City Council - Regular Meeting

My dog scratched me so bad. You know when I think I got Willy's number. I want to give you some sign language, but I won't.

That's my husband. Oh, it was keeps doing that

over and over.

Merry Christmas everybody. I was hurting, you know, and I was thinking, why are we having this little bit of why are we having this conversation? Where's wifey at? She didn't come tonight. Gossa. No. No, we had a we don't launch an event today. I don't know. Okay.

Welcome everybody. Let me do that again. Welcome everybody. All right. Um, thank you for coming tonight. If um, I can get Mr. Calabrada, Pastor Calabreda to offer our invocation, I would appreciate that.

Father, we come to you tonight. We thank you for all your grace and mercy. Thank you for the city of Buoie and the people that live here. I pray that you bless in this city and city meeting council members the workers and all that this will always be a great place you just do some great things here tonight. So bless in this meeting we give you the thanks for your love thank where we remember that you came to earth to be the savior of mankind and I thank you for it. to bless and we'll ask you the blessing and thanks in Jesus name. Amen. Amen. Please join me in the pledge.

I pledge of allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. Well, I hope that um most of you I think I saw most of you over there got a chance to go to the EDC for the open house tonight. If you didn't, I think they'll still have a few food items left over by the time we get there. All right, let's move along to the city manager report. Wow, didn't take long to get there.

Uh the spy street uh downtown revitalization project accelerated this past week. it was too cold to pour concrete. The uh contractor brought in extra help to try to finish the bricks and later finish pouring the concrete when it warms up. Project is scheduled to be completed in early January. Uh so we are now coming to the end of the line. Uh there's a delay and I don't know if we're going to extend the contract or not. Uh the uh lights, the street lights that we're going to install have not come in yet. We don't know when they're going to be here and uh so but everything else will be completed. Uh we just may have to extend the contract because of the delay in getting that done. Uh we'll after the bricks are completely finished and all the concrete's poured, we'll clean it up and stuff, but then the lights can be installed at a later date. So, not that big a deal, but we have to extend the contract when until everything's done. Uh Jerry Sutton and his crew at the water plant replaced the gearbox on the sedimentation basin the week before Thanksgiving. It required a large crane to lift the old gear box and other equipment out of the basin, repair the gearbox, and then lift it back in. The gear box that was replaced has been in the basin since it was constructed in 1990. and uh had started to give trouble. It was chain drive and and uh uh we put in a new uh drive for it that is a gear driven which should be a whole lot better. It's a direct drive motor with the a gearbox. We replaced the second basin's gearbox last Tuesday requiring the same crane. The process is basically removing all the equipment, lifting the walkways that support the gearbox,

removing the gearbox, replacing it with a new one. Then two additional sedimentation basins will be need to be repaired next year. It's an expensive process, but is required to ensure we have excellent drinking water. The transformer project is winding down. The construction should be crew should be finished with their work this week and then the termination crew will take over and get all the wiring and conductor tied in and terminated at switches. Fairly soon the transformer crew will come energize the transformer, test it and get it ready to go. We should be able to switch over to the new transformer in January, maybe February. You never know because the testing takes a long time. They've got to ensure after they energize it, uh, you're really not using it. You've just got to energize and and they can do not a lot of tests to make sure everything's right. There's some things I added to the city manage report. I've applied for a solid waste grant. uh because of URKOT and PUC rules, we have to maintain and clear uh our uh uh transmission line and distribution line right of way. And uh in order to do that, we've we've got uh shredding equipment, but we and we've also got the equipment to cut the trees and brush and stuff down, but we need a trailer to haul it with. And we're going to get a try to get a uh a big uh tandem wheel uh dump trailer. It's I think it's 18t long, 20 foot long, something like that. So, we're trying for that and we'll know about that uh probably the end of January. Uh Texas uh their traffic engineer gave me a call today and this is something that y'all can

help me with. uh they offered to come into town and not on on what they call on system roads but offsystem roads which are like 59 and 1125 are all on system roads but like Mil Street is not it's it's off system road but anything that might need striping or crosswalks or anything like that around uh heavy traffic pedestrian traffic area or striping for a roadway like uh I suggested out by the high school on Mil Street closer to the high school. Uh but if you can think of some things like that, let me know. Uh and I can sometime after the first of the year they're going to be striping and they've offered to come into town and do striping for us. So uh if you've got any ideas about that and today we had a 30% design meeting with the uh raw water pump engineers. Uh we talked over the preliminary design uh of which I have a copy in my office if you'd like to see it. I can't tell anything about it and uh I kind of know what I'm looking at. So it it's only 30% of the design. Uh but mainly what it's for is to you know they showed us what they had done so far and then they asked a whole bunch of questions of Jay and Jerry about you know what we needed to do and whatnot. So anyway, we're looking at that from several avenues and whatnot. So that meeting went well and sometime around the end of January, we should have 90 90% plans which is be almost complete. So we'll be bidding that probably in February. So anyway, that's it. Anybody got any questions?

Why is the state being so nice? I'm sorry. Why is the state being so nice? That that was my exact question. I think what's the hook? Well, they made me mad about a month ago and uh because they cl declined to let me apply for a grant to fix the Mil Street Bridge, railroad bridge, and uh they declined to help me. And so I kind of got a little hot with them, but I was able to constrain my tongue and anyway, maybe they're I'm probably Anyway, maybe that's why they did it. I don't know. I'm not going to look a gift horse in the mouth. If they they'll do something, you know,

you can tell this is our last meeting for the year. I'm not telling any lies. Any other questions for Burke? All right, let's move on to consent agenda items. As you know, we had a November 8th special meeting special meeting. November 18th, and then your um resolution for the utility write-offs and the library writeoffs are a part of that. They are in your packet. Unless you have any changes, I would consider a motion to accept all as presented. A second. Walker and Boyd. Shaw. Yes. Truax. Walker. Hi.

Holstein.

Hi. All right. The next item on the agenda is the second reading of ordinance 2025-14, an ordinance of the city council of city of Buouie, amending chapter 10, traffic control, article 10.2, two stop signs established by adding C regulating traffic flow at the intersection of Smi and Monte Street and Buouie, Texas, establishing a stop sign control device, repealing any conflicting clause providing a separability clause and establishing an effective date. We we um pass this ordinance at the last meeting. Uh by charter, we have to read it twice. So, I would entertain a motion to ex accept this ordinance as written. Is the state strap right there too crosswalk?

That's a good idea. Just put it on the list. Yeah, that's a good idea. Um mostly because people are going to have to be made very aware of that shop sign. Yeah, that'd be a good place for it. It sure would. I'll put that on the list. We'll make a motion to accept this. Okay. Lar made a motion. Motion to Brent's going to second it. Uh Holstein I Walker Shaw hi and true. Thank you very much.

We got a couple of checks today. Do you want to address that? Can we do that? Wait. Oh, wait. Wait. Okay, you can you can come to the podium. Um, the next item on the agenda is resolution 2025-38, resolution allowing selected trustee properties to be resold by the Monte County Sheriff Department for public online auction as provided by Texas tax code 34.05D and 34.01A. So now I'll give you the floor.

Okay. So, um, again, this is what we talked about the last time I was here. So, Anybody have any more any other questions about that? Okay. The resolution does indicate that the city's opinion of the reasonable bid is an amount not less than the minimum bid at that was stated at the courthouse. Okay. So that um is there um we brought some checks by the city today um for excess proceeds. When we sell a piece of property at the courthouse, if it sells for over that minimum bid, those excess proceeds are deposited with the district clerk's office. And then she sends out notices to everybody that has an interest in that property. So lean holders, the owner, uh, and they have two years to make a claim against it. If no claims are made against the property or there's some property left, money left in the account at the end of the two years. The entity from the judgment get to split that money. So, we brought three checks by today. And I think, correct me if I'm wrong, it's pretty close to about $60,000 that we were able to get get y'all.

Okay. I hate to correct you, but it was it was two checks. It was just two. It was a 10,000 something and a 18,000 something. Oh, okay. So we got another check coming because there was a another sale outside the city that so they got three checks. So that's must be what I'm seeing. So I'm but still not not a bad and that money is not you don't have to consider it tax money. Um it's just general fund money that's not restricted in any way. We can certainly use it. Good. Always.

Good. Now, let me explain something else while we're talking about excess proceeds. When you resell property and there are excess proceeds, it does not go to the clerk, it automatically gets immediately gets divided amongst the entities. So if these properties were to sell for more than that minimum bid we said and then any costs involved with the property then that money would immediately get split between the entities and you would get to keep it and and the whole idea is to get a whole lot more than what that bid was said. I think that's what y'all are trying to do by it this way.

No questions. Anybody got any questions? When will this be will that that'll be the next step in this? The next step will get commissioner's court to approve it and then we'll have to get it said it has to be done the first Tuesday of the month and it has to be advertised, right? So it'll be a few months still down the road but David has already selected an auctioneer and so that's all. Thank you.

Thank you. So again, resolution 2025-38, resolution allowing the selected trustee parties properties to be resold by the Monte County Sheriff Department Sheriff by public online auction as provided by Texas Tax Code 34.05D and 34.01A1. So I would entertain a motion to accept the resolution as written. So moved. Shaw, do I have a second? Second. 2x Holstein. Hi, Shaw. Hi, Walker. 2X.

All right, we have two reappoints to the library board. They are Lou Brown and Jessica Burus. We have to vote on these individually. So, I'll take the first one of Lou Brown and entertain a motion to reappoint her to the library board. So, move stone. Do I have a second? Second. Shawn Walker. Hi. Sh. I Holstein. Hi. Truax. Hi. The second is for Jessica Burus. Do I have a motion to accept a reo a reappoint to the library board? So moved.

Shaw. Do I have a second? Walker. Holstein. I Shaw. Hi. Walker. Hi. Trux.

All right. The next item on the agenda is the hotel motel report. As you can see, this is end of year September 30, 2025. These are the numbers that um Pamela put together for us and there is a breakdown in the ledger attached. Any questions?

That's good. So, the Dang, I waited too long. I was just part of that what's been assessed is has it been collected or do you know what that is? Where you at? Just h have we collected everything that's been assessed or Yeah, these are collected numbers. And in fact, if you'll remember um correctly that we missed out on a little bit because they paid after October 1st. So all these are collected funds. Yes. And that October 1 did I mean the revenues over expenditures, right? That's where some of that overage was. No, this this is this is clearly this this ends September 30th. Okay. Yeah, that's this is year end September 30th. Okay.

Yeah, we're we look good already this year. Yes, ma'am. So, if there are no more questions, I would entertain a motion to accept the hotel motel report as presented. So moved. Shaw, do I have a second? Second. Trux Walker. Holstein. Hi. Trux Shaw. Hi. Thank you very much, gentlemen. All right. The next one is that parts the same.

That part reads the same. Okay. Do Did everybody get the second copy? Okay. You got a second copy of city ordinance 2025-15 because it had to be tweaked a little after this went out. The difference is this is for the abandonment of a portion of Wilburgger Street which I showed y'all on the map while ago. The difference in this one and the other one is uh our attorney said that we needed to have something in here that this didn't become effective until the the easement had been filed with the county. Once it gets filed, then this becomes effective and that protects us. So let me read the ordinance. An ordinance of the city of Buouie, Texas abandoning all right, title and interest in a portion of Wilburgger Street being a tract of land consisting of 048 acres out of block 39 Hill County School Land Survey A-319 city of Buouie Monte County, Texas and being more particularly described in exhibit Attached here to providing for the furnishing of a certified copy of this ordinance for the recording in the official public records of Monte County, Texas as a quit claim deed authorizing the city manager to execute any documents necessary to complete set abandonment and providing for an effective date which is exactly what Bert just described to you.

Just curiosity have done the is there any residentials around this area? No, there's nothing. There's nothing out there. No, not a thing. So, um I would entertain a motion to accept the ordinance 2025-15.

Holstein. Do I have a second? Second. Shaw Walker. Hi, Truax. Hi, Shaw. Hi, Holstein. Hi. Thank you. All right. So, the next item on the agenda is to approve the Espinosa agreement for a general utility and lift station easement.

The agreement is in form of an email and I've been assured by attorney it's legal. We just have to approve it. Uh if you'll look, you see the copy of it. Basically, the city is abandoning closing those portions of Wilberger 48 acres and the alley that is a portion of the Espinosa's driveway 31 acres depicted and highlighted on the plat she sent to the Espinos and paying $3,000 of their legal fees and they're they're signing four easements uh for that deal and this is for our

Glen Hill list station. So basically we're paying we're paying them 3,000. Actually all the money is going to their attorney

but the attorney said that this is good enough for agreement for us to vote on. I can tell you from vast experience that attorneys drag their feet. Anybody need to see the plat again? I'm okay if if if Zach's willing to put his name on the line for this.

Well, Caleb is too. Kada Smith is our attorney. So

So is there a resolution or something tied to this? Well, we're going to get a formal agreement from Zach Renfro, but uh our attorney said that this would work for us to vote on. So the resolution will come at the next meeting. Okay. Um and again there's going to be another ordinance and there'll be another ordinance too. That's what I was asking. We don't have any action on this. Correct. Do what? We don't have any action on this, do we?

Yeah. We we can vote on this the agreement. So said the attorney I think we can vote on this and then when the resolution comes, it still won't be any good without the resolution. That's kind of my thought. Yeah. Do I

I mean the ordinance. I'm sorry. It won't be any good without the ordinance of which we will also read twice. There'll be a formal agreement and then the other ordinance too. So I I mean I think we can vote on this agreement so we can move forward with the attorneys and then the ordinance will come with it. Nothing happens without an approve a vote on the ordinance. Yeah. If this is what it it's going to say then I have no problem with that. Yeah. We can obviously verify those if it takes agreeing to this agreement so we can move this property, this project forward. Let's move it forward. Preliminarily agree. Yes. Please move it forward for them. I've been working on this more than a year.

All right. I don't I don't have um I don't have a ballot on here. Here we do. Okay. All right. I'll entertain a motion to accept the agreement and move forward with our ordinance at the next meeting. I will agree to agree. Agree. We're going to accept this. Do I have a second? Second. Trux. Walker. I Holstein. I Trux. And Shaw. I. Okay. We have another item we need to look at. So, um, what form is that in? Yes, it it's on your it was a with your agenda. Got it.

That printed out.

So, it's resolution. It's a new business item. Resolution 2025-39, a resolution of the city of Buouie authorizing the filing of a grant application with the Nortex Regional Planning Commission for a regional solid waste grants program grant da authorizing Burke Cunningham, city manager, to act on behalf of the city of Buouie and all matters related to the application and pledging that if a grant is received, the city of Buouie will comply with the grant requirements of Nortex regional planning commission and Texas Commission of Envir on Environmental quality in the state of Texas. So, this was an amendment to our original agenda and it was done in plenty of time. So, I would entertain a motion to accept the resolution about the grant.

I mean, we don't have any we're not obligated to any cost or anything until we see the grants, right? Or you're not even in it's 100% grant. So we're not obligated to any of that. We got to match anything. But we don't even still if we don't take the money, we don't have to worry about it. So but let's take the money. In order to do that, we got to agree to this. So I would entertain a motion again for resolution 2025-39. So moved. Shaw. Do I have a second? Second. Walker. Truax. Hi. Walker. Hi. Shaw. Hi. And Holstein. No.

All right. The only other thing I'd like to add is also at your station tonight is um a flyer for Christmas Carol. And I believe we have the star of the show at our counter tonight. As you can tell, he's growing out his his costume. So, ah bug. Um get up. You're going to sing for us. If you um have a chance to go, you they always put on a great show. So,

please do. It supports children. And we have um public comments. Do we have any public comments from the room? If not, let's go back to the EDC and finish eating. So, it will close at 6:26. by Maddic. Finally getting