEBODY'S GOT TO SIT IN THE BACK, I GUESS. GOOD EVENING, KAY.
>> GOOD EVENING. LIKE THE MAYOR SAID EARLIER, THIS IS A WORK SESSION, SO PLEASE STOP ME WITH COMMENTS AND QUESTIONS AS I GO THROUGH THIS PRESENTATION.
WE WOULD LIKE FOR IT TO BE AS INTERACTIVE AS POSSIBLE.
WHAT IS THE PROPOSED BUDGET? THE PROPOSED BUDGET IS A PLAN OF FINANCIAL OPERATIONS CONTAINING AN ESTIMATE OF PROPOSED EXPENDITURES FOR THE NEXT FISCAL YEAR AND HOW THOSE EXPENDITURES WILL BE FINANCED.
IT IS A OPERATIONAL PLAN FOR THE USE OF MANPOWER, MATERIALS, AND OTHER RESOURCES DURING THE NEXT FISCAL YEAR.
THE TOWN MANAGER AND STAFF PREPARE, PRESENT, AND ADMINISTER THE BUDGET BASED OFF OF POLICIES FROM THE TOWN COUNCIL.
GOING OVER THE PHASES OF THE BUDGET CYCLE.
BUDGET PREPARATION STARTS IN JANUARY, SO IT'S JANUARY THROUGH JULY.
WE ESTABLISH A BUDGET FOCUSED AND STRATEGIC PLAN, WE ESTIMATE REVENUES, WE WORK WITH THE DEPARTMENTS TO FIGURE OUT WHAT THEIR NEEDS ARE.
WE THEN RECEIVE CERTIFIED ROLES FROM THEIR APPRAISAL DISTRICTS ON JULY 25TH, AND WE USE THOSE NUMBERS TO CALCULATE THE TAX RATE, AND THEN WE DEVELOP THE PROPOSED BUDGET.
BUDGET APPROVAL IS FROM JULY THROUGH SEPTEMBER, SO THE TOWN MANAGER RECOMMENDED BUDGET IS SUBMITTED TO COUNCIL BY JULY 31ST.
THE TOWN COUNCIL REVIEWS THE PROPOSED BUDGET AND THEN WE HOLD THE WORK SESSION, BUDGET PUBLIC HEARING, AND A TAX RATE PUBLIC HEARING, TOWN COUNCIL THEN APPROVES THE BUDGET AND THE TAX RATE.
EXECUTION AND IMPLEMENTATION START IN OCTOBER, SO WE PUBLISH THE BUDGET IN THE CIP, AND THEN THERE'S ONGOING REPORTING AND MONITORING THROUGHOUT THE FISCAL YEAR.
THEN THE AUDIT IS DONE IN JANUARY FOR THE PREVIOUS FISCAL YEAR.
TYPES OF BUDGETS, SO WE HAVE TWO TYPES OF BUDGETS.
THE FIRST IS THE OPERATING BUDGET, SO THE PROPOSED OPERATING BUDGET DESIGNATES THE FINANCIAL PLAN INITIALLY DEVELOPED BY DEPARTMENTS AND PRESENTED BY THE TOWN MANAGER TO TOWN COUNCIL.
TOWN COUNCIL THEN TAKES THE PROPOSED BUDGET AND MODIFIES IT AS THEY SEE FIT OR NOT, AND THEN APPROVES IT TO BECOME THE ADOPTED BUDGET.
THE CIP IS THE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM BUDGET, THIS IS THE FIVE-YEAR FINANCIAL PLAN WHICH ADDRESSES DEVELOPMENT AND IMPROVEMENTS TO THE TOWNS INFRASTRUCTURE, SO COUNCIL ONLY APPROVES ONE YEAR AT A TIME, AND BRIAN WILL PRESENT THE CIP BUDGET LATER IN THE PRESENTATION.
LOOKING AT THE OPERATING BUDGET, IT IS MADE UP OF THREE COMPONENTS.
THE FIRST IS THE BASE BUDGET, SO WE CALL THIS THE CONTINUATION MAX TARGET BUDGET.
WE TAKE THE DEPARTMENT'S BUDGET FROM THE PREVIOUS FISCAL YEAR, WE SUBTRACT ANY ONE-TIME EXPENDITURES AND THEN THAT IS WHAT THEY'RE GIVEN AS THEIR TARGET NUMBER, SO THAT IS THEY'RE NOT TO EXCEED NUMBER.
IF THEY NEED TO INCREASE THE BUDGET FOR WHATEVER REASON, THEY DO SO THROUGH A NON-DISCRETIONARY OR DECISION PACKAGE.
THE NON-DISCRETIONARY PACKAGES ARE ITEMS THAT THE TOWN DOES NOT HAVE DISCRETION OVER, SO IF WE DID NOT APPROVE THESE PACKAGES, THE DEPARTMENT WOULD EITHER HAVE TO DISCONTINUE A SERVICE OR PROGRAM, THEY ALSO MIGHT HAVE A PRICE INCREASE RELATED TO AN EXISTING SERVICE OR PROGRAM, THIS CAN ALSO BE EQUIPMENT REPLACEMENTS OR ANY TYPE OF LEGISLATIVE MANDATES THAT WE MIGHT HAVE GOTTEN.
A DECISION PACKAGE IS ANY NEW THINGS THAT WE WANT TO ADD TO THE BUDGET, SO THESE ARE NEW PROGRAMS, NEW STAFFING, NEW EQUIPMENT, OR OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS, WE'VE USED IT AS PAY-AS-YOU-GO FUNDING FOR CIP PROJECTS.
I'M GOING TO GO OVER A COUPLE OF CHARTS THROUGHOUT THE PRESENTATION, THE DATA FROM THESE CHARTS COME FROM THE MOST RECENTLY COMPLETED ACFR WHICH IS THE FINANCIAL REPORTS FOR ALL OF THESE CITIES.
THE COMPLETED FISCAL YEAR IS FY '21, '22.
LOOKING AT THE '22 POPULATION, YOU CAN SEE THAT WE'RE RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF ALL OF OUR BENCHMARK CITIES AT 78,570 PEOPLE.
LOOKING AT HOW WE COMPARE TO THE TAX RATE, SO THIS WOULD BE THE TAX RATE FROM LAST FISCAL YEAR AT 0.4050 YOU CAN SEE THAT WE ARE CLOSER TO THE LOWER END.
LOOKING AT THE FLOWER MOUND TAX RATE, THE PROPOSED RATE OF 3873 IS THE LOWEST TAX RATE IN FLORIDA ON HISTORY, AND THIS CHART SHOWS ABOUT 35 YEARS OF DATA.
THIS IS THE DEBT PORTION OF THE TAX RATE.
[00:20:02]
SO OUR DEBT RATE OF 0.044127 WAS MUCH LOWER THAN THE AVERAGE OF OUR BENCHMARK CITIES.THIS IS GOVERNMENTAL DEBT PER CAPITA.
SO THIS IS ONLY THE DEBT THAT THE PROPERTY TAX PAYS FOR, SO THIS DOES NOT INCLUDE UTILITY DEBT OR ANY OTHER TYPE OF DEBT.
THIS IS ONLY GENERAL FUND DEBT.
SO DEBT PER CAPITA IS AT $769.
THE AVERAGE FOR OUR BENCHMARK CITIES IS $1,916.
>> THAT'S FOR BONDS AND STUFF?
>> YES. THIS IS ANY TYPE OF GENERAL, SO THAT COULD BE STREETS FACILITIES, STREET MAINTENANCE, ANYTHING LIKE THAT.
LOOKING AT OUR TOTAL DEBT, SO THIS WOULD INCLUDE UTILITY DEBT.
OUR DEBT PER CAPITA RATE IS $2,068.
IT'S ABOUT A $1,000 LESS PER CAPITA AVERAGE FOR OUR BENCHMARK CITIES.
>> SO WE'RE A LOT CLOSER TO THE AVERAGE IN THAT ON THIS CHART THAN THE LAST ONE.
DOES THAT IMPLY THAT WE HAVE HIGHER THAN AVERAGE UTILITY DEBT?
>> I WOULD STATE IT THAT OUR UTILITY DEBT IS MORE ON AVERAGE.
WE'RE WAY BELOW ON THE GENERAL FUND SIDE AND IT JUST PURCHASES OFF.
SO I DON'T THINK IS REFLECTIVE OF US HAVING A COMPARABLY HIGH UTILITY FUND DEBT, BUT IT'S SOMETHING WE CAN TAKE A CLOSER LOOK AT.
>> IF WE TAKE THE DEBT OUT OF IT, IT DIDN'T SUCH AN OUTLIER THAT IT THROWS OFF THE WHOLE CHART.
THAT'S WHAT I MEANT BY AVERAGE. YEAH.
>> HERE IS A SMALL OVERVIEW OF OUR FINANCIAL GOALS.
THE PURPOSE OF THIS CHART IS JUST TO SHOW YOU THAT WE EITHER MEET OR EXCEED ALL OF OUR FINANCIAL POLICIES THAT YOU'VE SET.
THERE HAVE BEEN A COUPLE OF CHANGES.
>> [OVERLAPPING] CAN YOU GO BACK REAL QUICK? I WAS LOOKING FOR IT TO SAY AT OR ABOVE, BUT IT JUST SAYS NUMBERS.
SO I GUESS WE'RE LOOKING AT AND JUST COMPARING NUMBERS AND THERE'S NO GREEN, RED.
>> IT'S ALL GOOD. ASSUMING THAT IT IS, BUT I'M TRYING TO MAKE SURE.
>> THERE HAVE BEEN A COUPLE OF CHANGES SINCE THE PROPOSED BUDGET WAS FILED IN JULY.
THE FIRST ONE IS THAT WE SPLIT THE COMPENSATION PACKAGE BY DIVISION.
IN THE PROPOSED BUDGET, WE SUBMIT THE COMPENSATION PACKAGE AS ONE PACKAGE PER FUND SO THAT YOU CAN SEE THE TOTAL OF WHAT COMPENSATION WOULD BE FOR EACH FUND.
WE THEN SEPARATE IT BY DIVISIONS SO THAT WE KNOW THE ACCURATE BUDGET FOR EACH DEPARTMENT.
WE ALSO ADDED A PLANNING MANAGER POSITION.
SINCE LEXON'S PROMOTION TO THE DIRECTOR OF DEVELOPMENT SERVICES, THERE IS A NEED TO CREATE A FRONT-LINE MANAGEMENT POSITION WITHIN PLANNING SERVICES.
THIS WILL COMPLETE JAMES'S REORGANIZATION OF THIS DEPARTMENT.
IN ADDITION, THE TOWN IS HAVING TO REDESIGN THE DEVELOPMENT REVIEW PROCESSES FOR PLOTS AND SITE PLANS IN RESPONSE TO NEW STATE LAWS THAT WERE APPROVED IN 2023.
THIS WILL REQUIRE ADDITIONAL STAFF TIME AND OVERSIGHT FOR THIS DEPARTMENT.
AND LEXON IS HERE IF YOU HAVE FURTHER QUESTIONS.
ANOTHER CHANGE IS THAT WE HAD TO TRANSFER FOUR-AND-A-HALF MILLION FROM THE UTILITY FUND TO THE CIP IN LIEU OF ISSUING DEBT IN ORDER TO MEET THE TOWN'S FINANCIAL POLICIES.
I WILL TALK ABOUT THIS FURTHER IN THE PRESENTATION AS WELL.
WE ALSO ALLOCATED 180,000 IN ARPA FUNDING, WHICH IS OUR COVID GRANT TO THE JOINT FIRE TRAINING FACILITY, AND WE WILL ALSO TALK ABOUT THAT FURTHER IN THE PRESENTATION.
COMPENSATION IS THE LARGEST EXPENDITURE FOR ANY CITY.
IN JULY OF THIS YEAR, WE IMPLEMENTED THE COMPENSATION AND CLASSIFICATION STUDY.
THIS PROPOSED BUDGET INCLUDES A 3% MERIT STEP INCREASE FOR ELIGIBLE EMPLOYEES.
EMPLOYEES WHO ARE AT THE TOP OF THEIR PAY RANGE WILL RECEIVE A ONETIME 3% LUMP-SUM PAYMENT.
WE'RE ALSO THINKING OF POSSIBLE MID-YEAR MARKET ADJUSTMENTS.
WE DON'T HAVE DATA FOR THAT YET, BUT THEY MIGHT BE COMING IN THE NEXT FISCAL YEAR, BUT THOSE WOULD REQUIRE A BUDGET AMENDMENT AFTER OCTOBER 1ST.
SO IF THERE IS A PLAN, WE WILL BRING IT TO YOU LATER.
EMPLOYEE INSURANCE COSTS ARE ALSO BEING EVALUATED.
WE ANTICIPATE CHANGES TO THE EMPLOYEE PORTION OF THE RATE AND TO THE RATE STRUCTURES, BUT THE INSURANCE CONSULTANT IS STILL WORKING WITH HR TO GET FINALIZED NUMBERS,
[00:25:02]
SO WE'RE NOT QUITE READY TO PRESENT FINAL NUMBERS TO YOU, BUT THOSE CHANGES WILL BE COMING THIS YEAR.>> BRIEFLY IF I CAN JUST ELABORATE ON THAT.
THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WE'VE ALREADY ENGAGED OUR EMPLOYEES ON.
I DID A SERIES OF TOURS AND TALKING TO EMPLOYEES.
I FELT IT WAS APPROPRIATE JUST TO GIVE THEM A HEADS UP THAT THIS IS SOMETHING WE'RE HAPPY TO TAKE A LOOK AT.
OUR GOAL IS TO MAKE YOU-ALL AWARE OF WHAT THAT ULTIMATELY LOOKS LIKE AS SOON AS WE HAVE THOSE NUMBERS, BUT WE ALSO WANT TO GET IN FRONT OF OUR EMPLOYEES BEFORE WE START OPEN ENROLLMENT SO THEY HAVE A CLEAR UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT MAY STRUCTURALLY CHANGE.
I WILL SAY THAT, BAR NONE, WE HAVE THE BEST HEALTH INSURANCE BENEFITS THAT I'VE SEEN IN ANY MUNICIPALITY.
MOST MUNICIPALITIES ARE HAVING TO MAKE TWEAKS AND ADJUSTMENTS TO THEIR BENEFITS PLAN ON AN ANNUAL BASIS.
I THINK OURS HAS BEEN IN PLACE FOR 12 PLUS YEARS OR SOMETHING AROUND ABOUT THAT, SO WE'VE HAD A LOT OF STABILITY.
ANY TWEAKS THAT WE MAKE IS NOT GOING TO THROW US OUT OF WHACK AND NOT PUT US IN A POSITION BECAUSE TALKING ABOUT RECRUITMENT AND RETENTION, THAT'S A BIG DRAW FOR US, IS THAT WE DO HAVE SUCH GOOD BENEFITS PACKAGE.
SO BOTTOM LINE IS IT WILL BE BEFORE YOU WITH MORE INFORMATION A LITTLE BIT FURTHER DOWN THE LINE.
I'M THINKING AROUND OCTOBER OR SO, WE'LL HAVE MORE DETAILS ON THAT.
>> THEN CHANGES ARE IMPLEMENTED JANUARY 1.
THIS BUDGET INCLUDES 12 ADDITIONAL PEOPLE.
IT SAYS 12 FULL-TIME EQUIVALENT FTE.
WE CALCULATE THAT WITH A FULL-TIME PERSON BEING ONE, PART-TIME IS 0.5, AND THEN SEASONAL OR TEMPORARY IS 0.25.
SO THERE IS A ADDITIONAL 10.5 IN THE GENERAL FUND, ONE IN THE UTILITY FUND, AND 0.5 IN THE FIRE DISTRICT.
JAMES ALREADY MENTIONED A COUPLE OF THESE, BUT I JUST WANTED TO POINT OUT A COUPLE OF THE POSITIONS.
THE FIRST BEING THE SCHOOL RESOURCE OFFICER AND THE SCHOOL RESOURCE LIEUTENANT.
THESE ARE POSITIONS THAT WILL WORK WITH LASD, AND LASD WILL PAY A PORTION OF THEIR SALARY.
IN THE BUDGET YOU CAN ALSO SEE THE REVENUE THAT WE WILL RECEIVE FOR THOSE POSITIONS.
WE ALSO FOCUSED ON INTERNAL SERVICES IN THIS BUDGET.
SO YOU CAN SEE THE ACCOUNTANT, FLEET SERVICES SUPERVISOR, SENIOR HR GENERALISTS, AND THE IT SYSTEM SUPPORT SPECIALIST.
THESE ARE ALL CONSIDERED INTERNAL SERVICES THAT WERE JUST LACKING IN STAFF THAT WE NEEDED TO FOCUS ON THIS YEAR.
THEN HOW JAMES SAID BEFORE, IN THE FIRE DISTRICT, THERE WAS A RE-CLASS.
SO THE SYSTEM SUPPORT CLERK IS A PART-TIME POSITION CURRENTLY AND THEY RE-CLASSED IT TO FULL-TIME, SO THAT'S WHY WE ADDED AN ADDITIONAL 0.5.
LOOKING AT OUR FTE SUMMARY, INCLUDING THOSE 12 POSITIONS THAT WE ARE ADDING FOR THIS NEXT FISCAL YEAR, IT COMES TO A TOTAL OF 706 FTES THAT WE BUDGET FOR.
THE MAJORITY OF THOSE ARE IN THE GENERAL FUND.
LOOKING AT THE THE GRAPH ON THE RIGHT-HAND SIDE, YOU CAN SEE HOW THOSE FIT BETWEEN THE DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS, OUR HIGHEST DEPARTMENTS BEING POLICE AT 25%, FIRE AT 20%, PUBLIC WORKS 17%, AND THEN PARKS AND RECREATION AT 15%.
MOVING ON TO THE GENERAL FUND.
OUR ONGOING REVENUES ARE $92.6 MILLION., ONGOING EXPENDITURES ARE THE $83.8 MILLION, AND THEN YOU CAN SEE THAT WE HAVE $4.2 MILLION OF ONETIME EXPENDITURES IN THERE.
THERE ARE 536.5 FTE IN THE GENERAL FUND.
THE DECISION PACKAGES TOTALED ABOUT $5.2 MILLION, 51% OF THIS WAS ONETIME COST AND THE COMPENSATION PACKAGE WAS ABOUT 1.2 MILLION.
LOOKING AT GENERAL FUND REVENUES, SO THE TOTAL OF $92.6 MILLION.
YOU CAN SEE IN THE CHART ON THE LEFT OF HOW THAT'S BROKEN UP BETWEEN THE DIFFERENT CATEGORIES.
PROPERTY TAX MAKES UP 53% AND SALES TAX MAKES UP 21% OF GENERAL FUND REVENUES.
NOW I'M GOING TO GO OVER THOSE TOP TWO CATEGORIES.
>> BUT CAN YOU BACK UP ONE SLIDE?
>> YOU HAVE A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN REVENUE AND EXPENDITURES OF FOUR-AND-A-HALF MILLION.
THAT REMAINING FOUR-AND-A-HALF MILLION WILL GO INTO THE RESERVE FUND, IS THAT?
>> OKAY. THAT DIFFERENCE WHY THERE'S THAT IT'S STILL AVAILABLE THEN, GO TO THE RESERVE FUND.
>> I HAVE A QUESTION ON THIS SLIDE RIGHT HERE.
[00:30:02]
>> DO YOU MIND, GIVING A COUPLE OF EXAMPLES OF THE INNER FUND TRANSFERS?
>> INNER FUND TRANSFERS. THAT WOULD BE HOW WE TRANSFER MONEY TO THE VERF, THE VEHICLE AND EQUIPMENT REPLACEMENT FUND SO THAT WE CAN SET ASIDE MONEY WHEN VEHICLES NEED TO BE REPLACED.
IT'D BE SOMETHING INTERNAL LIKE THAT.
>> THE HIGHEST REVENUE IN THE GENERAL FUND IS FROM PROPERTY TAX.
REVENUES ARE BASED ON THE VALUE OF PROPERTIES.
THE APPRAISAL DISTRICT, EITHER DENTON OR TARRANT APPRAISAL DISTRICT DETERMINES THE VALUES OF PROPERTIES.
JUST AS A REMINDER, COUNCIL INCREASE THE HOMESTEAD EXEMPTION FROM 10%-12.5% THIS YEAR.
THEN YOU ALSO INCREASE THE OVER 65 DISABLED EXEMPTION, FROM $100,000-$150,000.
THE PROPERTY TAX RATE IS MADE UP OF TWO DIFFERENT RATES, THE M&O AND I&S.
THE M&O RATE IS MAINTENANCE AND OPERATION.
THIS IS THE ONGOING GENERAL FUND OPERATIONS.
THIS IS WHAT FUNDS THE GENERAL FUND.
THE I&S IS THE INTEREST AND SINKING.
THESE ARE THE PAYMENTS ON DEBT FOR GENERAL GOVERNMENT IMPROVEMENTS.
THIS DOES NOT INCLUDE UTILITY DEBT, JUST GENERAL GOVERNMENT.
OUR PROPOSED TAX RATE THIS YEAR IS THE 0.3873.
WE ALSO CALCULATE TWO OTHER RATE'S GOING THROUGH THIS PROCESS.
THE FIRST IS THE NO-NEW-REVENUE TAX RATE.
THIS IS THE CALCULATED RATE THAT WOULD PROVIDE A TAXING UNIT WITH THE SAME AMOUNT OF REVENUE IT RECEIVED IN THE YEAR BEFORE ON PROPERTIES TAXED IN BOTH YEARS.
IF A PROPERTY VALUE RISES, THE NO-NEW-REVENUE RATE WOULD GO DOWN AND THEN VICE VERSA THE NO-NEW-REVENUE RATE IS 0.359022 PER $100 VALUATION.
THE VOTER APPROVAL TAX RATE IS THE CALCULATED MAXIMUM TAX RATE ALLOWED BY STATE LAW WITHOUT VOTER APPROVAL.
SO THE VOTER APPROVAL RATE PROVIDE CITIES WITH THE SAME AMOUNT OF TAX REVENUE, SPENT THE PREVIOUS YEAR FOR DAY-TO-DAY OPERATIONS, PLUS AN EXTRA 3.5% AND THEN SUFFICIENT FUNDS TO PAY DEBTS IN THE COMING YEAR.
WE MUST HOLD ON ELECTION IF OUR ADOPTED TAX RATE EXCEEDS THE VOTER APPROVAL RATE.
OUR VOTER APPROVAL RATE OF $0.387327 IS HIGHER THAN OUR PROPOSED RATES.
>> OKAY, CAN WE DWELL ON THIS ONE JUST A LITTLE BIT.
>> OKAY. WHEN THE LAW WAS PASSED THAT HAS THE 3.5% CAP.
ONE OF THE INCENTIVES THEY GAVE US WAS IF YOU GO BELOW THAT VOTER APPROVAL RATE, YOU CAN THEN RE-CAPTURE THAT INCREMENT IN SUBSEQUENT YEARS.
WE'LL RECALL THAT A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO WHEN WE DID THE BIG TAX CUT, WE GOT SOME PUBLIC COMMENT SAYING THIS MIGHT BE A RESPONSIBLE AND THE RESPONSE WAS, WELL, WE HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO GO BACK AND RECAPTURE THIS DOWN THE ROAD IF WE NEED TO.
WELL, IT TURNS OUT THAT WE RECAPTURED QUITE A BIT OF IT LAST YEAR, DIDN'T WE? YEAH. SO OUR RATE THAT WE ADOPTED LAST YEAR WAS IN EXCESS OF 3.5% BECAUSE WE WENT AND TOOK BACK A LOT OF THAT TAX CUT FROM THE PREVIOUS YEAR.
WE'RE DOING THAT AGAIN THIS YEAR, RIGHT?
>> THERE'S A VERY SMALL AMOUNT OF INCREMENT INCLUDED IN THIS, YES.
>> DO YOU KNOW WHAT THE VOTER APPROVAL RATE WOULD BE IF WE WEREN'T TAKING BACK SOME OF THAT PRIOR YEAR TAX CUT? [NOISE]
>> IF WE WERE NOT USING ANY OF THE INCREMENTAL THIS YEAR OUR VOTER APPROVAL TAX RATE WOULD BE 0.385787.
>> YEAH. WELL, WE TALKED ABOUT THIS NOW.
>> I FINALLY JUST FELT WHERE TOMMY WAS SITTING.
>> I WAS LOOKING AT THE TABLES AND I CHECKED THE BACK ROW TOO. SORRY.
>> I JUST WANTED TO GET THAT OUT THERE BECAUSE WE'LL TALK ABOUT IT LATER, BUT WE GAVE A TAX CUT.
THEN THE VOTER APPROVAL RATE DOESN'T CONTEMPLATE THAT THERE'S A 3.5%.
THEN THERE'S AN ADDITION ABOVE 3.5% THAT YOU CAN RECAPTURE IF YOU SO CHOOSE, IT JUST TELLS YOU WHAT IT IS THE MAXIMUM YOU CAN HAVE.
IT ASSUMES THAT YOU'RE JUST TAKING BACK THE PRIOR YEAR TAX I DIDN'T REALIZE THAT LAST YEAR.
I HONESTLY DID NOT THEN THIS YEAR, SINCE I'M AWARE OF THAT.
I JUST WANT US TO CONSIDER MAYBE NOT TAKING BACK THAT TAX CUT AS WE GET INTO WHAT OUR FINAL TAX RATE IS GOING TO BE.
IF WE GIVE A TAX CUT, MAYBE WE LET THE VOTERS OR THE RESIDENTS CONTINUE TO HAVE THAT IN SUBSEQUENT YEARS AS WELL, UNLESS THERE'S SOME REASON WHY WE REALLY DO NEED TO WITHDRAW IT.
>> IS THAT WHERE THAT $4.5 MILLION OF EXCESS CAN GIVE US SOME LEEWAY TO DO THAT. IS THAT WHAT YOU'RE THINKING?
>> YES, THERE IS STILL FLOAT IN THE BUDGET THAT WE COULD CLOSE THAT GAP IF WE SO CHOOSE.
>> IN TERMS OF DOLLARS. WHAT IS THAT DELTA? [OVERLAPPING] IT'S ABOUT ROUGHLY $225,000.
[00:35:04]
>> YEAH, BECAUSE YOU GOT TO REALIZE ITS 0015, IT'S A 10TH OF A PENNY.
>> THAT'S A GOOD STARTING POINT, YOU KNOW THAT.
THE ADDITIONAL MONEY WILL GO TO THE FUND BALANCE.
WE'RE GOING TO HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY IN THE SHORT-TERM AND NOT TOO MANY DISTANT FUTURE TO SPEND MILLIONS AND MILLIONS OF DOLLARS ON TOWN FACILITIES AND TOWN OPERATIONS.
I WOULD RATHER HAVE A LITTLE BANK TO PAY CASH FOR THOSE PRODUCTS.
THE FACILITY THAT WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO DO, THAN HAVE TO INCUR DEBT LONG-TERM ON THOSE.
WE MAY STILL END UP HAVING TO DO DEBT.
BUT IT'S NOT REALLY GOING TO MAKE A HUGE DIFFERENCE. I DON'T THINK.
>> I UNDERSTAND THE ARGUMENT AND IT'S A FINANCIALLY PRUDENT ARGUMENT, BUT I ALSO THINK THAT IF WE GIVE IT, WE HAVEN'T PRIORITY TO LOWER THE TAX RATE.
THE TAX RATE SHOULDN'T BE JUST WHATEVER THE AUSTIN SAYS, WE CAN SET IT OUT AND THEN THAT'S GOOD ENOUGH.
I MEAN, THAT'S PRETTY LAZY. SO WE SHOULD TRY TO DO A LITTLE BETTER THAN THAT.
>>IT'S A SLIGHT BIT LESS THAN A VOTER APPROVAL RATE.
>> YEAH. WELL, WE SHOULDN'T ISSUE A TAX CUT, THEN PULL IT BACK IN SUBSEQUENT YEARS. THAT'S MY OPINION.
I GO LOWER IF WE CAN IF I CAN GET SOME AGREEMENT ON THAT, BUT I THINK THAT'S A GOOD STARTING POINT THAT DOESN'T REALLY PUT US IN A SITUATION WHERE WE'RE NOT REALLY SETTING OURSELVES UP FOR FAILURE DOWN THE ROAD.
ANYWAY, I DON'T WANT TO GET IN TOO FAR INTO THAT CONVERSATION.
I KNOW THERE'S A LOT MORE PRESENTATION, BUT I JUST WANTED TO GET THAT OUT THERE.
>> [LAUGHTER] [NOISE] I'LL BE HERE A WHILE. THIS CHART SHOWS THE ACTUAL TAX BILL FOR THE AVERAGE HOME VALUE.
IF YOU LOOK AT THE LAST LINE OF THIS CHART, YOU CAN SEE THAT WE'RE IN TAX YEAR 2023 FISCAL YEAR 2024.
OUR PROPOSED TAX RATE IS THE 3873.
WE INCREASE THE HOMESTEAD TO 12.5, AND THE AVERAGE HOME VALUE IS $486,470.
CALCULATING THAT, THE ESTIMATED ACTUAL TAX BILL IF YOU DO NOT HAVE A HOMESTEAD EXEMPTION IS $1,884.
IF YOU DO HAVE A HOMESTEAD EXEMPTION, YOU CAN SEE IN THAT BLUE COLUMN THAT YOUR ACTUAL TAX BILL WILL BE $1,649.
THE HOMESTEAD EXEMPTION SAVES THE AVERAGE HOME VALUE $236.
THE FINAL COLUMN COMPARES THE PREVIOUS YEAR'S ESTIMATED TAXES WITH HOMESTEAD TO THIS YEAR, SO IT'S THAT BLUE COLUMN.
THIS YEAR WITH A HOMESTEAD, YOU WILL SAVE $12.35 FROM THE PREVIOUS YEAR. MOVING ON TO SALES.
>> KAY, I'M SORRY CAN YOU GO BACK ONE?
THE STATE TAKES 6.25 AND THE TOWN GETS TWO CENTS.
OF THAT, THE GENERAL FUND GETS ONE CENT, AND THEN THE FINAL ONE CENT IS SPLIT BETWEEN PARKS 4B, STREET MAINTENANCE, CRIME CONTROL DISTRICT, AND THEN THE FIRE DISTRICT.
AS YOU CAN SEE IN THIS CHART, SALES TAX IS INCREASING.
BUT WE HAVE SEEN RECENTLY THAT IT IS INCREASING AT A MUCH LOWER RATE, THAN IT WAS THE LAST FEW YEARS.
WE ARE BUDGETING CONSERVATIVELY, BECAUSE IT'S JUST HARD TO KNOW WHAT THE ECONOMIC FUTURE OF FLOWER MOUND IS GOING TO BE.
WE TAKE A VERY CONSERVATIVE APPROACH WHEN BUDGETING SALES TAX.
WHEN WE'RE LOOKING AT THE 24 BUDGET, WE BUDGETED A 4% INCREASE OVER THE FY '23 PROJECTION.
LOOKING AT THE GENERAL FUND, FUND BALANCE.
THE CHARTER REQUIRES 10% ARE FINANCIAL POLICY REQUIRES 20%.
WE'RE ESTIMATING THAT AT THE END OF THE '23-'24 BUDGET, WE WILL BE AT 43.75%.
RECENTLY IT HAS COME OUT THE BEST PRACTICE IS TO BE HIGHER THAN 20%, JUST BECAUSE OF THAT UNCERTAIN ECONOMIC FUTURE THAT WE ARE ALL FACING.
WE HAVE ALSO HAD SOME VERY UNUSUAL YEARS.
WE'VE GOTTEN MILLIONS OF DOLLARS IN COVID GRANTS,
[00:40:04]
THAT MADE OF THIS FUND BALANCE MUCH HIGHER THAN IT WAS PROJECTED TO BE.BUT IN THE COMING WEEKS AND MONTHS, JAMES WILL WORK WITH STAFF AND COUNSEL TO HAVE STRATEGIES ON HOW TO USE THIS.
NOT ALL OF IT THOUGH. [LAUGHTER] YES.
>> WHAT WAS THE FUND BALANCE LAST YEAR, OR PERCENTAGE WISE?
>> I CAN'T DO MATH IN MY HEAD.
[LAUGHTER] YES, THAT'S CORRECT.
>> HOW DOES THIS FUND BALANCE COMPARED TO OUR BENCHMARK CITIES? THE AVERAGE POLICY IS 22%.
WHEN LOOKING AT OUR BENCHMARK CITIES, THERE'S A LOT OF THEM THAT HAVE 25% WHERE WE'RE AT 20%, AND THEN COPPELL IS RUINING OUR AVERAGES.
THIS NEXT CHART TAKES COPPELL OUT OF THE EQUATION.
THE AVERAGE ACTUAL IS 37%, AND THIS WAS AS I SAID BEFORE, BASED ON THE MOST RECENTLY FINISHED [INAUDIBLE] THIS IS FY '21-'22 DATA THAT WE GOT FROM ALL THE CITIES.
MOVING ON TO OUR ENTERPRISE FUNDS, WE HAVE TWO ENTERPRISE FUNDS IN THE TOWN.
THESE FUNDS ARE OPERATIONS THAT ARE FINANCED, AND OPERATED IN A MANNER SIMILAR TO A PRIVATE BUSINESS, WHERE THE INTENT OF THE TOWN IS THAT COST OF PROVIDING THE GOODS OR SERVICES TO THE GENERAL PUBLIC ON A CONTINUING BASIS, WILL BE FINANCED OR RECOVERED THROUGH USER CHARGES.
WE HAVE A UTILITY FUND AND A STORMWATER UTILITY FUND.
STARTING WITH THE UTILITY FUND, THE ONGOING REVENUE IS 58 MILLION, AND ONGOING EXPENDITURES IS ABOUT 55 MILLION.
THE ONETIME EXPENDITURES IS 4.7 MILLION SO THIS IS WHERE THE 4.5 MILLION OF THAT ONETIME TRANSFER TO CIP COMES IN.
IT'S MUCH HIGHER THAN IT TYPICALLY IS.
THERE ARE 95 FTE IN THE GENERAL FUND, DECISION PACKAGES TOTAL $498,455, AND OF THIS 52% IS ONE-TIME COST.
LOOKING AT THE UTILITY FUND, FUND BALANCE, THE FINANCIAL POLICIES SAY THAT REVENUES COLLECTED IN EXCESS OF 90 DAY LEVEL, WHICH IS 25% WILL BE USED FOR CAPITAL EXPENDITURES IN LIEU OF ISSUING DEBT.
THE MINIMUM FUND BALANCE IS THE 16.7%.
THIS BUDGET, WE'RE INCLUDING 4.5 MILLION TRANSFER TO THE CIP.
JULIE WILL NOW DISCUSS WATER AND WASTEWATER RATES.
>> AS KAY MENTIONED THE PREVIOUS SLIDE ABOUT THE PROJECTIONS FOR THE PROPOSED BUDGET, WELL, I'LL BE PRESENTING THE RATES TO SUPPORT THAT BUDGET.
LAST YEAR, NEWGEN SOLUTIONS CAME OUT, AND WE ENGAGED THEM TO DO A RATE STEADY FOR WATER AND WASTEWATER RATES.
THE RATES ON THE SCREEN ABOVE ARE THE RESULTS OF THAT STUDY, WHICH WAS APPROVED BY ORDINANCE IN OCTOBER 2022 FOR THREE-YEAR TIME PERIOD.
AS YOU CAN TELL WE'RE CURRENTLY IN 2023, AND THE COLUMN HERE IT INCLUDED A 6.5% INCREASE LAST YEAR, AND THE PROJECTIONS WERE TO HAVE 4.5% FOR '24 AND '25.
NEWGEN CONDUCTED THIS STUDY THIS YEAR, AND WE WERE ABLE TO MEET OR KEEP THE RATES AS PROJECTED FOR '24 AND THEN '25.
IT'S STILL AT 4.5%, BUT WE'LL REEVALUATE NEXT YEAR.
IN ORDER TO KEEP THE RATES THE SAME, AS KAY MENTIONED, THE $4.5 MILLION TRANSFER FROM THE FUND BALANCE TO THE CIP, WHICH LOWERS THE DEBT THAT WILL NEED TO BE ISSUED NEXT YEAR.
IN ADDITION, THESE RATES ABSORBED THE 6.5% INCREASE FOR PURCHASE WATER FOR BOTH UPPER TRINITY AND DALLAS WATER UTILITY.
IN ADDITION, WE MET ALL THE FINANCIAL POLICIES FOR THE UTILITY FUND.
CHRIS IS HERE TONIGHT FROM NEWGEN.
MOST OF YOU HEARD HIM SPEAK IN MARCH AT THE BUDGET PRIORITIES MEETING AND HE'S HERE TONIGHT, AND TO ENLIGHTEN US SOME MORE AND MORE IN-DEPTH INTO THE STUDY THAT THEY COMPLETED. CHRIS.
>> THANK YOU SO MUCH. GOOD EVENING, MAYOR.
COUNCIL CHRIS EKRUT WITH NEWGEN STRATEGIES AND SOLUTIONS, PLEASURE TO BE WITH YOU TONIGHT,
[00:45:01]
I THINK EVERYTHING THAT I WAS GOING TO SAY HAS ALREADY BEEN SAID, SO I WILL TRY AND KEEP THIS AS BRIEF AS I CAN TONIGHT.EARLIER YOU HEARD THAT AS WE TALK ABOUT THE UTILITY FUND, WE ARE TALKING ABOUT AN ENTERPRISE FUND THAT IS A BUSINESS.
FOR A BUSINESS TO BE SUCCESSFUL, WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT OUR REVENUES MATCH OR EXCEED OUR EXPENSES.
WE HAVE TO PLAN FOR A RAINY DAY, I KNOW IT'S NOT RAINING OUTSIDE RIGHT NOW, BUT AT SOME POINT IT WILL.
WHEN THAT HAPPENS, OUR REVENUES DO FALL, SO WE NEED THOSE RESERVES, WE NEED THAT WORKING CAPITAL.
WE ALSO HAVE TO REINVEST IN OUR BUSINESS.
WE'VE TALKED A LOT TONIGHT ALREADY ABOUT CAPITAL, THAT'S REALLY WHAT'S DRIVING THE RATE PLAN, IT REALLY COMES BACK TO CAPITAL.
WE NEED TO MAKE SURE WE'RE PUTTING BACK INTO OUR PIPES, OUR PLANTS, OUR PUMPS, ALL OF THE EXPENSIVE THINGS THAT ARE NEEDED TO PROVIDE UTILITY SERVICE.
AS HAS BEEN PREVIOUSLY SAID, WE DO LOOK AT THE TOWN'S FINANCIAL POLICIES, WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE MEETING THOSE, THAT MINIMUM RESERVE LEVEL.
AS WE'VE ALREADY TALKED ABOUT, WE'RE ALREADY GOING OVER THAT 25% RESERVE LEVELS, SO WHAT THAT'S ALLOWING US TO DO IS TO CASH FUND CAPITAL.
AS EVERYBODY IS AWARE, INTEREST RATES ARE GOING UP, THEY'RE CONTINUING TO GO UP, SO BALANCING OUR USE OF DEBT IS A GOOD LONG-TERM PLAN, HELPS KEEP OUR INTEREST EXPENSE DOWN, HELPS KEEP OUR RATES MORE AFFORDABLE IN THE LONG RUN.
AS WE TALK ABOUT DEBT THOUGH, WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE CAN PAY OUR DEBT, PART OF THAT IS WHY WE LOOK AT WHAT'S CALLED DEBT SERVICE COVERAGE, THAT MAKES SURE WE CAN PAY THAT DEBT AND HAVE JUST A LITTLE BIT OF MARGIN ABOVE THAT TO PROVIDE PROTECTION IN THE EVENT OUR REVENUES DO FALL.
OUR RATING AGENCIES ALSO LOOK AT THAT WHEN THEY ARE COMING IN TO GIVE US A RATING.
THE HIGHER OUR DEBT RATING, THE LOWER OUR BORROWING COSTS.
AGAIN, IT'S IMPORTANT WE ABIDE BY THOSE POLICIES AND KEEP THOSE GOING FORWARD.
AS IT HAD BEEN PREVIOUSLY MENTIONED, YOU ADOPTED LAST YEAR THIS ORDINANCE 44-22, THAT SET THIS RATE PLAN IN MOTION 4.5% FOR 2023, 4.5% FOR '24, AND THE SAME FOR '25.
I'M HERE TO TELL YOU TONIGHT WE CAN STAY ON PLAN, THAT'S THE GOOD NEWS.
WE CAN REMAIN ON PLAN EVEN THOUGH WE HAVE SEEN SOME COST INCREASES AS WE LOOK AT THAT CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS PLAN AND AS WE LOOK AT THE WHOLESALE SERVICES PROVIDED AT THE TOWN.
JUST STEPPING BACK, LOOKING AT THAT CAPITAL PLAN, YOU CAN SEE 81.17 MILLION NEEDED IN CAPITAL OVER THE NEXT FIVE YEARS, LOOKING AT 2024, SPECIFICALLY, 14.5 MILLION.
WE'VE ALREADY TALKED ABOUT THAT 4.5 MILLION IN CASH FUNDING, YOU SEE THAT THERE, THAT CAPITAL RESERVE, VERY IMPORTANT AGAIN TO MEETING POLICIES BUT ALSO BEING ABLE TO REINVEST IN OUR BUSINESS AS WELL.
AS WE LOOK AT THE WHOLESALE SIDE, AGAIN, WE BUY WATER THAT WE ULTIMATELY THEN SELL TO OUR CUSTOMERS, WE SEND SMALL PORTION OF OUR WASTEWATER OFF TO TRINITY RIVER AUTHORITY TO BE TREATED.
DALLAS WATER UTILITIES WENT UP 6% ON YOUR PRICING THIS YEAR, THAT REPRESENTS ABOUT 65% OF YOUR TOTAL COST IN YOUR WATER FUND.
RIGHT THERE ALONE, YOU HAVE TO GO UP 4% ON YOUR RATES JUST TO PASS ALONG THE COST INCREASES.
YOUR COST OF GOODS SOLD WENT UP YOU MUST PASS THAT ALONG IN ORDER JUST TO KEEP YOUR CURRENT POSITION WHERE YOU'RE AT.
AGAIN, PART OF THIS INCREASE IS PASSING THAT ALONG, SAME THING FOR TRINITY RIVER AUTHORITY, 46% THIS YEAR AND THE INCREASE IN THE COST COMING FROM TRA.
WHILE THAT'S A SMALL COMPONENT OF YOUR BUDGET, IT IS A SIGNIFICANT INCREASE.
WHY IS THAT? WELL, AGAIN, CAPITAL, IT'S ALL DRIVEN BY CAPITAL.
WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT UTILITIES, WE REALLY ARE TALKING ABOUT CAPITAL INVESTMENT, AND THAT'S WHY YOU SEE THAT INCREASE THERE FROM TRA.
JUST SOME CHARTS AND GRAPHS FOR YOU TONIGHT AGAIN, LOOKING AT OVERALL REVENUE SUFFICIENCY, BOTTOM RIGHT-HAND CORNER, THAT'S WHAT WE'RE REALLY FOCUSING ON WHEN WE LOOK AT THAT RATE PLAN.
AGAIN, WE'VE TALKED ABOUT 4.5% FOR '24, '25, WE'RE PREDICTING RIGHT NOW, ESTIMATING THAT'S WHAT IT'S GOING TO BE CONTINUING GOING FORWARD.
WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE INDUSTRY-WIDE INDICES, THERE'S AN INDEX THAT'S PUBLISHED BY THE ST. LOUIS FEDERAL RESERVE.
WHEN YOU LOOK AT THAT, YOU LOOK ALL THE WAY BACK INTO THE 1990S, WATER SEWER TRASH SERVICE HAS GONE UP 4% ON AVERAGE EVERY YEAR, SO YOU'RE TRACKING JUST SLIGHTLY ABOVE THAT, BUT YOU'RE TRACKING WITH THAT INDEX RIGHT NOW.
AGAIN, THIS DOES NOT SURPRISE US, THE FACT THAT YOU CAN MAINTAIN THIS LEVEL AND NOT BE IN DOUBLE DIGITS IS VERY, VERY IMPRESSIVE.
I'VE BEEN IN FRONT OF A LOT OF CLIENTS OVER THE PAST SEVERAL WEEKS, I HAVE CLIENTS THAT ARE IN DOUBLE DIGITS RIGHT NOW, BECAUSE THEY DID NOT PLAN AHEAD, THEY DID NOT TAKE ACTION AS NEEDED.
AGAIN, I HIGHLY ENCOURAGE YOU TO STAY ON THE PLAN, SMALL ANNUAL INCREMENTAL RATE INCREASES EVERY YEAR, EVERY OTHER YEAR AS NEEDED.
STAY ON PLAN, KEEP THAT GOING FORWARD THAT'LL SERVE YOU WELL IN THE LONG TERM.
[00:50:04]
WHAT DOES THIS MEAN TO A CUSTOMER? WHAT WE'RE USING HERE FOR AN AVERAGE CUSTOMER, 15,000 GALLONS OF WATER, 8,000 GALLONS OF WASTEWATER SERVICE.SO 15,000 GALLONS OF WATER, 8,000 GALLONS OF WASTEWATER RIGHT NOW, THAT WOULD COST A CUSTOMER 158.59 A MONTH, WITH THE 4.5% INCREASE, THAT WOULD TAKE THAT TO 165.77, THAT'S AN INCREASE OF $7.18 A MONTH.
I'VE SHOWN YOU THESE CHARTS BEFORE AND I'M PROBABLY GOING TO USE THE EXACT WORDS I USED LAST TIME I SHOWED YOU THIS.
WE HAVE TO BE VERY CAREFUL WHEN WE LOOK AT REGIONAL BILL COMPARISONS, THIS IS NOT AN APPLES-TO-APPLES COMPARISON.
EVERY CITY IS DIFFERENT, EVERY CITY HAS DIFFERENT WATER SOURCES, DIFFERENT WATER TREATMENT METHODS, THEY FUND THEIR UTILITIES DIFFERENTLY, POTENTIALLY.
ALSO, WHEN YOU LOOK AT THIS CHART, I'M LOOKING NOT ONLY AT YOUR CURRENT RATE, BUT ALSO YOUR PROPOSED RATE, THE RATE FOR NEXT YEAR, AND I'M COMPARING YOUR NEXT YEAR'S RATE TO WHAT EVERYBODY ELSE IS CHARGING RIGHT NOW.
LIKE I SAID, I'VE BEEN IN FRONT OF A LOT OF CITY COUNCILS OVER THE LAST 3-4 WEEKS.
THERE ARE CITIES ON THIS LIST THAT ARE GOING TO GO UP.
AS YOU LOOK AT THIS, IF WE RERUN THIS IN OCTOBER, WE RERUN IT IN JANUARY, IT COULD LOOK EXACTLY THE SAME, IT COULD LOOK VERY DIFFERENT IF YOU HAVE CITIES THAT ARE GOING UP SUBSTANTIALLY MORE THAN WHERE THEY ARE RIGHT NOW.
BUT AGAIN, RIGHT NOW, 15,000 GALLONS OF WATER, 8,000 GALLONS OF WASTEWATER, 158.59 GOING UP HERE, 165.77, YOU SEE THAT CHANGE THERE AGAIN, YOU'RE NOT REALLY CHANGING RELATIVE POSITION ON THIS CHART.
AGAIN, COULD LOOK DIFFERENT ONCE CITIES TAKE ACTION ON RATES.
>> IT LOOKS LIKE WE'RE ABOVE AVERAGE ON THIS.
I MEAN, IS THERE DIFFERENT STRATEGIES THAT WE CAN TAKE THAT OTHER CITIES ARE DOING?
>> WHAT YOU COULD BE SEEING HERE IS CITIES THAT ARE RELYING MORE ON DEBT, WHERE THEY'RE COMING IN AND THEY'RE HIGHLY LEVERAGED, SO WHAT THEY'RE DOING, THEY'RE SPREADING OUT THEIR PAYMENT, BUT WHAT THEY'RE DOING IS PAYING A LOT MORE IN INTEREST COST.
YOU MAY NOT WANT TO TAKE THAT STRATEGY.
THE FACT THAT YOU'RE A LITTLE ABOVE AVERAGE HERE COULD BE A GOOD THING.
IT REALLY DEPENDS ON WHAT YOU'RE LOOKING AT, RIGHT NOW YOU REALLY DON'T HAVE MUCH CONTROL OVER WHAT DALLAS WATER UTILITIES IS GOING TO DO TO YOU EVERY YEAR.
YOU HAVE TO PASS THAT ALONG. GO AHEAD.
>> DIDN'T WE SEE EARLIER THAT WE WERE ABOUT AVERAGE IN DEBT?
>> YES. AGAIN, WHAT I'M TRYING TO SAY IS AS YOU LOOK AT SOME OF THESE CITIES DOWN BELOW, THEY MAY ACTUALLY HAVE HIGHER LEVERAGE DEBT, BUT YOU COULD ALSO BE LOOKING AT IT DIFFERENTLY.
YOU HAVE TO LOOK AT THIS IN COMPARISON WITH TAX RATE AS WELL AS WATER AND SEWER RATES.
IT'S THE WHOLE PACKAGE, EVERYTHING THAT GOES INTO THIS.
>> WHAT EXPLAINS THE HIGHER WASTEWATER VERSUS WATER IN SOME OF THESE COMMUNITIES LIKE HIGHLAND VILLAGE?
>> COULD BE A REPRESENTATION OF WHAT THEIR CAPITAL PLAN LOOKS LIKE ON THE WASTEWATER SIDE.
IT COULD ALSO BE HOW THEY'RE CHARGING FOR SERVICE.
YOU MAY HAVE SOME THAT ARE CHARGING BASED ON WATER USE AS OPPOSED TO WINTER AVERAGING.
IT COULD BE WHO THEIR WASTEWATER TREATMENT PROVIDER IS, IF THEIR WASTEWATER TREATMENT PROVIDER IS GOING HIGHER AND HIGHER AND HIGHER, THEY MAY BE PASSING THAT THROUGH EVERY YEAR.
YOU MAY ALSO HAVE SOME CITIES ON HERE THAT ARE NOT CAPTURING WASTEWATER COSTS SOLELY IN THE WASTEWATER BILL, THEY MAY BE CAPTURING IT IN THE WATER BILL.
BECAUSE AGAIN, AT THE END OF THE DAY, WHAT DO CUSTOMER'S LOOK AT, THEY LOOK AT THAT TOTAL BILL, SO THERE COULD BE ANY NUMBER OF REASONS FOR THAT.
WHEN YOU LOOK AT IT, REALLY, IF YOU BACK UP, TREATING A UNIT OF WASTEWATER IN SOME CASES IS MORE EXPENSIVE THAN GETTING A UNIT OF WATER.
IF YOU'VE NEVER BEEN TO A WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANT, HIGHLY RECOMMEND YOU GO.
IT'S AN AMAZING PROCESS, IT'S AN EXPENSIVE PROCESS.
OTHER QUESTIONS I CAN ANSWER FOR YOU THIS EVENING? WITH THAT, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR TIME.
>> MOVING ON TO STORMWATER UTILITY FUND.
ONGOING REVENUES ARE 1.8 MILLION, ONGOING EXPENDITURES ARE ALMOST 1.7 MILLION, AND THEN ONE-TIME EXPENDITURES ARE 35,000.
THERE ARE 13 FTES IN THIS FUND.
THE DECISION PACKAGES TOTAL $56,791 AND OF THAT 62% IS ONE-TIME COST.
HISTORICALLY STORMWATER RATES WERE INCREASED EVERY OTHER YEAR BASED OF THE CONSUMER PRICE INDEX.
THIS CURRENT FISCAL YEAR, YOU FUNDED A STORMWATER RATE STUDY TO ANALYZE THE RATE STRUCTURE.
[00:55:02]
CHRIS' COMPANY IS ALSO DOING THAT STUDY.THE STUDY IS STILL ONGOING, SO THE RESULTS WILL BE IMPLEMENTED IN THE NEXT BUDGET.
LOOKING AT THE STORMWATER UTILITY FUND BALANCE, THE FINANCIAL POLICIES SAY THAT REVENUES COLLECTED IN EXCESS OF THE 60 DAY LEVELS, 16.7% WILL BE USED FOR THE CIP IN LIEU OF ISSUING DEBT.
THE MINIMUM IS 8.3%, SO THIS YEAR WE INCLUDED $100,000 TRANSFER TO THE CIP.
>> I'M SORRY TO INTERRUPT, CAN GO BACK ONE.
BY ISSUING $100,000 TO THE CIP, DOES THAT BRING US DOWN TO THE 60 DAY LEVEL OR IS IT LOWER THAN THAT?
>> IT BRINGS US TO THE 60 DAY LEVEL.
>> BECAUSE THE RATE STUDY IS ONGOING.
WE DIDN'T WANT TO DO TOO MUCH WITH THIS FUN THIS YEAR JUST BECAUSE OF THE UNCERTAINTY SO THEN NEXT YEAR WE WILL RE-LOOK AT IT.
>> MOVING ON TO INTERNAL SERVICE FUNDS, SO THESE FUNDS ACCOUNT FOR THE FINANCING OF GOODS OR SERVICES PROVIDED BY ONE DEPARTMENT FOR ANOTHER.
WE HAVE FOR INTERNAL SERVICE FUNDS.
WE HAVE THE VEHICLE AND EQUIPMENT REPLACEMENT FUND, KNOWN AS THE VRF.
WE HAVE A TECHNOLOGY REPLACEMENT FUND, WHICH IS A IT FUND.
WE HAVE THE SMALL EQUIPMENT REPLACEMENT FUND AND THEN WE HAVE THE HEALTH FLEX FUND, WHICH IS THE EMPLOYEES AND SHIRTS.
I WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT THIS SMALL EQUIPMENT REPLACEMENT FUND.
THIS WAS ESTABLISHED IN THIS BUDGET.
THIS IS FOR POLICE AND FIRE EQUIPMENT, TYPICALLY RADIOS, FIRE AS SCBAS OR OTHER SMALL EQUIPMENT THAT WE IDENTIFY THAT NEEDED TO BE IN HERE.
THIS WAS CREATED AS A REPLACEMENT FUND TO LESSEN THE BURDEN OF HIGH EXPENDITURES DURING ANY SINGLE YEAR.
IF YOU REMEMBER THE LAST COUPLE OF MONTHS, WE HAVE BROUGHT FORWARD SOME LARGE ITEMS FOR POLICE AND FIRE THAT NEEDED TO BE REPLACED.
THIS REPLACEMENT FUND IS A WAY THAT WE DON'T HAVE TO BRING THOSE ONE-TIME ITEMS TO YOU ANYMORE.
WE CAN PLAN FOR IT AND BE STRATEGIC ABOUT THIS AND WE CAN SAVE FOR THE FUTURE.
THE SPECIAL REVENUE FUNDS, THESE ACCOUNT FOR THE ACCUMULATION AND DISBURSEMENT OF RESTRICTED RESOURCES.
ALL OF THESE FUNDS ARE RESTRICTED EITHER BY LAW, BY GRANTS, SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
MANY OF THESE FUNDS COLLECT REVENUE ONE YEAR TO BE SPENT IN FUTURE YEARS.
THAT'S WHY WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE REVENUES AND EXPENDITURES THAT ARE BUDGETED, THEY DON'T NECESSARILY MATCH UP SO YOU HAVE TO LOOK AT THE DETAIL SHEET FOR EACH OF THESE TO UNDERSTAND WHAT'S GOING ON WITH THESE BUDGETS.
WE WILL HIGHLIGHT TWO OF THESE.
THE FIRST IS THE CRIME CONTROL AND PREVENTION DISTRICT.
THE PROPOSED BUDGET, THE REVENUES ARE ABOUT 4.9 MILLION AND THE EXPENDITURES ARE ABOUT 4.6 MILLION.
THERE ARE 36.5 FTES IN THIS FUND.
THE COMPENSATION PACKAGE IS ABOUT 77,745, AND THIS FUND ONLY INCLUDES SALARIES.
WE DO NOT HAVE ANY OPERATING BUDGET IN THIS FUND, BUT WE DO USE SOME OF THE FUND BALANCE TO FUND SOME OF THE DECISION PACKAGES OR NON-DISCRETIONARY PACKAGES THAT THE DEPARTMENT BROUGHT FORWARD.
THIS YEAR WE USED IT TO FUND THREE PATROL UNITS AND THEN ALSO SOME POLICE EQUIPMENT THAT THEY NEEDED.
>> CAN YOU GO BACK ONE? ON THE REVENUES THAT LOOKS LIKE WE'RE TOLD THE TOTAL REVENUES ARE DOWN 18%.
IS THAT A CONCERN? I KNOW WE GENERATE REVENUE ONE YEAR, WE SPEND IT THE NEXT YEAR.
BUT ON ON A REVENUE FORECAST BEING DOWN 18%, I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT NOBODY WAS CONCERNED ABOUT THAT.
ESPECIALLY IF YOU LOOK AT THE EXPENDITURES, THE EXPENDITURES EXCEED THE ESTIMATED REVENUE BY 8,000, SO FROM A BUSINESS STANDPOINT, IF SOMEONE WAS PRESENTING THIS TO ME, I WOULD BE A LITTLE BIT CONCERNED.
I KNOW THAT'S NOT WHAT'S SHOWING ON YOUR SLIDE THAT'S WHY I WANTED TO STOP YOU THERE BECAUSE THAT'S DIFFERENT THAN WHAT'S ON 417 IN THE BUDGET, IT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE RIGHT THIS MINUTE, BUT THOSE ARE JUST SOME BIG NEGATIVE NUMBERS.
>> I THINK I CAN ADDRESS THAT MOST OF THESE FUNDS, THERE'S NOT LIKE A SET REVENUE SOURCE.
THERE IS A SET REVENUE SOURCE, BUT IT'S NOT LIKE AN ANNUAL THING.
IT'S NOT LIKE SALES TAX WHERE YOU'RE PROBABLY GOING TO INCREASE EVERY YEAR.
THE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT BLOCK GRANT, WE GET A DIFFERENT AMOUNT EVERY YEAR. THE GRANT FUNDS.
WE RECEIVED SOME GRANTS ONE YEAR AND MAYBE MORE OR LESS ON ANOTHER YEAR.
[01:00:08]
THE COVID-19 FUND WE HAD RECEIVED QUITE A BIT OF FUNDING IN THAT OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS AND THAT WILL PROBABLY ZERO OUT AFTER THIS YEAR.>> YEAH, TAMMY, SO YOU'VE GOT THE CODE FUND THEN YOU HAVE THE PARK DEVELOPMENT IN THE TREE PRESERVATION RATE.
IF IT'S GRANT FUNDING THAT'S DROPPING OFF AND THINGS LIKE THAT, I WAS JUST LOOKING FOR THAT EXPLANATION ON IF THE REVENUE ITSELF IS VOLATILE AND YOU CAN'T COUNT ON IT YEAR-TO-YEAR I GET IT WHY WE HAVE THE FUND BALANCE.
>> I WAS JUST CURIOUS IF WE'RE EXPECTED TO SEE THOSE GO BACK UP BECAUSE OVER THE PREVIOUS YEARS IT LOOKS LIKE THEY'RE BIG AND THEN THEY GET SMALL AND THEN THEY GET BIG AND THEN THEY GET SMALL.
HOPEFULLY THE PROJECTION FOR THE NEXT BUDGET WILL BE BACK ON TRACK.
>> YES. NOW LET'S TALK ABOUT POLICE. SORRY.
>> [LAUGHTER] THE FIRE CONTROL PREVENTION AND EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES TO DISTRICT.
THE REVENUES ARE ABOUT 4.8 MILLION, EXPENDITURE IS ABOUT 3.7 MILLION.
THERE ARE 23 FTES IN THIS, SO THIS IS THE SAME WAY WITH THE CRIME DISTRICT WHERE WE JUST HAVE POSITIONS IN THIS FUND AND THEN WE USE THE FUND BALANCE FOR ONETIME COST.
WE HAVE A COUPLE OF NON-DISCRETIONARY PACKAGES AND DECISION PACKAGE IN THIS FUND.
THE DECISION PACKAGE IS THE RE-CLASS OF THE POSITION.
THIS IS THE AMERICAN RESCUE PLAN ACT.
THIS IS THE LARGEST COVID GRANT THAT WE RECEIVED.
THE FUNDS MUST BE OBLIGATED BY DECEMBER 31ST, 2024 MEANING THEY MUST BE ON SOME TYPE OF P0, SHOWING THEIR INTENDED PURPOSE, THEN THEY MUST BE EXPENDED BY DECEMBER 31ST, 2026.
THE ARPA FINAL RULE ALLOWS LOCAL GOVERNMENTS TO UTILIZE THEIR ENTIRE AWARD UP TO $10 MILLION FOR PROVISIONS OF GOVERNMENT SERVICES.
THERE ARE VERY MINIMAL RESTRICTIONS ON THESE FUNDS BECAUSE OUR AWARD IS LESS THAN 10 MILLION.
LAST FISCAL YEAR, WE BUDGETED THIS GRANT AND YOU CAN SEE IN THE CHART, THIS IS HOW WE BUDGETED.
WE HAD VARIOUS FACILITY PROJECTS.
WE HAD A POLICE PROJECT FOR A MOTOROLA CONSOLE AND RADIOS.
WE TRANSFERRED SOME TO OUR EMPLOYEE HEALTH INSURANCE TO COVER THE COST OF SOME OF OUR COVID CLAIMS. WE HAD THE FIRE JOINT TRAINING FACILITY IN THIS BUDGET.
WE ALSO HAD SOME CIP PROJECTS, THE FM 407 AT 2499 INTERSECTION DESIGN, MORRISS WATER LINE PHASE 3, ABERDEEN DRIVE PHASE II, AND THEN THE SIGNALS AT FM 1171 IN CANYON FALLS, AND THE SIGNAL AT GARDEN RIDGE AND FOREST VISTA.
THE FINAL ONE, YOU CAN SEE THAT WE BUDGETED $2,060,000 FOR THE RANGEWOOD STORMWATER PROJECT.
THIS PROJECT HAS CHANGED SCOPES BECAUSE DOUBLE OAK WAS ABLE TO RECEIVE FUNDING FROM DENTON COUNTY.
THE WAY I WAS EXPLAINED IT IS THAT IF WE DID OUR PROJECT, DOUBLE OAK WOULD BASICALLY UNDO IT TO DO THEIR PROJECT. WE DON'T WANT TO DO THAT.
WE WERE GIVEN THIS MONEY BACK FROM CIP AND WE'RE ABLE TO REALLOCATE IT TO DIFFERENT PROJECTS.
SO FAR OUR PLAN, WE TRANSFERRED AN ADDITIONAL AMOUNT TO OUR HEALTH FUND FOR COVID CLAIMS. THIS IS THE MAX THAT WE'RE ALLOWED TO REIMBURSE OURSELVES FOR THESE CLAIMS. WE ALSO ALLOCATED AN ADDITIONAL AMOUNT FOR THE FIRE JOINT TRAINING FACILITY BECAUSE OF PRICE INCREASES, THEY NEED AN ADDITIONAL AMOUNT.
WE ALSO HAVE A COUPLE OF PIECES OF EQUIPMENT FOR PUBLIC WORKS.
THESE WERE SUBMITTED AS DECISION PACKAGES FOR PUBLIC WORKS.
WE IDENTIFIED THIS AS A GREAT FUNDING SOURCE FOR THESE PIECES OF EQUIPMENT.
THEN AS YOU CAN SEE AT THE BOTTOM OF THE SCREEN, WE STILL HAVE AN ADDITIONAL $602,635 IN ARPA FUNDING THAT WE HAVE NOT ALLOCATED TO ANYTHING.
OVER THE NEXT COUPLE OF MONTHS, WE WILL BE WORKING WITH JAMES TO FIGURE OUT A STRATEGY OF HOW TO USE THIS MONEY.
>> IF I CAN INTERJECT. YOU'RE SEEING FIRE JOINT TRAINING FACILITY COME UP QUITE A BIT.
ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE ARE GOING TO BRING IT IN FRONT OF YOU IS, I'M WORKING WITH MY COUNTERPARTS IN BOTH LEWISVILLE AND HIGHLAND VILLAGE ABOUT SOME PRICE INCREASES THAT ARE ASSOCIATED WITH THIS.
YOU'RE SEEING IT HERE, YOU'LL SEE IT IN CIP ALSO, BUT WE'RE GOING TO BRING AN ITEM BEFORE YOU PROBABLY ENDED SEPTEMBER MEETING IT KIND OF ENCAPSULATE EVERYTHING WE HAVE TO DO TO FINISH THAT PARTICULAR PROJECT OUT.
THE GOOD NEWS IS THAT WE'VE IDENTIFIED EXISTING FUNDING SOURCES TO DO THAT.
[01:05:02]
WE'RE NOT SPENDING GENERAL FUNDS OR ANYTHING ELSE ALONG THOSE LINES.BUT I JUST WANTED TO GET AHEAD AND LET YOU KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON BECAUSE YOU'RE GOING TO SEE THAT MORE AND MORE.
WE'LL HAVE A MORE IN-DEPTH CONVERSATION AND YOU ALL WILL TAKE ACTION ON THAT HERE IN THE NEXT COUPLE OF MEETINGS.
>> MOVING ON TO THE DEBT SERVICE FUND.
THIS IS THE FUND USED TO ACCOUNT FOR THE MONEY SET ASIDE FOR THE PAYMENT OF INTEREST AND PRINCIPLE TO HOLDERS OF THE TOWN'S GENERAL OBLIGATION BONDS.
THIS NEXT FISCAL YEAR, OUR PAYMENT WILL BE $6,134,989.
AS A REMINDER, THIS IS THE INTEREST AND SINKING PORTION OF THE TAX RATE THAT PAYS THIS DEBT.
LOOKING AT NEXT STEPS, AUGUST 21ST IS THE PUBLIC HEARING ON THE PROPOSED BUDGETS FOR THE TOWN CRIME DISTRICT AND FIRE DISTRICT.
THEN SEPTEMBER 18TH, WE HAVE THE PUBLIC HEARING ON THE TAX RATE.
THEN WE WILL HAVE BUDGET ADOPTION FOR TOWN, CRIME DISTRICT AND FIRE DISTRICT.
THEN WE WILL HAVE THE TAX RATE ADOPTION.
JUST A NOTE THAT I WILL PUT THIS PRESENTATION ON THE WEBSITE TOMORROW MORNING.
IF ANYBODY WANTS A COPY OF IT, IT'LL BE THERE.
IF YOU-ALL HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, WE CAN ADDRESS THEM NOW OR BRIAN IS READY TO COME UP AND TALK ABOUT THE CIP?
>> COUNCIL I HAVE A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS, BUT.
>> I'M LOOKING THROUGH THE BACK PART AND IT CAUGHT MY ATTENTION AS YOU GUYS ARE GOING THROUGH.
IF IT'S POSSIBLE AFTERWARDS TO MEET WITH SOMEONE OR GET A COPY OF 5110 IS YOUR WBS OR CLEAN FOR EACH DEPARTMENT ON CONTRACTUAL AND FEES.
I NOTICED THAT FOR EACH DEPARTMENTAL OF BUDGET, THERE'S ALMOST AN EQUAL AMOUNT BEING SPENT ON CONTRACTORS.
I'M JUST A LITTLE BIT CONCERNED ABOUT THAT BECAUSE IN MY LINE OF WORK, WE KNOW THAT GOVERNMENT CONTRACTORS ARE TYPICALLY NOT AS REGULATED AS TOWN EMPLOYEES AND WHEN THEY'RE CONDUCTING BUSINESS.
I JUST KIND OF WANTED A LITTLE SUMMARY OF MAYBE AFTERWARDS. WHAT'S THE TOTAL? BECAUSE IT LOOKS LIKE IT'S A PRETTY BIG TOTAL OF CONTRACTS AND STUFF.
EACH DEPARTMENT I JUST WOULD LIKE TO HELP SEE IF STAFF CAN HELP EXPLAIN PARKS AND RECORD IS ALMOST OVER TWO MILLION IN GOVERNMENT CONTRACTS.
I GET MOWING AND I GET CERTAIN THINGS LIKE THAT.
THERE'S LEISURE AND SERVICE MANAGEMENT, THERE'S A $500,000 CONTRACT.
THE CABIN, IT LOOKS LIKE THERE'S A $250,000 CONTRACT.
IF I COULD JUST FOR PEACE OF MIND BECAUSE THAT'S JUST A LOT OF MONEY.
I KNOW WE HAVE A GOOD PROCUREMENT DEPARTMENT AND I'M SURE WE'RE DOING COMPETITIVE AWARDS.
I'M SURE WE'RE FOLLOWING ALL THAT PROCUREMENT STUFF.
BUT TO ME, THAT'S MORE THAN I THOUGHT THE TOWN WAS DOING GOVERNMENT CONTRACTS.
WE CAN JUST TAKE A LOOK AT THAT.
>> SURE. NOW, WE'LL TAKE A LOOK AND GET BACK WITH YOU.
>> SURELY THERE'S MORE QUESTIONS.
>> [OVERLAPPING] SOME OF US MET EARLIER. [OVERLAPPING]
>> I ALREADY SPENT 2.5 HOURS WITH THEM MAYOR, [LAUGHTER].[OVERLAPPING] I DON'T WANT TO PUT THEM AND YOU THROUGH THAT AGAIN. [LAUGHTER]
>> MADE IT THIS FAR. IT'S ONLY SEVEN OR EIGHT.
>> IT'S ONLY ABOUT 125 MORE TO GO THOUGH.
>> YOU GUYS BUCKLED IN? I'M JUST JOKING.
>> DO WE NEED A RECESS? [LAUGHTER].
>> THE CHANGES SINCE PROPOSED BUDGET.
AS WE GO THROUGH THE PRESENTATION, ANY OF THE CHANGES THAT KAY MENTIONED EARLIER, AND WE'LL DETAIL THEM ON HERE, THERE'LL BE IN RED.
SHE MENTIONED THE $4.5 MILLION TRANSFER.
THOSE FUNDS WERE UTILIZED TO REPLACE UTILITY DEBT, IDENTIFY WHERE THOSE WERE.
THEN ON THE CAPITAL PLAN, THOSE FUNDS WILL BE SHOWN AS OTHER SOURCES, SO A TWO AND THE OTHER SOURCES ON THE FIVE YEAR CAPITAL PLAN.
THIS IS AN OVERVIEW OF THE STREETS PROJECTS.
IT'S TAKEN DIRECTLY FROM THE CAPITAL PLAN, SO IT'S NOT NOTHING YOU HAVEN'T SEEN.
THIS IS A KIRKPATRICK LANE PHASE III, IS OUR FIRST PROJECT SOUTH OF 1171.
AS YOU CAN SEE ON THE MAP, IT'S A CONNECTION OF KIRKPATRICK LANE AS IT FILLING IN THAT GAP.
URBAN MINOR ARTERIAL FROM SPANISH OAK DRIVE TO BLUESKY LANE.
TO CONNECTIVITY PROJECT, THERE'S ALSO AN ASSOCIATED SIGNAL THAT WOULD GO IN WITH THIS PROJECT.
TOTAL PROJECT COST $12.4 MILLION.
WE WOULD ASK THIS YEAR FOR DESIGN COST OF $1.2 MILLION.
THAT FUNDING SOURCE WOULD BE IMPACT FEES AND THEN FUTURE FUNDING WOULD BE
[01:10:03]
IMPACT FEES AND TRIP 22 OR COUNTY BOND, ELECTION FUNDS.I KNOW THERE HAS BEEN SOME RECENT DISCUSSION ON THIS PROJECT.
WE'RE JUST GET SOME FEEDBACK SPECIFICALLY.
IF THIS IS A PROJECT COUNCIL WANTS TO SEE MOVE FORWARD OR IF THERE'S ANY OTHER IDEAS.
>> I DON'T THINK WE NEED TO KEEP KICKING THE CAN DOWN THE ROAD.
I THINK WE CAN JUST TAKE THIS OFF OF THE CIP.
WE'VE HEARD FROM THE PUBLIC, THEY'RE NOT INTERESTED.
IT'S TOO MUCH ECOLOGICAL IMPACT.
I WOULD BE VERY MUCH IN FAVOR OF JUST PULLING THE PLUG ON IT NOW.
>> I TEND TO AGREE BASED ON ALL THOSE FACTS.
WHEN I LOOK AT A PROJECT, I WANT TO KNOW WHAT THE POTENTIAL VALUE IS VERSUS THE COST.
I THINK THE COSTS ARE JUST WAY TOO HIGH FOR THE LIKELY VALUE THAT IS PRESENTED HERE.
>> YEAH. I'M IN THE SAME VOTE.
I DON'T THINK IT HAS ENOUGH VALUE TO PROVIDE BENEFIT FOR THE TOWN AND IN THE LOCAL RESIDENCE RIGHT THERE. I WOULD LIKE TO REMOVE IT.
>> I'D LIKE TO SEE MYSELF THE IMPACT WHO ARE IMPACT FEES IS GOING TO BE IN OUR BALANCE THERE.
I THINK IT WARRANTS A LITTLE BIT LONGER DISCUSSION.
WE HEARD FROM SOME RESIDENTS, YES.
BUT THERE'S A WHOLE LOT OF RESIDENTS THAT WE HAVEN'T HEARD FROM EITHER.
RATHER THAN LISTENING TO 30 RESIDENTS OR SO, I THINK THAT THERE'S MORE OF THE PUBLIC THAT MAY BENEFIT FROM THAT AS WELL.
>> WHAT PART OF THE REASON WHY I HAVE THIS OPINION, IS THAT OUR OWN DATA PROJECTS A VERY LOW VOLUME OF TRAFFIC ON THIS ROAD.
IT'S ONE OF THE LOWEST CATEGORIES THAT WE HAVE.
IT JUST DOESN'T SEEM LIKE THERE'S A PATH FORWARD FOR THIS PROJECT TO ME.
>> I THINK THERE ARE SOME OTHER AREAS WHERE WE MAY BE ABLE TO USE THOSE IMPACT FEES ELSEWHERE.
TIFFANY, I THINK YOU MENTIONED THAT. [OVERLAPPING]
>> THE IMPACT FEE BALANCE IN AREA A FOR THAT.
I'M GOING TO SAY PROBABLY FOUR YEARS AGO.
[NOISE] WE EXTENDED WINDSOR DRIVE TO CURVE OVER TO WEST WINDSOR.
IT WAS A RELATIVELY SMALL PROJECT, IS $325,000 OR SOMETHING OF THAT NATURE.
THE MAJORITY OF RESIDENTS AT THE TIME WERE, OH MY GOD, YOU'RE GOING TO KILL US WITH ALL THIS THROUGH TRAFFIC, WHAT THEY WERE TALKING ABOUT.
THAT AREA WAS AN ABSOLUTE MESS IN FRONT OF FLOWER MOUND ELEMENTARY SCHOOL.
ESPECIALLY AT DROP-OFF AND PICKUP TIMES.
BECAUSE THE SCHOOL BUSES COULDN'T GET AROUND, IT JUST CREATED A LOGISTICAL NIGHTMARE OVER THAT AREA.
MUCH IN MANY WAYS IS THIS SETUP DOES AS WELL.
MY IN-LAWS LIVE IN WESTCHESTER.
WE GO BY THERE AND AROUND THAT AREA.
I WILL TELL YOU THAT, THAT INVESTMENT THAT WE MADE TO CONNECT THOSE TWO ROADS, HAS MADE HUGE DIFFERENCE IN THAT AREA.
WHEN YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT SCHOOL PICKUP TIMES AND SO FORTH.
WHEN THE BUSES CAN LINE UP PROPERLY, AND THEY DON'T CLOG UP IN FRONT OF THE SCHOOL AREA.
I THINK IN SOME WAYS THAT THIS WOULD BE A HUGE BENEFIT TOO.
PEOPLE DON'T ENVISION THAT BENEFIT THERE.
I THINK THAT IT WOULD REALLY HAPPEN.
AGAIN, I'D LIKE TO EXPLORE IT MORE.
>> YEAH. I DON'T SEE THE BENEFIT AT THIS PRICE TAG.
I HAVE HEARD THAT THERE HAS BEEN SOME TALK ABOUT SOME MINIMAL IMPACTS AND IMPROVEMENTS.
BUT AS YOU MENTIONED, THE TRAFFIC THAT'S PROJECTED TO GO THROUGH THIS IS NOT THAT HIGH.
I THINK [NOISE] MY BIG CONCERNS I DO SHARE JIM'S CONCERNED WITH THE IMPACT FEES.
HOW DO WE HANDLE THAT, AND ALSO THE IMPACTS WITH THE COUNTY WITH TRIP 22.
I KNOW THAT'S NOT OUR DECISION.
I THINK THAT GOES BACK TO THE COUNTY.
THEY CAN ALLOCATE THAT AS THEY SEE FIT.
BUT I TEND TO AGREE THAT THE PRICE TAG IS NOT WORTH IT FOR THIS.
>> I'M JUST GOING TO THROW OUT THAT THERE'S ANOTHER POTENTIAL USE FOR THIS AREA PARK TRAIL USE THAT COULD BE REALLY SPECTACULAR.
NOW, I UNDERSTAND THE MAYOR PRO TEMP'S POINT ABOUT HOW IT CAN IMPACT TRAFFIC.
BUT IT COULD REALLY IMPACT OUR TRAIL SYSTEM VERY POSITIVELY.
I THINK THAT'S A BETTER AND HIGHER USE FOR THIS LANE.
>> TIFFANY, DID YOU SAY YOU ARE ABLE TO TELL US NOW ABOUT THE IMPACT FEES AND HOW THEY MAY BE REALLOCATED.
THE SECOND SLIDE FOR THE NEXT PROJECT.
[01:15:02]
YOU CAN TRANSITION TO THAT.I GUESS DIRECTION ON KIRKPATRICK THEN WE HAD SPOKE BEFORE ABOUT MAYBE TAKING THAT TO TRANSPORTATION COMMISSION FOR MORE PUBLIC INPUT.
CONSIDERATION OF WHETHER THEY WOULD RECOMMEND A THOROUGH PLAN AMENDMENT THAT WOULD REMOVE THAT PROJECT.
IS THAT NEXT STEPS, THAT YOU'D LIKE TO DO WITH THIS PROJECT.
THEN HAVE BRIAN KEEP GOING AND MAY BE TALK ABOUT HOW IMPACT FEES WOULD BE AFFECTED IF WE DID MOVE FORWARD WITH THAT OR GOT TO RECOMMENDATION FOR THAT.
>> WHAT WOULD BE THE TIMING ON THAT VERSUS WHEN WE WOULD HAVE TO COMMIT THE $1.2 MILLION TO THE DESIGN THIS YEAR?
>> YEAH. I THINK A GOOD OPPORTUNITY RIGHT NOW WOULD BE IF THE DECISION ISN'T MADE, WHETHER OR NOT THE PROJECT IS GOING TO MOVE FORWARD NOW.
WE COULD TAKE THAT $1.2 MILLION AND MOVE IT INTO THE NEXT FISCAL YEAR.
NOT THIS ONE WE'RE TALKING ABOUT NOW, BUT THE FOLLOWING ONE.
THAT WAY THE FUNDING STILL SHOWS IN THE CAPITAL PLAN.
THE DECISION HASN'T BEEN MADE.
WHATEVER THE RECOMMENDATION IS BY TRANSPORTATION COMMISSION.
FOLLOWING THE DECISION BY COUNCIL, WE CAN EITHER REMOVE THE PROJECT THEN OR WE CAN MOVE FORWARD WITH DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION IN THE SAME YEAR.
>> IS THE CHOICE YOU'RE GIVING US TIFFANY TO REMAND DOWN TO TRANSPORTATION OR JUST GO AHEAD AND MAKE A DECISION RIGHT NOW?
>> YOU WOULD HAVE TO GO THROUGH THAT PROCESS FOR A THOROUGHFARE PLAN AMENDMENT.
ANYWAY, WHAT BRIAN'S SUGGESTION IS RIGHT NOW WITH THIS BUDGET, THERE IS SHOWN DESIGNED FOR THIS PROJECT AND CONSTRUCTION IN THE FOLLOWING FISCAL YEAR.
WHAT WE WOULD DO IS TAKE THAT DESIGN AND BUMPING INTO THAT CONSTRUCTION TOGETHER.
THAT WOULD GIVE US MORE TIME TO MAKE A DECISION.
WE WOULDN'T BE FUNDING ANYTHING THIS YEAR.
THEN IF THE DECISION WAS MADE TO REMOVE THE PROJECT.
THEN WE WOULD REALLOCATE THOSE IMPACT FEES PART IN NEXT FISCAL YEAR.
>> YES. THEN WE START THE PROCESS OF A THOROUGHFARE PLAN AMENDMENT AND MOVE THE SPENDING TO THE NEXT FISCAL YEAR?
>> I AGREE. IF THERE ARE UNSEEN BENEFITS THAT WE'RE NOT SEEING, I'D LIKE TO SEE THAT.
BECAUSE I JUST DON'T SEE THE BENEFITS THAT MUCH.
>> I THINK TO THE TRANSPORTATION COMMISSION, WHAT WE WOULD DO IS PUT TOGETHER A THOROUGH PRESENTATION.
WE HAD BROUGHT ONE TO YOU BEFORE.
BUT YOU WOULD ASK FOR A COUPLE MORE THINGS AS FAR AS EMERGENCY ACCESS AND WHAT HAPPENS WITH TRAILS.
WITH THAT THOROUGHFARE PLAN AMENDMENT, WE WOULD PROVIDE A LOT OF INFORMATION.
IF THE PUBLIC WANTED TO WAY IN, WE WOULD FOLLOW THAT PRESENTATION THROUGH.
>> THAT'D BE PERFECT. THANK YOU.
>> THIS IS GOING TO SOUND CRAZY.
IF WE'RE TALKING ABOUT NOT SPENDING MONEY ON A PARTICULAR PROJECT, I THINK IT'S $1.2 MILLION.
IS IT POSSIBLE TO, INSTEAD OF JUST PUTTING THE MONEY BACK IN SOMEWHERE.
THEN IT GETS DILUTED AND THEN SOMEONE FORGETS ABOUT IT.
CAN WE PUT IT INTO A PARK RIGHT THERE?
>> IT CAN'T GO INTO PARK, BUT BRIAN'S GOING TO TELL YOU ON THE NEXT SLIDE WHAT WE MIGHT BE TO DO.
>> I THINK WE HAVE A DIRECTION ON THAT, KIRKPATRICK.
THIS ONE'S LAKESIDE PARKWAY CAPACITY IMPROVEMENT.
>> THIS IS A CONSTRUCTION PORTION OF WIDENING OF THE EXISTING BEFORE LAYING CONCRETE ROAD TO THE SIXTH LANE MAJOR ARTERIAL IN ACCORDANCE WITH OUR THOROUGHFARE PLAN.
IT'S A CAPACITY RELATED PROJECT.
TOTAL PROJECT COST ESTIMATED RIGHT NOW IS JUST UNDER $10 MILLION.
I WOULD SHOW THAT $8.75 MILLION IF FOR THE 2023/24 COSTS, THE PREVIOUS COST.
THE DIFFERENCE WOULD BE THE AMOUNT THAT WAS APPROVED FOR DESIGN LAST YEAR.
WE HAVE THE 2023/24 FUNDING SHOWING $3.48 MILLION OF IMPACT FEES, $4.27 MILLION OF TRIP $22, AND CURRENTLY SHOWING A MILLION DOLLARS IN DEBT.
DEPENDING ON WHAT HAPPENS WITH KIRKPATRICK, WE COULD PROBABLY UTILIZE SOME OF THE OTHER FUNDING TO PICK OR I GUESS REMOVE THAT MILLION DOLLARS IN DEBT AND REPLACE IT WITH ANOTHER FUNDING SOURCE.
>> WHAT YOU COULD DO [OVERLAPPING] FUNDING, TAKE THE DEBT COMPLETELY OUT.
TAKE THE $1.2 MILLION THAT YOU'RE GOING TO SPEND ON THE PLANS FOR KIRKPATRICK.
>> NOW THIS IS NOT ALL TOWN FLOWER MOUND.
>> WHERE TO RE-COORDINATE WITH CAPEL-LE-FERNE TOO
>> CAPEL-LE-FERNE GRAPEVINE. WE'VE ALREADY STARTED CONVERSATIONS WITH THEM.
>> WE GOT A ROADWAY AMENITIES PROJECT.
THIS IS OUR ANNUAL PROJECT OF $90,000, PROVIDES FUNDING FOR MINOR BUT NECESSARY ROADWAY CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS.
WHEN A SPECIFIC CAPITAL PROJECT IS INACTIVE, WE GOT SIMILAR PROJECTS OR A PAST PROJECTS FOR OUR GREEN RIBBON PROJECTS, OUR QUIET ZONE IMPROVEMENTS.
WE'VE GOT STATE AND COUNTY PROJECT ENHANCEMENTS AND THEN STATE AND COUNTY COORDINATION EFFORTS.
LIKE I SAID, IT'S $90,000 ANNUALLY.
THIS ONE IS A DECISION PACKAGE, SO IT'S PAID FOR OUT OF THE GENERAL FUND.
THEN ON THE FUTURE FUNDING ON OUR CAPITAL PLAN WE SHOWED DEBT ANNUALLY, BUT WE LOOK AT IT EVERY YEAR FOR THAT DECISION PACKAGE, AND IF WE CAN FUND IT THAT WAY, WE WILL.
SCENIC ROAD. SO THIS IS THE ACTUAL RIGHT OF WAY PURCHASE FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF SCENIC ROAD NORTH OF WALSINGHAM DRIVE.
[01:20:02]
THIS IS SPECIFIC TO THE TOWN LAKE PHASE 5 DEVELOPMENT.IT'S THIS DEVELOPMENT RIGHT HERE THAT'S COMING IN.
WE WOULD BE PURCHASING THE RIGHT OF WAY THAT IS NOT BEING DEDICATED BY TOWN LAKE, SO IT WOULD BE THE RIGHT OF WAY, THEY CIRCLE OUR RANCH AND THEN THIS PROPERTY OWNER HERE ON THE SOUTH SIDE OF THE ROAD.
THE TOTAL PROJECT COST SHOWN THERE IS THE 2.4 MILLION, THAT IS AN ESTIMATED AMOUNT.
IT DEPENDS ON TRAFFIC IMPACT ANALYSIS.
IT DEPENDS ON WHAT COMES BACK WITH A DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENT THROUGH TOWN LAKE PHASE 5, THAT'LL BE ADJUSTED WHEN THAT TOWN LAKE OR WHEN THAT DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENT IS APPROVED.
BUT THE 400,000 IS WHAT WE'RE ASKING YOU FOR NEXT YEAR AND THAT'S SPECIFIC TO PURCHASE RIGHT OF WAY.
>> LAST MEETING, WE KICKED BACK TO TRANSPORTATION TO TALK ABOUT THE WIDTH IF YOU WILL SCENIC GOING FORWARD.
THAT PROBABLY DOESN'T HAVE ANY IMPACT TO THIS SECTION AS MUCH AS IT DOES THE FURTHER SOUTH SECTIONS, BUT COULD THERE BE SOME IMPACT TO THESE NUMBERS FROM THAT?
>> POSSIBLY. THE RIGHT OF WAY ACQUISITION COULD CHANGE A LITTLE BIT.
BUT LIKE YOU SAID ON THIS SECTION, THIS IS WHERE EVERYBODY IS COLLECTING AND GOING UP TO 1171, AND WE DON'T ANTICIPATE THIS SECTION CHANGING, BUT IF IT DOES, OBVIOUSLY WE WOULD JUST PURCHASE LESS RIGHT OF WAY.
WE'VE GOT SIDEWALK LINKS PROJECT.
THIS IS THE ANNUAL PROJECT RECOMMENDED BY THE TRANSPORTATION COMMISSION FOR THE DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION OF SIDEWALKS TO ADDRESS GAPS IN THE SYSTEM AS ANNUAL PROJECT, $150,000.
THIS IS ALSO A DECISION PACKAGE PROJECT.
SAME THING WITH WE SHOWED DEBT IN THE FUTURE, BUT WE WOULD USE DECISION PACKAGE OR GENERAL FUND DOLLARS IF AVAILABLE.
TRANSPORTATION COMMISSION HAS RECOMMENDED FM 3040 WEST OF TEALWOOD LANE, IS THIS YEAR'S FOCUS.
THEN I HAVE FUTURE SIDEWALK LINKS.
I KNOW THERE ARE MORE GAPS IN THE SYSTEM THAN THIS, BUT THIS IS JUST WHAT HAS BEEN IDENTIFIED AND WHAT THE CURRENT PRIORITIES ARE AS WE GO DOWN THE LIST, AND TYPICALLY TRANSPORTATION COMMISSION JUST PICKS A SECTION OFF THIS LIST, WHAT THEY THINK IS THE HIGHEST PRIORITY FOR THEM.
NOT HIGHLIGHT THE BOLD ONE IS WHAT WE'LL BE DOING THIS YEAR.
WE ALSO HAVE STREET LIGHT IMPROVEMENTS, ANOTHER ANNUAL PROJECT.
THE AMOUNT VARIES, THIS YEAR WE'RE ASKING FOR 75,000.
THIS IS FOR STREET LIGHT IMPROVEMENTS BASED ON REQUESTED OR FOR SAFETY AT INTERSECTIONS.
THE CURRENT LOCATIONS, THERE'S FOUR OF THEM WAKETON, WEST WINDSOR, HIGH MEADOW, AND REMBERT DRIVE.
THIS IS PAID FOR BY GENERAL FUNDS AND THE SAME DISCUSSION ABOUT DEBT.
IT SHOWS DEBT, BUT WE WILL USE GENERAL DOLLARS IF WE CAN.
JUMPING INTO SIGNALS, WE GOT THREE SIGNAL PROJECTS.
WE HAVE OUR TRAFFIC DETECTION REHABILITATION PROJECT.
IT'S A REPLACEMENT OF THE TOWN'S TRAFFIC SIGNAL DETECTION EQUIPMENT.
WE REPLACED THEM ON A 12-14 YEAR CYCLE FOR INFRASTRUCTURE SUSTAINABILITY.
ANNUAL PROGRAM, A PROGRAM AMOUNT OF $190,000.
I PUT A LITTLE ASTERISK THERE BECAUSE IT IS AN ANNUAL PROGRAM, BUT PREVIOUSLY IT WAS 165,000.
IT'S JUST A LITTLE BIT OF A COST INCREASE, I WANTED YOU TO BE AWARE OF THAT.
IT'S ANOTHER DECISION PACKAGE PROJECT PAID FOR WITH GENERAL FUND.
THE FIVE LOCATIONS PLANNED FOR THIS YEAR OR THE FIVE INTERSECTIONS ARE IDENTIFIED RIGHT THERE ON THE BOTTOM RIGHT.
WE GOT OUR TRAFFIC SIGNAL PREEMPTION UPGRADE, THIS IS REPLACEMENT OF THE TOWN'S SIGNAL PREEMPTION EQUIPMENT FOR INFRASTRUCTURE, SUSTAINABILITY, LINE OF SIGHT ISSUES, PREEMPTION PRIORITY.
THIS IS A 5 YEAR PROJECT, THE SAME ASTERISK THERE CURRENTLY ASKING FOR 88,5, IT INCREASED FROM 82,500.
THIS IS A FIVE YEAR PROGRAM, SO THE PREVIOUS YEARS WERE 82,5.
THE REMAINING YEARS WILL BE 88,5.
THE GENERAL FUND PROJECT PAID WITH A DECISION PACKAGE AND THE FUTURE FUNDING SHOWS DEBT.
BUT IF WE DON'T NEED TO, WE WON'T.
THERE'S THE TWO CORRIDORS THAT WE'RE PLANNING ON ADDRESSING OUR PRIORITY PROJECTS FOR THE 23/24 YEAR, 1171 AND 407.
THIS IS A TRAFFIC SIGNAL ANALYTICS CAMERA, WE TALKED A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THIS AT THE WORK SESSION WHEN WE TALKED ABOUT ADAPTIVE.
THIS IS INSTALLATION OF SIGNAL CAMERAS THAT PROVIDE IMPORTANT TRAFFIC SIGNAL PERFORMANCE MEASURES.
THOSE MEASURES ARE USED TO BETTER TIME AND ASSESS EACH TRAFFIC SIGNAL LOCATION.
THE TOTAL PROJECT COST AND THIS ONE IS 300,000.
THIS WOULD BE REMEMBER THE REMAINING SECTION OF THE 2499 CORRIDOR TO REPLACE ALL THOSE CAMERAS THAT ARE CURRENTLY NOT THE ANALYTIC CAMERAS.
[01:25:02]
THEN I'LL GET THE WHOLE CORRIDOR COMPLETE AND THEN AS THE FIRST PROJECT OR THE DETECTION REHABILITATION PROJECT CONTINUES TO UPGRADE THEM ON A CYCLE, THE REMAINING CAMERAS WILL BE UPGRADED.BUT THIS IS THE PRIORITY 2499 CORRIDOR THAT YOU GUYS HAD SAID THAT YOU'D LIKE TO SEE DONE SOON.
AND THIS PROJECT IS FUNDED CURRENTLY WITH DEBT IT SAYS $300,000.
TALKING ABOUT STREET RECONSTRUCTION.
>> WE HAD THE $602,000 WORTH OF THE AMERICAN RECOVERY PLAN DOLLARS THAT WERE LEFT.
RATHER THAN ISSUING DEBT NEXT YEAR FOR THESE, COULD THAT BE A FUNDING SOURCE FOR THOSE?
>> HANDED IT OVER TO YOU GUYS.
I THINK FROM OUR STANDPOINT, WE DON'T SEE AN ISSUE IF THAT'S THE DIRECTION YOU WANT TO GO.
>> IS SOMEONE KEEPING TRACK OF HOW MUCH WE HAVE AND HOW MUCH WE ARE LIKE LITTLE BY LITTLE SPENDING SO THAT WE KNOW, YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN? TAKING NOTES RIGHT NOW.
>> SPECIFIC TO HARPER OR JUST OVERALL?
>> THERE'S ENOUGH PEOPLE IN A ROOM SOMEBODY IS [OVERLAPPING]
>> I WANT TO SEE THE BALANCE OF THE CHECKBOOK GOING FOR ME. [LAUGHTER].
>> I WANT TO KNOW NOW, SO WE'RE TALKING ABOUT IT LIKE HOW MUCH DO WE HAVE LEFT? THAT WOULD BE ABOUT HALF OF THAT ONE SPECIFIC FUNDING OPPORTUNITY.
>> WELL, WE'D ALSO TALKED ABOUT TAKING THE 1.2 IMPACT FEES FOR PATRICK AND PUT IT IN ONE MILLION OF THAT TO THE OTHER PARTY.
COULD THAT OTHER $200,000 OF IMPACT FEES BE USED HERE?
>> NO. SO IMPACT FEES CAN ONLY BE USED ON PROJECTS. THAT'S WEIRD.
PROJECTS THAT ARE CURRENTLY IDENTIFIED ON THE IMPACT FEE REPORT AND IN THE SAME SURFACE AREA.
>> SO WE'LL GO BACK AND TAKE A LOOK AT THIS AND FUNDING THIS WITH HARPER OR SOME OTHER FUNDING MECHANISM THAT TMA CAN WORK OUT.
LET'S SEE, STREET RECONSTRUCTION.
WE'VE GOT THREE PROJECTS, THE FIRST ONE IS BORDEAUX WAY, IT'S RECONSTRUCTION OF BORDEAUX FROM 1171 TO THE LOOP.
THIS IS THE CANDIDATE FOR THE ULTRA-THIN ASPHALT OVERLAY PROJECT.
WE TALKED ABOUT THAT PREVIOUSLY AND WE HAVE IN THERE WITH HOA COORDINATION.
SO WE'LL MAKE SURE WE COORDINATE WITH THE HOA, AND GET THEIR BUY-OFF.
DISCUSS IT WITH THEM TO MAKE SURE THEY'RE OKAY WITH IT, AND THEN WHATEVER THAT RESULT IS, WE WILL EITHER MOVE FORWARD WITH THE PROJECT OR POSSIBLY DO AN EXTENSIVE PANEL REPLACEMENT PROJECT.
JUST BECAUSE OF THE CONDITION ASSESSMENT, WE DON'T THINK A FULL RECONSTRUCTION IS REQUIRED, SO WE'LL LOOK AT MAYBE EXTENSIVE PANEL REPLACEMENTS.
BUT THE CONDITION ASSESSMENT, THE PCI SCORES ARE 56-73.
THE TOTAL PROJECT COST IS 950,000 AND IT WILL BE FUNDED WITH DEDICATED SALES TAX.
>> IS THAT THE ONLY THING ON THE DETAIL PAGES IN OUR BOOK THAT WOULD BE THE ULTRA-THIN ASPHALT?
>> EVERYTHING ELSE IS CONCRETE.
THIS WILL BE THE PILOT PROJECT.
>> I HAVE TO SAY IT OUT LOUD THAT I'M NOT CRAZY ABOUT EVEN THE PILOT PROJECT.
I DON'T LIKE THE WAY IT LOOKS.
I'D RATHER KEEP IT CONSISTENT THROUGHOUT TOWN, SPEND THE MONEY, DO IT THE RIGHT WAY, CONSISTENT WITH ALL THE OTHER PROJECTS.
I DID TAKE THE OPPORTUNITY TO CHECK OUT SOME OTHER COMMUNITIES THAT HAVE THIS AND I DON'T LIKE IT. I'M SORRY.
>> THAT'S MY OPINION, JUST WANT TO SHARE.
>> DID WE EVER HAVE ANY COMPARISON OF WHAT THE COST IS FOR DOING THIS OVER REPLACING CONCRETE?
>> AS FAR AS LIKE PER SQUARE YARD?
>> YEAH, JUST A ROUGH ESTIMATE.
>> I LIKE TO KNOW WHAT THE BENEFIT IS.
>> I WAS GOING TO SAY THAT'S UNFORTUNATELY THE ONE THING I DON'T HAVE IN MY BACK POCKET FOR TODAY, BUT THIS WOULD SAVE QUITE A BIT MORE MONEY AS OPPOSED TO RECONSTRUCT IT.
I THINK WE FIGURED OUT THAT IT'S ABOUT 25% OF THE RECONSTRUCTION COST, AND WE THINK THAT IT WOULD EXTEND THE LIFE OF THE ROAD 10 YEARS.
>> IT'S A PRETTY BIG DIFFERENCE.
I'M HONESTLY SUPPORTIVE. I HAVE TO TRY IT.
>> IRVING JUST DID THIS ON KINWEST PARKWAY, AND WE DROVE ON IT THE OTHER DAY AND WE WERE ALL MARVELING AT HOW SMOOTH AND LUXURIOUS IT WAS.
I DON'T KNOW HOW LONG IT'S GOING TO LAST, BUT I LIKE TO FIND OUT.
LET'S SEE. LET'S JUST GIVE IT A SHOT.
>> WELL, AND IT'S NOT LIKE BORDEAUX IS A HEAVILY TRAVELED ROAD.
>> BUT IT HAS A LOT OF RESIDENTIAL DRIVEWAYS,
[01:30:02]
AND THE THING THAT I NOTICED IMMEDIATELY AND FOR THE DURATION, I THINK WE LOOKED AT THE SAME SPOT, IS HOW IT LOOKS IN THAT TRANSITION.YOU'VE GOT THIS REALLY NICE, SMOOTH ASPHALT BECAUSE IT'S BRAND NEW.
IT HASN'T GONE THROUGH ANY SEASONS, NO WEATHER.
NOW, I'D LIKE TO KNOW HOW IT'S PERFORMING IN THIS HEAT, BUT THEN EVERY TRANSITION MAKES IT LOOK LIKE IT WAS JUST SLAPPED ON TOP.
THAT'S WHAT I DON'T WANT OUR TOWN TO LOOK LIKE.
>> THE OTHER PART I THINK YOU MENTIONED IT PREVIOUSLY IS THAT, THIS IS COMPLETELY DIFFERENT THAN JUST NORMAL ASPHALT THAT YOU'D SEE IN THE NORTHEAST OR UP NORTH.
>> IT'S A 10 OVERLAY INSTEAD OF TWO OR THREE INCHES SECTIONS.
>> I SHARE ENDS CONCERN, BUT IF THE HOA IS OKAY WITH IT, I'M OKAY WITH TRYING IT OUT.
BUT I DO HAVE SOME OF THOSE SAME AESTHETIC CONCERNS.
THEN FRANKLY, I KNOW THIS LOOKS IN THE LIFE 10 YEARS.
I HOPE WE GET TO 10 YEARS, BUT WHAT'S IT LOOK LIKE IN YOUR THREE THROUGH EIGHT IT'S REALLY START TO LOOK BAD, BUT IT STILL SERVICEABLE.
I DO HAVE SOME CONCERNS, AND I WANT TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF NEW PROCESSES, NEW TECHNIQUES, NEW TECHNOLOGY, BUT DON'T NECESSARILY NEED TO BE THE TIP OF THE SPEAR ON ALL OF THOSE.
I'M OKAY WITH THE PILOT PROJECT WITH THOSE CAVEATS, WITH THE HOA APPROVAL, AND THEIR BUY-IN, BUT I DO SHARE THE CONCERNS.
>> I DID WANT TO ASK A FOLLOW-UP QUESTION ON THE HOA APPROVAL.
ARE WE TALKING ABOUT A SIMPLE MAJORITY OF ALL THE NEIGHBORS THAT WOULD BE IMPACTED? OR ARE WE TALKING ABOUT THE DECISION OF THE HOA PRESIDENT AS ONE SINGLE INDIVIDUAL REPRESENTING THE HOA?
WE'LL INVITE EVERYBODY TO THE MEETING.
>> IT'S MORE THAN NEIGHBORS THEN ONE HOA REPRESENTATIVE.
>> I WOULD SAY WITH AESTHETICS, WE'RE GOING TO TALK ABOUT IT.
HAVE YOU DRIVEN? DID YOU DRIVE THIS? IF WE'RE TALKING ABOUT, WE MAY BE GOING OUT THERE AND REPLACING 40% OF THE CONCRETE PANELS.
YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE NEW CONCRETE PANELS, AND THEN YOU'LL HAVE AN OLD ONE AND A NEW ONE.
WHILE IT'S DIFFERENT THAN CONCRETE, THE AESTHETIC WOULD BE MORE CONSISTENT THROUGHOUT THE NEIGHBORHOOD AS OPPOSED TO DOING PANEL REPLACEMENTS, WHICH ARE EFFECTIVE.
BUT TO YOUR POINT, IT MAY NOT BE AS AESTHETICALLY PLEASING.
>> WE'LL TRY IT OUT. WE'LL COORDINATE WITH THEM AND WE'LL GET THEIR FEEDBACK, AND WE'LL LET YOU GUYS KNOW WHAT WE PLAN ON DOING.
LAKESIDE PARKWAY PANEL REPLACEMENT PROJECT.
THIS IS IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE LAKESIDE CAPACITY IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS.
THE CONSTRUCTION WILL BE DONE AT THE SAME TIME WITH THE SAME CONTRACTOR.
THERE'LL BE PANEL REPLACEMENTS ALONG THE FULL LENGTH OF THE PROJECT.
THERE ARE SEVERAL LOCATIONS OF POOR CONDITION OR SUBGRADE FAILURES.
WE'D LIKE TO ADDRESS WHILE WE'RE DOING THE WIDENING OF THE ROAD.
3.1 MILLION IS THE ESTIMATED AMOUNT AND WE'RE ASKED HAD FUNDED WITH DEDICATED SALES TAX.
>> I HAVE A QUICK QUESTION ON THE BID PROCESS FOR THIS.
BASED ON SOME OF THE LESSONS LEARNED FROM THE GARDEN RIDGE SITUATION, HAVE WE AMENDED OUR BID SPECS TO ADDRESS SOME OF THOSE THINGS THAT POPPED UP?
>> ARE YOU REFERRING TO THE ONE AT THE INTERSECTION? ONE OF THE PROBLEMS WITH THAT PROJECT IS SMALLER CONTRACTORS.
>> THIS ONE WE WOULD DEFINITELY BE HITTING THOSE LARGER CONTRACTORS THAT ARE EASIER TO WORK WITH, HAVE A BETTER PROCESS, AND ARE MORE ORGANIZED.
THOSE SMALLER PROJECTS, IT'S HARD FOR US TO GET GREAT CONTRACTORS.
A LOT OF THOSE ARE UP AND COMING CONTRACTORS, THAT DON'T HAVE AS MUCH EXPERIENCE AS THE LARGER PROJECTS.
WE DO TRY TO PUT THEM TOGETHER AND PUT THEM IN A PACKAGE.
THAT ONE WE DID NOT DUE TO SOME TIMING ISSUES THAT WE WANTED TO GET DONE.
BUT WE TRY TO PUT US INTO A HIGHER COST WHICH ATTRACTS BETTER CONTRACTORS.
>> IF THEY HAD ALSO ENCOURAGED THE TOWN FOR WHEN THEY'RE DOING THE REVIEWS OF THOSE SUBMISSIONS TO CONSIDER A BEST VALUE AWARD AND NOT A LOW-PRICE, TECHNICALLY ACCEPTABLE AWARD.
I THINK IF WE WERE TO LOOK AT THAT AND LET COUNCIL, I'M NOT SAYING THAT WE NEED MORE COUNCIL GOVERNANCE.
BUT IN THE EFFORT TO TRY TO SAVE MONEY BY GOING LPTA SMALLER CONTRACTOR.
IF COUNCIL WAS ABLE TO SEE LIKE, HERE'S THE LOW-PRICE TECHNICALLY ACCEPTABLE, BUT HERE'S THE BEST VALUE, BECAUSE BEST VALUES ARE GOING TO BE MORE EXPENSIVE, BUT THAT'S THE POINT, WE'RE PROBABLY NOT GOING TO DO A MODE WHICH WE ALWAYS SEE IN CONSENT FOR MORE FUNDING, BECAUSE THEY COULDN'T GET THE CONCRETE OR THEY DON'T HAVE THE TRUCKS OR THEY'RE ON THE STAFF, OR WHAT HAVE YOU.
I WOULD JUST ENCOURAGE SOME OUT-OF-THE-BOX THINKING A LITTLE BIT MORE AS WE GO FORWARD ON THOSE CONTRACT AWARDS.
>> WHEN WE DO LOW BID, WE ALSO OFTENTIMES I WOULD SAY NOT OFTEN, BUT AT TIMES WE DO NOT USE THE LOW BIDDER.
IF THEY DO HAVE NOT DONE ENOUGH PROJECTS ABOVE AND BEYOND THAT COST VALUE THAT WE'RE COMFORTABLE, OR IF THEIR RECOMMENDATIONS OR ANY PRIOR MUNICIPALITIES THAT WE CALL FOR REFERENCE ARE NOT GOOD.
[01:35:03]
THERE ARE TIMES WHERE WE DO NOT USE A LITTLE BIDDER, OR IF WE'VE HAD BAD EXPERIENCES WITH THEM.WE DON'T ALWAYS TAKE A LITTLE BIDDER, WE MAKE SURE THERE'S A COMFORT LEVEL WITH WHO WE DO SELECT.
>> I WOULD JUST WANT TO ADD THAT'S A CONCERN TO THAT SHARE, AND ONE OF THE THINGS IS JP IS WORKING TO GET THAT STRATEGIC SERVICES GROUP UP AND RUNNING.
THAT'S ONE OF THE FIRST THINGS I WANTED TO TAKE A LOOK AT JUST COMPREHENSIVELY.
THAT'S SOMETHING WE WANT TO TAKE A DEEPER LOOK AT.
I'LL BE HAPPY TO HELP IF YOU GUYS HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ON THAT.
>> TIMBER VALLEY DRIVE AND FAIRFIELD LANE, THAT'S RECONSTRUCTION OF TIMBER VALLEY DRIVE AND FAIRFIELD.
CONDITION ASSESSMENTS 28-81, AVERAGE OF 59.
THERE ARE SOME SECTIONS THAT LOOK OKAY, BUT IN THE WHOLE SCHEME OF THINGS, IT'S COST-EFFECTIVE TO REPLACE THE WHOLE STREET.
TOTAL PROJECT COSTS 3.3 MILLION, A DEDICATED SALES TAX.
THIS ONE YOU SEE RED, THAT MEANS SOMETHING HAS CHANGED AND WE'LL TALK ABOUT THAT.
LET'S SEE. FACILITY NEEDS ASSESSMENT.
THIS IS AN ASSESSMENT OF FUTURE TOWN FACILITY NEEDS TO PROPOSED GROWTH.
THIS IS A STRATEGIC PLAN INITIATIVE.
TOTAL PROJECT COSTS 100,000, AND WE'LL BE UTILIZING PROJECT SAVINGS.
>> [LAUGHTER] THIS IS JUST THE FIRST STUDY AS WELL.
>> THIS IS A CONTRACT FOR THEM TO TELL US THAT WE NEEDED MORE. I GOT IT.
>> YOU'D PROBABLY MISS A COUPLE OF ZEROS.
>> THIS IS THE JOINT FIRE TRAINING FACILITY.
THE FIRE TRAINING FACILITY IS LOCATED IN THE CITY OF LEWISVILLE.
THERE IS AN AGREEMENT WITH THREE CITIES.
WE FUNDED THE PORTION OF THE PROJECT IN 2021-'22 BUDGET YEAR.
THE PROJECT WILL INCLUDE A WHOLE LIST OF THINGS THAT HELP THE FIRE DEPARTMENT WITH THEIR TRAININGS.
THE REASON THAT WE'RE ASKING FOR THE ADDITIONAL FUNDING IS DUE TO COST INCREASES AS DISCUSSED PREVIOUSLY.
THE RED ITEMS AREN'T NECESSARILY ADDITIONAL FUNDING OR CHANGES TO THE BUDGET, THEY WERE JUST MISSED IN THE CAPITAL PLAN, SO I WANTED TO UPDATE THAT.
THE THINGS THAT WE SHOWED ORIGINALLY WERE PROJECT SAVINGS, BUT WE MISSED THE FIRE DISTRICT AND ADDITIONAL ARPA FUNDS.
THOSE ARE ALREADY ACCOUNTED FOR IN THE BUDGET.
THEY JUST WEREN'T SHOWN ON THE CAPITAL PLAN.
THE TOTAL PROJECT COSTS NOW WOULD BE THE 2.8 MILLION.
THE ADDITIONAL COSTS THAT WE'RE ASKING FOR THIS YEAR IS 800,000, THAT WOULD BE FUNDED WITH PROJECTS SAVINGS, THE 40,000 FIRE DISTRICT, AND THE $180,000 IN ARPA FUNDING.
>> I'M SURE THE OTHER CITIES ARE PAYING THEIR SHARE OF THE COST INCREASE AS WELL.
>> THAT'S THE COST OF YOUR THINGS.
WE NEED TO MAKE SURE WE CHECK THEIR BUDGET.
>> IT'S PROPORTIONAL FOR THE THREE JURISDICTIONS TO LEWISVILLE OBVIOUSLY HARLEM VILLAGE BEING A SMALLER CITY, THERE STAKE IS SMALLER BUT PROPORTIONALLY LEWISVILLE IS PAYING THEIR PROPORTIONATE SHARE OF THIS OVERRUNS.
>> PARK PROJECTS, THIS IS THE '22-'23 PLAYGROUND REPLACEMENTS CORTADERA, WILKERSON, POSSUM.
POSSUM AND WILKERSON HAVE ALREADY MOVED FORWARD.
CORTADERA WAS PUT ON HOLD TO GET SOME RESIDENT FEEDBACK.
BASED ON THAT ADDITIONAL FEEDBACK WE'RE ASKING FOR SOME ADDITIONAL FUNDS REQUIRED TO EXPAND THE PLAYGROUND AND INSTALL SYNTHETIC TURF.
THE ADDITIONAL COST IS $200,000, THAT WOULD BE COMING OUT OF THE 4B SALES TAX.
2023-'24 PLAYGROUND REPLACEMENTS JAKE'S HILLTOP PARK, AND AS REPLACEMENT OF THE PLAYGROUND SYSTEM AT JAKE'S, THE REPLACEMENT CYCLE 400,000 AND FUNDED WITH FOR 4B SALES TAX.
>> DOES SOME OF THESE INCLUDE THE COVERING THAT WE HAD? I THINK WE PREVIOUSLY SAID THAT INCREASES THE LIGHT OF THE PARKS.
>> JAKE'S, DO YOU KNOW THAT ONE? NOT THIS ONE.
>> SOME OF THEM DO, THIS ONE ISN'T SHOWN TO.
>> IS THERE ANY REASON WHY WE'RE NOT INCLUDING IT, BECAUSE LONG-TERM IT'D BE?
>> ON THIS ONE, I WOULD SAY A LOT OF TIMES WHEN WE LOOK AT THE PLAYGROUND THAT WE'RE GOING TO PUT IN WILL TRY TO INCORPORATE SHADE WITH THE ACTUAL PLAYGROUND EQUIPMENT.
BUT AS FAR AS LIKE A BIG SHADE STRUCTURE OVER THIS ONE, THERE'S THE BUDGET DOESN'T ALLOW FOR THAT TO HAPPEN.
>> YOU COULD CHECKED AS LONG AS YOU'RE THERE.
COUPLE OF YEARS AGO WE USED TO BE ABLE TO REFURBISH, REPLACE A PLAYGROUND FOR A QUARTER OF $1 MILLION.
[01:40:01]
NOW IT'S 400,000. [OVERLAPPING], HAVE WE CHOOSE OUR STANDARDS, OR IS IT JUST PRICE INCREASES OR WHAT?>> I WILL SAY PRICE INCREASES HAVE GONE UP DRASTICALLY WITH STEEL, ESPECIALLY IN LABOR COST.
BUT THIS PLAYGROUNDS A MUCH LARGER FOOTPRINT, AND WE HAVE TO IMPROVE SOME OF THE CONCRETE PLAY CURBS FALLEN APART.
THERE'S SOME EXPENSE THAT WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO DEAL WITH THAT AS WELL AND WE'RE JUST GOING BACK AND WOULDN'T FIND WHERE ON THIS ONE.
BECAUSE IF WE TRIED TO GO WITH SYNTHETIC TURF OR IMPORTANT PLACE, THAT NUMBER IS GOING TO GO UP ANOTHER 250,000 PROBABLY.
BUT THE COSTS HAVE INCREASED DRASTICALLY OVER THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS.
>> BAKERSFIELD PARK IMPROVEMENTS PHASE II, PHASE I, WAS COMPLETED THIS LAST YEAR.
THIS ONE IS TO RETROFIT THE BASEBALL FIELD LIGHTS TO LED AND INSTALL THE MUSCOVISION ON FIELDS 1-8.
ENERGY SAVINGS AND FIELD UTILIZATION, AS A REASON AND THE TOTAL PROJECT COSTS ON THIS ONE AS 1.85 MILLION.
IT WILL BE FUNDED WITH 4B SALES TAX.
>> DO WE HAVE ANY PLANS? SORRY, CHUCK.
I KNOW YOU JUST WOULDN'T GO BACK THERE AND I TRIED TO FIND IT SO I DIDN'T HAVE TO ASK THE QUESTION BUT FIELD NUMBER 11.
BUT BAKERSFIELD, IS THERE ANYTHING IN THE BUDGET FOR ANY ADDITIONAL IMPROVEMENTS TO FIELD 11?
>> THOSE LIGHTS ON THOSE FIELDS ARE NEWER TECHNOLOGY AND THEY'RE STILL UNDER WARRANTY WITH MUSCO, SO WE WOULDN'T LOOK TO REPLACE THOSE UNTIL PROBABLY 2031.
>> BUT IT'S FAR AS THE PLAYABILITY OF THE FIELD FOR THE ACCESS.
>> I HAVE NOT HEARD OF ANY COMPLAINTS OR RECOMMENDATIONS FOR PLAYABILITY.
I THINK THEY ARE REALLY LIKING WHAT THEY HAVE AND NO ISSUES.
>> I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE BECAUSE I DIDN'T SEE ANYTHING SO.
>> COMMUNITY ACTIVITIES CENTER EXPANSION AND RENOVATION STUDY, THIS IS A DETAILED FEASIBILITY STUDY.
THE CAC TO PROVIDE IN DEPTH PROGRAMMING FACING CONCEPTUAL DESIGN IDEAS, PROJECT SCHEDULE AND PROJECT COSTS FOR A POSSIBLE EXPANSION.
IT'S IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE PARK'S MASTERPLAN AND IT'S TO DETERMINE THE NEXT STEPS FOR THE RENOVATION AND EXPANSION OF THE CAC TO MEET THE TOWN'S GROWING NEEDS, AND THE COST IS $160,000 WITH 4B SALES TAX.
WE HAVE TO HAVE ELECTRONIC READER BOARD SIGN AT GERAULT, IT'S PERMANENT ELECTRONIC READER BOARD AT GERAULT ALONG GERAULT ROAD, INFORMS RESIDENTS OF UPCOMING TALENT EVENTS, PROGRAMS, ELECTIONS.
CURRENTLY THEY'RE USING THE ORANGE PORTABLE SIGNS AND TOTAL PROJECT COST IS 85,000 AND 4B SALES TAX.
WE HAVE PARK AND TRAIL AMENITIES PROJECT, THIS IS A ANNUAL PROJECT OF 75,000 TO ADD AMENITIES TO BE PLACED AT REGULAR INTERVALS ALONG OUR TRAILS, AND IT'S FOR OUR PARK AND TRAIL UPGRADES, AND THIS WILL BE FUNDED WITH 4B SALES TAX AND ALL FUTURE YEARS SHOW AS 4B SALES TAX AS WELL.
>> JUST BACKING ON THAT OTHER SLIDE, CAN I ENCOURAGE YOU GUYS TO LOOK AT THOSE LITTLE BICYCLE MAINTENANCE POSTS THAT THEY HAVE AROUND.
I KNOW THERE'S A COUPLE OF NORTH SHORE, BUT ALONG THE MAJOR ROUTES NORTH AND SOUTH, EVERY SATURDAY, ALL THE BIKE RIDERS THAT WOULD BE COOL.
>> SPRING LAKE PARK IMPROVEMENTS, AS IS TO IMPROVE THE TRAILS, REPLACED THE GAZEBO, SOME NEW SITE AMENITIES, LANDSCAPING, FITNESS EQUIPMENT, AND LIGHTING IMPROVEMENTS.
LET'S JUST PARK UPGRADES AND $285,000 4B SALES TAX.
>> SPRING MEADOW PARK IMPROVEMENTS, WE'RE INSTALLING A LOOPED TRAIL OR INSTILLING A PAVILION WITH PICNIC TABLES, TRASH RECEPTACLES, TREES, AND IRRIGATION.
THIS ONE IS 230,000 4B SALES TAX.
TRAILS MASTERPLAN IMPLEMENTATION, THIS IS TO HELP WITH THE IMPLEMENTATION OF TRAILS, NEW TRAILS MASTERPLAN PROJECTS AND RECOMMENDATIONS.
THIS IS FOR FUNDING FUTURE TRAIL PROJECTS AND IMPROVEMENTS.
IT'S ANNUAL PROGRAM OF 250,000 IN 4B SALES TAX.
THEN WE HAVE OUR PRELIMINARY DESIGN ASSESSMENT FOR PHASE II OF TWIN COVES TO DETERMINE THE FEASIBILITY OF PHASE II ELEMENTS AND DEVELOP A COST ESTIMATE AND ILLUSTRATIVE PLANS.
THE TOTAL PRODUCT COST IS $20,000 4B SALES TAX.
>> CAN I ASK A QUICK QUESTION OR MAKE A COMMENT BEFORE WE GO ON TO WATER.
WHEN I MET WITH TAMMY AND JAMES, THEY GRACIOUSLY REMINDED ME THAT JUST BECAUSE YOU DON'T SEE IT ON THE CIP DOESN'T MEAN IT MIGHT NOT COME FORWARD BECAUSE I DID HAVE SPECIAL INTERESTS IN HELEN AND LENNARD, JOHN'S PARK REGARDING TENNIS AND PICKLEBALL.
[01:45:03]
[LAUGHTER] BECAUSE I REALLY WOULD LIKE TO SEE WHAT YOUR THOUGHTS ARE HERE, WHAT YOUR THOUGHTS ARE, AND SEE WHAT THE POTENTIAL COULD BE FOR THAT IN THE NEXT 12-18 MONTHS, MAYBE.>> ONE OF THE THINGS WE'RE LOOKING AT AND IT'S ALREADY FUNDED IS TO DO A MASTERPLAN FOR THE TROTTER PARK.
THAT ONE HOPEFULLY WE'LL HAVE PROPOSAL FOR YOU GUYS TO APPROVE SO WE CAN START THAT MASTERPLAN PROCESS AND I CAN SEE TENANTS AND PICKLEBALL STILL GOING INTO THAT PARK, OBVIOUSLY NOT A TENNIS CENTER, BUT IT CAN BE IN SOME PROGRAM ELEMENT OF THAT PARK AS WELL.
THAT'S ONE THING WE'RE GOING TO LOOK AT, KICKING OFF RIGHT AWAY.
WELL, ANOTHER THING I JUST DID RECENTLY AS I RESTRICT THE GLENWOOD TENNIS COURTS.
NOW WE HAVE TWO PICKLEBALL COURTS HERE THAT CAN BE USED, SO WE DOUBLED THAT RIGHT THERE.
BUT THEN AS FAR AS LENNARD AND HELEN AND JOHNS GO, I KNOW WE'RE LOOKING TO DEMO THE BUILDING HERE PRETTY SOON, WHICH WAS THE FIRST STEP.
THEN THE PLAN WAS TO ADD MONEY AND FOR NEXT FISCAL YEAR.
BUT THE FOLLOWING WANTED TO MASTERPLAN THAT IF THAT'S SOMETHING THAT COUNCIL WANTS US TO MOVE FORWARD QUICKER AND THEN WE CAN LOOK AT GETTING PARKS BOARD THAT I RECOMMEND THAT IT'S PROJECT GO TO CDC AND GET THOSE MONIES.
>> I WOULD LIKE TO SEE IT MOVE FASTER BECAUSE.
>> IT'S GOOD TO HAVE THE STUDY DONE, BUT TO ME THAT JUST PUSHES OUT THE REALITY OF WHEN WE'RE GOING TO BE ABLE TO PLAY THERE.
IF WE CAN GET PLAY GOING FASTER AT HELEN AND LENNARD, JOHN'S, I'D LIKE TO GO THERE FIRST.
>> TYPICALLY THE PROCESS FOR US IS TO DO A MASTER PLAN FIRST BECAUSE WE WANT TO HEAR FROM ALL THE RESIDENTS. [OVERLAPPING]
>> WE HAVE THE FEASIBILITY STUDY, CAN WE DRAW ANY INFORMATION FROM THE FEASIBILITY STUDY THAT'S ALREADY DONE?
>> WE CAN DRAW THAT WE'RE LACKING TENNIS COURTS AND PICKLEBALL.
>> WE DO KNOW THAT. [LAUGHTER].
>> BUT WHAT IS SHOWN ON THE DRAWINGS FOR THOSE DIFFERENT LOCATIONS WASN'T ACTUAL TENNIS CENTER.
WE COULD LOOK AT WAYS AND WE CAN COME BACK TO YOU, I'LL LET YOU KNOW I CAN THINK OF SOME OTHER WAYS AND MAYBE WE CAN SPEED THE PROCESS.
>> WHAT I'LL JUST IS SAY IS THAT, I SEE THE HEAD NODS, WE HEAR YOU, AND WE'LL SEE WHAT WE CAN DO THAT TO EXPEDITE THAT PROCESS.
AGAIN, JUST AS FAR AS FUNDING IS CONCERNED, THE FUNDING IS THERE JUST LIKE WHAT WE TALKED ABOUT WITH THE TENNIS CENTER PROPOSAL, THE FUND BALANCES IN, THE PARK DEVELOPMENT AS WELL AS THE 4B, OR WHAT WE WOULD CONTEMPLATE FUNDING AT WEST.
FUNDING IS NOT THE ISSUE, BUT I WORK WITH CHUCK AND WE'LL WORK COLLECTIVELY TO SEE IF WE CAN EXPEDITE THAT PROCESS.
>> THANK YOU SO MUCH. I APPRECIATE IT.
>> JUMPING INTO WATER PROJECTS, WE GOT OUR LIGHTHOUSE BOOSTER STATION DEMOLITION.
THIS IS ABANDONED LIGHTHOUSE BOOSTER STATION THAT WAS UTILIZED BEFORE FREEMAN TOWER WAS INSTALLED.
IT'S OLD, HAS POOR CONDITION, WE HAVE SOME WORK ORDERS OUT THERE AND IT HAS SIGNIFICANT LEAK POTENTIAL.
YOU CAN SEE JUST HOW OLD AND IF IT'S NOT MAINTAINED, THEN COULD BECOME A LIABILITY FOR THE TOWN.
WE'D LIKE JUST TO REMOVE IT, TOTAL PROJECT COSTS $200,000 AND WE'RE USING PROJECT SAVINGS.
RED OAK LANE WATERLINE REPLACEMENT.
THIS IS REPLACEMENT OF THE EXISTING WATER MAIN ALONG THE FULL LENGTH OF RED OAK TO CONDITION.
TOTAL PROJECT COST IS 2.11 MILLION.
WE ORIGINALLY IDENTIFIED IN THE PROPOSED BUDGET IS USING UTILITY DEBT, BUT THIS IS ONE OF THE ONES WE'RE CHANGING OVER TO THE UTILITY FUND BASED ON THAT TRANSFER.
STONEHILL PUMP STATION MOTOR REPLACEMENT.
THESE ARE INSTALLATIONS OF NEW VARIABLE FREQUENCY DRIVES AND REDUCE THE VOLTAGE SOFT STARTER OF THE STONEHILL PUMP STATION, CONDITION, AGE, AND COST OF FAILURE.
THIS EQUIPMENT THAT WE NEED TO REPLACE, THE PARTS ARE NOT AVAILABLE.
SO WHAT'S HAPPENING NOW IS WHEN THESE STATIONS ARE DECOMMISSIONED, OTHER CITIES BUY UP ALL THE PARTS AND THEN BECAUSE THEY NEED TO USE THEM.
BUT THERE'S NOT REALLY ANY PARTS AVAILABLE FOR STATION OF THIS SIZE OR THE EQUIPMENT OF THIS SIZE, SO IF SOMETHING FAILS, WE'RE OUT OF LUCK.
WE WANT TO GET THESE REPLACED 2.96 MILLION AND UTILIZING UTILITY DEBT.
THIS IS TIMBER VALLEY AND FAIRFIELD LANE WATERLINE REPLACEMENT.
>> BACK UP ON THE STONEHILL, HOW OLD ARE THOSE PUMPS?
>> [NOISE] WHEN DO THEY GO IN?
>> JUST BEFORE I STARTED, SO PROBABLY 22 YEARS AGO.
>> [LAUGHTER] WE SHOULD PROBABLY REPLACE THOSE PRETTY SOON.
>> WELL, IF THERE IS PARTS AVAILABLE, THAT'S ONE THING, SO IF SOMETHING BREAKS, YOU CAN ADDRESS IT, THEY'RE JUST NOT END-OF-LIFE ACCOUNT.
>> WHAT'S THE TIMEFRAME FOR US BETWEEN ALLOCATION OF THESE FUNDS AND WHEN? I MEAN, YOU HAVE TO ORDER THESE THINGS, I IMAGINE.
DO WE KNOW HOW LONG OF A DELAY THERE IS RIGHT NOW?
>> WELL, THIS IS A PRIORITY PROJECT, SO AS SOON AS THE FUNDS ARE ALLOCATED
[01:50:02]
OCTOBER 1 WE WOULD START THE DESIGN PROCESS AND THEN BID, AN THEN ORDER, AND THEN CONSTRUCTION.BASED ON LEAD TIMES THAT WE'RE SEEING RIGHT NOW, IT'S PROBABLY OVER A YEAR, I GUESS.
>> TIMBER VALLEY FAIRFIELD LANE WATERLINE REPLACEMENT.
THIS IS THE WATERLINE REPLACEMENT THAT WE WILL BE DOING WITH AN ASSOCIATION WITH THE STREET RECONSTRUCTION PROJECT.
COST IS 700,000 AND WE'LL BE UTILIZING UTILITY DEBT.
UTILITY ASSET MANAGEMENT AND UTILITY REPLACEMENT.
IT'S A CONDITION ASSESSMENT TO HELP DETERMINE THE OVERALL LIFE EXPECTANCY OF OUR INFRASTRUCTURE, AND ASSESSMENT AND REPLACEMENT OF HIGH-RISK INFRASTRUCTURE, ASSESSMENT AND REPLACEMENT OF TRANSMISSION VALVES, AND IMPROVED GIS MAPPING.
IT'S A LITTLE BIT OF EVERYTHING, BUT BASICALLY YOU CAN THINK OF IT MORE AS THE FIRST STAGE OF THE ASSET MANAGEMENT PROGRAM THAT ALLOWS US TO IDENTIFY SOME OF THESE CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURES, $300,000 UTILIZING PROJECT SAVINGS, FUTURE FUNDING SHOWS, UTILITY DEBT, BUT WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO LEVERAGE THE PROJECT SAVINGS ON THIS ONE.
WATER SYSTEM LEAK DETECTION AND REPAIR.
THIS IS THE ANNUAL PROJECT TO UTILIZE SATELLITE TECHNOLOGIES.
SAHARA, SMARTBALL TECHNOLOGY, THIS IS A PIPE DIVER THAT ACTUALLY GOES THROUGH THE LINE AND THEY CAN IDENTIFY WHERE THE CRITICAL AREAS OF RISK ARE OR LEAKS.
WE ACTUALLY HAVE ONE COMING ON MONDAY FOR SATELLITE.
THEY HAVE SOME NEW TECHNOLOGY AND CLAY CAN TELL YOU ALL ABOUT IT.
INFRASTRUCTURE, LEVEL OF SERVICE, AND ITS ANNUAL PROGRAM OF $50,000 UTILIZING PROJECT SAVINGS.
OUR WATER SYSTEM MODEL UPDATE, THIS IS JUST THE ANNUAL PROJECT, 6,500.
WE DO IT ANNUALLY TO ADD NEW WATER INFRASTRUCTURE INTO THE MODEL AS NEW WATER PROJECTS COME ONLINE, WHETHER IT'S DEVELOPMENT OR CAPITAL PROJECTS, THOSE PROJECTS ARE ADDED TO THE MODEL ANNUALLY.
USUALLY, THIS IS IMPACT FEE-ELIGIBLE PROJECT.
[NOISE] THEN OUR WATER SYSTEM SECURITY IMPLEMENTATION PROJECT, IT'S IMPROVEMENTS TO THE SECURITY OF THE TOWN'S CRITICAL WATER INFRASTRUCTURE.
IT'S REQUIRED TO PROTECT THE WATER SUPPLY AND TO PROTECT FACILITIES FROM THEFT AND SABOTAGE.
THIS RISK AND RESILIENCE ASSESSMENT WAS DONE LAST YEAR.
IT'S A FIVE-YEAR PROGRAM ABOUT $150,000 A YEAR.
THIS IS ANOTHER ONE WHERE WE ARE USING, THIS YEAR WE'RE USING UTILITY FUND BALANCE AS OPPOSED TO UTILITY DEBT.
JUMPING INTO OUR STORMWATER PROJECTS, I'VE GOT THREE OF THEM.
THE FIRST ONE IS COLLEGE PARKWAY DRAINAGE CULVERT LINING.
SO THIS IS A REHAB OF THE EXISTING BOX CULVERT, SO A SPECIALIZED LINING OR EPOXY SEAL.
IT'S BASED ON OUR CONDITION ASSESSMENT.
THIS IS MORE OF A BEFORE AND AFTER OF THE TYPE OF TECHNOLOGY WE WOULD USE.
INSTEAD OF DIGGING IN THE ROAD UP, PULLING THE CULVERT OUT, PUTTING A NEW CULVERT IN WHICH IS PRETTY EXPENSIVE, YOU CAN RELINE THESE AND GET A SIGNIFICANT LIFE EXTENSION ON THESE UTILITIES, AND THAT WE PAID FOR WITH A STORMWATER FUND.
WE GOT GARDEN RIDGE GABION REHAB.
THIS IS REHABILITATION AND REMEDIATION OF OUR GABION BASKET SYSTEM UNDERNEATH THE GARDEN RIDGE BRIDGE THAT GOES OVER TIMBER CREEK.
THEY TAKE BASED ON A CONDITION ASSESSMENT FROM OUR PUBLIC WORKS GROUP IN IDENTIFYING SOME POTENTIAL AND CURRENT FAILURES OF THE GABION SYSTEM.
THERE'S NO IMPACT TO THE BRIDGE.
IT'S MORE OF, IT'S NEXT TO THE BRIDGE, SO IT'S JUST EROSION ISSUES THAT COULD BECOME BIGGER ISSUES.
I WOULD WANT TO GET THOSE ADDRESSED.
IT'S ABOUT $500,000 AND IT WILL BE PAID FOR OUT OF THE STORMWATER FUND, AND THOSE ARE GABION BASKETS.
THEY'RE BASICALLY METAL BASKETS FILLED WITH ROCK TO PROTECT.
TIMBER CREEK STABILIZATION AT TIMBER CREEK.
THIS IS AN INSTALLATION OF EROSION PROTECTION ALONG THE BANKS AND AROUND DRILLED SHAFTS OF THE NORTH AND SOUTH TIMBER CREEK BRIDGES OVER TIMBER CREEK.
THIS WAS A TECH STOCK CONDITION ASSESSMENT.
IT'S NOT AN ANNUAL PROJECT, BUT THEY COME OUT EVERY ONCE IN A WHILE AND TAKE A LOOK AT THEM AND BASED ON THEIR RECOMMENDATIONS, WE NEED TO DO THIS PROJECT.
THE TOTAL COST IS 850,000, BUT IT WILL BE DESIGNED THIS YEAR AT 100,000, SO THAT'S OUR ESTIMATE THAT WHAT NEEDS TO BE COMPLETE.
IT'LL BE FUNDED WITH STORMWATER.
BOTH PROJECTS' CONSTRUCTION AND DESIGN WILL BE FUNDED WITH STORMWATER FUNDS.
[01:55:02]
THEN OUR WASTEWATER PROJECTS.[NOISE] SEE, WE'VE GOT GLEN CHESTER LIFT STATION REHAB AS REHABILITATION OF GLEN CHESTER TO REDUCE SOURCES OF INFLOW AND INFILTRATION AND EXTEND THE LIFE OF THE FACILITY, INFRASTRUCTURE SUSTAINABILITY, AND THE TOTAL PROJECT COST IS 1.4 MILLION.
WE'RE ASKING YOU FOR THE 1.2 WHICH IS THE CONSTRUCTION, DESIGN IS COMPLETE AND THIS WILL BE FUNDED WITH UTILITY DEBT.
INFLOW AND INFILTRATION, EVALUATION AND REPAIR.
SO THIS IS IDENTIFICATION AND CAPITAL REPLACEMENT OF WASTEWATER INFRASTRUCTURE TO MINIMIZE I&I.
INCLUDES FLOW METERS, SMOKE TESTING, AND MANHOLE REHAB PROJECTS.
THAT IS THE ANNUAL PROGRAM OF 250,000.
IT ULTIMATELY WILL REDUCE OUR TREATMENT COSTS, IT WILL REDUCE OUR PLANT MAINTENANCE COST, AND ANY FUTURE EXPANSION IF ONE WAS NEEDED IT WOULD REDUCE THOSE NEEDS.
BASICALLY, YOU'RE JUST PREVENTING WATER FROM ENTERING THE SEWER SYSTEM AND TREATING STORMWATER, TREATING CLEAN WATER. YOU DON'T WANT TO DO THAT.
SO IT'S SEALING UP ALL THOSE CRACKS, FIXING THE MANHOLES, IDENTIFYING THOSE SOURCES OF INFLOW.
THIS YEAR IT'D BE PROJECT SAVINGS, AND IT SHOWS IN THE FUTURE UTILITY DEBT.
[NOISE] KIRKPATRICK LANE AND STAPLETON STREET SANITARY SEWER REHAB.
THIS IS THE REHABILITATION OF THE EXISTING EIGHT AND 10-INCH CLAY SEWER LINE ALONG KIRKPATRICK COLLEGE AND STAPLETON STREET.
IT'S A CONDITION ASSESSMENT BASED ON OUR PUBLIC WORKS TEAMS, TOTAL PROJECT COSTS 1.3 MILLION AND WE'LL BE UTILIZING UTILITY DEBT.
THIS IS RED OAK LANE SEWER LINE REPLACEMENT.
THIS IS GOING TO BE DONE WITH THE WATERLINE PROJECT, SO WE'LL JUST DO THE TWO AT THE SAME TIME.
BASED ON CONDITION AND PIPE TYPE, IT'S CLAY SEWER LINE, IT'S PRETTY OLD, JUST NOT IN GREAT SHAPE.
TOTAL PROJECT COSTS IN THIS ONE IS $2.3 MILLION AND THIS IS THE LAST ONE WE WERE ABLE TO UTILIZE THAT FUND TRANSFER TO REPLACE THE UTILITY DEBT.
WE GOT TIMBER CREEK PARK COLLECTOR REHAB, SO THIS IS THE REHABILITATION OF THIS COLLECTOR FROM HANOVER TO TIMBER CREEK ROAD.
BASED ON OUR CONDITION ASSESSMENT, $900,000.
BY DOING IT THIS YEAR OR NEXT FISCAL YEAR, WE WILL BE ABLE TO UTILIZE A CONTRACTOR THAT WILL ALREADY BE ON-SITE TO REALIZE SOME PROJECT SAVINGS TO MINIMIZE MOWED AND REMOWED AND BYPASS PUMPING COSTS.
TIMBER VALLEY AND FAIRFIELD LANE SEWER LINE REPLACEMENT.
SO THIS IS THE SEWER LINE REPLACEMENT THAT'S ASSOCIATED WITH THE STREET RECONSTRUCTION PROJECT.
ALSO, THE AGE CONDITION IS IT'S OLD AND IT'S IN POOR CONDITION.
TOTAL PROJECT COSTS 700,000 AND WE'LL BE UTILIZING UTILITY DEBT.
THEN THIS UPPER TIMBER INTERCEPTOR, THIS IS THE PROJECT THAT I SAID WE COULD REALIZE SOME SAVINGS BY DOING THE TWO PROJECTS TOGETHER, THAT'S THAT SECTION RIGHT HERE THAT WILL BE REHABBING.
TWO YEARS AGO WE APPROVED DESIGNED FUNDING FOR CONSTRUCTION OR UPSIZING OF THIS PURPLE NUMBER 1, THE PURPLE LINE, TO UPSIZE IT TO A 30-INCH BASED ON THE MASTER PLAN.
IT WAS A 10-YEAR WINDOW PROJECT, SO IT DIDN'T NEED TO BE DONE IMMEDIATELY.
BUT THE LINE ITSELF IS IN PRETTY POOR CONDITION, AND INSTEAD OF SPINNING A LOT OF MONEY ON REPLACING SOMETHING 27 INCHES AND THEN HAVING TO COME BACK AND UPSIZE IT, WE'RE JUST GOING TO UPSIZE IT NOW.
WELL, WE GOT IN THERE WE CLEANED IT UP REAL GOOD, WE VIDEOED IT AND GOT SOME FEEDBACK FROM WORK AND DESIGN CONSULTANT AND ENGINEERS AND WE REALIZE THAT WE CAN JUST REHAB CERTAIN PORTIONS OF THIS, DO SOME SPOT REPAIRS, SAVE A LOT OF MONEY.
WE DON'T HAVE TO UPSIZE ANYTHING OR REHAB THE WHOLE THING.
WE CAN JUST BASICALLY EXTEND THE LIFE OF THIS LINE.
THE ORIGINAL COST, I THINK IT WAS ABOUT $4 MILLION OF CONSTRUCTION.
WE'VE REDUCED THAT TO THE 1.2 MILLION TO REHAB PORTIONS OF THIS LINE AND GIVE US A LOT LONGER OF LIFE OUT OF IT.
THE CONSTRUCTION COSTS WOULD BE THE $850,000 AND THAT WOULD BE FUNDED WITH UTILITY DEBT, AND THEY WOULD BE DONE IN THE SAME TIME.
THE TWO REHAB PROJECTS WOULD BE DONE AT THE SAME TIME.
THEN THIS ONE IS OUR WASTEWATER SYSTEM MODEL UPDATE.
IT'S BASICALLY TO ADD NEW WASTEWATER INFRASTRUCTURE INTO THE MODEL AS NEW PROJECTS COME ONLINE FOR WASTEWATER MODEL ACCURACY.
IT WILL BE PAID FOR TO IMPACT FEE ELIGIBLE PROJECTS UTILIZING IMPACT FEES.
THEN THIS ONE IS WASTEWATER SYSTEM SECURITY IMPLEMENTATION.
I HAVE A LITTLE AMERICA WATER INFRASTRUCTURE ACT.
IT'S NOT REALLY A REQUIREMENT OF THAT INFRASTRUCTURE ACT BECAUSE IT WAS SPECIFIC TO WATER,
[02:00:03]
BUT WHEN WE DID THE ASSESSMENT FOR WATER, WE ALSO LOOKED AT ALL OF OUR CRITICAL WASTEWATER LOCATIONS.THERE ARE ISSUES WHERE WE WOULD LIKE TO ADDRESS THOSE ISSUES AS WELL TO PROTECT THOSE WASTEWATER FACILITIES FOR RISK AND RESILIENCE.
IT'S A FIVE-YEAR PROGRAM AS WELL FOR 150,000.
THE 23-24 COST IS 150 UTILIZING PROJECT SAVINGS.
THE LAST PROJECT IS OUR WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANT EFFLUENT FILTER REHAB.
THIS IS REHABILITATION OF THE WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANT EFFLUENT FILTER.
IT'S DOWN ON THIS LOWER END OF THE PROJECT BEFORE IT DISCHARGES IT INTO THE CREEK.
ITS CONDITIONED ASSESSMENT IS ALSO A PRIORITY PROJECT ON THE WASTEWATER TREATMENT MASTER PLAN AND RECOMMENDATIONS.
TOTAL PROJECT COSTS, 4.5 MILLION.
WE'RE LOOKING FOR DESIGN FOR THIS NEXT FISCAL YEAR OF $400,000 UTILIZING PROJECT SAVINGS.
THE FOLLOWING YEAR, SHE CURRENTLY SHOWING UTILITY DEBT TO FUND THE CONSTRUCTION.
THAT'S ALL I HAVE. NO EXTRA SLIDES.
[LAUGHTER] YOU GUYS HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ON THE CAPITAL PLAN?
>> I THINK, NO, THAT WAS VERY COMPREHENSIVE.
>> DOES ANYONE HAVE ANY FURTHER COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS? IF NOT, WE ARE DONE WITH OUR PRESENTATION.
>> COUNCIL, ANYMORE QUESTIONS.
>> I HAVE ONE DECISION PACKAGE THAT I WOULD LIKE TO DISCUSS.
SPEAKING OF DOING STUDIES AND PAYING CONSULTANTS, THERE'S ONE THAT'S ON PAGE 53.
IT IS A, IF I HAVE THE RIGHT PAGE HERE, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, STRATEGIC PLAN, AND THE AMOUNT OF $160,000.
>> NOT BECAUSE OF I LACK OF CONFIDENCE IN YOUR DEPARTMENTS. IT'S THE OPPOSITE.
IT'S REALLY A LACK OF CONFIDENCE IN SOME OF THE CONSULTANTS AND PLANS THAT WE'VE RECEIVED OVER THE PAST COUPLE OF YEARS AND JUST THE MONEY THAT WE'RE SPENDING ON THAT AND TELLING US HERE WHAT WE WANT TO HEAR OR MAYBE THINGS WE ALREADY KNEW.
I'M JUST WONDERING IF WE NEED TO DO THIS.
I FEEL LIKE WE'D BE BETTER OFF INVESTING IN YOUR DEPARTMENT WITH THIS MONEY RATHER THAN GIVING IT TO A CONSULTANT, BASICALLY, 1-2 FTES WORTH OF.
CAN YOU EXPLAIN WHAT YOU EXPECT TO GET FROM THIS?
>> BASICALLY, WE'VE DONE WORK WITH THIS COMPANY IN THE PAST.
2005-2006, WE DID A STUDY THAT WAS AN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PRESENTATION THAT DID ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT TRENDS AS WELL AS THEIR OVERVIEW.
THEN WE DID THAT AGAIN IN 2012-2013.
BUT WHAT THIS PARTICULAR STUDY IS TO GO INTO THAT DEEPER AND ACTUALLY MAKE A STRATEGIC PLAN FOR WHAT IS MISSING IN THE AREA, AS WELL AS WHAT IS OPPORTUNITIES THAT COULD BE COMING TO THE AREA.
WE WOULD BE DOING AN ACTUAL FULL-BLOWN STRATEGIC PLAN ON THIS.
IF YOU TAKE A LOOK AT OUR STRATEGIC PLAN, ITEM NUMBER 4 TALKS ABOUT A COMPREHENSIVE STRATEGIC ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PLAN.
THIS IS WHAT, IN ESSENCE, WHAT THIS IS.
AFTER I GOT THE SIMILAR QUESTION, I WORKED WITH BOTH RAY AND TOMMY TO GET SOME ADDITIONAL BACKGROUND AND SOME CONTEXT OF WHAT WE'VE DONE IN THE PAST.
THIS IS ON A TOTALLY DIFFERENT SCALE.
I THINK I CAN GIVE YOU SOME CONFIDENCE THAT IS NOT GOING TO BE EXACTLY WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT, THIS PLUG AND PLAY DELIVERABLE THAT JUST TELLS US WHATEVER.
BECAUSE THE COST INCREASES ASSOCIATED WITH SPECIFIC WORK HERE IN FLOWER MOUND, ENGAGING OUR RESONANCE, ENGAGING OUR STAKEHOLDERS TO DEVELOP SOMETHING THAT'S SPECIFICALLY TAILORED FOR FLOWER MOUND.
AGAIN, I COULD LOOK AT THAT, THAT 160.
BUT AT THE SAME TIME, THE BAND WILL STILL ISN'T THERE TO DO THE COMPREHENSIVE WORK THAT'S ASSOCIATED WITH THIS.
I THINK JUST OVERALL, THE BEST WAY TO LOOK AT THIS IS WE'RE BRINGING THIS IN TO TAILOR SOME SPECIFICALLY FOR FLOWER MOUND.
IF I GOT RAY AN FTE OR TWO, I DON'T THINK THEY'RE GOING TO DEVELOP THE SAME DELIVERABLE, SO TO SPEAK.
I THINK THE GENERAL IDEA IS THAT THESE ADDITIONAL WORK IN THIS COST ASSOCIATED WITH IS GOING TO BE FACILITATED TO DEVELOP A PLAN SPECIFIC TO FLOWER MOUND UNDER A DIRECTION THAT WE ULTIMATELY WANT TO HIT.
AGAIN, IT'S A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT THAN WHAT WE'VE DONE IN THE PAST.
WHAT WE'VE DONE IS JUST SOME CURSORY, ANALYSIS ON SPECIFIC CORRIDORS AND THINGS OF THIS NATURE.
BUT THIS IS COMPREHENSIVE FROM STEM TO STERN FOR THE COMMUNITY.
BUT AGAIN, I WANT TO EMPHASIZE, THE COST INCREASES ASSOCIATED WITH BOOTS ON THE GROUND ENGAGEMENT HERE IN TOWN, WITH OUR RESIDENCE, WITH OUR STAKEHOLDERS TO DEVELOP SOMETHING SPECIFICALLY FOR US, THAT MAKES SENSE.
[02:05:02]
IT'S NOT PLUG AND PLAY WITH THE FRESCO, OR A PLANT, OR ANYTHING ELSE LIKE THAT.I THINK JUST GIVEN THE NATURE OF OUR COMMUNITY, I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING THAT'S AWFULLY IMPORTANT THAT WE DEVELOP THAT, SOMETHING THAT SPECIFICALLY WORKS FOR FLOWER MOUND AND A DIRECTIVE WHERE YOU GUYS ULTIMATELY WANT TO HEAD AS A COUNCIL.
>> ALSO, COUNCILMAN SCHIESTEL, TIP STRATEGIES IS ALSO CONSIDERED THE PREMIERE IN THIS PARTICULAR FIELD.
THEY HAVE OVER 350 CLIENTS IN MUNICIPAL AND COUNTY GOVERNMENTS AS WELL AS WORKING IN 44 STATES.
THEY START THEIR PROCESS BY ACTUALLY MEETING WITH THE STAKEHOLDERS, BEING IN THE COUNCIL STAFF, AND GET THE INPUT FROM THEM FIRST BEFORE THEY ACTUALLY DO STAKEHOLDER MEETINGS WITH THROUGHOUT THE COMMUNITY TO DEVELOP THEIR PLAN.
UNLIKE A LOT OF CONSULTANT PLANS, THEY'RE NOT GIVING YOU A REGURGITATED DEAL THAT THEY GAVE TO SOME OTHER CITY THE WEEK BEFORE.
IT IS ACTUALLY DESIGNED SPECIFIC FOR THE COMMUNITY THEY'RE WORKING IN.
>> I GUESS I'LL ADD, WE NEVER MADE THIS INVESTMENT.
WE GOT WHAT WE GOT BECAUSE WE NEVER MADE INITIAL COMMITMENT TO DEVELOP SOMETHING SPECIFICALLY FOR US.
WE WENT THE ROB SPIN AND 40,000 HERE, 40,000 HERE, AND WE GOT WHAT WE GOT.
WHAT WE'RE JUST TRYING TO DO IS MAKE THE OVERALL INVESTMENT TO HAVE SOMETHING THAT WE CAN ACTUALLY RUN WITH AND ACTUALLY IMPLEMENT.
BECAUSE TO THIS POINT, WE REALLY HAVEN'T HAVE HAD ANYTHING TO THAT EXTENT. JUST ADD THAT TOO.
>> I'M SUPPORTIVE OF THIS AND HERE'S THE REASON WHY, THINK ABOUT A LITTLE BIT.
WE'VE GOT LESS THAN 100 ACRES LEFT IN LAKESIDE BUSINESS DISTRICT THAT DO WE HAVE TO DEVELOP.
WE'VE GOT SOME PROPERTY UP AND DOWN 2499, AND WE'VE ALSO GOT THE WEST.
THE WEST IS LIKE AN OPEN SLATE TO ME.
WITH ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, YOU GET ONE CHANCE TO DO IT.
AND I'D RATHER HIRE THE EXPERTS IN THAT INDUSTRY TO HELP US ALONG, AS TO WHAT WE WANT TO SEE IN THESE AREAS.
IN THE LONG RUN, IT'S NOT A DROP IN THE BUCKET, BUT IT'S GOING TO BE MONEY WELL SPENT WOULD BE MY COMMENT ON IT.
>> I'M NOT CONVINCED. TO ME, IT'S LIKE WE GET A PLAN, BUT THE EXECUTION OF THE PLAN IS DRIVEN BY WHAT THE MARKET WANTS TO BRING TO US.
THEN THE VOTERS AND WHAT THEY WANT TO SEE HAPPEN, ELECT PEOPLE WHO REPRESENT THEM.
THIS PLAN IS A PIECE OF PAPER THAT I DON T THINK THAT'S GOING TO DRIVE VERY MUCH DECISION-MAKING.
I FEEL LIKE YOU HAVE STRATEGY IN YOUR HEAD AND THAT'S THE STRATEGY I'M INTERESTED IN.
NOT WHAT A CONSULTANT IS GOING TO COME IN HERE WHO DOESN'T KNOW THIS TOWN.
HE'S GOING TO TELL US, YOU NEED THIS, THIS, AND THIS, AND WE'RE LIKE, WELL THAT'S NOT REALLY HOW WE WANT THIS TOWN TO GROW AND DEVELOP AND BECOME AND WE'RE GOING TO END UP PUTTING IT ON THE SHELF.
THAT'S THE WORST-CASE SCENARIO THAT I HAVE IN MY MIND.
I JUST THINK THERE'S A BETTER INVESTMENT TO BE MADE WITH THIS MONEY IN YOUR DEPARTMENT.
>> IF I CAN ADDRESS THEN I DON'T DISAGREE, AND IT'S ONE OF THE CONCERNS I HAVE AS WELL.
YOU DON'T WANT TO GO THROUGH A WHOLE CONSULTANT ANALYSIS ONLY TO LOOK AT SOMETHING GO, WHY DO WE PAY FOR IT? I THINK ONE OF THE BENEFITS, AND JAMES AND RAY BOTH TOUCHED ON IT IS THE ENGAGEMENT COMPONENT OF THIS PROCESS IN MEETING WITH NOT ONLY STAFF, BUT THE COUNCIL AND THE STAKEHOLDERS AND THE COMMUNITY TO UNDERSTAND WHAT IS IT THE FLOWER MOUND IS LOOKING FOR.
I'M NOT TRYING TO CONVINCE YOU, BUT I WANT TO ADDRESS SOME OF THAT AND THAT THEY'RE GOING TO TAKE INTO CONSIDERATION THAT DESIRE FROM THE COMMUNITY.
IN FACT, WORKING WITH JOHN ROBERTS IN THE PAST, HE'S VERY FAMILIAR WITH THE COMMUNITY.
PART OF THE PROPOSAL THAT WE WERE WORKING ON WITH HIM WAS BALANCING THE HIGH-QUALITY DEVELOPMENT WITHIN FLOWER MOUND, WITH THE PRESERVATION OF FLOWER MOUND'S UNIQUE COUNTRY ATMOSPHERE.
I THINK THEY'RE VERY FAMILIAR WITH THE TOWN'S DEVELOPMENT PATTERN AND WHAT THIS COMMUNITY EXPECTS.
WHAT I THINK THIS PLAN DOES IS TRY TO TAKE THAT LIMITED AVAILABLE LAND THAT WE HAVE LEFT, FOCUS ON WHAT ARE THOSE MARKETS THE TOWN NEEDS TO BE TARGETING.
WE'VE TALKED A LITTLE BIT ABOUT SOME OF THOSE, THE FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS, THE CORPORATE OFFICE WHETHER IT'D BE IN THE TECH SECTOR, OR THE FINANCIAL SECTOR, OR THE MEDICAL SECTOR.
BUT I THINK WHAT THIS PLAN BRINGS TO THE TABLE IS THAT OUTSIDE ANALYSIS AND DATA THAT WE CAN USE, THAT RAY'S OFFICE CAN USE, AND THAT THE TOWN COUNCIL CAN USE TO BETTER DIRECT STAFF ON WHICH CARS TO CHASE DOWN SO TO SPEAK.
[02:10:01]
BECAUSE RIGHT NOW WE'RE TRYING TO RECRUIT EVERYBODY OFF AS MUCH AS WE CAN.I THINK HAVING THIS BACKGROUND INFORMATION IS GOING TO HELP OUR EFFORTS TO ACCOMPLISH THAT.
WHILE AT THE SAME TIME, I DON'T THINK THAT THESE CONSULTANTS ARE GOING TO COME BACK AND SAY, HEY, IT WORKS REALLY WELL RIGHT NOW APARTMENTS AND INDUSTRIAL.
I THINK THE FEEDBACK THAT THEY'RE GOING TO GET FROM THE COUNCIL AND THE STAFF AND THE COMMUNITY IS THAT THAT'S NOT WHAT WE WANT HERE.
THAT'S NOT GOING TO WORK HERE.
>> TELL ME WOULD IT HELP TO MAYBE HAVE US TAKE A LOOK AT THEIR TECHNICAL PROPOSAL OR HAVE US MAYBE SEE WHAT THEIR DELIVERABLES LIST ARE?
>> OH, ABSOLUTELY. SO THE WAY THE PROCESS WOULD WORK, WE'RE JUST ASKING FOR THE BUDGET.
WE WILL BRING FORWARD A PROFESSIONAL SERVICES AGREEMENT AND YOU CAN SEE THE ENTIRE PROPOSAL.
IF THE COUNCIL HAS ANY QUESTIONS, THE REPRESENTATIVE WILL BE THERE JUST LIKE ANY OTHER PSA THAT THE TOWN DOES.
AND WE CAN HAVE ONE-ON-ONE COMMUNICATION WITH THE PRINCIPAL AND THE MAIN GENTLEMAN WITH THIS COMPANY IS JOHN ROBERTS.
COUNCIL CAN GO BACK AND FORTH ON THEIR EXPECTATIONS FOR THIS PROCESS, TALK ABOUT THE SCOPE.
AT THAT TIME IF THEY'RE CONVINCED, THEN THEY'RE READY TO GO FORWARD.
COUNCIL COULD APPROVE THE SCOPE OF WORK AND WE'RE ON DOWN THE ROAD IF THERE'S CONCERNS.
THERE COULD BE TABLED TO ADDRESS THOSE CONCERNS AND THE SCOPE OF WORK ALTERED.
>> I THINK ALSO TO ADDRESS ADAM'S CONCERN, I'D LIKE THE STAFF TO CONSIDER MAYBE IF IT DOES GET APPROVED, THEN ALLOCATING THE FULL AMOUNT BUT INCREMENTALLY FUNDING IT BASED ON THE DELIVERABLES RECEIVED SO THAT WE'RE NOT JUST DROPPING 160K CONTRACT WITHOUT HAVING A DELIVERABLE.
>> IT'S ACTUALLY BROKEN DOWN LIKE THAT.
>> MOST CONTRACTS IT'S JUST LIKE WHEN YOU PAY YOUR CONTRACT YOU PAY SO MUCH TO GET STARTED, SO MUCH AT CERTAIN INCREMENTS THROUGHOUT THE PROCESS AND THEN YOU WRAP UP AT THE END.
>> I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE WE WEREN'T DROPPING 160K AND THEY'RE GOING TO GIVE US A REPORT IN SIX MONTHS.
>> THE ACTUAL REPORT IS 150 AND NOT EXCEED 10,000 EXPENSES.
>> WERE THE REPORTS DONE IN 2013 OR PREVIOUSLY?
>> IN 2006, THERE WAS LITERALLY A PRESENTATION ON CURRENT MARKET TRENDS AND THE OVERALL ECONOMIC ENVIRONMENT IN THE TOWN.
COUNCIL INVITED THEM BACK DURING THE STRATEGIC PLANNING SESSION IN 2012, THEY PROVIDED THE SAME PRESENTATION AT THAT TIME.
THEY ASKED JOHN TO COME BACK WITH PROPOSAL DOERS, WHAT'S CALLED A SITE DEVELOPMENT STUDY.
LET ME, BEFORE I MISS QUOTE IT.
IT'S A STRATEGIC PLAN LIGHT, BUT WHAT IT MISSES OR LACKS IN TERMS OF WHAT THIS PROPOSAL IS, IT DIDN'T CONTEMPLATE THE VISION OF THE COMMUNITY.
THERE WAS NO PUBLIC INPUT, THERE WAS NO ECONOMIC OR DEMOGRAPHIC ASSESSMENT, AND THERE WAS NO CLUSTER ANALYSIS OF THE PROJECTS THEY WERE LOOKING AT.
IT FOCUSED ON THE LAKESIDE BUSINESS DISTRICT, THE 2499 CORRIDOR, AND THE DENTON CREEK DISTRICT.
AND UNFORTUNATELY WHAT WE GOT FOR THAT AND WHAT THE REPORT CAME BACK IS A LOT OF STUFF THAT TOWN WAS ALREADY DOING JUST SUGGESTED TO BE MORE AGGRESSIVE AND THEN EVALUATES SOME INTERNATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES AT THAT TIME.
WHEN THAT REPORT WAS COMPLETED IN 2013, WE HAD A CHANGE IN COUNCIL AND A CHANGE OF TOWN MANAGER.
SO ESSENTIALLY AT THAT TIME, IT WAS CONSIDERED THAT THE TOWN WAS DOING ENOUGH AND DECIDED NOT TO PURSUE ANY OF THE OBJECTIVES IN THE PLAN.
>> WHAT I DO LIKE ABOUT THIS IS THE INVOLVEMENT OF THE COUNCIL OF THE STAFF, AND OF THE COMMUNITY.
THE FACT THAT WE CAN ALLOCATE BUDGET NOW WITHIN REVIEW THE ACTUAL STATEMENT OF WORK AND CONTRACT BEFORE WE APPROVE IT.
ONE OF THE THINGS I THINK WE'VE ALL SHARED A CONSENSUS ABOUT IS, LET'S NOT REPEAT THE MISTAKES OF THE PAST.
IT SOUNDS LIKE THIS IS AN OPPORTUNITY TO DO THINGS THE RIGHT WAY AND YOU'VE REALLY PUT OUR VISION OUT THERE.
CERTAINLY WELCOME THEIR FEEDBACK BASED ON THEIR NATIONAL EXPERTISE AND SEEING WHAT WOULD WORK FOR A COMMUNITY LIKE OURS WITH OUR VISION WITH WHERE WE WANT TO GO AND HELP US TO GET A ROADMAP TO DO IT.
BUT I DO LIKE THAT THIS ISN'T THE LAST STEP IN APPROVING THEM TO GO FORWARD, BUT THAT MAKES ME FEEL BETTER.
>> I DO HAVE THE REPORTS FROM THE LAST TWO IF ANY OF YOU LIKE TO READ THOSE AND THEN WE DO HAVE THE PROPOSAL AS WELL.
>> RAY, IF THIS REPORT COMES IN AND IT'S EXACTLY WHAT ALL OF US WANT AND REFLECTS THE COMMUNITY'S WISHES PERFECTLY, HOW DO YOU ACT ON IT?
>> WE ACTUALLY UTILIZE THAT IN GOING OUT AND RECRUITING CERTAIN TYPES OF INDUSTRIES.
ONE OF THE INDUSTRIES THAT WE LOOK AT IS THE OFFICE COMPONENTS.
IF YOU ACTUALLY HAVE A REPORT LIKE THIS, YOU CAN ACTUALLY USE THAT WITH THE DEVELOPERS TO GO AND HELP THEM SECURE FINANCING FOR
[02:15:02]
THOSE OFFICE FACILITIES BECAUSE IT SHOWS THAT THERE IS A DEMAND AND INTEREST IN THE AREA FOR THAT PARTICULAR USE.THAT'S PROBABLY THE BIGGEST USE RIGHT NOW FOR THEM.
>> ANYTHING FOR THE HR DEPARTMENT? LINDA HAS BEEN QUIET.
YOU KNOW I LIKE EVERYONE TO TRY TO TALK AND THEY'RE ALL HERE, EVERYBODY WILL TALK.
>> I HAVE SOMETHING ELSE TO SAY.
>> I WOULD LIKE SOME COUNCIL DISCUSSION ON OUR MERCHANT CARD FEES, UNDERSTANDING THAT WE HAVE BUDGETED $613,000 FOR THE '23-'24 YEAR TO COVER THOSE EXPENSES.
WE RECOUP ABOUT 252,000, BUT THAT STILL LEAVES US WITH NET EXPENSE OF ABOUT $361,000.
I THINK THAT'S JUST SOMETHING WE SHOULD DISCUSS.
HOW MUCH IS REASONABLY RECOVERABLE? DO WE NEED TO TACK ON ANY ADDITIONAL CONVENIENCE FEES OR IS THERE ANOTHER WAY TO APPROACH IT BECAUSE OUR WHOLE COMMUNITY IS SUBSIDIZING THE USE OF CREDIT CARDS?
>> YEAH. WE'RE SUBSIDIZING THE PROFITABILITY OF CREDIT CARD COMPANIES, AND AT&T JUST MADE A REDUCTION IN THE AUTO-PAY IF YOU'RE USING CREDIT CARDS.
THE INDUSTRY IS STARTING TO PASS THOSE COSTS ONTO THE CONSUMER AND WE PROBABLY SHOULD TOO.
>> COULD MAYBE ALSO OUR STRATEGIC OFFICE LOOK AT ACH TRANSFERS BECAUSE I KNOW SOME OF OUR BILLS ARE PAID USING A ROUTING AND ACCOUNT NUMBER AND THAT GOES AROUND THAT CREDIT CARD COMPANY PROCESSING FEE?
>> THIS CAME UP IN PRACTICALLY EVERY CONVERSATION THAT WE HAD BECAUSE IT STICKS OUT LIKE A SORE THUMB AND CERTAINLY THAT'S SOMETHING WE CAN TAKE A LOOK AT.
WE'LL ZERO IN ON THAT AND BRING YOU BACK SOME AND SEE WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE.
BECAUSE AS OF RIGHT NOW, CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG, THE ONLY PEOPLE WHO ARE PAYING THE ADMINISTRATIVE FEE ARE THOSE THAT ARE PAYING ONLINE WITH A CREDIT CARD.
WE CAN LOOK AND SEE WHAT DOES THAT LOOK LIKE IF YOU'RE USING A CREDIT CARD IN THE FACILITY AND SOME OTHER OPTIONS.
DULY NOTED AMONGST THE STAFF AND WE'RE HAVING CONVERSATIONS ABOUT HOW WE CAN BETTER RECOUP AND ADDRESS THOSE CHARGES.
>> THE SHEET THAT I HAVE JUST FOR EVERYONE'S KNOWLEDGE SAYS UTILITY BILLING AND BUILDING INSPECTIONS ARE WHERE WE'RE RECOUPING THE CONVENIENCE FEE REVENUE.
>> BUT NOT ALL UTILITY BILLING, ONLY IF YOU PAY IT ONLINE.
>> WELL, [OVERLAPPING] UTILITY BILLING, ONLY ONLINE, NOT IF YOU WALK UP TO THE WINDOW AND YOU USE A CREDIT CARD AT THE WINDOW, YOU DON'T GET CHARGED A FEE, BUT JUST ONLINE.
PEOPLE MAY ACTUALLY BE USING IT TO PAY MORE THAN WHAT WE'RE RECOUPING.
THERE'S AN OPPORTUNITY PERHAPS THERE.
I DON'T KNOW IF WE'RE ALLOWED TO DO THAT.
>> REALLY? IS PLANNING ON EVALUATING ALL OF IT.
THE UTILITY BILLING ONLINE PROVIDER, TYLER TECHNOLOGIES, HAS ANOTHER PREFERRED MERCHANT CARD PARTNER THAT SHE'S GOING TO LOOK INTO AND SHE'S ALSO GOING TO LOOK IN TO SEE IF WE CAN RAISE THE FEE, IF WE CAN CHARGE A FEE AT THE COUNTER.
THE CREDIT CARD, WE FIRST STARTED TAKING THEM, WE WEREN'T ALLOWED TO CHARGE THE CUSTOMERS AT THE COUNTER.
THE INDUSTRY, IT'S JUST REALLY ESCALATED ALL THE COSTS SINCE OCTOBER 2021 WITH ALL THE FRAUDULENT STUFF AND EVERYTHING THEY KEEP ADDING MORE FEES TO IT.
IT ISN'T THE PROCESS OF BEING LOOKED AT AND SEE WHAT ALL AVENUES WE CAN TAKE TO TRY TO RECOUP SOME MORE OF THAT.
WE DO TRY TO ENCOURAGE, AS FAR AS UTILITY BILLING GOES, ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO DO AUTO BANK DRAFT OR PAY ONLINE INSTEAD OF USING THE CREDIT CARD.
>> I HAVE ONE MORE, ACTUALLY TWO.
ON PAGE 417, AND I DON'T NEED AN ANSWER TONIGHT.
I'LL GIVE YOU THIS PIECE OF PAPER SINCE I HIGHLIGHTED IT.
BUT THERE'S A LINE FOR GRANTS FUND, IT'S 2.1 MILLION IN 22-23.
THAT'S JUST A BIG QUESTION MARK, ARE WE NOT HAVING ANY MORE GRANT FUNDING? IF WE ARE, WHERE'S THAT GOING TO GO? THEN ON PAGE 492, THERE'S A LINE FOR 75K THAT I COULDN'T FIND IN THE DECISION PACKAGE,
[02:20:08]
BUT I'LL GIVE YOU THAT PIECE OF PAPER.>> ON THE GRANT FUNDS, WE DID NOT BUDGET THOSE UNTIL WE WERE AWARDED A GRANT.
WHEN WE GET AWARDED THE GRANT, WE BRING IT TO Y'ALL TO ACCEPT IT, AND AT THAT POINT, THAT'S WHEN IT GETS BUDGETED.
SO WE'RE NEVER GOING TO HAVE A BUDGET AND A FUTURE YEAR FOR A GRANT. [OVERLAPPING]
>> THEN IF YOU'RE ALLOCATING MONEY FOR THE GRANT YEAR OVER YEAR LIKE IT'S A BASE YEAR PLUS TWO-YEAR GRANT, WE'RE PUTTING ALL THAT MONEY FOR THE GRANT AND ONE FISCAL YEAR OR ARE WE ONLY GETTING GRANTS THAT THEY FUND ONE YEAR AT A TIME?
>> NO, WE GET GRANTS THAT ROLL, BUT THE WAY IT'S BUDGETED IS AS IF IT WAS GOING TO BE SPENT IN THE FIRST YEAR.
MOST OF THE ONES IN THE GRANT FUND ARE ONE YEAR.
YOU'LL SEE A BUDGET FOR NEXT YEAR IN CDBG BECAUSE WE KNOW WHAT THAT AWARD WILL BE.
>> I ACTUALLY HAD ONE OTHER QUICK FOLLOW-UP QUESTION.
I THINK IT WAS SLIDE 17, THE GENERAL FUND RESERVE PROJECTIONS.
WELL, YOU DON'T NECESSARILY WANT TO JUST LOWER THAT.
YOU WANT TO STRATEGICALLY APPLY IT TO AVOID DEBT IN MOST CASES, BUT MY QUESTION WAS PERTAINING TO THE PROJECTIONS.
I UNDERSTAND THAT WE WERE CONSERVATIVE IN PROJECTING OUR INTEREST INCOME FOR THIS YEAR.
IT'S QUITE A BIT LOWER THAN WHAT OUR 22-23 ACTUAL PROJECTED REVENUE WILL BE.
ARE THESE PROJECTIONS ALSO BASED ON THE VERY LOW CONSERVATIVE INTEREST INCOME PROJECTIONS?
>> THE PROJECTIONS FOR 24-25 AND 25-26.
WE USE 2% FOR MOST OF THE REVENUES AND 3.5% FOR THE PROPERTY TAX REVENUE.
>> OKAY, THERE'S A CHANCE THAT WE COULD ACTUALLY HAVE HIGHER THAN EXPECTED INTEREST INCOME, WHICH WOULD THEN PUSH THESE FUND PROJECTIONS HIGHER.
>> IT IS, BUT THE INTEREST INCOME IS RATHER VOLATILE.
NORMALLY IT'S NOT AS LARGE OF A PERCENTAGE OF THE TOTAL REVENUES.
I'M TAKING THE TOTAL REVENUES AND JUST SAYING IN FUTURE YEARS, THEY'RE GOING TO INCREASE 2%.
>> OKAY. I JUST FEEL LIKE IT'S GOING TO BE MORE THIS YEAR, ESPECIALLY.
I DON'T HAVE A CRYSTAL BALL. I WISH I DID.
BUT LAST YEAR, IT WAS PROJECTED TO BE 200,000 AND THEN IT'S LOOKING CLOSER AT 1.7 MILLION.
THAT'S A PRETTY WIDE SWING FOR JUST LAST YEAR, ESPECIALLY BECAUSE WE HAVE MORE MONEY AND THEN IT'S COMPOUNDED.
>> I WAS LOOKING TODAY AT ONE OF OUR INVESTMENT POOLS, AND FROM JANUARY 31ST, 2022, IT WAS AT 0.25%.
OVER THAT TIME PERIOD, AS OF THIS MONTH, IT'S AT 5.5%.
THAT'S 11 HEIGHTS FROM THE FEDS.
WELL, WE DON'T KNOW, BUT THEY THINK THEY'RE GOING TO PROBABLY DO A LITTLE BIT MORE IN SEPTEMBER. THEY MAY NOT.
THEN AS FAST AS THAT WENT UP, THINGS COULD CHANGE AND IT'S GOING TO GO BACK DOWN.
[NOISE] RIGHT NOW, I'M BUYING THINGS OUT ON THE MARKET THAT IT'S 5%, THAT IS THOSE THINGS WHICH ARE OFF, I MAY BE INVESTING IN A LOWER INTEREST RATE.
YOU JUST DON'T KNOW, IT'S NOT A GIVEN NUMBER.
IN OUR COMMUNITY IN TREASURY, WERE ALL LIKE, WOW, LOOK AT THIS INTEREST INCOME BECAUSE WE HAVEN'T HAD IT IN SO LONG.
WE HAD A VERY LONG DRY SPELL WHERE WE WERE GETTING 0% SOMETIMES ON TREASURY, JUST TO DIVERSIFY OUR PORTFOLIO.
>> IS THERE A CERTAIN TIME THAT IT NORMALLY MATURES FOR US.
ARE WE LOOKING AT 60 MONTHS? IS IT SHORTER THAN THAT?
>> I JUST GO OUT ON THE CURVE ABOUT A YEAR BECAUSE THE MARKET HAS BEEN SO LOW, YOU JUST DON'T WANT TO KEEP REINVESTING WAY OUT THERE AT A REALLY LOW RATE.
>> BECAUSE IT COULD GO HIGHER EVEN.
>> FIRST OF ALL, WE'RE TO PRESERVE OUR PRINCIPAL.
>> THAT'S OUR NUMBER 1 PRIORITY AND LIQUIDITY IS SECOND.
BUT WE CAN GO OUT MAYBE A COUPLE OF YEARS, BUT WE'VE KEPT IT SHORT IN THE PAST BECAUSE THE RATES HAVE JUST BEEN SO LOW.
WE DON'T WANT TO KEEP BUYING WAY OUT THERE.
EVERY 12 MONTHS, I'M OUT BUYING SOMETHING.
WHEN SOMETHING MATURES, I PUT IT BACK OUT 12 MONTHS.
>> BECAUSE I THINK PHILOSOPHICALLY, IF WE HAVE TO, BY LAW, MAINTAIN 10%,
[02:25:01]
BUT WE MAINTAIN 20, WE KNOW WE'RE GOING TO HAVE A CERTAIN AMOUNT THERE, BUT WE HAVE SO MUCH MORE THAN THAT.MAYBE WE COULD BUY A LITTLE BIT MORE NOW AT THIS RATE, I DON'T KNOW, BUT PHILOSOPHICALLY.
>> BUT IF WE'VE GOT A LAUNDRY LIST OF POTENTIAL PROJECTS, YOU DON'T WANT TO COMMIT THAT MONEY.
>> [OVERLAPPING] NOT ALL OF IT.
>> WELL, IT'S SURPRISING THOUGH WE'RE OVER WHAT OUR FINANCIAL POLICY IS.
IT SOUNDS LIKE SIGNIFICANT DOLLARS, BUT THEY CAN GET SUCKED UP IN A REAL HURRY THOUGH TOO.
>> I THINK WE DO A REALLY GOOD JOB OF PLANNING.
>> WE DON'T BUY TOO FAR OUT EITHER WHERE WE DON'T HAVE THE LIQUIDITY AND THEN WE HAVE.
>> [OVERLAPPING] TRUE. OF COURSE.
>> YEAH, OF COURSE. [OVERLAPPING] THERE'S A BALANCE, THERE'S A SWEET SPOT THERE, AND IT IS A LITTLE BIT OF RISK-TAKING, WHICH GENERALLY [OVERLAPPING] I'M AVERSE TO.
>> I WAS GOING TO SAY THIS IS RISK ANALYSIS.
>> WELL, I WANT IT. I DON'T WANT TO SAY NO JUST BECAUSE WE'RE AFRAID OF RISK.
WE NEED TO BE STRATEGIC ABOUT WHAT RISK WE WANT TO TAKE ON.
THAT'S THE DEFINITION OF SAFE AND ACCEPTABLE LEVEL OF RISK.
HOW DO YOU KNOW IF YOU'RE SAFE IF YOU DON'T REALLY UNDERSTAND WHAT THE LEVEL IS AND HAVE A DISCUSSION HERE IN A WORK SESSION TO SEE HOW MY PEERS CONSIDER IT.
>> I THINK THIS HAS BEEN AN EXTRAORDINARY TIME PERIOD FOR THE RATES TO BE THIS HIGH AND THE LEVEL OF INTERESTS, LIKE I SAID, IN OUR COMMUNITY, WE WERE ALL LIKE, WOW, WE DON'T KNOW, THIS IS JUST TOO INCREDIBLE.
ALSO WE HAVE TO WATCH TOO, WE HAD TO WATCH ARBITRAGE BECAUSE ANYTHING IN OUR CAPITAL PROJECT FUNDS WE MAKE OVER THE YIELD, WE HAVE TO REBATE BACK TO THE IRS.
WE HAVE SOME OTHER THINGS, BUT WE AREN'T LIKE I AM BUYING OUT.
SOMETIMES I GO MAYBE OUT 18 MONTHS OR SO, JUST LOOKING AT THE BALANCES AND SUCH.
>> WE'RE PROJECTING 1.75 MILLION IN INTEREST INCOME.
>> WHAT YOU'RE SAYING IS IN 23-24, WE'RE DROPPING THAT BACK DOWN ON THE POSSIBILITY THAT INTEREST RATES COULD DECLINE AND WE JUST DON'T KNOW.
>> I JUST WANTED TO HAVE IT AS A DISCUSSION POINT SO WE'RE AWARE OF THIS AS A POTENTIAL FOR MORE REVENUE THAT WE SHOULDN'T BANK ON IT.
I AGREE. BUT I THINK WE MAY HAVE EVEN A GREATER AMOUNT IN THESE GENERAL FUND RESERVES.
>> THIS IS A CONSERVATIVE APPROACH.
>> I APPRECIATE THAT. I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE WE ALL TALKED ABOUT IT AND ALSO OUR RESIDENTS KNOW THAT WE'RE THINKING ABOUT ALL THE AVENUES. THANK YOU.
>> I HAD A FEW QUESTIONS ABOUT SOME OF THE DECISION PACKAGES.
I JUST WANTED TO UNDERSTAND THE JUSTIFICATION FOR IT BECAUSE THAT IS PRETTY NORMAL FOR LARGER BUILDINGS TO HAVE UV SYSTEMS. I KNOW WE'VE SAID 75% OF THE TOWN ALREADY HAS IT.
ARE WE SEEING A REDUCTION IN SICKNESSES?
>> I GOT WITH OUR FACILITIES MANAGER, JEFF GARNER, AND HE HAD LET ME KNOW THAT WE FIRST TESTED THESE UNITS IN THE ANIMAL ADOPTION CENTER, WHICH AT THAT TIME WAS LOCATED IN A TEMPORARY TRAILER.
THE UNITS ALSO HELPED ELIMINATE ODORS AND IMPROVE THE TOTAL INDOOR AIR QUALITY, WHICH WAS A PLUS THAT WASN'T EXPECTED.
THE TECHNOLOGY RECREATES NITROUS PROCESS OF PURIFYING THE AIR WHEN IT'S INSTALLED INTO THE EXISTING AIR CONDITIONING OR HEATING SYSTEM AIR DUCTS.
IT PRODUCES AIRBORNE HYDROGEN PEROXIDE THAT IS DISTRIBUTED THROUGHOUT THE SYSTEM AND INTO THE LIVING SPACE.
IT WILL HELP KEEP THE HVAC DUCTS FILTERS EVAPORATOR CALLS CLEANER BECAUSE IT ELIMINATES THE DUCTS AND POLLUTANTS THAT EXIST IN THE INDOOR SPACE.
IT HELPS IN MAINTAINING THE HVAC UNIT PERFORMANCE BY MAINTAINING A CLEANING FUNCTIONAL EVAPORATOR COOL.
I DON'T KNOW IF THAT ANSWERED.
>> IT'S A GOOD UNDERSTANDING OF IT.
DO WE SEE THAT IN OTHER AREAS, LIKE OTHER BUSINESSES, SO THEY USE THEM? IT SEEMS LIKE A LUXURY TO ME.
>> I BELIEVE OTHER AREAS USE THEM ALSO.
>> MY PREVIOUS STOP THAT THESE WERE IMPLEMENTED SHORTLY AFTER THE PANDEMIC.
THE RESULTS AT THE TIME WITH THE EMPLOYEES,
[02:30:02]
THERE WAS A MARKED DIFFERENCE AND THERE'S A LOT OF PEOPLE WHO JUST HAD CONCERNS WHICH IS THE AIR QUALITY WITHIN THE BUILDING.YOU SAW THAT, ANECDOTALLY, I'VE SEEN IT INTO OUR MOUTH OR STOPS WHERE YOU'VE SEEN AN IMPROVEMENT WITH THESE SYSTEMS.
>> THE OTHER ONE WAS THE EMERGENCY GENERATOR.
I THINK I QUESTIONED THIS ONE A LITTLE BIT IN OUR MEETING.
BUT WHY NOW? WHAT'S DRIVING THE NEED FOR IT RIGHT NOW COMPARED TO PREVIOUS YEARS, HAS THIS BEEN DISCUSSED FOR A WHILE?
>> YES, SO IN MY TWO BUDGET CYCLES, THIS MENISCUS BOTH FEARS AND WE'VE TAKEN A LOOK AT IT.
WHAT I APPRECIATE IS THAT THE STAFF AND JEFF, ALONG WITH OUR CHIEF HENLEY, HAVE WORKED HARD TO FIND THE MOST COST-EFFECTIVE WAY TO GO ABOUT DOING THIS.
ORIGINALLY, YOU HAD A TOTAL OF AROUND ALMOST A MILLION DOLLARS WORTH OF GENERATORS BETWEEN A SENIOR CENTER AND THE CAC.
WHAT I DID IS I GOT WHAT CHIEF HENLEY AND SAID ADDED THE TWO LOCATIONS, WHICH ONE IS PREFERABLE? WE LANDED ON TO CAC.
THAT WAS A $600,000 WHICH YOU'VE LANDED ON HERE IS WORKING WITH JEFF TO IDENTIFY RATHER THAN AN IN-HOUSE GENERATOR, WHAT THIS CONTEMPLATES IS AN ATTACHMENT ON THE OUTSIDE OF THE BUILDING.
IF WE AREN'T IN A WEATHER EVENT, WE CAN BRING THE GENERATOR ATTACHED TO THE BUILDING AND BE ABLE TO POWER IT DURING CERTAIN EVENTS.
I SHARE THAT TO SAY THAT WE'VE SCRUTINIZED THIS OVER THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS AND GOT IT TO A LEVEL TO WHERE I THINK IT'S ADVANTAGEOUS FOR US TO HAVE THAT BACKUP GENERATOR IN THE CASE OF EMERGENCY, GIVEN WHAT WE'VE EXPERIENCED IN THE LAST THREE YEARS, I'M NOT GOING TO ASSUME, AND IT WILL NEVER HAPPEN HERE.
IT IS ONE OF THOSE THINGS IS THAT YOU DON'T NEED IT UNTIL YOU NEED IT.
I THINK HERE IT'S JUST IMPORTANT THAT IF WE FOUND A COST-EFFECTIVE WAY TO GET THAT ASSET IN HERE, I'M SURE CHIEF HENLEY WILL AGREE.
IF WE'RE IN AN EMERGENCY SITUATION AND WE NEED POWER, WE'RE GOING TO HUDDLE AND DOUBLE DOWN AT THE CAC TO BE ABLE TO PROVIDE THOSE CORE SERVICES.
THAT'S THE THOUGHT PROCESS HERE.
AGAIN, LAST YEAR I SAW IT, IT WAS A LITTLE TOO EXPENSIVE, BUT WE WORK SYSTEMATICALLY TO GET IT TO A POINT WHERE I FELT COMFORTABLE BRINGING IT FORWARD.
>> MY LAST QUESTION, WITH SOME OF THE EMPTIES HAVE WE EXPLORED PART-TIME?
>> WITH SOME OF THOSE AND YOU AND I TALKED ABOUT THIS THE OTHER DAY, THERE'S CERTAIN POSITION TYPES WHERE TAKING A PART-TIME APPROACH MAKES SENSE.
THE BIGGEST CHALLENGE THAT WE HAVE IS RECRUITING PEOPLE.
I GET CONCERNED IF WE ALL OF A SUDDEN OFFER PART-TIME POSITIONS, WE'VE MISSED OUT ON GOOD APPLICANTS WHO ARE LOOKING FOR FULL-TIME WORK.
THERE ARE CERTAIN SEGMENTS OF THE ORGANIZATION THAT'S BEEN OFFICIAL TO DO.
PRIMARILY, THAT'S WHY CHUCK HAS A LOT OF PART-TIMERS BECAUSE THE WORK THAT THEY DO IS MORE PSEUDOCYSTS PART-TIME WORK.
BUT IF YOU LOOK AT THE POSITIONS THAT WE HAVE AND I KNOW WE'RE TALKING PARTICULARLY STUFF LIKE AN IT OR IN SOME OF THESE OTHER POSITIONS, IT'S VERY DIFFICULT TO RECRUIT ON THAT PART-TIME LEVEL JUST FROM WHAT WE'VE SEEN.
I HAVE CONCERNS IF WE GO THAT ROUTE TO START OFFERING IS UP AT PART-TIMERS, I THINK WILL MISS OUT AN OPPORTUNITY TO GET QUALITY EMPLOYEES IN HERE.
BUT WITH THAT BEING SAID, I THINK MOVING FORWARD, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I SHARE WITH THE GROUP AT OUR LEADERSHIP TEAM MEETING, I GUESS IT WAS YESTERDAY, IS JUST THE FACT THAT WHEN WE LOOK AT THESE POSITIONS IN THE FUTURE, ARE THERE OPPORTUNITIES WHERE IT IS ADVANTAGEOUS TO GO WITH PART-TIMERS AND TAKE THAT APPROACH.
I JUST DON'T THINK IT ALIGNS WITH THE ASSET WE HAVE RIGHT NOW BECAUSE IF YOU LOOK AT THEM, OBVIOUSLY THERE'S CERTAIN POSITIONS LIKE POLICE OFFICER, SRS, WE CAN DO THAT PART-TIME.
THE BANDWIDTH AND WHERE WE COULD POTENTIALLY GO PART-TIME, IT'S VERY NARROW AND HE'S JUST NOT ADVANTAGEOUS FOR THOSE PARTICULAR POSITIONS.
BUT WITH THAT BEING SAID, IT'S SOMETHING WE CAN LOOK AT IN FUTURE YEARS.
>> I GUESS ONE OF THE OTHER ONES WAS THE VETERINARY KENDALL ASSISTANT, A PART-TIME OR MAYBE IT COULD BE SOMEBODY WHO'S RETIRED THAT HAS THE EXPERIENCE.
I WAS JUST ASKING YOU IF WE'VE EXPLORED IT.
>> CHIEF KANCEL, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU HAVE ANY INSIGHTS ON THAT IN PARTICULAR FOR THAT POSITION.
>> I WAS WAITING TO MY CHANCE TO COME UP HERE, SO APPRECIATE IT.
>> RIGHT NOW WE HAVE TWO KENNEL TECHS ASSIGNED TO ANIMAL SERVICES, AND ONE THING I JUST WANTED TO TRY TO REMIND EVERYBODY OF US, THOSE ANIMALS ARE THERE, 365 DAYS A YEAR, SEVEN DAYS A WEEK.
WE HAVE TWO KENNEL TECHS THERE ABOUT 29% OF THE TIME, SO ADDING THIS THIRD PERSON WOULD REALLY HELP WITH THE COVERAGE.
I'M A BELIEVER IN PART-TIMERS AND I KNOW THAT MY BOSS AND I HAVE DISCUSSED WHEN IT BRINGS VALUE TO ADD A PART-TIME POSITION, WHICH WE DO HAVE A PART-TIME POSITION AT THE SHELTER WHO'S PRETTY MUCH THE VOLUNTEER COORDINATOR BECAUSE WE ADDED THAT A FEW YEARS AGO.
AS I SAID, IF WE CAN REALLY RAMP UP OUR VOLUNTEER PROGRAM, THAT'LL HELP US GET SOME FREE WORK FOR YOUR ASSISTANCE.
[02:35:03]
WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO DO THAT.SHE ALSO IS THE ONE THAT WORKS WITH SOCIAL MEDIA, PUSHING OUT ALL THOSE ANIMALS, GETTING THEM ADOPTED OUT, WHICH HAS BEEN A STRUGGLE POST-COVID.
THAT'S THE OTHER REASON WE'RE REALLY NEEDING SOME ASSISTANCE BECAUSE ALL OF THE SHELTERS ARE FULL RIGHT NOW.
WE HAVE EMPLOYED THAT ONE PART-TIMER THERE.
BUT FOR PURPOSES OF THIS POSITION, THAT WOULD REALLY BE HELPFUL WITH ITS FULL-TIME. DID THAT ANSWER?
>> YEAH, IT DOES, APPRECIATE IT.
>> DID CLAY HAVE SOME? I SAW YOU GET UP, I THOUGHT THERE WERE MAYBE MORE SLIDES OR WE'RE SAVING MORE.
I REALLY THOUGHT WE WERE CLOSER TO 147, BUT IT WAS 109, I GUESS.
COUNCIL, DO YOU HAVE ANYTHING ELSE FOR THE WORK STATION?
>> THE PROPOSED TAX RATE, I THINK, WAS 387.
WE DETERMINED THAT THE VOTER APPROVAL RATE MINUS THE RECAPTURED INCREMENT FROM PREVIOUS YEARS WOULD BE 385,787.
DURING THE PRESENTATION WE LEARNED THAT WE HAVE A FUND BALANCE OF 43% THAT'S AN INCREASE FROM 30% OVER THE PAST TWO YEARS, AND WE HAVE A FOUR-MILLION DOLLAR SURPLUS THIS YEAR.
THERE'S LITTLE ROOM WE CAN GET THIS THING DOWN A LITTLE MORE.
I WOULD SUGGEST WE LOOK FOR SOMETHING JUST A LITTLE BIT BELOW THAT, MAYBE WE GO 385, OR IF THERE'S WILLINGNESS, MAYBE LOWER.
>> IS THERE A SLIDE WITH THE OTHER CITIES AND WHERE WE WERE COMPARING WITH THE RATE?
>> WELL, EVERYBODY'S RATES GOING TO BE GOING DOWN ON TOO.
>> IT DEPENDS ON THE VALUES OF THE HOUSE.
IT DOESN'T TELL YOU A LOT UNLESS YOU KNOW WHAT THE HOME VALUES ARE.
>> THE ONLY THING I'M VERY CAUTIOUS ABOUT DOING THAT IS, WE HAVE A FUND BALANCE, THAT'S GREAT, BUT AGAIN, I GO BACK TO THERE'S A LAUNDRY LIST OF PROJECTS IN THE TOWN THAT ARE GOING TO NEED FUNDING OVER THE NEXT FEW YEARS AND YOU'RE NOT GOING TO HAVE THAT.
I WOULD RATHER NOT REDUCE IT, BECAUSE HOW MUCH DIFFERENCE IS IT REALLY GOING TO MAKE IF YOU GO 385 VERSUS 387?
>> A HUNDRED AND FIFTY THOUSAND DOLLARS.
>> NOT VERY MUCH, WHICH IS WHY WE COULD PROBABLY GO A LITTLE LOWER THAN 385.
>> I DO APPRECIATE THE IDEA OF LOWERING THE TAX RATE, ABSOLUTELY, AND THAT'S ONE OF OUR TOP OBJECTIVES, ALONG WITH MAINTAINING OR IMPROVING OUR CORE SERVICES, AND RECRUITING AND RETAINING EXCELLENT STAFF.
WHAT I LOOK AT, TO JIM'S POINT, ALSO, WITH A FINE TOOTH COMB, STARTS ON PAGE 501 AND THOSE ARE THE REMOVED OR DENIED ITEMS. THOSE ARE THOSE THINGS THAT YOU MENTIONED SPECIFICALLY THAT NEED TO BE DONE, BUT THERE MAY BE NOT AN EMERGENCY PRIORITY RIGHT NOW.
THERE'S A WHOLE LIST OF THINGS THAT ARE GOING TO NEED TO BE DONE IN THE NEXT FEW YEARS, AND RATHER THAN GIVE EACH RESIDENT A REDUCTION OF A DOLLAR ON THEIR TAXES, I'D RATHER MAINTAIN THE RATE THAT WE'VE COME UP WITH, WHICH ALLOWS US TO BALANCE ALL OF OUR THREE CORE OBJECTIVES.
I APPRECIATE THAT, BUT I THINK WE HAVE ACHIEVED LOWERING THE TAX RATE.
WELL, WE DID LOWER IT, THAT'S A FACT.
>> NO, THE STATE OF AUSTIN LOWERED IT. WE DIDN'T DO ANYTHING. [OVERLAPPING]
>> WE DIDN'T DO ANYTHING. WE'RE JUST SETTING THE RATE AT THE MAXIMUM WE CAN THAT WE'RE ALLOWED TO BY STATE LAW, WHICH IS NOT LOWERING THE RATE.
OUR LEGISLATURE LOWERED THE RATE BY SLAPPING OUR HANDS AND SAYING YOU WERE RAISING IT AT 8%, ARE YOUR GOING TO UP TO 3%? [OVERLAPPING]
>> NOW THEY HAPPEN TO DO THAT.
>> BUT ALL OF THIS WORK THAT WENT ON TO CREATING THIS BUDGET HAPPENED WELL BEFORE THE STATE FINALLY ENDED THEIR SPECIAL SESSIONS AND CAME UP WITH THAT NUMBER.
THE INTENTION, I BELIEVE, WAS HERE RIGHT ALONG TO BE FISCALLY CONSERVATIVE AND TO TRY TO ACHIEVE THIS LOWERING OF THE TAX RATE SINCERELY, WITHOUT THE STATE TELLING WHAT WE HAVE TO DO BECAUSE WE KNOW WHAT TO DO.
THEY DON'T HAVE TO TELL US WHAT TO DO.
>> TO YOUR POINT ABOUT THESE DECISION PACKAGE ITEMS THAT DIDN'T MAKE THE CUT, NOW WE HAVE A $4 MILLION SURPLUS AND THEY DIDN'T MAKE THE CUT.
THEY'RE SO IMPORTANT THAT WE DIDN'T EVEN WANT TO SPEND THE SURPLUS THAT WE HAVE.
>> I DON'T LOOK AT IT LIKE THAT.
>> I THINK IT'S A QUESTION OF TIMING.
THEY'LL COME FORWARD IN THE FUTURE, BUT IF WE HAVE A PRIORITY OF LOWERING THE TAX RATE, AND WE'RE SIMPLY SETTING THE TAX RATE AT THE HIGHEST AMOUNT, WE'RE LEGALLY ALLOWED TO BY LAW THEN WE ARE NOT LOWERING THE TAX RATE.
WE'RE JUST SETTING THE TAX RATE THE HIGHEST WE POSSIBLY CAN.
>> THAT'S THE STARTING POINT AND WE NEED TO GO BELOW THAT IF WE HAVE A GOAL OF LOWERING THE TAX RATE.
OTHERWISE, WE'RE NOT LOWERING THE TAX.
>> I THINK WE'RE SLIGHTLY BELOW THAT THRESHOLD.
A LITTLE BIT, BUT WE'RE ASKING ABOUT A LITTLE BIT MORE.
[02:40:01]
>> HUNDREDTHS OF A PENNY. THOUSANDTHS OF A PENNY.
>> OUR INTENTION ALSO WAS INCREASING THE HOMESTEAD EXEMPTION AND INCREASING THE SENIOR EXEMPTION.
WE HAD THAT AS ONE OF OUR OBJECTIVES IN THE BEGINNING ANYWAY, REGARDLESS OF WHAT THE STATE SAID SHOULD BE DONE.
>> BUT THAT DOESN'T AFFECT THE VOTER APPROVAL RATE.
THEY JUST LOOK AT THE TOTAL REVENUE AND SET THE VOTER APPROVAL RATE.
WE'RE NOT REALLY DOING A TAX RELIEF AT ALL FOR OUR NON-HOMESTEAD AND NON OVER 65 AND DISABLED.
>> YOU ARE. YOU'RE LOWERING THE TAX RATE.
>> YOU'RE LOWERING IT BY [OVERLAPPING]
>> THE STATE OF TEXAS IS LOWERING THE TAX RATE.
WE'RE NOT LOWERING THE TAX RATE.
>> BUT WE HAVE THAT AS OUR INTENTION WHEN ALL OF THESE HUNDREDS OF PAGES WERE PUT TOGETHER, EVERY DEPARTMENT HEAD, I BELIEVE, TOOK THE DIRECTION OF LOWERING THE TAX RATE SERIOUSLY, BECAUSE IF THEY HADN'T THEN THIS WOULD HAVE BEEN A LOT MORE.
>> AFTER DOING THAT PROCESS, WE HAVE A $4 MILLION SURPLUS.
TAMMY, CAN YOU JUST SAY WHAT THE DIFFERENCE IS BETWEEN THE PROPOSED TAX RATE AND THE MAX VOTER APPROVAL RATE WITH THE INCREMENT RECAPTURE?
>> THE DIFFERENCE IS 0.001540.
>> EXCEPT FOR 0.00154, WE ARE TAKING BACK THE TAX CUT FROM PREVIOUS YEARS, WHAT'S LEFT OF IT.
WHAT I'M SAYING IS WE NEED TO DO MORE THAN A TAX CUT OF 0.00154.
WE SHOULD DO A TAX CUT OF POINT [OVERLAPPING]
>> I WANT TO DO THE TAXES AS LOW AS POSSIBLE, MY CONCERN ISN'T THIS YEAR OR NEXT YEAR, BUT WHEN THESE APPRAISALS SLOW DOWN AND THEN OUR EXPENSES GO UP, AND WE'RE LIMITED ON WHAT WE CAN RAISE THE TAX RATE TO.
I'D HATE TO CUT IT THIS YEAR AND THEN HANDCUFF A FUTURE COUNCIL IN TWO OR THREE OR FOUR YEARS DOWN THE ROAD, WHENEVER THAT IS, AND THEN THEY HAVE TO GO TO THE VOTERS FOR TAX RATE APPROVAL OR CUT LEVEL.
>> BECAUSE OF THAT ATTITUDE, THE STATE OF AUSTIN HANDCUFFED US BY MAKING IT 8.5% TO 3.5%.
>> BECAUSE EVERYBODY WAS CONSTANTLY BANKING AS MUCH MONEY IN TAX RATE AS THEY COULD FOR YEARS AND YEARS.
>> ONCE AGAIN, WE DID NOT DO THAT AND YOU CAN LOOK AT THE SLIDE THAT SHOWS OUR DECREASING TAX RATES OVER THOSE SEVERAL YEARS.
WE ARE BEING PUNISHED BECAUSE THERE ARE MUNICIPALITIES IN THE STATE WHO DID DO WHAT YOU SAY.
>> I'D ARGUE WE'RE NOT BEING PUNISHED, BECAUSE WE WOULD HAVE DONE THIS ANYWAY.
>> WE'RE LOOPED INTO THIS BECAUSE OF OTHER BAD ACTORS.
>> NO, FLOWER MOUND WAS ONE OF THE ONES SETTING THE TAX RATE 8% MORE.
>> WELL, NO. SEVERAL YEARS BEFORE YOU GOT ON COUNCIL, FLOWER MOUND WAS RAISING THEIR TAX RATE AT ABOUT 8% A YEAR.
BY LEAVING IT THE SAME, THE APPRAISER WAS DOING IT FOR US AND THEN WE SENT OUR TOWN MANAGER TO AUSTIN TO ARGUE AGAINST LOWERING THE CAP TO THREE-AND-A-HALF PERCENT.
>> YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT TWO DIFFERENT COMPONENTS OF MATH.
WE'RE TALKING ABOUT TAX RATE, WHICH IS WITHIN OUR SCOPE OF CONTROL.
YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT TAX BILL, WHICH ALSO CONTEMPLATES HOW THE APPRAISALS CHANGE, WHICH IS NOT INSIDE OUR SCOPE OF CONTROL.
>> THE TAX RATE IS A RATIO OF THE APPRAISED VALUE AND THE REVENUE THAT IT'LL GENERATE.
>> OUR MAXIMUM RATE CAN ONLY BE DETERMINED AFTER THE APPRAISALS COME IN.
WE'RE JUST ADOPTING THE MAX RATE EVERY YEAR, EXCEPT FOR ONE YEAR WHEN WE DIDN'T DO IT.
TWO YEARS AGO WHEN WE WENT BELOW THE NO NEW REVENUE RATE, AND THEN IMMEDIATELY TOOK IT BACK MOST OF IT THE NEXT YEAR.
WE'RE NOT REALLY COMMITTED TO LOWERING TAXES.
WE'RE JUST LETTING THE STATE SET THE RATE FOR US EVERY YEAR AND WE'RE JUST GOING WITH IT. THAT'S DISAPPOINTING TO ME.
WE SHOULD DO A LITTLE BETTER THAN THAT.
WE SHOULD TAKE THE VOTER APPROVAL RATE AND TRY TO GET BELOW THAT, BECAUSE THAT SHOWS THAT WE'RE COMMITTED TO A LOWER TAX RATE.
>> BUT REMEMBER, WE HAVE HAD THE LAST COUPLE YEARS, RUNAWAY INFLATION THAT HAS INCREASED TOWN COSTS FOR EVERYTHING FROM EMPLOYEES TO CONCRETE, HUGE PERCENTAGES.
THOSE INCREASES WERE SIGNIFICANTLY ABOVE THREE-AND-A-HALF PERCENT.
COUPLE OF MONTHS AGO, WE PURCHASED LAND OUT ON THE WEST SIDE FOR NEW FIRE STATION.
WHAT DO YOU THINK IT'S GOING TO COST TO BUILD THAT FIRE STATION AND TO EQUIP IT? IT'S GOING TO BE MILLIONS OF DOLLARS, BECAUSE I BELIEVE FIRE STATION 7, IF MY MEMORY SERVES ME CORRECTLY, WAS ABOUT SEVEN MILLION BUCKS, AND THAT WAS DONE FIVE YEARS AGO.
>> IN THE SIP, IT'S 10 MILLION.
I THINK IT'S IN ONE OF THESE PAGES, IT'S 10 MILLION IN TWO OR THREE YEARS FROM NOW.
>> THERE'S NO END TO THE NUMBER OF THINGS WE CAN SPEND MONEY ON.
>> NO, BUT THOSE THINGS ARE GOING TO BE REQUIRED.
>> LAST YEAR, WE INCREASED REVENUE BY OVER 9%, IT'S RIGHT IN THE BUDGET,
[02:45:01]
SECOND PAGE, ABOVE THE RATE OF INFLATION, AGAIN, THIS YEAR IT'S FOUR-AND-A-HALF PERCENT.THE INFLATION IS HITTING US SO HARD THAT OUR FUND BALANCE HAS GONE FROM 30% TO 43% IN TWO YEARS, GROWING ABOVE THE RATE OF INFLATION.
WE'RE BANKING A LOT OF MONEY AND THAT'S A GOOD THING, IT'S VERY FISCALLY CONSERVATIVE FROM A SPENDING STANDPOINT, BUT IT'S NOT CONSERVATIVE FROM A WHAT IMPACT ARE WE PUTTING ON OUR HOMEOWNERS, WHO BY THE WAY, OUR HOMESTEAD EXEMPT HOMEOWNERS ARE GOING TO BE ABSORBING 10% APPRAISAL INCREASES EVERY YEAR FOR PROBABLY THREE OR FOUR MORE YEARS AND PAYING THE INCREASED CHARGES EVERY YEAR, UNLESS WE CAN CONTINUE TO DO HOMESTEAD EXEMPTION CUTS.
THE REVENUE IS GOING TO COME IN.
WE JUST NEED TO DO A LITTLE BETTER THAN THE VOTER APPROVAL RATE.
THAT'S ALL I'M ASKING. I'M NOT SAYING WE NEED TO GO CRAZY AND CUT THIS THING DOWN TO 38 CENTS.
>> BUT THEN THAT SOUNDS LIKE YOU'RE DOING IT JUST TO SAY WE COULD LOWER TAXES.
>> NO, I'M TRYING TO [OVERLAPPING]
>> IF WE'RE GOING TO DO IT, IT NEEDS TO BE SUBSTANTIAL, BUT WE STILL NEED TO [OVERLAPPING]
>> LET'S DO THAT. LET'S FILL THOSE SUBSTANTIAL TAXES. NOW WE'RE GETTING SOMEWHERE.
>> NO, BECAUSE I DON'T THINK WE CAN AND ALSO ACHIEVE OUR TWO OTHER GOALS, CORE SERVICE AND STAFF.
>> WE HAVE OUR FUND BALANCES INCREASED BY 43% AND [OVERLAPPING] WE HAVE $4 MILLION SURPLUS.
>> THAT'S BECAUSE OF NEW GROWTH.
>> BUT WITH NEW GROWTH COMES NEW EXPENSES AS WELL.
>> THERE'S ALWAYS GOING TO BE EXPENSES, BUT THE QUESTION IS, HOW LOW CAN WE GET THIS TAX RATE THIS YEAR? I GUARANTEE YOU WE CAN GET IT BELOW 385,787 AND DO NO SHORT OR LONG-TERM IMPACT TO OUR BUDGET.
>> YOU JUST WANT TO SET THE TAX RATE AT THE MAX YEAR-AFTER-YEAR?
>>THAT'S WHAT WE'VE DONE LAST YEAR, THIS YEAR.
>> NO. TO SAY THAT WE DID THAT, IT'S COMPLETELY DISCOUNTS ALL THE HOURS, AND HOURS OF WORK THAT EVERYONE HAS PUT IT.
>> WE COULDN'T HAVE A HIGHER TAX RATE IF WE WANTED TO, WE'D HAVE TO SEND IT TO THE VOTERS.
>> WHY DO WE HAVE TO KEEP INCREASING THE FUND BALANCE?
>> I THINK IF I UNDERSTOOD RIGHT, SOME OF THE FUND BALANCE INCREASES FROM GRANTS SPECIFIC TO THIS CORTADERA.
>> IT'S ARPA, AND THIS MIGHT BE A GOOD CONVERSATION FOR US AT SOME POINT DOWN LINE AT A WORK SESSION, BECAUSE THE THING ABOUT THE ARPA FUNDS WE CAN ONLY USE ON A ONE-TIME EXPENDITURES.
IF YOU LOOK AT THE THINGS THAT DRIVE OUR BUDGET IS STILL ONGOING COSTS, SO WE CAN ALLOCATE THAT FOR THIS.
THAT MONEY SITS IN COMPOUNDS, AND I REALLY HAD TO SIT AND THINK ABOUT THIS.
WHY THIS THING IS THE ARPA FUNDS.
THAT'S WHY YOU'RE SEEING THIS ACROSS THE BOARD WERE MULTIPLE CITIES, BECAUSE WE WERE FLUSHED WITH THESE DOLLARS FROM THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT.
BUT WE CAN'T PAY PERSONNEL OUT OF IT.
WE CAN'T PAY ONGOING EXPENSES FOR SOFTWARE AND SOME OF THOSE OTHER THINGS.
SO IT'S THESE ONE-OFF PROJECTS THAT GO OUT THERE.
IT'S COMPLEX, AND I WANT TO BE CAREFUL AS WE TALK ABOUT IT.
WE DON'T TRY TO MAKE THAT ONE-TO-ONE CORRELATION, BECAUSE I THINK IT'S A LITTLE BIT MORE COMPLICATED THAN THAT.
I THINK IT IS WORTH A BROAD CONVERSATION, AND THAT'S WHAT I'M CONTEMPLATING OVER THIS APPROACH THAT WE WANT TO TAKE A WHILE.
WE WANT TO DO WHAT OUR FUND BALANCE.
I JUST WANTED TO BE CAREFUL THAT I DON'T WANT TO MAKE A CORRELATION, WHERE WE PROBABLY SHOULDN'T MAKE IT, BECAUSE AGAIN IF NOT FOR ARPA, THAT FUND BALANCE WOULDN'T BE AS HIGH AS IT IS RIGHT NOW.
>> I DO WANT TO USE THE FUND BALANCE PHILOSOPHICALLY, IN A GENERAL SENSE TO REDUCE THE NUMBER OF TIMES WE HAVE TO GO TO DEBT.
BECAUSE THERE'S AN OPPORTUNITY COST OF MONEY, AND I BROUGHT UP THE INTEREST RATE THING.
WELL, ON THE FLIP SIDE IS THE COST OF BORROWING MONEY, I DEFINITELY WANT TO LOOK AT THAT.
I DON'T WANT TO SAY CUT TAXES.
BECAUSE WE HAVE MANY PROJECTS, AND ANYTIME WE CAN USE THE FUND INSTEAD OF DEBT WOULD BE BENEFICIAL.
>> 100% SUPPORT DEBT AVOIDANCE, AND KEEPING THE INS RATE LOW.100%.
>> JAMES, I THINK IT WOULD BE BENEFICIAL IF, AND I'M NOT SURE THAT EVERYONE IS AWARE.
BUT THE LAUNDRY LIST OF FACILITIES AND COSTS THAT WE'VE HAD DISCUSSIONS ABOUT THAT ARE GOING TO BE REQUIRED GOING FORWARD, BECAUSE IT'S EYE-OPENING.
AND EVERYBODY NEEDS TO BE AWARE.
THAT THOSE PROJECTS GOT TO BE FUNDED.
IN MY OPINION, I AGREE WITH DEPUTY PRO TEM MARTIN.
I WANT TO KEEP THIS FUND BALANCE AND $1.98 TAX BENEFIT TO THEM, JUST SO THAT WE CAN SAY, WELL I LOWERED IT ANOTHER 15,000THS OF A PENNY.
>> YOU CAN'T EVEN GET ONBOARD WITH A $200,000 REDUCTION IN OUR REVENUE [OVERLAPPING] FROM 0.3877-0.3857, WHICH IS JUST SIMPLY 3.5% TAX INCREASE AND REMOVING THE INCREMENT.
>> WHAT IS THE REAL BENEFIT OF THAT, OTHER THAN SAYING I LOWERED THE TAXES?
>> ONE OF OUR PRIORITIES IS A LOWER TAX RATE. [OVERLAPPING]
>> WE ARE LOWERING THE TAX RATE.
>> WE'RE NOT LOWERING THE TAX RATE.
>> AUSTIN IS LOWERING THE TAX RATE VIA THEIR [OVERLAPPING].
>> WE HAPPENED TO BE DOING THE RIGHT THING, AND IT COINCIDES WITH THEM MAKING OTHER PEOPLE WHO WOULDN'T HAVE DONE THE RIGHT THING.
WE WERE GOING TO DO THIS ANYWAY.
>> WE SHOULD TAKE LOWERING THE TAX RATE OFF OF OUR STRATEGIC PLAN, AND JUST SAY WE'RE GOING TO SET IT TO THE VOTER APPROVAL RATE OF YOU.
[02:50:02]
>> WE ARE BELOW THE VOTER APPROVAL RATE.
>> YOU WANT TO GO JUST A LITTLE BIT MORE?
>> I WANT TO DO MORE. [OVERLAPPING] I'LL GO LOWER.
I'M JUST TRYING TO PUT SOMETHING OUT THERE, THAT MAYBE WE CAN JUST AT TINY LITTLE TEXTS WRITTEN WORD WITH.
>> I'M NOT CONCERNED ABOUT $220,000, WHATEVER IT IS THIS YEAR.
I'M AFRAID WE DON'T KNOW WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN.
[OVERLAPPING] I DON'T THINK ANYONE COULD HAVE PREDICTED THE LAST TWO YEARS OF INFLATION.
>> THAT'S WHY THE RECAPTURE THERE IS AVAILABLE TO US.
SO WE'RE PULLING THE RIP CORD ON OUR EARLIER TAX CUT, BUT NOTHING HAS EVEN HAPPENED YET.
SO IF WE WERE TO GO DOWN TO JUST THE 3.5%, WE STILL HAVE THAT RECAPTURE OPPORTUNITY AVAILABLE TO US NEXT YEAR.
IF SOMETHING DOES HAPPEN, WE CAN GET THIS DELTA BACK.
>> COUNCIL MASHIF, I WANT TO CLARIFY THAT THE INCREMENT IS DONE AFTER THIS YEAR.
>> NO. THIS WE'D HAVE TO GO BELOW 0.3857.
IN OTHER WORDS, THE EMERGENCY DIDN'T HAPPEN.
WE'RE STILL GOING AND TAKING THAT INCREMENT BACK.
>> I'M PRETTY SURE WE HAVE USED THE LAST OF THE INCREMENT.
>> DO WE HAVE AN EMERGENCY THAT WE FEEL LIKE WE HAVE TO GO, TO AND TAKE THE REST OF OUR TAX BACK FROM TWO YEARS AGO? I DON'T THINK SO, BUT THAT'S WHAT WE'RE DOING.
>> OH, IF YOU FEEL BETTER IF WE DO THE MERCHANT CARD FEES, WE'RE GOING TO HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO GET BACK $300,000.
>> THEN THAT WOULD PAY FOR THIS TAX RATE CUT?
>> WELL, I JUST DON'T KNOW THAT'S A CERTAINTY, AND HONESTLY, I THINK THE MONEY IS SO SMALL 200,000, 300,000.
>> THAT'S WHY WE SHOULD DO IT.
>> NO, THAT'S WHY WE SHOULDN'T DO IT BECAUSE IT DOESN'T MATTER TO EACH PERSON AS MUCH.
>> IT'S TWO DOLLARS A PERSON, MAYBE.
WE CAN GET THE MATH. BUT I JUST FEEL LIKE ALSO NEW REVENUE FROM NEW CONSTRUCTION IN NEW BUSINESS.
>> I POINT OUT ONE THING, THE BIGGEST PERCENTAGE OF MERCHANT CARD FEES, IT'S COMES FROM UTILITY FUNDS, BECAUSE IT'S THE WATER BILLS.
THIS WOULD BE THE GENERAL FUND.
>> THAT WOULD BE THE GENERAL FUND. THANK YOU FOR THAT CLARIFICATION.
>> I MADE MY CASE, BUT I WOULD SUGGEST A 3.85787 TAX RATE, WHICH IS SIMPLY DELETING THE INCREMENT RECAPTURE FROM OUR PREVIOUS TAX CUT, NOT TAKING THAT BACK FROM THE TAXPAYERS.
IF THEY SUPPORT ON COUNCIL, GREAT.
IF NOT, THEN I MADE MY CASE. THANK YOU.
>> I SUPPORT IT. PEACE WAS MADE.
>> COUNCIL, DO YOU HAVE ANYTHING ELSE FOR STAFF? DO WE NEED TO PROVIDE ANY OTHER DIRECTION?
>> WE WILL MAKE A COUPLE OF CHANGES THAT WE TALKED ABOUT, AND THEN WE WILL BE BACK MONDAY FOR THE PUBLIC HEARING.
>> MAYOR IF THERE'S NO ANYTHING ELSE, I DO WANT TO TAKE THE TIME TO THANK YOU ALL FOR THE CONVERSATION, AND ALSO THE PREP WORK.
GREAT QUESTIONS, IRON SHARPENS IRON.
I APPRECIATE THAT THE DILIGENCE OF ASKING TOUGH QUESTIONS, AND HOPEFULLY WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO ANSWER FROM THIS EVENING.
AGAIN, THANKS FOR YOUR WORK AND PREPARATION FOR THIS MEETING.
>> THANK YOU, JAMES. WITH THAT, THE TIME IS NOW 8:53 AND THE TOWN COUNCIL IS
[F. CLOSED MEETING]
CONVENING INTO A CLOSED MEETING PURSUANT TO TEXAS GOVERNMENT CODE CHAPTER 551 SECTION 087.[G. RECONVENE]
THE TIME IS NOW 10:44, AND THE TOWN COUNCIL IS RECONVENING INTO AN OPEN MEETING.AS A RESULT OF THE CLOSED SESSION, THERE IS NO ACTION TO BE TAKEN.
THE TIME IS NOW 10:44, AND WE ARE ADJOURNED.
* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.