City Council - Regular Meeting

[Music] Good afternoon. Welcome to the 1:30 U October 21st city council meeting. At this time, we will stand for the pledge and prayer by Councilman Lawrence.

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. Father God, you say in your word that if man lack wisdom, let him ask. Father. So Lord, I'm petitioning the throne room right now, Father, for this council to have wisdom to act what's best for you and your people gathered in this this county in this city in Jesus name. And Father, I ask that you just uh protect and uh all of our first responders, Father. And Lord, I ask that you just help us, Lord, to be the very best we could be with what we have today that you've put into our hands to rule and reign in Jesus name. Amen. Amen. At this time, we will have any questions or comments from any citizen that would like to speak.

And I see none. So, we'll move on to the city manager monthly report. So, start with a little bit of, of course, you know, we've just about got all of the expenses and everything logged and entered for the end of the last fiscal year. So, it's going to kind of give you a little update of kind of where we where we ended. Of course, the audit will, you know, get you finally, but overall in the general fund, uh revenue ended up u $114,944 under our amended budget. So, we had a little bit of a shortfall there, but that's actually less than 0.5 of 1%. So, pretty close. That's actually $48,000 more than our original budget. So, we kind of came in in the middle between where we've started the year thinking we were going to be and then where we ended up thinking we're going to be. And of course some of that, you know, we had increased EMS revenue planning on that third ambulance and we never got the third ambulance. So we didn't make all of that revenue, but we also didn't have that the cost associated with that. Expenditures were actually $240,000 under budget. So overall, the general funds looking like it's going to end the year about $64,000 to the pause. That is after we made all of our adjustments and move that money to purchase the new skatepark equipment. So overall, we did, I think, pretty well. We just funded it to some other projects to uh speed those up. In the water sewer fund, we actually ended uh the year revenue was $278,663 below our amended revenue, but that's $421,336 over our original revenue. Uh some of that is, you know, we're trying to guess when the turnarounds would hit water usage. So, we lost a little bit of revenue in in September because of the the turnaround starting. So, that was kind of always a guess, but overall expenses were 700,131 below our amended budget revenues and about $80,000 under our original budget. So, overall, we had a $2.3 million deficit in the water sewer fund, but that's compared to a budgeted $2.7

million deficit. Remember, we moved money to cover the youth swimming pool. So, we actually ended up $421,000 better than we had planned. So, both of those funds are in pretty good. Sales tax ended up being 4,138,840. That's $132,000 less than our budget. So, we did start seeing some of that economic slowdown towards the last the year. Uh we're hoping to pick that up with all the turnaround workers that have been in town the last couple of months. We still haven't seen that that will hit in uh in November's sales tax. October sales tax we have hit. Remember that is for August collections. And so it was down about 3% from last year. So we're pretty level. We'll keep an eye on that as as the year goes through. hot revenue. We ended up being $4,000 uh under our amended budget, but that was $129,832 above our original budgeted revenue. So, we budgeted about $499,000 of revenue. We ended up over $600,000 in revenue and hotel occupancy. Now, not now, not all of that is the tax. Uh our sponsorships and event revenue do come into that fund, too, to help offset that. And so, that's part of the positive there. uh which is kind of why we had some of the revenue to do the mobile stage that we ordered uh last year. We will be using some of that funds, you know, as we talk about coming up with our Centennial being next year, you know, so we'll have a few things probably coming and going through there. So, overall financially, we had a pretty good year again last year. Not quite as much surplus as as we've had in in the last year, but we've we've been doing pretty good. Uh we're starting this year pretty good so far on employee wise. We're we'll talk a little bit about that as we go through uh the departments. But if you recall in previous years, a lot of our surplus cuz we were like double digit short-handed in a lot of departments and so a lot of that has been rectified. So as we are

closer to full staff, some of that revenue flexibility does go away. Uh projects that are progressing. So uh we do have the screw pumps in for the wastewater treatment plant. Uh so we expect Bo Simon to start that in the next week or two. He anticipates a two-e time frame to get those put in. So once that happens, we can stop uh paying for that rental pump. You'll notice in some of the expenses, you know, we've been paying a rental pump to bypass the screw pump now for about a year. Uh but those are coming. So we expect to see that. We are continuing our uh engineering on the Cloverleaf sewer replacement. I talked a little bit about that in a weekly update. We had planned on uh continuing our Brian Street area sewer replacement, but we've started to have that line under the Cloverleaf collapse. It runs from a uh manhole there at the corner of Bulldog Motors under the clover leaf to manhole over behind Dollar General. So, when we talk about that project, that's what we're talking. We're trying to looks like we're going to most likely be able to bore that so we're not going to have to mess with text a whole lot. Uh the OPC on that came in about $550,000. We budgeted uh $440,000, but part of that OPC was an $80,000 contingency just depending on how things come in. So, I think as we bid it and get it close, we're going to be pretty close to budget, but like we just talked about, we had a $400,000 positive in the water sewer fund this year. So, the the money will be there to do whatever we need to do, but I do think it's going to be uh pretty close to our budget anyway. with that. Uh we talked about this before, but since our last monthly report, we have completed the chip seal projects and all of our street maintenance for this year. So that's both the chip sealing and the microsurfacing. Street department still working on getting paint and we're still waiting on a few things to finish up the striping, but that's been progressing. Uh overall, I think that's turned out pretty pretty good. So it's uh we'll see how the microsurfacing

holds up over the uh winter is kind of what we're looking at. And then we probably will come back to amend the tough budget depending on how that does for projects. The tough the transportation user fund looks like it's going to end the year with a little over $500,000 in fund balance. Uh so when we're planning out our street, I think we're probably going to try to accelerate some additional chip sealing and some additional microsurfacing with that that fund balance. So we'll be coming back to you to make sure that I know that that's I know the residents want a lot of that. I know that's a pretty visible and and and noticeable thing. So, we're going to try to do as much as we can next year.

Right. So, over overall, like I said, I think the the the chip se the chip seal and the microsurfacing, which is what they call a cape seal is what we did from Main Street to Florida Street, that seems to have done a really good job right there so far on that.

Yeah. And I know if some people see remember that we stopped where the railroad rightway is, right? So that's kind of why you've got those gaps at the railroad crossing because that's technically the railroad's responsibility. Probably at some point we might have to go address those. And then the rest of Wilson Street was just a single coat of the chip seal from the clover leaf to Maine. And you know, that area had been pretty oily after we did the double chip seal a couple years ago. So, I know it hasn't been quite as hot, but that's definitely solved that problem and it's definitely got us a smoother route. So, be looking for for that as we fine-tune what the what the prices are. But, I think we this year in total, we did about $440,000 of of maintenance work. I think with what we've got budgeted this year and some of that reserve, we should be able to do closer to 700 or $800,000 uh in this coming year, which will double what we did. And we did a lot we did quite a bit this year. So, I think that'll be that'll be pretty good. So, that's all I have on projects. You know, we're finally kind of getting some projects caught up and and 2026 should be kind of a more normal year just with with maintenance and stuff, but uh we will have some of those strategic plans coming up uh as we start planning the next round of capital projects for the net next debt issuance that's complies with those. So, as we go through departments and and HR, of course, we've been getting ready for open enrollment and insurance. We talked a little bit about insurance earlier in the year. We thought we were going to be pretty good shape. Then we had some two pretty expensive claims hit last year. Uh the renewal came in at 19%. Um they wanted us, we I think we talked about this last month, they wanted us to change our plan to try to save some money and instead of doing that, we bid it out. Uh the bids did not come in any more favorable. The next the the other company that was anywhere close was 19.5% instead of flat 19%. So, we negotiated with UHC, our current provider, got them to come down to 17%. And then we're going to move uh vision, dental,

critical access, and hospitalization coverage from Mutual Omaha to UHC, which buys us another 3%, which gets us down to 14%. So, we budgeted 9%. That 14% represents about $120,000 more than we had estimated. So that we I think will be easy to absorb between $35 million in operating budget. So that's a a much much better uh easier to hit. Uh right, the the dental and vision quotes were actually cheaper than what we were paying with Mutual of Omaha. And and so and I think our local providers have been pretty good. They're out of network, but they've been honoring that. uh Mutual of Omaha only pays 90% of the prevailing rate. The new UHC policies will pay 95% of the prevailing rate. So that should be a little bit of an increased reimbursement to the local dentists and eye doctors and everybody that our employees are using. So I I don't think that will be a big problem. Uh but I do feel pretty good that we're in a a good position with with those rates that aren't going to drastically impact the the budget. the 19% without moving anything would have been about $240,000. So between those changes, we were able to work work about another $100,000 of savings out all that. So hopefully we'll have a health a little healthier year next year and and won't have to worry about that. If you see on the news, we're not the only ones dealing with that. I would like to also say that even with this 14% increase, we are now just now 4% over what the Texas Health renewal was four years ago when we changed. So that first year we changed, we had saved 30%. So while that sounds like a lot, we are just now 4% over what we were paying before we changed. And they originally wanted 16% above that. So we're still under what we would have been in 2022

had we not changed. So I I still think we're overall doing in pretty good shape with that. At least financially would have we would have already eaten a lot more of those issues. So we have uh have hired our new HR specialist. Uh Raven Hall is who we selected. She actually has got a background in some HR. She worked uh for Dallas Independent School District and the benefit management office of their HR division. So, if she can manage the HR benefits of uh I think Dallas is like 41,000 employees. I'm I'm hoping that our 189 should be. And if anybody's

made her less Yeah. So, she's she got two weeks for Michelle before Michelle went on a on a cruise, a well-deserved cruise, but she's down there handling trying to handle everything as much as she can this week kind of on her own. But but uh you know, we've told her that don't be afraid to come ask questions and all that. stuff. So, we are, like I said, open enrollment employees will be going through that November 4th and 5th uh coming up. And so, I have not uh we kept the the percentages the same that we're covering. So, depending on which dependent you cover, we're still covering the same percentage. Uh what we are changing to kind of help employees out too is we we had been billing employees and the insurance companies, paying them uh 24 times a year, which means, you know, payrolls every other week. So you get 26 paychecks, but but health benefits were only coming out of 24 of those and you had two free checks where the deductions weren't out of. We're going to move to a 26 period now. So their rates will go up, but they'll get but they'll get it'll get spread out over 26 and 24. So that should help absorb I think a lot of employees don't necessarily plan for that extra couple hundred bucks in that one check. I think it'll be easier to absorb it over the 26 instead of a bigger increase on the 24. So, their take-home pay will be less less impacted. And before that goes into effect, you know, we did double the longevity and we're doing that at one time. So, that will hit uh here 1 of December right before any increases come up. Uh only about 23% of our employees cover dependent. So, when we talk about the increase on dependent coverage, we're only talking about 23% of our workforce. Everybody else, we're still covering 100% of their insurance, the 100% of their dental and vision, still 100% of their short-term disability. So, we still have, I think, a pretty good well-rounded uh benefit package. Uh changes to Tam RS have been wellreceived. You know, getting that 8%. I think we've got a good group of long-term employees focusing on the long term and focusing on a career with us.

So they definitely do seem to have appreciated the investment in the retirement plan versus 100% investment on the salary. So we'll look at that as we come next year, but right now I think we're in pretty good shape. In uh finance, we did get the accounts receivable module of our uh new software online. So we were able to get kind of caught up on some of that. We're still working on getting all the last of the credit card charges cleared out from the end. Uh you remember last time we were here, the auditor was actually here doing the first field work uh for our audit. Uh that's mainly compliance testing, making sure that you know the controls are in place. Uh of course you'll get a report on that when he comes, but overall that's been uh looks like we're doing pretty good there. Uh we are just about finally finished on our FMAG reimbursements. So we will have some unexpected revenue this year when we finally get paid for the Smokehouse Creek and the uh Windy Deuce. So we been going back and forth now for two years. So which I don't know if you recall back when that first happened, you know, we said we weren't going to plan on that. You know, we'd put in for it and if anything would just be a benefit when and if we we got it. But of course now most of that funding is at the state. So we are dealing with the state. You know, anything that we're dealing with the federal government right now is taking up another uh delay. So I did put also uh next is emergency management. I'm going to start with that because in weekly update you might remember we were notified that our third street drainage project was not selected for the primary round of funding for that hazard mitigation grant that it was an alternate funding which alternate projects only get funded if at the end of all the primary projects there's money left over and that takes years. So Third Street can't wait that long. Uh we do have another hazard mitigation grant. We were working on some generators for the wastewater plants and some stuff like that. We're going to

switch and and put that third street project on that uh because that is we're the primary affected jurisdiction. This is for the fire that occurred out by the carbon bike plants. So we're the primary affected jurisdiction. So there is $900,000 already allocated to whatever project we put in for. So instead of taking the $900,000 for the generators for water sewer, we're going to reapply the Third Street project for that. Water sewer generally has more financial flexibility and and you know, we've got funds to slowly buy our own generators with them. Storm water on the general fund side is a little more restricted. So we think it's a higher, more important priority to try to get some of that offset. The OPC was still about $1.4 million. So we're going to still have to make up a shortfall on that. But that's better having that $900,000 to offset some of it than us having to pay all of it. But that again, as we start working toward our strategic uh uh retreats and planning for the for the 2027 cycle, we'll have to factor that in. Also, in emergency management with it, they've been working on getting uh flex or CAD system and Windows updates aren't driving right now. somehow something got out of out of whack, but they've been working through that and have got that at least functioning in the state. Uh we're also deploying our two-factor authentication. This shouldn't impact the council that much, but you're going to start probably seeing uh city staff wear ID cards with the little RF encoding in it because we will eventually have the little to sign in. You're going to have to stick your card in and then enter your password to help secure everything. So, you know, following the cyber attack in 2018, we've been trying to slowly work up and ramp up our cyber security. And of course, you all get to sit through those that wonderful training every year. So, you know how important that is. Those are some requirements that we get to keep our uh cyber insurance rates low. So, uh they've been definitely busy working through all of that and going to change a little bit of how we do things, but it will, you know, I think help our uh security and even protect our

citizens information. Fire marshall has also been working with a plan development. we are getting ready to have to adopt the new code cycle. So, some of you on the council have been here for when we've adopted a code cycle. Uh ISO, which we most often talk about ISO on the fire protection class, but they do rate your building safety as well. And so, if your code is more than 5 years out of date, they don't give you credit for it. And so, we're still on the 2018 codes. So, that is now more than five years out of date. So, we have to adopt the codes. They normally go through it first to make sure there's nothing that we want to exempt us from. Make little changes which we've always done but I'd be expecting that's sometime in the next three to six months we'll be adopting the the newer code. We've been trying to make sure that is

I mean well it's the it's the international code council that produces the codes and so that's the international building code the electrical code plumbing code uh u existing building code all those things. There's not necessarily a choice per se

who enforce who does the gap. So we like that's what our inspectors inspect to that code and so that's why we we buy the books and they go through the training on the code and that's why they have to be certified. A lot of times there's in in a code cycle there aren't a lot of changes. uh a lot of times some of them are more like like in this cycle some of the biggest changes are related to solar panels and and electrical service related to how you integrate solar panels because that's kind of one of the same one of the newer

does that I mean does this get done internally in within the planning or is it does is it I mean our code that you will adopt the code by ordinance because we it is it but who who the international code council built holds the code. Then our staff reviews the code to make sure that there's nothing that we

we exempt generally we exempt certain things that don't apply to us or certain things where we we we want uh we're not big enough like like Dallas a lot of times they've got certain codes that they just do their own they create the code you know with all the requirements uh some of the bigger cities I think New York City might do that but most everybody else adopts the ICE the international code council's codes and so Amarello's Amarello Pampa Empadumis Herford everybody around here does that but we're not always on the same version

code enforcement certified they they just have to start using the new books and like I said the vast majority of things don't change I mean you're talking about changing probably less than 4% or it's little tweaks so you're not changing a whole lot I mean uh if if you've done home improvement you know ROMX hasn't changed in a long time and you know Since we've added neutral and things like that, electrical hasn't changed. One of the sometimes it's silly like one code cycle required, I don't know if y'all have been in a building or were ever at a point at one point the code cycle required electrical outlets to be installed what we would think upside down with the ground plug on the top because there were some thinking that it was harder for a plug to accidentally pull out if the ground plug was on the top. that lasted one cycle. The next cycle that they took it out, you can install it now upside down or right side up, whichever way. You can put the ground plug wherever the hell you want. But, you know, in in any cycle, especially something that tries to be international, there's always certain stupid things that just, you know, happen. Like in the last cycle, one of the biggest changes were backflow prevention on your outdoor spots. So if you've got a a hose bib, you have to have that little backflow device screwed on there. And so those are generally what you're talking about changing most other thing is isn't isn't that big, you know. So that's coming. Fire marshals reviewing it. Plan development are going through and making sure whatever changes we need. Uh we did get the AED is now back installed in the hallway in case any of y'all have a heart attack when I, you know, propose to spend too much money. we can uh go right out there and get it now that our the renovations are uh finished. Also, uh our emergency teams, including fire and police, have had a bunch of good meetings and topics with the new superintendent. They're working to get us integrated and and we're working on getting them integrated in some of our

responses and training. So, I think that that's going pretty well. Uh we worked with Apollo on a drill, a helicopter down drill. And then uh we were planning a a weather drill delay uh weather drill, but that's been delayed probably because nobody's working at the weather service other than you know emergency. We did get to show off our uh new command vehicle both at the prep conference and then we did get to use it out at the Boomtoberfest event. So that definitely provided some some nice capabilities that we weren't haven't been used to. Dispatch has been pretty busy as well. They've had their quarterly dispatch meeting. Uh we also have a new PRPC has rolled out a new 911 system. So we've got that now. So be looking for some information, some public education coming out that's got a lot more capabilities uh for texting and other type of emergency notification. Actually now when you call 911, it will automatically send you a text back to your phone with some information on how to text uh 911 if you get disconnected or some things like that. So, uh, it's a little different. I think it's probably it's definitely positive as we move to a a world that's got a lot more mobile devices, a lot more capabilities. You can actually share photos and videos of an emergency situation now through some of that stuff, but it is going to require a lot of education and outreach to our public as we get with that. This is probably one of the most significant changes and capabilities that 911 system has had for probably since GPS location tracking. So, we're excited to get some of that. Uh we do have new one one new dispatcher uh in training and they're working on filling two more openings. Uh again like in most departments are in dispatches. I think we've talked about this before. It's it's really hard to know how well you can be a dispatcher until you get in. You know, it's really hard to interview those skills and to kind of test those skills beforehand. So we've had a little bit of turnover with some people that we hired that got in there and realized that just wasn't for

them. And so I don't think that's necessarily any fault on our own. Uh we still got a good core of longevity in there, but we are still working on filling those. Uh Andrew Chamberlain completed her center training officer certification. So that's a big positive as we continue to work to increase training and dispatch. And Sydney Jordan, our dispatch supervisor, is actually now the president-elect of the state 911 Trainers Association. So, they're getting actually more involved and we're excited to see how that goes with dispatch in the fire department. Of course, last month was fire prevention month, but a lot of activities geared towards that. They did have the open house at the fire station. If any of y'all got to go by or swing by, see any of that. And of course, they did a lot of uh station tours and demos. They also helped with the Boomtoberfest. Made sure the burnout control was mostly

safe and fun. We've also been conducting a whole lot of training with Blackhawk over a bunch of different things. And we do still currently have two trucks on Fifth Assignment down in central Texas just for what they call pre-staging in case something happens, you know. So, it's gotten pretty dry down in the in the central Texas area. They got a lot of rain early in the season, but pretty much haven't had any since then. So, in public works, we have started a a drainage project on Lake View Street. So, you know, most of Buuna Vista flows and we've done a couple of those over the years. You know, we we concreted the center of that alley between Lom Minda and Broadmore and then we reconcated that part of Bro Broadmore where it flows. And so now we're moving on down to Lake View because all the water from that area pretty much flows down Lake View Street into the lake before the lake overflows and then it goes down into the creek down through the golf course and all of that stuff. Uh so that's been on our plan for quite a while. Of course, Tin Street took a little bit of of some of that priority when we're working on Tin Street, but we're working on the concrete side of that and uh some expanding some of that because that water flows so fast, you know, can tear tear the pavement up. So, we are working on that. Then that area will get still coated and probably microsurfaced in the summer after we do all the concrete work to handle the drainage there. So, that should really help that that street not degrading that much. It's not a lot of traffic on that street, but it handles probably 60% of the water from Buunav Vista kind of goes through there. So, it's definitely an important thing to address. Also been uh providing some cones and some assistance uh to the college as they've started construction on their uh new dorm. We're also working with the school district. We're getting ready to oversee the softball and the baseball fields. Uh baseball field at Hubert Park, softball field at Agnes House. of those fields are going to be closed for a couple of weeks while hopefully we get some seed to take and improve that uh turf. Again, we are uh working on waiting on a

few little more little bit more striping material to come in before we finish off uh Roosevelt Street and we will be restriping uh Tin Street before the winter gets here as well. So, we've been trying a new paint if you've noticed. I think this new paint we're using is a a little better and seems to be working a lot better in solid waste. We do have one maintenance worker and one equipment op. Uh the maintenance worker started. The equipment worker is in the hiring process. So we're about to be full staff back in solid waste. It's been a while. So we'll see how long that lasts. But uh looking pretty good there. On the police side and animal services, uh Jared Harper completed his forensic investigator training and then they also did a tour with uh the aggro life extension agency out there. So the kids came out and played with the animals. You might have seen some of that on Facebook. Took them out to work. And so far uh this month since we started the free microchipping, they microchipped 49 animals, which is the most they've ever chipped in a single month. So that's uh turning out to be pretty good. And we're, you know, we're working on some other regulations with some microchipping and stuff that we'll have back at the next work session and at a future uh council meeting. The police department, our police department cookoff team came in third place for ribs at the United Way eating up Hudson County cookoff. So, I gave them a little bit of crap that we don't like third, we like first. And so, you know, they're going to have to pay for their own meat next year.

Probably not. But, you know, coming from the police department, I can't can't not give him a little hard time. Uh, you might have seen on Facebook, too, where Captain Sims has earned his LEO cop certification. So, he's one of only 153 to get that through the Texas Police Chief Association. So, there again, as we continue to try to enforce professionalism and development in our uh all city departments, we're excited about that. They also helped, of course, with Boom Tubberfest and all those activities. You know, that requires a lot of assistance from all of our city departments and we really appreciate that. I know that that not all of our employees find that the most fun thing to do, but the community sure does and none of it could happen without the employees assistance and help there. So,

like having more barriers up time along I had kids trying to climb underneath where I was sitting to get out. Much appreciate you. Thank you. We learn a little bit each year. Uh we're probably going to buy even some more bicycle fencing this coming year for things next year. Of course, we'll talk I'm getting ahead of myself, so I'll go finish with police department. Uh they also the motors officer help with the stet celebration parade and then we do have two new officers starting. So um officer Hollis has completed and graduated the police academy and is now starting her FTO. Uh we'll likely uh see her at the next council meeting and introduce her. There was the chief's out of town right now, so there's a conflict swearing her in and they didn't want to they didn't want to wait. So, I don't blame them. So, we'll do that. And then we actually have a 10-year experienced detective from Pampa that came over and has actually been assigned a CD to help us on the on the detective side. So, we're down to just two officer short in the police department right now. So, we also are in the hiring process of sending one to the next academy. So, looking pretty good there. uh plan development of uh their employees also did a lot of good help with the Vanctoberfest. Actually got citizen compliment for Kevin and Austin working at the fish fry and doing all that stuff on on uh Sunday. So appreciate all of that. We completed our first official review of the college dorm. So there's a few things that have to be addressed uh from by the architect before you know they go start getting completely fully up. They are working on utilities. We're working to be as quick as we can. they're using a a construction manager at risk process which is uh it's different than what what we normally do. And so because of that, a lot of it is developing all at the same time. So So they you you get a construction manager to guarantee a maximum price and then they bid everything out and then you make adjustments on the fly depending on what bids come in so that you meet that price. It is a way to make sure that you hit your price, but it can, you know, create things interesting. So, we're trying to, you know, work with them and fly through that, you know, to where it's it's a lot different than when you

get one complete set of plans when they come in. So, you it's been a little bit of a learning curve, I think, for all those people involved, but we're working through that. And we have also now completed all the inspections through the framing inspection for the two new homes under construction at Yucka State. So, they're still working on that. In code enforcement, uh doing pretty good trying to play catchup on weeds and some of that stuff. Now that it's starting to cool down, we hope that we can get a little bit uh caught up on that. Um both with code enforcement and solid waste. I do have numbers. I'm going to uh on what the bulk waste self-help trailer is disposing of. So, I think you're going to start seeing some I'm going to try to put some of those numbers in there, too, because I think that's important to see, you know, the ways that our residents are helping us get off the street in addition to what we're doing. And that way we can start seeing if there's a correlation to, you know, are we taking less or more out of the alleys when we have the bulk help program or things like that. So we are starting to kind of work through through that. But Nicole down at the downtown of Main Street of course last month and at the last council meeting we did get our music friendly certification which happened just in time for uh Boomtoberfest. Of course we did complete Boomtoberfest which I think you ended up there were a lot of people by the time the night night was over.

Right. So the the talent that uh was admitted this year was a lot better and we we hope to keep growing that. Uh Paul tells Tour is coming up this weekend. If you don't have tickets, it's too late. So we probably don't even need

a good one need to mention that. So the uh Texas Historical Commission will be officially taking action on our Main Street application on November 7th. So we'll find out if we're going to be admitted into the Main Street program for this year. All indications are generally favorable. So, we're excited about that. That opens up a few more tools and then also a few more requirements on us as we work to expand Main Street. Uh Dedra and Nicole also went along with the mayor to the community transformation workshop here. That was quite an interesting uh learning experience. Uh

they've given us some some of the uh data and stuff. I've seen some of that. So, we definitely got some stuff that I think will be useful as we try to market and and kind of educate our downtown merchants. Also working with some of the local churches to uh kind of organize and start setting up a love my city day. And so, this would be where the churches, everybody would get together and go find areas of town to clean up and and maybe work on that quarterly. So, we're trying to see a little bit more uh return on our partnership goals, you know, trying to educate the the people and realize that, you know, and I I know this is my broken record, but, you know, everything we do is a partnership with the community. They can't expect us to do it all and we can't expect them to do it all. So, this I think is another good avenue of that to where we can partner and we can insist our community making the community better. So, we're excited to see how that plays out. And we're also working on getting our 2026 event list planned. Uh remember we do have those all in advance. It still amazes me after every event that we have. Somebody says, "Well, I didn't know about that. Why didn't you advertise it?" Uh I mention almost all of them in the meeting which is then broadcast on Facebook. They're on our app. Don't forget we've got an app you can download. There's visitborg.com that you download. They're in the monthly utility uh newsletter that goes out in the utility bills that comes to your physical place of business. There are flyers on the windows here and at utility billing. We've got the billboard that we put stuff on over by Starbucks. Uh, and we talk about it anywhere and everywhere. We advertise in the newspaper. We advertise on the radio. But like I always say, remember communicate. There's two two parts to communication. Sending and receiving. And if you're not open to receiving, you're not getting the communication. So just because you didn't know, that doesn't mean that it's necessarily our fault. It very well could have been yours. And I don't really know what more

we can do, barring, you know, hiring 10 people to go door to door every week just reminding people what is going on, which that won't work anymore because none of us open our doors anymore because who who the hell is ringing my doorbell?

So we do try to embrace as many ways as we can. And if you didn't see it, I'm sorry. Uh we even have banner the banners on the flag poles. If you drove down Main Street parked in hip shots parked in Texas roads, there were banners. I you know seriously city staff is trying anyway and every way to communicate those. So if you missed it or you didn't know about it, I'm sorry but uh you know trying to keep an eye open especially from Boomtoberfest. We have said on the second weekend of October, it will always be the second weekend in October. So mark it on your calendar now. uh in public uh engagement. Uh our Rock Creek cleanup netted 1,700 pounds of waste disposed of during the Rock Creek. So, we've got two more this year. So, we are looking like we're tracking a little higher on what's been uh coming out of those neighborhood cleanups. So, we're excited to see and continue to focus on that. Uh speaking of Bootoberfest and social media, we did see a drastic increase in our social media engagement around Boomtoberfest this year. Some of that's the bands tagging us and all of the stuff they're doing, which is getting us more exposure for that event outside the area. Uh we are looking to get some of that data in but that is starting to bring more people in from outside the community too especially those fans from other areas as their fans and family supports travel then uh we are still uh planning the centennial. Don't forget those are the fourth month fourth Monday of every month is the centennial committee. So that's getting really close. Uh we do have a Centennial logo which will be unveiled uh publicly on probably January 1 as we try to brand everything we do next year as as our hundred year. So keep an eye out on that. And we have made a job offer to the media specialist to help us with video. I think that uh one of his first tasks is going to be to do a little history montage video to have it in time for us to play that to the TML region meeting in April.

And Nicole Jones that year. Uh, no. That that was the third party consultant that the EDC hired. Oh. So, our our media specialist will be hiring in-house. You'll get to meet him shortly. We're between his current job and how much notice he need to give and then we don't like to hire in December because benefits change. It doesn't make a lot of sense to give somebody because one of the benefits of the city of Borger is you get your health benefits on day one, but we have to pay for a whole month. So, we don't normally hire in the second half of the month and then we don't normally hire in December because you get that plan in one price for one month and then you've got to reroll and do it again in January. So, it's generally just kind of hassle for everybody. So, that one just worked out to where we'll wait till after the first year, which will help save some of that $126,000 I've got to save uh to cover the health insurance increase. Anyway, so other than that, that's what we've done in the last month. I'll entertain any questions or consider Any other issues?

You great. So, I guess we'll move on to the consent agendas, uh, items 6 through nine if anyone has any questions or comments. And if not, I'll entertain a motion. I move to approve the six.

Second. And all in favor? and it passes or they pass. And then um item uh 10, consider and take appropriate action to introduce on first reading ordinance 0-015-25 providing a method of acquiring a going concern that is a service provider to the general public and has a duty to the general public through imminent domain proceedings. Min. So this would apply to pretty much what we consider our franchise utilities, the things that that the city grants a franchise for but uh doesn't provide. So for us specifically, that's electric, gas, cable, TV, telecommunications. Uh more recently, you know, you started seeing all the fiber companies come in and depending on where you've lived and where they've been boring, you've probably been the recipient of some of their less than careful activities. But, uh, as we've kind of been talking about through both, uh, the Panhandle Alliance for Safe Electricity and then our agreement with Don't Birming LLC, this is kind of just the next step and all of that. This provides, uh, the statutory requirements if if and when we should decide we want to try to enforce something on a going concern, which would be a franchise utility. So, it pretty much self-explanatory, I think, in all the processes and the steps. Uh, this does not say we will. This does not say we have to. This does not say anything other than codifying the process and shows how we might want to go about that should it become necessary. Uh again, this is not necessarily targeted to any one utility provider. This is geared towards all utility providers. Uh I would say for the most part we have both. I laugh for most of our utilities. As I said, we have lovehate relationships, and I think that's true

for for all of them. You know, I've got pretty good contacts with the gas company, but then sometimes, you know, they tear up the wrong street, and then I get all the complaints, and so then I don't like them. But but then they call and they take care of it. And so then I like them again. And so that's kind of what this is about is just to kind of give us a tool uh to let them know that we have some accountability for what happens in our city and and that you know they do need to work with us in case you know that ever gets to the point to where they they wouldn't. But I'd entertain any questions. Our you know consultants with don't burn me are here in case you have any questions for them. But like I said is this of the things we've talked about and consider in regards to this this to me is pretty straightforward. It it is what it is based on state statute and and process that has to be and this is not locking anybody into any action. It's just codifying it.

Anyone have anything? No. Not then I'll entertain a motion. I move to introduce on first reading Ordinance 0-015-25 [Music] establishing a procedure for the acquisition of a going concern through image domain proceedings.

Second. All in favor? And it passes. And item uh 11, consider and take appropriate action to adjurnn. A motion to adjurnn. Second. All in favor and we are adjourned. Thank y'all for coming. We appreciate you.