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Aug 257 min read

27 August 2024 Council Meeting

Agenda Items: tax rate for 24/25; Public Hearing for tax rate 10 Sep 2024; increase in water fees and wastewater fees; update on Waste Water Treatment Plant, Executive Session: Halff Litigation, Brothers In Christ Development, Beall Development Agreement, property purchase Kings Gate Bridge

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

• Meeting Page • Agenda packet (in .pdf) • minutes approved during the next meeting • Youtube video

• Facebook Watch live during Meeting (No Facebook account required.) • Facebook Video Before Executive Session • Facebook Video After Executive Session • Youtube Video


• Latest Update: 09 September 2024; posted 23 August 2024

• 27 August 2024 Council Meeting Review by The Community News, 30 August 2024 / Willow Park City Council Meeting reviewed by the City of Willow Park newspaper of record, The Community News. Topics: • Slight increase mainly funds police • Wastewater fund • Wastewater treatment plant.

• Note: Willow Park Civics is about Willow Park but is NOT associated with or managed by the City of Willow Park.

• Index: Public Comments, Agenda, [Sources] and Resources





 


Public Comments

From approved minutes posted with the next Council Meeting agenda. 

• Minutes: Walter Mayou at 505 Knights Bridge and Francis Horch at 901 Sam Bass Ct. both spoke before the City Council.  

• Willow Park Civics Notes:

• Walter Mayou ask for an ordinance to restrict supplemental feeding of deer in Willow Park and ETJ.

• Francis Horch spoke for the fourth time asking the Council to fix the damage done to her property during the City's Street Improvement Project.


2. Discussion /Action: to discuss, consider and act on approving a proposed ad valorem tax rate for the period beginning October 1, 2024 thru September 30, 2025. #PropertyTax #Finance

• Background:

State statute requires that Council take a roll call vote on the proposed tax rate for the upcoming budget for FY 23 - 24. This is part of the rate setting process.

As we have discussed at previous workshops the tax rate for your consideration is as follows:

For your review, please find the tax rate calculations from the Parker County Appraisal District and the staff worksheet that has been previously discussed.

• Exhibit: • 2024 Tax RateCalculation Worksheet

• Willow Park Civics Research:

• Willow Park is planning to increase the property tax rate for 2024 - 2025. Willow Park Civics Blog, posted 19 August, 2024

During the 13 August 2024 Council Meeting, the City proposed a “small tax rate increase” of .0349¢ because of the increases in both M&O (maintenance and operation) and I&S (debt payments). Willow Park Citizens are encouraged attend and speak during the next two Council meetings, 27 August and 10 September.

• 13 August 2024 Council Meeting Agenda Item 7. Discussion Only: Tax Rate and Budget Workshop for the FY 24-25.

• Minutes: City Manager Bryan Grimes presented the proposed Tax Rate and Budget for FY 24-25. City Council will vote to approve the tax rate and adopt the budget at September 10th meeting.

• 23 July 2024 Council Meeting, Agenda Item 7. Discussion Only: Budget Workshop for the FY 24-25 Budget.

• Minutes City Manager, Bryan Grimes did the presentation of the proposed budget. He will be filing the preliminary FY 24-25 Budget with the City Secretary. July 25th is the deadline for the Certified Appraisal Tax Roll to be provided to the city. At the August 27th city council meeting, City Council will discuss the tax rate, vote on proposed tax rate and set the public hearing for the budget and tax rate for September 10th.


3. Discussion/Action: to discuss, consider, and act on to setting the date, time, and place for a public hearing on the tax rate and proposed budget for the period beginning October 1, 2024 thru September 30, 2025. #PropertyTax

[See Agenda Item 2.]

• Background: State statute requires that Council set the date, time, and location for the single Public Hearing to discuss the budget for FY 24 - 25, beginning on October 1, 2024 and ending September 30, 2025. Upon the passage of this motion, staff will place an ad with The Community News per state statute.

• Suggested Motion: I move that the City of Willow Park hold a public hearing on the budget and a public hearing on the tax rate for FY 24 – 25, a period beginning on October 1, 2024 and ending on September 30, 2025, on September 10, 2024 at 6:00 PM at the Willow Park City Hall located at 120 El Chico Trail and authorize staff to publish public notices as required by law.

• Exhibits: • Notice Of Public Hearing On Tax Increase


4. Discussion/Action: to adopt an ordinance adopting a comprehensive fee and rate schedule for the following Enterprise Fund Utility Rates/Services/Charges for Fiscal Year 2024-25, including water impact fees, water tap fees, wastewater impact fees, wastewater tap fees, drainage impact fees, utility deposits/fees, water base rates, water volumetric charges, wastewater rates, solid waste rates, additional utility services charges, and water meter costs; amending various city ordinances; and containing a severability clause and an effective date. #WastewaterTreatmentPlant #FortWorthWater

• Background:

In August of 2023 [1], NewGen Strategies and Solutions proposed a plan to maintain the water fund and allow the wastewater fund to become independent of the water fund within 3 years.

Year 1 of that plan was implemented for FY 2023-2024 with an increase in wastewater rates to both residential and commercial, and by establishing a multi-family wastewater rate.

Year 2, which is proposed to be implemented for this next fiscal year (2024-2025) includes increases in the

• water volumetric charge,

• increases in both the wastewater base and volumetric charge, as well as

• an increase in the multi-family wastewater fee.

• Exhibits: • Proposed Ordinance • NewGen Study as presented to Council in August, 2023 [in .pdf]

• Willow Park Civics Research:

[1] 22 August 2023 Council Meeting, Agenda Item 8. Discussion/Action: to accept the water and wastewater study from NewGen Strategies and Solutions.

• Wastewater Treatment Plant, Willow Park Civics Blog Index,

The new Wastewater Treatment Plant started construction March 2024... after hiring a second contractor and assuming an additional $4M in debt; hiring, firing and suing the first WWTP construction contractor; reducing the WWPT design from a 1M gallon capacity plant to 750K gallons; assuming a $14M debt; increasing residential and commercial wastewater fees; approving the final location and plat for the new WWPT; in addition to several years struggling to find the correct location.

• Building and Business Development < Glossary Plus < Willow Park Civics

• An impact fee is typically a one-time payment imposed by a local government on a property developer. The fee is meant to offset the financial impact a new development places on public infrastructure.

• ​Tap fees are the charges assessed to install a new water or sewer connection to a municipal or privately owned source. A tap fee is assessed according to the size of the piping connection and whether it is for a residential or commercial application.


5. Discussion only: Update on the Wastewater Treatment Plant.

• Background: Assistant Public Works Director, Chase McBride, will update the Council on the progress of the new waste water treatment plant.

• Minutes: Chase McBride, Assistant Public Works Director gave a presentation on the

update of the City's Wastewater Treatment Plant.

• Willow Park Civics Research:

• Wastewater Treatment Plant, Willow Park Civics Blog Index,

The new Wastewater Treatment Plant started construction March 2024... after hiring a second contractor and assuming an additional $4M in debt; hiring, firing and suing the first WWTP construction contractor; reducing the WWPT design from a 1M gallon capacity plant to 750K gallons; assuming a $14M debt; increasing residential and commercial wastewater fees; approving the final location and plat for the new WWPT; in addition to several years struggling to find the correct location.


Informational

• Mayor and City Council Comments

• There were no comments from Mayor and City Council

• City Manager Comments

• City Manager Bryan Grimes stated the City Council will be voting on the FY 2024-2025 Budget and 2024 Tax Rate at the September 10th City Council Meeting. He announced National Night Out will be held at Kings Gate Park on October 1st. The City's Code of Ordinances has officially been completed and is now on the city's website.


Executive Session

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


7. 551.087 - Economic Development Negotiations; 551.071 Consultation with City Attorney;

7a. Beall Development Agreement; and

• Willow Park Civics Research

• 27 August 2024 Council Meeting, Agenda Item 14.a

• 13 August 2024 Council Meeting, Agenda Item 14b.

• 23 July 2023 Council Meeting, Agenda Item 10a

• 25 June 2024 Council Meeting, Agenda Item 11

• 11 June 2024 Council Meeting, Agenda Item 11

• 28 May 2024 Council Meeting, Agenda Item 5

• 14 May 2024 Council Meeting, Agenda Item 10

• 23 April 2024 Council Meeting, Executive Session Agenda Item 8.

• 26 March 2024 Council Meeting, Executive Session Agenda Item 7. 551.087 - Economic Development Negotiations; 551.071 Consultation with City Attorney; Beall Deve13 August 2024 Council Meetinglopment

• 27 February 2024 Council Meeting, Executive Session Agenda Item 12. 551.087 - Economic Development Negotiations; 551.071 Consultation with City Attorney; Beall Development Agreement.

7b. Brothers In Christ Annexation.

• Willow Park Civics Research

• 13 August 2024 Council Meeting above, Agenda Items 10, 11, 12 and 14b. 


8. 551.071 (Consultation with Attorney); 551.072 (Deliberation Regarding Real Property) - possible purchase of tract of property on Kings Gate Road and adjoining tract off I-20 Service Road

• Minutes: To approve a contract to sale real property for the purchase of two parcels of land, one  being .1185 acre of land and the other being approximately 1 acre of land for the Kings Gate Bridge Project.  

• Willow Park Civics Research: • Street Improvement Projects, Kings Gate Road Bridge, Willow Park Civics Blog





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