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IS.[1. CALL TO ORDER AND ROLL CALL OF MEMBERS ]
CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF LAKE CITY, TEXAS WILL NOW COME TO ORDER IN A REGULAR MEETING ON FEBRUARY 24TH, 2026 AT 6:00 PM ROLL CALL MAYOR LONG.COUNCILMAN HIGGINBOTHAM? HERE.
COUNCILMAN RESSLER HERE AND ME.
UH, IF EVERYONE PLEASE TURN YOUR CELL PHONES OFF, I'D LIKE TO INTRODUCE PASTOR ZACH ASHLEY FROM BARRIER CHURCH, WHO WILL LEAD US IN OUR OWN VOCATION FOR THIS EVENING.
FATHER, WE COME TO YOU TONIGHT JUST, UH, THANKFUL GOD, THANKFUL FOR WHO YOU ARE.
GOD THANKFUL FOR ALL THAT YOU'VE DONE.
GOD, THANK YOU FOR THE MANY BLESSINGS IN OUR LIFE, GOD.
AND WE'RE THANKFUL TONIGHT FOR PROVERBS TWO SIX THAT REMINDS US, GOD, THAT YOU THE LORD, GIVE WISDOM FROM YOUR MOUTH.
COME KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING.
GOD, WE THANK YOU FOR THIS CITY, FOR THIS COMMUNITY GOD, FOR THOSE THAT ARE GATHERED HERE.
AND WE'RE SUPPOSED TO BE THANKFUL FOR THOSE GOD WHO LEAD AND SERVE IN OUR CITY.
GOD, WE PRAY TONIGHT, UH, THAT YOU WOULD GIVE THEM OUR LEADERS GOD, WISDOM AND DISCERNMENT IN ALL THE MATTERS BEFORE 'EM.
GOD GIVE THEM WISDOM TO DO WHAT IS GOOD AND RIGHT BY YOUR GRACE GOD, TO DO WHAT IS IN THE BEST INTEREST OF OUR COMMUNITY.
AND TO ALL THOSE THAT LIVE HERE, GOD HELP THEM TO BE PEOPLE.
GOD IS YOUR WORD, SAYS WHO SEEK JUSTICE, LOVE, MERCY, AND WALK CALMLY BEFORE YOU.
GOD MAY THEIR WORDS AND OURS AND OUR ACTIONS TONIGHT BE PLEASING TO YOU.
WE ASK ALL THIS IN THE NAME OF YOUR SON JESUS.
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 TEXAS.
I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE TEXAS ONE STATE UNDER GOD.
[3. APPROVAL OF MINUTES ]
APPROVAL OF MINUTES FEBRUARY 10TH, 2026.ARE THERE ANY CORRECTIONS, IF NOT THE MINUTES WERE APPROVED,
[4. PROCLAMATIONS, PRESENTATIONS, AWARDS, AND COMMUNITY SPOTLIGHT]
THE PROCLAMATIONS PRESENTATION AND AWARDS.THE, UH, THE, THE MAYOR HAS GIVEN ME THE HONOR TO SERVE AS HIS PROXY IN READING THIS PROCLAMATION.
UH, SO WHEREAS THE CLEAR CREEK HIGH SCHOOL CHEER TEAM DEMONSTRATED EXTRAORDINARY TALENT, DISCIPLINE, AND SCHOOL SPIRIT AT THE 2026 UIL SPIRIT STATE CHAMPIONSHIP.
AND WHEREAS THE TEAM EARNED THE DISTINGUISHED TITLE OF SIX, A DIVISION TWO STATE RUNNER UP PLACING SECOND OUT OF 75 TEAMS FROM ACROSS THE STATE OF TEXAS AND BRINGING HOME THE SILVER MEDAL.
AND WHEREAS THE TEAM ACHIEVED EXCEPTIONAL RECOGNITION BY EARNING BEST CROWD, LEADING AND BEST FIGHT SONG AWARD SHOWCASING OUTSTANDING ATHLETICISM, PRECISION LEADERSHIP, AND ENTHUSIASM.
AND WHEREAS THIS REMARKABLE ACHIEVEMENT MARKS AN HISTORIC MILESTONE FOR CLEAR CREEK HIGH SCHOOL AND REFLECTS THE DEDICATION, PERSEVERANCE, AND TEAMWORK OF THE STUDENT ATHLETES, COACHES, FAMILIES, AND SUPPORTERS.
AND WHEREAS THE ACCOMPLISHMENTS OF THESE YOUNG LADIES EMBODY THE PRIDE, SPIRIT, AND UNITY OF THE LEAGUE CITY COMMUNITY AND SERVE AS AN INSPIRATION TO STUDENTS THROUGHOUT OUR CITY.
NOW, THEREFORE, I NICK LONG BY THE AUTHORITY VESTED ME AS MAYOR OF THE CITY OF LEAGUE CITY, TEXAS, DO HEREBY RECOGNIZE AND COMMEND THE CLEAR CREEK HIGH SCHOOL CHEER TEAM FOR THEIR OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT AS THE 2026 UIL SIX A DIVISION TWO STATE RUNNER UP AND EXTEND THE GRATITUDE AND CONGRATULATIONS OF THE CITY COUNCIL AND CITIZENS OF LEAGUE CITY FOR BRINGING HONOR AND DISTINCTION TO OUR COMMUNITY IN WITNESS THEREOF.
I AM HERE TO SET MY HAND AND CAUSE A SEAL OF THE CITY OF LEAGUE CITY TEXAS TO BE AFFIXED THIS 20TH DAY OF FEBRUARY, 2026.
SO, UH, I WANNA MENTION THAT, UH, YOU KNOW, CONSTANT CHADWELL WILL NOT MENTION THAT HIS, UH, MAY WANNA START OVER AGAIN.
HIS DAUGHTER, UM, MAYOR, YOUR AUDIO IS SELECTED.
THE MOST VALUABLE, WELL, I'M SORRY,
KEEP SMILING AS EVERYBODY PICTURE.
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THEY GOOD? YEAH, WE COULDN'T HEAR A WORD.I'M GONNA PUT YOU ON SPEAKER REAL QUICK.
I'LL, I'LL GET YOU, UH, I'LL GET YOU ON THERE RIGHT NOW.
THE MAYOR WANTS TO TALK REAL QUICK IF YOU DON'T MIND.
IT WAS NOT IMPORTANT, BUT I WOULD LIKE TO, UH, TO ASK COUNCILMAN CHADWELL TO DESCRIBE HOW HIS DAUGHTER WON THE MVB AND WHAT THAT IS.
WE'LL GET YOUR VOICE, UH, FIXED HERE.
YEAH, IT, UH, WHAT THE, UH, MAYOR'S REFERRING TO, UH, LAST WEEK WE HAD THE, UH, THE, THE CHEER BANQUET AND AT THE END THEY, THEY GIVE OUT, UH, A LOT OF AWARDS TO WELL DESERVING GIRLS ON THE CHEER TEAM.
AND, UH, MY DAUGHTER GRACE WON THE MVB.
UM, THAT IS FOR MOST VALUABLE BATTY
YOU WANNA EXPLAIN WHAT A BATTY IS?
BUT THEY'RE NOTING THAT THEY WANT TO TALK ABOUT THE GAS STATION ONE, AND HERE'S THAT LIST.
SO I DON'T KNOW IF YOU WANNA WAIT FOR THEM OR ALL OF THEM.
SO ARE THESE ALL OR, OR IS JUST THESE TWO? IT'S JUST THOSE TWO IS THE ONLY ONE THAT SENT IT.
AND I DON'T KNOW THE, UM, WE'VE GOT ONE UP TOP, BUT I DON'T, I DON'T THINK THAT IS, THAT'S ABOUT THE EMERGENCY GENERATOR.
AND I DON'T KNOW WHAT THIS PERSON'S GONNA TALK ABOUT.
A FOR THE GAS STATION PUBLIC HEARING, AND THEN THE E GAS STATION.
ALRIGHT, SO THEY'VE STEPPED OUT.
OKAY, SO PRESENTATION BY EDC INSTITUTE 2025 LEAGUE CITY CITIZEN SURVEY REPORT.
THIS IS THE FOURTH YEAR THE CITY'S CONDUCTED THE CITIZEN SURVEY AND WE USE IT AS A TOOL TO LOOK AT WHAT WE'RE DOING WELL.
BUT JUST AS IMPORTANTLY, WE'LL LOOK AT AREAS WE NEED TO IMPROVE.
AND SO TONIGHT WE HAVE, UM, JASON MARDO, THE VICE PRESIDENT AND DIRECTOR OF COMMUNITY OUTREACH WITH THE ETC INSTITUTE TO KIND OF GO OVER THE FINDINGS AND, UH, LET US KNOW HOW WE DID.
I'M THE VICE PRESIDENT AND DIRECTOR OF COMMUNITY RESEARCH AT ETC INSTITUTE, AND WE'RE A FIRM THAT SPECIALIZES IN CONDUCTING COMMUNITY SURVEYS FOR LOCAL GOVERNMENTS.
AND WE JUST FINISHED FOR THE FOURTH TIME CONDUCTING A COMMUNITY SURVEY FOR LEAGUE CITY.
SO TODAY I'M GONNA WALK THROUGH THE KEY FINDINGS FROM THE SURVEY.
I HAVE JUST A LITTLE BACKGROUND ABOUT ETC INSTITUTE.
WE'RE A NATIONAL LEADER IN PROVIDING MARKET RESEARCH FOR LOCAL GOVERNMENTS.
WE'VE BEEN DOING THIS TYPE OF WORK FOR OVER 40 YEARS, AND IN THE LAST 10 YEARS ALONE, WE'VE CONDUCTED SURVEYS IN MORE THAN A THOUSAND COMMUNITIES ACROSS THE COUNTRY.
AND THAT INCLUDES A LOT OF COMMUNITIES THROUGHOUT THE STATE OF TEXAS.
SO THIS IS REALLY THE TYPE OF WORK THAT WE SPECIALIZE IN.
THIS IS JUST AN OVERVIEW OF WHAT I'LL GO THROUGH TODAY.
I'LL GO OVER THE PURPOSE AND METHODOLOGY OF THE SURVEY, WALK THROUGH THE KEY FINDINGS AFTER ANY QUESTIONS, I'LL BE HAPPY TO ANSWER THOSE.
SO THERE ARE SEVERAL REASONS TO CONDUCT A SURVEY LIKE THIS.
ONE IS TO GET AN OBJECTIVE ASSESSMENT OF HOW SATISFIED RESIDENTS ARE WITH MAJOR CITY SERVICES AND TO DETERMINE WHAT RESIDENTS FEEL ARE THE TOP PRIORITIES FOR THE COMMUNITY.
WE'RE ALSO ABLE TO MEASURE TRENDS FROM YOUR PREVIOUS SURVEYS.
MOST OF THESE QUESTIONS ARE THE SAME ONES WE'VE ASKED IN THE PAST SO THAT WE CAN MEASURE TRENDS OVER TIME.
AND WE'RE ALSO ABLE TO COMPARE YOUR RESULTS WITH OTHER COMMUNITIES ACROSS THE COUNTRY.
SO I MENTIONED THIS IS THE FOURTH COMMUNITY SURVEY WE'VE CONDUCTED FOR LEAGUE CITY.
WE'VE DONE THIS EVERY OTHER YEAR, STARTING IN 2019.
THE SURVEY WAS ADMINISTERED BY A COMBINATION OF MAIL AND ONLINE TO RANDOMLY SELECTED RESIDENTS THROUGHOUT THE CITY.
OUR GOAL WAS TO RECEIVE 400 COMPLETED SURVEYS AND
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WE ENDED UP WITH 406, WHICH IS A TYPICAL SAMPLE SIZE FOR A CITY OF THE SIZE OF LEAGUE CITY.THE 406 SURVEYS AT THE 95% LEVEL OF CONFIDENCE HAS A MARGIN OF ERROR, PLUS OR MINUS 4.8%.
ESSENTIALLY THAT MEANS THAT IF WE CONDUCTED THIS SURVEY THE SAME WAY A HUNDRED TIMES 95 TIMES, THE RESULTS WOULD BE PLUS OR MINUS 4.8% FROM WHAT WE'RE REPORTING.
SO EVEN FOR A STATISTICALLY VALID SURVEY LIKE THIS, RESULTS ARE NOT PERFECT, BUT THE MARGIN OF ERROR IS SMALL.
AND AS WE WERE ADMINISTERING THE SURVEY, WE MADE SURE THAT THE DEMOGRAPHICS OF SURVEY RESPONDENTS REFLECT THE ACTUAL POPULATION OF THE CITY.
WE ESPECIALLY PAID CLOSE ATTENTION TO KEY DEMOGRAPHIC AREAS SUCH AS AGE, RACE, ETHNICITY, UH, GENDER AND HOUSEHOLD INCOME.
SO HERE'S WHAT WE LEARNED FROM THE SURVEY.
WE FOUND THAT RESIDENTS HAVE A VERY POSITIVE PERCEPTION OF LEAGUE CITY, 92% OF RESPONDENTS RATE LEAGUE CITY AS AN EXCELLENT OR A GOOD PLACE TO LIVE.
AND 94% RATE LEAGUE CITY AS AN EXCELLENT OR A GOOD PLACE TO RATE CHILDREN.
THOSE NUMBERS ARE MUCH HIGHER THAN MOST OTHER COMMUNITIES.
AS YOU SEE IN, YOU'LL SEE IN A LITTLE BIT WHEN WE GET TO THE BENCHMARKING COMPARISONS, WE ALSO FOUND THAT LEE CITY IS HEADED IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION.
SATISFACTION RATINGS HAVE INCREASED IN 68 OUT OF 97 AREAS SINCE YOUR LAST SURVEY IN 2023.
AND THAT'S ESPECIALLY IMPRESSIVE BECAUSE IN 2023 YOUR RESULTS WERE AMONG THE HIGHEST IN THE COUNTRY.
SO THEY'VE REMAINED THAT WAY AND ACTUALLY EVEN GOTTEN A LITTLE BIT BETTER OVER THE PAST COUPLE OF YEARS.
WE ALSO FOUND THAT SATISFACTION WITH CITY SERVICES IS MUCH HIGHER IN LEAK CITY THAN THE OTHER COMMUNITIES.
LEAK CITY RATED ABOVE THE US AVERAGE IN 55 OUTTA THE 56 AREAS THAT WE COMPARED.
IN MOST CASES, YOUR RATINGS ARE SIGNIFICANTLY HIGHER.
WE'LL LOOK AT SOME OF THOSE IN MORE DETAIL IN A LITTLE BIT, BUT THERE WERE A COUPLE AREAS I WANTED TO MAKE SURE TO POINT OUT.
ONE IS THAT SATISFACTION WITH THE OVERALL QUALITY OF CITY SERVICES RATES 29 PERCENTAGE POINTS ABOVE THE US AVERAGE.
AND THAT'S ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT QUESTIONS ON THE SURVEY BECAUSE THEY'RE ASKING RESIDENTS TO TAKE INTO ACCOUNT ALL THE SERVICES THAT YOU'RE PROVIDING.
AND THEN ONE OF THE AREAS WHERE YOU RATE THE FARTHEST ABOVE THE US AVERAGE IS CUSTOMER SERVICE PROVIDED BY THE CITY.
AND THEN THE TOP OVERALL PRIORITIES FOR CITY SERVICES ARE TRAFFIC FLOW AND CONGESTION, MAINTENANCE OF STREET SIDEWALKS AND UTILITIES AND DRAINAGE AND STORMWATER EFFORTS.
AND THESE ARE SIMILAR PRIORITIES TO PREVIOUS YEARS.
SO FIRST WE'LL LOOK AT SOME GENERAL PERCEPTIONS RESIDENTS HAVE OF THE CITY HERE WE ASK RESIDENTS TO RATE THEIR PERCEPTIONS OF LEAGUE CITY IN A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT WAYS.
YOU CAN SEE THE DARK BLUE ARE THOSE RATINGS OF EXCELLENT.
THE LIGHT BLUE IS GOOD, THE GRAY IS NEUTRAL, AND WE INTERPRET NEUTRAL AS AVERAGE OR MEETING EXPECTATIONS.
SO RATING OF A THREE ON A FIVE POINT SCALE.
AND THEN THE PINK ARE RATINGS OF BELOW AVERAGE POOR.
SO YOU CAN SEE OVERALL THE POSITIVE RANGE FAR AWAY THE NEGATIVE.
IF YOU LOOK AT THE TOP OF THE CHART, YOU SEE OVER 90% OF RESPONDENTS RATED LAKE CITY AS AN EXCELLENT OR GOOD PLACE TO LIVE AND TO RAISE CHILDREN WITH ONLY A HANDFUL OF RESPONDENTS GIVE ALREADY OF BELOW AVERAGE REPORT.
HERE'S SOME MORE PERCEPTIONS OF THE CITY.
UM, AGAIN, THE BLUE OR THE POSITIVE RATINGS, THE GRAY IS NEUTRAL OR AVERAGE, AND THE PINK ARE, ARE THOSE WHO ARE DISSATISFIED.
ONCE AGAIN, THE POSITIVE RATINGS, UH, ARE FAR ABOVE THE NEGATIVE.
IN PARTICULAR, THEY'RE VERY HIGH RATINGS TO THE OVERALL QUALITY OF LIFE IN LEAGUE CITY, THE REPUTATION OF LEAGUE CITY, AND THEN THE OVERALL QUALITY OF CITY SERVICES.
HERE WE ASK RESIDENTS TO RATE MAJOR CATEGORIES OF CITY SERVICES.
SO HERE WE ASK RESIDENTS TO RATE THESE AREAS AT THE BIG PICTURE DEPARTMENTAL LEVEL.
AND THEN LATER ON IN THE SURVEY WE ASKED ABOUT SOME MORE SPECIFIC AREAS WITHIN SOME OF THESE CATEGORIES.
SO ONCE AGAIN, YOU CAN SEE IN MOST AREAS THE POSITIVE RANGE FAR OUTWEIGH THE NEGATIVE.
THE HIGHEST RATE AREAS INCLUDE FIRE, POLICE, UH, TRASH AND RECYCLING, UH, LIBRARY SERVICES, PARKS AND RECREATION.
THERE'S ONLY ONE AREA THAT HAD MORE THAN 12% OF RESIDENTS WHO WERE DISSATISFIED AND THAT WAS TRAFFIC FLOW AND CONGESTION.
BUT THAT'S TYPICAL FOR SUCH A FAST GROWING CITY.
IT'S SIMILAR TO YOUR PREVIOUS SURVEYS.
SO WE ALSO FOUND THAT SATISFACTION WITH CITY SERVICES IS HIGH IN ALL AREAS OF THE CITY.
SO HERE WE HAVE A MAP OF LEAGUE CITY AND WE BROKE THE RESULTS OUT BY CENSUS BLOCK GROUP.
SO THIS TELLS US IF RESIDENTS IN DIFFERENT PARTS OF THE CITY HAVE DIFFERENT PERCEPTIONS OF THE CITY OR RATE SERVICES DIFFERENTLY.
THIS MAP IS FOR THE OVERALL QUALITY OF CITY SERVICES.
YOU CAN SEE THE ENTIRE MAP IS BLUE.
SO THIS TELLS US THAT RESIDENTS IN ALL PARTS OF THE CITY ARE SATISFIED WITH THE OVERALL QUALITY OF CITY SERVICES.
AND DEMETRI DOING A GREAT JOB PROVIDING SERVICES EQUALLY ALL THROUGHOUT THE CITY.
AND THIS MAP SHOWS HOW RESIDENTS FEEL ABOUT THE OVERALL QUALITY OF LIFE IN LEAGUE CITY.
AGAIN, THE ENTIRE MAP IS BLUE AND IN FACT QUITE A BIT OF IT IS DARK BLUE, WHICH IS THE HIGHEST POSSIBLE RATING.
SO THIS TELLS US THAT RESIDENTS ALL
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THROUGHOUT THE CITY, UM, GAVE VERY HIGH RATINGS TO THE OVERALL QUALITY OF LIFE IN LEAGUE CITY.SO I MENTIONED EARLIER THAT SATISFACTION WITH CITY SERVICES IS MUCH HIGHER IN LEAGUE CITY THAN OTHER COMMUNITIES.
LEAGUE CITY RATED ABOVE THE US AVERAGE IN 55 OUTTA THE 56 AREAS.
THE ONLY AREA THAT WAS LOW WAS TRAFFIC FLOW, BUT EVEN THAT WASN'T TOO MUCH LOWER.
UM, AND YOU RATED SIGNIFICANTLY HIGHER IN 53 OF THOSE AREAS.
AND BY SIGNIFICANT I MEAN 5% OR MORE ABOVE THE US AVERAGE AND LAKE CITY ALSO RATED ABOVE THE TEXAS AVERAGE IN 55 OF 56 AREAS.
WITH THOSE 55 AREAS ALL BEING SIGNIFICANTLY HIGHER.
SO FOR THESE NEXT FEW CHARTS, THE DARK BLUE BAR OR LAKE CITY RESIDENTS WHO ARE EITHER VERY SATISFIED OR SATISFIED, THE LIGHT BLUE OR THE SATISFACTION RATINGS FOR RESIDENTS FROM ALL ACROSS THE US AND THE GRAY BAR, THE SATISFACTION RATINGS FOR RESIDENTS FROM ACROSS TEXAS.
AND THIS IS BASED ON A NATIONAL SURVEY THAT ETC INSTITUTE CONDUCTS WITH RANDOMLY SELECTED RESIDENTS ALL ACROSS THE COUNTRY.
UM, SO THIS FIRST CHARTS FOR PERCEPTIONS OF THE CITY.
YOU CAN SEE LEAGUE CITY RATES MUCH HIGHER THAN OTHER CITIES AS A PLACE TO LIVE, AS A PLACE TO RAISE CHILDREN AS A PLACE, AND AS A, AS A PLACE TO WORK AND AS A PLACE TO RETIRE, AS A PLACE TO VISIT DOESN'T RATE QUITE AS MUCH HIGHER, BUT IT'S STILL ABOVE THE TEXAS NATIONAL AVERAGE.
HERE ARE MORE PERCEPTIONS OF THE CITY.
YOU CAN SEE ALL OF THESE AREAS RATES SIGNIFICANTLY HIGHER THAN OTHER COMMUNITIES, INCLUDING THE REPUTATION, OVERALL APPEARANCE OF THE CITY.
IF YOU LOOK AT THE THIRD ROW DOWN, OVERALL QUALITY OF CITY SERVICES, THAT'S ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT QUESTIONS 'CAUSE WE'RE ASKING RESIDENTS TO TAKE INTO ACCOUNT ALL OF THE SERVICES THAT YOU'RE PROVIDING.
AND YOU CAN SEE YOUR RATINGS ARE ABOUT 30 PERCENTAGE POINTS ABOVE BOTH THE TEXAS AND US AVERAGE.
AND IF YOU LOOK AT THAT FOURTH ROW DOWN, YOU CAN SEE 71% OF RESIDENTS ARE SATISFIED WITH THE OVERALL VALUE THEY RECEIVE FOR CA TAX DOLLARS AND FEES.
AND THAT IS MORE THAN DOUBLE BOTH THE TEXAS AND NATIONAL AVERAGE, WHICH ARE JUST AROUND 30%.
THIS IS THE QUESTION ABOUT MAJOR CATEGORIES OF CITY SERVICES.
SO HERE'S WHERE WE'RE ASKING YOUR RESIDENTS TO RATE THESE AREAS.
AT THE BIG PICTURE DEPARTMENTAL LEVEL, YOU CAN SEE IN EVERY AREA OTHER THAN TRAFFIC FLOW, YOUR RATING ARE SIGNIFICANTLY ABOVE THE TEXAS NATIONAL AVERAGE.
COUPLE OF THE AREAS WHERE YOU RATE THE FARTHEST ABOVE OTHER COMMUNITIES ARE CUSTOMER SERVICE AND IN COMMUNICATION, UH, WITH THE PUBLIC.
AND THEN TRAFFIC FLOW DOESN'T RATE AS HIGH, BUT YOU CAN SEE IT'S STILL ON PAR WITH THE TEXAS AVERAGE AND JUST A LITTLE BELOW THE NATIONAL AVERAGE.
AND AGAIN, FOR SUCH A FAST GROWING CITY, THAT'S PRETTY TYPICAL.
AND THEN HERE ARE COMPARISONS FOR HOW SAFE RESIDENTS FEEL IN VARIOUS SITUATIONS.
AND YOU CAN SEE LAKE CITY RESIDENTS FEEL MUCH SAFER THAN THE RESIDENTS IN OTHER CITIES.
AND ALL OF THESE SCENARIOS, UM, IN THEIR NEIGHBORHOOD DURING THE DAY, IN THEIR NEIGHBORHOOD AT NIGHT, JUST THE OVERALL FEELING OF SAFETY IN THE CITY AND THEN WALKING IN CITY, UH, PARKS AND TRAILS.
SO I ALSO MENTIONED EARLIER THAT LEASE CITIES MOVING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION AND 2023, YOUR RATINGS WERE AMONG THE HIGHEST IN THE COUNTRY.
AND SINCE THEN, THE RATINGS HAVE ACTUALLY INCREASED IN 68 OUT OF 97 AREAS, SAY EXACTLY THE SAME IN ONE AREA, AND THEN DECREASE IN 28 AREAS.
AND THIS INCLUDES 26 AREAS THAT HAS SIGNIFICANT INCREASE IN SATISFACTION SINCE 2023, AS IN OTHER WORDS, 5% OR MORE ABOVE THAN TWO YEARS AGO.
AND THERE ARE NO AREAS THAT HAD SIGNIFICANT DECREASES.
SO ALL OF THOSE 28 DECREASES WERE BY LESS THAN 5%.
SO HERE ARE COMPARISONS FOR, UH, THE ORANGE BAR SHOWS 2019.
SO THAT'S THE FIRST YEAR WE DID YOUR SURVEY, THE, THE BASELINE YEAR, THE GRAY BAR, THE 2023 RESULTS.
AND THEN THE BLUE BAR THIS YEAR WAS 2025.
SO THIS SHOWS A SHORT TERM AND LONG TERM COMPARISONS.
THIS IS FOR MAJOR CATEGORIES OF CITY SERVICES.
SO IF YOU LOOK AT THE TOP, YOU CAN SEE THEIR RATINGS HAVE REMAINED CONSISTENTLY HIGH FOR FIRE AND POLICE SERVICES STAYING RIGHT AROUND 90% SATISFACTION.
IF YOU LOOK AT THE THIRD ROW DOWN, QUALITY OF TRASH AND RECYCLING SERVICES, THAT'S ONE OF THE AREAS THAT HAD AMONG THE BIGGER INCREASES IN SATISFACTION THIS YEAR COMPARED TO A COUPLE YEARS AGO, UP FROM 75 TO 88% SATISFACTION.
THE OTHER AREA THAT HAS SIGNIFICANT INCREASE IN SATISFACTION COMPARED TO LAST YEAR, UH, WAS DRAIN WATER, UH, DRAINAGE AND STORMWATER, UH, EFFORTS.
AND THERE WERE SIX AREAS ON THE SURVEY THAT HAD A SATISFACTION INCREASE OF 10% OR MORE SINCE 2023.
SO THESE WERE THE AREAS WITH THE BIGGEST INCREASES INCLUDES HOW WELL YOUR ISSUE WAS HANDLED BY CITY EMPLOYEES HAD THE BIGGEST INCREASE IN 15 PERCENTAGE POINTS HIGHER THAN TWO YEARS AGO.
THE OTHER BIGGEST INCREASES WERE THE OVERALL TRASH AND RECYCLING SERVICES, UH, SPECIFICALLY CURBSIDE RECYCLING, ENFORCING SIGN REGULATIONS, THE ACCURACY OF INFORMATION AND ASSISTANCE THAT'S PROVIDED BY CITY EMPLOYEES.
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THE EXTERIOR MAINTENANCE OF RESIDENTIAL PROPERTIES.SO NOW WE'LL LOOK AT TOP PRIORITIES.
WE SAW EARLIER HOW SATISFIED RESIDENTS ARE WITH MAJOR CATEGORIES OF CITY SERVICES.
THIS IS THE FOLLOW UP QUESTION WHERE WE ASK WHICH OF THESE SERVICES SHOULD RECEIVE THE MOST EMPHASIS FROM CITY LEADERS OVER THE NEXT TWO YEARS.
YOU CAN SEE THE TOP PRIORITY IS TRAFFIC FLOW AND CONGESTION, UH, FOLLOWED BY MAINTENANCE OF STREET SIDEWALKS AND UTILITIES, DRAINAGE AND STORMWATER EFFORTS, AND THEN EFFORTS TO ENSURE THE COMMUNITY'S PREPARED FOR EMERGENCIES.
THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WE CALL THE IMPORTANT SATISFACTION RATING.
AND THIS ANALYSIS IS BASED ON TWO DIFFERENT TYPES OF DATA.
FIRST, WE ASK RESIDENTS HOW SATISFIED THEY ARE SERVICES.
THEN WE ASK WHICH SERVICES SHOULD BE THE MOST IMPORTANT FOR THE CITY TO FOCUS ON.
AND THE IDEA BEHIND THIS IS THOSE AREAS THAT HAVE A COMBINATION OF HIGH OR LOW LEVELS OF SATISFACTION, BUT ARE ALSO THE MOST IMPORTANT ARE THE AREAS THAT ARE IDENTIFIED AS THE TOP PRIORITIES.
UM, SO THIS FIRST TABLE IS FOR MAJOR CATEGORIES OF CITY SERVICES.
YOU CAN SEE TRAFFIC FLOW AND CONGESTION IS A TOP PRIORITY.
THE NEXT HIGHEST PRIORITIES ARE MAINTENANCE OF STREETS, SIDEWALKS AND UTILITIES, AND THEN DRAINAGE AND STORMWATER EFFORTS.
AND THEN THESE ARE THE TOP PRIORITIES SPECIFICALLY FOR PUBLIC'S WORK SERVICES.
YOU CAN SEE THERE ARE A COUPLE OF AREAS IN PINK THAT ARE THE HIGHEST PRIORITIES, UH, MANAGING TRAFFIC FLOW, UM, SPEED OF REPAIR WORK, AND THEN A FEW AREAS IN YELLOW, WHICH ARE THE NEXT HIGHEST PRIORITY.
AND THEN THESE ARE THE TOP PRIORITIES FOR PUBLIC SAFETY.
UH, THE SATISFACTION RATINGS WERE VERY HIGH ACROSS THE BOARD IN PUBLIC SAFETY.
SO THERE'S NOTHING IN THE PINK, WHICH WOULD BE A VERY, VERY HIGH PRIORITY.
BUT THE HIGHEST PRIORITY ARE VISIBILITY OF POLICE BOTH IN NEIGHBORHOODS AND COMMERCIAL AND RETAIL AREAS.
NOT THAT THOSE RATINGS, UH, THOSE AREAS DIDN'T RECEIVE LOW SATISFACTION RATINGS, BUT THEY'RE JUST AREAS THAT RESIDENTS FEEL ARE IMPORTANT TO CONTINUE TO FOCUS ON.
WE SAW THAT RESIDENTS HAVE A VERY POSITIVE PERCEPTION OF LEAGUE CITY.
THERE'S A LOT OF EXAMPLES OF THAT IN THE REPORT, BUT A COUPLE OF AREAS THAT REALLY STOOD OUT WERE THE EXTREMELY HIGH RATINGS FOR LEAGUE CITY AS A PLACE TO LIVE AND AS A PLACE TO RAISE CHILDREN.
THE CITY'S HEADED IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION.
SATISFACTION RATINGS HAVE INCREASED IN 68 OUT OF 97 AREAS SINCE YOUR LAST SURVEY, INCLUDING MANY SIGNIFICANT INCREASES.
AND THEN ONCE AGAIN, JUST LIKE PREVIOUS YEARS SATISFACTION WITH CITY SERVICES IS MUCH HIGHER IN LEAGUE CITY THAN OTHER COMMUNITIES.
THERE'S A LOT OF EXAMPLES OF THAT IN THE REPORT AS WELL.
BUT A COUPLE OF AREAS THAT REALLY SET OUT WERE THE OVERALL QUALITY OF CITY SERVICES AND CUSTOMER SERVICE.
ALSO VALUE RECEIVED FOR STATE TAX DOLLARS FEE.
UH, STATE TAX DOLLARS AND FEES AND COMMUNICATION WERE A COUPLE OF THE OTHER AREAS, UM, THAT REALLY STOOD OUT.
AND THEN THE TOP OVERALL PRIORITIES, TRAFFIC FLOW AND CONGESTION, UH, MAINTENANCE OF STREET SIDEWALKS AND UTILITIES, AND THEN DRAINAGE AND STORM WATER EFFORTS.
SO WITH THAT, IF ANYONE HAS ANY COMMENTS OR ANY QUESTIONS, I'LL BE HAPPY TO ANSWER THEM.
ANYBODY, I HAVE ONE I GUESS, AND I, I ASKED IT EVERY YEAR, AND I THINK YOU ANSWERED IT EARLIER ABOUT THE STATISTICS, BUT I, TO ME JUST HAVING A 400, UH, UH, PARTICIPANTS I GUESS, OR CITIZENS TO REPORT BACK TO THE CITY DOESN'T SEEM LIKE THAT'S A LARGE ENOUGH PERCENTAGE TO HAVE A GOOD SLICE OF THE PIE.
I MEAN, IT WOULD SEEM TO ME YOU'RE THE EXPERT, BUT IT WOULD SEEM TO ME IF HE HAD A THOUSAND INDIVIDUALS DOING A SURVEY, YOU'D PROBABLY HAVE A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT OUTCOME.
YOU'RE TELLING ME MAYBE YOU WANT TO EXPLAIN IT TO US A LITTLE BIT MORE, UH, IN YOUR EXPERTISE.
I'VE ALWAYS GOT A PROBLEM WITH EVERY YEAR ON THESE SURVEYS, RIGHT? YEAH.
IT IS A TYPICAL SAMPLE SIZE FOR, FOR A CITY THE SIZE OF LEAGUE CITY.
UM, NOW WE COULD DO A THOUSAND SURVEYS AND IT WOULD DECREASE THE MARGIN OF ERROR A LITTLE BIT, BUT NOT SIGNIFICANTLY.
SO THESE 400 SURVEYS, THE MARGIN OF ERROR IS PLUS OR MINUS 4.8%.
UM, IF LET'S SAY WE DID A THOUSAND SURVEYS, THE MARGIN OF ERROR WOULD BE PLUS OR MINUS 3.1%.
UM, SO IT WOULD COST SIGNIFICANTLY MORE TO DO THAT.
IT WOULD ONLY INCREASE THE ACCURACY OF THE DATA BY LESS THAN 2%.
UM, SO EVEN FOR VERY, VERY LARGE CITIES, RARELY DO WE DO MORE THAN A THOUSAND SURVEYS.
SO HAVE YOU SEEN RESULTS? IF YOU DO, I MEAN, WE HAVE 125,000 INDIVIDUALS IN THE CITY.
IF YOU'D DONE SOMETHING WITH 20,000 PARTICIPANTS, WOULD IT MAKE A DIFFERENCE? NO, I DON'T THINK IT WOULD.
NO, I I DON'T THINK THE RESULTS WOULD CHANGE MUCH AT ALL.
EVEN ONCE WE GET A COUPLE HUNDRED SURVEYS IN, YOU'VE GOT A REALLY GOOD IDEA OF HOW THE FINAL RESULTS ARE GONNA TURN OUT.
UM, SO YEAH, I MEAN, WE CERTAINLY COULD DO MORE SURVEYS, BUT AGAIN,
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YOU'D BE, IT'S JUST A LOT MORE COSTLY AND IT REALLY DOESN'T IMPROVE THE ACCURACY OF THE DATA.YOU WANT, YOU WANT RANDOMNESS IN A SAMPLE, NOT NECESSARILY A LARGE END.
SO A LARGE NUMBER YOU CAN, YEAH, THAT'S EXACTLY RIGHT.
A GOOD EXAMPLE WOULD BE, UM, LIKE THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO, WE DO A THOUSAND SURVEYS AND PART OF THE REASON FOR THAT IS 'CAUSE THEY WANT TO ANALYZE THE DATA ALSO AT THE CITY COUNCIL DISTRICT LEVEL.
WE DO 2100 SURVEYS, BUT THAT'S BECAUSE WE DO 150 IN EACH CITY COUNCIL DISTRICT.
ANYBODY ELSE? I, I'M MORE INTERESTED IN THE TRENDS THAT I'VE BEEN SEEING THAN IN THE SAMPLE SIZE AND TO MAKE THOSE IMPROVEMENTS, UH, YEAR OVER YEAR IN THAT MANY DIFFERENT AREAS.
I, I THINK IS A TESTAMENT TO THE WORK THAT JOHN, HIS STAFF'S DONE.
SO I, I APPRECIATE THAT, THAT THAT DOESN'T HAPPEN BY ACCIDENT.
THAT TAKES AWARENESS, COMMITMENT, AND IT HAS TO BE INTENTIONAL.
SO, UH, YOU KNOW, TO SECOND WHAT, UH, MR. CHADWELL SAID, I DO APPRECIATE HOW WE'VE MOVED FORWARD, BUT A LOT OF THESE THINGS, I THINK ALL OF US KNOW, RIGHT? LIKE THE BIGGEST ISSUE WE HAVE IN LEAGUE CITY IS A LOT OF THESE TRAFFIC ISSUES AND DRAINAGE ISSUES AND, UH, YOU KNOW, PROBABLY OVERALL PROPERTY TAX AND STUFF LIKE THAT.
SO IT'S GREAT TO SEE IT, I GUESS, KIND OF REINFORCED BACK TO US ABOUT WHAT WE NEED TO KEEP OUR EYE ON AND, AND CONTINUE TO MOVE FORWARD ON.
SO I ALWAYS FIND THESE THINGS PRETTY ENLIGHTENING TO KIND OF SHOW US WHERE WE NEED TO PUT OUR PRIORITIES, BUT THANK YOU.
AS AN ELECTED OFFICIALS SITTING UP HERE, I'D, I'D LOVE TO TAKE THE CREDIT FOR ALL OF THESE RESULTS.
UM, BUT REALLY I THINK THE, THE ONE TO, TO REALLY LATCH ONTO HERE IS ONE, UM, AS MAYOR POINTED OUT, AND MOST OF US UP HERE RAN ON, UM, FOCUS ON INFRASTRUCTURE FOR TRAFFIC AND DRAINAGE, UM, AND DO IT WITHOUT NEGATIVELY IMPACTING SERVICE ELSEWHERE.
UM, AND I THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, EVERY, EVERY TIME WE HAVE AN ELECTION OR SOMEBODY SAYS, OH, THAT'S WHAT EVERYONE TALKS ABOUT, WELL, WE'RE FOCUSING ON WHAT MATTERS.
BUT I THINK THE NUMBERS THAT REALLY STAND OUT TO ME IN THERE ARE THE ONES WHERE IT LOOKED LIKE WE'RE REALLY, UH, BUCKING THE TREND OF THE, THE STATE AND THE NATION ARE IN THE CUSTOMER SERVICE AREAS.
AND, AND AS MUCH AS I'D LOVE TO TAKE THE CREDIT FOR, YOU KNOW, THINGS THAT WE DO, UM, I THINK THE MOST IMPORTANT THINGS THAT WE DO ARE, UM, IN SELECTING THE FOLKS WHO REPORT TO US, WHO SELECT ALL THE OTHER FOLKS WHO WORK FOR THIS CITY.
UM, SO I'D LIKE TO MAKE A, YOU KNOW, A SINCERE THANK YOU TO, TO JOHN AND THE ENTIRE REST OF THE STAFF, UM, BECAUSE THOSE NUMBERS ARE THE WORK THAT Y'ALL DO, NOT WHAT WE DO.
ANYBODY ELSE? JUST THANK YOU, COUNCILMAN.
SO IT'S STAFF AND COUNCIL AND CITIZENS ALL WORKING TOGETHER.
[5. PUBLIC COMMENTS BEFORE CITY COUNCIL ]
UH, PUBLIC COMMENT, MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC ARE INVITED TO GIVE COMMENTS AT THIS TIME, LASTING NO LONGER THAN THREE MINUTES.COMMENTS MAY BE GENERAL IN NATURE OR MAY ADDRESS A SPECIFIC ITEM.
AGENDA ITEM, I ASK THAT WHENEVER YOU COME UP TO THE PODIUM, YOU DO STATE YOUR NAME AND YOUR ADDRESS FOR THE RECORD.
UH, FIRST UP WOULD BE LARRY ALEXANDER.
YEAH, MY NAME'S LARRY ALEXANDER.
I WAS HERE FOR THE SUBJECT OF THE GENERATOR MATTER, SO, UH, FOR, IT'S A BID PROPOSAL THAT WAS LOOKED AT THIS WEEK, SO I DIDN'T KNOW IF THAT WAS SOMETHING THAT WAS GONNA BE TALKED ABOUT NOW, OR SOMETHING THAT WAS GONNA BE BROUGHT UP A LITTLE LATER.
YEAH, IT'S FURTHER DOWN THE AGENDA.
UH, THE NEXT TWO PEOPLE, THEY'RE SIGNED UP AND I JUST NEED TO ASK IF THEY WANNA SPEAK NOW OR IF THEY WANNA SPEAK WHEN WE ACTUALLY BRING UP ITEM SEVEN, A SANDRA JUDGE, AND ANGELA RICKS, YOU CAN SPEAK NOW, OR IF YOU WANT, YOU CAN HOLD OFF TO THAT ITEM'S PUBLIC COMMENT SECTION HERE IN A FEW MINUTES.
ARE YOU HERE? YOU WANNA HOLD OFF? YES.
NEXT WOULD BE A, I'M SO SORRY, I CANNOT, UH, SEE YOUR LAST NAME.
A, IS SHE BACK THERE? I'M SORRY.
IF YOU WISH TO COME UP AND SPEAK, YOU
[00:30:01]
MAY AT THIS TIME.UH, NEXT WOULD BE CHUCK DEFALCO.
CHUCK DEFALCO, 2118 EASTLAND COURT.
I'D LIKE TO TALK ABOUT ITEM NINE ON TONIGHT'S AGENDA, WHICH IS THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT INVESTMENT POLICY.
UM, I'M NOT A STRANGER TO THIS SUBJECT.
UM, WHEN I WAS ON A MUD DISTRICT MANY MOONS AGO, WE ADOPTED AN, UM, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT INVESTMENT POLICY AND HAD TO DO WITH TAX ABATEMENTS, UM, SMALL COMPARED TO THIS ONE, BUT NEVERTHELESS, WE DID IT.
AND I WAS ALSO ON A, UM, CITY, UH, COMMITTEE, UH, TO, UH, REPORT TO CITY COUNCIL.
UM, OUR ADVICE ON INVESTMENT POLICIES, UM, DON'T HAVE A LOT OF TIME, SO I'LL HIT THE HIGH, HIGH POINTS.
THE GOOD PART OF THE POLICY THAT WAS ATTACHED TO THE AGENDA ITEM NUMBER ONE, THE POLICY EXISTS.
IT'S VERY IMPORTANT YOU'RE NOT FLYING BY THE SEAT OF YOUR PANTS.
UM, IT'S ALSO DETAILED WITHOUT GOING INTO A GAZILLION PAGES.
UH, I DO APPRECIATE THAT ALSO HAS LOOKUP TABLES CONTAINING NUMBERS THAT MAKE SENSE, AND IT HAS A NARROW FOCUS CLAUSE FOR USING ANY PUBLIC FUNDS.
HAVING SAID THAT, I THINK THERE'S A COUPLE AREAS THAT MIGHT NEED IMPROVEMENT.
ONE, I THINK IT SHOULD CONTAIN A CLAUSE ABOUT NO PUBLIC OWNERSHIP OF ANY LAND OR BUILDINGS USED PREDOMINANTLY FOR PRIVATE COMPANIES TO DO BUSINESS.
UM, THERE'S A BIG BOX STORE THAT MANY OF YOU PROBABLY KNOW THAT I WON'T NAME THAT.
UH, THERE BUSINESS MODEL INVOLVES, UH, THE CITY BUYING THEIR BIG BOX STORE SO THAT THEY DON'T HAVE TO PAY PROPERTY TAXES AND THEY JUST RENT.
UM, UH, I GUESS A BETTER, ANOTHER EXAMPLE MIGHT BE OWNING RAW PIECE OF LAND, UH, JUST FOR FLEA MARKET BOOTS.
UM, THAT, THAT SHOULD BE A TOTALLY PRIVATE ENTERPRISE.
IN OTHER WORDS, LEAGUE CITY SHOULD NOT BE IN THE REAL ESTATE BUSINESS IN THE INVESTMENT TOOLS SECTION.
UM, THERE'S A COUPLE LINE ITEMS. UH, TAX ABATEMENT AND PROPERTY TAX REBATES.
I THINK WE SHOULD ADD A CAVEAT TO THAT.
UM, THERE SHOULD NEVER BE A 0% PROPERTY TAX RATE AT ANY TIME, AND IT SHOULD NOT BE DISCRETIONARY ON THE PART OF COUNCIL OR WHOEVER, UM, MAKES THE DECISIONS.
UM, AND IT SHOULD SAY THAT IN THE POLICY, I DON'T THINK IT'S RIGHT FOR A COMMERCIAL BUSINESS OR RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY OF ANY TYPE TO HAVE 0% PROPERTY TAXES IN ANY GIVEN YEAR.
REGARDLESS OF THE CIRCUMSTANCES, EVERYBODY SHOULD PAY PAY IN EVERY YEAR TO HELP SUPPORT CITY SERVICES.
AND IF IT'S A COMMERCIAL BUSINESS, I REALLY DON'T CARE HOW MUCH SALES TAX THEY PROMISED TO BRING IN.
THEY, THEY NEED TO PAY A NON-TRIVIAL LEVEL OF PROPERTY TAX EVERY YEAR.
[6. CONSENT AGENDA]
AGENDA ITEM SIX, EIGHT.YOU SIGNED UP AT THE VERY BOTTOM.
I KNEW SHE WAS GONNA CATCH ME ON THAT.
NEXT TIME SHE'S GONNA THROW SOMETHING AT ME.
YOU'LL BE PRECISE FOR THREE MINUTES MAYBE.
UH, MY NAME IS PEGGY ZALAR, 1802 RAMPART.
I AM YOUR REPRESENTATIVE TO THE CLEAR CREEK WATERSHED STEERING COMMITTEE.
WE HAD OUR MEETING EARLIER THIS MONTH, UH, AS USUAL, THE HARRIS COUNTY FLOOD CONTROL DISTRICT REPORTED ON THE PROJECTS AND ALL ARE PRETTY MUCH ON SCHEDULE EXCEPT FOR THE CLEAR CREEK FEDERAL PROJECT THAT HAS NOW SLIPPED A YEAR.
IT'S NOT UNEXPECTED, UH, BUT, UM, THERE, THERE ARE SOME, UH, SOME ISSUES THAT, THAT WE'RE WORKING THROUGH.
I WOULD LIKE YOUR PERMISSION, UH, TO TAKE FORWARD A CONCERN I HAVE, BUT I WILL NEED YOU TO TELL ME IT'S OKAY.
I I DO THINK IT'S IMPORTANT FOR US TO HAVE A ROBUST DISCUSSION.
US BEING THE, THE FOLKS INVOLVED, UH, IN DRAINAGE AND FLOODING FROM A WATERSHED PERSPECTIVE, UH, TO ASSURE THAT THE COMMUNITIES ADJACENT TO OUR WATERSHED HAVE THE STRICTEST OF STANDARDS.
IN OTHER WORDS, WHATEVER THE HIGHEST STANDARD IS FOR ONE COMMUNITY TO WORK TOWARD HAVING THAT STANDARD FOR ALL COMMUNITIES.
UH, CURRENTLY THAT IS NOT THE CASE.
[00:35:01]
SO NO MATTER WHAT WE DO DOWNSTREAM, IF THOSE FOLKS UPSTREAM OF US DON'T, UM, INCORPORATE THE STRICTEST STANDARDS, THEN WE'RE DOOMED TO JUST BUILD AS MANY DEPENDENT PONDS AS WE CAN UNTIL WE FIND A REGIONAL SOLUTION.I FIND THAT UNACCEPTABLE, AND I WOULD LIKE TO HAVE THAT DISCUSSION.
I THINK WITH YOUR SUPPORT, UH, WE CAN BEGIN, UH, A VERY ROBUST DISCUSSION BECAUSE IF YOU REMEMBER, UH, REPRESENTATIVE DENNIS PAUL HAD SOME LEGISLATION PUT FORWARD IN LAST SESSION TO TRY TO RESOLVE SOME OF THOSE ISSUES.
IT WAS NOT SUCCESSFUL, DIDN'T GO FORWARD.
I TALKED TO DENNIS, HE INTENDS TO, UM, REINTRODUCE THAT LEGISLATION.
I WANNA HAVE THE DISCUSSION BEFORE WE GO INTO SESSION.
SO IF YOU WOULD LET ME KNOW IF THAT'S OKAY WITH YOU.
I WOULD LIKE TO GO FORWARD ON ANOTHER NOTE.
I SENT YOU A FLYER EARLIER TODAY, A COUPLE HOURS AGO.
I WOULD LIKE TO EXTEND AN INVITATION TO YOU AND ALL OF OUR CITIZENS TO COME CELEBRATE WITH US AT THE CROSSINGS.
AND WE WILL BE CELEBRATING MONDAY, MARCH 2ND, FIVE 30 TO SEVEN 30, TEXAS INDEPENDENCE DAY.
AND WE ARE, UM, PARTNERING WITH THE HELEN HALL LIBRARY.
AND WE'RE DOING THAT BECAUSE THE LIBRARY, UM, RECEIVED EXHIBITION DISPLAYS FOR TEXAS AMERICA TWO 50, AND IT'S A TRAVELING EXHIBITION.
AND SO THE PURPOSE IS TO GO THROUGHOUT THE COMMUNITY.
THE CROSSINGS WILL BE THE FIRST HOST FOR THAT DISPLAY AND THE EXHIBITION.
SO PLEASE JOIN US MONDAY, FIVE 30 TO SEVEN 30.
I HAVE SAMPLED THE MENU, UH, THE BAR, THE WINE IS EXCELLENT.
UH, WE WILL HAVE THE GALLERY EXPERIENCE, SO PLEASE JOIN US.
LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING YOU FOR CITIZENS TWO.
ALL RIGHT,
CONSENT AGENDA ITEM SIX A THROUGH SIX K.
MAYOR, I'D LIKE TO PULL SIX K.
I'LL MOVE TO APPROVE THE REMAINDER.
DID IT AGAIN, DIDN'T IT?
COUNCILMAN S YOU SAID YOU WANT TO, YEAH, YOU'VE GOTTA, YOU'RE GONNA READ IT ALL.
ITEM SIX K, CONSIDER AND TAKE ACT.
AUTHORIZE AN EXPENDITURE OF AN AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED, SIR.
WITH READY POWER LLC FOR THE PURCHASE OF FOUR GENERATORS, UTILIZING FEMA, HAZARD MITIGATION GRANT PROGRAM FUNDING, CITY MANAGER AND EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF FACILITIES IN THE IT MAYOR, I MOVE TO REJECT ALL THE BIDS AND DIRECT THE CITY MANAGER TO GO OUT FOR NEW BIDS IMMEDIATELY AND BRING THEM BACK AT THE NEXT SPECIAL MEETING OR REGULAR MEETING.
OKAY, WE HAVE A FIRST AND SECOND.
ANY DISCUSSION? NO, I'LL VOTE.
[7A. 26-0072 Hold a public hearing on a request for a Special Use Permit, SUP-25-0014 (Anchor Bay Gas Station), to allow for an Automobile/Vehicle Fueling Station use on approximately 2.8 acres zoned “CN” (Neighborhood Commercial), generally located at the northeast corner of South Egret Bay Boulevard (FM 270) and Austin Street (Director of Planning)]
MOVE ON.NEXT THE ITEM SEVEN, A PUBLIC HEARING AND ACTIONS FROM PUBLIC HEARING.
HOLD A PUBLIC HEARING ON A REQUEST FOR A SPECIAL USE PERMIT, SUP DASH 25 DASH 0 0 4 ANCHOR BAY GAS STATION TO ALLOW FOR AN AUTOMOBILE VEHICLE FUELING STATION USE ON APPROXIMATELY 2.8 ACRES.
ZONED CN NEIGHBORHOOD COMMERCIAL, GENERALLY LOCATED AT THE NORTHEAST CORNER OF SOUTH EAGER BAY BOULEVARD, FM TWO 70 AND AUSTIN STREET, DIRECTOR OF PLANNING.
AND WE HAVE THE OPEN THE PUBLIC HEARING AT 6 39.
OH YEAH, THERE'S, WE GOT PLENTY SIGNED UP.
I'M GONNA GO AND GO WITH THOSE FIRST TWO, THEN GO TO LIST FIRST.
I'M GONNA GO WITH THESE TWO FIRST.
YEAH, FIRST UP WOULD BE SANDRA.
JUDGE, THEY SIGNED UP ON THE LIST.
I SAID THIS WAS JUST ENOUGH OF A COUNTRY FEEL, BUT ONLY FIVE MINUTES AWAY FROM
[00:40:01]
MOST CONVENIENCES THAT I WANTED.WE HAD C-C-I-S-D-A GREAT SCHOOL FOR MY KIDS.
FM TWO 70 WAS AND STILL IS A TWO LANE ROAD.
TRAFFIC HAD ITS RUSH HOUR, BUT THE NOISE WAS QUIET MOST OF THE TIME.
THEY HAD 10 ACRES BEHIND ME WITH THE HOUSE, BEHIND MY HOUSE WITH HORSES THAT MY KIDS WOULD FEED CARROTS TO.
THIS IS A GREAT PLACE TO LIVE.
HARVEY WAS A WAKE UP CALL TO ALL OF US LEAGUE CITY INSTALLED NEW DEVELOPMENT RULES REQUIRING RETENTION PONDS FOR ALL NEW DEVELOPMENTS.
THIS IS THE ONE THING I AGREE WITH.
MY LITTLE NEIGHBORHOOD DID NOT FLOOD, BUT THE WATER ROSE UP TO THE MIDDLE OF THE YARDS IN MOST OF THE HOUSES.
WE WERE BLESSED DURING HARVEY.
OUR NEIGHBORHOOD WAS BUILT UP HIGH, BUT NOW ALL THESE NEW DEVELOPS ARE BEING BUILT HIGHER.
IT'S ONLY A MATTER OF TIME BEFORE WE FLOOD.
I WENT TO THE MEETING ALMOST TWO WEEKS AGO AND SAW THE PLANS.
THE COMMITTEE WAS TOLD IT WOULD BE ADDRESSED LATER.
CALL ME SKEPTICAL, BUT I DON'T HAVE ANY FAITH IN THAT ANSWER.
IF WE HAVE ENOUGH RAIN RIGHT NOW, AUSTIN STREET HAS A LITTLE DIP WHERE THE WATER WILL SIT UNTIL IT DRIES UP.
NOW ADD THE RUNOFF WATER FROM THE GAS STATION AND WE WON'T BE ABLE TO GET INTO OUR NEIGHBORHOOD.
WE WENT FROM A QUIET LITTLE NEIGHBORHOOD TO NOISE AND LIGHT POLLUTION.
THE TRAFFIC BACKS UP ON FM TWO 70 TO HEWITT ROAD, TO FM 19 TO FM FIVE 18.
YOU HAVE COMMUTERS AND PARENTS TRYING TO TAKE THEIR KIDS TO SCHOOL.
THE PROBLEMS WITH TRAFFIC WILL ONLY GET WORSE WITH ANY DEVELOPMENT ON THAT CORNER.
THE ENTRANCE TO THE GAS STATIONS WILL BE IN THE TURN LANES ON THAT CORNER.
IF THESE, IF THESE ROADS ARE ALREADY BLOCKED, THEN HOW WILL CUSTOMERS GET INTO THE GAS STATION? THEY WILL GO DOWN TO AUSTIN STREET, TURN INTO AUSTIN PARK, TURN AROUND THE FIRST FEW DRIVEWAYS THEY SEE RUNNING OVER OUR LAWNS.
WORSE YET, NOT PAYING ATTENTION AND HITTING SOMEONE OR SOMETHING.
I LOVE WHERE I BUILT MY HOUSE, BUT THE 10 ACRES WERE SOLD AND A FOUR STORY APARTMENT COMPLEX WAS BUILT RIGHT BEHIND MY BACKYARD.
THAT WOULD BE THE HIGH BRIDGE ON GROT BAY.
FOR THE FIRST 15 YEARS I LIVED THERE, I NEVER SAW A SNAKE, A RAT, A POSSUM, OR A RACCOON.
A FEW NEIGHBORS WOULD SEE THEM OCCASIONALLY, BUT FOR THE MOST PART, THERE WERE NOT AN ISSUE.
WE ARE STILL IN A COUNTRY SETTING SINCE THEY BROKE GROUND FIVE YEARS AGO.
I HAVE HAD RATS CLIMBING UP THE BRICKS ON MY HOUSE TO THE ROOF AND INTO THE HOUSE.
WITH ALL OF THAT LAND BEING BUILT UP.
WHERE'S THE VERMIN SUPPOSED TO GO? THIS IS A HEALTH HAZARD FOR ALL OF US.
SO NOT ONLY THAT GAS STATION IS GONNA CAUSE ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEMS WITH RODENTS, IT'S ALSO GONNA CAUSE TRAFFIC PROBLEMS. IT'S ALSO GONNA CAUSE THEFT PROBLEMS. I MEAN, THERE'S POTENTIAL FOR ALL KINDS OF THINGS TO HAPPEN IN THAT AREA.
WOULD EVERYBODY FROM AUSTIN PARK NEIGHBORHOOD RAISE YOUR HAND SO THEY CAN TELL WHO ALL'S HERE FOR US? WE FEEL STRONGLY ABOUT THIS.
I JUST HAPPEN TO BE THE FIRST ONE TO SPEAK.
RICKS GOOD EVENING COUNCIL MEMBERS.
I ALSO LIVE IN AUSTIN PARK AT 1 0 0 8 RIO GRANDE STREET.
UM, I AM HERE TO VOICE MY EXTREME OPPOSITION TO SEVEN A AND SEVEN B.
I SENT EMAILS TO ALL OF YOU AND SPOKE TO SEVERAL OF YOU, AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME.
UH, WE HAVE THE APARTMENTS, SCHOOLS, CHURCHES.
BOTH OF THE STREETS THAT BORDER THIS PROJECT ARE TWO LANES.
I'M CONCERNED ABOUT CRIME AND SAFETY.
THIS PROJECT WILL BRING TRAFFIC, PEOPLE, TRAFFIC IN TO STOP NEAR OUR NEIGHBORHOOD THAT WOULD NORMALLY JUST DRIVE PAST.
I'M CONCERNED ABOUT SATURATION.
THIS WOULD BE THE FOURTH GAS STATION WITHIN A MILE RADIUS OF OUR HOMES.
I JUST DON'T SEE HOW IT'S WARRANTED.
AND BUILDING FOR BUILDING'S SAKE REALLY DOESN'T MAKE SENSE.
SO THOSE ARE MY CONCERNS AND I APPRECIATE YOUR TIME.
I'M WITH DIMENSIONS ARCHITECT.
WE ARE THE ARCHITECTURE FIRM THAT WAS RETAINED TO WORK ON THE DESIGN OF ANCHOR AND BAY.
AND SO ONE THING I WANNA CLARIFY QUICKLY IS THAT YES, IT DOES HAVE A GAS STATION, BUT THAT'S NOT THE ONLY PART OF IT.
THIS IS A 15,000 SQUARE FOOT, UM, RETAIL.
UM, UH, IF YOU GUYS COULD HEAR ME, UH, RETAIL, UM, CENTER.
AND THE GAS STATION IS JUST ONE COMPONENT OF IT, WHICH IS ABOUT 6,000 SQUARE FEET.
[00:45:01]
9,000 WOULD BE RETAIL.AND THIS IS REALLY A QUALITY BUILD.
UM, MY FIRM DOES GAS STATIONS THROUGHOUT THE STATE AND WE DO EVERYTHING FROM WHAT YOU WOULD CONSIDER THE EYESORE, THE METAL BUILDING THAT IS JUST THERE FOR THE PURPOSE OF SELLING FUEL.
THIS IS A HUNDRED PERCENT MASONRY WITH QUALITY MATERIALS AND IT'S MADE TO STAND THERE AND BE THERE FOR A LONG TIME.
THE CLIENT HAS BUILT ANOTHER SIMILAR PROJECT IN
AND I INVITE YOU GUYS TO DRIVE BY AND SEE IT.
IT DOES NOT LOOK LIKE A TYPICAL GAS STATION.
IT REALLY IS A GOOD LOOKING BUILDING.
UM, I KNOW THERE WAS SOME CONCERN ABOUT DETENTION.
AND SO WHAT WAS NOT MENTIONED AT THE PREVIOUS PLANNING, UM, IN ZONING MEETING IS THAT THERE IS UNDERGROUND DETENTION.
SO ANY WATER THAT WOULD POTENTIALLY RUN OFF THE SITE IS GONNA BE CAPTURED ON THE SITE.
THE OTHER THING IS THAT, UM, FM TWO 70 HAS ALREADY BEEN TARGETED BY TECH, SOUGHT TO BE EXPANDED AND TO ADD, UM, AN ADDITIONAL LANE IN EACH DIRECTION OF THAT INTERSECTION.
AND ONE OF THE REQUIREMENTS OF TEXDOT IS THAT ANY RUNOFF THAT COMES OFF THE HIGHWAY NEEDS TO BE TREATED ON THE SITE.
SO THIS PROPERTY HAS BEEN VETTED BY TDOT.
IT INCORPORATES ADDING THE ADDITIONAL LANES TO ADDRESS TRAFFIC.
AND THIS WOULD BE, UM, FAST TRACK BECAUSE OF THIS PROJECT.
IF NOT, TDOT HAS IT ON THERE, BUT THEY WOULD JUST GET TO IT WHENEVER THE NEED AROSE FROM SOMEBODY DEVELOPING A CORNER.
SO THAT'S ONE OF THE THINGS ON THERE.
ALSO, UM, THE PREVIOUS RENDERINGS THAT WERE SHARED DID NOT REALLY GIVE JUSTICE TO THE WAY THE BUILDING LOOKS.
UH, UNFORTUNATELY WE WEREN'T ABLE TO SHARE, UM, NEW IMAGES THROUGH, UM, THE SCREEN.
BUT WE DO HAVE PRINTOUTS FOR MORE THAN, I'M HAPPY TO PASS THEM OUT.
YOU GUYS CAN SEE WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE.
THE ENTIRE PROPERTY IS SURROUNDED BY LANDSCAPE.
THE LIGHTING IS CUT OFF A HUNDRED PERCENT AT THE PROPERTY LINE.
SO THE WAY LIGHTING IS MEASURED IS BY THE, THE USE OF FOOT CANDLES.
SO IF YOU STAND IN THE PROPERTY LINE, YOU WILL NOT HAVE ANY LIGHT THAT IS GONNA GO PAST THE PROPERTY ONTO ANY OF THE ADJACENT PROPERTIES.
NOT ONLY BECAUSE OF THE LIGHT FIXTURES THAT ARE BEING USED THAT ARE SHIELDED, BUT BECAUSE OF, YOU CAN TELL FROM THAT RENDERING THE AMOUNT OF LANDSCAPING THAT IS AROUND THE PROPERTY.
WE HAVE A 30 FOOT LANDSCAPE BUFFER ON ONE SIDE AND THEN A 20 FOOT BUFFER ON THE OTHER.
SO THIS IS REALLY, IT'S GONNA CREATE MORE OF A GREEN SPACE AT THAT INTERSECTION, UM, THAN IT WAS THE WAY IT STANDS NOW OR IF SOMETHING ELSE IS TO BE DEVELOPED.
UM, SAME THING WITH ACOUSTICS.
UM, THE RADIO HELPS TO, MAYBE THE LANDSCAPING HELPS TO BLOCK OFF SOME OF THE SOUND.
WELL, YOU CAN CLOSE THE PUBLIC MEETING AND THEN OPEN IT UP TO DISCUSSION IF YOU'D LIKE, BUT I WOULD LIKE TO, UH, SPEAK AT THAT TIME.
I LEMME GO AHEAD AND FINISH UP THE PUBLIC COMMENT SESSION.
I'M SORRY, I CAN'T READ YOUR HANDWRITING.
CAN YOU SEE THAT CHAD? WHAT? THIS ONE HERE CAN THE SECOND ONE? YEAH, I'M
I HAVE HORRIBLE HANDWRITING TO BEGIN WITH MYSELF AND I'M HARD TO READ SOME PEOPLE'S HANDWRITING.
WELL, YOU JUST MAYBE PROBABLY REALIZE THAT I HAVE BAD HANDWRITING.
UH, COUNCIL MEMBERS, MAYOR, AND ALSO THE CITY OF RESIDENCE.
UM, I TOO, MYSELF AM A RESIDENT.
BASICALLY, MY FAMILY AND I HAVE BEEN RECITING, UH, IN LAKE CITY AND DOING BUSINESS SINCE THE 1970S.
UH, I HEAR ALL OF YOUR CONCERNS.
UH, THIS IS NOT JUST AN INVESTOR LED PROJECT.
THIS IS OUR FAMILY'S LIVELIHOOD.
AND I'LL GLADLY ADDRESS ALL THOSE CONCERNS LIKE OUR ENGINEER JUST MENTIONED.
BUT A FEW THINGS THAT, UH, THAT I RECALL, EVEN WHEN THERE'S SHORT DISTANCE AMONGST THE GAS STATIONS, UM, THERE'S ONE ON THAT ROAD, BUT THERE ARE OTHERS THAT COME ACROSS THE MAJOR INTERSECTION.
SO THE MAJOR ARTERY THEN, THEN THE GAS STATIONS DO COME.
UH, IF YOU LOOK AT THE DRIVING AND EVERYTHING LIKE THAT, UH, IT DOES TAKE EFFECT, UH, WHERE PEOPLE PULL IN AND HOW THEY PULL IN.
NOW ON THE BASIS OF WHEN EMERGENCIES HAPPEN, WHEN WE SEE ANY COUNTY EVENT LIKE HARVEY OR RITA, THEN THE FUELING STATIONS ARE ESSENTIAL NEEDS.
AND THIS IS NOT JUST THE FUELING STATION.
THIS IS A, THERE HAS A MAJOR RETAIL COMPONENT, BUT I BELIEVE NONE OF
[00:50:01]
THOSE, UH, FUELING STATIONS HAS A GENERATOR, UH, ON THIS PARTICULAR SIDE OF TOWN.SO IMAGINE IF WE WERE TO SEE AN EVENT LIKE THAT AND NOW WE'RE RUSHING TO A GAS STATION OR ANY PLACE THAT CAN OFFER THESE ESSENTIAL SERVICES.
UM,
JAMES BROCKWAY, UH, JAMES BROCKWAY, 2366 CALYPSO LANE IN LAKE CITY.
UM, I'M SPEAKING FROM TWO STANDPOINTS.
ONE IS A CITIZEN AND ONE AS, UH, REPRESENTING THE OWNERSHIP GROUP THAT OWNS THE LAND.
UH, WE HAD A LOT OF, UM, OFFERS OVER THE YEARS AND, UH, THE BUYERS, THEY HAD THE, THEY HAVE THE, THE RIDE UNDER NEIGHBORHOOD COMMERCIAL TO DO, UH, A STRIP CENTER.
AND THAT KIND OF HAS A BAD CONNOTATION.
A LOT OF TIMES YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU'RE GONNA GET.
AND UNFORTUNATELY IN A REGULAR STRIP CENTER, YOU MIGHT GET VAPE SHOPS.
YOU MIGHT GET CBD 'CAUSE THEY ARE ALLOWED WITHOUT ANY SORT OF SUP UNDER THIS, UM, UNDER NAVITA LEE, THE BUYER, HIS PROGRAM, HE HAS STATED IT'S GONNA BE ALL CLASS A.
THE OTHER PROJECTS WE'RE GONNA HAVE OUTSIDE DETENTION.
SO YOU'D SEE JUST A BIG HOLE IN THE GROUND.
AND I KNOW WE ALL, NOBODY REALLY LIKES TO SEE THAT THIS IS COMPLETELY UNDERGROUND IF YOU JUST PICTURE A BUNCH OF PIPES GOING LIKE THAT UNDERNEATH, SO YOU'RE NEVER GONNA SEE THAT.
UM, AND THEN FROM A CITIZEN STANDPOINT, I LIVE ABOUT TWO MILES AWAY.
AND TO KNOW THAT THERE'S ONLY ONE GAS STATION ON THE EAST SIDE OF LEAGUE CITY FROM THE FREEWAY THAT'S GONNA HAVE A GENERATOR, THE NEXT TIME WE HAVE A FREEZE AND ALL THE POWER GOES OUT OR YOU HAVE A HURRICANE OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT, A NATURAL DISASTER.
YOU CAN GET IN THERE, UH, BUY CONVENIENCE GOODS, WHATEVER.
THAT'S WHY I LIKE THIS, UH, PROJECT.
AND TRUST ME, I SAW, UH, I'VE SEEN A LOT OF, UM, FIRES ON THIS SUBMIT OFFERS AND IT DIDN'T LOOK ANYWHERE LIKE THIS.
SO I I REALLY THINK THE CITIZENS WOULD BE PLEASED WITH IT.
I LIVE IN AUSTIN PARK IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD, UM, BEHIND THE POTENTIAL DEVELOPMENT.
UM, WHEN AN APARTMENT COMPLEX WAS, UH, RECENTLY DEVELOPED THERE MANY OF THE HOMEOWNERS IN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD SAW A NOTICEABLE DROP IN OUR HOME VALUES.
UM, WHERE I'VE BEEN THERE 20 YEARS AND I'M AT THE POINT WHERE THAT IS, THAT'S MY RETIREMENT, THAT'S MY NEST EGG.
SO 20% CAN BE A HUGE DROP FOR, UM, AN IMPROVEMENT THAT DOES NOT BENEFIT THE AREA.
FOR SOME PROPERTIES THAT DECLINE WAS SIGNIFICANT.
AS I SAID, 20% THAT EXPERIENCE MATTERS.
UH, IT SHOWED ME HOW QUICKLY THE SURROUNDING DEVELOPMENT CAN DIRECT, UM, DIRECTLY AFFECT MY FINANCIAL STABILITY AND THOSE OF THE FAMILIES THAT HAVE INVESTED THEIR LIFE SAVINGS IN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD.
NOW WE ARE FACING THE POTENTIAL ADDITION OF A SIX GAS STATION IN THE AREA.
I HEARD THEM SAY FOUR, BUT IF YOU DO A TWO MINUTE DRIVE, WE HAVE FROM LOUISIANA IN BETWEEN FIVE 18 AND 96 TO LOUISIANA.
THERE'S A VALERO, A BUCKY'S, UM, THE OASIS, WHICH IS IN BETWEEN FIVE 18 AND 96.
THERE'S KROGER AND THE NEW SHELL THAT IS SATURATING THAT LITTLE TWO MINUTE STRIP, THAT TWO MINUTE DRIVE WHEN HIGH, UM, WHEN THESE CLUSTERS TOGETHER, THE BUYER'S PERCEPTION CHANGES.
IT DOESN'T LOOK RETAIL, UM, RESIDENTIAL ANYMORE.
NOW IT JUST LOOKS GAS STATION, GAS STATION, GAS STATION AS YOU DRIVE DOWN TWO 70.
PROPERTY VALUE STABILITY IS NOT JUST ABOUT THESE NUMBERS.
IT'S AFFECTING MYSELF, MY RETIREMENT PLAN REFINANCING AND THE LONG, MY LONG-TERM SECURITY.
UM, I'M CONCERNED THAT CONTINUING TO CONCENTRATE FUEL STATIONS NEAR THESE RESIDENTIAL NEIGHBORHOODS SENDS A MESSAGE ABOUT THE FUTURE DIRECTION OF THIS AREA, WHICH IS ALL RESIDENTIAL CURRENTLY.
I UNDERSTAND THAT GROWTH IS PART OF THE CITY'S EVOLUTION, BUT THOUGHTFUL GROWTH SHOULD PROTECT THE HOMEOWNERS THAT HAVE BEEN HERE FOR DECADES.
I RESPECTFULLY ASK THE COUNCIL TO CONSIDER THE CUMULATIVE IMPACT ON THE HOME VALUES AND LONG-TERM NEIGHBORHOOD STABILITY BEFORE APPROVING ANOTHER HIGH INTENSITY COMMERCIAL USE.
UM, I ALSO WANTED TO STATE REAL QUICK THAT THE FIVE STATIONS CURRENTLY IN THE AREA ARE MUCH MORE APPROPRIATELY LOCATED.
THEY'RE LOCATED ON THE CORNERS OF MORE MAJOR INTERSECTIONS.
THERE IS ONE THAT IS IN BETWEEN FIVE 18 AND 96 THAT IS SEVERELY UNDERUSED.
THERE'S, THEY DON'T HAVE THE TRAFFIC VOLUME THAT YOU WOULD EXPECT FOR A
[00:55:01]
LARGE GAS STATION AND, AND IT'S BRINGING IN UNFAVORABLE TRAFFIC NEAR THAT NEIGHBORHOOD.I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO NOTE THAT IT IS NEIGHBORHOOD COMMERCIAL AND A RESIDENTIAL FRIENDLY RETAIL TYPE SHOP WITHOUT A GAS STATION WOULD BE MORE APPROPRIATE.
GOOD EVENING MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS.
I'M AT 10 21 RIO GRANDE STREET.
UH, WE LIVE IN AUSTIN PARK, UM, WITHIN THE IMMEDIATE AREA AS THEY'VE ALREADY, UH, SAID THAT THERE ARE FIVE OPERATING GAS STATIONS.
AND THAT'S NOT A MINOR DETAIL.
IT'S A CLEAR PATTERN OF LAND USE CONCENTRATION AT SOME POINT, APPROVING ADDITIONAL FUEL STATION STOPS BEING ABOUT SERVING NEIGHBORHOOD DEMANDS AND START SHAPING THE ENTIRE CORRIDOR AROUND A SINGLE HIGH INTENSITY USE.
SPECIAL USE PERMITS EXIST SPECIFICALLY TO EVALUATE, UM, COMPATIBILITY AND CUMULATIVE IMPACT WHEN FIVE SIMILAR USES ALREADY EXIST.
APPROVING A SIXTH RAISES LEGITIMATE PLANNING CONCERNS.
HAS THE CITY EVALUATED OVER CONCENTRATION OF VEHICLE ORIENTED USES IN THIS TRADE AREA? HOW DOES ANOTHER FUEL STATION ALIGN WITH THE CITY'S COMPREHENSIVE PLAN AND LONG-TERM VISIONS? WHAT OTHER COMMERCIAL USES ARE BEING DISPLACED BY CONTINUED CLUSTERING OF FUEL STATIONS? ARE WE UNINTENTIONALLY LIMITING DIVERSE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT BY REPEATEDLY APPROVING THE SAME CATEGORY OF BUSINESSES? FUEL STATIONS ARE NOT PASSIVE RETAIL.
THEY ARE HIGH TURNOVER, HIGH TRAFFIC USES WITH SIGNIFICANT IMPERVIOUS SURFACE COVERAGE OVER TIME.
THAT SHAPES THE INFRASTRUCTURE DEMAND.
ROADWAY DESIGN AND CORRIDOR IDENTITY APPROVING ANOTHER FUEL STATION SETS THE PRECEDENT THAT THIS AREA IS PRIMARILY FOR FUEL INTENSIVE, VEHICLE DOMINANT DEVELOPMENT.
IT DOES NOT ALIGN WITH THE BROADER LONG-TERM PLANNING GOALS.
THIS DECISION IS NOT ABOUT OPPOSING BUSINESS, IT'S ABOUT BALANCE DEVELOPMENT AND RESPONSIBLE LAND USE STRATEGY WITH FIVE FUEL STATIONS ALREADY OPERATING NEARBY.
I RESPECTFULLY ASK THE COUNCIL TO CONSIDER WHETHER ADDING ANOTHER TRULY SERVES THE PLANNING NEEDS OR WHETHER IT TIPS THIS CORRIDOR INTO OVER CONCENTRATION.
I LIVE AT 10 22 RIO GRANDE IN AUSTIN PARK.
UM, SO ONE THING I'D JUST LIKE TO TALK ABOUT IS THAT, UM, THIS ALREADY FAILED IN THE PLANNING AND COMMISSIONS, UH, PREVIOUSLY IN THE MEETING.
UM, ALSO, UM, I'D LIKE TO SAY THAT I THINK THIS IS GONNA BE, UH, SORRY, A, A TRAFFIC ISSUE FOR US.
UM, WHEN I MOVED TO THIS AREA 10 YEARS AGO, UM, WHAT BROUGHT ME HERE WAS THAT IT WAS, UH, COUNTRY-LIKE, AND, UH, THERE WAS STILL A LOT OF LAND OPEN.
I'VE NOTICED THAT, UH, WE, ALL WE DO IS CONTINUE TO KEEP BUILDING MORE SHOPPING CENTERS THAT ARE EMPTY.
AND SO I, I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY WE KEEP BUILDING STUFF THAT IF WE DON'T NEED IT YET.
SO, UM, I HOPE THAT Y'ALL VOTE NO FOR THE GAS STATION JUST BECAUSE I THINK IT'S GONNA CREATE A LOT OF ISSUES THAT WE DON'T NEED.
THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING ME TO SPEAK.
I'M, I LIVE AT, UH, 1 0 2 2, UH, RIO GRANDE.
AND UH, YOU KNOW, I'D JUST LIKE TO SAY, LOOK, WE GET IT.
YOU GUYS NEED TO MAKE YOUR MONEY.
YOU, YOU NEED TO MAKE A LIVING.
YOU GUYS NEED A TAX BASE, BUT WE DON'T NEED ANOTHER GAS STATION.
YEAH, IT'S FIVE CORNERS, THAT'S WHAT I CALL IT.
UM, AND WE'VE GOT A VALERO AND WE'VE GOT AN EXXON.
I MEAN, WE'VE GOT PLENTY OF GAS STATIONS.
I MEAN, IF YOU WANNA MAKE IT LIKE WILL SAID, AND, AND KIM, IF YOU WANNA MAKE IT INTO A RETAIL SPACE, THAT'S, THAT'S FINE.
BUT WE DON'T NEED ANOTHER GAS STATION IN THE AREA.
I MEAN, YOU HAVE CHEMICALS IN THE AREA WITH THE GAS AND DIESEL.
YOU HAVE POTENTIAL SPILLS, YOU HAVE TRAFFIC IN THE AREA THAT, THAT IS UNWARRANTED.
YOU ALREADY SAW THE SURVEY THAT SAID WE HAVE TRAFFIC ISSUES, SO NOW WE'RE GONNA ADD MORE TRAFFIC ISSUES.
LOOK, I'D JUST LIKE TO SAY PERSONALLY, I CAME FROM CLEAR LAKE.
WE MADE A DECISION TO EITHER LIVE IN CLEAR LAKE IN
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HARRIS COUNTY OR MOVE TO GALSTON COUNTY AND LIVE HERE IN LAKE CITY WHERE IT HAD A MORE RURAL FEELING.AND, UH, SO THAT'S WHAT WE ENJOY ABOUT WHERE WE'RE AT.
AND IF YOU PUT A GAS STATION THERE WITH A BUNCH OF NOISE AND A BUNCH OF, UH, PEOPLE COMING IN THROUGH THERE, YOU, YOU'RE GONNA RUIN THAT FEELING.
I MEAN, IT'S A GREAT NEIGHBORHOOD, IT'S A KID FRIENDLY NEIGHBORHOOD AND WE WOULD JUST LIKE TO KEEP IT THAT WAY.
WE DON'T NEED TO BUILD OTHER, UM, MONSTROSITIES IN THE AREA THAT ARE JUST GOING TO CAUSE MORE PROBLEMS FOR, UH, THE, THE, THE OWNERS OF THOSE HOUSES IN THAT AREA.
THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO VOICE MY OPINION.
I LIVE AT, MY NAME'S DAVID ELIAS.
AND WHEN THEY TALK ABOUT TRAFFIC, I AM THAT GUY.
AS YOU TURN IN TO AUSTIN PARK.
WE, WHEN WE MOVED THERE 18 YEARS AGO, AUSTIN WAS A TWO LITTLE, A LITTLE ROAD WITH BAR DITCHES.
ONCE THEY MADE THE IMPROVEMENT ON THAT, IT TURNED INTO A MINI DRAG STRIP.
WE HAVE CARS, MOTORCYCLES FLYING UP AND DOWN THERE ALL THE TIME AT THE 25 MILE, 30 MILE AN HOUR, 25 MILE SPEED LIMIT.
AND YOU CAN'T FIND A, A CAR THAT DOES THAT.
UM, AND SO WE ARE DIRECTLY AFFECTED WHEN THEY CAN'T MAKE A TURN INTO THEIR THING, THEY'RE GONNA, WHERE ARE THEY GONNA GO? I'M RIGHT THERE ON THE TOP CORNER.
THEY'RE GONNA COME IN AND TURN INTO MY DRIVEWAY, LOOK AT MY STUFF BACKING IN, WHO KNOW? AND THERE'S THREE OR FOUR HOUSES RIGHT THERE THAT'LL BE DIRECTLY IMPACTED WITH UNWANTED TRAFFIC.
PEOPLE THAT ARE USING IT AS A TURNAROUND, NOT, YOU KNOW.
AND SO THAT TO ME, WHEN WE MOVED HERE, THIS WAS GONNA BE OUR FOREVER HOUSE.
WE JUST RECENTLY RETIRED AND WE STILL WANT IT TO BE OUR FOREVER HOUSE.
WE'VE DONE IMPROVEMENTS, MADE IT A STAYCATION DURING COVID, BUT THIS IS JUST BRINGING IN A LOT OF UNNEEDED, ESPECIALLY TRAFFIC.
AND YOU SAID HOW TRAFFIC WAS LIKE THE NUMBER ONE THING.
THIS, THIS IS A INDIRECT VIOLATION OF THAT STATUTE WITH THE GENTLEMAN BROUGHT UP WITH THE STATISTICS THAT WE'RE 150 YARDS AWAY FROM THOUSANDS OF GALLONS OF FLAMMABLE LIQUID.
THERE'S A, WHAT I UNDERSTAND, THERE'S A PART OF A PIPELINE THAT RUNS ACROSS THE, THAT ACROSS.
SO YOU HAVE PRESSURIZED NATURAL GAS PLUS DIESEL FUEL, I MEAN THE NOISE, THE PEOPLE IN AND OUTTA THAT PLACE.
SO THAT'S LIKE A LITTLE MEANING THAT REMINDS ME OF LITTLE MINI BUCKY'S DOWN THE THING YOU LOOK AT THE TRAFFIC COMING IN AND OUT OF THERE, IT'S CONSTANT 24 HOURS A DAY.
WE REALLY, WE LIKE, LIKE ALL MY NEIGHBORS HAVE SAID IN THE RIDE ON THAT, WE DON'T NEED ANOTHER GAS.
I'LL DRIVE TO KROGER OR OVER TO BUCKY'S WITH A VALERO.
THERE'S FIVE, SIX GAS STATIONS.
WE DON'T NEED THE ADDED TRAFFIC AND JUST THE, THE IMPACT OF OUR PROPERTY VALUES AND OUR QUALITY OF LIFE.
WE CALL OURSELVES AS CLOSE TO FANCY WITHOUT THE FANCY PRICE BECAUSE WE ARE JUST DOWN THE ROAD FROM TUSCAN LAKES AND THE BIG HOUSES WE'RE A HUNDRED HOUSE COMMUNITY THAT, YOU KNOW, THAT COMES TOGETHER ON, IN A COUNCIL MEETING LIKE THIS, THAT STANDS UP FOR THE LITTLE GUY.
AND, UH, I JUST HOPE THAT YOUR WISDOM AND YOUR DECISIONS ARE BASED ON YOUR CITIZEN'S NEED.
AND I UNDERSTAND, LIKE YOU SAID, PEOPLE NEED TO MAKE MONEY.
AND, AND THAT'S WHAT THIS COUNTRY WAS BUILT IN.
UH, THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME, CAROL HORDE.
UH, FIRST I WANNA SAY THAT I MOVED THERE 10 AND A HALF YEARS AGO, UH, BEHIND MY HOUSE.
THE 10 ACRES WAS, UH, ONLY ALLOTTED FOR SINGLE FAMILY HOMES.
LEAGUE CITY GOT GREEDY, MADE IT WHERE IT WAS MULTIFAMILY.
I NOW HAVE, I'M SITTING RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF 250, UH, FOUR STORY APARTMENTS WITH A FIVE STORY GARAGE THAT EVERYTHING HAPPENS.
THERE IS A CAR NOISE HORN, UH, HONKING.
UH, DOGS START BARKING AT FIVE 40 IN THE MORNING.
FORTUNATELY, THEY DO TAKE 'EM IN AFTER ABOUT 10 MINUTES.
UH, THERE'S TRASH TRUCKS CONSTANTLY THAT GOES ON FOR 20 MINUTES TWO TIMES A WEEK.
BUT I WANNA GET BACK TO THE GAS STATION.
UH, I THINK, UH, AS FAR AS THE GAS STATION GOES, SOME OF THE CONS ARE PERSISTENT NOISE, CONTINUOUS FLOW OF VEHICLES, ENGINES, UH, IDLING DOORS, SLAMMING TRUCKS, DELIVERING GOODS, UH, DAY OR NIGHT, LOUD CONVERSATIONS.
[01:05:01]
STATIONS, UH, COMPROMISED, UH, AIR, UH, QUALITY, UH, INCLUDING BENZENE, UH, WHICH CAN CAUSE RESPIRATORY IRRITATION.LONG-TERM CANCER, UH, YOU CANNOT FULLY, UM, PREVENT THE HARM, HARMFUL EXPOSURE.
UH, THERE WILL BE ESCALATED TRAFFIC, SAFETY HAZARDS, STEADY INFLUX OF VEHICLES THAT CAN CAUSE TRAFFIC, MORE POTENTIAL FOR ACCIDENTS, WHICH OTHER PEOPLE HAVE ALREADY SPOKE ABOUT, UH, ON THAT CORNER, UH, AT AUSTIN STREET AND TWO 70, THAT EVERY TIME THERE'S A LITTLE RAIN, BOTH SIDES FLOOD THERE, IT ALREADY FLOODS.
UM, THERE ARE RISK OF FIRES, EXPLOSIONS, HAZARDOUS SPILLS, UH, STORAGE OF LARGE VOLUMES OF FLAMMABLE, UH, FUELS.
THAT'S RISK OF FIRE OR EXPLOSIONS.
UH, THIS ELEVATES A HIGHER HOMEOWNER INSURANCE PREMIUMS FOR US.
UH, ISSUES LIKE LITTER, NEGLECTED MAINTENANCE.
UM, IT ALSO CAUSES EXCESSIVE LIGHT, UM, POLLUTANTS, ENVIRONMENTAL, UH, CONTAMINATION RISK.
POSSIBLE FUEL LEAKS, SPILLS, IMPROPER WASTE DISPOSAL.
UNDERGROUND STORAGE TANK, UH, FAILURES CAN LEAD TO SOIL AND GROUNDWATER, UH, CONTAMINATION WITH HARMFUL CHEMICALS LIKE PETROLEUM HYDROCARBONS AND HEAVY METALS.
UH, UNPLEASANT CHEMICAL ODORS, FUMES FROM GASOLINE, DIESEL CAN, UH, PERMEATE THE NEARBY ENVIRONMENT.
THESE SMELLS CAN INTENSIFY DURING REFUELING AND FUEL DELIVERIES, ESPECIALLY IN WARMER WEATHER.
UH, THESE ODORS CAN CAUSE HEADACHES, NAUSEA, RESPIRATORY CONDITIONS SUCH AS ASTHMA, UH, ELEVATED CRIME RISKS DUE TO OPERATING.
I GUESS I GOTTA STOP RIGHT,
I THOUGHT THERE WAS A SLIDE IN HERE.
VIRGINIA SEAFIELD, SIX 40 HEWITT STREET.
THANK YOU FOR HAVING US THIS EVENING.
UH, WE REALLY APPRECIATE YOU LISTENING TO US AND OUR CONCERNS.
UH, I AGREE WITH EVERYTHING THAT HAS BEEN SAID SO FAR.
THIS NEIGHBORHOOD IS A VERY FAMILY ORIENTED, SMALL COMMUNITY IN ITSELF.
UM, IN ADDITION TO WHAT THE OTHERS HAVE SAID, LOOKING AT THE RENDERING AND COMPARING IT TO THE RENDERING FOR THE APARTMENT COMPLEX, UH, THIS RENDERING SHOWS BEAUTIFUL LANDSCAPING, MATURE, FULL, HOW MANY YEARS? HOW MANY YEARS WILL IT TAKE TO BE THAT WAY? APARTMENT COMPLEX, IT'S BEEN IN FOUR OR FIVE YEARS.
SO IT IS NOT VISUALLY APPEALING FOR DECADES AT MINIMUM.
UH, IT WAS MENTIONED THAT THERE IS A 30 FOOT GREEN SPACE, 30 FEET THAT'S, I DON'T KNOW, A LITTLE BIT LONGER THAN ONE ROW OF SEATS HERE.
IN ADDITION TO THAT, THE RETENTION POND BEING UNDERGROUND, I'D RATHER SEE THE GREEN SPACE INSTEAD OF COVERING IT WITH CONCRETE.
THAT'S A VERY, VERY SMALL PARCEL OF LAND FOR SOMETHING THAT'S GONNA COME IN AND HAVE SUCH TRAFFIC AND IMPACT ON THAT AREA.
UM, AS I SAID BEFORE, I AGREE WITH EVERYTHING THAT HAS BEEN SAID BEFORE.
UM, AND REALLY APPRECIATE YOUR TIME AND UNDERSTANDING.
MY NAME IS, UH, KAMI OR KITTI.
AND I LIVE IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
I AM HERE TODAY TO STAND WITH MY NEIGHBOR, SANDY, AND MANY OTHERS IN OUR COMMUNITY WHO ARE OPPOSITE TO BUILDING A GAS STATION AT THE TWO 70.
I RESPECTFULLY AGREE WITH MY NEIGHBORS THAT THIS IS NOT A RIGHT LOCATION FOR A GAS STATION.
OUR NEIGHBORHOOD IS, UH, RESIDENTIAL, UH, AREA, AND WE ARE, UH, CONCERNED ABOUT THE INCREASED TRAFFIC SAFETY FOR OUR
[01:10:01]
CHILDREN AND FAMILIES.NOISE AND, UH, ENVIRONMENTAL, UH, IMPACT.
WE ARE DEEPLY ABOUT OUR COMMUNITY AND WANT, UH, DEVELOPMENT THAT, UH, PROTECT THE HEALTH, SAFETY AND QUALITY OF LIFE.
UH, OF THE PEOPLE WHO LIVE HERE.
A GAS STATION DOES NOT, UH, ALIGN WITH, UH, WHAT WE BELIEVE IS THE BEST FOR OUR NEIGHBORHOOD.
I KINDLY, UH, KINDLY ASK THAT OUR CONCERNS BE HEARD AND THAT, UH, THIS IS A PROJECT BE, UH, RECOGNIZED.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME AND FOR LISTENING TO OUR COMMUNITY.
ANYONE SIGN UP WHO DIDN'T SPEAK?
IT'S THE LAST ONE ON THE LIST.
ANYBODY GOING ONCE? GOING TWICE? OKAY.
BY ALL MEANS, SIR, IF YOU CAN JUST STATE YOUR NAME AND THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING ME TO SPEAK.
I'M DR. TERRY WILLIAMS. I ACTUALLY LIVE ACROSS THE STREET FROM, UH, AUSTIN PARK ON, UH, 20 ACRES.
UH, AND, UH, I JUST WANNA VOICE MY SUPPORT TO MY NEIGHBORS.
UH, THAT, UH, EVERYTHING HAS BEEN SAID HERE.
YOU KNOW, WE, WE JUST DON'T NEED ANOTHER GAS STATION PERSONALLY.
UH, THERE IS A, THERE IS A PIPELINE THAT I GUESS THAT'S BEEN DISCUSSED THAT, THAT RUNS ACROSS THE STREET FROM THERE OVER THROUGH PART OF MY PROPERTY, THAT WEST END OF MY PROPERTY.
AND THAT WOULD BE, UH, CONCERNING TO ME THAT, UH, YOU KNOW, I'M PUTTING A GAS STATION RIGHT, BASICALLY OVER A PIPELINE.
THIS DOESN'T MAKE SENSE TO ME.
AND ALSO, MY UNDERSTANDING WAS THAT YOUR PLANNING COMMISSION DID NOT APPROVE THIS PROJECT.
UH, AND SO I, I DON'T KNOW THE INS AND OUTS OF THAT, BUT I JUST WONDERED WHY, WHY, WHY, UH, IF THAT'S DONE, HOW WE CAN MOVE FORWARD WITH THIS, UH, PROJECT.
UH, FROM ANOTHER PERSONAL STANDPOINT, I, IT'S JUST, I, I, I HAVE A PROBLEM WITH TRASH ON MY PROPERTY, HAVING 20 ACRES.
I COLLECT WHEN THE WIND BLOWS, I COLLECT TRASH FROM, YOU KNOW, A MILE DOWN EACH WAY.
IT SEEMS THAT THE WIND THAT SEEMS TO GO ON MY PROPERTY, AND I NOTICE THAT THE TRASH DUMPSTER ON THIS PROJECT IS RIGHT ACROSS THE STREET FROM ME.
UH, I'VE, I'VE ACTUALLY WORKED WITH AUSTIN PARK ON, UH, WITH, YOU KNOW, THIS, THIS SITUATION.
AND, YOU KNOW, I'M 82 YEARS OLD AND I DON'T PARTICULARLY LIKE TO SPEND HALF OF MY DAY ON, UH, WHEN THE TRASH MAN COMES TO CLEAN UP HIS MESS.
AND SO, UH, SO THAT'S, YOU KNOW, JUST A LITTLE MINOR THING, I GUESS.
BUT I JUST WANTED TO VOICE MY, UH, UH, YOU KNOW, UH, SUPPORT WITH MY NEIGHBORS THAT, UH, UH, YOU KNOW, IT'S JUST NOT THAT, IT'S JUST NOT THAT, UH, SUBDIVISION.
IT'S, IT'S, UH, MORE OF THE WHOLE AREA THERE.
SO I WOULD, UH, UH, LIKE YOU TO, UH, UH, SUPPORT US IN THIS.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR OBLIGING ME.
I WAS LATE, LATE HERE TONIGHT.
UH, MY NAME IS LESLIE HOLLOWAY.
I'M HERE REPRESENTING 2388 AUSTIN STREET.
UM, YOU'LL NOTICE IT'S THE PROPERTY WHERE THE HOUSE HAS BEEN REMOVED FROM THE SCREEN WE'RE LOOKING AT RIGHT NOW.
AND IN FACT, IN FACT, THE HOME, UM, WILL BE WITHIN THAT 30 FOOT BUFFER THAT YOU JUST MENTIONED.
SO, UM, WHAT I'D LIKE TO BRING TO EVERYONE'S ATTENTION IS THAT THERE'S BEEN ZERO COORDINATION WITH, UM, THE FORMAL PROPERTY OWNER, GLEN PERRY, WHO'S OVER HERE, UM, REGARDING DRAINAGE.
[01:15:01]
OF THE BIG ISSUES I SEE IS STORM HONOR DRAINAGE, UH, IMPACTS.AND I WOULD LOVE A FORMAL COPY OF THE, UM, THE DRAINAGE REPORT THAT'S BEEN COMPLETED BY A HYDROLOGIST TO BETTER UNDERSTAND HOW, UH, THIS PROPERTY WILL NOT NEGATIVELY IMPACT ALL OF THE PROPERTY ADJACENT AT 2388 AUSTIN.
UM, THAT'S MY PRIMARY CONCERN BECAUSE WE ALL KNOW FLOODING IS VERY DEAR TO ALL OF OUR HEARTS HERE.
AND, UH, THIS IS CERTAINLY NO JOKE.
WHAT IF THIS IS BUILT INCORRECTLY? IT WILL VERY NEGATIVELY IMPACT THE PROPERTY THAT I REPRESENT.
SO THAT BEING SAID, UM, I ALSO SHARE THE CONCERNS THAT OTHERS HAVE ALREADY EXPRESSED IN REGARDING TRAFFIC SAFETY.
UM, WE GET COUNTLESS CARS TURNING AROUND IN OUR DRIVEWAY AS IT IS, AND SO WE'LL CONTINUE TO SEE THAT AS WELL.
AND, UM, AND THAT'LL ONLY INCREASE WITH 24 7 OPERATIONS, UM, THAT HAVE NOT AGAIN, BEEN DISCUSSED WITH US OUTSIDE OF OUR KITCHEN WINDOW.
UM, AND THEN FINALLY, NOISE, AIR, AND LIGHT POLLUTION, UH, WITH THE 24 7 OPERATIONS SHOULD ALSO BE HEAVILY CONSIDERED.
AND I WOULD LIKE TO FORMALLY REQUEST THAT THE DEVELOPER IMPLEMENT NOISE, AIR QUALITY, AND LIGHT ABATEMENT MEASURES BEYOND THOSE MANDATED BY THE ORDINANCES FOR THE CITY.
UM, AND LIKE FOR EXAMPLE, A NOISE WALL SUCH AS A TEXT OP NOISE ATTENUATION WALL WOULD BE JUSTIFIED IN THIS CASE.
SO, UM, PLEASE HEARTILY CONSIDER MY SUGGESTIONS AND I THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK.
AND I'M GOING TO CLOSE THIS PUBLIC HEARING AT 7 16 7
[7B. 26-0073 Consider and take action on a request for a Special Use Permit, SUP-25-0014 (Anchor Bay Gas Station), to allow for an Automobile/Vehicle Fueling Station use on approximately 2.8 acres zoned “CN” (Neighborhood Commercial), generally located at the northeast corner of South Egret Bay Boulevard (FM 270) and Austin Street (Director of Planning)]
B, CONSIDER AND TAKE ACTION ON A REQUEST FOR A SPECIAL USE PERMIT, SUP DASH 25 DASH ZERO 14 ANCHOR BAY GAS STATION TO ALLOW FOR AN AUTOMOBILE VEHICLE FUELING STATION USED ON APPROXIMATELY 2.8 ACRES.ZONE CN COMMERCIAL NEIGHBORHOOD COMMERCIAL GENERALLY LOCATED AT THE NORTHEAST CORNER OF SOUTH RIVER BAY BOULEVARD AND AUSTIN STREET PLANNING ZONING COMMISSION.
MOTION TO APPROVE FAILED TWO TO FOUR ON FEBRUARY 12TH.
COUNCILMAN MANN, MOVE TO APPROVE.
DISCUSSION THE MAYOR, MR. MAYOR.
SO I HAVE GONE, UH, BACK AND FORTH ON THIS FOR QUITE A WHILE AND, UH, I REALLY DO APPRECIATE THE COMMENTS FROM THE LAST WOMAN THAT WENT UP THERE.
UM, I THINK FUNDAMENTALLY PEOPLE HAVE THE RIGHT TO DEVELOP THEIR PROPERTY, AND WHEN IT COMES DOWN TO IT, WE CAN'T SAY IF THERE'S TOO MANY GAS STATIONS OR IF THERE'S NOT ENOUGH GAS STATIONS.
THAT'S FOR THE MARKET TO, TO DECIDE.
AND SO I DO SUPPORT IT BECAUSE I THINK IT IS A, A NEED TO HAVE COMMERCIAL ON TWO 70.
UH, BUT ON THE OTHER SIDE OF IT, I WOULD LIKE TO SEE ASSURANCES ON THE DRAINAGE AND ON THE LIGHT, UH, THE LIGHT NUISANCE AND, AND ALL THE OTHER KIND OF CONDITIONS THAT WERE LAID OUT THERE.
SO I WOULD BE A TENTATIVE YES IF I AM ASSURED OF THE DRAINAGE AND LIGHT AND, UH, THE NOISE AND EVERYTHING THAT COMES WITH IT.
I'M GONNA BE RATHER LONG-WINDED HERE BECAUSE I DID HEAR WHAT Y'ALL SAID, AND I WANNA TRY TO ADDRESS MOST OF THE THINGS I HEARD.
UM, YOU PROBABLY WON'T LIKE WHAT I HAVE TO SAY.
UM, AND I'LL APOLOGIZE TO THAT IN ADVANCE.
UM, THE MAIN CONCERNS IDENTIFIED IN EVERY COMMENT, TRAFFIC, UM, INCREASE IN THEFT, THERE WAS ANIMALS CONCERNS ABOUT THE ENVIRONMENT, QUESTIONS ABOUT THE TWO-WAY STREET.
UM, AND THEN LATER WE TOUCHED ON, UH, DRAINAGE AND LIGHT POLLUTION.
ALL RIGHT? GAS STATIONS ARE NOT DESTINATION VENUES.
NOBODY IS GOING TO BE COMING TO TWO 70 IN AUSTIN TO FIND A GAS STATION.
PRIMARILY FOR THE VERY REASON THAT Y'ALL SAY IT'S NOT NEEDED.
THERE ARE OTHER GAS STATIONS, MAYBE AFTER A, A STORM EVENT OR A FREEZE.
WHEN WE'RE WITHOUT POWER, PEOPLE WILL BE COMING TO THAT ONE BECAUSE THERE WILL BE A GENERATOR.
AND I KNOW THAT'S BEEN AN ISSUE FOR SOME OF OUR FIRST RESPONDERS FOLLOWING EVENTS, AND I DON'T THINK ANYBODY SHOULD BE UPSET ABOUT THE TRAFFIC IN THAT SITUATION.
[01:20:01]
AND THE REST OF THE TIME IT'S NOT ADDING TRAFFIC.THESE ARE FOLKS WHO ARE ALREADY PASSING BY WHO WILL STOP THERE.
UM, AND THEM ENCROACHING ON YOUR LAND IS THINGS NEXT TO YOU BUILD UP.
I KNOW YOU'RE NOT GONNA LIKE THIS, BUT YOU'D ALL OWN THAT LAND IF YOU WANT TO CONTROL WHAT HAPPENS ON LAND NEXT TO YOU, ACQUIRE THE LAND.
THIS IS A PROPERTY RIGHTS STATE.
WE ALL HAVE RIGHTS TO OUR OWN PROPERTY, AND THERE'S A WAY TO CONTROL WHAT DOES OR DOESN'T GET DONE ON PROPERTY, AND THAT'S TO OWN IT.
I'M SURE THAT THERE ARE MANY FOLKS WHO LIVE ALONG AUSTIN STREET WHO WERE UPSET WHEN Y'ALL SUBDIVISION WAS BUILT.
I KNOW BECAUSE I LIVE IN A NEWER SUBDIVISION.
I KNOW THE FOLKS THAT LIVE NEXT TO IT WERE UPSET WHEN OUR HOMES WENT IN.
BUT THIS IS WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU HAVE A DESIRABLE COMMUNITY AND THERE'S GROWTH AND IT'S, IT'S, IT'S PAINFUL FOR SOME, BUT IT IS WHAT IT IS.
WHEN WE TALK ABOUT THE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS AND WE JUST TALK ABOUT CHEMICALS AND SO FORTH, AS A RESULT OF GASOLINE AND GAS STATIONS, THOSE ON SET LOCALIZED, THEY MIX IN THE AIR AND SPREAD OUT REGIONALLY.
THIS ONE GAS STATION IS NOT GOING TO CHANGE THE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT OF THE FACT THAT EVERYONE AROUND HERE DRIVES A CAR.
AS FOR TWO 70, BEING A TWO LANE ROAD, THIS IS A PROBLEM.
THE STATE IS WORKING TO IMPROVE THAT.
EVENTUALLY WE'VE BEEN PUSHING ON THEM.
WE'VE BEEN COMMITTING OUR TIME AND EFFORT TO GETTING EVERYTHING THAT WE CAN DO DONE IN ADVANCE TO TRY TO GET THEM TO EXPAND IT.
IN FACT, THERE WAS A, A TOWN HALL SESSION PROBABLY ABOUT THREE YEARS AGO OR SO NOW AT THIS POINT WHERE WE WERE BUILDING COMMUNITY SUPPORT TO GET THAT ROAD WIDE.
IT WILL GROW AND THERE WILL BE EVEN MORE NEED FOR A GAS STATION THERE.
THEN, UM, SOMETHING WILL GO IN AT THIS LOCATION.
IN FACT, THE ONLY REASON THEY'RE HERE IN FRONT OF US IS TO ASK FOR AN SUP FOR THE PUMPS.
THE GAS PUMPS THEMSELVES ARE NOT GOING TO SUBSTANTIALLY ALTER THE AMOUNT OF TRAFFIC IN AND OUTTA THAT LOCATION AS OPPOSED TO A STRIP MALL.
BUT ONE, UH, COMMENTER MENTIONED AS RESIDENTIAL RETAIL, WHICH WOULD BE MORE APPROPRIATE.
THOSE PUMPS AREN'T GONNA CHANGE THE IMPACT TO YOUR COMMUNITY.
UM, SOMETHING ELSE I'D LIKE TO POINT OUT IS THAT GAS STATIONS ARE NOT A HIGH MARGIN BUSINESS.
SO NOBODY'S BUILDING A GAS STATION IN HOPES OF GETTING RICH WHEN THEY TALK ABOUT THAT.
AS OPPOSED TO OTHER NEIGHBORHOOD COMMERCIAL CATEGORIZED DEVELOPMENT, THEY'RE BUILDING THEM ACCORDING TO THE LAW OF SUPPLY AND DEMAND.
AS I MENTIONED, THESE AREN'T DESTINATION VENUES.
THEY SERVE PEOPLE WHO ARE PASSING BY.
THERE WERE COMMENTS ABOUT GAS STATIONS ARE GONNA MAKE THIS AN AUTOCENTRIC COMMUNITY.
THAT ONE KIND OF MADE ME CHUCKLE.
WE ARE AN AUTOCENTRIC COMMUNITY AND PRETENDING OTHERWISE IS DISINGENUOUS.
THERE WERE A LOT OF COMMENTS ABOUT THE RURAL FEELING.
LEAGUE CITY LOST A RURAL FEELING MORE THAN 20 YEARS AGO.
WE CAN SAY THAT YOU FEEL IT IN SPOTS HERE AND THERE.
WERE NOT RURAL AND THESE PUMPS AREN'T GOING TO CHANGE THAT, ESPECIALLY WHEN YOU CONSIDER THESE PUMPS VERSUS A STRIP MALL.
THERE WAS ALSO ONE COMMENT THAT THAT REALLY TROUBLED ME.
SOMEONE SAID, LEAGUE CITY GOT GREEDY.
LEAGUE CITY DOESN'T DEVELOP THINGS EXCEPT FOR OUR PARKS, CITY HALL AND THE POLICE STATION.
WE'RE NOT GOING TO BUILD A GAS STATION.
THEY'RE BUILT ACCORDING TO THE FREE MARKET.
THERE WERE QUESTIONS ABOUT LIGHT POLLUTION.
HAVING SAID THAT, THAT'S ONE THE CITY PROACTIVELY ADDRESS YEARS BACK WHEN WE UPDATED OUR, OUR BUILDING COATS AND REQUIRE THE LIGHTS TO BE SHIELDED SO THAT THERE'S NO LIGHT THAT LEAKS OFF OF THE PROPERTY.
AND WERE QUESTIONS ABOUT GROUNDWATER BEING AFFECTED.
[01:25:01]
MORE OF A REGIONAL CONCERN.AND ONE GAS STATION, WHEN YOU SAY WE ALREADY HAVE FIVE RIGHT NEAR, IT ISN'T GOING TO CHANGE IT.
AND I ALSO THINK WE NEED TO THINK ABOUT HOW WE MAKE SOME OF THESE ARGUMENTS.
AND I KNOW IT'S REAL EASY TO WANT TO SIT OUT HERE AND USE WHAT I CALL THE SHOTGUN EFFECT TO COMPLAIN ABOUT THESE PROJECTS.
WE SEE THIS EVERY TIME THERE'S A NIMBY APPROACH RESISTING ANY SORT OF PRIVATE DEVELOPMENT WHERE WE JUST THROW OUT EVERY ARGUMENT AND HOPE SOMETHING STICKS.
BUT WE SHOULD AT LEAST TRY TO BE CONSISTENT ON ONE ISSUE.
FOR EXAMPLE, WE CAN'T SAY THAT AN AREA IS SATURATED WITH RESPECT TO GAS STATIONS WHILE SIMULTANEOUSLY SAYING THAT A NEW GAS STATION IS GOING TO DRIVE INCREASED TRAFFIC.
SO THAT, THAT SHOWS REALLY WHAT Y'ALL ARE AFTER, IS JUST TO DICTATE TO SOMEBODY ELSE WHAT THEY CAN AND CAN'T DO WITH THEIR PROPERTY.
AND I'M SORRY, I ACTUALLY WAS GOING TO VOTE.
'CAUSE I TEND TO JUST GO ALONG WITH WHAT OUR, UH, PLANNING AND ZONING COMMITTEE RECOMMENDS.
BUT AFTER ALL THE ARGUMENTS I'VE HEARD TONIGHT, I DIDN'T HEAR A SINGLE VALID ONE.
SO I'M NOW IN SUPPORT OF THIS CHADWELL.
UH, I DON'T, I DON'T, I DON'T NEED THAT MUCH.
UM, YEAH, I KINDA CAME INTO THIS THING WITH AN OPEN MIND.
I WAS ACTUALLY SURPRISED THAT SO MANY PEOPLE CAME AND SPOKE OUT AGAINST IT.
I I AGREED WITH SOME OF THE THINGS THAT, THAT SOME OF THE CITIZENS SAID MOST I DID NOT.
RIGHT? BUT I, I'LL SAY THIS, AND I, I DON'T THINK I'VE DONE THIS BEFORE, BUT YOU GUYS CLEARLY DON'T WANT THIS IN, IN, IN YOUR BACKYARD, RIGHT? I DON'T USUALLY BEND TO THE WILL OF THE PEOPLE, BUT I'M GONNA SUPPORT YOU AND VOTE NO FOR THIS.
BUT I'M GONNA TELL YOU WHAT, SOMETHING IS GONNA GET BUILT THERE AND YOU MAY NOT LIKE IT.
RIGHT? THEY MAY NOT HAVE TO COME UP AND GET SUP FOR WHAT THEY BUILD THERE.
AND LIKE TRESSLER SAID, IF YOU WANT TO KEEP THAT AS GREEN SPACE, Y'ALL GO TOGETHER AND BUY IT AND DON'T DEVELOP IT.
THE, UM, YEAH, THE, FOR THE PEOPLE I TALKED TO TODAY, UH, I, I ENJOYED OUR CONVERSATIONS AND I THINK WE HAD THE, UM, KIND OF THE SAME MINDSET.
SOMETHING IS GOING TO HAVE TO GO THERE.
UM, AND PEOPLE I SPOKE TO, I ACTUALLY ASKED THE QUESTION.
I SAID, WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE TO GO THERE IF, IF WE COULD JUST PICK A BUSINESS THAT WOULD GO THERE? AND MOST PEOPLE DIDN'T KNOW.
SO I WAS GOING THROUGH AND THINKING ABOUT IT AND TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHAT I WOULD THINK WOULD GO THERE.
AND I COULDN'T THINK OF WHAT WOULD BE IDEAL EITHER.
BUT I THINK IT'S NOT A GAS STATION.
I THINK THERE IS A BETTER USE FOR THAT.
AND SO THAT WAS MY THINKING ON IT.
COULD WE CALL UP MARK? I GOT A COUPLE QUESTIONS, MARK.
COULD YOU EXPLAIN A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE UNDERGROUND DETENTION? HOW MANY, HOW MUCH, UH, VOLUME OF WATER IT MAY HOLD AND STUFF LIKE THAT, IF YOU KNOW IT.
IS THAT, DO YOU KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT IT? I MEAN, IT'S A, THAT'S GONNA BE SOON.
I'M NOT THE ENGINEER, I'M THE PLANNER.
WELL, I, BUT IF I COULD REAL QUICK, JUST AS, AS PART OF ANY DEVELOPMENT, WHEN WE LOOK AT SOMETHING FOR A PERMIT, WE LOOK AT THE TRAFFIC, WE LOOK AT THE DRAINAGE, WE LOOK AT THE LIGHTING, WE LOOK AT THE LANDSCAPING AS PART OF THAT BEFORE WE ISSUE A PERMIT.
WHAT WAS THE TRAFFIC STUDY, CHRIS, THAT, DID Y'ALL LOOK AT THAT? THEY HAVEN'T DONE ONE YET.
IT, IT'S A LITTLE EARLY FOR THAT.
UM, AS FAR AS THE UNDERGROUND DETENTION GOES, YES.
IT'S STILL ON OUR, OUR STANDARD 0.65 ACRE FEET PER ACRE BASIS.
THERE'S A LITTLE BIT OF A DIFFERENCE IN HOW IT'S DISCHARGED.
THERE'S GOT TO BE SOME MAINTENANCE ACCESS POINTS.
SO, YOU KNOW, IF YOUR UNDERGROUND DETENTION GETS CLOGGED UP OR SOMETHING, YOU'VE GOT A WAY TO MAINTAIN IT AND CLEAN IT.
JUST REAL QUICK FOR YOU, YOU, YOU KNOW, WE HAD THIS SAME ISSUE ON LAKE CITY PARKWAY LONG TIME AGO WITH MR. DOUGLAS.
IF YOU REMEMBER, UM, THEY WERE GONNA BUILD A SMALL TOWN HOME RIGHT NEXT TO THE DAYCARE CENTER.
AND, UM, THE PEOPLE CAME OUT AND VOICED THEIR OPINION AGAINST IT.
AND NOW SITS A FOUR STORY, FIVE STORY ASSISTED LIVING CENTER THERE.
SO MY QUESTION TO YOU IS, CAN YOU TELL ME, SINCE
[01:30:01]
THIS NEIGHBORHOOD COMMERCIAL, UH, OR COMMERCIAL NEIGHBORHOOD, COULD YOU TELL ME WHAT PERMITTED USES ARE ALLOWED THERE WITHOUT COUNSEL ACTION OFF THE TOP OF YOUR HEAD.SO SOME OF THE PERMITTED USES WOULD ALLOW A DAYCARE EATING AND DRINKING ESTABLISHMENTS WOULD BE, YOU KNOW, RESTAURANTS.
UM, BUT SOME OF THE USES ALSO THAT WERE REQUIRED IN SCP IN ADDITION TO A GAS STATION WOULD BE A CAR WASH OR A RESTAURANT THAT HAD LIKE A QUICK SERVE RESTAURANT THAT WOULD NEED A, A DRIVE THROUGH.
OTHER USES WOULD INCLUDE, UM, YOU KNOW, YOUR STANDARD OFFICES, RETAIL, UM, PERSONAL INSTRUCTIONAL SERVICES.
SO A BURGER KING OR A WHAT BURGER CAN GO THERE WITHOUT A SPECIAL USE PERMIT.
THEY, IF THEY WANT TO DRIVE THROUGH, DRIVE THROUGH, THEY WOULD REQUIRE A SPECIAL USE PERMIT.
NOW I UNDERSTAND THE FOLKS OUT THERE DON'T WANT THIS BUSINESS, BUT YOU MAY BE UP HERE TODAY WISHING FOR ONE THING AND ACCEPTING SOMETHING ELSE NEXT YEAR WITHOUT COUNCIL ACTION.
JUST LIKE, UH, MARK STATED YOU COULD HAVE A DAYCARE THERE TOMORROW.
AND, UH, WELL, A LOT OF PEOPLE DON'T WANT DAYCARES IN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD, BUT I, I HAVE SOME MIXED FEELINGS ON IT.
I UNDERSTAND THERE'S A LOT OF GAS STATIONS, UM, ALSO, BUT, UH, AS LONG AS YOU UNDERSTAND IF IT'S VOTED IN THE USE THAT YOU MAY GET OUT, THERE MAY BE SOMETHING THAT YOU DON'T LIKE.
AND WE HAVE NO CONTROL OVER IT.
SO THEY PRETTY MUCH HIT A LOT ON WHAT I WAS GONNA TALK ABOUT.
THE ONLY OTHER THING I WAS, UH, JUST TOUCHING BASE MIKE ON THE LIGHTING, YOU Y'ALL DO Y'ALL'S LIGHTING THING.
HOW DO YOU JUDGE WHETHER OR NOT THE LIGHT'S GONNA GO OFF SITE WHEN YOU'RE, WHEN YOU'RE LOOKING AT THE PLANS AND THEY'RE SAYING THERE'S NOT GONNA, WHERE THE PERIMETERS IN THE LIGHT'S GOING TO SHUT OFF.
HOW DO Y'ALL JUDGE THAT AND HOW IS THAT AFFECT ENFORCED? WHEN WE GET THE SUBMITTED PLANS AND WE LOOK AT THEM, THERE'S A PHOTOMETRIC PLAN THAT WE REQUIRE.
SO THEY NOT ONLY SHOW THE FIXTURE, THEY SHOW THE AMOUNT OF LIGHT LEVELS AT THE, AT THE PROPERTY.
AND THEN WE LOOK AT THAT, UM, AND MAKE SURE THAT IT MEETS OUR REQUIREMENTS.
SO WE REQUIRE FULL CUTOFF, WHICH REQUIRES THE LIGHTS TO BE POINTED DOWNWARDS.
AND THEN WE MAKE SURE THAT THE LIGHT LEVELS AS THEY EXTEND BEYOND THE PROPERTY.
'CAUSE WE REQUIRE THE PHOTOMETRIC TO SHOW AT LEAST THREE FEET BEYOND.
SO WE CAN CAPTURE WHAT THAT LIGHT LEVEL IS AT THE PROPERTY LINE.
AND IF THEY VIOLATE THAT, THEY BUILD IT.
HOW IS THE CITY HANDLE THAT WE LOOK THROUGH? FIRST WE GO THROUGH THE INSPECTION PHASE BECAUSE ONCE A, A BUILDING PERMITS GET, GETS ISSUED AND CONSTRUCTED BEFORE WE ISSUE A CFO, WE DO A FINAL INSPECTION.
SO WE WILL LOOK AT THAT AS THAT PART.
AND THEN ANYTHING BEYOND THAT, WE, UH, COORDINATE WITH OUR, UH, NEIGHBORHOOD SERVICES DEPARTMENT, OUR CODE ENFORCEMENT.
SO CODE ENFORCEMENT COULD COME IN AND CITE THEM AND, AND DEAL WITH IT THAT WAY? YES.
BUT IF IT'S IS, IF AN CFO HAS NOT BEEN ISSUED, WE PREFER TO GO THROUGH, THROUGH THAT AT THAT STAGE THROUGH THE INSPECTION STAGE.
UH, YOU TOUCHED ON A COUPLE BASES, AND I WANNA MAKE SURE EVERYBODY UNDERSTANDS.
I HAVE TO AGREE WITH WHAT'S BEING SAID HERE.
THERE, THE LISTING FOR THINGS THAT CAN GO THERE IS APPROXIMATELY, I'M JUST REACHING AND SAYING I'M LOOKING ABOUT 40 DIFFERENT THINGS THAT CAN GO THERE ALL THE WAY UP TO SOMEBODY CAN COME PUT FAST FOOD RESTAURANT IF IT DOESN'T HAVE, YOU CAN PUT FAST FOOD RESTAURANTS, WHICH IS GONNA HAVE A TON OF TRAFFIC COMING IN AND OUT.
UH, THE ONLY THING THAT'S STOPPING THIS RIGHT NOW IS THE GAS STATION.
IF HE PUT A CONVENIENCE STORE THERE AND JUST TOOK OUT THE PUMPS, HE, YOU'D HAVE THE CONVENIENCE STORE THERE.
SO YOU'RE STILL GONNA HAVE THE TRAFFIC COMING INTO THAT CONVENIENCE STORE AND POSSIBLY THE UNDESIRABLES.
UM, BECAUSE IT'S ALLOWED THERE WITHOUT, THE ONLY REASON WHY HE'S HERE BEFORE US IS BECAUSE THE GAS PUMPS, THAT'S THE ONLY REASON WHY HE'S HERE BEFORE US TONIGHT.
UM, I MEAN, A CAR WASH COULD GO THERE.
BED AND BREAKFAST, UH, GROUP SHELTERS.
THERE'S, THERE'S A WHOLE LISTING OF DIFFERENT TYPES OF GROUP SHELTERS THAT CAN GO THERE.
UH, A PUMP STATION CAN GO THERE.
AN OIL, GAS, WELL DRILLING STATION CAN GO THERE WITHOUT AN SUP.
SO THERE, THERE'S A LOT OF THINGS THAT COULD GO THERE THAT WHAT HE'S HAD, WHAT HE'S SUGGESTING CAN BE BAD.
BUT WHAT CAN GO THERE? I'D HAVE TO AGREE WITH COUNCIL MCCOMBS ON THIS COULD BE A THOUSAND TIMES WORSE.
AND THERE'S NOTHING WE CAN DO TO STOP IT.
AS COUNCILMAN TRESSLER SAID, THIS IS THE STATE OF TEXAS.
IF YOU OWN A PIECE OF PROPERTY, YOU CAN DO WITH IT WHAT YOU WISH.
PEOPLE CONSTANTLY COME TO US AND SAY, Y'ALL NEED TO STOP THE CUTTING OF THE TREES.
AND IF YOU WANT, IF YOU OWNED A PROPERTY, DIDN'T LIVE IN A NEIGHBORHOOD S UH, A PLACE AND YOU DIDN'T WANT ANY TREES ON YOUR PROPERTY, YOU COULD COME IN AND CUT EVERY TREE YOU WANTED.
SO THAT'S, THAT'S THE RIGHTS YOU HAVE AS A PRIVATE PROPERTY OWNER.
UM, I'M, I REALLY DON'T KNOW WHICH WAY I'M GONNA GO ON THIS YET.
I'M, I'M STILL CONTEMPLATING BECAUSE I UNDERSTAND YOUR CONCERNS.
BUT AGAIN, AS THEY SAID, TWO SEVENTY'S
[01:35:01]
COMING, TDOT'S COMING, THEY'RE GONNA EXPAND IT.YOU'RE GONNA SEE A BIG TIME INCREASE IN TRAFFIC WHEN THAT HAPPENS BECAUSE IT'S A NARROW, ANOTHER MAJOR THOROUGHFARE COMING FROM DICKINSON ALL THE WAY THROUGH TO WEBSTER.
SO YOU'RE GONNA HAVE A A, A HUGE PROBLEM THERE WHEN THAT COMES IN.
SO IT, IT'S A, I HAVE TO SAY RIGHT NOW AT THIS PRESENT TIME, I'M UP IN THE AIR.
UH, FIRST OF ALL, UH, I WANNA THANK BOTH SIDES OF THIS FOR COMING.
UH, WE KIND OF HAVE A FULL ROOM TONIGHT AND WE DON'T TYPICALLY HAVE A FULL ROOM.
UM, I GOTTA SAY, AS FAR AS GAS STATIONS GO, THIS IS A BEAUTIFUL GAS STATION.
UM, I'VE BEEN ON BOTH SIDES OF SUVS.
I VOTED FOR 'EM, I VOTED AGAINST THEM.
UH, SOMETIMES TO ME IT COMES DOWN TO SIMPLY LOCATION AND MAYBE I DON'T FEEL WE NEED ANOTHER ONE IN THAT LOCATION.
MAYBE THERE'S A SATURATION ISSUE.
I KNOW THAT'S COME UP AND, AND I DON'T DISAGREE WITH YOU ON THAT.
UM, BUT SOMETIMES THAT IS A REASON TO VOTE NO.
AND ON THIS ONE, I I, I HEAR YOU AND I'M GONNA VOTE NO ON THIS ONE.
UM, NOW HAVING SAID THAT, AGAIN, I FEEL LIKE I'M GONNA BEAT A DEAD HORSE HERE.
BUT YOU'VE HEARD SEVERAL TIMES THE CITY DOES NOT OWN THAT LAND.
A LOT OF THINGS CAN GO THERE AND, UH, THAT NEEDS TO BE UNDERSTOOD.
UM, SO BE READY FOR THAT IF SOMETHING ELSE COMES IN, IF THIS DOESN'T PASS, BUT LIKE, MAYOR LONG.
UM, I COMPLETELY UNDERSTAND WHY PEOPLE DON'T WANT IT.
UM, BUT FUNDAMENTALLY SOMEBODY OWNS THE LAND AND IT'S A LOGICAL CONCLUSION TO THE LAND.
SO WHAT I'M GONNA MAKE A MOTION FOR IS TO DEFER THIS TO THE MEETING IN MARCH.
AND WE'RE GONNA SIT THERE IN BETWEEN THIS TIME AND THAT.
AND WE'RE GONNA TALK ABOUT DETENTION AND LIGHTING AND THE VARIETY OF OTHER THINGS THAT COME UP AND MAKE SURE THAT THOSE ARE OKAY.
AND I WOULD TELL THE APPLICANT THAT I WOULD EXPECT THEM TO OVER, UH, TO CREATE A PLAN THAT'S GOING TO TAKE MORE WATER THAN NEEDED.
UH, SO THAT IT IS A NET BENEFIT TO THE COMMUNITY AND NET BENEFIT TO LEAGUE CITY OVERALL.
UH, SO WE'RE GONNA WORK WITH THEM AND FIGURE THAT OUT.
AND SO I WOULD MAKE THE MOTION TO DEFER THIS TO THE MARSH MEETING.
I DON'T KNOW WHO TO GIVE THAT TO.
ONE QUICK, UH, COMMENT ON THIS MINUTE MOTION.
UH, THERE WAS A DEVELOPER BY THE NAME OF JOE WATSON WHO CAME HERE ABOUT, MAYBE IT WAS LIKE THREE YEARS AGO NOW.
AND YOU KNOW, THE ROOM WAS 100% AGAINST THIS GUY.
THEY WERE HANGING, THEY WERE GONNA BURN EFFIGIES, YOU KNOW, IT WAS BAD.
AND, UH, WE GAVE JOE THE OPPORTUNITY TO DO WHAT THE MAYOR'S OFFER Y'ALL TONIGHT.
AND THAT IS GO LISTEN TO THE CITIZENS TRY TO COME UP WITH A WIN-WIN.
AND THE SAME PEOPLE THAT WERE WANTING TO STRING HIM UP ONE WEEK CAME BACK TWO WEEKS LATER AND IT WAS A LOVE FEST.
SO, UH, LET'S, LET'S TRY TO BE PROUD LEAGUE SITAN AND, UH, DO THAT AGAIN.
AND I HAD ONE, A COUPLE MORE QUESTIONS.
I JUST WANT TO CLARIFY REAL QUICK, MIKE, IF YOU WOULD.
UH, A LOT OF THE CONCERNS HAVE BEEN CENTERED AROUND THE BA VAPE.
A LOT OF THESE STORES YOU BUILD 'EM, NEXT THING YOU KNOW, THEY GOT ALL KINDS OF LITTLE VAPE PRODUCTS AND ALL THESE OTHER UNDESIRABLE PRODUCTS THAT NOBODY REALLY WANTS AROUND THEM.
I KNOW VAPE SHOPS REQUIRE AN SUP.
DO WE HAVE ANYTHING IN OUR STUFF THAT SAYS THE GAS STATIONS CAN'T SELL THESE PRODUCTS WITHOUT COMING BACK AND GETTING AN SUP ON IT? UM, FROM LOOKING AT A VAPE SHOP WOULD NOT BE PERMITTED TO GET AN SUP IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD COMMERCIAL ZONING DISTRICT.
BUT, UM, THEY WOULD AS AN ACCESSORY USE TO THE CONVENIENCE STORE.
SO IS THAT SOMETHING THAT MAY BE SOMETHING WE TO LOOK AT THEN? WELL, BECAUSE THAT, THAT'S A WAY AROUND THE ZONING THEN.
WELL, THIS IS A SPECIAL USE PERMIT.
SO THERE ARE CONDITIONS, YOU KNOW, AS YOU CAN SEE ON THE, THE SCREEN TO YOUR RIGHT, THERE ARE EIGHT PROPOSED CONDITIONS AND IT COUNSELS, UH, WILL, THEY CAN ADD OR SUBTRACT CONDITIONS BASED ON SHOULD THEY DESIRE TO APPROVE THIS REQUEST.
SO WE COULD, WE COULD LOOK AT THE SU WE COULD LOOK AT WHAT REQUIRES SUVS NECESSARILY AND ENFORCE THAT UPON THEM TOO.
AND THE MAYOR ALREADY TOUCHED BASE AND WE'RE GOING DO THAT.
UH, WE GOTTA DEFINITELY LOOK AT THE DETENTION.
UH, I COULD SEE WHERE THEY'RE TALKING ABOUT THE POTENTIAL FOR FLOODING ISSUES.
SO WE HAVE A MOTION, A SECOND TO TABLE THIS, TO THE MARCH 24TH MEETING.
[01:40:03]
OKAY.[7C. 26-0074 Hold a public hearing on a Planned Unit Development (PUD) Amendment, PUD-25-0002 (Duncan PUD Amendment), to amend the Duncan PUD to permit 3-phase overhead power lines along Ervin Street, generally located north of Muldoon Parkway and west of Hobbs Road (Director of Planning) ]
NEXT ONE WOULD BE HOLD A PUBLIC HEARING ON A PLAN UNIT DEVELOPMENT AMENDMENT, PUD TWO FIVE DASH 0 0 2 DUNCAN PUD AMENDMENT TO AMEND THE DUNCAN PUD TO PERMIT THREE PHASE OVERHEAD POWER LINES ALONG IRVIN STREET.GENERALLY LOCATED NORTH OF MULDOON PARKWAY AND WEST OF HOBBS ROAD.
I'M GONNA OPEN THIS MEETING AT SEVEN 40.
NO, NO, I'M JUST DOUBLE CHECKING.
HEY, I'VE ALREADY MESSED UP ONCE WITH, WITH PEGGY.
I'D GET SOMETHING THROWN AT ME.
I'M GONNA CLOSE THIS MEETING AT SEVEN 40.
[7D. 26-0075 Consider and take action on an ordinance approving a Planned Unit Development (PUD) Amendment, PUD-25-0002 (Duncan PUD Amendment), to amend the Duncan PUD to permit 3-phase overhead power lines along Ervin Street, generally located north of Muldoon Parkway and west of Hobbs Road (Director of Planning)]
SEVEN D CONSIDERING TAKE ACTION ON AN AN ORDINANCE APPROVING A PLAN UNIT DEVELOPMENT AMENDMENT.PUT AMENDMENT TO AMEND THE DUNCAN PUD TO PERMIT FA THREE PHASE OVERHEAD POWER LINES ALONG URBAN STREET, GENERALLY LOCATED NORTH OF MULDOON PARKWAY AND WEST OF HOBBS ROAD.
CHAD, WILL I SECOND MA'AM, CAN WE JUST GET THE PITCH? YES, SIR.
SO I'M, I'M CLEARLY NOT A CARPENTER.
UH, HIM AND HIS WIFE JUST HAD A BABY.
SO LONG STORY SHORT, UH, GRAND PARKWAY HAS KIND OF DISRUPTED CENTERPOINT AND TEXAS, MEXICO ON HOW THEY RUN THEIR THREE PHASE.
THIS P WAS ORIGINALLY APPROVED WITH EVERYTHING ALONG IRVIN BEING UNDERGROUND.
UH, THAT'S CREATED A PROBLEM WITH HOW THEY CAN SERVICE EVERYTHING.
UH, THE DEVELOPERS COME BACK AND SAID, HEY, CAN WE GO OVERHEAD? UM, WE TOLD 'EM, YOU KNOW, HEY, YOU'RE, YOU'RE ASKING FOR SOME SOMETHING PRETTY MAJOR SINCE IT'S IN THE PUT, UH, THEY'VE COME BACK AND SAID, HEY, WE'RE, WE'RE WILLING TO PAVE HOBBS ROAD FROM IRVIN, UM, THROUGH THE BUCKEYE INTERSECTION, WHICH IS ABOUT, I BELIEVE 3,500 FEET ROUGHLY, SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
UM, DOWN IN, WE'LL GET OUR FOUR LANES EVEN CLOSER TO BEING COMPLETED ON HOBBS.
AND WHAT'S THAT WORTH FOR THE TAXPAYERS? UM, RIGHT NOW A MILE OF NEW TWO LANE ROAD IS GOING FOR ABOUT 2.1 MILLION.
SO WE, WE WOULD START THE DESIGN AND GET A, A MUCH HARDER NUMBER, BUT, BUT ON AVERAGE, SOMEWHERE AROUND THERE, ABOUT 2.1 FOR A, FOR A MILE.
SO THIS WOULD BE A TWO LANE ROADWAY OR IT'D BE TWO LANES.
SO RIGHT NOW WE HAVE TWO LANES ON HOBBES THAT RUNS FROM IRVIN ALL THE WAY THROUGH TO THE SEDONA, UH, SUBDIVISION PETAL IS ON THE NORTH END OF THAT.
THEY'LL PUT THE TWO LANE, THE MISSING TWO LANES IN FRONTING THEIR PROPERTY.
AND HOW FAR DOES IT RUN? I'M SIR, GO AHEAD.
SO, SO ABOUT TWO THIRDS OF A MILE.
HOW'S THAT, HOW'S THAT GONNA TRANSLATE TO THE HOBBS ROAD EXTENSION ALL THE WAY TO FIVE 17? SO WE'RE GONNA GO FOUR LANES TO THERE AND GO BACK DOWN TO TWO LANES TO FIVE 17.
YOU HAVE YOUR CIP PROJECT THAT IS GONNA EXTEND ALL THE WAY TO, TO FIVE 17.
THAT HAS SET UP TO BE BID IN TWO SEPARATE WAYS.
SO YOU HAVE A TWO LANE BASE BID AND YOU HAVE A FOUR LANE ADD ALTERNATE MEANING WE'RE GONNA CHECK PRICES IF THE FOUR LANES COME IN.
IF IT'S OUT OF BUDGET, WE'LL DO THE TWO LANES.
UH, THAT WILL LEAVE ROUGHLY ABOUT A THOUSAND FOOT GAP.
I'M SORRY, MA'AM, THAT WE WOULD LOOK TO ADD INTO OUR CIP PROGRAM.
SO THIS WOULD BE WORTH ABOUT $1.4 MILLION FOR THE TAXPAYER, RIGHT? TWO THIRDS OF THE MILE.
AND EXPLAIN AGAIN WHAT THEY'RE GONNA PUT IT O THEY'RE GONNA PUT THESE LINES OVERHEAD.
HOW MUCH ARE THEY GONNA SAVE BY PUTTING THESE LINES OVERHEAD? ARE WE GETTING THE VALUE OUT OF THIS THAT WE CAN EXPECT? SO FOR THE THREE PHASE, IT IS SEVEN TO EIGHT TIMES MORE EXPENSIVE TO GO OVERHEAD THAN IT IS UNDERGROUND.
I DON'T, I KNOW OUR, OUR DEVELOPERS HERE, I, I DON'T KNOW IF I COULD ACTUALLY TALK TO THE COSTS ASSOCIATED WITH THAT.
IF, IF YOU DON'T MIND COMING UP AND, AND ADDRESSING THAT.
MICHAEL COSTCO, A FRIENDSWOOD DEVELOPMENT COMPANY.
SPEAKING GENERALLY ON THAT, UH, YOU KNOW, THE NORTHERN HALF, THE DUNCAN PUD UH, SAMARA DEVELOPMENT, SAMARA COMMUNITY, UH, WHERE WE'RE REQUESTING THE OVERHEAD TO COME IN, UH, EITHER WHICH WAY YOU'D BE LOOKING AT AN EXPENSE FOR OVERHEAD OR UNDERGROUND THREE PHASE.
SO WHENEVER WE HAD EITHER OVERHEAD OR UNDERGROUND THREE PHASE, SO WHENEVER WE HAD LOOKED AT A COST COMPARISON AND WHAT'S ALLOWED ON A ROADWAY
[01:45:01]
OF THAT SIZE, OVERHEAD WOULD BE ALLOWED.UH, BUT AS, AS, UH, AS CHRISTOPHER SIMS HAD JUST MENTIONED, YOU ARE LOOKING ABOUT A, A FIVE TO 10 X INCREASE.
AND NOT ONLY ON THAT, YOU'RE ALSO LOOKING AT A MAJOR TIME DELAY.
UH, YOU'RE ALSO LOOKING AT REDESIGNS.
YOU'RE ALSO JUST LOOKING AT OVERALL, UH, COMPONENTS THAT ARE GONNA BE DELAYED FROM A, I'D SAY PROCUREMENT PROCESS.
SO I, I GUESS I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY IT WOULD BE A REDESIGN.
'CAUSE THERE'S ALWAYS BEEN IN OUR, IN OUR SPECIFICATIONS TO BE UNDERGROUND.
SO WHY WOULD IT BE A REDESIGN? AND THEN I GUESS MY ACTUAL QUESTION WAS HOW MUCH ARE YOU SAVING VERSUS HOW MUCH ARE YOU REINVESTING IN THE CITY? UH, I, IT'D BE TOUGH TO SAY EVERYTHING ON ALL OF THOSE ARE HAVING TO GO OUT TO BID.
SO, YOU KNOW, I, I DUNNO WHY IT WOULD BE TOUGH TO SAY, BECAUSE YOU, YOU SAID EARLIER THERE'D BE FIVE TO 10 TIMES MORE.
SO WHAT IS THE, WHAT ARE YOU TIMESING THE NUMBER BY APPROXIMATELY? WHENEVER YOU HAVE TO GO UNDERGROUND, YOU MAY BE LOOKING AT A THOUSAND DOLLARS A FOOT AS OPPOSED WHENEVER IT'S, WHEN IT'S, UH, THREE PHASE OVERHEAD, YOU'RE LOOKING AT MAYBE ROUGHLY TWO TO $300 OF LINEAR FOOT.
SO WHAT IS THAT TOTAL? HOW MANY FEET IS THIS GENERALLY WHEN WE'RE LOOKING AT THERE? IT PROBABLY COULD BE ANYWHERE FROM ABOUT 4,000 LINEAR FEET ON, BUT SIGNIFICANT COST TO EITHER WAY FOR US AS A DEVELOPER.
BUT, UH, YOU KNOW, AS, AS WE ARE LOOKING AT THAT AND AS WE'VE DISCUSSED WITH STAFF AND COMING THIS NEGOTIATIONS AND, AND JUST OVERALL CONVERSATIONS, THE IDEA WAS BEHIND IT THAT THIS TYPE OF ROAD STRUCTURE WOULD ALLOW FOR THIS TYPE OF, UH, FACILITY AS A STANDARD GUIDELINE.
AND YOU'RE ASKING FOR A CHANGE.
UM, I THINK YOU SAID IT'S ROUGHLY $700 A LINEAR FOOT DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE TWO APPROXIMATELY AND ABOUT 4,000 FEET.
SO YOU'RE TALKING 2.8 MILLION.
A LOT OF THIS HAS BEEN VERY, I'D SAY, UH, I'D SAY APPROXIMATE, RIGHT? WE HAVEN'T BEEN ABLE TO DO, WE'RE TALKING ROUGH NUMBERS HERE, THREE PHASE UNDERGROUND SOMETHING.
SO THERE'S A SQUIGGLE IN FRONT OF EVERYTHING I'M SAYING.
BUT, SO WE'RE TALKING NEARLY 3 MILLION IN SAVINGS AND YOU'RE INVESTING ABOUT 1.2 BACK.
AND ON TOP OF THAT MEETING WITH STAFF, WE'RE ALSO WORKING ON ANOTHER PARCEL TO DEDICATE RIGHT AWAY FOR AN AREA THAT WOULD BE A FUTURE PARCEL FOR A WATERLINE EXTENSION THAT THE CITY WOULD BE NEEDING AS WELL.
SO, UH, ANOTHER I ANOTHER ADD-ON ITEM, BUT, BUT THAT'S NOT IN THE REQUEST.
IT SHOULD BE IN THE REQUEST AS WELL.
I'M SORRY, MICHAEL, THAT THAT FELT CLEANER TO BE TIED IN WITH THE, UH, FOUR LANE EXPANSION OF HOBBS ROAD 2 5 17.
SO IT WAS TIED TO THAT PROJECT AS OPPOSED TO THE P BUT, BUT MICHAEL IS RIGHT.
THAT IS PART OF THE NEGOTIATIONS.
I'M JUST WONDERING, AS MR. SAUNDERS BROUGHT UP, TAKING IT FOUR LANES THE WHOLE LENGTH, WHAT WOULD BE INVOLVED IN THAT ASK? I DON'T LIKE IT IF YOU, I'M SORRY I DON'T REMEMBER THE LENGTH OF OUR, OUR CITY PROJECT, BUT IF YOU TAKE THAT OUT, YOU'RE TALKING A LITTLE BIT SHY OF A MILE, MAYBE 0.8, 5.9.
SO YOU'RE UP THERE AROUND 1.8 TO 2 MILLION.
SO GETTING A LOT CLOSER TO AN EVEN EVEN SWAP ON THE PUT.
UM, I'D LIKE TO, UH, MAKE A MOTION THEN TO POSTPONE THIS TO THE NEXT MEETING SO THAT WE CAN GET BETTER NUMBERS ON IF WE EXTEND THAT, THAT AGREEMENT THE WHOLE WAY DOWN.
SO YOU SAID THE NEXT MEETING WAS MARCH 24TH.
AND THE SECOND WAS HE, UM, DISCUSSION.
I, I'LL SAY THIS COPS NEEDS TO GET DONE AND I'LL, I'LL SAY THIS AND, AND JODY'S BACK THERE IN THE BACK.
HIS CREWS WERE OUT AND CALLED HER TODAY.
WE'RE GETTING SO MUCH TRAFFIC ON CALDER ROAD.
I DON'T KNOW IF YOU'VE DONE A TRAFFIC STUDY LATELY, BUT HIS GUYS WERE IN THE TUBES TODAY TRYING TO CHECK BECAUSE WE'VE GOT ROAD PANELS POPPING BECAUSE THE TUBES ARE SEPARATING.
I KNEW YOU WERE COMING FROM ME.
HE HAD TO PULL HIS GUYS OUT OF THE TUBE, THE GUY THAT WAS THERE, BECAUSE AS HE, THEY'RE IN THE TUBE, THE ROADWAY'S SINKING.
[01:50:01]
HE EVEN SAID, WE HAVE, THE AMOUNT OF TRAFFIC WE HAVE ON CALDER IS BAD AND HOBBS NOT BEING COMPLETED IS CONTRIBUTING TO THAT.EVERYBODY'S TRYING TO GET, THEY'RE TRYING TO AVOID THE 6 46 AND FIVE 17 INTERSECTION AND THEY'RE COMING DOWN CALDER.
SO WE NEED TO GET HOBBS BILLED, PERIOD.
UM, I'M TRYING TO IMAGINE FOUR LANES ALL THE WAY DOWN WOULD BE NICE.
I'M NOT GONNA, I'M NOT GONNA SHY AWAY FROM THAT.
THE PROBLEM I HAVE WITH THE OVERHEAD POWER LINES, I'LL BE HONEST, OVER IN BAY COUNTY, WEST WHERE I'M AT, EVERY TIME WE HAVE A MAJOR STORM, WE'RE LOSING POWER.
OKAY? THAT'S ALL WE HAVE IN, IN, OVER THERE OFF CALDER ROAD.
AND I HAVE POLES RIGHT NOW THAT ARE LEANING, UH, DRE'S NOT HERE.
I GOT POLES OVER THERE LEANING AND T MEXICO'S NOT DOING ANYTHING.
AND I'M TALKING ABOUT NOT JUST LIKE THIS, I'VE GOT POLES THAT ARE LIKE ALMOST THAT BAD AND T MEXICO'S NOT DOING ANYTHING FOR IT.
SO OVERHEAD POWER LINES ARE NOT A BIG THING FOR ME.
I GOT TREES GROWING INTO 'EM BECAUSE THE DEVELOPER THOUGHT IT WAS A GREAT IDEA TO PUT TREES UNDERNEATH THE POWER LINES.
AND NOW I GOT TREES GROWING INTO 'EM.
AND GUESS WHAT? TEXAS MEXICO'S NOT COMING OUT TO CUT 'EM BECAUSE IF THEY CUT 'EM, HOMEOWNERS GET MAD AT THEM.
SO NOW WE GOT POWER LINES THAT ARE ELEVATED.
WE GOT TREES THAT ARE GROWING INTO 'EM.
WE GOT ROADWAYS BECAUSE OF TRAFFIC.
WE GUESS SOME MAJOR ISSUES THAT WE'RE ALMOST A DOUBLE WHAMMY HERE Y'ALL ARE, UH, HOBBS ROAD NOT BEING COMPLETED.
IT'S CAUSING PROBLEMS ON CALDER.
THE POWER LINES BEING ELEVATE IS CAUSES PROBLEMS FOR ALL THE HOMEOWNERS.
IT'S ALMOST A DOUBLE WHAMMY, I GUESS KEN'S LOUD, I'M SORRY.
YOU ALL RIGHT? I'M JUST, I'M NOT DOWN WITH IT FOR THAT ONE REASON THAT WE HAD A DEAL, YOU WOULD SINK THESE AND YOU KNOW, IT GOES TO THE OVERALL LOOK AND FEEL OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
NOW IF IT'S, IF THESE HAVE TO BE ELEVATED IN AN AREA THAT NO ONE'S GONNA SEE, I GUESS IT'S ALL RIGHT.
UM, THEN THAT WOULD PROBABLY BE A GOOD DEAL.
BUT THAT'S JUST MY FEELINGS ON THE MATTER.
I TOTALLY AGREE WITH YOU MS. SAUNDERS.
LIKE I, UH, I UNDERSTAND THAT, UH, THERE MIGHT BE A, A, A PROBLEM THAT NEEDS TO GET SOLVED IN SOME WAY, HOWEVER, I'M NOT WILLING TO CHANGE THE AGREEMENT WE ALREADY HAVE JUST TO SAVE SOME MONEY, RIGHT? SO IF WE CAN'T DO IT OR IF IT'S IMPRACTICAL, THAT'S FINE.
AND I THINK THIS IS AN OKAY DEAL, BUT I WANNA UNDERSTAND FULLY ABOUT WHAT THE CITIZENS ARE GONNA GET OUT OF IT.
RIGHT? YOU'RE, Y'ALL ARE GONNA SAVE A TON OF MONEY IN THE NUMBERS YOU JUST QUOTED.
YOU'RE GONNA SAVE FAR MORE THAN YOU'RE REINVESTING BACK IN THE CITY.
AND SO IF WE ARE GOING TO TAKE A LESSER PRODUCT, WHICH WITH NO UNCERTAIN TERMS, OVERHEAD LINES ARE A LESSER PRODUCT, THEN BURIED LINES.
SO IF WE'RE GONNA TAKE THAT LESSER PRODUCT, WHAT ARE WE GONNA GET IN RETURN? AND IF WE ARE GONNA GET A REINVESTMENT IN THE ROADS AND SERVICES, THEN I COULD BE OKAY WITH IT.
AND I JUST NEED TO FULLY UNDERSTAND THAT AND MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE ALL ON THE SAME PAGE.
BUT UNTIL IT'S A RELATIVELY EQUAL DEAL THAT THE TAXPAYERS AND, AND THE CITIZENS AND THE POTENTIAL AND FUTURE CITIZENS ARE GONNA GET SOMETHING OUT OF IT.
UM, I, I JUST NEED TO UNDERSTAND THAT.
AND SO I DO SUPPORT, UH, MR. CHAD WELL'S MOTION TO PUT FULLY UNDERSTAND WHAT'S GOING ON.
UH, JUST ONE QUICK QUESTION, CHRIS, CAN YOU GIMME, I'M TRYING TO LOOK AT THE VISUAL ON THE MAP AND THE MAP'S KIND OF UPSIDE DOWN FROM WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT THE 3,500, UH, FEET OF ROADWAY.
IS IT PAST THE BELTWAY OR BEFORE THE BELTWAY? SURE.
SO I'M GONNA STEP OVER AND HOLLER.
I'M TRYING TO GET A VISUAL ON IT.
SO HOBBS ROAD IS THIS YELLOW LINE, RIGHT? RIGHT? YES.
YOU'RE GOING ALL THE WAY THROUGH HIS LAST INTERSECTION, WHICH IS YOU HAVE MULDOON, CORRECT? OH, OH, I'M SORRY.
IT'S THE INTERSECTION OF THE TWO YELLOW, YELLOW LINES.
AND THIS IS HOBBS RUNNING HERE.
AND WHERE IS THE BELTWAY? BUCKEYE.
SEE, AND THAT'S THAT, THAT WAS MY THOUGHT.
SO IT'S GONNA GO DOWN TWO STREETS, DOWN HOBBS, BASICALLY BEFORE THE BELTWAY, AND THEN WE'RE GONNA GO BACK TO A TWO LANE ROADWAY.
I MEAN, IF I AGREE WITH THE MAYOR, IF WE COULD GO PAST THE BELTWAY AND SOMEWHERE GET CLOSE TO
[01:55:01]
MULDOON, THAT WOULD BE MUCH BETTER BECAUSE PEOPLE ARE COMING OFF OF THE MULDOON TO HOBBES.WHEN YOU SAY BELTWAY, YOU MEAN GRAND PARKWAY? I'M SORRY.
THE GRAND PARKWAY, NOT THE BELTWAY.
GRAND PARKWAY IS WHERE THE STREET IS IN URBAN STREET IN THIS PARTICULAR DRAWING.
PARDON ME? YOU CAN KIND OF, YOU CAN KIND OF SEE THE CURVATURE OF THE GRAND PARKWAY RIGHT THERE, SIR.
JUST BELOW URBAN, THAT'S CUTTING THROUGH THE STREET IN URBAN STREET ALIGNMENT.
RIGHT? SO IT'S GOING TO THE SECOND STREET FROM ERWIN STREET.
SO, AND THEN IT'S GONNA CUT BACK TO A TWO LANE ROAD, AND THEN YOU'RE GONNA GO BY THE LIFT STATION PAST THE GRAND PARKWAY AND THEN PAST, UH, MULDOON.
CORRECT? I MEAN, IT'S GONNA STOP AT THE SECOND STREET.
AND, AND THAT'S, THAT IS A PROBLEM.
'CAUSE THAT REALLY DOES, IT HELPS US A LITTLE BIT, BUT DOESN'T HELP US ON THE TRAFFIC.
IF IT COULD BE TAKEN TO MULDOON, THAT WOULD BE MUCH BETTER FOR RIGHT NOW OR ALL THE WAY I, YEAH, I MEAN, ALL RIGHTY.
COULD, SO WHILE WE'RE DOING THE MATH POINTY THING, COULD YOU SHOW WHERE THE, UH, WHERE THE WIRES WOULD BE? IT WOULD BE ON IRV.
SO THE, THE RED LINE IS WHERE THE OVERHEAD WOULD IS BEING REQUESTED.
THERE'S OVERHEADS NOW ON HOBBS, RIGHT, RIGHT, RIGHT.
AND THAT'S WHAT I'M TRYING TO IMAGINE IS 'CAUSE YOU DRIVE DOWN TO HOBBS AND YOU NOTICE IT.
AND SO, SO THE WAY, THE WAY, UH, OUR ORDINANCES ARE WRITTEN, YOU'RE ALLOWED TO PUT, UM, OVERHEAD ON COLLECTORS ARTERIALS AND, AND BOUNDARIES OF THE SUBDIVISIONS.
WHEN THIS PUD WAS ADOPTED, UM, IT WAS JUST THE NORTH SOUTH, UM, ARTERIAL, WHICH WOULD'VE BEEN LANDING IN THIS CASE.
AND THEN THE EAST WEST WERE NOT GOING TO BE OVERHEAD.
THEY WERE GOING TO BE UNDERGROUND.
UM, AND I THINK I'VE GOT A PRINT.
SO RIGHT HERE IS THE OVERHEAD ROUTING.
SO YOU CAN KINDA SEE THE, THE GOLD YELLOWISH BANDS THAT, THAT GO WITH GRAND PARKWAY.
THAT WAS WHAT WAS ORIGINALLY PLANNED.
THE CONVERSATIONS THAT WE'VE HAD, UM, WITH, WITH NOT JUST MICHAEL, BUT WITH DEVELOPERS WITH CENTERPOINT, WITH TEXAS NEW MEXICO, IS THEY CAN'T MAKE THAT ALIGNMENT WORK THE WAY THEIR BOUNDARIES ARE.
THEY NEED THEIR THREE PHASE A LITTLE BIT FURTHER OFF.
SO THE IRVING, THE MULDOON, THOSE ARE THE ONES THAT THEY'RE LOOKING AT.
UM, AND THIS IS JUST THE FIRST ONE THAT'S, THAT'S COME THE, WE ARE UNDERGROUND ON MULDOON IN WESTLAND RANCH.
THE PUD FOR THE LLOYD TRACK REQUIRES, UM, I'M NOT GONNA SAY THE WORDING JUST RIGHT, BUT, BUT LIKE A STUDY FROM THEM TO JUST CONFIRM THAT THERE'S NO OTHER ROUTE AND THEN IT WOULD BE ALLOWED ANY MORE, ANY MORE DISCUSSION.
SO, UH, ON THE MOTION TO POSTPONE TO THE, UH, MARCH 24TH MEETING, GO AHEAD AND VOTE APPROVED.
[7E. 26-0076 Hold a public hearing on a request to rezone approximately 7.982 acres from “RSF-7” (Residential Single-Family 7) to “CG” (General Commercial), MAP-25-0009 (League City Parkway and Legacy Drive), generally located along the north side of West League City Parkway and west of Cones Lane (Director of Planning)]
HOLD A PUBLIC HEARING ON A REQUEST TO REZONE APPROXIMATELY 7.982 ACRES FROM RS F SEVEN RESIDENTIAL SINGLE FAMILY SEVEN TO CG GENERAL COMMERCIAL MAP DASH 25 DASH 0 0 0 9 LEAGUE CITY PARKWAY AND LEGACY DRIVE.GENERALLY LOCATED ALONG THE NORTH SIDE OF WEST LAKE, CITY, PARKWAY, AND WEST OF CES.
DIRECTOR OF PLANNING THE MEETING WILL OPEN AT 7 58.
WE HAVE SOME PEOPLE SIGNED UP TO SPEAK RUSSELL BYRUM.
UM, I'M, UH, HERE TO PROVIDE SUPPORT FOR THIS PARTICULAR REZONING EFFORT.
UM, THIS IS DIRECTLY ACROSS THE STREET FROM LEGACY, WHICH IS OUR NEW COMMUNITY THAT JUST OPENED, UH, AT THE END OF LAST YEAR.
UM, WE ACTUALLY, INTERESTINGLY ENOUGH, WERE INTERESTED IN PURCHASING THIS PROPERTY.
UM, AT ONE POINT IN TIME IT IS DIRECTLY ADJACENT TO A 4.6 ACRE COMMERCIAL TRACK THAT WE HAVE.
AND WE WERE INTERESTED, UM, FOR A BRIEF MOMENT, UH, BUT THEN WE DECIDED, UM, TO REACH OUT TO THE BROKER AND, UH, SUGGEST A PARTICULAR BUYER BECAUSE WE WOULD'VE JUST BOUGHT IT AND THEN SOLD IT TO THIS BUYER.
SO, UM, THE BUYER, UH, UH, THAT, THAT, THAT, UM, IS INTERESTED IN THE REZONING OF THE PROPERTY IS A BUYER THAT WE HAVE DONE BUSINESS WITH.
WE HAVE, THEY HAVE, UM, SECURED SOME PROPERTY
[02:00:01]
IN POMONA.THEY HAVE DEVELOPED, UH, SEVERAL, UM, LOCATIONS, RETAIL, FUELING STATION, DAYCARE.
UM, THIS PARTICULAR PIECE OF PROPERTY WAS RECENTLY ANNEXED INTO OUR MUD DISTRICT.
AND BY WAY OF THAT, WE, UM, WE HAVE ARCHITECTURAL REVIEWING RIGHTS FOR THAT PROPERTY.
SO THIS IS GOING TO LOOK AND FEEL LIKE IT IS A DEVELOPMENT, UM, A PART OF LEGACY.
SO WE HAVE STRICT GUIDELINES, NOT UNLIKE YOURSELF ON, UM, ON WHAT THAT COMMERCIAL IS GONNA LOOK LIKE FROM THE STONE VENEER TO THE BRICK TO MASONRY ASPECTS OF IT, LANDSCAPING, SETBACKS, LANDSCAPING REQUIREMENTS.
WE WANT THIS TO LOOK AND FEEL LIKE WE'RE DEVELOPING IT OURSELVES.
AND SO I JUST WANTED TO COME FORWARD TODAY TO LET YOU KNOW THAT WE ARE IN SUPPORT OF THIS REZONING EFFORT.
WE DO THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO ADD COMPONENTS OF COMMERCIAL TO, UH, THE CITY OF LAKE CITY.
WE'RE TAKING CARE OF THAT RESIDENTIAL COMPONENT.
WE DO THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO HAVE ASPECTS OF COMMERCIAL IN THIS AREA, WHAT THEY HAVE PROPOSED AND WHAT THEY'RE THINKING ABOUT PUTTING HERE.
DAYCARE, SOME OFFICE CONDOS, UH, SOME UH, COFFEE SHOP RETAIL COMPONENTS WE THINK WOULD BE VERY COMPLIMENTARY OF OUR RESIDENTIAL COMMUNITY THAT WE'RE BUILDING JUST SOUTH OF THEM.
I LIVE AT SIXTY FIVE TWENTY CES LANE.
I'VE LIVED IN HOUSTON MY WHOLE LIFE AND IT'S BEEN INTERESTING AS ZONING ISSUES COME UP, YOU KNOW, WOULD COME UP THROUGH THE CITY OF HOUSTON.
THERE WOULD ALWAYS BE PEOPLE THAT WERE UPSET BECAUSE THE ZONING WOULD KIND OF OVERLAP PEOPLE'S PROPERTY, PEOPLE'S BUSINESSES, AND IT REALLY NEVER TOOK OFF.
THAT'S WHY ZONE HOUSTON IS KIND OF A MESS.
YOU'VE GOT, YOU KNOW, STUFF NEXT TO EVERYTHING.
WHEN WE BOUGHT OUR PROPERTY FOUR YEARS AGO, FIVE YEARS AGO, WE'RE IN A RESIDENTIAL ZONE AND WE BACKED UP TO A RESIDENTIAL ZONE.
WE PAID A $25,000 PREMIUM FOR OUR PROPERTY BECAUSE WE WERE BACKED UP TO THIS RESIDENTIAL ZONE WITH THIS EASEMENT.
OF COURSE, WE WERE TOLD IT WOULD NEVER CHANGE, THAT THERE MIGHT BE HOUSES BUILT BACK THERE THAT, YOU KNOW, HOPEFULLY IT COULD STAY A PARK, BUT THAT IT WOULD NEVER BE COMMERCIAL.
NOW INSTEAD OF ZONING IT, YOU KNOW, NEIGHBORHOOD COMMERCIAL WHERE IT WOULD BE A YOGA STUDIO OR A DAYCARE OR A COFFEE SHOP, IT'S GONNA BE ZONED AS GENERAL COMMERCIAL.
SO IT COULD BE A WHATABURGER, IT COULD BE A CAR WASH, IT COULD BE A BARBECUE JOINT, IT COULD BE, IT COULD BASICALLY BE ANYTHING.
SO WE'RE NOT HERE TO COME IN AND TRY AND CHANGE SOMEONE ELSE'S DESIRE OR MARKET INTEREST WITH THEIR PROPERTY.
WE'RE JUST INTERESTED IN PRESERVING THE PROPERTY THAT WE HAVE.
KEEPING THE ZONE RESIDENTIAL AS IT WAS SET UP FOR.
I MEAN, ZONING MAKES A LOT OF SENSE WHEN YOU'VE GOT GIANT PLATH OF, YOU KNOW, PROPERTY LIKE YOU DO ON, YOU KNOW, THE WEST SIDE OF LAKE CITY.
IT MAKES SENSE FOR COMMERCIAL DEVELOPMENT.
IT MAKES SENSE FOR JUST DEVELOPMENT IN GENERAL.
SO IF YOU GO THROUGH THE EFFORT TO SET UP THESE ZONES TO THEN KIND OF ARBITRARILY DECIDE, WELL THIS ONE, WE'VE GOT THIS LITTLE BIT OF EXTRA PROPERTY HERE WITH THIS PERSON THAT WE'VE ALWAYS WORKED WITH, WE WANNA SWITCH THIS TO GENERAL COMMERCIAL.
IT, IT, IT KIND OF TAKES AWAY THE $25,000 PREMIUM THAT ME AND MY SIX NEIGHBORS HAVE ALREADY PAID.
BUT WHILE WE'RE STILL PAYING THAT $25,000, CLEARLY THE VALUE OF OUR PROPERTY IS GOING TO BE DIMINISHED BY AT LEAST THAT WHEN IT COMES TIME TO SELL, IF WE BACK UP TO A WHATABURGER OR A CAR WASH OR ANYTHING ELSE THAT MIGHT BE BUILT WITH, YOU KNOW, ATTRACTIVE VENEERS.
UM, IN THE STYLE OF THE LEGACY DEVELOPMENT, WHICH, YOU KNOW, WITH RESPECT TO THE LIGHTS AND THE, THE DOWN FILTERS ON THE LIGHTS, WE CAN SEE THAT LEGACY GIANT BRIGHT WHITE SIGN THAT'S ON ALL NIGHT LONG FROM OUR BACKYARD.
SO, YOU KNOW, WE APPRECIATE IT, BUT WE REALLY THINK IT SHOULD BE STAY RESIDENTIAL.
UM, YOU KNOW, WE COULD CONSIDER LIGHT COMMERCIAL, BUT THE REASON IT HAS TO GO TO GENERAL COMMERCIAL, NOBODY'S REALLY TOLD US.
YOU KNOW, WE'VE SEEN SOME NICE LITTLE RENDERINGS OF DOCTORS' COMPLEXES WITH TREES AND STUFF, BUT WE HAVEN'T BEEN TOLD AND WE HAVE NO IDEA WHAT'S, WHAT'S GONNA BE THERE.
SO WE'D LIKE IT TO JUST STAY RESIDENTIAL COMMERCIAL AT THIS POINT.
JUST STUMBLE THIS PART RIGHT HERE IN THE RIGHT.
HI, I AM ASHLEY ADAMS. I LIVE AT 6 5 2 4
[02:05:01]
CES LANE.UM, WE REALLY APPRECIATED THE SUPPORT OF THE ZONING AND PLANNING COMMISSIONERS AND WE REALLY HOPE TO GAIN YOUR SUPPORT AS WELL ON THIS.
UM, AS ROBERT SAID, WHEN WE PURCHASED OUR HOMES, WE PAID A PREMIUM FOR THESE LOTS.
SO OUR PROPERTY VALUES ARE DEFINITELY A CONCERN OF OURS.
UM, SORRY I'M A LITTLE NERVOUS.
UM, I UNDERSTAND THAT THIS WOULD BE VERY BENEFICIAL TO THE CURRENT PROPERTY OWNER, UH, TO BE ABLE TO REZONE THIS AS COMMERCIAL AND MAKE A PREMIUM.
BUT THAT WOULD BE COMING AT THE COST OF OUR PROPERTY VALUES AND THAT WE WOULD'VE NEVER PURCHASED THESE PROPERTIES.
I, OR I CAN SPEAK FOR MYSELF, WE WOULD'VE NEVER PURCHASED OUR HOME HAD IT BACKED UP TO A COMMERCIAL PROPERTY.
I'M NOT ASKING YOU TO KEEP ALL THE TREES AND I'M NOT ASKING YOU NOT TO PUT 20 HOUSES ON THE PROPERTY, IT'S RESIDENTIAL.
UM, BUT I AM ASKING YOU NOT TO APPROVE IT TO MOVE FORWARD AS REZONED TO COMMERCIAL.
UM, ONCE GIVEN THE REZONING TO MY UNDERSTANDING, ANYTHING THAT'S ILLEGAL BUSINESS COULD GO INTO THAT PROPERTY.
SO WHETHER IT LOOKS APPEALING WITH UM, NICE BRICKS OR WHATEVER, UM, THERE ARE SO MANY BUSINESSES THAT TO US AND OUR FAMILY WOULD BE VERY UNCOMFORTABLE TO HAVE BEHIND OUR PROPERTY.
UM, THEY COULD PUT IN VAPE SHOPS, MORE DONUT SHOPS, MORE NAIL SALONS, THINGS THAT WE DON'T TRULY NEED IN, IN THIS LOCATION.
UM, IT'S ALSO NESTLED RIGHT BETWEEN TWO SCHOOL ZONES.
SO INCREASING THE TRAFFIC, THE LARGE DELIVERY TRUCKS, UM, ALSO A SAFETY CONCERN.
THERE'S MANY KIDS THAT CROSS THOSE STREETS AND WE DO HAVE THE CROSSING GUARDS OF COURSE, BUT IT WOULD INCREASE TRAFFIC.
UM, ANOTHER CONCERN, UH, AS MENTIONED, LIGHT POLLUTION, THE SMELLS.
WE DON'T WANT DUMPSTERS, YOU KNOW, FROM BUSINESSES BEHIND OUR HOUSE.
WE DON'T WANT TO SMELL FAST FOOD.
UM, THEY COULD HAVE ALL HOURS OF OPERATION.
WE COULD END UP WITH A BAR WITH OUTDOOR SEATING OR A RESTAURANT WITH OUTDOOR SEATING TO MY UNDERSTANDING, UM, WHICH WOULD CAUSE NOISE.
THAT'S WHY WE WERE WILLING TO PAY A PREMIUM FOR THIS LOT.
UH, THAT BACKS UP TO AN EASEMENT AND TO RESIDENTIAL, UH, PROPERTY.
SO LET ME SEE IF I HAD ANY OTHER NOTES HERE.
SO I THINK THAT PRETTY MUCH SUMS IT UP.
I AGREE WITH EVERYTHING ROBERT SAID AND APPRECIATE YOUR, YOUR TIME AND CONSIDERATION FOR THIS MATTER.
TAYLOR ADAMS. MY NAME IS TAYLOR ADAMS. I ALSO LIVE AT 6 5 2 4 COUNS LANE, I'M SURE I WON'T TALK AS WELL AS MY BEAUTIFUL WIFE DID.
BUT, UM, MY FOCUS IS, SO, SO WE TALKED ABOUT THIS IN THE PLANNING AND ZONING COMMISSION AND THE NEED FOR COMMERCIAL PROPERTY IN WEST LAKE CITY AND THE NEED COMMERCIAL PROPERTY IN THIS AREA.
BUT WITHIN A MILE AND A QUARTER, THERE'S A HUNDRED ACRES OF UNDEVELOPED COMMERCIAL PROPERTY THAT'S ALREADY THERE RIGHT ACROSS THE STREET.
YOU CAN SEE THE PINK THERE RIGHT ACROSS THE STREET.
THAT'S UNDEVELOPED COMMERCIAL PROPERTY JUST DOWN THE ROAD ON LAKE CITY, PARKWAYS, UNDEVELOPED COMMERCIAL ALL ALONG FIVE 18.
THE ONLY THING THAT'S THERE NOW IS THE GAS STATION.
THERE'S ABOUT 25 ACRES THERE NEXT TO THAT GAS STATION, COMPLETELY UNDEVELOPED, JUST SITTING THERE VACANT.
SO THERE'S NO LACK OF COMMERCIAL PROPERTY ALONG THESE ROADWAYS.
THERE'S NO NEED TO TURN THIS INTO COMMERCIAL PROPERTY WHEN IT'S ALREADY ZONED AS RESIDENTIAL.
I DON'T NEED TO HIT ON THE SAME POINTS.
VALUES ARE GONNA GO DOWN IF YOU GET COMMERCIAL PROPERTY RIGHT BEHIND YOU.
WE'VE ALREADY SEEN A DROP IN OUR PROPERTY VALUE SINCE WE BOUGHT THREE YEARS AGO.
I THINK THAT'S JUST THE NATURE OF BUYING IN 2022, AS WE ALL KNOW, AND THE MARKET WAS WHERE IT WAS.
BUT, UM, AS THEY'VE ALL STATED, THAT'S OUR WORRY IS PROPERTY VALUE GOING DOWN AND THE FACT THAT WE NEVER WOULD'VE BOUGHT THIS HOME IF IT BACKED UP TO COMMERCIAL PROPERTY.
OKAY, LET ME GO AHEAD WITH THE NEXT ONE.
CHUCK FALCO, 2118 EASTLAND COURT.
I'M GONNA HAVE ONE, ONE MORE SPEAKER.
DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY I'M TALKING ABOUT THIS.
THIS, WHAT IS YOUR MIC ON I THINK? I DON'T THINK YOUR MIC'S ON.
[02:10:01]
IT.CHUCK DE FALCO 2118 EASTLAND COURT.
I DON'T LIVE EXACTLY AT THIS LOCATION.
YOU'LL UNDERSTAND WHY I'M TALKING ABOUT THIS IN JUST A LITTLE BIT.
THERE ARE THREE ASPECTS OF THIS PROPOSED ZONING CHANGE THAT STRUCK ME WHEN I READ ABOUT THIS AND RESEARCHED INTO IT.
UM, FIRST PLANNING ZONING COMMISSION ON FEBRUARY 12TH VOTED AGAINST THIS FIVE TO ONE'S GOOD.
A STAFF REPORT ON THIS REZONING DATED FEBRUARY 12TH, STATED THE REQUEST IS CONSISTENT AND COMPATIBLE WITH ADJACENT LAND USES AND ZONING DISTRICTS.
WHERE DID THAT COME FROM? THIS IS, THIS IS BAD ON, ON THE WEST SIDE.
THERE'S RESIDENTIAL, SINGLE FAMILY DIRECTLY ABUTTING, WHICHEVER DOCUMENT THAT THE, UM, CITY STAFF USED TO COME UP WITH THAT DETERMINATION.
I THINK THAT WHATEVER DOCUMENT IT IS NEEDS TO BE RESCINDED IMMEDIATELY AND CHANGED TO, TO PUT IN PROTECTIONS FOR HOMEOWNERS AGAINST GENERAL COMMERCIAL NEXT TO RESIDENTIAL SINGLE FAMILY.
UM, THE, UH, THE, THE PROBLEM WITH GENERAL COMMERCIAL IS THAT IT'S INTENSIVE AND IMPACTFUL AND AS A HOMEOWNER YOU HAVE TO ASSUME THAT THE WORST IS GOING IN THAT WILL WILL AFFECT YOU AND THE CLOSER THE HOME, UH, THE HOMEOWNER GETS TO THE ZONE, THE WORSE IT COULD BE.
I DON'T EVEN LIKE THE RIGHT OF WAY ON THE EAST SIDE OF THIS TRACT.
IT'S NOT BIG ENOUGH TO TO BE A BUFFER.
AND I KNOW THIS TRACT IS IN A PUD AND, UH, THAT CONTAINS ENFORCEABLE RULES SUCH AS ARCHITECTURE AND LANDSCAPING DON'T EVEN GO THERE.
I CARE FAR MORE ABOUT LAND USE THAN HOW IT LOOKS.
NUMBER THREE, DURING THE P AND Z MEETING, MR. ROBERT OSBORNE SPOKE ON IN OPPOSITION TO THIS CHANGE, EXPRESSING A PREFERENCE FOR A LESS INTENSIVE DESIGNATION.
I DON'T KNOW MR. OSBORNE OR ANY OF THE OTHER RESIDENTS WHO HAVE SPOKEN OR LISTED IN THE MEETING MINUTES, BUT I DO KNOW THAT I'VE BEEN INVOLVED IN SIMILAR PROPERTY DEVELOPMENT DEBATES ON THIS VERY SAME ROADWAY GOING AS FAR BACK AS 1999.
I ASK THAT LEAGUE CITY COUNCIL ALSO VOTE DOWN THIS ZONING REQUEST.
AND I BELIEVE THERE'S ONE MORE THAT DIDN'T GET A CHANCE TO SIGN UP.
HELLO, MY NAME'S STEVEN SCOBEL.
UH, I LIVE AT 6 5 2 2 CONES LANE.
I ALSO BACK UP TO THIS PROPERTY, UH, AND NOW WE'RE DISCUSSING, AND I DIDN'T GET TO SIGN MY NAME UP 'CAUSE IN CASE Y'ALL DIDN'T KNOW THERE'S A LITTLE TRAFFIC PROBLEM IN LEAGUE CITY.
I WAS A LITTLE LATE GETTING HERE, SO, BUT, UH, YEAH, SO SAVE YOUR MONEY ON THE SURVEY NEXT TIME.
BUT, UH, ANYWAYS, I JUST WANNA REITERATE WHAT THESE GUYS SAID AND, AND, UH, MS. ASHLEY ADAMS ALSO MY NEIGHBOR, WHEN WE BOUGHT UP THIS HOUSE, WE PROBABLY WOULDN'T HAVE BOUGHT IT IF IT WAS COMMERCIAL AT THE TIME.
SO IT DOES NEGATIVELY AFFECT US.
I, I HEAR MR. TRESSLER ARGUMENT EARLIER ABOUT, YOU KNOW, IF YOU WANT THE LAND OR IF YOU WANNA CONTROL THE LAND X, YOU GOTTA BUY IT.
WHICH I, I AGREE WITH YOU ON THAT, BUT AT THE SAME TIME, UH, THEY'RE, IT WAS ALREADY ZONED RESIDENTIAL.
IT'S, THEY'RE NOT ASKING FOR AN S-U-S-U-P AS WE WERE DEBATING EARLIER.
UH, SO I HOPE Y'ALL WOULD DENY IT FOR THAT REASON.
BUT, UH, AND I, I DON'T THINK WE NEED MORE UNDEVELOPED COMMERCIAL PROPERTY AT THIS TIME.
IF IT WAS, IF, IF EVERYTHING ELSE WAS ALREADY DEVELOPED AROUND THIS, THE PROPERTY THAT IS ZONED COMMERCIAL WAS ALREADY DEVELOPED AROUND IT, I'D, YOU KNOW, SAY, OKAY, YES, THIS IS NEEDED AT THIS TIME, BUT IT DOESN'T SEEM NEEDED AT THIS TIME.
THAT'S ALL WE'RE GONNA CLOSE THIS PUBLIC HEARING AT.
UM, SO YES, I'M HERE ON BEHALF OF THE DEVELOPER.
I'M WITH, UH, BLACK LINE ENGINEERING.
AND I JUST WANNA START BY POINTING OUT THAT, UH, THE FUTURE LAND USE MAP, WHICH WAS PRODUCED BY LEAGUES THE LEAGUE CITIES COMPREHENSIVE PLAN, DOES SHOW THAT THIS TRACT WAS ZONED OR PLANNED TO BE ZONED FOR COMMERCIAL, WHICH IS IN LINE WITH LEAGUE CITY'S DESIRE TO DEVELOP MORE COMMERCIAL PROPERTY.
UM, I HAVE PREVIOUSLY SPOKE ON THE CONCERNS OF ALL THE NEIGHBORS AND
[02:15:01]
I APPRECIATE THEIR CONCERNS.I DO BELIEVE THAT EXISTING GUIDELINES ALREADY ADDRESS ALL OF THEIR CONCERNS.
I WOULD LIKE TO BRIEFLY GO OVER THOSE, UM, POINTS.
UH, IT'S IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT COMMERCIAL GENERAL DOES NOT MEAN THAT ANYTHING GOES, UH, COMMERCIAL GENERAL STILL REQUIRES SPECIAL USE PERMITS FOR ITEMS SUCH AS CAR WASHES, RESTAURANTS THAT INCLUDE DRIVE-THROUGHS, UM, FUELING STATIONS, AUTO REPAIR, FOOD, TRUCK PARKS, SMOKE SHOPS, AND SELF STORAGE.
EVEN IF WE ARE GRANTED COMMERCIAL GENERAL, WE WILL STILL BE REQUIRED TO GET SPECIAL USE PERMITS FOR THOSE USES.
ON TOP OF THAT, THE PROPERTY IS ALREADY IN THE LEGACY MUD, WHICH INCLUDES COVENANTS, CONDITIONS AND RESTRICTIONS THAT FURTHER RESTRICT THINGS LIKE USED AUTO DEALERSHIPS, HEAVY INDUSTRY THRIFT STORES, AND BARS SLASH NIGHTCLUBS.
SO I BELIEVE THAT IT'S IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT THERE'S STILL QUITE A BIT OF RESTRICTION ON WHAT CAN ACTUALLY BE DEVELOPED HERE.
UH, BUILDING ARCHITECTURE, IT IS SUBJECT TO LEGACIES ARCHITECTURAL REVIEW COMMITTEE, UM, AND VARIOUS OTHER THINGS THAT LEE CITY ITSELF HAS IN PLACE LIKE SHIELDING FOR MECHANICAL EQUIPMENT, SHIELDING FOR DUMPSTERS.
UM, IT'S ALREADY BEEN TOUCHED ON ABOUT LIGHT POLLUTION AND HOW THE LEE CITY DEVELOPMENT STAFF HAS INSTITUTED MEASURES TO PREVENT LIGHT POLLUTION THAT INCLUDE REVIEW AND APPROVAL OF SITE LIGHTING PLANS BY LEAGUE CITY.
UM, THE, THE CONCERNS ABOUT IMPACTS TO STORM WATER AND SURROUNDING TRAFFIC, I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT ANY IMPACT, ANY POTENTIAL IMPACT TO SITE DRAINAGE OR STORMWATER DETENTION IS REGULATED BY LEAK CITY ITSELF AND THEY WILL ENSURE THAT THE DEVELOPER DOES NOT NEGATIVELY IMPACT, UM, ANY, UH, DRAINAGE THAT MIGHT GO ONTO OTHER PROPERTIES.
THE SAME GOES FOR TRAFFIC THAT THE DEVELOPER WILL BE REQUIRED TO HAVE THIS TRAFFIC STUDY THAT WILL PROVE THAT THERE IS NO SIGNIFICANT INCREASE IN TRAFFIC.
AND THIS MIGHT INCLUDE THE USE OR THE INSTALLATION OF DEDICATED LEFT AND RIGHT TURN LANES THAT WILL ENSURE THAT TRAFFIC NOT ENTERING THIS PROPERTY WILL CONTINUE TO MOVE THROUGH THE INTERSECTION.
UNINHIBITED, UH, ONE OF THE MAIN CONCERNS WAS TREES.
THE DEVELOPER HAS GONE OUT OF THEIR WAY TO COMMIT TO LEAVING THE TREES IN PLACE AS A BUFFER, UM, ALONG A 15 FOOT STRIP TO THE EAST PROPERTY LINE.
I ALSO HAVE THESE, UM, HANDOUTS THAT KIND OF OUTLINE ALL OF THIS FAMILY ONE WHO CARES TO REVIEW THESE IN DETAIL.
OKAY, I'M GONNA GO AHEAD AND CLOSE THIS HEARING AT 8 17 7
[7F. 26-0077 Consider and take action on an ordinance approving a Rezoning Application, MAP-25-0009 (League City Parkway and Legacy Drive), a request to rezone approximately 7.982 acres from “RSF-7” (Residential Single-Family 7) to “CG” (General Commercial), generally located along the north side of West League City Parkway and west of Cones Lane (Director of Planning)]
F CONSIDER TAKE ACTION ON ORDINANCE APPROVING, UH, REZONING APPLICATION MAP 25 DASH 0 0 9 LAKE CITY PARKWAY AND LEGACY DRIVE REQUEST TO REZONE APPROXIMATELY 7.982 ACRES FROM R-F-R-S-F SEVEN POSITION, SINGLE FAMILY SEVEN TO COMMERCIAL GENERAL, GENERALLY LOCATED ALONG THE NORTH SIDE OF WEST LAKE, CITY, PARKWAY, AND WEST OF CONES LANE.PLANNING ZONING, A MOVE TO, UH, A FAILED TO APPROVE APPROVAL FAILED ONE TO FIVE ON FEBRUARY 12TH, MOVE TO POSTPONE FOR TWO WEEKS.
DO YOU WANT TO, YOU'VE BEEN JOE WATSON ONCE AGAIN FOUR WEEKS.
IT'S GOING BE, IT'S GONNA BE MARCH 24TH.
WE DON'T HAVE LET THE RECORD REFLECT POSTPONED TO MARCH 24TH.
AND IF YOU NEED GUIDANCE ON WHAT A JOE WATSON IS, PLEASE SEE JOHN BAUMGARTNER OR NICK LONG FOR THE INFORMATION ON THAT.
OKAY, SO WE HAVE A MOTION TO POSTPONE.
I DIDN'T KNOW IF YOU STILL HAD DISCUSSION WITH THE MOTION.
SO, UH, I I'M FULLY SUPPORTIVE OF A MOTION TO POSTPONE.
UM, I WILL SAY, UM, SOME THINGS I WOULD LIKE YOU TO DISCUSS ARE, UM, I'M NOT CLEAR ON ON WHY A REQUEST CAME IN FOR GENERAL COMMERCIAL.
I THINK THERE'S, UH, STEPS BEFORE GENERAL COMMERCIAL, UM, THAT WOULD PROBABLY MAKE A LOT MORE SENSE, UM, IN THAT LOCATION.
UM, SO I'D LIKE CONFIRMATION OF WHY THAT'S EVEN BEING CONSIDERED AND IF SOMETHING LESSER, UM, CAN SATISFY THE GOAL.
I SAY THAT AS SOMEONE WHO, UH, UM, HISTORICALLY HAS SUPPORTED ALMOST EVERY CHANGE TO COMMERCIAL, UM, BECAUSE I THINK THAT'S IMPORTANT FOR THE LONG-TERM FISCAL SUSTAINABILITY OF OUR COMMUNITY.
[02:20:01]
UM, HAVING SAID THAT, UM, I THINK, UH, UM, AS, AS SOMEBODY BROUGHT UP MY STATEMENTS EARLIER, THERE'S A BIG DIFFERENCE BETWEEN AN SUP FOR ALLOWING GAS PUMPS AND A ENTIRE CATEGORY RESHAPING FROM RESIDENTIAL TO GENERAL COMMERCIAL.SO I DON'T THINK, UH, SAYING I, I DON'T REALLY CARE FOR THIS IS INCONSISTENT WITH WHAT I STATED EARLIER.
UM, I DO THINK THERE'S SOMETHING THAT, THAT MIGHT MAKE MORE SENSE.
UM, STAFF, I WANT YOU TO, TO WORK WITH THE, THE REQUESTER.
UM, EVEN IF IT INVOLVES MAYBE SPLITTING THE, THE PARCEL AND LOOKING AT A LARGER BUFFER, UM, THAT MAY NOT GET REZONED, UM, WHILE THE, THE MAJORITY CAN.
UM, I THINK THAT WOULD GO A LONG WAY TO ADDRESSING THE, THE CONCERNS OF THE HOMEOWNERS.
UM, I'D LIKE STUFF LIKE THAT TO BE PURSUED WHILE THIS IS, UM, BEING POSTPONED.
YEAH, I WOULD SAY I COMPLETELY AGREE WITH WHAT MR. MANN SAID AND WHAT MR. TRUSSLER SAID.
AT THE END OF THE DAY, THE PROBLEM HERE IS THIS SHOULD HAVE ALWAYS BEEN ZONED COMMERCIAL.
THE OTHER PROBLEM IS THE HOMEOWNERS DID BUY THIS LAND UNDER THE, YOU KNOW, GUARANTEE THAT THIS WOULD BE RESIDENTIAL.
NOBODY'S GONNA BUILD A RESIDENTIAL HOME ON NINE SIX, RIGHT? SO IT SHOULD BE SOME KIND OF COMMERCIAL.
BUT ONCE AGAIN, IF WE'RE GONNA MAKE THIS CHANGE AND GIVE Y'ALL THIS, THIS UH, ABILITY TO BUILD, WE NEED ASSURANCES THAT IT'S GOING TO BE A CERTAIN KIND OF COMMERCIAL.
AND SO WE NEED TO WORK THROUGH THIS AND WE NEED TO POSTPONE THIS AND THINK ABOUT WHAT KIND OF COMMERCIAL IS MORE, MOST, UH, APPROPRIATE IN THAT AREA.
BECAUSE THERE'S A BIG DIFFERENCE BETWEEN, YOU KNOW, DIFFERENT KINDS OF COMMERCIALS.
SO GENERAL COMMERCIAL I COULD NOT SUPPORT, BUT SOME KIND OF COMMERCIAL ACTIVITY I THINK IS LOGICAL IN THIS AREA.
PAST SEVEN, ONE WITH COUNCILMAN CRUISE DESCENT.
[7G. 26-0078 Hold a public hearing on a request to rezone approximately 54.656 acres from “RSF-7” (Residential Single-Family 7) to “IL” (Limited Industrial), MAP-25-0010 (3143 W FM 517), generally located along the north side of Farm to Market Road 517, west of McFarland Road and east of My Road with the address of 3143 West Farm to Market Road 517 (Director of Planning) ]
SEVEN G HOLD A PUBLIC HEARING ON A REQUEST TO REZONE APPROXIMATELY 54.656 ACRES FROM RS SEVEN R SF.SEVEN TO IL LIMITED INDUSTRIAL MAP 25 DASH 0 0 0 0 1 0, EXCUSE ME, 31 43 WEST FM FIVE 17.
GENERALLY LOCATED ALONG THE NORTH SIDE OF FM FIVE 17 WEST OF MCFARLAND ROAD AND EAST OF MY ROAD, MY ROAD, THAT'S WAY DOWN THERE.
WITH THE ADDRESS OF 3 1 4 3 WEST FM ROAD.
I WAS JUST, THAT'S WHY I WAS LIKE, OKAY, THIS GOTTA BE A TYPO.
UH,
AND SURELY NO ONE SHOWED UP FOR THIS.
THERE'S NO NOBODY HERE FOR THAT.
LET'S, LET'S CLOSE THAT ONE AS FAST AS WE OPEN IT.
PUBLIC HEARING
LET'S CLOSE IT SO WE DISCUSS IT.
[7H. 26-0079 Consider and take action on an ordinance approving a Rezoning Application, MAP-25-0010 (3143 W FM 517), a request to rezone approximately 54.656 acres from “RSF-7” (Residential Single-Family 7) to “IL” (Limited Industrial), generally located along the north side of Farm to Market Road 517, west of McFarland Road and east of My Road with the address of 3143 West Farm to Market Road 517 (Director of Planning)]
SEVEN H, CONSIDER AND TAKE ACTION OR ORDINANCE FOR APPROVING REZONING OF MAP 25 DASH 0 1 0 3 1 4 3 WEST FM FIVE 17.THE REQUEST TO REZONE APPROXIMATELY 54.656 ACRES FROM R SF SEVEN TO INDUSTRIAL OR LIMITED INDUSTRIAL DURING LOCATED ALONG THE NORTH SIDE OF FM FIVE 17 WEST OF MCFARLAND AND EAST OF MY ROAD WITH THE ADDRESS OF 3 1 4 3 WEST FM FIVE 17.
SECOND MA'AM, I'LL GIVE IT TO ESS
THERE IS NO OLD BUSINESS, NEW BUSINESS.
[9A. 26-0031 Consider and take action on a resolution approving the City of League City’s updated Economic Development Investment Policy (Director of Economic Development) ]
CONSIDER AND TAKE ACTION ON A RESOLUTION OR APPROVING THE CITY OF LAKE CITY'S UPDATED ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT INVESTMENT POLICY, UH, DIRECTOR OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT.CAN WE GET THE PITCH ON THAT? YES SIR.
GOOD EVENING, MAYOR AND COUNCIL.
[02:25:01]
ITEM IS TO UPDATE THE MINIMUM INVESTMENT REQUIRED IN THIS POLICY.IT'S ALSO TO DELETE OLD TOOLS THAT ARE LISTED IN THE POLICY AND IT'S ALSO TO ADD TOOLS LIKE THE CAPITAL RECOVERY DEFERRAL POLICY TO THIS PROGRAM.
THE PURPOSE OF THE POLICY IN GENERAL, JUST TO KIND OF SET THE TABLE IF YOU WILL, THE PURPOSE OF THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT INVESTMENT POLICY IS TO DEVELOP THE COMMUNITY'S ECONOMIC BASE AND QUALITY OF LIFE.
IT'S ALSO TO MINIMIZE THE INVESTMENT OF PUBLIC FUNDS IN A PROJECT.
THESE ARE PRIVATE PROJECTS AND IT'S ALSO TO MAXIMIZE THE RETURN ON INVESTMENT FOR ALL PUBLIC FUNDS INVESTED.
WHEN WE TALK ABOUT REQUIREMENTS OF THE POLICY, JUST A FEW HIGHLIGHTS.
EVERY APPLICANT HAS TO COMPLETE AN APPLICATION.
THE PROJECT SHOULD NOT ALREADY BE UNDERWAY.
THERE MUST BE A DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENT APPROVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL FOR ANY PROJECT THAT'S APPROVED UNDER THIS POLICY.
AND THE APPLICANT MUST SHOW PROOF OF PERFORMANCE AND COMPLIANCE FOR PAYMENT PER THE TERMS OF THE DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENT BEFORE ANY PAYMENT CAN BE MADE.
NOW A LOT OF THESE PAYMENTS ARE REBATES, QUALIFIED EXPENDITURES OR USES OF PUBLIC FUNDS FOR THESE PRIVATE PROJECTS WE CALL 'EM.
INVESTMENTS ARE LIMITED ACCORDING TO THE POLICY, TO COMMERCIAL LAND BUILDINGS AND EQUIPMENT INFRASTRUCTURE, PRIMARY JOBS AND JOB TRAINING.
BASICALLY HIGH PAID QUALITY JOBS AND THEN SITE IMPROVEMENTS, MATERIAL CHANGES TO THE POLICY.
SO THE POLICY WAS ORIGINALLY APPROVED BACK IN 2018.
SO AT THIS TIME, STAFF IS SUGGESTING THAT WE UPDATE THE POLICY TO MAKE IT CURRENT AND THE MATERIAL CHANGES ARE SHOWN IN RED.
BASICALLY THE MINIMUM TAXABLE PROPERTY VALUES WE'RE INCREASING THAT TO KEEP UP WITH INFLATION AND COST OF THE DEVELOPMENT.
THERE'S A LOT OF THE MAJOR CHANGES OF THE MATERIAL CHANGES YOU NOTICE WE SAID AND OR RETURN ON INVESTMENT THAT MEETS OR EXCEEDS THE FOLLOWING MINIMUM THRESHOLDS.
THAT IS BECAUSE WE'RE TRYING TO ACCOMMODATE THE CAPITAL RECOVERY DEFERRAL POLICY.
IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, I'M AVAILABLE.
DO WE NEED TO DO A MOTION TO ACCEPT ANYTHING GOING ON WITH HER MOVE TO APPROVE SECOND TED WILL I HAD OKAY.
UH, ALL IN FAVOR, GO AHEAD AND VOTE.
THERE ARE NO FIRST READING OF ORDINANCES ITEMS. ADD NO, NO ITEMS. ADDED REPORTS FROM
[12. REPORTS FROM STAFF MEMBERS ]
STAFF MEMBERS.UH, JUST A GENERAL REMINDER FOR THE PUBLIC AND, AND, UM, COUNSEL, THERE'S NO MEETING ON MAY ON MARCH 10TH.
NEXT MEETING WILL BE MARCH 24TH.
[13. COUNCIL MEMBERS COMMENTS/REPORTS ]
UH, COUNCIL MEMBER COMMENTS AND REPORTS.UM, I DO WANNA BRING UP SOMETHING I WAS RECENTLY, UH, ELECTED AS CHAIRMAN OF MY SON'S DEMO, A CHAPTER AND WE ARE MOVING THE CHAPTER FROM, UH, ALVIN ANGLETON AREA TO LAKE CITY.
IT WILL BE MEETING AT LAKE CITY MASONIC LODGE ON THE FIRST AND THIRD WEDNESDAYS OF EVERY MONTH AT 7:00 PM UM, IT'S OPEN TO ALL YOUNG MEN BETWEEN THE AGES OF 12 AND 21.
IF THEY HAVE ANY INTEREST OR ANY CURIOSITY, BY ALL MEANS COME VISIT US.
COUNCILMAN HIBA YIELD MY TIME.
I ALREADY USED MORE THAN MY TIME
I HAD THIS GREAT RIFF ON PUNCH THE MONKEY
AND THAT IS THOSE OTHER MONKEYS HAVE IT COMING
COUNCILMAN COS I JUST WANNA WELCOME MY NEPHEW TO LAKE CITY.
HE MOVED TO LAKE CITY SPENCER.
SO I'M BRINGING THE WHOLE CLAN DOWN HERE TO LAKE CITY.
YOU NOTICE I GOT MY BROTHER AND MY NEPHEW AND WE'LL KEEP MOVING, BUT, OH, CRAP, DUDE.
YEAH, I DIDN'T KNOW THAT WAS THE WE'RE ON THE WEST SIDE.
I DIDN'T KNOW HE WAS YOUR NEPHEW.
YOU, THERE'S A LOT OF THINGS I DIDN'T TELL YOU.
NO, I'VE KNOWN SPENCER FOR A WHILE, THAT'S WHY THREW ME OFF.
ALL RIGHT, COUNCILMAN CRUZ, YOU
[02:30:01]
HAVE MY TIME.LONG HECK OF A JOB RUNNING THAT MEETING TONIGHT.
IT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE MEETING, IT TURNED INTO A CONTENTIOUS, UH, GREAT DEBATES OVER MANY THINGS.
THERE ARE NO EXECUTIVE SESSIONS TONIGHT.
[16. REPORT FROM CITY AUDITOR ]
WE HAVE A REPORT FROM CITY AUDITOR PRESENTATION OF CITY AUDITOR'S REPORT.GOOD EVENING, MAYOR AND COUNCIL.
UH, THANK YOU FOR NOT HAVING AN EXECUTIVE SESSION SO WE CAN GET OUTTA HERE SOONER.
UM, I KNOW YOU ALL RECEIVED THE FORMAL REPORT IN THE PACKET, SO I'M JUST GONNA KIND OF, UH, HIT SOME OF THE HIGH POINTS IF I GET THIS RIGHT.
UM, SO THERE WERE TWO AUDITS COMPLETED DURING THE LAST FISCAL YEAR.
THE FIRST ONE WAS THE ANNUAL PERMIT RENEWAL.
AND THE OBJECTIVE IS THAT OF THAT WAS JUST TO VERIFY THAT THE ANNUAL RENEWAL OF THOSE PERMITS WERE, WERE BEING DONE.
UM, SO THE RESULT, AND WHAT I DID IS I ACTUALLY REVIEWED SEVEN OUT OF 48 ANNUAL PERMITS THAT ARE RENEWED.
AND, UH, THE RESULTS OF THAT WERE THAT, UH, IT WAS IDENTIFIED THAT WE NEEDED TO IMPROVE THE PROCESSES AND THE ABILITY TO TRACK, UH, THE PAYMENTS AND MAKE SURE THAT WE WERE RECEIVING THEM.
AND ACTUALLY THROUGH THIS, I THINK THERE WAS ABOUT FOUR YEARS OF THAT.
I WENT BACK ABOUT FOUR YEARS AND DISCOVERED THAT THERE WAS $79,000 THAT WE DID NOT, UH, COLLECT ON THESE THAT WERE NOT PAID.
UM, AND THE SECOND ONE IS, SORRY I'M A LITTLE NERVOUS
UH, THE SECOND PROJECT I COMPLETED WAS THE OVERTIME PREMIUM ANALYSIS.
UH, AND AS YOU KNOW, THE OBJECTIVE WAS JUST TO EVALUATE THE IMPACT ON THE CITY FOR INCLUDING PAID LEAVE.
UH, IN OUR OVERTIME WORK CALCULATIONS, UH, WHAT WE DISCOVERED IS THAT IT DOES COST THE CITY ABOUT $250,000 A YEAR.
HOWEVER, THAT IS AN EXTREMELY SMALL PERCENTAGE OF THE TOTAL OVERTIME COST.
AND IN REVIEWING OTHER MUNICIPALITIES IN THE AREA, WHAT WE DISCOVERED IS THAT THEY DON'T ALL NECESSARILY DO IT LIKE LEAGUE CITY, BUT THEY HAVE SOME VARIATION ON IT.
AND SOME OF THEM MAY INCLUDE JUST ONE, UH, PAID LEAVE CATEGORY, WHILE OTHERS INCLUDE TWO AND SO FORTH.
SO, SO BASICALLY LAKE CITY IS AN AN ANOMALY WHEN IT COMES TO INCLUDING PAID LEAVE.
UM, I ALSO COMPLETED, UH, SIX FOLLOW UP AUDITS.
UH, THE BEGINNING CORRECTIVE ACTIONS.
AND THIS IS, UH, TOTALING ALL OF THE OUT OUTSTANDING CORRECTIVE ACTIONS FOR ALL THESE AUDITS.
WAS 79 AT THE END OF, UH, THE, AT THE END OF THE AUDITS, BASICALLY WHAT WE HAD WAS ABOUT 30 THAT WEREN'T COMPLETED.
UM, I BELIEVE THAT, I THINK THAT ABOUT HALF OF THOSE RELATED TO ONE AUDIT IN PARTICULAR, AND EVERYTHING WAS IN PROCESS.
THE OTHERS WERE ITEMS THAT WERE NOT NECESSARILY DUE YET.
THAT WILL BE REVIEWED IN A SECOND FOLLOW-UP.
UM, I ALSO, UM, ACTED AS, I GUESS YOU COULD SAY THE CONTRACT ADMINISTRATOR FOR AN OUTSOURCED AUDIT.
UM, AND THAT INCLUDED THE PROCUREMENT PROCESS THROUGH, UH, ACTING AS A LIAISON AND THE CLOSEOUT OF IT.
UM, AT, SO THIS WAS JUST TO REVIEW OUR CREDIT CARD PROGRAM AND MAKE SURE THAT IT WAS IN COMPLIANCE AND THAT WE WERE UTILIZING IT PROPERLY.
THE RESULTS WERE VERY GOOD, VERY COMPLIMENTARY.
UH, THE ONLY THING THAT THEY BASICALLY IDENTIFIED AS A FINDING WAS TO, THAT WE NEEDED TO MONITOR THE REBATES, UH, MORE CLOSELY.
UH, THERE IS SOME ISSUES WITH THAT, BUT I KNOW FINANCE HAS IDENTIFIED WAYS TO, TO DO IT THE BEST THEY CAN.
UNFORTUNATELY, WE DON'T HAVE ACCESS TO A LOT OF THE INFORMATION THAT WOULD BE REQUIRED IN ORDER TO DO IT ON A, A THOROUGH BASIS.
UM, AND THEN THERE WERE SEVERAL OPPORTUNITIES THAT THEY IDENTIFIED JUST TO ENHANCE SOME OF THE BUSINESS PROCESSES, BUT THEY WEREN'T NECESSARILY OF ANY RISK.
UM, SO, UH, AS FAR AS AN UPDATE, UM, I WANTED TO BRING YOUR ATTENTION TO THE SHORT TERM RENTALS.
WHENEVER I WAS DOING MY REVIEW IN PREPARATION FOR THE HOTEL OCCUPANCY TAX, THE, THE AUDIT THAT I'M GONNA BE DOING, I NOTED THAT 'CAUSE I WAS LOOKING AT THE REVENUES.
SO THE REVENUE, THE SHORT TERM RENTAL REVENUE IN 2023 WAS $2,450.
[02:35:01]
IT WAS $81,480, AND THAT'S OVER A 3000% INCREASE.AND I JUST THOUGHT THAT WAS KIND OF INTERESTING.
UM, ALSO ON THE ANNUAL PERMIT RENEWALS, I, UH, CHECKED IN WITH, UH, WITH, UH, THE FIRE DEPARTMENT ON THAT.
AND WE HAVE ACTUALLY SEEN AN INCREASE BETWEEN 24 AND 25 OF 30% OF THE REVENUE.
SO WE'VE ALREADY SEEN SOME IMPROVEMENT THERE ON THE COMMERCIAL REMODEL SALES TAX, UM, AUDIT.
SO I DID A SECOND FOLLOW UP ON THIS AND I DON'T KNOW IF YOU'LL RECALL, BUT WE DID TALK ABOUT THE FACT THAT THERE WAS SOME OUTSTANDING CORRECTIVE ACTIONS THAT HAD NOT BEEN ADDRESSED.
AND, UH, COME TO FIND OUT THE, THE REASON FOR THAT IS THAT THE STAFF THAT WAS PRINCIPALLY INVOLVED IN THE AUDIT WENT TO WORK IN ANOTHER AREA IN THE CITY.
AND SO IT JUST, IT JUST KIND OF GOT, UH, FELL THROUGH THE CRACKS.
SO I DID MEET WITH STAFF AND WE WENT OVER LIKE WHAT WAS NEEDED IN ORDER FOR US TO COLLECT THE INFORMATION WE NEED TO MONITOR THE, THE RECEIPT OF THE SALES TAX FROM OUR CONTRACTORS.
AND, UM, SO THEY WORKED ON SOME THINGS AND ACTUALLY RICK AND I MET WITH THEM, I THINK IT WAS LAST WEEK.
AND THEY GAVE US A PRESENTATION ON MULTIPLE THINGS THAT THEY'VE DONE TO IMPROVE THAT.
AND THEY PRIMARILY HAVE IMPLEMENTED SOME, UM, SOME CONTROLS IN THE ACTUAL PERMITTING PROCESS THAT ARE ELECTRONIC THAT WILL REQUIRE THEM TO, UH, PROVIDE THE INFORMATION THAT'S NEEDED EVEN BEFORE THE PERMIT IS ISSUED.
SO, UM, SO THEY'VE DONE A REALLY GOOD JOB.
SO I EXPECT THAT ONCE AND, AND BASICALLY WHAT THIS WILL DO, IT'LL PROVIDE US A BETTER WAY TO MONITOR IT.
UH, WE CAN'T COMPLETELY CONTROL IT, BUT THIS, THIS WILL GIVE US THE INFORMATION THAT WE NEED.
UM, ON THE UTILITY BILLING AUDIT, UM, I HAVE IDENTIFIED SEVERAL FINDINGS AND, UH, SEVERAL OPPORTUNITIES FOR IMPROVEMENT.
I'LL BE COMPLETING THE AUDIT ONCE, UM, ONCE, UH, THE STAFF, UH, KIMBERLY AND HER STAFF HAVE HAD A CHANCE TO REVIEW IT.
AND ALSO JOHN, UH, THE HOTEL OCCUPANCY TAX, I HAVE IDENTIFIED, UH, THE HOTEL THAT I'M GOING TO BE AUDITING.
I'LL BE MEETING WITH THE MANAGER NEXT WEEK TO DISCUSS, UH, THE AUDIT PROCESS AND SO FORTH.
I KNOW NONE OF THE HOTELS HAVE BEEN AUDITED BEFORE, SO IT'S GONNA BE A LITTLE BIT OF A, UH, YOU KNOW, IT'S GONNA BE A LITTLE DIFFERENT AND AN ADJUSTMENT, BUT I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT THEY COMPLETELY UNDERSTAND WHAT THE PURPOSE BEHIND IT IS.
AND THAT'S ALL I HAVE TONIGHT.
DOES ANYBODY HAVE ANY QUESTIONS? ANY QUESTIONS, GUYS? YEAH, I'VE GOT ONE.
YOU DON'T MIND IF YOU COULD GO BACK TO THE FIRST SLIDE THAT YOU STARTED WITH? IF, IF THAT'S POSSIBLE? YES.
IF I KNOW HOW TO OPERATE THIS THING.
YEAH, JUST, JUST TO CLARIFY A LITTLE BIT ON THE FIRE MARSHAL'S FEE SCHEDULE THAT WAS STARTED WHILE I WAS THE FIRE MARSHAL THERE, SO I WANNA VERIFY THAT YOU UNDERSTAND ALSO AND, AND SEE IF IT'S BEEN IMPROVED.
PART OF THE REASON FOR THE COLLECTION OF THE FEES, LOST REVENUES WAS THE FACT THAT THE FIRE MARSHAL'S OFFICE NEVER HAD A FINANCING MODULE.
IN THE COMPUTER SYSTEM TO COLLECT THE FEES, WE WOULD HAVE TO SEND PEOPLE TO CITY HALL OR TO THE BUILDING DEPARTMENT TO COLLECT A FEE BECAUSE THE CITY DIDN'T PROVIDE A A MODULE FOR US.
NOW, IF SO, I MEAN, THERE'S NO REASON WHEN A PERSON WALKS INTO THE, UH, FIRE MARSHAL'S OFFICE TO PAY A PERMIT OR PAY A FEE THAT WE HAVE TO SEND THEM ACROSS THE STREET TO DO SO.
NUMBER TWO, I APPRECIATE JOHN FOR SITTING AND RECOGNIZING THE FACT THAT THE FIRE MARSHALS, WHEN I FIRST STARTED, WE HAD TWO INSPECTORS AND YOU WERE REQUIRED TO INSPECT EVERY BUILDING IN THE CITY AT LEAST ONCE IN SCHOOLS TWICE A YEAR.
AND WITH TWO INSPECTORS, THERE'S NO WAY THAT YOU'RE GONNA GO AROUND TO ALL THESE BUSINESSES AND COLLECT A FEE FOR OCCUPANCY, UH, FOR THE OPERATION PERMITS.
SO MANPOWER HAS A LOT TO DO WITH IT.
AND I JUST WANNA CLARIFY, UNDER CHIEF ALLEN, I MEAN, WE, WE DO HAVE MORE PEOPLE AND I, I RECOGNIZE THAT AND THAT'S WHY YOU PROBABLY SEE AN UPTICK IN, IN THE COLLECTION OF FEES BECAUSE THEY, THEY DO A LOT OF PERMITTING AND A LOT OF FEE COLLECTIONS, BUT WE HAVE TO HAVE THE TOOLS THERE AT THEIR OFFICE, RIGHT.
OTHERWISE, IT, IT'S A, IT'S, IT'S NOT A VALID POINT.
ALL I WAS GONNA SAY, TOMMY IS I THINK THEY FINALLY DID, 'CAUSE I DID MY COO RECENTLY FOR IT.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? MR. MAYOR? MAYOR?
[02:40:01]
YEAH.I JUST WANNA SAY, UH, YOU KNOW, THANK YOU.
YOU'VE DONE A GREAT JOB AND ALL THE DIFFERENT REVENUE THAT YOU'VE BROUGHT IN HAS BEEN GREAT AND THAT IS PRIMARILY THE, THE IDEA BEHIND IT.
AND, UH, MR. MANN WAS ON COUNCIL WITH ME WHEN WE ORIGINALLY CREATED THIS DEAL.
AND IT WAS, IT WENT THROUGH FITS AND STARTS, RIGHT? EVEN IN YOUR ORIGINAL TENURE, UH, TENURE, IT WENT THROUGH FITS AND STARTS.
BUT IT HAS, I'VE BEEN VERY IMPRESSED.
UH, I THINK IT HAS DEFINITELY TURNED THE CORNER AND WE CAN SEE THE RETURN ON INVESTMENT THAT WE'VE MADE IN IT AND IT'S CREATED A MORE EQUITABLE WAY AND IT'S HELPED US REDUCE THE TAX RATE AND, AND PUTTING MORE KIND OF USE TAXES OR, OR USE FEES IN PLACE WILL ALLOW US TO CONTINUALLY REDUCE THE TAX RATE DOWN FURTHER.
SO I, I JUST THINK YOU'VE DONE A, YOU'VE DONE A YEOMAN'S WORK IN, UH, IN CHANGING THE WAY THAT IT'S LOOKED AT AND, UH, VERY HAPPY WITH, WITH THE RESULTS THAT WE'RE SEEING.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR GIVING THE COURT THANK YOU.
AND AT 8:41 PM THERE BEING NO FURTHER BUSINESS, THIS MEETING IS ADJOURNED.