City Council - Regular Meeting

It is 6:30 and I'm calling to order our Elgen City Council me uh meeting December the 2nd, 2025. And we will begin with Council Member Love on roll call. Love here

here. Here I like to have a motion for to accept uh council member St. Pierre. He is out of town with the illness of family. [snorts] And I'll second. All right. Moved in second and we begin with council member Rodriguez.

Rodriguez. Yes. Yes. Yes. Mcshan. Yes. Kaznoski. Yes. Gibson. Yes. Yes. Love. Yes. [clears throat] Sorry y'all can't hear me. Can you hear me now? Is that better? Okay. Sorry. Put it right up here. All right. We'll have our invocation.

Dear Lord, let us pause for a moment of reflection. We gather here as a council entrusted with the responsibility of guiding our community. May our hearts be open to peace, our minds attuned to unity, and our words shaped by understanding. Grant us the wisdom to listen deeply, the courage to speak kindly, and the strength to act with fairness. May our decisions tonight reflect not only the needs of today, but also the hopes of tomorrow. As we deliberate, let us remember that harmony is built when diverse voices join together and progress is made when compassion leads the way. May this meeting be a space where respect where where differences become opportunities for growth and where our shared purpose shines brighter than any division. With gratitude for the chance to serve, we begin this work in the spirit of peace, unity, and understanding. Amen.

Amen. Stand for the pledge of allegiance. I aliance 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. [snorts]

Honor the flag. I aliance to thee. One state and indivisible.

[snorts] Our first public hearing is for an ordinance annexing a one uh 133.6470 6470 acre and a 40.363 acre tract of land totaling [snorts] 174.01 acres. the hereto described territory to the city of Elgen, Bastrop, and Travis County, Texas, and extending the boundary of the said city so as to include said here into after described property within said city limits and granting to all the inhabitants of the said property all the rights and privileges of other citizens and binding said inhabitants by all of the acts, ordinances, resolutions, and regulations of said city. and adopting a service plan or agreement and granting permanent zoning of PDD plan development district, providing for a severability clause, and providing an effective date, providing for a savings clause, and repealing conflicting ordinances or resolutions. There's no one [snorts] signed up. Okay, it is 6:34 and that public hearing is closed. The next one is public hearing on an ordinance granting a specific use permit for a short-term rental at 204 Losh Drive on a parcel of land known by Bassro County Appraisal District as parcel 152 one I'm sorry 15727 Elgen Meadows lot 31 city of Elgen Texas Bastrop County Texas and providing for a savings clause and repealing conflicting ordinances and resolutions and there's no one uh signed up to speak to that one. It is 6:34 and that public hearing is closed. Next, we have public comment. Speaker comments are limited to three minutes only. No formal action can be taken by

the city council on items not posted on the agenda. Items requiring a public hearing will allow a member of the public an opportunity to speak during the public hearing and does not require a public comment form. Uh we have several to speak. So let us please try and keep our three minute limit so that we can get through all of them. The first one is Wes Kala. [snorts]

Good evening. My name is Wes Kle 304 Lane. I'd like to say a couple words. Uh transparency, accountability, and trust. Those are all three things that us citizens, you know, look for in what's in front of us, [snorts] the people at these deaths. I'd like to speak again about my truck in September 24th of 2019. Chief [snorts] there and his crew took my truck wrongfully. I've spoke with several of you about it. Few of you in person, few of you have called out and reached, you know, asked questions. [snorts] Majority of you haven't. Um, I'm here once again to ask for a uh agenda item on this matter. You know, we shouldn't have to worry about the the cops doing their job wrong and stealing stuff from from the citizens and we just lose it. It's not right in any way. Mayor, I'd like to to speak on this thing. You know, I keep hearing that this is a personal matter. [snorts] Yet, the police department's involved in all kind of stuff. I want to remind you that, you know, I do remember you as a citizen. doing the homework to get a barricade and some signage the front of your home to change traffic. This is no different. You had a public problem or you had a problem with the with the city and and whatnot. I've got a problem with the city and the police department. All I'm asking for is what's right. You know, nobody has uh even went forward to try and say, "Hey, man, we we done you wrong."

[snorts] And the information that I found after years and years of trying to get it shows that we all know what part of that problem was. That problem's now gone. I'm trying to resolve this without taking this matter to court. It's my opinion and the opinion of attorneys and others that I definitely have a civil rights case. If we want to take it to that matter, I mean, that's that's up to you. I'm putting the ball in your court for the last time. All I'm asking for is to be heard. Let's open let's openly discuss it and take care of the problem. That's all I'm asking. If not, I have to get my attorney involved. And that's something I'm trying not to do. I'm trying to save you the public embarrassment and the taxpayer money. Thank you and have a great night. [snorts]

Thank you. Uh the next one is Gina Gonzalez. Hello, council. My name is Gina. Is this supposed to get closer?

My name is Gina Gonzalez. Um, I would first like to bring attention to the information provided by development in the last meeting resulting in the annexation of 18706 Litic Road for [snorts] industrial use adjacent to historic Freriedman Colony Litic. At the time of the annex meeting, the archae archaeological survey was not submitted to the state for approval [snorts] of the historic permit. After communication with Texas Historic Commission, it was expressed and I quote, "Survey is required due to high probability for historic sites. I have with me artifacts from [snorts] evidence proving that wrong."

The proposed site is not one mile away from Lit's historically marked cemetery. It is in fact 63 miles away from the historical marker. [snorts] The site will be8 miles away from Litics Town Center and 23 miles away from Indigo River Ranch Homes, far from the acres of farmland promised by development in the PNZ hearing used to persuade actions moving forward. If things are being done in accordance with Texas regulation, I ask the city to please allow proper state approval of all permits, especially the historical permit due to the project's location and annexation of industrial use before taking steps forward. My community deserves proper notification from Elgen, especially if we have no voting rights in its county, but pay taxes to said county. When receiving a 30-day notice from TEQC before the party building said wastewater treatment plant sends a notice is concerning and honestly feels underhanded. A minimum three of three mile radius should be notified since that's how far the discharge route going over Litic Road will extend at the start of the project, not when it's too late to speak out and change plans. [snorts] This wastewater treatment plant will push Lit to extinction and it bothers me that my community, my historical heritage was not considered in the planning. I will continue to fight for my great-grandfather's legacy. Thank you very much for your time. Christopher Christopher Scott Good afternoon, council. Uh, yes, this is not on the agenda, but this pertains to the wastewater treatment facility as well, located uh at the said address. My name is Christopher Scott. I'm son of the Lord Scott. Fourth, my fourth

great-grandfather was Jackson Marorrow. My fourth great grandmother was Willie Marorrow Houston. and my fifth greatgrandfather was Samuel Governor Houston. History runs deep in let community. This permit should be called pollution, gentrification and profit, removal of historic freedom colony, removal of farmland and polluting our borderways. You plan to take a sewage you plan to take sewage from miles away, [snorts] pump it to this plant, process it, and dump 6 million gallons into our local creek and tributaries. right next to us, like the last speaker spoke, less than a mile away from the litic community. [snorts] Six million gallons you plan to process and dump into our local waterways. [snorts] Wahberg Creek is below there, below the wastewater treatment plant. I have a friend that has property down at uh down by Walbor Creek. There's otter and beavers in that creek. When was the last time you heard about otter and beavers being around in Texas? That area where you plan to dump water is an animal sanctuary. This plant is within a 100 people. You plan to place this plant, you plan to place this plant where it will uh impact people minimal. We are all people. There is over 100 families in uh in that area that will be impacted healthwise by this plant. What happened to our farming community? What happened to the cattle? My hat says Giddings livestock. Elgen doesn't have no one no more. I wonder why it has been pushed out due to gentrification and subdivisions and development. What happened to the farming community? What happened to the youth livestock? Do we even have one anymore? No, we don't. It all has been pushed out due to

gentrification. and profit. There's much more I want to say, but emotions are high. I really wish you would reconsider location of this wastewater plant and also way that it was done. It was disrespectful for the litic community, no notice and disgraceful for some members of city council who knew about this and continue to push for this to go forward. Thank you. Have a nice day. Alana Gonzalez. Good evening, council members. My name is Alana Gonzalez. I'm a direct descendant of the Marorrow family, one of the founding black families of Litic, Texas. Tonight, I am not just here to share history. I am here to ask you to make a smart, fair, and responsible decision that protects this council, this city, and this community. Litig was established by my ancestors, Jackson and Lucy Marorrow, formerly enslaved land owners who helped create Texas's earliest black freedom colonies. Their son Samuel and his wife who helped create the earliest freedom colony Jenny raised two daughters Elizabeth Mbrite and Ruth Ocott. Elizabeth raised two children Quinton Dbright and Thelma Bright Vaughn. Ruth married Achinson Scott and raised a son Huan Scott. This is all very important. This is important because the property 18706 Litig Road is directly tied to that family line. Quinton Bright lived and died in the house that once stood on that tract of land. His mother also lived and farmed that tract of land

until her death. She was 97 years old. This isn't just a parcel on the map. It is a documented historic black homestead and one of the last physical links to the Emancipation Freedom Colony. Approving a wastewater treatment plant here would amount to eraser of that legacy. Council members, there are also practical concerns. This location has clear historical and cultural sensitivity, and moving forward risks unnecessary public controversy. It raises legitimate environmental justice concerns, placing industrial infrastructure on historic black land. It damages the trust between the city and long-standing residents and descendants. And importantly, alternative sites do exist. A wastewater plant can be put anywhere. Freedom colony homesteads, they cannot be replaced. I am not here to oppose growth and progress. I am here to ensure that progress does not come at the expense of historic black land or this city's moral standing. Tonight I am asking that you make the decision that is not only compassionate but also prudent, responsible and aligned with the best practices in planning and persuation. I respectfully ask for the deanexation and the rejection of the industrial zoning zoning request to protect this council from decisive issue and honor a piece of history that belongs to all of us. Preserving this land is not a limitation. It is a leadership decision. Please choose fairness. Please choose preservation. And please choose the right side of history. Thank you guys very much.

[applause] I'm sorry I may mispronounce your last name. Ann Brockenbro. I probably messed that up. My name is Ann Brokenberg. I wanted to thank you all for listening to us tonight, letting us speak. Um, I'm part of the I'm one of the founders of the Wilberger Creek Conservation Alliance and it's part of our mission to preserve the rural landscape and the cultural heritage of the litig community. Um, we've been at this since 2008 and we became formal in 2011. Um, and we are here to support the members of the Litig community in opposing the proposed wastewater treatment plant right next to the town, the historic town of Litig. Litig was one of the oldest freedom colonies in Texas, founded by Jackson Morrow, a former enslaved person who donated the land for the town in 1883. Jackson Morrow's son, Edward, went on to become the first black postmaster in Texas in 1890 and served in that position until 1940. In the late 1800s and early 19 in the late 1800s and early 1900s, Litig had its own school district with four schools, a post office, a general mercantile, a church, and a cemetery. When I came to this area in 1999, the church and the community center were still standing. The church was a white clappered building and it had a beautiful old bell tower and I would drive by and admire how beautiful it was every day. I had no idea that one day I would drive by and it would be gone is one of my biggest regrets in life that I couldn't do anything to save it because I didn't know it was going to disappear. Uh I would have done something I would have done anything to try to raise money to save that old beautiful church. Um the same thing

happened to the community center. One day I drove by and it was gone. And the same thing is happening again with this historic land. Um, no one got any notice that this historic land was being sold to Elgen for a wastewater treatment plant. And so here we are to try and stop it. This land should be a park for the town of Litig dedicated to their ancestors. They deserve a monument, not a wastewater treatment plant. Willie Fowler Martin, one of the members of the litic community who served on our board, um was responsible for getting the cemetery designated as a historic landmark. She said she did this so that the people of Littig would have something of their very own. It's on our website if you want to look it up. Her there's a beautiful interview with Willie on our website, Wilberger Creek Conservation Alliance. And and wouldn't it be nice if they had a park of their very own right next to the town the his with historic markers on that land that Jackson Mororrow once owned instead of a wastewater treatment plant. I propose that the city of Elgen turn this 38 acres into a park and find another place for their wastewater treatment plant closer to the developments that it's servicing and further away from this historic town. There are other locations as everyone else has said. Thank you for your time.

[applause] Shelby Kobe. Good evening, Elgen City Council. Thank you for letting us speak tonight. I am here to support the members of litig community in opposing the proposed wastewater treatment plant located right next to the historic town of Litig. I too work with Wilberger Creek Conservation Alliance and we work to preserve our rural landscape, the communities that instill it and the history. The historic town of Litig is in the heart of this landscape and in the heart of what we do. Litic is one of the oldest freed man colonies in the state of Texas. We recently gathered at the litic cemetery for the annual litic cemetery cleanup organized by current litic cemetery president Fowler who is here with us tonight. Pam's aunt Willie was one of the our founding board members and she played a large part in getting the cemetery designated as a historic landmark. As Ann just mentioned, in our last cleanup, Pam's brother Daryl uh was brought together a crew and uh fix Jackson Mar's headstone to put it back upright. Um as we all know, Jackson was the founder of Litig and donated his own land to establish the town. Litic deserves a park in his honor, not a wastewater treatment plant on his land. His history should be honored. Thank you very much, [applause] Pam Fowler.

[snorts] Good evening, Elgen City Council and everyone that's in attendance. My name is Kamala Fowler and I am currently on the uh Wilbur Creek Conservation Alliance uh as a board member. I am also the current president for the Litic Cemetery which is a historical marker uh for the city of for the town of community of Litic. My aunt Willie May Martin Fowler was responsible for getting that historical marker put in place. But a little bit uh before that when that cemetery had overgrown once the community was no longer there, [snorts] a lot of the original families were either uh driven out because they lost their land to greed and I will say that um just as I said it greed uh that was their land was stolen from them. So a lot of the um families who have children like my dad, my grandfather, all who own land out there um lost their land for whatever reason and have moved away. We have preserved that cemetery through my father, my aunt, my grandparents, and everyone out there to make that a landmark cemetery that is beautiful. Um I run we I we run it with um a committee group of us on donations is how we keep it clean and how we keep it um uh preserved as well. So we are we are working we are looking to see that that historical cemetery stays there. We don't want um the wastewater treatment plant there. I am one of the only one of probably about two farmers that are out there where these wastewater treatment uh plants are affecting our property causing erosion and many other things that are going on out there. My property and my land is is personally affected by the one that Mayor is building. So the

one that Elgen is building now, I am going to be caught right in the middle of all of that um wastewater treatment facility that affects our animals. So with my genealogy and with my history, we are looking to try to keep our family and our land in our family um for as long as we possibly can. So we are asking that you consider building a wastewater treatment plant somewhere else and not there. And with Josen Marorrow, my brother did, we uplifted headstones and everything that were literally being buried out there with his tractor um to keep that um preserved. And we want to continue doing that. Our litic s our annual litic cemetery cleanup is every year. We do it once a year and we have 25 to 45 members to come out in the community to help us preserve that land. So, we're asking you to please please consider building a wastewater treatment facility somewhere else.

[applause] Alicia um Mhari Machari I'm sorry. Uh good evening council. Um I am coming to you all um as a former program coordinator at the sustainable food center. I'm the current park stewardship pro uh program director with Travis County Parks Foundation and an ambassador of the Texas Freedom Colonies Project. But I'm also a farmer that lives here in Elgen, Texas. And um one thing that I have been very concerned about as uh we have been talking about this wastewater facility is the loss of farmland. Um specifically in Travis County and Bastrop County. Since 2017, Bastrop County has lost over 76,000 acres of farmland. In Travis County, we're losing about 16 acres of farmland every day. Um, one thing that really concerns me is about the quality of life for the people of Litig. Um, there is clear that over time there has been a concerted effort to wipe Litig off the map. I'm very concerned for the quality of life that people will have there. Um, considering the environ how this wastewater facility will impact their environment. um whether that be the smell, the act their water access, whether that will cause disease over time. And um it is something that concerns me just hearing the um people of Litig talk today about how there has been this concerted effort um that's really impacting their quality of life. And as a resident of Elgen and as a farmer here, I don't think that's right. Um and so I just wanted to share um that information with you all. Thank you. Mo Ryan.

Hello, my name is Mo Ryan representing 12324 Morrow Lane. I'm here to express concern for the proposed wastewater treatments facility at 18706 Litig Road. The piece of property we represent is on the conservation easement in Litig that houses the creeks and streams that the effluent from the facility will flow into. It was bought from a descendant of Jackson Morrow who donated his land to establish Litig in 1883. I'm speaking on behalf of the farm business I run with my co-owners who represent uh who are present in the crowd tonight. Our farm is located on this property. We are a diversified vegetable farm implementing organic practices on three acres and have been operating for two years. Our main concerns with the proposed plant are environmental and social. Environmentally, the plant will be situated in an area prone to flooding and will discharge into the conservation easement which is a protected and biodiverse area. We are aware that it is being built to the highest standard that the state requires. But those standards are aligned with conventional wastewater treatment facilities that all fail to consider the separation of emerging contaminants, persistent organic pollutants and certain recalcitrant substances from waste water. My colleague Karine will touch on the social issues with this facility. Thank you.

[applause] Corin Ramirez. Good evening, council. My name is Corine RmIrez and I'm representing a farm located on the conservation easement protecting Wilberger Creek at 12324 Marorrow Lane. I'm here to express concern for the proposed wastewater treatment plant at 18,76 Litig Road. Um I'd like to echo the statements of everyone that has spoken before me. Um especially highlighting those of the descendants of Jackson Marorrow and my colleague Mo. um as well as reiterate to the council all of the social historical impacts that this wastewater treatment plant on this historic land will um affect. The council has already been made aware of the fact that Litig is one of the first freedom colonies of Texas established by Jackson Marorrow and his descendants. Litig has litig holds a great historical significance not only for Elgen but for Texas as a whole. Additionally, the people of Litig will be most impacted um bearing the brunt of the potential flooding, erosion, pollutants, environmental impact and general disturbance of this facility while not benefiting from the facility being that it is to service a different development. Um, we hope that the council will honor the history of such an important piece of land that's not just attractive land or a dot on the map. Um, as expressed by the people prior um, and consider the impacts of this land that has already been cultivated, protected, and cared for for generations and generations to come. Time and time again, we see the lasting impacts of environmental racism. And let this be a note of environmental racism on historic black communities in the

United States and in Texas. And y'all as a council have a rare opportunity to prioritize a community's health, prosperity, and wellness for future generations over the greed of developers. [snorts] I ask that y'all consider voting to deanex the said tract and opposing future developments on this land. and open a public hearing to listen to descendants of Jackson Marorrow and the general town of Litig to ask them what they want and vision for this land to be. Thank you, John Bell.

[clears throat] [snorts] I'm with the Willar Creek Conservation Alliance. You have chosen to put a sewage treatment plant in absolutely the [snorts] wrong place. You must not have known the cultural significance because had you known, you probably would have never chosen this site. 50 years ago, I bought what became um 315 acres using a Texas Veterans Land loan. It has 3,300 linear feet of dry creek running through it. You're going to discharge your sewage just 50 yards north before it enters this property which today has a conservation easement on it. I was not notified that you intended to run the sewage discharge right through this property. And this [snorts] property is pristine land, black land prairie. [clears throat] And dry creek is not a creek. Dry Creek is dry unless it's been a heavy rain. It runs for a few days or a few weeks

and then it's dry. It's a big ditch. My requirement with this conservation easement is to protect and preserve the historical and agricultural values of the litig area. And I would ask that y'all would join us in this attempt to do that. The developer, there is technology that would enable that developer to contain his sewage. They can treat sewage to high standards. It's not going to be treated to the highest standard anywhere close to what they are capable of doing. and let them treat it and reuse it up there. It can be used again. Thank you, [applause]

Mr. Bell. Did you sign up twice? Did you sign up twice? Oh, okay. Okay. Because it has two different addresses. I just didn't want to miss anybody. Okay. Okay, Betty. And I'm sorry, I don't know how to pronounce your last name. Lucky. Am I even close?

18405. Albert Okay.

I'm sorry. Can you turn around and and face and put in the mic into the mic? Oh, I'm sorry. Yeah. Okay, there you go. My name is Larry Mayo. I'm not a spokesman. I live in the area, but I feel from my heart that I have something to say about this because it hit me because I just found out [snorts] that this was going on and they're going to try to build a waste water out there in that location. Seemed to be one of the worst location in the world. I go to church out there. I got family out there. I have a home out there. I have property out there. I think trying to do something of that nature would bring down the quality of the property there. [snorts] And most most of all, right off of County Line Road, we've been having a wastewater problem over there for over 50 years. Over 50 years. Nobody did nothing about it. Sure. Stink. Stink. If they did nothing about that, what are they going to do about a wastewater plant where this disease is just going around and everything? We still got CO. We still got other disease and it's going to be spreaded. If you put it in the neighborhoods, we got neighborhoods that just five miles away, two miles away, one miles away. Then they plan on building a new neighborhood right close to the plant, lit it and all that combined together as one. I go to church out there. I I even help clean the cemetery out there. I'm part of that neighborhood. [snorts] And from the bottom of my heart, I hope they don't build anything out there of that nature. Why there when it's so much other lanes around here. I think we had a problem like that before. I'm [snorts] sorry. I'm not a spokesman. I'm just speaking how I feel from my heart and and I'm just saying if I had anything to say

[snorts] had a chance to do anything about it, I would stop it. I would stop it because I think that's very dangerous to put that in the neighborhood. Why not put it out away from the neighborhood? Because we just built a school out, elementary school out in that location. Anything five or six, seven, 10 miles away going to be affected. Why there? [snorts] I can't understand that. And I'm so proud that y'all let me come up and say what I like to say, but I'll make it clear. I'm not a spokesman. I'm just a person that live in that neighborhood. And I pray that the Lord stop that project. Thank you very much. [applause] [applause] Okay, that's all of the public comments that we have noted.

Oh. Oh, okay. I'm sorry. I didn't real Okay, Betty. [cough and clears throat] Yeah. [snorts]

[snorts] Thank you. Thank you all for letting allowing me to speak. My name is Betty Mayo. My father John Armstrong was a resident of Litic. His father Jesse Armstrong was a resident of Litic. We have the our we live in 18405 Albert Vulkar. We originally lived in 18400 Albert Vulkar. I've been living there practically all my life. I uh I'm originally from Chicago. A lot of people know me. I know Teresa and I know Lon. I know all of you. I I I was hurt really to find that you're going to put a septic tank out there without our knowledge. And it tears me apart. I uh I just want to say that my father went to school out there. He died when he was 94. his father purchased that property and it and I am I plan on having my children be a part of that property. I don't want them to be subjected to disease and and and all kinds of things that this uh wastewater plant will entail. And I am asking you please to if you can put it somewhere else, please do because uh I'm not a speaker, but this this is

important. It's been in my family for over a hundred years, and I I knew nothing of it [snorts] until now. And I am asking you all to listen to the to these people here and and and and understand that this is very very very important to us. We this is I mean this is our homes. These are our homes and we we have this is our homes. I mean, it's our homes. And um that's that's really what all I have to say. I wasn't prepared to say anything, but I just had to because it's just so deep. So deep. I had no idea how deep it was until I heard this. And uh I just that's all I have to say. But I I I implore you to really consider.

Thank you. Thank you. [applause] Did I miss anybody else? Okay. Um go on to our announcements. Hello, mayor, mayor, and council. Um, I am going to let y'all know that this weekend is Friday. It's not on our list, but I just wanted to mention it is the elementary school concert in Veterans Park. Um, that's something we do every year. So, Friday at 6. Um, then that follows with Holiday by the Track, Saturday, we have events from 10:00 to 4:00. The hot cocoa stroll will be from 2 to 4 uh with the chamber. So, look for that. They're also going to have a market. Then, um, we have Merry Minecraft Christmas also Saturday at the library. Um, Winter Wonderland with photos, um, with Santa on the 13th at the Elgen Parks and Rec Center. And then do not forget Elf on the Shelf, which is our downtown scavenger hunt from the 11th through the 14th. Thank you.

We'll move on to our city manager report. Thank you, mayor. Um, first I'd like to start off with a notification of our Elgen Recreation Center, which was awarded a National Recreation and Park Associations supporting healthy aging through parks and recreation 5.0 instructor training grant. Miss Elizabeth, where we at? There you go. Elizabeth Marsek, please.

Good evening, council. We were really excited to announce we are receiving the NRPA Shaper grant again. We received this in 2023 which is how we implemented our active living everyday 12week free program that we've been offering consistently for the last two years. This is the second time we're being awarded the grant and this time for fit and strong. So this is a program for individuals suffering from arthritis to help them get up active and mobile. It'll be a free program hosted by NRPA through our staff. they are paying to train.

Thank you. Um, in your packet, you should have or do have your board of adjustments quarterly report. If you have any questions, please. Um, your building standards uh commission quarterly report as well. your uh parks and recreation advisory board quarterly report. And Miss Marzek, if we can go ahead and bring you up for special events pering process, if we could, please.

All right. So, in your packet, you have a proposal from the parks advisory board. Uh, just for reference, I've got my notes there, but you have a memo. It's copied on the screen for the audience. But in 2025, city council waved an estimated $12,200 in public works staff time and an estimated $15,300 in police department staff time, which is fairly significant. And up until now, we don't have a process for those special events. You can contact any member of staff and some process will happen to get you in front of council. So I worked with the community services department, police department, public works department, and city secretary as well as the parks advisory board to create the process in front of you. This hopefully streamlines the process, makes it consistent and clear for both patrons and staff how you're going to request a special event, how you're going to request a fee waiver, and how it's going to get in front of city council with consistent information each time. So is are you are you guys officially adopting this

because I know there's no action needed. So I guess my question is what what comes after tonight? So, uh, this is being put in front of this council as, uh, as a proposal so that you can look at this to see if it's workable for us. Um, we think it's it's pretty fine-tuned and ready to go. But we also understand that uh, it needs to work for for this council as well. So what I would suggest is if you can take a look at the proposal uh take it with you and see how it would operate and if we can come back um perhaps on the 16th or the first meeting um in January to go ahead and see if we can go ahead and finalize this. But I want to make sure everybody's comfortable with the process because we don't want to put something before you that's doesn't really work for us. Um, but we think, especially through Elizabeth's leadership and putting this together with with the rest of staff, we think it's it's doable, but we don't want to make that assumption with with our council. So, uh, today was just that to have you uh take a look at it and see what you think and come back at it.

I appreciate the work put forward and I do think we need a process because I think it's from what I've heard it's pretty spaghetti like. Um, and I also think we need to the amount of fees that we are waving and is that if anybody applies, do they get their fee waved? Are there certain requirements? So, I I personally appreciate that.

Uh, good. So, mayor, if I know it's not on the agenda, but if can we recognize that u this is Miss Marzik's last meeting with us. Uh, and so we just want to say thank you And so, um, I don't know how you want to take that, but I I've been here briefly, but I appreciate it definitely what what she's done in the brief period I've been here,

but So, yeah, I kind of forgot that this is your last meeting. I thought you were going to come back for one more. We can bring it back. But, no, we want to thank you uh for all the work that you've done. You've done quite a bit through the time that you've been here. Always been responsive, always got things done, and that's that's very important to us. We congratulate you on your next step and hopefully everything goes well for you and um you can always come back home.

Thank you, council. I appreciate it. Thank you, Elizabeth. Um, can we say that we'll go back over this on the 16th to make some sort of recommendation back to staff or just leave it at?

Oh, let me see. He said the 16th or the You told you told I put it back on the 16. So y got Thank you. You can decide homework. I can Thank you.

Yeah, we just assigned homework. Uh thank you, council. Thank you, mayor. Uh in your packet as well. Special Well, we got the peritting process. Uh main board uh quarterly report uh is in your packet as well. [snorts] And then uh item number seven, mayor, uh I would ask uh that we table that item. Uh we're we're not ready for prime time on that one yet.

Okay. Tabling number seven. Thank you. And then we'll go ahead then with our consent agenda. Get this up here. I have to get used to this. All right. So, on our consent agenda, we have the uh the last council meeting minutes on November the 5th. Special event application alcohol ordinance waiver um for the uh which one's coming up here from 10 to 8 for our key elevation luxury cuts, their first year anniversary. And then we have a resolution for ratifying payment authorization pay application for grant works for the milestone uh two of the D270 Kennedy Street project we've been working on. And there's a resolution for approving updated city pay scales reflecting the 4% cost for cola living adjustment.

Mayor, uh I'm sorry if I can interject real quick. So we've substituted the uh pay scale for the police department. you should have the new uh copy on your desk before you and so I want to make sure that the council's aware that the corrected copy um is on your desk before you take any action on that.

Is that correct? So this takes into account both the cola and their fee schedule. So this new corrected one is the cola plus their fee schedule.

It includes their steps and it does account for the cola. Okay. Thank you. Good. Madam, if anybody doesn't want to pull anything, I'll make a motion to approve all the items on the consent agenda.

I'll second. Okay. Been moved in a second and we'll begin with Mayor Pro Tim. Frasier, yes. Mcshen, yes. Yes. Gibson, yes. Yes. Love, yes. Rodriguez, yes. Crim, yes. All right. And we'll move on to do business. The first one is an ordinance setting the time and place of the 2026 regular monthly meetings for the city council of the city of Elgen. And I believe that is on your desk as well.

Is Tuesday, November 3rd election day? The question was, is Tuesday, November the 3 election day?

Yes. So, we can have him for the day. It's up to you. We can move it if you want. We We typically move it down to the next one. That would be the 10th. So, we moved I moved it away from the 10th because that's TML. So we'll have it on the 17th.

So we'll do like we did this year. We can do it on the 17th. Okay. So when we make the motion, can we motion to change that one? But if everybody's good with the other ones. Any other comments on this? I just want to call attention to the October 13th date. There's a holiday right before that. So just in terms of the agenda you posted,

it just means I posted a day earlier. Any other comments? Not do I entertain a motion? Madam Mayor, I'll entertain a motion to accept [snorts] the uh proposed meeting dates um with the exception of November moving it to the 17th.

Okay, I'll second. It's been moved and second and we'll begin with Deputy Mayor I mean with Mayor Pro Tim Frasier. Yes. Shen, yes. Kasnowski, yes. Gibson, yes. Yes. Love, yes. Rodriguez, yes. Crim, yes. And the second one is discussion and possible action regarding the reappoint of Roger Adams to the Bassrop County Advisory Board of Health. He's been our uh representative on this board for the past year and this is just reappointing him to that unless somebody else wants to jump in and start going to those meetings.

Does he go to the meetings? He goes to the meetings and he he gives updates. He'll be at the next council meeting. Okay. Thank you. I'll make a motion to approve. Okay. We'll begin with council member Kasnowski. Kasnovski. Yes. Gibson. Yes. Twain. Yes.

Love. Yes. Rodriguez. Yes. Crim. Yes. Frasier. Yes. Mcshan. Yes. And the third one is the discussion and possible direction to staff regarding the distribution of community nonprofit support funding. Uh we had a committee that worked on it. We'll turn it over to deputy mayor pro Tim Yelicia. Love. so that she can tell us all about the progress and the decisions that were made. [clears throat] Everybody have their paper?

Okay, great. So, as you see, um it was myself, uh Council Member Gibson, and Council Member St. Pierre. Uh we did our own spreadsheet as usual, and then we went through and calculated each number. Obviously, we gave [snorts] food the highest priority and then broke it down from there. Did is there any questions?

Our motion accepted. Second. Second. We'll begin. Council member Rodriguez. Rodriguez. Yes. Crim. Yes. Yes. McShane. Yes. Kesnowski. Yes. Gibson. Yes. Yes. Love. Yes. All right. Thank you for doing that. It's no easy task. Several of us have been through it.

All right. Number four. Discuss and adopt general use policies for the Elgen Public Library. Good evening, mayor and council members. Okay. So, before you you should have our updated Well, it shows the revisions on there. So the policy that you are reviewing today is Elgen Public Libraries application and use policies. These policies refer to the general use of the library and card holder expectations and guidelines. And just so you know, it is essential for EPL to periodically revise and update policies to address community equity to ensure a safe and welcoming environment and fulfill the requirements for accreditation by the Texas State Library and Archives Commission. Uh these essential guidelines govern the use of library resources and services and equitable and productive environment for all users. The policies were updated through a collaborative effort involving both staff and the library advisory board. The changes that were made are primarily to update the language in the policy. The only substantial change was modifying the renewal limits. And just to kind of explain, we had lowered uh the renewal limits from 10 renewals to two renewals. And this change will increase access for all patrons uh to for to library material. The only uh time an automatic renewal will not uh happen is when a book has been placed on reserve by another patron. So um do you happen to have any questions?

Um yes. So a few of these that are listed on here um i.e. the clothing um is required to cover upper and lower torso. Shoes are required obviously in the library that's anywhere. Clothing should not have offensive images or messages. Clothing should be clean and free of offensive odors and substances that could be transferred to library furnishing or equipment. Um this is open to a lot of different interpretation and it obviously leaves us open to discrimination. And so with that type of language in here, um, especially for this particular area, I understand that it was given to the advisory board. When something like this is given, it should probably also go to the attorney or legal.

Okay. Just because then we are now discriminating maybe against a particular culture because you're saying that the torso has to be covered. There's uh cultures even here in Elgen that wear crop tops in a fashionable way, in an appropriate way. And then we're saying that um if you have an offensive odor, I mean, who is the one that's policy that's policing this policy and making that decision that oh, you have an offensive odor? Um so that is that that this particular part raised a lot of concern for me.

Okay. I'm happy to, you know, if we need to, as you suggested, you know, run it through um the city attorney, happy to do that. Is there anything else?

I hadn't caught that, but given my background, my profession, I agree with what you're saying. I think that that needs to be looked at. Anybody else have any other comments? I I wondered what was offensive because I think there's probably things that I see are offensive or not offensive to others.

It just we do that we're taking away the library being a public safe space. It takes away being a safe haven. Yes, ma'am. When we're here. Okay. Is there anything else on there that catches your attention? I just want to say I appreciate the free the automatic renewals in this helps me out a lot.

Sure. So is that change that we made because that was probably one of the biggest changes we actually made. Um how does how do you feel about that? Oh wait, is it not going to be automatic? It will be automatic renewals. We just lowered the renewal times from 10 to two renewals.

Right. So basically, make sure you have your mic close. They're not able to hear unless it's right here on. So basically, if a person has checked out a book and nobody puts a reserve on it, they can have that book up to a month and a half where prior it was like five or six months. I'm not quite sure, but it was quite a long time. That works as long as it's not two weeks.

No. Um, can I ask why does a parent have to have a card to for a child to have a card? Reason being is because we can't hold a minor accountable, you know, if items are not turned in. So that way the parent is being held accountable for materials lost or late fines, that sort of thing. How was that process before?

It's it's the same. We just basically updated a lot of the verb verbiage to make it more clear hopefully. Any more questions or comments?

I'm good with it as long as we can make that one section less subjective. Okay. I I would request for them to to take this whole thing back and and before we make any yays or nays just until that is because

Yeah. So, we'll have the city attorney address and look at those things and work on the verbiage um and then bring it back to us. Okay. All right. Thank you so very much. You're welcome. Thank you. Okay, the next one's number five. Discussion and possible action to select an agreement with the uh Elgen Chamber of Commerce for the funding for operation of visitors center.

Thank you, mayor. Um, as we discussed at a previous meeting, um, I did meet u with our city secretary with the Elgen Chamber of Commerce and we had some discussions about the upcoming uh, year's uh, contract. What I provided you in your packet is two uh, different agreements. Um the first is a modified agreement and then right after that is the one that is currently uh being used. And so in other words, you know, the one that if you were to do make no changes, it would be the one that's in the second half of your packet right under what we're looking at. The first part of it though is where we sat down across the table and had some discussion with the chamber of commerce and we had quite a bit of discussion on quite a few things and one of the you know driving um issues obviously from the chamber of commerce standpoint and we do have representatives here. So, um, at the discretion of the mayor and the council, you know, uh, you know, however you want to handle those questions with them, but at least from the standpoint where it was discussed with me. Obviously, the funding source, uh, was crucial to them and the the dollar amounts coming to them to fund what they need to fund was one key point. One thing that I did uh discuss uh pretty uh pretty intensely was that the monies that were providing the chamber of commerce um should and it's coming out of hotel motel tax, the hotel occupancy tax uh should fund heads and beds. And it's actually a two-step process, but it's generally just easily thought of as you need to be putting heads and beds. [snorts] And so when you think about it that way, it really should be thought of through the lens of the visitor center.

And I know it's explicitly written that way. And while the Chamber of Commerce has historically done some of that, I I think the core function of those dollars require them to be that, right? So there could be a lot of stuff going on with the Chamber of Commerce with the what they need to be doing as a chamber and that's great. But for the hotel occupancy dollars, uh, they need to be spent on hotel occupancy tax stuff. And so, uh, while ribbon cutting is great and everything else, the focus was that we need to be promoting individuals to come visit, spend money, stay in our hotels, spend that, get taxed, that hotel tax to generate more tax money to spend more money to get more visitors and we keep going on and on and on, right? [snorts] Uh, and that was understood very clearly. Um, the other thing I I mentioned and and again I I'm you're you're soon you're already noticing, right? I'm I'm up front. I got to the point uh the site it's it's it was it's a little difficult to to see the site as a visitor center or chamber of commerce. And I I explained that and and I'm seeing this through my lens. I don't speak for the city council, but at least there the vantage point as you authorized me to do is that it's it was, you know, walking by I I did see quite clearly that was what it was. And so I I think there's some opportunity there and I think uh the chamber did agree that yeah there's an opportunity to showcase if nothing else to bring that visitor center portion come to light because again the driving [clears throat] force and I'll keep repeating this is to have visitors come from out of town look for the visitor center and say where can I go eat where can I go spend my money where can I stay at a hotel they need to find that instantly you know they need

to know it's you know easily located that sort of So that was a driving idea behind it. There's some things in here that that are changed. Um [snorts] I didn't want to talk about and discuss not at my level the dollar amount, right? I I wanted to leave that as a council decision. What I wanted to talk was the operational side of it. And what I wanted to discuss and put in here was that some of the mechanics needed to be in there to make sure that that operation could be focused [snorts] on that visitor center component. And one thing that I'll say uh as well is that there are some uh issues in here that with that have having been said, I'll give you an example. So uh hours worked, right? So we had it already entered with the current agreement that there were certain hours that that needed to be um open and so um some of our hours had been agreed to and events that needed to be worked uh by chamber commerce individuals. That's great and I think uh doing a bangup job and doing that for us. [snorts] Um but on a weekday basis um you you don't get a lot of not at this point right now a lot of visitors you know at 10 10 o'clock a.m. on a Tuesday, right? And so what I'm trying to get everybody to realize, put yourself in a visitor's spot and one new visitors when you go visit somewhere, what what days are those? It's going to be a Friday night to Saturday afternoon, Saturday morning. And so if there's a total number of hours that you're actually able to work because you have certain uh staff members that you have, [snorts] well then you flex the times to reflect your heavy hours are going to be on a Saturday. Like when you have those people that are here, it's you want to

be tending to them. And so again, trying to be focused on those ideas and less about the operational side and the office needs. It was more like for the hotel occupant tax dollars, follow those guidelines. Uh our city attorney did embed also some needed things in there like making us a co-insure the city uh which is an obvious thing that should be done should be at no cost. You just make sure that that we're named. Uh [snorts] so I think there's some key components and key pieces in there. Uh some reporting requirements. We uh are um I think very clear as to what we expect on uh reports. Uh there's a question about audits uh 990 forms and the way I said it was we're not in charge of the organization's financial documents. Um but I will say that if there are qualified 501c6, whatever is required by IRS for 501c6 is what we would expect uh them to have. And that if it's every two years that it must be done. If a 990 is required, then that would be the requirement that we would expect. Mind you, uh when we finished uh having the conversation, then I did um send this over to to Mr. Schroeder. He looked it over, tweaked a couple different things, and we passed it back to the Chamber of Commerce. Uh I think generally speaking we're we're hovering over general agreement as to what what we can work with at least in the terms that we're talking now. Anything outside of that it really is going to be here at the D with with uh you all. My focus is more first principle. Let's get visitor center focused with using hot dollars because whoever receives those dollars

needs to be following that law because the last thing you need is, you know, not expansing out with qualified hotel occupancy dollars. It's very simple. I think it's being done and um but we need to memorialize that and it needs to be um an everyday thing where we can expect it to say not only is it the Elgen Chamber of Commerce, but it's the Elgen Chamber of Commerce and Visitors Center that we do have. It's quite simply just that fact. Um but that's as far as I could take it, like I said. Um so I think there's some good pieces in here. We gave a little on certain things. There's some uh pieces in there like some needed uh marketing material like pieces of of material, you know, like four or 5 thousand pieces that needed to be done and some excessive reporting that we thought didn't get us to a point that made us any better. And so we're we didn't think that that got us anywhere. So even 4,000 piece, you know, postcards or rat cards, 2,000 would be fine if we laid off that a little. But even having done that, then the expectation would be then where can we see you pushing in a little on your side to make it more user friendly for the visitor. And so that's that's kind of where we're at at this point. We were hoping that this council would kind of take a look at this um and that on the 16th we would come back with that final agreement um and so that the um Chamber of Commerce also would have a an opportunity to kind of look over whatever the final version is and and and sign so that way on January one they're walking away already knowing the council's secure and knowing what's going to happen at what funding level and what metrics that we would expect to follow. That's the other thing too is that I'm kind of anal on those metrics and that kind of reporting and so I'm

going to be in everyone's business because now it's my business and so if I'm on the hook for it and I hope to be on the hook for it. Um then I'm going to be in your business and so but I think we're good. We're in a good place. We've got a good partner with us. We just got to get it straight. And so as we're fixing all our stuff, uh, but we got good partners downtown, too. I mean, museum's coming online and a lot of other places, too. But Chamber of Commerce and this hotel agency tab tax agreement is a a key one. I did put in there, and you do see in there that it's a two-year agreement. [snorts] Now that is in there though, but it still remains as an annual agreement that you see every year and the provision remains the same with the 30 day out from any party. And so that doesn't change. What we're trying to do is give the chamber a little bit of comfort to know that we are reaching out with an olive branch. But also that means but by taking this there are some things that we would expect and uh make me the bad guy if you want. And I I I'm I'm I'm okay with doing that because I' i've been in their seats, too. So, I've been grilled by cities. I've been grilled by private sector, public sector. I get it. [snorts] Um but that's where we're at at this point, mayor. So, those are the the major pieces in there. There's, you know, an hour change here, an hour change there, but those are the core components, but you do still see in there the 58,000 annual is still in there. Um and so that that's the main driving force behind it. and I can't speak for them. Um, but I will say when it was conveyed to me that that was one of the core components, a driving factor at least that that they were asking for is to remain funded at those levels.

I'll leave it at that for now. [snorts] [clears throat] So, we've got the president and Ron is here. Do y'all have anything you want to add and tell us? We're going to do our homework and look over this document. Do y'all have anything you want to

Yeah. Anything I'm missing? Thank you, mayor and councel. This is Heather Bloom, our our president of Elgen Chamber of Commerce and Visitors Center. I [snorts] just I wanted to make a point that in in our discussions with the city manager and the city secretary, um the chamber and visitors center took very seriously the points being made by the by the city manager. Uh currently on our sign on our building it says Elen Chamber of Commerce and Visitors Center. We also on our Facebook page it says Elgen Chamber of Commerce and Visitor Center. On our uh website I believe it was changed right Elgen Chamber of Commerce and Visitor Center. We have a sandwich board that's placed out front every morning says Elgen Chamber of Commerce and Visitor Center. But where where we have room for improvement is it's small writing and when the executive board and the president get together we're looking at making visitor center much more prominent than than what it is there. It's there already but we just uh it just would be serve purposes I believe of both sides to make it a prominent uh part of our of our name. Uh we're also making sure that we're going to include it in our literature and our our brochures and our rack cards etc etc. Uh we take very seriously the the what happened last year with our reporting. Uh it was new reporting and we made some errors and and some changes have been made with what the uh the city is proposing and I think as a chamber and Heather please jump in if you u agree but I think that we understand.

Yes. I will say that um In our discussions in our discussions that um the reporting the expectations um have been more clear and we will work um to make sure that we get those accurate numbers and get all the information for that reporting and in due time.

I I just want to close with unless you have questions. I want to close with you guys. We appreciate and understand what hot funds are. We know how to spend them correctly and [snorts] we appreciate and and and it's so valuable the the uh uh the hot funds that are presented to the Elgen Chamber and Visitor Center because without those hot funds, we we're in a situation that we we don't really want to discuss. I I feel like we're going to do our part. We know what you guys want from us and we're going to do our part and and I hope that in reflection when you look at the the changes uh that were proposed maybe you see where we're coming from and where where the city because we see where the city is coming from and we can come to an agreement. Heather, would you want to close? Um, I just want to say thank you so much. Um, and we appreciate the opportunity um, to be partners and we are making the steps to improve those expectations and making sure that we serve as Elgens Visitor Center while also supporting our local businesses as well. Thank you.

You have you have questions? I I have questions and comments, but I don't know that they're one question I have is for Payton. Have we received all of the reporting from this year? I know I have through I I have January through July because I did some I did some as as our interim city manager said some anal data crunching earlier. So I'm wondering do we have everything through the end of the year?

You can grab the mic's Okay. Um, the only thing we're missing is the form 990. Heather, unless you've sent that to me and I missed it. Yes, I did email that to you. Please let me know. I be happy to send it again.

Okay. Can you can you share the rest of the reports? No. I I guess what I'm what I'm getting at is I think it's important for council to see what the reporting metrics were and what was reported. And you guys aren't beating around the bush, but I looked at I looked at the numbers and I think for six months the data that was reported was maybe around I want to say 250 visitors, the vast majority were Bastrop County. When we're looking at out of town or heads and beds as we like to say, negligible. Um that's concerning to me because if I said $58,000 divided by 15 people. That's a lot of money per person per head if you want to look at it like that. So, um, anyways, I just I think there's been an expectation that this money goes to the chamber from the city. And me personally, I'm I need I need to see some results um for for me to feel confident because right now looking at the numbers, I don't feel I don't feel confident giving $58,000 for that kind of output. Um, So anyways, I guess I would encourage everybody to look at the metrics so you really know this is what we're paying. Is is this what we're expecting? Um I feel like I was going to say I was going to bring up some of those numbers, but um I think the other the only quick thing I'll say real quick here is I agree with you that the [snorts] hours need a change and I don't think 9 to 12 on a Saturday is sufficient because again most people if they're visiting Elgen from out of town, are here all day Saturday. They're here in the afternoon. And so I really think, you know, I if if it were me, if it were just joy, I would say, you know, the visitor center is open like I don't know, t maybe maybe even like Tuesday through Sunday. You

have, you know, maybe there needs to be some sort of survey. When do visitors come? I mean, you've got maybe church or religious services on Sunday morning, but are people coming here in the afternoon? You know, I see lots of businesses that are open in the afternoon. So, I think I think that needs to be shave the morning hours. Yeah.

And then and then absolutely I agree with the signage um and the just having a visitor center. It doesn't to be perfectly honest. It doesn't feel like we have a visitor center. Um what we'll do uh council member if I mayor we'll send that reporting to the entirety of the council um tomorrow morning so that way you can have that so as you're going through this and then uh I'll send you back some or as you've heard possibly we can redo some of the uh hours to reflect the fuller Saturday and with your suggestions also on that to see how that that could work out instead of us or me trying to dictate what that looks like. Maybe you can jump in between. We got a couple days, a couple, you know, when agendas are kind of due uh to the 16th. So, I'll work with you on that though. uh fur

and and then um is there a way piggy backing off of Joy [snorts] um that we could look at some of the reporting that Kaylee has showing the influx of people in and out and see if that will help us with some times maybe.

Yeah, she's got some good information too. Yeah. Okay, we'll do that as well. Anything else, council? Welcome, Heather. Okay, thank you.

Okay, [clears throat] number five. Um, oh, we just did that. Sorry. Number six, resolution of the city authorizing the city of Elgen to enter into a cost uh participation agreement for upsizing the water and wastewater lines in North Side Meadows development.

Evening. Uh the North Side Meadows development is underway. They're permitted and they're starting to break ground. Uh what this does is um the required lines that they're required to put into their subdivision. This is just upsizing it. This is the only time to really do that to put it in. at a fraction of the cost of what it would take to do it later. So, this creates a loop in our system from FM100 down to the southern end of our CCN. Um, it creates redundancy and u improves the water service throughout the entire system.

Any questions? I have a motion. I make a motion to approve it. Okay, it's been moved and second. We'll begin with Deputy Mayor Pro Tim Love. Love, yes. Rodriguez, yes. Crim, yes. Fraser, yes. Shan, yes. Kasnski, yes. Gibson, yes.

Wayne, yes. Okay. Uh, number seven, an ordinance granting a specific use permit on a short-term rental at 204 Losh Drive. That's the one we just had the public hearing on. Yes, ma'am. Any discussion or questions about that? I don't know if they're here, but I appreciate them being here and submitting

being honest. We don't honest being honest. I I said that when I first saw this, too. Like, that was that was my question. And they're good with the fees and the taxes and all that stuff. Yeah. Let's do something good with those.

I'll make a motion to approve. I'll second. Okay, it's been moved and second and we'll begin with Deputy Mayor Pro Tim Love. Love, yes. Rodriguez, yes. Crim, yes. Frasier, yes. Shan, yes. Kaznowski, yes. Gibson, yes. Yes.

All right. Number eight. Discussion and possible action to authorize the interim city manager to negotiate a contract for comprehensive compensation and benefits. Oh, Lord. Benefits study. Thank you, mayor. We're gonna have Miss Pamela Sanders, HR director. Yeah, sorry.

Hello again. Sorry. Thank you. Okay. We started talking about a compensation study probably eight months ago. We have finally narrowed it down to um and one firm to use. Sorry, I'm tired. Um we had 14 firms respond to our RFQ. The reasons that we wanted to do this was the market um competitiveness, address compression issues. That's been the biggest thing that we have. And you see the pay scales you adopted earlier. You can see compression how much it exists between each of the levels. Um it also helps with recruitment and retention. Um the firm that we selected is a 100% womanowned firm. It is a logic compensation group out of Austin. They have multiple offices but one in Texas and it is in Austin. Um so they're local the consultant that would be assigned to us would be able to be on site and visit. They have 125 years of experience. I'm not going to read this entire slide because you have the 65page document in front of you. Um, we did check references with all of them. On page 10 of the document that's attached to the agenda, [clears throat] you can see the different cities that they did and the ones in Texas. I spoke personally with City of Taylor, City of Lake Jackson, and City of Belton. And all [snorts] of them gave rating reviews, some of the best that I've ever heard. And all of those cities have used Logic Comp more than once. So, for them to go back to the same firm says a lot as well. Um, and I do have those in writing if you need to see those. [snorts] Um, again, the project scope, it's this is a mirror of what our RFQ asked for. The firm was able to hit on every piece of it. Um, they gave us a solid timeline of what it's going to look like and how that breaks down and which part the city

works on, which part the firm works on. This will require um involvement from all levels of staff, not just the HR department or the city manager's office. All levels, department heads to line staff will be involved in this process, which helps with buyin when it comes back to you all. Um again, the benefits um some of the things that we talked about when in the RFQ was establishing career ladders. So, for example, like our wastewater plant with each level of certification that they require, we wanted them to make sure that part was included and to give us some ideas on how to do a three-year implementation. Your action tonight is to um allow the city manager to begin negotiating a contract with Logic Compensation Group and then we'll come back next council meeting with that contract if authorized to ask you to approve that contract. questions. Did y'all have a chance to review that document?

All 29 pages. We looked at 14 of them. [laughter] So, I do have to say, so first of all, thank you. And and we did have a a cross-section team that helped us. Um and the thing was is that as we're scoring each one of these 14 um individually then math was done blindly because these were numbered. They were not done by name. They were averaged. They were put on a score sheet. And so it then came down to the top five and it got trimmed down to the top three. And then the top three got reference checked and then reference check landed with the one over I think the weekend.

Mhm. We're having conversations as a group and uh the group themselves were the ones who drove home the conversation say that they felt good on that last one with which is Logic which I felt comfortable with the top three to be honest and I feel real comfortable with this one. Um, and I'm just glad that the team circled around the same general idea out of having a just no pressure on anybody and no one um having the conversations to sit there and saying I like that one. I like but there was nothing. It was like um picking um championship beans. You weren't able to talk about beans. It's kind of same way. It was just saying

we had a committee of six individuals, different backgrounds, so that helped. Yeah, Heather picked us. So, it's all Heather's fault if it goes bad. We did say that. No, we're excited about it and the team team's excited about it, too. So, um, we're glad that we're at this point. And we really strongly recommend we move forward with this so we can get going to get this, uh, first negotiated at a fair and a good price. We'll bring it back on the 164L to review, look at, of course, Mark looking over the agreement before, but bringing it to you and then we're going to hit the ground running and come January one and get this going and uh, hopefully get this soon. And this includes everybody. So, if the person's going to be, does this include police? Yes, it does include police.

The only two position it doesn't include is the pool lifeguards and pool staff. Why not? Because they're seasonal positions and they're we're market no matter what. if we want to obtain those and what's the timeline for the I guess initial report back

for the initial report back to council. Yeah, I guess I'm thinking in terms of if we want to consider the budget for next year. Oh, what? Yeah, we're set up for it to line up with that. Yes. And we're we also asked in our RFQ for a three-year implementation.

Yeah, I saw that. Yeah. And and truth be told, so one of the cities that we talked to that actually had this, they were on year three of the implementation and so they had to stack moving forward. Budget got tied from this year just like any other city. So they had to skip this known year. Uh so they did uh something else and they're going to be getting back on that third year as they move forward um with cost of living. So, they were doing cost of living to keep up, but they had to stack these to get to where they needed to go. But they also do realize, hey, sometimes the world happens. Um, but the city was good enough to say, look, but the promise is that we're going to get this done. And so, they're already back on track to getting it done. And that's the same thing, not to get off track, but a three-year implementation to where we need to be where we need to be so we're not being poached so that we can go poach and we can keep people and they can stay here. We can get the smartest, brightest, best, and keep them here. And so I think this is going to help us.

And staff know what they're going to get. They they'll stay. Without a doubt. So it's not only recruitment, but retention, too. So how many options are they returning to? Any options? Job titles? No, not job titles. Uh when I've done these before, they'll bring back low cost, moderate cost, high cost scenario. That wasn't laid out in their proposal, but I'll be sure and ask the question.

Let's get this thing going. Second. All right. Has been moved in a second and we'll begin with council member um Swain. Yes. Love. Yes. Yes. Crim. Yes. Frasier. Yes.

Shen. Yes. Kaznovski. Yes. Gibson. Yes. Thank you. All righty. It is 8:05 and we're going to uh adjourn into executive session where the city council um will adjourn from public hearing at any time and we're choosing this time at 805 and in the exe executive session pursuant to Texas government code section 551.074 Personnel matters deliberation regarding the appointment and employment of city manager including discussion qualifications compensation and terms of proposed employment. I'll wait out here.

It's 8:22 and we are back in our regular session. Madame Mayor, I'd like to move that the city council appoint Robert Eids as city manager for the city of Elgen effective on a date to be to specified in his employment agreement and authorize the mayor to negotiate and execute a city manager employment agreement with Mr. Eids on terms consistent with the council's direction.

I second. It's been moved and second and we'll begin with uh Mayor Pro Tim Brazier. Brazier. Yes. Mcshan, yes. Kasnovski, yes. Gibson, yes. Swain, I'm sorry. Yes. Love, yes.

Do I have to vote? [laughter] Rodriguez, yes. Crib, yes. All right, motion carries. And congratulations. Thank you. Thank you. [applause] Thank you. We will swear you in. our next council meeting.

Sweet. Thank you. Um, any other announcements? Uh, don't forget Saturday got the parade is light parade is what she's talking about. So, if you are going to be Well,

you're not. The mayor's got to go. If y'all are going to be Hold on, honey. Let me get this out. If y'all are going to be uh in the parade, please meet uh Council Member Love where I don't know what time. [laughter] Oh my goodness. I thought I was coming TO PICK YOU UP. YEAH, I HAVE THE TRUCK.

Do we need to bring lights and help you decorate? So, we're going to be Rudolph and we got some lights, but if you got more lights, it'd be even better. Do you have room for the rest of us to ride so we can do a nice job? You say the rest of it's only two other Yes. My name wasn't ever on anything. I mean, we know you show up soon. [laughter]

Arthur and and and Mayor Pro Tim. Okay. Okay. Chuck, what's your pleasure? I'll be here. Are you gonna be

Chuck gonna be with his peoples? Okay. Oh, yeah. Cuz with the veterans being in the [laughter] All right. So, anyway, y'all try to find It's a blue truck, right? Yes. Text us. What time do we need to line up? Are we going dark? Y'all laughing over there. If you didn't get the email on how to sign and which way it's going, I will forward mine to you.

You're MC and what time do we do this? Oh, that's true. At three. Yeah. Oh, see, Miss Sonia said if we would go to elgenex.gov, it would tell us the times.

Search for Holiday by the Tracks and it'll give us all the details. It isn't. Is it the most updated one? Because I got one today that was updated.

Okay. Directions. Anyway, you go there and I'll send you the Okay. Okay. Pam, go right ahead.

Okay. All right. author. Um addressing our issue at Litic. Uh we are

uh we are actually having a community meeting there on Tuesday the 9th at 6:30. Uh if you'd like to attend, we are going to have it so that we'll be okay with form. [snorts] Uh Bo is bringing uh all kinds of information and stuff and architect and the whole bit because uh we want them to understand.

Where's it going to be? Oh, I'm sorry. Shallow Baptist Church is out there. Yeah. Yeah. And uh I talked with Pastor Wilson and he was happy to let us come out there. Payton can send us an address so we can do Yes. Yes, I will do it.

And so we will I was going to do it then, but uh hopefully I think that was the best of times at that point. But we are going to do our due diligence. We've done our due diligence, but we're going to go a step further to go on their grounds and talk to them.

So, next Tuesday. Next Tuesday. Yes, ma'am. All right. Anything else? It is 8:27 and we are journed.