[This transcript was generated automatically from audio using AI and hasn't been reviewed by a person -- it can contain mistakes, including plausible-sounding sentences that were never actually said. Treat it as a starting point, not a verbatim record.]

[0:01] Good evening, everyone. It is now 6.30, it is July 14th, and it's time to start the regular city council meeting. If you can all please stand with me, as we do the pledge of allegiance, we have Gibson Hilton here to do it with us. Will you please join me for the pledge. I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands. One nation under God.
[0:32] indivisible with liberty and justice for all honor the Texas flag I pledge allegiance
[0:38] to the Texas one state under God one indivisible. All right thank you Gibson I
[0:49] just
[0:50] sure I got the picture okay awesome well you got it right there in a different spot so
[0:55] thank you we appreciate you you say say there was a lot of authority and pride so
[0:59] Thank you.
[1:04] All right.
[1:05] Chapman Dale Burke was supposed to be here for the invocation, but he is not here, so we
[1:10] will have Councilman Lowe do the invocation for us, please.
[1:17] Right, yes, please.
[1:19] Heavenly Father, we come for you with gratitude, for the opportunity to serve our community.
[1:26] We ask your wisdom as we consider decisions we make tonight.
[1:30] Help us listen with open minds and speak with kindness.
[1:49] We pray with our first responders, city staff, volunteers, local businesses, and every family who calls Bastrop home.
[1:59] May everything we do tonight bring glory and honor to all of us.
[2:02] your name. In your son Jesus name we pray amen.
[2:10] Thank you Councilman Lowe. All right got a good size
[2:14] housing here tonight. Welcome welcome. All right. We'll go through the our reports. We'll do the
[2:22] mayor's reports been a few weeks since we've had a council meeting and so in that time I've been
[2:28] pretty busy but I won't hit you with everything but yeah it's almost something on the daily which I
[2:35] I love it's good, but I just want to give congratulations to those students, adult students
[2:45] who graduated from the community action and corporation of Central Texas, adult education
[2:52] graduation program, CED program for adults or any also had ESL students in there as well.
[3:00] It was pretty nice to hear their stories, how they were able to overcome the hurdles.
[3:07] And some, you know, it took them 15 years, 20 years, from teenage years to finally get
[3:13] their GED, but it was a lifelong accomplishment for some.
[3:17] There was even one mother who came up to me in tears because she was able to resonate with
[3:23] my story because about being an underdog and overcoming and going the distance.
[3:28] and her son went through a lot to get there,
[3:30] so it was pretty nice to see that and it's good
[3:33] to see people don't give up.
[3:37] Also, let's see, we had the Bachelot County emergency food drive
[3:42] that has gone on for a little while.
[3:45] I was able to attend it that same day.
[3:47] I think we have someone here to speak on their behalf,
[3:51] and so I won't spoil all of it,
[3:52] but last I had saw it together,
[3:54] the community raised almost 3,000 pounds of food for the county of
[4:01] Bathrop photo pantry. So that was that was fantastic. And it was
[4:04] great to be a part of that. I want to give a little shout out,
[4:07] you know, I'm all about the kids. I want to give a shout out to our
[4:11] youth baseball team, the eight you team for BYSO.
[4:18] Can't remember the
[4:18] full acronym. But anyway, they're they're traveling this year,
[4:23] They made the Little League World Series and so if the community can get behind them and support those young guys
[4:29] They got a real good team real good camaraderie. They played together for a while
[4:33] I don't know they're just eight, but they stand a real good chance to go pretty far
[4:37] Then we also had the 12-view softball team. They finished fourth in the Little League World Series. They didn't get to progress
[4:45] but
[4:46] It's a lot of young young ladies on that team that did a fantastic job
[4:50] So I got to spend some time with those kids and wish them well and and really just see what they had going on
[4:58] Then the week of 4th of July was a super busy week. I'm sure we all have something that we did that week
[5:05] I know
[5:08] Councilman Lowe and Councilman remember Meyer they joined me to celebrate Michael Thomas
[5:14] he turned 98 and the man looks young, he looks like he's like 65 but he's a
[5:20] World War II veteran, Karina War veteran went to the senior center to
[5:25] celebrate his birthday with him. It was a real good event. Great group of folks.
[5:30] I got to get over there and get to NASA with him on a Tuesday night so maybe
[5:34] we don't have a council meeting, I'll be able to get over there with them and then
[5:39] as you know, we all celebrated the 4th of July here in Bastrop with Fame on the
[5:43] Friday and the big bang celebration at the park.
[5:48] So it was just a fantastic, fun time in the community for me.
[5:51] Being out amongst everyone, enjoying the people, the vibes,
[5:56] the camaraderie, and watching our community go grow.
[5:58] So I won't take up any more time, and I'll pass it on
[6:01] to Councilmember Faustler.
[6:04] Thank you, Mayor.
[6:06] I'll do a report.
[6:07] I'll look ahead, report, and announcement
[6:08] of what's coming up for this Thursday
[6:11] Today for Hunters Crossing Residents, if you live in Hunters Crossing or have business in Hunters Crossing, come to the Convention Center on Thursday, this Thursday at 6.30 p.m., it's a joint meeting between the Hunters Crossing Public Improvement District, the local government corporation, and the Hunters Crossing Home Owners Association Board.
[6:30] It's regarding the maintenance and possible transfer of ownership of some of the common areas, one of those being the parcel that the pool is on.
[6:37] So I expect to see some live wheeling and dealing in the moment of the Convention Center.
[6:41] So if you have any interests, this is really going to be a special night because all the
[6:46] interested parties are finally ready to resolve all these lingering details.
[6:50] So I expect an action-packed meeting on Thursday at the Convention Center.
[6:55] This Friday, Saturday and Sunday, there will be a memorial and exhibit at the Bridges Emporium
[7:02] for a beautiful Bastrop County artist that we lost in a tragic car accident a few days ago.
[7:09] Yvonne Winter is her name and all proceeds from the exhibit will go to her family, her very
[7:16] shocked family. She was a bright light and an incredible artist and is very miss. Yvonne Winter is her
[7:23] name.
[7:25] Coming up this weekend, also Friday is the Corvette invasion. It starts Friday night
[7:31] and the the light show starts at 9 p.m. from 9 to 9.30. It's called Lights
[7:37] Camera Corvettes at the convention center parking lot and then the car show
[7:42] starts the next day at 9 a.m. with the awards at 1 p.m. Saturday night is the
[7:48] Casa fundraiser. It's a sock hop and it's at the Smithville Recreation Center
[7:53] on Saturday night. The artichets available still. Also Saturday night it's the
[7:59] The film Allie's last stand-up comedy, it's 8 p.m., Scott Hardy is headlining, he's hilarious,
[8:07] he's very funny, it will sell out soon, there are a few tickets left and they are on
[8:12] the film Allie website.
[8:14] And then next Wednesday, if y'all have y'all heard about data centers, there's a data center
[8:20] town hall being hosted at the Hampton Inn, next Wednesday at 6.30 p.m., it's hosted by
[8:27] the Bastrop County GOP, the Bastrop County Democratic Party, the Forward Party and the League of Independent Voters.
[8:35] So all those parties are hosting this town hall and also Texas Agricultural Commission said Miller will be speaking at the beginning.
[8:43] So space is limited, it's a big room, but please, if you're interested, please come on the early side because you don't,
[8:48] if you want to be in the room, then you don't want to miss it.
[8:51] And then next Thursday is the volunteer and resource fair at the Bastrop Convention Center for all of our boards and commissions and also our community resources.
[9:02] So that's the convention center next Thursday, 6 to 8 p.m., last one y'all.
[9:08] Next Saturday, which is July 25th from 3 to 7 in downtown Bastrop is our Christmas in July.
[9:16] It's a lemonade crawl and it's free, but please register on the Discover Bastrop website.
[9:22] Thanks, y'all.
[9:23] I know it's a lot, but there's a lot of cool stuff going on, even in this heat.
[9:26] Thank you.
[9:28] All right.
[9:29] Thank you, Council Member Fossler.
[9:31] Council Member Puckett.
[9:32] Let me guess.
[9:34] Actually, I think I did hear something that she didn't include.
[9:41] There was a list, but I could have missed it.
[9:44] I thought she had everyone covered.
[9:48] So the two blocks in Main Street, I believe we closed on Saturday night after the Corvette
[9:56] invasion.
[9:57] That's the bad news if you want to call it.
[10:00] The good news is all the winners from the Corvette invasion will be parked out in front
[10:04] of the businesses there.
[10:05] So that'll be a cool way to see the cream of the crop.
[10:09] So does anybody know the times on that?
[10:11] I was looking it up, but I didn't see it.
[10:13] 30 to nine.
[10:14] Thank you, McKayla.
[10:15] 6.30 to nine is when the main street will be closed.
[10:19] How'd you make your voice sound like a microphone?
[10:23] Oh, okay, there you go.
[10:26] All right, thank you, Council Member Monke.
[10:28] Council Mayor Pro Tem Kirkland.
[10:31] So, McKayla, I got another question for you.
[10:33] Who was responsible for the alternate layout
[10:35] at the Farm Street Opera?
[10:39] Carly Davenport, well, Carly Davenport,
[10:42] wherever you are, thank you.
[10:44] that was fabulous. The first Thursday of the month, I was the master of ceremonies at the
[10:48] Farm Street Opera. One of my favorite activities I get to do here on council and the entire
[10:55] room layout was different. They had moved the dance floor up close to the band and it made the
[10:59] entire activity much more interactive. You know, up on the stage, I loved seeing it all and then
[11:06] the audience as well got to kind of interact with the dancing as it took place. Instead of the dancing
[11:10] being in the far back of the room in almost an unlit corner.
[11:14] So I think that that just added a tremendous amount of life
[11:19] and audience participation and the two music guests.
[11:23] We're just absolutely fabulous.
[11:25] So, great job to the team on that one.
[11:29] And then, yes, Corvette Invasion, Friday night,
[11:31] the lights thing that Council President Foster mentioned.
[11:34] 9 a.m. on Saturday at the Convention Center.
[11:36] All day long we'll have Corvettes.
[11:39] It's like 370 Corvettes, it'll be the biggest show of Corvette invasion we've had here in Bastrop, and it is the largest Corvette show in the state of Texas.
[11:50] And I have a classic 1963 Corvette, and I will be there in the, it's called the C2 class, it's the second body style of Corvettes, and so you can stop by and say hi to me as well.
[12:02] Thank you.
[12:03] Thank you, Mayor Pro Tem Kirkman.
[12:05] Just real quick before I get to you, Councilmember Meyer.
[12:08] You just maybe think of something when you brought up staff.
[12:12] I just want to give a huge shout out to Warren Turner.
[12:14] He works with the Water and Waste Water Department here in Bastrop.
[12:19] KXN was here doing a report on the newspaper.
[12:23] I'm out on the hospital and he saw that they were broken down and
[12:28] he decided to do a good deed and pull over and give them a jump.
[12:32] so that they could be on their merry way.
[12:35] It allowed them to be able to break the story.
[12:37] And so I just want to say,
[12:40] Warren Turner, thank you for being a good steward
[12:44] of the community and being a helpful person
[12:45] and showing what Bastrop's all about.
[12:48] Art, council member Meyer.
[12:50] Thank you, Mayor.
[12:51] Among the four that you like, activities that I attended,
[12:54] one was so special, it was the spirit
[12:57] of the Declaration of Independence Concert
[12:59] at the Performing Art Center, performed by the
[13:03] Bastrop County Historical Commission.
[13:05] And it was just amazing.
[13:07] The music and the program were so heartwarming.
[13:11] It really got you in the spirit for our 250th birthday.
[13:16] So that was amazing.
[13:18] Also, following that was our famed days.
[13:22] And it was the night before the Big Bang was a fame.
[13:25] It was on Spring Street.
[13:26] And I just want to give a huge shout out to discover Bass Drop for the famed days, Friday
[13:33] Art Music Entertainment, F-A-M-E. That's what that stands for.
[13:37] And there was such a fun cakewalk, and there was a hot dog eating competition, and just
[13:43] a lot of fun things.
[13:44] To get you in the mood for the next morning, which is one of my favorite events of the whole
[13:49] year, it was the Pet and Pals for 8, where all the animals of every kind that you could
[13:54] imagine, chickens, rabbits, dogs, you name it. We're all decorated for the fourth and
[14:00] their owners all decorated. So that is one of my most favorite times in this whole city
[14:06] is the Pettenpels Parade. So it was amazing. And after that, there were so many great things
[14:13] going around town that everybody else is hit on. I just want you to be aware of something
[14:17] happening this coming Saturday. Downtown at our museum on Main Street is music in the
[14:24] museum from 12 to 1 and they have amazing musicians there, a bluegrass, every kind of music
[14:30] that you could want to hear and it's all relaxed and it's so fun.
[14:33] So please try to make the museum this weekend and I'm going to throw a little teaser out
[14:38] because almost my favorite thing of this whole year and the whole town is coming up the
[14:45] end of July and the 1st of August is called the Bastrop Homecoming Radio.
[14:50] So more on that at the next council meeting.
[14:54] All right, thank you councilmember Meyer. Councilmember Lowe.
[14:57] Yeah. I wrote a song called What's La-
[15:00] For us. And look like I'm singing that refrain.
[15:07] No, I just want to talk about the spring fest.
[15:11] We went down to spring fest and that was a good time. I got to take my dog lucky. He
[15:18] was getting acclimated. He did all right, but it was a great event. It was well attended.
[15:24] it, and it was really a good time. So I want to thank them for that. Also, too, lastly,
[15:34] our community thrives because of the people who help step up in shape its future. If you
[15:39] want to make a direct impact on policies, growth, environment, culture, and
[15:42] bash drop, I strongly encourage you to look at joining a Board of Commission that's coming
[15:47] up. Whether you're past your parks planning or historic preservation, there's a place for
[15:53] you at the table. So check out the current openings on the website and see how you can get involved
[15:58] today. Thank you. Thank you Council Member Loeb. Spring Festival was fun. I knew the secret
[16:05] identity of Spider-Man 2. All right. Thank you guys. Now we're on to our City Manager's report.
[16:18] You guys are tired of talking about it. Imagine how tired we are of doing it.
[16:22] All right,
[16:27] so I want to start off with acknowledging the 4th of July issue.
[16:32] We had some medical two folks had medical issues down in the park that required medical attention
[16:40] and then we had communication issues and so yes there was a delay in the fireworks.
[16:46] Yes there was a delay in the fireworks.
[16:48] Folks left the park believing that we were done and we were not done.
[16:52] Obviously, it's important to get folks to safety and get them the medical attention they need.
[16:59] And so for those of you that are upset, I'm sorry we saved two lives.
[17:03] For those of you who understand, we promise to be better next year.
[17:08] And we'll make it up, we have a surprise coming for homecoming, but I won't let that out of the back.
[17:12] And I do want to acknowledge our misstep, staff's misstep, my misstep in not creating a bigger 250th anniversary
[17:22] acknowledgement of this country's birthday. We should have done better, we will be better
[17:27] and we have addressed the issues and hopefully we don't ever have this type of misstep
[17:33] again to miss such an important issue.
[17:37] City Council retreat coming up July 30th and 31st in Fredericksburg, we're going to meet
[17:42] with their city officials and we will be meeting in a city facility. It's a day and a half
[17:48] event, you'll be back in time for the rodeo, I promise.
[17:52] I also want to address over the
[17:55] first part of June and leading into the 4th of July events. There was a lot of chatter
[18:00] on social media about what we allow and what political organizations do and don't.
[18:06] And number one, I'm happy to see that our three parties, our independence and our Democrats
[18:12] and Republicans could come together finally on something they all dislike. And that would
[18:17] have been the City of Astra. So yay, let's acknowledge that it's possible to come together
[18:23] when you have a, you know, a joint dislike for other government agency. But in our, and
[18:31] in their defense, the city was enforcing, staff was enforcing what we believed was an
[18:37] adopted policy. And as we dug deep, right, it's not an adopted policy. It is going to come
[18:42] to the council, and I remind everybody that free access for everybody, that means the
[18:48] wick of people gets a sit right next to the Catholics, so we will work through that
[18:53] to ensure that everybody has equal access, and that it remains enjoyable to everybody
[18:58] who wants to participate that they don't have to be, you know, sidelined as they're trying
[19:04] to travel through the event.
[19:07] We are discussing, we have some folks from our HLC group here, we are discussing a historic
[19:13] overlay on how we further begin to protect historic bashtrop.
[19:18] We've made great strides, there is a lot of work to do.
[19:22] The outside world continues to think bashtrop is really cool, but in thinking that we're
[19:27] really cool, they want to change us.
[19:30] And so, you know, we, as a city, are going to make a determination.
[19:34] Are we historic Bastrop or are we not and so you have an item before you later on these folks. I don't believe we're going to wait to the end of the agenda.
[19:42] So we may either move it up mayor or let them speak is citizen comments.
[19:49] You all missed a sit with sale that happens tomorrow at 630 at the roadhouse and interestingly you missed it but you all show up. So there you go.
[19:57] And that's also a chance to just sit with me and let me have it or describe what we need.
[20:04] and it is never a shortage of conversation.
[20:07] I'll just say that.
[20:08] We do have get involved in Bastrop,
[20:11] which is Council Member Loa alluded to.
[20:13] We are looking for folks on our boards and commissions.
[20:16] We have a lot of folks who are beyond their term,
[20:19] and we've allowed them to stay on
[20:20] because we don't have another person to fill the spot.
[20:23] So I'm hopeful that we have a slew of applications
[20:25] and we get going.
[20:27] And I'm gonna turn it over to the mayor
[20:29] who has a presentation or a discussion with Jack of Hearts.
[20:35] All right, thank you, Sylvia.
[20:37] All right, so just want to do a small brief introduction
[20:42] and then we'll have them.
[20:44] Come back to me after you're done.
[20:46] Okay.
[20:47] All right.
[20:51] There's two guys I met, Lilwago.
[20:54] They started up with an organization, Jack of Hearts.
[20:57] and they basically raise scholarship funds for students to help them further their careers and the workforce or education.
[21:06] To hear their story of how they got started is pretty cool.
[21:11] And, you know, from what I've gathered, from what I learned, being around these guys really, really care about the community and the younger generation.
[21:22] and so Jack he wanted to speak on Jack of Hearts and yeah I'll just leave it at that
[21:32] Sylvia did you want to say something before he comes this week okay okay all right so Jack yeah
[21:37] I'll let you do all the introduction Justin face
[21:50] you face them yeah you fake you can face us
[21:53] Thank you. Yeah, and so if if y'all can do us a favor so the people on the radio TV video land will know who you are if you can just introduce yourselves and tell us who you with and then and and go for it.
[22:10] So council and mayor, we appreciate the time to come in and speak with y'all. More of the informative, not a complainant.
[22:20] We do like to, I'm Jack Prentice with Jack of Hearts.
[22:24] Justin Love with Jack of Hearts.
[22:26] Jack, can y'all hit the microphone for me, please just,
[22:29] because like we will hear it, we don't hear who,
[22:31] we can't hear on, you know what I mean, so.
[22:33] Justin Love with Jack of Hearts.
[22:36] I'm Clayton Tishler, just a supporter and local resident.
[22:43] So just a little back story, little history with Jack of Hearts.
[22:46] We're five and a half years old.
[22:48] just in and I had a vision and a goal and decided that we would start an
[22:53] organization that would be nonprofit to support and give away scholarships to
[22:59] young men and women leaving Bastrop County High School and would
[23:04] pursue trades. We're five years old this year being our sixth year we've been
[23:10] blessed through the community and a lot of local businesses to be great
[23:17] that we've been able to give away almost 100 scholarships in five years in our county.
[23:29] I believe for a program that's five years old, we're halfway through our sixth year
[23:36] and to be able and blessed to give away 100 scholarships basically. We're about a few just two away from
[23:43] that. In five years is a small feat. When you look at around that, our programs that are here in
[23:50] Bastrop County and the other things in other organizations and what they do. In this
[23:57] five years though, we have learned a lot, I can tell you that. Doing business in Bastrop
[24:05] has been amazing. At different times it has not been easy. It's amazing to do business,
[24:14] but it's not always been easy because of financial reasons.
[24:18] The biggest part of Jack of Hearts is supported through local businesses and opportunities
[24:26] that Justin and I have created over these years to do fundraisers.
[24:33] And in doing that, you know, it puts a small tax on a large problem in a small community.
[24:41] We are just one group and then you add the little league, you add the high school, you
[24:48] add other organizations that's probably not the right word but we tax our community with
[24:56] everyone else to help support our program.
[25:00] And when you start doing that, it doesn't take long and all of your smaller businesses in
[25:06] backdrop. That money goes pretty quick. Their budgets are spread pretty thin.
[25:13] And in that process of doing business here in
[25:15] backdrop, we use the Bastrop Convention Center. We have since this year
[25:20] moved up on the hill there to Mayfest Park and we have future goal to use and
[25:27] utilize the rodeo arena. Our two events a year is our banquet coming up July
[25:33] 25th that we can after the invasion of the Corvettes. So we want to get on that list.
[25:40] We want to be mentioned on that one too. We have for five years from day one used the
[25:48] Bestrop Convention Center. It's a great place. We've been blessed to put five, eight hundred
[25:55] people there every year in July of the 25th. And that's the same night that we give away
[26:01] our scholarships. That's just one event. Then we have another one in October that is Red
[26:08] Nex and Rockers. It's a barbecue cook-off battle of the bands. Now that we've moved
[26:13] up here on the hill in Mayfest Park, we have intentions of growing. And with growing,
[26:20] we know that that's going to cost more money in the future. That cook-off is typically
[26:26] two days and we are our goal by 2028 is to make it a three-day music festival with a barbecue cookoff.
[26:36] That's our second event. We do not give away scholarships. That is just to help to support the scholarships that we give away in July.
[26:45] Then, at Thanksgiving, we've been blessed to help an organization that is no longer going to be there.
[26:54] just in an eye, Jack of Hearts, our crew, we're taking over that event. This year we
[27:00] were blessed to feed 350 families that Thanksgiving. Not on that, but we were
[27:06] blessed to have the mayor there. You know, out of his day, he'd come and
[27:11] spend some time with us and fix plates and run them out to cars and things like
[27:16] that. So it's nice to see the community giving back to us and to be a part of what
[27:23] what we're doing and to be recognized at those times, not for who we are but for what
[27:30] we're doing. Because we're going to do that with the City Council or without. We're
[27:35] going to do that with the community helping us or not. We're going to be there to help
[27:40] do what we like to do and what feels great for us and to help others that need it at a
[27:45] great time.
[27:49] I'm not complaining, but I will say that to do these events and for us to grow
[27:54] as a non-profit and we are a true non-profit. We do not show up every day for
[28:01] Jack of Hearts just in and I have full-time jobs. Jack of Hearts is a second
[28:05] full-time job that does not pay a nickel to us. So when we're out there
[28:11] getting after it and hitting up our community to help support us financially it
[28:19] puts a strain on a lot of things. To use the Bastrop Convention Center in the
[28:23] last five years, it's went from $3,200 to $3,900 this year, I just opened the invoice
[28:30] two nights ago, and I laid that down and said, okay, it's time to talk about it a little
[28:37] bit. And in that process we've learned we have security that would gladly donate their
[28:47] time. They're not city, they're not city officials or city officers. This is
[28:53] a consumables department. I would like for it to be a consideration. And I'm not
[29:00] sure that this is even the correct place. But just as a, as I said, we're not
[29:05] here complaining. We're just here to, to help show what we do in the places
[29:13] that we could use some help.
[29:16] Officers donate their time for our events. In our future of using
[29:22] city facilities I understand that we're going to need more security for different events.
[29:27] And when you look at the tax dollars and the dollars that we are bringing to town,
[29:32] and then you look at the opportunities that we have to get some help back for a donation,
[29:38] Well, that's not acceptable right this minute.
[29:43] So I'm hoping in the future that we as a nonprofit and other nonprofits,
[29:48] because it's not just us in this town that is faced with this.
[29:53] A lot of us are as a nonprofit.
[29:55] I know others that I have set and visited with.
[30:00] They are facing the same issues that we are. We're a small community. We're growing tremendously. Our businesses support as much as they can. So when we can get a break, we need one. If the council's department can help do our security, and they donate their time, these are things that we would like to be considered in the future that would help us tremendously. Lastly, before I turn it over to Justin, I appreciate
[30:30] been in this town. Been here nine years and in nine years I've been doing this
[30:37] kind of work for five years to give back to basketball.
[30:42] It is a blessing to
[30:44] give back to our community. The people here are so acceptance. They accept what
[30:51] we're there to pour. We do our best to help anywhere we can as we can. To give
[30:58] Give away 20 scholarships a year at our banquet and to see those families and to be a part
[31:05] of what they are and who they are and how we can interact with them and change young
[31:10] men and women.
[31:11] Keep them here at home and help support them to put back into our community.
[31:16] That's a blessing.
[31:18] Little by little we're growing.
[31:20] We have no intentions of going anywhere, but we don't want to be forced out of town because
[31:27] we can't afford to do business here as a non-profit either.
[31:31] Now, in the future, as we grow and y'all are able to grow in opportunities,
[31:38] please consider as a non-profit that we're doing our best.
[31:44] The key word to that is no profit because every dollar we take in in this town,
[31:50] we put back into this town through small business and families.
[31:55] Thank you all for your time.
[31:56] I'm going to let Judge didn't have a turn here to talk.
[31:59] And then Mr. Titler is going to speak on our behalf just from a little bit of knowledge
[32:05] of what he knows of Jack Hart's and his experiences with us.
[32:10] Thank you, Jack.
[32:13] Ladies and gentlemen, Council members, thank you.
[32:18] I moved here this summer of 88, I was 14, I've been here ever since, I haven't left.
[32:25] some of you I know very well Mr. Low we know we go way back.
[32:32] This is my home and what
[32:36] Jack and I have done the past five and a half years is pretty groundbreaking for a
[32:43] lot of and simplest terms. Jack and I have known each other since he moved here we
[32:50] threw darts together and a dart league at the American Legion right up on the hill
[32:55] slowly but surely we began to develop a friendship and through that we had
[33:01] talked about well what do you like to do or how would you like to give back to
[33:05] this community because we talked about it for years and I said man I'd really
[33:09] like to do this at the same time he's been doing it for 20 some years in East
[33:13] Texas so we sort of do some ideas together and one night after darts were
[33:21] sitting there in the the back hall and he said, do you have any money? I said, no sir,
[33:27] I don't have any on me. I said, do you? He said, no. I said, wait a minute. You got a quarter
[33:35] because I pulled out a quarter out of my pocket. And he said, actually, I do. So we do him on the
[33:42] table and at that very moment, 50 cents later, jack of hearts was born. And that's how we started.
[33:50] And we're not slowing down and we don't want to slow down.
[33:54] We just want to keep doing the best that we know that we can and we want to keep giving
[34:00] back to our community and to these young men and women that a lot of their teachers and
[34:06] their counselors, they may not look at them the same way that we do.
[34:09] They may see them as different.
[34:12] We see them as hard working.
[34:15] You know, they may see them as a problem child.
[34:19] We might see them as a mechanic or a welder,
[34:24] truck driver, electrician, plumber.
[34:29] Everything that makes this country go around
[34:31] is because of these kids.
[34:33] And some of these kids are wrenching on cars
[34:36] or working with their uncles or their grandfather's
[34:39] who own a plumbing company or own a mechanic shop
[34:42] or they are a truck driver and they just want to do the same things some of these kids may not
[34:48] be the best academically but their hearts are in the right place and they know what they want to
[34:54] do for a future and that goes back to like what Jack and I have always talked about we just want to
[35:01] leave this place you know we just want to leave this this world a better place than the way that
[35:07] We've done the way that we found it, and that's what we're striving to do with these kids.
[35:13] So again, thank you all for your time, and I'm going to turn it over to Mr. Tishler, and he's going to conclude.
[35:20] Thank you.
[35:20] Thank you, Justin.
[35:26] Mayor, council members, thank you for giving us the opportunity to speak today.
[35:30] My name is Clayton Tishler.
[35:32] I lived in Riverside Grove here in Bastrop for the last 12 years, and I was honored when Jack and
[35:39] Justin asked me to come speak on their behalf.
[35:42] I am not a member of the organization.
[35:45] I am just a supporter that has been supporting it for several years.
[35:49] And I wanted to go over that experience with y'all.
[35:52] My very first interaction with Jacob Hart was in 2023 when my son Billy received one of
[35:58] their scholarships.
[36:00] And I'll never forget that day.
[36:02] They didn't just award him the financial help that also made him feel seen.
[36:07] They made him feel valued.
[36:08] They showed him that Bastrop believes in its young tradesmen, and the future they represent.
[36:14] That scholarship gave him confidence and direction, and it showed me what kind of organization
[36:19] that Jacob Hartz is.
[36:22] But now the real one came in with my second experience with him.
[36:26] It was just as powerful.
[36:28] A local sheriff officer was injured in the line of duty, and the community came together
[36:33] to support him.
[36:34] Jack of Hearts didn't did not hesitate.
[36:37] They stepped in with major support, time, resources, fundraising, whatever was needed.
[36:43] They didn't ask whether it fit their mission, they didn't ask what was in it for them.
[36:48] They simply saw a member of our community hurting and said, we're here.
[36:53] So that moment told me everything I needed to know that Jack of Hearts isn't just about
[36:57] tradesmen, they're about Bastrop, they're about people, they're about stepping up when
[37:02] someone needs help.
[37:03] Since then, I've seen them at fundraiser after fundraiser for families facing medical
[37:08] crosses for people who have lost loved ones for community members who simply need a hand.
[37:15] I've watched them donate their time, their labor, their money, I've seen them quietly
[37:20] show up without being asked and stay long after others have gone home.
[37:25] And then everything's given, their host meal for those in need, they make sure people who
[37:30] might not otherwise have a warm plate or a warm place to be to have food. That's not
[37:37] just charity, that's community, that's compassion, and that's the heart of
[37:41] backdrop. Organizations like Jack of Hearts are the backbone of this city. They
[37:47] feel gaps that government alone cannot feel. They lift people up in ways that
[37:51] don't always make headlines and absolutely change lives. And they're not alone.
[37:56] Bastrop has many nonprofits that do incredible work every day.
[38:00] That is why I'm here today, not to talk about any specific issues, but to ask that we
[38:06] continue to support and whenever possible reduce the burdens placed on the nonprofits that
[38:12] give so much of themselves to this community.
[38:16] When we make it easier for the nonprofits to operate, they can give more back.
[38:20] When we reduce unnecessary costs, their impact grows.
[38:24] When we recognize and honor donated time, donated services, and donated resources, we
[38:31] strengthen the very organizations that strengthen Bastrop.
[38:35] Every dollar a nonprofit doesn't have to spend on administrative or procedural requirements
[38:41] is a dollar that goes directly back into helping the families, supporting youth, feeding
[38:46] the hungry, and lifting up people in crisis.
[38:49] It's a dollar that goes back into Bastrop.
[38:52] jack of hearts have shown up for this community again and again. My family is
[38:57] living proof of this of the difference they make many families in this city
[39:01] can say the same. I'm asking that we as a city continue to show up for them and
[39:06] for all the nonprofits who make Bastrop a better, kinder, stronger,
[39:11] place to live. Thank you for your time and thank you for your commitment to the
[39:16] people of Bastrop. All right. Thank you Clayton. Council, do we have any
[39:21] Any questions or anything for these gentlemen?
[39:26] All right, Sylvia, you said you had something?
[39:29] Not related to this.
[39:30] Okay, all right.
[39:32] Thank you guys, we appreciate it.
[39:33] Thank you.
[39:34] Well, to the mayor and council related to this item,
[39:37] I just want to clarify a few things.
[39:39] One, they're a non-profit, so they'd qualify
[39:41] for a 15% discount on the rate.
[39:44] And two, we use a system called Badge Hire for police
[39:48] and patrol at events.
[39:50] I think we've communicated that their share of volunteer can go through that system and put a cost of
[39:57] zero and that can still happen in that manner. There's just a process to make sure there is coverage at those type of events where, especially where alcohol is served.
[40:12] Thank you. We appreciate that. That is the first time that we've heard of a 15% discount.
[40:20] We've been using the Chamber or the Convention Center now for five years and this being our sixth year.
[40:29] Wow, I'm very fine with staff whether or not the price you were quoted was actually with or without the 15% but I'll get with you guys in a minute.
[40:38] The staff member that you need to talk to is back at the table, she'll come find you here just a second.
[40:42] Thank you very much for letting us know that and I appreciate your time, thank you.
[40:47] Thank you
[40:50] so I'll go quickly over button wood from Wilson
[40:54] I know button wood is a topic of conversation for a couple of folks on the internet
[40:58] So I wanted to give you guys we installed 750 feet of new water main oh that's that's not 750 inches a 750 feet
[41:06] New water main and replace five water services. We also made five sewer point repairs
[41:12] Also on the water waste water side
[41:14] And we are going to be doing smoke testing on the July 20th, the week of July 20th, which
[41:20] is next week.
[41:21] So if you see smoke coming out of some of your sewer connections in the front yard,
[41:25] please don't freak out.
[41:26] We're doing that on purpose.
[41:27] The purpose of that is to identify areas where there are leaks and infiltration.
[41:34] The Boa Water Notice.
[41:35] You got that as soon as I got it this morning has been lifted.
[41:39] And I just want to remind everybody that a Boa Water Notice is standard when we lose pressure
[41:43] that quickly. No contaminants in the water. And then, you know, addressing Mayfest Park,
[41:49] we do have preparations underway for homecoming. The covers are scheduled to be installed this
[41:54] coming Monday. The crews were laying the foundation this week with installation next week for
[41:59] the bleachers. And so I'm hoping the rain lets up enough that we can get that done. We will be
[42:05] putting together a small group of volunteers for this weekend and next weekend to get small stuff
[42:10] done the painting of the pipes and things like we did last year so that's what I have
[42:17] all right thank
[42:19] you so you appreciate it all right on to agenda item 4d proclamation for park and recreation month
[42:34] so as you know best draft has some really nice parks we have an awesome park and
[42:39] team and program and it's only going to get better for sure so as
[42:50] parks and recreation as an integral
[42:51] part of the communities throughout this country including the city of
[42:55] Bastrop and whereas parks and recreation promotes health and wellness
[42:59] improving the physical and mental health of people who live near parks and
[43:03] whereas parks and recreation promotes high-spin nature which positively impacts
[43:07] mental health by increasing cognitive performance and well-being and alleviating
[43:12] illnesses such as depression attention deficit disorders and Alzheimer's and
[43:18] And whereas parks and recreation encourage physical activities by providing space for
[43:22] popular sports, hiking trails, swimming pools, and many other activities designed to promote
[43:27] active lifestyles.
[43:29] And whereas parks and recreation is the leading provider of healthy meals, nutrition services
[43:34] and education.
[43:35] And whereas parks and recreation program and education activities such as out of school
[43:40] time program, youth sports and environmental education are critical to children to childhood
[43:46] development.
[43:46] And whereas Parks and Recreation increases the community's economic prosperity through increased poverty values, expansion of local tax base, increased tourism, the attraction and retention of businesses and crime reduction.
[44:00] And whereas Parks and Recreation is fundamental to the environmental well-being of our community.
[44:07] And whereas Parks and Recreation is essential and adaptable infrastructure infrastructure that makes our communities resilient in the face of natural disasters and climate change.
[44:17] And whereas our parks and natural recreation areas ensure the ecological beauty of our community and provided place for children and adults to connect with nature and recreate outdoors and recreate outdoors.
[44:30] And now therefore, I, Ishmael Harris, Mayor of the City of Basharov, do hereby proclaim the month of July 20, 2026 at Park and Recreation Month and witness whereup I have here on to set my hand and cause the official seal of the City of Basharov to be affixed on this 14th day of July 20, 2026.
[44:51] Do we have someone here to accept this? Right there? Yeah, there they are. I didn't see y'all back there.
[45:03] I'll come up here and introduce yourselves.
[45:11] Good evening, mayor and council. My name is Jason Alfaro, Parks and Recreation Director for the city. Hello. I'm Jesslene Olivatus, and I'm the Parks and Recreation Manager for the City of Bastrop. All right. We're going to take a picture with you guys. So, photo out.
[45:51] You guys should have held up your shirts.
[46:26] All right.
[46:27] Okay.
[46:29] Like you said, we have someone here that wants to speak on the next proclamation.
[46:33] Yes.
[46:33] Correct.
[46:35] All right.
[46:38] Hot car awareness month.
[46:40] High car awareness month.
[46:42] Make your way up.
[46:43] You can come up here.
[46:46] Hello.
[46:47] You don't have to be shy.
[46:48] If you can just introduce yourself and tell us who you with.
[46:51] Can you speak after the proclamation or before?
[46:54] You can speak before and then we'll do the proclamation.
[46:58] Good evening, Mayor Harris and councilmembers.
[47:01] My name is Siley Raja.
[47:03] I'm a rising senior, a youth advocate in the founder of Project SafeRide, a national
[47:07] initiative dedicated to preventing pediatric, vehicular heatstroke and pet heatstroke tragedies.
[47:13] I also serve on the Texas heatstroke task force working alongside advocates across the state
[47:18] on this exact issue.
[47:20] Thank you, Mayor Harris, for this proclamation and for recognizing hot car when it's month here in Vastrop.
[47:27] This cause hits close to home for the community in a very literal way.
[47:31] Vastrop isn't just a place people live. It's a getaway, and the big part of that is the outdoors.
[47:37] Families come from Austin, from Houston, from all over Central Texas to spend a day at Vastrop State Park,
[47:44] walking the trails through the lost pines,
[47:46] swimming in Lake Mina or paddling on the Colorado River.
[47:51] That means long days outside, gravel and asphalt parking lots with little shade,
[47:56] and cars sitting untouched for hours while everyone's off on the trail or down at the water.
[48:02] Added events like the Bastrop Homecoming and Rodeo,
[48:05] the farmer's markets on Main Street were a Saturday at Lake Bastrop,
[48:09] and you get cars parked full of coolers, kids, and sometimes the family dog,
[48:14] Parked in direct sun for an entire afternoon.
[48:17] That's not a hypothetical for us.
[48:19] That's a Saturday in Bastrop in July.
[48:21] That's exactly why this awareness matters right here in the city.
[48:25] We're not talking about an abstract public health issue.
[48:28] We're talking about trailhead parking lots,
[48:31] our riverbanks, our neighbors, and visitors.
[48:34] Each stroke does not discriminate.
[48:37] It doesn't care if you're a lifelong Bastrop resident
[48:40] or someone visiting for the first time to hike the lost pines.
[48:43] It doesn't care if it's a child, a grandparent, or a family pet.
[48:47] What it does care about is time and heat, and here in Central Texas, during the summer
[48:52] months, we have plenty of both.
[48:55] So today isn't just about a proclamation on paper.
[48:58] It's a reminder to all of us.
[49:00] Look before you lock, check the back seat, never leave a child or pet in a parked car for
[49:05] any moment of time, and watch out for one another this summer.
[49:08] especially in high traffic outdoor spots like our state parks and riverfront where a quick trip to the water can turn into hours.
[49:16] Thank you again to the mayor and council for standing behind this cause and thank you all for being here today.
[49:21] Thank you for your name again.
[49:23] Siley Raja.
[49:26] Siley.
[49:27] Siley.
[49:27] Okay.
[49:28] Siley.
[49:29] Thank you Siley.
[49:30] That was wonderfully written.
[49:32] All right.
[49:33] So and we all know it does get hot. It doesn't matter like it starts getting hot in the spring time and it doesn't stop till
[49:41] November
[49:45] All right, so whereas pediatric vehicular heat stroke is one of the leading causes of non-crash related fatalities and
[49:53] Vehicles for children under 15 with more than a thousand lives lost since 1998 and whereas the child's body temperature rises
[50:01] three to five times faster than those and death can occur when their core temperature
[50:06] reaches a hundred and seven degrees. It's their show that can be reached within minutes.
[50:12] Whereas on a typical 70 degree day, the interior of a vehicle can reach a hundred and fifteen
[50:17] degrees in just 30 minutes and parking in the shade or cracking windows does not provide
[50:21] the safe environment for a child or a pet. Whereas research shows that these tragedies can
[50:29] happen to a caregiver, regardless of education or personality, often triggered by a change of routine
[50:35] sleep deprivation or high stress. And whereas check project safe ride, founded by youth advocate,
[50:44] Sally, Sally, Raja serves as a virtual community initiative to empower families with technology and
[50:53] reminders to eliminate these 100% preventable deaths.
[50:58] Now therefore, I, Ishmael Harris, Mayor of the City of Bashshop, Texas, and the Bashshop
[51:02] City Council do hereby proclaim July 14th as high-car awareness day.
[51:08] And when this were of, I have here on to set my hand and cause the official seal of the
[51:11] City of Bashshop Texas to be affixed on this 14-day of July of 2026.
[51:17] Thank you again for bringing this initiative and fighting for this.
[51:22] So thank you thank you would you like to take a picture with oh yeah we're
[51:27] gonna we're gonna sign it we're gonna come up here you open it up we'll take a
[51:30] picture with you.
[51:57] Thank
[52:01] you
[52:17] yes all right on to agenda item 5A discussion
[52:29] Workstops, work sessions and briefings, discussion, local option, election in the city of
[52:34] Vastra.
[52:41] Good evening, Mayor and Council.
[52:44] Let me grab a quick.
[52:53] So I wanted to take some time this evening to discuss an item that's going to be brought
[52:57] to Council at the next Council meeting and that's the local optional election.
[53:03] The last local optional issue was in 2005, so as you can imagine, we have a lot of new voters
[53:08] members and some that are unfamiliar with local optional action and so I wanted to discuss
[53:14] that with you tonight.
[53:17] Equally as important in front of citizens so that they know what
[53:21] we need them to go to the polls for. I have Miss Adina Lewis from the county who is going
[53:26] to help me answer any questions if I'm unable to.
[53:30] So what is a local optional action? And that is where the citizens are able to have their
[53:37] Their voice heard on alcohol regulation in the city, whereas the state generally makes
[53:43] that decision.
[53:46] We have alcohol licenses from top to bottom in the city of Astrop, and that's why it's
[53:52] so important.
[53:54] So some of the details about the local option election is, the state before we had our
[54:01] last local option election in 2005.
[54:03] So since then the city has annexed land and those annex lands they retain their status as they were derived before we annexed them they remained dropped.
[54:15] So what we want to do is join in this countywide issue and try to get some uniformity across the county.
[54:23] The city of Smithville is also going to participate as well as the city of Elgin.
[54:29] So at the moment the county attorney is going to draft some uniform which is important
[54:35] anytime we have a county wide initiative like this we want to make sure all residents
[54:39] are voting on the same thing and we all accomplish, each city can accomplish what they've set
[54:44] out to do.
[54:46] Another important detail is the results of that election become effective the day that we can
[54:51] Davis, which is tentative for, I believe it's November 10th.
[54:56] So another thing that's very important, the City of Basraub, I want to say you need
[55:02] because City of Basraub's unique to me, we have a city ordinance that requires if you
[55:10] have a mixed beverage permit that you also have a food and beverage permit, so that would
[55:16] not be affected. What also would not be affected is you have to maintain 60% of your sales
[55:22] from food rather than alcohol so you don't cross that line of not being a restaurant
[55:28] anymore. It will be a very simple four or against on the ballot for all beverages including
[55:38] misbewerages or against the legalization. So and it can basically be looked at as an update
[55:45] to our corporate boundaries.
[55:47] So what's most important is we're not taking anything away
[55:51] from our businesses, but trying to give them more opportunity.
[55:56] So this is a map of the city of Bastrop.
[56:00] The yellow portion with the law is through it
[56:03] is what was involved in the 2005 local optional election.
[56:08] And as you can see, the portions that are not shaded in,
[56:11] that is they were not included in an annex later.
[56:14] So it's very evident that we have some gaps where your neighbor could have one set of rules and you have a different set of rules
[56:23] And so we want that that fairness to be across the board. We don't want
[56:28] We want everyone to have the same opportunity
[56:32] So right now the voting schedule as it shows up here will start
[56:36] Towards the middle of end of October and run to the end of October with the lush may be in November 3rd
[56:42] There are some pretty expansive voting hours.
[56:46] The location within the city of Bastrop would be the Bastrop courthouse annex voting.
[56:51] As you can see, there's also some other voting centers from Ethyl and Elkin, Cedar Creek, too.
[56:59] Okay,
[57:01] and that's it, any questions I can answer for you, or have Miss Lewis come up in answer?
[57:06] I
[57:09] don't know who was first, Councilmember Pope.
[57:16] Yeah, this is a topic that I've had to learn a lot about over the past 12, 13 years, and
[57:28] Texas liquor laws are extremely archaic, and they're the threshold that you have to
[57:43] to attain in terms of signatures normally.
[57:47] Let me back up a little bit.
[57:49] We're given a huge opportunity here, and
[57:53] it was representative Verdes brought this before the State Legislature and
[58:00] got a carve out for Bastrop County one time.
[58:04] So it cost hundreds of thousands of dollars to get a local option election for
[58:11] the city, the size of Basra.
[58:15] So, and that money doesn't go to the county government.
[58:20] It doesn't go to the state government.
[58:21] It doesn't go to the people.
[58:23] It goes to consultants who go around and bother people
[58:27] and get signatures from them.
[58:31] And, you know, I don't know where they're from.
[58:34] Dallas, Austin, Chicago, I don't know.
[58:38] It doesn't matter because it doesn't go to anybody in Bastrop County.
[58:42] The only thing Bastrop County residents get from that is a bunch of phone calls and knocks
[58:48] on the door and it's an extremely laborious and expensive process to get it done because
[58:56] And so the fact that we have an opportunity just by calling this vote at City Council and to fix this thing for the whole county, because right now the problem is, and it'll always be a problem as long as our county is growing.
[59:16] And who sees that change in the near future?
[59:20] As we annex, as precinct lines move, everything, anything that involves a division of a political
[59:30] line, of movement of a political line, will cause areas to be orphaned in a way that,
[59:39] for example, all these purple areas that you see on this map, and thank you for making
[59:45] that by the way Michael.
[59:49] These are areas that can't be fixed except through a process
[59:55] like this. We can't bring them up to where we are because it would cause
[1:00:00] So much money for these small number of properties to get fixed. And then by the time you got it done, there'd be new areas annex that would have to be done again. So it's really a huge opportunity for us to countywide to go through and say everybody in the county has the same rules. And if you want to make your rules different in the city, you can do that.
[1:00:28] But just don't put TABC in the driver's seat to fix it, over to enforce it.
[1:00:36] You can enforce it ourselves, and then if we don't like the way the rule is, we can change it.
[1:00:43] But right now, if we put a rule in here with TABC, like saying, for example,
[1:00:51] that we have, like we have in the city, which I'm perfectly happy with,
[1:00:55] that you can't have just a straight mixed beverage permit,
[1:00:58] you also have to serve food.
[1:01:02] If we ever decided that wasn't a good idea
[1:01:04] because there's a great opportunity
[1:01:05] for a great economic development to come in,
[1:01:09] but they need to have a mixed beverage permit without food,
[1:01:13] we can't do it.
[1:01:14] I mean, we can, but it's tremendously expensive
[1:01:17] and time consuming.
[1:01:21] And this makes it so that if we want to,
[1:01:26] But we want to make a law. We can make it. We just have to enforce it. We can't rely on TABC to enforce it.
[1:01:33] I'm fine with that, because really, it's our police that enforce most of that stuff anyway.
[1:01:38] And so, let's let Bastrop be the one that decides what our rules are instead of TABC because it's really, really difficult to get anything done through TABC.
[1:01:51] Yes, he is.
[1:01:55] Thank you, Council Member Bucket.
[1:02:00] Council Member Faustler.
[1:02:02] Thanks for that, Kevin.
[1:02:04] I know you're intimately involved.
[1:02:06] My question for you, Michael, does this cure this for future annexations or will future annexations still be orphaned?
[1:02:12] A future annexation will still be orphaned.
[1:02:15] It just kind of fixes it for right.
[1:02:18] If it passes in the county as well, we're assuming everything passes.
[1:02:22] Right.
[1:02:22] But if it passes everywhere, then the whole county would have the same rules.
[1:02:28] Okay, gotcha.
[1:02:29] Thanks.
[1:02:29] Yes.
[1:02:30] But we would maintain the food and beverage and all those.
[1:02:37] Thank you, Gaster.
[1:02:38] We're a foster mayor.
[1:02:39] Brought to you by Kirkland.
[1:02:45] What question are we asking on the election, for instance?
[1:02:48] What?
[1:02:48] So we're asking for citizens to vote, either for or against the sale of all alcoholic
[1:02:53] beverages, including mixed drinks.
[1:02:55] Got it.
[1:02:56] Okay.
[1:02:56] Okay, and then what is the cost of the city of Bastrop for this election?
[1:03:00] So the current estimate I have, and I will be honest, we do have the line share of the cost, is $36,649 and some change.
[1:03:11] And what is the county going to be paying for their part of the election?
[1:03:17] I'll have to have Miss Adina Lewis come up to speak on that.
[1:03:31] Hello Adina, can you just please introduce yourself?
[1:03:35] Edina Lewis, I'm the Director of Tourism and Economic Development for Bastrop County.
[1:03:40] And I want to thank Kevin.
[1:03:41] Kevin has worked really hard on this.
[1:03:44] We've been working on this project, I don't know, Kevin, 15 years trying to get this done.
[1:03:49] If we hadn't gotten the carve out, and I will get to your question, if we hadn't gotten the
[1:03:54] carve out, we would have had to have had 10,241 signatures in order to do what we can accomplish.
[1:04:01] We've tried to get those in the past, and it's an impossible number.
[1:04:07] So that's why we went to the legislature when we got this fix.
[1:04:10] And so you have the ability to call an election without having a petition brought to you.
[1:04:19] The reason the cost is shared just like our normal elections would be.
[1:04:24] So it's per rated based on, of course the state sets the days and times.
[1:04:31] So that's set by the state, but our election would be handled from a cost standpoint just like it is in any other election.
[1:04:43] So that's why it's prorated and the county certainly has their share, it's not on there, but it would be run just a normal election would be.
[1:04:52] Can you get that number for me?
[1:04:54] Yes. Again. Okay. I don't really know what the total cost of an election is. And this
[1:05:02] is an estimate. So we think this is on the high side. I got this from the elections
[1:05:08] office. Yeah. No, I mean, if, for instance, it was a price per voter and the county's number
[1:05:14] was 70,000, or, you know, some number dramatically higher than what the city of Bathstop is paying,
[1:05:19] Then everything sort of makes sense even though it sounds expensive and it is what it is if the county was paying
[1:05:26] $12 and we were paying
[1:05:27] 36,000 I would be going to the commissioner's court and asking them the pay for it. So that's why I want to know
[1:05:33] Absolutely. It's just exactly the way we normally run the elections. Yeah
[1:05:39] The mayor for Tim Kirkland Michael can share our piece is proportionately larger than Elvin and Smithville, right and that's based upon the number of
[1:05:48] right? Yeah, rich voters, yeah. And that allocation is is similar through anything that we do countywide. So this isn't we're not being gouged for this one.
[1:06:00] And if someone says that the county number is $50,000, then the data supports what you just said and I'm fine. But if the data doesn't support that belief for that I would share with you right now, then I have a problem with it. So that's why I want to know.
[1:06:17] What you're wanting is the cost of the total election, and there's a lot of other entities besides the cities that have things on the ballot as well, so they take a portion of the total cost.
[1:06:33] Thank you, anything else?
[1:06:37] Council Member Fossler.
[1:06:39] I do have another question, it's not for Adina, but thank you for coming and speaking.
[1:06:44] Is there, for the special election, I guess it's not a special election, is there anything
[1:06:50] else we can add on the ballot, is there anything else that would normally cost to have an election
[1:06:56] that we could, you know what I mean, like charter, like is there anything else we could put
[1:07:00] on that or is it totally separate kind of election?
[1:07:03] I think for a charter election, there is a charter committee that has to be formed, et cetera.
[1:07:08] I mean, you could scramble to try to do it, but because the deadline's like August, is it August?
[1:07:14] Is it August?
[1:07:14] For putting it on the November?
[1:07:15] Okay.
[1:07:16] You have about three weeks to get it.
[1:07:18] Okay.
[1:07:19] Yeah.
[1:07:19] Just curious.
[1:07:20] Thanks.
[1:07:21] We're ambitious.
[1:07:22] We're not crazy.
[1:07:25] All right.
[1:07:27] Thank you, Council Member Foster.
[1:07:29] Council, do we have any other discussion for Michael?
[1:07:32] All right.
[1:07:33] Thank you.
[1:07:33] appreciate the presentation.
[1:07:40] Now we're on to we don't have any staff or board reports now we're
[1:07:43] on the citizen comments as we move through the citizen comments I know it's a few of y'all they
[1:07:47] would like to speak on agenda item nine I would you like to wait for that agenda item or would you
[1:07:52] like to do it as citizen comments I bet you want to do it as citizen comments all right so we will
[1:08:00] get to y'all just give me one brief second so we have several people who emailed in and then we
[1:08:07] We have some who have handwritten and so I go over the ones who are emailed in real quick.
[1:08:15] Mariana Krueger, she wishes to speak.
[1:08:20] Are you here?
[1:08:22] No?
[1:08:23] Okay.
[1:08:28] She's a non-resident, she's out of Austin, but she just wanted to speak on caution regarding
[1:08:34] the water quality and the supply.
[1:08:36] Threats coming from Austin upstream in his plan dog heads development.
[1:08:45] Next we have Judith Hoover, she does not wish to speak.
[1:08:50] It's pertaining to agenda item 9i, historic structure and site protection.
[1:08:56] She would like to record her support for this.
[1:08:59] Thomas Hoover, he does not wish to speak, but it's on agenda 9i, historic preservation protections.
[1:09:06] questions. Please record your support. We have Gina O'Brien. She is not wish to speak.
[1:09:19] She opposes the intent to connect NISIS-9, Blakey, Berluson, Cross and Plaza Chaffee through
[1:09:26] Riverside Grove at Jessica Place or anywhere through Riverside Grove. So she opposes that happening.
[1:09:33] all right now first as always we
[1:09:43] have read award
[1:09:52] I don't think they can hear you
[1:09:56] from back there you've got to send it a microphone man thank you okay the
[1:10:00] first thing I want to do is give a great big thanks to our park and recreation now
[1:10:06] I left before all the excitement took place I left at seven o'clock but before
[1:10:12] Before then everything was absolutely perfect and they did a great big job.
[1:10:18] And I said, I thought they ought to have a little raise in salary, they did so good.
[1:10:25] But then the next thing that I want to think about, or think, is our police department.
[1:10:33] They were out there in those air-conditioned dark suits in that hundred degree
[1:10:41] temperature, walking on up and down, making sure that everybody was safe, going
[1:10:48] this way, going that way, making sure old ladies like me were on the right path,
[1:10:54] and they did a great big job. We don't have one here today, but let's give her a
[1:11:00] And
[1:11:05] the next thing I think that you should consider is about our data centers and kind
[1:11:10] of take a leaf out of Taylor, Hato, San Marcus and the Hill County on what they are doing
[1:11:21] on kind of putting a little hold on our data centers.
[1:11:28] And this can be done.
[1:11:31] and we need to think about that. I did investigate it and our money for our data center here is coming from Amsterdam. There's a lot of money coming in from the Netherlands and another place, I don't know if it's a little town there or if it's a group, it's A-R-O-L, I think if I remember correctly.
[1:11:53] but we need to think about that. Also about our town hall meeting, I'm sorry,
[1:12:00] Senator Miller is not going to be here, but there will be somebody to take
[1:12:05] his place. And everybody should be there. And let's get together and see what
[1:12:12] we can do as a group. We're not, we're Texans. Let's forget about our politics.
[1:12:53] I just wanted to come up and just pay a gratitude to the city staff for our collaboration on the summer of food and fun drive.
[1:13:06] On behalf of Bastrop County emergency food, be in support of our city manager.
[1:13:09] center, our staff, our board of directors, and our volunteers, I would like to extend a heartfelt
[1:13:16] thank you and gratitude for your continued support of our mission to nourish and serve
[1:13:21] our neighbors in need. For the past four years the City of Bastrop has led a summer food drive
[1:13:27] that has made a meaningful impact on food insecurity across our community. Through your collective
[1:13:34] of efforts, a remarkable 11,045 pounds of food have been donated, providing the equivalent
[1:13:42] of 21,759 meals for families, seniors, veterans, and children facing hunger.
[1:13:50] This year the campaign said an ambitious goal to collect 3,000 pounds of food, and thanks
[1:13:56] to the dedication and the generosity of the city leadership, staff, and residents, you came
[1:14:02] incredibly close by collecting 2,824 pounds of food.
[1:14:07] Congratulations on this outstanding achievement and
[1:14:10] the hard work that made it possible.
[1:14:12] We're also especially grateful for the many ways the
[1:14:15] City of Bastrop championed this effort, including hosting a
[1:14:19] collections day at the Bastrop Convention Center,
[1:14:23] making the touch the truck experience available,
[1:14:26] inspiring friendly participation among cities, staff, teams.
[1:14:33] These efforts not only helped to collect food, but it also raised the awareness of the
[1:14:39] challenges many of our neighbors face every day, and especially during the summer months.
[1:14:44] Your participation demonstrates what's possible when community comes together with compassion,
[1:14:52] purpose, and shared commitment to helping others.
[1:14:54] Thank you for standing with us in our mission and helping us to ensure no neighbor goes home.
[1:15:00] Hunger, hungry during the summer. So thank you all so much. Thank y'all.
[1:15:09] All right. Up next, we have share along.
[1:15:19] Please introduce yourself and your address and your average. I'm share along. I've lived at 1501 Church Street, Bastrop, Texas for many decades. I live in historic home. I've kept it historic. It's on the original 2.75 acres. It has been a struggle. I want to keep Bastrop historic.
[1:15:39] work. I'm in support of 9-1. What I'd like to really talk about is we are talking about
[1:15:49] our history. Our stark neighborhoods are being threatened. Once they are gone, they're
[1:15:56] gone. We cannot get them back. We really have no protection from our state historical
[1:16:03] society, we have to protect our history.
[1:16:07] We need to raise the penalties and consequences for any threat or
[1:16:12] damage to our historic structures, landmarks, or historic sites.
[1:16:18] So I am in support in the issue of the 9-1 in raising the penalty and consequences.
[1:16:28] Thank you.
[1:16:29] All right, up next, we have Tommy Claiborne.
[1:16:41] Tommy Claiborne. I was born here a long time ago.
[1:16:47] So long. But one side of my family has been in Bastrop, Bastrop County for seven generations.
[1:16:56] The other side of my family has been in Bastrop, Bastrop County for eight generations.
[1:17:03] one of the house that I was born in was probably one of the top of the first five structures
[1:17:10] in Bastrop that was built. My brother still lives in that house. I've had properties, different
[1:17:16] properties that had historical backing. I had 1202, the 1206 Church Street which is a very
[1:17:27] historical street in Bastrop and after I sold that property one long after I
[1:17:34] sold it that that house burnt down and that's an historical that was a sound
[1:17:39] K. Higgins house. It was it was just something that was really really precious but
[1:17:45] it's gone like Sheryl said once it's gone it's gone.
[1:17:52] Another thing is like whenever
[1:17:55] Whenever I come up here, I don't come up here and speak very often, but I always go to
[1:18:00] the plaque behind it, which is the preservation of the past and progress for the future.
[1:18:06] So if we don't do something right now to take care of the past, it's not going to be
[1:18:11] in here and more.
[1:18:12] One example I have of that is take our historic golf course.
[1:18:19] Now it's a long history and with the golf course and how it came about and how it was
[1:18:25] maintained and everything. I don't believe that the City Council at that time did all they
[1:18:31] could do to preserve that. There was a lot of controversy just nobody had any inclination.
[1:18:39] Now what I'm going to just request is something that's going to be real easy for you all because
[1:18:45] I saw how you all reacted at the very first start of this meeting when you talked,
[1:18:51] brought on down the line about what happened in Bastrop and all the activities and things like that and the excitement and
[1:19:01] the positivity in your voices carried through. I know that you're really good at
[1:19:07] identifying what's going on in Bastrop and how it wants to keep on. So the only thing that I'm requesting is when things like this comes up
[1:19:16] keep a very open-minded, be open-minded and check into everything that's happening to it.
[1:19:23] And like I said, that's an easy thing to do and it helps our city because tourists come
[1:19:29] into our town through the historical factors as much as anything.
[1:19:33] So thank you.
[1:19:34] Sure, thank you.
[1:19:40] Next we have Blake Kaiser.
[1:19:44] Good afternoon and Blake Kaiser, I'm on the Historic Landmark Commission.
[1:19:47] And recently we have found out that the national and state offer no protection.
[1:19:53] It's all the weight is on the local and we find out a local doesn't have any.
[1:20:00] We need for nine I to really consider something like I don't know $100 per $1,000 a value as a fine.
[1:20:08] Right now it's a doubling of the demo fee and I don't know what that is 500 bucks maybe.
[1:20:13] So that doesn't scare anybody off.
[1:20:16] We need to make it where we're protecting our structures.
[1:20:19] And I think the only way is a monetary fine, and I'm sure we can come up with something.
[1:20:27] Because we're losing right and left and before you know what we won't have any.
[1:20:32] That's all, thank you.
[1:20:34] All right, thank you sir, I appreciate it.
[1:20:36] All right, we have any more citizen comments?
[1:20:39] No sir.
[1:20:40] All right, sounds good.
[1:20:43] There, before we get started on the consent agenda, can we move up one item from individual consideration?
[1:20:51] Mr. Peterson's been here for a little bit.
[1:20:53] Yeah, yeah, now that's what I was about to do.
[1:20:55] So before we go over consent agenda item, I would like to go to individual consideration,
[1:21:05] agenda item 9G.
[1:21:08] Consider an act on a resolution, 2026-107, ratifying $2,660 away fees for funeral services
[1:21:21] for Willie Wook Hodg, Peterson.
[1:21:25] Thank you, Mayor and Council.
[1:21:27] This is actually ratification that has already occurred.
[1:21:31] It was time sensitive and it was over the holiday weekend.
[1:21:36] Ms. Willie Ruth was the wife of Mr. Bill Peterson, who served this council for six years.
[1:21:41] So I thought it was important to not just honor Mr. Peterson's service, but her legacy.
[1:21:47] Absolutely.
[1:21:50] Council, do we have any discussion on this?
[1:21:53] Motion to approve.
[1:21:54] Second.
[1:21:54] We have a motion of a second.
[1:21:56] All in favor?
[1:21:57] Aye.
[1:21:57] All opposed?
[1:21:59] All right, let us show to the passes, unanimous.
[1:22:01] And and Bill just know that you're in our continued prayers. You're in our heart
[1:22:09] Miss Willie Ruth. She was a fantastic individual.
[1:22:14] She never called me by my name even though I know she knew my name.
[1:22:18] Y'all just I know for real y'all she just
[1:22:22] C.P.'s grandson. That's what she will call me. Every time, every single time.
[1:22:27] So, but that just, you know, she worked at the bus bar on my grandfather back in the 80s and like she was always greeted me with a smile as a kid throughout childhood as a doe.
[1:22:37] Just an absolute living spirit.
[1:22:41] And I know she will be missed by many.
[1:22:43] She was cherished by a lot and loved by a lot.
[1:22:45] And so, Bill, our thoughts, our heart, our prayers will continue to be with you.
[1:22:54] All right.
[1:22:55] on to consent agenda item.
[1:23:01] All matters listed on the consent agenda are considered to be
[1:23:04] routine by the City Council and will be enacted by one motion. There would not be a separate
[1:23:09] discussion on these items. If discussion is desired, that item will be removed from the
[1:23:15] consent agenda and will be considered separately. All right, Councilmember Meyer.
[1:23:20] Yes, I'd like to remove 8B, please.
[1:23:24] Okay.
[1:23:25] Do we have any others?
[1:23:28] Councilmember Lowe?
[1:23:29] Yes, I'd like to pull 8F, please.
[1:23:35] All right.
[1:23:35] Councilmembers, do we have any other items?
[1:23:38] No.
[1:23:39] All right.
[1:23:40] 8B.
[1:23:41] Consider an act on resolution number R-2026-100,
[1:23:46] approving participation in the limited future.
[1:23:49] Local match and matters related.
[1:23:50] There are two for the capital area, real transportation system, carts, mobility hub, proposal at the Bastrop Public Library, and climate pollution reduction grant, CPRG activities as exhibited in exhibit A.
[1:24:07] Viviana, hello.
[1:24:09] Good evening, Mayor, Council, Viviana Andres.
[1:24:11] This is the city manager here to talk to you or answer any questions that you may have about this item.
[1:24:18] Thank you so much, Viviana.
[1:24:21] I do have some questions and I have some concerns regarding e-bikes and prime concern is
[1:24:31] safety, considering how many increased accidents we're having, even deaths from e-bikes concerned
[1:24:41] about regulations, who, what, when, where, why.
[1:24:45] Okay, so who we know what and when where and why so those questions would be
[1:24:55] Who are we serving in this what is our target audience?
[1:25:02] Why because where are we going you know, we're going from the post office to the museum or you know those kind of things
[1:25:11] Also, we do have ordinance, I know it's a 2021-06 that does have regulations on the e-bikes,
[1:25:21] which they can't ride on the sidewalks.
[1:25:23] I'm concerned about, because I'm down at the parks a lot all the time.
[1:25:28] I see people on walkers on the trails, especially fishermen, super concerned about e-bikes being
[1:25:35] in any of our parks. Pedestrians being affected by the e-bot. Mainly safety is what I'm saying.
[1:25:46] Location, where are they going? Where are they going to travel to? Also, when they travel from
[1:25:53] point A to the dock, next place might be the museum. What are they doing with those bikes? Because
[1:25:59] is when I go to Austin or any cities that have this,
[1:26:02] it's like litter all over the place
[1:26:04] and I sure don't want that for our city.
[1:26:09] I think the age restrictions we have in our ordinance,
[1:26:12] so that's good.
[1:26:14] And I realize, but mainly just the questions I've asked
[1:26:18] about that if you could just let me know
[1:26:21] what those answers are or concerned
[1:26:23] or anything else would be great, thank you.
[1:26:25] Yes, ma'am, not a problem.
[1:26:27] So just to give you a high level view
[1:26:28] and I won't take too long.
[1:26:30] This is very much a concept that we kind of fleshed out.
[1:26:33] So today, no plans have actually been designed or anything
[1:26:36] like that.
[1:26:36] This has been in partnership with carts.
[1:26:39] And it's a concept of a mobility hub at the library.
[1:26:41] The hub includes a proposal of a carts shelter along
[1:26:45] with some flat work improvements.
[1:26:48] And then also an e-bike station.
[1:26:50] Currently, the e-bike station at the library
[1:26:53] is slated for five bikes.
[1:26:54] It's five slots.
[1:26:55] Now that the bike station won't be filled with exactly five bikes, we'd probably have just about three and then leave two available.
[1:27:06] The bikes themselves, they're pretty interesting, they're not dockless, they're required to be docked in order to be charged.
[1:27:16] And the docking mechanism is also the lock around it.
[1:27:20] Now, you did ask where, that's a great question, and honestly, you do have the right to be concerned because I will admit that the way that other communities have rolled out e-bikes, I don't, I think that it was too much too soon, right?
[1:27:33] So, this is a very micro scale operation, it's very constrained, it's a total of 15 bikes or a possibility of 15 bikes, but we probably won't have exactly 15 on the street because once again you want to leave a couple of the charging stations empty
[1:27:48] so that if someone pulls up they can charge.
[1:27:51] So they're slated to be at the carts location, so that's the first set, and
[1:27:56] that's where the first ten are going, is at the carts on their private property.
[1:27:59] They've already received a grant for some expansion at their current location.
[1:28:04] And then the second location would be here at the library.
[1:28:07] Now of course you're correct, we do have an ordinance in place in Chapter 12,
[1:28:10] and the e-bikes would have to conform with any aspect of that ordinance,
[1:28:14] which essentially states that they are prohibited from being on sidewalks.
[1:28:17] They're restricted to being on streets.
[1:28:19] They're not allowed to park on the streets unless there's a specifically designated place.
[1:28:25] On the street, there is some provisions for parking on the sidewalks, but
[1:28:29] then you have very specific criteria for clearance, even if they park on the sidewalks.
[1:28:33] They have to have a minimum of within, they can't be within eight feet of building
[1:28:39] entrances, driveways, curb ramps, commercial loading zones, and
[1:28:43] they have to leave at least four feet clear on the sidewalk if they were to be hooked
[1:28:47] to like some of the, we have some kind of bike racks downtown, they look like the old iron bridge
[1:28:51] and they're like various colors. Now, this is a pilot program in nature. The bikes are slated
[1:28:57] to go no more than 20 miles an hour. They're slated to have a charge that lasts 30 to 40 miles.
[1:29:04] It's an opportunity but it's not a must and my most important concern is that it reflects the
[1:29:08] values of the community and it's appropriate for the community. So we are, I'm completely open to
[1:29:13] your feedback tonight and whatever you find permissible or not permissible.
[1:29:18] I also have Dana here from Cards if you would like to hear from her, she can answer some
[1:29:22] of that.
[1:29:23] Now this is as I said before, very conceptual on nature.
[1:29:27] So some of the finer details such as like a recovery program that we need to be organized
[1:29:32] between the city of Cards hasn't been fleshed out or anything like that because we're still
[1:29:36] very much walking through the feasibility of this process.
[1:29:40] So, we would have to get into maintenance and operations because that's something to be considered because if we were to do something like this, there has to be a maintenance component with the bikes.
[1:29:50] Cards themselves has done a lot of the lead work. They want to talk to Mike's bikes, Jason with Mike's bikes down at Fisherman's Park.
[1:29:57] And he's open to the idea of some maintenance on the-
[1:30:00] And then again, as I mentioned previously, it's the recovery program. These are GPS located, and there is an app that serves them. It's, and so the app is very specific. It would be mostly managed by carts and it's metromobility. And so it allows you to locate where the bikes are at so that we aren't having them littered on the streets. The idea is that they are supposed to be docked and charged. And so the other idea is too, if someone was to leave a bike somewhere in the community,
[1:30:29] because you have to be 18 years or older in order to rent a bike, you can't be younger than 18.
[1:30:36] You have to put in your name and you also, you sign a liability waiver essentially stating that if any accident or
[1:30:43] anything detrimental happens while you're on the bike, you assume full responsibility, aka, we're held harmless.
[1:30:49] So that's important to the city, because we don't want to be responsible for someone having been in an accident.
[1:30:57] So there's that aspect, I do think and I would want to pursue with carts if this even was to be something that you guys would be in support of putting limitation or like a blocker if you will on the app so that they're restricted from renting and they're only allowed to rent during certain hours of operation.
[1:31:16] I'm not interested in someone running a bike at 8 p.m. at night, quite honestly.
[1:31:21] I would like it to be during business hours because that is a safety hazard, in my opinion.
[1:31:27] So having some restrictions on the ability to rent when they can access the mobile app.
[1:31:33] And then also the trails that you're concerned of use that rightly so, that is prohibited.
[1:31:39] So they are actually not allowed to bike on trails and they will be ticketed if they're
[1:31:44] found biking on trails.
[1:31:45] With that, if it's okay, I would like to hand it over to Miss Dana Platt to just say a few words and then, of course, I'll be back for whatever questions you have.
[1:31:56] Good evening, Mayor and Council. My name is Dana Platt and the Communications Director for Cards and we're really excited at this project.
[1:32:06] We're not trying to recreate Austin's bike share system here in Bastrop.
[1:32:10] We selected a Bastrop-sized solution that provides technology and security that we need.
[1:32:16] It also keeps the system scalable, and it can grow with demand.
[1:32:20] So it's literally five bikes at a docking station.
[1:32:25] And we're hoping that that provides, with people traveling to and from the cart station,
[1:32:31] it provides like a last mile for people.
[1:32:33] So if people get to the cart station and they want to come and visit downtown Bastrop,
[1:32:37] they're not having to walk in the heat, walk around.
[1:32:39] They can get on a bike, zip over to downtown, and then zip back, get on a bus,
[1:32:44] and get back into Austin, or where they're traveling from.
[1:32:47] We also think having a spot at the library and coordinating with the library, we think
[1:32:52] this is something that would be great for tourism and for people around town to be able
[1:32:56] to have those bikes to be able to ride around.
[1:33:00] Do you guys have any questions for me or concerns?
[1:33:03] I'm happy to answer anything you guys may have.
[1:33:07] All right, we're approaching Kirkland.
[1:33:12] I think this is a really exciting opportunity for Vastrop.
[1:33:15] I think that a lot of people think that innovation only happens in bigger major cities
[1:33:20] and we were able to get some grant funding for this to provide the service and the cost
[1:33:27] to the city is going to be less than 1,000 a year for software.
[1:33:31] And that software is going to report where the bikes are traveling, all of that information
[1:33:37] where they're going to and from.
[1:33:38] It's going to help with the GPS system with locating them and things like that.
[1:33:42] There is a fine too, so basically if you don't return that bike back to the docking system,
[1:33:48] you can get up to a $200 fine or if it's lost or stolen, it's a $2000 fine.
[1:33:53] So all of this helps deter people from just leaving bikes randomly on the streets.
[1:33:59] And it's also not like a free docking scooter system where they're just going to pile up on the street
[1:34:03] corners or anything like that. They have to actually go back to the docking station to get the bike
[1:34:08] charged and to get their money back.
[1:34:11] So does courts have experience with these five pod bike setups in other places?
[1:34:18] So this is like new and groundbreaking for us.
[1:34:20] So we haven't been in the e-bike system.
[1:34:24] This will be our first, this will be a pilot.
[1:34:26] So initially we're trying to pilot here, see how it goes, see how the city responds to it.
[1:34:32] So we've never done this before.
[1:34:34] Okay, so then I mean my next question it was going to be in the ballpark of who was using these in other communities and
[1:34:41] You know under what conditions would people be using them and you you mentioned using the carts bus from the and then from the carts
[1:34:47] Location come into downtown and then back to carts locations. I guess I can see that
[1:34:53] Is there a cost to use the bike when someone wants to use it? Yeah, they'll be a charge
[1:34:57] We're not sure what the fee is going to be it'll be something something similar to our fees now
[1:35:01] which are really inexpensive, writing a ban will be $2.1 way, so it'll be something inexpensive.
[1:35:08] And just as a personal note, I did travel out of the country this summer and we were in Rome and
[1:35:15] they had the Lyme e-bikes around and it was much easier to take those than to take a cab or public
[1:35:22] transportation. It was much quicker. My route would be nine minutes instead of like 30. So they were
[1:35:31] These are like you get them from the docking station and then they have a little lock
[1:35:35] So if you want to run over to the store to you know
[1:35:38] Shopping that you can lock up your bike at a you know a bike lock and then you can go about your business
[1:35:44] So they're a little bit different than the Lyme's and I think they're a better fit for a smaller community
[1:35:51] Madam police chief the key question for you.
[1:36:02] Do we require helmets for these?
[1:36:05] So state law requires helmets for a certain age, I believe it's under 17.
[1:36:10] The city of Bastrop off the top of my head, I haven't looked at it in a long time.
[1:36:15] I don't believe they require them for anybody except under the age of 15.
[1:36:19] Okay, okay.
[1:36:23] Now that depends on the class of the byte too.
[1:36:26] So e-bikes are regulated by different classes, one, two, and three depending on how fast they go, things of that nature.
[1:36:32] Yeah, and these are 20 to 30 which should be a class one so they don't require insurance for any kind of treated like regular bicycles for the most part, okay?
[1:36:40] I think they talk about it 20.
[1:36:42] Okay, but that's just like what motorcycles you wouldn't have to help me.
[1:36:46] We will in our campaign would highly suggest that.
[1:36:50] Yeah, recommendation, right?
[1:36:52] Okay.
[1:36:55] I think I would paint myself as horrified.
[1:36:58] If I saw people writing these on sidewalks in the park, or even up and down all of some highway on the sidewalk.
[1:37:11] And it's going to be some unintended consequence of this, and it's going to end up costing money for enforcement.
[1:37:16] I believe, and again, I haven't looked at it.
[1:37:20] I'm not familiar with this project.
[1:37:22] I believe that we do not allow the motorized bikes in the parks to begin with from that city ordinance.
[1:37:31] I'll go back and reread it and follow up with you on it.
[1:37:33] And then as far as Old Austin Highway, they're treated like regular bicycles so they can write them in the roadway as long as they're legally writing them in the correct direction and to a breast and all that.
[1:37:45] Yeah, last Sunday there was an e-bike going faster than I was on old Austin highway because
[1:37:51] I was following the speed limit.
[1:37:52] It's like those 30 miles an hour I already know who you're talking about, he's happy about
[1:37:56] that bike.
[1:37:57] Okay, got it.
[1:37:58] He got it for real good deal too.
[1:38:00] And the other thing on these e-bikes is they are regulated as far as power and again off
[1:38:07] the top of my head I believe it's either 740 or 750.
[1:38:11] I don't believe these class ones reach that limit but it's something I can look into.
[1:38:15] to. Okay.
[1:38:18] Okay. I'll give floor maybe think of some more things. All right. Thank you,
[1:38:23] Mayor Proxham Kirkland, customer replicate. One thing I would also like to add is that
[1:38:27] this, I mean, the beauty, if you all decide that you would like to try a pilot program,
[1:38:33] if you don't want to, I'm okay. I think of the day. But the infrastructure, it's nominal
[1:38:39] and the idea is that it's easy to remove if it's not something that works for Bastrop as
[1:38:43] well, if we were to decide to try it out.
[1:38:45] So
[1:38:49] yeah, my question, I guess kind of revolves around how it
[1:38:54] works. It seems odd that it would be a for rent kind of a
[1:38:59] thing, but then you couldn't leave it somewhere. I get you
[1:39:04] would have to take it back to where you got it from. And it seems
[1:39:09] like, generally, the purpose would be to go somewhere. So
[1:39:17] So you can rent it and it has, that's a good question.
[1:39:20] So you can rent it and it does have a charge of 30 to 40 miles,
[1:39:23] which is about two to four hours.
[1:39:24] So you have a window where you can rent it,
[1:39:27] go somewhere, find a bike rack,
[1:39:28] lock it up, go shopping or something like that,
[1:39:32] come back to it, and then go put it back at the docking station.
[1:39:35] That's the idea behind that.
[1:39:36] Yeah, I could see them like, you know,
[1:39:38] going to HEB and turning around and coming back.
[1:39:42] But thinking of like, okay, if you came in on a cart
[1:39:45] bus to town and you were trying to get, you know, the last mile home, you know, talking
[1:39:51] about first mile, last mile, then I don't know that this would be a solution for that.
[1:39:57] Right.
[1:39:58] Because you want to leave it at the last mile, otherwise, you just have to.
[1:40:04] Yeah.
[1:40:05] Okay.
[1:40:07] Okay.
[1:40:08] Correct.
[1:40:09] I don't think that you would terminate your last mile at your end point destination with
[1:40:13] to buy it, because early ago you then cancel out the returning to the docking station.
[1:40:17] Right.
[1:40:18] Practice, I agree.
[1:40:19] Okay.
[1:40:22] Council member Meyer, you have something else?
[1:40:24] Yes, I do.
[1:40:25] So, I'm kind of going with Kevin because nobody, if I'm going to go to HEB, I'm going to take
[1:40:30] CARTS bus.
[1:40:32] And I'll tell you that a lot of people right outside on spring street take the CARTS bus to
[1:40:36] go to HEB.
[1:40:37] So, I'm sure I'm not going to write an e-bike, but I'm really kind of curious, like Dana
[1:40:43] You said go around town, but we have really two active blocks downtown and Councilmember Pluckett is going to back me up on this about even with the bikes, which I would think it would have to be a requirement that those bikes have to go in the bike stand.
[1:41:01] They cannot go anywhere else, but even with the bike stands we have areas on Main Street and our Main Street right now is working on decluttering.
[1:41:13] this I don't I would hope that we would not want to add to that problem of more
[1:41:18] clutter on the two blocks that we have and if again if I'm going to go to the
[1:41:23] library and I'm gonna go to the museum I don't understand taking an e-bite for
[1:41:28] two blocks so I'm just trying to be practical on where we go in you know that's a
[1:41:35] good question so the way that we kind of visualize it is let's say that someone
[1:41:39] comes to town for a festival or a fair. And then they find out about the e-bikes. They go
[1:41:44] in it, drive around town, look at some of the historic homes. Look, just kind of, I mean,
[1:41:49] I see it more of being just kind of a downtown, our way to explore downtown without having to
[1:41:53] be in your car and drive. You can look at some of the beautiful historic homes. You obviously
[1:41:58] can't go on the trails or so get a ticket. Things of that nature. But, you know, once again,
[1:42:03] And this is, it's an idea, it's a concept, looking for y'all's feedback.
[1:42:08] If we feel like we're not ready yet, that's okay, too, you know.
[1:42:13] But it is, it's a unique idea.
[1:42:15] So on that note, too, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I just had a couple of other, uh, who could,
[1:42:22] so say that nobody everybody's going to follow the law because they don't, right?
[1:42:26] And they don't talk, take them back to the documents, how much does it cost to collect
[1:42:32] those bags?
[1:42:32] Like who's paying for that when I just-
[1:42:35] So that's a good question and that's a question that honestly I post to Dana and that we would have to negotiate would be that's the future negotiation that we haven't gotten into, which is the finer details of what we would call the recovery program, right?
[1:42:47] Because you're right, a human agent has to eventually go over her.
[1:42:50] I don't know if that's me like getting out and going getting, I got a truck, I will do what I got to do, but we haven't quite ironed out that detail.
[1:42:58] but that is something, no, that's a serious question and that's someone, right, and, yeah.
[1:43:04] And one thing that I think is kind of easy to, and it would be much easier for our police
[1:43:10] to have guidelines on, if cars are allowed, e-bikes are allowed. If cars aren't allowed, e-bikes aren't
[1:43:17] allowed. Because that just seems to make sense to me. And that way it prevents them from the safety aspect,
[1:43:24] would be much higher, higher safety, and I'm still not sold on it because of the congestion
[1:43:34] downtown.
[1:43:35] I just think we just really can't, it's a great opportunity, I get the grants, I get
[1:43:42] it's only that amount, I just don't want to add two problems they're already having and
[1:43:49] make that worse by thinking, you know, this.
[1:43:53] And I get it, you know, in Rome, yeah, that's cool, but in Bastard, like, Rome's a little bigger.
[1:44:00] So, we have a lot more going on there. I know it's been done in places. I don't want to make
[1:44:07] the mistake of doing something that we're going to regret that's going to cause more problems.
[1:44:14] So, those are my concerns. Absolutely, absolutely. May I approach him, Kirkland?
[1:44:22] Talking about recovery, how much do they weigh?
[1:44:25] That's actually a good question that I'm not quite clear on but I do have the specs so I can I can figure that out
[1:44:31] I'm guessing it's gonna be heavy enough to where you can't just toss it in the back of a pickup truck was one person
[1:44:36] I probably have like a little dolly like a little roll-out thing
[1:44:39] Yeah, roll-out
[1:44:40] You know just one thought is were we to move forward with this?
[1:44:45] I think it'd be appropriate to put kind of a sign at the locations both at carts and if we were to do it at the library
[1:44:54] that talks about that it's forbidden to ride within the park trails and you know
[1:44:59] things like that.
[1:45:00] You know, forbidden to write on sidewalks, per city ordinance, that kind of stuff, because I don't know that anyone would know that or even assume, you know, that they probably, you know, I can assume that they'd want to come downtown and then park their bike out in front of an establishment, which will lose to the clutter, right? But just thinking they could park and then kind of just stroll and, you know, we definitely don't want that. And maybe it would be, I mean,
[1:45:29] And if this was to be something that we're interested in, I mean, if we want to encourage good behavior,
[1:45:35] some of that might look like removing opportunities for bad behavior, aka.
[1:45:41] I know that we have those bike racks down on Main Street.
[1:45:44] Maybe we relocate those to an appropriated actual parking lot that has, I don't know, a space or something so that we're not encouraging.
[1:45:53] I mean, because to me, you know, people are going to just follow the path of least resistance, right?
[1:45:58] Which is, I'm on any bike. I see a bike rack. Of course, I'm going to park there, you know, I'm going to think so maybe
[1:46:04] eliminating, like I said, some of those options so that it's not attractive to park right on Main Street or on our streets that we really want
[1:46:12] pedestrian traffic to feel safe. We want people to feel safe when they're eating out on the eateries that are on the sidewalk.
[1:46:18] things of that nature, I would not want someone having someone zoomed by on a bike.
[1:46:24] I have a small child, so I feel like what are you doing?
[1:46:27] I want to say one thing, the app you can also, there's geofencing on the app, so there
[1:46:33] are places that you can put around town that if you don't want the bikes to access, you can
[1:46:41] also on the bike pods, you can put like times of operation and things like that, and I would
[1:46:46] Let us assume that there would be a huge educational campaign, hopefully partnered with
[1:46:50] the city that we could, you know, introduce to the community.
[1:46:54] Put it on our website, you guys as a website, there would have to be a policy like all this
[1:46:57] stuff.
[1:46:57] We're still trying to figure it out.
[1:46:59] And you guys are like one of the communities that are on the forefront of like transportation
[1:47:03] and the 10 counties that I serve.
[1:47:04] We have the most transportation here.
[1:47:06] We have our micro transit, we have commuter routes.
[1:47:09] We have a lot of different things that we don't have in other communities.
[1:47:12] So we always like to think of you guys as a test but and so that's why I
[1:47:17] Here's the the Geo zone. Yeah, if you pass it you're gonna wish you would have got to help me. Yeah, yeah
[1:47:23] No, but actually your share brought that up so
[1:47:28] Please chief, please chief. Yes, so I wanted to remind you guys all right. Thank you councilmember Faustner
[1:47:36] Thank you and thank you for saying that that we are on the forefront of transportation
[1:47:39] I didn't realize that because as a bike rider like I go it doesn't seem like it's super bike friendly
[1:47:44] So I would like us to stay on the forefront of transportation. I support this
[1:47:50] Totally tell me about the pilot. So it's a pilot program
[1:47:53] Like does that mean like we're building in like in a year we'll look at the data and then
[1:47:59] We'll decide at that time to carry on like every year
[1:48:02] That's how it's kind of programmed to be yeah, it's limited in nature right and it's limited as long as it works for the community and that's gonna be through an
[1:48:08] assessment. So, I mean, if this happens, right, someone, probably me, will have to be
[1:48:14] tracking number of incidents, right? Number of times a bike was called. So that we start
[1:48:19] to have data points of, is this actually working out, or is it, you know, truly a nuisance
[1:48:24] to the community, and then if so, present that data to the courts. And I don't think that
[1:48:29] they would have a problem understanding that we tried it. It didn't work on to the next,
[1:48:35] you know, innovation.
[1:48:37] Yeah.
[1:48:38] Okay.
[1:48:39] Cool.
[1:48:39] I mean, I, 11 years ago, I hauled my bicycle here and rode around looking town several times.
[1:48:44] That's how I explored downtown and decided where I wanted to live because it's such a nice
[1:48:50] pace.
[1:48:51] It's different than walking and it's different than driving and it is still my preferred
[1:48:55] method whenever I can get away with it.
[1:48:57] So I think it's awesome for exploring a town at a nice, for me, safe pace that like works
[1:49:03] well.
[1:49:03] But I would love to have the data.
[1:49:05] I would love to go forward with this and then look at the data for a year and a year from now and see how it works, but I'm up for it.
[1:49:14] I don't know which one of y'all hit the clicker first, so he's going to council member Meyer.
[1:49:18] Thanks.
[1:49:19] So if we decide to move forward with this, I would definitely want to stipulate.
[1:49:27] I hope we want to stipulate some things for sure where the bikes have to be racked.
[1:49:35] This me and the thing about the cars only were cars cars go and you already see the trails so that's taken care of and we know we can't.
[1:49:43] Can't be the sidewalks and you'll work out because if the cost would be prohibitive to collect the bikes then that would kind of defeat the whole thing to me.
[1:49:53] I just want us to be if we go forward I want us to be as careful and have as many stipulations of safety and and also concern for what we are as a city.
[1:50:04] You know, and who we are as a city, and that would, yeah, just let's just don't approve
[1:50:10] without having those concerns in there. That would be my thing.
[1:50:14] I remember my my my concern having come from cities who have all of the scooters and all of the
[1:50:22] extra and who have RTAs and have all lots
[1:50:28] My preference would be and carts contract with the subcontractor who does the pickup and
[1:50:34] who does all of that. That is not an onus that should be on city staff, because my experience has
[1:50:40] shown there will be a question as to whether was it picked up? Was it picked up? Was it picked up
[1:50:46] by the city? Did it grow legs and walk away? Did the city staff retake it? Did they give it to their
[1:50:50] friend? Did they let their friend write it? Did they charge it at the right charging station?
[1:50:54] Did it end up in the bay? Did it end up in the river? Did it end up? You might have put a geofence,
[1:50:59] but we forgot to include the water. Well, we didn't think they were going to go in the water. Well,
[1:51:03] You never really know with people, and I am speaking of experience.
[1:51:08] I am, that's been me, when the company didn't come pick them up, guess who had to come pick them up.
[1:51:15] My staff had to get in the trucks, the public work trucks, and go pick them up.
[1:51:19] Go hold them down.
[1:51:21] And so my preference really is, if carts wants us to be the guinea pig, which I'm all for,
[1:51:27] I would say we start with a smaller number, and they have a contract that they manage.
[1:51:32] And we are not liable for any of the crazy, and there has to be some penalty associated
[1:51:40] to carts and or the contractor if they don't pick it up.
[1:51:43] Like, what is that?
[1:51:44] Do we get to bill back, what we need to pick up, et cetera?
[1:51:48] And, you know, I'm happy, I always tell you guys, I'm happy to be on the cutting edge.
[1:51:52] I don't ever want to be on the bleeding edge because that bleeding edge turns out
[1:51:56] to be a bill the taxpayers have to pay.
[1:52:00] That being said, thank you so much for that, because I sure don't want you going around
[1:52:04] picking these box up there.
[1:52:06] So that's totally my question.
[1:52:09] So I think that totally makes sense on the recovery, and I'm all about bicycles, but I'm
[1:52:14] about the bicycles that are powered by these legs, you know.
[1:52:18] So I'm all about exercise and activity, which this is kind of a way not to do that.
[1:52:24] So, it's certainly not because I'm against bicycles is just the concerns that I've said, so I appreciate addressing all that.
[1:52:31] Yes, ma'am.
[1:52:32] I'm going to approach it.
[1:52:33] Go ahead.
[1:52:34] One thing I would like to add is, at this point in the process, this is more of just a resolution of support of the overall project.
[1:52:40] There's these finer details that we're talking about would have to be clearly drafted and brought back for your approval.
[1:52:46] Okay, great.
[1:52:47] So, another idea, especially in regards to safety, if someone is breaking the rules,
[1:52:53] and they called the police department and there's some discussion on.
[1:52:57] I saw this guy is going down the street and he was riding on the sidewalk and he almost hit this little girl.
[1:53:02] You know what would be amazingly helpful is in effect license plates but not actually on the back of the bikes.
[1:53:08] You could just do a single sticker you can use from a votes in a settlement at Home Depot and those in there.
[1:53:17] the stickers that go on the sides of votes are about that big.
[1:53:20] And so, you know, since there's so few of them,
[1:53:22] it literally A, B, C, D, E, F, you know,
[1:53:25] and so then it's like, I saw Bike G do this
[1:53:30] and hit that little girl over there
[1:53:31] and that would give us the opportunity for enforcement.
[1:53:35] And who was riding the Bike G
[1:53:37] and one time did it really happen
[1:53:39] and do we have the correct information?
[1:53:40] Well, I agree, at least someone has it checked out.
[1:53:43] And it's before, was it 10 minutes after.
[1:53:44] We had a horrible accident in Sense Valley.
[1:53:47] We didn't allow bikes on our trails.
[1:53:49] And a bike collided with a runner, a horrible accident.
[1:53:53] We didn't allow them on the trails.
[1:53:54] There was a lot of, well, what time was it?
[1:53:57] People use these trails all the time.
[1:53:58] We know we're not supposed to have bikes on them and so.
[1:54:01] Yeah.
[1:54:02] But anyway, just the idea of being able to identify them
[1:54:06] quickly and easily with that foreign sticker,
[1:54:10] with a single letter on it for the quantity we'll have
[1:54:12] would help with this initial stage of, you know, are people using them safely and being able to identify them?
[1:54:20] Yes, understood, correct.
[1:54:22] I was just going to say with the app, like, you have to put in your information, and so you'll have the person's information of who's writing by G or whatever.
[1:54:31] And then I was just going to ask you guys, do you already, like, enforce, like, single citizens who have their own electric bikes?
[1:54:38] How do they, how do they write their, just with the ordinance?
[1:54:41] Okay. Yeah. Ornette's 202 106 and it addresses scooters and bikes. Okay. And I'm not sure how many we have around a community. There are some that I've seen just very few of them.
[1:54:56] And like one of them has been parked on the sidewalk out in front of an establishment before. And I've had somebody reach out to me about it. And you know, like, hey, this is impeding, but I'm not sure how many we have in the community per se.
[1:55:09] I think most people still like to, like I do do a few of the community back rides and
[1:55:14] most people are out there pushing and peddling, you know, and not e-bikeing it, so.
[1:55:19] Well some of the e-bikes I mean you still do have to leave.
[1:55:21] Yeah, yeah I know that.
[1:55:23] You feel a little kick.
[1:55:23] Right, one guy that John saw, he shows up, but like while he's patiently waiting he zips
[1:55:29] back and forward to show everyone how fast his bike goes.
[1:55:33] Yeah.
[1:55:33] Yeah, and then so yeah, I just did have a clarify question like when you say less bike so less than 15
[1:55:40] You would want a way smaller. I'd like us to start with five
[1:55:44] Yeah, I'm the manageable
[1:55:46] What what are you what are you thinking five to ten? I feel like that's not enough
[1:55:52] To like start a program like I feel like it's not enough options if you have five bikes and people take them and then there's
[1:55:58] not available, you know?
[1:56:00] Right.
[1:56:01] So when we have this discussion,
[1:56:04] it's also an opportunity,
[1:56:05] there's other charging stations there,
[1:56:07] also, not just for these rentals.
[1:56:10] And so it's also an opportunity for folks
[1:56:12] who own e-bikes here to charge and take advantage
[1:56:16] and get there.
[1:56:17] So I think it creates an entire sort of community.
[1:56:21] I mean, if you guys want to go to 10,
[1:56:22] I'm okay going to 10,
[1:56:24] so long as the onus is on you guys to collect
[1:56:26] and all that.
[1:56:27] And I don't think we need to go more than 10, right?
[1:56:31] Because there are five bikes to a station to a pod, so.
[1:56:36] Okay.
[1:56:37] So I think five and five would be a good start.
[1:56:41] I know you just want to do a pilot program.
[1:56:45] But we're now, my ears not to every street.
[1:56:50] But we're not, I'm not hearing the demand of the cry for
[1:56:54] or the e-bikes per se.
[1:56:57] I think you'll have people who are supportive of it,
[1:57:02] people who aren't.
[1:57:03] Just my thoughts, more people are going
[1:57:05] to be like, hey, having the same concerns,
[1:57:10] whether or not to be ridden that,
[1:57:12] whether or not to be parked at.
[1:57:15] I think it is a good idea to allow people to zoom through town
[1:57:20] as if through town without having
[1:57:21] the pedal to look at the historic homes, but just thwarting 15, 20 of them out there
[1:57:30] is kind of a whole lot. If the program is meant to succeed, it will succeed, and after
[1:57:38] a year of the trial program, then it can grow. But I believe that given the opportunity
[1:57:47] to really see what it looks like with a small number is better for the community.
[1:57:52] If it's good, it's not going anywhere unless you're going to lose your grant fund
[1:57:56] and because you don't have enough out there outside of that, I think you know,
[1:58:01] for our community, what we're trying to see, 10 is a good number.
[1:58:06] Okay, I'll bring that back. We just have an opportunity to bring it, you know, now,
[1:58:10] which is great. Right, but. And I think that the like the e-cabs, when they were here,
[1:58:15] They piloted those. Those are really successful, too. I think that the town is like ready for something like that, you know, I think they're I mean
[1:58:21] I'm sure maybe but again with something like this. This is something worth very trying. We don't want to flood the streets with e-bikes and they
[1:58:29] not be successful. Absolutely. And this is the way like metronomability these bikes are way scalable. They're really smaller and not like a big
[1:58:38] system like Capitol Metro has with the lift bikes. And that's why we kind of went with this option. So it's a little bit
[1:58:45] smaller, if it's successful, then it's easier to add on to.
[1:58:48] So, I agree.
[1:58:50] Start small.
[1:58:51] All right.
[1:58:52] Thank you.
[1:58:52] Thank you.
[1:58:53] All right.
[1:58:56] Oh, okay.
[1:58:58] So, you talked about the pilot program last year, and if we find within three months that
[1:59:05] this is absolutely not working for our town, can we go ahead and terminate then, or do
[1:59:09] we have to go the full year?
[1:59:11] I would be comfortable.
[1:59:12] Dan, I'm going to let you know.
[1:59:13] I would be comfortable terminating then,
[1:59:15] because I don't want to persist in it.
[1:59:17] Truly, it has to work for the community,
[1:59:19] and that's just where I stay in.
[1:59:22] And Vivian, I appreciate your being heading this,
[1:59:29] because I know you have a huge concern for the community.
[1:59:32] And I know that your priority
[1:59:35] is what works for our community.
[1:59:37] So I appreciate you doing this too.
[1:59:39] Thanks.
[1:59:40] Yes. Thank you. All right. Council.
[1:59:45] So I'll make a motion. First, I'll start by motioning to approve this item but also
[1:59:52] to give staff direction to include sign at the pod at both locations.
[2:00:00] Specifying what areas are off limits, that we have simple license, you know, plate type things, stickers on both sides for identification of the bike when someone's writing it, that cards would be responsible for retrieval of the bikes and that they be too offence to properly to keep them out of the parks.
[2:00:18] Second.
[2:00:19] You have a motion.
[2:00:20] Do we have a second?
[2:00:21] Yeah, I did a second.
[2:00:23] I'd like to.
[2:00:24] Okay.
[2:00:24] Councilor.
[2:00:25] Go ahead.
[2:00:25] Could I ask for an amendment for your motion?
[2:00:28] So, and I appreciate those inclusions, Mayor Hortim, that we also include that they must be,
[2:00:36] as we said, either the docking stations, which would be amazing if they would bring it back,
[2:00:43] But only the bike racks they can't be left in you know downtown. We don't have any parking
[2:00:49] Please don't put them in a parking only the bike racks. No, where else in the bike racks and only allowed to go where cars can go
[2:00:56] Okay, yes
[2:01:04] Okay, we have a motion. We have a motion of a second all in favor. All right, all opposed
[2:01:10] All right, consent agenda 8B passes unanimous.
[2:01:15] All right, consent agenda 8F.
[2:01:18] Consider and act on the resolution number R-2026-86 to award $30,000 hotel
[2:01:24] oxenancy tax.
[2:01:26] Instead of grant to high Regency lost pines, resorting spots to secure the Nike.
[2:01:31] FY 29 North American Coaches Conference in September, 2028.
[2:01:36] I don't know, Michaela.
[2:01:39] Hello.
[2:01:41] Do you mean a wait for what I got pulled for?
[2:01:44] Yes.
[2:01:45] Okay.
[2:01:45] And I talked with Michaela about this earlier.
[2:01:47] The staff report, the fiscal impact section,
[2:01:50] and every whereas section in the grandest capital, 30,000, right.
[2:01:55] But the resolution title clause says authorizing the use of hotel occupancy tax funds
[2:01:59] in the amount of not to see $50,000.
[2:02:02] It's $20,000 discrepancy.
[2:02:03] so I just want to make sure that we're not exposed to a larger obligation and
[2:02:07] necessary. Yes, yes. The correct amount is 30,000 so there wasn't air in the, what
[2:02:13] was that called again? Resolution. The top clause. Yeah, the title clause.
[2:02:18] The title clause. There we go. Learning new terms. So yes, that did say 50,000.
[2:02:22] The correct number is 30,000 so everywhere else in the staff report and the rest
[2:02:27] of the resolution reflects 30,000, not 50,000.
[2:02:32] Yes, so I just wanted to clarify that,
[2:02:36] make sure that was on the record.
[2:02:39] All right.
[2:02:41] Motion to approve.
[2:02:42] Move to approve with the change in the 50,000
[2:02:47] or 30,000 in the title clause.
[2:02:50] Second.
[2:02:52] All right.
[2:02:52] Mayor Pro Temme Kirkland, you have something to say.
[2:02:55] Yeah, I just want to point out the risk and tickets.
[2:02:57] It's pretty simple, but 2,081 room nights at $329 a night is $600,000,000.
[2:03:05] And the hot funds that we will collect on that is roughly $48,000.
[2:03:10] And so they're asking us to grant them in this case $30,000 of that $48,000.
[2:03:18] It's actually very unusual for us to get hot fund requests that have a positive ROI.
[2:03:24] Even something like Corbin invasion might be a 1 to 10, meaning we give them 25,000 and we receive 2500.
[2:03:32] And so, anyway, this kind of ask is extremely defensible because it actually has a positive ROI even though we would be granting them funds.
[2:03:43] I just wanted to point that out because it's compelling.
[2:03:47] I also wanted to note, if I can, Mayor Parton could come brought up to me.
[2:03:52] Previously, I've brought these forward to you guys and something that is very important in the hot world is that we follow a two-part test, if you will.
[2:04:00] So the first part of when we kind of gauge these hot applications is one that they're directly impacting the hotel convention industry.
[2:04:09] So this is obviously doing that, but then it also falls under the second part and that being category three, which is direct promotion or
[2:04:17] solicitation to bring group bookings into town. So this this is following under that category three as well
[2:04:24] Thank you. All right, so we have a motion a second all in favor. Hi all opposed
[2:04:30] All right, the senator a F passes
[2:04:34] unanimous
[2:04:35] Council, do we have any other consentogens that we'd like to pull?
[2:04:40] All right
[2:04:41] We've to approve the balance of the constant and we have a ordinance. Yeah, we're in sorry. Yes, sir
[2:04:51] 8E, consider an act to approve the first reading of ordinance number 2026-25, but the City Council of Bass, City of Bass Drop, Texas approving the fiscal year 2027 and the first planned update, including provisions related to assessments for the Valverde public improvement district approving a fiscal year 2026-2027 assessment role for the district, and to move to include on the July 28, 2026 City Council
[2:05:19] consent agenda for the second reading.
[2:05:25] So we just had to read it, we're not calling you up.
[2:05:28] It's a, you're good, I just have to read it because it is an ordinance.
[2:05:33] Now, if you want to come up here and brag about it, then you come on up here, but we're good.
[2:05:39] Council, move to approve the balance of the consent agenda.
[2:05:42] All right, we have a motion in the second, all in favor?
[2:05:45] All right.
[2:05:45] All opposed?
[2:05:47] All right, that ordinance passes unanimous.
[2:05:49] All right. Council, the remainder agenda items,
[2:05:58] consent agenda, A-A, H-C-A-D, A-G-A-H.
[2:06:09] My motion was for the rest of the consent agenda.
[2:06:12] I just want to just make sure we're good.
[2:06:14] We have a motion as a second.
[2:06:16] All right, all in favor?
[2:06:18] Aye.
[2:06:18] All opposed.
[2:06:20] All right, the rest of the consent agenda
[2:06:22] passed unanimous.
[2:06:24] All right, on to agenda item 9-9-A. Consider an act on the resolution number 2026-111-0 in support of Chief Monica and her various accomplishments in contribution to the Bastrop Police Department, Madam City Manager.
[2:06:38] Thank you, Mayor.
[2:06:40] This is a staff member who rarely likes to be in the limelight, rarely.
[2:06:45] So put her in the limelight right now and she's giving me looks to the kill and I'll hear about it tomorrow at the staff meeting.
[2:06:52] I just want you guys to know that chief Sephanik was one of my very first promotions when I got here and it was very clear that she was quite capable, not only capable, but actually enjoyed the job.
[2:07:06] Policing is often a very thankless job even in as supportive of the city as
[2:07:12] Bastrop is. Our officers are there day in day in and day out in the heat in the
[2:07:19] cold very much like our other first responders except these folks they kind of
[2:07:23] take it in the shin quite a bit. They've got to deal with not only our local law
[2:07:28] enforcement they've got to deal with transporting criminals etc and I don't
[2:07:32] think they get thanked enough. There are very few female police chiefs in the country.
[2:07:38] The number is growing, but obviously I am glad that our police chief is a female and
[2:07:43] she leads a wonderful team. So some of their highlights, she's had seven promotions
[2:07:49] since January 2025. That means growing a good team from within. They've put in 12,578 training
[2:07:57] hours since January of 2025 for their sworn personnel. 172 training hours since January
[2:08:04] 2025 for her civilians. Five new certification increases since November of 2025. There's been
[2:08:12] a 77% increase in traffic stops in 2025 from 2024. A 271.4% increase in grand jury indictments
[2:08:24] from 23 to 25 year-over-year. That's a testament to the work the detectives do, that's a testament
[2:08:31] to the work the staff does to be able to get the district attorney a good case to get the
[2:08:36] grand jury to indict. And her turnover rate, it was very high when I got here. If you recall,
[2:08:42] we did some house cleaning. There was a lot of they and them conversation in the upper leadership.
[2:08:47] She has turned that, turned over rate from 12% to 3%.
[2:08:54] And so for that, and her countless hours of dedication, I want to recognize
[2:08:58] Chief Stefani for her endless contributions to the Bastrop community.
[2:09:17] Okay, just real quick, before you say anything.
[2:09:23] So she's not a woman of many words.
[2:09:26] Oh, I know. This, this I know. So, um, I don't recall when you started on the
[2:09:33] department here in Bastrop, but, uh, like 2020, right after COVID, it kind of kicked
[2:09:40] off us. And when I first had the opportunity to have some engagement with you, had been
[2:09:46] invited to a community meetings between, um, different people in the city and the police
[2:09:53] department. Do you remember those? Yes, I do. Back when they was here. I actually got to do a whole
[2:10:01] police simulator where I was trying to save hostages and learn how to not shoot people are engaged.
[2:10:11] But anyhow, at that time, the conversation was, what can they do to improve the relationships
[2:10:20] with people in the city and you know and I'm truly grateful that you're still
[2:10:27] around still doing that well I guess when I remember you being a part of the
[2:10:31] initiative do you remember what I said to you way back then probably not so like
[2:10:37] I would seriously you're around town and what I said to you that day what we really
[2:10:42] helped is if you smiled more because you look you look so serious and
[2:10:48] intimidating back then and you smile a whole heck of a lot more now but I truly
[2:10:55] I'm thankful for everything you do everything you do for the department from
[2:11:01] my experiences and conversations are just being around your officers they
[2:11:07] all truly enjoy you being here they enjoy being up under your leadership you
[2:11:12] have been a tremendous asset to the department to our city and help make a lot
[2:11:17] a lot of changes. When things have been presented to you, you work effortlessly and tirelessly
[2:11:23] to make things right to get us the answers that we need. I know you truly care. I know
[2:11:29] you're not a lady of many words, but you know, you don't have to be at times when it's
[2:11:34] signed so bright and what you really care about. And so it's been a pleasure knowing you over
[2:11:39] these years and getting to know you a little better and I really truly appreciate your leadership.
[2:11:52] I just want to say rarely, rarely, rarely do we ever get told 100% of the people that
[2:12:01] I've talked to that have ever mentioned you 100% have said how exceptionally you are
[2:12:08] at your job.
[2:12:09] And I'm talking about from our district attorney down to the people in this town that usually
[2:12:14] They are not telling me the best things about anything in this town, but come you and then our chief of police, you are the exception and you are exceptional.
[2:12:24] And I just want to say thank you so much, we are lucky to have you and we look forward to many, many more years of you serving our great community.
[2:12:32] Thank you.
[2:12:33] Thank you, ma'am.
[2:12:36] All right. Council, do we have anything else?
[2:12:40] We should let her talk.
[2:12:42] very few words. Well, I do want to say that I really do appreciate our department appreciates
[2:12:49] the support of council and our city manager and the rest of the staff and the community,
[2:12:54] most importantly the community for our department. And although I do appreciate the recognition,
[2:13:02] it all ultimately comes back to the people that work within the department and they also
[2:13:07] So put forth all of their effort in everything that they do.
[2:13:11] Now there's always room for improvement and we all know that, but only when we fail
[2:13:16] can we also move forward and learn from that experience.
[2:13:21] And so I do appreciate everything and especially the staff, some perfect else.
[2:13:28] motion
[2:13:40] to approve. Second. All in favor? Aye. All opposed? All right. That momentous appreciation
[2:13:52] is unanimously approved through council. All right. 9B. Consider an act on to approve
[2:14:00] ordinance number 2026-24, providing funds for paying contractual operations, encourage
[2:14:08] or to be incurred for one construction improvement, designing, acquiring,
[2:14:13] including acquiring land, easements, and right away, and equipping the city's water and wastewater system.
[2:14:18] Including water, wastewater plan number three, and two, payment of professional services
[2:14:24] in connection therewith, including legal, engineering, architectural, and fiscal fees,
[2:14:29] and the cost of issuing the certificates.
[2:14:32] It's Judy.
[2:14:34] Good evening, everyone.
[2:14:36] Hope everyone's doing well today.
[2:14:38] Yes, ma'am.
[2:14:39] We had a bond sale and I just wanted to remind everyone
[2:14:43] you just mentioned it.
[2:14:45] The purpose of the bond is to plan an early development
[2:14:50] of a new wastewater treatment plant to serve the ETJ area
[2:14:56] and also to put in place a new water technology
[2:14:59] Do this.
[2:15:00] Create a revenue stream generating affluent and potable water for sale to industry. And so in attendance today, we have our bond council, Bart Fowler, and our financial advisor, Dan Wigg Miller, and they're going to speak on the sale. And it went great. Thank you, Judy. Mayor council, as Judy said, the sale went off this morning. And the result
[2:15:29] are before you, these COs were rated AA minus stable outlook by standard and pours.
[2:15:37] I think one thing to note, the bids all came in as it's shown just before 11 a.m. this morning.
[2:15:44] Of the five bidders, they had the option to bid with or without insurance, which would make them a AA rating by virtue of insurance, but in this case, two bidders chose not to do that, and that would be at their own cost.
[2:15:59] one of those being the Baker Group which met a lower interest rate to the city of 4.434%.
[2:16:09] You may recall when you sold some debt at the end of last year, the Baker Group was
[2:16:15] the buyer of that debt as well.
[2:16:18] And part of what makes their bid so strong this time like last time is their clients are
[2:16:24] for local banks and regional banks that really support the city, see the quality of obligation
[2:16:31] that you're putting forth. And so again, it results in a stronger bid and that's who
[2:16:37] we recommend to accept the bid from today. Bart Fowler is here to answering questions
[2:16:44] you have on the ordinance itself, but otherwise the recommendation is to accept the banker group
[2:16:51] within the ordinance if you choose to move forward.
[2:16:55] Mayor and Council, I want to let you know that partner is first national bank.
[2:17:00] So we talk about keeping things local.
[2:17:03] We talk about putting your money where your mouth is.
[2:17:05] We talk about how you can support the city.
[2:17:09] That's the prime example.
[2:17:15] Council.
[2:17:18] We should approve.
[2:17:20] Thank you.
[2:17:21] The motion is second.
[2:17:22] I'll wait a minute.
[2:17:24] We have some comments.
[2:17:25] discussion, discussion, Councilmember Foster?
[2:17:28] Just had a one-question about the, can I ask a question now, even though we're in discussion?
[2:17:33] Yes, okay.
[2:17:34] Yes.
[2:17:34] If they did not choose to have the certificates in short, so they are assuming all the risk
[2:17:40] or what does that mean for, I don't mean the lower rate for us, what does it mean for them
[2:17:44] and for?
[2:17:44] That means they are not choosing to elect a third-party insurance company that would be in the
[2:17:52] an event of default or non-payment that they would be a layer in between.
[2:17:57] So they're relying 100 percent on their trust and confidence in the city to make
[2:18:02] your payments.
[2:18:02] Okay.
[2:18:03] How often does that happen?
[2:18:04] You know, when there's an opportunity to bid because the insurance companies get pretty
[2:18:09] aggressive and don't charge a lot for that insurance.
[2:18:13] So I think in this case, you had three that chose to bid with it because it was nominal
[2:18:19] in their mind, but the Baker Group sought as an opportunity to give that benefit back to
[2:18:25] you all.
[2:18:25] So it's not super common to see some choose not to bid.
[2:18:30] I think it's because of the local bank.
[2:18:32] Okay.
[2:18:32] Yeah, it seems significant enough to ask about.
[2:18:34] Thank you.
[2:18:35] Okay.
[2:18:38] Mayor Prozano-Carcliffe.
[2:18:39] A question, I guess for all the legal people in the room.
[2:18:46] The ordinance, yes, probably the ordinance.
[2:18:49] it has an underlying for aggregate principle amount in section one and the
[2:18:54] recitals, so there's no actual number there. Do we need to state a number in
[2:18:59] order for this to be legitimate? So with the bids coming in this morning they
[2:19:03] were posted out of 11 million dollars. They bid within with a premium that they
[2:19:09] were paying in addition to that. So the par amount of bonds were adjusted down this
[2:19:14] this morning, the $10 million, $885, which will be the number that goes in there.
[2:19:19] And the proceeds will still be the $11 million that you need to fund.
[2:19:25] Okay, but my question is, do we need to make a, in our motion, do we need to put that number in, or is it okay without that?
[2:19:34] Sure, for the record on barfell on the call, Parkerson Horton, it's a pleasure to see you all again.
[2:19:38] That document has been updated, probably not in time to get it in your agenda packet, but we do have that number included now.
[2:19:44] Typically, in these situations with numbers coming this morning, we don't get the document prepared but not always inserted in your agenda packet.
[2:19:50] I think the appropriate motion would be to accept as presented.
[2:19:54] When Daniel over the numbers is either subscribed, that's part, they could be part of your motion.
[2:19:57] So if you say as presented, that will include everything and the ordinance itself, which has already been done, but it'll button it up, I think, for your motion in action tonight.
[2:20:04] Okay, and then should we specify the Baker group in the motion?
[2:20:08] It's in there as well, it's also in the ordinance already.
[2:20:13] I believe it's in the die as well.
[2:20:15] Madam Senator, yeah, we have this right here.
[2:20:19] It's a little bit lengthy.
[2:20:20] We don't have that, no, it's different.
[2:20:24] Well then it's not here, no, we don't have it.
[2:20:26] But so then just to be clear on the motion, can we make it so that it is approved as presented?
[2:20:36] as an amendment. Yes. Well, who made the motion?
[2:20:46] Yes, you made the motion.
[2:20:48] Sure. Yeah, positive, positive. You want us to hit the rewind on you? Okay, cool.
[2:21:02] second came from councilmember Lou. Mayor, mayor, uh,
[2:21:07] councilmember Mara made the motion. She did. Oh, yeah.
[2:21:10] We were all wrong. We were all wrong. We wanted to say, man,
[2:21:15] we need answer replay. All right. I will accept that. Yes.
[2:21:18] Okay. Sounds good. Mayor Bolton of Kirkland, you have
[2:21:21] anything else you'd like to still know? That's it. Okay. All right.
[2:21:25] We have a motion that we have a second. All in favor? All
[2:21:29] All opposed all right thank you wait a minute wait a minute
[2:21:35] All right,
[2:21:40] let's see here agenda item 9c. Consider an act to approve. Thank you gentlemen
[2:21:47] Consider an act to approve the first reading of ordinance number 2026-2 City Council of City of Bathshop Texas
[2:21:54] I'm ending the operating a capital budget for the fiscal year
[2:21:56] here, 2026, in accordance with the existence, statutory requirements, appropriating the various amounts here and is attached as exhibit A, repealing all prior ordinances and actions in conflict here with establishing an effective date and move to include in the July 28, 2026 City Council of Consent Agenda for a second reading.
[2:22:23] Yes, ma'am.
[2:22:24] Judy Hendrousy.
[2:22:26] We're ready for you again.
[2:22:28] Thank you so much.
[2:22:30] So this is a little house key budget item that we need to get the budget on our financial.
[2:22:36] And it was for the purchase of 804 Water Street for 525K.
[2:22:41] And I did a little budget adjustment timeline.
[2:22:46] February 9th, BEDC authorized the purchase.
[2:22:50] February 10th, it was the first reading here at council. March 24th, second reading, and then we purchased on May 6th.
[2:23:02] I stand by for questions.
[2:23:04] Council?
[2:23:07] All right. Anyone like to make a motion?
[2:23:09] Motion to approve.
[2:23:10] Second.
[2:23:10] We have a motion and a second. All in favor?
[2:23:12] Aye.
[2:23:13] All opposed. All right, passes United.
[2:23:15] Thank you.
[2:23:17] Julie, appreciate it. All right, agenda 9-D, conducted public hearing.
[2:23:21] to consider an act on the first reading of ordinance number 2026-20 to amend the chapter 10 of the code of ordinances subdivision is shown and exhibits A-C-A-3-C and move to include in the July 28, 2026 City Council
[2:23:39] also a consent agenda for the second reading.
[2:23:41] Doc Cowie.
[2:23:43] Mayor council thank you.
[2:23:44] One I want to be sure that Brittany and
[2:23:46] Fettel Staff a lot of no co actually gets around doing that.
[2:23:49] They're not able to make the night but they did all the heavy lifting on this
[2:23:52] specifically Brittany putting all this together.
[2:23:55] Michael is part of this, as this is part of the BDC code updates.
[2:23:59] We promised as we knew things come in, questions come in, new applicants come in.
[2:24:03] We'll go back and tweak the code as needed based on requests of the public,
[2:24:06] various, etc. The purpose of these amendments is to address different areas. It's men chapter 10,
[2:24:14] subdivision regulations to address planning and subdivision administration issues of
[2:24:19] identified during our code implementation. It provides clear procedures to reduce unnecessary
[2:24:24] planning barriers for existing developed properties. Supports reinvestment in established areas
[2:24:30] were recognized by BASTROPS older development patterns. It also adds a commercial infield
[2:24:34] planning exemption in the process for existing tracking one lot flats. It also clarifies
[2:24:40] subdivision waiver procedures and distinguished them from zoning variances.
[2:24:47] Exhibit A, this
[2:24:48] is what we're talking about commercial infield planning and these are basically what we
[2:24:51] have as typical older city has. There's not the big areas around the boundaries of these
[2:24:56] internal lots. It creates a planning exemption for existing developed commercial tracks where
[2:25:02] For note new lot lines are being created.
[2:25:04] No boundary changes, streets, or public infrastructure upgrades are required.
[2:25:09] It supports limited commercial reinvestment, again working with EDC in redevelopment, without
[2:25:15] requiring a full planning process, whether there is no subdivision or infrastructure impact.
[2:25:21] Removes unnecessary procedures, barriers for small scale commercial improvements.
[2:25:26] It maintains planning requirements for projects involving new lots,
[2:25:30] boundary changes, public improvements, infrastructure upgrades.
[2:25:34] So that's on A. B is working with existing track one lot
[2:25:40] plants. At the process for plating, again these are existing unplated lots, normally we
[2:25:45] call those tracks. Even if they do not be current minimum lot size or
[2:25:49] wet standards, if you remember we came back and had a one third acre requirements, these
[2:25:52] are kind of existing infill lots that were never officially platted. It again
[2:25:57] and recognizes our old development patterns
[2:25:59] where hopefully these lots kind of blend
[2:26:01] with existing lots of neighborhood
[2:26:03] where many tracks were created before curves,
[2:26:06] such as version and zoning requirements.
[2:26:08] It allows existing tracks to be brought into platy status
[2:26:13] without changing boundaries or further dividing the property.
[2:26:17] It helps avoid unnecessary variances
[2:26:19] while allowing reasonable use of existing properties.
[2:26:23] That was on B and then this is exhibit C,
[2:26:26] subdivision waivers, renamed subdivision waivers to better match subdivision
[2:26:33] regulations. It clarifies that subdivision waivers are reviewed by City Council,
[2:26:39] while zoning variants are reviewed by the ZBAs, the zoning board of
[2:26:43] adjustment, requires requested associated waiver requests to serve as a
[2:26:48] plat to be included in the same public notice as a plat, so somebody's
[2:26:52] requesting a plait, we need that also advertised a waiver request, and it also ensures
[2:26:58] that surrounding property owners in the public are informed of both the plait and requested
[2:27:02] waivers.
[2:27:03] So there's some now the normal, the public's also aware of that applicants request.
[2:27:09] So that's kind of, again, a quick overview of that, pretty straightforward.
[2:27:13] Again, it's cleaning up language, trying to work with existing field lots and get them back
[2:27:17] in the system.
[2:27:19] Any questions?
[2:27:27] I do have one question, I did not catch when I was reading, yes, this one right here,
[2:27:35] the second bullet, subdivision waivers go to council, zoning variances, go straight
[2:27:43] to ZBA now, and zoning variances meaning not zone change requests.
[2:27:48] No, so would be example, we've again ZBA is again, thank you all for your support.
[2:27:51] We're still trying to get full members attached on earlier.
[2:27:53] We've had a couple of them lot coverage, setbacks, et cetera.
[2:27:57] So they're hearing specific to the facts over the requirements.
[2:28:01] Again, such as lot coverage, setbacks, driveways, those missing the risk cases.
[2:28:06] The only changes will still come to us after the end.
[2:28:09] I assist the variance to the ordinance.
[2:28:11] Thanks, I just wanted to understand.
[2:28:13] And a subdivision waiver to you guys because the subdivision is part of the plating process
[2:28:18] and the platt is ministerial if it's automatically approved
[2:28:22] a normally a minor change to a plat. It is just that. It's an agreement that it's
[2:28:27] a ministerial process and it's going to get approved.
[2:28:33] All right. Council, do we have any more statements? Questions, comments? All right, do we have
[2:28:38] a motion? Motion to approve? Oh, thank you. Oh, sorry. Thank you. Thank you because it
[2:28:43] is. So, as now, now, I'm with 658. I'm going to open up the floor for a public hearing.
[2:28:49] Do we have anyone that would like to speak? All right. Now we're going to close the public
[2:28:54] Okay, Councilor, do we have any further discussion before we make the motion?
[2:28:59] All right.
[2:29:00] We have a motion and we have a second.
[2:29:06] Second?
[2:29:07] All right.
[2:29:08] All in favor.
[2:29:10] Aye.
[2:29:11] All opposed.
[2:29:14] No.
[2:29:15] All right.
[2:29:15] Thank y'all.
[2:29:17] Sorry about that.
[2:29:19] All right.
[2:29:20] Agenda item 9E.
[2:29:23] Conduct the public hearing.
[2:29:25] Just consider and act on the first reading of ordinance number 2026.
[2:29:28] 2-6-2-3 to the City of Council to manage up to 14 of the codeable.
[2:29:34] The Bachelor of Development code is shown in Exhibits A-H.
[2:29:38] And moves include in July 28, 2026 City Council Consent Agenda for the Second Reading.
[2:29:45] Dr. Cali.
[2:29:45] Again, Mayor Council, thank you.
[2:29:47] Same as the previous times, this is on going clean up by staff of stuff we see as we go forward through implementing the new BDC.
[2:29:56] was, again, the original document was adopted in April.
[2:30:00] 14, 2026, so I think it's a pretty good turnaround. You'll see on a regular basis every couple months. We see stuff we never bring before. P and Z and you kind of cleaning things up because the code is new staff and anticipated a need for periodic amendments to clarify language, correct issues and improve administration. And again, I'm on stress is all doing staff level, no third party, so no additional calls there. Staff is tracking variants, administrative relief requests, identifier recurring issues.
[2:30:29] and recommend targeted code amendments when appropriate.
[2:30:32] Proposed amendments respond to specific application inquiries, including residential driveways,
[2:30:38] accessory dwelling units, sign regulations, permitted uses, notice requirements, and
[2:30:44] procedural clarification.
[2:30:46] Infield provisions are proposed to allow limited administrative flexibility for
[2:30:51] dimensional standards, helping new development remain compatible with established
[2:30:55] neighborhood patterns and again the key words on the previous situation was these infill lots we're
[2:31:00] trying to work with on residential and commercial aspects.
[2:31:08] So here's some examples for second time we
[2:31:10] had made two applications back on the question wall ago of to proceed maximum and perv discovery and
[2:31:16] mixed use of table denied by ZBA request for second driveway on a residential lot on a similar
[2:31:24] of circuit driveway. Again, there's requirements that have to be met showing the justification
[2:31:30] of the variance. In this case, on the driveway, it was an issue with the issue with line
[2:31:34] of sight, et cetera. Of June, we had a request to exceed maximum size for an ADU in the
[2:31:40] real zone district on 120 acre property. That's going to be at the July 16th upcoming meeting
[2:31:45] this Thursday. And the request for a menu board to be electronic for fast food through, specifically
[2:31:52] the new McDonald's
[2:31:55] and then Amendment 1, Exhibit A, is pretty straightforward what we
[2:32:01] did.
[2:32:01] If you all remember part of our zoning, we really clarified this area's parks and open
[2:32:06] space district intent.
[2:32:08] It's clarifying that that specific zoning category is this city owned property.
[2:32:13] It's not private parks within a subdivision, privately owned by a developer or the H.I.
[2:32:18] So this is really just clarifying this parks and open space is this city owned property.
[2:32:27] And it also has kind of going fast over looks and stuff is also identifying for future parkland dedication.
[2:32:33] This is contextual infield development of kind of gives us the flexibility to look at the end of gold as a work with these existing internal lots.
[2:32:42] To allow certain dimensional standards such as setbacks, lot size, lot width,
[2:32:47] front-end bill lines height to matching existing neighborhood plans.
[2:32:52] Exception is to a minimum of 20% adjustment to the code requirements,
[2:32:57] and must be supported by comparable neighbor nearby development patterns.
[2:33:02] Does not apply to impervious cover because that affects drainage, density, flood playing, drainage, fire execs,
[2:33:09] building codes, easements, park lead, dedication, other improvements, again more life safety, drainage concerns.
[2:33:17] Requests that exceed the criteria or create adverse impacts would also require a ZBA review
[2:33:21] through the appeal of various trials.
[2:33:24] So basically going back on this, what it does, if you have an infield lot, it allows
[2:33:29] us to kind of work with the side setbacks, front setbacks based on the neighboring property.
[2:33:36] C is just clarifying these different, we had school and nursery child care, we clarified
[2:33:42] these for commercial schools, nursery child care.
[2:33:45] And restricted or licensed child care at home, there's these certain categories that the state require things like six, 12 or six less children that there are permitted as a neighborhood child, so just basically identifying commercial from residential daycares.
[2:34:03] Driveway, this is the one that again we had a case on, I have had several discussions.
[2:34:07] It updates the driveway standards to create a concrete drive approach for new connections to public right away consistent with our design manual.
[2:34:14] So that's the portion from the street up to the property line, but
[2:34:18] again, once you get up on the property, it allows alternative driveway
[2:34:22] surfaces on private property, including asphalt, pavers, permit,
[2:34:26] pavers, stabilized gravel, crushed on, decomposed, granted, or other all-approved
[2:34:31] weather surfaces.
[2:34:33] It provides more flexibility for home owners of park vehicles,
[2:34:36] remaining tiny standards for dust, erosion, and material tracking.
[2:34:40] It allows up to residential driveway access points when frontage and space and
[2:34:48] requirements are met and base that's a lot 70-footer water, includes similar
[2:34:54] circuit driveways, or circuit driveways on larger lots, maintains a maximum
[2:34:58] combined with 36 feet and add current clearances far from the B3 coastal.
[2:35:05] Again, basically these lots that are 70-footer water that want to do two
[2:35:08] driveways where it's two different points of access or create a circular
[2:35:11] driveway. Under the current code we adopted don't allow one approach on it.
[2:35:16] That gives this option again that was one of the previous variances that came
[2:35:20] up.
[2:35:24] ADU this is kind of always a fun one to do because you look at different
[2:35:28] things. We had square footage we had these different categories what we're
[2:35:32] proposing here removes the maximum square footage because you have some
[2:35:36] me variable of a quarter acre lot to a hundred acre lot, removes the maximum square footage
[2:35:42] for accessory dwelling units and instead limits 80 units, 60 percent of the dwelling primary
[2:35:49] dwelling size. So we're going to look at the footprint of the primary structure, total
[2:35:53] footprint, and your ADU cannot exceed 60 percent of that. It provides more flexibility for larger
[2:36:00] lots and larger primary homes while keeping the ADU accessory to the main structure.
[2:36:06] Again, that's the key and ADU should be an accessory to the primary structure and smaller
[2:36:10] in size, and that's what we're proposing just to flat 60%.
[2:36:14] Response to various requests while existing CAP created an unnecessary limitation on large
[2:36:20] rural residential lot.
[2:36:22] These ADUs still have to meet all the other requirements consisting of parking and per
[2:36:26] this cover, setback, utilities, and all other
[2:36:29] apical development standards, building codes,
[2:36:31] fire codes, etc.
[2:36:35] Menu board signs, menu board signs,
[2:36:39] as a novel sign type for drive through establishments.
[2:36:41] All these new, as we're familiar with all these new
[2:36:43] restaurants, and so changing things out. It's an
[2:36:46] electronic type of sign, but it's really not a
[2:36:47] menu board, I mean a sign, you really can't
[2:36:50] sit from the street. Established as standards for
[2:36:53] the size, number, location of menu board signs,
[2:36:56] allows electronic menu board that they meet again we want to meet our dark sky
[2:37:02] illumination not or intended directly toward the public right away again the
[2:37:06] intent is just for a drive-through for a menu provides clarity for applicants and
[2:37:10] staff while maintaining limits on lighting bills of building and signing impacts and
[2:37:18] this one is going to clarify in variance procedures removes the requirements for
[2:37:23] ZBA being to be held within 45 days of applicant's submittal allows variance
[2:37:27] As per hearings will be scheduled after applications are completed and
[2:37:33] notice requirements are met.
[2:37:35] Providing staff time to review applicants requesting missing information and
[2:37:40] prepares items for ZBA consideration.
[2:37:43] Maintaining a regular monthly ZBA meetings while complete applications
[2:37:47] generally scheduled within four to five weeks.
[2:37:50] Continues mail notice to surrounding prop donors and
[2:37:53] posted signs on the property, but removes the newspaper notice requirement.
[2:38:02] And this is amendment 8, exhibit 8.
[2:38:07] Update zoning notice requirements aligned with the recent Texas local government amendments.
[2:38:13] It clarifies their timing for newspaper notice and
[2:38:17] milled those before public hearings.
[2:38:19] The staffers at development plan approaches approvals require expire after one year if no building permit has been applied for.
[2:38:28] Allow staff to closely inactive, to close inactive development,
[2:38:33] plan application after six months with no applicant activity.
[2:38:37] Help us to ensure delayed or inactive projects are reviewed for
[2:38:41] concurrent conditions, adopt as standards and
[2:38:45] applicable code updates.
[2:38:49] And let me go back.
[2:38:50] So on this one, I apologize real quick.
[2:38:52] Last minute I put in front of your diocese or night.
[2:38:54] We wanted to clarify some language.
[2:38:56] If you look at page 3, and I try to tab them for you for sake of time, you'll see on page 3,
[2:39:02] there was some mis-clarification and the ordinance said one thing and the exhibits are
[2:39:07] nothing. You see the top of page 3 in red. Exhibit age provides that site development plans
[2:39:14] in review, and there's the category review and issuance. Exhibit age also provides that site
[2:39:20] Right development plans and review such applications require expires if no activity consisting of
[2:39:27] additional information being submitted to address the review commitments is received within
[2:39:33] a one-year period.
[2:39:34] So the goal is not to close this case out because there are not taking any activity but we
[2:39:38] have something like two or three years old they submit stuff and they were followed through.
[2:39:42] So we keep them up and clarify activity if we come up with a review and there's a comment
[2:39:48] address drainage address fire activity would see that applicant addressing that.
[2:39:56] Does not e-mails back and forth were working on it?
[2:39:58] We need to see some true action.
[2:40:00] We give you responses, respond to our responses.
[2:40:03] Again, on drainage setbacks, so that clarifies that.
[2:40:06] You flip farther back.
[2:40:08] You see in the body the document towards about four pages from the back.
[2:40:13] We mirrored that language, so language matches in ordinance and matches in the exhibit.
[2:40:19] And then the very last page we added for a top left are under the box for review recommended.
[2:40:29] So I was part of the grammar that was caused that we tried to tweak for everybody.
[2:40:34] Any questions?
[2:40:35] Council member Puckett.
[2:40:37] Yeah, just real quick on.
[2:40:38] I'm Emma one.
[2:40:40] I think it was a very top one.
[2:40:41] I didn't notice when I was reading it the first time.
[2:40:44] Okay.
[2:40:45] Okay, you're talking about, let's see, explain, I guess the one we're specifying that City owned land rather than parks, you know, dedicated that we're like be specific to subdivision, I'm just, I don't want to disincentivize somebody else taking care of public, of a public benefit, if they're so inclined.
[2:41:13] So we have this existing zoning district of parks and open space zoning that we're clarifying the definition of it, so I guess I hear your question is the goal of this category is that those areas are city of Bastrop on our lands dedicated to the city.
[2:41:32] that means it really identifies we own that property.
[2:41:36] So a neighborhood park with an existing plan
[2:41:38] development district or when would it be our one district,
[2:41:43] that would just be part of that overall zoning,
[2:41:44] but it's owned by the HOA.
[2:41:47] Right, I just want to make sure they still get credit for it.
[2:41:50] So they do, they'll still get credit.
[2:41:52] The intent is we had a category called Civic Space.
[2:41:56] And so it was a Civic Space, for example,
[2:41:59] it was a park that's in an HOA,
[2:42:01] Is it really civic space? Is everybody have access to it? Yes, they still get credit for Parkland education. Yes, all of that
[2:42:07] This is really this category belongs to us. Yeah, okay. That's fine. I just want to make sure we weren't yet
[2:42:14] No, we are not disincentivizing
[2:42:15] No, thank you. And
[2:42:20] I'll leave to approve
[2:42:21] We have a couple more kind of say we we gotta have public hearing
[2:42:27] Ah, we got you back
[2:42:34] Councilmember Foster
[2:42:38] I don't have any questions. I just want to thank you. Thank you
[2:42:42] To Brittany and Chrissy and Koi and yourself. Thank you. This is exactly what we wanted
[2:42:48] We wanted to see amendments as soon as they were enough data
[2:42:51] And so I just want to thank you for being so responsive to all the applicants going through the process
[2:42:56] And then also for anticipating future difficulties and handling those right now. Thank you like this document is alive
[2:43:03] this code is alive. Thank you. It's exactly what we needed. Appreciate y'all.
[2:43:09] Mayor Pro Temme Carcola? Yes, so the driveway requirements, this
[2:43:15] amendment came about because we had a resident on in North Bastrop who stopped
[2:43:20] in front of my house and said that he had gotten a code enforcement letter because
[2:43:26] he had sort of, I don't know, built. Maybe it was pavers or maybe it was just, you know,
[2:43:32] crush granite or something and he was basically pulling up on his driveway and then pulling
[2:43:35] off to the right side and so I started asking questions and so I guess I'm curious
[2:43:42] like how this fixes it not yeah I'm curious how this fixes it a and then also be what
[2:43:49] are we doing with like you know north hill street which doesn't have concrete entrances
[2:43:54] to any of the houses because it just goes directly from asphalt to dirt and so I guess
[2:44:02] Yes, part of my question is, is this only for new development, and if it's only okay?
[2:44:07] No, it's for, and you're right, Mayor Perotem, Kirkland, you brought up the issue with the driveway.
[2:44:13] I recall that one, Judy Hoover had the issue with the circular drive, so we're addressing that one.
[2:44:19] So long as there's not a visual obstruction, a lot of these things are to address what exists.
[2:44:25] And as infill is coming in, it can match the built environment.
[2:44:29] Well, and then I get how, you know, infill, you know, maybe you want to require concrete to the in the
[2:44:35] Priteaway area up to the beginning of their house and then or not their house, but their private property and then they can put whatever they want that's allowed here and I see how we've expanded the list of services to things besides concrete. I totally get that, but you know, is this going to make houses that have been on hill street for decades, you know, illegal because they have dirt
[2:44:58] driveway, coming off of a...
[2:45:00] City street with no curb and gutter. I mean, no, those those should have always been existing non conforming. Okay, they should never have created a code enforcement issue and we we had some of that conversation already. Okay.
[2:45:13] Now, it does prevent somebody who's building on hill street on a lot that's never been built on from leaving dirt.
[2:45:22] And I don't have a problem with that.
[2:45:25] I'm just trying to see how this change fixed the issue with the gentleman who pulls up
[2:45:33] and off to the right of his driveway onto another surface if, you know, it's not supposed
[2:45:39] to apply to people that are already in a home, why does this change fix it?
[2:45:44] And if this change is supposed to fix it, you know, why does it not also do things for people
[2:45:49] on Hill Street?
[2:45:49] That's kind of the nature of.
[2:45:50] So first of all, the person that you're referring to
[2:45:54] should never have had a code enforcement issue ever,
[2:45:58] because he's existing on conforming.
[2:46:00] And in the rest of the world,
[2:46:01] Doc and I say this all the time.
[2:46:04] In the rest, I'm sorry, I have to laugh quietly about that,
[2:46:07] because this is an alternate reality sometimes.
[2:46:10] In the rest of the world, flat work
[2:46:12] doesn't require a permit.
[2:46:14] And so long as you're within the confines of your lot
[2:46:18] not, and not causing extensive drainage issues to somebody else, you're fine.
[2:46:23] And you can park along that gentleman, if I recall, was parked along his fence
[2:46:27] and at an angle, and that's how it worked.
[2:46:29] Totally fine.
[2:46:30] But what it did raise for us is, you know what, there are other people like these folks
[2:46:34] back here on Pine who use an alternate drivelly method because it's so narrow,
[2:46:38] and they're just those concrete pads.
[2:46:40] You know what, that's probably better for drainage.
[2:46:42] We should probably allow that to.
[2:46:43] And let's not penalize folks for trying to, number one, be better.
[2:46:48] Number two, match the built environment.
[2:46:50] And number three, doing things we hadn't even thought about doing.
[2:46:54] Mm-hm.
[2:46:55] Yeah, no, I mean, I think a third of us up here probably don't have concrete drives, including myself.
[2:47:01] So I mean, I get why that's useful for people that are building new ones.
[2:47:06] But anyway, thank you.
[2:47:13] We're going to open the floor for a public hearing, do we have anyone that would wish to speak?
[2:47:21] Nope, we're going to close the public hearing.
[2:47:24] All right, council, do we have any further discussion?
[2:47:28] Motion to approve.
[2:47:29] We have a motion.
[2:47:29] Do we have a second?
[2:47:31] We have a motion and a second.
[2:47:33] Council member Meyer came with the second.
[2:47:35] All
[2:47:40] right.
[2:47:40] All in favor?
[2:47:41] All right.
[2:47:41] All opposed?
[2:47:43] All right.
[2:47:44] Now we want to do a good fun stuff.
[2:47:47] Agenda item 9 F. Consider an act on a resolution number R-20026-106 to conduct a feasibility
[2:47:57] study with the YMCA of Greater Austin to be performed by Triangle II Inc.
[2:48:02] And just so you all know, we're always working on stuff, y'all, just like y'all have to be
[2:48:08] Your patient with us, when the time is right, we'll present things, but we hear y'all, we see y'all, we have things that we're concerned about.
[2:48:15] This is one of those items, Madam City Manager.
[2:48:18] Exactly right, you guys have tasked me to go figure out how to make a rec center happen.
[2:48:22] And I'm resurrected conversations with the why they're very interested.
[2:48:27] Part of that conversation is, who went and where?
[2:48:32] And this is step one to a longer goal of hopefully having a functional
[2:48:37] Recreation Center that is partly managed by the why.
[2:48:41] We all know those things are our tremendous asset needs, not just the need because the community wants it, but
[2:48:50] they fill a need of a wider area, not just the city but folks in the county because there isn't a larger space like that.
[2:48:58] But with that comes the requirement for operational costs and again, the who, what, when, where, and why.
[2:49:03] And that's what this study aims to identify.
[2:49:08] Yeah, I think it's great that we're having another look.
[2:49:13] A lot of people don't know the real deal, the real spill behind the YMCA and YNOM
[2:49:19] lawyers here. Some people claim they know and put videos out there like they know
[2:49:24] they're talking about but they weren't here and didn't know. And so it's just good
[2:49:29] to have this opportunity to be able to revisit and start rebuilding the relationship. Hopefully
[2:49:34] we can get somewhere hopefully it shows that it's something that will work for our community.
[2:49:40] So council, do we have any discussion?
[2:49:46] All right. Motion to approve. Second.
[2:49:49] We have a motion and a second. All in favor. All opposed. All right. Motion passes unanimous
[2:49:57] our general passage unanimous, onto the item 9-H.
[2:50:01] Consider an act on a resolution number R-2006-109
[2:50:07] in the amount of sending $4,000 to conduct a phase two
[2:50:11] on the hospital feasibility study.
[2:50:14] Thank you, Mayor.
[2:50:16] Again, we conducted phase one
[2:50:18] of the hospital feasibility study
[2:50:19] and we have our consultant with our TG available
[2:50:22] for any questions.
[2:50:24] This essentially hones in on the service area.
[2:50:28] We had a really large service area that identified at least a 500 bed deficiency.
[2:50:34] If you recall from the prior graphs, we also had a large swing.
[2:50:37] We had a lot of geriatric, and then we had a lot of new incoming pediatric needs and the gamut spread.
[2:50:45] And phase two of the feasibility study, number one, helps us hone in on that.
[2:50:50] And number two, also begins to have the conversations with the providers.
[2:50:55] We've already reached out to Ascension Seton, have already reached out to the top four providers, I'll remind you.
[2:51:02] Baylor Scott and White, same David's, the Methodist Hospital and Ascension Seton with Ascension Seton ranking at the lowest.
[2:51:11] We do have a conversation with three of the four, have not been able to schedule with the Methodist.
[2:51:16] But this item also engages RTG with some of those conversations.
[2:51:23] And those are conversations well above what yours truly and your staff can do.
[2:51:29] Hospitals have CCN boundaries also, who knew?
[2:51:32] So there's some intricacies that need to be involved.
[2:51:36] There is some dollar amount in here, it's about $20,000 that we programmed for public input.
[2:51:42] I don't know how much public input is going to be required, and quite frankly, I won't
[2:51:47] know that until we have conversations with the hospital.
[2:51:51] Many of you have expressed the concern about the hospital is going to do, what the
[2:51:55] hospital is going to do, why are you bringing in public input?
[2:51:58] And the reality of that is we hone into some of those specialties that may be a conversation
[2:52:03] we need to have, especially if there's a tie among the hospitals.
[2:52:07] But we do have a RTG on the line.
[2:52:09] She is available. Her name is Leanne Odom. Any questions that you have of me or her, please feel free to shoot.
[2:52:17] Hello, Leanne.
[2:52:21] Oh, she can't hear me. Mayor Pro, Jim Kirkland.
[2:52:24] Leanne. There's a little bit of an answer.
[2:52:27] Oh, there you go. I was just saying hello. Mayor Pro, Jim Kirkland has something he would like to say.
[2:52:34] Good evening.
[2:52:37] So I'm trying to find the right word. So I was one of the individuals that said a hospital is going to do what a hospital is going to do.
[2:52:43] And I'm also enthusiastically in support of doing things that we can to attract the hospital.
[2:52:49] So I just want to be very clear about that.
[2:52:53] I also look at an item like $74,000 and say, hey, do we need to spend this and
[2:53:00] is this the right thing to do?
[2:53:03] And so I guess, so I knew that you had discussed having conversations with various
[2:53:12] hospital groups, and I think what I was planning to say before you said some of the things
[2:53:16] that you said was, you know, maybe we should hold off and ask them what type of a study
[2:53:21] they may need.
[2:53:23] Because for instance, if we would go and spend $40,000 on a study that none of them need,
[2:53:27] like they all know what their business is today, and know what kind of services they would
[2:53:34] need to provide.
[2:53:34] I mean, you know, this is their business, their experts at it.
[2:53:37] But I'm just wondering if there's another way to go about this, where we, like for
[2:53:43] instance, you know, if we didn't approve this study tonight, you know, what hospital
[2:53:46] opportunity are we likely to lose?
[2:53:49] So I don't even know if we would know that.
[2:53:50] And maybe, alternatively, two of the four hospitals would come back and say, no, that particular
[2:53:57] study you're planning on doing, we don't need help with that, but we could use help with
[2:54:01] this other thing over here, which we didn't spend money on yet and is going to cost us
[2:54:06] new money. And so I guess I almost wish that we could talk to them about is there any
[2:54:13] information that would be helpful in them making a decision and then using that input to
[2:54:17] go for a phase two?
[2:54:19] Sure. Leanne has a she's got a very good and I'll just give you the short spiel. They may
[2:54:24] want to provide a service that we don't feel is necessary. They may want to provide a service
[2:54:29] that for whatever reason is duplicative in a very nearby area because of their ability to
[2:54:35] moved doctors. And I'm just looking at the Baylor Scott and White model and quite frankly,
[2:54:39] the St. David's model, where there are cohorts of doctors that move along at each of the hospitals.
[2:54:45] And, Leanne, will you chime in to some of that?
[2:54:49] Yes, certainly, Sylvia. And the context here is that as we did the inquiry, we ensured
[2:54:57] the fine things and in further dialogue, you know, kind of pointed out that there were
[2:55:04] unknowns there's that community input part and then you know the topic of paid hospitals
[2:55:11] are going to have a particular point of view under the table. And that point you fear
[2:55:17] to where we are from, as they'll be at head to what degree we'll be looking to be
[2:55:24] servicet from what they're already offering nearby today, how much of the
[2:55:31] services we'll need to know, though, but the strategy will be, again, expanding
[2:55:37] their own services for the competitive move for them. And as we bring more
[2:55:43] For all the different scenarios, that's when the discussion that you're reading, I'd
[2:55:48] feel used to hear you prepare to talk with students, workings, various health care entities.
[2:55:56] And as to how we're working with this mutual work, it's to assert a supportive and advise
[2:56:02] people at space.
[2:56:06] I said the council, I forward to do an email just now and has some talking points.
[2:56:10] Good information about the study itself.
[2:56:21] Thank you, Leanne.
[2:56:21] Mary Pro. Tim Kirkman, you have anything else?
[2:56:24] You still lit up.
[2:56:25] Yeah, I know.
[2:56:26] I mean,
[2:56:30] I don't know that my question is answered.
[2:56:33] That it really does sort of, you know, like for instance,
[2:56:40] if we did not do, if we didn't pay for this today,
[2:56:45] which hotel or hotel?
[2:56:47] Which hospital opportunity would not be available to us?
[2:56:50] And I don't know that we even know the answer to that, which
[2:56:53] Which then causes me to be hesitant to spend the money without, I don't know, maybe having
[2:56:59] those conversations with the hospitals, sort of.
[2:57:01] So, and I'm not comfortable entering the conversation with those hospitals.
[2:57:05] No, and that's fair, yeah, without information.
[2:57:08] And so, I will, you know, one of the questions that was posed to me by the developer group,
[2:57:14] the developer, by the way, has set on some of those boards and said, which hospital is going
[2:57:18] to go vertical sooner?
[2:57:19] or there's a lot of hospitals who claim a market share to lock up that market share,
[2:57:23] but you may not get a vertical hospital until six years from now.
[2:57:27] Oh, wow, didn't know that.
[2:57:29] I thought everybody was interested once to build right away because Bastrop is the place.
[2:57:33] And then there is a question of, ooh, there may be some services that are already locked
[2:57:38] because of CCN, so to speak, boundaries.
[2:57:40] Oh, didn't know that either.
[2:57:42] And so there are some nuances to this.
[2:57:45] And I'm totally comfortable and I think they are also, if you guys say,
[2:57:49] Well, we're not going to open up the public comments until you get through those negotiations.
[2:57:54] Because there is going to be some public input on what are those services the hospital is offering to serve?
[2:58:00] And do they match what our own independent study has said we are needing here?
[2:58:06] And, you know, there's a base bid for $40,000 and additional $14,000 to assist in discussion
[2:58:12] negotiation with potential partners and then the possibility of an additional $20,000.
[2:58:17] Okay, I mean, could we do it in a different order?
[2:58:20] So we do a 14K to assist in the discussion, and then, you know, decide on what we would need to study for the 40K so that we know that we're studying something that the hospitals would be able to use?
[2:58:34] Well, I think A and B, I think the 54,000 is absolutely necessary from my part
[2:58:40] an independent study of what is our market, what is that service area that we think
[2:58:45] needs to be best served with Bashtrop being the best place it can serve.
[2:58:50] So, if anything, I'd be comfortable with the 54 instead of the 74, with the other
[2:58:56] 20 being at a later time.
[2:58:58] Yeah, and if we, I mean, once the story starts coming together and people are making specific
[2:59:03] asks, and we know that we're getting closer to something, and they make a request to do something,
[2:59:08] yeah, I'm all on board with that too. I'm just trying to make sure that we're, you know,
[2:59:12] understand. Yeah. And the item quite, I'll tell you, it has a life of its own right now,
[2:59:19] because we have an annexation item that's coming to you very soon, probably at the next meeting.
[2:59:24] And then we have the Plan Development District creation coming to the PNZ in the August
[2:59:32] time frame.
[2:59:33] And in August too, you guys will be looking at the pit and the turf, so it's a snowball
[2:59:37] effect that I'd like to have in line before we even get much further and pick a dance partner.
[2:59:51] Yeah, no. I agree with you, Mayor Pro Temp. We definitely don't want to...
[3:00:01] Just spending money uselessly and not having any results with it. I know there are a lot of demands from the citizens. You see, the article is out like there's a lot of people that want it, but we definitely need to make sure we have the right things in motion.
[3:00:20] I just, I know for one thing though, I am looking forward to the day to where we can truly have someone say that they're born and raised in Bastrop again.
[3:00:31] I hadn't happened in a long time, so maybe we could say, but a first time in 35 years, somebody's born and raised in Bastrop, all right, so.
[3:00:40] All right. Well, Councillor, do we have any other discussion?
[3:00:47] So motion to approve item 9H with a change in the dollar amount to $54,000.
[3:00:52] Not to exceed.
[3:00:53] Not to exceed $54,000.
[3:00:55] Second.
[3:00:56] All right, we have a motion and a second. All in favor?
[3:00:59] All right.
[3:00:59] All right. All opposed. All right. Thank you, Leigh Ann.
[3:01:04] Thank you very much.
[3:01:07] All right. On to agenda nine. Hi. Mary, you have some public comment. Yes. Okay. But yeah, we can move on tonight.
[3:01:19] All right. This is the folks that spoke of public comments. They're members of the historic landmark commission.
[3:01:27] This item is an item that we actually discussed with legal for a little bit as we began trying to tackle how do we help stop some of the oh, well, it was falling in on itself, you know, demolition.
[3:01:43] I will tell you what I told the HLC the city has been derelict in its duty from enforcing the neglect portion.
[3:01:53] The city gives landowners historic marker landowners who have applied, we give a certain
[3:01:59] dollar amount.
[3:02:01] We've not been inspecting that for those property owners to keep up the property.
[3:02:08] So we have, we have a lot of blame in this whole thing.
[3:02:14] And so the item in front of you is really addressing what's in the local government code and
[3:02:21] and codifying in our code of ordinances, which is 315-006, liability for adversely affecting
[3:02:27] historic structure property. Sorry for the small font. This section applies to those
[3:02:33] who don't go through our approved primary process. If you come in and you go to the HLC and
[3:02:40] you go through the process and you have the six month cooling off period and anyway folks
[3:02:45] go through the demolition and it's approved, this doesn't apply to you if you go through
[3:02:49] the process. It only applies to folks who decided to demolish without a permit, demolish
[3:02:55] in the, you know, at night and say, well, I had to do it because it was a public health
[3:03:00] and safety item. It also allows the Texas Historic Commission to file a civil action.
[3:03:07] It does not allow for double action. I can't do a city civil action and a Texas Historic
[3:03:11] Civil Action. And there are some prerequisites we need to meet. They go hand in hand with
[3:03:18] creating the historic district overlay, these properties need to be registered down at the county courthouse.
[3:03:23] We've got to have a process in place that identifies them.
[3:03:27] We have a loosely based process, but it needs to get more formalized.
[3:03:33] And so instead of accepting monetary damages, this is the bigger piece, which is why you heard the historic landmark commission say double the demolition fee is not enough, right?
[3:03:43] They'll pay 500 bucks and be okay, and that's a one time fee.
[3:03:47] This says, the city may permit the liable person to construct using as many of the original materials as possible,
[3:03:54] a structure or property that is a reasonable fix, similarly, of the demolished historic structure or property or to restore use in as many of the original materials as possible.
[3:04:04] And pay the cost of attorney fees, architects, and appraisers fees and other costs related to the enforcement of this action.
[3:04:11] So it's got some bite, right?
[3:04:13] Okay, the next item is it allows us to recover damage under the section and any damages that
[3:04:21] we recover have to be put in a historic trust.
[3:04:23] We can't just go and do that and spend the money in the general fund.
[3:04:28] There's a protection of who and what those fees can be used for.
[3:04:35] So happy to answer any questions.
[3:04:39] This is a tool that's been in the local government code, we have not codified it in our code.
[3:04:49] All right, we have four citizens and citizens who have signed up to comment, three of them do not wish to speak and what them does.
[3:04:58] So, Ron Barkley, he does not wish to speak, but he shows support for a general item 9A.
[3:05:13] Aye.
[3:05:13] I don't know where they came from, thank you.
[3:05:16] Sandra Barclay, she does not wish to speak, but she shows support for agenda item 9-9-I.
[3:05:22] Robert Sanders, she does not wish to speak, but she shows support of agenda item 9-I.
[3:05:29] And we have here to speak with us tonight, Gary Moss, on agenda item 9-I.
[3:05:37] Yes, sir, come on up.
[3:05:42] No public hearing.
[3:05:43] No, it's not a public hearing.
[3:05:44] All right, here we go.
[3:05:46] Last but not the least, I'm opposed to this, and I won't tell you why.
[3:05:52] It's an ad hoc kind of knee jerk reaction to some of the things that's been happening.
[3:05:57] The B3 code created all kinds of problems for us as we all know.
[3:06:01] This is an extension of that.
[3:06:05] The Historic Landmark Commission, I believe it's broken.
[3:06:09] I don't think they can do the job they need to do with the tools they have as she's pointed out.
[3:06:16] But this city needs to be more inclusive on the terms of the interaction with the builders and developers and things like that.
[3:06:27] A lot of people don't realize that's who you need to be working with.
[3:06:32] Demonizing these people, coming to town and buying these restore combs, that's no good at all.
[3:06:39] I don't think. And that's a lot of what this is just going to do.
[3:06:43] It's just jumping ahead, putting the car before the horse in the situation
[3:06:48] where we need to be really concentrating on developing the system
[3:06:53] and the mechanism to be able to help maintain those homes.
[3:06:58] You can look and see how many homes are just falling down around here.
[3:07:03] And we've let it happen.
[3:07:05] You know, and we need to stop that and we need to actually stop demonizing people coming in and buy them to look behind the shell station up there.
[3:07:14] That looks real nice.
[3:07:15] Did just nothing there, you know, if that guy's such a hard time, he's maybe not going to develop it at all, but I think we really need to the real problem is that, you know, this is the national
[3:07:30] register in the state register and then the city register. They can't do anything. It's
[3:07:35] on the city. It's on us to develop some kind of program or some kind of things that we
[3:07:44] can use that rather than using a certificate of appropriateness for what these people can
[3:07:51] and cannot do, you know, to build a house, you know, my house is, my little house, I built
[3:07:58] that for $183 a square foot, rebuilt it, then right next door I built, $163 a square foot,
[3:08:06] it cost more to rebuild the older homes and things like that, and we need to be concerned
[3:08:10] about that, and we need to come up with a way to support that, rather than these people that
[3:08:16] come to these meetings, you know, like the people come earlier and talk about this saying before they even see what's on the agenda here, makes no sense to me, he can bring 50 people, everybody's going to say don't tear it on the house, don't tear it on the house, the house may not be worthy.
[3:08:31] We need to come up with something, the city needs to come up with a way of determined is that worthy or not worthy, rather than having people on the historic landmark commission, try to figure that out because they're not qualified to do it.
[3:08:45] I'm not qualified to do it without having the ability to go in and inspect.
[3:08:49] We have inspectors, we inspect new construction.
[3:08:53] We need to do the same thing like that.
[3:08:55] Thank you.
[3:08:56] Thank you, Gary.
[3:08:58] Council member Romare.
[3:09:00] Thank you.
[3:09:00] So Sylvia, let's clarify.
[3:09:02] We're not saying that HLC is going in and inspecting houses, right?
[3:09:07] That's not what's going to happen.
[3:09:09] This is a tool to prevent what we're scared of.
[3:09:15] And I will say, once Bastrop is historical because of what we have,
[3:09:21] if we lose our identity, if we don't have enough protection,
[3:09:24] which this does, this helps with, we're not going to have what we have.
[3:09:30] We're not going to have historical Bastrop.
[3:09:32] Sure, you can rebuild something.
[3:09:34] But it's not the same as the original, it's just not.
[3:09:38] So my point is, let's do all of it.
[3:09:41] What you said, Sylvia, we need to go in.
[3:09:43] and do way better than what we have about the shape of the houses.
[3:09:49] So let's do that. Let's be proactive that way.
[3:09:51] Let's put language like this, this says here for the consequences.
[3:09:56] Let's do all of it. It's not one R. It's like we got to get together and do all of this
[3:10:01] because to protect and preserve what makes us BASTRAW,
[3:10:05] we're going to need all the tools and the toolbox to use.
[3:10:10] And I will say I'm sensitive to board member Moss, the thing about a historic home and what's necessary is from a building code perspective.
[3:10:23] You know, docking his crew are going to go in with what I'm going to say is a sledgehammer and these houses require a scalpel, not a sledgehammer.
[3:10:31] And so when Dock and his crew, and we may have to revisit this, when Dock and his crew go in and go more than 51% is gone, that's an okay to demo.
[3:10:42] Maybe that needs to be 70% or 75%, we've got to come up with the criteria, but there are several beautiful homes in this town, one of them in particular has daylight and plants growing through it.
[3:10:56] And, you know, I can't provide a dollars because we can't gift dollars.
[3:11:03] But, you know, one of the things we've been talking about is if these property owners are willing to put those houses in a trust.
[3:11:10] And when they pass, there are, and, you know, how do we work through legal with that?
[3:11:14] And then also a historic preservation trust, all of the, and you're right, it's not just one tool, it's all of them.
[3:11:21] But a lot of these houses are on one acre lots.
[3:11:27] And so even our third of an acre requirement still, it doesn't seem to be big enough.
[3:11:34] So we
[3:11:37] have a case where someone has attempted or demolished a house that was historic registered house.
[3:11:48] You have one that was very close, that is what Mr. Moss is referring to the knee jerk reaction to the House on Church Street.
[3:11:58] But was he trying to get a demolition permit, or was he going to try to take it down with that one?
[3:12:03] He took down a structure on the site without a permit, and he had to pay a double permit fee, and he I think just paid that yesterday.
[3:12:11] And so the fear was, okay, if he took that building down without asking, what else is he going
[3:12:17] to take down?
[3:12:18] It kind of falls into like where we were at with the trees in the Pearl River.
[3:12:22] There is a little structure at the back of that house on church, and if you're driving
[3:12:27] by and you look at it, it looks like it's in, you know, it just looks like it's a shed.
[3:12:30] It doesn't look like it is a, you know, 1800 military academy house.
[3:12:39] Okay. Yeah, I guess the thing then that I'm hearing is that this has not yet been a broad problem.
[3:12:49] Like, as in, for instance, the house behind the shell station, it was not a historic
[3:12:54] that registered structure.
[3:12:55] I got a demolition permit, he faced quite a bit of public opposition when he did, but it was
[3:13:02] what it was, the house came down, and this would not stop that.
[3:13:06] That would not stop that no and this is really for folks who just don't want to follow the rules, you know, is it cheaper to pay a $500 fine?
[3:13:15] After the fact.
[3:13:17] Yeah, got it.
[3:13:17] Okay, thank you.
[3:13:18] I was just trying to get clarity on that.
[3:13:23] All right, thank you mayor.
[3:13:24] Approach him.
[3:13:24] Councillor, do we have any other discussion?
[3:13:27] Councilmember Fossler.
[3:13:30] Thanks.
[3:13:30] I'm reading.
[3:13:32] I've read through it a few times, but I want to make sure I understand.
[3:13:35] And this is one of the remedies available to us is to ask the, not ask, permit the liable
[3:13:43] person to construct as many of the original materials as just one of the remedies possible?
[3:13:48] Yes.
[3:13:49] And so it's like, it's going to be up to the council.
[3:13:52] I mean, I can imagine a situation where all the windows were sold or, you know, you can
[3:13:58] ask them to use as much as possible.
[3:14:00] and that's really going to be a negotiated term between, at some point, staff, the council, and the applicant.
[3:14:08] Okay. And then where is the civil suit part in the?
[3:14:13] The civil suit is, it was a historical marker and the city does nothing.
[3:14:17] The Texas Historical Commission can come in and take, take the civil suit action, in which case the city would set back.
[3:14:26] Okay. And they would do, they would collect the money put it in their own history.
[3:14:32] They would do the money.
[3:14:33] Okay, so we would choose money or the verbs of rebuilding.
[3:14:38] Yes, and the money we would choose would be to build a replica.
[3:14:43] Sorry, we take their money and we build with original equipment.
[3:14:46] Or require them.
[3:14:47] Or require them.
[3:14:48] Okay.
[3:14:49] So there are options on how to proceed.
[3:14:51] It doesn't just automatically push into that.
[3:14:53] Yep.
[3:14:54] Okay.
[3:14:57] Okay.
[3:14:58] Thanks.
[3:15:00] Every one of these houses is unique. The churchhouse, for example, again, driving by, I went, oh, that's a, that's an on-house. It has the Greek influence. But really, when you go into the house, it also has a, because I walked in the house, trust me, I walked in the house. It has a bunch of additions to it. And so, you know, to Gary's point and to Doc's point, it's very hard to go into
[3:15:29] determine okay what's actually historical and how do we save it and so this
[3:15:36] again really is just to prevent people from going oh that doesn't look like a
[3:15:39] historic house okay so what take it down especially if it has a marker and only
[3:15:44] if it has a marker customer reminder thank you and to that point also your
[3:15:51] portemic really good point that was brought up at one of our HLC meetings
[3:15:57] and let's just take the church tree house, for an example, can go in and buy and say,
[3:16:07] hey, no, that's going to cost way too much for me to rehab this.
[3:16:14] I want to tear it down and I want to sub to buy this into three different lots of
[3:16:18] new structures in. However, when you have somebody like Judy Hoover that walked
[3:16:22] in the house, a whole different set of eyes on preservation said, no, no, it's not, no,
[3:16:29] maybe for your pocketbook it's too much, you know what I'm saying, but it is doable.
[3:16:33] So the point is we don't want to encourage people to not go the full mile, right,
[3:16:52] to
[3:16:52] money. Well, ask a lot of people that live in a lot of historical homes. It's like a
[3:16:57] never-ending thing, anyway. But it's sometimes you can't put a dollar on the value of the
[3:17:06] historical significance in the character. So my point was what one person sees sometimes
[3:17:12] is a whole nother story to someone that has historical preservation in mind.
[3:17:16] Yeah, and the comment that I would say to that is like zoning board of adjustment, we say
[3:17:20] It can't be a self-imposed hardship.
[3:17:24] You bought that knowing the condition that it was in.
[3:17:27] And so you bought it with that intent
[3:17:29] of going through, hopefully, the process to demolition.
[3:17:33] But this town has an affinity and is defined by its history.
[3:17:38] So one of the things that I contemplated in this discussion
[3:17:44] is if it takes a million dollars to rehab a house
[3:17:51] because its roof is caved in and it's been raining inside that house for the last 30 years.
[3:17:59] And that house might only be worth $600,000 if it was in brand new condition right now.
[3:18:07] And so if it's going to cost you a million dollars to bring the house to a state where it's worth $600,000,
[3:18:14] then yeah and you paid $300,000 for us and now you've got to put $1,3 million to make it worth
[3:18:21] 600,000, right? So what that's going to do if it's enforced vigorously with no exceptions
[3:18:31] ever granted by City Council in the current process, is a house that's in that bad of
[3:18:36] a shape is just going to stay in that bad of a shape and continue to get worse over time.
[3:18:40] We certainly do have the things in our existing ordinances that would allow someone,
[3:18:50] I don't
[3:18:51] you can go to them and give them code enforcement things
[3:18:53] and say you got this much time to bring it up to code
[3:18:56] and make it livable and so on.
[3:18:59] But even that creates hardships upon individuals
[3:19:02] that have had the home for decades.
[3:19:05] And it's just, it's this circle of the solution for each house
[3:19:13] might be unique.
[3:19:15] Well, and this item is not a solution for that.
[3:19:18] Yeah, I recognize that it was in response.
[3:19:22] I'm also kind of doing the background work on here, like, what is the process if someone legitimately had a historic home that needed to be demolished?
[3:19:33] What does that process look like? How long does it take?
[3:19:36] What do they have to go through?
[3:19:37] and now I've also fully recognized that the discussion on the agenda tonight is about how do you treat someone who has willfully started demolition on something without asking for permission?
[3:19:52] That's absolutely punishment grounds. I grant that freely. But I'm also kind of participating in the broader conversation about, yeah,
[3:20:05] so thank you.
[3:20:06] all
[3:20:10] right council go further discussion motion to approve motion do we have second
[3:20:17] second all in favor all opposed all right that concludes that we're going to go
[3:20:27] in the second session of a council we might need a little bit of extension of our time move to extend
[3:20:32] 10 30 all right we have a motion second and a second all in favor all opposed all right
[3:20:40] The City Council shall convene into a closed executive session,
[3:20:45] presuming to just want to give some cushion.
[3:20:50] Pursuant to Texas local government code section 551.087 to deliberate regarding economic development with Pearl River, the developer Sandero.
[3:21:01] It is now 9.51 and we're breaking into executive session.
[3:21:04] is
[3:21:09] now 10.30. We're back from executive session nothing except for the city manager continuing negotiations motion to adjourn you have a motion we have a second all in favor all opposed all right thank you
[3:21:25] bachelor. We appreciate y'all for sticking around for this late meeting tonight. Have a great blessed night. We love y'all and we'll see y'all over the weekend for Corvette invasion.