City Council - Regular Meeting

Thank you.

I heard something about firefighter haircut.

All right, everyone at 6 o'clock, we'll go ahead and start our workshop.

We do have a quorum. I'll call this workshop to order 1st thing. This is the minutes from. Um, the next thing in the workshop is, um, considering authorizing Mr. Kepler judge to execute an interlocal contract with the Texas department of public safety safety for participation in the Texas conviction reporting system.

Yes, the need is rolling out. It's a new web based system replacing the current. SFTP process, which I had to look that acronym up. It's for secure file transfer protocol for courts to report convictions electronically and moves the courts in a real time web based reporting system rather than a prior electronic submission method that they had. It's mandatory to be put in place by January 1st, 2027. All final convictions must go through the TXCR. requires an interlocal contract, interlocal cooperation contract between DeRosa Municipal Court and DPS. So we have a tour judgment sign this with no approval. Contract terms has a max two authorized users, more allowed if DPS includes business needs. It requires MFA for all users, provisions submitted within seven days per Texas Transportation Code. It's no cost to the court. No expert expiration on the contract. It's only with 30 days written notice given by the party. Staff recommends council authorized the municipal court judge to execute the contract on the courts.

So it sounds mandatory number 1. Number 2, she's going to a cloud based version, which is what everything is going to.

Yeah.

Um, next thing is, uh, interlocal agreement, um, accounting one for chip selling could see laying from hillside drive to the city limits. The cost of a little over 40,000.

So we had, uh, because he was. Reclaiming chip sealed 3 years ago, 4 years ago, David.

2 years ago.

Time flies, but in the last few years, and the service is wearing through, we're starting to have problems with it. So we have some savings in the street department budget for personnel. So we're in the line item transfer. The county has indicated they can get it done this fiscal year. We're going to try to knock that out so that we don't have to deal with it next year since we have other streets we need to deal with next year.

Are we going to start seeing more of this?

More of the county doing this?

No, it's only been two years.

Well, I mean, what we're trying to do now is we try to come back and do a second one, second course after we did the first one. Because the first course just wears too much traffic on it. This one, we only did the one course when we did it initially because with the reclamation and everything, it was pretty close.

I'll share a quote from the county's road superintendent. Their motto is fast and often. I mean, but you can't get it done cheaper or better. Well, they're dealing with gravel roads too.

County's dealing with a lot of gravel roads in the more rural areas. They're not dealing with the same streets.

But if we don't get another code on it, then the base, the subgrade will start to break down and then it will require a whole reclamation.

Yeah.

Some questions, and then the last item, we've got a proposal for Viking construction for microsurface microsurface research. Various history as part of the city's annual microsurface resurfacing program. For a cost of 137,785 dollars.

So this is an ongoing program we've been doing so many streets each year. And this year we're doing some of the streets out Surrey Ridge. We're doing some of the. Some of the remaining streets over in the Remington Park and that area. And Chapman edition, and we brought it to you because it's over 100,000 typically we're under this, but. This is in the budget, so it's not an additional budget amount, but we, we tie on, we have an interlocal agreement with Waco. So we tie on the Waco's contract that we don't have to bid it out separately.

That's the question I had because I had attachments list of the streets, but I never found that attachment in the main agenda. I just saw the proposal.

What is microsurface resurfacing?

So it's, uh, it puts a, it puts a thin slurry of. It's like an asphalt, but instead of having them. Okay, you want to describe what the microsurface does David?

Sure. It's not a slurry seal. Yeah, it's. not a paint job. Microsurface was developed by Viking. They're members of the National Pavement Preservation Group. So they do a lot of testing and development. And I heard about Viking through 2019 when I first came here. I was looking for ways to preserve our good streets. And I was looking through City of Waco's pavement preservation program and they had a A contract for Viking, and so I contacted Dan Wells with. Viking he's retired now working with Brad peers. And so they told me to go look at the streets. I just did in Waco and I did. And found that it's somewhere around 583 quarters of an inch fit. It's an aggregate. asphalted emulsion with polymer and some stabilizers, some other stuff that they had, but they put it down with a screed just like you would asphalt. So it's basically a beefed up thinner version of asphalt at the third of the cost.

What's the life expectancy of that?

One of the first ones we did was Cedar Ridge and that was seven years ago. It's starting to show signs of wear, and that's about what we expected. Seven, maybe ten.

I don't know if any of y'all have been. I've got some property in Waco, and I've been driving a lot down 18th Street, Bosque. I got a one-ton vehicle. It has great shocks on it. It's awesome. But, man, you think we have to have streets here? Just drive down some of the streets in Waco. And you'll find that every city is struggling in the streets. It's not just us. Yeah, we've been behind the eight ball for a long time. And that's been worn out. It's a subject I've been here 46 years. I'll say it one more time. I'm saying it for the benefit of the recording back here because we have people complaining that don't know what's going on because they don't show up. But they're going to complain anyway. All right. That's your right. But wouldn't it be good if you had facts to back up what you're saying? So, I think we have the facts here. We have great city manager upgrade city staff. That's working their honeys off to to do what we're doing here and I want to make that statement. Here and now drive down between 18 and 40. I actually passed the it's terrible right in front of the fairground. Try to see what you got. So, yeah, we're doing the best we can with what we got convinced to that.

roughly what is that micro resurfacing cost per mile i mean ballpark or however it was on there i have to go back and see how cedar ridge is i think 1.2 something like that it's the horseshoe with the cross street in the middle and is it pretty much the same to apply to one or the other is it very considerably given the street condition or something like that or is it pretty much

We typically are only doing this on streets that are in decent condition. It's short of an overlay, but yeah, it's based on a square yard cost. The square yard cost is $4.56 per square yard, so it's not done as a linear. But yeah, if you drive through Remington Park, Chapman, cedar ridge those are a lot of the streets we've been doing the last few years and so what it does is extend a lot of the streets have been done in the last 10 to 15 really last 20 years the curb and gutter and stuff are decent streets but when you get to about the 10-year mark you've got to start ramping the maintenance up because the cracking gets to be two months what this does is it's It helps seal all the cracks, seal the surface, give you a new smooth driving surface to wear through. So you're adding on and extending. Because if you don't do anything when you hit that 10 to 12 year mark, they'll go down really fast. Whereas if you start doing stuff like this, you can extend that road out past the 20 year life. How many times can you do this feasibly? How many times can you do it?

As many times as you can. You can resurface on the streets.

I've got to talk with the guys over there at Viking because of the streets that we did 7 years ago. Cedar Ridge is a good example. We micro surfaced it in 2019 for. 60,000, and I've got a quote. To overlay it with asphalt at present time is 280,000. So, I mean, my preference at this point, because the microsurface is worn, would be to go ahead and mill the edges and do an asphalt overlay and get more than seven years out of it. But theoretically, I'm sure Viking will tell you, just like asphalt, as long as you're dealing with a good surface, you can add layers and layers to it.

It's the base. If the base is good.

we on our inner city streets our neighborhood streets where robinson kind of developed a history of chip sealing and obviously residents don't like chips it makes a good rural street but it's rough and it's loud etc so we're using chip seal now as craig said we do it two cores every time because it just doesn't add that much cost to it but it adds so much more life to the street and for an inner city street we'll do a micro surface on top of that chip seal you can't do that with asphalt unless you do the one here but the micro way bill does it cue it does it one way So, we've done it for about 7.

Thank you. I think that's that's it. We've got 2 public hearing agenda items on the list. We'll get to those earlier than that. We'll return the work. Awesome. All right, with that being 630, we'll go ahead and open or start this meeting. So if everyone would please rise for the invitations.

Let's pray. Father, we sense that the routine that we're usually used to, school, work, all of those things that tend to take most of our attention, that that routine is starting up again. And as that routine starts up again, I ask, Father, that you'll help us not to become complacent, not to just fall into old ways of doing things and old things of depending upon ourselves. But Father, may we have the strength to look to you. and to find in you the hope, the peace that we need. Father, as we... As we start those routines, we pray, Father, that you will every single day remind us that you are the source of strength that we need, that you are the source of hope that our souls long for. Father, we pray tonight for this council meeting. We pray, Father, that in the things that are said, the voices that are used, the words that are spoken here, we ask, Father, that all of it, may we remember, even if there's competing ideas, even if there's differing opinions, Father, may it all be done with the attitude and the expectancy, Father, that you are at work here, that you are ironing out those wrinkles, that you are bringing about your will, that you are doing what you need to do in this place for the betterment of all, but especially, Father, for your glory. We thank you that you are doing this in each of us. We thank you, Lord God, that you're doing this in our community as well. In Jesus' name, amen.

If you all remain standing for the Pledge of Allegiance.

Here.

Moving on to citizens comments. I have 11 card. Um, let me just read this real quick. So the city council, we do invite citizens to address the council. On any matter, including items on the agenda, except for public hearing items that are included on the agenda. Comments related to the public hearings will be heard when the public hearing starts. Please limit your comments to three minutes. The council is not permitted to take any action or discuss any item not listed on the agenda. When called to speak, please state your name and address. And if speaking on a specific agenda, state the item before beginning your comments. So Mrs. Hernandez, if you'd like to come up, state your name and address.

Hi, Kendra Hernandez. I was here at the last meeting. Um, my address is 110 West Billington drive. Um, I'm just talking about the drainage issue that I still have that. That was never, um, I never got a response from the last time I talked. So I thought I'd come and make you see my, my face again.

Gotcha.

Um, so I'm not sure was it if it was city manager who was responsible for addressing. I think that's what she all said.

It's just budget time, so we're really, really bogged down right now. But I've got the street guy here.

I left you a voicemail, so that's why I was just, I wasn't sure if I sent it to the right person.

This is the busiest time of the year right now. It's good. It's seven days a week. But I've got David here. This is on Billington there at the corner. Can we maybe get with the engineers and take a look at that area again? I know we've made some improvements down there, but they're still having issues.

So 110 West Billington, it's on the corner of Billington and Bunker.

And it's not just my house that has the issue. Just mine has the worst issue. So there's other people, other neighbors who also have problems. I just learned about the drainage on the there's three properties like downstream from me that have. I don't know if they're bottlenecking it and they're plugging it up, I guess, is from what I kind of was told. But I don't know. There's just an issue. Okay. I'm hoping to get it addressed if possible. I appreciate it.

No, sorry about that.

Oh, it's okay. It's busy.

Okay.

Yeah.

All right.

Thank you.

Cool. Thank you. Appreciate that. Okay, if no other comments, no other cards, we will move on to the consent agenda items. We do have 4 different items that were discussed during our workshop that started at 6. Do I have a motion to approve the consent agenda items?

I'll second that motion. Okay.

So we got a motion to approve consent agenda items as is. All those in favor? Aye. Any opposed? Motion passes. Okay, we'll move on to the regular agenda items. So the first public hearing, this is to conduct a public hearing to receive comments on the proposed tax rate of 0.535326 cents. $100 valuation for fiscal year 2026 through 2027 that would be our 2026 tax year and also to announce a meeting to adopt the proposed tax rate on august 25th 2026 so that would be next tuesday Okay, it being 636, we will open up the public hearing. Anyone from the audience want to speak for or against the tax rate, proposed tax rate of 0.535326 cents per?

Yeah, give me an overview real quick. All right, let me get to it real quick here. So this is a public hearing on the tax rate. legally under state law, we are not actually required to have a public hearing this year, but since we're having a public hearing on the budget anyway, we figured for transparency purposes, we'd go ahead and have a public hearing on the tax rate. So there are three tax rates that are calculated each year. The no new revenue tax rate, which is the tax rate that will bring in the same amount of revenue on the properties that are on the tax roll this year. It'll bring that same amount of revenue in next year. There's the voter approval rate, which is a rate which will bring in 3.5% more for operation and maintenance than the current year. And there's what's called the de minimis rate, which would bring in 500,000 for maintenance. This year, the recommendation of the budget is to adopt the no new revenue tax rate, which is 53.5326 cents. That is an increase over the current rate, but we saw an actual drop of properties that are currently on the tax rolls. Total value for those properties citywide dropped over $72 million. So that pushed down the amount of revenue, which is why the rate went up to bring in the same amount of money. On a property-for-property thing, some people will see a bigger decrease. Some people will see an increase. But overall, it will actually bring in $77,000 less in revenue than the current year, the tax rate at the current year. So that's the rate that's being proposed.

Like I said, we're not required by law to have a public hearing, but we're not prohibited from having a public hearing.

So we figured we would do that tonight and just put it out there for anyone who wants to comment on it.

Thank you for that. So with that being said, is there anyone in the audience that would like to come to the podium to speak on behalf or against the rater? Just make a comment. Okay. If there are none, we will close the public hearing at 638. Moving on to the next agenda item.

i like the fact that we had this in our budget you know meeting so people aren't necessarily watching those but as everybody in here will probably know it was 148 or so dollars per year per year increase for the 17 or so million we did for the streets part part of the average house oh what 336 000 right This budget is lowering it, from what I understand, Craig, $108.

They came back with a revised value, so it's actually, I want to say it's I don't have the number under my head. I think it's somewhere in the neighborhood of 50 something. They came back with revised rates on the average household. So I think originally we thought there were 295, but they came back at three. Actually, you've got two different ones. One's 303 and one's 308. They're using the 308 for the but the average home value dropped from 331 to 308.

So 50 bucks, let's say, but we only went up 140 on the street. So 140 minus 50 is 90, right? So $90 a year, folks. Just a short time. $90 a year for our streets to have $17 or more million is not a bad thing. It's coming from a citizen that happens to be on the city council that receives no pay for what he does because I love this city. I want you to know and I want to be transparent. you, whoever's watching, you can bother to watch so many people make comments, but they don't have to bother to find out facts. Please find out the facts before you make comments because it's stirring things up for no reason a lot of times. If you have a legitimate gripe, I don't have a reason. I don't have a dog in the hunt, so to speak. I don't live in the city 46 years. I just want you to know that our motives up here, we have a great chemistry with these people that serve our city. And I mean serve the city. So we've got a great city manager and a great city staff. Yes, we're increasing their salaries because we're way behind what other cities are doing. But I'm very pleased with this budget and thankful for the people that have spent multitudes of hours caring to everybody that spends all their time. So many hours you spent seven days a week, like you're saying, Craig, right now. We need to be thankful for the people that we have. dedicated to the ongoing uh success in our city thank you all for what you do you too mr you too david you too david two names two officers i'm grateful personally i feel really good about where we are as a city

I appreciate that. All right agenda. I know number 11. this is a public hearing to conduct, or we're conducting a public hearing to receive comments on the city of Robinson budget. For the fiscal year, beginning October 1st, 2026. And ending September 30th, 2027.

This is public hearing on the budget. The budget has been on the city website since August 1st. It has also been available for review in the city secretary's office if anyone requested to come in and see it or get a copy, but it has been on the city website. like I said, since August 1st. Just a quick overview of the actual total budget amounts. General funds is $11,503,786. Debt services, $3,432,275. Utility funds, $12,866,374. Building security and technology is $8,000. Hotel and motel is $31,000. Juvenile case manager is $9,275. Child safety is $5,000. General fund capital projects, which is streets, is $8,521,660. And utility fund capital projects, which consists of new well, plant yard piping, and sewer line Installation along Gregg Drive totals $17,364,693 for a total budget of $53,742,063. So that being 643, I will open up a public hearing for the citizens to speak on this item as they see fit. Is there anyone in the audience that would like to speak on this item?

OK. With no comments, we will close this public hearing at 643. Just two comments. Number one, this city budget is available online for any of the citizens to review. If you all have any questions, please contact and reach out to us. And then secondly, the budget adoption is set for August 25 at 630.

And we will have a second public hearing that night also prior to the adoption.

Okay, uh, moving on to, uh, agenda item number 12, this is for mayor and council member updates and requests for items to be placed on future agendas. Is there anyone on the council requesting anything to be placed on future agenda?

Can we get maybe a report on. The, uh, investigation into the 1, 1. 0, West Billington.

Yeah, we'll try to get something. Like I said, we'll have to get the engineers out there to look at it. I think David can look at it first.

I mean, I know it's budget season maybe sometime in September. Yeah, we'll get them out there.

David will get out there and look at it this week. And then if it's something simple downstream we can fix, we'll look at it. If not, why us engineers look at it again? I know we went back when we did the project there. We put in a new driveway. We tried to kind of ramp it up and down to try to keep some of the water from the road going down there. that's a challenge there because the houses are kind of lower than the runway and we lowered denison to a curb and gutter but the other streets are still open ditch and so the road is higher than the houses in a lot of those situations since that creates a challenge but we'll uh we'll take a look at it and if it's not something the maintenance can fix and we'll ask the engineers to look at it again can we confirm that craig that this is the 2026 micro surfacing program on these seven streets

I'm going to say what I said in the workshop. I own property in Waco. So I'm going down 18th Street and Bosque and all the streets. You know, man, those things are, I drive a one-time truck that has a really good suspension. It's not that old, the truck, thank God. I'll tell you this, it's like this. We're not the only community in this. area that has street issues. We're trying to make up years and years of deficit to people, not wanting taxes. I lived here. I know. I was here during that time. So let's focus on moving forward and doing something positive as a city. If you have something that's true, I don't care who you are. We can't care for them. We come here and do this business. So if you want to know what's going on, just be here. Watch it. Okay? All of you. Thank you. Have a good day.

All right. With that being nothing further, we will adjourn the meeting tonight at 647.