City Council - Regular Meeting

We will call workshop to order full everybody's here on election day. So, uh it is my goal that we squeeze everything into the consent so that we can move on today since it's a light deal if everybody's okay with that. Yes. And uh so first we'll do our two um interviews. So Amanda chair is yours. Come on. It's not a scary. We're we're pretty easy. I mean

I s just look good. You're at the end of the table with the I'm the oldest one. So I get there. All right. So Amanda, welcome. Uh I I have something to go about usually don't. So So we uh you're a property owner in Robinson, right? Number one. Okay. We're building right now. Uh number two, uh the things that the guy that we would like to hear is why you're interested in serving and what you envision for being a part.

Okay. So, uh, I'll kind of introduce myself first. So, I'm Amanda Bearden. Um, I have four children. We're a blended family. So, one of them is a eighth grader here in Robinson. And then I have two-year-old that will eventually be a Robinson Rocket. Um, the other two go to different schools. Um, my hope is to join the parks and rec board because I feel like as a semioutsider, but not really outsider, a newer Robinson uh, member that I bring a fresh set of eyes on things that we could help build and improve on as well as just maintain. uh during 2020 in Axel, which is where I just came from. We're an unincorporated town in Axel and I community funded a $70,000 park with a customuilt Baylor and TSC wheelchair swing. Um so in Axel, there's nowhere to go and do anything for our kids, right? So people were having to go to Belme or uh wherever the nearest park they chose to drive to west maybe. Um and we needed something for our kids. So during co we were sheltered in place and so I ran a farmers market out there and got a new job of life tool funded for our BFD um which Daniel Stark helped out a lot with on that one and then I community funded and fundraised for our park. So we built a park over there beside the BFD in Axel. So I think that perspective alone brings a little insight of what I can do for um to help build the parks and rec side of Robinson. Um, I also do business development for a local property restoration company. So, I'm very connected into the community, whether it be uh we're now Robinson Chamber member. Um, which they've been trying to get me to join for a little while and it's taken me a while to get in there, but really active in the Waco Chamber, the Huitt Chamber, and the Belme Chamber. Um, I've attended uh Leadership Planning Institute, which is ran by Baylor, which is a 10-week module that you learn uh leadership and nonprofit skills. Um, I just started a nonprofit for Robinson,

so Robinson and Lena will now have fall volleyball, little league volleyball. So, it starts this fall. Um that is Central Texas Youth Sports um Association. So, we start that this fall with both school districts. Games will be hosted in Robinson. So, I'll be running that um and just apply for an LLC to start our own business as well. So, um, kind of have my hands a little dabbled in something and, uh, just hope to bring, uh, some sort of expertise. I'm kind of not expertise, but knowledge of what I know from what I've done so far to our parks and reco board here in Robson because obviously arts can help build up the community as well. I'm done.

Okay, bye y'all. I gota go cook dinner. Anybody else? No. So, I think she pretty much covered that. Yeah. Okay. Sorry. Any other questions? We're easy, right? He said, "Yeah, real easy." Good presentation. We're good. Thank you. You're awesome. Your turn, sir. Mr. Bry, come on up.

Careful. Am I doing it? All right. So, I'm sure most of us recognize Mr. about it cuz we see him sitting out here every once in a while. So nice to have someone like that in here. So he is looking for a spot on the board of adjustments. So I'll let you do the same thing. Tell us what, where, and why.

I mean, I'm just here to serve as I understand that there's no alternates currently on that board. So spent 43 years out corporate world management. A lot of that related to contracts, writing contracts, interpreting contracts, selling contracts. I'm used to dealing with that that sort of thing. Um, so with that background again, if there's a opening where someone's name is an alternate, I'm going to serve you and we we've got to we've got to help our communities over a decade. I was on the road 46 weeks out of the year.

That makes any kind of involvement tough.

Yes. But I retired about a year and a half ago and have the time now. And over the years I've been involved with some other civic and community activity. Uh the Greater San Antonio Chamber of Commerce had a business expan expansion and retention advisory board. I served on that. North San Antonio Chamber of Council of Small Business I served on as well as serving on the board. um involved in the local ministries here been in Robinson for 16 years now past that prior to that about a dozen years in Huitt so this is our home and if I can help to do it like that you're involved sleeping that little piece building beds for kids that don't have them I've got a good friend that well he's actually felt good Chris Taylor

yeah Chris is not cancer right now. But also got a another fell Gideon in Hillsboro in our camp there that Rick Font that is involved. We're about to help Belton start a chapter. Also, for those of you that aren't familiar, Sleeping Heavenly Peace builds and it delivers and assembles beds for children that don't have them. Um, and here in Waco, I'm thinking it's somewhere around 1,700 beds over the past three or four years, and we still got hundreds on the waiting list. It It's just It's a wonderful ministry. See the look on those kids' face when they have a bed instead of sleeping on the floor or three of them sleeping on the couch. It's a great thing. It's very rewarding. We built quite a few of them. How were team at a mentor retreat I was at last year and we had a that's one of the things you could participate in. You know, most everybody did that. It was a real cool experience to be part of that.

Anybody else have any questions for Daddy? Again, I appreciate you coming and hanging out in meetings every once in a while. It's always nice somebody takes a little time to listen to what's going on in here besides us. All right. Thank you. We're good. All right. We take credit cards.

Okay. I believe that everybody's okay with those two. Yes. Next. So, that will be on the agenda. Uh, I assume there's no issue with the minutes from the last meeting. Uh, so now we're going to talk about the Texas pledge and whether to add it or not. I would like to add it since we live in Texas. How's that? It'd be good to hear it every time. People may be watching can learn it. And two things. It's simple. I'll give you my opinion in a minute. We get the bridge version. It's very short. It's expo. Yeah.

Yeah. And then second thing, you're leading it. So we know the tempo of the like a pause right there. I learned you're not supposed to do the hand gesture. I don't know that you got to show that. See, I'm just I'm just not a fan. But I I think that we're in here to do city business and take care of stuff. And I think we've got enough pump and certain staff and that we do pledge and that's what's the most important part. Other than that, I'm just I don't see a beat, but that's where I so I don't I don't see the beat as well. It's just I'm okay either way. Okay.

I'm okay either way. I mean, like I was telling the other told some of you when we go to my wife's D meeting, it's the Americans Creed, the Texas pledge, the pledge of allegiance, and then they sing the national anthem. None of us want to hurt our voices out here. Just going to just let that slide. Uh, I think it's a good gesture. I think it's good that you on your part, I think. I think it's, you know, also patriotic, you know, great state of Texas we serve and work in. you know, I don't have any problem with your

most meetings that I attend like this. So, it's kind of natur every city council meeting we did and every every day before school we did it too. So, I'm just kind of it was in my system. I was programmed. What do you think, Craig? Doesn't matter. I mean, I'm good either way. I really am. Uh, I don't assume we can vote on this right here. We got be that true.

Okay. time. I'm going to guess we're going to have to pull that off with consent so that we can have a vote for the record. Well, in the interest of time, can we table it? We can table if you want to have some more discussion. I don't know that. I mean, typically you table something, you have to set it to come back on a specific date. We're not trying to streamline the appointment because that would be the only thing. I guess it's not that long. Let me give everybody a chance to think about it too or whatever. I guess I don't

either way. Well, I'll say this. If we take it off consent and we vote on it, there shouldn't be much discussion. minutes to have discussion. Yeah. And so we should everybody thoughts you said you want more time. Well, I said we could have if we tabled it just, you know, commenting on what Tim said.

It's basically just it's going to be a vote. It's just got to be on record. Which one of us are voting though and which one? Okay. Yeah. Well, I was just trying to keep your Oh, no. It'll be I promise it'll be short because there's going to be nothing there. So, yeah. That's fine. Yeah. All right. Did you have something you want to say, J?

No, I got plenty of time before. Otherwise, I'll just call for a vote when we get to All right. Uh, now the other is a discussion. It's not a U and so we can have that discussion here. Um, about the C comprehensive plan that, uh, Jimmy had asked about. So, uh, Craig has us going in that direction for a presentation. You want to tell them what you got?

Yeah. So, um, David Herrell's working on putting together a presentation of everything that's involved with, some cost estimates and all that other stuff. So, we plan to have a next agenda. It's just with the the changes in the agenda stuff and everything. You know, we have a meeting on Tuesday. We have to have everything by the following Monday. So, only gives us like three or four days to work on stuff. So, we just didn't have the time to get everything put together sufficiently. We want to make sure that because it's a a long process. They take up to 18 months that's involved and it's expensive and so we just want to make sure everybody understands what the process is and kind of lay it out there so that any questions that you have we can try to answer because it'll probably be something we want to incorporate in the upcoming budget if we can.

Uh okay. Anything else? Can can that be on the consent agenda? discussion item that we're not going to discuss anymore. Well, no, you just you just pass on. Yeah, you can just Did you take the other off? So, we have to vote on it. It was on the consent agenda. You can when you start the meeting, you can say you're moving it. Got it. All right. Nothing else. We will adjourn at 6:14 as

All the meetings in order. We have a quorum, a full house, and to lead us in our invocation, Gary Freedman.

Sir, let's pray. Lord God, we are grateful for this place, for these folks, for the community in which you've placed us. Lord, tonight as uh as we fought traffic to get here, what a blessing it is to live in a nation that we have the opportunity to do such a thing as to pick our leaders. We thank you for that. And we pray, Father, for those leaders, those here, those at the state level, those at the national level, for the things that they deal with, for the issues they face, for the struggles that come our way. Lord, I ask that you will give them wisdom. I pray, Father, for your protection over this group, over our community. Use us, Lord God, for your will. Use us, Lord God, that others might might see something going on good here in this place. And may we give you the praise and the glory and the honor for that in Jesus name. Amen.

Amen. Amen. Thank you. 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. Roll call. Here, here. Here. Here.

Here. The city council will invite citizens to address the council on any matters including items on the agenda except public hearings. Those comments related to public hearings will be heard when the public hearing starts. Please limit your comment to three minutes. Remember, the council is not permitted to take action or discuss any item that's not listed on the agenda. When called to speak, state your name and address and the item that you are commenting on, Miss Vaughn. Oh, yay. Have you missed me? We did miss you last time. We did notice you weren't here. Actually, I haven't been here the last two times. But anyway, and Oh, somebody took your place.

Maybe less going forward. But anyway, so I bring greetings from the Greater Robinson Chamber of Commerce. Um, thank you for the opportunity to come and share our announcements with you. First of all, uh, on March 17th, the same day as your city council meeting, we are going to be having a board meeting at noon. As all of you know, next week is spring break, so we got to move ours. So, um, it's going to be on the same day. So, if y'all want to drop by at lunchtime, noon, and visit with us, we usually have a little something to munch on, but that you can put in your comments, suggestions, whatever. We're We're open to hear whatever you have to say.

Where is that? Here. Here. It's right here. Yes. Yes. We'll be around this table right here. So grateful for this table. Okay. He took up some of my time. Um our next

I reclaimed my time. Our next quarterly networking lunchon will be April the 16th at Tajun at noon with um Alfred Salano from Waco family medicine as our speaker and placements unlimited will be our business spotlight that day. We invite you to come and join us at noon and have some lunch and hear some great people visit uh speak and network together with other people. Our annual membership bam bam quit is July 23rd. We are accepting sponsorships um silent auction items and you can begin purchasing your tickets for that event if you would like. And our final announcement is near and dear to my heart. Um, we recently elected new officers at the chamber and I would like to announce those officers to you. Um, first of all is President Martin Castillo. You may know him from the park board. He is now the president of the Chamber of Commerce. A very timely happening for me as some of you know what's going on in my personal life. Um, I am not going anywhere. I am going to be the vice president and uh our secretary is Kendra Thompson. She has been here a couple of times in my place to bring announcements and um our treasurer is Blake Dodson from Fidelity Bank of Texas and our executive assistant remains Cynthia McCoy. So appreciate you standing behind these officers and supporting the chamber.

Before you sit down, could I say this please? I would like for us, you know, all to pray for Linda and Terry. And Terry's going through an illness, you know, right now.

He has bladder cancer. My husband has bladder cancer and he's starting chemo on Friday. So, this was really I mean, I I know I'm out of time. This was really a testimony because God started planning this change in leadership six months ago and I was fighting it and then I knew the reason why that it it needed to happen and I'm so grateful that it did when it did. So, thank you. Definitely. Thank you for all your support through the years. I'll still be around. Praying for you. Thank you. We're all praying for you. Yes.

All right, Mr. Sir, right. Sean Terrell, uh, live at 238 West Tours Road in Ross. Good evening, Mayor May. Uh, esteemed council members. Um, I'm here to speak to you. Um, and I appreciate the opportunity tonight. I'd like to introduce a major development project, uh, that could significantly impact the greater Waco area, including Robinson. Um, and I urge you to consider opposing it. Uh, the project in question is the Lacy Lake View Data District, or L2 L2D2. It's a massive 1.2 2 gawatt AI data center park proposed uh by in key DC parks. It's not actually in Lacy Lake. Uh it's miles away in Ross and Elmont. Uh yet Lacy Lake plans to annex the property which will give them control over in regulation over an enormous tax base. Um that means that the citizens of Ross and Elmont will have absolutely no voice in how the project is managed or how the funds are spent. Um it's a decision that's being made far from the people it will affect. I've joined a group of concerned citizens organizing to raise awareness about this. We're a nonpartisan group uh with no political agenda other than reminding our elected officials that we, our children, our grandchildren will be impacted by their decisions. As of December 9th, a non-binding uhou has been signed between Lacy Leapio and Imper includes a 1.2 gawatt on-site gas fire generation. 1.2 gawatt is enough electricity to power the city of Boston. It's 650,000 homes. Um, uh, our group's mission is to unite and engage local leaders, uh, community members to discuss uncertainties, collect and share verifiable fact-based information on long-term impacts, learn from other communities and experiences with AI data centers. We're not here to foster baseless discontent, promote insults, or en encourage disorder. We're not here to push a political agenda. We're just here to to engage with our local leadership. And we would encourage you guys to visit our website um at wakeodatenter.com. Um personally, uh I created the the website Waco data center where we share information and resources. Um and I also work for a data center operator managing

uh very large hyperscale data centers. I oppose this project. I don't oppose data centers. I oppose this project for this area because it's not properly situated to be managed well. Um while ACP is his own municipality, Robinson should be aware and consider opposing this because disruption will spill over into the greater Waco region. Phase one alone could bring 1,800 to 2,2500 construction workers, potentially doubling expansions um during during expansions and leading to massive traffic congestion on I35, increased accidents, strain on emergency services, housing and hotels in this area, which are often very full, will be um will have have issues. Um we'll be seeing push to up rates uh competing with our tourism with Baylor events. Um we won't have any any room for Magnolia weekends and it will force visitors to go elsewhere. Crime could rise with transient workers. We could bring in lots of drugs and theft. Um, as we've seen in similar booms such as in Pacus and Williston as in like what's happening in Ellen, North Dakota right now. Um, this does risk derailing Waco's revitalization. Robinson has done a tremendous amount of work here to bring in some really cool businesses and to bring in some to do things thoughtfully. Let's maintain that thoughtfulness um about how we grow this area. Thank you, gentlemen. I'll stick around in case anyone has any questions. Thank you. All right. Uh the consent agenda will have items six, seven, and nine to appoint Amanda Bearden to the parks and recck board to appoint Brent Dodie to the zoning board of adjustment. Is that as an author or

Yes. Yes. Okay. Didn't say that. So, as an alternate, we add that and then uh approve the meetings from minutes from the last meeting. Can I have a motion? Motion to approve consent agenda items six, seven, and nine as stated. Second. All in favor? I. Any opposed? That passes. Um, regular agenda item number 10. We are going to move on from since we had that discussion in the uh workshop. So, that leaves us with item eight to take action on whether or not to add the Texas plan to the city council regular meeting agendas. Is there any more discussion before I call for a vote?

Okay. Well, I'll make a motion that we accept the that we add the pledge, the Texas state flag pledge to our meeting. Is there a second? Second. Uh, will you call the council for the votes? Yes. Yes. Camp, yes. Master George, no. Rogers. No. No. Four to three.

Okay. All right. So, that does not pass. Um, all right. The uh last order is does anybody else want to add anything to the agenda? Since we have not learned, we put things on. I think I added the biggest thing I can for a while. Yeah, you did. Quarter million words. You can't add once you add something. You can't add anything else till that wrapped up. You're going to have to get reelected again before you get reelected again before you can next. Oh,

I I was telling staff, I guess a week ago, when I my last city I was in when I first got involved in management, every meeting they was I was stuck and we had like 72 things on the list. So, we went back and had a workshop and said, "We want you to prioritize these either one, two, three, or four." And when they finished, we had like 61 items were priority. Wow. Yeah. I I know there was probably a collective Oh my gosh. whenever that was spoken. But you know, we've actually talked about it's time for compliment. We talked about it in our meeting today. We were talking about we were talking about the things that need to make sure they're included so that it's done like really really right. You know, we don't need to skimp.

We need to go. I think it needs to be far thinking as we can go, but with with measurable action items and steps that we can take that actually get us there. And that and so that's why David Her will make that presentation next meeting kind of outline because it typically you do that then there's some other ordinances you want to amend to incorporate your new comp plan and so he's going to go over that whole thing and kind of lay it out. How are we coming on the uh the alarm system for our new system? Is there any siren system? We've issued a PO. We're waiting to hear back from them when they'll be ready to start moving and Greg drives you know the bridge. No, two more weeks.

Two more weeks. But then we start on the road when So we discussed that today. He thinks I I pushed him for 90 days. Now he is pushing. He started asking for he told me today that he started asking for meetings every two weeks so he can push on the water park. Yeah. It's just the engineers. I mean there's a lot there is a lot of engineering on that project because there's water there's sewer lines there's cross drainage and all this other stuff. So you know when you look at it on the surface the engineering cost seems steep. However, there's a lot to consider. There's a lot to be moved. We don't want to screw that up. Well, anybody asking right now that that's my conversation with them is don't think we're not doing this. We're just doing it right. Yeah. So, engineering takes a long time.

Does it cost a bunch? Yeah. We got too many streets that weren't done right. That's right. So, let's do them right so we only do them once then like when we're all old and gone great. No. No. No longer here, somebody else. Somebody else behind us can take care of Yeah. somebody else behind us can take care of what's left. I'd like to congratulate our our mayor on his attire tonight. I told him out I said you don't wear shirts. I'm blame I'm gonna blame my wife cuz she says I need to dress nicer tomorrow on top of that. But well, you know, I think it's brave to wear pink. You know what I mean? You know,

in this world, it's brave to wear pink and something that says more like I'm kidding. I'm kidding. You know, I don't miss. I don't miss. You don't have to wonder where I'm at. All right. 64