City Council - Regular Meeting

Seeing we have a quorum, I will call to order the City of Kemah City Council and Kemah Public Facilities Corporation, our regular city council meeting, August 19th, 2026 at 4 p.m. And the first thing on our agenda is the pledges.

Where are the pledges?

Just stay standing. Is that peanut butter? Oh, I got peanuts. I smell peanut butter. I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands, one nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. I pledge allegiance to the Texas flag. I pledge allegiance to the Texas, one state, under God, one indivisible. What did he say? Next on the agenda is a moment of silence.

Okay and next on our agenda is invitation to address council and I believe Ms. Cheryl Gonzalez is the only one we have tonight.

The reason I'm coming is because the street of Sioux Drive or Sioux Avenue, it's in deplorable condition and there's a huge storage complex in there of RVs and other buildings. a big boat repair of luxury boats. There's a halfway house. There's regular residences. There's another business on the corner I can't remember. But anyway, if we let it go, we're going to be spending a lot more than if we go ahead and repair it now. And as I recall, back around April or May, one of the city councilmen came up with an idea to build a new street from west to east over there, going where, I have no idea, and that was going to be at least a million dollars. So I'm just wondering why we're not repairing the streets that we already have, because it'll cost us a lot more if we don't get that thing repaired. Thank you.

Thank you. Is there anyone that was overlooked after we picked the list up? Okay. We do not have any proclamations, presentations, awards, etc. Mayor's comments is next. I hope everybody's staying cool. The summer is transitioning into fall. I hope it gets better quick. I know my My grass looks terrible. It's also back to school time, and I just want to remind everybody to keep an eye out for the children and the buses and the school zones. Drive slower and keep your head on a swivel and look for those little ones. And if you need school supplies, we've got great options here in town. I also want to welcome our newest city council member, Miss Jacqueline Whelan. She was appointed during our previous meeting to fill a vacancy and position. It is for. Yeah. position for and she previously served on our economic development board for more than two years and we're excited to have her and look forward to working with her because of her appointment to city council she has resigned from a position on our kcdc board anyone interested in filling a position may apply online or up here at city hall the applications must receive be received by 5 pm on thursday september the 3rd I'd also like to thank the Clear Lake Chamber of Commerce for holding a ribbon cutting. It was today at a local business. We were all up here in a workshop, so we didn't get to attend, but they visited G-Wrap Signs and Graphics, which is just up the road here, and they also do the graphics on the police cars. So we're excited to see them recognized. And also remember to go online at scenictexas.org and vote for KEMA. Scenic City, Texas is the... holding their 2026 People's Choice Awards. And we've been recognized and nominated and all the votes count. And thank you for coming out tonight. Next, our city council member comments. Councilwoman Thorne, would you like to go first tonight? Thank you, everybody, for coming out and enjoy the budget season. Councilman Oliver.

Just shout out to Public Works getting all the trees in. It's really hot out there. Been working all day. A lot of trees going in and putting down evergreen. They're working hard. It's just really hot.

Thanks, guys. Councilman Broadus?

Jacqueline, welcome aboard. Look forward to working with you. Public Works, thank y'all very much. I know that's a lot of work. Much appreciated. I don't want y'all to think it's not. Also, reiterate that we are taking applications and we're looking for somebody that wants to engage with the business owners is what the board really is in need of. So if you would like to go door to door and meet the business owners of this town, that's who we're really and truly working for to help us with our business development and strategic plan. So if that's something that you feel passionate about, please apply for the position because we definitely, that's the void that we're looking for on the board right now. So thank you.

Councilman Whelan.

Well, thank you. I'm happy to be here. And I would echo to Public Works, the street looks awesome with all the trees that you're working with. And then highly encourage people to apply for KCDC and really focus on the business alliance. I know we had a lot of people who were interested in the council position, and KCDC is an awesome way to get involved and really learn about what's going on. So thank you.

And Councilman Rohrer?

Well, I'd also like to say welcome to Councilman Whelan. I would also like to say thank you all for coming out. The public works, they say, grunts. You're doing good. That's about it.

Thank you. Next on the agenda is the City Administrator for Cesar.

Good afternoon mayor council and thanks for your patience that we spent a pretty good amount of time together today Thank you everybody for your efforts on the retreat. Thank you to KCDC for being here earlier for this the Strategic plan session. We're excited to have completed phase two today. We'll get that written up and then we'll move on to community input, which was what my That's probably the part that I'm looking forward to the most um thank you everybody for uh your time i i did want to do two things i'd be remiss i want to say a call for volunteers that is available for arp grants we have two audits that are going on we got a bunch of folks after we asked yesterday for kcdc thank you uh councilman brought us for helping us recruit to get some folks for the walkability audit i need some more for the walkability and the bikeability audit The more volunteers we have, the more of the city we can cover. And basically what we want to do is we want to audit our streets to make sure how walkable and bikeable they are. So we're doing a full call for projects, full call for volunteers through all of our volunteers that we have that are already registered to see who would like to start. We do need some champions in certain areas that we would like to have champion and lead the actual charge. so we can get this done properly, get them properly trained, know how to fill out the paperwork so we can get that done. So if any members of the public would like to partake in that, the bikeability is the one that we're having the most trouble recruiting for. I think we've got a few runners. Bikeability.

Oh, I have a neighbor that bikes every morning.

I'll talk to him.

So bikeability and walkability are the two that we're looking for.

Why not? Since you have reached out to them personally. Excellent. They're willing to help. Excellent. I will. I'm working on, but I haven't got confirmation. So those are the people that actually.

i appreciate it the goal we'd like to get is 12 minimum in each group we'll always take more the more we can do the more streets we can check and we want to really look out it tells you what to look for whether it's speed humps or potholes or missing sidewalks or broken sidewalks whatever it may be it allows you to have a full audit done or the general walkability like hey the road's too narrow or this happens or it dips on this side whatever the case is there's a whole training that goes with that I won't bore everybody on that, but that's our call for volunteers. I also want to take a moment, I'd be remiss, there's two vendors that are here that are on the call. that I'd be remiss if, during the budget workshop, you wanted to ask any questions, they are available. That's Higginbotham is on the call, Ms. Shana is on the call if there's any questions. We didn't go over health insurance very much, but I always like to have the vendors on the phone as well as IT, not to open that back up, but should you have any questions, if this is likely not the forum to do so, I want you to know that they are on the call if we need to follow up with them in any way, shape, or form, if you have any questions about the budget, operations anything else that you have are on our health benefits or the IT they're both on the call there is another item later where IT is going to be speaking or has any questions will be later on on the agenda but other than that that concludes our report if you have no questions for either of them the people I found so far are South Kima, Kima Oaks, Kima Crossing and the east side over here on 146

If anybody knows anybody on the west side of Kima, I don't know anybody that walks or runs. So if somebody does, please reach out to them. Or bikes. Definitely bikes. If you know somebody in that region, I just don't know anybody that – I know people over there. I just don't know the people that run and walk.

If not, I'm going to have to borrow one of Chief's bikes.

There's a business. It's called Bike EMS. And they just started. It's a bike emergency maintenance service. And they will come to your home and repair bikes. So – I can get his name and we can get in touch with him. He may know people. You're familiar with him. But that could be a resource. Okay. Thank you. Thank you.

If there's no questions for me or for either health insurance or IT that are on the call, again, I'd be remissed. I apologize for not having them during the budget workshop. That's my fault. We closed the meeting before I told you that they were available.

Any questions or comments for now?

Thank you. Thank you, Shana, for waiting. Jason, I know you have an item still on the agenda. Thank you.

Next on the agenda is reports from staff there in the book if anybody has any questions or comments Next on the agenda is the consent agenda to approve the minutes of the 8 5 20 26 City Council regular meeting there was a correction made to the minutes from the time the packet was printed until what I will sign tonight, actually. It's on item 10A. And all it was was that I believe Councilman Rourke's vote was left off, and so it needed to be added. So the minutes that I would sign would have that edit in them tonight. Do I have a motion to approve the consent agenda with item 10A corrected? So moved. And a second. So we have a motion by Councilman Broaddus and a second by Councilman Rourke. All those in favor. Any opposed? Motion carries unanimously. 11 a consideration of possible action to approve Resolution 2026 dash 32, a resolution of the City Council of the City of Pima, Texas, for the designation of an alternate for the Gulf Coast Transit District. This is to replace Councilman Lee Wallace, who was an alternate. I believe does Councilman Dustin Oliver is our main and our proxy representative is City Administrator Cesar Garcia, but we need to replace Lee on this board. Any nominations or volunteers?

Everybody's here, so they only get some default.

Just so everybody knows, keep in mind, the meetings are the third Tuesday of each month at alternating locations. There was one yesterday in Texas City, the next one is in Lake Jackson, so it does require to and from, just so anybody knows before they volunteer. I have been going to the meetings, and I have been representing us, but as an elected official, you have a different standing on the board than somebody that's a proxy like myself. So I can speak, I can vote, but I cannot hold office. I'm just a regular proxy vote, so. Whoever would like to be that second nominee and coordinate with the first one, that'd be great. It is the third Tuesday of each month in alternating locations.

Is Lake Jackson the furthest place to go? Yes.

It would be either Texas City at their office there next to Carlos Garza Park at their main hub there. Their other one is in Lake Jackson.

Would you like to volunteer? I could be a backup. Okay, that's great.

And if you can't make it, it's... Motion. I'm going to the meeting, so don't feel either Dustin, Jacqueline, anybody. I'm waiting for him to stop.

I believe he was in the commencement of making a motion.

I make a motion to nominate Councilwoman Wieland as the alternate to the Board of the Gulf Coast Transit District for Resolution 2026-32. Second.

So we have a motion by Councilman Oliver, second by Councilman Bronis. All those in favor? Aye. Any opposed? Motion carries unanimously. And thank you for volunteering. 11B, consideration of possible action on the 2027 proposed agalorum rate, fiscal year 2027 through October 1, 2026. to September 30th, 2027, of 0.1899. The property tax rate will be considered for adoption on first reading at the September 2nd, 2026 City Council meeting, on a second and final reading at the September 16th, 2026 City Council meeting. A roll call vote is required for this. uh so i guess i can just call their names for you and have them vote affirmative or negative yes so councilwoman thorne hi uh councilman oliver affirmative councilman broadus councilman councilwoman wheeland and councilman rourke all affirmative natasha motion carries unanimously 11 51 consideration and possible action regarding finalization of the proposed fiscal year 2027 budget this is also a roll call vote uh council changes made though i'm just asking yeah i'm gonna make those changes that uh

So with the motion, we would ask you to say with the changes that were suggested through the budget workshop.

So each one of us have to say that? No, we need a motion and a second, and then we can do a roll call vote.

For the motion.

Make a motion to approve finalization of proposed fiscal year 2027 budget pending budget review changes.

Second. We have a motion by Councilman Broaddus, a second by Councilwoman Thorne. I will begin down here. Councilman Rourke. Councilwoman Whelan. Affirm. Councilman, well, brought us, you made the motion. Councilman Oliver.

Affirmative.

Councilwoman Thorne. Affirmative, I'll join the crowd. Okay, motion carries unanimously again, Natasha. Thank you all. 11D, consideration of possible action to approve the LJA proposal for the 57-acre park engineering under the scope of GOMESA grant. It's a general land office grant.

motion to approve the 57 acre park engineering under the scope of the Go Mesa grant. Second.

So we have a motion by Councilman Broaddus and second by Councilman Oliver. All those in favor? Aye. Any opposed? Motion carries. 11E, consideration of possible action on a budget amendment for the Go Mesa grant.

I make a motion to approve a budget amendment for the Go Mesa grant. Second.

uh councilman brought us motion uh second by councilman oliver all those in favor any opposed motion carries 11f consideration of possible action on a budget amendment for the texas a m forestry grant make a motion to approve the budget amendment for the texas a m forestry grant second again councilman brought us made the motion councilman oliver seconded it all those in favor any opposed motion carries gorgeous Okay, 11G, consideration of possible action to approve a new fund contract with Clearly IP.

I'm not sure I understand this one.

Yeah, I can describe what that is. Okay.

Jason, can everybody hear me okay? Yes, sir.

Okay, yeah, so Clearly IP is when we have a land SEC of something like that. It's called Pulse of our Precinct. So the new phone system is just the next generation phone system with the same company with a lot more features. And I don't have the exact number, but about $480 cheaper a month. So it's a big upgrade for cost. I got them to throw in all of the migration services for free as well. But really, this is an upgrade. With the same company, you just have a cheaper cost.

Perfect. Love that. Make a motion to approve the new phone contract with Clearly IP. Second.

I have a motion by Councilman Oliver, a second by Councilman Broaddus. All those in favor? Aye. Any opposed? Motion carries. 11H, consideration and possible action to approve the BAHAP renewal contract. It's a three-year renewal. It is already in our budget, and I believe it is $15,000 for that.

We got it in our budget. But I think Mark showed up, so I don't want to just slam this one through. So if you wouldn't like to come up and educate the new council members, because we've got three new council members that might not be up to speed in what your organization does. Absolutely.

And well, Mayor, Council, thank you so much for the opportunity. So my name is Mark Mitchell. I'm the vice president of economic and economic development and policy at the Bay Area Houston Economic Partnership. So our main goal is to recruit, retain and retain primary jobs in our region. So we work with our municipalities on different projects, looking at industries, trying to bring those companies to that area that fit what they're looking for. And so with those jobs that come in, they create the secondary and tertiary jobs as supporting companies that go in there. And so we work as a region. And if you look at the map of our area, kind of Houston all the way down to the water, we represent everything from 3 o'clock to 6 o'clock. And so we work with maritime, aerospace, aviation, especially chemical, hotel, tourism, healthcare. And we try to focus on those five pillars and bring them to our region. And so unlike a lot of the regions in the state and in the country, you work with one or two of those types of pillars, we have the luxury of having five. So it's really great. And it also keeps us very busy. We also work with the ICSC and try to bring in different retail stores and retail shops in here. And again, it really, we go after what the city is looking for specifically.

I would highly suggest, I mean, I do this in my personal business as well in the oil and gas sector. We use the same services. So, I mean, they're very informative. They've actually helped us on the KCDC side on two, almost three leads now. Barbara that helps Cesar all the time is very, very informative and I probably get 20 emails a week from her.

I also want to comment that this was a KCDC expense that was approved last night through their or recommended for approval last night through their KCDC meeting so it is a three-year commitment we would plan a budget for the next three years should you approve tonight second

We have a motion by Councilman Broaddus, a second by Councilman Oliver. All those in favor? Aye. Any opposed? Motion carries. Natasha brought it to my attention that I may have jumped the gun and we might not have done a motion and a second on 11B. We did do a roll call vote, however, so I'd like to go back just to make sure that we have a motion for the tax rate by someone and a second.

I'll make a motion to approve the tax rate of 0.1899. Second.

So we have a motion now by Councilman Oliver and a second by Councilman Broadus, and you all have already done a roll call vote on that. I also am under the assumption we do not need another executive session since we had one earlier today. If that being the case, is there any other Councilman comments or questions? If not, we will call the meeting adjourned.