[00:00:07]
[Special City Council Meeting]
THIS IS A METALS PLACE.CITY COUNCIL, SPECIAL SESSION, FRIDAY, AUGUST 19TH AT 5:30 PM AND CITY HALL, MEADOWS PLACE ONE TRAIN DRIVE, UH, ITEM MAY ON THE AGENDA.
PARDON ME IS A CALL TO ORDER AND ANNOUNCED THAT QUORUM IS PRESENT ALL COUNCILS PRESENT EXCEPT DAVID MARTINS.
SO WE DO HAVE A QUARTER FOR THEM.
ITEM NUMBER B IS TO CONDUCT A PUBLIC HEARING BEFORE THE CITY COUNCIL IS CITY MEADOWS PLACE TO HEAR ANY AND ALL PERSONS, UH, DESIGNED TO BE HEARD CONCERNING CITY OF MEADOWS PLACE, MUNIS BUDGET, FISCAL YEAR 22, 23, OR ANYONE THAT WOULD LIKE TO COME UP AND SPEAK.
PLEASE DO PLEASE STEP TO THE PODIUM.
GIVE US YOUR NAME AND YOUR ADDRESS.
MICHAEL, YOU GET A LITTLE CLOSER TO THAT.
MIKE BEZNER 1, 1 8 42 MULHOLLAND METALS PLACE.
I'VE BEEN A MEMBER OF LIVING AT THAT RESIDENCE SINCE 1975, AND WE'VE ENJOYED LIVING HERE A LONG TIME.
BEFORE WE BECAME A CITY, WE HAD A MUD DISTRICT.
THE MUD DISTRICT TOOK CARE OF THE WATER, THE SEWER, THE ROADS SIDEWALKS, THE WAY WE BECAME A CITY.
ALL THOSE RESPONSIBILITIES BECAME THE ASSETS OF THE CITY AND THE CITY COUNCIL TOOK CONTROL AND IT WAS SUPPOSED TO TAKE CARE OF ALL OF OUR NEEDS OF THE, OF THE CITY.
MY FIRST QUESTION IS HOW DID OUR INFRASTRUCTURE GETTING SUCH BAD SHAPE? WE'VE GOT ROADS OUT THERE THAT ARE 50 YEARS OLD, 55 YEARS OLD, AND THEY'RE JUST, THEY'RE TERRIBLE SHAPE.
PEOPLE DON'T WANT TO WALK ON THE SIDEWALKS BECAUSE THEY GOT TOO MANY BUMPS IN THEM AND THEY'RE AFRAID THEY'RE APPALLED DOWN AND THEY WALK IN THE STREET.
WE'VE GOT A WATER SYSTEM THAT BREAKS EVERY YEAR IN THE YEAR, 2011.
WE HAD A BREAK ALMOST EVERY WEEK DURING THE SUMMER, AND THAT SHOULD HAVE TOLD THE CITY COUNCIL, YOU GOT TO DO SOMETHING.
AND IF YOU REMEMBER BACK IN THE SEVENTIES, THERE'S A NEIGHBORHOOD COVINGTON WOODS OVER HERE THAT WAS BUILT AT ABOUT THE SAME TIME.
WELL, I DROVE OVER IN COVINGTON WOODS ABOUT A MONTH AGO AND THEY REPLACED ALL OF THEIR STREETS WITH CONCRETE TO THE CITY OF SUGARLAND, DID THAT.
IT'S NICE BECAUSE THEY'VE KEPT IT UP.
SO MY QUESTIONS TO THE CITY COUNCIL IS WE GOTTA FIX OUR INFRASTRUCTURE AND WE GOT TO GET THEM AWAY.
GET AWAY FROM ALL OF THESE AMENITIES THAT YOU'VE BEEN GIVEN US.
I PROPOSED NUMBER ONE, THAT WE SHUT DOWN THE NATURE CENTER THAT IS USED BY LESS THAN 5% OF THE RESIDENTS.
THERE'S PEOPLE HERE THAT HAVE NEVER, EVER BEEN IN THAT PLACE.
AND THE PEOPLE THAT I'VE TALKED TO THAT IT'S, IT'S NOT, IT'S NOT WORTH IT.
YOU START THERE, YOU START WITH SOME OF THE AMENITIES, YOU START CUTTING IT DOWN AND YOU PLOW IT BACK INTO YOUR INFRASTRUCTURE.
AND THAT'S WHAT I DON'T SEE HAPPENING.
YOU SAID THAT DURING THE, ONE OF THE, ONE OF THE MEETINGS THAT WE HAD DURING THE BUDGET, THAT THERE WILL BE NO PIPE REPLACEMENT DURING THIS FISCAL YEAR OR THE NEXT FISCAL YEAR.
WHEN YOU EXPECT TO REPLACE THAT PIPE, WHICH PART ARE YOU REFERRING TO? I'M REFERRING TO THE PIPE THAT BREAKS EVERY MONTH OR EVERY WEEK.
SO THE WATER PIPE, I REPLACED ALL THE PIPING IN MY HOUSE LAST OCTOBER, TWO MONTHS BEFORE THE FREEZE, I HAD NO PROBLEMS AT ALL.
AND, UH, YOU GOT TO GET YOUR MINDSET AWAY FROM THE AMENITIES AND GET IT ON THE INFRASTRUCTURE.
THE OTHER THING THAT I PROPOSE IS THAT WE READ THE RAISE, THE $10 FEE THAT WE SEE ON OUR WATER BILL TO A $15 OR EVEN 1250.
WE GOT TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT THIS AND WE GOTTA FIX IT.
[00:05:01]
AND THOSE ARE MY COMMENTS ON THE BUDGET.MIKE, YOUR COMMENTS ARE DULY NOTED, BUT THAT YOUR COMMENTS ARE DULY NOTED.
WELL, IT'S SHOWING AN INTEREST IN TAKING THE ENERGY TO COME UP HERE.
WELL, I APPRECIATE THAT ANY OF THE REST OF THE MADDENING CROWD WOULD LIKE TO STEP UP AND I, AND THAT'S ANOTHER THING WE, WE GOTTA GET.
SOMEBODY'S GOTTA GET PEOPLE INTERESTED IN BUDGET, GOTTA GET THESE PEOPLE.
IT'S MY TAXES THAT THEY'RE PAYING OUR TAXES.
THE OTHER THING I WANTED TO BRING UP MAYOR, IF YOU DON'T MIND, I THINK THERE'S TWO PEOPLE ON THE CITY COUNCIL THAT THIS WAS EFFECT.
AND I WOULD LIKE TO SEE ALL TAXES.
SO PEOPLE 65 YEARS AND OLDER, FROZEN AT THE CURRENT LEVELS, THE SCHOOL DISTRICT DOES THIS.
AND, UH, THIS WILL HELP YOU OUT THERE.
I'M PRETTY SURE NOT SAY THAT YOU'RE OVER 65 YET, BUT YOU'RE GETTING CLOSE, BUT, UH, IT'S HARDER AND HARDER TO LIVE ON FIXED INCOME.
AND I'M NOT SAYING NOT PAY TAXES, I'M SAYING FREEZE THEM.
SO HOPEFULLY EVERYTHING IS DULY NOTED.
WHENEVER HE TELLS ME THEY'RE DULY NOTED, I GET SCARED BECAUSE MOST OF THE TIME IT GOES UNDERNEATH THE TABLE.
AND IT'S NEVER MENTIONED AGAIN.
I'D LIKE TO SEE SOME ACTION ON THESE ITEMS, PLEASE.
ANYBODY HAVE ANY RESPONSE? WELL, I BELIEVE WE'RE SUPPOSED TO HOLD OUR RESPONSES FOR, SEE, THIS IS A PUBLIC.
UH, ONCE WE GET TO DISCUSSION, YEAH, I'D LIKE TO KNOW.
I WANT TO MOVE TO MOVE ON TO ITEM C, UNLESS THERE'S ANYBODY.
I THOUGHT WE WERE GOING TO HOLD THE PUBLIC HEARING OPEN TO 15, 15 MINUTES JUST IN CASE SOMEBODY IS RUNNING LATE OR THEY CAN GET HERE RIGHT.
AT FIVE 30, WE WERE GOING TO WAIT UNTIL SAY 5 45 BEFORE WE QUARTER TAIL.
AND THAT'LL JUST IN CASE SOMEBODY IS RUNNING LATE, GIVE THEM A CHANCE TO BE HERE.
WE WOULD HOPE THAT MORE PEOPLE WOULD PARTICIPATE.
BUT TRUTHFULLY MIKE, YOU AND TERRY HENLEY, AND OCCASIONALLY ONE OF THE PERSON, THE ONLY PEOPLE THAT SHOW UP TO THESE AND WE'LL KNOW PROBABLY MONDAY AFTERNOON, MAYBE MONDAY BY NAN, HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE WATCHING THIS RIGHT NOW? HMM.
I WAS JUST GETTING ANXIOUS AND MIKE, THIS, THIS WAS ORIGINALLY SCHEDULED FOR NEXT TUESDAY DURING THE, UM, COUNCIL MEETING.
BUT BECAUSE THE WAY THE STATE LAWS ARE WRITTEN, WE HAD TO MOVE IT UP TO TODAY FOR, BECAUSE OF ADVERTISING REASONS AND STUFF LIKE THAT.
UM, MEETING ON A FRIDAY EVENING IS NOT CONDUCIVE TO GET GETTING PEOPLE INVOLVED.
WE UNDERSTAND THAT, BUT THE STATE LAW IS NOT WRITTEN.
LIKE YOU'LL HAVE IT ON THIS DATE.
IT'S 10 DAYS BEFORE THIS TIME.
AND FIVE DAYS AFTER THAT, AND YOU BASICALLY NEED TO DO YOUR TRIGONOMETRY TO FIGURE OUT WHEN YOU'VE GOT TO HAVE YOUR MEETINGS.
AND OUR CITY, SECRETARY AND CITY ADMINISTRATOR DO A GREAT JOB OF FOLLOWING THAT CALENDAR AND MAKING SURE WE'RE NOT MESSING UP.
[00:10:14]
OH SHIT.IF YOU CAN SHOOT IT TO MAYOR HARNESS OR JUST SHOOT IT TO ME AND I'LL FORWARD IT TO HER.
UM, WELL HERE'S WHAT SHE JUST SAID.
HERE'S WHAT SHE JUST READ TO ME.
I DON'T KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT, WELL, WE'LL GET IT SQUARED AWAY FOR, THEY TALKED TO SOMEBODY IN HER OFFICE.
I DIDN'T TALK TO HER A LITTLE BIT LATE.
I MEAN, AFTER THAT, BUT A GREAT MAYORS MEETING.
IT WAS OVERWHELMING, BUT WE WERE THERE FOR TEMPLETON.
THE BIG CITIES WERE NOT THERE.
THEY'RE GOING TO BRING THE CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD OF THE CKD AND THEY'RE GOING TO HAVE THE CHIEF APPRAISER AND BOY, AFTER HEARING SOME OF THE ATTITUDE YESTERDAY, BETTER WEAR A FLAK JACKET.
THERE'S SO MUCH CONFUSION OUT THERE, STILL ON WHAT THE CAD DOES.
I THINK THEY ACTUALLY EFFECT THEY DON'T AFFECT ANY OF THAT.
THEY JUST REPORT THE PRICE AS OPPOSED TO APPRAISE WIMP.
WHAT'S HIS NAME ALMOST LOST HIS JOB.
YOU GOT, YOU GOT A LITTLE BIT OF ADVANTAGE OVER THE REST OF US UNDERSTOOD EXPERIENCE.
I COULD ASSURE THAT I COULD FIND IT RIGHT UP TO THE DATE BEFORE I SOLD IT.
IT MIGHT ON BORROWING, BEEN READING SOME SCARY THINGS ABOUT THE, IN THE NORTHEAST.
[00:15:02]
I REMEMBER I HAD A GUY WHO LIVED OVER YOUR NIGHTLIFE.HE BOUGHT WHEN IT WAS NEW COMING IN.
WELL, IT WAS KIND OF BAD ALREADY.
AND HIS REALTOR SAID, LISTEN, BABE, WE NEED TO STAGE THIS HOUSE AND I CAN SELL IT.
AND HE'S GOT RID OF ALL THE JUNK THAT THE REALTOR TOLD HIM, GET OUT OF THERE AND STAGED IT TO WHERE THEY DID.
HE HAD SIX OFFERS ON THE HOUSE, HIS NEIGHBORS WHO BLOCKS OVER COULDN'T GET AN OFFER.
AND SO, BUT HE TOOK THE TIME AHEAD OF TIME TO PAINT ALL THE WALLS AND DO ALL THE STUFF, FIXED THE LITTLE OKAY.
AND IT MADE A HUGE DIFFERENCE.
AND YOU SAID THE SAME THING, WHAT A HUNDRED TIMES HOUSES WITH BEEN REDONE AND THAT'S SEEMS TO BE THE CASE.
SO WITH THAT, WE WILL CALL THE PUBLIC HEARING TO CLOSE AND MOVE ON TO ITEM C, WHICH IS DISCUSSION CONSIDERATION OF ORDINANCE NUMBER 2 0 2, 2 DASH FIVE, ONE ADOPTING THE CITY OF METAL'S PLACE, MUNICIPAL BUDGET FOR FISCAL YEAR 22, 23.
UM, WE HAVE HELD THE, THE PUBLIC HEARING IS WE'RE REQUIRED AND WE'VE DISCUSSED THE BUDGET IN THE PAST.
UH, THE COUNCIL MUST TAKE ACTION ON THE BUDGET AND MOVE FORWARD WITH A VOICE.
SO WITH THAT, IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION AMONGST COUNCIL BEFORE THE VOTE? I'LL JUST KIND OF GO INTO IT A LITTLE BIT.
UM, I DO AGREE WITH MIKE, WE NEED TO START PUSHING MONEY TOWARDS INFRASTRUCTURE.
WE ARE ATTEMPTING TO DO THAT THIS YEAR, WE'RE ADDING $286,000 TO INFRASTRUCTURE BUDGET.
UM, AND HOPEFULLY NEXT YEAR WE CAN INCREASE THAT AMOUNT.
UM, ONCE WE COUPLE THAT WITH EDC FUNDING AND WHATEVER WE ELSE WE CAN GET, UM, HOPEFULLY WE CAN DO PHASE TWO OF DORRANCE, WHETHER WE DO THAT NEXT YEAR OR THE YEAR AFTER, I THINK EVERYBODY'S TRYING TO PUSH IT TO NEXT YEAR.
UM, AND THEN SPEED UP THAT PROCESS.
THAT'S ONE OF THE REASONS WE'RE LOOKING AT THE INCREASE IN THE WATER RATE, UM, TO HELP ACCOMMODATE THAT.
UM, OUR PUBLIC WORKS DIRECTOR HAS PUT TOGETHER A FIVE-YEAR PLAN TO START WORKING ON IT, BUT OBVIOUSLY WE DON'T HAVE THE FUNDING TO DO IT ALL AT ONCE.
UM, SO WE ARE TRYING TO LOOK FORWARD, DO THAT, UM, WHY THAT PROCESS WASN'T STARTED EARLIER.
I WOULD SAY THAT SOME PAST COUNCILS WERE MORE INTERESTED IN LOWERING THE TAX RATE RATHER THAN WORRY ABOUT THE FUTURE.
UM, AND YOU CAN TALK ABOUT WHETHER WE SPENT MONEY ON AMENITIES RATHER THAN THAT.
THE, WHEN IT COMES DOWN TO IS IT'S A VERY EXPENSIVE PROCESS AND A VERY LONG PROCESS TO DO.
AND WE'VE BEEN TRYING TO COME UP WITH A PLAN ON HOW TO TACKLE THAT.
UM, I THINK WE DO HAVE A PLAN NOW HOW TO MOVE FORWARD WITH IT, HOW TO FUND IT AND GET THE PROCESS STARTED.
UH, ONE, ONE ITEM ON THE WATER LINES.
I WAS CURIOUS WHAT IT WOULD COST.
JUST THINKING ABOUT, YOU KNOW, MY STREET AS AN EXAMPLE, MEADOW TRAIL.
SO GOING FROM DORRANCE UP TO MONTECITO, IF WE JUST WENT IN AND REPLACED THE WATER LINES, UH, I DIDN'T KNOW WHAT IT WAS GONNA COST.
SO WE, WE TALKED TO THE ENGINEERS AND IT'S IN THE HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS JUST TO DO ONE STREET FOR THE WATER LINES.
SO IT'S, IT'S MORE COSTLY THAN I HAD EVER IMAGINED.
BUT, UH, KNOWING THAT THE LINES ARE AS DEEP AS NINE FEET UNDERGROUND, IT'S, IT'S, IT'S A PROCESS.
AND IT'S A LOT EASIER TO DO WHEN WE'RE REPLACING THE STREETS.
YOU KNOW, WITH ANY OF THE STREET REPLACEMENT WE'RE DOING, IT SAVES A WHOLE LOT OF MONEY DOING IT THEN, UH, BUT WE'LL SEE WHAT THE FIVE-YEAR PLAN IS FROM.
AND THEN WE CAN MOVE ON AFTER WE GET THOSE STREETS DONE, THEY'VE ALREADY GOT A PLAN FOR THAT.
I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO REMIND COUNCIL, THIS IS THE FIRST YEAR WE'VE EVER PLUGGED UP THIS
[00:20:01]
MUCH MONEY INTO INFRASTRUCTURE, MARK, MARK FOR INFRASTRUCTURE.THERE'S ALWAYS BEEN A LITTLE BIT OF THING ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE BALANCE SHEET CALLED DEAD, THAT DEBT IS GONE.
WE HAVE MOVED THAT DEBT DOWN AND NOW WE'RE ABLE TO TAKE THAT FUNDING AND MOVE IT OVER.
AND NOW WE'RE UTILIZING IT INTO INFRASTRUCTURE, UH, SOMEWHERE RIGHT IN THERE.
AND WE ARE WORKING THAT TOWARD THAT.
NICK, DID YOU EVER COMMENT? SO AS A MATTER OF REFERENCE, MR. BEZNER, UM, $1 MILLION, WE'LL PURCHASE A STREET REPLACEMENT FROM KIRKWOOD TO OXFORD GLEN ON DORRANCE.
SO THE PROJECT THAT'S HAPPENING RIGHT NOW, THE ONE THAT'S GOING FROM KIRKWOOD, OXFORD, GLEN, THAT'S $1 MILLION.
AND THAT INCLUDES WATER, CORRECT.
AND THAT'S A $1 MILLION PRICE TAG.
UH, AND WHAT HE'S SAYING IS THE MILLION DOLLARS ISN'T GOING TO DO THE JOB AND WE NEED TO KEEP A CERTAIN AMOUNT BACK FOR EMERGENCIES IN THE EVENT, WE'VE GOT A HURRICANE COME IN OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT.
WE'VE GOT TO FRONT THE MONEY UNTIL WE CAN GET REIMBURSED BY FEMA.
I'M ACTUALLY HEARD SOME PRETTY WRONG THERE'S DISCUSSIONS ABOUT WHAT AT THE BIBLE UP THE BAT.
BUT THE GETTING DONE BACK, ALL OF OUR FUTURE, WORKING TOWARD THAT ALSO WANT TO LOOK FOR THEIR REVENUES, BUT FEEL BACK MINUS OUT, IT TAKES IT DOWN TO 3 MILLION, 600, 3 MILLION.
WE'RE ALMOST DOLLAR FOR DOLLAR.
WHAT WOULD, WHAT WOULD PEOPLE WANT? UM, AND WE JUST PAID IT OFF.
SO YES, YES, WE HAVE TO DO THE STREETS.
THE SEWER SYSTEM, THE WATER LINES IS OVER A HUNDRED MILLION DOLLARS.
THE BONDING CAPACITY OF THE ENTIRE CITY IS LESS THAN 20.
AND SO HOW DO WE GO TO THE VOTERS AND SAY, WE NEED $20 MILLION BOND TO FIX SECTION ONE.
AND WE'LL PAY THAT OFF IN 20, 25 YEARS.
AND THEN WE'LL START THINKING ABOUT SECTION TWO.
AND SO WE'VE GONE INTO A PAY AS YOU GO SYSTEM, AND WE'LL START TAKING A BITE EVERY YEAR, EVERY TWO YEARS AS WE CAN FINANCE IT.
NEED A MOTION TO PASS THE BUDGET.
AND THE SECOND MOTION WE GOT A MOTION ABOUT TIAA SECOND BY BRICK.
ALRIGHT, SO WE WILL NOW HAVE A RECORD VOTE AND WE'LL START FOR TIA
[00:25:01]
SINCE SHE MADE THE MOTION.AND I DON'T HAVE A, SO THAT CONCLUDES THE VOTE.
THEY ARE DULY RECORDED BY THE SECRETARY.
WOULD THAT COUNCIL? CONGRATULATIONS.
AND I'M SORRY, HE'S OUT OF THE ROOM.
THIS IS THE FIRST TIME WE'VE EVER PUT SOMETHING TOGETHER LIKE THIS WITH THIS MUCH DEDICATED FOR INFRASTRUCTURE.
I'M REALLY PROUD OF SOME, THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH.
AND I WANT TO THANK STAFF WHO ARE HERE FOR ALL THE WORK Y'ALL DID TO PUT THIS TOGETHER AND MAKE IT WORK.
WE'LL MOVE ON TO ITEM D UNLESS THERE'S ANY OBJECTIONS I'M GOING TO SAY WE'RE ADJOURNED.