City Council - Regular Meeting

Prayer and pledges. Chaplain Moore, will you please come up and start us off?

I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, with liberty and justice for all. Honor the Texas flag.

Texas, one state, under God, one and indivisible.

One proclamation to read this morning, and if I could get everybody with the Conto Valley Regional Food Bank to come on up to the front. Started right there, Brent. Awesome group. Brent, you're taking my camera view right there. I could care less. I could really care less. You could stay right there all day long, all right? In fact, I might do the meme behind you. If you'll just move your lips, it'll go good. And I'll just start this off. I was with y'all this week, and y'all did some outstanding things. And this is really awesome. I'm glad y'all are here this morning. The Concho Valley Region

At 836, we'll go ahead and roll into public comment. Members of the public may raise issues or concerns not listed on the regular agenda during this time. To participate, please sign in with the city clerk prior to the beginning of the meeting. Speakers will be called in order they signed in. When speaking, citizens must speak from the podium, address all comments to the dais, begin by stating your name and address or single member district number, and limit your remarks to three minutes or less. Heather, first public comment.

Thank you, Jim. Very well said. Okay. Second?

That concludes public comment. Now we'll move straight into the consent agenda. At the start of this, I want to say I'm going to remove item I, and item I is the ratifying the COSA DC's authorization for the board president for the chamber contract. We're going to pull that off with changes at the chamber. We're going to kick that back to COSA DC. They will rediscuss that and bring that back at a later time. Now I'll start with you, Ms. Mary. Have you got anything you'd like to pull?

Mary will pull item B. Karen? No. Patrick? H. Patrick is going to pull item H. I have nothing to pull. Harry? Nothing. Harry's good. Joe? Nothing. Tommy? All right, so with all that, I'll look for a motion on all items except B and H. And I. So I have a first from Harry Thomas. Can I get a second? Did you say it at the same time? Joe Self? I have a first and a second. Do we have any public comment on items excluding B, H, and I?

Okay. No public comment on that? Correct. All right. So we'll look for a vote on all those items as specified. All in favor say aye. Aye. Any opposed? Consent agenda passes for all items except B, H, and I.

Absolutely. You want to do that now or you want to wait until I read it? Thank you, Harry. With that, we'll move straight to item B. Consider a lease agreement between the City of San Angelo and American Legion Post 572 for the building property located at 616 North Washington Street and authorizing the city manager to negotiate and execute all related documents. Carl White, you're on.

It was just to pull it to give Harry an option to pull it out. Thank you. Thank you. Any other questions for Carl? With that, could I get a motion? I have a first from Karen. Second. I have a second from I'll call that Tommy Hebert. Y'all are getting a little technical. Is there any public comment on item B?

Awesome. With that, we'll take a vote. All in favor of passing item B, say aye. Aye. Any opposed? Item pass is 6-0.

Somebody was listening at the door. All right. Somebody had their ear to the door. Now we'll go to item H, consider ratifying a COSA DC resolution authorizing board president to negotiate and execute a memorandum of understanding with the city of San Angelo in amount not to exceed $50,450 for funding of the Santa Fe Park Kids Kingdom Landscape Design Services, a project authorized under section 505152 of the Texas Development Corporation Act. Ryan, you're on.

So my question is, $50,000 is a lot to design a playscape. So kind of walk me through why you think that's needed and what it entails and why we think that would be a smart, efficient, long-term decision for us.

Why don't you want to do a community build? It was a community build the first time, right? I think Kids Kingdom was a great park. So why wouldn't we want to do that again?

then the next step would be, once we have the plans, would be to try to fund it, right? Do we have any inclination of where we're going to get that from?

Okay. Carl, let me ask a question. Do you think the expanse, and I'm Following up on a little bit of Patrick's, it's worth the investment of this ask to have something professionally organized and designed that we might see contemporary and pick up some things we haven't seen through a community build? 100%. Okay, cool.

Right. Well, you know, I'll be the first one. And the preceding mayor, I mean, we hate paying for studies. I mean, for things that we think we could do ourselves. All right. But if you think it's worth the outreach here to bring in a professional design team to do something, I think you're going to see support on this. Any further questions? Ms. Mary?

Carl, before we grant a $50,000 plan, Can you cycle down some funding sources? I mean, I hear a lot of, I think we can, and this should work or could work, but before we shell out 50 grand to see, you know, obviously you can't secure that funding, but have more than just, well, the elephant gave a, seems supportive, you know, or they like the idea. Let's figure out where we're going to get the funds and have a better handle on that before we 50 grand for not even a well thought out plan.

On the plan, the design, have you all talked to them about how they're going to come up with their plan? Are they going to do, like we talked about, design charrettes? Like you talked about sitting down with kids, figuring out what they want? Yes.

Words well put. Any additional comments from the dice? With that, I'll look for a motion. I have a first from Harry. I have a second. That was Tommy Hebert. Any public comment, Heather?

With that, I have a first from Harry Thomas, a second from Tommy Hebert. We'll take a vote. All those in favor say aye. Aye. Any opposed? With none opposed, item H passes 7-0. Item I has been pulled. We don't need to do any action on that, do we? With that, we'll go ahead and move to the regular agenda. Comments regarding items on the regular agenda may be made by the public when each item is discussed as outlined above. To participate, please sign in with the city clerk prior to the beginning of the meeting. Speakers will be called in the order they signed in. Comments are limited to less tha

All right. Heather, very good itemization. Do we have any questions from the dais? Is this a non-action item? Correct. We just accept this and go forward?

Heather, thank you for your presentation. We'll move to item B. An appeal to the Planning Commission's action on July 20th, 2026 to revoke conditional use 23-36 for a short-term rental at 2458 Fisherman's Road. City Council may take the following actions. One, by order upholding the Planning Commission's decision to revoke the conditional use. Or number two, by overturning the Planning Commission's decision and reinstating the conditional use with possible modifications to the conditions. Presentation by Planning and Development Services Coordinator, Aaron Benoit.

Let me ask a question. Do you think at this point in time, because they were not at the planning commission, led the planning commission to the 6-0 revocation?

on the 13th that y'all mailed that out or had you made previous attempts to that to notify them that they were in delinquent status on the tax?

Well, then you answered another one. I was going to ask how many phone calls were placed because I think our system would, our voiceover system would know if it originated from within the office. that it was made to a certain number that would be the number of the owner-applicant. We don't have that today, you're saying? Okay. When we mail those notices of delinquency, is it just regular U.S. mail? Is it certified? Is it certified return receipt requested?

Have we dealt with cases that might be similar to this in the past?

So it sounds to me like we have some work to do on our side to better communicate these type issues much sooner than what we did this time.

Good. OK. Thank you. Mayor, right now, that's all I have right now. Any additional questions down here? Harry?

Aaron, we have a program that now tracks a lot of that, correct?

So, I mean, it's still in its infancy. We're finding these things now.

We got this program to help keep up with this because it was a big problem even when I was on planning because there was a lot of Wild West out there.

So Erin, as we're moving across the dais, I'll start. Where I have seen and overheard people make comments is if somebody is an owner and they lease it, say I lease it to Patrick, then Patrick either subleases it to somebody else or goes out and then he does the STR. I question who the accountability belongs to. Is it the property owner or the leasee as far as the leasee manages out the STR? Because the owner of the property might not have done it totally unknowing, has leased to somebody else, and then they have gone out and maliciously tried to avoid paying hot tax. Correct. Is that part of

You've told me everything I need to know. Any further questions? Patrick?

On their report, it shows that they caught up all the past balance. Was that from the previous owner as well?

And then we think y'all, the staff has kind of put in some procedures now going forward to be able to get ahold of people and catch them ahead of time? Yes, we believe we have. Okay. That's my only question. Thank you. Thank you.

Karen, you good? Ms. Mary, do you have a question?

Aaron, how much money are we talking about? Just curiosity.

How do you catch them if they don't, I mean, this is self-reporting, right? And so if, let's say I decided to keep one of my houses and I'm just going to do short-term rental.

Are there any fines if you find out? In this case, it claims that there was a previous owner and they didn't know, which I can understand that. Are there fines for knowingly not reporting that as a short-term rental? Do we have that in place?

That gets me. I have a couple ideas I may share with you later. But thank you, Erin. Thank you, Brenda.

Assistant City Manager. Yes. Please go ahead.

I really appreciate having that many sets of eyes on it from the community all the way to staff. And also I do appreciate that. But thanks for answering my questions, Aaron. Yes, ma'am.

All right. With all of that done, I'll look to find a motion on item B.

Is the applicant owner here, Aaron, do you know?

Okay. Given the circumstance, it's my... thought that we grant the six-month review process to take place to see how things go and then would that just be a one six are you recommending just that one six month period and then go back on the annual are you recommending more than the six one six month review period

All right. I tend to agree with staff's recommendation here, so I'll make a motion that we approve the staff recommendation in this case.

Approve as presented. I have a first from Tommy Hebert. Second. I have a second from Joe Self. Is there any public comment, Heather? No. With no public comment, we'll take a vote. All those in favor say aye. Aye. Any opposed? With no nay, excuse me. With one day from Harry Thomas, item is approved, 6-1. I got my notes here. All right, we'll move to item C. Consider resolution supporting the private fundraising efforts to create and place art by art in uncommon places for two separate proposed art installations. One, not as small as they seem, in the Red Arroyo Trail area near the intersection

Let's go ahead and can we move into item two? and that way we can bring up the artist at the end and ask on both items.

So who carries the insurance? Part and uncommon places?

I don't think we even know where the street goes right now, Charles. Carl, so proceed.

So is there any city funding used for this? All provided in staff. So in case of vandalism, who's responsible for cleaning it up?

Okay. Any questions for Carl from the board? Patrick? I mean, Tommy, you've got the line on. I like the insects.

Very colorful, yeah. I might even start. Oh, boy.

Mine's mainly about the first set of sculptures. So it seems like the black-tie cowboy, if the other ones are similar to that, they're going to hold up fairly well. The other ones were a lot of metal.

You answered my next question. So they're going to be sturdy enough for a kid to climb on them, because that's probably what's going to happen.

Karen? Ms. Merrick? So they will not only withhold the small child, but even a 180-pound Goodfellow Airman? Yes. OK. I just said that because of Chad's here. All right. So with that, can we take both these items at once, Brandon? Yes. All right. So I'll look for a motion. So moved. I have a first from Harry Thomas. Yes. Second from Karen Hesse-Smith. Any public comment, Heather? No. With no public comment, we'll take a vote. All those in favor say aye. Aye. Any opposed? Item passes 7-0. Now, it is my understanding, Carl, there are some examples of these out in the lobby, correct? It's back at

Everybody has. Will you say the proper pronunciation of your last name, please? To the mic. To the mic. Uritia. Uritia. Uritia. Uritia. I just call him Phil.

All right, we'll come back to order two minutes late at 942. Item D, considering authorizing city staff to accept a grand award from FY26 Defense Community Infrastructure Program in relation to the Cristobal Road Reconstruction Project and authorizing the city manager to negotiate and execute all related documents. Presentation made by Operations Director Patrick Frerich. Patrick, you're on, bud.

So, Tia, number one, I'll start this. these are the things that we look for um as a community i mean it's a federal partnership we should it benefits goodfellow it also benefits the community i mean it's when you look at partnership it takes us right down that road um you know funding is maybe you go back and talk a little bit more about rural being rural what that excludes us from it gives us a little bit more of an advantage is that i know we're looking at we're going to have to come up with what about eight million here if we have to do it If we weren't rural, what would we have to pay?

There would be no way to quantify, I guess you could, the amount of money grants have saved us as a city. We would be so far behind. I mean, we're behind now, but we would be even further positioned had we not taken advantage of grants, kept fund balances that Tina Dearest, million day fund balance to try to be able to accept these grants when they come due but with that i'll open up to the dice i'll start with uh any questions around here tommy comment just more comments than anything jen thanks for accepting the job it is something that we had talked about for a while and so thank you for ac

Part of this is in my district. Part of it's in Harry's district. But just to see what has been done on the more southern portion of Old Cristobal Road that I guess TxDOT is doing, or are we doing that, Patrick? Okay. How wonderful that is. And this section of road is in bad need of attention. So thank you for spending the time. Thank you for being as passionate about it and as excited about it as you appear to be. So thank you.

Joe? No, just another thank you. This helps us achieve something that needs to be done without taxing our fund as much.

I'm sure his reverence before Tommy was on council was the first time. It wasn't the second time. It was the first time. Patrick, you got some comments, sir?

What happens if we only get 10 million of the 20? Do we still go forward with the entire project?

As far as the overages go, could this be tweaked? Since there is no match, could this be tweaked to value engineer some of that $8 million off and give that to other projects?

And again, thank you very much. It's sometimes kind of hard to get excited about grants, but it really turns me on. So I'm glad you're enthused. Just to clarify, and Patrick got some of it, you asked for the $20 million. Could they grade it down, or is it all or nothing?

I just didn't want to get hung with $8 million and then have to beef it up on that. Thank you so much.

Jan, so who do you work with at Goodfellow?

Yeah, could you go ahead and bring them up? Let's introduce them because on a DCIP grant, people need to understand what we're doing. So I see how happy they are to be called to the front. You know how we all feel there, buddy. And as Chad, as y'all can work, go ahead and state your name, your SMD. But anyway, talk about the importance of a DCIP and how you interact with the city on things like this.

Thank y'all. I wanted to at least introduce y'all. I'll let y'all know y'all do have a lot of input in how we move forward with this, not only on this product, but future projects that we're doing, and especially housing, because we're in extreme need for housing for the base. Gentlemen, thank you so much. If there's no further questions from Jen, I'll look for a motion. So moved. Second. I have a first from Harry Thomas, repeat offender. Actually, I had a second from Tommy Hebert. I'll list Mary as a third, just so we're all good. Any public comment, Heather? Aye. With that, we'll take a vote

We'll move on to item E. Consider awarding AP-01-26, convert runway 927 to taxiway H at the San Angelo Regional Airport to Hort Construction in the amount of $9,928,889. FAAIP number 3-48-0191052-2026. Utilizing airport and airport PFC fund balances and authorize the city manager to negotiate and execute all related documents.

It's an airport project, so naturally I'm not allowed to comment, everybody. With that, it's great. It's 95% federal funds. I mean, the airport almost achieves the perfect balance of funding itself, but we appreciate your time and effort on that. I'll start with you, Hebert. Got any questions?

Talk to us just a little bit, Justin, about how this might help impact economic development at the airport.

Use your finger to draw a circle, and the marker should work. There you go.

My understanding is Hoare has been able to work somehow with Reese Albert to be able to get it locally, basically.

Karen or Mary? I'm good, but thanks for coming for asking the question. Cool.

It was in the present. So you want to take them both at once? No, keep them separate.

We'll just keep them separate. All right, I'll look for a motion on item F. Move approval is presented. It's item E. E. I have a first from Tommy Hebert, second from Karen Hessek-Smith. Any public comment? Is there any public comment, Heather? No public comment. We'll take a vote on item E. All those in favor say aye. Aye. Any opposed? Item E passes 7-0. We'll move to item F. Consider approving Amendment 1, Convert Runway 927 and Taxiway H with Wolpert Company under the Master Airport Agreement in the amount of $1,217,814, utilizing airport and airport PFC fund balances and authorizing the cit

Is it still 95% covered by the FAA grant?

Justin, give us a little back history on if you don't have somebody inspecting these projects. We have some stuff out there in front of Customs and Border Patrol where the engineering we're still having arguments about because we didn't have, I think at that point in time, some arguments and discussion about the engineering concept and who was in charge.

DAVID BURRAGE. Additional questions for the DICE? With that, I'll look for a motion. DAVID BURRAGE. I have repeat offenders. I have a first from Tommy Hebert, a second from Harry Thomas.

No public comment on item F. We'll take for a vote. All those in favor say aye. Aye. Any opposed? Item passed is 7-0. We'll move to G. Consider accepting FAAIP grant number 3-480191053-2026 in the amount of $1 million for the siting, study, environmental clearance, and preliminary design of new air traffic control tower at the San Angelo Regional Airport and authorizing city manager to negotiate and execute all related documents.

I will make one comment when Secretary Duffy was here, and I want to say thanks to Congressman Pflueger. We were not on the original list. There are so many airport towers across the United States that need construction, and even Duffy complained about how much Congressional Representative Pflueger has been trying to earmark for San Angelo, but this one tower improvement benefits so many different entities that we think we are now back into a very eligible spot to get an award to further continue because replacing these is i think a brand new control tower is probably what nearly 30 million we

Any questions from the dais? Look for a motion.

First from Tommy Hebert, second from Harry Thomas. Any public comment? No. No public comment. We'll take a vote. All those in favor say aye. Aye. Item H passes 7-0. Now we can move to item I. Thank you, Justin. Thank you. Item I, discussion direction for allocation of fiscal year 2027 hotel occupancy tax funds for arts and historic preservation programs. Presentation made by Finance Director Jonathan Flores. Jonathan, you're on.

Well, Jonathan, let me start here. So first place, we are just doing a place marker here for total funds held for the budget. We're not deciding who gets how much, correct? All right. With that, we are funding at 352,800. Yes, sir. And that's 13% or 12? So we have the opportunity to go up to add a couple more percent. What's our fund balance on our hot tax fund?

Don't have to use it, but we could at least put it in the budget, correct?

All right. So as we discussed this today, I think going the full amount, would you say it was what, 420? 440. 440. is quite a big step and we we try to be conservative here so as we discuss this my colleagues up here on the dice i would like to see an increase here i don't think we need to go all the way but i wouldn't mind putting a few more percent in it but with that i'll start over we start on the other side so mary i'll start with you on the um

Total here, 352,800. This 584, does that just recommend it or was that calculated?

And could you explain to me again why the Concho Christmas and the Christmas event, which I think is a new one with downtown San Angelo. Is that correct?

Do you have a rundown on what this new This new event and new purpose for downtown San Angelo, that $154,000 is what I'm getting at.

Now that's fine really just there's a lot been going on downtown and so it's kind of got our attention. So this today if we approve that as a the bucket of years and then it sometimes soon I'm hoping that we'll get to allocate that.

On this list it's got SAPAC downtown San Angelo that's not in I guess that's not in funding order is what I'm trying to say.

Is your staff going to do, like, you present what your allocation would be or what the staff recommends, or is that going to be done by, like, a separate committee?

So we're going to look at this in the first part of October to get the voting on that, right? Yes, ma'am. OK. Thank you very much.

Good morning, Jonathan. What is the other 78% being used for right now?

Are any of those mandated where they cannot get more than a certain percentage?

And then do we think on, because it's part of Downtown San Angelo, There's a big ask on here that would be tough to fund everyone if we did it. So just in general, I know we're not talking about those specific fundings this time, but would that event be something that could be outside of this 12% to 15% that we're talking about here? Could that be a separate item outside of that?

I guess that would be something to look at is if that's even considered an arts deal. To me, I don't know where that designation comes from or how they decide on what is, what is not for this part of it.

Mr. Hebert. Yes, sir. So, Jonathan, a question here. We talk about auto pool heads and beds, and this might go to Brandon. How do you launch a new program that has no history?

Well, and that's what, there's a new, and to me, that's a big question. I mean, we want to stay legal. We have to stay within our bounds here. I get that. But we need to at least set aside something to look at how that goes forward. My question or my proposal here is I don't want to use all the funds, but I would like to add an additional $47,200 to it to bring it straight to $400,000. All right? That still leaves a very good balance. We have quite a bit of unused funds there. My point is if you don't put this out there for these people to try to bring somebody in, We're probably cutting ourse

Does anybody oppose Adding the 47,200, not going all the way, but this adds a little more percent to it. Comments, anyone?

Comment? Sure. Or maybe a question and then a comment. Jonathan, based on the data given by Datify, is that a comfortable place for the analysis for you folks to then be able to say, yes, this organization, in fact, does bring folks to San Angelo that do spend a night, two nights, whatever. Is that data that reliable in y'all's opinion?

Is everybody submitting that data so that we have a verifiable

Okay, good. Thanks. I just hope, you know, that we... People are giving us the data we need to make base decisions on. So, again, not 100% accurate, but as you say, a representative sample. Thank you both. Thank you. Thank you, Bart. Any additional comments from the dice?

With that, I'll make a motion to approve the hot tax allocation for the income in fiscal year 26-27 at $400,000.

LET'S GO WITH THE DIRECTIVE OF 400. EVEN BETTER. GOOD JOB, JONATHAN. All right, final item, first reading and public hearing of an ordinance fixing and levying ad valorem taxes for the current tax year for the use and support of the municipal government of the city of San Angelo, Texas for the 2026 to 2027 budget year, providing for the assessment and collection thereof, providing for when the tax shall become due, providing when the tax shall become delinquent, providing for exemptions, providing for severability, providing for publication on the city-operated website, and providing for an effective date. Presentation made by Finance Direct

Well, I think there's been some confusion. People have brought up the word no new revenue. That is not this. We're just maintaining the same tax rate that we have had, plus includes the two bonds that were implemented this current year. Yes, sir. So with that, I'll open up the dais to any questions of Jonathan. Any questions? Mary, Patrick, we're all good. All right. So for me to make a motion, I need to read this. How do you want that done, Heather? Perfect. And that's it? And then I vote individually at that? Okay. Do they have to reread that? Perfect. I like it. I move that the property tax

So I have a first by Tom and a second by Tommy Hebert. We'll go to record the vote. We'll start down here with SMD1. Aye. Patrick's right. I'll skip that. Is there any public comment on this? All right. No public comment. Thank you, Patrick. No public comment. Usually there's not. So anyway, you got an aye?

Aye. All right, with the voting concluded, item passes 7-0. Thank you. You bet. Thank you, Jonathan. We'll move into closed session, executive session, under the provision of Government Code Title V, Open Government Ethics, Subtitle A, Open Government Chapter 551, Open Meeting, Subchapter D, exceptions to requirements that meetings be open under the following sections. Section 551-072, deliberations about real property regarding 331 presser. Section 551-072, deliberations about real property regarding 1921 Avenue J. Section 552-072, deliberations about real property regarding Lot 14. Section 3

1231, we'll come back from executive session. We'll discuss any items that need to be discussed after executive session. Do we have any announcements that need to be read? Today? Anytime? Oh, any announcements?

Yes, I would like to make a motion to authorize the city manager to execute a claim deed to property being approximately 10 feet by 90 feet segment of right-of-way for North Emmerich Street, adjoining the easternmost property line of Lot 8 in Block 5 of Frary's Addition, known commonly as 331 Prizer. to the Concho Valley Home for Girls, Inc., and a budding property owner pursuant to Texas Local Government Code Section 272.001B1 and 2. I'll second that motion.

All those in favor say aye. Aye. Any opposed? With no opposition, motion passes.

Also, I'd like to make a motion to authorize city manager to execute a quit claim deed to property being the east 25 feet of lots 13 and 14, block 17, South Heights addition, known commonly as 1921 West Avenue J. to Betzing Reynolds, LLC, and a budding property owner pursuant to Texas Local Government Code 272, Section 272.001B1 and 2.

I have a first and a second. All those in favor say aye. Aye. Any opposed? Item passes 7-0. Any additional items at a closed session? Okay, with that, we'll go to any follow-up and administrative things to be brought on future agendas. Anybody have anything to add or request? With none, I'll take a motion to close. Move we adjourn.

I think we need to hear the holiday schedule, Heather. I can't believe I let that slip.

And those are typically very slow in line agendas for us, correct? Correct. So with that said, would we also like to have our once a quarter evening meeting in November? The first or second, let's say the second meeting in November. Is everybody game for doing an evening meeting?

I think it's the week before Thanksgiving, isn't it? Yeah, so let's tentatively put that one on the schedule. I think permits and planning needs that one just to make sure they have all their announcements done. So with that, we've got a couple tentative dates for a single meeting in December, January. We're going to do an evening meeting the second, excuse me, the second meeting. It's the 17th. It's the 17th. So 17th of November, let's look into doing an evening meeting at 530 or 6. 530. 530. Voted by Heather. Anyway, with all that, any additional items to add? With that, let's bring this meeting to a close. I move we adjourn again. I have a fi