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Aug 18, 20238 min read

22 August 2023 Council Meeting

Updated: Sep 9, 2023

• Agenda Items: Public Hearings on and adoptions of 2023 - 2024 budget and tax rate; request Bank Depository Services proposal; 3Q financial report; water and wastewater (fee) study; plans to reduce size of new Waste Water Treatment Plant; replat Tommy's Boats; final plat Broadway Business Park Addition; adopt cost of living adjustment COLA for retirees and dependents; Quarterly Department Reports; Executive Session - Halff & Associates Litigation

• Location and Time: El Chico City Hall, 120 El Chico, Suite A, Willow Park, Texas 76087, 6PM

• Meeting Page (agenda packet (in .pdf), minutes, Youtube video) / Facebook Video * Minutes approved during the next meeting.

• Latest Update: Saturday, 09 September, 2023 added minutes; Friday, 25 August, 2023; Friday, 18 August 2023

• The Community News, 22 August 2023 Council Review, 25 August, 2023; New Tax, New Budget, Wastewater rate study, New wastewater plant



 

2. (&3) The City Council may conduct a public hearing on the City of Willow Park Fiscal Year 2023-2024 Proposed Budget. Open Public Hearing Close Public Hearing#Finance

• Background: Council and staff have been working on the budget and the budget process for the past few months. Council had multiple Budget workshops and the statutory Public Hearings on the Budget. The Budget has been readily available on the City website since July 7, 2023.

General Fund: While Council will vote on the Tax Rate in a subsequent agenda item, the M/O levy is below the No New Revenue Rate (NNR) meaning that new value is provided the necessary funds to meet the budget needs. New value, or growth, is supplying funds for the Parks Department and Street Maintenance and Repair. #Streets #Parks

Water Fund: With the completion of the FW Water Project nearing a conclusion, water revenues have been sustained. Similar to the General Fund, the previous investment of FW Water has allowed us to have competitive wages for the Public Works Department which will allow us to retain the staff we currently have. #FortWorthWater

Wastewater Fund: This fund is the most vulnerable of all funds in the Budget. With approximately half of the water accounts, and the imposition of a new wastewater treatment plant debt, this fund will struggle until additional accounts can be realized. While we did see some modest gains in terms of wastewater revenues in the 4Q of the previous fiscal year, and was discussed at Budget Workshops, staff feels that a transfer from the Water Fund is necessary to sustain the Wastewater Budget. Furthermore, Council will be presented with adjusting sewer rates to enhance wastewater revenues. #WastewaterTreatmentPlant

Drainage Fund: With over two years of revenues collected, and the passage of the Certificates of Obligation to address drainage projects throughout the City last year, this fund will provide the proceeds to service the debt. This fee allows the City to address its drainage projects without additional I/S funding. Some drainage projects have been completed, and Phase 2 will be completed in the coming months. #DrainageManagement

3. Discussion/Action: to adopt an ordinance providing for the adoption of the City of Willow Park Municipal Budget for Fiscal Year 2023 - 2024. #Finance

• See Agenda Item 2


4. (&5) The City Council may conduct a public hearing on the City of Willow Park Proposed Ad Valorem Tax Rate for Tax Year 2023. Open Public Hearing Close Public Hearing #Finance

• Background: As has been discussed previously, and voted on during the August 8, 2023 City Council Meeting, the proposed Tax Rate for FY 2023 - 2024 is as follows:

M/O: 0.208872

I/S: 0.188725

Total Rate: $0.397597

• Minutes: KJ Hannah at 177 Melbourne Drive and Charlie Hodges at 122 Pony Express Trail

both spoke before the City Council during the Public Hearing.

• Public Comments / YouTube Video 12:15

• KJ Hannah, HannahComments.pdf

• Charlie Hodges, Pres. Stage Coach Estates

• Willow Park Civics Research

• See Agenda Item 2.

5. Discussion/Action: to adopt an ordinance adopting an Ad Valorem Tax Rate and levy on assessed property not to exceed $0.397597 per $100 valuation for tax year 2023 for the City of Willow Park, Texas including a Levy of Debt obligations ($0.208872) and a levy for Maintenance and Operations ($0.188725) consistent with the Fiscal Year 2023- 2024 Municipal Budget.

• See Agenda Item 4


6. Discussion/Action: to authorize the request for Bank Depository Services Proposal. #Finance

• Background: State statute requires that the City of Willow Park send out Requests for Proposal for Banking Services. Our current agreement with First Financial Bank is set to expire in September 2023. Thus, staff has prepared the attached RFP to send out to local bank depositories for our banking services.Upon approval, staff will send the RFP and will provide 30 days for the financial institutions to respond by September 22, 2023. Upon receipt of the bank proposals, staff will then review and present our recommendations to Council at the September 26, 2023 meeting.

• Exhibit: Bank Services RFP


7. Discussion/Action: to approve the City's 2022-2023 3rd Quarter Financial Report. #Finance

• Background: Review and provide an update on the 3rd fiscal quarter 2022-2023 financial activity of the city... by Jake Weber, CPA.

• Exhibit: Financial Reports as of June 30, 2023.

• Minutes: Jake Weber gave a brief summary of the FY 2022-2023 3rd Quarter Financial Report.


8. Discussion/Action: to accept the water and wastewater study from NewGen Strategies and Solutions. #FortWorthWater #WastewaterTreatmentPlant

• Background: Several months ago, we asked NewGen Strategies to prepare a water and wastewater rate Study. Willow Park had not increased either rate since 2017 as was recommended by NewGen in that year. We have been transferring money from the water account to the wastewater fund to offset deficit. Several factors are used to determine the rates needed to have a positive balance in both funds, these factors include number of customers, debt service, construction improvement projects. Due to rising costs in the water and wastewater systems and construction of a must needed wastewater plant we asked for a three-year model to make both funds financially healthy.

• Exhibits: Presentation (in .pdf)


9. Discussion/Action: the City Council may consider authorizing staff to amend the bid specifications for the new wastewater plant to reduce the plant from a 1 million gallon capacity plant to a 750K gallon capacity plant and authorize City staff to re-advertise to seek competitive proposals. #WastewaterTreatmentPlant

• Background: Construction plans are being designed for 750K gallon wasterwater treatment plant.


10. Consideration/Action: to approve a replat of 4900 IH-20 Service Road South, Lot 3R, Block 1, Porter Addition, City of Willow Park, Parker County, Texas. [Tommy's Boats] #DevelopmentSouth

• Background: This is a Replat for 4900 East IH 20 Service Road South, Lot 3R, Block 1 of the Porter Addition. The property is zoned “Commercial/IH-20 Overlay District” with a Special Use Permit. This replat abandons a Texas Department of Transportation right-of-way at the north of the property.

• "Amend plat to include surplus ROW released by Willow Park and TxDOT."

• "The District Office has advised that the 30’ retention will not be necessary since that appears to have already been addressed through the building setback and the landscaping. However, please keep the ROW line uniform as noted in the present site plan."

• Exhibits: • Plat Application • Replat • Staff Corrections • TXDOT Notification • TXDOT Approval of Release • Recorded Plat: Porter Addition

• Willow Park Research:

• Willow Park Civics Blog > Growth and Development, 01 July 2023

• Willow Park Civics Blog > Tommy's Boats is coming to town, updated 24 July 2023, originally posted 22 October 2022

• 4900 E Interstate 20 Service Rd S, Redfin, lot adjacent, west of Platinum Collision Body Shop



11. Discussion & Action: Final Plat for Lots 1-4, Block 1, Broadway Business Park Addition, being 8.046 acre tract in the McKinney & Williams Survey, Abstract No. 954, in the Extraterritorial Jurisdiction of the City of Willow Park, Parker County, Texas. #DevelopmentSouth

• Background: Applicant and surveyor, James Stevens, along with the property owner, RBRS Ventures, LLC, present the Final Plat of 8.046 acres, located north of East Bankhead Highway, in the McKinney & Williams Survey, Abstract No. 954, from one parcel into Lots 1 through 4. This subdivision is within the City’s extraterritorial jurisdiction, and therefore, required to be submitted to the City for plat approval (Subd. Ord. Sec. 10.02.001).

The plat states that all lots will have private sewer and water; the 50’ Road Easement allows all lots access to East Bankhead Highway, a public street.

• Exhibits: • Plat Application • Final Plat – Lots 1-4, Broadway Business Park Addition

• Willow Park Research:

• Willow Park Civics Blog > 15 August 2023 P&Z Commission Meeting, Agenda Item, 4; [See 18 July 2023 P&Z Commission Meeting blog for Research.]

• Willow Park Civics Blog > 18 July 2023 P&Z Commission Meeting

• Agenda Item 2. preliminary plat for Lots 1-4, Broadway Business Park Addition, off Bankhead Hi. in Willow Park ETJ

• [See blog for Research.]


12. Discussion/Action: to adopt an ordinance regarding the City of Willow Park's Texas Municipal Retirement System Benefits: (1) Adopting Non- Retroactive Repeating COLAS, For Retirees and Their Beneficiaries Under TMRS Act ACT §853.404(f) and (f-1), and (2) Authorizing Annually Accruing Updated Service Credits and Transfer #Finance

• Background: This will provide our retirees to receive increases in retirement for future years. This COLA is based on the consumer price index for the previous twelve months of each year. Without this benefit, retirees would be hindered at a fixed retirement rate. This is another incentive to hire and retain quality employees.

• Exhibits: (• Ordinance • Letter from TMRS with Comparison of Alternate Benefit Design(s))


13. Quarterly Department Reports

[Reports are included in agenda packet.]

a. Municipal Court

b. Police

c. Fire Marshal

d. Public Works

• Water

• Wastewater - Effluent Line; new WWTP

• Streets

e. City Engineer

• 2022 Drainage Improvements, Phase I

• 2022 Drainage Improvements, Phase II

• 2022 Street Improvements Project

f. Planning and Development

g. Communications and Marketing


Informational

• Mayor and Council Comments

• Mayor Pro Tem Young commended the Staff on the quality and the amount of information given on the quarterly department reports. She also mentioned the availability of the information is accessible on our website. She requested staff to come up with some recommendations for the Tourism Fund.

• Mayor Moss concurred with the Mayor Pro Tem in regard to City Manager, Bryan Grimes putting together a great staff. He thanked Fire Chief Watson with ESD 1 for taking care of the grass fire on White Settlement Road on Sunday, August 20th. He also mentioned the passing of former Planning and Zoning Commissioner, Fred McCully.

• Councilman Contreras acknowledged and praised Chief Watson with ESD 1 and his team for doing a great job and quickly responding to the grass fire.


• City Manager Comments. City Manager Bryan Grimes praised city staff on a job well done on some significant challenges in the last twelve months. He thanked city council for their approval on the TMRS COLA


Executive Session

• 14. Section 551.071 - Consultation with Attorney; Halff & Associates Litigation. #FortWorthWater

• Willow Park Civics Research

• 08 August 2023 Council Meeting. Halff & Associates Litigation.

• 18 July 2023 Special Council Meeting, Executive Session, Halff & Associates possible litigation

• 27 June 2023 Council Meeting, Executive Session Status of negotiations/potential litigation with Halff Engineering

• 13 April 2023 Council Meeting, Executive Session Consultation with Attorney; - Status of negotiations/potential litigation with Halff Engineering

• 28 November 2022 Special Council Meeting, Executive Session, Consultation with Attorney - deliberation about dispute with Halff Associates regarding the Fort Worth Water Project

• 15 November 2022 Council Meeting, Executive Session, Consultation with Attorney - deliberation about dispute with Halff Associates regarding the Fort Worth Water Project

• 12 April 2022 Council Meeting, Executive Session Consultation with Attorney - deliberation about dispute with Halff Associates regarding Fort Worth Water project





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