City Council - Regular Meeting

We've got six o'clock. We'll call this regular meeting to order by 13 at p.m. Perry, can you lead us in prayer?

Father, we thank you for that new rain. I ask you to continue to send the rain. We pray for Tommy Hughes and his family. Restore them and heal their hearts. We pray for the others in Dalhart that have had loss and have needs right now. Heal their bodies. Thank you for Dalhart. I ask you to bless it in Jesus' name. Amen.

The United States of America. One nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. Honor and Texas flag, a pledge of allegiance to the Thracians, one state under God, one nation indivisible.

And before we get started here, if you're an audience and you have an item that is on the agenda, you don't need to fill out a sheet. If you have anything that you're going to address in public comment, you need to fill out a sheet before it can be addressed. I've only got one from Tammy Kate. So like I said, if it's on the agenda already, you don't have to fill one out. You can just address it on that. Okay. We'll move on to the consent agenda. Approval of amendments from June 22nd.

Motion we approve the consent agenda.

Second. I have a motion and two seconds. All in favor? Aye. Any opposed? There are none. I'll move on to the regular agenda and public comment. And I've got Amy Kate.

Good evening.

Oh, I have a clicker. Do I get to use it? Because I'm on mute everybody. No kidding. So, I've come to talk about something that's unpleasant for me and probably for Terry, but I'm sure y'all kind of know that we were burglarized and vandalized and robbed three weeks ago now and i don't know what they hit the church for but they got me for a little over 35 grand um they stole our pos system cleaned out two humidors of cigars um they cut the electricity before they went in the building and we lost everything in our coolers and freezers so in saying this i want to say that The police department stood by me like a soldier and still do from the moment I called them. I cannot say enough about Todd Mays Simmons and Erica Trevino. I've been their new partner. I've sat and watched track houses and called in reports. anonymously to 911 about watching cars be attempted to be burglarized and drug deals going down. I am shocked at what really goes on after 10 o'clock in Dalhart. I know it was said several years ago that we needed a new police chief. Obviously, this is not going to happen. We have Tommy, I think he's a well qualified officer. I think he's a well qualified chief. I'm so sorry for his recent loss and what's going on in his family. I hope they heal as fast as they can from that. But in saying that, since that is not the answer of what we're gonna do, we've gotta do something for our police department. I honestly don't think they have enough officers. I don't. And I think to get officers here, their pay needs to be increased. Other small towns, I've checked it all out, I've called, I've asked, I've looked at advertisements, are making more money. I think part of the problem here is housing. I don't think there's enough housing here when we get them here for them to live and live in a decent place where they're comfortable staying for a while and not use it as a stepping stone. I think I met every officer new and revisited with some of the ones that had tenure through all of this. they couldn't have been nicer. I mean, they couldn't have done any more for me. Has anyone been arrested for it? No. And I know that it's been said that, you know, the DA doesn't do their part. Well, that should be a solved point at this point in the whole situation because we swiped one of her um investigators so he should know exactly what she needs to prosecute something and i mean i taught i knew him before he came here and i really like him and i mean they had me out to the Police station, they let me look, they found my iPad thrown out on the side of Jefferson. They let me look at it. It is mine. I could get in it for them. um and i i just i don't know what the answer is but as a council we gotta find the answer as citizens we gotta find the answer we're raising taxes for all kind of things in dalhart and if we need to raise taxes a little and that's a terrible word But if we need to do it to get more officers here, that's what we gotta do. Because this, it wasn't just me, I think it was six of us that were hit in 24 hours. And it appears to be the same people. ours is on video i think terry has some stuff on video i know hyzer tire has some on video and i i just i'm pleading with y'all as a council and as a citizen to help because it's just it we got to do something and i really think they're doing all they can i mean i went out of town the week after they watched my house like a hawk i had people calling me saying i went i stopped at the salty to drop your whatever off and the police asked me what i was doing there and asked me for my id and i was like okay um i i appreciated that and i mean why were you there and what is your reason she's out of town she's not open why are you at her business and um i mean one of them was a lady who was dropping a check off for a catering for a deposit and they asked her what her business was there when they knew i was closed and they were parked there um I'm asking for y'all to please, please revisit this and find a way to get them some help. I don't know many businesses that can suffer 35,000 and come through it. I mean, now when I replaced everything, I'm going to be honest, the salty hand had 28 cent in her checking account till I opened the doors again. She was, she was hit hard, but We're gonna do the best we can. We're moving forward. We've got a plan in for something else that's coming up by the first of the year that should allow us to be open more days and collect more tax dollars that the city gets a portion of. But is there anything That can be done to help that police department. I mean, sometimes they only have 2 officers on and I know it's impossible to cover the city with 2 officers. I know it's only 8000 people, but it's a lot of square miles.

Well, as the mayor, I know this problem is complex and as far as giving just a blanket raise to officers, the city can't do that. The problem is that the legislature only allows us to go up about 3%. Anything above that has to go to a vote of the people. And it has to be put on as a referendum on an election if you want to raise the officers because we don't even get enough. It doesn't even give enough for us to give a cost of living increase to all the employees. That's how much we bring in. About $80,000 is about all we get as far as an increase each year because we don't have that ability anymore. And that's the legislature.

So, is that something y'all know? I'm good at a petition. Is that something we need to petition?

It has to be a referendum on an election.

I mean, we got to do something. I mean, I'm just telling you that what you're saying, I understand that your hands are tied, but the county's got a lot of money from the state.

We didn't get that. Yeah. So they got about 6000 dollars more for each officer.

But the city did not?

No, no cities got it. Only counties.

Oh.

Only the counties got the money.

Did the counties double over and help you guys?

Well, when they can. But they have their own responsibilities as well. And each sheriff is just, that's up to them. They work together.

Are we fully staffed with officers?

I think we're down one maybe. But we had several of them in training. So they're out now? Well, I don't think the one of them is.

Two of them are still on FTO training and they get released.

Yeah. Other than that, we're almost fully staffed.

Am I correct in thinking that part of the problem of getting officers and retaining officers here is housing?

Oh, it's housing as always. When I was city manager, before all this took place, I was going to convert. the old EMS into apartments to use as an incentive for getting officers here, but that's owned by the EDC now.

So do you not have the ability to bonus them if you don't have money for pay?

No, it's not allowed. That's illegal. That's actually illegal. The city cannot give bonuses.

So what's their incentive to come here to protect us?

Honestly, the culture that Tommy has created right now is what is keeping and bringing our officers here. Tommy has created this amazing culture of these officers where they feel cared about and respected, and that's what's keeping them here.

Yeah, because we lost him. That's what it is. Yeah, we lost him to the county.

He's created that culture that they want to stay.

But it's a complex problem in the DA. You know, when I was city manager, we had David Green, and we had three guys that had the police department. We had, well, actually, you had one of the guys stole a bunch of wheels off in the parking lot, and we had 40 cases on each one of them, and a DA hadn't prosecuted them.

Well, I was at the newspaper in the David Green era, and all he would call me and tell me when he returned my calls is he wanted me to do a story on these coins he had retrieved or something. And I was like, I'm not interested in that.

It's a complex problem. Uh, and then the D. A. They have prosecutorial discretion on who they're gonna, you know, we don't get it as citizens at business owners.

What can we do for the police department? I mean, I feed them all if they come in, if anybody comes in and I know they're an officer uniform or not, I will not let them pay.

It's just doing what you can with cameras, making sure your doors are locked, anything like that. We had a program where they go by and check doors and things like that. So I think that's still in place.

Well, and when I first opened- Criminals are gonna be criminals. Right, when I first opened, I will say, who was it? I'm trying to think. Anyway, they told me, they said, it's much easier for us to see what's going on inside if you leave us some lights on. So she's lit up on First Street because I have that big window. But I mean, they just I'm serious. They I don't know how they did it, but they cut the electricity off to the building. They cut something that blew the whole breaker panel and had to be rewired. I mean, it was something. And I don't know how they did it without electrocuting theirself, but.

Rhonda, I just remembered that because they've jacked up a car and parking a lot of hard motors and took all the wheels off of it.

If he'd been prosecuted, probably would be in jail for murder to this day.

We finally got them, all three of those guys in jail in the penitentiary, but it took a meeting with David Green and after 40 some cases with all of them, so.

well i mean so there's nothing we have one one slot open for an officer that's it and the last officers that i'm trying to think the last probably six eight we have paid for their training the city has and we have paid them while they're in training. Yeah, go in training. As we should. And it's not just a Del Hort problem with getting officers or retaining officers. It's a nationwide problem, I guess you'd say. Well, Amarillo is over 1,000 short. Just the culture of the USA, it's sad. Nobody wants to be a police officer because of how they're scrutinized these days. But I mean, I'm always open to suggestions on what we can do. What a lot of people don't understand is the state really handcuffs us on how we can bring revenue into the city and stuff like that. It's like the mayor said, I mean, we can raise taxes the maximum amount every year. That wouldn't cover, by the time you figure in their salary and all the fringe benefits that go with it, wouldn't even cover one officer's salary.

So speaking of fringe benefits, is there anything y'all can give them in fringe benefits to make it a little more enticing to come here?

I mean, sometimes that's worth- The training is one thing, because we never did that before. The homegrown program where we actually spend the money and send them to training, we're paying them while they're there, and then they come back. That doesn't always work. I know the county had one that he went through the training, came back, and he lasted a month, and he quit.

Jace is on Zoom, and he's asking to have his mic unmuted.

Do I know?

Jace Delgado, he's on Zoom, and he's asking to have his mic unmuted. so he can speak on the public comment.

So can I just ask y'all as a group of gentlemen to explore everything we can to try to do something for them? If it's more vacation time, can you do that?

Not really. I don't think we have a problem exploring what we can do. But I don't think we have a problem doing that.

We're just really limited. Well, legally, what we can do.

Everybody thinks Texas is free will and do whatever they think.

I guess it is if you're a thief.

It is.

Or you're a city. Or you're what?

Or a city. Lisa, I think you're unmuted now.

OK. We're going to, if you're OK, I'm going to let Jason speak in now.

Sure. Can I stand here and listen? Yeah. OK.

First off, I apologize for not being able to be there. I'm out of town today, but I just want to say thank you to Tammy Kay for the support, for her words. I will say that, and not just with her case, but every case that we try to get, we do try to work those as best as we can. I just want to speak on behalf of the city to Tammy, is that We are well supported and we appreciate that from the city council and from the city manager without going into a lot of details about what we did from the standpoint of operationally, we've worked hand in hand with the city manager to discuss maybe some extra patrols and things like that. So I will say that our officers, everybody would like more money, right? I mean, that's the reality of living in the world. where the economy is like it is, but officers are very happy with where we have what we have, the equipment that we've provided, the equipment that we provide them, the training that we provide them. There's a lot of things behind the scenes that the Chief Hughes and I work really hard to try to retain our officers with incentives like training and specializing in criminal investigation divisions, narcotics, things like that. So I'm gonna keep this very brief, but I will say that we are very grateful to the city council and to the city manager and just for the opportunities that they do give us and for the ability to do this job. But a lot of the behind the scenes stuff that we're able to do because of the support from city staff and by this council. And that's what I'll say to that.

And just so you know, it is actually against the rules for any of these people to interfere with day-to-day activity.

I know.

So that's actually a charter violation. Right, I know.

And I wasn't asking y'all to do that at all. I'm just saying if there's something they're lacking as a community, what can we do to get that for them?

I think they're, they're working on that as we speak with, with the city manager, the chief and assistant chief and all that. So they're doing what they can to try to improve things that, that we did. Like I said, getting more officers trained and like I said, they won't let anybody that's on FTO can't go out by themselves.

I completely understand that.

And yeah, we would love to have 10 more officers, but then it just, I mean, it boils down to a financial constraint at that point. We can't bring in enough to cover that.

And what do you mean bring it in?

Bring in revenue. Tax dollars. Tax dollars. Because, you know, there's two sides to a city budget. And the side that police and fire are paid off of is basically avalanche taxes. And what a city operates is they hope they bring in enough tax dollars to cover those two. And that's it. And that's basically where your tax dollars go. Sanitation, they kind of fund themselves. But in a perfect world, your tax dollars cover your police and fire. And we still don't bring in enough tax dollars to do that. And we can't raise taxes enough. to get to more officers.

The other things are enterprise funds. And that's where we're at with that. And on past administration, there was a lot of things done that put the city in a hole because there were a lot of raises that were given without any corresponding adjustment in the rates so that's why water and wastewater and sanitation and all those rates we had to have a rate study and the water department was on almost two million dollars in debt from what they've done and not fixing anything so we've addressed those things and we've had to move forward and i totally understand that i just want the best we can get for them the absolute best and if there is something as a citizen and a business owner i can do i just need to know

I mean, I really want to know because I want to tell you, and I have talked trash about them and I'm going to tell you, I'm so sorry. I really am so sorry, but they have stood by me through this. I've got everybody's cell phone number, which I do not abuse, but every, every person that has sent me, I mean, they'll turn on each other. I'll tell you that right now, they'll turn and tell on each other. And I have screenshotted everything and it goes to whoever I need to send it to. And I mean, I was in Dallas when they found our iPad and I was in Dallas when I got a tip from someone and a reward we put out, which we paid a lot out in reward money. And they went immediately. It was after five o'clock. And I think Jace and Trevino went and got the stuff and it was ours.

And the general public doesn't understand a lot of times how that works. And like I said, when we had the three guys that were stealing everything, I mean, they would get bonded out and would be stealing that night. And that's the problem. They said, well, the PD is not doing their job. Yeah, they are. It's just that if they're not prosecuted, they're right back out. They're bail bondsmen and they're just stealing something. Yeah.

because that's how he makes his money. And mama goes and puts the 10% up or signs her house over, and hey, I get it. I get it. But, I mean, what can I do to help?

It's just like I explained. Just do what you, with cameras, with making sure your things are locked, things in lit areas so that, you know, I mean, that's all you can do. Because criminals are going to be criminals.

Oh, yeah. If they and that speaks true with Heiser Tire. I don't know how they got into the church, Terry. But I mean, they came in through a window of ours, but they kick Heiser Tire's door in. So if they couldn't have got in through the window, they were going to tear something up.

If I may, and I don't, Tammy Kidd, I would and I'm sorry to interrupt. I would if we could maybe keep some details as to what the crime is. Not for any other reason other than I would like to keep that maybe some of the things that only the criminals would know just so that we, from an operational standpoint, some things that we can corroborate only on behalf that you would know, we would know, and that the suspect would know. I respectfully ask that. Of course, you can say whatever you want, but I would just ask that we maybe not divulge too much information, if that's okay.

That's fine.

Thank you, ma'am. Good to see you.

It's good to see you. So I just want them to know that if there's anything I can do for them, that I'm more than willing.

And we appreciate that very much. I mean that.

I appreciate you.

Thank you, ma'am.

Thank you all for my three minutes.

We kind of went over that.

okay uh we're going to move on to item two discuss interact upon update to the city of dalhart's personnel policy yes sir this this house also has to do with the pd um there were some changes made in the personnel policy uh prior to our arrival and going through numbers we discovered that the pd was working off an 80-hour uh I'm what I'm always working. I'm trying to work. We are work week. And when it comes to and stuff. Police and fire carved out for different for a different rate. And what we what we're asking tonight is that we update the policy. uh to take away an 80 hour work week and change it back to an 84 hour work week they're not losing any monies but what happens is it throws the overtime budget into chaos uh due to the fact that they work more than 80 hours in two weeks and they won't start accumulating overtime until after they hit that 84 hour mark and that should hopefully calm the waters on that it's really just a bookkeeping

Bill and emergency services falls into a different category. Yes. So everybody understands that.

Yes. I mean, that's all we're asking. Make a motion that we update the city of Delhart personnel policy. So, I think.

Motion second, any further discussion. All in favor be opposed. There are not. Move on to item 3, discuss or act upon request from XIT museum to close the street for their brand board fundraiser.

Is she Rhonda?

Everybody's looking at you. So I guess that's it.

I don't know if everybody knows what we're talking about, but on August 1st, we are going to celebrate. There's a new, if you notice on the Denrock side of the museum, there's a new brand board. The original brand board is very well known here in Dalhart. It was, it was put up on XIT 1975. So we're celebrating 51 years anniversary of the brand board, and we're trying to raise some funds. Those people, they paid $100 per square in 1975, and now we're doing $500 a square. So if any of my ranchers here need a square, it's $500, but they've gotten 50 years of advertising. So it's pretty good. I'm trying to fill out the alcohol permit and get approved to close down the street and say that you know that there will be alcohol served.

And it's Louise's birthday, right?

And she got special permission to brand. Nick didn't want any duplicates, but when Ms. Rall asks, Ms. Rall gets a duplicate.

They want to point fifth and sixth on Denrock where the new mural is right there.

So one side would be the courthouse and the other side's a little bit there.

Yeah, it's really right in front of Dalhart.

Just that one block.

Moved. Second. Motion and second. Any further discussion? All in favor? Aye.

Thank you. We hope you'll come out and bring it. You don't have to have a brand to do it. Come eat dinner with us. Thank you.

Move on to item four. Discuss or act upon ordinance 20-26-05 on second reading and adoption of ordinance city of Delaware, Texas amending chapter eight buildings and structures by adding a new article and vacant commercial buildings registration, regulating vacant commercial buildings within the city limits, providing a penalty clause, repealing all conflicting ordinances, providing a severability clause for publication, and providing for an effective date.

Good evening Mayor and Council. This is the second reading and I'm just going to quickly reiterate what this ordinance is designed for. It reduces blight, safety risk, nuisance conditions, and criminal activity. It requires owners of vacant commercial buildings to register annually with the City, submitting detailed ownership and property information, providing proof of tax payments and insurance, and maintain a current registration certificate. Registration fee is set at 5 cents per square foot annually with limited refund provisions. If the registration ends earlier, no inspection occurs. They also have to show that they're trying to either get the building up to code up to standards both externally and internally as well as or trying to sell the building. uh to to get it turned over to somebody that's going to do something with it mandates a one million dollar liability insurance uh policy naming the city is an additional insured and requires ongoing proof of coverage and then there's uh several other things that go with that as well i can answer any questions that you guys may have on this make a motion that we approve the second reading adoption of ordinance 2026-05 second have a motion second any further discussion

All in favor? Aye. Any opposed? No. Move on to item 5, presentation of the Texas Parks and Wildlife Community Grant application with resolution to be presented at a later date.

Good evening Mayor and Council. Tonight this agenda is about an important opportunity to improve the North Park through the development of a new splash pad. The Economic Development Corporation would like to pursue funding through the Texas Parks and Wildlife Small Community Recreation Grant Program to help this project possible. To help make this project possible, the approved the splash pad as a project last year in June of 2025 and committed to providing the required 50% local match. The has also received several letters of support from area businesses and community entities, demonstrating strong, local interest and support for this project. The PRPC is working with the EDC as the grant administrator and will assist with preparing and submitting the application. PRPC staff will be present for the required resolution to the City Council and that'll be on Monday, July 27th, the next City Council meeting. The splash pad would provide a safe, accessible and family friendly recreational amenity for residents while encouraging greater use of North Park as well. Approval of the resolution will allow the EDC to move forward with the grant process and take the next steps towards bringing this valuable project to our community. And I'll answer any questions you may have about this.

I just had a comment. Actually, Wes and I were out measuring stuff at the amphitheater, and there were about 15 people out there on the splash pad yesterday at the lake. So they were being utilized. So those are kids that can't get all the way out there. So Northside, I think it's a good deal. This is a great opportunity for Northside. You don't do anything on that one. Okay, we'll move on to item 6, discuss act upon resolution 202613, a resolution of the City Council of Dalhart, Texas, authorizing City Manager to enter into a multiple use agreement with the Department of Transportation to achieve purpose of phases of the Textile Right-of-Way Beautification Project in conjunction with Dalhart Economic Development Corporation . Will that presentation up?

You've been in a bad mood. He's bringing that up. The resolution before you tonight, it's more than landscaping. We're talking about how Dalhart presents itself as a place to work, live, and invest. If approved, this will be one of several resolutions that will come before the council regarding the overall project as we work with our TxDOT partners to improve the competitiveness of our community. We've already got a lot going on for us. Good infrastructure, available land, strong employers and workforce partnerships. But when people decide where to move or where to build a business, they also look at the community itself. They notice the neighborhoods, the parks, the schools, the streets, and the overall appearance of the city. This proposal is meant to help make a stronger 1st impression and show that we are a community that takes pride in itself and is ready to grow just as importantly. This would not place the responsibility on nearby property owners. I know we've talked about that in the past proposed a 2nd maintenance plan that would actually put it on the by law. The can maintain a project that it is approved to to move forward with. So, the project would be managed by the city funded through the and maintained by a contractor. This takes the responsibility off of our existing city staff as well. So. The design is also intended to keep costs under control by using durable materials, drought tolerant plants, and limited irrigation instead of grass, annual flowers, and other high maintenance landscaping. This is a practical way to improve our main corridors, protect the city's investment, and support future growth without creating an unfair burden for property owners. So this rendering shows xeriscaping along 54 Liberal Street as you're coming into up to 87. This is just a rendering so these are not actual architectural drawings. This is 87 north heading southbound. If you'll notice it's very simple landscaping, a lot of granite, a lot of crushed rock, drought tolerant plants that are conducive to our environment. This is 87 South. That's also 87 South going up to 54. So if you'll notice, it's very, very simple, but it makes a huge impact, makes a huge difference when people can come into a community and see that it's clean, it's cared for, and we're investing within ourselves. So I'll answer any questions you may have.

Were you dropping when you took those?

Google Earth was.

No, I think it's great that you changed it from the last time we talked. I think you did exactly what we kind of talked about, and I think this is going to work perfectly.

Say something. So you know, here I go with my soapbox, you know that when you upgrade landscaping and upgrade your downtown, it decreases your crime rate. There are statistics on that all over.

Yeah, Sean, when we first talked about this, we were talking about...

I can help dig holes. I'm good at that. I'm all for that.

And that's another thing too, we would, you know, we've got a small landscape group that we meet together and we're putting this project together. If approved tonight, this would be one of several resolutions and amendments to the resolutions to be able to bring a complete plan to TxDOT instead of coming to them for the beautification and then starting the process over again on the next step that goes with the beautification as well so they have some grants that they can do that because we got both of those they do that's pretty they they have they've made it very clear that they don't have any money to to be able to put towards this same with that well we'll make it for you is in charge of i call it understate downhart the four lane that goes in front of the coliseum

that they finally cut all the weeds this week. Is that state?

That's the state, but our city, the city went a few times.

It's doing it. Thank you. I thought I heard the state was in charge of that. So I'm wondering, is this something, can that road also be filled with all of this? Because it's that,

Here's our reasoning for hitting the four corridors that we have. It's based on traffic counts, based on first impression with the greatest number of folks. That is actually not one of our priorities because of the low, low traffic counts that are there. The project and phases that are set over the next seven phases running from 2027 to 2032 to have this project completed, again, is based on greatest impact, greatest visibility, and quickest wins. And there's no, there's no route away on that stream?

On 281. No, there is no route away.

State that's supposed to be taking care of that?

We are doing it because the state will not. The state says it's us.

I'm thinking of traffic going into the football games. You want to sell those lots out there. It looks horrible. That was my big one that we talked about.

The city has been taking care of it the last two years.

I forgot about that.

I just have a comment. This project eventually will make people have some pride. When they drive through this town, we're going to look like we have some pride. This is going to give us a more safe stop. I don't know if you've heard how many people drive through here and they see how terrible it looks and they think, gosh, is it safe for me to stop here? This is going to help. This is just the first step to getting that started. So I would encourage you to say yes tonight. You're being able to work with textile and get this part done. And so that we can start our seven paces up.

So just to piggyback off that she's right. I mean, to change mindset, we've got to change the environment.

My son lives in Santa Fe and their right-of-ways are done. Zero scape. Zero scape. That's one of the first ones you brought up. I'm like, man, that's not going to work here.

No. No, and it was just a rendering to kind of give it a change of that image. When you look at the image of what we've got now versus the image of beautification, it wasn't necessarily.

Like I said, I don't want any more burden on the pedal board. Well, not the pedal pushers are disbanded, but KDB and... The people that already take care of that, because they do a fabulous job. I know when Greg was city manager, he had to pay people to go just water what we had and it didn't work. So.

You're exactly right.

Yeah, and then when I was city manager, I said, just give them whatever they want. because they never asked for much it's without over six hundred dollars about all they ever asked for so i'm real real thankful for the people that that do that make a motion we adopt resolution 2026-13 second a motion a second any further discussion all in favor aye any opposed there are okay item seven public hearing Conduct public hearing for Resolution 2026-12, approving a project for Dalhart Economic Development 4B with Dalhart and Hartley Counties Health Care Foundation, Inc. Make a motion that we open the public hearing for Resolution 2026-12. I have a motion and a second. Any further discussion? All in favor? Aye. Public hearing is open.

Tonight you're being asked to consider an economic development incentive for the proposed new nursing home facility by the Dalham-Hartley County's Health Care Foundation. The recommendation is to approve the incentive under a five-year performance agreement as required by state statute. The reason this project is supportable is simple. It produces measurable public benefit. The project would retain 42 existing jobs and create 15 new jobs for a total direct employment impact of 57 jobs. That represents a 35.7% increase over the existing employment base at the existing nursing home. This is not just a business request. A nursing home is also a health care asset, a workforce asset, and a quality of life asset for the community. It helps keep long-term care available. locally, supports families caring for aging relatives, and helps prevent the loss of jobs and payroll from our community. The incentives should be tied directly to performance, and they are. That means the organization must maintain the 42 existing jobs and create and maintain the 15 new jobs, provide annual employment and payroll documentation, document eligible project investment, and continue operating in Dalhart throughout the five-year term. Most importantly, the agreement would also include repayment provisions if those commitments are not met. For those reasons, this project is a defensible economic development investment. It protects existing employment, creates new employment, strengthens healthcare access, and supports a critical community service and provides for a clawback provision for failure to perform meeting all the requirements of the Local Government Code 501.158. I recommend that you approve that it's the incentive subject to a 5 year performance agreement with the annual verification and callback. Provisions, and I'll answer any questions you may have.

I just got a comment is that I'm totally for this. I think it's a. It bolsters the college, it bolsters the hospital, it bolsters the nursing home.

It bolsters the community. I mean, when you look at the draw that the hospital district has over the surrounding four states, it's quite impressive.

The community is really behind this as well. Any other comments? Can we close the public hearing? Second. Now, motion is seconded. Any further discussion? All in favor? All right. Public hearing is closed. Move on to item eight, discuss or act upon adopting Resolution 2026-12, a resolution to be a Dallard City Council, City of Dallard, Texas, approving the project. Dallard Economic Development Corporation, 4B, with Dallard and Hartley Counties Healthcare Foundation, Inc. and authorizing the executive director of the DEDC to effectuate and fund the project, including executing any and all documents, instruments necessary to appropriate and connection therewith, providing a severability clause, a saving clause, and an effective date.

I move that we adopt resolution 2026-12. Second.

I have a motion and a second. Any further discussion? All in favor? Aye. Any opposed? There are none. Thank y'all. Thank you, Joe. Item nine, discuss and or act upon adopting resolution 202617, a resolution of the city council, city of Dalhart, adopting a water conservation plan for the city of Dalhart.

Yes, sir. This is something we do have to do every few years, is updating the water conservation plan, EH&T. all our data came up with this water conservation plan. It mirrors a lot of what we already do. It kind of gives us a scale for the next 40 years of where we think we're going to go with water and daily demand and stuff like that. You know, it's got how we track water loss and everything in there. I won't go through the whole thing, but if anybody wants to read this fine document, you're more than welcome to get a copy from it.

And for all of you all in the public, if you're watching what Dumas is going through right now, that's 30 years of not doing what you need to do. We spent a little over $6 million in the new pump station, four new wells, and

think dumas has two wells total yeah well i mean and that's what that's what no water a lot of people don't realize it's it's we needed to grow the new well today and we started the process today in two years before we could do anything so we try to stay on top of stuff like this and get ahead of it it's really boilerplate uh you know everybody wants their water loss to be zero but it's not going to be zero it'll never be zero no and uh while we have an audience sometimes you see leaks out there there's a reason we can't go fix them right then it's because of all the stuff underground and they have up to 48 hours if it's an emergency they have 48 hours to locate other lines and stuff like that so a lot of times you see a leak for a couple days we can't just go fix it then

I had a call this weekend. I called JJ and he said, well, I notified them yesterday and nobody's been out here. And I said, no, they've been there. They just had to call in Digtest to get lines located. And they got to have a minimum of 48 hours for everybody to locate their stuff. So just don't think that they forgot it. They just have to go through the process.

I'll answer any questions. I mean, they have our everybody's here we use about 861 million gallons of water a year in the city of down hard right now we have uh 808 652 taps that we supply the city with water if anybody wants to know that information so i'll be happy to answer any questions

Motion we adopt Resolution 2026-17. Second.

A motion and two seconds. Any further discussion? All in favor?

Aye.

Any opposed? No. We need to have an executive session?

Yes. Make a motion that we move into executive session. Second.

Motion and second to go under second session under government code 551.072 for project. I move we come out of executive session. Second. I have a motion and a second. All in favor? Aye. We are out of executive session.

Make a motion we adjourn.

Second. I want to make one comment. I started working on it yesterday. Hydro donated pipe for the sunscreen at the amphitheater. I started welding on the hooks and all yesterday. And hopefully we'll have. And yeah, I got the hooks from you. So I started welding on those. So hopefully I'll have that put together. And we were supposed to get me some three inch casing tomorrow to weld on the. So get those put together. So hopefully get that up for amphitheater.

We are adjourned.