Hello Neighbors!
We have probably
THE most IMPORTANT city
meeting of the year happening this week. In fact, it’s the only one
posted to the website at this time, and this week’s newsletter is STILL long.
:)
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Monday, September
16, 2019
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6:00 PM -
City Council Briefing
Council Conference
Room
City Hall
This is a briefing
to prepare for the 7:00 pm meeting and IS open to the public. These
briefings often have great dialogue amongst Council and staff and I invite
everyone to try coming to a briefing at least once to see what they’re
like. It’s a much less formal setting than the main meeting.
The briefings are
NOT live-streamed.
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**** 7:00 PM - City
Council Meeting
Council Chamber,
City Hall ****
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Agenda packet: https://commondatastorage.googleapis.com/document-uploads-001/uploads/video/agenda_file/32360/9-16-19_City_Council_Agenda_Packet.pdf
I highly encourage
everyone to click the link above and look through the agenda packet.
There is a LOT that will be going on in this meeting and I will be touching on
just a few points.
***** #4 - This
agenda item is your best friend! I have circled all the items on the
agenda that the public can speak on, in green. That means that if any of
the other items (the budget, tax rate, Certificate of Obligation bonds
issuance, etc.) are NOT circled in green, you may NOT speak during that time
unless the Mayor asks (which has not been the city’s procedure thus far).
So, those who plan to go to the council meeting Monday night, please
look through this information ahead of time so you are prepared and know when
you can/cannot speak. ******
I really appreciate
when people take the time to come to meetings and speak on whatever topic is of
concern / or tell us what we’ve done right - and now public comments are at the
beginning of the agenda again! As your elected representative, it helps me help
you when residents speak for/against whatever is most important to you!
# 8 - (Cannot speak
DURING this item) Proposed ordinance providing for the issuance of City of
Waxahachie, Texas combination tax and Revenue Certificates of Obligation,
Series 2019 in the total amount of $31,525,000. $26 Million of that is
for infrastructure, according to administration.
# 18 - Public
Hearing (you may speak during) - Regarding the former First Baptist Church. I’m
not sure what Mr. Acker intends to build on this site.
#22 & 23:
ZC-19-0089 (now called PD-19-0089) is a zoning case called Fountain Court,
regarding an area near the intersection of Garden Valley Parkway and Brown
St. There have been many interested in this case.
Staff Recommends-
Approval as presented. You may speak during this item but not Mr.
Thedford’s next case.
# 24 : PP-19-0090
is Mr. Thedford’s companion case and this item is one you may NOT speak
during. Staff is recommending Approval, per one condition (providing
legal documentation that Mr. Thedford can gain access through the Indian Hills
subdivision walk.)
# 31 - (If you want
to address this item, please speak during PUBLIC COMMENTS at the beginning of
the meeting.) This one is approving the new budget for FY 2020 as well as
accepting figures for FY 2019.
# 31-34 : There are
several different budgets that are being considered for Approval now. Any of
them you’d like to speak on must be addressed during the Public Comments
section.
#35 : Approving
appropriations out of several accounts
#36:
Approving SENIOR CITIZEN DISCOUNT: for residents age 65 or older, for a $2.10
discount on their monthly waste bill. (Every little bit counts!) The resident
must show a valid photo ID that states their date of birth.
******# 37 Consider
approving the proposed tax rate for fiscal year 2019-2020 at 0.68/$100
valuation.
I have proposed a
0.65 rate, but do not have council support for that rate at this time.
The city can go down to 0.629 and bring in the same revenue from the same property
taxes as last year. That’s called the effective rate. (This is a very
condensed version of how it works.) If you wish to speak on this item, you must
do it during the PUBLIC COMMENTS section at the beginning of the meeting.
*****
# 39 - 43: Awarding
bids for contracts (details in the agenda packet link above). Some of these
items, albeit good items, I might vote no on, and (since I have no voice) would
like the chance to say why.
In addition to
raising the amount of taxes some (many) have had to pay (those who had
appraisals go up but the tax rate has stayed the same and are under the tax
freeze age), some of these items (#40, 42, and 43) are funded by certificates
of obligation like we have in #8, which is debt the city takes on without voter
approval. I would like us to pursue other revenue streams than the people
paying more taxes while still incurring more debt. Here is more information
about COs (https://www.texaspolicy.com/what-are-certificates-of-obligation-who-is-using-them/)
There are so many
items on this agenda that are of high importance Monday night that I really
encourage you to read through the agenda packet if possible. (The link to it is
earlier in the post.) It is a long packet, but it has way more information than
I can share in a small space.
If you want a say
in what happens around your community, then the best opportunity is to reach
out to the Council (our emails are here: http://www.waxahachie.com/government/city_council/index.php)
and/or come speak at this Council meeting Monday night (most likely during
Public Comments). There is only ONE meeting like this per year.
The public hearings are over and things are getting approved/denied Monday
night.
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Tuesday, September
17, 2019
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The city has
changed up the website again, so you should be able to go to this link to check
when new meetings are added. This is different from links I’ve used before: http://www.waxahachie.com/calendar.php
The other way to
check for new meetings on the updated website is to go to this link and just
look through each board. http://www.waxahachie.com/government/city_council/city_council_meeting_live_stream.php
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Thank you for
hanging in there for this relatively short burst of information. There’s
a lot involved and it does affect each of us. For those who want to come
speak, please, don’t be scared. I just ask everyone is respectful of others’
opinions and remember that whether we agree or not, we are all neighbors. ❤️
Have a wonderful
weekend and week ahead, Waxahachie! I look forward to meeting you Monday
evening.
Your Friendly
Councilmember,
Melissa Olson, CMO
(C) 817-507-5162
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