Hey Y'all!
** UPDATED: You can see the details below, but there was an error on WISD's website which showed an LRPC meeting taking place tomorrow, Monday, 12/12/22, but I have been told this was just an error and is being corrected on their end as well. **
Because there are a couple of monumental meetings this week, I'm going to try and skim over some of the other meetings that I'd normally give details on; however, I will (as always) link you to the information provided by the city for said meetings.
Here is the city's calendar, so you can check back and see if any new meetings are added after this newsletter goes out. https://www.waxahachie.com/calendar.php
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Monday, December 12, 2022
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5:45 PM - WISD Board of Trustees Regular Meeting
WISD Administration Building
411 N. Gibson St.
Agenda Packet (They call it a Board Book): https://meetings.boardbook.org/Public/Agenda/765?meeting=557645
First thing I'd like to point out is that I put 5:45 as the time the meeting starts because the public information officers for the district stated the procedure for residents to speak at the meeting: "There
is a form to fill out (on a table just outside the board room) and it
must be filled out by 5:45 p.m. and turned in to me. [Jenny Bridges] That's it -- super
easy!"
School Board Trustees routinely start their meeting at 5:00 PM, but immediately convene into "Closed Session" where they can discuss private matters like meeting with their attorney. No public is allowed in at that time.
Another distinction I would like to make is this: WISD ≠ City of Waxahachie. They are two entirely separate entities, each one setting their own tax rate. WISD is comprised of a larger geographic area than the city as well. Some who live outside Waxahachie city limits are still within the boundaries of WISD. The WISD is also the largest part of your tax bill.*
*Side note about the WISD being the largest part of the tax bill. This is just a fact. What I don't condone however, are city council members (I'm not pointing to anyone in particular) using this fact as a reason to not lower the city's tax rate. I guess (because I don't think this way) the thought is: 'Don't complain to me about taxes when we're only this % of your total tax bill'. The reason I don't like electeds saying this is because when you're on City Council, you ONLY determine the tax bill for the city. It's irrelevant what other entities are doing. If you CAN lower the rate without large, negative impacts to citizens, then you should lower it. Just because another entity may have a larger effect on the tax bill than the city, that is no justification for the city to tax residents like crazy because they're still taxing less than other jurisdictions.*
On the agenda, item V. OPEN FORUM: Hearing of individuals or committees**. I'm not sure what the double asterisk is for because I couldn't find any notation of that on their BoardBook's web page. At any rate, I believe this is the time you would be able to address the school board on any issues you may have, as long as you signed up to speak and filled out the form and submitted it by 5:45pm that evening.
**** VI.B. Informational report of the work on the WISD Long Range Planning Committee's (LRPC) plan as well as the recommendation for a bond proposal for Spring 2023. **** This item is why I am putting this meeting on here at all, since I normally stick with strictly city items. I have asked for information regarding the bonds that the LRPC are going to recommend and have been told not until after this meeting.
Why are important to both know about bonds and to provide feedback to school board trustees? Because bonds WILL IMPACT YOUR WALLET. No two ways about it. Even IF any bonds that are approve won't raise the CURRENT tax rate, as soon as the market changes and house appraisals start to fall, they will HAVE to raise their tax rate in order to pay off the debt they've accrued. (That was another question I asked that wasn't answered - about how much debt the WISD already has outstanding.) The approval of a bond gives them the authority to raise however much they may need "without limit as to rate or amount" in order to pay the bond debt back. These bonds are there for many years and our kids and grandkids will be paying on this debt. Voting yes/no on their propositions is a really big decision.
If you're unable to be present for the meeting, WISD will live-stream their meeting here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCGVvEsRL6vJJkztSx8SdveA/live
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reflecting that here. I had originally posted due to information received on WISD's website (as seen from a screen shot I took earlier today, 12/11/22), but have been told that WISD personnel and web folks are taking care of the error.
I went ahead and added this to my newsletter so that y'all would know that the meeting is going on and to link the information to their specific website.
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Tuesday, December 13, 2022
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5:15 PM - IFCIAC - Impact Fee Capital Improvements Advisory Committee Regular Meeting
Council Conference Room, City Hall
401 S. Rogers St.
Agenda Packet: https://storage.googleapis.com/document-uploads-001/uploads/video/agenda_file/190906/12-13-22_IFCIAC_Agenda_Packet.pdf
3 - Public Comments
4 - Reorganize the Committee
6 - Presentation to accept Impact Fee revenue and expenditure activity from April 1 2022 - September 30, 2022 and consider proposed increase to Impact Fee collection rates.: This is actually really important because the city is allowed by law to collect what are called "impact fees" from developers to help pay for infrastructure! Currently, we have a discount on some of these fees, which I was not happy about; however, staff is recommending that the IFCIAC raise some of these rates so that they are at or near the maximum allowed. I would absolutely love for that to happen because we all know that our infrastructure needs tons of money and I don't know one person who says - 'Welcome to Waxahachie, developers! We're going to pay out of our pockets to help you make money!'... We definitely don't think like that in this household.
At any rate, the members of this committee are the P&Z Commission and a City Council Liaison. If you aren't able to make it to this meeting but still want to reach out to the committee, you could email the City Secretary at avillarreal@waxahachie.com and ask her to forward your email to the IFCIAC.
This meeting will NOT be live-streamed.
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6:30 PM - Planning & Zoning Commission Briefing
Council Conference Room, City Hall
401 S. Rogers St.
In this briefing session, staff and commissioners will discuss items for the 7:00 PM regular meeting.
This briefing session IS open to the public to attend, but will NOT be live-streamed.
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7:00 PM - Planning & Zoning Commission Regular Meeting
Council Chamber, City Hall
401 S. Rogers St.
Agenda Packet: https://storage.googleapis.com/document-uploads-001/uploads/video/agenda_file/190894/12-13-2022_P_Z_Agenda_Packet_-_Scanned.pdf
3 - Public Comments
5 - Public Hearing for a private club (The Flop Social Poker Lounge) - I mention this because it has been WITHDRAWN. When an item is withdrawn, the Commission won't hear testimony regarding it or anything because they will literally have no information on the case whatsoever.
18 & 19 - Public Hearing on a request for a Tavern located at 109 W. Franklin St., Suite 115 (the previous home to Bistro 115). Staff is recommending approval.
There are other interesting cases on the agenda, so I highly recommend going through those by using the agenda packet link I pasted above.
This meeting IS open to the public and IS live-streamed at the following link: https://www.waxahachie.com/government/city_council/city_council_meeting_live_stream.php
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Thursday, December 15, 2022
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6:00 PM - Comprehensive Plan Advisory Committee (CPAC) FINAL Meeting Before Adoption
Council Chamber, City Hall
401 S. Rogers St.
Agenda Packet: https://storage.googleapis.com/document-uploads-001/uploads/video/agenda_file/190710/12-15-22_CPAC_Agenda_Packet.pdf
You can get more information on CPAC on their web page: https://www.waxahachie.com/departments/planning_department/comprehensive_plan_update.php
Here is a link to the FINAL DRAFT of what will become our city's new comprehensive plan: https://files4.1.revize.com/waxahachietx/12-07-2022%20Comprehensive%20Plan%20DRAFT%20(with%20watermark).pdf
Key Takeaway: Speak now or forever hold your peace. (Meaning contact Council, P&Z members or ask that your email be forwarded to all CPAC members since there are no Public Comments at this meeting. Also, being the last meeting before adoption means that this may be your last chance to provide input because the next time we residents see it, it will most likely be on the Council agenda for adoption.)
This Comprehensive Plan will be a blueprint for the future of our city and will be used to shape it in the ways this manual dictates. I think everyone has a vision for how they see our town in the future. Does your vision align with the plan? Will the implementation of the plan's recommendations have an impact on your wallet or your quality of life? It is pretty darn long and admittedly I haven't finished going through it as of yet, but it's really worth the time to give it a look.
I could go on and on about the importance of the plan and what all it does, but most of that information is in the link to the FINAL DRAFT that I posted above.
This IS an open meeting and residents are welcome to attend, but I DO NOT KNOW if it will be live-streamed or not.
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I hope everyone is ready for the cold snap that should FINALLY be coming. (The A/C being on in December is just wrong. lol) I hope y'all take care and have a wonderful weekend ahead!
Your Friendly Neighbor,
Melissa Olson
(email) olsonfortexas@gmail.com
(text) 817-507-5162
