Hey Y'all!
This won't be long, but as promised, I would keep y'all updated when there is something really important going down in the city. Why is this one important? Because the topics discussed on Wednesday are the topics RESIDENTS care about and you can find out where the City Council Members sit on each of these issues.
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Wednesday, January 25, 2023
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8:30 AM - City Council Work Session
** Waxahachie Civic Center **
Crape Myrtle Room
2000 Civic Center Lane
Waxahachie, Texas
* Please note that due to it being a work session, there are NO Public Comments at that time *
I find each item on this agenda to be important, so please refer to the agenda packet above; but here are some of the really "hot" topics I've been hearing about:
3. Discuss interest in pursuing Package Liquor election
6. Discuss Briefing Sessions (one council member does not attend them so that the discussion is held in the main meeting, but why can't discussion be held in both? I found the briefings to be very helpful AND are open to the public. I've also been assured when the renovations are completed at City Hall, that streaming equipment will be put in the conference room so the briefings can be streamed as well.)
7. Discuss property tax exemptions
11. Discuss Quiet Zones
15. Discuss potential of expanding seats and terms for City Council
16. Discuss naming of city/state facilities
All other work session that I've been aware of that were held in the Civic Center were NOT live-streamed, so I'm going to go out on a limb and say these probably will not either.
I WISH I could be there, but I cannot due to medical reasons. While no decisions should be taken at this work session, a lot of very important discussion will be held and usually directions to the City Manager are given on how to proceed on the various topics.
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There is a P&Z Briefing Session and Meeting on Tuesday. The Briefing starts at 6:30 PM and the Meeting starts at 7:00 PM. There is only one case being presented and it's not even a public hearing, so this meeting is not a biggie; however, here is a link to the agenda packet should you wish to review it: https://storage.googleapis.com/document-uploads-001/uploads/video/agenda_file/206087/1-24-23_P_Z_Agenda_Packet_-_Scanned.pdf
Applications for City Council Places 4 and 5 are currently being taken for the May 6th General Election. So far, no applications for City Council have been submitted. You still have time to get yours in if you wish. Also, you can check that information on the city's link here: https://www.waxahachie.com/departments/city_secretary/elections_eleccion/may_6,_2023_general_election.php
Y'all take care and have a great week!
Your Friendly Neighbor,
Melissa Olson
olsonfortexas@gmail.com
Do you know the basis for the council's practice of not entertaining public comment at its "work sessions?" I've reviewed Section 551.007 of the Texas Government Code, which mandates public comment at meetings subject to the Open Meetings Act and by my reading it seems to apply to any council meeting (other than executive sessions that are closed to the public) at which a quorum is present and public business is discussed or considered, whether or not the council takes action. What am I missing?
ReplyDeleteI'm so terribly sorry for just now seeing this. You know, I'm not really sure why that is. I would absolutely ask this question at the next Council meeting (if you have not already). While they will state the Govt. Code as to why they "cannot" respond during public comments, the city attorney will often address these items at the very end of the meeting during their comments section.
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