your back. Put your hands on your hips.
You're going to tighten up your core.
Squeeze everything.
And you're going to tilt your bottom
forward. Your knees are going to be
slightly bent, looking up at the
ceiling. Keep everything tight. And I'm
going to [music] count 10 9 8 7 6 5 4
[music] 3 2 one and release your body.
Stretch it out. [music] Relax. Take a
breath.
Blow it out as your hands come back to
[music] the hip area. Hands on the hip.
Tighten it up and tilt.
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 one [music] and
release your body. Stretch it out again.
Take a breath.
Blow it out as your hands [music] come
back
tight and tilt. Five 4 3 2 one and
relax. Stretch it out. Take a breath.
and blow it out
tight and tilt.
10 9 [music] 8 7 6 5 4 3 [music] 2 1 and
release it. Stretch it out.
Breathing. [music]
And blow it out.
Last one. Tight [music] and tilt.
10. 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 and coming out of
that. Stretch it out. Take a breath
and blow it out. Bring your hands back.
We're going to open our feet no wider
than the chair legs.
Bend your knees slightly.
Reach across your body. Stretching it
out. Starting with 10. Alternating to
the other side.
Nine.
Stretch it out.
Eight.
Seven. Using your whole body. [music]
Six.
5
4
3
2
and one.
Coming back in. Make sure [music] you
can touch the chair with the backs of
your legs. We're going to sit down 10
times.
This is a fun one.
Put your hands out to the front. [music]
Going to take a breath and blow it out
as we sit down. Going down.
Take your hands all the way to the back
like you're going to scoop up air.
Coming back up. Take a breath.
Blow it out as you go down.
And breathing up.
Welcome to the city of Periland City
Council uh special meeting. I'll call
this meeting to order at 4 p.m. on
August 24th, 2026.
At this particular time, we'll have roll
call certification of quorum. Madam
Secretary, I attest that all members of
council are present.
Moving on to citizens comments. I do not
believe that any citizens comments uh
were submitted at this time. Uh so next
order of business is the new business uh
presenting presentation regarding the
fiscal year 2027 proposed budget for all
funds. And I'll turn it this time to Mr.
>> Thank you, mayor, and good afternoon
council. So, as we normally work through
our budget workshops, a lot of what we
talk about is what we're not able to get
done within a budget um or our unressed
needs. Um but today, as I get this
kicked off, I want to talk about what
this budget does accomplish and the
goals that it meets um as we head into
this fourth uh workshop. Um so, uh first
off, uh there was a goal to be at the no
new revenue rate. We are actually 1 cent
below the no new revenue rate. Um
streets, we've identified in streets uh
that we have additional needs. Uh but
again this year we added an additional
$500,000 to the street rehab and
maintenance budget.
Cost recovery. We completed a
significant review of our revenues and
our fees for better cost recovery to
ensure that they track along with our
increased cost to provide those
services. uh that's been completed and
is actually the bulk of tonight's uh a
lot of tonight's presentation. Uh we
went through a fund balance review and
optimization process and analysis that's
been completed and is baked into this
budget where we had fund balances uh for
the general fund uh that that backed up
where we had fund balances and other
funds and we've been able to utilize
those dollars instead of having them
sitting there on the sidelines. um
compensation. We've been on basically a
kind of a three-year journey to review
each major segment of our compensation
plans in order to remain competitive in
the market for retention and
recruitment. Uh the goals established
were uh to be above market versus our
peer cities in the public safety arena
and those pay plans and at the market
for our non-public safety pay plans. So
that three-year journey where we've
gotten to today is we've addressed the
PD pay plan with our meet and confer
agreement. The second year of that is
included in this budget. Last year we
made a big move on the fire pay plan
based on where we are were versus the
market. And then this year we're making
some structural changes in that fire pay
plan to set us up better for the future.
Um and then we also this year completed
our compensation study for the rest of
our employees. Um the analysis from that
study identified two main things. Uh the
areas where we were below the market and
basically what adjustment would be
needed to keep us at the market average
uh for for those pay plans. And this
budget addresses both of those as well.
Health care. Uh we had to go out to the
market for health care this year. That's
always uh concerning because you always
see the the cost increases in the
healthcare arena. Uh but we did go to
the market. we were able to limit our
cost increases there to 6.8% while the
industry is typically seeing over 11%
increases. And then uh lastly, our water
and sewer rate increase. Uh while last
year's modeling estimated it to be over
16% uh this year uh we were able to get
that down to a recommended of 12 and
then squeeze it even a little further
down to just south of 10%. Um, I'll I'll
bet with another significant incre sign
significant increase projected for next
year. Uh, but we're near the end of
those large rate increases. Um, and as
you've seen in the headlines recently,
we're not the only ones dealing with
those kind of increases. Um, but we get
through next year and depending on what
we do there, it could extend another
year, but we we see that drop off
significantly um in in the two to
threeyear time frame. Um, so it's a very
tight budget, but does accomplish much.
And at this point, I want to hand it off
to Rachel to walk through our
presentation tonight. Thank you.
>> Thank you. Good afternoon, Mayor and
Council. For today's discussion, we'll
be reviewing some of the general fund
revenue and then discussing the fee
changes that are applicable to this
budget process.
So, similar to how we've shown expenses
in the past, this slide shows both our
revenue and expenses for general fund by
the strategic priorities set by council.
So, strong economy includes sales and
use taxes as well as community
development. Trusted government includes
charges for services and the tours admin
fee. Safe community includes EMS, fire,
and PD. and parks's connected community
and our sustainable infrastructure
includes franchise fees as well as
transfers in another way of looking at
revenue is revenue by department. So
fiscal year 26 projections shows the
best estimate of revenue through the
fiscal year while projections for fiscal
year 27 proposed budget are usually
conservative and take out any one-time
funds that may be accounted for in
fiscal year 26. Most revenue is
considered non-dep departmental
including property taxes, sales taxes,
tur admin fee as well as transfers in
departments reflect revenue for services
they directly provide. And as you can
see, not all departments are listed as
some may not generate any revenue. Those
that do are encouraged to do so on a
cost recovery basis when possible or to
the legislative maximum if below the
cost recovery threshold. Fees are
reviewed annually as part of the budget
process.
During the budget process, departments
followed the council direction to review
fees and account for cost recovery.
Updated fees throughout this
presentation are built into the FY27
proposed budget and reflect legislative
and/or cost recovery updates. Most
proposed fee updates were included in
the budget highlights section of the
fiscal year 27 proposed budget book with
a few cost recovery fees for the fire
department added for the purposes of
this presentation.
When fees are being updated, the old fee
shows alongside the proposed new fees.
And when new fees are shown, uh they
will be added to the fee schedule for
approval on September 14th. This slide
shows six animal control fees that are
proposed to be updated for fiscal year
27. And the next slide shows a fee that
is currently being charged and needs to
be added to the fee schedule based off
of services provided by the shelter.
This next permit fee slide uh reflects
things that have been listed on separate
ordinances and may or may not have been
charged and will now be included on the
non-development fee ordinance and
charged consistently as written. And
this brings both ordinances into
alignment and the police department will
begin collecting fees as indicated.
The fire department is updating EMS fees
to increase in line with legislative
maximums. These changes do not allow for
full cost recovery, but do bring them
more into alignment with that.
Beginning in fiscal year SE 27, we're
proposing to begin collecting additional
fire cost recovery fees. And those fees
are shown here, and they're applied
based off of the services rendered at
the time.
The fire marshall is proposing to update
three fees to be more in line with uh
their addition the other fees in the
schedule so that they're charging
consistently.
Parks has two updates to their parks and
recreation niatorum fees as well as
additional new fees proposed for the
west perand community center. This would
bring in new revenue as well as an
update to the timings or new timing
system daily use fee.
Community development will be per
updating their development fees for the
first time in over five years. These are
done on a cost recovery basis as well as
in line with legislative changes. So
[snorts] there are a significant amount
of these. So if you click on those
links, you're able to see them in more
detail.
There are some additional new fees that
will be included in the update to the
development fees and this will also come
before council on September 14th. And
then there are solid waste fees uh in
alignment with our contra contract with
Frontier. In addition to the solid waste
fees shown here, which will be included
on the non-development fee schedule, the
water wastewater fees will also be
updated as discussed during budget
discussion number two with that 9.9%
increase and included on that
non-development fee schedule.
So, as we start to wrap up the budget
process, we'll come on September 14th
with the budget public hearing, the
first reading of our budget ordinance,
tax rate ordinance, non-development fee
ordinance, and the development fee
ordinance, as well as the adoption of
the 5-year capital improvement plan. And
then on September 28th, we'll have the
second reading of the budget ordinance,
tax rate ordinance, non-development fee,
and development fee ordinances. And with
that, I'll turn it back over to Mr.
Epson for questions.
» Thank you, Rachel. Um, I just, you know,
once again want to thank our budget
team, all of our departments that are
here and all the hard work that's gone
into the budget up to this point. And at
this point, ready to hand it back to
you, mayor and council for any uh
questions um as we wrap up the uh final
budget workshop and head into budget
adoption adoption next month. Thank you.
Mr. and thank you uh Mitchell
for that information.
I'll look to council for any questions
or comments.
Oh, sorry. Uh member Kosa. Thank you,
Mayor. Uh on the uh memo that was sent
out page three of 27.
Just had a question here on the 26
estimated and then the 27. Uh it shows
the recovery was 78 uh and 26 and then
84 and 27. Um is that what we're uh one
is 26
uh since we're almost through it. I
assume that that's pretty accurate at
78% recovery.
» Oh, there's Carrie. I didn't see Carrie.
>> Yes. Uh those are those numbers were
based off of our midyear projections
that were approved in the in June. Um,
but that's what we've been adhering to
and we anticipate our expenses to be
100% of what was adopted in June.
>> Okay. All right. And then, uh, showing
for for the next year, albeit it's a
forecast, we're looking at 84%. Um, the
revenue is roughly flat to me. It's
about,000
difference. Um, [clears throat] the, uh,
expenses dropped quite a bit um,
compared to the year before. Uh so
that's where the the percentage
difference came in. Um as far as you
know moving forward I know uh like we
said before the
uh co hit is hard and it was uh we went
from about 105 to 55%. Um what do we
have what are we looking at to try and
get back up to the if you want to call
it break even or you know 100% cost
recovery.
>> So we are um we're looking at a lot of
different things. Um, one, always
looking at our expenses and our staff
cost, monitoring that as we go through.
One of the reasons for the decreases in
expenses in FY27 versus FY26 and 26, we
had several um, HVAC units that we had
to replace that were unexpected repairs.
And so, that was driving up those
expenses. So, in FY27, we expect that to
get back down to where that average
should should stay. And then we are
looking at a lot of new revenue
generating opportunities. Um we're
looking at improving our group fitness
classes which will drive additional
membership revenue. Um so membership
revenue is one of our largest um
revenues for the facility. And then also
in the natiatorum um our team has been
working very strategically to start um
I'll say playing Tetris with the with
the use of the pool to where we can
still offer swimming lessons and we can
still offer members swim but we're also
offering a lot um opening up a lot of
opportunities for larger meets which are
a huge revenue driving um opportunity
for us. their decrease in revenue or the
revenue staying about flat um was tied
to two large swimming meets that move
across the state throughout the year. So
those aren't showing up in our revenue
estimates, but those also open up prime
weekends for new business and we're
working to fill those spots. So when we
budget for revenue, we base off of
what's already on the books or what we
feel very confident will be on the
books. So, I anticipate those the
revenue numbers to be even higher than
what we've budgeted and we'll adjust
that at uh midyear projections.
>> Okay, fair enough. And uh I assume the uh there for a while we had seniors
coming in here on a regular basis saying
that they were shut out of the
nanitorium. I assume that was all
related to our uh rework of the HVAC,
the deck, all that stuff that we were
doing because we haven't seen uh seniors
in here complain about it. Would that be
a fair assessment? That's part of it. Um
I will say some of our group fitness
classes that are attractive to our
senior members um with us trying to find
space in the pool with that's very
limited and so we could offer more group
fitness classes for that demographic but
we're just so limited on space that we
have to be strategic about what we
offer. So there still is an additional
demand but as far as the facility
remaining open and available to our
members that has been happening.
>> Okay. All right. Thank you very much.
And then uh on
slide 427
uh in our packet. It's got uh it's yeah,
right there it shows uh the assess value
for Brazor County, Fort Ben, Harris
County. Um I don't know if this is
Victor or Trent. Um but it shows Brazor
and Fort Ben uh with basic drops and
Harris County with increases. Uh, is
that due to uh our our industrial stuff
going out or going up on uh our lower
curvy stuff? Is that a safe assessment
in that? Because we got two counties
going down and and one going up.
» Your assessment is correct.
>> Okay. And then uh as far as the the
assess value going down, I assume is
that the advalorum tax for the
2500 to 125,000.
>> That's absolutely right. That's what it
is. Yeah, that's about that's over 170
million in itself.
>> Okay, that's what that's what I was
assuming and I just want clarification.
Thank you,
>> council members.
Member K. No, member Kate.
>> Hey, just on slide four is revenue by
department. Oh, sorry. Thank you.
This FY26, that column doesn't add up
for me.
I think it's missing.
I missed something.
>> Uh, I don't know. We can look into it.
>> You can tell me I'm wrong. It's fine. I
just
I did. You
member Fernandez is adding in saying I'm
wrong.
While we participate in this exercise,
I'll pass it to member Byron.
>> Council member Fernandez got it. It's
right. Thank you. Sorry. Sorry I broke
the meeting for a minute.
>> No, all questions are valid. Thank you.
>> Thanks, Levity. It's great.
>> Thank you, Mr. U.
back on page three of the packet that
member Koser was talking about just just
as kind of a note if we can that cost
recovery goal 75% for FY26 FY27
like to make sure we talk about that
when we get to strategic planning next
year to to look at what that cost
recovery goal is moving forward because
I think through different conversations
we've had we want to get that cost
recovery goal back to 100 and I think
that's where you're headed anyway. Um I
just want to make sure we we have that
as a target to discuss.
>> Sure. And just I think to clarify the
goal never had been set at 100. I think
at one point we
>> got over that with the way we were
calculating it. We did come back and
revamp making sure we were capturing
some of the cost to operate it that
maybe weren't captured in the early
years. So I'm not sure we ever got as
high as it was stated at one point. But
um if if the if the ask is to revisit
what the cost recovery goal is then yeah
we definitely get that on the
>> on the radar. Yes.
>> Certainly not putting forth a direction
other than just say I want to make sure
we talk about that when we get to
strategic planning. Um, also just you
guys have kind of answered this offline,
but just for uh public record in our
memo, it talked about under our IT
strategic plan that there were 49
initiatives. Um, 11 of those have been
completed, which is great. Seven of
those were moved to day-to-day
operational budget functions. one was
removed altogether,
which leaves about 30 initiatives from
the original IT strategic plan that
weren't listed in the memo. As I
understand it, there's another memo
coming out in a couple of months that
will more detail that. Um, and I'm
hoping when that memo comes out, it
details
how much we have left because that
original strategic plan called for about
$26 million worth of investment over
some period of time with
18 of those being taken care of. I
assume that number would be slightly
different, but we make sure when we get
that memo, it kind of has that cost
projection in it as well. Um,
I think I had
one other question that I had
for Rachel. The TUR, remind me again,
the TUR administrative fee is roughly
about 60% of the taxable value. Is that
right?
It's about Yeah, it's about 60% of the
property taxes collected in the tours.
>> Okay.
>> Roughly.
>> Okay. [clears throat] Other than that, I
just want to say thank you guys for your
work on this budget and for coming in
below no new revenue. That's always
great. I know y'all put a lot of effort
in this year at revamping the way you
approach the budget, looking at your
departments, making cuts where you need
it, and so I know the taxpayers
appreciate it, and I appreciate it as
well. So, thank you guys.
>> Fernandez, thank you, mayor. Uh, I
believe slide 20 out of 27.
Trent, can you uh maybe give a little
bit more um how do you
20 out of 27 the fire department's
proposed new fees?
Okay. Um just a little bit more context
on how are these fees gathered? Um, I
see that it says similar to the existing
emergency medical services cost recovery
fees, but h how are we how do we gather
that? Do we compare it to other cities
or how do we get to these numbers?
>> So, how do we come up with the actual
fee amounts?
And then off the fire, you got that
Chad?
>> Yeah, so uh these fees are kind of set
based on what other cities are doing.
Correct, Chief? Um, and they would be
build through Emergon, which is the
company that we currently use to bill
for EMS services.
» Okay. Um, I also want to echo um,
Councilman Byum's uh, comments. Great
job to the staff, everyone that put in
um, to make this possible. we um came
together in February or at the end of
January at our retreat to give a um
request for a no new revenue rate and
y'all exceeded that. So I just want to
say thank thank you to all those that
made that possible. Thank you.
>> Mayor Pim Shri,
>> thank you mayor. Um I have a quick
question on page three. How often do we
look at our membership fees and increase
those fees for RCN? Is it done every
other year, once a year? Um when was the
last time we increased membership fees?
>> So we increased our membership fees last
year and then we are following the um
consumer price index for in regular
increases and so as soon as our
membership rates hit an even number then
we'll increase we'll come back to you
all with a proposed increase.
>> Okay. Thank you. And then Trent, can we
have a breakdown of what percentage of
salaries would be allocated to fire and
police and then what's for everything
else in general fund? That makes sense.
>> So the percentage of salaries dedicated
to fire and police, I think it's around
679.
>> We actually have a slide if you want us
to display that which will show that for
you.
>> Yes, please.
So you will see police at 40.8 and fire
at 26 and a half.
>> Okay. And then so that would leave what?
32 32% would just be general fund for
all the other salaries. Correct.
>> Excellently.
>> Okay. Thank you. It's a good slide.
Thanks,
» Council Eckles.
» [clears throat]
>> Yes, I too would like to say thank you
much to the staff for your hard work on
this budget.
When we asked for no new revenue, I knew
that was going to be a challenge and
then when the state went from 2500 to
225 on Abduren deduction, uh that put a big strain as well. So it's much
appreciated. Uh two questions. One
question would be on the fees for the
fire. Uh what percentage of these fees
do we feel like will be attainable on on
receiving through insuranceances and and
other needs where whereby we usually
write off the [snorts] the unpaid
balance of insurance. So, of the
practicality of these fees, what
percentage should we look look at being
able to collect and what percentage
would we need to write off?
>> Um, so Emergon says that statewide
they're able to collect about 30%.
>> Okay,
that's that's reasonable. And second
question is on animal services.
Be being a uh pet owner and some of
these services that we we have here is
uh far far less than services provided
by any local veterinarian clinic. Um, is
there any way we could look at these
fees and not saying be exactly that of
the private veterinarian, but we're
staffing a veterinarian, we're paying
their salary, paying the medication. Is
there a way that we could look at a more
structured fee that would correlate with
the uh commercial entities that are the
veterinarians in the area?
>> So, generally speaking, um where our
fees are coming from is through our
contracts with the animal animal
disposal service that we have. Uh so,
this is this gives us a cost recovery on
that plus a little bit of profit. I'm
not sure. Chief, do you know the exact
percent?
>> I don't know the exact percent. Um, we
can we can get you that data. I know we
have we can get you that information.
Generally speaking, we don't do a whole
lot of these. Uh, Council Member Eckles,
this is kind of more um sometimes people
that don't have their own vet services
and they're just they're not sure what
to do with a deceased animal uh that
they own. And so a lot of times we get
them that route.
um we have very few pets actually
surrendered to us uh in part because we
don't generally have the capacity to
take that on. And then as far as the
microchip implant, while you see that
going down actually uh that's because a
few years back we changed our city
ordinance to um get rid of uh pet
registrations as in like tags and
there's instead a requirement for
microchipping. And so that's kind of our
part to help encourage our public to get
the animals microchipped. But we
actually do that inhouse. Uh so we our
expense there is basically what's there
is the fee.
>> Okay. Thank you so much.
» Patel.
>> Thank you mayor. Um
trying I'm going to take the road that's
not popular but
um I had asked you to provide the gross
employee salaries or payment. And what I
would like to do is on the budget to
include that full um I guess for the
past 12 months and include that. You can
take names out but keep the positions. I
think it's important for transparency
that we share with our constituents what
salaries we're paying when we're talking
about 70% of their taxes going towards
uh payments.
Also, I would like to have this council
consider including all vendor payments
included in our budget for the past 12
months. I think it's important for again
constituents to see um who our vendors
are and where our dollars are going
towards either consultants, engineers,
and whatnot.
Um is Dan here in it? Hey Dan. Um, how
many softwares do you guys support?
» Uh, paid or not paid or all together?
>> Probably upwards of 200.
>> We have 700 employees and we have over
200 softwares we're supporting
>> roughly. Yes. But
I mean, you're talking like Adobe Reader
and all of that.
>> Sure.
>> And
>> so I guess the exercise would be Dan um
and and maybe this is the next next
year's budget. What are we really what
areas can we really cut back, right?
Especially on the ones that are costing
us. Is there an opportunity there to
consolidate uh some of this? or if if
the group is really small that's using
it, is there a way we can get them off
if if there's cost association
associated with it? And I guess how much
time are you guys spending on
maintaining it? Right. If my
understanding is correctly, you have 14
people in your department.
>> Uh 20 25,
>> sorry. Okay. Uh 25 people. So I mean I
think it's kind of it's worth looking
at, right? the IT software supporting
that many software among people and what
the usage is. So just a suggestion but I
think it's worth looking at and maybe we
can send that money somewhere else if if
that's possible at all suggestion.
Um Trent, how many I guess open
positions do we still have that we don't
fill on an average that we have funded?
I don't know if someone from HR can
speak to kind of what that rolling
number looks like. If not, we can get it
to you.
>> Okay. And I guess what's the dollar
amount attached to it and what's the
average if it's 6 months, 12 months that
we're rolling these positions? because
if there are open positions that are not
being filled, um either we need to
eliminate those positions, um maybe we
can take that fund and percentage- wise
increase it for somebody else who's
already doing that work, but maybe we
don't need that position. So, I think
>> I don't think we've got any positions
that we don't fill on a regular basis
when they become open that we move
forward and fill those.
>> Well, I mean, again, if it's if it's
long enough, is it really needed? And
again, if you don't know how long those
positions have been open, I don't I
don't know the answers. I'm just asking.
>> Sure. I mean, we have those statistics.
But the one of the things we do, um, you
know, there's areas where we we know we
have, uh, we need the capacity. We fill
those positions. Um, but we do look at
positions as they come open and and look
at them from a standpoint of, uh, do we
h still have that need? Um, is there a
greater need elsewhere? Can we better
employ that somewhere else or in a
different way? um when we have positions
come up. So, we don't just automatically
say yes every time. We're just going to
fill these positions without thinking
about um what we're doing and and how
our business is changing and what our
current u most pressing needs are.
>> Okay. And and again, I guess the
question that goes back to that position
being open or or uh exposed or unfilled
for however many is two months or six
months. Um I guess the salary on that
position would go to your fund balance.
Correct.
>> If it's unutilized.
>> That's correct.
>> Okay. So, I guess what's that balance
for last fiscal year that we have
position these positions or the
departments able to use that money for
some other line item?
>> So, we do not allow that to be used for
some other line item by the departments.
Uh usually um that's accounted for as we
go through the budget amendments dealing
with uh like this year. You know, a lot
of years we've had where we have salary
savings that is um if we have any
overtime expenditures that are necessary
somewhere, they help cover those. Um or
they fall to the fund balance and and we
utilize them through a budget amendment
process or with this year um with some
uh very tenured employees uh retiring,
there are the the acrrual payouts, which
we haven't traditionally budgeted the
full amount of those and we've always
used salary savings to pay those out. So
this year, I believe we pretty much used
all that for those uh those u long
tenure employees that left the city. Um
and I think and so looking at that how
that worked this year, we're actually
building some more of that into the
budget to make sure where we have known
retirements and things like that. We're
budgeting for that, not relying upon
salary savings to do those things. Okay?
>> But we do not, you know, we just don't
allow those to be used in any way. they
go towards those sort of things or they
come back through the budget process.
>> Yeah. And that's fine. Um and and I know
we're buying I think what is it 43
vehicles I read. Right. Um and I'm going
to last year or year before I had
mentioned considering doing EVs for
certain departments, right? Uh we have
this new um maintenance uh I guess
building we built out there. Um, and
again, I know in Houston they do use a
lot of hybrid uh vehicles for
inspections and co code enforcements.
Um, and I know we end up always buying
trucks. It seems like for most of our
um, so if there's an opportunity, uh, I
think it'll be worth it. I think it'll
be, again, I know there will be some
cost incurred for charging stations and
stuff to put those in there. Uh but
since we have a new facility, I hope
that we have the uh power and and again
it's a long-term plan, but I think it's
worth looking at it. [snorts] Um
>> I think we can look at that, but we we
have vehicles that sit at multiple
locations every evening. We have
vehicles that go home. So I think that
we've got to consider that as far as,
you know, going to that type of vehicle
[snorts] and and it wouldn't be just
putting the infrastructure in at the new
fleet services facility. It' be every
building we have.
>> And I guess that that's a fair point. We
can we can ask.
>> Yeah, I mean it's uh I think it's 10
grand per charger to put it in overnight
charger. So um I guess that's my take on
this. I think it's uh worth looking at
it. But the other other thing I'll tell
you, Carrie, I know we a couple of
council members mentioned cost recovery.
Uh the goal is 100, but I guess you're
not including capex on that. that's just
breaking even to operate that buildings
down there in Nitorium and the uh
>> it doesn't include any of the capital
cost and it also doesn't include any of
the cost of some of the programs that
happen in the facility such as our
summer camps um basketball leagues uh
pickle ball leagues. Once you add in
those you're adding if they if we were
to have to pay to rent space for those
you're looking at about $460,000
in additional cost.
>> Yeah. And I think and I think I want
council to kind of understand that um
you know Carrie mentioned HVAC is I
guess you just had it repaired right?
>> Yes.
>> Uh but that that cost is going to
probably come due and remember Byron you
can probably tell us better but I feel
like HR every 7 to 10 years you got to
rip them out and and start it over. Uh
and I think we should make it a point
with all departments to say you need to
budget just like we do with the motor
pool funds and stuff like that. Same
thing with the niatorum to say hey you guys need to put the capex
consideration into your budget and start
budgeting this right we got lucky with
the Periland ISD paying for to exit the
contract. That's why we were able to
correct me if I'm wrong $3.5 million.
>> That's correct. So, we were able to use
that, but otherwise that would have been
a hit on our P&L, right? Um, and so, and
I think, you know, one of the big costs
when I look at this, it's it's kind of
one thing I would ask you, Trent, again,
I know we got the meet and confer for
the police and we're going to do with
the fire. Um, what is that five-year I
guess what I would ask you to do and
what this council should understand is
what a stress test looks like, right? Um
what does it look like if if let's say
we do have another recession and the
values plummet and we have all these
agreements out there and the percentage
are guaranteed what does that stress
test look like for us right and and I
think it's very it would be uh
irresponsible of council to just look at
one year today and not consider what it
does it look like in three and five
years and so what I would ask you is to
do a stress test on this like what's the
worst case scenar scenario and what does
that worst case scenario looks like,
right? Um, if we're going to consider
dropping the 90-day uh funds um to let's
say 75 days, right, fund balance, well,
does a stress test hold up? And that
that's really important to kind of
consider that. Um, and and I know we're kind of celebrating that we went
below no new revenue tax uh rate and
that's great and I appreciate that. Um,
but I don't think any of us really
realized there was going to be 120. At
least I did not. And I'll take
responsibility that this new $125,000
um uh exemption businesses were going to
get were going to be that impactful for
our community. So, you know, we can we
can go around and say, "Hey, we reduced
your tax from last year, but just keep
in mind your tax bill is going to go up.
The tax bill is going to go up on
everybody." So, um, a couple of other
things. Trent, um, you know, I do
appreciate, um, the staff getting market
salary and that's I don't have a problem
with that, but does that mean that they
are above 50 percentile? I guess are
they above 50 or they below 50?
The the goal on our compensation plan
outside of public safety was to set our
plan basically at the market. So our our
midpoints are at the market. Our our
starting point is generally at the
market and our top end is generally at
the market. So at any point during
anyone's career based on their
experience where they fall in that they
should be basically um at or near the
market. Okay. Well, and I guess for me,
um, what I would also ask in most
businesses, and I know we're not in a
business here, but if we don't consider
it, uh, there should be a cap on
everybody's salary. There should be a
certain point, you got to put a cap on
the salary. Um, and I think it it's it's
important if you're going to look at
this long term, um, that we're very
clear on you can't have
certain people, and this is why I want
that, uh, the pay that we have paid. We
I think our city does well. I think we
pay fair. Uh, and I think it's important
for constituents to be able to see what
we have paid. Um, and the reason I say
that is, um, we cannot continue to
always go up 3 or 4%. Because a
compounding will kill us in the future.
It won't be our problem, but it will be
the next council or maybe the third term
council's problem to deal with. Uh,
especially with this uh, meet and
confer. So I think I know this is a
maybe too late of a game but I think it
is very important that we have this
discussion and I would like to kind of
get a feedback on council on uh to be
able to approve including vendors
payment and um salary payments that we
paid to our employees. Thank you.
>> Thank you for those couple things there.
Um so um we do include the pay plans in
the budget. So that does show the range
by position
and I while if we want to share the
information on vendor pay I think we can
find the appropriate way to do that. I'm
not sure it's a something to attach to
the budget. So yeah. Yeah. I think look
again my point is we talk about
transparency all the time. And you know
I think even I was shocked when I saw
last last year year before when you
first gave me the um the payment right
for what we have paid our our our team
and which is fine but I think it's
important to understand that that what
people do make with the city. I think
it's important. I think it's important
for our constituents to be able to see,
hey, people are getting paid pretty
well. Um, so I have and again, there's
nothing to hide in the city. Show it,
right?
>> Member Patel, I understood. I think your
points are well received. I know I trust
that Mr. Eper will find an appropriate
way to deliver the information as
requested based on uh the concerns. Um,
I know we're talking about budget, so
we're concerning uh our taxpayers and
residents. Um, and I think the
conversations that we're having are um a
result of the situation that we find
ourselves in and that uh as mentioned in
an earlier budget discussion that the no
new revenue rate is not sustainable
because there are other factors
impacting uh our city services. And I
think your points are wellreceived,
member Patel, as well as every other
member up here. So, as we move forward
in uh potentially the next adoption or
the adoption, um I think going into the
next next year in the strategic planning
session, uh we're going to have to make
some really really important and
difficult decisions on behalf of the
residents here uh for us to continue to
deliver the quality of life and quality
of services that we expect.
um all points said and um really well
taken and I hope and we acknowledge the
work the staff has put in. So at this
particular time I don't think there are
any other comments or suggestions. Um so
with that being said um we can move on
to the next item um on the agenda which
is uh believe
executive session
happy to do that. that leaves us 15
minutes and if we're not able to finish
then then we may um recess that meeting
and come back if there's time after the
joint public workshop
>> or uh we'll do that at the end. Um but I think that's a question for city
council um if if we think I think y'all
know what I'm intending to talk about uh
whether 15 minutes is sufficient time to
do that. I'm seeing two or three head
nose head and shakes not nods which is
why I'm asking the question.
>> Okay. I'm looking at I'm trying to count
as well. It looks like there's some
consensus. Member Kade
got three
executive session.
>> Do you want to do the exec session now
uh and then come back?
>> Three nos.
>> Okay.
Are we gonna
>> Well, I didn't answer.
>> We're not gonna we're not going to have
time. So, I think the right
>> one remember because of that's only one
next.
>> Our next meeting starts at five. So,
>> I would just wait.
>> I would wait until
>> I would go ahead and wait.
>> Okay. So, that we don't have a consensus
to move into executive session. And so
uh at this particular time
>> so uh I would recommend that we recess
instead of adjourn so that we preserve
the possibility
if the JPH doesn't take as long as we
want we can come back to that item
before the 6:30.
So recess this meeting
instead of adjourning it and then that
preserves that possibility.
>> Okay.
>> I appreciate your recommendation Mr.
province. And at this particular time,
uh, we will recess the special meeting
for the city of Periland at 4:44