[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.]

[0:05] All right. Everybody, welcome. We are now about to start our regular schedule meeting with City of
[0:11] Bridgeport, Texas on August 10th at 6.01 p.m. We're going to start with an invocation by our city manager,
[0:17] Mike Murray, and then we're going to go rot into the pledges. So if you can stand, please do.
[0:23] All right,
[0:23] let's bring it. Father, God, we love you. We thank you for loving us first. We thank you, Father,
[0:27] for your blessings, for these folks that are here in the audience, our citizens that we serve, Father,
[0:32] We thank you for them and ask you to bless them as well.
[0:35] But thank you for this council, for staff,
[0:39] and for all that you do for us, and for most of all for Jesus.
[0:42] And that's the things that Jesus think.
[0:44] May we have them?
[0:44] Amen.
[0:51] In the state of America, and in the state of America,
[0:54] for which it stands, one nation under God,
[0:58] indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.
[1:01] And now the text is flagged.
[1:03] On the text is flagged.
[1:17] So we'll do we have. That's okay. That's okay. We'll forgive you since you've been out on vacation. So I'm sorry. We're not going to have the slides tonight. But if you there is an agenda on the back table. If you want to grab one of those so you can follow along. Just a few calendar items and
[1:37] One that's not on here, you know, the summer comes to an end when the swimming pool closes.
[1:41] It's always just a depressing day, anyway.
[1:44] August 12th, this week is the first day of school, so please be cognitive of when you're
[1:47] out driving around.
[1:49] So we have a lot of kids.
[1:52] August 15th, early willing at Northwest OHV Park to start 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. and August 22nd
[1:57] we have extended willing at Northwest OHV Park 8 a.m. to 11 p.m.
[2:02] and if you're one of those citizens that's out walking early in the morning,
[2:05] you can go down to Harwood Park all the lots will be on and you will have to
[2:08] worry about all the kids and all the traffic that's happening. All right,
[2:13] let's go right into Adams of Community Interest. Is this where I can talk
[2:18] about this? Okay, I'm going to talk about this sweet little war. Do you all see it?
[2:23] I know it's a gas pump, but it's something to be very proud of. So last Thursday,
[2:28] We had the mayor's dinner, which is where they bring all the mayors into the Decatur Comfort
[2:35] Center, and they basically give every mayor five to seven, maybe eight minutes, some
[2:40] longer, ten minutes to brag on their town to talk about all the great things that are
[2:45] happening in their community.
[2:48] And so one of the things that was part of, I don't write speeches or read speeches, so I
[2:54] and Steve told me he said you better grab that microphone and walk.
[2:58] Don't stand behind the podium and I didn't, but one of the things that I talked about
[3:02] a lot were our parks and how many people come into Bridgeport because of all the amazing
[3:07] parks that we have.
[3:08] I did say Chris that they wanted to go out to OHV Park, they don't have to have a Jeep
[3:12] or a Bronco, they can do the hiking and backing trails, could possibly be snakes and if you don't
[3:17] want to do a snake you need to go down to Harwood Park where you can also walk a trail,
[3:21] know snakes lots of lots but we talked about just our main street and just the
[3:30] amount of people that come to the nightlife that we have in downtown Bridge
[3:33] Fort of course and then all of our parks I don't really remember the speech
[3:36] Kevin very much because it was Kevin recorded it for me not probably should go
[3:40] back and listen to it again but then we I just went on about that I talked about
[3:46] our housing developments I talked about all the other 50 safe cities and then
[3:51] and all the things that happened in our police department
[3:53] and our fire department, I talked about all of that.
[3:55] But shortly afterwards, the Wast County Chamber
[3:58] was giving out what they called kind of bogus awards.
[4:01] They were making fun of the awards.
[4:03] So that's why this is a guest month, by the way.
[4:05] But I honestly was so excited that we won this award
[4:09] and it was the destination and experience
[4:11] worth the drive award.
[4:13] In other words, it's worth the drive to come to Bridgeport.
[4:16] And so honestly, all that is a really big deal
[4:19] that people in Wast County,
[4:20] I will tell you that somebody from Decatur came up to me and she said my husband works for Decatur
[4:26] But now I want to move to Bridgeport after listening to you. So kiddos, we didn't and we convinced them that this was the best city in
[4:32] All of us county. Honestly, a lot of great things happening in our counties. So we're very, very proud of that. But I look around that we won the gas pop
[4:43] Anybody else? It's about how I talk that not too. I want to talk about the ribbon cutting at the park
[4:52] thank you Chris for putting that together it was really great there wasn't a lot
[4:57] of people but it was just a really nice little atmosphere happening down there
[5:01] so thank you for that thank you for attending I'm sorry we couldn't be there
[5:06] since it was simultaneously happening as the other map I did try I did try to get
[5:11] down there but apparently all the hot dogs were gone go ahead I just would say
[5:17] the last they look really nice it's a good addition to the park after all the
[5:21] the ballers are finally gone.
[5:24] Those laps will grow nice.
[5:27] OK, anybody else?
[5:29] All right.
[5:30] Then we're going to go rot into public comment.
[5:33] Did we have anybody sign up in the back?
[5:36] OK, then we're going to skip reading all of that.
[5:38] OK, so now it's time to go into our consent agenda.
[5:41] There's only two things on there.
[5:43] One of them is approving the minutes,
[5:44] and the other one is approving the ordinance.
[5:46] Oh, that's a long one.
[5:48] I'm not going to read all of that.
[5:49] But there are two things on the consent agenda.
[5:51] Does anybody want to pull anything from the consent agenda or have any comments on it?
[6:04] Okay, if there's nothing we want to pull or if there's no comments, I will look for a motion
[6:10] Go ahead. I'm going to approve the consent agenda as presented. Thank you
[6:15] Data second go ahead Preston and then so all in favor please raise your hand
[6:21] Pass this five zero Holly
[6:25] All right, now we are going to go into a public hearing
[6:29] Okay public hearing for the annual
[6:33] October 1st, 2026 through September 30th, 2027.
[6:37] Is Cory coming up here, or are you doing?
[6:39] Yes, I'm.
[6:41] So we're going to go into a public hearing at 607.
[6:46] OK, so I don't know through all of our many, many budget workshops we've had.
[6:51] The budget was very tight, very difficult this year initially.
[6:55] To the point we had to ask the department has to cut back on their on their requests
[7:01] and even got into some of the meat from some of the previous years, and it was a very, very tight budget for a long time there.
[7:08] Luckily, there was, well, and the reason was because we've had a couple of hits on our sales tax.
[7:14] We've also, the state was generous and gave everybody extra deductions on their property tax, which was nice to the state to do, but it could end to ours pretty bad.
[7:22] So, but having said that, we've got all of those priorities in there, I think.
[7:35] we've all been trying desperately hard to get for the past five years is to get some firemen.
[7:41] And so this year we've actually added a couple of firemen to the roles.
[7:45] Travis is not the lone ranger anymore, he's going to have some help during the daytime.
[7:52] And so it's going to be a really, really good thing to see some more folks down there full
[7:56] time.
[7:56] I'm just completely full-time in the fire department.
[7:59] Sorry, Paul does.
[8:00] My printer was acting up, and so I didn't realize
[8:03] that I was running late.
[8:05] So, sorry, no, I appreciate that.
[8:09] Okay, so,
[8:12] oh well, I'm completely embarrassed
[8:14] to come in that late.
[8:15] Everything out, but we're getting too farman.
[8:17] We're getting too farman, yes.
[8:20] Yes, you're right, fire people.
[8:22] Fire people here, fire people.
[8:25] So I'm going to throw a little bit in with the sheer department heads cut back and then
[8:32] we actually cut for them a little bit more.
[8:34] Yes.
[8:35] Did and visited with those and they said, well, make a work and then if you know, if something
[8:40] breaks then we'll be, we'll be back looking for an amendment at that time, but hopefully
[8:45] everything, they were, you know, hopefully everything will be fine on the operating budgets.
[8:52] and then go ahead I didn't mean that
[8:56] interrupted. No, that's fine.
[8:57] I'm looks at them. We've done it so many times.
[8:59] I've already heard it so many times.
[9:00] We're just kind of like we beat it.
[9:02] We're going to beat the dead horse continually
[9:04] if we keep on going.
[9:05] But honestly, this is really time for the public to have any
[9:09] public has any questions. It's time for them to be able to.
[9:11] It is a public hearing.
[9:12] So if anybody has anything that they want to comment on
[9:15] our budget year, I'm sure is it public?
[9:18] Is it been published?
[9:19] Oh, yeah.
[9:19] So it's been in the paper.
[9:21] Well, there was a notice in the paper.
[9:24] Yes, the actual budget, proposed budget,
[9:28] is on the city website.
[9:30] And then it's been available for the citizen to come up
[9:33] and get a copy from city secretary.
[9:36] But it's been on the, it has been published on the website
[9:39] as a proposed budget.
[9:41] And then once that, once it gets adopted,
[9:43] then it will change the title on it.
[9:48] Okay.
[9:48] Okay. Does anybody in the public in the audience have anything that they want to add? Say comment.
[9:59] Okay.
[10:01] So if the summer you're ready to close the public hearing are we giving that you're ready, Holly?
[10:05] Yeah. We're going to close it. Oh, sorry. I want to say and once we close it, we are.
[10:10] It's autumn number two. Voting on is that what you're talking about? Well right now, but then we're going to postpone the actual voting on the
[10:16] budget until next week because that's when we will also vote on the tax rate. So there is no actual motion made, I guess motion is to postpone it tonight.
[10:26] Well, tonight's just the public hearing, but we need to announce the date and time of when the budget is going to be considered.
[10:31] So you sort of did that.
[10:32] Okay. The budget will be on Monday, August 17th at 6 p.m. here at City Hall.
[10:44] Public hearing at 6-11. Holly. That was very loud.
[10:51] All right, so we're going to go rot into our action items. The very first one is to discuss and consider approving the appointment of the Bridgeport Housing Authority board members.
[11:01] That I will. So the Housing Authority has been around since the 1950s. It's something that there's not a great deal of relationship between the Housing Authority and the city.
[11:13] But the city is kind of like the oversight, not even oversight.
[11:19] But there is a relationship in that y'all don't point their board members.
[11:22] And so it's been a while since board members were appointed.
[11:24] And the lady that is the housing authority director has gotten us a list of appointments now.
[11:30] And if y'all could look over those folks and approve them, I think they'll be able to continue to operate.
[11:35] They do a really good job down there, by the way.
[11:37] If you hadn't, if you'd remember them by the director, does a great job.
[11:40] The tenants are all pretty happy.
[11:42] and it's a well-run place.
[11:48] Okay, does anybody have any comments concerns?
[11:52] If not, we'll look for a motion for action item number one.
[11:57] Go ahead, Jessica.
[11:59] Madam Mayor, I'd like to make a motion to approve
[12:03] the Bridgeport Housing Authority board members as presented.
[12:08] Okay, we have a motion.
[12:09] Do we have a second?
[12:11] Matt?
[12:12] All in favor, please raise your right hand.
[12:17] Okay,
[12:21] the next one is discussed and consider taking a record vote on a maximum tax rate.
[12:24] Are we doing that?
[12:25] We are.
[12:26] Her 100, valuation for the fiscal year, beginning October 1st and ending September 30th,
[12:31] 2027 and scheduling the public hearing and adoption of the ad rule arm tax rate on August
[12:37] 17th.
[12:37] Next week, meeting to be held at 6 p.m. at City Hall, located at 900 Thompson Street.
[12:42] Okay.
[12:42] Yes.
[12:43] Alright.
[12:44] Well, thank you.
[12:44] So the property tax code makes us vote on what the max tax rate would be before we actually approved the tax rate.
[12:57] So in the years past what we've done is that the minimum rate we have went ahead and elected that as a max tax rate.
[13:05] This year we did not go that high.
[13:06] So we are setting the max tax rate as the proposed tax rate, which we have in the budget,
[13:13] everything. So we're setting that that 0.6999 0.6999 5 as the max tax rate. And so again,
[13:25] we have the voting right now on the max tax rate. Then next week we will vote on we have the public
[13:31] hearing and vote on the actual tax rate. Not confusing at all.
[13:36] Oh, yes, I get it.
[13:38] And, uh, well, go ahead, Rob.
[13:41] No, just for clarity, what you're doing
[13:45] is you're setting a maximum tax rate
[13:46] that you cannot go above.
[13:49] So you can always come down from it, but you can't go above it.
[13:52] So that's why in the past, you've actually set the proposed
[13:56] tax rate higher than you actually come in and set it at.
[14:00] It sounds like this year we're going to set the max rate
[14:02] at pretty much what you'll need.
[14:05] Correct.
[14:05] In the past, like I said, we've set the, at the
[14:07] Demenemissary and Case Council decided for some reason they wanted to raise it higher.
[14:12] We know y'all are pretty firm on not raising it any higher than what we already have it.
[14:16] So, um, so yeah, so we just, we didn't even do that.
[14:19] I think the Demenemiss was like 0.72 or something.
[14:21] Yes.
[14:22] Correct.
[14:25] So we don't do a motion on this.
[14:26] We just do a roll call on this.
[14:28] Well, it's a, it's a motion, uh, and it has a roll call, like, individual, but.
[14:32] Okay.
[14:33] Okay, so somebody has to make the motion and then I'm going to call each person to agree your district.
[14:37] Correct. Go ahead, Matt, were you going to do it?
[14:39] I'll make it.
[14:41] I moved to approve by record vote the maximum tax rate of 0.699950 for $100 valuation.
[14:50] For the fiscal year beginning October 1st, 2026, and ending September 30th, 2027, and
[14:57] Scheduling the adoption of the Adulurum Tax Rate on August 7th.
[15:00] 17, 20, 26, with a meeting to be held at 6 p.m., city all located at 900 Thompson Street.
[15:07] Okay. So do we second or do I just go down the road? Okay. So Bobby seconds it.
[15:16] And now you call for the vote, but just call them and call them out individually. Okay.
[15:23] All right. We're going to start with you, press in place. One third. Five. He's five. One. One. One. Sorry. I can't say it from this side. I just know what mine was. Okay. Preston.
[15:34] Yes. Yes. Place two. Yes. Place three. Place four. Place five. Yes. Okay. Five to zero. Holly. Sorry. All that was my first time to do that one. Thank you very much.
[16:03] Number three, discuss and consider changing the Posted Speed Limit from 30 to 20 on Frost Street, Gray Street, John Strav, First Avenue, and Second Avenue.
[16:14] Chief Stanford.
[16:15] Thank you, Mayor.
[16:17] I'll make this quick.
[16:18] Quick, I have this whole neighborhood as part of this item and the next.
[16:24] As you know, Frost Hartzels, what I refer to it as there, it's a small neighborhood.
[16:31] just north of the reserve north east of the reserve all of those streets are
[16:38] one block streets and a a survey of myself driving out in that area revealed
[16:44] there's no signage so the signage was there at one point it is no longer so
[16:50] that's why we're here we paid the street what two years ago maybe something like
[16:56] that so that the whole area was rehabbed.
[16:59] We have one stop sign still intact.
[17:02] They couldn't have gone more than 20 miles an hour before.
[17:06] It's very smooth and for sure, they are smaller streets and width,
[17:12] but they are smooth.
[17:14] There's a lot of kids out there.
[17:16] As now the state has changed our authority to reduce the speed to 20.
[17:22] So we're asking for that to be reduced to 20 miles an hour.
[17:25] that's probably the safest someone can drive through there due to the congestion
[17:30] and the houses and so forth. So that is the request for Frost Grace John's first
[17:36] and second avenue to reduce that speed from 30 what was previously done to 20
[17:41] miles per hour. Steve was there some some also some community feedback that you
[17:47] guys took an consideration as well kind of talking about the need for safety and
[17:52] improvements there.
[17:53] Yeah, yes, sir.
[17:54] And, you know, we get those requests a lot about, you know,
[17:57] children at play signs and quite frankly,
[18:00] that could be on every street in town.
[18:05] But when we were doing the streets on Cates,
[18:08] someone had mentioned that.
[18:10] We were already looking at that location
[18:12] because of our previous complaint,
[18:14] but yes, it came back up again as well.
[18:21] Any questions?
[18:25] Anybody else?
[18:28] Just for the fun of it.
[18:29] So state has now given us authority to lower the speed limit down to a 20.
[18:33] Wow, for residential.
[18:35] Okay, that's cool.
[18:37] For every today, it was 30, wasn't it?
[18:39] 25.
[18:40] Yeah.
[18:45] Okay.
[18:46] Anybody has any other comments?
[18:47] I'll look for a motion on this item.
[18:50] Madam Mayor, I'll make a motion.
[18:51] Go ahead, Preston.
[18:53] I move to approve an ordinance, changing the posted speed limit from 30 miles per hour
[18:57] to 20 miles per hour on Frost Street, Grace Street, John's Drive, First Avenue, and Second
[19:04] Okay, we have a motion by person. Do we have a second? Go ahead, Jessica. All in favor, please raise your hand.
[19:12] Passes 5-0, Holly.
[19:15] All right, move it on to number 4. Discuss and consider installing stop signs of the intersection of John Strav and Second Avenue,
[19:23] stopping Southbound traffic and the intersection of John Strav and First Avenue, stopping Eastbound Westbound traffic. Steve, take it away.
[19:29] Same neighborhood, same issue, there was a lack of any kind of traffic control at those intersections and at one point there were stop signs there.
[19:41] So just for clarification, we want to make sure that that was added years ago in the ordinance, we could not find that so this is just for clarification and documentation.
[19:51] but it's much needed, there's several different intersections as you see there that are uncontrolled at this point and I believe it by installing those stop sign, it will increase safety for the pedestrians and motor vehicles traffic.
[20:11] Does anybody have any questions for Chief Stamford? Comments? If not, we'll look for a motion for item number four.
[20:21] Bobby, go ahead.
[20:23] Mayor, before I make a motion, I think we've lost over the fact that if I heard earlier,
[20:28] if we leave the potholes in the street, it actually serves as a safety feature.
[20:32] I could, so maybe we can work on Mark being that, okay?
[20:36] Modern day speed bumps, literally.
[20:51] We have a motion, do we have a second?
[20:53] Sylvia?
[20:54] All in favor?
[20:55] Raise your hand.
[20:56] Passes 5-0, Holly.
[20:58] Thank you so much.
[20:59] Thank you.
[21:00] All right.
[21:01] But last thing on the action items, we have this discussion consider approving the tax increment reinvestment zone,
[21:07] Turs, boards funding, the remaining local share of the 11th Street Training Improvement Project not covered by grant funding.
[21:14] That was, intense, that was a mouthful.
[21:16] I got it, and I'm going to, so I took the time last time when y'all tried to get me all emotional and
[21:22] said there's so many nice things that took the time to watch the recording.
[21:26] And I noticed that I talked really, really fast, so I'm going to see how good I can do and
[21:30] not talk fast on this terrors.
[21:34] So, okay, terrors, y'all remember that a terrors is a tax increment, reinvestment zone,
[21:39] the city has two of them.
[21:40] One of them was put in, oh gosh, probably in the 2008, 2007 era, was designated for downtown
[21:49] improvements and things of that nature.
[21:51] That is what is paying for the hub.
[21:53] The hub is being completely paid for by the terrors.
[21:57] It's dedicated to certain projects and that was one of them.
[21:59] One of the other projects that a tourist can do is our drainage and street improvements and things like that.
[22:07] And so back when the Housel Street Concrete was put in, didn't have the money at that time to put in underground drainage.
[22:16] So it drains down the road and it gets really deep in places.
[22:22] So, you know, this is kind of a fix for that.
[22:24] It's very appropriate to pay for with the tours, and the tours board met, oh, last week
[22:29] or so, and agreed to pay for the remainder that the grant is not paying for.
[22:33] So we're just taking this opportunity to get you all to bless it, and say one more, one more
[22:39] good example of why the tours is working well.
[22:45] That was fine.
[22:52] Next last meeting.
[22:55] Anybody have any comments, questions, thoughts?
[23:03] Okay.
[23:03] If not, we'll take a motion on action item number five.
[23:08] Madam Mayor, your head, Sylvia.
[23:10] Separate commences, the City Council approved the Terce Board's commitment to fund the remaining
[23:15] costs of the 11th Street Drainage Improvement Project that are not covered by grant funding
[23:20] and authorize the city manager to execute any necessary agreements and
[23:24] budget amendments to implement this action.
[23:28] Sylvie, in motion, do we have a second?
[23:30] Matt, all in favor, please show us your hand.
[23:33] Passes 5-0.
[23:35] I do want to do a quick thank you to that dashboard.
[23:37] They were very open and understanding, and they've been amazing for our downtown area,
[23:43] making sure that all these projects turn out to be top notch.
[23:46] Yes, ma'am.
[23:47] And it's an in conjunction with the partnership with the county as well.
[23:50] So there's some county folks on that so it's very nice of the county to participate as well.
[23:58] All right at this time we're going to go into an executive session and the City Council
[24:03] reserves the right to convene an executive session from time to time being necessary during this meeting
[24:08] to seek legal advice from the City Attorney regarding any item or agenda as for medieval law.
[24:12] In addition, the Council may convene into executive session to discuss the following.
[24:16] We have two things about personal matters with the City Manager and be
[24:20] building real property of 1105 Hossel Street. So at this time 625 we will go into
[24:26] executive section.
[24:45] We were coming out of executive session and we're going to
[24:52] talk about first section 551 0.074. So is there anything that came out of
[25:00] executive session that we need to talk about? Yes Mayor there's a couple of
[25:03] things we're going to bring forward. On the first thing on that we're going to make
[25:07] a motion to appoint Steve Stanford to the position of interim city manager for an additional
[25:13] $1,800 compensation per pay period in a point couriering room for an additional compensation
[25:19] of $1,450 per pay period to the position of interim assistant city manager for the duration
[25:27] of the city manager search.
[25:31] All right.
[25:31] Thank you very much.
[25:32] We have a motion.
[25:32] Does anybody have a second?
[25:33] Mr. Rodriguez, all in favor.
[25:35] Please raise your hand.
[25:39] Okay, is there anything else on a second piece of that first out of May.
[25:49] We also come to make a motion to select clear career professionals as the executive search
[25:54] firm to fill the position of city manager and authorize the interim city manager to execute
[25:59] in agreement with clear, clear professionals,
[26:01] and lead that effort.
[26:03] Okay, we have a motion, do we have a second?
[26:05] Kristen, all in favor raise your hand.
[26:08] Pest is 5-0 again, Holly.
[26:11] Anything else coming out of the executive session?
[26:14] No, that's not.
[26:15] Okay.
[26:16] And anything on item B, 551.072.
[26:21] No action taken to that.
[26:22] Okay, thank you very much.
[26:23] All right, do we have anybody that has anything
[26:25] for future agenda items?
[26:29] I think you should recognize the esteem Mrs. Brown.
[26:31] So glad you came. Both of y'all so dressed up to not love
[26:44] it. Thank you for hanging
[26:48] with us through executive session. All right well if there's nothing further we
[26:53] are gonna adjourn at 714. There that was some power.