Hello Friends!
We have a couple of unique meetings this week and we'll get right into that, but first I want to remind everyone that the HD10 runoff election between Wray and Harrison is Tuesday, 9/28/21. You can vote from 7a - 7p at any of the locations listed in the link: http://www.co.ellis.tx.us/DocumentCenter/View/14893/EDLocations-SEPT?bidId= So far, only 5.28% of voters have turned out to cast a ballot for the runoff. Tuesday is your last chance!
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Monday, September 28, 2021
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6:00 PM - Comprehensive Plan Advisory Committee (CPAC) Meeting
Council Chamber, City Hall
401 S. Rogers St.
Agenda Packet: https://commondatastorage.googleapis.com/document-uploads-001/uploads/video/agenda_file/140145/9-27-21_CPAC_Agenda_Packet.pdf
The main focus of this meeting will be to develop a draft of guiding principles and strategic objectives for the Comprehensive Plan in the following areas:
1) land use and growth management
2) housing and neighborhoods
3) mobility and connectivity
4) parks, trails, and open space
5) economic development
This is a public meeting and you are welcome to attend. I'm not certain whether or not this will be live-streamed, but pretty sure it won't. Please refer to the agenda packet above for more information.
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Tuesday, September 28, 2021
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6:15 PM - Planning & Zoning Commission Briefing
Council Conference Room, City Hall
401 S. Rogers St.
This briefing is being held to discuss items for the 7:00 PM regular meeting. It will not be live-streamed, but you are welcome to attend in person.
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7:00 PM - Planning & Zoning Commission Regular Meeting
Council Chamber, City Hall
401 S. Rogers St.
Agenda Packet: https://commondatastorage.googleapis.com/document-uploads-001/uploads/video/agenda_file/140130/9-28-2021_PZ_Agenda_Packet_-_Scanned.pdf
5 - 12: Have all been continued to various dates. Please refer to the agenda packet for specific dates per each case.
17 & 18: Public hearing on a request by Patty Dickerson for a Specific Use Permit (SUP) for two clothing donation recycling bins located at 402 N College St. These two bins are maintained by the Central Presbyterian Church and the proceeds from these bins go to support local community ministries such as the Little Pantry and various mobile libraries around the city. Staff is recommending approval as presented.
19 & 20: Continue public hearing on a request for a zoning change from PD-General Retail to PD-Multiple Family 2 zoning located at 809 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. As previously stated at a prior P&Z meeting, the owners are trying to make an affordable development for residents. It is a great looking development and I truly commend the effort to make it affordable, but safety is a priority. Staff is recommending denial due to a few reasons. My primary concern, shared with staff, is the lack of an appropriate-sized secondary entry for fire services, should a fire break out in this development. This concern was an issue during the first P&Z meeting and it has not been adequately resolved. The Fire Marshal has also stated that due to this reason, he cannot support this project. His letter, along with other reasons staff are recommending denial can be seen in the agenda packet linked above.
This is a public meeting and you are welcome to attend. The meeting will also be live-streamed, if you are unable to attend. You can view it via the following link: https://www.waxahachie.com/government/city_council/city_council_meeting_live_stream.php
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Thursday, September 30, 2021
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*** 3:00 PM - City Council Work Session ***
2nd Floor Community Room, Community National Bank & Trust of Texas
1905 N. Hwy 77, Waxahachie, TX 75165
Let me first state that I have no idea why it's being held in this location; HOWEVER, being a public meeting, you are welcome to attend.
2 - Hear and discuss presentation of the Lake Parks Masterplan
** 3 - Discuss planning for and direction of City Charter revisions: Discuss process, format and timing of the Charter Review efforts (and Charter Review Committee) as well as hear from Council on preliminary areas to be reviewed. One item that has been brought up in previous meetings is for the mayor of Waxahachie to be elected by the residents, rather than decided amongst the councilmembers. While I see the merit of having the mayor chosen by the Council, I believe that this position should be elected directly from the citizens. Any time a city's charter is being changed, it is a big deal and will be brought to the residents to approve at an election.
** 4 - Discuss policy for the naming of City facilities. I really don't feel that city buildings should be named after people. I understand that the new water plant has been named for past city manager Mr. Sokoll, but I just don't think this is a practice that should be continued, unless there is some set procedure/ parameters followed and resident input received. Do you think city buildings should be named after people? If so, what type of guidelines would you recommend following for such an occasion? Is it okay for buildings to be named after persons who are still alive (a point which was brought up by a resident when this topic came up for discussion before)? Should there be a committee who reviews such decisions and if so, who should make up the committee?
** 5 - Discuss limiting public comment times at City meetings. This one is near and dear to my heart as I have been all about transparency and encouraging input from residents. That being said, we have had a few residents who have used the public comments forum to discuss matters for 10 or 15+ minutes at a time. When we have several people who wish to speak and a long agenda to get through, allowing for speakers to continue for that long is disrespectful of the time for those citizens in the chamber and the staff who are there to help with the meeting. For this reason, I would support a public comment time limit of 5 minutes per person. I think that 5 minutes is more than enough time for residents to convey what they need. Many governmental entities have 2-3 minute time limits on their public comments. There have been many times during public comments, where residents have had information to present to Council where 2-3 minutes would just be insufficient and that's why I would really like to see a time limit of 5 minutes, if we are to set one at all.
6 - Discuss security measures for City Hall.
7 - Discuss policies for golf carts on public streets: Review laws currently in place, their limitations/confusions and other alternatives to consider. At this time, I don't see a problem with implementing this in accordance with state law.
8 - Discuss options for spending of COVID Relief Funds. Review staff proposed uses (which will be announced at the meeting) along with fund limitations for use and timelines.
** 9 - Discuss City Council initiatives - The only one I know of at this time is my proposal to have city bonds in 2022 voted on by the residents. There are costs involved with elections, however, city bonds are backed by property taxes, so it seems only appropriate for the city to hold an election to allow voters to approve/deny bond debt. The city has issued millions of dollars in bond debt without elections since 2000. I don't know how many bonds were taken to voters prior to 2000. Some say that the Council is elected and therefore should make the decisions, which is true, but I do think that residents should have a say in this matter, just like the school district does with their debt. I can't go take out a loan using your home as collateral, so why should the city be able to do that without your input?
** This is a really jam-packed agenda with a bunch of important topics to be discussed and considered. There are no public comments for this work session and each item is listed as "Discuss" or "Hear" instead of "Public Hearing" in which residents can provide input - hence why I'm asking for input beforehand. I believe Council will be providing direction to staff on all of the above issues, so this is a very important meeting to attend, if you're able. Also, given the location of the work session, I don't believe it will be live-streamed. **
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That's all for the meetings so far for this week. Please check back on the city's calendar to see if any other meetings have been added after this newsletter goes out. You can do that here: https://www.waxahachie.com/calendar.php
I would love your feedback on any and all items that have been mentioned, but especially those marked with **.
I hope you have a great rest of your weekend and a wonderful week ahead!
Your Friendly Councilmember,
Melissa Olson, CMO
(text) 817-507-5162
molson@waxahachie.com
