[0:05] I learned from them. So thank you. When we’re in schools and I’m being at home all the way over here, and I was like, how am I supposed to hasty, independent. Trying to get clarity myself. Okay, I’m doing well. How are you, sir? I’m. Here. We go there to partly cloudy. That’s a good one.
[0:26] A permit for an indoor. Lunch? Yes, ma’am. You can’t just. Yes. You’re a regular, but they won’t. Thank you. That house was. Pretty hot. I’m fine. Sir. How are you? I’m doing. I’m doing okay. A guy that. Lived there, they’ve been there for, like, 20 years. And he’d been adding on all kinds of shady. Stuff, and.
[0:53] It’s not good. Okay, guys. Did y’all see? This is from the Johnson family. This is the last time we’ll be able to use this wonderful gavel. And we’re going to go to the little tiny one again.
[1:07] And when Bill saw this years ago, he said, no, mayor, we’ve got it bigger and better. And so he’s let you come here. So now, because he’s passed on to want to pass it on to there. So I said I’ve got it in my announcements. But she’s going to stay here on way. You’re going to go to anyway. So this was the last time. This. Is it.
[1:24] The other way is a Saturday. Right at 1:00. 40 acres. My me. Is that on me? I believe so. Okay. I have to look at that because I have the address. Okay. Yeah, I just. Oh, dear. I’ll text it to you. Oh. Thank you. I appreciate you’re welcome.
[1:43] I figured there was just one Roy Akers in the entire town. One by that. You’re not talking about. Okay. Well, I know Angeles is like your hair. Looks good. I know. And then Lauren’s on the other side. So I got all the hands on all her. How’s job hunting going? I found one. You did good. We did contract work for. But, um.
[2:05] Yeah, I know. It seems like I was 45. Oh, good. And. Um, I can work in a different school every week. I think I’m better district. I work for them right? Oh, good. Wherever they need me so I can go to different schools. Great. Great news. Is it full time? It’s a part time. Good.
[2:26] Great. I did what I did. It’s contract work, though, so I’ll be my own boss. I won’t actually be working for a school district, so if I want to take it down, I can. And nobody can tell me I can’t. Good, good. You’re in charge. I’m in charge. There you go.
[2:39] But I’m in charge of my own taxes. So. Yeah. it’s just put a little bit of everything every paper you make sure you put, you know, 15 or whatever it is, 25%. Yeah. Right. Um. And what school district? It’s not what the school district. It’s what the company working with special education.
[2:56] Um, to where we go into whatever district has a contract with us. To where? Whatever. If they need a someone to do our meetings for that day, then I’d go in and do our meetings. Or if they needed a teacher for that day, I’d be the teacher.
[3:13] So I’m just going to be like an Atwell employee wherever I want to go. And it’s, you know, 7 to 3. So I have my evenings. It’s going to be great. Good. I’m so glad. And when do you start? Excuse me. What’s cool? Oh, okay. On the 12th of August. One thing is when you start talking yourself. I hate my boss. Problem? Yeah.
[3:32] When I was self-employed, I tried not to ever. Say that was you. Yeah. Okay. Well, congratulations. I’m happy. Hey, I’m happy to know that you were. It’s going to be the first time I’ve ever made it. I haven’t, I haven’t had my pension, and I figure out where to go.
[3:54] It’s gonna be nice to be ahead of the game. You’ve always been good. So now you don’t have to drive. No, I don’t have to do it for everybody. Good. I’ll have my weekends off. Yeah. Wonderful. It is fantastic. I’m very happy for my family. And be a good day.
[4:09] Know some people from home when they’re watching, they like to see the time. So I always had to clock in the frame. So that’s a big three minute clock. That’s what we’ve been needing. And so yeah. Um, so I need to figure out the time. Oh, I didn’t know Robin and Kyle were here.
[4:24] Crystal, are we going to put this clock up? If not, I tell you, I think self testing, testing a clock, you need a clock at the swimming pool. They’re going to go there or we’re going to put the clock on the screen. I’m still trying to configure. So this. One could go to the swimming pool. So they need one.
[4:41] They need one at the swimming pool I need to know how long I swam. Well the problem with that is an atomic clock. It’s an hour. It’s an hour. Yeah. Anyway, I keep saying, where’s the. We don’t have a clock.
[4:55] And like, you know, I’m like, what time did I get in? What time did I get out? You know? Oh, I would you little stopwatch. Right. Yeah. Well, I tried my my cell phone, but I don’t want to get it wet, you know, that kind of thing. So. Yeah. They say it’s waterproof, but I. Don’t believe them. Yeah. So.
[5:08] And then if you could just make an announcement at the meeting that we’re still kind of, we’re still figuring out the new system, still a little. We have a couple of outstanding items. Just please be patient with us. Okay. We’ll do that. You didn’t get my boy.
[5:27] No, that’s yours, isn’t it? Isn’t that it? Y’all ready to go? All right. Good evening, and welcome to the city of Leon Valley City Council regular meeting. We’re so glad so many of you could join us this evening. Today’s Tuesday, July 21st, 2026. And it’s approximately 6 p.m..
[5:50] And I have asked Councilor Betty Hale to please lead us in the pledge if you’ll please stand. Thank you. I pledge. Allegiance to the flag. Of the United States of America, and to the republic for which it stands. One nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. Amen. And just just an aside. Uh, we do have a quorum.
[6:18] We’ll get to you in just a minute. Okay. Uh, okay. Yes. I’ll call you up. Um, all council members are present. We do have a quorum. I forgot to say that, um, as many of you can see, we have new upgrades in our chambers. Thanks to the Peg funds, so. Thank you, doctor Caldera.
[6:38] And, um, Crystal Miranda and all the other team that has worked on this so hard. But please be patient. We’re still in the middle of. We haven’t finished. So if there’s some glitches, just bear with us. Okay. So thank you so much. All right. Uh, number two, citizens to be heard.
[6:58] And this is your opportunity, ma’am, to please come and state your name and where you generally reside. And you have up to three minutes to speak. Thank you. Mayor. You bet. My name is Olivia Espinoza, and I live in Leon Valley. Okay. Um, so good evening to everybody, and thank you for listening to me for just about three minutes.
[7:12] Um, I will be really quick. However, uh, it is very important for me as a citizen and the citizens of Leon Valley to briefly mention how disappointing it was that our city was not able to allocate resources for a proper 4th of July celebration.
[7:31] Uh, it was our America’s 250th birthday celebration, which is why I took a look at the city’s budget to figure out what’s going on here. Why couldn’t we have a proper 4th of July celebration? Excuse me? Um, I found that quite a bit of the city budget does go to crime services. Uh, which is good. Of course. We want a safe city.
[7:48] Um, however, one very concerning item in the budget that I could not help to notice is the allocation of $50,000 for the invasive flock cameras now placed in our city, which is only about two miles long. Excuse me. And a mile and a half wide.
[8:08] And we have approximately less than 13,000 people living here in Leon Valley. Um, I don’t believe the residents of Leon Valley know exactly what these cameras are doing. I certainly was not aware of their intrusiveness. Uh, nature. That actually violates the fine lines of a Fourth Amendment rights.
[8:30] Um, there are many controversies surrounding the use and misuse of these cameras, as they do, in essence, pinpoint every place, time, and location. Uh, our personal vehicles are in. We drive our vehicles 99.9% of the time. Uh, also, the sharing of this information, uh, without citizens knowledge or oversight, uh, as I understand it, uh, there is no real policy or accountability.
[8:52] So if a citizen wants to know if they have been flocked and for what reason and by whom, where they’re not going to get that information. Okay. Uh, where exactly are these flat cameras located? We have we we have a right to know. And we should know because criminals well, they’re going to commit crimes regardless of what’s in place to avert, uh, crime activity.
[9:14] Um, Austin, Texas, has canceled its flock contract. Uh, to, uh, to name a few cities. Austin, Texas, uh, because of its abusive nature and violating citizens rights. So I’d like to ask city council to please cancel or consider not approving any additional resources for flock cameras in our city of Leon Valley, Texas.
[9:37] Uh, instead, allocate these monies to better serve the citizens of Leon Valley, like having a proper 4th of July celebration, or maybe even hiring additional police officers, I think have a little bit of time.
[9:57] Okay, so last note, I’m not sure on the agenda, uh, for animal control, uh, but it must be strengthened, uh, to protect citizens from being mauled. We nearly were. One evening on an evening walk. Uh, and also to send a courtesy reminder for pet owners to please be responsible, reach up your dogs and clean up after them. Thank you so much. God bless you guys. Thank you for the time that you’ve given me.
[10:11] Thank you, Miss Espinosa. Do you appreciate those comments? Okay. Anyone else like to address the council at this time? Please come forward and state your name and yes. And where you generally reside. Hello. Hello. How are you, Miss Alonzo? Good to see you. Okay. If they stand behind me, they’re going to.
[10:30] You sure? You sure can. Are they all. Y’all all have done something spectacular together, right? Yes. There you go. Practicing our civic duty. Okay. Hello. My name is Michelle Alonso. I live here in Leon Valley. For ten years now, and, um, actually, do you want to go ahead? Okay, okay. And my name is Jaden Metcalfe.
[10:54] I’m currently living in Leon Valley. I have been here 20 years my entire life. Wow. Uh, and I’ve come to address the current situation of our 4th of July celebration during our country’s 20 250th anniversary.
[11:13] So I, among many others, uh, was thoroughly disappointed in the lack of fireworks and limited acknowledgement of our country’s anniversary and the sacrifices that contributed to the ability of our anniversary. Now, I have grown up my whole life, like I said, in Leon Valley, and I have solidified long lasting memories with my friends, uh, celebrating in wonder at the many fireworks shows that I fear.
[11:30] Younger and up and coming generations will not get to have if this continues. If budget allotment is an issue, I propose a few possible solutions. If we choose to stagger the celebration to only the years ending in oh or five, we can offset the celebration to about every five years, allowing for more time to budget and for
[11:44] this event and show, we can also instate an admission fee for outsiders venturing around San Antonio to our celebration and offer discounted rates for the residents. Using a wristband system to identify residents versus non-residents would also be beneficial. In order to distinguish the two types.
[12:02] And as you can imagine, this issue was so impacting to the residents of Leon Valley that not only I, but our other younger generations over here, um, have decided to give you some of their perspectives. And insights as well. Thank you so much for your thank you.
[12:24] Hello, I’m Maria Alonso, and this might sound a little silly, so feel free to laugh, but imagine your great grandma raised you your whole life, right? And then you had this, like, big plan for her 250th birthday. And then you found out it was cancelled. Would you? You would feel pretty sad, right? Because she, like, raised you your whole life.
[12:44] So my point is, um, we had nothing to do, really, during the 4th of July and so late at night we tried driving around San Antonio to see if we can find some, like fireworks. But the fireworks that we saw were very far away, so it didn’t really feel like the 4th of July. Okay. Thank you.
[13:03] I’m Gabby Metcalf, so we all saw and thought on the 4th of July how we could reform this for our future generations. We thought we could have some of the non-citizens pay, um, and the citizens pay like less or something. Um, and there would be no outside food or drink so that we could, like, all make a profit for it. Okay. Thank you.
[13:24] Hi. My name is Hope Alonso. Um, we weren’t. So my siblings are really, really good at running. I’m not, but they like running, right? And the ice cream really early in the morning. Number one, not a lot of parents are gonna let their kids have ice cream at like, 9 to 12.
[13:42] Um, and some people who are running who are, who were running the race, um, may or may not have been able to make it because of it was farther away. And if you’re running a race, you don’t want to go like drive somewhere except your house to rest. Okay. Thank you. Okay.
[14:05] My name is Aquinas Alonso. And, um. Oh, yeah. I kind of, like, wrote a poem about the, um, the, uh, 4th of July, and it’s silly. So you can laugh if you want. Um, I walked around that fateful day, and all I found was great. So I say, why don’t make it a great, great day. Yeah.
[14:37] Thank you. Okay. You had a really good impression, but he checked out. Okay. Um, again, Michelle Alonso. Um, so the memory of a dark sky with only smoke from other cities, celebrations filling the night sky of of Leon Valley will always be in my children’s minds.
[15:01] Next time someone comes up here and accuses you council of wasting money on something like this, I want you to think of the disappointment and disheartened of these young people here. It takes much more than a balanced checkbook to make a great city. I hope we can remember that this year.
[15:21] Um, as we vote down to tear monuments like the silos, break up neighborhoods like Seneca two, and cancel the fireworks for the 250th anniversary of our country. Thank you. Thank you very much. Do appreciate those comments. All right. Anyone else like to address the council? Please come forward. Good evening, Robin, and welcome. We’re so glad you’re here.
[15:43] And our condolences to you and your family on the loss of Bill. Thank you. Um. Robin Johnson, Forest Oaks. Counter feel to, um. Most. Of you know, Bill passed in June. What you may not be aware of is years ago.
[16:11] He loaned a gavel from when he was president of the neighborhood association in Omaha to the mayor. He was in synch. She was using a little bitty, tiny thing, um, with his passing, there is a behest in the family. So I have requested the gavel back in replacement. Oh. We the family would like to present this Leon Valley City Council with a custom made gavel and sound block.
[16:40] It is made with Texas Live Oak, and it is inlaid with turquoise.. Um, there will be a band placed on this at some point. We weren’t sure exactly when we were going to get this. That basically says it’s presented to the Leon Valley City Council in memory of William Bill Johnson. That’s my husband loved this city. Um.
[17:10] Thank you so much, Robin. Do you appreciate. It? And I will and I will give the old gavel back. This is the beautiful gavel that Bill had lent us for the last, oh, 5 or 6 years with the city manager tomorrow, Robin, so you can pick it up. So. Okay.
[17:36] Thank you. Versus this is a little one. So you can tell. That’s why you want. That bigger one. Okay. Anyone else. I’d like to address the council. All right. If not yes I’m sorry. Yes. So I’m hearing the mic kind of go in and out. Okay.
[17:59] Our mic systems are set up like a funnel. And so if you talk and you move your head because you’re kind of animated, I’m that way as well. It’s not going to pick you up. So you have to talk. You can sit back and talk, but you have to talk straight into into them. Okay.
[18:13] Um, because if you’re turning and talking this way to your colleagues, it’s not going to pick it up. So. Well, it’s hard because I got to look both ways. The audience well. They, they, they, they need to contribute as well. So okay. But I’ll do I’ll do better. We’ll all do better. Right.
[18:29] With this new fangled new system. Okay. Very good. Okay. We move then to presentations 3.1 presentation and discussion of the monthly financial report ending June 30th, 2026. We have Carol Gehring, our finance director, here this evening to present. Good evening and welcome. Good evening, Mayor and Council. Um, thank you.
[18:57] Um, let’s see. Um, I’m going to present the June financials, starting with the general fund. Your hold on. Thank you. Um, overall, your revenue, we are at 74%, uh, within the target percentage of 75. Your sales tax and franchise taxes are lower. And this is just due to timing. We’re still receiving.
[19:20] We’re still pending to receive four more months for the sales tax and to, uh, let a quarters for the. Forest for the franchise taxes. Um, I do want to point out on your interest income, um, is lower than on fiscal year 2025, and this is due to a decline on your interest rate on the city’s
[19:42] interest rate in June 2025. The interest rate was at 4.3. And in June 2026 it is at 3.6. Um, overall, your expenditures are at 56.7%. This is lower than the 75%. Um, and this is just the timing of the, um, invoices and expenditures.
[20:10] Some expenditures are due to be incurred later in the day on the year, rather than at the beginning of the year. Okay. So this is just your miscellaneous revenue breakdown for your general fund. We did receive the $10,000 grant for the library. And this is from the General Fund Foundation. Moving on to your water fund.
[20:34] Overall, your revenue is within the 75% target. You’ll see the interest income also lower here. And this is going to be across the board where your interest with the interest rate declined in June 2026. Uh, your miscellaneous revenue. I’m just going to go to the next slide so I can show it to you pretty fast.
[20:53] Uh, we received a Burke County grant. This is tied to your Elberta waterline project. Okay. Very good. Going over your your expenditures. Uh, we are at 68.5%. Still within the 75% range. Moving on with your community center fund. Um, overall, your revenues at 62.2%, which is within the 75%. Your hotel motel taxes there, um, at 54%.
[21:24] But this is just because we received those quarterly, uh, again, the interest rate income, you’ll see it, uh, lower than fiscal year 25 is because of the decline of the interest rate. Your expenditures are at 67.3% within the 75%, um, target percentage.
[21:51] Moving on to the Economic development Fund, the sales tax revenue, we’re still pending to receive for more, uh, months, the interest income still the same, uh, the general fund and the water fund were the interest rate declined on your total expenditures? Uh, we are 34.5%. But, um, there was a four month period that we didn’t have a, uh, economic development director. So those funds were not spent.
[22:16] Moving on to your impound load, the the impound on is, um, doing performing really well. You will see the impound lot fees at 109% compared to last year, which we received 80%. Um, overall, your revenues are at 89.6% higher than the 75%.
[22:41] Um, your expenditures are slightly higher than the 75% target percentage. But this is just due to the timing of the contractual services that we have received before. And lastly, we have the red light camera fund. Um, your total revenues are higher than your 75% target. Uh, we will see the red light camera fines higher than last year.
[23:02] In fiscal year 2025, we have 64.4% compared to this fiscal year at 82.8. And your expenditures under your red light camera, you’re still within your target percentage of 75, uh, slightly higher with 70, 77%. But again, this is just due to the timing of some of the expenditures and your traffic safety.
[23:26] We are at 58% way below. But again, we’re still trying to complete the fiscal year. So we might receive some of these expenditures later on on the year. Yes, counselor. Compost. Mr.. Aaron, thank you. I I’ve completely reviewed this and I’ve submitted my questions to you in advance. Yes.
[23:52] So I appreciate all the time and effort that you use to answer all the questions. My overall question is this does it look like we’re going to use all of our budget for the remainder of the year? I know there’s a timing difference because we got invoices and we got some other services still pending, but does it look like there’s going to be a large, uh, surplus surplus?
[24:13] So when we’re preparing the budget, we have to go and look at the estimate, right. To make sure. Where are we tracking or are we not tracking. So we and the doctor caldera, we all get together with each individual director and they have to go over their budget. And where are they on their expenditures.
[24:33] So you will see, when Doctor Caldera presents the budget on the estimated the on all of them are going to, um, get to the 100% target. The only one that might not get to a 100% target is going to be your capital outlay projects, because some of them are going to go over to the next fiscal year.
[24:52] Okay. So on the going back to I’m going to go and drill in to the economic development. You know, I understand that there, there we didn’t have a director for four months. Right. But that would only be responsible for the personnel line item. But there’s other supplies and contractual that way.
[25:13] Below that. Is that still due to not having the director. Yes. So. Well, um, on the supplies, if there’s nobody needing any type of supplies, then like the director then won’t spend anything from that fund, the director has to, um, authorize us to spend those that budget on your contractual. You will also have your project funding and grant.
[25:40] So if that’s not happening, then if we’re not spending that money, that’s what you’ll see it. So is that going to be part of the carryovers? Some of them. Yes. Thank you okay. Yes I saw I saw managers yeah I did I just wanted to in respect to let Mr. Compost finish before the city manager responds.
[25:58] Absolutely. And I’m just keeping my hand up okay. You know I don’t know. We so I don’t know if it’s appropriate for me to raise. And you nod so I know that you saw my hand or to keep my hand. I don’t want. to pressure anybody. Okay? Always recognize you, you know that.
[26:11] Um, so I just want to clarify something. So in each of the line items, like we have bunker gear that we’re going to gear up to purchase, and we went out to bid and there’s seven.
[26:24] We’re trying to make sure that we were able to purchase that hasn’t been purchased yet. We do plan to purchase that at the end of the year. But there are things that will come up that we didn’t purchase, uh, for the remainder of the year. There’s things that happen, like in the police.
[26:38] The good example is like the police department, the forensic testing is a good example. If I don’t have the crime, if I don’t have rape kits or forensic testing needed for that year, absolutely. We’re not going to just spend the money to spend the money.
[26:56] That amount will either go back into your reserve fund or, um, it will get allocated because we had to purchase something else, and we always bring those to you typically in September. Um, so for those of you that don’t, uh, or are new to our budget process, normally in August, what will happen is I will sit down with the directors and go over whatever is remaining for the end of the year, and 1 or 2 things will
[27:10] happen. We will either do a rollover budget adjustment, which y’all will see in September, budget adjustments if needed. So if we had a good example of that is the fire department bay doors, we have to have the bay doors open and closed. That’s an expense. Um, and so they had to be fixed.
[27:27] So we’ve eaten that in our budget. The air ducts and the fire department needed to be cleaned. We had to do that. That was completed. Um, but if we didn’t spend everything in the fire department, there’s no need for the budget adjustment.
[27:43] We will eat those costs, but we will notify the council of that in September when we’re discussing the rollover amount or budget adjustments. Um, but normally I won’t know if all of the expenditures are going to happen or occur until next month.
[28:02] Like we sit down and say what’s going to happen? What needs to roll over? Does any of this need to is this going to hit the reserve fund balance? So that’s normally the thought process. So that way you understand how the process goes. Okay. Thank you. You’re welcome. Any other follow up okay. Thank you Miss Gary. Do you appreciate it. Okay. Okay. Moving then to agenda 3.
[28:31] 2 presentation discussion and workshop on an ordinance related to the fiscal year 2026 2027 proposed budget. Um, the Council. Met on I believe it was July the 14th and we met for hours and about three hours was on the budget and we didn’t quite finish it. And so we were bringing it back on today’s agenda.
[28:53] And I think, uh, city manager, we decided to start where we left off. I don’t know if she’s hearing me, but anyway, that’s my understanding. Isn’t that y’all’s understanding? Yeah. Okay. So. And I believe we finished, uh, we finished the general fund budget, but now we’re ready to go to the enterprise fund.
[29:10] That that is correct. But I am going to hit on two things in regards to the general fund. Uh, because what the residents will see as part of this packet actually probably three things, because I have a feeling the Alonzo’s that are sitting back here, I can address kind of something in regards to that.
[29:25] Can you put up the budget on big screen, please? Um, so the thing, the big thing that has changed in this budget in comparison to the one that I gave last time, is your deficit is down by. So I’m going to go quickly $454,000.
[29:48] There’s a couple of things that have happened since the last time we met, which was just last Tuesday. I received the certified tax roll, which showed that your exemptions have increased dramatically over them. What we anticipated them to be. So you’re hitting about a 424,000. Let me get to the summary.
[30:10] Because I’m and for those of you that aren’t that weren’t here on Tuesday, uh, you can kind of go back and review those other slides, but you’ll see a $424,000 ad valorem difference from last year to this year. And just to clarify, if you’re taking a look at your certified tax roll, the property valuations or the market value did go up.
[30:30] But what increased drastically were your exemptions? And the big thing that hit your exemptions was, which is a good portion of of the decrease, roughly about 143,000. Is the new exemptions passed by House Bill nine.
[30:52] And essentially what House Bill nine was gave certain business types a maximum amount in order to exempt about a maximum of $125,000. Um, I sent that to you earlier this afternoon to kind of go over those differences. Um, but so I’m getting blank looks across over here. I know all you need to. All you need to know is your ad valorem tax due to exemptions is decreasing. So that’s the simplest way to put it.
[31:10] So you’re going to if you want to know the formulas and all of that. I did include that when I sent it over um, earlier this afternoon. Um, but for the basic for layman’s terms, your ad valorem tax is going to go down because the amount that you’re allowed to to exempt off of your property tax has gone
[31:29] up. And the availability for some people to be able to have exemptions has increased due to House Bill nine. So that’s that’s just what it boils down to. Um, with that being said, I did move a police officer over into your economic development fund.
[31:50] So now in your Ed fund, you do not have, um, a project funding line item, but that help offset your deficit to 454,000. If you move that police officer back, that deficit will then go back up to 554, roughly 554,000. And so that’s the big kind of change. And it’s illustrated if you go through this PowerPoint, we did put a cheat sheet chart under restructuring funds.
[32:13] There it is. Um, we put it we put it in there. So you so you would be able to follow later. Um, I do want to address the 4th of July. We do in our special events budget have 15,000 for a small 4th of July for next year.
[32:29] If you the comment that was made earlier by the Alonzo’s was to do it every five years or every every year ending in zero. So every five years you could do that event and do it safely out of your general fund or out of your reserve fund, so you could operate in that capacity because it’s not a year in
[32:45] operating that you could comfortably take that from your Ed fund line item. So just if that’s a policy decision that you all want to make, you could certainly do a larger event, hit your capital fund reserve if you’re going to do it every five years. So just something for you to know.
[33:04] But in next year’s budget, you have 15,000 dedicated towards, um, the a small 4th of July event. Okay. Yes. Councilor compost. Uh, Doctor Caldera, can you, uh, state just in general terms what it was running the city for the 4th of July event? Sure. Budget? Sure it was. I’m trying.
[33:26] I’m just trying to get there quickly. Um, so it was roughly $180,000 to host the event. That’s two pennies in your tax amount. And so when we talk quality of life, we do invest a lot in quality of life. We invest in our parks, our trails, our library, all of our library programs. All of that is considered quality of life.
[33:46] Um, we have in the past done wristbands. We have done tickets for the event. Um, we haven’t necessarily charged, um, we did a wristband for rides at one point. All of these options have been looked at in the past.
[34:07] If we charge for the event, we would have to negate the entire park in order to control ingress and and, and and egress. Sorry. Um, into the park in order to charge. Because we’re we’re an open area park. Um, that also does two other things.
[34:26] It will increase the number of patrol officers you have at the event, because we have to want everybody coming in because once you gate the park, you become a fishbowl for from a security perspective. So if somebody’s going to shoot, you’re shooting and there’s no way for people to run because you’ve gated the entire park. Um, so people have to be wanted prior to coming into the park. So we don’t allow outside bags.
[34:40] It would have to be clear bag only. Um, and then we don’t allow outside food drinks. Um, and then chairs can’t be in bad. There’s just certain parameters that go along with that. All of those things absolutely can be done. Um, we have done that in the past. The previous council was not interested in getting the park.
[34:57] They wanted it to be like Woodlawn. They wanted it to be open to the public and for everybody to come in. But definitely charging. I’ve said it from the very beginning. If we charge $1 to entry fee, that would offset, um, the budget probably by 20 to $30,000 if you just charge $1 at the gate.
[35:12] So those are all, um, recommendations that have been made in the past. They haven’t been really looked at further. But if that’s something the council wants to look at in the future, I think it’s something you can definitely do.
[35:29] Um, that increased, um, fee to come into the park would offset because it cost a lot of money to gate the entire park, um, would probably offset that at least that portion, because it won’t be 180,000. That amount would go up substantially because I would need more gate to to fence the entire park and a little bit more overtime for the police.
[35:46] Um, but I do think that you could do that from your reserve fund. So, um, if it was 200,000 to put off and we got sponsorships and that was able to decrease to 150,000, um, with our sponsorship dollar amounts, um, you could certainly eat that in your reserve fund because it’s not an ongoing operating
[36:04] expense. When you have an event that’s held year after year, it should be supported by your operating revenue. If you continue to hit your reserve, especially in your ad fund, you would only be able to hold that event for three years before you ran out of economic development funds. So, um, go back to the.
[36:23] To I just I just wanted to add and thank you for those suggestions. I’ve written them down. We do have a coffee this coming Saturday, July 25th at the Conference Center from 9 to 11. We have heard from a number of citizens, and a lot of people were disappointed about the 4th of July.
[36:43] Y’all aren’t the only ones. And and again, it was a budgetary decision. It was not a political decision. It’s not because we’re not patriotic, and it’s not because we don’t take pride in our government. We do. We are, you know, we’ve got a former, um, military person in Mr. Orozco.
[37:00] My father was in the military for 25 years, so I was raised. And so, um, we it was just, again, a budgetary we were $1.3 million last year in the whole. Okay, not 400. So we had to really do some cutting. And that came off the chopping board.
[37:20] But come Saturday, we we recognized this a while back during our retreat and we said, let’s have a forum where people can come and speak to the council after the hometown 4th of July, which we had this past 4th of July.
[37:36] And then we can talk about the big one and then see what we can do. So we’re open. Uh, but again, um, let’s, you know, we might have to raise your taxes if that’s what the majority of the, you know, I we just don’t know yet.
[37:52] But please come 9:00 this coming Saturday at the conference center. So I just wanted to put that plug in. It was during my announcements, but I thought some of you might leave. And so I wanted to let you all know. Okay. Yes. Go ahead, Mr. Cobb. And I do want to recognize that there was some good suggestions. Yes, exactly. I wrote him down.
[38:05] So, please, it was worthwhile. You’ve been here, and I thank you for being here. Please, if you’re interested and you’re able to please come Saturday to share, and maybe we can. Other people can share other thoughts, and we can come up to a great conclusion. So thank you. Yeah. All right okay. So with that yes.
[38:24] I wanted to make that point because our, our my PowerPoint is 175 slides. I’m not going to hit on every one of those slides. As the mayor mentioned, we’re going to move on to the enterprise fund. Right.
[38:40] Um, so if anybody has any questions in what I sent you in regard to the general fund, please let me know, okay. Yeah. I haven’t had a chance to really review it because it came in late this afternoon. But I will get back with you on that. I don’t know about the rest of you, but. I mean, there’s not a whole lot.
[38:53] I mean, you’re not looking at major changes from what I presented, but there were, um, some changes. Okay. Thank you. So moving on to enterprise Fund. So your operating revenues is sitting in about 5.5. And for those of you that don’t know what Enterprise Fund is for my youngsters out there, it’s your water fund. It’s your water, sewer and stormwater fund.
[39:11] Uh, live in a separate, um, kind of governmental fund called the Enterprise Fund. Uh, your operating expenses are sitting at about 4.7. Oops. Sorry. Uh, we transfer out for debt about 140, 104,000. I’m sorry. And we transfer out 1.3 for personal services, and we’re looking at spending 1.9 in capital.
[39:33] Um, the question always comes up, um, what are we doing with our impact fees? And so the Texas Local Government Code kind of illustrates our permitted uses and prohibited uses. Um, and then the just this this just outlines your permitted uses, and then your prohibited uses on what we can use in PAC fees for, uh, your enterprise fund is broken down. Excuse me. Mr. compost has a question.
[39:53] I think for the sake of the audience, you know, why do we have impact fees? What is it really about? I understand, you know, I’d like to tell you, it’s a great illustration of what you can use it for. But why do you have them? Sure. So impact fees are really set by new developments.
[40:11] When you have new developers come in, they pay impact fees in order to set up their water system. Those impact fees typically are only used to purchase water rights or, um, large water infrastructure capital projects. And so the law is very specific on what we can use those funds for, but they aren’t residential.
[40:28] They’re not coming from the residents of Leon Valley. They are from new development coming in from. And normally those are new developers. So your Seneca, your center, your trilogy, all of those new developments, um, pay impact fees.
[40:47] Um, your enterprise fund and operating revenue is broken down into your sewer cells, your water cells, your tapping connections, your customer penalties and your stormwater fees. Um, your expenses are broken down in a capital contractual personnel. Um, and transfers out. Your stormwater and it’s kind of broken down into your expenses for your stormwater, water and sewer.
[41:08] And one of the big reasons we used to group them all together. But the big component is really to try to keep your stormwater by itself, because your stormwater can only be used for certain things. Um, this is kind of a general summary of your entire, uh, water fee. And so, um, in Mr.
[41:27] Campos email earlier today, he had questions about how we kind of assign your impact fees. And so your impact fees live in a liability account. Um, but he’s not necessarily I mean, he’s not wrong. We always kind of put together in your capital, um, somewhere. Somewhere in here. Um. Oh, in your capital outlay, 140,000 for water rights.
[41:47] Um, and so we pay for the water rights with your impact fees. Um, so what we did was we’re illustrating, see this 140,000 here. We put it in here as a revenue source, and you’ll see it taken out as an expenditure. So just clear.
[42:05] Um, but your impact fees normally live in your liability account, so you’re not used to seeing it here. We just pay for those water rights from your liability account. But now we have it illustrated. So it’s just clear. Um, your total operating revenue is sitting at 5.5. The other big change I made, oh, it’s going to be on the upcoming slide.
[42:24] Um, so if you take a look at your water and sewer combined, just your water and sewer, your ending fund balance is sitting at 1.7, your stormwater sitting at a negative. And the big reason it is, is because I haven’t made a decision or not me, but the council hasn’t made a decision on whether or not to budget for the erosion project.
[42:40] So we all decided to do the eight. You can’t. You wouldn’t be able to do the 800,000 for the erosion project because it would put you in the negative so you could allocate maybe, you know, 300,000 to kind of keep you out of the negative from your stormwater. But we do have to make a decision this evening.
[42:57] So I know what to do with that amount, because you can’t continue to sit negative. So I need a dollar amount or a no amount. Um, so we can move forward with with what you want to do with that.
[43:13] Um, so if you take a look at your, um, just your water on your water side, you will see, um, your water personnel, your supplies and your contractual services. Here is the water rights. That 140 000.
[43:31] So if you go back and look at the budget from the last time, you’ll see that, um, it’s the water, right? Impact is coming from your water supply fund balance. Right. So just the footnote is there now. Mr. Campos. So, you know, we’ve we’ve had other discussions.
[43:58] Uh, it may have been outside of the budget, but we talked about the Texas water development, uh, grants that we’re going to submit for to have projects, I think valued roughly about 21 million in terms of grant funds from CDB. And I would like to suggest for my council’s colleagues consideration that instead of doing allocating the 500,000 to capital for water and sewer, that we reduce that to maybe 150,000 and just wait a little bit to see what response we get from CDB as to
[44:25] whether they accept our projects. Now, I’m not sure because I didn’t ask this question in advance. Is there any way that we can lend that money to the stormwater to cure this? Uh, the deficit.
[44:44] So you can’t lend money to stormwater, but you can pay for if you want to do the like, say you want to do 200,000 from your stormwater, you can take the remaining balance, um, from. I wouldn’t take it from your water and sewer, but you can take it from your your reserve fund. I mean, you can take it from another another fund.
[45:03] Um, water and sewer capital outlay or reserve items is set for your water and sewer projects. Um, and shouldn’t be used for erosion or flood control projects. Your stormwater can be. And that’s one of the reasons we keep it separate.
[45:24] Um, but you can, um, take a look at using, um, either if your general fund reserve for that amount, um, for the other portion so we can split it 5050 if that’s something you would like to do. Um, the other big thing is, is, is, is that we allocated $800,000. I don’t know if you’re going to spend all $800,000. And the big reason is, is I sent you all the city engineer drop wall kind of option.
[45:44] Once y’all pick an option, um, I, I don’t think the plans are going to be 800,000. So it’s, I put in 800,000 because that was the original kind of conversation that council had last year when we were talking about the project. But depending on what option you pick, the project may be upwards of $1 million.
[46:02] Um, and you don’t have that. But the idea was to get the option so I could either go out for grant funds or look at other stakeholders that could possibly help us offset the cost for the project itself.
[46:19] Um, but to pick a plan, um, I don’t know if it’s going to be 800,000 or how much more the the engineering is going to cost for said plan, because I don’t know what option you’re picking. So I don’t know if you want to reduce it to like 300,000.
[46:38] And then if the engineering for the option comes in higher than you would take the remaining from one of the other reserve accounts, whether it’s your reserve fund, whether it’s your, um, your general fund reserve or trying to think if there’s another fund. Um, but I wouldn’t take it from your water or sewer fund. Okay. Do you hear me say, Mr. Campos.
[46:58] I would recommend again lowering the 500,000 for capital for sewer and water down to 150, just in case we have some type of emergency needs that, uh, repairs for water, sewer. But I. I’d like just. This is just my opinion. I’d like to get off center with this, uh, erosion problem.
[47:18] And, uh, start if we leave it at 800 and we don’t use it, it’ll roll over. Right? And so let’s let’s fund from the capital reserve, from the general fund, okay. To make up the, the. The difference. Okay.
[47:37] My recommendation, I think we just, I think there, there may be members of the council here that not we’re not part of the original discussion and we need to present it to them. And then let’s make a decision once and for all. I know my colleague, uh, uh, Councilor Orozco, he voiced that he, you know, we need to do something.
[47:56] We’ve we’ve already spent a number of dollars, but we need to make a decision, I think in this coming fiscal year. Or a quarter. Of $1 million. Well, yes, I’d like us to revisit all those options so that we can, you know, ask questions and then make an educated decision, but then not be rushed. Tonight, I don’t think.
[48:14] Well, it’s not rush tonight to pick a plan. You can’t sit negative in your stormwater account. So. Right. So you need to cure that. I just need to know what the percentage is to cure it.
[48:30] Do you want to go to absolute zero and just move the 83,000 and offset that in your general fund reserve and keep the cost of those options at 800,000? Do you want to reduce that to 300,000? And then if we hit that amount, then if we hit more than that, then I would come back for a budget adjustment. But you can’t stay at a -83,000 sitting there. So that’s what I need to cure this evening. The number.
[48:47] Correct. The second thing is, is I need consensus for the 150,000. So I heard from Mr. Compost that to reduce the capital outlay for both water and sewer to, um, each account. Right. Mr.. Compost to 150,000. So it is everybody in agreement with that so I can make that change.
[49:03] So the other the, um, the balance will go back to the reserve or you know what I’m saying. In other words, we have 500,000. So we reduce it to 150. Then it’s just going to go back to our reserve just in case there’s an emergency. That what you’re saying? I just.
[49:19] Want to. Right. For the water and sewer fund. The water and sewer. That’s right. So so the different we budget typically a half $1 million and we put water main replacements and sewer main replacements. And that’s normally either done because we have a project or plans geared up.
[49:38] The only project I have is about 88,000 for engineering service to start doing the engineering for phase two of the water project. So, um, that’s one of the ones that are sitting there. But we do have our system is old, we do have main breaks, and the guys do work on their sewer lines.
[49:54] Um, so we do use those funds for the, for, for offset, um, those kinds of repairs throughout the year. Um, but you can reduce them. And if we have a large break, then we would come to you for a budget adjustment.
[50:08] But just to know on the record, if we have a main break on Bandera Road, it is not a question for the council. I would just we would just make the repair, um, and then come to council later. But it would be a large break, significant water loss.
[50:26] Um, but that’s why Melinda was sitting around a half $1 million on both for those types of things that would occur because they do occur. We’ve we’ve had some. Yeah. Well, I mean, it’ll be in the reserve fund. Can you please Peter. So I mean. I’m okay with the suggestion budget.
[50:41] Can you put it back? Um, and also that’s I guess I heard in your comment because we’re hopeful that we’re going to get some grant money, correct that. Right. And how much do we have outstanding. That may come in. It’s a grant money. Do we know that. Well we we don’t decide for 21 million. Correct. Will we. Up to 21. To 21 million. Last meeting. So yes. Okay. So your last meeting gave us the authority to apply.
[50:58] For that, right? I don’t know if we’ll get a nickel. From that. Yeah. Um, but essentially what we normally do, if you take a look at your budget, you have 500,000 sitting here for improvements. And so we try to use those funds for improvements.
[51:13] But if you drop it down to 150,000, that would allow me to go for the plans, which is 88,000 to go for the plans for priority one on the water side, because, um, that’s the next kind of I would like to have those plans in order to submit them as an addendum to our grant to show that we have
[51:25] plans available for that to help us get more points in the allocation of the grant. Um, but this this is where we’re sitting. So I think I’m hearing seeing head nods y’all are okay with 150,000.
[51:39] But for both the water and the sewer, even though the sewer is not part of the grant, it’s only water. Correct. I just want to clarify that. Yes, councillor Marsh. I’m okay with reducing it to the 150. Okay. And Councillor Roscoe. There are 150. Yes. Isn’t 250 from 500,000 to 250? Yes, ma’am. I’m with that. Okay, great. All right, miss councillor Holland I agree. Bolton. Okay. Very good.
[52:01] So yeah. So then that means there’s going to be no like even small water and sewer projects for next year. As far as geared towards projects. Um, right. Well I mean again. comes up. Yep. Yeah. We have we have it in the reserve fund if we need it. Need to. Correct. But we’re not going.
[52:17] What I’m saying is, is I’m not coming back to you with priority two and saying, hey, here you go. Unless we have an emergency, I just want to make that clear.
[52:31] So when you get residents that call and say, hey, when’s the next one? Am I ready for my project? We’re that’s going to be my responses. We’re only doing the plans for priority two is the next phase. We don’t have a project geared up for next year. Just the plans for priority two. Water. Water only. No water or only fabric.
[52:48] And the only thing else that I could think of that could change is that if our our staff is very talented and have written, uh, for grants and we’ve received a number of them. Right. And so it would change if we if we received a grant right, during that fiscal year. Right. But we would at least have some money to go against.
[53:09] Correct. So like if we applied for a seat, let’s say a new CDBG round came up. And I because we pay for the typically on a CDBG grant, we pay for the engineering, uh, cost for that. Um, and the plans for said project.
[53:24] If a grant were to come available, yes, I would come back for budget adjustment to. And then also for you to authorize me to go for said grant, and that would come from your reserve fund. So I don’t I don’t see that impacting us going for grants or future CDBG funds or any of that. We would come back for a budget adjustment.
[53:39] I would not miss an opportunity for Grant because I don’t have the money in in the budget. But if we were to get a grant, we would definitely go. Councilor Roscoe. Doctor Caldeira, on those grants that we get.
[53:51] We used to I mean, we have to put some money in ourselves as well, don’t we? Yeah. So for CDBG, for the CDBG funds, yes, we have to pay for the engineering costs. Correct. Okay. And we need some other grant funds. You do have to pay a percentage for the Texas Development Water Board grant. There’s no match. Oh, really? Okay. All right. Thank you 100%.
[54:07] That’s why we’re optimistic we’re going to get some money. I’m hoping that we do. Right I wish. Yes, sir. Go ahead, Mr. Campos. And by going through a budget adjustment, it’s not a it shouldn’t be a nick on any staff member.
[54:24] The city manager, because I just want to remind, uh, my colleagues here, uh, this is one of the questions I had when we first adopted the water and sewer budget last year. We didn’t expect to do some of the projects we did, and we did one, two, three, four, five, six, seven projects. That’s we had a very healthy, uh, fund balance.
[54:44] But we made budget adjustments because we had some opportunities to do some of these projects. And she named them in the questions that the responses. I got back may be the El Verde Water line project with the purchase of water rights, replacement of water mains, Cami way, replacement of sewer mains, Seneca West
[55:05] drainage and there was one Forrest Oaks sewer main I think is the name of it. It cut off on my sheet. Here. Uh, but so having to come back, I mean, don’t I don’t think that’s going to be held against anybody. Yeah. So budget adjustments typically it the way we don’t like to do budget adjustments.
[55:23] And one of the big reasons from like the management perspective of why we don’t do budget is it looks like you didn’t budget appropriately. Right. Like when you come back for budget adjustments, it looks. But in this particular case, because it’s your enterprise fund and you’re not having as healthy of a balance as you have before.
[55:38] And we’re waiting to see the results of the Texas development water, as a lot of cities are. There’s a lot of cities going for this grant. Um, uh, and so in this particular case, um, that’s where we’re geared up. Now, my plan is in the future.
[55:54] And I’ve had this conversation a couple of times with y’all, including the retreat. I would like to break down once the council votes on the plan, which over the next three months, David’s going to bring back to y’all. Um, then each year you won’t get 500,000 in water mains.
[56:09] They will be broken down into projects and then you will have a certain amount set aside for emergency breaks. We’re not there yet, y’all. We just barely got the plans in the priorities. Um, from the engineer. And so David’s working out to kind of cross them with your street maintenance.
[56:26] And so we’re going through a couple of drafts right now to be able to present that to y’all. Once you all vote on that in your neck, hopefully in your next year’s budget, those that 500,000 will actually be broken down into real projects versus budget adjustment related projects. Okay, counselor, real sorry. Is the 21 million. It’s not one big grant.
[56:45] It’s going to be broken up to different cities. Is that correct? No. We’re going for 21 million. Okay. Um, the federal the federal government, I forget the dollar amounts like 4. Billion, billion. Dollars. Billion dollars dollars. Um, but we’ve had this grant is quite complicated because it’s a federal grant.
[57:05] Um, there’s a lot of criteria and a lot of cities going. I mean, on one call in order to review how the grant was going to work, there’s 400 people on that one call. Um, and they’ve had multiple calls. So, um, it is a very extensive competitive grant.
[57:21] Our engineers are the ones really kind of putting together the grant application on our behalf. Um, and so, um, we’re very hopeful. Hopefully we can hit all the criteria for that grant application. But plans are a big part of that.
[57:36] And one of the big reasons I wanted to spend the 88,000 for this priority two, um, is I could probably submit an addendum to said grant to show that we have that set of plans and try to maximize the number of points we get in that category. Thank you. Um. What else? I’m sorry. Okay. Go ahead. Go ahead. Okay. So I’m going to move on now. Um, to your.
[57:54] Stormwater fund. Sorry. So we can talk a little bit about the 800,000. So, um, just kind of getting your input on, do you want to put 400,000 here and 400,000 in your capital reserve fund? Kind of what I’m going to kick you off to.
[58:13] What are your thoughts on that kind of split? Or do you want to zero out your stormwater fund? Um, and then I put 83,000 over into your reserve fund. This is what we have in our stormwater, the 800,000. That’s what your budgeted for, your erosion project. Okay. That’s in there. Ready to go. If we right. Know so. Well it’s in there now. But you’ll go -$83,000.
[58:34] I understand, but we have it in there as far as, uh, line item. Yeah. Yes. Mr. Campos, go ahead. I don’t see the harm of putting the 800,000 and then subsidizing the 23 to 0 it out. Okay. For the stormwater. Okay. I don’t see a downside to it.
[58:51] If we don’t use it all, it’ll be returned to the stormwater reserve, right? We. Yeah. So we don’t use 800,000. Well, it’s 800,000. And you’re sitting -83 right. So let me go back to that slide. So we’re going to just take it from the reserve. Is that what you want.
[59:10] So so what I’m saying is I won’t budget the well I’m trying to figure out the best way to do that. I can put I can budget the 800,000 and take this 83,000 from your reserve fund. So it looks balanced. We can even make it simpler. Why don’t we just make the 807 hundred, right? That’s what.
[59:27] I’m asking. Let’s just. Do. That right. And just. You don’t have. To. take anything. They just clean. That’s. That’s what I’m asking. So I just some people are not some people, but they don’t like to see zero in a reserve fund.
[59:40] So if you don’t want to see zero just it’s more observational than anything, then you could do 404 hundred or you if you don’t want to hit your reserve fund recommendation, because stormwater funds can only be used for certain types of things. And this is one of the things.
[59:54] So I’m in agreement that you could zero out this account. Um, and we could do 700,000 and just leave it at that. And if we need more money, then we would come from that, from a budget adjustment, if that’s what you all want to do. Is everyone agree about the 700,000? Okay. And then we’re we won’t be in the negative okay. Very good.
[1:00:11] I just say going into my reserve fund. But I’m okay with it. Okay, okay. Just moving the numbers. Okay. All right. Um. It’s better. Yep. So for the most part, I think you’ll be sitting pretty clean for your water and sewer fund.
[1:00:30] Now that we made that adjustment on your stormwater fund. Um, I do want to. So I’m going to move past the enterprise fund. Unless you all have, um, I’m trying to keep this portion of the presentation since the council meeting, and we have a lot of items to lessen an hour.
[1:00:44] So does anybody have any other questions on the enterprise Fund other than the ones that I’ve addressed? No. Okay. I’m going to move over to the red light camera fund. Um, your red light camera fund is showing a budgeted balance.
[1:01:00] Um, I am, I did tick up your red light camera fines because the way we’re tracking this year, um, so your total revenue for next year sitting at 2.4, um, your personnel services is still sitting at 1.9. Um, and your ending fund balance is sitting at 502. Yes. Yes, sir, Mr. compost. So I’d just like to give a little history.
[1:01:26] Is that the red light camera has been used to fund police officers, and it’s out of our general fund. So we don’t have a deficit that contracts ending in 2037. And we have this year moved two officers out of this red light camera into the general fund and one into the Ed. Is that. No. So I moved both of them into the general fund.
[1:01:46] And then, I mean, and then I moved one police officer into your EDC fund. I mean, you can look at that as me doing that, I guess. But, um, essentially what I originally did was take your two traffic safety officers that are funded by red light camera, put them into general fund.
[1:02:02] I restructured your percentages over, and then I moved an additional police officer into your EDC d fund. Um, as a community resources officer. So, yes. So essentially. What here’s what my point is, is that there’s still, uh, a million, $99,000 in police officers that are still within this red light camera.
[1:02:27] And, you know, I, I just want to point this out that we’re trying to wean ourselves off of this red light camera before it expires, and we need to have a plan. So even when it looks like, well, hey, it’s simple as taking it out of the reserve. It’s more complicated than that. Okay. And I’m just trying to illustrate that.
[1:02:45] And there’s still, what, six officers still covered. So there’s six officers still covered at the end of your red light camera though I think it’s really only four because your administrative Hearing officers. Um, David’s going to have a different argument than me. He would like to keep those two patrol officers as patrol officers.
[1:03:00] But there’s two administrative hearing officers technically can go with the contract. Right. So then it’s really for moving over. But you don’t just have officers there. You have a portion of a court salary. My salary, finance director salary. Portions of those salaries are coming out of the light camera fund.
[1:03:14] So it’s not just those four officers. If you take a look at the end of your slideshow presentation for the budget, you’ll see the split still remaining in your red light camera fund that you’re going to have to account for at some point.
[1:03:28] Because even though even if the the perspective is to cut police officers, you can’t cut your finance director. So you’re going to have to move her salary over into general fund or that portion of her salary that’s being paid out of there over into your general fund. Um.
[1:03:43] Excuse me, can I ask you how much, uh, does that total for all of the split salaries? Do you mean saying, in other words. Yeah, 10% for the court clerk. Um, do we have a total your your salary? I mean. It all totals to 1,099,000. Oh, that’s what you’re. Okay, so just for the person. Just for personal. Not the person, not the police officers, just the person.
[1:04:07] All personnel, including police. So any dollar amount, any dollar amount included, including police remaining in that budget, IT personnel. Yeah. Is is that amount. But I was trying not to do the police and just do what the balance is of everybody else to see if we can wean wean us off that, you know, gradually.
[1:04:32] Well that’s what that’s what we’re doing. So the reason I touch police first, because they’re $100,000 a hit, um, where our splits can be eventually offset into your enterprise fund. And so that’s a solution. Not maybe. Up to the enterprise fund, which we’d already taken you all out.
[1:04:52] Um, but that isn’t when you’re looking. So, I mean, at some point, you’re going to have to you’re, you’re you’re not going to be able to raise your property tax all the way up to $0.90. Right? Like that’s a ridiculous conclusion to draw.
[1:05:07] So I’m trying everything I can to help mitigate your property tax rate. Um, and not move everybody into your general fund, because that will impact your, your, your ad valorem tax rate. Right. If you’re trying to encompass all of that or your, your sales tax. Right.
[1:05:28] And it’s unrealistic for me to say that we’re going to generate in the next five years an absorbent amount of sales tax dollars to offset your general fund. That’s that’s wishful thinking more than it is a rational thought. And so what I’m trying to do is we move the police first.
[1:05:45] Your administrative staff, technically, um, can be split into other funds, and you do have some crime control money that could be there, and you have a little bit of other funds that we can help with that over the next couple of years. I’m just doing it piece by piece. So this year we took two. We moved people in the etcd fund. We restructured the general fund.
[1:06:03] As I went through last council meeting, um, and this is where you’re currently sitting, you’re still sitting at $452,000 in the hole with me making those structural moves. Um, so again, it’s just a matter of what the council is willing to do, what cuts you’re willing to make. Yes, Councilor Campos.
[1:06:27] And so one of the reasons for taking them out of the, uh, enterprise Fund in a prior city manager to me, would just balance the budget by just charging the enterprise fund for any deficit that I saw, in my opinion. Okay. But it was unfair because only two thirds of the Leon Valley residents actually used this enterprise fund.
[1:06:51] So everybody that has source water and sewer, it was not it didn’t affect us. And so it was burdening to me, uh, the citizens that had Leon Valley water. That’s why we we moved to make it more equitable.
[1:07:14] To what, what was the actual utilization of their time to be reflected within the enterprise fund? Correct. And then my phone, a friend back here told me, uh, for every all other personnels. 357 $357,000. Okay. Excluding the police. Thank you. That’s what I wanted to know. Thank you. 357,000. Okay. But then you’d have to be prepared to cut police, right? I mean, that’s. The alternative. I understand it’s 1.
[1:07:36] 9 for everything but 357 for administrative. No, it’s not 1.1.9. Includes all of your all of your expenditures in personnel, okay. Expenditures and personnel. You have in that 1.9, you have contractual services, you have your capital outlay. Um, but all your personnel services, uh, in currently in your relay camera is 739. Um, but then you move over into, um, hold on.
[1:08:07] Yeah. I was trying to get there. Sorry. Oh, it’s at the very beginning. So if you go to your summary general fund slide. Sorry. It’s like a hundred slides back. Um, you will see the total amount for all your personal services that are over there that are pulled into your relay cameras.
[1:08:23] So 357,000 plus your 700 and whatever sitting over there. 700. Yes. Thank you, thank you. I’m sorry, I just I was trying not to go all the way back in the savings of time. Yeah. There it is. Sorry. There you go. Um. Yeah. Keeps. Yeah. Yeah. It means yes. Um.
[1:08:50] Uh. Traffic safety. We went over, um, and we’ve cleared out the personnel services from there. Um, we’ve gone over the detail in your traffic safety and in your red light cameras. I don’t know if you want me to kind of go through, like, what we have over there. Now.
[1:09:08] Um, but essentially sitting in your traffic safety from your contractual services is broken down in detail. So it’s important to note that even though some of these items, um, you’re going to have to figure out how to pay for them out of your general fund.
[1:09:28] So it’s not just personal services you’re looking at, right? You your pay your city audit out of this account. Um. that 8% percentage that correct. Correct. Your pay eight $8,000 of it is going to have to move over to your reserve fund.
[1:09:44] We pay a portion of tech lead in this account that would have to move over to your general fund, but then you’re not going to be paying your ATS contract. Right. So, um. It’s just important to note that anytime you’re we develop a fund that has revenue sources, we do our best to be creative, to make sure that we’re not hitting your general fund reserve.
[1:10:02] And over the last ten years with red light cameras has really offset the impact into your general fund reserve. Um, that you’re going to have to. Encompass between now and 2037. Uh, the big capital item sitting over here in your traffic safety is a is a patrol vehicle.
[1:10:24] Um, and then in your red light camera, do we put a car over there? No. Okay. Just just one vehicle. Just the one. Yeah. Okay. Um, your crime control prevention fund, um, your revenue sitting at 446,000, your expenditure sitting at 444. Uh, this is your personnel services sitting at, um, expenditures of sitting at 276,000.
[1:10:47] Your supplies is 11,000. Uh, your contractual services, 73,000. And your capital outlay sitting at 223,000. Um, our anticipated revenue in this fund is sitting at 446,000. Uh, we do shared personal services of 83,000. That amount moves over into your general fund in order to support, um, a police officer. Uh, this is the breakdown of your expenditures.
[1:11:11] We go into great detail on how each dollar and penny is spent. Um, and we start out and we break it down even more. Um, here’s the forensic testing that we talked about earlier.
[1:11:27] Uh, we try our best to not have to use that fund, but we do have to budget for said fund. Um, the big expenses in this fund are dealing with your CAD system, your axon tasers, your vehicle and body cam. Um, or radio airtime. Um, are the big, uh, contractual service dollar amounts that come out of this account? Um, we are looking at replacing one detective vehicle.
[1:11:48] There is 50,000 sitting in for your flock cameras that isn’t coming in from your operating expense. This is also not coming in from your general fund reserve. So when we talk about the flock cameras and whether or not that can support the 4th of July, the answer to that is no, because the 50,000 is coming from your crime control
[1:12:02] prevention district fund, and you can’t use those funds to pay for 4th of July. Okay. Is that for the renewal of the flap that is year? We got a grant for the first year, right? This is this year. Correct? The council authorized just to sign a two year contract.
[1:12:18] Year one is paid for grant. Year two. It would come out of your your. Time crime control. Crime control. Okay. Where’s your phone? Yes, ma’am. And then your property room plans are sitting at 100,000. In this account. Moving on to your.
[1:12:36] Do you have any questions on crime control? Crime control prevention? How you can use those funds? Why you can’t pay for 4th of July with these funds. Any questions in regard to that? Okay. Moving on to your community center fund. Your operating revenue is sitting at 100,000. Your expenditures are sitting at 100,000. Um. Uh. Sorry.
[1:12:54] What we did here is we moved your rental fees over in your EDC d fund in order to support personnel services. The only revenue source coming in for this, um, for this budget is going to be your hotel motel tax. Your personnel services is sitting at, um, 37,000. Again, we move the percentage of Miss Miranda over into your EDC d fund.
[1:13:14] So this will be the remaining amount of her salary. Uh, your capital outlays, 160,000. The bathrooms. Um, for the restrooms of the conference center. Um, and I do feel that you have enough this year sitting in your reserve fund to be able to do that. You’ll leave you 183,000 if something goes wrong.
[1:13:32] Um, we do have a couple of leaks at the conference center roof, so we may look may have to look at in the near future of replacing that roof of the conference center. Uh, your community center expenditure detail. Um, this is like a general summary.
[1:13:55] We get into very detail, including toilet repairs and light fixtures and kitchen appliance repairs, janitorial services and chair cleaning. Um, miscellaneous window cleaning, those kinds of things, depending on the usage. So we budget for chair cleaning and we budget for very big deep cleaning. But it also depends on your renters. So some years like this year, we haven’t really had a bad renter where we needed to bring people in.
[1:14:15] We’ve had renters that have destroyed our restrooms, broken toilets, um, feces kind of situations. And I have to bring an outside contractor in to kind of do those. Repair public works isn’t going to do that. Those types of repairs and cleanup. Um, this year we haven’t had that kind of issue.
[1:14:33] So it’s up to when we talk about whether or not we’re going to spend those funds or the cleaning in house was enough this year. So far it has been.
[1:14:44] We do need to do some chair cleaning, which we may do before the end of the fiscal year. Um, if not, um, they’ll it will be early at the beginning of next year, but. Um, so that is your community center fund again. We have 160 sitting over there for the restrooms. Moving on to your any questions on your community center fund. That I can see.
[1:15:04] No. Um, and the hotel motel tax that we get in revenue, as you can see, is because the next question will be, what can you use? Fourth, can you pay for 4th of July out of those funds, a hotel motel tax, um, could possibly be used for, uh, 4th
[1:15:18] of July because it’s a tourist type event. You just don’t have money in your community. They literally make enough money to cover repairs, maintenance and the operations utilities of those buildings. You don’t have a healthy reserve fund there.
[1:15:34] You normally sit around 300,000, I think is the highest I’ve seen it in the last couple of years. And we use that for big repairs on those buildings. Um, your street maintenance tax fund, um, this account gets zeroed out. Um, we are going to tie some projects to, um, mayor. Oh, I’m sorry, I was making a note about street maintenance.
[1:15:54] Zero out, just so I don’t. Yes, councillor. Compost. Uh, the street maintenance again, this is, uh, related to a sales tax. Funded a revenue stream.
[1:16:17] Here’s where I, you know, we had talked about, uh, a consultant for $20,000 to oversee some capital projects, and I’m wondering whether or not this would be a fit for for that for an outside contractor to monitor our street maintenance program. Yes. That. Yes. I was just going to suggest that as a consideration for that. But I thought it wasn’t for streets. I thought it was for the water project. If we get funding. No.
[1:16:37] So so I had put in 20,000 for project management. I removed I generally it’s for anything. Well, and the original idea that I had for the 20,000 was for Melinda to help with the erosion project.
[1:16:51] If the council voted to do the erosion project, because David’s plate is a little full. We’ve got lots of projects. The second part to that is if we were to get the Texas Development Water Board grant, I would need he would need help.
[1:17:05] I mean, if we’re turning out all of those projects, that’s but that’s a separate kind of issue that would handle within those grant funds and within that dollar amount. Um, but yes, if we’re moving and grooving through your street maintenance projects, we could bring in consultant in, uh, to help assist from a project management perspective. Um, here. I’m pretty. I’m. Yeah. I’m pretty sure you could use the funds for that.
[1:17:22] Just like you pay for engineering for the maintenance portion. So as long as it’s dealing with the maintenance, the mill and overlay portion of it, you could, um, the big question is going to be what streets we’re going to do.
[1:17:36] And I’m trying to cross-reference your street so we don’t have a sewer project, kind of like what we did in the area. Yeah. Um, and do a patch job. I’m trying to do an overlay of your street project in conjunction with your water and sewer projects. And David’s got to when you see the spreadsheet, it’s a really cool spreadsheet. It’s a project management spreadsheet.
[1:17:51] Um, I’m we’re just it’s in draft form, so I haven’t provided it to y’all yet. Um, but it overlays your street maintenance priorities with your water and sewer priorities. And then when you again, when you vote on that plan, we will section off, um, your street maintenance.
[1:18:10] And it may be that you build this reserve fund as, as we wait on these water projects, so you’ll have the money to do it, if that makes sense. But you will see the plan will go over all of that with you. Um, and then you you as a body will make that decision on how you want to handle that. All right.
[1:18:24] Anyone else? Uh, special revenue funds, I think last time, uh, we did this general slide, I’ve given you all more detail on your special revenue funds at a request from Mr. Compost. Uh, so we’ll go off in your Leos fund. Your Leos fund can only be used for training of your police.
[1:18:40] We have that pretty much zeroed out. Um, we send our police officers to training. Uh, we go through that dollar amount pretty quickly. This cannot be used for anything other than what’s dictated to us by, uh, Senate Bill 1135. And so down here, like eligible expenses, some equipment, some tuition, subscriptions, travel expenses, etc..
[1:19:03] Um, your next special revenue fund is your court building security fund. Again, legislation gives us direction on how we can spend it. We can spend it on X-ray machines, walk through metal detectors, um, handled metal detectors, lock chains.
[1:19:23] A lot of these funds are, um, uh, used for, um, like bailiff, um, computers in the judge’s office. Um, the one the one thing breaks. We have to replace it. That’s usually what this fund is used for. Um. Child safety fund can only be used for your school crossing guard. Um, we have been vacant. So if anybody’s looking at being a school crossing.
[1:19:45] Oh, Miss Alonzo left, um, school crossing guard. Uh, we’re looking for school crossing guard. Please apply. The job is on our website. Um, but these are what this fund is used for. Um, that’s your detail. Your municipal court technology. Um, we use this fund for different things, usually broken receipt machines. Oops. Sorry.
[1:20:08] Let’s try to get sellable. Um, we use it for this year. We used it for your signature pads. We needed to upgrade your signature pads when you sign for in court. Um, and so that’s what we use the money for this year. Yes, sir. Uh, Councilor Campos. Is there any.
[1:20:26] Is there any allocation for our in code that’s in this court technology? Yes, sir. So I did put in 8500 as a portion of that, uh, their expenditure. That’s one of the contracts. I don’t know if it’s in here either. It is 8500 C in code. Yes, sir.
[1:20:44] Here’s your debt services. Uh, your it’s your refunding bond and your CFO that’s currently your outstanding debt. Um, this is your debt fund. Um, and here are the, um, kind of. Uh. 2016 CFO. Um, and then your geo refunding bond.
[1:21:12] And so that’s your expenditure sitting at 685, uh, your police forfeiture, again, this is dictated to us on how we can spend it by the Texas Code of Criminal Procedure, chapter 59. Um, we can only use this to pay for equipment for law enforcement. Community outreach, officer training. Um, law enforcement objectives. Um, we do have a personnel services allocated in this account.
[1:21:32] Um, we do have some contractual services and capital outlay. Um, you do have a nice ending fund balance sitting here at 900,000 as we go over your future capital outlay, you’ll see how we’re eating up that ending fund balance. Here is your forfeiture fund expenditure detail. Um, and then your personnel.
[1:21:52] Uh, what’s included in this amount is your salary adjustments and your salary scale. Longevity pay, um, and your longevity paid is done in, um, November. Uh, someone asked on what the cost is for the increase that we have projected. It’s 132,000 to your general fund.
[1:22:11] For what? That what was that for? The increase in your the 2% increase in your market increase that you have allocated for the staff in this budget is 132,000. In your general fund. And I’m again just trying to find I don’t want to cut anything, but we gotta find more cuts. Right. What if what would it cost if we went from 2% to 1.5%? Sure. So I haven’t done those calculations for two reasons.
[1:22:30] Okay. One, I want to see what the health insurance rate comes in at. And so, um, that’s currently the increase budgeted in your budget is sitting at 195,000, which would offset the increase anyway. So if we are able to zero out your health insurance increase, that would offset that cost.
[1:22:48] Um, I don’t want the staff not to get an increase to take a decrease in their pay based on your health insurance benefits. And so what typically happens is the cost for dependent care coverage or the cost goes up and then you don’t give an increase. So then that means next year their paycheck is lower.
[1:23:03] What they’re taking home because the cost of their benefit has increased when you haven’t given a raise. So my goal is either to wash it out to where they don’t see a hit, but it’s enough to cover their coverage, or that they get a little bit more. Um, sure.
[1:23:17] You know, that’s that’s the goal. But yes. So we have some I have different scenarios. Okay. Available to you all. I’m just not I’m haven’t made that jump yet, but I my goal is, is for y’all to for me to get the no new revenue rate. We’ve got the certified tax rolls to see what the no new.
[1:23:31] I don’t know what that’s going to come in at to see what that looks like. Um, but also to see what your health insurance, because that’s a big chunk of, of the increase sitting in your personnel. Um, to see what that actually looks like for next year.
[1:23:44] And if we have to if we don’t give a 2%, we don’t give a 2%. Um, if we have to talk about staff cuts in order to make that deficit because we’re not comfortable with increasing the property tax. And that’s also another conversation we can have.
[1:23:59] But before we head down that path, um, because I don’t I also like, don’t want to crush the staff morale either. Um, I’d like to make sure I have all the available information before we start openly discussing those. Kinds of cuts. Well, I’m glad you’re thinking of options. Yes, ma’am. That’s. Yes, ma’am. It’s our responsibility. Absolutely. Yes. Mr. Campos. I hope we. Only consider that reducing, uh, benefits to the staff for raises as a last resort.
[1:24:22] Because affordability right now. I. Know it’s difficult. And, you know, even with 2% and the staff increase, I don’t even know that it keeps up with the cost of inflation. So just just a conversation just to think. Absolutely. That’s all.
[1:24:42] I mean, it’s not like we’re not making a decision tonight, but I, I agree with you. I don’t that’s why I said hesitantly, I open my mouth for that. But I know. You should, mayor. I mean that your the money is y’all’s responsibility, you know, and it is always a conversation.
[1:24:57] And we’ve had this conversation at some point, you know, we may have to look at reducing services to some degree. Right. Like what does that really look like. Do we only cut Bandera Road quarterly and reduce the park personnel by four employees? You know, do you reduce the accreditation at the light? We no longer have an accredited library.
[1:25:14] We’re going to reduce the library programming, not the staff or um, but go back to the old school library. We check out books and only have small type programs. We don’t do the large programs. Well, we’re not going to be an accredited library anymore, but the community may be okay with that.
[1:25:28] They may not, you know, want the big, big rig petting zoo and the carnival and all of those things? Is it is it a reduction in service in one of the areas, whether it’s public works or library or, um, some other form or fashion, you know, do we not have somebody answer the phone? Do you know, do we go to an automated system? Do we move
[1:25:46] more towards AI? Do we have robots begin cutting grass? Like what does that really look like in in in the long term kind of. Um, but yes, we have all of that. We’re taking into consideration. I heard, um, the mayor of San Antonio interviewed this week on David Martin Davies, and there are $159 million in the hole.
[1:26:04] I’ll take 450. So she said, um, just to put it in perspective, and I can’t remember all of them, but I do remember she said, you’d have to close all the libraries, take away animal control completely, and then do something else.
[1:26:23] Another whole department and these three chunks, and you’re still 20 million in the hole. I’m like, whoa, I mean, so it’s a challenge, but, you know, go ahead. I just. Uh, refresh my memory. We didn’t reduce anybody’s salary last year, did we? Other than General Ontario, the we. So we didn’t reduce anybody’s we. So it’s very hard pressed.
[1:26:43] We normally don’t reduce salaries because normally what happens is you have a range a salary range. Right. And so when you bring in a new person, that new person starts at typically the bottom end of your salary scale.
[1:27:01] So as you have turnover throughout the year or as a city continues, you’ll see your personnel services kind of ebb and flow, because we’ll have a longevity of 40 year staff, right, that are at the top end of the scale. Well, as they begin to retire, you’ll have new staff that comes in and not hopefully, but they normally start off at the bottom edge of the six of the scale.
[1:27:15] And so you’ll see your personnel cost kind of take a little bit of a dip. Um, we got a little wonky. And the reason that we’re not trending so much that way is because the council went a couple of years without increases. The council was really behind in paying appropriate market rate for some of the staff.
[1:27:33] And so we got behind and it was harder for us to hire. Um, so we were running vacancies like 4 or 5 vacancies. We’re not running that right now.
[1:27:47] Um, and so as we have to kind of keep up with our counterparts, um, but I don’t I don’t ever suggest us being at the top end of that scale either. I try to keep us in the middle as much as I can. We kind of most of them are. We’re coming up to par as far as our salaries. Correct. But like, say, this year you’re not able to do it.
[1:27:58] So we can’t go up in property tax and you can’t do the increases. Then you will start seeing because like I’m already seeing where other cities are already above us. So if you don’t do the increases, you’re going to start trailing behind. And that’s what’s happened in the past.
[1:28:14] We’ve gone years where we don’t give the increases, we get farther behind, and then we have to come and pay the piper at some point. And then it’s a big hit to your budget when we when we try to make that adjustment.
[1:28:27] Um, so I always recommend some sort of increase to try our best to stay up to par, but maybe it isn’t the 2% and the 2%. Maybe it’s 1.5 and two. Maybe it’s one and a two. Um, maybe it’s a benefit reduction. Um, maybe it’s a little bit of both. Maybe it is a staff cutting position and a reduction in benefits. Maybe it’s none of those things.
[1:28:46] Maybe the council is okay with saying, you know what, we don’t want to touch the staff benefits. We’d rather cut X, Y, and Z instead. Um, and so all of those conversations happen. They’re hard conversations to have because we become very attached with one another. We, um, you know, the staff is very approachable with the council.
[1:29:04] And so it’s it’s always a hard discussion to have, especially when you know you’re impacting somebody’s personal life. I mean, their their job is their personal life when it comes to salary and benefits.
[1:29:19] And so, um, but I don’t like to have that discussion this early on until I have the no new revenue rate and the health insurance. And as soon as we get those numbers, then we will have those discussions. So we should get the right next week. Right? They will say the last week of July. They normally do. But last year we got. It the first week in August, I remember.
[1:29:29] I don’t want to make any promises. I’m hoping we’ll get it. The last week of July. Um, and then I’m hoping to have health insurance rates, uh, the last, the last week of July as well.
[1:29:42] So hopefully both will come in and I’ll, I don’t know if we’ll have it by the August 4th, depending on when those rates come in. Maybe we have a discussion of having just a budget meeting. The following Tuesday. So the fourth, maybe not presenting on the fourth, but holding it that I don’t know what date that is, but seven days from. The 11th. The 11th. Thank you. Um, just the budget.
[1:29:56] Kind of like what we did the last time and not put the budget on for the fourth, just to give me some time to get those those numbers updated so you can have a more in-depth conversation. But, um, I’m, we’re waiting to see when those numbers come in and we can have that conversation.
[1:30:09] Sounds good. Um, here are the salary allocations. I know it’s kind of hard to read, but if you go to the red light camera one, you’ll see two municipal court personnel services are paid out of your red light cameras, as well as your senior 20% of your senior court clerk and your court administrator.
[1:30:26] Um, here is your finance director, assistant finance director, and your receptionists are paid out 20%. Um, if you go down to your PD, you have your PD. Um, assistant chief and, uh, police chief are paid out of there. And then these are the remaining officers and detectives paid out of your red light camera.
[1:30:48] So it’s not just your officers. Um, our Christmas holiday this year, we always present it during the budget. We will be closed from December 24th through January the 4th. And we will turn on the, um. Fifth. Monday the fourth. Monday the fourth. We open Monday? Yes.
[1:31:09] Reopen Monday the fourth. I’m sorry. I put it on there as a bullet so I wouldn’t forget. And I didn’t read my own bullet. Uh, so next steps. We’ll have a budget. Our budget public hearing is August 25th. With your tax rate hearing on September 8th, we will have other subsequent actual budget meetings.
[1:31:24] So we’ll have it right on the fourth. If we have the numbers. If not, we’ll move it to we’ll ask to see if the council is available to do it on the 11th. Um, I do have your ten year capital plan. I’m not going to go over all of your ten year capital plan.
[1:31:36] We’ve had a lot of discussions on your ten year capital plan. Um, but I am going to briefly kind of this is your general general fund summary. Um, when we talk about having a healthy reserve fund, um, it’s because we have future on future expenses geared up for upcoming years.
[1:31:52] And so if you take a look at your general fund, um, oops, we break your general fund in by department. So your information technology, these are upcoming years that we’re going to have to purchase large ticket items.
[1:32:08] Uh, your police department, these are some big ticket items that will be coming up on the for the upcoming year, as well as your inbound, um, your oh my gosh, your fire department. You can see some large expenses over the next ten years as well. Uh, your public works department. Uh, your capital plan, uh, will again come up in around 35, 36.
[1:32:32] Uh, your economic development. Uh, your code enforcement and your parks is another one that, um, have upcoming expenses throughout the next ten years, as well as your library. And then we move on to your enterprise fund.
[1:32:57] This is, um, you’ll see some upcoming projects, and you’ll see the 500,000 in there each year, because that’s been typical. That will change in your future reserve fund. In this fund, as we get projects, those will be reduced to those project specific items. Uh, your crime control, um, this is the one I kind of wanted to touch on because you see, the healthy fund balance. Um, but these are some upcoming expenses that you will have.
[1:33:16] Um, and then, um, tonight, we had an item on the agenda for cops. Grant. We thought we were going to be able to apply for to help offset the radio cost. Um, and so they gave us a timeline, the description of the grant.
[1:33:31] And so we added it as a last minute add to the agenda for this evening. We got more information on who’s going to be eligible for the project, which came in like a couple of days later. Um, and it’s only going to be for the county. The county is the only one that’s going to be eligible to apply.
[1:33:49] Um, and so they literally very specifically, um, gave who’s eligible to apply. And it’s Bexar County, so we won’t be able to apply. So that won’t be read tonight. It’ll be pulled from tonight’s agenda. Um, but again that’s us just trying to hurry up and trying to get as many grant funds to offset any future costs.
[1:34:03] And so we jumped the gun because I wanted to make sure we’re like, right on it. So we added it to the agenda and then the eligibility came out. We didn’t qualify. Um, your community center fund, you’ll see some upcoming purchases as well. And that’s it guys. That was my fast rendition of the budget in okay. Thank you I appreciate it. Four and a half. Hey.
[1:34:22] Very good. Better than four. That’s right. We had for the last time. Uh, I just wanted to be sure that if there was any other questions. Comments? Thank you, Doctor caldera and all the staff. The staff, all the.
[1:34:35] Staff, hard work on this budget and we’ll just keep going through it and, uh, see, see where we end up landing. But again, we, we have information that we still need in order to make a better decision. Yes, ma’am. Absolutely. Anyone else in the chambers that would like to make a comment? Okay. On the budget. All right.
[1:34:52] If not, then we will go to agenda item number four, which is announcements. And, um. I had this on I had no idea that Robin Johnson was going to be here this evening, but I did want to thank the Johnson family for their use of the gavel. And now they’ve given us a brand new gavel.
[1:35:11] That’s just beautiful. So thank you so much for that. And, um, um, his presence will be missed, that’s for sure. Uh, again, thanks to the you know, I was thinking, gosh, what’s what’s happened here? We had the 4th of July, and I liked it.
[1:35:28] I and a lot of, a lot of people came up and said, oh, this was a really nice event. And it was a hometown event. And so I, you know, I needed to thank the council and the staff and special thanks to Crystal Miranda, who was leading the effort.
[1:35:44] And, you know, public works, police, fire, um, volunteers. I mean, it was just I know we didn’t have fireworks, but I thought we had a really good time with Tom Jackson. Our reenactor, and all of the entertainment that we had from John Jay, Ballet Folklorico Smash Dance SA Choral Society.
[1:36:02] And thanks to all of the businesses who donated items from water to whatever mom pops, I can’t read, but anyway. But. And then I thought that the raffle draw drawings were a hit. I really did. A lot of people stayed just for those $100 gift cards to H-e-b.
[1:36:24] We couldn’t do it in a big $10,000, ten, 10,000 person event, but you can, on a smaller event. And, um, I just thought it was just it was just neighbor to neighbor. It was just it was I thought it was very nice. So, um, and again, we’ve already gone over it.
[1:36:39] I had a thing about how much it cost us for the big event, the 180 to 200. But anyway, we’ll we’ll talk about it this coming Saturday. Um. Something I brought up at the 4th of July, and that is I still am going to try to do this and we’ll have a proclamation on the August 4th agenda, and that is to celebrate the 250th anniversary by trying to increase our
[1:37:01] participation in our elections. We only had 6% turnout in May. And, um, you know, if we could register people and I even, you know, went as far as saying we could be the highest, um, turnout suburban city in the county. I mean, that’s a big goal. But anyway, that’s in the back of my mind.
[1:37:22] But anyway, we’ll we’ll, uh, I’m going to get registered. Um, you have to take a test in order to become a registrar. So anyway, so that, you know, we could register people for, for, for their, for their right to vote. Um, democracy in action.
[1:37:41] Um, this coming Thursday at 11 a.m., there’s going to be a grand opening for Wolf Spa. Nexus. It’s a PC gaming destination on Leon Valley at 11:00. So if the council can join me, that would be wonderful.
[1:38:01] And, you know, I just another comment I had and I mean, I know there’s lots of other things, but I don’t want to hog up the time. But I just said thank goodness for the rain. I mean, it was such a godsend. Canyon Lake is 90%, Medina Lake is maybe half full now.
[1:38:18] Um, and the aquifer is up to 650ft, which it hadn’t been down there to six, what, 20 or something like that. So anyway, um, that’s all I need to say tonight. Thank you all very much for all of your effort efforts. And I look forward to to working with you all on the budget and other items. Yes. So grand opening this. Thursday, this Thursday, 11:00, huh? Yeah. Right. So I believe that’s correct. Yeah. Okay.
[1:38:40] Yeah. I’m looking at, um, our economic development director. Yes. I’m pretty sure I got that right. Yes. Okay. Um, Mr. Compost, if you’ll continue, please. Thank you. So I do want to recognize the staff on the record for completing.
[1:39:03] We had a special meeting on July the 14th, and at that time, we had a consensus to put three, three grants from the library on the consent agenda. Um, uh, where the city is going to receive up to 87,500 dollars, uh, and public Works brought in another 25.
[1:39:31] And I just want to recognize them for adding 112,500 to our available funds to expand and add programs to the citizens. Okay. The second thing, uh, we want to recognize the fire department again, for doing their third quarter, uh, blood drive that was held on July the 3rd. It’s always the work worthwhile cause.
[1:39:54] And then, um, just to let everybody know the library has for the remainder of the month, 12 additional programs that they have. So, Regina, I always tried to highlight that every time I speak. So it is important you. Can I say 12 programs between now and July 31st? Correct. That’s like a week and a half. So they’re quite busy and. They’ve got the golf coming up too.
[1:40:18] So and then I don’t know if my colleagues saw the, uh, the city manager report that we got late, but the number of open records requests that the city secretary process is incredible. And there is a bunch of them. And so it takes a lot of time and effort to get those, uh, to the requesters.
[1:40:38] And then, you know, you can’t go without. We talked about the rain, public work staff clearing out POS, the fire department, the police department putting up barricades, keeping our citizens safe. All that work for the first responders and the public works staff. Please thank them all for that. Thank you.
[1:40:56] And the good news is that we really didn’t have any major problems during the rain. I every day I asked the manager any word, any word, you know, I mean, I got here and there that I can’t get to my house, but for the most part it was it
[1:41:10] was, you know, knock on wood, we had pretty good. Yes, yes. Thank you for them cleaning up the park. After the water. That was a lot. I had not seen the water go that high. It was almost to the fence on the other side of the playground.
[1:41:26] It’s been a long time since I’ve seen wood up against the trees. They did an awesome job cleaning up so quickly. Yes, sir. Councilor Roscoe, uh. Thank you, mayor. Uh, tomorrow, the CPAC police advisory group. Um, uh, 630 here.
[1:41:44] If you have any questions about, uh, your city or even the flood cameras or anything, uh, we will be there. And to be, uh, um, able you’re able to ask questions about anything there. Um, also, congratulations to our little league senior girls. Uh, from Leon Valley. Uh, they did win in Amarillo, and they went to Louisiana, and, uh, they played very well, but I think they came up short and quite sure.
[1:42:04] But, uh, I know they lost the first game, but, uh, congratulations to them. They did a great job all year long. Yes. That’s great. All right. Anything else? Yes. Councillor Marsh.
[1:42:21] Uh, I just wanted to let everyone know that Northside School District did invite Leon Valley to participate in their Citizens Bond committee. Uh, and that’s. I understand the first time that they’ve included Leon Valley. And I am going to the meetings in the mayor’s place. So far, I’ve. I’ve only gone to one meeting. The next one is in August. But it’s a very interesting process. And thank you for that.
[1:42:41] I just was I couldn’t add another meeting and this was a like 4 or 5 commitment meeting commitments. So thank you so much. I really appreciate it. I’ve got two meetings tomorrow. So you know okay. Anyone else. All right. So then we move then to the consent. Oh city manager’s report. Doctor caldera. Hi. Good evening, mayor and council.
[1:43:00] Um, your city manager’s report was emailed to you. Yes, late in the day to day. Sorry. It was a busy day. Um, but. Yeah, that was sent out. It is outside and online as well. Um, I do want to come in. Miss Miranda, on the 4th of July, because she started that event really late.
[1:43:15] Um, and so she was able to pull off, you know, uh, an event that, you know, would have normally take, you know, a few months to get put together. So we really appreciate her service. Um, the flooding. I did want to comment on that. We didn’t have any major issues. The park did flood for park and right away.
[1:43:31] And street closures. Yes, it’s a pain for us, but I’d rather have that nine times out of ten than people’s homes flooding and people being, um, displaced. And so, um, commander, fire, police and public works staff for that as well.
[1:43:50] Um, and then lastly, um, again, this we, I want to put a shout out to the library because they really have gone after the grants. And so when we see that it’s a reflection of Regina and her staff, because her staff have to take on her responsibilities there at the library when she’s sitting down doing the grants, I’ve picked up the phone and
[1:44:04] called Regina and said, here’s your grant. We’ve got two days, and she’s dropped everything on her days off to put together those grant applications. And so, um, it’s important to, to note that the staff do go above and beyond to make sure they help with offsetting the budget. So I just wanted to make that note. Thank you.
[1:44:18] Okay. You’re welcome. That’s wonderful. Yes I’d like to piggyback with that. Uh, Doctor Caldeira. Counselor, every time we go to the ML, this also this always some city, small city getting awards for this and that.
[1:44:38] Um, and I know that Leon Valley has done a great job, and and it’s okay for us to pat ourselves on the back, but, you know, public works, the library your staff is doing to get recognized for what they give out. How can we engage more into the TML to let them know what’s happening in our in our city? So so we just have to submit nominations.
[1:44:57] We used to submit nominations all the times for various things, and we’ve been awarded many TMF awards over my 20 years. Um, those take those applications take time and effort to do um, and that falls on my director’s shoulders.
[1:45:13] So for them to get a pat on the back, to spend an extra hour nominating themselves, they just don’t always want to do that. Um, but they have been given a directive two meetings ago to look up, um, the nomination forms to see if we can nominate some of our. Great. Thank you. Okay. Okay. Thank you.
[1:45:30] Uh, we moved in to the consent agenda, uh, 6.1 through 6.10. Uh, any colleague want to move a agenda item for discussion, and if not, may have a motion and a second to approve. Yes. Councillor Campos. After reviewing all the consent agenda items, I move that we, uh, approve all agenda items one through ten as presented.
[1:45:54] All right. We have a motion by Councilor Compost and a second by councilor Hale to approve consent agenda items one through 6.1 through 6.10. As presented. Any further discussion? All those in favor say I. Any opposed? The motion does carry then moving then to regular agenda 7.
[1:46:16] 1 as Doctor Caldeira noted, this has been removed and we will then move to 7.2. Let me read it. Presentation, discussion and possible action on the First Amendment to chapter 380, Economic Development Agreement between the City of Leon Valley, Texas and 6400 Bandera LP and Zwolen Lang and David Wiener.
[1:46:43] And we have our Economic development director, Sarah Walpole, here to present. Good evening and welcome. Glad you’re. Here, mayor. Um, so yes, I’ll be presenting on the First Amendment to that chapter 380 Economic Development Agreement. And so for some background, this was an agreement signed in October of 2024 for those who weren’t with City of Leon Valley then.
[1:47:04] Um, but so the question for tonight is the city council is being asked to consider a First Amendment to the agreement with 6400 Bandera LP, Sian Lang and David Wiener. Um, it’s recommended to approve the amendments as presented.
[1:47:20] There’s also the option of denial, um, or other um, and it’s up to city council discretion. Uh, the purpose of this presentation is to seek approval again of the amendment. And there’s a couple components to this amendment.
[1:47:40] Um, so we were approached in June of this year by the grantee, um, due to some delays in the project from some CPS connections and applications that he had with CPS. And so, um, as a part of the agreement, it was a requirement that they had to, um, complete facade and interior improvements by 2020 5th December of 2025.
[1:47:57] Um, and at this time, it was not going to be set in time for um due to his project delays. And so with that opportunity, we also wanted to make some clerical, clerical, uh, amendments as well, based on some errors that we found in the agreement. Um, just to provide more clarity going forward.
[1:48:16] So, uh, again, that was to extend the project redevelopment milestone due to that CPS delay update, the payment schedule, an exhibit, exhibit D um, this is the three incentives. The sales tax rebate, the ad valorem rebate, and the fee waivers portion. And then, um, collect correcting for those clerical errors, as I mentioned.
[1:48:36] So we’ll start with the clerical errors. The first is to expand the definition in item M of section two. Um, for the definition of a maximum reimbursement amount. Um, this we there was just a sales tax refund was left off of that.
[1:48:53] And we wanted to further define it, um, as described in exhibit D, which I’ll show a little bit later. So just a small change here. Additionally, we had um, item I of section six. Um, this was to extend, of course, the exterior facade improvements that I mentioned.
[1:49:13] So, um, these were supposed to start in 2024 and be completed in December, 30th December, by December 31st of 2025. Um, now with the CPS delays, we’ve talked to the grantee and he does estimate that these will be completed by the end of this year. He’s actually received approval from CPS on some drawings as of yesterday. So the timeline is looking more promising as we go on.
[1:49:32] Um, and we’ve also added the additional note of subject to the issuance of a final inspection permit with the City of Leon Valley Planning and Zoning Department, just so we can have that certainty in that checkbox that all, um, of those project requirements and that scope of work at the end of this agreement are going to be
[1:49:48] completed. And so we have a little bit more certainty there. Um, and then as for the exhibit, exhibit D, this is where we have some changes in just the timeline. So you’ll see and I’ll show it in the next slide. Uh, basically just a shift.
[1:50:05] Um, so you’ll see an additional year for him to complete that project. Um, and those sales tax refunds will be given accordingly. And, and I’ll mention that here in the next slide. Um, so there’s no change to fee waivers.
[1:50:25] Um, he does have a remaining balance of about 2300 that he’s still looking to, um, continue to, to, um, you know, to use up as he goes throughout this project. And then for the sales tax refund portion that will begin in 2027, once we have that, uh, planning and zoning inspections, uh, report received. And then I’ll go ahead and go to the sales tax refund exhibit that you’ll find in the exhibit D of the agreement. Uh, so I apologize.
[1:50:45] It’s a little small, but you’ll see, um, it’s the same schedule of those, uh, sales tax rebate portions, percentages. So, um, the two years of 75% and then the four years of 50%, and then the final year of 25%. However, this just shifts us down one more year, um, to that 2023, 2024 fiscal year timeline.
[1:51:09] Um, we’ve added some clarifying language as well, just to account for the total maximum sales tax refund. Um, just to make it more clear. And then additionally, uh, because of the state comptroller’s timeline on when we received the total sales tax collected from the businesses that are at 6400 Bandera.
[1:51:32] Um, we’ve also amended the language as to when we will repay that sales tax refund. So we receive that port report each month. The finance director does. And so after that, we’ll we’ll be paying the grantee on a quarterly basis based on the total sales tax collected. Um, without 45 days. Um, sort of quarter end. Um, timeline.
[1:51:53] And that’s just to give us certainty. So we have all those numbers and can repay that total collection amount. And then for the ad valorem tax refund, there was just, again, a small clerical mention of the total maximum property tax refund here. So no changes to the the schedule.
[1:52:17] And then we also offered the recommendation to make an amendment on the clerical language for max maximum sales tax and ad valorem tax refunds. So this is just to ensure that, um, these funds do not carry forward if the grant is not performed. So it’s a performance based grant.
[1:52:32] And we just wanted to ensure that, um, there’s no implications in, um, if any of those. I’ll go back just so you can see, um, if he does not achieve those $75,000 in sales tax, that’s not going to carry over from year to year. Um, so that’s what this language is accomplishing here.
[1:52:52] Um, and it’s just included again in exhibit D, staff recommends approval of the amendments. Um, the, uh, the grantee has been really communicative throughout this entire process, been a good partner and steward. So, um, he’s also available. He could not make it tonight, um, to tonight’s meeting. He’s based out of New York. Um, but he is available for questions.
[1:53:08] And, um, you know, is always a phone call away as well. So I’m happy to ask him any direct questions. If you have any further grantees specifically. Um, but if you have any other questions about the amendments, I’m happy to answer those as well. Okay. Um, there’s no fiscal impact, um, to the agreement.
[1:53:24] Again, this is the same incentive value just shifted by the timeline. Thank you so much, Sarah. Good explanation. You know, I was just very well put. So I appreciate that. Yes. I just wanted to note for the record that he did want to remote in, but my system wasn’t set up for teams just yet okay.
[1:53:43] And so that’s why he’s not that would have been his option would be to remote him by teams. We’re still having some wiring internal wiring issues for teams. And so that’s why he was unable to remove it okay. So I just wanted to kind of make note of that because. He thank you for that okay. Councilor Mersch.
[1:53:58] , just for curiosity, if the, uh, he was supposed to have met his obligations by December of 2025, why are we waiting till July to redo the agreement? That’s on me.
[1:54:20] So when Rocha left, um, I would love to say I keep in track of every single contract the city has, but the list is never ending. Uh, so my directive to all the staff is to review all of their contracts, make sure we’re hitting all of our requirements. Um, they get not in trouble, but in trouble.
[1:54:36] Um, when we miss a deadline or an a contract expires, or we’re paying for something that’s not in an agreement and it comes out later. They’re the ones held responsible for those, um, unauthorized contract obligations. So when Sarah got here, I gave her all the new contracts, told her to review them. Um, give me her input. That was part of one of her first goals.
[1:54:52] And so she came back to me saying that she would like to clean up this contract. Um, and so we in an effort. And Carol tried to help her with those initial because we were having some issues with the sales tax dollars and refunding some of those.
[1:55:08] Um, and so we were trying to work out how we were going to do that within the parameters of the contract, and it just made sense to make the amendments to make it clean. Okay. Yes. Thank you so much, councilor Hale. You may have mentioned this and I missed it. What is the business? Um, so it’s it’s a property owner.
[1:55:23] It’s a developer at 6400 Bandera, which is the old Jim’s property. Um, right across from the Shipley’s, where Rita’s is located. Rufus coins. Um, and he has had some, some, uh, promising developments with Wicked Witch coming in. And so I’m hoping we’ll get some more traction once those tenants are available. Or, like, those suites are available. Thank you.
[1:55:41] It’s looking good. It really is. Okay. Anyone else? Uh, we are able to vote on this this evening. And so what’s the pleasure of the council? Yes, council. To make a motion that we accept 7.2 as presented and amend this agreement. I’d like to. Second.
[1:56:02] We have a motion by Councilor Campos and a second by Councilor Bolton to accept 7.2. Uh, the 380 economic development Agreement with the changes as presented in that agreement. Any further discussion? All those in favor say aye. Aye, aye. Any opposed? The motion does carry. Then moving then to 7.3. Presentation and discussion on amending an ordinance of the City of Leon Valley, Texas.
[1:56:25] Chapter two Animal Control of the Code of Ordinances amending definitions, revising regulations governing prohibited animals, authorizing certain licensed zoological parks, aquariums, and educational animal exhibition facilities to possess otherwise prohibited animals subject to specific specified safety requirements.
[1:56:56] Establishing pet shop requirements regarding the source of dogs and cats offered for sale or adoptions. Now this is our first reading, so we won’t vote on it. And this came. I believe this came from our retreat. We talked about it. So this is um, presented this evening. And Doctor Caldera will go into the details. So thank you and welcome. Appreciate it. All the detail I did know. Yeah. Uh.
[1:57:19] So good evening, mayor and council. So this did come from the retreat. Um, it was a directive to revisit the animal. Control ordinance. Any time we take a look at an ordinance. If I see that there’s other revisions that we need to make.
[1:57:33] Because sometimes these ordinances have been sitting for quite some time. We’ll go ahead and make those kind of amended changes with that ordinance. And so the big one, though. um, that was discussed, is revising the definition, um, applicable to, um, sorry to prohibited animals and regulated facilities. The question always comes up with the aquarium.
[1:57:52] And how can the aquarium have, you know, venomous animals? How can the aquarium do this? Um, and so since we were in this ordinance in regards to the request from the retreat, I decided to go ahead and update that language in regards to, um, who’s authorized to hold prohibited animals.
[1:58:10] So a lot of those changes had to do with, um, kind of defining, authorizing, you know, zoological parks, aquariums, educational animal, um, exhibition facilities. Um, and then to clarify that such exemptions do not authorize private ownership. Right. Like, we can’t I can’t go buy a rattlesnake and keep it in my, my home or breeding facility. Right.
[1:58:29] Um, and so then requiring the big one and the reason that this ordinance came to light was, um, the council wanted to start requiring pet shops to offer dogs and cats for sale, um, that were only coming from a municipal animal shelters, county animal shelters, animal control agencies, qualified nonprofit animal rescues, or other organizations approved by the department.
[1:58:50] Um, and requiring pet shops to maintain documentation establishing the source of each dog and cat, and to make such records available for inspections. Um, and so essentially, basically not allowing commercially breeding animals to be sold from pet shops. Right. So we’re essentially adopting the city of San Antonio’s ordinance.
[1:59:10] Um, my question more so is for the city attorney. We do have some like Pet land and some Texas Puppy Company with this ordinance apply to them as well. Would they have like a set time frame to only start selling rescue dogs or, um, or not be allowed to? How does that work? Well, we don’t actually. Is this on? Okay. Well, they’re.
[1:59:28] I’m sorry. Uh, so we don’t actually, that wasn’t part of the ordinance that that I wasn’t aware of that I’m sorry. No. No, no. But, uh, but we don’t have the except those exceptions or, uh, or notice delay to to inform these people. And there’s. So the way it’s currently written is that it would be immediately effective.
[1:59:49] Okay. So that’s the point I wanted to make is so that the council can discuss that option right now because I forgot I didn’t add a timeline when I sent you the draft ordinance either.
[2:00:01] And as I’ve been sitting on it for a week or two, I was like, oh man, so how is that going to work with the currently operated business? So that is a discussion for the council, whether or not you want to give businesses like Pet Land and Texas Puppy Company.
[2:00:15] And I know there’s another puppy store here, um, sometime so we could add that exception into, um, into the ordinance to provide them some, some time. And I would recommend that you, you would do so especially for businesses like Pet Land who have had responsible, um, pet partnerships with the city in the past.
[2:00:35] I mean, we have we do have a, uh, adoption, um, portion that we are allowed to give them our rescue dogs, and they do adopt them out for us. Um, and so that would be my recommendation. I don’t know what that looks like a year or six months. Um.
[2:00:49] Well, I definitely feel like it can’t be immediate because they only think about this, so we need to give them some. But how long? Six months to a year? I don’t know, I don’t think any more than a year. But six months. What do you all think is reasonable? But yes, Councilor Murphy.
[2:01:03] I would think it would need to be at least six months because they’ve got to do something with their current inventory. They can’t be expected to lose the money that they’ve already invested in these animals. Um, but I agree, if we give them too long, then we’ve weakened our ordinance and we won’t see the impact of that. Okay. Thank you. Yes, councilor Bolton.
[2:01:23] My concern would be not giving them enough time because the the puppy ones that only do the puppies, that’s going to pretty much take their business away from them.
[2:01:38] Pet land will probably still be able to stay open because they smell, they sell, you know, small animals and birds and fish and other things. But to two of the puppy places, that would be it. So those puppies, I think, in all fairness, if it was my business, I would want some time to figure out what I’m going to do. Okay. Sounds good. Yes, councilor Hale, I know you’re an animal lover. I am. Yes. That’s true.
[2:01:55] So probably the pet stores are going to sue us, is that correct? I don’t know, I mean, you know, that’s an attorney question. I’m not. I mean, I have my assumptions, but. Okay. But I mean, I can’t make a prediction on that. Um, you know, I, I’ve been involved in other for other communities.
[2:02:17] Uh, things relate to where it impacts a pet store. A lot of the pet stores themselves are franchise operators. Uh, so unless it means something to corporate that their the risk is probably pretty low as far as those franchisees doing something themselves. Uh, if it’s just one store.
[2:02:41] I mean, I can’t imagine Pet Land is going to be doing something here. Uh, but, you know, as as y’all were discussing, uh, this, I kind of looked it up and there the general turnover for dogs and cats is eight, 12 weeks, a six month delay seems more than adequate to try to accommodate that. Okay. Thank you.
[2:03:05] And I agree six months would be adequate. Okay. So yes, councillor Marsh. Isn’t there another new puppy store in the goals? Jim? Uh, center? Yes. Yes, junior. That’s the third one I couldn’t remember. So Texas Puppy Company, there’s.
[2:03:27] Yeah, there’s the one up by, um, the back of tias, and then there’s the. one one behind the attorney’s office now and then that one. So we’ve got three of them. So there’s. There’s plus and minuses. Right. So anytime the city of San Antonio, right, regulates a business type, those business types move to smaller communities that haven’t updated their ordinance.
[2:03:49] We actually looked at this ordinance, I think at least seven times. I mean, we a bunch of times and the council didn’t want to do it was called the puppy ban ordinance. And so, um, the council at the time was not interested in, um, regulating commercial sales of animals.
[2:04:05] And, um, a big portion of that is, is, you know, there’s some sales tax associated with, um, with that sale. And so you are removing some of those dollars from, from your coffers. Um, when you do that, I’m not going to project how much that is going to be. But, um, you it will impact your sales tax. Okay. Yes. Councilor Marsh.
[2:04:26] I’m not I, I’m asking because I have no idea. But if the city of San Antonio, Animal Defense League, all those kinds of places have these adoption things where they give you the dog for $25, are we are these private businesses going to be able to sell a rescue dog for anything more than.
[2:04:53] The business will close? These these businesses are set up to sell specialized breeds and specialized breeds for, um, what I would consider an exorbitant amount of money. You know, some of the breeds go for $10,000.
[2:05:12] Um, so, you know, I mean, there’s some if you go in, there’s some for 3000, there’s some for 6000, but I’ve seen them as high as 10,000 for special breeds. So, um, you’re, you’re those that business model, um, is set up for also lending, um, people take out loans to purchase these dogs. Um, and so they use their in-house lender, um, in order for them to purchase these animals. Yes. Councilor Hale.
[2:05:35] Doctor caldera is correct. It’s. I’ve seen animals in there for $10,000, and then I’ve seen some. But the thing that really bothers me is there’s animals that have been in there for 7 or. 8. Months in a cage, and I really have a problem with that. And if you wait long enough, they’ll go on sale.
[2:05:54] But also they’re very anxious to give you a loan and I don’t even know, want to know what the interest rate is. And I can’t imagine taking out a loan. I could buy a car for what the animals cost. Exactly.
[2:06:12] Okay, so is it, uh, generally the consensus is to add a except the six month, um, instead of immediately. As far as notifying the existing businesses. Is there anything else we need to add to this ordinance? No, but I do want to make a note, because when we and you met with the Pet Land owner, um, they are pushing some legislation for next legislative session to help
[2:06:32] stop or combat local governments from making such ordinances. So just for future reference, that may be coming down the pike in the next legislative session. Um, based on that meeting we had. So in other words, they’ll take this. This will be moot then, if the legislature. It could be. Yeah, it could be, depending on what.
[2:06:52] The language is in the in in the legislation. Short lived. Yeah. Okay. Just just more of an FYI than anything else. Yes. City attorney, did you have something else? I was just going to say I’ve also bill the absolute 180 degrees from that, say that you can’t you can no longer sell
[2:07:10] pads. Those haven’t found traction either. So, um, but but, uh, Doctor Caldas correct. That, that that is something that could always happen. Okay. All right. So this is a first read. So we will not need to vote on it tonight.
[2:07:29] But is it the consensus of the council to put this in the consent agenda for August the 4th. Yes. Okay. One sorry. One more thing. Do you want us to notify these businesses? I think so. Normally. It would be only fair to do that.. Courteous courtesy. Yeah. We’re acting in good faith to try to. That’s right. I think so. So we’re talking notifying three businesses.
[2:07:52] For I think is or I. Forgot as we got the new one in at Gold’s Gym. Okay. So for businesses so notifying four businesses. Yeah it’s Texas Pump Texas puppy. Um junior puppy pet land. And then they said there was another one by Gold’s Gym. So there’s one at Gold’s Gym, one next to Mom and Pop.
[2:08:16] Texas Puppy is down here. Um, and Pet Land are the ones off the top of my head. I mean, I mean, just. No, I didn’t know about the fourth one. Uh, I thought the fourth one was junior pets. Yeah. Junior. Yeah. The one. The one that I read is in the gold Gems thing. That’s the newest one.
[2:08:33] Okay. Okay. So we will we will get notification out to them. We will add this to as a second read. If we add the six month extension, is it okay for it to go on consent or do y’all want to rehear it. I don’t think I don’t think it’s a going concern.
[2:08:48] I mean, I’m I’m afraid that would be asking for trouble if we tell these people about it and then don’t give them a chance to hear them. I mean, okay, I. We can always pull it out, but that’s okay. We can put it on if that’s more transparent. I think that’s the, the issue.
[2:09:09] So okay. So to actually put it on the agenda for discussion on August the 4th. Okay. Very good. So that’s a no. All right. We move then to agenda item 7.4 presentation and discussion on amending ordinance chapter four Business Regulations. Article 4.
[2:09:33] 1 for short term rentals to expand prohibition from 200ft on the same block face to 300 foot radius. Not claiming homestead exemption on a home. Operating as a short term rental. Establishing occupancy standards to maximum floor area allowing per occupant at 200. Gross. Not allowing permits to be transferable. Require that any trash dispersed beyond property boundaries be collected, removed and disposed of within 24 hours.
[2:10:01] Again, this is our first read, so we won’t vote on it tonight. And again, this is one of the agenda items that we discussed at the retreat. So, Doctor Caldera, if you’ll continue. Thank you. Good evening, Mayor and council.
[2:10:16] And so, yes, this is the item and direction came from the council at the city manager Council retreat. Um, we have outlined in the ordinance, um, expanding the radius to 300ft. Uh, reduce the trash violation. Time for remediation at a provision to the application for homestead exemption. Um, Max number of sleep based on the fire code permit. Uh, the permit is non-transferable. Um, and a grandfathered permit is pulled.
[2:10:38] It is abandoned. And then they would have to reapply for said permit. Um, there’s no fiscal impact. Um, I know that there’s been discussion from the city attorney in regards to the homestead exemption. And so kind of your thoughts on, um, on that kind of provision. And I just stand by for questions. Okay.
[2:10:56] Did you want to address the homestead exemption provision or just, I mean. Well, I was going to say, how do we regulate that? Right. That’s that’s my question. How do we know that somebody is taking a short term rental as a homestead exemption? So my my question is this. Councilor.
[2:11:19] If if you’re the short term rental is 100% a short term rental, not not somebody just living there and renting a room or part of their home or temporarily renting their home. Uh, that’s the abuse that I’d like to address.
[2:11:46] But if it’s difficult to monitor for the staff and it’s not in really, uh, through legal advice, not something that we should pursue. Uh, you know, I’m fine with, uh, not pursuing that, uh, but that because I see in my neighborhood, the, the short term rentals are 100% short term rentals. And I have a gentleman that’s down the street from me.
[2:12:11] He lives in Austin. And he says, well, I consider this my second home. It’s kind of like, well, wait a minute, how do you have two homestead exemptions? Uh, that’s that’s what my concern is. And as our, um, revenues going down, we need to, to minimize these exemptions as much as possible when they’re not truly due those exemptions. Okay.
[2:12:39] Yes. Councilor Mersch and then Councilor Orozco. Well, I thought the wording that I saw at the attorney’s request was, was a pretty good way to go in terms of, you know, they identify whether they’re claiming a homestead exemption when they apply for the permit and that if it comes
[2:12:58] to our attention, then we can do something about it. We can then ask them to, you know, explain or whatever. I mean, it’s nothing is going to be 100%.
[2:13:19] But I think if we I mean, we can’t regulate it, but we can if, if it comes to our attention, if we find out through other means or whatever, then it can be called for review or sometimes. We don’t. Review exemptions. Well, no, I, I know. That I want to make that clear. Their permit is called for review. Oh, yeah. I mean, I just want to make that very clear. Nobody reports that somebody doesn’t. I’m not doing research. I’m not looking that up.
[2:13:37] I’m not digging into somebody’s personal life and trying to determine whether or not they have the correct exemptions or not. The best I’ll do is we can call the, um. county the the appraisal. Correct. And I gave you all the number. If y’all want to report people.
[2:13:52] I, I’m not in the position or will I put my staff in a position to question somebody’s exemption? That just opens up a can of worms. And that’s where I was going. With Councilor Roscoe. I don’t have any jurisdiction on, um, on the homestead exemption. Um, that was my concern when, uh, Airbnbs were coming in to begin with. The one that lived by Mr.
[2:14:12] Stevens, uh, House. They wanted to do the fence and and we found out that they were getting homestead exemption. Not only that, but at two other houses that he was really living in, yet he was claiming housing, you know, and we didn’t have any jurisdiction that we can do nothing about it.
[2:14:30] But, uh, I can see I mean, that kind of hit my nerve. You know, he’s getting getting away with all this, and, uh, but I think at the time, we really didn’t have any jurisdiction to.
[2:14:47] I guess we can bring it up to the to the county tax office and see what they want to do about it. But we really we’re with our house tied behind our back on this. But at least that’s what I think. I’m not a lawyer. No. I was going to ask you the attorney. Is it better to have it in there as a as a protection? I mean, to have it as currently written.
[2:15:08] Yeah. To have it in the amended ordinance, because you never know if. I mean whether it’s better or not. I mean, is a policy decision that I’m going to leave to you to decide.
[2:15:30] However, what I will tell you is this is that with respect to whether a property is properly exempted to the homestead is, as has been said, is not our determination that something within the purview of the appraisal district? I agree with Doctor Caldera. The city staff should not be in a position of seeking to try to change that.
[2:15:56] Whether you, uh, whether that’s a condition of it, of your ordinance of registration process, is is really just a policy decision that y’all are going to have to make. Yeah. I’ve advised you all before as to what the where your parameters are. Kind of this would be something that is completely outside of something that’s been challenged before. So I can’t give you no, I can’t give you.
[2:16:14] I can’t handicap that one for you, if that makes sense. As to whether that whether that would be in bounds or out of bounds. Uh, and so it’s just a matter of as a policy matter, you know, where you’re, you know, what the legal constraints are with respect to if a homestead exemption can be claimed, is
[2:16:32] that is that going to be a metric by which you determine whether to file a or allow somebody under your permitting scheme that you all they all have adopted? Uh, I can’t guarantee all that that would be held to be permissible, uh, or impermissible based on, based on the current state of the case law.
[2:16:55] But it has been challenged. Not that I’m. Aware or you’re not. It has not been challenged. Okay. All right. Just to clarify. All right. Thank you I appreciate that. Yes. Councilor Hale. What are the chances of the county even doing anything about it? They’re so busy. They’re so short staffed. They probably.
[2:17:11] Don’t know. I’m not going to make presumptions. No, I’m. I would assume they won’t even care if we notify them that.. I don’t know. Mister Campos have six houses and he’s doing homestead exemption on every. He’d probably say, okay. I don’t know.
[2:17:27] And I’m not going to presume to know what the county or it’s not really the county appraisal district will do. Um, you know, so for me, it’s more of putting my staff in a precarious position, you know, challenging somebody’s exemption is more of my concern to try to enforce an ordinance. You know, it’d be like me going to Mr.
[2:17:44] Ross school saying, I don’t think you deserve the, the the VA exemption. I mean, who am I to challenge his exemption? Right. So, um, that’s more of that’s more of the position.
[2:18:00] I feel like you’re putting the staff in kind of one of those situations, but I think if you have knowledge of somebody defrauding, I think it’s if you have if you feel the need to have justice in that realm, report them to the appraisal district. You have the ability to do so. Yes. Counselor. Counselor. Go ahead.
[2:18:19] I would just say this, that as presently constituted, the language basically says, well, expressly says that a short term rental registration holder shall not claim a homestead exemption. It doesn’t provide any it doesn’t provide any definition of it. It’s just a straight out. It’s a straight out prohibition. Okay. Now I understand where Mr. Compost is coming from.
[2:18:44] If someone is leasing it all year long or renting it out all year long, versus the occasional provider, this doesn’t distinguish between those two situations. This is a if you do it on your homestead and you go on vacation and you want to have someone else come in during rodeo week, um, then you’re then you can’t have a homestead exemption. I think there’s a real problem.
[2:19:03] I will say that I will think that there’s a real problem in not making, at least making a distinction between someone that is occasionally renting versus someone that is renting for a long period of time. Right.
[2:19:23] And then for me, it then it becomes overly complicated, right? What is occasionally what are we looking at? How many times is considered you know what I mean. And then you put definitions and then my staff is supposed to say, prove to me that you were on vacation. Like I, you know, I don’t can’t enforce that. I don’t know when you’re at the rodeo or occasionally doing something.
[2:19:35] I that that’s the position that I have issue with the ordinance is when it’s in an ordinance, you’re asking my staff to enforce said ordinance, and so I just don’t want to put them in a position to, to try to make a determination..
[2:19:51] And and just to piggyback on that, it’s not only asking them to enforce it, but also we need remember beyond a reasonable doubt, proof that this is occurring. Right. And that’s just and and that’s where the difficulty is. It’s not so much in the wording. It’s in how are we going to enforce it. Which means what sort. What’s our proof. We have a proof problem.
[2:20:09] That’s it. And it’s public information. You can just go into the Bexar County records and see if it has a home exemption on there, and see whose name is on there, and you cross-reference it to see where else are they living there, but what other properties they have, and what kind of
[2:20:24] information? Um, my wife is excellent at finding stuff out like that. You need a person now to come work here for you to do that. Uh, I got the right person. Okay. Uh, councilor Hale and then Councilor Campos. So can we.
[2:20:41] Can we have some course of action if a complaint is made and that another citizen does the investigation and that, you know, something like that? No, I’m not having citizens do an investigation on. No, no, no, I mean, you mean you can’t stop them from.
[2:21:02] No, no, but what I’m saying is, is if you don’t have this in here, there’s nothing that stops the regular citizenry from doing that right now. You don’t need that in a city ordinance, because once it’s in a city ordinance, then you’re telling the staff that that’s a provision that we are to enforce to some degree. And I’m big on trying to have ordinances that we can.
[2:21:18] We have a couple of ordinances on the book that there’s no way for me to enforce. So it’s not like that doesn’t happen if this is in here. I’m just letting you know ahead of time you can leave it in there. I just don’t think that there’s a way for my staff to enforce that section that way, is all I’m saying.
[2:21:35] Okay. Uh, Councilor Compost, I called on you next, and then Councilor Bolton. So based on the conversation that we’ve had here in the dais and listening to our city attorney, I’d like to make a recommendation that we strike, uh, the section four one 4.005 restrictions on short term rentals.
[2:22:02] Uh, section J or item J, okay, that would take care of that. I understand what how the position that you’re coming from from the staff trying to enforce it. I understand the legal issue. If somebody has a problem with it, we can all call as citizens to the appraisal district or wherever we need to call in saying, hey, I believe. Blah.
[2:22:26] And be done with it. Okay? So okay. Does everyone agree? Yes, because we’re not voting, right. I just want to have consensus tonight okay. So so we’re going to get rid of the homestead exemption language then in the ordinance. Is that correct. At the bottom of page three on the draft.
[2:22:46] Page three, their packet numbers are a little bit different. But yes J. So I’ll go ahead and make that deletion for I don’t know next time.
[2:23:00] Um do is this item do you want to have on your consent agenda or do you want to have it in your regular agenda? Again for further discussion? I’m okay with the consent agenda. Because we’ve made that one major change. Okay, so the consent agenda for next meeting, which is August the 4th. Okay. Thank you I appreciate that. Okay. Then moving then to agenda item 7.5. And again we can vote on this tonight.
[2:23:22] Discussion and possible action on an application for a BYOB permit for Wolf Spa Nexus, a PC gaming destination located at 7007 Bandera Road, suite 17. And we have Michael Gallardo, our planning and zoning director, here this evening to present. Thank you. You’ve been so patient waiting for your agenda items. So thank you so much. Absolutely. No. Oh, we’ll just jump right in.
[2:23:51] Okay. Okay. So the question before City Council is whether or not to approve an application for a BYOB, uh, permit to be located at 7007 Bandera Road, suite 17. Uh, the facility is called Wolf Spa Nexus. And if you’re not familiar with that, it’s a PC gaming environment or facility.
[2:24:26] So basically used for, um, entertainment purposes where people go and, uh, I guess play video games to, to, uh, just kind of summarize that for you. So your options are to approve, uh, deny or other, uh, staff, uh, declares that the BYOB permit is compatible with the surrounding area or the zone zone. For that.
[2:24:47] Here’s your aerial view of that. You’re going to see that it’s kind of I guess you can say directly behind where the seven brews being built. I’m sorry, you said where the what’s being. Built seven. Brew oh seven brew. That’s right. Okay. The applicant has paid all the fees. Uh, so. Excuse me just a second. We have a comment.
[2:25:06] From Uh-Uh. We get the microphone. So. Yeah. Mhm. Yeah. Thank you for for letting me know that. Okay. Anyone else. Okay. Good. I better. Okay. Thank you. Okay. The the applicant has paid. Um all fees associated with the BYOB permit application. The applicant may apply for more for no more than four consecutive permits.
[2:25:35] And then the permit is good for 90 days. And before I go any further, um, Mister Chumley, uh, couldn’t be here today because he did have to actually man the facility this evening so he wasn’t able to make it. Okay, councilor Orozco. Thank you.
[2:25:58] Michael, are they doing this so they can apply for, a liquor license? And because I know it takes a while to get it. So based on my conversation with him, um, in fact, I have some notes here where he says it’s not really intended to sell alcohol, so he’s not going to go that route.
[2:26:16] He’s just going to utilize it for like tournaments, uh, special occasions. Um, just just events, even watch parties where he’s going to allow patrons to bring in their own alcohol. But he’s not in the process of selling alcohol. Nobody’s at this time does he even want to go that route? Okay, I had another question.
[2:26:38] What about his clientele? His clientele are he’s he can have a young adults under the age of 21. So, uh, in speaking with the chief of police, you know, these are questions that we asked them because we were there is a concern for that.
[2:26:55] Uh, his response was that they’re going to have, uh, policies and procedures set in place so that, you know, uh, only people that are 21 and up will have access to that alcohol. So, uh, those are his words. You know, basically he’s going to do is due diligence to. So he’s. Going to ensure. That himself he’s going to regulate it himself. Okay. So he’ll have policies and practices in place for that.
[2:27:13] Okay. Yes. Uh, Councillor Belton. And then. Understand the business plan behind this. If it’s only good for 360 days maximum, why even start it if it’s only going to be good for that long? It just doesn’t make sense. So you. He’ll be able to do four consecutive. Ones right for 90 days, which is 360.
[2:27:34] And then at some point he’ll be able to renew and start all over again. So. Oh, okay. I, I understood that it was only four times that they could renew that. That was it. It just doesn’t make sense to it. It is only four times. It is only four times for them.
[2:27:50] They only get for the idea that the council had when we were looking at the this particular BYOB license was to bridge the gap between the business owner getting a liquor license was the whole reason that we did the Bob provision. Um, so they were saying it took an average of about a year.
[2:28:10] And so if this was a model, they wanted to continue to have or to set up for businesses that wanted to hold special events. So like if, if he did want to hold a tournament, then, you know, he could apply for it for that tournament.
[2:28:22] And then, you know, later on down the line, maybe once a year be able to do that. But the idea of the BYOB ordinance was only to allow for consecutive uses. There’s not a renewal section in that code.
[2:28:40] Um, that says after two years you can reapply, or after a year you can reply, um, in provision in the ordinance, unless you all want to make a change to the BYOB ordinance and to allow for renewal. But as of right now, in the current BYOB ordinance, there is not.. So just to clarify, after for renewals, that’s it. Either you go out and you get your A license from. There is not. A to ABC. Yeah.
[2:28:58] Uh correct. In the actual ordinance itself there is unless it lives somewhere else that I’m just unaware of. Um, there is no provision to renew after a year. That doesn’t say like after the four consecutive you. You’re eligible for renewal. Okay. Very good. That’s what I wanted to clarify. Yes. Councillor Marsh.
[2:29:17] So if he’s trying to use this for special events or tournaments, he can have one, uh, BYOB permit. And let’s say it goes till the end of the year. That’s just three months. And then he’s not going to have another tournament until six months later.
[2:29:38] Can he opt not to renew right away and extend his coverage time based on his scheduling of his tournaments? Correct? Yes. Okay. Now, um, the BYOB ordinance has not been challenged. And I know in the original conversation about the BYOB conversation, um, was whether or not we could set a parameter for it to begin with.
[2:30:00] So I don’t know if this will be the business that will challenge that. Um, because state law allows businesses to have a BYOB, we just strengthened that by saying you need a permit, and that permit is supposed to be for 90 days for for four consecutive times. But as part of that ordinance, there wasn’t an option, like after a year or after two years.
[2:30:22] And he could reapply for BYOB. There’s not that provision in that BYOB ordinance. Okay. Yes, and another follow up to your. Another question. Completely. Okay. So if the owner is planning on implementing policies to limit the BYOB to only over 21, what’s going to stop younger people from being in the facility and participating in the tournament? While the guy next
[2:30:50] to him has the BYOB? It doesn’t. And so that was my I told the mayor this when we talked yesterday. That was my concern with the BYOB, but because this is a permit, I don’t get to really kind of give my recommendation.
[2:31:04] But my recommendation is gaming systems are set up for all ages. Um, and so you could have an adult drinking, um, with a child very close. There’s not in and I haven’t taken a tour of the facility. I don’t know if there’s going to be like a one room for kids and one room for adults.
[2:31:22] My understanding, it’s one open room and everybody can participate. It’s an open area with, um, little stations. Um. So but it’s similar to like what you would see at a main event. You know, you have adults drinking side by side with kids playing video games. So, so there’s no way of it preclude. Yes. Go ahead, Mr. Campos.
[2:31:40] They at main event, it’s not a BYOB right facility is it. Is it. Don’t they have a liquor license? Right. They sell alcohol. In this case, you’re just allowed to bring it in.
[2:32:00] Right? But there when you to me, if I understand that if you have a liquor license, then you’re jeopardizing somebody who’s dispensing it has a license and they’re responsible, right? I, I’m, I personally am not supportive of this. I think there’s going to be so many mixed ages. I’m also you know, I’m still thinking of that hookah bar that we had, uh, that had BYOB and all of us.
[2:32:22] And I was asking questions as to what their hours were because, you know, the hookah bar stayed open till 4:00. Crime was happening. I that those are my concerns. Councillor Poulton. When you have a liquor license through to ABC, everyone who serves alcohol has has the certification.
[2:32:42] They are trained on what to look for and when to serve and when not to serve. By having a BYOB, you’re taking that equation out because there’s no one who’s going to be held liable if that person goes and kills somebody on the way home. Okay, I’m. I, I’m.. Yes. Councillor Mersch.
[2:33:01] I guess now it makes me concerned about the BYOB, uh, permit that we gave to the stagecoach. Um, craft store. Whatever. There’s going to be kids in there, too. So now I’m really confused. I mean, we didn’t even have this discussion about that venue when it’s clearly something that, you know, kids can go to.
[2:33:24] Yes, but you’re talking. I’m sorry, I’m sorry. I thought it was more adult classes at the staging stage. Yeah, that’s. That’s a comment I was going to make.
[2:33:38] So that business type, you’re not having 12 year old kids say, let’s go vintage shop, right? If they’re going, they’re going with a parent right over here. This is geared towards I mean it’s gaming, right. So you are going to have um, a teenagers, um, wanting to go play and using the gaming system. But my again, it was more of my concern of the regulation of the amount of alcohol than an adult is able to bring in.
[2:34:00] And at the vintage shop, the question was whether or not they could drink while they painted or do a project or whatever. And they closed early. Two. Right? They closed it like 7:00. And the question came up whether or not we could regulate the time.
[2:34:14] And this isn’t an sup, this is just you authorizing a permit for a BYOB. Um, and so those were my concerns. But because it’s again, we’re not discussing an Sup or discussing whether or not to give them the permit to have a BYOB permit at their facility to allow adults to bring in, um, alcohol and drink while they game.
[2:34:34] Um, for those of you unfamiliar with gaming, gaming scenarios can go on on a computer for hours half a day. Um, and so the amount of alcohol you can consume in those hours versus a one hour project at a vintage, you know, paint by number situation is very different than a gaming
[2:34:54] scenario. So those were the questions that I had. I had a conversation with, um, the chief and that those were the kinds of the concerns that came up. Councilor Roscoe. Thank you, mayor. I’m also getting flashbacks from the hookah lounge. Uh, matter of fact, uh, Mr.
[2:35:09] Campbell and I were the ones that made the motion to close it down, and I don’t see there have been any control inside. And, of course, it had license. They had that responsibility. They have to take control. I can see it getting out of hand. Um, I can see, um, underage drinking.
[2:35:35] I just, like I said, I just have bad taste in my mouth on the hook and lounge, and I’m totally against it as well. All right. Anyone else? Okay, I do want to make the distinction, just for the record, because it may come up later. The hookah lounge was an after hours club. Um, and there’s music.
[2:35:52] And it was a different again, when we’re talking about targeted businesses, it was a different type of business, a business model. And so, um, I think it’s just kind of important to know if we’re going to it’s not the same comparison, but it’s still think that there’s issues with it. But don’t they stay open till like 11.
[2:36:09] It’s midnight. But the hookah lounge was, um. There in the morning. Correct. It was midnight till till early morning, 5 or 6:00 in the morning. So I just want to make that distinction. Yeah. So they stay open to ten Monday through Thursday, Friday and Saturday. He stays open till midnight. Closed on Sundays.
[2:36:25] Thank you for that. Uh, Councilor Campos. I would agree with that. It’s not the same. However, you’re dealing with lower, younger age participants. And that’s where I’m having trouble with. So. Okay. Under the motion. Yes. We can. Motion and have a motion. Yes. Councilor Roscoe. Thank you, mayor, um, I’d like to make a motion denying 7.
[2:36:54] 5, uh, denying the application for BYOB. Uh, permit. Uh, I can give it the whole thing. Um, for wellspring Nexus at PC gaming destination located at 7007 Bandera Road. All right. We have a motion by Councilor Orozco and a second by Councilor Compost.
[2:37:20] Uh, to deny the application for a bio permit. Uh, to Wolf Spa Nexus, a PC gaming destination located at 7007 Bandera Road. Any further discussion? All those in favor say aye. Aye aye. Any opposed? That’s unanimous. Is that correct? Uh, the motion does pass for a denial. Unanimously. Thank you. All right. Moving then to 7.
[2:37:54] 6 presentation and discussion on an ordinance amending chapter six Health and Sanitation. Article 6.02 food establishments. Section 6.02.002 definition of food establishments to amend food establishment definitions and add definitions for child care center. School food service operation and mobile food vendor section 6.02.003 licenses, permits and exemptions. Uh subsection E one and subsection eight to comply with state law and amending appendix A fee, set schedule.
[2:38:32] Article A 6.000 food Establishments Section A, 6.001 license fees deleting mobile food vending license fee of $120 and mobile food truck vending food license of $35 and repealing ordinance 2021-58. Again, this is our first read as required by City Council, so we won’t vote on it tonight.
[2:39:00] Um, but we will. And again, this is this is because not from the retreat, but this is because state law. Changed state legislature. Correct. That’s why we’re addressing it. Okay. Thank you, Mr. Gallardo, if you please continue and welcome back. Okay.
[2:39:19] So again, the question before City Council is to approve whether or not to approve the amendments to chapter six, Health and sanitation. So your options are to approve, deny or other um staff declares that all amendments should be uh, should follow state law. Subsequently, the approval of the amendments. Right. So this is required.
[2:39:43] Uh, you know, again, so that we comply with, uh, state legislation specifically, uh, the first part of it is going to be HB 2844, which is pretty much referred to as the Food Truck Freedom Act. Uh, and we’re also amending section 6.0, 2.002 definitions of food establishments.
[2:40:09] So it’s to amend the definition of food establishments, meaning that we’re just going to have the same meaning assigned in the Texas food establishment rules. 25 Texas Administrative Code, chapter 228, as amended. So the last part, as amended, is important because when state legislation goes back and they make other changes, will ours will just follow whatever they change. And you can thank Doctor Calvino for that. Amend section 6.02.002.
[2:40:36] Definitions of food establishments. So here we’re going to add definitions for child care center food school food service operation and mobile food vendor. So the definition for child care childcare center shall have the meaning assigned by the Texas Food Establishment Rules and applicable state licensing regulations.
[2:41:00] Uh, we’re adding school food service operation, which means a food service operation operated by a public school district, charter school, or accredited private school subject to state or federal school nutrition programs.
[2:41:25] Lastly, we’re going to add mobile food vendor, which means a person operating a food vending vehicle licensed by the Texas Department of State Health Services, pursuing pursuant to Texas Health and Safety Code, chapter 437. Be. As part of our other amendments, we are going to amend section 6.02.003 licenses, permits and exemptions E-1 by exempting public schools, licensed childcare facilities, various facilities and cottage food operations from obtaining the city food Establishment permit while in compliance with the state law requirements.
[2:41:58] So essentially, that’s just saying that, you know, the city can’t charge for a permit when the state already has charged them. So section E, a food store or establishment operated solely by a non-profit organization is exempt from the permitting requirements of this article, but not exempt from compliance with state rules.
[2:42:23] The regulatory authority may require any information necessary to determine whether an organization is non-profit. For purposes of this exemption. So, uh, subsection one of that, the following are exempt from obtaining a city food establishment permit unless otherwise required by state law.
[2:42:51] So you’re going to have your public schools, which are participating in a state or federal school nutrition program, licensed childcare facilities, um, inspected by another government agency authorized to conduct food safety inspections. Typically, that’s going to be your state that’s going to inspect those childcare facilities. Um, and then facilities expressly expressly exempted by the Texas Food establishment rules.
[2:43:12] Those are going to be facilities that are going to sell packaged items, things that are already packaged and sealed. So there’s really no need for a permit for them. And then lastly, on the bottom you have the production of cottage foods. People that, uh, have baked goods and they sell stuff like that at farmer’s markets and things of that nature. Yep. Okay. All right.
[2:43:32] We’re also going to amend section 6.02.003 licenses, permits and exemptions H. By exempting a mobile food vendor from obtaining a city food establishment permit to comply with state law. Again, the state has said the city and county can charge if they’re going to get a permit with with the state. So. We still.
[2:43:58] Have some more. Do y’all want to go ahead and ask your questions? Go ahead. Counselor. I just wondered that the other day I was coming down Bandera Road and there was a, um, like a fruit market or something at Seneca and Bandera.
[2:44:13] It looked like just a family had done a pop up tent and were selling in the parking lot. Um. We don’t allow that here. I didn’t think we did, but I wasn’t sure what to do about it.
[2:44:29] But, um, so the but the people that have the vending, like in the vendors area on Grissom, they all have permits and. Okay, I just want to make sure I’m. There just so I can clarify. Just a little. City manager caldera. Um. So you have mobile tent pop up. That’s not a mobile food vendor. Mobile food vendor is tied more to the vehicle sales or mobile food truck.
[2:44:46] Um, and essentially what happened was the state came in and said, we are going to regulate mobile food vending, and those fees are going to come to us.
[2:45:01] There is a provision in the Texas Local Government Code that would allow us to work out a interlocal agreement with them to give us some permitting authority, and we would have to go to training. I just didn’t want to go through it. I don’t have the staff to go through all of that to be able to do that.
[2:45:13] So essentially what we will do is they would have to provide their permit from the state that they’ve been inspected by the state, and they have the state permit, and that’s how they would be allowed to operate here. So if they are going to vend in a parking lot, they have to have their state permit. The pop up tents, um, they are not allowed here.
[2:45:26] Um, they would have to come for an Sup or a temporary sup. So if you ever see those grass fruit, um, please notify us, because nine times out of ten, if you haven’t seen it come before the council, they’re probably not allowed. Is that permit just. Is that good for, like, a year? I don’t know how this. Means to me.
[2:45:42] I don’t know how the I. I’m just. Wondering. I mean, leading the I don’t know if it’s a year permit or I mean, I’m sure it’s a yearly permit, just kind of like a restaurant permit. Yeah. Um, is how it’s going to be. But we can still regulate fire inspection.
[2:45:56] We can still regulate zoning. We can still write. There’s certain things as part of the mobile food vending arena that we can still regulate. We just can’t issue a permit for them. Permit fee or do the health inspection portion of it that’s going to be regulated by the state. And how did that impact our budget? Um, he’s.
[2:46:12] Getting he’s on this slide. I’m sorry. It’s on his slide. He’s getting to it. Oh. He’s getting okay. I didn’t see that. Okay. Uh, did Councilor Campos have his hand up next? And then Councilor Marsh.
[2:46:30] This may not be part of this, but a question is, uh, what? So the things that I’ve seen on, on on Bandera and Seneca is more of a, like a church giving away food and and so does what who covers that? And is there anything that we can as a city we regulate. But every once in a while there’s a, there’s a church way in the. Back. It’s a weekly. Yeah.
[2:46:54] So, um, in the past, we don’t have a regulation against it. Technically, they’re not permitted to do it. You’re supposed to have an sup in order to be able to provide food now, because the food is free and coming to help a certain area of the population.
[2:47:12] Typically, cities do not intervene because they are giving away free food to those in need. So whether it’s a church doing it, whether it’s in a parking lot, the only time we’ll step in to regulate is if it’s blocking traffic, especially along Bandera Road, or impeding traffic along Seneca.
[2:47:27] That doesn’t allow people to move through the camera system. Then our police will go out there to to either tell them to cut the line or to reorganize their traffic. Um, our biggest concern when we have those is the traffic impact.
[2:47:42] We would like them to come ahead of time to let us know when we would work something out with them, but we don’t have provisions in our code that say free food vending versus sell of food is very different. So when you have somebody selling fruits and vegetables or like a makeshift farmer’s market that is regulated, right? We have a provisions for that.
[2:47:57] And we normally will go out there and say, hey, you don’t have the correct permits in order to to be established here. Um, but giving away free food is sponsored by a church or a private organization. We typically don’t intervene because it doesn’t play well publicly because they’re trying to help a certain organ, certain people, a certain demographic. Yes.
[2:48:17] The same thing that I believe what she saw was probably the weekly food giveaway that that is at that corner in the shopping center every week. And we have had some instances where the line goes all the way down Handsome Lake and blocks traffic. And if you see that. Please.
[2:48:33] Please call and put in the non-emergency number. And we normally will send an officer out there and tell them you need to submit a traffic plan if you’re going to be impeding traffic or reorganize your traffic to where it’s going through the parking lot. I haven’t seen that long in line for a little while now.
[2:48:47] So it’s it’s been a shorter line, but the cars line up before they’ve even got the tent and the food set up. Pretty much. Sir. Roscoe. Go ahead. Thank you mayor. See that again. Doctor Cordero, call the police if whatnot. So if they’re in planning traffic.
[2:49:02] So what happens is, if you’re coming up, Seneca and Seneca is one way. One way? Um, if so, if you can’t get on to Bandera Road because the cars aren’t lined up appropriately, please call.
[2:49:20] You know, the non-emergency number, and we’ll have a police officer go up there to either move the line over, ask them to re snake their line through the parking lot so they’re not impacting the traffic along. Seneca. We have approached them about trying to use, um, a larger parking lot like across the street because it can hold the traffic better.
[2:49:36] We’ve had conversations with them, and I think that that’s why that you haven’t seen that they’ve been trying to do like registration, like kind of like a sign up. So I think that’s helped a little bit. But different organizations pop up. And so we do have to deal with this on occasion. Okay. And then we’re always going with this.
[2:49:49] Is that Saint John has a food bank. But they start laying up at 4:00 in the morning in front of my house. And the whole Chanel point. And of course, uh, you know, we saw their, um, their advertisement. They’re not supposed to be lining up till six.
[2:50:06] Is there any way that they can line up at DPS office or at the school? So they would have to work out that agreement with them, so they’re allowed to line up in a public street. They cannot block traffic. They cannot block your driveway. Right.
[2:50:22] And so if they’re not doing any of the two, they can line up on a public street. So. They’re drop blocking your driveway. And so, um. So yeah. So it’s just it just depends. And so you would call the non-emergency number and if they’re blocking your driveway or impeding traffic, then the officer will ask Saint John Baptist to have them. Relent. Saint John Baptist is notorious for the food giveaway.
[2:50:41] It’s something that they advertise. It’s made it on KSAT 12 news. It’s one of their feathers in their cap. The city definitely doesn’t go over there and regulate Saint John Baptist food giveaway. They are helping a, um, a certain demographic.
[2:50:57] However, um, we do make sure that you can get out safely from your home. You can get out safely from your subdivision, and you can reach Huebner Road safely. If you can do all of those things, then no, we’re not regulating the line. Um, and so and I don’t regulate their advertisement. Like. Okay. And people like. But everybody yeah.
[2:51:15] Everybody for the food pantries, I mean there’s some food pantries here in San Antonio. People start lining up at 3:00 in the morning. Yeah. So I mean, that just shows what the economy is right now. And people’s need availability.
[2:51:30] And we’re happy that these services exist because there’s been times where we’ve been asked as a city, to open up a food pantry because there wasn’t any available resources. And so some of these things have been encouraged by the city in the past for some churches to host these types of events, because the city doesn’t hold a food pantry or Medicaid, reliable food source for individuals in need.
[2:51:50] Okay. And I’m not against, you know, giving food to the to the poor. I’m sorry. I guess we’re getting off subject here. Um, I was going to ask about the, um, farmer’s market. So that’s separate. Where do they where do they fit in? Here? But another. Yes.
[2:52:07] So the farmer’s market, we do have an old MOU. Kind of like one of those evergreen with the National Farmers Association. Okay. And the reason that that was set up was to provide fresh, organic fruit and vegetables that were eligible for Snap benefits.
[2:52:26] And it was an old agreement that was set up way before my even 20 years. I mean, it’s been a long existing. We’ve tried a few times to amend that MOU, and there’s nobody willing to from the Farmer’s Market Association willing to amend the MOU. These people just join this organization and kind of show up at our community center.
[2:52:50] Um, and so we’ve continued to allow them to be there for as long as I’ve been here. Sometimes we have 1 or 2 people, sometimes we have five people over there. Right. Um, but the big component of that is for them to accept, um, snap benefits, um, and providing fresh fruits and vegetables. And so that’s the original agreement.
[2:53:06] And that that agreement does have to be updated. I can’t we could cancel it because they’re technically not in compliance with that original agreement, but we can’t find anybody to renew or just it’s kind of a weird yeah thing. Yeah. But they’re, they’re they’re in the parking lot on Wednesdays. Um, next to the library.
[2:53:26] And I know there’s other farmers market, that farmer’s market like at the quarry. And I’m wondering. Well, those are a little bit different. So this one was set up through the farmer. I know I’m getting the organization wrong. Farmers Association specifically for that.
[2:53:41] The farmer’s market you’re seeing at the quarry are more like vendors that are trying to sell food. Specialized jams. Correct? Correct. And the like, they’re they’re doing like homemade quilts and jams and stuff. That’s not our farmer’s market. Our farmer’s market was specifically for homegrown vegetables and fruit. There’s not other vendors at our farmer’s market. Okay. All right.
[2:54:08] Anyone else? So, um, this was a first read, I believe. And I still have. I still. Have you finished? I’m sorry. Yes. I’m sorry. There we go. Thank you so much, Mr. Gaylord. Um.
[2:54:30] So, um, and I apologize that I’m reading this, but that’s the language that, you know, um, the only way to best phrase it is, you know, through the language that, you know, after we did research and stuff. So it’s more to the point, uh, but notwithstanding any provisions of this article, a mobile food vendor licensed by the Texas Department of State Health and Services pursuant to chapter 437 B of the Texas Health and Safety Code, shall not be required to obtain a separate city Food Establishment Permit.
[2:54:53] However, you know, as we talked about, there’s some things that the city can, uh, oversee or require. So the city may require compliance with zoning, uh, regulation, fire inspection, site permits for operation on city owned property, uh, special event permits, traffic and parking compliance building electrical and plumbing inspections, where
[2:55:17] applicable. So again, we’re largely we’re going to amend the appendix A fee schedule article A 6.00 by deleting section A, 6.001 C mobile food vending license fee of $120 annually. And mobile food truck vending food license of $35 annually. So the difference between those two are, um.
[2:55:51] The one that’s $120 are going to be like the food truck that’s parked at the church, for example, at that parking lot, the one that’s $35 was specifically written, I believe, for the food truck park. Okay.
[2:56:16] So fiscal impact is is pretty minimal, because if you look at a food establishment licenses, for example, now that the schools are exempt from that, you had three ISD schools in the city. Combined annual fee was about $1,500. Um, that’s between two elementaries and the high school. And then the second one, you know, the $35 food truck permit that was annual. We only had five trucks that were in compliance.
[2:56:38] So at the time when we started going after these food trucks, because there’s obviously more than five parked at the food truck park, we, um, kind of struggled to get them into compliance, and hence they got a new owner for the property and dismantled park completely. So.
[2:56:58] So that’s your fiscal impact, you know, pretty minimal if you if, you know, for a city of this size. And then lastly, you know, staff does recommend the we make these amendments to chapter six Health and sanitation. And the city Council approved that. Okay.
[2:57:15] So I just kind of want to give an example like Earth wise for instance. So we have a food truck. We can’t charge them a food permit, but we can have the far marshal or far to go over and inspect it for safety. But that’s it. Yes, ma’am. Okay. I just wanted to kind of put it in a example. Okay. Thank you. Yes, councilor compost.
[2:57:36] I’d like to recommend that we. I’d like to recommend that we put this on the consent agenda. Okay. For approval. That consensus for everyone for the next meeting. Thank you. I appreciate that. Okay. Then we move then to the last agenda, 7.7 presentation and possible action on economic and Community Development Advisory Committee. Objection.
[2:58:00] Excuse me. Objectives. And we have Sarah Walpole, our economic development and spatial projects director, and we are able to vote on this tonight. Awesome. Thank you. Come back. Yes. So, um, today tonight’s City council is being asked to review the city’s economic and community Development advisory committees. Objectives.
[2:58:20] Your options are to approve, deny, so reject or also provide alternatives to direct the advisory committees. Um future objectives. And this is, of course, at city council discretion. The purpose is to get approval. Now, um, just to give some background, um, the Economic Development Advisory Committee, um, hasn’t reconvened since March of 2024.
[2:58:44] So this year in June, um, we’ve had two meetings with the committee, and they’re very motivated to to get on something to work on, um, as a group. And they’ve also, um, wanted to get together on a policy objective. Now, there’s two ways they can do that.
[2:59:00] Um, one, the city council can direct the committee on an objective or policy to work on, um, or as, um, the committee has done, they’ve identified an objective or policy and are asking for permission to proceed. So that’s what I’m coming with tonight for you.
[2:59:17] Um, and so, um, with Doctor Calderas help, as well as the committees sort of feedback, um, I’ve kind of put together some ideas for the committee. Um, and they were able to express what, uh, policy initiatives they’d like to review in the future. And I’d like to see these three items as kind of a tier step plan for the committee to work on throughout the year.
[2:59:34] Um, first is to conduct a business inventory of available properties. This kind of goes hand in hand with the work I’m currently doing, which is a comprehensive business audit. Um, just to get a landscape of all the businesses here, um, available properties.
[2:59:50] Um, and now I’m doing the the sort of day to day work of looking up certificates of occupancy, the, the permitting, all the requirements associated with this. Now, the Economic Development Advisory Committee would be working on just a simple sort of status of if a business is in, um, a suite or a tenant, is there, um, if there’s a vacant property available, um, they would be
[3:00:11] doing this through public right of ways or in parking lots. They would not be directly interacting with businesses or, um, you know, approaching business owners, anything like that, doing any of their own code compliance or anything like that. It’s just to prepare a simple list.
[3:00:27] Um, and this is to get them familiar with the business environment, environment, the ecosystem here, we have a lot of new members on the committee. And so before they wanted to make policy recommendations and jump into all of that, um, the idea was to, to support this, um, business inventory. Now, um, next, it’s going to be compiling that list.
[3:00:45] Um, so I’m about halfway through with my audit. And um, so their support would, would be helpful. And I think in about six months we’re going to have all of that, that data available. And that’s where they can start looking at, um, you know, what areas they’d like to see additional development. Um, you know, future sort of opportunities.
[3:01:03] Um, with that, they’d also like to review the facade and building improvement program. Um, so I know I have on the August 4th agenda and economic development incentive policy overview with you all. And this is going to coincide with that pretty well.
[3:01:19] Um, I’m going to be providing the committee with some of that research on benchmark cities and what they’re doing for their Facade and building improvement grant programs. Um, how our current program compares in ways we can enhance it or how previous agreements have gone in the past.
[3:01:39] And so, um, it’s going to be at the committee’s recommendations and that they may bring that all back to you with future recommendations as well. So that’s kind of my tier step plan for the committee to keep them engaged this year. And um, yeah, have some positive, uh, policy updates for you all. So can I ask just how are they going to go about doing this? Yeah. Of course.
[3:01:54] Are they going in groups? Are they going door to door or are they, you know. Yeah, that’s a great question. So um, for item number one, the business business inventory, we’re going to be dividing the city into quadrants. Okay.
[3:02:11] Um, I’m kind of putting a list together of accessible shopping centers, so not, um, the more industrial parkways and things like that, but things that they can kind of just drive in, um, take a simple notes from their binders and their car. Um, and it’s really just to get them familiar to.
[3:02:28] So, you know, since a lot of us drive a certain way down certain roads, this is also going to get them familiar with things that they might not know about Leon Valley. So, um, having them kind of have that experience, um, and see what, what all is available. But they’re not going to be engaging directly. They’re not going to be entering businesses, anything like that.
[3:02:44] We will be, um, at the August 3rd meeting for the committee. We will be giving them instructions and, um, giving them instructions on best practices, things like that. Um, making sure that they’re not engaging or doing anything like that. That’ll be all at the staff’s, um, mercy, I guess, with my comprehensive audit. And that’s what I’ve been doing, is, is working with planning and zoning directly.
[3:03:03] Now, if they have any questions or anything like that, they can come to me directly. But we were not going to ask them to engage businesses or anything like that. All right. And they can choose to do it.
[3:03:13] And to answer the second part, they can choose to do it in groups. Some of them have expressed to do it with partners. With partners. So, um, they can discuss how they want to break up their quadrants if they want to go together. Um, okay. And so that’s, that’s kind of the consensus we got from the committee last, last time. Okay. Yes. Councilor Hale.
[3:03:30] How many members do you have on the committee? We have five members currently. Um, and then we have Council Member Marsh as our as our advisory. Okay. Yeah. Thank you. Yes, councillor Poulton.
[3:03:49] I’m just wondering if if they’re, um, reviewing the facade and the building improvements and they’re not going inside. Who does go inside to make sure that we’re code compliant? Does that fall in the fire department? Yes. So it would be with the fire department and also with planning and zoning.
[3:04:04] So with my with the comprehensive business audit that I’m conducting, um, that we do about every two years. The last one I think that was completed was in 2022. So my job is to to make sure that I’m, you know, looking up certificates of occupancy with planning and zoning, if I see a red flag or something like that, that’s where I can engage.
[3:04:19] Um, our department directors and handle that directly. Um, but yeah, it’ll be through the city staff. Thank you. Um. Yes, councilor. Compost. Number one. Thank you for answering the questions I had. I think it’s very important that we make sure everyone is trained to make sure that they understand what their responsibilities are.
[3:04:41] Yeah, we’ve had in the past where somebody may have approached a business because they were on, like, a committee like this, and there was some misrepresentation. From what I’ve heard. I’ve not I don’t know the specifics. And so the other thing is that them understanding our budget constraints, they can come up with some fantastic facade improvement programs.
[3:05:05] But if we don’t have the money for that, I don’t know how you know it. They’re going to do all this work and then feel defeated. Uh, they don’t want to do it, but we have budget constraints. And so I think they need to to know that and understand it. Um, uh.
[3:05:20] And yeah, I’ll just speak on that a little bit. It’s going to be for the policy recommendations. They’re not going to be allocating budgets, anything like that. Um, and so I’ll make it explicit obviously.
[3:05:34] Of course, when we get to that point, um, about available budgets in the way that we have to be conservative with what we were working with. Um, but yes, they won’t be engaging on the budget portion of this piece. It’s really just the policies. So I’m thinking about, um, you know, what’s in the language.
[3:05:49] What are we asking from these, um, business or property owners that we may not be asking for right now? Currently within the policy, um, recapture provisions and things like that, that can help, um, you know, true up some of that compliance, um, that we’ve seen in the past.
[3:06:02] And I think just a deep dive into what we’ve done before and how we can do it better, but not necessarily a, a full scale, um, you know, budget recommendation or anything like that. But even even at the policy level. Um. I think when you’re, you’re creating that policy at the end of the, at the end of the road, there’s dollars associated. With it. Um.
[3:06:20] That’s that’s where I was going with that. Make sense? And. Um. You know, I was talking to the city manager earlier that we’ve had citizens participate in reviews of our RFPs, and we’ve had citizens who were on that committee call up the vendors. And it’s kind of like, wait a minute.
[3:06:43] You expressly have we we have to make sure they understand what they’re like, a code of conduct you’re not supposed to do X, whatever that is. I don’t know, but I just want to make sure everybody’s aware, uh, that we don’t get it. It’s an exercise, an important. one that you’re doing.
[3:07:04] And I think the objectives are worthwhile. But just. don’t that they don’t go beyond that. So that’s just my input. Well. I just like to add that I know this is a this is a we had it budgeted in the past under projects. Right. Or no. I know we had a facade program grant program. So you have.
[3:07:27] So I don’t know where it came from, but I just know it was under economic development. And these businesses would apply and, and um, anyway. So you have a project funding line item and you have several policies. You have a facade improvement policy. You can do a 380, you can do various different.
[3:07:48] And Sarah will go over all of your programs at the August 4th meeting, like all of the economic development, available incentive policies that we currently have. And she has some recommendations as to, um, improving some of those policies that we currently have already and that will be presented to you on August the 4th.
[3:08:06] Um, this in particular, when we asked the committee what they would like their objective to be a brainstorming session, these are the items that they said that they really wanted to focus on the facade or the aesthetics of the way we look, but they felt like they couldn’t give an appropriate policy recommendation without actually knowing our ecosystem or our economic development
[3:08:25] ecosystem. And so, um, it was made as a recommendation from, from the committee to be able to, um, take kind of an observational look at our business district in order for them to give appropriate policy recommendations. They felt like they needed this piece before the other piece.
[3:08:46] Do I think they needed this piece before the other piece? No, not really. But if they felt that they did, then the committee can certainly do that. But all of those, including a facade improvement program, we have all of those incentives already.
[3:09:02] And so if we got an application for one of those, it would be pulled from your project funding line item, but don’t. They’re not looking at that project. They’re not looking at funding. They will not be looking at specific facade programs. They’re just looking at the policy for the facade program. But if we were to get a facade grant, are they we. An application? It would come from that. If the council so choose.
[3:09:28] To have any money in it for next year. That. Is correct to come from their reserve fund. That’s all I was clarifying. Yes. So we have a vast variety of different incentive programs that we currently have in go. On our city website, you can see a laundry list. We have a facade program.
[3:09:46] We have different policies and procedures in regards to different economic development incentives. And all of them still exist. We just don’t have current and next year’s budget this year we do. But in next year’s budget we don’t have any dollars tied to those programs.
[3:10:04] And so if you get an application and you want to fund that application, that would come from the reserve amount for next year. This year we have a project funding line item. And so if we were to receive a grant application, then we would.
[3:10:18] And if the council so chose to do so, then they would use that project funding line item to fund whether it’s a facade, whether it’s a 380, whether it’s, um, just a co-sponsorship situation for something that would all come from that project funding line item. So I just want to clarify that anyone else? Okay. Um. I may have a couple slides, but it’s. Very bright ahead. Yeah. Now we go back to the.
[3:10:41] Um, and this of course, just to touch on the exact duties and responsibilities we did a little bit of about this, but we will make it very clear what their duties are. Um, that was the initial conversation we had.
[3:10:56] June 15th was a, you know, kind of deep dive into the the duties and responsibilities of members. But of course, they’re not going to be reviewing any application grant applications or anything like that. Um, so we’ll keep that a clear direction as we go forward. Um, and then recommendation for you all today is to approve the committee recommended objectives. Uh, no fiscal impact on this item.
[3:11:16] And then, of course, our strategic goals and objectives is that economic development goal. Very. Q yes. Uh, Councilor Campos. , great presentation. Thank you. Uh, I’d like to make a motion that we move forward with the Economic Development Advisory Committee objectives. All right. Yes. I’d like to second that motion. Thank you.
[3:11:41] We have a motion by Councilor Campos, second by Councilor Mersch to approve the Economic Community Development Advisory Committee. Objectives. Objectives. As stated. Any further discussion? All those in favor, say aye. Aye., aye. Any opposed? The motion does carry. Just make a note that Councilor Bolton was out of the room and did not vote.
[3:12:05] I did want to say, though, not during the motion, but my wife Yvonne is a chair for this committee, and she knows the challenges that are facing them. But she’s excited about it. She knows the policy and hopefully a new enthusiasm is coming to this new group and and make it a success. So I think they’ve got new members. It’s. In sight. Just putting some work into it.
[3:12:26] Yes I bet. Well, thank them for us too as well. Okay. Any need to go into executive session this evening to discuss? Well, it’s not just to give you an update on the place. It’s going through the mailboxes.
[3:12:50] Um, criteria again, and they will be replacing some more mailboxes, and then they’re going to wait a year like they did last time. So hopefully they’ll get that done. And my chief of staff did just contact me and said that the the girls from Leon Valley, um, the seniors, they won the two games today. So they’re still deep in the, in the tournament in Louisiana. Right. So. Right.
[3:13:09] All right. So that’s the the softball team from Northwest Little League. That’s that’s what you’re talking about. Okay. Very good. All right. So but no need to go into executive session. Right. Well you already passed those two items, mayor short. Sorry. You’ve passed those two items. They were for short term rental and animal ordinance.
[3:13:25] Nobody wanted to go discuss it. I guess we could. Okay. Anybody, uh, have future agenda items that you’d like to discuss? Um, I’ve just been reading about the ticks and people getting sick from the ticks, and that’s deer. I don’t know if we need to look at that in the future, but anyway.
[3:13:47] So would you like me to add a future agenda item on. Ticks? Well, I’m. Just I mean, it’s been defeated twice now, but it’s been a while. Oh, so you’re talking about not feeding the deer? Oh, yeah. Okay. That’s the so not ticks. I’m sorry. Because you said.
[3:14:00] The ticks too. Because you’re deer of tracks the ticks and that’s. So do. people’s dogs in the whole natural area. I mean you have raccoons. Foxes, squirrels. Well your, your natural area is in the center of your city.
[3:14:18] I mean, and your natural area is going to encompass all the deer. And so, I mean, yes, you have deer feedings that are occurring that are keeping the deer going through some of the neighborhoods. Um, so if you want to discuss the deer feeding, we can add that to the agenda. I with what you said or what I heard was ticks. And so I did.
[3:14:37] With the ticks because of the health issues that I’m reading, people are getting sick. And so. So do you want to add the don’t feed the deer ordinance on the agenda? Actually, I always like more like I said, more concerned about the health implication, but I don’t know how we deal with that. You know.
[3:14:55] We’ve got the screw room and the parasites as well. So I. So yeah. Um, anyway, maybe I’ll think about it, but I mean, I just what do y’all I mean, I just. I have it, I can just it off, change the change the date and we can add it on for discussion. If that’s something you.
[3:15:11] Would like, we can certainly discuss. I think we’ve got to take hold of the feeding, I really do. I mean, do you want to if you want to add it on, I’ll add it on to a future. Well, maybe after the budget, you know. So like October.
[3:15:24] Yeah, I think I think so because the budget is taking a lot of time. Okay. So yeah. Councillor Marsh, what are. You saying? I think particularly the feeding of the deer in the neighborhoods.
[3:15:39] I mean, it’s bad enough when people feed them in the natural area, but when they are drawing the deer out into the neighborhoods, then there’s more likelihood that they’re going to interact with the dogs or, you know, whatever. So I, I know that it’s a problem in my neighborhood. And I’ve been driving through Forest Oaks early in the morning to get to a 7:00 appointment, and there’s deer all over the place.
[3:15:58] Now, I know. So okay, so we’ll talk. We’ll add it in October. Yeah, absolutely. Okay. All right. So with that, if there’s no other, uh, agenda items for the future, then we move to adjourn without objection, at nine, 11, nine, 11 on July the 24th. First. Thank you. That’s a lot.
[3:16:20] This is a lot earlier than I thought. I thought we were going to go after ten. I really did. So thank you all very much. Do appreciate y’all. Have a good evening. We’ll see you on Thursday. And um. You know, I was going to say you got to pick one thing I did not.
[3:16:41] And next Wednesday we’ve got the follow up from the retreat on the managers project and go. Got that right. Saturday.. Two. After he was available. But I get so it’s 9 to 11 on July 29th and it’s not on my contract. It is just my city manager. Um, so I didn’t get the July 29th from 912. So, um, so Angela’s the. Uh. Officers. Yes.
[3:17:17] Yeah. And I think that I have a month ago, I did. Not work here. I know she she was going to have a caption. I was going to come here. Yeah. Uh, look, I’ll, I’ll, I’ll look over there. Not.
[3:17:39] And by tomorrow, because we’ve been doing this year after year after year. So you gotta be. And her computer, that’s the same people every year. So let me check. Let me check with her. I don’t know. She’s gone through the easy a little bit, of, cheese. Um, what time’s your lunch? And so, yeah. Okay, I figured I was. Said also, I got email eighth.
[3:18:07] The senior and this is team. And this.