City Council - Regular Meeting

I've got six o'clock. I'll call this regular city council meeting of March 23rd to order. Okay. You want to give prayer?

Yes. Let's pray. Father, we thank you all your blessings. asking you to bring the rain, bring the moisture, uh take care of our families that are hurting, uh have lost loved ones and have sick ones right now. I ask you to bless Dhart, Texas in Jesus name. Amen. To the flag of the stand, indivisible, liberty and justice for all. Honor the Texas flag. I aliance to thee to Texas. One state one and indivisible.

Good evening everybody. Just showed up, huh? Okay. Uh move on to the consent agenda. Approval of minutes. March 29th, 2026 regular council meeting and approve February financials and bills. Make a motion that we approve the regular consent agenda. Second motion second. Any further discussion? All in favor? I. Any opposed?

There are Can I Can I add one thing about our financials? Um, if you looked in your packet, we're pretty much right on track to where we need to be over and under in subcategories, but there was one, it looks like an outlier in there. Uh, it's in the airport and it's going to show that we're like 258% over in capital improvements and that we are, but that is a m match for a grant that we had for the airport. It wasn't budgeted because we didn't know exactly how much it was going to be. that was been pulled out of their reserves in that airport fund to cover that. But it looks like an anomaly in that. But other than that, everything's okay.

Who's seconded? Was that you? I think you beat me, too. You made the motion. I think one of these guys made second. I second it. Jumbo.

Okay, I'll move on to public comment. I don't have anything. I think everybody's here for items that are already on the agenda. Okay. Move on to item two. Discuss or act upon approved resolution 2026 authorizing execution of an interlocal agreement with panel regional planning commission for application assistance for the 2026 Texas CDBG rural economic development downtown revitalization program associated administration consideration if funded. Go ahead. We always apply for this, but I said it's it's competitive across the state. When and if we get funded, we'll time will tell.

Good evening, mayor and council. You said it uh perfectly right there. We uh applied for this a couple years ago. It was funded. We're back to do the same exact thing again. in this interlocal agreement um just simply states that Dowart plans to work with Panhandle Regional Planning Commission uh to apply for this grant. If if it's awarded, they may also administer it as well and I'll answer any questions you may have. Guess it's going to be about the same amount is what they're if it's awarded. Uh Sandra,

it is okay. more than last just because of the rising cost of materials and everything. It's still probably two blocks top, but but that'll cover the contiguous two blocks to continue with uh with that that project we've awarded. Any further discussion? I'll entertain a motion. Make a motion that we approve resol resolution 2026-06. I'll second it. Have a motion and second. All in favor? I.

Any oppose? There are none. Thank move on to item three. discuss and consider action to approve res resolution 202607 city council dart designating the city downtown district and authorizing the submission of a Texas community development block grant program application to Texas Department of Agriculture for 2026 rural economic development downtown revitalization program. This resolution just um approves uh PRPC to apply on the on the behalf of the city for that downtown revitalization program through TDA. I'll answer any questions you may have.

Any discussion? If not, I'll entertain a motion. Move to approve resolution 2026-07. Second. Have a motion second. All in favor? I any opposed? There are none. Thank you, council.

Item four, discuss under act upon ordinance 20261 on second reading and adoption of an ordinance adding regulation of city code of ordinance regarding the use of golf carts and public streets concerning registration operation required equipment and permitting golf carts. This is uh same thing we talked about last meeting. Uh y'all did ask for some changes to be in there. Um and they are under struck in red. Um one thing we did add, the registration permit shall be revoked if the owner or operator of the golf cart is convicted for a second offense under this article. and to follow uh Texas guidelines when it comes to uh violations and penalties. The first offense shall have a minimum fine of 100 with and a maximum fine 100 to 500. The second offense will be 200 to 500 and the third will be 500. Um, that's just to kind of fall within Texas government code and the judges because it's actually her discretion on the fine according to state code. So, I don't like that.

No, they have to follow transportation code anyway. I think cabinet at 500 really puts a hit on the pocketbook for them if they want to go against the ordinance and it can it can go up to 500 for the first defense if she So I guess we just need to talk to Beth and tell her that's we want this to have as many teeth as possible. Yeah, that is that that will be her call since she is the municipal judge for that. That's just like a police officer. You can't tell a police officer to ride a ticket. Yeah.

And what about age restriction? Nobody above 65.

I don't think there's anybody out here that's going to be a problem. I said that from the first time we talked about that. It's the kids that don't that abide by this have been the problem.

No, I will say this boy uh this barrel came over and talked to me uh and we had a real long conversation uh cuz he knows I'm opposed to doing this. Um, and I'll be honest with you, he he changed my mind on it because we started talking a lot more and um got to thinking about that it's more of um liberty issue that we've all talked about. And instead of putting it as a um golf cart or a UTV, look at as a a gun issue. Like everybody should have a right to own a gun, you should have you should have the right to be able to drive your cart. You should be able to drive your UTV. So, just putting that out there. You should have that right.

You don't have the right to go out and shoot it down the street. If we had a suit, the ordinance said you could, you could want to go there.

Entertain a motion. I will entertain a motion. I move that we accept ordinance 2026-01. Second. Have a motion and a second to approve the second reading and adoption of ordinance adding regulations of city codes ordinances regarding the use of golf carts and public streets concerning registration operation and required equipment permitting golf carts. All in favor? I.

Any opposed? There are none. Move on to item five. Discuss and act upon ordinance 20262 second reading and adoption and ordinance adding a regulation city code of ordinance regarding the use of off highway vehicles on public streets concerning the registration operation required equipment and permitting off highway vehicles. This will be the UTVs. I move that we accept 2026-2. Second motion second. Any further discussion? All in favor? I. Any opposed? I have one opposition.

Can I add? Motion passes. Can I add one thing to that? Can I address them? Yes. Okay. Give us a little bit of time. We have not ordered the permits or anything. I wanted to make sure that everything went through before. We have not ordered anything. So, just give us a little time so we can get all our finish getting our ducks in a row. So, and I'll know who to contact when we get those.

And I I did have a visit with JJ and I told him I said only way this works is if we enforce it on when we catch the kids that are doing it because I they have to do it up and down my block with mini bikes, go-karts, and the like. If they complain about it, that's tough. Y'all, like I said, I have no doubt that anybody in this room will be a problem. It's uh the kids, the 16 year olds that are getting out and running all over town in them. So, okay, that being said, it is adopted. Item six, discuss interact on community development fund request for Delhart Rotary.

Mayor, city council, city manager. I'm Mark Hanberry, the licensed power technician for our Fourth of July show here in Dowart and also a member of the Dowart Rotary Club. And one of my primary assistants, Michael Damas, is here with me. We're requesting 17,500 from the community development fund for this year's Fourth of July show. This is 2500 more than the budgeted item last year that we did this. We're hoping that or would like to be able to have a spectacular extra show for the extra 2500 to commemorate the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States of America. So that's why it's more and I think it's just a onetime deal. We don't need that much every year for what we're doing.

It's been 7,500 forever.

And it was forever and we our shell went count went down at the beginning of CO every year went down considerably. So kind of back up to normal with where we were at 15. So, um, and also the next item on the agenda is to request the use of the lake area for us to put the fireworks on where we normally do over there across the other side. Just so I'm while I'm talking, I can share that with you as well. And this um covers the cost of the shells. It also covers a $5 million liability policy that covers the city and any fires that start, any damages that are caused. It also has a workman's comp policy for myself and all of my volunteers out there. So if we have any injuries or anything like that, it would cover all of us as well. And also permitting with the state cost little money to do that as well. So all the money goes into fireworks one way or the other. I'll be glad to answer any questions.

I entertain a motion. I was gonna ask, can we go big or go home on this one? Then at 250, I'm asking you cuz you know Terry and I are there is some room in there with leftover funds. So, did we go up to 20? Yes. Would that make it even better? Mark set that went up to 20 20,000. Absolutely. That's a lot of work. It is more work and

more work on my end than his. Yeah. A few more uh mortars and that kind of stuff, but absolutely we can we can make it work. We we'll do it. need a budget amendment, too. Got it. No, we're we're we're fine. Well, I'll entertain a motion on item six. Make a motion that we adopt the community development fund request for Delhart Road Rotary for $20,000 for the second. A motion, a second. Any further discussion?

All in favor? Any oppose? All right. Okay. Move on to item seven. Entertain a motion for that. Make a motion that we act upon the request for Delh Rotary to utilize Rita Blanca Lake area for the Fourth of July fireworks display. A motion and a couple of seconds. Fourth of July. July. All in favor? Any oppos change this? My finger slipped through. Oh, yay. Item eight.

Thank you. Act upon community development fund request. Keep heart beautiful.

Good evening. I'm Lola Bear with Dahar Beautiful and we're here this year requesting money for our flower beds and for our new sign that we're going to put at the flower bed. So visited with the welding class at Frank Phillips and they're really excited to do something for the community. So anyway, it's in the process. Um but we've already with us requesting our 7,500. It'll help fix the pro the money that will need to be done with the um sign. Um they don't paint. Um Justin Moore is going to paint it for us. Um so we do have a couple of things that we probably need from y'all though. We are um it is the big um Fourth of July this year at the Do you want to talk Susie or do you want me to?

You just go ahead. We um we've got lots of issues at the Seventh Street Park that we can't um that we can't There's just a few of us that we need y'all's help with. The gazebo, it's a mess. It needs to be repainted. There's bushes around it that need to be pulled that we don't have equipment to pull. Um drove by there the other day and the sidewalks the sidewalks have got to be cleaned off. They're just awful. Um the state's got all of their signs laying in our flower beds. Um I know that's not y'all. I know that's the state, but um right on that corner, everything we've got planted there, perennials that are should be coming up probably are damaged. Um, so, um, we're asking for help with the gazebo, getting it painted. We're helping with the o asking for help with the overgrown bushes, um, and the sidewalks that, um, need to be up. So, our request this year is um, for the 7500 um, we're not sure price-wise where we're at with plants or not, but I think I think we'll be good. Um, we did get the issue with the water at the south bed. Um, Boyd laid two different lines last year, um, for our water sprinkler. Come to find out, it wasn't the sprinkler at all. It was the pressure coming from the meter. So, we have just upped our days and we're watering almost every day through the summer just to get enough just to keep it wet enough. So, um, other than that, I think Do y'all have any questions?

One. Okay. Is this two different? Is the 7500 both y'alls or is this 7500 for you 20,000? No, it'll come out of that same that we're requesting. Okay. And maybe we can get the inmates with their new warden. Maybe we can get some help with they like doing those kind of projects. So, well, we would love it. I think the gazebo So,

anything else at the park that needs to be? I think that's good. If we could get those sidewalks leveled down and the gazebo painted and that there's much grow that really needs, but I'm afraid it might affect the sidewalk if if it's not done correctly. We would just like some really extra help that we can't do just because it's such a big year. It would be really great to have those park look nice. I appreciate everything I've worked with y'all for a year. So, know how that goes.

And I'll try to get uh we'll try to get a time where y'all can get with Gilbert and Brian and kind of show them exactly what shrub you're talking about and stuff like that so we can kind of get a game plan together for that. And they have been Yes. So, any questions? If not, I'll entertain a motion. I'll move that we give $7,500 for community development to keep Alarth beautiful. Second. A motion second. All in favor?

Any opposed? All right. Thank you'all. Make a motion to journ. Motion second.